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#SUPPORTING CHARACTER IN THE GAME MAIN CHARACTER IN MY HEART
halobirthdays · 8 months
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IT'S FINALLY TIME
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PUT ON YOUR PARTY HATS AND GET READY
In honor of Rtas Vadum's birthday on September 21, 2023, Halobirthdays is hosting an Rtas-themed birthday give away!!
What's included?
The winner will receive:
One (1) copy of Halo: Fractures
One (1) copy of the Halo Graphic Novel
One (1) unassembled, unpainted 3D print of a Kerel-pattern assault carrier** (like our girl Shadow of Intent)
One (1) high-res, watermark-free print of the commission created by @destinysquared, which I have affectionately dubbed "Rtas Pondering His Orb"
One (1) high-res, watermark-free print of the commission created by @ab-rinart
The cost of shipping and handling will be covered by Halobirthdays
**Listen to me. Read that again. The example shown is a 3D render. The winner will receive a plastic, unassembled, unpainted model, which measures around 7inx4in. The model includes supports that were added during printing that need to be removed. I will send the winner instructions on how to get it ship-shape (pun intended).
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How do I enter?
You must be following Halobirthdays
One (1) like and one (1) reblog of this post will count as an entry, for a total of two (2) entries max per user
You must have an address within the contiguous United States
You must be eighteen years or older to enter
When will a winner be selected?
This give away will run from the moment of this posting until 12:00AM EST on September 22, 2023. After that, the entries will be tallied and a winner will be randomly selected as soon as possible. Halobirthdays will contact the winner via Tumblr direct message. The winner has 24 hours to come forward and claim the prize. If they do not come forward, a new winner will be randomly selected.
Please make it clear that you are not a bot by tagging the post, and/or adding an icon and banner to your blog. It's not required, but reblogs and likes from bot or give away accounts will be blocked.
Fine print below the cut:
This give away is not affiliated with Tumblr.
This give away will run until 12:00AM EST on September 22, 2023. One (1) winner will be randomly selected.
By participating, you affirm that you meet and agree to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
If a winner is selected but is found to not meet the eligibility criteria, they forfeit the prize and another winner will be selected.
Any issues regarding shipping once the prize has been mailed shall be settled between the winner and the mail service. Halobirthdays will make a conscientious effort to ensure that the prize arrives undamaged. However, Halobirthdays shall be held blameless for any lost or stolen prizes, damage, and/or shipping delays during transit.
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Advantages of making Lamia Pyro now: matches the charm I bought on Friday, means I can rework her kit to make her the perfect Yoimiya support because I love her and she deserves it
Disadvantages of making Lamia Pyro now: this game already has so many Pyro characters and also I have no idea what her kit would be now
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gnawing on corrin fire emblem
#ramblings#oh corrin. if only your game was good.#someone who grew up as sheltered as corrin did ending up witnessing the worst humanity has to offer could be so interesting#HELL. CORRIN WITNESSING THE HORRORS AND STILL THINKING THOSE COMMITTING THE HORRORS CAN BE HELPED#ALWAYS BELIEVING PEOPLE ARE GOOD#a person sticking to their ideals so strongly until they truly do make the world a better place is compelling#its just that fates doesnt know what character development is#or character depth. could you imagine corrin losing someone close to them on the battlefield#being dragged away kicking and screaming. unwilling to believe they actually lost someone#having to live with the fact that EVERYONE in that army. is basically sworn to die for them should the need arise#their siblings? nieces/nephews? friends caretakers their fucking spouse ANYONE. would die before them#because theyre the main character. if you play on classic corrin dying is a gameover#theyre at the heart of the army and they barely even know how war works#corrin hardening over time but still sticking to their ideals. no matter what#sorry im writing fates fic to fill the niles-shaped hole in my heart and the dynamic of hopeful idealist/pessimistic realist#is getting to me#something really fun about corrin breaking and making characters like niles attempt to comfort them#their supports are mostly just 'tell me ur sad backstory' 'lol sure' BUT NEVER THE OTHER WAY AROUND PROPERLY#forcing niles into being a character instead of a caricature since 2016. jesus fucking christ hes gonna be on my mind forever#niles struggling with a genuine relationship. because he cant really comprehend unconditional kindness. but trying. bc he loves them#these two are on my mind again i love them (the version of them in my head)
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ishaslife · 8 months
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Astarion has been breaking my poor heart.
This post will contain spoilers for the game and Astarion's romance/backstory. Before anyone comes at me, I want to say that you are the main character, you are supposed to change the fates and behaviours of your characters, especially if you are romancing them. It's a video game, that's kind of the point.
This post is extremely long and I apologise.
This analysis is based off my playthrough.
(*) means check notes at the bottom of the post.
I wasn't expecting to like him as much as I do. Don't get me wrong, I really liked him during EA and I thought he was funny, charming, flirty with a dark past and all that was just a means to cover his trauma but since the full game has come out and we've gotten to know more of him, it truly breaks my heart to see and know what he has been through. My sister and I were watching his reactions to be being rejected, being told that Tav only wants sex and forcing him to do things he doesn't want to do, it is truly heart-wrenching.
Many people expected Astarion to be this "I am so sexual and my romance will mostly be sex, also I will betray you the first chance I get." and it couldn't be further from the truth. Astarion is extremely loyal, and yes he has that air of flambouncy to him, will often make japes and say evil things but most of the time, it is just a facade. It's his shield in a way, he has been treated with utter cruelty for two hundred years of his life and now that he finally has some control over himself, he doesn't wish to be hurt again.
I don't think Astarion is ever completely evil, even in the beginning. He just wants to have fun and enjoy life after so many years of slavery. He likes it when you are snarky, say mean shit to people for fun but, he doesn't like to see innocents get hurt, and he doesn't support fighting for people who don't fight for themselves. Yes, he will support some of your evil decisions but they will lead to a bad ending, for you and your characters. It'll make Astarion wallow more in his greed and he'll lose the little humanity he has left. He doesn't really have a clear sense of direction in the beginning of the game as he's just found freedom and obviously wants to live life to the fullest, being evil comes naturally to him, it's instinct as its what he's been doing for two centuries.
This is my assumption since we don't know his actual age but since he's an elf who was well-respected in society, had a pretty prestigious job and was rich enough to be corrupt. I'd assume he was at least 70-100 years old before he was turned into a spawn. (EDIT - in a recent post by @deluxetrashqueen I saw the translation of the dates of birth and death on his tombstone:
"Astarion Ancunin
229-268 DR" to which he adds, "458DR - "
which shows that he was only 39 at the time of his death, which explains his emotional immaturity for an elf.) My point being, I believe he has been a spawn for longer than he's ever been a regular person. He has spent the longer part of his life doing evil things for an evil man, that was what his life was on a daily basis with Cazador. And his former work experience probably helped, he likely learnt pretty quick how much he took for granted as a living person and the harshness of his master, peers and people he seduced made him harsh and unforgiving in return.
Once you start getting close to him, you start to learn that he is only mean to people because of how life has treated him. In his romance, he says "no one ever looked out for me, no one ever said a kind word to me. You're the only one, no one is like that." Astarion starts to see, because of you that there is kindness in the world, and he finds kindness in you. Especially after his quest, as much as he'd hate to admit it, he also sees friends in your other companions as they do in him. By the end of Act 2, he starts to get more soft towards you and the decisions you make, often even disapproving of evil decisions. People often tend to forget that a lot of Astarion's evil personality is a front, it is not who he truly is.
These points will be better explained individually so I will talk about some themes.
Power: power plays a big part in his entire storyline. In the beginning, he wants to harness the powers of the tadpole to become powerful and at first, you think that it's simply because he's an evil character and he wants power for the sake of having it. Then later, he wishes to take over the power of the ascendant but mostly only to spite Cazador and take something important from him, not fully realising the true power of the rite.
As he slowly starts opening up to you, he tells you "the mind flayers tore me from that place" and you realise that its the tadpole that let's him walk in the sun, do things a vampire or spawn would never be able to, you learn that he hates being a vampire because he can't even remember what he looks like. He seeks power outside because he has had no power over himself for about two centuries, he thinks that having this power will fulfill his needs but it won't, we know it won't because in truth he only needs to reclaim his autonomy, physical and mental. Of course Astarion would never truly admit to this for a long while, even when he's romanced. I personally really love his good romance arc where he doesn't have sex with you, not because he dislikes you or doesn't want you but because, as he says "any kind of intimacy was something I performed to lure people back for him. While I know things between us are different... being with someone still feels tainted. It brings up all those feelings of disgust and loathing." He has spent 200 years or so bowing to Cazador's whims, done things to people he didn't want to do and I assume since it's heavily hinted at, were very sexual in nature. In a relationship, he simply wants to be seen as a person and I think that's really sad because that's how low the bar is for him.
In the ending of his quest, you can persuade him and tell him that going forth with the ritual won't set him free even if he thinks it will and I agree. If he's a slave to Cazador now, later he'd be a slave to power and greed. Just look at Cazador, despite being one of the most powerful beings in existence, he still wanted more power. That kind of greed and hunger never ends and Astarion would lose himself and who he has become while he was with us. Yes, it makes him walk in the sun again and do things a regular vampire can't but at what cost? 7,000 lives and his humanity. He would never be able to enjoy this "freedom" because he'll only strive to seek more power. In his ascendant ending, he becomes everything he's ever hated about Cazador, the cycle repeats itself, from Vellioth to Cazador and from Cazador to Astarion. And it will never end. Astarion even refuses to turn you into a vampire and wishes to keep you only as a spawn. With an insight check, you can learn that he thinks you're degrading yourself and he doesn't care. He now sees you as something to own, something to possess, not love. All his good qualities, wants and needs get twisted. Astarion truly only needs to feel like a person again but he doesn't fully realise this until you show it to him, through good deeds and actions, through simple acts of kindness. As he says in his "good" ending "I've been dead in the ground enough. It's time to try living again. With all that life has to offer."
Safety: Astarion wants to feel safe. He is so scared of being found by Cazador, he knows he's looking for him and the only thing giving him some form of safety from Cazador is the tadpole so of course he wants to harness its powers that is until he finds out it'll turn him into another kind of monster, a mind flayer. He doesn't wish to lose himself and his freedom again hence is vehemently against taking on the tadpole's powers but he doesn't stop you because that is of course, your decision to make. He says "if such power would please you, darling, I won't stop you. But do be careful, I want you to remain you." Now the only thing left that can properly give him his freedom is Cazador's death and he wants to kill him himself which I think is perfectly acceptable, Cazador deserves to die and if it is by Astarion's hands, all the better. But, in his romance, he makes it clear that he's doing it for safety, and he tells himself that he wants to take the power of the rite for safety as well because in truth, he is terrified of being powerless again. He does want revenge yes, but he also wants to keep you and himself safe from Cazador, even in the dungeon, if you run an insight check, the narrator tells you that he is losing his mind because of the power that's on offer and the smell of blood in the air. It's almost as if to say "he's losing his mind, please stop him before he forgets who he is." Astarion NEEDS your guidance*, eventually he even thanks you for 'saving him from himself.' In his good ending, he sees that in taking the power, he would be no better than Cazador and would become everything he's ever hated about him, and inflict on others what his former master inflicted on him, starting with you. His ascendant ending is honestly a very sad ending for his character, all that growth, change and development you bring to him throughout your journey just gone down the drain as he becomes an unfeeling, evil, narcissistic arsehole who only craves for more power. In his good ending, he will be safe, with you and with the friends he has made along the way. He is proud of himself and so is everyone else, it offers him a kind of friendship that's afforded to very few in the D&D world, especially a vampire/spawn whose very existence is hated. It is a bond based on trust, loyalty and to a degree, even love instead of fear like in the ascendant ending.
