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ravenwriter16 · 7 months ago

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Hello EVERYONE!!!! This is part one of my new series, 'Creative Minds Think Alike!'

In these small snippets I will highlight some of the coolest (at least in my mind) DCA (or other, who knows) content creators!

SO think of these as a HUGE thanks to these creators for all their cool art, stories, and little worlds that they decided to share with all of us! You guys are awesome and I hope to get to your level of talent one day!

You can tell I'm not that good because this is not beta-read!

If you don't like my writing or story idea, then don't read Just a heads up, I will edit or straight up delete a fic episode if the creator I featured took offensive with how I presented them and their AUs. My intent isn't to mock or belittle them or their works

So here you are my fellow void travelers! The pilot fic episode to the series 'Creative Minds Think Alike!'. Featuring the amazing @missterious-figure! Enjoy!

The castle halls at night were truly a gorgeously horrific sight to behold. A person first trekking into this old and magnificent place would surely run away at the first shadow that seemed to move. At least the large windows allowed the moon to grace the hall with its ghostly glow.

Directly across from the windows are rows of doors, each one different from the last and never exactly the same as its neighbors. Each of these doors has a small plaque located either right next to the door, above the door, or on the door itself.

Currently walking down this strange hall is me. Good dawn, morning, afternoon, evening or night (or all of the above). I'm Ravenwriter Archivist number 16. But you can call me Raven if you want!

My boss calls me Ravenwriter16 because he doesn't want to waste breath on my title (His words not mine). I'm one of the many protecters of this castle. A Castle Archivist if you so will. I was given this title and job by none other than the Aligned Society of Creative Minds.

Not by my choice. They were short on time and randomly selected me, basically uprooting my life. For a time I was angry (and can you blame me?) but then I looked into the specifics of my duties and now I'm ready to work.

I'm no expert mind you. I'd just graduated from the academy and starting to get some control over my powers when I was shoved into this. But I love a good challenge!

But enough of this, I'm stalling.

I eye the plaques, scanning them intently. In my hands are two envelopes with containing letters I wrote earlier this week. They were for two of the millions of warriors living in the castle.

Two that I hand selected after spending hours scouring the resident scrolls (there are so MANY). I hope these two were as friendly as their scrolls stated.

After a few minutes of walking this ever-expanding hall, I finally find the door to the first warrior from my two chosen.

The door itself was made from a black natural material, not really wood, not really rock, not really metal. It seemed to morph between those three. It did have gold trimming woven into the strange surface. Above the door was a golden plaque with silver and bronze writing.

I take in a shaky inhale, rolling my shoulders and in turn shaking my wings. My black feathers bristling before settling back down as my wings fold into my back.

I tug at my black hood, making sure it was secured over my head. My eyes dart to my boots and I lift my feet up one by one to inspect them for mud and dirt.

phew...not even a speck.

Steeling my resolve (and accepting my possible death wish) I place my gloved hand on the door. I push the surprisingly heavy door open.

It creaks o it's hinges as it swings inward. the sounds of birds flying and water crashing startles me. I look into the room in awe. It was like someone took every biome known to man and mixed it all together to harmonize in this relm.

There was a desert in the distance to my left and a...a FROZEN WASTE LAND to my right?! Forest and grassy plains, hills and mountains?! This place seems to have it all.

I step inside and gently close the door behind me. To protect my letters I place them in my side pouch as I journey deeper into this world.

While trekking further and further into the room, my surroundings start to shift. Jungle recedes into moss covered, vine strangled stone. I could see stone arches and tapestries that have aged and withered over time.

I reach a clearing. The temple's main room. There was no ceiling exclude for the tree leaves. To my left was more ancient stone that opened up to the jungle more and to my right was a magnificent waterfall.

in front of me was a giant tree. It's roots weaved into a seat, a throne if you will. Carvings grace the wood, but they don't look man made.

My wings spread out in alarm when something brushes against them. Something smooth and cold. Whipping my head to my wings, I freeze and gasp.

A floating glowing orb floats in the air. Bobbing up and down in small movements. It moves closer to my face and boops my nose. My eyes widen and I laugh.

"Well hello there little one." I greet, cupping my hands underneath it. It flies down and rests in my palms. it glows a tad brighter and its color changes to a neon green.

It vibrates in my hand, a sign of its content. I laugh, "Wow. I've read about Relm Holders, but seeing one in real life is-,"

"Spectacular?"

I spin on my heels and face the throne. My checks grow warm and my wings puff up in embarrassment.

Sitting on the throne was an all-black, and I mean pitch BLACK, person with a...a uhm...

"I'm so SO sorry if this comes across as rude but uhm..." I tilt my head pointing at theirs, "Do you have a...square as a head?"

A single white eye with a white line over said eye (acting as the eyebrow) appears on the left side of their face. the eye widens.

"Oh, yeah..." the voice was feminine and held power.

I let go of the Relm holder and it zooms over to the stranger. No not a stranger...this was-

"Missterious-figure?"

"How do you know my name?" she asks, standing up. She holds the Relm Holder in her hand and I watch as scenes of hooves, horns, antlers, fairy wings (?) swamps, metalic colors shimmering with different color eyes, pass through the orb.

She blows on the Relm Holder and the orb evaporates into millions of fireflies. I follow some of them as they fly in spirals up towards the sky.

"Ahem?"

I snap my gaze up to her's and nervously laugh. "S-sorry. Allow me to introduce myself..."

I get down on my knee and put a hand on my chest as i bow y head, "I am Ravenwriter Archivist 16. I'm the-,"

"New watcher of the castle?" she asks with a tilt of her head. "What happened to Mr. Honer?"

"He was uhm...dismissed by the council." I risk a glance up at the. i yelp and fall on my bottom when I find how close they are. They look down at me with a raised brow.

"You are jumpy." she states calmly while i try to steady my heart. She offers her hand to help me up and I take it with a small smile.

"Thank you-AAAAAA!"

Hands grab me from behind and lift me up by my armpits. My wings flap in agitation as I'm turned around to face a golden feathered face. small blue feathers and long beautiful red feathers. White eyes shine in delight and mischief as they take in my face.

I stare in shock, mouth open. the being holding me laughs, "A new harpy from our beloved ruler~? Miss you shouldn't have!"

I yelp as I'm shoved into a very fluffy and warm chest. I try to pull away but the being, male I think, was too strong, keeping me in place with ease.

"Sun! Put her down!"

"But you made her for us, my queen! Why would I let go of such a lovely gift~?"

"She's not mine! She's the new Watcher-,"

I'm dropped immediately. I yelp and my wings spread out in pain. I stand up and rub my hip, "Oww..."

"I wish you told me that before I touched the dirty thing." Sun tsks, crossing his arms and swiveling his head to the side with his nose up.

"I'm not that dirty--YOUR TAIL!" My mumbling morphs into awe.

'What?" Sun glances at me with a raised brow. His eyes drift to his GORGEOUS golden tail feathers. "Did you get them dirty?"

I let his insult breeze over, too star-struck by his beauty. He smirks smugly and I hear Missterious-Figuren groan and roll her eye.

When she clears her throat, I shake my head, snapping out of my stupor. I face her, eyes averted and rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"Please don't feed his ego. It's already too big..." she sighs.

"I'm your creation, darling~." Sun croons, sauntering over to Missterious-figure and draping himself over her. He nuzzles into her neck, his feathers around his neck bristling.

"Uhm," I hold up my two index fingers, "Should I come back later-,"

"No. No this is probably a good time to talk. Peacock Eclipse is out checking in on my smaller boys, and Peacock Moon is trying to get the jump on Centaur Moon...Again..."

I snort but I cover my mouth when Missterious-figure tilts her head. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. That's just hilarious to me...I mean after reading about your inclusive world and all." I nervously chuckle.,

"Cool." She pets Sun's head and he leans into her touch even kissing her palm. "Sooooo, did you come here to introduce yourself or-,"

"OH! Right..." I turn my attention to my side pouch. Some of items clinking together while I search for her envelope.

Sun perks up with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He leans forward to get closer but Missterious-figure slaps him. He gasps and holds his throbbing cheek as he gives her puppy-dog eyes.

She returns his look with a pointed look.

"Here we are!" I pull out the envelope and hold it out to her "This is an introduction letter from me with more of my contact information in case you have any questions, complaints, or concerns about the castle. And there's also some papers that need your signature."

She takes it from my hand and turns to her left. She looks at me and smiles, "I take it you need these back by a certain date?"

My wings puff up as I nod my head, "Yes, but I can convince the council for more time if you're busy-,"

"You don't have to do that...If you'll follow me to my lounge, I can sign these papers and send you on your way..."

"That would be great, thank you." I return her smile with a small one of my own. I go to follow her when she starts walking but a towel flies at me, smacking me in the face.

I pull it off and glare at Sun. He harrumphs and points to the towel, his silver glove shining in the sunlight as well as his feathers. "Clean yourself. I don't want any of your filth getting on the carpet."

With that he turns his back to me and walks after Missterious-figure. I can't help but stare as he swishes his hips, his tail feathers glittering as he walks.

I smack myself in the face with my wings. I shake my head and bite the inside of my cheek. FOCUS!

I wipe my face with the towel to appease the giant...handsome bird man, then follow after the two.

I try not to look around that much. I didn't want to impose more than I already have.

I was happy that Missterious-figure was so opened minded towards this whole...'New Castle Archivist' stuff. But I know I shouldn't take her kindness for passiveness. Her form I saw her in was her...calmer form so to speak. At least that's what I assume.

If she saw me as a threat though...I would be dead in seconds. She was one of the Head Defenders for a reason...

I was too deep in my head that the walk to the lounge blurred by. It was still a ruin temple theme, but now there are couches, plush chairs, red carpet, and even some hammocks.

A small desk was pushed to the side and that's were Missterious-figure was looking over the papers. Sun was draped over a couch, pulling at her pants, trying to coax her into paying attention to her.

I stand awkwardly in the doorway, crossing and uncrossing my arms. My eyes lock onto the window that gave a spectacular view of the grassy planes. I see a herd grazing and is that a yellow unicorn-,

"Sun stop...Alright! This looks fine to me."

I turn my head to her. My eyes widen when she uses a bronze peacock tail feather as a quill. She dips the tip into a golden inkwell then leaves her signature on all the dotted lines the papers required.

