#i'm almost certainly reading too much into this game but the fact that it makes me think these things at all is a testament to its art

[aquapede]

in the end, we all do what we must.

[daytaker]

The Gang React to You Giving Them Chocolates on Valentine's Day

And other Valentine's Day miscellanea. I'm going with MC giving store-bought chocolates. I know in some places, it's more common to give homemade chocolates, but I for one do not have any idea how that is done and it's not something that's common where I live, so I'm going to go with what I know, which is very little. Enjoy! (Mostly below the cut.)

The length of these varies. Some are quite short. I just wanted to put out some sort of Valentine's Day themed Thing, even if I'm almost two days late.

Lucifer

"How thoughtful. I don't suppose there's anything deeper I'm meant to read into here?"

He's so smug. Unreasonably so. More than you would expect. Yeah, guys, he got chocolates from MC. But his pride doesn't allow him to flaunt the fact. He has to just hope and pray people actively ask him whether he's gotten anything or where those not-so-discreetly placed chocolates sitting on his desk happened to come from.

Lucifer is very traditional in his treatment of you. When it comes to events like this, he's almost painfully predictable. He'll certainly have roses for you, and depending on your relationship, he might reserve dinner for two at a high end restaurant. And if your relationship is at a certain level, you can expect a trail of rose petals leading to the bed. It's kind of cringeworthy but he means well.

Mammon

"O-oh... Ahem... Is it Valentine's Day? Ha! I thought I was forgettin' somethin'. Heh, uh... thanks, human."

Obviously he didn't forget; he's been stressing over this day for the past week. He needs to get you something, but it can't be anything that's too cheesy or anything that makes him look cheap, so he's probably broken the bank to get you some sort of jewelry that he'll spend the next century paying off, but it's worth it.

When he gets chocolates from you, he plays it off like it's no big deal, but actually, he's so excited to reciprocate that before he has time to think it over, he's acting like he just so happened to have this expensive piece of jewelry on his person so you might as well take it for him. He spends the rest of the day kicking himself because now how in the world are you supposed to know that this was actually a very tactful and expensive gift from the greatest demon in the Devildom?

That, and he'll probably spend the entire day glaring at his brothers and the dateables from the corner as they shower you with gifts and attention.

Leviathan

"Wh...? For me? This isn't a prank, right? Because I'm not gonna forgive you if this box is full of tide pods!"

It's not full of tide pods, so all is well. He's so embarrassed to have doubted you that he tries to just shove his gift into your hands and push you out of his room, but it won't take too much persistence to get him to back down.

His gift is some sort of merch relating to an anime, manga, or game the two of you have particularly enjoyed together. Preferably something cute and evocative of the holiday. He doesn't know. He's never done this before. Why would he? Nobody would ever think to give him anything on Valentine's Day, so why would he bother with gifts? You do remember that nobody likes him, right? He doesn't like them either, so it's fine, but---

Let's just thank him for our gift before he falls too far down the self-hate spiral.

Satan

"I had hoped I might receive something from you today."

Satan is glad to get something from you, no matter what it is, but to be honest, chocolates probably aren't the best choice for him. He'd rather have something a little more heart-felt, that seems like you picked it out with him in mind. Literally anything cat-themed, or a book of some sort (bonus if it's a romance novel).

He's probably gone and done something stupidly romantic like buy you flowers and a book of poetry with certain parts highlighted.

But don't be fooled. Satan's favorite part of Valentine's Day is talking about its gruesome history, from the martyrdom of St. Valentine to a whole host of brutal murders that have taken place on the day. Catch him trying to figure out how to shoehorn the Chicago St. Valentine's Day Massacre into a casual conversation.

Asmodeus

"Oh, for meeee? You're such a sweetheart!"

He adds it to his enormous pile of chocolates, cards, flowers, and love letters. But of course, it's special, because it's from you.

He loves it, but... he's another one who would probably prefer something a little more personalized. Being who he is, he's a very popular demon on Valentine's Day, so seeing you put in a little effort to get him something with a bit of Asmo-flair would thrill him.

Beelzebub

"Chocolates...? This is the best thing I could have asked for. They'll taste even better knowing they're from you."

Well, obviously he loves them. He probably tried to get you chocolates too, but it doesn't matter how much he loves you. Beel's gonna Beel. The box is empty. He's shocked. He was sure he left some.

Belphegor

"...Wait, it's...? ...Thanks, MC. They look really good."

Belphie stares down at the chocolates in his hands, looking tired and mellow, while he internally panics because holy shit, it's already February 14? When did that happen? He doesn't have anything for you. He hates Valentine's Day. Why does it have to exist and lay bare all his inadequacies, like being a procrastinator and forgetting to prepare for things in advance even to the slightest degree?

Diavolo

"Ah, for Valentine's Day! It's a delight to receive this in person!"

Diavolo probably gets plenty of Valentine's Day presents from admirers (and suck-ups) around the Devildom, but most of them come in the mail or are otherwise delivered in an impersonal manner. So when you approach him directly to give him some chocolates, he's reminded why you're everyone's favorite human (himself included).

Also, you'd better clear out your schedule, because Diavolo booked out all of Ristorante Six for a dinner date tonight. Yes, the entire thing. Yes, on Valentine's Day. No, he's not worried about the dozens of disappointed couples who had probably been hoping to eat there.

Barbatos

"Any gift from you is satisfactory in my eyes."

It's kind of embarrassing to give regular old chocolates to someone like Barbatos who's a complete whiz in the kitchen, especially when it comes to sweets. But you figure he'd appreciate the gesture, and you'd be right. Of course, he will turn around and present you with a variety of immaculate, handcrafted artisan chocolates, tailor made to your personal taste. But sure, those store-bought candies you got in the heart-shaped box are completely fine, so stop stressing out about it.

Solomon

"Aw, thank you, my adorable apprentice! I have some homemade chocolates for you! What? Aren't you going to try some?"

Solomon tries to kill you on Valentine's Day...with love, obviously! But seriously, aren't you going to try the chocolates? He put his whole heart into them. And the hearts of several unique Devildom species. They're not toxic, stop worrying.

Simeon

"The fact that you thought of me means more than you realize."

And he means it. The fact that you thought about him, and when thinking about him, made the active decision to buy him something for Valentine's Day makes him stupidly happy.

Simeon strikes me as a flowers kind of guy. He got you flowers. Maybe some homemade treats too, but definitely flowers.

Luke

"Thanks! I got you something too. Happy Valentine's Day!"

Luke made cookies. They're delicious. Befriending this kid is the smartest thing you ever did.

[chemococktailonthehouse]

Nightly Ritual (Lucifer x F!Reader)

Description: Lucifer tended to stay up far later than he should, and he certainly wasn't easy to convince to come to bed. You, however, had a few tricks up your sleeve.

Warnings: Fluff (that's it. that's the whole post), sleepy sleepy reader, no use of Y/N, no beta we die like men

Author's Note: This one has been sitting in my drafts for a hot minute now. I've got another one I'm working on and may not finish that has similar vibes with a touch of angst (what can I say, I know what I like). I'm not sure how much Hazbin I'll write for, as I'm not super involved with the fandom at this point. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Word Count: 897

This has been cross-posted on my AO3 account which you can find here.

______________________________________________________________

Lucifer spent many a night in his workshop working and you spent many a night trying to pull him away from said work and into bed. Besides, what was the point of a king-sized bed if there wasn’t a king to share it with? At some point you realized that if you could get him to enter the bedroom the battle was practically won. But how could you consistently make that happen? The answer fell into your lap one night when you dozed off watching him work. He gazed at you fondly for a moment before finally scooping you up and carrying you off to bed. As soon as he deposited you beneath the sheets you pulled him along with you as he let out a surprised umph. And so this dance of yours began. You would fall asleep in his office and he would carry you to bed. It didn’t take him long for him to catch on to your little game, but he couldn’t help but play along.

Most nights you’d pull up a chair to his desk, your head moving from resting in your palm to laying across your arm as you began to drift off. Other time’s you’d sit next to him, resting your head on his shoulder as he tinkered away. Once or twice you even sat in his lap with your head buried in the crook of his neck as he hummed softly in your ear. Tonight though, you unintentionally mixed things up.

Luci heard the door creak open not too long after supper as you padded into the room. He was a bit surprised. Usually you wouldn’t start this song and dance until much later in the evening. You wrapped your arms around him and rested your head on his shoulder as you peered at his current project. Maybe you were just here to watch tonight.

“Whatcha working on?” Though, to be honest, you already knew the answer.

“Oh, just the usual.”

You fell into a comfortable silence. Every now and again you’d ask a question about what he was doing or what tool he was using, to which he would happily answer. After one particularly in depth question he turned to you, “so, you trying to pick up the tools of the trade?”