Abandonment and Fear: Astarion is driven by fear but he also knows facing Cazador is inevitable and something he needs to face rather than avoid. Even if he isn't outright seeking it (but he does seek it) I think he is braver than he likes to think and he definitely has some anti-hero traits. He likes the tadpole because it helped him get away from Cazador's authority and he enjoys bending others to his will since it makes him feel more powerful compared to how he's felt the past two centuries. But if you choose to not do the same, he doesn't really care. He doesn't except it of you nor is he disappointed (since he neither approves or disapproves. He only disapproves helping people who didn't ask or didn't want to be helped) he only gives a snarky comment or two about what he would've done instead and follows you anyway. He realises you're a good person. If you indulge too much however, I would argue that he agrees simply because he doesn't want you to turn against him. Perhaps he believes that you can turn on him and kill him as easily as you killed the tieflings or other innocents. He probably thinks it's easier to turn a good person evil than an evil person, good (tbh he wouldn't be entirely wrong.) And making bad choices does negatively affect his character of course but I just thought I'd put that out there as I think it's very likely for him to do so. He is definitely extremely paranoid, he hardly ever says how he truly feels out loud but when you break up with him (it's so heartbreaking omg) he says "I was beginning to think someone truly wanted me. I shouldn't have deluded myself." and "From the start, I was rather counting the hours until it was going to end. Midnight chimes, eh?" As heartbreaking as it is, the latter line shows how terrified he was of being abandoned or only be used for his body, he kept obessesively worrying that Tav would leave him after he bore his heart out to them. There's another bit of dialogue in Act 1 where he is trying his lines with you to get you to sleep with him a second time and you can say no which he is fine with but if you outright reject him there, meaning "I never want to see you like that again" he gets extremely sad: "Well, excuse me while I die of a broken heart. [slight chuckle] In all honesty, it's a shame. That time was special to me. I've gotten on my back 10,000 times or more and forgotten half of them. But you, I'll remember. [long pause] Have a fine evening... dear." Mind you, this is after you've only slept with him once. His dialogue makes it seem like he was already catching feelings for you, and not realising that himself until this happens. Seeing this made me realise that you're the first person he's slept with of his own volition, even if it was to seduce you. For the longest time, I think Astarion doesn't even want to believe you'll like him as something more than someone to sleep with, he hopes you might as his rejection line says so but astarion is nothing if not careful and well, paranoid.
That's why he's so shocked when you choose to not let him bite Araj at Moonrise even if it gave you something powerful in return. He sees that you chose his comfort over a genuinely useful commodity. Biting people or using his vampire, well, anything makes him extremely uncomfortable since it reminds him of things he needed to do for Cazador. If he bites her, it makes him feel like being a slave again, but bending to your will and wishes instead of his former master's. He realises he doesn't know how to say no. Which is another thing he says if you wish to pursue only a sexual relationship with him. He feels played.
Freedom: this is probably the main theme to his character arc. He wants to be free, not only from his master but also free to make right decisions and make decisions for himself, something he hasn't been able to do for years. This is why respecting his decision to not sleep with you is important to him, he doesn't feel comfortable being physically close to someone in a sexual way as it makes him doubt the person's true intentions and feelings and of course, makes him feel loathsome and disgusted with himself. He needs that time where you just connect as people to really see that you are in fact genuine and he wouldn't be hurt if he trusted you or gave you his heart. Towards the end of the game, he is still quite ruthless, but mostly only towards people who do wrong and are criminals. Astarion has a very strong set of ideals, he believes that people who do wrong deserve to die no matter the crime. I don't think this is entirely true, every crime deserves a different punishment but most criminals, those who do severe wrong and still get away with it, do deserve to die but this is just my opinion of course. He is ruthless towards bad people because that's how people have been to him, at least Cazador and I wouldn't be surprised if he was treated badly during his sexual encounters with strangers while working for him.
Why I think the Ascendant ending is a tragic ending for Astarion's character and for you.
I won't lie, there are some aspects of ascended Astarion that are pretty hot and I'm a sucker for (pun absolutely intended) powerful, gothic vampires but this ending comes at the cost of way too much. One simply being: Astarion isn't Astarion anymore. All his snarkiness, playful nature and strange innocence is gone. In his ascendant ending, that is, when he takes the power of the Rite of Ascension for himself by carving the same rune on Cazador's back that's on his own, Astarion loses himself. In D&D lore, full vampires are unfeeling, ruthless and have all their good traits twisted into something more malignant and evil. If Astarion loved you, that love turns into possession, if he cared for you, it turns into obsession. He doesn't truly care anymore... as a vampire, he is manipulating you and telling you things you want to hear instead of what he's actually feeling. He never truly got that moment of catharsis by killing Cazador as he does in his spawn ending. That simple bliss of killing the man that enslaved him and worse all these years; he never gets to experience that because he ends up using Cazador for the same power Cazador killed Vellioth for in the past, albeit worse. It's a never-ending cycle. And if he turns you into his spawn, you will go through the same fate Astarion went through and probably turn on him the same way he turned on Cazador. He has absolutely no sympathy for you or for anyone that is not him, in fact he feels almost disgusted by you because he thinks you're degrading yourself in front of him. There is a conversation between him and if you refuse to become his spawn, and I think it sums up his character perfectly as a vampire, it goes like this:
(choosing different options will have different dialogues but they more or less lead to him saying the same thing.)
ASTARION: Just so you know, I have everything I've ever wanted. Everything lies ahead. I can see my path to a waking dream. From the Crimson Palace, I will govern day and night. Create a city of spawn who bow before me, cast a fog over the world for my children.
TAV: But the Palace halls will be lonely.
ASTARION: You'll be lonelier than I. Very soon I will discover how to call my legions of wolves, become a sea of mist, run wrongside-up on roofs. [laughs] Everything vampires do best.
You could have, too. [sniggers] What a waste.
TAV: You don't really have anything at all.
ASTARION: I can take anything I want. I should've made you a spawn just to teach you that.
And there we have it, that last bit of dialogue shows how Astarion is now everything he hated about his own master. He is Cazador's literal and spiritual successor, he thinks you need to be punished for rejecting him. He doesn't feel for you anymore, at least not in a human way. He has become someone else entirely, for the worst. His drive for taking the power of the rite was to be able to walk in the sun again but as a full vampire, he wants to "dominate it (the world) until the sun melts and give ourselves over to the night."
Astarion NEEDS change, he needs to see that the world can be a kinder place than the one he's lived in this whole time. Just a bit of care and love with him goes a long way. In his spawn ending, he comes to realise that you gave him his life back even if it was as a spawn because that is true freedom. He is free from his master, and greed & power which was in the disguise of safety. He may never be able to walk in the sun, but he is free to make his own decisions that are driven by his choices. One of them being; wanting and loving you, living a full life with you, whatever that may entail.
If you went into the game thinking that Astarion will betray you no matter what then giving him the ascendant ending brings your fears to life. Astarion doesn't learn anything, by making him a full vampire, you basically tell him that he can only be powerful and worth something if he has super vampire powers, and in turn, you lose everything too. Astarion may have gained unparralled strength but now he has no need of you, you gave him everything he wanted and nothing he needed so now he can do whatever he wants with you because you are lesser than him, literally, he is much stronger than you are and his power will only grow as he discovers more of it. He tries to manipulate you into turning you into a spawn. A dialogue being:
TAV: After everything you went through with Cazador, you're going to make me a spawn?
ASTARION: Oh that was completely different, I'd never hurt you. I love you. That's what you've been waiting to hear, isn't it? That's what you want?
Which just shows you how he's only saying "I love you" because that's what you want to hear, so you agree to becoming his spawn. He doesn't mean it, it doesn't really have any feeling behind it whatsoever. And if he turns you into a spawn, you have basically lost everything. Because he is obsessive over you, he'll never let you go and since now he is properly evil, he likely won't turn you into a vampire either, even if he says he will.
This is just my take on the ending though, I think we can all agree the ascendant ending is the evil ending for his character, even if it is an ending you prefer. I'm not trying to hate on anyone who does like this ending, only stating that I think it is meant to be evil and I personally don't like it.
CONCLUSION
Once you get to truly know Astarion, he's a pretty decent guy. I can't speak much for people who didn't romance him, I'm not entirely sure how his non-romance route plays out. The good conclusion of his quest is so wholesome, where he says he feels "truly, honestly free" and tells you "you saved me from myself. This is a gift, you know, thank you. I won't forget it." getting full circle to the first time you let him bite you (the only time in my case.) It shows so much character development and pure joy in the way he thanks you (it doesn't need to be said but props to Neil Newbon for bringing the character to life.) He will always be a spawn and yet, he feels like "anything and everything is possible" because of you and the choices you made with him, you believed in him when he didn't believe in himself, you showed him that he is enough just the way he is and he doesn't need to become a full vampire to be strong and powerful. Astarion comes out of his finale, a much more positive person, who actually cares even if he won't show it and the best part is, he always keeps that tiny streak of evil and mischief within him. He hasn't lost sight of himself, he's just less spiteful now and feels free to actually enjoy life rather than constantly being scared of what might happen to him. He finds trust and happiness in you and it makes him happy that you find the same within him. You are his home and he hopes he is yours.
I understand that my analysis may not be perfect and my interpretation of the character may be different from someone else's but that's fine, he is a video game character that can be played so many ways and people can go around it however they like, interpret his character however they wish. This is just what I think.
NOTES
'Astarion needs your guidance.' - no, this is not gaslight-y. Astarion is a deeply troubled character and clearly finds it hard to differentiate between right and wrong. He often asks for your input and what you think by Act 2 which isn't a bad thing, he's asking for help and I think that shows how far he's come. In the final scene of his quest, he is overcome by the promise of power and the safety it would've provided which would've consumed him as it did Cazador, Astarion admits to this himself too later on once he can think clearly and is in a more positive mindset. There is nothing wrong with guiding your partner towards something that will eventually be better for their growth as a person in the long run.
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windienine · 1 month
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the best game of 2024 was an hour-long visual novel demo, and i can't tell you how it ends
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attack and dethrone god.
okay. oh my god. soul of sovereignty by ggdg (of lady of the shard & deltarune fame) is discounted for only a few more days, so i need to get this one out while the iron's hot.
so: i'm inviting you along on another journey. we're following a polite gentleman of the wizardly inclination (loïc) who is approached by a sickly woman in dire need (ysmé). all she requests, in her plea, is an escort to guide her to the nearby temple. his decision to support her may turn out to be the most important choice he ever makes.
... have you ever enjoyed the kind of narrative that traps two people with heavily contrasting motives and personalities together in an unbreakable contract? do you like stories of absolute devotion?
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i could look at this shot forever ngl
... are you compelled by immersive speculative fantasy worlds where the use and study of magic heavily influences the rhythm of people's day-to-day lives?
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(really intriguing magical linguistics system going on here)
... do you ever promise too much of yourself to others, sometimes, even when it's a bad idea?
... if it was possible -- if you could -- would you abandon your humanity for the power to change your world forever?
and, whatever you may feel in your heart about the above...
do you want to see behind the eyes of a hot trans girl as she bullshits her way into a truly volatile level of power and influence and gets everything she wants?
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(+ her pet dilf lovely assistant)
if even one of these elicited a "yes," i think you'll love this story.
i'll go out of a limb:
i think, if you open up your heart, you'll find yourself falling for both of the leads. It's a game that really wants you to look at it from every angle, take it apart, and ask questions about loïc, ysmé, their stories, and what they believe to be true about the world and one another. subtext -- especially the charged subtext this story throws at you and hopes you'll piece together -- is a beautiful thing.
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the number of talksprites in this demo is kind of staggering
the jrpg-inspired world of the mosaic and its surroundings is as vibrant as it is profoundly lonely, color folded into every facet of its character as you move through it. appropriately, it's really invested in a lot of questions that arise not just from high fantasy as a genre, but from the modern fantasy sensibilities of jrpgs and the interrogation of what divinity even means in a world where the gods are forces you can interact with and draw power from, however indirectly.
what can i even say? that gg and toby fox's collab score for the prelude is downright heavenly and made it onto my work playlist right alongside the deltarune ost the day it came out on bandcamp? that gg's art, especially their use of light, conveys every scene with vivid beauty?