She places the quill back into the inkwell and pats the papers so that they were evenly stacked. She turns around and walks towards me, Sun whining that she was out of range of hold.

She holds out the papers for me to take. "I'm impressed with how these all fit in that tiny envelope."

I take the papers with a small thank you, "Yeah, nothing a little compact spell could fix. Thank you again for signing these. I know paperwork isn't the greatest of things to do...."

Missterious-figure shrugs then groans when Sun whines for her again. She looks over her shoulder at the dramatic harpy. "Behave or I'll cut your time short and hand out with Reptile you."

"No~!" Sun whines giving her puppy eyes.

She rolls her eye and looks back at me with a tired smile. I smile back and turn to leave, "Thank you so much for your time."

"Don't mention it."

"If you need anything, feel free to stop by my mushroom."

"M-mushroom?" she blinks at me and I give her a confused stare. "What happened to the Archivist office?"

"Oh that!...I destroyed it...It was too cramped for me..."

"Right..."

"Thank you again, I'll see myself out."

"Stay safe. Some creations are known to sneak out." She sighs, "Especially my moon..."

"Got it." I give her a small bow and make my way out of her room. I wave at the fireflies as they flutter around me. I take one last long look at this magnificent room.

'Maybe working here won't be as bad as I thought..."

I sigh, chuckling to myself as I leave. The doors closing behind me in a soft thud.

***

That's the end of part 1!

Episode Two is HERE

Episode Three is HERE

Episode Four is HERE

Episode Five is HERE

Episode Six is HERE

Episode Seven is HERE

Hope you've all enjoyed! Part two will be coming soon to a Tumblr near you!

Thank you @missterious-figure for letting me use you and your boys for this. Please contact me if you are unsatisfied with how I represented you in this episode!

Hope you all have a fantastic day/night! Stay awesome!

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blackberrywars · 1 year ago

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♥️Lambert/Aiden Fic Reclist!♥️

For anybody and everybody interested in Lambert, Aiden, and/or their relationship! I've been obsessed with these two since the start of the pandemic, and they inspired me to start writing my own fic, so making a reclist has always been an idea in the back of my head. Plus, it's come to my attention that the tag can get crowded sometimes, so, Laiden fans, this one's for you.

Parameters: I've decided to divide my recs based on common story types that explore Laiden both in and out of canon. Other ships are allowed, but the focus is Lambert/Aiden. Additionally, I put a cap on 3 fics max per author. These are not arranged in any particular order beyond the categories.

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♥️Lambert's Revenge/Aiden's Death or Return♥️

(i know dead people, and you are not dead) by @brighteyedjill (Explicit/5,940/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Lambert finds Aiden after ten years of torture, maimed and broken. They retire and learn each other once again, mind, body, and soul.

I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory by CamilleDuDemon (Mature/2,327/Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death)

Aiden dies on a beautiful sunny day, while Lambert waits for him in their usual meeting place. Witchers cannot love and witchers never die in their beds. If only neither of those were true.

No Grave by @blackberrywars (Mature/2293/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A shameless self-rec, because I'm very proud of this fic. To the tune of Hozier’s Work Song, Aiden crawls from her almost-grave, determined to see her baby wolf again.

Fair Trade by Anoke (Mature/40,373/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Karadin sells Aiden to a mage, and he becomes an experiment, trapped in his own head while searching for a way out. It's a series, and this is the part where shit gets ugly.

Very Dark Magic by @bomberqueen17 (Mature/23,683/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Aiden is once more getting tortured and mind-controlled by a mage, but luckily enough and via the power of psychic beams, Keira and Lambert find him. And Lambert's pissed.

Roses Fall but the Thorns Remain by @t4tlambert (Teen/1,458/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert holds Aiden's medallion in his hands, and he knows what it means. He pays for the privilege of having this last piece of his lover, and falls apart for just a moment.

No Grave Can Hold My Body Down by @t4tlambert (Teen/14,414/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A fellow Hozier-lyric-title user. Aiden crawls out of his grave and is found by Eskel, who begrudgingly decides to not piss off his little brother and does his best to keep his Cat alive.

Fortunes of the Fearless by @tumbleweedtech (Teen/627/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert is a vicious bastard, and Aiden is lucky enough to be around to appreciate it, even if Lambert's victim is long dead and drowned.

Survival by @kitdubhran (Teen/1,278/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Aiden wakes up in enough pain that he kind of wishes he hadn't. But he does wake up. And we all know who he's gonna go find.

♥️Getting Together & Being Together♥️

Intent by tnico (Teen/18,551/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert does everything in his crotchety (open to interpretation) power to get Aiden to reveal his devious plans and fuck off, except all he wants is to be by Lambert's side. Incredible characterization, funny as hell, and awesome research footnotes.

Bad Blood (Runs True) by @fairytrashmother (Teen/8,368/No Archive Warnings Apply)

The Tournament never happened, and the Cats and Wolves are actually trying to make peace. A young pup and a young kit might just solve their problems

Silver for Monsters by @crimsonherbarium (Explicit/108,559/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

A canon-compliant look at the development of Laiden with awesome cover art and plenty of angst in later chapters. Lambert is slow to trust, so the burn follows thus.

Lacebound by @heronfem (Mature/39,391/Graphic Depictions of Violence)

Lambert and Aiden as young witchers in winter, lacebound by the fucked-up system they live in, and soon, lacebound to each other. Extremely nuanced politics, people, and circumstances, but also something like a college AU, if Bombs 101 was a class

Denial by tnico (Teen/16,989/No Archive Warnings Apply)

This fic quite possibly wins the award for bitchiest Lambert dialogue in existence, and no one loves it more than me and Aiden. They go a-curse-breakin' and have a grand old time together. More awesome research footnotes

Therapeutic Effects by @laurelnose (Teen/900/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert finds Aiden purring himself back to health, and it's mad cute (but also hilarious because Lambert is Lambert)

Fuck Off: A Love Story (In 5+1 Parts) by @skaldingrayne (Mature/17,080/Graphic Depictions of Violence)

Despite all his efforts to appear the contrary, Lambert is just a bit too noble (and then a bit too horny and a bit too in love) to let this mangy Cat die by his own stupidity. He's still gonna bitch about it tho.

i won't say i'm in **** by @purpurred (Mature/5,848/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Keira arranges for a Cat to fulfill one of Lambert's more private fantasies, and Lambert takes it in the worst way possible. That doesn't mean he can stop thinking about the way Aiden held a poisoned knife to his throat.

ease me of its fever by @inexplicifics (Mature/5,226/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Omega Lambert has spent so many years saying absolutely-the-fuck-not-i'll-rip-your-cock-off that it's more than a little difficult to say yes. Aiden is so, so patient.

mountains that are stacked with fear by @xianvar (Mature/11,171/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert, being Lambert, assumes the beautiful love confession he found in Aiden's bag was actually a prank, and lashes out accordingly. He gets his shit together, and his Cat, eventually.

♥️Meeting the Family♥️

Lambert's two orens' man by Ledgea (Teen/1,861/No Archive Warnings Apply)

One part in an incredible series about the slow development of Aiden and Lambert, but it's just a fun bit of Eskel getting to see his baby brother happy

Hide and seek by Ledgea (Mature/6,617/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert sneaks Aiden into Kaer Morhen, and his whole cohort of bastard pups work hard to cover his ass while causing as many problems as witcherly possible; part 1 of 3

a promise to keep by @all-hail-the-witcher (Teen/983/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Tooth-rotting fluff of Aiden in Kaer Morhen, appreciating the effects of good, regular meals on Lambert's physique. Cutagen biscuits are made.

Winter with the Caravan by @damnbert (Teen/14,229/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert goes home with Aiden for a while, and all the other Cats take the opportunity to take the absolute piss out of them both (and maybe do a little matchmaking on the side)

Lambert's Family by @freudensteins-monster (Teen/5,901/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert hides his biological family until he finally feels safe enough not to. They might be growing up around him, but they still welcome him home every year, and they welcome the Wolves and Cats too.

Did he who made the Lamb make thee? by @tumbleweedtech (General Audiences/1,461/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Being the (asshole) older brothers that they are, Geralt and Eskel constantly rib Lambert about being the littlest wolf, and that his mysterious cat must be pint-sized to match. Lambert is happy to prove them wrong.

♥️Good Old Fashioned Smut♥️

wild green wonder by elizabethgee (Explicit/42,554/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Laiden smut in just about every configuration you can think. Sweet and tender, rough and wild, this one has it all. If you like a dom!Aiden and repressed sub!Lambert, this is stellar

Lambert's (Not-So) Mysterious Vial of Oil by @on-a-lucky-tide (Explicit/11,291/No Archive Warnings Apply)

The Lambert-kicks-ass-at-alchemy headcanon applied to sex. He receives (heh), and then passes his glorious knowledge of lube onto a his student, Aiden

Sweeter Than Pride by @blackberrywars (Explicit/2524/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Another self-rec for the f/f lovers. Lambert is a sweet brat and earns herself a spanking so good she cries. Aiden freaks out a little, but after it all, they fall asleep spooned together

An Evening of Frippery by @bard-llama (Explicit/3,105/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert being a power bottom whose gender is "mind your fucking business," but who nonetheless looks fantastic with his exquisitely tailored skirts hiked to his waist

I Like how the day sounds through this new song by Lynge (Explicit/9,222/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Some porn with plot where Aiden forces Lambert to confess to petty theft and also his deep and abiding romantic feelings (in that order).

Problem by elizabethgee (Explicit/1,977/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

In a fic I've just now realized has the exact same premise as one of my wips, Aiden is obsessed with Lambert's thick ass thighs and will do anything to ride them

Cut You Clean by GreenBird (Explicit/4,203/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert loses a bet and has to let Aiden shave him. It has some... interesting effects on him.

Thicker than Water (and Other Poetic Bullshit) by @kushielsmercy (Explicit/2,835/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A mini-character study of Aiden and Lambert through the lens of some filthy blood-play. They're both far more possessive and codependent than they'd want to admit.

