#they have SO MANY VARIETIES ITS INSANE | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr was created by web developers David Karp and Marco Arment.

#they have SO MANY VARIETIES ITS INSANE

scuopsie · 2 years

Note

i usually keep my freak outs in the tags! rarely do i comment on the post directly in a reblog. i understand both sides though. for me, as a fic writer, i love feedback and reading someone’s thoughts. it doesn’t matter where they’re shared. this is the first time i’m hearing about accounts being blocked for this though. wow :o but valid. freedom to block whoever you want. i’m also not sure why i said reblogs specifically because sometimes i’ll make my own posts and end up talking to myself lol.

also, there’s definitely been a change with reblogging. it’s so evident and sad tbh. i’ve been on tumblr since 2014/15 and started writing fics in late 2016. however, i wrote for two other fandoms before discovering kpop, so i totally saw everything you said about interactions, discourse, huge accounts, relationships between mutuals etc, but in other spaces. it’s also interesting to read what you wrote about people heading to twitter. i’ve see the exact kind of posts you mentioned there, but i didn’t consider they might’ve left tumblr. the shift is also obvious when you see someone in your notifs who doesn’t have any reblogs. do you block those accounts? i never have, and idk if i should.

(that is another can of worms indeed. i used to be active on the shawn mendes side of tumblr (yikes lol🥴) and i remember feeling so intimidated by certain blogs. i feel that way a little bit now, but it’s no comparison to how it used to be)

cheers to all those anons. y’all amused the hell out of me. i still see some with similar energy these days… oh nostalgia

please... don't even get me started on fics... i never posted my fics on tumblr (onyl links to them) but even on Ao3 it's pretty much dead... if i didn't love writing so much I would never waste a second of my life writing with the number of feedback ppl nowadays give to ff authors. which is very little. yeah... some blogs were really weird about it. believe it or not one time a blog vague posted about me because I had tagged someone under their post (it was fantaken pics) and then they went on and on about how tagging ppl under their post messed with their notes. they were so rude... I ended up blocking them. like nope. i do not want that energy on my dash idc how many followers u have. but yeah personally I don't think that's something anyone really has the right to be mad about. this is a free website and people are free to do whatever they want (so long as it doesn't include any female body parts ofc *clown emoji*) and even if it mildly annoys me I never get that heated up over it and I definitely don't block bc of it slflsd

yeah I remember how intimidating big accounts used to be... and it feels like a lifetime ago when u think about it... maybe some people just... idk, grew out of the phase? I don't want to believe that ppl who used tumblr for years would move to twitter. it makes no sense. there are definitely people who just found other interests and left and thats normal. what's not normal is those people not being replaced... this stuff usually happens in a cycle. some people leave and some more join but I don't see anyone new around here. seriously, do u know a stan account who is new? literally everyone I know here has been here since I joined this fandom if not earlier.

edit: I forgot to answer to this one!!! abt empty blogs, I don’t usually check the blogs in my notes unless they look really sketcy (/are obv a p08n bot) but ive definitely seen blogs that are completely empty and even have the default icon and stuff. i usually leave them along and give them the benefit of the doubt. maybe they’re fans who don’t want to be active and post stuff and just want to consume and keep up with their faves.

#there's no way to know how many of ur followers are still active sadly #but i can confidently tell u that I got at least twice as much interaction last year when i had about half the amount of followers as now #if u go to my archive last year and filter 'ask' tag there will be A LOT of asks in each months archive #now? maybe 2-3 a month #and it's not like our ult aren't active #when i was a vixx stan blog vixx were active for about 2-3 months in totall in the 2 years i stanned them #and we still had a TON of interactions with our moots and the big accs #starlights would make content from old videos even when there wasn't any new content and we always had so much to make discourse about #monsta x too has so much content that if they stopped releasing content right now we'd still have years worth of content to talk about #they have SO MANY VARIETIES ITS INSANE #as i mentioned the other day i blame this on streaming culture too #people literally don't know how to have fun #they think everything they do has to in some way benefit the artist and that is so messed up #ask #anon

1 note · View note

galedekarios · 2 months

Text

this is a personal vent post so please let me just get it all out without trying to come at me lol:

so many ppl saying they respect larian's decision to peace out and not deal with hasbro/wotc, but i have to be honest, i don't respect them at all.

they are leaving a game behind that is unfinished and a narrative mess.

they leave a game behind where everyone paid the same amount of money for it, yet depending on which character you prefer, you get less content.

the disparity between everyone else and their writer's pet ast*rion is insane. he has a half to a third more content depending on which character you compare him to.

they leave behind a sparse act 2, which is already so barren compared to act 1 and all it had to offer. act 3 is a narrative mess and lacks structure.

they leave a game behind where they made promises a handful of weeks before release where they ought to have known that they, in fact, will not be delivering said promises: access to the upper city, consequences for playing certain races across the acts (playing a drow is going to be different in act 1 and gives you advantages vs act 3 where it would give you understandable disadvantages), etc etc etc.

they leave behind a game where content was cut from the companions to make it seem like the origins have something to offer when that system is barely able to compare what origin playthroughs offered in dos2 and it hurts the game and the experience (like tara being cut for companion gale).

they leave behind a game where they promised to much variety and proclaimed in panels from hell how they struggled to show the width and depth of the game, but really? it's about as deep as a puddle. a lot of the choices do not matter. kill ethel? nah, she's alive and well in the city. no sister hags to be angry here. give karlach no infernal iron and never talk to her at all? doesn't matter, she'll survive until the end of act 3 and will still call you her bff. dissuade gale to use the orb? we'll make sure he'll still offer 3 more times just in case. send yenna away from camp bc you don't want her there? doesn't matter, she'll stay. and yes, i'm aware these are all small things, but they are part of a larger problem. almost nothing you do truly matters to the point of where i just skip most things in act 1 and 2 now.

they leave behind a game that they promise to still patch, but some things have been broken since early access / release to the point of where i'm like i'm sorry, but your word that you will continue to patch things means about as much to me as all the other empty promises. the dialogue about morena dekarios is still broken and it's been over half a year now. the astral sea scene has low-res body textures for months. i know from mutuals who love minthara that her romance is still broken. and i could go on and on.

and what gets me the most about this is all is that they have learned nothing at all from dos2: act 3 of that game was so bugged and all over the place that i couldn't muster up the motivation to finish it the first time i played. they neglected a character to the point of where he could have been removed from the game or made a general hireling (beast).

those issues were at least attempted to be fixed in the definitive edition.

with swen saying that there will be no new content anymore and stating that both bg3 and its characters are now property of wotc/hasbro, it seems unlikely we'll even get an attempt of a fix.

so what this boils down to to me is just another game company not delivering on their promises after overselling their product and more or less abandoning it after a year to move onto the next big thing.

i don't think i can respect that ngl.

#vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #text: personal #larian critical #bg3 critical

269 notes · View notes

kentopedia · 2 months

Note

Can you drop some long series recs (any fandom!)?! I haven't had any come across my dash >.< Would love to read some!

omg of course!! I HAVE SO SO MANY RECS! a lot of the ones i've seen recently are ongoing, but i hope you give them a go & keep watching for updates <3 i have read quite a variety, so hopefully there's something for you tehe. some of them i haven't read yet, but have been on my list bc i enjoy their other works :) so i recommend them to since i know the writers are amazing!!

across the universe by @lovedazai (dazai, complete) - mai actually just posted the last part yesterday, so this is a great one to start with tehe. everything she writes is so lovely & she knows dazai sooo well. i'm so excited to see finish it!

to have and to hold by @fedyenkas (chuuya, ongoing) - i just started this one today & it's so so amazing so far !! chuuyas characterization in it is sooo yummy. i haven't read a hybrid series before, so it's super unique to see how that fits into the bsd universe.

noble blood by @forest-hashira (satoru & suguru, ongoing) - i haven't read this one yet, but both of fallon's entries for my collab were incredible, so i can only imagine this is too! plus, the premise is SO insane, it's about dragon riders, and there's an entire sheet with all lore that they've created !! i can see how much love and care was put into this one, so i can't wait to check it out !!

oh, baby! by @tetsuskei (kuroo, ongoing) - i have yet to read the first part (everyone throw tomatoes at me) but risu posted some parts on her old blog & i read it there! it's so so sweet!! i looove all her writing, and dad!kuroo is just the cutest thing EVER.

waterloo by @fyorina (dazai, ongoing) - i haven't read this one yet either but i am SO SO incredibly excited to get to it. this one is going to be long, so it might be what you're looking for !! the first two parts are out already, and there's a posting schedule if you want to know when they're coming out :)

bulletproof love by @staryukis (gojo, ongoing) - i've really enjoyed this one so far and logan's writing is so captivating <3 it feels just like missing scenes from in between the canon jjk storyline. logan also has a mini zombie apocalypse series i've been excited to read after reading the other series !! it's dying (for your love).

regrets by @/kingkonoha (levi, complete) is so good !! i still need to finish it, but the concept is super cool & the reader is the antagonist so it's a really interesting spin on levi's actions in the canon universe.

tidal temptations by @fyodorloveclub (fyodor, ongoing) - i have also yet to read this one (cries myself to sleep my tbr is never ending), but everything flora writes is incredible, so i have no doubt this one is too. it's a merman fyodor fic, which is such a cool concept i'm so excited to see where it goes !!!

hell within reach by @/ddarker-dreams (chrollo, complete) - omg. ok i read this one like 2 years ago LOL, but it's finished and its about 80k long, and it's so good <3 i used to be an insane chrollo girlie & this is one of my favorite fics about him.

lover's delight by @lovelyluc (diluc, ongoing) - i don't even play genshin or know anything about it HSHFSDFH but this one is so sweet <3 you can really see how much awea loves diluc in this series, which is my favorite thing about reading fics, and it has so many of my favorite tropes !!

geheinisse by @honeybleed (jean & reiner, ongoing) - only the first part of this is out but it's SO INCREDIBLE. there's so much drama already, and nara does such a great job of setting the scene while getting you hooked immediately. nara also has a two part reiner fic (the first part is decades) that's completed and over 10k words that i'll never forget! her characterization of reiner is so yummy.

if it wasn't for him (would you have me) by @gojoath (yuuta, ongoing) - cella's the ceo of yandere yuuta, so if you're into him, i can't think of anyone else to recommend !!! cella wrote another yuuta series that i think is completed, so there are lots of amazing things to read on her blog <3

@osaemu has a streamer!gojo series that are all in the same universe & connect! they're so funny & everything sabs writes is amazing, so i encourage you to check out her work if you haven't

the lakehouse by @tetzoro (kuroo, ongoing) - rahhh i'm the worst bc i still haven't read this but aims is one of my favorite writers on here, so trust me it's amazing. this was written for october, so if you're missing autumn rn def read this one! aims also has another kuroo series coming soon <3

i know i left some people out, so if you're ever in need of any other recs, pls lmk tehe. and if you're a mootie of mine but have a series i didn't include, send it my way <3 but hopefully all these amazing ones will get you started!

#໒꒱ rylie's angels

170 notes · View notes

wickedcinnamonroll · 26 days

Text

Okay fuck it I'm making my own post even tho I'm not in the like, Watcher circle or whatever I just have something to say that I'm not seeing a lot of people saying yet

I don't think we can be too mad at people on here "spreading misinformation" regarding the idea that Watcher WAS going to delete old videos since in the Goodbye YouTube video, they said

"The beta will be a transitional period where you'll still be able to access content on YouTube, but beginning May 31st, you'll need to become a member of our streaming service to access full seasons and new releases."

Like idk maybe I'm just too autistic or it was phrased incorrectly and horribly, but me and a LOT of people clearly interpreted this as meaning "You'll still be able to watch our videos on YouTube, but beginning May 31st, you'll need to become a member to watch both new AND old content." I think it's the inclusion of the phrase "full seasons" to the statement. If they only said "beginning May 31st blah blah blah to access new releases" and THAT'S IT, then sure okay that clearly means that new content is exclusive to the streaming service. But "full seasons" makes it seem like- that would include both new AND old seasons.

And if you try to be like "well that's on YOU for misunderstanding them", idk man I'm not a content creator but if I was making this big huge announcement, I would've made it CRYSTAL FUCKING CLEAR that don't worry, we're not deleting old videos!! We're just making a platform where we're gonna be posting new stuff and also the classic stuff will be there too. Like I would use very obvious wording and phrasing to say this.

Also in the Variety article that everyone is linking to prove that "see see! they're not deleting old videos omg y'all are so stupid for believing and spreading this misinformation and these lies" THE LINE DIRECTLY BEFORE IT SAYS THAT RYAN SAID THEY'D KEEP VIDEOS UP SAYS

"The company originally told Variety that Watcher would eventually remove all of its videos from YouTube, where it currently has 2.9 million subscribers."

LIKE?????? THEY ORIGINALLY SAID "Yeah we're eventually gonna delete all the old stuff" but they either realized what an insane idea that would be and/or they saw all the backlash and backpedaled like crazy.

Like listen- I am happy that they aren't deleting old videos, but I'm kinda annoyed that so many people are using the fact that not everyone read this Variety article and are y'know........believing what they originally said in their video as a way to like....idk undermine or dismiss any criticism and/or grief people have about this news.

This doesn't change the fact that a lot of fans (and from the looks of it, mostly international fans) will not be able to watch new content they enjoy. It's important for creators to be paid obviously, but I cannot blame people from being upset.

#watcher #shane madej #ryan bergara #steven lim #ghost files

107 notes · View notes

x011011x · 3 months

Text

Ma Douce Souffrance

Yandere!Rook x Lovesick!Reader Angst

Trigger warnings: Murder, gore, hunting, animal taxidermy, human taxidermy, smut, mentions of pregnancy, hair pulling, uses of nicknames, lowkey stalking, Rook needs a trigger warning of his own

Word count: 11.4k+

IT'S DONE!! IT'S GODDAMN DONE!! And it's GRUESOME. Lowk sexy too cause of the sex scene but yeah. IT'S SO HEARTBREAKING, HEART WRENCHING (unless you're insane, then it's true love)

"They told me this was a beautiful town with beautiful people. And mon Dieu, were they truthful!" he spoke excitedly, cupping your lifeless face in his hands, eyes glimmering.

You didn't know about much outside of your hometown.

But, it was a peaceful life. The village where you had spent all your life was beautiful. It was abundant in flora and fauna. Most of the village was situated upon a great river that stretched beyond what one could see. Valleys covered with fog swirled around the other side of the village as though it was wrapping the land in a tight embrace, restricting the sight beyond.

The town was remote. The connections it had with the outside world were mostly made because of economical reasons. But this town itself was quite developed, anyone choosing farm work only choosing it for tradition. People were joyous and the celebrations were lined up one after the other. No faces were left unknown, a certain habit of chattiness present in almost every resident in one way.

That was how you spent your dull, empty life till then. Seeing the same old people every single day with very rare variety.

'It's odd', you thought, looking into the distance while walking through a part of the vast forest that seemingly only you knew of. It was one of the rare reliefs from the boring circle of life you had been trying to get used to since the day you were born, filled to the brim with all sorts of eccentricities.

There was a lone cabin that resided at the very end of the woods, but you never saw anyone there. Forget the rare occasions where outsiders came to visit, you never even saw any residents in that cabin. You had knocked on the small wooden door several times before, hoping to hear a voice from the inside. To see who this cabin belonged to.

You realized your attempts were futile when your curiosity got the best of you and after two patient years of visiting without a response you opened the cabin door that never had a lock in the first place to take a peek inside. To no surprise, the cabin was completely vacant. It barely had any furniture and was completely devoid of the sign of life. It was apparent no one had set foot in this cabin for many years. But, it stirred your interest in that cabin further.

You visited that cabin everyday since the day you saw it during one of your solitary walks.

That cabin, mostly covered by a mist like most of its surroundings, was situated on top of a small hillock. One couldn't see how it truly was without climbing up to it. At first glance, it was a simple two-storied cabin. There was a small set of stairs that led up to the lodge which was placed on a higher platform. The main structure was situated within the balcony that went around the whole cabin. The cabin seemed to be mainly built of wood, with some uses of rock seen here and there.

The inside, being mostly empty, still did have some oddities laying around. A worn out sofa at the corner of the room, on the left from the entrance. A glass table a bit further away. A staircase on the right side of the room that led upstairs. A kitchen just beyond the staircase, separate from the empty caricature of a living room and… No.

You had scanned over those things more times than you could care to count, so much so that your eyes became almost tired of seeing the same thing again and again. Your interest lied in other things that were there.

