#it is suffering but it makes the game so fun

[wtfaniii]

Can you make one of how the squid game boys would react if you died in their arms??? 😭🙏

I like it! I hope you like it🤎

Reaction to your death

Fem reader! x squid game men

Warning: Some angst, blood, death and drama.

Note: Orders are closed until further notice! Thank you for your support and I will continue to respond to each and every one of them!

Seong Gi-hun

You promised not to leave him alone after the traumatizing experience he lived in those games, nobody believed him except you.

And just as you promised him you wouldn't leave his side, you went to the games with him even when he flatly asked you not to.

"I'll be with you through thick and thin"

For Gi-hun, your company was a ray of hope in the midst of this environment full of death, you made him laugh when no one was looking and you filled him with loving words every time he felt frustrated for not being able his objective.

But as the sunlight fades with the storm, him happiness is short-lived.

The ammunition for their weapons had run out and they had no choice but to surrender as the front man walked towards them.

—456, ¿did you have fun playing hero?

Him body tensed as the man pointed the gun.

He was not afraid of dying, he had already seen so many things that stopping breathing would be a relief to his tortured soul.

But when the front man pulled his gun away from him to point it at you, he felt like the air was leaving his lungs.

—Now you will suffer the consequences of your actions.

He could see the fear in your face and the tears in your eyes, even when you turned to look at him just to say a soft "I love you" he felt helpless not being able to do anything and in a matter of seconds the bullet went through the head of the woman he loved.

A scream full of terror, anguish and sadness left her mouth, tears clouded his vision and went to your body to hug it one last time.

There was failure, not only because he was nowhere close to stopping these games, but also because he had lost all his friends and now you.

Hwang In-ho

He met you a couple of years ago after the death of his wife, you comforted him and dried every tear he shed.

Even when he disappeared for a few months and came back only to ask you to come with him without question you accepted without an ounce of fear or doubt.

You trusted him with your life and over time he trusted you with his, you became his right hand in these games, both of you led and maintained a specific order.

Until one day he came up with the idea that he would also participate just to keep his enemy, Gi-hun, under constant observation, "They say you have to know your enemies" he said confidently while dressing in the characteristic mint green uniform.

You weren't sure but you agreed to be the temporary leader under the square mask in the black suit just to make sure he would be okay.

You looked after him back so much that you neglected your own.

And when you least expected it you were shot by player 390 during a crossfire in the hallways.

In-ho didn't consider that Gi-hun and the players' rebellion would go this far, he kept pretending to be Young-il along with two other players but when he heard you gasp in pain after hearing a gunshot, his lie became secondary.

He killed the other two, faked his own death, and ordered Gi-hun and his team to be arrested, then headed straight to where you were, bleeding and dying.

—You're going to be okay... —He tried to convince himself more of his words, the bullet wound in your stomach looked like a fountain of your own blood.

Your hand on him cheek made him look up into your eyes,

You could see his teary eyes and his scared expression.

—Don't let these games end with you... No one who loves you wants to see you involved in this... —You wanted to go live in the countryside with In-ho, live in a cabin and have a family, you stayed only because he asked you to.

—Don't close your eyes —he begged firmly, holding back his tears—Don't you dare close your eyes.

It seemed like a demand, but it was a desperate plea not to let you die.

—Don't make me go through this pain again...

But you weren't breathing anymore, he sobbed a few more seconds with you before one of his guards took him to his grey suit and mask.

He was really enjoying pulling the trigger of the gun while aiming at Jung-bae.

Kang Dae-ho

You and Dae-ho met while serving your country and have been inseparable ever since.

Dae-ho had romantic feelings for you but he never told you for fear of ruining the friendship, he didn't know that your heart also jumped with joy every time he was around.

You did what you could to help him financially, you asked for so much money that before you knew it you were being threatened by people should never have gotten involved with because you owed too much.

Now, they were both in these games trying to survive.

—¿Can I tell you something? —He asked as they climbed the colorful stairs toward their next test.

—Yes.

Dae-ho wanted to tell you many things, among them that he loved you and that when they left here they should buy a nice house and two cats.

But his tongue got stuck in his throat.

—Better later.

You nodded with a soft smile.

Unfortunately you never got to hear him question, during the third game, Mingle, the last round consisted of making pairs and getting a cubicle, it was just a mistake in which he let go of your hand and another participant went into the small room with him.

Dae-ho screamed desperately trying to open the door even though the counter was already at zero, you could see him tears and his expression of terror when he saw you on the other side of the door.

—It's okay.... it's okay...

You comforted him even though you were scared, you tried to use your voice to calm him even though you were the one who was going to die, you did it like the other times he had panic attacks.

—Dae-ho, I lo-

A muffled scream and cry came from him as one of the guards shot you and you fell dead in front of his eyes.

He couldn't hug you, he couldn't tell you everything he felt and that made his world go into shock, his heart break into a thousand pieces and a part of him die with you.

Lee Myung-gi

You were an arms smuggler in debt to many people, you ran away and hid to survive when you met him and since then became inseparable.

The two were brought to these games promising that they would come out alive, pay their debts and go far away from here to have a new life.

You survived all the games, but when the players became more tense and started a fight with the guards, you thought you could help them, you had knowledge in weapons handling so you would be of great help.

—Whoever wants to come with us can do so —said 456, placing the weapons they had taken from the guards in front of the room.

You were about to take a step forward but Myung-gi, who was standing next to you, took your hand and looked at with almost pleading eyes.

He hoped you wouldn't go, it was going to be suicide, he sensed it, but you broke free from his grip and went with them.

When you heard him call you, you turned to look at him one last time.

—Everything will be okay, I'll come back and we'll finish this —You assured him with your usual confident smile.

When you disappeared through that door with the other players he felt a pressure on his heart.

A lump formed in him throat with each passing minute until after an hour the guards came to restore order and brought back player 456, the one who had started everything, alone.

He couldn't say a word when heard your number among the others eliminated, he just put his hands on his head and began to shed tears non-stop.

All him future plans with you fell apart in the blink of an eye, he lost you and the worst thing was that he was not by your side to help you or protect you, they promised that they would be there through thick and thin but he left you alone.

You would have managed to kill all those soldiers, you would have reached the control booth and ended it all to go back for Myung-gi, take the money and leave forever but your only mistake was turning back on 001.

Park Gyeong-seok

This was before he got into the games, you were his wife and while you were looking for money on the streets painting yourself as a mime and doing tricks, one night you were late to return home.

You took the subway and sat down in a spot, you were tired and hungry but proud that you had made enough money to eat well for two days, your daughter was going through a hard time now so you and your husband were practically fighting to survive.

You were calmly until you heard noises a few seats behind you, when you turned head to see a man assaulting an elderly woman, you were not going to stand by and do nothing.

[...]

