#it gives a lot of final boss energy; that or i’ve been on too much of an rpg kick lately

[dailyhatsune]

This

with a regular miku on the side for comparison because Huh

[awesomesaurous]

-rant, please excuse the salt-

I really wish Don’t Starve Together was a different genre of game. I know that’s stupid because the objective “Don’t Starve” is the whole foundation of it, but I kind of just wish I could take the look and the loose story and make it more of an adventure and less of a never-ending survival game. I think in the Hamlet DLC for the base game, the “town” aspects of it scratched that itch a little bit, but I want more. The interface could even look exactly the same. I played the demo of Cult of the Lamb, and that game has a similar top-down 2D look to Don’t Starve, except there are in-game “cutscenes” and you have dialogue options which advance the creepy little narrative. Hollow Knight was good with this too. It’s a metroidvania, so there’s no crafting at all (I don’t consider status upgrades to be crafting), but like most RPGs with a silent protagonist, the story is furthered through exploration and interaction with NPCs. Some people love survival games, and I enjoy them quite a bit, but I like them to have an endpoint. The Flame in the Flood has a brutal difficulty curve, but it does reward you for your persistence, and it’s by no means impossible to beat. The journey takes you further and further along a river which at first seems endless - but it does have an end, and that’s what I want, I guess. Closure.

Hades is one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever played, and the main reason was how much you are rewarded, even for failed attempts. You might totally choke on a run, but even so, every time you venture out you’re gaining more darkness/gems/etc that you can invest back into your stats and weapons. As in - there is no wrong way to play the game, you will move forward and improve no matter what. I love that. DST has finally dipped into this territory with Wilson’s skill tree, but I think they ought to give every character a similar mechanic. The skills would be specific to each character, and I think would give players more of an incentive to do repeat runs. At a certain point the whole game gets boring, and depending on my mood I sometimes boot it up, think about all the trees I’m going to have to cut down, and then immediately close the game, because I’m sick of doing virtual chores.

Stardew Valley was so addictive for me that I had to delete the game to get control of my life back. That game is nothing but farming and chores, yet I didn’t get tired of it. I think that’s because if you want to, you can ignore any aspect of the game you don’t care for, and time will pass anyway. You can spend all your time farming, or just mining, or focus on relationships with NPCs. Obviously with Don’t Starve, you can’t ignore food because starvation is an ever-present threat.

I also don’t give a damn about boss fights. I never have, in any game. I’m always eager for them to be over so I can get back to actually enjoying the game again, but nope I have to hit this thing 1000 times without getting permanently killed. Don’t Starve’s fighting system is shit, and it always has been. The hit boxes suck, and the fact that I need to download mods just to see health levels for the enemy is ridiculous.

I’ve had a lot of fun with DST, but I think I enjoy the fandom stuff more than the actual game. Same with TF2. It’s pretty fun to play, but I enjoy watching SFM videos and stuff like that more than playing the actual game. Don’t Starve has such fun characters and such an appealing style that it draws people in, and the animated shorts promise this wider world and a more intriguing story that isn’t in the actual game. Most players won’t even get to the cryptic hints at the story that are in the actual game (the Ruins, etc) due to the difficulty curve.

There’s a lot of creative energy and highly imaginative world-building, but when are we going to see it put to use? If anybody has any thoughts on all this, feel free to leave a reply.

[prying-pandora666]

I Just Need To Vent

So I’m a writer and storyteller who also sings and sews. I know this is a strange place for this but I NEED to vent about the most insane choir practice I’ve EVER experienced!

Let me introduce you to the choir members in this story because it is WILD.

First we have the actual choir director. Let’s call him… Boss.

Secondly, the students. This isn’t all of them, but at least the ones I can remember. The names have been changed etc etc.

Manuel - Top of the class. Total teacher’s pet. The kinda guy who follows all the rules to the letter, even when it’s annoying. He really loved his pet birds and was all around a fair and likeable guy though, despite being kinda naive and easily fooled.

Good thing he had his gf.

Valencia - Manuel’s gf. Super smart, both book-wise and street-wise. You couldn’t fool her. She was also really athletic and SUPER GORGEOUS. Anytime she entered a room, she lit it up. She was that radiant. This one guy Micheal was down bad for her, but we’ll get to him later.

Aaron - You know that guy that’s really good with his hands? That was Aaron. He could fix things, make things, build things. I’d later see these incredible figurines he made and painted. Guy was an artisan. But he was also the kinda guy to bend the rules when he got too excited.

Ulrich - Besties with Manuel. I didn’t know him well. He was kind of a loner, unlike Manuel who was so outgoing. But he seemed chill! He was super into the ocean and marine life. He usually was pretty nice but if you got on his bad side? He had a hella temper.

Yasmin - Aaron’s gf. She was the hippy girl that is super into nature and the environment. She was always planting things. That kind of lady. Surprisingly, she wasn’t too overbearing about it? I only really ever saw her argue about it with Aaron and—ugh—Michael. Friggin Michael.

Tyler - An MMA fighter. Total meathead. He wasn’t a bully exactly? But he was always ready to throw down at a moment’s notice. That kind of energy.

Owen - Had a podcast about surviving in the wild and was super into camping and hunting and horseback riding. Made his own leather.

Vanessa - I think she might’ve dated Owen? I don’t remember. But I know she was Yasmin’s little sister and also kind of an animal loving hippy.

Ester - She was a nurse. Really caring and looked after everyone.

Then there were these three siblings, Manfred, Natalie, and Lanz.

Manfred - A lawyer. Really serious. No nonsense. Kind of a killjoy but fair minded.

Natalie - Grief counselor. She took on so much emotional labor for EVERYONE.

Lanz - Suffered from epilepsy which made him have some wild hallucinations sometimes. He needed a lot of care.

Oh wait! I almost forgot one before we get to MICHAEL.

Noelle - I think she was dating Owen? NGL I remember her the least. She was also a dancer and had incredible body control. But outside of her admittedly very impressive dancing, I can’t recall anything more about her.

And finally MICHAEL.

Friggin MICHAEL.

Look I don’t even know how to describe Michael. But fair to say he is both the protagonist and the antagonist of this story. Here is my best attempt to capture that magnificent jerk-off as best as I possibly can in my own words.

Michael - The most beautiful man you will ever see. Talented at everything. Anything anyone else in this choir group he could do? He could at least replicate at a passable level if not outright master. Give him an evening to learn a subject and he’d be proficient if not an expert

Michael HATED Manuel. A feeling Manuel didn’t return, and often tried to be friendly with Michael only for Michael to pull a fast one on Manuel.

Did I mention these two were BROTHERS!?

Yeah. Imagine what that family home must’ve been like. Yikes.

Okay so on to the story.

So one day, BOSS calls us all in to record this song he’s been working on.

Now you have to understand, this was a musically gifted group. To say they were beyond average skill level is an understatement.

We all knew this was going to be LIT.

So everyone already knows the song. I don’t know if they’d gotten the sheet music earlier or what, but basically everyone was already 100% familiar with how it goes.

But Boss was the kind of music teacher who really wanted his adult students to express themselves creatively.

As such, he basically gave everyone free rein to rehearse the song however they wanted.

Yasmin wants folk rock? Done.

Ulrich is feeling more metal? Sure.

Valencia wants rhythm and Tyler takes that an excuse to SMASH DRUMS while he sings his part? As long as it’s on beat.

You’d think this would create a horrible cacophony! But surprisingly, no. Boss had everyone so well trained that it was like they all locked in and even as they added their own flair and unique flavors, it all sorta… came together?

It was incredible. A mash-up of genres and styles performed by a team of some of the most talented singers in the entire world, as I knew it! I’d never heard anything like it. I was speechless. I couldn’t look away for a moment. Boss was a genius.

There was just one problem.

Michael.

Friggin Michael.

So here’s the thing. Michael was the best singer.

I won’t pretend that’s not true. Even in a group of god-tier choir singers, Michael was on another level. The guy was a stand-out among stand-outs and Boss knew it.

But so did Michael.

And he NEEDED to prove it.

Anyone who has ever been involved in the arts has probably encountered a Michael. That person who is ungodly talented but a so insecure and narcissistic that they just have to constantly PROVE IT? Even at the cost of whatever you’re trying to perform?

Yeah. That’s exactly it.

So Michael chimes in and starts singing OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD. Trying to drown out literally EVERYONE ELSE.

Boss notices but like a patient teacher trying to sculpt Michael’s talents, he just signals to some of the others to pipe up their harmonies more to support Michael.

But a well supported solo isn’t enough for Michael. Oh no. Not content to simply be the star for a section of the song, Michael starts singing IN THE WRONG KEY.

Look, I’m no expert in music, but even I could hear what he was doing. His gorgeous, powerful voice, singing so well. BUT IN THE COMPLETELY WRONG KEY!

I looked at Boss and he seemed to sigh. But instead of stopping, he tweaked a few things, signaled to the others to change their parts they were signing (it all went above my head so sorry if I’m not being very detailed), to work in Michael.

Soon Michael’s discordance actually worked! The song was a little more crunchy rather than perfectly harmonious, but the slight dissonance actually made it all the more haunting and beautiful. In a way it was even better than before.

Like I said, Boss was a genius.

Which only pissed Michael off more.

And so, clearly desperate for attention and pushed to his limit, Michael jumped so far out of line that the line was left in the dust.

He went CRAZY. If Boss’ song went high? Michael sung bass. If the song went low? Michael sung soprano.

It was like a musical battle except Michael was the only one fighting.

If someone else tried to contribute a neat little flourish or solo? Michael RAN UP TO THEM and drowned them out with his bullshit! I’m serious!

I thought for sure Boss was going to stop the song, but no.

Boss was starting to lose his patience. That much I could tell. But still he persevered, trying to just get to the end of the piece at the very least!

Soon some of the other choir members started dropping out. Michael was ruining it for everyone.

As I remember:

Valencia stopped, rolled her eyes, and refused to engage any further. She sat down and waited for the piece to end.

Vanessa broke into tears which got Yasmin to stop and glare at Michael.

Several of the others either lowered their voices or stopped altogether.

But not Manuel.

Goodie two-shoes Manuel had just tuned out the class and was only looking at Boss for instruction. Singing the song exactly as he was supposed to.

Nothing made Manuel miss a single note or beat. He was in the zone. No matter how chaotic or awful Michael’s disruptions got.

This only served to piss off Michael more, who started singing at the top of his lungs RIGHT at Manuel.

But Manuel didn’t even flinch. It was like he had Michael on IRL server mute.

So Ulrich, who had sat out with Valencia, sees this go down. He realizes this is getting to Michael.

Remember how I said Ulrich was usually chill but had a temper if you got on his bad side? And how he was besties with Manuel?

Yeah, Ulrich also couldn’t stand Michael.

So Ulrich gets up and decides he’s gonna be Manuel’s ride or die. Ulrich starts singing again. Louder.

The more mad and crazy Michael gets, the more Ulrich backs up Manuel on the part they’re SUPPOSED to be singing.

Michael notices he’s been challenged and just goes HARDER. But Ulrich is in it to win it and won’t back down.

This gets Aaron’s attention. Never one to say no to a chance to try something new, especially if he gets to bend the rules a little bit, Aaron gets hyped and stands by Ulrich, joining him in his crusade. Now it’s Aaron and Ulrich backing up Manuel while Michael rages and sings furiously at all three of them.

This whole time? Manuel obliviously just keeps singing.

So Tyler, who at this point is only half-assedly doing a note here and there, realizes this has turned into a fight.

So HE squares up and starts copying Ulrich and Aaron. He just wants to be a part of the conflict. Classic Tyler. 🙄

Natalie thinks Tyler might lose control so she gets up to chime in and temper him a bit.

Manfred won’t leave his sister to herself so he tells Lanz to rest with Ester and joins in to back up his sister in the good fight. Manfred always liked order.

Owen at this point decides, yeah okay whatever, let’s do this. Noelle hasn’t stopped dancing so she just starts singing again.

Soon most of them are back in it now, all of them backing up Manuel who has just been oblivious to the resistance movement he has accidentally started. He just wanted to sing the song real good and make Boss proud.

But everyone else knows what’s up, especially Valencia, who rallies the stragglers.

Michael is LOSING HIS MIND at this point. I’m not even sure he’s singing. He’s practically just screaming. Even Boss can’t work with this anymore.

Still, Boss expertly conducts so that Michael’s strongest and most triumphant notes still fit into the wider song. It’s a war zone.

FINALLY, with great frustration and a giant crescendo, Boss at last ends the song.

Everyone stops, winded, catching their breaths and surveying the room in confusion. No one says a word.

Michael stares right at Boss. Unblinking. Daring him to say something.

Boss reveals he’s been recording this entire time.

He pulls out his computer and plays it all back for us to see what we have created.

And with great authority, he looks right at Michael and says that he chose every single one of them for a reason.

That their talents he has fostered in them for so long are exactly the ingredients he needed to complete his magnum opus.

And that INCLUDES Michael’s shenanigans.

Every sour note.

Every crunchy bit of dissonance.

Boss wanted it all in there. It’s his masterpiece. And it’s just the way he wanted it.

Michael, predictably, throws a tantrum and storms off to the corner like a child. But everyone else is awed with the result. For a first draft, it’s phenomenal. Unlike anything anyone’s ever made before. They can’t wait to start workshopping it to get the finished product.

Anyway that’s all. Thanks for listening, you guys.

This is Vera, storyteller and weaver, signing off.