'Really, it's so peculiar', you thought. Those empty mounts, each lacking a head. Those empty cases hung on the wall, obviously meant for hanging either guns or arrows and bows. And the most odd of them all, in your opinion, an album.

You found the album upstairs, a floor that seemed like it was meant to be used as a bedroom, but just like the so-called 'living room', the very bareness of the room put the word 'bedroom' to shame. The only things the room had were a single bed with a white mattress and pillow. Even then, the bed had no bedsheets and the pillow wasn't covered by a pillow case.

Beside the bed though, was a small side table. The first time you came into this cabin, three years ago, you took a note to yourself to not open the two small drawers of the table, choosing to respect the privacy of the people you didn't know. You did well on that note for precisely five months. 'No one has yet to appear. Might as well just look.'

An almost ear-piercing screech ran through the air, the drawer stuck from clearly not having been opened in a long time. A huge photo album sat there, covered in dust and debris. A few bits were, you could connect, insect faeces and remains. It disgusted you in a childish way, so much so that you returned back home that day. Next day, you appeared with tons of cleaning tools. It was clear to you that if you wanted to spend more time, inspecting that album and just generally enjoying your time alone in a place that piqued your curiosity, you really needed to clean things up around there.

You spent the whole day cleaning the cabin. You dusted the stray leaves off the stairs, mopped the floors, wiped the tables and the counters in the kitchen. Everything had an appealing glimmer to it by the time you were done. Pleased with the sterile scent of cleaning products burning your nostrils after you were done, at the very last, you wiped the album of the dirt it had collected over the years it had been abandoned. Finally sliding your gloves off with a smooth motion, you took the album into your lap.

'It has to be empty', you tried reasoning. There was no reason for it to not be empty. From the previous day, the first time you saw the album, you hoped it would be just empty. This lodge belonging to someone, and you not knowing that certain someone scared you. Your heart started beating faster as you slowly opened the first page of the book, anticipating nothing yet almost fearing there would be something. And there it was.

Upon opening the first page, you were greeted with a picture of a young boy. Your heart started thumping. 'Is this the child of the owner of this place? How old is he now? Why have I never seen him?' your heart held all sorts of uncertainties. Suddenly it felt like someone was watching her. Your heart felt heavy, as if someone was tightly and painfully gripping it from the corners and trying to displace it from its rightful place within your ribs.

Yet, your soul of curiousity turned out to be a greater vice than the threat that lied in suddenly being found out. Because 'This fear is irrational anyways, no one came over for years. Why would they come out to question me now?'

Since then, after a long day at your farm, everyday at the brink of dusk, you would return to that mist-covered cabin once again. It became your usual spot to relax and spend time by yourself. you never told anyone about the spot, opting to bask in the serene and peaceful nature all by yourself. You maintained the cleanliness of the cottage, cleaning it up twice a week. you put sheets on the bed and a pillowcase for the pillow.

You put on decorative mats on the tables and side tables around the cabin. You even placed a small flower vase on the bedside table upstairs. You placed a few lilies in the vase. And though they kept wilting, you were happy to replace it again and again. You left some dry foods to snack on in the cupboard of the kitchen. A fruit basket filled with red, ripe pomegranates was also left on the kitchen counter. With that, you had customised the once abandoned cabin enough for it to be a suitable place to spend time in.

But your eyes were mainly somewhere else. You had taken to observing that album everyday. It felt eerie. The people in the pictures must have been still alive. To think you were looking without none of them knowing. You felt like a criminal and knew you had to stop.

'But do I?'

And so still, you turned the rough pages. It was more of a scrapbook than an album, the pictures placed messily with a glue. Yet, the further the album progressed, the cleaner the placement of the pictures became. 'The person who placed these pictures was growing up, huh?'

Those photographs left a lot to be deciphered, yet a lot was clear. There was mainly one person present in the picture. A young boy with blonde hair and eyes as green as the forest you were in, a happy-go-lucky grin plastered on his face. From his youth to his mid teenage years, he had long hair and freckles. The boy was tanned and wore torn clothes. A sudden transition showed that he had grown up quite a lot, his hair in a neat bob cut and his freckles were gone. It even seemed that he had updated his wardrobe.

In his last picture, he was with 2 people and a cat with flaming ears. 'Ah, he must be a mage, we don't see much of those around,' you remarked mentally, impressed.

You learned a lot through the pictures. The boy seemed to be from a family that was collectively fond of hunting. There were guns and arrows present in the pictures. Some photographs also seemed to be memoirs of a hunt. The scenery in the background always seemed to change, switching house to house. It seemed that he had five siblings, based on how similar he and the other five children often present in the vignettes looked.

The more you learned, it seemed to be a fuel for your fire than an ease to your nerves.

You found yourself looking at pictures of the boy who had grown into a young man while longing to know his name.

And like a routine, a clockwork that maintained its time dutifully everyday, you were once again returning to the cabin in the woods. It felt a bit different today. The animals were a bit noisier, as if they were alarmed of a predator lurking around. But, you assumed it was just between the animals, nothing to do with you. You climbed the stairs to the cabin and turned the lights on. Light music played from your phone that was in your hands.

It was… normal. Just like any other day. The sofa and table were where they were meant to be. The mounts and wooden display box seemed normal-

"What is that bow-arrow doing there?"

Your eyes bore into the wooden case that seemed to suddenly have a bow and an arrow placed there. 'Did I put that there?', you pondered, and then came to the conclusion that you must've. For all the things you had decorated in this second home, you must've not kept that one thing empty and soulless. In your hasty inconsideration, you missed the small droplets of crimson splayed on the blade of the arrow as you made your way upstairs.

That's when the real shock came. The bed was as organized as ever, so was the small side table. Yet, there was a charger laying on the table that you had not seen before. It wasn't yours, that was for sure. And then, there was also a suitcase on the floor, neatly placed there as though it was just a decoration piece and not used for carrying clothes and other necessities around during travel. you couldn't believe your eyes.

"Who the fuck…?" you couldn't keep your thoughts to yourself out of pure disbelief.

That same feeling of being watched came over you. Yet, this time it felt like someone was truly chasing you from the behind, and was quite close to catching up to her. Your heart beat so harshly against your chest that a numb pain spread throughout your upper body. your head throbbed in panic of the unfamiliar. The light rhythmic beat of the music seemed to match with the throbbing in your ear.

Five years. It had been five years and this cabin had no sign of life except for that curious diary. Not before you gave this cabin life, the title of secondary but still home. What were all these now? It became clear to you that the bow-arrow was most probably not placed by you. you made quick on your feet and ran to the kitchen. You were overstimulated enough that the mere sound of your shoes sliding against the floor as you ran sounded like a static screech to your ears.

The static reached from your ears to your head, all of the thoughts you had further sounding jumbled and pitched in either tones much lower or higher than your usual note. You blinked your eyes at the beef jerky laying on the kitchen counter. If it was home, you would just grab one and eat it like it was nothing but 'I have never bought beef jerky here.' you were almost tempted to push aside your suspicions about everything and think that you did all of that and just didn't remember but you really didn't bring any of those things you saw in the cabin.

You just knew one thing. Someone came into the cabin, placed all of these odd things here and it was not you.

You felt that you were not welcome anymore by whoever currently residing here. Turning on your heels to lead yourself back to the entrance that was also the only exit, you froze. A slight sound of rustling came from the outside before the door turned. A man stepped through the door frame with his eyes to the ground, but merely a second passed before his eyes locked in with yours. A vivid image flashed through your vision. The smiling boy in those pictures…

There stood a man with blonde hair and eyes as green as the forest you were in, a happy-go-lucky grin plastered on his face. The boy from those photographs.

Observing you for only a few moments, moments that were stifling to you, he opened his mouth, chirping, "Ah, you are the person who took care of this cottage in my absence? Merci!"

His friendly voice cooled your nerves a little. So, you weren't hallucinating and this was a person and not a ghost. But, that realization almost made the situation more awkward. You croaked out an apology, "Oh- um, yeah… Sorry, this cabin is yours, I assume."

"My family's, yes," he explained, his eyes almost twinkling and looking through the miniature house excitedly even though he was essentially talking to a trespasser, "We have many abodes across Twisted Wonderland, but what a shame! It's rare we get to use any of them. Most of us just live in Sunset Savanna."

He then looked at you and said, "You have taken care of this place magnificently! Oh, but it was brimming with radiance and love the second I stepped in even after so many years!"

You kept looking at the man and offered him a disoriented smile, waiting for your eventual cue to leave. But, he was interesting. No other person you knew would take to a stranger managing their home so well. If anything, the man with an odd bob-cut in front of her, was actually pretty friendly. He was babbling about something but you didn't really understand what he was talking about, he was talking so fastly.

After a while, he came to a pause and exclaimed once again, "Ah, where are my manners? I should introduce myself first. My name is Rook. Rook Hunt," he introduced himself and offered his hand in a suave manner.

Your heart skipped a beat. Not because you were falling in love with this random man but because for so many years you longed to know his name. And then you knew it. His last name too, which meant you had an idea on what the names of the other members in his family could be. A genuine, happy smile bloomed on your face as you introduced yourself as well, your hand joined his one in a cheerful handshake, "My name is (Name). I live in this town."

He smiled widened when he heard your name. It felt as though his pupils widened. The tall man looked like a child as he shook your hand in excitement. His happiness was charming. You let go of his hand though you felt as though if you could, you would keep holding onto it. You opened your mouth to confess what you had done in the cabin in the past years. Your eyes blinked faster and your mouth gaped, a bit hesitant to admit to your fascination for the man. But at last, you admitted, "That album… that young boy was you, wasn't he? I've been watching you for years."

Rook looked a bit shocked, which you grimaced at. But, you were glad to see the smile return on the man's face. It seemed as though the other man did not even consider that you were practically stalking him for so many years without his knowledge. He answered honestly, "Oui, it was me. You have a good eye, Trickster!"

You were a bit confused about the nickname but decided not to query him about it. you moved closer to him, not to approach him but the exit and nodded, "Thank you. But, I've overstayed my welcome for about three years now. I'll be then."

The man suddenly grabbed onto your wrists. You were surprised at his strong grip, your (E/C) eyes widening in a small panic. You looked down at where he held you. His forearms were well built and sturdy. Strong enough that it could crush your windpipe without much problem. But when you looked up at him, he was still smiling. It was odd though, he felt so genuine, yet it seemed as though his face lacked something. And you couldn't point out what.

"I won't hold you back right now but do come to visit. I'm on a private work tour. But since someone knows already, I'd rather have company," he explained before pausing. He pondered a bit on what to say before adding with a hearty chuckle, "I'll tell you more about myself, Trickster, I can see you're quite passionate about this cottage and well me. I'm quite familiar with and fond of those qualities."

He sent you off with a wink and a pat on the shoulder. And you were frankly left wondering what the hell was up with him.

It had been perhaps a week since the man who introduced himself as Rook had started staying in the cabin. He said his tour would last half a year. You wondered why it would take that long. You hadn't properly visited that cabin since that day, but when you peeked by during daytime, you could see the cottage was completely empty. And if you peeked by during the evening, you didn't know how but it seemed that the mere sound of your footsteps compelled Rook outside, as he always waved at you. Then you'd have to stop for a while to chat, but never once enter the cabin.

You were in the forest again, walking through the greenery and enjoying the gentle sunlight peeking through the trees just before it would blend into the cold evening. A basket in hand, you were in search of berries. You looked through the plants and were saddened to see empty bushes. You found a poison ivy plant and oddly enough, you felt compelled to eat it. But you brushed that thought away with a light giggle.

Out of nowhere, a rough hand placed itself on your shoulder. You were shocked, jumping as you looked behind your back. The smiling face of Rook greeted you, his lips parted to show a set of perfectly placed, pearly teeth. You sighed of relief as you scolded him in a light-hearted tone, "Rook! You scared me!"

"My apologies, mon amour" he snickered, heartfelt amusement seeping through his enigmatic green eyes. "May I inquire as to what you're doing?"

"Berry picking," you deadpan, pointing to the empty basket, "Unsuccessfully so, as you can see."

He looked curiously down at your basket. You wondered what he felt so excited about from it, seeing as it was completely empty, representing the desert more with its sandy hue rather than something meant for carrying berries of different tastes and colours. He then looked back at you and offered, "Such a shame that you haven't been able to acquire anything yet! Would you like me to assist you?"

At that time, you awkwardly agreed to his offer of assistance. Now it seemed like he was doing all the berry picking and you were doing all the berry eating. He was going on about a topic, the concept of beauty or something as you both walked through the woods. You were listening to him carefully, trying to understand what he was talking but he just talked way too fast. He had a certain sway in his steps, seeming like a little boy as he pranced through the bushes.

"Ah, Trickster, don't you think today is a most wonderful day!"

"I mean, it's just any other day. The forest looks fine an-" you wondered why he was so amazed by a common day, "But what do you think? You like sunsets?"

"Of course! The sun is setting and blending into the sky, signifying the death of a day. Yet for chicks, this is the time that birds return home and feed them, which continues their cycle of life–" he said in one breath, "Don't you think a scene that reflects the cycle of life is most wonderful? I feel as if I'm upon the highest clouds whenever I behold such views."

"You…"

"Hm?" he looks back to see that you were cracking up. You burst out laughing, the loud sound echoing throughout the forest. "Ooh, it seems I have amused my Trickster!"

"It's just-" you said through gasps as you tried to catch your breath instead of continuously laughing, "It's so funny you see it that way!"

"May I ask why?" he asked, interested in hearing your opinion.

"It's just… I've never seen it in such a... romanticised manner. To me the sunset has always been beautiful, but not meaningful in that sense. And the birds? I've never considered them. I'm no poet, Rook. I'm a farmer's girl, like most people here."

"So you see no point in examining beauty? It's much the opposite to me."

He handed you over a few berries while he put plenty in the basket. You plopped the small blueberry in your mouth while you walked, pondering on what to say, "That's true, I've noticed you're a very mindful person."

"Mindful is not the most commonly used word when describing me."

"Then what is?"

"Creepy," he laughed softly after saying that, seemingly amused by the things people said to him.

"I don't think you're creepy!" you stopped to think what you could add, slightly offended by what other had said to this eccentric but very sweet man, "If anything, I'm creepy for coming into your cabin without permission for three years"

"And yet, you're what gave that lodge a lively touch. A soul," his face warmed, his eyes looked like he truly believed his own words by heart

Maybe it was the sweet flavour of the berry that had you in an already good mood because it felt like the gears in your heart had moved a little that afternoon. It would be a lie to say that the man wasn't good looking and it left you a bit red-faced to receive a meaningful compliment like this for the first time. You mumbled out a thank you as you kept following him, not knowing where he would go.

"Where are you going?" you called out when he had gotten too far, confused by his motives that seem to be concrete and yet you knew nothing of them.

"Patience is a great virtue!" he replied back, eventually starting to run. You didn't know where he was going but you ran too, for the berries and for him… Mostly for him.

That day, he brought you to the cliff of the hill, not your usual place to watch the sunset as you had done so from the cabin for the past few years but the view that day was gorgeous. Blue and orange blended into the sky from two sides while small streaks of pink could be seen lightly placed on the clouds. It swirled around in a beautiful spiral.

When asked about it, while you didn't say much except how the wind looked 'hella crazy', Rook went on another poetic ramble about how ,"The spiral represented the spiral that goes upwards or downwards of a human's life in a sickly yet beautifully painful way, shown through the divine medium that is the sky. A promise from the Great Sevens. An enticing message. It even represents beauty beyond humans, the very galaxy we live in being quite spiral-like in shape. How très bien!"

That day, for the first time in your life, you felt moved. You felt like you saw someone who was truly living. Some shackled with work? Sure, but they didn't let that work shackle their heart.

That's the first time in your life you felt free as well.

Just like that, you and Rook became… friends. He was an odd man. But he was passionate and funny. Quite handsome too, you'd have to shyly admit. You noticed that it was actually a habit of his that once he started talking, it was hard to make him to stop. But he filled your lone days with sweet and wonderful memories. He had told you that it was a private job that he was here for, and that's why you told no one about him being here. You wanted to tell everyone about the new person in town, but you made an oath and you felt the need to do good on it.

He really was a hunter, too. Everyday, he would come back with his hunts. You'd scrunch up your nose in posh scrutiny as you saw him kill and gut those animals. And then eventually forget all the complaints you had when he served up delicious food on the table. It was a bit hard to explain to your parents why you stopped having dinner with them, but you managed just fine.