Puppies Don't Talk by @damnbert (Explict/8,725/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Very kink-heavy fic of Lambert going fully into subspace and getting to be taken care of for a while. He can't bring himself to really ask for what he wants, but puppies don't talk anyway.

all dressed up (with no place to go) by @childoffantasy (Explicit/6,707/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert fulfills the redhead contract of wearing green and killing it dead, and there's just enough room under his pretty skirt for Aiden to crawl right up it

Thief's Reward by @inexplicifics (Explicit/1,592/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Maybe Lambert shouldn't reward this handsome Cat for stealing his kill, but it's been awhile, and he might as well get something out of the bargain (it's orgasms. and 60% of the corpse profits)

Dichotomy by @tantumuna (Explicit/25,054/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Extremely kink-heavy fic where Aiden and Lambert switch to see whose methods can get Aiden pregnant the fastest.

Kneel For Me by @alllthequeenshorses (Explicit/2,269/No Archive Warning Apply)

Lambert can only really let go with Aiden, and as soon as he can, it's a freefall. Aiden's there to hold him tight. It's some kinky reunion smut, come get a helping.

Catch and Release by @top-notch-swords (Explicit/9,570/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Aiden is deeply possessive and more than willing to manipulate the situation to remind Lambert exactly who he belongs to. Filthy alley sex and a little codependency that they should probably talk about but actually just fuck about

♥️One-Shot Roulette♥️

A Logical Conclusion by @heronfem (Mature/18,674/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Essentially the thesis of Laiden shippers, seeing Lambert's prickly ass and knowing the only logical conclusion is that he must have loved Aiden very deeply, even across space, time, and AUs

Wheel of the Year by @crimsonherbarium (Explicit/20,717/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A series of Lambert and Aiden celebrating the holidays on the outskirts of society, but finding twice the joy for it. Lots of smut, but also sweetness and angst.

You and I (and what we get up to) by @iwillpooponthefloor (Explicit/19,396/No Archive Warnings Apply)

ABCs of Laiden that focus on them as a team of two. They pull off contracts, schemes, and each other, from time to time.

Purr For Me by @round--robin (Explicit/8,407/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A whole bunch of short and sweet snapshots into Laiden. I couldn't put them on this list, but Robin has a lot of other fics combining Laiden with other ships.

♥️Modern AUs♥️

A Beginners Guide to Exploiting the Kaedweni Tax Code For Fun and Profit by @heronfem (Mature/167,193/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Lambert and Aiden get accidentally married and decide to make it work for the tax benefits. And then they fall in love. And work through trauma. And get a cat. And it's gorgeously written.

What Happens at Waffle House by Anoke (Teen/1,993/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

The rituals are intricate, and Lambert's sometimes involve mutual combat with the Waffle House line cook. Somehow, the feral gremlin gets a date out of it.

All those wonders sit in wait for us by Theladyknight23 (Teen/14,847/No Archive Warnings Apply)

My fellow fem!Laiden crusader with a delightful modern take on witchers as a combination between truckers and pest control workers. Americana themes and the best additional tag ever: "love is like bread."

The Bark that's to Your Bite by @theimpressionablelizard (Explicit/12,976/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Where Lambert is Deadpool pre-mutation and he falls in bounty hunter love with Aiden, who I personally imagine looks like Dev Patel from the Green Knight. A little romance, a little co-worker wolves, and lots of swearing.

Three Cats Walk Into A Bar by @halehathnofury (Teen/2,607/No Archive Warnings Apply

Inspired by the lovely @whyzowl's art, it's the Wolves + Ciri dressing Lambert up to get him laid, and Aiden taking the bait.

Helpless, Feckless, Far Too Young by @keirametzbrassknuckles (Mature/14,605/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

The Wolves are a traveling group after a death in the family, and Lambert is so fucking sick of them acting like nothing is wrong. He meets Aiden, and they get on like a fairgound on faire. Written by my personal mistress of angst.

♥️Miscellaneous♥️

Once, Again by @brighteyedjill (Mature/4,521/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Aiden has to save Lambert in a time loop without explaining anything, but we all know Lambert doesn't trust easy. Sometimes the simplest solution is the right one.

The Art of Living by Ledgea (Explicit/25,636/Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Lambert loving people as the story of an art gallery, a skill honed from his cohort to his brothers to Aiden, The Damn Cat, when he makes his appearance.

Fields of color by @witcherscrane (Mature/2,057/Major Character Death)

In the wake of Aiden's death, Lambert follows a beautiful illusion with a smile on his face. His brothers help him find rest.

Give Us A Smile by @etcorsolus (Mature/2,945/No Archive Warnings Apply)

A 5+1 of Aiden making Lambert smile. Textual adaptation of that one post "look at you! you're so handsome when you're not being a bitch."

The Basics by @kushielsmercy (Mature/375/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Aiden gets possessed, and Lambert has a choice to make. Ambiguous ending.

Ashes in His Mouth by Faetality (Mature/3,924/Graphic Depictions of Violence)

Fear makes humans cruel. It makes them not care who gets tied to the stake, so long as they can breathe easy while the victim drowns in smoke. Or, Lambert suffers, and Aiden watches.

remember me as i was not as i am by @all-hail-the-witcher (Explicit/40,248/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Aiden has been dead for a very long time, long enough that Lambert has long since forgotten his face. It's just in time for a beautiful man with green eyes to break in through his window and ask for his services.

Deafening Silence by @wolf-and-bard (Explicit/13,230/No Archive Warnings Apply)

Destiny is a stubborn bitch, but it hasn't Lambert, who doesn't give a rat's ass that he's never meant to see Aiden again.

A Spot of Blood by MsThunderFrost (Explicit/3,440, No Archive Warnings Apply)

How the phrase "Pops didn't raise a quitter" turns into a "sex sent me to the ER" story for Lambert, because he's a stubborn bastard who would rather injure himself than communicate.

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Let me say a few things outright, because I want zero drama.

This reclist is for the benefit of Laiden fans, and is not meant as a criticism of any other ship or fic.

The fics chosen for this reclist are only ones I have read. It is by no means comprehensive, and definitely favors older fics, since that was when I was deepest in the fandom.

I actually had to cut this short because I hit some kind of content block limit, which. Oh welp. If anyone wants me to remove their fic from this list for any reason, PM me and I'll do it asap

#the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #lambert #aiden #laiden #witcher lambert #witcher aiden #lambden

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incongruence-osaf · 7 months ago

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EXCITING NEWS, SECRETS SHARED

Hello!! It is time for me to officially post the first two chapters of my first ever multi-chapter fanfiction story, The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers!!!

So far the word count has reached over 8,000 words, roughly 21 pages at 1.15 spacing (including the current WIP of Chapter Three). This was a huge challenge for me that I am so glad to have started. I'd been keeping this (mostly) a secret for many months during a collaborative creative process.

It started when I saw an application for Sonic Big Bang 2024 zine on Tumblr. Around 300 participants of fellow writers, artists and readers were sorted into secret groups of 2-4ish for developing writing and artwork surrounding story submissions! I had the pleasure of being paired with wonderful artists who made beautiful sketches, concept art, and illustrations based on my writing, linked here: @major-wren (ART) (ART) and @pastelspindash (ART)

Go check out their awesome art (and writing) as well as all the other amazing creatives featured in the zine on the official blog page @sthbigbang! My awesome and very helpful beta readers were/are @starredfishing (Tumblr) and @zaffretension (Instagram) who gave me excellent advice about dialogue, pacing, and plot. THANK YOU!!!

And also a big THANK YOU to the moderators of this expansive event for keeping it running so smoothly, for organizing everything, and for encouraging all of us in one of the most supportive and energizing creative environments I've ever been apart of!!! I have talked to many cool and talented people and I love the community that we have all been growing as a massive group.

I am excited to continue the adventure of learning, reading, and writing to see where this adventure goes with familiar characters. If you are too, I hope you enjoy <3

Without further ado, below is the summary for The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers.

This alternate universe combines the vibrant world and history of Sonic the Hedgehog with our very own, resulting in a version of Planet Mobius that’s both familiar and distant. Yet, this altered reality is neither idealized nor greater than the sum of its parts.

Anthropomorphic beings, humans, and animals of Mobius are struggling to rebuild their cityscapes, ecosystems, communities, and personal lives in the wake of the cumulative devastation of the Perfect Chaos Flood and the Black Arms Invasion. Shadow the Hedgehog takes a leave of absence from G.U.N. to temporarily settle down in Station Square, laying low after the world-shattering encounter with his alien DNA donor Black Doom. While the cityfolk around him undergo the growing pains of instability, nonconformity, sociological upheaval, and corruption, so too does the alien hybrid. With the support of unyielding friendship in aloof activist Sonic the Hedgehog and cultured confidante Rouge the Bat, Shadow coasts in this new life chapter while feeling profound pulls to unravel memories surrounding his loving creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik and solve mysteries within his environment, mind, and body.

Past and present perspectives interweave to show slices of unordinary lives, drawing from early-to-mid 2000s culture shifts/natural disasters/political tensions, U.S. and European history, and various fields of science as inspiration for this multi-chapter science-fiction drama mystery.

PROMINENT CHARACTERS:

Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, Professor Gerald Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, Black Doom(?), Commander Abraham Tower, Helen (from Sonic X)?, and new original character(s)

Body dysmorphia and dysphoria, racism/speciesism, internalized xenophobia, mentions and possible depictions of police violence, generational trauma, trauma and imagery from medicalized settings, processing grief

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

CHAPTER ONE HERE

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jobean12-blog · 1 year ago

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Let's spread some positivity! Tag some of your fellow content creators here and let them know why they are absolutely amazing!❤️

Hi Anon! How lovely! YAY! Love to spread the good stuff! And there are just so many absolutely amazing creators on here! I'd like to dedicate my little blurb of appreciation to all of you, even if I missed your tag!

