#this is every interaction the two of them have in the game

[jellyfishoreo1206]

Quite the Vocalist

Summary: What if the objects had a homeowner who sung often around the house before said homeowner was cursed blessed with the Dateviators?

POSSIBLE(?) SPOILERS FOR THE GAME

Notes: Pre-Dateviators! They/them used but they wear makeup, will switch to 3rd POV and 2nd POV often. You already KNOW that this is a Hector x Reader fic

Totallyyyyy not me trying to influence you guys into listening to my favorite songs no siree, why would you assume such a thing

Warnings: Slightly suggestive! That means, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!!! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED IF I SEE YOU INTERACTING WITH THIS POST IN ANY WAY

Headers belong to @/thecutestgrotto

Before the Dateviators crashed through their door window came to their house, the homeowner was quite the vocalist. It’s not that the objects didn’t like it, no, it had quite the opposite effect! 

It made the home feel more, well, like a home.

Even if the homeowner didn’t know that almost all of the objects in their household was alive and listening, it was entertaining for them to listen in on their constant humming whilst they busied themselves with a whatever task needed to be attended to or to watch their “live performances” as they belted out whatever lyrics came to mind. 

There are many instances of the homeowner doing such things for as long as the objects can remember…

—

It was two months after you had fully settled into your brand new home, and honestly? It feels AMAZING! Amazing to have your own privacy, amazing to finally enjoy the peace and quiet that seemed to never exist, and! No longer having to share the bathroom or bedrooms anymore!! 

Is this what liberation feels like?

So here you were, in your bathroom before taking the longest bath known the human-kind. You hadn’t had the chance to use your bathtub, as there was lots of cleaning to do around the house and remodeling to do. And when taking in the final result, it was wonderful. So for all that hard work, a nice hot soak in the bathtub sounded like the perfect reward.

The whole bathroom was decked out: dimmed lights, lightly scented candles, essential oils, bath salts, bubbles in the bath, and of course, your favorite playlist playing softly in the background. After the preparations, you slipped into the warm water, muscles instantly relaxing at the warmth, a soft sigh slipping out once you had fully settled into the bath. 

Ough this feels gooooood

Warm water enveloping every inch of you—soothing and massaging the cramped and tight muscles, ebbing away at the gnawing feeling of exhaustion, the feeling of your heart rate beating gradually, and the soft notes of your playlist…Speaking of which, one of your favorites is playing.

It began as a murmur,“You've got this golden way of making my body sway,” Honestly, you forgot where you heard this one, maybe from one of the shows Sam made you watch, but the rhythm of the music stuck to your head, it’s just so groovy. Your head sways gently to the lyrics as the next few line falls from your mouth oh so easily, “Of making my mind fly away, of making it fly,”

“It's the world I love to be in,”

“Come on, let's go high above the ceiling,”

“Oh, we could be feeling, oh, what we could be feeling”

Only when did the chorus begin did you start putting more passion into it, lifting your hand up to swirl a finger in the water in time with the chorus, “I’m one of those witches, babe,”

“I’m one of those witches, babe,”

“Just don’t try to save me, ‘cause, I don’t wanna be saved”

The objects in the bathroom are certainly not annoyed by this, oh no no no. Well, Amir is slightly irritated, but not for the reasons you might think, his mirror is just being fogged up by the warm atmosphere. Though he lets it slide, for now anyway. “They are delightful!! I never knew our new human liked to sing,” Bathsheba exclaimed excitedly, clapping together her manicured hands. The rest of the bathroom residents hum in agreement, chatting amongst each other as they look away to respect the privacy of their new human as they continue singing. 

But within the vents, deep within the vents does your voice carry up and up into the attic, where the local vent-dweller resided, listening in to the homeowner sing without an ounce of hesitation. Warm bursts of air spill from the gaps of Hector’s metal suit, face becoming warm. He could feel his heart stutter at the lyrics and their wondrous voice, their voice like the sweet nectar of the Gods that he was somehow blessed to hear. 

He never felt this way with the previous homeowners, but this one, this one. He knows they are the one. 

He hopes that this is a regular occurrence…

—

And by god was it a regular occurrence. 

Hector would watch and listen whenever (Y/N) did anything (except whenever they were in the bathroom, he respects their privacy). But when they sang, overwhelming feelings of love and adoration would fill his very being. Sometimes, sometimes he would imagine that they were singing for him, serading him as they danced underneath the veil of darkness to the rhythm of whatever song was on their mind.

Their faces just inches away from one another, as he held eye contact with their stunning eyes, a hint of a teasing smile on their lips as they leaned in close, so close, to his own. Only for them to kiss his adam’s apple—leaving behind the dark red paint of their lipstick, their lips just barely brushing against his slightly stubbled chin as they pull away. 

He shivers in delight at that thought, oh to be claimed by such a kiss.

Before he could delve any further into his imaginations, he was brought out of his thoughts by someone’s distant humming. He crawls towards the source, his metal suit clanking against the air-ducts walls until he arrives at the bedroom. He hesitates, before looking out into the room. 

After stepping out of the bath and changing into your pajamas, all that was left for the night was your skincare routine. So, sitting on your bed, and facing the mirror, you begin. It wasn’t a very extensive one, nor was it plain and simple, but it was a routine you liked doing. It made you feel great after you finished, and the products smelled nice.

Silence fills the room, only the sounds of popping caps filled the room. You hummed for a few minutes, but it didn’t feel right. So you do what you love most to fill in the silence.

“Estas tan dentro de mi,” 

“Te sigo pensando,”

“Te sigo esperando”

Hector’s attention was immediately drawn and caught, worry etching itself into his face. Why were they singing such a sad song?

“Y estas, oh,”

“Tan lejos de mí, oh”

“Te sigo pensando,”

“Me canso llorando,”

Oh, he recognized this one. It seemed to be one of their favorites to sing whenever it got quiet. He heard you sing the rest before, and he feels that song deep within his chest. It’s sad, but comforting in a way. The brief thought that if you actually see him, he wonders if this song will pop up in your head whenever you think of him..

A worthless thought for him to think. He goes back into the attic to nurse the negative inner turmoil.

—

“Come onnnn!!! You’re telling me that you won’t be the Romeo to my Juilet? Be all romantical and serenade me while I’m swooning up on my balcony?” Sam flutters her eyelashes at you dramatically, hands clasped together along with an over theatrical pout present on her lips. You roll your eyes playfully at her antics, a smile tugging at the edge of your lips as you attempt to keep a straight face. 

“Did not say that. I’d just rather be the Phantom to someone’s Christine. Or vice versa, I'm not picky."

Sam's dramatic gasp brings a laugh out of you, as she pretends to faint and lands into your lap, hand on her forehead. “The BETRAYAL! After all those times when I brought you food! All those times when I put you on some of the best fanfics!” She fakes a sob, her lower body slowly sliding off the couch, “How could you do this to meeeeee..?” She lies still on the floor, hand reaching for the ceiling as you give her a dead-pan look.

“Girl get your ass off the floor. I just vacuumed.”

“Gasp! Are you saying I’m dirty?!”

“Dirty minded? Yes.”

“Bitch.”

“Whore.”

The air is filled with silence, staring at each other with a straight face, until laughter bursted from you both. You help Sam back onto the couch, Sam making sure to dust herself off before doing so. “So,” You begin, sinking into the plushness of the couch, “-what’s on the agenda today?”

“So glad you asked.” She jumps up from the couch, and runs outside. A couple seconds later, you could hear her struggling alongside with something heavy being attempted to be dragged inside. You eventually got up from the couch, knowing Sam would be needing some help (and you really don’t want your floors to get scuffed either).

Once you rounded the corner and faced the front entrance, you let out a noise of shock, “Woah! Is that a karaoke machine?”

“You bet your fine ass it is!” Sam heaves out, the machine stuck on the ledge of the front door, stubbornly refusing to move. She kept pulling, but didn’t seem to be making much progress. “Here, lemme help.” Squeezing in-between the door and the machine, you lift up the edge that was stuck. The two of you got it into the living room no problem, so you watched as Sam connected it to your TV, chattering back and forth, laughter ringing out into the house.

Hector watched on in curiosity and the smallest bit of envy. Who was this other human? Why are they so close to them, perhaps lovers? That thought brought a spike of pain to his machine heart, he pushed it out of mind. But they can’t be, lovers don’t insult each other so casually, or do they? He isn’t quite sure in the field of romance, more questions keep piling up with so little answers. So he goes to ask Dorian.

He shuffles back up into the attic, meekly approaching the attic door, attempting to hide the lower half of his face. He squeaks out a small, “Dorian?”, second-thoughts already invading his mind.

“Ah, hello there Hector,” Dorian manifested quickly, greeting him with a small smile, arms crossed as usual. It isn’t often that Hector talks with any other objects that aren’t the attic residents, due to his shy and nervous demeanor. But it is quite a treat whenever he musters up the courage to talk with them, especially with Dorian. He knows that he’s quite literally scared shitless of him, so Dorian tries to lessen his fear of him by showing him some kindness.

He could already tell that the poor chap is nervous out of his mind, noting how he kept wringing his hands, eyes not being able to make eye-contact with him, and how he constantly seems to be tripping over his own words. 

