#virtues end mc

[endlessdoughnut]

Redrew Evri in honor of @virtues-end being updated

Still losing my mind over Shea

[entropii]

Lomai on the brain...

[kansastan]

Been a while but my mc, March, for @virtues-end Who would win: One 6'3" keeper or one angy, pouty, 5'8"-- Shea. Shea would win. Sorry, March. You might be a ball of rage but you are also small.

[always-just-red]

Oh I forgot to add 😭😭😭 be it fluff like jelly sylus but fluff maybe he trying to make the mc jelly too ? I’m going wild with ideas, I will be quiet

(Part 1 of ask) FINALLY finished this fic oh my goshhh I've loved it so much but writer's block was my constant companion for this one 🫠 Thanks for your patience!! Sy is jealous but I'm still pushing my 'Sylus is the softest man alive and would die before hurting MC' agenda, so I had to get a lil creative! Hope I've pulled it off idk 😭😭

Be Mine

Sylus x Reader 🩸

Summary: Sylus is getting a little tired of sharing you with the other men in your life (and he doesn't mean Luke and Kieran 🙃)

Genre: lil bit of angst, comfort and fluff

Warnings/Additional tags: gn!reader, jealousy, other LIs mentioned, brief allusion to Raf's self-harm tendencies, cheating mentioned, some intimacy & kisses-- more soft than spicy!

| Word count: 4k | Masterlist | Opt-in to my taglist here!

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Love and Deepspace. All work is my own, so please don't repost or plagiarise!

Sylus has spent centuries waiting for you, so he’s going to give you another minute.

Patience is not a virtue; it’s an old acquaintance he greets with a false smile whenever he’s forced to pass it on the street. Sometimes outside your building, whilst you’re chatting with a neighbour from the apartment above yours. Sometimes when you’re running late from a doctor’s appointment.

Patience has been cropping up a lot these days and gods, he’s sick of its face. Even now, it sits with him at this table for two as he sips at a glass that’s almost empty. There’s poetry in stalling, in savouring what’s left, especially as a waiter hovers anxiously nearby, anticipating the need for yet another refill (it would be the third).

Dregs of blood-red wine swirl with solemnity. Sylus is a patient man, a man who waits, but he doesn’t want to be. He wants the reward of it: the pot of gold at the end of that insipid rainbow. Hasn’t he waited enough?

He lifts his drink to his lips again.

“Sylus!”

They curve as he swallows the final drop.

“I’m so sorry,” you stammer, flinging yourself into the seat across from him so quickly that he’s cheated of the chance to rise and help you with your chair. “Sit back down,” you usher, because he had made a start on it, “really, Sy, I’m so, so sorry. Things at work just got crazy, and I—”

“You don’t have to explain, sweetie,” he smiles as he signals the waiter. He’ll have that refill, now, and he orders your favourite drink as you shrug off your coat and fumble with your bag, looking for something. “I’m more than familiar with the Association’s… dedication to a cause.”

You glance up with an amused smile. “We’re keeping you on your toes, huh?”

“Mmm. There is one hunter who’s proving to be a real thorn in my side.”

“You on top of that?”

“Most evenings, yes. Some mornings, too.”

You poke your tongue out at him. You’ve retrieved a compact mirror and you use it to study your dishevelled reflection. “Is everything all right at work?” he asks as you fuss over your hair.

“Yeah,” you puff. “Long story.”

“We have time.”

With a warmer smile, you stash your mirror away and sequester your bag by your feet. “You sure?” He gives you a look. “Fine,” you chuckle. “Basically, Xavier forgot to write up some reports. He’s been away on an ultra-secret, special mission or whatever—” you tap your nose conspiratorially— “which I didn’t just tell you, okay? But yeah, the reports weren’t done, and they were due tonight, so…”

Sylus raises an apathetic eyebrow. “He asked you to help?”

“Begged me, more like.”

Of course he did. The waiter arrives with your drinks and Sylus has never been gladder for a distraction. His mouth is full of pettiness, bitterness, so he drowns it with wine. You could have called. Texted. “So kitten’s been playing secretary, hmm?” he goads instead.

“That would imply kitten could keep track of time,” you pout, “so no. And speaking of playing a part—” you poke his nose— “you’re allowed to be mad at me. I should have called you. Texted. So let me have it, yeah? I feel bad enough already without you being all… perfect.”

You’re only teasing, but Sylus doesn’t feel perfect. He’s thinking about you working late with your partner, laughing at his jokes, poking him with your pen to keep him from falling asleep on his paperwork. He smirks, regardless. “What if I want you to feel bad?”

“Oh, gods,” you slump forwards, face-down on the table. “How long were you waiting?”

“Years.”

You fake cry into the tablecloth. “Don’t, Sy. Just tell me the truth. How bad was it?”

“Really, years,” he insists again, folding his arms on the table and sliding forwards, too. His chin is resting on his hands, and he blows at the top of your head. “Look.” Your face lifts so you can peer at him. He pinches his hair. “I’ve even gone grey, see?”

You sit up the tiniest bit more and your noses are almost brushing. “It looks nice,” you whisper.

“You think so?”

“Mmm. Suits you.”

Your eyes are every gem— every jewel in an illicit auction Sylus has to steal away from the rest of the world, because something that pretty just has to be his; it will find no worthier home than his hands. His devotion fills vaults. Aren’t they spilling with emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds— those reckless imitations of your gaze? No-one else could deserve them, adore them like he does.

And they’ve nothing on the real thing.

Someone clears their throat and Sylus tracks the noise begrudgingly. The anxious waiter is back, clutching menus this time. You sit up fully, laughing to break the tension, and sure enough, Sylus feels less like hurling the man through the nearest window.

He’s still thinking about it though. He tells the waiter as much with a smile, and the menus are passed over with shaking hands. When Sylus says, “thank you,” it sounds like a bomb, ticking.

“Play nice,” you tut, once the waiter’s cleared the blast radius.

“Sweetie, when do I ever not play nice?”

You blink back at him disbelievingly. This should be good. “How about the time that you—?”

A familiar ringtone interrupts you, and your eyes widen in apology as you grab at your bag, rifling around for your phone. You find it— check the call and decline it— but relief is hiding, refusing to set foot on stage. Not yet, it confers to Sylus darkly, because it knows what comes next.

“Do you need to…?” he asks anyway.

“Nah, it was just Rafayel. Thanks, though.” You set the phone down. “Where was I?”

“You were about to tell me what a terribly bad man I am, sweetie.”

“Right!” you giggle. No, not yet. “So how about the time that you…” The phone rings again. You check it. Decline it. “How about the time that you—ugh!” It’s ringing again.

Sylus taps a finger on the table, impatiently patient. You can’t mute the wretched thing: the next call you miss would be a Wanderer, tearing through an orphanage or the like. It’s the reason you check, even when there’re no orphans at stake— just a pest of an artist with too much time on his hands.

Except… “Oh,” you say, glancing downwards, “it’s Zayne. I should probably—” Sylus gives a half-smile of blessing, but you weren’t waiting around for it— “hey, Zayne! I can’t talk right now, unless— Raf? What the hell? How did you get Zayne’s phone?”

You pull yours away from your ear as a string of whines come through:

“— ignore my calls, don’t even text me to ask what’s up, and then pick up his call right away? You hate me, right? Just say that you hate me, cutie.”

“I don’t hate you, Raf.” The phone is back to your ear. “I’m busy. Now seriously, how did you get— oh, hi, Zayne. Why is Raf…?” Sylus can hear a deeper voice answering your questions. “He’s at the—? Shit, is he okay? Ugh, tell him I can hear him. Tell him I know he’s not dying.”

You meet Sylus’s eyes as conflict erupts on the other end of the call. Sorry, you mouth as static filters through, interspersed with broken words and curses. The doctor’s voice prevails. “Yeah, Zayne,” you speak back to it. “I’ll call Thomas, get him to pick him up. Mmhmm? Oh!” You pinch the bridge of your nose. “I forgot, he’s at that stupid art thing. Look, maybe later, I can…”

The artist’s shrill tone is protesting.

“I know it’s my job, Raf!” you counter. “But gimme a break, please. If it was any other night, you know I’d be there. Of course I wanna be there! But I can’t—”

It’s just a slip of the tongue— words you don’t even realise you’re saying— but Sylus still feels his heart sink. He hates it. A heart is so difficult to argue with: it’s long gone before you can talk any sense into it. He stands from the table, those priceless eyes of yours pursuing him. When you tilt your head, he musters a smile, then a weak excuse: “I’m just stepping outside for a moment.”

You nod, a follow-up question on the tip of your tongue, but then there’s a voice in your ear again— two voices— and you’re you, so of course you listen.

