#and even the smooth animation despite the limited style

[headfullofdolls]

At this point, I'm reeally hoping the narrator in Sparks and Spells is Kiyomi Haunterly. Saw someone else point out the narrator mentioning their "nonexistent eyes", but in the last episode, I also realized the narrator makes ghost puns. Since they say they're planning to enroll in Monster High next semester, that at least confirms the narrator is in-world watching the musical, and the puns imply they're a ghost. There's no telling if it's something that'll translate into the actual show, buuut I wanted to go back through the episodes and look for key bits of characterization in some of the quotes.

Observations are long, so putting that under the read more. You've been warned 😅

Episode 1:

"Maybe this magical music spark is just the thing this talent show needs! I'm entertained! ...Don't tell Draculaura I said that by the way." – narrator cares about Draculaura's opinion; Drac is also the first character the narrator focuses on and mentions by name, which would make sense for Kiyomi

Episode 2:

"First up is Cleooo~ Because she demanded it..." [audible nonexistent eyes rolling] "Ooh, haha, sorry boo~" – narrator unimpressed and even disdainful of Cleo demanding to go first, reacts smugly about her getting interrupted; first use of calling people "boo"

"This isn't exactly a witchcraft-friendly environment... Especially not with Dracula in the audience." – seems to be in favor of witchcraft, sympathetic to Draculaura's plight

"Thankfully our ghoul Iris is on it!" – seems to have a soft spot for Iris, in contrast to Cleo

"That magical music spark might be an agent of chaos, but it sure knows how to put on a showw~! 10/10" – all about a good show despite the chaos, aka narrator is a theater kid

Episode 3:

[Heath accidentally lights his picture of earth on fire] "Ooh, symbolism! Dark! Listen, if this takes a magical musical turn? I will not be upset about it." – narrator is a theater kid +1

"Poor Iris. She's poured her eternal soul into the show and has no idea what in the Hades is going on." – very sympathetic to Iris; the specific mention of Iris having an eternal soul and using "what in the Hades" makes me think of River Styxx, which would also line-up better personality-wise...

"Iris, watch out! ...Oh. She can't hear me." – narrator is watching the musical in-world, but not in-person; maybe scrying, or looking through a portal like Kiyomi's powers?

Episode 4:

"Our stinky little spark is just getting started!" – fun fact: the narrator's VA calls herself a "stinky voice actor" on her instagram bio, so if she had input on that line that'd be super cute lol

"Our boos are relieved, and now they can focus on getting the show back up and running. Personally, I prefer the drama. ...And it looks like the drama loves me too! I see you~" – Boo counter +1, narrator is a theater kid count +1000

Episode 5:

"You know what this moment needs? A heartfelt song!" – narrator loves the tropes, more for the theater kid pile

[clapping enthusiastically after Draculaura's song specifically] "What a performance!!" – sus

Episode 6:

"Calling all boos! Calling all boos!" – Boo counter +1

"Iris clearly wants to join the fun, but right now she's putting the sigh in 'cyclops'. Thankfully, this night is full of surp-eye-ses!" [squeals in delight and self-satisfaction] "That was a good one." – focus on Iris again, and even by MH standards, this is some unabashed pun tomfoolery

Episode 7:

"It's happening! It's happening!!" – narrator is very excited by Iris finally getting a chance at the spotlight

"I'm not crying, there's just something in my nonexistent eyes." – aforementioned "nonexistent eyes"; seems especially moved by Iris's song, maybe finds it relatable?

Episode 8:

"This is my favorite part of the night! The grand finale! Draculaura, where are you going?? We need your vocal range!" – narrator is a theater kid +∞

"I know it seems like capturing the spark will fix your mistake, but, boo, sometimes, you just gotta go with it." – Boo counter +1

"One thing is for certain: I'm enrolling at Monster High next semester! See you scaaare! Booo~!" – two uses of boo this ep, and iirc, this use of ''see you scare'' is new, maybe a nod towards ghosts haunting?

So from this we can gather the narrator is an enthusiastic, bubbly ghost who loves a good show (but not people trying to hog the spotlight), is here for the chaos, and really likes Draculaura and Iris.

Despite her being a literal kid-of-the-theater, I don't get Operetta vibes from this narrator. And though she's bubbly like Sirena Von Boo, there isn't any sea-related wordplay that hints to being a mermaid. River Styxx is also pretty upbeat and cheery though, loves to entertain, and is connected to Greek mythology through her uncle Charon. But that mention of nonexistent eyes, the way some of the narrator's dialogue hints at a special interest in Draculaura, and the possibility they were watching the show through a portal, are all reminiscent of Kiyomi.