On a common sunny day, he was placing the head of a moose from a recent hunt on one of the mounts after hearing you complain about how the mounts had no purpose at that point. You really wanted him to remove the mounts themselves but he insisted that adding animal heads would be better. It creeped you out but you swallowed it. It often truly did send chills down your spine how easily he killed animals and mutilated their body in various ways.

You understood the need for nutrition but hunting was like a passion to him. Something he was truly invested in. But you were, true to the very core of the phrase, a curious being by nature. As such you kept returning to him to learn more about him, the man you had been observing for three long years of your mere 19 years of life.

Honestly? It was hard to get anything out of him. The green eyes beauty marched completely at his own pace. You could ask him a question and while he was never rude about it, never once showing an ounce of contempt, if he didn't want to answer your question, he would simply start talking about something else. It made your heart long to know more about him. It confused you, really. The questions you asked were rarely personal.

Yet, he became weirdly coy when asked about himself. Even though he didn't seem shy by nature.

You were stirring a pot of penne pasta as you were looking at him placing a head on one of the mounts. At that point, only one mount was left. You wondered what could be hung there as you served his plate. Once again, you smiled a little at how much you had to put on his plate. The first time you made his plate while he was doing something, he smiled sheepishly and told you that it wasn't nearly enough to sate his appetite. After you were done plating, you called out to him, "Rook! Dinner's ready."

It had been four and a half months already since Rook came to town. His job being a secret for whatever reason, you were the one carrying groceries for him from town with the money he gave you. You'd often think that he was stacked, not even worrying about ordering the pricier things in town in favour of making delicious dinner together for the both of you.

The fact that you had a mission to carry his groceries to his place meant you were over weekly. And the fact that you were dying to know more about the man who suddenly appeared in town without a soul knowing about him meant you were over everyday. He liked it, he said. He was never the one to turn down having a partner during leisure, you weren't there anyway when he was out on his job. "It's most magnifique to have the company of a beautiful woman at the end of the day," were his exact words.

While you had originally smacked him on the shoulder for saying that, it was his sweetly-spoken poetic words that attracted you more towards him. It brought you closer, in a sense. Just the way he spoke, the way he looked, the way he carried himself– it was so attractive. Le chasseur d'amour, he liked to call himself, was much of a prey of love himself, too. Well, not to others, who couldn't overlook the fact that he was mostly composed of bizarre personality traits rather than normal ones.

But to you? He was a dream. Why? Because he truly had been a dream, or rather- a medium of your fantasies and thoughts for so long.

You stared at him as he sat down in front of you. Observing that sickeningly sweet, smiling face of his. He looked better with his hair tied back, that's for sure. He said a dear friend of his once stated that bob cuts were high fashion. You had to suck it up that Rook heeded his friend's words over the fact that he would look much better with longer hair. Even better with your fingers laced through them, but that's a conversation left for some other day.

"Your face always looks like it has something missing," you say to him, laughing at the same observation you have made over and over again.

His eyes move up to yours and crinkle in curious delight, "Oh lá lá, you're going to have to explain yourself after saying something like that."

"I don't know," you sighed blissfully, still observing his face as he looked back at you, cutlery in hand. You put your own fork down to lean your face against your hand in thought. You always tried to figure out just what was missing, yet it seemed as though you couldn't. His radiance was too bright, almost enough to pierce your eyes and blind you of the dangers of a stranger. "I suppose it's like a puzzle that has been solved and while the image is complete, it seems as though an entirely different photo would suit the theme better."

"You're suggesting I should get a completely different face?" he asks, chuckling in amusement.

"No! But… you're always either smiling or curious… I was thinking another type of expression would suit you better. Make you look less… incomplete."

"And what do you think that expression would be?"

You struggle to answer that, scratching your head, "That's the thing. I can't figure it out."

The blonde smiled at you, knowingly but you didn't understand what he knew, and if he did, the young man probably wouldn't tell you now if he didn't tell you already. Talking extensively about something else when asked a question about something he didn't want to answer, that was the nature of the man.

"You might not have much time to figure that out, Trickster," he says suddenly after a pause, his usual cheerful tone sullen with a hint of disappointment.

Your eyes widen in surprise. The random thoughts about him in your brain came to a halt as you stared at him. Your heart starts beating faster, already expecting the inevitable though you had never kept that in consideration. But you still had a smile on your face, pretending you weren't too affected by the notion, "Ah, you're leaving soon, huh?"

"Not that soon, fortunately. But, I will indeed be leaving in two months. My work here is almost finished. After that, I will enjoy two weeks here and then leave."

"You gotta give me your phone number then, so I can contact you later," you cheerfully request, though your teeth gritted in dismay.

It had been only near to four and a half with him, yet you had become attached to him. It was inevitable in a sense. He was handsome, very charming. Momentarily creepy and odd? Sure. But, he was the most soulful person you had ever seen. He was loving and caring. It scared you sometimes, he could love gently, praising you with flowery words. But then, he could be lovingly vicious too, expressing his dismay when he had to replace the eye of an animal for painted glass to finish his perfect taxidermy.

An unfamiliar feeling bloomed in your heart that you were scared to admit as you hadn't felt it before. It happened so fast that the control you held over your own heart slipped right out of your grip. You looked at him with eyes filled with hope, praying he would consider your request.

The man shut up at the suggestion. Looking at his plate with a neutral, focused expression. It's the first time you saw him looking like that, except when he was gutting a recent hunt. He tapped his fork against the plate quietly, a relaxing and rhythmic tune playing out. You called out to him again, "Rook?"

"I'm afraid that would be futile," he states plainly, before explaining further, "I change my phone number a lot due to my job."

You were opening your mouth to say something but you stopped. You opened your mouth and closed it several times. At last you just kept your mouth shut, thinking you probably looked like a beached fish. You thought about what to say as you reached your chest, clutching on to it. Breathing heavily, you tried calming yourself down but your shoulders felt a weight on them suddenly. A weight they couldn't carry. You looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears that you didn't realize were there, "Do you have to leave?"

"Oui, I have obligations to fulfill."

You observed him silently. You couldn't hold back your tears as they were streaming down your face already. Your face contoured in a way you thought would disgust him. But rather, he put his cutlery down and pushed his plate aside to reach out and wipe your tears away, looking saddened himself, "Non non, don't cry for me, Trickster..."

He stayed silent before leaning in even closer with his whole body. His face close to yours, he whispered, "I'll miss you, too."

You looked at him in shock as he tipped your head upwards, pressing his lips against yours softly. It was a sincere kiss. But with your skill, or lack thereof, you could only kiss back clumsily. But, it felt right. It was your first kiss but you treated it like it was your last. Closing your eyes, tears still slipped down your now reddened face. It felt so good, so right. You lifted your hands to cradle his face affectionately, desperately.

Your first kiss at 19 was taken away by a 25 year old man. And it felt amazing.

After a few minutes of experiencing what felt like a slice of heaven, you came back to reality when he pulled back, smiling, "I'll come back some day, that's a promise."

It seemed the promise upset you further. Promises were just spoken words after all, giving hope but no guarantee that they would be fulfilled. Weeping and whimpering hopelessly, you stood up to come beside him before wrapping him in a tight embrace. "Please don't leave," you begged.

"I'll come back sooner than you think. When you'll see me, it will feel like the time spent without me has slipped in the blink of an eye."

"But-" you tried explaining, but with how you were gasping, your words broke a few times, "I've already spent so much time without you, looking at you without you even knowing my existence. Now that I finally got to have you…"

The tall man smiled softly at your genuine pleas for him to stay. He grazed his hands along your cheeks before leaning down to kiss your forehead, hugging you more tightly. "I know a thousand kisses wouldn't suffice for how long I'll be away… maybe three years, maybe five. But, this time, it will have to suffice, mon amour."

This time, to his surprise, it was you who kissed him first. It was bold of you, considering you didn't know what you were doing. But what you did was out of pure admiration, and something deeper you were afraid to admit. Something known by the name of 'love'. But he smiled through the kiss, lowering his hands from your waist to hold your hips.

The kiss soon turned into a heated, sloppy one. The open mouthed expression of love exchanged from one person to another. You leaned back for a minute for air as he looked down at you, smiling. You wanted to say something and he caught onto that pretty quickly. He asked lovingly, "Say it, mon amour. I can sense that something is in your heart."

"More," you peeped out meekly.

"More?"

"More", you were awfully flustered, trying to look anywhere but him. That was enough for him to know what you meant when you said 'more'.

He picked you up in a bridal style to carry you to the bedroom of the cabin. He was red himself, a serene smile still plastered on his face when he laid you down on the soft bed. For once, the bed actually felt alright. Not because the bed itself was any more comfortable than before, but your focus was on something else. Someone else. He straddled you, leaning down to press soft kisses to your cheeks as he asked, "Are you sure, ma beaute?"

"Y-yeah," you said, your eyes still trained somewhere else. He took a hold of your chin and made you face him, locking eyes. He whispered, "You're gonna have to look at me if you want me to continue."

You nodded dumbly at his soft-spoken command. He smiled and patted your head like one would a pet, "Good girl."

It felt mind numbing to have him call you that. A certain electrifying sense coursed through you when he expressed his approval of you. You held onto his forearms, relishing in the sturdy muscles flexing against your palm. He pressed his thumb against your soft lips and like it was practiced, you opened your mouth. Wrapping your tongue around his finger, you lapped it up submissively.

He chuckled heartily, a sort of laugh that made you swoon. You pulled out his finger with a kiss to his hand to watch him as he started undressing you like you were a Christmas present until you were simply in your underwear. You were scared and shy as it was your first time being so bare in front of someone. But, you had to leave your suspicions aside when he leaned down to press open mouth kisses on your neck.

It felt weird… good… tingly.. So many things altogether you couldn't really say it in one word. The only thing that left your mouth was a pleasured sigh as you wrapped your arms around him. He left a trail of kisses and soft bites till he reached your tits. His calloused hand fondled one of your breasts as he kissed the other. The size difference between you both was so apparent when you saw him up close. He pressed his head against your soft chest, now using both of his hands to gingerly rub circles into your shoulders.

"It's your first time," he stated as he heard the loud thrum of your heartbeat, quite pleased with himself for having the opportunity to take your virginity.

"Is… is that an inconvenience?" you were hesitant despite hearing his cheerful tone.

"Non, non! It is a great honour actually! I will have to handle you way more specially now, would you not like that?"

You nodded and he smiled before lifting his face back up again. He quickly unclasped your bra to toy with your chest once again, pressing and pinching your nipples. You moaned in delight at his small intrusions, your ears reddening and your vision becoming slightly blurry. He noticed that, feeling proud of himself, he started to talk you through it to make the experience more enjoyable for you, "Oh Trickster, it seems you're quite receptive. Such a beautiful girl."

You nodded in gratitude, feeling even better with each passing second. Eventually his hands started lowering before he grabbed onto your hips. He gave it a playful squeeze and chuckled when you pouted from the teasing. The sweet gasps you made as he spread your legs seemed to inspire him as he pressed two fingers onto the outline of your pussy. Your slick had soaked through your panties, which you felt a little embarrassed about but you were so grateful for Rook's touches, forgetting the weight of what had gotten you here in the first place.

He took off your panties slowly, his eyes widening at the sight of your wet cunt, throbbing for his touch. And he complied, rubbing your clit slowly to simulate you. That resulted in your arching your back, the first time you had the chance to actually experience it rather than just imagining him doing it to you like you shamefully had so many times. His thumb worked its wonder on you while two of his fingers slipped inside.

You gasped at the stretch, it was slightly painful but the adrenaline helped you out, the small pain easily blending into pleasure until you were a mess in his grip. Your stomach knotted, you realized you were close. His other hand curled around your neck, yet instead of choking you, he stroked the sides of your neck affectionately. You tilted your head and he reached up to stroke your face as well. The small yet considerate action had you tearing up again, this time from happiness.

You felt like you were on cloud nine, rolling your hips against his fingers that were still pumping into you. The knot in your stomach had snapped with a groan rumbling from right from your chest. He happily let you ride your orgasm, languidly fingering you before pulling his digits out with a wet pop. He plopped back down, licking his fingers as his eyes crinkled in happiness, chirping "You taste so delightful!"

You shyly mumble out a 'thank you'. You dithered a bit, your nervous face didn't match his cheerfulness, far too shy even though you had already gone so far. "How can I return the favour?" you asked, looking at him expectantly for an answer. He raked your hair, a teasing grin present on his face, "That wouldn't be necessary. I'll take the prize myself now."

He said the last line as he grabbed onto your waist and flipped you on your stomach. You yelped, surprised, looking over your shoulder, confused on what he was doing. Suddenly the realization dawned on you, it made you feel a certain type of way. What was the word? It was just in your head yet you couldn't coherently think it out. Quite abruptly, you remembered the word. Yes, you felt elated.

Nervous but elated indeed, as you watched him unbuckle his belt to lower his pants. The print of his shaft made your eyes widen in surprise. Even with a layer covering it, it seemed so huge and thick. And your expectations came true when he finally took it out of its nearly painful restraint. It was a huge cock, thick and veiny with a red, leaking tip. Your heart thrummed so fastly against your chest that you felt like it would burst out any second. You stammered out, full of concern, "Is that… um- is that gonna fit?"

He brushed your silly concern off with a friendly snicker, "That is precisely what I had prepared you for, mon ange."

He lowered onto you from behind, his tip pressed against your wet hole and his oddly soft lips pressed against your ears. You whined at the sensation both of those created, putting a pressure in between your thighs as you rubbed it for some relief. He instructed you gently, so that you wouldn't feel scared, "Close your eyes. Relax. Breathe in slowly and then breathe out."

You followed his instructions. Closing your eyes, you breathed in. But the feeling of his tip slowly entering you from the back had your eyes reaching the back of your skull, not being able to keep it close. It was painful, really. But it felt so good as well, as if this physical connection between the two of you was meant to be. You wailed against the sheets, gripping tightly as tears watered your lash line.

He observed your reactions with a neutral expression, thinking how to help you through your pain. Though it felt so good to be buried in your heat, something he had imagined for months now. At last, the young man reached in between your legs from behind to rub your clit roughly, rolling it within his calloused fingers to stimulate you. It worked because you called out to him so loudly, gasping and heaving, he was sure it would reach the ears of anything in the vicinity.

The tears streamed down your face and so did a string of drool. The older man almost felt a bit disappointed. If there was a mirror in front of you two where he could see your fucked out face, he imagined it would be better. It didn't stop him in the slightest though, thrusting into you in gentle strokes. Your pained moans had turned into those of pleasure since a while ago. Now, you were bouncing up and down on him to meet his thrusts. You were mumbling out all sorts of obscenities, words mixing with the anomalistic sounds you were making till they were barely coherent.

One of his hands had wrapped around your hair, pulling on it lightly yet firmly, the sensation made your shudder, a pleasurably numbing feeling washing throughout your head that matched that of your lower body. It didn't help that he had picked up his pace once he realized you were enjoying it, now slamming into you with quick and sharp thrusts, accurately hitting all the right places inside of you. The knot in your stomach and the coursing passion throughout your body left you feeling breathless and vulnerable. That's when you decided to confess your feelings,"Roo- mmh, ah!- Rook.. I love you", you said, looking back at him.

He was smiling down at you, still rubbing circles on your clit, groans of ecstacy leaving his lips as he thrust into you. He leaned against your shoulder, and said those words back at you, "Me too, Trickster- haah- I love you too," he slurred through his own strings of moans. The knot on your stomach released as you came all over his cock that was still driving itself into you.

You squeezed down so hard on him, overstimulated, you were practically milking his dick of all it had when he eventually reached his own peak too. Through the process of riding out both of your orgasms, a certain air of bashfulness covered you both. He pulled out of your wet cunt, a pleasant expression on his face. Helping you to turn on your back, moving closer to you to take your face into his lap. Rook stroked your face gently, his emerald green eyes scanning through your body.

You shifted uncomfortably as you felt his spent slipping out, whining, "You came inside!"

"That I did," he said, mischievous grin on his face, "It might turn into a telltale sign that you belong to someone else, courtesy of moi. With how cutely you had expressed your feelings in between our little tryst, I'm certain you'd prefer that."

You listened to his words, half concerned yet half considering it. You rubbed your belly in thought and he chuckled at the sight, earning a pout from you. He choked out through giggles, "My apologies, my heart soared a bit too much when I thought how très bien you would look so full of life."

