#luchino is... a mess..

[yellow-artz]

Reptiles

[fishandships]

like have you ever wanted to take your SI/OC and just. play with them and non-FO characters like dolls a little bit.

[turbulentscrawl]

Modern Reader Shorts

This is just a couple little blurb ideas I had that can't really be used for anything else. No warnings, really, it's mostly humor.

Luchino

“Your socks are mis-matched,” the professor announces offhandedly, sorting his notes. You’re laid out on the cushy chair in his ‘office,’ shoes off and legs dangling from one arm. And it���s true, your socks are different colors.

“Yeah, I couldn’t be bothered to find an actual pair this morning,” you answer. Luchino pauses and looks pointedly over at you, through his lashes, and squints a bit. That’s his thinking face, you note. Like he’s working through an equation.

“You’re not concerned about being judged for the state of your attire?” he asks.

“Not really. It’s not like anyone really sees my socks anyway.”

“Well, I’m seeing them now. It’s a messy look,” he finally says. There’s the smallest of smirks on his face as he says it. This is some unspoken test, a probe of your reactions. He does a lot of those.

“Okay, but you already know I’m a mess so what the fuck difference does that make?”

Luchino snorts a laugh at your response, and then coos a casual “touché.”

Frederick

“Has anyone ever told you ‘you have a slutty little waist’?” You call out to Fred. His fingers slip on the piano keys and the song comes to a cacophonous halt. He’s frozen still with his back to you—his dorito-looking back with its broad shoulders and snatched waist. You know by experience the man is boney as hell, so how dare he have such a silhouette?

“N-“ Fred coughs, voice croaking. “No, I can’t say that they have.” You can’t see his face, so you wonder if it’s shock or humor that makes him stutter.

“Well, you do,” you reply. A long silence settles over the room. He never dares to look at you, but you think you see pink turning at the tip of his ear.

“Was there anything else?” he asks. His fingers hesitantly move to restart the song.

“Nope. I just thought you should know.” You suppress a giggle as Fred clears his throat and begins playing again.

Robbie (platonic, obviously)

“There’s…games on this?” the too-tall headless boy asked, holding your phone in his discolored hands. He’d been asking around for a playmate all evening, until he found you. You weren’t much of a hide-and-seek type of person, however, and thought this might entertain him a bit in the meantime.

“Sure is! I’ve got crosswords, sudoku, Candy Crush, plenty of stuff!” You reach and tap around on your phone’s screen, pulling up the list of games you’d downloaded to pass the time, when you still lived in a place where there was time to pass. Candy Crush springs to life on the screen and Robbie flinches, nearly dropping your phone.

“It’s so bright…and loud,” he muttered. It was half awe, and half distress, you thought. Too stimulating for the boy, perhaps. You tried sudoku instead—it was a dark screen with no music, but by the time you’d explained the rules to Robbie, he was limp and snoozing against your shoulder.

[sirenjose]

Thoughts and Theories about "Identity Switches"

This will cover current Identity Switches (up to Hunter Norton/Fool's Gold), as well as their connections between the Identity Switch and their normal version, motivations, personalities, backstories, etc... as well as some discussion about the plot of the main story and the Oletus Manor tragedy (including my theory regarding Jose's father's potential involvement in that event).

Regarding the topic of Identity Switches, it'll be easier to answer questions about those as Netease releases more, but for now we just have Novelist/Nightmare, Alice/Memory, Professor/Luchino, Weeping Clown/Joker, and now Norton/Fool's Gold (though we'll likely get Melly's hunter version sooner than later as well).

With Orpheus, we've known for awhile how he's talked about having multiple personalities or whatever, but the form he takes as “Nightmare” isn't real. So far, it doesn't seem like the rest of the Identity Switches (Memory, Luchino, Joker, Fool's Gold) are "real" either, at least in the sense as being those being their appearance in the real world and such.

"Nightmare" seems to have formed as a result of his trauma and the aftereffects of the tragedy that killed the DeRoss couple (Alice's parents) who he was close to.

I think Novelist's S-tier Essence, with Hollow, and that essence's backstory does the best job showing this, especially with Alice as Source of Evil's shock and disbelief that Orpheus as Hollow is the one behind everything she's seeing.

Hollow himself literally states he wants "revenge" during his essence trailer, as well as the rest of his lines during his trailer.

He used to be kind but his heart hardened after what he experienced, and he's no longer as trusting. He also now seems to primarily see the flaws or "sins" first and their good parts second (which i at least personally think is also visible from the way he writes most everyone's 3rd letters, which usually tend to depict the character in a negative light). He wants people to "repent" (with him seeing himself as the person making these "sinful souls" repent).

This idea of him focusing on the evil in people and wanting them to "repent" I think could be reflected in Orpheus aka Nightmare as the manor owner. I think it's best shown in Bane’s letter, where he see themselves helping this happen, but also from those same letters, we eventually see them begin to question Orpheus the same way Source of Evil did.

The best example being Bane in William's 4th letter, where we see his doubt beginning to show due to failing to understand why Orpheus would include an innocent like William in his experiments.

Based on Bane's 4th letter, where Alice talks about Bane missing by the time of the final game, it is possible it is because he begins to doubt that he might've disappeared.

Bane and Burke worked for the DeRoss couple before the tragedy, after which they worked for Orpheus as the new owner. They're people who are close to Orpheus, so if even they are questioning Orpheus' actions, along with Alice at least as Source of Evil, with Alice being Orpheus' childhood friend, that should show just how much he changed.

Sorry it took me so long to reach here, but I think this is what is reflected in Orpheus when he takes the form of Nightmare.

The reason he looks like a bird connects to how birds are stated to be what Orpheus' likes. The gas mask Nightmare wears, which we saw during Time of Reunion, may connect to the drugs Orpheus developed and is using (and how we see him messing with gas in Darkwoods during Time of Reunion).

Nightmare's finger being a pen connects to Orpheus as a writer, a "novelist", while the music notes on his arm can connect to the Nightingale's song and the piccolo we saw being used during Time of Reunion to open the gates of the manor, and how Alice says during Ashes of Memory that the nightingale's song can open all the doors in the manor. We see Orpheus playing the piccolo during Novelist's release trailer too (as well as bandits who come in and kill Alice's parents during the live action trailer for ToR).

Then there's his name, which his rumor seems to explain the meaning of "Perhaps known only to 'Orpheus', this nightmare of his memory".

Finally there's how Nightmare is essentially a raven. This can relate to how the raven is sometimes seen as a bad omen, which fits with Orpheus' change after the tragedy.

So, at least based on Novelist and Nightmare, we can see his Nightmare is a combination of things related to Orpheus himself, his past, but also an emphasis on the... darker side of his personality. Many of the other hunter Identity Switch's we have I think are similar. Their hunter versions seem to put a spotlight on the darker aspects of their character and thus also why I think they tend to be depicted as inhuman, as a way to emphasize how they aren't how they normally are, except these dark parts which are normally hidden internally are now reflected externally in their appearance, and show them as monsters normally or exaggerated versions of their normal selves to mirror their inner darkness, but if that darkness was cranked up to the max.

Joker in a way is similar to Orpheus. Both used to be kind people but changed drastically after going through painful experiences. For Joker, this was the pain and humiliation he was forced to subject himself to day in and day out for the audience's amusement, the pain Sergei caused him, both physical by the acid, and the mental due to Joker's ruined face now preventing him from playing his role in Hullabaloo anymore, not to mention more emotional pain as Sergei was with the girl Joker loved, made more complicated when Joker learned Sergei was abusing her, whatever happiness Joker felt at Margaretha coming to him for comfort because of that abuse, complicated further as it was this event that made Sergei hurt Joker. And even more as Margaretha may not have loved him back, but Joker still cared about her. Put everything together, and it should make it easy to understand why Joker did eventually reach his breaking point, which was the day he killed Sergei, took his face, and then (likely) killed everyone else at Hullabaloo that day, which is the tragedy Mike refers to in his backstory, and is the thing motivating him to go to the manor.

