#or would we go polyamory route

[ohyesididnotjustdothat]

Suddenly remembering that post I made of Big looking uncomfortable listening to Porsche lashing out over his punishment for being drugged and thinking of an angsty fic concept where Big develops more sympathy, and they form some weird NWB (nuisances w benefits) situation as a maladaptive coping mechanism.

Big seeking any semblance of connection w Kinn through his object of desire. Porsche seeking comfort he's being denied by Kinn, no matter how bastardized. Kinn developing a whole slew of complexes at the idea of his most trusted bodyguard developing something w this man he's utterly enraptured by and now torn between heart and duty.

Like just a real smorgasbord of unrequited angst wrapped into one big fucked up burrito lol

[sea-lanterns]

BUSINESS MEETING

synopsis: (empress! AU) the empress goes to inazuma for a business meeting.

featuring: ei, miko, sara, ayaka (ningguang, beidou, keqing, ganyu, yelan and shenhe are all mentioned at the beginning)

rating: 18+ smut (men and minors dni)

warnings: sub! afab gn reader, pwp, polyamory, 4some (implied 5some at the end), open relationship, mentions of harem, slight power dynamics, groping, fondling, breast fixation, fin.ge.ring, hickies, marking, voye.urism, mast.ur.b.ation, triple pen.et.ration, may be ooc.

art credits: moonlight garden

“Remember, stay with Ayaka at all times, don’t follow strangers into strange places, and always keep your guard up regardless of the situation.”

Ningguang adjusted the buttons on your coat and cupped your face one last time to get a good look at you. It was the first time in a while that you had to travel without the support of your courtesans, as you were called to Inazuma by the almighty shogun to discuss business affairs and trade. The only courtesan in your harem that was allowed to accompany you was Ayaka, and that was only because Ayaka was a native Inazuman who could translate things for you if you needed help. 

The other courtesans in your harem were deeply worried for your safety when the proposal reached their palace. Inazuma had only just opened up its borders to the rest of Teyvat, and when you were called to travel over there with only Ayaka to accompany you, they couldn’t help but fear what might happen once you cross those borders.

“They’ll be fine, Ning. Ayaka is very much capable of protecting our empress,” Beidou hums, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and planting a kiss on your temple. “Isn’t that right, princess?”

Ayaka —who was busy making sure all your things were well packed— jumped when she heard her nickname being called, turning to face Beidou. “Oh, of course. Our darling is in good hands, I pledged an oath to keep them safe, after all.”

Courtesan Ayaka turned towards you with a smile. “Don’t worry, my love. I’ll be sure to protect you through rain or shine,” she held your hand protectively before leaning in to kiss you. “Though, in this case, mostly rain as Inazuma often has thundering storms.”

“That’s alright, I don’t mind.” You say calmly, letting Ayaka kiss you while Beidou gets the ship ready for your departure. She had to make sure the Crux was in tip top shape, as it would be holding the most precious cargo of all.

You.

“Fasten the ropes! Make sure everything is tightened to the best it could be! We are escorting the empress, anything that happens to them will be in your hands for the rest of eternity!” Beidou was always quite dramatical when it came to your safety, as she wanted her beloved to be well secured and protected in her hands. “Set the route to Inazuma! We shall arrive there by dusk!”

Ningguang looked at you one last time before suddenly hugging you before you could step foot on the ship.

“Please be careful, my love.” Ningguang whispers, burying her face into your shoulder. “If anything were to happen to you…I…” Your body tensed up under her voice, a tinge of guilt pulling at your heartstrings, as you’ve never heard Ningguang so worried before. 

“…I promise I’ll be safe.” You whisper back, cupping the back of her head and giving your courtesan a gentle kiss. “Ayaka will be watching over me. Plus, Yelan taught me a few self defense techniques last week just in case.”

You smile warmly at your lover and assure Ningguang that everything is going to be okay. “If I somehow get hurt while in Inazuma then, well…feel free to kick my ass when I get home.” 

“Darling, language.”

“Sorry, I learned that from Beidou.” 

Ningguang chuckled at your innocence and brushed a strand of hair away from your face. “Well, I’ll be sure to kick Beidou’s ass for teaching you that when she gets back home.”

In the corner of your eye you could see Beidou shivering as if she knew that she was being talked about in a bad way. The two of you chuckle at the sight of her squirming before turning to face your other courtesans waiting at the docks to say goodbye.

Ganyu was a little teary eyed, she was quite sad that you would be leaving Liyue for a while but there was a happy smile on her face nevertheless. She was currently clinging onto Keqing for stability, as Keqing simply pretended not to care or even worry. “Be back soon. Don’t get kidnapped or anything.” Keqing would murmur, looking away briefly as she wanted to hide how much she really worried for you.

“Of course, I promise,” you smile softly, looking over to your other courtesans; Shenhe and Yelan. 

Yelan was currently holding onto Shenhe with all her might as she struggled to keep Shenhe from running up on the boat to join you. “Don’t worry about her, my empress. I can stop her!” Yelan would groan, keeping Shenhe tightly in her grasp while the disciple tried her hardest to reach you.  “Shenhe please stop moving, I don’t want to use my hydro ropes on you.”

Shenhe was silent as always as she simply craved to be in your presence at all times. She looked up at you with the neediest eyes you’ve ever seen on the woman and it made your heart stop. 

“…I’ll be back soon, Shenhe.” You say in a gentle tone, watching as she slowly stopped struggling and simply looked up at you with devoted eyes.

“…Okay.” She says quietly, leaving Yelan to wheeze as she could finally take a break from her struggling. “If you are ever in danger, I will come running as fast as I can.”

“Inazuma is surrounded by water.”

“I will swim as fast as I can.” 

You chuckle at Shenhe’s dedication before moving forward to kiss her cheek. “I love you too.” You murmur against her ear, causing the adepti student to blush while doing so.

“What? No kiss for me?” Yelan teases, smirking down at you from beside Shenhe. 

“Fine,” you hum, giving Yelan her fair share of kisses before Ganyu runs up from behind and hugs you. “I’d like a turn.” She smiles, nuzzling your face against hers as she rubs her horns against your head.

“Okay, okay…” you giggle, letting your courtesans all suffocate you for kisses before turning over to glance at Keqing, who was still standing idly to the side trying not to appear needy. 

…But you knew better than that. 

“Do you want a kiss too, Keqing?” You smile sweetly, tilting your head at the Yuheng before watching the cutest blush ever form on her face. “I— w-well…” she bites her lip and can’t help but look away. “I suppose if everyone is getting one…”

You smile and run up to her to smother her in kisses. Peppering her entire face in light smooches before Keqing squirms in your grasp and squeezes her eyes shut.

“O-Okay, that’s enough,” Keqing murmurs, trying not to admit how flustered that really got her. “You should board now anyways, my empress. We wouldn’t want you to arrive terribly late.”

“Ah, you’re right.” You smile before giving Keqing one last kiss on the cheek. “I’ll miss you all. Please don’t destroy the palace while I’m gone.”

“Of course not. That’ll never ha—” Keqing side glanced at Shenhe and Beidou before frowning. “…We’ll be sure to clean up anything before your return.” 

“I knew I could count on you!”  you smile, patting Keqing on the head while she blushes. “Alright, I must depart now. I’ll see you all in two weeks.”

“Goodbye, darling!” Ganyu smiled, waving farewell as you began walking up to the Crux. Captain Beidou quickly moved down to the stairs before you could climb on, and extended an arm out to you for you to grab on. “Careful now, wouldn’t want the little royal to slip,” Beidou grins, escorting you onto her ship while she begins commanding her sailors for departure.

“Next stop! Inazuma!”

The ship starts to let loose its sails as it begins moving further and further away from the docks. You peeked your head out over the railing and watched as the sight of your beloved courtesans grew smaller and smaller, a tinge of sadness pulling at your emotions as you knew you were going to miss them most of all.

A small pair of arms hugs you from behind and you recognize the feeling as Courtesan Ayaka trying to comfort you. She rests her chin upon your shoulder and looks out at the shrinking sight of your lovers all standing on the docks of Liyue. “You’ll be back soon,” she comforts as she presses a small kiss to your shoulder. “In the meantime, I’ll be sure to entertain you on this trip so it’s not just all business.”

Ayaka smiles and begins listing off all the things you could do with her once you dock at Inazuma. From festivals, to nightly walks, to private bedroom activities in the comfort of the Kamisato estate, Ayaka quickly brought a smile to your face as you turned to face her with newfound excitement and eagerness to what’s to come. 

Perhaps these next two weeks without your courtesans wouldn’t be so bad. 

As you parted from the Crux Fleet, you gave Beidou one last kiss on the cheek before following Ayaka to her estate with your bags in tow. And by that I mean you had some of Ayaka’s servants carry your bags for you as she didn’t want your arms to tire after the long boat ride to Inazuma. 

“Are you feeling tired, my love?” Ayaka asked softly, smiling to herself when she saw you looking around at Inazuma in awe. “…Or, perhaps you’re feeling excited at the thought of exploring a new region with me?”

“It’s a mixture of both,” you hum after some time, walking beside Ayaka with your hands conjoined.

“Then let us rest so that you are only excited for what’s to come,” Ayaka giggles, leading you to her estate as that is where you would be staying for the next two weeks of your time. Ayaka came from the wealthy family of the Kamisato Clan, so it was no surprise when you pulled up to a large estate with guards and servants around. You were used to it after all… “If it’s alright with you, you’d be staying in my room,” your courtesan murmurs, a tiny blush forming on her face. “In my bed…”

“I don’t mind,” you smile, a suggestive smirk forming on your face. “It’s not like we haven’t slept in the same bed before, princess…”

Ayaka flushes at your callout and clears her throat. 

“Yes, well…I’ll be sure to make things comfortable.” She mumbles with a blush. “In the meantime, we should rest up for tomorrow’s meeting. The Shogun has requested you come to her estate as early as possible before the meeting.”

“Oh? Must I prepare for anything beforehand?” 

“No, but…” Ayaka bites her lip and looks away. “The Guuji seems to have taken a special interest in you, my love, as she offered to serve you breakfast before the big meeting.” 