“How do you know I’m not already an expert?”

“Oh ho ho, I think we both remember what happened last time.”

You swatted at his shoulder playfully, “oh hush you.”

“I’m not the one who almost set the office ablaze,” he raised his eyebrows as he challenged you to retort.

”Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. You should be thankful I took such a tremendous responsibility off your hands.”

“Mhmm,” you could feel his quiet laughter reverberate in his chest. He continued working, humming contently whenever you’d pepper kisses on his cheek. Eventually the frequency of your musings began to slow as he noted your breathing deepening, “you sure you don’t want to come sit in my lap?” While he didn’t want you toppling over, he was reveling in the close contact and would be damned if it ended any time soon.

“Can see what you’re doing better from up here,” the way you mumbled made it evident that sleep was soon to follow.

“You sure you’re not gonna fall asleep back there?”

“Mhmm. ‘m not even that tired.”

He turned and placed a kiss on your cheek, “whatever you say, dear.”

You did, in fact, fall asleep back there. Just as the first soft snore left your lips he felt you begin to slide to the side. He unfurled his wings, keeping you upright until he could turn around and lift you into his arms, “alright missy, let’s get you to bed.” You stirred slightly, lazily reaching an arm over his shoulder to stroke the feathers at the base of his wings as he carried you down the hall. The only clue that he had finally made it to the room was the soft click of the door before he laid you down on the bed. Before you had the chance to pull him down with you he had stepped out of your grasp. You turned to face him, worried that your plan had been unsuccessful this evening, “stay, please.”

“I’ll be right there, just need to slip into something more comfortable.” A few minutes later he climbed under the covers and pulled you to him, the warmth of bare chest pulling you in like a duckling to its mother.

You looped an arm around him once more, tracing your fingers across his back in search of those oh-so-soft wings. You huffed, disappointed to find he had tucked them away, “Luci?”

“Yes dear?”

You rubbed small circles until he finally got the hint. “Ohhh, someone sure is needy tonight, hmm?” His tone was playful, though it could be argued that he found much more satisfaction from wrapping you up in his wings than you did. And you loved when he wrapped you up. You began combing your fingers through his feathers again as he practically purred, “you know if you keep that up I may just have to start coming to bed earlier.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” there was that mumbling again as you began to drift off.

He chuckled, a soft, deep tone, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

[the-copycat-hero]

In my mind, Monoma knows how to pickpocket, do sleight of hand, roll a coin across his knuckles, all that good stuff :D I also hc him to have voluntary nystagmus. No particular reason, I just 100% think Monoma would use that skill to freak people out

Also I hc him to be friends with Hatsume Mei. Each time he visits he brings a whole packet of papers, diagrams, analytics of quirks and how they relate to their costumes, and Mei def eats it up EVERY TIME. She also has him try quirks she needs for the equipment whenever possible. They’re smart kids :>

What do you like seeing most in monoma fics/fan work and what do you want to see more of? Any relationships (romance or gen) you like? Also I’m very curious about the Monoma family 👀 Clearly they don’t seem to keep in touch. What does Monoma say when he’s asked about them? Is it something he keeps under wraps or are most of his friends aware

!!!!!!! Big Brain Takes! Massive!

sleight of hand (and other assorted part trick) Monoma is near and dear to my heart, and i could definitely see him being able to do Some Sorta Nonsense with his body like voluntarily vibrate his eyes. i could see him being double jointed, too. (he is a Bendy Boy.)

ALSO the fact that Monoma and Hatsume never interacted in any meaningful way will haunt me until i die. they are so smart, and they are such freaks (/pos). their aura would have been so powerful. maybe too powerful? i guess Hori had to nerf them somehow.

as far as fanworks go, i am a massive fan of any fic that has Monoma showcasing his quirk. (for example, Learning Curve has a fantastic scene with a training exercise/mock battle that i frequently go back to because it is So Peak to me.)

as far as things i'd like to see more of, i'd kill for more introspective pieces of Monoma learning how to adjust after the war. (let me see him talk to Bakugo, who he watched die! let me see him talk to Aizawa, who tried to protect him!!!) i'm hoping some more of that will come with time as the anime draws closer to the end, but i suppose we shall see.

romance-wise, i'm big on Monoshin and have been since season 2. the fact that it used to be a rarepair floors me. (really played the long game on that one). that being said, i could honestly read about Monoma with almost any other student, his personality is just that much fun to me. apart from Monoshin, i've been seeing quite a bit of Timebomb and Monoma/Pony on my timeline, and i find both so incredibly charming.

platonically: Kendo. Shinsou. Tokage. Mei. Honenuki. Bakugo (especially after the war). ERI. Vlad and/or Aizawa. slap Monoma in an interaction with any of them and i am Locked In.

FINALLY, the Monoma family. (man, the Monoma family.) @smallvictorianchildwhofoundwifi and i have constructed pages upon pages of lore for these human disasters, but i'll try to keep it brief:

Monoma's dad (still need a name) - only ever agreed to have a child in the first place because his side of the family was pressing for it. resents Neito for reasons that i'll probably dig into later - but as long as Neito isn't actively making a mockery of the family name, his dad really can't be bothered to think about him.

Monoma's mom (Hiromi) [PRE WAR] - had Neito when she was young (around 21 years old) because, again, her husband's side of the family was insistent. she adored him at first sight; however, she has had to make a lot of changes to appease her husband's side of the family over the years, and it has turned her into a harsher, colder person overall. every once and a while, she'll be struck with fondness for her son, but it never lasts for long before she goes back to being made of ice. maybe also unconsciously resents Neito some for marking the end of her old life.

Hiromi (cont) [Post-War] - determined to reconnect with her son after almost losing him in the final battle. has made so many mistakes that it seems impossible, but Neito got his tenacity from someone, and it certainly wasn't his father.

Monoma's class knows next to nothing about his family. even Kendo, who has known Monoma for a long while, has precious little information to go off of.

some of the girls in Monoma's class stumble across a picture of Monoma's mother from one of her last modeling shoots, but when they ask him about her, Monoma just tells them that he has his mother to thank for his dashing good looks and leaves it at that. Ittaka - Monoma's old caretaker (and pseudo-older sister) - comes to visit him once, and his classmates briefly think that his real mother must have died until Kendo corrects them (because she may not know much about the Monomas, but she knows that they are all still kicking). but that's about all they've got.

tldr; trying to wrangle a straight answer out of Monoma regarding his family is impossible.

[corrupted-creatures]

Ugh okay I need to talk about Swatch and Spamton again because they make me insane. Long post under the cut

Been thinking about how Spamton and Swatch talk about each other (specifically in Swatch's in-game dialogue and the Q&A from the Spamton Sweepstakes) and how it reflects their thoughts and feelings on Spamton's downfall and eviction, the NEO body situation, and each other. I am absolutely reading too much into this but I think about them a lot and their dynamic fascinates me.

So during the Spamton Sweepstakes Q&A, Spamton says this in response to a question regarding Swatch:

I'm specifically referring to the second paragraph here. Spamton claims that Swatch only pretended to be his friend (and a close one at that, what with the "shoulder to cry on" statement), and that they only listened to Queen in the end. It is clear just in this statement that Spamton holds some degree of anger towards Swatch.

Personally, while I don't subscribe to the Acid Theory myself, I do think that Swatch may have been at least somewhat involved in Spamton's eviction (beings that they're a high-ranking employee of Queen and all). Perhaps they were the one to deliver the news to Spamton, perhaps they helped gather his things in preparation, I'm not sure. Regardless, they didn't do anything to stop it (that Spamton knew of, at least) and Spamton likely felt betrayed by this. After all, someone he viewed as a close friend (or if your a swatchton enjoyer like me, romantic interest/crush) wasn't there when he needed them most. With how catastrophically his life was falling apart, who could blame him for being upset?

Then there's the issue of the NEO body. We know that it's a very closely guarded secret that nobody is to mess with, and I wouldn't doubt if Swatch or the Swatchlings thwarted at least a few of Spamton's attempts to reach it. To Spamton, though, that is his one ticket to freedom/Heaven, and he needs it. Being denied that ticket in favor of upholding Queen's orders undoubtedly hurt Spamton and led to the anger we see, however justified you may believe it to be. His past experiences with the Addisons certainly don't help. From Spamton's perspective, I can see how he might think that Swatch only pretended to be his friend, though I don't think he fully believes that himself personally.

On the other side of the coin, we have Swatch. In their shop dialogue, they refer to Spamton with far more impersonal terms than Spamton uses to refer to them (see: "valued customer"). While it's easy to conclude that they simply didn't view Spamton as a particularly close friend based on their language, I don't believe that to be the case.