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i wouldn't be posting so much of it if i didn't want to eat every CG. oh my god. he's so pretty. it's not even fair
beyond all of that, i think the game's main resonance point with people is that gg's writing is genuinely thoughtful. they use art detail and deft character writing to convey everything about the leads, using the limited time you get with it to paint layers and layers of information on who these people are and why they make the decisions they do. soulsov's roughly an-hour-and-change of text, expressive talksprites, and lush CGs is infused with so much heart and so much horror and so much intrigue that it leaves you feeling like you're a part of this world, carried along for the ride right alongside the two leads. gg clearly really adores these two, and that level of passion makes everything loïc and ysmé do shine even brighter. in spite of (or perhaps because of) all their friction and flaws, they're easy to love.
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(it's really fun to read aloud as a script, too! ysmé's a hoot.)
i hope you experience it with high expectations and an open heart. i don't think it will disappoint. it is, perhaps, just a little bit magical.
i hope you see it through to the end!
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yurious-george · 11 months
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For those of you who don’t know anything about Hollow Knight or its upcoming sequel, Silksong, there is some drama of astronomical potential that is going to be hilarious to see how it shakes out.
Three things. First, as you may already know, Hollow Knight is one of those hardcore games that attracts a certain type of cishet “gamer guy”: I’m sure you know the type. They can be more or less overtly bigoted, but either way, they’re all kind of That Guy. Second, Princess Hornet is one of the major characters in Hollow Knight, and the player character in Silksong. Third, every character in the Hollow Knight world is a bug, and aren’t depicted as having sexually dysmorphic traits that humans have: there are no insects with tits in this game, despite being bipedal and anthropomorphic. (Despite that, Hornet is frequently drawn with tits anyway, because the aforementioned demographic is outrageously horny for her. This is important later.)
In Silksong, Hornet is strongly implied to have a rival/deuteragonist, Lace! Not much is known about Lace, except she’s described as sadistic and set up as Hornet’s rival. And gamer dudebros hate her.
Maybe not full on hate, but they don’t like her. “Too mean and dislikable,” if memory serves. If I had to guess, they’re subconsciously picking up on the subtext and being homophobic about it: Hornet is the waifu of many a gamer bro, and between the subtext and Lace’s implied importance in the narrative/sadism/independence/backhandedness, Lace does not have a lot of love in that half of the community.
(As for the other half of the community, the player character of Hollow Knight is canonically agender. There are two canon gay couples within the game, and while not required, completing their side quests is essential to 100%ing the game. Despite being a couple of Cishet Male Gamers themselves, the Hollow Knight team is gracefully supportive of the LGBT+ community, and much of the fan base is LGBTQ+!)
But back to Lace: Lace and her subtext. Lace has insane amounts of wedding and romantic subtext despite only having 2 trailers and a demo’s worth of content. Off the top of my head:
association with white & gold, particularly white roses
Lots of church imagery, especially an emphasis on ringing bells
Lace’s and Hornet’s VAs are both Japanese, and Lace is straight up wearing a Japanese wedding garment while dressed head to toe in white
Visual design and presentation wise, Lace is framed as an equal and opposite to Hornet. Lace is likely to play the rival-won-over role that Hornet had in Hollow Knight, to the point of leaving the arena the same way as Hornet when her first fight ends
Calls Hornet delicious when first introduced. Then says she likes her when Hornet tells her to fuck off
Strongly implied to have saved Hornet in the opening trailer
And, last but certainly not least: the original Silksong announcement, with Lace’s introduction, came out on February 14th.
And that’s just off the top of my head!
I don’t want to get my hopes up, much less expect anything and get disappointed, but in my heart I am hoping gamer bros take the BIGGEST L when Silksong comes out. I hope Lace is complex and engaging and still sadistic. I hope Lace is the Vriska of Silksong. I hope Lace and Hornet have so much subtext it’s practically text. I hope the good end is locked behind a lesbian wedding.
I don’t hope for that last one specifically, but just imagine. Go on, pair off the one character that cishet male fans go “hhhurngh… female character” and draw with massive balloon tits to the character they hate the most. Do it. I believe in you
But seriously: The main character of the most wishlisted game on Steam confirmed in a wlw relationship, effectively alienating half or more than half of the fan base. Hollow Knight: Silksong has the potential to be the funniest lesbian W in the universe and I cannot wait to see how it all goes down.
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respectthepetty · 4 months
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10 Anticipated BLs for 2024
Since I'm excited for ALL the GLs (Pluto, 23.5, Sunshine in the Wind, Chaser Game, Be Mine, y todo!), I'm making my list of the 10 BLs I'm excited for this year with brief reasons why I'm looking forward to them. In my normal fashion, I cheat my way into having more. All except one is Thai because Thailand loves to tease series three years in advance, then never make them, but I strongly believe these are coming:
The Next Prince
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Zee continues to never play a poor person, and a trailer is supposed to drop in the first quarter of this year. I never knew there was so many fencers on BL Tumblr, so I'm looking forward to everyone's commentary on how well the characters poke with their sticks or whatever fencers do.
Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart
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It's a heist BL. It has YinWar. It has Prom x Mark. It has Bonz. It's Dee Hup House (we got beef). It's Director Tee and probably Cinematographer Jim. It might have color coding. There is not one thing I can find wrong with this series. It's perfect on paper, and I'm praying that translates well to the screen.
Spare Me Your Mercy
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Like that lady in Titanic, I've been waiting 80 years for this series (give me a minute to cry about MaxTul), and it's finally near! I'm getting JJ & Tor in a Dr. Sammon piece, who I feel writes "Be Gay, Do Crime" very well, so I'll be forgiving any of these two gays' wrongs including murder, attempted murder, contemplating murder, and murdering each other in the bedroom (ahhhh!).
Wandee Goodday
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Golf from The Eclipse is directing. It's about Muay Thai. It has an older doctor and a younger boxer who start off as bed friends (and I think one is actually a virgin). It has color coding. It has me already seated and waiting with popcorn, and I think it might be the first offering that will be delivered from GMMTV's 2024 lineup.
Sequels: Choco Milk Shake 2, Unintentional Love Story 2, My Doctor
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Is Choco Milk Shake 2 gonna finally give me poly? Probably not, but I hope My Doctor brings the same heat the side couple did in Be Mine, Superstar, and the side couple getting the spotlight in Unintentional Love Story 2 will also make my side-couple-supremacy heart very happy this year.
Live in Love
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It looks color coded. That's it. That's the reason. Keeping my expectations low because it might not get made since this is Thailand's favorite game.
Red Peafowl
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The character reveals were absolute chaos, so I'm hoping that chaos transfers over to the actual series because it can either be a mess or a masterpiece, but it cannot be mediocre with Max, Cooheart, Boun, Mek, and Yacht as supports. Plus, it has color coding and a bird that is quickly becoming a Tumblr god.
Love Upon a Time
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Even though it is a historical queer series, which means it could be sad, I think Domundi will keep the sass, so James' character won't be crying in the 1600s club but instead eating fruit seductively to encourage Net's character to put his homosexual skills into practice instead of simply theorizing about them, which is something I need more of. Plus, it has color coding.
Love Puzzle
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This is one that might not get made because . . . Thailand. It's connected to Chains of Heart, but I don't care because the cast looks good and Poppy is gonna finally get to kiss a homie. If this doesn't get made, I will cry thug tears. It's 2024. Poppy deserves to kiss a man already.
My Stand-In
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I don't understand the plot, but it doesn't matter because Pepzi and Khom are directing, and in case that means nothing, those were KinnPorsche's directors! Then, it has Up and Poom as the leads, plus a stacked supporting cast. I'm here. I'm queer. And I'm ready to be served.
Honorable Mention: Peaceful Property
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It's about los espookys and features Tay and New. Will it be a QL? The streets are saying no, but all the characters are color coded, and all's I'm saying is what would be the point of color coding them if I ain't getting a BL main couple and a GL side couple? It's already canon to me.
Bonus: MosBank & JoongDunk
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MosBank had like eighty projects announced for 2023, and I got NONE! Big Dragon 2, Big Dragon: The Movie, SunsetxVibes, where you at?! Y Journey: Stay Like a Local and Club Friday do not count. I don't want to watch their horror movie, but gosh darnit, if that comes out before everything else, I just might.
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And I am a JoongDunk fan first, and a human second. Give my boys a gym BL already, GMMTV!
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hummingbird-games · 4 months
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2023 In Review (Indie Games)
Last year's! | 2021
I apologize in advance for how long this might be. As a reminder, I don't bash games here so even if I hated something with every fiber of my being...I ain't sharing. As a second reminder, my more in depth reviews and live blogging has moved to Gem's Game Gems so I don't clutter the HBG's main blog. Okay. ON WITH THE REVIEW!!
DEMOS
Diffraction (Demo)- A rainy day otome indeed. I love the quiet gentleness of this game, the two romance options, and the fact that our MC is a photographer and struggling with her art and stack of life "failures" (because...SAME!!)
Alaris - I was asleep and now I am awake: I came late for the advertised fae and dragon lore, stayed seated and waiting for Fenir zjgjdf. Oh, and I guess the mystery surrounding our MC's abilities LOL.
The Summit Library - When I say I was maaaaaad when I realized I blew through chapter 1 and would have to go back to waiting for more content??? LOL, I was very miffed. Anyhoo, check out this title for the gorgeous art, another intriguing mystery (like what is *up* with the magic in the poor library?? who or what is to blame?? 👀) and of course the lovely characters we've been introduced to thus far.
Of Sense and Soul - I'm a regency romance girl. Like after you strip away the other stuff, I am but a poor woman with simple needs: a good ass love story 🤧💛 It's about the yearning and the slow burn and the will they/won't they/PLEASEEE they...I've never been so charmed by a demo, and the full game is going to be amazing I just know it!
Made Marion - This project is a game I've been keeping tabs on for a hot minute but hadn't taken the time to sit and properly enjoy the demo. I'M SO GLAD I DID!!! It's in early access now, so I'm hoping eventually I'll be able to carve out some time to play, but guysss Velvet Cupcake is doing the Thing?!? No idea which love interest I'll go for first, but I had a fun time meeting the Nottingham peeps in the demo.
Herotome (Super Demo) - Oh gosh. Oh gosh oh gosh oh my GOSHHH. Where do I even began?? (Really the question is where the hell do I end because this is one of those projects I talk about a lot/think about a lot and surprisingly haven't run out of things to say zkjfksjd). Another game I've been following for a while, it 100% lives up to the superhero genre in its aesthetic, the characters you interact with, the music and sound design, and of course the slowly unfurling story. Jade and Mia had come out as my top faves, Warden is still there, like hovering in the backgroud, shhhh but I have a special place in my heart for Griffin too (that conversation we have with her?? I have so many screenshots just so I can go back and reread and sear the words in my brain. Like a weirdo. Yup.)
Celestial Crowns - Stats building, celestial royalty, dating sim where you fuck around and find out your choices directly affect your MC's personality?? I'm sat. I supported the Kickstarter and now I try to practice patience for the full game's release siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighh.
OTOME/JOSEI JAM
Please note this is a SUPER abridged list for my sanity and I fell a little more in love with these 2 jams with each entry I played...
Intertwine - As embarrassing as it sounds, I've never given much thought to the "red string" thing, and I consume more than enough romance media LOL!! But Van is suuuuuch a beautiful man, the UI for this game is so interactive and lovely, the music is ALSO lovely, just lovely-love all the way around teehee. (Also this game encourages replayabillity so like, do with that info what you will.)
Spring Boy [Demo] - I believe this game is going through a complete rehaul, so my thoughts and feelings refer to the original jam entry I played. The art is bright and cute and it's a super super short demo, but I was intrigued by the other student we meet on our mission to plead with our professor about our bombed exam lol!