——————————————————————

If you’ve followed the story thus far, I am ready to reveal to you that this isn’t a real life event.

This is the Lord of the Rings creation myth. I just tricked you into reading the beginning of The Silmarillion.

And if you’re dying to know what happened next?

The book is widely available and written with language so beautiful it will make you cry.

So check it out and find out what happens to that asshole Michael aka Melkor.

Because Sauron ain’t got a THING on him!

[archoneddzs15]

Super Famicom - Arkanoid Doh It Again

Title: Arkanoid Doh It Again / アルカノイド Doh It Again

Developer/Publisher: Taito

Release date: 15 January 1997

Catalogue Code: SHVC-A6

Genre: Block Breaking Action

No. of Players: 1-2

Arkanoid: Doh it Again contains all of the things one would expect when a game that is part of a longstanding series comes out on a new and more powerful system: more levels, new enemies and power-ups, improved graphics and sound, and dumbed-down gameplay.

Arkanoid has been described as the outer-space version of Breakout, a game in which you use a paddle to bounce a ball against bricks and break them all to advance to the next level. Earlier versions of Arkanoid hinted at a sort of vague galactic threat, led by the head alien named Doh. In Doh it Again, this is expanded. We are actually treated to an introductory story scene where we learn that the “paddle” is actually a ship sent to scout out a new planet. The ship runs into problems, however, as wave upon wave of blocks hinders its progress, sent by the nefarious Doh.

The cutscene is nice because it gives the game some context; as well, there is a background scene that changes every few levels (such as a spaceship firing lasers or a space station) and gives an idea of the epic battle that is supposedly being waged in the game. These little touches help strengthen the outer-space atmosphere and give the player something to look forward to, knowing that the scenery will change the farther you advance.

The power-ups from NES Arkanoid, which come in the form of little lozenges that appear when certain blocks are hit, are carried over in the new version with some changes and additions as well. The laser, sticky paddle, and elongated paddle are pretty much the same, but the lozenge that gives you three balls at once now gives you about eight, and there is a new kind of lozenge that creates an energy barrier at the bottom of the screen which prevents the ball from falling through once. There are also a few new kinds of aliens, including one that can absorb the ball and spit it back out at a different part of the screen. One of the best new features is the addition of more levels, to a total of 99. There are also “boss battles” after a certain number of levels where something is actually shooting at you as you try to hit it with the ball—a nice way to mix up the gameplay.

The sound is also vastly improved over the NES version, and borders on actually being enjoyable. The trademark little ditty that begins each stage is still the same, however the in-game sounds are more varied. There is still no in-game music, but instead, each different colored block has its own musical pitch, so that every time the ball bounces off something you have a combination of different tones that can even begin to sound melodic at times.

Unfortunately, there are some technical glitches. Sometimes the ball will travel through the brick without breaking it. (This is very rare, however.) Occasionally I’ve also seen a ball fall through the energy barrier that was supposed to have been able to reflect it. Another rather more major fault is that the ball can get stuck in an endless loop of bouncing off gold bricks and walls (gold bricks cannot be destroyed and therefore act as barriers.) This happened to me once and I sat waiting for the ball to come back down before finally realizing that it was repeating the same pattern every time and wasn’t going anywhere. There was nothing to do but reset. It’s too bad that the game didn’t come with some sort of “tilt” feature.

One of the biggest complaints about NES Arkanoid was that the ball was too fast, and the paddle was too slow, resulting in a lot of missed balls. They tried to address this in Doh it Again and succeeded in only halfway doing so. The paddle is still fairly slow but pressing the wonderful L and R buttons gives it a nice boost of speed which comes in very handy if you’ve misjudged the angle of the ball and have to zip back underneath it before it plummets past. And the ball definitely isn’t too fast anymore. It isn’t the least bit fast. In fact, it’s too slow now. In the NES game, the ball would start out slowly, then rebound off a few bricks and in no time be ready to break the speed of sound. In Doh it Again, the ball starts off slow, rebounds off a few bricks, and gets bumped up to medium slow, which makes it much easier to control but a lot less exciting.

Overall, Doh it Again is a great SNES remake of Arkanoid which made all the right upgrades to the right areas without totally butchering the game by trying all sorts of new-fangled innovations. The 99 levels will make any Arkanoid fan very happy. Unfortunately, the rather lethargic tempo makes reaching the 99th level quite a test of endurance.

[fizziepopangel]

A Fizziepop Take: Let’s talk about “the foulest imp you’ve ever seen” a.k.a. Striker

Ok, so I’ve already talked about how I love villains and morally gray characters in general as an opening to my last Fizziepop Take where I revealed my newfound love for the Helluva Boss queen of cruelty herself, Stella…. But you can’t expect me to go over all of that and completely ignore her little impish assassin Striker. I love villains and morally fucked up characters far too much to just not have fallen in love with the imp and his brutal  western flair, but it made me start thinking about why I liked him and what made him a good villain and after some thought, I wanna talk about why Striker is a good bad guy, so let’s get into it!

If I had to rank my favorite Helluva Boss characters, I would probably say that Striker, despite only just becoming a recurring character, sits pretty high on the list… around number 3. Why? Because the man has all the makings of a grade-A villain. I know that in my last Fizziepop Take, I said that the reason I love Stella as a villain is because she’s got no other reason for being the way she is other than just enjoying it, but part of the reason I think I love Striker is because I love that he kinda has a reason for being the way he is. Granted, maybe he likes the way he is, and maybe he’s always been a little fucked, but he does have a reason for hating royals and although we don’t know exactly what it is yet, after seeing how imps tend to be treated in other scenes, it’s likely that his reasons for being so pissed is actually pretty valid. I love the whole forged in tragedy and hate trope for him because unlike Stella, Striker is a brutal killer with a lot of rage living inside him and I think there has to be a reason for that. No one is just born that enraged, not even an imp who we’ve assumed to be born in the ring of wrath.

Now, on the subject of the rage that seems to be planted deep within this character, we need to talk about how that rage manifests: sadistic brutality, and arrogance. Striker is someone who sees himself as far better than most others he stands beside at any given time, and he will take any and every opportunity to show off just how much better he is, which we see in his scenes with Moxxie as he goes out of his way to upstage the other imp at every turn; even going as far as adding a line in his song at the pain games that literally says “Moxxie go fuck yourself”, and giving Moxxie the nickname “little one” which carries over all the way into his reappearance in ‘Western Energy’. 

In both ‘The Harvest Moon Festival’ and ‘Western Energy’, we also see the brutality and pure sadism he harbors as he fights. At Millie’s family farm, we see that Striker is able to take what seems to be a lot of damage in the moment and it barely slows him down, if anything, it seems to spur his rage in the moment as he attacks M&M, and we see his willingness to flip on Blitz when he passes on his offer to join Striker in his quest to kill the unkillable, even going as far as to make Blitz be the one to shoot at Moxxie when he comes to his boss’ aide, effectively using Blitz’s fondness of Moxxie against him since he knew having put a bullet through his employee and friend would have had a huge effect on founder of IMP. We see an even greater deal of ruthlessness in ‘Western Energy’ when Striker kidnaps Stolas as we watch him torment the Goetia prince with a blessed blade, and even threaten to blind the man, saying his “reds might make be a pretty trophy…”, this threat coming before he reminds Moxxie that he’s “easy to choke the life out of…” when M&M finally come to Stolas’ rescue.

Striker is a self-assured, prideful, vengeful motherfucker, and there’s so much to love about what that means for his character development and his future interactions with the IMP gang, Stolas, and maybe even other royals (like Stella and Octavia). And honestly, I think we may have a bit more sympathy the more of Striker’s background is revealed if Viv really does choose to take his character in the direction she’s set up with the entire monologue he fed to Stolas in ‘Western Energy’. I personally love a good sympathetic villain, especially one with Striker’s aesthetic and violent tendencies because it adds depth to the character in a softer way, a way characters like Stella always seem to lack which I find tends to leave them quite two-dimensional no matter how cruel and vile their actions make them as an antagonist. I feel like Striker already has more depth than the kiddie pool that is Stella, and I would love to see him continue to progress that way, even if he’s written to be a character we love to hate in the same way Stella seems to be….. Though, given Helluva Boss being written as a very male-centric show, I honestly don’t think Striker will be portrayed in as monstrous a way as the woman who hired him. I personally would like to see how Viv pulls that off since she has written an amazing rage and violence surrounding Striker’s character already so I think giving him a deeper storyline where he’s more humanized to the audience might be just a tad difficult. I’m trusting her process, as we all do when we tune in for each new episode, but as always, I cannot wait to see how she plays her cards here. I really hope Striker can stay one of my favorite characters as the series continues, and I hope the show can continue for a while.

[azlan-snow]

Broadcast Husbands

Chapter Nineteen: It’s You, Beloved Mask

(Told from Husk’s POV. Title from Entertaining by HalaCG)

As I eat, I get a sense of uneasiness, looking up at Boss without hesitation, and he seemed to sense it to as he nodded his head, giving me permission to leave. I get up, and head to the stairs, turn towards Anthony’s room, only to find him in Vox’s arms, unconscious. 

“What happened?”

“We were just walkin’ and talkin’ then he passed out.”

“It might be soul sickness.”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“When a soul is freed or signed away, they experience a short period of misery and pain. He should be fine next week.”

“Next week? That’s a lot of pain.”

“Yeah. Mine was pretty bad in my opinion. It varies between owners and how strictly they were bound. 

“His should be fleeting pain then, since his deal with Valentino was loose.” 

“But why would that render him unconscious?” “The pain might have been too much for his body to handle. Maybe his body found that as a way to conserve his energy.”

“Like a power saver.”

“Exactly.”

“Shall we take turns, Husk?”

“Sure. Since I’ve eaten, I’ll watch him for now. Go enjoy your food with Al.”

“Thank you, Husk.”

“ ‘Course.” He hands me the unconscious spider and walks with me down the stairs turning towards the dining room and I towards the lounge. lying Anthony on the couch, I summon  my beer and my cards, shuffling them thoroughly before playing solitaire.

“I’m sorry, Angel,” I whisper quietly, hoping he’ll feel better when he wakes up. 

—

An hour or so passes, and Angel finally stirs, groaning in pain.

“Angel!”

“Hey, Husky~”

“Cut the the bullshit, Anthony. Are you okay?”

“Fuck no. I’m achin’ from the head down. Like the fuckin’ opposite of subspace.”

“It’s your soul. Soul sickness. Here, drink this.” I hand him a cup of herbal tea to soothe his pain. He takes it, drinking slow sips from the cup, ingesting half of it before putting it down, sighing heavily. 

“Thanks, Husky.”

“I’ve experienced it. It sucks like shit, huh?”

“Yup. Ya said it.” I pick up on the faint buzzing and clack of shoes on the hardwood floor behind me. 

“How’s our patient?”

“He’s doin’ terrible,” Angel answers. “I feel like shit.”

“I bet, from what Al and Husk said.” 

“Al told you?! I couldn’t even get a peep about it from the man. How did you?”

“You forget, Husk, I’m his husband. I’ve known Al longer than you.” 

“Still! Spill.”

“He was in a constant state of animalistic instincts. Constantly scratching his antlers on the  walls, rearranging everything., killing without reason, shedding velvet, etcetera.”

“Huh. That sounds terrible. Husky, what was yours like.”

“Being like a cat. Y’know, scratching, hissing, things like that. Along with constant pain.”

“So I got it easy, then.”

“Yes,” we both say in unison. 

“Terrific. But it still fuckin’ hurts. Got any meds?”

“Charlie said no drugs of any kind, Angel. Even medicinary ones.”

“Well shit. I guess I’ll just suck it up then.”

“I can try to soothe the pain, if you’d like.” 

“Really? That’d be great.”

I stand up, moving to sit behind Anthony, who was surprised by the gesture. 

“May I?” He slides forward, making room for me to sit. I do, and begin to work my healing magic, massaging his tense shoulders to make them feel like goo, and he melts in front of me.

“Damn, Husky! You’re really good at this!”

“Thanks. I’ve had to do it frequently when I was alive.”

“You were a masseuse?”

“Nope. Ran a gambling joint. Had to satisfy the lady workers. That’s what they wanted after a couple of hours on the job.”

“Huh. Didn’t take ya for a ladies man.”

“Gotta treat your employees right.”

“Ain’t that the-Ow!”

“What?”

“That place you just pressed. It really hurt.”

“Sorry. I’ll avoid it.” Silence lingered in the air for a moment before Angel spoke again.

“Y’know, I took you for a harsher Overlord kinda guy. Like the pimp.” “Like Al? That’s a first. I’ve tried to be the opposite of that man, but he has that effect on people. When I lose my shit, sure, I’ll go to town on it, but I’m usually a lax person.” Angel stared at me surprised.

“Show me.”

“Fuck no! Why would I do that? I could get killed!”

“By who?”

“Al! I’m not allowed to switch at the hotel unless I’m defending it.”

“Huh. He’s an asshole.”

“Sure is, but a sincere one. He cares about this. So does Vox.”

“That's good. Otherwise, I figured he would have just killed me by now.”

“He would have. The carnal desires of people are what he hates the most. You’re the very definition of it.”“No wonder he dislikes me so much.”

“Maybe instead of flirting with a married man, you could try to get your own now that you’ve left that beloved mask behind.”

“Hey!” Anthony’s frustration flared, but was gone within an instant.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t use that persona anymore. I’m Anthony, not Angel Dust. I’m no longer a porn star, but my own person. I no longer have to act, but be.”

