#in my early days of getting into castlevania | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

onestepbackwards · 1 year

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Love That Bites

I’ve been playing Symphony of the Night randomized for months, and rewatching some stuff from the anime, this series has had me in a choke hold. I’ve had a thing for Dracula for Y E A R S and the first season of the anime did not help (Even if I have my gripes with that adaption). Unfortunately, there is very little Dracula x reader content out there, and I can only reread it all so many times. o(TヘTo) I also started writing this a bit before the Dead Cells x Castlevania crossover was announced, so that only fueled my motivation to write this. This series is also going to ignore some stuff in canon like some stuff in Aria and Dawn of Sorrow. Canon is just a sandbox and I’m making a castle. I hope you all enjoy the start of this new series! This is part 1, and is mostly setting up the scene for the story. Hopefully there will be more to come! Apologies if this chapter is a little messy. (❁´◡`❁) Summary: When you decide to take a vacation to get away from a toxic home life, you just expect a few days of relaxation to revitalize yourself. However, you didn’t exactly plan on finding the castle belonging to your family’s arch nemesis. Especially when he should be dead for the next century... CW: Reader is a Belmont, Anxiety and anxiety attacks, brief mentions of past trauma, mentions of toxic home life, increasing stress, death mention, paranoia and confusion, you’re safe though don’t worry. Word Count: 6016 words! First: Here! Next: Link

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All you had wanted was a break.

You wanted, no, needed to get away for a week. Simply put, your home-life had become unbearable once again.

Normally, you at least tried to plan ahead when you wanted to take a break away from home, but things had been piling up. You knew if you didn’t get out, you were going to crash and burn again, and that was the last thing you needed as of late.

So early in the morning, before anyone else in your home had awoken, you packed a few small bags, and loaded up your vehicle.

You left a note on your kitchen counter for your relatives, and quickly left. If you thought too much about it, you’d start feeling guilty again, and stay behind.

Thankfully, the quiet car drive had been a welcome one, every mile further away from your home only seemed to lift the stress off of you little by little.

It took a while to get to your destination, but a few hours were nothing to you, considering your profession.

When you have to go on hunts across the country, and occasionally around the world, you learn to get used to the long travel time.

The trip to your current destination had always been worth it, though.

It was a small cabin out in the countryside. Your family had purchased some of the land a few generations ago, and it was a sort of vacation spot, at least until recent years.

Not many family members knew about the property anymore. Your late mother had been one of the few that knew about it, and had still used it. When she was alive, she took you often as a kid to get a break from your training.

You had nothing but fond memories of the place.

The little cabin and surrounding wildlife had become more than just a place with fond memories as of late. It had also become a safe haven.

When things got rough at home, it became a habit to take off to said little safe haven.

So here you were.

The cabin was the same as you had left it, not that it ever changed.

You walked through the overgrowth on the porch, and pushed through the front door. The inside was just as old and dusty as you remembered leaving it a few months ago.

Despite the layer of dust, it still looked well kept and comfortable. Just like you liked it.

Lugging your bags through the entry, you let out a sigh as you made your way through the small cottage. When you entered the living area, you unenthusiastically dropped your bags to the floor, and fell onto the couch with a loud sigh.

You didn’t do anything for a while, simply staring at the ceiling as you sat, your thoughts fast, but your head feeling empty. Overwhelmed, but dissociative.

It was like this every time you came here, but you could finally breathe.

No yelling, no arguing, no working your days away with chores at a house. If you were lucky, there wouldn’t even be hunting involved. Just pure, unbothered peace.

A scoff left your mouth at the thought.

“Some Belmont I am…” You muttered to yourself. What Belmont doesn’t like going hunting? Your aunts and uncles probably still jump at the chance to do so, and your step family would already be out the door with weapons in hand.

You didn’t hate hunting. But nowadays, you were beginning to dread doing it.

Either you were hunting all the time, especially on trips that were long and hard on you, or you were at home, forced to play housekeeper half the time. Anytime there was a hint of a possibility of a monster near your city, your step family took the job. They essentially barred you from doing anything nearby, only having you do the tedious jobs.

As much as you liked traveling, you didn’t like doing it for a hunt that might be a bust half the time. When you arrived at your destination, either the monster was long gone, never existed, or was already killed by a local hunter instead.

It’s become a drain on your personal finances, and a drain on your energy. Especially since you were always ‘expected’ to come right back home. Didn't matter if you were an adult, they needed their precious servant back.

“What a joke…” You huffed, before closing your eyes.

Attempting to relax, you took in the scent of the area, listening to the slight breeze and wildlife from outside.

There was so much going on in your head, but the cabin was already helping, you could tell. Despite your thoughts, your body was already beginning to lose tension.

This was just what you needed.

You waited a few more minutes, taking everything in, before you got to work. Getting up, you grabbed your few bags, and hauled them off into a bedroom. You dropped them on the bed, and moved to the closet, looking for something specific you had left behind years ago.

Opening the closet, you pulled out an old backpack, and brought it to your bed. With memorized ease, you opened your bags, and tossed a few things in.

It’s not like you’d need a lot for a hike. Just a few snacks, some water, and a few weapons just to be safe.

You weren’t exactly afraid of monsters showing up, but being who you were, you couldn't afford to be too careful.

Chances were you’d be fine. Monsters were incredibly rare on this stretch of land, and the wildlife tended to keep to itself.

You paused though when you gripped The Vampire Killer. The whip that had been in your family for centuries.

Would you really need this for a hike to clear your head…?

You stared at it for a moment, battling with yourself in your head. You took it just about everywhere. Not so much for hunting, but so it wouldn’t end up in anyone else's hands.

Eventually, you came to a decision, and placed the whip to the side. The whip was safe here at the cabin, and you had several weapons. It would be fine. You would be fine.

With your mind made, you finished packing your backpack, and slung it over your shoulder, before heading for the front door of the cabin.

The door locked shut behind you, and you set out in a random direction. It was still early in the day, just around noon, you figured you could go out by the mountains. You raised a hand up to the sky, wincing at the light.

“The shade should be perfect to come back this way by 5….” you mumbled, and got to walking.

You wouldn’t be out longer than a few hours. By the time you got back, you could make something light to eat, and catch up on some reading, if you were lucky.

Wandering around, you followed a few paths, before turning around the base of a smaller mountain. You knew the area well, but still enjoyed venturing out and exploring.

Especially as of late, the beauty and nature of the area was an amazing way to clear your head and de-stress.

The walk was nice, and you swore you remember a lake being in the area. If you could find it once again, it would be the perfect place for a picnic.

It had only been an hour of walking when you turned the corner of the base of the mountain, where you normally would have been able to see the lake.

Something felt a little bit off, though. Despite the weather forecast being clear for the day, the sky seemed to be clouding up the further you walked. Then the further you walked, the more on edge you felt. It was as if you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be.

However, instead of a beautiful lake surrounded by a forest and mountain range, you were met with a sight that made your stomach drop.

Out across the edge of the lake, just past the tree line, was a humongous castle. One you distinctly remember not being there in the first place.

Lightning occasionally flashed around it, and you could hear the thunder in the distance. Despite how dreadful the dark clouds looked above it, the weather almost seemed deadly calm. It faintly reminded you of the eye of a storm.

You felt sweat beginning to form all over you, and you swallowed thickly as you stared at the ominous structure. Your hands shook, and you were finding it hard to stand.

Dracula’s Castle.

There was no doubt about it. You had learned about this castle your whole childhood, and understood what its presence meant.

Sitting down on the grass beneath you, you took a shaky breath. If you stood any longer, you were worried you would faint.

How was this possible? Dracula hadn’t been vanquished for that long…. Right before you had been born, if you remember correctly.

Has someone resurrected him? Or was someone trying to take his power? You had heard of both scenarios happening, and you weren’t sure which one you wanted to be true.

Hell, you knew it was possible for Dracula to be revived just a few years after being defeated, if someone powerful enough wanted to.

But if you were being honest… You hadn’t expected Dracula to be back in your lifetime, or at least in your youth. You had somewhat hoped it wouldn’t be your problem.

You didn’t exactly want the fate of the world resting on your shoulders.

It had been something you had feared since you learned the truth of your lineage. That Dracula may very well come back, and you, or your future kids may need to step up and defeat him. That you might have to be the one to save the world from destruction.

Licking your lips, you tightly gripped a strap from your backpack till your knuckles went white, and looked up at the sky.

“Hey God? Why me?” you asked, genuinely serious.

As expected, you received no answer, just another flash of lightning and clap of thunder in the distance.

Your eyes then landed back on the castle, and you let out a nervous sigh.

You knew you needed to check it out, despite the feeling of dread in your gut.

As you got up though, a sudden thought struck the back of your mind.

The Vampire Killer was back at your cabin, almost an hour away.

Groaning loudly, you couldn’t help but smack your face in frustration.

“Of course! The one time, the one time-! Of all times to have decided not to take the whip with me!” You cursed, frustration building in your chest alongside the anxiety.

Yeah, you could go back to the cabin and go grab it, but that would be wasting possible precious time.

“Okay… So, it’s not the end of the world… Yet… People have defeated Dracula before without the Vampire Killer. Not a big deal.”

It was a big deal, to you at least. This was huge. Dracula could be planning to attack humanity at any moment, and the best weapon against him was sitting snugly on your pillow back at your cabin.

You sighed.

Still, as you watched the castle in the distance, you couldn’t help but notice something odd.

You didn’t see any monsters. Hell, you didn’t see any bodies outside the front of the gate. Didn’t Dracula have monsters all over his castle, inside and out? Not to mention all the stories you had heard, involving impaled corpses that tended to sit outside the castle every other resurrection.

It was quiet.

No monsters. No bodies. No Dracula.

It made you feel sick, like you were waiting for something to attack you from just around the corner.

But the attack had yet to come.

You weighed in your options. Could you really just leave and go back to the cabin? How were you so sure nothing was watching you right now? What if something followed you back, and found your cabin?

Another thought suddenly hit you like a freight train.

Just how long had Dracula’s castle been here?

It has been over a year since you last checked out this lake. The castle was in the perfect place to remain hidden from view at the cabin, being behind a mountain. The castle could have been here this whole time, just an hour away from you, and you were never the wiser.

The very thought sent chills throughout your body. Just how close to death had you been this whole time?

You felt like you were going to hurl.

As much as you want to leave, and puke from the overwhelming emotions, you force yourself to stand your ground.

You had to investigate.

It wasn’t up for debate. As much as you would like to throw excuse after excuse until it was nighttime, you did not have that luxury.

You came to a decision.

The most important thing you could do right now is head into the castle and check things out. You had some weapons on you, so it wasn’t like you were going in defenseless.

If push comes to shove, you could always make a hasty retreat, and head back over to the cabin. There you could grab The Vampire Killer, and return after regaining your strength.

Was it the best plan? No. But right now, any plan was better than nothing.

A thought passed through your mind as you took a step forward.

Should you call for backup?

You had your father and step brothers, and even your uncle and aunt. Quick, you pulled your phone out, only to sigh in frustration.

“No service. Figures.”

You should have guessed. There was just barely usable service at the cabin, why would there be any out here in the wilderness?

Looks like it was all you. No help was coming for you.

If you died… You doubted help would come for you as well. Your family would probably only come looking for your equipment, if anything. The chances of them looking for you, especially here at this lake, were slim. There wasn’t a question in your mind that they would miss the castle.

Just like you had for who knows how long.

Gripping your phone for a moment, you sighed, before shoving it back in your pocket.

Calling was no use. It really was just you against the forces of evil.

“So much for an uneventful, relaxing trip…” You mumbled, and reached into your bag. Pulling out a dagger, you gripped in your hand for a few moments, before finally heading towards the castle.

The walk towards the looming castle wasn’t as long as you had hoped it to be. All the while, it also felt like it lasted an eternity.

Must have been the impending doom and anxiety, which only increased with each step you took.

Why hadn’t you come across any enemies? So far, just like you had seen from afar, there were no monsters.

Even as you quickly approached the gate, you saw no adversaries. No undead armies. No wolf men ready to tear you to shreds.

Just an old, rusted looking gate.

You couldn’t help but wonder, what was Dracula’s game? In nearly every journal you’ve read with family members in the past hunting him down, his castle is filled with enemies of all sorts. Even at the gate, monsters are usually ready to attack.

Yet, it was quiet.

For a few moments, you could only stare. It was now or never, and you couldn’t exactly ignore the fate of the world.

Gently pushing at the massive iron looking gate, you were surprised at how easy the door gave way. It slowly opened with a loud squeak of the hinges, stopping just a few feet forward, waiting for more force to push it forward.

You were a bit dumbstruck.

Was it really that easy? You weren’t going to lie, when you approached the gate, you assumed you may have to find another way in, or some obtuse way of opening it.

Peeking your head in, your eyes widened at just how… empty the courtyard was.

There were a surprising number of plants and trees, sure, but other than that? The only sign of movement there was, was the plants moving from the wind.

It was ominous. The lack of any life, or undead rather, made your hair stand on end.

A low rumble of thunder went off above you, and you looked up at the dark sky. Despite being early in the afternoon, it felt so late with the clouds surrounding the area like this.

It was fitting, you supposed.

Steeling your nerves, you pushed the door open further, and stepped into the courtyard. Each step had you on edge, with you anticipating an attack that never seemed to come.

That didn’t stop you from keeping an eye out though.

Approaching the door to the castle was more or less the same as the gate. Though it wasn’t any less daunting. The doors towered over you all the same, and did nothing to quell your nerves.

“...Should I knock?” You mumbled to yourself, before shaking your head.