“I see. How generous of them.” You chuckle, letting Ayaka cling to your arm affectionately. Your smile falters however, when you see the worried expression on your courtesan’s face, and you cup her cheek to make her look up at you. “…Are you alright, my dearest courtesan?” You ask with the gentlest of tones, concerned for the well-being of your beloved. “You seem quite worried.”

“Oh! Ah, well…I’m only really concerned about meeting the Guuji of the Narukami Shrine: Yae Miko.” 

You tilted your head at her concern. “Whatever for?”

“Well, Yae Miko has a long history of being rather…flirtatious with beautiful people,” Ayaka sighs. “I have my concerns that she only invited you over for breakfast simply because she wants to flirt with you.”

She frowns at the thought and you feel her cling onto you harder. 

“I know it is unprofessional of me, but I can’t help but be slightly worried. The three of those women are very powerful in more ways than one, so I only wish for your safety, my love.”

You smiled softly at this reveal and turned to kiss Ayaka on the cheek. “Thank you, I really appreciate it, darling,” you chuckle, “But don’t worry, you’ll be by my side the whole time. Plus, I can take care of myself.” 

Ayaka smiles bashfully and nods. “…You’re right. You are the crowned empress of Liyue, you can handle a simple business meeting on your own.” She kisses you back and holds your hand. “Shall we head inside now? I took extra precautions to have my room ready for you.”

You chuckle softly at the thought and squeeze Ayaka’s hand even tighter. “How thoughtful of you, Courtesan Ayaka. Perhaps I should reward you tonight for your generosity…”

The princess grows red at your words and tries to hide how excited she was getting. 

“I would like that, my empress.”

When you arrive at the Shogun’s estate, you feel a shiver run down your spine as you’ve never felt so tense and intimidated by a building before. Something about the prescience of the structure holding three of the most powerful beings in Inazuma was finally getting to you, as you squeezed Ayaka’s hand tighter while the two of you walked up the stairs.

“Are you nervous, my empress?” Ayaka asks gently, caressing your palm with her thumb as she was trying her best to ease your quivering nerves. “I suppose I am a bit nervous,” you chuckle quietly, trying to steer your feelings together before you could make a fool out of yourself. “But don’t worry, I’m sure it’s just first meeting jitters. Once we meet, we’ll settle for friendly conversation mixed with professionalism and—”

Once the doors opened however, you were greeted with the sight of a bored Shogun, a teasing kitsune, and an irritated tengu all sitting around a table lined with food. You took notice of how the majority of the foods available were sweet, as that must’ve been a personal request from the Shogun herself. (You took it upon yourself to study the Shogun’s preferences and learned that she liked sweets an awful lot. So much so that you’ve prepared a gift in advance for her in order to get on her good side)

“…Oh dear.” Ayaka murmurs, watching as the three women slowly turned to you at your arrival. 

The pink haired kitsune —who you’ve come to know as Yae Miko— raised a brow once she saw you and smirked as she found a new prey to tease. The stone faced tengu general —who you’ve come to know as Kujou Sara— looked over at you with interested yet threatening eyes, almost as if she could kill you right on the spot.

And last but not least, the bored Shogun —Raiden Ei, the archon of their nation— perked up the moment she saw you enter, as she didn’t look so bored anymore. Her eyes followed you and Ayaka to your seats, as her purple irises locked onto you, knowing she would be in for a treat…

“Well you two certainly arrived earlier than expected,” Yae Miko chuckles, her eyes dancing from Ayaka to you. “Forgive us for bickering in front of the empress, your majesty. I am Yae Miko, Head Guuji of the Narukami Shrine.” Her tongue swiped over her bottom lip as she let her eyes roam all over your body. She liked what she saw, and she let you know it.

The intimidating general sighed and stood up to interrupt Miko’s sultry advances. She didn’t want you to get uncomfortable after all…

“It is an honor to meet you, my empress. I am Kujou Sara, appointed general of the Tenryou Commission,” she states while staring directly at you, holding an air of dignity around her while Miko giggles off to the side.

“So formal of you, my general.”

“Guuji Yae.”

“Enough, you two,” The Shogun suddenly says, standing up to give her own formal introduction. “I am the Raiden Shogun, dear empress, but you may refer to me as Ei during the duration of our time. We hope you find our proposals satisfactory and agreeable, my empress.”

She bows to you respectfully and the other two quickly bow in return, causing you to smile softly when they do so and turn to Ayaka with an innocent gaze. “They seem quite dignified,” you whisper to your courtesan, giggling all the while. “Perhaps this won’t be so bad after all.”

Oh how innocent you were. A cute, happy empress who had no idea that the other women were looking at you in a way that was akin to a fox staring at a bunny. Miko was licking her lips, Sara was clenching her fists together and Ei was closing her eyes as she was envisioning you in her lap like the little toy they wanted you to be…

But of course, you wouldn’t have any way of knowing that, right? After all, it’s not like thoughts can become reality…

“You should sit down and have a sip of tea, dear.” Miko smiles and ushers for you and Ayaka to take a seat at your chairs. She picks up a teacup for herself and begins sipping on what appears to be a matcha flavored brew. “I’ve done the liberty of asking all the chefs in the estate to make an assortment of breakfast foods that should cater to your palette. Although, some of them may be quite sweet thanks to a certain arrangement by someone…”

She gives Ei a teasing look while the Shogun frowns from her halfway bite of cake. She blushes at the obvious jab at her sweet tooth and clears her throat from the sugary swallow.

“…Sorry.” 

You had to stifle your laughter as you found the Shogun…strangely cute. For someone who was feared throughout Inazuma and held great power, she was quite adorable when indulging in her sugary desires, something that made you want to slap yourself in the face as you came here to do business, not stare at pretty women. 

“It’s alright, Raiden Ei,” you giggle, lifting up a slice of cake in an attempt to make her feel comfortable. “I too, fancy a little sweet treat every once in a while.” 

Her eyes lit up at your words when you took a bite of cake along with her, the Guuji looking intrigued while the General looked surprised. You were quite cute as you tried to assure the almighty Shogun’s sweet tooth, and it made the archon’s heart stir with feelings of attraction and desire.

“…Yes. Yes, you understand me completely,” Ei smiles, looking down at her plate before continuing to eat her cake in silence. The kitsune giggling to herself at this exchange, while the tengu smiles softly at you in appreciation. 

It seems like you’d fit right in with these ladies. Maybe more so than you think...

It took a while to get through breakfast —as the Shogun was quite a glutton for sweet and sugary things— but you managed to finish in due time with servants coming in to clear your plates. Ayaka dabbed at her lips with a napkin and smiled at the trio of powerful women.

“Breakfast was delicious, Yae Miko. Thank you for the invite and your hospitality.” She says softly, reaching a hand down to hold yours underneath the table. “I take it we will begin the meeting now?”

“Oh, why of course. But we mustn’t hurry too quickly, we have so much time with the empress after all,” Miko smirks at you with a hungry flicker in her eyes, almost teasing you in a way as the Shogun and her general lock eyes with your body. “No need to be so impatient, Ayaka…”

“F-Forgive me if I came off that way,” Ayaka’s cheeks turn hot. “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine, princess. I was merely teasing,” Miko giggles, her eyes glowing dark purple with an ominous hue.

“Miko.” Ei murmurs, casting her a glance as if to say “don’t toy with them too roughly.” Luckily, Miko gets the hint and sighs before snapping her fingers.

“I suppose we can begin the meeting now,” she murmurs, a few servants coming in to set down piles of papers and files on the table. Kujou Sara straightens her posture at the sight of the documents before her, and Ei sighs woefully as she hated doing anything remotely responsible but decided to suck it up and deal with it. 

“We have quite a lot on our plate after the shutdown of Inazuma, but we hope it doesn’t strain you too much,” Sara says calmly, looking at you with sharp eyes. “Are you alright with this amount of paperwork, my empress?”

“I’ve dealt with a lot more during the awakening of Osial,” you chuckle softly. “Please don’t worry about me, I can take a mountain of documents no problem.” 

Ayaka looked quite proud of you when you said this and the other three women looked intrigued. They all glanced at each other with knowing looks, before Ei nods and begins passing some of the documents over to you. 

“In that case, let’s get started, shall we?” And with that, the five of you engaged in a brutal business discussion that lasted three whole hours (and counting) as there were so many things to discuss, it would take quite a few days…

While you were used to the long hours of work (thanks to being Ningguang and Ganyu’s lover) you took notice on how it was affecting the women around you as Ei looked bored, Miko looked like she was about to go zoomies, and Ayaka looked in pain because her wrist was cramping up from all the extra writing she was doing. 

The only one who looked fine with it all was Sara, but even then, she kept sighing throughout the conversation as the general was more used to dealing with physical affairs rather than political. You knew it was time for a break and stood up abruptly in your seat, catching everyone’s attention immediately. 

“How about a break?” You propose softly, looking up at the four women in the room. “We’ve been working for quite some time, I believe we all deserve some good quality rest, hm?”

You smiled so charmingly at them that the four women couldn’t help but stare at you fondly. “A break sounds wonderful, little one.” Yae Miko hums, dropping her pen to the floor. “I could use a stretch break myself.”

She smiled suggestively at you before Sara glares at her to try and keep it in her pants. 

“Yes, I believe a break is necessary in order to keep going,” Ei exhales softly, rubbing tight circles into her temple. “I agree.” Sara says with a sigh, before looking over to you and Ayaka.

“Mm, perhaps we should have our lunch break now so we don’t continue working on an empty stomach,” Ayaka chuckles, caressing your hand before looking over at you. “Are you feeling hungry, my love?”

“Just a bit,” you smile, stretching your limbs to ease the muscle tension cramping up your back, but failing to notice the predatory look the Shogun, Guuji and General were giving you, as they were all eying you like a piece of fresh meat. 

“…Why don’t we get the kitchen staff to cook us a meal?” Miko smirks cunningly. “Ayaka dear, do you mind heading down to the staff to tell them about lunch plans? I’m afraid it’s a long way down so if it’s too much of a hassle for you, that’s alright.” 

“Oh no, I don’t mind Miss Yae,” Ayaka smiles, unaware of Yae Miko’s true intentions. “Shall I head down now?”

