Tumgik
#I need to rename my tag for them
hexblooddruid · 1 year
Text
youtube
Hold up everyone DnDChaos 3 is out
331 notes · View notes
friendofthecrows · 9 months
Text
When your OC has a boring temporary name but it became their permanent name and now when you want to mention them you're internally like "I'm so sorry for choosing a name in the top 100"
4 notes · View notes
erythristicbones · 1 year
Text
ive been quiet about my original stories lately but just know that i had insane brainworms all day about adapting one of my askblog stories into an original story. rotating Keahi in my brain for six hours let's go
5 notes · View notes
anoodleyqueer · 2 years
Text
sungchan and shotaro need to release music asap I'm running out of fic titles !!!!!!
0 notes
358jours · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Jing Yuan x GN!Reader⎢Bird in my hands
Word Count⎢1840
Genre/Tags⎢SFW, fluff, Reader has wings, wing grooming, softness and non-sexual intimacy, written and posted before game launch⎢Crossposted on AO3
Tumblr media
Jing Yuan, now labeled ‘Dozing General’ behind doors, used to reign upon the battlefield in his younger days. His awareness, his foresight, his strategy, his instinct, his strength, all made him terrifying to fight. With the aid of the lighting element, few were the enemies he wasn’t able to take down. Perhaps the no man’s land was waiting to be claimed by him, to be renamed “Jing Yuan’s land”. 
He wasn’t perfect of course, he had his share of lost battles. But he had led his men to victory far many more times than he ever had defeat. 
Peace has claimed Xianzhou since then. Everything has changed, and no longer does he need to kill for victory. The battles moved from warfronts to conference rooms. Through diplomatic negotiations, treaties, alliances, trades, the living conditions of the citizens improved. His did too.
He has adapted, and every day still uses the many skills he learned on the battlefront. He is meticulous in his routine, planning everything so that no problem arises. Perhaps another person would’ve complained about the mental toll. But he is Jing Yuan, to deal with the consequences rather than preventing them is not his style. Better be safe than sorry as many say, and surely, all of this is why he follows the path of erudition. 
He savors peace in his own way. Taking a nap, laying in the sun, going on a stroll, enjoying the way he can just be bored– those are all the fruits of his hard work. His drowsy demeanor makes him appear lazy in the eyes of others, but he is content knowing none have to deal with his “actually acting like a general” persona. It is much less enjoyable for everybody. 
He was often compared to a lion back on the battlefield, and it still fits him now, in different ways.
You were attributed to his flagship, the Xianzhou Luofu, not as a soldier but as a scout for reconnaissance and investigation. After all, there is little use in making you a regular fighter when that pair of wings on your back gives you many other opportunities. Bird people aren’t the hybrid norm in Xianzhou as it is the known territory of Foxians. 
Perhaps this is why you caught his attention– his subconscious feline instincts reacting to your rare avian attributes. Natural prey and predator, or something along those lines. He had listened to his urges once– to tease you for one of your miscalculations despite being barely acquainted general and subordinate. The face and noises you made had been far too entertaining. Playfully bothering you and seeing your honest reactions to his banter became one of his favorite pastimes. 
Which is why when he finds you squirming around, he doesn't announce his presence. You are trying to reach something on your back, stretching yourself into unspeakable positions to achieve your goal, but with no luck. The curses leaving your lips constantly make the general raise an eyebrow. He has never heard you swear this much in a single instance. 
As much as your floundering entertains him, it is getting a little painful. “May I help?” 
“Ah!” To say you jump in surprise would be an understatement. Your wings flap instinctively, and bam, into the ceiling. Your landing is quite off too. You grasp at the top of your head with your hands, ‘ow ow ow ouch’. Yanqing, passing by right at that moment, laughs his heart out. The loud sound rings out throughout the halls, even after he is gone. Your embarrassment deepens. 
Finally you turn around. “Is there anything amiss, General?”
“It seems you are struggling with something. I was wondering if you needed my aid. I’d rather you don’t end up with a concussion.” Jing Yuan laughs. 
“I– I’m pretty sure a concussion is harder to get than simply this, sir.” You look at the floor, abashed. He only chuckles, his trademark lazy smile on his face. One moment pass, another, and finally you cave when your eyes meet his. “As for help, well… Something in my wings is bothering me and I don’t know where I put my brush. Just combing through with my hands is usually fine but my arms are errr too short for this I fear. If you have the spare time I would appreciate the help. I’m a bit embarrassed to ask you that as you are my superior though.” 
All in one breath. Jing Yuan smiles a bit more. “Of course, to be allowed to touch a bird-person’s wings, isn’t that the highest honor possible?” 
Your hands scratch the back of your head sheepishly before you turn around to lead him somewhere else. He follows, nonchalant. Though you’re trying your best not to open them in enclosed space, he sees your wings flutter every now and then. He wonders how long it has been bothering you, where you’re taking him to. The only sounds covering the silence between you two are the clanking sounds of his armor and your footsteps.
He gets his answer when you two walk into a somewhat large room. Judging by the furniture, it’s half a lounge. But by the hammock suspended in the room and personal items scattered all over the place, it’s half a private bedroom. It’s not located in the living quarters either. He sees you remove your shoes and put them in a shoe rack by the door. The tension in your body seems gone in an instant. He inquires then, “Is this your room?” 
“Technically it’s no one’s, but I’ve furnished it and have been living in it the longest. Please remove your shoes and come here once you’re done.” You walk to a chest in the corner, and take out a bunch of pillows that you throw on the fluffy rug. 
He does as you say and puts his boots by the rack. It’s odd, having to remove his shoes in a bedroom, it’s a habit he lost with time after he was assigned this ship. It’s something he does when he gets back to the mainland, something he does when he visits friends. Even in his own room, he has grown out of it. 
The wooden floor creaks under his weight, until his feet land on the soft and fluffy rug. He arranges the pillows around before he sits down cross legged. He’s honestly surprised by how nice it feels.
“Yanqing and I found this room together, it was pretty much empty back then. I was sleeping in the shared quarters, which was quite a problem since every time my wings would move in my sleep, it’d wake someone up. I asked him if I could have it as my own. He already has his own quarters, so I could have it as long as he could visit anytime. He likes to nap in the hammock and take care of his sword here whenever it rains.” 
You come to sit before him, your back facing him.
Jing Yuan blinks slowly. His mind is computing what you just told him. He hadn’t considered that aspect of you having those wings, he had viewed them –and you by extension– as an advantageous asset, and forgot to take other situations into consideration. This is proof that he still has shortcomings, even in his meticulous planning. “I apologize, I would have prepared something had I known sleeping arrangements were going to be an issue.” 
“Ah no, no, it’s me! We didn’t tell anyone about it and besides, it worked out in my favor at the end of it.” Nervousness suddenly takes over you, afraid you accidentally offended your superior. 
“Do not worry, you have not offended me. Besides, this is your personal space, we are equals here. Please don’t treat me as your superior when we are alone, yes?” He only laughs. The second information is something he has to verify himself– “I’m glad you are so close to Yanqing.” 
“Ah I wouldn’t call it ‘so close’, I’m not sure if we’re even true friends. He’s a good lieutenant when he needs to be, but the rest of the time he’s… I’m not sure how to say it, I don’t think I’m anyone special to him. He’s so extraverted and friendly, it’s hard for anyone to dislike him, or to not tell him whenever they need help with something. He probably knows all the latest gossip too.” you laugh too.  
“That is true. I’m lucky to have him as my lieutenant.” With your back facing him, you don’t get to see his relieved expression, or the way he smiles at you so fondly. “Are you ready?”
“Ah! Yes, of course!” Your wings stretch wide, and Jing Yuan is impressed with the size of them. No wonder sleeping has been a problem for you. “You can pretty much go through the feathers like how you would with your hair. Though they’re pretty sensitive, they’re also sturdier than what most people believe. Do not hesitate if you have to use strength.”
The general hums in response. His hand slowly touches the base of your wings, curious. He has pet small birds in the past, those who didn’t fear him due to his laidback aura. But your feathers are different, for obvious reasons. They are all lined up almost perfectly, their colors much more vibrant up close. They’re incredibly soft to the touch, the smoothness surprising him somehow. 
While he’s very tempted to, he has to do more than simply pet your wings. He’s smart however, and figures he can go at a slower pace so he can enjoy this feeling a bit more. It’s a guilty pleasure he won’t mention. 
It’s his first time doing this of course, but somehow it feels like he has much more experience. He starts combing through the feathers with much care, paying attention to each bump and irregularity. He massages the wing bone before his hands go back through your plumage. You told him he could use more strength, but he’s skilled enough not to. He removes dead feathers so very softly that you don’t feel it. He notices your form relaxing gradually. Your back slumps bit by bit, your wings slowly getting closer to touching the ground. Pride blooms in his chest.
He’s not sure how much time has passed, but once he’s done with both wings you’re sitting asleep. You stir, and when he realizes you’re about to fall, he catches you in his arms. It doesn’t seem to bother you all that much as you try to make yourself comfortable against his armoured chest. He thinks about his options carefully, what were his planned duties for the day. But… he is the Dozing General for a reason.  
He’s careful when he moves to lay on his back, avoiding big sounds made by his armor. You, already in dreamland, don’t seem to mind it and only protest when he moves your head to put a pillow under it. 
With the both of you comfortable, Jing Yuan finally closes his eyes. 
2K notes · View notes
spookberry · 11 days
Text
Tumblr media
Shadow High series 3 my new beloved
I didnt even like most of em until i saw them in person, but the knowledge that they'll probably never be in the show has my brain in a "well its free realestate" kinda mood
Random list of information cuz ive been plotting out friend dynamics and background lore
-i like to pretend Rainbow High/Shadow High are actually Rainbow University/Shadow University cuz im in art college Right Now and i think it makes more sense with the whole dorm room situation. And also major makes more sense than focus IMO
-I changed Pinkie's major from film to just undeclared. I think she eventually does land on Film. She just has a lot of interests! Her dream has always been to one day direct films, and I think she comes to love them even more while developing ideas her with the group as she winds up in a Director/Producer position for most of them. BUT also every time she takes a class in a different program she cant help but fall in love with that way of making art too. So she has a hard time picking for a while and changed her major a couple times before landing on Film.
-Pinkie and Berrie bond a lot over a shared interest in vocal synths (tho Berrie knows more about them than her).
-The two made Pinkie's vtuber model together!
-the fandom wiki says PJ is from germany?? Idk how canon that is tbh but ive decided to embrace it i guess
-Rooney's canon name is Scarlet Rose, but i thought it was kinda lame especially when Rosie Redwood is also in this line sooo I renamed her! Stuck to the color name puns tho. Mar Rooney. Maroon. Haha
-Speaking on her though i love that shes from texas and likes writing scifi mystery type stuff and that being said i just Know deep in my bones that she was a Voltron Legendary Defender fan and Keith was/is 100% her favorite. She has a continued fondness for mothman specifically cuz of this.
-PJ and Rooney actually talk about fandom and shows/movies ALL the time. They dont have a ton of overlapping interests, but where they do? The two literally never shut up.
-Rosie is such a random character, like outside of her design she feels very poorly considered. So I scrapped the cosmetology thing and made her an illustrator instead! I think it works better with her love of making art in nature. I can see her being really into illustrated guide books. I think shes a bit snooty when it comes to art too. It takes being friends with other artists to become more open minded.
-I like the idea that Rosie is mainly friends with Rooney and Berrie ontop of that. The three of them often tag team storylines and how theyd interpret them into different mediums. Rosie will draw up a bunch of concept stuff while Rooney writes up a pitch bible and Berrie will start making shit move and throwing in her own ideas on camera angles and character designs.
-as an animation major Berrie was required to take a sound design class early on, which is where she met Oliver! Hes very laid back, and likes to go with the flow, but functions a little like the "mom" of the group. Often reminding the girls to take breaks, drink water, stop looking at their screens lest they get eye strain etc. He's multi-talented tbh but Music is his one true passion and he likes how the girls are always giving him collaboration opportunities.
-Oliver and Rosie like to talk sports a lot, both having played a bunch when they were younger and throughout high school.
-Lavender Lynn is Oliver's number one "person who needs constant reminders to settle down" she is in a constant buzz of trying to get the best shots and is utterly obsessed with the process of artistic documentation. Everything must be documented.
-the whole school loves her for this actually, she has a whole side gig where other students hire her to help photograph their projects. She saves everything she earns from this for her future dream plans to visit paris. She has it set really, many of the artists who she helps photograph now will remain steadfast clients of hers forever onward.
-PJ and Lynn actually took a print media class together at one point. Which didnt at the time spark an everlasting friendship. But it did give PJ an easier in to ask for Lynn's help documenting a project the group was working on. One of Lynn's first times photographing them work happened to fall on a day where Rosie had planned to trick everyone into going on a nature walk sans devices... Lynn wound up really appreciating this outing and decided to continue hanging around the group even after that project had ended.
176 notes · View notes
Text
Fangs and Fractured Hearts
Chapter 11: 'Till Death Do Us Part
Summary: You helped Astarion complete the Rite of Profane Ascension and become the Vampire Ascendent. You agreed to become his spawn soon after. Once the Netherbrain was defeated, Astarion claimed the Szarr Palace, renaming it the Crimson Palace, for himself and set about his plans of domination.
Word Count: 6.1k
Pairing: Ascended Astarion x female!Tav Spawn
Warnings: [Will try to continue to add more, but in general expect explicit content for mature audiences]
Possible spoilers. Eventual Explicit Content. Slow Burn. Thoughts of Suicide. Violence. Blood. Injury. Mature Content. Self-Harm. Mentions of in-game content. Completely fabricated camp events.
If you notice a very critical tag missing, please don't hesitate to let me know
Rating: Explicit 18+ - [Meant For Mature Audience}
Tumblr media
“I want… more,” Astarion concludes, confident and sure. “I want to be us again.”
Us. I do like the sound of that.
“I don’t know, Astarion…” You pull your knees to your chest. You want nothing more than to be his as you should have been this entire time, but what does more even mean to him?