Assignment Due: Project Blue - IRl group projects??? Suck absolute ass. Group projects with a guy name Asher?? Suddenly it's my new favorite thing in the world 😁
Cryptid Campaign Manager [DEMO] - Remember the last time I looked over a cryptid dating sim??? Remember how I was SUCH a fool?? Good thing I didn't make that mistake again!! The prologue is such a tease but you get an idea of what the full game is gonna be like, and I'm excited to see where my career involving love (and politics) goes!
Heart Cage [Demo] - Yoooooo I stay my ass far far far away from yanderes (could never get into the trope or the character type). WELP. Guess I just needed to keep searching because I really downloaded this off a whim--well, the whim being one of my fellow dev peers playing and rating-- and proceeded to get sucked in 🤧I thought being a detective would be the highlight, but I guuuueeesssss I was more into the romance options than I thought. Oops.
Evernight - I tried to explain what this game meant to me on the side blog, but words failed me. I still don't know what to say other than I loved it?? Which is like ummm I say I love everything, and yeah I'm easy to please BUT Y'ALLLLLL if you play no other game, play this one. Please. Date a werewolf. Or a vampire. Or a fae. Plz. Also figuring out the mystery of your MC's abilities and past is just delightful, ugh.
Bright Oak (demo) - Anotha one I wrote about on the side blog!!! Play this one!!! The writing is lush and atmospheric and the characters are all delightful and it's another game with a mystery to untangle!
The Faithfulness of the Universe- This one gets the award for most unique all around entry that I played. Theeeeee prettiest pixel art to bless my eyeballs, and this tasty mystery concerning Fate and witch Faustina's future (or lack thereof 👀) and what it all means. As a player I very much want to know what it all means!
A Cup For All Seasons - Another game that needs its flowers y'all. It's short but super healing and super cozy and the voice acting and music really tie the gaming experience together???
The Working Woman's Guide to Burning Bridges - DEMO - It's the way I played the demo twice and I've been thinking about it ever since 😭😭😭🙃 obviously life happens and things come up, plus this was a demo. But. BUT!!! I am on my hands and knees prayinnggg the team gets together again to finish the game. I love playing as a stressed, lowkey bitter hot mess who doesn't have her life together 😂somehow the fictional version is soooo much more entertaining!!!
Keyframes (Spring Demo) - After the game College Craze, this is legit THE college, slice of life visual novel of my dreams. I cannot wait for the updated demo next year, and the Kickstarter whenever that rolls around. And now that the developer is on Tumblr, I've definitely been stalking the account and reading each new post like it's my day/night/weekend job 🤧
Hello Counsel 💋 - Okay I take it back, Evernight is like a 20/10 but Hello Counsel is like an 100/10 👁️👄👁️ This game is necessary for my mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, alright? The banter ✅ the character designs ✅ the music ✅ the sizzling chemistry between Poise and Salem ✅ I wish this game had more buzz because IT'S SO GOOD!!! (also the dev, Miseri, is who I wanna be when I grow up. I've made it through almost their whole backlog of games and there are no misses and EVERY game is different from the rest and it makes it hard for a toodler dev--ME--to cope LOL)
Candied Hearts - Isekaied into a candy themed game?? Sign me TF UP!!! (Peppermint I love you dearly, you must understand.)
Fully Released & Played (at least 1 playthrough)
The Knight's Dilemma - I don't even know how I originally stumbled upon this??? I just know it had been in my backlog for a hot minute and I was intrigued enough to save it way back when. Y'ALL WHY DIDN'T I PLAY SOONER SKJFHFJFH! There's a couple different endings, I loved the voice direction, AND it's such a simple concept of a game that was just executed beautifully.
Trouble Comes Twice - If I had to make a top 5 list of romance VNs, guess who makes the list?? Guess. Guess guess guess. Have you guessed yet??? LOL! I have been in love with TCT since it's development days and with each passing month, waiting in anticipation, playing the Pateron beta builds, screaming on the main blog about every single thought I had about Jace and Hazel (shoutout to Jace for helping me figure out *me*) Lol if you're curious about said thoughts, those posts are on this blog and not the side blog.
Aelfric the Wondrous - 10/10 would love to forget my first play through JUST to have that experience fresh again 😭😭💛Cute and funny and a wonderful parody type game all around.
A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986 - Goodness, there's no excuse for why this took me years to finish but anyhoo, I finished, I loved it, I recommend it! It's romantic and achingly authentic and the art is soooo gorgeous I literally can't stand it 😭
The Things You Do For Love - Unhinged yandere manages to entertain and garner sympathy and laughter from Gemini. And that poly ending is chef's kiss too????
Band Camp Boyfriend - There are a handful of games I found and loved before I began my game development journey, and this is one of them. BCB is so dear to me, because of the story and characters but also because of the Dynamic Duo creators and their team behind the scenes. I was never a band kid I was a chorus kid but just as the band geeks loved this game to pieces, us normal folks do too!! Even the boys who I didn't like I STILL managed to find joy in playing their routes (still have a few more to finish at the time of this posting lol, GOTTA GET THE FINAL ROUTE YO). Anyway, this game more than delivered for me and I hope more people keep discovering it!!
Belle Automata: Chronicle I [RELEASED] - While only Chronicle 1 is out at the time of this posting, I already know that the 2nd and 3rd parts are going to be just as amazing???? I wrote about this one on the side blog, so here's my copypaste that still rings true:  
I love TNP (The Nightmare Prince) but Victor’s route hit the sweet spot for me. Maybe it’s the slow(er) burn nature of this route, maybe it’s the reserved nature of Victor and watching him slowly start to care (AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FEELINGS TEEHEE) for me.
A Date with Death - I wrote about this on the side blog--again--. The demo. And then right after finishing a route. And then again where I was fully awake and still managed to sound deranged. No copypaste for that, I shall be nice. But yeah!! Another game where I was screaming at the sky about how much I love it and how I'll never know peace as long as I live.
Our Life: Baxter DLC - I need to offer an official apology to both Cove and Derek because falling head over heels, down the stairs, crashing into the parking lot, falling again but down a manhole for Baxter's infuriating ass was NOT on my 2023 bingo board??? HELLO???? I bought his DLC just to complete my OL collection. Was not expecting to love it this much. Was not expecting to be called to write fanfic and abandon all responsibilities to do this. WHILE DOWN WITH COVID TOO. Allow me to play the song of my people. *Send in the Clowns plays*
Our Cinderella - (this is so funny I'm taking about a side game before the main game LOLOLOLOL) Guys. Guysss. You guyyyysss 🥹if you're looking for a cozy, hilarious, equally oddly and wonderfully sweet short game, this is the one!! You may have your personal favorite Iggy ship (like me) but all the pairings are so amazing and just make sense lol!
Wylde Flowers - This is the only non visual novel game on here but it gets the spotlight because I did NOT spend 90+ hours on this game to gatekeep this beauty. No. It the coziest, the funniest, the funnest, the most addictive Switch game (after Teacup) I've ever played.
Fully Released (& still on 1st playthrough)
Garden of Seif: Chronicles of an Assassin - Life kicked my butt and then sat on me SO while I finally got my grubby hands on the full copy, I still have only played the entirety of the demo. But. We will return to this in 2024 and hopefully I'll have a full review for the next wrap up!
Our Wonderland - I looked back at the side blog and I can't believe it was only THIS year that I started OW??? Because I'd known of the game and the dev for longer than that??? So basically what I'm saying is that I was chicken shit for longer than I've been in love with this world that Developer Carrot has created kjzhhshggj. But OMG to get me, who is scared oh so easily to get hella invested in this clearly labeled horror game??????????????? And even with shit gets super absurd and hella disturbing, I cannot stop playing. At the time of this post, I'm only in Act 4, hence the category above, but it's only because I play each act in a sitting and lose track of space and time and myself. That's a compliment btw.
...
Okie!! That's 2023 in a nutshell! I played a looooot of really good games this year and while I would have liked to talk about them all, I think this list provides a nice overview.
Let me know if we share any favorites!
- Gemini 💛
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leviathans-watching · 2 years
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I hope you plan on adding the dateables to the "kissing the prettiest person in the room" thing! \ (•o•) /
"kiss the prettiest person in the room" with the dateables
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includes: the dateables x gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)
wc: 1.2k | rated t | m.list | pt 1 | pt 2 | pt 4
a/n: the long-awaited series finale!! thank you for requesting and i hope you enjoy!! my inbox is open to chat, req, or leave feedback, so come say hi!!
please reblog <333
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diavolo is holding another sleepover, and you’re all crammed into one of his living rooms, sitting in a rough circle, with some on the couches, some in chairs, and some on the floor
you’re on one of the smaller couches, sharing it with solomon and when the sorcerer gets this glint in his eyes you know he had something up his sleeve
“let’s play truth or dare,” he suggests, and though you suspect the game will devolve into chaos, many of the brothers are quickly on board
the game goes a few rounds before solomon calls on you. “mc, truth or dare?”
you balk; the dare will no doubt be something intense and possibly humiliating, but choosing truth would probably be much worse. “dare,” you say, as confidently as you can
solomon grins wickedly. “kiss the prettiest person in this room.”
you gape at him even as various protests are raised around the room.
“no, mc does it or gets punished for chickening out,” solomon insists, and you recall the punishment, which is to buy a dinner next time you’re all out, something your poor wallet really can’t handle.
“i’ll do it,” you say, and a hush falls over the room as they all wait for you to pick.
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diavolo has never played a game like this before, so he hadn’t even known such a dare was allowed! he watches you closely to make sure you seem okay with it- he really wouldn’t mind paying for the meal for you if you do decide to back out, but you seem intent on accepting.
around him, everyone stiffens in anticipation, and diavolo can’t help but be on edge too, wondering who you’ll pick. lucifer, of course, is a top contender, as is mammon, but you seem to pass over them, slowly looking around the room in his direction.
you finally make eye contact with him and he perks up, giving you a grin. would this be his chance to kiss you? he’s liked you for a long time, but has never initiated anything due to the power imbalance. but if you were the one initiating…
you stand, walking over to him.
“lord diavolo,” you say, extending a hand, “may i kiss you?”
despite himself, diavolo can feel his cheeks flushing, heat going from the tips of his ears down to his neck. he’s nervous- and excited. “you may,” he answers, hoping his voice doesn’t betray his sudden nerves. you help him stand, then lean forward.
diavolo’s eyes fall shut, and he waits, blood rushing and heart pounding. he can’t help but flinch slightly when you finally do kiss him, but before you can move away, he wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer. you pull back some time later, eyes bright, and diavolo can’t help but wear what is, undoubtedly, a dopey smile.
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barbatos has never wished so intently to know the future as he does now. but alas, he needs diavolo’s permission, something he doesn’t have.
he knows you won’t pick him- he’s long resigned himself to being a side character in your life, moral support for when you have an issue with one of the actual main characters. and he’s okay with it. serving diavolo, baking with luke, being your friend… it’s more than enough for him.
it’s more than enough for him, so why are you approaching him, looking nervous yet determined?
“the dare was to kiss the prettiest person in the room,” you say sheepishly, stopping a fair distance away from him, gaze pinned to his, “but if you’re uncomfortable i suppose i could pick the second prettiest.” your eyes dart back to solomon, who looks supremely pleased with himself.
barbatos realizes then that no one actually expects him to accept. in his eyes, he’s not a threat, not even in the slightest. maybe he should remind them that he too is capable of going after your heart.
“no, no,” he says smoothly, reaching out and pulling you closer to him. “it’s just a dare, isn’t it?”
“yes,” you say, biting your lip. you take a deep breath then lean down to him, pressing your lips to his. he wraps his arms around you, relishing the small shudder of surprise you let out, making sure to give you a kiss you’ll never forget.
you pull away from him, dazed, and barbatos can’t help but lick his lips, satisfied with the glares he’s receiving from the rest of the group. you’d picked him, so they were powerless to actually get mad at him.
