#you’re expected to look at the text rather than the characters

[anim-ttrpgs]

More rambling On the subject of TTRPGs as a disrespected artform.

There’s a bunch of reasons for this disrespect being present that I could get into but I’m going to focus on the most relevant one to this topic: TTRPGs are helpless.

To explain what I mean I’m going to make a comparison to video games, or at least action-adventure type video games. Those have a lot of similarity to “trad” and “neo-trad” TTRPGs, which are nominally the most popular style of TTRPG (even though it seems like half the player base would rather be playing something else but again another tangent). Both of these are usually about protagonists using abilities to avoid or defeat adversaries and avoid traps and progress through a series of hazardous areas.

Video games are not helpless. They can assert themselves on the player. When you lose in a video game and you’re like “Aw no way, I didn’t want that to happen!” The video game can say “No, Mario fell in the pit, Master Chief got blown up by a grenade, Pac-man got caught by a ghost, you lose. According to the rules of the game, you have to try again from a checkpoint.” And you have to do it. The game forces you to start over.

In a TTRPG, if your guy gets killed and you object to that, the TTRPG can at most offer a weak textual protest as you or the game master flips the die over to a more favorable number.

Of course plenty of video games have cheat codes, hacks, mods, etc. that can remove that power from the video game to force you to follow the rules of the game, but not everyone has the knowledge or skills to use those, whereas everyone can flip a die over or just lie about the number. Plus, doing this is looked upon less favorably in the culture of video games than in the culture of ttrpgs. I mean, it’s in the name. “Cheat” codes. You’re cheating.

If somebody brags about how they beat Elden Ring with no deaths but then you mention that you hacked the game to give your character infinite HP, people will go “hey wait a minute,” but if you brag about how your character was so badass when they defeated a hundred cultists at once in D&D5e, because the DM kept saying the cultists missed every time the rules say they should’ve hit and you kept saying your character hits every time the rules say their attack should miss, nobody bats an eye. It’s even more accepted and expected that a DMPC will materialize out of thin air to kill everything every time the party picks a fight they can’t win.

Ultimately, a lot of the urge to cheat like this I think comes from the fact that people are introduced to neo-trad TTRPGs like D&D5e through critical role and also its playerbase’s general fixation on pre-planned plots and heavily scripted scenes that rely on characters never dying(which was not invented by critical role but was heavily bolstered by them). The only way that these goals can be achieved is by cheating, since D&D5e really doesn’t support that kind of thing, so they get into a habit of cheating. They get into the mindset that the rules don’t matter and can only get in the way of their intended gameplay. Which is of course because their intended gameplay is not something D&D5e was made for.

Then gradually they trickle into other games besides D&D5e, and assume that those games’ rules don’t matter either, completely deflecting and disregarding the experience that the designer intended players to have with their art. Or worse, they become TTRPG designers themselves, and write their own rules based on the assumption that the rules don’t matter which not only results in shitty gameplay experiences for people who are trying to follow these thoughtlessly-written rules, but also further reinforces the infectious idea that TTRPG rules don’t matter. But dude. TTRPGs aren’t anything *but* rules. The rules text is the whole game. Saying the rules don’t matter is like saying the paint on the canvas doesn’t matter! Yes! It matters because those colors of paint in those places placed there intentionally by the artists are what makes it a painting and make up the whole experience of experiencing the painting!

So we have a huge demographic in the TTRPG fanbase that thinks that the very artform itself is, at best, valueless and at worst actively bad!

Reading comprehension check!

Things I did not say in this post:

“We need to expel any particular demographic and never let them play.” (But maybe if they don’t like our artform, they should try to find one more suited to their needs instead of twisting another artform into something else.)

“You’re never allowed to adjust or homebrew a rule to fit the intentional gameplay experience you’re going for.” (But if you find yourself doing this all the time, either before you have even played the game normally, or constantly on the fly in most or all sessions, maybe you need to find a different game altogether.)

Exerpt from Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy. (with art by @theblackwarden )

[oathofkaslana]

i cant talk for any other hyv game but i do think it’s interesting how hi3 and genshin’s story flaws/ideals are bc of the very specific medium they’re in.

[pnutbutter-n-j-elyy]

HELLOOO first off love your writing and how you write the characters!

I don't know if you requests are open or not, if they aren't then just ignore this

Can you please do a reaction of whoever you want in stray kids being used to dating gold diggers they usually pay for everything and when they don't their s/o would get mad

So when they cancel your date to a very fancy restaurant because they were sick they expected you to be mad but instead you came to his house made him soup and took care of them the whole time :))))

Plus points if they're touch starved and love having you physically babying them and play with their hair

Midas Touch | Seungmin

Seungmin x gn!reader

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Seungmin wasn’t sure what to expect when he sent the text.

He stared at his phone, the screen glowing with your contact, hesitation gnawing at him. Cancelling plans was never easy, but it was particularly hard when he thought about your excitement for tonight’s dinner. He could still remember the way your eyes lit up when he mentioned the reservation at that fancy restaurant downtown- a place he was far too familiar with, thanks to his past relationships.

Those relationships had been…transactional, to say the least. Each time, Seungmin found himself with people who seemed more interested in what he could give them than who he truly was. The constant gift-giving, the endless high-end dates- it was what they expected. And when he couldn’t provide it, when life happened and plans were cancelled, it always led to the same disappointed reaction.

The expectations weighed on him, but with you? He wasn’t sure what to expect. Would you be upset like the others?

With a sigh, he hit send:

I’m sorry, I have to cancel dinner tonight. I’m not feeling well.

He pressed his phone to his chest, his free hand tapping on his knee lightly while waiting for the inevitable “Oh, really? Can’t you just power through?” or the disappointed silence that followed whenever he wasn’t able to meet those expectations.

But your response came much quicker than anticipated.

Oh no, poor thing! I’m coming over, sit tight <3 !!

His brow furrowed as he re-read your message. You were coming over? No protest, no irritation at the lost reservation? He blinked at his phone, almost unable to believe it. The kind of reaction he was so used to- the irritation, the sigh of inconvenience -it didn’t come like he expected.

An hour later, there was a soft knock on his door, and when he opened it, there you were, holding a bag that smelled like fresh soup. Your face was laced with concern, your nose red from the harsh cold as your eyes scanning him over like you were already assessing his health.

"Y/N, you didn’t have to come all the way here," Seungmin murmured, already feeling a little guilty for dragging you into this. His voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat.

But you just gave him a soft smile and stepped inside. "Of course I did. You’re sick, Seungmin. Who else is going to take care of you otherwise?"

That simple question left him speechless.

He wasn’t used to someone wanting to take care of him- he was used to being the one who was expected to provide, to look after others. He watched as you took off your coat, making yourself comfortable in his space without a second thought, moving toward his kitchen like it was second nature to you.

For the next few hours, he watched in disbelief as you fussed over him. You made sure he drank water, helped him eat the soup you'd brought, and even tidied up his apartment a little, though it wasn’t necessary since he was a clean man. And each time you checked on him, each time you brushed your hand over his forehead to feel for a fever, or when you gently ruffled his hair, something inside him sparked- or rather melted.

It was strange, this feeling of being cared for. He realized how touch-starved he truly was, how much he craved this kind of closeness without even knowing it.

How much he actually loved it when it came from you- as he hated it from others.

Every time your fingers skimmed his hair, he felt a warmth that had nothing to do with his fever. When you tucked him in on the couch, playfully patting his arm and settling beside him, he leaned into your touch without even thinking about it.

And that’s when the weight of it all hit him- the difference between you and everyone else who had been in his life before.

He’d always thought his value was in what he could give, how much he could provide. But with you, it wasn’t about that. It never had been.

Seungmin’s thoughts drifted to the legend of King Midas- the man whose touch turned everything into gold. For Midas, his gift had become a curse; no matter what he touched, it lost its warmth, its life. He realized he had been living like that -surrounded by gold, by riches and luxury, but none of it held meaning.

But you…you weren’t like that.

You weren’t interested in the gold, in the material things he could give. You were interested in him. Your touch wasn’t a curse; it was warmth, real and alive. It brought him back to life in a way that no extravagant date ever could.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Seungmin’s voice came out quieter than he intended, a mix of vulnerability and genuine curiosity. "I thought you’d be mad that I cancelled. Especially since it was a nice restaraunt...expensive..." He trailed off, his puppy eyes trailing up to your face to gauge your reaction.

Were you...truly not upset about this at all?

You turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowing like you couldn’t believe he’d even ask that. "Mad? Why would I be mad? You’re sick, Seungmin. Of course I’m gonna be here. Besides, this is cheaper anyway! A nice little stay-in date. The second cheapest soup in the store is the best soup." You stated matter of factly. "Paired with some kimbap and drink of your choice-" You held up your finger in an "okay" sign and winked. "This is even better than if we ate out!" You saaid clapping once as you reached for food.

He blinked at you, a little taken aback by the sincerity in your voice.

"You...mean that?"

"Mhm, why wouldn't I?" You asked, stuffing the closest thing into your mouth, not looking at Seungmin, rather focused on your convenience store goodies.

"It’s just…I’m not used to this."

"What do you mean?" you gently tugged the blanket over him, sliding yourself under the corner as well, your fingers brushing his arm as you adjusted it.

"I’m used to…" He hesitated, feeling a little exposed. "People getting upset when I can’t…provide. Fancy dates, expensive gifts. That kind of thing."

You smiled, soft and a little sad, as if the idea of anyone expecting that from him was ridiculous. "I’m not here for any of that. I mean, yeah, those things are nice, but I’m here for you, Seungmin. I like you for you. Not for what you can give me."

He swallowed hard, the words sinking deep into him. He had heard it before, in half-hearted reassurances from past partners, but this -this felt real.

You meant it.

And it hit him harder than he expected. His heart hammered in his chest.

Is this what real love felt like...you guys hadn't exchanged that word yet...but...

In this moment he felt the urge to.

"I guess I just don’t know what that feels like," he admitted, his voice softer now, his gaze dropping to the blanket covering him, as he fought that temptation.

You reached out, running your fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. "Well, now you do. You’re stuck with me, even when you’re sick."

He let out a soft laugh, the kind that shook his chest and made him wince slightly from his sore throat. "I think I’m okay with that."

And just like that, Seungmin felt something crack open inside him -a part of himself that had been so tightly guarded, so afraid of being hurt. But with you, he felt safe. Safe enough to lean into your touch, to lay in your lap to let himself be cared for without fear of what you might want in return.

I think I'm in love.

No...I am in love.

As you continued to softly play with his hair, Seungmin’s eyes fluttered closed.

He realized that this was what he had been missing -this golden touch that wasn’t about wealth or status. It was about love, about care, about someone being there for him even when things weren’t perfect or glamorous.

He had spent so long being afraid of turning everything around him into something superficial, something gilded and lifeless. But with you, it wasn’t about gold or riches.

It was about your golden touch -the one that brought him comfort, warmth, and something more valuable than anything money could buy.

When Seungmin finally drifted off into a fevered sleep, the corners of his lips were curled into the softest of smiles. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly cared for.

He truly felt loved.

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@abovenyx @wolfs-archive @oddracha

@iyeeeverydee @parisanmorovati @seungmincenteric

@panbish-1209 @fxiry-vtt @sseawavee

@shuporanporang @amarecerasus @softkisshyunjin

@whoa-jo @meanergreener @rikibun

@ayyonoona @shinywombatcrusade @y4yayael

@skzstan12345 @mariteez @allys-reads

@jazziwritesthings @skzstannie @yongbokkiesworld

@kkkeopi @neverendingstay @moony-9

@minsungsthirdwheel @everlastingspring143 @joyofbebbanburg

@leezanetheofficial @tr-mha-fan @bubbly-moon

@night-storm7 @missmajdastark @axel-skz

[heevanly]

.ᐟ TEASER: LATE NIGHT TALKS : LEE HEESEUNG (이희승)

𝐬yn. : being the host of a college late night radio talk show was a passion project since freshman year of college, but now as a senior, y/n hadn't expected the fame it brought to herself on campus... but maybe it was the recent string of murders that caused more tuning in than ever seen before.

𝐰arnings. / 𝐭ags. : (18+!). series, not sure how many parts yet. gore. horror. college au. humor. mildly suggestive. no smut. slight smau...potentially? character death. enha members as side characters. lsf members as side characters. more to be added.

𝐩airing. : ghostface!co-radio host!heeseung x radio host!fem!reader

© @heevanly 2024 | do NOT copy, plagiarize, reupload, or steal my works.

RELEASE DATE : MAY 19TH, 2024

TEASER WC : roughly 1.2k

FULL FIC IS OUT READ HERE!

❝welcome welcome welcome toooo SCU 101.85, you’re currently tuning in to the 10 o’clock pm talk show. i’m your host y/n and i’m here with my co-host..” you turn away from the microphone and glance at your co-host, lee heeseung.

“heeseung.” he speaks up into his microphone, shuffling a few papers around.

“and it’s currently a friday night, it’s 67 degrees out with a small breeze too so make sure you wear that jacket!” you chirp.

heeseung snorts and you pass him a look which he returns with a shrug, “you just sound chipper.. s’all.”

“ah.. well our ratings have been going up again.. it’s better than we’ve been seeing these past four months.. so.”

the past four months have been rather difficult for you and heeseung and the radio show. when you started this project sophomore year, it had just been you and your roommate kim chaewon, your ratings were steady in the beginning but had started declining after two months, which made your at the time co-host and roommate, quit. you don’t blame her, you nearly stopped too, which was before heeseung hit you up asking if you still needed another co-host.

accepting his help was the best thing you had done, his roommates jake and jay were all about the technical jargon behind running a radio show, which the reasoning was apparently the three had thoughts about starting a podcast but couldn’t get the timing right to actually get it started, so here they were willing to help you out.

production took off and the four of you found yourselves seeing steady viewers and got to even open a talk line, which was a segment that both you and heeseung took seriously, finding fun in chatting with anonymous students with various complaints they had of others, professors, relationships, or whatever else going on in their lives.

then, out of nowhere four months ago, the viewers started thinning out, causing your small team of four’s good feelings to falter. having been used to success it was shocking to be randomly met with a hard wall and seemingly, no way of getting out.

heeseung and your’s efforts were all in vain as you tried advertising the radio talk show, you had chaewon talk to her friends about spreading the show, heeseung talked to about it to his other friends and also had them spread the word. jake would mention it at his part time job, and jay even mentioned it at a small on-campus event, which he texted that he was never doing again out of sheer embarrassment.

heeseung hums, “well.. i could imagine people have been feeling a bit safer because of us, due to…” he trails off.

right, there's been a few recent deaths that have plagued not only your campus, but the town. you claim they’re very obviously murders while heeseung’s been claiming it’s been various unfortunate accidents. so far the death toll has hit only four, two on campus, one at a campus nearby, and one on the outskirts of town.

“the murders.” you finish his sentence off, gravelly.

heeseung rolls his eyes, but remembers that the listeners can’t actually see that, “you’re so obsessed with these being murders,” he teases.

“well.. it’s quite obvious, no?” you ask.

“ehh, i wouldn’t really say so, besides the two on campus cause they were ruled as a murder-suicide. besides that was two months ago and the one at KTU was concluded to be an unfortunate accident, shit what did they say about how she died again?” heeseung racks his brain, trying to remember how the girl from KTU died two weeks ago.

you scatter your papers around, “wasn’t it something about a lab issue..? their school got to close down because of it, that’s.. uh.. kind of all i remember about that.”