“Why? What’s stopping us?” His expression is closed and hardened. His intonation is steady but otherwise void of emotion, “You love me, yes?”
You sigh, drop your head to your knees and try to dispose of the urge to cry. You’re scared that if you deny him while you’re here, and it upsets him…. Well, that spells the end for you. There is nowhere to hide from the sun here except perhaps the bottom of the lake. You stare blankly at the serene rayless deep and miss the consoling palliation of nothingness, hushed as the grave.
“Yes, I love you.” Your eyes don’t leave the water, reflecting the glimmer of the sky like a mirror, unable to look into his eyes for fear of losing your rational thought and jumping into his arms. “That’s not the problem.”
“Tell me the problem, and I will remedy it.” Astarion appeals insistently. His fingers brush down your arm as softly as a summer evening breeze. “Whatever you desire, I will make it yours.”
Good Gods, you need to breathe. Your chest is tight. It expands with a whistle as you inhale a sizeable breath, defying the rigour that has set into your lungs. The sun heats your skin, as pale as a pearl, yet your body trembles as if cold. You’re on the verge of falling to pieces, but you cannot allow yourself such weakness. You must be as emotionless as a stone and twice as hard.
You meet his gaze and reach out to the connection you share with him. You cannot read his emotions. He is too poised and practiced, but you can feel them if only he will allow it.
Astarion’s eyes widen slightly at the request, “No,” he shakes his head. “Not right now.”
“Why is that?” You cock your head at him with a frown, “What are you hiding?”
“No, darling. It is for you that I will not do this here. I can hear your thoughts, remember? Last time you called me the devil,” he chuckles with a smug smirk. “That would hardly upset me, but if you do think something untoward, I do not want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no place to hide should you need to. Just tell me what is troubling you.”
It sounds like a very convenient excuse for him to keep things from me.
“Can we not just wait and have this conversation at the manor then? Will you open the bond there?”
Astarion sighs, combing fingers through his damp hair, “Yes, I suppose we could. Is it because of my- “
“No, it has nothing to do with your condition.” You cut him off, “It’s... I will be plain. I have accepted that you cannot love me, but that is what I desire. I will not be your dutiful consort, Astarion. I want something real.”
“What you’re looking to hear,” he glances away, almost sheepish. It would be winsome and nostalgic, this glimpse of his past self, if you were not worried that it’s a clever ruse, a tactical manipulation to appease your doubts. “I have said it before, you know.”
“And therein lies the problem,” you wince at the memory - “I love you. That’s what you want to hear. Isn’t it? That’s what you’ve been waiting for.” You brush your expression with bedrock, “You say it because you think it’s what I want to hear.”
“No,” he protests with a twisted mouth. “I meant every word.”
“Then say it, Astarion,” you urge, praying he will. Gods, it’s what you’ve longed to hear. There’s a desolate part of you that would savour it, even if it is just a beautiful lie, and you hate yourself for being so broken, “Open the bond and say it.”
“I…I-” he trails off with a rasp and grimaces. His lips smack together, but no sound emerges from his mouth. It’s as if the words are lodged in this throat. He shakes his head with a low, pained groan. “Perhaps you are right. This is a conversation better had at home.”
He won’t say it.
Pieces fall from your heart like petals off a dead flower.
Tumblr media
The sun is dipping below the horizon as the mare moves under you in a fluid canter with Astarion’s black gelding leading. Your hips roll steadily with the pace, and you barely perceive when Astarion pushes his gelding into a gallop. Your mind spins with questions, concerns, doubts and desires you dare not act on. His words still ricochet around your mind as quickly as the booming of the horses’ hoofs pounding the earth.
“I want to be us again.”
“I have said it before.”
“I meant every word.”
A tear rolls down your cheek as you watch him from behind. Nothing is more torturous than having everything you want laid at your feet, only to force yourself to walk away. You wipe the tear off your cheek and push away the others welled in your eyes, fluttering on your lashes like dew on blades of grass.
Astarion reels his gelding around on its haunches, shifts into mist and crashes into you abruptly, throwing you out of the saddle and to the ground harshly on your stomach. The horses scatter with bucks and rears, squealing and frightened. You try to push yourself up to your feet, but Astarion presses his chest down hard on your back, sinking you into the tall grass.
Reacting instinctively, you rival his dominance as dread mauls you, “Astari-“
“Shut up,” his hand covers your mouth, muffling you.
You crane your neck, trying to get a view of his eyes. If he’s gone, that’s a surefire way to tell. Astarion studies the trees around you with an acute glare. His heart thuds so hard in his chest that you can feel it against your spine. He looks like a hunter stalking its prey, but otherwise, his eyes are the vivid crimson of his and not the matte frost you expected.
He looks down, removes his hand from your mouth and leans low, bringing his lips beside your ear, “When I give the order, you run back to the manor. You do not stop for anything or anyone. Do I make myself clear?”
“I don’t understand,” you keep your voice as low as his. “What’s wrong?”
“Do as I ask, and do not challenge me on this,” he commands assertively.
His expression is grim and severe as he brandishes his blade, snapping his wrist and twirling the hilt into his grip. Something is wrong, and you follow his glare to the trees, trying to figure out what danger he’s detected looming in the shadows.
Astarion leaps to his feet and hauls you up with him by the back of your shirt so fast you’re dizzy by the time he pushes you and commands, “Run!”
You hesitate. Does he really expect you to leave him here when there’s a threat nearby? Is he out of his mind? Has he forgotten who you are and the power you possess?
“No,” you shake your head, gripping the Weave. “Whatever is coming, we can fight it together like we always did!”
“I said RUN!” Astarion shouts gruffly.
“I’m not leaving you here!”
Astarion sighs, “You leave me no choice. I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, you feel that presence in your head, but not in the way as if he were opening the bond. No, this time, it takes your control, wicking it out of your muscles, tendons, and bones and bequeathing it to him. Your eyes widen as all your muscles go stiff and await the incoming command.
Compulsion.
Hells, you can barely blink without his godsdamned permission. You’re trying to shake your head, to speak, to fucking scream, to get him to stop, but your body pays no heed to your instructions. The only command that matters is his, and you await it like an obedient hound.
Astarion speaks precise commands, “Run to the manor as fast as you can and stay there until I return. You will stop for no one and nothing.”
“Run to the manor as fast as I can and stay there,” the words are pulled out of your lungs without your consent. “I will stop for no one and nothing.”
Your body pivots without your approval, and you break into a full sprint, streaking through the forest like a meteor. You hurtle over fallen trees and boulders while ducking under long-limbed branches and zigzagging between trees at a break-neck pace you can’t control. Your mind chants your command in a hypnotic chorus.
Run. Run. Run. Run.
The repeating instruction is nearly all you can focus on. It drowns all other thoughts out. There’s a quiver outside that melody, the beating drum of footsteps and heartbeats. You can’t turn your head. You do not have the authority to do so, but your eyes scan your surroundings. Catching movement between the trees, you finally comprehend what’s going on.
The Gur.
It’s hard for you to focus on anything besides your mad dash, but you vaguely make out that they are stalking in the forest all around you. You strain to focus on the sounds outside of the tittering in your head, and you finally hear the sound of howling, enraged warriors and clashing steel.
No. No. Why did he send me away? I can fight!
Good Gods. It’s hard to think. Hands catch you, stopping you in your tracks, but your body is not yours. You’ve been told to run and stop for nothing, and it’s agonizing to disobey, like a million sharp nails being hammered into every atom of your being, making you cry out. You would do anything, fucking anything, to make this suffering end.
You cast Thunderwave, throwing anyone in the vicinity backward and then Fireball in quick succession almost unconsciously. You can barely focus on anything but the order to run and the pain of not doing so. You whirl to continue running, but another hunter grabs you, snarling with yellow teeth and spittle flying from his lips.
By the Gods, it hurts. You can’t think through the white-hot pain.
Clawed, furry paws grab the hunter from behind before a snout full of razor-tipped, serrated fangs sink into the Gur’s throat and rip it out. Your mind is so singularly focused you can’t even be bothered to be tempted by the blood. Hells. You don’t even have permission to smell it, so you don’t. It takes you a moment to recognize the werewolf standing before you as part of Astarion’s powers.
Will his hellspawn mutt attack you as well? It drops the hunter with a howl that would make your blood run cold if it was not already and stares at you, waiting and watching, flexing its claws and growling. Its fangs are dipped in crimson, and blood drips from its snout. Astarion must have sent it to protect you. That’s the only reason it would be here with you and not helping him.
No! Go back. Help him.
You want to scream at it, but you’re already running again with the werewolf as your shadow.
It sprints ahead and kills any hunters that aim to thwart you, but if it misses, you do not hesitate to kill. You will take a million lives if it means you don’t have to feel that pain again, you will do anything to continue obeying, and you cast subconsciously with deadly power and finesse. Even the thought of turning around and going back, of defying your orders, causes pain to slice into your psyche like hot steel. An arrow plunges through your shoulder, swords and axes slice into your skin, painting your body vivid red, yet you feel nothing but the undeniable need to comply. Your nerves have not been given the authorization to feel pain. Could you even die, or are you not allowed?
When you finally break the treeline, the werewolf trailing you sinks back into the gloom as you bolt toward the manor with a resounding, echoing bay as if it’s signalling to Astarion that its job has been completed.
Run. Run. Run. Run.
You sprint full speed through Rivington, Wyrm's Crossing, and the Lower City without slowing your brutal pace. You blow past citizens who stare at you with wild eyes and angry shouts as you push past them with desperation so intense it eclipses everything else. Is this how Astarion felt when Cazador compelled him? Was he as helpless to refuse as you are in this moment?
Astarion has never compelled you before, at least that you know about. How long will this last? How far does his reach extend? If he told you to run forever, would your body run until the ground gnawed your legs into bloody stumps? What would happen if you could no longer run? Would the pain from disobeying eventually kill you, or would you be stuck in a purgatory of white-hot agony for eternity?
When you finally get to the manor and slam the door behind you. You stand stiff as a statue in the foyer. Sweat runs down your face and chest, but you can’t get your arms to move to wipe it from your eyes, and blood splashes, dripping onto the floor from your fingertips like a leaky faucet. Your head won’t swivel to look around, and your eyes will not move in their sockets, so you're stuck staring straight ahead. At least the chanting in your head has gone silent, and you can think freely, or perhaps that’s worse. Now, you can’t think of anything but Astarion, alone in battle with however many Gur. If they knew who they were hunting, which they must, they would come in vast numbers.
What was that idiot thinking? You could have helped him! He may be the Vampire Ascendant, but he’s not indestructible. Unless he is? Truly, you have no idea what he is capable of. Astarion is a force to be reckoned with, but will he lose himself in this? When he gets back to the manor which him will he be? Will you still be stuck like an effigy and unable to defend yourself? What if he doesn’t come back? Will you forever be a statue in this foyer?
Gods. You need to get back there and help him, but as soon as you have any intention of trying to move, trying to break this authority over your body, your mind warbles the enchanting tune of compliance.
Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay.
Fuck! You try your magic. It glows on your fingers and even heats in your palms, but without being able to move your arms, it’s useless. There’s nothing you can do. You’re immovable until either his compulsion wanes or he gives you new orders.
With nothing else to do, your mind wanders.
Tumblr media
You prowl the halls of the Crimson Palace looking for Astarion after escaping from the prison of your room. The air in this place is musty, and you can still smell what remains of Cazador in the rooms and halls. This place is oppressive and cold, and he’s changed nothing.
“Astarion!” You scream in a blind rage that sweeps over you like wildfire.
You round the corner and see him sitting at his desk, glaring at you with a bland, expressionless stare. You fill yourself with the Weave until you’re awash with it, and your palms are so blisteringly hot that the skin boils and blisters. Whoever this man staring at you is, not the Astarion you knew.
You should try and kill him, but you cannot bring yourself to do it. Is that a consequence of being his spawn? Is your loyalty to him poisoned, or is it love that refrains you?
Astarion leans back, “What in the Hells,” he growls, his brows pinching together in a fearsome scowl, “do you think you’re doing out of your room?”
“Astarion. Listen to me, please,” you plead. “Something isn’t right. This is not you. Why are you doing this? Why do I have to stay in my room? What happened to Aeterna Amantes?”
“Oh, love,” he scoffs with a sneer. “Come now. Did you truly believe I would ever be beholden to one person? For eternity? HA! I told you before. I am a man of enormous appetites. Don’t worry,” he purrs. “You will always be my favourite.”
Angry tears roll down your cheeks at his taunts, and you can see in his face that he takes satisfaction in your pain. Fire bursts from your palm, licking up your forearms, “The Rite changed you. This isn’t you. You were never cruel before.”
“Are you positive you truly knew me?” Astarion stands slowly, “Yes, the Rite did change me. I am a veritable God! All thanks to you. You will forever have my undying gratitude. If you’re a good little pet, I will take excellent care of you. You will want for nothing.”
A good little pet...
“What I want is the old you back!” You shout at the top of your lungs.
“You want cute, cuddly Astarion?” He laughs mockingly and then hisses with venomous contempt, “That pathetic wretch is dead. He was a miserable, weak little pest. Grieve him, for he is gone, and he is never coming back.”
"Fuck! You don’t have to be cute, cuddly Astarion, but there isn’t even a hint of Astarion left in you, whoever you are!”
Astarion is advancing on you with slow steps, and you reflexively take steps back. Good Gods. He’s herding you like an animal.
“I am the Vampire Ascendant and your creator, and you will give me the respect I am due.” His hands come to his chin, “I think you will call me Master from now on.”
“I will never call you Master!” You retort in a voice dripping with defiance. Flames twirl around your forearms like a tornado.
“I could make you,” He rebukes with an impassive inflection, “All it would take is a thought, and you will do anything I say.”
“Then do it, you fuck!” You conclude, baring your teeth. You’re sick of his threats. If he’s going to make you a puppet, you would rather he get it over with. “Go ahead, Ascendant! Show me your power.”
