#and I'll say something more... refined and restrained... then.

[deoidesign]

Hello! I just discovered your blog and I immediately became captivated by your webcomic, but I'm unsure where to read all of it. I know it's on Webtoons, but I can see it hasn't been updated for a while, and you still post about it.

Are your physical novels just prints of the webcomic? Are they a continuation? Is the story complete? Thanks in advance!

Hi there!

Glad you found me and are enjoying my comic!

It's only on webtoons, and the story is not complete yet! We're 2/3 of the way through right now. It's currently on hiatus, and it's scheduled to come back in about 2 months!

I'll explain why it's been so long if you're curious, but also for my followers who might also be wondering about it under the cut. Sorry, it's pretty much just me complaining haha

I took a month off I took 2 months to get the books printed I took a month to prepare my next comic and I took 2 months to write the rest of the series (I knew the character arcs I wanted, but not the time periods or mysteries!!!) I've been working on actual episodes since then

I had to take some time off because of some pretty extreme burnout due to the sheer amount of work it was to draw over 800 pages and write 6 complete stories in a year and a half... I was getting sick almost weekly due to the overwork, it was really really bad honestly. I was having to work 60+ hours every week just to keep up...

The nature of the comic itself is also difficult... Each of the arcs is a complete, self contained story which can be read (ideally) without context, and my arcs need to be about 10-13 episodes each... And since I have an exact number of episodes to work with, it's even harder.

It takes a ton of planning and a ton of refinement, and working week to week with no breaks I was forced to put out second or even first drafts, so I just wasn't happy with the work I was doing... And to do that for the rest of the series? I wouldn't be proud of the work I did.

Plus... To be entirely honest, webtoon has treated me quite badly IN MY OPINION... They deprioritized me before I launched (I had to beg for more promotion, I'm not exaggerating), they outright denied me the opportunity to even ask for a raise, I don't make any money on fast pass and they pay me less than my partner makes working at trader joes. My first editor left me completely hanging, my second editor (who I loved) was fired... And they told me I wouldn't get a third season before my first season even finished. So it was just repeatedly completely demoralizing.

I'm sorry it has taken so long, it'll have been 10 months by the time I come back. But I realized... I won't get promotion either way. I won't get more episodes either way. I won't get more money either way. So to finish everything, to make it feel good, to make it something I'm proud of, I chose to take longer to make it better.

I am fully aware I will lose a significant amount of my readership for this and it might genuinely affect my career moving forward. But it's what I had to do! So I'm sticking to my guns on it, and I'm confident long term it'll be worth it. It never could have been this good if I didn't take this much time.

[midnight-glasses]

Can you do Reiji body headcanons, please🙏!!

This headcanon clearly inspired by @/dialovers-lover-xoxo check out her post!

☕ — Since he always wears gloves, Reiji's hands are very soft and smooth when you touch them. Additionally, he always keeps his nails trimmed.

☕ — He doesn't have many body hairs, but where he does, they are located in very specific places and not in abundance. He has a decent amount of hair mainly in the armpits and a bit in the abdomen region, extending down to the pelvis, and a little hair on his legs. They are almost imperceptible, but when you touch them, you can feel them.

☕ — Reiji has a thin torso and waist, but his body is well-toned and even muscular to a certain extent. He has more physical structure than Laito but is not as muscular as Ayato.

☕ — I'll be bold in stating this, but I like to entertain the idea of Reiji having inverted nipples. He tends to be very self-conscious about this and is unlikely to be shirtless around anyone.

☕ — Reiji has an upright and elegant posture, reflecting his refined upbringing and his sense of superiority over his other brothers.

☕ — His hair is tidy and impeccable; when you run your hand through it, you can notice that it's very silky and soft, with an aroma similar to that of fine herbs.

☕ — Reiji's feet are small and elegant, a feature he doesn't particularly like. Perhaps he's a little insecure or overly self-conscious about it, but it adds a certain grace to his overall demeanor.

☕ — He has broad, well-defined shoulders. If he ever allowed himself to wear a tank top, he would look great in it.

☕ — Reiji's skin is smooth and flawless, with hardly any noticeable hair or texture. It feels similar to the skin of a peach when you touch it, smooth and soft like a makeup sponge.

☕ — His fingers are long and agile, perfect for manipulating delicate objects with surgical precision.

☕ — Reiji's legs are long and slender, with an athletic appearance without being overly muscular.

☕ — His eyebrows are thin and well-shaped, curving gently over his eyes. Speaking of his eyes, they are not as feline as Laito's eyes; they are softer, though they narrow when he is angry.

☕ — Reiji has piercing and deep eyes, with irises of a dark hue that tend to shine brightly when he is excited.

☕ — His chin is slightly square.

☕ — Reiji maintains an upright and proud posture, with his torso tilted slightly forward when he is concentrating on something, giving him an air of determination and focus.

☕ — His skin on his arms and forearms is smooth and pale, without visible imperfections. As mentioned earlier, he is not the prime example of physical strength, but one cannot say that his combat abilities are atrophied. He knows how to use his strength and fighting skills when necessary.

☕ — Reiji's ears are not prominent, discreetly framed by his tidy hair, and they lie close to his head.

☕ — His nose is straight and thin, with a slightly upturned tip. The nostrils are defined, and the nose line is smooth and symmetrical

☕ — Reiji's buttocks are subtly defined beneath his clothing. He often opts for loose-fitting clothes that slightly accentuate the curvature of his hips. (I like to think so, again these are just headcanons, don't judge me by the thought)

☕ — Reiji's lips are thin and well-defined. When he smiles, you can notice some dimples appearing on his cheeks.

☕ — His smile is often restrained and calculated, revealing just enough to convey confidence and, occasionally, a sardonic streak of humor. His thin, well-designed lips contribute to the balanced aesthetic of his smile, the dimples in his cheeks only appear when he is very excited and cannot contain himself.

☕ — Reiji's teeth are white and straight, with slightly more pronounced canines.

☕ — Reiji has a gentle expression line between his eyebrows. This line, known as a forehead furrow or “worry lines”, is subtle but noticeable when he is focused or deeply reflecting on something.

☕ — When nervous, he has the habit of sawing his teeth or biting his lower lip, sometimes it is possible to see evidence of this, especially after moments of stress.

☕ — Reiji has a small dark mole on the inner side of his left ring finger, just like his uncle.

☕ — He has a long, slender neck

☕ — Reiji has a subtle scent of woody notes and spices.

☕ — He has a habit of combing his hair with his fingers when he's nervous, he tends to do it in a very ritualistic way.

☕ — In addition to being deep, Reiji's voice is engaging and melodic, captivating the attention of whoever listens.

☕ — When he is thoughtful or concentrated, Reiji may frown slightly or purse his lips.

All my written content is original, however, I do not claim ownership of the characters depicted. ©2024-Present.

[haley-harrison]

Eric Kripke is the Alfred Hitchcock of our generation. In this essay I will outline the main types of horror they use, offer examples, and elaborate the genius of the said tropes.

It will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the man's work, that Kripke loves his ✨gore✨. Now that he's no longer restrained by CW's PG rating, he gets to go full-throttle with it in The Boys. That isn't to say that Supernatural didn't get it's fair share though - I mean, just remember the "Skin" episode in season one - that scene where the skinwalker changes his skin is pure body horror. Masterful.

Okay, Haley, so what? Some of us aren't squeamish. What's the brilliant part?

Good point, my med/bio orientated reader. That gets me to the second type of horror (and my personal kryptonite): psychological horror.

Here we get to lovecraftian themes. And I don't exactly mean Cthulhu. See, lovecraftian monsters are incomprehensible to the human mind, which generates horror through the unease of being unable to understand. Similarly, certain characters that the majority of the audience cannot identify with, can be used to the same end. Lemme illustrate this with two examples: Homelander and The Deep.

I reckon it's safe to assume most people aren't sadistic psychopaths, nor zoophiles with a penchant for sea creatures. Therefore the extreme Otherness of these two makes people uneasy, disturbing on a fundamental level. Hitchcock refined that particular horror trope by sprinkling his movies with taboo-topics of his own time, such as implied homosexuality. (*gasp* 🏳️‍🌈😆)

And here we get to the now well-known horror rule: the unseen monster is the scariest monster. More broadly, what is only implied can be more impactful than having the exact scenario shown on screen. The unsaid leaves more to the imagination (which is the most powerful tool for horror), and creates and additional dread with the element of unknown. People are unsettled by what else there might be, when elipses replace a clear answer.

Now back to Kripke, and how CW's censorship actually worked in his favor in Supernatural.

Maybe you saw this coming, but the monsters aren't the lovecraftian element. (Really, with the exception of tulpas and wendigos, none of them were even remotely scary). As I said above, Homelander and The Deep are lovecraftian because they're freaks. Unsympathetic freaks, but imagine if we took that first part away...

I shan't say it.

Just. Something something, american gothic, shit's implied and that's the point.