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simeon watches how solomon grins, sure he’s got you beat. he’d confided to simeon earlier how his plan was to get you to chicken out, and while simeon hadn’t really cared about it before, he now can’t help but feel like the dare’s a little much.
but you accept, leaving everyone stunned. and waiting.
simeon knows there’s a high possibility that you’ll pick him. he’s a safe choice, for one, and angels are inherently beautiful, but whatever your reasons are, he’ll gladly accept you if you do choose him.
and it looks like you’re going to, if the way that you’re glancing at him is any indication. “simeon,” you call, “can i kiss you?”
“by all means,” he says, and you stand, walking past solomon, who’s still gaping, to him. he stands to meet you, giving you a warm smile. you smile back, looking to all the world as if you were completely at ease.
the kiss is short and impersonal, but you seem to enjoy it regardless, and simeon wonders if he can get you to redo it some other time, when you both can show less restraint. you seem to know where his thoughts are, because you wink, before turning to solomon with a challenging grin, leaving him to flop back into his seat, trying to figure out how soon he can get you alone so you can redo the kiss for real.
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solomon doesn’t really think you’ll take him up on the offer, so when you do, it takes everything in him to hide his surprise. well, even if he didn’t get a free meal out of the dare, at least now he can watch you attempt to pick someone while all of the brothers try - and fail - to hide their need to be picked.
you look around, as if considering your options, and to his surprise, stay seated, giving him a good, thorough look.
“i’ll do it,” you repeat, smiling almost smugly, “but will you?”
“me?” solomon echoes, amused. “you think i’m the prettiest person in the room?”
“well, yeah,” you shrug. “so are you going to chicken out?”
his eyes narrow. “not a chance.” he scoots closer to you, intent on seeing this through to the end, and you reciprocate until the both of you are a few scant centimeters apart, thighs almost touching.
“pucker up, buttercup,” you say, and solomon does as he’s told. even though you’d shown no signs of backing down, it’s still a surprise when you actually kiss him, comandeering his lips in a way that no ones ever done before. you pull away just as he’s about to get over his shock and really kiss you back, and the look in your eyes says you know you’ve won.
“i’ll get you back for that,” solomon says threateningly, and you laugh, moving back away form him as if it were nothing.
“looking forward to it, pretty boy.”
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leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own
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tortelette · 11 months
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It is god awful 4 am in the Philippines (insomnia growing worse due to worry) and I have one fucking theory on what fucking Demian said in the epilogue of Chapter 4.
Demian fucking returns to the presence of Dante as the Sinners took a feast for themselves at some restaurant and talks to them about the meaning and true purpose of technology and the morality behind it along with the concept of greed. One line took a fucking slap on me whenever I kept reading his dialogue.
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This is...
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A "The Little Prince (TLP)" by Saint Exupéry reference said by the Little Prince himself when he met the stranded pilot in the desert.
Back then when I was still studying religious literature and our main topic is TLP, there are many biblical references here and there from the snake who bit him down to the desert where the pilot has been stranded upon for some time. The sheep has many symbolisms back in my lessons, the common ones that I get to see are the spiritual transcendence of the prince, the representation of the truth, and the beauty hidden from reality. Mind you all that the story of TLP is quite imaginative and a sad one that gives the hopeful yet real life lessons of friendship, value, love, and loss. Hence many symbolisms are interpreted here.
Now that I mention those things... what does it have to do with Demian telling Dante to draw him a sheep like they promised to him? Judging from the structure of his tone, it appears that Demian knew Dante before Dante took their clock prosthetic.
Well my theory is that the sheep is the symbolism of "realization" or more likely "seeing the truth of humanity." Dante is a blurry yet blank slate when they saw that they lost their memories yet retained a sense of a trail of their true goal. Dante wants answers (an obvious reflection of decision for a person who knows nothing of the world) in everything around them and they are the ones who let's out the final decision to handle in everything with the Sinner's help. Hence, they take semi-control in seeing EVERYTHING and witness it along with them. So far Dante has saw the lives of four of their sinners (Gregor, Rodion, Sinclair, and Yi Sang) and see how cruel and unfair of the life they went through. Dante sees them all since they resonated as well with the golden boughs and sees a portion of their troubled lives. A normal happening of humanity in The City.
Dante has to draw a "sheep" to Demian, more likely... Dante has to share to Demian the "truth of humanity that they have witnessed through resonance with the Sinners in a refreshed look." In this chapter, it appears that Dante has to share their side of the truth to Demian about Yi Sang's life yet they appear to be at a lost as always. Just like a sheep that strays away from the shepherd's guidance.
Remember Faust's remarks when she stated on what would be Dante's reaction about their decision to suppress the bronze bull when they get their memories back? It is implying for me at least that Dante is a dislikable or negative character. I mean... look at them when we first started the entire game. Demian must have known this too and probably wants to get Dante to draw a sheep for him now that he can have a more "innocent" or understandable outlook about humanity.
In TLP, the sheep (if removing the more complex representations of various literary analysis) is a literal representation of one's ability to appreciate the beauty of all things through the heart despite the appearance. All of the sinner's lives are miserable in some way yet they are still "beautiful" for us because they manage to strive through their problems, they seek on the right of their belief, they live on to face their traumas, and to accept help from others in order to get back up. The disgusting experiences of humanity in The City is a facade that people always see, but the actions they have done that either support or combat those experiences is what makes it beautiful.
The truth of humanity, is the suffering that they have been through.
It would be interesting that Demian has the title of "The Little Prince" as a nod to it.
EDIT: How does my unhealthy insomnia theory get a lot of interactions- I... I am scared.
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ymechi · 8 months
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Yandere creator reader
I did not think I would write anything for this blorbo I had but so many people liked and I got inspiration from the comments! Thank you everyone for the support!
-TW: Death, Gore, Dying in various ways, Torture
-Gn reader (I tried my best I hope it turned out gender neutral, please tell me if I did it wrong)
-English is not my first language and I have no beta/editor please tell me if I make any mistakes
You knew this was unhealthy, that this would make your issues worse but the loneliness was gnawing at you. It started small, just a mere speck but the spore grew more and more rotting your foundation. You found yourself often alone while your peers had connections, bonds, and kinship. 
You had no one.
You tried so hard to make connections, yet you could not make that chain connect to the other person click. You wallowed in your own misery for a while, instead you filled your whole with fiction and fantasies. There at least in your mind you could construct those bonds and wouldn’t those made in your mind be stronger than those in reality?
You stumbled upon the game on chance. It was a coincidence but soon it became an addiction. Everything about the game captivated you. You loved the art, the gameplay the lore and of course the characters. You just adored these pixels on the screen, each and every one of them. You had none that you disliked. You cried and laughed at their stories and tried to get through every quest for their sake, you even got a part-time job so you could spend and *own* them all.
As you get more and more characters you are determined to build everyone, no one will be left behind. 
You knew this was unhealthy and that this would contribute to your already waning social life and loneliness but you had no other outlet, no other hobbies. 
You were still a respectable functioning member of society gacha game addiction aside, so no one bothered you or questioned you. 
Then one day you woke up in Teyvat. 
You thought it was a hallucination, it should be a hallucination perhaps this was your cue to finally go to a therapist and talk about your problems. You were beginning to see delusions-
Except it all felt so real, the leaves between your fingers, the wind softly caressing your face, and the ground beneath you was steady holding your weight. 
You could feel a chain connecting you to Teyvat with a click.
This was your first real connection to someone, you could feel your face aching from your pleased smile.
You thought hopefully, perhaps, just perhaps you would be able to meet the characters. You know you were not some main character protagonist but just maybe you could become acquaintances and maybe friends? Hope blossomed inside of your chest and your heart beat faster.
If this was a dream you did not want to wake up.
This was a nightmare and you wanted to wake up.
That was your thoughts as an arrow hit you right in the throat, you wanted to scream but all you could muster was a gurgle. You know who shot this it was Venti - Barbatos- the anemo archon, with the same bow you had given him. You did not understand why he did that. 
Was it you? Did you offend him? Why did he kill you when all you wanted to say was that you loved him.
You love love love love-
It was your last thought before you died.
Yet you woke up again.
Once again you died though this time a spear right through your heart, it was vortex vanquisher. You could not even utter a word shock seeping right through your body. 
I love you, love you, love you, so why?
Your next death happened in a fury of storms, your body electrocuted and charred. 
I still love you, love you, love you.
It went on and on, revival and rebirth. Deconstruction and reconstruction. You could not think clearly anymore, days bleeding together, helplessly wandering. You wondered if there was an end to this.
The same people who killed you were the ones you helped build once upon a time through a glass screen. They spoke of a creator up in Celestia whom they loved and who loved them. Who built them and made them stronger, that you were an impostor wearing their skin.
You did not think yourself capable of stealing a god's face. You were born this way. You wondered if you had hallucinated your previous life. It all sounds and feels so surreal. Yet the love you had for them as pixels on a screen lingered and remained even as you died again and again.
The only link, your only chain, your bond to Teyvat was your only solace. 
Then one day the blood that splattered the ground turned golden and your murderers dear characters' faces turned shocked and horrified. 
You yourself did not comprehend what was happening one day you were wearing rags, tired and cold the next you were sitting on a throne, cleaned and adorned in jewels. 
Some tried talking to you but you were far out of your mind.
Then one day you heard someone crying. You curiously asked them why. Through their sobs you heard them asking for forgiveness.
Why?
They looked at you in sadness when you asked why. You approached them and softly whispered in their ear. 
”I love you so much, there is no need to ask for forgiveness.”
Through everything your love still remained. It was the only thing that still remained from the old you. Yet the chain still would not click to link you together. 
You went and grabbed a fruit knife near the table and looked at the person, your acolyte.
”Yet I would hate it if you looked at anyone other than me.”
They screamed as you stabbed their eyes, tears and blood flowing down their beautiful face. 
Now finally the chain clicked and linked them to you.
You were overflowing with happiness and love and you wanted to share that with the rest. 
Taglist: @eccedentesiast-sapphic @d0rmiens-fact0rem (sorry i thought you might be interested in this, if not i apologize)
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ceruleanwhore · 11 months
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In my soul, I feel disgusted and betrayed by this finale and I am shocked that the same writers who were able to give us such a truly wonderful show somehow came up with such a terrible ending for it. This episode directly opposes the very nature of the show more than any other episode in such a way that then calls into question the rest of the series. This episode feels every bit as hollow and sad as Ted himself seems to be throughout the finale and makes me wonder if we ever were actually supposed to believe and to hope at all in the first place, even though I thought that was the point of the series. 
The first of many issues I have with the episode is how they handled Rupert. The whole show is about belief, but specifically believing in others’ capacity for good and ability to change for the better. It’s about believing in redemption and reconciliation, which they actually could have done for Rupert even this late in the show. The scene in episode 10 where we get a glimpse of the inner child that��s still tucked away somewhere inside him showed us that even he still had this potential, up until they did what they did for the finale. While I, personally, tend to be more like Sassy was in that scene — gleefully cheering for the downfall of an odious scoundrel — it felt completely wrong for this show in particular to include that kind of public humiliation, which we the audience are all supposed to be cheering for, and in the middle of Ted’s last game ever with Richmond.
Where we actually could have used a side bit about a scoundrel getting his comeuppance is with Ted’s ex wife and their ex therapist. I think it’s absolutely terrible that they went and set up Rupert’s downfall the way they did while Jake apparently gets off scot free and never gets his license revoked or anything. There also is never really any acknowledgement of just how wrong what he did was, how he should have his license revoked, and how his actions call into question every bit of therapy Ted and Michelle got from him. No one ever questions ‘Oklahoma,’ never mind the entire divorce, relative to this man’s breach of ethics and it bothers me to no end that the most we get is his absence at the end from scenes with Ted, Michelle, and their son. We didn’t need Rupert dressing up like Darth Vader and physically assaulting someone, we needed Michelle realizing how completely wrong her whole relationship with Jake is, dumping him, and reporting him.
