#i get extremely touch averse at times too but like come on

[tadpoledancer]

as an autistic I'm really tired of people headcanoning every autistic character as aro or ace because it just comes off infantilizing as fuck

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives: Fic Recs

My latest hyperfixation is Dead Boy Detectives, so oc I've been reading and commenting on a ton of fic. And it's been really nice because the response of the authors has been so warm. I don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so quickly! Also, the fandom has inspired me to actually start writing again for the first time in two years and I've got a great idea for a fanvid. (Any tips on how to make one would be appreciated! 😅)

So in tribute to the lovely fandom, here's a fic rec post (nearly all payneland):

in this city there's a thousand things I want to say to you by laiqualaurelote

Edwin has a sexual awakening and it blows Charles' mind. And other things. Very funny and well written. Also features minor Edwin/Cat King and Edwardian flirting.

I also highly recommend the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned by the same author, which is a kind of multiverse!Edwin fic? Featuring Edwin dying? And Niko time travelling? Trying to save time? Anyway, interesting to see Edwin alive, ageing and in different periods of time/his life.

For the First Time Twice by MmmCookies

Amnesia fic! Charles loses his memories and thinks he and Edwin are married. Very cute (tandem bike date!) and well written, though Edwin's point of view still manages to be angsty. Also, the yearning is off the charts and the most recent chapter turned up the heat.

I guess you're stuck with me by Punny_Puck

AU in which Edwin and Charles actually got married pre-show. Funny, cute with a sweet marriage proposal prequel. Instant comfort fic.

Dance the Night by Gruoch

The gang are hunting an energy-sucking vampire that targets beautiful people, so naturally Edwin MUST disguise himself as the hottest girl in London. This one starts out fun and campy then takes a hard left turn into Serious Business. Prepare yourself for emotional moments, worldbuilding and some really excellent horror.

Long Past Time by sanctuary_for_all

Charles proposes to Edwin post canon. It's a short and sweet established relationship fic with some cool worldbuilding about ghosts and their ability to shape their clothing/appearances.

lay my hands on heaven by Opossum_Subatomic

I had to include a PWP and this is a great one. Extremely well written, in character and romantic. And explicit, obviously.

Data Points by Asidian

Edwin learns to cuddle. It's a production and completely adorable. I love a fic that explores the difference between the boys' physicality and this one's really on point. The writing and characterisation are great and it's nice to see Edwin taking care of Charles.

I also recommend Lanterns In the Dark, which sets the scene for Charles and Edwin's first meeting with some gut-wrenching details about Charles' homelife and Edwin's escape from Hell.

When I Was a Young Boy by flowerbritts

A Good Omens crossover and AU in which Aziraphale is Edwin's adopted father. Family reunions and revelations abound. Also, Edwin gets to be a teenager and slam doors while shouting, as he deserves.

The author has also written Wait, I'm Coming Too, which is a very sweet post canon 'Charles Worries About Edwin and Realises His Feelings' fic inspired by that 'Edwin reading Heartstopper' fanart. Both fics deserve more love!

A Slight Miscalculation by kantigone

Idiots in Love and Didn't Know They Were Dating. Crystal and Niko are the real MVPs, for real. A treat.

Terrible at Keeping Secrets (5+1) by ASingularSadSoggyPringle

Interesting demon!Edwin AU. Charles is a precious cupcake in this fic and Edwin is mostly the same with some Darker moments. I loved the concept and the author adds in some great, creepy details.

somaesthesia by perexcri

Edwin's journey from being touch-averse to touch-starved... at least when it comes to Charles. Palmistry is involved. I loved Edwin's characterisation and the unresolved sexual/romantic tension was on point.

And possibly I like the thrill (of under me you quite so new) by Leandra

Edwin explores his sexuality and re-negotiates his relationship with Charles. Meanwhile, the gang take on the case of a ghost who wants them to matchmake his still-living lover. Crosses over with The Sandman. And Edwin gets to be confident and flirty as a treat.

Always by How You Doing (FancyMeetingYouHere)

Hurt/Comfort fic in which Edwin has a traumatic flashback to the doll-head demon spider and Charles looks after him. Charles reading Good Omens to Edwin is a nice, meta touch.

Made You Look by Baby_Spinach

The agency are hunting an incubus that decides to take on Edwin's appearance. A repression explosion ensues. Fun fic.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

This one's actually a character study of Charles and his mixed race Indian heritage (so no Edwin) and it's so well done. It's also part of a series in progress about Charles growing up in the 80s with all the racism and homophobia that that entails. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

The Most Tender Place In My Heart by coloursflyaway

Edwin shares memories of how he fell in love with Charles, who figures out his own feelings in the process. It's super sweet and involves fun pre-show flashbacks and defintely deserves more attention!

I also loved Won't Fear Love by the same author, in which Charles takes Edwin out on dates and breaks the cuteness scales. And shout out to Good Enough which is the first fic I bookmarked for this fandom! 🥳

Anyway, thank you to all these amazing writers for making this fandom so special! 🥰

[oikasugayama]

BSD MEN AS BOYFRIENDS pt. 2

pt. 1 Dazai, Kunikida, Atsushi, Chuuya pt. 2 Ango, Ranpo, Poe

mentions of smut in Ranpo and Poe's!!

Ango

He's a sadboi and once he's comfortable with you he's probably whiny and clingy. It's extreeeemely common for him to come home from work exhausted, change out of his suit, and silently drop down beside you wherever you are. If you're in bed he'll lay with you, if you're on the couch he'll sit with you, hell sometimes he'll get into your bath with you. He wont talk for a while--sometimes up to an hour-- while he decompresses from work, and then finally once he's started to relax he'll talk to you and ask how your day was. You're used to this-- you can't imagine the stress he's under on a day to day basis not only doing his job but knowing that he's incredibly hated among some very very dangerous circles. You promised him a long time ago that you wouldn't ask about it and would try your best not to worry about it. "I could be killed any day for a multitude of reasons," he told you once. "Let me worry about that. Please just let me feel normal and in love with you in the meantime."

He doesn't...have friends... so you get to spend ALL of his free time with him :D Not that there's a lot of it. He hates working late, but unfortunately it happens a lot (funny how it coincides with every time the Port Mafia or the Armed Detective Agency get involved in some big scheme). You miss him when he's late coming home, but as much as you want to be a cute partner and bring him dinner at the office (or stop by for any reason for that matter), you know you can't. Ango keeps your relationship EXTREMELY private, to the point of being secretive. You're not allowed to be seen in public together, for your safety. He doesn't want you to be taken and used against him for any reason, so it's better that your relationship is under wraps.

One time, though, you were at home with him and Dazai--okay, so Ango has one friend--invited himself in. You'd never met him before this moment, and he seemed shocked that Ango wasn't home alone. You've heard enough about Dazai to know that he likely instantly knew who you were to Ango when he saw you leaned against each other on the couch in the split second before Ango leapt to his feet and started yelling at Dazai for breaking in.

Ango honestly seems a little relieved to introduce you properly to Dazai-- you're the two most important people in his personal life, after all. Now maybe he can have his two favorite people in the room at the same time and feel a little normal for once.

Ranpo

Don't even fucking pretend like you don't have a crush on him. The second you think "oh shit, I think I like him" he opens his eyes, quirks an eyebrow at you, and says "I didn't even do anything." If you didn't know better you'd think he's telepathic. He asks you on a date then and there (after a bit of teasing, trying to get you to admit to liking him before he outs you himself)

He fairly quickly decides that he wants to be your partner, having worked out in an instant that you'll make his life more fun and give him lots of things that he isn't used to (i.e. affection) that he desperately wants.

If you ask why he didn't date anyone before you came along, he says that he has dated a few people, but only if they've approached him, because he's too lazy to pursue anyone. It's easier for him to wait for someone to confess than to try to hunt for someone good.

He's not much for cuddling. He's kind of touch averse and isn't too fond of petting or random innocent touches or hand holding. He very, very much likes kisses and compliments, though!! You can smooch him and tell him how handsome and smart and good he is and it'll send him over the moon.

He doesn't have much of a sex drive, but you do have sex. He prefers to not do the work as much as possible. If you'll suck him off or ride him, he's more than satisfied. He tells you he used to think he could honestly live without sex, but then he remembers how good you look when you're blissed out and how proud he feels when he makes you feel good, and it makes him want to do it more. Throughout your relationship he gets a bit more sexually adventurous, but it does take a while for him to get used to all the physical touching and the energy it expends.

It's impossible to surprise him. You have to start warning him that you want to surprise him, and then he pretends not to notice any of the sneaking you do. You kind of knew this was going to be an issue going into the relationship, but you didn't realize he wouldn't know not to spoil a surprise. He gets pretty good at pretending he didn't know surprises were coming, though. His favorite ones involve you making him special dinners or coming to the office in the middle of the day to bring him lunch and give him a kiss right in front of all of his coworkers.

Poe

He will buy you EX!PEN!SIVE! GIFTS! You want a rare first edition of a novel from the 19th century? $2,000? Pocket change. You want a beautiful gemstone neceklace and it turns out it's $100k because they're all diamonds? Easy spending money. He'd buy you a whole fucking town if you asked him to. Please ask him to. Please.

