#mysterious woman (castlevania)

[simonsquest]

[chibishortdeath]

Some doodles I completely forgot to post lol :3

[demigoddessqueens]

I really hope this is our trio for this season!!!

[mysticstarlightduck]

Late Writeblr Intro!

Hello, friends!

I figured it was about time I made an actual blog intro of my own since I forgot to make one when I started this blog last year. Better late than never, lmao!

Pls, reblog, like, and/or reply to help boost the blog! 💕

Let's get started:

Personal Stuff! 💜🩶🖤

My name is Anna/Anya but you can call me Mystic, Ducky, or just Anya on this blog! My personal nickname is Ani and I adore it (:

I am an Asexual woman (my pronouns are she/her!) and I'm also personally an atheist who puts my faith in the spirits of Mother Nature, though I respect all other religions equally!

I'm Gen Z and Latina (Brazilian). I was raised bilingual (Brazilian Portuguese + English) and I love learning languages - currently, I'm working on learning French and Spanish! Career-wise I am studying in college to become a character designer and hopefully animator, as I want to pursue a career as an artist and writer! I also wish to have my WIPs published in the near future (:

Some fun facts about me!

My favorite shows are Critical Role, Game of Thrones, Castlevania, The Legend of Vox Machina (animated series), Star Wars, Voltron, The Dragon Prince, Avatar the Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, and DC Comics content, as well as many more lmao. I love watching movies and series!

My favorite Vox Machina characters are Vax'ildan and Percy (:

I am a younger sister 💖

My hair is short and curly (pixie style, similar to the haircut Rapunzel has at the end of the Tangled movie!)

I adore listening to music, especially songs that can inspire me to write my WIPs! Playlists are a huge part of my writing process and something I really enjoy making.

I'm currently rereading Shadow and Bone (+ Six of Crows) and I am always looking for more good dark fantasy/historical fantasy books to read so book recs are always welcome! I also am a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series and Trials of Apollo (by Rick Riordan), though I'm usually more of a gritty/dark fantasy fan (like Game of Thrones)!

I have three dogs and two cats!😺🐶

I know how to play the piano, though I haven't done that in a while because things have been chaotic for me, but I'd like to start playing regularly again in my winter vacation.

I have worn glasses since I was 5 years old and have terrible eyesight without them (and some days with them, lol, so bear with me).

My friends and I are doing a DnD campaign every Sunday, where I play as a half-elf rogue named Aeryn (he/him). I'm adoring this adventure so far, it's so fun!!!

I love to bake and am rather good at it, but am a painfully average cook lmao (some specific recipes I make are actually rlly good, but it depends a lot on my mood and the 'alignment of the stars' lol)

I want to learn how to knit/crochet! 🧶

I'm a theater nerd and love musicals (:

About my Writing!🏹⌛

I write fictional works mostly in the genre of fantasy (high fantasy/epic fantasy/dark fantasy/historical fantasy/urban fantasy, etc. You name it!) and science fiction (space opera/cyberpunk/superhero, etc).

My works usually revolve around themes such as epic quests, secrets, adventure, rebels fighting an oppressive system, sibling bonds, acceptance/respect, outcasts, and much, much more! I love fluff and whump equally, and though my stories tend to focus on serious topics (or at least darker/heavier themes) within a fantasy/sci-fi setting, I like to have a good bit of humor, lighthearted fun, and comedy to my stories to lighten up the mood!

My main WIPs:

Song of Thorns

🌹WIP Intro: (here)🌹

Genre: dark fantasy, medieval fantasy, adventure/mystery, dark fairytale, eldritch horror (mild)

Style: Standalone (possible Trilogy)

Tags: #wip song of thorns #song of thorns

Short Summary/About: "A peasant girl moves with her siblings from her struggling seaside village to the kingdom's glittering floating capital, but after her older brother is kidnapped, she ends up discovering the dark, bloody secrets hiding behind the long-lasting royal family of the town and must team up with a young dhampir thief, the exiled prince, and a lonely druid girl to save the dying kingdom from this web of lies".

Supernova Initiative

🎇WIP Intro: (here) 🎇

Genre: space opera, adventure, exploration, laboratory whump, heist, thriller/mystery

Style: Episodic book series with an overarching plot (each chapter/group of chapters equivalent to an episode in a TV series)

Tags: #wip supernova initiative #supernova initiative

Short Summary/About: "A young intergalactic thief and his crew are captured after a heist gone wrong and forced to accept a strange deal - complete a mission for the Junction, retrieve important missing files, and get their freedom back. All the while that is happening, Jack Tithus, the protagonist, finds himself trapped as a test subject to an immoral, and elusive, man known as the Director."

Enchanted Illusions

💀 WIP Intro: (here)💀

Genre: Victorian fantasy, adventure, mystery, gothic fantasy, dark fantasy, crime-solving

Style: Possibly a trilogy

Tags: #wip enchanted illusions, #enchanted illusions

Short Summary/About: "On a magical setting inspired by Victorian times, a group of strangers and outcasts must work together to thwart a powerful secret organization and stop a murder spree that could lead to another civil war between myths and humans."

Of Starlight and Beasts

✨⚔️WIP Intro: (here)⚔️✨

Genre: medieval fantasy, epic fantasy, adventure/quest, dark fairytale, sword and sorcery, prophecies

Style: Book Series

Tags: #wip of starlight and beasts, #enchanted illusions

Short Summary/About: "A young knight in training and an amnesiac star mage embark on a quest to prevent an ancient prophecy from coming to fruition as a vengeful sorceress queen's army marches relentlessly onto their land with the intent to destroy all their kingdom has built."

The Last Wrath

🔥⚔️WIP Intro: to be made...⚔️🔥

Genre: dark fantasy, warfare, political intrigue, espionage, adventure/quest, medieval fantasy, whump

Style: Book Series (currently on hiatus)

Tags: #wip the last wrath, #the last wrath

Short Summary/About: "In a land torn by an ancient war between two sides of a continent, a mageborn girl finds herself trapped amid the bloodshed after her past comes back to haunt her and her family. Now, stopping the war may be the only chance she still has to survive."

Tales of Wilted Flowers

🥀WIP Intro: to be made...🪻

Genre: RPG-inspired fantasy, high fantasy, adventure, fairytale, epic quest, heist story, whump, light fantasy

Style: Trilogy (currently on hiatus)

Tags: #wip tales of wilted flowers #tales of wilted flowers

Short Summary/About - "A group of youths rejected and betrayed by society in many different ways come together due to unexpected circumstances and must rely on each other to prevent the kingdom's corrupt Head Sorcerer and the King from reviving an ancient evil."