…

Sylus waits on a bench outside the restaurant, closing his eyes as he waits for his heart to come back.

It’s only been a few minutes. He’s thinking about your eyes, your nose and lips— an inch from his— and how he should have closed that gap before it grew treacherous. Shouldn’t he be done with this? This… longing? You’re his. You’ve told him you’re his, over and over again, but he finds himself needing to hear it once more; the ghost of your voice is starting to lack persuasion.

He is yours without exception, but you? There’s always a caveat. I’m yours, Sylus. But only so long as the city is quiet. I’m yours, Sylus. Until someone else calls. The door to the restaurant opens— he can hear it— but he doesn’t open his eyes. He wants to pretend.

I’m yours, Sylus. No caveats. No exceptions.

“Sylus.”

He swallows the dread in his throat.

“I’m sorry,” you entreat softly. His eyes open, and you’re wearing your coat, holding your bag. “I have to run to the hospital— it’s this whole thing. Raf, like, passed out or something. He’s not been eating again. Zayne said when something like this keeps happening, it’s a sign that… yeah. He just… needs someone. And he hasn’t got anyone else, you know?”

“I understand.” You’re worried about your friend. That’s all it is.

Why can’t he believe that’s all it is?  

You come over and sink down on the bench beside him, looping your arm through his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Don’t you know that he’s afraid? That a selfish, spiteful part of him wants to hide you— with the rest of his treasures— away from the light, so he can love you in the dark?

There’s a sigh as you lean against him, savouring his touch like the wine one swirls in a glass when their thoughts are elsewhere. It’s gone in a mouthful; you check your watch, and he hopes it’s bitter.

“Are you okay?” you ask.

No, he would rather be sweet for you, but look at you— making him lie. “I’m okay,” he says, and it doesn’t have a drop of conviction. He’s tired of philanthropy.

…

“What are you gonna do? Come on, tell us. Tell us! What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know, Luke. Give me a second, okay? Jeez.”

You literally just got here. Your pace is brisk and the night air still clings to you— you shed a layer of it by peeling your arms out of your coat. Luke and Kieran are close behind, keeping to your heels like terriers hoping you’ll trip with a plateful of food. They’ll take even a crumb at this point.

“You gonna fight him?” Kieran nudges, but your lips stay tight.

“Oh, you’re so gonna fight him,” Luke takes away from the silence.

You don’t know what you’re going to do. You’ve reached a decadent lounge, lavished with black and gold, and you throw your coat over the arm of a chair before starting to wrestle off your combat boots. You’ve been off work for hours, but it doesn’t feel like it. One call-to-duty after another; first the hospital, now this.

Mephisto caws in greeting from a nearby perch. “I’m not gonna fight him,” you say as your second boot drops with a clunk. “I just need to—”

“Say no more,” Luke cuts you off. “We want in.”

With a tired sigh, you gaze up at the twins at last. Kieran is readying a fist: punching his hand softly, the beak of his mask low and threatening. Beside him, Luke swings a baseball bat over his shoulder. He didn’t have it a second ago. Where did he even—?

You put your hands on your hips. “You guys got a death wish or something?”

“Yes!” they enthuse together, nodding excitedly.

You haven’t got time to ask. Your focus drifts to Sylus’s bedroom door, where music is leaking with honeylike light. You can’t count the number of times you’ve fallen over that threshold, exhausted— always slightly broken. You want to crawl into cool silk sheets and a warmer embrace, but there’s one small problem.

The text that had brought you here, anxious and out of breath:

Boss is with someone.

“What’re you thinking?”

You’re closer to the door, now, and Luke’s whisper makes you jump. You spin, twisting the bat from his fingers and pushing him back until the tip is pressed to his throat. “Get back,” you hiss, before levelling the weapon at an encroaching Kieran, “both of you.”

Luke leaps behind his brother— swinging him between you for protection. The baseball bat stays hovering, and Luke peeks over Kieran’s shoulder, swatting at it like an indignant kitten.

“Stop it,” you scold, poking back at his hand and his masked face. “Begone!”

“Yes, boss!” Kieran goes to move, but Luke is holding him in place. He’s dragged backwards: a human shield until they can both scurry around the turn of a corridor.

You smile fondly. You forget, for just a moment, that you’re alone and full of uncertainty. The song in the next room lulls, at its inevitable end, and then you can’t forget. You’re stood in silence, staring at a door you’ve never had to knock before. Another song starts up.

Whatever this is, you can handle it.

You use the baseball bat to tap against the dark wood. “Sylus?” you call.

He makes you wait. You can hear him, moving around— unmistakably taking his time— but you don’t mind. You’re running scenarios through your head. Is he in on this, too? Or…?

He opens the door and oh, he definitely is. His silk robe hangs haphazardly over his figure, one side threatening to slip from his shoulder and the belt dangerously loose at the middle. A flush is tinting his face, spreading down through his neck, past his collarbone and lower, you think, but you’re trying not to look.

“Sweetie,” he purrs in the way that tells you he’s up to no good, “what a pleasant surprise.” His eyes flit downwards. “And you’re armed, too.”

There’s a breathlessness to the observation, and your ability to breathe briefly eludes you as well. His hair is damp and unkempt, his skin warm, his gaze hot. Is this a test? It feels like a test.

“Are you alone?” you snap, because he’s clearly put some thought into whatever it is, and you’re a good sport, so you’ll play along.

“No,” he says, but then: “You know you’re always with me in spirit, kitten. Even if not in—” another downwards glance— “body.”

“Sylus.”

“Mmm?”

“I’m going to ask you one more time.” You catch his chin with your free hand, forcing his gaze back to your face. “And I want a real answer.” He swallows thickly. “Are you alone?”

His submission is fragile. He lifts his hand, wraps his fingers around your wrist like a reminder of the fact. “Careful, sweetie.” His grip tightens as his voice drops. “Think about what you’re asking.”

“I know what I’m asking.” You snatch your hand free and step closer. “Get out of my way.”

Sylus narrows his eyes, but soon relaxes. He sweeps a hand through his hair, chuckling as he obeys— moving aside to let you past. You storm through, looking over every visible inch of his room. There’s nothing to see, of course. No clothes that aren’t yours pooled over the floor. No lover wrapped up in his bedsheets.

“Just what exactly are you looking for?” he asks smugly behind you.

“Save it, Sylus.” Your pretend patience is gone. “The twins told me everything.”

So you start searching more strenuously. You make your way over to his bed, baseball bat slung over your shoulder as you check behind the far side— even stooping to peek under it. You open the wardrobe. Nothing. Use the baseball bat to push back the curtains, letting in more blood-red moonlight. Nothing. You huff in frustration.

“You know, don’t you?” Sylus says quietly.

He’s leant against the doorway, arms crossed, and you spare him a glance. “Know what?”  

“That there’s no-one here.”

It sounds like defeat. “I’m taking this very seriously, actually,” you dismiss as you roll open the drawer of his bedside table, where no-one is hiding. You move on to even more absurd places: lifting flowers out of their vase to glance about inside it, peering into the horn of his vintage gramophone.

You’d hoped your antics would elicit at least a short laugh, or a scoff of amusement. There’s nothing, though, so you plonk onto the bed— defeated, yourself— and look to the man as you set your weapon down.

He looks back with an insincere smile. “How did you know?”

“That you weren’t really with someone? Because you’re you, Sylus. The key to a good prank?” Your fingers twinkle in the air beside your head. “Believability. Besides—” now a forefinger taps at your temple— “nothing gets past this.”

“Your ego?” he guesses with a smirk that is sincere, if nothing else.

“My brain, Sy.”

“Ah.”

Your ego— tsk. Your feet are dangling from the bed, playing with a slipper they’ve fished out from underneath it, and you have half a mind to launch it at him. This doesn’t feel like one of your usual games, though, and you’ve had a whole ride through the N109 Zone to figure out why.

“I really hurt you, didn’t I?” you speak like a confession, staring down at the floor so you don’t have to meet his eyes. “That’s what all this is about, right? You wanted to get back at me for dinner?”

“No, I—”

“I get it.” Your feet find the second slipper. “I do. I mean, it was a really shitty thing to do— walking out on you like that. Especially after you waited for me. You went to all that effort, and I— ah.” You’ve toed one of the slippers out of reach.

“Allow me,” comes a voice that’s suddenly close. Sylus’s figure looms over you before he’s crouching, kneeling by your feet. He still looks like a mess of sin, but he’s gentle as he retrieves the slipper for you. Removes your socks for you. Slides a slipper onto each of your cold feet. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he mutters.

You let out a sigh. “Sylus.” You’re scolding him, and he gazes up at you, his eyes garnets of adoration only you could afford. “You can tell me anything, you know.”

“I know, sweetie.”

“So why won’t you tell me how you feel?”