The next issue is Ted himself. Obviously, he was in a gloomy sort of mood throughout the whole episode, but I think it’s really important to point out how that didn’t actually clear up once he got home. I do believe he was happy to see his son but, from the plane ride onward, it’s like he’s just hollow. We see him coaching little league soccer for his kid and yet there isn’t any of the heart and soul in it that we’ve seen him put into his other coaching. It’s like he’s depressed, which is understandable because he just left a whole incredible, supportive community to come to Kansas where, like Odysseus at the end of the Oddyssey, he’s a stranger in his own home. He goes from having a whole city around him to support him to seemingly having nothing and not even being a welcome member of his own family since he’s still divorced. Also, as others have pointed out, that montage that seems to be a dream sequence when he’s on the plane ride home is all about him writing himself out of the lives of everyone he just left behind. He’s decided that it’s better for everyone there to just forget about him and move on with their lives as though he was never there and he’s literally dreaming about how happy they’ll be to do that. 
This is a major thematic issue for this series because one of the main points of the series is the idea that everyone can change for the better and, more importantly, just about every character does. Ted spends all that time in England working on his own shit like everyone else, and even gets over his aversion to therapy in order to seek help for the first time ever, just to throw all of that away at the very end because apparently he’s just back on his bs and that’s it. This is where it would maybe be alright if there were another season after this one to address and fix this, but there isn’t. In the very last episode of the whole thing he’s throwing away his entire community, dreaming about how happy they’ll be without him, and there’s nothing and no one there correcting that. To me, this is like if right at the end of the last episode with no room left to fix it, they just had Beard go steal another car and then act like the audience is supposed to be okay with it.
The other thing, going off of that, is how they handled some of the relationships, and I specifically want to start off by talking about Ted and Rebecca. They have the distinction of being the only ship to truly be baited, more than once, and very unnecessarily so. The bait scene at the start of the final episode contributes nothing to the plot, the characters, or their relationship with each other — all it does is mock the members of the audience who were foolish enough to believe they ever could have been together. This, to me, also goes against the core values and themes of the show, because ship baiting like that is inherently mean-spirited and Ted Lasso at its core is meant to be kind. There is nothing kind about essentially dangling something over someone’s head, playing keep away with it, until you finally just chuck it in the river and laugh at the person for being so foolish as to think they were ever going to get it. It’s mean for the sake of being mean and again, for the umpteenth time, it contributes nothing.
So then let’s get to Roy, Jamie, and Keeley. Jamie and Roy are another example of a strong relationship that’s developed beautifully over the course of three seasons regressing at the very end because oh no, people ship it and we can’t have that. I do think that Keeley turning both of them down was necessary but Roy and Jamie literally getting into a fistfight over her was completely unnecessary and detrimental to their individual characters. By this point, they both are mature enough and respect Keeley enough that it’s genuinely ooc for them to be fighting each other about who gets to date her while she’s not even there. Season 3 Jamie and Roy would’ve been leaving the decision to her without reverting back to macho Neanderthal crap. 
To me, this is also about the creators recognizing that people in the fandom have ships and, for whatever reason, feeling the need to try and shut that down rather than just leaving well alone. If, instead of getting in a fight like they did, Roy and Jamie had a conversation about their shared experiences of wanting to be with Keeley but not knowing where they stand with her and recognizing how hard it is for each other, then it could end up contributing to the further growth of their relationship and, along with it, shipping and oh no, we can’t have that. Just like with Avatar: the Last Airbender, the presence or lack of romantic relationships is not the issue here, the problem is with writers accidentally setting up an incredibly compelling ship and then being like “oops, we didn’t mean to do that,” and trying to ctrl z it in the finale, at the detriment of the whole story. Why oh why do writers keep feeling the need to sacrifice the quality of their whole story for the sake of trying to get people to stop having opinions?
So then last up is Ted and Trent. As many others have pointed out, that bit where Ted’s reading the book and makes that comment about the ‘laugh police’ in response to Trent’s excitement and anxiety is extremely out of character. Ted “but he’s our dork” Lasso would never say that and I was horrified to hear those words come out of his mouth. However, this goes in with the destruction of his entire character arc and every bit of growth he’s done throughout the past three seasons all in this one episode, because that was him actively pushing Trent away because, as previously acknowledged, he’s back on his bs.
One issue with this is that Ted then never has a proper goodbye with Trent and the closest thing to that is the note he left asking Trent to change the title of the book. It’s not that I necessarily think he needed individual goodbyes on screen with every other character but Trent in particular was hugely important for Ted, like how Rebecca was. Do you really mean to tell me that Ted wouldn’t actually say goodbye to the journalist who wrote what, coming from him at the time, was essentially a glowing review when he was actually hired with the intention of destroying Ted’s career? Do you mean to say he wouldn’t get a proper goodbye with the man who threw away his whole career over him? The man who then decided the first thing he wanted to do after leaving said career was to write a book about him and his team? Seriously?
The other thing with Trent is that, where Ted’s ex wife and even Rebecca have felt the need to use ‘Oklahoma’ with him to get him to tell the truth, Trent has a talent for discerning the exact truth from Ted regardless of what he does or does not say. It would have been perfectly in character for him to go talk to Ted like Rebecca tried to but then actually succeed where she failed because he would be able to clearly read Ted’s signals and throw that all back at him. Unlike Rebecca, he could directly call out how much Ted didn’t actually want to leave.
That is actually the biggest issue this episode had — cowardice. The only reason I can think of why they wouldn’t even consider doing something like what I just described is because, like with Roy and Jamie, they are perfectly aware of the chemistry between those characters and how they have set them up so it reads like they’re in love with each other, and a scene like this would be just about impossible to do without coming across as romantic. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ted and Trent would’ve already been snogging by the start of the season if one of them were a woman. This show did the thing where they’ve decided that they can have a couple gay characters, but those characters can only get with specifically devised side characters because God forbid you just have your two existing characters of the same gender kiss a bit. Between the pairings of Ted and Trent, and Roy and Jamie, there is enough textual evidence of mutual attraction and the potential for real, romantic relationships that one could write over a hundred pages about it, and that is not an exaggeration. When I look at this finale, one of the things I see is the titular character being destroyed because they decided that was better than letting people think that he could maybe not be straight.
The last issue I have here is that there really were no goodbyes. Rebecca showed up at the airport and that’s it and I thought that was very weird and, again, very much not in accordance with the entire rest of the show. Even if they didn’t have the entire team show up at the airport to say goodbye, it didn’t make sense to not even have just the Diamond Dogs show up for that. Where tf was everyone? Because just from watching the whole rest of the show, I think it would be impossible not to expect the team, the dogs, the folks from the pub and maybe also Shannon from town. It was a cold, empty departure far from fitting for the show at all and it left me coming out of that finale feeling cold and empty from the crippling disappointment. They had a whole show centered around interpersonal relationships and support and then had the coldest, loneliest ending anyone there could have devised.
My final thought here is that this is not an ending and the only way to salvage this wreckage is with another season. This feels like something they’re doing to drum up attention and interaction so that it’ll be successful when they do come in and announce that they’ve changed their minds and there will be another season, like an encore at a concert. However, if this really is the end, then I am absolutely disgusted and feel very betrayed right now because this show told me to believe and taught me that maybe hope isn’t actually a bad thing that’s out to get me, just to turn around and crap all over that. This show didn’t just apparently waste hours of my time, it was actually helping to get me to move on from past pain and start to accept hope as a good thing, until it shattered mine. They desecrated the very art they created and then expected the audience to applaud such disrespectful destruction, and I am disgusted by it.
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archiveikemen · 26 days
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Liam Evans Main Story: Chapter 25 (Crazy Love)
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This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.
❥・• Warnings and FAQ
If life was a fairytale, it’d be easy to be happy.
As long as you refrain from “doing the wrong things”. For example…
Entering a forest that’s off limits, opening a door you shouldn’t, knowing a forbidden secret, and—
Kate: Thank you so much for the help you’ve given me all this time.
Colleague: I’m going to be so lonely without you here. But I’ll always be hoping for your success. Take care, Kate.
My colleagues bid me farewell after I told them that I would continue my service to the imperial court.
I reassured them that there were amazing people at the court, and working there would be like a promotion.
They were delighted to hear that. But had I told them what my new job truly entailed and who I was living with, their response would definitely be much different.
At least, that was me a month ago.
I said goodbye to the post office that smelled like ink and walked away, wiping away the small feeling of loneliness.
London, the capital of England, was the world’s most prosperous city under the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
Everyone lived their lives by their own desires, and today was no different.
In a corner of the street, I spotted a poster of my lover.
(Ah… it’s a poster of Liam.)
The poster announced the performance of a new play at The Scala called “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, with Liam starring as the main character.
And the premiere was tonight.
— Today, I’m lying to Liam about one thing.
Liam was unaware that I was going to watch the play.
(Liam got me tickets for the closing show, but I bought myself tickets to the premiere without telling him.)
(As a big fan of theatre, of course I have to secure tickets for myself!)
(Also…)
Liam was always gifting me bouquets of flowers, so I wanted to surprise him tonight by buying him flowers too.
(Fufufu, I hope I can give him a surprise.)
I went to a flower shop in the ever so lively Leadenhall Market to choose flowers for Liam.
(What kind of flowers should I get him? There's Gerbera, Cosmos… Ah.)
Amongst the various flowers on display, I found some modern roses that resembled the colour of Liam’s hair.
Modern roses were the flowers Liam often gifted me.
(... Yep, I’ve decided. I’ll go with these.)
Kate: Excuse me. Could you kindly put these modern roses into a bouquet for me, please?
Florist: Sure! These flowers are pretty rare and we don't always have them in stock. You’re very lucky.
Florist: By the way, did you know that modern roses have a very wonderful meaning in flower language?
Kate: No… what do they mean?
Florist: Modern roses signify “gratitude”. For example, you’re grateful to have met someone.
(“I’m grateful that I met you”.)
(I don’t think I’ve ever said that to Liam.)
– Flashback Start –
Kate: Thank you so much, Liam. I’ll be sure to cherish them well, so that they’ll keep blooming for a long time.
Kate: If I display them by my room’s window, they’ll definitely bring a smile to my face tomorrow morning…
Liam: If flowers can make you smile every morning, then I’ll give you however many flowers you want!
– Flashback End –
Ever since we met, Liam has gifted me countless bouquets of flowers that signify “gratitude”.
(What was Liam feeling each time he gifted me those flowers?)
(Has Liam… ever received such beautiful flowers from anyone?)
Throughout his life, there was probably not a single person who celebrated his existence.
Liam was physically and mentally wounded, to the point where he felt hopeless and wanted to give up on himself.
But I believed that Liam possessed a pure heart that cherished the people around him dearly.
It must've been so painful for him to live in such a cruel world with that kind heart.
I wished that he would throw his kindness away instead of bear the burden of his pain and suffering, but that was definitely not the kind of person Liam was.
(I can’t turn back time, but I can still express it to him from now on.)
(From now on, I’ll tell him often how grateful I am for him.)
(I’ll continue celebrating his existence.)
Seated close to the seats on the first floor of the theatre, I watched the curtains rise for “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”.
– Flashback Start –
Tom: Liam, overcome your struggles. After “Hamlet”, play the role of Quasimodo in “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”.
– Flashback End –
Just like he promised to that day, Liam portrayed himself as Quasimodo and overcame all odds as him.
Quasimodo (Liam): “This world I live in can be so cruel that there are times I want to look away from it, abandon it… and even stop living.”
Quasimodo (Liam): “But, even so… I have to keep on living!”
Quasimodo (Liam): “Until the day this heart stops beating…!”
The final lines were followed by an atmosphere so silent you could hear a water droplet fall.
— One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Then came a roar of non-stop thunderous applause.
I stood up from my seat and clapped for Liam as he stood under the spotlight during the curtain call.
(Ah… he shines so bright. So, very, bright.)