“Well done, Anthony. Well done.”

[2baabbies]

update! (9/5/2024)

hiii baddies!

so, I need a break lol (there will be some emotional venting after the fic updates so please skip if you need to, tw for terminal illness and death and mental illness)

I’ve been trying to come back but I just have too much on my plate at the moment. more details to follow, but here are some of the things I’d like to have posted by the end of the month

🖤 I Wanna Be Yours (lee know x reader) wc: 5000+

🖤 Summer in Winter (faerie!felix x reader) wc: 4000+

🖤 Holding Back from You (hyunchanlix x reader, pt.3) wc: 7000+

🖤 skz requests (various) wc: 500-1000+

💚 Someone New (markhyuck/ot7 x reader, ch. 11) wc: 2000+

and more if I get the motivation! right now I find I have a lot of ideas, but no time or energy. on that note, I’m taking a break from tumblr starting today until may 24th! one of the reasons is that my best friend is coming to visit me from tomorrow until the 18th, and I want to be able to give her my full attention. social media in general is really distracting for me so I won’t really be checking my tumblr or responding to any messages 🫶🏻

in relation to that, our other best friend is in the process of packing and planning to move in with the friend that’s visiting; and she will be leaving my province shortly after bestie’s visit. I’m absolutely overjoyed for them, because we are the platonic love of each other’s lives, and they’re going to have so much fun together! on the other hand I’m very emotional, and I feel a lot of dread knowing once this visit is up both of my best friends are going to be far away from me. I’m def going to be making plans to see them once they’re settled, but I’m feeling very lonely. I’m trying to enjoy all the time we can spend together in person while it lasts. my birthday is also on the 17th, so I will be celebrating that with them and my other friends!

and finally, without giving too many details, I have a very close family member that has been battling an illness since last Christmas. I won’t go into it, but there are a lot of ups and downs and tbh mostly downs. watching them struggle has taken a huge toll on my mental health and as much as I try to pretend it’s not impacting me, I feel very hopeless. I’m really miserable actually lol at least a few times a week I cry in my boss’s office or while I’m on my breaks, and I often cry when I get home from work too. it has made me very sensitive to the topic of death, because there is a very low chance of recovery for this family member. my anxiety has worsened significantly since they got their diagnosis, and I’ve started to have serious mood swings. I think I just need a break from the internet and want to enjoy the bit of happiness I have right now.

so yeah, sorry to leave it on such a depressing note. sending everyone lots of love 💕

[ghostycore]

hi hello!! i’m blue ( 21+, s/h ) & this is sunset's very own losergirl mu danyi! she's a recent addition to sunset, running the listening elle kiosk where she doles out questionable horoscope predictions & untrue fortunes. i’ve only got her profile up, but below the cut is a tldr on her & some plots ♡ pls like to plot or add me on dc ( pomelos. ) & i'll be there, u know it!

tldr

bgm to set the vibes while u read ♡ let's go!!

all u need to know about danyi is that she's a psychic who doesn't believe in any of it lol

her mum is an actual shaman ( like somebody / the glory, powers are as ‘real’ as u believe them to be ). she is not but the tiktok girlies are popping off so she’s making bank by using her family’s actual temple in her videos for that special touch of authenticity

she gives fake divinations & charges a whole lot. just reads the fortune slips & lets confirmation bias do the rest, sometimes good at reading people to help her out with this. her business started on tiktok but she had an in with sunset through the lamest nepo connections ever to set up a kiosk when she's really not qualified for it!

has been known to lie about what the bones say. #bonegate or something ready to go tbh

her tiktok user & kiosk are both @ listening elle, goes by elle online bc she's pretending she has overseas cred to appeal to the hoity toits but she's never stepped foot outside of korea. the kiosk in sunset runs on her time, danyi sets up whenever she finally wakes up & goes home when she wants to. boss can't catch her slacking if she's the boss!

personality wise she's a liar but a bad liar, lies as easily as she breathes, never keeps track of them so she alw gets caught. florida girl energy, occasionally w a streak of weakness ( feeling bad 4 ppl so she ends up being nicer to them than she planned. immediate regret bc she overcompensates ). loves fooling around & not being serious, would d word if she tried introspection. also loves herself too much, spills over to people she cares for too

in danyi fashion idk horoscopes but here's my attempt: she's a libra sun ( indecisive, flighty, full of shit but charming enough to hide it ) scorpio moon ( sneaky, ambitious ) aries rising ( paris hilton )

plots

outwardly the calm to her chaos, but secretly crazier than anyone expects. you think danyi could mastermind half the pranks she pulls? no she can’t!!

a jason & eleanor (tgp) type of friendship.. just two dumbasses with 12yo boy humor

cutie she hooks up with, except it's for ur working hot water & impossibly soft bed. also she might have sticky fingers so ur stuff keeps going missing </3

she scammed u / ur friend / ur mom :p with her fake fortunes i’m so sorry

or she threw out a rando prophecy at u & it turned out to be true & now ur in awe & believe in every word she says

accomplice in scamming who helps her set up extra spooky vibes around her kiosk

someone who's been skiving off by chilling at the always empty stall, it's a great place to hide from bosses B)

if u work at a food related establishment she has a suspiciously high rate of cockroach in food incidents pls don't investigate

someone's gotten into ur stash of weed / drinks / xpixel tokens, who could it be!?

she’s a luver of trash & charity she’ll sleep with anyone who looks sad & pathetic!

can’t keep a relationship to save her life so maybe she broke ur heart & has no remorse ( or maybe so much remorse she’s naruto running away if she sees u... you broke her heart )

u hire her as ur fake gf to scare ur parents for $$$ but hey, now they'll be happy to see ur future s/os that aren't danyi

[bulgariansumo]

Welcome to the third part of my Mario retrospective. Here are the first and second parts if you want to read. Or don't! I'm not your boss. Since this movie is somewhat recent, I'm gonna put part of this under a spoiler. There's not really much to spoil; I just wanna be on the safe side.

Super Mario Bros. (2023)

The final movie, for now. Despite the critiques I’m going to give later on, I enjoy it quite a bit! It’s a very fun movie and is what it set out to be even if there’s a few places where it stumbles.

A lot changed about the Mario franchise in just one decade after the live action movie’s release: characters’ clothes, names, the complete disappearance of anything related to Brooklyn, New York, and so on. Imagine what can change in three decades! 

…Not too much more that’s relevant here. The series aims to be a static one, and this was very much the case during the 2010s. It’s only recently maybe kind of sort of getting away from that? Just a little bit. But this cementing of the Mario series identity is a big change in itself, and with Nintendo looking over Illumination’s shoulder, they couldn’t exactly get away with putting the Mushroom Kingdom’s inhabitants in leather and chains.

Nintendo choosing Illumination to take on this project makes sense the more I think about it. Not only are their movies generally well-received, they have experience doing adaptations like The Grinch (2018), and of course, The Lorax (2012). 

Let’s consider the Mario Movie Dilemma: How does Super Mario Bros. (2023) balance being a movie and being Mario? With Illumination’s talent and Nintendo’s strict oversight, it maintains this balance the best out of all three movies. Sure, there’s some wonky casting choices, some licensed music that doesn’t quite fit, and a feeling that the movie is about to burst from the seams with references, but it keeps its balance much like a unicyclist juggling on a tightrope.

The decision to keep in line with the last two movies and follow Mario and Luigi’s first foray into the Mushroom Kingdom is a strange one. As mentioned before, Nintendo had since made it so that they were born there, and hadn’t mentioned Brooklyn since. When this plot was announced, many fans were confused, assuming Mario always lived in the Mushroom Kingdom. I don’t think this movie had to be an origin story, there’s other plots that could’ve been made to fit the Mario Formula™, but it does make it easier to establish the characters.

Speaking of the characters, another big change that separates this movie from the other two is that the game characters have established personalities now. Mario is a happy-go-lucky guy with a lot of determination, Luigi is timid and easily frightened, Bowser is a brute that’s evil for the fun of it, Peach is sweet and dainty, Donkey Kong is an easygoing meathead, and Toad sounds screechy. 

These are simple characterizations, but they’ve had a good 20 years to marinate. They alone struggle to carry the kind of mainstream movie this one wants to be, so let’s see how they’re built on.

Mario - He’s an average guy, not as gung-ho as his game counterpart but not world-weary like the live action movie version. His family doubts his dreams, giving him underdog woes, yet further bolstering his determination. The beginning of the movie demonstrates that he’s already skilled with jumps and stuff before the adventure but inexperienced enough that there are still challenges for him to face during it. He is an acceptable protagonist …and yet, it feels like there’s something missing. Many have said that canon Mario doesn’t have a personality, and I’m not going to argue that he’s complex or anything, but he’s an endearing little guy. This Mario is just a guy. Despite having the most going on out of any depiction of Mario I’ve seen, this one feels the blandest to me. It’s not his design, it’s not even entirely his voice (though his voice actor’s lack of energy was an issue). He’s not very animated, I think. There’s never any moments where Mario stands out to me. His expressions in the OVA were really charming. In the games, he’s not always the most animated in expressions, but his voice is. Aside from the things that are required of this Mario as a protagonist, there’s little to endear me to him other than his and Luigi’s relationship. And that leads into a whole other issue. As for whether he sets the tone of this movie... I can't say for certain. The movie is dead set on making the world of the games look fun, and Mario is having fun, but he seems kind of muted compared to the rest of the cast. If anything, I'd say everyone but Mario sets the tone here.

Luigi - Along with being easily scared like his canon counterpart, this Luigi really cares for Mario and thinks the world of him, which is also true to canon, but it really has a chance to show here. It also leads into some of the funniest lines in the movie. He’s also portrayed here as kind of helpless. It’s established that Mario is his protector, and wherever he goes, Luigi goes. Charlie Day’s performance is really spirited; I hope he was compensated for all twenty of his lines. That’s exaggerating, but yeah. He gets captured instead of Peach, which I understand why, though it did make me sad to know that he wouldn’t be a part of the adventure, especially after seeing how his and Mario’s relationship is depicted here. It would’ve been interesting to see an escape plan regardless of who got kidnapped, and Luigi taking steps to escape on his own would help tie together the character growth he has at the end a little better. But the movie doesn’t go that route. He sits there, barely getting lines.

Bowser - Perfect. No notes. Whenever they give Bowser lines in the games, he’s an evil jock who's larger than life. He’s basically the same character here, even down to the voice, which I was shocked to hear Jack Black pull off. The only difference in his characterization is the running gimmick of how insecure he is about wanting Peach to like him, which is fun.

Donkey Kong - In this movie, he’s a showoff-y jock who really loves his dad. It’s weirdly endearing at times. He’s also Mario’s rival and bickers with him a lot. I have mixed feelings, because while I do like how he and the rest of the Kongs were handled in this movie, removing them might’ve freed up some time for the main cast to get to do more.

Toad - He’s there. The trailers propped him up as if he was going to be the comic relief sidekick, but once the adventure starts, he’s barely in the movie. I got jumpscared a few times by him because I forgot he existed. You could remove him from the heroes’ group, and it would barely change anything.

Lumalee - Lumalee is not an important character, but I wanted to single them out because their whole gimmick is “cute creature says depressing things,” which probably overstays its welcome even for those who got a laugh out of it. Personally, I found it grating, but even more grating is that most scenes that could be focused on Luigi or any of the other more interesting prisoners focuses on this character instead.

Side Cast in General -  Very good! For what some of the main characters lacked, the incidental characters really made things fun. The only one I have critique about is Foreman Spike, whose role in the movie (aside from being an obscure reference) is better filled by Mario and Luigi’s family.

You may notice that I skipped Peach. This is because from a creative perspective, she’s such an interesting challenge that she deserves her own mini-essay. She’s worth it. 

Having a female character whose sole purpose is to be a damsel in distress has been seen as cliche for many decades, but you could get away with it to some extent in years past. Fans of the games are fairly resigned to it, but it would not be wise to go that route when trying to appeal to a broader movie-going audience in 2023. 

On top of that, Princess Peach has the least consistent characterization of the main Mario characters. In most mainline games, she’s kidnapped, so we really only get to see that she’s sweet and dainty. Those aspects are still there in spinoffs, but the ones added onto her vary a lot. In Paper Mario games, she’s portrayed as strong-willed, in the Mario & Luigi RPGs, she’s proactive and clever, in some of the party/sports games, she doesn’t seem to know what’s going on all the time (“Did I win?”), and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, she’s so oblivious that it loops back around into her seeming too cool to care. ‘The airship we’re on is exploding? That won’t stop me from having a nice tea party with my new friends Samus Aran and Solid Snake.’ So while Peach has a few established personality traits, there’s many different directions she could be taken in.

This movie decided to make her a proactive, actiony type, willing to defend her kingdom with her own two hands if it comes down to it. On paper, this sounds close to how she’s depicted in the Super Mario Adventures comics, which is my favorite version of her. Before rewatching the movie, I was going to say that the movie version of her felt like a watered down version of that in practice. I still think so, but not because there’s anything wrong with how she’s written. She just doesn’t get a lot of chances to shine. Every character kind of has that problem. There. That saved nine paragraphs of me rambling.

Despite my complaints about how some characters were (not) used, it doesn’t impact the movie too badly. The movie’s more plot-focused than character focused. There’s a lot of care put into staying faithful to the games in both looks and vibes, which I appreciate, while also being a fun movie in its own right. 

