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sunnflowyyr · 1 year

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Pressure. || rise!raph x reader

pairing: rise!raph x reader

warning: spoilers for the rottmnt movie !!!

summary: raph is struggling with his insecurities and the pressure he feels as the eldest sibling, more so after the kraang invasion they barely managed to win. reader finds him alone and comforts him.

author's note: i love all of them, but raph ... i love him so frickin much. mans just needs a hug and i'm here to give it to him (through this fic). also, i'm sorry if there's any errors! i rushed to finish this but i'll be jumping back into editing this when writing is fresh on my mind.

it's the fact that i relate to him as an older sibling for me-

content: angst/comfort, implied fem!reader (she/her pronouns used)

raphael sighs to himself as he looks out upon the city he has sworn to protect; whether it's humans or yokai disguised by magic, he watches them from the shadows and intervenes in dangerous situations to protect them as their warrior. a burden he couldn't imagine facing alone and is thankful he shares them with his family.

his family.

his eyes fall down to the fatigued picture in hand, the crinkled image showing his family on the same rooftop he's standing upon, wide grins across their excited faces. he can hear the laughter in that memory ringing in his ears, missing it the moment it drowns in the city noise around him. the memory calms his aching heart, but it soon turns bittersweet as his eyes gaze back out at the city. bittersweet because of the differences he could spot between the city in the image and the one before him. it was his duty to take care of this city with his brothers, who he almost lost because he wasn't strong enough.

if he had brought them here, would they be different too? scarred by the battle that had almost costed them everything? he could envision the smiles they'd put on their faces, but the thought that their minds would never escape that battle unscathed ...

tears blurred the mutant's vision, choked sobs hidden behind his trembling lip. tears spilled down his cheek and stained the image with his anguish. not only did he fail at protecting this city, but he failed his job as the eldest brother. nothing could change the past, but if he wasn't strong enough to protect his brothers then, how could he now? after it all, he could still feel the kraang crawling in his flesh, that monster's hunger for destruction still etched into his subconscious. what if they didn't lock the kraang away forever? if it came back with a powerful vengeance and destroyed his city, his family, and the life they worked so hard to rebuild? he holds the picture close, tucking his knees to his plastron and sobbing quietly.

overwhelmed by his grief, raph didn't hear someone ascending the ladder to the rooftop, landing with a soft thud. (name) is relieved to have found him, though pauses when she hears shaky sighs and quiet cries. her heart breaks at the realization that it's coming from her beloved turtle, and she approaches slowly before kneeling behind him. she's hesitant to reach out to him, so she just keeps herself an arm's length away to give him some space.

"raph?"

even though her voice barely raises above a whisper, raph still flinches in surprise; he's quick to rub the tears off of his face, sniffling in attempt to compose himself. his guts twist into knots when he feels her soft eyes on him, the thought of seeing her features drawn into worry making his lip tremble. he bites down on it to calm himself, tilting his head just enough to sneak a glance in her direction; though he doesn't meet her eye, choosing to look at the ground behind her as he forces a smile on his face. "angel, what're you doin' here? I thought you were asleep." his voice squeaks during his greeting, failing to keep steady due to how sore his throat was.

"mhm, i woke up after the movie and your brothers' said you went to your room, but i couldn't find you ... so i thought you might be up here." she answers, and his attention is already focused to the city in front of him. she slowly scoots closer, soon at his side as they both take in the view of the city. when she tilts her head after a long silence, she feels another ache shock her body; his skin was raw and tear-stained, his eyes agitated from rubbing and glossy from the inner turmoil brewing in his heart. her eyes wander to his hand, where she spots a familiar image held tightly in his grasp, as if he was terrified to lose that memory. she smiles, reaching over to place a reassuring touch on his arm as she motions to the picture. "i thought we lost that," his attention is drawn to her hand, looking down at the picture. he shakes his head, a small yet genuine smile creeping on his face. "nope, i've kept it this entire time."

"wasn't that april's birthday, when she wanted to watch the sunset?"

"yeah, it was..."

"didn't you get stomped in that game of mario kart too?"

that catches the turtle's attention, his eyes raising to look at that playful grin on her face. he smirks, shaking his head as he's quick to rebuttal; "no, i let you all win only because it was april's birthday," he answers with a raised brow that makes her giggle, and it's the sweetest sound he's ever heard. though she sticks her tongue out in reply. "sure you did, raph."

"okay, be that way; but i don't wanna hear you cryin' when you lose next time!" his challenge makes the both of them laugh, and he shakes his head after the laughter dies down before looking back at the image. the playful jabbing eased some of his nerves, but that fear still made his chest ache. raph knows (name) sees it, though she says nothing as she rubs her hand affectionately against his arm, the touch reassuring on its own and not requiring words to be shared between them. he appreciates the space she gives, not pressuring him to talk but just being there to support him. he was concerned about sharing his burdens to her, though she does nothing but welcome it as she senses his hesitance.

"what's on your mind, teddy bear?"

raph breaks, venting every possible emotion he was possibly living in; his anxiety about the return of the kraang, his grief of failing to protect this city, and how he failed as the eldest of his brothers. how he couldn't protect them or prepare them for this world, and how his weakness almost became their downfall. tears fall somewhere between his rants, yet she never interrupts his rant as he spills out to her in soft cries. they've turned to face each other, her hands holding onto his hand and squeezing gently to comfort him. when he's finished, she leans closer to him with a smile.

"raphael, my love ... you are one of the strongest people i know. your bravery knows no bounds, and you'd sacrifice yourself a million times again before you'd let your brothers go. i've seen that determination in them as i've seen it in you; and that shows just how much you've taught them. it's not your fault that the burden of protecting the world has been handed to you, yet you've fought like hell to carry it so the world didn't have to; and you still continue to do so, despite the struggles you've faced,"

each word melts the turtle, and he looks at her with wide, glossy eyes as she cups his face between her hands and makes him face her.

"there isn't a measurement for how proud your family and i are to have you as a brother, son, and hero. we love you and will support you to the moon and beyond. as for whatever evils we face, we will fight them together as a team. we've always been stronger that way." her conclusion was reached as she leans closer, pressing a gentle kiss against his beak. his eyes are wide open, feeling his heart thump heavily in his chest. tears had stilled themselves during her monologue, but soon resumed as his chest ached at her words.

he pulls her tight against his plastron, winding his arms around her back and embracing her. raph minds his strength and tries not to hurt her, but she wraps her arms around his neck and holds him tighter anyways. he shakes and sniffles, relieved by her heartfelt words as they sit together in silence. when he calms down, he kisses the side of her temple and smiles against her skin.

"(name), you have no idea what that means to me ... thank you."

she grins, pulling away to look up into his eyes and wipe his cheeks with her thumbs.

"of course, raph. i'll be here forever, as long as you want me to be."

which makes him all flustered and gets her laughing. he grins, the love behind his eyes almost sickening as he still holds you close.

"always, angel. always."

even if he's just trying to tease her, the sincerity laced within his loving tone was enough to make her heart skip a million beats.

"good ... so why don't we go back to the lair so i can beat you at mario kart AGAIN?"

"game. on. you are so gonna eat those words, (name)!"

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wild-houseplant · 2 years

Note

Hi hello!!!!!!!!! XD XD XD XD I hope you're having a fantastic day!!!! I noticed I haven't asked any if the questions from the Romance Asks for Rhodri and Zevran, which cannot stand!! I am correcting this error now. I would please like to ask:

2. What was the first moment that they knew they were in love with their LI?

3. When they are having a fight, what is it about and how do they deal with it?

11. Do they have any inside jokes?

30. How does their love change as they get older?

Choose questions as you please, whichever tickle your fancy ^^ I hope you continue having a fantastic day!!

I am LATE LATE LATE darling friend I'm sorry!! I was working away on these in fits and starts this entire time and had to pare it down to something that didn't approach thesis length and actually answered the questions succinctly (not my strong suit!). Hopefully they'll read halfway decently though 😂😂 I'll spare you the waffle and get right to it, but I hope you're having a gorgeous day of moderate temperatures and packed to the brim with deliciously good luck!!! <3 <3 under the cut because even despite my edits it's... Long.

2. What was the first moment they realised they were in love with their LI?

Ahahahahahaha oh god. Uhhh the short answer is that Rhodri and Zevran were informed of their love by others and had to piece it together from there. Mortifying for all concerned, to say the least.

It basically went like this:

Leliana: Zevran, she loves you. Go and talk to her

Zevran: u wht

Five minutes later

Zevran: Rhodri, Leliana said you love me

Rhodri: 👁️👄👁️ Good heavens, she’s absolutely right. I do, yes

Zevran: Right. I see. And… ah… do I love you, too?