“oh you’re going to hell, haven’t you been following this whole thing since the murder-suicide on campus..?” heeseung laughs loudly and you slump in your chair, embarrassment flooding your system.

you sit back up and clear your throat, “in my defense..”

heeseung accusing points at you, “you! don’t have one.”

“pause, yes i do! rude…. my defense is that the fourth one’s been throwing me off with this whole thing, that i focused a little less on the third girl.” you huff out.

the fourth death was the weirdest in the whole thing so far, it happened a few days ago and it’s been the only one where the person involved wasn’t in the same age range and died supposedly.. well.. naturalistically. it had been a middle aged man, who was on his way home from work. apparently the report and the news claimed his tire gotten flat and when he had gotten out to check on it, he had been mauled by a pack of wolves wandering through.

the police and how they concluded it just didn’t make sense to you, you stayed up for two days trying to determine it all. first, wolves hadn’t been sighted in that area for several months so a random pack coming through didn’t make sense. second, the blood inside the car, how did it even manage to get in there if the man was supposedly outside? the third rea-

heeseung snaps his fingers to try and get your attention back to the talk show, “hey, y/n, quit thinking about it, you’re just gonna make yourself paranoid.. or worse.. obsess over this.”

“my bad, i just need to stay up on all this, our viewers need the information, they deserve the best after all.”

“and the best of the best is from two college seniors..?” heeseung raises an eyebrow.

“absolutely!” you respond, “we’re the only ones giving multiple sides to these events and ways to stay safe.”

“i’m sure the news have been doin all that too though.”

“pff, news schmooze,” you wave your hand at heeseung, “college students don’t care about tuning into the morning news before classes or turning the evening news on, we’re a source of entertainment AND murder mystery, and that’s what eats up.” 

“you’re greedy, y/n, soo greedy.” heeseung shoots a grin your way, a way to let you know he doesn’t mean it.

trying to stop a grin from making its way on your face, you roll your eyes, “oh suck my dick lee heeseung.” 

“gladlyyy..” he wiggles his eyebrows and chuckles into his microphone.

“you’re a freak..” you gather your papers back up and glance up at the clock, 10:26 pm, time to open up the first talk line segment of the night.

you give a small nod towards heeseung and he nods back and clears his throat, “well well well SCU you are listening on 101.85 and it’s rolling up to 10:30 pm, we got a two minute sponsor for y’all and when we come back live, our callers will be up discussin’ random whatever with us. give us a call at +82 70-5208-6001 and see if you’re lucky enough. again that is +82 70-5208-6001. see you all very soon."

both you and heeseung give a thumbs up to the room in front of you and jay switches your sets off, rolling the sponsor. a few seconds pass and before you’re able to turn to heeseung to just casually chat, the switchboard for the phone calls light up, more so than you’ve ever seen before.

[omgwhatchloe]

REASONS WHY HAVING SOME RDR2 CHARACTERS AS YOUR PASSENGER IN YOUR CAR SUCKS:

Charles: Only talks to points out every single animal he sees. Other than that, it’s just silence unless you start the conversation or you’re Arthur. Oh but trust me, he wants the AUX. He’s just not gunna ask.

John: Either demands the AUX cord or just connects it anyway, then proceeds to be musically inconsiderate with what he plays. You despise this song with every ounce of your being? Too bad. This song reminds you of your lowest point? Suck it up buttercup. This was playing in the car when you crashed and killed the person in the passenger seat? Womp womp.

Dutch: Seems to think it’s his car. In fact, he feels completely free to change the music, turns up the heat as much as he pleases, winds the windows up and down, moves his seat constantly etc etc.

Reverend Swanson and Mary-Beth: Car sick. So very car sick. Your two options when driving them anywhere is the sound of heavy breathing with the sounds of the highway being blasted in through the open window, or bags rustling with the sound of puking and groaning. Trust me, they’d rather have walked as well.

Javier: Awful navigator. It’s fine when you know where you’re going, but absolutely awful when you need navigation. Half the time, you look over and he’s gone off the navigation app and is playing subway surfers and texting. The other half of the time, he’s misreading the directions then yelling at YOU. Not to mention it’s completely unsurprising to wonder why you’ve been driving for so long then find he’s clicked on the entire wrong destination without a second thought.

Sean: Acts like he’s never eaten before in his life as soon as he gets into the car. Sees a Wendy’s? He’s suddenly starving. Burger King? He hasn’t eaten in three days. KFC? He’ll pay you back, he swears! In fact, the man has absolutely no problem being late for anything if you stop for food. You could be on the way to Davey’s funeral, already running late and suddenly pull into the Krispy Kreme carpark and you would not hear a single protest from him.

Micah: Yaps a whole lot of waffle about how he’s all this n all that to the point you don’t even know what he’s saying anymore and neither does he. Also enjoys flipping random people off and yelling shit out of the window. Expect to be chased by an angry driver for at least 12 miles.

Bill: Eats and then just throws his trash on the floor without a single second thought. If you ask him to pick it up, he will, but not without angrily grumbling and snatching it up. Is in a bad mood for about 2 minutes before he realises he wants to yap so does.

Karen, Uncle, Abigail and Sean: Distracts the driver. Whether it’s with yapping or loud videos or drinking or messing with the music volume, they somehow keep it up from the start of the drive right to the end.

Hosea: Puts his feet up and puts his seat back like he’s in bed. Just won’t sit normally. Will give you a ‘look’ when you ask him to put them down.

Lenny: Makes things awkward, because the first thing he does is comment on the dirtiness of your car then looks extremely shocked and uncomfortable at himself for saying that for about 7 seconds before pulling out his phone and facetiming Sean for the whole drive and giving you the same looks Hosea does when you try to speak to him. When not on the phone, he tends to respond with shrugs and “Okay then,” while folding him arms and staring out of the window. Seems to be in an awful mood until he’s out of the car. He hates car rides if it’s not with his favourite people.

Molly: Acts like you can’t drive. Struggling to see what’s right in front of you? Molly’s got your back! Seriously, she will yell at you to stop at the red light you had already seen 7 seconds ago and started to slow for. Old woman crossing (while you’re already stopped)? She will yell at you not to go so loud you debate kicking her out and making her get her own car, since she knows so much.

Tilly and Strauss: Tries to get you to speed. It’s like they’ve never heard of laws before, and will insist you ‘go faster’ even though your way is blocked by other cars. It’s painfully obvious they both can’t drive and have never had to pay for gas money.

Miss Grimshaw: Absolutely disgusted by your car and wants to make that very clear. It wouldn’t be surprising if halfway through, she started to clean it herself.

Jack: Really really really wants to press that horn. You’d find it cute at first, but so goddamn annoying when your car starts honking in the middle of a busy crossing. It’s like a constant slap-fight except you’re pushing his hands away every-time they come for the horn.

Arthur: Constantly asking to pull over. He’ll casually say “stop here” as if you’re a taxi, not to mention you’re in the middle of nowhere on the highway and you really don’t understand what a stranger mission means. Commonly, you have to explain things like how you’re already an hour late and you literally do not have the room to drive that family of five that’s broken down anywhere, nor can you stop at an empty warehouse and potentially get arrested for trespassing because he wants to explore.

Kieran: Terrified when you go slightly over the speed limit. He acts like he’s in an F1 race with no seatbelt being hung out of the window.

[lidiasloca]

more than this (azriel x reader)

summary: after Azriel and reader had a summer together, the last thing Az was expecting was to face her again. (angst).

next chapter

chapter one

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The light-heading heat of the summer was to its end. And so were the days and nights of love with Azriel.

You remind yourself that that had been the plan since the beginning. Just a summer thing. After summer, no more seeing each other.

That’s what the both of you had agreed. Yet you had broken one rule already: It wasn’t just a summer thing for you.

And now, you are breaking another rule. You are going to begin the Valkyrie training. Meaning: you are going face Azriel, everyday.

The reason why you are enlisted to these training sessions wakes you from distant thoughts. “No, y/n, Azriel is not one of those; I promise.”

“Not one of those? Mor,” You echo. “So what? You think he’ll kiss me once I enter the training ring?” She doesn’t miss the hint of sarcasm in your words.

Your friend turns to you, now fully dressed, and says, “no, smartass. I’m not saying he will kiss you and tell you he wants forever with you. I’m just saying that he won’t ignore you. He’s not one to pretend nothing happened.”

You hum, processing her words and trying to ignore the hurt you feel about the part where she says Azriel will not want to be with you forever.

He had explicitly said he wanted nothing serious, yet you… Gods, you had it bad.

“At this point, I’m not sure if I’d be better off with him ignoring me.” You know for certain that isn’t true. At all.

“I think that’s quite a big lie,” she laughs as she walks to you, looping her arm with yours. “Come on; you don't want to be late and thereby draw Azriel’s attention, huh?”

You give no answer as she leads you to the living room, where Rhys is waiting to fly you. Rhysand and someone else, you suppose, since it’s both Mor and you that have to be flown. Someone else-

Before Mor opens the door to the living room, his scent hits you like a slap. But before you can react, the door is already open, and Azriel is there in front of you. You’re sure your heart misses a beat.

He’s wearing his usual leathers, his expression is usual, calm, and yet… yet you deem him ethereally beautiful, more beautiful than you remembered him, even.

You can’t help but smile as you enter the room, hoping he’ll smile back.

But when he turns to look at you, his eyes are bored. Unimpressed. Like he doesn’t know you at all.

Something breaks in your heart.

“Y/n.” You turn to Rhys, realizing he is here, too. He says friendly, “are you ready?”

You glance swiftly back to Mor, and she gives you a look that you assume means pity. The tension between Azriel and you must’ve been quite obvious if Mor noticed.

You try to swallow your hurt and make yourself say, “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Rhysand smiles at you in answer and turns expectant to his spymaster, waiting. But Azriel says nothing. Greets no one.

The high lord turns back to Mor. “Well, then...”

She takes a step to him, but stops when Azriel’s voice rings brusquely. “No. I’ll fly Mor.”

He doesn’t even want to be near you. He doesn’t even want to touch you. And of course, he’d rather fly beautiful and smart and talented Mor rather than a summer hookup.

You stop your intrusive thoughts before they make you run to your friend and sob and pray to stay in the house. To not go anywhere outside your bed.

You look up at Mor, who is awkwardly standing there. You feel her internal debate about what to do.

And though you want to curl in yourself and cry, you decide you have to be mature. “I’ll go with you, Rhys.”

You try to not think too long about how you have a whole day ahead with Azriel.

-Characters by Saraah J. Maas

Have I, by any chance, been listening to august by taylor swift too much? Maybe… Oh, and btw, this will be a series. The first series I write, actually. Im mad exited. wow, well, hope you feel my exitement through this incoherent text with too many comas. And hope you liked this too ofc.

[justatypicalwizard]

Until The End Of The Night | Ch 1

-midnight-

✦ College!au, characters in early twenties, support!reader, slight angst to happy ending

✦ Synopsis: after over three years abroad you come back to continue your education. Despite gaining new friends and living a great life in Europe nothing feels better than home. You are quickly sucked in the everyday drama and everything would be just as you left it if not for Bakugo. Three years ago you two shared a moment, a short and meaningful moment that no one knows or should know about. That is until the situation gets out of control.

✦ Warnings: smut

✦ Word count: 4k

✦ Chapter: Few days until you take of to Europe, UA graduation bonfire party and a conversation with Bakugo you thought you'll never have. The two of you mean nothing to each other, don't you?

Masterlist

“One more round, one more! You’re not bailing out Eiji!” Mina’s clamorous voice echoed out as she pushed shots into her friend’s hands.

The graduation party turned out just as you expected, or maybe even helped out to plan. Midoriya clumsily bumped into Ochako every now and then, genuinely thinking he’s not that obvious, as they both balanced, sitting on a log and recollecting mutual memories as if they were sticking photos into an imagined album. The tipsiness made them a bit more nostalgic. Mina, Sero, Denki and Kirishima, despite losing Bakugo somewhere, were chugging beers and spilling shots, the alcohol soaking into the green grass underneath their feet. Laughs, bickering and Denki’s loud singing disturbed the night’s soothing peace. Shouto and Tokoyami discussed the written exams while Jiro and Yaoyorozu desperately tried to change the subject, even the top class girl was in too good of a mood (due to some fireballs) to give a damn about school.

School, well it was nice while it lasted. Even though you were having a heck of a time at the bonfire UA graduation party, the squeezing feeling in the pitch of your stomach never left. It first grabbed at your intestines when the teachers handed you the graduation certificate. Or maybe even earlier, when you applied for college abroad, chewing on the end of your pencil as you tried to come up with a motivational letter. Or was it later, when you sang the school anthem, neatly lined up with your colleagues from the support class, while looking at the back of Mina’s pink head?

Never mind when it started, what pained you was not regret or sorrow but simply fear of starting a new chapter of your life. It was nice to dream about college in Europe when you were safely tucked away under the covers of your comfy bed, texting Mina and Denki your options. Now, when you were about to face reality head-on in a matter of days your knees trembled a bit. Luckily you felt not only fear but also excitement. What will Europe be like? Will you gain new friends? Are the city centres really as picturesque as they describe them? Will the classes be hard? Will you manage all the household chores by yourself? Can you really cook as good as you think or will you poison yourself?

Questions, questions, questions. They itched under your skin like a nasty rash and spread the second you dwelled on it too much. Now is not the time to make your head bubble up with concerns, it should rather be spinning due to an excessive amount of alcohol in your system.

You took a deep breath and shook your head, taking a step to the side in the meantime, the tipsiness reminding you of its existence.

“Why the fuck are you talking to yourself?” A head of blonde speaking with an irritated voice caught your attention. This guy.

Bakugo was a friend of Kirishima’s and Kirishima was a friend of Mina’s (and Denki’s) so you knew each other. You often saw the blonde in the common room spitting curses at ‘Dunce face’s’ stupid ass, you had him in the periphery of your vision at parties, always a bit to the side of the room, you told him a bunch of unimportant stuff and listened to a solid dose of the same nothing from him, never close enough to hold a meaningful conversation, never far enough to ignore each other completely.

He was mean, got angry quickly, and always had something to complain about. He was also one of the top students, that you found a challenge for yourself rubbing your achievements in his face while he wiped yours with his scholarships. He was also ambitious, hard-working and disciplined. Success poured out of every pore of his body, distilling at the nape of his neck like sweat during his murderous work-outs. He really had it all, every ingredient necessary to create the perfect hero - strength for missions, talent for catching villains, endurance to pain, looks for the fans and a personality worth looking up to (not taking into consideration his mean ass but you were sure his future PR team would take care of it).

But Bakugo was just a colleague of yours, nothing much.

“Because I’m drunk.” You stood in front of the blonde, resting hands on your hips. “Aren’t you?” A cheeky grin sprung up on your face.

“I know how to hold my liquor. I’d rather not look like a pathetic, fun deprived idiot stumbling from left to right, on her journey to fetch some water.” For a newcomer's ears it sounded like venom reforged into words. You on the other hand knew to look for answers not in his bitching around but rather on his face. Even in the omnipresent darkness you were able to catch the smirk plastered on his lips. You could guess that freaky little smile was accompanied by a crooked brow, Bakugo assessing his superiority while also having fun with it.

“You forgot to add I’m talking to myself.” An accusatory finger shot his way and you giggled a bit, taking another step to the side to keep your balance.