The plot itself is not super complicated: Mario and Luigi stumble into the Mushroom Kingdom’s world and get separated, and Mario wants to rescue him. In the meantime, Bowser is trying to take over the world and marry Peach. Very fitting for a Mario plot.

What the plot may lack in complexity, it makes up for in… stuff. Stuff is happening all the time. They really wanted to fit in as many things as they could from the games, and while it helps give characters things to do during their journey, it borders on feeling cramped.

Take Bowser’s beautiful power ballad, for example. I thought we were going to get a full musical number, only for it to be cut off right when I was really feeling it. The movie’s like “Chop, chop, we gotta move to the next scene.” It feels like it’s always running out of time, and it gets stressful at some points. I remember being on pins and needles during my first watch, wondering if it would give Luigi something meaningful to do in the last five minutes.

Watching this movie is like going on a tour in a beautiful city, but your tour guide is going at a breakneck pace. You still have a good time, but you don’t get to take things in as much as you want to. The movie has little room to breathe; I feel like this might be part of the reason some characters, Peach and Luigi especially, were mishandled. With so much going on, there’s no time to focus on them. I’m still looking forward to the next movie, though! Hopefully, they’ll slow down?

Let’s end things off with my personal ranking of each movie, from favorite to least.

Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (1986): Due to being released so early in the series’ lifetime, it’s a little odd to some, but it’s cozy and full of charm like any good Mario game. It succeeds at what it’s trying to do.

Super Mario Bros. (2023): It’s incredibly faithful to the current state of the series while being a fun movie in its own right, but key characters lack charm, and the experience can feel a little rushed.

Super Mario Bros. (1993): It threw away any resemblance to Mario in order to be its own movie and somehow failed at both. Pour one out for the visual artists.

Now, I am free from my mental shackles. Thank you for reading my ramblings. I hope you found something of interest.

[goddamnwebcomics]

My Not-so-Brief Review of Gene Catlow (Part 5)

In this part we'll talk about the villains and first half of Matt's group.

Characters (Part 4)

In terms of non-redeemed antagonists, you’ve got arguably the biggest one in form of Furry Unity group, they’re relevant in the first arc, acting as the other extreme to Michael Alan Avariss. Mason is their leader and I’ve already talked in length about him and his shitty would-be redemption in the hands of Masonite. Honestly Furry Unity should’ve been the main antagonist of this comic after Avariss exits the scene, as they’re shown to be quite dangerous, even if their existence and how every character treats them is murky, when humans have shown to have done much worse things to furries. Speaking of, let’s talk about the first villain of this comic, Michael Alan Avariss. He is a brutal furryhating corporate executive, but he is also shown to have depths, especially when it comes to his wife and son. While an intimidating antagonist, his defeat and lack of effect in the plot really make him more pathetic and pathetic on retrospective. His existence is also the biggest proof Albert didn’t always intend the comic to become World of Friends propaganda as even with his questionable moments of humanity, he is still an irredeemable monster who’s killed hundreds if not thousands of furries with his influence. That makes his defeat even more pathetic, as Cotton mocks him and then he gets arrested. He doesn’t even bail himself out of jail, he just stays in the shadows for the rest of the comic with occasional flashbacks. I’ve already talked about the Hosts and how they failed spectacularly as a concept, so let’s talk about the villain of the second arc, the faceless original animen, also known as Evil Stagglers. We never see their faces but they are stated to be hideously ugly. Their plan with Gene and Catwhis is also questionable as they don’t really do anything. Then Crendall and Elder Mother show up, Crendall punches one of them in the face and then Cotton wipes them out. The last irredeemable villain I can think of are the “Evil Children” of the Amphibians, that Matt gives physical bodies to in form of his puppets, we learn nothing about them but they seemed to be the Final Boss of the Entire Comic, being able to wreck Tane’s cat utopia and even fatally damage the Amphibian homeworld’s leaders, but due to Albert’s death it’s likely we’ll never learn anything else about them, and what exactly was their relationship with Matt.

And then we get to my favourite group of the entire comic, Matt’s crew, the Family that is loyal to Matt. I feel like the strongest incarnation of this group is when Stuart and Tassy were still part of the group as it feels like the group just turned into a mess after they left. This group is formed after the old Family Power loses it’s energy, and a new Family Power kitten is formed to fight the Hosts. Oddly enough we never see this kitten after its first appearance. Did it die when Big Cats took away Matt’s powers? That would be cruel. Either way, the part of Matt’s crew who we didn’t get to see backstab him includes Burke, the accountant of the family, Carson, Matt’s “Legal Muscle”, Taria, the group’s receptionist, Clay, goblin cat who constantly wants to fight people and Cydnee, Matt’s matagot partner in crime. I think that Taria is the most nothing member of the group, she was obviously gonna backstab Matt next, but she also does have a fierce side to her with her calling out Carson, and also being genuinely angry that Stuart and Tassy left Matt’s group. Clay is a petty little shit, and I don’t think he was well established enough outside of getting his ass kicked by Matt. Then we get to characters I have a lot to say about. Carson went from being somewhat untrustworthy of Matt to being very loyal to him, an issue with him is that he is perhaps a bit too loyal to whoever is in charge, and he doesn’t tolerate criticism of any kind. I feel like he’s kinda self-sabotaging the group with his behaviour. However it all changes when he begins to get tormented by Forzoi. Once fierce and threatening lion is reduced to a nervous, anxious wreck under Forzoi’s fierce mindrape. You really gotta feel bad for him, and is it really a redemption if Forzoi was trying to FORCE him to redeem himself? Carson really had no option or Forzoi would have literally killed him. And then we have Burke, sweet, lovely, relatable Burke. Burke is too pure for this hellish comic. He starts off with his homosexuality being strongly hinted at, and he even has a crush on Matt. However he starts becoming a much deeper character, the Big Cats almost kill him due to his bad immune system forcing Matt to call the help of his traitors. Even when the group falls apart, Burke is immensely competent and a workaholic to the max. We really learn more about him when he takes a vacation but happens to share a plane with his ex-boyfriend, Sulfur. The scenes between Sulfur and Burke are deeply emotional and some of the best written dialogue in this entire comic. Sulfur doesn’t really want to throw Burke under the bus even if he’s with a group he obsessively hates. Burke and Sulfur, even with their dysfunctionality, are the best couple in this entire comic.

[workoutalltheunknowns]

i always seem to return to tumblr when it feels like i have no where else to go, when my journal doesn’t cut it, when i feel things that i am ashamed of. it is my comfort blanket, even these many years later. 

simply put, i am exhausted. i cycle through life experiencing great burnouts, burning the candle at both ends and then i reach a point where i just cannot any longer - there’s nothing left, i feel empty. since the pandemic, i feel like i’ve dumbly been going through the motions of life with my emotional processing centers shut down (or is it since i’ve stopped drinking?). but this past year i started feeling loneliness and grief and melancholy again, after a long while and after finally getting to live with lloyd and create a life together after so long of waiting and yearning for it. i am grateful for our little life. our flat, our cat, our love. i have a wonderful job (as much as having to participate in capitalism allows). but my relationship with others around me have affected me, and honestly, so has existence through all of its requirements. i have lost friends and community, and have had to face hard truths surrounding my loaded relationship with my dad that are way more emotionally taxing than i had previously realized. i am sick of waking up every day and experiencing the same day, over and over again. i have no energy for much else outside of work. and i take on additional work outside of work, because unfortunately i have some deep rooted workaholic tendencies that i recognize and resign myself to and then resent. and then some of them aren’t self imposed. but no matter the type, i feel weak and fragile and tired. very, very tired. 

i called out of work yesterday. i thought i was sick and realized i wasn’t. i certainly feel off kilter mentally, if nothing else, and maybe my body is manifesting some of it physically, too, in some ways that made me think i needed a rest. i called out again today, and i feel guilty, but i just can’t get myself to go. i dread waking up for work every day. i dread every minute that i’m there. and this is the best job i have ever had in my life; they are flexible with me, they treat me well, i am allowed to create my own hours, they trust me, we are like family, truly. but i feel overworked and underpaid, and all of the niceties and benefits extended to me aren’t enough to make those feelings go away. i resent the undervaluing of my labor and the inherent hierarchy of every company. the idea of growth, making more money, allowing people at the top to work less and make more while i continue to plug away ad nauseam. with the add on of all the emotional turmoil i’ve experienced outside of work, it just feels too much lately and like there’s not anything i can do but acquiesce to the little voice in my head telling me to blag it off and stay home. and now i feel guilt.

i’ve been suggested to give therapy another go by my doctor, my mom, my boss, even. but truth be told i don’t think i can afford it, and i fear that the root of all my issues is life itself. speaking to a professional to get to the bottom of all the exhaustion i have felt only to realize that participating in society’s role for me is the issue. life. everyone has to subscribe to the societal and economic order of things, i am no exception. so where does that leave me?

i don’t know. this is a lot. i am going to put on a movie and try not to think.

[marithlizard]

This got long so I turned it into a reblog - I’ve been thinking about the effects of that vision too.

Right after his hallucination scene Blitzo has that conversation with Moxxie and tells him he's doing a good job. We've never seen anything like that before.  Then in the big fight scene he runs around checking in with each of the others and trying to be nice. It's especially obvious with Millie because it takes him two tries.  Without saying it out loud, Blitzo is clearly thinking "Look at me, I'm being such a good supportive boss and father! I'm going to do better so you all won't leave me!"

And at the end of that episode, Blitzo actually offers to have sex with Stolas outside of their bargain and lets himself show that he enjoys it a lot.  In the harvest moon episode we saw them acting comfortable and familiar in bed, but this scene went beyond that.  (I thought it was interesting that they kissed, too, since I've read that sex workers often refuse to do that on the job because it's too personal and affectionate.)

So that was Truth Seekers. In the next episode, Ozzie's,  Blitzo goes back to behaving like a terrible person with no boundaries - but it feels a little different to me.  He starts out inviting everyone to have drinks with him after work, his treat - unusually nice for him! When M&M turn him down and start smooching in front of him he feels rejected and switches into clingy stalker mode.

What he doesn't do is be mean to Moxxie.  Blitzo has turned creative profanity to an art form and Moxxie has been his favorite target since the beginning.   But since the hallucination, he hasn't gone off on him once.  (I actually miss his deranged rants, they brought so much energy to the show and I hope the writers give him a new target in future episodes.)

Finally, we have the Seeing Stars episode.  Which I did not think was very well written, unfortunately, but it was clearly trying to show a change in Moxxie and Blitzo's relationship.  For the first time we see him listening to Moxxie's advice!  He looks to Moxxie for reassurance both in dealing with Loona and in figuring out how to tell Stolas the news.  Moxxie even gives him a shoulder rub - I can't imagine that happening in earlier episodes.

So overall I do think we are seeing Blitzo really trying to change after his terrifying experience.  He's not very GOOD at it, and he doesn't want to tell anyone about what happened or admit his feelings or apologize for what he's done.  It's there though.  I would not be surprised if he is having nightmares and that comes up later.

I wish that Blitz’s hallucination in “Truth Seekers” was given more of an impact for his character development. Like, how do you go about experiencing something that intense and just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened???

If something that visceral happened to any other character, they would have nightmares about it for days, for weeks, or even months! Imagine if Moxxie experienced Blitz’s hallucination, he’d be traumatized!

[beels-burger-babe]

Of Jealousy and Friendship - Pt. 1

Topic number 2 won in the vote to be written next! So without further-a-do, let’s get going!...This ended up being a two part thing. Oh Well. Here’s part one. - B GN! MC Summary: MC makes a lower demon friend who may secretly be hoping for something more than friendship. The Demon Bros are not about to let this happen. Part Two: Here, Epilogue: Here It all started in magical potions. When you first arrived, the course wasn’t so bad since you took it with Beelzebub. The two of you always partnered up; the hour would consist of you jokingly scolding Beel for trying to eat ingredients and making light hearted jokes with one another whenever the teacher turned their back.  But once the second semester started, Beel was moved out of the course as it had gotten too expensive to keep him in a class where most of the subject matter was edible.  Which left you alone and bored in the classroom as the teacher went on and on about Mandrake roots and what they can be used for. You let out a heavy sigh and plopped your forehead onto the desk.  A soft snort came from beside you. You glanced over to see a demon with his feet propped up on his desk staring right back at you out of the corner of his dark green eyes. He smiled at you with a tilt of his head.  “The lectures are a total snooze fest right? I joined this class cause I thought we’d be making potions and causing stuff to explode. Not sitting here twisting our thumbs all day.” 

You bit back a laugh as you worried glanced over at the professor, who was none-the-wiser to the little conversation the two of you were sharing. You looked back over to the demon. His dark skin caused those hauntingly green eyes of his pop out at all who met his gaze, with carefully trimmed and styled black curls sitting stylishly on the top of his head.  There was a playful and mischievous energy to him that reminded you of Belphie, Asmo and Mammon.  “Unfortunately suffering through this section of class is mandatory to be allowed to mess around with the fun stuff.”  The demon groaned and threw his head back. “Urgh, that’s so unfair. What’s the worst that can happen? The potion explodes and kills us? Newsflash teach, we’re already dead.”  You couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out at that one.  “Well actually the worse that could happen, for you at least as I am a very mortal human, is that you’d suffer the consequences from one of the potions. Anything from shrinking to de-aging to charms, all kinds of things. I’ve seen the effects of a potion gone wrong a number of times during my time down here. Trust me; you don’t want to be on the receiving end.”  He looked over at you with an analytical eye as the corners of his lips tilted upwards. “So you’re the human that everyone’s talking about.” He trailed off, and glanced over at the teacher to make sure they weren’t looking before stretching out his hand towards you. “I’m Cane. You know despite being the talk of RAD, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention your name?”  You took his hand into your own and lightly shook it. “I’m MC.” 