He sits back on his knees, his thumb drawing circles on the inside of your ankle. The ministrations are mindless, and so are his words: “How I feel is not important.”

“Of course it is!” You pull away from him. “Don’t say things like that.”

“But I thought I could tell you anything, kitten.”

It’s a nick from a blade that could do much worse; he wants you to feel how sharp it is. His smile is a warning and he’s waiting for the hunter in you to strike back, because violence is what you’re good at. What you’re both good at. It hurts, but it’s easy.

You shift forward on the bed. “Sylus… you don’t need to protect me. Not from you. Not from anything you feel. I want you to be happy, to tell me if you’re unhappy. I don’t need you to—” your fingers skirt over his chest and you falter inexplicably— “to sacrifice yourself for me.”

Sylus looks down to where you’re tracing the shape of his heart on his skin. He lets out a long, beleaguered breath, then leans closer to you, his head turning away as he settles it on your lap. Your hands find his hair instinctually, threading through it in slow, meandering motions.

“I want you to be mine,” he admits on another sigh.

He can’t see you smile, but he’ll hear it in your voice: “I am yours, Sy—”

“No— just mine.”

He won’t make it a demand. Even asking you nicely has him breathless and still, like the drawn-out pause of a finished symphony. Your hands stop moving, out of respect for the quiet. You’re remembering the times you’ve been late out of your building because you’d stumbled into Xavier in the lobby. The doctor’s appointments that always overrun, and Rafayel’s ‘emergency’ phone calls.

“Come and sit with me,” you mumble, patting the bed beside you.

When Sylus does, it’s with the same reluctance a cat surrenders a sliver of sun. Lazy and listless— still warm from the light. The bed sinks under his weight and you turn to face him. His robe’s collar has fallen further, so you hook a finger under it to draw it back up to his neck. Then you straighten the lapels, smoothing them over distractedly.

He’s watching your face, not the movements of your hands. Your cheeks feel warm. “I was speaking to Rafayel earlier, and we—”

A groan, and Sylus is no longer at your fingertips; he’s flopped down backwards on the bed, his hand over his face. You can’t help giggling— you’ve broken the big, bad boss of Onychinus, it seems. Is that all it takes? You grin as you lie down with him, settling on your side, propped up on an elbow. He doesn’t stir when you fix a few stray strands of his hair.

“We talked about boundaries,” you continue. “How I can’t be on call twenty-four seven, and how he’s going to take better care of himself, so I don’t have to be.”

Sylus has moved his hand, ever so slightly.

There’s more: “I’m gonna call in sick to work tomorrow. I made a deal with Xavier, that’s why I stayed late today. He’ll cover for me.” You shift closer. “I wanted it to be a surprise. I know I can’t always be with you, but I am always thinking of you, I promise. You’re always with me in spirit, Sy, even if not in—” you press a quick kiss to his chest— “body.”

He chuckles at the words, or maybe the touch tickled.

You grin down at him. “I’m yours. Say it.”

“I’m yours.”

“No! Ugh, just—” Smart-ass! You flick his forehead as he laughs quietly. “Not the words ‘I’m yours’, say that I’m—”

His hand is at your face, pulling you in so he can kiss you. It’s slow and it’s patient; he’s taking his time, and you won’t slip away. You can feel his smile. “You’re mine,” he murmurs when he finally withdraws. One more kiss, lighter, on the tip of your nose. “Just mine.”

Always. You let him pull you into an embrace, snuggling into his warmth like you’ve been wanting to from the moment you last left it. You can hear his heartbeat beneath the lullaby of his breath. “Sy?” you whisper.

“Hmm?”

“You look really hot when you’re pretending to cheat on me.”

He scoffs, but a yawn comes before his response. “Don’t get any ideas, kitten.”

Your quiet is pensive. “I have this lunch with Zayne later this week. I really should text him to find out—”

The grip around you constricts, and a voice is in your ear, soft and possessive:

“What did I just say?”

[virtues-end]

✦ virtue’s end — public demo update october 15th 2024

the start (and a whole chunk) of chapter 2! including...

travel to weynvordan, capital of burnesse

spend some time with your (new) companions

pick a pastime

get under shea's skin

have an unexpected meeting with someone from the past

receive your next job at the sanctum

and more....

check below the cut for more notes! and I do recommend restarting the game fully to avoid any errors. hope you all enjoy. :-)

virtue's end is an 18+ interactive dark fantasy novel set in a sunless, medieval world struck by catastrophe. you play as a helvling, a cursed monster hunter with a (barely) suppressed monstrous side, bound to serve a human Keeper as you travel through broken lands teeming with danger.

✦ play virtue's end

update notes:

added a toggle for relationship hints (can be changed in the menu)

added a toggle for explicit scenes (can be changed in the menu)

added relationship icons to the companion page

penrose can now be set to female or male

added convictions to chapter 1

changed the personality stat from 'kind' to 'amiable'

added nokken variation text to elexis' kiss

shea should no longer comment on penrose’s healing if the MC was the one to patch them up

updated the glossary/bestiary

plus a whole bunch of other stuff I probably forgot about!

[aetiologies]

could you be tender? / zayne

summary. he desires so violently and yet he waits.

tags. a heartbreaking amount of pining like give this man a break, he is a YEARNER, he is quite literally obsessed with the mc but not in a weird way, kind of angsty but it does get better i swear, suggestive comments, making-out, implied smut at the very end.

note. pulled out the high school level biology knowledge for this one. inspired by this quote from anaïs nin and the black pumas on repeat.

wc. 2k words

Zayne had no intention in changing who he came to be. They say patience is a virtue only few are fortunate enough to possess, and though this may run true, he believes it to be otherwise.

It was neither a blessing nor a curse as it simply just… existed, living within him like a permanent encryption of genetic code, for better or for worse. The gods made him like this–so be it. Neither a genetic defect nor a simple computational error placed down by his own DNA polymerase could change the fact that patience was a slow digging knife into his gut. It inched deeper and deeper, slicing through layers of skin and connective tissue until it punctured through vital organs and dug into the very marrow of his bones.

Through the layers of ice so thoroughly fogged to the point of inconceivability, to you it may have looked miles deep, but in reality it was nothing but a fragile wall of glass. The simple blessing of your touch, no matter how delicate and gentle it may be, it was more than enough to splinter a crack in his countenance.

He wondered if you could see it. The look in his eyes, the desire of which was so inherently violent, the curiosity of you seeing such a thing after years of being by your side was only a delusion—a mere semblance of his pitiful hope.

You slept so soundly upon his bed, shoulders finally relaxed for once. You had been so awfully tense since your grandmother’s passing and the receival of her letters that even successfully inviting you over for dinner and a movie was a miracle. Though, you fell into slumber long before the ending credits of the film even arrived.

Zayne wondered if this was the same worry that often plagued you when you saw the fatigue tainting his under eyes after long surgery-filled shifts.

You cared about him. He cared about you too, perhaps a little too much. He became a doctor for you after all, but that was a detail you didn’t have to know—shouldn’t know, rather. Zayne was a long time family friend of yours, but he was your primary care physician first and you were his patient.

It could never be anything more than that.

That became his mantra since the start of his rather laborious career, and an even more extensive job of hiding his feelings from you.

It was kind of stupid, really. A grown man closer to the age of thirty than twenty, have fought a handful of wanderers, and one of the best cardio-thoracic surgeons in Linkon, was afraid.

Zayne laughed at himself, a short palpable huff for the ridiculousness of it all, but it was enough to cause you to stir in your sleep.

A groan escaped your lips as your eyes fluttered open, turning over your shoulder to see Zayne perched at the end of the bed with his back towards you. Confusion washed over your face then when you noticed your surroundings. Your cheeks flushed crimson then, bright even in the dim lighting. This was not the living room you recalled yourself to be in.

“Zayne—”

“Had to move you before you got a stiff neck again,” he muttered the words over his shoulder.

Now that you were awake and talking, all of a sudden his own whirlwind of thoughts were lost into the backwards oblivion of his mind again. As if the past ten minutes of him building assurance was just another thought in the wind.

He sighed, finally tossing you a look when a small grin tugged at the corners of your lips. His heavy beating heart quickens.

This is where he praised his patience rather than curse it. It was moments like this where his heart swelled just by the mere look of you, how even in dim lighting the minute details in your expression was as clear as day. It did not matter whether you had just woken up from a slumber with marks and lines of his bedsheets imprinted on your cheek as a sign of well rest or if you had dirt and blood splattered across your face from intense battle. You always had been beautiful to him and this time was no different.

If Zayne hadn’t known any better, he would have already made his way over to you and held you within his arms until you inevitably fell back asleep.

But alas… he did know better after all.

“You should’ve picked the movie,” he conceded, a look of defeat painted in his expression.