We know that Swatch has a personal connection to the NEO body. They helped turn the Lighter's hopes and dreams into a reality in creating it, after all, which is something they speak of quite fondly. We also know that it is powerful, dangerous, and most importantly, corrupted data. It is locked away in the basement due to the risk it could pose if it fell into the wrong hands. All of this to say that Spamton's repeated attempts to break into the basement to steal the NEO body, even going as far as impersonating Swatch to do so, was almost certainly a massive breach of Swatch's trust. The fact it wasn't a one-time offence would only further worsen their perception of Spamton (which is what I believe contributed to the vitriolic tone Swatch has when you talk to them after defeating Spamton NEO).

I don't think that a major betrayal of trust is the only reason for Swatch's total disconnect when talking about Spamton, though. If we are to believe that Swatch was genuinely close with Spamton (which I do), then it would make sense that they hold a lot of guilt regarding his situation.

For as high up in Queen's mansion as they are, Swatch could not prevent Spamton's eviction, nor could they disobey Queen's orders no matter how much they may wish to (something I would like to get into in another post). They did not- could not- stop any of the terrible things that happened to Spamton. Then they had to kick him out of the mansion over and over again, denying Spamton what he sought because of a desperation Swatch did not understand. And then, when Spamton finally succeeded in acquiring the NEO body and was quickly defeated by Kris after, Swatch had to grapple with that guilt as well. I think they feel like they failed Spamton above all else.

Both Swatch and Spamton feel the other has betrayed them. At the same time, though, they both care so deeply about the other that these betrayals (perceived or otherwise) have wounded them in terrible ways. There is a lot of guilt there, too, mainly on Swatch's end. Spamton's downfall, and especially the NEO body, have torn such a massive rift between the two that repairing it would take a lot of time and patience. I do, however, feel that it's not only possible, but feasible that they could as they certainly still hold the other close to their hearts in their own ways (and I've seen some fics that explore that mending beautifully).

Anyways yeah that's my thoughts about a couple of simple lines of dialogue said by characters I think about way too much. If you want to know more of my thoughts on these two, be it individually, in a ship sense, or otherwise, feel free to drop me an ask! I would love to share more of my thoughts about Swatch and Spam <3 Thanks for reading!!

EDIT: Reworded a couple of things for clarity

[aughtpunk]

I was wondering if you could go a little more into detail with Shaun's character please? Cuz I'm writing a fanfic AU of ur AU centered around him and I don't want it to be too off-character (cuz I most certainly can get carried away w my head canons lmao).

Ooo, let me think about this.

At his core Shaun is very much a protective older brother (even though he hatched out of their egg at the same time) who's entire world has evolved around Jacob. Ever since the Reaping of the Lambs and the deaths of their parents protecting Jacob became the sole driving force in Shaun's life. It was what kept him going through the darkest of days. As long as Jacob was alive he could keep going, keep fighting, and keep running.

Shaun is also bit of a brat. While he's super protective of Jacob everyone else is fair game. He likes teasing people who are far too serious as a way to cope with the horrors he's grown up with. He's also sarcastic sometimes, usually towards aforementioned serious people. He also likes to tell terrible jokes just to make Jacob smile during the worst of it. Almost all of his humor in this way is his own personal self-defense.

Shaun has found himself well educated completely by accident. He never meant to become a scholar, but having nothing to do but read Shamura's library for a hundred years in the afterlife has changed that. Combined with an excellent memory Shaun has become bit of a walking library himself when it comes to science, medicine, and history. He's also one of the few people outside of The Bishops that can actually read cursive.

Shaun does have some anger issues as a side effect of The Reaping. While he would never act on them himself (he has no real official training when it comes to battle) there's always a little voice within himself that wants to default to violence as the answer to all of his problems. Indeed the thought of just straight-up murdering the now-mortal bishops for revenge has come to him many times. But he would never pick up the blade himself out of anger. Now, if someone else was willing to do it...

At the same time Shaun has a good sense of justice. It's for that reason why he was so shocked to learn about what Jacob had done with the cult. To him society is all about protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty. So hearing about those same innocents being sacrificed for the sake of power was enough to push him over the edge. He would never pick up a weapon out of anger, yet he could probably talk himself into picking up one to protect those who need protecting.

And of course there's Shaun's greatest flaw: The fact that he got completely rizz'd up by Kallamar of all people. This confuses Kallamar most of all, really.

[seaseren]

Fuck it, little spur of the moment thing. Stopping here because I wanna check the dialogue in game b4 I write more- there's a couple other things I should check out too, while I'm there, but I'm lazy rn. I haven't written much in a while cut me some slack

It was sort of a spur of the moment thing.

Alisaie had been unfortunately idle these past few months. Since she and Alphinaud had been kicked out of Garlemald (or, if one was feeling generous, been begged to take a vacation) the both of them had been aimless. Alphinaud has checked out as many tomes as he could find on the topics of cultural change and recovery, but the fact of the matter was that he had read many of them already for some class or another. Theory was, in this case, not really giving them anything new to work with. They had been spending time with their parents, of course- Father had, in his own way, been overjoyed- but Alisaie felt awkward in the home she had grown up in. She was used to roughing it by now, used to being on the move, used to being treated like a colleague and not constantly surrounded by parents and staff who all still saw her as a child.

Alphinaud must have felt the same way, because about two months after they arrived back in Old Sharlayan he disappeared.

Alisaie hadn’t worried, at first- not that she worried afterwards!- when she went a day without seeing him. It was easy enough to assume he’d lost himself in the library and would either surface around suppertime or would have to be fetched. But supper came and went, and night fell around across the island, and it was only when Alisaie had been to the Noumenon and back and resorted to clambering through the secret passage that led to his office- which she found, to both her satisfaction and her annoyance, she was much too large to easily clamber through anymore- that she found the letter.

It read-

Dearest Sister, Parents, and Assorted Loved Ones

I have found myself invited to a most curious opportunity, and have resolved to fulfill this request to the best of my abilities. Worry not, I am in good hands, and much love to you all.

-well, it said quite a bit more than that, but she was good at summarizing. She, along with their parents, spent some time pouring over it, searching for any actual details. It was certainly Alphinaud’s handwriting- at age nine he had spent a laborious summer perfecting his script, determined to make sure his hand could never be mistaken for another's- and she was able to convince them both that Alphinaud could almost certainly take care of himself. Still, it rackled that he would just run off like that, with barely a clue as to what he was doing! And it rackled even more that he would simply leave her behind.

The next morning she ate a long breakfast with her parents, who were trying their best to disguise their anxiety, then headed over to the Annex. As much as she teased him, Alphinaud and Krile were close, and with Storm gone, if Alphinaud was to tell anyone what he was up to, it would most likely be her. It was midmorning by the time she arrived, but the air was already warm, the usual morning fog burning off to reveal a clear early summer's day. Sharlayan was not exactly hot, but after nearly a year in Garlemald even these mild temperatures felt like a warm blanket- Alisaie hoped for his own sake that Alphinaud’s mysterious business was not taking him to Thanalan or anywhere else with a real summer. 

The Lalafell at the front desk- Emmica? Olrika? Tsun…something?- waved to her as she entered. “Joining the meeting, Miss Leveilleur?” he asked politely, and Alisaie nodded, though she had known about no such thing. She convinced herself it had something to do with Alphinaud- though why he wouldn't tell her was beyond her still- and pushed open the doors to the main hall.

“-kind of mighty warrior just up and retires?!” 

Alisaie started, just a bit, at the voice that seemed to fill the space as soon as the heavy doors were open. She couldn’t recognize it, or even the accent, but they sounded incredulous.

“People are allowed to retire, you know,” came the clipped reply. That voice Alisaie definitely recognized, and she cast her mind about trying to conjure a face that went with it, before she gave up and just looked for the speaker. It was that Viera gleaner, the one who had helped them get info out of the Forum members in Labyrinthos, the one who was named…who probably had a name. Erenville, that was it, she remembered Storm mentioning it.

“Well sure, people are allowed, but Father would never!” said the first speaker again. Alisaie narrowed her eyes a bit. Even in diverse, cosmopolitan Sharlayan she had never really seen a girl Hrothgar, and this one was in a style of dress that certainly didn’t look Bozjan. She wasn’t that tall- at least, for a Hrothgar, she certainly towered over Alisaie- but she had a presence to her that has Alisaie wondering how she had managed to overlook her, even for a second. She paced the hall in front of Erenville, who was draped across a chair, one foot tapping pointedly, and Krile and Raha. It seemed Raha had been the one to break the bad news- his hands were still up in a conciliatory gesture. Krile seemed distracted, her gaze fixed at some desk along the wall, eyes narrowed in thought. There was no sign of Alphinaud. Things could never be easy.