“Stupid… It’s a Vampire Lord’s castle, who of which I’m supposed to vanquish. ‘Should I knock…’ what a dumb question.” you grumbled to yourself. Though at this point, it felt like you were stalling.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the door open, fully expecting an attack.

But once again, you were completely surprised to see an empty entry hall.

“...Now this is definitely weird.” You mumbled, carefully eyeing the long, dimly lit hall.

You pushed past the door, and let out a small squeak as it shut behind you. The grip you had on your dagger tightened, and you shuddered at how the temperature seemed to drop.

It was cold. Unnaturally cold.

The air was stagnant, and hardly cold itself, but something about the area was nearly sapping your warmth. Was it your nerves? Or just some aspect of the castle being supernatural?

Perhaps it was the strange nerve wracking loneliness that seemed to echo with each step down the hall?

Either way, something was not right about the castle, and it wasn’t just the fact it was a being of Chaos.

It was the fact that the further you walked in, you were encountering nothing.

The courtyard and entry all weren’t the only empty areas. The large open room you entered after that had also been empty, along with the hallway and stairway after that.

Not a monster in sight.

There wasn’t even any sign of life in this place. Sure, you hadn’t encountered anything yet, but every room you entered, every hall you cleared…

It was as if nothing was here in the castle.

You weren’t going to lie. You were starting to have doubts about this being Dracula’s castle.

But at the same time, there wasn’t any explanation for this place otherwise.

Not to mention, the air in this place wasn’t normal. There was an underlying power in the air. The same kind that made your hair stand on end. The same kind that made the air feel colder than what it was.

What castle could feel this way, besides Castlevania?

“Still… none of this makes any sense…” you mumbled to yourself as you cleared another empty room. At this point, you were both extremely nervous, and incredibly frustrated.

You had combed through several parts of the castle at this point. It was getting late, and you were getting nowhere. Already you had been through what looked like an art gallery, passed by a library, and pressed on through a giant dining hall.

As you neared another set of stairs, you could only run a hand through your hair in irritation and stress.

Despite how much ground you have covered, you found no sign of this place being lived in. You only had so much daylight left, and you were beginning to feel like you were investigating a weird, lost cause.

Still, you persevered. If there was a throne room, you at least wanted to check it out. If you didn’t find anything, you would come back another day more thoroughly prepared.

And if you found something? Well…

You could hope for the best. Maybe if Dracula is there, he would be weak? It would make sense, given the lack of life and monsters in the castle. If he was weak, you wouldn’t have to worry about not having your whip, you hoped.

If not… Well, you could run away. Despite the lack of weapons on you, you still had a few tricks up your sleeve. You didn’t live this long as a monster hunter without learning a few ways to give yourself a back door for a fast escape.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too hard to figure out where the throne room was. It tended to be high up in the castle in nearly every iteration your ancestors talked about in journals.

Still, as you came across a final staircase leading up to a separate tower of the castle, you couldn’t help but be more on edge than ever before. The clouds circled above you, occasionally cracking off lightning and thunder uncomfortably close by.

“It really feels like I’m about to be in some final showdown from a movie…” You mumbled as you approached the door, your dread pooling in your gut.

However, much like the growing trend of this castle, you noticed something odd.

The door to the throne room was open, and creaked on its hinges. It was as if it was half hazardly pushed away by someone running out the room.

You briefly wondered if that was a bad sign or not.

Going against the little voice in your head telling you to turn back, you pushed past the door and walked in.

The first thing you took note of, despite the poor lighting from outside, you could see just how huge the room was. You could easily imagine it being big enough for a battle, or a council meeting.

Then there were the giant windows that occasionally lit up the room whenever lightning strikes. Some were even open, clacking open and closed from the wind outside, said wind occasionally pushing the curtains back every so often.

It certainly added to the creepy atmosphere.

Finally, there were the two most glaringly obvious parts of the throne room. The giant throne on top of a set of stairs, and what looked to be a statue kneeling in front of it.

You could only stare in silence. The tension you felt in the air was so thick, you felt it could snap at any moment like a stretched out rubber band.

Your curiosity pushed over your fear, and you found yourself walking forward. Each footstep echoing through the chamber, the sounds of your steps bouncing off the walls.

Coming to a stop a few feet away from the throne and the statue, you couldn’t help but feel… odd at the sight. A mixture of fear, dread, curiosity and intrigue turned in your gut as you stared down the statue.

It was Dracula.

Or at least… You thought it was Dracula.

The statue was big, despite the figure kneeling on one knee in what looked like pain or exhaustion. A hand gripping his gut, while another reached forward, clawed fingers pointing towards you. A cloak seemed to wrap around his body, but it hardly hid his large form.

The head was… a lot of things.

His face was hauntingly beautiful, much like you had come to expect from vampires. What was his hair seemed to beautifully frame his face, with his mustache and beard only adding to the charm.

However, under the beauty, you could see traces of what he really was. A monster.

Despite his handsome features, his face was contorted in what looked like a pained snarl. His fangs were bursting forth, large and ready to pierce.

And his eyes… His eyes were wide open, the whites a darker shade than the iris, which only added to his supernatural and inhuman look.

The room was silent, and you felt your blood run cold, despite the sweat on your skin.

It was Dracula, no doubt about it, but…

Why was he a statue?

Tentatively, you took a few steps forward, but still kept your distance.

You studied the statue a bit more, rounding it cautiously. After a few moments, you carefully stepped forward, and poked the shoulder, before jumping backwards.

Pure stone.

Your hands fell to your sides. It really was just a statue.

“Unbelievable.” You mumbled, confusion and disbelief clear in your voice.

Just what was going on? The castle was here, so in theory, so should Dracula. Not a statue of the guy.

“Unless…” You murmured, putting a hand along your chin in thought.

Dracula being turned to stone somehow… Perhaps that was the reason the castle was like this?

It made sense, the more you thought about it.

“It’s as if the whole castle is asleep…”

If Dracula was technically alive, but out of commission, then it would make sense. Though if you were being honest with yourself, you were still surprised you weren’t seeing some of his more powerful supporters. Surely you would have at least seen Death by now?

The deity was loyal to its master, appearing even when Dracula had not always been in control. So where was Death, or any other powerful monsters that no doubt would support the Lord?

Perhaps being petrified like this, also cut ties with his presence to those powerful monsters? He simply seemed asleep to them, or not fully revived. If he wasn’t fully around, or at least enough for any of his powerful generals to sense him, they simply did not know he was here.

Other than that, it was the only explanation you had.

It still made you nervous and uncomfortable though.

You continued to eye the statue. Was Dracula dead, or was he aware? What had happened to lead to this?

Thinking hard, you tried to remember everything your mother had told you about the last time Dracula had appeared. It was a long time ago, and your mother had only heard about what had happened from another family member.

Didn’t she mention that the Belmont who defeated Dracula last say something about a curse?

You cursed your poor memory, which had been worsening with your own health as of late. Shaking your head with a sigh, your frown deepened.

Still, even if you didn’t know all the details, this could easily have something to do with said curse you were briefly told about all those years ago.

Biting your lip, you placed your hands on your hips, unsure what to do, or where to go from here.

Obviously no one was in danger at the moment, even if you still felt on edge. Dracula was very much contained here in the castle.

But that left you with a bunch of different thoughts rushing through your mind.

You couldn’t really ask for a better spot for the castle to be, if you were being honest. It was hidden, right along private property. Chances of civilians finding it were slim. The less innocent lives you had to worry about, even if it was idiots trespassing, the better.

Then there was how to deal with the problem at hand. What do you do with the statue and the castle? You couldn’t just leave Dracula here could you?

“If I had only brought the Vampire Killer…” You mumbled under your breath, nails digging into your palms.

The whip was ancient, but incredibly powerful. It was strong enough to break down stone. You could finish the job tonight, if you wanted to make the trek…

But would that be wise?

…Did you even have much of a choice?

It’s not like you can actually do anything right now, anyway. Your dagger and other weapons can’t cut through stone. Not like your whip could. You would be here for hours.

You let out a sigh and rubbed your temples, exhaustion creeping up on you. Sure, you hadn’t fought anything, but this whole ordeal was adding onto your already existing stress.

Running a hand through your hair, and looking out a nearby window, another thought ran through your mind.

What if you revived him by destroying the stone? Even if he was cursed, you weren’t aware of the specifics, and you didn’t want to be the one to accidentally doom the world by trying to ‘save’ it.

Feeling your hair stand on end again, you quickly glanced back at the statue. Even if he was on his knees, he was still level height with you.

And it felt like he was looking right at you.

The thought made you very anxious. Was he alive? Or even aware you were standing right in front of him? A Belmont, debating on how to end his life?

Suddenly, the very thought made your stomach sour.

“I… Need to go. I need to leave.” You said, finally making a decision. You needed to get away from here.

You were not equipped to handle this.

A fight to save the world? Sure, you could improvise.

But whatever was happening here? No. No way.

Despite your conscious telling you to stay and deal with the problem, you tentatively took a step backwards. Then another. And another.

Your eyes stayed on the statue until you reached the door, and you quickly turned and left, shutting the large door behind you.

It didn’t take you long to hightail it outta of the castle. The main layout you had passed was burned in your mind, and made it easier to run through.

Though it wasn’t until you were out of the castle, did you feel like a weight had been lifted off your chest. The moment you passed through those large, ominous doors and into the courtyard, it was as if you could breathe again.

You didn’t wait to catch your breath.

Running through the courtyard, you sprinted out past the rusted gate, not stopping until you were long past the lake that sat in front of the castle.

Finally, when you reached the spot where you had first noticed the castle, you came to an abrupt halt. Panting, you turned around, and eyed the ominous structure.

It was late now, the sun had been setting for a while. However, that didn’t hide the castle from your sight. The dark clouds still hovered above, with lightning and thunder striking every so often.

You still couldn’t believe it. Dracula’s castle was here, for who knows how long.

And you were going to have to destroy it somehow.

“Lucky me…” You mumbled.

Taking one last look, you anxiously made your way back to your cabin.

The walk back, which normally would have been peaceful and relaxing, was nothing but a stressful venture for you. Sure, the castle seemed empty, and you could no longer sense it the further you walked. However, that didn’t mean you were safe.

For all you knew, you were being followed by an army of hell, just waiting to ambush you.

That… didn’t really put you at ease, even as you approached your cabin.

Cautiously, you opened the door. With your weapon ready, you made a quick search of your small home.

Thankfully, no one but you seemed to be here. You weren’t sure if that relieved you, or made your anxiety worse.

You decided to take it as a blessing.

Still, you didn’t rest. It was too late to drive back, nor did you want to just leave, knowing the castle was right there, just an hour away by foot.

Biting your lip, you eyed the Vampire Killer, which was still sitting innocently on your bed. You could practically hear it in your mind to pick it up and head back to the castle. ‘Use me! Use me! Finish the job!’

As much as you wanted to, you felt a sick feeling in your stomach. Something wasn’t right, and you knew it. You just needed to figure out what it was, before you made any hasty decisions.

One wrong move, and you could not only revive your family’s immortal enemy, but also potentially doom the world if you fail at killing him. This was something where you had to tread lightly, lest you make a horrible, world ending decision.

No pressure.

You stood next to the bed for a few minutes. It felt as if your mind was racing, but you felt unable to think at all.

With a sigh, you made up your mind. Grabbing your whip and a bag, you headed to the backdoor. You wouldn’t be hunting Dracula tonight, no, but you still had to ensure your safety.

Starting with some protective measures.

Thankfully, throughout the generations, your family came up with many different ways to ward off monsters and vampires from properties. If you wanted any sleep tonight, you would have to put some of these in place, at least for your peace of mind. It wasn’t something that would take too long, but better safe than sorry.

Even if you hadn’t seen a single monster, you weren’t going to risk your life by making assumptions. It was small mistakes that got hunters killed, and you weren’t going to join their numbers.

Setting up a few traps and enchantments took longer than you would have liked, but you weren’t going to take any chances. Your cabin already had some traps in place, but renewing everything wasn’t going to hurt anyone, let alone you.

When you finally sat down on your bed, you rolled onto your back, and blankly stared at your ceiling. The Vampire Killer in your hand tightly.

“What now?” you asked yourself.

The answer seemed simple. Sleep, wake up, and take care of the problem.

It wasn’t that simple though. You already had fought yourself about this for hours. Did you really need to now, right before bed?

You turned your head to the side, seeing your phone charging on your nightstand.

“I could call for assistance…” you said, toying with the idea in your head. But did you really want to invite that mess here? With how reckless your family at home was, you didn’t think it was a good idea.

Then there was the fact they would find this place. Your little sanctuary away from them. They would never give you peace if they found this place. In fact, you were sure your father would tear it down, or claim it was his, since he was the beneficiary after your mother passed.

They would never let you have anything like this. You knew they already had tried multiple times to find where you go when you disappear, you weren’t going to give them that luxury.

Most of all, you weren’t going to give them the last thing left untouched that had been your mother’s.

You could call your other family, such as your uncle, but you shot idea that down. You hadn’t really talked to your aunt or uncle in years since your father took over everything. For all you knew, their numbers had been changed again. As much as they’d probably like to know what was going on, you felt a bitterness in your gut.

As much as you loved your aunt and uncle, they hadn’t so much bothered calling or texting you these past few years. Why would they help you now? Maybe for some glory? ‘To keep humanity safe?’ When they haven’t even helped out family?

You snorted. No thanks.

Besides, it would no doubt take them hours to get here, and they’d probably tell your father about this place against your wishes. Something about wanting all ‘Belmonts’ on deck. Bah.

Turning onto your side, you reached over and turned the lamp on your side table off.

You could think more on this tomorrow.