Haley, is this an elaborate ploy to talk about shipping? Really?

No. This is about environmental storytelling, gritty noir filter, camera angles, and just how much is left unsaid. This is about trauma, and repression, and the emotional reaction of the audience when they're left to ruminate a bit on the kind of lives the Winchesters had. It's about the missing scenes, the psychology, the implications - just -

*deep breath*

Another brilliant thing is how Kripke plays around with bathos - causing contrasting feelings in quick succession to give the audience emotional whiplash. The quips sprinkled in between the violence. The unexpected gag right before a gut-punch. It accentuates the experience for the audience. Like the way Dean's relationship with food is often played for laughs, but when you mull it over it's not hard to figure out the underlying food scarcity while growing up.

And furthermore, where did the money come from when times were tough? A myriad of angst-fics went ahead to answer that, which just proves an implication is far superior to exposition.

Then there's Hell. We don't get more than a few seconds of flashes, but think about it. Wouldn't Hell use every torture method imaginable? And what's the most psychologically damaging thing you can do to a person, especially a man?

I think you know the answer.

And that realization is the dawning psychological horror.

Finally, I'll leave you with this:

Just... Kripke!!!

I'm biting stuff!

[yallemagne]

Kind of basic bur Top 5 books .. ..? Maybe 5 fiction and 5 non fiction if you’re feeling free

and you cant say FraCula . Okay you can i don’t control you

I am deeply sorry, anon, because when I made that "call me beep me if you wanna reach me" post, I'd completely forgotten that I disabled email notifications for my inbox because of bots.

This is fucking rough. Mostly because I just spent an hour typing out a response (too much effort for a tier list request, I know) and then Tumblr chewed it up. How did I ever manage to write full essays on here back in the day without typing them up somewhere else??? BUT ALSO because I feel like such a fake literature fan. I feel like I've read nothing at all. There are so many books that are staples that I haven't read. There are so many books on my shelf that I haven't finished.

"FraCula"? I presume you mean Frankenstein and/or Dracula? Yeah, lol, no. They are not making the top 5. You'd think that they would because of how much time I have dedicated to them, but that's probably the issue jiopegprio. If I were to rank them, Frankenstein may win over Dracula simply because I have so many more feelings about the latter than the former. Which doesn't make sense, right? But the Dracula fever was a turbulent time in my life, and though I love so much about the novel, I hate so much as well (and those things I hate are because I love the other things with such ferocity). Though... I do have to restrain myself from getting into fights with "Victor Frankenstein is the real monster!!!" people. But isn't the fact that I am able to restrain myself further proof that I love Frankenstein less? That I fight for it less?

Oh well. Onto the actual list:

Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Absolute comfort novel, and I wish I had been introduced to it YEARS AGO when I got it for my friend because it was on their wishlist. I'll never forgive. Though, maybe I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it in middle school. This novel was such a positive influence in my life when I was reading it (on this very blog, you can see it helping me through some traumatic shit in real time). I have never touched any adaptations or "sequels" of it and never wish to. [From this point on, the list order is just chronological to when I read the books.]

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott This book will always have a place in my heart because it felt like the first "real book" I ever finished. My mom was very excited when I finished it. So she got me the actual book. Yeah... the book I had finished had been an abridged illustrated version. But still! The excitement (and confusion) on Christmas day when Ma gave me a copy of the real book.

The Silverwing Trilogy by Kenneth Oppel Keeping with the trend set by Little Women, I actually first found this story through the animated adaptation of it. It wasn't until years later when my cousin coincidentally got me the book series as a gift (literally just bc I love bats) that I even knew there were books. Reading them was so fun, rediscovering moments that were in the animated adaptation, newly discovering moments that were left out. I unfortunately fell off with the third book due to how unfamiliar it was, though. Still. Great fun. [people are gonna fuckin roast me for having children's books in this list and not something refined like Les Mis... that is one of the books languishing on my shelf after I failed to get past the first few chapters in middle school]

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Yet ANOTHER book I learned of primarily through adaptation... though this novella has no good adaptations. The reason? They always disregard Utterson! My beloved POV character. I do not relate to him in the SLIGHTEST, I love him so much.

The Vampyres by C.R. Kane If this list were in any particular order, this would be right after Twenty-Thousand Leagues. And the two would be tied if not for a singular detail that made me lose my shit. The author knows what they did. Let me just... put my book review here:

Roses. Garlic. Ash. The Vampyres is a story about the hunter becoming the hunted. This story was delightful to read. Kane introduces the protagonist, Gordon Williams, and his peers: members of the undead who have made pacts with gods to be indestructible, not even threatened by wards that we commonly know to work against undead monsters like garlic and holy symbols. And then, once the reader is confident in the vampires’ total invincibility, Kane pulls the rug from under their feet and introduces a horror that even the proud and complacent Gordon dreads. Every character introduced is fleshed out by the narration, even minor victims of Gordon’s bloodthirst, creating a world that feels lively beyond the protagonist’s supernaturally broad perspective. I’d recommend this story to anyone for its thrilling action, striking prose, and potent emotions.

Just go fucking read it, dude. I need you to read this book. Read The Vampyres by C.R. Kane.

[pardi-real]

Tarot of Destiny / Chapter 10 - Partner to Monopolize

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Lucas: “Sorry to keep you waiting, my lord.”

> “Ah, Lucas”

Lucas: "Fufu… You've been receiving the thoughts of the butlers, one after another. Each person's thoughts are very sincere and positive, but... even continuing to accept them must be quite a lot for you, isn't it?"

> "Actually I'm pleased"

Lucas: "That's good. Then I will also… express my true feelings to you, my lord ♪ Now, please take a look here. 

The tarot card I received is... 'The Hierophant' in the ‘upright position’. The meaning of this card is... 'Highly cooperative' and 'Refined mind,' among other things. 

Fufu. The meaning of the card that represents me is 'highly cooperative,' huh? I couldn't have imagined that from my past self. It made me laugh ♪ 

But at the same time... I feel proud. I truly feel that I've grown mentally... and it's been the same since I met you. 

Due to the incident with Lato... I feel that I've grown as a person. At that time... thanks to you pushing my back... I was able to overcome the long-standing barrier between Miyaji and me. 

Something I had always imagined but never faced, my wish finally came true. You gave me the courage I lacked... and it's you, my lord, who prompted me to further personal growth. You are... truly an amazing person. 

If you hadn't come to this world... we would have struggled in a more miserable reality. You, my lord, are an irreplaceable presence not only to us, but to everyone living in this world. 

Fufu... do you think it's an exaggeration? But it's the truth.  I can't thank you enough for meeting us... Thank you very much. Being able to have this moment with you all to myself... What a blissful time it is. 

I wish I could always... just be with you alone."

> “Lu-Lucas…?”

Lucas: "Fufu ♪ Just kidding ♪ I truly want to monopolize you, but... Nac and Lamli also restrained themselves... so I can't be that selfish.  I am 'The Hierophant', after all. I have to show a cooperative attitude ♪  Well then, I'll go and call the two who are waiting over there.  Fufu... Nevertheless, I think I've truly earned that 'highly cooperative.' I can suppress such strong desires... for the sake of others ♪"

[A little while later]

Clack… clack… clack…

Nac: “With this, I think we third-floor butlers have conveyed our feelings quite well."

Lamli: "Yup, yup! I feel refreshed!  But... I wonder how this leads to saving the lord?"

Nac: "How about it? My lord. After hearing the butlers' stories so far...  Did you find anything that could be a clue?"

> "I wonder…”

Ms. Elvira said that ‘You already have the answer that will save the lord from an ominous fate.' But... for now, there's nothing that seems to lead to an answer... I can't think of anything.

Nac: "Is that so... Still, there are the butlers from the basement and the villa left."

Lamli: "That's right! We'll definitely find a way to save the lord! Besides, no matter what happens... We will always protect you!"

> "Thank you, Lamli"

Lucas: "Fufu... 'Looking back on ourselves and conveying feelings to the lord'...  We started this to save the lord from an ominous fate, but unexpectedly, it became an opportunity to look back on how 'we were saved by the lord'."

Nac: "Yes. Just as Mr. Lucas says."

Lamli: “A lot has happened in these two years~ Thanks to the lord, I've grown a lot too!"

Nac: "Well... I can vouch that point as well. But there's still a lot of room for you to improve."

Lamli: "Yeah, yeah. Nac's still as naggy as ever~."

Nac: "If you change your attitude, you won't have to hear my nagging."

Lucas: "Oh well ♪  You two are still the same as always ♪"

Nac: "Oops... I'm sorry, my lord. I apologize for showing you an unsightly side."

Lamli: "I'm sorry for Nac's behavior, my lord!"

I felt a little relieved… watching the butlers who were behaving as usual. Each of them carries a heavy past... their backgrounds and personalities are different, but... after spending two years together... they show their gratitude for meeting me. For their sake too... I wanted to avoid the fate where we had to part ways. 