Rhodri: ????

Zevran: ????

Somehow they emerged from that conversation engaged, and neither they nor I can find the words for what a freakishly surreal experience the entire thing was. They didn’t even dive into a throe of passionate declarations or actions afterward, instead so astonished and shaken by it all (Rhodri especially) that they ate a sandwich and went to sleep with barely a word said between them. As with most things in life, though, the nap put them on the right track again.

3. When they’re having a fight, what is it about and how do they deal with it?

Look. I have about 3 300 words of notes on this and cannot find a way to answer this that’s short or even succinct. Here’s attempt 5 or 6 hahahaha

Tl;dr of it is: they don’t really fight, because they have nothing to fight about; they avoid doing things that will upset the other; they let the other have their way whenever possible, and honestly they can't bear to fight with each other.

Longer version, still very much abridged: The closest they came to a fight was that little incident with Zevran’s earring (Rhodri was too shocked to fight, though, so it was basically just Zevran losing his cool), or Rhodri going to pieces when Zevran told her he was leaving for Antiva without her to take on the Crows.

Both of those fights were horrible because they touched on traumas they both have, acquired during the Blight, and said traumas persist for the rest of their lives. They hate fighting.

Happily, they don't have much to fight about, a) because it never gets that far, and B) they haven't got anything to argue about.

Now I do hc Zev as naturally inclined to cling, because in my worldstate he has a higher baseline need for affection than most people. For most of his life he's been completely starved of it and treated with such callous indifference that if the need weren't as high as it was, he might have fully convinced himself he could live without it and turn 'cold' in the way the Crows encouraged. Along comes Rhodri, who treats this poor bastard like a person and awakens this need, and then add in his flavour of Blight-PTSD, and Zev is just about made of velcro.

Rhodri complements this beautifully (and unfortunately), having been constantly surrounded by people all her waking hours since day one. Her father tenderly cultivated her extraversion such that now she can't stand being by herself, so Zev and Rhod are very happily by each other's side as often as possible. They end up very attuned to each other (as often results in such circumstances), so anything even vaguely annoying they might do, if the offending person doesn’t notice it themselves, is very easily and gently redirected before it could progress into something fight-worthy. Too easy.

Clashes in terms of values are rare, because they do share most, if not all, their fundamental values. To me, both of them are the type to speak up if something is wrong, but are more flexible (Zevran especially so) on how something is done. They like working together, and I like to think they’re both fairly clever, so they enjoy sitting down and puzzling out the best way to go about something. It’s peaceful, creative, and full of compliments– and often in these ideas sessions, they’ll get very off-track and end up buggerising about for hours more than they had planned.

And really, they are who the other one turns to for safety and care, and since their top priority is the other’s health and wellbeing, they’re far more inclined to indulge the other than argue or try to get their own way. At the end of the day, they’re both very vulnerable people. They know this painfully well about the other, due to how their traumas resurface, and they’ll go to incredible lengths to keep the other comfortable and happy. It's not the most effective way to heal the trauma, and if one of them developed a mean streak, things would be disastrous.

But they're not mean, and they don't become mean either. They shield each other from discomfort, for better and worse, and they're good and gentle and patient with each other and do it all with the very best of intentions, every day without fail for the rest of their lives. As far as they're concerned, it's enough.

11. Do they have any inside jokes?

Oh, tons. Not all of them are apparent to me, but they’re both the type to seize the opportunity to make a funny whenever it presents itself.

This one’s small and ridiculous, but Zevran just about loses his shit when he gets the chance to whip it out.

For context: Rhodri’s rubbish at identifying raw ingredients. Rich kids don’t need to know the ins and outs of cooking; she didn’t even find out that meals didn’t come fully-assembled ‘til she was five. In summative years, Circle members weren’t allowed to cook in case they poisoned people’s food, plus the food they got was rather limited in range.

And now the story: On the way to Minrathous (which is a looooooong carriage ride from anywhere else when you’re taking the Imperial Highway), Zevran and Rhodri are passing the time by playing I Spy. It's Rhodri’s turn to find something. She looks outside, and then inside the carriage, and ends up choosing one of the fruits in their snack basket.

“I spy with my little eye,” declares she, “something beginning with A.”

Zevran guesses all the most likely things with no success. He moves onto less likely things, then completely unlikely things, and then he even tries A- words in other languages. Not a sausage.

For the first time in his I Spy career, he gives up. Rhodri can scarcely believe it; she’s terrible at hiding what she guesses, so he usually wins within a few tries.

Too shocked to be pleased, she reveals the word: Apple.

Odd, Zevvo thinks; they're in the warmer part of Tevinter now. Apples aren’t popular up here, especially to grow. He blinks.

“Ah… apple? Where did you see one of those? Was it out the window?” He looks outside.

“No, no,” says Rhodri. She reaches into the basket, takes one of the fruits, and holds it up with all the conviction in the world. “It’s right here, see?”

Zevran’s eyes just about fall out of his head. His diaphragm’s going to explode. He’s actively passing away.

“My love,” he gasps, choking on a guffaw, “that is a peach.”

Rhodri frowns. “No, no, a peach is this one.” She takes out a nectarine. “No, wait, that’s an apple, too… now wait a minute, where did I see a peach…?” She pulls out a mango. “Ah, this one!”

Zevran’s now openly weep-laughing. He can’t pull himself together. I mean, really. What the fuck, Rhodri.

Now, whenever he sees her eating any kind of stone fruit, he’ll slip over and put an arm around her, and through a huge grin, he’ll say it with all the drama in him:

“IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII spyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy with myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy little eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye…”

And then proceeds to cackle madly as Rhodri flops against him and groans like a condemned house.

30. How does their love change as they get older?

Ooh. This is a good one! I’d say the change is mostly physical, to be honest. They start out with all the vitality and energy of youth– along with years of training and an acquired blood infection that gives them all manner of physical advantages. That means a lot of boisterous displays of affection, especially from Rhodri. Pick up the beloved and carry them like a suitcase? Lovely. Swing the beloved around while dancing like they’re made of feathers? Just the thing. But that has to be dialled back as age starts to take its toll.

Zevran in particular ends up requiring a lot of care as the years go on. By the time he meets Rhodri, he’s already sustained some damage to his hip sockets as a result of the racking- joints that dislocate and weren’t put back in properly can pinch the nerve, the bones can degrade, new bone can grow outside of the skeleton and compress nerves/blood vessels… disaster. And the older he gets, the more his joints protest. Rhodri also starts to tire easier after the Taint is cured. She still ends up hauling around the bulk of muscle she put on (she’s stuck with that), but without the additional stamina the Taint grants.

In practice, for both of them this means: naps together instead of piggybacks with reckless abandon, extra time taken to do things, and being physically gentler with each other. Even hand-holding is something they have to alter for days when Zevran’s finger joints complain too much (their solution is that Rhod holds her hand in a fist and Zevran holds onto that so his fingers are spared the bending and pressure.)

Happily, the worst of it is kept at bay thanks to magical advances. Rhodri uses all the (ethical) blood magic she can get her hands on to relieve his discomfort, but they don’t know precisely where all the pain is coming from (I hc at least some of Zevran’s issue is psychosomatic and they don’t quite know that).

Fortunately, the psychosomatic pain is responsive to massage, so their morning routine comes to start with Rhodri taking an hour or so to lovingly rubbing liniment into all the achy joints and their surrounds. She’s taken massage pointers from him and ends up getting quite good at it, and both of them come out of it feeling better for it. For issues that crop up during the day, they just make accommodations. Luckily, they are wealthy enough to be able to make any accommodation they could possibly desire, and Tevinter, with all its magical advances, is a much more accessible place than most, especially with money and connections.

Emotionally, not much changes. They find comfort in each other’s presence– and to an extent they never completely learn to find comfort in the other’s absence.Their trauma makes them cling to each other tighter rather than drive them apart. They get used to each other's cues in the way people do when they're in each other's company constantly, and so they settle into each other more and more as the years pass.

Ironically enough, as a result of this Zevran finds himself kept more on his toes with grand surprises (gifts and thoughtful gestures) than ever before. And Rhodri rarely misses one of Zevran’s jokes any more, which means she plays along more, so they end up getting into the most ridiculous, cracked banter, in public and private. People think they’re out of their minds, and they would be absolutely right.

