Tumgik
#one of the options was ''i don't read your story i just wanted to click a button'' and so many people clicked that
softpine · 2 months
Note
This might be juvenile, but do you have any tips on not comparing yourself to others? (Especially when it comes to note count or popularity.) I’ve been posting a story for over a year and it hardly gets any traction. It’s tough for me to see new creators post and get hundreds or even thousands of notes. I hate that I’m doing this but don’t know how to quit it!
this is not juvenile!! i struggle with this myself, especially knowing that i hit my peak years ago and i've been on the decline ever since – but only by numbers alone! i'm more proud of my story than i've ever been, i'm more attached to my characters, i'm putting more love and thought into everything, but i had to be realistic with myself and understand that i'll never pull even half the notes i did in 2020. gone are the days when i would wake up to 3 new anons about my story and dms from people every day (i can't believe i used to get overwhelmed by it...) and i would be lying if i said it didn't make me sad sometimes, because we're humans and our brains are practically wired to crave the hit of happy chemicals you get from seeing the stupid number go up 😭 it does feel demotivating. it makes me feel less urgency to post quicker if i convince myself that no one is waiting for me anyway, which means i post less, which means even less people stick around, which makes me post less, and on and on. it's a tough thing for me to come to terms with in all honesty.
but it helps to remember that i would be writing even if no one is reading. and i know that, because i have! i've written entire novel-length fics that i've never published, i've written countless short stories in the frozen pines universe that i'll never post, i've created alternate universes that will never be shown, etc. i do it because the idea is in my head and it needs to Get Out and i'm kinda just a conduit for that. that might not apply to you, and that's okay! everyone is different. the important thing is to really sit down and think about WHY you write and what you get out of it. which part of the process makes you happiest? what makes you feel a sense of fulfillment / satisfaction? play to your strengths. try not to spend your time doing things you think other people will enjoy and instead, spend more time on the things that make you happy. for me, i haaaaate editing and i always have, so lately i've been trying to speed through it a little bit quicker even if it means the final product won't be as appealing to others. (this is still a work in progress for me...) i have more fun when i experiment with different writing styles, which might not appeal to others because it takes longer and i don't really have a recognizable style, but i don't care anymore because i'm having fun! ask yourself what YOU want from your story, and then write for yourself and only yourself.
essentially what i'm saying is: there will ALWAYS be people more popular than you, and there's no guarantee that when you find the popularity you seek, you'll be able to keep it. so you need to find some sort of intrinsic motivation to continue or you'll just keep comparing yourself to others forever and you'll deny yourself the joy of creation! "comparison is the thief of joy" could not be more true!!
44 notes · View notes
avaantares · 1 year
Text
Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP
(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)
An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:
Tumblr media
(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)
I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:
IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.
You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:
HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:
First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.
Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.
Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.
In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.
Tumblr media
In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:
I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.
Tumblr media
In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.
Tumblr media
Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.
Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!
NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!
86K notes · View notes
writing-with-sophia · 5 months
Text
Writing a novel: Step by step
Most writers aspire to publish at least one book in their lifetime, but writing a novel is not easy. From new writers to experienced writers who have published hundreds of books, everyone must follow a step-by-step process to create their work. These steps are based on the wisdom of famous writers, so while they may not be entirely definitive, they will certainly be helpful to you.
Step 1: Generate ideas
Tumblr media
Start by generating ideas for your novel. This can involve brainstorming, keeping a journal of potential story concepts, or drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, books, movies, or current events.
Once you get an idea, hone it.
Step 2: Create characters
Tumblr media
A novel cannot be successful without unique and charming characters. Create compelling and well-rounded characters for your novel. Develop their backgrounds, motivations, personalities, and relationships. Consider their strengths, flaws, and how they will evolve throughout the story.
Remember, the more realistic the characters, the better the novel will be.
Step 3: Build setting
Tumblr media
Establish the setting or world in which your novel takes place. Whether it's a real location or a fictional world, provide enough descriptive details to immerse readers and make the setting feel vivid and believable.
Step 4: Define plot and make an outline
Tumblr media
What is your story about? How will it unfold? How does it begin, develop, and conclude? What and how many scenes will be included? Make an depth and very depth outline, even going so far as to outline every chapter.
Step 5: Write
Tumblr media
Begin writing your first draft. Don't worry about perfection; the goal is to get the story down on paper. Embrace the creative process and let the ideas flow. Please remember, don't go back and make changes. Just write!
Step 6: Revise and edit
Tumblr media
Once the first draft is complete, take a break (for 3 days) before revising and editing. (This will keep you from overediting or not editing enough.) Then, read through your manuscript with a critical eye, focusing on plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing, character development, and overall storytelling. Revise and rewrite sections as needed.
Step 7: Get beta readers
Tumblr media
(You must) seek feedback from trusted individuals, such as beta readers, writing critique groups or your friends. Their input can provide valuable perspectives on areas that may need improvement. Consider their suggestions while maintaining your unique voice and vision for the story.
Step 8: Polish and refine
Tumblr media
Polish and refine your novel based on the feedback received. Pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and overall prose. Ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.
Step 9: Publish
Tumblr media
You can research different publishing options, such as traditional publishing or self-publishing. Remember to evaluate the pros and cons of each approach and decide which is the best fit for your goals and circumstances.
That's all. I hope you success in publishing your novel!!
If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!
Tumblr media
393 notes · View notes
caramelcoffeeaddict · 3 months
Text
why do I keep getting surprised when I learn that people don't know about the "Share" button on the top of AO3 fics that will create a tumblr post (or a tweet) with all of the relevant information about the fic (ship, characters, rating, tags, word count, summary, etc) and add a link all neatly formatted for you?*
*the Share button is at the top of every fic unless the author has selected the "Hide the share buttons on my work." option enabled in their privacy setting, so you can use to promote your own writing, or even recommend a fic to your followers.
I mean, look how easy this is:
step 1: find a story you want to share and click the "Share" button at the top:
Tumblr media
clicking that button will create a pop-up that looks like this:
Tumblr media
step 2: you can ignore the html in the text box; you don't need it for this. instead, click the "Tumblr" button, and (if you are logged in to your tumblr account) it will create a tumblr post that looks like this: (*this auto-generated post will automatically use tumblr's default color palette for the preview regardless of what you have your preferences set to*)
Tumblr media
step 3: if you like the way the post looks, just click "Post". (*if you have more than one blog, make sure to double check that you are posting to the correct blog before you post it!*) or if you want, you can add an author's note to the post, maybe add a photo or a teaser of the story, or make other edits to it before clicking the "Post" button. the choice is yours.
it's so simple, and only takes a few seconds to do. it's literally just three button clicks: "Share" -> "Tumblr" -> "Post". you don't have to worry about forgetting to add important info about a story in your tumblr post; or rack your brain trying to figure out which information you should include; or even figure out how to format the post to make it look neat and easy to read.
one thing to note: if you (or the author you are recommending) have your fics locked for AO3 users only, the link at the top of the tumblr post will look like this instead:
Tumblr media
other than that, the rest of the post will look the same as above with all of the relevant story information, minus the fic title and author name which are normally displayed in the link preview. you can manually add that missing information to the post yourself before sharing, so your followers will know what story they are clicking on.
113 notes · View notes
Note
I’ve been reading some craft books and online posts about the world building because my story is an urban fantasy set in present day US, in a fictional town, and theres not a secondary world where the fantasy happens, it’s all in the real world, except the magic is a secret that only certain people know about, but all of the resources I find about world building only talk about fantastical worlds that exist by themselves and not the kind of more subtle world building that I’d have to do. Do you have any tips?
Guide: Creating a Fictional Town in the Real World
Step 1 - Choose Your Location - There are two ways to go about choosing a location for your fictional town. One is to go the "Springfield U.S.A." route, ala The Simpsons, and be vague about the specific location (borough, parish, district, county, region, state, or province) and instead give a broader geographic region... "the East Coast," "the Pacific Northwest," "Central Canada," Northern Scotland," etc. The other option is to go ahead and put your fictional town in a specific location. Just figure out where (for example, somewhere outside of Des Moines, Iowa) and go to Google Maps, click on satellite view, then start zooming in on big empty areas. Choose a place big enough to fit a town. Yes, in reality it's probably farm fields, pasture, or someone's property, but that doesn't matter. You don't have to actually show it on a map. It's just a plausible spot to build your town. Now you can measure how far it is to other places, you know what highways to take to get to it. You can even do street view to get the lay of the land, see what the landscape looks like and try to envision the buildings there. You can also use what's there to create parks, popular recreational areas, and anything else your town needs.
Step 2 - Choose Your Inspiration - Even when you're creating a fictional town, it's still a good idea to use a real town (or two, or three) from that general area as inspiration for your town. For a fictional town in Des Moines, I would zoom in on the map to find a nearby town of similar size... like Elkhart, then I can take a look around to see what it's like. Just looking at the map, I can see they have a couple of churches, a couple baseball fields, a very small main street/downtown area with a couple shops and restaurants, a post office, a few different neighborhoods, and a cemetery. This would be a great model for a small fictional town outside of Des Moines. And, as I said, you could look at a couple other sand combine them. Once you have your inspiration town/s, you can walk around on Google Maps street view, go to the town's web site, watch a tour on YouTube (if one exists), or look up pictures in Google Image search.
Step 3 - Start Planning - This is the really fun part! First, you might want to draw a basic map of your fictional town using your inspiration town/s as a guide. This doesn't have to be a pretty map... just a basic line drawing to help you envision where everything is. Think about some of the basic things this town might have, like the ones I listed in step two, and any other things you might want your town to have, like maybe a library, a hospital, a city hall, school, and maybe a movie theater. It might even be helpful and fun to put together a collage of pictures to represent your town so you've got something in mind as you write about it. You can even choose representatives for specific locations in your story, like your MC's house, school, and their favorite hangout.
Step 4 - Naming Your Town - Start by looking at the kinds of town names that surround your town. Look for common naming conventions... suffixes like -ton, -ville, -dale, -burg, -wood, -field, etc. Words in a particular language, like a lot of French-inspired town names, or towns with geographical terms (lake, hill, valley, river, canyon, gap, etc.) My guide to Naming Locations has additional tips.
Step 5 - Populate Your Town and Give it a History - Last but not least, make up a little history for your town, again, using surrounding towns as inspiration. Who founded it? When was it founded? What's the town's main industry? What are the people like in this town? What jobs do they have? What do they do for fun?
Here are some other posts that might help:
Five Things to Help You Describe Fictional Locations Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Happy writing!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!
♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here
87 notes · View notes
tbgkaru-woh · 3 months
Note
hi! i was just wondering what it is specifically that you dislike about wangxian? i'm kind of intrigued, because while i get how someone could find them boring, i've never really considered anything about their dynamic (and as you mentioned in response to a previous anon, their confession scene) particularly off putting. no pressure to answer this, and this is in no way hate towards you i'm just genuinely curious <3 (i love your art by the way it's gorgeous)
Thank you for the compliment! ♥ This is gonna get ranty so I will hide it below read more as not everyone has to deal with reading this, so proceed with caution :'D
Wangxian is the weakest WWX dynamic. On god, even if I'm not fond of Yanli, they have very loving relationship where they are protective of each other and gentle with each other in a harsh world. I don't ship WWX/JC but their story and complicated love of someone you grow up with and care for deeply but clash constantly with is more interesting than anything wangxian ever had. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian clicked together so naturally, they are chaotic and are similiarly not too interested in being up to rules. Jin Zixuan and WWX had a potential of going from enemies to partners in crime, to become family and have each other's backs but JZX was cut short and WWX never really cared afterwards either. WWX with the wens took time to build up but his YLLZ farmer era was one of the best WWX's in the story. Damn, even Lan Xichen who's always amused with WWX's temperament and secretly has a drink with wwx and is altogether looser with the rules while still being lawful matches with him way more than LWJ where there's... nothing. They were smashed together for convenience and we were suppossed to just go with it cause they are the two main characters. LWJ feels like he was just made so WWX has a "hot stoic top" to fuck him and the rest of the characters are actually build with the story and therefore feel more natural
Wangxian don't feel like they are in love, not in the way the fans make them out to be into some romantic picture perfect angsty deserved lovestory. LWJ's personal space is constantly disrespected, he's punished constantly for WWX's mistakes, he constantly needs to be the one to adjust to how WWX is instead of the other way around and after all that, LWJ doesn't really /know/ WWX so his attraction feels very idealized. WWX is the bad boy that goes against the rules and LWJ wishes he could be that (or with that) but it's almost a childish infatuation from their Gusu days that never evolved into something more mature. And WWX? I can't see how he'd like LWJ as anything more than in a physical sense. Even their obnoxious "Back then I wanted to sleep with you" confession scene is purely physical. He doesn't really know LWJ or respects him, LWJ is just a familiar face in a world that is against WWX and he's a hot body that likes him. LWJ is an easy score in a way, he's a safe option. And it'd be SO interesting if they went into that, but instead it's played like the only true love (dont forget, they are meant to be as the ONLY gay pairing in MDZS which I find insane when everyone else has more chemistry and in the end gets shat on so wangxian can fuck in a bush. I mean, LWJ leaves LXC to be depressed and alone after everything LXC stands for and did? Fucking ridiculous.)
It tries to "subvert" tropes but ends up being more stereotypical than anything. WWX was almost meant as this jock-y rebellious hotshot but instead we got a quirky twink, early 2000s shonen protagonist and every yaoi's Uke I've been seeing since like 2008. Are they suppossed to be different because the "stoic white-coded" one is not the bottom? Is the bar this low? If anything, this ornament top is the most usual top, let's be real, LWJ barely has personality or growth or focus, he's there to fuck WWX.