Cane leaned back into his chair, “It’s a pleasure to finally put a name and face to that glowing reputation of yours, MC. I see your pretty good at this potions thing, and I hear that you’re a lot of fun. How about you meet me downtown for supper later and we can study and get to know each other a little better?”  Your initial instinct was to agree, but then you paused as you thought of the brothers. “I don’t know. I don’t think that Lucifer or the others would like it much if I went out on my own.”  The demon huffed and light heartedly rolled his eyes. “You won’t be alone, you’ll be with me. I may not be as powerful as them, but I’m still a pretty good fighter.” He teasingly placed a gentle punch onto your shoulder, “Besides, it’s not like they’re boss of you. Are you really going to let a bunch of snobby Lords keep you from making the best of your time in the Devildom?”  That last remark hit a nerve. If there was one thing that had spread quite quickly about you around RAD, it was that you were known for being a little reckless, prideful, and never being able to back down from a challenge, and boy did that statement have you itching to prove him wrong.  You smiled, a sharp dangerous smile, at Cane. “I’ll go. And we’re going to do so much more than just go to a lame restaurant and study. You want to have fun and take risks? We’ll have fun and take risks. Whatever you want to do...to a degree,” you added in quickly remembering that you were talking to a demon and if you didn’t implement any boundaries there was no telling what you’d get yourself into, “I’m in.”  Cane’s eyes sparkled as his smile widened. “Damn. I guess it’s true that you’re a bit of dare devil. Alright, you’re on. Meet me at Hell’s Kitchen a 4pm. We’ll study and hit the books as promised, but afterwards...Get ready for the night of your life.”  ***

The brothers were concerned. You had rushed into the House of Lamentation after school and sprinted to your room, changed out of your uniform and promptly shouted that you were “going out” before taking off before any of them could complain.  Mammon had tried to argue that someone should follow you, and while that wasn’t a terrible idea, Lucifer wanted to give you the question of the doubt. Worst case scenario, you come back home a little scratched up and learn your lesson about taking off into the dangers of the Devildom.  At least that’s what he had thought when you had initially left.  It was now bordering midnight, and you had yet to return home.  So yeah, the brothers were very concerned.  Mammon was pacing and ranting about how this all could’ve been avoided if they had only listened to him for once.  Leviathan was trying to distract himself with his game, but everyone could see the worried glances he kept throwing to the entrance and clock as the minutes ticked by.  Satan sat near where Mammon and would occasionally scold or correct him, and sometimes even throw in his own ideas on what could be done while he thumbed through a book on location spells.  Asmodeus was strangely quiet, sitting near the fire by himself with arms wrapped around his torso as he stared into the flames. He would occasionally move a hand to wipe at his face before it went right back to hugging himself.  Beelzebub had lost his appetite. He sat next to Belphie, taking comfort in his twin’s presence, while Belphegor pretended to be unbothered and asleep, even though his mind was racing with the many stupid situations you could’ve gotten yourself into.  And Lucifer...He just sat in a door near the entryway, his eyes fixed on the entrance as he silently waited.  Finally, just as the clock stroke midnight, they could hear your recognizable laugh from behind the door.  “Oh my god! That was incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun in life!” Leviathan stiffened at the statement, his hands gripping tighter onto his game.  “What did I tell you? I promised you the night of your life, and I sure as Diavolo always make sure to deliver,” everyone froze at the sound of the teasing male voice. “Though I didn’t expect the Seven Lords’ precious human to be a complete bad ass. You were amazing out there.”  Leviathan mumbled something before getting up and leaving the room. Mammon growled lowly and looked at the others, “Anyone know who the hell that is?”  Asmo finally stood, wiping at his face as he did, and began to stride towards the door, “Why don’t we find out?”  Without waiting for a response, Asmodeus swung the door open and pulled on a bright smile as he reached out and wrapped an arm around you. “MC, darling, you didn’t tell me you were bringing over guests! Don’t tell me you’re trying to have fun without me?”  You blinked up at the Asmo before smiling softly at his tactics. “Oh, hey Asmo! I didn’t expect you to be up. Cane here was just dropping me off.”  The demon in question didn’t even so much as stiffen as Asmodeus’s dangerous stare shifted over to him. Instead Cane stood there, relaxed, with a shit-eating grin on his face. Asmodeus raised an eyebrow at him and allowed a bit of his demonic aura to exude around him. “Oh really? At this time of night? Makes a demon wonder what kind of mischief the two of you had gotten up to,” while maintaining eye contact with Cane, Asmo rested his chin against your shoulder. “You know dear, if you wanted “fun” that badly all you had to do was ask. I assure you I could’ve shown you a much better time.” He purred and softly kissed your shoulder.  You shivered, missing the way Asmo stiffened as he noticed something, and swatted at the Avatar of Lust as you moved away from him. “Down Asmo. It’s nothing like that. Cane’s in my magical potions class. We went out to study together and decided to hit a couple clubs while we were out. No biggy.”  “If it’s ‘no biggy’ then why were you out all night without giving us any kind of warning of where you were going or how long you’d be out?” Everyone whirled around as Lucifer stood in the doorway with a frown etched on his face and his arms crossed. He took a step closer to you before freezing mid-step, his nose twitching. His eyes flared red as they fell onto Cane. The lower demon tensed and curled his hands into fists, but seemed to be refusing to back down. Lucifer snarled, “What exactly was it that you said the two of you were up to tonight?”  You frowned and stepped between Lucifer and your new friend. “Hey! Stop it! He didn’t do anything, if that’s what you’re implying. And I wasn’t aware that I needed permission for every single thing that I do!” You snapped poking his chest as you moved into his space. “So excuse me for wanting to go out and enjoy myself for once!”  Whatever fear Cane had been showing, quickly slipped away at seeing you stand your ground against the mighty first born. “Yeah. What they said.”  Lucifer growled and caught your hand into his own, pulling you close and leaning in, “You’d be wise to remember that you are in the Devildom and surrounded by beings that have no where near as good intentions as you’d assume. Being so reckless and naïve down here could get you killed again, I thought you had learned that.” His tone was cold and unapologetic as he practically spat the words in your face.  You glared at Lucifer as you yanked your hand out of his grasp. There was so many things you wanted to say to him, but none of them would be right to say in front of an audience. You huffed and turned to face Cane. “I am so sorry about those two. Thanks again for tonight and bringing me home. I’ll see you tomorrow in class, okay?”  Cane gave you a side smile as he scratched the back of his neck. “It’s nothing. I had a great time hanging out with you. Hopefully we can do again...under better circumstances. Goodnight MC.” He took a step towards you and pulled you into a hug.  You smiled, wondering how Lucifer and Asmo could be stirring up such a fuss about a guy who had been nothing but kind to you, and gently hugged him back.  What you couldn’t see, was Cane making direct eye contact with the two other demons, as one of his wrists gently brushed up and down you back and he very lightly nuzzled, so lightly that you could just barely feel it, his face against your neck.  “Hey, what’s takin’ everyone so- WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?!” Mammon stormed forward and yanked you out of the demon’s embrace, already changing into his demon form. “Who the hell do you think you are scenting our human, huh?!” He lifted Cane off the ground by the collar of his shirt, causing the lower demon growl as he scratched at Mammon’s hands.  You yanked on Mammon’s jacket and arms and tried to get him to back off. “Woah! Mammon, relax! It was just a hug!”  “No it wasn’t,” Satan grumbled as he and the rest of the brothers (excluding Leviathan who was now sulking in his room) stood in the door way. “The fact that you don’t know that makes this even worst. But this isn’t a conversation we should be having out here.” Beel stared down at the demon with a fierce glare. “You should leave while you’re still able. And if you know what’s best for you, you’ll stay away from MC.”  “Wha- Beel! Cut that out!”  Cane took a step backwards, fear beginning to spill into his expression as he finally realizes just how out-powered and out-numbered he is. Still, he was stubborn pain in the ass; it was part of the reason he had been so drawn to you in the first place as he related to your reckless habits. He held Beelzebub’s glare and returned it with one of his own. “I think that MC can choose for themself who they do and do not hang out with, thanks. They already said they wanted to see me tomorrow so they will. We’re friends after all. And classmates,” his grin sharpened as he continued. “I do have to thank you, Lord Beelzebub, for that opening in magical potions by the way. Never would’ve got in if you hadn’t been kicked out.”  Before he could say anymore, he was met with a punch in the face. Belphegore lazily shook out his hand and his looked at Cane with an unbothered expression. “I believe we told you to leave. Now get. The. Fuck. Out.”  Cane scoffed and turned to you once more. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Dare Devil.”  You would’ve snorted at the nickname, but you were to distracted from the brother’s behavior. “Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get home safe, Cane.” With another nod, the demon left; leaving you alone with six of the seven brothers bubbling with jealousy, anger, and concern.

[illegal-spiegel]

“Mr. Coffee-Shop-Hotshot”

Pairing: Hikaru Hitachiin x f!reader Genre: fluff, angst, smut Warnings: jealous and possessive Hikaru, unprotected sex (wrap it up), a dash of degradation, choking, and I think that’s it lmao Summary: You’ve been dating Hikaru since high school but that doesn’t stop him from getting jealous of your coworker at the coffee shop Word Count: 4.1k words  A/N: characters are aged up!! Prompt #72 from my 1k Followers Event: “You’re Mine.”

You and Hikaru have been sweethearts since high school. The thing is, when you two first started dating, no one thought it was going to last, seeing as how you two were literally enemies until Hikaru kissed you to shut you up. After that kiss, you two avoided each other until Kaoru tried talking to you while pretending to be Hikaru. You weren’t blind though. You could tell it was Kaoru instead of his twin. You played along until the end though, only revealing you knew it was really him until he got his point across. His point was “I’m sorry for treating you so poorly. I’m just not very good with feelings and I didn’t know how to face you after the kiss without arguing with you.” You figured that Kaoru wouldn’t say something like that unless Hikaru felt that way himself. So, you grew a pair and talked to Hikaru after he was done with the Host Club. 

“It appears I’m going to be the man in this relationship.” was the first thing you said to him, to which he scoffed at because A. if anyone is going to be the man, it’s him and B. who says you two are in a relationship? 

You just kissed him and that easily proved your point. From then on, you two started dating, to everyone’s surprise. Just because you two were dating though doesn’t mean you two stopped fighting. While everyone else has their honeymoon phase, you two went right to the old married couple stage. They weren’t ever serious fights though. One time you two argued about who had better eyes. Hikaru couldn’t admit to you that it was definitely you and you couldn’t admit to him that it was actually him, so you both claimed that it was yourselves. 

After that phase ended though, you two went into the honeymoon phase, which just confused everyone, including you and Hikaru. Suddenly, him leaving his used cup on your bedside table didn’t bother you anymore. You’ll just bring it down with you when you go downstairs. Hikaru realized that he didn’t mind you having your clothes thrown out in every other direction in his room anymore. His maid will just clean it up anyway. No harm done. 

The honeymoon ‘phase’ was more annoying to everyone than the old married couple phase. Now, instead of you two arguing who wants the last piece of candy, you two are ‘arguing’ about who gets to kiss who last. It makes everyone gag. Honey senpai seems to think it’s really sweet though. 

That was four years ago and now, you two are just as bad now as you were back then. Everyone, luckily and unluckily, decided to go to the same university. It is way out of your price range but that wasn’t going to stop your boyfriend of four years from getting you to go there. “I’ll pay off all your bills, babe. Don’t worry,” he’ll always reassure you despite your worries and nagging. You refuse to let him pay for it all though, so you got a job. 

It was actually pretty easy to nail the job, seeing as how it’s at the coffee shop where you and the gang always went for energy boosters and to study. You were already friends with the manager from going in there so much, so when you asked if they were hiring, they practically hired you on the spot. 

Hikaru didn’t like you having a job though. 

“Why do you even work here? I can pay for everything, babe. You don’t have to worry about it. So why don’t you just quit? I miss hanging out with you,” he complains every time you leave for work, when he shows up to your work, and when you come back to your shared apartment. His argument, in your royal opinion, is stupid. If anything, you see him too much as it is. I mean, you already live with the guy and have half of your classes with him. What more does he want from you?

It took him a month to finally accept the fact that yes, you will pay for things yourself, and no, you are not quitting just because he wants you to. Once he realizes that you can secretly give him free coffee though, not that price ever mattered to him, he was happy. “Okay, but I also want a free muffin,” he finally agreed. 

It was like that for maybe half a year before new problems started to arise. Your boss hired a new guy who you don’t even know the name of yet but, oh, Hikaru hates him already. “I don’t like him. He smells like too much Axe body spray and he has a weird, purple piercing in his eyebrow. And! And, he has a tattoo. A tattoo! Who does he think he is,” Hikaru complains to you while you try to do homework. He had gotten your schedule mixed up and when he went to go see you on your day off, he ran into the new guy. You weren’t surprised that he could tell he’s new since Hikaru is practically there as much as you are. He knows everyone and, of course, everyone loves him. 

Not this guy though, apparently. 