He is at your beck and call. Every second you're not with him he's thinking of you and moping. He cries to Karl that you must have forgotten about him and what if you don't love him anymore? He falls into a doom spiral and writes devastating poetry about never-ending despair and loathing--and then you text him and he's sunshine and rainbows and writes you a sonnet about how much he loves you. He's especially susceptible to sexts. If you send him a picture of your tits or your bulge, his mouth will be watering and he will call you in an instant, whining and begging for you to come see him as soon as possible.

he insists he can see through his hair and prefers it to be in his eyes to block some of the light--even if it's dark, it's still too bright for him. The first time you huff and reach up to move his hair out of his face, he nearly nuts on the spot. There's something about you grabbing his hair and forcing him to look you, unobstructed, in the eye that turns him on so much. He's very much a sub and wants you to take control and tell him exactly what you want any time you get intimate.

quality time is very important to him, just as much so as gift giving. He'd be happy to be in the same room as you even if you weren't looking at him or talking to him. All it takes is for you to be nearby for him to feel at ease. He's very prone to anxiety, but having you by his side, or just in his vicinity, makes him feel a bit braver.

He lowkey gets jealous when you give Karl more attention than him. Yes the raccoon is cute and very pettable, but Poe is pettable too, damn it, look at all that hair he has!! Run your fingers through it!! Kiss his forehead!! Discover what color his eyes are and wax poetic about how beautiful they are and ask why he keeps hiding them from you!! Give him attention!!!!!!!!!!!

[pirateprincessjess]

This may be a bit personal but what was your first kiss like?

My first kiss was when I was a teenager. Just after my freshman homecoming dance. It was a super awkward stilted thing.

I was uncomfortable with my body and extremely touch averse. Kissing someone was way outside of my comfort zone, but we had such a fun time at the dance.

It was time to part ways for the night and my sister was waiting in the car to drive me home. We were standing in the headlights holding eachother and saying good bye when I nervously squeaked “can I kiss you” and my date calmly said “yes.”

I had no idea how to kiss somebody. It’s not exactly something you can practice on your own. I leaned forward slowly, nervously, and I stopped. I was centimeters from her lips and couldn’t bring myself to close the gap. I was so nervous. After a moment that felt like an hour I finally moved the rest of the way and kissed her.

I pulled away far too quickly. I was almost in shock. I had just kissed a girl for the first time. It was so painfully awkward, but I did it!

What comes after a kiss? I certainly didn’t know. I was thankful for the experience, so I shyly said “thank you” and ran to the car. I begged my sister to get us out of there quickly, and we backed out of the driveway leaving my date standing there bewildered.

[calamarikitty]

Hazbin Hotel Redesigns - Part Two!

the hotel staff are done and ready to give you mediocre room-service and amenities! individual pngs and design notes under cut!

Niffty - She/her, cis woman, straight

wanted to make her significantly more buggy! she's not really based on any bug in particular but i did kind of opt for some ladybug theming!

with her more buggy aspects comes extra legs and arms. she skitters around the floor like a little cockroach with her teeny broom!

i honestly think niffty's original design is very cute, so i didn't change too much. her color palette is the only thing i really had qualms with, so i made her more of an orangey pink since i think it fit her better. also, bug features on her are just really cute and were totally a missed opportunity in her og design. she looks so cute!

she's scarily perceptive and has great hearing

Husk - He/him, cis man, idk but bro isn't straight

i removed his bird features and made him just a cat. sorry to everyone that liked his wings and tail but i just don't really get his bird theming???

he has so much and so little going on at the same time so i simplified him a lot while still adding that grumpy cat bartender charm.

he's short and stout, only a couple feet taller than niffty!

he has all of the suits in his design, because i think it's really fun! wanted to make him look like some kind of retired magician

he couldn't be bothered to wear his suit jacket or tie his tie, it's a miracle they got him to wear his nametag

i overall just wanted him to look a lot older and more grizzled. husk's og design is really busy but in my opinion tells us nothing about his character. i hope this communicates more about him

Alastor - He/him, agender, aroace, gay

monochrome with pops of gold and red! he's a classy guy.

doesn't talk through his mouth, and can only speak through his microphone. he has it on him at all times, and this makes adam breaking his microphone a lot more consequential. he's constantly 'on air'

more obvious deer features! he has a tail and hooves because it's fun, sue me

i also gave him much larger antlers because his antlers are barely noticeable when he's not in his full demon form in his og design, and it doesn't make any sense to me why they're not. surprisingly, his antlers do get much larger when he's in his full demon form, even though they're already very impressive

he has two eyes i just left one out for stylistic reasons

the x on his forehead is always there, not just in his full demon form. however, it does glow when he transforms, and his other stitches become much more noticable.

he cannot stop smiling, and also cannot open his mouth. a terrible punishment for a gluttonous cannibal

he's extremely polite (he never, ever curses) and a neat freak despite his murderous tendencies. he's very touch-averse but has no issue getting in everyone else's space. he's still a manipulative asshole, but is extremely good at hiding his emotions

he's definitely one of the more interesting characters to me and i feel like has a lot of potential, which is why i thought so much abt his design haha

[raparopa]

I saw you want shadow and bone requests so here I come. Could you do a kaz x reader where the reader is stabbed/shot during a heist and kaz needs to fight his touch aversion to help them?

a/n: Yes! I started running a marathon. I have a lot of requests and I don't think I can complete them ALL (yet). Perhaps some of them I will have to postpone for another time. But thank you for continuing to send in your ideas!

warnings: blood, trauma, language

pairing: Kaz Brekker x fem!reader (beginning, implied)

you won't die

It was terrible. This was not what Kaz Brekker expected from this case. He calculated everything to the smallest detail, he thought through every detail, every fucking moment, but fate and the Saints apparently had other plans.

Someone's bullet ricocheted and hit Y/N, penetrating her body. Kaz saw it. She didn't fall right away. She did not immediately understand what had happened. Her eyes opened like two fans; she looked where the bullet had hit, lightly touching the wound with her fingers, they were stained with hot, scarlet blood. Her last glance, before she collapsed to the floor like a sack of cereal, was fixed on Kaz. A pleading, frightened look that demands an answer.

There were two of them, no one could help them. Nina, Inej, Jasper and Wylan were scattered around the building, trying to save their lives. Trying not to repeat the fate of Y/N.

He managed to close and barricade the doors, but that wouldn't last long.

-Hey, Y/N, -called Brekker moving away from the door. But there was no answer.

From Y/N came a hiss and a low curse, which was hardly fashionable to hear. Kaz didn't like it; something in his stomach went cold. He clenched his jaw and turned around, feeling like the opening picture made him want to jump out the window to hell.

Y/N helplessly pressed her back against the wall, along which there was a trail of blood, and tried to stop the blood from the wound. True, these attempts were in vain - blood flowed through her fingers, collecting on the floor in a small, scarlet lake. Her chest heaved rapidly with sharp, painful breaths.

-Saints...- she muttered.

-Damn…- Kaz repeated, hobbling over to her. -Don't even think about losing your mind, loser.

Y/N looked up at him with wild eyes, reproachfully burning Brekker with her gaze.

-You are tactful as always, boss,- she said with difficulty, pressing her palms to the wound in order to at least somehow correct the situation.

-It will be sad if you die here,- Kaz said, avoiding his gaze. His sharp face was as serious as always, but it seemed extremely tense, even too much.

-Ah, damn it!-Y/N twitched again, hissing in pain. -I won’t last long, Saints, I need to…-she took a breath, squinting her eyes in pain, and throwing her head back against the wall. Sweat broke out on her face, streaks stuck to her forehead, her lips and cheeks turned pale.-...Something must be done about the wound... bandage... tighten...

-We don't even have rags, Y/N, let's have the next brilliant idea,-Kaz snapped.

-J-jacket…- Y/N weakly pointed with her eyes at the item of her wardrobe, which was lying on the side. Forces rapidly left her along with the blood; hand stopped pressing on the wound.

-Y/N, hold the wound tight, don't get lost...- Kaz barked, grabbing her jacket. But Y/N did not answer, she was barely breathing. -Y/N, clamp your wound, immediately!- he hissed, trying to tear the twist into shreds.

She weakly moved her hand, trying to do something, but the movement came out so feeble... Kaz was still fiddling with his jacket with hysterical movements. Y/N didn't move.

-Damn…- the raven croaked, instinctively stretching his hand forward to somehow stop the blood, but immediately stopped.

The body of Jordie and the bodies around him flashed before his eyes, the muddy water seemed to be splashing again in his face, the phantom smell of dead flesh in his nose. He could not. He just couldn't touch her...

Only now the dilemma was that he was not ready to lose Y/N. Certainly not now. He looked at his hand. Time was running out. Life flowed before him.

-I'm wearing gloves,- Kaz thought quickly. -I can do this... I have to do this.

Hesitating for a couple more moments, he sharply pressed his hand to the wound Y/N, turning his head to the side, trying to calm the trembling in his body. Clamping the jacket with his knee, he finally managed to tear off a decent piece of fabric from it, which could be used to bandage Y/N's body.

-Fuck,- Brekker creaked under his breath, cursing everyone and everything in the world. - You're not going to die, fucking girl.

Kaz Brekker took a few deep breaths and pulled Y/N towards him, which rested her forehead against his shoulder like a limp doll, while he tugged a strip of stiff fabric around her waist with trembling limbs, trying to be as far from her face as possible. He seemed to be acting on some animal instincts that he had not noticed before. Or maybe he just didn't remember.

Quickly fastening the bandage, he carefully returned Y/N to the position she had been in before. As her body settled into a safe position, Kaz sprang to his feet, clutching at his head, trying to ward off the visions of the past. The blood from the gloves was on his hair, temples and cheeks.

-You won't die, you fucking girl...

[luciothedevil]

Polycule ghost x soap x könig x GN reader headcanons

This is basicallyJust my 2 am ramblings tbh sorry if it's not structured I didn't edit lmao

Sleep routine with the boys

Soap tends to be a semi chaotic sleeper in the sense that most nights he fidgets and moves around in his sleep due to his active brain. He's even kicked someone on multiple occasions and when he's asked he says he has no recollection of ever doing it you've made fun of him on multiple accounts for it and have even woken him up in the middle of the night for kicking you to which he'd apologized sleepily and kissed your head before knocking right back out.