#this was soooo long and so much fun to do my friendo!! thank you so much for the ask #and sorry again for the big delay #props to you if you read all that honestly #rhodri amell #zevran #zevri #dragon age: origins #askin' games #i spy

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ka-za-ri · 4 years

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Obey Me wants to do Too Much and in an attempt to please the fans, it’s failing them instead.

Based on the post @1abbie7 made regarding the common complaints players seem to have with OM and its choices as a game. I just wanted to put my two (very long) cents in while looking at OM as if it is the gacha game it truly wishes it was.

MAJOR DISCLAIMER: this post is based on my experiences and is not a reflection of the community as a whole. These are observations and personal thoughts and should be taken with a grain of salt. Also, please feel free to discuss or correct me if I have any of the information wrong. For reference, I’ve reached 5-3 in OM!, 9-2 in AL, and 6-17 in AK.

Now that we have that out of the way… ON TO WHAT I WANT TO SAY. Buckle in folks, I’m rambly and I have a lot to say. Obey Me! Has a lot of potential, and it’s a shame that a lot of things Solmare does are not helping it grow in a way that it could.

So this post is MOSTLY going to be comparing Obey Me!’s (OM) gacha and gaming experience with Azur Lane (AL) and Arknights (AK) since I feel like both those games have a very good f2p model and don’t really have any PvP/Ranking system that affects the main gameplay. I will have other examples from other games that I’ve played before as well.

Ignoring any issues with storytelling and plot holes, since I feel like there are people who are much more qualified to speak upon that than I am, I’m just going to look at the more game and gacha experience.

EVENT SPACING, GAMEPLAY, STAMINA REFRESHES:

OM! As far as I know, is marketed as an Otome game with gacha and … Rhythm??? Game??? Elements? (I’m not quite sure how to even describe the ‘battle’ stages tbh) to break up the story stages. With the battle stages being the main way you can farm for materials to power up your cards, the bottlenecks that are built into the game are surprisingly super frustrating.

OM! Does not have an auto battle option, but it does make up for it by allowing you to sweep the stage once you’ve received 3 stars. This does make resource farming much quicker, but this also means that your stamina will disappear faster than ice in a desert. Coupled with the fact that the battle stages don’t really have much interaction or strategy for a good portion of the beginning of the game, there’s no real replay value in trying for older stages unless they have the resource you want to farm.

I guess I can let this pass since interaction isn’t what’s really marketed, but it IS important to keep your audience logging in and eager to play. At Level 40-ish, my current stamina cap is around 70. WIth the average stamina cost of a regular stage being 5 AP, and the hard stages being 8. This means you’ve got 14 normal stages and less than 10 hard stages in a full bar of stamina. Assuming I log in twice a day to get the bonus AP, that’s really not a lot of stamina to work with and just enough to maybe get through my dailies.

Having that little stamina makes farming resources exceptionally difficult especially for the high requirements needed once you get about half-way through a devil tree. Add that to dealing with farming event points almost constantly, with your limited stamina pool, you’re pretty much forced to purchase extra stamina to meet the requirements to finish said events to get the rewards. Assuming you spend all of your daily Devil Point reward on Stamina, that’s only 180 stamina a day which makes for a really tight run IF you’re aiming to get everything in an event.

ADDITIONALLY, this is also the fact that events and new lessons don’t seem to be announced prior to them dropping. Almost every gacha game I’ve played before will give you a few days notice before an event drops whether it be via Social media or through in-game mail. This is to mainly generate excitement and allows players some time to prepare, whether it be hoarding what stamina refreshes they have or saving premium currency for gachas to hopefully get the chase card/unit that they’re looking for. Not being able to prepare makes it difficult to stay engaged considering you CONSTANTLY have to have resources/stamina to partake in all the events and you can’t plan accordingly.

AK announcing the current event two days prior to it starting in game and on twitter:

AL’s announcement on the 12th, almost a week prior to it starting. Maintenance was on the 17th when the game reset.. (In game notices update regularly and I don’t have a screenshot of what it would look like since maintenance has already passed.)

OM! basically giving people on twitter about 24 hours notice of a new event dropping followed by announcing that the new lessons are available on the day it drops:

I understand that OM! Devs may want to keep the new cards a surprise to players. If stats and skills played a more prominent role in the game, maybe there would be a better way to tease these events to build up hype. As of right now though, it feels like a surprise slap in the face to force players to purchase currency in order to maintain that stamina requirement. IF Solmare is adamant about having back-to-back events, at least provide players with a roadmap or a calendar so they can pick and choose what’s important to them.

Just… Don’t let it become like the FEH calendar…

Please, do not let it become like this.

In my opinion, it feels like OM! Has a bit of an identity crisis. It sorely wants to bank on the money making powers of a gacha game while also clinging to the claim that they’re an otome game revolving around the plot. It’s hard to really promote the plot when it’s locked behind a power requirement that a majority of players will not be able to reach.

With how difficult it is at the end game, players are most likely going to look for transcripts or screenshots of new lessons instead of playing the main storyline in order to save what little they have for the constant limited events. Either give the players time to recoup resources to prepare for your events so they can pull for all your new cards or lower the difficulty cap to give players the story you’re emphasizing so much.

Tl;dr: back-to-back events will burn out players and not announcing them prior does not allow players to prepare resources, forcing them to drop money on the game. The amount of stamina it takes to complete an event AND level your cards does not make it f2p friendly.

GACHA RATES AND PITY SYSTEM:

Call me spoiled, but I feel like OM! ‘S banner rates are too low. Consider the following image for the current banner pool:

That’s a combined 1% to get your UR and that’s still not going to be guaranteed to get what you want. Consider the following rates from other games:

Azur Lane:

(Ultra Rare was a new rarity that was added with this new banner. Before that the highest rarity you could pull is a Super Rare)

Arknights:

Fire Emblem Heroes:

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: War of the Visions

For a game that’s always introducing new cards, you’d think that OM! Would maybe consider raising those rates so people won’t be so heartbroken when they don’t have enough currency for a 10 pull. (Especially if they have been spending what Devil Points they have on stamina to complete event stages) Yes, a majority of banners have bigger pools and the chance for a specific 6*/UR/SSR is ultimately lower; but considering in OM!, you have stories and characterization locked behind devilgrams connected to these cards, the rates are pitifully low. At least in the other games listed, the units/cards/operators/ships aren’t tied to stories.

I will say, the pity system isn’t absolutely abysmal. Keep in mind though, this is based on the assumption that you’ve saved up for 100 pulls. Considering how difficult it is to save that much currency while being f2p 100 pulls per banner is a tall order and impossible without the help of goldie or somethin. The frequency of new cards along with the difficulty obtaining gacha currency creates an extremely predatory model of currency purchase. With no guarantee of when event banners will be rerun, you’re pretty SOL if you make it half way through this pity system and you’re sitting on shards you can’t use.

Players will get tired of this model mega fast. Especially with these kinds of rates. Assuming that your luck is the worst on earth, you need 2,700 Devil Points to reach the pity breaker. That’s more than two packs worth of Devil Points. So we’re looking at over $160.00 USD to get a guaranteed UR. Seeing as new banners come what feels like every two weeks or so, you’re looking at over $300.00 USD a month JUST for the gacha. If OM! Was purely a gacha game without such a heavy emphasis on the characters and the stories/scenarios they unlock, I might be able to overlook it. However, since the cards themselves unlock cheats for events and outfits and devilgram scenarios, that’s a steep price to pay, so I kinda just have to say… Yikes.

Tl;Dr: For a game that has so much content tied to limited cards and events, gacha rates for OM! Feel too low. Pity system is average as long as you have the currency to complete all 100 pulls. The reason to purchase premium currency is predatory and likely will not be sustainable in the long run.

MONTHLY PACKS AND PREMIUM CURRENCY

So, we can agree that if you don’t have some cash on hand, it’s not going to be a real fun time to play OM! So, where do you spend your money? Let’s take a look at what they offer in terms of premium currency and how far that will get you. It’s also almost 3AM here and I’m losing my patience and filter, so excuse me if I sound more angry here than in the rest of the post.

So, here’s the basic Devil Point Shop for reference:

If we equate Devil Points to stamina, you’re looking at about 100 stamina per dollar you spend. But let’s be real, Solmare makes their money off of gacha and them pretty pngs ‘cause y’all want those spicy devilgrams and sweet outfits for your secretary.