“That would be lovely, Miss Kamisato.” Miko grins, causing Ei and Sara to look at each other as if they knew what was about to happen. “Alright, I’ll be back soon then, my darling,” Ayaka hums, giving your hand one last squeeze before making her departure. 

“See you soon, love,” you giggle, giving her a small wave of goodbye before being left in the room with Ei, Miko and Sara. Three women who lowkey scared you but you didn’t want to appear rude. 

“…Well, isn’t she a sweet thing,” Miko purrs once she leaves, turning to face you. “Isn’t that right, empress?”

Her tone of voice leaves you speechless as it sends shivers down your spine in a warm, yet dangerous way. Sara narrows her eyes when she catches this however, and interrupts the kitsune from going further. “Guuji Yae, you shouldn’t address the empress in such a way,” she says sternly, before looking at you to see if you were alright.

“Oh, it’s alright General Kujou. I really don’t mind,” you hum softly, still eased in your seat as you were unaware of the tension starting to ignite in the air. “Hear that? The empress is alright with it, General.” Yae Miko grins, getting up from her seat to strut on over to where you were seated. “So you needn’t chastise me any longer…”

Sara scoffed at her words and turned away, annoyed with the kitsune’s antics but unable to do anything since Miko was a much higher rank than her.

Meanwhile, Ei was watching curiously as to what Miko was up to, and noticed just how close she was getting to you now that Courtesan Ayaka had left the room. 

“You know, you’re quite pretty underneath that veil of yours, your majesty,” Miko hums, leaning against the armrest of your chair and using a clawed fingertip to push your chin upward. “You should show your face more often.”

“Ah, I’m afraid I can’t, Guuji Yae,” you chuckle bashfully. “The veil is a safety precaution. It’s to ensure my identity isn’t too well known to the public eye.”

“Oh, but you are simply just a treasure, little one…” Miko fake pouts, cupping your face with her hands and pulling you even closer.

“Miko.” Sara warns, not wanting to damage the professional atmosphere between you and the three ladies in the room.

“Oh calm down, Sara; I’m merely asking them for a proposal.” Miko tuts, tapping your cheek with interest.

“A proposal?” Sara asks with confusion, Ei following pursuit as she had been quietly watching this exchange the whole time. “Yes, birdie. A proposal.” Miko smirks, pulling your face closer to her. “I want to be one of your courtesans, little one.” 

Your face flushed hot when she spoke in that sultry tone of hers, as Sara and Ei stood up from their seats. 

“Miko, you can’t just ask—”

“Oh, don’t give me that talk, Sara,” Miko grins, looking over at the General with that sultry smirk of hers. “You two have been eying them since the moment they got here, be honest.”

“Miko—”

“I—”

Both Ei and Sara looked equally flustered, but both couldn’t deny the fact that they did harbor some kind of attraction to you the moment they saw you for the first time. Everyone’s eyes slowly turning to face you, as if anticipating your reaction for what’s to come.

“…Well,” you bite your lip and look away. “There are benefits and downsides to becoming a courtesan and entering the imperial harem. I don’t want any of you to be uncomfortable or disappointed, so please think wisely about this decision.” 

“The only benefit I see is you, darling.” Yae Miko chuckles, brushing a strand of hair back. “I would be delighted to become a courtesan of your harem, so long as I get to have you in my grasp…” 

“…In that case, I am not opposed to the idea either.” Ei suddenly chimes in, surprising the Guuji and the General greatly. “You are quite a gentle soul, and becoming engaged with the imperial harem will bring benefits to both sides if I’m not mistaken.”

You felt your heart leap at the Shogun’s proposal and you were starting to think this wasn’t real. The Guuji and the Shogun went to become your courtesans? This shouldn’t be real. What is happening right now?

“How bold of you, Ei,” Miko chuckles, still hugging you affectionately. “General Sara? Looks like it’s your turn to be honest about your feelings.”

“Guuji Yae—!” Sara’s face flushed red and she suddenly turned to look away. Too embarrassed to even glance in your general direction as it meant looking at the kitsune’s smug smirk and your cute, blushing face. “Oh General, don’t be like that,” Miko purrs, suddenly leaning in very close to your ear. “Why don’t we show the dear empress just how beneficial we are as courtesans…”

You suddenly yelp when Miko licks the shell of your ear, and Ei and Sara suddenly look alarmed. (And a bit aroused)

“Oh? Did I startle you my dear?” Miko hums, looking down at you in an apologetic way. “Forgive me, I’m just so tempted by my lust.”

“No, it’s alright. I am quite used to sudden affections such as that…” you bit your lip and felt blood rushing to your head. “But uh…are you sure it is appropriate to be doing this in the meeting room? In front of…” you gulped and looked over at the Shogun and the General, both of which were eying you like a piece of candy. “…Others.”

A devilish smirk grew on the kitsune’s face as she trailed a manicured nail down your cheek. “What? Are you afraid of Ei and Sara watching?” She casts them a grin and watches as the two squirm in their seats. “I thought the empress was used to having beautiful women watching them get pleasured. After all, you do have a rather large harem of women devoted to you…”

She purrs and trails her nail lower and lower until it is pulling against the fabric of your collar. Ei, Miko and Sara all collectively swallow their desire at the sight, salivating at the possibility of getting you naked right in front of them. “Besides, it’s not like Ei, Sara and I haven’t shared a person before…”

Your breath hitches when Miko starts moving her hand down lower to give your breast a squeeze. The tiny whimper that escaped your throat did not go unnoticed, as they all slowly inched closer in anticipation to what’s to come.

“Don’t worry, little one,” Miko giggles, waving Ei and Sara over with her finger. “We know how to work together fairly well.”

In a matter of moments, you had Miko pinning you to the chair and making out with you in front of Ei and Sara without a care in the world. You were blushing so much and simply let Miko have her way, as you were used to this situation thanks to your courtesans. 

“Ei, come here and help me undress their clothes. Sara, help me carry them to the table. I want them all spread out for us.” 

Miko was quick to take the initiative and soon you found yourself clinging onto Sara’s massive arms with Ei quickly untying your robe. You’ve never been manhandled so fast before, and the thought of being tossed around between these three powerful women had you soaking in your panties.

“The empress is so compliant, I’ve never seen anyone so obedient before,” Ei notes as she slips your robe off of your delicate body. 

“That’s because they’re probably quite used to this by now,” Miko giggles, two hands moving up to squeeze at your breasts, making you writhe and squirm with need. “Hold still,” Miko suddenly commands, before glancing up at Sara with a smirk. “Sara dear, why don’t you put those biceps to work and keep our Empress still for our break time?”

Although a bit shy, you saw the general move from the corner of your eye to wrap her arms around your neck and hug you from behind. You felt the strong, firmness of her arms holding you down, and soon you could feel all three pairs of eyes locked onto you. Almost as if they were undressing you in their mind with all the things they could do to you.

Now, normally you would be alright with this sort of arrangement, but the thought of Courtesan Ayaka coming back to see this made you frown and look away.

“A-As much as I’d love to entertain you all, I don’t want Courtesan Ayaka to come back and see me this way. She might feel…left out.” You say softly, looking at the three women with concern. 

“Oh? That’s very thoughtful of you, my dear…” Miko chuckles, slowly pushing you deeper against Sara’s front, as she had no intentions of stopping soon. “But when Ayaka comes back, we can ask her to join us too, hm? Does that sound like a fair agreement for everyone?”

Sara nods and Ei looks excited, smiling at the idea of a potential fivesome. 

“…Oh, Okay.” you murmur quietly, watching as their hands start to roam over the sculpture of your body. 

“Excellent!” Miko grins, Ei and Sara staring down at you with delight before moving to touch and grope at your body. Long fingers and calloused palms rubbing against that smooth, soft skin of yours and showing a stark difference between spoiled royalty and hard working fighters. 

‘So rough!’ You can’t help but think, whimpering as Sara and Ei’s scarred hands rubbed so tenderly above your chest. Miko’s lithe and feminine fingers running up to your bra to unhook it and set your nipples free. “May I?” The Guuji asks with sexual undertones, Sara leaning in to kiss your neck as Ei watches hungrily for the reveal of your breasts. 

“A-Ah…you may…” you mumble with a blush, watching as the kitsune skillfully undid the loops and dropped your bra to the floor. In an instant, Ei licked her lips and dove in to suck on one of your nipples with her tongue. The hot, wet, muscle pushing and circling around the areola, as she begins leaning forward to smother more of your breast into her mouth.

“Nngh—!” Your eyes widened at the pleasurable touch and you buck your head back against Sara’s collarbone, Miko laughing sadistically at the sound, before pushing you back towards her with Sara still gripping onto your body. 

“My, my, that’s a cute sound you made, my empress…” 

Miko smirks, the wet sucking sounds of Ei pleasuring you only fueling the dirtiness of the overall situation. You couldn’t help but blush as Sara reaches a hand forward to grope at your other breast, as the Shogun and the General seem fascinated by the shape and feel of your flesh. 

“Tsk tsk, it’s my turn now Ei,” Miko scoffs after some time, staring at how addicted her Shogun became after just one taste of your nipples. “Move.”

Only the Guuji could command the Shogun like this as she gripped the back of Ei’s head and pulled her away from your puffed up nipple. A string of saliva connects Ei’s tongue to your tit, as Miko quickly takes her place and begins sucking over your nipple like Ei once did. 

“Mmpf…” Miko grunts, closing her eyes in pure bliss as she wraps her mouth around your right breast. Ei panting after her turn on your tits, before looking up to kiss you and get a taste of your tongue too. ‘So sweet…!’ Ei couldn’t help but think, parting your lips with her tongue as she Fontaine-kissed you in a way that had you squirming for more.

“Hold still,”  you hear Sara grunt from behind, suddenly grabbing your waist and causing you to gasp when she palms your rear. 

“For an empress who seems so docile, you sure squirm quite a bit…”

Sara’s husky tone makes you shiver as she moves her hand down to slide over the hidden confines of your legs. Ei and Miko were too occupied with your boobs and mouth to even notice, as Sara decided she was going straight to the main event. 