“It wasn’t that boring,” you reasoned, though unsuccessfully, the smallest hint of a smile appeared on Zayne’s peach-tinted lips. “Then again, you should’ve seen it coming when you decided to put on a black-and-white silent film, but I digress.”

Zayne clicked his tongue, head shaking in a playful disapproval. “And to think you’d appreciate such fine cinema,” He readjusted himself on the bed as he said so. He was completely facing you now and just an arm’s reach away.

You ignored the darker thoughts that lingered in the back of your mind if someone were to walk in and see the position the two of you were in then.

“Just because a movie is old, doesn’t automatically mean it’s good, you know.”

“And just because you didn’t understand the movie, doesn’t mean it was bad, either.”

A rising smirk melted upon your lips, eyes glued upon the man in front of you still in his work clothes of a starched white button-down and his black trousers. Not even a single hair was out of place and you often wondered whether or not you could make a mess out of this man.

“Why did you stay, Zayne?” you asked, breaking the silence that fell for a few odd beats.

He did not answer right away. It was as you expected as you watched his own thoughts scramble to piece together a coherent string of words behind those icy dark eyes of his.

His gaze flickers away, “just wanted to make sure you were okay while you slept.”

An easy answer, to be fair, but the most obvious one he could justify. It was neither a lie nor was it the full truth, just simply an embellished rebuttal to hopefully satiate your ever rising noisiness.

“I can take care of myself, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

“I wasn’t expecting to stay until you woke up.” The words fell from his tongue before he could stop himself. You could see the grimace in his furrowed brow.

Zayne often prided himself in only speaking when he needed to. And within those very few words far and between, he always knew what to say and what to keep to himself no matter who he was speaking to. So, of course out of all people, you were the only one capable of watching him stumble over his words.

You cocked your head, “how come?”

“Got stuck in my own thoughts, that’s all.” He hummed.

“Do you do that often?” You damn well knew the answer to that question and Zayne only flickered you a look knowing the same. It seemed as if you wanted to rile him up today.

No matter, as patience was his virtue for today. And perhaps for the rest of his life.

“Only on special occasions,” he joked as his eyes met yours again.

“Our movie nights are a special occasion to you?” You mused as a chuckle leaves you. “I’m honored.”

“Is it not for you?” Zayne shot back. “Anything that has to do with you is a special occasion in my book.”

Pink dusted the apples of your cheeks, but you looked away and hopefully fast enough for Zayne to miss. And maybe he did, but one thing is for sure is that he most definitely did not miss the clear view of your red-tipped ears when you turned.

Zayne feigned a laugh and tried his awful best to suppress the smile that threatened to plaster his face.

Clearing your throat, you look back towards him, sitting up a bit higher now that you pulled yourself together.

“Tell me then,” you continued, “tell me what you were thinking about.”

His brows furrowed, “I believe thoughts are meant to be private.”

“Not all the time,” you argued with a look on your visage he could not quite pinpoint. “If anything, I share my thoughts with you all the time.”

Zayne leaned back as curiosity laced his words. “Oh, really? Enlighten me, then.”

You smiled, basically a reflex in your nature as your pulse quickened. You leaned closer, the gap between you deteriorated by the inch. You paused and your gaze fell upon his lips for the umpteenth time tonight. Reflex, again. Hesitance gripped at your neck but the words were not lost to you, “I dreamt of you…” you swallowed, though Zayne’s expression was as still as ice.

Perhaps you had finally rendered the man speechless as to you, it would have been a flawless and ever-sought-after victory, but rather you could see his calculated thoughts in his irises—dark and dilated. You would have been sucked into the black hole of him if you weren’t careful.

You watched as his Adam's apple bobbed. A swallow, a nervous habit, a sign of weakness, a clearing in the woods.

“Was I in a panda suit again?” he replied in a hushed voice. 

You shook your head.

“Then what?”

“I can’t spare any more details, unfortunately.” You leaned back, regaining that space but Zayne only follows suit and shrinks that gap once more.

“Why?”

“It’s your turn now,” you pointed out. “It’s only fair.”

Zayne pursed his lips together, and yet he does not pull away, he does not cower. Instead, he stayed, hand pressing into the mattress right by your leg as if to test the waters. You had every opportunity to move away, to stop what this was from happening and yet the chance was never taken.

To have presented him with such a favorable circumstance made him wonder if his wishes were finally granted. That someone watching above decided that this was the moment for him to stop waiting and to want more.

His eyes dart to your mouth, a perfectly innocuous and coincidental look. But the corner of your lips twitch and Zayne finds himself reaching for you.

At first it was a light touch, barely grazing you with his cold fingertips as they brushed against your chin, then up your jaw, until he found purchase with your cheek in the palm of his hand. You leaned into his touch, a habit you never knew you had as he pulled you in closer.

Zayne’s thumb lined the perimeter of your plump lips, brushing over the corner as it twitched again.

“I think you know,” he sighed.

And just like his fingers, Zayne’s lips just barely brush against yours. A tease if anything, and you wanted nothing more than to curse this man and his goddamn patience. His habit was anything but a blessing as you ignored all the restraint you had built up over the years and kissed him.

Properly this time.

His hands are on your face as if they were made to be there, perfect puzzle pieces nuzzled together as he kisses you back, deeper and deeper. You moan into his mouth, muffled between your lips as he hungrily devoured your lips.

Your fingers found themselves coursing through his dark locks, messing his neatly parted hair but Zayne concluded he had not a single care in the world now that he finally had you in his arms.

Your exploring fingers eventually made their way towards his neck, earning a sharp exhale from him before they wrapped around his tie.

You bring him forward, falling back onto the mattress with him on top of you. Zayne pulls away for a brief moment, devouring the sight of you and your hair splayed all over his pillows. It was just as he imagined again and again, alone in his bed with a never ending ache he could not satiate unless he succumbed to the tug and pull of his hand.

“I thought of us,” He says once his lips find yours again. His words were a mere whisper now, “and being tender like this.”

He desired so violently for you, but now his patience is nowhere to be seen.

He tugged at his tie.

Zayne could no longer wait.

[giulzart]

hey can u give me interactive fiction recs? i went down a rabbit hole with wayhaven and infamous and i need something to fill a void 🙏

Hi, sure i’ll list some of the blogs on here from ifs i’m playing and enjoying and I hope something will fill the void haha

If you like wayhaven try and check out:

@barbwritesstuff Bloodmoon and Thicker Than - the themes are different but you get vampires and werewolf in modern times creating a bond with others peers plus you have to solve mystery and navigate powerplays so they’re both very fun!

@vapolis Remember You Will Die - it’s a bit darker theme wise(cyberpunk/sci-fi), but the MC is so fun and unhinged and the RO’s as well haha

@vendetta-if Vendetta - again different theme but you have complicated family, you get cool powers and the fighting scenes are chef kiss imo

Instead if you liked infamous:

@pressplay-if Press Play - it’s music themed. It’s an esclusive interview with the members of a retired famous band after years since they disbanded. The author said it’s a tragedy and your MC is probably not gonna have an happy ending with the ROs so you’ve been warned haha

@apt502-if Apartment 502 - Kind of has a New Girl/Friends vibes. It’s a slice of life, you move to New York and get a new job, meet new people but you also lose someone… it has sooo many choices and opportunities for customising your MC, fyi your MC is not gonna have an easy time in the beginning just so you know

@loveandleases Love and Leases - slice of life, you get to move on after a break up and some family drama. Lots of nice ROs with different vibes and personality, also I’m a sucker for these sitcom like ifs cause I love to see how it goes and evolves!

I’m add some fantasy options ‘case I really like these too.

(Some of them have some warnings so i suggest read those before checking out the actual if!)

@virtues-end Virtue’s End - I’m a sucker for the aesthetic of this if, gives me gothic fantasy Middle Ages with a little bit of Bloodborne vibes sprinkled in there and I’ve been loving all the chapters (also Shea has me and my mc in a chokehold hahah)

@night-market-if The Night Market - I really admire and appreciate the world building of this if (also love all the hints at mythology and take on some religions in it) and how it’s not all so black and white for the characters, in the sense that even if I don’t agree with the choices of some characters I still get where they’re coming from and for me that’s characters well written that I enjoy!

@louroth Ouroboros - darker theme, apocalyptic vibes but with some magic and fantasy in there. I like the different MCs you can make and you also have some monster options for the ROs, if you like that!