Gyeong-seok had just put Na-yeon to sleep in her room, closed the door, and when he heard the front door open, he assumed it was you who had arrived.

—She just fell asleep, she wanted to wait for you but sleep overcame her —He said with a soft smile, your daughter was everything to you.

He walked towards the living room but when he saw you, his smile completely disappeared and his face turned pale.

—Honey...

You fell to the ground with your hand holding in the bloody stomach, when you tried to confront the assailant he stabbed you and you had to return home leaving a trail of your dripping blood.

He ran to you to hold you in his arms, he tried not to make too much noise so as not to wake Na-yeon and traumatize her.

—¿What happened? I'll take you to the hospital, don't worry, everything will be okay.

Gyeong-seok's expression was full of anguish and panic, you put your hand on his cheek and looked at him sadly.

You knew that taking you to the hospital would generate more expenses, the little money they had was for their daughter, she was your priority, besides, you knew it was already too late.

—You'll take care of her ¿right? Tell her I love her.

He began to cry and hug you against his chest, he also knew that taking you to the hospital would be in vain but he refused to let you go.

—I don't want to do this alone...

You apologized through tears, you didn't want to leave him either but life was slipping through your fingers.

—I love you so much...

And with those last words you took your last breath.

He cried non-stop with you still in his arms, rocking gently and leaving kisses on your head also saying how much he loved you, from that moment on he was left alone with Na-yeon, working overtime, without your help life became more difficult but without your company it was torture.

Hwang Jun-ho

You two had been married for two years, you were happy and carefree, or at least that's what you thought.

One day you discovered things about him that he hadn't told you, that he had a lost brother and that he had been looking for him for years.

You didn't judge him, you decided to help him in his search and that led them to infiltrate some twisted games where they made people play until they died for money.

The two of you kept a low profile as guards until one of the so-called "VIPs" wearing gold masks took an interest in you, it made your blood run cold but you couldn't raise suspicions or would die so you didn't protest when he asked to accompany him to a private place.

You let that man guide you, you knew that Jun-ho would soon come for you but couldn't help but feel your stomach turn with every step you took.

Before entering the exotic room you left one of your earrings outside so your husband would know where you were.

Just when this stranger was about to force you to give him a blowjob, you punched him and pointed the gun at him.

You had the upper hand until you heard the door open behind you and looked away from the man.

It was Jun-ho but that little carelessness made the man with the golden mask snatch the gun from you and shoot you in the chest.

The shot made time stop for Jun-ho, he saw you fall to the ground with a lost look and blood pouring from your body, he also managed to stop the man but his eyes were still on you.

—They're okay, okay, calm down, don't shoot me —The man stammered as Jun-ho made him kneel without removing the gun from him head.

—You just killed my wife... —He said with a stern, sad and upset expression on his face.

He wanted to kill him but he wasn't a murderer and you wouldn't want him to be one.

After getting all the information possible out of him about these games, he knocked him out and finally turned to look at you.

He brought a hand to his mouth to suppress a cry of pain, his eyes were watery and with his other hand he held the gun tightly, he couldn't protect you and that made him feel miserable.

He approached you and left a kiss on your forehead, closed your eyes and asked for forgiveness a thousand times for having to leave you there.

Even with a broken heart, he turned away from you and ran away.

N/A: I apologize for not writing anything about Thanos but I couldn't find any inspiration for him 😭

[rosebloodcat]

I never knew about Visual Novel Stigmas until recently but I don't think the reason for it is really classism or a dislike of non-western games (or a dislike of reading). I mean, so many game companies and consoles on the market aren't made in America anyway. Especially the "action" games that most people think of when they talk about "serious" gaming.

I think it's more that, nowadays, people push the idea of challenge and competition in video games because they've been told for so long that there wasn't any "value" in gaming. So they have to make it seem cool and serious and high stakes because people won't take them seriously if they don't.

To a degree, it's part of American culture.

You can't do something fun if it's not competitive and to Prove Yourself. You can't do something that's not earning you money in some way. You can't do something just for fun. It has to be something that can be boasted about.

Some games have leeway since people can claim to play them to unwind after work or school, but that idea of "You can't just do things for fun" is still there.

It's not just in games either. Writing, art, and music are all suffering because of that mindset too.

You can't just draw or paint to relax, you have to sell your paintings to make money off of them.

You can't just write a story for fun, you have to be working on a full book and looking for publishers so you can get paid for your book.

You aren't able to just play an instrument or write a song in your free time, you need to record it and upload it somewhere so people can buy it from you.

Visual Novels, Point and Click games, and Life/Farming Sims get looked down on because they aren't things you can brag about in the West. They don't show off your "skills" or get featured in competitions or help you earn money.

They're just for fun. And, for reasons I don't think I'll understand, that's not good enough.

I feel like the western stigma against visual novels is rooted not just in orientalism (as many have said) but also classism. sure, you may not recognize this medium as a legitimate category of video games because you grew up playing graphically intensive AAA console and pc games, but not everyone has had that luxury. for most of my life, I've been unable to play most pc games due to never being able to afford a computer with even halfway decent specs. visual novels on the other hand? everyone can play those. find any computer made in the last 20 years, and you can almost certainly play visual novels on it! it's no surprise that so many critiques of the medium come in the form of mockery over how "simplistic" and "primitive" they are (comparing them to sideshows is a common joke). people don't see them as worthy of acknowledging because they're simply too accessible. and if you think that's a reach, I urge you to think for even a minute how widespread of a problem elitism over graphics has been in the gaming community since its very inception.

[pedripics]

REAL MADRID v FC BARCELONA | january 12, 2025 - post match interview

"We managed to come back, get a good lead, then the red card, it's true that it hurts a little, but we were able to hold on and do well… We wanted to do it for them [Dani Olmo and Pau Victor], because they deserved it, they had a difficult time, it's for them and especially for those who are injured for a long time, who are just as important to us." 💙❤️

"I feel good, very good. We wanted to win. A great game for both of us [Ferran and him] [Ferran makes fun of Pedri for being so serious]. Well, ask him then." "The first half, except for their goal, I think we were spectacular and well... [points behind the camera] they are telling me to smile because if I don't, they'll get angry... and then in the second half we had to hold on after the red card, but we knew how to suffer." "It gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the season."

[lcb-oil]

Hi! I just wanted to say I really love how you characterize Donqui in your fics, they're all so wonderful to read and feel so true to her + other Sinners' characters!! Do you have any fun don headcanons or thoughts about her character that you'd like to share? No worries if not, and thank you so much for your writing!! ❤️

Hi, and thanks for the ask!

I’m so super excited with the response to my fics, I wasn’t sure how they would land with others since I haven’t really written very much before. There isn’t too much Gen Limbus Company fic out there on the whole, so I set up this little project to fill that gap at least a bit.