Astarion laughs lightheartedly, but his face is as expressive as a white wall, “Don’t be such a fucking bitch.”
Oh. No.
You cast Scorching Rays against him, buffeting him repeatedly with a sorrowful, hopeless scream. It burns him, some of his pallid skin ruddy and his clothes hang off him in tatters. Astarion lunges at you, a streak of silver lightning, and throws you to the ground, breaking the floorboards beneath you. He snarls in your face with his fangs bared and pestilent abhorrence in his numb eyes.
“Do you feel like a man, Astarion?” You spit with a wheeze, “Does throwing me around make you feel good?”
It’s barely perceptible, but there’s a meagre flash in his eyes. The pressure with which he pins you to the floor recedes slightly. He shakes his head, and it’s gone. Astarion drags you through the halls by your ankle, down the stairs, uncaring as your head smashes against each step. You grimace, refusing to give him the satisfaction of crying out. You don’t bother to cast again as grief smothers your anger, and the flames die out along with your will to live.
Astarion tosses you into your room, your body skipping across the floor like a flat stone across the surface of a lake.
“Stay, pet.” He commands with an aloof chuckle, whirls around and leaves.
The lock clicks, and the metal bolt slides into place. Knock does not work on locks like that. It seems he’s learned your tricks.
“No!” You scream, rattling the door, “No! Please! Astarion, don’t do this.”
He does not answer.
It’s hard to tell how much time goes by. Days? Weeks? Who knows, but you’re so hungry that you’re sitting on the floor, sobbing against the door, clawing at it as if you might be able to dig your way out. Your fingers are bloodied, and you’ve ripped off your fingernails in your desperation.
“Astarion!” You wail, sobbing as your muscles jerk and spasm painfully.
He does not answer.
He never answers.
Tumblr media
Your knees give way, and you crash to the ground, breaking you out of the memory. Astarion’s compulsion has broken, and your body is finally your own to control. You yank the arrow from your shoulder and burn it to ash.
Astarion… 
Peering around and listening closely, you surmise that he still has not returned. Pushing yourself to your feet, your muscles cramp severely and twitch, a tune of overexertion from your retreat. With the compulsion gone, sensation returns, and you feel the wounds you received with a biting ferocity. The only thing on your mind is finding Astarion, and you lunge for the door hastily. Golden rays of sunlight flood the foyer as soon as you fling it open, and you're washed in the agony of the Hells. Every nerve melts as you're immersed in rivers of liquid fire in Phlegethos. Your skin sizzles, snapping into fissures and greying rapidly.
It’s the kind of pain that makes you want to scratch your skin off to escape your body. You throw yourself back with a screech, and the pain ebbs as your skin slowly stops smouldering. Dropping to the ground, you cast Telekinesis and throw the door closed with a frustrated roar. If you cannot go into the sun, Astarion is not nearby or… Gods, you don’t even want to think about it. You don’t even want the thought to run through your mind, but it does, regardless of your restraint.
Astarion could be dead.
The only solace you have is that feeling in the back of your mind that still lingers. If he was dead, would that also disappear? You’re unsure. You tell yourself it would because you desperately need the lie to keep you sane. Reaching out to it, you try to force it open, but it does not budge, and Astarion does not respond to the request, increasing your panic further.
What can you do? You need to do something, anything, but what? You’re stuck in this fucking manor until the sun goes down. You get up and pace back and forth, rage building inside you. Why did he send you away? You’re a godsdamned terror in battle. You could have helped him, and now you’re stuck here, unable to do anything.
Fuck!
You scream as tears streak down your burnt face, grabbing a mirror from the wall and throwing it against the floor, shattering it to bits. He made you stand here like a foolish statue all night while he… you don’t finish the thought.
You can’t.
Come back to me. Please.
Things are falling apart quicker than you can piece them back together. Astarion told you he wanted you to be his, and you balked. All the reasons you felt so resolute about suddenly seem so trivial. For a year, you would have done anything to have him back, and now you do, and you’re too scared to put your already dead and broken heart on the table.
This love might kill you, but it’s not over. It was never over. It could never be over.
You chuck a vase against the wall and snarl like a wild animal. It bursts, showering the floor in a spray of glass. You cannot control your rabid emotions. You punch a hole through the wood panelling, tear paintings off it and snap them into pieces as you fall into a tailspin of misery.
You pace the hallways in a rage. At him. At yourself. At the world.
You will not lose him to whatever that thing is inside of him.
You will not lose him.
You cannot lose him.
The jagged pieces of your frenzy are strewn haphazardly throughout the manor and resemble a portrayal of what remains of your life. Everything is broken, fragmented and sharp enough to cut down to bone.
Desperate to feel close to him in some form, you run up to his room. It smells like bergamot and rosemary with a hint of aged brandy - it smells like him, and he smells like home. You inhale deeply. Grim thoughts race through your mind like a whirling flood that creeps out of your eyes in the form of tears.  Without Astarion’s heartbeat, the silence in this place is heavy and dark, like a passing cloud.
You lay on the bed, and your hand skims over where he was this morning when you woke with your head on his chest. Astarion held you all night and long into the morning. When your eyes opened, Astarion was already gazing at you with scarlet eyes as gorgeous as the heavens and as deep as the hells. His expression was warm-hearted, loving even. He looked at you like he used to.
“Well, hello, beautiful.”
He smiled, sweeping your hair out of your sleepy eyes. All the things he’s said to you start echoing through your mind.
“I missed you, you know. When you left.”
“You make me feel.”
“I could never get you out of my head.”
“I told you I can be romantic.”
“Yes, little love, true feelings.”
“My feelings for you, of course.”
Good Gods. Has he been trying to tell you he loves you through his actions this entire time? You’ve been so caught up in not letting yourself fall into another trap that you didn’t see it. You were reading random pages and not the entire book.
It ends today. You don’t know where this will end, but you know where it must start.
Curling up on the bed, you cry until you manage to push yourself into your trance because that’s all you can do.
Tumblr media
Your hand slams into the wooden door with a force that causes it to whine. Night has finally consumed the sun, and Astarion still has not returned. When you woke, the manor was still deathly silent.
Shadowheart opens the door a crack, and her eyes widen when she sees you. She scowls fiercely, “Did Astarion do this to you!?” She growls with a clenched fist.
Did he do what to me? Oh....
“No,” you assure quickly. Your skin is still creviced and grey with red, scabbed lacerations marring your flesh. You push yourself into the house. “This was not him. He’s missing. I need your help to find him.”
Shadowheart’s magic washes over you, healing your wounds, and she takes a quick step back. She knows better than to get too close to you, but right now, your hysteria is overriding any bloodlust you might feel.
Even though she does smell delicious.
Gale frowns, “What do you mean missing?”
“We were attacked by Gur in the forest last night,” you blurt out rapidly. “He hasn’t come home.”
Gale smiles. He fucking smiles, and it takes everything in you not to slap that grin off his face. He shrugs, “Good riddance, I say.”
“I’m sorry, but I agree with Gale,” Shadowheart crosses her arms. “He told me what happened. Is it true Astarion was going to kill him?”
“Gale attacked him!” You roar with a hiss, narrowing your eyes at Gale who noticeably jolts at your rough inflection. You sigh and try to calm your rampaging temper, “You don’t understand, and I do not have time to explain it right now. Without Astarion, I cannot be out in the sun. I only have until dawn to find him. We must hurry.”
Gale scoffs, “I’m sorry, but there is no “we,” in this, my friend. If the Gur took care of that monster for us, we should be thanking them.”
You knew Gale would be a longshot, especially after what happened at the manor, but Shadowheart might still be swayed but your pleas.
“Shadowheart, please,” you beg, tears kissing your cheeks once again. “I need help.”
“I don’t know...” She sighs, rubbing her face. “He’s dangerous. Why not just leave him to his fate? If he is dead, you’re free. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Not if his death is the price of that freedom,” you rasp. You clutch your chest, wishing to feel his heart beating behind your breast, to feel complete, because, without him, you are so vastly empty. “Dangerous as he is, he is my safe, Shadowheart.”
“How did you get away?” Shadowheart asks.
“He compelled me,” your voice breaks. “The idiot compelled me to leave.”
Shadowheart arches a brow and purses her lips, “Does he compel you often?”
“He’s never compelled me before,” you groan at the memory of your body betraying you. “Astarion told me to leave, and I refused. It’s the first time he’s compelled me, and it was to get me away from danger. Stupid, foolish imbecile!”
Well, it’s the first time he’s compelled you that you know about, but alas, she doesn’t need to know that.
Shadowheart looks you over and you’re not exactly sure what she’s looking for, but she finally nods, “Okay. Give me a moment to get ready. I will help you look for him.”
“You cannot be serious, Shadowheart!” Gale says hoarsely.
Shadowheart sniffs and waves dismissively, “We have all had our demons, Gale. Astarion is no exception.”
“He killed her!” Gale shouts. “He turned her into,” Gale cringes with a gesture toward you. “This.”
Gods, you’ve had just about enough of everyone blaming him for your choices, and you step forward, “I wanted to be turned into this,” you hiss in contempt. “Astarion did not force me. I’ve told you this time and time again.”
Shadowheart gives your arm a light tug, pulling you back, “I will help you look. Perhaps it would be best for you to wait outside, and Gale,” she scolds with a sniff, “I expected better of you. Gods know you reached for unfathomable power, and you would have taken it in a heartbeat.”
The air is crisp in your lungs. Shadowheart was right to send you outside. There is no time to participate in an argument right now, but you will have to return and speak to Gale and Shadowheart eventually to sort this out - if it can be sorted out.
Shadowheart joins quickly, dressed in her armour with her spear slung across her back and a pack around her shoulders, “Let’s go,” she nods. “How much ground do we have to cover?”
“We were on the outskirts of the forest when they attacked. It’s not a substantial distance, but it’s not close either. We will have to hurry.”
You can run endlessly since you don’t require air, and you bolt ahead of Shadowheart to scout the way. Your body is sticky with sweat. It rolls down your temples like a stream from your pores. The adrenaline coursing through your veins is a welcome distraction from the woe warping your heart.
How had the Gur known where you were? Someone must have tipped them off, but who?
It doesn’t take long until the air smells of sweat, death and old, congealed blood, and you can at least follow the scent. The forest is eerily soundless, with only small streaks of moonlight as pale as ghosts streaking through the dense canopy. No animals scurry. No wind blows. No insects chirp. Only the sound of your feet crunching over the forest floor.
Mutilated bodies of Gur, werewolves, and hundreds of bats litter the earth in a carpet of flesh and gore. The ground is a blood-stained dark maroon and squelches under your feet as you slow your pace. Your mouth drops open as you look around, astonished at the number of bodies. Terror sinks into you, and you start pulling on bodies only to uncover more underneath. Heaps of dead in unfathomable numbers. Hells. You listen for a heartbeat but hear none. You choke back sobs. There’s no way he could have survived this, and you hate him for making you leave.
Your ears twitch as they catch the sound of twigs breaking behind you. If it were Shadowheart, she would surely make her presence known. You whirl just in time for snapping fangs to miss your throat as a werewolf lunges. You cast Gust of Wind and send it reeling off its feet. It stands snarling, but it’s gravely wounded, with a sickeningly large festering gash in its belly. You don’t know if this thing will listen or if it can even understand you, but you must try.
“I’m a friend.” You put your hands up but are ready to cast should this prove to be a futile attempt. “Your master’s friend.”
Its ears flick and twitch around as it listens. It sniffs the air and makes no further move to attack.
“Take me to him,” you instruct as commanding as you can. “Now.”
Its lips pull back to reveal rows of sharp teeth and growls, but it turns and plods away unsteadily. You don’t know if it’s just decided you’re not a threat or if it will take you to Astarion, but you pursue it.
The number of bodies dwindles the further you follow, with only a few scattered here and there like dead leaves shed from the trees. Sliding down a steep incline, it finally turns to you, ears flattening against its head, drooping at the tips, and points its disfigured paw with a melancholy whine.
You scramble forward, eyes skimming the ground, and finally see Astarion lying motionless on the rust-coloured earth, painted with blood and gore. His ivory skin only peeks through between the cracks in the drying crimson veil sheeting his body. Countless wounds mar his flesh, some superficial and others that make your stomach twist in your belly, threatening to spill its contents.
You flop to your knees and shake him vigorously, “Astarion!” Your voice is a screeching pitch that could shatter glass, “Astarion! Wake up! Please.”
He does not wake or rouse. He’s cold, deathly cold like he used to be. Leaning down, you put your ear to his chest and try to stifle your loud sobbing so you can listen. You hear nothing. His chest is as silent as yours, seized by the dominion of death. Touching his cheek, you scream shrilly into the night, lamenting your pain to the heavens.
Shadowheart.
You don’t want to leave his side, but you pull yourself away and charge with renewed vigour until you catch Shadowheart’s scent and the hammering thud, thud, thud of her heart. You nearly crash into her in your haste.
“Hells,” She jumps, grabs your shoulders to steady you, and sees the inconsolable look on your face, “What’s wrong?”
“I found him,” your knees are rickety. The only thing keeping you upright and from hurtling off the edge of collapse is the need to return to his side. He can’t be dead. He can’t be! “I think… Gods, I think he’s dead, Shadowheart.”
Shadowheart’s mouth drops open in a gasp, “Show me.”
Tumblr media
Sliding down the slope, you dive to Astarion’s side, hands coming to his face, sweeping your thumb across his frigid cheek. Shadowheart drops to her knees with magic already glowing on her fingers. The colour drains from her face, leaving her as pale as you, awash with horror at the grotesque sight.
“Hells below,” she mumbles. “Is his heart beating? Does it usually beat?”
She knows your hearing is sharper than hers, “It usually does,” you falter and place a splayed hand on your chest. You glance at her and shake your head, “It’s as still as mine.”
Shadowheart casts and her magic sinks into Astarion, but he does not stir. She tries again, and again, and again, increasing the strength with every successive round with no result. Astarion does not so much as twitch a finger or muscle.