The narrator doesn't seem shy and soft-spoken like Kiyomi in g1, but g3's already established its characters aren't meant to be the same as those in g1. And in Kiyomi's case that'd probably be a good thing. The wiki mentions she's self-consciously lawful, cares a lot about honor, and can't stand when people complain, which, as the only explicitly Japanese character (and one of the only two explicitly east Asian characters) in g1, is...a little too much of a stereotype, for my taste. So change is good.

Kinda feel like the narrator could be a mix of Kiyomi Haunterly and River Styxx, both in personality and background. Maybe shy around other people, but more playful and spirited when she's by herself, hence she feels more comfortable watching from a distance and relates to Iris's insecurities. G1 Kiyomi was also brave and curious though, so it'd be interesting if g3 leaned into that a bit more, especially from an angle of her being passionate about performance—maybe stemming from Japanese theater. But then also having River's relation to Charon and connections to Greek myth.

I always thought their characters had very similar color palettes and aesthetics for being introduced in the same line, more so than the rest of the characters, though the line had a lot of pastels and flowy, sheer fabrics overall. And as much as I love River Styxx's design, we didn't see much of her character at all, because she wasn't a main player in Haunted and there were so many other characters that needed more focus as part of the story, like Kiyomi. Personally, I'd like to see g3 introduce new characters as well as bring back old ones, but that's a lot of characters. So combining the most interesting ideas from certain characters that were one-note or didn't get much chance to shine in g1 seems like a smart way to go. Better than leaving some really cool concepts behind entirely, I think.

As a final note, earlier I briefly mentioned the narrator's voice actor, who I found through IMDB. Her name is Merk Nguyen, an openly queer, Vietnamese American who seems very sweet! Not exactly sure what that'd say for the narrator's cultural background, since Kiyomi was specifically a noppera-bō from Japanese folklore, and g3 has been pretty good about their casting in regards to cultures so far. But if the narrator is meant to be Kiyomi and they go for another character with mixed backgrounds, I'd be very happy to see it!

[angorith-arts]

The Hidden World Was Aesthetically Disconnected from the Other HTTYD Films: an essay no one asked for

Ok ok I know this is an art blog and I’m going off the rails a bit with this but I think it must be said: HTTYD The Hidden World was not animated in the same style as the other two films, and it has bothered me for a long time. We have all talked at length about the slow but significant dog-ification of Toothless that accompanied his dying character and personality (rip wild catlike Toothless), but I want to discuss the aesthetics of the films as a whole, discounting most changes to character designs themselves (except for one at the end because the light fury is to blame for all of this actually).

But angorith, you may very well ask, how can you say the animation is worse than the previous films when we got such breathtaking scenery as the hidden world and New Berk? To that I reply, the animation isn’t worse, its just not fitting in with the rest of the films.

Let’s take, for example, the first film. The animation style was thoroughly textured and gritty (partially due to technical limitations of CGI in the early 2000s but the animators leaned into it and I think it worked in their benefit due to the fact that they were animating gritty things like dragons and Vikings), creating a stylized but believable world of outdoorsy people and wild dragons. The dragons, specifically, were beautifully and realistically textured, with rough, detailed scales that made them feel believable despite being stylized in the manner of the film. The fur textures on the characters’ clothes were rough, resembling the fur that remains on tanned hides. The wood grain is old and worn, the weapons have nicks and scratches; you can tell the animators worked hard to make everything seem realistic despite technical drawbacks. And that’s not even to mention the beauty and depth in the outdoor scenery.

The second movie continues this trend. You can tell that the textures are more lifelike and that the animation has improved- especially when looking at the hair textures and fluid character movements- but it’s still textured and not over-polished. They aren’t afraid to show wear on objects or characters, they don’t shy away from giving Stoik, Gobber, and Valka age lines, they showcase the effects of riding on the leather equipment, the scars on the human and dragon characters are clearly visible without being too in-your-face, its a stunning and beautifully made piece of animation. But, in my opinion, most importantly, the characters are distinct from their backgrounds. This is seen in both of the first two films, where the distance between characters in the foreground and the scenery in the background is distinct. When silhouetted against the sky, the characters stand out from it instead of fading in to look flat and airbrushed against the scenery. This is largely due to the lighting and shadows being strictly defined throughout the movie. It allows for distinct shapes and clear definitions of character features. I’m no expert and may be speaking a bit from nostalgia, but I think the second film has the best animation of all three.