“When he gave me my coffee, it tasted off! Then, I realized, he didn’t add sugar! I didn’t say anything about sugar!” he continues to rant, making you sigh and set your pencil down. You turn to face him now, placing your hand over his and soothingly rubbing your thumb over his smooth skin. 

“Baby, I’m sure it was an accident. He’s new, remember? I’m sure he just forgot to add it,” you reassure, giving his cheek a kiss once he takes a deep breath and lets it all go in one breath. 

“Fine. I guess you’re right. But if he messes up again, I won’t hesitate to say something next time!” You giggle at this and nod your head, giving him a proper kiss this time to relax him even more. 

“Okay, baby. You do that,” you tease before going back to your homework. This, of course, was just not okay. 

“Babe, we’ve been studying for hours. Let’s take a break,” he coos, moving closer to you and starting to place kisses along your neck. You try to ignore him and focus but your boyfriend knows you too well. Knows your body too well. 

“You mean I’ve been studying for hours. You’ve just been talking and playing on your phone,” you tease, a gasp ripping from you when he sucks and nibbles on your sweet spot. You feel him smirk against your skin, his hands coming to squeeze your thighs. 

“Fair point. Makeout with me a little and then, and only then, will I study,” he bargains, making you roll your eyes. 

“Fat chance,” you decline him as you playfully push him away, making him whine loudly. 

“But baby—”

“No. Study and then, and only then, will I makeout with you,” you bargain right back, a smirk of your own coming to your face. 

“You’re wicked,” he says with a dramatic gasp and a hand across his heart. When you don’t reply or even react, he groans before finally picking up his pencil. “Fine! You better take your shirt off too then,” he snaps before focusing on his work. Most of your study sessions go like this. 

The next day at work, the new guy, Ritsu, came in in the middle of your shift. Your boss introduced the two of you once he put his stuff away in his locker, the guy seeming nervous for his next shift today. You smile at him and shake his hand, reassuring him that you’ll help him out today. He seems to relax at this, thanking you before starting to get to work. Whenever he had a question or messed up, you were right there to help him. The day, overall, went pretty smoothly you think. 

At the end of your shifts, he grabs his things from his locker before walking to the front with you. “Do you need a ride home?” he asks as he walks over to his motorcycle. You smile at him but shake your head, taking your phone out of your pocket to check your messages. 

“No, that’s okay. My boyfriend is picking me up and taking me out to dinner. Thank you though!” you reply with a sweet smile, Ritsu flashing you a smile back as he climbs onto his motorcycle. 

“Okay, good. I didn’t want you walking home alone at night. I heard there was a robbery a couple of roads away from here,” he explains as he pulls his helmet on. 

“Oh yeah. It was at the corner gas station. That’s so sweet of you to think of me though. I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever need a ride!” you thank once more. He nods as he turns the vehicle on, bidding you farewell with a salute before pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road. 

You check the time and see that you have a few minutes until your boyfriend gets there. Luckily, he seemed to have left early because, within the next minute, he’s stopping right in front of you. “Well, hello there, good lookin’. Do you need a ride?” he playfully flirts. You hum and pretend to think about it as you walk over to his window. 

“Well, I don’t know. Are you going to show me a good time?” you playfully flirt right back. He hums as he happily lets his eyes trail over your body despite your hideous work clothes. He didn’t seem to mind them though. 

“Oh, you have no idea, baby. Don’t tell my girlfriend though.” You scoff as you burst into a fit of giggles, lightly hitting his arm before going to the passenger side. 

“Well, that depends. Am I prettier than her?” you reply, batting your eyelashes at him as you slide into the car and pull your seatbelt over your body. He hums and nods his head, putting the car in reverse as he replies. 

“Oh, most definitely. She’s like a fat cow,” he jokes, making you scoff and hit him again. 

“I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate you saying such things about her. What if I decide to tell her what you said about her?” you argue, crossing your arms over your chest as if you’re mad at him. You know for a fact that he’d never cheat on you. You always tease him that he’s too obsessed with you. ‘I love you! I’m not obsessed with you! There’s a difference!’ he’d always argue to your joking jab. 

Before he can leave the parking spot, he stops the car to look at you with this new glint in his eyes. “What if I eat you out so good that you can’t even remember your own name, let alone mine?” he whispers right into your ear, his tongue licking around the shell of your ear. You let out a shaky breath, not expecting his sudden change in this little game you two were playing. 

“I doubt you’re any good,” you sass, it lacking the power that you want it to have. He pulls away from the side of your head to make eye contact with you again, his eyes shining with a newfound lust. 

“Well, I’ve only ever been with my girlfriend, so it’s possible. You should hear the way she screams my name though. She’ll cum three times from my mouth and fingers alone before I even give what she really wants inside of her,” he says lowly, your eyes moving to watch his lips as he talks. You press your legs together, already starting to feel arousal bubbling low in your gut. 

“Is she any good in bed?” you decide to ask, bringing the attention off of him. You wait for him to say something along the lines of ‘no, she’s horrible’ but it seems he decides to stop playing your little game all of a sudden. 

“She’s better than good. She sucks me off like I’m a popsicle and she just got out of the desert. She’s always so desperate to unravel me but I never do only because I know it works her up even more. She then starts acting like a brat, trying to get her way. We both know that’s just her way of annoying me to the point that I punish her. Mmhm, her screams sound so good when her face is shoved into our mattress,” he replies, his voice dropping an octave or two. You gulp at this, feeling your panties dampen with your slick. 

“No wonder she’s your girlfriend,” you whisper, your throat suddenly too dry for your liking. He only hums before continuing with his driving, grabbing your hand and kissing the back of it once you two get on the road. 

“What do you want to eat? I’m kind of in the mood for Mexican,” he says to you as if he didn’t just make you so horny that the only thing you can think about is having him inside of your mouth instead of food. 

“That sounds fine,” you say softly, trying to think of anything but that. He smirks at the way you sound, which is slightly wrecked, and starts to head in the direction of a Mexican restaurant that you two like. That night ended, of course, with him deep inside of you and grunting out all sorts of deliciously dark things into your ear. 

Things continued on like normal for a while. You went to work but didn’t get to work with Ritsu again for a week, so Hikaru never ran into him again. The day you did work with him though, he seemed to be struggling more than usual. So, when there was a break in customers, you decide to ask him what was up. 

“Sorry. I got into this fight with my girlfriend, Mei, this morning,” he explains, a frown hanging heavy on his face. You nod your head, only too familiar with that feeling. You and Hikaru don’t have serious fights a lot but you, obviously, have them just like every other couple. 

“It’s okay. I understand. Do you want to talk about it? Maybe I can give you my opinion or some advice?” you offer, wanting to help him feel better. He thinks about your offer for a moment before sighing and giving in, starting to tell you everything that had happened that morning. You two occasionally pause to help a customer but always end up focusing back on his situation. As a woman yourself, you look at his story from her point of view and figure out what might be the cause of her frustrations. 

“Okay,” you say once he finishes his story, “I think I see what the problem is.” You then tell him what you think and what he should do to mend their relationship. After hearing your advice, he realized what he did wrong and gets so excited that he hugs you. 

“Thank you so much! It all makes sense now! No wonder she was so upset! You’re seriously a lifesaver! I owe you one!” He hugs you tightly, making you giggle and return the hug. 

“It’s no problem at all,” you reassure. You two pull away when you hear the bell ring, automatic smiles coming to your face to greet your new customer. Your eyes widened when you saw your boyfriend instead though. A very angry and brooding boyfriend at that. “Babe? What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to be here for another hour?” you ask confusedly, walking around the counter to give him your usual hug and kiss. 

His eyes are on Ritsu though. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you not want me here? Am I interrupting something?” he snaps, his eyes squinting at Ritsu as he says this. Your brows furrow at his words, stopping in front of him and dropping your arms since it’s obvious that he’s not going to give you a hug. 

“What? Well, I’m working but—”

“Oh, sorry to bother you then. I’ll let you get right back to it,” he snaps, turning his glare to you before leaving without another word. He doesn’t stop or turn around when you call after him either, making you sigh as a frown comes to your face. 

“What’s up with him?” you mumble, trying to think as to why he would be mad. That’s when it hit you. You hugging Ritsu? Did that upset him? But why? You hug guys all of the time. Well, not all of the time. And then again, they’re his friends too or your family. You snap out of your daze when the bell jingles again, signaling a new customer. You sigh and go back behind the counter, smiling and greeting the customer happily. Guess you’ll just have to talk to him about it later then. 

When you get off work and you get back home, you find that Hikaru isn’t home. You think back to what he was telling you yesterday, remembering him telling you his plans for today. You check the time on the microwave before looking at your fridge for any notes. He doesn't have any plans right now that you are aware of and he didn’t leave a note telling you where he was going or when he’ll be back. Maybe there was an emergency? That just makes you worry more though.

You let it go with a heavy exhale, trying not to read too much into it. You don’t have to know where he is every second of every day. 

You go to your bathroom to take a shower and get the smell of coffee off of you. You end up accidentally using his body wash though, the smell of cinnamon and ginger filling your nostrils. It’s not your favorite but it’s what he’s been using for years. He pulls off the smell really well though. 

You step out of the shower and wrap yourself up in a baby blue towel, leaning against the sink to look at your skin in the mirror. After applying some lotion to your body to make you feel extra nice, you leave the bathroom. You stop at the door though when you find Hikaru sitting on the bed, his feet still on the floor and his hands hanging between his knees. Now you’re even more concerned. Normally, he would’ve jumped at the opportunity to take a shower with you but now he won’t even look at you. 

“Hikaru,” you call out softly to him, seeming to bring him out of his daze. You walk over to him and come to stand in between his legs, making him sit up straighter. His eyes glaze over your bare collarbones and neck, something spurring to life in his eyes as water droplets cascade down your soft skin. 

“You’re mine,” he says suddenly, his eyes snapping to yours. Your eyes widen a bit at this random declaration, your brow raising curiously at him. 

“What?” is your brilliant reply to him. You gasp when he stands and switches your positions in a flash, the back of your knees hitting the bed before you fall back onto it. You gape up at him, your hands clinging to the front of your towel. 

“You heard me. You’re mine!” he growls, his hands snagging your towel away from you before you can even attempt to stop him. His eyes wander your body, a dark look in his eyes as he takes his sweet time admiring your naked body. 

“Hikaru,” you breathe his name, goosebumps crawling over your flesh. He hums in response, one of his knees coming to the bed so he can lean over you, his fingers starting to trace random lines and patterns into your skin. 

“That’s right. Say my name, baby,” he coos, his fingers coming to tweak your nipples. You moan his name in response, back arching up into his hands. He watches you with attentive eyes, not daring to look away from your lewd expressions or wet hole for even a second. He loves how quickly you react to his touch, your body always craving his as much as his craves yours. “Who do you belong to?” he asks as he crawls completely over you, staring into your eyes as he lets his hands crawl down your body. 

“You,” you whisper breathlessly. 

“Who?” he growls, suddenly shoving two of his fingers into your drooling heat. 

“You, Hikaru!” you cry, back arching when he slips a third finger in. He hums lowly as he pumps his fingers in and out of you, scraping the pads of his fingers against your g-spot to get you really moaning for him. 

“That’s right, baby. You’re all mine, now and forever,” he whispers before pulling his fingers out, making you whimper. He brings his dry hand up to your throat, squeezing it lightly as he stares into your eyes. “Shut up! Dirty whores like you don’t get to cum until I say so,” he hisses, not letting your neck go as he uses his other hand to remove his pants and boxers. “‘M gonna fill you up, remind you that you only belong to me,” he mumbles, his hand frantically trying to pull his member free. 

Your brows furrow at this as you bring your hands up to his chest. Before you can question him though, he starts to push into you. You both groan in sync as he slips inside, your eyes rolling back into your head for a moment. You forget about his words for now, your brain only thinking about the way he feels inside of you. 

He just barely bottoms out before he’s already pulling back to thrust back in, starting a frantic pace. You moan his name loudly, your nails lightly scratching his chest, causing him to hiss. He keeps up the frenzied pace, your breasts bouncing with each thrust. 

You both cum almost at the same time, Hikaru finally giving you permission to cum after denying you your orgasm over and over again. He keeps true to his word, pushing deep inside of you and coating your walls white. He stays inside of you for a while, his chest heaving as he tries to get air back. He slowly releases your throat, and instead brushes his fingers against your cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his eyes shining with regret. You’re confused for a moment, thinking that that’s some of the best sex you’ve ever had. Then you remember his words from before, how he kept saying you’re his and that no one is going to take you from him. 

“What’s going on, my love?” you whisper, still a little breathless. He looks away from you, starting to worry his lip between his teeth. 

“Don’t leave me for him,” he whispers, and if you weren’t just a couple of inches away from him, you wouldn’t have heard it. He pulls out of you then and moves to lay beside you, putting his back to you. 

“What? Hey. Hey, look at me,” you say worriedly, pushing yourself up onto your elbow as you use your free hand to gently trace random shapes into his back. It takes him a minute but he eventually turns onto his back, staring at the ceiling instead of you. “What’s all this ‘leaving me’ talk about? We’ve been dating for years, Hikaru. Why would I want to leave you for someone else?” you ask with furrowed brows, starting to run your hand through his hair to help soothe him. He leans into your touch, his eyes finally meeting yours. Despite your reassuring words, he looks scared, worried. 

“What about Mr. Coffee-Shop-Hotshot? You seemed to like him a lot,” he grumbles, his mouth turning into a scowl just at the thought of the man. You can’t help but smile at how jealous he is, your heart swelling with the amount of love you hold for the man before you. 