Staying as true to the characters as I’m capable of is one of my primary goals, so it gives me so much energy to hear that it feels on target!

For the most part I hope to show my headcannons through my stories so I can give them lots of context.

But this is Tumblr — so I shouldn’t miss out on a chance to have some fun and dive in, right?!

I’d like to share some of my broader thoughts on Don Quixote and why I find her so interesting, but I have a whole lot I need to type up so that’ll take a little time.

Until then, if it’s interesting I’ll share my story notes on a theme I keep coming back to -

Don Quixote and Food

(Full Canto VII spoilers under the cut, of course!)

Don Quixote and Blood

My interpretation from the game is that Don Quixote can go without human blood essentially 100% of the time thanks to the strength of her dream filling the emotional gap. Other speculation from there:

Don Quixote thinks that drinking blood is generally morally wrong and would not casually do it for fun or personal satisfaction. I think she would do it when required to survive, and to have the strength needed to protect those she cares for.

Maybe she would need it to recover from a major injury, but Dante can fix that! So that’s not a major cause of concern for her.

Since hardblood arts are literally made from blood, feeding on blood is needed to continue to employ them. I imagine that some stored blood is lost over time when hardblood arts are used, even though it is mostly reabsorbed.

Experiencing different things, especially novel things, reduces her desire for blood dramatically as it provides emotional enrichment and aligns with her dream of adventure. Faust and Dante keep in mind that exposing Don Quixote to new sights and activities creates an actual direct impact on her wellbeing. This is key to managing her properly!

She currently has a practical mindset about the fact that she fundamentally needs blood to live after the events of La Manchaland.

Her finding a way to contextualize this in a non-self-hating way was the inspiration for Provided Supplies.

In that fic she interprets the way the other sinners feel about her need for blood negatively since that’s the most reasonable expectation of humans - even though that is not what they are trying to communicate with their actions!

Her high level of self discipline and emotional fulfillment makes it possible for her to drink a relatively small amount of blood, like the donated blood in Provided Supplies, and not go wild as other bloodfiends might.

I think a lot about how she will approach and understand other bloodfiends in the future, who may not have the same strength to bridge the gap for blood the way she can...

In early Canto VII, we saw oblivionized Don Quixote (ironically) express a “just don’t drink blood, that’s pathetic, get good” attitude towards the starving bloodfiends that were attacking humans.

After her experience in Canto VII, and seeing the suffering of her withered family members, she certainly won’t think that “just don’t drink blood” is a reasonable solution for all bloodfiend kind. But what can be done? Hmm.

I would like to explore this in some upcoming works.

Not being aware of the difference of individual needs, or not treating it seriously, was a primary flaw of Dad Quixote — and one that she has inherited in interesting ways! We can still see hints of this in her behavior, I think.

I cannot stop thinking about the fact that Project Moon threw in the fact that Rocinante doesn’t suppress the desire for blood. WHAT!?

The implications of this are simply too interesting! Therefore, I have to think that:

Without her memories, oblivion Don Quixote implicitly assumed that everyone has an innate craving to drink blood just like she does.

Why wouldn’t they?

But properly civilized people (and especially noble Fixers) don’t express such thoughts and impulses.

(I think humanity owes Bari a solid for this one…)

Bloodfiends and Sense of Taste

In my stories bloodfiends can eat other foods without negative consequences - but they can’t taste them in the same way humans can and don’t get any energy or nourishment from it.

Most bloodfiends would not bother eating human food since there’s no point.

Don Quixote views eating with the other sinners as a key bonding activity with her companions, so she would not agree that there is no point! She eats every meal with them without complaint regardless of if it does anything for her or not. This idea was the inspiration point for Proper Food.

Most foods taste like nothing or close to nothing, but there are some exceptions.

Only those not informed about bloodfiends would think they can’t taste anything at all, although that is most people in the City.

I’d like to write about those exceptions in the future!

In some parts of the story we see oblivionized Don Quixote commenting on the taste of things, which might seem to go against this headcannon.

No problem! In my stories, the oblivionized Don Quixote’s experiences come from two ideas:

Amnesia Don Quixote can’t properly taste anything, but she doesn’t know that she can’t. She had no idea that her senses could be altered to begin with. When others commented on foods at the start of the journey, she did her best to understand and go with the flow of what others seem to say - learning on the fly.

She had a powerful longing to be included in this group experience that she can’t quite grasp, so she throws herself fully into trying her best at it! Taste all that random stuff as best you can, Don Quixote! Bite those abnormalities!

In The Taste Test I had present day Don Quixote refer to her tasting endeavors as “tasting from the heart”. This is what I was trying to get at with that line, haha.

In Proper Food, I imagined that Dad Quixote would have learned a playbook of food-related adjectives that he’s actively learning to use to fit in with humans during their adventure - so Our Don Quixote would have subconsciously picked up on this goal.

Fun to imagine: Dad Quixote and Sancho inadvertently eat a super spicy pepper that no one would ever consider eating whole — seeds and all. They can’t tell the difference and Dad Quixote complements it like any other food.

Manchegan food must be really, really, really spicy, onlookers think to themselves…

———

Anyway, I hope you found some of this interesting!

I’ll write more about Don Quixote in general in the future.

(I will use the tag #lcb-oil-table-talk when posting about my headcannons / story notes in the future.)

...and of course, thank you for reading!

[rttnzombii]

Guys who wants to see my mini essay about Eggman being a loser and agent stone making him less of a pathetic loser?

“In the games, and in any other media before the movies came out, everyone hates Ivo Robotnik. It’s not in a fun, dedicated way where he is an arch-nemesis of Team Sonic; no, everyone sees Eggman as a failure. This may sound weird if you don’t know anything about Sonic and thought Eggman was a typical villain.

To make matters worse, his entire family hates him too. Movie-only fans might be aware of this as it was the focus of the newest movie— there’s Gerald Robotnik, His and Maria’s grandfather, who didn’t give Ivo a second glance in favor of his long-dead cousin Maria, who’s death he wants to avenge. Gerald manipulated Ivo and dismissed him, saying "oh Ivo, you’re no Maria," even though Ivo probably doesn’t even know who Maria is in the movie universe. Gerald's character suffers similarly in the games.

What you may not know is that in one of the games, Eggman encounters a descendant multiple generations into the future named Eggman Nega, who absolutely hates Ivo too. He believes Eggman is cramping his style and even tries to go back in time to eliminate him to restore his own reputation. Eggman also has other family and cousins who seem indifferent to his fate. I recall a character named Collin, who went by the nickname Snively, who worked with Eggman at one point but also hated him and later betrayed him. I can't remember a single family member of Eggman's who actually seemed to like or tolerate him.