Joker looks the way he does I think at least in part to represent Sergei, or at least maybe how Joker saw Sergei, but also combined with maybe how Joker wishes he was. Compared to Weeping Clown, Joker is much bigger and stronger. But he's also always happy and smiling, which is what Joker wants, what he's been unable to do for so long (just read Joker's deductions, I think it makes this apparent enough).

Moving on to Luchino, I think he's potentially the easiest to understand his Identity Switch/hunter version. His deductions and backstory make his interests clear, as well as how far he'll go for his research. Professor's trailer and backstory tell us in a way he sees his hunter version as "evolution" and stepping over the "last of my boundaries", while his current state (with Professor) is "a small price to pay on the path to truth". His rumor and summaries put best when they basically say Luchino's hunter version an emphasis on his "exploration into forbidden areas" or him going into "territories of taboo".

Maybe Luchino's most recent (4th) letter can give us a bit more insight. It says he is "I've spent my nights suppressing the inhuman desire within me and battling against that 'instinct'". Maybe, compared to his hunter version, this could help show that Luchino's hunter version, like the others, is still an emphasis on a character if they went all the way to the extreme and focusing on their darker traits. Based on his following comment in that letter about "understanding of humans", this could be what his real goal is.

Next I'll mention Alice and Memory. Memory we know is entirely because of Orpheus. It is how he views Alice. Or, to put another, it is what he wants to see. If we go back to Hollow's trailer, he says he wants to "rebuild paradise", which so far I think is the easiest thing to understand regarding what Orpheus is doing and why he has done everything he has.

We know he was torn up by guilt over the tragedy based on Alice's letter to Orpheus in the 2nd anniversary package, where she says "Please don’t blame yourself for father and mother’s death". I think this can even connect to a line by Burke in Bonbon's deductions, where Burke mentions "Since he got back from his 'real' parents, that brat lost various valuable items again... He tried to take full responsibility for it, but such tolerance and protection will only feed their greed".

There’s also how, based on Time of Reunion trailers (live and otherwise), cutscenes, and even Hollow’s essence (S19 E1), at least to me it seems to be implied that it is Orpheus’ fault the bandits got into Oletus Manor to kill Alice’s parents.

The farmer looking people we saw in the portrait during Time of Reunion and during Ashes of Memory when Orpheus is talking about his past may be Orpheus’ “real” parents, the ones Burke mentions during Bonbon’s deductions that Orpheus may be taking valuables from the manor for, which implies Orpheus’ real parents were likely “greedy” people.

During Orpheus’ story in Ashes of Memory, he refers to the man as a “forest ranger” the DeRoss couple hired. This actually can fit with Burke’s deductions, where he talks about the DeRoss couple “bought their own staff” for the manor, after which he says there was “a strange boy in this annoying group”. Orpheus being the son of forest rangers the DeRoss’ hired would explain why he appeared when the DeRoss bought their staff, which could include forest rangers, as we know Bane used to be a forest ranger hired to work on the “hunting grounds of Oletus Manor” (those grounds being the Forest of No Return, as that’s where we can find Bane’s cabin) according to his backstory. Though Bane, unlike Orpheus’ real parents, was loyal to the DeRoss couple.

Orpheus in his story says this forest ranger (likely his real father/parents) “colluded with bandits” (during that scene we see the forest ranger dropping some coins, likely to imply he hired the bandits), the same bandits that killed the DeRoss couple and “ransacked the manor”.

We know from Burke’s and Bonbon’s deductions, as well as from Time of Reunion, that the “key” to get into the manor was a piccolo, likely combined with having to use it to play the nightingale’s song as Alice says during Ashes of Memory.

We see Orpheus playing on this same piccolo in Novelist’s release trailer. We also see the bandits playing on this piccolo during the live action trailer for Time of Reunion. During Ashes of Reunion 2, as Alice is walking through the Muse Corridor, we see the lines “How did they get inside?!”, implying it shouldn’t have normally been possible, likely due to the security we know Burke installed for the manor.

If the piccolo was the key, we know that must be how they got in. How did they get it? Well, we know Orpheus has been taking valuables for his “real parents”. We also know he’s held and used the piccolo before. Maybe Orpheus knew about it from getting close to Burke, who does say right after first mentioning Orpheus in his deductions that the kid “showed great interest in my studio” and “I can always see his clothes or shoes sticking out from the corner”. It’s also possible Orpheus was able to learn about it or get his hands on it due to getting close to the DeRoss couple, especially once Alice was born and he got attached to her.

If Orpheus did help the bandits get into the manor, potentially by giving them the key, that would parallel Hollow’s essence trailer well, as we see in that trailer the young, still innocent Orpheus reaching his hand out to the shipwreck survivors, with the very next scene being these same people attacking the manor.

It would also explain Orpheus’ guilt and why he blames himself for Alice’s parent’s death according to Alice’s letter in the 2nd anniversary package.

Now why do I say all this (besides the fact I think as I talk and couldn’t help going on a tangent as I think about other things)? Orpheus is the one who sees Alice as “Memory”. “Memory” is just as her name says, a memory of the past. Alice looks just like she did back then. Back when things were happy, before their “paradise” was destroyed by the events of the tragedy. Hollow does say he wants to “rebuild paradise”, which reflects his desire to go back, to “look back” if you will just like Orpheus in the actual Greek myth, an action that causes him to break his promise to Hades and thus lose Eurydice.

Orpheus is unable to see Alice as she currently is. He is unable to move forward. He is unable to get past the guilt Alice mentions in her letter to Orpheus. In that same letter, she tries to tell him “You’ve already done everything in your power to save them; my survival is proof of this”. This can connect back to the words we saw in Ashes of Memory 2 when Alice is in the Muse Corridor. We hear someone saying “Take her and run. And don’t turn back”, followed soon after by someone asking for where the kids went (Orpheus and Alice), with the last line we see and hear being Orpheus who says “Don’t be afraid we’ll meet again”. This last line likely is a reference to how Orpheus helped ensure Alice’s survival as she mentions in her letter, potentially him trying to hide her from those looking for them (if they were found, it is possible they would’ve been killed like their parents. Though Burke and Bonbon’s deductions imply they were found, it’s possible timing and exactly who found them was important to ensure their survival).

But based on the first lines in that letter, it seems Alice (in the present, likely during the final game) so far has failed to get Orpheus to stop what he’s currently doing. We know she’s trying to stop him based on the shock and disbelief Source of Evil expresses during her essence to Hollow’s actions, as well as during Novelist’s release trailer as we see a lady holding Memory/Little Girl telling Orpheus to “Stop it! End all this now”.

Orpheus is incapable of stopping himself from focusing on the past, on revenge, on getting back what he once had. His pain and desire is too great, potentially to the point he was willing to use the drugs on himself as Alice in her letter to Orpheus says “regardless of whether you can or cannot remember”. Drugs to help him forget, to ease his pain, but also the same drugs that cause characters to hallucinate seeing others differently, such as seeing Orpheus as Nightmare.

Siren Song is the drug that causes hallucinations. We see Alice, right after she sniffs the bottle, to briefly hallucinate seeing Mary and Nightmare.

I also believe this is the same drug that was used on Jose’s father, Joaquin, and his crew the day they disappeared, depicted in Jose’s 1st letter. They mentioned things that the “cannons couldn’t kill”. The reasons the cannons didn’t kill anything was because the things they saw weren’t real. However, unfortunately for them, their actions still had consequences, which was why their ship likely sunk and why Jose, who waits for his father returns, never sees his father again, and why the Queen assumes Joaquin made off with her treasure and so punishes the Baden family.