You both chose to engage in fluffy conversation afterwards, even though the matter of him leaving ran through both your minds. And while you didn't know how it felt for him, you could tell that it was a crushing sensation, a numbing pain that spread from your head throughout your body. Your eyes, heavy and burning, yet you decided to drown yourself in the physical pleasure he provided you, not pondering on what was certain.

Half a year had passed in the blink of an eye until it was only two weeks till Rook's eventual departure. It was monsoon already, visiting that cabin had gotten harder now like it did everywhere. But, those previous years, you visited though you had nothing except your own curiosity to look forward to. Now you had someone special. Someone special who thought you were special too, and looked for you. Balancing on the slippery layer of mud that was draped over the hillock, you continued visiting daily, deriving a certain type of relief from being able to see his face and feeling almost lonesome that you'd lose that opportunity quite soon.

You sometimes wondered what was the true meaning of power if it was all wasted on laborious farmwork and not at all useful in keeping the things that were meaningful to yourself? You weren't a mage like Rook, a lot of things available for you at the click of your fingers. Everything you did was pure hard work, yet when it came to making him stay, you were completely useless.

Rook had changed considerably too, not in a way you minded, you'd suppose. He'd sometimes stare at you, a blank expression on his face when he did. When asked about it, he'd say with that loud guffaw of his, "I was simply enthralled by your beaute, Trickster!"

When he was not silent observing you, he had also become more physically affectionate. Hugging and kissing you more and more gradually. It was hard to explain to the pharmacist, who you knew, why you needed so many packs of condoms, but you concluded that it was just a dare. You had barely escaped a pregnancy spent solitarily once and you wouldn't risk it again.

But that aside, something was certainly wrong. His gaze on you never held even a single ounce of malice yet it often felt sickening. Oddly sickening yet lovingly so. You didn't know what caused you to feel this way and you mostly didn't notice, the feeling only creeping up on you every once in a while. Mostly, you were too engaged with your small blooming romance and saddened with how it'd come to a pause as soon as it got the chance to properly flourish. But, the peculiar changes in his behaviour still peeked through from beyond all your concerns, woes and small pieces of delight.

There were also changes in his behaviour regarding hunting. Previously, he was very interested in doing taxidermy and placing the heads of his latest hunts in the form of a pristinely preserved show-piece. Yet, one mount in the living room remained empty for far too long than what was unusual of him before he started on a new project and when asked about it, Rook would often make the same face as he did when he was silently observing you.

You were packing his suitcase despite his protests, sitting on the floor when you caught him staring at you once again, still shirtless. Your eyes scanned over his toned, muscled torso to his hard and hard chest, observing his attractively muscled arms as you went before stopping at his face. You chuckled sheepishly, "What is it this time?"

It seemed as though your voice had broken his line of thoughts, he looked at you with more focus, answering without his usual cheery face, "Just thinking how long I have to spend without you."

His sombre tone made you stop in your tracks, leaning against the wide open edge of the suitcase thoughtfully, you wondered what to say back, finally asking a question he had never answered before, "What do you even do?"

He took a deep breath in and then sighed. Laughing momentarily, clearly out of awkwardness till the dull expression once again returned on his face. 'Those eyes don't belong to someone like him', you caught yourself regretting ever asking him, as private as he was, but thought it was important for you to know. He stood up to approach you, sitting beside you as he stated, sounding deflated, "Well, my profession is that of a spy. A family trade, in a sense."

You hugged your knees as you looked at him, not being able to believe him yet at the same time believing him full on. It was hard to think what you could ask to keep the conversation going when all you wanted to do was stare at him. Maybe yell at him for keeping this a secret from you. At last, you decided to ask gently, "What were you doing in this town?"

"I was sent here to investigate whether a certain cartel from the Shaftlands operated here or not. There were several reports made which led me to take my time with this investigation but fortunately this town is safe," he ranted straight before hesitating, his breath hitched as he continued, "I already have jobs lined up, one longer than the last. In my teenage years, it was rare I saw my whole family together and now I barely remember the last time I had seen them, without a doubt it has been over two years."

You watched him as he spoke, hands snaking around his, leaning in and brushing against the side of his hand. You whispered, knowing he would still hear it clearly, having the acute sense of a true predator of the jungle, "I wish I could stay with you forever."

"I was thinking of a way for that as well. For a while now actually" he said, his voice sounding dead for a second, dropped to a low pitch you had never heard before, never once malicious but rather hurt, and confused, but determined.

At that time, you were overjoyed. Ignoring his tone as it turned all flowery in the matter of a second. You started to straight up expect a marriage proposal. That never came but the monsoon surely did in its full glory. The rain strong enough to wash away any footprints and any DNA.

The sky was grey though it was barely afternoon. It had been raining once again, with an addition of thunders striking this time. You know you shouldn't be walking through the forest at a time like this where lightning could strike anywhere near you, but you didn't care. You watched the cabin, visible from afar. The rain had absorbed the mist that usually surrounded the cabin. You were soaking wet, something that Rook would inevitably complain about as soon as he saw you.

You climbed up the stairs before you were standing in front of the oh-so-familiar wooden door. You contemplated knocking but decided what use it would be, Rook was leaving in a few hours anyways, he probably wouldn't need the privacy that knocking provides. Thinking that, you twisted the knob of the door, the creak that the door made incoherent through the sound of the heavy rain. As soon as you walked in, you saw Rook, sitting on the sofa, cleaning his arrows.

"You didn't do that before?" you asked, curious because he tended to be the more immaculate one in between you two.

"Ah, bonjour, Trickster", he said, a content expression on his face. "I had not, no. But, I might come across a situation where I need them."

You nodded in approval before going down to sit beside him, you leaned on his shoulder and he let you, "I can't believe you're leaving."

"Believe my words, neither can I," he stopped speaking, a bit more quiet than usual and his eyes still trained on his gears as he continued cleaning his equipment. That earned him a light smack on his shoulder as you whined, "Why are you being like this?"

"Whatever do you mean, mon Cheri?"

"So… quiet? You don't seem distant, but you're acting weird."

For the first time today, he looked at you. His eyes held a type of look you'd never seen on him. A bit fanatic, but the rest of his face looked peaceful. It disturbed you at first, not knowing where it came from. He was acting odd for the past couple of weeks, but you think much of it. Now, you wondered if he was hurt from having to leave you alone for such a long time. He hadn't even uttered a word about the fact that you were drenched. But he had obviously noticed it, from the way he looked you up and down.

Rook stood up out of sudden with bow and arrow still in hand, to lock the door of the cabin. He put the keys in his pockets. It was a sign that the cabin wouldn't be opened anytime soon, it was hard to convince the green-eyed man otherwise when he was set on something. You observed him as he moved in front of you.

Often, you could guess what he was doing. But this time, you were confused on why he was doing it.

Your heart dropped to your stomach.

Rook often wondered what was the truest form of beauty. He thought beauty could save the world. It was beauty, after all, that created acceptance. Beauty, that sparked curiosity. Beauty, that made the crime even more ugly. Beauty, that lifted the souls of people. So, he seeked out beauty. In his highschool life, he ran around beauties that piqued his curiosity. Vil, Leona… they were right at arm's distance for him.

Before meeting you, he had slept with many girls, in awe of their stunning countenance, but he never knew the beauty of holding love and dedication towards just one person. But, his first love, oh, it affected him deeply. He thought such a beauty could save him, save his soul from the misery of his job that led him to always leaving everything behind to be on duty, a part of him he tried keeping a secret almost completely because of his dislike towards his profession.

Woefully, the end of this love was decided much before it had even started. Much before he picked up that sweet floral smell in his cabin the moment he returned, realizing that a woman would visit his temporary residence. Long before he realized that the said woman also gave this cottage a hint of life, something it desperately needed. Long before he saw you.

He fell in love with you because despite your hesitations at the beginning, you let him in. All his life, he was never accepted for how he was. Called weird, creepy and a stalker. He accepted that he was all of those, quite happily even. A hunter by heart who could easily become a monster the second his thoughts ran astray. It felt nice though, you were a completely different person yet you loved him.

A child who had grown up looking at the trajectory of people's lives as if they were a beautifully framed picture– he knew himself, but it felt like he only knew a shell that was created upon repetitive patterns and not because he truly knew himself, too concerned about everybody else to have a moment of soul searching.

When he found you, he finally felt like the people behind the glass frame. Observed not to be scrutinised, but to be admired.

So, true to his nature, he decided to be selfish, keep you to himself forever. In what form could that be, precisely, was what he had been figuring out for a while now.

His arms neatly folded behind his back as he gave you an eerily lovesick look. You were scared, already shaking like a leaf. It truly felt like you were just about to be crumpled. It felt like you were an innocent person falsely accused and waiting on a death row with a lunatic of an executioner. You had an idea on what he wanted, his eyes green and with a nauseating lack of soulful reflectiveness that it usually held when talking to you.

You hesitated, thinking you could be wrong, "R-Rook…? What are you planning to do?"

"You know, (Name)" his grin widened.

"Can I ask why?"

"It only makes sense. I can't love you throughout your whole life. So why don't I love you on your last day and then I can love you beyond your death?"

"Are you... serious?"

"Very much so, yes," he nodded, seriously.

You stood up, horrified, but you couldn't take another step further. Your orbs kept observing him. Sweat clung to you uncomfortably as you looked at him, your face red and your breaths hitching. Insanely enough, you were half considering his words. A part of you wanted to sit down and meet your end. Never having felt loved before or loving anyone before, you were obsessed with the crushing grip Rook had you in.

That moment, you realized you had seen insanity in not only him but yourself. Because the part of you that wanted to make a run for it, the part of you that wanted to curse Rook and escape from the cause of your demise– that strong desire to survive, it lost. You let out a soft breath as you sat back down on the sofa again. Collecting yourself as Rook continued watching you. He complimented you, "My! What a darling you are. I understand this is an absurd ask."

"It's okay." you closed your eyes, leaning back till you felt the plush of the sofa. A peaceful smile was splayed in your eyes, "I love you, Rook."

"I wonder if I'm making the right decision," he spoke to himself as he lifted his bow up, an arrow pointing towards you, an easy target compared to others as compliant as you were. Before your last moments, your eyes cracked open to look at him one last time. His eyes held something you couldn't explain as he said, "I love you too, mon Trickster."

'Ah, his face looks complete now.'

"Urkh… anytime now," you choked out blood, spluttering it before the liquid went down in a smooth flow.

Rook had wrapped you in a tight hug, head against your chest, listening to your progressively slowing heartbeat. Your blood dripped down and reddened his blonde strands. He noticed that and giggled. "You're not scared?" he asked, childishly curious.

"I was, not anymore- now that you're with me," you spoke through the flurry of blood and saliva that came out of your mouth, your voice hoarse "That- that was mean though."

You were talking about the arrow that had gone through your neck, not completely destroying your ability to speak and not touching any vital nerves. No doubt, a calculated move from his part. At this point though, you'd die of blood loss. The pain was so unbearable at first, stains of tears down your face was the proof. Now it had settled into a dull throbbing. It flared up whenever you spoke but you didn't want to stop engaging with him, these being your last chances to do so.

He looked up at your face from where he was and smiled at the sight of your slightly swollen face. It was paler and bluer than your usual skin tone. Your eyes were unfocused, though it was clear they were trying to look at him. Your lips were stained red as blood and saliva dripped out from in between them. The wound in your neck smelled of a strong cooper. He had smelt this scent many times before but none of them were as alluring as the scent of your blood.

He licked a slow strip on your neck and you groaned in pain. The salty taste of blood spread through his tongue and he savoured the flavour like it was a rare delicacy, and in a sense it was.

By the time he lifted his head up to look at you to give a sheepish apology, he saw that your eyes had closed already. You had retired yourself to eternal slumber and that's when he realized–

He loves the sight of your dead face, for it meant it was only for him to see.

~♡~

Sometimes, he thanked himself for learning magic.

He had delicately removed the skin from your body and buried you, save your head, by the cabin with a tablet at your grave, digging your name in as 'Mrs. (Name) Hunt'. Your skin was dried through the use of magic as the sun had yet to peek out from in between the stubborn clouds.

He observed your brains, your tongue, your eyes. He had severed them to put preservative chemicals on them. They needed more than just normal muscles, being quick to rot. A thick layer applied so meticulously from how many times he had done it before. He spread the same substance in the inner parts of your head before drying them all with magic. There was a sheen on your face, looking like it had just been neatly varnished.

He felt it would be disrespectful to remove you of your internal organs and just stuff you with wool. Most obviously, wool and glass couldn't replace the softness of your supple skin and the beauty of your charming eyes. As such, difficult as it may be, he did his best to preserve you with all you had. He wondered what to do with the skin he had stripped you off throughout your whole body. Tapping his fingers against his chin, at last, he decides to make accessories out of them.

Your head was placed upon that empty mount. That same mount which left you wondering why it was left empty, even though every other mount had a head on them. Your visage on it looked pretty. Eyes closed, peaceful, so kind that even after death it seemed full of love and life. Your lips felt soft when he touched them with his thumb. He thought it was amazing! He would be able to preserve your beauty in object and in his heart for forever.

So far, he knew no pleasure greater than successfully securing a hunt. This time he learned the pleasure of securing a love in the most hedonistic, animalistic and sadistic way. Straying from the feeling of love and settling admiration into obsession.

Though he had started straying way before you noticed the blank stare in his eyes.

_______________________________________

Don't steal my work alright!? :(

Though taking inspiration is always welcome <33

Be sure to like, comment and reblog if you like this fic, it'll definitely help in my goals of becoming popular (@sakka-kyuu I am showing you my bebeh)

#disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst #tw.dark content #tw.yandere #rook hunt #pomefiore #tw.age gap #tw. gore #tw. murder #rook hunt x reader

110 notes · View notes

friendly-neighborhood-furry · 2 months

Text

GOOD AFTERNOON FELLOW ROB ENJOYERS!!

DO YOU WANNA DRAW YOUR FAVORITE GUY? ARE YOU TIRED OF USING THE SAME THREE STOCK IMAGES FOR THAT PESKY STATIC BODY? WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO ACHIEVE THE SAME EFFECT USING ONLY YOUR PEN AND LAYER EFFECTS?

WELL THEN BOY DO I HAVE A TUTORIAL FOR YOU!!!

IF YOU FOLLOW THE SIMPLE STEPS LAID OUT DOWN BELOW, YOU TOO CAN BECOME CLINICALLY INSANE LEVEL UP YOUR ART SKILLS BY LEARNING HOW TO MAKE REALISTIC STATIC IN THE DIGITAL MEDIUM!!

okay i'll stop yelling at you now. on with the tutorial!

Step One: Blocking!

this is usually part of the coloring process for me, so you'll need a mostly complete drawing to start out with.

now, draw out where you want the static to be with white. the average hard round brush will be good for this step, but you can use whatever you like! i for example prefer to use the polygon lasso tool to get more crisp edges (however this effect can also be achieved with the eraser tool).

for his arms and legs, just outline them in white and color them in.

depending on the pose/perspective you might have to separate certain pieces into different layers. for example, here his left arm and lower torso are clipping through the line art

so we move them to be below the line art layer and boom! problem solved.

important note: you can not use another color for the blocking. the white base color is critical in achieving the most convincing static look!

Step Two: Brushes and Blues

now for this step, we will be using these four shades of blue-grey, as well as plain black and white. for your convenience, the hex codes are also included!

HEX: 1d2427 HEX: 4d5c65 HEX: 899eac HEX: cce6f6

now go to the different brush presets for whatever program you're using. chances are, they'll have some variety of a paint-splatter brush (and if they don't, there's probably a way for you to download one or make your own).

the best kind to use is one where all of the particles are fully solid and not varying too much in opacity.

Step Three: Jackson Pollock That Shit!

now's the fun part! make a new layer and start layering the blues with your splatter brush in any order you like. just color vomit all over your canvas and don't worry about getting any of the particles outside of the base!

go back and re-layer any particular color as many times as you like until you're satisfied.

sometimes, all of this layering can result in loss of the original base color, like you can see here.

but don't worry! this can be fixed by tossing some white back into the mix.

once you're happy with that, go through and lightly sprinkle in some black. remember: a little is a lot! keep it subtle.

Step Four: Layer Effects!

this is where the magic happens! turn your blue splatter layer(s) into a clipping mask!

ka-boom! looks great, right? well, its about to get even better! go into your layer effects panel and select "Hard Light"

Step Five: Motion Blur

now, this step is optional depending on whether or not your program has more than one kind of blurring effect, but for the sake of the tutorial we'll pretend that it does.

find the motion blur panel and open it. set the angle to zero.