Knock, knock

Flure: "Excuse me, my lord. I've come to pick you up... Is it alright now?"

Lamli: "It's Mr. Ribbon! Yup, it's okay now~ ♪"

Nac: "I'll rely on you for the escort to the next temple."

Lucas: "Yes. Do your best, Flure. You'll be talking with the lord alone... And you might think, 'I want it to be just the two of us like this forever,' but... endure that feeling... don't succumb to your desires.”

Flure: "Huh? Um... Y-Yes... Understood...  W-well then, my lord! Please ride my horse this time. I'll guide you to the 'Earth Temple'."

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[mariana-oconnor]

The Mazarin Stone pt 1

I have no idea who Billy is, but sure. Guest speaker number 2.

It was pleasant to Dr. Watson to find himself once more in the untidy room of the first floor in Baker Street which had been the starting-point of so many remarkable adventures.

So Billy is doing 3rd person POV where he knows Watson's feelings. Cool. coolcool.

Finally, his eyes came round to the fresh and smiling face of Billy, the young but very wise and tactful page...

Lolol. Okay Billy.

“It all seems very unchanged, Billy. You don't change, either."

Billy is an immortal! Confirmed.

"It's this case of the Crown diamond.” “What—the hundred-thousand-pound burglary?”

Ooh, diamonds.

A hundred thousand in 1903 would be over £10million today. So that's a hefty rock.

"Why, we had the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary both sitting on that very sofa. Mr. Holmes was very nice to them."

I like to think if I had the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary sitting on my sofa I would not be very nice to them. I would in fact ask them a lot of questions they did not want to answer. I might even be said to interrogate them.

But each to their own, I guess.

"I can get along with the Prime Minister, and I've nothing against the Home Secretary, who seemed a civil, obliging sort of man, but I can't stand his Lordship."

A civil, obliging sort of man? How times have changed! I guess politicians back then didn't use the word "shithole" - at least not in public.

I think you really should contemplate your life choices when one of the only compliments people give you is 'at least you're not Suella Braverman'.

I'll stop talking about current British politics now, I swear.

I didn't even mention the Prime Minister.

"I say, Billy, what is that curtain for across the window?” “Mr. Holmes had it put up there three days ago. We've got something funny behind it.”

Funny ha ha or funny peculiar?

Dr. Watson could not restrain a cry of amazement. There was a facsimile of his old friend, dressing-gown and all, the face turned three-quarters towards the window and downward, as though reading an invisible book, while the body was sunk deep in an armchair. Billy detached the head and held it in the air.

Three things:

Thing the first: This is not the first time you've seen a duplicate of Holmes, Watson. This should barely even register on your weirdometer.

Thing the second: I need a window seat like this.

Thing the third: I was not expecting that gif I just used to be so apt.

“We used something of the sort once before.”

That's what I just said. I suppose suddenly being presented with a wax effigy of your best friend might be a little surprising. But if you've seen it before, I wouldn't call it amazing. But maybe I am cynical.

"I'm expecting something this evening.” “Expecting what?” “To be murdered, Watson.”

Oh, cool. I'm glad murder scheduled an appointment.

“But why not eat?” “Because the faculties become refined when you starve them."

Super not true. Couldn't be less true. Starvation absolutely does not help you think better. Unless it's thoughts about how hungry you are. The brain in fact, eventually starts eating itself. You might have a brief period of clarity, but no.

Just no.

"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."

"...in case it should come off, it would perhaps be as well that you should burden your memory with the name and address of the murderer. You can give it to Scotland Yard, with my love and a parting blessing."

Imagining Lestrade just getting a message saying 'Hello, I have been murdered by -------. Hopefully with this information you'll be able to catch them, but given the state of Scotland Yard, I don't hold out much hope. Love and best wishes! Sherlock Holmes!'

"You bear every sign of the busy medical man, with calls on him every hour.”

When has Watson ever in all this time cared more about his patients than anything else in the world. This man will ditch his responsibilities at the drop of a stethoscope. He does not give a flying fuck about his doctoring, Holmes. I suppose he doesn't have his very accommodating nextdoor neighbour anymore to look after his practice for him, but even so.

He took one more glance round to see that there were no witnesses, and then, on tiptoe, his thick stick half raised, he approached the silent figure.

What is the plan here? Say 'oh, Mr Policeman, sir, he was like that when I found him.' At least have an alibi... or don't have witnesses who can put you at the scene of the crime.

“I, too, wished to have some words with you, Holmes. That is why I am here. I won't deny that I intended to assault you just now.”

I get that he was caught in the act, but this is very direct. Seriously?

“If I had known, you might never—” “Have seen this humble home again."

He's not even vaguely pretending that he doesn't want to kill him. Not even the thinnest veneer of subterfuge.

"Here is the forged check in the same year on the Credit Lyonnais.” “No; you're wrong there.” “Then I am right on the others!"

This guy is just 'I'm absolutely going to kill you, but I'm not going to admit to any other crimes! Why would I do that?'

Mixed messages here, my man.

"I have Ikey Sanders, who refused to cut it up for you. Ikey has peached, and the game is up.”

Welp, he's dead.

"But if you hand it over—well, I'll compound a felony."

Holmes, this guy is clearly a danger to people. I'm not sure this is a situation in which you should just let him go. Please tell me you're bluffing here.

The Count had risen from his chair, and his hand was behind his back. Holmes held something half protruding from the pocket of his dressing-gown. “You won't die in your bed, Holmes.” “I have often had the same idea. Does it matter very much? After all, Count, your own exit is more likely to be perpendicular than horizontal. But these anticipations of the future are morbid. Why not give ourselves up to the unrestrained enjoyment of the present?”

I know they're threatening each other, but that does sound a lot like Holmes is hitting on him at the end there, right? That's not just me?

Why not give ourselves up to the unrestrained enjoyment of the present?

That's definitely a chat up line.

[self-loving-vampire]

what are your top three rpgs? (and if you feel like elaborating further, why are they your favorites!)

I am not good at choosing favorites or "top X" lists, but there are three series in particular that I grew up with and that are very nice and familiar to me as a result.

These are not necessarily the best RPGs I have ever played, but they are ones that have been very influential to how I think about the genre and the possibilities within it.

The first is Ultima, specifically both halves of Ultima 7 (The Black Gate and Serpent Isle).

I'll say straight away that Ultima 7 does have some notable shortcomings; a linear main quest, practically no character-building, mindless automatic combat, potentially messy inventory management, a rushed second half, and so on.

But the things it does do well are really good. Most notably, it was the first game to ever grab me because of how well it crafts the idea of a living world that exists independently of the player.

Ultima 7 was released in the early 90s and yet it had fully-implemented NPC schedules and day/night cycles more than a decade ahead of Oblivion. Even Morrowind didn't really have this.

It had interactive environments that let you do things like bake bread or move crates into stacks to use as stairs.

It had a relatively painless hunger mechanic. Not so difficult to take care of that it gets distracting or annoying, but still a reminder that you should visit the tavern or hunt or something from time to time.

It had a spellcasting system that was kind of hit-or-miss. A lot of the spells did things that were more conveniently accomplished through non-magical means, but some of the spells were actually really cool. Notably, there was one top-tier spell that kills literally everyone in the world except for a couple of major NPCs (who get new dialogue shaming you for casting the spell). This typically renders the game unwinnable.

Both games (but especially the first one) were also open in a way that is not really unique but which was still very exciting if you're not used to that kind of freedom.

The second is Fallout, specifically the first and second games. The ones from before the move to first-person 3D.

I especially like the first game. Some of the early parts are particularly rough, but it nails its tone and atmosphere better than any other game in the series in my opinion. The music in particular feels much more fitting and desolate than the old-timey music they started using everywhere in later games.

The second game does have some advantages in terms of a much bigger world, more interesting and useful companions, refined mechanics, and etc. However, it is also goofy and kind of memey in a way that was much, much more restrained previously. I do still like it, but the first game has a much more consistent and bleak vibe that I prefer.

Also, even though the character creation is easy to break and there's a lot of skills that are relatively useless, I still love that aspect of it. The traits in particular are a really cool idea.

I also like that you have complete freedom to roam more or less right away. That can be kind of overwhelming to some people given how minimal your initial leads are, but feeling lost in the wasteland is actually part of the fun. It connects you to your character, who probably feels about the same way at that point in the adventure.

The third pair (because all of these games kind of go together in my mind) is Gothic 1 and 2.

This is a pair of action RPGs that also do a great job at both crafting immersive worlds and having a pretty hopeless and harsh tone.

In both games you start out as a weak, fragile, socially-disadvantaged person (a new prisoner in a cutthroat prison colony in game 1, an escaped convict in game 2).

In both games, you are given immediate freedom to explore an open world that is not vast but is so dense with hand-crafted content and expertly-used verticality that it feels decently big anyway. I definitely prefer that approach over having huge worlds filled with either nothing or clumsily procedurally-generated stuff.