To even get a 10 pull, you’re looking at $22.00 USD worth of premium currency. (Why they didn’t make the $19.99 pack a full 10 pull is BEYOND me tbh.) Now most gacha players that I know who are willing to go all in on a specific banner will want to spend a pack, which means they’ll go for the most expensive option as it is the most bang for your buck. That’s an $80.00 pack for approximately 4 10 pulls and some change. Let’s compare that to the price of some Originite Prime from AK:

It takes approximately 33 OP for one 10 pull in AK. 1 OP = 180 Orundum (currency used for gacha) Keeping this in mind, if you don’t count the first time purchase bonus, at first glance, it’s overall more expensive to purchase this currency SOLELY for gacha purposes.

Here are the packs offered for AL:

If you’re using gems to purchase the cubes needed for the gacha, it takes about 600 gems for 1 10 pull. One pack will net you about 8 10 pulls. Out of all the models we’ve looked at, this is honestly the most value for your dollar specifically for gacha purposes.

Take into consideration what the premium currency is used for. As stated above, 1 DP = 10 stamina. 1 OP = 1 Full stamina refresh in AK, so that’s a pretty equivalent exchange rate. (I won’t go into the AL stamina and gacha system since it differs too much from OM! To really make a good comparison.)

But, what else can DP do? A quick glance under the “Items” tab in the shop, you’ll see that it can also purchase Keys to read your devilgram stories (integral to your gaming experience), Demon Vouchers for summoning, Glow Sticks to help you in battle (Integral to gameplay), and consumables for your Surprise Guests to raise intimacy (arguably connected to gameplay). Compare this to what you can purchase with your OP outside of summoning currency in AK: Furniture (cosmetic) and Skins (Cosmetic). That’s it.

What I’m trying to say here is that Solmare has made DP the currency for so many things that affect the game itself. This subtly pressures the players to purchase DP in order to maintain the same quality of life that they might have experienced at the beginning of their gaming experience when the level ups came fast and when the rewards were plentiful for completing all the beginners quests.

“But wait!” you say. There’s ways to earn DP passively through dailies! You’re right! You’re given 18 DP per day for completing your dailies. That equates to 1 10 pull per 2 weeks if you’re diligent in keeping up with all your quests and log in daily. Comparatively, AK will give you 2,800 orundum per week for completing all your quests and the weekly annihilation runs, so just short of 1 full 10 pull in the game. However, AK gives you the specific currency used exclusively for gacha. This leaves your OP relatively free to be used for stamina refreshes, or you can hoard them for when new skins come out, or you can use a few to supplement your missing orundum for a banner pull.

Without knowing what could be coming up next in terms of events and banners, OM! Makes it very difficult for you to hold onto your DP due to the sheer stamina sink that events can be. Unless you’re really good at optimizing your resources, you’re likely going to be spending DP on things outside of gacha, making it difficult to save those 20 pulls in a month.

Tl:dr: DP is used for too many things that aid in gameplay which leaves less for gacha, forcing players to make a choice between moving forward in harder story stages or unlocking card specific stories.

Alright, but let’s say you don’t have enough for packs, but you still want to support a game. You don’t wanna whale ‘cause you got bills to pay, but maybe you’ve got enough to be a minnow or a very sad and small dolphin. For this, most people turn to those delicious monthly packs. Usually, the monthly packs or subscriptions are really a good bang for your buck. Usually, the bonuses that these packs provide will add up to a value that is much more than your initial investment in them. So, let’s look at what OM!, AK and AL offer, shall we?

Let’s break down what the VIP gives you since there’s quite a bit and it’s presented in a less condensed format. So, at first glance, I have to ask… “VIP login bonus?” What does that even mean? When you look at the details the description is as follows:

I’m sorry, what? This vagueness will not help sell this pack to me. Most monthly packs will give you premium currency right away that is equivalent to the amount that you paid. You can see that both AK and AL list this and also let you know exactly what else you get for the next 30 days. There’s no vagueness in what these packs provide.

Next thing to look at:

I’m sorry. What? I don’t understand why a max AP increase is the choice for a VIP perk here. This is banking on the fact that you’re going to be playing at max efficiency and will be under max stamina in order to take advantage of the refill timer giving you the extra AP. Why OM! Doesn’t just give you the stamina in your mail is beyond my comprehension. This is just saying “yeah, you could have more stamina if you’re playing this game and making sure you’re below your cap. I … no. Just why.

NEXT PERK:

No. This is useless for higher level players. Perks should benefit all players, not just your new players that you’ve tricked into spending money ‘cause this pack is only $9.99 a month. I’m so angry at this I don’t want to look at this anymore. NEXT.

This is a fine perk. Paying for easier passive resources is fine. I don’t have anything to say.. Next.

Oh thank fuck. An actual good perk. Passively getting the harder to get resources which cuts down on your already limited farming? Hell yeah. Also fine in my book. NEXT.

“Spend money to spend more money! Because we know this monthly deal ain’t shit!” is all I’m getting out of this.

Finally, I need to talk about this:

So… you’re telling me that for $10.00, I’m going to get $6.00 worth of DP and I won’t get the full value unless I STAY subscribed? If I cancel and then resubscribe, will that go back to 60 DP when I subscribe later? Why would you do this other than to give your players less than what they deserve? These packs are supposed to be designed to give you the value of your purchase and some extras as incentive to keep playing and coming back to pay. This just… as a first impression leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Also, let’s talk about the fact that you’re BILLED MONTHLY? Listen, I get that they’re trying to be ‘convenient’ so you can set this up and forget about it and reap the benefits, right? It’s about the same cost as a Netflix subscription, no big deal. But listen, that means they’re also banking on you to forget you even have this subscription if you’re a casual player and you’re going to continue to give them money Stop that Solmare. Bad.

I’m too tired to look at sales. Just as a quick glance. the discounts and deal are meh at best.

Tl:dr: Monthly pack is underwhelming and likely not worth it. Automatically being billed monthly is the worst thing I’ve seen all week and this was written in 2020.

SOME SUGGESTIONS? IT’S NOT ALL BAD, I PROMISE.

So, how can Solmare improve? OM! Is honestly one of the most stylish otome games I’ve seen and has a lot of potential to continue growing its player base if the devs directed their energies in the right direction. Right now, OM! Suffers due to the fact that it’s trying to do too much in too little time. For a game that’s less than a year old, it’s pushed out enough content in the last three months to last six. Dialing back the gacha and collecting elements to focus on the story and a slower pace would really help, if you ask me.

OM! Really needs to slow its roll. Events are losing their impact from being rolled out at such a quick pace on top of current pop quizzes, new lessons and banners. Every week I feel like I’m watching the more hardcore players yell at having too much to do when everything is layered on top of one another. This is not inherently a bad thing. Having a lot to do keeps the player base engaged and excited for your game.

The problem arises when you’re not giving your players any time to recover from events and just throw things at them all the time. Finding a good balance between events and downtime is difficult and it likely won’t happen overnight, but it would be nice to see them maybe give a week or two to really let the impact of events sink in and let players really find time to nurture or use the new cards/rewards they just got.

First step in the right direction would be giving more notice prior to events and lessons. Just something more than 24 hours before, or the day of. Not providing a notice makes it feel like these things are being rushed.

If Solmare is adamant about keeping the pace it’s set up, then give us a roadmap or event calendar of when new lessons or pop quizzes are coming. They can keep the details of the lessons and quizzes limited until closer to the actual dates, but at least this will let players prioritize where they want to put their resources.

Gacha rates for URs being raised to 2% would likely make a reasonable difference. When so much story and cosmetic content is tied to a UR or SSR cards along with their frequency, it serves to likely benefit them to make it more accessible to players. Locking so much behind luck and a paywall makes it more obvious that they only care about the money that they can get from the diehard collectors in the game.

Make skins obtainable by DP. Stop locking them behind event cards. Allow players to have easier access to cosmetic features. It’s a less predatory model than what they’ve got right now. Granted, Lonely Devil has sort of helped this issue considering they’ve grouped event reruns all in one place to play at your leisure, and if I remember some of the event cards have skins tied to them. Still, just… idk sell the skin on its own. It makes more sense than to pray that you roll that UR with the one 10 pull you have.

Make resources easier to obtain passively. I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but limited resources make this game difficult to enjoy. You’re barely through doing one thing to level up a card and you’re met with a giant wall of requirements for the next step. AL has commissions and the dorm, AK has the base. OM! Has Jobs, which gets you grimm and some items if you’re lucky, but it definitely needs expansion considering the power checkpoints late game.

Hell, just making some of those DP purchasable items actually farmable might help.

Get a publisher to work with you. I know Solmare has been around the block and this isn’t the first otome game they’ve made, but I definitely think working with a publisher who’s familiar with the ins and outs of a proper gacha helping them will benefit them. Having a publisher will help ensure that there’s adequate funding for the game to be as good as it can be. Not only that, you’re looking at a better social media presence which the player base can interact with and get more attached to.