Raha’s ear twitched, and he turned to face Alisaie as she fully stepped into the room. He smiled over to her, slightly rueful, as the Viera and Hrothgar continued their argument behind him (“Your father retiring is the whole reason we’re here.” “Well that’s different! He’s old!”)

“Alisaie! I didn’t know you would be joining us.”

“I didn’t know there would be anything to join,” she said. “I came to ask Krile if she had spoken with Alphinaud recently. He’s disappeared, and left naught but an ominous note behind.”

[saintsenara]

Just for argument's sake, what's a sibling incest ship in hp that you think /could/ be compelling?

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

it's certainly an interesting question - which i've popped the answer to below the cut, not only because it's about sibling incest, a trigger warning in and of itself, but because it also discusses physical and sexual abuse.

in the response which inspired this ask, i said that it seems to me that the reason why people ship sibling pairings is primarily because they find the taboo engaging - and "engaging" here can refer to anything on a spectrum from "mildly interesting" to "hot".

and i have no moral objection to this in a fictional context. many of the best books i've ever read - the secret history and ada or ardor chief among them - have sibling incest, and sibling incest which is presented specifically as romantic, as a prominent theme. i've also [like any other millennial with too much time on their hands] seen game of thrones...

but in fanfiction, while i understand the fun of a taboo fantasy in which siblings hook up in an imaginary setting where nobody is getting hurt, i find this quite uninteresting. by which i mean, i don't vibe with the fact that the standard presentation of sibling incest is as something that everyone involved is broadly fine with.

and i think the reason for this is that it ends up being woven - a lot of the time - into the fanon which has sprung up around "pureblood culture", which presents aristocracy as something dark and sexy, the class system as something it's legitimately important to maintain, and notions that pureblood families are genuinely special [i.e. that they have certain "family magics"].

a lot of the time, sibling incest pairings - and parent/child ones - are situated within this context: that it is natural for someone who is special by virtue of their birth to think that the only person worthy of their attention is their own blood relative.

i'm on the record as finding this aristocracy wank uninteresting in general - and so i find it uninteresting in this specific form as well. and it's why i don't vibe with pairings like sirius/regulus or bellatrix/narcissa - they are typically written as making perfect sense.

what I think would be compelling, however, is an approach to such pairings which takes a view of sibling incest closer to our real-world understanding of the phenomenon. not as something which is taboo in a naughty, forbidden way - but as something which is corrosive, almost certainly abusive, and highly like to be accompanied by other forms of violence.

which is to say... there is a sibling incest pairing actually implied in the canon text who i think are fascinating to explore: morfin and merope gaunt.

the gaunts’ extreme incestuousness is played for laughs in half-blood prince:

“Marvolo, his son, Morfin, and his daughter, Merope, were the last of the Gaunts, a very ancient Wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins. Lack of sense coupled with a great liking for grandeur meant that the family gold was squandered several generations before Marvolo was born. He, as you saw, was left in squalor and poverty, with a very nasty temper, a fantastic amount of arrogance and pride, and a couple of family heirlooms that he treasured just as much as his son, and rather more than his daughter.”

this alludes to common jokes in britain about how inbred the aristocracy are. it also winks conspiratorially at the reader about the irony of a family which considers itself to be of such “pure” blood living in filth and fucking their own blood relations - and morfin and merope both have a birth defect associated with inbreeding [exotropia, eyes which stare in different directions] which serves as a visual metaphor for the gaunts' hubristic decline, in that it is written as making them look ugly, simple-minded, and poor.

but there is also a subtext here - in the way that dumbledore talks about the family's increasing isolation from the rest of the world -that the gaunts' incestuousness is narrowing from first cousins to siblings.

[indeed, i always wonder if we're supposed to imagine that morfin and merope's - presumably - dead mother was marvolo's sister, and that's why the siblings have this birth defect while marvolo does not...]

the three gaunts do not appear to go anywhere or know anyone, and morfin and merope evidently did not attend hogwarts. this isolation - especially when coupled with their appearances, since many of the pureblood families we meet in canon are described as being good-looking, and their finances - means that neither child has any hope on the upper-class marriage-market.

but the way that both morfin and marvolo talk to and about merope - especially the way morfin taunts his sister about tom riddle sr. - suggests that this doesn't matter, since morfin and merope will be keeping it in the family...

“‘Darling,’” whispered Morfin in Parseltongue, looking at his sister. “‘Darling,’ he called her. So he wouldn’t have you anyway.” Merope was so white Harry felt sure she was going to faint. “What’s that?” said Gaunt sharply, also in Parseltongue, looking from his son to his daughter. “She likes looking at that Muggle,” said Morfin, a vicious expression on his face as he stared at his sister, who now looked terrified. “Always in the garden when he passes, peering through the hedge at him, isn’t she? And last night - ”  Merope shook her head jerkily, imploringly, but Morfin went on ruthlessly, “Hanging out of the window waiting for him to ride home, wasn’t she?”  “Hanging out of the window to look at a Muggle?” said Gaunt quietly. All three of the Gaunts seemed to have forgotten Ogden, who was looking both bewildered and irritated at this renewed outbreak of incomprehensible hissing and rasping. “Is it true?” said Gaunt in a deadly voice, advancing a step or two toward the terrified girl. “My daughter - pure-blooded descendant of Salazar Slytherin - hankering after a filthy, dirt-veined Muggle?”  Merope shook her head frantically, pressing herself into the wall, apparently unable to speak.  “But I got him, Father” cackled Morfin. “I got him as he went by and he didn’t look so pretty with hives all over him, did he, Merope?”

morfin's hatred of tom riddle sr. is obviously driven by his blood-supremacist beliefs. but it is also transparently sexual - he loathes the idea that riddle might "have" merope, he attacks riddle in response to his sister's unrestrained display of romantic/sexual interest in a man who is not him, and he delights in the knowledge that hurting riddle [and telling his father why he did so] will only secure his power over merope.

indeed, merope is "defeated" by marvolo - dejected and broken in his presence and by his violence - but the only person of whom she is "terrified" is morfin.

merope is also treated - as dumbledore says - as little more than an heirloom. she is the conduit for slytherin's blood - and she is, therefore, the person who is the primary victim of her father's desire to keep this bloodline pure. with no other candidate on the horizon, if this pure bloodline is to continue... then it is because she will be forced to bear children for morfin, extending the cycle of abject poverty and pain which defines the decaying last generations of slytherin's line.

and this raises questions which i think are genuinely compelling, both within the canon timeline and outside of it. what understanding of consent and bodily autonomy can merope have, and how does this play into her rape of tom riddle sr.? what happens if merope doesn't escape - if morfin gets away without prison time and returns to the shack? what happens to her and her baby if - when riddle sr. flees her - she is forced to come home? what would her life have been like as a mother to her brother's children - especially if she had daughters she knew would be similarly abused? how might she have resisted - since, if she can brew a love potion, she can brew an abortifacient - if she had been trapped with morfin? what would morfin have done to tom riddle jr. if his nephew hadn't been holding a wand?

and what does the teenage voldemort make of it all? after all, he attacks his uncle, knocks him out and frames him for murder... immediately after morfin has called his mother a "slut".

[reasonsforhope]

Your blog is a literal god send for me, I’ve been feeling so depressed, pessimistic, nihilistic and cynical at the state of the world right now and my fear of if I even have a future, but your blog is absolutely what I needed right now, so I can’t thank you enough. I’m just so happy to see someone who is hopeful and positive and not pessimistic, and it makes me legit want to cry tears of joy. How are you able to stay so positive and optimistic despite everything going on?

<3 <3 <3

As for how I stay optimistic and relatively positive? Lots of effort and hard work.

I'm not naturally an optimist. I spent most of my life (and certainly my adolescence lol) being pretty angry and cynical.

It's not that I never feel depressed or despairing about the state of the world. There's fucked up shit happening, indisputably, and hey, I'm trans, it's been a rough fucking year for that. But I guess I try to focus on the difference between passing moods and baseline worldview.

Some of the main ways I moved my baseline worldview to be optimistic and hopeful:

A lot of reading and looking at data and in-depth stories. The headlines never give you enough of the story - hell, most news articles don't these days, because they're so skewed toward negative news

Especially reading/looking at good news sites (I have a masterpost of good news sites here). There are good things happening everywhere that you never hear about. Mostly, you only ever hear about the good things when there's been a huge setback, which sucks!