He’s had many henchpeople too, most of whom are robots. Many, like Omega, Alpha, and Sage (who was a robot daughter he built for himself), have betrayed him and joined the heroes. Sage is somewhat of an outlier; while she doesn’t switch sides, she certainly isn’t loyal either. Smaller minions like Orbot and Cubot were unable to betray Eggman, but would have if they could, as they didn’t like his poor leadership and failure to recognize their devotion.

None of this is particularly surprising. Eggman is seen as a villain to the heroes and a failure to other villains. It’s humorous in a way; he needs more formidable foes in the games to heighten tension, but his iconic status prevents him from being sidelined completely, so he remains a comedic figure rather than a genuine threat. It’s a bit sad, but he has brought it upon himself by attempting to create a totalitarian egg-state and belittling Sonic for having friends. Why should anyone remain loyal to someone like that? Joining the heroes is often viewed as the right move; characters like Shadow and Knuckles have done it, and others have wandered the line of allegiance.

It’s worth recapping that for many years, Eggman was depicted as someone without any truly loyal supporters – not even his robotic henchmen. In various animated shows and comics, he created robot companions expressly meant to like him, but he often found himself isolated.

However, that has changed in recent times. As of 2020, Doctor Robotnik finally gained his first and only loyal henchmen, Agent Stone.

Agent Stone's presence sets off a shift in Eggman's story and character, as he embodies the loyalty and support that the villain has long been deprived of. When movie Eggman states that there’s only been one person who truly cared for him, he is specifically referring to Stone, who is the only true ally eggmans ever had. GAent stone worked to follow Eggmans manifest and work to follow the villain through all his evil schemes with no alternate goal in mind other than to follow Ivo and keep him safe. Who can see Stones heart is in it when he heart brokenly says “No, I cant lose you again.” As Ivo fires him when he is still being manipulated by Gerald.

Eggman is ignorant towards Agent stones devotion and genuine care for him until hisGrandfather betrays him. Revealing he was only manipulating Ivo so he could destroy the world that he blames for Marias death . He then decides to Team up with team sonic and redirect the giant self destructing laser that he and his grandfather are currently in to the moon. Choosing to save earth, to save the only person who ever cared about him, to save Agent Stone. “I, Dr.Ivo Robotnik am dedicating my final live stream to one very special henchman, Agent Stone.” Then the camera cuts to Agent stone watching the broadcast play jaw slack and eyes wide. “ If i cant rule the world then I might as well save it. You were the one and only person who ever cared about me”The camera then cutes to Stone again as he begs the doctor not to “you were more of a sicko freak to me. You were a sicko friend.” Then the camera cuts and the beam hits the moon and the space station eggman is stationed in explodes.

This strays completely from the games, where Ivo doesn’t have to self sacrifice and there isn’t any ally who’s going to miss him when he’s gone. They set this up so that he would finally have a friend, an ally, someone who loves and cares for him. He is still no where near the typical villain, but he’s now no longer universally hated. He’s growing and developing for the first time 34 years. “

Uhm sorry I panicked

[reinafish]

Guys this AU I literally just created has already infested my brain. I must yap my extremely vague ideas of it.

It’s a horror AU so uh… warning for that kind of stuff? Also another warning for this being the goofiest AU ever (and its still a WIP so a bunch of things could change and I still actually do need to add more- so don’t take any of this as if it’s gonna stay in the AU forever)

Ok so when I normally think about this AU, I think of RPG/Visual Novel-styled games? Or like Undertale? Yk what I mean. I’m taking some inspo off of Mad Father, Mario The Music Box, etc too. So if you see me describing anything like it’s a video game (saying “you as [character]”, etc.) that’s why😭 this most likely won’t be made into an actual game sadly </3

I barely have a plot for it rn, I just know they get teleported to some other dimension thing? and there’s a mansion (obvi) they have to escape ?? But I do know what happens to some characters (Like Amy :D)! I’m thinking of maybe some unexpected ones could team up (because, if you didn’t know, I have a this weird obsession with rare character dynamics and relationships) like Tails and Blaze? Because you barely see them together.

I don’t know all the characters that are gonna be in the AU yet, but I’m thinking of Sonic (WHICH ISN’T DEAD OR EVIL FOR ONCE IN A HORROR AU! LET’S GOOOO!!! He suffers with his friends instead of making them suffer himself), Tails Doll, Amy, Knuckles, Blaze, Silver, Shadow, Rouge, maybe even Cream?

I only have some characters sort of planned, so I’ll be talking abt those.

Sonic:

Señor Trauma

He cries has a panic attack and a breakdown (all in separate moments) for the first time in a while lmao

Amy:

Here’s Amy!! We all know and prolly love her!<3 They all have different designs in this btw, so-

Anyways, I know at some point she’s left alone, possibly abandoned (that’s what she assumes anyway) in the garden after choices you make as another character(probably Sonic) (jk cs this isn’t a video game but i did explain this at the start), and since I hc her with AMAZING abandonment issues…❤️

Of course there’s monsters and entities in this, so one of them possibly takes control of Amy? Or tries to, until YOU, AS SILVER, GO TO THE GARDEN AND FIND HER!! There, you’re left with a choice (a bunch of stuff happen prior to this btw, this isn’t at the start of the story):

(Also yes that’s a timer, every second the more red and shaky the screen gets lol. Why?? BC ITS COOL AND STRESSFUL) AND YES. THIS MONSTER/ENTITY/THING IS FLOWER THEMED. AMY ROSE-

Ok uh, if Silver does save her (he has to fight obvi, it isnt that easy), he takes her and they escape to another part of the area? Map? Wtv I call it. And when they can finally take a little break for once, they talk (kind of- Amy’s been quiet (traumatized gal)):

So, uh, yeah. Heavy traumatized now so (also a lot more clingy). ANYWAYS, SILVER AND AMY ARE A DUO IN THIS NOW!!<3

I don’t have much else for her now, so let’s go to Silver ??

Silver:

My proudest drawing of this so far💖

I guess he got transported with the others to this dimension. Yeah- he hurts his foot somehow, not sure how yet. Definitely from an entity tho.

First thing he does it try to find if anyone else is here. So… he does just that. He enters the weird giant ahh mansion infront of him and calls out for anyone. He explores a ton, finding important objects, a weird doll that looks oddly familiar which he decides to just ignore and leave there, and also hurts his foot as yk- He does reunite with Blaze for a moment, though they’re immediately separated by obvi another monster.

He gets thrown back outside the mansion, into the garden. In that garden? Well yk what he finds😭

Blaze:

Fun fact: it was this doodle that started this whole thing !!

Also dont have much for Blaze, but she’s the first I doodled so I’ll be trying to make stuff up abt her in this (maybe on the spot even)

She’s confused why she can’t teleport back to Sol or anywhere else. Or why she can’t escape this mansion-place-thing. Actually they’re all confused abt that but wtv- Using her pyrokinesis, she can light torches and other things so she can see in darker areas. She can also just light her hand up too, but this takes energy from her ^_^

At some point, she reunites with Silver!! Then they’re separated by another monster. He was thrown into the garden, while she was thrown into a dark room.