Literally, having a publisher could solve so many pacing and announcement issues since they would be in charge of when events come out and likely has a better eye on how players react. This way, Solmare can concentrate on making the content as quality as they can and not inundate people with a new lesson or event as soon as it’s done.

Tl:dr: Solmare, please get a proper publisher so they can help with quality control and balancing your game. Please. I’m begging you. You have so much going for you please don’t let this game die before it turns a year old.

Ok. it’s 4 AM and I spent most of the day writing this post. If you’ve made it this far, congrats and I’m sorry for being so rambly. I’m so sorry if none of this made any sense in the end. I’m sure there are points that I’ve missed out on like stage replayability and a more engaging battle mode, and the lack of any sort of meta which makes the lower rarity cards you pull feel completely useless… but uh… I can’t think anymore and I haven’t had time to farm in my horny ship girl game. Feel free to let me know your thoughts or discuss!

Thanks for your time and I hope y’all have a good day. Happy romancing some demon boys!

#Obey me!#Some long winded critiques #this is barely edited I'm sorry for any errors you might find

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maraudersftw · 3 years

Note

This is weird. My dialogue is awful. I've been writing for over eight years now. I've barely improved. I feel demoralised every time I reread something of mine because it's just plain terrible. Like, there's no way anyone is actually ever going to say that. Let alone two super witty people, you just know would be great at bantering / flirting. I've asked people to beta, they're just too nice to actually tell me the very apparent issue with my dialogue. I'm not exaggerating. What should I do?

Hey, anon! First of all, I'm honoured that you thought of reaching out to me for this question even though I'm definitely still learning a lot of things about writing and what feels right to me myself. But I understand where you're coming from, and I'll do my best to help you out in whatever way I can. If any of my lovely writer mutuals have more to add, please feel free to do so!

1. Before I even start talking about anything else, it's important to remember that we're our own toughest critic, so it's possible (and quite likely) that your dialogues are not nearly as terrible as you think they are. When you've been writing and staring at the same words you've written multiple times, even the most interesting of dialogues can feel lame and try-hard to you. Whenever I write a fic and proofread through it before posting, 9/10 times I feel like it sounds boring or too dragged out. And it's because I already know what's going to happen, what the other person is going to say. Even if something is meant to be witty, I no longer find it to be so because I've written them. Return to your fics a year from now and you may feel differently.

2. Your betas are there to help you. I know it's difficult to broach that awkward boundary where you want them to be brutally honest about your writing vs wanting strangers on the internet to shower you with validation, but if you really, genuinely, want to improve your writing and make the maximum use of your betas, try talking to them about it. From what you've told me, they seem like very nice people, and if you tell them that they should just be as critical with your writing as they are with theirs, I think they'd understand. If they find that uncomfortable, that's fair. You can always ask someone else. I find that having different betas for different fics is always a good idea because you get to see how differing perspectives work.

3. Ask your betas to leave you comments when they're editing. It's easier to just pass on the doc and have them fix your typos and grammatical errors, but ask them how you can improve the dialogue and pacing as well! Tell them to leave some tips for you as they go over your work. This way, it doesn't have to be an one-on-one conversation (so neither of you feel awkward), and you can just return to the doc later and go through the suggestions slowly and imbibe them into your future works.

4. This might sound very simple, but it's important to remember when you're writing fic that these characters are normal humans who talk and behave like normal humans do. Sometimes, the whole flirting/bantering feel of the conversation just comes through from their actions and not their words. For eg. instead of writing something like:

"Hey, Potter! Are you free this weekend?" asked Lily.

"Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?" He smirked.

"Maybe I do."

You bring the scene to life through the same words, but more actions. Like so:

"Hey, Potter!" Lily called, her fingers tentative as they fell on his arm. James turned around, one eyebrow cocked. "Are you free this weekend?"

He looked at her silently, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?"

Lily's eyes glittered with the thrill of a challenge, and she pressed a little closer. "Maybe I do."

5. Make sure that you let your characters talk and breathe like normal humans, too! Let them take those heavy pauses for tense scenes, let them break off in between sentences because they can't finish a thought right or they're laughing too hard or they've just suddenly remembered something that froze them on the spot. Let them fumble and sigh and repeat words like we do IRL conversations. If your character is having an argument, and they're red in the face, they're probably not gonna say: "Why not?"

They're much more likely to say: "Well, why the hell not?!"

You can throw in a couple of "um"s and "uh"s and "er"s for those unsure few milliseconds. Em dashes are your best friends here. Sometimes, even saying that they're pausing to think or breathe or collect themselves can help bring your dialogues to life.

But yeah, don't overdo them either coz then the flow might break lol

6. Read! Read! Read! As writers, we sometimes forget to really read other stories or appreciate different characterizations and writing styles, which can make your writing growth halt. Not saying this is true for everyone, but reading more definitely doesn't do harm. And especially for us fanfic writers, this works even better, because we're writing about the same characters again and again. If you read another writer's take on it, you'll slowly start to hold onto the pattern of how a certain character speaks, or what they're likely to do. This is extremely useful when writing a dialogue. For instance, I know how headstrong and stubborn Lily is, I've read so many takes on this trait of hers. So when I write my dialogues, I know I can't have her backing down easily. She will go red in the face, she will yell, she will be in denial, and say harsh things she probably doesn't mean entirely when she's mad. But at the same time, I also know she's unflinchingly kind, so you know you have to write that she speaks in soft tones when comforting someone. She probably smiles really kindly, tucks her hair behind her ear when she's shy, confesses things with a lot of bravery, watches James from the sidelines with the softest expression (sorry, got lost in the feels for a sec)

Similarly, you've gotta make James be the loudest one in the room, the one who's voice carries over to everyone, who's absolutely unabashed in his dialogues and whose confidence shines through his words. But the same boy then turns unsure and tentative in moments where his heart is on the line. I always write his dialogues as super vulnerable during such scenes (much more than Lily's would be). A lot of desperation, pleases, promises, etc. etc.

I know this got really long, and I'm not sure if any of it was at all helpful. If you're looking for something specific, please do send in another ask! I don't mind helping out!

#asks #claudia talks writing #anon #writing tips

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angellesword · 3 years

Text

MAGIC SHOP | JJK (03)

Description: You and Jungkook were best friends who were in love with each other. What would happen when Soojin, your half sister who you’re trying to impress, told you she’s in love with Jungkook too?

Alternatively:

“Would you believe me if I said that I was scared of everything too?”

Genre: childhood best friends to lovers, family drama, angst, fluff, slow burn, pining, slice of life au.

Pairing: Architect!Jungkook x Architect!Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings/Note: manipulation, homophobia.

SERIES: CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 4

Song for this chapter: Home - Edith Whiskers

*** THERE ARE ERRORS and I still have class! I’ll try to edit this chapter later. :)

Jungkook had been calling you nonstop since last, last week, unfortunately there wasn't any response from you.

It wasn't like there was an emergency. Your best friend just missed you so much that he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Jungkook! You need to wear this blue tie!" Especially now that Soojin was always by his side.

He was the type of person who needed a lot of time and space alone because he was a shy and soft boy at heart. However he had limits too. Jungkook got cranky when he was being forced to do things he didn't like.

"I bought this for you. Just wear it already!" Soojin pulled Jungkook's sleeve, forcing him to wear the blue tie to match her blue gown.

Jungkook groaned, crossing his arms. He was really, really starting to get annoyed.

He hated ties, be it a bowtie, bolo tie, or skinny necktie. It didn't matter what kind because he fucking hated all of them.

He felt like he was being strangled, restricted—like he had no freedom to do what he wanted.

Ties were suffocating.

Soojin was suffocating.

Jungkook suddenly regretted agreeing to be her date for tonight. He didn't realize that Soojin would be so...concerned about what they would look like on the red carpet.

Castle Architectural Firm was throwing a party to celebrate the construction of the luxury spa, mainly because this was the biggest project of the company for this year.

Aside from this, Taemin wanted to invite prospective clients, shareholders, and some architects who were interested to work for him. He was basically hitting two birds with one stone.

Three birds actually. This party was also for the employees, a simple way to show them that the company appreciated their efforts to help the firm grow.

You were invited too, and the first thing that came into your mind was to ask Jungkook to be your date. It had always been like that between the two of you, sadly you received a text message from your sister.

[7:52pm] Kim Soojin: you gonna attend the company's party?

[7:52pm] you: yeah i guess so..

[7:55pm] Kim Soojin: well don't tell that to JK. he might ask you to be his date. that CANT happen coz i wanna go with him.