Realms of Loss

🍂WIP Intro: (here)🍂

Genre: dark fantasy, warfare, medieval fantasy, high fantasy, ancient times fantasy, Viking-inspired, prophecies & curses

Style: Book Series (currently on hiatus)

Tags: #wip realms of loss #realms of loss

Short Summary/About - "In a continent destroyed by the fall of the Old Gods, and trapped in an endless toil for survival, a cocky young prince discovers his role in an ancient prophecy after his brother, the King, is murdered and assassins come for him too. Running away into the forsaken land beyond the walls of his kingdom, he'll have to learn to be a leader and save his people as a dead, murderous God awakens."

Mutant Inquiries/Open Secret Files

🤖 WIP Intro: to be made..🤖

Genre: superhero, cyberpunk, futuristic, dystopian, science fiction, urban fantasy

Style: Episodic Series, still in development

Tags: #wip mutant inquiries #wip open secret files #mutant inquiries #open secret files

Short Summary/About: "In a dystopian, high-tech future, a group of mutant teenagers become vigilantes and crime fighters to rebel against the oppressive government regime and survive their crime-ridden city."

I have a few other smaller-scale WIPs I occasionally, less frequently work on, such as Lies Untold and Jade Ruins, but those up above are the main ones that I wish to publish. I've also got a big, secret extra WIP I'm working on for fun and will share it with you guys soon!

[silenthill2ps2]

i'm now realizing i have a habit of liking characters no one gives a fuck about, it started with tetsutetsu from bnha in middle school then it was the sotn succubus and the mysterious woman when i really got into castlevania then it was mr x when i got into resident evil then it was daniella haunting ground now i'm getting into red dead and i'm becoming obsessed with molly bill and kieran. my curse

[panderp123]

🦇 Castlevania OC 🦇

Sebastian Sinclair

Commission by Lilou

•Name: Sebastian Sinclair

•Species: Vampire 🩸

•Age: 100+

•Gender: Male

•Occupation: Doctor 🩺

•Sexuality: Homosexual

•Traits: Kind, Patient, Friendly, Dedicated, Hopeless Romantic, Protective

•Shipped w/Alucard 💛

──────── • ✿ • ────────

➽Physical Appearance

🔹Species: Vampire

🔹Height: 6ft 4”

🔹Skin Color: Pale/Rosey

🔹Hair Color:Chocolate Brown

🔹Eye Color: Crimson

🔹Personality: Kind, Patient, Friendly, Dedicated, Hopeless Romantic, Protective.

🔹Hobbies: Reading, Piano & Hunting Animals

🔹Likes: Helping people, Spoiling his partner, Forests, Learning new medical techniques, Mm

🔹 Dislikes: Hunting Humans (only if they’re criminals)

🔹 Abilities: Reading Minds but only emotions.

🔹Backstory

During the 14th Century London was under siege by the plague known as the Black Death. Doctors were overwhelmed by the immense amount of deaths and body pits had to be created to burn the dead to kill the plague.

One doctor in particular was able to visit the estates of the most esteemed members of London’s aristocracy of the time. Although Sebastian preferred to aid the poor, it was much more dangerous than the rich.

On this one visit to the Sinclair Estate, he met the reclusive yet beautiful Countess Sinclair. She was a French woman who was visiting England but was sadly quarantined for her safety.

While Sebastian stayed he noticed some of her odd habits. Closed curtains during the day. Mysteriously disappeared outside at night. Concerned for her wellbeing during such an unpredictable time Sebastian asked her as a doctor if she was ok. The Countess brushed it off as a new routine since her husband’s passing but Sebastian wasn’t convinced.

One night he decided to follow her and on this night she, unfortunately, had a visitor. Not wanting to pry into her affairs Sebastian made his way back to the manor only to be shunted towards it at great force.

It was all a blur but there was a lot of blood, hissing, growls and screaming.

By the time Sebastian came to he found himself bandaged up and in his guest bedroom. Countess was sitting on the foot of his bed. She had to explain that her guest was an intruder and to save Sebastian she had to gift him with her bite.

Took a while for Sebastian to be convinced that he was now a creature of the night.

A vampire.

Stories only heard from far off Europe but there were some in England too. He was a bit scared unsure if he was her spawn or charge. Countess also known as Josephine, had grown fondness for Sebastian but he was his own free man. She did explain in a couple of decades he’ll have to understand that his family will pass on but he wouldn’t. She told him when this happens she would be honoured to be called Mother if he was ever unsure of how to describe their relationship.

Sebastian agreed eventually and as time went on so did his vampire skills especially a somewhat psychic ability of mind reading. It was a stronger variant of Empathetic Abilities. Protecting the manor from intruders was part of it and he did help the tenants of the Countess’s land with aliments.

Some decades later, one day a man of great importance had arrived with a woman. They did not give their names but heard of a vampire who was familiar with the field of medicine. The couple were very close and Sebastian helped the woman in particular a human to understand the medical care of the time. She was very persistent on one topic in particular. Reproduction of a Human and a Vampire.

This knowledge was uncommon in mainland Europe but a few cases did show up in England and Ireland which Sebastian was familiar with. The human woman had told him she knew she was with child and was unsure if her child was human or vampire. Sebastian explained that the child would be a Dhampir or a Daywalker Vampire. It would live off of both human food and the blood of its choosing. He told the woman she was going to be fine but to eat more red meats if needed as it was a substitute for well…blood.

The woman left some journals with Sebastian as a thank you. Some knowledge that was once lost to time was in his hands. Countess Sinclair had a moment of her abilities as the couple left. She was somewhat of an oracle so chances are she saw Sebastian being turned but didn’t know who was behind it.

Now she sees a beautiful blonde male with her son and a great amount of loneliness befalls this individual. The male was as beautiful as the human woman who was leaving the manor. Josephine also foretold a great sadness would befall the man who escorted the human woman. Do not leave her side, do not travel alone. The pair were a little perplexed by her fortune as they left.

As Sebastian held Josephine sitting her down after a vision it was then she told him who these people were. They were Lord and Lady Tepes. Sebastian instinctively felt that superiority washes over him. That feeling of something much taller than you being in your presence but it was power more than anything. Sebastian realised Dracula was in their home and his human wife was his patient. Thinking it was a once-off he doubted he’d ever see them again but Josephine was persistent about him meeting a man of beauty and blonde hair.

20 years later…

The fall of Dracula had reached England and thankfully the Sinclair family’s kindness and reputation helped them survive the uprising of vampires. Josephine advised Sebastian to go to Walachia to seek out Dracula’s castle. She had visions of the child, now fully grown alone and feeling a great sense of loneliness. Despite aiding humans and having tenants it was not the filling that empty void. Josephine told Sebastian this was Adrian Tepes more commonly known as Alucard. Take the journals of his Mother to him and your findings on child born as dhampirs it would be a heartwarming experience for Alucard to know someone who knew his mother.

Little did Sebastian know his Mother foreseen his immense love for Alucard and wanted her son to be happy.