You shake him again, screaming into his face as your tears fall like raindrops splashing on his cheeks, “Don’t you dare think about leaving me! Please... please, don’t leave me alone. I need you, Astarion.”
Shadowheart’s cheeks are red, and her eyes brim with shiny tears. She gives you a look of regret, and you know what she’s thinking without her even saying it because you’re thinking it, too.
“He can’t be...” you choke as you fall to pieces.
“I’m sorry,” Shadowheart shakes her head. Her face contorted in sorrow, “I’m so sorry.”
You fall forward onto Astarion’s lifeless chest, blanketing him with your body, and you scream, guttural and ear-splitting as continuous as the stream of time.  
Tumblr media
Big thank you for everyone who takes the time to read/reblog/comment, and all the other magnificent things. As always, I hope you enjoy this, darlings!
AO3 [Crossposted]
Master List of Chapters: Fangs and Fractured Hearts
If you're interested I write another fic with Spawn Astarion x Tav called - Shadows of the Past
Small Notes:
I'm releasing this chapter earlier than I usually do because I've finally had some time to sit and do nothing but write (my favourite), but that means it may push back the release of the next chapter. It will depend on how work and life go this week.
Apologies, darlings. For the cliffhanger.
108 notes · View notes
vyxated · 1 year
Text
[ReShade] Clear UI of Shaders & More
Tumblr media
This is a companion tutorial to my No More CAS UI & More post so if you haven't seen that tutorial yet then I highly recommend reading it first as the installation process is practically the same and a lot of information there will sound familiar here.
This time, it will feature the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler add-on, or REST for short, which will be used to prevent shaders from affecting certain parts of the game. And yes, you can use both add-ons at the same time! 
If you find this useful, do share the word around and tag me! All I ask is that you link back here if you want to share outside of tumblr :-)
⚠️ Disclaimer:
There are 2 versions of this add-on: one that is compatible with Reshade 5.2+ and one that only works with Reshade 5.8.0+. I've created a setting for each of them so make sure to read and grab the correct version.
Tumblr media
How it works:
REST (currently developed by 4lex4nder) is a fork of the ShaderToggler addon where, instead of toggling in-game shaders like hiding UI from view, it will toggle reshade shaders/effects from affecting certain in-game shaders.
It's an alternative to KeepUI/UIDetect shaders as you can do most of the setup in the reshade panel itself instead of using external programs to create a mask. Another use of REST other than masking the UI is that you can toggle certain shaders from affecting CAS items with transparency. Now you can use Chromakey/Comic/AO shaders properly :)
What you’ll get by the end of this post:
A ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.ini file that comes with settings that will: 1) prevent shaders from affecting UI and making it readable (especially for DoF and bloom shaders), and 2) prevent certain shaders from affecting items with transparency in CAS.
Tumblr media
ReShade & Add-on requirement:
REST v 1.2.3: only compatible with ReShade 5.8.0+ w/ full add-on support. Works with 64-bit version of TS4, but should also work w/ the legacy version.
REST v 1.1.0 (testing): compatible with Reshade 5.2+ w/ full add-on support. Works with 64-bit and legacy version.
For GShade users: simply check which Reshade version it's based on and match with the above requirements.
DOWNLOAD .ini file:
For REST v 1.2.3: SimFileShare / Google Drive
For REST v 1.2.1: SimFileShare / Google Drive [⚠️crashing issue]
For REST v 1.1.0 (testing): SimFileShare / Google Drive
Installation:
Have ReShade with full add-on support installed for this to work. If you've done the previous tutorial and have the Add-on menu available to you then you can skip this step. It’s important to have the correct version as without it this won’t work.
Grab the REST add-on from the github release linked in the ReShade & Add-on requirement section. Make sure to get the add-on that works with your Reshade version.
If you're using REST v1.1.0: grab x64_110 add-on file if you're playing on TS4 64-bit version. Grab x86_110 if you have TS4's legacy version.
Extract the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.addon file into the game's \Bin folder where your TS4.exe/TS4_64.exe is (where you had also installed ReShade). Addon32 is for legacy players, addon64 is for non-legacy players.
Still in the \Bin folder, drop the x.x_ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.ini file you downloaded. Make sure you grab the right file matching with the add-on version it's compatible with.
Rename the file and remove the version number in the prefix. Both .addon and .ini file should share the same name for the add-on to recognize my settings.
If you’re a GShade user: there’s a folder called gshade-addons; this is where you should place the ReshadeEffectShaderToggler.addon file. Just move the add-on from the \Bin folder to the folder mentioned and you’re good.
Open up your game. If you see the same menu as below then you’ve successfully installed the add-on & settings! Restart if needed.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Previews of add-on togglers:
Clear UI
This will prevent all shaders from affecting any sorts of UI. Works in CAS and in build/live mode. Enabled by default.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Alpha Mask for CAS
This will disable a select amount of shaders from affecting CAS items with transparency (alpha hair, transparent clothes). Disabled by default. This does not work for live mode.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Shaders affected by the toggle:
Lineart based shaders: Comic & MatCap_Outlines
BG based shaders: Chromakey & DepthAlpha
Various ambient occlusion/AO shaders
Various DoF shaders
ReflectiveBumpmapping
You can add more shaders to exclude by clicking the Change Effects option and select which shaders you want to add.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Fixed:
White screen issue no longer happens on REST v1.2.3 when you switch between window mode & resolution, either via in-game settings or SRWE. v1.2.1 will still be available to download if v1.2.3 doesn't work.
Known Issues:
\\ REST 1.1.0 gamma issue:
Certain shaders won’t work properly with the toggler on and will mess up the gamma, causing it to darken the screen. (Only happens with the Clear UI toggle. Alpha Mask works fine.)
Tumblr media
Shaders affected (list not exhaustive): SMAA (FMAA is not affected), FilmicAnamorphSharpen, ArcaneBloom & NeoBloom, Glamarye_Fast_Effects, MagicHDR, CRT_Lotte.
\\ REST v 1.2.3 keyboard shortcut issues:
Since you can't use keyboard shortcuts for the toggle groups (despite assigning a keybind), you'll have to manually enable them instead. Version 1.1.0 on the other hand works as usual.
Tumblr media
\\ REST (both versions) issue with toggling individual reshade effects/shaders:
When you have the add-on toggler enabled, you won't be able to toggle individual reshade effects with keyboard shortcuts. Say you want to disable ADOF for the time being, you can only disable it w/ keyboard shortcut when the add-on toggle is off or by disabling it manually in the reshade panel.
Tumblr media
\\ REST v 1.1.0 issue with toggling reshade effects/shaders:
If you try to disable your reshade effects altogether, the togglers (when enabled) will prevent that from happening and you have to disable the toggler first in order to disable all reshade effects. Version 1.2.1 doesn't have this issue and will work as usual.
Workaround to issue:
Change the hotkeys to the add-on to be the same as your hotkey for toggling effects on/off. If you use F2 to toggle all effects, change the add-on/toggle groups hotkeys to that.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
632 notes · View notes
kerrtesy · 5 months
Text
A Heads Up
Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a great day or night, whatever time it is for y'all.
Making this post to explain and elaborate on some parts of the recent AU (Bowser's Bodyguard AU, which I'm thinking of renaming) I've been working on. This is going to cover the general story idea, overall vibe, and the games I'm covering with this along with questions I think people may have about the general au.
Don't worry I'll always have this AU tagged, so if you don't like it you can block it easily.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
So as stated above this is more of a clarification post and just generally covering my plans for this AU just so people know what to expect.
So I want this AU to be around 6 to 8 main chapters, where I will see if I can combine the Paper and Mario & Luigi universes into one. The first chapter will be on the Mario Movie.
What games will you be covering?
So below are games I definitely want to cover, please note the games are listed in no particular order at the moment.
Super Paper Mario
Paper Mario Thousand Year
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga
Bowser's Inside Story
Dream Team
All games are going to be rewritten within mind of the character/setup changes. I'm not a huge fan of just writing something that is a paint-by-numbers retelling of the original story; if that's your cup of tea more power too you this is not to throw any shade on that!
For both Superstar Sage and Inside Story I do want to include the side stories the remakes added.
I will say Bowser's Inside Story will be heavily rewritten and I plan on calling it "Fawful's Revenge." The two main reasons are that I'm having Luigi prevent Bowser from eating the vacuum shroom which prevents a lot of the original plot, and I just don't want to draw the inside of Bowser. I don't know what else to say here.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Games that will either be short stories or I'm torn on covering:
Super Mario 2
Mario Galaxy (combining 1 and 2)
Mario RPG
Mario Odyssey
Origami King
Mario Sunshine
Luigi's Mansion 1 & 2
Rabbids Spark of Hope
Paper Mario 64
Super Mario 2 is going to cover Luigi's history with the Shy Guys, particularly with him usurping King Wart. This one might become a full/long chapter.
Mario Galaxy is one that might become a full chapter. It depends on what I end up covering. For instance, at the moment I'm debating on whether to have a semi-character death in it. It's weird because on one hand I don't fully consider this a character death, but it also kind of is because they leave the comic at this point and this does heavily impact the cast. So I'm unsure how to fully label this yet.
Mario RPG is a game I am very intrigued by and I would like to incorporate it into the story, but I do not know the plot of the story so it is on the fence right now. I do have at least a few short comics planned for it.
Mario Odyssey is just going to be a few short comics.
Origami King is where I don't know the full plot, but I'd like to do a comic about Shroom City just for some fun world building.
Mario Sunshine I am so torn on whether it would be a full chapter or just a short. I'm going to have to see where I go with it. Whatever it becomes I do plan on calling the chapter/comic "Obligatory Beach Episode."
Luigi's Mansion I'm going to be combining the first two games. I really want this to be a full chapter, I have just been struggling to plan out a full story for it along with fitting it into the rest of the games. I do want to try, but just in case I can't I'm slapping it into this category.
I need to give Rabbids a Spark of Hope a comic or two as Luigi and Bowser have a mission in there that is solely tied to their characters called "The Brains and the Brawn" which helped me think of their setup in this.
Paper Mario 64 will be another backstory one where Luigi attempts to use the Star Rod to send him home, to mixed results.
Games I am not covering:
Please note the games listed below are NOT because I think they are bad games, it's more because I haven't played them and/or I just don't have good ideas for how to fit them into the story.
Color Splash
Sticker Star
Paper Jam
Partners in Time
For Color Splash and Sticker Star, I just don't know the full plots of these games. Though I might do the train scene that occurs in Color Splash when Mario talks to that one Shy Guy.
Paper Jam is similar to the two listed above where I just don't know the plot and I don't want to deal with the multiverse. As in this I'm trying to combine the Paper universe with the Mario and Luigi universe into one.
Partners in Time could change, but at the moment I'm counting it as not covering as I'm just using the concept and the machine E Gadd builds. It won't deal with time travel, but instead the concept of looking into someone's memories. I don't like covering time travel so I'm just skipping it. Like I said I might cover the Cobalt Star and Princess Shroob, but I don't have a lot of ideas going for this so it might just be skipped entirely with her and her sister as villains.
Will there be shipping?
No, I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything. The most there will be is probably implied Peach x Mario, but that's it for the moment. If any of this changes I'll give a heads up just so no one is caught off guard. But romance isn't really the focus of this comic nor do I want to write romance. Listen just trust me on this you don't want me writing romance, I'm not good at it, this is for the best.
Just in case I am also just going to flat out say this so no one gets mad or feels misled when reading these comics. There will be no Bowser x Luigi in this story. Listen it's a funny and shockingly mostly wholesome ship, but it's not happening here. So I'm sorry if you were hoping for it, but I'm not doing it.
There might be some one-sided Luigi x Daisy (honestly thinking about doing Daisy x Waluigi because their Mario Party team name is Awkward Date and that is hilarious), and/or one-sided Luigi x Peasley, but in this Bowser will be majorly crushing on Peach. Bowser and Luigi are just platonic co-parenting the koopalings (think the Dungeons and Dragon movie with Sofina and Edgin). I just wanted to state this here so everyone is on the same page.
Quick side note: This isn't about shipping, but character-wise Donkey Kong and anything related to his games will only be in the first chapter. I struggle to write him and I don't know how to involve him in the other storylines so I'm just gonna have him chill in his kingdom. He will probably be making a reappearance in Dream Team as that is where I plan to end the comic.
What is the overall story/vibe of the comic?
The main story is going to focus on adventure and learning to love yourself. That's really the main premise. The story itself is going to focus on Luigi learning how to like himself for who he is and reconnecting with Mario and others while going on adventures. The big overall conflict will be the Chaos Heart itself. In this I really want to play around with the concept of the Chaos Heart and what if it didn't just go away after Super Paper Mario. I don't want to say too much about it at the moment as I don't want to spoil that part of the plot.
I feel bad because with the initial comic/sketches of this au, I made it seem a lot more dramatic/angsty than it will be. Sure there's going to be some drama but it really is more focused on the fun of the world, the adventures the characters go on, and the friendships that form out of them. I swear it's not as angsty (or I guess edgy, not sure if it was or not??) as the original comic made it seem so I apologize if that is what you were looking for.
Why I am calling Luigi Mr. L in this?
So in this, I am having Mr. L be more of his 'work mode.' It is designed to be more of a persona he puts on so he can do his job more effectively, but it is also still a part of his personality. I want to include more of his temper which is often portrayed through animations in Mario & Luigi (you know his stomping tantrum animations). Along with a few other notes, like how in the first Luigi's Mansion you kind of find some pretty sassy/sarcastic remarks through the pictures he takes with the Game Boy Horror, along with some of his dialogue in the Paper Mario games. I also want to play into him having a bit of an ego as well (playing more into the Mr. L in Super Paper Mario).
However, at the core, I do want to keep him a more socially awkward, easily frightened, and a very kind person outside of the mask/persona. At the end of the day he really just wants what is best for his friends and family. And that he is always ready to help someone even if he is scared out of his mind (though he might complain about not getting paid, or take a bit of convincing when it comes to dealing with ghosts.) I am also keeping the self-esteem issues, more so dealing with the fact he feels like all he has done is stumble through life making one mistake after another, and never being enough for the people he cares about in his life.