(I also still believe in my theory that Jose’s father and crew were the shipwreck survivors depicted in Hollow’s essence in the Season 19 Essence 1 trailer who later may have ended up being at least some of the “bandits” that Orpheus’ real parents “collude” with aka hire or pay off to attack the manor, steal its valuables, and kill many of those inside, including Alice’s parents. We know Jose mentions his father changed course due to a storm in his 3rd deduction, while his 4th and 7th imply the “loss of most of the crew” wasn’t because they were fighting pirates, and instead because “the nightmarish waters had swept them away”. We know from deduction 2 that Joaquin’s change of course took them through an area “not recommended for sailing”. Therefore, the “nightmarish waters” and “loss of the crew” could imply they shipwrecked just like we saw in the Season 18 Essence 3’s (Source of Evil) and Season 19 Essence 1’s (Hollow) trailers. We also can make a good guess the large ship at Lakeside may connect to Jose’s father due to the items on the ship, including a map of the Mediterranean, where we know Joaquin was sent the day he disappeared, a paper with the same symbols as are on White’s compass, a Teru Teru Bozu doll, which is for praying for fine weather and can relate to the “nightmarish water” or the original storm that made Joaquin change course, a picture from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea of a sailor being grabbed by a giant squid, and a nighttime picture that looks very similar to the images from Wu Chang’s backstory trailer. This could imply Jose and his father have been here before, and if his father participated in the attack on Oletus Manor that killed Alice’s parents, that could explain why Jose is so traumatized after they return from this voyage based on Jose’s panic attacks stated to be worsening as well as explain why Jose says in his 7th deduction that the “nightmarish waters” swept away both his “companions” as well as their “conscience”, which implies they did something bad based on the implications from lacking a conscience, especially when we know Joaquin saw this voyage as so important he refused to turn back due to a storm and instead changed course through an area not recommended for sailing. If they did shipwreck, causing them to potentially lose all their cargo, that’d risk Joaquin’s reputation and his desire for fame and fortune. So he would be the type who’d be willing to fall to the lengths of attacking and stealing from a manor to potentially regain what he lost. This would explain why Jose says whatever happened “awakened the demons flowing through the Badens' blood” as well as the Queen’s “wealth” they were said to have “protected” and returned with after the voyage, which is what earned Jose’s father the fame and fortune he always wanted. And again, it would explain some of the other sarcastic lines in Jose’s deductions including “Redemption: A sin the gods can't forgive, but a king can”, which can tie to how Orpheus as Hollow says in the trailer for his essence “Only a sinful soul does as it pleases” and “Revenge! To hell with the gods!”. This idea could also explain why Orpheus in Jose’s 3rd letter calls Jose a “gift” from a “friend who passed away” that Orpheus “treasured” to use in his experiment, so much so he was willing to pause the experiment when it looked like Jose’s mental state was deteriorating too much. The “gift” from the “friend” that “passed away” can be a sarcastic way to refer to Jose’s father.)

Speaking of the drugs that cause hallucinations, I want to go back to Joker. Remember how I said Orpheus is the one who sees Alice as Memory? Well I think it’s possible Margaretha is the one who sees Weeping Clown Joker as Smiley Face Joker. We know drugs weren’t used on Mike, Joker’s 3rd letter implies the same it seems based on “But even without the influence of drugs, Subject 8-0-3's emotions still moved uncontrollably toward the extreme”, for Violetta it was twice said that it “wasn’t the plan to use medicine” on her, and Murro like Mike has “?” for the 2nd spot of his serial number, which usually implies the character didn’t have the drugs used on them. In which case, Margaretha was likely the 1 to hallucinate Joker’s Identity Switch. And it makes sense too as Margaretha knew a lot about Sergei, ran away with him, but also experienced his abuse. We know from Margaretha’s 3rd letter that, due to the drugs, she mistook Joker as Sergei for a time. That could explain Joker having an appearance that may have a resemblance to Sergei. It could also explain why he’s as big as he is. It could be in part tied to her fear of Sergei due to his abuse.

That then leaves us with Norton and Fool’s Gold. We already got a good bit of information about him from his Design Notes video by Netease. His name itself comes from Norton’s 1st letter from Benny, as well as how the “strong contrast between his outer appearance and inner self” fits well with how Fool’s gold aka pyrite looks similar to gold but is actually iron.

After this part is likely the best answer to your question regarding what an Identity Switch is (https://twitter.com/IdentityVJP/status/1723176218563149901):

“IDENTITY characters and their bodies are somewhat similar to the concepts of id and superego. Or, it can be said to be the difference between the perception of other participants in the game and the person's own perception.

As for character design alone, when we select an IDENTITY character, we tend to enlarge his or her most prominent tags.

Norton's most notable tags were hard work, reticence, being weighed down by life, having no choice but to endure, suppressed anger inside, and ambivalence created by ambition and desire.

We showed one side through Survivor Norton and hoped to show another side through 'Fool's Gold.'”.

After this it further explains why he has a stony appearance, which they say involves his occupation as a miner and how he had been “losing his humanity”. This was why they made the hole in his chest, to show the mining accident damaging “more than his body. When he lit the fuse, his morals, social norms, and appearance of good nature were completely shattered”.

As we said, the Identity Switch/hunter versions are essentially an emphasis on their negative traits which are turned up to the max in this version of themselves. Sort of like how a ONCE skin is a what if something about their story changed, Identity Switches/hunter versions are like a what if the worst or extreme parts of a character were cranked up way more than they actually are.

With hunter Norton, going back to his design notes, it describes this version of Norton being someone that was “reborn in the collapsed mine”, while the hole in his chest involves him “no longer needing the lungs that had been in constant pain before, and that he had been given a new lease of life!”

At least for me personally, another visual for this being a version of Norton with his darker traits magnified is how Norton’s usually crooked smile is now instead a full smile. Norton in his survivor version has a crooked smile to emphasize his name as well as his 2 sides, 1 being his “gloomy and depressed” side (the sad Norton desperate to escape poverty and depressed at his inability to do so no matter how hard he works) while the other is his “avaricious” side (the one affected by the “magnets” said to have “disturbed his brain”).

Fool’s Gold having a magnetic pickaxe he can throw and recall, as well as dash towards, is a reference to Norton’s magnets, the ones he made after he took a chunk of the meteorite from Golden Cave after the mine collapse before managing to dig himself out.

Fool’s Gold/Hunter Norton is a version of Norton that has his greed and willingness to do anything to escape poverty turned up to the extreme. This is a version of Norton no longer in pain from black lung, a version no longer letting himself be abused by his coworkers or employers, a version where his darker side won the inner/mental conflict in Norton, which is depicted in his backstory trailer when we see him holding his head in pain and see both survivor Norton and hunter Norton at the same time (to even better show this is a conflict between survivor Norton, aka his better/good side, and his hunter version, aka his worse/bad side).

An even easier visual and proof of this conflict being part of at least normal, survivor Norton comes from Norton’s 2nd letter. The author is Norton, but he’s also talking to himself, trying to convince himself to accept the job and to kill the female he was asked to kill for the monetary reward he was offered. The fact he has to try to convince himself shows Norton needs convinced aka he hasn’t decided completely if he will go through with it or not, or at least he’s having 2nd thoughts, which again also helps to show survivor Norton and hunter Norton are different (that hunter Norton isn’t necessarily the real version, it’s a what if his darker side was magnified).

There is also the chance the eye in Golden Cave is involved in all this. The Famitsu article already suggested the magnets may be messing with his head, magnets made from the meteorite that came from Golden Cave, where the large eye is. We even see similar fiery eyes appearing as effects with hunter Norton’s S-tier Infernal Skin. I do think there’s a chance hunter Norton is a version of Norton controlled or manipulated (more than normal) by whatever the meteorite and the eye in Golden Cave is.

(I have discussed the idea of the Golden Cave eye being Cyaegha before: https://www.tumblr.com/sirenjose/731920677136924672/golden-cave-eye-cyaegha-theory-updated?source=share).

While I’m thinking about it, I do wonder if we can say Orpheus’ and Norton’s Identity Switch’s/hunter versions are different from the others. I say this as Orpheus has already been said to have multiple personalities, while for Norton he’s already been said to have 2 sides and we’ve already seen him arguing with himself in his 2nd letter. In a sense, I wonder if we can say their hunter versions are “real” in a sense, just that the ones we see in game are now actually (externally) visible and magnified more than normal.