──────── • ✿ • ────────

[sweetrevxnge]

Ghosts In The Snow

Chapter One

Pairing: Vampire!Kylo Ren x Reader AU

Summary: Six long years had passed under the reign of the First Order. The bitter winters grew longer, and as they did, hope faded from the hearts of the citizens of Hosnian Prime. As a lieutenant in the Resistance cavalry, it was your duty to nurture that ember of hope. After a mission takes an unexpected turn, you are taken prisoner by a commander in the First Order, a mysterious man with an insatiable appetite—for violence, power, and you. In the coming days, you must keep the spark of your own hope alive from the dark confines of the Commander's castle.

Warnings: sexual content, violence, blood kink, gore, mentions/descriptions of injury and death

*concurrently being published on AO3 and Wattpad as well!

Next Chapter

Spotify Playlist

Word count: 2.5k

A/N: Happy Halloween!!! I wanted to share the first chapter of the medieval/vampire AU fic that I've been working on for the past few months. Basically, I rewatched Game of Thrones and Castlevania and set out to write a Kylo Ren AU related to both. And what better time to start uploading it than Halloween!! My primary focus is still finishing Like Phantoms, Forever, but my goal is to continue working on and uploading this story as well. Let me know what you think of it!

───────── ❅ 🦇 ❅ ─────────

Icy wind burned your eyes as you rode under the moonless sky. Sparse trees passed by as your steed marched along the dark path, treading through the thick blanket of snow that covered the forest floor. Around you, delicate snowflakes floated down from the heavens, catching on the limbs of towering pines and landing on your cheeks, only to melt on your warm skin.

There was something hauntingly beautiful about this weather, with storm clouds draping the inky sky like a wool cloak, snuffing out the cool light of the moon and her stars. In the winter, nights like these were familiar. But not tonight.

This night was bitterly cold, the type of cold that even the thickest furs couldn’t warm. Now, after hours of trekking through the forest, you resented Commander Dameron’s decision for the squadron to not wear helmets. In theory, it seemed like the best way to increase visibility in the midnight hour. But now, with chattering teeth and a visibility of less than a few meters, you were less than pleased.

Commander Dameron had left his helmet behind at the base as well. Although, it was less of a rare occurrence for him. He seldom wore a full suit of armor, which under any other circumstance could be attributed to a plethora of reasons. Pride, confidence, or his incessant need to make his enemy aware that he was being slain by a more handsome man than he. Regardless of his reasoning, you didn’t outwardly oppose the Commander’s decision. If there was one thing you had learned during your time in the Resistance, it was to never question your commander, even over something as frivolous as a helmet. His orders came directly from the General, which meant regardless of your opinion on the matter, his discretion was final. General Organa was a pragmatic woman, and after six years of serving her, she had yet to lead you astray. You expected that tonight would be no different.

Covert operations were nothing new to you, having taken part in over a dozen successful missions before. Even when things became precarious, you were able to keep your wits about you and get your men out in one piece. It was for this reason that the General trusted you with the most sensitive missions, like tonight’s.

As you neared the location of the reported First Order encampment, trepidation rolled through your stomach. There was something uncomfortable about these woods, more than the typical unease of marching into the unknown, or the prospect of losing your men in a bloodbath. The forest felt suffocating, as if you were being swallowed by the trees the further you rode. Perhaps it was the moonless sky causing your skin to crawl, or the eerie silence that surrounded you.

In front of you, Commander Dameron was barely visible through the heavy snowfall, and further away than you would have liked him to be. But then again, that was how he typically operated.

His daring attitude and hunger for battle were just a few of your favorite qualities of his, with his striking good looks and razor-sharp wit following closely behind. He was a natural leader, often utilizing every quality in his arsenal to earn cooperation from his soldiers, including yourself.

The two of you worked well together, sharing a chemistry both in leadership and out in the field. Thanks to his effortless charisma and affinity for your presence, you had been his loyal right-hand for many years. The General could always rely on your squadron to extract the intelligence she needed, or defeat any amount of stormtroopers that impeded her cause.

For six long years, the sovereign state of Hosnian Prime had been plagued by war, its people forced to bend the knee to the usurper First Order or lose their head. While many citizens chose to submit their will, there were those who refused to comply, who sacrificed everything for liberty. The Resistance was born from their bravery, their determination to fight for what was just. It was their emblem that you wore proudly on your armor, the same emblem that inspired hope in the downtrodden and oppressed throughout the world.

The moment Vice Chancellor Snoke flaunted the severed head of Chancellor Villecham to the people of Republic City, you knew that fighting this war was your only option if you wanted to save your home. The carnage that ensued in the city square was nothing short of pure evil and to this day, despite the brutality you had since witnessed and partaken in, still made your stomach churn. In the days that followed, Snoke led vicious attacks on the remaining New Republic officials, with word of his violence reaching you and the other fugitives not long after. The destruction of Hosnian Prime’s liberty was the catalyst for your enlistment in the Resistance, and remained as the motivation to end this civil war.

You tried not to dwell much on that horrific day, but it was difficult to avoid on long rides like this, finding that your mind would often drift there when you were riding towards an imminent battle. The tight secrecy of this operation was unsettling, but what little information you did know was repeating ceaselessly in your head.

The purpose of this mission was to ambush a suspected First Order camp, one that was said to be housing a handful of its leading officers. By all accounts, it was meant to be a fairly typical intelligence extraction and execution, except there would be no execution, as the General had placed a strict defense-only order on this mission, meaning you were not to strike an attack unless it was a defensive measure. Such an order left much to be answered, but from what you knew of war, it likely meant that General Organa couldn’t afford to lose the men. It also meant that whichever First Order officials were residing at this camp were not vital to its operation, for if they were, the next sunrise they would see would be from the top of wooden spikes.

The General’s briefing was not unlike many of her others. It was short and eloquent as always, but by the end of it, she was practically ordering the group out of the room, rather than her usual dismissal of telling everyone to get back to work. You, along with every other person involved in this operation, were left confused by her behavior, left to your imagination to fill in the gaps. It wasn’t long before gossip began to spread throughout the unit.

A misstep from your horse pulled you back to the present, prompting you to soothe her fright before she could make too much noise. It was imperative to the success of this ambush that none of your men—or their horses—made a sound.

After a few strokes down her spine and quiet, reassuring whispers, her pace steadied. You looked ahead for the signal from Commander Dameron that you were approaching the encampment, but in the hazy clearing, his presence had been reduced to a set of tracks left into the snow.

The festering dread in your gut became unbearable as you continued to trudge through the dark foliage, debating whether or not it would be appropriate to catch up to Commander Dameron and share your concerns. You could only imagine the lecture you would receive from the General if you strayed from the plan in any manner, but at the same time, you trusted your instinct. Something didn’t feel right.

The crunch of snow beneath hooves and the light rattle of armor were the only sounds that filled the air. That was until a scream pierced the night air, sending a chill colder than the snow down your spine.

Panic rose in your chest as your horse reared off the ground and spun wildly, frightened beyond your control. You tried to orient yourself in the darkness, scanning the white haze for your men, as well as your commander.