And in both games, these worlds are full of things that will brutally murder you in one hit if you meet them without the right preparations.

I really, really like the way the gameplay reinforces the sense of desperation and vulnerability presented by the quests, the dialogue, and the general progression of the story. Especially in the second game. The gameplay's difficulty makes you actually feel how bad your situation is, and it also makes it much more satisfying when you do manage to become strong enough to overcome it.

Multiple video essays have been uploaded to youtube about the extremely immersive and interesting qualities of these games and their open world design. They're really good.

[serenanymph]

writeblr positivity tag

tagged by the lovely @macabremoons! gently tagging @lyssa-ink, @reneesbooks, @scroll-of-aves, @space-writes, and anyone else who wants to hop in! this is gonna be a long one so I'm gonna leave it under the cut.

1. What motivates you to write?

All the lovely comments I get!! I honestly just love seeing how people react to my writing. Also just thinking about my characters in general. They're just a bunch of silly little guys <3 (they are unbelievably traumatized). And thinking about those specific few scenes I'll get to write later in the book too!!!

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Uhh honestly I have mostly forgotten and all the good lines really only make sense with context, but I guess I am?? Mildly proud of this bit??

The air smells of sweet perfume. It’s a sharp, potent scent, thick and cloying, overly concentrated and enough for Beatriz to choke on. That’s the first thing she notices. The second things she notices is everything buried beneath it – dust, the faint, lingering tang of chemicals stinging her nose. Decay and rot. The air smells like death.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Wait is this your own OC or someone else's. Okay I can't really pick between my children BUT I do really love @reneesbooks Birdie!! Smol chaotic magic child, absolutely adorable. I want to give her all the pastries she could ever desire

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

On one hand, creating the first draft from scratch is really fun, but on the other, working on later drafts with the knowledge you're refining something and making it better is also so satisfying. Hrm. I'd say first draft wins but only by a small margin (because nothing in the latter stages will exist without it).

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Uh. I have no idea but apparently a lot of people have said I'm really good at descriptions?? So. Descriptions. I guess

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

Honestly I think everyone's answers are gonna be about the same but, y'know. It's the community. Everyone here is genuinely so friendly and talented, and all the games are really fun!!

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I use microsoft word which is like. About all I use. Really boring ik but I'm used to it and for whatever reason I think it came with the laptop?? So yeah

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I really like exploring the magic system!! Magic for Beasts is largely emotion-based, and can be affected by a variety of factors (everything from target to affinity to environmental conditions) so it's been really fun figuring it out, but still making sure it doesn't become overpowered or a deus ex machina. There's also magic for mages which is a lot more precise and restrained. You can kind of think of it as Beasts having powers while mages have spells.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

Honestly most people would probably say something along these lines as well - even though I don't know what's causing your rough patch exactly, the only way to solve this not-writing problem in the end is to write. If you write, you can make it better. If you write, someone out there is bound to find it and love it. So, y'know. Just write. It can only go up from here.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

Okay so first off, @allianaavelinjackson (though she isn't really part of writeblr), for always putting up with my insane ramblings about the little people in my head, losing it when reading about the little people in my head, and just being a really great cheerleader. Love ya. Also @lyssa-ink for being one of my first mutuals and having really interesting story ideas!! And @reneesbooks for her continued support and just being a super talented writer (seriously, lacuna lives rent free in my head). Plus @squarebracket-trick, @e-klair and @space-writes for all the STS questions giving me a chance to yell about Beast at someone, and lastly tagging back @macabremoons for all her support!! I could really go on and on and on but then this post would never end but to all my mutuals!!! Know that I love and appreciate every single one of you and y'all are awesome people!!

BLANK QUESTIONS

1. What motivates you to write?

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

[ndostairlyrium]

speak-no-evil, megaphone, pencil for all of them?

O: these are super interesting!! Thank you so much!

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

Elanor

That she can be so demanding when things just aren't served to her on a silver platter. Can be the smallest things like favors, or severe stuff like feelings. One tell that indicates she's restraining herself is her lips being so tight they form a straight line.

Hawke

He perceives himself as weak and pathetic, but he never shows publicly the sadness he feels because of it. He trained himself to just fake it to the point not even his family can tell he's upset.

Ankh

Her rage. More like raw frustration, which is something she needs to suppress or else she'd set fire to everything without a single remorse. It gets better after Corypheus is defeated but sometimes she just needs to take a deep breath and keep her hands busy.

📣 MEGAPHONE - how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

Y E S

I love this question! And I know italians in my followers list will have a good laugh at my choices 💛 or maybe they'd be just very concerned lol

Elanor

She has a decisive voice and you can tell she took lessons to refine it, I would say its tone is deep and a bit nasal but not too raspy. She's composed, most of the times, but when she gets loud she gets loud.

I do have the perfect voice claim for her but I can't find adequate vids or short clips << I'll elaborate on it another moment

Hawke

Oh he's loud and proud! He does have range of course, but when he has to draw the attention of someone on the other side of the street he just yells rather than walking there and tap their shoulder. Also he has a great singing voice o: I picture him as an effortless baritone.

His voice actor is just perfect so I won't go there, neither in eng nor in italian.

Ankh

Her

I like how the female inquisitor voice sounds in eng but like, how about the really annoyingly enthusiastical aspect of Lav's personality?? And what about the "I'm totally messing with you but there's a shade of melancholy behind it"? Where is it??

That's the perfect voice.

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them?

uuuh I'm terrible at this and I know 80% of the time I will spend on this ask will be dedicated to this answer lol (I wasn't wrong)

Elanor: "It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes" Douglas Adams

Hawke: "If you're really a mean person you're going to come back as a fly and eat poop" Kurt Cobain

Ankh: "I tend to think that emotions are for ugly people" Willam

-

Emoji Ask Meme

[psivn]

⚛️ - "Well. I...," There was nothing to say. Sometimes his refined control that he should possess drastically changed on output. There were many hiccups and many flaws from his stance that he couldn't even justify it. He'd let the situation get the best of him. Every second spent in that facility made him feel a little bit closer to maddening with the indulgence that being able to unleash could provide. He'd try his best to remain as restrained as possible but feeling the raw strength sink its claws deeper into his psyche made him want to feel it more. He brushed his cheek with his shoulder as he sighed. He wouldn't dare admit that he; in a sense, thrived in the moment. He wouldn't even let it show. He sank into a squat that was supported by his balancing on the forefront of his foot. He assessed David's condition for a moment.

"I apologize." It wasn't his intention to hurt Bloodborn. Neither was it his purpose to harm Gossamer. That aspect he did take the hardest of it all. "No. I'll patch you up." Ji-Ho unpacks a few of the medical supplies, leaving the sterile dressing on each disposable item. He designates his receptacle for trash. Gloves on and is ready to apply the little field medicine knowledge he did know. He starts with his face, first. A solution is soaked into the gauze as he spot-treats any open wounds or gashes. He made a plan of action. He'd slowly work his around any of the exposed skin. "I am actually, uh, unharmed." It felt harder to admit knowing that he was responsible for a few friendly-mishaps. He tried not to think of the fatalities. That would be something he'd dwell on once they were out of the thick-of-it. "We both have to train harder. I have to reorder my objectives and focus more on refining control." In a perspective, he was always seeking to be better. To grow in discipline. That would be his life's mission. His life's purpose. "I'll focus on being better as a part of a team, not a second factor. While you train, though, be gentle on yourself. Don't be so critical."

@psivn gets a post-even starter from Bloodborn

”You hit me with that fucking shit.” Well, it wasn’t really Psynaut’s fault to begin with, and Bloodborn wasn’t even all that mad – but he had to say something about ending up in the blast radius of a telekinetic boosted attack. Enough to knock him out cold and deny him the sickening pleasure of boiling Chimera’s blood inside his veins. But it mattered very little, for David was actually smirking as he sat down on the dirt, unbothered by the blood still covering his body now that he had time to close up all of his wounds. “You did what you had to do.” The only thing that pissed him off was the fact that they needed to drag that brainwashed little shit back to base. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just kill him and be done with that? What guarantees did they have that he wouldn’t stab them in the back again?

”We did it.” But not without losses. Fracture was taken out, and reports from the other locations also mentioned that other agents had lost their lives. One in particular affected him more than the others – but there was a time and a place for that. “This wasn’t going to be easy – and it wasn’t.” They all had their asses kicked, lives were lost but ultimately, they had succeeded in the end. “If I wasn’t motivated to train before, I am now.” Maybe if he was stronger, things wouldn’t need to end the way they did. Maybe if he was stronger, Fracture would still be alive. There was no point in worrying about that now. What was done was done. They had survived. They lived to tell the fucking tale. ”How are you feeling?” His head turned slightly to the side, a smile slowly forming underneath a sombre expression. “I can patch you up if you are injured. At least until we receive proper medical assistance.”