This is a petty reason but MXTX's "wangxian is the only gay couple" everyone else being implied straight as if to highlight just how real their love is that they are gay in time period where it's frowned upon, even though Yi City and 3zun combinations had more chemistry than anyone is. Annoying. And so is the "Don't ship them with anyone else and don't switch their dynamics" that fuels some of the most obnoxious people in the fandom to go after fanwork creators that do/like things differently.
All in all Wangxian is THE face of danmei, they are the most known even outside of danmei circles and they are extremely mediocry written for that. I mean, fuck, you put straight couple in their place and I guarantee no one would like it, it has the depth of a high school hormone-riddled couple who have different classes and "only" get to see each other during breaks and make out during lunch with others at the table, idk it's so fucking annoying to me when I know there were better options, when WWX had so many interesting dynamics that got shat on in favor of bland ass ship and I'm tired of having to like it/tolerate it just because it's gay.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk, this was extremely healing 🤣
85 notes · View notes
crustaceousfaggot · 1 year
Text
Why you should give Text Adventure games a try (and how to do so)
There is not nearly enough love for Text Adventure Games here on Tumblr. Or anywhere really. But especially here, I feel like you guys would really get a kick out of them. Here's why:
(quick note, I'm gonna be using the words Text Adventure and Interactive Fiction pretty interchangeably here. Technically that's not perfectly accurate, they are technically different things, but I don't care to explain the difference Just roll with it.)
So
Do you like weird short stories told through unconventional mediums? That's most of what Interactive Fiction is
You like story based video games but hate the finicky combat? Congrats, there is literally no combat skill required beyond the ability to type "hit guard with crowbar"
Blind or visually impaired? Since these games are (with a few exceptions) entirely text based, they work great with a screen reader!
Sick of profit motivated AAA titles with no creative integrity? Well, these games are almost always produced by a single nerd (usually a horrid amalgamation of computer geek and literature geek) with no budget and no responsibilities of the product they're making. And they're usually not paid, since these games are free. Text Adventure is a labour of love, and in most games you can feel the care and effort the creator has put into the game.
Sick of spending $20-70 on a video game? Lucky you, I've been playing TA for years and I have not spent a cent in doing so (Fallen Londen will try to make you pay. But Fallen Londen sucks and is run by bigots. Fuck Fallen London.) Games are either available free on a browser, or as free, small downloadable files (most of which can be played using the Parchment Interpreter)
Wish you read more, but reliant on the quick dopamine of digital media? Well now you can read while also being an active participant in the narrative.
Bad at puzzles? Me too! Games from the 80s and 90s, as well as more famous newer games, have walkthroughs and hints easily available online. Newer games tend to either have a "hint" command, or come with a walkthrough file.
Do you like weird surrealist horror? Well there's... A lot of it.
Okay, but where do I start?
So there are two types of text adventure. The one you might be more accustomed to, and which sees more modern use, is called Hypertext Interactive Fiction. The other is called Parser Interactive Fiction, it's generally seen in older games, as well as games that are larger, feature more puzzles, or involve more exploration.
Hypertext games
Basically, the game will give you a scenario, and then a list of options (hypertext links) to click on to decide what to do next. These are usually more beginner friendly since you don't need to fiddle around with parsers, but personally I find them a bit limiting. Nonetheless, if you're new to Text Adventure, they're a good place to start.
Some of my favourites hypertext games (summaries in green)
My Father's Long, Long Legs is an interactive horror story about family, unease, and loss. Really more of a story than a game, but still good. Very nice use of sound. It does have some visual aspects, so this one might not work with screen readers
Scene Kid Simulator is pretty much what it says on the tin. A cute, nostalgic, coming-of-age slice of life story from the POV of a 2000s scene preteen. Nothing special, but a fun time.
The Uncle Who Works at Nintendo is a strange, unconventional, witty, and heartfelt horror game. Your friend has an uncle who he says works for Nintendo. You're about to meet him, or so he says. A fun and spooky look at childhood, childhood friendships, and childhood lies.
16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonald's is... A joy to play. The name says it all honestly. Witty, charming, tense, engaging, and emotional when it wants to be. I actually found this one through a lucky Tumblr Blaze, which makes sense since this is perfectly suited to Tumblr sensibilities. This one has more puzzle aspects than most hypertext games, but it's still relatively easy and beginner friendly. You're a vampire hunter. It's your night off, and you go to McDonald's. But there's something wrong with the customer sitting beside you...
Toadstools is a game about hunting mushrooms. You have trespassed in a national park and you are wandering blindly through the woods looking for rare fungi. Good luck :)
Parser games
Okay these fuckers are where I really get excited. These games have the classic flashing cursor line where you input text like "go north", "search bookshelf", or "kiss my husband", and the game's rudimentary AI parses your input to decide what happens next. These are my favourites. They really allow you the feeling of exploring the game world, immerse you in the protagonist and the story, using just text on a screen and simple inputs. This does make them considerably more difficult, since a) you need to decide the right way to phrase what you want to do, otherwise it won't work, and b) more possibilities means more chances to mess up and miss things. Unlike video games, your cursor won't light up when you see something important, you'll have to search stuff and work things out on your own But, in my opinion, it is so, so worth it. Summaries in red
The first text adventure game I ever played was One Eye Open. It's an extremely graphic and gory medical horror game (although I would consider it tasteful medical horror, in that it never derives horror from medical procedures, disability, or ooOoHh gross scary sick people) You play as a volunteer test subject for a medical research facility, having to unravel the mystery of the hospital's bloody past. It's good. It's fun. It's tense. It has some really dumb mechanics. Don't play if you're sensitive to descriptions of gore, death, or corpses. This one doesn't have a walkthrough, but I've played it enough times to know the puzzles by heart, DM me if you need help.
Anchorhead is possibly my favourite piece of interactive fiction I've ever played. It's incredible. You play as a newlywed woman, moving to the small seaside town of Anchorhead after your husband Michael inherited a mansion from some distant relatives. There's something wrong with the town though. There's definitely something wrong with your husband's mysterious ancestors. And you're starting to think that there might be something strange happening to Michael. Get ready for some wonderfully atmospheric and immersive Lovecraftian horror, action sequences that are incredibly vibrant for Text Adventure, and a super compelling mystery that the game lets you work out on your own. The puzzles here are hard. I'm not gonna lie, I used a walkthrough at several points during this game. But my god it's worth it. Big massive huge content warning here for mentions of incest, sexual assault, and pedophilia. Not in excess, and nothing explicit, but it will be mentioned as part of the story.
Little Blue Men is a short, strange, sci-fi-ish horror-ish comedy-ish game by the same author as Anchorhead, though the two games are wildly different. You are an office worker. Cope with it. Take The Stanley Parable, Stella Firma, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, mash 'em together, and you have Little Blue Men. It's bizarre. It's evocative. It's pretty darn good.
Coloratura is a strangely beautiful sci-fi story. You're a weird little alien blob. You've been separated from your home and are trapped aboard a human spaceship. You need to get home, need to make the humans understand in the only ways you can: color and song.
Slouching Towards Bedlam is a brilliant little steampunk game about language, choice, cults, Armageddon, and triangles. This game has multiple endings. It's neat in that none of the endings are really "good" or "bad". Rather, you need to decide where you stand, and act in the way you think is best.
The Lurking Horror is the grandparent of horror interactive fiction, released in the late 80s. You're a tech student in university. Something more than electricity is powering the school's computers. Find it, but don't die along the way. Besides the comically archaic descriptions of computers, this game doesn't feel all that dated. It's tricky, puzzle-heavy, and charmingly surreal. (Fun fact, this game and another old TA game called Zork inspired the "darkness kills you" mechanic which would later be popularized in Don't Starve!)
Nine Lives is a very short, very weird, very cartoony game where you play a cat that is very bad at staying alive. Cw for non-graphic but repeated cat death.
Spider and Web is one of the most ingenious uses of Text Adventure as a medium I've ever seen. It's famous for having one of, if not the singular best puzzles in video game history. It's tense, it's fast-paced, it introduces you to mechanics slowly and then lets you test them out on your own. I won't spoil too much, but you play as a very badass spy, reliving your brilliant heist during an interrogation. This game even features a character destined to be a Tumblr Sexyman. It really has it all.
If anyone actually read through all this, and has even considered playing any of these games, I'll be a little surprised. This post turned out a lot longer than I wanted it to be. It was meant to just be "hey interactive fiction is a cool and underappreciated medium, go check it out", but this is my special interest, and not one I often get to talk about. I guess this was me infodumping to the only place that will listen, the empty void of the internet. But these games are fun. And they do not get enough love. Text games are a dying genre, if they're not dead already. Give them a chance, show them some love.
797 notes · View notes
hexhomos · 7 months
Note
HI! hope your day is treating you well, i’ve been interested in doomreed for some time but cape comics are sort of daunting to me just because there’s so much content and i really don’t know where to begin. what do you suggest? thank you!
STRAIGHT OUT THE GATE ill say, read [ "My Dinner With Doom" ] (this is a rly high-qual upload, open it up on desktop!)
Tumblr media
It's a key issue oneshot with a lil bit of backstory retelling, featuring a private dinner that happens in the 00's - a good entrance point if you're curious about doomreed in summarization + generally speaking a Real Good Comic overall.
LONG POST INCOMING THIS IS A LONG POST / click readmore
the fantastic four are one of marvel's darling old founding teams so there is pretty much... endless archival, ongoing, multimedia and games content popping up all the time.
They are also kinda one of the rare teams where the growth of the characters is consistent? The kids are allowed to grow older and events from every major run are carried/referenced by the next author so if you want to do chronological there's a lot of incentive and fun stuff.
If you wanna dip your toes into the F4 as a concept, check out:
*the #1 issue of Fantastic Four By Waid & Wieringo (1997) *Mythos: Fantastic Four (2007) [ *The FF (1994) movie that is up for free on youtube!! ] *Fantastic Four (2022) by Ryan North as the current ongoing!
(Some) Singles centered on Doom/Doomreed:
*Fantastic Four (1961) Annual 2 is Doom's original backstory issue *Marvel Two-in-One (2017) by Zdarsky issue #11 & Annual #1 are both crazy good but they spoil big events/conclusions from previous runs if u care abt that!!! (My current fav fic came from these issues.) *Doomgate (novel) by Jeffrey Lang is a good option if you want something that is mostly prose, instead of a comic or movie
NOW BEFORE YOU JUMP AHEAD WITH ANYTHING I *am* following [ this reading guide ] which breaks down specific issues relevant to their relationship as a line through all the different authors over the years.
Tumblr media
[ There's also this 2021 guide w/ a few other story/AU highlights! The author said u can send the blog questions and theyll answer too ]
The 'Modern era' (late 90s/00s/10s/Now) Starts with Waid and McDuffie's stuff. The latter wrote My Dinner with Doom!
If you're scared by all the names, don't be - when searching for the issues, just pay attention to the year, # number & author/artist creds.
What I'm reading/liveblogging rn is Hickman's Secret wars era, generally regarded as yaoi ketamine; It's a good epic narrative entrance point if you want to jump into it, and it eventually led into this huge marvel event that changed the multiverse and even brought miles morales into the main timeline, so its BIG and it happened in multiple books - the best way to go about it is;
Pre-hickman:
Fantastic Four (1961) #551 #552 #553 ➡️ (these introduce main ideas we will touch again in secret wars)
Fantastic Four (1961) #558 to #562 ➡️
Doom appears in these too, first/last issues more heavily. Stuff here will be ref'd during the next era.
If you're having fun and want to keep reading you can! Just know that the next storyarc has gathered a largely mixed response bc..... its Millar going hammywammy....... not that necessary.......
Tumblr media
anyway when you see hickmans name in the cover STOP and
Jump to actual Hickman secret wars era:
Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman: The complete collection➡️
(optional, side plot) If you like Val + Doom, read specifically; *Fantastic Four (2014) #3 & #5 + Fantastic Four Annual (2014) #1 *Agent of Asgard #6 & #7 *Avengers World (2014) #15 & #16
New Avengers (2013) ➡️ check issues on picture, or, if you're a completionist, look for 'Avengers by Jonathan Hickman; complete collection' and skim for the doom/reed relevant bits. There's a lot of characters here but this is a buildup to the big secret wars. Secret Wars (2015) ➡️ (All issues!) Infamous Iron Man (2016) ➡️bendis' doom writing is not very good but hang in there because right after him: Marvel 2-In-One (2017) ➡️ (All issues!) is a banger. Yaoi btw.
Tumblr media
You can basically read all the future/past ones as listed, or starting from the beginning of that author's period without worrying, bc they aren't as indebted to each other storywise.
You can also start somewhere else if you want or check out other single issues on the reading guides; It's not a crime! There's a lot of stuff with different takes and genres, I'm slowly chipping away at the secret wars era bc its just very thick and like a serious television drama attempt, except its also insanely funny sometimes.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(I'm still making my way through it so that's what I have at the moment!)
106 notes · View notes
arimiadev · 4 months
Text
recommendations of visual novels on sale for the steam winter sale 2023
steam's winter sale just started and will run for the next two weeks, so if you're looking for a new visual novel to try (or want to get into them), here's a lot that I've played that are on sale on steam.
Tumblr media
umineko when they cry
the ushiromiya family returns to the family head's home on an isolated island for their annual conference with the intention of settling how his vast amount of wealth is divided. instead, though, a letter is left from someone claiming to be a "witch". with the ushiromiyas dropping left and right, the mystery behind everything remains to be solved.