His graceful bow towards the audience made him look like a beautiful star people longed for, but I knew that my hands could touch that star.
Curly Haired Lady: … *sniffle*
Freckled Lady: Goodness, why are you crying? … *sniffle* I’m crying too. Something feels different about Liam, don't you think?
Curly Haired Lady: … Yeah. I can’t really say it well… but he seems much happier than before.
Hearing the voices of Liam’s passionate fans made my lips relax into a smile.
(Ah…)
My eyes met Liam’s from afar.
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Liam: :D
(H-He noticed me.)
Liam flashed me a broad smile when he saw me, and winked at me.
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Liam: ;)
Curly Haired Lady: Kya! H-He just…! Liam just winked at me!
Freckled Lady: Y-You fool! Liam winked at me! ME!
Curly Haired Lady: Nooo, me! Liam~! I love you!
Freckled Lady: Not fair! I love you too…!
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Liam: :0
Liam: Haha.
One of the theatre members told me to wait for Liam on stage, and so I stood there on the empty stage after all the audience had left the theatre.
The spotlight above was so bright, I involuntarily squinted my eyes.
(... With a light this bright, there’s no escaping from or hiding anything.)
Whether it's in the light or in the pitch darkness, there was no such thing as remaining completely unharmed.
Sometimes, life can be so cruel that we feel like throwing it away.
Liam: Kate.
Kate: … Liam.
Despite that, I never want to let go of this miracle — every moment when our eyes meet, when we're breathing together, and when my heart races with excitement at the sight of him.
However embarrassing it may be, I held tightly onto even the tiniest bits of hope, wanting to live.
Until the day darkness comes for us.
Standing face to face with each other, I held out the bouquet I had hidden behind my back to my lover.
Kate: Congratulations on the premiere, Liam! Also…
Kate: Thank you for being alive.
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Liam: T-These flowers…
Liam: … Haha. … It’s my first time hearing someone thank me for being alive.
Liam awkwardly accepted the bouquet.
— He smiled with genuine joy.
Kate: I didn't expect you to see me from the stage. I wanted to surprise you.
Liam: These eyes were made to look for you.
Liam: By the way, what were you looking at just now?
Kate: I was looking at the spotlight. It’s so bright.
Liam: When you lie down here and look up — it’s even brighter.
Liam laid down on the floor and patted his side, motioning me to lie down next to him.
Following him, I joined him on the floor under the bright spotlight.
(Woah…)
Kate: The lights kind of look like the stars in the sky, don't they?
Liam: … Yeah, I know.
Liam: Hey, Kate… do you know of this saying?
Liam: The moment you get to a place where the stars are within an arm’s reach, you’ll find it difficult to breathe. Within seconds, you’ll be on your way to heaven.
Liam: I don’t really understand, but for some reason it’s just always in my head.
I found myself staring at Liam’s profile as he spoke.
Kate: … If you could go to that place where you could touch the stars, would you want to?
Liam: If I could touch the stars… huh.
Liam reached a hand towards the spotlights hanging from the ceiling.
Liam: Even now, I still long to touch something as beautiful as the stars.
I recalled the day when he told me that everything apart from himself was beautiful.
Liam: But…
He pulled me close with an outstretched arm, firmly holding my shoulder.
Liam: Right now, however dirty or ashamed I feel… I much prefer being able to touch you like this.
Liam: I always will.
Liam: Perhaps, this way, I’ll always be happy.
As Liam spoke with a soft smile—
I leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the neck.
Liam: … It tickles.
Liam just living on with a beating heart was enough for me to see him as the most beautiful person in the world, like the brightest star in the sky; and yet, he would most likely spend the rest of his life refusing to acknowledge his beauty and wishing to become a star while carrying the burden of his permanent scars.
(Even if you never realise how beautiful you are, I’ll always stay by your side and watch over you.)
Liam: I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Liam: I don't know what will happen, but I think it’d be nice to have you with me…
Liam: I hope that you’ll have me in your eyes tomorrow too…
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Kate: What are you talking about…? I’ll always be waiting for you to spend our tomorrows together, until you get sick of it.
Liam: Then… let’s be together until the very last second of our lives.
Liam: Ahh, I’m looking forward to tomorrow…
Enveloped by the light that resembled the stars in the sky, we waited for our tomorrow to come.
Our hearts beating together.
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swallowprettybird · 15 days
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Hey! This question is from an anonymous..
Who inspires me?
Thank you for this question! I have so much to say 😍❤️
I have so many people's blogs that inspire me. Unfortunately, they won't all fit here, but there are so many wonderful people, know that you are wonderful! 🫶
Too many letters below in random order under the cut 👇
@bakersimmer inspired me so much with her story and legacy ❤️ I love her light and engaging writing and storytelling style ✍️
Saffron is just a cute little devil whom I love very much 😁 and Anselm.. keep your eyes peeled! ehhh my lovelies 😭❤️
Also, her style of screenshots and game seems to be my favorite on simblr ✨
@onestormeynight and Penny, Blair and Rosie life and them story, they're so so cute and warming my heart ☺️ I adore their story because it is full of family love and understanding, it is a wonderful portion of happiness every episode :з
@elderwisp your arts it's something magical!It inspires me a lot, I love this aesthetic, and it hits the heart 100%, your simstyle very fine and sm tasteful 🧡 and tesselate such a goooood story ohmhm my gosh so good 🤌
@youredreamingofroo i love your Roo universe hehe ❤️ I like to discover him every time learning details about his life and character, it seems as if he is another good friend of ours on Simblr 🤭 It's very inspiring to know own characters better too) And of course, I admire your renders, they are very beautiful and high quality!
@kuroashims and her beautiful blog dedicated to One Peece ❤️ 🧭 If you're like me and have never seen this anime, you'll want to know more about it after discover her page, and if you're a loyal fan, you'll love it even more! Her style is unique in its kind, you won't see anything like it in the sims. And the way she conveys emotions and feelings with just one picture without many words is just something beautiful. It is very inspiring. Elfy is also a wonderful person and a so kind warm friend. 🧝 Je t'aime, ma chère ☺️( btw your French vibe is very inspiring too 😍🤌 belle, incroyablement belle 💅🗼)
@changingplumbob and her amazing stories with amazing families. I love each of them. Kirsty plays the game with a huge and contagious passion. Each of her oc's is different and has its own story.
It's touch me and makes root for each character, through victories, mistakes, and life circumstances. She also has a great sense of humor! Her game sometimes throws up such funny situations! In general, Kirsty knows how to turn the usual gameplay into an exciting journey and I definitely recommend you to join. Also, I am very impressed with her playing style. And if I'm ever going to play a ts4 (as gameplay lmao), she'll definitely be the one to inspire me how.
@holocene-sims i love all about Grant and his life. This is such a vital and real, deep story. I love experiencing all the happy and poignant moments with him as well. His example teaches me not to give up and to live in spite of everything, and to be honest, the thought of this sometimes supported me in difficult moments.
I love talking with you about him and the family and about Junga, she's wonderful. 😇 I'm always looking forward to new episodes.
And Ana is my main inspiration for my main story. If you see a new episode of Cursed Chronicles, you should know that part of the gratitude lies with Ana. ❤️
@matchalovertrait and her beautiful lovely sunshine Noemi and her family ❤️ I will love them always 🥹 It seems to be the warmest, kindest and most loving legacy I know) I like to read it at least to recharge my batteries with this wonderful atmosphere and I immediately want to create something cute and wonderful ☺️
btw Dulce and Ángel has grown so charming!
@miralure your sims just incredible and i love your lookbooks ❤️🤌 You inspire me a lot to create and remade my sims and stand at the CAS like never before! looking forward to hearing new posts from you ☺️
@wistfulpoltergeist You have no idea how much I appreciate this person and his support from the very beginning of my blog❤️ Євгенку ну ти справжнє найсправжнє сонечко 🌞☺️🧡He is a real sunshine. And of course, I adore him both as a creator and a storyteller and as a dad/mom of two beautiful cats Aidan and Arvin 😁 this teo boys so lovely and hot 🤌🔥 і я сподіваюсь ще почути від тебе багато історій ☺️❤️
@aniraklova I think looking at her screenshots, you don't have to say anything, do you? This is an absolutely sky-high level of aesthetics 🤌💅 And I admired their work long before I started the blog, becouse all her cc and all art is something very very inspiring, she really inspired me to create some characters and recent cyberpictures :h Карі ти просто крейзі в найкращому значенні цього слова 😘🔥💋
@vermutandherring another wonderful creator who amazes me with her skill and beauty, It's just so gorgeous, this builds and scenes are incredible and everything I see there I dream of either seeing in my game or just admiring endlessly, so talented artist просто золоті руки 😍
@stellarfalls people who I may not follow much, but people who I consider my great inspirations, who make me want to move on, develop and improve my screenmake skills 🧡 at one time she impressed me a lot with her story&creations and I am still impressed, thank you friend ❤️
@aheathen-conceivably I've probably said it before, but you really do inspire me in a very real way, besides the fact that your dynasty is more than sims, it's a whole bunch and a storm of emotions, these are such real, well-developed characters, I almost cried a few times over some moments... for everyone who is not familiar with the dynasty of this wonderful author, I highly recommend you to read it) and besides, your work inspires me to write my own story too :з it really inspired me for some points of the sequel and thank you to your blog for that)
@circusjuney your style and story, are some of my favorites, and Ellie and Max are the ones I'm really rooting for and worried about ❤️ your blog is very inspiring to me in gґso many ways and makes me glad to be here on simblr ☺️✨🫶
@papermint-airplane I may not have known your blog for that long, but I get excited every time I read about Aiden and his friends again ❤️🫶 I really like your writing style, it's engaging, light and catchy, I love adventure, so it really inspires me to write. and I'd like to send you a special hug as a former fan of the TS3 hehe 🫂
I would also note @weirdosalike because I can't help but note that I am fascinated and obsessed by her story, which makes me just as passionate about creating something 😁
I almost forgot about @theosconfessions Scarlet is so gorgeous, you know what inspires me about your blog? your absolute passion for what you do!
.... oh okay i need a chapter 2 😣😖
There are many more authors whose work I am just getting to know, and I really like them ❤️ Sorry if I didn't mention you i love your blogs too 🥹🫶
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starlightandfairies · 27 days
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Hellooo ☺️ could I ask for an imagine where you're dating Elijah and you're the love of his life but one day you get in a bad fight over something stupid (maybe because he keeps you out of the Klaus dilemma to keep you safe, as you're human but you just feel left out), so it happens you leave your date night at his house all upset and crying. Which leads into a bad car accident where you get seriously injured and Elijah somehow feels that deep in his heart, searching for you immediately. He finds you, just to have you dying in his arms and he's feeling terrible, so he takes the decision and turns you into a Vampire, bringing you home. When you wake up, he explains all to you and you both feel bad for all that happened, but of course you're happy to be with him forever now and just fluff then ? I'd love some cute angsty Elijah ❤️ thank you Hun !
Description: Date night was supposed to be fun but instead turns into a night of pain and sorrow
Warnings: angst, car crash, arguing, death but transformed, fluff ending. She/her pronouns
*Requests are open, please send through as many requests as you want, check my character list and requesting rules.*
Thank you so much for requesting! I hope you like it and despite how angsty this was I really enjoyed writing it
Key: Y/N = Your Name, POV = Point of view
Word Count: 1,856
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First Person's POV
I don't know if I knew how today would end if I'd done anything differently, however, I don't know how today was going to end... so everything was out of my hands. I was currently on my way to the Mikaelson Mansion, driving there myself with a smile on my face, the anticipation killing me as I was desperate to get to Elijah to start our date night. Before I could even knock on the front door, Elijah opened it, a warm smile planted on his lips and he welcomed me in with open arms. I stood on my tippy-toes, grasping his face in mine, humming against his lips as he tenderly pressed a kiss against mine and blushed hearing his words. 