@ataleofcrowns A tale of Crowns - The setting for this if is one of my faves and all the ROs are captivating yet diverse along with their backstory and I love the building of the MC as well (check out D storyline if you like the angst of A’s in Wayhaven, they’re very different but the angst hits good)

@coeluvr Crown of Ashes and Flame - I really like the setting and, again, you can seek vengence, if you want, and the characters are all interesting and you can get a nice dose of angst if that’s what you like

@llamagirl28 The Bastard of Camelot - again really enjoy the theme of Arthurian legends and the spin the author chose. You get a lot of options for the ROs to pick from and you can also choose the type of relationship you’ll have with your parents AND you get a dragon (read the warning before playing and make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re gonna read)

@intimidatingpuffinstudios The Soulstone War Series - again fantasy with magic, dragons, an interesting plot, you get a donkey and the RO’s are all hot hahaha

@fallenhero-rebirth The Fallen Hero Series - superhero themed but in an apocalyptic world and you play as the villain! It was one of the first if’s I’ve played and I still replay it every once in a while cause I really like it!

I’d have added more but the list was already long so maybe I’ll do a part 2 hahah!

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Here's what I think should happen for the future of OM & Solmare,

Obey Me! & the story of the Devildom ends, or rather we stop getting a consistent peak into their lives, the brothers, MC, Diavolo & others continue living their lives as they have

But we're not done,

In Solmare's new game we follow a new MC as they meet the Seven Virtues and Michael in the Celestial Realm

New MC's general personality should be the complete opposite of the Brothers' MC

Someone who starts off loud & brash & kind of like an asshole but is actually very insecure & scared and as we learn more about them we find out they're actually really soft and kind (holy shit wait is general mc just the direct opposite of mammon?)

HIRE ME! SOLMARE HIRE ME!

[tamayula-hl]

Hehe, I'm very honored that you like my works like that 🤭💗 And Mermaid MC! I'm glad you found the one I made in September of last year! That's one of my favorite works, and I've always wanted to draw a sequel or a Seb version, but I haven't been able to do it yet 🤣 Also, I'd like to draw a comedy manga like this one day, with a story about a new fifth grader who gets into some kind of trouble and turns into a mermaid 😫

A bad boy like that is a Ravenclaw student?! I'm sure Seb, who has a stronger desire for knowledge, is also attractive, and personally I want Ravenclaw Seb to wear glasses 🤭🤭🤭

I'm honored that you like my drawing of Omi with messy hair😍💪 I wonder why the relaxed look of a man who normally has his hair neatly arranged is so captivating to us🫠💕

Ah, I'm so grateful for your powerful advice🙏

To be honest, I love the selfish and imperfect Seb and the hopeless ending he had, but I've always been aware that my preference is a minority opinion in this fandom, and it's always been painful for me.

I'm a typical Japanese person, and as you may know, Japanese people live by the value that "having the same opinion as everyone else is a virtue"

This situation is unbearable for me, so I decided to first change the story of Seb x sakurako to a happy ending in order to change my opinion.

I hope you understand that this choice of mine is an act to protect my mentality, which has been very unstable recently.

But it really means a lot to me that you told me that I shouldn't abandon my own opinion!

Even if I decide to make it a happy ending, I think my feelings of "I love the selfish and imperfect Seb" and "I love expressing the characters' suffering" will continue to be reflected in my works 🤣 Anyway, I intend to continue creating various works while searching for ways to make it less stressful for me 💪

[runaeveena]

Your dashboard if you were in a d&d fantasy world still involved in fictional erotica discourse part 2

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

now that the new Mountain Angel volume has come out can we please tag spoilers, some of us are still waiting for our pigeon mail

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

you can access the volume in full on TomePlane!

🎭 bardcampistrash Follow

until TomePlane acknowledges that its interplanar storage is made possible by binding aboleths to the plane and killing them then we are going to continue not using that platform, thanks

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

aboleths killed my cousin who was a royal cleric. ill never understand why theres a whole movement to protect abyssal creatures when theyve caused so much damage to our kingdoms. and disliking a pocket dimension which provides thousands of people access to books? your attitude reeks of anti literaturism and mal-aligned virtue signaling and im not sure which is worse

🫒 tenthday237 Follow

Aliizya gets pregnant on page 62

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

banished

620 Notes

🏰 finchtruther Follow

okay but the way that faelor finch writes every song that perfectly fits pennbiel liiike its giving closet fangirl

🧭 waywardwarlock

seriouslyy!! like what else is "give me your unmarked hand / in the shadowfell we won't be a secret" supposed to be about if not pennipher and corabiel

16 Notes

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

yall please dont fill up the unseen servant tag with your super fucking weird smut posts im just looking for tips on how to find my unseen servant

🪡 scç-writer

the search function on tomeblr does need to be updated but we dont have to kinkshame :)

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

the site is being overrun by virgin degenerates

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

sounds like you need Wilam the Wizard with Wandering Hands to help you summon the unseen stick in your ass

290 Notes

🗝️ crypt-princess Follow

so whose going to be the first to commission a painting of that scene with Aliizya and the beholder 👀

🍎 bloodmaledickening Follow

i already asked my local artisan he said he's gotten two other commissions for the same scene lmao

🐁 softbarbarian

girl i commissioned a tapestry

45 Notes

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

friendly reminder that devil deals are a real thing that a lot of people fall victim too and that demons are malicious and do destroy peoples lives if theyre not careful so please be careful when consuming works like Hellionfinity which romanticizes devil deals and fiendish soul contracts

🌾entangled-farmer Follow

imo any work of fiction that involves a romance between any type of fiend is not just problematic but harmful

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

i used to be indifferent to books that had devil romance interests because like thats their whole thing theyre seducing people to get their souls and the mc overcomes it, but reading through the replies i see that Hellionfinity actually ends with the devil character as the main romantic lead which is super problematic in terms of power imbalance and the fact that he has a redemption arc is so out of touch especially since our military is finally recovering from the azgurian assault

🧚🏻‍♂️arms-of-faelor

helliofinity also has a scene where the main character uses a soul coin that an imprisoned mortal gave him and he uses it to bring the devil out of avernus so he doesnt fully die and no one in the book mentions it or talks about how messed up it is to use soul coins and we never see the now bound to hell prisoner ever again

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

hellionfinity officially cancelled on my end!

88 Notes

��️ celest-ial Follow

moment of silence for all the customers waiting on drink orders while the tavern wench gets her back blown out by a new guy every night ✊😔

🦁 king-killa Follow

the gods work hard but Girthy Gladys gets worked harder

57,022 Notes

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

paladin and warlock romances are OUT! cleric and necromancer romances are IN!

🪭 royalcoinpurse Follow

the only thing a cleric should do to a necromancer is beat him to death so she can revive him and kill him again

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

❇️ arch-dryad Follow

i think we need to analyze why we're so quick to place women in categories of devious seductress or healer in romance novels as if that hasnt been the pervasive trope that holds magic-touched women back in our actual society

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

why do you assume these fictional tropes are mf couples only? can a gay cleric not beat his gay necromancer boyfriend to death?

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

and off! beat him off cmon guys

5,275 Notes

🧀 weremouse Follow

yall ever be talking or whatnot and feel like no one understands you

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛄᚠ ᛡᚢ ᚳᚪᚾ ᚱᛁᛞ ᚦᛄᛋ ᛡᚢ ᚺᚪᚠ ᛏᚢ ᚱᛁᛒᛚᚪᚷ ᚦᛄᛋ

🧀 weremouse Follow

say that shit fr (<- looking around clueless)

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛋᛁᚱᛁᚪᛋᛚᛁ

60 Notes

🌠 crownofstars

remember when that person made a call out post for the author of ilairepeler for using a ghost writer and it turned out the author was an actual ghost. writing. like a literal ghost writer. like.

���gnomestool Follow

arent you the dwarf that fucked a slaad

🌠 crownofstars

how would you like to become a ghost so you can write more witty comments like this for eternity

301 Notes

[entropii]

I've been compelled by the nokken vibes.

Canta for now (they/them, he/him)

[idrellegames]

so im (relatively) new to your whole wayfarer IF and after reading Aeran for the little bit of access I have to him, what inspired his character? you don't have to say anything that'll spoil things obv, I'm just curious. He's clearly a character that has made an impression, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about him but I've seen some people say they're getting on the clown bus for Aeran so idk what you put in his character soup but apparently it's got people putting clown shoes on. Either way, regardless of *how* I'll end up feeling about him, I'm very curious as to what inspired his whole schtick and while I know different choices lead to different dynamics and I suppose, therefore different readings, he's definitely leaving an impression on everyone who's played with/interacted with his character

Hello and welcome! 💕

If you squint, Aeran is maybe, possibly, slightly inspired by Tamlen from Dragon Age: Origins. Less so in terms of personality, more so in terms of story role in that he was supposed to be a temporary companion (and yes he was intended to be killed off early).

However, over the course of development, Aeran's role has shifted significantly. The roots are still there, but what I intended to do with him in 2019 is very different from what he is doing now. There's no specific inspiration for his current version; he is the result of finding answers to a chain of character questions that started with "why this?" -> "then that".