Another scream followed shortly after, along with a string of cries from the soldier’s horse. One final wail sliced through the air like a banshee cry, full of agony, before the world fell silent.

There was someone else—or something else—in these woods.

The soldiers behind you erupted in a cacophony of confusion, worry, and pleas to the gods for mercy. You steered your horse away from them, more concerned with Commander Dameron’s safety than theirs. As terrible as it seemed, soldiers were expendable, leadership was not. Besides, if you fell back to help them, your fate would be the same as theirs—bloody and mangled.

More anguished cries rang throughout the dark woods, following you as you rushed forward, whipping the reins to keep your pace.

“Commander? Commander?!” you shouted into the abyss of the night. You uttered a quiet prayer as you waited for his response.

The whisper of wind was all you received in return.

“COMMANDER!” you screamed, your throat burning from the wintry air as you cried out.

Nothing.

With bleary eyes, you continued to ride, dodging the brush and rogue branches hanging in your path. It was then that a horrible realization occurred to you. Aside from the sound of your shallow breaths and hooves stomping, the forest was utterly silent.

Your panic quickly transformed into terror. The sounds of slaughter that had been trailing you had ceased. Whatever had been hunting your men could now only be hunting you.

There was no time to waste. Adrenaline rushed through your veins as you unlatched your boots from the saddle and prepared to dismount your horse, hoping to be a smaller target on foot.

Before you could swing your leg over the saddle to jump down, an invisible blow struck the center of your chest, hurling you backwards through the air until you collided with the rough bark of a tall pine.

Bright spots filled your vision as you hit the frozen ground, gasping for air despite the ache spreading through your ribs. A high pitch rang in your ears as you pushed yourself up and staggered to your feet. The snow beneath you was stained red, and from the taste of copper in your mouth and the tender sore on your tongue, it was clear that you had bitten it during the fall.

Away from your sight, your horse neighed and reared wildly, galloping over the roots buried beneath the snow and snapping dry branches that covered her path. For a moment, you hoped that she was running towards you, that her senses would guide her back to you. But you were a fool. 

The sound of ripping flesh and a final, harrowing cry from your horse resonated through the woods, followed by a heavy thud and a deafening silence.

You blinked the falling snowflakes away from your eyes as you stood there, rooted in the snow, trying to see which direction the midnight creature would attack from. Your heart was a few beats away from bursting through your chest, which would likely be a less painful death than what was to come.

The outline of a figure breached the snowfall, stalking towards you as you retreated on your heels, fueled by the adrenaline coursing through you.

As you reached for your sword, your limbs were frozen in place, as if your body had been wrapped in nonexistent restraints. Your breath caught in your throat. Resisting the energy proved futile, tiring your muscles and leaving you entirely defenseless. You watched in horror as the creature came into view.

“Was that you I heard calling for me, my dear?”

You could barely hear the question over the hammering of your pulse. The voice was low and brassy, and almost sounded amused. As it drew closer, you were surprised to find that the owner was not a bloodthirsty monster, but a man.

You lifted your chin and blinked back the tears that welled in your eyes, hoping to appear brave in the face of death.

“You certainly were difficult to catch,” he growled, stepping through the haze. “But the difficult ones always make for the best hunt.”

The man stepped into view, his dark armor a stark contrast to the backdrop of snowfall. In the drops of moonlight that spilled through the clouds, you could make out the details of his helmet—a haunting, black mask with silver ridges outlining the eye shield, gleaming in the waning light.

“What are you doing all the way up here, officer?” he asked, tilting his head slightly as he raised a gloved hand to your face, his outstretched fingers nearly grazing your skin.

“I–” you began to say before you choked on your words. An excruciating pain split your skull, unlike anything you had experienced before. The sensation could only be compared to something found in nightmares, crafted in the fires of Hell for the most unabashed sinners. The tears you had fought to hold back finally spilled from your eyes, freezing as they rolled down your cheeks while the masked man rummaged through your mind.

“You’re a lieutenant,” he said quietly, his intrigue evident even through his helmet.

You didn’t try to deny his statement, all too aware that your rank was the only thing keeping you from suffering the same fate as the rest of your men.

“A woman as second-in-command…” He traced the back of his hand along your jaw, the smooth leather interrupting the stream of tears that ran from your eyes.

Slowly, he moved behind you, examining you how a butcher would inspect a lamb before the slaughter. Through the shield of his mask, you could feel his eyes roaming over you. 

Acid bubbled in your throat as you stood there, helpless to the force that held you in place. The fate of your men seemed like salvation in comparison to what was likely awaiting you.

Would he take you prisoner? Would he violate you? How long would you suffer before succumbing to your inevitable fate?

Each thought piled onto the other as they raced through your head. You were grateful that he had released his grip on your mind, that your fears were known only to you.

Behind him, a handful of other men emerged from the night, standing in a tight formation behind their leader. The other parties responsible for the massacre of your men, you presumed.

“Sir, we were unable to locate the Commander,” one of the men informed him.

He moved closer behind you, pieces of his armor grazing yours. “Forget him. We have what we need.”

Before you could process his words, the energy around your limbs disappeared and you swayed, suddenly dizzy, like you had indulged in one too many glasses of wine. The edges of your vision blurred and despite wanting to kick your attacker and run as far as you could, your legs wouldn’t budge. The last thing you felt before darkness rushed in was a pair of strong arms wrapping around you as your body went slack, sealing your fate.

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

POWER POLYCULE MASTERPOST

people asked and i shall deliver!! here are our brackets - i plan to update each one with the link after they're posted, but do keep an eye on the #powerpolyculeshowdown tag in case im unavailable to do so until later, please!

Also reminder they're programmed to be posted 1min apart from each other, so from 1:00pm to 1:10pm (EST)

Round 1

part 1 (finished)

Tulio/Miguel/Chel (Road to El Dorado) x Yoo/Han/Kim (Omniscient Reader) Winners: Tulio/Miguel/Chel

Mane 6 (My Little Pony) x Sasha/Anne/Marcy (Amphibia) Winners: Sasha/Anne/Marcy

Rey/Finn/Poe (Star Wars) x The Doctor/Rose/Jack Harkness (Doctor Who) Winners: The Doctor/Rose/Jack

Cosmo/Kathy/Don (Singing in the Rain) x Ferris/Sloane/Cameron (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) Winners: Cosmo/Kathy/Don

Dave/Jade/Karkat (Homestuck) x Sora/Riku/Kairi (Kingdom Hearts) Winners: Sora/Riku/Kairi

Amaryllis/Sir Damien/Lord Arum (Penumbra Podcast) x Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot (High Noon Over Camelot - The Mechanisms) Winners: Amaryllis/Sir Damien/Lord Arum

Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow) x Sadie Kane/Walt Stone/Anubis (The Kane Chronicles) Winners: Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi

Star Allies (Kirby Star Allies) x All 1008 Pokémon (Pokémon) Winners: All 1008 Pokémon