König doesn't mind too much he's a deep sleeper and sleeps like a goddamn rock once he's out he's gone it's hard to get him to wake up again at least back at home when he feels safe and like theres no impending doom around the corner he's also a cuddler the person closest to him will be getting a leg thrown around them and pulled closer to him no ifs and or buts soap loves it ghost is indifferent though it is a bit annoying as no doubt he'll get warm since König is a fucking furnace as well as himself usually if it gets to hot he'll push König away into either you or soap who won't mind as much.

Ghost gets extremely annoyed at soaps sleeping habits because he is an extremely light sleeper someone who wakes at the sound of wind scratching against the window, yeah he's that type of light sleeper usually if soap is too active at night he'll find himself leaving the sleep pile and going to lay on the couch to hopefully catch a little rest. Usually he doesn't. Sometimes you'll wake up and find Ghost gone. You'll go downstairs and find him staring listless at a wall. He notices you instantly "why are you up?"

"I think the question is why are you up?" You'd say.

"Couldn't sleep with Johnny being a fuckin' tornado" in that annoyed grumbly tone you'd come to love you'd come down and cuddle with him just sitting in silence or maybe talking about nothing important just to pass the time eventually you'd probably get all exhausted and ghost will direct you to go back upstairs and sleep even if you tell him no he'll still try and get you to sleep remarking he doesn't want you being all cranky in the morning. He'll carry you upstairs if he has to.

He doesn't tell you early on in the relationship but he's used to staying up because he often suffers from nightmares which you'd all later learn into the relationship

Morning routine with the boys

Ghost is always up before all of you probably preparing tea or coffee he would cook breakfast but he sucks at cooking so that's usually up to könig or you if you suck at cooking then könig is the designated house chef as he's extremely good at cooking a meal.

He makes you all try his Austrian dishes. He'll also learn English and Scottish dishes for soap and ghost so they feel at home. He'll also try a hand at your culture's dishes taking notes from either you or your family to make them as authentic as possible.

Soap always compliments König's work and even tries to help him in the kitchen occasionally but it always ends up with soap making a mess and König getting overwhelmed at all the cleaning he'll have to do (König also has adhd which makes it easy to get overwhelmed by tasks) you'll probably have to step in and help out with the cleaning or else König will just stand their overwhelmed trying to figure out what he needs to clean first. You've all learned having soap in the kitchen is mostly a no go but there are still attempts made König just needs to learn to watch soap and chastise him when he's not cleaning up after himself.

PDA

Soap is extremely clingy it doesn't matter If it's you ghost or König he has to be touching one of his partners nearly always he's learnt that while ghost and könig are a bit averse to pda (moreso ghost, könig is just shy and takes a bit to get used to the idea of it) you'll allow it but only in small doses. he knows to be good in public with the boys and tries not to go overboard with you but he just can't help it sometimes, he's got lots of love to give so he'd prosper better if you were someone who liked pda are is at least okay with it in certain aspects.

Ghost doesn't like pda I wouldn't say he necessarily hates it but he's reserved with his affections in public he'll let you or soap hold onto his arm if you really want to and maybe give you guys a peck or two but that's about as far as he goes he's not like soap he won't makeout with you guys in public with no shame like soap would if you guys allowed it. He also doesn't appreciate the strange stares you guys get in public when/if people put the pieces together that no you aren't just friends going out together.

König is a mixed bag it really just depends on how long you've been in a relationship at the start he's a bit averse to pda he's not used to affection in general but he's slowly gotten used to it and even crave it however showing it in public freely is a whole nother can of worms he's kind of envious with the way soap can show you guys off so easily without even thinking twice about it. He tries to take a page from Soap's book and slowly lean out of his shell starting with small pecks on the cheek leading to handholding and all that stuff he gets really proud of himself when he's able to publicly hold onto one of or multiple of you guys without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.

Random/crack headcanons

König is obsessed with physical intimacy. When he gets used to it he absolutely loves anything to do with touch.

Please let him rest on your chest and play with his hair, he absolutely melts into you and becomes putty in your hands hardly able to form a thought other then 'this feels good'

He finds it so endearing when soap plays with his hands; tracing the palms and the lines on his fingers when he gets bored.

Similarly he enjoys it when you trace your fingers across his scars he'll always shudder at the way you touch him so gently as if you could hurt someone as big as him like you think he's fragile. It makes his head spin from how fast his heart pumps. It's such a nice change from the usually harsh things he feels on his skin he can't help but let out soft whimpers every now and again which promptly cause him to blush. Soap definitely teases him for it.

König likes to chill with Ghost; they're similar in the sense that they mostly thrive in quieter spaces unlike soap who loves chaos. They could be reading or watching a show together or simply just sitting in the same room doing different things to them that's considered quality time together even if they don't necessarily interact.

When the boys are too tired to go out, soap will most definitely force you to go outside with him. if you are also an introvert like the other two he'll beg and use puppy dog eyes if he has to its worked on Ghost a number of times he always says "fuckin' hell" but he'll nearly always relent to whatever soap asks this also goes for you too all you have to do is bat your eyelashes at him or beg and he'll give in. you guys almost never have to do that for König as he's almost always willing to go do whatever you and soap want even if he doesn't particularly like going outside.

Ghost sucks at video games, literally all of them no matter how easy the game is he's going to find a way to screw it up he'll play if you want him to. He's just going to suck.

You; Simon get away from the creeper! *cue him blowing up*

You: How the fuck did you die I left for five seconds"

You: Did you seriously just run into that wall?"

Simon: :[

You: *he gets spooked and thinks you're an enemy running across the screen* Simon stop shooting me *you die* Jesus fucking Christ Simon!

He is not having a great time but he loves you so he puts up with it

Somehow soap will always beat you at mortal kombat all he does is mash buttons and yet he still wins no matter what

König loves video games, he loves elden ring and rdr2 and tries to get Ghost to play elden ring just so he can watch him rage.

Soap headbutts to show affection like a cat.

Both soap and König have Adhd just different types.

Ghost will always ask you and the boys about their days during dinner. He likes to know what you guys got up to and if someone was bothering any of you.

____

First post hopefully many more to come but who knows writersblock is a bitch request something if you want I do any mw2 character

[invested-in-your-future]

What was it exactly that ruined RWBY after volume 3? Was it the death of the author or the creators simply lost touch with their work?

I think I talked about the changes and issues within the narrative before, so I'll just stick to the overall problems with the shift from V3 to V4.

Honestly? The author's passing might have an impact, but it shouldn't have this level of impact.

It's easy to attribute all the success to Monty and just pretend the show was doomed without him. Then why did V3 still come out extremely good? Clearly, there was still talent here - Dillon Goo carried V3 fights on his back, and the story continued - nothing instantly fell apart.

And yet the show did fall apart.

So, what happened?

Were they blindsided by Monty's passing? Were they too inexperienced? Did the hard shift in direction destroy the show's setting? How about the employee burnout?

In reality, I think it's a combination of all of those and more.

They were caught off-guard.

No matter how big Monty's actual role was, people at RT are still human beings.

Death of a friend can turn one's life upside down and fast - understandably, the company would struggle to continue after losing someone so integral to their identity back then.

The way Volume 4 is structured instantly shows that the rest of the staff got blindsided by having to continue the show - V4 is designed to spin its wheels, buying them time while they try to figure out what to do. It's averse to any characterization for the lead four or any change in status quo, and even the lore bits we DO get during V4 are very vague (because the showrunners have no idea what to do).

You can literally imagine them all running around behind the scenes frantically trying to see how they can pick up from where v3 left off and delaying, delaying, delaying.

The issue, however, is that at some point, that kind of stalling becomes their whole MO rather than a temporary thing.

The show effectively stalls any sort of payoff for anything from the first three volumes, shying away from addressing anything within its original identity.

After a while, it's not like they didn't have time to figure things out or turn things around yet - it's that they decided this stalling issue works fine as-is - even as far as V9.

The relationships never quite progress - Blake and Yang have been in limbo since V3, for example.

The characters never progress or regress - how many times did the show "hint" at Ruby's distress for years, promise Blake's growth, or have Yang on the verge of some big moment of self-reflection?

It's not even JUST that it shifted away from its original identity as a contemporary tech-fantasy show - while it absolutely DID do that, the issue is that the showrunners have no idea what shape the show's identity OR aesthetic should take OR how to do it.

The show just stalls because it works even if viewers start to dwindle, and they don't have to do anything that would "alienate" people (Like, let's say, addressing the elephant in the room that is Yang and Blake).

A staggering amount of effort is made to NOT progress things and to have characters go through all these locations without really changing at all.

Things happen but not really.

What did Ruby's journey from Patch to Mistral accomplish for her as a character? What did Blake's journey to Menagerie accomplish? How about Yang's journey to find her offscreen bandit mother? How about Weiss getting taken back by her father?

Nothing.

What did the conflict in Atlas accomplish? Were characters affected or changed in any way? Did Weiss finally have her story arc? Did Ruby face herself?

Nothing.

You could literally change up the end of V3 with them dropping into the future of Vacuo and you wouldn't miss a single story beat.

We don't know MORE about the world OR the characters, really - the dumb Brother Gods plotline revelations can be summed up in half an episode.

Mistral's fate, Vale's fate, Atlas falling? That can be done offscreen - it's not like the show hasn't already offscreened far more important things

Of course, the show DIDN'T just skip that padding so it still has to get the major story beats in as everyone moves through locations.

But those story beats happen in the weirdest way possible.

Why?

There is ego involved, yes.