Though speaking of the 2 of them, going back to you wondering if it could relate to the Identity Switch being someone more willing to follow the manor owner or supervising the games, we see Norton during Ashes of Memory 2 seemingly working with Norton. This is based on how Alice encountered Hunter Norton while chasing after Orpheus (the black figure she was initially chasing after), then she is knocked out by Orpheus while Alice is running from Hunter Norton, who we know is actually Norton based on his reflection in the puddles. After this, we then see Norton using the Hydra drug on Alice, with Orpheus likely nearby considering we hear him questioning if the drug is working as Norton is giving it to her. Norton is only officially announced to arrive at the manor the day after that scene takes place. The other bit making it pretty evident Norton is likely working with Orpheus is how we see Norton in the secret basement/cellar that no one besides Orpheus (and Alice now due to her investigation, but none of the other participants at least normally are shown to know anything about it) knows about, not to mention how he knows about Orpheus’ drugs that he likely wants to keep secret from everyone, especially the other normal participants, as them knowing would likely ruin his experiments.

So Norton (or the others really) I don’t think was turned into a hunter/got an Identity Switch because of a “punishment”, nor has he done anything I believe to warrant a punishment, especially with him seemingly being someone directly working with the manor owner rather than just 1 more game participant.

The hunter versions for Orpheus, Joker, and Norton seemed to have formed due to pain (especially over a long period of time) and trauma (powerful experiences). Memory is due to Orpheus’ desire to go back to when things were happy. Luchino I’m less confident about, but maybe we’ll get a better idea as we learn more about his game. It’s possible he could be because of his obsession. It could also be because someone hallucinated him that way similar to Margaretha to Joker and Alice to Norton, which is a combination of knowing or being told about the person and seeing them as more extreme than they currently/actually are likely due to fear. So far though, drugs seem to be the main cause, though not all hunters are just hallucinations (like Leo), but it’s hard to say without full confirmation by Netease how much of each hunter is hallucination and how much is real. We can make guesses, like Bane for example seems mostly real, but who knows if they might surprise us and show their real version is a bit more toned down, like they did for Joker and Luchino.

(As for the question about detention, I don’t believe it’s ever explained in detail, so I think it’s fine to imagine or explain it however you may want. My best guess is maybe it can be explained sort of like adrenaline. Kind of like how the last week before a season ends is called Final Push, I think when the last cipher machine is decoded, it’s like the “final push” to the end. For survivors, this is to escape. For hunters, it is to eliminate everyone. Survivors “borrowed time” talent, which is when they heal when the last cipher pops, has the text “To what end will the last gleam of hope lead?”, which connects with this. Hunters’ detention on the other hand has the text “What's the hurry? Stay here forever”, which I think could help back up by guess that survivors may be more “adrenaline”, while for hunters it may be more… something like bloodlust? The desire to eliminate them all before they can escape. If you want to imagine it as a loss of whatever humanity they had, even if temporary, I think that’s fine ^_^; !)

[nightwonder7]

Adding onto my last thought on your au,

If it's a grudge thing. Luchino purposely throwing down pallets and messing up ciphers right next to fools gold to give the hunter their location before running with the biggest grin ever like: payback time! Have fun learning how to kite on the spot in your survivor form bucko!

Oh my gosh, the sabotage XD Luchino just relishing in his misery 😭and then they just spiral down in this rivalry and they keep on throwing every match they're in. Fool's Gold never learning what teamwork actually is 💀

[teabreakpancakes]

10:27 LUCHINO DIRUSE X MALE! RESEARCHER! READER

Genre: Fluff

wc: 4164 

a shitty synopsis: at 10:27, luchino diruse makes his appearance once more after disappearing. greeted with an open lab, he meets the person who's been waiting for him all this time.

The soft drum of your fingers against the wooden table could be heard throughout the facility, accompanying the ticking clock and the soft rain that drizzled. The quiet night left for much pondering for a researcher such as yourself, one driven with as much curiosity as your now missing partner. A soft yet heavy sigh passed your lips, ‘Just where on earth are you professor? And why did you not care to inform me of your travels’. You could only let out one small pitiful laugh, he cared for you enough to leave a key to his residence, to his lab, to his files in your hands—the research he poured his whole soul into. He cared for you enough to spare time to spend with you but he couldn’t bring himself to tell you that he would depart to who knows where.

It was laughable really, the professor had his way of putting you through emotional turmoil, the one thing deemed unfitting in a world where cold hard proof held jurisdiction over everything you had known; the professor was cruel for this. How was breaking you down to this mess of a person “kind” in any way whatsoever?. The professor you knew was warm—he had been this way with you, so it was the assumption that he’d been this way with others. 

Your eyes trailed over the countless pieces of paper that littered the table, the documents consisting of your own and the professor’s. It irked you to notice that there was a stark difference between his and your own handwriting, you could distinctly hear his “mocking words” regarding the matter. He had told you that it was charming in its own right—sure, leave it to the man with impeccable handwriting comparable to the font of the daily paper, he had found it so amusing too! He fought so hard to stifle his laughter and yet the bastard’s eyes were still smiling.

Scoffing, you shook your head with a feeling of resignation, thinking of the professor would only set you back on your research. Knowing that you could do nothing but wait for him to come back left you feeling helpless, who knows what could’ve happened to him, was it even guaranteed that he was still alive?. Such thoughts always creeped up on you, disrupting your carefully managed routine.

You raised your hand to your face, nearly rubbing your eyes with your ink-covered fingers. ‘Had I not noticed that the ink leaked beforehand?’ you thought, your eyes beelining for the ticking clock on the wall, “10:27pm… the fatigue must be catching up with me” you mumbled. Your light footsteps seemed deafening as you walked through the empty laboratory, you had almost wished that his floors were wooden instead of the glazed cement.

The door to the bathroom creaked a bit once you began to push it open, shutting with a push of your foot but not without producing a thud that went unheard by the person nearing the room.

—

Luchino treads the path leading to his laboratory with unhurried steps under his umbrella, under the assumption that no one would be there after the search parties halted their activities after two weeks. This part of the university was desolate, a far cry from the tame liveliness before his “disappearance”. 

It was oddly quiet; usually around this time of the night, you could still hear the faint sounds of people moving around within the labs within the area. The university was home to many night owls and people that seemed to not have the word “rest” within their dictionaries.

He returned because he had forgotten the papers detailing all of his discoveries regarding the venomous reptile that had been his fixation. Of course, he would say that this was his sole reason but secretly, he’d been hoping to catch a glimpse of his co-worker. It’s been a while since he saw the man, he wonders if his friend ever found the letter he left him.

He squints slightly when the door to his laboratory comes into view, steps slightly increasing in pace until he breaks out into a short jog. He reaches out to the doorknob, expecting his door to still be locked, only for it to open without a hitch. His slowly forming forked tongue licks at his sharpening canines, eyes glimmering with something akin to wonder—laced thinly with malice when he ponders upon what they might be doing at his personal laboratory. There were many vacant laboratories on campus, it wasn’t as if the university was short with them.

Luchino steps into his lab, closing the door behind him carefully so that he doesn’t alert his “intruder”. The only people with keys to his lab were him, you, and the janitor; he doubts it was you, you had your own laboratory on campus, you always preferred to work within your own space so it wouldn’t make sense for you to enter his lab.

His eyes keen with interest when they spot papers scattered over a table. Taking long strides towards the table, he inspects them, not recognising them as his own. Brown eyes widen slightly in realisation, “This is his handwriting..” he trails off, bringing the page close to his face for close inspection. The wet ink stains left on the paper didn’t bother him, showing no care for the inky marks left on his hand as he read what you wrote.

A smile graced his face as he realised that you were here, in his lab. He wondered if there was a possibility that you missed him just as much as he had missed you. His other hand rested on the table, supporting his weight as he read your observations—your thoughts regarding the strange reptile that bit him. Such a hard worker you were, he wondered if you had gotten any sleep these past weeks. 

The sound of a door opening alerted the tall man, his eyes darting past the paper to land on your form.

—

The silence was deafening, it was as if time had stopped its passage. Your eyes met those warm coffee coloured orbs that you had yearned to see. Your mouth parted slightly, the countless words you wished to say jammed within your throat. Your hands trembled, moving to cover your mouth. Were you hallucinating? Or was he really there before you? 

You swallow down your hesitation, and before the man before you can utter a word, you cut him to the chase. “Have I gone insane or is it really Luchino Diruse standing before me?” you spoke, taking slow strides towards the suspected symptom of psychosis. 