Hardison/Parker/Elliot (Leverage) x Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer (The Witcher) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

Suki/Sokka/Zuko (ATLA) x Sonic/Knuckles/Shadow (Sonic) Winners: Suki/Sokka/Zuko

Sweet/Cap’n/K_K (Deltarune) x Shiver/Frye/Big Man (Splatoon 3) Winners: Sweet/Cap'n/K_K

part 2 (finished)

Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) x Luka/Adrien/Kagami/Marinette (Miraculous Ladybug) Winners: Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy

Wonder Woman/Superman/Batman (DC Comics) x Megaera/Zagreus/Thanatos (Hades) Winners: Megaera/Zagreus/Thanatos

Dekubowl (My Hero Academia) x Jolyne/Ermes/Foo Fighters (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) Winners: Jolyne/Ermes/Foo Fighters

Bocchi/Nijika/Ryo/Kita (Bocchi the Rock) x Tsukasa/Emu/Nene/Rui (Project Sekai) Winners: Tsukasa/Emu/Nene/Rui

Trevor/Sypha/Alucard/Greta (Castlevania) x Heizou/Kazuha/Scaramouche (Genshin Impact) Winners: Trevor/Sypha/Alucard/Greta

Rachel/Chloe/Max (Life is Strange) x Quanxi/Tsugihagi/Pingtsi/Long/Cosmo (Chainsaw Man) Winners: Rachel/Chloe/Max

McCoy/Spock/Kirk (Star Trek) x Frodo/Sam/Rosie (Lord of the Rings) Winners: McCoy/Spock/Kirk

Cassandra/Rapunzel/Flynn (Tangled Series) x Vivi/Lewis/Arthur (Mystery Skulls Animated) Winners: Cassandra/Rapunzel/Flynn

Aizo/Yujiro/Hiyori (HoneyWorks) x Panchito/Donald/José (The Three Caballeros) Winners: Panchito/Donald/José

Catra/Adora/Glimmer/Bow (She-Ra and The Princesses of Power) x Amethyst/Peridot/Lapis (Steven Universe) Winners: Catra/Adora/Glimmer/Bow

Bucky/Steve/Peggy/Angie (Marvel) x Hunter/Willow/Luz/Amity (The Owl House) Winners: Hunter/Willow/Luz/Amity

Round 2 (finished)

Tulio/Miguel/Chel (Road to El Dorado) x Cosmo/Kathy/Don (Singing in the Rain) Winners: Tulio/Miguel/Chel

Sasha/Anne/Marcy (Amphibia) x Hardison/Parker/Eliot (Leverage) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

The Doctor/Rose/Jack Harkness (Doctor Who) x McCoy/Spock/Kirk (Star Trek) Winners: The Doctor/Rose/Jack Harkness

Sora/Riku/Kairi (Kingdom Hearts) x Amaryllis/Sir Damien/Lord Arum (Penumbra Podcast) Winners: Amaryllis/Sir Damien/Lord Arum

Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow) x Sweet/Cap’n/K_K (Deltarune) Tie!! Both move on!

Suki/Sokka/Zuko (Avatar: TLA) x Megaera/Zagreus/Thanatos (Hades) Winners: Suki/Sokka/Zuko

Fred/Dephne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) x All 1008 Pokémon (Pokémon) Winners: Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy

Jolyne/Ermes/Foo Fighters (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) x Tsukasa/Emu/Nene/Rui (Project Sekai) Winners: Jolyne/Ermes/Foo Fighters

Trevor/Sypha/Alucard/Greta (Castlevania) x Panchito/Donald/José (The Three Caballeros) Winners: Panchito/Donald/José

Cassandra/Rapunzel/Flynn (Tangled Series) x Rachel/Chloe/Max (Life is Strange) Winners: Cassandra/Rapunzel/Flynn

Catra/Adora/Glimmer/Bow (She-Ra and The Princesses of Power) x Hunter/Willow/Luz/Amity (The Owl House) Winners: Catra/Adora/Glimmer/Bow

Round 3 (finished)

Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) x Cassandra/Rapunzel/Flynn (Tangled the Series) Winners: Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy

The Doctor/Rose/Jack (Doctor Who) x Hardison/Parker/Eliot (Leverage) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

Catra/Adora/Glimmer/Bow (She Ra) x Suki/Sokka/Zuko (Avatar: TLA) Winners: Suki/Sokka/Zuko

Panchito/Donald/José (The Three Caballeros) x Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow) Winners: Panchito/Donald/José

Sweet/Cap’n/K_K (Deltarune) x Sora/Riku/Kairi (Kingdom Hearts) Winners: Sweet/Cap'n/K_K

Jolyne/Ermes/Foo Fighters (Jojo) x Tulio/Miguel/Cher (Road to El Dorado) Winners: Tulio/Miguel/Cher

Revival

Round 1 (finished)

Poll 1 Winners: The Doctor/Jack/Rose

Poll 2 Winners: Sasha/Anne/Marcy

Poll 3 Winners: Geralt/Yennefer/Jaskier

Poll 4 Winners: Yoo/Han/Kim

Round 2 (finshed)

Yoo Joonghyuk/Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint) x The Doctor/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness (Doctor Who) x Sasha/Anne/Marcy (Amphibia) x Geralt/Yennefer/Jaskier (The Witcher) Winners: Yoo/Han/Kim (ORV) and Doctor/Jack/Rose (DW)

Round 4 - Quarterfinals (finished)

Tulio/Miguel/Cher (Road to El Dorado) x Yoo Jonghyuk/Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint)  Winners: Yoo Jonghyuk/Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja

Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) x The Doctor/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness (Doctor Who) Winners: Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy

Sweet/Cap'n/Cakes (Deltarune) x Panchito/Donald/José (Three Caballeros) Winners: Sweet/Cap'n/K_K

Hardison/Parker/Eliot (Leverage) x Suki/Sokka/Zuko (Avatar) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

Round 5 - Semifinals (finished)

Sweet/Cap'n/K_K (Deltarune) x Yoo Jonghyuk/Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint) Winners: Yoo/Han/Kim

Hardison/Parker/Eliot (Leverage) x Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

Round 6 (March 8th 2pm EST)

Finals!

Hardison/Parker/Eliot (Leverage) x Yoo Jonghyuk/Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint) Winners: Hardison/Parker/Eliot

Third place!

Sweet/Cap'n/K_K (Deltarune) x Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy (Scooby Doo) Winners: Fred/Daphne/Velma/Shaggy

Congratulations Hardison/Parker/Eliot for the win!!!!

[akumajoaurora]

Castlevania Games Do Have a Story (And Why It’s Important That It Stays Subtle)

Ok so this is basically an expanded writeup of some loose thoughts I posted to Twitter earlier today in response to the news that the God of War Ragnarok guy wants to do a Castlevania game, but this is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, so I figured it deserves to be on a long form post and not just Three Sentences Per Post Dot Com.