Her rough and calloused hands start palming at your crotch hungrily with a desire to feel your warm, dripping, cunt. The Tengu could barely keep herself from giving into her desires and just ripping up your panties with her nails, stuffing you full with those thick, muscled fingers of hers as she wanted nothing more than to hear you scream.

“…Hey,” you hear Ei murmur, parting from your lips to look down at Sara trying to fuck you early. “General Kujou.”

Sara freezes when she hears her archon catch her, and shyly pulls her hand away from your lower areas. You groan at the loss of contact from down there and pout with frustration, so used to getting your way so quickly.

“Sorry.” You hear Sara murmur in guilt, the Guuji slowly pulling away from your breast and licking up all the saliva that dripped from her lips. “Oh? Is the great General Kujou so eager to have the empress fucked out on her fingers?” She purrs, watching as both you and Sara flush hot at her words. 

Ei pouted when she saw how worked up you were getting from Sara’s secret fondles, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and reach down to slip her own fingers into your panties to prod and push at your swelling clit.

“Ah—!”

“Ei?”

“My shogun!” 

Sara and Miko looked genuinely surprised when Ei suddenly started toying with your clit, too mesmerized by the reactions you were giving her to utter a single word.

“My, my, how bold of you, Ei…” Miko tuts, watching as more of your privates were revealed to the three women in the room. “It seems like you’re the Shogun’s new addiction, my dear empress.”

The kitsune smirks at the way you squirm and writhe in her grasp, as the Shogun’s hands start to peel back the fancy undergarments of your bottoms and rub circles into the flesh of your clit. Their eyes glazed over with arousal the more they saw how puffy it was getting, and Sara nearly lost herself as she had to clench her fists together to keep herself from fucking you now. 

The more you whimpered, the tougher it became to hold back. As all three women wanted to stuff you raw with their fingers until you were left creaming over the table and staining all their precious documents with cum.

“So pretty…” you hear Ei murmur as she locks eyes onto your puckering and dripping hole. Licking her lips as she imagined just how sweet you’d taste sitting on her face with your pussy riding her tongue. 

“They are pretty,” Miko agrees, deciding to move two fingers downward and spread your folds apart for all to see. “I wonder if…ah…”

Ei practically moans at the sight as she sees just how wet and sensitive you were from all three women toying with you. It was a sight that made her want to kiss Celestia as she’s never seen such a pretty pussy in person. 

“Fuck…” you hear Sara groan, eyes staring at your hole with need as she moved her hand down closer to your entrance. 

“Do you think they can take all three of us at once?

“Oh, I bet they could.” The Guuji grins, eager to see how much you could take before making a mess of yourself on the table. “Spread your legs a little wider, darling. You can take all of us, I’m sure you can…”

In a blur of sex-drunk daze, you moan when Ei suddenly enters and plunges her finger deep inside you. Then Miko, then Sara, and then Ei again as she just couldn’t help but stuff a second one in there. 

“Oh—! Fuck…” you whine, gripping onto Sara’s muscular arm in order to stabilize yourself from losing it. “Fuck? Did the empress just curse?” Miko laughs, starting to finger you faster. “Who taught you to have such a foul mouth, little one?” 

You grit your teeth and can’t help but curse out Beidou in your mind. The pleasure just too good for you to remember your manners, as Ei, Miko and Sara all stuffed you full with fingers that felt so thick and long.

“More…” you mumble exasperatedly, eyes rolled back in ecstasy as Sara moves forward to kiss your neck. “More?” Miko whispers back with glee, eyes lighting up with newfound desire. “The greedy little empress wants more?” 

You pouted at Miko’s taunts and looked away to hide your embarrassment.

“Oh, don’t be shy…” Ei murmurs while cupping your face. “We’ll gladly give you more if that’s what you want…”

Ei smiles softly before thrusting her fingers even deeper into you, loving how tensed up you got the harder she went as you were just a precious sight for the archon to admire. 

“You’re getting quite tight now, my empress,” you hear Ei whisper, raising her thumb to toy with your clit. “Are you close? Are we making you close to your climax?”

Miko and Sara chuckle amusingly at the sight before stirring their fingers even faster in you. Wanting to see your juices coating their fingers as evidence for how good they were making you feel.

“I’m…Ah…close…” you moan, throwing your head back to stare at the ceiling as shaky breaths and whimpers claw out of your throat. “Harder…Harder…”

“I had no idea the empress was so needy…” Sara husks into your ear, using her other hand to grope at your breast. “Looks like I’ll have to teach them a thing or two about patience…”

You whine as Sara squeezes your breast roughly and begins attacking your neck with dark hickies. Determined to mark you with her teeth while speeding up the thrusts of her thick and calloused fingers. Too lost in the pleasure, you could barely keep yourself sane as you failed to comprehend the sounds of Miko talking to the door. A muffled conversation happening between the three women and a fourth, as the only thing you could hear was,

“Glad you can finally join us, Ayaka.”

From the outside door to the room, Ayaka had been watching through a slim crack in the doorway, masturbating to the sight of her empress being ravaged by the Shogun, Guuji and General all at the same time. She couldn’t help but grow slightly aroused the moment she saw you being fucked dumb, and while she was embarrassed at first, the little droplet of slick that ran down her thigh indicated that she should take care of it as soon as possible…

For the past few minutes or so, Ayaka had her fingers under her dress, fucking her tight, needy, hole to your moans while trying her best not to give up her hiding spot. She felt so perverse, so dirty at the things she was doing, but she couldn’t help but do it anyway, too turned on to care.

So much precum had dripped down her thighs, staining her panties white, while her fingers moved in and out. So close to her release, so close to her climax until she heard something that snapped her out of her daze.

“Would you like to join us, Ayaka?” Miko’s muffled words came from within, causing the princess to gasp once she was caught. “…The empress seems quite keen on making sure you have a turn too. Let’s have a go with them together, shall we?” 

Ayaka blushes at the mention of you wanting her to have a turn, and she couldn’t help but let her love for you push through her embarrassment. 

She pulls up her panties, wipes off some of her precum, and takes a deep breath to calm down her libido before pushing the door open to see what was going on inside. Her face immediately flushes red at the sight, as seeing your fucked out expression in the middle of those three quickly turned her on again. 

“Oh, my empress…” Ayaka murmurs quietly, soaking through her panties once more. “You look so…so…”

“Delicious.” Ei finishes for her, pulling her fingers out of your hole to taste the slick you produced from your orgasm. She hums pleasantly at the taste, before turning to Ayaka and outstretching her hand out to her, fingers still wet with cum and saliva. 

“Come, let us enjoy this sweet treat together. The empress is a delicacy meant to be shared after all…”

[charcubed]

"Did you love medical school?" Avery asks Max.

"Medical school is the greatest longest hardest thing you're ever going to do," Max says, not answering the question, as he is already fucking famous for doing to get out of talking about himself.

(But this is not a post about Max. This time.)

The use of the word love here and the subtle framing of medical school as a relationship... Well.

My theory for Avery since the start has been that part of her arc is going to be growing to understand herself and realizing that becoming a doctor is not synonymous with fulfillment.

In episode 2, we got her saying,

"I've given up everything good. Everything that matters. Relationships, family. All for this job. And at the end of the day… I'm alone. Adrift. With nothing to show for it. I'm never going to be a doctor. This is all there is for me."

(This follows a pattern of a thing this show does with dialogue where characters say things that are more revealing to us as the audience than the characters themselves are conscious of, but that's a point for another post.)

Her bucket list included,

"I want to know myself."

because she doesn't know herself yet.

And now we got,

“I always thought that if I became a doctor things would start to make sense.”

I think Avery wants far more than just being a doctor... or, to be fully honest with you, I think they're conceivably going to go the route where she decides she doesn’t need to be a doctor because she’s found fulfillment in her life and work (and love!) in other ways anyway. I’m not talking “Rachel gives her life up for Ross” type of bullshit with two men instead of one, but rather tied into the explicit arc of how Avery wants to know and understand herself because she doesn't currently, and the "you're never alone" theme. That's part of what this pregnancy and future abortion plotline is setting up anyway: it's a brute force tool for self-reflection for her.

Does Avery really want to be a doctor, especially at the expense of all other parts of her desires? Or has that just always been The Plan and is she unconsciously thinking that earning that title will fix the holes she feels in herself and in her life?

If you think this sounds tricky to pull off as a story, you'd be correct – but hey, so is polyamory, and yet they're doing that. They’d have to write Avery's arc well enough that it doesn’t come across as reductive, but I really think they could land it because of the character setup they seem to be doing for her – and I've thought that for several weeks already. This week just has me locking in on that possibility more.

Now, going off the rails here from meta to straight up crack theorizing even though it's way too early to be predicting shit...

Weeks ago I was already wondering… what if the season ends with Avery going to leave to become a doctor and the guys decide to follow her? Maybe even in a big dramatic traditional “they run off the ship / to the airport” sort of romantic scene sort of way lmaaaooo. And as the boys abandon ship to follow her, at the same time, SHE turns around to go back to them without knowing they were following her! Idk. Who knows! Not me. Like I said, way too early to know anything.

Regardless though, the Hot Take™️? I would not at all be surprised if Avery changes her mind about wanting to become a doctor. And I think it could, if done correctly, be a weirdly bold move (in a show that's already planning to pull off A Big Bold Move).