[7:56pm] Kim Soojin: i'm also gonna confess to him so don't ruin this for me ok???

[7:56pm] Kim Soojin: i'll tell you when it's okay for u to talk to him again.

For some reason, you felt your heart sinking. You didn't have a choice but to tell her a lie.

[7:58pm] You: it's cool! i already have a date anyway.

[7:58pm] Kim Soojin: i'll tell JK that! see you at the party! love you sis 😘

You lied. You didn't have a date and you doubted that you could find one. The party was happening tomorrow night. You couldn't find a date in less than twenty four hours.

Perhaps it was better to go alone.

That was the plan: to go alone; however, the heavy feeling weighing you down was too much to bear.

You didn't want to be alone, so you called Yoongi.

If you were the type of sister who couldn't say no to Soojin, Min Yoongi, on the other hand, was the type of friend who couldn't say no to you.

"You know it's your fault I'm not getting dicked down tonight, right?" Yoongi sounded annoyed, but you knew deep down he was pleased that you chose him to be your plus one tonight.

Okay, fine—this was a lie.

Yoongi wasn't exactly thrilled when you told him to prepare his three piece suit since you wanted him to pick you up four hours ago.

Because of you, he had to cancel his first date with some grindr dude he had been gushing over since last week.

You wanted to say "come on! He'll give you another chance if he really likes you." But you couldn't because life was not a fairytale and people who used grindr were mostly looking for a quick fuck, not a serious relationship.

"Sorry, Yoongs," you heaved a deep sigh, feeling guilty. "I'm just scared to be alone," was what you said, explaining that you needed him because if he was by your side all throughout the party, the guests wouldn't have the chance to show you their fake sympathies.

The last thing you needed was for people to remind you that you fucked up, that you failed because you were not as smart or as strong as Soojin.

Yoongi felt like his heart was being cracked open because of your confession. It wasn't your intention to hurt him—you swore you weren't manipulating him through using your greatest fear.

It just so happened that Yoongi knew exactly how you felt. He understood it because he used to be like you.

He used to be scared with the thought of being surrounded by people and realizing that he was still alone.

Because those people didn't come to see him or to be with him.

They were there for someone else.

As it turned out, Yoongi was at this party for someone else too.

It wasn't intentional. You guessed the world where you lived was simply small.

'V' was the name of Yoongi's grindr date. Tonight you found out that Kim Taehyung, your older brother, was also known as V.

You weren't really close with Taehyung, mainly because it had only been less than three months since you met him. As mentioned, he spent his whole life abroad.

Taehyung didn't even know you existed until five years ago. Sin-ae didn't want anyone to know that her husband cheated on her and so she told Taemin that you could only live with them under the condition that you would keep your mouth shut about your real relationship with the Kims.

But in the end, your siblings found out. Taehyung was the last one to know because according to Sin-ae, her third born son was sensitive. She didn't want him to worry about someone like you.

You weren't a threat. In the eyes of the public, you were just an orphan—one of the charity cases of the Kims.

Everyone in their family treated you like you didn't exist. Namjoon and Seokjin barely looked at you.

They even leave the room if you were around.

But Soojin wasn't like her siblings. She treated you like her sister. She talked to you, ate with you, and sometimes played dolls with you.

She wasn't always nice, but it felt good to be acknowledged, to be called as her sister—to make you feel like you belonged to their family.

You wanted Taehyung to treat you the same way Soojin treated you. Perhaps he could like you if you proved to him that you could be trusted.

Taehyung hadn't told his family that he was gay. This was the main reason why he stayed in New York for so long. He was afraid to be himself because he knew that his family wasn't gonna approve with this.

They wanted him to find a beautiful wife and to manage their other businesses. The Kims didn't only focus on architecture. Their family also tried their luck in industries like engineering and painting. As a matter of fact, Sin-ae recently opened her own museum. Taehyung was currently working there as a curator.

He would probably be focusing on that museum because his other siblings were taking different paths. Soojin was the sole heir of Castle Architectural Firm. Seokjin and Namjoon waived their rights as heirs in the mentioned company since Taemin already funded their engineering firms.

"You sure you're gonna be fine here?" Yoongi asked, hesitant to leave you alone while he spent time with your brother.

"Of course. Go, Yoongi. You've done enough," assured by you.

The party was almost over anyway. You were sure no one was going to bother you anymore. You had also done your part as an employee. You attended, ate, and drank wine.

Maybe it was best to go home. It was getting late and you felt cold. You didn't bring a shawl.

You trembled, thinking that it was because of the cold. Little did you know, Jungkook's dark gaze was sending shivers down your spine.

Of course he saw you. He had been watching you ever since you stepped inside this ballroom.

He was a little upset with you actually. How could you stand there looking so beautiful without even glancing at him?

Did you forget about him? Didn't you want to be his best friend anymore? Why didn't you reply to his text messages? Why did you bring Yoongi? And why were you letting Yoongi leave you alone?

Who was going to take you home?

Me.

It was like something in Jungkook snapped. The little voice inside his head was right. He should be the one to take you home tonight. He wouldn't allow you to drive because he saw you drinking wine. He wasn't comfortable with you taking an uber. He trusted Yoongi to bring you home, but he was nowhere to be found now.

He needed to step in. Yes. Yep. This was the right thing to do.

Jungkook was about to go near you, but Soojin caught his arm.

"Jungkook, I'm cold..." Soojin embraced herself, lips trembling.

"Oh. Here," he didn't hesitate to give her his jacket. Jungkook was sweet and caring. He would always give what he could.

"Thanks..." Soojin blushed, batting her eyelashes at him. "Can you take me home now? I'm tired..."

It was wrong to say that he never hesitated because right now, he was. He wanted to drive Soojin home, but...

Jungkook turned to look at the place where you were standing a few breaths ago. You weren't there anymore. He missed the way you stared at him as he handed his jacket to Soojin.

He couldn't miss anything from you anymore, so even if it physically hurt him to lie, he bit his tongue hard and then he told Soojin that he couldn't bring her back to the mansion.

"Why not? I'm your date, Jungkook!" Soojin's demeanor instantly changed.

She was no longer batting her eyelashes. She was glaring at Jungkook, too annoyed to say more.

"I know...but I promised to drink with Mr. Wang tonight. You know how much your father wants him to invest in Castle..." More lies.

It worked. Soojin couldn't protest. He was right. Mr. Wang was an important person and Jungkook couldn't turn him down. It was so hard to convince that old man to attend this party. This was probably the only chance Jungkook had to convince Mr. Wang to become an investor.

"Fine. But I want you to escort me to my car. I still need to tell you something." She didn't wait for his response, already walking away.

Jungkook sighed as he followed her, but not before looking back to where you were.

It didn't change the fact that you were gone.

"What did you want to talk about?" Jungkook arched his brow after handing the ticket to the valet worker.

Soojin inhaled deeply, suddenly regretting her decision to do this sober. She should have at least drank wine to calm her poor nerves.

But she wanted to be strong. She didn't want Jungkook to think that she was pouring her heart out just because she was drunk.

She wanted to do this right.

So heaving a deep sigh once again, Soojin stared at his face.

"I like you, Jungkook..."

She tried.

She really did try to be as genuine as possible. Her voice was soft, yet strong. She had been practicing saying these words for so long.

It should feel good, right?

But...why was her stomach turning upside down? Why was Jungkook's expression so thoughtful? Too fucking thoughtful that she could feel his rejection in her mouth.

No. This couldn't be right. Maybe he misunderstood?

"I-I mean it...I like you. I like you so much and it's not in a friendly or brotherly way. I like you as a man, JK..."

It didn't make anything better. Jungkook's eyes were still dead. He was still looking at her the way he looked at everyone—the same boy who was respectful, sweet, but determined.

"Soojin..." Jungkook licked his lower lip and then he bit it. Heartbreak was written all over his face.

Soojin could feel it.

She could feel her heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

"I don't like you like—"

"Just think about it!" Soojin cut him off before he could finish his response.

"But I...." Jungkook tried to say something again, however he trailed off.

His face softened. Soojin was looking at him using those desperate eyes. Besides, it wasn't like he could freely speak his mind.

Soojin cut him off again before he could say more.

"Monday." Her jaw tensed. "You have until Monday to decide. I'm giving you this weekend to think, huh, JK? Please..."

"Okay." Jungkook agreed because he didn't know what else to say.

It was a good thing that the valet worker arrived, saving them from the awkward atmosphere.

The uncomfortable air didn't deter Jungkook from examining Soojin's car, looking for any damage. He didn't like Soojin the way she wanted to, but it didn't mean that he wanted her to get into an accident or something.