But he knows what he’s about to ask, “The other human downstairs is jus’ a friend. Ain’t nothing for you to worry about, mate.” He chuckles as Hector’s sigh of relief, a puff of steam bursting out from his metal collar. He gives him a firm pat on the shoulder, before quickly disappearing.

Back downstairs, you come back into the living room with some drinks you just whipped up at the minibar. “Thank youuu~!” Sam hums out as you hand her her extra sugary and very alcoholic drink. You settled for a whisky sour. “Oo, oo! Can we do a Beyoncé song?” She claps excitedly (her drink on the coffee table), looking at you with sparkly eyes. You hum, mulling it over in your mind, gently swirling the amber liquid in the crystal cup. “...Yeah why not?”

Up in the attic, Hector took a few minutes to calm his racing heart and mind, instead just letting his thoughts wander. Wandering a little too far…He feels a flush of heat rushing into his cheeks as the brief thought of what your lips would taste like, what it would feel like to swallow all the little sounds you make into his own, as the kiss becomes more and more passionate-

OKAY! No more of that…

Bringing himself out of it, Hector’s hearing registers the music blasting downstairs, alongside with two voices singing. Shuffling back into the vents with haste, he makes it back to the living room, peering out with curious eyes to see what commotion has been brought to the living room. And to watch the reason for his living to sing once more.

You and Sam are side by side, facing the screen of the TV. Both of you are covered in sweat, partially due to the summer heat and exerting yourselves so much with how much passion the both of you sing. And because you were dancing (You and Sam almost tripped several times, BUT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT).

The next lines of lyrics pop up, your blood pumping from all the rapid movement as you bring the mic back up to your lips, “Baby, I can’t go anywhere, without thinking that you’re there!” Your body buzzes with energy, limbs becoming agile and they follow the beat of the rhythm. Sam was hyping you up on the sidelines, whooping and dancing along with you.

“Seems like you’re everywhere, it’s true, gotta be having déjà vu!”

“Cause in my mind, I want you here,”

“Get on the next plane, I don't care!”

“Is it because I’m missing you, that I’m having déjà vu?” 

Hector watches on in amazement at the vibrancy of your movements, both rhythmic and captivating. Oh if you could hear him, he too would be cheering you on without a single care of who is watching. Reaching the climax of the song, you drop into a sudden split, posing with your hand as you are left heavily breathing, a wide smile on your sheen coated face. Sam quickly goes over to you, excitedly squealing and talking a mile per minute. 

You chuckle, using her shoulder to get up from the split, which hurts now jesus christ what the hell, going over to drain the rest of your whisky sour. “I…I think that’s enough singing for today.” You breathlessly say, bumping your hip into hers.

“Oh yeah, definitely.”

Hector will forever have this memory burned into his mind, as he returns back to the attic, face burning and jaw-slacked.

—

Your bathroom sink counter is covered in everything make-up related. Highlighter, foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow palettes, mascara, eyeliner, body glitter, glittery eyeshadow, blush, lipstick, lipstick liner, false eyelashes, make-up brushes, hell even some damn rhinestones to spice it up.

Now you may be wondering, what is it that you’re getting ready for?

Today was a very special occasion, for it’s Sam’s birthday. And Sam, being Sam, wanted to go to a popular pizza place and pub with you and a few other close friends. The only thing she said to you over the phone was two words, “Be extra.” And boy oh boy will you deliver.

Though, you are having quite a hard time deciding what outfit you will be wearing out. Eyeing the two sets indecisively as they hung on the edge of the bathroom door, then looking over at the clock. You have three hours to get ready, and you’re still in your towel! A noise of frustration leaves you, pinching the space between your eyes as you attempt to choose what you’ll be wearing.

The one on the right side consisted of varying tones of (F/C), a pair of pleated wide-legged pants that would perfectly snatch the waist, with a  dashing flowy long sleeve shirt with a rather large, yet fashionable, bow on the front. And it paired quite nicely with a vest and pointed business casual shoes. 

Though the left one was quite the same as the right, but with a few modifications.

First off, it was glittery. Like, so glittery that if washed with the other clothes they too will equally become glittery. Second off, instead of a bow on the front, it was a large jeweled star brooch that also glittered.

It was a very hard decision. So you merely went downstairs to grab your D-20 to make the decision for you. Whilst downstairs, the objects began to talk amongst themselves. “Oooh they should go with the left one! It’s so pretty!” Bathsheba gasped out, holding the fabric gently in-between her fingers, smoothing over the glittery material.

Amir also inspects the outfit, but with a more scrutinizing eye, bringing the fabric closer to his face, “Hmm, the material is of great quality..lots of glitter, and it seems like our human knows how to style it…” He lets the fabric fall from his hands with an approving grin, “Ah, our little reflection is growing up!” He pretends to wipe away a fake tear.

“Indeed indeed! Lovely fabric, and plenty of ways to stylize a look!” Barry adds on, peeking out from behind Amir, hands itching for the make-up brushes.

Meanwhile in your office, you are trying to find your 20-sided die, but it just seems like it fucking disappeared into thin air! “Fuck! Where is that thing?” You looked everywhere, on your desk, shelves, the floor, drawers, even the small closet here! All without any luck. What you failed to notice was, he was underneath your chair.

Chance merely watches in amusement and fake offense, crossing his arms as he watches the human slump in temperaliy defeat. He was about to reveal his object form before a quick, “Psst!” catches his attention. It’s coming from…the grate? Oh shit, Hector!?

He quickly clears his throat, throwing on his dramatic persona, “Ah, the infamous Enchanter!” He gestures theatrically with his arms, spreading them wide, voice loud yet performative “Do tell, what has brought you down to these weary parts of the village?” 

An amused chuckle could be heard from behind the grate, Hector also taking on a dramatic persona to be on par with Chance, “Ah, but a simple favor, dear Master of the Gargoyles.” 

“What for?”

Hector drops the persona, clasping his hands together in a sort of begging motion, eyes becoming rounder, how could they possibly get any rounder?? “Please, Chance, whatever you do, please! Choose left!” Chance was left confused, but the dots quickly started clicking together as a sly grin made its way onto his face, wiggling his eyebrows up at him, “Ohohohh, okay, I see what you mean.”

“Please?”

“Okay, but on one condition.”

“Name your price.”

“Come to our next session tomorrow?”

Hector is silent for a bit, contemplating, then with barely contained excitement, “Okay.”

Chance pumps his fist in victory, “Great! We’ll see you at 5 PM!” And with that, his object forms rolls out from underneath its hiding space, hitting your foot, quickly snatching it up and rushing back up the stairs to the bathroom.

“Alright! Anything above a 10, we’ll go with the right.” Clasping your hands around the die loosely, you begin to shake it earnestly, “Anything below a 10, we’ll go with the left!” Letting the dice go, you watched as it rolled, slowing down, before it landed on a nat 1.

“Left it is!” Hector mentally gives his thanks to Chance, his face becoming flush with excitement and adoration. Though he waits for a few minutes before going back up to the upstairs bathroom. He is a gentleman! And as a gentleman, he will do no such thing as breaching your privacy.

Upon arriving at the vent, both his eyes and ears are blessed by your voice and by your figure, watching as you navigate the organized mess of make-up products laid out on the sink. The outfit hugged every curve, as if it were built and made for you! The shimmer of the fabric looked as if it were made from the very night sky itself! Hector couldn't help the burst of hot air, flustered beyond belief as he burned the very moment into his mind.

Unaware of your admirer in the vents, you went about applying the product to your face, free handing something that will match with said outfit. Though, it felt too quiet in the bathroom, even with all the clattering of plastic. Though it is getting a bit hot here…

Probably from your bath earlier this morning.

Some quick tapping, and your playlist is now playing! Oh, and it’s your favorite song too!

“People say she’s bad, but they don’t see, the way she is with me!”

“P is for the painful ways, she makes me feel some days,”

“U is for Utopia, the other times with her,”

“N is for the new wave dreams she had back in her teens,”

“K is for the kid in her, my P.U.N.K. girl!”

The energy was buzzing in the bathroom, as you grooved along with the while also maintaining a steady hand, patting the necessary amount of a product before moving on to the next. Applying the shimmering eyeshadow in a gradient, using a smaller brush to blend the colors in.

“She is honest and kind but in a way that people see,”

“As telling lies and being mean,”

“She has thousand of dreams, but what they are I’ll never know,"

With a stroke of the eyeliner, you have finished the eyes. Turns out you don’t need the fake lashes. You move on to the rest that needs to be finished, maybe you could add some of those rhinestones underneath your eyes to give it more pizzazz…

“Hector, you're steaming again.” Amir points out rather playfully, jutting out a hip and arms crossed. Hector blubbers something out, most likely an apology, too absorbed into the absolute divine being before him, embarrassment coursing through his body like a hot wave as he retreats a small ways from the grate. Though not far enough where your figure doesn’t leave his sight. As he attempts to calm his embarrassment, his mind begins to wander…

You, standing behind him, a mirror in front of you both. It’s the veil of night, the only sourceof light being the soft lighting of the moon. He’s human within this scenario of his, no bulky metal suit dragging down his frame, no metal suit in sight. Instead, soft and squishy flesh is what is seen. He doesn’t have a shirt on, seeing that it was rumpled on the floor beside the two of you. A glimpse in the mirror confirms his face is flushed all the way down to his neck.

