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#AND ALL WE HAD OF HIM AT THAT POINT WAS HARVEST MOON

cravetive · 4 days

Text

𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽 𝙸𝚃 𝚁𝙰𝙸𝙽𝚂

☾ ⋆*･ Pairings: Meteorologist! Jin x Fem!reader

☾ ⋆*･ Synopsis: after many failed relationships you find yourself struggling to open up to new connections but once you overhear that your timid colleague Seokjin has a crush on you, you set out to play a game of temptation where somewhere in the process, you come face to face with the sudden realization that the weather is not the only unpredictable thing.

☾ ⋆*･ Warnings: SMUT! workplace/office au, Jin is quiet and innocent until he's not, fingering, oral sex! ( M! receiving ), dirty talk, creampie ( hehe) , teasing, unprotected sex, hair pulling, hardcore, a bit angsty ( im an angst slut leave me alone ) , foreplay , slight dom/sub dynamics, kissing, biting/marking, we will pray Y/n gets her life together.

☾ ⋆*･ Authors note: I wish I could tell you what I've done but this is what my brain produces when I'm on 5 hours of sleep.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ Word count: 10 K ( for what reason?)

Ever since you were conscious you would often find yourself lost in the sky - entrained on the sun, the moon, and the stars but most importantly on the weather. Even before you could walk You wondered what caused thunders to ripple through the clouds, worried over the sun that disappeared during rainfall. You were fixated, overly obsessed and it is what had led you to become a research meteorologist and whilst some found the profession to be boring and fruitless (your parents), there was nothing in the world that you loved most then to predict cloudy skies and cold nights. Being able to observe, understand, and therefore explain the earth's atmospheric phenomenons offers you a sense of gratification.

On the other hand you couldn’t say you ran with the same luck when it came to love and relationships, your long list of exes and failed talking stages were enough scientific evidence to prove that. Things just never ended well between you and whoever fate decided to send your way. you could never decipher if it was due to the lack of communication, lack of interest, or a little bit of both that prevented you from harvesting anything solid with those you fell in love with but it always left you high and dry. It wasn’t like you were a hopeless romantic either, yet the instincts you had when it came to forecasting sunny skies were just not there when it came to romance.

To put it bluntly, your relationships just didn’t last and it had brought you to a point where you questioned all your romantic interactions.

How long will this one last? How long until this one ends? Will we see each other in public and turn the other way?

It's why you struggled to get your feelings across most times, it's why you found it almost impossible to tell that certain person who sat across from you at work how he made you feel.

The timid and reserved Junior meteorologist didn’t catch your attention at first, always keeping to himself and rarely participating in any after work activities with your co-workers, which had made it almost impossible for you to even notice him. that was until 3 weeks ago during a mandatory work dinner. Whilst on a small bathroom break you had unintentionally walked into a game of truth and dare between your colleagues where by perhaps fate you had eavesdropped on the confession of that very same drunken man.

You had opted to feign ignorance, slipping back into the table as if nothing had happened all whilst deciding to commence a cruel game against the meek man. You would find yourself teasing him, subtly flirting until his cheeks turned red and his words turned into stutters. At first it was a childish fun ruse but as time progressed you found yourself looking in his direction more often, entranced by his smile and quiet charisma.

You were doomed and yet, it didn’t stop you from taunting him. small winks and little comments of how good he looked in his baseball caps and soft sweaters, causing him to often jolt as a response. It was harmless until it wasn’t, until you started imagining him between your legs, his large and skillful hands wrapped around your neck.

“for fucks sake” Daiyu, your best friend and colleague huffed as she ran towards the entrance, her freshly styled copper hair drenched with rain that poured from the sunny sky. You giggled, closing your umbrella and entering the building, your heels squeaking against the marbled floors. Daiyu followed after you, a trail of curses falling from her mouth whilst her hands frantically wiped at her wet clothes.

“I always tell you to carry an umbrella and you never listen” you sighed.

“It was a 30% chance!” she exclaimed, reaching to frantically press on the elevator button.

“I should sue you guys” Daiyu groaned.

You looked back at her, taking in her flustered and soaked appearance, deciding not to pass further judgment. Daiyu was as stubborn as a bull and anything that you chose to say would just go through one ear and out the other anyways. you reached into your purse and grabbed a napkin, extending it out for her to take. She snatched it urgently and dabbed on her face, emitting a groan of frustration at the inconvenience the sky had caused her.

“It was so sunny and warm outside” she complained, which caused you to laugh loudly, both of you stepping into the elevator as the doors slid open.

“Looks can be deceiving Daiyu” you noted, watching as the doors closed in front of you.

Daiyu smirked, disregarding your statement and focusing on the current situation you were in. her mind going back to the late-night conversation you both had shared 2 days ago over wine and expensive cheese. She leaned over closer to you, her eyebrows teasingly raising while you shared a bewildered expression on your face.

“what?” you asked, concerned with her inquisitive glances.

“I guess the same thing can be said about Jin,” Daiyu winked, a hint of excitement in her tone. She goaded you to speak on the subject, but you rolled your eyes in response.

“I bet he is a real beast in the sheets” Daiyu raised her eyebrows.

“Daiyu please, this is not the time or place to have this conversation” you scolded - eyes fixed on the numbers that flashed on the small screen above the elevator panel.

“I guess you are deceiving - look at you all serious now like you aren't torturing that poor man.”

“Daiyu” your eyes widened and she was lucky you were both alone in the elevator - out of hearing range of any nosy employee’s.

“I didn’t share that with you so that you can hold it over my head” you snapped, making a quick escape as soon as the elevator doors opened.

“oh come on!” she shouted after you, the sound of her heels echoing inside the office as she chased after you, her arm interlinking with yours when she caught up. you didn’t intend to avoid the topic, in fact you found it relieving to be able to speak to someone freely about it but what Daiyu was trying to indicate with her previous statements were by far completely illogical.

Jin was but a shy and reserved guy, not the kind that tried to deceive by putting on appearances.

How else was he able to contain himself by your constant teasing and flirting, if he wasn’t.

“we will talk about this later” you declared, giving her a soft shove towards her desk. Daiyu pouted, providing you a saddened glance whilst reluctantly dragging herself to her desk where she threw herself into her chair in rather dramatic defeat. You giggled at the scene she produced and walked across the room, reaching your own desk.

Seokjin was already there, too focused on the screen in front of him to notice your arrival. You took this time to take in his appearance. the sweater he wore accentuating his biceps and broad shoulders, the pair of glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose causing a pulsation between your thighs - lured by the image of him crawling over you with them on. You cleared your throat quickly, grabbing his attention and interrupting your perverted train of thought.

He glanced up at you, cheeks already turning pink as he took in your presence.

“Good Morning Mr. Kim” you whispered, offering him a smug smile whilst sliding into your chair. It took a moment for him to respond, his eyes briefly falling on the low v neck blouse you decided to wear today (one of your many little tricks of course). His lips parted, a gulp traveling down his throat. He quickly removed his eyes from your accentuated breasts, dragging his attention back to his screen.

“G-good Morning” he stumbled on the phrase, his tone quiet and faint.

you smiled out of satisfaction, unable to suppress the butterflies in your stomach that only he managed to make flutter. Seokjin is sexy in the most subtle ways; he doesn’t even try and yet he could make you squirm in your seat like a schoolgirl. His full lips, his deep intense eyes, and dorky smile kindled a pressure in your lower abdomen that you often tried to conceal by crossing your legs.

“I like that color on you, you look good” you complimented, offering Jin a small smirk.

Jin glanced down at his sweater, his hands smoothing out the cashmere deep blue material. He had liked the color, had even thought it was a nice sweater when he first picked it out at the store but having its tincture complimented by you now, gave it a new feeling - it felt softer against his skin.

“thank you” he almost muttered.

You nodded happily, bringing your hair into a ponytail as you always did when beginning the day. Jin’s eyes hesitantly trailed your exposed neck, carving out the smoothness of your skin and studying each detail of the necklace that hung there - soon halting at the sight of your lips, a breath hitching in his throat.

“You like what you see, Mr. Kim?” you asked, your eyes sparking with the realization of his discreet stare.

Jin sat up,your voice startling him out of his daze - his eyes now looking in every direction but yours.

“cause you can see more if you want, you just have to ask” your voice was a mere whisper and Jin could feel every hair in his body stand up from your tone alone. There was a long silence, your eyes intensively studying his composure. He moved his attention back on his computer screen, deciding it would be best to ignore the comment that made his heart run laps inside his chest all together.

“Hey Jin” you called, his eyes quickly moving back to you with hesitation.

“I'm only joking” you lied.

You would've allowed him to see your entire soul if he had just asked.

The day had turned sour rather quickly, the entire office thrown into a frenzy by the threat of an incoming spring storm and it had left you running in circles all throughout the building, your heels beginning to jab into your feet painfully- leaving your soles red and sore. You groaned, stepping into the cafeteria for the first time in the day, finally allowing yourself a small break amidst the hysteria. You needed coffee and you needed it fast. Your heavy eyes scanned the cabinet in search for your favorite mug - propping yourself on your toes for a better view.

“Where the hell did I put you?” you muttered under your breath, your hands pushing away various mugs in an attempt to find the deep emerald one you always used. Your shoulders ached, weighed down by the tumultuous day and your eyes burned, the result of staring at your computer screen for 4 hours straight. Not finding your mug would be the last straw, the drop of water that would make you spill over. You groaned loudly and leaned against the counter, your hand flying to cover your face in frustration while you balanced from one foot to the other, trying to ease the ache shooting up your legs.

“Are you looking for this?” a quiet and familiar voice asked.

You raised your head slowly, capturing a view of the man standing in front of you, your mug held comfortably in his hand. Exhaustion creeped through your body, leading you to bubble with irrational anger but as you prepared to berate the individual who had seized your precious mug, you took a moment to study their fingers, soon realizing they were the hands you melted over ever so often, concluding who the culprit behind the theft was.

Jin offered you a concerned glance, his profound sepia eyes blinking slowly as if expecting a response. You remained silent, losing yourself in his stare. the ache on your limbs suddenly evaporating for those short seconds, a wave of serenity settling deep inside of you. you shook your head slowly, unable to break eye contact as he made time stop around you.

All urgency to resume your pending tasks halted whilst you stood in front of him - The buzzling in the office growing quiet as your eyes slowly traced his features.

“I can wash it out if you want, I’m done anyways” Jin offered, a small smile forming on his face.

Your attention crawled to his mouth, inspecting his plump and soft lips, lips you wanted to press yours against, lips that were smeared with the cold foam of his coffee, foam you imagined on other parts of his body for you to lick.

“n-no, it's okay” this time it was you who stuttered; it was you who grew flustered.

The room fell silent as you remained stunned by his intense stare, your mind flowing with ideas that were neither appropriate nor sane. You were in deep shit, and you knew it, your heart pressed against your chest begging to jump into the hands of the man standing before you whilst your mind yelled that he was like everyone else, like every guy you had ever met. The one with the soft eyes and quick lies.

“You uh have something” you gestured to his mouth, making him aware of the leftover foam on his lips.

He lowered his head in embarrassment, his hand quickly flying to wipe away at his face. his eyes trailed away from yours, causing you to inhale sharply.

“Did I get it?” he asked, turning back to you. His cheeks still flushed with shame.

You inspected his lips once again, taking in their smoothness and soft pink color, pictured them gracing your skin softly - leaving their imprint on your skin.

“Here I’ll-” you offered, reaching forward and closing the gap between you both. you leisurely wiped away at the top of his lip with your thumb, removing all the residual foam left there. His lips were warm under your touch, your breaths growing short and unruly due to the sensation.

You could feel his stare fixed on you as you aided him, your cheeks becoming rogue at the sudden intimacy of the situation. Jin’s mouth parted as if he had wanted to say something but even if he had you doubted you would have been able to hear him over the hammering of your heart. The euphoric feeling dazed you out of all self restraint - luring you to act upon your intrusive thoughts .

you found yourself losing yourself in the sea of brown that were his eyes again, knowing you could drown and subsequently, dipped your foam covered thumb into your mouth without a second thought.

You collected the sugar that had once rested on his lips on your tongue and allowed it to rest there. A pleasure filled hum echoing from within your chest - your eyes fluttering shut at the satisfaction the fulfillment of your craving caused. You remained stuck there, your brain unable to generate anything but utter bliss.

“hey! Is there any creamer lef…”

The voice of the intern entering the cafeteria was like cracking thunder, your body jerking as a life vest was being thrown at you, aiding you from going under. Your eyes shot open in realization, body tensing at the action you had just mindlessly committed but Jin didn’t appear to be as startled as you, his eyes firmly held on your lips. It felt like your whole body was on fire and it was only then when you noted the damp fabric of your panties pressed against your clit.

Both you and Jin turned your heads quickly, eyes landing on the intern who stood shocked by the door, his mouth held ajar. You blinked quickly; your brain unable to register what had just taken place. it was as if everything inside you had been electrocuted and you couldn’t even find the strength to defend yourself against the silent accusation the interns eyes made.

You dreadfully took a step back from Jin, lowering your gaze once he looked back at you - you cleared your throat quickly before stumbling out of the shared space. The sound of your heels leaving echoes inside of Jin’s head.

You had deduced 2 things from that brief encounter. The first being you and Jin were beyond screwed - interns liked to talk, liked to share and gossip didn't take long to spread within the office and secondly, that being alone in a room with Jin was dangerous, far more than you had anticipated.

“Yup, it's been sent to the group chat” Daiyu nodded, pushing a spoon full of yogurt into her mouth.

You sighed, covering your face in agony.

As expected the details of your little encounter with Jin had been shared all throughout the office with the intern taking quite the creative liberty of disclosing details you were sure never happened. You groaned loudly, pushing your food away.

“Oh god” you whispered, “we work together, you know I can lose my job right?” you stared at her, wide eyed but your friend didn’t join your panic, instead a small giggle escaped her lips and your eyebrows intertwined in confusion.

“Do you find this funny?” you yelled, throwing a balled-up napkin at her head.

“Hey! Let’s use our words” she laughed, causing you to throw your head back in defeat.

“What did you think was going to happen Y/n? Jin is a man and you are a woman - i'm surprised you haven't humped in the janitors closet yet” she mused.

You pressed your hands against your temples, trying to stop yourself from imagining the both of you doing the mentioned act.

“Relax, it’s not that bad” she responded, “besides their just rumors, okay?” you knew she was trying to calm you, trying to bring you back from the trepidation you had been succumbing to during the last few days but her words didn’t offer any relief, anxiety running through your entire body quickly and mercilessly.

“you know I almost believed it but then he added that Jin had his hands wrapped around your waist and I had to debunk it” Daiyu shared, swallowing the yogurt in her mouth “cause we both know that boy would simply combust if he even graced his finger tips against your skin.”

You shot bullets in her direction, how was she able to make a joke out of all of this when you were literally falling apart? your job on the line, your reputation. Everything you had worked so hard to get and maintain all down the gutter for a man and Yet, there wasn’t even a hint of regret in your thoughts, in fact the only reason why you were so stressed out in the first place was for the simple fact that you were caught,caught doing something so frivolous and yet the whole office was in an uproar about it.

If you knew you would be at the brink of getting fired over lingering stares and kinship, you would’ve at least given yourself the liberty of kissing him.

“Hey, you are in your head again” Daiyu yelled, snapping her fingers in your face. you blinked in her direction and sighed, turning away once again.

“Can this get any worse?” you complained.

“I think it just might,” Daiyu winced.

You glanced back at her and turned your head in the direction of her widened eyes. The director had stepped into the cafeteria, and he was walking straight to you. you felt your body tremble, your brain preparing for the worst. You quickly stood up, your entire nervous system beginning to shut down.

“Ms. Y/n” he greeted, you stood completely still, unable to bring any air into your lungs as your knees threatened to collapse.

“Mr. Han,” your voice trembled.

Daiyu stood up quickly, putting down her yogurt and offering your boss a 90 degree bow before standing up straight, giving you a panicked glance.