“My bad.” The giggle died out in your throat and silence fell upon the two of you.

You were ready for some more bickering but Bakugo decided to cut this conversation short. What were you supposed to talk about now? Would he just prefer to be left alone? Sure, you should just go and grab that water and go back to your idiots by the bonfire, sing some Mr. Worldwide songs and get Denki even more drunk, up to the point where he’ll confess love to anyone and anything. Maybe you could get him to ask Mineta out just to laugh at him in the morning. Or maybe you could stick your nose in something that’s absolutely no business of yours - getting Kirishima and Mina to finally go out. Graduation bonfire would be a great moment to confess, so romantic.

“So what, you’re going abroad for college?” The discourtesy of your actions hit you straight in the face. You already ended this conversation in your head while Bakugo was still standing in front of you. Your lazy seeing focused back on the blonde. Dionizos must be laughing at you right now, reminding you from up in the heavens that you are, in fact, drunk.

“Yeah, sorry.” You rubbed your eyes a few times before looking back at him. “Yes, I got in. The application process was tiring. The schedules in Europe and here are totally different so I had to balance between getting all the shit finalised while assuring the universities abroad that I will get my certificate any day now. But it all paid off and now I’m moving out and that’s with a scholarship from the start!” You giggled once more, the thought of your ground-shaking success made your insides bubble up with joy. Well, maybe it shook only your ground but it was enough to feel self-satisfied.

Somehow you were walking, not standing. When you focused on that you realised that your journey for water hit a detour. Both of your figures disappeared further and further into the darkness of the nearby forest. It was nice and cool, a bit chilly even, with the wetness in the air that stuck to your bare shoulders giving you the chills.

“I’m also getting a scholarship.” Bakugo’s voice was out of place, calm and way more quiet than usual. Somehow on the way he stopped with this superiority shit and you felt like you were trodding the same ground as him.

“That’s nothing new.” He gave you a dissatisfied look that you barely caught in the moonlight. “But I’m not saying you shouldn’t be proud, or I shouldn’t be proud. We all should be proud of you.” You added the last part quickly, getting too caught up in your blabbering.

“So you’re proud of me?” The blonde started to snicker but you cut him short.

“What I mean is, you’re a great student and person, a hard-worker and any other epithet you can think of, but it doesn’t mean anyone should take your success for granted. It’s all your hard work, no matter how many times you do it.” You spoke from experience. When you’re always at the top people tend to think you’re glued to the peak of the mountain while in fact you climb it, all the way up, every single time. No one is born successful.

“Yeah, as if you knew.” That snickering of his will echo in your head for months if he doesn’t stop drilling it into your brain like this.

“Oh come on, cut me some slack. I’m also good, great even!” You threw your hands into the air, gesticulating dramatically. “Just because I don’t sweat my ass in training and prance around with a fancy quirk doesn’t mean I’m worthless.” You sassed at him, or at least in your head it was sass. You go girl, slay. “Besides, you didn’t complain when I improved your gear after spending nights on your samples.”

You and Bakugo were paired up one time during an assignment. Giving your biological specialisation you were able to analyse the samples of his sweat and spice up the storage of extracted explosives in his gear. He on the other hand was supposed to be as unproblematic as he could, and use your findings to the best of his ability. The blonde sure did exceed in at least one of these tasks.

“Cuz they were good.” This boy, why does he play hot n’ cold with you?

“I don’t understand.” You groaned, slapping hands on your cheeks. “Are you praising or criticising me?”

“Both.” He was looking straight ahead so his face was a mystery for you.

“Both! Both. Both.” You parrot him in a squeaky voice. Then you stop in your tracks and laugh quietly.

“What?” He seemed irritated by your sudden halt.

“Nothing, I just never thought a peasant like me could get a compliment from the great Bakugo.” You bowed dramatically and snickered sarcastically.

“Stop shitting around and start walking.” He turned and proceeded straight.

“Where are we even going?” Now that you thought about it you didn’t know where you were. All the trees around looked the same, the grass was covered in dew kissing your exposed ankles and the chatter of the bonfire died out some time ago.

“Doesn’t matter.” Bakugo threw disinterested.

“Objection judge! It does.” You grumbled. “I still need to get Denki a whole lot more drunk. I wanted to make him ask out…”

“Stop talking about fucking Dunce face.” Now it was Bakugo’s turn to groan.

“Denki, Denki, Denki.” You chanted gawking at him with wide-spread eyes.

“Seriously stop.”

“Why?” A cheshire grin entered your face. How come Denki was annoying someone while not even present.

“It’s ruining the mood.”

“Oh so we’re having a moment here?” You gasped theatrically.

“No we’re not. The thought of him is ruining my mood.”

“Are you sure?” You crooked a brow, turning around and walking backwards.

“Stop that idiot, you’re gonna fall and crash your stupid ass.” Bakugo’s face was vague in the dark, the sensation fueled up by your slightly murky vision.

“I know what I’ve heard. The great Bakugo is having a moment with old little me! And poor Denki is ruining it.” You pouted.

“Be delusional all you want.”

“I’m gonna have to tell Mina. Friends don’t keep stuff like that from each other. Wonder what she’ll say?” You hummed as if you were studying some very important samples.

“No you won’t. Or else I’ll smash your stupid ass.”

“Catch me if you can then.”

You turned around and ran for your life. The drunkenness, shaky breathing and uneven path that promised to betray your wobbly knees any moment now didn’t stop you from laughing madly while leaping through the twists and turns of the dark forest. Your fun was short lived as the blonde heroe-to-be was obviously quicker. He crashed into you as if you were a thief running after robbing a jeweller. It took you a few turns to brake but nothing hurt you in the end. After all, you were tackled by the one and only.

“Sorry, sorry.” You laughed apologetically, eyes closed as tears prickled them. You were dizzy after the stumble. “Don’t mind my drunk babbling, I was just joking.” Realisation hit you and maybe you took the act a bit too far, now that you think about it.

Looking up you saw him on all fours, over you. He kept silent, just staring down at you as if you had something on your face.

“What?” You propped yourself up on your elbows but was quickly shoved back down. “The fuck dude?”

His face was more comprehensible now. Moonlight shone down from between the rustling treetops, bouncing from one of his cheeks, the other dark, hiding half of his face. Red tinted the area of his nose, spreading over the whole of his face. Close up he also looked a bit drunk.

“Can you just stay silent?” His voice was not like him once more, low and inches from being a mere whisper.

So you did, looking up at him. Your brain fought a hard battle between trying to understand what was going on and at the same time giving up on clarity, just going with the flow of the strange situation.

Before you could choose a side and undertake appropriate actions Bakugo pressed his lips into yours. Sometimes you thought about how he would be, how he would act? The same you thought that Kirishima was a snack but also a golden retriever so he would most likely be gentle. The same you thought Shouto was good looking but most likely a virgin. The same you thought Denki was the last thing on mother earth you would fuck. In all the scenarios you made up in your head, never have you thought Bakugo would be subtle, or did it feel more like hesitation?

His lips were more like grazing yours than kissing them and quickly moved away as if he burned himself.

“What are you doing?” You asked, realising your voice was laced with irritation. What were you irritated about?

“Dunno, I’m drunk.” He answered, red eyes still caught up in your lower lip.

“Oh so now it’s an explanation.”

“Shut up.” He kissed you once more, firmly pressing his face into yours and pushing your slightly raised head into the moisty ground.

“I’m cold.” You mumbled between sloppy kisses, shivering from how hard the chilly ground pressed into your back. No, it was your back pressing hard into the ground.

Bakugo stood up on his knees and shimmied out of his jacket, grabbing at the front of your strapless shirt to guide you up. After you were laid back down, this time with his warm jacket shielding you from the cold, your brain turned on sluggishly and started to mull over the situation.

Bakugo didn’t explain why he was pressing his chest to yours while moving his lips faster and faster on yours, guiding himself down to your jaw and back up seconds afterwards, as if he didn’t want to lose time. You didn’t explain to yourself why you allowed him to, combing his fair hair with your fingers.

Between the kisses and gasps you managed to ask him one thing. “How far do you wanna take it?”

“Till the end. You okay with that?” His dialled pupils locked on your face and you finally realised he was looking straight at you, straight through you. It was only the two of you, wrapped up in each other's limbs like a tight knot, pressing onto one another as if battling who could do it harder. Were you really about to have sex with him? Did you feel excited about it? Yes, yes you did, you wanted it so bad right now. Why did he want to do it with you? No clue but it’s not important.

“Mhm.” You murmured, placing one of your palms on his cheek and guiding him back down to meet you halfway. “Show me.” You asked quietly, tugging at his shirt. Without objection he pulled it over his head and it was gone, letting you grab his bare shoulders and thread his muscles. You didn’t remain indebted for long, pulling your tight-fitting shirt up, letting your breasts spill out of their constrictions.

Two soft mounds quickly caught Bakugo’s attention but they were only a passageway for his palm to trace down. You nodded your head and pushed up your hips to make it easier for him to pull down your pants and leave them dangling over one of your tights. He straightened up once more and pulled out a condom from his pocket before undoing his own belt.

“You bastard!” Your finger pointed at the condom but Bakugo ignored it, finding his way between your tights.

It wasn’t your first time but it still took a while to get used to feeling him inside. Fortunately he was acting surprisingly nice, staying still with his face buried in the crook of your neck. After a short while when you felt ready you scratched his bare back delicately and murmured an ‘I’m ready’ into his ear.

Suddenly, the world turned around, your dizzy head not catching up with it. The cool breeze hit your back once more as the welcoming warmth of Bakugo’s coat was gone. You were sitting on him, watching his hard breathing, chest rising and falling in a steady but fast rhythm, one that matched your heartbeat.

“What…”

“It’s my first time, can you…” The words were cut short in his throat and he looked to the side, embarrassment grasping him faster than he could formulate his ask.

“It’s your first time?” It sounded a bit louder than you wanted it to.

“I don’t wanna fucking tell you this twice.” His anger rose quickly.

“No, no, that’s not what I mean!” You quickly assured him. “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s just… why do you want to have your first time with me?”

“Why do you have to fucking ask.” His gaze melted with the floor close to his head.

You realised that you were somehow destroying the mood, trying to get that answer out of him.

“You know what, never mind, you don’t have to tell me. I just wanted to, I don’t know, I just want it to be special now.” You whispered the last part and before he got to tell you how you ‘shouldn’t make a big deal out of it’ you were already moving your hips, pressing your chest into his and finding his kiss swollen lips once again. Between making out he remained silent, except for the occasional quiet gasps and hisses. His eyes were closed and hands palmed your ass as if he was holding it for dear life.

“Do you wanna try yourself?” You murmured into his ear and he nodded.

Turning around you were once again hugged by his coat but this time you felt it was unnecessary. Your body was hot, flushed against his burning one. Putting your hand on his lower sides you started to guide him, in and out, rotating his hips slightly to make him hit all the sweet spots and press tightly to the whole of your welcoming tights in the process. He caught it after a while and your help was no longer needed so you let yourself enjoy the moment.

“Not gonna last long like this so you better tell me how to make you cum too or I’ll feel like shit for the rest of the night.” His harsh voice disturbed your trance.

“Don’t worry, ‘m gonna take care of it. Just feel the moment, you look the hottest when you’re enjoying yourself.” You murmured, licking your fingers and guiding them down to help yourself.

After countless hastening gasps of yours you finally came with a soft whine and nails digging into Bakugo’s biceps. He came short after, falling over and crushing you under his weight. There was a short silence before you both started to gather yourself.

You sat wrapped up in his coat, ass slightly wet from the moisty grass. Fuck womens’ shorts, can’t they be slightly longer? Bakugo looked ahead, giving you a view of his pretty profile, with the upturned nose and lips lacking his usual frown. You felt a lot more sober now, the adrenaline evaporating from your veins. You sat in a hole in the dense tree line that gave you a view of the lake down in the valley. You didn’t even realise that you ran up a hill earlier. It was quiet, save for the night critters.

“So are you going to tell me why I got your v-card?” You eyed his still form. “I mean, you already had a condom on you so you either decided it was the big night and you're gonna lose it with whoever or, excuse me jumping to conclusions, you were hunting for me.” Your expertise was always precise when you were not stupid drunk.

“The latter.” Was his only response.

“Well then, did you like it?” You had a hard time comprehending what was going on. On one hand it was nice, sitting in the quiet with him after banging such a hot guy, on the other hand you tried to puzzle out what was his case but it turned out harder than you thought.

“Yes.”

“Great.” You looked to the side, up to the sky and down on your feet, trying to distract yourself from the awkward feeling creeping up your back.

“So you’re going away.” It was more of a statement than a question from him.

You mumbled out something in the lines of ‘yeah’, nodding your head and trying to figure out the sudden change of topic.

“Good for you, you deserve it.” 

It was silent mostly and you were really lost. This was all so messy.

“Are you going to keep in contact with Mina?”

“Yes, of course. I think I’ll also keep in contact with the one whose name I shouldn’t pronounce.” Somehow you made him laugh dryly.

“So maybe I’ll pop up in the back sometimes.” He seemed to be speaking more to the grass under his feet than to you with the way he refused to face you.

“What’s up with you?”

“Listen.” He finally turned toward you. A quizzical look covered his features. “I told you I was gonna take it till the end and I’m gonna.” He was speaking another language and it was getting on your worn out nerves. Bakugo was never so elusive but now suddenly he decided to play a maze with you. “Do you want to be my girlfriend till the end of the night? Later you forget about me.”

It took a lot for you to hold your composure. What kind of kindergarten scenario was this? Why should you forget him?

“Just till the end of the night.” His voice was firm but his eyes spoke louder. They were dialled and pleading, locked straight into yours as if you were to disappear if he blinked. “Then you’ll be gone and it won’t matter anymore.”

“Do you have a…” You wanted to ask, you wanted to know. Why did the Bakugo Katsuki act so strange all of a sudden? Why did he play weird romantic scenarios and act as if you were dying and not simply moving to another country. Did he have a crush on you, could you really let such a thought live in your head?

“Don’t ask me that, just answer the question.”

And in the end it was not important because he was right. You will move away for a few years, you will meet new friends, new lovers. You will find a new life and let the old one away. You will grow and hurt and achieve and lose. You can’t be anchored to the past. You saw the answer in his intense eyes and it pained you to realise that you could guess what he would have said if you pushed him. You saw the opportunities fly by and escape into the night. If he only told you earlier you could have a thing, you could change some things… but do you want to change some things? Did he do you good or bad with his decision to keep to himself? It didn’t matter because that time is gone and now is now. Now you have to give him an answer as he is still observing.

“Okay, yes.” You said, blinking a few times trying to wake up from a dream, but it wasn’t a dream. It was his arm snaking around your waist as he pressed you firmly to his side and stole another kiss from your lips.

Bakugo was not your first nor last boyfriend but he was the one that you remembered the most, even if he was yours just for a few hours.

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[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Blind Offer 2

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon, manipulation, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: After a leak causes you to evacuate your apartment, your landlord offers a vacant unit that’s too good to be true. (short!plus!reader)

Character: Steve Rogers, additional characters to come

Note:  This is one of my Corrupt-A-Wish requests but I won’t reveal which one right away because it’ll be part of the plot!

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me &lt;3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you like I love turning intended one shots into series. Take care. 💖

You come out of work exhausted. The back to school crowd is still in full effect and infringing on your stocking time. Rather than pop your earbud in and lose yourself in barcodes and inventory counts, you more often found yourself searching out a salesman or running to the back to grab a device yourself.