“You dope, he was asking me for advice about his girlfriend. That hug happened because he was thanking me for basically saving his relationship,” you inform, a smirk on your face as you watch the realization come over his face. 

“Oh,” he squeaks out, his face turning sheepish and red. You snort and move to lay your head down on his chest. 

“You’re such an idiot. You should know by now that you’re the one for me, idiot and all,” you tease, gently rubbing his chest and abdomen. He huffs and wraps his arms around you, holding you tightly to him. 

“Whatever. As if you wouldn’t get upset if I was hugging another girl,” he accuses. 

“You act as if another girl would even come near someone as ugly as you,” you tease, obviously joking. 

“Hey!”

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[purpleshaded15]

AU: If Percy gives in to the dark side...

A/N: Now I’ve thought about it, especially if you’ve seen the Orthax!Percy form from the Q&A Episode where they explore his form if Percy gives in to Orthax. If you’ve seen it, he’s like a Final Fantasy Boss. But of course, they aren’t going for that, and the narrative won’t go there either. But my brain conjured up an AU somehow... which happens on Ep 11.

Warning: Angst. Dark. Cause... well... Need I explain myself? 

-------

Percy’s sweating profusely. He’s got the guard of his gun up, using it to shield from Cassandra’s blade. He’s wrecked with so many conflicting emotions; from happiness to finding her alive, to the pain of her betrayal. Her saying she is a Briarwood hurt him deeper than any wound could.

He wouldn’t hurt her. But how could she, try and hurt him, her own blood and family?!

His mind could come up with a lot of excuses for her right now, but time wouldn’t let him. This voice wouldn’t let him. 

She betrayed you, Percival. 

A voice only he could hear. A voice he thought was a product of his own insanity. He’d always ignored this voice. Fearing to admit that he’s gone crazy. 

But his hands moved on its own accord. He now couldn’t just ignore the shadow wrapping his arm. 

Kill her. 

“No...” was his immediate answer, sweating more intensely as he felt his gun arm start to point at her head. 

Yes... He felt the shadow mask him for a second... clouding his judgement... blinding him in that darkness. But no!

He used his left hand to change the trajectory of the shot to the ceiling, and used the distraction to run away, all the while hearing Cassandra blab about the Whispered One. 

He couldn’t quite concentrate. With this voice in his head, and this arm moving on its own, he’s been putting all his effort to just not kill his own sister. 

“They are my family!” He heard Cassandra yell, and his blood boiled again. He dodged but not enough that her blade left a cut on his left cheek. 

End this!!!

The voice was commanding this time. And he felt a surge of energy burst from his body. A whirling black smoke surrounded him. If before his problem was only his arm, now it’s his entire body. He struggled to get control, his right arm pointed right at her as she said, “So, you’re going to kill your own sister?” 

This was the first time he felt this much fear after a long time. He willed his body, his right arm to drop, his left arm to interfere but he couldn’t move. “I... don’t want to... but I...” His right eye cleared to show he’s still in there, as tears started to drop from it. 

KILL HER!

He wished for anyone to stop him from this point. He wished lightning would strike him; Sylas or Delilah to cut him down; or the building collapse on him; anything but this. He knew everyone was fighting their own battles (Grog has woken up & got Sylas occupied.) And he was clearly losing... not to his sister... but to... himself.

A sudden smoke flashed his eyes, the mask blinded him for a second, at the same time the gun fired.

The smoke cleared his eyes and he whimpered at the sight of splattered blood on the wall.

Cassandra dropped lifeless leaning on the wall with her brains out. Her blood splashed all over the wall, her eyes still staring right at him with animosity.

“No... This can’t be... No...” He sobbed and immediately ran to her, not realizing that now he could freely move again. The smoke was still whirling around him. “Cass! Cassandra!!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, as he held her close in his arms.

The tears just started to fall, at the same time the realization of unending pain. 

His vengeance brought him to her again.

And it’s his vengeance that killed her for good.

He knew, from a few years ago, that this vengeance would kill him too. He’s accepted that, but not this... not losing her again... not by his own hands...

Time stood still for a moment, as he mourned his loss again. He felt his grief and pain again. In a state of shock, horror, fear, guilt and regret, he didn’t notice the smoke had become larger. His shadow cast a larger, inhumane shade, grinning, and cackling in its form.

And he heard it in his head. The cackle. The maniacal laughter.

But he was too stunned to care. 

-----

After burning Sylas to ash and Delilah going into the chamber (of doom? I don’t remember what it’s called XD), the group split into chasing Delilah & opening the door, while Keyleth & Vex go around to find Percy. 

To their horror, they found him knelt in embrace on the floor with Cassandra’s dead body. All the blood had already spilt on the ground as well. 

“Oh no!” Keyleth gasped.

“Percy...?” asked Vex in a worried tone. She wanted to go to him but was stopped by Keyleth.

“Don’t. Look at the shadow...”

The smoke & shadow has grown larger in size, all emanating from Percy. 

Vex didn’t hesitate though, she carefully walked closer to Percy, to try and comfort him, reach him or snap him out of it, whatever she could do right now. “Percy... can you hear me?”

“Stop!” Percy angrily yelled which made Vex stop on her tracks. Percy pulled his head away from embracing his sister - a waterfall of tears on his eyes. He grasped his head with both hands and screamed, “STOP LAUGHING!” 

Vex looked at the shadows on the wall, and whatever it was, definitely was cackling. 

“Vex...?” he whispered weakly looking at her.

Vex noticed his form is now different. From the Ander’s fight, she knew his hexed eyes and twisted face, but something else has changed. His hands while they were still in gloves, have taken shape of a black claw. His hexed eyes more crazed and orange. His white hair now enveloped with smokey & pointy blackness that seemed to cascade. And from what she could see of his skin, from the neck to his face, there were intertwining lines that look like black veins of corruption. Black smoke coming out of his mouth as if there was hell within him.

She reached out her hand to him. “Percy, come! We can still fix this! We can bring her back!”

“NO!” Orthax voice yelled through Percy’s mouth... and a smokey shadow pushed Vex away and Keyleth caught her.

Orthax!Percy puts his hand on his chest and smirked menacingly to the both of them. “Percival is mine now... He knows there is no coming back. Isn’t that right Percival?”

Percy is pushed back to the forefront. His eyes unfocused, as dark veins continued to rise through his neck and hairline. “Y-yes...” Percy is so lost in his mind that he couldn’t comprehend the question nor formulate a proper answer.

“Yes,” said both Percy & Orthax voice in unison with Orthax’ voice much more forceful and in control. 

The corruption within has slowly eaten away his humanity. He wished to never feel pain again. To never suffer again. And slowly it’s becoming better. It feels better. With each second he felt the pain go away. But not just the pain, each and every feeling too. His grief, pain, sadness even his joy of being with his friends... all slowly fading away. Until he felt nothing. Nothing...

He looked at the corpse of his dead sister.

“Nothing at all.”

With this realization, Percy started to cackle like a madman, now in sync with the sinister laughter of his shadow. The shadow masked half his face permanently. He put out his hand and the List manifested in his shadow claw. 

“We have one last bitch to kill.” 

He vanishes in the shadow in an instant, leaving both Vex & Keyleth in shock, with a heavy understanding that now they have truly lost him. 

[elysiadjarin]

Day 6: Hand Kink

Day 6 of Kinktober! Already almost a week in, huh… I figured I’d dip into the rich Japanese side of mythology this time. I hope this is an acceptable tribute… Find my Kinktober Masterlist here.

Warnings: Minors DNI, this is 18+ content ONLY. Trigger warnings for violence mentioned including physical assault, some family abuse dynamics, implied sexual assault (does not actually happen), and mild descriptions of death. Also sexual content including soft dom themes, PinV unprotected sex, entirely consensual.

Tags: Beast Youkai x reader, fox spirit x reader, exophilia, terato

Small Sun Showers

“It’s such a small thing, really.”

You slid the bag you’d brought into the hollow of the old tree. Avoiding the ropes strung around, you carefully sat on the rock next to the tree.

“I brought you some sweet buns, this time, with poppy seeds,” you said, ignoring the comment that had come from the dark hollow. “Since you said you missed some of the herbs.”

The sound of crinkling came from the hole, followed by the sounds of munching. “Attentive to me, as always, sweet one,” the disembodied voice cooed, though a moment later burning orange eyes stared at you from the darkness.

You studiously avoided the gaze, looking down at the grass under your feet. A sliver of shadow from the abandoned warehouse nearby fell over you, giving you some shade from the warm sun. As always, you didn’t respond to the epithets. You never did.

“How is the temple doing?” The voice asked.

“It’s fine,” you answered, almost automatically. “The festival is coming up soon, so everyone is excited.”

“And yet you do not, hmm?” The eyes tilted, as though the head had cocked at her curiously.

Your eyes slid away, more towards the forest beyond the tree. Unconsciously, your fingers tugged at the long sleeves you wore, despite the warm weather.

“I’m a little nervous,” you admitted. “As a Shrine Maiden, I’m supposed to be doing the Miko Kagura. I’ve been practicing, but…”

“You wear long sleeves again.” A hint of suspicion crept into the voice.

Despite yourself, you flinched. “I— I’m just-“

A low growl issued from the tree. “A spirit has been harassing you again, hasn’t it. Why haven’t you called an exorcist? Or told your Father, the Priest?”

You turned your head away. “It’s been contracted by someone else,” you admitted, voice thin. “I… can’t tell Papa.”

A pause. “Because it was bought at a high price.” A sneer laced the voice. “Then how do you plan to get rid of it? You can’t hold it off forever yourself. And it’s already injured you, hasn’t it.”

You shook your head. “I’ll find out a way. I can’t bother anyone else with it.” Your eyes slid closed, the bruises mottled up your arm throbbing.

“Or you could create a contract with something far more powerful,” came the slick purr. “If you’d only break the talisman, I would make a contract with you, sweet one.” The sealed beast offered, for not the first time.

“You are a beast youkai,” you answered, voice steady. “It is against your nature to bind yourself to anyone, much less become the guardian spirit of a small temple.” You reminded both him and yourself.

“Unless we have reason. Even the mightiest of beasts might be swayed by beauty such as yours.”

A bitter smile twisted your lips as you turned your face away. You? As if. The beast youkai only even spoke to you because you gave it food and paid attention to it out of your own loneliness, not because it somehow cared about you. You couldn’t bring yourself to really believe that.

With a soft sigh, you plucked at your sleeves. “What do you want me to bring you next time?”

But the voice stayed quiet for a moment. When it spoke again, something in its voice had changed. “Do you truly not believe me? I do not lie when I say that I would bind myself to you. I would never let you be injured. I would protect you, like your family cannot. I would hold you close,” the voice said, a dreamy tone in its voice, “and I would shower you with everything you deserve.”

You fought the tears that welled in your eyes as you abruptly stood, grabbing your bag. “If you don’t have any requests, I’ll just bring anything,” you interrupted, struggling to make sure your voice didn’t waver.

A sigh, so soft that you wondered if it were only the wind. “A meat bun.”

You nodded, then headed back down the hillside towards home. Reaching up, you angrily smeared your tears from your cheeks, breath hitching on your sobs.

You could never allow yourself to believe the words of a youkai, much less a powerful and dangerous one like him. No matter how sweet his words, how genuine they sounded… Everyone always lied to you. He would be no exception.

You tried to ignore the little part of you that wondered if maybe, just maybe, dying at the hands of the youkai would be better than continuing the misery of your life.

~

“Fouuuund youuuu.” A yawning mouth sprang from the darkness, black eyes fixed with crazed bloodlust on your body.

You dropped to the floor, scrambling across the hardwood to slide towards the doorway. Leaping back up, you ran for your life. Your breaths came fast and shallow as you blindly ran, tripping through the dark halls of the temple. Behind you, you could hear cackling laughter as its talons scrabbled after you.

You reached out your hand, then burst though the main doors, stumbling across the stones out front. Looking up, you froze.

An entire group of men stood in front of you, all staring at you with leering, jeering faces. The one in the front, the one your brain automatically assumed was the leader, stepped forwards.

“Well, well. Would you look at that.” He grinned, his eyes sliding over your shoulder.

Something grabbed your arm, wrenching you back. You stifled a cry, sinking your teeth into your lip as claws brutally dug into the bruises already all up your arm. The spirit held you, its tight grip almost unbearable.

“I guess the boy must really hate his family, huh?” the man sneered, hands in his pockets as he stared at you down his nose. Reaching out with his foot, he kicked at you like some sort of trash. “To think that he’d offer his own younger sister in exchange for his debts.”

Your heart sank. Of course. Your brother who had gotten into debt with the yakuza. Of course he’d offer you: the only girl, the precious little shrine maiden.

Sadly enough, it didn’t even surprise you. But at least now you figured out why the spirit had haunted you in particular so insistently, and how much trouble you were in. Which, you snorted bitterly to yourself, was a lot. Probably at risk of your life, at best.

A wild thought flashed through your head, desperate but somehow… insistent. Your eyes briefly scanned the crowd of men. You were smaller than most of them, and probably in better shape at this point. If you managed to get a brief head start, you weren’t too far away— enough to maybe be able to get there just fast enough. But you’d have to immobilize the spirit first, at least temporarily.