“Ms. Y/n do you have a moment? I would like to go over some things in my office” your heart dropped, your palms clammy. You soon became very aware of every vein in your body, pulsating strongly against your skin.

your throat went dry, sandpaper rubbing against the other as you tried to form a coherent response.

“I uh I – yeah”

He turned quickly without another word, his steps firm and demanding, you followed behind him like a lost puppy, glancing back at Daiyu; your eyes brimmed with tears. she attempted to give you a smile through her concerned expression but even her movements faltered when she offered you a thumbs up. You were screwed, you had gone too far in your little game and now you were facing the consequences.

The walk back to Mr. Han’s office felt eternal, passing coworkers who stared and mumbled amongst each other. You were dragging your feet at this point, your heart plummeting into despair the closer you got to his office. In retrospect you didn’t feel contrition towards the event that had taken place, one does not lament over things they enjoyed but now was not the time for you to ponder on the things you did or didn't regret.

one word from your boss and you would be sent packing with all of your hopes and dreams.

You entered his office quietly, brain swarmed with negative thoughts - predicting the words that would soon empty from his mouth.

‘YOU’RE FIRED’

The unspoken yet inevitable words rang inside your ears - tears swelling in your eyes out of mere anticipation.

You let out a long breath, hoping that for a second it could appease your mind but it was no use, you were a nervous wreck and it was evident by the way your boss stared at you whilst he sat behind his desk. You decided to solve math problems in your head, a method that most times distracted you from distressing situations but as you began to find the answer to your first algebra problem you felt a presence next to you and when you glanced over, your legs buckled.

“please take a seat guys” your boss requested.

You tried to move your limbs, but your feet were stuck to the ground, eyes fixed on Jin whilst he avoided your gaze and pushed out his chair taking a seat as instructed. He didn't greet you as he tended to do nor did he give you one of his famous small introverted smiles you often looked forward to. It was as if you weren’t even there but you were and it was as if he couldn’t care less.

Ouch…

he was tense, you could see it and It was all your fault. you were fucked, royally fucked. Your shaky hands reached for your own chair, hesitantly slipping next to him.

“I can assume you know why I’ve asked the both of you here” Mr. Han began, your stomach somersaulting painfully. You glanced over at Jin who remained silent, not a speck of anxiousness in his demeanor. Why was he so relaxed? Had he just accepted his fate? Your face contorted with conflict and then turned to face your boss, a long weighed sigh leaving your body.

“I want to apologize, I know that it wasn’t ethical and I assume full responsibility-“ you began rambling, your mouth going painfully dry. your boss stared back at you like you had 3 heads and your voice faded into thin air, further apprehension spreading inside of you.

“Y/n, I can attest you are really good at your job but why are you apologizing for the weather?” Mr. Han chuckled. you blinked slowly, unable to understand his words.

“huh?”

“look, we might be facing a storm soon and I want to send a group of you over to our headquarters in Yeosu, they will be hit the hardest and in all honesty they need all the help they can get”

Relief and embarrassment flow through you as his intentions are made clear. you let out a small nervous giggle struggling with the intrusive desire to slap yourself across the face.

“I can go on my own,” Jin interrupted, and you quickly turned to him. his face cold and expressionless, your stomach dropping once again and all those bad feelings that had previously swallowed you, began eating at you all over again.

“I'm sure Ms. Y/n here has a lot of work on her plate and I'm sure I can do most of the work myself.”

His words were rational, made sense even but you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking this was just the aftermath of the rumors that had been spreading. You understood him, being spoken about and stared at when most times all he wanted to do was go about undetected must’ve been uncomfortable, albeit it made your insides twist.

“oh i'm sure you are more than capable but there will be a lot to cover and I just don’t think you’ll be able to manage.”

“Then give me a team, Ms. Y/n can stay here with the others - I'm sure we will need coverage here too” Jin insisted. you couldn’t bring yourself to protest. It was probably the best idea. You didn’t want any more rumors to spread about the two of you, not when it made Jin treat you like this. The game was over - no longer did you find amusement in your actions, instead you started to regret toying with him in the first place. it was immature on your part and you wanted nothing more than to apologize for your childish ways.

“I can understand your consideration of Ms. Y/n but it wasn’t a request” Mr. Han stated, causing chills to go down your spine.

“the train tickets have been purchased, you will be departing tomorrow morning” your boss concluded.

Jin stood up first, walking out of the room without another word. You followed behind quickly, your head spinning in circles as you tried catching up to him.

“Jin” you called, but he kept his pace - not bothering to look back at you.

“Jin” you repeated, your voice much louder this time.

His steps slowed, a sigh falling from his lips before he turned to look at you - you couldn't make out the stare he held once his eyes met with yours but it made you feel like shit. This entire ordeal was making you question the kind of person you were and for the first time since you had begun playing mind games with the man, you had realized how fucked this entire thing was.

“How can i help you Ms. Y/n” his tone had always been reserved but this time it was different - you could feel the chill from a mile away.

“I just wanted to say I'm sorry” you breathed.

“Okay” he answered.

“Okay?” you questioned, taken aback by his response.

“Okay” Jin reaffirmed before he spun around and left you standing alone and confused in the empty hallway.

The train ride had been 3 long painful hours and even though all your colleagues had slept peacefully, including Daiyu who snored into your ear the entire trip you hadn’t been able to stop thinking of Jin. He avoided you like the plague the entire way to Yeosu. Putting on his headphones when it was only the two of you awake, making sure he was the first to exit the train once it arrived, and when you entered the shared home you and your colleagues would be staying in for the longevity of the trip, he intentionally chose the room furthest away from yours.

You decided to just let the situation be, there wasn’t anything you could do now and besides, it didn’t appear like he even wanted an apology. Maybe, seeking him out would only make things worse.

“Have you talked to him?” Daiyu asked, setting up a small satellite on the ground to assist the tracking of the storm.

“no” you muttered, writing down notes in your notepad “and quite frankly I don’t intend to Daiyu.”

“oh come on, we will be here for 2 more days and you guys are just gonna what? Pretend the other is not there? It's making me and everyone else uncomfortable” she complained.

“And what other options do I have? I tried to apologize but he just said okay, like what even is that? okay?!” you huffed with frustration.

“he even stayed in when we said we would go out for drinks” you whisper, the topic alone distracting you from the data you were collecting. The memory caused an ache in your chest, an ache that you didn’t like. It was a faint soreness that had accompanied you many times before, during nights of heartache and rejection, so imperceptible yet debilitating.

“The kid likes you, we know he likes you, you know he likes you, and you like him” Daiyu shrugs “why are you dragging this?” her tone was annoyed but she held a smile on her face.

“it's more complicated than that and you know that” you responded, rolling your eyes.

“ugh whatever keep eye fucking him for all I care” Daiyu groaned.

“Are you all done here? I'll wait in the car” you yelled, taking quick steps away from Daiyu.

“hey! We need to make sure it's stable!” Daiyu yelled out but you ignored her, pretending to be too far to hear her curses.

As predicted the storm had arrived ferociously. Wind ripping through the city, rain pouring harshly - turning the sky opaque. Your dry and pained eyes stared at the computer screen in front of you as you wrote yet another report, racing against mother nature in an attempt to keep up with the current weather. You hadn’t slept in the last 24 hours and the toll it had left was visible. The only thing keeping you awake being the loud crackles of thunder tearing into the sky.

You had been locked in your room all day and you had no intentions on stepping out.

The rest of the group with the exception of Jin had left to track the storm, giving you hourly updates on the current situation and the damage the storm was leaving in its path. Knowing you were alone with him in the same house left an anxious haze in your system.

You allowed your eyes to flutter shut for a few seconds, giving them some moisture but your mind wandered to another place, drifting deeper into your consciousness - within the darkness of your tightly shut eyes you envisioned Jin’s capable hands. touching, roaming, rubbing. You retracted the image of his mouth, of his tongue. Sliding, licking, pulling. And then there it was, the pooling between your thighs, the pressure under your navel.

Your eyes opened quickly as another thunder rolled through the sky, bright lights seeping through your half-opened blinds, dragging you away from your salacious contemplations.

You needed to clear your mind, to provide your brain another task to focus on before it began to rot. An impulse surged through you, your body rising from the chair it had made a home out of and stepping out into the dark house. What was the worst that could happen? For Jin to ignore you? He was already doing that anyway.

Your steps were soft as you made your way to the kitchen, a cup of chamomile tea sounding delicious at the moment, it would help you fall asleep and above all it would shake away the anxiousness that gripped you. your mouth watered with the idea.

Aside from the small creaks the foundation of the old home made against the strong wind outside- everything else was completely silent. The gray evening sky offering the only source of light throughout the space.

You reached into the coverts and pulled out a kettle, which you filled with water and set on the stove to boil. Your eyes wandered out the window, concerned with the raging weather that apparently had no intentions on stopping. You were worried for your team, hoping they had found shelter, and you were also worried about running into Jin. all the bravery you had suddenly found in those short seconds when you first decided to leave your room quickly fading away. you blinked slowly, trying to rid yourself of the exhaustion pressing on your body.

You made mental plans of a warm shower and then finally some rest, if the thunder allowed it.

If your Jin ridened brain would allow it.

There was another crackle in the sky and then the sliding door in the dining room opened and slammed shut, your whole nervous system jolting as a loud scream escaped your mouth. you turned your head to access the damage the wind had probably caused but your made out a figure standing by the door. A drenched, heaving figure. You blinked rapidly, ensuring it wasn’t your imagination and once your brain awakened from its internal slumber you realized that the person standing there, dripping wet from head to toe was Jin.

“Jin?” you exclaimed “are you okay?”

Your feet moved quickly towards him, mind racing with weariness at the sight of him. His presence left a puddle on the floor, his rain slicked black hair stuck to his forehead. He nodded slightly, wanting to avoid further questioning. You reached into the closet nearby and pulled out a clean towel.

He was shivering, mouth trembling as he stood there in complete silence.

“What were you doing outside? It's dangerous out there” your voice was stern, but you weren’t trying to reprimand him. Jin was a grown man, and you were sure he was aware of the current climate.

“I had forgotten my camera” he simply explained, holding up the canon T7 camera for you to see.

“Gosh, let me help you” you sighed, taking fast steps towards him. your mind was racing with ways you could help him, concerned with his well-being however once you were closer, all those thoughts stopped – paused by the view in front of you. Jin’s black t-shirt was glued to his body, the imprint of his torso visible through the wet material. His face dripped droplets of water as he stared at you with those eyes that you habitually melted over and you weren’t sure if it was due to the rain outside, but his skin appeared to glisten, accentuating the veins that crawled down his forearms and down his hands.

This wasn’t the time to look, to peer like you often did, not a moment to tease but your eyes couldn’t help trail down to his sweats that now due to the weight of the water they had absorbed sat just below his waist, his underwear peeking above them.

You cleared your throat, attempting to remain focused whilst your hands tended to the shivering man in front of you but once the towel touched his skin, his hand came up to grip yours. You looked up at him quickly, your brows knitting with concern. His eyes pierced through you and you recalled the reason why the both of you hadn’t spoken this entire time, remembered the way he had avoided you at all costs.

“don’t do that” his tone was low, a heaviness within it that you had never heard him use before.

“do what?” yours quivered, a crack forming at the last word.

“don’t provoke me,” Jin stated.

The ache returned inside your chest, the one that you hated so much and you felt weak. Your eyes faltered, blinking away from his gaze with a heavy sigh.

“Jin, I want to apologize again, I shouldn’t have-“ you began, unable to recognize the softness in your words - a knot embedding itself in your trachea.

“What are you apologizing for?” his expression was that of confusion and you felt intimidated. The question leaves you disoriented.

“what?” you asked.

“you shouldn’t apologize if you aren’t sorry.”

“but I am” you stood on those words, truly feeling culpable of the situation you had created due to your lack of self control, due to your habit of complicating things but Jin’s words held different meaning which you had missed due to your lack of sleep,or perhaps it was because you couldn’t concentrate on anything else besides the bulge that pressed against his drenched sweats.

Jin was teasing you.

He stepped closer, his chest now mere inches from yours. His towering build caused you to become very aware of how tall he really was, you didn’t speak another word as the room suddenly shrunk 3 sizes, your breath trapped inside of your rib cages.

“I take pride in the kind of man that I am” he muttered, leaning his face towards yours. “im respectful – a well mannered man” Jin’s eyes trailed down to your lips and he watched them intently as they parted slightly.

“I am a civil man” he whispered, his hand rising to caress the skin of your cheek softly - erupting goosebumps everywhere inside of you. the shy and concealed man you had come to know had disappeared, leaving no traces of innocence – his stare flickering with lust. His thumb smoothed over your mouth and you could feel your heart rumble within your chest, your body trembling with each outlet of air.

“but you continue to toy with me, you appear in my dreams where I find myself doing the most indecent things to you” the confession made you lean into his touch, the realization of how good his hand felt pressed against your cheek eliminating all hesitation “it makes me question what a gracious man like me can do.”

“Jin” you trembled, body running feverishly warm as you bore into his eyes.

His hand traveled to the back of your head, his fingers intertwining with strands of your hair and he pulled, firmly but yet not hard enough to cause pain – your mouth opened as a whine traveled through your throat but before it could escape; his lips landed on yours.

his tongue twisting away the small complaint.

It felt like a dream, like it wasn't real and for a second you wanted to pinch yourself – you wanted your alarm to go off so that you could wake up because it felt too real and dreams like these often brought you utter disappointment. Jin ran his hands against your body, his cold touch leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.

You could feel your arousal dripping against your panties, the exhilaration of his mouth and hands on you leaving your mind hazed. Jin’s hand trailed under your tank top, his fingers gracing your stomach as they dragged themselves towards your breast, your small whimpers pouring into his ravenous mouth. His hand went under your bra where his fingers found your nipples, rubbing them lightly. your body leaning into his as a consequence. You both stood so close now and yet, it didn’t feel like enough.

You wanted to melt into him, wanted to feel him everywhere all at once – until you couldn't breath, until you were louder than the storm outside.

Small moans left your lips, urging him to lose all control and you could tell he was reaching his breaking point when his hips jerked forward, his erection pressing against your thigh. You leaned away from his lips, eyes meeting at the sudden action. You tugged at his drenched t-shirt and he allowed you to remove it, lifting his arms up in the air. Your eyes trailed his skin as you exposed it, inch by inch.

He was gorgeous, not a trace of imperfections on his soft pale skin – his shoulders were so broad and you pictured your legs stretched over them, giving him full access to the part that pulsed sorely in-between your thighs.

His hand reached for your hair once again, pulling your head back - his tongue traveling up the valley of your neck. your eyes fluttered shut, mouth releasing short sighs as he bit and nibbled on the tender skin. You felt like your skin was on fire, cheeks burning due to the lack of oxygen his mouth was causing. It was a high you wanted to be in at all times.

you had misread Jin entirely. This man was capable of destroying you, the evidence in the way your body trembled under his attention.

His hand slipped from under your shirt, finding the hem of your pajama pants and guiding his hand inside. Your mouth falling completely open once his slender fingers reach your clit, quivering in anticipation. He palmed you through your panties slowly, allowing your wetness to spread across the crutch of your panties.

“mhmm so warm” Jin groaned almost painfully.

He licked his lips as he stared into your eyes, darkness enveloping them the longer his hand remained inside of your pants, you knew you were completely fucked, he had you right where he wanted you.

a thought arises from within the deepest part of your mind that perhaps, he was the one toying with you all this time. testing how far you would go to bring him to this point.

“Jin” you moaned “I want to uh.”

“What do you want to do?” he asked, arching his brow at your broken request.

You couldn’t concentrate but you were sure of what you wanted, of what you wanted to do to him. you reached forward, your hand finding his rock hard dick - giving it a slow pump. It quivered under your touch, urging you for more. Small groans fell out Jin’s mouth, the hand intertwined with your hair pulling back a bit harder.