You yawn into the crook of your elbow, feet carrying you out of routine rather than any coherent thought. There’s a flash of headlights as you pass a car idling along the pick up area and you slow down as you squint at the tinted windshield. The interior bulb flicks on and Steve leans forward, giving you a look through the glass as if you should be expecting him.

You slow down and approach the driver’s side as he rolls down the window. You lean in and give a sheepish smile, “uh, I…”

“Didn’t text?” He finishes your sentence, “I figured you were busy.”

“Oh, well, you didn’t–”

“Have to come get you. Yeah, I figured you’d say that again. Really, it’s kind of selfish on my part. Thinking of you waiting in the dark alone, it’s kind of my fault you even have to so I can at least give you a lift.”

“That’s… nice of you but tomorrow, I can catch a bus.”

“If you insist,” he shrugs, “I won’t twist your arm with my kindness.”

You laugh softly, unsure of his humour. It’s more akin to passive aggression. As if even thinking of passing up his offer is an insult. Wouldn’t it be worse to use him for free rides? You’re already getting to stay in a property well above your lease value.

“You gonna get in?” He prompts.

���Yeah, sure, sorry, I–”

“Hey, thanks for the help on that Lenovo,” Remo calls as he walks out the front doors, shooting you a three finger wave, “not bad for a warehouse jockey.”

“No problem. Have a good night,” you wave back.

You skirt around the hood of the car and grab the door handle. It snaps back and you wait until the locks clack back loudly. You get in and gently shut the door. You unreel the seat belt as Steve adjusts his rearview.

“You got a lot of friends at work?” He asks as he shifts gear, resting his toe lightly on the gas.

“Eh, I guess,” you lean your arm on the door, “busy day. Did a lot of running around.”

“Huh, yeah, maybe I should stop in tomorrow. Need some stuff for a few units. Got a security cam I need to replace and– you got appliances, don’t you?” He rambles over the steering wheel.

“Yeah, uh, I think. Mostly to order,” you rest your cheek against your knuckles and watch how you pass in and out of the yellow cones cast by streetlights. “I guess you’re still looking for a new washer then?”

“Well, they don’t make the same model anymore. Space is pretty compact which means I need something with the same dimensions. I’m shopping around,” He taps his fingers on the wheel, “I’ll figure it out.” 

You nod and give a hum. No use worrying too much about it. You only rent the place, it’s really not your problem to think about the washer. He did say it already had issues before you.

“So, how do you like the place?” He asks abruptly.

“Huh, oh, yeah, it’s very nice. Big,” you answer nervously.

“Yeah, that one’ll go for a lot. A few showings but no bites yet. Probably won’t get anything until I can get you back to your place, heh,” he says the last part casually as if it isn’t directly aimed at you.

“Mmm, um, then I hope you find a washer soon,” you pull your arm away from the door and sit back in the seat. “I hate to be in the way.”

“In the way? I’m the landlord, I knew what I was getting into,” he assures you lightly, though it does little to assuage your doubts. “Oh, and since you didn’t really get a chance, I got a few groceries and left them at the place. Just to get you by.”

“You– Oh, gosh, how much do I owe you?”

“Consider us even. You’ve been pretty cooperative with all this back and forth, I’m the one who owes you.”

“Well, I don’t mind paying for my food–”

“Really, sweetheart, do you always react so adversely to kindness?”

“What? I’m not– no.”

“I’m being nice. I can tell you, there’s not a lot of landlords out there like me. I actually enjoy helping my tenants…” he turns onto a dark street and you shiver. You’ve never been down this way but you don’t live on this side of town. “I always said, whatever you need, just ask.”

“Sure, um, thanks,” you murmur.

He turns back onto a lit avenue as a glint of light flickers over him and draws your eyes. You catch him peeking at you, his blue eye reflecting the flash before he can look back at the road ahead. You shiver and cross your arms. It didn’t seem like he was looking at your face.

“Fresh sheets on the bed too. Hope you don’t mind, I did a once over when you were gone. Just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Quick vacuum and all that.”

“It’s your place,” you say, “I’ll be sure to leave it how I found it.”

He inhales, deep enough for you to hear, “I know. You’re not a troublemaker, are you?”

You swallow and furrow your brow at the dashboard. Again, it’s not just his words but his vague tone. You don’t understand the question.

“Good girl like you always pays her rent on time,” he praises, “I can tell you, that’s not always the case.”

You let out a breath, “oh, aha, yeah, well, scheduled payments… technology, right?”

“Mhmm,” he sucks his teeth and lets his arm rest on the console between the seats, ”it’s so easy to be lazy these days.”

🖤

Steve walks you up to the front door. Just in case you can’t get the code right, he claims. You get it on the first try and thank him. Again. He lingers, as if reluctant to leave you, as if he’s expecting to come inside with you. Almost as if you should invite him in.

You say good night and lock the door behind you. You take your time untying your black sneakers and hang your hoodie on the coat rack. When you dare to peek out the window, he’s only just striding down the path back to his car.

It’s slightly creepy but then you feel guilty, thinking maybe you were being rude not asking him in for a tea or something. You don’t know. This whole situation is awkward as hell.

You wander into the kitchen, your stomach growling from the measly microwave dinner you ate on your break. Steve’s ‘small shop’ is much more generous than you expect. Overdoing it seems to be a trait of his.

You read the side of the organic milk in the curved bottle. You know that it costs three times as much as your usual carton of skim. And the greek yogurt, definitely expensive. All brand names, none of the generic discount bin goodies you thrive on.

You let the fridge close as you take out the boxed butternut squash soup. Fancy, you think as you peruse the label. Gourmet, so it claims. You put some in a small pot and heat it up on the gas burner. As you do, you thumb through your phone, pacing around between stirring the thick orange puree.

You eat rich soup with a brioche bun from the market bag. You’re thankful now Steve didn’t ask for compensation, you’re not sure you could foot that bill. And to think, after him praising your timely payments, you would default on a grocery receipt.

You shut off the lights downstairs and flip on the sconce above the staircase and follow it up to the second floor. You come down the hall with a yawn, the bedroom door open and waiting for you. Your duffel is on the dresser where you left it.

You sift around for a loose tee shirt to sleep in and pull out your toiletry bag. You go into the bathroom and change before unzipping the pouch. You take out your cleanser and wash your face over the sink. You pause as you drop the bottle through the open mouth of the blush coloured bag, a fuchsia shape poking out from under your mouthwash.

You reach in and retrieve your bullet vibrator. What the hell? You definitely don’t remember packing that in your hasty evacuation. Besides, why would you put it in there? You shake your head and drop it back to the bottom. 

You pat your face dry and take out your tweezers, cleaning up your brows and a few vagrant hairs along your chin. You put them away then ply on your night cream, making a face at yourself as you brush your teeth. You flip the switch off and use the light on your phone to find your way to bed. 

You lay awake for almost an hour. You’ve never been good at sleeping in strange places. The house feels so empty it’s eerie. Your ears are pricked for any noise but there isn’t much. The walls are so thick, you don’t even hear the rustling of the tree that casts a shadow through the window or the chirp of crickets. Despite its luxury, the house is desolate.

Your eyelids start to itch and you feel your muscles ease. You start to drift down, a slow swirling descent that tingles in your sockets. That shell starts to encase you, little by little, paralysing you as it drags you down.

BANG!

It isn’t loud but sudden. The dull noise jars you up, chasing away the advance of your fatigue. You look around, heart beating wildly, searching for the source. It sounded close but you can’t be sure. It could’ve been all in your mind as you tiptoed the threshold of your unconscious.

You bounce to the edge of the bed and stand, wobbling through the dark until you find the switch by the door. The light shines out around you as you stop in the doorway, glancing trepidatiously towards the stairs. You near the top and turn on the next light, a cautious progress through the spacious house.

You go down each step, one at a time, and when you get to the bottom, you illuminate the entryway too, the front room, and finally the kitchen. There’s nothing there. You didn’t really expect to find anything. The noise felt much closer to the bedroom.

You return to the second floor, shutting off the lights along the way, and you peer down the hallway. You didn’t check up here. You pad along the soft runner rug and peek into the bathroom before you approach the closed door of the study.

You touch the handle and a zing of fear courses through you. You should just go back to bed. You don’t need to know.

You turn it and inch inside, snaking your other hand in to flick on the lights. The same. Nothing there. You shut the door and proceed to the second bedroom, the door is slightly ajar so you kick it open with your foot and let the light in the hallway pour in. Empty.

You’re imagining things. It’s being in this strange house. Whenever you stayed the night at your grandmother’s it was the same thing. If you weren’t awake, waiting for the creaks of the house to prove something sinister, you were trapped in shallow night terrors that felt too real.

You return to the bedroom. You don’t turn off the light right away. You grab your charger and plug in your phone, opening up the white noise app you never used. You scroll through the choices with their dreamy names; serenity, fantasy, rejuvenation…

Your thumb hovers over the start button as you hear something else. Muffled and hollow. You frown, you can’t tell if it’s real or your mind playing tricks. There’s such a surreal distant effect to the scream that you can’t be sure it’s not some stray cat yowling in the street. The silence that ensues feeds your doubt. You’re looking for peculiarities, that’s all.

You press play on the soothing wishing noises and set your phone on the night table. You get up to shut off the lights and quickly nestle into bed, pulling a pillow over your head to block out the room. You just need to make it through the first night.

🖤

The next day, you leave earlier than usual. The change in your bus route and prospect of a narrow transfer from one bus to the next, has you anxious. Before you leave, you double check that you have your bus pass and some spare change just in case. You hook your bag around your shoulder, the security system announcing your exit; ‘front door open’.

You pull the door shut and hit the lock icon on the pad. You test the handle to make sure it’s closed and for a moment, you’re disoriented as you hear the door unlock but it doesn’t budge. You frown and look up as a shadow emerges from the unit next to yours. It wasn’t your door.

A man with long brown hair poking out from under a ball cap turns to punch in his code before locking it. The pad flashes red confirming the door is secured. He scowls at the handle as he drops his arm straight, his hand balling to a fist as he mutters.

“Morning,” you greet, the typical squeaky greeting you give to your neighbours.

He winces and turns as he looks up at you. You must’ve surprised him. You give an apologetic wave and tight-lipped smile. His blue eyes shock you, bold but bright in his chiseled face. He tilts his head slightly before he spins without response and stalks away. You watch his broad shoulders as he marches across the street without looking.

Not the friendliest of neighbours but the first one you’ve encountered. It’s a little less offputting knowing you’re not the only one around. You let out a long breath and make your way down the paved pathway to the sidewalk. You peek back at the unit next door. The curtains are drawn and the place looks dark even at the peak of day.

You shrug it off. You should only be there for a couple more days. That’s it. That’s all you have to get through.

[lilies-n-slander]

Hazbin Hotel would be so much more interesting if charlie’s naïveté and surface-level kindness were treated as the actual flaws they are and didn’t work. Heads up, this kinda just turned into a text wall of charlie neg and ranting so don’t read if you don’t want to see that.

How she currently is, she just doesn’t make that much sense in the setting. I’ve seen ppl say that charlie is a fresh take and contrasts the edginess, but I just don’t see how she is possible. You’re telling me she’s been in hell for 200 yrs but still has this childish and naive personality, is still disgusted by the sinners being cannibalistic, violent, and even just horny, and is so detached from those she calls “her people”? She was born in hell, shouldn’t that make her more used to the sinners’ depravity and not less? She doesn’t seem to have a good grasp on what the sinners want or how they behave. It would make more sense if the show leaned into the toxic positivity white savior nepo baby angle (or rather, actually portrayed it as a *bad* thing) and rather than naïveté, her ignorance was out of self-centeredness and/or lack of true empathy for the other sinners. She would be more interesting as a character too imo.

She looks down on the other sinners (and honestly so does the show?? When she’s showing lucifer around and introduces him to her friends, they’re framed as unappealing as a joke… these are the characters the audience is also supposed to care about.. and many of the bg chars, such as the cannibal town residents, are portrayed as simple-minded brutes), there’s a lot of condescending “….ooookay” type of lines and she constantly has to think of nice ways to frame the clearly negative things she thinks about others. So why does she want to save them so much? The more reasonable explanation is a sense of white savior-ness than actually caring about them.

She’s eager to excuse whatever sir pentious did (which I’m assuming she doesn’t know?) and let him in, despite how he makes the other residents (including her own gf!) uncomfortable. And yes I say excuse, because she never inquires about his past sins or discussed him repenting. It seems to start with sorry, but also end with sorry too. This could’ve been made interesting if she simultaneously looked down on but also excused all sorts of heinous acts. Like val is the most openly manipulative and scummy character, he licks her arm, and yet she’s still apologetic about ruining things (Side note, if she’s genuinely apologetic, then she’s actually an idiot because why is she talking to the boom-mic employee *while they’re filming???*).

She doesn’t know what she’s doing and has no concrete plan but gets incredulous at ppl who don’t blindly trust her. Angel has to leave in ep 4 and she gets SO frustrated over it, like you seriously expect everyone to drop all of their other commitments for you? She has her webster definition notecards for the meeting with heaven and has to improvise and rely on angel being good at the club but she gets mad that lucifer isn’t 100% behind her plan?

Also, trust falls? Really? Then she goes “why isn’t this working? We’ve tried everything!” But on that note, the actual episode portrayal is kinda exactly what I’m going for. Not only do the trust falls not work, charlie says, “I love all of you so much,” pulls her puppy eyes, and only vaggie catches her. It’s surface level and shallow, and does not win anyone else over.

In contrast, vaggie’s attempt at building trust, throwing everyone into a battle, *actually works* (despite vaggie only being in hell for 3 years and being heaven-born, she already knows how things work better than charlie!) and yet charlie talks about it as though it already failed. She says “we work best as a team,” with the underlying message being “I can’t trust you to do things on your own.”

If she was waiting so long to reconnect with lucifer, then why hasn’t she called him in years?? Altho I’m currently rotating lucifer in my brain so I might be a bit biased

“If angels can do whatever and stay in the sky” they can’t?? Your dad is RIGHT there. I. What

She has a power dynamic with every other character except lucifer since she has her demon powers, not to mention she’s giving them a place to stay. When vaggie says she appreciates that charlie doesn’t use her powers, charlie doesn’t say “it wouldn’t be right,” she says it would be too *mean.* But if someone pushes her buttons, who’s to say they wouldn’t slip out (see her flip on a dime after val hits angel. Obv it’s justified in this case, but it shows that she’s willing to use her powers on sinners)? Again, it would be interesting if the show actually leaned into this angle. Imagine if she put on a nice front, never swore, seemed genuinely touching and understanding, but the second someone annoys her she annihilates them and becomes threatening and violent. Then she turns around and is nice again. Too much like alastor? idk

Also, many characters refer to her by calling her lucifer’s daughter, so clearly ppl know that if they cross her they’ll face his wrath by proxy (this also fits in thematically with what lute tells her in the first episode, that she’s exempt from the exterminations bc nepotism privilege). So realistically, everyone else would be a bunch of sucking-up yes-men bc they’re afraid of her. Which they kind of are when push comes to shove?

At first, she doesn’t help at all during the war and lets everyone else fight for her. Doesn’t want to get her hands dirty ig, even though all of this was caused by her in the first place. She only starts fighting at vaggie’s urging.