He imagines your hands encircling his waist, just underneath the pudge of his stomach, merely resting there as your head rests in the crook of his neck. He feels your heartbeat thumping against his bare back, the slow rise of your chest, the inhale and exhales of yours against his neck. 

Goosebumps form wherever you touch, causing delightful shivers to rack through him. He doesn’t dare touch you, not yet. Not until you gave him explicit permission. Slowly, ever so tantalizing, does one of your hands begin to travel up and up his torso—stopping every so often to draw a seemingly random pattern on the exposed skin.

But he’s hyper aware of what these patterns detail. First an “I”, followed by a, “L”, a “O”, a “V”, and a “E”. He already knew what followed after that, his breath becoming slightly heavier as he watches your reflection trace a “Y”, a “O”, and a “U”.

By then, your hand was so maddeningly close to his chest. Barely just a few inches away from his perked nipples, begging for your attention.

He feels it before he sees it, a flash of arousal courses through him as your hand gently pinches the perked bud, rolling it in between your pointer finger and thumb, slowly, oh so very slowly. You’re watching him in the reflection, watching as he crumbles beneath your touch, he feels you shift, no longer are you resting within the crook of his neck.

Your lips are right beside his ear, huskily whispering, “There’s my pretty boy~” Before you gently sucked on his earlobe-

NO! OKAY NO MORE OF THAT! Hector’s face is positively steaming once he comes back to his senses, the vent walls replacing the walls of his imagination— utter shame and delight overtaking his mind and body as he recalls the motions of his daydreaming, covering his heated face with his hands, as if that would deter all the feelings of shame coursing through him.

“Annnnd, done!” You set the make-up brush down, finally finished with the make-up. It is one of your favorites so far! The rhinestones really  pulled it all together. A glance at the clock tells you there are 30 minutes until you have to leave. So, you cleaned up the sink, put the outfit back in the closet, threw the dirty laundry in the basket, and left the house with your keys, phone, wallet, and some make-up to touch up your look.

Hector watches as you go, waiting for the moment you come back.

—

Today was a rather slow day.

The house was clean, the fridge was stocked with food, you’re not hungry nor are you sleepy, the laundry was done, the bed was made… You didn’t feel like reading, nor did you feel like doing anything else.

Well, other than lying on the floor of your room.

The hard wood presses into your back, bringing a rather grounding and somewhat comforting feeling. Though it’s not entirely comfortable, it does, however, distract you from impending boredom.

It's quiet in the house, only the dripping of water, the slight creaking of the floors and wall, and the distant humming of the AC are the only prominent noises permitting through these walls. You would call Sam to come over, but she’s been swamped with meetings as of late.

Then, an idea. Sitting outside for a little bit would surely clear your head…

You move to get up, but it seems like your body would rather stay planted on the floor.

You try again, same result.

“Well, shit.”

With a sigh, you just relaxed further into the floorboards, eyes boring into the ceiling. What can you even do when your body doesn’t want to do anything?

Hector watches from above, his hands supporting his face. He wished he could help with your boredom, but what can an AC do when its only purpose is to blow cool or warm air? Hector lets a noise of frustration escape his mouth, letting his head fall forward, a low thunk resonating when his forehead came in contact with the grate.

You don’t hear, of course you don’t hear. So close yet so far from him.

Several minutes have passed, you have not moved a single inch from where you reside. Your thoughts are muffled, foggy even. It feels…nice. Yeah, nice to not think. It’s quiet, you always used to fill the silence somehow…

An idea worms its way into your brain.

It was a song you heard somewhere many years ago, maybe a cousin of yours?

Yeah, your cousin. It’s been a while since you last talked with him. You wonder how he is? Your eyes flutter close, the first verse of lyrics come to you, “Ver como te alejas y querer más de ti,”

“Sin tener en cuenta como eso te hace sentir,”

“Quédate aquí que pronto yo voy a partir,”

“No quiero estar solo cuando me tenga que ir,”

Short, but one you kept close. 

You feel a little lighter, maybe you can finally get up? With a grunt, you finally separate from the floor, stretching your limbs due to the lack of blood flow. Man, you should do floor time more often, it feels great.

Your back doesn’t though, but whatever.

Eyes watch as you walk out the room, for once staying in place instead of following

—

Man what god did you pissed off today?

After getting fired from your last job, Sam was able to put in a good word for you at her workplace. Today was just your first day, and you just got fired. Just your fucking luck!

Whilst staring at your monitor in complete disbelief, you get a message from some guy named Tinfoilhat who said he was sending you a package that you’re supposed to keep top secret!

And now the window of your front door is broken, with a blue package being the said cause. Inside said package was a pair of glasses.

This is what you’re supposed to keep top-secret? A pair of glasses??

Well, it’s not like this day can get any weirder!

…

You take that back, it got weirder.

“Hey there!.” A pink-haired stranger now stands in front of you, donning the same pair of glasses as well. Her expression radiates friendliness, a bright smile seemingly permanently etched into her lips. “Your life is about to change. Hope you’re ready!”

You’re bewildered. “I’m sorry, what??”

—

The stranger, now known to you as Skylar, explains everything to you. She’s a pair of glasses called “Dateviators”, which can basically acknowledge any object into existence in your house. Any. Object. Within this house. Embarrassment is the only sole emotion you’re feeling right now. Oh god, maybe your privacy wasn’t so private after all.

The first thing, or um, person Skylar had you acknowledge was your door, who was named Dorian. He’s pretty aloof, with a somewhat gruff exterior. But, he’s actually pretty pleasant to talk with! His aloof nature made it easy to talk with him, the conversation flowing into different topics. Skylar left the two of you to talk for a bit, saying how she’ll check in with you a little later as she threw a wink in your direction.

“So, do you know any of the other objects?”

“‘Course I do, it's very important to keep a steady friendship with everyone.” He pauses, seeming to think over his next response, eyes shifting towards the vent. Well, might as well push you in the right direction.

“There’s this one chap I know, his name’s Hector.”

“Who’s Hector?”

“Why, he’s your AC.” The ends of his lip tilt up with his next response, “He has quite the, ah what’s the saying…” Dorian racks his mind for the words to put together what he’s trying to say, combing a hand through his hair. “Oh yes, he has quite the soft spot for you in his heart.” He can already hear Hector cursing him and thanking him from wherever he is in the house.

“So if I were you, I’d make him your next visit.”

A blush has made itself known on your cheeks. Your AC likes you? You can’t help but feel a little weird about it, but at the same time, your heart flutters a bit. Just a bit.

Only one way to find out more about this Hector.

“Where do I find him?”

“You’ll find him at any of the vents,” Nodding his head towards the closest vent. “Anyway, cheers mate.” And he disappears. You're left standing by your lonesome, staring where Dorian just was. Looking towards the vent, then the surrounding objects, you decided to move towards your room instead.

Sure, it may not have as much privacy, but it makes you feel a little better to be in your space.

Hector is panicking. He watched your entire conversation with Dorian, excitement filling his very being! But Dorian. Dorian mentioned him to you and his undying love for you! He couldn’t see your face very well from this angle, and that scares him. It scares him that you're actually going to meet!

Are you going to be disgusted by him? Creeped out maybe?? God, you’re probably going to absolutely hate him!

Up in your bedroom, you stare up at the vent, anxiety festering in your stomach. You shake those thoughts away, steeling your nerves as you point and focus the glasses on the vent. Your met with a pair of tan hands hanging out the grate, alongside with the most beautiful brown eyes you’ve seen.

You both merely stare at one another, one with curiosity, the other with devotion.

“Hi?” You offer quite lamely, not knowing what else to say as you stared deep into those brown eyes. God, they really are beautiful.

Hector says nothing at first, still drinking in your features, before he clears his throat, hands intertwined together quite loosely as he levels his gaze with you.

“Why hello there.”

OH MY GOD I'M FINALLY DONE!!!!! This took me A WEEK OF NON-STOP WRITING. Not complaining though, 10/10 will do it again.

I hope you guys enjoy this! I'll be putting it up on my AO3 soon.

Here's the list of songs in order:

Witches by Alice Phoebe Lou

No One Noticed (Spanish Extended Verision) by The Marías

Déjà Vu by Beyonce

P.U.N.K. Girl by Heavenly + the art piece that inspired that one steamy scene

No Te Hace Bien by Ale Murío

Have a good day, make sure to eat and drink something!