[holden-caulfield]

What If I Don't Want You To?

main masterlist

REQUESTED: "Hii! I saw that you wanted people to leave kaz requests in your asks so here I am! Could you do a ff in wich the reader is a part of the crows and she's really sarcastic and flirty (similar to jesper) and she constantly flirts with kaz, (he acts like it doesn't affect him but he secretly loves it) and one day she does something especially bold that makes him blush madly and they finally admit their feelings for each other (also a lot of teasing of the crows to kaz pls) thank you so much!"

SUMMARY: reader loves to tease kaz but is scared once she realizes she might have gone too far.

WARNINGS: a mention of blood but nothing graphic

WORD COUNT: 1422

Kaz was the most closed-off person you knew. He never revealed anything, wether it was his feelings or the details of a new plan, and it enraged you. That's why you took it upon yourself to see just how far you could push him.

Flirting with Kaz Brekker wasn't an easy task, nor was it rewarding but it sure was fun. The crows loved to see which new technique you would have used and what effect it would have had on Kaz. It was usually a simple glare; a snarky comment when you were lucky. Bets were made on his reactions and you soon became a part of it.

"What are we thinking today, Y/n?" started Jesper while walking you down to the club, "I'm betting on a smirk."

"A smirk?!" you asked surprised, "I'm not even sure Kaz can smile..."

"He can, i've seen him once. I thought i was dreaming but when i pointed it out, he glared at me. I knew it was real when he whacked me with his cane." stated Jesper, shivering at the memory. You couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics. "Why do you do it, by the way?"

You took a moment to answer, suddenly serious again.

Truth was that all the innocent flirty comments you made −comments that started out as nothing more than a pastime− soon changed something in you. They were becoming truthful, and seeing Kaz answer with nothing but a dismissive comment was not easy. Trying to evoke feelings in him, inadvertently awoke feelings in you. Feelings for your boss that you shouldn't have had.

"Do i need a reason? It's fun, why do you talk to yourself in the mirror when you think no one's watching?" you retorted, raising eyebrows in genuine question.

"First of all, you shouldn't have seen that. Second of all, you should try it, you'd feel much better afterwards." he said simply and you tried restraining the smile that inevitably made its way on your face.

You entered the club which was, as always, in full swing. Several people were already ordering at the bar all kinds of alcohol while many others were betting all their possessions at the tables. Only the dregs knew that the real bets were being placed under the tables.

"Ten that he doesn't say anything." you heard someone whispering.

You were the newest of the dregs and of the crows, but you had already earned yourself a reputation.

"Twenty that he finally kicks her out." another voice from somewhere in the club.

That one made you shiver. Would he really reach a point where he would fire you? You were a useful member, you wouldn't have made it into the crows if you weren't, but were you too much? Would he eventually get tired of you?

You walked over to your usual table with Jesper to meet Inej. Kaz wasn't there yet and you were really thinking of ending it there, no more flirting, no more jokes. This was your job, nothing else.

"What do you have for us, boss?" asked Jesper as he saw Kaz approaching.

He looked as he always does: black refined clothes clinging to him in an assortment of sharp edges, making him look even more direful to new merchants. He looked dashing the way a raging sea at night is; frightening, yet enticing. And that was wrong, you reminded yourself.

"It was a dead end." he said, sitting down.

He was in a gloomy mood, certainly for the news, and even though you knew you would have let down the whole club, you couldn't help but think of the comment you had heard moments ago.

"Twenty that he finally kicks her out."

You loved working and simply being with the crows and the possibility of being kicked out was positively frightening.

But you couldn't simply stop. Everyone would have noticed something was off, he would have noticed. And then what? He would have known you liked him.

You had to do something big, something he couldn't simply ignore. You might have been out of the dregs for good, or maybe not.

Jesper kicked your shin under the table, making you focus back on the real word and motioning at all the dregs in the club, looking expectantly at you.

Kaz and Inej were now talking about something you weren't quite getting, their voices seemed distant as you tried to forget about everyone's eyes on you. You had made it a thousand times already, you could do it once more.

"So, what are we going to do now?" asked Jesper and Kaz leaned back in his chair.

"I have some other leads we can try, but we'll have to split up." he started, the prospect of new kruge in his pockets making him incredibly more cheerful, "Jesper, Inej heard something about a particularly pricey painting in east stave, she'll bring you there and you'll learn more about it. And Y/n," he began and you perked up.

It was your moment to say something and get it over with.

"We'll go to west stave, i need your help with a lead there."

"Oh, you need me?" you said, your tone excessively teasing.

"That's what i said, but i can ask Inej." he replied drily.

You hesitated but you were not one to back down, especially not in front of one of Kaz's passive aggressive comments.

"But then you wouldn't get to stare at me longingly while i work, would you?" you said, pouting slightly.

You could have expected a retort, a glare, a not-so-nice hand gesture, but not him storming out of the club.

The entirety of the dregs was dumbfounded, Jesper and Inej, who never participated in the bets but still knew about them, were agape. You were mortified.

"Maybe," began Inej, "You should go talk to him."

"And meet my demise?" you asked.

"There must be a reason why he stormed out-"

"Yes, that he would have liked to kill me but blood stains are tough to remove." Jesper laughed but you were quite serious.

You got up either way, you had to explain yourself to him, you owed him at least that, and got out.

You found him not so far from the club's entrance, leaning on the railing over the river. You approached him unsurely.

"Kaz." he didn't turn around, so you got closer to the railing and noticed that his face, even in the night with the palest light of the street lamps, was scarlet. "I'm- i'm sorry, i will stop."

He remained silent.

"That is if you still want me in the crows, if not i'll leave tonight obviously." he turned to you, usually-perfect hair now slightly tousled, face still red and unreadable.

"Why wouldn't i?" he asked.

"I'm always teasing you and i figured you hated that. I will stop."

"What if i don't want you to?" your head perked up and he turned back towards the horizon, but a smirk crept up on his face. He didn't bother hiding it.

"So you can smile?" he rolled his eyes.

"I don't like it when people point out things i obviously do, you should have noticed back there."

Heat rushed to your face and the smile he had plastered onto his face turned into a complacent one.

"It was real? You stare at me longingly?" you asked bewildered.

He looked at you once before turning to the horizon once more, "Obviously not."

But you could sense he was lying.

"Told you he could smile, Y/n!" shouted Jesper from behind you.

You both turned around to find Jesper and Inej surrounded by the dregs and a couple of other clients too, all jostling to get a better look of the scene.

"It'll be hard for him not to, i'm afraid." joined in Inej and you bit your lip to refrain the laughter. Kaz's annoyed expression didn't help you maintaining a straight face.

"I'm not paying you to stand here doing nothing, get back inside." he ordered.

Everyone turned back inside but Jesper and Inej.

"Boss, if Y/n now gets double, just know i'm great at flirting too." stated Jesper as Kaz made his way back to the club, you in tow.

He ignored him and whacked him with his cane. Again. Jesper had now yet another lovely cane story to add to his collection.

"You'll never let him forget it, won't you?" you whispered. Jesper looked at you like a child who had just entered candy land.

"Never."

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[cinnamonest]

Zhongli (Genshin Impact) - Yandere Profile

This man's voice has a POWER over me I SWEAR

tws: yandere, mentions of n/sfw

tws (under the cut): very ddlg-esque vibes, sorta? infantilization, noncon

I'm sorry I get such strong daddy vibes it unintentionally went in this direction, hope that isn't too bad lmao

I’m working on all the prompts I’ve gotten in! I’ve gotten a few so I’ll be working on those.

----------

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

He's one that might be likely to misunderstand his feelings at first, think that he sees himself as a mentor or maybe even an authority figure, someone to guide you and teach you and serve as a dependable partner to your travels. As time goes on, and he begins to recognize how utterly flustered he gets around you, he's forced to acknowledge the actual feelings he has.

While some yanderes with a slight aloofness or pride to them get worse when in love, such as Childe or Kaeya, his drops completely. You bring out a softer side of him, really, one that's protective and tender and loving, so very loving, wanting to be around you, with you. He's certainly an obsessive, protective type, ultimately allowing his protective nature to get the better of him as he demands to know everything you've done, account for your location at every moment, constantly keep track of your habits, inquire about very personal details of your life. If he realizes you're bothered by it, he might draw back a bit, but he's convinced that that's just your perception, that it's necessary, truly, and not at all unusual.

Pet names. Particularly fond of love, darling, and angel. Sweet things that represent what you mean to him -- something precious, something to represent his adoration and idolization.

The primary form of delusion comes from a perception of you. He's obsessive, and idolizes you to an extent. He perceives you as pure, innocent, angelic. The thing is, this applies regardless of whether or not you actually are. If you are, it will solidify the idea, but even if you're not, he will find a way to see you so, anyway. No matter how wise you are, no, you're naive. No matter how capable you are, no, you're weak and fragile. No matter how experienced you may be, no, you're pure. He can always keep this delusion running by bringing into account age and comparison - you'll never be as strong as him, so you might as well be frail and weak. You'll never have lived as long as him, so really, do you think there's that much difference between you and a child, when compared to someone like himself?