Miles didn't have to add up the brother gods subplot he had dreamt up one day.

Miles didn't have to keep pushing Jaune into the front of the show at the cost of the actual leads.

It's no secret that the show would always work this way where one of the people involved would posit an idea of how they think something could be cool if it happened - Monty was pretty notable for wanting to have Raven fight Team JNPR in the Fall of Beacon for example, and he refused to elaborate.

Is it so surprising someone like Miles or Kerry would want to "add their own touch"? So what if those ideas clashed with literally everything in the setting before - be it narratively or aesthetically?

But there was something else that changed.

Before V4 the people involved would come up with something and then work it into the plot. While imperfect, there was a possibility of a somewhat healthy dynamic where, with, likely, actual pushback between those involved - Monty never did get his "Raven fights everyone" scene after all, no matter how cool it could have been.

After V3 that dynamic was gone, obviously.

The creative element of the show fell apart, but Miles and co seemed to keep going like nothing happened - and at some point rather than a bunch of people discussing possible paths for the show, it turned into a situation where Miles or someone else would propose an idea and then it would happen.

As the show grew in scope so did the necessity for actually making those desired elements fit into the story. It was no longer about "hey we can't really justify Raven randomly showing up and fighting team JNPR" - there were Kingdoms and multiple locations and dozens of characters involved now.

They just lost their friend who proposed the show in the first place, they struggled to make the show continue and they were clearly inexperienced running something as big as this.

Yet instead of growing, learning, or hiring people, they seem to have been content with just dumping what Miles wanted into the show without worrying about narrative structure, set-ups, payoffs, characterization, and so on.

The weird medieval aesthetic of various locations no longer fits the contemporary modern setting of the first three Volumes? So what.

The magicky ridiculous cheese of brother gods was the polar opposite of a more grounded setting before it? So what.

The decision to not show actual character progression and growth that could be Yang's recovery arc because "it was boring"? This would make any writer or college professor scream because that's now how you characterization, that's not how you do pay off or ANYTHING, but yet again -so what?

Why?

They were unwilling to learn and to accept critique.

Listening to staff commentary for the show (even before Monty's passing) there's one thought that would persist - "Wow, they sure sound content and prideful with not knowing their things and just going with the flow."

RT drank their own Kool-Aid - "Oh we are just a small indie group of friends - look how scuffed our production and decision-making is."

It was impossible not to notice back then - people would point that out all the time.

Yet instead of improving and changing and learning and, honestly, growing up, Miles or someone else would just throw some backhanded remark and continue.

A group of amateur film-makers can grow and develop, but RT were so proud of their status as being this industry underdog where it's just a group of friends(despite that not being the case for YEARS at that point), that they were unwilling to make necessary changes in their work culture, approach or, well, anything.

I keep coming back to Miles watching Land of Lustrous and going "Oh, I don't get it." and that's it - there's no self-betterment or willingness to "get it" showcased and that's emblematic of RT culture as a whole.

Whether there was talent in the company (there was), it wouldn't matter if people at the top would stomp their feet and refuse to learn or improve. Even V9 staff had quite a few talented animators involved - did not help.

They were too caught up in the "youtube machinima bro culture" RT's size had long since grown out of.

They were "a bunch of friends, just a bunch of indie amateur people creating content", and they were proud of it and of how scuffed everything was.

So what if at that scale of the company, the culture would end up creating genuine issues with power dynamics, harassment, over-work, inefficient production, employee burnout, resource wasting, and so on?

The working conditions drove away most of the talent they had left over the course of next few years.

(Un)Surprisingly being stuck in a frathouse mentality lasting decades is a really good motivator for actual talented people within the company to quit and work elsewhere. Who would have thought?

One logical path forward would be to hire actual industry professionals, right? They could have created a writer's room, hired management experts, a proper HR department, hired sensitivity readers, outsourced researching various topics, etc, right? Miles and Co could keep pretending to be auteurs while competent people would get paid to do what needs to be done and course-correct them.

Easy, right?

Well.

They were unwilling to hire professionals.

Reminder that it took RT till around Atlas arc to have anything resembling a writers' room, they still refused to hire actual sensitivity readers to ensure they don't end up writing something blatantly ableist or just outright all-around problematic.

In the cases where professionals were involved, the people in charge just ignored all suggestions (otherwise Volume 8 and 9 would have been stopped at brainstorming phase and changed - I refuse to believe no one took a look at it and said "this will crash harder than Genlock Season Two")

I have no doubts people at the core of RT wanted to honor their friend's legacy and make right by them, but...

If "everything was fine" and who they were was fine and no critique mattered then why change anything or listen to outside voices?

And thus they continued.

Overall

It's a mix of variety of issues, really. It's actually kind of fascinating RT managed to have so many things go wrong.

[rene-hl-trashcan]

The gremlins quirks and habits. I wanna know them on a more personal level so I wanna see their cute lil quirks

The Gremlins' Quirks and Habits

I don't think they're particularly quirky people but they do have some habits. Most are normal but some are....eccentric. 🤣🤣

Sylvan

He likes flavoured milk/sweet fruit juice and would get absolutely whiny and annoying (poor Sylvia RIP girl) if he doesn't get his fill of sugary drinks for breakfast. He also has a habit of carrying sweets/food everywhere because he gets hungry so easily. Sylvan has a serious case of lack of boundaries since he tends to live by the rule 'give affection first, ask permission later'. Chaste kisses, bear hugs, head pats, handholding, arm-cling (yes, doesn't matter if you're like, half his size, if he feels like it, he will cling to your arm and put as much of his weight on you as he thinks you can handle) and hair ruffles are his way of greeting 99% of the time. He will only show restraint if his (typically ignored) internal social alarm alerts him that a person is aversed to touch. He has a horrible, terrible, and utterly shameless habit of biting anyone he thought cute. Cute aggression is real with this boy. You could have a totally normal conversation and accidentally do something he thinks is cute and if it's too much cuteness for his non-existent social restraint to stop him, he will just randomly...chomp. None of that bruising marking bite tho (he reserved that for private requests only), but just a light nom. This boy is so oral-oriented.

Sylvia

Tea, and later as they grow older, alcoholic beverages. Sylvia has a habit of casually conjuring a cup/glass and proceeds to pour a cup/glass of her beverage of choice if she feels exasperated but knows that she couldn't nope her way outta there (98% of the time it's because of Sylvan's shenanigans lol). The world could be burning around her but she will still prioritise her drinks first. She stress-workouts. She needs physical activity to cope with stress and anxiety, and this includes the thought of having to socialise. Sylvia is extremely introverted when it comes to socialising. She could command, present, and debate with intimidating charisma but the moment she is asked to socialise in a casual setting, this girl needs her push-ups/laps/any physical activities (and drinks) first. Even then, she will still hide behind Sylvan/Mildred/Riz and avoid interactions at all costs. Has an endearing habit of puffing up her cheeks and scrunching up her face if she couldn't figure out something. She never realised it but every time she is stuck and can't solve/figure out something, she will do it and the next thing she knows her arm just got nommed by her brother; or she will get a random forehead kiss from Riz; or have her puffed cheeks being smooshed and smooched by Mildred. 🤣

Riz

Riz is a creature of routine and habit, and it's all for a good reason. Since he doesn't feel hunger pain, he charmed his pocket watch to vibrate every time he is supposed to eat and drink so that he doesn't forget to do so. However, he does have a habit of needing to have his coffee in the morning, his black tea any time after 3pm, and his chamomile tea/warm milk with honey before attempting to sleep. Among the squad, he might be the best at self-care. Of course, there's the routine self-check for injuries and healing procedure he conducts every time he gets to a safe place after a fight or when he gets home after spending time outside, but he also has other self-care habits that he indulges in. He likes scented things and that transfers to his habit of lathering his hands in lotion almost hourly, adding fragrances to his daily evening bath, and his need for lighting scented candles before he attempts to sleep. Also, around the squad, Riz has an automated habit of giving forehead kisses if he thinks they're acting cute. Since the gremlins have established their boundaries with each other early on, Riz is comfortable approaching them, gently tilting their chin with his hand and giving them a forehead kiss (and a soft 'thank you' for making him smile).

Mildred

Mildred needs her milk tea every morning. She also doesn't like breakfast because she feels the urge to throw up if she eats a full breakfast early in the morning, so she will pack her breakfast and snack on it at smaller time intervals throughout the morning. At Hogwarts, this is right in between classes, and for smaller food items, she would sneakily eat them in class. At home, she would spend at least 15 minutes before starting her day talking to her horse (Orion). While at Hogwarts, she does this with Hazel the Unicorn. If she's in any situation where she can't have Orion/Hazel to talk to, she will resort to her plushies to talk to. She also has the habit of conjuring her plushies and squeezing them whenever she gets nervous or needs a courage boost. Mildred is so attached to her plushies that she makes a plushie resembling everyone she has come to love in her life (yes, she has plushies of the squad.) Similar to Sylvan, she also has an outwardly affectionate habit she practices with everyone she likes. Mildred will smoosh and smooch. If she feels someone in this circle is acting cute, she will giggle and proceed to squish their cheeks in her palm before proceeding to kiss each of their smooshed cheeks (Permanent victim: Sylvan; Favourite victims: Sylvia and Ominis; 'Golden Pokemon victim': Riz 🤣)

[rotworld]

18: Out Of Time

(previous)

anchorware malfunctions can disrupt reality in extreme, unpredictable ways. the worst case you've ever seen is aliquando island.

->sexually explicit. contains body horror, parasites, casual nudity, non-human genitalia, terato.

.

.

.