[4doras]

BABY, NOT BABY "I KEEP CATCHING THEM STARING AT ME." *ੈ✩‧₊˚

genre. riku x f!reader, fluff, frenemies to lovers, 1.2k

ꕤ. i posted a riku AND sakuya fic before this and now i'm writing for them again for the event 😭 it’s okay though because i love them

ever since you were kids, you and riku were forced to be friends. and to your parents, you and riku were best friends, but on the inside? you hated each other. but at least the hatred was mutual. 

the two of you agreed to keep the friendly act on for your parents, but besides that, neither of you interacted with one another. and if you did, it’d only end in an argument. and even after all these years, you and riku just couldn’t find it in you to become true friends. it was easier to pretend to be friends than trying to reconcile from all the damage of previous years. 

but lately, something felt different. 

more under the cut!

for starters, the way he looked at you now compared to the past was completely different. it wasn’t a glare, it wasn’t a look that said “you’re stupid”, it was just a stare. where’d the riku who’d slightly scrunch his face at you every time you spoke? the new look was scary. why’d he look at you like there was nothing else worth looking at?  

and as much as you liked to believe that he just zoned out, you slowly spotted more and more things that made you believe that less. 

he slowly started dropping the habits that you always told him that you hated; whispering ill remarks about you when passing by you, ramming the ‘close door’ button on the elevator when he saw you trying to get in – they finally became a thing of the past between you and him. 

your weekly “catch up session” with riku came, which weren’t really catch up sessions for you and riku but more for your parents. you were on the sofa, sitting on opposite sides from riku who was once again staring at you. 

he was holding his phone up like he was watching something, and it would look like it if you weren’t facing him, but you could see his eyes – and they were entirely concentrated on you. 

“what?” you snapped, you were tired of seeing riku stare at you as if he had been in love with you for years. 

despite your sharp voice, riku didn’t even flinch. “i didn’t say anything.” he tilted his head. it annoyed you with how he was playing dumb, he knew what he was doing. 

“you’re staring.” you breathed out, tired of how he was acting confused. 

he cocked his head to the side, slightly squinting his eyes. “i think you’re just delusional, y/n.” the way he used your name was so… personal. it shouldn’t have meant anything, after all it was just your name. but when he said it, it sounded different. 

“delusional?” how were you delusional when it was the truth? you’d caught him staring at you, multiple times. and you were delusional? “you were literally staring at me.” you rolled your eyes at him. 

“you caught me, hm?” he hummed, a knowing smile playing on his face. “are you getting shy?” he let out a soft chuckle. 

“how annoying do you get?” dismissing his question wasn’t your intention, but you were sick of his games: the half-lidded stares, the smug little smirks, the way he always knew how to get under your skin and stay there. “go stare at a wall since staring’s all you wanna do.” you shifted in your seat, starting to realize how much of a flirt riku was. 

“they aren’t as pretty as you.” he sighed, promptly turning on his phone so he could look anywhere else but your eyes. 

of course now was the time he used his phone. the time where he called you pretty. 

was it just a joke? you couldn’t tell. his voice seemed sincere, but if it was wholehearted he wouldn’t have immediately gone onto his phone. seriously, what was he trying to say? you didn’t have a clue. 

“you don’t look convinced.” he continued, picking up from where he left off. “just because i think you’re annoying, it doesn’t mean i’m blind.” it was getting harder to tell when he was joking and when he wasn’t, his voice seemed too truthful to be a joke, but there was no way that he liked you after all these years. 

“do you…” you hesitated to finish your sentence, “do you like me?” 

“maybe.” he thought for a second, “do you want me to?” he needed to stop with those stupid grins that made you overthink everything. 

but you didn’t get a chance to answer. 

the sound of the front door opening cut through the silence. you and riku’s parents walked in, still mid-conversation. riku’s expression shifted into something perfectly casual, like he hadn’t just asked if you wanted him to like you. you didn’t say anything either. 

“you guys okay?” your dad asked.

“yeah,” riku answered, all charming and everything. “y/n was just telling me how much she enjoys spending time with me.”

you shot him a look that he shot right back. you caught the corner of his mouth tugging up, it wasn’t a smirk this time. it was something softer, something that almost looked real. 

the sky that was previously glowing with light had gotten dark. your parents had gone upstairs, riku’s were waiting for him in their car, and riku was pulling on his shoes by the door. 

you hovered in the hallway, not quite ready to let him leave with the conversation unfinished. once he had his shoes on, he looked up at you, who hadn’t moved an inch. 

“what?” he asked, voice low. now it was his turn to be interrogated. 

“you didn’t answer me,” you said in a flat voice, not trying to suggest anything. 

“i thought i did?”

“you said maybe, that’s not a proper answer, riku.”

he fell silent, looking down at the laces he’d just tied, as if they could offer a way out.

“i didn’t wanna mess things up,” he admitted. “this whole fake friendship thing, it was easier than making up with you. but it’s hard to ignore my feelings now.” 

you blinked. “is that supposed to be sweet?” 

his eyes were the most honest now, no trace of teasing in them this time. “was it not? i just told you i like you.” you stared at him for a long moment. usually, you would’ve said something mean, teased him. but you had to accept your feelings. 

“you’re kinda cute when you like someone.” you muttered, trying to sound unimpressed.

“do you like me?” he once again pushed the question back to you. 

you crossed your arms. “do you?” you stood your ground. you wanted his answer before anything. 

and this time, he didn’t hesitate.

“i do.”

your heart thudded in your chest. “took you long enough.”

“i’ve been flirting for weeks, y/n. i think you’re just slow.” 

before you could overthink it, you leaned in and kissed him. it was only quick, barely more than a brush of lips, but it shut him up. and for once, that felt like a victory.

when you pulled back, riku looked stunned. but it was only a second before he went back to his usual self. “was that supposed to be sweet?” he echoed, mocking you.

you gave him a look. “don’t push it.” even if you both liked each other, the teasing was relentless. 

his smile was real this time. and so was yours. 

perm taglist. @jellyouse

[queens-of-spirits]

I think this really explains why the fast-paced nature of the romance in this game doesn’t bother me the way it does in some other dating sims. These are not strangers, these are your things and they know you and you, in some way, know them. Teddy is your childhood friend, Mac knows your favorite sites and about your writing, Freddy probably knows your favourite foods like the back of his hand, etc. They’ve had plenty of time to get to know you and a lot of them have already seen you naked or in tears. You in turn, known them. You know which doors get stuck and need an extra wiggle, you know what steps and floorboards creak, you know the specific washing instructions for your favourite clothes, you know exactly what setting on your toaster gives you the perfect breakfast, etc. You’ve seen them broken and set them right. Both sides already know each other and care about each other to some degree, the Dateviators just let you interact face to face.

Think about how happy Hector was to get to talk to you, how Phoenicia was happy to see your face, how Freddy will easily admit he kind of already loves you in a way, how pretty much every other dateable mentions that they already know you well when you first “meet” them.

Honestly, I think this is kind of canon tbh. Characters you don’t already have a relationship with are in short supply (Skyler, the crawl space dwellers, the two you literally get for the first time as you play, and Zoe halfway becuase although you don’t interact with her, she does mention enjoying when you come up to the attic.

OBJECT WHISPERER | Date Everything x gn!Reader

Summary: Before you got your dateaviator you unknowingly had made relationships with the appliances and knickknacks around you home.

Warning: Fluff, Spoilers for certain characters? This wasn’t edited, came straight from my head to my notes app.

MASTERLIST | READ ME

Before you got your dateviator and realized that you could date literally anything within your house. You unknowingly had built relationships with your appliances and knickknacks around your home. Solely because you’re a lonely person and tend to talk to yourself and random things around you.

Some of the things you used to do is apologize. Mainly to Dorian or Wallace every time you accidentally shoulder-check them because your depth perception is tarnished by being with Mac and Phonenicia all day for ‘work’ related things (you’re reading fanfics).

Whispering an ‘ow’ rubbing your shoulder and absentmindedly apologizing then going about your day. Wallace would sigh ‘wall…’ dreamily while Dorian would grunt but respect you a bit more as he watches you do the same thing and stub your toe on Abel, letting out curses and another wheeze of ‘sorry…’ before stumbling away.

Sometimes you and an object get into a scuffle and both of you become moody. Like you pleading with Connie to work, not so seriously threatening Dante when you burn yourself, yelling at yourself and Mac because a document didn’t save, or muttering curses as you try and find a pair of socks in Harper/Dirk.

But every relationship has their moments, but you try and everyone else does too. You do a lot like how you help fix them, albeit haphazardly, but the thought is there! You’d replace Lux’s light bulbs with one that has them shine brighter than ever. Fixed Phoenicia when you fell and cracked her screen which was expensive. Replace fuses for Eddie and Volt. You even helped the Hanks when they did they’re extreme sports (sponsored by Red Bowls) and Hank two got hurt!

You noticed that one of the hangers was cracked and went to Jerry and got a dog themed washi tape, you wrapped it around the crack nicely like he was good as new—the Hanks thought the tape looked rad and they all signed the cast with various ‘Hank was here’.

But the moment where (mostly) everyone collectively liked you was when you defended them. Your mother came over. It was a decent visit—but then your mom started walking around criticizing every object that brought you joy, you didn’t back down from justifying their existence and why you kept them around. It made them all feel loved.

Everyone has some sense of appreciation, respect, or even longing for you. Most of them, of course, thought you were slightly insane or just extremely lonely and in need of some sort of connection due to you talking to them when you're bored but honestly? They wouldn’t have it any other way.