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

Actually highly likely, and pretty quickly. As he observes you, it becomes very clear to him how very fragile you are, how naive you are, you are quite literally too pure, too angelic, to be living in this world with such beings as humans. Fragile, beautiful little things have a place where they belong - protected. Where do we put fragile, beautiful things? We put them behind glass, behind ropes, in pretty cages, in secluded rooms. It's only natural that you, too, need a similar environment.

He's one of the ones that will... Elegantly kidnap you, as odd as it sounds. He's not a brute that would do something horrendous like knocking you out or drugging you, no, he'll find an excuse for you to come to his abode, invite you in, and you'll walk in none the wiser. Only after your in, and the doors close, does he guide you to your new room, calmly explaining that he's come to the realization that you're too fragile to continue your journey, and ought to simply give up on your travels. He knows you'll be upset at first. Like a child being denied, you'll get pouty, moody, you might cry, you might lash out at him. It's predictable. He'll dry your eyes and calm you down, brushing off any harsh words you may have, holding your wrists in his hands when you try to push him away, softly reassuring you that it will all be alright, that you're safe now, and you'll learn to accept this with time.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

He would want something... elaborate. He's a man with taste for the most beautiful of things, including yourself, and he won't settle for something as simple as a chain or ropes. No, that would be too simple and brutish, and you, one of the finest things in his life, deserve something equally beautiful and delicate.

He's one of the ones that would go to a great deal of preparation for your arrival. He'd have a room prepared just for you, very ornate, beautifully tailored to you -- the walls your favorite color, the bed made of the same material as your old one, and the whole room completely filled with things you're certain you never even told him you liked. Clothes that fit perfectly to your body. It's frightening how perfect it is, because you know he had to go out of his way to acquire the information to achieve such perfection, but you have no idea how.

Everything about it elegant and detailed, right down to the series of ornate locks on the door. They're some of the sturdiest available, made with essentially unbreakable metal alloys and the most intricate lock systems to date. The windows don't open, and he'd certainly find some way to ensure escape through them isn't an option -- perhaps metal bars, perhaps an unbreakable glass substitute, perhaps merely locating your new home right on the edge of one of Liyue's most beautiful mountains, so that if you were to go out the window you'd plummet to the earth below. He's a bit delusional, but he's not stupid, and he will think through every possibility. Every little detail he needs to keep you safe and confined.

He's certain that, perfect as it is, this room is all you will ever need to be happy. Should you desire anything else, he can bring it to you. You'll never have to leave.

So it goes without saying that it would be exceptionally difficult to escape him. You'd have to find a way through the locks, for which your best bet would be to get some hair pins or tiny writing utensils. Even if you managed it, though, which would frankly be a very difficult feat, you'll have to deal with staying free. Zhongli has ties to the people of Liyue as a whole, and needless to say, he has eyes everywhere. You can't risk appearing in the harbor area, there will be far too many people who would immediately report you, and you'd just be walking right to him anyhow. The surrounding areas also have ties to him, so you'd want to try and reach Mondstadt, as far as it is, which is a difficult travel by foot all alone. You won't get far. He's faster, he's wiser, and he will find you long before you could ever hope to make it there.

However, he's not quite as angry as some yanderes would be about it. He doesn't take your escape personally, no, he blames himself, only calculating his own mistakes as to how it happened. He sees you as something like... a little runaway pet, so naive and dull that you don't know any better than to go wandering off. Or perhaps like a child, just sheepishly curious and wanting to explore, not knowing the dangers of the world. Or, perhaps...

"I haven't been giving you enough attention, have I? That's why you pulled this little act of rebellion... you're hurt by my negligence and wanted to be reassured of my care for you. I'm so sorry... I understand now, love. This was my fault. I've been so caught up with work... I'll delegate some tasks to my workers, and I'll be able to spend more time with you from now on, alright? Don't worry, I'm not angry, I'll take full responsibility. I'll be sure to make it up to you... now, let's go home."

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

Much like Childe or Venti or anyone who has been around as long as he has, you really don't stand a chance. He's an incredibly perceptive man. There's not much to say on the matter, as any attempts will be quickly shut down.

He'd find it amusing, really. Like a child trying to lie, but the evidence is all over their face and hands - it's that obvious to him. It's cute enough that he almost hates having to discipline you for it, but, you have to learn.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

He wants his little angel to be safe - and unfortunately, you, being so naive and empty headed, don't always know what's best for you. He knows rules can be hard to follow perfectly, but they're there to keep you safe.

Extremely strict, will want to monitor every moment of your life, every little movement you take, and will insist on watching over you in every task. He'll pick out everything you wear, everything you eat.

Occasionally, if you ask very sweetly, he may take you out for walks in Liyue. Honestly, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy taking you to what he knows are the finest locations, shops with the highest level of craftsmanship, restaurants with a high price tag and reputable food. He enjoys showing off his refined tastes and discerning selective abilities. And honestly? There's a certain... Powerful feeling to knowing you're made aware of the costs when he makes high purchases in front of you... even if you don't realize he's not always actually the one paying for it, or that he forgot mora again but promises the owner to pay later - but he'll make sure you don't know that. You hear the numbers, and your eyebrows raise, your eyes widen. You'd nearly faint if that total was on your responsibility, and he knows that. Which is why he'll simply smile at you, and tell you you're worth every last Mora. He'll buy you nearly anything you may desire. It seems like leniency, but in reality, it's his subtle way of locking control and dependency over you, making you respect him, making you love him.

"Don't worry, love. It's not a lot... Not to me, at least. Even if it were, my angel only deserves the best, no?"

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

Oh dear. Again, he's very strict, and wants to monitor everything you do, every little aspect of your life. He decides what you eat, portioning your meals to make sure you're eating enough, he worries about you going hungry during your travels, but luckily you'll never have to worry about that again. If you have a sweet tooth, he'll sigh and worry about your teeth and health, but he'll make sure to account for a little bit of sugar in your day, and will even pick up little treats from some of the most reputable places in Liyue.

He picks out clothes for you with each day. They're not... Normal clothes, per se. Certainly not what you'd normally wear on your travels. And it's not like anyone will see you except him - which is exactly why you'll have clothes he would never want anyone else to see you in. Frilly, lacey things, somehow both highly sexualized but also incredibly infantile, soft pinks, baby blues, gentle off-whites. They accentuate the curves of your body so perfectly, while just barely letting him see the parts of you normally kept hidden.

You'll have a schedule - a bath time, a bedtime, a wake-up time. He's weak to your requests, though, and may let you stay up a little late every now and then, or sleep in just a bit, if you make that soft pouting face and beg. He'll insist on bathing you, dressing you, so that you don't have to - and can't even if you wanted to - lift a finger even to wash yourself or put your clothes on.

He has a set of rules for you, very simple ones he hopes you can easily follow. No trying to leave. No doing anything dangerous. No talking to strangers when you go out. You must hold his hand whenever you're walking together, don't go wandering off.

He'll feel ashamed of the thought for a while, but eventually he'll cave and give into the desire, no, the security precaution, of a nice little collar for you. It's not too embarrassing, no, he went out of his way to find one that was delicate, almost like a necklace, made with fine materials, the engraving only visible up close. If you look closely, though, it clearly bears his name.

Breaking the rules is expected, he anticipates it. You're not the brightest, he might even view it as a mistake. A benefit is that you can easily pass it off as simply forgotten, or an accident. Hence, he's not too harsh - normally. He'll sigh, forgive you, and pat your head, contemplating how to prevent your access in the future.

Perhaps you wriggled out of his hand and ran off while walking? You were just excited, distracted, like a child. He might be able to procure a small leash, one that wouldn't be immediately obvious or embarrassing, to attach to your collar. Perhaps some cuff-like links to latch your arm to his.

You forgot the rule about not handling the kitchen knives and cut yourself? He'll have to get some kind of lock and simply keep them safely away from you. No big deal. Any measures are worth your safety.

If you push the limits, or have a defiant attitude, he might reach the point of punishment. As for not-unwholesome things, this would usually include taking away privileges, such as walks or sweets, but overall, punishment will mostly come in more impure forms.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

Not too much to say here - he has connections. He doesn't need to dirty his own hands. For all his supposed humility, if he truly dislikes someone, they're no more significant than an insect to him. He has no reservations about ridding the world of people who, in his mind, are obviously trying to deceive you, abuse you, corrupt you.

Thankfully, he is very capable of keeping a neutral face, even when he feels laughter building up. It would probably look strange if he were smiling over the newest body to come into his parlor.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

It's a slow buildup. He views restraint as a virtue, and looks down upon those who lack control over their own tempers. He's a man who strives to meet his own standards of character, and that very much applies to self control and ability to maintain a controlled demeanor, even when he feels a bit of frustration due to you being intentionally and deliberately defiant.