Tumblr media
I can't make a recommendation list without mentioning umineko. it's life changing. it might even trans your gender. it's hard to describe umineko, but just know that it's absolutely deserving of the "cult classic" tag.
notes:
kinetic/linear - no choices
VERY long
divided into two games on steam - Questions Arcs is the first 4 episodes and Answers Arcs is the last 4 episodes (8 episodes in total, play Questions Arcs first)
created by Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi
fantasy mystery
ace attorney
follow phoenix wright as he embarks on his career as a lawyer to help people. meet a variety of clients and prove their innocence by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exposing lies in court.
Tumblr media
ace attorney is one of the classic mystery visual novels, being a blend of point-and-click elements via investigations and visual novel storytelling. the steam port is a massive collection, combining the first 3 games (the original phoenix wright trilogy) as 1 game.
notes:
investigative gameplay segments, a good chunk of the story is point-and-click parts
VERY long for the whole trilogy- each game is around 20 hours long and the steam edition is 3 games
modern mystery with supernatural elements
ai: the somnium files
play as detective kaname date as he hunts down a serial killer using a cutting-edge technology which allows him to "psync" with a person, diving into the memories of others to solve crimes in a limited amount of time with the help of his AI assistant/eyeball Aiba.
Tumblr media
aitsf is a lot. it's probably the raunchiest non-eroge game I've ever played and despite my low tolerance for dirty jokes I found most of it to be laughable and a fun experience, though I did play this with friends. if it's a miss for you, it's gonna miss you by a wide margin, but if it's a hit for you, you're going to be recommending it nonstop. either way you'll want to hit kaname date with a car.
notes:
long, around 25-35 hours
this game heavily relies on going back to prior choices via their branching menu to try other options in order to get the full story (and true ending). there are several endings to this game but you're meant to play through them all, not just one or two.
a lot of gameplay and interactive segments
sci-fi mystery
english voice acting
witch on the holy night
aoko aozaki is a highschooler who has to balance her class president, perfect grades life with her secret afterschool life of being a mage—a secret she has to keep at the risk of death. keeping this balance already isn’t easy but one day she gets a wrench thrown into it with the introduction of a transfer student, soujuurou shizuki, a country boy so out of touch that he’s never seen electricity before.
Tumblr media
I love witch on the holy night so, so much. it's one of the most beautifully directed visual novels ever made with so much love and care put into each frame. the cast is wonderful (touko my beloved) and it's a must-read for anyone who likes modern-ish fantasy.
notes:
kinetic / linear - no choices
long, around 25-30 hours
originally written by kinoko nasu, one of the co-founders of type-moon and creators of fate/stay night. has some relation to tsukihime and garden of sinners but you don't need any knowledge of those going in
modern-ish (1980s) fantasy with lots of talking about magic
ghostpia
a snowy town filled with "ghosts" is where the young woman sayako finds herself trapped, feeling like she doesn't belong and wants to leave this town where no one dies.
Tumblr media
it's hard to describe ghostpia. it's a surreal-ish story about "ghosts" where every character is quirkier than the last but every part is made with so much heart behind it. you never really know where the story is going, but unfortunately only 1 season is currently out on steam.
notes:
medium length, around 10 hours
very innovative and unique use of visuals and paneling
surreal-ish (sometimes violent) fantasy
please be happy
as a shapeshifting fox called a "gumiho", miho has traveled the world in search for a traveler who showed her kindness many years ago. afraid of sticking around in one place for too long, miho has never stayed anywhere for more than a few nights- but all of that changes when she arrives in wellington, new zealand and meets the barista/writer aspen and the vampire archivist juliet.
Tumblr media
okay okay I had to recommend at least one visual novel I worked on. please be happy was a labor of love for our team that took over 3 years to make and is a slice of life story about love, trust, and what it means to be human.
notes:
medium to long, about 20 hours
2 romanceable ladies, aspen and juliet, and a plethora of side characters to meet via a map system
modern slice of life fantasy
english voice acting
WE KNOW THE DEVIL
find yourself back at summer camp with all the queer religious horror of it.
Tumblr media
WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a short, atmospheric and slightly surreal story about 3 teens at a religious summer camp waiting for the devil. if you want something that feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, this is right up your alley.
notes:
very short, about 2 hours
3 endings and 1 true ending
isolation, psychological horror
------------
this is just a handful of recommendations of visual novels I've played and enjoyed that are on sale right now on steam.
some of these titles, like please be happy and WE KNOW THE DEVIL, are also available on itch.io which is a website for indie games! they're also currently having a winter sale so a lot of indie visual novels are on sale over there too, if you want DRM-free versions of games while also giving a better revenue split to devs.
57 notes · View notes
commander-rahrah · 4 months
Text
Talking to the Moon: Part V
Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader Word Count: ~6200 Warnings: emotional hurt/comfort, arranged marriage, slight family angst aka daddy issues? I'm terrible at these
archiveofourown: here
masterlist: here
part I: here part II: here part III: here part IV: here
Summary: Set at the end of Act II, after Moonrise Towers and Kethric. Reader/Tav leans on Astarion and reveals more about their family and their story from before the Nautiloid.
Notes: I've emerged from my cave I made on the couch in my basement and finally finished this update! I got bronchitis a week or so ago and it kicked my booty, but I'm finally feeling better!! YAY! I have no voice still, but good thing I don't need that to write fanfiction!
So this update reveals more of our Selune blessed Tav's backstory that is based off my original D&D character. I was really hung up on whether or not I should include more backstory and lore for this GN!Tav/Reader, since it isn't very typical for a lot of the gn!reader fics I've read. But it was giving me such writers block if I did not include it, as I honestly have the rest of this fic completely planned out and the endgame I have for this pairing relies on more of this backstory, so I decided to include it! Also, its my fic… and my character sooo I hope you enjoy my baby and the little story I wrote for them five years ago. This character will have a special place in my heart forever, and I'm excited to share more of them with you all!
I also desperately wanted to include a scene of Astarion and Tav/Reader kissing for the first time since his confession and them setting boundaries about physical intimacy and contact. I know the game just lets you click the kiss option right away, but I like to think its something that Astarion would build himself up to again and would maybe even have to relearn — not kissing like it was a performance, but instead an expression.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! It means so much to me and every time I see a notification! It fills me with infinite joy ♡♡♡ I know there is lots of posts circulating about this and tags get filled with it, but reblogs and comments are so so appreciated!! :)
·:¨༺ ༻¨:·..·:¨༺ ༻¨:·..·:¨༺ ༻¨:·..·:¨༺ ༻¨:·..·:¨༺ ༻¨
He wasn’t sure how you did it. Astarion was exhausted, beyond that actually — shattered. His feet were stiff and aching, his mind fuzzy with weariness. Yet you were still smiling, accepting the gratitude of every single person at the Last Light Inn with humble nods and smiles. He’d never had a longer day in his life. The temple, the Shadowfell, Shadowheart, Moonrise Towers, the goddamn Absolute. Gale... Gods, you had talked down Gale from fulfilling the desire and demands of an actual goddess. All in one day. All he wanted to do was to fall into a bed with you, and sleep. To just pretend for one moment that there wasn’t any marching armies or impending vampire masters waiting in Baldur's Gate. To ignore the thrum of anxiety and fear that coursed through him as he remembered exactly what was carved into his back — what Raphael had finally revealed to him. Just for today, he had wanted to rest. But no — the end of this never ending day was to finish with a celebration. An annoying, lively celebration.  The vampire was being stereotypical as ever — standing in a shadowy corner, moody and silent as he nursed a red glass. It was wine. Gale had found a decadent bottle, buried away and forgotten about on some dusty shelf. The wizard had made an eloquent toast to the group gathered on the bottom floor of the inn. But he was now standing with Wyll — the two of them conversing politely with a pair of obviously flirtatious tieflings. Karlach had her arm wrapped around Damon, the two of them chatting enthusiastically and laughing.  Astarion was surprised to not see Shadowheart by Karlach — the two of them inseparable as of late. No, what was more shocking was that the dark-haired cleric was sat next to Lae’zel. Their mouths barely opening as they spoke to each other in low voices, buried under the noise of the celebration in the inn.  He almost choked on the sip he had just taken as his red eyes finally returned to you — where several people were forming a makeshift line to speak with you. The next one more bashful than the last as they leaned in to speak with you, all flushed cheeks and batting eyelashes.  You always had a certain charm about you, an innate ability to draw out easy smiles and laughs from others. You were also undeniably attractive — anyone who said otherwise would be a blind idiot. But other people being enraptured by you had never bothered him before. He had just silently agreed with them — that yes, you were indeed a prize like no other.  But you were his now, weren’t you? As he was yours. Even without the label or words that he still couldn’t figure out how to say. That he was too afraid to say. Regardless, why were you entertaining these fools?
He'd not felt this before — was it jealousy? Gods, he was being like a petulant child who didn't want to share their toy. You were a person, you could make your own decisions. That was the entire point of all of this. 
What was he going to do — follow you around like a lost puppy? Drape himself over you, clutch onto you like a coat so others would see he was with you? 
You must have felt his red eyes piercing through you as you suddenly flicked your eyes over to meet his gaze. Your face instantly brightened, a smile tugging on your lips. An overwhelming sense of relief went through him as you waved apologetically to the small group in front of you, before weaving your way over to his dark corner. 
"Yes, darling?" He drawled as you approached, trying to hide any emotion betraying on his face as he tipped his wine glass in front of it and took another sip. 
"Why are you hiding away in this corner? Not feeling like being paraded around like a hero?" You said sarcastically. 
Astarion rolled his eyes at you, replying dryly, "I am many things, but a hero, I am not."
You leaned in conspiratorially, lowering your voice until it was just a whisper. "I would beg to differ. But you have a reputation to uphold, don't you?"
He barked out a laugh, before flicking you in the nose gently. "You cheeky pup." 
"Ow." You feigned, scrunching your face up at him. "That hurt." 
A wave of courage swept through him as he pushed back the little voice in his head. He leaned forward and pecked his lips onto the tip of your nose. He hoped the tingle that spread across his lips as they met your skin would spread to you. It seemed it did as your skin then flashed a delicious, brilliant shade from surprise. A tiny squeak even escaped you, your eyebrows shooting up. 
You had not kissed, not since his confession. Not since all of this had started. Not a brush of lips against hands or cheeks, nothing. The look on your face and the sudden increase in the thrum of your heart had him feeling light headed. Did he truly have such an effect on you? 
For a moment, he let his gaze from you lapse as he swept his eyes across the inn. To the disappointed glances of a few partygoers, and the knowing looks of his companions, watching the pair of you interact. 
A flash of gratification went through him, satisfied at the effect he had not just on you but at those who had eyed you before. It squashed the jealously that had made a pit in his stomach, instead twisting it with a new, slowly recognizable feeling. 
"There, all better?" He smirked. 
You let out a breathy laugh, nodding at him. 
Astarion rubbed his lips together, the tingling sensation on them lingering still. "How much longer does the Hero of the Shadowlands need to stay down here?"
You looked over your shoulder to the gathered patrons, the crowd thinning out more and more as the evening faded into a dark, late night. "Bored already?" 
He let out a weary sigh, letting his shoulders droop. "Exhausted, darling. And I know you are too." 
You were always a sight to see, holding a beauty he could have never imagined or conjured up in his head. But he could see the purple circles under your eyes, the usual sparkle in them had long gone dull. 
Your eyes flickered to your boots, nodding your head in defeat. "You're right." 
"I believe they have set some rooms aside for us, if you wish—"
"Do you?" You caught him off, trying to hide your own eagerness.  
His gaze softened, a smile tugging on his lips, "Very much so."
The pair of you bid goodnight to your companions quietly, subtle nods and waves as they continued their own conversations or headed to their own rooms. Astarion walked slightly behind you on the stairs, his hand resting gently on the small of your back as you led the way.  The path you took was familiar, the worn floor boards creaking before you were outside the private room the two of you had occupied once before.
Astarion let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door softly behind him, the sounds from the lingering party below muffled and leaving you in a peaceful quiet. But as he found reprieve in finally being alone, you suddenly crumbled.
You dived for the bed, a heartbreaking sob escaping you as your hands covered your face. 
Your name choked out him before he crossed the room quickly and joined you on the edge of the mattress. Gods, what was it about this Inn and room that had you breaking apart on it? "Darling, what's wrong?" He asked, concern etching every feature.
"I- I, didn't-"
He remembered your words earlier today — gods, was that today? How comforting his touch was for you, being reminded of his presence. He placed his hand carefully on your own that was trembling on your thigh as you tried to speak. 
You finally gasped out, "She wasn't there, she wasn't-"
Mol. The little tiefling girl. You had promised those rascal children downstairs you'd find her. And it was you who had told them she wasn't in Moonrise tonight, swallowing deeply as they dipped their heads with disappointment. But you had told them not to give up hope, that she was resourceful and strong. You had sounded so convincing that even he had believed you. 
But here you were, sobbing and breaking apart in front of him. "Oh, sweetheart. Gods, I should have seen this, I'm sorry."
You sniffled, glancing up at him with wide eyes. "Why are you apologizing?"
He gave you a sad smile, his eyes shining with understanding, "I know you better by now. It was a mask you were wearing tonight...," He tucked a stray hair back behind your ear. "I hate it when you wear it."
"I just wanted everyone to be okay, I tried so hard..." Your voice cracked and broke. 
"You've done so much, darling. Look at what we did today, that was because of you." 
You always took care of everyone else. But who took care of you? Astarion thought, perhaps... him. He could… he would.
He had been.
"Oh my little moon, you don't have to carry the world by yourself, you know?" 