In that room, she finds a doll. It looks a lot like Tails for some reason…?

She’s weirded out and judging it (I would too)

If she grabs it, she notices how real it feels? Like it actually feels like Tails… which is creepy. SUDDENLY IT TRIES ATTACKING HER (LOL?) BUT—

—before she has time to process anything, Tails pushes her out of the way (she notices his ear is missing) and points his arm cannon to…

….whatever that is.

Am I being cringy? Yes. Do i care? …honestly kinda, yeah- but I’m not gonna let myself do anything abt it

I don’t have much else with her. They fight it and become a silly duo and uhhh yeah-

Cream:

No art yet, but she’s definitely appearing now. Uhh I know she find the doll (btw I’m refusing to call it “Tails Doll” bc THEY’RE NOT THE SAME! I PROLLY SHOULDN’T HAVE CHOSEN TAILS THEN BUT IDC..) at some point and it tricks her into thinking it’s good. So like she drags it around while she explores, trying to find Amy or anyone.

Uh

This is a horror AU someone has to die right—

Idk if I’m killing her off or not but I might??

If she doesn’t die then atleast she’ll be dead inside /silly

Tails:

Also no art yet (other than the one with Blaze I already showed), but basically he was with Sonic when they entered. Bunch of stuff in between happen, they get stuck in a room, Sonic watches the monster-thing literally rip Tails’s ear off and make a fking doll out of it bc it was feeling a lil quirky (well they do get quirky at night /ref), Sonic then believes Tails is dead, meanwhile Tails literally tried escaping and ended up all the way on the other end of this giant goofy mansion—

Uh I don’t have anything else oop.

I HIT THE IMAGE LIMIT FUKKCCKCKKK uhhh there wasn’t much else to add tho sooo? Yeah?? Hope u like it bye. Reminder this is still a WIP and stuff will most likely change— ^_^ (I AM EXTREMELY EMBARASSED ABT THIS IF YOU COULDNT TELL.)

I’ll just add the rest of the images in an rb

[blushblushbear]

How would all of the boys react to a yandere marshmallow 😮

Nimh: Nervous bunny, but he's electing to ignore all the red flags cause gosh you're cute! Also he does a little bit love how protective and attentive you are

Volks: mildly concerned but also kinda accepting his fate like 'of course I'd fall for someone crazy'. Still down, but he's chalking you up as the best bad decision he's ever made

Kelby: VERY NERVOUS. VERY MUCH IGNORING ANY RED FLAGS. Is CONVINCED he must be reading things wrong and that you're actually just a sweet person whose a little intense sometimes. It's okay, some people aren't the best with communicating. He's got you!

Eli: Oh you are CRAZY. And frankly-- that's kinda hot. Actually very hot cause you're obsessed with him. FINALLY, someone giving him the recognition he DESERVES. Though he may try and keep you away from any kitchen knives...

Anon: Oh he's watched enough anime to know where this is going. He's a little worried, but he also doesn't have the heart to get rid of you. Plus idk you seem so sweet the majority of the time... he's gonna accept your affections, but also keep the cops on speed dial. Just in case!

Garret: Does not notice it as red flags. You're just very sweet and attentive and PASSIONATE. He admires you're intense and a little bit frightening flare!

Dmitri: He's living his dark romantic drama dream. You're so adoring and obsessive and attentive and possessive and HOT. He's a little scared, but HE ALSO CAN'T STAY AWAY!

Ichiban: Eh, he's a popular streamer, so he's used to this kinda rabid fan. He's not used to them being so cute about it though, so you can stay, so long as you act as free security. And let him smooch you.

William: Is trying really hard to ignore any and all red flags cause usually you're just so so SOOOOO sweet. An absolute angel. there's just an edge to you that makes him nervous... but it's probably all in his head...

Myx: AGGRESSIVELY IGNORING ALL RED FLAGS in favor of highlighting your sweeter parts. Positivity! Holding up the ones you love! Hoping you stop glaring any time he hugs another fan...

Stirling: Ooooo, an obsessive, possessive lover eh?? It's been a while, but he's very game. This isn't his first soap opera-esque rodeo. Take him, oh adoring stalker in the night!

Scale: Sees you as his greatest challenge. Think you can out stalk HIM?? Well, you've got another thing coming!

Sven: A bit nervous but also willfully ignoring any and all red flags. This is fun! You're fun! And so, so silly!!

Cole: Also sees you as a challenge. A very, VERY thrilling challenge. You're so obsessed with him... it's intoxicating.

Poe: A little scared but also he's so down for romanticizing a toxic relationship. That's basically a poet's bread and butter. Let his heart suffer for his art!

Cashew: Another member of the concerned but ignoring it squad. He's equal part scared and thrilled by your possessive tendencies. He recognizes they aren't super healthy, but he can't deny they're kinda hot...

Seth: Crazy is the new hot. Also it's the old hot. Crazy's just hot. Hit him with your heat, this should be fun.

Reece: You are a fascinating-- TERRIFYING creature. The likes of which he's yet to encounter so directly. And since he can't seem to get rid of you... study it is!

Logan: fucking KING of the 'but they're so nice! how could they be an harm? they'd never even hurt a fly!' squad. Sees the best in you, ignores any and all red flags... You're just a very passionate soul. A soul----- mate <3

Aki: Man humans are weird about communicating. Silly goose probably doesn't even know how they're coming off! Oh well, they're usually such a sweetie and a cutie patoot, this weird little bit of possessiveness is probably just a one off thing! ...right?

Haru: You're not his first, and you probably won't be his last. But you MAY be his favorite. Crazy can be very hot, let's see where this goes...

Fuyu: Has such poor and unkempt social skills he full on doesn't even notice the red flag existing. In fact, he might admire your loyalty and diligence! He is fully unaware of the storm brewing beneath...

Ace: Another member of the 'But they're so nice! Such an angel! Look at them! they would never!' squad. Fully ignorance to your little toxic tendencies. Some of them being just flat out ignorance, but some being full on willful.

[solace-saphylos]

I've started this challenge, and I will now unceremoniously use this reblog to reminisce about my progress so far. One of my personal goals this game is to socialize with all of the Sims 4 townies and get to know them better, so in order to ensure nobody ages away, dies or generates new whatever ones I set only my active household to age. That also means that every generation kept living will keep living even though the legacy goes on. I think I like it that way.

Lae'zel started out as a fresh alien ready to make her life in Grimm's Quarry, Evergreen harbor. She had great compatibility with Bess Sterling, the entrepreneur scam lady, so I first aimed for her as Wyll's other parent. This was shortly messed up by Bess asking to stay over a couple of days. It was a merry time of flirting with Bess and beating the ever loving shit out of Jules (Bess' boyfriend). I should have seen the Evil trait coming, but I embraced it with surprise. This is officially Vlaakith route Lae'zel. I promptly picked a fight with Santa, beat him up, and then erased his memory with alien powers. Life was good!