A big criticism of Castlevania that I hear pretty frequently is “Oh, it has no story”. However, this is untrue- Castlevania games very much do have a story, they’re just not presented in the format that most people are used to. 

A lot of story-driven video games play out somewhat like a TV show or a novel. You get to watch the story play out from start to finish, with characters talking to each other, and often moving and acting as though you were watching TV. There’s nothing wrong with this format- I enjoy it a lot myself! Everyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Devil May Cry, after all. But this isn’t the only way to tell a story.

With the exception of a few games (mainly Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness), Castlevania has a much different format. While there are some cutscenes, they’re generally much more limited and there aren’t very many per game; In some of the really old games, there really isn’t much dialogue at all, and instead the main plot points are given to you in scrolling text at the beginning and end of the game or in the game’s manual. This is important because it pushes you, the player, to engage with the text. The story is there, but how deep does it run? How does each game play into the overall saga of Castlevania? That’s what you have to discover for yourself, and clues can often be found in the level design, the music, and flavor text.

To give an example, let’s analyze one of my personal favorites story-wise, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. 

This game takes place 7 years after the original Castlevania. Our friend Simon Belmont, now 29 years old, has already killed Dracula. However, he begins to feel gravely ill, and fears he may be on his deathbed. He goes to the family cemetery to contemplate this, and a mysterious unknown woman appears to him, who tells him that he’s been cursed by Dracula. In order to save himself, he will need to collect five scattered pieces of Dracula’s corpse, use them to resurrect Dracula, and then kill him again, all within seven days or he will die. The mystery woman then disappears.

Simon travels the land in search of the Dracula relics. Along the way he, of course, fights monsters, and also talks to the ordinary people of Transylvania in search of clues; Some of them are nice or even flirtatious towards him, but a lot are openly hostile, and will lie to him or try to scam him. Every night, Simon’s curse worsens, and the famous words “What a horrible night to have a curse...” appear as more and more monsters start to come out. During this time the player is unable to go indoors. Depending on how long it takes you to complete the game, Simon either dies fighting Dracula, or survives and frees himself from the curse. He then is seen making a grave for Dracula. This is the text of the good ending:

"The encounter with Dracula is terminated. Simon Belmont has put an end to the eternal darkness in Transylvania. His blood and sweat have penetrated the earth and will induce magic and happiness for those who walk on this land."

So, what can we get out of this short, dialogue-lite game? Let’s take a look.

Even though Simon has already defeated Dracula, the fight is not over. He can’t truly escape his family legacy, and the ongoing battle between man and vampire. Simon, like many Belmonts, is trapped within a cycle of violence- Even when he does what he’s “supposed” to do. It’s manifesting in an extremely physical way that forces him to engage with the conflict- If he were to do nothing, the curse would quite literally kill him within a week.

Simon is a thoughtful and spiritual person who respects his family greatly. Rather than getting angry about his condition, giving up, or even asking a doctor, he went to his family cemetery to contemplate in the presence of his ancestors. The fact that he seemingly didn’t go to a doctor brings me to my next point...

Simon is largely disliked by his neighbors- Even though, again, he’s already killed Dracula. A common element of Castlevania games is that the Belmont family are feared and distrusted for their magic powers and their proximity to the supernatural, and this is certainly true for Simon. Still he continues to fight.

Despite this, he clearly still has someone looking out for him. Who is the mystery woman? Is she an ancestor spirit (Sypha, perhaps)? Is she a witch? An anonymous admirer? Either way, she cares enough for Simon to help him in his time of need.

Simon is, ultimately, a deeply kind and caring person. Even though Dracula caused so many people horrible suffering, including Simon himself, he still took the time to build a grave for Dracula. He showed respect even for his greatest enemy and went out of his way to provide him dignity in death.

In the end, the people finally recognized Simon’s good deeds, and he was hailed as a hero... But at what cost? It’s worth noting the specific phrasing, “his blood and sweat have penetrated the earth”. Simon had to give so much of himself, very much putting his life on the line in order to keep humanity safe. The burden of heroism is an extremely heavy one.

Simon’s Quest becomes even more poignant when put into place with the wider Castlevania timeline. Simon is one of so many Belmonts to be feared and hated by his neighbors, give everything in order to save them, and finally win their respect- But at a very high cost. Again and again this cycle plays out. It’s also worth mentioning that Simon’s Quest is the origin of the famous background music track, “Bloody Tears”. Interesting name, isn’t it? Whose tears are they? Are they Simon’s- Is the curse ravaging him so badly that he’s literally crying blood as he keeps fighting? Are they the tears of the Belmont clan, unable to escape their fate? Or maybe tears shed for, or perhaps by, the spirits of all those who have lost their lives to Dracula? Worth thinking about. 

Every Castlevania game has a story, and all of them come together to create a much wider tale of life, death, and rebirth, generational trauma, the cosmic battle between good and evil, the nature of humanity, finding light in the darkness, and why we keep fighting. Like the gothic novels it draws from, it poses many questions about the nature of life, death, suffering, and what it means to be human. The format in which this story is told is a unique one that encourages introspection and participation. If you’re someone who enjoys media analysis, I highly recommend the Castlevania series.

Ultimately, while I don’t think it’s impossible to do Castlevania in a more traditional format (after all, LoI and CoD pulled it off pretty well), I do think that the layers to the story are a big part of what makes it, well, Castlevania. I don’t think it’s at all fair to say that Castlevania doesn’t have a story- Many of the games don’t have a distinct linear dialectical narrative the way a lot of modern games do, but they very much have a story. Why not try experiencing it?

In conclusion,

[beevean]

Translating Aria of Sorrow's bios

Soma Cruz

18 years old

The protagonist of the story, a high school student living in Hakuba. He has a somewhat intimidating feeling, and he feels difficult to approach. In order to enjoy the total solar eclipse of 2035 with her childhood friend Mina, he heads to Hakuba Shrine, which is located on a hill in the town and is also her home. However, he can't keep his arrangement with Mina...

Mina Hakuba

18 years old

The only shrine maiden of Hakuba Shrine. Soma's childhood friend, she is very friendly and everyone likes her. Compared to the hard-to-approach Soma, she is quite a normal girl.

Genya Arikado

Age unknown

A man dressed in a black suit. He is very unsociable, but his beauty is far from human. He seems to belong to an organization that is involved in the secrets of the country, but he's shrouded in mystery. He knows the prophecy that Dracula will rise again.

Graham Jones

36 years old

A founder of a new religion with many fanatical followers. He came into this world in the month of July, 1999. He's rumored to have magical powers. The belief, popular in the last century, that the world will come to an end in 2035 is attracting new believers.

Yoko Belnades

24 years old

A descendant of a family of wizards affiliated with the Church. He was sent by the Church after hearing the prophecy that Dracula would rise again. She is a talkative and nosy woman. She seems to be acquainted with Arikado.