You sniffled and nodded, silver still lining the bottoms of your eyes. 
"May I?" He echoed the question you so often asked of him. You'd never touched him without asking the question first. Your consent you'd granted him was a separate conversation, one where you had told him casual, simple touches were okay. A silent conversation and agreement sometimes was exchanged with a look of your eyes. But with him, you had always asked. He thought that now he would return that favor to you, as you opened yourself to him — vulnerable and upset once again on the edge of this mattress. 
He hoped you appreciated the sentiment, as much as he did.
The vampire reached down, hovering his hands over your boots. Your brows furrowed slightly before you were nodding. Your eyes never left his pale fingers as he untied the laces of your boots, gently prying them off before setting them down neatly at the foot of the bed. Then he did the same to his own before he slid his way up the bed, leaning against the headboard before patting the spot next to him. 
"Come here." 
You hesitated, before beginning to scooch over to him. When he opened his arms as a silent invitation you hesitated again. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Please come here." He nodded solemnly.  
Astarion willed himself to keep steady and clear, drawing a breath he truly did not need. He enveloped you in his arms as you laid next to him, trying to stop his limbs for stiffening. It was all so foreign, it was terrifying. 
But your familiar scent filled his nose, and he could feel the steady rhythm of your heartbeat with your chest pressed to his side. His fingers laxed as you settled into him, bunching into the material of your shirt. Your breaths started calming and eyes fluttering as you laid with him. 
"Is this okay?" You whispered — uncertainty laced every word. 
"I was just going to ask you the same thing."  He said softly, before swallowing thickly. "I don't know what I'm doing." You started to remove your limbs his, but he tightened his hold on you. "Don't, please."
"Astarion if you aren't comfortable—"
"I am, it's not that." He rubbed the soft material of your shirt between his fingers as he spoke, "I want so badly to be this for you, to be what you need. But I don't know how."
You craned your neck up to look at him, "I think you're doing a good job of it."
He looked down at you through his long lashes, "Truly?"
"Yes, Astarion." You sounded genuine, "No one... no one has ever made me feel the way you do."
He let out a sigh of contentment, settling in deeper with you before resting his chin on the top of your head. "I know we have so much left to do... But laying here with you. It makes it worth it."
"Are you scared?" You asked in a whisper. 
"Terrified, actually." He admitted. 
Your thumb rubbed across his stomach in smooth lines back and forth, "I will be with you every step of the way."
"That's part of what makes it all so terrifying." The vampire whispered, "Sometimes, I know that I couldn't do any of this without you by my side. But other times... when Ketheric turned into that thing, that abomination, with you looking so small in front of him..."
"I know." 
Astarion moved his head so he could look at your face, "You were right though." 
"Hmmm?" You hummed. 
"This is nice. Gods, when did I get so soft?" He chuckled, the movement of his chest vibrating your head until you joined him. 
Both of your faces were etched with bliss and contentment as you laid in the bed. On this bed where before he had laid awake, willing himself to fall into a trance, convincing himself to keep his distance from you, trying to protect himself from the inevitably of you. 
Now, you both fell asleep like that, still in your regular attire, wrapped in each other's arms with your head buried on his chest.
The stars caressing their moon. 
• • •
The journey towards Baldur's Gate was turbulent and nerve-wracking while also... hopeful. 
The group was buzzing with energy — the anticipation of returning to Baldur's Gate had made some of your companions restless in more ways then one. 
You were all sat for a short rest, relaxing in a patch of long, green grass just off of the dirt road you were traveling on. It was just your group now, the other parties and groups had begun moving at different paces and times until it was just your familiar companions now. 
Astarion was laid out in the grass, his head resting on your lap and your fingers absent-mindedly playing with his soft, white tresses. His eyes were closed, basking in the glow of the sun that was set high in the sky at this time of day. Occasionally the shadows on his face would bounce as his long lashes flickered, opening his eyes to glance at you with a dreamy expression on his face. 
It made your movements stutter each time you noticed it. But the grip he had on your heart — that was steady and true. He had possessed you in a way you still could not articulate, even all these weeks later. 
But you blinked back to reality as Gale's voice broke the silence. "You're a beautiful couple." 
You looked up, a sheepish smile spreading across your face from being noticed. Astarion craned his neck, his red eyes rolling back to look at the wizard before settling back into your lap with a disinterested look crossing his face. 
"Oh, I'm sorry... I'm made things awkward, haven't I?" Gale mumbled, his hands twirling with the blades of grass in front of him. 
You couldn't help the blush that was spreading across your cheeks at the attention. Especially as you realized the rest of your companions were looking over with small smirks. 
Gale continued as you remained silent, "I just meant that... Well, its nice to see my friends so happy. That's all." 
"Thank you, Gale." Astarion drawled, readjusting himself so he laid deeper on your lap. 
The wizard blinked in surprise, "You're welcome. Are you — is it a secret, or?"
"Not a secret, no." The vampire purred with a shake of his head. 
"We are just taking our time." You finished, a soft smile growing on your face to match the one spreading across Astarion's. 
"Hmm, that's nice." Gale trailed off, a wistful expression on his face. 
Before the silence could really settle in again, the rest of the party started a conversation up. 
"Won't be long now until we get to Baldur's Gate." Wyll said, his face hard to read. 
"Are you nervous?" Karlach stretched her long leg, nudging him in the ankle playfully. 
His mouth scrunched and nose crinkled, "I... I don't know how to feel."
"I can't fucking wait! I'll be able to show you guys my old stomping grounds!" The barbarian said excitedly, falling back dramatically into the grass with her limbs spread wide. She addressed you, shouting up to the blue sky, "What about you, Giggles? Excited to see home again?"
"Oh," Your fingers froze, hovering over Astarion's hair. "I had only lived in the city for just under a year. Home will always be in the north."
"The north? I don't think I've heard you speak of your home much." Shadowheart asked quietly, a quizzical look on her face. 
"I, yes— near the Ice Spires." Your mouth twitched.
"You hail from a noble line, yes?" Gale asked. Everyone was eyeing you with curiosity, even Astarion still stretched out on your lap. His red eyes shifting slightly as he studied you. 
You swallowed, painting on a polite smile before speaking, "My father is a Viscount. He is a formidable figure in the region." 
"Ah." The warlock grimaced, his eyes sad. "Why do I get the feeling our stories are more similar than I realize?"
You bristled. "I'm not exiled or anything... It's just been some time. That's all."
"That's all?" 
A humorless laugh escaped you, "I am a second born child. And my older brother is much more obedient and better suited to the game of politics than I am." You couldn't help the sad, bitter smile that spread across your face. The thought of home stung in more ways then one. 
Astarion noticed how tense you had become, his hand squeezing your knee as he pushed himself up with a dramatic huff. "We are never going to get to the city if we sit here lounging all day." 
You shot him a grateful look, and he gave you the slightest nod in recognition as he offered his hand to lift you up. He did so easily, brushing off blades of grass lingering on you both gently. 
"You were the one complaining not long ago about how long we had been walking for!" Gale said, sounding completely exasperated as Wyll helped him up.   
"Me? I said that? I don't think so." The rogue playfully scoffed, shaking his head so his soft curls bounced dramatically. He looked over his shoulder at you with a conspiratorial smile before stretching his hand out for you. His fingers intertwined with yours easily as he pulled you along the dirt path, away from the questioning and burning curiosity of the rest of the party. 
• • •
Your group finally settled down for the night — picking a small clearing just off of the well-worn, dirt path you had been traveling down. Perhaps the last time you would be sleeping in the wilderness. You would be at Wyrm's Crossing by midafternoon tomorrow. 
Astarion had set up your tent on the edge of camp, attempting to give you both some sense of privacy from your busybody companions. He knew they meant well, that they hadn't meant for this afternoon to turn into an interrogation. That, like him, they were just curious to know more about you. As kind and good you were to all of them, you were still somewhat of a mystery. You had revealed the origins of your powers to the group yes, but you rarely spoke about yourself or your home.
Not even to him. 
The vampire had been content to let it lie. He knew it would come with time — and he certainly couldn't make any demands of you. Not after how gracious and patient you had been with him. But he couldn't deny that part of him wanted to know more. Astarion had somehow become an open book with you — revealing and exploring parts of himself that he had buried down so deep that he was surprised he could find them. 
He worried that it all had been about him for so long. His trauma, his past, his goals. That maybe you had kept parts of yourself hidden away, on the back burner for him. 
You had your back turned to him at the moment, the golden flickering of the candles in the tent illuminating the curve of your spine and freckles across your bare skin. Your muscles stretched and tensed beautifully as you lifted your arms over your head —pulling your nightclothes over yourself as you changed in the corner. It was a boundary that was set much earlier, that he had slowly started making less and less strict. 
He wasn't ready for anything more yet — he knew that. But his red eyes couldn't help but roam your figure. He couldn't help the familiar sensation of want twisting low in his stomach, the twitch of his fingers at his side as he imagined running his fingertips over your soft skin again.  
The smile you gave him as you turned around was dazzling, even in the dim light and tight space of the shared tent. You joined him cross-legged in the center of the tent, both of you not quite ready to go to sleep just yet. 
He picked at his nail for a moment, trying to seem nonchalant as he opened his pink mouth to speak. "So... the Ice Spires?"
You raised a single eyebrow, a hard to read look crossing the rest of your features. "Yes?" 
His fingers continued to fidget in front of him. "It's cold... all the time?"
"Not all the time. Our winters can be brutal though." You said with a scrunched nose. 
"Oh, what a lovely sell. I can't wait to go now!" He said sarcastically. 
"Ha." You laughed dryly, before your voice turned wistful. "It's beautiful honestly... I miss it."
The vampire studied your face as you undoubtedly saw visions of your home in your mind's eye. The edges of his lips curved up as he remembered your promise to take him there one day. He broke you out of your daydream with a quiet cough before he spoke again, "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want. But why did you leave there, darling?"
Your eyes flashed to the floor of the tent, your mouth forming a hardline. "Promise me you won't be upset?" Your voice was barely a whisper. 
His eyebrows furrowed together at your reaction. He took two fingers, dipping them under your chin so you would look up at him. "Why would I be upset? You leaving home for whatever reason is why you are here now. With me."
Your eyes softened with his answer, before you nodded. Yet you still licked your lips nervously before speaking, "Well... you know that Selûne told my mother I would be destined for a different path then the life of nobility. My mother agreed to it all those years ago, both my parents knew and yet... they still hoped they could reel it all back in. That enough etiquette and language lessons would shape me into the perfect child they hoped I would be. But it was never me. I tried for them, I really did. Instead I started to fantasize about the people in our history lessons like they were characters in a book, and I spoke too loud and laughed at the wrong moment at dinner." 
Astarion couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he imagined you as a child — your face round and soft with innocence, your brilliant smile with missing teeth. The havoc that you would have caused, racing down wealthy halls as you acted out scenes from your books and danced in an empty ballroom with your melodic laugh echoing in the space. A piece of himself he had long forgotten about twinged inside him. He couldn't remember his own childhood anymore — it was lost to the last two hundred years of darkness. But something warmed in him as he dreamed up what yours was like. 
He snapped back to reality as you spoke again. "But I had a duty. I'm the second born, I wasn't being primed to one day take over for our father and run the keep, but I could be used in other ways. I've known of it since I was twelve."
His white brows furrowed again, "Known what?"
"When I became of age I would be married off to secure wealth and political ties with other territories. I'm engaged... technically." You admitted. 
His eyes dropped immediately to your fingers, the several jewels that adorned them from the moment he met you. He had never thought anything of them — thinking they were an artful display of rings that matched your personality and appearance well. But there it was — a golden ring of much higher quality then the rest, with a large ruby sitting in the center of it. Gods, how had he missed that. 
"Oh my gods. I'm a homewrecker." Then he burst out laughing, his head thrown back and his hands holding his stomach as he howled.
"Astarion, you'll wake up half the camp!" You leaned forward and hissed. 
"I'm sorry, I just —" He let out between gasps of breath, "It's so funny. Of course the person I fall for is to be wed to someone else."
You joined his chuckles, shaking your head. "It is like a cliché plotline from some terrible drama."
"It is! Or like a punchline to some joke. Did you hear the one about the vampire and the fiancé?" You both laughed for a moment, before he clutched onto your hand and squeezed it reassuringly.  
"So you aren't upset?" Your voice a whisper again, uncertainty flooded every word. 
"Upset? Darling, why would I be upset?" 
You huffed out an exasperated breath, "Astarion, I just told you I am betrothed to another person."
"And you are on the other side of the continent from them. Not married. And sitting in my tent. Is this why you left?"
Your eyes widened in surprise, "Yes, we planned it all out actually— my betrothed and I." 
"Really?"
You nodded, "They had also spent the last years troubling over it, attempting to delay it for as long as possible." 
"I'm assuming getting kidnapped by mind flayers was not apart of that plan?" He said with a smirk. 
"Definitely not. I so badly wanted to travel, to see the world outside of our keep I'd known my whole life. So... they insisted to my family that they needed a spouse that was learned and well-traveled. That I could enroll in a college to become a more suitable match."
Astarion raised a white brow, "And that worked?"
"It did. I think my father was so desperate for it all to work out that they just agreed."
"And how did you attending a college lead you to Baldur's Gate so many miles away from home?" 
You let out a dry chuckle, "I will say that I did go to the college like I intended. I lasted a week. Just long enough to purchase supplies and stationary from the college before paying for a spot on the next wagon out of Silverymoon." 
"Stationary?"
"I've been sending letters home for the past year, using stationary from the college so my family believes I'm still there studying and being a model citizen." 