Thickly, you swallowed, closing your eyes and breathing in deeply. You had enough. Just enough for one— Your other hand landed on the spirit’s as your eyes flew open. The spirit let out a piercing shriek, letting go of you as the searing spiritual energy burst through your palm. You didn’t hesitate.

Breaking into a dead sprint, you headed straight for the hill behind the temple. Behind you, you could hear the angry shouts of the men as they started after you. You pushed yourself, ignoring it, taking as many shortcuts as you could, heart pounding in your ears as you gasped for air. Your legs were starting to ache, and you could hear them gaining on you; but the warehouse was in sight.

Skidding around the corner, you ran straight for the tree. Your hand reached for the talisman.

When the yakuza men caught up to you, they found you kneeling at the base of the tree, a shattered seal at your feet.

Tears streaked down your cheeks as you whispered into the hollow. “Please… if you help me, just this once… I’ll give you myself in exchange,” you promised weakly.

“It’s too late now, little girl,” the boss sneered, starting to step towards you. “You’re coming with us.”

But before he could say anything more or another move was made, a dark mist began to swirl around the area. Shouts of confusion arose as the mist covered everything, too dark to see through, almost too dark to even move in safely. A low, grating laugh spilled from the darkness, just as you felt yourself being lifted up.

Startled, you gasped softly and clung to the solidity you could feel under your fingers. Lips parted, you stared at the familiar orange eyes that slowly materialized in front of you. A wide, fanged grin split the darkness underneath the eyes; and slowly, a body started to emerge from the swirling dark mist.

“Well hello there, my sweet one,” the familiar voice cooed. Long, pitch black hair tied in a low ponytail framed a pale face. The beast youkai, one that you now recognized as a Fox, held you effortlessly in one arm, pulling you close to his chest. He towered above the ground, dwarfing you in every way possible. His entire hand curled around almost your entire thigh.

You swallowed. “H-hello,” you whispered tremulously, not even sure what to think at this point.

“You released me,” he murmured, his eyes fixed on you. He leaned forward, and his nose brushed against your cheek as a soft purr rumbled through his chest, reverberating down into you.

Your fingers clenched in his robe, surprise flittering through you that he wasn’t… leaving. Or killing you.

“My brave darling,” the youkai fairly gushed, nosing against you. “Now I can finally fulfill my promise to you.”

“Promise?” you repeated dumbly, mind whirling. What-?

He chuckled. “I told you, didn’t I? That I would contract with you, if you set me free. Protect you, cherish you as you should be.”

He’d actually meant it? What?

“I…” You stared up at his orange eyes, fixed on you intensely. Your breath stuck in your throat as the familiar ache of longing overcame you. Reminded you of your stupidity, falling in love with the beast youkai that you thought would never even glance at you if he were free.

“Of course I’ll do anything for you,” he purred, his tongue flicking out to briefly lick away the tear-streak on your cheek. “As if I would deny you when you offer me the one thing I truly desire more than anything else.” He grinned, eyes sparking. “You.”

And then his fingers tilted your chin up, and your eyes squeezed shut as his lips landed on yours. The kiss was warm and soft, surprisingly so. You could feel your spiritual energy gravitating towards him, could feel it wrapping around him, infusing him, as he made a contract binding him to you and your spiritual energy. He reluctantly let go of your lips, the dizzying kiss making your head spin as you gasped for breath.

“My name is Kaz, sweet one,” he murmured, orange eyes half-lidded in simmering contentment.

Unthinkingly, you repeated the name. “Kaz…”

His eyes glowed. “Now then. Why don’t we start with these filth?”

In the next moment, the mist cleared to reveal that everyone now stood in the empty warehouse. Kaz still held you in his arm, keeping you close against his chest as he stared at the yakuza men starting to reorient themselves.

The boss cursed, glaring at you and Kaz. “Hand her over,” he spat, bristling. “She’s ours.”

But Kaz only laughed, his teeth baring as feral glee glittered in his eyes. “Give you my precious shrine maiden?” he cackled. “Didn’t you ever consider the fact that she is in fact a shrine maiden at a temple, with her own powerful spiritual energy? Enough to make a contract with a powerful beast like me?” He licked his lips. “And your blood… smells wonderful.”

Some of the men started to look wary, clearly leery about the sheer size of Kaz, especially in comparison with you.

Kaz tilted his head toward you, just as he flicked his fingers. A soft sort of puffy cloud materialized beside him, and he gently set you on it. “Stay here while I get rid of these nuisances,” he said gently, his fingers brushing across your cheek. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” With one last sickeningly sweet smile, he turned towards the men. A sword materialized in his hand, practically the size of your entire body.

You looked away, bile rising in your throat. The blood drained from your face as you heard the men screaming, the sound of the carnage making you reach up to clap your hands over your ears. Though you were sure the men were far from innocent or deserving of mercy, the brutality of their deaths was undeniable. A high-pitched, inhuman shriek indicated that the spirit they’d contracted had also been shredded by Kaz.

It made you wonder. How powerful was Kaz, exactly-?

After another moment, you felt Kaz lift you up again in his arm. Eyes flying open, you grasped at his shoulders as he pulled you close against himself again. His other blood-spattered hand still held his sword, but his eyes were adoringly fixed on you.

Reaching up, you absently wiped away a tiny drop of blood off of his jaw. “Thank you,” you whispered. Despite yourself… you felt safe.

His eyes visibly lit up, and his grin widened as he gazed up at you. “Ah, my darling praises me!” You could swear his eyes had hearts in them. “Do I get a kiss?” His grin turned teasing.

You swallowed thickly. “I… I promised you myself if you helped me,” you said weakly. “It’s all I can really give you… besides my spiritual energy—“

Kaz leaned forwards, his face so close that you could almost feel his breath against your lips. “Be my bride,” he whispered, his voice a heady murmur.

You breath hitched. “K-Kaz?” Had you… heard him right-?

“You offered me yourself, darling,” he purred. “So, be my bride. I am contracted to you, aren’t I? So I will be an impertinent beast and ask the shrine maiden to be my bride without shame.”

You closed your eyes. “Okay,” you whispered.

He paused, as though he himself didn’t believe you’d agreed.

Because you both knew that as a youkai contracted to someone with spiritual energy, you had the power to entirely command him to do anything… and deny him anything. Yet here you were, agreeing to be his bride.

“Okay, Kaz,” you repeated, not meeting his eyes. You could feel the color splash across your face.

But in all honesty, it wasn’t as though you really had many other options. Kaz could promise you some sort of safety even against your own family, and his power was certainly enough to protect you against other youkai. It had taken one of the highest-complexity talismans to even seal him away in the first place, and you could already feel through the contract how powerful he was.

The idea of being his bride… wasn’t really disagreeable.

“Darling,” Kaz breathed. His lips gently slid against yours, the touch soothing and almost… grounding. “I’ll be a most devoted husband, I promise,” he murmured.

You closed your eyes and decided that you would try to believe.

The talisman had been such a small thing, really.

~

You smiled as you walked down the street, stretching your hand out to gather the raindrops that pattered down and pooled in your palm. The weather had been beautiful, but despite the warm sunshine and hardly a cloud being in the sky, it had still decided to rain.

Pausing in the middle of the empty sidewalk, you lifted your face and let the raindrops splash against your face in a cooling shower. You loved the rain, the way it seemed to wash away all your heavy worries and soothe the ragged edge in your soul.

A shadow fell over you, and you opened your eyes to see Kaz standing above you, smiling down at you. He leaned down and swept you up into his arm, one hand holding your thigh while the other wrapped around your waist. A startled laugh fell from your lips as you held onto his shoulders.

“Is my darling enjoying the fox wedding?” he cooed.

You flushed, just then realizing the common name for the burst of cloudless rain. You gave him a shy smile, then nodded.

He chuckled. “Should we celebrate, sweet one? I can give you a gift, if you like.” Between one breath and another, he’d shifted you both somewhere else.

You gasped, eyes widening as you saw that you were floating on a soft, wispy cloud, now deep in the forest on the outskirts of town. A place no other people were, where the rain pattered softly against the leaves of the trees and dripped to the undisturbed grasses below. Flowers bloomed beneath your cloudy carpet ride, and you leaned over to brush your fingers through the colorful blooms.

The cloud rose a little, coming to a stop and floating peacefully. Kaz pulled you into his lap, his hands wrapping around your entire waist. He smiled, watching your expressions as you looked around in delight.

“And what do you think of your wedding veil, my darling bride?” Kaz murmured, leaning down to brush his nose against your hair.

You looked down at the long, wispy cloud under you, and smiled. “It’s pretty. Thank you, Kaz.” You tilted your head back to smile at him.

His orange eyes flared, and he caught your lips in a burning kiss that seared through you like foxfire. Letting out a surprised squeak, you grasped his robe, fingers tangling in it for support as he pulled you closer, tilting his head and deepening the kiss. Your head spun as your eyes fluttered closed.

When he finally parted, you gasped a little for air, blinking dazedly. His hand gently slid up your waist and side, sliding to your back, pulling you flush against him. He pressed another kiss to your lips. You realized, with a burst of embarrassment, that the rain had entirely soaked your shirt, plastering it to your body and leaving rather little to the imagination.

“Darling, my darling,” Kaz murmured against your lips, “won’t you let me touch you?” His hands slid down your body, fingers caressing you sensually.

You bit your lip, heat staining your face. It wasn’t fair. He knew your weakness for his hands. His large, strong hands that held you close, admired your body with touch. His calloused, capable hands that protected you, defended you, worked for you.

You nodded shyly, peeking up at him. Your lips parted in a gasp as his hands slid under your shirt, starting to map out your skin. His tongue slid against yours in a soft kiss, almost distracting you from how his hands deftly explored your body.

It almost startled you when your back landed against the cloud, Kaz hovering above you with his hands wrapped around your waist. His robe slipped open, sliding down his shoulders as he observed you with burning eyes.

“So beautiful, darling,” he purred, his hands trailing down to your pants. “Can I touch? Please?”

Shyly, you nodded, one hand over your mouth as you let out a quiet whimper, chest heaving with breath. Kaz’s hands were so broad, so warm… handled you with such a reverent sort of gentility and softness that you couldn’t help but bask in it, melt into it.

A steady purr rumbled through his chest as he kissed his way down your jaw and neck, fingers sliding into your pants and underwear to pull them off. Sliding his hands under you, he pulled your body up against him, lips sliding across yours.

Your hands braced you against his chest as you gasped, feeling his cock land heavily against your stomach. It throbbed against you, but he quickly distracted you as one hand slid into your hair, pulling your head back. He pressed a kiss to your lips, his mouth hot against your skin.

“So tiny and sweet,” Kaz mumbled against your neck, his voice half-drunk. His fingers slid across your thigh wrapped around his waist, and he lowered his hips, pushing you into the plush softness of the cloud. Your mind started to fuzz, entirely focused on the way his hands grasped at you, somehow greedy and gentle all at once, and the way he handled you with that deft confidence yet tender infatuation.

“Kaz,” the moan left your lips before you could quite help it, your entire body humming at every brush of his fingers.

His answering hum was low and amused as he started to gently slide into you, making you gasp and arch. His cock slid into you without resistance. You’d gotten so wet just thanks to his soft touches and gentle attention. He murmured your name against your lips as he slid wholly into you, seating himself inside with a heavy breath.

You whimpered, biting your lip as you tried to somehow ground yourself. Everything had started to go fuzzy, especially as his hands wrapped entirely around your hips and pulled you down onto his cock, his grasp iron as he ground up into you.

His pace, once he started thrusting, stayed steady and almost agonizingly slow. But when you whined, he chuckled and slid his fingers between your lips instead. You let his lithe fingers gently play with your tongue, while his other hand kept you anchored to him.

You could feel the coil inside you steadily growing, getting tighter, closer to the edge. Everything felt so hazy and light, like the solidity of his body was the only real thing, the only think that mattered. Like his hands were the only things that kept you grounded, held you down, safe from drifting away.

“K-Kaz.” Your teary eyelids opened to gaze up at his face.

“Does this please you, my darling?” Kaz murmured, sliding his fingers out of your mouth and down to press against your clit.

“I— I love you.” Your fingers curled against his chest.

His orange eyes widened, then flooded with that pure, infatuated adoration. “I love you, my sweet darling,” he purred, kissing you. “And I am so entirely yours.”

The coil in your stomach snapped, your orgasm washing over you with a force that left you lightheaded and dizzy. The pleasure suffused your entire body until you were gasping, tears streaking down your cheeks as you whimpered.

You finally floated down from your high to the feeling of Kaz’s hands sweeping over you. He murmured soft endearments into your ear, pressing soft kisses to your skin. He pulsed inside you, but still kept his pace slow and steady as he fucked you through the aftershocks.

Wrapping your hands around his neck, you nestled your head into the crook of his neck. His hands clenched around your hips, and he let out a groan as he rested his head beside yours. You could tell that he was so close, his hips starting to stutter.

“You feel so lovely, so warm and tight and soft, darling,” Kaz groaned. “Please, can I—“

“It’s okay, Kaz,” you reassured sweetly, voice shy. “You can.”

He jerked one more time, sinking into you with a low groan. His entire body shuddered as he came, pouring into you as he gripped your thighs hard enough to leave fingerprints. For once, you didn’t mind the bruises.

Pulling back, he caught your lips in a deep kiss, mouth slanting over yours. He poured the love, the gratitude, the adoration between your lips until you felt as though you could drown in it.

“I will always protect you,” he promised against your lips.

And for once, you believed the promise.

It was such a small thing, really.