The Hidden World breaks this mold in a way that I found detrimental to the overall style of the film. Characters like Valka, who were once so convincingly animated to look their age, look fifteen years younger and airbrushed into smooth lines. Hiccup’s freckles are less prominent despite his outdoor lifestyle, and overall, despite the beauty of the scenery and the artful composition of many of the shots, the characters don’t have as much weight to them. The beautiful backgrounds in this movie seem like they’re swallowing the characters whole instead of remaining in the background, and I attribute this to what I call ‘the airbrushing effect.’ The shadows on the characters themselves and the boundaries between characters and backgrounds in this film are blurred, which takes away that depth that was so present in the first two movies. It looks like the characters are smushed into the background at times, leaving blurred expressions and less-defined features and boundaries. This isn’t the case in every scene, but it is in many of them, and it has bothered me since I first saw the film in theaters. Some of the textures look amazing, like the armor and dragon scales, but then you look at a character’s face and they look all fuzzy and indistinct, like they’re wearing makeup and dissolving around the edges. THW follows the growing trend of overly-blended animation, which isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself, but when an aesthetic precedent is set for your movies and then the third installment breaks the established rules, it can make that film fit in poorly with the rest of the franchise in a visual manner (not to mention the story incongruities but that’s a talk for another day).

Here are some examples:

In the second film, the boundary between Astrid and the background is distinct, despite her being farther away. Her face shape is more well defined, less round and fuzzy looking. Look at the boundaries around her face and head in the third film. There’s stil a foreground and background, but she looks like she’s blended a little too much into the background. Stormfly’s horns on the left are more jagged-looking, mimicking the texture of a realistic antler or horn, while on the right they’re smoother despite being in closer view.

Similar shots from 2 and THW here, see how much more defined the lines are between hiccup and the background on the left? Even just the features of his face are less clear; the bridge of his nose looks flattened.

Similar lighting from HTTYD 1and THW. The definition here is a bit better, but look at the skin textures. Hiccup looks like he’s wearing foundation in THW. For comparison, look at him from HTTYD 1! He’s got freckles! Don’t take away his freckles!!

Moving back to Berk means Valka must have gotten ahold of some de-aging cream, right?

I can’t add any more photos but hopefully y’all get the idea.

Now the reasons behind this stylistic change surprised me, and then really pissed me off. Its’s this thing’s fault:

I read an article a while back that said that in order for the crew to be able to animate the light fury, they had to devise new animation software for the third film (if anyone can find the article that would be a huge help, I can’t remember where I found it). She simply didn’t work in the established program, so they had to create a different software to accommodate the lighting effects of her sparkles and whatnot. Since the lighting seems to be one of the things that bother me most in this movie, this causes me some (slightly irrational) frustration, and brings me back to the question of why?

Why would you integrate a character whose design is so off-base from the other characters that you had to make new software just to make it work, to the detriment of the entire look of the movie? Wouldn’t that be one of the most clear signs that the character itself does. Not. Fit. The aesthetic of the film? this pisses me off so much. I know I’m irrationally angry about a movie that came out years ago, but from a visual, storytelling, and personal standpoint, I hate the way this turned out.

I’m not saying I hate the the third movie, or that if you like it you’re wrong. There’s so much about the film that I liked, but all the positives are outweighed by my disappointment.

TL;DR: the way that the crew made the light fury not only ruined the storytelling and conclusion to the franchise, but messed with the animation style too, which to me is an unforgivable sin.

Thank you for coming to my bitchy TedTalk

[wobinofylisse]

I've been thinking of getting last faith cause I love thw bloodborne vibes and I absolutely LOVE blasphemous 1 and 2 (god I hope we get DLC for 2 like we did 1).

Anyways what issues are you referring to so I'll know

So when you look at the game it's very important to note that it's essentially a castlevania game but with some souls stuff thrown in. Kinda in a way that it feels like it was added for marketing purposes.

I'll start with a subjective issue which is the music kinda sucks. It's sad piano music throughout almost the entire game and my brained tuned it out so much that sometimes I'd eventually notice that at some point the music had stopped in entirely in the area I entered.

That aside, the dark souls stuff holds the game back.

The game doesn't ever pause despite there not being any online and you can't even use items from your inventory and have to manually set things to your hot bar so it's not like you could gain an advantage through it.

You lose currency in death but there's no physical currency you can use and health items are a limited consumable. So every time you lose a fight and want to level a different weapon or just get more health items, you gotta grind for it.

Difficulty can be all over the place so it's very hard to tell if you shouldn't be somewhere or it's just a stupid difficulty spike.

While the ds leveling system is a cool addition to the castlevania style of game, pretty much all dex weapons have actually garbage damage output and guns are so bad that the instinct stat can just be ignored altogether unless you want to use the few spells that scale with it.

Status effects are so detrimental that especially early game, getting inflicted with a status is pretty much just a death sentence.

Moving on to the more actual gameplay design.

Movement is done in such a weird way where it feels kinda clunky and a lot of moves don't properly flow together as smooth as they should.

Double jump is like 60-70% into the game which wouldn't be an issue but almost all ledges are meant to be grabbed and your jump height will only take you to the ledge, so you're constantly watching the climbing animation everytime you make a jump. It's small but it's frustrating.

Early game gives you almost nothing to work with unless you go str, which if you do play it you should. Otherwise not only is the early game gonna be a lot harder but the late game is filled with enemies that deal frost damage which your frost res scales with strength making the late game that much worse.