What are the inspirations for this?
Ghibli movies, particularly Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away. I love their world building and how they handle character stories.
Magical Girl animes, I cannot stress enough how much the masks and his powers/setup are based on the magical girl shows I grew up on.
Majora's Mask, I want to do quite a bit with the masks themselves in this setup. I'm not going to elaborate much on them yet, because I prefer to reveal how they function in the comics than through this ramble.
Funnily enough, the character design that kicked off this au, or at least Mr. L's design was Death from Puss in Boots the Last Wish. I can explain, it was his cloak and his whistle. I've been playing through Super Paper Mario and I kept wondering what if they incorporated references to Luigi's Mansion more like maybe putting in his whistling, or going with a more horror aesthetic for him. Or even goes more into the concept of shadows as well, playing not only his ties with ghosts but also how Luigi feels like he is constantly in Mario's shadow. And when I saw the Mario Movie and that he was captured by the Shy Guys I was like hey wait a minute, I can do something with that.
So this story is just me playing around with those thoughts. Don't get me wrong though, him building robots to fight you along with the absolute banger of a jazz theme, and his cocky/petty attitude I have no notes and I like how he is done in the game.
So yeah this pretty much covers everything, if you read all of this kudos, I know this was long, but I hope I clarified what this comic is going to be like. Though please note that I have a job and I'm going through school, so this is going to take a bit to get going. I'm still writing out the base story, and I like to have one or two chapters fully drawn before I start posting it. I do plan on posting some of the short comics and doodles while working on the main writing.
Thank you for reading my rambles. I hope you all have a good one! : D
159 notes · View notes
prxnce · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Love Letter Save by Prxnce (V.1)
after 8 long months, i can finally share the first version of my save file, a true love letter to my childhood.
V.1 Information!
the goal with version 1 was to complete the 3 basegame worlds first! i touched every town and filled the save with familiar faces from previous sims games. there are very complex family trees. sims have skills, relationships, and careers! i wanted to get one version out before growing together was released. so although not every world is perfect, they are certainly playable.
Roadmap
100% complete: willow creek, oasis springs. newcrest, san myshuno, strangerville, tartosa, moonwood mill (doesn’t mean i wont come back to these towns but im not worried about them after this version)
75% complete: windenburg, brindleton bay, evergreen harbor, henford-on-bagley, mt. komorebi, copperdale
50% complete: del sol valley
needs TLC: magnolia promenade, forgotten hollow, sulani, glimmerbrook, brightchester
*im only human! if a household or lot is missing some love or attention let me know in my asks box! i will also take suggestions for townies or lots for future versions of the save*
whats required?
no cc!
every ep sp and gp up to the release of 3/5/23
how to install?
un-zip the zip file
from there, drag the file into your saves folder
if you already have a save under that slot number just rename it!
why?
if you are a long time sims player, you know the sims 4 lacks a lot of depth and personality. i found myself wanting sims 2 and sims 3 sims in my game often, so i met in the middle and combined the storylines of sims 2-4. in this save it is still an alternate timeline (iykyk) but a timeline that is more similar to the ones from previous games. bella goth is missing! the caliente sisters are still up to no good! and the pleasant family should still seek family counseling. i want to give a special thanks to LifeSimmer, who permitted me to use the Fenderson family in this save. i have been playing the sims since i was 9 years old and now 11 years later that family is just as special to my inner sims child as the goth family.
THANK YOU FOR DOWNLOADING AND ENJOY VERSION 1!! 
im gonna go play the game now before i start working towards version 2
You Can Tag Me On → Twitter ← If you find yourself deep in the save
DOWNLOAD  *added an update 4/9/23*
546 notes · View notes
linnaealyn · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Old mod page, abandoned 3/2/24; New mod page @ Godsibb
Finally, after 2 years of work, it is complete. -But still being updated.
There's a Japanese version of the mod now!
今は日本語版のMODがある!
This is a mod for Xenogears using Retroarch's Beetle PSX HW core real-time texture replacement feature. (It requires the Vulkan driver, so make sure your graphics card supports that.) (Duckstation doesn't have a similar option, unfortunately.)
It replaces every single character dialogue portrait, menu portrait, & (almost every) battle portrait (looking at you, Yggdra officer Gear pilots) with high quality, cleaned up artwork, as well as recreated high quality UI while keeping it as close to the original game as possible.
And best thing about it is, if there's anything you don't like about it, like certain aspects of the UI, you can locate and delete that file from the folder. Everything is optional. (if you have any questions as to what's what, drop them into my dms)
Current version: 1.4
現在の日本語版: 1.4
(More screenshots below download info and UI changes.)
Being a real-time texture replacer, it should work with any English version of XG, both base-game and modded/patched. Any fan-translated patch using the US version as a base should display correctly.
There's a separate version for the Japanese version of the game. May need some editing still with other characters' UI ("Ether"/"Spells"/"Arcane"/etc) but for the most part its good to go in terms of battle UI. Let me know if you find any errors.
(I've been using it with the Perfect Works Build mod. Highly recommended!)
(Note!!: If you use PWB mod, don't use its "readjusted portraits" patch when patching your rom, as that patch interferes with this mod's portraits texture replacing.)
(It works on Steam Deck... but don't ask me for details in setting that up in particular, I don't own one 😅)
~~~
Download/ダウンロード
I recommend reading the instructions txt files I included in the DL.
This includes information such as how to set up .cue and .m3u files, swapping discs, renaming the texture folder, Retroarch settings and Beetle PSX HW Core settings to get the mod working, settings suggestions for making a cleaner looking and faster playing XG (YMMV), and settings to fix certain emulation issues Ive come across (freezing on fast-forward, crackling audio during 3D/effects-heavy cutscenes/gameplay, blank screen during Rico flashback, etc).
~~~~~~~~~~
-Changes made to the UI include:
Menu UI:
selection triangle, Walk/Gear icons
menu portraits
▲ ■ ● ✖ button DeathBlow menu icons
ABXY button DeathBlow menu icon- alternate textures
Battle UI and on-foot specific battle UI:
Circular battle palette and tags behind text
Battle palette text, "Combo", "Return", "Enter", "Miss", "EP", & HP/DMG/heal/AP numbers
HP/AP bars
"Time", "fuel", "total damage", AP numbers, "1/2/3 point(s)", "cancel end"
battle portraits
▲ ■ ● ✖ button DeathBlow icons
ABXY button Deathblow icons- alternate textures
Bottom screen mid-DeathBlow ▲ ■ ✖ icons (unfortunately, there's no way to change the other mid-DB quadruple-button icons)
Combo 1-7 and Accept icons
In-Gear specific battle UI:
"fuel" and fuel numbers
"Fuel" (when using boost)
fuel bars (top and left)
All Gear status menus' green text/numbers
Attack level numbers and ∞
Gear menu backgrounds
Gear "power shut down", "camera damaged", "out of fuel", etc, statuses
background UI elements, runes, triple red triangles, Gear lock-on UI (unfortunately, there's no way to change the circular part of this UI)
Misc UI changes:
Red/grey spheres (in the menu and loading screen)
All instances of selection diamonds, both horizontal and vertical
Load/save screen "CARD 1"/"2" text, memory card icon, load/save bar/text
Disc 1 and 2 maps (with alternate color versions; makes the enterable area indicators harder to see though)
NESW compass letters (unfortunately, there's no way to change the circular compass texture)
~~~~~
-Screenshots (before & after and alts):
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
And Japanese version's (日本語版) UI:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
⬇!!Spoilers in images further down!!⬇
--
I won't be showing all portraits here; only the ones worth mentioning.
Portraits created for the mod that have no artwork equivalent:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Portraits to match their sprites vs official unedited artwork:
(default on left, alt on right)
Roni/Medena/Erich edited sprite equivalent vs their official PW art
Citan edited unsmiling (dialogue-only) sprite equivalent vs official smiling art)
Krelian(s) edited sprite equivalent vs official art
Tumblr media
Portrait alts created for fun:
Both sides of scar-eyed Bart
Two-eyed Bart
Kim lab coat with glasses
Fei-colored Id
Fei-colored Id with Id's yellow eyes
Fei-colored young & older Emeralda
(might add to this list later. have any suggestions? fun ideas? lmk. It doesn't have to be canon-compliant.)
Tumblr media
Screenshots of alt portraits in-use:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
I'll continue to update this and subsequently reblog it as new versions are released.
With any new updates, just DL and replace/overwrite the old folder.
In-progress tumblr post of the past as a bit of a time capsule for myself 😄
Tumblr media
164 notes · View notes
ogh-rambles · 9 months
Text
Rewriting Fate - Chapter 3
chapter 2 > chapter 3 (you're here!) > chapter 4(in progress...)
word count! 2.5k+
warnings! none a/n: guys i might need to forget tagging anyone on this one, it's saying i have too many words AGHAG, and ALSO renamed the series!! more short and simple
Tumblr media
You had closed your eyes a while ago.
The puppet looked over your sound, peaceful face with curious doe eyes. He didn't understand what you were doing, however, you had not seemed like you were in any danger or pain so he had let you be.
Reaching a slim hand out, he hesitated before gently brushing a hand against your cheek. Your mouth twitched, and he reeled back, clutching his hand against his chest with wide eyes watching your every move.
Shuffling around, your head turned slightly more towards him-- allowing him to see you more closely. He relaxed his shoulders.
How bizarre, he thought. Why had he gotten the urge to do such a thing?
Pressing his palm to his chest, he could sense the power that ran through his body pulse rapidly in his chest. It fluttered wildly under his synthetic skin. 
Shuffling closer to you, he placed his thin veil over your form. Laying back as you were, he faced you.
Rummaging around he pulled out the trinket that his m-- his creator had left with him before she had placed him in that unfamiliar-familiar place. It was cold under his similarly frigid fingertips, the gold glinting under the faint moonlight as if it was mocking him.
Unwillingly, the corners of his lips twitched into a frown as he looked into the stars that reflected off of the feather.
You mumbled something incoherent.
He jolted at the sound, looking away from the golden ornament to you. His gaze drifted to your hand, which had moved closer to him, limp in the grass.
Swallowing, he clutched the feather tight as his free hand inched closer toward yours. Your fingertips brushed against his own and he froze. Your hands were much warmer than his. His tense gaze darted from hands to your face, hands, and to your face again.
To his dismay, it was twisted into a slight grimace, your brows knitted together tight. It was an expression that made his chest twist and churn. He didn't like the feeling, he decided.
Unsure of what to do, he slid his palm over your hand-- trying to replicate what you had done in his 'prison'. 
His fingers clumsily wrapped around yours as he hoped that his visible joints wouldn't bring you any discomfort. Looking up from your intertwined hands, he watched as your face relaxed.
It brought a strange fuzzy feeling within him that he couldn't quite understand. His shoulders sagged as a small smile blossomed against his lips. 
It was alright. He would ask you what it was once you were awake.
Tumblr media
A soft tickling of what you think is a breeze against your face was the first thing you felt as your eyes fluttered open.
Clear blue sky greeted you as you adjusted to the brightness of everything around you. Groaning at the new-found stiffness that you could feel in your back, you close your eyes, going to rub at them only to realise one of your limbs had already been occupied. Your grogginess dissipated in an instant.
Turning to your side, you're immediately faced with a flash of bright indigo and a curious porcelain face. Your bewildered eyes flicker to your hand that Kuni was grasping onto before looking back up at him.
"Are you alright?" Kuni quietly asks you, examining you intently. "You are looking at me strangely."
"I... sorry, did I accidentally grab your hand while I was sleeping?"
You go to move your hand, however, the distressed expression that he was giving you and the subtle way he gripped down made you think otherwise. You relaxed in his grip and his face eased into one of content. Kuni looked back up at you.
"No, I did." Your brows raised at his bluntness. "Your face was all scrunched up. So, I put my hand around yours, like you did before, to make you all better again and it worked."
"Oh, did I?" You couldn't recall having a nightmare whilst you were asleep, but then again -- dreams came and went too quickly sometimes to remember. "Thank you."
"It's alright." His face lit up at those two words before he paused and looked at you quizzically. "Is sleeping another human thing?"
Your eyes widen. Right, you remembered, Kuni did not need sleep to function. You clear your throat.
"Ah, yeah. We need sleep to work properly." You amusedly watch him listen, hanging on to your every word. "It's another necessity for us. Helps our bodies regain energy."
Tumblr media
The puppet did not know why you kept on referring to humans as... 'we' and 'us' and not just 'Humans'.
It was all a bit confusing to him, but he found that he liked it. Liked it when you spoke to him as if he was a human just like you... He wished to be a human just like you. But... maybe in your eyes, he was already one.
'More human than me.' You had said. Something flutters inside his chest at the thought.
A hand waving in front of his face jolted him out of his stupor.
"Helloo... You still with me?" You chuckled at his wide-eyed expression. "You've been staring at me quite a lot recently."
He nervously bit at his lower lip, remembering that he had watched you 'sleep' all night. He diverts his attention away from you to the sandy beach, watching the waves wash in and out.
"Oh... then, should I stop?" He asked. "Is it a bad thing to do?"
"No. Well, not to me at least." 
His head perked up at your peppy response, eyes darting back to a sheepish expression on your face.
"Other people may think it's a bit rude though." You explained, running your fingers through the veil that you had noticed. "Just make sure the person you're staring at is comfortable with you doing so."
He bobbed his head with enthusiasm, at the sight of your smile. "Alright."
Eventually, tired of simply waiting for something to happen, you stood up. The puppet watched as you lifted your arms above your head and reached for the clouds, flinching as your body made that nauseating cracking sound once again. 
He'll never get used to the strange noises your body made, he thought.
You sighed heavily as you looked around the area.
"Well. None of this seems familiar." You finally spoke after a few seconds of blankly observing your surroundings. "Guess we better start walking until we reach someplace... or meet someone, I suppose."
"Meet someone?" He asked you, with wide eyes. "Who?"