(ignore that i had my distance set to 2 here i just needed to have an example screenshot lol)

now crank that shit up!!

if your static layers had to be separated like in our example, make sure to do the same amount of blurring there as well. depending on your preferences, you can change the level of distance to highlight some kind of feeling. having it at 2 allows the viewer's eyes to rest on the darker colors, but having it at 7 brings out the brighter colors, calling attention to how annoyed he is with me right now.

depending on how you mix the different colors and level of blurring, you can get a lot of different variations in the static's look. feel free to experiment with it!

Step Six: Glow (optional)

unless you're drawing a dark/low-light setting, you can skip this part entirely. again, for the sake of the tutorial, lets pretend its dark!

now, since its supposed to be super dark here, i've selected the base layer for the static and deleted the black from it.

now for the fun part! make a new layer above the one we just made, then take the lightest blue color and cover the static with it! in the next step, this will become your glow!

i like to use a typical hard round brush and then apply a gaussian blur until i think it looks appropriately blurry, but you can also use your average pressure-opacity airbrush! both have their strengths, which you'll see in the next step!

for this step it helps to already have some knowledge of how light interacts with objects, but its not required! if you don't have a lot of prior experience, take this as an opportunity to practice! take it from me, making fan art of specific things is a great way to get good at drawing in general.

once we have an appropriate amount of glow and blur, we set the layer mode to Linear Light! your program might not have this layer mode, so try to find a mode that does something similar or is close enough

here you can see the strengths i mentioned before!

in the areas where i used the solid round brush + gaussian blur, i had a bit more control over how concentrated the light was at the center and how far it could spread, making it look more artificial/computerized.

meanwhile in the airbrushed areas, there's a very different vibe! on the right side where i applied the airbrush harshly in one stroke, it has a sort of cloudy look, but on the left where i applied it in multiple strokes, the varying opacities create a more painted aesthetic, which adds a lot of visual interest!

now we have arrived at the final step of this process! go to the current layer's opacity box and lower that sucker!

you should raise/lower this meter depending on how dark it is. Keep messing with it until it feels right. for our specific example(and more specifically the gaussian blur areas), a good opacity level is 73% !

and with that, we're done!

thank you for reading this! i had a fun time putting it together :)

before you go, please know that you don't have to follow every step of this to the letter!! feel free to break away from my methods and do your own experiments! mess with the hue of the static colors, use different brushes for the glow lighting, add variation in your particle sizes - go crazy with it!! half of art is experimentation and i wouldn't even have this process without it! :3

if you end up using this tutorial for Rob art on tumblr, please tag me in it!!! i would be absolutely overjoyed to see whatever you make :D (not a requirement though! either way, i'm very proud to have put this out into the world)

if you need help with any of these steps or the process in general, feel free to reach out in the replies of this post or in my ask box! i'd be happy to help out with whatever you need :3 thank you for reading this and i hope you have a wonderful day!

#at first i was just gonna use a normal box for this tutorial and then i got silly and self indulgent with it so its a lil comic thing now lo #art tutorial #static tutorial #my art #long post #tawog #tawog rob #rob tawog #the amazing world of gumball #tomothy rambles

79 notes · View notes

la-bruja · 10 months

Text

╔═════•●•══════╗

Fanfiction Reccomendations

╚═════•●•══════╝

hi im a little insane and i read way too many fics 💖

here are some fics I've enjoyed this week! so far it's mostly batman, danny phantom, and crossovers between those two! haha I need some variety I swear.

everything under the read more because I have fifteen (15) listed! <3 okay thanks for checking out my recs!!

(if the formatting is a little ugly, it's because i did this on the app on my phone <3)

(tumblr (app) is a peice of shit and deleted some of the fics i had on here. aaaaaaaaa) (i will try again next week)

»»———-DPxDC-———-««

Wait, I'm a What? by @atiyasnake

based on a tumblr post

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 31k+ Words. Last Updated June. 5k+ Kudos. Misunderstandings. Ghost King Danny. Accidental Crime Lord Danny. Cryptid Danny. Sentient Gotham.

He kept taking the cash from the assholes (and damn there were a lot of assholes near where he lived) messing with the residents who lived in the area. He kept accepting their offers of food. So because of this new routine that kept him able to afford to rent out his shitty (and possibly illegal) apartment and the hunger pangs sufficiently satisfied, rumors grew.

Like and Survive - Phantom’s Guide to Young Hero Survival by @robinasnyder

based on a tumblr post

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 73k+ Words. Last Updated July. 3k+ Kudos. Youtuber Danny. Ghost King Danny. Adult Danny. Good Parent Clark Kent. Therapist Jasmine Fenton.

Phantom is considered an old timer who deals with a small city and nowhere else. When he begins uploading videos with advice for young heroes, he hopes a few new heroes might avoid some of the pain he went through. He's shocked at just how popular his advice suddenly becomes.

Bus To Nowhere by @precarious-hermit

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 98k+ Words. Last Updated July. 20k+ Kudos. Ghost King Danny. Bad Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton.

After being on the run from his parents and the government for a couple of months, moving from town to town, Danny ends up in Gotham City and decides to risk staying in Batman's territory. He'd take the wrath of Batman over live vivisection via beloved parents or being studied and torn apart by the government. Besides, he's not a meta. Being dead is a medical condition.

The Firstborn Son by @faeriekit

Complete. Two-Shot. 7.5k Words. 1k+ Kudos. Ghost King Danny. The Infinite Realms. Dimension Travel. Accidental Child Acquisition. Child Endangerment. Mind Control. Horror.

Danny Phantom, a somewhat established ruler of the Ghost Zone, has unwittingly acquired a baby.

And. Well. He can't exactly keep it in Pariah's Keep. He's no parent, not to mention the huge problem of how the air and sky destabilize human cellular structure. There has to be a way to prove that the man is safer than the home the baby comes from.

...But the man has his own ward.

Hm. Danny can exploit this. What's an assessment without a little test?

Amity In The Ghost Zone by @ghostboybrainrot

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 7k+ Words. Last Updated March. 1k+ Kudos. Good Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton.

The city doesn't return on its own after Pariah Dark is defeated. Without knowing how to get the whole city back to the living world, Danny tries to evacuate the residents but most Amity Parkers don't really want to leave. Some people do, but many decide to stay. After all, Amity Park is their home, and the idea of having to start over somewhere new isn't very appealing. So the town, for the most part, continues on like normal.

Holding Me Now In Hand by @disillusioneddanny

Completed. Multi-Chaptered. 67k+ Words. 4k+ Kudos. Death Defying. Dick/Danny. Ghost King Danny. Teacher Danny. Bad Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton. Miscommunication. Identity Reveal.

After Tim Drake tells his family about his new insane chemistry teacher, Dick Grayson decides to do some investigation himself.

What he wasn't expecting was to instantly fall in love with the chaotic science teacher.

Our Empty Graves by @nabtime

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 63k+ Words. Last Updated July. 3k+ Kudos. Graphic Depictions of Violence. Dead On Main. Jason/Danny. Slowburn. Bad Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton. Hazmat AU. Mute Danny. Hurt/Comfort.

They say that Red Hood has a loyal mutt. The man rules his territory in Crime Alley with an iron fist and a guard dog at his side. No one's ever heard him speak. Anyone who's ever seen him says he looks like an experiment gone wrong, that Hood picked him up somewhere unspeakable. They say he'll do anything Red Hood asks of him and he'll do it well. Rival gangs say he's vicious, that he'd sooner rip your throat out than let you go.

death echoes by @redskyeatnight

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 38k+ Words. Last Updated June. 9k+ Kudos. Account Locked. Ghost King Danny. BAMF Danny. Creepy Danny.

Cold air on the back of his neck. Skeletal fingertips skittering up his spine, barely there and yet pressing so hard they would surely leave indents. A sound like an iceberg cracking apart echoing in his ears and through his head, pain following in its wake.

His throat went cold, his tongue suddenly numb.

And for a second - just a second - he smelled nothing but the stench of death.

"Oh My God, I'm Becoming My Father." by @fanfiction-artist-prototype

Incomplete. Three-Shot. 22k+ Words. Last Updated June. 1k+ Kudos. Account Locked. Misunderstandings. Angst and Hurt/Comfort. Blood and Injury. Accidental Child Acquisition. Implied/Reference Underage Prostitution. Protective Jason Todd.

Dani needs money, there's only so long her human body can last without food, and she lost the credit card Sam gave her when she crash-landed in Gotham city bay. So, she decides she's going to go the one guy she knows exists in Gotham that will help a kid down on their luck no questions asked - Red Hood.

Last time she'd seen Danny, he'd told her that there were rumours the Red Hood was undead, so he was the safest option for a halfa like her.

Hatred At First Sight by Sagoberattare

based on a tumblr post

Complete. One-Shot. 1k Words. 4k+ Kudos. SoulHate AU. Danny Phantom is a Little Shit.

Until the Joker looked at the skrunky kid in a ratty hoodie that looked like he could be a Wayne adoptee. And they both froze for a good minute.

And like some kind of demented switch got flipped the kid snarled and (still with his hands tied behind his back mind you) launched himself at the Joker.

Back to the World, In the End by @akela-nakamura

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 9k+ Words. Last Updated June. 800 Kudos. Halfa Jason Todd. Heavy Angst. Supernatural illnesses. Jason Todd is Not Okay. Eventual Comfort.

Jason's been sick for weeks and nothing he does seems to help. He's not ready for his confrontation with the Bat. He's not ready for his plans to fall apart when they've barely begun.

But his illness isn't stopping. One warm Gotham night, he hits a metaphorical wall.

Nightwing finds Red Hood on a rooftop. It's been a long night, but it might be looking up. After all, finally capturing the Red Hood will make Gotham that much safer.

Inquisitive by @oliveofvanders

Completed. One-Shot. 1k+ Words. 2k+ Kudos. Journalist Danny. Danny is a Little Shit. Damien Wayne Loves Animals. Crack Treated Seriously.

Damian has a very specific way of dealing with reporters – show them the animals, that usually scares them off.

Danny, however, has seen weirder shit in his lifetime.

Like Betta Fish Do by @clockwayswrites

Incomplete. Multi-Chaptered. 48k+ Words. Last Updated July. Updates Bi-Weekly. 7k+ Kudos. Dead On Main. Jason/Danny. Ghost King Danny. Halfa Jason. Canon-Typical Violence. Jason Todd Needs a Hug. Danny Fenton Needs a Hug. Lazarus Side Effects. Identity Reveal.

Danny had ended up trespassing in Jason's haunt. He didn't mean to. Total accident, he swears. (He blames Johnny.) So he bought the other halfa a basket of bathbombs and chocolate as a 'sorry, please don't disembowel me' gift. It was the proper thing to do, alright?

Everything was going to be just fine.

Then things got a little out of hand.

»»———-Batman-———-««

Send To All by @cairoscene

Completed. One-Shot. 3k Words. 5k+ Kudos. Emails. Epistolary. Poison Ivy Adjacent.

I, _____________, hereby acknowledge that this form represents my wishes should I contract phytoaphrodisiac-induced delirium (hereafter referred to as “PAID”) during engagements with or while apprehending Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley (“Poison Ivy”).

»»———-Danny Phantom-———-««

and they were roommates by @captainbrookeworm

Completed. One-Shot. 9k+ Words. 400 Kudos. ChatFic. Humor. Memes. Crack. Crack Treated Seriously. Post-Canon. Identity Reveal.

Mr. Lancer’s English Class Group Chat

Wes Weston: FINALLY

Wes Weston: INDISPUTABLE PROOF

Tucker Foley: For the last time the moon landing was NOT faked!!!!

》。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。。° 。。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。。°《

#batman #danny phantom #dp x dc crossover #batman fic #danny phantom fic #fic recs #dc x dp crossover #dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #dp x dc fic #dc x dp fic #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #archive of our own #thinking thoughts #i don't know what im doing

219 notes · View notes

bellyasks · 2 months

Note

do you have buffet stuffing or public stuffing scenarios? 🩷

ok the route i took wound up being a little more open ended than usual but i hope these are alright😭

The Fancy Buffet: This buffet is on the pricier side, and your character was hesitant to come because of the price. They've finally caved and decided to try it out, and after paying a pretty solid fee, they're determined to get their money's worth out of it, even if it means eating more than their stomach can handle.

The Good Buffet: This buffet is the best around. Their food is always hot and fresh, and it's just as good as a nice sit-down meal. When your character visits, they find it hard to stop going back for more plates; they know they should stop eating before they give themself a tummyache but the food is just too good, and there's so many things to try.

The Sketchy Buffet: This buffet's food isn't the best or the freshest. It's enticing enough while your character is picking it out, but it doesn't go down all that easily, and it's not long before they're left with a queasy bellyache. Maybe they even accidentally eat something they shouldn't have; the place is a mess, after all, there's a good chance some of those spoons have been mixed up.

The Huge Buffet: This buffet has an insane variety of food, and it all looks fantastic. There's no way somebody could try everything they have to offer in one sitting. Or could they? Your character just might try. Four plates later, though, their belly is hitting its limit and they've barely made it through half the place.

The Crowded Buffet: Everybody in the state seems to be packed into this buffet, and there's barely room to move around. Needless to say, trying to navigate with an increasingly stuffed belly poking far out in front of them isn't making your character's visit easier.

The Quiet Buffet: It's an odd hour to be out at a buffet, and there's next to nobody in the place. The food might not be at its freshest, but there's little competition, and your character is comfortably tucked away into a little corner with nobody else in sight. With no prying eyes at the neighboring tables, they might even feel comfortable enough to lean back and unbutton their pants after putting away a few plates.

The Lunch Buffet: Your character decides to get crazy and hit up the buffet around lunchtime. They tell themself they won't go too wild because they still have stuff to do today, but lo and behold, they're utterly stuffed by the time they leave. Now they have to go about the rest of their afternoon with an uncomfortably bulging tummy.

The Dessert Buffet: Alright, this is technically just the dessert section of any of these buffets. But let's say that this particular buffet has something special: a decent dessert selection. Your character has been absolutely stuffed to the brim after a couple too many plates of food, but they just can't pass up dessert. They have a bunch of options and they all look so good, your character can't resist trying a little of everything.

#prompts #belly kink #tummy kink #stuffing #stuffed belly #belly #my post

57 notes · View notes

itsokbbygrl · 2 months

Text

Proper Education: A Dark!Joel Saltburn AU Chapter 1: Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair

Pairing: Dark!Joel Miller x OFC!Reader (written in 2nd POV)

Chapter Rating: M for foul language, underage drinking, mentions of sexual activity and drug use

Word Count: 1.1k, just a baby chapter to kick things off (don't get used to this, most of these chapters will be monsters)

Reader Immersibility: OFC is insanely white coded (frankly this whole story is full of white nonsense), she is from an old money wealthy family that owns an estate from the Gilded Age in New York, she is 18 years old, a college freshman at University of Texas at Austin, and is considered beautiful by society's standards in 2006 which means she is thin, has long hair, and is able bodied. She is relatively smart, but by no means a scholar. She is very sociable and often uses her charm to get her way. Story is written in 2nd person POV so the reader can feel what she is feeling as the story progresses and to keep the reader’s perspective limited as things start to get weird whacky and wild, but it will be difficult for the average reader to see themselves as her physically (myself included, trust me).

Chapter Tags: 18+ MDNI, foul language, implied drug use, underage drinking, mentions of sexual activity, college freshman aged OFC, rich white people doing rich white people things, author is requesting that you suspend your disbelief for some of these things!!!, OFC's family estate is a real place but is not a family home, liberties are taken with regard to UTA student life, inspired by Saltburn

Dividers by @pommecita, story is not beta'd, just written and edited by yours truly

Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. -Lady Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5

The car slows to a stop in front of the familiar old tower. The stone structure bleached by unrelenting ultraviolet rays from the unrelenting sun baring down an omnipresent heat. You’d almost forgotten what it was like, the Texan summer. Almost.

Your driver removes your luggage from the trunk of the black town car as you exit from your seat and step into the perpetually sticky August air, shading your eyes with a hand at your brow so you can properly thank him before you reach for your purse and leave him with a generous tip. You can’t remember his name, but you’re thankful for his service nonetheless. You’ve long become accustomed to a variety of faces in your family’s employ weaving in and out of your life; he is simply another face and name to add to the ever-increasing register.

Your family sent the majority of your things ahead of move-in day, the university easily agreeing to transport them to your suite in student housing, a benefit of having your last name on one of the buildings, you rationalize, leaving you with a single suitcase and weekend bag to attend to on your own as you make your way to the designated key pickup zone.