“And what if you really have gone insane? Does this open the possibility of you longing to see your friend?” he jests, eyes tinged with that touch of mischief that you had grown to be fond of and something else you couldn’t quite decipher. You fought the urge to roll your eyes; his response made it painfully obvious that it was the latter scenario instead of the former.

You stand on the other side of the table, staring down the man before you as if to silently demand an explanation. He eyed you with a warm gaze, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Allow me to form a conjecture, you haven’t opened your mailbox ever since the last time I came over haven’t you” he foretold, already aware of the fact that he was right. 

You blinked once, and then twice, before your eyes finally drifted away to instead temporarily wander the room. Luchino carded through his locks, smiling softly at your sheepish display, You hadn’t changed at all these past few years. His eyes wandered over your frame; you were free of the lab coat you usually wore, clad in more casual clothing that fitted within your usual choice of fashion. His eyes traced over the smallest details of your face to make note of any change, narrowing upon noting that the circles under your eyes that had grown darker and your pasty complexion. “Now,” he began, slowly making his way to the other side of the room as if to examine the spotless and polished equipment.  “It’s not as if I would expect that an erudite person such as yourself would not know of the recommended amount of sleep for humans, but again and again, you have always proven that you show no concern for your own well-being” he sighed, oh-so familiar with your style of living, hiding a small smile when he comes to the conclusion that you’ve been tidying his lab for him in his absence.

Your gaze trailed towards the man before you, head cocking to the side as you raised an eyebrow. “It’s the same as always” you admitted blandly, cracking your knuckles on your left hand as you stared at that reliable back. “I’m assuming, based on your previous statement, that you had left something in my mailbox correct? And, you can’t be one to talk, you seem to have sustained an injury as well” you quickly added whilst gesturing to the bandage on his head, not wanting a lecture about your health that you’ve heard countless times before, especially from someone that visibly presented a sign of “damage”.

Luchino, already used to your style of conversation, simply goes with the change of topic. He turns on his heel, wearing a relaxed look on his face as he approaches you. “Granted, I did leave a message for you, one you had evidently missed despite my constant reminders, but onto another matter, one of great interest that will unveil my purpose for running off so abruptly,” he raised a hand to the bandage, “and I assure you, this will make up for my lack of warning” he added, admitting to his undeserved crime that you had been the suspect of.

Before you could make any remarks, let alone any sound, he tore off the bandage with a graceful yet swift movement of his wrist. He unveiled the emerald coloured scales forming on his temple, gleaming under the light. 

Your mouth parted and after a few seconds of recollection you had managed to stammer something out. “W, What on earth happened? You must explain this instant professor”. “This,” he pointed to the scales, “Is the result of me nearing the truth we have attempted to unveil—to piece together” he explained, eyes hazed with something closer to madness rather than fulfilment, and yet still, you continued to listen to what would sound like the ramblings of a madman to others.

You would ought to assume that any normal person would be repulsed by his enthusiasm, just as those of which that followed the church as if the words spoken by their fellow humans could be trusted under the guise of originating from their maker. Any other sane person grounded by such principles would be expected to react in such a manner but you weren’t one of those people. You stared at him as if every word he uttered was of utmost importance, as if he would disappear once more if you looked away. 

The professor that rambled before you had begun to discuss his findings, his eyes glimmering with unparalleled passion. “It seems that upon being bitten by the reptile, its venom caused a genetic mutation within me. Interestingly enough, when it bit the rat in my initial experimentation, nothing had occurred—” he began, diving into a one-sided discussion that seemed to go deeper and deeper with each topic opened. Surely enough, the scene had once more taken the picturesque form of memories dating back to when the two of you had first begun to work together.

With masked enamour you listened intently, the ticking clock holding no influence over your interest. The man before you paused amidst his ramble session, eyes taking in the sight of you, a sight he’d never tire of. 

A sigh so harrowing escaped the professor’s lips, causing you to perk up in slight alarm. Silence blanketed the room once more and neither of you were willing to speak up. Luchino's solemn eyes drifted away from your figure momentarily. “Forgive me for halting my explanation so suddenly, it's just that my sentiments have overcome my will to do so” he trailed off, dragging his nimble fingers along the table. Coffee coloured irises gaze into your own e/c eyes, “I missed this, what used to be routine halted until now—and I’m aware that I’m at fault for this. It was my absence that hindered us after all, it was just that.. Due to the circumstance of this transformation of mine, I fled without warning” he spoke self-deprecatingly, sending an uncertain smile your way. 

“Was it really necessary to leave?” you spoke with furrowed eyebrows, a flurry of emotions coursing through your veins. This man, your long-term friend and co-worker, had left so suddenly instead of simply talking through the issue with you. “Professor, with all due respect, I must ask, did you think that at that moment you wouldn’t be able to rely on me for aid?” you continued, a pang of hurt flashing on through your face. 

With widened eyes Luchino immediately waved his hand in dismissal, “Nonsense, I’ll have you know that you are my most trusted relation, I… I just, I thought I would burden you with something” he trailed off. He walked towards you, gently tilting your downcasted head up, “Don’t think that I don’t trust you, to tell you the truth, I feared your reaction to the mutations I would go through, this body of mine continues to change with time and perhaps in my pursuit, I would present the chance of harming you” he spoke earnestly, his other hand holding onto your own.

Your lips parted but no words came out, how would you even reply to that?. Your eyes lingered on his hand that dwarfed your own yet handled your hand as if you were porcelain and you couldn’t help but think that your hands fit so perfectly together. “Did you consider how worried i’d be once you disappeared” you mumbled, not meaning to let the other man overhear but of course, with his mutation came enhanced senses surpassing that of a normal human.

The professor’s shock was evident through his raised eyebrows, he didn’t attempt to fully conceal his growing smile either. Of course, before the man could utter a word, or revel in his discovery, you continued your sentence. “It is foolish to assume such a thing, did it not occur to you that it would be in your best interest to venture into an alternative approach accompanied by a person possessing knowledge in this topic? I am someone you’re well-acquainted with and yet I was not considered for such matters, granted you had your doubts but perhaps you’d like to account for damage control as well when conducting your projects” you continued in a deadpan manner, pinching the area between your eyebrows. 

Luchino’s smile fails to waver despite how sharp your words sounded, he was well-aware of your concern that you masked through blunt and piercing undertones. “Alright, I take responsibility for the results of my actions, there’s no need to rub it in my face so much” he feigns surrender, a smile evident from the rising lilt in his tone. With your disgruntled huff and his warm conversation, you both indulge in more menial topics about your lives whilst in each others’ absence.

The professor still exuded that air of professionalism despite him telling his own personal stories that friends would typically share over drinks. Even as you took him to your place, he still carried himself with elegance that rarely ever faltered.

Over dinner, the professor would pause and alternate his gaze between you and the various things that he may fixate on, seeming to hesitate over something. By the time you had gathered the plates for washing, he finally spoke up. “You know, I value you the most in my life right?” he begins, his tone tinged with uncertainty as he watches you take the plates to the sink for washing. “Mmh.. well, I as well” you replied, a small but uncontrollable smile gracing your lips, one he doesn’t see because you were facing away from him.

The professor smiled semi-bitterly, he wondered if you would be able to accept his following words. He was still unsure of whether or not this was the right time, whether or not he was willing to stake everything on this chance to finally tell you. You had never reciprocated his blatant flirting, every attempt he made beforehand seemed to fly over your pretty head. For the years you both had known each other, he had fallen for you without notice; It suddenly occurred to him that he had not valued anyone like he had valued you, that every day, he looked forward to seeing you, so much so that he had broken past your boundaries as co-workers. He had begun visiting your own laboratory and even reached the point of having frequented your own more than his. He slowly wormed his way into your quaint life, wanting to be a constant part of your day, wanting to etch the threads of his being into the fabrics of your existence like how you wove your own into his so seamlessly.