Like husk points out, every meeting charlie has with the angels makes things worse for all the sinners. Despite lucifer’s warnings that the meeting with heaven won’t work, and against vaggie saying to calm down, charlie basically picks a fight with heaven at the risk of *everyone else EXCEPT HER.*

What were charlie and lilith doing to stop the exterminations before lilith took her 7 year leave? Hell, what was charlie doing during those 7 years? Why does she have 0 connections outside of vaggie, who she only met 3 yrs ago? Why does she have to introduce herself to rosie, rather than her already knowing her name?

Also in ep 7 she says to alastor “I can’t believe how you can do exactly what you told me you would do!” (standing by and watching everyone fail at redemption) almost like she wasn’t paying attention to him at all.

“Why would vaggie hide that she was an exterminator” -> Rosie asks “how did that make you feel?” “It made me mad and doubt if she loves me” like I get it, it was a betrayal, but IS she stupid

Ready For This is charlie manipulating a town of ppl to join the army. Her pitch includes “on the way to the hotel the scenery is nice and you can make friends :3” and “have you ever wanted to die for a cause? Notably I myself am spared from being killed but uh that’s your problem.” Alastor pipes in that you can eat the angels and that’s what actually moves the crowd, because he understands them.

Her perspective on violence and where she chooses to draw the line is really confusing. Why does she care about sinners being violent to each other if they’ll just respawn? She stops alastor from beating up sir pentious at an arbitrary point, but is fine with him eating and presumably killing the gangsters who come after mimzy. (Edit: forgot to point out yet another example, that she was fine with vaggie tossing sir pentious and angel off the balcony but stops her from tossing niffty as well for no reason.) Why is she so apologetic to the angels actively killing sinners but was distraught over vaggie having partaken? Why was she opposed to the CANNIBALS being eager to eat the angels and saying “idk, they seem kinda murder-y” WHAT. What? I’m struggling to even begin to describe how ignorant that is during a WAR. What did she think was going to happen, that she wouldn’t have to fight anyone herself? Why did she stop her dad from killing Adam but doesn’t react strongly to Niffty finishing the job? If it mattered so much to her, the lack of reaction seems strange to me.

Isn’t it just so poetic that her weapon in the war is a shield that she uses exclusively on herself, which she hardly even needs due to her contractual immunity?

Why doesn’t she think to use her powers to build and maintain the hotel? That doesn’t require any violence or domineering. Yet when lucifer comes over it’s run-down and falling apart. Or ask lucifer to help her build it? She was concerned that asking for the meeting with heaven was such a big ask—why not start with this small thing? Father-daughter bonding.

Why does the show end w lucifer + the sinners congratulating her, and in particular, rebuilding the hotel? Hell doesn’t know that sir pentious got redeemed, so from their pov charlie’s idea didn’t work at all.

Can you tell that I’m writing this while I’m rewatching the show?

Aaand that’s that. Her char has always come off to me as somewhat condescending/fake, but I keep finding more and more things to dislike about the way she’s been written. Unfortunate. Honestly tho I might enjoy watching her more if I read her through this lens. You could probably write a similar post for most/all other chars in the show, limited only by the amount of screentime they get lmao

[lucky-clover-gazette]

kings rising highlights & annotations

chapter 10

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

The events of last night, endlessly complicated in the candlelit privacy of Laurent’s bedchamber, had resolved into a single, blissful fact this morning. Laurent missed him.

<3

He felt a flutter of illicit joy when he thought of it. He remembered Laurent gazing up at him. You keep overturning all my plans. Laurent was going to be furious when he arrived at the morning meeting.

he’s going to be in such a bad mood <3 i love their love

‘You’re in a good mood,’ Nikandros said, as he came into the hall. Damen clapped him on the shoulder, and took up his place at the long table. ‘We’re going to take Karthas,’ said Damen.

“also my divorce husband likes me again”

Straton arrived with Philoctus, arranging their skirts as they sat. Makedon was already present, along with Enguerran. Vannes arrived and took her seat, arranging her skirts similarly

i like how skirts are contextualized as authoritative here, and the female character who you’d expect based on traditional stereotypes to be the only one in the skirt, and whose dress skirt is nothing like the akielon battle skirts, is still seamlessly grouped in with the men

Laurent entered, an edge to his grace, like a leopard with a headache, around whom one must tread very, very carefully. ‘Good morning,’ said Damen. ‘Good morning,’ said Laurent. This was said after an infinitesimal pause, as if maybe for once in his life the leopard wasn’t quite certain what to do. Laurent sat on the throne-like seat of oak beside Damen, and kept his eyes carefully on the space in front of him.

screaming they’re so ridiculous. laurent is so out of his element with no idea what happened

‘Laurent!’ said Makedon, greeting Laurent warmly. ‘I am glad to take up your invitation to hunt with you in Acquitart when this campaign is over.’ He clapped Laurent on the shoulder. Laurent said, ‘My invitation.’ Damen wondered whether he had ever been clapped on the shoulder in his life.

laurent let his self-sim go on full autonomy for a night and is discovering that he’s now best friends with makedon

This provoked a wave of soldierly camaraderie. Laurent did not typically engage in soldierly camaraderie, and did not know what to do.

fucking nerd

‘You’ve sent riders to announce your plans?’ said Laurent. ‘This is the Akielon way,’ said Makedon, as he might to a favoured nephew a bit slow at learning. ‘An honourable victory will impress the kyroi and gain the favour that we need at the Kingsmeet.’ ‘I see, thank you,’ said Laurent.

laurent thinks war is brutal and fucked up and doesn’t approve of the “decency” of akielon customs. also he’s a passive aggressive bitch

Makedon was explaining the virtues of iron tea to Laurent, and when Laurent massaged his own temple with finely bred fingers, Makedon remarked, rising, ‘You should have your slave fetch you some.’ ‘Fetch me some,’ Laurent said. Damen rose. And stopped. Laurent had gone very still. Damen stood there, awkwardly. He could think of no other reason why he had stood up.

GUYS.

He looked up and his eyes met those of Nikandros, who was staring at him. Nikandros was with a small group to one side of the table, the last of the men in the hall. He was the only one to have seen and heard. Damen just stood there.

this would be an hr complaint if anyone else noticed, but only nik saw so private twitter vent #12 it is

The acidulous blue of Laurent’s gaze on him had nothing to do with the meeting. ‘Nothing happened,’ said Damen. ‘Something happened,’ said Laurent.

honestly i think part of laurent would have preferred if they fucked to just being vulnerable and affectionate and damen being decent

‘You were drunk,’ said Damen. ‘I took you back to your rooms. You asked me to attend you.’ ‘What else?’ said Laurent. ‘I did attend you,’ said Damen. ‘What else?’ said Laurent. He had thought having the upper hand over a hungover Laurent would be a rather enjoyable experience, except that Laurent was beginning to look like he was going to vomit. And not from the hangover. ‘Oh, stand down. You were too drunk to know your own name, let alone who you were with or what you were doing. Do you really think I’d take advantage of you in that condition?’ Laurent was staring at him. ‘No,’ he said awkwardly, as if, only now giving the question his full attention, he was coming to realise the answer. ‘I don’t think you would.’ His face was still white, his body in tension. Damen waited.

<3 i don’t have too much heavy analysis because this is so much payoff to previous analysis. laurent trauma intimacy issues, damen’s never-ending decency that laurent does not expect, damen being delighted/amused by laurent allowing himself to be vulnerable but also sensitive to the discomfort of that vulnerability

‘Did I,’ Laurent said. It took him a long time to push the words out. ‘Say anything.’ Laurent held himself taut, as if for flight. He lifted his eyes to meet Damen’s. ‘You said you missed me,’ said Damen. Laurent flushed, hard, the change in colour startling. ‘I see. Thank you for—’ He could see Laurent taste the edges of the statement. ‘—resisting my advances.’ In the silence, he could hear voices beyond the door that had nothing to do with the two of them, or the honesty of the moment that almost hurt, as if they stood again in Laurent’s chambers by the bed. ‘I miss you too,’ he said. ‘I’m jealous of Isander.’ ‘Isander’s a slave.’ ‘I was a slave.’ The moment ached. Laurent met his gaze, his eyes too clear. ‘You were never a slave, Damianos. You were born to rule, as I was.’

we are so fucking back. sooo bittersweet, with this little shutdown of “we can’t have each other and we never really could have” a kingdom or this etc, they’ll figure it out soon we are in the home stretch

It was a beautiful fort. He saw that, the ghost of its Veretian grace; of what it had been; of what it could be again, perhaps. For his part, this was farewell. He wouldn’t return here, or if he did, as a visiting King, it would be different, restored as it should be to Veretian hands. Marlas, so hard-won, he would simply give back.

or you could both be kings together. just a suggestion.

That was strange to think. Once a symbol of Akielon victory, it seemed now a symbol of all that had changed in him, the way that when he looked now, he saw with new eyes.

:)

Damen looked back at Genevot. Genevot was trembling. She wasn’t scared. She was furious. She was furious at him, at his presence here. ‘It wasn’t fair what happened to your village,’ Damen said to her. ‘No fight is fair. Someone’s always stronger. But I’ll give you justice. That I swear.’ ‘I wish Akielons had never come to Delfeur,’ said the girl. ‘I wish someone had been stronger than you.’ She turned her back on him after she said it. It was an act of bravery, a girl in front of a king. Then she went and picked up a coin from the floor. ‘It’s all right, Genevot,’ said the girl. ‘Look, I’ll teach you a trick. Watch my hand.’

she is/was laurent. laurent is/was her. so many poignant references to damen and laurent's "discussion" during the marlas rematch. this is a perfect moment, and the coin trick recognition is just the cherry on top

Damen’s skin prickled as he recognised it, the echo of another presence, the achingly familiar self-possession that the girl mimicked as she closed her hand over the coin, holding her fist out in front of her. He knew who had been here before him, who had sat with her, taught her. He had seen this trick before. And though her eight-year-old sleight of hand was a little clumsy, she managed to push the coin into her sleeve, so that when she opened her hand again, it was empty.

laurent’s resilience becomes vere’s resilience becomes becomes damen’s resilience. and damen had a large part in creating the circumstances that required laurent to become so resilient, which is a fascinating cycle. i don’t know if damen regrets what happened with auguste yet on a purely idealistic level (as opposed to feeling bad for laurent), or if he ever fully will, because his perception of akielon “decency” in war is still slowly evolving.

i’m guessing that the final straws for damen will be the realizations about the regent and kastor, and only then will he fully Get that it is all fucked, war can't be civil, and there could have been peace instead this entire time. there is no divine right of the “strongest” people simply deserving dominion over others, and the best way one can use authority is to show compassion to enemies and allies alike. it’s not just that the strong shouldn’t hurt the weak—they shouldn’t hurt the strong either, ideally. and while that can sometimes be unavoidable, it’s important to build a world where peace is the goal. which he can laurent can both do, together :)

He saw Laurent, also mounted, a frowning spicule with blond hair. Rigidly upright in the saddle, his polished armour gleamed, his eyes impersonal with command. With the head that Laurent had from griva, it was probably a good thing that he would soon be killing people.

‘You’ve been listening to slave gossip.’ ‘You spent the night in the Prince of Vere’s rooms.’ ‘I spent ten minutes in his rooms. If you think I fucked him in that time you underrate me.’

nik please we are at war

‘I see. You’re warning me again not to bed him?’ ‘No,’ said Nikandros. ‘I know you’re going to bed him. I’m saying that when he lets you, think about what he wants.’

nikandros you have no idea what the fuck is going on between those two, mind your business

She was beautiful. As ever with her, it was something you noticed initially and then forcefully discarded because it was the least dangerous aspect of her. It was her mind, deliberate, calculating, that was the threat, regarding him from behind a pair of cool blue eyes.

mhm yeah that sounds familiar

He made himself look at her. He made himself remember every part of her, the way she had smiled, the slow approach of her sandalled feet as he had hung in chains, the touch of her elegant fingers against his bruised face. Then he turned to the low-level foot soldier to his right, delegating a trivial task that was beneath him, and now meant nothing. ‘Take her away,’ he said. ‘We have the fort.’

okay very specific here but you know how in like 2000s and 2010s reality tv, finalists in competitions would have like "family/home visits" towards the end of the season, and you always got a ton of implied context about how they've become who they are on the show? the middle of king's rising kind of feels like that. like we met damen's bestie, and now we're meeting his ex. we get to basically see his hometown. i won't say the slight tone shift is bad, and there are definitely still intense moments (especially what we're building up to), but it's still just a... slightly odd feeling. does anyone else feel that way?

[otakusheep15]

Flufftober Day 5 - Market

Content includes: Deuce x reader, implied relationship (could be read as platonic), reader is referred to as Prefect, Deuce's mother (probably a bit OOC)

Today is the first day of a week-long break. From what you were told, the break is because of some Twisted Wonderland holiday, but you couldn’t sort out too many of the details. All you knew was that you would be alone on campus, hanging out in Ramshackle with Grim and the ghosts. 

Or, at least that’s what you assumed until last night. 

It was pretty late when you got a text from Deuce. He usually tries to go to bed early, but since it was the night before a break, it was understandable that he’d be up. He had texted you asking if you wanted to join him for break in his hometown. 

At first you declined, not wanting to intrude on his family so last minute, but he assured you that it was fine. He had already confirmed with his mom before he asked you, and she approved your visit. 

So now you’re up bright and early, packing your bags. You originally only wanted to bring one to save space, plus it would only be a week, but Grim insisted he needed his own bag entirely dedicated to his tuna, so now you had two. 

As soon as you’re done packing, you hear a knock at your door. Deuce is here right on time, as expected. You were fine just meeting up at the mirror, but Deuce insisted that you should walk together, and you just couldn’t deny him. 

You hurry downstairs with your bags and Grim, waving goodbye to the ghosts as you pass them. When you reach the door, Deuce is standing there, looking much too chipper for this early in the morning. He’s holding his own bag, and he smiles when he sees you. 

“Good morning Prefect. Ready to go?” You nod, walking outside and closing the door behind you. Grim makes a comment about how cold it is, but both of you ignore him, knowing he was bound to complain eventually. 

“Did you need help carrying your bags? I can hold them if they’re too heavy.” Sweet Deuce, ever the helper character. You politely decline, perfectly fine with carrying your own bags. Grim’s tuna bag is kind of heavy since the tins are made of steel, but they aren’t that bad. 

Thanks to some nice small talk, the walk to the Mirror Hall feels much shorter than it actually is. There’s already a line of students waiting to return home, but because it’s so early, there aren’t as many students right now. You’re lucky you got here early because you’ve seen how busy it can get once more people are awake. 

It doesn’t take too long for the three of you to reach the mirror, and soon enough you’re teleported to Deuce’s hometown. You doubt you’ll ever get used to teleportation via mirror, and you take a second to recover from your dizziness. Deuce and Grim seem fine, and you’re sure there’s some correlation between teleportation and magic that you’re much too tired to look into. 

Now that you’re officially here, your first order of business is to head over to Deuce’s house to see his mother, as well as drop off your bags. His mother was excited to see you, according to Deuce, and you were excited to see her too. 

The second you’re in the door, his mother rushes to greet you, scooping up Deuce in a hug. He hugs back, obviously happy to see her after so long. You smile, finding the whole interaction rather adorable. When his mother lets go of him, she turns to you, holding her arms out for a hug as well. You take her up on the offer, stepping into her arms and wrapping your own around her as well. It’s much calmer than her hug with Deuce, which is to be expected. 