#castlevania #dracula vlad tepes #dracula #dracula x reader #castlevania x reader #x reader #reader insert #Belmont!reader #eventual relationship #cw death mention #cw anxiety #cw paranoia #cw toxic family #long post #zed.writes #to be continued

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hollowfyshunsuikubo · 2 months

Text

Sins of the Mad

A/N: as promised, the long waited Mayuri fic. It's shorter than the last one, but much more filthy. I might derail from my plan because I have some epic Castlevania ideas (I LOVE Issac ok). Kept this one gn so all of you can enjoy a little slice of Mayuri

Mayuri Kurotsuchi x gn!reader (side of Akon x gn!reader)

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings: Heaping pile of smut, angst (if you can call it that), toxic relationship, babytrapping (kind of)

AU: None

Beta read? No

Such a pretty little thing.

You writhe so prettily beneath him, moaning “It's too much” It will never be too much. Not while he has his hands on your perfect body, his cock bullying your perfect, tight hole. He watches your back arch as you reach your peak again. He listens to your whines, and he acknowledges them.

Understanding, but only for you. Yet he doesn't stop. He slows, letting you pant and recover as he slowly thrusts into you. But when your eyes, glazed with lust, ask him a silent question before you can ever open your mouth, it begins again. After all, the night is young, and he won't stop until you struggle to move.

It's been days, after all, since he's even felt the ghost of your skin on his. He's been so, so busy… it's only natural he makes up for lost time. You're an insatiable thing.

Mayuri recalls the day he first saw you, a clear day, uninteresting. Akon mentioned something about new members of the division, but he ignored it. The lab needed to be tended to, as the rest of the fools couldn't be trusted with his newest experiment-

“L/n, this way. The Captain is fairly busy.” He turns his head at the mention of him, looking to glare at the newest fools who entered his division under false hopes.

Yet, When his gaze lands on you, it's as if he had found something. You were standing nzxt to your friend, who had called you in a whispered hiss as you marveled at the lab around you. Wide-eyed, robes perfect, hair neat… oh, it awakened something in him. Something so internally primal he was disgusted at how he likened you to a gazelle in the sights of a lion. In his minds eye, he could see you stripped down to flesh, marks left by his teeth and nails covering your skin, those pretty eyes welling with tears as he gently laid you down to wreck you for another man.

He turned away and kept walking. There was little time for lust. Especially when there were trials to run, his new experiment to document, his underlings to order, and Nemu to analyze. His daughter was next to Akon, her gaze as dead and analytical as always. He noticed her gaze fall onto you for a moment before drifting to the larger group. He grimaced, knowing he'd have to tweak Nemu’s memory when it came to his preferences. He did always like his tyrsts to be innocent and sweet, preferably virgins. It made seeing their reaction that much sweeter. But they never lasted long. Early mornings were for getting up, and for kicking out the little thing that had graced his spare bedrooms sheets for a few hours.

Once he was satisfied with his plans for the day, he entered the lab. Bothering to think about any of the new members of the division was folly, and a waste of his precious mind.

Truly, he didn't think about you until a month later, when he walked in on you on your knees before Akon.

Akon, his third seat, so missable if not for his semblance of competence. Akon, who had his hakama undone, his cock out, and a hand on the top of your head.

“That's it, doll. Breathe.” Mayuri knew Akon could be kind, but to this extent? Pathetic. The man was being too nice to you. Watching as you shyly took his cock into your mouth.

Mayuri was struck then by a thought that disgusted him.

He was jealous.

He, the most elegant and intelligent mind in the Gotei 13, jealous of a mere third seat. The captain watched intently as you struggled on such a small cock (smaller than Mayuri's, anyway), saliva forming around the corners of your mouth. What idiocy. If it were him. If he were in Akon's place. If it was he you were on your knees for, his cock would already be nestled deep in your pretty little throat. He would fuck your face full of his seed, making sure to paint your mouth white before he had you against the wall, your pretty little hole displayed for him, pulsing and eager for his attentions.

Akon tilted his head back as you began moving your head slowly. What a bore.

Once again, Mayuri turned away, quietly, so as to not disturb the filthy moment you were having. Usually he'd interrupt, make sure Akon knew his place. But it wouldn't hurt to have you with a little experience.

Oh yes. He had his sights set on you then. What a trifling whore, already consuming his patience after seeing you only twice. You must like men in power. Or, at the very least, thirst for cock like a parched man thirsts for water in the emptiness of Heuco Mundo.

The death of him was nigh, but only when he was slamming his cum into you as you screamed. Le petit mort, Oh yes. His little death, buried so sweetly inside you, you'd be able to feel him in your stomach. How much prettier you'd be, displayed in the lab as his more capable assistants took notes, Akon watching from the shadows, as Mayuri bred you into a perfect bitch. How he'd make sure none of them remembered it afterwards- except Akon.

Oh, Akon would remember. That slimy little wicked horned fool, stealing his prey from him. He would learn what it was to covet a sweet thing like you. His gentle gazelle.

The next time was the first time you officially met.

“Captain Kurotsuchi, it's a pleasure to meet you.” Oh, your brilliant smile, so bashful, so unaware he'd already made you a perfect fuck machine to pound your little hole into submission while he watched. He imagined you strapped to a special table, legs spread, eyes rolling, his newest machine wrecking you before his eyes. He would make a feast out of you, making sure to nestle himself deep just when you couldn't take it anymore. He'd be sure to fuck you so full of his seed, a gift not many had the pleasure of receiving, to the point it flowed from you as a water flows from a waterfall. He grinned.

“A pleasure indeed. You are Y/n L/n, correct?” Silky smooth, a glance at you to only lure you in. A nice patch of tall grass where the lion awaits. Akon, who was standing at a computer desk, glanced over.

Mayuri knew it was uncharacteristic of him to recall the name of someone he's never met before. The Captain saw the look of fear flash across Akon's face before the third seat returned to his duty. Bless. Mayuri watched you smile bashfully. How pretty your lips looked. If only he could get the image of them wrapped around Akon's cock out of his mind.

“Yes! That's me. I was hoping to meet you, but we were told not exepxt much.” Your voice, so sweet. How enticing it is. How exciting it was to think about hearing it squeal and moan.

“Ah, come now. I am your Captain. It is my duty to welcome all new members of my division, after all. Consider this a belated, but no less heartfelt, welcoming.”

Heartfelt. He paused in his strokes for a moment, looking down at you. Your chest was heaving, and you weakly opened your eyes. You reached up to place a hand on his cheek, your thumb stroking his cheekbone.

Heartfelt. His heart was in it now, a fools doom. How demeaning and disgraceful it felt, to be at the mercy of his heart. But oh, how he craved you. How he felt the need for your appreciation and yours alone. No more would he entertain some mewling twink or soppy deluded girl, for he had you. He gently turned his head to kiss your palm. He appreciated how you felt the need to comfort him. It seemed even his mind wasn't as disgusted towards what his heart beat for as he thought.

He broke contact with your hand and folded your knees to your chest, driving so deeply into you that it caused you to choke slightly. He resumed his loving abuse of you as he continually recalled the past, turning over every angle with precision and detail as he made rough love to your body in the present.

He recalled the first time he called you into the lab after hours, the two of you alone. Such lies he told then, such things whispered to manipulate you to his side. Thinking about them hurt. He has wounded his poor gazelle, and you would never know. He could only apologize with each slam of his hips, and each soft kiss he laid upon you after the deed was done.

You walked into the lab, adorably sleepy. His first time seeing you like that. He would learn to cherish it, but only in time.

At that moment, he felt a little annoyed. You weren't already waiting for his call? Pathetic. He felt pathetic. Countless late nights bottling his own seed each time he thought of you and brought himself to blissful completion, dying a thousand times to quell his incessant need for your sloppy tongue wrapped around his hard cock. He watched you, and you met his gaze.

“You needed me, Captain?” You asked softly, tiredly. Yes, it was late, wasn't it? Perhaps he should have let you get some sleep. Being up this late may decrease your productivity tomorrow…

“Indeed. Come here, I wish you to see something.” He dismissed the thought as he beckoned you over with a single finger. You obeyed, so obedient to his every whim. Were you the same in bed? He guided your gaze to a screen, where data inputs had been typed.

"See these? These are done poorly. For the trained eye, there is little promise. But promise nonetheless.” He watched your face. Your eyebrows creased for a moment before you found the compliment. So adorably stupid. At least you did good tables. They weren't even that bad. Nearly perfect, but he had to lie. He had to crush you, as a hunter does his prey. How could he not? Your weakest state was vulnerable.

“Ah. Thank you, Captain. I'll do my best to learn the proper way to do it.” Your voice again. Something so sweet, so innocent. Hard to think your syrup tongue ones pleasured Akon. Maybe you'd done so countless times. Maybe you'd even spread your legs for him too, taking away the sweetness that lay between that was only meant for Mayuri. So the Captain laughed.

“Nonsense, you'll learn now. I shall guide you, and you are grateful to learn.” Mayuri felt Ashisogi Jizo quiver from his small chuckle. Then he touched you first the first time, and it felt like he'd finally sunk his teeth into your smooth skin. He guided your hand to the keyboard and forcibly, but gently, made you type up a new table.For the next two hours, he would guide you. And you were grateful. At the end, the night was nearly spent through. Your gaze, still tired, but slightly brighter with adoration, looked at him. So unaware of all the lies he'd told you.

“You're doing it wrong.”

“Such a fool, to know you picked this division instead of the 11th…”

“That was worse.”

“Truly, how do you expect to gain my appreciation or my praise if you do it like that?”

Far, far too many lies. Oh how he craved the taste of your sweat and blood on his tongue. How he craved your form writhing on his marvelous contraption he'd made for you, craved for your form writhing in his sheets. He craved to see the look on Akons face as Mayuri was balls deep inside of you, pumping your hole with a generous amount of his seed.

“Thank you, sir. I am extremely grateful.” Your reply warmed his loins further. One day, he'd do it all. When his lips parted in a smile, he could tell he'd done well with the nights efforts.

“Of course you are. You need me, after all. I am your Captain, equal only to a God. You crave what I can give you.”

Your screaming in the present jolted him back to reality. He watched your hands grip the sheets as an orgasm washed over you. He felt his own approach at how tightly you clamped down on his cock. So beautiful. So primal. He was no God. He was above that. Yet none of it mattered when you were with him. His beloved. His own gorgeous thing, the only one he lets distract him from his work. The one who he lets sleep in his lap, the one he goes on walks with when he has the time. The one he loves and adores and will never let go of. The one he fancies as the other parent of Nemu, despite her having none of your DNA. Mayuri can change that. He will change that, in fact. Nemu could do with a little of your moodiness, your ability to switch from one emotion to the other. It would be better for her combat abilities, distractions and all.

There's no other reason for him to include your precious DNA into his star experiment, after all.

Except for the love he has for you.

The man grunts as he feels his balls tighten. He squeezes your thighs as he looks down at you, his golden eyes flashing in the dim light.

“Take it all and be grateful, my little cumslut.”

His voice is raspy, more desperate than normal, and incredibly strained. Your moan in response, the closest thing you can get to a yes, sir, is what sends him over the edge.

“You need me, after all.”

His first manipulation, of countless to come before he made you his, and he filled you with his seed.

He sloppily thrust into you a few more times before stopping, panting. He watched you, just watched you, as he let go of your thighs. You lowered them, your body shaking slightly. He saw the tear tracks running down your face, the saliva gathered at the corners of your mouth, and the way your lips were slightly swollen.

And yet you looked at him with such love, he was struck with a guilt that could only be born from live. Keeping his dick buried inside you, he leaned down, pressing his chest to yous, and met your lips in a kiss. He could only apologise like this. If he ever told you, you'd leave him. Mayuri couldn't have that. If you left him, he'd depend into madness fully. The loss of a ships anchor left it adrift. The loss of a lions mate sends him into a rage.

Your lips parted, his gaze boring into yours with the fury of a thousand tiny sun's over the savanna.

“You're mine. Mine alone. Understand?” Ragged and soft, that was how you left him. Heartfelt with each word, his and his alone. In this moment, there was no past with Akon, no past with his own ex-lovers, just the two of you, sweating and barely able to move, in the present.

“Yes. Yours.” Oh, your sweet, broken whisper. Your shaky hands as they cupped his face. The gentle kiss you pressed to his forehead.

He would leave you like this so you would stay. Reeling you in on a line so tight that would kill both of you if you chose to leave. His pride was staked on your love, just as much as it was staked on his unrivaled intelligence.

How he loved you, despite the guilt wrecking his unwavering heart. Silence was a virtue, and he would always be silent when it came to what he did to have you beside him.