He raised his eyebrows, a smirk spreading across his lips. "I'm impressed. That's very conniving... I didn't know you had it in you."
You smiled sheepishly, your fingers twisting in your lap. "I'll admit it was a clever idea. I ran out of supplies about a month before the Nautiloid." 
He pursed his lips as he finally understood, "They haven't heard from you since then?"
You shook your head, "No. I imagine my father has sent some of his men to check on me, and they have long discovered that I took back my tuition deposit and left months and months ago." 
"This whole time we were worried about a vampire master storming our camp, when really it could have been a disgruntled father or worried mother finding us?"
A large exhale left your nose as you shook your head, "Oh, my father would never come himself. He would just send his second-best men and a strongly worded letter ordering me back home. My mother though... I can only imagine how she betrayed and worried she feels." 
The vampire squeezed your hand again before running his thumb along the backs of your knuckles. "Why did you never tell me this?" 
"Astarion, the hardship and abuse that you went through...," Your eyes shined with pain, "My story is nothing compared to yours."
"Your story is not nothing." He shook his head, his voice earnest. "Your story is you — and you are everything. Never spare parts of yourself from me." 
"Even the messy parts that years of etiquette lessons couldn't train away?"
He let out a breathy laugh before smiling at you, "Especially those parts, my lovely moon." 
"You have gone soft on me, Starry." You teased before matching his smile. 
• • •
After another day of travel, you stood in the abandoned castle in Wyrm's Crossing, bracing yourself on the stone wall. The skyline of Baldur's Gate could be seen from here, the distant sound of the bell's ringing heard even from here. 
Your party had finally made it — after all of these weeks. You would walk the familiar cobblestone streets of Baldur's Gate tomorrow. The familiar scents and sounds of vendors and citizens, the bustle and crowds would be so different from the wilderness and forests you had been traveling through. 
The group's energy was buzzing as you settled for camp in the abandoned castle — a strange mixture of excitement and nerves. Astarion hadn't hidden his feelings with you — his anxieties and insecurities surfacing with every step closer and closer to the city limits. With every step closer to Cazador and his ritual. Hundreds of different ideas were bouncing around his head, you could tell. 
Yet your confession to him last night was still replaying in your head, especially as your stared at the ring on your left finger — the red gem catching the light. You weren't sure why you wore it anymore. A habit, you guessed. 
The sound of purposeful, shuffling feet announced that you were no longer alone. Craning your neck you looked over to see the man who normally consumed your thoughts, climbing the stone steps that led up to the falling apart battlements you stood on.
"What are you doing up here, darling?" 
"Just taking a moment."  You admitted as you loosed a heavy breath. "And you?"
"Oh, just over pretending to be interested the idle chat by the fire." Astarion waved his hand, before sliding in next to you. He braced his elbows onto the edge looking out over to the skyline. You watched him take a deep steadying breath, his eyebrow crinkled with worry for a moment. 
You fiddled unconsciously with the golden ring on your left hand as you watched him. The movement caught the vampire's attention, his red eyes snapping to it before looking up at you. He chewed the inside of his lip, before speaking, "Can I ask you a question?"
Your stomach tightened with sudden nerves, "Of course."
"This wedding... Your arranged marriage." 
"Hmm?" You hummed. 
His pale throat bobbed as he swallowed, "Would you have gone through with it? If there was no Nautiloid, no tadpole — none of this. Would you have gone through with the arrangement?"
A heavy sigh escaped you as you pushed your elbows off of the stone edge and stood up, "I would have... I would have tried. It felt inevitable before — inescapable."
He shifted around, so he was facing you — standing to his full height and looking you in the eyes. "And now?" He whispered, his long fingers reaching to brush the insides of your wrist lightly.
"Astarion... I never could have imagined any of this. I spent my whole life fantasizing and daydreaming of an escape and grand adventure. Nothing I've dreamed up has ever come close to being with you. I have fought mind flayers and ogres, refused Gods and marched across the country so that we can keep going. So that we can have a chance. I will take my father's disappointment and wrath for ruining his plans for financial security." 
"Heh — We can add him to the list of people we've angered along the way." He joked, but his eyes were glimmering with unspoken emotion after your declaration. 
You studied the handsome man before you, your lips parting slightly as you took him in. He was radiant in the moonlight, his white hair and pale skin shining. The way his usually sharp eyes softened and rounded as he looked at you.
Gods, you loved him. You had known for sometime now that you did. The words had been crawling up your throat, lingering on your tongue and swirling in your mind for days. But you would be patient for him. 
One side of his pink mouth turned up, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Your head cocked to the side, "Like what?"
"You..." He seemed like he was at a loss for words for a moment. He shook his head at himself, before he admitted in a whisper, "They way you look at me... you make me feel like I'm poetry."
"You are, Astarion." You said simply. Courage suddenly flooded through you. You knew you would be fine, no matter how he answered. You wouldn't dare rush him. But you wanted to ask tonight. "May I — May I kiss you?" 
He blinked in surprise before his red eyes flicked down to your lips and he unconsciously licked his own. Then he locked eyes with you, nodding breathlessly. "Yes," He whispered back, his long lashes fluttering. "Yes."
Moving your hands up slowly and gently, your fingertips gripped the side of his strong jaw. You heard his breath sharpen as you moved your face to meet his — slowly, giving him time and space, allowing him to change his mind and pull away. But he didn't. Instead his eyes closed softly, his head tilting towards yours as he waited for you to kiss him. Then your lips locked as your mouth pressed softly against his, carefully as you waited to see if he would kiss you back. A low noise escaped you as you felt his lips press harder against yours, returning the kiss. 
You had long thought of your first kiss with Astarion in the woods near the Druid's Grove all that time ago. You thought you had memorized the sweet taste of him on your lips, the scent of leather lingering from his armor and groans that made the hairs on your arms stand up. 
But this — this was so different. Not practiced, not ritualistic like he so often said. 
This new first kiss was so painfully soft and tender. He tasted like wine, rosemary and honey. His hair softer then you remembered as your finger toyed with the curled tips at the base of his neck. The happiest of sounds escaped him as he parted his lips for you, allowing you to deepen the kiss as your tongue slid across his teeth. You both stood like that for a moment, relishing in the feeling until you both felt dizzy. Your lips stuck together slightly as you pulled away. His forehead was pushed against yours, like he was no longer content to not be touching you. 
Astarion's eyes were ablaze in the moonlight as he looked at you, his mouth falling open as he caught his breath. "Again. Kiss me, again.” “Starry?” You asked, your brow twitched. “Kiss me. Please. I miss it, I've missed you." One of his hands gripped the tip of your chin as you moved your mouth back towards him, halving the movement as he pulled you back in for another kiss. The other intertwining with yours in between you, squeezing your fingers gently. 
His sharp teeth dug into your bottom lip, causing a shudder to run down your spin. "Slow down, my love." Your groaned out.
"I have — weeks of this — to catch up on." His voice was breathless and he continued to interrupt his own words as he pressed lips to yours over and over. 
You pulled away, studying his face — the skin around his mouth pink from kissing, a slight flush crossing his complexion. But his eyes were fixed on you, filled with want and need. "I'm not going anywhere, Astarion. We have time." 
"Good. " He beamed, resting his forehead on yours again as you both breathed each other in. The two of you silhouetted on the crumpling battlements as you held on to each other for a moment longer.  
Read Part VI here
55 notes · View notes
youn9racha · 2 years
Text
Save it
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Requested by: @9900z
pairing: hyunjin x fem!reader
genre: smut, hints of darkness, angst
synopsis: After a year of taunting and humiliation from the ever so loving boyfriend of yours, you decided to break it off with him and slowly start to forget about him... Until he comes back asking for forgiveness.
warning: jealousy, unprotected sex (wrap before you tap), overstimulation, degradations(whore, slut, dumb...), dubcon(?), piv, mentions of a past toxic relationship, mind break (both sides; mainly reader), hair pulling, cunnilingus, brief breeding kink, choking, angsty but happy ending, aftercare
words: 5.1k
a/n: uhh hi.. it has been a while since i finally put up a fic,, kind of feels overwhelming to be back even though I've been absent for around two months, but I'm back. I don't think my writing has changed much, especially since i forgot how to write smut after not doing so for a few months 💔💔 shout out to @lix-ables and @spilledtee for helping me out and putting me back in my feet ! also i hope you enjoyed this piece. ik its been a long wait but I hope i fulfilled what you asked for 🙏i changed up the plot as well i hope you don't mind that too.
Tumblr media
This is no way representative of the way Stray Kids act. They’re nothing but references of character, and in no shape or form is this how they act. And I am in no way romanticizing or glamorizing any toxic behavior exhibited, they’re just stories that is meant to be read. And if you are under 18 years of age, PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT. Readers discretion is advised.
Tumblr media
You saw his beautiful face once again. His eyes captured yours as he sat across from you, almost as if he was examining you from afar waiting for whatever was next. He was what you would consider your, affection reeks every time we would be in contact, but soon his dark side has revealed its ugly truth. His pretty face was there but his gentle touches and words slowly transitioned into a sudden venomous rupture of words. Questions arose within you as he continued to show his sadistic colors; “was I in the wrong? Did I do something to trigger him? Do I even love him anymore?” And many more came and go, leaving it unanswered in the meantime. But after the tumultuous and tiring years of you two bickering and the feelings of resentment started to grow in my stomach, you opted to pack up and just leave him. You thought his toxicity was getting out of hand, you could still hear him yell out as you leave,
“You’ll regret this! You need me!”
To hell with you, you would say, but silence is often the best option for diffusing this situation. And then you were gone from there, never to see him for a good bit. After many months of questioning yourself, crying, anger, resentment, and an awful amount of drinking, you’ve later seen yourself starting to improve on yourself, especially with the help of the small yet great friend circle you are in. So much so, that you have even ventured off into the whole dating world once again. Tinder, Bumble, Her, you name it, you’ve tried them all, and what’s the issue of one going fishing? There would be moments that dates fail, whether it’d be because one has a bad attitude towards the service worker, one’s in it for the sex, or one just generally does not click with you.
Sparing all the details, most of the time it didn’t work out. But how did you end up with Hyunjin right now? You thought you were done with him, and why did you let him into your apartment? Unbeknownst to you, you may have gone on a date with one of his friends, whom you had never met—presumably, they know of each other after you two broke it off—, at one point and they told him about it. Had you known that they know each other’s names at least, you never would have considered going out with them but here you are.
To say when you heard the knock and opened the door, only to see him standing right in front of you made your heart drop would be an understatement. How the hell did he find out where you live?! You wanted to close the door, but you were frozen as you saw his dark brown eyes shoot at your face. You couldn’t detect his facial expression, but his face did not showcase any negative emotions so you’re not as scared… but still, it’s not like you trust him, he could lash out at your face and you wouldn’t be surprised.
“Uh, hey, (y/n) …” he stammered nervously, scratching the back of his neck in nervousness. “Why the hell is he so apprehensive?! I should be the one shitting my pants right now,” you thought to yourself.
“Hyunjin? What are you doing here? How did you find out where I live?” You went on with your questions, keeping your composure calm despite the creepy fact that he found where you live.
He shrugged, his eyes looking left and right before going back at you, “I may or may not have asked a friend whom you’ve may or may not hooked up a while ago…”
‘Wait what? How could this be?’ your mind had irrational thoughts. But then a conclusion came up after your mini inner arguments; this would mean that you have gone on a date with one of his friends, whom you have never met—presumably they know each other after we broke it off—, at one point and they told him about it. ‘God, this is so humiliating, had I known that they know each other’s names at least, I never would have considered going out with them and this encounter would have not happened but here we are.’ So many thoughts ridiculing your every mistake, but it’s not like you could change the past
You sigh as you roll your eyes, finally putting your senses together and crossing your arms, “What do you want?! I thought I said I don’t want to deal with you anymore.” Hyunjin smirked at your response, “I see you’re still as feisty as before, huh?”
One of the many attributes you’ve missed least from him is that disgusting cocky attitude he is exhibiting right now. Just reminiscing on that made you cringe even more than just seeing his face right now. You groaned abhorrently as you almost shut the door at him if it weren’t for him to hold the door from shutting and yelling out a “wait!”
If you had the matching strength like his, you thought, you would have had the door completely shut on his face, but unfortunately, he overpowered you and ended up pushing the door enough to open it but not enough to hurt you, which you hoped it did as you didn’t want to endure any more of this conversation. He only stood there while you maintained your scorned face toward him, not wanting to fall for his games and let him in.
“Look, I know this isn’t the best time, I know it’s weird and creepy that I showed up at your doorstep and I know we had our bad past. I’m not here to reconcile, I just want to talk to you,” He calmly yet sternly spoke as he maintained his eye contact with you. You only looked at him with a blank expression, unsure of what to respond and whether to let him in or not. After the pain he had given you, why should you let him in? But for some reason, you could sense some sort of honesty in his tone and that he genuinely does not want any malice. He lifted his arm, “look if you wanna inspect my pockets, you can, I don’t even carry weapons with me,” he chuckled slightly.
‘Why would he even say that? Even if he was trying to make light of the situation, he only made the air more awkward than it already is.’ He realized after he sees you wince at his bad-taste humor as he sniffed and curled his lips, “Okay, my bad, but seriously, I just want to chat with you, and I won’t even take long. Consider me gone after today.”
You glared at him as you couldn’t take his excuses anymore and decided to open the door more so he could walk in. The dumbest mistake you have ever made. You would think that after many months of healing and putting yourself together you would learn your lesson, but you seemingly did not. “You’ve got ten minutes and I want you out of my life permanently,” you spoke sternly as you walked into your living room as Hyunjin followed you.