I'm basically not on social media. Nothing except Tumblr, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and I only ever go on FB and linkedin briefly for business. It's fantastic, can't recommend ditching social media enough

I made sure I was doing something to help (aka I started this blog. I would also volunteer but my disabilities and a lot of logistics make that complicated)

My job involves reading a couple dozen self-help books a year lol, not gonna lie that def helps

Taking a long perspective of time. It often doesn't feel like it, but statistically, this really is the best time to be alive. (Here's a fantastic essay about many of the reasons why.) People really gloss over how much most of the past kinda fucking sucked to live in. 50% of all people used to die before their 15th birthday, for basically all of history until the past 200 years!! Imagine having to live with that. Imagine all of that pain and grief literally everywhere. I'm really happy about living in modern times, actually!

That last point is esp helpful to remember for me because I'm 100% for sure on the list of "people who would've died in childbirth" pre modern medicine (and my mom would've died having me, too). It was modern times or nothing lol

The vast majority of the world has spent the past 300 to 500 years being absolutely brutalized by white people and/or the West. There's still a lot of fallout to fix and colonialism to uproot, but I genuinely can't wait to see what people and nations will achieve with sustained self-rule and significantly fewer massive atrocities

Solarpunk and hopepunk stuff

I'm gonna make a whole post about this at some point but the fact that we eliminated scarcity in the past few decades actually changes the entire fucking game for the world (literally it's not a zero sum game anymore) and for the future. We're allowed a bit of a learning curve I think

I listen to the Rent soundtrack a lot and go "well you know what being trans right now sucks but being trans at the height of the aids crisis would've been way fucking worse" lol rip

Meds! Meds. Antidepressants and antianxiety meds unfortunately don't work for everyone (yet!), but also thank fuck for meds

Progress almost always happens in slow, tiny increments, with a lot of stops and starts and setbacks. You have to always remember that there are always people fighting somewhere, and if they're stopped, there will always be more people to pick up the fight in the future

[acacia-may]

Hi Acacia! 💕

Could I have 1, 15 and 24 for your ask game?

Hi Lola! I'm always so excited to hear from you. Thank you so much for the ask and for playing this writing excerpt game! 🥰 I chose exclusively from my BC library for you and hope you’ll enjoy these 💕

1 An excerpt of my writing that makes me smile

If you'll indulge me, I think I'll pick two! ^^ Since I just reread this and have really been thinking about Lorelei a lot recently, here is a snippet from "Lucky" which tells the backstory of how Henry and Lorelei first met when they were children (he's 10 years old and she is 9 here). It was fun writing about a little bitty Henry and giving him a friend since he's so lonely. Just one of those wholesome stories that gave me a lot of warm & fuzzies to write! 💕

Henry’s cheeks turned a bit rose when he realized what he had said, but Lorelei just laughed. “So you’re a mind reader? Can you tell me how I’m feeling right now?” Henry pursed his lips together. It usually didn’t work the way Lorelei thought. He mainly picked up on subtle differences and changes in mana signatures. What she was asking him to do know would essentially be reading her mind, but… “I can try.” Closing his eyes, Henry took a deep breath and searched for Lorelei’s mana. Once again he was struck by how warm it was in the softest, most gentle way. He could almost think of what it reminded him of, but he still couldn’t put a word to it. And he certainly couldn’t figure out her emotion from it. “I don’t know…” he admitted at last with a defeated sigh. He decided to make an educated guess. “Disappointed?” He would have been disappointed if he was her given the circumstances and the fact she would be stuck with him in this dreary old house when they grew up. “No,” she replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m happy.” “Why?” The question slipped out before he could stop it. “Because you’re Henry Legolant, and you’re nice. I guess I really am lucky.” Henry’s face flushed a deep red, and he stumbled over his words until he eventually managed to choke out, “Lucky?” “Mhmm…like my magic. It’s lucky magic, and even if it’s weak, it still makes good things happen for me. Like when I almost fell down the stairs, but you saved me. And my parents picking out a stranger for me to marry when I get older, but he’s actually really nice and my friend.” “Friend?” Henry repeated the word incredulously. He shook his head in disbelief. Had she really said they were…? Could they really be friends? “Of course we’re friends, silly,” Lorelei chuckled, and Henry blushed red as he wondered if it was, in fact, Lorelei who could read minds. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks as a warmth began to spread through his chest; however, he stared down at his twisting hands and bit his lip. “I’ve…I’ve never had a friend before...” Lorelei hummed. “Well…you’ve got one now,” she replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and Henry could feel her sincerity in the flickers of her kind, comforting mana. As it swirled around him almost like a warm blanket, a smile tugged at his mouth, and he realized what it was her mana reminded him of. It felt like a home—the kind that he had only read about. Somewhere warm, cozy, and safe filled with family and friends who cared for each other. It was only a distant dream for Henry, but…now he had a friend so, perhaps, he could have a home someday too.

I also wanted to include an excerpt from "First Christmas" which is a fluffy little story about all the future Black Bulls celebrating together and trying to make the holiday truly special for Yami and Charlotte's son (since it's his very first one!). This snippet has some YamiChar and Rillmy, so it especially makes me smile! ^^

“Hey!” protested Finral. “You guys are so mean to me. You’re both married and no one ever gives you a hard time about it.”  “That’s because Rill is wonderful”—Charmy beamed at him—“there’s nothing to give me a hard time about, and we were all waited for years for the Captain and Charlotte to get together. When they finally did, we were just so relieved that they had stopped being so dense.” “Charmy, Rill didn’t even know who you were for how long…” bantered Vanessa. “We actually told him that you were his ‘food goddess,’ and he still didn’t get it. I don’t think you get to tease anyone for being dense.”  “That was a mistake,” said Rill apologetically. “But I know who she is now, and we’re very happy!” Finral patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay. These things happen.” “He’s still not as dense as Captain Yami,” said Zora dryly. “Listen, I got married before any of you morons so I don’t think I’m the dense one here.” The room grew suddenly quiet as the entire squad just blinked at him. Yami frowned, as Charlotte’s cheeks flushed. She had learned pretty quickly that the Black Bulls had been waiting for her and Yami to get together for almost as long as she had, but she was still getting used to getting teased about it. “She was sending me a lot of mixed signals, okay? I was just trying to be respectful.” Vanessa snorted a laugh before she rolled her eyes. “They weren’t mixed signals. She was totally into you—even Magna noticed.” “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I notice things!” “We were honestly starting to get worried it was never going to happen,” teased Vanessa with a wink, completely ignoring Magna’s protests. “But you figured it out, and now you have this little one.” She turned to Charlotte with a smile, and as ran her hand across Katsu’s back, he turned to look at her with wide blue eyes that looked far older than his years. “And he’s such a cutie! Do you think he’s ready to be held again?” Charlotte nodded as she held Katsu out to her and said, “Sure. Go ahead” to the wide-spread protestations of the rest of the squad who were promptly told to wait their turns. Smiling brightly, Vanessa took the baby and began walking around with him to show off the decorations. “Hi Katsu. Aren’t you just the cutest little man? You look just like your dad—especially with all this messy dark hair. If only we could get him in a Christmas sweater like this.”  Yami frowned. “Don’t even think about it.” 

15. An excerpt of my writing from an old piece that I like

I've decided to choose an excerpt from the first Black Clover fanfiction I ever wrote, Yellow Flowers, (I think only the first chapter is posted to Tumblr, but all 3 chapters are on AO3 and my old FFN account). This fic is my take on the backstory of how Vanessa and Finral became friends shortly after Vanessa joined the Black Bulls, and I'm still really proud of it, even though I think I have a much better grasp on the characters now. This whole scene in final chapter is probably my favorite in the piece, but here's just a snippet of it:

Inhaling sharply, Finral's voice hitched. He turned his entire body away from her, but Vanessa watched as his shoulders began to shake. He sniffled and wiped his hand across his face, and she wondered if he was crying. She stared at him, frozen, her breath getting caught in her lungs and her insides twisting—a pang in her chest. She had felt this once before. Once, when she was in the market with Gordon, she had seen a lost child sobbing and wailing for his mother. She had tried to will her legs to move—to go over and comfort him—but she had frozen, just like this. By the time, she had managed to take a step forward, the boy’s mother had come running towards him and took him into her arms, crying herself. Vanessa had been so relieved, but it had struck a nerve in her and she couldn’t help but think of all the children who didn’t have a family to love them—whose cries went unheard and who were all alone—children like her…like Finral. When she looked at him now, all she could see was a lost, crying child, beaten down so many times with those words: useless, worthless, coward—until he believed them. Her arms seemed to move on their own as she wrapped them around Finral—holding him tightly. “Va…Vanessa,” he half-gasped, half-choked, and Vanessa pulled back slightly. She had never hugged anyone before and worried it had made him uncomfortable. She was beginning to wonder if she should have asked him first, when his stiff shoulders softened and he wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes widened. She had never been hugged either. Since they were around the same height, she pressed her chin to his shoulder and pulled him close. She could feel him shaking—hear his shallow breathing, and she knew he was crying. Something prickled behind her eyes. She didn’t know what to say. She felt…helpless. “I’m so sorry” was all she could manage.   Eventually, he broke away from her wiping his eyes with a breathy, self-deprecating chuckle, “You must think I’m pretty pathetic...” “No,” answered Vanessa shaking her head. “You’re not pathetic at all. Your family is wrong about you. You aren’t useless. Your magic is defensive because you don’t want to hurt anyone—because you’re kind—and it’s incredible. I spent most of my life wishing for magic that could take me anywhere. If I had a power like that…” Vanessa’s voice trailed as she smiled bitter-sweetly off at the horizon. Her voice wavering, she let out a shaky sigh before she continued, “And running away—leaving your House—doesn’t mean you’re weak. Just think about it, you just decided to pack up your things and leave that awful place. You didn’t even have to be rescued…” She paused as her hands trembled, and the words got stuck in the back of her throat. “There are…a lot of people who aren’t strong enough to do that, and the fact that you did…that doesn’t mean that you’re a coward”—her voice hitched—“It means that you’re brave.” His watery eyes widening in shock, Finral’s jaw fell slightly slack. “Brave?” he whispered almost as if he didn’t believe it, and Vanessa nodded. Finral’s face was already red from crying, but she could tell a blush had filled his cheeks as a small smile formed in the corners of his mouth. “I’ve…never been called that before...” He chuckled lightly as his voice trailed. “Thank you, Vanessa.” Vanessa shrugged, but her face flushed. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

24. An excerpt of my writing that makes me go "huh...i wrote that?!"

I don't think I've ever mentioned this on Tumblr before, but I have a very cheeky Black Clover "Choose Your Own Adventure" story called "Surviving The House Vaude Soap Opera." (It was never posted to Tumblr so this is an AO3 link). You are Finral, and it's very silly, purposefully melodramatic, and tongue-in-cheek--definitely not supposed to be taken seriously at all. It started out as an actual game I created with my sister so it's designed to be read with a dice for really randomizing things, but you can also just pick the numbers you want 😅 Obviously it doesn't include every possibility but there are several endings and several possible pairings in there. It's fun but far and away the most wild thing I've ever written for Black Clover and I still can't believe I wrote it.

Here are some excerpts because I amuse myself...(each indented segment is a totally separate thing)

You realize the love of your friends is the only love you will ever need, and you live a long, happy, and unmarried life as uncle to all of the Black Bulls’ children. The… Who are we kidding here?! Roll the Dice.

You are too scared to express your feelings, so you run off to the Forest of Poisonous Beasts to hide out until Mereoleona Vermillion (who has money riding on this relationship) drags you out of there by force and makes you confess. To your shock, Vanessa reciprocates your affections and soon accepts your proposal. You marry. Mereoleona gets her money, and you’re so indebted to her that you name your daughter after her. The End.

Langris suddenly appears and goes off on you for always trying to steal girls from him—why can’t you just find some of your own? he argues failing to recognize that Vanessa was your friend first. It’s like some parallel universe when Langris insists that this time you just have a duel to determine who gets to marry her instead of drawing the whole thing out. He beats you easily and, then, marries Vanessa. To this day you can’t figure out his motives, but you like to think they’re happy and didn’t just marry out of spite or something. You settle down at House Vaude with Lady Finesse and live a quiet, happy life together believing that all’s well that ends well, right? The End.

Your brother Langris in a shocking display of kindness realizes you and Lady Finesse are deeply in love and out of the goodness of his heart—which you always believed he had (despite evidence to the contrary)—decides to step aside so the two of you can marry. 

Langris snaps at you that it’s none of your business and deflects the question before admitting that he can’t be with the woman he loves anyway so it doesn’t matter. Langris is capable of love? You’re so shocked and confused but desperately want to know the identity of this mystery woman. You push Langris for answers, but he refuses to tell you. 

You think some “liquid courage” may help you express your feelings to Vanessa and ask her to have a drink with you. After way more than just “a drink,” you end up kind of yelling “I love you!” at her in a drunken stupor and asking her to marry you to which she points out that the two of you are already married. 

In this category of "Huh? I wrote that?" there's also the entirety of Spite (but let's not talk about that...)

[aqueousablution]

(September 2024) So long, and thanks for all the Eggbugs

Note: this post was originally made for the closure of Cohost, but I figured I might as well mirror it here with the art from my backlog.

Original post body under the cut:

(Like I said before, I'm not leaving just yet, but I figured I should get up a proper farewell post while most people are still here. This site still has a little life in it yet, but you can find where else I'll be in this chost, and when in doubt you can check my Carrd for updates even after Cohost goes read-only.) --- This site has meant a lot to me and done a lot for me in the relatively short time I've been here. For starters, I've met some truly wonderful folks (even if I didn't talk to them much due to my shyness and such; if I still haven't reached out to you with a Discord friend request and you want to keep in touch, please feel free to add me!), the response to my selfies has given me a lot more confidence in my appearance, people have been incredibly kind and encouraging to me in general, it got me to get back into streaming (even in a limited capacity), I've learned a lot about the world and become a much more accepting person as a result, I've even done severals a few times, and most importantly of all: this site was the reason I revived sorXa back in late January of 2023, which set in motion a lot of great things for me creatively. I've been drawing more than I have in many years, I have a (small) stable of truly original characters, I finally started working on my own TTRPG in that setting, and I finally have ideas for the video game I've wanted to make for some years now (which I haven't actually started on yet, but sorXa & co. have given me more motivation than ever to properly brainstorm for it since I need some way to tell their story). And that's to say nothing of how much she means to me as a character on her own! I made her original iteration back in 2005 when I was a mere 8 years old, which is a long-ass time ago. And while she's changed a lot since then, so have I! In a way she's grown up with me, and in a way she even transitioned with me. I don't think another character will ever mean as much to me as she does, and I have Cohost to thank for the inspiration to bring her back. I know the site wasn't perfect, but it really felt like home to me in a way I haven't felt in a damn long time, if ever. I don't know if anything will really be able to replace it for me. It certainly doesn't seem like any of the current options are up to the task, at least, but maybe someday, somewhere, someone will re-attempt what staff tried to do here with Cohost. And if they do, you'll almost certainly find me there with the handle @AqueousAblution. Maybe that hypothetical future site will survive longer, maybe even thrive! I sure as hell hope so, at least. And I hope I'll see as many of you all as possible there, too! #Eggbug my belovèd #(did you know I'm the reason that tag has a grave accent?) #(I forget if I made the original "#Eggbug my beloved" tag but I know for a fact I made the accented version)

[just-a-carrot]

Helloooo!!! I was looking for inspo for my own visual novel a little while back, it's set in a ballroom so eventually the keywords lead me to discovering save the last dance (and itch.io in general im a total noob to this lmao) i dont know what it was but it just like took a vice grip around me INSTANTLYY.

So I downloaded the main game today and I am actually silently cursing you because I got nothing done all day I was just like transfixed. The artstyle grew on me alot, and oh godd the character designs... God I love the designs, espcially Genzhou's. There's just so much love (even in every gruesome death scene lol) put into this it's almost difficult not to get obssesed...