#mayuri kurotsuchi x reader #mayuri x reader #bleach #x reader #mayuri kurotsuchi #mayuri being tamed #mayuri being insane #Innocent reader #good lord #yn #bleach x reader

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receival · 2 months

Text

castlevania, season 2 starters.

the following is a collection of sentence starters from the netflix original, castlevania.

i’m going to get something for your cough.

don’t move. i’ll be right back with some medicine.

i hate that you’re not here, every day.

i’m amazed any of you are still alive.

what do you need? tell me, i’ll give it to you.

i will not be silenced. just let me help!

please, you don’t know what you’re doing.

you don’t know what you’re going to bring upon yourself if you harm me.

i’ll leave. you’ll never see me again.

stand up like a man.

what the hell was that?

you can’t hate livestock. they are simply what they are.

you understand why they all must die.

the matter is closed.

you sicken me. do you understand?

stop whining about cruelty. this is the world.

only the death matters now.

and i’m standing here sad and angry because they’re together, and i’m alone.

this is the part where you’re supposed to tell me i’m not alone, (name).

you are really very not good at this.

i learned to travel alone early in life. maybe i just got too used to it.

you had a family, though?

i know a little bit about what you’re feeling. i’m sorry.

i was right about you the first time, you know. you are rude.

i’ve been called worse.

i actually came to apologize for my outburst.

i should have held my tongue, so i apologize.

i’m a nice person. i am. i know how to be nice!

so, how do we proceed?

i want to go home.

have you been drinking again?

i was under the impression it was destroyed.

you’re guessing though.

fortunate, then, that i chose not to kill and eat you, (name).

such a merry band we are.

eat shit and die.

yes, fuck you.

i’ll be honest with you. i don’t have a better idea.

i’m trusting you, (name). don’t make me regret it.

everybody regrets it in the end.

you will cease this infantile squabbling.

and what insights have you, (name)?

i will speak with you alone.

i suspect he still wants to sleep with me.

what advantage does my anger buy you?

i’m still not completely clear on why you don’t catch fire in the daylight.

god, you still think you’re funny.

he’s gone mad, and from that, there’s no recovering him.

oh, the world will still be here, (name). trees will still grow, birds will still sing, animals will still hump away in the undergrowth. but you won’t be here. none of you.

the sun will still set, but you will not see it rise.

you hear that?

no further.

what did you think you were gonna learn?

please don’t be angry with me anymore.

even after everything in your life, you’re still a sweet boy who believes in love.

i’m sorry. i just wanted to help.

i love you too. that’s why i do this. this is how i love you.

you stop fucking around, you do as you’re told, you never use the word ‘love’ again.

no such thing as love in this world.

[why do you do that?] / choosing my own actions and injuring myself to a world of horrors.

you struggled so hard to come back home.

you came home regardless.

do you really think that’s enough, (name)?

your intellect cannot be denied.

i believe you are actually worried about (name).

the fire in him has gone out somehow. it’s as if we’re looking at the embers of the man.

there are things we can do that don’t require his decisions.

why are you so fascinated by that?

we need to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands.

is it you?

tell me what you need.

they must be stopped. culled.

my fellow humans have never treated me with love, and i’ve punished them for it.

i wouldn’t have them suffer.

will you join me?

it’s hard to imagine you playing.

his was your home?

you grew up here?

wasn’t the worst way to grow up.

who remembers that sort of thing?

is there a point to these questions?

i’m disturbed to find that o had more of a childhood than you did.

just help me clear it.

i didn’t know it was a fucking magic door.

are you coming or what?

my family. all that’s left of us.

bloody hell. is that what i think it is?

careful, (name). you almost sounded excited about something.

it couldn’t be. could it?

what on earth is that ugly thing.

you’re not even a little bit impressed?

may i speak to you?

are you going to continue questioning me?

get out before i slit you up the middle and bite out your heart.

this isn’t a war, (name). it’s a suicide.

i’m not gonna fuck you, (name). i’m too pissed off.

you stupid bastard.

what the hell was that for?

no, no, no, that’s not fair.

just tell me what it is.

you’re a cockwart, (name).

you are an adult. you do not have to rise to his every barb.

he’s pissing me off like it’s his job, (name).

i just want to do my work, (name).

you don’t say something like that out loud in this place!

say the words. so that i know you are still my friend.

you saved me. the only person in the world who ever lifted a hand to protect me from anything.

you are still my friend.

i have no fear of death. it always sounded peaceful to me.

i will be loyal to the end — and beyond.

they will never see us coming, and fuck them if they do.

no one has a right to your true beliefs.

you’ve given me purpose, and treated me with respect. a lie wouldn’t change that.

you don’t owe anybody anything.

i believe you are the only one who grasps the necessity of it all.

are you still my friend?

are you okay?

tired. a … bit lonely.

my dusty old sheet is big enough for two.

i’m not sad.

i wish you would stop doing that. it’s sick.

you would betray (name)?

it’s not betrayal unless the old man decides to be difficult about it.

thank you for showing me the truth.

my work here is almost done.

the end of this will be practically merciful.

i am also concerned that you enjoy him too much.

am i not working hard enough?

you’re afraid. you worry that you might have made the wrong choice.

perhaps you’re just an angry teenager in an adults body.

i don’t think i’ve heard you tell a joke before.

(name), you are a marvel.

you have caused this to happen. be proud.

i admire your resolve.

but those times are long gone.

i no longer have the strength for these petty decisions.

that’s all that matters. they all have to die.

do you know why i had to do it?

when i say ‘what’, that doesn’t mean i’d like to ask even more questions.

would you please — oh, you are the most annoying — just stop!

see? god hates me!

are you asking my advice?

so long as it brings silence.

well, i’m armed with a … a stick. so i’ll understand if you want to run away now.

you have nothing left but me.

you did it, (name).

i’m pretty good, right?

you’re the best.

they will not reach you while i live.

you would give your mortal life to preserve my immortal one?

you have a soul, i think.

perhaps you simple deserve a better fate than to die instead of me.

i choose my death, as i chose my life.

i told you before, i won’t let you do it.

i grieve with you … but i won’t let you do this.

you couldn’t stop me before.

i am no ordinary vampire to be killed by your human magics.

you didn’t kill me before. you’re not going to kill me now.

you want this to end as much as i do.

this entire catastrophe has been nothing but history’s longest suicide note.

not quite close enough.

my boy. i’m — i’m killing my boy.

i must already be dead.

(name), step back. let me finish this.

you’ve saved countless lives. but it’s alright to mourn the man, too.

he died a long time ago.

what do you think he’s going to do now?

i do not break things.

you’re giving me your home?

protect it. make something out of it.

keep moving. i’m not in the mood.

what do we have here?

is that really the best you have?

i simply don’t have time to deal with shit like you every time i want to sit and take a drink.

why would i want to stop now?

how on earth did you come to that decision?

this is the closest thing i’ve had to a life in … i don’t know when.

you’re the closest i’ve had to a friend.

so they’re barricading their homes and sharpening their stakes? that’s fair. can’t say i blame them.

you won’t stake me to death with that, (name).

where will you go?

i’ve been thinking about it all day. i still don’t understand.

(name) is dead. does that trouble you?

poor (name). stand up for me.

don’t worry. we’ll look after you.

(name) — what are you doing?

go to hell!

you are my pet now.

be well, my friend.

don’t let that idiot get you into too much trouble.

is this what i’ve got to look forward to?

#rp sentence starters #rp sentence meme #rp ask meme #rp prompts #roleplay memes #sentence starter meme #sentence starters #ask memes #ask prompt

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7grandmel · 2 months

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Todays rip: 23/03/2024

Balcony Cruise

Season 4 Episode 2 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume D

Ripped by Helpful Salad

youtube

Requested by an anonymous reader! (Request Form)

Hey, remember yesterday's post on Viva La LOWAS: the rip of a track quite prominently paying tribute to Cave Story? Well, the Cave Story love isn't ending quite yet, and if ripper Helpful Salad has anything to say about it, the game is going to continue showing up on the channel no matter what. Though today the focus is indeed specifically on Balcony Cruise, the guy's made a bevvy of Cave Story rips just as good as this one - 39 out of his 63 contributions, to be precise! - that I think are all well worth checking out.

Funny enough, there's unintentionally been a sort of running theme with the posts as of late starting with Poké Village. That theme being that, these are all rips I love despite them paying tribute to sources that I'm far too unfamiliar with, be that Monster Hunter, Homestuck, or in this case - FTL: Faster Than Light. And I'm able to love these rips because, as I've said many a time before, SiIvaGunner is as much about appreciating the things you already love as it is about being introduced to media that someone else loves far more. I know myself already that Cave Story's music is incredible, yet despite my endless playthroughs of the game I'm never going to grow tired of hearing all the many ways SiIvaGunner's rippers share their own affection for the soundtrack, not just in the Balcony Fusion Collab, but in the continued amount of rips the game receives to this day. There's emotion packed into efforts like Balcony Cruise, emotion that shows how Helpful Salad truly understands the Cave Story sound, that makes me thoroughly enjoy his rips with or without the needed context for whatever joke he's attaching to it.

And well, after hearing Balcony Cruise, I did feel the need to go listen to FTL's music as well - and indeed, it's just as incredible as I'd suspected! The solemn yet beautiful atmosphere of Balcony can be felt in much of FTL's whole soundtrack, befitting a game about surviving a cruise through space, and so Balcony Cruise being a melodyswap to the game's main theme feels like a natural fit. Yet...I can't shake the feeling that there's also more theming relevant to the rip beyond the shared atmosphere of the two games. Though FTL isn't exactly an "old" indie game in the same vein that Cave Story is, 2012 was still only two years removed from the release of Super Meat Boy, it was still quite early on in the indie game resurgence of Xbox Live. Cave Story is a landmark game for the indie world as a fully self-made release all the way back in 2004, made by one Daisuke Amaya in his free time out of a desire to express his love for games like Metroid and Castlevania into something playable. Eight years later, the spirit of indie gaming in the Independent Games Festival, the legacy shaped in large part by Amaya, was what directly inspired Matthew Davis and Justin Ma to pursue independent development full-on to create FTL.

What I'm saying is - mixing the two games together as Balcony Cruise does, two games that are on the surface completely disconnected, yet feel ever so connected at the same time...feels all too right. And if we REALLY want to go the extra mile: a rip as solemn and atmospheric as this, feels truly befitting of Quote's journey in the King for Another Day tournament from the year prior. Losing before truly getting to do anything, outdone by the big dogs, yet providing an unforgettable experience and giving us incredible arrangements like Lifelike Waterway. Months after the tournament finally ended, after so many SiIvaGunner viewers had grown yet more attached to Quote, and many were reminded of just how impactful Cave Story in general was...Balcony Cruise feels like the perfect tribute to the game. And more Cave Story is never something I'm going to turn down.

#todays siivagunner #season 4 episode 2 #siivagunner #siiva #Helpful Salad #Cave Story #FTL #ftl faster than light #indie games #Dokutsu Monogatari #quote cave story #curly brace #indie game #indie game music #king for another day #kfad

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raph-fangirl · 14 days

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SHILOH ROSETTE'S MASTERPOST

It would be so much to me if you took the time to donate even $1. I am broke living with my conservative parents and my only income is from random house sitting jobs. I don't have a steady income and want to do art for a living. Anything is appreciated <3 I have tiers for monthly supporters but you can also do a one-time donation.

MY STORIES

❖ That Which We Call Beast - A Victorian-era Beauty and the Beast retelling. Has been described by some of my readers as: "If Jane Austen wrote Beauty and the Beast". Ongoing. First installment in the That Which We Call Beast trilogy.

❖ A Tale of the Shapeshifters - My first ever complete novel. A Beauty and the Beast retelling set in early 1900s Ireland. Two shapeshifters do their best to hide their secret from one another, but that soon becomes the least of their worries as the past unfurls itself.

❖ When Lilies Pierce Thorns - The second installment of the That Which We Call Beast trilogy. Has not been written yet.

❖ Melisande - Upcoming prequel/midquel to the That Which We Call Beast trilogy. Focuses on our dearly beloved evil queen herself and her villain origin story.

❖ Raphael - Upcoming sequel to the That Which We Call Beast trilogy. Focuses on our favorite wet pathetic man and his redemption arc.

❖ Tyler & Alaca - Childhood friends to lovers, with some werewolf and vampire shenanigans to make things interesting. Twilight and Castlevania lore but more original than fanfic.

❖ Forte-Piano - A Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas prequel. Forte is determined to become the castle composer, but will this ambitious young pianist get in his way? BxB

❖ Shark x Mermaid story (title tba) - A young mermaid is desperately in love with a human, but has been betrothed to a mer-prince. In the midst of her predicament, she meets a were-shark who annoys her to no end and challenges her entire worldview, but that she can't stay away from.

❖ Donatello x OC TMNT fic (title tba) - Donnie has always loved April from the first moment he laid eyes on her. Even though April is now dating Casey Jones, and he and his brothers have become friends with a new outsider girl--Serafina--Donnie can't help but still harbor feelings for her. When he starts spending more time with Serafina, will he let his old feelings go or will he make a mess bigger than anyone could have ever imagined?

❖ In the Garden of the Witch - Completed short story. Hedy is so ready to be married to the love of her life, Bruno. Even if he is a beast, he has the soul of a man. But one day, something changes in him, and he leaves her. Will she be able to find him as she travels through the wilderness? Will Bruno recapture his humanity? Or will a conniving witch mess everything up for the two lovers?

❖ Dandelion - Completed short story in the middle of edits. Dandelion does not know what it means to have a family or to love another person. So what will happen one night when two people who say they knew her parents randomly show up asking for her help?

❖ He Who Dares Not Grasp the Thorn Should Never Crave the Rose - Beauty and the Beast one-shots and short stories for all versions. From the original myths, to Madame Villeneuve's novel, to Jean Cocteau's film, to Disney's movies, and beyond! Feel free to commission or request a piece.

❖ My Fair Ladyhood & Other Short Stories - Incomplete collection of short stories I've written and will continue to write.

Includes My Fair Ladyhood, an imitative memoir I wrote for a class: Southern Women's Literature. This is an extremely personal piece that explores my relationships throughout my life thus far, as well as my issues with body image and eating disorders.

And Nolan's Flood: Charlotte McPherson is the only girl—and one of the only people—in the town of Roadsdale who can read. This makes her particularly interesting to the local doctor and part-time Sunday school teacher, Mr. Nolan. Although they don't know each other well, the two make plans to marry. But how long will this courtship last in the face of tragedy?

COMMISSIONS

Tba

EDITING/REVIEWING SERVICES

Tba

#beauty and the beast #writing #writblr #fantasy #novel #masterpost #romance #historical #fairytale #writeblr #batb

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fangbangerghoul · 8 months

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They call me Fang.