You laughed nervously before shaking your head. "Anyone who could help us."
"Why would we need help? We are fine are we not?" He furrowed his brows.
"Well, yes -- but what if it rains...? Or... we get attacked? Sleeping outside is quite dangerous, you know." You pointed out, handing him back his veil. "Plus, it's a bit chilly."
He blinked. "I'll protect you. I don't need sleep."
You spluttered, a sound akin to a horrific mix of both a laugh and a cough coming out of you as Kuni fretted over your hunched form.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, and you panicked at the corners of his thin lips that threatened to twitch downwards.
 "No... no. I'm just being a bit silly." You shook your head adamantly, having regained reasonable composure. You continued to explain. "And... you could -- but I don't want to see you get hurt if something goes wrong."
Bright indigo eyes fluttered as he tilted his head to the side.
"Oh. I understand."
Your lips spread into a grin. "Mhm. Now let's try and find some civilization. There should be a town or something near here."
Taking his hand in yours you headed along the shoreline. Kuni staggered a little behind you before swiftly catching up, walking beside you -- curious about where you would lead him now.
Tumblr media
Despite your valiant efforts, you could not for the life of you find where the town was. It shouldn't be too difficult to find if you were looking at the in-game layout of Tartarasuna Island, but for some strange reason, everything seemed to be blown multiple times out of proportion.
Perhaps the in-game environments were sized down for the player's comfort. You couldn't imagine how vast Sumeru might be since this island was "big" to you now.
It was getting darker and colder as the sun slowly dipped under the horizon once more, the whole day going by quicker than you had anticipated it to be. 
You shivered as you rubbed at your arm with your free hand. The thin clothes you had on were not doing you any justice against the chilly breeze that drafted across the shore. You envied Kuni right about then, the male looking absolutely unaffected by the drop in temperature.
Kuni looked your way, brows pinching in confusion. "Why are you shaking?" 
"It's a reaction humans have when it gets c--cold. It's supposed to help the body warm up a bit, but as y--you can see? It's n--not very... sufficient when I've got n--nothing else to heat m--me up." You attempted to speak through your chattering teeth.
The puppet frowned at this, before realizing he could help in some way. He lit up, tugging his veil off of him and gingerly pulling it over your shoulders. It wasn't something like a thick blanket, but it helped block out some of the icy wind that the Inazuman sea brought in.
"Is this okay?" He searched your eyes for approval. "I don't feel cold, so you can have it."
Nodding, you gratefully clutched the veil closer around you. "Much better. Thank you."
Immediately, he fawned at your thanks with a closed-eyed smile. "It's okay."
When you glanced over to the horizon, the last sliver of light from the sun was beginning to slip behind the long stretch of sea. You turned to Kuni with a weak smile.
"We should probably start l--looking for somewhere safe to rest tonight. I know you d--don't feel the cold, but I sure do -- so preferably somewhere that'll sh--shield us from the wind." 
Kuni nodded obediently and began to search around. It was not long before he found a secluded little opening in one of the stone cliffsides that were scattered around the island. It's a bit smaller than the cave you had found the domain you found Kuni in, but it fitted both of you.
It's not a tight fit, more of a snug one as you sit with your back pressed up against one of the stone walls and the veil pulled up to your chin. Kuni leans up against the other, gazing over you almost like he was awed. You lift your brow at him.
"Are you alright?"
He blinks at you like he had just snapped out of a daze, before averting his gaze to the ground, seeming a bit sheepish. "Yes. I am... just shocked that I was able to leave that place. I thought that I would have to stay there forever."
"The domain is pretty and all but I think I'd go insane if I had to stay there forever." You retort, grimacing at the reminder of the state you had found the male in.
Deep violet eyes flickered back, catching your eyes again. He looked confounded. "But then, why did you want to go back so badly...?"
You scrunched up your face in thought before coming to a vague confession.
"I was... expecting someone to be there. Someone who could help."
Kuni's shoulders slumped at your response. "I still don't understand why we are in need of help. Who were you expecting?"
You sucked in a sharp breath, thinking of what to say without exposing too much of what you knew.
"That's--"
A strange yet warm glowing light flickered over the opening. It blinds you for only a second before a deep voice calls out, making both you and Kuni freeze.
"Is someone there?"
The voice was familiar.
The veil slides off you as you swiftly shuffled out from the nook you were huddled in, making your way out of the opening. A trembling cold hand suddenly wrapped firmly around your wrist.
Your head whirled around to find Kuni on the other end, desperately staring up at you. Shaking his head quietly, he lightly tugged at your arm. Come back inside, his wide eyes seemed to say. Don't go.
Kuni was scared.
(Scared that you'd get hurt. Scared that you'd leave him.)
Your eyes softened and you tapped the hand that was holding so fervently onto you. 
"Come with me then?" You asked in a hushed tone, watching his reaction carefully. "You can protect me if things go bad."
You were sure things wouldn't go bad, you were sure who the person was. But Kuni didn't. You had to coax him somehow, since leaving him alone for a bit was not an option that he would be willing to take.
Kuni bit his lip nervously, as if in thought before hesitantly pulling himself up and taking the veil with him. He loosened his grip on your wrist, opting to hold your hand instead. 
"... Yes." He whispered back. "I will protect you."
You smiled wryly at how his voice trembled as he spoke. "Of course."
Turning back, you followed the warm glow in the near distance, Kuni trailing your every footstep like a lost puppy. His hand remained tightly gripped around your palm as you both neared the light.
The closer you get to the light, the more visible the man gets and the more sure you are about who he is.
It's a tall, well-built man in a dark navy haori, the faded white fabric around his shoulders and under holding his sleeves up and tight. His dark hair is gathered up into a high bun, a widow's peak prominent on his forehead. The man's face seems kind... worried as you grow closer, Kuni still following behind you. It's Katsuragi. He looks exactly like he does in-game. Thank... the archons, you guess. The strange familiar blue glow of the pavilion is also near. 
You must have gotten to him after he had reached the domain. You hoped that Katsuragi finding Kuni outside of the domain did not hinder the story too much.
"Are you alright...?" The samurai you know is Katsuragi asked, lifting the lantern closer to you. "Oh, you have someone else also!"
As the light from the lantern fell over Kuni, he shuffled a bit more behind you, eyes wary yet curious as he peeked over your shoulder.
"Ah..." You faltered, realising you had not figured out what to say after you had met Katsuragi. You hadn't expected to meet him so soon, and so suddenly nonetheless.
"You're both wearing interesting clothes... and you, the one standing behind them... that fabric seems so expensive... Just who are you two?" Katsuragi mumbled to himself, eyes darting from you to Kuni.
Another gust of wind blew over and the small flame in the lantern wavered. You shivered. Both Katsuragi and Kuni had noticed, their faces growing concerned.
"No matter." The samurai turned to face you, resolute. "Your clothes are most definitely unfit for how cold Tartarasuna's nights can get. Let me escort you both to our village. It's not so far from here."
"T--thank you." 
You just about fell over from relief. 
192 notes · View notes
postmodernbeliever · 12 days
Text
how to relax - fox mulder x female reader (smut)
Tumblr media
a seemingly endless case in the middle of nowhere has you stressed out of your mind, to the point where the only thing that doesn't push you too far is fox mulder. with all that stress and no way to reel yourself in, your partner decides he wants to help show you how to relax.
✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩
wrote this bc sometimes we (i) just need a (toe curling) self-insert to satisfy our (my) daydreams. i dedicate this to all those who are chubby and in love with fox mulder. if you prefer to read on ao3, you can find me at the same username.
my ao3 | word count; 5,419 (i got excited, okay?)
content tags (i copied from ao3 bc im lazy): dom fox mulder, praise kink, fluff and smut, cunnilingus, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, hand & finger kink, subspace, size difference, belly bulge, co-workers, mutual pining, idiots in love, pet names, stress relief, cross-posted on ao3, smut, subtle plus size reader, soft fox mulder, mentions of freudian shit bc come on this is the x files, talking you through it, fox is literally so awoooooga the whole time, fox gets cocky as always, fox mulder the munch, bathroom sex, fox just can’t help himself literally so i hope you enjoy
✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°
you’d been beyond stressed all day, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary for you. what was frustrating was that you had managed to grow so agitated that it seemed nothing could help you calm down. 
your work with the fbi was your life, in all its stress-inducing, time-consuming, hair-splitting glory. you were as tight-assed as they came (ask literally anybody!) all of that pressure on top of a naturally anxious and irritable demeanor made you difficult to enjoy being around, and you knew it. but today, of all days, it was truly catching up to you physically. the muscles of your jaw were sore from the tension they held, fighting between your teeth for release. your head swelled between your eyes and nose, pulsing softly like a glowing light that wouldn’t dim. your throat was dry, your footsteps heavy, your hands restless; you were wound so tight that everyone you encountered feared you might snap like a rubber band, lashing against them in recoil. 
fox mulder was the only one who had stayed on your good side all day, which is surprising, given your partner was typically the casual aggressor of your everyday life- what with his constant nagging and ridiculous speculations about every crime you investigated. he never once changed his attitude, let alone change the color shirt he wore to work every day. yet it seemed this time he was off the hook, because the case you’d both been assigned was dragging like no other. 
it was your fifth day in the desolate yellow countryside of a rural town you so lovingly renamed as bumblefuck, virginia; all you possessed was an immaterial, mulder-esque lead that couldn’t be pinned down (as your fellow agent was torn between shapeshifter and werewolf). on top of that were ten dead bodies, no evidence, and a motel room with broken air conditioning, complete with a leaky sink. you were sick to death of the heat, and the town, and the local policemen who seemed to have but two executive functions: hit on you or ignore your assertions. for a stagnant fifth day, you’d experienced more frustration than ever- the cops have begun to give up on catching a suspect, fox was investigating muddy footprints all afternoon like the freak he is, and you were stuck to sit in the closet-sized archives room at the local library where teenagers and nagging townspeople came in to ogle the “fbi lady”… jesus, no wonder your head hurts. 
fox came by every so often to check on you that afternoon. once with a cup of coffee, once with half of a sandwich he’d thoughtfully taken a bite out of to piss you off, and again with dirt all over his face and a wild story about how he caught a glimpse of his x file mid-attack. if you weren’t used to his personality by now it might’ve made things worse, but in a way his teasing and subtle acts of service were the only soothing memories you had to reflect on. he was a moment of consistency between the endless chaotic installments of the afternoon. 
at the end of the day, you were mentally exhausted, hungry for the other half of that sandwich fox ate, and in need of the shitty motel bed; at the very least some peace and quiet, just for one night. but it seemed your partner wouldn’t let you have it. 
you’d had about an hour to yourself before fox materialized in your motel room. after a shower that quickly ran cold, you slipped into a sweatshirt, a threadbare set of sleep shorts that were a bit tight for your pudgy legs, and two flimsy socks that didn’t match because you hadn’t packed for a trip this long. you’d tried watching the television, but the antennae were spotty no matter how you arranged them. the air conditioning machine clanked and whistled nonstop, and hiding under your pillows didn’t dull the racket. the best part was when you tried to light the little bedside yankee candle and the lighter ran out of fluid- but not before it sparked and burned your thumb. you’d finally begun to decompress when a familiar knock sounded from outside. summoning a forcibly loud groan- so your tall visitor heard exactly how you felt- you clambered off the creaking bed and towards the door, which revealed his trademark smug smile. 
“good evening, watson!”
“what do you want?” you sighed, closing your eyes. 
you felt his hand push your shoulder to the side, and the man squeezed past you into the room. you scoffed and said, “oh, please, make yourself at home!” 
“i will, thank you,” fox teased. “i came to check on you.”
“because?”
“well, you’ve been a wreck all day! didn’t laugh at one of my jokes. you nearly bit the sheriff's head off tonight when we checked in at the station before leaving… i just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“oh? well, you know what? no, mulder, i’m not okay. we’ve been stranded out in the middle of nowhere for a week with no leads and no progress and the food here sucks and i haven’t had a single good night’s sleep and all my socks are dirty!” you ranted, pacing in front of the half-open door like a lunatic. 
fox grinned as if he knew something you didn’t and turned from you, heading towards the tiny bathroom tucked in the corner of the room. you slammed the front door shut and followed him, snapping, “what, you come in asking how i feel and just walk away? explain to me how that makes any sense, mulder!”
the agent leaned against the bathroom sink, hands laid curiously on the lip of the counter. he dutifully watched the little crystal droplets that fell rhythmically down the ceramic bowl. the air surrounding him felt charged, like if you stepped too close, you’d get shocked; almost as if his thoughts were electrifying the oxygen. 
he frustrated you beyond belief sometimes. the man stood in your bathroom like his day was going perfectly fine. a gray t-shirt clung to his lean arms, hugging the curves of his biceps like it was tailored for him alone; his sweatpants were black and littered with lint from the hairy couch in his apartment, and they hung low on his hips, peeping the waistband of his black boxers like a well-known secret. his hair was pointing every which way in its tawny misdirection, and he had the nerve to inspect your sink, and lick his lips like he had all the time in the world to enjoy the southern sticks and lupine mysteries, all while you had to scour newspapers and sleep in ten minute increments to survive. 
“mulder, what the hell are you doing?” 
“your sink is leaking.” 
“yeah, i know, sherlock.”
“did you ask them to fix it?”
“mulder, i will not hesitate to kick you out.”
“jeez, somebody’s worked up.”
the man pivoted on his feet, facing you with a newfound sense of purpose. you were prepared to object his statement, but were silenced by his hands finding your hips. he was so quick to slide you up onto the counter that you forgot your rebuttal- in fact, in his rush to relocate you, you’d forgotten to think entirely. he had your thighs pinned to the cold, white countertop, and parted so he could press his tummy to the spot where your legs met. his shirt rode up in the moment, and you could feel the warmth of his bare skin against the fabric of your shorts. 
fox’s hands felt rough. you stared at them, at the sheer size, and recollected all the little stolen glances of those fingers sifting through his filing cabinets, or analyzing your field notes, or polishing his gun. countless vivid reminders of the strength of them as they pulled you back from bullets and unexpected staircases flashed before your eyes. how often you longed for them, you couldn’t say, but it was clear to you now as those same hands held you down that you had taken a serious liking to them. 
it took you a while, but you managed to mutter, “what are you doing?”
fox could only smile wider and say, “you need to relax, don’t you?” 