You get a few concerned looks at the rest stop. Jamie helps you limp into a bathroom and cleans you up the best they can. Your clothes are ruined so you borrow a soft gray sweater from their collection, and Jamie struggles to hide a smug smile at the sight of you wearing their clothes. The wound on your thigh is in better shape than it has any right to be. 

“A miracle for my angel,” the God of Nelton whispers. Jamie thinks it must be keeping the wound clean somehow, but it’s disinclined to share its secrets. 

“We’re keeping it, aren’t we?” Jamie sighs. You share a few eggs at a picnic table, enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. The air is damp and cool, the fog clammy on your skin. 

“No. Eventually it should go back home,” you say, touching the secondary heartbeat in your chest. It writhes happily under your skin, trying to reach your fingers. 

“And you will come with me,” it purrs. “My angel, in Heaven where you belong.”

Jamie shrugs, snatching an egg out of your hand. “As long as I’m still your favorite.” They lick their lips. One of the fluke’s needle-like limbs pierces the shell, undulating as it slurps the liquid insides. They wink when they catch you staring. “I’m driving, by the way. You can stretch out in the back, if you want, keep that leg relaxed.”

“Jamie, it’s not even that bad,” you protest. “Driving’s not the same as walking, I can do it just fine.”

Jamie giggles and pats your cheek. “You’re cute when you think I’m not in charge.”

[NOW PLAYING ON THE RADIO: IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN BY AGNES OBEL]

The idea of someone else driving your car used to be unthinkable. But you had the same feeling about passengers, too, not so long ago. They grouse about you insisting on the passenger seat but ultimately relent, giving you a nipping kiss for being so stubborn. You’re startled by the sharpness not coming from their teeth but the skitter of insectoid limbs against your mouth. The fluke quivers and Jamie lets out a shaky moan. You’ll remember that for later.

You’re unlucky again today. There’s nothing out west. But several hours of open, uneventful roads are a welcome change after the last few days. You talk about less pressing matters; hobbies, memories, getting to know each other in the easy, casual way you haven’t had time for yet. Jamie’s fluke actively participates but you’re not always sure when. Sometimes the distinction is obvious—coldly professional phrasing, a harsh bluntness Jamie usually avoids—but sometimes it’s more muddled. Jamie is more confident when talking about Drift biology and the University, more openly flirtatious when you give them a reaction. It’s less like two people fighting over a turn to speak and more like one person with two voices that sometimes overlap.

“Do you remember when I mentioned that Higgs’ flukes are sensitive to superposition events?” they ask. “I don’t think I ever told you why. They become much more active when they sense a shift coming. That’s also the only time they copulate and lay eggs. It’s a very rapid process.” 

The road gains a wiggling curve. You see a rocky slope on one side, a guardrail on the other, nothing but fog visible beyond it. There’s a salty smell you can’t identify.

“They lay eggs so close to a shift?” you say. “Isn’t that dangerous? Most animals do the opposite, I thought.”

“Most organisms seem to have that aversion, yes. But not Higgs’ fluke. Superposition events are part of their reproductive strategy. Laying their eggs right before or during one causes most of the eggs to get swept up with the shift. Essentially, they reproduce across planes.” They smile—sadly, slightly lopsided. “Perhaps that’s why this happened in the first place. How could I not feel some kinship, both of us born so far from ‘home?’” 

They both do that, you notice, referring to ‘home’ with a sense of disbelief and bitter amusement. “Do you think that’s how it works for us, too?” you ask. 

“It’s unlikely. A larger, less flexible organism shouldn’t be physically capable of making the journey, nor surviving the transition. Flukes have evolved for rapid adaptation to new circumstances; new planes, new physical laws. Even that we don’t do alone, we rely on our hosts for cues. But…” They frown. “I do wonder. If I could find enough of us who know their birthdays, would they all fall during shifts?” 

The road changes again, rocky hillside and guardrails vanishing. The fog grows so thick you can barely see beyond the windshield. Jamie slows cautiously. You both peer out the window for any sign of where you are or what might be ahead. The salt smell is stronger and soggy. You hear the hiss of water like a lake lapping its shores. “Any idea where we are?” Jamie asks. 

You’re certain you’ve never seen this stretch of road before. The asphalt, when you glimpse it through the fog, glistens with dampness. You see small, spiny stones scattered around. Shells, you realize. Like snails, but larger, and things you don’t recognize. Strangest of all, home feels close again. You should have left it far behind you but there’s that unmistakable tug at your heart again. Home, it says, is southwest and very, very near. That can’t be right. You’ve been heading west this whole time. You take out a blank sheet of paper to make a new map and get your bearings.

You freeze. The page isn’t blank. That’s your handwriting, your pen strokes disturbed by the bumps in the road, but you can’t remember starting a map. The only thing marked is Aliquando Island, a place you can vaguely remember hearing about but have never been to. No roads are depicted, only a small landmass surrounded by choppy waves. 

“We just hit an anchorware malfunction,” Jamie mutters. “It’s…weird. The road seems fine but something’s definitely wrong.”

You see the shadow of something flit just out of sight several times. A building, you think, but you can’t make out the details. An apartment complex? A tower? A church steeple? Sometimes it’s off the side of the road and sometimes it’s in the rearview mirror, even though you don’t think Jamie makes any turns. As the fog thins, the road goes from pavement to rough, bumpy gravel. There’s a house up ahead, a sprawling mansion that you struggle to understand at first glance. It’s asymmetrical. Some of the window frames seem to have been installed upside-down. You’re certain the whole thing has a slight lean as though part of the foundations are sinking, but only when you look at it from a certain angle. 

And there are people. A few faces peer down from the second floor and there’s someone standing in the doorway. Wooden easels are scattered across the lawn. Jamie is wary of pulling into the circle drive and stops some distance away. You spot something odd in the rearview mirror and twist around in your seat. “What is that?” you ask.

Jamie doesn’t need to turn around fully to see it. It’s there on the driver’s side, down a sandy slope. It’s on your right, too, at the end of a cement staircase where the grass ends and a golden beach begins. Blue. Nothing but blue. The fog has lifted but even the horizon is the same, shimmering blue like the biggest lake you’ve ever seen. It’s everywhere. It swallows the road you took to get here. “I think that’s an ocean,” Jamie says slowly. 

You’ve heard of oceans. Some people say part of the Drift was coastal highway. But you’ve never seen it, and neither has any courier you’ve ever met. It’s gone, most people say, cut off or cut apart by the strange motions of shifts, and yet here it is before your eyes. You can’t figure out how you got here. There is no road. Just dirt and gravel and a narrow gray path that slips beneath the waves. Your gaze is drawn southwest. Could you have gotten turned around in the fog somehow? Disoriented by the anchorware malfunction? 

The man at the door is wearing a brown suit jacket and navy blue slacks, his beard neatly trimmed and graying. He comes down the steps but not much further, seeming to sense your wariness. “You’re a bit early,” he says. “But I’m sure there’s a guest room waiting for you.”

“You were expecting us?” Jamie asks suspiciously. A few more people peek out of the open doorway, whispering to each other. They look excited. 

“Expecting? Well, it’s complicated. Everything here is complicated ever since our anchorware ruptured. Ah, but where are my manners?” The man smiles and makes a grand, sweeping gesture to the mansion and the impossible ocean just beyond the lawn. “I’m the Architect. Welcome to Aliquando Island.” 

The island, you discover, was once an artist’s community. Those living there are inclined to say it still is. The Architect tries to explain its history while taking you on a meandering tour through the labyrinth of twisting hallways and countless rooms, but he doesn’t seem certain which parts of the story come before or after others. Aliquando Island has only been this way—stranded in the Drift and yet almost completely cut off from it—since a catastrophic anchorware failure. But it has also always been this way. He was the first one here and he built the house, he says, but he also found it already standing here, already occupied.

Everyone is friendly and happy to see you. In one studio room, a circle of sculptors pause in shaping and smoothing surreal figures to wave excitedly. They’re eager for news; how big has Verlinda gotten? Did they ever finish that new botanical garden in Green Valley? Has Nelton recovered from the fire? This particular question makes the God of Nelton twitch in your chest. There’s never been a serious fire in Nelton, it tells you. 

The Architect leads you through a spacious kitchen with blue cupboards and black countertops. You’re offered both fresh and salted fish, stiff sheets of roasted seaweed and strange, briney eggs with striated, scallop-like shells. “I apologize for the lack of variety. We survive mostly on oceanic galls,” he says, holding up one of the eggs. “Not much will grow here and the isthmus to the mainland exists inconsistently. Truthfully, even if it was stable, we’re nervous about leaving.”

“You said your anchorware ruptured?” Jamie presses. They don’t seem nearly as anxious as when you first arrived, but they stick close to your side, watching carefully as you nibble on some seaweed. “I’m not familiar with that kind of malfunction. Was the unit damaged?” 

“Sabotaged, in fact. Unfortunate, but not unexpected. Anchor was never fond of us.” 

“Anchor?” you ask. 

The Architect nods. “We are—will be, perhaps? Pardon me, we were previously—right off the coast. They offered large sums of money to relocate us but we were firm in our refusals. And so, here we are, finally out of their way.” 

“Anchor doesn’t have a coast.” 

He grins. “Ah, but it does! Not that they want anyone to know that. They can’t wrangle the ocean the same way they do everything else. Seawater is quite hard on anchorware, did you know that?”

There are more studios on the second floor. A man is meticulously hand-sewing small, seashell beads along the bodice of a glittering green dress in one room. In another, several painters in watercolor-spattered aprons render the same stunning ocean view in different styles. Jamie tries to pry more details from the Architect about the anchorware rupture, but he has trouble relaying information in a linear fashion. 