Thank you for sharing your creations with us and most importantly the pieces of you that you put into your work. It's beyond special to get even a small glimpse into your amazingly talented brains and I'm so appreciative always! It's the best kind of escape to disappear into the worlds you create through stories, moodboards, art, gifs, etc. It has helped me in so many ways and I could never properly thank you. Wishing you all a beautiful day and the best rest of the week! Always sending love, hugs and endless support! Keep kicking butt because you're awesome and you matter and I'm thankful for you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

@biteofcherry @book-dragon-13 @bitchassbucky @boxofbonesfic @angrythingstarlight @darkficsyouneveraskedfor @dailyreverie @georgiapeach305132 @syntheticavenger @flordeamatista @navybrat817 @theycallmebecca @nomadicpixel @firefly-in-darkness @sgt-seabass @rookthorne @buckets-and-trees @vonalyn @geminixevans-stan @mrsmischief209 @vibraniumcollar @emerald-chaos @mellowsaturns @sexyprise @sagechanoafterdark @saiyanprincessswanie @tilltheendwilliwrite @sebbytrash @witchywithwhiskey @povlvr @poetic-fiasco @jupiter-soups @huffle-punk @toxic-seduction @holacia3 @goldylions

And so many more! ❤️🥰❤️

#creator recs #all the love #❤️❤️❤️❤️

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cantareincminor · 4 months ago

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New fic - Air (and a tribute to a friend)

In 2023, after reading the mole arc, an idea for a fic struck me hard out of nowhere and wouldn't get out of my head. This hadn't happened in years. I hadn't written anything in years. Every time I sat down to try, I chickened out or wrote a little bit and promptly berated myself as a failure.

The idea was that Yuri would be critically injured or even die in Shellbury by WISE's hand, and Twilight would be torn apart by guilt as he hid the truth from Yor until it could no longer be contained.

For months I sat on the idea and did nothing. Didn't even outline it. Then, on a whim I messaged @whateversawesome on tumblr and asked for her advice on this idea. I was a big fan of her well-known fic The Last Days of Operation Strix and knew her to be very friendly and welcoming to fellow fans. She encouraged me to start writing, and I did. Along the way when I needed advice on crucial plot points and understanding the characters, she helped too. I'll never forget how she pointed out a key aspect of Twilight's personality I hadn't thought about before.

I asked her if it would be believable for Twilight to kill Yuri. And she reminded me that in the bomb dog arc, he didn't even kill the German shepherd that was directly attacking him. He had mercy on a dog even though it would have been easier to shoot it and get it out of the way. How much more would he have mercy on a human, let alone his "fake" brother-in-law? At heart, Twilight is a kind person.

Whateversawesome has brought a lot of SxF creators together and encouraged them in their art and writing and their personal lives. I truly appreciate the effort and heart she puts into enriching the fandom not only with her writing but with her welcoming attitude. Without her I would not have written Orpheus or the other works that followed.

So as a small token of appreciation, I wrote this one-shot, Air. My first AU in this fandom and my take on the "Twilight and Thorn Princess meet on the job" trope. Thank you again Whateversawesome for being...awesome :)

#spy x family #writing #fanfic #twiyor #thorn princess #agent twilight #orpheus #whateversawesome #gift fic

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marigolddove · 2 years ago

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Love Begins With Murder, Believe it or Not.

Part 3

Request by: @yandere-dark-cupid

I stayed up until 3 am writing this, passed out and then woke up at 6 am to finish it lol. It's okay though I'm not tired, I'm just happy to be writing. I hope you all enjoy this part there will definitely be another part which will probably be the final for a while. I'll probably try and leave this story with a not-so-official ending because I might make one-shots based around this in the future.

Also I'm getting a new job soon so that might cut into my writing a bit but I'm going to keep writing no matter what I'm so grateful for Welcome Home and all it's characters and all my fellow fanfic writers and artists out there making more and more content for this fandom. You guys are all awesome and Welcome Home is officially my comfort Fandom, without it I might've never wrote anything ever again. So thank you to @partycoffin, and all of the AU creators, you're all truly wonderful people.

Warnings: Cussing, mentions of torture and violence, anger issues.

@elegantkidfansoul, @sunkyss, @all-things-fandomstuck, @sailorsimp13, @cricketsjunk

💀♥️💀

Wally couldn't believe he didn't have one single vase in his apartment, not one! He had been so certain he'd had flowers before, surely he'd had…he was a lover of beauty and nature, so it was extremely frustrating when he couldn't find his—imaginary—vase.

He could've let it go there, just put the bouquet in a tall glass or leave them out to dry and get a vase tomorrow, but to be honest he was procrastinating when he suddenly decided he needed a vase before his nap; he knew of a flower shop fifteen minutes away on a strip he was well familiar with—he often got lunch or dinner from a nextdoor diner, well he did before he hit this depression.

That's what all this is about, after all. Depression.

He lost the desire, the drive, to style his hair, paint, draw, talk to his friends and employees, he doesn't even make eye-contact like he used to; and now to top it all off, he realizes, there's absolutely no life in his apartment. Even his old paintings feel soulless, hollow, because they don't fill him with the emotions he once held as he crafted them.

When the depression set in, he couldn't be sure, it had been a gradual change; but it was one he hadn't noticed until now, he hadn't wanted to think about it.

He feels his face flush in embarrassment as he thinks of his neglect of himself and his home as he drives to the shop, the sky turning orange and blue behind the many buildings surrounding him.

As he kept his eyes trained on the still bustling road ahead, he could only hope he would make it in time so this uncoordinated trip wouldn't be a complete waste.

—————————

With traffic being convinently merciful to him this early in the evening time, he is soon racing to the shops entrance door, bouquet delicately cradled by his left arm; completely missing the 'open' sign flipping to 'closed' as his unoccupied hand grasps the door handle and turns.

As he pushes into the building he is shocked to find an employee standing right at the entrance, hand quickly retracting from the door as they lock eyes with him, seemingly just as shocked by his sudden entrance.

The bell above the door chimes.

For Mr. Darling, renowned local kingpin, ruthless 'family' man, time seemed to slow for a moment, just a moment. It was almost as if the chiming of the bell had put him into a trance, or maybe it was just you.

There you stand, (h/c) hair fluttering from the sudden rush of wind that came from him opening the door, staring right at him; your work uniform fitting you quite nicely, especially with your own accessories that added a unique personal touch, not to mention the smell—which was most definitely the shop, but there is no doubt in his mind that you smell any different—sweet and floral.

You're the first to speak, voice a bit nervous at his stare, "O-Oh! Hello, we–ah, I, was just about to close up shop." You move the hand that had been reaching for the door handle to fiddle with a ring on your opposite pinky finger, a sign of anxiety.

Realizing how he must look, a bit wild from the wind whipping his already disheveled hair around with tired eyes, his ears and cheeks grew a little hot, but he clears his throat into his hand as he tries to recover from his sudden and silly attraction.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to just barge in here, but…" he shrugs the arm cradling the bouquet, "I'm looking for a vase, this shop was the only place I could think to find one and it wasn't a far drive…I thought I had a vase, but I was wrong." He explains ratherly lamely, his usual suave and calm demeanor shattered by his growing embarrassment at his current mental and physical state. This was a mistake, he should've just waited for the morning or let the flowers dry out, he should be sleeping right now.

Like an angel you smile at him, so bright and warm it almost feels like the sun is beaming at him, "That's alright! I don't mind a bit, sir, follow me I have some you can choose from in the back." You move to allow him full access and then make your way to what looks to be a storage closet at the back of the shop.

He follows without a word, eyes glued to your figure as you seem to glide to the back, your feet making little to no noise as you move.

The door to the storage closet is open with chalk board sign leaning against the wall next to the door frame, 'small vase $10, medium $15, large $25 ALL HAND MADE!!'.

"You make your own vases?" Wally asks, impressed even before seeing the quality of your work.

You flush as you glance at the sign and then gesture to the closet, signaling him to take a look at your stock, "Yeah, it's a new thing I started doing…I've always been into crafts and stuff like that and working with clay seemed really fun and challenging, so…." He notices your words grow softer, seemingly embarrassed.

Well he can certainly tell you're a beginner, many of the pieces seem a bit lop sided or misshapen, but some are charming due to their faults. Something art had taught him early on is to love imperfections just as much as perfections.

"They're charming." He says, and it's the truth, hearing the honesty in his tone makes you turn a bit more red as you smile gratefully at him.

"Which would you recommend for this bouquet?" He asks, he already has an idea of which vase he'd pick but he wants to hear your opinion.

You eyeball the bouquet, a knowing look sparkling in your (e/c) eyes, and look to the assortment of pottery, "hmm".

Your eyes land on a particularly unique piece on the bottom shelf, it's wide and a bit overly round at the bottom and it narrows a bit more dramatically than you intended at the top, it was also colorful, painted with vertical rainbow stripes that had come out very pastel when you had originally wanted a very bold rainbow color. Overall it had been a bit of a flop, but at the same time it has become one of your favorite pieces and it was a tragedy it had never been used. Whether it looked good with this particular bouquet didn't really matter, to be honest it didn't compliment the bouquet at all, but it deserves a home.

Following your gaze, Wally examines the piece you're staring at so intensely.

"Is that the one?" It certainly wasn't the one he was going to pick, but the way you stared at it with such sentiment made his heart leap. Oh how he missed the days when he would look at his own art with such a nostalgic and sentimental gaze.

"I don't know…it's a little ugly, to be honest…it doesn't really go with the flowers."

"I can always get more flowers." He responds smoothly, catching even himself off guard.

The two of you lock eyes again and he wishes he had examined himself before coming here, so he could know how you see him. He's certain he looks like a mess, and not a hot one.

You seem taken back by his response, but recover quickly to smile, "Yeah, I guess you can. This is a flower shop after all." You glance down at his bouquet again, "you wouldn't happen to know someone named Julie, would you?"

He knew you would recognize the tag and the flower combination, so your question didn't phase him, "Yes, actually. I'm sorry I couldn't come in for the flowers myself, at the time I was…busy."

"Ah, no need to apologize, worrying about a funeral is tough even when you weren't close to the person who died. I'm sorry for being a bit nosey."

"I don't think you're being nosey at all," he ignores the bit about the funeral, not wanting to really lie, but still omitting the truth, "these flowers you picked are really very lovely, I almost want to keep them for myself." He absolutely intends on keeping them for himself.

Your smile turns a bit bashful, "Oh, well thank you. It's nice to know I got it right." Turning back to the shelves of pottery, you crouch to the one you had been staring at, "So is this the one you'd like? Or did you have your eye on another?"

"I'll take that one and these two as well." He gestures his free hand to two other pieces, one being a bit plain and lumpy, the other a bit more colorful; the base color being yellow with red and blue swirls.

"Three?" You ask, a bit surprised.

He grins at you, and unknown to him your heart flutters, "This way I have an excuse to come back, I'm going to need flowers for them, right?" It's been a while since he's tried flirting, but by the way your entire face seems to light up and flush he's certain it's been effective.