To him, this feeling that people dubbed as love, was something he hadn’t experienced until the day he met you. This emotion was something he simply read about, never believing in it until he had experienced it first-hand. To a man like him who always prioritised his pursuit of knowledge, to a man that has only ever experienced flings in the past, this emotion could only be summed up with the word “foreign”. His parents painted the picture of love for him and he grew up thinking that he would never experience the same love they both found in each other, such a thing occurring seemed closer to fiction than reality.

He knew what he felt, his experiences only ever served as proof of his affections towards you and despite society’s opinions and whatever nonsense they had to say, he couldn’t have cared less. Society was and has always been filled with those who could not accept the standing of others as long as they thought something didn’t conform to their expectations, attempting to conform to them would only make you a curly haired baboon that only possesses enough knowledge to look down upon others. 

The only thing that scared him was the chance of you reacting horribly. He wouldn’t hesitate to admit the fact that he would be devastated if he lost you. You were simply more than just the one he loved romantically, you were his family and his best friend: you were the sole person he’d allow himself to open up to completely without hiding any details. Just the sight of you would instantly ebb away all the negative in his life, your presence was something he’d consider a need instead of a want.

It wasn’t to the point that he was obsessive and reliant on your presence of course, he knows that such a thing is unhealthy. He worried about your well-being but he would never baby you as if you weren’t capable of caring for yourself. He admired your strengths in life; in a myriad of ways, you were a person worthy of praise. You kept to yourself but you never allowed others to trample upon you, you were kind to everyone regardless of their standing, treating them as equals no matter what. 

He didn’t wish to chain you to him, but he wished to stay by your side; to grow with you, to get old with you, to spend his most important moments and even those of little importance with you. He yearned to be someone important to you, more than just a friend and colleague.

He’d be damned if he didn’t even try to tell you.

In the case that it does not end well, he’d likely disappear for good, perhaps he’d live in solitude until the end of his life. His only wish would be that you still considered him someone that held importance to you at one point in your life, he would never want you to forget him entirely, he just wants you to remember him in some way, be it through his work or anything else if it ends tonight.

All those years ago when I told my mother that loving someone was the hardest thing I've ever done, I never would have expected that it would be as easy as breathing Luchino sighed, shaking his head in a self-deprecating manner. 

________

You put away the last dish into the cupboard, drying your hands on a towel. You walked into the living room, eyes landing on your friend’s slumped form. You poked his back gently, jostling him awake from his deep thoughts. Sitting down next to him, you could only raise an eyebrow at his current state.

Luchino exhales, raising his head to finally face you. He briefly focuses on how your knee is touching his own before staring into your eyes. “Listen (Name), I would like to tell you something and I find that this is a matter more nerve-wracking than my very first lecture” he chuckled dryly, his hand moving to gently hold one of your own. Your eyes widen slightly and he feels your hand tense before relaxing and reciprocating the gentle grip he had.

“I, I had always thought that in this life, I would not find anyone to love, that perhaps I would be lonely, but upon meeting you, I had found not only a friend I would like to spend time with, but someone I yearned to see every day,” his voice trembled, Luchino swallowed down his nerves and you simply squeezed his hand in comfort. “Throughout the years we’ve spent together, be it as friends or colleagues, you’ve grown to be my biggest comfort in life, and I, I have never felt this way for anyone or anything and I have felt this way for more than two years and I’m sorry if you feel disgusted or uncomfortable in any way, but I know, I, I know that what I feel for you is genuine, in the eyes of many it may be what they consider a sin in life but loving you, is as easy as breathing, loving you has brought me unparalleled joy that I never would have thought existed in this life and I’ll be damned if I don’t tell you how I truly feel for you, so if you wish for me to leave or if you wish for me to stay, please tell me right now” he continues, voice uncharacteristically rising and falling in tremors. It was a first for him to be like this, even when he first presented in a room filled with people, he never shook like this. The man before you seemed so vulnerable at this moment, embarrassed and even scared. His eyes were downcast as if he were awaiting for his sentence to be dealt by you, the judge.

Your smile was soft and although your heartbeat reached an alarming pace, you were overjoyed. You took both of his hands into your own, tracing patterns into the subtly shaking limbs. Seeing as it didn’t provide enough assurance, one of your hands hesitantly cupped his face. His eyes met yours, crystally brown meeting your own irises. 

It felt so right to hold his face. The warm flush on your face complemented his own, his teary eyes made your heart ache. Knowing this man felt the same for you and knowing that he loved you to that extent was likely the biggest honour you’ve been bestowed in this life.

“And what if I wish for you to stay here with me until the end of my days? What if I've felt the same for just as long as you have?” you replied, voice soft as both of your hands caressed his cheeks. Luchino couldn’t help but cry out of relief, wrapping his arms around you to pull you in for a hug. You didn’t let yourself be shocked for too long, patting his back as his tears dripped down your neck.

You shed a few tears of your own, but this time, it wasn’t because you feared that you’d never be able to tell him how you felt, it wasn’t because you were pining for him. It was because mercy still existed in this world, that you had managed to meet the love of your life and received the same from him.

Perhaps hardships awaited you both, but you knew that you’d be capable of handling anything, much more so now that he would be by your side. 

Your house was tranquil, just like any other day, but this time, it bore resemblance to a home.

[idv-sweethearts]

Hellohello! The luchino fan back again LMAO, I loved your other writing it was so good! I'm back again for more if you have the time, could you write about luchino comforting reader after a bad match? I usually feel shitty after messing up a match and wanna see how my fav would comfort me, if it's not too much thank you!

Luchino Helping Reader Through Aftermath of Bad Matches ☕️

Notes: EHEHE. I HAVE A RECURRING ANON. EHEHEHEHEHEHE. YIPPEE. Also, I decided to go with a story format for this one, which is why the title's more creative. I also apologize if this is short.

You'd made a few silly mistakes and hoped like hell that would be the end of it. You hoped that maybe your team could recover and perhaps even achieve a win or a tie, though you knew the moment you were placed on that godforsaken chair for the final time that whatever victory your team achieved, you certainly wouldn't have contributed a damn thing to it.

And to hurt your pride even further, like it was all some kind of sick joke that some unknown deity of probability was playing on you specifically, it soon became as clear as day while you spectated that not one Survivor was going to make it out of that match. Was it your fault? At a certain point, they should be able to get the game back on track, right? But they'd have had a much easier time if you hadn't messed everything up like a complete and utter moron.

Now that you've gone and made yourself look like a fool, a failure, and a god damned mess, you've decided to spend the rest of the day in your room. By yourself. With no-one around to see how insanely stupid you are. Maybe if you read a book or something, you'd get smart enough to not make such dumb decisions! Maybe! Who knows! But whatever you choose to do with your time in here, you're sure as hell not about to out there so you can hear all the things they're going to say about you. You just can't bear to face them right now.

So, your room is where you've been for the past few hours. On one hand, you haven't been busy since that pathetic match. But on the other, that match being your last for the day means you'll have no chance to redeem yourself until tomorrow.

You swear that next time, you won't let those pitiful Hunters taste even a single victory if you can help it. You won't let them strike even a single one of your allies. They'd have to get through you first. But how could you even be that good? Wasn't your little display today proof enough that you can't do a single thing right? You have to get better. You have to do better. You have to-

There is a soft knock at the door, startling you and returning you to reality. You're in your room. Aside from the knock at your door a few seconds ago, it's dead silent and it has been for a while. Maybe, if you breathe quietly enough and don't answer the door, whoever it is will leave you be.

What could they even be here for? To mock you? To ridicule you for your poor performance today? Why would someone even go out of their way to do that? How sickening. You won't allow them even the chance.

You hear a second, slightly louder knock at the door, followed by a voice you know you'd never hear mock you. Not in a million years, no matter what he'd ever become, reptilian or even further into the future than that.

"[Y/N]? I know you are in there. You have not left your room since your most recent match, a match your team unfortunately lost. I have reason to express concern."

You let the voice and words of the professor sit in your mind for a moment before finally opening the door a bit. You trusted him to see you upset. You two were quite fond of eachother. Quite romantically attached, despite everything. After all, facing the incomprehensible is much easier when you aren't alone.

"Ah, [Y/N]. Are you alright? You seem... Unwell."