You were regretting your choice of attire the farther you strode across campus. You’d spent the last three months of your summer break idling at your family’s Long Island estate. The cool sea air making you quickly forget how unabating the summer heat was in landlocked central Texas. Your family had escaped the annual calefaction just after your graduation, retreating from your home in the rolling hills of Austin to the cool serenity of the Island. The estate is grandiose, passed through generations and now belonging to your mother and father. A bit gaudy in its opulence, in your opinion, but you harbor many fond memories from your summers spent there throughout your life—running through the vast gardens, sunning yourself on the meticulously manicured lawns, learning to golf and play tennis and swim, and as you grew a bit older, partaking in the many lavish parties hosted by your parents and grandparents alike, kissing boys in secret corridors, drunkenly losing your virginity in the grand library, gleefully breaking your D.A.R.E. pledges with your dear sister and cousin in your bathroom the first time someone brings over a tiny plastic baggie full of unlabeled white powder.

Your exposed skin glistened with sweat; low rise denim skirt clinging to the skin at your hips, skin beginning to chafe uncomfortably between your thighs. You were glad you’d opted to clip your hair up in a classic twist before you’d gotten off the plane, keeping your neck free from being insulated by your thick tresses. You’re thankful for the many trips to campus over your lifetime as you head towards the designated booth for freshmen to pick up their dorm keys. You’re a fourth generation Longhorn, a legacy, and you know you have a reputation to uphold. You try to keep your face poised, relaxed, friendly, as the growing beads of moisture begin to drip in tiny rivulets between your breasts and along the central dip of your spine.

You introduce yourself to the upperclassman working the table for your building and complete the requisite paperwork before you’re handed your keys—one for your door, one for your personal mailbox—and instructed to stop in the lobby before you drop off your items so you can have your student identification badge issued.

“Your ID works like a key to get into the building after 10pm. Don’t lose it,” you’re warned by the table attendant.

“Thank you, I’ll be careful,” you answer congenially, leaving them with a charming smile before you head in the direction of your dorm.

You find your building without issue and reluctantly have your picture taken by the residence hall staff for your student ID. They give you a rundown of the general building rules—curfew is 10pm, after which time only residents with their programmed ID badges will be permitted entrance, all overnight guests must be checked in at the front desk with a government or student ID, no alcohol or illicit drugs are permitted on the premises, smoking is not permitted inside the building—and you maintain eye contact with the staffer and smile and nod while you let their words flow in one ear and out the other.

Once you finish signing your agreement to follow the established residence hall code of conduct, your student ID has been printed and programmed. You take the badge with kind smiles and ample thanks before you haul your luggage to the elevator and make your way to your assigned room. A private double room all to yourself. Your parents insisted, making sure you’d have enough space to study and relax in equal measure.

“Sweetpea, you know how it is there, those RAs are not gonna be as lenient as your daddy and I with the,” your mother stops her sentence and gestures, mimicking smoking a joint with one hand and drinking from a bottle with the other. She had sat on the other end of the plush sofa with you as you debated which residence hall to choose after coming home after your new student orientation the previous spring.

You scoffed and kicked out a leg, painted toes bumping her thigh.

“What? I’m just sayin’, babydoll. You’re a good time, college is a good time, but the RAs can be real,” she lowers her voice, “cunts.” She snickers a laugh at her own crudeness.

“Mama, I know. I just thought it was part of the,” you raise both of your hands, forefingers and middle fingers miming quotation marks in the air, “college experience to have a random roommate or whatever.” You look back at the brochures in front of you and sigh before relenting. “I guess you’re right. The privacy will be nice.”

“Damn straight, baby. Plus, you don’t have to worry about a roommate being around when you bring a nice young man home to fu—”

“MOM, jesus,” you cut her off, shaking your head as she laughs.

“What?! Baby girl you are my daughter, that means you’re half of me, and I fully know what that entails, ok? No reason to be ashamed of it, you’re young and gorgeous. Enjoy it while it lasts,” she tips her glass of white wine in your direction. You reach for your own on the coffee table, lifting it to hers, allowing the crystal to clink and chime in cheers as you both take a sip.

You use your new key to unlock your door and haul your bags inside, finding boxes stacked neatly in the corner for you to unpack. “Welcome home, I guess,” you say to the four walls you’ll call home for the next year.

Navigation: Chapter 2: coming soon | Series Masterlist

a/n: thank you for reading! this is a multi-chaptered work in process with new chapters being posted approximately every other Friday at or around 7pm CT (pending my work schedule changing to late shift). please consider not only liking, but reblogging and leaving a comment or tags to give me some feedback! reblogs are the only way content is circulated on this platform and are always appreciated!

follow @itsokbbygrl-notifs and subscribe to notifications to receive notice when new chapters are posted.

#LJ writes #joel miller x oc #joel miller x reader #joel miller x original character #joel miller x you #joel x reader #joel x oc #joel x you #dark!fic #dark!joel miller #WIP #fan fiction #ongoing #ongoing series #proper education fic

62 notes · View notes

hylialeia · 7 months

Text

thoughts on the Daevabad Trilogy, short version: holy shit that was good

longer version:

holy shit that was good.

I adored the writing style, the imagery, the worldbuilding, the characters, the character dynamics, and the pacing all the way through. I first picked up this series because of how Global Medievalism talked about it as a stepping stone away from Eurocentric medieval fantasy and it definitely delivered. this is tied with Spinning Silver for my favorite recent reads--which is even more impressive since SS was a standalone, meanwhile this series kept up a consistently high quality across three separate books.

after Fourth Wing masquerading as a rich, complex adult fantasy and then being What It Actually Was, this was an immensely satisfying series to pick up. it skirts the fantasy staple of the Inherently Evil Race/Species that so many works fall into (even asoiaf with the Others) and instead opts to explore in-depth religious and racial prejudices, revolutions, bigotry, power, and privilege in ways that can be frightening for a lot of authors (and readers). I can see why this series would frustrated a large swath of fantasy fans and not just because it steps completely away from the Europe-but-slightly-to-the-left settings that they're so familiar with; people looking for escapism and a palatable black-and-white conflict definitely wouldn't find it here.

that said, I also think the narrative did a fantastic job of showcasing the brutality of oppression, as well as cycles of revenge and violence, without turning into a sermon about how anyone who fights back is Just As Bad as the oppressor. you can sympathize with any faction within the trilogy while still seeing that there's a clear hierarchy. this is a series that asks the reader to be open minded and to sympathize with a variety of people's suffering while still condemning heinous actions, crimes, and ways of thinking. portrayals of violence, swearing, and sex aside, this is where I believe the adult label is earned. the Daevabad Trilogy outshines Fourth Wing in its entirety, actually following through on promises of depth, complexity, and exploration.

I don't think the series reaches into absolutely flawless territory; on reflection, there are a lot of scenes I wish we'd seen happening in the moment rather than summarized or briefly flashed back to. this goes especially for the end of the last book, Empire of Gold, which would have enhanced the pacing quite a bit. there's a bit of rushing through the final battle, and though it's still quite fantastic and follows through on a deal of foreshadowing and character build-up, it definitely feels over too soon. there are also a few loose ends and potential conflicts when it comes to the characters themselves that the series felt too tired to actually flesh out by the end. I can forgive that chiefly because of just how well-rounded and consistent the characters themselves are, even despite those instances.

and holy shit did I adore these characters. I've only seen the barest tip of the iceberg of discourse this series caused (which I'm sure was insane when it first came out), but thankfully the 10 million+ Way More Problematic Characters (that I also love) in asoiaf has made me immune to whatever the hell was going on over there. I also couldn't get involved in a ship war if you paid me.

I think the first book made a good call only having Nahri and Ali's POVs not just from a technical standpoint (Dara's POV wouldn't have added much, and may have even spoiled some meaningful twists) but also in priming the reader for what is the heart of the entire trilogy: their dynamic. Nahri and Ali carry the series whether they're young, platonic best friends who should be enemies, awkward ex-friends who still get a long way too well, or best friends who are deeply in love which each other but too traumatized to admit it. they both stand incredibly well as individuals (evidenced by the fact that they don't even meet until over the halfway mark in the first book), with Ali being a particular favorite of mine from the very beginning. their opposite upbringings yet similar interests made them a fantastic duo, one where it made sense the impact each one would have on the other's journey. there's something so incredibly endearing about their inability to legitimately dislike each other despite their circumstances, one that makes sense based on their already established personalities; they propel the series' most meaningful moments.

for the elephant in the room: as frustrating as Dara's POV could be I found it a worthy and fascinating addition in the later books, one that I think a lot of people missed the weight of if they were too busy excusing him/hating him. his perspective, biased and misguided as it often was, provided so much rich exploration of the trilogy's overall themes: militarism, religious fanaticism, prejudice, free will, just war, revolution, cycles of violence, conditioning and abuse, etc. that so much of this seemed to fall to the wayside in a strive to decide if he was excusable or not (and thus a viable love interest or not) is a huge shame. his ending was, to me, profoundly satisfying; not redeemed but finally allowed to act of his own free will, no longer bound by outside magic or internalized religious obligation. I never violently disliked Dara and Nahri's romantic entanglement so much as I knew it was doomed from the moment Ali had a POV chapter.

the secondary characters were no less engaging for me, especially as their prominence grew throughout the books, antagonists or otherwise. it was refreshing to see Muntadhir and Jamshid's individual characters (and thus their relationship) become a more prominent aspect of the story--again, especially after the tokenism in Fourth Wing. side characters always seemed to have deeper personalities and roles to play, with even early character deaths like Anas having lasting impacts for our main POVs. their presence was as vital to the immersion and depth of the world as much as the setting and imagery--which are also aspects that completely blew me away. from character, technical, to thematic standpoints, the Daevabad Trilogy absolutely amazed me.

final thoughts and rating: if you give me a book where two married characters are in love with the other's brother and expect me not to give it a high rating you're insane. 8/10. maybe even 9/10. go read these books.

#spoiler warning for people who want to read this series (which you should)#thank you chakraborty for Thee character dynamic of all time #ali love of my life. apple of my eye. <3 #the daevabad trilogy

82 notes · View notes

evolutionsvoid · 2 months

Text

While there are countless searing parasites who can serve as the face of the Arimakki, to all, there is only one symbol, one heart, that truly defines them. It is a thing that is even more mysterious than the odd bugs themselves, something that many still struggle to understand. Even its name fails to properly describe what it truly is, but there are no other words to use for it: The Vile Red Tree. Yet, it is no tree, it isn't even a plant. There is no bark, no leaves, yet it grows like an insidious weed. It has no need for sunlight, or water, as it lives underground, growing in the heart of every Arimakki colony. It is no animal or plant, yet it lives. Its hardened brittle form slithers and splinters as it spreads throughout the underground, eating its way through ancient flesh and soil. From its stony red flesh emanates a sweltering heat, a feverish temperature that only an Arimakki can love. It is a searing atmosphere it exudes, far greater than any single parasite can muster. It is this burning presence that makes each Arimakki colony an oven, the heat so intense that no other living creature can survive long without protection. And as it grows, the heat follows, baking the earth and clearing the way for its horrible children.

This bizarre burning organisms does not grow alone, as with it are the White Worms and other strange creatures. To most, the White Worm is an unassuming thing, a pale featureless squirming thing, found infesting every Arimakki. But where the Vile Red Tree grows, the White Worm is close at hand, writhing through the earth and dancing amongst its subterranean branches. What the connection is between the two is unknown, as folk aren't even sure how they play into the Arimakki themselves. The best guess is that the Vile Red Tree and the White Worms are crucial to the reproduction and spread of the Arimakki. Why else would they be found within the heart of every colony? Why else would these pale worms be filling every cavity of the parasites? It seems both are needed for these horrible bugs to survive. The Vile Red Tree is believed to create the horrible heat that is needed for Arimakki eggs to hatch, while the White Worm burrows through the world around them and prepares the flesh for infestation. It seems the Vile Red Tree can only grow through substrate that has been thoroughly infested by the White Worm, and perhaps the internal worms are how the Arimakki digest their food. But in the end, these are only guesses, as every part of the Arimakki hive is nearly impossible to study, let alone survive.

Due to the critical role the Vile Red Tree plays into the spreading of the Arimakki, many are correct to assume that its destruction is necessary to dispel this threat. Smaller hives who have had their trees destroy turn sickly and weak, and the bugs are seen desperately trying to reseed their dying tree. Yet, eradicating the Vile Red Tree is no easy task. Blows against it shatter it and scatter its pieces, raining blistering sharp shards across the land. Wherever a fragment lands, a tree will be soon to follow, as they regenerate and spread like a disease. Those who get its barbs into their flesh are nearly driven mad from the experience, as it is a searing needle that digs deeper and deeper into the flesh, spreading fever, burning and crazed itching. Those who still have it within them experience horrible hallucinations and are tormented by twisted impossible nightmares. If a doctor is not able to extract the sliver from their flesh, most are driven to such insanity that they will gnaw their way to it and tear it out with bloody teeth.

To make matters more confusing is that the White Worm is not the only thing that writhes amongst the buried branches of the Vile Red Tree. A whole slew of terrible worms spend their entire lives around it, playing some role or purpose that no one can understand. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, yet their jobs are a mystery. The blanket name of "Arimakki Wamu" is given to them, and it seems that they need the Vile Red Tree as much as it needs them. With how the variety of Arimakki seems to be endless, one can only figure that these are another staple of these colonial organisms, a handful of the many that make the Arimakki whole.

The Vile Red Tree and the White Worm remain a mystery and a terror, haunting the land and many dreams. Maddened tongues speak of its growing through the earth and beneath our feet. Crazed visions see the earth cracking open into writhing worm-filled wounds. The shivering sleepers look up in their dreams and see a boiling sky and a horrid tree of red devouring the heavens.

-----------------------------------------------

"The Vile Red Tree"

And I forgot to add the White Worms! Confound it!

#tree #parasite #worm #hara no mushi #fall of ichor #art #drawing

34 notes · View notes

gentil-minou · 8 months

Text

once upon a time, 很久很久以前

Once upon a time, there lived a magical boy who was lost far, far away from home… Wei Wuxian is perfectly ready to celebrate another mediocre birthday alone when a ten-year-old shows up on his doorstep claiming to be his son. This kid is convinced everyone in his town has been dragged away from their xianxia world and cursed to live as ordinary citizens in a mundane small town, and he's certain that Wei Wuxian is the key to saving them, his other dad, and their entire world. He sounds insane, but, well, Wei Wuxian likes him. Besides, what else can he do but follow him back home? (A Wangxian AU based on the show Once Upon a Time, no prior knowledge of said show necessary)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Transmigration, of the townwide variety, Amnesia, of the nearly everyone variety, Mystery, of the shenanigans variety, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn Has Self-Esteem Issues, wwx is sad and down bad, Single Parent Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, except a-yuan runs away to find his other dad, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending

Wangxian + A-Yuan + Minor Characters | WIP 4/? | 52K | Rated M

Preview under the cut

Once upon a time, there was a boy who believed he loved the world more than it could ever love him.

He would be proven very wrong.

Everyone loves the birthday boy.

They especially love him several shots in on Halloween night, wearing an outfit that’s little more than a couple scraps of fabric hastily sewn together in some approximation of a “Sexy Whatever”. Privately, Wei Wuxian calls it Dealer’s Choice, letting whoever he’s currently flirting with decide what it is.

It doesn’t matter; that’s never been the point of the night. Sure a birthday is meant to be spent celebrating, but that’s a bit harder to do when he doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with. It would be fine, as long as he could have as many free drinks as he could score and at least a passably decent fuck, he’d consider it a good night.

Really, when it comes down to it, it’s just another day. Halloween, yes, which makes it a moderately better one. But beyond that bit of fun that comes with picking up a pretty stranger at a bar, there really isn’t much else to look forward to. This is how Wei Wuxian expects to celebrate his birthday:

He’d saunter into how ever many establishments it takes until he finds a pretty enough stranger he can stand being around. The pretty stranger would look him up and down, dragging their eyes over his toned long legs and resting far too long at the slope between his narrow waist and wide hips. And for that one moment, he’d be the most important boy in the world.

He’d get a few free cheap drinks and eventually, they’d find their way to some back alley with its familiar stench of overripe garbage and piss. He’d let himself be pressed up against the brick wall, rough against his back; the perfect distraction from everything else. Then the pretty stranger would stick their tongue far enough down his throat so that he could pretend this day is just like any other.