Wyll came to be after meeting Marcel Price at the neighbourhood brawl. Great compatibility, and a lot of micromanaging later, we were best friends and made a science baby. Boy on the first try! Lae'zel used up all of her parental leave to absolutely baby the infant, marvelling at how cute a human baby (objectified) can be. No will of their own, just... Adorable. Christmas came and she beat up Santa for presents, memory wipe, just like last time.

After an exemplary toddlerhood, Lae'zel was getting bored of parenting on her own. She made the impromptu main character decision of moving into Bess and Jules household, with the explicit goal of keeping up the romance with Bess and completely ruining Jules' life. It took some renovating to their house, and Wyll's room was a minimal closet type place with a bunk bed and a desk. Still, as a sociable child he enjoyed the extra faces to talk to.

The bane of my existence was picking the Commander career path, since it requires to level charisma. The socially awkward trait made this sloggingly slow, and I hated it. In order to make this suffering less serious I made sure to level Wyll's charisma too, to get that out of the way for his play as an adult. His teenage years became distinctly uneventful, as both him and his mother spent time yapping at mirrors and chasing confidence moodlets. Oh, Christmas was awesome for everyone in the house, even if Lae'zel beat up and memory wiped Santa again.

Life in the Bess-Sterling house was falling apart though. It was funny to give Jules the jealous trait, so that he would suffer, but on a whim I gave Lae'zel it too when prompted? The bitter resentment toward Bess, who honestly was the unfortunate victim of this love triangle, all of it made the relationship un-salvageable. It got to the point where Lae'zel beat Bess up, memory erased her, just to start over. It didn't work. They still despised each other.

So Lae'zel took her son and left that house, moving closer to work in Strangerville. With the half million simoleons she had stolen (split 50/50, Bess won the lottery once, I think that's why they were so rich??) Lae'zel built her own modern-cosmo luxe McMansion of moderate size. The charm point was the detached gym and a barely hidden rocket platform on the gym's roof. Truly a woman-cave to spend her retirement days in. Since she completed the bodybuilder aspiration, that retirement was bound to be long.

I wish there was more exciting things that happened in that house. They mostly grinded away at their skill leveling, Wyll completing both charisma and dance before Lae'zel got that damn 10 charisma for the final promotion. Since Lae'zel's evil trait had made her so mean, their relationship slowly deteriorated to a nice neutral in time for Wyll's birthday.

He invited all his friends. Even Bess and Jules were there. His dad, his half brother, the nanny who became his first best friend, it was just awesome! As soon as he's aged up and gained the good trait, he felt confident to take on the world! ... If only his evil alien mom didn't start arguing with him so soon. Their relationship sank like a stone in water, and after getting beat up Wyll immediately moved out. The party had barely finished before the took a measily sum of money and got himself that one haunted chef's apartment in San Myshuno. With only 213 simoleons to his name, he was ready to start his leg of the legacy!

Lae'zel was not quite finished with hers though. I played her for an extra week, where she gracefully aged up into an elder. Almost as soon as Wyll left she finally got that last bit of charisma. It was time to build the rocket on the roof. I purposefully left it 75% done, just to get that ominous scaffolded look for all the neighbours to worry about. Is she going home? Coming back with reinforcements? Or just bored of this earth?

Too bored can't be true. She admittedly had some flirtations with Marcel, Wyll's dad, after the platonic science baby had been made. Since Bess was shot, Lae'zel initiated a new sweet relationship with the man who had been there all along... Or rather, continuously showing up unceremoniously, somehow never concerned to hang out with his own family of six. I love this game.

Throughout her career Lae'zel has had work-pop ups for nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing but her social awkwardness. The final week of work to promotion edged me, continually sending me down with medium loss too many times. Friday finally made her Grand Marshal. She laughs manically, heading off to her detached gym to spar with her robot or to build on her rocket. She's finally done!

This is my first legacy challenge, but I get it. I really get it. Now I'm off to ruin Wyll's life before fixing it again. I have a Mizora stand in in mind for him <3 Judith Ward!

So I was surprised that there hasn't been a Baldur's Gate Sims 4 Legacy Challenge made yet, so I made one. This only includes the BG3 companions and custom characters. You're welcome. Let me know if I forget a pack.

Required packs: Get to Work, Realm of Magic, Strangerville, Snowy Escape, High School Years, Cottage Living, Get Famous, Seasons, Get Together, Cats and Dogs, Discover University, Growing Together, Spa Day, City Living, and Romantic Garden Stuff (optional)

Generation 1: Laezel

Socially Awkward, Genius, Active

Start as an Alien; you are not allowed to disguise yourself

Complete the BodyBuilder aspiration

Reach max Fitness skill

Reach level 10 of the Military career, either branch

Become Woohoo Partners with a sim and achieve Best Friend status without any romance bar

Have at least one Science baby with your best friend (No Try for Baby or Adoption)

Generation 2: Wyll

Self-assured, Proper, Good

Complete the Social Butterfly childhood aspiration

Complete the Friend of the World aspiration

Complete the Diamond Agent career track

Reach max Charisma and Dance skills

Have a negative relationship with Lae'zel and leave the house as a Young Adult

Have one child with an Evil, Mean, or Jealous sim, who will be Karlach.

Achieve soulmate status with another sim and stay with them until you die.

Generation 3: Karlach

Goofball, Hot-headed, Self-assured

Complete the Rambunctious Scamp childhood aspiration

Join the Football Team and become Football Captain

Complete the Joke Star aspiration

You must reach the Comedian branch as a Young Adult, but quit for the Manual Laborer part-time job until your death

You must have at least one child with a friend or lover in your household

Die as an Adult having completed all requirements

Generation 4: Shadowheart

Gloomy, Noncommittal, Snob

Be raised by a sim that is not your surviving parent. You are not allowed to interact with your original parent until you become a Young Adult.

Complete Friend of the Animals aspiration

Reach level 3 in the Criminal career, and then max out the Detective career

Own at least one barn and one chicken coop

Have at least one child

Optional: Have your child through the Wishing Well

Generation 5: Halsin

Love the Outdoors, Romantic, Animal Enthusiast

Become a Master Llamacorn Scout

Complete the Serial Romantic aspiration

Have at least 5 children with all different sims, one of them a spellcaster (Gale)

Own at least two barns, one chicken coop, and one garden plot, including Shadowheart’s barn and coop

Generation 6: Gale

Ambitious, Bookworm, Good

Must be born a spellcaster

Complete the Creative Genius or Whiz Kid Childhood Aspiration

Join the Chess team as a Teen and become Chess Team Captain

Become an A Student in Grade School and High School

Go to the Magic Realm as a teenager and train with a spellcaster. Have a romantic relationship and break up with that spellcaster as a Young Adult.