Your expression shifts into something more content and you silently open the door further and step out of the way, indicating an invitation into your room. After closing the door, you finally confirm your reasons for being so upset, while Luchino nods attentively, waiting patiently for you to finish your explanation.

He sits down, gestures for you to do the same, clears his throat, and politely offers his hand to place yours in. Almost hesitantly due to your mood, you place your hand in his.

He's naturally not the most skilled when it comes to social interactions, but he's more than capable of using his intelligence and observations to get him through most conversations. However, he's more nervous than he normally would be right now because the quality of his lover's evening is on the line. One could tell by how hesitant he is to even speak.

"Failure is... Necessary, I believe."

Wow. What a strong start.

"Through imperfections, one can learn and improve to a degree to a degree where they become almost unrecognizable. Do you think you are the same person you were when you first started? You are not and neither am I."

You'd always be the first to hear of all of the things he had to say, his failures and his accomplishments alike. Just as long as no messes were made, he'd always been happy to let you witness every little thing he'd ever discovered, no matter how beautiful and no matter how objectively disgusting. He was proud of every bit of it.

"You've come far, you'll always continue to progress, and it is not your fault that another happened to perform more skillfully. I fail too, at times. Disgracefully, in fact. I think everyone fails sometimes, just as everyone should. If everything and everyone were perfect from birth, there would be no need for change or variety, and there be would be no catharsis from overcoming challenges, because there would be no challenges to overcome. What do you think of that idea?"

[moles-hideout]

Norton Campbell x Male! S/o college au!

Tw: Hints of NSFW, fighting (not really but still)

Tags: College au, Established Roommates, Established relationship, Fluff, Crack

A/N: This just very self indulgent tee hee :3

You and Norton have been best friends since Junior high. You two had been together through thick and thin, no matter what life threw at you. You two were inseparable, having each other's back at any time. (Even bailing Norton out of jail once but shhh)

To be clear, Norton is not someone who can be easily approached due to his infamous extreme mood swings but no one would have ever imagined that Norton would have a lover up until now. It felt almost natural for the both of you though. No matter what challenges you two face, you both always find a way support and uplift each other. You've celebrate many achievements together and provide a shoulder to lean on during tough times. The loyalty and care you two have for each other can never be replicated so easily.

Currently, you both graduated with a bang, got into your dream college and are now living in the dorms as roommates. Both of you having shared countless adventures and secrets through out your lives and ever since living together, it made the two of you even closer, to see each other's quirks and flaws. The other students really question if you two are just roommates or an old married couple.

Inside the dorm room, it's covered in a colorful mess of post-it notes with sweet messages, silly doodles, and inside jokes. It's their way of communicating and brightening each other's days. And in random occasions, you two leave love notes that are hidden in the most unexpected and odd places, like inside shoes or inside the cereal, keeping the romance alive in your everyday lives.

One of your favorite things about living together is the silly and weird traditions you two created. From weekend movie marathons to impromptu Mario kart competitions in the living room. Not to mention the endless prank war you two have, from putting plastic bugs in the shower to scaring each other during a scary movie, these traditions and antics have led to countless fond moments of laughter and bonding.

You two created a ridiculous number of nicknames for each other, some of which make no sense to anyone else but for you two, it's filled with love and whacky inside jokes.

Although, there are some downsides with living together. Mornings are a whirlwind of chaos as you two rush around trying to get ready for work or to class, often accidentally grabbing each other's clothes or toothbrushes in the rush.

One time, you accidentally took Norton's jacket to class and your professor (definitely not Luchino) teased you about it teehee.

We all know that Norton is frugal and thrifty, from extreme couponing to bargaining for half a prize. He wants to take you out for a dinner date in a very expensive restaurant? It now costs a fraction of what it was originally priced. Planning to go to that one very expensive amusement park? You bet your sweet ass he'll be surfing on the internet to find online discounts. "NonNon doesn't this [insert item here] cost $150?" "Oh yeah, I got a discount. I got it for $59." "I beg your pardon?-" "Then beg."

One time Norton got a call from one of your friends at the party you were attending, they've called to tell him to go pick your drunk ass up. Once he arrives, he sees you biting someone's ankle like an animal. (He had to tie you up to stop your reign of chaos.)

But your favorite part of the day, is where nighttime comes. Where the stress of the day leaves you both as a sense of peace and comfort replaces it.

There are times when words aren't necessary – just being around each other brings a sense of calm and happiness, you two find solace in each other's presence even in silence. You two can spend hours together simply reading working on their hobbies or just cuddling on the couch without needing to fill the silence with words. Sometimes, you both share vulnerable moments confess secrets and offer each other support. There's no need for words in such, for you both already know what the other is feeling after all. And it's already enough.

Hihihiiii thanks for reading my first hcs, I'm still trying to juggle school work and making hcs so please be a bit patient with me darlings! (⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ

[oletus-writer]

If ur doing request may I request full nsfw alphabet with evil reptilian?

I’m sorry this took a while, and am pleasantly surprised at your request.

Luchino Diruse (hunter) NSFW Alphabet

Warnings: nsfw

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

Luchino has good stamina and will make sure you’re all good and clean before you fall asleep, murmuring praises in your ear. He’ll wrap his body around yours, and soak up your warmth, falling asleep if he feels tired.

B = Body part (their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

On you? Your chest, regardless of whether or not you’re a man or a woman. It contains your heart, which has these undeserving emotions directed towards him. Also, hickeys look good on your skin. His favourite body part of his are his hands - how they look, wrapped around the pretty wrists, so monstrous next to your human ones. How his long fingers pleasure you so easily.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Oh, he’ll cum anywhere you allow him. He’s got two penises, and goes through mating season every April, so he’s got a lot. If you’ll allow it, he’s more than happy to cum inside you, unprotected. His changed DNA doesn’t allow you to get pregnant, anyway.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He doesn’t particularly like being insulted about his appearance, but if it’s you? He’d like you to reach into his cloaca and touch his hemipenis and whisper how dirty it feels. Tell him he's a good slut. That'll do something.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

He knows how to have sex, how to make you feel good, and has had some sexual encounters before, but not in his mutated form. He may hurt you when the two of start, so good communication is appreciated. He will input a safe word system, just in case.

F = Favourite position (this goes without saying)

He'll try anything and everything, but ultimately, he prefers the positions where he can see your face.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Sometimes, at the beginning, he is humorous. However, when the two of you are really going at it, he is completely serious. While he may crack at some jokes, he won't make them himself.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes?)

Luchino has scales almost everywhere, so he does not have hair anywhere, except his head. He doesn't particularly mind if you do, but mind you, it does tickle.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? are they romantic?)

Not so intimate as sexual - he'll tell you you're doing a good job, whisper dirty things in your ear, but that's about it. Now, if you want him to be more intimate, you have to take the reins and make him feel better than he has in a while. He'll be screaming your name, as well as how much he loves you.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcannon)

He usually masturbates to relieve stress, and when it's the mating season. This does not change that much, however, he will tentatively ask you to help if he feels confident in your relationship. Hopefully, if you agree, you could help out with his heat.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

I have a feeling that Luchino would have a medical kink - he’d like to see how your heart jumps, how every twitch in your muscles translate to the monitors. A part of him would also breed you, although the DNA in him is incapable with human DNA, and he biologically cannot have children.

L = Location (favourite places to have sex)

Anywhere private. On the bed, the couch, the walls, the floor. Anywhere that would give pleasure.

M = Motivation (what turns them on?)

Aside from breeding season? Wearing anything revealing and being confident in it. Flirty remarks, suggestive touches, the usual.

N = No (what turns them off?)

Naturally, anything that would cause you unwanted pain, or unnecessary mess. Feces, urine, etc. he won’t even consider talking about the possibility. He knows what risks getting involved with such things outside a sterile environment, and won't risk getting you or him seriously ill.

O = Oral (do they prefer giving or receiving? how skilled are they?)

His tongue is long and agile, reaching into places his finger might. It may be a little awkward to ask him if he wants to receive oral. He'd explain that since his hemipenis is inside his cloaca, it is inverted, and that your tongue would be touching the outside of his penises. If you agree, Luchino would be introduced to a whole new world of sensations.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual?)