Your eyes pleaded out to him - slowly sinking on your knees. your stare never breaks with Jin. You wanted to look at him while you snatched his soul away, you had imagined this moment so many times and now that it was finally here, presented to you in a silver platter your mouth salivated. You slowly pushed down his sweats and then his boxers, his erection springing out, standing tall in front of you.

Your willing tongue unraveled from your mouth, holding his delicate length in your hand as you slid your tongue up his shaft, spreading your saliva against the pulsing vein there. Your deep breaths cascades over his tip, his cock twitching against your tongue in anticipation. Jin watched through hooded eyes, unable to blink away from your position under him.

“Ah fuck” he groaned.

You looked so pretty, so dirty – he could cum from the sight alone.

Your tongue glided towards his tip, your damp muscle collecting all the pre-cum that sat on his slit, the salty taste making your clit pulsate. Your tongue slipped back and forth and then you felt it, his whole body trembling at the pleasure you were drawing out with just your mouth and you let out a moan, one that you couldn’t withhold because god did he look ethereal from this angle.

You eased his head into your mouth, eyes wide open looking up at him – your cheeks hollowing as you began to slowly bob your head, allowing him to catch his breath whilst your tongue glided around his thickness. Hisses streamed out of him, the sensation of your warm mouth wrapped around him leading him to throw his head back in pleasure.

Your saliva allowed you to take in more of him – feeling his cock reach the back of your throat, tickling your tonsils. you began moving your head faster, your hand reaching to pump the length that your mouth couldn’t take, the other slipping inside of your pajamas, your fingers rubbing against your folds and dipping inside of your warm walls.

His hand reached down, gripping your hair again and you noticed it was something he liked to do but you didn’t mind – the small pang of discomfort causing moans to vibrate against his dick. Jin’s hips started to move into your willing mouth, drool dripping down your chin as you continued your quick tempo – the sound of his drenched cock dipping in and out of your mouth echoing inside of the dining area along with the sound of your gagging.

Your eyes burned, tears brimming at the corners but you didn’t dare to look away as he looked down at you, he appeared so sexy whilst in heat, the thought that it was you doing this to him causing your fingers to move quicker inside of you, your arousal gliding down your hands.

“Y/n” Jin moaned.

You removed your hand from his shaft and took in the rest of him, you could feel your throat begin to burn but you didn’t care – your need to have his entire length in your mouth overpowering even your need for air. Your head bobbed up and down, waiting for him to come undone in your mouth but his hand pulled back on your head, causing his cock to slide out of your mouth with a loud pop.

“That's not where I want to come,” he groaned, his chest rising and falling with each harsh breath he took.

He glided his thumb against your pulsing red lips, collecting the drool that remained on your chin. You whimpered, your own thumb pressing against your clit - fucking yourself to the sight of him. He carried a dark ardor, a look in his eyes that you had never witnessed before or perhaps never noticed.

In one swift movement you were off the floor, Jin placed you on the kitchen counter - his tongue once again sliding down the nape of your neck dragging out small moans from your mouth. He was experienced, his mouth and hands knowing where to touch and tug as if he had studied your entire anatomy and you let him, falling into the bliss of all your lust filled dreams.

His mouth found yours, his lips blending against your own with rapid appetite. His hands traveled to your waist, moving his fingers in between the skin and the hem of your pants and with one pull - he brought down your pajamas and dampened panties. You yelped as the cold air hit your hot clit - begging for his touch. He pulled away from your kiss - bringing his pointer and index finger into his mouth and coating the digits with his saliva - his eyes fixed on yours.

Your body shivered, as you watched him preparing himself to completely wreck you and not a word of objection leaves your mouth, entranced with how sexy he makes it all look. He’s a professional and you had been too cocky to ever realize that. He pressed his fingers against your throbbing pussy, your hips jerking forward at the sensation. His fingers are long and warm against your cunt and you want nothing more than to have them inside of you.

“Shhh relax” Jin hummed, rubbing your clit in small slow circles.

Your breath trembled, mouth falling open as he teased your needy cunt - a smirk forming on his lips. Your touch deprivation didn't go unnoticed to the man standing in front of you. Your back arching into his teasing contact. He leaned forward and left wet kisses on your chest, trails of love bites and saliva as he reached your breast and then his fingers began to move faster - his mouth taking one of your nipples into his mouth with ease.

“Jin” you whimpered. He was everywhere all at once and your body shook, he was too much and yet you were capable of taking it all.

His tongue went flat against your hardened nub, gliding it up and down and then sucking on the nipple softly, your hands tangled themselves in his hair, your legs shaking as he slid one finger into your welcoming cunt and then another, and then another and soon he began pumping them quickly, holding no mercy.

Your hips matched his tempo and your breast begin to bounce as fucked yourself into his hand. Jin pulled away from your breast - not wanting to miss how much of a slut you had become for him. Your eyes were completely shut - allowing the feeling to take over you completely and you were a wreck but you couldn’t control your hips as they rolled against his appendages. Jin groaned at the sight of you, of your Pretty cunt taking all 3 of his fingers.

“Look at you, you love this don’t you” he muttered into your ears, his forehead pressed into your cheek as he looked down at his fingers disappearing into your cunt, glistening with your juices - leaving a small puddle on the counter.

“Is this what you wanted?” he asked but you remained silent, whimpers replacing the answer you wanted to give.

“Mhm?” Jin urged you, wanting to hear you beg for him.

“Y-yes” you stuttered.

“Look who's stuttering now” he mocked and your eyes open, gleaming with lust.

Jin slowly retracted his fingers from where they had remained, embedded inside of you, the action making you whine in desperation which made Jin smile in response - you were needy, no longer in control and Jin felt his dick quiver at the realization. He looked deep into eyes as he stood in front of you. he raised his hand and spit into his palm proceeding to lather up your already dripping cunt. You could feel his saliva coat your clit, the feeling causing your whole body to tremble.

He leaned back in for a kiss, slowly pressing you back into the counter until you could only see the ceiling above you. His hands slid up your thighs and with one swift movement he brought your ass to the end of the counter, your legs now placed exactly where you had wanted them to be for so long, where you thought they would look their best, thrown over his shoulders.

“You look so good like this” he groaned, his eyes scanning your half naked body.

You could hear the loud whistling of the tea kettle on the stove consume the entire room, creating a symphony with the moans that rattled from your lungs and then Jin sank into you, with so much ease, so smoothly that for the next few seconds you couldn't breath.

Jin’s hands rubbed along your legs, his hips starting to roll into you with swift and disposed movements. You could feel all of him, the pulsations of his cock as he slowly retracted and then easily slipped back inside. The way the tip of his cock reached your ovaries, your legs quivering out of reflex.

“Jin” you cried out and you lost it, eyes rolling to the back of your head as he snapped his waist, pounding into you with so much speed that the counter underneath you began to shake, Jin’s hand flied to your tank top, gripping it in his hand - pulling at the fabric with each thrust that he gave you.

“Is this what you wanted me to do all this time?” he questioned, bringing his thumb against your clit.

“Y-yes” you yelped.

“Fuck Y/n” he moaned breathlessly and the thunder outside was no match for the sound of your greedy wet cunt taking his entire length, your loud yelps and moans masking the natural disaster taking place.

Your ass bounced against his thighs each time he slammed into you and he was frantic, your warm walls smothering his aching cock as he plunged into you with so much need and desire you could feel your clit swell around him. As you peered down at him there wasn’t a trace left of the shy boy you once knew. His eyes darkened, glazed over as he stared at his dick stretching out your walls. His teeth biting down onto his lip harshly in a foolish attempt to refrain from the grunts that vibrated from his chest.

His fingers rubbed quickly over your flustered clit, it was as if he already knew what you needed before you said it, he had you down to a science and you couldn’t stop your body from convulsing, your cunt squeezing around him as a signal of your incoming orgasm.

“Jin i’m gonna-” you yelp out, this orgasm was different from the ones you would give yourself to the thought of him, pressure beginning to form dangerously in your core.

“Shhhh i know princess relax” he hummed like an expert only would.

Your legs fell from his shoulders and his hands received them quickly, holding them wide open. The view of your pussy taking him to the hilt urging him to flutter in pleasure but he didn’t want to look away - he didn’t want to miss a beat, not when it had been everything he’s dreamed of and more.

You looked so perfect, felt so perfect and whilst he fought the utter pleasure surging through him, that left him completely spent he could feel your cunt constricting around his cock, his hips faltering at the sudden tightness that enveloped him.

“Ahh ahh” Jin yelped.

With loud moans you came undone, your body tensing and muscle restricting - eyes brimming with tears and just as fast, you felt every cell inside of you ease, like a shot of anesthesia, body and mind going completely blank. Moments later Jin shoots streams of his warm nectar into your walls, filling up every ridge, his milk oozing out as he retracts his hips slowly, careful as to not disturb your high.

By the time the morning crept into the city of Yeosu, the storm had subsided - superseded by the bright sun that now shined directly in your face. You concluded that the sky had made it its goal to not allow you peaceful slumber these past few days. Denying you the pleasures of rest. You had been awake for a few minutes now but you had been reluctant to open your eyes, focusing on the feeling of the soft comforter wrapped around your nude body.

Perhaps you were just really tired but the truth was that you just didn’t want to recognize the body that laid next to you, soft snores flowing past their lips, their face nestled into the crook of your neck.

If you opened your eyes then it would all come to an end, the feeling of his arm wrapped around your waist, the feeling of his weight besides you. Yet, you knew it couldn't last forever and although neither of you had shared any words regarding the events that took place last evening, or the other things that happened after that, you concluded it would all end the same way it usually did.

You weren’t unfamiliar to awkward goodbyes when the sexual tension dissipated and though inside you wanted to hold onto the hope that maybe this time it would be different, that Jin wasn't like that - you were aware of the inevitable.

Your eyes blinked open with a soft hiss and for a moment you were blinded by a ray of sunshine gleaming on your face - you raised one of your arms, blocking away the light and carefully turned to glance over at the sleeping man beside you. Jin was sound asleep and you could tell how completely at ease he was in contrast to your nerves that rattled you out of your very needed and desired slumber.

You didn’t want to leave, didn’t want him to wake up to an empty bed but you knew it would only be harder if you were to leave whilst he was awake, you knew he would attempt to sooth the rejection that was approaching.

You carefully lifted his arm from around your waist, sliding inch by inch out of the comforter you both shared. Your eyes remained on his resting form, his lips slightly parted and his disheveled silky black locks sprawled on the pillow underneath his head - he looked angelic and your heart lurched at the sight.

You contemplated if you should’ve stayed, if you could allow yourself a bit of cruelty in exchange for comfort but you had been down that road many times before and at last you made up your mind. Your eyes moved to scan the floor, trying to find the article of clothing you wore the day before but they are nowhere to be found.

“Shit” you whispered.

Scenes of the previous day flashed through your mind like a silent film, replaying the lust filled moments you both shared - your bodies intertwining in nearly every room of the vacant home until you found shelter under his bed sheets. His moans and whimpers forever embedded into your memory causing your legs to quiver as you stood disoriented in his room.

You had left your clothing sprawled in different corners of the house - evidence left for your colleagues to find upon their arrival.

Jin’s body twists and turns and grumbles fall from his lips, shifting you into overdrive. your hands quickly picked up one of his t-shirts that had been thrown across the floor. You slipped the fabric over your head - being suddenly hit with his scent, guilty adrenaline soaring through you.

You slowly moved towards the door, your steps careful and calculated as you attempted to escape the room like a foolish thief. Your hands reached for the doorknob, wincing as the door creaked under your touch, cursing at the old house for exposing you in such a dire situation.

“I thought i had at least 5 more minutes” Jin’s raspy voice echoed inside of the silence you so badly tried to keep.

Your body froze - heart thumping inside of your chest at a faster rate than before. You shut your eyes as a grimace took over your expression - you had been caught, red handed. You tried to come up with an excuse, in order to lessen the blow but nothing came to mind and as you turned you gave him the words you had heard oh so many times before.

“Sorry, i didn't want to wake you” the words left a pungent aftertaste in your mouth as you spoke them.

Jin was sitting amongst the mess of comforter and sheets you both had made, his bare chest gleaming with the light that ripped through the windows - his hand reaching to rub his puffy eyes, a long exhausted sigh leaving his lips.

“It's too early for you to lie and honestly, I'm too tired to believe it.”

You blinked quickly, his statement throwing you off balance. His tone did not hold any anger or frustration - he sounded disappointed. He was a reflection of you this time and now you were the one having to seek for poor excuses regarding your sudden departure.

“Jin I-” you tried to speak but your words were cut off by silence, a boulder sitting comfortably against your throat.

Jin shifted from his sitting position - his eyes focused on your messy hair and on his favorite t-shirt that hung loosely around your frame.

“You are always close but yet, so out of reach Y/n” Jin states “as open as you appear to be you hold your doors so tightly that your hands grow blisters.” he didn’t intend to be harsh - in fact his words are only a demonstration of how deeply he had come to know you but you couldn’t control the bitter sensation they left inside of you.

“I didn't mean to- '' you began but couldn’t finish, swallowing down your justifications.

“I can predict the weather for the next 2 weeks but not what you will do next” he chuckled and your lips quivered at the reality of what he was saying, of the truths that he knew and threw at you without hesitation.

“I just don't want to mess things up - not this time around Jin, not with you” your mouth grew dry, your eyes glistening with tears that you didn’t want to let out.

“That’s not a decision you can make on your own,” Jin retorted.

“Jin, i've been here before so many times - i don't want it to be you running out of my life this time, the thought alone is unbearable and i know we don't know each other like that but i don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation, you are a really nice guy” you don’t breath between your words, your lungs constricting as you give him your reasons in fear that he won't understand.

“Well I'm not the one sneaking out of the room, am i?”

Jin’s stare was sharp and you fidgeted under it - your mind attempting to find other logical reasons why whatever it is you both shared ultimately would come crashing down in the most vile kind of way.

“What if you grow tired of me?” you whispered, eyes looking away from his.

“I like coffee” he jokes and this time you smile.

“I'm being serious!” you whine, your brows knitting with the conflicting debate that expands in your head.

“Y/n, i am a grown man” Jin smirks “and not the kind that plays silly little games.”

Your eyes snap in his direction - a pang of guilt shooting through you.

“Yeah i’m sorry about that too” you mutter, your cheeks growing flushed in embarrassment.

“Are you?” Jin raises his eyebrow, a small smile appearing on his cheeks.

“Stop apologizing and come here.”

It doesn't take a second longer before you swiftly remove his t-shirt from your body - making a mental note to remind him that it belongs to you now. the insignificant object becoming one of the first things he will let you keep without hesitation because this man, the one who you decorate with kisses - the one that has entered your atmosphere at high speeds and at an unknown trajectory will never be like the others.

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ranchstoryblog · 5 days

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Ranch Story Community Q&A Volume 3: Igusa Matsuyama Returns!

Igusa Matsuyama, the legendary artist behind the Story of Seasons series since the original 1996 game has once again agreed to a Q&A featuring questions from fans from around the world! A big thank you to all the members of the community who helped make this possible.

Some aspects of the text have been altered to match localization people are familiar with. (Japanese names to English names, for example: Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語) was formerly localized as Harvest Moon and is now localized as Story of Seasons, etc). Images were not part of the original text and have been added as a visual aid. Though we translated as many questions as we could, we did not include questions involving personal information or regarding unannounced releases. Please understand.

If you would like to read our original correspondence (in Japanese), that will be provided in a separate post.

Additional cosplay photo provided by Foxface from our community Discord.

Translations: @artycharmy (correspondence, outline) Editing and Clean-up: Jerome, @artycharmy, and @regularcelery

——— Anonymous asks: What is the relationship between Jamie and the Harvest Goddess?

Igusa Matsuyama: Jamie was treated as a fairy or spirit. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if there's any points that link them and the Goddess.

Editor's note: the term Matsuyama uses is "妖精."