J (Julius Belmont)

55 years old

In 1999, he was involved in a serious accident and lost his memory. He is extremely talented at eradicating monsters. He is very afraid that Dracula will be revived. Before long, J will have a fateful encounter with Soma...

Hammer

34 years old

A man dispatched by the military to come to Castlevania. He has a very rough personality and doesn't work unless he's in the mood. He has always wanted to retire from the military and start a business, and he actually opens a shop in Castlevania.

[akumahoshojo]

Castlevania I + II Fanfic: A Horrible Night's Dream (Chapter 1 preview)

I wrote this fic for @eboni-napalm as part of a Halloween gift exchange that started back in like... 2021 😱 After two of the roughest years for me ever (school/health/family/general RL problems all happening at once), I've actually been able to work on it!

While I'm still finishing up my final draft of the first chapter (fingers crossed I can do it before midnight!), I thought I'd post this preview of it here for tonight for any CV fans who might be interested in reading... and hopefully checking out the rest. It's the first 4 out of 8 vignettes to be contained in the completed first chapter, set in CV1 era for now.

Game: Castlevania I and II Pairing: Simon Belmont + CV2's "Mysterious Woman" (😉) Themes: Prophecies, Curses, Fighting Fate, Anachronic Order, Second Person POV, Experimental Style Content Warning: General themes of prejudice, non-graphic human sacrifice scene Thanks so much for your patience eboni-napalm-- I'm so sorry about the delay, but getting to work on this story has been rewarding and challenging in the best kind of way! 💗 Check out the story below!

i. now

To one who dreams the future, the present is the past. And thus all your remembered life has been a divided one, waking eyes on constant guard and inner eye fixed on time untold, like two-faced Janus in the body of a girl.

You've never been able to consider your nighttime visions a power, or even a gift: not when they've only come to you as you've lain helpless in the dark, bringing unwanted glimpses of a greater darkness in the world that encircles the realm of dreams.

And if some force beyond even that world can tear through the layers of time to give you a fleeting glimpse of what lies on the other side, then one lone human attempting to change the future’s design in response seems as futile a task as attempting to prevent an avalanche through the placement of a single snowflake.

But that's never stopped you from trying.

ii. then 

To the citizens of Transylvania, he may have been a savior, but to you, he was no different from the rest of them—which placed him somewhere just above scum. And so, as all of Jova turned excitedly north to welcome their conquering hero home, you chose to remain alone in the wooded outskirts of town, where they'd told you your kind would always belong.

Simon, the latest golden boy of the Belmont clan, with a mane of golden hair and bags of looted gold to match, was already the stuff of legends. He'd journeyed alone only days before to Dracula's stronghold beyond the mountains, slaying its monstrous guards and unholy master in a single night and escaping just in time to watch the demon castle crumble at dawn. Stories of his triumph had already traveled down from the hamlets at the foothills and across the river from the town of Yomi, faster than the news of the Dark Lord's resurrection on the night the Black Mass occurred. 

The night they’d shunned you for the last time.

iii. now

The future creates itself in the darkness behind your closed eyes. Your essence stares back from the depths of your mind.

Another vision, two-sided as always: fate's promise to you, and yours to yourself. You will fight it, the truest part of you swears, in the waking world where dreams can't reach, no matter what you'll see and see again.

It catches you off guard anyway.

As your mind's eye clears, the darkness that clouded it coalesces into a black sea, the crests of dozens of waves rising ominously from its surface. The light comes next—faint touches of distant moonlight and dancing candlelight, refining the indistinct sea of shadows into something all too real.

Hooded worshippers, lit by candles as black as their robes, fill the gutted remains of an old church. The church is dark, and the night outside is darker, showing through the shattered stained-glass windows like a void swallowing up the holy and the fair. Idols and relics, goat-headed demons and inverted stars and things you can't decipher, lurk just at the edges of the shadows.

But it's the thing on the altar that scares you the most.

Nearly shrouded in a tattered black cloak, it lays limp and motionless, sickly pale as any corpse—but with a countenance alert as any living man. Its face is twisted into a rictus of mad triumph, sightless eyes fixed on the crumbled ceiling above and a sky empty of stars, as if to mock, even now, whatever higher power watches from above. You're certain you've never seen it, through this eye or your outers. And yet, the longer you stare, the louder a primal alarm seems to scream from somewhere deep inside you.

Known and unknown, mighty and weak, living and dead—the thing’s very existence is a contradiction made flesh.

Clarity flashes across your mind in the errant glint of candlelight off a fang.

You know, now, what this thing is. Its—his—name is Dracula: scion of the dragon, the devil's very son.

His dark grip still chokes Transylvania as tightly in legend as it did in reality, even a century after his last death. Though the countryside has long healed from the scars of his prior reign, those like yourself, too well acquainted with the occult, feel their phantom ache to this day. It is the pain that springs up with each scornful word and every hostile stare, the chafing knowledge that anyone judged slightly less than normal will never be truly safe from a populace still cowering from even the memory of Dracula's shadow.

Your gaze focuses once more at a sudden shuffling among the faceless worshipers: a parting of the shadow sea. From the darkest corner of the church a maiden is borne, light as spindrift, through the crests. Her dress is pale, and her panicked face is paler. She seems almost to shine amongst the shadows that guide her onward, a lone spot of white nearly consumed by the blackness of the church.

A sacrifice.

As she nears the grim idol that lies in wait upon the altar, one of the encircling shadows shoves her roughly forward. She stumbles against the altar's edge, delicate hands bound tightly behind her back.

You are forced to watch, powerless as always, as present and future slip beyond salvation.

Another shift of the lurking shadows. A fleeting flash of metal. A torrent of blood from the maiden's lovely neck.

As the blood splatters on the leering corpse below, its fanged grin seems only to widen. And with a creeping chill of dread, you realize the thing on the altar isn't a corpse anymore.

The church darkens even more, beyond what seems possible, as the sky through the ceiling is choked by thunderclouds. The candlelight drowns in a shadow sea.

For a moment, you see nothing but blissful darkness, blessed oblivion—for a moment, you can nearly imagine what a normal night's sleep might be.

By the time a flash of lightning illuminates the church once more, Dracula is already gone—the monster loosed from its temporal cage.

You barely notice. You'd seen it, then, when the lightning struck, in what little you could view of the world beyond the church. The outlines of a cityscape all too familiar. The narrow curve of a waning gibbous moon.

Jova. Easter Sunday.

You still have time, you realize.

And, fate willing, so do they.

iv. then

It had been Easter then, the time of the town's yearly carnival. Those dull brick buildings had looked almost inviting, festooned with grand banners and colorful paper lanterns, as lively dances and celebrations went on in the market square. The scenes of joy and community, the swirls of music and laughter, seemed to sweep you up despite yourself, almost softening the heart their world had hardened long before. You were hopeful enough to believe the Lord's Resurrection reason enough for them to accept you, for that one day at least, to heed your warning and save their souls.