She lets you go after a moment, making sure to give a greeting to Grim as well. She points you in the direction of the guest room you’ll be staying in, which is the opposite from where Deuce’s room is. You split up for a moment to put down your bags before meeting up again in the living room. 

When you return, Deuce is already sitting on the couch, talking to his mother. He stands up when you walk in, walking over to greet you. 

“Hey, Prefect, I just had a really good idea. Mom wants to make a special dinner tonight to celebrate us coming home, so I was thinking we could go to the farmer’s market in town to get ingredients for her. How does that sound?”

You nod along with his plans, agreeing to his idea easily. It’d be a fun way to explore more of the town, plus you get to spend time with Deuce. 

Grim decides that he’s too tired to go out, even though it’s still morning. No one puts up a fight, and Deuce’s mother offers to watch him while you two go out. 

The air feels nice against your skin now that it’s warmed up a bit. It’s still cool, but not as cold as it was earlier. Deuce, once again, leads the way, knowing his way around town like it’s nothing. 

You wind up at the farmer’s market in no time at all, and you’re amazed at all of the stalls you see. For such a small town, you figured there would only be a couple of stalls, but you’re certainly happy to see such a variety. Deuce pulls you into the crowd, and the two of you begin looking through all of the stalls you see. Most of the stalls are food related, with everything from fresh produce to homemade sweets. 

His mother gave him an allowance to spend so that you wouldn’t have to spend your own money, and the two of you do your best to budget. You find everything his mother requested, which includes lots of veggies, fresh eggs (per Deuce’s request), and other various ingredients. 

While you’re looking around, you spot a small stall towards the end of the row. It isn’t getting much attention, but it intrigues you. You tug on Deuce’s sleeve as he browses some fruit and let him know you’re wondering off. He naturally offers to go with you, but you tell him it’s fine, so he stays and continues browsing. 

You walk over to the stall you were looking at, and the person running it greets you with a smile. As you look through their products, you notice they mostly sell handmade jewelry. Their products are all very nice, and you can tell a lot of thought was put into all of them. 

One thing immediately catches your eye. It’s a set of bracelets, one with a blue gem and one with a black gem. They remind you of you and Deuce, and you can’t help but smile at them. The jewelry maker notices your staring, and they begin telling you about the pair. Apparently, when the two gems are lined up, they form a heart. 

You pick them up and line them up as instructed, and they do, indeed, form a heart. It’s absolutely adorable, and you know you have to get them for you and Deuce. They’re a bit on the pricey side, but you think it’s okay since they’re handmade. Once you’ve made your purchase, you wander back over to Deuce, who has finished buying what he needs for dinner. 

“So, what did you buy?” He tries to sneak a peek, but you’re quick to hide your bag behind your back, ensuring him that you’ll show him later. It’s obvious he wants to know now, but he’s too polite to complain. 

You make your way back to the house, and Deuce was adamant on carrying all of the bags. When you get inside, he places all of the down on the kitchen counter and makes quick work of putting everything away. Dinner won’t be until later, after all. 

The rest of the day goes by without much hassle. It’s mostly spent lounging around as his mother begins dinner preparations. The two of you along with Grim think of fun things to do throughout the week, and by the time you have a sufficient schedule planned out, dinner is ready. 

You eat, and it’s one of the best meals you’ve had in a while. Deuce’s mother is a very good cook, and you make sure to let her know. She thanks you, and dinner moves on smoothly from there. 

Once you’re done, you and Deuce head to his room to hang out for a bit longer. You have a long day tomorrow, so you both agreed to go to bed early. While you’re here, you decided it was the perfect time to give Deuce his gift. 

You run to your room for a second to grab the bag before meeting Deuce back in his room. You plop down next to him on his bed, showing him the bag in your hands. He takes it from you and opens it, finding the two bracelets. He looks between you and the bracelets, seemingly trying to figure out what to say.

“Matching bracelets? For us to match?” You nod, taking the bracelets to show him how they match up into a heart. He smiles at that, taking the blue one while you put on the black one. 

“Thank you, Prefect. I promise I’ll never take it off.” You laugh at that, telling him that he probably shouldn’t leave it on to sleep or shower. He laughs along with you, and soon a comfortable silence settles over the room. 

You lean into him, giving him a side hug. It takes him a second to register the contact, but he leans into you as well. The two of you sit like that for a while, just enjoying the company, before a yawn escapes you. You take that as your cue to go to bed, reluctantly standing up. 

The two of you say your goodbyes, and you head off to your guest room. Grim is already fast asleep on his part of the bed, and you crawl in slowly so as not to wake him. You stare at your bracelet for a moment, smiling. You’re happy you bought these, even if your wallet isn’t. You take it off, placing it gently on the nightstand next to your phone. The shine of the gem is the last thing you see before you drift off, and it’s the first thing you see when you wake up.

[kyupidos]

CONGRATS ON 100! i've been a reader of yours since the beginning, and you've greatly improved; your writing is awesome,, you deserve the milestone! for your halloween event, id like to request the dialogue prompt: "ah, you've made the mistake in thinking that just because this is a couples costume that you get any kind of say in it. you don't, actually." with ace trappola,, i think it'd be really cute! thanks so much, congrats again!

10/19/23’s delivery 🏹✉️ twisted wonderland

prompt 3 🕸★ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊ 🕸★ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊ 🕸★ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊ ;; summary. ‘ah, you’ve made the mistake in thinking that just because this is a couples costume that you get any kind of say in it. you don’t, actually.’

100 follower milestone event homepage <- ! | event m.list

characters. heartslabyul : ace trappola ;; romantic . 🕸️ tags. reader is gender neutral ( you/your ), reader may or may not be yuu ( up to the reader ), romantic fluff

📞 _a/n. tysm for the congrats!! i’m glad you think i’ve improved, and i’ve noticed it too since i cringe at my earlier posts LMAO thanks for sticking around so long !! ( so sorry for getting this out so late, and so short too, but it’s been a busy couple days </3 )

a. trappola

— when you introduced him to the idea of matching costumes, it was safe to say that ace was feeling rather giddy. wearing couple costumes while traversing night raven for tricks and treats, the idea got him excited. of course he wouldn’t admit it, but even simple things like wearing matching fits always seemed to get his heart pumping faster than usual. for him, it was always in the little things, he supposed. you told him that you were going to go look for ideas on magicam, and for the few moments you stopped texting him, he spent internally giggling giddily to himself.

— some days, maybe two or three, had officially passed when you came up to him with whatever you apparently had in mind. you pulled up to his dorm, laying out on his bed the costume of choice. he stared, blinking once and then twice in perplexity of the costumes laid out, one of which being that of a cherry, and the other being a pie slice, presumably. “huuuh? what’s this?” ace questioned, with as much genuinity as possible as to not be rude, taking hold of the fabric of the cherry costume with his pointer and thumb finger, “this’s what we’re wearing?”

— in response to your casual nod, ace couldn’t help but tilt his head puzzledly. “of course, ‘cause you’re the cherry to my pie.” you spoke pridefully, peace sign in the air, and ace couldn’t help but snort. “eh, that so? then i guess i don’t mind it that much,” he accepted his fate easily, already used to your persistence even with the little things like this. maybe, he concluded, that’s why he enjoyed them so much, holding up the cherry costume completely with his fists now, looking at you as you held your own costume, holding it up to your chest as if to see if it fit, though you knew it did, in the meanwhile. “but i kinda figured we’d have a whole talk and a half about it.”

— you tutted smartly, wagging your pointer finger pointedly. “ah, you’ve made the mistake in thinking that just because this is a couples costume that you get any kind of say in it,” you lectured, a comedic sweat drop falling down the side of ace’s face as you easily continued, “you don’t, actually.” he just laughed in his amusement, ruffling his hair as he took a good look at his costume again. he guessed he did like it, after all—it wasn’t exactly what he expected it, but it was good enough for him. “alright then,” ace smiled for no reason in particular other than his mind wandering towards his daydreams of the both of you wearing your outfit together, “pie to my cherry, let’s wear it.”

[existslikepristin]

Little later than expected because I feel like shiiit. And, I know. "What's new?" But at the moment I mean physically. Regardless, here's ya dang story:

Tags: NSFW, S.M.U.T., genie, poor game design

(Story Index)

Figure the app out

“Well,” you say with a sigh, “I can’t read any ancient languages, so can you just help me out here?”

“Oh duh. Sorry about that, master. Old habits die hard, even if said habits are a few millennia old. We’re currently speaking… ah, yes! English! Easy peezy squeezy my buttcheeks. There you go.”

You look at your phone again. The mass of text bubbles all over the screen are now written in English. It’s still… a lot of nonsense.

“Just point me to the important parts?”

“Of course! Let’s just make you a little more comfortable.”

By the time she finishes the sentence, you’re in your room, sitting on the edge of your bed with Joy pressing her chest into your back. She reaches over your shoulders and speaks softly into your ear as she taps your phone.

“So here we have your Harem Hub, which is where you’ll be spending a decent amount of time swapping back and forth between screens. Where you’ll be spending most of your time…”

Joy touches an image of a tower with gold coins spilling out of it.

“… is here, in your Inventory—it’s called that because you own the people in your harem like they’re inanimate possessions—, where you can organize, sort, search, and summon the members of your harem as desired. As you can see, it’s currently empty, so let’s go back to the Harem Hub.”

While Joy pokes around with one hand, the other is softly rubbing your shoulder. It’s quite relaxing. Come to think of it, you are a little tired.

“Right in the center of the Harem Hub is the Summoning Portal, which summons anime girls to your Inventory, not into the real world, which is a different kind of summoning. Let’s give it a try now and see who you get!”

Before you can do anything yourself, Joy taps the portal and the app begins a series of over the top animations of overlapping summoning circles and colorful overlays. About fifteen seconds later, a naked anime girl with a pitch black hime haircut, nearly black eyes, and rather small breasts flashes on screen. She looks like pretty much every other anime character being drawn these days.

Joy gasps very dramatically, “Oh my gosh, master! You got Anecha on your first try! But she… she’s a Super Rare! You only had a zero point three percent chance of that happening! She’s from the mythical land of Sorgania, and she’s a hybrid of all three class archetypes, able to spec into any skill tree you want! She’s one of—if not the—most versatile girls you can get!”

“That’s cool,” you mutter, “Can we summon her and get fucking?”

“Oh master, you’re so funny. You can’t summon a character naked.”

“But, the whole point is to have sex with her…”

“Well yeah, but when you’re not having sex with her, she’s going to be questing! We’ll get to that in a minute. First, check it out. She was just the rarest of your summons for this pull,” Joy wraps her legs around you, fully bear hugging you from behind while she yammers on, “You also got Heyri, Emi, Bonnie, and Magz. That will make for a pretty balanced party, though you can expect Anecha to handle basically everything on her own until you get to World 4, at least. Obviously though, we need to go back to tow—I mean the Harem Hub to purchase some basic equipment. No, not that shop. That’s the cash shop where you can get more summoning shards. Right here, at the Blacksmith. You’ll want to equip Anecha first to make the first few quests as easy as possible, and you’ve got all these coins ready to go, so… Oh, fantastic! Tim has lava katanas in stock, so we absolutely have to take advantage of that in the next two minutes. We better make sure some of your other girls can benefit from those stats though, so if we check the party status screen you can see their preferred stats are highlighted in gold. It looks like Emi prefers Gumption, so a lava katana is—”

Joy’s words fade into the ether and your eyes drift shut. She’s so warm, holding you like this…

“… and that’s why you always save up your electrum ingots. You don’t want to be willy-nilly turning those into…”

“… obviously, but don’t forget that any skill cooldown can be refreshed by…”

“… back from the arena! We should go congratulate her for defeating the sand kraken, because that will bump up the congratulatory meter. Sometimes you want to hold back though, since doing it too often will give diminishing returns…”

You’re woken up by the sound of squawking birds outside and sunlight blasting your eyes through the window. You’re on your back, legs hanging off the bed. Looking to the side, you see Joy, still naked and hunched over, tapping your phone. “I know it’s labeled as a PVP mode, but since the magic is actually built into you and not the app, that’s not actually a thing. The other players’ names and teams are just randomly generated but slightly optimized versions of your own builds so that you get an idea for what’s actually possible when you spend your gems properly.”

With a yawn, you sit up, make note of your own nudity, and flinch back as you nearly headbutt a new stranger standing at the foot of your bed. “What the fu—who are you?!”

It’s a woman, wearing a skimpy purple bikini with silver trim and blue ribbons hanging off of it. Her hair and fairly large eyes are dark, midnight black. Despite the fact that she’s holding what definitely appears to be a katana made out of lava, she looks a little bit nervous. “S-sorry, master. She,” she points at Joy, who is paying you no mind, ”um, she told me to stand here and wait after summoning me…”

You look her up and down. She’s… taller than you thought she’d be, and her face is a little rounder than it had looked in the image. That picture didn’t do her pouty lower lip or her flared out hip any amount of justice. “Anecha?”

“Sorry, master. It’s pronounced ‘AH-neck-ah,’ but… No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t correct you. Sorry.”

Options:

Um, it’s the morning now. You need to go to work already. You’re probably late.

Responsibilities can wait because they’re for losers. Get a blowjob from Anecha.

Take that sword from her and mess around (safely). It’s so awesome!

Joy called Anecha "the most versatile." Fuck her while you jerk off her futa cock all over Joy’s face.

[thesparklingwriter]

taking fate into one's own hands

03—resignation

Word count: 1.4k

please note, there are two polls this chapter! one is the usual poll and the other is hidden in the text somewhere.

navi | taglist | masterlist

You look at Morax carefully. “A marriage built on lies…” The words fall from your mouth before you can stop them, and you glance at him, gauging his reaction. He returns your gaze with leashed curiosity, and you sigh, busying yourself with your dress. “I suppose I shall forgive you. Just this once.”

“How gracious,” he smiles. “Thank you.”

You shrug and turn to face the window. You watch as the bright green meadows slowly get overtaken by glistening rocks, and the carriage suddenly begins to jostle you more and more. It settles once you’re fully into Liyuean territory, and the ride suddenly becomes much smoother. There's truly no going back now, but you realise that there’s nothing that truly holds you back to your home. Your closest friend is with you and as you grew older, your parents seemed to hold you at a distance. If there are ties to be cut, years of indifference have already weakened them.

“So, what am I to call you?” You ask finally, once the reminders of your old home have finally dissipated and you begin to resign yourself to your new future.

“What would you like to call me?” Morax sits back in his seat, a slightly amused glint twinkling in his eyes betraying his stoic face.

“What am I expected to call you?” You amend, maintaining your level stare.

“Once again, I struggle to truly believe that this is the path you intend to take. I would much rather you were honest and true to yourself than acting in a manner that you believe would please me most.”

You blink, taken aback by his deduction of your character. “That is not my intention.”

“Then why do you ask such questions?”

“I simply do not wish to offend.” You reply coldly, focusing your glance out of the window. “If you regard that as submission, that is your prerogative. I daren’t tell you what to think.”

In your peripheral vision, you catch Morax’s eyes narrow slightly, but you do not address it or draw attention to it. You asked the question, but you already had made a decision. You would avoid any situation that required you to address him by name, which would be all, if not most.