"R-Right," you grab two of the vases as he grabs one, "that's three medium sized pots so it'll be $45 dollars." The two of you make your way to the check out counter and place the three pots delicately, "I'll go ahead and wrap these for you." As he grabs the money out of his wallet, you rummage through the work table and pull out a bundle of plain wrapping paper. Carefully, you wrap each individual piece in a thick protective layer of paper, then delicately place the three into an oversized grocery bag, adding more wads of paper between each piece.

Wally lays the money down onto the counter, slipping an extra $5 bill as a tip, as you place the finishing touches on the bag of fragiles. When you're pleased with your work, you hand him the bag with a wide grin, collecting the cash; before you can finish counting Wally tips his head to you.

"You have a good night, doll, stay safe." Without another word he exits the shop, you call after him about his change but he doesn't respond. Upon examining the extra $5 bill closer you notice a series of numbers written on it, when had he done that?

It doesn't take a genius to know that he's written a cell phone number on the bill, despite his somewhat messy appearance your stomach feels as though it's infested with butterflies at the idea that he might have been interested in you. He certainly had flirted with you a little bit, but that didn't have to mean anything, but leaving his number? That means something.

He did say he would need to come back for more flowers, you smile at the thought, carefully folding the bill and tucking it into your pants pocket. You begin to close shop again, this time with no interruptions.

—————————

Julie should've told him he looked this awful, he thought to himself as he examined his reflection in the rear view mirror. No, no, no this won't do! Horror pierced it's way into his heart as he also realized that this is how he had looked during your entire interaction. He had flirted like this…left his number looking like this.

A part of him wanted to storm back into the shop and explain that this isn't him, just something he's been dealing with, tell you that he's not some pathetic, greasy nobody like he knew you must've thought he was.

He's Wally fucking Darling, he kills whoever he wants, whenever he wants, sells what he deems profitable no matter how morally gray and takes whatever he pleases. The people that surround him know to not only fear him but to adore him.

In his sudden shock and growing fury he almost, nearly, throws the bag of pottery to the floor of his passenger side; but he doesn't, of course, he's much too collected to just fly off the handle and break things—he most certainly is not, just two weeks before he broke that not-so imaginary vase he knew he had, it had been in a fit of frustration towards Howdy for failing a trade agreement; Wally didn't remember it now, but that day he had taken his only vase and chucked it at Howdy's much higher head. He had missed entirely, and now he's forgotten the whole ordeal.

Thankfully there's even less traffic, somehow, on the way back, which keeps his temper low but bubbling gently to the surface. A rolling boil was sure to start.

When he arrived back to his apartment, he placed the pots onto his sofa along with the bouquet, so delicate compared to the war of emotions he held inside.

Remember: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6—

He enters his massive, stunning bathroom and makes a b-line for the mirrors, he needs a better look at the damage his neglect has done.

If looks could kill one look would make the mirrors shatter, this isn't who he is. He feels like an imposter in his own body when he looks at himself, hair greasy and wild—no longer slicked back due to the wind, he doesn't even like slicking back his hair, it isn't his style! Then there's the grotesque bags under his eyes, when had they become so dark and puffy? How hadn't he noticed sooner? The rage was building now.

7, 8, 9—

Why was his skin so dull an–and sallow?!

Suddenly the sound of his marble counter top cracking triggers a roar of emotion to overwhelm him, he doesn't even register he's injured himself by slamming a fist down onto the marble. The emotions are so raw, so heavy, he doesn't even realize he's out of the bathroom now; doesn't hear the carnage he's creating or his own howls and shouts of incoherent anger and frustration.

When and how did he become so pathetic? How long had the others just sat idly by watching him grow weaker and uglier. His anger blinds him to the memories of when they had tried, all of them had; even Howdy, who wasn't the biggest fan of Wally to begin with, had tried.

The shrill ringing of his telephone snaps him back to reality, in his now bloodied and bruising hands he grips a broken frame that holds–held one of his own designs. His breathing is heavy and his head is swimming, wasn't he just in the bathroom a moment ago?

He drops the frame and stumbles to the phone, wincing at the loudness of it, he doesn't even take a moment to collect himself before answering.

"What do you wa–"

"Hello!" Your soft, sweet voice timidly interrupts his rude greeting.

Suddenly his stomach dips and his heart flips, he really hopes you hadn't heard him.

"Uh-uhm, it seems like I've caught you at a bad time, ha ha. I'm sorry about that, sir." You had heard his sour attitude, fuck.

"No, no," he corrects hastily, not wanting you to hang up, "I'm sorry, I just…I just injured myself getting to the phone." The lie feels bitter, like bile rising in his throat, fuck why did he lie?

"Oh," is your meek response, then a pause, "Well…I'm sorry for calling you so soon…and it's a bit late too, ah, this is so silly I'm really sorry."

He's about to reassure you he doesn't mind in the slightest, and it's the truth, but you continue quickly.

"It's just that I didn't ever give you my name, a-and I never got yours. Also I wanted to give you my number as well, that way I don't have to do all the calling myself, you see." Your stuttering is cute, but your sickeningly sweet reason for calling him has him swooning most of all.

"I see, well," he straightens himself, confidence filling him once more, "My name is Wally, Wally Darling, and you are..?"

"Y/N, Y/N L/N."

"That's a lovely name for such an enchanting flower like yourself, Y/N." He purrs, his turmoil and self-esteem issues quickly forgotten by this new cocktail of emotions, suddenly he's like a giddy teenage boy; twirling the phone cord between his fingers, a toothy smirk growing on his face and he imagines you blushing like you did in the shop.

"Your name is really cute too," you reply, you sound embarrassed but you're definitely smiling.

"Thank you," he grabs the note pad and pen he keeps by his landline, "Now then, what's your number?"

"O-Oh, right!" You quickly tell him your number and he repeats it back to you, once he's gotten it correct he smiles, gently placing his pen back down onto the table.

Sighing, "I must say, I'm glad you called." He admits.

"Oh?"

He hums, "Yes, when I got to my car I realized how I must have appeared to you. I typically take better care of myself, but, well, recently I've 'let myself go'." His tone remains light, almost dreamy as he speaks to you, even though on the inside he can feel the suffocating emotions from before bubbling up again.

"I just thought you were having an off day, you're actually very handsome." The way you say it, like its a fact he should already know, makes his face warm. Those emotions dying quickly before they can rise again, for a complete stranger you seem to have a powerful hold over him, you're able to make him feel nervous and excited.

It's pleasant.

"Well," you start, "It's getting late, I'm sure we both have things to do before nighttime."

He glances at the mess he made during his episode, as much as he wanted to disagree he knew he needed to clean up. He wouldn't live in this embarrassment any longer.

"Yes, thank you again for calling me, Y/N. I hope you have a good night."

"You too."

"Stay safe." He hears the receiver cut off on your end, he sighs into the now quiet and lonely air. He's grateful for your ability to distract him, he would've caused more damage to not only his home but to himself had you not called.

Wally looks around at the carnage he caused, grateful he didn't damage his newly aquired pottery and flowers. It's time to fix this.

—————————

When Barnaby returns to the building he's immediately greeted by Frank, with a disgruntled Eddie in tow. He had taken a bit longer than he would've liked with the rat, but the boss told him to really work on the guy, and he wanted to be sure the body couldn't be found and linked back to them. He's very thorough.

So he's a bit tired when he's approached by Frank, their face intense.

"Something's wrong with Wally."

Immediately dread fills Barnaby, worried something happened while he was gone, "What happened?"

"We heard him screaming and loud noises, like things being broken, upstairs."

"And neither of you thought to check on him?!" He barks, immediately heading for the elevator.

"It wasn't like the sound of struggling, I know what a struggle sounds like. He's probably just having a fit, like usual now-a-days, and I don't want myself or Frank to be caught in the cross fire." Eddie replies, his tone indifferent.

Frank sighs, following close behind Barnaby, "I wanted to go up and see him, but after what happened with Howdy–"

"I know." Barnaby cuts him off. A vase hadn't been the only thing Wally had thrown at Howdy the last time he became like this, and the vase hadn't landed anyway; but a paper weight had, and so did his punches. Despite not liking him, Howdy had stood there and taken it, claiming the boss "needed that more than anyone knew".

Barnaby wishes it had been him, not Howdy. He didn't want Wally to hurt him, but he's his best friend and he wants to be the one that's there for him at his absolute lowest, as well as his highest. It feels like recently he's missing all of the moments that are crucial for helping his first friend.

"Thank you for letting me know, I'll go see him alone now. You two get back to…whatever you were doing, have a good night." Frank looks like they're about to respond but the elevator doors close, effectively cutting them off.

Barnaby sighs into the silence of the elevator, readying himself for what's to come when he reaches Wally's penthouse.

He's surprised when he arrives and the room is filled with gentle music coming from the Gramophone—the record player—across the spacious living area; someone's singing in the bathroom, he soon realizes it's Wally singing and he's even more stunned. Wally hasn't sung a song in all the time he's known him, claiming he couldn't carry a tune.

To Barnaby, he sounds like a professional, smooth and suave. It almost feels like he's intruding, but the mess of the room makes him stay. Wally seems to have started cleaning up his mess, which is a nice change of pace. Typically Julie would come in and clean for him after hearing he'd had an episode, saying he deserves a clean safe space, even if he's the one trashing the place.

Barnaby moves to relax on the sofa, careful to avoid the bag Wally had left. He sits and waits a while, enjoying the soft melody and the surprisingly relaxing aura that the chaotic room held. He finds himself humming along with Wally, not knowing the words of his song.

When he hears his friend's singing end and the water shut off his posture straightens and becomes a little tense; worried how his little buddy might react at his sudden intrusion.

To his surprise, Wally exits the bathroom in a plush bathrobe, hair expertly wrapped in a towel atop his head as he continues humming a tune; and when he catches sight of Barnaby he's shocked but smiles.

"Ah, you're back. I did wonder if you would come and see me again today, I'm glad you're back safe." He moves closer to the sofa, bare feet padding against the hard wood floors, "Sorry for the mess, I got a bit carried away again today. I'm also sorry if I've been short with you today."

"There's no need to apologize, Boss. I'm just glad you're looking better."

"I do look better don't I? It's amazing what a shower and a quick skin care routine can do to a man." He says as he rummages through the grocery bag on the couch, pulling out three bulky items wrapped in paper.