Tomato asks: I would like to ask about what their inspiration was for the outfits designs in the original release of harvest moon another wonderful life. Since I got reminded of the girl clothing brand Mezzo Piano when looking at the I love Kuma/I love bears outfit.

Igusa Matsuyama: I remember the only thing I thought of was using Spring-like colours! (All designs were made with seasonal colours In mind) When I knew that Daachan, who was planned to be used in a lot of events, wouldn't actually play a big role in the game, I put him on the T-Shirt so he could at least get some attention as a mascot-like existence.

Pansy asks: If you were able to create your own game for the Story of Seasons franchise, with no rules or limitations whatsoever, what do you think it might look like?

Igusa Mastuyama: Since I love dogs, I'd like to try making a Story of Seasons that's set in a world just full of dogs. Though that dream of mine probably won't come true.

Anonymous asks: The look of Story of Seasons has changed a lot over the years! What would you say is more challenging to create - simple designs, where you have to work with very little space, or complicated designs, where you have to consider many little details?

Igusa Matsuyama: A long time ago there were a lot of things you weren't able to replicate in video games. There were constraints for things like the number of colours and patterns for hair styles and clothes. It was difficult to work around those constraints, but at the same time a lot of fun. Nowadays, it's the complete opposite. Now we can design anything with hardly any constraints. And unlike a long time ago, now I'm asked to make more complicated designs, like patterns and decorations. However, if it's a big request, sometimes I run into quite a lot of trouble when designing. They each have had their own difficulties.

Anonymous asks: Hello, Matsuyama! Thank you for bringing the worlds of Bokujou Monogatari to life for many years. Your art has had a huge influence on me!

One of my favorite candidates is “Rock” from “A Wonderful Life.” I’d love to know any particular influences for his character design from 21 years ago, and his new design for the remake.

Igusa Matsuyama: I was told that he was a young, wannabe playboy, so I somehow ended up with that sort of design. For the remake, I made his clothes a little looser without changing his design, so he'd look even more playful. I, too, wanted to avoid changing him as much as I could as there are other people among the staff that also like the original for his “Rockness”. So, he got that makeover after everybody shared and checked their opinions with each other.

Jerome asks: On page 130 of the "Special Comic" manga there's artwork of Super Famicom characters that have never been printed anywhere else. Do you or Marvelous still have these? It would be great to see them in more detail in the future some time.

Igusa Matsuyama: They're all characters that appeared in the SNES version of "Harvest Moon." Nina's parents, Ellen's mother, Ann's father, Maria's parents (The mayor couple). I'm sorry. My SNES illustrations have gone missing...

Raven Bloom, Ryan, and Moth ask: How did you feel when your designs for the men in A Wonderful Life were repurposed to be bachelors? What do you think of the changes made to the bachelors in the remake of A Wonderful Life? I miss the “Bruce Campbell” look Matthew used to have.

Igusa Matsuyama: Matthew (マシュー) is Masshu (マッシュ) in the Japanese A Wonderful Life (Editors note: Charmy made a careless mistake when translating the questions, sorry Matsuyama san 🫣) When I first heard this name, the first thing that came to mind was Evil Dead's protagonist, Ash. You're right. I designed him after Bruce Campbell. I still love Bruce Campbell today. When Wonderful Life was under production, I had heard they weren't going to make a girl version, so I designed him not as a love interest, but as a quirky character. Knowing that he'd appear in the remake as a marriage candidate, I redesigned him as a character that would be liked by many. I hope you can enjoy the game for its nostalgia, as well as for being a shiny, brand new release.

Salmon Axe and Anonymous ask: I personally adore Doraemon x SOS game. Are you interested in working directly with or collaborating with other franchises in the future? And is there a series outside Story of Seasons you would like to work with now as a guest artist? (Could it be Pokemon?)

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved Doraemon manga since I was a kid! Working as a guest artist? Hmm, I'm happier being the main illustrator, so nothing in particular comes to mind. I enjoy a lot of games in my free time, such as Fallout, Far Cry and Border Lands.

Anonymous asks: Even though we never see his face, was there ever a concept of how Woofio would look without his costume?

Igusa Matsuyama: I designed Woofio as the being that is Woofio, so there's no design of him without his costume.

Idris asks: Your style has upgraded a lot over the time to match the trends. Do you think you will ever go for an old school look (early HM) for a SoS game again? What do you think is the secret to your art’s charm?

Igusa Matsuyama: What I'm particular about when designing for Story of Seasons is making characters with head/body proportions and an atmosphere that go well with that release. First, I listen to the client's request then think of a design according to that. These days, game visuals have gotten fancier and fancier, so there's not many opportunities for characters with short proportions to make an appearance. To me, what's important when designing is "playfulness." More so than "pretty" or "cool" and such, I get attached to the character, have fun making the character. I find joy in character creation itself.

MacGyver asks: Yasuhiro Wada has shared some interesting stories about how chaotic the original game's development was. Is there anything interesting you remember from around that time?

Igusa Matsuyama: Now it's a memory I can look back on and laugh about, but I'm not sure how much I can talk about it so please forgive me. If Wada hadn't been there back then, then "Harvest Moon" wouldn't have become a thing.

Toyberb and Anonymous ask: There’s a lot of different cow designs now, which is your favorite to draw?

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved drawing animals since I was a kid, so I love all of the cows. Although the easiest one to draw is the cow with the big nose.

Anonymous asks: Were there any games where you made designs for protagonists of genders that did not end up available to play as? (Like a girl protagonist for Save the Homeland/Hero of Leaf Valley or a nonbinary protagonist for any game before A Wonderful Life)

Igusa Matsuyama: There's so many designs that got scrapped, but as far as I recall, there's not really many where that character's setting itself was scrapped. (Excluding Thumbelina, mentioned below)

Koharu asks: Were there ever any character designs made for other older SNES characters like Ellen for 64? Some magazines had Marie with blue hair, like the SNES character, so it made me wonder if she (SNES Maria) was meant to also be there at some point.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm not in the position to make settings or scenarios where characters from other games appear, so I can't say, but I like the idea of older characters making an appearance!

Amina/k0iisu asks: Hello! I really love Hiro’s design specifically. Could you tell me a few facts about him/his design that might not be well known information? Thank you so much! I love your art :D

Igusa Matsuyama: Thank you very much! Hiro is a future doctor, so I tried to make them look as much like a doctor as I could. Also, to make him look friendlier, I designed him as your average everyday boy you'd see in the neighbourhood. He doesn't have a flashy face or hairstyle, but he's one of my favourite designs, too. I wrote this in the guidebook too, but what I like about him is the Asian flair I added to his clothes and the spot of colour around his feet.

Bunbun asks: I'm excited for the Nendoroid that was announced of Claire! I hope there will be ones of HM64 designs too. Since you have a lot of figures on your blog, how does it feel to be able to add one of your own characters to your collection? Are there any of your other characters you hope will get figures of?

Igusa Matsuyama: A nendoroid of Claire! I'm looking forward to it too, but when is it going to be released? If it's possible, I'd like one of Woofio.

Editor's note: Preorders are open for Nendoroid Claire now!

Chickee asks: A purple-haired princess character was rumored to have existed in Harvest Moon 64, but she didn't make it to the published game. Did you create a design for this character?

Igusa Matsuyama: That's probably Princess Thumbelina. Wasn't she Incredibly small? What I designed didn't end up being used. Speaking of HM64 characters, I pushed for them to include a pet turtle, but in the end it only appeared as an ornament. For A Wonderful Life, I asked for a turtle to be included again and designed a tortoise with a scarf, but it didn't make it as a pet and appeared only as a wild turtle that walks around the pond. I'm waiting for the day they finally include a pet turtle in the game.

emery flower147 asks: omg I saw the pics where the AWL girls are in a team and Muffy has a shotgun and stuff? Do you think any other characters would work in a cool team like that?

Igusa Matsuyama: For the Friends of Mineral Town guide book, I had the five girls, Popuri, Marie, Ran, Elly and Karen work hard as Harvest Sprites. Also, for the guide books, I drew Pete (The old male protagonist), Sarah (The GB version female protagonist), and Claire doing whatever I wanted them to. I don't know if you can call it cool or not, but it was fun being in charge of that.

Ixur asks: A lot of the PoOT character designs for the regular villagers seem more popular than the marriage candidates in my region. Is that something that's been noticed by you/Marvelous in Japan? Lars, Clemens, Beth, and Misaki for example.

Igusa Matsuyama: Marvelous doesn't really talk about that sort of thing so I'm not sure if they're aware of it or not. I don't do social media so I'm also not sure which characters are popular. I'm happy as long as the characters are liked. The design on Lars’s shirt is modeled after my beloved dog, so I’d be especially happy if you like his shirt too.

Anonymous asks: What do you think about people cosplaying your designs?

Igusa Matsuyama: It makes me very happy! I'm no good at sewing, so I really admire people who can make their own clothes. It's an honour having the designs I made be made into real clothes, and I think it's great to have fun acting out the characters.

Afro Fae asks: When creating designs for characters, how do you settle on a specific color palette? Do you take color meanings into account with a character's personality or do you go purely off of feeling?

Igusa Matsuyama: I keep in mind the overall colours the client asked for while designing. Sometimes I propose a new colour when I think there's one that fits better. I'm also careful when choosing colours and everyone's traits to make sure it's easy to tell which character is which when seen from a distance. However, in the cases of families and such, I do the opposite and give them all a common colour to give them a sense of kinship.

———

From all of us at Ranch Story, we'd like to thank Matsuyama from the bottom of our hearts for answering our questions again! Whether a fan has only just discovered the series or has grown up alongside it, so many people have loved these characters and worlds that Igusa Matsuyama brings to life, so it feels truly special to be able to have this opportunity. We'll end this article with Matsuyama's own words, as well as a parting gift.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm so glad I could answer your questions again. I'm the one that should be saying thank you. It means the world to me knowing that everyone enjoys my illustrations! I added an illustration as thanks. I'll keep up the hard work!

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chaifootsteps · 1 month

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I realized something about Ozzie's. most of the reason the episode worked and feels like it's one of three best episodes of HB (the other being truth seekers and harvest moon maybe coming in third) was because it seemed like it was paying off the plot that had been set up in season 1 to that point - Blitzo taking his stalking of M&M too far, Blitzo being confronted with the fact that his new life was pretty empty of any real bonds or intimacy despite his attempts to form them and Stolas reaping what he'd sown in regards to Blitzo not trusting he would ever want anything but sex.

but then you realize that Viv isn't capable of writing payoffs or conflicts competently, so moments that feel like a status quo change - M&M feeling like Blitzo has gone too far, Stolas&Blitzo's "relationship" being exposed in a prominent Hell club - have no consequences whatsoever. the same is true of Truth Seekers in hindsight - Blitzo hasn't changed his treatment to Moxxie in any substantial way (look at how he yells at him in exes and ohs and insults him pretty brutally in unhappy campers) since they both promised they'd try and work on it, and it's been what? like nearly ten episodes since then?

The same is true with Stolas & Blitzo. it felt like it worked so well in Ozzie's because it was paying off a season's worth of setup of Stolas using and demeaning Blitzo, and Blitzo being unable to put up with it any longer when Stolas suddenly acts like he has romantic intentions. but from what I remember Viv liked a tweet where someone said the moment was just 'Blitzo being annoyed Stolas tried to act romantic after the fact [when he didn't stand up for him in the club]'. And that's a legitimate thing for Blitzo to be annoyed about but not only was the scene very much not written that way ("don't act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you. you make that really clear, all the time") but it's a far weaker argument scene if so and a complete waste of the setup.

and in hindsight it's also clear that even if Viv had written the scene at the time to call Stolas out, her intentions for the argument in season 2 are much different - to end the Full Moon deal, not by making Stolas do any actual character development but just by retrofitting New Perfect Stolas onto the antagonist we started out with and acting like he meaningfully changed, when no one in this show ever meaningfully changes (closest they've managed is Blitz&Fizz making up, but Blitzo didn't do a whole lot to repair that relationship and was barely written as being in the wrong to begin with). I'll be surprised if the argument comes up in the Full Moon episode at all, especially since the show already half-assed a payoff to it in the form of Stolas' on screen for one second manipulative non-apology via text - they'll probably just beeline to holding Blitzo responsible for Stolas sexually coercing him and also for Stolas being the one to fail to protect his own magical grimoire properly

It's true, isn't it? Ozzie's was, in a lot of ways, that last shining moment of hope for the writing in the series. It felt like things coming together, like Viv finding her feet.

It wasn't.

#Anonymous #helluva boss critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

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storiesbyrhi · 1 year

Text

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence, swearing, no beta, warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: When is a man, not a man?

1986

The elecampane was easy to find, but for the hawthorn less so. You had to spend the next day’s afternoon driving around Indiana looking for a store that might sell it. Eventually, a herbalist gave you the address of an off-the-grid botanist. They had all sorts of non-native species.

She had invited you into her house. “A witch is always welcome.”

You didn’t ask how she knew and she didn’t tell you. With hawthorn berries and spikes in hand, you drove back to Hawkins, arriving too late to cast any spell other than slumber. The bat would have to wait one more day.

The sun had barely begun to warm when the bat climbed onto your head and nipped at the tips of your ears. He wouldn’t be stopped, your attempts to swat him away failing.

“Alright, alright,” you said to him, sitting up. He flew circles around the room, then headed out the bedroom door and disappeared into the trailer.

The bat chittered at you as you started a fresh brew of coffee. “No,” you warned him, finger pointed like you were scolding a child. “Coffee first. Then witchcraft. They’re the rules.”

Coffee, a piece of toast, and you got to work.

“I’m kind of… winging it here,” you explained to the bat as you squashed hawthorn berries and elecampane petals with your mortar and pestle. “This has to have a healing base, because that’s where my strength is. And I’m going to try to tailor it to both animal and human… Since we don’t really know what you are.”

The bat had sat on your shoulder, his apparent favourite place.

“But we also need the magic to see the truth… In this case, the truth of what you are. Which is why we have these.” A small mirrored circular plate and a piece of sodalite.

“The hardest part is the spell itself, the words. But like Kelsey said, if our intention is set, then you know, we should be okay.” It was reassurance for the bat, but it helped you to say it out loud too, like a good luck omen.

With the petals and berries, you mixed in a drop of witch’s blood harvested through the hawthorn plant’s sharpest thorn, some dried four-leaf-clovers for luck, moon water, honey, and some of the bat’s fur.

On the carpet of the trailer, you painted a devil’s trap. “Sorry,” you offered to the bat. “If this works too well, and it turns out you’re a demon that should not have been turned back, I need a safety net.”

At each point of the trap’s pentagram, you placed a candle. In the center, the small mirror. You took the potion and tinted the mirror’s surface, covering it entirely.

“You’re up,” you instructed. The bat glided down from his fridge-top perch onto the mirror. “Hold this.” His little claws curled around the sodalite.

You closed your eyes, focused your energy.

“Hear now the words of this witch,

secrets hidden in the night.

The oldest of Gods are evoked here;

the great work of magic is sought.

On this day and in this hour,

I call upon the ancient power.

The truth of this life is to be revealed,

And let the damage be healed.

So shall it be.”

You opened your eyes and gently pushed the bat backward off the mirror, but not out of the circle. As you wiped the potion off the surface, you repeated the final line of the spell twice more.

“So shall it be.

So shall it be.”

With trepidation, you closed your eyes again and in unsteady hands, you flipped the mirror so the bat’s image would be reflected at himself.

Only a second of silence, maybe less than, before a sharp and loud intake of breath forced your eyes open.

The bat was gone.

In his place, a man with pitch black eyes and wild waves of hair. He looked terrified. Disorientated.

You stared at each other and as you parted your lips to speak, his eyes darted to the door and he leaped for it.

“Wait!” you called after him. You followed him out the door but he was gone. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

He couldn’t have gone far, you figured. He was naked and the trailer park was still packed with people.