Fast and rough, all the way. While he is able to go slow and sensual if he wishes, he thinks it's best to save all the sappy things for a time that isn't for pleasure.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies)

He'll do them if you want to do them, but he is a fan of the idea of taking his time to give you pleasure, and giving his all. Perhaps there is an appeal to quickies, too if you show him.

R = Risk (are they experimental? do they take risks?)

He'll take all the risks you want, except if it means you could get seriously ill.

S = Stamina (how long do they last?)

All night, if you'll let him, then in the morning, too. Lizards, like any animal, have no time to rest after sex, and being a human lizard hybrid that can jump twice his height, Luchino has good stamina and good strength.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them?)

He does, since he wanted to explore what sorts of pleasure he could get with his mutated form, and may introduce various forms of vibrators into sex - he may not use them on you, since they are very specific and may hurt you. Perhaps he'd like to show you how he pleasures himself with these toys, one day.

U = Unfair (how much do they like to tease?)

He loves to tease, to deny your orgasms, and would love to receive the same care and attention from you.

V = Volume (how loud are they?)

Quite loud. He'll make sure to tell you every miniscule thing that gives him pleasure. Sex with him giving would include a lot of grunts and praises, sometimes moans. Sex with him receiving, is much more loud - arching his back, crying, screaming your name - everyone would know exactly what is going on between the two of you.

W = Wild card (a random headcannon for the character)

Thighs for days. He can jump so high, and lizards, unlike cats, do not have any specific evolutions into jumping at least twice their height.

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

As I've said, he has a cloaca and a hemipenis, meaning that he does not have a anus. The first of the two penises is smaller, about 6 inches (15.2 cm), and the larger is about 6.7 inches (17 cm), and they are both above average in thickness. No hair, as I've said - they are smooth and have no scales.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

A relatively normal libido, unless it is mating season, then he'd be asking for you every second. You don't need to have sex with him during that time, only your reassurance that you are there. Let him mark you with his scent, to make him feel better. Sex is a bonus, though.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He doesn't, unless he really needed to sleep, or you've topped the shit out of him and exhausted him so much.

[emmett-the-luchino-lover]

LIZARD LUCHINO WITH A S/O THAT IS LIKE ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH HIM AND FLIRTS WITH HIM A LOT PELAKSGEGW THEY JUST LIKE MAKING SLIGHTLY SUGGESTIVE FLIRTING THEY THINK HE’S THE HOTTEST MF ALIVE

I AM SELF PROJECTING SO MUCH ON THIS

ANON YOU SO REAL FOR THAT flirting with luchino mains in match on identity v is my fave activity FR!!!! I couldn’t write this one very well so I apologize dearly <\3

But I really hope you enjoy!!!

🦎Luchino X Reader that loves to flirt with him (slight NSFW)

Reader is GN.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-You guys have been talking to each other for awhile and oooo boy.. the way you swoon so badly for this lizard boy…

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-You would always knock on his door, giving him flowers and gifts and such like that, while saying the most cheesiest pick up line ever that makes him roll his eyes at you.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-But that doesn’t mean he don’t like it…

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-In fact, he finds it very amusing, seeing you try and shoot your shot multiple times, he acts oblivious on purpose to study and see what you would do, he thinks of this like a game, sort of.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“Human. What are you trying to do? What’s with that face?” “Nothing~ Just thought I gave this flower to you.. the scent reminds me of you, cause it’s as pleasant as you..❤️” “Are you drunk again?”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-Despite you making so many hints towards him, he just wouldn’t get it, or so you thought. You started to get tired of it a little bit, and stepped it up. There’s no way he won’t get this…

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“Luchiiii~” you drag out his name. He was doing an experiment and you were watching him at his lab.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“What is it that you so dearly want?” He replies to you, almost hissing in a way.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“How come you don’t do experiments outside of lizards and.. weird reptile stuff like that?” You say.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“And what do you mean by that…?”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“I dunno, you could perhaps.. do an “experiment” on me, instead…~” you say, super flirtiously, leaning into him closely with those lovey dovey eyes, and at this moment, he couldn’t hold it back

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-“Mmmm..” He purrs out. “Maybe I should. Does tonight sound good?”

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-Now you’re becoming a blushing mess, surprised that he even responded like that, making you stutter a lot, too. (Mans got you speechless FR😭)

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ-Let’s just say, during that night you guys had a bit of fun. And now this man just fully flirting with you, purposely making you flustered any given moment he can. Lol

[otakusparkle]

Lawson x Identity V collaboration is underway! I'm working at a convenience store with everyone from the manor♪

Today we'll be introducing everyone's work! I can hear Emma's voice inside the store♬

And our store also has a mascot... right?

Translation

(Read from right to left)

Identity Convenient Store

Narrator : A convenience store has arrived near the manor!

Emma : "Let me introduce you to our exciting members!"

Narrator : The Inventory Mastermind! “Luca Balsa"

Narrator : Master of cash register! "Norton Campbell"

Narrator : Stocking items professional! "Helena Adams"

Narrator : Princess of cleanliness! "Emma Woods"

Narrator : A reliable store manager! …And a mascot? "Mr. Luchino"

Luchino : Welcome~

Narrator : It doesn't seem like it's a mess...?

[yellow-artz]

I drew my acc for the sillies

[permafrown]

Room updates!

• luchino went messing.

[sweetgardener]

So I wrote some Luchino x Emma and I am forcing it upon you

"..And what exactly are you doing up this late?" Questioned the hunter, looking down at the sleepy survivor. It was about...three in the morning, the stars and moon still out. Said sleepy survivor was sporting a pair of plain pajamas, while the hunter wore only pajama trousers.

The hunter would give a little head tilt, amber eyes looking her up and down. The survivor let out another yawn, rubbing her eyes.

"I had a nightmare...it's silly, I know.."

That would explain it. Miss Woods is not the first survivor he's seen wandering around the manor at night after a bad dream or two. Granted he only saw such things because he had his fair share of rough sleep and wandered too, at times to the survivor side to be nosey.

"Hm..Might a nightly walk settle your mind?" Was he offering? Sure, it couldn't hurt to do so. The woman seemed to visibly perk up at this, giving a eager nod. The hunter felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, holding out his hand to the survivor. She took it without a second thought and the two began to walk, heading down the hall, down the stairs and into the garden.

The garden itself was beautiful during the day, but it was even more so during the night. Little moths flitting about in the moonlight, the more nocturnal plants blossoming and thriving. Though a dense fog remained around the perimeter of the manor, it barely reached the garden.

The two walked the smooth stone path to a tree, still full of leaves. It was summer time, after all. Settling under the shade and shelter of the branches, Luchino watched as the small gardener got comfortable in his lap, resting her head on his chest, looking up at him. Her green eyes, taking in every aspect of his appearance, filled with adoration and wonder. He looked down at her in return, taking note of the slight mess her hair was in. Humming a soft tune, He fiddled and brushed her hair, tidying it with just his fingers. Emma closed her eyes at that, finding the action soothing and sweet.

[the-haiku-bot]

Luchino you can

do no wrong~ I will stand by

you for your girl wrongs

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

Luchino you can do no wrong~ I will stand by you for your girl wrongs

[drfeelgreed]

❛  can’t you watch where you’re going ?!  ❜ ash for luchino !

"My apologies," Luchino says, slipping into his showman's voice to mask the irritation that immediately wants to make itself known.

I would have at least meant that if he hadn't been so rude, Luchino thinks, but he has a public persona to uphold so he doesn't bother saying as much. The whole mess had been his fault for not adequately paying attention to the situation at hand, and he'd genuinely felt bad for a moment over the man's belongings, now soaked through with Luchino's nearly-full bottle of water. Only for a moment, though. Then, obviously, the man he'd run into had gotten unreasonably mad.

"I shouldn't have been moving in such a hurry when I have other things on my mind," he continues, a sickly-sweet smile plastered on his face. Not that he'd know I'm only disoriented because I've just finished with a job. "Are your things alright? If not, I'm more than happy to pay to replace them."

first meetings. / accepting.