[jester-nonconforming]

at first i was like “oh, i wish the short showed Blitz and Loona interacting more,” but the more i think about it, the more i feel like them *not* interacting informs us about their relationship. they had all this time while Mr. Wrigglers was saying goodbye to everyone, but Loona is on her phone and Blitz is just sitting around bored. Blitz really *wants* to hang out with her, and he spends a lot of his daily life around her, but he seemingly still has no idea how to actually *engage*.

and this is a problem in all of Blitz’s relationships—he doesn’t feel secure enough to just ask people to spend time with him, so he either makes everything sexual (which he obviously wouldn’t do with Loona) or he focuses on what he can give them (money for their jobs, driving them places, cooking them food, protecting them from harm, etc). he’s gotten better about focusing less on sex as he becomes a bit more secure in his friendships w/ Stolas, M&M, and Fizz, but he still really relies on that other coping mechanism of “here let me do these things for you and in return you won’t leave when i talk about horses for an hour”.

so in a case like this, where he IS just trying to reach out to Loona (which is a lot more vulnerable for him than i think he’d admit) and the plans change in any way, he falters. he’s completely stuck on his original idea for the day and he can’t get out of that mindset enough to listen to what she wants here.

it’s not that i think he doesn’t notice other people’s interests or wants or needs—he definitely does, at least when he’s not clouded by jealousy or other emotions—i think he just does not know how to have a conversation that isn’t focused on himself. and i don’t mean that in an asshole way, i mean it in a “ADHD kid who never learned how to communicate” way. that’s why his relationship with Moxxie works in some ways, because Moxxie and Blitz are both people who will just talk about their interests without prompting (and yes this is a very neurodivergent type of friendship lol). and with Millie he can talk about their shared interests, or just play games, because him and Millie are both more physical people. and with Stolas, Blitz can be the center of attention and Stolas *prefers* it that way. but with Loona being closed off, he just doesn’t really know how to reach her?

he also tends to be really invasive with his friends (again, he’s getting better at it, but still), but he really tries to give her privacy. at least, we’ve never seen him go into her room or ask what she’s doing on her phone. which is a VERY good thing that probably allows her to feel way more comfortable around him. but it doesn’t give him a lot to work with, and i don’t think he realizes that he could just ask her questions about her interests, or would even know where to start (honestly, idk if i would either, that’s a hard thing to do when someone isn’t giving you much to work with).

and all this doesn’t mean Blitz and Loona’s relationship is “bad” or that they don’t love each other. in fact, I think Loona being comfortable with just existing in the same space as Blitz, rolling her eyes at his antics, finding him kind of annoying and embarrassing but trusting that he’ll always be there and relying on him—that’s all pretty typical “teenager with her father” behavior, and despite being an adult, Loona is still working through a lot of teenage experiences. she might have seen Mr. Wrigglers as an idealized dream father figure, but even he couldn’t live up to that standard in the end. her relationship with Blitz reminds me a lot more of how i was with my parents when i was younger, tbh.

but for all the criticism people tend to give to Stolas and Via’s relationship… there’s actually a decent amount of evidence that, when Via isn’t mad at him, those two are better at just hanging out with each other? Stolas obviously misses the mark sometimes as she gets older, but every picture of them from the past shows them both grinning and clearly actively engaging with each other. he focuses on interests they have in common (like telling her about space, or giving her a guitar to further her interest in music), and Via is a lot more receptive to that (which i’m sure is partially because she grew up around those things).

i’m curious to see if Stolas being more quiet and patient will allow Loona to open up more. the short makes it clear she *wants* to open up at this point, and that’s definitely because of the time and effort Blitz has put in over the past 5 years. but after being unsafe for so long and then closed off for even longer, i don’t think she knows *how* to open up, or when is appropriate (because showing your demon form to a random human was a pretty impulsive and unwise decision. again, a rather teenage one). i think it would be cool to see how as much as Blitz can teach Stolas about reaching out to Via, Stolas might be able to teach Blitz some things about connecting with Loona as well.

[starlightkwan]

pink pretty bows- sylus qin

in which you give sylus a new nickname and a cute pink bow

fluff, word count: 640 ish

warnings: none (pls lmk if you spot any!) info: sylus is a lovesick fool, the twins and mephisto mentioned

notes: LuLu is lowkey what i call sylus- i forget he's meant to be the big bad leader of onychinus, pic above is LuLu in said pink bow :)

Sylus. A name that is so feared in the N109 zone, one that makes people shudder in fear or one that makes people worship the ground that he walks on. It’s a name that everyone knows, but only a select few are actually able to put a face to the name. Even the great Hunter’s Association is unable to put a face to the almighty name of Sylus. They only know him as Skye, a humble fruit vendor.

He may be a man with a height that puts most of the male population to shame, a man with a jawline that can cut paper but he’s your Sylus. He enjoys listening to vinyls, helps animals in need (you insist that Sylus is secretly a Disney princess but he disagrees) and almost always indulges in your every whim.

That’s why it’s not much of a surprise when he allows you to put on a cute pink bow on him. You cheer happily, running off to your vanity to grab the bow from your extensive collection. It sits perfectly on nim, the baby pink colour perfectly accentuating the light pink flush on his cheeks as you sing his praises on how pretty he looks.

“LuLu, you look so good! You’re a pretty princess! All you need is a dress and you could be cast in the next Sleeping Beauty movie!” You beam, gracefully bowing at the new princess in town.

“I put a pink bow on my head and that's all it takes for me to go from Sylus to LuLu? What happened to ‘baby’ or ‘my love’?” He pouts and you swear his bow slightly droops in sadness.

“Do you not like it?” You ask, looking up at him with doe eyes.

“No of course not, sweetie. It’s a wonderful nickname. It’s just new, I just need a little time to adjust to it, that’s all.” Sylus gives in, pressing a soft kiss on the crown of your head.

“Great! Can you do a quick twirl for me please, LuLu?” You plead, your hands clasped tightly together.

Without saying anything, he turns around very slowly, letting you take in all the angles of him and his bow. You hear footsteps from the kitchen, and a quiet conversation between two very familiar voices. “Bossman, would you like to play that game that we- huh?” The twins make their way into the room and stand in silence. Even with their masks on, you just know their mouths are wide open in shock.

“LuLu, why did you stop moving? You haven’t properly shown me the back of the bow yet!”

“Lulu?” The twins exclaim in unison, looking at each other in confusion before their gazes fall back on Sylus.

Sylus silently continues his turn, facing you again and flashing you a quick grin before turning back around to face the twins. “Not a word.” He points and the poor twins nod obediently.

“Have you guys seen my phone anywhere? I want to take some pictures of our pretty princess before he takes off his bow.” You ask, searching your pockets but all you hear is a quiet chorus of no.

A loud caw and violent flapping of feathers makes its way into the room. Mephisto. “Have you seen my phone anywhere, Mephi?” You are greeted with a bunch of caws, where you vaguely understand that you left it somewhere in the dining hall. Mephisto’s ruby eyes suddenly gain a strange white shine to them and he frantically flaps his wings. He circles around Sylus, cawing happily.

“Send the footage to me once you’re finished, Mephi!” Kieran requests.

“What is he doing? Is he doing some kind of bird happy dance?” You look at Kieran, pointing at the hyperactive mechanical crow.

“He’s taking videos of me.” Sylus sighs. “Once this is done, you’re getting a reboot.” You hear a sad coo from the crow.

𐙚. ݁₊⋆❀˖° pls don’t be afraid to interact! likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated :) dms work too! if you have any feedback pls lmk! <3 enjoy the rest of your day/ night!

[crowfish-brainrot]

Since I want my mains to come home quickly for this next banner, I’m gonna yap my love for my mains because fuck I love them both so much.

Rafayel speaks to me, deeply, which is funny because he was my least favorite at first. I always liked all the LIs, but I fully expected to be a SnowCrow main. As wild as it is, Raf has become my number one favorite, which I didn’t expect!

Maybe it’s because I’m also an artist (though, with words versus painting), but I feel so seen by him. He loves so deeply, he feels so deeply, and all of it hides under a playful mask that makes it easier for him to face the sheer depth of his emotions. I’m much the same way. Also the way he shares his vulnerabilities with MC (like in his Nightly Rendezvous card “will you still like me if I become someone who only takes from you?”, Ebb & Flow “there’s still time to care for someone else,” and his entire spring event card) is so tender. He shows true maturity by expressing himself to her, and it’s so intimate.

I also love how he plays with MC! He goofs her, makes her flustered, teases her. He lets her overpower him because it’s fun for him, but he always takes back over & I just LOVE how they play off each other. Brat x brat is such a fun dynamic. I’m also a brat, so of course I love this.

He’s so passionate with MC, too. His spicy cards always get me so damn flustered! I can read the nastiest smut known to man & listen to most with a straight face but for some reason I blush to my ears when listening to his secret times 😂

I love when we see how dangerous he really is. The card where he protects MC from that creep? Swooon!! How creative he is when he kills people?? Hot. Hot. Hot!!! I personally think he’s actually THE biggest threat to MC, but he would rather die than hurt her, which is so 😩. Also he literally let his world fall apart rather than kill her and that does things to me. (Granted, all of them have done that to an extent, which is probably why I love all of them!)