Guns suck especially when compared to magic as an alternative for your off hand slot. Magic doesn't need to be upgraded like guns and will scale with mind well enough and occasionally instinct. Guns only scale with instinct and with the exception of one gun they all scale very poorly. Guns need to be upgraded the same as your primary weapon but upgrading weapons is very very expensive. Guns use a limited bullet resource that when depleted requires you to scavenge from enemies when depleted meaning that they're very inconsistent in terms of use unlike magic where you can use items to restore fp. Neither guns or magic can be used in the air but some magic has anti-air potential at least. Guns don't do enough damage to bypass any of its flaws and outside of a few niche situations, it's almost always better to just walk over and hit whatever you would shoot at.

Again with the guns and magic can't be used in the air. This means that anything flying requires you to poke it to death. Some of the endgame bosses only fly around. No this is not fun to deal with.

Lots and lots of projectile spam from enemies. Your roll only gives i-frames against projectiles but it neither tells you this nor is it consistent in what you can roll through.

The parry requires you to hold r1 and press y which for some people is a really big deal, I don't really see it as an issue tho. The issue with the parry tho is that it is extremely inconsistent and you can't tell what attacks you can actually parry.

While it is encouraged for you to use elemental buffs on your weapon, it's not very well communicated what will be effective against what and at some point I think bosses stop getting status effects all together.

Side quests seem very basic and are pretty much all just find the 1 thing that the character asked you for then you get no reward and they might just leave the game forever. There's a point of no return at the end of the game that you aren't told about and it makes it impossible to finish any side quests.

Story is kinda eh. Lot of it is characters vagueing about stuff or talking in jargon and I stopped feeling invested in the world building because it felt is need to watch some randos video essay just to understand anything. Especially with how little it explains towards the end.

I say all this and I still think it has the bones of a good game and with the proper work it could be made much better.

I'm hopeful.

[vapehk1]

ANYX BRIX 800 Puff Lego Building Block Style Disposable Vape Review

Have you ever seen a disposable in the shape of a lego building brick? In a world where nostalgia meets innovation, the ANYX BRIX emerges as a delightful bridge between the cherished memories of childhood and the adult world of vaping. Though we've all grown up and embraced the responsibilities and freedoms of adulthood, the longing for the simplicity and joy of our youth remains. In this spirit, let’s dive into a product that not only tickles the fancy of our inner child but also caters to our adult needs – the ANYX BRIX disposable vape, a gadget that’s as playful as it is functional, embodying the whimsical charm of lego building blocks with the sophistication of modern vaping technology. ANYX BRIX Specifications - A Detailed Overview Specification Detail Nicotine Strength 20mg/ml Puffs 800 Capacity 2ml Battery 320mAh Flavor Choices 10 Color Choices 10 E-Liquid Ingredients Vegetable Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Salt Nicotine, Flavors Shape and Style Lego Building Blocks Manufacturer Shenzhen ANYX Technology Co., Ltd My Personal Journey with ANYX BRIX - A Playful Experience My experience with the ANYX BRIX was nothing short of a delightful surprise. It’s the first disposable vape I’ve encountered in the form of lego building blocks, a concept so playful and innovative that it instantly piqued my curiosity. This product stands out not just for its unique design but for its ability to marry creativity with the act of vaping. The ability to build animals, rockets, flowers, and even a vaper with these blocks offers a whimsical and engaging experience that’s hard to find in the vaping world. The array of colors available for creating different patterns adds another layer of fun, making the vaping experience visually stimulating as well. “When I get tired, I can just take a few puffs, and that's where I'm happier than a kid.” This statement resonates deeply with me, highlighting the joy and relaxation the ANYX BRIX brings into my life. Echoing the words of Sanking Han, the CEO of ANYX, “We are thrilled to introduce ANYX BRIX to the vaping community. Our goal was to bring a sense of fun and creativity to vaping, and ANYX BRIX achieves just that. By combining the familiar joy of building blocks with the pleasure of vaping, we are offering our customers a truly unique and enjoyable experience.” I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. https://youtube.com/shorts/KRfObMufQ2k The ANYX BRIX comes in 10 vibrant flavors, each associated with a different color, making the vape visually appealing and flavorful. Though it's a typical mouth-to-lung vape with a smaller vapor amount and a small, non-rechargeable battery, it doesn't fall short in delivering a satisfying vaping experience. The vapor produced is just the right amount, neither too thin nor overpowering. The taste, enhanced by high-quality vegetable glycerin, is silky and smooth, indicating the use of premium vape juice. Despite its 20mg nicotine strength, it feels more potent and gratifying, likely due to its efficient mesh coil design. A small, understated LED light at the bottom of the vape is a thoughtful addition, ensuring the design is not overly flashy or distracting, which is great for conserving battery life. Pros and Cons of ANYX BRIX - An Honest Assessment Pros: - Innovative and playful design that allows for creativity. - Wide range of flavors and colors to choose from. - High-quality taste and satisfactory nicotine strength. - Efficient use of a mesh coil for a better vaping experience. - Minimalist LED design conserving battery life. Cons: - Small battery capacity and non-rechargeable design. - Limited to 800 puffs, which may not suffice for heavy users. ANYX BRIX Review Conclusion - A New Era of Vaping Concluding, the ANYX BRIX is a breath of fresh air in the vaping market, blending nostalgia with modern vaping needs. Its lego block design not only diminishes stress and evokes positive feelings but also adds a touch of nostalgia, making each vaping session a trip down memory lane. Unveiled recently at Vapexpo Paris, the ANYX BRIX has already started to carve a niche for itself among vaping enthusiasts looking for something beyond just nicotine satisfaction. For those yearning for a vaping experience that is playful, colorful, and reminiscent of childhood joys, the ANYX BRIX comes highly recommended. Learn more about ANYX BRIX from the ANYX official Read the full article