[tokiro07]

UU Appreciation Week Day 3

Romance You Appreciate - Ripx(Latla,Leila)

This is the only one that's going to be a repeat from UUWeek2024, but I just couldn't show how much I appreciate UU without bringing this up again

My wife is polyamorous, and we both spent the entire Sick Arc praying that Tozuka would go the polyamory route, but we were pessimistic. Every time Tozuka showed all three of them happy together, we were convinced it was just bait, and that Leila would step aside for Rip and Latla

When the wedding chapter came out, my wife was asleep, but I had to shake her awake to let her know that our prayers had been answered

In so many romances, polyamory seems like it would be a great solution, or at the very least consistent with established characterization, but I can't say I've ever seen anyone in Jump commit to it with a major character. Now that I have, though, the bar has been raised. This happened the same week that the love interests in Elusive Samurai discussed and dismissed the possibility of polyamory, almost as if Tozuka was explicitly refuting Matsui's logic in refusing to go down that path. Time will tell whether other authors will take inspiration from Tozuka's choice, but I for one will hold them to a higher standard from now on

As I've said plenty of times by now, Ripx(Latla,Leila) is a perfect encapsulation of UU's themes of freedom and joy, and while some people can't appreciate that, their relationship will always mean the world to me and my family

[kingxgarm]

So... I have some fic ideas and I wanna know which one would like the most

I'm so sleep deprived lol

Debating on making this poll last a week (I'm doing it)

(I will get around to all of these eventually, I just wanna know which ones the best idea to do)

Afton Death Swap

So basically, the story will start with a main prologue, then as the characters experience the tragedy of the prologue, they will get their own individual stories of their POVs, you get to pick which POV you want to follow, or read all of them (the main story will conclude at fnaf 6, but I do have a side story in mind for security breach and help wanted)

Agony

Chapter 1 will be about William waking up in this new agony infested purgatory, he must find some answers and survive, because everything wants him dead

Reach for the Stars

The "dating sim"

Similar to the death swap, there will be a main prologue and each route will be its own individual story, some characters will have romantic routes, some platonic, some both, you decide

There will be dialog options, but I'm not sure whether I should let comments vote which option to pick, or write all of them, and you read which one you pick (it'll be like, go to chapter x if you picked y, ya know)

I might need help with this since it's SUCH a big project, so if you have Notion and want to help write an x reader fic of your favorite tsams character, just shoot me a dm! It's first come, first serve for characters, but obviously, collabs are acceptable

I should also clarify that this is a FANFIC, not a game, don't want to confuse anyone

Yearning

I posted about this a while ago, this is one of my many rewrites for Disney's Wish, it has its own magic system, backstory, and religious components and I might even write songs for it if I decide to go that far

Bloodlust

My collab with @mossy-frog69

We're writing an infection au basically centered around bloodmoon (and polyamory lol)

The first chapter has been in development for a while, but I believe it will soon be at a point where we can post it for you guys!

I'm wondering if I don't come back, maybe then I'll know

An ethgoesboom fic about glitchtrap being the real afton and springtrap being a fake

This is technically a Prequel, but whatever

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

I remember in the beginning when I first got on here on Tumblr, I would see a lot of discourse around the sunset aroace flag and such, people saying that the flag is offensive to use because the creator of the flag is an exclusionist???? I think??? It's been awhile since I've last seen discourse on the flag so I could be misremembering. And as a baby aroace, I was confused and terrified, I wasn't sure if I should continue supporting the sunset aroace flag or not.

Just an early memory/ experience I had within the community I wanted to share.

Oh god yes, the discourse around this bloody flag.... Alright lesson time!

The main issue a lot of people have with MANY pride flags is the problematic actions of their creators. A reminder that just because the persons actions are questionable, does not mean we throw out the whole flag and in some fucked up cases the sexuality.

If we go down that route we end up throwing away a lot of flags, including flags like the Pan flag (most well know one, pink-yellow-cyan) The Gay man flag (green-light green-white-light blue- blue), basically every polyamory flag has some drama around it and even the iconic bisexual flag and well known lesbian flag aren't safe from this.

Bottom line is; its stupid as fuck. It doesn't matter and it tears the community apart for no reason. If you have the energy to fight about fags you have the energy to fight about real-world issues.

[comma-souptra]

BBC Merlin 10th rewatch thoughts compilation:

(this is also my first full rewatch since I was literally 18 so prefrontal cortex is notably more developed or whatever)

This is SO long and rambled because it’s for me and putting my thoughts down on my blog! But feel free to peruse bc I am just crying sobbing putting words down. Thoughts under the cut for spoilers <3

-fuck this show fr

-starting off strong with Angel Coulby you are the most beautiful woman and the most perfect Guinevere possible

-something interesting is how much more the lack of communication drove me bonkers this time around, like please just explain everything in detail to each other we could solve so many problems

-Merlin also seems like so much more of an ill-moraled character this go around? Like he is truly so morally grey and his logic for “should I do this” is deeply just “does it in any potential way benefit Arthur/the fuckass prophecy”

-TO THE POINT THAT he’s literally like Magic’s #1 Hater for five straight seasons AND can’t see that he is actively making the prophecy unfold every single time

-Gwen/Morgana gfs my angels I’m so sorry this happened to you

-Morgana should have had a friend so badly like one friend (not Morgause) would have saved her

-same exact sentiment for Mordred

-Merlin/Arthur and Merlin/Gwaine literally no comments

-actually this show invented polyamory and throuples would have saved many of you

-ON THE TOPIC Lancelot so badly is both Arthur and Merlin’s queer awakening in my heart. I do think Merlin likely already knew (Will) but I think his relationship to Lancelot made queer relationships seem feasible in some form

-I do not think Arthur knew at all and that’s why he looks so damn confused every time he interacts with Lancelot

-Lancelot is around for SO much less than I ever remember too he really is just stepping in to be pretty and complicate the narrative and then leave again

-Arthur needs glasses so severely I fear because I can excuse a lot of the missing magic moments but I watched Merlin lock eyes with him and use magic during that S5 dice game you can’t explain that one away

-Gwaine my beloved! Proof that a fictional man can be both a butch lesbian to the women in his life and a pansexual man to everyone else

-Morgana and Morgause…. This script is fruity as hell can we be for real. Both actresses said “yeah we played it a little queer” I fear the BBC was not brave enough to give Morgana an evil fucked up gf and went the Kill la Kill route

-I think by Elyan’s death all the knights fully must know that the ambiguous secret Merlin seems to have is in fact his magic and they are just choosing not to say anything out of respect for him (“he’s tell us when he’s ready”)

-EXCEPT: Leon doesn’t know. I do however think Leon just thinks Merlin is gay.

-Gwaine absolutely knows there’s literally no way around that one

-Gwen I feel also had an inkling that Merlin had magic, which I feel is supported by her and Gaius’ conversation in S5E13, I do also think she thinks he’s gay

-I also do think Merlin is gay

-I forgot how much of a through-line the joke that Merlin crossdresses is, it comes up at least three times

-tangentially related, the early friendship between Morgana and Merlin… I mourn u every day! The friends they could’ve been and how happy he was when he thought she knew he had magic (S1? When she thinks he has a crush on Gwen)

-also I forgot how much angst Merlin had about magic towards Gaius, several (justified) comments about how Gaius doesn’t understand what he’s going through

-also so so interesting is that I feel like in so many Magic Revealed fics, we write Arthur responding with shock & confusion & anger (which all rock big fan), but in the finale, once he understands that Merlin is so for serious a sorcerer, he’s just so scared of him?? Which was crazy I don’t think that has sunk in before how scared he looks

-and then they start to get over it and we get the reminiscing about their fight from the first day they met where Merlin confesses to using magic and we get the devastating exchange “you cheated” “you looked like you were going to kill me!” “I should have”

-damn major nostalgia vibe killer from Arthur, DEVASTATING on this rewatch

-also S5E12 when Gwaine and Merlin and traveling through the valley of the fallen kings and get jumped by bandits and Merlin gets cornered and HOLLERS for Gwaine thank you BBC that one lives rent free in my head always

-fuck this dragon for real also because Merlin DOES kind of fail like none of the shit they planned for happened, they got pieces but so much more COULDVE worked out without this fuckass dragon whispering in Merlin’s ear every day Kilgharrah it’s on sight dude

-finally maybe the most sickening parallel I have to offer is S4E13 when Isolde is dying and she and Tristan are reminiscing on the plans they had that are obviously not going to happen anymore and she says “hold me”

-which obviously is striking a significant chord with Arthur as it spurs him to reconcile with Gwen (thank god everyone cheered)

-(also why was the full breadth of her enchantment never discussed back to miscommunication please she didn’t cheat on him like that justice for Gwen’s rep I’m sick)

-BUT ALSO! A season later in S5E13 we get Merlin and a dying Arthur with Merlin trying to explain that they have so much to do so Arthur can’t die, and Arthur says “just hold me”

-I will lose it every time about this one… watching half of a couple die and mourn the chance to live a life together and then mirroring that at your own death with the man you are unexplainably close and connected to

-also the “I’m going to say something I’ve never said to you before… thank you” had such a queer set up that even my parents thought it was going to be an “I love you” when we watched the show for the first time together in like 2014 so… it’s the Spanish supernatural finale dub in my heart

-I think that’s enough I’m just sick to my STOMACH over this show once again, obviously it’s a BBC show from 2009 so it’s not without criticism but it’s genuinely my favorite TV show I’ve ever seen without competition. There is a deeply clear allegory for queerness that has drawn in and continues to draw in queer fans constantly and keep the viewership active. I also just love so badly how campy and classic it is, it’s one of the few pieces of media I have in DVD because I fear so badly to lose it. BBC Merlin I love u what a brilliant and silly and devastating tv show from 2009

[rjthirsty]

Rhodolite, Monogamy, & Polyamory

If you've played Ikemen Prince, you're aware that there are 8 half-brothers under one former king, all born within a 12-ish year timespan. That's a lot of women to be boinking and impregnating. And while it's totally feasible (cue the guy that had 36 kids from multiple women within 20 years or some wild shit), it brought into question what Rhodolite's marriage and relationship status quo was.

The former king only had one queen, Chevalier's mother. But judging from the estimated ages of all the guys, she was still alive when Leon was born, and his mother was also a noble woman. And considering the time that Leon's mother was still around when Yves was born, that would leave two sets of two noble women both married to the king, with children, at the same time period. Leon states in his route that the king had "other wives and other children" which meant that while not formally accepted or ascended to the throne, they were still his "wife" and not mistress. Meaning we can conclude that the king had multiple marriages whether for political reasons or personal, not all the mothers were mistresses. This really only applies to the mothers that were noble in some way, because Clavis' and Luke's mothers were not involved with the king except for conception, and we know Jin's mother was married to the king. Licht and Nokto's mother is a little bit of a mystery, and while I have guesses, I'm not going to make a call on that at the moment.