Usually, you’d serve up something to eat or drink and wait until the guest sat first, but you’re making an exception as you thought that allowing him into the house was enough in it itself. The grudge you held was getting heavier and Hyunjin can sense it from the tone down to the body language. You sat on the sofa, while he sat in the armchair, far away from you—it’s a good thing he can read the room for once. And then suddenly, there was this awkward silence that deafens the entire room, just the sound of you tapping your foot. You didn’t bother to look at him and just started fidgeting with the accessories in your hand, but you could sense him still looking at you, almost as if he was staring at you. Who the hell does he think he is?!
“If you don’t have anything to say, then you better get out.”
After you spoke, Hyunjin shook his head, like as if he got out of a zoned-out state, “yeah, right sorry, um…” he looked away from you, as if he were trying to find the words. This time you were looking at him, the irked face still painted on you, however, you couldn’t help but just admire his pretty features. His beautiful brown long locks, his plump, pink lips, his defined jaw, alluring eyes, strong arms, his long, slender ringed finger that is worthy to get sucked—God dammit (y/n), get your shit together! This is the man you’re supposed to resent not gawk at.
“Look, I know I hurt you a lot in the process, and truthfully speaking, you never deserved the nasty comments I gave you…” as Hyunjin rambled on, you still wouldn’t buy his words and started to tune out. It’s such a shame that a man with a personality of a trash can can maintain the most attractive attributes. There is no denial that Hyunjin was a good-looking man despite everything, and on top of that, the greatest memory I had of him, other than the actual romantic moments we had, was the sex.
Hyunjin was a dancer, so he sure can use his hips to hit the spots no one can easily hit. Doubled by the talented fingers he has, and the wonderful, warm tongue that is so pleasant but has its venom when used incorrectly, which he, unfortunately, has used in that way for the last chunk of our relationship. Hyunjin had potential, he just had to flush it down the train with his attitude.
“… and while I don’t seek forgiveness, I just wanted to say I’m sorry…(y/n)?” After he noticed that you weren’t saying anything, you could only blink at him. Sure, you may not have heard much of his statement, but you couldn’t be bothered as you started to remember the past once again, reminded of his actions and how it’s way overdue for him to apologize.
“Oh, so you came here to say sorry, after what? Six months after not seeing each other and you expect me to just take your words for it?” you spoke disdainfully, eyes squinting at him in disbelief.
“No, (y/n)�� “
“No, save it, Hyunjin! The damage’s been done, and I was hurt badly because of you.” you spat at him as you leaned forward towards him as if you were getting closer to him to make your point straight, “You don’t understand the weight of your words, you would tend to brush them off and call them jokes, but when I called you out on it, what did you do? Call me sensitive. And when I wanted you to do me a favor, you’d never do it, what type of boyfriend would do that?!”
You began spilling everything and you could see Hyunjin cringing, and frustration started to increase the more you speak to him. “I’m done Hyunjin, you’ve given me enough hell,” you sighed before speaking, but Hyunjin only sat in silence, his stance was very ambiguous and hard to read as he continued to stare at me. You could only scoff at the lack of response, “so what? You came here to just stare at me like the idiot you are?!”
The question was rhetoric yet unnecessary, however, he knew where to push the buttons when it came to pissing you off, and it made you more irritated than you already are. Now it was his turn to scowl, but then it started to grow into a menacing smile.
“Oh, so I’m an idiot?”
His tone left nothing but shivers, it was similar to the tone he would make when he’s feeling a little aroused. While it was very undeniably hot, you couldn’t just let your guard down like that, and try to keep yourself together. ‘He’s not yours, (y/n), get it together.’ You looked at him with your brows narrowed, “yes… you very much are.”
He could only chuckle at you as he leaned closer to you, you thought you were capable of moving away but for some reason, you found yourself trapped in your couch incapable of moving. It feels as though you were hypnotized by his visuals and voice at this moment, and you should feel bad, but you couldn’t bother to help yourself. As he got closer to you, he ran his hand across the sides of your face, you almost shuddered at the touch, but you kept yourself together and did not give in instantly. Once again, desperate call calls for desperate measures, anything must be in favor right now since the guards you put up are getting weaker and weaker. “Oh, (y/n), my love… you haven’t changed…”
“Excuse me?”
“You think you’ve moved on, yet I could see right through you,” his wording and tone created this odd juxtaposition of gentleness and ominousness that left me shivering once again, “you’re shaking and shivering right under my touch,” he chuckled once again even more menacingly. He got up and sat next to me, using his hand on my face and thigh to put me in place, silently forcing me to look at him and stay put. ‘Keep it together, (y/n), keep it together…’
His face got closer, and seeing his features up close made you ogle at him once again. You gulped at the closeness, and he pushed your hair away from your face, “and I’ve heard about your failed hookups,”
Fuck…
He let out a breathy laugh as he saw your slightly panicked face. “you’d think I wouldn’t know? I wouldn’t know that there are people, specifically men, who just want to see you naked and doing a terrible job at making you feel good?” There was something very venomous in his tone he started to speak about your past hookups. It is true, that most of your hookups have been lackluster at best, but you did not want him to know this sort of information about yourself. But considering you unknowingly slept with his friend, you should’ve known better than to tell a stranger about your sad sex life.
“I—I—”
“Save it…” He said it with the most condescending tone as if he was mocking you for interrupting him earlier, “let me show you what these men lacked.”
And there, Hyunjin slammed his lips into yours, vigorously and fiery as his usual kisses are. You didn’t know what has gotten into you, you should push him off and just kick him out for daring to do what he is doing, but for some reason, you couldn’t do it. you only could moan and melt into his mouth. At this moment, you genuinely thought that your brain has melted and kicked out all the logic in it—as ironic as it may sound—and it was true in some sense, but the way Hyunjin’s warm lips were caressing your lips felt too pleasant. It may have had a sloppy beginning, but it transitioned into one of passion and sort of possessive as Hyunjin began to be handsy. Through his groans and his lips exploring yours, he began holding you closer to him as his hands roamed around your body as if it were the first time he has touched you.
He pulled away to grab a quick breath before he pulled you to sit on his lap, as he continued to kiss you, but this time his lips went south into your neck. You gasped at the feeling of his teeth grazing your neck, creating a bruise that would fade in at any time, while he began muttering through your skin.
“Just you wait… when one sees this… then they would know…”
His words were incoherent as he was too fucked out and too focused on creating more hickeys, evident by him ripping the buttons of your blouse, exposing your bralette to him—It wasn’t any special bra, especially since you didn’t expect him to show up, let alone be doing this—and threw the blouse somewhere. He began biting the soft skin of one of your breasts, while his large hand was massaging the other through the bra. you threw your head back, moaning at the feeling of his warm mouth licking through the fabric, letting the slickness indirectly touch your nipples. As you tugged onto his hair, he gripped your bralette and ripped them apart, making you gasp at the sudden action, and he proceeded to have his mouth on your nipples, leaving you with nothing but your shorts and panties.
You began writhing under his touch, with you grinding onto his lap and clenching into nothing the more he stimulated your nipples, he pulled away and looked up at your, “bedroom…” he rasped, holding onto your thigh and picking you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist as you told him where the room’s located, and when you arrived, he threw you into the bed, leaving you lying there as he begins to strip.
“You listen real good because I’m not gonna repeat myself,” he said, “you’re gonna be a good slut for me, and you’ll do as I say, got it? You had your chance to say all you want, now it’s my turn.”
“That’s rich coming from y—” your words were interrupted abruptly when you felt a tug from your hair, making you moan, and pulled your head closer to his angry yet lustful face, “I said, it’s my turn.”
You only stayed silent, fearing what to do next as he let go of your hair and continued to strip down to his boxers. You looked down and saw the bulge that was painstakingly hidden in his underwear. While it may not be the girthiest of cocks, he had the length and movement to make up for it. He smirked as he held your hair again to look up at his face, “you want my cock this badly?”
You should say no, but when he’s over here, being the way he is, makes it all the difficult. You could only nod at him, while he drags his fore and middle finger around your mouth, “open your mouth… I want to see if you’re worth it.”
He commands and you obeyed, opening your mouth wide enough before wrapping around his two digits. His movements were still but you moved your head and tongue as you slicked up his long slender fingers and shoved them down your throat.
“Eyes on me, you slut.”
Instinctively your eyes met his blown-out pairs, he enjoys seeing you suffer as shown by his evil face, the sadistic smile was prominent at this instant especially when he tripped your gag reflex when he attempted to shove it down more, humiliating me even more than you already are.
“I bet no one has ever shoved a finger down your throat like I did, huh?” The way he spoke was pure filth, you should stand up for yourself, but the wetness and arousal that seemed to increase the moment he utters a word seemed to betray your logic. The question was rhetorical as he wanted to have at me. He pulled his fingers off as he got down and pushed your legs apart with his other hand that wasn’t covered in your saliva, “take them off,” he commanded, regarding your bottoms. You nervously yet swiftly took your shorts and panties, revealing something he hasn’t seen in so long.
“God, I miss that pussy of yours… it’s a shame that other men have seen, touched…” His speech was hushed and slow the more he spoke, and the more he spoke, the closer he got to your pussy, “tasted… inserted themselves in you,” and there he began his feast as his tongue began lapping at the dripping wetness that you were seeping through. Your breath shuddered as his tongue licked up your clit, putting the most attention to the sensitive bud suddenly. ‘This is so bad,’ allowing your no-good ex-boyfriend just to humiliate you and then eat you out like this is really bad, yet the way he is licking and speaking to you in such a tone feels so good to you for some reason. With the added pleasure he added his fingers as his tongue movements began to increase, sucking and licking any slickness coming out of you, moaning at the taste that hits him.
The noises you made turned from breathing heavily to outright mewling and whining at the stretch and pace that came along with pleasure. He pulled his mouth away with a pop to look at you, “bet ya didn’t find anyone who could make you this noisy wet, huh?”
“Just shut up and continue fucking me with your mouth,” you shook your head as you groaned at his cocky commentary.
“Oh, is that so? Fine, as you wish,” Hyunjin said, before continuing to lap at your clit while his fingers moved at a quicker pace. You felt a surge of release coming out the faster he went with his tongue and digits. You were panting out his name as you groaned out when you’ve finally reached your orgasm. However, Hyunjin never stopped his movement and carried on as if you never came. You began squirming and your hips bucking at the overstimulation he was giving you.
“H-Hyunjin… s-stop—” you struggled to speak as he was lapping you to reach for the second orgasm. All he was doing was torturing you, he was moaning and sometimes pulling away to mention how “good you taste for a slut.” His words were a mixture of both degradation and praise, but mainly the former, as he wouldn’t stop humiliating you and calling you names. You felt your second orgasm coming up, but when he pulled his fingers and tongue away, you could only whine at the odd mix of overstimulation and edge, making him perk up his face, but in a good way.
“I made you come once, and you still want more? You are a whore…”
Your lips quivered as you anticipated more movements from him, as shown by the way your legs are spreading more from. Your labia were swollen from the fingering Hyunjin gave you, and that almost made him even more feral at the sight of you being desperate, but he had to maintain the sadism image he is intending to showcase.
He stripped out of his boxers and began stroking his hard cock slightly, making him hiss at the contact. He was purposefully teasing, and you were whining, your hand going down to touch the ache that Hyunjin failed to relieve, only for him to push your hand away. “What makes you think—fuck… you can touch yourself, huh? A whore like you is not allowed to touch themselves…ah” He grunts a bit in his sentence, but it was coherent enough, which made you mildly upset with you pouting.
He held your cheek before gripping your throat and slightly squeezing with his free hand, “your puppy eyes are not gonna help you—ha fuck—mm you still fucked other men hmm—”
His pace in hand was going faster, his tip started to glisten and spew out precum the more he bobbed, while you just laid there, begging for Hyunjin to ravish you, and holding onto his wrist that was wrapped around your throat.
“Hyunjin… please… please fuck me… please fuck me like the whore I am,” you sniffled, “I am nothing but a gross slut who lets other men fuck me… please let me forget about them…”
Your brain has officially been broken just by the sight of Hyunjin and the remanence of the past overstimulation and edging, which is exactly what Hyunjin wanted from you. You have fed his evil plan and he couldn’t be even happier than he already is. He smirked as he slowed his stroke down and let go of your throat, “that’s what I thought… now get on all fours.”
You instantly obliged without saying another word and got on your hands and knees for him. He aligned himself in your opening before shoving it in in an unprecedented way. You yelped at the further stretch that his finger couldn’t reach, while Hyunjin smiled in an impending way and licked his lips before he started to piston himself in and out of you.
Your mewls began to increase volume along with the sound of skin slapping as his hips were touched against your butt cheeks, jiggling each time they get in contact with his pelvis. He would grip harshly on your hips, bruising them in the process with the way he is squeezing and digging his finger in pleasure the more he hits your spot repeatedly and elicit more moans from the both of you. When your head hung low, he pulled your hair, his fingers dipped in your scalp, with the grip harsh enough to grand you slight pain.
“Tell me now… who’s fucking you this good?” He spoke through his blissed-out state, his words flowing with the pace of his thrust. You only moaned as a response, which resulted in him pulling your hair even harsher, “I said, who’s fucking you this good?!”
“You, Hyunjin! You! Fuck!” You yelped at him when he drilled into your hole even rougher than what he initially started, letting go of your hair as he proceeded to thrust into you once he got the answer he wanted. You started to clench around him as you felt yourself getting closer to your orgasm once again, “please, please let me come! You make me feel so good, please!”