Also sidenote I found it kind of encouraging almost to see that you're (self-proclaimed) older, I found that really inspirational lol. There's something that just makes me want to create and actually sit down and learn when I play your games. I guess I've always had this feeling of having all the time in the world but recently I've been feeling almost like it's too late to learn new skills (which is kind if ridicolius since I'm like smack dab in the middle of gen z). Regardless I guess your work made me realize the artistry in visual novels, I could keep going but I tend to ramble lol

ahhhhhhhh this is so sweet!! i got very weepy reading this, especially as i'm already feeling quite soft today as it was a bit of an anxious one... 😭💕

that's fascinating that you found StLD first searching for ballroom stuff!! i am always curious how people first find out about any of my games. i'm happy you enjoyed it, especially enough to go play the main game sob. i'm incredibly touched

and i'm even more touched that you've been enjoying the main game so much 😭💕💕💕 especially all the kind words about the art!! i've grown more confident in my art more recently but especially in the beginning stages of the game i was incredibly self-conscious and worried about it because it was rather odd-looking and didn't match any other typical VN styles. so that's really sweet of you to say. this game certainly has had a lot of love put into it (and blood, sweat, tears, my entire life... etc.). it is very much a big passion project and my eyes were perhaps too big when i got started, but because it dug itself so deep into my psyche and i also made some good decisions like releasing in parts, etc., i've been able to keep working on it until the end despite it taking me like 2.5+ years so far. i'm not even sure i can put into words what this game and chars have done for me and my life and the many journeys and discoveries i've made along the way

dkjfalsdkf yes... i am a millenial, i will say that much. though i don't often feel like one. except for the fact that i often have no idea what people are talking about or referencing and tend to be awkward and confused most of the time LOL this is also why my characters are all older, as well. i sometimes feel a bit strange since i feel much older than many of the others in the VN dev sphere (well, perhaps in age only, not really in mental maturity maybe LKDJAFLKDS). if this can give inspiration to others that are also a bit older though, then i am glad 🤣 i have spent much of my life going from thing to thing and never really knowing exactly what i want to do. case in point my current job has nothing to do with my master's degree. though the one constant has always been creation of some kind, whether it's drawing or writing (and now with games, doing both of those on top of scripting and coding and a bajillion other things lol). i don't think you should ever feel "too old" to do something. or to get started doing something. or to feel like you "haven't done enough" etc. i say this so strongly because i also try to reassure myself sometimes perhaps LOL it's also ok if you don't know what you want to do so you're just trying out different ideas that you're passionate about. so many of us just wanna find something that makes us feel fulfilled and passionate, that makes our hearts ache, that fills us with joy and motivation. so if you can find something that does that for you, no matter how old you are, grab it and don't ever let go lkdajfalskd

at any rate, i'm glad i could also help you discover more about VNs in general. i hope it will be helpful as you work on your own games!!! 💕

[hazelenergy]

Hiii for the edgy/OC ask game I'm curious of 2, 24 & 25 for Hazel of course.

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

From a roleplay perspective, I think most people would see Hazel as dumb and easy to trick. And they wouldn't be 100% wrong on that. She is easy to lead in certain directions if you play your cards right. However, she is rather shrewd. Her manipulation and subterfuge/persuasion are some of her largest dice pools. She is absolutely fine with letting someone believe she is easy to read and too stupid to be underhanded. For her 6 years of unlife, letting herself play the role of helpless fledgling has gotten her a lot of aid that she would have otherwise never seen as a thinblood.

Appearance wise, you wouldn't know she is a natural blonde. Hazel is a thinblood with a lifelike appearance. Her hair still grows, her roots will peak through if she doesn't maintain her dye job. On top of that, she still breathes, still sweats, and looks alive- at night. Without supernatural senses or a really good roll- most living and unliving things assume she is a human. And thats one of the things that makes her very dangerous- how easily she blends with prey around her. Hell, she had an entire camarilla assuming she was someone's ghoul- for eight months.

What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

Ooh. Lets start with an interesting what if. What if she wasn't killed and embraced that night? Hazel would have continued her human life, drudging through a retail job. But- it was paying the bills. She would have held on for the next two years til the pandemic hit. She likely would have been laid off like everyone else and after a brief spiral would get convinced to go back to school online. Additionally, Hazel was starting to rekindle a friendship/old fling with a woman named Lisa. Lisa was Hazel's most steadfast friend, despite her battles with addiction. She worked hard to get Hazel to come hang out with new people, go new places. Had Hazel not died and ghouled Lisa, maybe that romance would have re-blossomed more organically, into something stronger than the first round. Ultimately, I think Hazel's human life would have continued to grow more mundane- but she would have been happy and proud of the work she had put in to build the life she had. And still going to goth clubs to dance her nights away.

Another what if. What if Hazel never disobeyed her adoptive sire. This moment is one of the defining beats in Hazel's unlife, when she starts making her own decisions and not following someone blindly into the night. Hazel is a creature that craves being nurtured, and Mary Andrews had played her role perfectly. Had Hazel not seen through that ruse, its very likely she would have become fully bonded to her Tremere sire. Wait- Tremere's can't blood bond-- shh shh. Carna. Carna loresheet #4. Mary had learned how to reforge a bond and had already successfully bonded one of her adoptive childer (Tommy Martin) into obedience. Hazel would have been next. For starters, Hazel would have gotten into less trouble, and her alchemy research would have gone much faster. Secondly, Mary had once floated the theory that Hazel, as a thinblood, could potentially choose her own clan- if she entirely drank the blood of someone. Sanctioned Diablerie is something that the court of Atlanta had done in its past- and Mary almost certainly could have cashed in boons to get that vitae. In fact, Mary was aware that there was an unwelcome visitor in the city- a still living Goratrix. If they worked together, Hazel could be an unexpected force to capture this infiltrator. (In the actual chronicle, Hazel sides with Cass and turns on Mary- and has to flee once they defeat her). Pay no attention to the fact that this creature was Mary's ex. And if they played their cards right, Hazel may have become a full-fledged Tremere- abandoning her alchemy and lifelike nature.

What is your favorite thing about your OC?

I love how much she has changed since her original chronicle. She has grown organically and is my longest running character. She started as something helpless and craving comfort and stability and is now a fairly powerful leader among her thinbloods. The safehouse system she has built in Tampa, Miami, and eventually OKC is quite powerful for thinbloods. She still struggles, craves comfort, but she is able to make sure she has plans in place to protect whats hers. I am curious to see if she continues to change and grow or if she will eventually stagnate and freeze. It is a thinblood's nature to be in constant flux- for better or worse.

I also really enjoy drawing her. Its fun essentially playing dress up with her. She puts thought into her outfits- so therefore I have to be selective with her garments. She has enough smarts to hide weapons and alchemy within her layers and pockets. She enjoys making statements whenever she attends Elysium.

Most of all, I love that she is unapologetically a thinblood. She knows it adds insult to injury when she outsmarts older kindred. She knows she is unwanted, she knows what superstitions encircle her. But so what? Thats the same shit as being alive. She doesn't want to be anything else, and to this night refuses the temptation to become anything else.

[kyndaris]

An Introspective Lull in the Pursuit of Love

I have often found that it is quite easy for me to fall into new routines. Take this blog, for example. In the past, it would contain impressions of the games I'd played and finished, along with the occasional anecdotes I'd come up with that had been on my mind. As I started to date, many of my posts soon changed to revolve around my attempts to find love. But despite going at it for nigh on two years, I haven't felt closer to cracking the mystery that is romance even as I've flooded my weekly entries about my adventures.

As my love life dwindles though, I've been scrambling to find something fun and lighthearted to share with the dear readers I've accrued on my blog. Not that there's many.

Still, at least I now have the opportunity to opine about the state of the world or properly allow my errant thoughts some breathing room.

Of course, if you've read the title of this blog, you'll know that in this instance, my thoughts haven't strayed too far from the familiar.

Since I've started chronicling the dates I've gone on, it has come as no surprise that I don't regard myself as straight. There have been many a time wherein I've asserted that I sit somewhere on the asexual spectrum. But recent revelations on who I might be attracted to has had me scrambling on what it means to be in a relationship and the sacrifices one needs to make.

Although I've opened my preferences for all genders on Hinge, I've found it extremely hard to date or chat with people from unique backgrounds. Invariably, most of the people that tend to like my profile or who I actually respond are cisgender heterosexual men. Probably because they're the ones most active on the dating apps. And while conversations can start off strong, it almost always seems to fail. Whether it's because they're a bad texter and I find it hard to continue a conversation or they just stop responding altogether.

The only person I've kept up a steady communication with is Dikottir. And in fact, we might be venturing out to VIVID Sydney for a fifth date (at time of writing, VIVID has only just begun). But while this may seem promising, it comes with the caveat that we've technically met in person since August 2023, with our initial chat on Hinge back in July of that same year.

If ever there was a relationship that was the epitome of a slow burn, this would be it.

Perhaps it comes from the fact both of us have our own individual lives and interests. Or maybe neither of us know how to navigate the quagmire encapsulating relationships.

I know I certainly don't lead a very riveting life that requires constant chronicling/ updating to a third party I barely even know. Heck, not even my own mother asks me how my day has gone even after absconding to China and leaving me to care for my grandmother (although, if I'm being honest, there's not much to say on a daily basis anyways. I wake up, I work, I cook and then I go to bed after playing some video games).

Besides, it's not like I consider Dikottir my Roman Empire. There are just so many other things to preoccupy me: books, video games, shows, road trip planning...

To be fair, Dikottir has been nothing but a gentleman. But after years of having romance novels and films harp about a 'spark' or the 'chemistry' between two people, the word I'd use to describe my 'relationship' with Dikottir would be torpid. At best.

Still, I persist. Wondering if this 'thing' between us will ever work out. Although, if I was being truly honest with myself, I think it'll just end up being a friendship.