Now, this could be summed up as a translation issue since English and Japanese have different ideas for words that mean similar things. Maybe the women were "lovers" or concubines of some sort; the king would have a harem of women to produce sons, and all would be elevated to the royal court in some fashion, but only one was crowned queen. This is entirely possible. The problem is that in English when we try to label what sort of position this is, it comes with many negative connotations such as "mistresses" being secret lovers with no status, or concubines being considered sex and pleasure objects with no regard to the person, just the symbol. So we don't have an easy, equal alternative to label a woman that sits in a position of authority but is not a "wife". This is honestly a failing on English more than anything, imo. The way women were considered property for so long is seen in the terms we have for them.

But enough with all that depressing talk, let's get on to the REALLY interesting thing. Monogamy NOT being the norm.

It is never explicitly stated that monogamy is expected or even normal in Rhodolite. I admit, when I was reading the story for the first time, and even nearly two years into the game, I had been coming at it with the perspective that monogamy was normal and expected, because just like heteronormativity, monogamy is considered the "normal" thing and thus never questioned. But this is literally never brought up in the game.

I thought the game was just very sex positive in the way everyone's sleeping with everyone else. I thought they were depicting nobility as having sex parties because that's just what they did. (I don't know, I hated history and don't look into it. Tell me that drunken orgies were the norm and I'd say okay!) The way that Belle and one of the dudes would end up in sexy times sometimes outside of an actual relationship was refreshing and while it still came with the "I can only fuck people I love" from Belle's perspective, I thought it was still nice for it to not be a wait until marriage or forever after.

But what if it wasn't sex positivity? What if it's just not a big fucking deal to sleep with people because monogamy isn't the status quo? The only time monogamy comes up is treated more like exclusivity. It's hot because it's possessive-lite, but it isn't "we're a couple, you can't sleep with others", it's "I'm the only one that gets to see this" which means that it isn't a rule so much as a desire and possessiveness that needs to be stated. And that's kinda cool, when you think about it. In the way it is being presented, there doesn't seem to be a negative relationship with sex outside of a committed relationship. I'm all for that.

Monogamy is cool for those it works for. But open relationships, poly relationships, and anything else out there is also cool for those it works for. And it's just nice to see that being (silently) established as normal without having to make reasons or excuses for it. Even combing through all the event stories I can recall, I don't think there's one time that someone said, "I'm married, so I'm not interested in sex." And while that is easy to overlook because monogamy is expected in our (US) society, the absence of it is something to note, and could lead to monogamy not being expected.

In conclusion, I've decided that all relationships are valid in Rhodolite, and while other countries might not have the same freedom, I'm going to put it into my fanfics and headcanon for my country of many princes.

[night-market-if]

Hi! I've seen a lot of conversations going on about the Milo x Mal poly route and heard you mention self-insert a few times. I'm not sure about others, but I feel like what is off putting is more so the elimination of choice since it's not common amongst IF's as far as I've seen, but I'm not trying to rag on you for making that decision! I just think we're used to making up our own MC's and having freedom to control a lot of aspects of the story, especially when it comes to romance. That being said, look at Soul Stone Wars and Their Majesties Pleasures. EXCELLENT poly routes and I can't imagine playing through them any other way. I think people just need to be more patient and see how it plays out. We haven't interacted at all with the 2 of them together. Books, specifically IF, is actually what opened up my mind to polyamory and I'm excited to see what you do with it. I won't lie, I'm still hesitant but I think the super emotional ending and cliffhanger of book 1 just has people having really strong feelings about it. Feel free to ignore this rant lol I don't mean to give unsolicited opinions and hope this didn't come off as me trying to get you to change your mind. I think you're doing something right if you have us going through so much emotional turmoil over your story 😂

So self insert is kind of the way I use to describe the two very broad types of IF's out there. Of course there is more going into it but I do need to make it clear that while most IF's do not consider MC as a character, I do. It's a different kind of writing than some of the other more popular games out there and I like to remind people of that just in case they are expecting the same from me.

Personally, yes I am eliminating a choice that some readers want but it is not a choice that I want to write. It doesn't feel right to my characters. And I know that is going to irritate some people but I think it is important for readers to remember (this is not directed at you anon) that authors are trying to write the stories they are passionate about. If authors just catered to what the popular vote was for what people wanted out there, we would have a very narrow field of fiction to consume.

Now, I understand that might seem a bit more of a shaky argument when it comes to a game that has choices for you to make. But if an author does not feel strongly about a choice, they shouldn't have to write it. And if I get bad reviews on my game and writing for that? I feel that is far more a reflection on others than me. It also kind of reaffirms that I'm doing what is right for my game. Because sometimes, when shaking up the status quo, people get a little up in arms about it.

I am glad you are excited to see what is to come. I am hopeful this weird poly hate will die down. I am not forcing anyone to romance Milo and have wonderful other options in the game. At this point, it just kind of feels like an attack on the community than anything else.

[booksandabeer]

Hi,

First of all thank you for all the recs you do, it couldn’t be easy doing all that. I just wanted to ask you about your favourite fics where Steve and Bucky were already together during first avenger and get back together in the future? Once again, thank you so much. Even if you don’t answer this I would still be grateful because I got so many of my favorite fics from your blog. You’re amazing and take care.

Hi!

Thank you very much for your kind words. It's lovely to hear that I could help you find some of your favorite fics. 🥰

I've sat on this ask for a few days now because it's actually a really difficult one for me to answer/find recs for without getting into things that can be quite, uh, awkward to discuss "on main." But I will try. As always, I'm going to ramble, so I'll put this under a cut.

(There will be fic recs in here, I promise. Just scroll down if you want to skip the waffling.)

So. When it comes to fics set in canonverse, I mostly stick to either stories that end before the war or stories where Steve and Bucky only get together once they meet again in the future. I hardly read fics with the premise you've described in your ask because—and this is where it gets dicey—they are rarely ever done in a way that I personally find satisfying.

Here’s the thing: If you read a story set in canonverse, inevitably, at some point the war will arrive and with it: Peggy. Now there’s a much larger, much more complex discussion to be had here about Steve’s perceived sexuality, societal expectations of what constitutes "successful masculinity" in the 1930s/40s, and self-repeating and -reinforcing cycles of fanonization that I don’t want to get into right now, so I’ll just say this: Unless the author goes the polyamory route (which I personally don’t care for and therefore don’t read; at least not in that particular combination), usually none of the characters involved come out of such a scenario looking their best or like they haven’t received a personality transplant from one chapter to the next. I know that some people love that kind of conflict and are really into the angsty drama that comes with it—and they may find my stance on this boring and square—but to be honest with you, there’s already plenty of angsty drama in any story involving Steve and Bucky to begin with; I don’t need this on top of it.

And also—look, to be very blunt about it: If I click on a Steve/Bucky story I want to read a Steve/Bucky story, and decidedly not a story about Steve falling in love with Peggy halfway through—especially not when he’s already been practically married to Bucky for years. I'm okay with scenarios where Steve falls in love with her (or the idea of her, really) because he cannot or thinks he cannot be with Bucky for reasons ranging from very reasonable to entirely idiotic, but in a world where they are already together? Honestly, no thanks. I don't want it.

(Also, let's not even pretend that I don't have a huge Bucky-bias.)

But! you asked for recs and not 500 words of waffling, so I went through my lists and bookmarks to find stories that either try to grapple with this *problem* in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, find elegant ways around it, or simply skip over it entirely.

Here we go:

(Note: The exact meaning of 'Being Together' can vary greatly from story to story)

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by newsbypostcard | 6 parts, 146K, T-E

Author's summary: "You keep asking me what I want," Bucky manages, eventually. "But on any given day, my number one priority is to get through the day alive and myself, and to do it without killing anyone. Everything else is extra." Each work is a standalone.

-> A Post-CW AU that also tells Steve and Bucky's history with each other through flashbacks. Apart from this series, you can really read any story by this author because they do this neat thing where they use roughly the same pre-war/wartime backstory and then depending on when they wrote it and where MCU canon was at the time, the fics branch off from there. Plus, all of their stories are simply wonderful and I will alway recommend them any chance I get.

The Good Morrow by Hark_bananas | 75K, E

Author's summary: Every night, Steve falls asleep and finds himself dreaming about a diner, and every night he finds Bucky waiting for him there. But in the waking world, Bucky has disappeared, gone on the run after the fall of the Triskelion and Project Insight, and the strange dream that they share may be the only way that Steve has to bring him home.

après nous le déluge by tomorrowsrain | 9K, T

Author's summary: After us, the deluge. Steve and Bucky break, mend, and try to find their place in the world without the mantles of Captain America or the Winter Soldier. AU, post Civil War.

-> Part 1 of gale song series, the second part of which which I recced in my Road Trip Rec List. In fact, there are quite a few fics on that list that fit the premise of 'together before/during the war and getting back together in the 21st Century,' so if you haven't already, you might want to take a look at it!

Roll On by jaxington | 3 parts, 306K, T-M

Author's summary: In 1938, there's a bar in Brooklyn called Sully’s where people are safe to be themselves. Behind the bar, a girl pours drinks. She's always got a big smile for Steve and she says queer like it's a good thing. On a regular basis, she takes his shoulders in her hands and tries to shake sense into him, saying, "When will you do something about that best friend of yours?" In 2012, Bucky’s gone, but Steve’s not, and the girl’s hands are too old to shake him. She does her best to make him see sense anyway. Steve had people who loved him before the war, and it turns out a few of them are still around when he finally comes home.

Practice Makes Perfect by nekare | 10K, M

Author's summary: And it’s just. It’s too much. Weeks of pain and months of missing Steve and his mouth and the stupid shit that comes out of it; years of molding himself to his back at night and pretending there’s nothing else to it apart from sharing warmth; a decade of his stomach twisting with the foolish desire to make Steve laugh.   It's August and sweltering when Steve asks, out of nowhere, if Bucky wants to try kissing. Just to see what it's like. Bucky then spends far, far too many years pretending it didn't mean anything at all.

a hat, a horse (a Hyundai), and the will to ride by synonym4life | 67K, E

Author's summary: After Steve and Bucky rescue their pals from the Raft prison, they decide to dig deeper into Zemo’s involvement in the UN headquarters’ bombing which sends them on a backpacking trip across select European countries. Steve and Bucky believe this is a story about their mission. Scott Lang and Sam Wilson, who join them halfway through, believe it’s a story about their Eurotrip (and they’re probably right). This writer, however, has been waiting to tell you that the fic’s true mission is Steve and Bucky missioning towards missionary. Follow them on their journey across Europe in tiny cars, packed subway trains and even on skis as they tumble down the Swiss Alps (in a fun way this time!), all the while reigniting untold feelings of the past through inappropriate sexual encounters and terrible communication skills.