In between sloppy kisses and sub-par groping attempts, they’d get his name wrong while he’d have already forgotten theirs. They’d mutter a “Happy Halloween, Birthday Boy” like so many one-night stands before them, and he’d giggle and laugh like it’s the very first time. It’s never difficult to plaster a patented smile and play pretend. Then he’d drop to his knees and let the world fall away.

Finally, after however many drinks and strangers it would take to make him forget, he’d stumble back to his basement studio with just enough awareness to take off his shoes before passing out on his secondhand stained mattress. His dreams would be fast and incomprehensible, a mosaic of imaginary maybes and a dream of a life he’d never had.

This is how he’s celebrated the last several years, and it’s how he expects to celebrate this year as well.

Because it’s not just Halloween and it’s not just his birthday. It’s the anniversary of his parents leaving their son behind in a dingy alley, wedged between a dumpster and a pile of soggy cardboard. Not even the barest hint of an afterthought, like maybe we shouldn’t leave this small defenseless child asleep and at the mercy of sewer rats?

But if the liquor is strong enough and the haze is just right he wouldn’t remember that until the next morning. That’s what the night is really for. Not a celebration or anything like that, but a desperate attempt at some peace away from this life of his.

Tonight will be his twenty-fifth birthday, and it might as well not be at all.

And then it will end, and November 1st will come around, and the world will keep turning like it always does.

But somehow, not one of those things goes according to plan. In fact, the universe has a completely different plan for him this year, it seems.

Read more on Ao3

78 notes · View notes

piosplayhouse · 1 year

Text

Horse Isle 3: The Yandere Sim of Horse Games

(or, an extended study in how to hate your own playerbase as much as humanly possible)

(or, or, tldr there's pretty much no updated information on just how ridiculously bad this game is so here's a writeup on how I got banned and all the subsequent information I found during my time playing for documentation's sake)

Part I. The Backstory

My beloved followers will know that a few months ago I began playing Horse Isle 3, a horse-raising MMO surprisingly released in the year of our horse 2019 despite its 1997-era website and Runescape-esque graphics. Some of my play through (mostly just horse pictures) is chronicled in my tag #homophobic scum horse chronicles ¹ if you want to see how drippy my horses were before they killed me.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have endless respect for small teams of game devs that manage to create insanely impressive products-- which HI3's elaborate real-genetics breeding system, its main draw, certainly is. Coding is hard, modeling is hard, moderation is hard. Tip a coin to your local small indie teams that work hard to make incredible art.

However, HI3 is far from an admirable success story about a small dev team that triumphed over its obstacles.

The game is known for a variety of things, chief among them being the staff's rampant homophobia (which has earned it the moniker "the homophobic horse game"), hilariously uncharismatic mods (to the point where one of the main moderators, Connie, is mentioned by NAME in the majority of poor reviews of the game), the dev team's unrepentant rejection of criticism, and racism with a side of downplaying war crimes.

(Screenshots taken from Sitejabber, here)

Now, it's marketed as a game for ages 8+, which, as I've briefly talked about before, is unfortunately a rarity in today's hostile internet climate. I grew up on a variety of typical child friendly MMOs like ye olde Pixie Hollow and PetPet Park, and truly lament that so many of these have been shut down over the years. As such, I have no issue with strict rules or word filters in games, with the caveat that they are effective and genuinely intended to keep people safe. Kids are naive, and can and will say things that they shouldn't (I, for example, got kicked from a Minecraft server when I was 8 because I posted in chat that my mom told me sex wasn't a bad word. things happen). Filters are a very appropriate tool to aid manual moderation of chat features, especially in an environment where mistakes will be made.

However, HI3's, as shown below (words that are forbidden from chat are marked in red), are... questionably selective.

(Screenshot taken by Alice Ruppert, from here)

This appears to be attributed to the fact that along with having horrible moderators, HI3 also seems to have a remarkably horrible developer backend, which is a trend that you'll see pop up quite a lot in this post. Taken straight from the horse's (haha) mouth, the lead developer is the only person who seems to be able or willing to add to the filter list, and for whatever reason only wants to block the "most common inappropriate words"- because saying transgender is more of an issue than nazi and gulag I guess.

(Screenshot taken from Top R.'s Sitejabber review, here)

¹ I'm not sure how far this will reach out of my audience, and since people have already assumed weird stuff about me I thought I should probably clarify-- I'm not calling the game "homophobic scum" ghghg, my play through was focused on making horse versions of characters from a novel called "scum villain", so I took the scum and added horse (I actually have another tag for a different horse breeding game called "scum horse chronicles" so I needed to distinguish them easily but am not very good at tagging). That's it.

Part II. The Game

The game itself is, putting it simply, a mess at best and openly hostile towards newcomers at worst. The game's UI is comparable to your average petsite with 20 thousand things to click on but if you tried to navigate that while also watching the Pilgrim's Progress movie by Scott Cawthorn on 90% of your screen. This is a very good overview of what your experience first logging in will be like, with the added caveat that talking in global chat costs in game currency and that the game doesn't tell you this at ALL until you try to type in chat, and that depending when you log on it's entirely possible that you'll spawn into a completely dead town miles away from anyone who can help you, wilderness survivor-style.

To make things more complicated, information about the game is split between the game itself and the laughably horrible website/forums. Spectacularly enough, the forums, which provide vital game information and rule elaborations, cannot be searched in any way (not via Google or any hard-baked search bar) and are regularly purged by admins to erase evidence of scandals and poor moderation complaints.

Now, something you will find to be generally people's biggest issue with HI3 is their strict no "date-speak" rule, which sounds ok on paper but is worded *just* vaguely enough to give the moderators full jurisdiction over whether or not they think you're breaking the rules. Selective moderation is a major theme in the HI3 chronicle, but it is perhaps most documented with regards to this rule, because what the hell does "boyfriend/girlfriend talk" even mean?? Outside of vagueness, this rule has also been scrutinized extensively by others due to the fact that a pair of previous moderators were openly married with the igns "FrogLips" and "MrsFrogLips". I don't personally think this is super condemning, since kids usually address adults by Mr/Ms etc whether or not they know they're in a relationship, but regardless it's clear that the complete lack of elaboration on what this rule means can be easily manipulated to lodge any number of complaints against people.

(Screenshot from the Horse Isle website rules page, here)

What I will say, however, is that this rule would probably hold more water if the game wasn't literally about breeding horses.

You can pimp out your horses, you can pay others to breed your mares, you can put any number of special (real life currency-bought) amulets on your horses to make them more fertile/have twins/give birth faster. I paid $1000 to castrate Jiang Cheng. The word "stud" (which btw, is another word for a black butch lesbian) is used constantly. Perhaps most shockingly, horse inbreeding is very common and accepted among the community, to the point that it is explicitly mentioned and EXPLAINED in the game guide; the only penalization for it is that your incest product foal will have a lower intelligence stat. Call me old-fashioned, but I feel as though implementing and acknowledging that horses can breed with their own relatives is hmm perhaps more harmful than another player saying the word gay, but what do I know.

(Screenshot from the Horse Isle website game guide page, here (only accessible with an account))

Well, you might ask, after you breed and sell a horse, is there any way to put a brand on it so you know it's from your ranch? That's where the "prefix" system comes in. Prefixes are bolded titles that appear in front of a horses name in lists and in the overworld, and are described in the official game guide as follows:

(Screenshot from the same Horse Isle website game guide page as linked previously)

I think you can toggle them off if you don't want to see them, though I could be wrong. They're basically just 1-5 letter titles you can put on your own horses (nobody else's, importantly). There's no way to search prefixes, and you won't see them in game unless either a horse with a prefix is listed in auctions or you actually encounter someone in-game and see their horse.

In fact, I would learn later that not even the moderators monitor the prefixes, and apparently have no way to mass-delete them. At all.

(Image taken from an anonymous friend)

Now, it's not unusual that a game as complicated as HI3 would inevitably have a pretty taxing server-side code. Millions of multifaceted assets and features is really nothing to scoff at. However, the notion that your lead developer has to perform a manual search in the game's code to delete the equivalent of a stamp from every instance individually is hilarious. I'm not going to pretend to be a game developer, but there HAS to be a better way of coding a feature that intakes user-generated content that should probably be monitored regularly than that, right? Or, at least, there should be a robust filter system that could prevent any issues from occurring before they would need to be fixed so tediously. You might think.

On December 29th, 2022, I discovered how to register a prefix. It's very common to headcanon the characters I was naming my horses after as transgender, and I thought it would be cute to attach "TRANS" to my horses as a nod to this. However, a filter blocked the word. I was disappointed, but not surprised², and then tried to think of another word that was under 5 letters. To my complete and gay surprise, "GAY" was not filtered out, and henceforth, this worked as my prefix.

As you can see on the popup here, there are scant guidelines for what the requirements for a prefix should be. And, in this moment of apparently utter foolishness, I was under the impression that since "GAY" was NOT filtered out despite there clearly being a filter on this function, it was ok to register. Possibly it's not filtered because it's a synonym for "happy", I thought, which is also cute because I do like when horses are happy. Perhaps the staff had learned from their past criticism and had loosened the restrictions slightly because they felt restructuring was appropriate now that gay marriage is legal in the US, I imagined.

(My original post)³

What I could not imagine, however, was that the only reason the word wasn't filtered out, despite being possibly the most common sexuality-related word, was just because the lead dev couldn't be assed to add it to the filter list. And that apparently I was supposed to know this because it would lead to a permanent ban on my second offense with no warning.

² Hence typing "eat shit lol". Admittedly childish of me, but I didn't put a lot of thought into the post because it was just part of a casual silly live blog I was doing to blow off steam. The "if I get banned" tag surprisingly was not referencing "GAY", as I genuinely thought I was in the clear for that for reasons stated above, but because I tried to register "TRANS" and then posted about it online. You don't have to believe me, but I feel the need to defend myself since some people have wildly extrapolated that my actions were malicious instead of just a split second decision I made because I was bored one morning.

³ Despite the pop-up box saying that prefixes cannot be removed, they actually can at any time, given only that the person that owns the prefix unregisters the horse from it. The unregistering mechanic is for whatever reason not told to the player upon registering the prefix, but is mentioned in the official game guide linked above.

Part III. The Ban, The Report

I will preface this section by saying that I played the game normally. I do like being outrageous sometimes for my followers' entertainment, but I really don't like dragging random people into my antics if they aren't interested. Because of this, I really didn't interact with other players unless we were mutuals on some other platform. I rarely used the chat feature except to participate in server-wide events that required team participation, and I typically just explored on my own for fun. In general I think I was a pretty ok player, objectively, which lines up with my user trust score.

You see, the way moderators of HI3 allegedly keep track of rule breaking is through a "user trust score" with points added if you use features in the game, help people, etc, and points deducted if you violate rules. Anecdotally I've heard that around the -10 total points mark is when moderators put you on a sort of list to be monitored for suspension or punishment, which is pretty reasonable.

By the time I was banned, I had a score of +31. The -10 offset was a part of this debacle. The only thing I had ever done in the game which warranted any kind of violation was, as you will soon see, literally just naming about 30 of my own horses "GAY", a sin egregious enough to apparently offset about 200 hours worth of playtime with no issues.

Because of this, I was a little bit confused on multiple levels. For one, I had never even seen a moderator in game, nor been informed of discipline at any time before. On top of that, their permanent ban notification is extremely strange and vague. The text pop up when you try to log in just reads "Account currently banned -1 minutes ().", which is probably just copied straight from the server-side code for things and just wasn't translated into user-side comprehensibility. You'll also notice there is a "()" section in the notification, which I would assume is where they put the reason for bans, except for the fact that mine was completely blank.

The website which allegedly would hold more info just repeated a near identical code: "BANNED! -1min. Reason:".

So, with nothing else to go off of, I messaged support on the jankiest help center submissions I've ever seen on a website with this:

"Insisting" and "total disregard" are very strong words to use for a situation in which I just typed a word into a textbox because the game let me, I'd think, which is why I tried to reason with her. The prefixes mentioned in my message are well-known amongst the userbase and are much older and wider-spread than mine, so I would think that there would be at least some sort of precedent for this. The "geldings and yearlings" reasoning was mostly a joke, but also intended to express that the nature of an acronym (as the majority of prefixes seemed to be) is that it can be interpreted in many ways. Intent was thrown around a lot when I was discussing the issues of prefixes with other users, and it seemed to have been used to excuse previous behavior in situations where mods liked the users in question better.

I also cannot emphasize enough how much they did not warn me about my prefix being removed. When I logged in and saw my horses' names did not include it, I was suspicious that the moderators removed it just because of the history of their behavior. However, I had no hard evidence because they did not inform me at ALL. Not through in-game mail systems, not through server messages, not through the website. Complete radio silence except for the addition of an unexplained "-10" to my user score. I did complain to some people that I thought it was removed, but a combination of things suggested that it wasn't a huge deal, so I mostly let it lie. For one, I had over 100 hours of playtime and was mildly worried that one of my chat messages had been flagged without my knowledge. For another, my profile text had also mysteriously disappeared, probably because of a glitch, so who knows what could happen in this game. Lastly, I went to the prefix registry again just to check and hilariously enough, they didn't actually block "GAY" from the database. Yeah, they apparently individually deleted it from all of my horses, but couldn't be assed to add such an "inappropriate" word to their filter system.

So I just registered it again and publicly told people that I would do it again if the mods didn't actually tell me to stop. I didn't really care about the prefix because to me, the feature was purely cosmetic. All I wanted was transparency from the staff.

Well, anyway, I assume Connie couldn't think of a comeback, so she just closed my report. I was annoyed because quite literally none of my questions were answered and she didn't even refer to anything in specifics. It would take less than 1 second to type the number of the rule I violated, but I guess that was too much work for her.

I tried to give them as many outs as possible to just apologize about poor communication, but they didn't even take the bare minimum. I would also like to mention that this support ticket process is the ONLY way to directly communicate with any staff. There's no ability to upload files or images on this system, and no email listed that you could contact. So essentially, there's no way to give actual evidence for anything you say even if you want to.

Kat, who is known as the slightly-more-reasonable-but-still-pretty-bad mod then picked up the case. Her response actually provided specific information, which made it leagues above Connie's, but still included some very strange elements for sure.

The notion that this game is intended for a worldwide audience is especially funny to me because you would really think if they cared about other countries they wouldn't violate their own rule one by using a slur for Europe's largest ethnic minority, but ok. It's a weird hill to die on considering how USA-dominated the staff's opinions towards rules are (Connie justifies the usage of a slur for Rromani people based off the opinion of a single roommate she had who reclaimed it, Joe defends a store in-game being called "The Gulag" because Americans don't think gulags are that bad (discussed and cited in the conclusions section)). But then again, picking and choosing what parts of other countries' customs you want to respect is very American, which is why I think they should add an extra star rating for its patrioticness on the website.

As I mentioned before, the prefixes I included in my response are definitely older and more commonly-used than mine, so I'm not sure how they wouldn't have seen them before. This comment also ties back to the suggestion that the moderators have very little control or insight over a distinct feature of their game, which is not a great thing to admit so casually.

Kat has a strange habit of immediately contradicting herself in the same paragraph, as can be seen here. "The glitches never happen and bugs were quickly fixed, but games still have bugs". "People that break the rules usually write in to ask what was wrong, but most people usually never ask". At this point I think we can confidently say that they don't even make an attempt to proofread any of their responses, to be honest.

Her 7th paragraph has one of my favorite lines in this exchange. "If we had to notify players every time we made moderator changes to their account we would spend 24 hours a day" is giving huge Yandere Dev "stop emailing me because I have to spend 24 hours a day reading all my emails instead of coding" energy. You really have to wonder why these people that seem to hate moderating so much are moderators.

You can tell by my response, but I do not like the use of "most" and "usually" in this at all. What's your standard isn't others' standards, and this is a topic which needs to be navigated gently, especially when kids are concerned. I never played the previous Horse Isles. I had no experience with the mod team, or with violations, or with anything because no one bothered to take five seconds to send me a message. No, I did not know that you would permaban me for typing a word that's in one of the most popular traditional Christmas songs in a place were only people who interacted with me would be able to see it. Most games would not do this. To take a lackadaisical approach to your literal job of community management because you want people to moderate themselves is contradictory to your claims of keeping children safe.