You were wrong.

No matter who you approached, no matter how you pleaded, the hatred you'd grown up with, inseparable as your shadow, blocked you at every turn. Maybe it was your clothes, or your accent, or just the fact you knew something they didn't, but whatever attempt you made, they judged it to be wrong. Your warnings, increasingly desperate, were met with insults from even the kindest faces in that celebration, insults steeled with the threat of something worse.

Liar.

Witch.

Unholy.

Unwelcome.

You'd finally turned your back on Jova when the stares began to linger a little too long, when the murmurs in the crowd began to overpower even the sounds of the festivities. You refused to add your own life to the number that would soon be lost.

And you'd tried, dammit. They couldn't say you didn't try. 

If their blood was to be shed, it would not be on your hands.

You told yourself this as you left them all behind, the music growing fainter and the colored lights dimmer with each step you took into the engulfing darkness. They'd just shown they cared nothing for you, for even themselves, so why chance your life for them? You didn't care—you truly didn't care.

But when your prophecy came true and hell came to earth, you suffered with them all the same.

[simonsquest]

Proof that I'm just terrible at Simon's Quest, lol.

I played Bisqwit's romhack of Castlevania 2 today. It has great quality of life improvements with regard to a more faithful translation of the dialogue, UI updates, the ability to save your progress, access to the map to see where you are, and a really incredible intro cutscene w/ the mysterious woman at the gravesite. It's beautifully done and a treat for the eyes! I thoroughly enjoyed my few hours with it, but even equipped with all of my CV2 knowledge (and I have to say having the map in-game was especially helpful!), I still was only able to complete the game in 13 days, earning me the "Drac was defeated but Simon didn't survive his wounds" ending. I love this game so much.

[chibishortdeath]

Woahg, that’s a lot—

Explanations under a cut :3

This is Simon like immediately after defeating Dracula. Just sitting on his knees, hands on his face. He needs a minute, but he’s not gonna get a long one cause the castle is collapsing—

Wow! What a nice happy family :3. I sure hope nothing happens to them! :3 I’ve always liked to arrange the series of events like first Selena and Simon met and got married, then the Dracula stuff went down, so uh yeah uh fan interpretation of their (currently) unnamed kids.

The text here says “where’s momma?”, said by his daughter (who by this point is 2-3 about). Shout out to the artist ability to make yourself really sad—

Just Simon and the kids chillin. He probably was a really good dad, just kinda struggling.

Little quick doodle of the designs of the kids. Agh I need to name both of them (TwT ). It’s hard, I feel like they gotta have nice but cool names, but I just haven’t found any I like yet. Anyway, the one on the left is the older daughter and the one on the right is the younger brother and as of Simon’s quest they are 10 and 7 respectively. The brother would’ve been born the year of CV1 if I have my math right, so when Simon was 22.

Sobbing! It be like that sometimes 💀. This might count as like one part vent art and one part just expression and emotion practice :O.

This one also kinda counts as vent art I guess lol idk. It says “I did everything right”. I was thinking of a specific audio while drawing this and tbh I might actually have to animate something hmmm. Or just still images cause animation is hardddddddd oof. The text isn’t like from the audio or anything either (>< ;).

This one is based on an old insert character here kind of meme :D. The text says “step 1: establish character with a little worry but a lot of determination. Step 2: inflict soul crushing trauma Step 3: inflict soul crushing trauma—“ and that repeats until step 5 lol. The original meme only had two images, but each of these are supposed to be based on specific events so yeah. First one is just pre CV1, then the moment he got hit, then shortly after leaving the castle, then in the graveyard 6 years later, then somewhere in the middle of his quest.

This one is fun!!!!!! It’s an idea for like a double sided keychain :D!!!!! One side has the like CV1/CV4 era Simon swinging on one of those loops and the other is Simon’s Quest!!! And it’s supposed to be the Hanged Man tarot card!!! So cool!!! Idk how making keychains works so if I actually did this I’d probs just make one in shrink plastic tbh. But ough it would be so cool to actually make and sell little fan keychains and stuff (TwT ).

This one I don’t remember if I’ve posted or not but it’s never getting finished 💀💀💀. Gotta love drawing The Character in increasingly dynamic poses and surreal ways.

Ok it’s super late I have to sleep 💀👍

[demigoddessqueens]

I just realized the mystery woman with the gold braids fighting vampires has a mark on her right hand!!

Is she a devils forgemaster?? 👀

[polyam-ship-showdown]

Polyam Ship Showdown Round 1!

So I have combed through the 200+ submissions, combed through it and come up with the final bracket that you will see right here.

Feel free to have a bit of fun! You can download this picture and make your predictions or even just present it as how it would go down if it was all your choice.

Round 1 will start at 6:00 PM EST on February 18th. Polls will roll out every minute until done. Then it's showtime!

The brackets are as follows:

Sasha Waybright/Anne Boonchuy/Marcy Wu (Amphibia) vs Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman (DC Comics)

Willow Park/Luz Noceda/Amity Blight (The Owl House) vs Jaune Arc/Nora Valkyrie/Pyrrha Nikos/Lie Ren (RWBY)

Suki/Sokka/Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs Mafuyu Asahina/Kanade Yoisaki/Ena Shinonome/Mizuki Akiyama (Project Sekai)

Annalise Obrien/Gabriel Boutin/Nathan Byrne (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) vs Leonard McCoy/Spock/James T. Kirk (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Megaera/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades) vs Monika/Sayori/Yuri/Natsuki (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Koutarou Bokuto/Keiji Akaashi/Tetsurou Kuroo/Kenma Kozume (Haikyuu!!) vs Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)

Leshy/Grimora/Magnificus/P03 (Inscryption) vs Red Son/MK/Mei Dragon (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog/Silver the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs The Mane 6 Polycule (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)

Lewis Pepper/Vivi Yukino/Arthur Kingsmen (Mystery Skulls Animated) vs Quanxi/Cosmo/Pingtsi/Long/Tsugihagi (Chainsaw Man)

Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles/Jose Carioca (The Three Caballeros) vs Miguel/Tulio/Chel (The Road To El Dorado)

Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byers (Stranger Things) vs Kathy Selden/Don Lockwood/Cosmo Brown (Singin’ In The Rain)

Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow) vs Velma Dinkley/Daphne Blake/Fred Jones/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers (Scooby-Doo)

Shiver/Frye/Big Man (Splatoon 3) vs Sora/Riku/Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)

Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz/Tom Lucitor (Star vs The Forces of Evil) vs Parker/Alec Hardison/Eliot Spencer (Leverage)

Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier/Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher) vs Eugene/Rapunzel/Cassandra (Tangled: The Series)

Finn/Rey/Poe Dameron (Star Wars) vs Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades/Alucard (Castlevania)

[silenthill2ps2]

my favorite obscure underrated castlevania character: the mysterious woman who only appears in the simon's quest instruction booklet that tells simon about the curse and all the shit he needs to get