Five times Steve kissed Bucky by paragon | 16K, T

Author's Summary: (+ once, finally, it was the other way around)

-> I'm very amused by how short this summary is, but the fic really is exactly what it says on the tin: Steve and Bucky kissing, pre-war to post-CA:TWS.

I Wanna Live in the Hidden Parts of Your Skin by Voylitscope_speed | 10K, E

Author's Summary: Sometimes, Steve looks at Bucky across the floor of their apartment or in the middle of the sidewalk, and it's not goddamn fair how good Bucky looks. It's not fair how Steve, who's spent his whole life fighting with his lungs for air and his heart for a steady beat, sometimes looks at Bucky and his breath and pulse are wrong for reasons that aren't his lousy health at all. And ever since the day with the purple ink, Steve can't stop thinking about people being canvases, like the models at that exhibit. Steve keeps thinking that Bucky'd be the most stunning canvas a guy could ever ask for. (Or: Steve and Bucky discover a kink in 1940. They find a reason to come back to it 80 years later. )

All The Angels and The Saints by Speranza | 48K, E

Author's summary: In which Steve Rogers loses God and finds God and loses God, and also: Bucky.

-> Look, this fic does some of the exact things I said above I usually try to avoid, but (1) it doesn't really do it (kind of, it's hard to explain), and (2) it would be *absolutely ridiculous* to not include it when putting together a list of fics with a pre-war to post-WS arc. This fic is legendary for a reason. It rewired my brain. It was one of the first Stucky fics I read that made me realize and appreciate the full potential and beauty of this ship, and to this day, it remains one of my absolute favorites.

▶ I'm really sorry that I didn't write something for every individual fic like I usually do, but I'm moving back to my home country in less than three weeks, so time is very limited right now. I hope this is still ok, and that you'll find something on this list that you like!

▶ There is a series that would've been perfect for this list but unfortunately it was deleted without warning a few months ago. If anybody has a saved copy of apricotcake's long is the road that leads me home that they'd be willing to share with me, I would be forever grateful! I'm still so sad that it's gone and angry with myself that I didn't download it when I had the chance. :(

[nalyra-dreaming]

I don't think anyone's saying the show shouldn't do polyamory at all...most of us would like to see it! But with Loustat, specifically? IMO making them poly wouldn't diminish their love for each other in concept, but in practical terms it'd inevitably mean they'd get less screentime & focus as a pair. Which many viewers would dislike.

My (probably) unpopular opinion is that if the show wants to portray Loustat as poly, I wish they'd gone all-in and done so from the start, or at least more effectively paved the way for it. Instead they've made numerous writing choices that are directly at odds with it. Nothing they've said during promo makes me think they're heading in that direction, mind you. Sam even said (on the podcast I think) that Lestat has a "monogamous heart" iirc, and Jacob has made similar comments. I'm not trying to be negative here, but I do think fans should manage their expectations re: poly Loustat.

And hey, if they do wanna go down that route, and they can find a way to organically do it & reconcile it with the choices made to date, I'll be here for it. My bigger issue is actually that I dislike most of Lestat's canonical love interests and would need them to be drastically re-written & overhauled in order to find them tolerable. And if I'm forced to watch Lestat fall in love with Rowan I'll probably just scream!

You and me both^^.

(However, I mean, Lestat turns for and from love, and with Rowan... he gives her an orgasm and tells her to live her life. *coughs*)

But yeah... the show has put a lot of emphasis on the jealousy aspect (that apparently exists in Louis), and we have those statements, so I agree, I do not think they will go the poly route with Loustat - or DM. I think they're going to do exactly what they've said, namely build on those two couples.

Which does not mean there won't be polyamory!! Or that the relationships won't be messy. (they will^^)

But ... as said before, I think some expecting too much of this might get disappointed. Because it's not a full on polyamory-living-together thing at the court in the books either.

[wortsandall]

i have to admit that when it comes to the au im writing-one of my sticking points is how to write layla and what role she would be playing. i feel out of place when it comes to her and marc's relationship because i truly believe that they should spend some time getting to know each other again before jumping back into a relationship.

when adding in stevens perspective, that just makes even more sense to me. i don't particularly enjoy writing romance. i think that when layla appears in my fics, she'll be a close friend who is rebuilding trust and relationship with marc while getting to know jake and steven.

i'm also a little biased here, not because i don't enjoy polyamory, but because i always thought it was very quick for steven to kiss layla and for her to be as accepting of it as she was. (i was kinda with marc when it came to punching steven for that lmao) i also think that because of all the lying and secrecy that marc engaged in while dating layla, it's almost unfair to her for them to just jump back into the swing of things. marc was right when he said that she didn't know him and that's objectively his own fault.

so long ramble just to say that layla in my au will be purely platonic as that's my preference when it comes to her being shipped with both marc and steven (again no hate against either ship, i'm just not super into it) i'd like to focus on layla rediscovering marc without the romantic aspect so that i can build a strong foundation for them to potentially get back together, properly, in a more healthy relationship this time. and even if steven does like layla (that's been well established) and it will show up in my fic, the endgame will not be them as a trio.

i want to elaborate that the reason being that came from reading moon knight comics the idea of marc being afraid that people like jake and steven more than him.

Moon Knight (2021) #14 "Solider, Rich Man, Scoundrel"

i'm really interested in using layla as a vehicle to discuss this fear that marc has in the fic. since he sees steven as "better" than him, i can imagine that he'd be afraid that layla would pick steven over him. so in this period where they are actually getting to know each other and opening up, i want to focus on steven acknowledging this fear of marc's and actually stepping back and reevaluating. especially since in the show, steven doesn't have any idea what marc and layla were like when they were actually together and i can't imagine show!steven continuing to pursue that if he thought it would hurt marc.

obviously marc's thought process here isn't a healthy one but i can't wait to go theough the process of dismantling this. and i want steven to be a part of that discussion. if later on, i want to revisit the idea of steven, marc, and layla in a throuple doing it this way leaves me a lot of wiggle room for how they get there.

but i'm a romance repulsed aromantic person who only enjoys it in fanfiction and media so it's very difficult for me to write romance. even in my oc writing (which is literally about a couple) it's not very romantic. so most likely i won't go down that route but i want to leave it open for interpretation.

all this just to say that i will be explicitly writing layla with strictly platonic relationships with the boys but i'm open to potentially making it romantic down the line.

the lies we tell ourselves au masterpost

[misc-obeyme]

thoughts on a lucifer and solomon love triangle? or one with lucifer and diavolo?

Oh no, anon, you have summoned the angst muse.

Because both of those scenarios sound like pain and suffering to me.

Lucifer and Solomon have a very interesting relationship and I love when they interact with each other. But everything would be ten times more intense if they were in a love triangle with MC. Because in the end, MC has to choose, right? Assuming we're not going the polyamory route (and I've talked about this before, but yeah I don't think it'd work too well with these two), MC would inevitably have to reject one of them. Can you imagine the relationships between them all after that choice?

Love triangles are inherently a competition - two people are competing for the love of the same person. Lucifer already doesn't like Solomon. He obviously trusts him enough to send MC to him if he thinks Solomon can help, but otherwise I would say Lucifer generally thinks of Solomon as shady and possibly even manipulative. Is he those things? Irrelevant. Lucifer thinks he is. On the flip side, I think Solomon considers Lucifer to be powerful and possibly dangerous. I wouldn't say Solomon dislikes Lucifer, but I do think he's wary of him. It's more of a respect for his power kind of thing. Throw the competition for MC's love into that and you've turned them into straight up enemies. They stay civil for MC's sake, knowing that in the end, it's MC who will make the choice. And that once MC does, the other person in the scenario has essentially lost MC for good.

The interesting thing about these two as well is that I think they'd both react to rejection in a similar way. Lucifer would throw himself into paperwork and Solomon would throw himself into magical research. Though I think it'd be more difficult for Solomon to deal with. Lucifer can distract himself with his brothers, but Solomon is essentially alone. If MC rejected him, he hasn't just lost someone he's in love with. He's lost his apprentice, his friend, the only other human in the Devildom, likely the only person who has made him feel anything in a long, long time. Sure he has Simeon and the others, too, but we all know it isn't quite the same. And maybe they could help him through it, but he would isolate himself and I think it'd be hard for them.

Lucifer and Diavolo on the other hand... these two are like BFFs to the point where a bunch of us ship them. A polyamory situation with these two would work, one of the few that I think Lucifer could manage. They already love and trust each other. BUT if we consider the love triangle necessity of competition, it's going to get really sad really quickly. Because while Lucifer and Diavolo would both absolutely do everything they could to win MC's heart, they would know they were breaking their best friend's heart in the process. It might tear them apart. It might completely ruin their relationship. It might not.

I kind of see it as, MC makes a choice and the other person accepts and respects it. But they no longer have the close relationship they used to. For instance, if MC chose Diavolo, every time Lucifer saw them together, he would feel the pain of having lost MC, who he likely still loves deeply. Lost MC to Diavolo, someone he also deeply loves. Seeing them happy together should make him happy, but all it does is hurt him. And he would be upset about the fact that he couldn't be happy for them, too. And the thing about all that is that Diavolo and MC would know. They would know he was hurting every time he sees them. So I think they'd just naturally drift apart, Lucifer avoiding them and Diavolo not inviting Lucifer around as much to spare him the pain. (This would work the same way if MC chose Lucifer, too.)

So you know, my thoughts are mostly tragedy all around. Of course, the solution would be to have a love interest for the person who gets rejected. Someone who ends up being even better for them than the person they lost. So for instance, if MC chose Solomon and left Lucifer to find someone else, he might be okay if he ended up with Diavolo. Maybe it even makes him realize he's been in love with Diavolo all along... etc. That's really the only way to resolve a love triangle without leaving someone in pain.

Once again I'm out here writing essays lol. Anyway, these are just my thoughts, but that's what I think it'd be like.