After the breakup, perform the Rite of Dissolution. (RP that this was forced.)

Complete a University degree

Max out the Professor career track and have at least one non-spellcaster child with a different sim

Optional: Become a Spellcaster again after completing your studies and reach Virtuoso rank before your death

Generation 7: Astarion

Paranoid, Kleptomaniac, Unflirty

Complete the Slumber Party Animal childhood aspiration

Join the Drama Club and become a Junior Artiste as a Teen

Join the Law career track and reach level 3

Be turned into a vampire by Straud as a Young Adult and move into his household

Seduce 10 sims and lure them to Straud’s mansion, turning at least 5 of them into vampires. You can only control Straud to turn sims; otherwise, you must primarily control Astarion. You cannot have a job and can only leave the mansion to pursue victims as long as Straud lives.

Make at least 3 friends

Kill Straud in your lifetime and take over his mansion

Achieve soulmate status with a non-vampire

Max out Vampire Lore skill

Have at least one child

Cure yourself of vampirism OR turn your soulmate into a vampire

Generation 8: Minthara

Self-absorbed, Evil, Ambitious

Can be a vampire or human, but must identify as a woman

Finish the Mind and Body Childhood Aspiration

Join the Cheer Captain activity as a teen

Complete the Leader of the Pack aspiration

Only women can be members

Reach level 10 of the Business career

Have at least 5 enemies

Generation 9: Dark Urge

Erratic, High-Maintenance, Gloomy

Complete the Public Enemy aspiration, then the Friend of the World aspiration

Max out Mischief and Wellness skills

Make 5 enemies, then repair all the relationships to Friendship level

Reach level 10 of any career

Have at least 1 child

Generation 10: Tav the Bard

Cheerful, Good, Creative

Complete the Artistic Prodigy Childhood Aspiration

Complete a University degree

Complete the Bestselling Author Aspiration

Reach level 10 in the Acting career

Max out Guitar (Lute) skill

Write 9 novels that correspond with each previous generation

[kala-mies]

Everyone's favorite cosmic joke!

[anethiawoods]

playing slay the princess as intended (watching your friend stream it and then roleplaying as improvised ocs for each of ur runs)

[vynnyal]

Turns out Sunlit Trail isn't quite done just yet, so after all that they just send you to a dead end 😂

[brofightiscancelled]

okay ill bite why do u hate kaoru sakuraba sidem aside from the fact that they went from hokuto as a main blue to downgrade to kaoru. to make it less awkward that I’m asking abt sidem on ur osomatsu side blog, what sidem idols would u assign to each matsu ?

i think sideM should collab w osomatsu-san and put them all in Beit so they can all get JOBS!!!!!!

anyways i hate kaoru from idolmaster sideM. i need all my osomatsu-san side blog followers to know that i hate this man. "i need a lot of money fast to pursue an extremely niche medical research track, which is why i quit my stable and high paying job as a surgeon to become an idol while having no soft skills, physical strength or stamina, or interest in getting along with people" are you Stupid??

he's not even using his idol clout to spread awareness of the rare disease he's trying to cure (like SEM does) so it can secure funding, he sees it 100% as a job and refuses to have fun, he is actively unpleasant and uncooperative in every interaction with his coworkers because he's trying to "rise to the top". it seems like the only thing he has going for him are his looks and that he kind of liked to sing when he was a kid. why not become a model at that point when you have the personality of a wet tree trunk. or better yet why not STAY A FUCKING DOCTOR!!!!!

also, i don't like meganes, so write that down.

[oatm3al-c00kies]

everyone shut up i need to tell suzanne collins directly that the only part of 'the ballad of songbirds and snakes' that got an actual extended period of laughter in my theatre was the "tuberculosis on legs" joke, a joke made at the expense of a young, suffering, dying, sick tribute as she's about to accidentally ingest poison and kill herself because she's so thirsty and sees water and thinks it will make her feel better. this girl who's so sick because of the living conditions in her district, who was doomed as soon as her name was called, who was probably just so relieved to see an un-smashed bottle of water she didn't think anything of it, too exhausted and dehydrated to think anything of it.

a joke made by the capitol host of the hunger games to try and make capitol citizens laugh and make the horrific things happening in the arena better tv because they already don't see the tributes as people who have lives and who matter and maybe we're so close to her dystopia that we can actually fucking taste it

[umbraastaff]

umm uhh. suffering game wonderland but it's taskmaster

[befuddled-calico-whump]

cw: aftermath of whump, implied abuse, fantasy slavery, violence, manhandling.

based on this prompt by @howls-ghost

"Trite details bore me. I'll leave it to you to complete, and complete quickly," said Prince Acacius.

"I've had enough of your dimwitted blathering. See yourself to the door," said Prince Acacius.

"Remember your place," said Prince Acacius.

Laith was sick of it. Sick of the arrogant little brat prancing around the palace like he was already king. They hated Acacius and his cold, dismissive attitude. The spoiled twat didn't know a thing about running a kingdom, and wouldn't know humility if it bit him on the nose.

The only reason the country wasn't already in ruins was due to the competence of Laith and the rest of the high council. Even the regent, as good a man he was, was taken out of commission by Acacius, forced to keep the aloof young man at his side at all hours for supposed education. Not that Laith believed Acacius absorbed any of it. He was a horrid prince, and he'd make a horrid king.

And Laith intended to do something about it.

It started as something small and reasonable; a daydream about teaching the prince a lesson, of having him whipped for insolence, or beaten in the streets, or simply pushed off the balcony.

But none of those were realistic dreams, and none of those were enough. Acacius needed a punishment that would stick, something scarring, something humiliating.

The thoughts danced across Laith's mind through all their waking hours, turning sharper and more creative with every insult from the rotten prince.

But then, they thought, why bother with a mere punishment? Why not be rid of the arrogant heir for good? Death was too quick for his poisoned heart, but there were alternatives. Slavers in the West and enemies in the North, and either faction would jump at the chance to own the pretty prince. Should Laith's goal be realized, it would do more than sate their need for justice; it would spare the kingdom from a heartless ruler.

They'd lock him in a cell with no sunlight for a year. They'd remove his acrid tongue, put out his disdainful eyes, somehow they'd hurt him in a way that mattered.

They took their time making the arrangements; letters delivered in secret, coded messages, quiet plans and plots to cover the prince's upcoming disappearance. At last, the hour was drawing near. At last, Acacius would get all that he deserved.

But of course, Laith would have their fun with him first.