Also, the way he yearns…? 😩 He’s waited 800 years for her. They’ve both died in each others arms, their love is star crossed but they still make their way back to each other in every lifetime & my heart can’t take it. I love him. I love how their bond gets stronger the more they love each other, because that is such a beautiful way of describing what happens when two people are together for a long time. Love only grows deeper. I know the next banner isn’t going to be a real wedding but I can’t wait for MC to be his WIFE instead of only his bride 😭😭😭😭

Now for Sylus.

He’s the entire reason I downloaded the game. My sister showed me Dragon Sylus & I was down bad immediately. I love a morally grey man, I’m a monster fucker, and I have a thing for deep voices so I was immediately in love.

Then I got into his story & lore. I cried at his dragon myth. I love Sylus so much because he is devotion. He chased MC through time and space. She has half of his soul, and you FEEL it through every interaction he has with MC. Yes he’s dangerous and kills people on the regular (which is hot in a fictional man, ngl), but what I love most about him is his softness. To MC & no one else. I’m a sucker for that, because I am also that way. I’m not a big fan of people, I don’t trust easily. But for my husband? I am the softest little thing. To everyone else? I will bite. He has that same energy & I loooove it!

Also I love how calm he is. How stable he is. How he encourages MC to want more, to do whatever she wants. I love that he inverts the Dark Romance Mafia Boss Archetype where he doesn’t control MC, he isn’t toxic toward her, and how he honors her power bc she isn’t a damsel he needs to save. I love that he wants her to be powerful and strong. I love that he challenges her. I also love how they don’t take either of each others bullshit 😂

I adore how much of a pathetic lover boy he is. It’s so cute. He’s so painfully in love with MC. How everything he’s ever done is for HER, to call her back to his side, to find her in all the vastness of space and time. I love his dominance. I love his confidence. The man speaks poetry & Magnum Opus truly is one of the best memories in the game. My heart can’t take it. Every time he talks to her after the face mask scene I melt all over again. I love how he tries to fit in her world, instead of just expecting her to fit into his. How much he tries for her is so fucking precious.

I also love how he plays with MC. It’s different than how Rafayel does, but it’s still playful banter, teasing, with a lot of back and forth. It’s so fun to watch them dance around one another and to see how they get under the other’s skin. I love how he finds joy in her audacity & bratiness. As a brat, I will always simp for a brat enabler!!!!

His spicy cards also have me in a chokehold. Every time I’m always blushing!!!! His playfulness seeps into the steamy cards, and it always gets me. How he and MC push/pull one another, how he teases her??? Please I’m dyiiiing every time! He’s so damn hungry for her, it’s just hot.

Again, the yearning. How he didn’t interfere in her life at all until she came to the N109 Zone, even though he saw her, knew where she was, etc. he waited for her to come to him, and then of course she didn’t remember him. How much that must’ve hurt after all he did for her. But, after a rough start he goes hands off and lets her come to him. He would’ve left her alone if she asked him to, but she ran for him & THAT scene made me all misty-eyed. He’s waited so long to have her in his arms, and he’d wait forever if that’s what she wanted. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her(which again, could be said about all of them, but I digress), & I can’t help but love him!!!

Sylus might be my number 2, but it’s by like maybe three points. I love both Sylus and Rafayel sm, & I can’t wait to ugly sob while watching the wedding banner. 😭😭😭

Come home quickly my husbands!!!!!!

[anim-ttrpgs]

Yeah many people just plain do not know that an adventure module can be something other than a completely linear script you follow.

Here’s a very old, very classic adventure module for classic D&D from my dad’s attic.

It has a map of the dungeon (as you will see, it is not a linear series of fights, it’s a complex location the party explores. That line drawn in pencil tracks the way the party happened to go when this was played, not the way they’re “supposed to go.”)

And it has a full fleshed out description of the rooms and different interesting and interactable things within the rooms. It has pre-statted monsters, traps, etc.. The party explores it and tries to get out alive with as much treasure as they can carry. You can also weave this into an ongoing campaign or a “story” - it’s “modular,” that’s the point of a "module." When I ran this for my group’s rotating-DM AD&D campaign, the party was hired to rescue three children who were kidnapped by goblins. The goblins had one, but the other two escaped and got lost in the not-goblin-controlled parts of the dungeon, requiring the party to explore every inch of it to find them.

Of course, this kind of module cannot be used for a “plotted” D&D campaign, because it is designed to quickly kill unwary characters. But if you’re wanting your PCs to have plot armor, you really should not be playing any edition of D&D. It’s not designed for plotted stories, it’s designed to be a game where shit happens that you then tell stories about later.

The party in our group did suffer some pretty severely bad injuries, but no deaths, because they’re a group of competent, capable, and careful mercenaries.

“But that’s a dungeon crawler, modules like that don’t work for non-dungeon-crawler games!”

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, an extremely non-dungeon-crawler game, has modules very much like this. In Eureka, the party doesn’t delve into dungeons, they talk to people, look for clues, and solve mysteries.

So, Eureka modules provide a “Truth” for the GM’s eyes only which lists exactly what happened that resulted in there being a mystery to solve, a “hook” for why the PCs would have gotten involved in trying to solve the mystery, and a set of relevant locations, often with maps. (The locations may be connected on a larger city/town/area maps but usually travel between the important locations is abstracted.)

The locations are given full descriptions, various points of interest that might be relevant to the investigation, info for the GM about what the PCs will find if they inspect those things properly, etc. They also include NPCs with visual and personality descriptions, lists of what information the NPC knows about the mystery, and how they might react to certain actions from the PCs.

Silk & Dagger: A Sensible Drow RPG is even less comparable to a dungeon-crawler than Eureka. It’s a interpersonal politics sitcom-y comedy game where a Drow Mistress and her pathetic minions try to keep up appearances in a cutthroat society where the social expectations are arcane, byzantine, and very high stakes. Reputation is everything.

Something will go wrong in the palace, and the party will have to hide that it is going wrong and act like everything is fine while impressing the neighbors.

A module for Silk & Dagger comes with a particular problem that’s going to happen in the palace and when and where in the palace it will happen, as well as a guest arriving and/or some other social obligation. It includes visual and personality descriptions for the NPCs, and how they will react to certain actions by the PCs.

These are games which are about three very very different kinds of characters and situations, and yet they all benefit from having adventure modules.

The more I think on it, and I know this greatly differs from what people have come to expect in recent years, but to me a TTRPG with no adventure modules is like booting up a video game and finding out the devs didn’t make any levels. Like I wanted to play this but I guess we’ll have to wait until someone in the group, who may have never played the game before, spends a not-insignificant amount of their free time in the level-editor throwing something together for us to play.

[robigeddon]

Deltarune Yap session: trying to figure out Kris's psychology and other stuff (ch3&ch4spoilers)

TL;DR: Kris is morally gray

I replayed chapter 3 and 4 because I didn't get to see the secret green rooms and other stuff, but i realize that it doesn't matter at what time you're playing deltarune OR undertale, there's something you just keep digging in and end up in confusion, a fun kind of confusion, and it makes me appreciate tobyfox as a writter

I LOVE kris, they're like, my baby, i guide them, help them make friends, fight, act, but also, I understand 100% if kris hates the soul, because it means they can't be alone for a second, which to me is like... a very respectful boundary, privacy. yet the soul (or "me"/us/the player) is greedy enough to even make their own decisions and create either embarrassing situations or things kris wouldn't do because "it's funny",, reasonable to be mad and take a moment to beat the shit out of that thing that controls you, even if it doesn't make it stop, it kinda feels good to get a bit of rage out?

no matter what "good" decisions you do, kris won't like you

every time they have interactions with other characters, it doesn't matter to me if they're wholesome or funny, it's not kris, it's us, I could kinda say susie is friends with the player rather than kris, because its our thoughts between two options finding what's better or what's funnier, or intentionally, what's worse, as queen said actually, kris doesn't have opinions because we practically can't allow them to

but also, even tho I love this child and their psychological issues, they're a mysterious little shit, respectfully and seriously, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN

in the last S-rank room game (idk how to refer to these) when you go to the shelter in the mini game, kris is trying to go back against your decision, they don't want the player to open the shelter or see what's inside, they don't want the player, or well, they don't want ANYONE to see what's inside, because of how they "sabotage" the clue-searching at noelle's house, BUT ALSO they're scared of the soul (somehow)

there's either two scenes that could happen in this last minigame at the very end

1. If you move the tiny kris close to susie when she joins the room, they'll drag susie to them because the tiny kris has a sword, and thinks it could hurt her or kill her, it makes them anxious and even hyperventilate, what's important to me is that kris actually has an expression of fear or shock

2. when the tiny kris is out of the screen and walks to kris, they throw the controller and back up if you keep getting close, and they get spooked by the sword (i would assume)

to me, throwing the controller was like "yo what the fuck????"