I will admit I was being a bit cheeky here as a subtle hint that perhaps they should take feedback, but I also would have taken a genuine response. I try my best to be as polite as possible to tech support staff because not everyone is! But they're people too and a simple thank you is worth a lot in customer service, even virtual. But Kat... you're not really giving me anything to work with here! If anyone reading this has feedback for how I could've rephrased things, feel free to comment them honestly. I actually ran drafts of these messages through a few people before sending them to make sure I was as concise and polite as possible, even if support clearly wasn't interested in reciprocating the effort ("following out rules using the the GAY to begin with"...?).

Part IV. The Backlash

I won't go too into depth in this section because it's more personal than documentarian, so feel free to skip to the next section if you want!

After this, the girlies were not happy with me. The one saving grace of HI3 that I've heard pop up over and over again is that the community is great. And a lot of users are! Don't think I'm disparaging people who play the game because I'm not-- it's a really fun experience with the right people. I was in a Discord server with a lot of people who were extremely helpful and kind.

However, within the community, there's also a pervasive culture of silence. According to Alice Ruppert of The Mane Quest, a lot of people will refuse to go public with their complaints about the staff due to fear of retribution, which I feel is unfortunate but understandable. There's a pressure to shut up and eat your food lest you be seen as someone causing controversy for the sake of it and ruining the sanctity of the game, which is an attitude explicitly encouraged by the staff (discussed more in the next section).

I liveblogged my entire correspondence with the support team to a group of other players for the 2 days I talked to them, and did have a lot of acceptance from people who appreciated someone speaking out. After the 2020 Mane Quest article, public information had sort of just gone dark as the community was pushed further into niche seclusion, despite things not improving at all. However, towards the end of my messaging, a group of people that I had never even spoken to or seen online before accused me of a variety of things ranging from "displaying my sexuality to children" (note: all I ever did was name my horses "GAY". I never once talked about my own sexuality in-game, nor did I say the word in chat ever) to "joining the server to cause drama" to "mocking the lgbt community by throwing around the word gay" (actually I'll attach a picture of this one even though I don't want to put people on blast in this section just because its so funny).

I think most of this can be attributed to the game having gained such a notoriety that longtime players, especially those with strong nostalgic feelings, have become completely desensitized to it. And this compounds with the fact that the game is so niche it doesn't yet have a good alternative to turn to to create a toxic cocktail where people tell themselves that they have to be loyal to the staff to play this one of a kind game-- and that anyone who doesn't follow them just doesn't understand. It's really sad, honestly.

Part V. Conclusions

I don't necessarily think the devs of HI3 are legitimately consciously homophobic-- unfortunately LGBT rights are still controversial amongst the largely southern and rural population of horse enthusiasts, and I could understand if they felt it necessary to skim the line towards conservatism to maintain a userbase. It's cowardly and dumb but it's not a sin to do what you have to do to survive in a capitalistic hellscape as cutthroat as the game industry.

However, what I do think the devs are is power-hungry and hypocritical. They have failed at every turn at community management because they're unwilling to admit they make mistakes, instead choosing to issue non-apologies like "[we] regret you guys got so upset and did not realize neither our true intentions nor motivations nor the whole situation [that we said it's ok that a player has a shop called The Gulag because it's 'not direct or violent']". To respond this way to a userbase filled allegedly with young children as a fully grown adult with a wife and kids is laughably out of touch. 'Sorry your fee-fees were hurt by our adult moderator responding to a serious complaint about inappropriate user-generated content with "lol", but actually you just misunderstood us and we're going to ban anyone who brings this up again' is the sort of response you'd see from the teenage mod team of an Undertale amino, not the supposedly responsible head dev of a 'rare oasis of kid friendly content'.

Telling an audience of impressionable kids that the fact that their feelings are hurt is their fault for not intuiting the intentions of 40+ year old adults is unbelievably toxic, and it's no wonder why people are so nostalgia-bound to feverishly shut down criticism about the games. They've been guilt-tripped into believing the mod team can do no wrong and any controversy, even if valid, that springs up is just extrapolated by people that haven't been laboriously groomed to know what the mod team wants to hear.

Countless times throughout my time researching and playing the game, the number one advice I've heard has always been "suck up to the mods or they won't do anything for you". It's crystal clear that the moderators care more about the joy they get from having power over some 200 users who will kiss their ass if they say a buzzword more than they care about you, your child, or the game itself.

It's essentially a model scam Kickstarter's wet dream, a game propelled to release and popularity by its singular defining feature and left to fester on the shelf as the only game in its niche market. Because of this, I believe there's truly no better way to describe HI3, with its messy backend, refusal to improve, narcissistic moderators, broken features, poor visuals, and inefficiency than as the Yandere Simulator of horse games.

#img descriptions in alt text!#lmk if there's any way I can make this more accessible! It's my first time writing something this long on tumblr :)#long post #really long posts #long posts #really long post #essay #hi3 #horse isle 3 #horse isle #fandom drama #hobby drama #discourse #homophobic scum horse chronicles

203 notes · View notes

maarriiii · 9 months

Text

Wildest Dream | Wilbur Soot

A/N: The second post for my 300 celebration!! I’ve been cooking this up for awhile now. Now that it’s finished I feel like I should switch this title with the say you’ll remember me, standing in a nice dress—good lord that’s a long title—but eh I’ll just leave it as it is. You could read this as a somewhat prequel to the mentioned fic or not. Whatever you prefer lovelies <33

Summary: One of the many days of summer that Wilbur spends with you.

Pairing(s): Musician!reader x gender neutral!reader (Note: reader is mentioned to be wearing a dress)

Warning(s): None

my masterlist :))

Wilbur stood patiently in front of an apartment door, waiting for its occupant to answer his knocking and open the door. He was clad in his usual attire: a simple shirt and jeans with his round glasses, and although it was extremely hot outside due to the summer weather, Wilbur had his jumper looped through his guitar case on his back—he would be insane to wear it on a day like this.

He heard footsteps and chattering inside the apartment and as it grew nearer, his excitement grew along with it—he was almost bouncing on his feet. But, when the door finally opened, it wasn’t the person he came there for that opened the door. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of his friend, Elodie. The two met during their second year of university, and along with other few people, they have been good friends since.

“Oh hey, Wil.” She smiled teasingly, like she knew what his intention were. “What brings you here?”

“Just a visit to a friend,” Wil said cheekily.

“Am I right to assume that this ‘friend’ doesn’t mean me?”

Wilbur only chuckled, while Elodie shook her head.

Wilbur followed behind his purple haired friend after she let him inside. He smelled something so wonderfully delicious and fragrant the moment he step foot inside. The scent immediately made his stomach growl even though he just had lunch before coming here—though, he could guarantee what he had for lunch was incomparable to what was cooking currently. The smell was stronger the moment he and Elodie reached the living room which shared a space with the kitchen. When he looked to his left, not only was he greeted with the sight pots and pans, he was finally greeted with the sight of you, the sole reason of his arrival.

Wilbur saw the look on your face, beaming at the sight of him, and it made his heart do backflips. He wondered how you do it. How you made him crazily in love just by smiling at him. He watched you wipe your hands on a hand towel draped across your shoulder before making your way towards him, the smile never leaving your lips. He had to leaned down just a little for your lips to meet in a chaste kiss. Elodie took your spot in the kitchen, watching the pots and pans filled with food.

“Wil, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, just thought I come and visit you.” He smiled.

Your eyes softened at his word before widening in a some sort of panic. “Oh, my god, you must be thirsty. It’s really hot outside. Hold on, let me get you a drink.”

You kept fussing over him—and even though he should feel bad that you were doing so—Wilbur enjoyed the pelasure of receiving your full attention. He stayed for lunch. You refused to hear a ‘No’ coming from his lips and pushed a plate towards him when cooking was done. The three of you enjoyed a homecooked meal and refreshing drinks while talking about a variety of things. Elodie, not so subtly, retreated to her hoom—muttering an excuse of having unfinished work—giving Wilbur some alone time with you. He helped you with cleaning up the dishes and then he finally asked you a question.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

The corner of your lips quirked up, your eyes curious. “Go where, Wil?”

Wilbur shrugged. “I don’t know. Some place quiet, just the two of us. Honestly, I’m getting a bit tired of the city, with the smog and all.”

“Are you alright, Wil? Are you coughing again? I think I still have my coughing syrup somewhere.”

He shook his head violently. “No, no, I’m alright, love, really. I just want to spend time with you, that’s all. I’m fine, I promise.”

Wilbur answered a couple more of your questions, making sure he was perfectly healthy, before finally agreeing to go with him. He was glad, ecstatic even, though this date wasn’t any different than the ones before. For some reason, he just so badly wanted to be with you, too see your face and smile, to hear your voice and laugh. If any of his friends could tell what was going on inside his head, then they would say that Wilbur is utterly and truly smitten by you—though, he suspects that they already know that despite not being able to read minds anyway.

He waited for you on the sofa since you wanted to change and get a few essentials before leaving. He took the time to think of places that you and him could go to. He decided that the beach would probably a good idea. The two of you could also see the sunset.

Wilbur turned around at the sound of his name and boy, was he starstruck by the sight of you. You didn’t change much from a few minutes ago but for some reason, you looked heavenly. Instead of the overalls you wore earlier, you changed into a simple white dress with a small bag over your shoulder. He had never seen you in that dress before, so he assumed it was something that you only gotten recently. When you walked closer to him, Wilbur was almost convinced that you were actually floating towards him; an angel, a magical being, that chose him over everyone else. At one point, his mind wandered. Him, in a suit. You, in a similiarly colored dress, a veil covering your beautiful face and a bouquet of flowers in your hands, as you walked down the aisle. He had never thought about marriage with anyone before.

“Wil. Wil, did you hear me?” You called him, pulling him from the land of imagination.

He shook his head, blinking rapidly. He stood up, took his guitar case by the coffee table. “Yeah, yeah, I did. Shall we?”

After a few minutes of train ride and a few minutes more of walking, you and Wilbur finally arrived at your destination. Just like he suspected, there wasn’t much people around. He spotted a couple and a group of teenagers, so he picked a spot furthest away from them, in case the teenagers were a bunch of delinquents. It was quiet, just how he wanted it, and the cool breeze that passed through was a treat in these summer days.

“Oh, it’s beautiful.” You rummaged inside your bag, pulling out a camera before taking a picture. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this place.”

Wilbur stared at you. “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”

You turned to Wilbur and aimed the camera towards him. “Say cheese.”

Wilbur chuckled, leaning his head down. He heard you laugh and looked up. You took the polaroid and shake the picture until the image of Wilbur was clear.

You whistled and showed it to him. “That’s a good candid, babe.”

“You always were a talented photographer.”

You bowed your head. “Why, thank you, good sir.”

The two of you sat down in the sand, shoulder to shoulder, enjoying each other’s presence. At one point, you asked Wilbur to sing a song or two. He obliged, of course—you could ask of him the world and he would give it to you. He sang a song that reminded him of you. He sang your favorite song, which resulted in him getting a kiss from you. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He just played and played and you would occasionally joined him, singing to your heart’s content, even if you or him were off key at times.

It felt like a dream, Wilbur thought. It just seemed too good to be true. You just seemed to good to be true. You were a welcomed surprise in his life and a part of him would sometimes be scared that one day he’ll wake up and you won’t be there anymore. He wanted to cherish you for as long as he could possibly can. So, wordlessly, he set aside his guitar and took the camera that was on your lap. He pulled you to his chest and wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Your laugh and smile at his sudden action was infectious and Wilbur was grinning. He reached the hand that was holding the camera outward and turned it around.

“Say cheese,” He said, before clicking the button.

He took the picture from the camera and just like you did with his picture, Wilbur shake it until the image was clear.

“Aww, we look so adorable. I love it.”

Wilbur laughed and turned to you. “I love you.”

You gazed at him, before leaning forward and pressing your lips against his. “I love you too, Wil.”

Taglist:

@ella-fella-bo-bella @lillylvjy @jadeissues @r-a-c-h-e-l @marifm @vestafir @confuzzledhooman

Send me an ask, message me, or just comment if you want to be added to my wilbur soot taglist 💕

#wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #wilbur x reader #wilbur x you #wilbur soot x you

99 notes · View notes

mediadollz · 10 months

Text

🐇|| The Moondust Catalog is the DEBUT mini album by LUNARIX, released by ANGELICO Entertainment on JULY 31ST 2023. It’s available digitally and physically, and has SIX tracks with “ATTENTION!” being its title track. LUNARIX promoted the album for six weeks in which they performed each track on the album at least once.

“ATTENTION!” received ZERO music show wins. They posted daily on their Youtube channel, held twelve virtual fansigns as well as six in person ones, and appeared on various variety shows as a group. They revealed their group name and their new member during this era. Siyeon was added to the group after the removal of pre-debut member Angel.

( + ) GET YOUR PHOTOCARD HERE !

–– ( TRACKLIST ! )

– ATTENTION! ––– [ TITLE TRACK ! ]

– SO PITIFUL

– NO WORDS, ALL SILENCE

– OUR MIRACLE

– ENDLESS FALLING

– MISSED CALL

— PHYSICAL ALBUM CONTENTS !

6:45 VERS :: 1 random disc + photobook (72 photos) + one random member photocard out of six + one out of sixrandom member mini posters + one out of two large group posters + one out of two group polaroids + stickers + one out for three random unit photobooth strips.

12:22 VERS :: 1 random disc + photobook (72 photos) + one random member photocard out of six + one out of sixrandom member mini posters + one out of two large group posters + one out of two group polaroids + stickers + one out for three random unit photobooth strips.

3:07 VERS ::1 random disc + photobook (72 photos) + one random member photocard out of six + one out of sixrandom member mini posters + one out of two large group posters + one out of two group polaroids + stickers + one out for three random unit photobooth strips.

— STYLING !

— ERA HIGHLIGHTS !

— happy lunarix debut! :D !!

— no wins but the girls were just happy to be on a music show at this point

— their fandom name was also revealed! celestials 🤍

— celestials were very happy with their name and with the debut in general! everyone was really happy with the album.

— the tracklist was wildly praised on every social media platform like no one could say shit about this album it's TOO GOOD!

— the producers jinhwa got for this album was literally insane. no one knows how he pulled off getting that many high profile people on the album let alone get yoongi and noir to work together again.

— people hated having to give him credit for how great the album is but his name was ALL over it. so, he got some stans because of this...womp womp!

— anyways, the girls wrote every song on the album! every girl had writing credits and they were very proud of that!

— attention! did manage to break into the top 100, debuting at 62 and peaking at 12!

— all the girls got an ending fairy for their first stage and they all ended up getting emotional, causing them to go viral for how heartwarming and funny the video is. it starts with siyeon who was smiling brightly and professionally, then went to taerin who was panting and had tears in her eyes, then to navi who's bottom lip was trembling as she gave a small smile, then to evie who was smiling but when she blinked tears fell and she started laughing, then to laila who was already crying but trying to keep her composure, puckering her lips and doing a finger heart, and finally to yoomi who was just full on crying.

— the girls did go viral for their visuals because another thing you can't deny is that these girls are pretty!

— there was still a hatetrain, like, people were still on their ass for every little thing.

— evie said her favorite venus song was bad girl, she was accused of hating ot5 venus. taerin asked for people to not talk about other groups on her live, she was accused of being shady. laila wore a pink top from shein that jiah happened to own, suddenly she's a jiah wannabe like...no breaks. no breaks at all.

— they didn't let it get to them tho! they kept their grace!

— every song had a music video and it all interconnects to their lore. their lore, according to jinhwa, has been in the works for years now and will be made into short films and possibly a book which got every very excited.

— the attention! mv got 12 million views in 24 hours! big achievement for them! they had a little party on live and did a special dance practice where they were wearing animal onesies!

— everyone was pretty accepting of siyeon and thought she fit in the group seamlessly.....too seamlessly.

— lot of theories about her addition and angel's removal. theories that navi asked people to stop asking her about and that taerin called stupid.

— overall, while a bit harsh online, the debut was very successful and well recieved! the girls are happy for the first time in a long time! happy lunarix debut 🤍

#˖˵˵˵˵˵˵ଘ( ꈍᴗꈍ)⋆ DISCOGRAPHY #ficnetfairy #oc kpop group #fictional idol community #kpop oc #fake kpop oc #idol oc #oc girl group #fake kpop idol #idolverse #fictional idol group #idol au #bts addition #kpop addition #kpop au #fake kpop girl group #fake kpop group

50 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

seeleysbones

Seeley Booth Is My Love

tppdfw

That PPD feel when

grazysophya-blog

Uma Garota Solitaria E Vazia😞💔

dunaipe

No Caminho...

bornatnight76-blog

The Night Is Everything