29, Scorpio, Bisexual/Genderfluid/Polyamorous, She/They, Mother of a Gem (who is a real human), heavy into politics and current events, undergrad student in polysci prelaw. I'm a parent, an activist, a student, and a creator. formally known as NotYourRamona/chubbytreats Tumblr originally est. 2014

I like to write: #fang writes you can find content related to my main OC under #ghoul vibes only

Ao3 Masterlist

You can find most of my snippets or WIP under: #fang writes, #snippet sunday, #wip wednesday

Fandoms I love but are not limited to:

Hannibal

Interview with the Vampire

Dragon Age

Starfield

Castlevania (anime)

Jujutsu Kaisen

Dragon Ball

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

BG3

Doctor Who

Dragon's Dogma 2

Southern Vampire Mysteries

Some more things about me:

I am a vampire enthusiast.

Criticism for what we consume is necessary, but it also doesn't mean to shut out things that disturb us.

I have been gaming more recently and gaming is what inspired me to get back into writing. I love art in all its forms and appreciate fanart as it comes. Some of my art you can check out under #fang art

I love mid to late 90's grunge and alternative music along with riot grrl, hyperpop, industrial noise, some late 90s/early 2000s country, (I love a lot of genres tbh) Here's a playlist. Here's another playlist.

check out #fang listens for music

You can see more of me and my life under the tags #personal #vent sometimes I post selfies or things that happened in my week or day. You are also welcomed to shoot me an ask.

#pinned post #masterlist #fang writes #personal #vent #my art

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alpaca-clouds · 11 months

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My fucked up Belmont family headcanon

Or: Let me talk about medieval religious persecution!

Okay, my exam is done, weekend is near. And a couple of days ago @autumnmobile12 posted about the child skull in the Belmont family hold.

So let me use this chance to talk about my headcanon both about the Belmont family - and the role of dhampirs in the Castlevania anime universe.

Please note, this at times outright contradicts the game canon. But in quite a few ways the series already does that either way, so to quote one Trevor Belmont: "I don't care."

When the trio comes to the Belmont Hold, Alucard expresses his disgust saying it is like a museum to the eradication of his species. And it kinda seems even more than that, given there are also quite a few other skeletons and what not from other monsters littered throughout the hold.

And, well... That is kinda messed up, right?

Now in the games the story somewhat goes "Leon is a knight and friends with Mathias, fiancé gets kidnapped, lays down his title, Mathias turns into Dracula, Leon swears to kill monsters, Belmonts become monster hunters." And while this gives a nice through line tying the family to Dracula... historically speaking it is also kinda boring.

So, I decided to tie the entire story back to something else.

And yes, this is mostly just another excuse for me to talk about history. Sorry about that.

Let's talk about Constantine and the late Roman empire.

If you have read up on your history of Christianity, you might know that first Christians were in fact a persecuted minority, who would in fact often be killed and burned by the Romans. But then in the late Roman period, Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and suddenly Rome was a Christian empire. Now, there are myths and legends around why he converted. Stuff like him receiving prophetic dreams and what not. But in the end it does not matter. What matters is, that Rome was Christian now and Rome did its damnest to spread Christianity. Moving the capital further East to be closer to the holy land and what not.

Now, with Christianity suddenly being the main religion the tables were turned. And suddenly Rome began to outlaw pegan religion, which included the old Roman religion. You know, the one with Jupiter, Juno, Venus and what not. First it was just small stuff. Like animal sacrifices became outlawed and temples were taxed. But it quickly escalated from there, with temples getting looted and burned. And then, not too many years later, Theodosius I was the new emperor and the violence against the pegans escalated. Temples were burned down and pegans were hunted down, forced to convert or killed.

You might ask now: What does this have to do with the Belmonts?

Well, I will tell you. See, when we look at history, we usually do our damnest to distinguish fact from fiction. But that is usually not history is written down. Especially not religious history. That always comes with a good helping of god-killing.

So, yes. According to myth in fact there were heroes, that came the high medieval period would turn into knights, who went out to kill monsters. And I mean, probably everyone can name at least a handful of dragon slayers at least.

In real history of course we see these myths are embelishments and symbolism. As myths. But... If we look at the Castlevania world, we can obviously see that in this world monsters are real.

Sooooo... My headcanon for the Belmont family is, that they were in fact employed by the Vatican in the early medieval period to hunt down those monsters as the Vatican saw these monsters as an offense against God. That did not only include vampires, but all sort of other creatures that often were linked to old pegan believes of all sorts.

This means that in my headcanon the Belmonts did in fact hunt monsters before Mathias became Dracula. Even more so: Mathias was a monster hunter as well, which was what gave him the knowledge to become what he became in the first place.

In fact the church had them hunt down monsters of all sorts, making monsters all but extinct by the late medieval period. Which is in fact why the church turned on the Belmont family. They had lost their use and at that point the Belmont family were a constant reminder that those monsters at some point had been real.

To put it differently: The Belmonts have actively partaken in the genocide of several - at times intelligent - species. And have done their utmost to also eradicate vampires and their dhampiric offspring.

They didn't do that out of wickedness or anything like that, but out of religious fervor, because they did in fact believe that they were doing the right thing.

The entire Mathias-Leon-Thing mostly just lead to them having it especially out for the vampires.

Funnily enough though, this also meant, that within Europe where all the monster hunters were, the places that became safe for monsters and other supernatural creatures were either those areas ruled by vampires because vampires did not care too much if there was a griffon living up the mountain as long as it did not hunt down the humans. The other safe place? Granadia, aka the place that later on would become Spain. Because it was under majority Muslim rule and while Muslims were rather stern about not practicing sorcery they did not persecute religious minorities and did not have it out for the monsters so much.

See, my issue is that the entire "Belmont good, Belmont hunt monsters" does not really gel with what we see in the series. While in the game canon we see that monsters and vampire are creatures of pure evil, this is not what the show is depicting. Vampires are as much complex persons, as the humans are. And as such they absolutely can decide to be good.

And yes, that very much means that I have Trevor later grapple with the fact that maybe his entire family history is not quite as heroic as he had believed it to be before. And that in fact his family also did not quite know as much about the monsters, as he had believed, given that after he has made friends with vampires he finds out that quite a few things he had believed about vampires are just plain wrong.

#Castlevania #castlevania netflix #belmont family #trevor belmont #history #headcanons #castlevania headcanon #medieval europe

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sixsixtwenty · 3 months

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hey there, right out of the box a bit angsty but how do you think Varney (castlevania) would handle being with a human who is at the end of their lifespan. yk, given that he's death himself, and under the assumption that he did genuinely care for them, how would he handle the days coming up to their death?

IM BACK AFTER A WRITING BLOCK- (i had a lot going on)

anyways. ONWARDS BITCHES

Yarney x Reader (Angst) Head cannons.

-as you know him being death hes FULLY aware that You're on the brink of dying.

-Because of the way he acts in the Netflix you might think he gives 0 shits and only tries to bring Dracula (my precious) back yada yada.

-But in all honesty. he's just crumbling up inside.

-he's all "oh fuck..why now. why now suddenly? They weren't supposed to die so early!"

-Just depressed boy hours.

-Wouldnt admit his sorrow and sadness because he has a reputation to keep since he's the big and scary death

-But since day 1 where you showed up. oh boy u scooped him away.

-And now you suddenly gonna go? It hits him deep.

-He knew in the beginning if he's gonna spend the rest of his days with you, you won't last long.

-Humans have a short lifespan. we all know that.

-So all he will do is spend the rest of your days with tons of gifts, him showing u as much affection as possible and get you to see beautiful places before you perish on him.

#castlevania x reader #castlevania death #castlevania varney #Castlevania Varney x reader #headcanon #castlevania headcanons #castlevania angst

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spinningbuster98 · 6 months

Video

youtube

Castlevania (NES) Part 1

Good Eeeeeeveniiiiiing...

Anyone who knows the story of this game raise your hand!

If you answer “It’s Simon Belmont VS Dracula” you only get half a cookie

If you answer “It’s a big homage to classic horror” you also only get half a cookie!

Yeah sure this game’s story is fundementally basic as was usual for games at the time and the early days of the series were indeed big on homaging classic Hammer Horror flicks

But I honestly find both descriptions to not do the game justice

Nowadays you often get people who say that “8-bit games have no story”, and while often these kinds of folks say this because they’ve never actually played said games other times these kinds of assertions actually come from long time fans, sometimes by people who even grew up with these kinds of games since they came out!

And I think the main reason, outside of the fact that these games often didn’t really have any on-screen narrative, is that manuals back then failed to properly convey tha game’s lore and story...or rather the overseas manuals

If you think that Classic Castlevania games have very little to no story and were little more than an excuse for the developers to cram in a bunch of old horror monsters then you’re only half right and you get to sit in the same corner as the same people who say that Classic Sonic games had no story

But I can’t fully blame people: the International manual for this game really tells you nothing about what’s going on here, mostly just making a bunch of horror-themed puns

Now the original Japanese Manual on the other hand... talk about night and day!

Not only is it way more stylized it also:

1) Gives you some general context as to how Dracula resurrected and how it’s a recurring event while also establishing that Dracula gets regularily resurrected by evil people who wish for destruction

2) Establishes Simon as the last heir to a family of vampire hunters who have been battling the count for a long time, even mentioning a certain Christopher: who is that? Apparently Simon’s ancestor who put Dracula in his grave last time. Did they have to mention this? No it wasn’t necessary but it helps sell the idea that this is a war that’s been going on for some time and that Simon has some big shoes to fill. Not to mention that we will see Christopher in a future travesty game

3) It even mentions how the Belmonts’ whip isn’t just any ordinary whip nor is it just some generic “Magic Whip”, it has “mysterious powers”. Hmmm intriguing...I wonder what its origins are...?

This is all stuff that future games will not only reference but also build upon: how many games feature Belmonts talking about how its their destiny to defeat Dracula? How many games will focus on the Whip’s otherworldly abilities? Dracula’s line from SOTN about how “he was called here by humans who wished to pay him tribute”? The one that’s been memed to Hell? That idea was already present all the way back to the very first game!

I’m not saying that the developers already had a clear vision of how the series would turn out as a whole, hell no! But evidently they did have A narrative vision, as limited in scope as it was given the limitations they were dealing with, so I think that boiling this down to simply “Haha 8 bit sprites on the screen!” or “It was just a love latter to old Hammer Movies, nothing more. Unlike those future games that added a needless story ugh!” (though future games will definitely have plenty of narrative hiccups make no mistake I have my share of issues) is pretty disrespectful

#youtube #akumajou dracula #my gameplay

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mfred · 5 months

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I watched Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix and kinda lost my mind.

I love it a million times a hundred billion gajillion. It did everything but make me cry. I can't say enough about it, so I won't say anything at all. (But you should really watch it.)

Then I started Samurai Champloo because I remembered liking it back in the day when it aired on Adult Swim in the early 2000s (I'm old y'all).

I'm on episode 22 now. It's less cohesive of a story than I like, and I feel like the pacing is kind of uneven. The fight scenes are well done and I love the main characters. I'm ready for the 3-part finale because I think it will pack more of an emotional punch, but I still have some episodes to get through first.

I also decided on a whim to watch an episode of Castlevania, and then got sucked in.

I just finished season 2 last night and I fucking cried at the ending. It's not the best show in the world, but something about Dracula wanting to end the world because his human wife was murdered and his half human son having to stop him because his mother wouldn't want the world to end really got me in the feels.

I'm on a journey, guys. I went from watching no tv at all to obsessively googling "best anime to watch" and filling my queue. When or where this adventure will stop, I don't know.

But seriously, watch Blue Eye Samurai.

#blue eye samurai #castlevania #samurai champloo #true story

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 9 months

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About Me: Favorite Video Games

So you may not know this, but I’m a gamer. Shocking, right? Who’d ever have guessed it? But to be totally fair here, I rarely talk about video games on Tumblr. I talk about movies, and there have been a handful of times where I reviewed video games, but I focused more on the story, characters, and all that then I did on whether or not the gameplay was good. In my earliest days, before I found my niche, I talked about games a fair deal, but that fell by the wayside so I could focus on films (my true passion).

So hey, look at this! You’re all going to get to see what my favorite video games are now! Remember, everything here is just my personal opinions; I'm not trying to give actual reviews of each of these games in a couple of sentences or trying to sell you on them, I'm talking about the stuff in them that makes me love them. All of this is my subjective opinion, and I'm not asking you to agree with me here, I'm just trying to talk about stuff that I love.

Oh, and here are some honorable mentions: Super Mario Bros. 3, Banjo-Kazooie (I still haven’t finished it and I don’t want to include games I haven’t played through), Kid Icarus: Uprising, Bayonetta 2, Injustice 2, BioShock, Doom Eternal, Super Metroid, Dragon Age II, God of War II, Castlevania: Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, The Wolf Among Us, The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Up Your Arsenal, and Heritage for the Future. Also a shout out to Tell Me Why and Life is Strange, games I watched my wife play and loved the story of but that I didn’t actually play myself; the former in particular has all sorts of elements I love in my stories.

Now, without further ado, here’s my top 50! Oh, and only the top 30 have pictures because there's image limits on posts! What a load of BS!

50. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Ok, maybe this game is lacking in a few areas at the expense of its massive customization system… but boy howdy what a system it is! I cannot tell you how much time I’ve sunk into decorating my island, reorganizing my villagers, and just making all sorts of weird themed areas. It’s a lot of fun, and I get to do all this work while hanging with a bunch of weird, cute animals.

49. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R

The original game was a lot of fun, but even I’ll admit it felt like it was missing something. That something was probably Foo Fighter, but guess what? She’s in the updated rerelease, along with aslew of other new characters like my favorite minor antagonist Mariah and the bane of Heritage for the Future players, Pet Shop! Add onto that a much better campaign mode with some fun little AU shenanigan matches and you have the most loving fighting game tribute to JJBA imaginable! Now if only they’d give Part 8 a little more love...

48. Batman: Arkham Origins

This is the redheaded stepchild of the Arkham series, and on some level I get why. It is very much aping City, right down to the map despite their being some expansions here and there, and the combat is much more of the same with little in the way of evolution, and don’t get me started on the fucking Joker showing up again. But this game also features some of the best bosses in the series such as Firefly and especially Deathstroke, a Bane who isn’t just a mindless mass of muscles like in the other games, and some interesting sidequests that make this early look at Batman’s superheroics a worthwhile entry in my eyes.

47. Miitopia

This is one of the easiest games out there, what with the autopilot combat and minimal difficulty (though there is a big spike late in the game). But the sheer vastness of the facial customization means that literally anyone from all of art or history can take part in a wacky, cliché RPG adventure. Hank Hill can fight the evil overlord Seth MacFarlane with a crew consisting of Chowder, Thor, and Japanese comedian/director/actor Beat Takeshi. If that’s not worth the price of admission, I don’t know what is.

46. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

The DS is where Castlevania truly shined, and my favorite of all the handheld entries is this portrait-hopping journey to defeat a mad artist and his evil vampire children. The locations are pretty great, there’s tons of sidequests and alternate game modes (my favorite is the one where you play as the Old Axe Armor), and there’s an awesome brutal bonus dungeon where you get to fight the bosses from Dawn of Sorrow without the stupid drawing bullshit!

45. Maximo vs. Army of Zin

The original game was a fun, yet very flawed action platformer. This game veers more into the hack-and-slash genre to great effect; it’s not the deepest combat ever, but it’s a lot of fun, with much better platform, bosses, and story than the first game. There’s just something cool about a world that mixes Gothic horror, steampunk, and other fantasy elements together all in one place.

44. God Hand

This is one of the most deceptive games you’ll ever come across. On the surface, it might seem like an ugly beat-em-up, but it’s so much more than that. The bosses are brutal yet fantastic, the music is fucking incredible, and the humor is just the right level of absurd to be incredibly charming. It’s ball-bustingly difficult, but let me tell you, when you finally overcome a fight or a boss battle that’s been giving you trouble? It is literally the best feeling in the world.

43. South Park: The Stick of Truth

‘Member when South Park was funny? I ‘member. And The Stick of Truth really brings back all those memories because this is a hilarious and loving tribute to the series made with the help of Trey Parker and Matt Stone to deliver the playable South Park experience of your dreams. It’s gross, immature, raunchy, and funny, and best of all it doesn’t get too preachy or up its own ass with messages—no, it gets up Mr. Slave’s ass to defuse a bomb. Peak South Park right here, though the gameplay is kind of basic. It’s all carried by that stellar writing.

42. Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity

This game mainly scores a spot on my list for being fucking hilarious. This is the funniest Crash Bandicoot ever got, with all sorts of wacky gags and clever dialogue. Cortex really is the MVP here, with the constant slapstick that befalls him combined with his snarky dialogue making him a standout. It’s a bummer so much was cut from the game, and it does feel a bit incomplete in some areas, but for what it is it’s a damn fun time.

41. Pokemon White/White 2

It was genuinely hard to pick a single game from the series to go on here considering how much I loved Gens III – V. Emerald perfected the generation I first got into the series, LeafGreen is the definitive Kanto experience to me, Platinum polished up Gen IV’s uneven debut and made it incredible, and SoulSilver is a fantastic remake of the first Pokemon game I ever played (Crystal). But I think I have to go with the Gen V games I played as my favorites. They’re fun and challenging, and while the first game has a ridiculously restrictive regional dex and the second has an overreliance on defunct wi-fi features, the fantastic story and fun new Pokemon make up for it. Can’t be too mad at the games that let me make trashy cult classic B-movies with my boy Garbodor, can I?

40. Batman: Arkham Knight

I put off playing this for years, because I wasn’t happy with some of the things I heard about it, such as a lack of traditional boss battles and an overreliance on the Batmobile. These are still problems, but not near as bad as I feared (obviously, since it’s on this list); everything about the gameplay is the series at its peak. The main story is a bit lacking and ends up being a tad too predictable for me to love it as much as the other entries in the series, but the fact it has Professor Pyg and Man-Bat really helps make up for its shortcomings.

39. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This game is just as silly and clunky as I imagined an older Bethesda game would be, but to my surprise I think it holds up incredibly well even compared to Skyrim. It’s a bit more complex in a lot of areas, but it’s not too daunting. What really strikes me is how this game actually has a really good story; it’s nothing groundbreaking, but when you look at how bad the Civil War plot in Skyrim was it feels like Shakespeare in comparison. Throw in a ton of unique sidequests with interesting plotlines, a gruesome Dark Brotherhood plot, an interesting villain, and Patrick Stewart for all of about five minutes, and I’d almost say I like this more than Skyrim. Almost.

38. Wolfenstein: The New Order

Sure, it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to FPS games, but does it need to? All I want from a Wolfenstein game is a horde of Nazi motherfuckers to mow down, and guess what this game gives me? What really surprised me was how genuinely cool and likable BJ was. He might be one of my favorite heroes ever after this game. It’s a shame they couldn’t keep this level of polish up in the sequel.

37. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

In a lot of ways, this game is objectively worse than its predecessor. Like the story is ass for sure; I could not give less of a fuck about the Stormcloaks and the Imperials and their stupid civil war if I tried. But the vast world filled with things to do is so much fun to explore, and there’s all sorts of sidequests and shenanigans to get into. This game is pure, stupid fun, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve restarted it just to play as a different race or class. Maybe someday I’ll make it to the final boss. Maybe.

36. Psychonauts

The original Psychonauts is one of the last great platformers, and among them it’s a lot more unique than many of its peers as you’re platforming through the minds of all sorts of wacky characters to help them overcome their issues. Bouncing through the conspiracy theory-addled brain of a disturbed milkman or decimating a city kaiju style inside the mind of a hyper-intelligent mutant lungfish are the kind of off-the-wall ideas this game throws at you, and in my opinion the only thing that could hold it back is if it had a really janky final level that combines meat, circuses, escort missions, and an underwhelming final boss… Oops. Still a great game in my eyes, one that’s 95% perfect.

35. Final Fantasy VI

For a lot of people, this is the best Final Fantasy game, and I definitely see why. It has a truly massive playable roster of unique characters with their own special gimmicks (of which only a handful are actually useful, mind you) and one of the greatest video game villains ever conceived in the mad clown Kefka, plus it is so focused and tightly plotted for the first half of the game. I think that after Kefka takes over the story becomes a lot more aimless and unfocused, but that’s also where the game becomes a lot more fun and challenging too. It’s a bit uneven, but after how hard the opera house scene goes I think it’s allowed to trip a little bit.

34. Dragon Age: Origins

A lot more praise is thrown at this series’ sci-fi sibling Mass Effect, probably because that series is a lot more consistent with how good it is across the board (Andromeda notwithstanding), but I’m much more fond of fantasy settings myself and this game delivers a fantastic one in ways its sequels couldn’t quite manage. This is the only game in the series where I genuinely loved every single party member (especially Leliana) and actively tried to get them the happiest endings possible—yes, even the douchebag anti-villain who joins you if you play your cards right), and the plot is just the right level of epic fantasy cheese seasoned with some delicious side quests. If the dwarf plotline wasn’t such a slog and if Varric was in the game, this would be a lot higher on the list, but this game still holds a special place in my heart.

33. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Our first trip into the Asylum really did kill the notion that licensed games had to be the most obnoxious shovelware schlock imaginable by making a Batman game that actually makes you feel like Batman. Sure, the detective part is a bit minimal here compared to the sequels, but the combat is so fun and refreshing that I’m not too bothered by the lack of crime scene investigations. There’s a clear love for the entire mythos here, and best of all a clear love for the animated series—Hamill and Conroy reprise their roles as Joker and Batman respectively, and Arleen Sorkin gives Harley one last ride before her retirement. It’s a real love letter to the Dark Knight, and it spawned one of the most consistently good video game series around, so I’ll forgive it for having the lamest final boss I’ve ever fought just this once.

32. Kingdom Hearts

What I like about the original game is how it struck such a nice balance in its absurd premise, with it never feeling like the Final Fantasy or Disney elements are really overpowering each other. We have the grandiose, convoluted plots of the former and the magic, whimsy, and awesome villains of the latter combining together into one impressive package. Yeah, a lot of the level designs are dogshit (looking at you, Deep Jungle and Monstro), and some of the stunt casting is really bizarre (Lance Bass as Sephiroth?!) but overall this is a game way better than you’d think by hearing that it’s a game where Mickey Mouse and Cloud Strife exist side by side.

31. Super Mario 64

Mamma mia! It is genuinely impossible for me to not feel nostalgic for this game. So many 3D platformers that came out in its wake took what it did and polished it to absurd degrees, but there’s still something so special about diving back into one of the portraits in Peach’s castle and going through those levels again and again. The music and atmosphere of the game add onto it; every time I play it, I feel like a kid again. It’s just such a charming game.

30. MediEvil

If Tim Burton made a Gothic horror fantasy movie, I imagine it would be something like this game. It really uses the limitations of the PS1’s graphics to the fullest extent, with the jagged polygonal looks of the characters enhancing the experience, and it has such a crazy variety of levels and enemies, from a phantom pirate ship to a crystal cave with a dragon to a village of posessed villagers to an ant hill. Sir Daniel Fortesque is one of my favorite video game protagonists around because of his posthumous journey to live up to the legend fabricated around him.

29. God of War III

Every single one of these games just escalates from the previous one. Oh, you fight the hydra in the opening of the first game? How about you fight through Rhodes and then battle the animated colossus that once stood in its port in the second? And how do you top that for the third game? Beat the ever-loving shit out of Poseidon and gouge his eyes out from his POV. And this game only gets more brutal from there! Titans and gods all fall to Kratos in epic and gory boss battles, but honestly even without that I’d put the game on this list for the simple reason that you get to fucking murder Kevin Sorbo as Hercules.

28. EarthBound

Nintendo’s quirkiest RPG makes the cut, mostly on the basis of how weird and charming it is. At this point I’ve essentially memorized everything you need to do in this game, which is good because if it’s your first time you desperately need a guide or you’ll be fucked. There are points where things get a little too grindy (mostly for Poo’s weapons) but it’s genuinely a game whose charms outweigh any negatives there are. Plus, that final boss battle is something else entirely.

27. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Rebirth and all of its DLC updates took everything great about the original game and polished it into absolute perfection, with so many different item combos you could potentially get and so many bosses and endgames you could encounter. No two runs ever really feel the same, and it’s so satisfying to become so overpowered you nuke the screen every time you attack. The fact there’s a thriving modding community to continually generate new and crazier content also adds to why I have a ridiculous number of hours dumped into this game.

26. Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

This is the first Resident Evil game I ever played and, wow, I sure was missing out all those years! This is one of the most tense survival horror experiences I’ve played through, with a creepy family of hillbilly horrors to avoid as I creep through their ramshackle domicile. It’s fun, creepy, and even a little campy, and it has raised my interest in the rest of the series. Hopefully the game with the giant vampire mommy will live up to how good this one is when I finally get around to playing it.

25. Portal 2

Yes, the puzzles are great, but this game really soars due to its writing. The first game was fun and all, but it was mostly just GLaDOS insulting you the whole time with Chell being an entirely silent protagonist. In this game, we get the lovable idiot Wheatley and the greatest mad scientist ever conceived Cave Johnson to listen to as well, and the way GLaDOS bounces off the former and reacts to the latter help make this game a fun and engaging puzzle-solving adventure.

24. Doom

The legendary FPS series got revitalized after years on the edge of relevancy, and its return is one of the most metal games imaginable. Slaughtering your way through the forces of Hell while heavy metal blares in the background? It really doesn’t get much better than this. While I do think Eternal improved the formula and gameplay in a lot of ways (particularly with the addition of an awesome hub level), I find the original to be way more fun and balanced in terms of difficulty. The lack of Marauders is really what gives it the slightest of edges.

23. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nobody got left behind for this one. Everyone across the series came back, and then they went and added even more to give us the most ambitious crossover of all time. Ridley, Simon Belmont, Sora, Sephiroth, Kazuya, and more all get to duke it out on the best stages of the series as well as some fresh new ones, and every character plays even better and more balanced than they ever have before. While the single player campaign isn’t quite as exciting as Subspace Emissary from Brawl, it still manages to be a pretty epic quest with fun boss battles. This is just the definitive Smash experience in my opinion.

22. Red Dead Redemption

My daughter has affectionately labeled this game “Horse Movie,” and she’s not wrong. This is a true cowboy experience right here, with lots of gunfights and horse wrangling, and it’s all a blast. The story in particular is really well done, and there’s plenty of fun side quests too. Maybe the gunfights get a bit samey after a while, but it’s an enjoyable open world to explore and is filled with oddities and mysteries galore.

21. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The first Metal Gear game to make the list, and easily the most underrated of the bunch. It gets a lot of flak for the missing final episode that would have had Venom fight the young Liquid Snake, and while it does suck that that moment isn’t in the game, the story still feels plenty complete and well-done without it. Venom might be one of the most fascinating characters in the series, and the game has some of the most brutal gutpunches and tearjerking moments in the franchise. Maybe it’s just because I’m predisposed to love Metal Gear, but I loved this game even though I was well aware of what it didn’t have.