“We’re just off the coast and they hate that. No way to the mainland but across the isthmus and through Anchor. They say we’re a security risk! As if we have the slightest interest in whatever nonsense they do there. No, I’d say it’s the folks in Anchor who are far too interested in us. Why, just the other day they sent an unpleasant young lad who poked and prodded all around, and he was unbelievably rude when we asked what he was doing. Some self-important type from the labs, no doubt…”

You’re shown to a spacious guest room with a seaside balcony. Jamie wanders over to the glass doors, wordlessly watching the tide roll in with tense shoulders and a clenched jaw. They see your worried reflection and turn around with a sigh. “We have to tell somebody. I’m just not sure who to tell,” they say, laughing weakly. “There’s an island just…floating around, adrift in space and time, because Anchor thought it was inconvenient.” 

You recline on the bed, wincing as you find a comfortable position for your leg. Jamie is at your side in a blink, checking your bandages. “Maybe the University?” you reason. “That’s the only authority they seemed to recognize in Anchor.” 

“Maybe,” Jamie says, sounding uncertain. “Maybe. It’s worth a try.”

You’re both startled by a knock at the door. You see several curious faces in the hall, peering around Jamie. “Sorry, we were just, um…” One of them, a young man, holds up a sketchbook. “Well, we were wondering if you might, um, be willing to pose for figure drawing? We’re—or, um, we were…we were going to be? We’re still learning, anyway.”

“We’re bothering them,” one of the women says, looking embarrassed. “I told you we should wait until after dinner!” 

Jamie laughs. “You’re not bothering us. Come on in, there’s plenty of room.” 

There are five of them, all about the age to be enrolled at the University. They’re buzzing with nervous energy, chattering while they set up their folding in a wide circle in the middle of the room. Aliquando Island’s strange properties quickly become apparent; several of them came here before the University was excised from Bevin, more than half a century ago, although they’re convinced they only arrived last week. 

You’re surprised at how easily Jamie handles all the attention. They’re relaxed and smiling, happy to answer questions but also giving a slightly stern reminder for the artists to stay on task and get their sketchbooks open. 

“Do you teach at the University?” you ask.

Jamie glances back at you with a grin. “Ah, is my ‘teacher voice’ slipping out? I do sometimes, mostly lower level classes for first years.” They pause to shrug off their sweater. You’re slightly taken aback when they start unbuttoning their shirt. “So? Do you think I make a hot professor?” they tease. The artists giggle. You feel your face heat up. 

You realize, as more of their skin is revealed, that you’ve never seen them undressed before. Jamie has a slim, lithe build, prominent collarbones and freckles on their shoulders. They stand in a relatively neutral pose, hip cocked, arms at their sides. There are symmetrical scars on their chest, thin lines beneath their pectorals. They catch your eye, looking self-conscious for the first time in a while.

“You’re gorgeous,” you say. You’re a little embarrassed when the artists giggle again, muttering something about interrupting the two of you, but it’s worth it. Jamie’s posture relaxes slightly, their smile returning with a hint of pride. Your gaze trails lower to dark, neatly-trimmed pubic hair and a puffy, pink clit. 

“You can, um…” The same nervous man speaks up, then loses his nerve. “You can…let it unwind a little bit, if you want? Only if you want.” 

Let it unwind…?” Jamie glances at him in surprise. 

“Your, uh…” He taps the side of his head. 

“You’re being so rude,” the woman from earlier hisses. “Don’t listen to him, you’re fine just like that.”

“I don’t mind,” Jamie assures them. “But…you can see it?” 

“Of course. We wouldn’t make very good artists otherwise.” 

You lean over, taking note of their sketches for the first time. They’ve all started drawing Jamie with incredible accuracy and attention to detail—and sure enough, the fluke is there, too, a phantom behind their eyes. A few sketches include what you assume are dendritic tendrils, vein-like protrusions drawn in light, barely-visible strokes. You never realized just how big it was, its snake-like body nestled against Jamie’s spinal column all the way to the tailbone. The bottom of its body is wound up in a tight spiral.

“It doesn’t really unwind all that much further,” Jamie says, laughing. They look over at you. One of the fluke’s appendages darts out of their mouth just briefly. “Unless…it has a reason to. I could demonstrate.” Your pulse hammers in your chest when Jamie strides quickly to the bed. You’re acutely aware that you’re being watched, the artists following without a word or question and surrounding the bed with their pencils in hand. Jamie tugs playfully at your borrowed sweatshirt. “We’ll keep it brief,” they say playfully. “My courier’s injured. But I think they can hold still for me for just a little while.” 

Jamie has seen you undressed, but not like this. They might have caught some glimpses when they pulled you out of the querrow burrow. You were covered in blood and dirt, and they were running on pure adrenaline. Their gaze didn’t linger longer than it took to wipe you clean and patch your wounds. Leaning against them in a rest stop bathroom, trying not to cry out as they whispered apologies and examined the wound in your leg, there was no time for languid attention and warmth. 

This is different. They undress you like they’re unwrapping a precious gift. Their palms slide against newly-exposed skin with reverence and they steal quick, fleeting kisses wherever they can. You almost forget about all the eyes on you both. Jamie pulls you into their lap and arranges you very precisely, knees apart, legs open, your hands on their shoulders and theirs on your hips. The heat in their gaze alone makes you shudder.

“And you called me gorgeous,” they purr. You want to hide your face but they click their tongue, titling your chin so you’re meeting their eyes. “We have to hold still, courier. They’re trying to draw.” They gasp, biting their lip. Their hips twitch under you. You try to look down but they catch your chin again, chuckling. “Eyes on me,” they whisper. You hear the scratch of pencils. Something’s clearly happening to Jamie—exciting them—but you aren’t sure what. 

Until it touches you. Trying to look at it again earns you a nipping kiss, the fluke pricking your lips with its appendage. Jamie moans with a shudder. It’s small, whatever it is. Thin but undulating, able to flex itself into a wider shape. It’s firm but flexible, smooth and textureless. Jamie’s eyelids flutter, their lashes resting against their cheek as they bite back a whimper. 

It’s the fluke, you realize. That’s the part of its body that was curled up, unanchored to anything. It’s moving in and out of Jamie and slithering against your thighs. You’re impressed—and admittedly a bit disappointed—that it never penetrates you, content to rub against your skin. Maybe that would be too much; Jamie is already shivering, struggling to hold in soft, needy sounds. 

“You could…” You trail off, feeling hot and delirious with both embarrassment and desire. “If you want, you can…” 

“Not right now,” Jamie murmurs. They take a deep breath, squeezing your hips to ground themselves. “Not…not right now. I wouldn’t last. I just wanted you to…to know. Everything about me.” 

There’s a prickling sensation in your head; the indistinct murmur of a conversation happening without you. The God of Nelton is communicating with Jamie’s fluke, you think. You don’t know what they say, but you feel…Shame. Unease. The God of Nelton pulses with soft reassurances but Jamie’s fluke is distraught. Its retort is a thorny feeling, the hiss of steam from a kettle.

They think you’ll change your mind. That you might not like what you see.

You feel only a little guilty about being a poor figure drawing model, pressing yourself against Jamie fully and kissing them, all tongue and teeth and hunger, without hesitation. You stroke the fluke with your tongue and Jamie arches into you, whimpering into your mouth. They look wrecked when you pull back, hazy-eyed and panting. They came just from that, you realize. From the touch and the closeness, from the only thought running through your head and passing along the unearthly connection between your minds.

“Maybe I want to keep you, too.”

“Was it that hot when I said it to you?” Jamie asks breathlessly. They laugh, resting their forehead against yours. You both apologize to the artists but they seem unconcerned, still sketching even as you lean further into each other, desperate for the shared warmth of skin on skin. Jamie rests their head on your shoulder. You feel a long, relieved exhale fan across your back. 

The fluke, you notice, is still nestled between your thighs. “Is it…still hard?” you ask, trying to whisper. 

Not successfully, apparently, if the barely restrained laughter is any indication. “It’s not a dick, courier,” Jamie says. They sound exasperated but you can hear the smirk in their voice. “It’ll retract when it’s ready. We’re just…enjoying the moment.” 

“We should really do this more often.” 

“Mm. We should, shouldn’t we?” 

You’re both thinking about it—Anchor. Aliquando Island. All the unnecessary cruelty in the Drift. But Jamie is warm and trailing kisses across your cheek, encouraging you to hold onto them more firmly, more tightly, not like they’re made of glass, and you think you can close your eyes and only think of this for a little longer.

(next)

[phatcatphergus]

yes!!! i love the little discussion/analysis you have going on! it always annoys me when people brush off tubbo saying stuff like ‘cooking is like create’ as him being weird or needing to touch grass. it’s not really about his minecraft obsession (ok it is a little) it’s about how his brain works and it’s a really interesting idea if you stop and think about it. people are too quick to dismiss his crazier statements sometimes but a lot of the time he’s totally right if you can look at it from a different perspective or understand that sometimes his wording is odd but the concept is solid.

(also lmao at pulling up your blog to see the last reblog being about asks. i've been seeing more anons/asks on this side of tumblr recently and i think it's neat!)

I think that a lot of the brushing off comes from the tubo moment/bee boy mentality. The fact that people see him as some quirky 3 year old and treat him as such leads so many people to brush him off, including himself. I think this is perpetuated by a few people, including his friends, who don’t see him as a ND adult and instead see him as some quirky teenager who’s too chronically online and privileged. (The topic of him being privileged is another rant for another time but people saying that to him makes me cringe a bit).

I think that when he first made the create/cooking comment, it was a genuine realization that he made about his comprehension of the subject. Afterwards, he repeated it because of how outlandish it sounds and how chat reacts to him saying it. But I think he has a few things that he does or says that he means genuinely because it makes sense in his mind and he doesn’t think about how it sounds to others. This leads to controversies of course, but i digress. I think that people don’t take him seriously for and he gets self conscious about it and doubts his own comment or understanding. Part of this may be because his friends poke fun at some of his ND behaviors in a joking way and don’t realize how serious he is about it.