There are some things that have manifested with him as I wrote, as there usually is with every character I make. While his main arc has been solid since 2020/2021, every so often he surprises me with new information (for example, he and Rhodarth weren't intended to have had a former relationship, but then I started writing their dialogue during their first encounter and realized they had weird flirty undertones and oops now they have history).

I think Aeran makes an impression because he's several popular tropes rolled into one. You can play the very long friends-to-lovers game, you can play the very long friends-to-enemies game, or land somewhere in the middle. By giving him history with the MC, there's a lot of room for exploration of what that actually means--especially because you know from the start of Episode 1 that he has something going on, and he doesn't want to tell you, and you don't know why. It's at odds with the set-up of him being the MC's closest friend and someone they trust.

Players reactions to him are going to vary, and that is the intention. Aeran is an exercise in how a player's first impressions can shape how they feel about a character longterm. There are two different ways adult!Aeran can be introduced in Episode 1, and that is going to colour your initial impression of him. How he engages with the MC is going to differ based on what your starting relationship is, which will colour it further.

He's also an example of how you might not be able to get what you want out of NPCs just by virtue of being the player character. He has reasons for not telling the MC everything which puts him in conflict with them regardless of approval or romance status, and that brings out very different reactions depending on how you play and what content you see. And--most importantly--how much your MC pushes him. Even when he's being an ass to the MC, the MC can be an ass right back to him. They can instigate just as much conflict as he does.

There's no right answer when it comes to Aeran. For the people who love him and love his romance content, there's very good reasons for it. For the people who love to hate him, there's very good reason for that, too.

I'm very honoured and very flattered that he has made a mark, regardless of what that mark is. And that he continues to give players a lot to talk about!

[the-unconquered-queen]

I had a realization about my Blades MC x LI dynamics which means absolutely nothing but has been living rent-free in my head all day regardless. Here goes:

TyrilMC/AerinMC - Lovers who happen to be best friends

MalMC - Best friends who happen to be lovers

Ramble I had to add under a read more because it was originally going in the tags before I realized I was approaching 30 tags with no end in sight (it's gonna show):

Look, I can't speak for y'all's MCs and pairings and playthroughs, but that's literally how it is in mine. And I'm not favoring one type of dynamic over the other, it's just a difference I've noted and this is how I finally put it into words. And I can't speak for all LI/MC dynamics either, which is why I'm limiting this to the LIs I personally romance.

I was just thinking that Mal's scenes often feel like they have a bit more of a friendship element to them even when they're romantic compared perhaps to the others, if that makes sense? I mean, MC is literally said to be Mal's best friend regardless of whether you're on his route or not, whereas for my other two LIs, there is definitely a strong friendship, but it feels like it is strengthened by their relationship with MC.

The more obvious example of the two is Aerin. Lbr, who is his best friend if not MC. And I feel like being on his route emboldens his being intimate with MC, and I'm not even referring to physical intimacy, just in an opening up kind of way, an expressing himself more freely kind of way. 'Cause if you're not on his route, there's no real reason for him and MC to be particularly close as a duo within the larger group, and they are not portrayed as one by the book either. MC is often not even particularly nice to him outside of his diamond scenes. So while my MC does genuinely enjoy Aerin's company, I know their bond is harder to justify on canon alone if they're not dating.

And then in Tyril's case I think his romantic relationship with MC really propels their specific Kilvali, even though I think there'd be a special kinship between them regardless if he and MC are the only elves in the party (which is the case in my pt) and they nevertheless would grow closer by virtue of him being a link to MC's lost culture and heritage that he enjoys teaching her about, but I think their love is what makes them such a close duo and therefore reinforces their friendship. I mean, consider how long it took for Tyril to recognize his relationship with MC as Dinvali vs how much longer it was for Kilvali, even though they had a blossoming friendship before it turned sexual.

Meanwhile, with Mal, it's like their relationship was the natural progression to their friendship, making it the other way around for MalMC—as in, their friendship strengthens their relationship. Because if I take away all romantic elements of my MC's relationships with them and leave only the platonic—and also strip personal headcanons about their dynamics and personalities to focus on what the books actually wrote (because, for example, you can hc an MC who has basically the same personality as Tyril/Aerin which is why they get along so swimmingly, so maybe a sarcastic, blunt MC for Aerin or a cool, sort of stoic MC for Tyril, who then is a perfect fit for their respective LI, but that doesn't mean that's how the writers wrote MC, who, like it or not, does still have a canon personality that is closer Mal's and not much like the other two), anyway yeah, so strip all of that and Mal would likely be the one of the three MC is closest to. I think that canon MC personality is a big reason why the MalMC dynamic is pretty effortless, while I feel like if I don't make the active effort to include TyrilMC/AerinMC in my playthrough (with romance being the more effective method imo, bc it leads to coded moments instead of just vanishing entirely as soon as a diamond scene is over), the game will not do it for me and they will not be as prominent.

And this is something that I think works for these LIs' personalities! Because Tyril and Aerin are more reserved characters who need to be close to someone (in this case, through a relationship) before they are comfortable letting loose and truly being themselves. As in, you have to get past their initial lack of charm to get to their actual charm. Whereas Mal is the opposite because he is very charming and charismatic right off the bat, so you don't need to tease that out of him, but it's within the relationship that he can be more real, such as him admitting to MC after a b1 hookup that (before her) he wasn't used to wanting certainty, a home, and someone to share it with, plus the rest of that vulnerable conversation. So then, instead of Mal starting out more serious and having the relationship show him how to let loose, he starts out casual and the relationship emboldens him to be serious, I think is a way it could be put.

Aside from personalities, it's possible that the timelines play into this as well, when you think about it. Yeah, all three of these LIs have stated at different points throughout the series that they were attracted to MC upon meeting her, but Mal was the one who was a friend the longest before the dynamics took a turn for the romantic. Because while Mal's and Tyril's relationships with MC were both taken to another level that night they had their first kisses in the lodge, Mal had been traveling with MC longer (consider how long it takes the group to get from one location to another off-screen) and therefore had more time to grow platonically before something else was added to the mix.

And Aerin, of course, took the fastest track, given that MC could kiss him the very day they met, and, if romanced since book 1 (which is the case in my playthrough) at no point has their relationship ever been solely friendly as a result, and even when they grow back together in book 2, MC learning to be friends with him post-betrayal happens simultaneously as MC and Aerin rekindling their past romance. Considering his characterization, I'd like to point out that Aerin seems to have an easier time with romance than friendship, as (so far—shoutout non-VIPs) he doesn't really show hesitance when it comes to being with MC romantically (aside from worrying—completely reasonably, may I add—that she wouldn't want him after the stuff he's pulled) and does often take the lead in that regard, but it's the idea of budding friendship that sent him running for the hills. Even now, as of b3 ch 11, he's said he's "not there yet" about his closeness to the party, but didn't even hesitate before proudly introducing MC as the "love of his life" to his mother. In his case, it's definitely the relationship helping the friendship progress.

To finish this off, I'm not saying all of this stuff I've been pointing out is exclusive to the romance routes. Certainly someone who's not romancing these LIs can have moments in their playthroughs where they let down their guards to their MCs, but I feel that, within my playthough in which they are romanced, this is how their dynamics appear, and this recontextualizes scenes and dialogues that any player can get outside of their romances. So yeah, I'm not trying to minimize whatever friendships other people's MCs might have with these LIs and I'm definitely not implying that either friendship or romance is inherently better or more profound than the other. But just that ever since I came to the conclusion that the MalMC friendship feeds and elevates the MalMC romance while the TyrilMC/AerinMC romance feeds and elevates the TyrilMC/AerinMC friendship, I feel like I'm seeing their dynamics in a new light.

[stellarainn]

First post :]]. Drew my MC, Silas Halithien, and the keeper, Shea Clane, from The Virtue's end IF by @virtues-end <:]]

Silas has a hostile relationship with Shea, but he's madly in love with him at the same time. Like pick a struggle lmao.

[virtues-end]

✦ virtue’s end — patreon demo update november 19th 2024

Updated the Patreon demo with a few more scenes, worth around ~9.5k! A somewhat Shea-centric update, admittedly, though it also includes the MC's ritual to renew their Seals.

Check it out here!

[storges-oranges]

See, now I've got Leander x Senobium pupil!MC in mind. A full on oneshot on this blog? More like than you'd think!

Leander x reader.

Reader is referred to as MC, e/c = eyecolor,

⚠️ WARNINGS ⚠️ ; full blown Yandere Leander,DRUGGING, mentions murder, written at 2 am and not proofread.

This is very, very long. Apologies.