You begged, just exactly how Hyunjin liked it. He only chuckled in response as he proceeds to penetrate you even faster, in result making you squirm and breathe heavier, “that’s fucking right come around my cock, bet you never came like that with your other men, huh?” His possessive words could just make you come already, but his movements and use of his dancer’s hips made you come even harder, as shown by how you arched your back and placed your head into the mattress when you’ve reached cloud nine. But once again, Hyunjin didn’t leave you off the hook and stopped.
“I haven’t come yet… don’t you ever think that I’ll stop, I’ll make you come over and over until I come, got it?”
This wasn’t a request, it was a command, and he sure did do as promised, he continues to use you as his sex toy and made you orgasm repeatedly to the point of your brain fully stops functioning—all your head thinks about is Hyunjin and his cock. The truth is Hyunjin purposefully slows down and edges himself to make you come over and over and overstimulates you in the process. However, he has reached your limits, and ultimately his thrusts started to become sloppy, a great indicator that he is getting close.
“God, I’m gonna come inside…you and have it drip out of you—shi—let the other men know who fuck…ed you good—ah!”
It was his turn to have his mind break as he came inside of you with the most powerful orgasm while you matched with your final orgasm for tonight. Once you both bottomed out, you both pulled away from each other and laid next to each other on the bed, catching a breather for the both of you, both of you sweaty and tired.
Once you two came back to reality, you two looked at each other, “you okay?” Hyunjin asked first, still panting, while you looked up at the ceiling, “Yeah… I think…”
Hyunjin looked around and saw a towel laying on your bedroom floor, opting to use it to wipe you down. After doing so, he went up and decided to grab both of you glasses of water. This was honestly a new sight of Hyunjin, how can this be the same man a few minutes ago? You found his gesture sweet and appreciate it, and while the sex was phenomenal and for sure was better than most of your hookups, you still see the same man you saw when you were in a relationship, no matter how nice he was trying to be. Your heart tugged at that thought, but you knew what was best.
Hyunjin walked in with the two glasses and handed you one, which you took from his hand and thanked him, and he sat next to you as you two sat in silence and drank your water. This silence was similar to the silence from when he came in, except this one was less tense than the last one. Hyunjin was first to break the silence, “Look, I know you didn’t expect my appearance, and I promise you I did not come here for” Hyunjin pointed at the two of us, “this to happen. I genuinely came here to simply apologize.”
You only looked down at the glass below you and your finger circled the rim, unsure what to respond, “I know I screwed up big time with you, I wasn’t the greatest boyfriend, and you genuinely did not deserve the way you were treated at the time. I just want you to know that I regret everything I did and that I still love you.”
His confession made you freeze, and he can sense that even though he didn’t look at you, “which is why I’ll not meddle into your life again,” this time Hyunjin turned his head and looked at you with a tight-lipped frown. You looked back confused at his words, “I know my actions earlier sort of contradict what I just said, but I genuinely want the both of us to start over, or at least I start over. “
You were merely surprised and had so much to say but you stayed quiet as to wait for him to finish up his speech, “you’re doing so well, and I was jealous over that,” he sighs and shakes his head, “I don’t blame you for not forgiving me… As I said, I didn’t expect forgiveness, I just want you to know how I feel…”
You nodded at his words, “yeah, I’m not sure if I can actually forgive you…”
“I understand that…”
“But I’ll still support you in your journey to be a better person, I hope you find the closure you deserve, Hyunjin,” you held his hand smiling at him, and he smiled back.
“Thank you, (y/n)… you truly are an angel.”
818 notes · View notes
a-d-nox · 4 months
Text
pac/pap: what energy should you bring with you into the new year?
take what resonates leave what doesn't - nothing is 100% for you because these aren't personalized so please no angry comments or dms about what i am saying not being a good fit for you or that you "don't claim" just keep scrolling if that is the case. be kind, self reflect, and have fun.
last pac/pap: how do you shine? what encourages your brilliance?
want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
pile one
be direct; expose your true desires in order to gain. you are a shark this new year, so make sure you aren't lurking in the depths. something needs exposing in your life - something that has been causing a lot of tension for you; now is the time to face it head on so you can have a better year than you did previously. be honest, be yourself, and say what you want most from the people and the world around you. when you are in your zone this year, you will feel captivating and mysterious. being destructive or sneaky are likely to hold you back, so be honest and upfront to continue to gain this year.
shufflemancy: "stuntman" by tyler, the creator
pile two
you are someone who is funny - whether it is wit or sarcasm, it is hard to tell. you have a lot of dreams that you previously had you at a standstill. now is not the time to use humor to hide your disappointment and hurt. stop joking and masking this year - i want you to think about what would happen if you were to take your goals/dreams seriously. when you are in your zone you will be charming, witty, and fun to be around. being scrappy, petty, and suspicious like a hyena will only set you back, so sober yourself to the world around so you can have better luck this year in making your dreams into reality.
shufflemancy: "happier than ever" by billie eilish
pile three
you are someone who is grounded and trusting - you are at home in yourself, much like a turtle. this is a good year to learn even more about yourself and the world around you. travel and try new things - gain new experiences. you are likely someone who is naturally good at story telling, so make should you are using a journal this year so that your memories might be read by generations to come - you have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share with others so do so. when you are in your zone you will feel adventurous and productive. being stagnant will hold you back, so make sure you are moving about and seeing the world.
shufflemancy: "red light green light" by dababy
185 notes · View notes
ahgasegotarmy116 · 6 months
Text
Semantic Error | A Jeon Jungkook Series | Chapter 4
Tumblr media
Based off of Semantic Error (bl) by J Soori Summary: Jungkook asks to spent time with y/n as friends Pairing: Techie inexperienced fem!reader x Artist fuck boy Jungkook Word Count: 1.2k~ Warnings: Nothing really, Jungkook is just being annoying and flirty a/n: This is just a tiny bite of the story since I haven't updated it in almost 5 days... oops. I'm spending time at my sister's house for the next few days but I should be able to work on posting more on Monday :) Read from the beginning
Days after my reconciliation with Jungkook I find myself thinking of the possibility of asking him if he would consider working on the game with me again but that would require me to swallow my pride. I'm not really in favor of that option so I decide to wait until he brings it up... if he brings it up.
I could always put up a flyer in the visual arts department asking if anyone would be interested in joining. I'm saying it here and now, I will never crawl back to him, if he sees that I'm still looking for a designer and ends up being interested then he can beg me to be a part of the project again. 
Either way as long as I get a new one by the end of the week then I don't care who I work with. As long as they have a good work ethic and their character design doesn't suck and they can keep to deadlines and... well maybe it might be a bit harder to find someone to fit the bill than I thought it would, knowing that people tend to be very unreliable and unpredictable creatures. I don't want to go through what I went through with Hana cancelling on me again. I guess the only way to really try to find someone is let people know about it.
Calculating all the pros and cons of what the result might be depending on my methods I decide fliers with my contact information would be my best bet. I'll just place it on some sort of bulletin board and hope for the best. If that doesn't work I'll resort to some sort of digital announcement. Opening the program I plan to use I notice that I've received a friend request on sns. Pulling it up I'm greeted with a follow request from Jungkook which I find strange but I accept it nonetheless. Soon after I get a DM from him in my inbox. 
'Hey pretty, I didn't realize you had social media, I guess this means we're friends now that we're following each other :)' I roll my eyes at his pathetic excuse at flirting.
'Last I checked you followed me, I haven't followed you yet' I say putting him in his place.
'Yet ;)' shit I should've just ignored him. 
'Come on y/n just follow me, I promise my account isn't some narcissistic blog or anything, plus next time we see each other I want to take a picture with you and post it! I like posting pictures of my friends!' he says and I can feel his smile through the phone and I roll my eyes at the thought.
'You have to ask for my consent before posting anything' I reply ultimately giving into him since there's no harm done with clicking a single button. 
'Okay I got it. Hey can we meet up in the library tomorrow? I wanted to spend some time with you. I know you end up spending a lot of time in there anyways so I just thought that maybe we could study together, especially since we taking Chinese together' he says waiting for my permission to give him another place to annoy me in.
'What makes you think I would want to study with you?' I say hoping to brush him off.
'y/n I'm your TA , I've see all of the work you've turned in' he teases.
'What's that supposed to mean?' I ask offended at what he's implying.
 'It means that you write like a child. Plus your accent when you speak isn't the best either. I could tutor you if you'd like ;)' he responds, simultaneously offering his help while also insulting me. 
'Pass' I say frustrated with his attitude.
'I'm sorry I didn't mean it, I just like thinking about what you might look like while you're responding to me. You probably have your brows pinched together looking utterly offended and maybe even blushing from embarrassment' 
'I'm not embarrassed!' I retort.
'Why don't you look in the mirror pretty, I've got you blushing without even being there don't I' I get up frustrated, determined to prove him wrong but to my disgust I see my cheeks with a light dusting of pink. 
'Fuck you' I reply indirectly confirming his suspicions.
"Anyway do you want to meet after the class you have after Chinese?' he suggests.
'Aren't you in that class too?' I question annoyed by the memory of him taking my spot for the second time that day.
'No I dropped the class, there was no way I was gonna stay in it and bring down my gpa, I just wanted to annoy you for a bit' he admits.
'Do you have another class after Chinese?' I ask curious as to what he'll do while I'm in class.
'Oh no I'm done for the day after that :)' he sends
'So you're just gonna wait around for me until my hour and a half class ends and then spend even more time studying together? Don't you have something better to do with your life?' I question, confused as to why he would do that. 
'Not really, I just wanna spend some time with you. I wanna be friends remember?' he send with no hesitation.
Is this what friends do for each other? Waste a whole day waiting for your class to finish just to then tutor them afterwards just because you want to 'spend time with them'?
'You Jeon Jungkook are an enigma' I respond not bothering to acknowledge his continued efforts to establish a friendship with me for some odd reason. 
'Thank you? Anyways what's your answer pretty?' he prods, not satisfied with my evasion of his proposition. 
'First off stop calling me that, second I'll be there from 3-6 are you prepared to stay for that long?' I question trying to get him to rescind his invitation. 
'Yep, I'll make sure to clear my schedule, see you then pretty ;)'
I groan audibly at his antics and close out the app. I guess this whole flyer situation can wait until tomorrow since he's given me a splitting headache from all of this. Who knows maybe he'll bring up the game tomorrow so I won't have to make them or swallow my pride, therefore making him come crawling back to me since he seems so eager to spend time with me. 
Taking a deep breath to clear my mind I decide to go to bed early to prepare myself for the mystery this is to be my day tomorrow. My days used to be the same week to week, month to month through out my life with minor changes to my class schedules since I've been in college but ever since Jeon Jungkook decided to walk into my life it has been anything but ordinary.
I'm used to scheduling things down to the very minute and that has worked well for me. It's set me up for success in my schooling but also as an adult. My life is what some people might call boring but I find peace in my calculated existence. Whereas Jeon Jungkook rolls with the punches and lives in chaos. My world is in black and white and his is in color, my life is routine and his life is creative. Why has someone like him taken an interest in me when I'm the exact opposite. Why can't he just leave me alone? I guess the real question I should be asking is why can't I get him out of my head? 
prev / next
Series Masterlist
Taglist: @jkslipppiercing @trina864 @goddesofimortality @kaitieskidmore97 @coolbluedude @00frenchfries00 @marvelbun @coralmusicblaze @bangtans-momma @pastelpinkjoon @joonwater @j3nni-rs @evidive @beomieboi
Join my Taglist
Feel free to fill out the form or comment below to be added :)
54 notes · View notes
heybiji · 3 months
Note
hi!!! i just wanted to say i really love all of your MASKS stuff. i'm something of a newbie when it comes to the TTRPG community, but MASKS seems to be not very well-known and i think that's a real shame. i'm a huge fan of old-school superhero-adjacent stuff, especially the silver- and bronze-age ones!
by the way, i was wondering if you'd be willing to share some tips for a first-time GM? you don't have to if you'd rather not! i just figured i'd try asking since i was planning on GMing a MASKS campaign for some of my friends later, but despite my decade's worth of roleplaying experience i've never been in a TTRPG campaign nor a GM (or similar) role before
Thank you so much!! I was just lamenting about how I felt bad for the MASKS tag because it is now flooded with all my npc nonsense hahah so this is really nice to hear.
It's awesome you're planning on running a MASKS game for your friends!! There is an indispensable post on twitter I saw that has a LOT of great tips for running MASKS that I recommend checking out. But for my own personal tips that are just me things, here's what I got. Sorry it's gonna be extremely long-winded, it may take a few months to read through it.
(Note: I am also hugely into RP and probably put more into it than what is necessary, especially with MASKS which is meant to be able to be played out of the box. It was definitely not played out of the box in our case because I require a lot out of myself and everyone else to feel good about running something. if anyone else wants to continue seeing me as a normal human being please don't click the Keep Reading)
Since you're running it, make the world interesting to you. If the world runs around themes you're personally interested in then you'll have a much easier time coming up with answers on the fly. For me, themes I'm interested in that lend themselves well to a superhero world: money, power, family, celebrity, media, the 24 hour news cycle and the desensitization of violence. Because I'm interested in this stuff anyway, wrapping a world around them makes it much simpler for me to figure out how the world ticks and thus how the characters fit into it and how the world reacts to them, and I am DESPERATE to find out how the characters react to all the questions and expectations the world is imposing upon them.
Make sure your players have a good grasp of the tone of story so they can make characters that gel well within it. For me the tone is a lil more adult because I'm not personally into younger morality tale stories in tone, it's pretty grounded, and I think comedy and tragedy work hand in hand so I lean into them.