He sits next to Barnaby and unwraps them, the record now fading into a new melody. Wally places three…interesting vases on the low table in front of them. His smile seems brighter as he looks at them.

"You starting a collection?" Barnaby jokes.

Wally hums, "I'm considering it."

"I told Julie to buy flowers for the…rat's lady friend, I intended on sending her a message with them, only to find out she herself is a rat. So I decided I'd keep the flowers for myself, they're quite pretty." He explained, his voice soft.

"But what's with the pottery?"

Wally laughs, "Well pretty flowers need equally pretty vases, my friend." Barnaby wasn't sure he would call them pretty, but he wasn't an artist so what would he know?

"Why'd ya get three though?"

"You're awfully inquisitive today, aren't you?" For a moment Barnaby worries he's stepped too far, but Wally's tone sounds mostly teasing and light hearted, "I bought three because I couldn't just pick one that I liked; besides, my home could use more art."

"Yeah, sure. It's just nice to see you smiling and, uh, getting out there." He admits awkwardly, his smaller friend looking up at him with a wide grin, it seems genuine compared to his usual facade.

"It has been nice, today hasn't been perfect, but it's been nice." Wally rises from the sofa, grabbing the plain, lumpy vase and the bouquet as he moves to the kitchen.

Carefully, he fills the vase with the recommended amount of water and retrieves a bit of lemon juice he's had sitting in his fridge for a month now—it's been longer than a month, he just doesn't know that—he adds a few drops to the tap water before arranging the flowers inside the vase.

He carries the vase filled with flowers back to Barnaby and places them at the center of the low table, adjusting it's position on the table until he deems it perfect.

Wally sighs as he relaxes back onto the couch next to his much larger friend, "Now all I need is more flowers to fill the other two, perhaps I'll make paintings of them as well, they're inspiring me already." He didn't say what else might be inspiring him, but in his mind an image of you formed. Maybe he would sketch you as well.

Barnaby raised a brow at him, even though he wouldn't see it, and smiled, "Hey, I'm glad you're wanting to paint again little buddy, after what happened earlier I thought you might be giving up for good."

Mentioning their time together earlier that day seemed to sour Wally's mood a bit, "Yeah, well, torture and death aren't always the best motivation I've realized."

At his sudden tone change, Barnaby scrambles to get him back to his pleasant mood, "So where'd ya get the pottery? Any place I might know?"

This seems to work as a twinkle appears in his eyes once again and he turns to fully face Barnaby, a soft and genuine smile gracing his features.

"You might, Eddie talks about it all the time it would seem, everyone knew about it but me, ha ha." He continued, "Well, actually, I knew of the flower shop but I had never gone in before, until today. You might know it, it's (S/N), over on 9th Street."

Barnaby contemplates the location a moment, he can't say that he does recall a flower shop there, "It's not ringing any bells, but whats so special about it, you seem very…happy and I'm not so sure it's about a flower shop."

Wally's eyes widen and pink dusts across his cheeks, something Barnaby isn't sure he's ever seen happen to his friend before, "Well, I suppose it's about more than a shop, yes," then he stubbornly adds, "Although the flowers do make me happy."

Barnaby motions for him to continue, Wally sighs and while it sounds like frustration he still has a grin on his face.

That's when Barnaby learns about you, although he's certain he might have heard of you before through Eddie Dear, but he knows Eddie never talked about you so dreamily.

This is also when Barnaby learns that his best friend might have experienced love at first sight.

#welcome home #wally darling #wally darling x reader #eddie x frank #Mafia! AU #mafia!Wally Darling #wally has some personal issues #this is gonna be cheesy #its love at first sight #deal with it #barnaby beagle

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rivcog · 6 months ago

Text

riVen 1997 / 2024

Fellow explorers, fans of the Fifth Age, here we are in the year 2024. A lot has happened over the course of 27 years. I'm here to focus on one thing. Riven. What's changed? Is it really worth discussing amidst the absolute bloodshed befalling humanity? This is, after all, just a video game. Who gehndamn cares about a little video game in a time of such a crushing and gaping rift between people and state power?

I do. If any of the following apply, please do not read another word.

Have not played 1997 Riven

Have not played 2024 Riven

Played 2024 Riven, and feel it's a solid 10 out of 10

Had any hand in the making of 2024 Riven

If you're still here, I have quite a bit to say on the subject. Please read with a grain of salt, you may or may not find what I have to say valuable or relatable. And that's perfectly ok. Every sentiment laid out is purely my perspective. 100% subjective. I simply have to get this out of my system. I apologize in advance.

1997 was profound for me. Riven is a stroke of art unlike any before and after. I will never forget installing Riven, running the start screen. Calibrating the brightness, testing the sounds. then starting the game. The opening logo, unforgettable. Back in that cave we left Atrus, there he is again… writing. Glad to see me. But something is wrong. The air is thick, his disposition… grave. Rand, you performed so well. This opening was heavy, and awesome. The tone was set. The music, perfect. Just enough information given to still not know really what the hell you're about to do. And then falling into that beautiful, broken Riven screen. Truly a masterful opening.

Navigating Temple Island for the first time. Wow. Mind, instantly blown. Exploring the Gate Room. Watching that thing rotate… oh my goodness. The nuanced movement, with the sound. You could feel that thing's mass. But nothing could truly prepare me for the maglev ride. Taking the maglev from Temple to Jungle for the first time completely shattered my expectations of what a sequel to Myst could be. To anything for that matter. Nothing has impressed me as much ever since. Not from a computer at least. A form of entertainment by way of fiction. It was better than perfect. The detail and nuances expressed and possessed by that single ride is hard to encapsulate in words. It was, at the very least of all things, thrilling.

And then we are arrive at disc 3. Jungle Island. It is immediately apparent you are somewhere interesting as a strange ball in the rock wall captures your attention. You click on it, and it swivels, beautifully… but makes a sound… an interesting sound. It feels important, and you have no idea why. The intrigue is deep. It's a simple device, clearly installed there, by somebody. I wonder who? Why? What's the significance of the sound? What the heck are these symbols all about?

This is just the beginning of 1997 Riven. Before I continue, the following must be stated. To all the devs and artists and creators and participants of Riven 2024, I bow to you, your work is gorgeous. Very pretty. Truly beautiful. You are wonderful, talented, and I'm grateful for you and your work. Deep bow. Please do not read the rest of this. To anybody who has not played or experienced 1997 Riven, especially back in the day on the old 1997 CRT monitor, this writing may not land on you at all. It's ok, it's not for a lot of people, as a matter of fact, I'm writing for probably the enjoyment of 25 others. A niche of a niche fan base. I am going to criticize some aspects of 2024 Riven. If you've never played either version, waste no time, if you've the computing prowess, close this window, open a new one, and buy the Tay out of this game. Experience it. It's very pretty, and probably engaging. If you are a fan of any flavor of 1997 Riven, hopefully you've not hesitated. It you're computer crutched, and unable to support the specs, find a walk through, hopefully a talkless one, and experience it vicariously. Opening the door and walking out into 233rd is worth every Gigabyte and millisecond spent getting there. There's not much to do there, and that's ok, it's gehning gorgeous. It's what every fan's been wanting for 27 years. And it looks spectacular. Thank you, Cyan, or Starry Expanse? At this point whatever. I still hold a hard salute to the Starry team, I miss you. You were doing god's work, truly.

OK, I want to talk to a few primary aspects of 1997 and 2024 Riven. 0 > Friction 1 > Nuance 2 > Point & Click 3 > Cut scenes 4 > Puzzles. I was considering posting this as an article somewhere, but really, why? It belongs here, in this spectacular community of fans. The only place I've really ever connected to people who love Myst and Riven. I've always loved this crowd, still do. Even if tumblr crumbles over night, I'll never forget this group. So let's get started.

0 > Friction

In Riven 97, there is not a whole lot to stop you from exploring large portions of the Fifth Age. Some things require a bit of work, but they pay off well. Garden Island for example feels entirely majestic by the time you arrive. At Temple Island, you can work on the Gate Room if you prefer, you'll need to eventually so why not. But no pressure, if you just want to go for a walk about through Jungle Island's Village, no problem. And with a keen eye, you can even open the wahrk totem's maw to the maglev from Jungle to Garden. Might as well check out Book island while you're at it. Take in the environment, get a taste of what you're dealing with. Let the the islands sail you off to another world.

This is important in capturing the explorer's attention. We are initially rewarded with a lot to see and interact with. We can take in the world quite freely without much friction at all. Incidentally discover a few things along the way, that may have us thinking, ah, perhaps I should look a little more closely at that one thing back there. We become captivated by Riven, before we really even begin cracking any codes.

In Riven 24, the pathway is much more linear. Without any other option, you must manipulate the Gate Room to access the maglev outside the temple. Once you get to Jungle, you cannot just explore the village. You must get to Garden first to take that maglev over to Jungle, whereupon you'll be able to access the Village submarine transit, which takes us behind the drawbridges for open access to the Village for full exploration. But first, your initial visit to Garden requires a trip to Book, and access to Gehn's lab, opening access to Garden and then Jungle's Village.

97 Riven treated it's explorers with more freedom. More trust. In the players and most importantly, itself. It did not guide their actions much. You were presented a world to explore. There are things to do, but they are so embedded in the natural state of the place you could easily miss it, and just explore. You could simply, be there. The friction actually presented in 97 is intense and lies almost entirely in it's 2 overarching puzzles. So much so the game doesn't need to bother with hindering your general pathway from island to island. The fire marble and moiety puzzles are hard enough on their own. They both require serious observation. The moiety observing nature, and Gehn observing mechanical constructs. The friction is thus this way very natural to the world of Riven. Truly masterful. A puzzle doesn't present itself as a puzzle. As a player, you're not even sure what isn't accessible yet (Book Island lab, Tay, 233rd). You enter Riven, see it's scope, and save Garden Island, have free reign to explore at your will. Any obscuring of areas yet to be accessed, leads to the joy felt upon finally seeing them. And I mean full on unknown areas. Even the lab on Book island was obscured until you worked enough to get there to at least see it, let alone access it. And in accessing it, details mattered. The frog/ytram for example, is important for the larger moiety puzzle.