You ran up and down roads and weaved between RVs. There was not only no sign of him but no sign that anybody else had seen him either. The surrounding woods were quiet and still. It was like the man had vanished into thin air.

When your search failed, you took to your car and spent a second hour looking for him. The only thing keeping you from all out panic was the fact that the man was not a demon; he’d passed through the devil's trap easily. At least you’d not brought more death and destruction to the town of Hawkins.

As you drove back to Forest Hills, you considered calling Kelsey and telling her your spell had worked. There was a nagging thought in the back of your mind though. Small but itchy. Whatever happened to the bat and the man, it wasn’t over. The circle had not come full.

…

The first thing he felt was hunger. Agony. Then he bolted and the sunlight outside your trailer burned. He moved too quickly for anyone to see, but he didn’t go far. He crawled under the trailer through a path cleared by raccoons and other animals.

It was dark but not enough. He dug at the dirt with clawed fingers, pushing the soil until he could burrow in and curl up. Motionless for hours, he searched his mind for any sort of explanation or sense of identity. There was nothing.

He didn’t know who he was. What he was. Vaguely, where. The same place he’d watched for all those years. When he was different. Smaller.

When the sun fell low in the sky, an old opossum trotted under your trailer. The man, entirely still, could hear its heartbeat. He listened as the animal sniffed around, its hairs bristling at the smell of raccoons. The opossum didn’t know it had been grabbed. The man moved too fast, breaking its bones and ripping it open to slurp at the blood inside.

He’d not been that kind of bat. He scared himself, his eyes wide as he looked down at the carnage. After, he crawled back into his hole, fated to repeat the murder with any living thing that found its way under the trailer.

…

“What were you doing yesterday, running around like a chicken with its head cut off?”

One of your neighbours was particularly… observant. When you got up first thing in the morning the next day, you did another lap of the trailer park. Still, no signs of the man. Just signs of you going mad, apparently.

“My, ah, cat… got out. Was looking for him,”

“Your cat?”

“My cat,”

“Michelle know you got a cat?”

“I don’t. Anymore.”

There was a three second stare-off, then you went on your way.

All day, while you helped make sandwiches and organise donations at Hawkins High, you half expected the man to show up. You kept glancing at the open doors, trying not to feel disappointed when it was a regular citizen looking for help.

It had been weeks since Vecna had opened the ground. Most people had either been moved to hospitals across the state and beyond, or had their smaller injuries attended to already. It left you with less healing to do, but your help was still welcomed.

Hawkins was through the worst of it, according to most people. You had to admit, it was calm. Perhaps too calm. You felt a sense of impending doom. Vecna would not go down without a fight, and you doubted the fight could be hidden from the townspeople entirely.

Still, you said nothing and did nothing. Healing Erica had already seen you cross a line. Maybe Hawkins was in the eye of the storm, but you couldn’t be the one to sound the alarm.

…

Scratching. Gentle at first, then claws against glass causing high pitch noises that made your body physically cringe. Awake, you sat and looked around the dark room. What time was it? Scratching. Scratching. Window.

The bat was at the window.

“What the fuck?” You hurried out of bed and pushed the window up, letting the creature into your house. “Are you…” When you opened your palms, he landed on them. It was most definitely him. “Fuck! Okay… Okay… Fuck.”

…

1836

“Those are not your apples,” you stated.

The boy spun on the spot, his hair whipping around. It was rare for anyone to sneak up on him. He grinned, all teeth and menace.

“Are they yours?” he countered.

Not a boy, you noted. A man. Young, but old enough to know better.

“No,”

“Then I won’t tell if you don’t.” He tossed the apple up in the air, catching it with ease. He put it in a sack that sat at his feet. There were a lot of things in there that were not his.

“I do not agree to that.”

He picked up the sack and slung it over his shoulder, moving closer to you. You stood your ground, entirely unafraid. Up close, the moonlight reflected in his eyes, which were as dark as the night sky itself.

“Then name your price,” he said, head falling lopsided dramatically, playfully.

The man was beautiful. Maybe, in all your years of living, he was the most beautiful human you’d seen. There was something about him. It wasn’t just that his beauty was disarming. His long hair was not common for men of the era. His skin looked soft too, like he came from royalty rather than the families that tended to the fields and fought in the wars.

It was when he took one more step toward you that you both figured it out.

The man’s easy expression dropped, a suspicious and cruel looking one taking its place. He made a hiss-like sound and let go of the sack of stolen things. He crouched low to the ground.

“Witch,” he spat.

You held your reaction in with far more grace than him. “Are you alone?” you asked him, voice measured.

He did not answer.

“Or, are there more of you?”

You took a step closer to him and leaned down to pick up an apple that had rolled from the sack. You took a bite without breaking eye contact. He stayed frozen to the spot as you chewed slowly and swallowed.

“My name is Amabel,” you told him. “And this land is not mine, but nor is it yours. My coven has dominion here. Make no mistake, we will protect this land. We will protect every human on it.”

The man’s eyes narrowed at the mention of humans. He stood, sure you weren’t offering violence in that first meeting.

“What was your name before? And what will it be after Amabel?” It was not what you were expecting him to say. “Is that not what you do?” he continued. “Live among the humans, love them, watch them die, then start all over again?” You couldn’t tell if he was taunting you or genuinely asking. His tone was far more disarming than his beauty had been. “Do you not feel alone?”

Your lips parted and your eyes glassed over. He’d trapped you in a truth and to what end, you didn’t know.

A dog’s bark cut through the silence, and you briefly looked out beyond the apple orchard, then back. He was gone.

…

1986

“So shall it be.

So shall it be.

So shall it be.”

If the spell worked a second time, it would likely be of short-term effect yet again. You said as much to the bat, but as he returned on his own, you drew the conclusion he was still looking for help. The spell a second time was all you could offer immediately.

As you held the mirror up, eyes closed, you whispered, “Please don’t run. Please.”

All was silent. You were almost too scared to open your eyes, but you’d not heard the trailer door slam. He was still there.

You both searched each other’s eyes for recognition or explanation or anything even vaguely familiar. Perfect strangers, you thought. Imperfect circumstances.

“I’m sorry,” you told him, still whispering. “I’m sorry it didn’t… work… completely. I can figure this out.”

The man said nothing, tearing his gaze from you to look around the trailer. You watched him for a few seconds more before standing. The man flinched at the movement.

“It’s okay! It’s okay. I’m going to get you something to wear.”

You didn’t have a lot of spare clothes, but one of your old t-shirts would work, and some sweatpants that absolutely would not fit properly.

He was still sitting in the center of the devil’s trap when you walked back out from your bedroom. He took the clothes from your outstretched hands, and you hoped he knew what to do with them.

You turned to the kitchenette, pouring a glass of water with your back to him while he stood up and dressed.

You turned and held the glass out to him. He took it. He looked awkward, skittish. Very much like a bat turned human. Fascinated at his general weirdness, you watched him take a sip and hold the water in his mouth. He looked panicked, yet he swallowed. Almost immediately he started to cough, then he threw the water back up onto your kitchen floor.

“It’s okay,” you tried to reassure him. He was staring down at the liquid, brows pulled together.

In the two seconds it took to grab a cloth from the kitchen sink, the man was gone. The trailer door swung wide open.

You sighed but decided to not go after him. All in all, you considered what happened as progress.

…

The smell was putrid. It seemed both obscene and histrionic to have piled all the corpses in the middle of the road.

For two days in a row, dead raccoons, opossums, cats, and dogs had been found. They’d been attacked, but not really eaten. The residents and guests of Forest Hills were concerned. They were already dealing with so much, and now a rabid animal?

You stood with a few neighbours, watching Michelle boss around a couple of teenage boys, making them find all the corpses.

“Lot of them under your trailer,” she’d said, nodding at you.

“Under it?”

“Yep. Got it boarded up but the little bastards always find a way under there. Lot of room between the trailer and the ground. You don’t hear them?”

You shook your head.

Michelle shrugged. “I’ll get one of the boys to come patch the holes.”

When you’d conversed with neighbours about the horror of it all for an appropriate amount of time, you excused yourself and hurried to inspect your trailer. Around the back, behind some trash cans, you found the hole.

On your hands and knees, you peered into the crawl space. Sitting in the dirt and mud were some clothes. You didn’t need to go any further to know they were yours.

There was a word on the tip of your tongue but you didn’t dare speak it because it couldn’t be. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t be. He wasn’t a demon, but maybe…

No. No, they had been eradicated. The species itself extinct. You’d had a hand in it yourself. There was simply no way.

Back inside your trailer, you paced from the bedroom to the lounge and back again.

Why were you in Hawkins?

What had been calling you there?

A wounded creature?

An enemy in disguise?

Had it all been a trap? A trick. A rouse to bring back the only thing you’d ever truly feared.

You cycled through options. Call Kelsey. Automatic writing to seek guidance from The Witches Who Came Before. Bite the metaphorical bullet and tell your coven what exactly you had done. Run away from Hawkins and pretend none of it had happened.

Sitting on the couch you buried your face in your hands.

No. No, you would not run. You would stay on the path you'd chosen for yourself. You would see this thing through. If a group of children could fight an impossible battle somewhere in an Upside Down Hawkins, you could right this wrong. Whatever that meant.

End Note: Don't forget to visit the Grimoire and timeline! I am so excited to bring you to the 1836 events...

Fic Taglist: @kaitebugg03 @paranoidmunson @munsonsbait @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust

All Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl

#Mine #Burning Yarrow #Eddie Munson #Eddie Munson x Reader #Eddie Munson x You #Eddie Munson/Reader #Eddie Munson/You #Vampire!Eddie Munson #Witch!Reader

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greyskyflowers · 8 months

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Listen, I fully support the whole idea of demon Zoro but I think a small part of me will always root for a more war god/goddess approach.

Hear me out because this goes in a few loops before tying together but my words wouldn't word right and my thoughts wouldn't thought right. So this is as good as it's gonna get and hopefully it kind of makes sense at the end. 🤷‍♀️

I listened to a podcast years ago that talked about how war goddesses always got portrayed as these terrible women, their stories warped until they were just bloodthirsty and vindictive.

But that's such a shallow, shitty take on them.

Yeah, war is bad. We all know that.

But war could be...

• defending your home

• fighting for the safety of your family and friends

• protecting yourself

• the only way to progress, justice, freedom, etc.

Point is, I love the concept of mother goddesses of war.

The ones that love their devotees with all their heart.

The ones that keep the fires going in the hearth and bring rain frequent enough to keep the soil wet

The ones that offer a full harvest and constant refuge

The ones that speak in gentle tones and vicious snarls

I love the ones that ride into battle beside their believers

The ones that wear blood like war paint and gently stroke your cheek with hands calloused from weapons

The ones that led the charge one steady feet and strong beliefs

The ones that howl like wolves, cry like ravens, and bring with them the wrath of a pissed off mother

The ones that stand in defense, tall and unmovable when someone has asked for safety, when called out for by those scared and desperate like all humans call out for their mothers when faced with death

The ones that say you will not die here because you are mine and I will come when you call

I love that.

I also think that type of role is very specific to the mother goddesses.

I also think that fits Zoro perfect.

The crew has not sailed without Zoro.

He's always been there, right next to Luffy.

He was the first, and that's important, meaningful.

He stands unwavering when they hide behind him, cling to his clothes or arms

He's safety when there's danger. Arguably, I'd even say more so than Luffy.

Luffy is kind of a wild card in a lot of situations and it's a guarantee he'll be dealing with the main big baddie, so it makes him a risky place to seek shelter.

It's a safe bet Zoro will be in the middle of the action too but he always seems more reachable than Luffy.

I also, personally, think Zoro knows absolutely everything that goes on in their crew and on their ship. He hears and sees it all.

I think the one of the worst situation someone could be in is having legitimately pissed of the strawhats.

Firstly, because they're all fucking crazy.

But more importantly, you're going to have Zoro and Robin looking for you.

Zoro carried the title of hunter. He regularly tracked people down for bounties before meeting Luffy.

Luffy strikes and strikes hard, but Zoro had to have patience, that relentless chase, hunting.

I think he lets himself be more loud and careless because of Luffy.

He settles under Luffy because he wants to. He has devoted himself to Luffy because Luffy is someone worth devoting himself to.

Zoro is fierce and strong but Luffy is a king, a god.

More importantly though, they balance each other, sometimes as opposites and sometimes as equals.

They provide something for each other that no one else quite can. They are the same breath in separate lungs.

Lightning and Thunder

Sun and Moon

Clouds and Stars

Sea and River

Blood and Bone

Skin and Steel

#i hope this is semi coherent but if its not *shrugs*#i just have a lot of feels and you guys theres so much amazing fanart #you're all so fucking talented and it makes my head go to interesting places #one piece #zoro #luffy #strawhats #straw hat pirates #mugiwara crew #mugiwara pirates #setting sail with greyskyflowers

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urlyngendary · 1 year

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𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨?

I was bored, and I'm REALLY into Destiny 2, so I went through and read EVERYTHING that has been said about the game's fungus of darkness: egregore. If you're interested in Destiny lore and always wanted to know more about egregore, here is every fact we've been told about it!

• Egregore is found on Emperor Calus's ship the Glykon, it is described as a type of fungus, coating oneself in its spores allows passage through strange barriers.

• Savathûn as Osiris called the egregore "cores of Darkness." and points out how The Drifter houses similar flora.

• Emperor Calus's Leviathan returns and parks itself above the Moon, the star-eating ship is infested with the egregore, with a new type of it, petrified egregore, players can collect this, which means it is safe/stable for humans to be around.

• Research into the normal egregore takes place in earth, but after the fungus proves itself unsafe the project is shut down, and all samples of the fungus on Earth are burned to prevent any spread.

• The egregore has some sort of potential link to the nightmares, as the Nightmare Harvester is comprised of the following materials:

- Fundamental Osminium

- Petrified Egregore

- Soulfire Ichor

- Dark Ether

• The egregore latches onto a host's skull and acts as a superior nervous system, bending its host's will to the Darkness.

• "Egregore opens one's consciousness to the Darkness, allowing passage through fungal barriers" - Eris Morn

• Eris Morn describes the egregore to a hidden agent, describing it as something similar to the synapses of our nervous system. It is a physical manifestation of Darkness. "Like Stasis. But unlike Stasis, it appears to be an "impure" manifestation- her words, not mine."

• Sometime during Season of the Haunted, Eris learns that the Drifter has egregore with him, he's had it for years; he's had it since he returned to Earth after the Red War.

• The place The Drifter took egregore from was that unnamed icy planet outside of the system. This planet is riddled with "alien monoliths" that each house creatures that appear to be frozen in ice, these creatures have a light supressing field to them, and are described as being gooey and without heads. Their bioenergies are similar to that of Hive, but no such records of these creatures exist, they are said to slither, thousands of them live on the planet. These monoliths seem to be Pyramid-esc, just as there is creatures frozen in all the pyramids we've been inside.

• The egregore "sings" when it is burned, as Drifter calls it, this "singing" establishes some sort of resonance with the pyramids.

• Eris burns egregore on Europa and The Throne World, she sees the pyramids of Europa, The Moon, and the Throne World merge, along with the Glykon and the Leviathan.

• During Season of Defiance, a warlock named Druis discovers Egregore in the Ascendant Plane, she is nearly conquered by it. I would describe the way egregore ensnares its prey is somewhat horrifying. Any attempts for Druis to channel her light are temporarily thwarted by the growths, a "persuasive whisper" reaches through her mind, and terrible memories return to her. Druis eventually channels light and obtains an Awoken Favour. Open being granted the favour of the Awoken, the egregore behaves in a way we have not seen before- It crystalizes into something reminiscent of amethyst, and shatters. The remaining infestation physically recoils as if being burned away in reaction to her light, sulking away.

Let me know if you like this sort've thing! If you've always wanted to get into the story of this videogame and don't know where to look, I can TLDR something for ya!