when tenna "dies" (not really) and faces the roaring knight, the only option as acting with kris is "hold breath," while susie doesn't want to act, and ralsei is trying to, and when you do that (hold breath) it says kris is smiling

and if you check, kris actually just pretends by pointing at a distance or saying that they learned nothing because probably kris already knows about the knight

but what i checked from a video is where, if susie and ralsei are downed and only kris is up, there's a very.. weird or rare conclusion? but I find it also interesting

while kris works under the knight's orders, if all three have a decent or full hp, kris's attack is very low and practically useless while susie and ralsei's are as usual. and as another important highlight, kris is the only one that is standing after being equally hit, so now, with susie and ralsei down, kris's attack is higher now

when I checked comments on the video, it said that it was possibly because kris is pissed that the knight for hurting them because in these two new chapters, kris has grown more friendly, they don't like hugs or hugging (more like they don't like asgore's hugs, but still, they're don't seem to be a hugging person) and still somehow at the end of chapter 4, they hug ralsei as comforting them

so if 2+2=4, kris isn't entirely bad, but also not entirely nice, there's valid reasons to be bad, the disruption of their own peace because the player is there all the time, and taking the soul out causes them pain and tires them into collapsing, so they need to co-exist even if both don't like eachother, they give up on their hobby (playing piano), only if we're not controlling them, they'll play, but they'll also get tired and stop

but also, hiding the truth of what they're doing while the soul is locked or in a cage, leaves us with the thought that kris is evil and is manipulating susie into thinking that they're in their side, when very clearly, kris is the one causing the dark fountain because they're not allowing us to really beat the knight

but also, kris is still a child. even with all that "kris is evil" stuff, don't forget they had (for me at least) and stressful childhood, being the only human trying to fit in a town of monsters, plus, we get from tenna that toriel and asgore had issues and were constantly fighting, which as any kid, they'll have a little resentment, a little rage there that happens to stress them, as for being "evil", kris fighting the roaring knight showed up scared or resentful at it, even working with it

SO! conclusion:

Kris is morally gray

they do stuff that makes us think they're bad, and they will betray us or their friends, but they also have wholesome interactions with them, like going to QC's dinner and joking a little with susie by drawing her on the window (and also the cute little chat they had where susie lets us know kris is smiling at her like toriel did) drinking juice very.. excitedly, even protecting her in a fight with a gerson statue.. thingy..

that's all, because i love yapping, and I will never stop if I keep going, I just love games that make me think (i started writing at 10 pm, now it's 12am, whaaattt

[vixellaivy]

Things I did to make U.A better (part 2)

(you can steal this of course, why else would i post them )

National Hero School Tournament

-Hosted by various hero schools across Japan – rotating annually

-All hero schools representative compete in a series of elite, multi-skill events to test strategy, power, intellect, teamwork, and ethics.

Overview:

The National Hero School Tournament is Japan’s largest student-led competitive event. Unlike the Sports Festival, this event gathers top students from hero schools across the nation, hosted by a different institution every year (e.g., Shiketsu, U.A., Ketsubutsu).

📌 Teams consist of four students, formed and locked in before the event.

📌 The competition spans several days with events ranging from combat to deduction-based missions.

📌 The winning team receives prestige, hero agency internships, gear upgrades, and a donation of ¥1,000,000 to a charity of their choice. (or you can like take the money lol)

List of Games Currently

(if you have more ideas tell me)

like the sports festival the games are randomized and you won't know what you'll be playing till the tournament day

1. Murder Mystery Case

Each team receives a unique unsolved “case” filled with clues, red herrings, and character interactions.

Objective: Solve your mystery the fastest.

Challenge: Moral dilemmas, emotional deduction, NPC quirks, no repeated cases (prevents cheating).

2. Riddle Trial Chambers

A maze of rooms with escalating riddles, logic puzzles, and mental traps.

Time-limited.

Some rooms also require sacrifice mechanics or psychological collaboration.

3. Obstacle Race

An upgraded version of the Sports Festival race with environmental hazards, quirk-reactive traps, and random enemy summons.

4. Advanced Rescue Simulation

An entire district under “attack.” Students must rescue civilians, minimize damage, and make high-stress judgment calls.

Includes fake news broadcasts, sabotage, and random event cards.

5. Escape Rooms

Each school designs their own theme (horror, sci-fi, magical, etc.). When it's their turn of hosting the event.

Includes mechanical, teamwork, and perception-based puzzles.

Some teams will be trapped with or against other schools

6. Sands of Time (yes the one by MCC)

Teams explore a dungeon, collect relics and tokens, and escape before the timer runs out.

One wrong move = trapped forever

Balance risk vs. reward.

7. Solitary Confinement (yes from Alice in Borderland)

Players: Solo + Interaction-Based

Game Premise:

Each player has a hidden symbol (♠, ♥, ♣, ♦) on the back of their uniform. At the end of each round, they must correctly *guess their own symbol to survive.

Every round, the symbol resets.

Of course elimination don't mean death.

MHA Adjustments:

No reflective Quirk use or gadgetry.

No mind-reading, scanning, or illusion quirks. (They're disabled via.a tech.)

No violence allowed. Communication is key.

At the end of each round, players must lock into individual booths to submit their guess.

One player is secretly the "Jack of Hearts"—the target. If they’re eliminated, the game ends for everyone.

8. Checkmate (yep AIB again)

Players: Team-Based (16v16)

Game Premise:

Two teams (Challengers vs. Defenders) take turn-based actions across a tactical grid arena.

The two teams are 8 different school teams divided making them temporary allies and enemies

The goal is to tag enemy players by pressing a button on their vests. Once tagged, the opponent is stunned and converted to your team. The King is immune to switching.

MHA Adjustments:

The arena is a multi-level platform zone.

If your King survives with the most teammates, you win.

After 16 turns, the side with more members wins.

9. Beauty Contest (personal favorite from AIB)

Game Premise:

Each round, players pick a number between 0–100. The average of all players’ numbers is calculated and multiplied by 0.8. Whoever picks the number closest to that final result wins the round.

Everyone else loses a point. The game continues until all but one player is eliminated.

MHA Adjustments:

Mental-type quirks disabled (like mind-reading or prediction).

Projected “Score Scales” hover over players' heads.

If a player's scale drops to -10, they’re eliminated.

Of course acid is not inside the scales I'll just make it something sticky like slime

If multiple players choose the same number, their picks are void and they auto-lose the round.

New rules unlock after each elimination to increase pressure.

Rule Escalation:

1 player out: Duplicate numbers are disqualified.

2 players out: Hitting the exact number deducts 2 points from all others.

3 players out: If one player picks 0, another can win by choosing 100.

more games that you can steal and change here: https://aliceinborderland.fandom.com/wiki/Games?

By the way i should tell you that in some of games, players will be like separated from their teams that's why there's "invididual games". And their opponents either from different schools or like "npcs" , maybe combined too.

The "king of spades" is here to make it fun. (it can be a pro hero) Basically they'll try to eliminate us while we also play the games.

and yeah i just picked my favorites.

anyways

10. Truth Auction

Each team gets secrets and limited info.

They must “buy” truths from other teams using points.

But some truths are fake, and sharing them risks their win.

A mix of economy and mind games.

11. The Masquerade

Type: Deduction/Stealth

Description: Everyone wears matching cloaks and masks. The goal? Find your actual teammates in a crowd of identical figures while completing missions before time runs out.

12. Among Us (yep you read it right) but make it mha

A stealth-based hero training game where 2 players are secretly “villains” disguised among 10 “heroes.” The heroes must complete simulated rescue and support tasks, while the villains quietly eliminate them (means knocking them out) or sabotage their mission.

Quirks are allowed but balanced with cooldowns. (for imposters)

13. Hunger Games

Team Size: 24 Individual players from different teams

Setting: Vast training arena—urban ruins, forests, and hazard zones

Objective:

Be the last hero standing by surviving environmental hazards, battling opponents, and managing limited resources.

Core Rules:

Players start scattered across the arena with minimal gear.

Collect support gadgets, supplies, and temporary quirk boosts scattered around.

Natural hazards activate randomly: collapsing structures, toxic zones, and quirk-sapping fields.

Alliances may form but can break anytime.

Key Features:

Resource Management: Players must find healing items, support tech, and food.

Environmental Challenges: Dynamic weather changes (storms, fog) affect visibility and quirk effectiveness.

Limited Respawns: Each player/team has 1 respawn token per match.

Strategic Zones: Safe zones shrink over time, forcing players into confrontation.

Last player wins.

Winning Criteria of the Hero School Tournament

Each round awards points based on performance. These are then totaled to determine the overall winner. Judges include top-ranking Pro Heroes, school staff, and support analysts.

Scoring Breakdown Per Round:

1. Teamwork & Communication (25%)

* Did the team support one another?

* How well did they share information and strategize together?

* Did they adapt to others’ weaknesses/strengths?

2. Strategy & Problem-Solving (25%)

* Did they approach the challenge logically or innovatively?

* Did they use their Quirks effectively and creatively?

* How quickly did they adapt when the unexpected happened?

3. Individual Skill & Quirk Application (20%)

* Did each member showcase their abilities?

* Were Quirks used responsibly and efficiently?

* Bonus points for original or heroic applications.

4. Ethics & Heroismn(15%)

* Did they uphold heroic values like selflessness, justice, and compassion?

* How did they treat civilians (actors), opponents, or even villains in simulations?