The journey is mainly silent from that point on. You find it hard to reconcile your emotions with reason—you have no reason to hate the man who has saved your kingdom and your family from ruin, and you have no reason to purposefully smite him. But even yet, you still feel that he is undeserving of the gratitude he must expect from you. If he truly wanted to help your kingdom out of the kindness of his heart, he didn't need to uproot you to do it.

After a while, the driver announces that you are nearing the castle, and you do your utmost to not show that you’re nervous. It’s bad enough that he’s taking you from your family—the last thing you want is for him to see it’s affecting you.

“I presume you would like some time to familiarise yourself with the castle and its surroundings and I shall leave you to do that.” Morax says to you as the carriage slows to a stop. He watches as you climb out of the carriage and courteously bow to the driver and the maid who escorts you and Alanna to your chambers. Your posture is better than hundreds of Liyueans he's had the pleasure of meeting.

“Am I to assume that things didn’t go well?”

Morax sighs as he exits the carriage, regarding the prince carefully.

“It didn’t go horrendously.” He says.

"I think if you were to show her around, rather than a maid, it might make her less critical of you.”

“Thank you, Xiao, but I’ll have to decline. There were some absurdities on the journey here that I plan to assess.”

“Surely you aren’t prioritising work over the woman you are to marry,” Xiao says quietly. It was rare that he ever questioned the king. He had been very young when Morax had taken him under his wing, and even despite the absurdity of their whole arrangement, Xiao had begun to view him as a brother.

“I have no intention of marrying her as it stands. My concern is keeping her away from those affiliated with the abyss, or else her kingdom loses their future queen, and we lose our most valuable trade partner.”

“I have never understood you,” Xiao says, as they walk toward Morax’s office. "Why claim to, then?" There’s no response, so Xiao assumes that Morax didn't hear him, or he simply doesn’t care.

~

Your room is pretty—nicer than the one you had at home. Perhaps if you sat quietly and did what you were told you’d find yourself in enough favour with the king to help them out. Or maybe they didn’t even deserve that. You’re not sure whether you should help the parents who sold you to the highest bidder.

The dark wooden frames of the expansive bed and the furniture contrast nicely with the red and golden fabric and decorations, and the seat of your desk is so soft that the minute you sit on it, you’re convinced you could sleep on it.

“Is there a room ready for you, Alanna?” You ask.

Alanna sweeps her pale golden hair out of her face. She’s been uncharacteristically quiet and you wonder whether it’s due to the fact she’d never left your home kingdom before.

“No, not yet.” She says quietly. “But that’s alright. Do not worry about me.” You stare at her in disbelief but do not protest yet. It’s too early in the day to convince her otherwise.

You begin to regret not bringing any clothing with you. At the time, it had seemed logical, at least so Alanna could carry more, but now you find yourself without comfortable clothes to sleep in and shoes that don't announce your presence to the whole palace.

“Your Highness, I do hope you won’t take this as a betrayal, but your parents asked me to take this letter for you.” Alanna hands you a simple envelope. There’s no seal—of course, your parents needed to save the seals for more extravagant occasions—and the paper is yellow and weathered. “I understand that your emotions towards them are complex, but—”

“Thank you,” you say quietly. You don't want to bother Alanna with how you feel about the letter or whether you intend to read it or not. “I appreciate it. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Alanna smiles. “Just doing my duty.”

You sit down at your desk, looking through the endless sheets of paper and stationery in the drawers beside it. Perhaps now is a good time to take up calligraphy to pass the time.

If you were at home, you could have gone for a walk in the gardens, or maybe gone to speak to some of the kitchen staff and help them with some of the food prep. If you hadn't donated your books to the children in the city who needed them more than you did, you could have read them.

But the years of struggle had meant that you’d slowly forgotten how to have hobbies. And now, with no freedom to explore anything new yet, you’re at a serious loss as to what to do. Alanna has begun to busy herself with evaluating the bathroom, and you scribble halfheartedly at a sheet of thick writing paper.

A knock at the door drags you out of your dazed contemplation. There’s a considerable ink blot on the paper you were practising on, and Alanna has found herself face down on your bed, snoring softly.

You hear another knock, and you swipe invisible dirt off your dress before opening the door.

“Good evening,” You say, surprised to see none other than the king at your door. You had expected him to send someone to collect you if he had the intention to speak to you.

“Good evening, yn. I trust your afternoon has been pleasant?” Morax seems slightly more relaxed than when you left him earlier, his long hair is released from its braid, and his attire is somewhat less extravagant. It’s not simple enough to let you forget that he is the king of one of the wealthiest nations in Teyvat, but enough to let you know that he’s probably had enough of being king for the day.

“You could say that,” You reply.

“I must apologise for abandoning you today. There were a few work matters that required my attention. If you’re interested, I would be more than happy to show you around the palace tomorrow, but for now, would you accompany me to dinner?”

how will you proceed?

the link above goes to the poll deciding what the reader will do next. please vote on it! if the link isn't live yet, please go to my blog-the poll will be there.

author's note: hello....its me...i was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet ... okay I'm done with the adele, hello everybody how are you, i hope you're all well, sorry for dying but blame tumblr :(( i actually hate change so much and that's all tumblr has been doing recently lol

taglist: @ainescribe @tartigglez

[theseawillbringdarkness]

I rarely write reviews for things, because honestly, I’m just a regular person with no experience or knowledge on the details of game development, and I get anxious that I may misunderstand something due to being unaware of how certain mechanics work or subtle aspects of storywriting, but I decided to give «Cryptid Crush» a more detailed overview than just a little post full of me gushing over this project that I made originally (spoiler alert: this review actually is just one giant post of me gushing over all the things I love about the game, because I just wanted to note down everything that caught my attention). I’m putting it under the «read more», so folks that didn’t play it can avoid spoilers. And also because I got a bit into oversharing\infodumping mode (aka, a LOT of text), and there is a lot of images too. Buckle up for a ride and let’s-a go!

All screenshots are from the game “Cryptid Crush” by Drowsy Drake Studios.

This is a big read. Seriously. 3378 words. Don’t ask me how it happened, I was in the zone.

Spoilers!!

I say “review”, but it’s just my personal opinion, not entirely written in a serious manner, because I by no means intend it as some serious and professional writing.

TL;DR: play «Cryptid Crush», support it’s creators ( @cryptidcrushvn, @squidinu​ ) and check their website!

I actually stumbled over this game by accident, because one evening I was in especially sour mood and decided to lose myself in one of dating simulators or visual novels, so I was browsing Itchio to see if anything catches my eye. «Cryptid Crush» instantly did just that, because I’m absolutely in love with monstrous characters and I loved what I saw on the game’s main page. Normally, due to whatever weird neurodivergent way my brain works, I can hardly make myself play new games\watch new shows\movies\cartoons, because that requires certain mental preparation from me (aka «the stars must allign in a specific way, or else I’ll stare at the game icon forever, unmoved like a statue»). No idea why it works like this! I have whole lists of things I want to play\watch, but I always have to catch myself in a mental state that is perfectly accepting of getting invested in a new story, even if I know there is 90% chance I will like it. And let me tell you, I’m very glad that I gave «Cryptid Crush» a go. Actually, this is now my comfort story, and there is a lot I want to praise the creators of this game for.

Mechanics

Click to progress the story, which means I can drink tea\coffee AND enjoy a good story. That’s already a win in my books, especially if you’re looking to settle down for a cozy, relaxing evening. Ability to simply scroll back in case you accidentally skipped a dialogue line or want to read it again can really come in handy. Actually, while I’m at it, I have to say BIG THANKS for such detailed menu when it comes to picking where exactly you want to start after you played both chapters. Rather than having to play from the beginning, you can pick a scene to start from, which is especially great for when you want to replay certain moments or conversations in the game.

TTRPG mechanics: at first, I was a bit intimidated, because I always have troubles absorbing technical information about how certain things work (which often looks like an overwhelming cluster of information for my brain), and while I make sure to read through everything, it takes some poking around or even winging from me to get a hold of how something in the game works. However, here it wasn’t so bad at all. I love how «throw a dice to determine success or failure of selected action» here is both used in battle mode AND at a few points in the story, to see if you can get additional information from the characters or get away with a small lie.

When it comes to fights, I enjoyed them more than I expected - said TTRPG mechanic wasn’t so hard to understand after all, and little comments and dialogue lines made the process even more lively and enjoyable. I greatly appreciate the way tutorial was smoothly integrated into gameplay and for a chance to pick difficulty when it comes to fights. I’m a simple person, I play on «easy» majority of the time, so it worked perfectly for me.

Character customization: while the look of the main character, Robyn, is pretty much «set», there are still details you can change, like picking a different color for the coat, hair length, etc. And you can choose whatever first and second name you want (so, like usual, I just used the name of my main OC). Also appreciate the ability to pick pronouns, because I didn’t think too long before picking «they\them». Am I having some sort of self-discovery? I don’t know, but I always appreciate having that option for some reason.

Artwork

The visual part is stunning! The art style is so beautiful and cozy! I love the thicker lines on the outline (no pun intended) of characters, the soft colors, the creativity of monstrous designs. Love how big hands some of characters have (like August in werewolf mode, Oz, Jamie, Mike, etc.)!! My absolutely favorite part, as usual, is facial expressions, of course. Backgrounds also have each their own atmosphere (like cozy one at Robyn’s place, or creepy haunted one at the Elkhorn radio station. Actually, this bit has tons of details - a nice example of «environmental storytelling») and vary in level of detail, allowing some scenes to have more focus on the characters. This pencil-painting style looks great, by the way!

Story

The story in «Cryptid Crush» is very intriguing and allows you an easy integration in it’s world, being a good mix between supernatural and something familiar to all of us. Like dealing with mysterious curse, living in a town full of various cryptids and all the shenanigans that come with it, while at the same time being a relatively regular person, who is just trying to navigate the chaos of their life and worrying about groceries. There is a main story of searching for answers about said curse, but plenty of other storylines that entwine with it, enriching the story and making it feel so full of life. The world here truly feels alive, and there is one part that I love so much.

Despite characters facing hardships and things being rather scary at times (like Robyn’s trip to the void, their first nightmare and what Mike had to face while dealing with Mr.Walker), the story is so. Very. Wholesome. It’s in everything, in the way characters communicate between each other, and especially in their relationships. I’m a big fan of the «found family trope», it always moves me, and I truly believe that sometimes a family can be just a bunch of dysfunctional adults that love each other and try to get along, and seeing those little details or these heartfelt talks that characters share (like the talk between August and Atlas, for example) - they warm my heart so much. My own life may be a mess at the moment, but somehow, this story gives me reassurance that it will work out. Things can be tough sometimes, but they don’t stay tough.

On that note, I absolutely have to mention the amazing writing. Different people obviously gravitate towards different writing styles, but this one is great in so many ways. The descriptions are dosaged perfectly - they’re not dry or, on the contrary, stretch so much that it significantly slows down the story. They’re perfect in giving you enough information to imagine the scene and atmosphere well, without turning into cluster of words (I enjoy big descriptions, but sometimes they may be more fitting for an actual book, rather than a story with a certain flow). And when you’re given lore at the library, it’s also written very interestingly (and the illustrations are so great!!), giving you a better outlook on the world of cryptids. I love the way that size and type of the font (or little details, like «shaking» letters) is used to better convey emotions. All characters feel so alive, they each have their own very different personalities and little quirks. I also absolutely have to applaud the sense of humor that comes into writing and makes it such an easy and comfortable read! I don’t have enough words to describe properly how much I love the writing, okay.

Characters

Usually, I always have a few favorite characters when it comes to stories (I’m personally very fond of Oz, for instance), while I’m rather neutral towards the others, sometimes warming up to them as the story progresses and I get to know them better. «Cryptid Crush» is an exception, though, because I actually love all characters that were introduced to us so far?? So allow me to spam a little with silly little commentaries for each of them. Also, I may mention it about dozens of times, so let me say it here: all voice actors are doing spectacular job! I’m legit in awe of the talent and range, and it’s clear they’re doing their best and having fun in the process too.

«Mothman»

Not gonna lie, I keep asking him for «dad advice» just for fun (I can’t believe his sound effect is straight up «hi Hungry, I’m dad»). The answers are simultaneously the worst and the best.

«Robyn»

I’m fairly certain they’re a mom friend at heart, being a voice of reason on different occassions. Probably unsuspecting that they’re in need of the «found family», but also I hope that it certainly awaits them. Absolutely love it how they’re just trying to ignore all the weird things that are happening in their life currently. I mean, sure, there is a ghostly cat and also now another ghost that haunts your phone. Doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about breakfast.

«Taro»

She is a little goblin of a cat, and I love her. I mean, I’m aware she is a cat, but at the same time she is so... CAT. If you know what I mean. Waking you up by putting a paw on your face (or through your face in this case), demanding food and attention. Love her, and the voice is absolutely perfect for this type of personality! And her monstrous form looks awesome!

«Atlas»

The quote that comes to mind right away is «I only had them for an hour and a half, but if something happened to them, I’d kill everyone in the room and then myself». Many bits of his personality feel so relatable, especially the urge to infodump\overshare (like what I’m doing right now, whoops). Side note, but in Chapter 1 «Leviathan Waltz», during the phone talk before bed, I always got the picture of Atlas chilling in the attic, identical to the one at the intro of the chapter. An alternative, creepier version was unexpected, but that was a really cool surprise! In any case, I love Atlas dearly, and his enthusiasm towards things is very contagious. I’d absolutely watch a trilogy marathon with him (if there are subtitles, or I’m gonna miss 40-50% of information).

«Jamie»

I didn’t know what to expect at first, but with all the «Let the crimes commence» and casual trashing of the haunted radio station, I did not expect how gentle they are (not with Mike, for obvious reasons, but you know). I adore the manner in which they wrote the message to Robyn the next day after the trip to Elkhorn radio station, almost sounding like what one would write in a full on letter, as well as their overall manner of speech and also being a voice of reason, taking care of their friends. Also, they have a skull-face, which automatically makes me love their design. And bright blue details go so well with the rest of their palette! Also also, I was really thrilled to see a character that goes by «they\them» (okay, yeah, maybe I am going through some self-discovery here).

«Mike Madhouse»

I have to note right off the bat: Mike’s voice actor really be WILDIN’. The absolute charisma that drips off every voiced dialogue line, the unrestrained enthusiasm and madness?? Absolutely amazing. I’m not the person to genuinely laugh that easily, but sound effects for Robyn’s haunted phone crack me up every time. As much as various facial expressions Mike makes (I swear, you guys cranked it up to 200% and I’m loving the result). I’m looking forward to seeing him getting some character growth, and I was happy when he didn’t turn out to simply be defeated and leave the scene for good. He is a complex character, not easily showing his true emotions, which only makes these moments hit even harder (like the sad face he makes at the mention of Atlas, when they’re about to leave for Edith’s shop). «MeAt GrInDeR!!!» moment is definitely one of my favorite ones. (Also, different variations of sprites during the fight, like Atlas Madhouse and demonic looking Madhouse, look epic!)

«August»

He is friend-shaped. That’s it, I don’t have anything more to say, I bet he gives the best hugs. Well, of course not, I do have more things to say. For instance, how adorable he is when he gets flustered after being called, well, adorable. Actually, I only recently noticed the blushing sprite that flashes for a second when he turns around to jump through the window right afterwards. I mean, he wanted to get out of the clinic anyway, but that was a smooth escape. Also, I adore the «I was already a wreck» pun when Robyn apologies for hitting him with a car (I actually love puns, and sometimes I make it other people’s problem, pfft). The enraged snarling August makes upon realizing Atlas forgot to turn off the oven was both terrifying and hillarious in the context. (Lowkey, love all of his sprites and the fact that he has these different «stages» of his werewolf form too.)