[thuzyblog]

Dachshund Dog Breeds: Temperament, Lifespan, Grooming, Great Care Advice & Training

 Dachshunds are scent hound dogs that were bred to hunt badgers, rabbits, and foxes. Dachshund groups were even used by hunters to track wild pigs. Their flexibility makes them excellent family dogs, show dogs, and small-game hunters today.

But don't let this puppy deceive you. This diminutive, drop-eared dog may be "half a dog high and a dog and a half long," as noted literary critic and humorous writer H. L. Mencken put it, but it is tough enough to take on a badger. They got their names from this (Dachs means badger and hund means dog). You could know them as Wiener Dog, Sausage Dog, Doxie, or another of their many nicknames.

Introduction

The Dachshund, often known as a "wiener dog," is a breed that dog enthusiasts all over the world adore. Because of its distinct appearance and energetic demeanor, it is a popular family pet. In this essay, we will discuss the Dachshund's history, characteristics, training, care, and cultural significance.

History

The Dachshund was developed in Germany as a hunting dog. In German, their name means "badger dog," referring to the fact that they used to hunt and track small animals, particularly badgers.

Dachshund differences: The Dachshund breed comprises dogs with smooth, longhaired, and wirehaired coats. These various coat styles provide potential owners with options while preserving the breed's distinctive characteristics.

Characteristics

They are easily identified by their long body, short legs, and long snout. Their coats might be smooth, longhaired, or wiry, adding to their individual charm.

Characteristics: They are recognized for their vigour and bravery. Despite their diminutive size, they have a strong sense of resolve and are generally noted for their bravery.

Characteristics: These dogs are recognized for being devoted to their owners. They may be wary of strangers, which makes them excellent watchdogs.

Dachshunds are available in two sizes: standard and miniature. A typical Dachshund weighs between 16 and 32 pounds (7 to 15 kg), and a miniature Dachshund weighs 11 pounds (5 kg) or less.

Lifespan: They typically survive 12 to 16 years, but with proper care, some can live even longer.

Socialization and education

Early Training and Socialization: They require early training and socialization to avoid behavioral problems and to get along well with people and other animals.

Positive reinforcement training, in which the dog is rewarded with goodies and praise for good behavior, is an effective method for training a Dachshund. Patience and constancy are essential.

Common behavioral issues and how to cope with them:

Because they are so attached to their owners, they often become anxious when they are separated from them. Crate training, gradually increasing the dog's alone time, and providing exciting toys can all help to solve this problem.

Maintenance and upkeep

Common Diseases and Symptoms: Because of their length, they are more prone to back problems, which can lead to intervertebral disc disease. Obesity can exacerbate these issues.

Dietary requirements: They require a well-balanced diet to keep healthy and at the proper weight. It is preferable to feed your dog a limited amount of high-quality food.

Exercise Requirements: Regular exercise is essential for preventing obesity and improving overall health. However, they should avoid excessive jumping and activities that are harmful to their backs.

Grooming and Hygiene: Different Dachshund coats require different grooming. Its with smooth coats do not require much maintenance, while those with long or wire hair should be combed on a regular basis.

Breeding and reproduction: Ethical breeding is all about selecting healthy partners to breed with in order to keep inherited health concerns to a minimal. Good breeders are concerned with the health of both the parents and the puppies.

Where to buy and adopt: It is advisable to go to recognized breeders who care about the qualities and health of the breed. Another nice thing to do is to adopt from shelters and rescue organizations.

Media Coverage of the Dachshund

One of the most well-known Dachshunds is "Sausage," the beloved pet of former US President John F. Kennedy.

The Dachshund has appeared in many films and television shows, usually as faithful and charming creatures.