"Good evening, my beloved. I've been waiting all day for this." Elijah's tone was always gentle with me, not once had he ever spoken sternly or harshly, he was a true gentleman and it was one of the main things I adored about the vampire and how he treated me. 
"As have I, I think I spent an hour in the car waiting for when I could drive over." The soft chuckle that rumbled in his throat made the butterflies that lived in my belly awake. Elijah rested a kiss against my cheek, took my hand in his and started leading me towards the living room. 
"Pizza?" 
"I thought you liked pizza" He whispered, kissing the side of my forehead as we sat down together on the couch, I nodded leaning against him and inhaled deeply savouring the scent of his cologne that I could honestly just bathe in for the rest of my days. 
"I do like pizza, it's just..." 
"Just what?" He mused lightly, his thumb running across my knuckles, a loving smile stuck on his lips and his eyes staring into mine with adoration. 
"Elijah Mikaelson, a thousand-year-old vampire, eating pizza? Just surprises me, I figured we'd have something a bit more sophisticated." The vampire shook his head, bringing me into his arms, his smile making me feel giddy and safe. He brought forward the box of my favourite pizza and rested a kiss on my shoulder. 
"I thought tonight I could treat you to some comfort food, have a more easy-going night. Does that sound good?" I nodded to Elijah, thanking him for thinking of this for me and began eating. After dinner we began playing a card game, I fell into a trance as I fell into my thoughts. I wanted to bring it up, yet I feared that if I did that it might stir unwanted trouble. 
"Y/N, what's going on through your head?" Elijah questioned, placing down his cards, his eyes boring into mine and he patiently awaited for me to do or say something. I hesitated for a moment, worried to confess this to Elijah, I knew that he's so understanding and so supportive but I just didn't know if I wanted to make anything bad. 
"I want to help you... Elijah- you're always looking after me... let me help you with everything with Niklaus. Let me look after you and assist with this stuff. I might be able to help. I want to help." His features softened for a moment, and he paused for a moment, looking as if he were trying to find the best way to approach this. 
"Y/N, I appreciate that you want to help, I can't let you get hurt. Don't ask again." 
"But Elijah- why do you get to put yourself in harm's way but I can't? I want to help, I'm sick of always being left behind, worrying about whether or not I'm going to see you again." I questioned, irritated by his first answer, I'm glad he wants to keep me safe but I only want to help. 
"Because I can't die. You're a human, you get thrown into a wall too harshly and you'd be dead in seconds." I knew his words were true, yet the way he said them, struck something within me, I pushed myself up and began walking closer to him. 
"You can die! If you piss Niklaus off, there's always a chance he could take it too far! I've seen it happen and everyone is always coming after you, always trying to hurt you! What if one day someone does something? Niklaus puts you into your vampire coma? I can't lose you." 
"And I can't lose you Y/N! You are the love of my life! You are my anchor! I will not lose you! Do not bring this up again! You are human, you are fragile and weak! You would not be able to do anything to help, you lack the skills that would keep you alive-" His tone was starting to make me want to flinch, the look in his eyes made some of my spark disappear, I could hear it as I spoke and I could feel the tears threatening to escape. 
"But Elijah-"
"No buts! Y/N I will only say this once more! Do not bring this up again, I do not care if you just want to help. There will not be anything that you could possibly do, you are just a human, nothing more than that. That is all you ever will be! I will not hear anymore of this!" Each time he shouted, made me flinch, made the walls break and the tears come on rapidly, I stood frozen for a moment and swiftly moved to start getting my things. I couldn't be here, not now and not like this. 
"Y/N where are you going?" Elijah questioned, his tone not as harsh as before but that tone was lingering and I couldn't bear to see what his face was showing. 
"I'm going home." I left it at that, closing the door behind me and dashed for my car. The sobs finally escaped, my tears blurred my vision, I could hardly see what I was driving on on the best of days, so not wanting to cause any harm to myself I pulled over and put on my headlights so I could be seen by any other driver. 
I wrapped my arms around myself, crying out as everything just came raining down on me, I hated that I let myself react this way, I hated that Elijah raised his voice at me and I hated that this got blown over worse than it should've. I couldn't stop the tears, I couldn't bring myself any comfort other than hugging myself. 
The last thing I saw was lights pouring into the driver's side before everything went black. 
Elijah's POV 
As soon as Y/N left, the regret came, I felt so guilty and it ached so much seeing her try to conceal the emotions, hide the pain and make everything seem okay. I left instantly in search of her, I could feel that something wasn't right... I could feel that she wasn't okay and that it wouldn't be something good.  
A truck was on its side, glass all across the road, I saw another car on its roof, one side of the car was completely dented in and noticing the number plate I knew... I just knew that it was Y/N's car. I ran over to the driver's side, fear invading me as she hung awkwardly against the seatbelt, the sight and the smell of the blood broke my heart. Her head was bleeding, her stomach was bleeding and the wounds looked extensive. I proceeded to pull her out of the car, already hearing her heart becoming less and less prominent. 
The gash across her stomach frightened me; I felt awful, awful knowing that we left things on a fight, we hardly ever fought and seeing her so fragile, her sparkle gone and her gorgeous personanlitiy fading away. I couldn't lose her, I refuse to lose her. Before her heart stopped for good, I bit into my, feeding my blood to her and begging that she would come back to me. 
"Please- please, don't leave me.. I can't lose you... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't go." I begged, clutching her to my chest, watching as my tears hit her skin and the blood continue to pour from her body. I took her home, watching her like a hawk, hoping that my blood would heal her and that I would be able to have her in my life. 
It wasn't until the morning that she finally awoke, her eyes found mine, Y/N pushed herself up and grabbed my hands. Staring at me with worry in her eyes, I grabbed her hands, hating to tell her that she was on her way to becoming a vampire if she has some blood. We never spoke about what would happen in a situation like this and I hated forcing her to need to choose between two extreme options. 
"I had to feed you my blood, I'm sorry... Y/N if you want to-" Her arms wrapped around my me, she curled into my side, sobbing and staying latched onto me with tears continuing to leave her gorgeous eyes. 
"I don't want to die. Please, I want to be like you, I'll have blood. I'll become a vampire." Even though I would do whatever I could to look after her, I was so happy that she chose to complete the transformation. I made it my mission to get blood into her before I began explaining everything. 
"Elijah- I'm, I'm so sorry. I should never-" 
"No, no my beloved, don't apologise... please don't apologise. I'm sorry, I should never have raised my voice I never should have spoken to you like that. Please, please would you ever be able to forgive me?" She nodded, smiling and placed herself in my lap. I kissed her forehead, and wrapped my arms around her body. Clinging onto this moment, hoping that nothing bad would happen, she kissed my chin and fiddled with my hands and stared at me with curiousity in her eyes. 
"Teach me how to do all the tricks and everything? Find me a pretty daylight ring? The others have such ugly looking ones." I chuckled, nodding and my lips against her palm. I held it against my chest, happier than I ever have been, thankful that I got to her in time and could save her. 
"I will teach you how to do everything, I will get you the prettiest ring and we'll be together in this. I won't let you be hurt by me, never again. I swear it." I promised, bringing her to face me, wanting her to know just how much I wanted to stick by my words.
"I love you Elijah." 
"I love you to my love." 
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fatuismooches · 5 months
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HAHXHDHSHS FRAGILE!READER GAME PLAY HUT WHEN SHE THROWS A PUFFTORRE IT EXPLODES INTO CONFETTI 😭😭 (it was dottore's idea, you were very upset at this!!!)
ALSO JXHDKFHDKEHKCDHI 💥💥💥💥💥 THE THE.. IDEA I GOT... WHAT IFFFF dottore n fragile!reader are 2 characters as 1 unit? Like Clara n Svarog in HSR... Dottore is main dps while ur doing healing on one skill, which is using the Pufftorres/Foxttores JDHDKHDKEE IDK I JUST THINK IT'S SOOO CUTE n one idle is just them being silly together.... Hfjdekgrke dottore holding reader's cheek and reader gigglinh before he huffs and turns cuz u gotta fight and all!!! If reader gets hit n hp goes below like what, 40%? 50%? Immediately switches to dottore n he gets buffs cuz no body hurts his beloved and gets away with it!!! 😡😡😡 reader having favoritism with characters... Fatui and dottore almost getting huge number healing while others get almost none (esp the archons 💀) :33
ALSO VISIONLESS CHARACTERS!!! I need that too... Dottore with a vision is SOOO off putting
Also my voice lines. I'm OBSESSED... maybe... in game interactions when in battle together??? 💥💥💥💥💥💥I can't.... Officially my Roman Empire 💔😭
IM GOING INSANEEEE RAHHHH THIS IS SO FLIPPING CUTE I CANT- Not the confetti!! The poor Puffttores didn't consent to this!! 😭 BUT BEWJDE IT WOULD BE SO FUNNY... imagine you have a Treasure Hoarder or someone cowering in fear because you're playing around with the Puffttores in your hands menacingly... and you throw it at them ready to end the guy but!! Instead both of you are freaked out by the confetti floating everywhere! Dottore gets a very passionate rant from you later that day >:((
But like. Let's not forget about how many other possibilities there are. FRAGILE READER TEASER. It is mostly scenes of them and Zandik during the Akademiya. Except, current fragile reader is there in the background, forlornly watching their former self and Zandik's memories. With every new scene, fragile reader walks behind them, their gaze growing sadder and sadder the whole time, but they do not say a word. Until, it gets to a point where their former self starts to fade away, and in a panic they run after themselves, only to be met with nothingness. They have to accept that they'll no longer ever go back to their old self. (Kind of like Raiden's teaser)
DEMO. I imagine it's kind of like Furina's in a way. Because fragile reader's demo is all in their head/a dream. It begins deceptively happy at first, bright sunlight, joyful music, and smiles. They are finally doing the things they wanted, traveling to other nations, doing things that any normal person would do. Showing Foxttore the world too. The segments are there as well, bickering as usual while fragile reader looks on happily, interrupting them and pulling them to see all the sights the world has to offer. There are no worries, nothing bad happening at all... which makes it all the more unsettling. And at the end- fragile reader wakes up with a start, in complete and utter darkness. For it was all a dream.
COLLECTED MISCELLANY. Dainsleif introducing you, but surprise surprise! Dottore takes over instead to describe his beloved!! EBWDIEWB him explaining all of the silly moves you do with Foxttore and Puffttores... 😭 all with a straight tone. You guys are so married couple 😭
AND YESSSS BRO IM LOVING THEM BEING A 2 IN 1.... do NOT separate them!! In reality... Dottore doesn't really need your support skills (he's incredibly strong after all) but!! He doesn't have the heart when you're so excited to finally be near him... :( AND OH MY GOSH A SHARED IDLE WITH BOTH OF THEM... also consider: Dottore playfully ignoring reader by looking at his notes and clipboard... and you get all pouty until you snatch it out of his hands and he chuckles... ugh so many possibilities...
Immediately getting swapped out when you get too hurt 🥺 i was thinking that happens when you're about to take a killing hit but!! That's more accurate because he'd never let it reach that point! OKAY BUT ALSO REAL. I always thought it'd be cool if certain characters got special buffs based on their in-game relationship with others (like members of the Qixing, or the Knights, Lyney and Lynette etc) We love fragile reader doting on their fellow Fatuis and shitting on the Archons!! They can stay on life support for all you care!!
AND THE BATTLE INTERACTIONS- okay hear me out. For the 2 in 1 character, you get two different ultimates depending on who your active character is. If it's fragile reader, it starts with Dottore ready to do the job for you, but you valiantly put your arm out in front of him, because you wanna protect him!! He watches on with amusement as you assault the screen with tons of Puffttores :3 (they're unlimited) If Dottore is the one on the field, before he brutally annihilates the enemies, you give him a little kiss for good luck and jump around in the background cheering him on totally ignoring how those guys are completely dead!! :3
Okay and your death voice line too - "Zandik... save me..." <3
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