«Oz»

I said this already, but when seeing Oz in Chapter 0, I thought he will only make a fleeting appearance and that’s it, which made me a bit sad, because he instantly caught my eye. So I was absolutely delighted to see so much more of him in the next chapter! I love how chill he seems to be, looking intimidating, but at the same time giving impression of a gentle giant who wouldn’t hurt someone without a good reason. It might be a bit challenging with a character who doesn’t speak majority of the time, but it also allows a lot of creativity with the way he communicates and expresses his feelings, and it makes it entertaining to see his facial expressions change at various comments the other characters make. The very rare «pleased» expression he makes honestly warms my heart. But also he gives a strong feeling of a «this bad boy can store so much PAIN inside-», which makes me want to give him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. I’m looking forward to see more of him in the future, his appearance in the dream sequence alone was very surprising (especially having him actually speak here). Also I loved the moment when he and August were in the middle of an argument, and Gus waited politely and patiently while Oz was writing down what he had to say. ALSO have to note that I absolutely love his color palette, which makes yellow eyes stand out even more on top of various shades of grey, black and white.

«Thursday»

Beloved goblin: Bird Edition! Thursday’s pleased expression is one of my favorite sprites. I’m losing it at the contrast between their «crow mode» and very sudden «deep-voiced man, enunciating perfectly clear what they got to say», the first time it took me by surprise.

«Edith»

I was wondering if she is a normal human, right until that one «it’s the charm that protects you-» sprite that made me go «grandma, why are your teeth so big-». At the same time, I felt for Edith in this moment, because I felt exactly the same on multiple occassions, whenever I had to explain something obvious to a customer. Looking forward to seeing more of her, but it’s obvious she is very caring.

«Hazel»

She is sassy, and she clearly had enough of whatever shit she has to put up with. But she still loves her brother, even if she seems annoyed.

«June»

Literally the most adorable ball of energy! I wish I had at least half of her energy.

«Goatma’am»

Her coat! Horns! And overall colors!! She is so pretty, and so nice and helpful! I love the way she is voiced, and I really enjoy listening to this specific kind of speech\voice for some reason. «Parsnip» bit made me snort, though.

«Robbie»

It’s actually very refreshing to see a Cryptid who is just as bewildered at many things about Longhope as any «regular» person likely would be. Lowkey, I loved that wobbling sprite of his when he was telling Robyn what people call cryptids where he is from. He seems to be up to some shenanigans, as well as being determined to find the «goddess sleeping at the river», so I’m hoping he will eventually succeed in his quest.

«Tessie»

She is a mysterious lady (and so beautiful too!), and I’m curious to learn more about her!

«Mr. Walker»

Despite looking rather simple, he’s got an eye-catching design (which I liked even more, because I love shadow-like monsters), and the fight had a lot of creativity put into it! It was a nice twist with Mr.Walker looking like a bigger threat and with smaller HP than the Lantern, seeming like the most reasonable target to take down first, only to swiftly come back into fight after being defeated. And the «Lantern cuts the lights» move was also nice. All in all, Mr.Walker makes easily a very disturbing and terrifying enemy, making the encounter at the graveyard so intense.

Music

Last, but not the least, is music (and it’s nice that you can see the name of the current soundtrack playing in the menu in the lower part of the screen). First of all, the soundtrack in «Cryptid Crush» is straight up enchanting. It always fits the mood perfectly, and I certainly got a few favorites. I kept «Dirt Nap Dreams» on while working a little while ago, and it was soothing and nice for concentration. The track itself is rather chill and a bit somber. «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» makes a perfect soundtrack for Edith, Oz and Thursday trio, having a bit of this «something wicked» energy to it. «Midway to Nowhere» appears to be rather chill, but has this very unsettling mood that is so great for certain scenes and places. And, of course, one of my most favorite ones - «Urgently Jammin’», both remixed version and the original! I swear I listened to this for days. But I also love «Supernatural Foe» for a nice beat and «Old Gods» for how dramatic it is and how it makes you really feel how high stakes are during fight with Mr.Walker.

Second of all, I just have to mention how well sound design is used in the game and how many details go into it. My favorite examples: 1) when Atlas tells Robyn he wants to show them something, and then suddenly «Urgently Jammin» breaks off instead of «Loosen Up Longhope», when he makes a big reveal of still being possessed; 2) «casual» soundtrack breaking off into intense and terrifying «The UNWELCOME Visitor» with Oz seemingly about to get Taro on Edith’s orders, only for everything to abruptly go silent as she goes «I’m joking» and slip back into «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» as the mood changes from threatening back to casual; 3) when Hazel and Oz are having an argument, «Elkhorn Radio Intro» plays out (which is associated at this point with the fight sequence beginning), only for things to suddenly cut back to normal when Robyn and Atlas enter the scene.

All in all, I just want to say that the attention to detail is insane here (another example I didn’t mention above is when Robyn is searching for Mike, and before you see the actual sprites of August and Oz fighting in the background, you see their icons and damage). It’s obvious how much hard work and love is being poured into this project, and I just want to say big «THANK YOU» to Drowsy Drake Studios for creating such amazing story with so many lovable characters. You’re doing amazing work, and we all appreciate it!

Again, I strongly advice to also check out their website for more information:

https://cryptidcrush.com/

P.S. Apologies if I forgot or misunderstood something, it was a bit hard to properly gather my thoughts, but I did my best! If you actually managed to read all of it, you’re a champ.

[robertsmithclone]

I Wait For You (It’s What I Do)

Xavier Thorpe x Female Original Character (Sade Ricci)

Sade Ricci’s fangs just came in two weeks into the school year, so that means a transfer to Nevermore academy. (Does not follow show plot)

1.8k words. (part one)

TW: mentions of blood, slight mentions of eating disorder, very very slight nod to pill addiction, one mention of sexual fantasies, cigarettes

Posting to Ao3 under wonde_rr and Wattpad under SHADYGROVEE

Playlist : it’s in the works

chapter one masterlist

translations at the end

As Sade walked through the doors of Nevermore with her father, she could only focus on one thing; the smell of blood.

Of course her father, Paolo, noticed her tense up and brought his big, rough hand down on her shoulder. “Luce del sole, remember what we practiced.” The dark haired man smiled down at her.

“Papà, I know. I’m fine!” Sade shrugged off his hand as Principal Weems approached with a smile.

“Ah, don’t be like this, mia ragazza!”

After a trip to Principal Weem’s office and a visit to Sade’s dorm, her father had to leave and she felt like sobbing. Boarding school was going to be hell, but it was the only option after her fangs came in not long after the school year started. Nevermore was two weeks in when Sade showed up, and she couldn’t feel more out of place.

She was an Italian vampire. All these people were American. The outcast at a school for outcasts.

Principal Weems had told her to put on her uniform and she’d get a student to give Sade a tour. So, that’s what Sade did. The uniform was bright purple and ill fitting. She already missed her maroon aura.

——

“Sade, this is Rowan. He’ll be giving you your tour today. I do hope you’ll love it here.” Weems gave her the same smile as before and left them outside her office.

The brown haired boy looked over at her and smiled. “As Weems said, I’m Rowan. How did you pronounce your name again?”

He was awfully nice, and very pretty. Sade thought he seemed suspicious, but she thought that of everyone at first.

“Say-d. Nice to meet you, ragazzo carino.” She made sure to flash her fangs slightly and give him a flirty grin.

Rowan’s face flushed and he adjusted his glasses.

“I have to say I wasn’t expecting an Italian accent, but you’re probably full of surprises.” He grinned slightly. “Anyways, follow me.”

Rowan took her around the whole school, without too many odd looks. She had arrived on a Sunday which was probably a good thing except for the fact she started classes tomorrow with practically no time to prepare.

They stopped at their final destination, the small docks by the big lake.

“Well, that’s it.” He smiled at her and glanced at his watch. “Any questions?”

“Does everyone normally wear their uniforms on weekends?” Sade was slightly appalled that she saw everyone wearing one.

Rowan laughed. “Um, no. Weems just wanted to make a good impression on you.”

Sade rolled her eyes and sighed. Of course, but who even cares?

“So, now is usually when my friends and I meet up for lunch on weekends. You’re welcome to come, but I understand if you’d rather unpack and relax.” He seemed hopeful and despite Sade’s adversity to food, she really didn’t feel like being alone. Plus it gave her more of a chance to flirt with Rowan. She thought he was cute when he was flustered.

“Sure, tesoro. Do you guys go into Jericho for that?” Knowing the small town nearby was important for her escape plan, in better words, escape fantasy.

“Yeah, actually, we do. I’ll text our group chat that you’re coming with me.” He pulled out his phone and Sade caught another grin of his. He couldn’t seem to stop doing that. Grinning.

Rowan’s blood smelled so sweet, and she’d rather have that for lunch than whatever was in town. Sade knew she could bite him in a way not to hurt him, just to get a taste, but she couldn’t disappoint her father by running around biting whoever she wanted.

——

They finally made it into Jericho after a 25 minute walk with very slight rain the whole time. Sade felt damp, and she didn’t like it.

Rowan led her into a cafe/diner that she had seen on her way to Nevermore. It was fairly empty aside from what Sade assumed was Rowan’s group.

In a circular booth in the corner sat a bright blonde haired girl with a smile on her face, a boy with a large beanie, a girl with braids and a brooding look on her face, a girl with circular sunglasses and straight black hair, and finally the most attractive boy Sade had ever seen.

The boy was obviously tall, he had long hair, and looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Rowan waved slightly to the curly blonde haired boy behind the counter and slid into the booth with his friends, Sade sliding in right next to him.

They all greeted him with smiles, except for the brooding girl.

“Hey guys, this is Sade. She’s a vampire.” Rowan introduced her to them all and she smiled, flashing her fangs.

“Sade, this is Enid, Ajax, Wednesday, Yoko, and Xavier. Oh, and the guy behind the counter is Tyler. He doesn’t go to Nevermore but we hang out with him sometimes.” He introduced her to everyone around the table and Sade was able to put names to faces.

Xavier leaned around Rowan and put his hand out for Sade to shake, which she did. He grinned at her. “Nice to meet the reason we’re wearing uniforms today.”

“Don’t blame me, bellissimo, I’m not happy about it either.” She dropped his hand.

“Bellissimo?” Xavier looked at her confusedly, but she turned to officially meet the others.

“She’s been calling me Italian nicknames all day, with no explanation, just translate it later.” Rowan whispered to Xavier, followed with a soft laugh.

Xavier just shook his head, and scowled slightly as he saw Tyler walk over and look directly at Sade.

Xavier and Tyler had previously quarreled over various things, but most recently Wednesday. It didn’t really matter because Wednesday didn’t pick either of them. Although Tyler persisted, Xavier didn’t. Xavier knew it was to make him mad, especially with their past. It was unfortunate that Tyler’s kissing skills were so good. Xavier wished he had never found that out.

Xavier thought Sade was the most perfect girl he had ever seen, and if Tyler takes that from him too he just might shoot himself.

“You’re new.” Tyler smiled at Sade.

“Sì, e che ne dici, teppista biondo?” Sade quipped, with a slightly aggressive tone.

It made the table giggle and gasp, but Tyler just stood with his mouth hanging open for a second.

“I’m sorry?” He was confused to say the least, which made the table laugh more.

“So cosa sei, ragazzo barista, uno sleazebag. lo sento.” Sade’s tone was annoyed now. She didn’t really know why she was so bothered with him, probably because she hadn’t eaten since last night, but food disgusted her so she was mean to this Tyler boy instead.

Tyler backed away slightly and Sade slid out of the booth. “I’m going for a cigarette.” She glanced at the table and made her way outside into the light rain.

She pulled a pack and lighter from her bra. Sade loved the smell of nicotine and blood mixed together.

Right as she was letting out smoke, Xavier walked out the door and stood next to her.

“I would offer you one but they’re blood infused.” Sade looked up at him shyly. It wasn’t as easy to flirt with someone like Xavier compared to Rowan. Xavier was different, and being alone with him was scary in a way.

“That’s too bad,” He looked down at her and smiled slightly. “So, what were you saying in there?”

The fact that he asked made Sade curious. What was his motive?

“Oh, I just called him a hoodlum and told him I could sense he was a sleazebag.” She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and took another drag.

Xavier laughed and Sade went weak in the knees. How could someone’s laugh be so beautiful?

“In my humble opinion, you were spot on.” He leaned back against the brick wall and looked up into the sky. She knew there had to be history between them, whatever that may be. Sade could almost smell Xavier’s blood boiling when Tyler walked over.

“I could smell it in his blood.”

“Seriously?” Xavier’s head whipped over to look at her. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had a confused look on his face.

Sade looked back up at him and laughed. “No, you’re too…oh what’s that word? Credulone, I don’t know it in english.” Her face became flushed out of embarrassment and she smiled slightly.

Xavier couldn’t take his eyes off of her. The way she blushed was adorable and he knew how bad this was for him. He already lost the war, that was a fact.

“Gullible?” The corner of his mouth quirked up.

“I don’t know, is that it? Probably. You believe things too easily.” Sade took another drag of her cigarette. There were lipstick stains on it and it was driving Xavier crazy.

“Trust me I don’t, I just don’t know too much about vampires.” He chuckled and looked back up to the gray sky.

“Me either, to be honest. My fangs just came in two weeks ago and I’m still figuring this all out. It’s taking everything in me not to bite you. The smell of your glorioso blood is just too much for me to handle.” Sade lowered her voice and octave when she got to the biting part, and looked up at Xavier with her red eyes wide.

Xavier’s breath got caught in his throat and his face became slightly flushed. He looked down at Sade, sexual fantasies floating around his head just at the sight of her looking at him like that. He knew she should be scary to him right now but she wasn’t. Just beautiful.

“I’m joking, Xavier.” Sade quickly dropped the act, despite seeing the truth in her own lies, Xavier seemed to really believe her, and kind of into it.

“Right, of course.” He shook his head and laughed softly to himself before walking back inside the cafe, leaving Sade alone in the rain.

——

Sade couldn’t help but lie in bed thinking about Xavier. She couldn’t be bothered to worry about classes with him distracting her.

She reached over to her nightstand and pulled out her blood pills but put them back after reading the label. She shuffled the things in her drawer around and pulled out the painkillers. She popped two in her mouth and drifted off to sleep with one thing on her mind.

——

Xavier knew he wasn’t getting sleep tonight. Not after meeting Sade. He’d be lucky if he ever got to sleep again, it wasn’t likely with Sade around.

He sat at his desk, sketching her. Sketching her face, her fangs, eyes, body, making her come to life to hear her laughter and see her flash her fangs at him.

He was just lucky Rowan never asked him what he was drawing, and didn’t mind the sound of Cavier’s pencil when he was trying to sleep.

—

Translations:

Luce del sole - Sunshine

Papà - Dad

mia ragazza - my girl

ragazzo carino - pretty boy

tesoro - sweetheart (male) or treasure

bellissimo - gorgeous

Sì, e che ne dici, teppista biondo? - yes, and what about it, blonde hoodlum?

So cosa sei, ragazzo barista, uno sleazebag. lo sento. - I know what you are, barista boy, a sleazebag. I can sense it.

Credulone - gullible

glorioso - glorious