Representation in the Media: The Dachshund's distinct appearance and energetic demeanor are frequently shown in various forms of media, demonstrating how they truly are.

Conclusion

Finally, the Dachshund's popularity can be explained by its distinct appearance, vibrant nature, and unwavering loyalty. They are a terrific addition to families of all sizes because they used to be good hunters and are amiable. The Dachshund continues to live up to its reputation as a vivacious companion with the proper training, care, and breeding.

[friendlytrust]

Torchlight ii best berserker build

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The other side of the coin is a nagging feeling that this is less Torchlight II than Torchlight Deluxe. You’re the one playing the game, rather than the game playing you. There are no scheduled down times every week, no legions of money-grubbing hackers sniffing for cracks in the wall, no casino-house mentality from the publisher. There’s a lot here for $20, but it’s what’s missing that really seals the deal. Price is another factor in Torchlight II’s success. Lag and latency issues are largely nonexistent beyond actual connection problems, making for a smooth experience overall.Īfter spending the first Torchlight game underground, it’s nice to get outside for a change. Long-awaited co-op LAN and internet gameplay options are well-implemented here, with online servers handling matchmaking and lobby chores while the game itself is hosted on one or more user’s systems instead of the centralized MMO-style approach. Integrated graphics didn’t fare much worse, making Torchlight II an ideal laptop game (although if you’re going to be on the road a lot, you’ll probably want to skip the Steam version and buy directly from Runic to avoid Steam’s offline-mode shenanigans. Even with options cranked to the max and v-sync enabled, framerates were largely monitor-limited on desktop computers using discrete graphics cards. That design pays off handsomely with system requirements as well, which are low enough for virtually any modern computer to handle.

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Gracie’s got a gun, and she knows how to use it. It adds more of an open-world flavor to the proceedings, although you won’t mistake it for Skyrim. Credit Runic’s character design, which trades high resolution-textures and polygon counts for distinctive strong lines and bolder colors matched with an exaggerated cartoon animation style, a technique used in the original game with equally successful results The world is also expanded, with several towns to visit and overland areas to explore. The shells started flying, and I found myself falling in love with the both of them inside of 10 minutes. To sample a new class, I picked a red-haired, shotgun-wielding Outlander named Gracie for my playthrough and I paired her off with a ferret named Rommel. Both of these classes have minions available in later levels, spicing up character builds considerably. The Engineer brings a bit of the dwarven tinker to Torchlight, and Outlanders round out the package with mix of guns and speed. The double-fisted Berserker replaces the tanklike Destroyer and the ranged elemental attack specialist Embermage steps in for the Alchemist, but two new classes are featured as well. This time around you’re given access to four starting classes and your choice of gender, along with your pick of pet out of a choice of six. It’s so good, it should be required playing for Blizzard employees.

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Fortunately, Torchlight II ($20, free feature-limited demo) delivers. Runic has been eager to address this shortcoming, but those good intentions didn’t stop the sequel from shipping late. That little caveat cost Torchlight dearly among ARPG enthusiasts the hardcore crowd views multiplayer as essential.

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Runic Entertainment’s first crack at the action RPG designer-drug formula resulted in the enormously successful Torchlight, a game that had it all, assuming you like to play underground and alone. Between the Auction House, online DRM requirements, hacked accounts and host of other disappointments, Blizzard’s bruiser broke as many hearts as it won. Despite the hype and mountains of cash made by Diablo 3, the finished product left a lot of people tasting brimstone and ashes.

[dailycharacteroption]

Dandy (Ranger Archetype)

 No doubt readers have at least heard the term “dandy” at least in passing, calling the image of a nonchalant fellow in fancy clothes. But what is it that makes a dandy?

Historically, a dandy was a man who, despite not being noble-born or extremely wealthy, dressed and behaved as someone far above their station, peppered with a nonchalant charm. These individuals put a surprising amount of focus on their own appearances despite their lack of power, and used that persona to worm their way into high society. However, they did more than simply imitate high society, they actually influenced it, their extravagant dress setting fashion trends.

With their focus on their appearance and defiance of class and convention, dandies as a concept are still alive to this day, even if the term itself is no longer used. Trendsetters, celebrities, and cultural icons come to mind. Hell, though the term was used to refer to men, there are and were plenty of women that also filled a similar niche as well, to say nothing of other genders.

So with that in mind, why is the dandy a ranger archetype? To me, the parallel is drawn by how they work hard to stay at the forefront of high society as it develops and changes, hunting rumor and threads of social jockeying the way their contemporaries hunt game. Makeup becomes their camouflage, words and the occasional duelist’s rapier their weapon, and so on.

There are many ways to be a dandy as well, from the rugged but clean gentleman to the fop, and anywhere in between, but there is no denying that a good dandy keeps the next great social play and fashion trend in their sights, even, and especially if they have to go out and make them happen themselves.