In 97, you are given enough to get sucked in to the environment. You aren't given everything of course. You can't just get into the Village prison. Where any friction lies in your navigation, it was well employed and enticing. Book Island lab is the perfect example. You enter the island, and can see that path up there… there's something important there… but you don't know what yet. You just know you can't wait to see it and explore it. You've already been given enough of the world to see freely, now it's time to work. To get in the lab. To get into the domes. To get into Gallows prison.

24's friction largely lies in navigating to areas and islands. There seems to be an intended route to take in this game. It feels a lot more linear. 24 is a very different game as a result. On Jungle, you aren't allowed access to the meat of the Village. The pathway to exploring the adobe neighborhood is… long. You have to hit Book and Garden first to do it. It's a different style of friction, that 97 simply didn't need. It feels quite literally forced.

An example of navigational friction not all will experience was the collapsed Book / Temple bridge. Particularly during the task of capturing Gehn. I didn't try to touch the panel upon the initial offer from him, as I'm used to doing on the second go. In order to signal Gehn, you must link out to Riven, and back again. In 24, a link to Riven means a link into the lab on Book Island. Without bridge access to big ol Goldie, it's a very long journey back to Temple. The quickest way I found was to link through the Marble Domes, manipulate that thing in the expanse, and then swivel the Gate Room 5 times to get back to the 233rd book. Gosh, how much I missed the bridge in that moment was equal to my radiant respect for 97. It is unnecessary friction to solving a problem and accessing a new area. It didn't feel… rewarding. In felt… punishing.

To crystalize what I'm talking about with navigational friction, here's an example every player will experience: From game start, getting to initial maglev ride to Jungle Island

2024 spin gate room 4x -> unhinge locked exterior gate -> lift gate lever -> spin gate room 2x -> lift gate lever -> spin gate room 2x -> spin gate room yet 2 more times -> open spider room door -> sit in chair -> throw lever -> walk back through great gold dome -> through gate room -> cross bridge -> open temple door -> press maglev button

1997 cross bridge -> open spider chair door -> throw lever -> open spider chair door -> open temple door -> press maglev button

This was a substantial and clearly intentional change to Temple Island. I wonder why? What was the logic that was so pressing that the spider chair had to be moved? It made perfect sense where it was, the man behind the curtain style. It allowed a player to easily explore more than just Temple Island, leave the mysterious Gate Room for later in all of it's magnificent mass. It's an odd change as it presents immediate unnecessary friction, in so much as it may turn some new players away. Let em get sucked into the Jungle a bit and Book too… encouraging deeper exploration into previous areas. Let em work on the Gate room when ready, not force them into it immediately, potentially generating disdain for it. Let them at it at their own pace. The Gate Room is something to love not hate. 97 gave you a lot of Riven immediately. A few areas with friction, but you knew there was something to find, hidden. You knew that from the very cover of the game box itself. That dark beehive tree village definitely was not in the Fifth Age.

97's puzzle friction has deteriorated into more navigational friction, creating a narrower corridor for exploring with keen observation. The path becomes more linear. Puzzle pieces, more obvious. That may be ideal for today's gamers? Better for VR? I really don't know. Just some important notes on friction differences that set 97 and 24 well apart in the vast starry expanse.

1 > Nuance

I wanted to describe some of my 1997 Riven experience earlier to touch on this a bit. Riven hit me hard back then, because of the excruciating detail in the realistic animated movement of things. Don't get me wrong, the water in 2024 is surprisingly awesome. But when something like the Gate Room moves… something is lacking. It doesn't feel real. It's starts pretty good, but stops suddenly. No nuanced settling. The spider chair, same thing. Doors throughout the game are all this way. Everything's kind of quick and without physical nuance. Riven 97's animations are exquisite. Suspension of disbelief, immediately achieved. That kind of animation with sound design, goes millions of miles for the total experience of a digitally rendered setting. Will touch on this a little more in exactly one second.

2 > Point & Click

Player controls and animation nuance are connected subjects. The movement of things includes the player, that is, your perspective. 24 experience forgoes steadiness and stillness in player movement for full 3D navigation. The natural world of Riven is animating all around you. The animation quality of many objects is already not that great in 24. But the scenery is gorgeous. Sit still in 24, and just soak it in. Anywhere on any island, in any book. The scenery is spectacular. No need to animate it by my own movement. It breaks the realistic quality of the scene. It leads to an… unreal sensation. Today's gaming community will largely disagree with me on this, but Riven suffers from full 3D navigation. Without modifying anything else, a point / click interface would vastly improve the actual beauty embedded in 24's Riven. It would be a large step closer to bringing 24 into the realm of a hires remake of 97.

I was excited to navigate Riven in full 3D. The effect of this surprised me and highlighted something from the past. The stillness of the frame in 97. And in the clarity of gorgeous hi resolution imagery, I can't think of a better setting to hold the camera steady.

It's a key difference between the two Fives. The nuance of the animated objects and the distraction of navigating a 3D environment. 97 let's you observe everything, every frame. 24 guides your 3D navigation and hopes you don't sit still too long to notice some of the more impatient animations.

3 > Character cut-scenes

The opening of 97 is on par with the opening of a great film. It calmly and swiftly sets the tone, goals, and feel for the rest of the entire experience. It is perfect. Emotional, grave, serious, engaging, intriguing, respectful, and executed just so well. You don't interact with anything, you don't need to. I wonder why this was not done in 24? By comparison, it's disastrous, everything that made the 97 opening is lost. Even Atrus' script is watered down. The tone is much less serious, and much more casual. It's uninteresting. And then to have to navigate in 3D to click on the screen… it just breaks the fabric of the opening in half. In short, 97's opening is dramatic, whereas 24's is operational. It's barely serviceable. It is sterile. They are starkly contrasted. Truly shocking. It's 27 years later, shouldn't this scene be immaculate?

I can't think of one scene in 24 where an animated character is talking to you, and you need to interact with it. With that said, I'm not arguing for fmv, although 97 absolutely executed this with near perfection, I am wondering why couldn't pre-rendered high resolution animated cut scenes been used for these moments? Where the characters look near real, at least as real as the environment around them? A gollydarn pixar animation would do. Really, anything so long as it conveys the nuance of emotions, and does the job well. 97 Riven used real people footage over digital renders. And it looked amazing. Truly a stand out for that sort of thing back in the day. No game did it that good. 24 has done the opposite. Created near photo real environments in realtime 3D, with animated characters that don't look like they belong there. Even the wahrk looks… not nearly as good as 97's wahrk. Again, the excruciating detail in 97's animations is lost in 24. You can feel that with things like creatures, doors, and maglevs. And you can definitely feel that with 24's newest animated objects, the people. The character cut scenes are not even close to comparable. And yet again, here we are, 27 years into the technological future with something that feels less realistic than it's predecessor from the dustbins of scsi drives and crts.

4 > Island/puzzle modifications

2024 Riven is not 1997 Riven. Literally, things have changed so much, it's a different game. Garden/Survey Island for example, has lost a lot of its charm and feels nearly useless. In 97, the magic of this place compounded upon every movement more inward. The firey volcanic, gorgeous elevator used to transport you down not merely to a maglev, but thematically and dramatically aligned and led you down to an underground, underwater throne/observatory. It made sense an elevator like that would take you to you to a place so dark and intriguing. 24's beautiful elevator down simply gets you to another poorly animated maglev ride. The new pathway down to Gehn's underground throne is a sudden, swift and simple cart elevator ride down a shaft. Fairly straight forward, mildly jarring, and not very interesting. There's almost nothing to do up top where the fire marble dome resides. The entire fire marble puzzle has been so seriously simplified, the surveying apparatus to locate fmd's on islands is entirely absent in 24. Apparently this area has become a place where Gehn and his minions kill moiety people by way of wahrk attack. Gehn was a madman in 97 and sacrificed moiety/Rivenese at the Gallows, but if we are to talk character here, Gehn 97 wasn't just a murderous maniac. He was power corrupted. Dominandi inebriated. His sacrifices were public for many reasons. 24 Gehn feels a little more like a shallower bad guy. Now's he's simply murdering everybody. You know, like those nasty shallow one note hollywood villains do. 'He's just so terrible!' I like how Gehn had layers in 97. He still has some now, but you'd be lucky to notice or care for that matter. We get some depth with 233rd's imager, but Garden Island paints him too maniacal. 97 is a patient, largely quiet journey through a gorgeous series of interconnected islands. It was not rushed and felt introspective. Everything in Riven, islands and objects, developed Gehn's character. As a player, you intimately explore this persons art. Disposition, and get a good taste of the symptoms of power. 24 seems more like a place mass murderer Gehn happens to control, and I am supposed to be nervous he's after me too. This approach doesn't work well for me as a 97 fanatic. This Riven rewrite may serve new players well, I hope it does. It makes sense, but I miss the steady, calm, patient, explorative, almost eerie comfort of 97.

Over on Book/Boiler Island, Gehn's lab is no longer very inviting. It feels more like a laboratory with over the top, slightly out of place, scientific instrumentation. A bit cluttered and distracting. What was a book lab in 97, has become a fire marble lab in 24. 97's lab is very much enjoyable to explore and just be in, featuring a gorgeous potbelly oven as the room's centerpiece to boot. In 24, I suppose comfort is not quite the aim. It is, after all, Gehn-the-Terrible's domain, so by the threads of story, it makes sense. But there is something so seriously unappealing about Gehn's lab now. I'm not even sure I can put my finger on it. 97's lab is rewarding. It is gorgeous and elegant. 97 makes sense with Gehn's style (that being the entirety of Riven). A place I wanted to just sit in and think. How one breaks into the lab has dramatically changed as well. I could probably write a lot about the modifications of 24's Book Island, as with Garden, they are changes largely baffling to me and detrimental to the captivating intrigue these places possess in 97.