Talk. A lot. Talk about the characters, talk about the world. MASKS is fun because it's a LOT of talking and figuring out the narrative together. It's not a lot of crunchy mechanics, it's all around seeing how the characters react to the world narratively, all hurt and comfort and emotions which (for me) requires people to have a good grasp on their characters and the world. I like to give my players "homework" where I ask them a question involving their characters in some way like "what hero did your character look up to as a child?" so they get to come up with past heroes, or "How does your character feel about _____?" etc etc. The only fans are gonna be your table and fans love to talk so be the biggest fans of the PCs!!
Figure out your framing. I know in MASKS they suggest framing it like a comic book, and basically talking about the frames on screen. For me, because I'm more into movies and tv than comics, I frame it like that. So I have an active "camera" in play during sessions and will ask things like "would anyone like to grab the camera?" to encourage the players to put the character into a scene or "what does the audience see as the camera focuses in on your character in this emotional moment?" There is a LOT of playing up to the camera and framing the sessions as episodes of a show, so it's like, okay, you have several options but what is going to be interesting for the audience to see? I find this encourages the players to have their characters take bigger swings and feel comfortable letting us into how their character is feeling because it all looks GREAT on camera. The camera loves it. The PCs are the story after all.
Because I frame it a show, I also like to play individual ending songs over the "credits" at the end of each episode. So I asked my players to make playlists for their characters so if I feel an episode had a lot of emotional focus on one character in particular, I can play one of their songs at the end of the episode! I also made a general MASKS playlist with a bunch of songs from the era we set it in (2004) to pull from. It's a fun little addition that I really enjoy and that I hope makes it all feel more special.
The Dino Donut Effect: create landmarks in your world. (OK THIS IS GONNA BE LONG BUT WORK WITH ME HERE) They don't have to be locations, more solid landmarks of the story that the characters can refer back to and lean on to make the world feel more "real." I call it the Dino Donut Effect because in our world the thing that made everything click into place was talking out the backstory of one of the PC's figuring out they had the power negation ability. We were talking one night trying to figure it out; we wanted the character to fall out of a building and be caught by a flying superhero and accidentally turn off their powers, so they toss the kid to another flying supe whose powers also get turned off. But we were like... holy shit what is the height of a building needed that can handle this much action in the air without them hitting the ground in 3 seconds. So after a long night of talking about terminal velocity and looking at Splat Calculators we figured out the height of the building, and we needed them to crash into something that wouldn't fuckin kill them. The first suggestion was a truck full of bananas. Nah. We landed on a giant balloon that could take the impact. And the balloon became a giant T-Rex holding a donut that was the mascot of the city's beloved decades old donut shop Dino Donut. And so we decided that one of the two flying supes grabbed onto the kid and the other and flew into the giant balloon to try and keep them all alive, which destroyed the balloon, which was a city institution, and there was a crowd of children there that day that saw their friend Dino Donut die. Killed by a superhero. The balloon deflated loudly so it sounded like Dino Donut was screaming in agony. All the kids were traumatized (screaming crying throwing up), the city was furious because everyone loved Dino Donut, it was constantly in the news cycle, and it ruined the career of the supe that "killed Dino Donut." AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE DINO DONUT BALLOON WITH A LAME "UPDATED DESIGN" DINO DONUT STATUE which everyone hates and people consider to be a memorial to the old Dino Donut. ANYWAY, the Dino Donut effect is that now all the PCs have one single incident to refer back to that they all have feelings about. A couple of them were there that day and heard Dino Donut scream, one is now the protege of the disgraced superhero that killed Dino Donut so she feels uncomfortable talking about it, there's the kid that was saved that day but was sworn to secrecy by the supe so no one would find out about his power negation ability, and then there's the kid that wasn't there because she's an alien that just arrived to earth and now the kids have to explain the incident to her with all their varying opinions. Now the PCs' meeting spot is at a Dino Donut. Having this one solid incident that is both funny and kind of goes into the themes of the world has been an absolute treat. Creating "landmarks" like that in the world has done so much and now I'm like okay I'm gonna try to do this moving forward with any other thing I run.
anyway these are my extremely specific to me tips. my RP standards are kind of high which makes me a bit of a terror but also when the flowers bloom from it it feels GREAT. i'm not sure if this will help but hopefully there is something there that can be useful!
MASKS is fun and simple once you get the hang of it, though, so I'm sure whatever you do you and your players will have a lot of fun! especially if you're someone who is into RP which is the background I'm coming from too; MASKS is extremely narrative! i'll be looking in the tag for your game hehe
Tumblr media
(The Day Dino Donut Died art by JD)
37 notes · View notes
yxstxrdrxxm · 1 month
Text
And that... Is the end of Flawed.
Or the one I hosted for my silly event here anyway.
[ TL;DR under read more: The lack of interest and stress I got from irl matters led me to drop the event and ending it early, but! I have a blog made for the sake of continuing/restarting the event.
Please vote on the poll if you want it to be catered to the reader or stick to Yesterday, and be unbiased, too. Vote what you want, and I'll try and make it happen.]
CONTEXT UTC:
So, I know you guys have a lot of questions, and I can't blame you. I know the biggest one in your mind right now, which is:
Why did I end Flawed early?
The reason why I ended Flawed was actually multiple. Please keep in mind that these are for my observations, and overall I'm not blaming anyone for this. I just noticed it and thought I should bring it up lol.
1. Writing for days burnt me out.
Although Flawed is a passion story/project of mine, writing so much burnt me out. And by a lot. There were days I struggled to think of writing because I have other commitments to do, and sometimes its why polls came out super late or super early. I tried to compensate for it by posting 1 poll a day, but when it didn't work, I pushed myself to make more for 1 day.
I wanted so badly for the whole event to flow like a CYOA because by next month (April), I won't be free to host this as I used to with OLC. However, in that process, I burnt myself out to the point I needed to take longer breaks/forget this event.
It sucks. I would not recommend doing this if you think you want to (because it is NOT worth it).
2. Interactions were... Lacking.
This event is interaction heavy, and the reason why is because you guys control the story that Yesterday and others are in. Naturally, this also affects the characters and how I shape Flawed from start to finish. I have a plot line for it, of course, but the interactions were... Not there.
I noticed the usual ones from my mutuals, sure, but there were moments that I felt like I was simply posting to no one. It was unfortunate during the time with Diluc, where I had hoped that some of you would go, but due to complications (ahem, the votes weren't able to decide on going when the deadline was up), I had to write how it's supposed to go with some... Changes.
It also made me feel sad to see that there weren't much (if at all) interactions to Yesterday. Tinuvion received a fair bit, which is nice because he's a little shit (please bully him lol), but Yesterday after the first week and a half just... Didn't get any. At least, in my records.
I'm not saying this to guilt you guys to interact more, but I am saying this because it feels sad for me to see that unlike OLC, this... Flopped. I had a lot of responses + moments planned if it took off that much, but... Oh well. There's always that one story that won't hit for everyone.
And finally:
3. Maybe you guys wanted it to be catered to you, not to an OC.
I had a feeling that, from the start, Flawed may not take off.
Unlike One Last Call (which was a matchup event + story), Flawed was a CYOA but you guys aren't the main focus/MC, Yesterday (my oc) is. I was hoping that with this method, you guys get to play the omnipotent voice and see how far the story can go until it's conclusion.
However, as I hosted the event for the next few days to weeks, I realized that it was simply too difficult. Maybe I wasn't prepared to host this type of format, as ambitious as it is, but I realized that maybe, you guys don't deserve this format and I should've made it catered to a reader insert instead.
It was hard for me to swallow the pill that this event may not be fun for the majority. I knew that having an OC be the MC + canon characters interact with them may be flaky at best (esp the whole OC x Canon being... well. very much a huge "oh dear"), but seeing minimal interaction/interest than my friends were (and people I admire, too. Hi Harmony! o/!!) and realizing that maybe I shouldn't have done this just... Made me regret it.
For that, I'd like to say:
I'm so, so sorry that this event failed. I'm very sorry if you guys expected it to be like OLC: about the reader/reader insert format.
I know it's not right for me to apologize, but I feel that I have to. I let all of you down, and I don't want you guys to be disappointed in something that you all don't like to see in this blog.
So I decided that I'll run this event in its own blog, but here's the thing.
I don't know if I should keep Yesterday in the blog.
I have to open up a poll for this, so here's the options you guys have for it's fate:
If you guys want it to be a reader insert game (aka you are the main star, not Yesterday), I will set up a menu to BUILD your personal darling.
This means that you guys get to decide how darling will look, the gender, their preferences, and even their job. However, this will be for your darling, and if darling dies, you can't use them anymore.
PROS: This is catered to the reader, and thus, you guys are the ones to choose your own destiny. I won't be the one to decide this time, and if the majority agrees on a specific option, your darling will do just that. This is also more open for variety + reader/canon interaction because I know some of you would have a lot of fun being able to see yourselves in the story.
CONS: When your darling dies, you get the chance to restart. However, the game will continue on with a new darling you guys will have to make and the stats reset to zero. The characters will also mention your past darling, and you'll have to restart from scratch. I still need to tweak this, but just know that it is VERY tricky for you if your first darling dies.
If you guys want it to stay the same (Yesterday is the MC), the format will remain the same.
This means what you witnessed here in the blog WILL happen on the other blog.
PROS: You guys get to either continue or restart with Yesterday's story, and with newfound knowledge, you get to choose more options that were previously unavailable. This also opens up to you all being able to essentially shape Yesterday's outlook + what'll happen to them, because you are the one guiding them to their happy ending.
CONS: This one does not offer a restart like the reader insert (one try only), and this could result to another "this'll flop because many people aren't interested". We've seen it happen here, so please decide wisely.
If you guys want BOTH, the format will be different as you have the option to build a darling (reader insert) or stick to Yesterday's story.
This means there will be a new system for both options to be available, alongside new menus!
PROS: You guys get to have a chance of an 'easy route' or 'hard route' and all of you can use your experience/s to get your desired ending for either one <3 go crazy lol
CONS: If you choose one of the two options for both, the latter will be locked. That's the only consequence I have for this one tbh.
So yes, I'd like to say thank you, and sorry for the fail of Flawed on this blog. I wish I could give you all the quality like in OLC, but there were... Too many things to consider. Sobs.
If you guys still want to continue, please lmk. I worked hard on Flawed and I still want to continue, but this time, its a permanent event and will be on my own pace.
Thank you for your support. Again. And I'll see you guys next time (be it a random fic or the next event <3)
20 notes · View notes
sparingiscaring · 6 months
Text
Continuing from my previous tags, a thing I've wondered about Light Fingers (at least since finishing it) is, why do we never actually experience one of the major horrors of the Ambition ourselves? Like, okay, Starved Men, we go there and have a bad time, Clara is having so much body horror, Hephaesta and the Zee, Edward is staking us, the Orphanage is... yeah, and A Bat Wants to Roofie The City, sure that's a Bad Time, but it feels like we missed out on Actually experiencing what is at the core of this story!!! OBSESSION.
I wish we had gotten Moon-Milked! I think we are the only ones in the story (Aside from Frank n Jasper) who don't experience it! Like, I'm sorry, you're telling me EVERYONE HERE either is or has gone through one of the most intense horror things ever, an obsessive love that is driving you almost to madness, and you DON'T GET TO?! Not even for a BIT?! It feels like it should be there! You should have had it happen!
It could be at Vaughan's Island. Think of it. THE BOTH OF YOU. THE SYMBOLISM. Obtaining Lethean Tea Leaves (It's Light Fingers, you could probably steal some with a high shadowy challenge, make it a Heist if ya want) is how you opt out! Opting out is your Current Route - you don't get the letters full text, you get to act horrified at Poor Edward's... yeah, unchanged. But if you don't, you have to read what he sends. You're compelled to. The game can tell you in Bold, after it happens. "Find a Remedy, or else your Obsession will Grow".
You have the option to burn the letters, but even when you click it, the narrative, the Obsession, makes you read them, makes you keep them, makes you keep the boxes and the letters and everything else he sends you. Just changing the framing, changing it so your every no is changed by the Moon-Milk into a yes, because you are NOT in control of your own Self, when it comes to this. Nothing else is changes - but when it comes to the Object of your Obsession, you just cannot be in complete control of yourself.
And if the first time control is taken is too much, you could just be reminded again. And that option to Undo This is there, you just have to opt out. You get the Biggest Part of the Horror tied even more to your character, and you as the player have to deal with the loss of control of your Self, of that certainty that your choice was your own, and the building unease that, in the following sections, you cannot even trust your own Player to obey you, when it comes to this ambition.
Or, piggybacking off of @thedeafprophet's 'PC Gets Kidnapped' idea, it could easily come into play there, in a much smaller role. You're subjected to it, then, if you don't hold out, and you see the world as your saviors (puts a blanket over Jasper and Frank's heads) did in Clara's case, and still do, in Hephaesta's. You get to experience the need and the pull and the obsession yourself! The parallels of how you freed Clara from her's, to her freeing you now! They physically get you out of there, and then Vaughan mentally gets you out of there, helping you cure/repress the after effects.
You never marry Poor Edward, he's whimpering pathetically in the Nightmare Orphanage, or Murderized in the Nightmare Orphanage, but you can chose between cure and repress. No Edward Card, sealing him away in that place, or leaving open a door in your subconscious, come the next Nightmare card.
I don't know how to end this. I just feel like we should have had the chance to subject ourselves to The Horror of this Ambition, because stopping this from happening to everyone is really the story of Light Fingers. It's one thing to see it in somebody else - I wish we could have seen it ourselves, and had the chance to see just how horrifying it really is.
37 notes · View notes