 As one might expect, the dandy sports a skill set more attuned with the cutthroat world of high society, and that attunement goes further thanks to their extensive knowledge of a handful of cultures, including their social mores and decorum, to better work and live among the elite therein.

As social climbers, dandies have a knack for recognizing the power of hearsay, and are adept at shifting rumors to be more positive and negative, though doing so takes time, and is more difficult the more people they have to influence.

Naturally, they are very at home in the cities of the world, becoming especially adept within them.

Not one for exotic pets (at least, not ones as large and dangerous as animal companions tend to be), these socialites bond with their companions, and can even help them out in the social sphere by making introductions and smoothing over relations.

Rather than the traditional nature magic of the ranger class, dandies instead favor the magic associated with bards, which is not surprising given their overlapping focus. However, they still remain minor casters, unable of casting more powerful spells.

Though it may be hard to believe, there are sometimes situations where the dandy and their compatriots are NOT invited to social gatherings (gasp The Nerve!), but that doesn’t stop a determined socialite, whether they have to secure an invitation letter, find a socialite in need of a plus one, or simply find a servant willing to look the other way, dandies can find a way to crash a party, though this is obviously limited to actual social affair, with truly secretive exclusive meetings and gatherings requiring more… adventurous methods.

Interested in playing a ranger or martial socialite, but not wanting to play a bard? This archetype certainly has you covered, granting all sorts of bonuses in social spheres without compromising the offensive power of the class. You won’t get favored enemy though, so be sure to pick up some buff spells from the bard list as well. As for fighting style, a good idea would be to pick one based on the combat style favored by nobility and the wealthy in the character’s home region, such as deceptive or faithful (Cayden Caylien) for those feint and weapon finesse combatants with a rapier or other light weapon, and so on.

 Though this archetype might have the name dandy, you shouldn’t let that prevent you from using the word to describe your character if it fits, nor should that prevent you from playing a charismatic socialite in general. After all, there are plenty of classes and archetypes that cater to that as well anyway.

  Senjo the Rake is a rarity among the courts of the nation of Shen, a man who dares to reach beyond his station, and while nobody takes him seriously yet, they find him interesting enough to allow him to attend the imperial court. There is one who is not laughing, however, an imperial courtier and rokurokubi in disguise. Very soon, she will tire of his antics and threat to her plans.

 Many humans assume that halflings have no courts or noble parties, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Landed gentlemen and gentleladies attend humble but comparatively vibrant parties wearing brightly dyed fashions. Even the humbler folk get involved, eager to impress with hand-crafted outfits of their own.

 In a dress white as snow, the princess has attended the gala alongside the party as her trusted bodyguard, however, she chafes under such strict watch, and so does an eager young dandy who would love to hold her attention for a while.

[balwinderthandi]

Best Online Free Video Editor 2021

With the advent of online social video sharing networks such as YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, and Vine, editing and creating videos no longer remained the sole realm of experts. You only need a competent computer system right now to become a video editor. 

You can now edit films online without installing any software on your Windows or Mac computer; all you need is a good internet connection. 

Most of these free online video editors are user-friendly for beginners, so even if you’re new to video editing, you can create a video quickly with these online video editing tools. If you’re a seasoned video editor, have a look at our recommendations for the finest professional video editing software.

Personally, I don’t encourage using online tools because network connections aren’t always reliable, and when there’s a network fault, all of your hard work is wasted. Online video editing requires a fast upload and download speed, therefore it’s best for editing short and small video clips.

 Furthermore, if you require more advanced editing capabilities and attractive video effects, online video editing solutions may not be the ideal alternative. In this scenario, I strongly suggest Wondershare Filmora as a must-have tool. Simply download it and give it a try to see what editing features, effects, and presets it has to offer

Best Free Online Video Editors

Although several of the online video editing tools featured below provide free trial versions, you may need to upgrade your free plan to the paid version if you need to download the video. In addition, some free versions will place a watermark on your 480p video recording. So, before you dive into this online platform, please pay attention to it.

1 FlexClip

FlexClip is a feature-rich online video editor that is both free and powerful. It not only allows you to post films in minutes, but it also gives you access to a library with 2.5 million videos and stock photos organized into categories like business, background, holiday, food, sports, and more.

Of course, you’ll want to upload your photos, videos, and music, which is simple to do: just drag and drop and you’re done. For maximum effect, you may blend footage with your own films, and there are hundreds of professional designs to select from.

You can easily overlay text on your sequences with FlexClip, capturing attention with elegant typefaces and spectacular effects, as well as smooth transitions between clips.

Furthermore, FlexClip’s aspect ratio functionality allows you to change the size and structure of your clips to meet the dimensions required by various social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram Stories, and others.

FlexClip requires no download or signup to use, and you can choose from three different options to get started: Basic (USD 4.99/month), Plus (USD 7.99/month), and Business (USD 19.99/month). Better still, you may try out the tool for free to see whether you like it.