In 24, the Village in Jungle Island has expanded, and it's wonderful. The moiety stone room remains in tact, surprisingly, and it's beautiful in there. The moiety animal puzzle itself has been completely rebuilt. I prefer the minimal and totally interesting swiveling numbered animal noise balls in walls from 97, but the in your face, unmissable totem-moiety-number, moiety-lens-revealing-animal-symbol thing works fine. Once one finally manages to enter the actual Village, it's wonderful in there. I found myself wanting to explore even more. The water tower worked for the animal puzzle, but part of me was wanting something else. Something cultural up there. Maybe related to Tay. Not sure, maybe present a little friction to access those adobes of highest elevation. Perhaps a more protected area higher up the huts, where a moiety school exists, to counter the d'ni school below. A good place one could spend time learning the moiety numbers et al, after you've already amassed the symbols from totems or balls in walls, you could then finally translate the numerals. It's just so darn cool up there in huts-ville. All in all, very well done additions, without many modifications to the village in 24, except of course the moiety puzzle, as mentioned. Actually another excellent, major modification to 24's Jungle is the submarine dry dock area, accessed near the maglev to Garden Island. I found this to make a lot more sense on the story lines, and was enjoyable to use. The sub's piloting mechanisms were simplified as well, which I thought benefited the Village/Gallows explorations. It was easeful.

But why did 24 have to make accessing the sub dry dock so convoluted? Why couldn't we simply find that little switch to open the Wahrk elevator in the Jungle? Much of the subtlety of 97's Jungle has fallen into the fissure. 97's moiety puzzle is so wonderfully elegant. Minimally integrated into the environment and culture. 24's totem structures all look fantastic and culturally rich. But as a puzzle element, they are not only in plain view, but strongly highlighted. Perhaps the beautiful totem stick people things could be used for something else of importance, culturally. Maybe a cemetery of some sorts for the lives sacrificed? Let's see that spooky girl trip through a cemetery patch in the jungle maybe. Totem stick people, perhaps with flowers adorning a few. Maybe there's a special significance to one in particular. Who knows, all kinds of things could be done with the totems. They look so good, and feel like Rivenese constructs. Excellent. In keeping with 97's ingenuity, I could see the moiety puzzle untouched, and totems added for more depth in new areas. That tree out back… awesome, but as a mere puzzle piece, it feels unimportant. At the end of the day, beautiful assets all over this island and perhaps my favorite island in 24.

Conclusion

I would love to see a high resolution of Riven 1997 with these points addressed. Riven 2024 is wonderful, and I appreciate all the folks involved in it's making. When I initially caught wind of The Starry Expanse project here in tumblr, I was skeptical. I said softly to noone, "No, please don't do this." I thought the nuance and realism of Riven could not be done in realtime 3d. And at the time I think I was right. But as that project continued, one demo after the next, I saw it's progress. And by the time the Jungle Island demo was demonstrated, I was blown away. It looked gorgeous, and felt like Riven 1997. It wasn't complete, but I could see it's potential. It is possible.

The Starry Expanse was the ideal group to get it done. Cyan has already made Riven once, now twice. Cyan has financial constraints. Starry did not. It could have taken as long as it needed. A volunteer project (i think…?) to remake Riven in all of it's original glory. People who had no hand in the original undertaking. Just hard core fans of the work. No better person to hold faith to the original material. It remains a dream. And that's ok. We have Riven 1997. Riven 2024 may be the 1997 for some new gamers. I hope that's true. But for us still taking the bridge from Book to Temple, I'm still looking for Atrus to get me back to the place that I came from.

Riven 2024 is good.

Riven 1997 is god.

Please forgive me, fellow explorers. I apologize for this. And thanks for reading. Take care, my friends.

#myst #riven #d'ni #misc #1997 #2024

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thevanillerose · 26 days ago

Note

Hi could you please create a

Yandere meursault dazai x fem prisioner reader? [Like prisioner is fellow inmate]

Your writing is awesome btw :>

CONFINED | YANDERE!DAZAI x PRISONER!READER | BUNGOU STRAY DOGS

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~ ~ NOVELS ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators. Content Warnings: Yandere / Unhealthy relationship / Confinement A/N: Request [7/10] for my 100 Followers Celebration! (I'm glad you like my writing, thank you!) Note: Fem!Reader

Meursault.

The very existence of this place had always been a secret, buried deep beneath layers of classified government files. You had heard the rumors before—a prison for the irredeemable, the untouchable, where escape was impossible, and survival itself felt tenuous. But nothing could have prepared you for the reality.

Your cell, like the others, was a stark cube—custom-made, cold, and unyielding. The transparent walls gave you a good view of the dull void beyond, only the sight of endless identical cells stacked around you like a labyrinthine nightmare. Each door had a biometric lock, requiring palm prints, voice recognition, and central authorization just to open. The implants beneath your skin monitored every breath, every heartbeat, and the guards—heavily armed and unsympathetic—patrolled with shoot-to-kill authority.

They’d thought of everything. They had spared no expense to ensure that every person here was under the strictest lock-and-key.

Far below the Regular Prison, lay this place, the Infinite Dice Room, the space where the truly dangerous ability users were kept, their powers suppressed and contained.

It was awful in many ways, and you still resented that you had been locked away here in the first place. You felt it was very undeserved, that you were nothing like the rest of these criminals. True criminals.

Evil.

However…if you could count any tiny blessings, at the very least, at the very least, you had your own space. It was a little lonely, yes, but at least you had some privacy. Some. Some.

Because despite the fact you could physically move around and not worry about accounting for another, the glass panes that surrounded you meant that if anyone wanted to peer across and look in at you, they could.

And someone did. Frequently.

Him. That shaggy brown-haired man who always smirked.

While he seemed handsome from what you could tell, he severely creeped you out, to the point you were just immensely grateful he couldn’t touch you.

But everything changed when one day, you were moved.

They didn’t give you a reason, not that you expected one. The guards had stormed your level one day, brusquely ordering you to pack up your minimal belongings. The implant beneath your skin buzzed ominously as they escorted you through the levels of the prison, the mechanical hum of the elevator system pressing against your ears. Your destination was another newly built level of the Infinite Dice space—that much you gathered from the faint murmurs of the guards.

Here, things appeared slightly different. The hovering cells were tinted darkly, actually, finally, providing some sort of privacy. Your heart actually lifted a little. This was like an upgrade!

But when you arrived and stepped into your new cell, your heart sank.

You weren’t the only one who’d been escorted to these shiny new quarters.

That man, the man who always loved to stare at you, was already there, lounging casually on the cot as though he had been expecting this little visitor. His dark eyes lit up the moment he saw you, a slow, deliberate smile spreading across his face.

“Well,” he drawled, his tone tinged with amusement, “it seems the higher-ups are feeling generous today.”

You froze, your mind racing. This had to be a mistake. No one shared cells in Meursault. It was part of the design, part of the unyielding isolation that defined this place. And yet, here you were, standing in the same cold cube as the man who had been watching you from across the way in your previous cell for weeks.

Swiveling his legs around over the edge of the bed, he let his cheek rest against his knuckle, head-tilted, smiling at you the way he had so many times before. But it had always been from a far enough distance that it never made you feel so on edge as you did right now.

“Osamu Dazai. Such a pleasure to finally meet my neighbor properly.” his words flowed smooth like honey.

“This can’t be right,” you muttered in sheer, horrified disbelief.

Dazai chuckled, the sound low and unsettling. “Oh, I don’t think so. They don’t make mistakes here, you know. Everything happens for a reason. Isn’t that fascinating?”

You backed up sharply, pressing yourself against the wall as far from him as possible. But in a space this small, there was nowhere to go. You wished you could smash right through this cage, you’d rather drop straight into the void than face this man a moment longer.

Dazai remained seated, his posture deeply and deceptively relaxed, but his eyes never left you. They were sharp, calculating, and filled with something else. Something which made your throat tighten with nerves that any woman would understand all too well.

“Why are you doing this?” you demanded, your voice trembling despite your best efforts to keep it steady.

“Me?” he replied, feigning innocence. “I’m not the one who put you here. But I’d be lying if I said I’m not thrilled by the arrangement. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this.”

“An opportunity for what?”

He tilted his head, his smile widening.

“To get to know you better, of course.”

Your stomach churned. He had been fixated on you from the moment you arrived, his gaze a constant, stomach-curling presence even when you weren’t looking at him. Now, there was no escape. He was here, inescapable, his eerie aura filling every corner of the cell like some big, all-engulfing shadow.

“This isn’t right,” you spoke again, more to yourself than to him. Your fingers brushed against the cold, unyielding perimeter as though searching for some hidden way out. There was none.

Dazai rose to his feet then, his movements slow and deliberate. Despite the small space, he somehow managed to close the distance between you without seeming rushed. You pressed yourself tighter against the darkened glass wall, your heart pounding as he stopped just short of touching you.

“You’re scared,” he murmured, his voice low and almost gentle. “That’s good. Fear keeps you sharp. But you don’t need to be scared of me.”

You met his gaze, forcing yourself to hold it even though every instinct screamed at you to look away. “I don’t believe you.”

His smile faltered, just for a moment, before returning with a dangerous edge. “That’s disappointing,” he said softly. “But understandable. Trust takes time, and we have plenty of that now. Plenty.”

You clenched your fists, trying to bear this. The thought of having to endure his constant presence was a worse punishment than you’d ever imagined facing. What were they thinking? Putting this (innocent, mind you!) girl in a cell with a dangerous criminal like him? It was a recipe for disaster, and worse.

“Finally. You’re mine now, [Y/N],” he said, his tone almost tender. “There’s no one else here, no one to come between us. It’s just you and me. Isn’t that perfect?”

Before you could respond, his hand reached out, bandaged fingers brushing the side of your face. The touch was light, almost reverent, but it sent a jolt through your entire body. You flinched, pressing harder against the wall, but there was nowhere to go.

“Don’t be so nervous. I’m not like the rest…”

His hand lingered against your skin, his thumb tracing the curve of your cheek with a softness that belied the sharpness in his probing gaze. Those dark eyes of his raked over you briefly, invasively, and you dreaded to think what he was really thinking about you. What he may have planned already in his mind…

“See?” he whispered, his tone almost soothing. “I’m not so scary, am I?”

Your breath hitched as you fought to steady yourself and keep your knees from buckling beneath you.

“Don’t touch me,” you managed to say, though the words came out weak.

He withdrew his hand slowly, almost reluctantly, his smile softening. “I’ll wait,” he said, stepping back just enough to give you the illusion of space. “You’ll come around.”

Dazai had called it ‘perfect’. It wasn’t ‘perfect’.

It was a nightmare, one you couldn’t wake up from. As he stepped back smugly, his smile never wavering, you realized with chilling clarity that you weren’t just a prisoner of Meursault anymore.

You were a prisoner of him.

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