"You didn't drink, right? Call me when you get home, okay?"

Soojin nodded.

"Thanks, JK. See you soon..." She kissed him on the cheek before getting into her car and driving away.

When he couldn’t spot her car anymore, Jungkook finally let out a sigh.

"Excuse me? Where do guests wait while waiting for their ride?" Jungkook asked the same valet worker. The latter was happy to assist, telling him that guests who didn't bring their cars were waiting for a cab or uber at the second entrance.

Jungkook rushed towards that direction, hoping to see you.

He saw you.

He saw you standing there, still shivering because of the freezing wind.

Jungkook frowned. You were wearing an open-back gown, exposing your skin generously. There was no doubt that he loved you in this dress (you looked ravishing) but then he didn't like that you were trembling.

And so he hugged you from behind.

You yelped, struggling to get away from him.

"Ow!" Jungkook shrieked when you managed to kick his leg. "Calm down, tiger. It's just me. Damn!"

You immediately stopped moving when you heard your best friend's voice. Three seconds later, you were pushing him away again.

You succeeded since he didn't expect you to struggle once more.

"Jungkook. What the hell? It's not cool to scare me like that!" You were still shivering but this time it wasn't because you were cold.

Your heart was beating erratically because of fear. Jungkook really scared the shit out of you.

"Sorry. I just noticed you're cold and I didn't want you to get sick..."

"I won't get sick because I'll die of a heart attack. Seriously, Kook. Don't sneak up on me like that again!"

Jungkook pouted. This boy really pouted his lips, sulking!

He knew he was wrong, this was why he was acting all cute. He even attempted to embrace you again just to prove how sorry he was.

You put a hand on his chest though, stopping him.

"I'm fine. Promise..."

It didn't reassure him. His lips just protruded more.

"The hug isn't for you. It's for me," he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer. "I miss you, tiger..."

Your heart melted because of the softness and sadness apparent in his voice. Tears welled up in your eyes.

"Miss you too, bud..." You tapped his back, an attempt to comfort him.

Jungkook only groaned. He acted more like a baby when you make him feel as if it was right for him to act the way he was acting now.

"You're lying. Why didn't you answer my texts and calls if you really missed me?"

It was easier to lie when you weren't looking at his eyes. Jungkook knew this so he broke the embrace, staring at you.

You refused to meet his gaze.

"I'm busy with work, Kook."

You expected him to understand, regrettably he only hissed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah right. I visited you in the office. Fran said you're out with your friends." Jungkook sounded bitter. It wasn't like he hated that you're spending time with other people but not with him.

He wasn't asking much. He just wanted you to tell him you're okay, or that he didn't do anything wrong. He wanted your assurance because frankly, this was the first time you spent two weeks without talking to him.

What did he even do to deserve this?

"Y-You visited the office?" Was all you could say. You didn't know that. You thought he was busy at the construction site. Soojin too. Both of them hadn't been back in the office ever since the construction began.

Your sister even told you that she and Jungkook were staying at a hotel near the site. They couldn't go home since they were busy reviewing the progress of their project.

"Don't be surprised. You know I can't go a day without seeing you."

If he's trying to melt your heart, you wanted to congratulate him because he succeeded.

"It's why I'm here right now, you know?"

You didn't. "I didn't...." You said.

He scoffed.

"Because I want to see you, dumbass." He ruffled your hair. "Come on. I'll drive you home."

You didn't move.

"I'm waiting for my uber, Kook..." It was too late to cancel now. It took you long to book this ride since no driver wanted to go to this place. The security was at a high level. It was a pain in the ass to get past the gate.

"Besides, aren't you supposed to be with Soojin?” You panicked for a second. “Who's bringing her home?"

Shit. You forgot that you weren't allowed to talk to him. Your sister would be pissed!

"Soojin already left. I told her I can't drive her since I have to meet a very important person..." He was staring into your soul.

"Mr. Wang?" You asked only because you saw him talking to the old man a while ago.

"Nah," he grinned. "It's you..."

"Oh." You weren't sure what to say.

He ditched Soojin because he wanted to see you. It was cool. Awesome. Heartwarming even. But what were you supposed to say? Thank you? Fuck you?

Fuck you because Soojin would definitely hate me once she found out that I was meeting you behind her back?

You hadn't had the chance to think of how to respond when Jungkook spoke again.

"Soojin confessed to me tonight..."

There was a lump in your throat, still you managed to say "nice. What did you tell her?"

It was difficult to act happy when your heart was breaking. Fuck. Why were you feeling this way? It wasn't like you didn't know that this was happening.

"Nothing much." He chuckled.

He fucking chuckled like he was fucking happy.

You hated it.

You hated it because you didn't have the right to feel the way you did.

You wanted the ugly, green monster to leave you alone.

"She didn't really give me a chance to speak." He shrugged. "She only told me to think about it. I have an ultimatum though..." He laughed again and it irked you more.

"I have until Monday to decide..."

He stopped speaking after that. You didn't say anything for a while too.

You let silence engulf you.

Seconds later, you found the courage to speak.

"Do it." You said bravely.

Jungkook creased his forehead, silently asking you to do what?

"Date her." You swallowed thickly, avoiding the pain dancing in his eyes.

"You should date her, Kook. She's nice, pretty, s-smart..." She was whole too. She could love you, she could fill the hole in your heart.

I couldn't.

Because I was broken.

"What?" The laugh he let out wasn't like the other ones. He sounded sad, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, like it was breaking him.

"You want me to date your sister?" He repeated, making sure that he heard you right.

It was hard to nod your head and smile.

"Yes." But you did anyway.

Silence welcomed you two once again.

The wind blew harshly. It became unbelievably cold. The defeating silence didn't help.

You wanted to curl up and die.

"Will it make you happy?"

You turned to look at him. To really look at him.

You didn't know what he was talking about. He could see it in your face. He knew you were confused.

"If I date your sister—" He spoke again. "Will that make you happy?"

You couldn't hesitate. Not now. Not when Soojin needed your support the most.

So you said what you didn't want to say.

"Yes..." And then your heart cracked.

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marshaeb · 3 years

Text

P.S: I'm Mated With The Cursed Alpha!

Chapter Seven

Hey guy! Don’t forget to Like, Comment, Review, and Follow for more updates! My apologies in advance for all the grammatical errors. Book will be professionally edited when completed.

After all that had just transpired, I was expecting Mom to blow up on me as soon as we stepped through the door, but her behavior was quite different. She was quiet and calm as she sat at the cleared dining table, looking through a pile of paperwork.

My heart was in my gut... I didn’t know how to feel or what to say after all the mess I got us in. I stood there timidly, with my sore, wounded arm covered with blood, held up to my chest.

I was a total mess. You’d swear I’d been out scuffling with Chelsea and her clique the way that I looked. Bloody and drench from wetting it up and my hair was a tousled fro of fluff.

“Um, Mom...” I said quietly...almost too quietly.

She paused and gave me a hard stare.

“I-I just want to say I’m sorry Mom...” I sniffle. “I-I didn’t mean for things to happen the way it did tonight... He attacked me out of nowhere—

“Nah uh... Stop it right there!” She said sternly. “How many times have I told you, Joel? For once listen to me when I talk to you! All I wanted was to keep you away from danger... from allowing something like this to happen! Still, you disobeyed me and snuck out!”

“But, Mom I-I’m sorry... I-I could explain—

“What’s left to explain, dear?” She said. “Everything has already happened... though I hate to even think this way, but probably this was meant to be... probably this all explains the reason for your rebellious behavior... it was to led you to him.”

“No Mom... This is all coincidental... that’s it!” I said feeling my wound starting to burn. “That’s all it is.”

“Do you really think so?” She asked in a shaky voice. “I saw something you didn’t see...”

“Saw what mama?” I asked confusedly.

“That look in his eyes... The way he looked at you.” She said. “You don’t know how it feels yet... The first time you smell your mate... it hits you like the strongest substance there is... It drives you crazy! Almost like you’re losing your mind... Why did you think he did what he did and attack you...not wanting to let you go!”

My mind instantly went back to St. Pete’s. When he saw me from across the room. I just popped off and came at me full force.

“Mom...what can I do?” I begged her.

“What can you do?” She repeated with no hope in her voice. “Joel, there’s nothing you...or I can do right now...but to wait to see where your future lies on your eighteen birthday.”

“B-but Jackson!” I said feeling my whole world crumbling down around me. “What am I supposed to—

“Jackson has been sent on a three-month mission in the west...” She said, “and for one thing...thank heavens he’s not here, because things would have been even more disastrous if Alpha Darius found out that his potential mate has a boyfriend.”