“what does that-”
“why don’t you let me help you?” 
you swallowed thickly, feeling a bubbling heat rise in your belly. his calloused palms rode up your legs, finding room for his thumbs to begin drawing soft, sweeping circles against your hip bones. your brain clouded so fast you forgot to answer. 
“i’ve never seen you so aggravated before… like, by every little thing. i mean, i know you get annoyed, but these past couple days have been so rough for you, haven’t they? just can’t calm down, can you? you look so tired, so tense. i can feel all the tension you’re keeping right… here,” he consoled, letting up on your hips to press a hand to your lower abdomen. when you sucked in a nervous breath, the man pressed a little harder, and you twitched beneath him. “i can fix that for you, if you want. show you how to relax a little.” 
“y-you’re not even supposed to be in here,” you wheezed, “agents… agents aren’t supposed to consort in the same room, mulder, remember?”
“awh, come on, don’t start following the rules on me now! don’t you wanna feel better, honey?” 
fox spoke like every word was a secret, leaning in close to your ear. the scruff of his five o’clock shadow brushed against your fresh face, eliciting a spidery chill down your spine. 
“what’s gotten into you, mulder?”
“i asked you a question, sweetheart.”
you panicked, swallowing air like it was water. these kinds of questions felt new coming from him. anxiously, you let out a shaky breath and nodded, hoping that was enough. you couldn’t handle much else.
“is that a yes?”
“...mhm.”
“can you say yes for me?”
fuck. “yes.”
“good girl. it’ll help, i promise.” 
it seemed he couldn’t be going any slower than he was just then, gingerly removing his hands from your waist and biting his lower lip like the reincarnate of a dream you’d entertained too many times before. you watched with a spinning head as his long, spindly fingers hooked under the waistband of your shorts. his pale eyes twinkled at you, sage steeped in milk, as he asked, “can i?” in that lilting voice he uses only when the room is begging for quiet. when you eagerly nodded, he chuckled, “lift up for me a little, okay?” 
you followed orders and pressed your shaky hands to the tile, raising your hips so he had room to slide your shorts down. his face melted at the sight of you underneath. 
night after night, he’d fantasized about those doe eyes of yours watching him free you up like this, but he never imagined he’d get the chance. until this afternoon, when he resolved to create the chance. through all these years working beside you, he’s only grown to admire you more. you were cunning, you were gentle with kids, you were smarter than he ever could be (even if you disagreed.) but you were also tired. you lived alone, you slept alone, you never asked for help and you declined every offer. fox hated to see you facilitate your own frustration. and this past week has only exacerbated his need to fix it- watching you so angry, so pent up, so in need of attention- he couldn't bear to let you suffer any longer. it seems he’s been lucky, too, because you sat quietly, patiently, all so that he could take care of you. grateful for the opportunity, fox didn’t want to waste any more time. 
with those dreamy fingertips grazing your underwear, fox was the spitting image of boyish charm. he admired the worn black and grey striped fabric covering what was left of you, thinking aloud, “had these for a while, huh?” 
“since i was in college,” you muttered, “everything i wore was dark back then.”
“nothing’s changed. you’re very punk rock,” he winked.
you didn’t know you were capable of laughing in your current state, but it came bubbling up in a nervous overflow. he watched your lips curl, and the way you threw your head back like you couldn’t stop yourself. you felt embarrassed to be so swayed by his stupid humor, but you had no choice. not when he had you wrapped around his finger like this.
“you’re a dork.”
“you like it, though,” he reassured. 
you watched the man hesitate, eyes darting down to your lips; you closed your eyes, hoping it would nudge him in the right direction, and you were right. fox had to crane his neck down a bit- because even with you on the counter, he was still taller- but he made himself level, and he pressed his lips to yours so gently you almost didn’t feel him there. what announced him was the taste of him, actually; stale coffee on his tongue, and what you deduced to be the black-label chapstick, the kind that tasted like medicine. you toppled into him like you were falling off a cliff, clinging to the hem of his shirt in longing. 
fox seemed to like how you hung on him. it made him feel risky. his hands meandered across your tummy, pushing up under your sweatshirt and roaming the soft skin of your back. he caught your bottom lip between his teeth and tugged softly, and when you opened your eyes in surprise, he nudged your nose like a kitten and let it go. he was good at taking control like this, at making your nerves ebb and flow to his pace. you were so entranced in the way his lips meshed with yours that when his dominant hand found its way to your hips again, you mewled in anticipation. 
“you sound a lot prettier when you’re not arguing with me,” fox joked. you met him with a soft sound from the back of your throat, and his eyebrows furrowed in amusement. “can barely speak, can you?”
“mm-mm,” you answered, trying to trap his lips again, but he pulled away. 
his eyes shifted shade, and you were now seeing yourself reflected in much darker irises. your back shivered against the mirror on the wall. he broke eye contact and let it linger on your legs, his palms swiping over the skin with intention. swiftly, he bent over and began pressing kisses to your inner thighs. you let out a strangled whine, which made him shudder.
“you want me to get to it, hm?”
“please, f… mulder,” you whispered, blushing like a fool. 
the man rose again to lock you in a soft kiss, one so much more loving than the others that it let butterflies loose in your chest. interrupting their fluttering, he prodded, “what was that?”
it was out of you before you had a chance to weigh the outcomes. “please, fox.” 
having teased long enough, fox dropped to his knees and pushed your panties aside. his mouth was so slick from all the time it spent on yours that it was dangerously warm as it pressed against your heat. you let out a lewd string of moans as his tongue trailed a long, torturous stripe between your folds, taking his sweet time getting to the top. he felt you throbbing, all the blood in your body pulsing like a heartbeat for him. his lips, just a bit swollen, peppered a few gentle kisses to the skin before surrounding your bud and starting to suck. 
you squeezed your eyes shut so hard it nearly brought your headache back. fox grunted between your hips, the pads of his fingers pressing hard into your bones. you softened for his tongue as it swirled inside your pussy, tracing shapes to drive you insane. your hands burrowed into his cropped cut and tugged in desperation, which he liked so much it practically made him growl; the sound bounced between your walls, sending a sensation into your stomach that made your legs tremble. he felt so good inside you like this, lapping like a puppy at your water; you bucked against his big nose, craving the friction, and he responded with relentless thirst for you.  
“fuck!” you whined, “fox- agh,”
coming up for a gulp of air, you caught a glimpse of his slick chin as it glinted in the yellow light. “feels good?” 
“shit,” you panted, “yes, obviously… more,” 
“more, huh?” fox licked his lips with hungry eyes. “i’m gonna need you to say please, baby.”
“jesus, fox, please! pretty please, baby, please just keep going,” 
“fuck, don’t call me names…” the man swooned at the broken cry in your voice, resolving to give you whatever you needed until the day you die. now wasn’t the time for confession, though, so he filed that away for later. “pretty please. god, you’re good.”
you nearly choked as he pushed two fingers into you, curling them in a rough come-hither motion. he bombarded you with himself, sucking hard on your clit and fucking his fingers into the swelling spot inside you, making you lurch against his touch like an animal. with your head thrown back against the motel mirror and pretty mouth gasping for him, he realized that his dreams could never do this moment justice. the sugary, tangy taste you left on his tongue, your soft skin that smelled like shower suffocating him, the way his name rolled off your tongue- you were the real fucking deal, not some half-assed daydream that got him off at night. you were beautiful, and for not being a praying man, being on his knees before you felt right. who was he to stand eye to eye with you, when down here where you were perched above him like an angel, he had so much more room to worship you? 
“fuck, i- oh, i’m…” you whimpered, grinding against his face with fervor. 
“let it go, honey, come on,” he cooed, “i’ll take care of you.” 
“b-but i- i’ve never- oh my god!”
the agent watched you battle with yourself, all the while writhing on the countertop, so he carefully brought his thumb to your clit and picked up the pace. he rose to you again, using his free arm to slither around the base of your back and pull your body flush against his. you bunched his shirt in your fists helplessly and hid your face in his shoulder. it took all his strength not to collapse right then and there, but he kept moving for you, and you rocked against his palm like you were made for it. when he realized you were going to need a little more help, he gave it to you. 
you were stressed, after all, and sometimes somebody’s just got to talk you through it, right?
“never had it this good before, hm? nobody’s ever made you cum, sweetheart? you poor thing,” fox twitted, clicking his tongue. “you work so hard. my smart girl, so good at her job, so independent… you deserve to be taken care of, to feel good, baby. to let go of all that stress,” 
you struggled to think straight as his gruff voice battled the ringing in your ears. his palm pressed against your back with so much care, like if he moved it you’d shatter into a million pieces. it was all so much, to have your partner with you like this; to hear him breathing beside you, to feel his fingers in a place you’d never thought they’d be. he saw the gears turning in your head still, and he wanted to shut your brain off for good. and god, did he. fox coaxed it right out of you like it was his job. 
“come on, good girl, you can do it,” he whispered. “cum for me, honey, i know you can. show me you can.”
for every moment of danger you found yourself stuck in, fox was there to protect you. when you got reprimanded by a director, he was there to hold your hand behind the safety of the desk. when you were late and needed a cover, he was prepared with a detailed story. you’d forgotten a raincoat a comical number of times, so many in fact that he began keeping a spare in his office for you to borrow. fox was always there, waiting to help you, to guide you, and if it was fucked up (so far as to call it freudian) then so be it- you needed it from him. you needed his safety, his warmth, the strength of his arms around you. his reassurance. 
and to hear him care for you like this, too, to pull on your strings and unravel you like a tired tapestry… god, nothing ever felt so good. 
fox’s eyes rolled back as you twitched on his fingers, moaning his name like a prayer into the stuffy bathroom air. your hands struggled to find a place to stay as they combed through his hair frantically, tugging and trembling; it was like you’d never been touched before in your life. you had, but very few times, and it was just like he said- nobody had done it right. but he had. it felt like his hands were crafted to please you. they knew exactly where to touch, how fast, how gentle, how deep. the man figured you out instantly, which was as exciting as it was terrifying. you’ve never felt so out of it in your entire life. 
you panted wildly, and fox gave soft kisses to your hair while you tried to regain your composure. but you couldn’t. you couldn’t get a grasp on anything. the world was floating in limbo around you, all inconstant; the countertop felt as foreign to you as flying did. but even in your daze, you craved more- the second he stopped, you needed him to start again. you could barely speak, but he heard your mumblings: “m…more, more, f… foxie,”
that nickname gave him goosebumps. slowly, he said, “baby, i don’t have anything with me for that,”
“don’t care. please.” you begged. there was no way he could say no to you, not when your pretty, cloudy eyes looked up at him how they did. 
“okay, baby, okay.” 
fox gave no warning, but nothing would have prepared you anyway- you instinctively opened your hips wider just to make enough room for him. he pushed all the way in, letting himself bottom out; the man let out a moan so guttural that you clenched around him in reflex. you were lucky enough to see him make that pretty ‘o’ face, and that might’ve been enough for you, honestly, but it wasn’t for him. he needed you, and he needed you fast. 
his thrusts were no match for all the grinding you could do. he snapped back and forth like a whip, hips rolling so hard that it felt like he was digging inside you deeper each time. you dragged your nails down his back, trying to find something to hold onto, but his moans in your ear as he hid his face in your neck were so distracting you kept having to start over. 
“jesus, baby, you’re so tight for me,” he grumbled, “feels so good, you’re doing so good… fuck, my good girl.”
his praise made every nerve in your body short-circuit. it didn’t matter how he moved, you couldn’t stop babbling. he tugged your hips forward a little more, making you slump against the mirror, and you clutched the countertop for dear life. 
“can’t use your words, huh, baby? look at you, smartest analyst in the fbi and you can barely speak, all because of me,” he tormented. the man pressed his right hand against your tummy again, just like he had before, and he growled with lust. he seized your hand and pressed it flat beneath his in the same spot, and he fucked you harder, forcing it down until you felt his thrusting beneath your palm. you never thought you’d feel anything like this, not with your soft stomach, but he was making it possible.
“you feel that, pretty? feel me inside you, filling you up? you’re mine now. all mine.”
you had no control. you whined, “foxie,” jerking your hips against his cock in a craze. 
“god, that’s right, that’s my girl.” he smiled.
“s-so… a-agh, please!”
“mm, i know, baby, keep going,” 
you had no more words left, you’d used them all. fox had figured out how to take away all your stress, yet in the process, he took your whole mind with it. now you were just his, a thing to be kissed, a fleshy body for him to praise. for a control freak, you loved being the one under another’s control for once. 
you scratched at fox’s shoulders, a mindless drop of drool dribbling from the corner of your mouth. you felt his cock as it swelled against your slick walls, and how it poked against your insides, and if that weren’t enough, he moved his hand to your clit again and resumed rubbing those blissful circles into it. you could only sit there and grind against his touch, muttering strings of curses and unintelligible sounds.
“agh, baby, you’re so pretty like this,” his moans were growing harsh, turning into whines. “all fucked out, mm, so pretty for me,”
his hips started snapping erratically, and your back arched against the increasing speed. his teeth met your shoulder and he bit softly, grumbling, “i’m so close,”
in what felt like a cry but came out as a strangled whimper, you warned, “m’gonna… agh…” 
fox watched your face screw up in pleasure, and it pushed him right over the edge. your body collapsed as you let go, and he rushed to hold you to him and keep you upright. all the way in your gut, where your hand once rested, you felt him pooling all over, thick and warm. his thumb swirled you slowly, working you through it so you didn’t get too shocked. he was stationary for a while, unable to move from the overstimulation; but when he did, he watched the stuff bubble out of you, though only just a bit. his throat closing up at the sight. he gathered some of it on his fingers and raised them to your lips, and you licked them sweetly. his stomach churned as you gazed down at his hand with foggy eyes, somehow still lustful after all he’d done to tire you out. 