20. Final Fantasy VII

Not to be a basic bitch, but this is my favorite Final Fantasy. I mean, the cast is all so cool and fun, the story is great, Sephiroth is an amazing villain, and there’s plenty of obscure and obtuse ways of finding secrets that make a strategy guide practically mandatory if you want the most out of the game. What’s not to love? I think I was mostly surprised by how good the game actually was; it’s always high on lists of the best games ever, and it definitely earns that. The fact that Aerith’s death still made me tear up despite being common knowledge is a testament to just how amazing this Fantasy is.

19. Mother 3

EarthBound coasts by on its fun, lighthearted quirkiness… but what if you took that and applied heaping helpings of darkness and a more solid story? That’s Mother 3, a beautiful tale filled with the same out there humor as its predecessor as well as a lot of more mature and deeper themes than even the original tackled (mind you, Earthbound wasn’t devoid of deeper themes to begin with, so this is saying something). The ending is one of the few times I have openly sobbed while playing a video game. They need to officially release this in the West, because I will buy it day one. Fuck, I’ll pre-order it!

18. Yoshi’s Island

If this game was only one of the most charmingly animated games ever made, that would be enough to earn it at least some respect. But it’s also one of the best platformers in a series that invented the genre, centered around a truly inspired baby-carrying gimmick and featuring all manner of creative boss battles and one of the most earwormy soundtracks ever made. That’s enough to get it a spot on this list, but the fact it solidified Shy Guys as a Mario mainstay and not just a one-shot enemy? That gets it into my top 20.

17. Spyro Reignited Trilogy

It’s kind of cheating since it’s all three games in one package, but it’s my list, I make the rules. I view this as the definitive way to play Spyro; the redesigns are all fantastic (especially Elora) and the fact Tom Kenny is now the lovable purple scamp across all three games is wonderful. They even made the first game more enjoyable and even visually interesting, even though it’s still the weakest link in the series! And as much of a Crash Bandicoot stan as I am, the fact this game allows you to switch between the newly composed arrangements of the songs and the original Copeland tracks is a big W over the Bandicoot remakes only having the new versions of the songs.

16. Metal Gear Rising

This is perhaps the most badass game ever made. The first level has Raiden battling through a war zone and then fighting a RAY singlehandedly, leaping across missiles and slicing it in half while the most fucking awesome metal music blares in the background. The game just decides to get even more insane from there. People have argued against it being canon for years, but these people are stupid. This game is just as insane and politically-charged as the rest of the series, so in my book, it’s fucking canon.

15. Undertale

This game’s time in the spotlight has faded a bit, but that only makes it easier for me to look back on it and say, “Damn, that’s one of the finest games ever made.” It has all the quirkiness of the Mother series with unique combat and a stellar story, a cast of likable characters, and some of the best boss fights I’ve ever been through. Best of all, it’s a game that practically encourages and even rewards you for being nice! I still love it, even after all the discourse and skyrocketing popularity, and nothing will make me budge on that love.

14. Hades

I’m a big fan of Greek mythology, so this is yet another game that would have had to try really hard to make me hate it. Thankfully, all its efforts were put into areas that made me love it instead. While the roguelike gameplay is well done, the writing and story are really the stars here, with fantastic character interactions between desperate god Zagreus, the gods of Olympus, and the various denizens of the underworld really making this game something truly special.

13. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Sometimes this game feels like the designers saw all those articles and reviews comparing the first game to Dark Souls and took it to heart, because some of the levels in this game are absolutely brutal—especially if you’re going for 100% completion. But that same difficulty makes playing through the levels a lot of fun as well; it’s probably the most challenging Crash outing to date. It really polishes and updates the Crash formula for the modern age, and hopefully they expand on this in a future game. If nothing else, it finally lets you play as Dingodile, which is a dream come true.

12. Grand Theft Auto V

It’s wacky. It’s cartoonish. It has a surprisingly good story about three criminals from different walks of life becoming fire-forged friends as they violently work out their emotional issues. There’s just so much to do and so much to see, all sorts of collectibles and side missions, and more black comedy than you can shake a stick at, and all of it is made all the more enjoyable because the main villain protagonists are a likable bunch of nutjobs. Hell, sometimes I just like to hop into a car, put on some tunes, and cruise around until I can cause some mayhem, and the fact that’s just as valid as doing a bunch of story missions really makes me love the game.

11. Silent Hill 2

While the first and third games are good in their own rights, I vastly prefer the psychological horror and the monsters manifesting as living allegories for trauma with heavy and dark symbolism as opposed to the evil cult narrative. Plus, you know, this one has Pyramid Head in it, and his presence makes sense instead of simply being there cuz he’s cool.

10. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials & Tribulations

The Ace Attorney series is one of my favorites, and I love just about all the games in it and even the ones I don’t love always have one or two solid cases that keep me coming back. But pound for pound my favorite game in the series is the third one, the one that lets you play as Mia Fey, introduces the callous murderer Dahlia Hawthorne, and has you match wits with the coffee-guzzling prosecutor Godot. Even the filler cases are entertaining, with the one where Phoenix has to get to the bottom of a murder involving his evil doppleganger being wildly amusing (which is more than can be said for that circus case in the second game or cases two through three in the fourth).

9. Live A Live

Few games can boast the sheer variety this game has on display, with levels changing up their style to give everything from standard RPG fair to a prolonged timed puzzle to a fighting game pastiche to an incredibly tense survival horror experience. We also have the precursor to Undertale here in a ninja-themed level where you can spare everyone you come across or otherwise brutally murder them. And while the stories remain relatively simple in every time period you visit, it doesn’t stop them from hitting hard when they need to, like with the fantasy RPG deconstruction that is Oersted’s chapter. This game would easily have switched places with the next game if the final level played a bit more to the game’s strengths, but hey, it’s still good enough to be in the top 10.

8. Chrono Trigger

Square’s other time travel story is definitely the superior one even if it’s a traditional JRPG through and through. Of course, that is because it completely and fully takes advantage of its premise, with actions you take in one time period affecting others in turn, not to mention the vast amount of bonus bosses and sidequests there are to keep the multiple playthroughs to acquire all the endings fresh and fun. I’ve sunk so much time into getting all the endings on the DS version, and I’ve never once been bored even after visiting the Middle Ages or the ruined future world a dozen times.

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

There are few games that I love revisiting more than this one. This is Metroidvania at its peak, a perfect blend of action, platforming, and RPG elements into one glorious Gothic horror monster mash package. What’s truly fun with this one is the myriad ways there are to bust the game right open. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve grinded for hours so that I could dual-wield Crissaegrims and trivialize the Dracula and Galamoth battles.

6. Psychonauts 2

The original Psychonauts is fun and quirky, and is only really held back by a pretty sloppy final level. This game, though? This game is damn near perfect. Nearly every level here is fun and memorable, and the ways Raz has to help each person deal with their mental trauma is a lot more nuanced and tasteful than the original game’s fair-for-its-time takes on dealing with mental illness. The minds of Ford’s old crew as well as Ford himself provide some of the best Psychonauts content to date, and really, who can hate a level that ends with Jack Black as a gay psychic rock star viking performing a musical number to obliterate his own insecurities?

5. Kingdom Hearts II

This is where the Kingdom Hearts franchise peaked, and it’s a high note they’ve yet to reach again. Sure, the tutorial prologue level drags on for quite a long while, but once you get to play as Sora again, ooh boy is this basically the perfect meeting of the worlds of Disney and Square. The Disney worlds are a lot more fleshed out and have twice the plot due to midgame return visits, the combat is more exciting with fun little reaction commands to let you pull off crazy maneuvers, and you get to hang out with Tron and the most based of all Disney heroes, Chicken Little. Best of all, the story manages to strike the perfect balance between being complex and silly without disappearing all the way up its own ass like later entries would.

4. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

In my house, there was a legend that I had beaten this game to completion one hundred times. I’m not entirely sure how accurate that is, but considering how often I replayed this growing up it can’t be too far off. This is one of the most gorgeous platformers around, and Naughty Dog’s final shot at a genre they’d perfected with their Crash Bandicoot games. Even all these years later the visuals are breathtaking; I still am in awe at how you can see the entire world from atop Snowy Mountain. Every day I cry because they decided to turn the series into GTA clones instead of continuing to explore the gorgeous fantasy world they created in this game.

3. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

The original Crash Bandicoot was the first game I ever played, and the rest of the series were cornerstones of my childhood. Imagine how elated I was when they not only remade the games, but they created the single definitive way to play them! Sure, the soundtrack being redone can be a little hit or miss, but they completely unfucked the brutal difficulty of the first game (and this is even with adding back the ball-bustingly hard “Stormy Ascent” level) and for the most part left the latter two games entirely untouched save a graphical boost and the ability to play as my girl Coco. Playable Coco alone makes this a dream come true.

2. Batman: Arkham City

The Arkham series is one of the most consistently great series, and this is its greatest entry. The titular city is massive, with so many things to do, and the combat and puzzles are polished to perfection. Add in some actual detective work, some truly epic boss battles against iconic Batman villains like Clayface and Mr. Freeze (and also Solomon Grundy, because why the fuck not?), the ability to play as Catwoman, and one of the most shocking and tragic tales the Dark Knight has ever been in, and I’m more than happy to call it my second favorite game ever.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Of course, there was no hope Arkham City had at overcoming this game. This is Kojima’s magnum opus, not least because the entire rest of the Metal Gear series revolves around the events that transpire in this story. After the mindfuck that was the second game, it’s nice to return to a more coherent story, one detailing how Big Boss came to be the man that Snake fought in Zanzibar Land. Everything in the series sprang forth because of the actions the characters take here, and each subsequent game just makes this one better and better. Every single boss battle is unique and engaging, and the final battle is one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of gaming. I still cry every single time I get to the ending. It's such an amazing game, with a relatively simple yet still strong and convoluted story populated with a Russian madman with inexplicable lightning powers, a spirit medium's ghost, and a man who controls bees. God bless Hideo Kojima, that absolute madman.

#about me #video games

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phoenixgryphon · 1 month

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3, 6, 8, 16, 18, and 23 for the video game asks. I feel like I already know the answer to some of these BUT You Will Answer Them Anyway.

1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed: Risk of Rain 2 - I play this one to b i ts and somehow never get sick of it, it's a roguelite/like/idk but it's really fun and there's a ton of mods for it. Hades - I love the sheer amount of dialogue and the artstyle. UNFORTUNATELY I burnt myself out on it and didn't get very far oops. I gotta pick it up again one day because I feel like I barely put a dent in it. Elden Ring - Finally got around to starting this and while I'm not great at it, I love running around and dying a lot and exploring. I actually prefer it over Breath of the Wild and I'm not sure why. I couldn't click with BotW even though I love Zelda games.

A series you’ve enjoyed since your early days of gaming and still enjoy to this day whether it still has games coming out or is one you return to: SEE I REALLY WANT TO SAY POKEMON- nvm I'm saying pokemon wh e eze but oh god Sword and Shield disappointed me so much it's made me wary of all the recent games. THAT SAID I still want to get Arceus one day because it mixes it up a bit and looks interesting. I've played pokemon since the gen 1 days HGJKBKJD and I still play my Soul Silver game because Silver was my absolute favourite. I loved that you could venture between Johto and Kanto.

A series you haven’t played but are interested in trying: Castlevania I really want to play Symphony of the Night but it hasn't been rereleased and trying to get it work via...other means is a pain.

A game you’d like to replay that you haven’t: I should replay Hollow Knight given Silksong is coming out in another thousand years.

A game location you really like Does all of ABZU count Also there's something I really like about big lake areas in games.

A “Wow” moment of awe: IT'S CLICHE but there are some terrain generations in Minecraft that can be absolutely wild. Also there was a point in Breath of the Wild where I saw a dragon just...fly out of a body of water and I spent the next five minutes watching it.

#I'll find my ask tag thing one day

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velvetwarfare · 2 months

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fuck it here’s the alternative universe one too

this one goes by bethanne/beth/bethany. does not goes by betty. strictly dnd/cos. I can always write her here, but unlike betty’s lore which jumps around timelines, hers is strictly cos based. mainly because once you enter barovia, good fucking luck getting out at that point GDHCBVB

- despite her appearance and strength, she’s the most watered down version of betty. a lot more rational, gentle, and empathetic. a gentle giant.

- looks like she’ll kill you. is actually a cinnamon bun. takes after her late mama andréa. very mama bear oriented. tries to reconcile with words over violence first. usually just tired all the damn time. has her feral moments.

- not to say she’s a pushover though oh my god no she’s the party’s tank and has done INSANE shit to people who fuck with her ‘pack’. her strength is 24 and intimidation has a +4. zealot barbarian as myrkul’s (god of necromancy and the undead) death knight, oathbreaker because she told kelemvor to go fuck himself and he killed her for that. this one has told MULTIPLE gods to go fuck themselves. she and betty share the same distinct hatred toward authority, anyone who disrespects the undead, and the gods. this one is the true advocate for the undead as she walks as not entirely myrkul’s vengeance toward the disrespect, but as his patience and gentleness toward death. our myrkul is homebrewed to be a shepherd of souls as opposed to his early days where he was a downright menace lmao dude just wants to not be forgotten as a god and she walks in his footsteps in order to keep him in existence.

- this bitch. looks like a tank. her arms are GUNS. it takes the ENTIRE PARTY to pull her away. if you get punched by her, you’re going to the ER. she’s so scared of holding tiny creatures because she doesn’t want to accidentally hurt them. think of striga from castlevania, same build and accent, just deeper.

- she often hides in the shadows. not to be shady, she’s just ashamed of her appearance. she doesn’t want to scare people. it’s just how the Nosferatu strand works. betty can cast illusionary spells — beth knows no magic. her faith and weaponry are the closest to magical ties.