In this timeline, you probably know Leander as a flirty but overall good natured fellow. He is very down to earth given his talents, a stark contrast to the snoby culture fostered by the highborn or the otherwise wealthy dwellers of the senibium.

He likes talking to you bc you're an outsider just like him, sorta. You don't fit in with the blue bloods and golden spoons, but he does. While you try to keep a low profile to avoid being harrassed, he is followed around by a group of mages who want to learn from him, or fuck him, or use him to social climb or some combinations of the above. He is handsome and good at handling conversations and rumor says that he supplies a brand of moonshine only he can handle.

He probably ends up orbiting you because you keep to yourself -which is rare- and you seem to be genuinely interested in magics potential to better the world-even more rare. "Lucky!" he tells you one dayon the bench where you usually eat lunch- alone. "That's how I like 'em". You brushed him off then, pretending not to see the faint blush on his cheeks and ears and ignoring the funny feeling in your stomach at the sound of his boyish laugh.

He follows you around after that. Trailing behind you and making idle chatter as you make your way from lab to lab. He tells you about his day to day life, the secret underground parties. The crazy stuff people do while drunk on his weekly concoction. You ask if you can have some once. He tells you that he'd never forgive himself if anything happened to you because of it.

Of course its not like the rest of the world has forgotten about the most talented mage of this generation. You enter the spotlight by virtue of being around him as often. Everyone has something to say about the average-at-best mage who somehow managed to monopolize his attention. He tells you to ignore the mean remarks you two hear walking around.

Someone barks that they could give him a better time. He turns to them tells them he doubts it then bends down toward you and makes a piching sign with index and thumb, snickering.

Someone tells you they could pay you enough to stop pretending to be a mage. He rushes the both of you away, a noticeably tighther grip on your shoulder.

The next time you meet, its in one of the libraries, in the semi-privacy of the space between two book shelves. He's got a broken nose but no other damage is visible. He tells you you should see the other guy. You chastize him and he chukles.

"Worried about me?"

Your immediate answer, the sincerity in your tone, the frown your face, all of it makes him dizzy. He lens down and bumps your foreheads together. You can feel his breath. His warmth.

"Careful now. You might give a guy the wrong idea."

"Maybe its not 'the wrong idea' "

He blinks then. Once. Twice. A smile breaks on his face and he finally, finally kisses you.

You don't see him for a long, long while after that.

In his absence, things went to shit for you. Now, without him to protect you, you've become free game for any asshole who was bored, or had something to prove, or both.

You tried to fight back, as bravely as possible, you really did. But you were outnumbered. The indifference of the administrative clerk as he signed the expulsion notice with a golden pen reminded you of the shallowness of your own pockets.

Pockets which only became lighter after you were told to pay damages for the emotional distress you caused your highborn peers. And "wrongful use of magical powers". And "attempted murder".

Overkill, considering the only things you'd done was cast a spell on one that turned every food into rocks when in contact with their saliva and curse another with being shit on by birds, even indoors. Although that last one might've backfired; you remember a hooded figure near the gates shuffling around awkwardly when the cursed one walked by. Maybe you should revise your spells.

At any rate, you were now homeless and penniless. You thought you could seek shelter and employment with the local doctor as you knew a thing or two about medicinal plants. If he was really taking people in for free, he wouldn't begrudge an additional pair of hands to help. It would be a start. A place to stay at least, until you figured out whatever happened to Leander.

It was as though he transformed into smoke. No one knew of his whereabouts, at least in Hight town, and the people of Lowtown were less than cooperative with a mage from the Senobium. You would only have yourself to rely on to piece this mystery together

I imagine that as you're making you way into lowtown, however, a poster on the wall catches your attention. "Bloodhounds" it says, with a clear image of Leander. Your Leander front and center.

You would take to this "wet wick" (seriously? what kind of name is that???) as fast as possible then wouldn't you?

When you enter, you see him in the middle of a crowd, showing off a trick you remember him practicing in your room. He looks different. There are dark circles under his eyes now, and a scar making its way to his jaw to the appne of hos cheek. The crowd cheers and its a small miracle he spots you, you think.

His eyes widen, and you think you see the twinkle with the same glint as back then. He jumps off the table and the crowd parts for him. That much hasn't changed at least.

"Its... you"

It comes out of him like he didn't mean for it to. Then "Why are you here? You should be..." he stops himself and looks around to the people already absorbed in their drinks. Then turns to you "Lets talk outside".

You think you should say something. But seeing him in the flesh like this, albeit more solumn than you've know him is making you mum.

His hand finds your shoulder.I like to think the ease with which he maneuvers the both you through the crown surprises you both. You because you understand why you're being so cooperative, so pliable. Him, because he didn't think his body remembered a time before, well, everything.

His hand still on your should after you've made your way out. Neither of you questions it.

"Why are you he-"

"Where were you?" you cut him and then raising a hand to his scarred cheek "And what happened ?"

He doesn't react to your touch. At least, not in a way you noticed. There was a time when he couldn't hide a thing from you, long ago.

"Well" he smiles, lets his hand travel from your your shoulder, palm lightly squeezing its way to your forearm, your elbow before resting on the back your hand "Alot happened. Much more than can be discussed in a single evening".

He nuzzles your hand then, caressing the back of it with his gloved thumb.

"Let's give it a try anyways" you say "Let it take as long as necessary."

He looks down at you and the emotions dancing in his eyes are unreadable.

"More than one evening? With little old me?" his small smiles turns into a full blown before he hears you groan. "Careful" he kisses your palm "You might give a guy the wrong idea."

He tells you what he saw in lowtown. The people gathered around the doctor-Kuras he tells you- half dead from a soulless attack. He declares to have lost faith in the Senobium that day and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"With the bloodhounds?"

"With the bloodhounds." He confirms, swirling around a glass with his newest concoction. He refuses to let you have any. At least some things never change, you tell yourself, amused.

"And you? What are you doing so far away from the Senobium?"

You tell him all about your misadventures, the rocks, the bird shit curse. He laughs so hard at your mention of the hooded stranger and almost chokes himself on the olive in his drink.

"Well" he says, once he catches his breath "what are you planning on doing now?"

You look down on your glass of water. Now that you know he alive, more than that, he had a purpose now. You.... not so much.

You didn't see yourself staying together with such a.... spirited?.... bunch. Besides, you'd had enough of Eridia as it was. True the rest of the known work was covered in the shroud but.... who knows? Maybe...

"Eridia to MC! Eridia to MC! MC, are you with us?"

Leander is all up in your space now. Arm around your shoulder, forehead to your temple and his glass, with a neon green liquid still swirling in it. The movement is so hypnothising you almost zone out again, if it weren't for Leander moving it out of your sight.

"No, no. I told you this wasn't for you"

You turn to look at him and without think you blabber something about his eyes and he hums before closing them, which seems to take you out of your stupor.

"How odd"

"What is, love?"

You do your best to ignore the nickname.

"The drink it looked.... Its like it had an effect on me. And then, with your eyes...."

You yelp when he kisses your temple, mumbling a "smart" under his breath. He looks at you with something not too different from pride.

"You're right. Its a little booster. Makes negotiations with the leaders of rival groups easier."

A chill runs down your spine. You're suddenly jkeenly aware of his arm trapping you against him. But...of course there would be some underhanded tactics. This is the underworld, for crying out loud! But to think that Leander of all people would implement such methods....

He senses your apprehension.

"Believe me" he says "this is far better than the alternative."

"Which is?"

"A bloodbath" he downs the rest of his drink in one go. "Too many people get caught in the crossfire of territorial disputes"

He brings you closer to him with the arm circling you and points to a man sitting at a table, fiddling with a wooden toy.

"That's kai" Leander continues "He lost his wife and daughter in one of those disputes. He used to work as a carpenter. Real upstanding guy. Would make toys for every kid who asked. Now he just comes here, gets black out drunk, waits to see if we're planning a raid on the bastards responsible for his grief, and leaves"

Kai looks at the both of you and nods, though likely directed at Leander, and goes back to the comically small toy in his hands.

"Tragedies like this can occur at anytime here, MC. I have to do what I can to limit the damage to the community"

You look down, ashamed of having doubted him.

"I suppose you're right.... Sorry."

"Hey now" he smiles "don't be like that. Lets leave the depressing stuff behind. You haven't told what you're planning to do now that the world is your oyster"

You smile back, thankful for the subject change.

"Well, now that the world really is my oyster, i was thinking i could see more of it."

You can feel him tense up.

"To be clear, when I said "the world", I meant Eridia"

"Well" you chuckle "You should have been more specific"

"Duly noted. I will be next time" he replies. "But just so you know, i doubt there is much out there but fogfall."

You shrug and opt to play with your own, now empty, glass of water" Who knows? Maybe there are secrets waiting to be discovered not too far from here even."