[obsolete-stars-if]

Okay so i was wondering how each RO would react if they found a engagement ring MC was hiding.

Bt then i realized wait. MC is already married. Sooo is divorce a thing? Or are we just having open marriages here?

An engagement ring would be very cute for mikhail if MC was like i want to marry you again because i love you this time. And I'd love to know his reaction but what about the others.. and if we're already married how does tht work? 🧐🤔

Now, I'm feeling in a nice mood, so I'm actually gonna answer all the questions. Keep in mind that these answers would be more of the last chapters / epilogue kind of situation (depending how the relationships go), this is spoiler ish territory. So after general information, the individual reactions and personal needs of the RO will go under the cut.

Divorce isn't a thing, but all of the RO are aware that the marriage you're in is purely political (in non Mikhail routes that is), and that there are no strings attached. Mikhail has no qualms about it either, he is not gonna enforce that you can only be with him, which is kind of the situation in riag marriages being monogamous. Oh yeah, every kingdom has different marriage / bonding rules and rituals.

As we know, Riags marriage is more closely representing a gift, with a necklace to symbolize the bond. Strictly monogamous.

Meanwhile in Malam tradition, their engagement/wedding rings are antlers, decorated with flowers and plants, which each of the spouses take care of, the longer the plants survive and thrive, the better the marriage between them will be. The antlers are collected when they're being shed in their respective seasons, monogamy being more popular than polyamory. (TK specific)

In Abuyo it is a tradition to braid each other's hair together, as well as weaving baskets. Most of their traditions formed around the enjoyment of nature and spices, with a very close and tight knitted, loving community, polyamory being very common too. (Alia specific)

Meanwhile I am trying to not pin the Ita wedding rituals, as you as a ruler can simply change them. But I decided to not specify the monogamy/polyamory likelihood, as well as leaving options for gift giving getting tied to different ideas of marriage in general. Which might get added to the epilogue for the Itan population (Kate, Sammy, Sascha, Gigi)

Now we get to the specific reactions/opinions/needs of the RO and marriage.

So under the cut we go.

TK would want to marry you. Like really badly. Like they're jealous and bitter towards Mikhail BCS of it (even in the poly route). If you put the actual work into learning malam traditions and customs, and offer them the antlers? Jesus, they'll be a MESS. Like sobbing, quietly tho. Being unable to do anything but just nod, maybe kiss and hug. But yes, they so badly would wanna marry you, even without it being official, just knowing you care that much about them, just the best way to make em soft.

Sammy doesn't mind that you're married to Mikhail, and while they'd def prefer you to be married to them, they don't take it that badly. They don't care that much about all the marriage traditions, since they grew up in a part of Ita where marriage isn't prioritized. HOWEVER, they will absolutely take you to their family for a big feast, and call you their love all the time.

Alia would be shocked at first, but then quietly remind you that she is not allowed to marry. She keeps her hair short as a symbol that she cannot get "entangled" with anyone, as her life has been dedicated to the worship of the Gods and the Beyond. If you would ask her to weave a basket with her tho, she'd smile and admit, that it would be a nice activity, and she cannot imagine doing it with anyone else.

Sascha would be mortified. Even at the end of the story, you CANNOT tie this man down. It might even be enough to scare him away. Like he is back on the run. Just don't.

Kate would be so excited. She's secretly already planning your wedding with her (even just as a symbol and not legally binding). She wants a big festival, with food, gifts, and expensive clothing. She is also inviting everyone. Everyone needs to experience the love she holds for you, and love you too. Yes, J and K will visit. Yes everyone she met will be there. Yes even strangers. And you will be covered in gifts and kisses.

Mikhail would be a bit against it. For him marriage is a promise of submission and protection, and he cannot imagine commanding you. Once you tell and explain it's to renew the shared love, he is so down. Very down. On his knees actually.

Gigi is so very sad. She would have to decline politely, not because she doesn't want to. But BCS it is not fair to claim you. She would gently let you down. And while it wouldn't destroy the relationship unlike with Sascha, it would put a strain on it.

[shifuto]

when I had this idea, a lot more came out and I figured I should write so I don't forget 😆

did not intend to make their relationship even more convoluted but here we are, that's the gist of it:

Yuma is still in love with Astral and Ryoga (although it happened later for the latter) but fell for III after he came onto him Astral is still in love with Yuma but came to love Ryoga after some unforeseen events. He has no desire to pursue anything with Yuma anymore III is in love with Yuma and knows he loves him and the other 2 too. He took advantage of Astral's departure to make his advances on Yuma Ryoga is still in love with Yuma and came to love Astral as he processed his (their) heartbreak. He doesn't want Yuma anymore either Yuma is full of regrets (for letting Astral go and for not noticing Ryoga's feelings). III feels guilt for ''causing'' most these issues for them all. Astral was aware his decision to go away would affect his bond with Yuma but it was something he had to do to acquire his personhood. Ryoga is bothered by the fact that he can't control his feelings, because he did not wish for a hopeless love (he would never be able to "compete" against Astral or III, in order to capture Yuma's heart)

I really like the idea of them actually still being in love even though they do not end up together (and eventually have that shift into something more platonic or familial, instead of romantic)

I also like the idea that III felt like the cataclysm that caused all that tragedy - when it was actually Astral (if we go that route and "blame" someone), by deciding to stay in Astral World and away from Yuma and the others

it takes them all a while to actually feel happy in their respective relationships, due to the shadow of rejection, heartbreak, guilt and more

of course, I could take the polyamory route but it doesn't have a place in this post-series (future AU) headcanon of mine, so I don't go there

with that said..

perhaps, I'd consider Astral the major cataclysm here after all, and the one who changes the most from all 4 (really hard to navigate considering I want to stick to the canon as much as possible so there's always the fear he'll be too out-of-character and become unrecognizable.......but I guess I've been doing a good work at keeping him as himself in essence)

he and Yuma did not become "Zexal" completely in the end. Yuma was his full "human" self already, while Astral was still stuck with being a "weapon". I like to believe that his changes were more than psychological ones, and that he did end up capable of becoming his own person, much like Yuma

one could argue that Astral was always his own person, or a person at all, while I think he was treated mostly like a tool by Astral World and Yuma alike (albeit not explicitly, obvious). His constitution and alien-like appearance and mannerisms didn't really help, did they?

I flirted with the idea of Ryoga being the agent of that huge change, but ultimately decided that it would be something for Astral to experience on his own - think "rite of passage," for example

why it happened, how it happened I'm still figuring it out but what really matters is that, once acquiring his "personhood", Astral changes. It's nothing too separated from who he is but it's definitely very different (much like manga Astral feels like a completely different character while still being.... Astral)

so.. this changed Astral most probably outgrew Yuma, and that feels like a sufficient enough explanation as to why they do not end up together. With that crack in their bond, they grow apart as romantic love is not anymore possible, thus leaving space for III and Ryoga

...

will likely go back to this again and again while this headcanon takes form. I look forward to see where this will go!

also leaving these here so I can refer back to them (and also these to some degree)

[maleyanderecafe]

Don't Look (Visual Novel)

Created by: CrypticFingers

Genre: Horror

This game actually does have a kickstarter now, and the premise is very sinister. It might include polyamory in the future considering how the kidnapper's mind works. The demo itself is mostly dependent on the voice acting, which I think works very well. There is now character designs for at least two of the characters you meet, though there will be a total of three when the game comes out. You can get more information on it here on @dontlookvn if you are interested.

Don't Look starts out with the MC blindfolded and brought to the basement by a person named Zach. The MC has the option to be nice or mean and depending on the answer, will allow Zach to either treat them better or worse. Zach nicknames the MC "little moth", giving them some mac and cheese to eat and giving them time to settle in with the others. Its here where we meet Chester, another person that Zach has kidnapped. Chester talks about what Zach is like: how he's kidnapping people to figure out who will be their best partner, how disobedient people get punished or killed and how Zach will treat his captors the way he gets treated, with either respect if the MC is kind or disrespect if the MC is cruel.

During Day 2, Zach comes back to feed, hydrate and give blankets to his captors. After the meeting, the MC can go and search around the place, finding pipes to possible break their blindfold, arsenic that's hidden inside of the cabinet and talking (or cuddling) with Chester.

If the MC is nice to Zach, he will be nice in return, praising the MC and giving them things that they need. Being nice to Chester will allow the two to get closer and even kiss and gain a code. If the MC is cruel to Zach, he will strangle the MC and refuse to give them a blanket, and there is an option to attemptively break the blindfold, however, this leads to the MC being impaled in the eye.

While the game is still in it's demo state, I do think that it does a good job with the aspect of horror and uncertainty through the fact that we don't actually get to see the characters, but only hear them. (I mean, you can see what they look like on the game's home page, but not in the game itself). The concept of having someone kidnap a bunch of people to find out which one (or ones) will be their partner is pretty interesting, and it gives a good sense of what it feels like to be kidnapped in a unfamiliar situation and what you have to do to survive (or gain the good wishes of your captor). I really do like the concept of not being able to see any of the characters since it gives them an air of mystery and uncertainty, plus it's something I haven't really seen done before. Zach as a yandere seems to be conditional on the people who he chooses, though it is clear that he's not killing them for fun but rather to pick off who he thinks isn't a possible suitor. In this case, it probably would be possible to see Zach marry a bunch of different suitors, thus leading to possible polyamorous endings (assuming we are allowed to keep everyone else alive). There might also be an option to band up and get rid of him, which would be a interesting route as well.

Chester is very cute, but it does make me a bit suspicious of him. It's possible that he's the type to cry wolf if the MC attempts to hurt him or otherwise escapes (similar from Ren in the first BTD game, if you know what I'm talking about). We also aren't sure we can fully trust him either, since it's possible that Chester and Zach might be kahoots with each other or even possibly that Chester is the actual big bad of this game. There does also seem to be a third character that we have yet to see, but it's hard to tell what his personality is like since we know very little about him. Hopefully, Chester continues to be lovable and will attempt to help us out, but it's hard to know without still having some suspicion on him.

Overall, I think the game has a very interesting premise and concept so far and it did fairly well on it's kickstarter. I am curious to see how the game will go and what kind of horror type concepts it will implore.