The one example I can recall is the drunk MCC that Tubbo did with Tom, Jack, and Becky. Tubbo talked about how his dad did his dishes because the feeling of wet dishes/leftover food made him extremely uncomfortable. Of course, this sounds lazy and entitled to a lot of people and he was made fun of for it, but in a ND context *cough*autism*cough* it makes sense. His aversion to car seatbelts is the same thing. He has a lot of sensory issues and speaks about it often enough, he spoke about it a lot when making his og merch an how he wanted it to not “feel bad” and have good fabric because some fabrics bother him.

He never takes himself seriously because other people don’t and don’t allow him to. His brain works in very relative things (I know how i understand create mod and i can apply that to how i understand cooking) and if people allowed him to actually work out the true intention behind it, then more people would realize exactly how interesting his mind is. I fucking love psychoanalyzing him because of it.

Also, I’m so happy that people are talking about this stuff because its so interesting to me. I could talk about what II think of him on any topic for hours, there is literally so much to unpack about him. I think there’s an aversion to talking about creators themselves because they’re real people, which I get, but i think having open discussions and critical analysis of people keeps them human and isn’t a bad thing. So long as its not blatant hatred, talking about mentality, likes an dislikes, and behavior of creators is valid and needed in a space so people don’t become untouchable gods that are adverse to problems.

[acosmicblizzard]

Romantic ghost manor au Aesop headcanons

For base info on this au go here!

Warnings: mentions of death/embalming (i mean it's aesop, what did you expect?)

Story type: Fluff, Au

Pairings/Characters: Aesop Carl - “Embalmer” x Gender neutral Reader, Emma Woods - “Gardener”

(pov: Emma being the wingwoman again, possible ooc)

Aesop was one of the ghosts that was extremely distant at first, you'd rarely see him and when you did it was only small glimpses as he would disappear rather quickly. The only times he'd ever stay was if he was having a conversation with the others as it would be rude to randomly disappear on them. Overtime though he began to get use to your presence in the manor and stopped disappearing as soon as you made eye contact with him.

Though he's use to doing makeup only on dead corpses he's embalming Aesop began taking interest in doing your makeup, even if makeup isn't really in your interests. Once he starts he gets extremely focused and it's really hard to get him out of that headspace, everything must be perfect down too the detail. Even if it's something simple like eyeliner or blush.

As you two bond he'll start randomly popping up in areas you constantly visit and try to be at places you are. if you work from home he'll sometimes peer over your shoulder and ask you about your profession while you're working but will stop if it distracts you too much. If you don't he'll ask if he can possess a object you keep in a purse or pocket to come with you and check out the place.

Similar to Emily, Aesop is touch averse at first. But unlike Emily he's actively one of the people who hates getting touched the most by people he doesn't trust. When you form a bond with him his touch averseness lessens slightly but he still isn't the biggest fan of being touched. Because of that you've become the master of communicating with him and finding out when he does and doesn't want to be touched.

Love is something Aesop never really knew, he's experienced obsession before with Victor, but that's far from love. But now that he feels like this and has come to accept it, he wants his confession to be perfect. Right down to every detail he makes a plan catering to your interests and likes. Due the whole being dead thing he couldn't do anything extremely fancy but he put a ton of effort into making this confession the best he can. He hates interacting with others but for this he asked Emma if he could help him grow some yellow roses, in which the gardener happily agreed and pressed him for more information about what he was gonna use them for. Aesop eventually told her the truth in which Emma became ecstatic and began to look for yellow rose seeds in her gardening shack immediately. It took about 2 weeks for the roses to grow which gave Aesop a ton of time to revise the plan if needed and prepare himself for actually getting the words out of his mouth, the last thing needed was for him to slip up on the confession. Those 2 weeks seemed to pass as quick as possible and soon Aesop was waiting in the garden for you to show up. He had left a note on your desk in your bedroom asking for you to come to the garden when you weren't busy. The sky a beautiful orange as the sun slowly set and the moon prepared to rise. Aesop sighed thinking he got stood up was about to go back into the manor but was shocked to see you hunched over trying to catch your breath after running to the garden. You apologized for being late as you wiped the sweat from your forehead and stood up straight, asking what he needed. Aesop slightly stiffened up as his brain caught up with everything, a part of him honestly still can't believe he's doing this... well, it's now or never.

The embalmer took a breath to relax himself then looked towards you and began speaking. "I've always had a hate for the living, and almost my entire life i've felt more comfortable around the dead. But with you y/n.. it's entirely different. You make me feel things that i don't really understand, you make me feel strangely happy, make me feel happy to be around people, and so many other things." He paused for a second and took out a yellow rose out from behind his back and grabbed your hands placing it into your hands and covering your hands with his own. "These feelings are strange but.. I don't want them to end. I took me awhile to realize I loved you but, now I understand. I wanna be with you for the rest of the time you have y/n, can I?" You ended up accepting his confession and now you have a ghost boyfriend, congrats!

As your relationship continued as lovers Aesop generally got comfortable sleeping with you and now everytime you wake up Aesop will be there staring back at you, it's a little secret he has but he actually really enjoys watching you sleep. He adores looking at your face and how at peace it seems while asleep, and how if you'd ever have to leave this world he wants to be the one to embalm you. But that won't be for awhile, and he has all the time in the world to spend with you now before you become a ghost like him.

[elshells]

Character Cuddle Scale

I remember making a post about this in the past but I think Tumblr ate it, so I'm happy to do it again! Thank you @writernopal for the tag!

How-to: Rate your OCs based on how they handle cuddling/being cuddled.

Featuring the main cast of Agent Ace, plus a few supporting characters because more the merrier! Going down the list in order of most pleasant to least pleasant.

Jade - 10/10

Cuddling is her ultimate love language. If you're friends with her, she'll hold you tight and close at any opportunity, especially if you're feeling sad, but she lets you decide when to let go. She's firm but gentle and warm, and is the type of person to hug you out of excitement or casually rest her head on your shoulder. Plus her shampoo smells like coconut, which makes the snuggle experience that much more lovely!

Jet - 9/10

He'll try to convince you that he's a tough guy, but he's got an ooey-gooey center that he's terrible at hiding. He's extremely protective of the people he loves and, even though he'll claim that you're the one who looked like you needed a cuddle, he not so secretly loves every minute of it. Loses a point for his penchant for aggressively affectionate noogies and shoulder punches, but how can you be mad at the guy who literally falls asleep with you in his arms?

Harley - 8/10

She's too shy to make the first move, but she loves being held (she's a little spoon), and does her best to match the strength of the hug she's receiving. A chronic people-pleaser, but also genuinely happy to take part. Most of the time she'll be down to cuddle, and will probably offer to build a pillow fort so you can have a comfortable space to share together. And if you're not a fan of silence, she'll chat with you for hours!

Janus - 7/10

If he doesn't trust you (and he only trusts himself), you're not getting close to him. But if you're one of the few people he opens up to, then he's surprisingly comfy. He's strong and touch-starved, which is a great combo when it comes to cuddling. That being said, there are only like, two people who have ever gotten to that point with him, so good luck getting anything out of him. Thanks to past trauma, he no longer yearns for anyone's love or validation.

Max - 5/10

Not really a hugger in general (and very awkward about it), but he tries for his friends and family because he wants to make them happy. He probably wouldn't ever cuddle, but appreciates that you're thinking about him and would love to hang out! :)

Sophia - 4/10

She has a strong aversion to being touched and rarely tolerates physical contact from anyone, especially if she's not close to them. Ahren is the only person she would ever want to cuddle with, but even then it's not normally a priority for them. Most of the time they're perfectly content simply having one another's company.

Ahren - 3/10

If you're not Sophia, he won't consider it. He'll still hug you hello or goodbye, tho, and he's cool with fist bumps if you're into that.

August - 2/10

Also touch-starved, so he's good in theory, except for two crucial facts. One, he's not used to physical affection and would have no idea how to react if you tried to cuddle him. And two, he cannot. Sit. Still. He'd squirm and shift around constantly, probably elbowing you in uncomfortable places while apologizing profusely. The man's just trying his best, what more do you want from him?

Bellona - 0/10

She'll bite you. Try it at your own risk.

Tagging @talesofsorrowandofruin, @sam-glade, @clairelsonao3, @starsoughtfrost, @halfbit, and anyone else who wants to join the fun! No obligation, of course :)

[joowee-feftynn]

If you have any, what are your Volleyball and/or Pink hcs?

OOUUUGH 14 year old me would've combusted with an ask like this lmaooo

But either way, I may not remember a lot of them nor really like some anymore but I'll try listing some so here it goes

For Pink:

-In my head she would most likely be capable of having fire powers, both because it sort of makes sense and is slightly hinted to be possible as well as I found it really cool

-She would probably really enjoy food and maybe grow an interest for cooking

-She's scaringly good at climbing

-She's pretty damn athletic, being able to perform impressive stunts and maneuvers like it's nothing, as well as being extremely flexible

-LOVES physical touch. She hugs everything and everyone and loves to be hugged as well. She rarely ever realizes when she's being overly affectionate

-Actually possess behaviors and mannerisms similar to a cat's (this sounds ridiculous but I thought it was super cute and somehow fitting. yes she purrs)

-She developed an aversion to the dark due to her time spent locked in the tower. This could go into the theory that the diamonds essentially starved her since gems are powered by light but I won't get into that here

-She got the Wombo Combo (autism + adhd and developed a special interest in earth things in general)

-She likes having her face touched and caressed :]

-She used to hide things in her hair, and since it was so dense and thick it worked really well

-Really Really REALLY hates being held, because it makes her feel small and vulnerable and that's a no-no for her

-She would looooove naps. she's an eeper and goes snork mimimimimi

-She likes to dance and do silly things for volley to watch. Seeing her laugh made her really happy, and sometimes she even participated in her performances along with the pebbles :D

For Volley:

-When she was first introduced to pink, she used to be a pretty quiet but compliant pearl, always following orders and all that. However, since Pink is a huge enabler (and has no actual idea of how much authority she has over any other gem), she slowly started to develop and show her true personality. She still comes off as nice and quiet, but is actually pretty sassy and quite the jokester too!