#destiny 2 #destiny the game #destiny #the witch queen #lightfall #season of defiance #season of the haunted #egregore #emperor calus #eris morn #the drifter #destiny lore #destiny 2 lore

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showtoonzfan · 1 year

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So we know Stella probably won’t have anything to her in the new episode other than “evil bitch”, but honestly….I’ve been thinking about what this one YouTuber had said about her, and it was that Stella and Stolas have no relationship….and…..guess what? They’re exactly right, they really don’t. Their relationship is so shallow, we have no idea how Stolas feels about Stella outside of the bullshit we’re told of him apparently trying to make it work, and she just…doesn’t like him and is trying to kill him. That’s it, there’s no in between or depth to their relationship. There’s nothing regarding how they take care of Octavia, there’s nothing on how they felt about the arranged marriage, we never even get to SEE them interact outside of Stella just popping up occasionally here and there for the writers to show how much of a bitch she is and move on. She calls him boring and complains, that’s it. We don’t know how they work together or what that dynamic is, there’s no exploration on how they handle royal business together, there’s just no insight, ESPECIALLY from Stella’s perspective because god forbid we have an episode that doesn’t revolve around Stolas, Blitz or Moxxie.

It doesn’t help that their dynamic is also all over the place. They go from being in a bad spot and the family being miserable because of the cheating, to flat out domestic abuse, to despising each other and pettily snapping back at the other, arguing constantly. Like yeah it’s clear they don’t LIKE each other, but these two are supposed to be married and in the royal family, and yet they have no chemistry or clear dynamic at all because the show doesn’t know how to develop and explore relationships/character dynamics outside of quick witty banter. How do they treat each other on a normal day? How do they interact? How did they work together when Stella was still at the house and Octavia was around? We clearly see they would go to Loo Loo land, they would sit as a family at the dinner table in Harvest Moon, we clearly hear that by Octavia’s point of view, she has SOME kind of relationship with her mother, and we see portraits of them together.

There’s obviously a family dynamic going on and yet the writing is so one sided. It neglects Stella and Octavia’s elements completely, and only focuses on how Stolas treats his daughter, nothing else. It’s amazing how Viv claims she’s trying to go for a complex two sided relationship where fans can debate who’s in the right or not, and yet the actual show is shallow and flat AF. You want to learn about Stella and Octavia’s dynamic? Too bad! You want to learn about Stella and how her childhood and being married was? Too bad! You want to learn how Stolas and Stella worked together as a married duo and how they raised Octavia? Too bad! You want to see if there were any good areas to their relationship? Too bad! Just know that Stolas is an uwu soft boi who loves his daughter, and Stella is the evil nasty bitch who wants to torture her husband! That’s all you need to know! And I’d say “let the show play out”, but again….judging by the leaks the show has no interest in fleshing Stella or her story out more, and I find it so funny that fans are able to somehow come up with essay videos or “deep dives” into Stolas and Stella’s relationship when there’s just nothing there. It’s flat, and what you see on the surface is what it is. Stella is just evil and Stolas is just good. Their relationship has no nuance or depth at all, and Stella doesn’t need to be a good person or sympathetic to accomplish that. Just fucking show us their relationship and what they went through outside of just Stella being mean and Stolas being miserable or rolling his eyes, but we all know I’m asking the show WAY too much because that would actually require non bias writing and dedication to a character that isn’t Stolas himself.

#vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism #helluva critical #stella goetia #helluva boss Stella #helluva boss Stolas #writing #helluva boss octavia

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adaptacy · 5 months

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A Found Flame {Pt.3}

Pairing: Mentor!Gale Dekarios x Apprentice!GN!Reader

(Previous Chapter) – (Next Chapter) ➔ (AO3)

A/N: Tumblr word limit is fucking me up y'all icl. I had two (2) scenes for this next chapter and those two scenes ended up being EIGHT THOUSAND words so uhm.... i'm splitting this up into 2 sections because aforementioned tumblr word limit izza bitch. But, the full chapter will be on my ao3! I'll post the second half as a part 4 on tumblr eventually, but if you don't wanna wait, go check out the ao3.

Word Count: 2.7k

You weren’t gone for more than two hours, your peaceful retreat to the forest as relaxing and uneventful as you’d expected it to be. The sun had set now, the stars beginning to reveal their white twinkles in the sky above. Aside from the forest-scented crispness in the air, it carries a gentle flowery aroma– or at least the space between your nose and the bouquet you’d created does. It was a mix of purple and indigo, colors you knew he enjoyed, the two plants you’d chosen to harvest on your trip being the autumncrocus and a few small traveling balsam – a rare sight when you weren’t particularly close to any mountains. Along with that, your woven basket contains a very aromatic bunch of lavender billitri flowers and golden honeysuckles, ingredients you planned to boil in your attempt at making tea later in the evening.

Now completely without the protection of the warming sun, you find yourself much more appreciative of your shawl, clutching the sides a little closer to your chest as you retrace your steps back down the trail you had been following. Spotting the edge of the forest, it isn’t long before you emerge once more, and your trip back to the tower is a short one, though it is disrupted by a peculiar sight just outside the familiar building.

“Gale?” You ask, your voice quiet, immediately noticing that he seems rather at peace, distracted by something in the distance. He stands in the garden, wearing a long winter coat, the clothing a blush plum shade in color. The hood, trimmed with a thin black fur, bunches around his neck, a surprising sight given his sensitivity to winter’s company. He turns at your interruption, attempting to smile in greeting, though it registers on his face as though it’s not meant to be there, revealing a burdened discomfort, one that you were nearly positive was brought on by the unforgiving cold. His eyes lower to the flowers in your hand as you approach, head tilting.

“I must admit, you had me mildly ill at ease. You didn’t come back for some time, I’d begun to assume the garden had buried you,” he chuckles, motioning towards your basket. “Though… I see you must have become occupied elsewhere.” His eyes meet yours again, and he then gestures instead towards the empty, frost-bitten garden beds. “How long have they been bare?”

Stopping a few feet before him, you contemplate his question, eventually replying with “All winter. The majority of them died during our first autumn freeze. We had so many harvests in stock, I didn’t see much of a point in replanting winter crops.” Gale’s gaze becomes one of disdain, and you frown, realizing how this subtle betrayal must look. “My apologies for lying to you. I didn’t mean to mislead – I wanted to surprise you, actually.”

You extend him the flowers, though he doesn’t quite notice the offering. “No, I’m not upset with you. I wasn’t aware it’s been that long since I’ve visited the garden. Seven moons, give or take. Seven moons that I’ve been stuck inside.”

“Well, you’ve been busy. And I don’t mind running errands. You’ve had important things to do,” you remind, inspecting the hardened soil in the wooden beds. To your dismay, you notice hints of pale green weeds poking out of the edges, sure to prove a hassle when the time comes to replant spring crops.

After a few seconds of silence, he regards you once more. “You wanted to surprise me?”

“Oh, yes.” Again, you extend him the flowers, and he receives them this time, analyzing the bunch as though he had been asked to judge them. “I went out to the forest. It was quite serene, and pretty – even with the trees as barren as they are. You’re welcome to join me next time, you know, if you ever want to get out.”

Gale’s smile hardens, picking up a little more rectitude, and he lifts the flowers to his nose, relishing in the fresh floral scents. “Balsam. A product of the winter; they’re usually only found on the upper levels of mountains, however it seems the reduced temperatures have drawn them from their usual environment. Even this far away from home, they survive. It’s quite a spectacle to behold, as simple as it may seem. In unfamiliar surroundings and uncharted territory, they acclimate without issue,” he hums, though his smile cracks into a mischievous smirk, and he shrugs towards you, shooting you a playful wink. “Well, until they were plucked, that is.”

“I almost feel bad for harvesting them,” you chuckle.

Gale shakes his head, his free hand waving away your guilt. “Hardly. Although gifting them to me is a sure promise of their demise,” he laughs, and you do the same, knowing that you were absolutely signing them a death warrant by entrusting them in his care. “I see these aren’t the only goods you retrieved.”

Noticing that he was eyeing your basket, you nod again. “I was going to make tea to accompany our dinner. I really didn’t intend on being absent for so long. Blame the trees, luring me in with their promises of pretty flowers,” you tease. “If you haven’t already made a meal, I don’t mind–”

“Nonsense. Dinner has already been prepared; mushroom stew and potato wedges, as per Tara’s suggestion. While our plates may not be warm anymore, I'm sure I can conjure up something or other to reheat them.” Gale glances at the building, and then he looks towards the sky, and you realize he’d been gazing at the upper crescent of the emerging moon before you’d interrupted him.

“Do you ever miss the stars?” You ask, tilting your head up to view the star-scattered darkness as well.

“I see enough from the balcony – or so I had convinced myself. In truth, there’s little comparison to the beauty of a full sky. I suppose I’d forgotten that much. Now that I’ve been reminded, however, I suppose I have missed their company. No shade to my view from the balcony, but the combination of fresh air and a vast universe as far as the eye can see could hardly be contained in the pocket outside of my window.”

“Would you like to sit and stargaze for a little while?”

Gale lowers his head to look at you, and you meet his eye, looking to make up for your absence by providing company to what he seemed to already be in the middle of doing before you’d stumbled upon him. You’re hungry, sure, and dinner sounded nice, but you don’t mind staying out for a little while longer. You aren’t sure when you might get another chance to make such an offer, as he had a tendency to lose himself in his studies, and you often got lost in your own duties. Gale contemplates it for a few moments before eventually nodding. “A hard bargain you drive. I suppose now is as good a time as any to indulge in my affinity for the stars.”

The two of you find a place just outside of the garden beds to sit, and you place the bouquet in your basket, setting it aside as you lay back, arms crossed behind your head, with Gale imitating a similar position next to you. There isn’t any conversation for several minutes, but it’s far from silent. The winter whispers her goodbyes with talkative crickets as her vessels, and the wind carries its own tales, the stars punctuating each and every foreign line.

It isn’t until the moon reveals her upper half over the horizon that Gale finally speaks, the ambience of the outer city quieting enough to merely support his voice instead of speak alongside it. “The stars never change. No matter the wars, no matter the disasters, no matter the time, no matter the place, they remain consistent. Such perseverance is enviable.”

“They don’t really need to change. Do you think they’re even capable of it?”

“Of change?” He asks.

“Of change,” you clarify.

“Well, some stars fizzle out. Perhaps all stars have an end, eventually. As untouchable as they are, even they cannot avoid death. Aside from that, they seem to be free of even Selûne’s interference. I’ve never even heard a tale of them rearranging.” His answer is hardly that, and you allow him the chance to think before he provides a reply that’s much closer to an answer. “I’m not sure. Perhaps they do, while we sleep. They could have every eye fooled; they may swap places while they aren’t watched. Mischievous little bastards.”

You chuckle, amused at such an idea. “Maybe the ability to change is more impressive than being so stubborn as to remain the same for eons upon eons. Like the Balsam. One is able to adapt to new situations, the other is so stubborn as to stay the same for what seems like an eternity.” You glance over at Gale, and he shrugs, unsure his stance on the matter. You look back to the sky. “I can’t believe some people have never seen them.” You recall stories and mentions of cave communities, light-starved species that inhabit places such as the underdark, and you struggle to imagine it. You’ve always found it a hard truth to face. “To not know the songs that the moon sings, or the art that the stars create – it sounds like a bard’s folktale.”

“They find their light elsewhere, I have to assume.”

“Like where?” You question, curious for a potential explanation.

“Anywhere. Light comes in more forms than the sun and stars. I know of flora that glows in such places. Fire is always a possibility. Or, it could very well be from those around them. Though that is a more metaphorical take on the subject. You must bear in mind that light isn’t much of a necessity for eyes adapted to the very absence of it,” he explains, releasing a soft sigh. “Though, personally, I can’t imagine having never seen the sky before. The beauty it holds – well, it can’t be properly shared through mere discussion of the topic.”

“Drawings definitely don’t do it any justice, either,” you agree. “Of everything the gods have crafted, I think the night sky is my favorite artwork.”

“Indeed. Not even Mystra’s most trained magic could come close to recreating such a sight. And yet so many pass under it without ever paying it much mind. A great gift it is, only to still be taken for granted so often. Ah, but I’m hardly one to speak – I’ve spent so long reading about it I’ve forgotten to take a moment and truly appreciate it.” His voice is tainted with some edge of regret, and you look over at him, studying his profile as he is entirely captivated by the view above.

Maybe only thanks to the moon, there’s an innocent light in his eyes, his warm features highlighted by the cool blue hues. The peace his expression rests at is an uncommon one, and it makes you appreciate it even more. The man always seemed to jump between deflective, cocky sarcasm and quiet, thoughtful anxiety. But here, the stillness of the night granted you an opportunity to peer behind the curtain, and what lay backstage was an awfully pretty sight.

Although he’s visibly tired, and his mind is surely contaminated by plenty of busy thoughts, you’re convinced this is the closest to relaxation you’d ever seen him. His fingers are interlaced where his hands rest on his chest, black gloves concealing his skin and keeping them warm.

He��s handsome in the same way that the moon is; he has his own glow, though it isn’t anything close to the bright light that the sun casts. It’s a silent glow, and even when he sometimes feels far away, lost in his own mind, miles from the present moment, it always remains a comforting sight. Gale could’ve been the leader of the stars, he could’ve been untouchable by the gods, he could’ve been unchanging and everlasting, and you’re sure that you wouldn’t have noticed a difference from the man that lay before you now. Here, even with as human as he is, and although he remains so perfectly flawed, he is utterly invincible.

His eyes trace the distant lines between constellations, making you wonder if recalling the stories behind them quieted whatever stress stirred in his mind. For as many jokes and remarks he made about his age, he could’ve fooled even the most insightful with his youthful appearance. Of course, his true age would be quickly revealed by his personality – his sense of humor and odd mannerisms easily giving away the reality.

Admiring him now causes the smallest seed to be planted in the dark depths of your mind. Why did you agree to stay? You’d never really questioned your reasoning, and neither did he. You’d never minded helping him, and the shelter and company was certainly appreciated. When you’d originally agreed to help him, it was only for a little while, helping out around the house so he could get his life back in order after an event he wasn’t particularly fond of discussing. You’d assumed it would be a two or three week ordeal so you could get back on your own feet as well, the agreement a mutually beneficial one.

Maybe it was his unpredictable charm – his playfulness, his self-deprecating but amusing jokes, his shielded validation. You also liked having a place; A roof over your head, warm dinners, and the comfort of his laid-back lifestyle was plenty enough to please you. He even had plenty enough coin to cover whatever he could’ve needed, and that luxury was one you’d never quite had the pleasure of experiencing before. But beyond the physical items of your affection, you had a home. As strange as it was to call his tower such a personal term, it was hard to deny. His house had become a home, and that much was made possible purely by his companionship. So you’d found a place, one that housed you both physically and emotionally. A place with him.

His head turns to find you staring at him. At the unexpected discovery, his eyes widen as though he isn’t sure how to react to your gaze. You remain still and assured in your spying, giving him a gentle smile. Then he smiles too, and his peace is helplessly contagious. “We should do this more often,” you propose, and Gale nods.

“A fine idea that is. Is it warm?” He asks, and you furrow your brows. “The shawl,” he clarifies. “Are you warm enough?”

“Oh, yeah. Well, I’m still a little cold, but it’s not an issue,” you reply, shrugging.

Gale frowns for a moment – not because he’s hurt, instead it’s more of a thoughtful frown, as if he’s studying difficult material – before seeming to come upon an idea. Unlocking his fingers, he reaches out and stretches his arm behind you, using his other hand to motion for you to shuffle closer. You obey his implied order, and his arm comes to slide under your head, his hand rubbing your outer shoulder in a small, but thoughtful, attempt at trying to warm you up. “If you’d rather go inside, do let me know. I’m hardly a fan of the cold myself, but the sight is nothing short of beautiful tonight. The moon has always been quite the charismatic one. I’d like to enjoy the moment, and the view – if you’ll be so kind as to join me.”