Something flashes on his face when you look to him and for a second, he looked like a stranger again. But the moment is gone before you can think it further.

"Well, you can stay here for as long as you need to. On me, of course" he takes your empty glass in your hands and asks the waiter to fill it up again.

"What? No! I couldn't ask that of you"

"No need to be shy" the waither chimes in, glass of water in hand "No one here would let the boss's partner sleep out on the street"

You want to deny the implication that you two are together. It wasn't something you discussed back then even after your private moment in the library since he disappeared. And now that you were thinking of leaving....

The cold glass against your fingertips brings you back to earth again.

"See?" Leander says. "No problem"

"Besides" the waiter replies " I'm sure the boss will pay wonderfully for his partners comfort"

"Oh come on!" Leander cries "Can't you do a friend a favor? My blood hounds and I bring much needed traffic to this place!"

The waiter is already making a round of other drinks when he affirms that the price of the furniture destroyed each night far outweighs whatever their unbridled consumption brings in.

You spend the rest of evening watching Leander haggle the price down to not-quite-a-premium-suite. And laugh and his dejected face each time he has to break up a fight that threatens to bankrupt him anymore than he, allegedly is already.

As you watch him scold his bloodhounds, you cant help but notice how much respect everyone has for him here. Its seems you needed him more than he did you.

Maybe its your turn to spread your wings.

Which would be easier if one group was willing to take you!

As optimistic as you were, traveling through the dhroug alone would be utter foolishness. Yet no matter how much of your hard earned money you offered, no one would bring you along.

Leander was always there to cheer you up. However, after the 5th refusal you started loosing hope.

"Hey" Leander would say, hand your shoulder, a constant, these days. "I'm sorry it's not going your way just yet. But don't worry you'll always have the wet wick even if you have a change of plans and choose to stay. You'll always have me"

And after the 8th offer got turned down, it really did seem that you would have to rethink your previous plan.

You were a bit ashamed to admit that your first independent endeavor since leaving the Senobium would end so pitifully. Leander managed to throw together a small army of good Samaritans and here you were, somehow struggling, even without habing to pay rent. It's at times like these that the compentence gap between you and Leander became as clear as day. He was a prodigy, you were just good enough by. At least you were, back then.

Maybe it was your nostalgia for a time when the both of you were on a somewhat equal footing that lead you to Hightown. And you would've turned back, unwilling to deal with snobbish sneers, if it weren't for a sign that read :

"WESTERN EXPEDITION: HEALER AND MAGE WANTED, ALL MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES PROVIDED FOR"

Well, if this wasn't your lucky day! You were a mage, but you had a good basis for making heeling potions!

By the time you run toward the Wet Wick to tell Leander, you're out of breath.

"Love? Whats got you excited?"

"LOOK" is all you can say, as you shove the signed contract in his face.

His smile stays on as he reads.

"Congratulations!" He exclaims. "This calls for a celebration doesn't it?" He instructs the waiter to give everyone a free round in your honor, on him of course.

The cheers that fill the room do nothing to help you come down from the high of finally, finally being on the cusp of doing something with yourself.

"Oh Leander I can't believe it!"

".....Me neither. Where'd you meet these guys, never seen them around here" he plops down on the chair beside you, your contract still in hand.

" I know right? I found them while wandering around in Hightown"

Leander hums at that. The waiter brings out his drink and your water as you excitedly tell him about the expedition team and the purpose of the trip.

"Can you imagine if we discover the ruins of Lovent?"

He laughs, tipsy,boyish.

"Then you..." he tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ear, and your breath hitches ".... would have your name marked down in history."

"Yeah" you say, dazed yourself from the way he looks at you.

His voice is low when he speaks again. "Want to toast?"

The mention of drinking makes you squeamish.

"It wont be that one of course. And if you don't believe me, you can make a one yourself and have me drink it"

You gawk at the suggestion. "You would let me make one of your pacifying drinks AND drink it?"

"Yup"

"Don't you have any sense of self preservation?"

"Nope"

You take him up on it, mostly because you want to call his bluff. But as he walks you through the steps of his signature drink, you realize, with mounting horror, that this does exactly what he said it would.

"Look at you" he says proudly " Succeeding on your first try"

"I had a good mentor" you reply

"Uh-huh." He nods "No doubts about it. But we have now arrived at the crucial step; the taste test."

You're uneasiness is now a pit in tour stomach so heavy it threatens to collapse on itself.

"Are-are you sure? You really don't have to you know"

"Chickening out so late in the game MC?"

Whatever levity he hoped to bring to this situation is lost on you. Seeing you tesed up form, he takes out his gloves and holds out his hands. You answer by holding them up in yours surprised at how warm they are. You'd forgotten that he tends to run hot, so much so that he could withstand the autumn air with a simple linen shirt. You're memories at your time in the Senobium resurface, making you tear up.

"Hey.... hey don't cry! Its your day!"

But you cannot bring yourself to stop and so op to hide your face in chest instead which he accommodates, as he engulfs you in his warm is comforting embrace.

"I cant believe we will be separated again soon" you whisper.

"Well" he begins, his right hand carressing your back "If I were to say you don't need to, would make you reconsider?"

You sniff before shaking your head, incidentally burrying yourself deeper into his generous chest .

"I need to do this. To prove myself to myself." Then, you look up at him slightly "So that i can stand beside you proudly".

You've seen his eyes grow wide before, but never like this. You hear his laughter better by being so close.

"You keep surprising me" he admits "If this is what this is about, I promise you there's no need. I want you beside me. Its not something you've got to earn"

"I know. But everyone here has earned their place beside. I won't be the exception to that."

He kisses your forehead. "But you're not everyobe else. Not to me"

You feel childish to so stubbornly stick to your guns despite his reassurances but you've already decided the matter and besides, there was no turning back now.

"I see there's no talking you out of it then." comes his response to your silence. "Alright. Then I'll just have bid you farewell and wish safe travels early tomorrow. "

"I leave in a week, Leander!"

"I know, but its not enough time. Will you help me drown my sorrows?"

You reluctantly leave the safety of his bosom to look at your iteration of Leanders "negotiations specifical". You take care to slowly infuse the mixture with magic to avoid overheating it. You stop right as the drink threatens to bubble and spill.

"There" you warily present your e/c glass to his lips, cuping his jaw with your free hand."Careful, it's hot"

"Oh, I know" he winks at you.

You resist the urge to pour the drink on him in retaliation for his lame joke as you tilt the cup towards him.

He greedily gulps it all, without breaking eye contact with you. By the time the glass is empty you feel the heat in your cheeks intensify.

"Thank you, Love." Then after a beat "Though you look a little flushed. Are you alright?"

He's right. There must be too many people at the wet wick tonight, the atmosphere has grown suffocating.

"Yeah... yes." you should make your way to your room now. You had a meeting with the rest of the team. You can't aford to be late because you partied too much.

"I think this is it for me Leander" you tell him, barely managing to keep your voice straight. "I need to lay my head down a bit"

Leander, ever so dependable, offers to help you to your room.

"Thank you Leander." He chuckles "Whatever for?" "Everything, helping me out here, protecting me at the Senobium. I.... I really missed you back then". That seems to touch him somehow as you feel him briefly stopping in his tracks.

He sits you down on your bed and with a strangely pointed look asks; "You did?"

"Of course! I went looking for you everywhere you know? I thought you were dead for a second! You could've sent a message at least!!!!"

The room is spinning, you hold onto Leander for dear life. He seems satisfied with your answer and places one last kiss on your forehead before undoing your shoes for you and tucking you in.

Tomorrow you will be

You wake up the next day feeling oddly hungry. In your haste, you don't bother looking at the clock. As you run down the stairs, you are greeted by Leander, a tray of food in his hands. He must have been on his way to your room.

"Hello there! How are you feeling?"

"Better! But I need to hurry up and get ready. Thank you for the meal by the way. Want to eat with me?"

Upon his enthusiastic approval, the both of you make your way back to your room. Breakfast is spent reminiscing your days at the Senobium.

You're both in such bliss, only interrupted when duty calls Leander.

"I'll see you around then, love. Take care"

You look at your room and figure it is overdue for a bit of tidying up. It shouldn't take much time.

As you clean up your space, you come accross the tools you thought would be useful for the

. You decide to arrange them to avoid misplacing them. What if you need them one day? You would be happy they were in the right place!

Some of them came from your time in the Senobium. You figured they could be more useful for Leander. What with his line of work after all. It's not like you have that much use for them anyway.

Its good to keep your space tidy. This is where you will be for a while after all. Although a bit rundown, the place isn't too bad, especially considering ot basically came free, meals included, and good, if somewhat rowdy, company. What more could you want? Nothing really.