It's his responsibility to be a good role model for you and make sure you understand how to behave. However, in the end, he's very keen on properness and rules. If you have a tendency towards brattiness and pushing your limits, you may drive him to a boiling point.

However, even when expressing his anger, he's remarkably controlled. It's very mature, really. Nonetheless, he will have you shivering and tearful with his voice alone, booming with that depth that reverberates off the walls, that vibrates against your very core. His true anger is one that can strike fear even in the most courageous individuals - he's terrifying when he wants to be, fierce and intimidating, a sort of power just eminates from him.

Nonetheless, it's quick, he calms down very quickly, wipes the tears from your eyes, and sighs.

"I do hate having to be firm with you... but I can't have you thinking you can just act however you want. You understand that, don't you?"

So they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

Both? It's difficult to describe. You're an angel to him. You're the finest work of art, the most intricate creation, the kind of person whose body and likeness deserves to be preserved in art and tradition, one of those women who should be renowned for beauty even centuries long after you're gone from the earth. It's almost goddess-like. At the same time, there's a beautiful, tragic duality to your essence, he thinks. A fragility and a dependency that leaves you in need, but an inherent status of perfection that makes you deserve the utmost perfect of care. You need to be coddled, cared for, protected, but you deserve it. Like a deity incarnated into a mere fragile human form, a queen that needs support to retain her grace.

Unlike some, he doesn't view his care and protection as some kind of favor that should be repaid with your gratitude, no, really, he is grateful that he is the one who is even deserving of being your caretaker, your provider, your lover.

Even if he is the one who determined that he deserves that role.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

He's convinced that he can show you that he is your protector, your lover, that it's fate itself that has locked you together, not just his own will.

And he is, above all else, patient. One of the most patient you could encounter. You think a year is a long time? It's nothing to him. A century for you? More than a lifetime. For him? Nothing. He can and will wait, as long as it takes, and he will never falter in his continual care. He'll remind you frequently, he'll shower you in affection, but if you don't return it? It's not that bad. He has all the time in the world to fix you.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

Moraless Sugar daddy

But in all seriousness, he is definitely of the gift-giving love language. He sees beautiful things, and beautiful things make him think of you! It's sweet, he thinks. So many little things he sees throughout his day make him think of you, and he has to have all of them, see your face when he gives them to you. He likes making you happy, for one, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't a sort of satisfactory pride he gets from the power dynamic of it all. He wants to be the sole source of provision in your life, he wants your dependency.

If we're talking prior to the events of the game, it will be even more extreme. He treats it like it's truly nothing, throwing around massive purchases, seemingly as if he's not thinking about it at all. But he is - rest assured, he's taking it into consideration, at least, that is, how it will affect your attitude and perception of him.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

On the reserved side. He'd never conduct himself improperly in public, of course. It's out of the question. He cares about proper behavior and public image, and he'd never behave in a vulgar manner.

Even in private, he's certainly one of the ones that struggles with a certain guilt. To some degree, he would feel like you're so innocent and pure that he doesn't want to corrupt you. He goes through stages. First, he'll lie to himself, telling himself that the feelings he has for you are simply protective, platonic, a natural sense of responsibility for you. That becomes more and more difficult to convince himself of, the more excited he becomes around you, the more he finds his eyes drawn to whatever bits of skin are exposed on your body, finding himself drifting off to impure thoughts, trying to push them away. 

Second, once he's forced to acknowledge the true nature of these feelings, he'll simply practice restraint, something he's rather good at in this area. He tries, he really does. He tells himself he can't do something so impure, that it would violate you, that he should be ashamed of himself for it. It becomes more and more and more difficult to restrain himself with time, the feelings rising and the thoughts become more difficult to push away, eventually entertaining the fantasies in his head in an attempt to rid himself of the urge in real life. It doesn't work, no, it only makes the urges worse, and he can't be around you without his body nearly commanding him to do something. And finally, he'll take a different stance entirely, telling himself that, no, it's not going to corrupt you, rather, it's taking care of you. If he really wants to love you, really wants to care for all of your needs, then surely that would include your physical needs, and therefore, really, it would be wrong of him not to help you.

As that shift in viewpoints goes on, he'll become more and more bold, hands lingering just a little longer, face coming just a little closer. It's a slow build of tension, just waiting to boil over. 

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

He understands you're nervous. Again, no matter how experienced you are, somehow in his head he makes it out to be insignificant. Even if you've had other relationships, he convinces himself - and tries to convince you - that they were inadequate, they didn't care about you, not like he does. And he'll treat it as that -- any resistance you put up is nervousness, nothing more, nothing less. He'll reassure you a million times that you won't feel pain, that he'll be gentle, that you'll feel good, even if his size and strength frankly is rather intimidating regardless of experience. He'll keep cooing in your ear, softly whispering reassurance, softly running hands over your skin, holding you in place as the last inch stretches you apart. 

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Infantilization

Again, no matter how smart, experienced, and capable you may be, you're none of those things to him. You're a fragile, little thing. He has to take care of you at all times. It may not be evident at first, and he himself likely doesn't fully realize it, but there is something highly sexual to this for him. Caring for you puts him in a position of dominance, control. It gives him access to your privacy, dressing you up, fingers running over your skin, bathing you, watching your skin glisten. He'll talk to you in this way, too, often softly, remarking every little way in which you need him, and even condescendingly so. He wants you to be his, not only in a sense of love, but of possession.

Oral

Primarily giving. Even on its own, he loves the taste, but the effect it has on you makes it that much better. He loves anything that forces you to depend on him entirely for pleasure, that puts you at his mercy. And he'll be torturous about it too, restraining your arms and legs so you can't control anything, hold your hips down so you can't roll into him, so that only he can determine exactly how much pressure and speed you get. And he won't rush it, no, he'll go so slowly it's torturous, and telling you very simply that if you want any more, you'll have to beg.

Edging

For a variety of reasons. The power trip is as exhilarating as it is pleasurable, but he also loves watching your body writhe. Each little muscle that moves under the flesh when your arms strain against his hand holding your wrists together, the convulsing of your stomach muscles, the way your toes curl and legs spasm and the sweet little whimpers you make when he draws back just short of your high. He's mastered watching your reactions, knowing exactly when to stop, even if you try to mask it. He'll want you to tell him, though, nonetheless, tell him when you're close, if for nothing else but the sense of you obeying his commands.

Collaring

Similarly to infantilization, it gives him something of a sense of control, of possession. He loves seeing his name engraved on it, marking the whole of your being with his ownership. In his somewhat rare moments of roughness, he'll want to pull on it, use it to draw you towards him, in a moment of your defiance, in particular. If you're being mouthy, whiny, disobedient, and you finally make him snap, especially if you try to walk away from him, he'll yank you back with force, pulling you close to him, and when the force of it shuts you up, changes your demeanor, forces you to acknowledge your submission - the satisfaction he'll get from that is incomparable.

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

As much as he likes the idea, to him, you're already like a child, naive and fragile. Could your body even handle a pregnancy, a birth? He'd likely try to avoid it, but in the end, if it happened by accident anyway, rest assured you'd be getting the best care of any woman to ever be pregnant in Teyvat, and he'd do everything in his power to ensure you were always comfortable, taking his caretaking to another level, almost never even letting you get up, insisting you stay still and calm and needy.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

He'd be one to pull the "it doesn't hurt you as much as it does me" line, but really, even if he refuses to admit it to his own self, having you bent over his lap is just as much for his own enjoyment as it is a disciplinary measure. It's more humiliating than it is painful -- he'd hold back, afraid of hurting you with his strength, but taking in every little flinch and whimper you make as he brings his hand down on your ass, keeping your head pressed down, kneading at the flesh. He'd insist it's the most effective punishment measure, but you can feel the hard-on digging into your stomach. The worse the behavior, the worse the beating, but every time, after it's over, he'll hold you upright, wiping the tears from your eyes and asking you if you learned you lesson, if you intend to do it again, and smiling when you insist you won't.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Your skin. It's beautiful, and he loves the way that light from the moon and sun look on your naked form. He loves the way your skin feels, soft and delicate, smooth, so paper thin and fragile, and so, so deliciously prone to showing marks from the slightest of harm - a simple smack can make the plump flesh darkened and reddened, the lightest suckling will leave beautiful hickeys all down your neck and chest. There are so many ways to mark his property, to stake a visible claim all over you, it's irresistible.

He also will go out of his way, when picking out all the things he wants you to wear, to find colors that best go with your skin tone, in a contrasting sense - particularly lacey, sheer things that contrast very well, so he can see your soft flesh perfectly defined against the little lace patterns.