After a moment of deliberation, you inch even closer, your side against his, finding the warmth that his body produces pleasantly familiar. You’re reminded of your revisited memory from earlier in the day, and you allow your head to rest against him, comforted by the closeness. “I’d love to. Maybe we’ll get lucky and spot a shooting star.”

“Unlikely, but I respect the optimism,” he hums teasingly, turning his attention back to the stars. You close your eyes, listening to the beating of his heart, feeling his hand rest on your arm and secure your presence close to him. You do intend on opening your eyes again to admire the sky for a while longer, but it isn’t long before you unwillingly drift off, eased enough to be lulled to sleep under the protection of the moon.

#gale dekarios #gale dekarios x reader #gale of waterdeep #wizard of waterdeep #gale dekarios bg3 #gale bg3 #gale bg3 x reader #gale x reader #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 fanfiction

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friendlyneighborhoodcrow · 11 months

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An Axe Of Kindness

Hello, there folks! I’m back from a busy couple of weeks though my return is somewhat delayed as I have just recovered from being rather ill. I wanted to give ya’ll something quick while I work on some longer pieces. So here we are and thank you for your patience! And yes, the title is a pun. I feel no shame.

-Crow

So my dear readers, imagine you are a Hobbit, a Hobbit who is no stranger to some hard work on their farm and has been chopping wood for your family for quite some time. You have some skill with the axe, though not battle oriented, and the dwarfs have no idea. How will they respond when they realize you wield a popular dwarven weapon?

Gender neutral!reader (No use of y/n)

Relationships: All platonic

Warnings include:

Canon typical use of weapons

Canon typical violence (some orcs)

Word count:

1.6k

Camp was, as usual, full of laughter and conversation. The night was in its infancy, and you were happily settled beside dear Mr. Bilbo and young Ori who worked fervently on a knitted pair of gloves. The day had been long and hard and the weight of your legs seemed nigh unbearable.

“I think my legs might fall off,” you said to no one in particular, “they feel heavier than one of old mister Proudfeet’s pumpkins!”

You reached down to weakly rub at the tender muscles when you heard Kili chuckle boisterously, you looked up to see him staring at you with a toothy grin.

“You’ll have to get used to all the activity my dear companion!” He mused.

“I am used to activity!” You insisted rather bluntly, “You know I am a farmer, and I’m no stranger to a long day!” You saw some of the dwarves quirk their brows, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the synced action.

“Well, I’m not used to walking all day I suppose, but during harvest season I’m outside all day! Don’t even get me started on chopping wood for the winter months!”

You sighed dramatically as though to prove your point and stretched your legs out in front of yourself. With a few more chuckles from your travelling companions, you all continued preparing camp for the coming dark.

As the night settled in and the sun shrunk away behind the horizon, the company sat close to the fire and like most nights, began their shifts of either sleeping or watch duty. It was quiet, the lack of animal calls and even crickets unsettled you as you laid down upon your thin bedroll. The moon was new, and the skies were black as a raven, the only light came from the glow of the dying fire and the shining stars. One would think it was all quite pretty were it not for your mounting concern over the lack of forest sounds. You fought with your woollen blanket and turned until you found yourself comfortable enough to forget about the extended day and the silent night. But then you heard a shriek, close by.

Bolting upright, you looked around. Dwalin, who was dutifully sitting on a fallen log, gripped his battle axe tight as he also swivelled his head. Thorin and Gloin leaned forwards and looked at each other. Another call sounded, and you slowly moved to grab your short dagger when something burst through the trees.

An orc now stood on the edge of the company’s camp and looked around wildly. It gripped twin hatchets and let out a shrill and unpleasant cry. All of the dwarves and two disgruntled hobbits suddenly sprang to life grabbing for their weapons. You now gripped your dagger tight as the beast charged toward the closet dwarf, Bifur. The dark orc raised a hatchet and prepared to deliver a fatal blow but before it could, Bifur jumped back as Gloin charged from the orc’s side, his own axe raised and he struck suddenly. The creature stumbled to the side shrieking and releasing its weapon. The cries it let out were horrifying, to say the least, they fluctuated from a high-pitched scream to a guttural vocalization.

As its cries came to an end, more orcs jumped from seemingly nowhere and you heard Thorin’s booming voice roaring for everyone to assume a defensive position. You were pushed back toward the fire by Bofur, and he gave you a sympathetic look before turning back to the oncoming danger. While you understood his concern, you wanted to be helpful, and that’s when you noticed the hatchets laying on the ground near the first downed orc. Gradually, you inched back and to your side to scoop both of them up. While one was easy to seize from the clearing floor, the other was tightly gripped by the orc. It seemed that he didn’t want to lose his weapon, even in death. Realizing the hold the orc had on the axe, as well as the size of it in your hand. You chose to forsake it and quickly dart back to the safety of your previous position by the fire.

No one seemed to notice your movements as the pack of orcs moved in close and attempted to circle everyone. Without another moment, every dwarf sprang nimbly to life.

The forest was no longer quiet, instead, it was filled with the battle cries of both orcs and dwarves as they charged one another with axes and swords at the ready. You stood with your new hatchet, though it was more like a battle axe in your small grip. The fight was carrying along swiftly and for a moment you thought you might not need to use your newfound weapon when an orc managed to push its way past Dori and raise its sword at Ori. The unfortunate dwarf held tight to his slingshot as it cried and before you could properly register your own movements, you darted over to him.

“It’s exactly like a log of wood,” you whispered under your breath as you promptly raised the orcish axe.

Hastily, you brought it down, striking the orc's lower back. It crumpled in pain before your eyes and you brought the axe down once more to ensure its end as it lay in the middle of the clearing. Breathing hard, you looked up and met Ori’s startled eyes. He smiled gratefully at you before catching sight of something behind you and flinging a jagged rock from his slingshot over your head. At the same moment, you wheeled around and took a quick swipe at a tall orc's gangly legs leaping out of the way as it fell. Panicked, you wheeled around, afraid to see more orcs encroaching on your newfound friends but it seemed that you had efficiently managed to finish off the last of them. You let out a surprised chuckle that sounded more like a hoarse gasp as you caught your breath and the adrenaline began to wear off.

“You did it!” Fili cheered enthusiastically as he looked between you and the fallen orc.

“You undoubtedly saved me!” Ori said rather breathlessly, still clutching his slingshot.

“And you, me!” you answered back.

“Where did you learn to wield an axe like that?” Dwalin seamlessly stepped to stand beside you looking at you incredulously.

“Well I told you I chopped wood for my family, didn’t I?” you tried to joke but as Dwalin continued to stare at you like you grew another head you shrank into yourself. Suddenly his hardened face broke into a smile, “Aye, ya’ did.” he chuckled. A sense of welcome relief flushed through you as your dear companions gathered closer.

Bilbo seemed to emerge from the shadows to pat you on the back telling you that you would have to give him a demonstration. And most of the group seemed to heartily agree to the extra training for the hobbit. Thorin broke into the gathered circle barking for the group to pack up quickly and snuff the fire. As he walked by, he nodded at you and you couldn't help but flash a wide grin back. After carefully packing up camp, the entire company moved quickly through the night, trying to get to safer ground while the forest lurked with orcs. Thorin promised that you would stop during the day for needed rest which earned sighs of welcome relief from everyone.

The following day, the sun beat down on the area where the dwarves had made camp, but the heat did not reach you as you lay in the shade near a stream filled with cool running water. The afternoon had been spent resting and napping so that you could cover more ground before nightfall. And you welcomed the rest with excited arms. The dwarves seemed to have changed their tone when speaking to you. An air of respect for your “skill” with an axe had taken hold and you were not going to complain. The orc axe, which was really no more than a hatchet rested comfortably on your belt opposite from your dagger, you felt a sense of growing pride for your arsenal though the orc axe was an ugly thing. It was a crude thing made for a bloody function rather than to have any noteworthy aesthetics.

Gloin’s boots appeared in front of your view and you swiftly looked up to meet his gaze. He held himself with his normal prideful stance but he seemed to waver as he rubbed his hands together carefully.

“So I and the others have been talkin’, and we think that you should have a proper axe.” He said rather matter-of-factly. Your face softened immediately and you grinned up at him.

“Really? Oh, that’s sweet of you to think so!” you said happily but respectfully. You knew that a dwarve’s weapons were something special and they wouldn’t say such a thing unless they truly thought you deserved one.

Balin stepped to stand beside Gloin and you rose to your feet. He pulled out a lovely-looking axe and carefully handed it to you. It was well-forged and the metal was imprinted with swirling geometric designs that marked it as a dwarven axe. It was polished to a shine and sharpened with care. It was clearly made for battle. Your face broke into a sentimental smile as you thanked the dwarves.

“But don’t you go chopping wood with that one!” Dwalin called out from his comfortable spot under a nearby tree. You laughed merrily and agreed as you removed the orcish axe to replace it with the fine dwarvish one.

I hope you enjoyed reading this! I really appreciate comments and reblogs!

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sourtomatola · 17 days

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Taking candy for a fool part 8

The next time you came to the factory, you had a pair of noise canceling earbuds so you wouldn’t have to hear the screams. You felt like a garbage human for it but realistically, it’s all you could do. At least keep out the mental damage of hearing living creatures scream for an hour.

After the usual time had passed, you made your way back to the boy’s room. You saw someone creeping around in the back through the halls, but they were far too massive to be a human. You thought it was a little too soon for a candy critter to slip out of their room right after the harvest, but you decided not to questions it without the boys.

The boy’s faces seemed to brightened when you came in, which made you feel happier that you were at least giving them positive emotions.

“Better…Seeing you certainly cheers us up.” Sunny smiled before taking another sip of syrup. You watched as the candy glass of his ray’s slowly grew as he drank. It was truly a marvel to watch these two heal, despite how awful it was that they had to. “It’s nice to have a friend to look forward to seeing.”

Moon’s hat grew like hair before connecting the ends together, a Moondrop forming at the base.

“What’s it like when you shed naturally?” You asked, trying not to stare.

“Well, for one it doesn’t hurt.” Sunny smiled. “but that’s probably obvious. Usually the outer candy shells just kind of fall off, and we can just kind of shake like a dog and loose it all.”

“Do you look all mangled and show your skeleton?” You asked with interest.

“Mangled, kind of. Skeleton, no.” Moon cleared up. “Usually, the candy already has started to regrow at that point so we still have some covering our endo skeleton’s.”

You thought for a minute, thinking of what had happened the other day on your way out, with the taffy creatures.

“You said most of you started with metal skeletons…but what about the taffy guys? They don’t seem to have bones.” You asked.

Both stopped drinking their syrup and looked nervous. “The taffy puppets, uh…” Sun started, squirming as he clenched his feeding tube tightly.

“They don’t…they’re very unique. We really don’t know what they started as. They might have started as just the masks or something." Moon said uncomfortably. "We don’t know. And…we honestly avoid them. They’re weird in an…unsafe feeling sense, you know?”

“We never know when nightmarionne come’s out, and when he does, it’s chaotic. Only his brother’s can calm him down. He’s…killed before.” Sun frowned.

“Not that we wouldn’t take a chance at revenge if we could…” Moon mumbled. As Moon said this, He appeared to have finished healing, but seemed to have extra syrup. He absent mindedly tucked it down near a hold in the floor that was previously covered by a pillow.

You gasped as something red came out of the hole, and gently took the tube from Moon.

You gasped at the sight of red fingertips, pulling the tubbing through the hole. You watched more syrup drain through it.

“Who…who is that?” You asked cautiously.

Moon jolted slightly, as if seeming to realize that his friend was outed. He looked at you, concern, and fear on his face.

“Moon I won’t tell anyone, you know that. I wouldn’t hurt you or your friends like that.” You told him quickly.

He looked at Sun before putting the tube away. “Okay but…you need to know that…Fazbear thinks he’s dead.” Sun said before giving the wall a couple prominent knocks.

You hear shuffling behind their door before it creaked open, showing larger candy being. You’ve never seen him before, but he felt familiar.

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#Kind of a long one #Taking candy for a fool #fnaf moon #moondrop #fnaf sun #sundrop #art #my art #comic #P.I. yn

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sir-subpar · 6 months

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Striker redesign/reimagine!

Might tweak a few things in the future, but here he is!

I'll talk about him under the cut, because I have some things to say

Okay! So: Striker

Let me start by saying that I don't really hate his design as is. I think he looks fine. But! As somebody from the southwest, I wanted to add a little extra southwestern style influence on him. And I also wanted him to look more like a rattler.

Now if some of you might be a little confused by the blue, I do have an explanation for it. Admittedly this is more personal than logical, but here's a cool little factoid about my nick of the woods.

As I've mentioned multiple times, I'm from the southwest, and we have a local very old Superstition around here, the Superstition goes that West is the direction of evil. It's where the sun is swallowed and darkness rises. What time were evil spirits would rise and torment the living. But it was said if you painted your window sills or doorways blue, you would be safe. Blue was the color of safety and protection.

So I kind of gave Striker little blue accents, as a reference to that color of safety. I like the idea that it's a comfort color for him.

Anyway! Aside from my barely filtered Self Indulgence, here are my thoughts;

I don't like his fingerless gloves, 90% of the characters seem to have fingerless gloves, literally everybody in the main cast has fingerless gloves or something similar. I like fingerless gloves, but I'm sick of it being everywhere in this show

As mentioned before I wanted to make him look more snake-like, so I gave him a rattler Style tell, larger fangs, more orange toned, a different horn Style just a match a little bit better. And eyeball imagery on his clothing. Since rattlesnakes sometimes look like they have eyeball patterns

Gave him scars, I was just like with millie, I feel like he's got into a lot of fights, and since they're both from wrath they should both have some Battle Scars.

Speaking of Millie, I had this idea for a rewrite, let me know what you think. What if Millie was actually considered the weakest in her family growing up? Which has caused her to be very self-conscious about her strength and constantly want to get stronger. All of this leading to her currently being extremely competitive to the point where it can be detrimental. And what if, when she wasn't able to actually help around the farm, the family had Striker come over and help?

Striker could be a long time family friend she grows up with, but also goes on to resent because she feels he is, in a sense, replacing her.

So the Harvest Moon episode would be more about her feeling an internal rivalry with him rather than a cliched masculinity episode with Moxxie

Maybe he goes easy on her because he cares about her, and she notices, leading her to feel like he sees her as weaker, which is very insulting to her Pride.

This could be why she eventually joins IMP, maybe assassinating humans makes her feel strong.

Those are my thoughts with Millie and Striker. Now, to explore another Dynamic that I'm sure you guys have been eager to hear my thoughts about...

Striker's dynamic with Blitzo

It probably doesn't surprise any of you, but I thoroughly believe that they had far more chemistry in this one episode, then Blitzo and Stolas do throughout the rest of the show

Clearly Blitzo likes him, and at the very least, Striker does have some respect for him upon their first meeting

The way he talks to Blitzo, it plays into what Blitzo actually *wants*. He offers a ticket out. A way to success without being shackled to Stolas

Striker calls Blitzo: impressive, sir, above sucking on a pompous Goetia.

Stolas, on the other hand: my impish little plaything, adorable, itty bitty imp, constantly baby talks him, "Blitzy" which was established Blitzo hates.

I will get to Stolas eventually, I have some thoughts I'll Explore More with him. In due time.

Would I make Blitzo and Striker a couple in my Reimagined Helluva? I don't know, because I don't really think it's necessary. I do think however that Striker eventually could become one of Blitzo's friends.

I have a very specific scene in my head:

____

Blitzo's uncertain about Striker's offer, he doesn't know if he should actually trust him, if he should uproot his whole business for the stranger just because he's saying the right things, or if he should just do what he's doing now and see if he can get success.

They fight, for a bit, Striker keeps talking throughout their tussle, tempting Blitzo to join him on killing Stolas.

They are equally matched, both holding the blessing tipped rifle, in a tense game of tug o' war.

Their rumble goes on for just long enough that now, Striker looks out the window, to see his opportunity to kill Stolas while he was on stage has passed.