“good job, baby, you were so good for me,” he crooned, leaving sloppy, tired kisses all over your neck. “someone’s gotta take care of you, don’t they?” 
you just murmured little hums, and he loved every second of it. 
“you hear me, pretty girl? nobody takes better care of you than me, you got it? who takes good care of you?” 
“foxie,” you admitted in your mindless bliss. 
“that’s right, baby, foxie does. you’re all mine, honey,” he gushed. “not so stressed anymore, are you?”
“mm-mm.”
“are you okay? take a deep breath for me.”
you tried to speak, but the words weren’t forming. you couldn’t string anything together. all you could do was make quiet noises and mutter his name. “mmph… foxie,”
“here, come here, honey.” 
fox tucked his hands beneath your thighs, and after instructing you to wrap your arms around his neck nice and tight, he carried you from the croaking bathroom sink to the motel bed, where he took extra care in laying you down comfortably. he climbed on top of you and adjusted your shirt, smoothing the fabric over your plush tummy and drawing a dopey smile from you. 
“stuck in your head, hm?” fox asked. 
he’d read up on this type of thing before- subspaces. typically common in BDSM practices, but not exclusively. there was a study conducted that detailed the experience theoretically as a headspace induced by rushes of endorphins, causing the receiver to fall into a trance-like state. he remembered reading how when someone is in a subspace their ability to communicate can be impaired and so can their judgment. it was also suggested that asking grounding questions may help coax people out of them (don’t ask how he found such a study.) so being the guy he is, he took everything very slowly from there, and followed the science. 
“can you hear me, sweetheart?” 
“mm.”
“good. what’s my name?” 
your stomach fluttered at the question, and warmth pooled between your hips at the softness with which he asked, but your brain was two steps behind. it took you a minute to answer, and you could only do it with your eyes closed. “foxie,” you muttered. 
“good girl, good job. that’s right,” he rewarded you with a kiss to the collarbone. beneath his breath he muttered, “fuck, if that isn’t cute.”
he could see you were somewhere else. all of your behavior was so needy. you might’ve thought you were a headcase before, but he’s no stranger to id impulses either; he saw how you pushed into his palms, how you refused to let go of his shirt, and he just wanted to help you through it. he wanted to make sure you felt safe. 
“baby, can you open your eyes for me? can you let me see your pretty eyes?” 
you peeked through one and saw his handsome face staring back at you, that toothy grin blooming flowers in your chest. slowly you opened the other, and even though the world was swirling, you managed to keep them open.
“you’re doing so good, thank you, baby,” he chuckled. “now, i’m gonna put your shorts back on, okay?”
“m’kay.” 
you took a deep breath. he watched your chest rise and fall, and your cheeks burn even redder than he thought possible. your hand held his wrist tightly, tight enough that he prayed your nails would leave little moon-shaped marks behind. you shook your head and tried to wipe away the fuzzy feeling. 
“what’s my name again?” he asked, noticing how hard you were trying to focus. he tapped on your hip so you’d know to lift them, and he wriggled your shorts back on, admiring how they hugged the skin.  
“f-fox.”
“good. what’s my job?” 
“you’re… a profiler,” you volleyed, feeling a little more grounded with each passing second. 
“good girl. and where are we, honey?”
you squinted at him and smiled, “bumblefuck, virginia.” 
when fox laughed, it felt like all the angels rung their bells. something about seeing his face light up and whatever was plaguing him, whatever he was in danger of, just wash away in the moment was nothing short of enlightenment. you wished he’d laugh more, so you could see divine intervention on the regular. 
“coming back to me, hm?” 
“yeah,” you giggled. 
fox leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of your mouth. “i’m trying not to let my ego explode right now, you know,” he smirked, “i never thought you wanted me so bad.” 
you blushed, hiding behind your hands. “i… oh, god.”
“no, no, it was cute! really. you… you don’t know how badly i’ve wanted to do that.” he promised. 
“i’ve never felt-” you paused, wondering if it was worth saying. yet, if he could bring you back to earth after fucking you stupid, what secrets could you hide from him? “i’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”
“who, me?” fox laughed.
“mhm. it’s just…  agh. you. it’s only you, fox. embarrassingly so.”
it was his turn to blush then. fox leaned down to catch you in one more kiss, and you felt his hand search the bedsheets for yours so he could tangle your fingers with his own. he didn’t want to break away, so he said it right into your mouth, pausing for air: “god- i have- loved- you for- so long.”
fox couldn’t help but feel proud of himself as he laid down between your legs, resting his head on your warm belly like it was a pillow. you instinctively took to his hair, playing with the chocolatey tufts and wishing he’d never move. he fit so perfectly right there, and now you couldn’t ever let him go. you didn’t want to.
with one last kiss to your hip, fox grinned. “told you i could help.”
28 notes · View notes
sapphicrpc · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
ROLEPLAY GROUP SERVER TEMPLATE BY SAPPHICRPC
this template is ready to go - all you have to do is fill in the channels, add your bots, and you can start letting people in! it has everything you need in here and is setup to host a discord only roleplay (ie, you accept apps and keep all muse lists in the server, you don’t need a tumblr main for this!)
below the cut is a detailed description and recommendations from me on how to set it up
i only have two rules for the use of this template, there’s only 2 so make sure you respect them please!
edit and adapt this template as much as you want to but if you use, please leave the credit in the landing channel description intact and like/reblog this post
certain types of roleplay do not have my permission to use this template, these groups include but are not limited to: slave rps, krps, proshipping groups, taboo rps, rps that depict sexual violence or sex trafficking, real person roleplays and roleplays that promote racism, transphobia, homophobia or colourism. 
CLICK HERE FOR TEMPLATE LINK
Tumblr media
when someone joins the server they will only be able to see the public channels, or the guest space. 
Tumblr media
i recommend you add carlbot and configure him to send a welcome message as well as a notification if a member leaves in the landing channel. this is also where my credit is - don’t remove it or i’ll haunt you
guest chat is somewhere that guests can talk, rules channel shouldn’t need an explanation, but this is where your rules go. only admins can post in rules.
Tumblr media
i really recommend that you edit this category to suit your group! some of these channels (such as skeletons channel) may be better off renamed/deleted for your group. these channels are all viewable by everyone but only admins can post in them. 
Tumblr media
in this category we have a few different permissions. application, updates and polls can only be posted in by admins. submissions has message history turned off for everyone but admins - messages will not be visible to members/guests only to admins. it’s a great alternative to an inbox on tumblr! 
reaction roles channel you can use carlbot to set this up!! i prefer using carlbot than pronoun picker because i noticed pronoun picker doesn’t offer neopronouns. also you can add roles like tagging preferences and accessibility requirements. 
that brings us to the end of the area of the server that anyone can see - now we’re onto the members only space.
Tumblr media
i think most of these are pretty self explanatory - for member use only
plotting space is intended so people can make threads in here instead of starting dms in order to plot because i don’t know about you but i find keeping up with dms when a rps plotting time kicks in SUPER stressful
in character/muse area 
Tumblr media
again... i think this is all pretty self explanatory. only available to members. feel free to just duplicate the example category to keep the same permissions. the intention is that members use discords thread function to roleplay in threads and texts channels!
you could also add events categories and more but i wanted to keep this simple so admins can adapt it to their group. 
ENJOY <3 don’t forget to like and subscribe lol
419 notes · View notes
friendball-irl · 7 months
Text
OOC: Heya folks!
It was brought to my attention that the unintentional focus on empathy vs apathy was in poor taste. People experience empathy at varying levels, which has no bearing on their morality, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who I have upset through accidentally insinuating that. It was not my intention, and I will be sure to put more thought into any decisions like this in the future.
So! What's changing, then? Well, first and foremost, I think renaming the arc is in order. I've come up with the #heart and mind arc tag to replace the #apathy arc tag.
Next, I am going to change a few things on Gray's Shadowing. Gray is no longer considered to be truly Shadowed and is going to be considered Muted, a very similar condition to being Shadowed, yet significantly less dangerous. Muting works by obstructing someone from their true feelings, leaving faint traces of their positive emotions available instead of closing them off entirely. As a result of the vacuum left by the lack of positive emotions, however, Muted victims experience a spike in negative emotions. This does not change their values, but may cause them to lash out as it increases their existing hurt and anger.
As such, this makes it more of a mental change in him rather than an emotional one. The main way people are going to get him back is by playing off the connections they made with him, trying to to rekindle his positive emotions through their relationships with him. This explains why it is significantly easier for him to be purified, since less effort is needed to cure Muting.
As for moving forward, I'm going to say that Ducky was able to research and let everyone know about the difference between Muting and Shadowing by now, with his condition being mistaken for Shadow until now. Zagreus will no longer be considered a shadow, but a Pokemon who can simply Mute people as part of his moveset.
Again, really sorry to the people negatively affected by this, and I'll be sure to run anything like this in the future by people who actually know what they're talking about.
41 notes · View notes
Text
Little Bunny 4
Yandere William Afton/Steve Raglan x reader
Dead dove do not eat! - you will get exactly what's in the tags!
Tags: FNAF, mature themes, mentions of death, little bit of FNAF lore, mentions of Springlocks.
Tumblr media
A few hours later at around 1 PM, your eyes flutter open. You stretched your limbs, yawned and got up.
You went to the kitchen, feeling hungry, you quickly made yourself a Sandwich.
After you were done eating, your friend walked in. She looked like she slept too.
Giving her an confused look, wondering why she was here and not at work, you broke the silence, "Weren't you at your work?" you asked as she looked at you "I was at work while you were sleeping but my shift ended early today." she answered as she poured herself some coffee.
She sat down on the chair across from you, taking a sip from her coffee "Feeling better?" she asked as you nodded, "Yes."
"Wanna go to Mr. Raglan and tell him what happened?" she asked again as you nodded.
"Yeah. Hopefully he will be kind enough to believe me."
----------
You stood infront of Steve Raglan's office again, knocking softly and awaiting the response from inside.
"Come in." Raglan's warm voice could be heard again. You gently opened the door and stepped inside. The smell of fresh coffee was in the air once again.
"Oh hello there." Steve met your gaze with his warm one. "I've informed the owner of the Pizzaria. He called back a few minutes ago and told me the damage has been repaired and the security has been improved with a sliding metal fence on the entrance." Steve then handed you a paper with all the stuff that has been adressed and fixed as you sat down across Raglan.
Steve leaned back in his desk chair and cleared his throat, "Could you please tell me what happened in details?" he asked and leaned forward with his elbows on the desk
"Well, I went to the bathroom and when I got back I saw the parts and service door slightly opened. Knowing that it was closed before, I went in to check and I saw a yellow rabbit leaning against a shelf. I honestly thought nothing of it but it's eyes were white and glowing, almost as if it was active or something. I then went back to the office and after like 5 minutes I heard a door being slammed. I checked all the cameras but there wasn't anything." you paused to think,
"Then there was this tall yellow rabbit. It came to the office, shattered the glass on the little window and I began to panic...I ran out, and-and the rabbit laughed...almost as if mocking me...I ran to the kitchen, and there was the golden version of Freddy which I found earlier sitting against the wall." You paused again to remember everything but Steve broke the silence
"So you hid inside the kitchen?" he raised his eyebrows as you nodded, "Yes. Actually I was moving the Golden Freddy and found out it was pretty lightweight and I also discovered that it's back could be opened and there was no endoskeleton inside it, only the hollow, uhm- suit. So I pushed my legs inside and slid in, crazy I know. I wore the hollow animatronic like a suit." you stated as Steve nodded
"Ah, that was once Fredbear from the first location. It is a specialized one, just like the yellow rabbit you mentioned which we call Springbonnie." Steve made clear and took a sip from his coffee
"So they are like suits? Animatronics with no endoskeletons inside?" You asked. "Well, yes and no. Both of these are so-called Springlock suits. They indeed have an endoskeleton inside of them. They can be worn by a human and have them perform in the animatronic mode. When a human decides to wear the suit, there's a small switch that needs to be flipped in order to retract all the metallic parts inside so it's wearable." Steve told you as you nodded.
"But why was Gold--I mean, Fredbear hollow?" You asked and Steve chuckled a little, "Well, after Fredbear's Family Diner closed, the endoskeleton simply got removed from him and it got renamed to Golden Freddy after the main Animatronics arrived. But Springbonnie still has the endo inside." he continued, "Maybe that's why he came after you?" Steve asked as you began to think
"I don't think so, because it wasn't moving robotic, it was moving smoothly like a human would. I even hit that guy and it sounded like it actually hurt it." you answered as Steve raised his eyebrows again
"You hit him?" he asked and you nodded, "Yeah, I hit it." Steve then leaned back in his chair again, "Whoever was under that suit was extremely lucky..." he said as you gave him a confused look, "Lucky? What do you mean by that?" you asked and Steve let out a small sigh,
"Well, remember when I told you that the endo is still inside Springbonnie? But after all this time laying around, without maintenance the Springlocks inside the suit may become unstable and more likely to...snap..." he snapped his fingers.
"And what happens if they snap?" You asked
"It wouldn't be pleasant at all. Just imagine what it would feel like if you get crushed by metallic parts." he said with a smirk
"Then you'll die?" you asked as Steve nodded, "Yes. And it's not a painless death either. The parts break your skin and flesh, crushing your insides, and if you're lucky you will bleed out fast enough before you have to experience more pain." Steve leaned back again.
"Oh...damn..." you sighed.
"So, anyway. On your third shift, you should be okay. The suit was found empty on the ground and got placed back to the room where you found him." Steve assured you as you nodded.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Raglan." You smiled at him as you stood up. "Nah, it's no big deal, I'm just glad you're okay that's all." Steve smiled and stood up too, extending his hand for a handshake.
You shook his hand and left his office, not noticing his face hardening and his lips twisted in a predatory smile.
"So you hid inside Golden Freddy, huh? You're smart and that's why I like you so much. But let's see what you will do on our next encounter..."
22 notes · View notes