- heavy female lean. basically a lesbian. she will occasionally flirt and bed other people, but she’s very committed to trying win cassandra’s heart. since our campaign is entirely homebrewed cause the og cos is pretty fUCKING BAD LOL it’s now LGBT friendly without all the racism and sexism and strahd being a degenerate. still extremely dark. our strahd was gender bent — cassandra strahd von zarovich. it’s my favorite trope ever because not only are these two hot vampire lesbians but it’s beauty and the beast. cass is an extremely attractive noble and baroness who committed herself to vampirism as a young vistani in order to save her family. the court murdered her wife and her daughter’s status is unknown. she’s lost in grief and madness after the curse and her intentions are unknown atm. beth is a nosferatu barbarian who wears her enemies’ skulls on her attire who was forced into vampirism when a nosferatu beast slaughtered her entire vistani vardo and bit her. she could’ve went down cass’ path of hatred for the world, but instead she fights out of love. seeks to redeem cass and break her curse. she’s only met cass once after she saved our party and knows she’s been watching the party and has so many questions for the vampiress. beth has been collecting info on her and trying to track her down for a month and a half now because she’s that dedicated in making sure she doesn’t suffer any further as someone who’s in constant suffering herself. they’re two sides of the same coin tbh. I could go on and on about them I’m SO soft for this ship

#🐀 MUSE: BETTY. 🐀

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the-doctor-3000 · 2 years

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Dandelions. . . .

Warning: maybe a few threats and insults towards the reader, implied death, a bit ooc, long, some time skips

Fandom: ACOTAR

A/n: Hello beautiful folks! I just want you guys to know that in the past five days I started reading ACOTAR and I am absolutely in love! Anyway, please do forgive me for some errors I might make due to the fact I haven't finished the 1st book yet. I am well aware, though, that the majority of the books' readers have a dislike toward Tamlin. I believe that I'll discover the reason soon.... (Welp, good thing I didn't end up having a crush on him.😁😂)

2nd A/n: I've been working on this for almost a week and I'll probably do a part 2 of this.

Ship: Lucien x F!Reader, Tamlin x F!Reader (one sided; Tamlin's)

Inspired by: Dandelions by Gabbie Hanna

Type: A slight Castlevania AU!A Court of Thorns and Roses, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Summary: When you, a human, travel all around the mortal realm, you finally decide to visit Prythian in order to seek knowledge to become a tutor.

°•°•°•°•°•°

She had been travelling from her early teens, seeking knowledge and adventure. Her family wasn't around anymore, so you didn't have to worry about them missing her.

At first, it was hard - living on her own but soon you grew used to her new life and she kinda preferred it and enjoyed the freedom it provided her. In her journeys, she heard people speaking ill about the fae.

It wasn't a big surprise for her - the people from your old home would also speak badly about them. Though she always found them fascinating. Her parents did too.

This was also one of the reasons she begun travelling. The people didn't like the fact that she and her family had this perspective about the fae. So, she ran but her family stayed behind. Denying to leave because of the people's foolishness and close mindedness. Of course, continuing to stay there without changing their opinions on the fae led them to death.

°•°•°•°•°•°

The nineteen year old made her way through the woods - or commonly known as the Wall - which was separating the two realms from one another. She knew the dangers she'd face, so she had a weapon with her. She used it against the creatures who wished her harm there.

It wasn't easy but she weren't going to give up so soon. The first court she reached was the Spring Court. She made your way to a beautiful huge manor. She looked up through the window and saw no sign of life.

But she had heard rumours that amongst the fae, the High Lord of the Court of Spring was the most merciful. And she most certainly didn't want to die the moment she set foot on the land. Then, without any hesitation, you know on the door with her knife's hilt.

The doors opened by themselves and you walked in, looking around in fascination and alarm.

"My name is y/n," she begun to say "I am from a village of the Mortal Realm and I want to become a tutor."

There was a long silence but you could feel that someone was lurking in the shadows. Watching your every movement.

"You bang on my door because you want to learn? From a fae?" the voice was the one of a male, he was taunting her "What will your people think?"

"Don't mistake me for one of these so called 'Children of the Blessed'." she replied boldly as she looked around to find the source of the voice "Everybody out there already does that. I do not worship you or your kind but I do hold respect for you. I believe in knowledge, but... I need to know more. I've exhausted my other options, and all the stories say the High Lord who lives here has a library with all the knowledge."

"I'm one of the High Fae, and I do not get many visitors." he said, his breath was hitting her neck - he was right behind her. "What have you to trade for you to taka look in my study, y/n from the Mortal Realm?"

Her eyes were now gleaming in fear but she took a deep breath, stepped away from him calmly and turned to face him. He was in the form of a beast. He was a horse-sized creature with a bear-like body that moved with a feline fluidity, a distinctively lupine head, and massive elk-like antlers. The most distinctive of his features though were his jade eyes.

She dared to look into his emerald eyes as she spoke bravely, "Perhaps I could help you relearn some manners. I've crossed the threshold of your home, and you haven't offered me a drink or serve me something to eat or even to take my coat."

"What if I took a feast on you?" he said "Or have you loaded yourself with ash wood or iron?"

She took out a necklace with a lapis in the middle, the rest was made out of iron, "It belonged to my mother. I'm sorry, I didn't realise that it was rude of me to bring it along. I-it was all I had left from my parents." he hummed and walked a bit away from her "I'm really not interested in superstition, or being some woman who tricks others. I want to help people. I want to learn. Will you help me?"

He stopped and looked down at her, "You are definitely different to most humans I have met in recent times."

"Maybe I can teach you to like them, or at least tolerate them."

"I... I don't have a problem with humans."

She nodded sarcastically, "I noticed."

"How far is your realm from the Spring Court?"

"Only a 'wall' separates them." she cocked her head to the side like an animal "You don't travel much outside Prythian, do you?"

"I can travel."

"But... you don't, do you? Maybe you should. The world is changing. Travel, like people do. You might like it."

"I've known you for two minutes, and you offer for me to walk your realm like a ignorant human while I give you the knowledge of immortals."

"They won't be ignorant anymore if you teach them. They won't live such scared lives if they have solutions to their problems or know the truth."

"Why should I do that?"

"To make the world better. Start with me, and I'll start with you."

He chuckled and as he made his way to her once again, his appearance changed. In the place where a beast stood was now a strikingly handsome young man, his skin was tanned and a warrior’s build. He was also wearing an exquisite golden mask embedded with emeralds shaped like whorls of leaves that covered his nose, cheeks, and brows. He had long golden blond hair and deep green eyes flecked with gold.

"I think I might like you." he told her with a small bow, she smiled kindly as he begun giving her a tour around the manor

°•°•°•°•°•°

The next day, y/n was on her way to find the library when she heard voices coming from a room.

Despite herself, she stopped to listen when an unknown voice of a male spoke the word 'human'. Curious of what they might be saying about her, she put her ear against the door.

"Tam, you can't be serious. You let a human girl live here? And, on top of that, you let her roam into your study?"

"She's alright, Lucien. I know she is."

"Please don't tell me that you like her already?"

"Lucien—"

"What if she tries to murder you in your sleep? She did have iron with her, didn't she?"

"Yes, but she admitted it. She gave it to me despite that it was her mother's."

He sighed in exasperation, "What if she is lying? She could have ash wood with her but hid it."

Feeling rather offended by this accusation, y/n gathered up the courage and entered, "You know, if you have a problem with me then it'd be best to say it right into my face instead of saying it behind my back. It's not very nice."

The man who spoke of her in such way was tall with red hair and golden-brown skin, but still light enough. His face was brutally scarred from his brow to his jaw. His right eye was whole and russet-colored; but his left eye was ripped out by someone and had been replaced with an artificial mechanical eye made of gold that allowed him to see all the same.

He too had a mask, but in contrast to Tamlin's, this one was different. . .

He turned to her with a scowl, "You're the one to talk." he smirked then in a taunting way "Didn't you know that eavesdropping is also rude?"

"I never said that, at first I was passing by until I heard you mentioning me. It wasn't hard not to listen to your. . . conversation, neither of you seemed to try to lower your voices and I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not."

He looked at her for a moment, "What's your name, human?"

"I'm y/n Nightingale." she crossed her arms over her chest "And you are?"

A smirk appeared on his lips, "Lucien Vanserra." he did a mock bow - which was right as day that he was mocking it - causing y/n to scoff and Tamlin to sigh in defeat "Pleasure to meet you, y/n the human."

The way he spat the word with such spite only angered her more. She clutched her hands into fists but calmed down as she took a deep breath.

She turned to Tamlin, "I believe I was wrong. In contrast to your friend here, you are the most well mannered person I've ever met." she then glared at Lucien "You are the one who needs to relearn some manners."

°•°•°•°•°•°

A week passed by, and Lucien and y/n would always argue whenever they crossed paths. Tamlin, on the other hand, found himself fascinated by the young human. He'd always give her flowers or any kind of gifts.

He couldn't bare, though, hearing the two bickering like cats and dogs every time they walked in the same place. So, he came up with the idea of Lucien inviting her to dinner. . .

"Absolutely not!" Lucien said

"Lucien," Tamlin said rather firmly "That can't go on forever."

"Yes because she will die from old age. Just like all other humans."

His heart sunk at his friend's words.

"Please, at least try. This isn't like you - being rude."

He scoffed, "Alright."

When they went to the study room, they spotted her with her nose stuck on a book. Next to her was a parchment and it seemed like she was keeping notes. Lucien cleared his throat. Y/n stopped what she was doing and once she saw that it was him - her face dropped.

"Oh. . . It's you. . ."

He tried to feign a smile, "Yes, me. I came here to ask you to join us to dinner."

She smirked, "Only if you ask politely."

His eye twitched a little as he tried his best to keep the smile, "Will you *please* join us for dinner?"

She smiled, "Well, since you said 'please'. . . Of course!"

°•°•°•°•°•°

A month passed, currently y/n was taking a break from her study and was sitting on the grass of the magnificent garden. A particular plant that captured her attention was. . .

"Dandelions?" a familiar voice questioned, she looked over her shoulder and saw Lucien. "Why dandelions? They have nothing special."

She chuckled genuinely, "I beg to differ. The leaves and roots of the plant can be medicinally used as a tonic for removing toxins from bloodstream, as they serve as a mild diuretic to improve the digestive system functioning."

He slowly sat beside her, "That's why you like this. . . plant so much? Are you a healer?"

"It's not my speciality, I'm still learning, but the reason for loving this kind of plant is the fact that when you blow it, its petals leave and it looks like they're floating away." she chuckled "When I was a little kid, I thought they were little fairies in ballerina costumes. Ever since then, I always wanted a house surrounded by dandelions. . . So I could see them ever morning I wake up."

"I was right." she looked at him with confused and innocent eyes "You are the weirdest woman I have ever met." she scoffed and stood up to leave but Lucien grabbed her wrist - stopping her "Weirdest and most. . . fascinating." her face flashed red and sat back down "Could you tell me more about dandelions and other plants?"

He looked truly intrigued. Y/n smiled and nodded her head.

°•°•°•°•°•°

Two years later, Lucien and y/n had grown very close. Much to Tamlin's unhappiness. He knew that as much as he - Lucien also bore feelings for the human girl.

Though he could see that she returned Lucien's feelings. He did not speak of how he felt to neither her or Lucien.

One day, the red headed fae came to him and told he would like to surprise her with a house in the woods which will be surrounded by dandelions. Tamlin's breath hitched but did as his friend requested.

When it was ready, Lucien took her there. The house was close away to the mansion in case something happened but not way too close. Inside the place everything was prepared, there was even a huge bookcase with lines of books.

And outside in the garden, the house was surrounded by a sea of dandelions. Both white and yellow. Seeing the grin on her face, Lucien finally found the opportunity to confess.

He expected her to scream, to kick him out and refuse the house but instead - he felt a pair of soft s/c lips touching his. Y/n felt butterflies in her stomach as her face heated up. For a second, she was worried that she crossed a line until he kissed her back and deepened the kiss.

°•°•°•°•°•°

Ten years passed by, Tamlin was still silently in love with her but wouldn't utter a word especially now that Lucien and y/n were married

Y/n tucked in the bed her three year old daughter and five year old son. Her daughter had her eyes but Lucien hair and personality. Her son had her hair and personality but Lucien's eyes.

On her finger was a golden ring with letters engraved on it. She extinguished the candles of the bedroom and went to the living room. There, she began reading a book as she waited for her husband's arrival.

A hour later, she heard a heavy knock on the door. She placed the book on the table and answered it.

It wasn't her husband's face that she encountered. It wasn't a fae but a group of human men - a mob. They all had pitchforks and torches.

"Are you y/n Vanserra?" a man with an intimidating look on his face questioned

"I am. What of it?"

He turned to the others, "Arrest this Fae Whore."

"I don't understand, what's wrong—?"

"Silence!" d/n and s/n heard the noise and peeked out from their window. The men grasped her tightly so she couldn't escape. "For sleeping with a fae and befriending one too, you shall be punished."

"They are not like the legends!" she said, sounding almost like she was pleading "Both of them are kind and sweet! My husband and my friend wouldn't do something to hurt you but if you kill me they'll be worse than your legends!"

"Your threats are fruitless, whore." he turned to the men who were holding her "Take her."

They all began leaving the forest to return to the Mortal Realm - dragging y/n with them.

"Please don't! You're making a terrible mistake! You have to listen!"

But her warnings only fell on deaf ears for they didn't even spare a look at her.

#lucien vanserra #tamlin #lucien vanserra x reader #tamlin x reader #x reader #a court of thorns and roses #acotar #acotar x reader #a court of thorns and roses x reader #i'm obsessed #acotar au

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