Striker sighs, dissapointed as Stolas is once again surrounded by guards blocking his clear shot.

He releases his rifle, causing Blitzo to stumble back a bit.

He composes himself, straightening his clothes and dusting himself off.

"Tell you what Blitz, I'll give you some time to think on it."

Striker takes Blitzo's hand in his own for a moment, his tone of voice more welcoming than before.

He pulls away, revealing je placed a Buisness card with his phone number in Blitzo's palm.

"And when you decide what you want, you give me a call."

____

So! Those are my thoughts!

If I were in charge of the show, I would let Striker's business card sit on Blitzo's desk, or in his wallet, showing the audience that Striker is still in the back of his mind, even if Striker doesn't make a direct appearance in a few episodes.

I had a lot of fun with Striker, as you all can probably tell, he was one of my favorites before season 2 happened.

#helluva boss critical #helluva rewrite #helluva redesign #helluva reimagine #striker #hb striker #striker redesign #striker reimagine #blitzø #blitzo #hb blitzo #blitzo reimagined

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mrcarmenile · 4 months

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blitz’s hostility towards stolas makes total sense and imo is completely justified

there comes a point where he’s being a bit delusional (everything after s2e4) but for the entire first season i completely understand why he felt he was being used

look at all the interactions stolas had with blitz in the first season—all the sexual comments (especially ones regarding him calling blitz an imp continuously), calling him his “impish plaything”, doing whatever tf he was doing in the beginning of the harvest moon festival episode. he was, simply and plainly, being a creep

and we see now that he’s not actually trying to use blitz and he actually cares and actually likes blitz and wants blitz to like him, but blitz doesn’t know that and i understand why—except his rant in the episode oops was bordering on him refusing to accept the truth but nonetheless

both of them are terrible at communicating but stolas understands how blitz feels WAY more than blitz understands how stolas feels, so it makes a lot of sense that blitz is kind of hostile and dismissive with stolas while stolas has a whole depressing musical number expressing his sorrows and heartbreak and apologies (well actually he has two but i digress)

blitz thinks stolas doesn’t care so his best bet is to ALSO not care—whether or not this will change in the next episode is a complete 50/50 for me

i’m not the biggest stolitz shipper but i do think their differing perspectives are very fascinating and i’m interested to know how everything will unfold

also im so excited to hear brandon sing next episode too

#just a quick rant defending blitz and analyzing ig #i’m blitz defender 👊🔥#helluva boss #blitzo #stolas #hellaverse #stolitz #just look my way

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chaifootsteps · 4 months

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I've noticed a lot of recent episodes with Stolas in them have what I've started to call the 'Stolas Clapback'. Basically it's where the episode will give him a sassy comeback line and the show will expect the viewer to think he Really Did A Thing there (and wouldn't you know it, most of it happens in S2!), even though there are easy rebuttals to all of them that the characters then don't make, solely because Stolas must be in the right at all times

Examples off the top of my head:

Stolas asking Blitzo what Moxxie's number is if his memory's so great

Stolas pointing out Striker works for Stella despite hating royalty

Stolas going on and on about how kinky he and Blitzo get in bed to Striker

Stolas asking Striker if he can't afford holy bullets

Stolas claiming to Andrealphus that him committing the dictionary definition of infidelity is somehow not cheating because Stella wasn't actually hurt by it

Stolas claiming to Stella that he tried to make it comfortable for them, wanted a normal life for Via, etc.

[Someone else is talking on Stolas' behalf, but it's pretty obvious character shilling so I'm counting it] Fizzarolli acting like it's obvious Stolas is into Blitzo, and saying Blitzo hates him for just being a prince

etc.

Easy counter points being:

Stolas is saying this to excuse why he doesn't remember spells from his own spellbook he has possessed since childhood. That spellbook is literally his job and part of his royal responsibilities. He should be proficient with that magic, enough to remember some of his own spells, but the writers trying to shortcut why he can't use any of his spells makes him look lazy and a worse royal than he already is. Plus, Blitzo doesn't need to remember Moxxie's number by heart - he probably has it stored in his phone like a normal person. Stolas' negligence is putting Via in more danger here, his phone comeback isn't remotely comparable

There's nothing stopping Striker killing Stella after he gets paid for killing Stolas. Also as far as we can tell Stella has far less political power than Stolas, of course Striker would happily take a job to get paid to assassinate him

Striker pointed out to Blitzo before that having to 'service' Stolas is beneath him. He could have easily pointed out that everything he assumed about Stolas - that he's an exploitative piece of work - is being proven right by Stolas himself. To really twist the knife, he could have told Stolas that he almost talked Blitzo into assassinating him all the way back at the Harvest Moon festival by pointing out Stolas treats him as a plaything

Again, Stolas is exactly the classist rich jerk Striker thought he was.

Andrealphus could easily point out it's still cheating, and if Stolas won't have that then he could point out that he still hurt Via by doing it and he's wrecking the family reputation, which presumably is part of the responsibility of being a Goetia. If he doesn't like it so much, why doesn't he abdicate his power and privilege?

There's no onscreen evidence for this but Stella could have easily mentioned she was forced into an arranged marriage, too, and the situation itself means the environment Via was being raised in was never 'normal'. It's not unreasonable for someone who was forced into a marriage and literally having a child they didn't want to not want to play house, but that Stella had to physically birth Via against her will is never recognized as a traumatic thing that she went through, only Stolas' pain is

Blitzo could have easily mentioned the Full Moon deal and a laundry list of ways Stolas has treated him poorly, but he instead produces a list of offscreen ways in which Stolas is obviously into him and a total sweetheart. Blitzo gives a general statement about the rich fetishizing sleeping with poor imps (which is true of Stolas but he never says anything about him specifically) and doesn't point out that disliking Stolas 'just because he's a prince' is a totally valid stance to have given that imps are a literal underclass and Stolas treats every imp not named Blitzo as beneath notice or as disposable servants.

The one exception I can think of to the Stolas Clapback phenomenon was when Blitzo snapped at him in Ozzie's, but I have little doubt at this point that the Full Moon episode will have Blitzo get angry at Stolas but not for anything that Stolas can't easily defend or dismiss.

He'll probably say something like 'you never gave me any indication you cared about me!' which Stolas will use offscreen examples or the 'date' at Ozzie's to rebut, instead of having Blitzo say 'you used the fact I was getting shot at to pressure me into giving you sex every month to keep my job! you constantly objectify and talk down to me!', points which Stolas can't easily rebut (or he'll say something stupid like 'you seduced me that first time!' and the show will treat that like it's an actual good comeback or something) - in other words, the ep will be framed like the issue is Blitzo's attachment problems rather than acknowledging that any sane person would run the other way from Stolas and his 'affections'

Thank you for compiling this list, Anon, because I never could have; I can never get past Stolas's stupid, smug little "eeexactly~" in Seeing Stars without fearing I'm putting myself at increased risk for a stroke.

I figure I may as well warn you now that unless what I've been hearing changes, there's an absolutely infuriating Stolas Clapback in Full Moon. All I'm gonna say about that.

#Anonymous #helluva boss critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

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lucariogirl369 · 23 days

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So...I got a Striker related theory...

Every time I watch the HB s2 episode Oops, this Striker scene near the end has been and always will be burned in the back of my brain.

Just by looking at THIS screenshot in particular, you can tell one of two things going through this man's now unstable mind; knowing he screwed up big time and is about to die...or, the biggest theory of all that a lotta of us HB enthusiast and Striker simps have theorized SINCE the dawn of his introduction back in The Harvest Moon Festival...he's about to relive some trauma.

I do have a multitude of theories about everyone's favorite lil' cowboy from this side of the Wrath Ring, but this singular screenshot alone already speaks volumes. One of which is that he lost his family during sometime in his childhood and/or he was once a husband/father at one point in his life, and seeing how he despises royals (despite the fact he only worked for Stella to get to Stolas...probably to get to her next, but that's a theory for another time), he probably lost them during a fire a royal family set upon his homeland and now he's reliving the horrible memory all over again.

But for this post, I'm sticking with the one during his childhood. Again, seeing how he hates royals, bluebloods, anyone who's a part of the "rich life" or is a part of the royal families, etc. His family grew up with not much but managing to barely get by with what little they had.

Only managing to afford food, clothes, a home, etc. If his family were to have more money in the pockets, they'd save it for emergencies or celebrations like birthdays or other holidays. This would've made him a target for bullying by richer families add to the fact that he's also a hybrid. No, seriously, he's a hybrid. That aside...

I would also assume his family either worked for a royal family under contract or were put into slavery and he witnessed the treatment his parents and possible siblings received throughout his youth. Which would explain why he hates royal demons, overlords, and the like.

As for the fire...I theorized what happened was the following; his parents didn't have enough to buy for food or anything else, so, they made the riskiest decision by stealing from a royal family so they'd at least have enough for a meal, but ended up getting more so they could afford not just the necessities, but luxuries as well for their children.

That would end up being the biggest mistake of their lives. Once the royal family found out, they immediately attacked Striker's homeland, burning everything to the ground and destroying and harming the residents who lived there. Striker's parents and siblings getting the worst torment and torture of all. His parents told him to run and to not look back, but once he was far enough and he did look back...he was traumatized by seeing his family burning to death, no thanks to the noble demon taking his family away from him.

Maybe I'm looking too deep into this, but IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! His speech also signifies more from Western Energy!

"Not every ring is some fancy-ass city. With some fancy-ass mansion, that only FANCY-ASS royals get to live in! Some of us have hard lives to live! And some of us, have EVERYTHING we care about taken away by fuckers like you!"

From his speech about royal demons to Stolas, his "deal" to Blitz from Harvest Moon Festival, and the screenshot before the explosion says a LOT about what happened to Striker! Now, whether or not we see an official flashback from the Spindle Horse crew or at least get some kinda backstory for Striker, it would make a lotta sense as to why he is the way he is!

Ngl...I feel so bad for him! I wanna take 'em home, wrap 'em up in a fluffy blanket, feed 'em ice cream, and hug and snuggle him until he has a good cry and feels better! Our little cowboy has suffered enough and needs some loves and DESERVES some kind of redemption arc! 😭😭😭

#helluva #helluva boss #helluva striker #helluva boss striker #striker #boss #striker theory #helluva boss theory #theory #vivziepop #vivienne medrano #spindlehorse

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tgrailwar-zero · 3 months

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... erm.

... Lord Sigurd? Not to ask the obvious question but...

... you keep talking about having sealed us, and stuff we did before... there's a good bit of folks with opinions about us based on who we used to be... but we have, at best, patchwork memories of... well, anything. The sharpest memories I have were jostled loose when Setanta jumped us, and that was just about Cu Chulainn.

Could I ask you to catch us up on... who we were? What we were, exactly? What we did, and all that?

SIGURD: "Right... I wish I could provide you answers, but your exact nature is difficult to parse. I know that you are related to the Void Cell, and are made up of many souls, but your past is your own... or perhaps not even that. I'm sorry."

SIGURD: "However, I can at least provide context from the point of view of the Solar Cell. It's a long story, but I will happily regale you if you'd like to listen."

He adjusted his glasses, before speaking.

"The Moon Cell was a natural phenomenon. Rich with data, collected over thousands and thousands of years."

"And as such, it was a treasure trove for magi. However, it also fell under the gaze of less caring eyes."

"The Void Cell. An entity made to steal, consume, and destroy data. It landed in the midst of one of the Moon Cell's 'Holy Grail Wars', and began to harvest relentlessly."

"And as such came the first 'Invader'-class Servant. The Anti-Cell. A 'Foreigner' made for naught but the destruction of human history. Catastrophe made flesh, it did nothing but destroy and rend apart the Masters of the Moon as they tried to defend the Moon Cell- to save the data that had been collected over millennia. It corrupted heroes, made an army of its own. Masters fell, Servants fell, and the surface of the Moon turned into a battleground. When things reached their limit, one of the Servants stepped forward."

"Using a power that she had forbid herself from accessing before, she became a Heavenly Divinity- a being of Creation- and therefore possessed the capabilities to build a safe-haven for humanity's data. She knew she could not fight the Anti-Cell as she was, and so sought to 'defend' rather than 'fight."

"And thus, the Solar Cell was created. A last bastion for human history. A final stand for mankind. However, with fear in her heart, the Heavenly Divinity did not immediately wage war with the Invader. Rather, she wished to gather power, and to rid herself of her own doubts and hesitations. And as such, she locked herself within the core, gathering her strength- and summoned Servants to serve as the vanguard. And, due to possessing the data of humanity, a digital humanity began to flourish on the Solar Cell itself- cultivated by the resting soul of the Heavenly Divinity."

"Nine of us were summoned to defend the Solar Cell. To care for the Solar Cell, and the new world that was being developed. We were assigned titles, rather than Class-names, to help conceal our True Names while simultaneously giving us a role as 'Warriors of the Sun', rather than just 'Servants'."

"The Beastmaster. A complicated spirit that taught the people of the Solar Cell to govern and fight for themselves. Who mocked our circumstances, yet happily provided aid."

"The Healer. A spirit who spent their time protecting those who couldn't protect themselves, and tending to the wounded- no matter who, or what they were."

"The Priestess. A wise woman who did all she could to ward off danger and incoming threats, while blessing the people with the light of the sun."

"The Slayer. A powerful soul that stood on the precipice of the Sun and the Moon, ready to wage war against the incoming darkness."

"The Keeper. A proud warrior who made sure that the history of both the Moon and the Sun remained in the grasp of the people, and who used his immense knowledge to ensure our future."

"The General. A soft-spoken hero, who's taciturn nature allowed him to provide comfort to those under his protection, and put fear into the hearts of his enemies."

"The Pharaoh. An unshakable spirit that enraptured the hearts of those residing in the Solar Cell, and who laughed in the face of the Void Cell's threat."

"The Protector. A stalwart, shining heart that served as a beacon of constant hope throughout the Solar Cell, whenever they took the battlefield."

"And myself. The 'Freyr'. Using both wisdom and might, I did my best to guide my allies… though I didn't do well enough. Many of them are gone. Replaced, thankfully, by similarly legendary souls. But I often wonder if I could have done more..."

"Regardless, back then, we did what we could to defend and nurture the Solar Cell. We shored our defenses, built settlements, prepared for battle, watched over the budding digital life, and waited for the Invaders to attack."

"And, rather than enemies, we encountered the Interlopers- your 'past selves'- and their Servants."

"We originally thought that they were travelers- survivors from the Moon Cell that had made it to the Solar Cell. Perhaps Servants that had been summoned by the Moon, and had been in search for allies. They asked questions, shared stories regarding the state of the Moon... for a short while, they were welcome."

"Unfortunately for us, it was a 'Trojan Horse'. Presumably an entity crafted by those loyal to the Anti-Cell to slip past our defenses, and tear us apart from the inside. It was our fault. We were all incredibly powerful Servants- each of us almost certain to win a Grail War if summoned… and that made us arrogant. We had expected an all-our war from the start, and instead we were stabbed in the back, and our home lit ablaze as we tried to recover."

"We were betrayed, and war spread across the Solar Cell. We were powerful, but the Servants of the Interlopers fought with an undying rage, an unending hunger, that we couldn't keep up with. When they couldn't defeat us in direct battle, then they'd force us into positions where our people would be at risk, or use the power of the Void Cell to overwhelm us. In our darkest hour, the Priestess proposed an idea. If we could not stop the Interlopers, then we could hold them back for long enough for the Heavenly Divinity to manifest."

"And so, we pooled all of our wit, skill, magic, and strength into developing a seal. Every bit of magic we had, we put into it, placing a conditional curse. For the conflict that they had waged against the Solar Cell, and for as long as the flames of rage burned within them, they would be made to fight among themselves."

"…Afterwards, we focused on rebuilding. And to speed up the Heavenly Divinity's growth, we began siphoning energy from the Moon Cell to wage our own Grail Wars, using the mana of the defeated Servants to fuel the Solar Cell."