They came upon the royal in the dead of night. Laith had been making note of Acacius's movements, and by now they knew to expect the young man's midnight journey to the library. Too good to be seen there in daylight hours, when servants were dusting and lesser lords were reading. Too good to even peruse the shelves alongside those he deemed as unworthy.

Laith fell upon the prince as soon as he reached the library doors, wrapping their arm tight around a torso clad in a loose silk shirt, their other hand clamped over Acacius's mouth to dampen his startled cry. The prince made fearful noises beneath their hand, but there was no time to savor the sound. Laith knew they must move swiftly or risk alerting the night watch.

They slammed the prince's head into the heavy oak door behind him. Once, twice, and then their royal prisoner's struggling lessened. Laith forced him to the ground, stuffing a wad of cloth into his mouth and tying it in place with a cord. That same cord trailed down from the prince's head to wind around his wrists, then back up again to circle his throat, forming a makeshift collar and leash to better Laith's control of him. He tugged harshly at the rope, and the dazed prince stumbled to his feet, whimpering softly from behind the gag.

There was no haughtiness in his eyes, only something meek and fearful. It was nearly enough to make Laith second-guess their plans, but their memories of the man they knew Acacius to be strengthened their resolve.

They would not fall for this docile ruse. They knew the truth.

Laith delved deeper into the castle, making for one of the secret passages in the stone that would lead them outside the keep. There was a cottage at the edge of the woods, overlooking the river that ran alongside the castle's walls. A peasant girl had sighted it after Laith offered her a penny to find a covert location. It was perfect; well away from anyone who could hear them, and the river would make an easy path for the slavers' skiff.

They hauled Acacius into the cottage, unable to resist giving the prince a sharp kick in the back that sent him tumbling to the ground. The slavers weren't set to arrive until just before sunrise. Laith had nearly an hour to get revenge for every petty insult that had ever been flung their way.

Laith dropped a knee into the prince's chest, holding his head in place while he removed the gag.

Acacius's eyes were teary and pleading, but Laith refused to let the act sway them. If anything, it only fueled their fire. How dare this impudent brat act like this was unearned? Now safe behind a closed door, Laith let their fury burn, raining fists and kicks down on the prince's helpless form, relishing every muffled cry. No, they shouldn't be muffled. They wanted to hear Acacius plead for mercy.

"N-nnh please... Please don't," the shaky words left Acacius's throat with the balled-up cloth. Laith answered him with another blow, and the prince squeezed his eyes shut. When they opened again, there was a distant look to them, tears trickling from the corners.

No matter. Soon they'd be rid of him for good.

Small whimpers and gasps left Acacius's throat as Laith continued the beating, but aside from a few weak pleas, the prince didn't speak, or even look their way. Like he was only waiting for it to end. Their blows slowed, the enjoyment fading as the royal seemed to detach himself from the moment. Laith huffed. Even bound and beaten, Acacius was still ruining their day.

Ignoring the blank look on the prince's face, Laith drew their knife, cutting away Acacius's clothing. Even if that didn't get a reaction, it served the practical purpose of making things a shade easier on the slavers.

The prince lay very still, his breaths small and shaky as Laith removed the ruined clothing. And underneath the silk... Laith was unprepared for what was underneath the silk.

Old bruises covered Acacius's torso, scars layered beneath, some fresher than others. The wounds didn't stop there; more scars scattered the prince's legs, some framed in a sickly yellow-green.

"What is this?" Laith whispered, the question half-directed at themselves. Acacius didn't answer, staring up at the ceiling with eyes that looked glazed over.

Seeing another wound on their prisoner's shoulder, this one oddly shaped, Laith grabbed Acacius's upper arm and rolled him onto his stomach. The prince answered the action with a startled cry.

"N-no, please, please don't---"

"Shut up," Laith hissed, taking in the prince's back. It seemed the brat had been whipped before, and on more than one occasion by the looks of it. They couldn't say whether the dark feeling welling up in them was more akin to pity, or bitterness that they hadn't been able to witness the lashings themselves.

Starker than the whip scars was the image burned into Acacius's back. An intricate pattern, asymmetrical and varied in color, like its artist had begun months or even years ago and was still perfecting it. The newest mark was still a bright, skinless red, as if it had been smouldering mere hours ago.

Laith let out a disgusted sigh, turning their back on the sniveling prince. It seemed Acacius had been getting what he'd deserved for some time now, but it had done little to improve his attitude. Who had done this to him? Could it have been the regent? Why was pity seeping into them, like poison from a soured wound?

Acacius didn't deserve their pity. Wounded or not, he still paraded the palace ground like a bejeweled goose, hissing and biting at anyone he seemed lesser.

But why? came a small voice inside them. Why put on such an arrogant mask?

It didn't matter. Wounded or not, the prince should have better respected Laith and their peers.

There was a sharp rap on the door, and Laith pushed it open an inch to peer out into the darkness. A pale woman with a shaved head stood on the other side, wearing clothing that was clearly foreign, despite its simplicity.

"Here to collect your gift?" they said, and the woman smiled.

"Aye. The North'll pay a pretty penny for your little heir."

"Wonderful," Laith said, but the word felt insincere. They couldn't let themselves doubt their plans now, the deed was nearly done. They opened the door further. "Take him then. Let's have this over with."

Acacius lay still on the ground, though his hands were trembling. He'd ceased his begging and was now crying softly and hells, Laith couldn't stand to hear it.

They bent over the prince, grabbing a fistful of his hair and roughly stuffing the gag back into his mouth to muffle that damned pathetic noise.

"Take him," they said again, more insistently. "Take him and be gone."

"S'wrong with his back?"

"I don't know." Laith shook their head. "Take him."

"Not a word of me," they said. "You'll make a fortune off him, all I ask is my name and face remain unknown."

"Alright, alright." The woman seized the rope, the leash Laith had formed, and tugged on it, forcing the prince to his feet. Acacius's eyes were teary and pleading, but Laith turned their back on him.

"Your wish is my command," the woman chuckled, leading the prince towards the rocky shore, where her boat lay waiting. A sob escaped Acacius as he passed the threshold.

"Wait." Hells, what were they saying? They wanted nothing more to do with the royal. They needed him gone, but when the prince turned back to look at them, the flash of hope in his eyes wrenched in their gut.

Those damned eyes. Those haughty, arrogant, judging eyes.

"Remember your place," said Prince Acacius.

"Nevermind," Laith said quickly. "Go. Get him out of here."

The woman tugged on the leash, nearly causing the bound royal to stumble. Fresh tears wet Acacius's cheeks, but Laith looked away, pretended not to see.

They could pretend a lot of things. Surprise at the prince's sudden disappearance, sorrow and outrage at his captivity in the enemy North. For themselves, they'd pretend they were satisfied, that they'd never seen Acacius's scars.

And as they watched the skiff disappear on the dark waters of the river, they pretended they had no regrets.

[restinpeacesensei]

suggesting something,,