[bee0bee]

New York Pas de Deux part 24/1

Together we renovated Cade's showroom. Of course, I had to listen to Jade's teasing along with it, but the result is the main thing, and it turned out well. I was proud that Cade is doing something really good that he can profit from. Our relationship also developed well. We spent a lot of time together. Nothing and nobody could tear us apart. Sometimes I slept at Cade's place. - Please stay! - said Cade in the morning, when I wanted to get up. He grabbed me by my waist and pulled me back onto the bed. - Please, please stay a little longer! - he begged me and leaned kisses on my bare shoulder. - I can't. I have to go to university. I'll be late. - I tried to get out of his strong grip. - Will I see you? - he asked. - Of course, at the exhibition. As we discussed. - kissed him and I sat up to start getting dressed. - You're beautiful. - he smiled. After I left Cade, I ran into Jad in the stairwell. We don't usually say hello to each other, so I hurried on. From our group of friends, I was the first to arrive at the university. I warmed up and practised alone. - You're amazing, Stasia! - entered Mathieu and another guy from our class. - Thank you. I tried to do my best. This opportunity is really important for me. After the rest of the class arrived the teacher entered the dance hall. - Okay, let's start where we left off yesterday. - she said.

In the next class, I continued dancing with Mathieu. We have already gotten used to it and worked well together, helping each other. - Beautiful! Excellent Stasia and Mathieu! - said the teacher, and I was overwhelmed with pride. The lift was finally done perfectly. - Very good, now let me see Alicia and Lewis. I felt my progress and hoped that this was the sign that I was getting closer to achieving my biggest dreams. After school, I went home to prepare for the exhibition. Cade said that maybe some critics will come, this was his big night. I wanted to be supportive while looking glamorous. That's why I called Alicia over. Lian was busy. - Okay, I make your make-up. But I can only help you if you don't complain but trust me, okay? I nodded surrenderingly. - I think your hair should be in voluminous curls. - she continued. - Then we choose THE dress. While Alicia was making my hair my mom called. We talked about the university and life in New York until the conversation turned to Cade. - I can't believe you didn't tell me about your new boyfriend. Do I need to know that you have a new boyfriend from a photo!? - Przepraszam mamo. I was just afraid, what would you say. - Is he nice to you? - Tak, absolutely.- I replied. - You should introduce him to us. How about spring break? You could visit us. I promise we'll be friendly. - We'll think about it. I told her more about Cade, and then I had to hang up because I couldn't talk while doing my makeup. - Now, we can choose THE dress. I actually found one already. - said, Alicia. - I brought you one. - she smiled and pulled out an eternal classic, a little black dress from a garment bag. - Crazy pretty, hot, but at the same time restrained and refined. What do you think? - Perfect. - I smiled. I arrived a bit earlier at the exhibition room to meet with the extremely nervous Cade. When he saw me, he stopped for a moment in his nervous arrangement. - You are absolutely...stunning. - he said while approaching me. He kissed me.

[isaiah-lee]

Day-off.

ISAIAH: During his spare time between his busy work in Bandung, Isaiah took time to visit a studio owned by a friend of Monalisa's. He doesn't recall who the owner is, suspect a close person to Monalisa. It was such an unusual day for Isaiah to attend an invitation outside his job.

After all, Monalisa could convince him, considering Isaiah admires paintings. He bought Portrait of Adele Bolch-Buaer III and has it hanging in his office, not to mention other portraits he had in his house.

Paintings give him a sense of its calmness; it seems to spoke to him differently. Just like him, a person who barely speaks his thought through words, the paintings' gesture seems to resemble him, he thought. It has a certain kind of communication and manner.

"I am Isaiah, and you are?" The man asked the lass in front of him.

EISY: That day, Monalisa, her close friend, had promised to come to fulfill the invitation along with her boss. Of course now Eisy was ready to wait for them. There was a woman and a man walking into her studio.

“Monalisa! You finally came. Is it hard enough to find this studio?” Monalisa just shook her head and smiled.

“Right, good then.” In front of Eisy stood a man older than her, and got surprised when he suddenly introducing himself.

“I am Greisy, Eisy for short. Welcome to my studio, Sir Isaiah.”And then she introduce herself too. Eisy glanced at Monalisa, a little scared by the aura of the man in front of her.

‘𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺?’She gesture to Monalisa, then she only got a nod of her head.

ISAIAH: "Good to see you, Greisy." The man doesn't take his eyes away from a painting ahead of him. "Does this one is your masterpiece? Care to tell me a little bit more behind the paintings?" Monalisa gives a light pat to Greisy's elbow as his boss throws off a question.

The whisper that the woman who introduced herself as Greisy actually reached his range, but he tried to slides it on since it was Monalisa's friend. It's nothing new to him to apprehend people have their perception of him, both good and bad. Thus, it doesn't bother him at all.

EISY: Eisy bowed slightly, a habit she got from Korea as a form of politeness.

“A-ah.. It's pleasure to meet you, Sir Isaiah.” Attention was diverted when Monalisa lightly tapped her elbow to answer the boss's question because now she was just dumbfounded for some reason. Her eyes now follow the painting that Isaiah is referring to.

“I made this when I felt like being free. Not restrained by anything, without exception by my parents.” Eisy smiled slightly remembering the incident. Her gaze now turned back to the man in front of her.

“After seeing this painting, what do you feel, Sir Isaiah?”

ISAIAH: "You may drop the honorifics; worry not, you may call me Isaiah or anything to make you feel comfortable." He said while his orbs continue to stare at the paintings, finding the meaning that the woman trying to imply through her artwork.

"The freedom."

Without taking his eyes off, he continued to glance deeply into the painting while Greisy explained. All that he could hear is her voice and the urge of freedom that he would never get a chance to feel, just like how Greisy was trying to picture. It seems that on the other side, Monalisa began to feel that the man is immersed in Greisy's paintings.

"Did you sell this?"

EISY: When she explained about the painting in front, glances occasionally turned to Isaiah. There was an expression that Eisy caught from the look on the Isaiah face on the side, which clearly seemed to sink in there. Eisy hoped that her hearing was wrong that man was asking whether the painting for sale or not, but Monalisa gave a sign that her boss was seriously asking.

“Do you want this Painting, Isaiah? Before that I'm curious, what do you feel?”

Monalisa gave a code once again, that Eisy shouldn't have to ask that because it might even discourage her boss from buying. But still, Eisy didn't care about that.

ISAIAH: It seemed the man has been staring at the picture for a little while. He went away at the moment Greisy throw him a question. The feeling, the freedom he was longing for, he couldn't explain it. His body shifted to face Greisy. "You have a good hand. This is beautiful, just like you said. I thought liberation was the keyword too. I guessed it right." He attempted to be as soft as possible when facing Greisy, with a more refined gaze than usual. "And about the purchasing the painting. Yes, did you sell it?" Again, he repeated the question. Considering putting the painting somewhere within his house.

EISY: Eisy shifted her body to face Isaiah too. Heard anything what he said. The praise that came out from Isaiah made a blush on her cheeks, because no one had ever praised her work as Isaiah did. As quickly as blush appeared, it disappeared as quickly as it was.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Eisy said sincerely, then tried to steal glances at Monalisa asking what she should answer after this.

“Uhm.. Actually I don't want to sell this painting, because this is my first painting. But you seem to feel something in this, right?” Eisy sighed once, afraid that she would be wrong about her words.

Monalisa gave a sign to just sell that painting. “Well if you want it, I'll sell this painting for you.”

ISAIAH: "Oh, you don't have to if you don't feel like it." His words inversely with his conduct, his eyes back attached quite a while to the painting then turned it away before the two women noticed him about being serious to the painting. "Overall, that's the initial of your masterpiece, and I shall not take it away. But, thank you for creating a beautiful one."

His steps moved towards the other paintings. However, apart from the earlier painting, nothing caught his attention but enough to entertain him in the midst of his agenda.

"Sir, I will buy a coffee. Would you like one?" "Yes, as per usual, thank you." "And would you like one too, Eisy?" Asked Monalisa.

EISY: Eisy raised an eyebrow, then met with Monalisa who seemed to understand the sign given by Eisy. After the man stepped away, Eisy pulled Monalisa's arm.

“Your boss seriously wants to buy this painting, then why is that the answer?” She whisper, Monalisa just pointed her chin at the man who was looking at another painting. Eisy understands exactly what Monalisa means. When asked if she want coffee, she just shook her head. Monalisa excused herself to leave, leaving Eisy and Isaiah there. She started to walk over to Isaiah and stand right beside him.

“Can you feel the painting in front of you?” Eisy also looked at the painting in front of them, before Isaiah answered Eisy chimed in again. “Of course you don't feel it, Isaiah. Your thoughts are still in the previous painting.”

“I know really well the movements of buyers' interest. I didn't say I didn't like selling that painting.”

ISAIAH: Monalisa left the studio for a while to get their coffee. It makes Isaiah and Greisy stand in the same place. His eyes glanced briefly at Greisy when she was addressing the previous painting. The woman's implications were not wrong, and she was right about how his mind was fixated on the previous painting. This time, he wasn't going to deny the offer. He turned his body, moving toward the owner of the studio with both of his hands locked behind him.

"Then give me the best price you can offer."