Hinge, and many other dating apps, simply aren't very conducive for me in building up a connection. Constant interactions in a shared environment or a neutral setting are some of the best places for me to slowly build up the foundation to a strong friendship.

And yet, there have been people I've met that I've felt an odd compulsive pull where I want to learn more about them. Alas, it's only happened with women. As I've detailed before in an earlier post, there have been women I've been drawn to, believing we could be the best of friends. Is that love? Or is it the makings of a crush?

I wish I knew. I wish there was a definitive definition of what it means to fall in love with someone so I could tick off the symptoms and diagnose myself with it instead of having people tell me: "you'll know it when it happens to you."

A part of me does want to believe this is me like-liking someone but discussions with Sorrengail, a fellow ace, has described these instances of obsession as a 'squish.' And, in almost all instances, my swift and sudden obsessive curiosity does fade.

But it is in those rare moments that I do wonder if there might be something more beyond the platonic.

These last few days, I've posited the theory to myself that maybe I'm questioning these 'squishes' as something more because my mind has been focused on trying to build relationships and finding a romantic partner. But the more I do, the more I fear what might become of an actual committed relationship.

How much of myself will I need to compromise? Will it have all been a waste of time if nothing eventuates? How do I know if someone likes me or not? What are the 'signals' that I should be looking out for?

I think for most people the start of a relationship is always fraught with a mixture of emotions: the desire to make a good impression and the fear the other person might not like the 'real' you. Especially if you immediately lean into the chaos gremlin dwelling inside the human exoskeleton.

It's certainly something I've thought about because even as a neurotypical person, I've often found myself portraying a heightened version of myself to different social circles. For example, I know I can't go into a deep dive about Kingdom Hearts lore at work because no-one else would appreciate the collision of Disney and Japanese role-playing games. And I don't talk about the books I read to many of my non-reader friends.

While these aren't exactly separate personas, these images of me that I project are tailored to the audience I'm with.

Yes, they are all me but they are me in different situations.

And there aren't many social circles where I feel comfortable enough to unleash the nose-booping, terrible picture-taking chaos gremlin menace that I really am on the inside. At least, I'm not comfortable with showing off that side of me.

Although, yes, there are people at work who know I'm a big massive nerd. And who are a little frightened of my ability to memorise addresses.

I also have a tendency of phrasing things terribly. So, there might be a subset of people I know who fear for their lives (looking at you Chinchilla) even though I wouldn't hurt a fly (that's a lie. I kill a lot of insects).

Jokes aside, I'm also worried I've entered this race for all the wrong reasons. Love isn't something to be pursued. You can't force it. It either comes naturally or it doesn't. But maybe, too, I need to stop being oh so cautious and just jump in with both feet if I do feel something.

As Ellie Chu, from the film The Half of It put it: love isn't patient and kind and humble. Love is messy and horrible and selfish and bold. It's not finding your perfect half. It's the trying and the reaching and failing. Love is being willing to ruin your good painting for the chance at a great one."

Maybe that's what I need to do. Instead of comparing and contrasting Hinge profiles to see who might be a good fit and letting my executive functioning do most of the work, I should lean into my instincts. Instead of fearing that a relationship won't work out, I need to fight in the trenches for it.

And whether or not love will hit me over the head with a hammer or sneak up on me like an assassin, I need to be open to it.

Easier said than done!

But hey, that's life, isn't it?

[bapydemonprincess]

Did they fuck behind the scenes or what??? how does this mating thing work? 👀 Also next part when. WHEN.

GSDJYKGLHOIJ ohhh sweet summer anon... there may be some big time sexual tension, but in this particular sebard storyline... they've only kissed as many times as I've written, and nothing more 😈 I know that must be torture to some of you smut enthusiasts, but despite my own bisexual horny frustrations, I LOVE writing long game, slow, romantic shit 💖 So ya'll will have to endure.

And the mating bond concept is a thing @grelleswife and I came up with and have explored together in our collab writing The Owl and the Raven, a Sebamey centric story. But I realized in that last sebard drabble that I absolutely wanted to explore it again, just with a different ship. uwu It's basically a familiar concept of like, bonded souls or something I'm sure most people have seen. Like the whole "red string of fate" trope, but make it DEMONIC. Lmao. Basically if a demon such as Sebastian grows close enough to develop feeling of a romantic nature, but of course in whatever way demons feel it, they start to connect to that person in a way deeper way than physical and literal like we humans do. It's a logical way, in my opinion, to explain why maybe you don't hear or read about demons being romantic or demon courting, unless its in a bad or smutty light like seducing scenes. This bond that forms unconsciously with this other the demon wants to eventually be with, even if they themselves don't realize it or deny it in many cases, is like an extra intimate special way a demon can stay close to their "mate", as they call them. So it's no surprise that this doesn't happen a LOT or is unheard of. What demon who wants to hunt souls greedily and have fun their whole lives tricking and messing with humanity wanna suddenly be weighed down by a lover??? So I think basically these sorts of things only happen at a certain POINT in a demon's long life; like when they no longer NEED to eat souls as much, and no longer wish to mess around with humans. Like finally feeling like settling down and having a family like humans do! And it works out pretty interesting I'm sure with a demon + another demon; how it SHOULD go normally. The demons come together, court each other in whatever ways they do for the types of demons they are (like a crow/bird demon dancing and flaunting for their possible mate and bringing them shiny presents to show they care 🖤), and once the bond forms between them on BOTH SIDES, they can feel each other's emotions, talk to each other mentally, find where the other is much faster than if they weren't mated; and over long long looong distances too! So it's only natural and meant to happen between these two.

HOWEVER, for this bonding to at some point "activate" with a human the demon has been around and close to long enough... oh boy it's quite a trip. Almost embarrassing in some cases. Basically like a demon's equivalent of "WHY DO I HAVE A CRUSH ON THEM??? I DON'T WANT THIS!!! 🙈🙈🙈" And also the fact remains that a human is a human, they can't feel at all a bond forming on their end. 😭

So sometimes I'm sure these things don't last long and rarely happen at all, seeing as the smart thing to do is to move away and separate themselves from that particular human! ... If they really, really don't want this, that is.

But.. for a demon who might grow curious and hopeful, for they have grown to.. at least like this human in particular..

Well it's certainly seems like the beginning of something different from this demon's usual interactions with humans. 🖤

Finally... I will admit I don't know for certain when I will continue this, I can't promise anything, anon!! TwT But know that because I did enjoy getting to this point, I'll def. likely come back or keep going with my own little take on sebard 🥰 So thank you for enjoying my writing!!!

[thegamecollection]

LUIGI'S MANSION 2 HD - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

If someone was to ask me what the best game on 3DS is, I'd almost certainly say Luigi's Mansion 2. I was glued to my console for a full week when it launched and was even told to put it down at the dinner table... Sorry family.

Tomorrow sees the game's HD re-release hit our Nintendo Switch consoles, and I'm looking forward to once again being called rude at meal times!

The review scores are in, and here's what the best of the big names have to say:

NintendoLife - 8/10

"Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is Luigi's Mansion 2 with a fancy HD lick of paint. Surprise! It looks great, and the new models, animations, and revamped visuals make for a game that's close to the glorious Luigi's Mansion 3 in how modern and swish it all is."

Read the full review here.

IGN - 8/10

"With its substantially enhanced graphics and more flexible twin-stick control setup, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is undoubtedly the definitive version of Luigi’s second apparition-filled adventure."

Read the full review here.

VGC - 4/5

"Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is another strong Nintendo remaster which doesn't mess around with the original too much, but delivers enough improvements (particularly in terms of visual detail) to make it a worthwhile release."

Read the full review here.

GameInformer - 7.75/10

"I am a big 3DS fan, but I am grateful to have Luigi’s Mansion 2 on the Switch. Dropping the Dark Moon subtitle and giving it a number also feels like a specific choice to make sure this game is fully recognized as part of the Luigi’s Mansion canon, which it fully deserves to be."

Read the full review here.

GodisaGeek - 9/10

"To be clear, then, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a remake with a modern look, and no real bells and whistles to speak of otherwise. But that doesn’t make it a bad game, far from it, in fact. And if you’ve never had a chance to experience this fairly lengthy experience before, you’re getting the best version along with a multiplayer offering that’s easy to access, and a great amount of fun."

Read the full review here.

GAMINGbible - 9/10

"If you’re a Mario completist or have played either of the other two Luigi’s Mansion games, you’re likely going to be buying this no matter what I say. If you’re on the fence, I can only put forward my experience which was filled with joy."

Read the full review here.

Order Luigi's Mansion 2 HD with us before 2pm for same-day dispatch, right here at The Game Collection!

-Jack