-She has a tendency to be passive-aggressive, but she either means it completely or doesn't even realize it. She would stab a bitch if necessary imo

-After joining Little Homeworld, she develops a liking for botany, as well as photography!

-If she ever got the chance, she would have defended pink from the diamonds and even argue with them about how terrible they treat her *stares at this concept art by rebecca sugar*

-Volley isn't as favorable of physical touch like Pink is, but she lets her lay her head on her lap. She likes to rest her head on pink's hair also

-She likes to squeeze pink's cheeks because they're squishy and it makes her giggle (pink does not know how to feel about it)

-She likes being held and carried around by pink. it makes her feel closer to her (emotionally), and she likes being high up there and gets all sassy about it sometimes lol

-She really likes coffee :]

-Sometimes she likes to quietly sit and lean on pink, and of course pink doesn't know how to react to that, so she just lets her be. It's probably some of the most peaceful moments they have together before The Incident

-She is Such a showoff lmao

-She doesn't cry very often, unlike pink, the latter being much more of a crybaby

-And of course she's autistic too

-She used to take pride in being so close to her diamond, which the other pearls found utterly disgusting, but she didn't care because to her, being pink diamond's best friend meant way more than just being her pearl

Aaand we're done I think. didn't expect this to be this long LMAO

Either way, thanks a lot for the ask! I love these two a lot and really wish we got more of them

[shmowder]

I really appreciate you writing all that out! Your replies are always so thoughtful <33 Thank you for sharing.

I knew being aro was a spectrum, but wow, there are so many different flavors. It's fascinating, really. As for me, I could do without the flowers and poetry, the grand dramatic gestures; romantic gestures in public? - gtfo of here. But I get crushes, the whole butterflies in my stomach deal, daydreaming to a detrimental degree.

I want tenderness! Soul crushing devotion! For, like you said, "my favorite person to stay with me only." But as you also pointed out, you can have all of that without romance. I've never really had a best friend that I would drop everything for, and for me the tenderness and devotion is itself romantic? I'm also quite touch-averse, so if I actually want to cuddle, etc. with someone, that pretty much automatically means I see them in a way that goes beyond platonic.

Tbh I'm not sure I'll ever be able to define it, but that's okay ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It is funny how we share the same taste in characters and x reader stories though! Smut with feelings is probably my favorite as far as x reader fic goes. Even if those feelings are unhealthily obsessive; I'll eat up yandere fic too.

I love what you said about Daniil. I'm gonna cave one day and buy P1 aren't I 😮‍💨 He loves her essence and soul!

That's something I never picked up about Vlad Jr. before. Interesting. I see what you're saying about Capella. And you're so right about the "robotic" character = aro stereotype!! I can't wait to meet Aglaya again during this playthrough (just started day 6).

I'm glad you think romance is fun to write!

🐿️ anon

Yandere pathologic omfg I would love to talk and write about that actually. My take on Yandere is exactly the helplessly in love an extremely devoted to that person. I write them less murder and kidnapping crazy because eh I don't really like that aspect, however the unconditional love and soul crushing devotion? Their love suffocating them with every breath they take not by your side? the paranoia and extremely jealousy? Yeah I ADORE these aspects

Maria Kaina and Andrey Stamatin feel like the most yandere-ish out of the bunch by nature tbh.

Eva has potential too! but she'll be more of a sweet guilt tripping toxic gf than a yandere. Like a puppy love crush yandere? Sickingly sweet.

Yulia and Vlad the younger are more on the chill side. The loose leash side where you think you can roam free but how come everyone around you is pulling away? They don't try to control you or be toxic to you in any way, instead it's others they intimidate into submission or trick into backing off. If there is no competition then you'll definitely run into their arms. It's them or absolute loneliness you see.

The more unstable Yanderes who need constant reassurance and are suffocatingly clingy and overprotective are Anna, Rubin and Oyun probably. Rubin will set himself on fire just to keep you warm and is the biggest drama king when it comes to seeing you get close to anyone else, he gets all mopy and extremely sad until you have no choice but to leave the person and comfort him.

Alexander Saburov and Alexander Block are both on the self-aware type. They're very aware of how wrong their feelings and extreme urges are. How you don't belong to them and they try desperately to resist the temptation but god you're just so sweet what if something bad happens to you? what if someone else whisks you away? They can't have that. They control themselves 90% of the time and are the best at keeping their real intentions hidden while they show you a calm facade.

Katerina feels the most prone to jealousy and spite.

Daniil the most passive aggressive. He tries to stick to his morality compass and have plausible deniability. Like he justifies his actions and urges by any means necessary to prove he is in the right and you're overreacting actually.

Artemy would start as self-aware but slowly give in to his heart's desire because it feels right so it must be right.

Do tell me your thoughts and ideas about yandere pathologic 👀 I'm curious and dying to talk about the great potential oh my god Yandere Aspity my beloved

-

If you ever get P1, wait until it's on sale. I got it for like 2$ from fanatical during a random sale? It's so much easier than P2 and the writing is funnier and less serious at a lot of times.

I do enjoy our talks <3 I'm happy whenever you're here.

[tarnishedxknight]

♡ for all of them!

{out of dalmasca} Yay, some love for everyone! Here we go! =)

For every " ♡" I get I'll give tip on how to win my muse's heart:

BASCH

Touch him. Seriously. Do it. Often. Not even necessarily in a sexual or romantic way, but just… affectionately. Touching his arm when you speak. Fix some wayward hair that’s over his eyes or out of place. Give him random hugs. Pat his hand while you’re spending time with him. Bump your shoulder against his or just let your shoulder’s touch if you sit next to him. Brush or braid his hair. Basch is an extremely touch-starved person while simultaneously being someone who craves and thrives on physical affection. Part of this is due to his position as a knight for so many years, because there were strict protocols and etiquette rules preventing him from touching or being touched when dealing with royalty or citizens, etc. But part of it was because of his “atonement” process. By isolating himself and denying himself comforts like physical touch, he is trying to inflict the same kind of pain on himself that he believes he inflicted on Noah. That lack of contact or support makes him feel isolated and very sad. Don’t let him do that to himself! Go ahead and touch him. He loves it, trust me, and if you do it enough, he’ll love you too. XD

ASHELIA

Treat her with respect and, yes, like a princess. I mean, Ashe doesn’t require people to kiss her feet or anything like that, haha, but she was raised as royalty, she's very proud, and you’ll get far with her if you cater to her in that way at least some of the time. Be respectful and polite, and don’t be afraid to use honorifics as terms of endearment, especially in her MCU verse. Although she’s no longer royalty in that verse, being referred to as if she was still is something that makes her feel comforted and happy, and it will win you a lot of points with her.

NOAH

Respect that invisible bubble of personal space around him at all times. Even if you are really close to him, don’t just come up on him fast. Give him some warning, move slowly, or even just ask him first if touching him, sitting by him, etc. is okay with him. Noah has suffered many traumas that involve him being touched in ways that were harmful and frightening, and given who he was in Archadia, he’s used to assassins and other shady individuals trying to harm or kill him, so he’s developed an aversion to being touched and to people being too close to him. That isn’t to say that he wouldn’t get used to you the closer you get to him, but if you’re trying to win his heart, go slow and respect that there is that unspoken bubbles of personal space around him that he’s always very aware of. If you take your time and seem like you’re really trying to take his consent and comfort into account, you’ll win huge points with him.

DRACE

Spar with her. She’s a career soldier and she loves weapons and armor in addition to magic. She enjoys strategy and learning new techniques as well. Sparring with you on a regular basis will get her to open up in a different kind of way, and before long she will start bonding with you. It’s a good way to get her comfortable with you, but also to get the two of you talking so she can learn more about you. Studying weapons, magic, and different fighting styles/techniques is her passion and her hobby in addition to her career, so if you show interest in that, you’ll weasel your way right into her heart.

CAELEN

Treat him as a regular person, not as a prince or royalty or anyone elevated in a social way. Caelen associated being royalty with unwanted pressures, unattainable expectations, and being forced to be something he’s not. Being a prince has only ever brought him pain, fear, and sadness, and he just wants to be an average, unremarkable person. You can’t win Caelen’s heart unless you drop the honorifics and treat him just he’s just like everyone else. If you do, he’ll open up to you faster and will feel more comfortable around you.

MUNOH

So… Munoh doesn’t really fall in love in the human sense, but I can speak as to what will make them like or even love you as far as caring for your welfare and about your future.

One thing that will make them care about you is if you treat them as a friend and not a god. Munoh isn’t fully comfortable with those who worship them as a god. Although they recognize that, because of their age and experience, they are often wiser and more knowledgeable that humans beings, they are not a god. Rather, they are just a different kind of being seen as a god because of their appearance, nature, and power. Much in the way a small insect might see a human as a god-like creature, but that doesn’t make the human a god. Munoh is just a being, like all others in that they are subject to the same natural laws, even with all their magic powers. So they are more inclined develop emotional attachments to humans who treat them more informally and as a friend, rather than as if they are subservient to them.