5. Completion & Efficiency (15%)

* Did they finish the round? How fast?

* Did they conserve energy, resources, and avoid unnecessary damage?

Special Conditions:

Extra Points:

* Overcoming interference from the *King of Spades*.

* Exceptional acts of heroism.

* MVP nominations from Pro Heroes.

Penalties:

* Reckless endangerment.

* Breaking rules (e.g., harming civilians in rescue rounds).

* Internal conflict or sabotage.

🥇 Victory Conditions

The team with the highest total points after all 5 games wins the tournament. If two teams tie, a sudden-death bonus game is held—usually chosen by the host school.

(help i lost sleep over this)

[mdemn]

“I’ve been thinkin’..” “Oh yeah? I’ll call the papers.”

a literate passion: letters of anaïs nin & henry miller, 1932-1953 - anaïs nin, mafia: definitive edition (2020), intifada incantation: poem #8 for b.b.L. - june jordan, mafia: definitive edition (2020), tumblr user heavensghost, no light no light - florence + the machine, mafia: definitive edition (2020), a self-portrait in letters - anne sexton

my kofi!

[iangitax]

The genocide run being intended as this creepypasta-esque thing is super important. Undertale, unlike Deltarune, was designed without the understanding that the game would become immensely popular. Discussions of Undertale’s themes tend to take on this birds-eye view where we can see the consequences of every decision mapped out before us; it’s a very different experience through the lens of someone who doesn’t know how the game works.

Undertale is designed to be as reactive to the player as possible. Generally, if you think of something stupid to try, it will be rewarded with a bit of narrative or a hidden gag. The spare/kill dichotomy is at the core of this; the tree of unique neutral endings for every possible variation of bosses spared versus killed demonstrate it nicely. The various metafictional elements of the narrative similarly allow the game to fold every aspect of your interactions with it into the magic circle.

What makes the game stand out so much though is the way it plays with the signals it sends to the player in order to make said reactions feel unexpected. The very first NPC the player encounters is Flowey, who delivers a deliberately misleading tutorial, followed shortly by Toriel’s own faulty guidance. That cumulates in the Toriel fight. Up until now, attempting to spare enemies has resulted in immediate and obvious feedback. Toriel does not respond to any attempts to spare her, and it takes a significant number of turns before her patterns change at all. Thus, it’s very likely for a blind player to assume they have no choice but to attack her, especially since lowering a normal monster’s HP also allows you to spare them. (Asshole neutral route where you beat everyone up but then spare them afterwards is a very funny way to play that more people should do.)

I see people complain about this type of thing a lot, as the game judging you for engaging with it on its own terms. I don’t think that’s really the point here though - the shock of the death scene is meant to make the game feel like it can react in ways you can’t anticipate. There are two other possible outcomes to the fight, and they both do so in their own ways. If the player is doing badly, Toriel attempts to avoid hitting them, and should the player get curious and deliberately get killed to see what happens she reacts with shock in the brief moment before the game over screen. Should the player persist in trying to spare Toriel, despite their own actions having little effect she will eventually wear out, her attack patterns weakening, and give up on stopping the player. Regardless of the player’s decisions, they are shown that the game will react in ways not only outside of what one would normally expect from an RPG but outside of its own internal language.

With that in mind, consider what the pacifist route asks of the player. Normal enemies can be spared by solving some sort of puzzle using ACT options. Boss fights, on the other hand, largely lack that puzzle element. They rarely if ever provide indicators as to your progress, and rather than providing hints as to how to spare them the game often builds up how dangerous and merciless your next foe will be. All of this cumulates with Asgore, a gruelingly long fight against a man who has, six times before, rejected the possibility of mercy. A man who every other character tells you will not surrender until you’re dead. A man who literally blows up the button on your UI that says “mercy” to indicate how unwilling to accept mercy he is. Consider how that looks to our blind player, who has no foreknowledge that there must be a pacifistic solution to the fight. It is probably not going to dissuade them, but it’s certainly enough to make them doubt themselves during turn after turn of no visible progress.

The thing Undertale asks of a blind player to complete the pacifist route isn’t being more skilled, or smarter, or to pick the morally correct option from a list. The thing it asks for is determination. It asks for the willingness to press on in spite of the whole world telling you to give up. It asks for you to have faith in the goodness of others, for you to believe in their ability to make the right decision if you give them a chance.

The genocide route, similarly, looks very different to a blind player. It’s easy to look at the genocide route from above, see the cool boss fights and exclusive content, and ask “why is the game punishing me for engaging with it?” For our hypothetical player though, the game has done nothing to telegraph that this route exists! They could easily replay the game many times over without ever encountering it. It takes an exhaustive degree of curiosity to try grinding for levels until every single enemy is dead. It’s designed under the assumption that the player has already ceased to engage with the game under its own terms. It’s a straightforward horror setup: you thought you were “safe,” that you were operating outside the boundaries of the narrative, but really you never escaped it. The game is still reacting to you, still alive. When you push it to its outermost limits, it fights back.

If the pacifist route requires you to believe in its characters, the genocide route assumes you don’t. That, through attempting to map out the possibilities of the game, you see them as fully within your control. That assumption doesn’t work a lot of the time, and you can certainly argue that’s a major flaw in the game’s structure, but I still find the end result compelling. (Deltarune, being designed with the knowledge of how popular it would be, is a lot more robust in the structure of its equivalent route.)

You've written extensively on Homestuck and its various progeny, I was wondering what your thoughts are on Undertale and Deltarune? In terms of exposure and cultural grip they seem to have eclipsed their forebears while retaining some of its DNA. Both works seem to, while eschewing some core Hussie-isms, retain an experimental mindset to their respective media as well as an interest in grappling with metanarrative topics.

I've only played Undertale, not Deltarune. On top of that, the last time I played Undertale was shortly after it came out, in 2015 or 2016. On top of THAT, I only played Undertale once, doing a pacifist run.

When I played Undertale in 2015, I loved it. It definitely "feels" Homestuck; it's as much as a spiritual successor to Homestuck you could ever get, created by Andrew Hussie's direct acolyte. You have the same humor, the same metafictional style, and the same music (sometimes literally the same music, in the case of Megalovania). There was a time where I would have counted it among my top 10 video games, a very prestigious list that otherwise consists of Final Fantasy 6, Cave Story, and 7 Nintendo games. (Actually Elden Ring is probably in that top 10 now, so I'm slightly more diversified.)

My interest in it has cooled significantly since then, though. Undertale has the same issue nearly all games with a moral choice element have, which is that they are only really interesting to play at the extremes (i.e., full good or full evil), and on top of that, by all accounts a Genocide run is a tedious, boring, and grindy slog that mandates you systematically root out and kill every generic enemy, with the only reward being two good and challenging boss fights. By playing the game only one, and only as a pacifist, I played the game the "correct" way, as any deviation from that route will openly accuse the player of being a piece of shit, but I also played the game in a way that most directly leads to a less complex, less fulfilling, and ultimately more forgettable experience. The game really does expect you to play it both ways, genocide and pacifist, which makes all its smarmy fourth-wall accusatory statements in genocide seem pretty hollow and pathetic in the end, no? It calls into question the whole thematic premise of the story, the whole metafictional element, and once that's gone all that really remains is some cute characters, memorable iconography, and banger music, which is all fine in its own right but not really something I'd consider a titan of the medium. It winds up feeling like a pale shadow of both Homestuck -- less expansive, less ambitious, less complex -- and its more oblique moral choice metacommentary forefather, Spec Ops The Line, which tied its question of the player's ability to choose good or evil within the rigid confines of a game to a real world soldier's ability to choose good or evil within the rigid confines of the military structures that guide them. (Spec Ops The Line is very Ender's Game in that regard.)

Again, though, it's been 10 years since I played it, so I might have forgotten some key component of what impressed me so much back then.

[pokemonblack3white3]

New au where iris Drayton and Kieran are the three shittiest scientists in the. the mad scientist lab idk

[sappi-papi]

found this template and something evil took hold of me . have i made it clear that they make me Sick yet. because they make me Sick. Ouh my favorite pair of doomed best friends/found family. sorry about the super small text btw you'll probably have to open in a new tab if you're on desktop or zoom in super hard if you're on mobile. guh.

[fisheito]

Game: here are some cool new features to make ur homescreen more customisable!! Have more of that You flavour!!

Me: All i need is his smile

[calciumcryptid]

Decided my proposal for a We Are Series ghostship is Beer and Kleun. They could make a very chill couple.

[writesology]

a few weeks ago i made a heartslabyul text-based adventure game (where you're yuu and you go into heartslabyul gathering everyone for the unbirthday party that day) for my python class and it's just been sitting in my computer files since then. which is sad because i spent so long working out special interactions and bonus dialogue lmao

so that being said here y'all go! have my funny little heartslabyul adventure game :D

do not mind the documentation. that was required and i can't be bothered to go in and remove it bc there's just so much of it lmaooo

please download both adventure.py and custom.json! the adventure game will not work without the dedicated json file. map is optional but it does have cool graphics

i made and tested this game on vs code, but it does work in this online python terminal! have fun with the game and if smth doesn't work please lmk 🫶