I took in sharp deep breaths and embraced myself tightly. ’I don’t want Jackson to get hurt...” I mumbled.

“Then I suggest you do the safest thing there is...keep your mouth shut and don’t mention his name.” Mom said. “By the time he’s back from his mission, you will by then know who your potential mate will be.”

“But...but my birthday is in three months, Mom...what will I do then?” I asked. “The hospital is out of our territory...”

“I know...which is why I’m busy trying to set things up for your safety,” Mom said. “And that’s tripling security too.”

A look of confusion crossed my face.

“But... I am safe! I’m on our territory!” I said.

Mom stopped and gave me a dead stare. “You really don’t know who you’re messing with, do you?”

I swallowed deeply. The guy’s crazier than I thought.

“A powerful Alpha, who have been searching seven years for his mate... has finally found her by sheer luck.” Mom said. “Could you imagine how hungry he is for you? Do you think a hot-blooded, superior Alpha like him could resist his mate?”

I stood there quietly as reality began to settle in.

“I doubt it...” She continued. “I’ll exchange you from the hospital for a little while with Samantha at the preschool... It’s only for blocks away from our home and it’s properly guarded.”

“The Nursery?” I gasped. “Mom... I’m not a caretaker.”

“It’s either that or risk yourself being at the hospital.” She said. “I don’t think you understand what it is to be marked Joel... and it’s different from an Alpha. It’s like volts of uncontrollable pleasure, rushing through your body... like venom. When he claims you, a part of him lives inside you forever.”

I could hear the intensity in her voice... Just hearing her explain it made me tremble with fear.

“So...until then...we wait,” she said. “Now go and take a bath. I’ll call over a nurse to patch up your wound.”

She walked back over to her desk and continued to sort through her paperwork.

After reaching upstairs to my room, Talloc was nowhere to be found like always. She was out hunting.

The sounds of howls rippled through the dark forest, but it was chilling and wretched. It was the cursed Alpha’s, and I know he was somewhere in the dark eerie forest, watching me at this very moment.

~~~~~~~~

~Present Day~

About a week has passed and I’ve been staying indoors ever since. My wound was healing faster than I thought it would, but the soreness was still there.

Nobody knew about what had taken place that night. Mom made sure of that. But just being here, trapped indoors had me so paranoid. Overthinking about everything that has happened and the consequences that would happen to me if I slip up again.

I really miss having those privileges when I could move about and enjoy my freedom. Now that I’m thinking about it, I rather have Mom’s strict curfew any day than being locked up from Alpha Darius.

My mind kept going on Jackson... I wanted him here with me. To comfort me and tell me what I needed to hear. That I am his mate and this is all one big misunderstanding, but sadly, it wasn’t.

A few months from now, I might be Mated to a man I barely even know. It saddens me to even think Jackson and I wouldn’t be together like we hoped, but to a man overly possessive Alpha who attacked me and nearly capture me against my will.

And he won’t leave me alone. Ever since that dreadful night, he has been stalking me almost every night.

His huge black wolf is always there...in that same spot in the woods... watching my room. He’s driving me insane. It was as if he’s waiting for any moment for me to slip up.

This feeling is like being on death row... knowing a terrible fate awaits you.

Talloc suddenly flew into the window I left open for her, nearly scaring my trouble soul half to death.

“Talloc!” I gasped, holding my chest. “You scared me, girl.”

She rolled her neck and squawk back at me.

“Did you had fun hunting last night?” I said to her, trying to wipe off the drop of blood from her beak.

And as you guessed right, she wasn’t gonna just let me step up to her and clean her beak without being defensive. She pecked my finger softly, holding it in her mouth.

“Come on, Talloc...just because you older now doesn’t mean I-I can’t clean you up just a little,” I said, but it was hopeless.

My rebellious snowy owl flew off in one huge flap, dropping the stack of pictures and old letters out of the window.

“No!” I shouted, running over to the window as they scattered everywhere across the lawn. “Shit!”

I turn around to catch my breath.

“Urgh...Talloc! Damn that feisty bird!” I grunted. “My pictures...they all fell over! I have to get them before they all get ruined.”

I threw on my navy denim jacket and dashed to my room door, but then I suddenly remembered that it wasn’t safe...he could be out there.

Though I’m still safe on the territory,

I’m just beyond paranoid to even encounter him again, face to face. Plus mom had already warned me, for my own sake to keep my distance.

I can’t make a fool of myself again... and for Mom’s sake, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I embarrassed her even more than I already did.

A deep, anxious sigh left my lips as I thought about this situation I’m now faced with. All the memories I collected would be completely ruined if they’re exposed too long.

Deep down in my heart, I wanted to dash out there this instant and collect every last one of them, but my mind had me in fear. Reminding me that he could be out there, but can he really during the daytime?

Usually, he comes out during the evenings just to let me know he’s watching and waiting...and it pisses me off, but maybe...just maybe I might have a chance.

It won’t take long...

I breathed in sharply when I suddenly remembered that Jackson’s letter from back in the eleventh grade was in that stack! That was the time he officially asked me to be his girlfriend...and our pictures!

“I have to get them!” I breathed heavily, walking back in forth in my room. “I better get all of them now...before the wind blows them out of the territory. Then he’ll find those photos with us!”

I crept back over towards my window and slowly, but thoroughly surveyed the grounds for any sign of his black wolf or any of his minions. Surprisingly...there was no sign of him at all.

I was right... Maybe he really does pass through during the evenings. And there’s also those painful, silver Barb wires Mom has up to keep out any intruders. It looks safe enough and besides all my pictures are on the lawn.

“SHIT!” I exclaimed. “No, no, no, NO!”

One of them fell on the other side. Oh Moon goddess, why?!

I crunch down against the window post, breathing shakily. My nerves were taking over and I could feel my throat getting drier and drier by the second!

What the hell! Everything bad is happening to me lately and unfortunately, there is no way to run from it or avoid it. I literally hate my life now.

I held in my breath and slowly took another look out the window. Carefully I observed the proximity of the others to that one that was out of bounds.

My eyes glanced over across the forest once more. I used my sharp wolf senses to pick up if he was out there... Usually, the hairs on my arm would stand up if I sensed him...but it so happens that I didn’t feel anything. There is also no sign of him...so it should be safe!

It has to be! But I have to be cautious and as prompt as possible.

With every fear building up inside me, I pushed it aside, balling my hand into a tight fist, and ran downstairs as quickly as I can.

As soon as I step to the backdoor, my heart launched in my throat. It was now or never.

I turn the doorknob and haul my tail towards the scattered images and letters. My mind was so numb, I felt like falling out from the fear and anxiety if he caught me.

Almost done... Just the other four over there in the flower bed. I quickly ran over and collected them. All in accounted for, except that one. It was just a few inches on the other side.

I held the stack against my chest as I scan the rattling trees of the forest. It was so calm but daunting. If whatever, he might be out there.

I’d dread the day if it happens to be a personal picture of me and Jackson and he gets his hold on it before I do.

Shit! I can’t take this anymore! I have to get that now! I rest the others down and gradually inched my way over. As I reach the barbed wire fence, my supply of oxygen was growing thin. The amount of fear of cutting my windpipe was unbearable.

I licked my lips and lengthened my short arm slowly over. It was so close, but yet so far.

Just a flick of my nail, it scraped the tip. No matter how hard I try, it was useless. Until I started to lose my temper, unleashing my inner wolf as my nails lengthen into claws.

Finally, I latched onto it, but with all that concentration... I let my guard down. I should have known better!

His huge black wolf jumped out of nowhere and dashed over to snatch my hand..but once again, I lucky to pull back my hand right in time.

For a second I felt my heart stop and I swear I mess up myself.

He licked his huge tongue over his sharp teeth and stared down at me like a piece of meat. I tried to catch my breath as I look at the picture underneath his large paw.

What was he doing here? Doesn’t he have a pack to lead? Was he there all this time? Watching me...waiting for the right moment to strike. Mom was right, it’s really not safe for me at all.

I quickly dashed over, collecting the others, and ran back inside up to the room.

I closed my curtains from the outside. I just couldn’t bear it anymore...but what picture was that? There we’re words written behind it!

I sorted through the stack of pictures and letters. Jackson’s letter is here... Thank Goodness it wasn’t that!

As I continued to go through, all we’re present... except that one!

“Our one-year anniversary, Christmas Eve collage! SHIT!”

Read Chapter Eight (Click the link below)

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