2 Invideo

With InVideo’s wide range of ready-made video templates, you can make professional-looking videos up to 10 minutes long that are compatible with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Depending on the type of video you need to make, you can utilize their ready-made Instagram story template or Facebook video ad template.

InVideo also allows you to add effects, text animations, and stickers to your videos, as well as access to a collection of over a million photographs and video footage, saving you money on stock photography and video clips.

Furthermore, you can simply edit your films with their built-in editing tool, which will save you time and money compared to utilizing other editing tools like Screen flow or Camtasia.

InVideo also allows you to make videos in up to 1,000 different languages, so you can reach a global audience with your videos.

3 Biteable

Biteable is a video-creation platform that uses configurable templates to assist marketers, HR representatives, agencies, and entrepreneurs produce animated films for Facebook and Instagram ads, cartoons, commercials, presentations, and more. Businesses can create images in HD 1080p resolution using unique watermarks, built-in clips, and animations. Teams can also collaborate across projects and edit films utilizing the platform’s centralized interface.

Biteable is for you if you want to make a fantastic video, generate more leads and customers for your business, or just create an outstanding piece of content.

Biteable’s monthly pricing starts at $29.00 per feature. A free version is available. Biteable provides a risk-free trial.

4 Magisto

Magisto is a fantastic online video maker that is well-known for automatically transforming ordinary videos into beautiful emotional films and exceptional social videos. It’s easy to use and speedy, with all the features you’d expect from software you paid your kidney for.

You can add photos and videos to your account after joining up with your Facebook account. Magisto also offers a variety of video templates for a variety of businesses, including birthday greetings, weddings, promotions, promotions, and inspiring. Simply choose from popular, family, business, social, seasonal, fun, and clean editing styles.

Hovering the cursor over the thumbnail will show you a preview of the style. Some styles may require an upgrade in order to be used. Then you have the option of selecting music from the built-in music library or uploading your own. Magisto will automatically finish the following editing tasks and add transitions to the video.

Magisto is cross-platform, meaning you can use it on mobile devices, tablets, and the web with the same account. You may share the video straight to social media sites, but if you want to save it to your computer, you’ll need to upgrade your plan or ask others to download it for free.

5 Wevideo

WeVideo is a video-making tool that may be used by multiple people at the same time. You can add your own movies, photos, and music files to the Media panel from your computer or from social media sites like Google Drive, Facebook, Box, Instagram, Dropbox, and others, or you can use the built-in stock films, audio, and images to rapidly create a film.

Stock photos, movies, and audio files are only available in the Professional and Business plans, although you can replace Premium music with free music and sound effects. WeVideo allows you to add markers to a specific clip, or static simple text and callouts to the video, or transitions, background images, overlays, or frames to the video, in addition to basic editing and splitting.

If you upgrade to the subscription edition, you’ll get access to professional editing capabilities like green screen, voiceover, slow motion, screen casting , and cross-platform sync across iOS, Android, and the web, among others.

Despite the fact that WeVideo claims to support 4K resolution, 4K UHD is only available on the Unlimited ($9.99/mo), Professional ($19.99/mo), and Business ($39.99/mo) plans, and the free plan has numerous limitations, including the ability to only publish 5 minutes per month and a maximum video resolution of 480P. In addition, the Free plan includes a watermark in the right upper corner of the video.

6 ClipChamp

Clipchamp is a well-known free online video editing programme that includes a video compressor, converter, and webcam recorder in addition to video editing features. The best aspect is that its user-friendly work platform enables beginners to complete video editing in a short amount of time, and the product may be saved immediately to the computer or shared via Google Drive, for example.

You can cut, crop, rotate, and flip videos with ease using simple drag and drop tools. Furthermore, brightness, saturation, and contrast can all be easily adjusted. Transitions, text, overlays, and backdrops can all be added.

You may choose from a variety of aspect ratios, including 1:1, 9:16, 4:3, and 16:9, and it also comes with a built-in instruction to help you construct a video. Before you can use this all-in-one online video editor, you must first join up with your Google or Facebook account. Furthermore, the free edition is restricted to exporting at 480P SD resolution with no watermark.

Although 4K footage can be imported, it is recommended that you compress it first because huge files can cause editing issues and the video clip cannot be exported in 4K. I’m not sure what the issue is, but adding audio to a movie and playing it back did not work well. Please let me know if you’ve had any problems with it in the comments section below.

[localdumbasscourier]

Character Study

LAYER 001 :    THE OUTSIDE.

NAME  :   Caleb Brewster 

EYE   COLOR  :   Brown

HAIR   STYLE   /   COLOR  :   Wild, unkempt and curly dark brown hair. 

HEIGHT  :   5′11″

CLOTHING   STYLE  :  Most often he is in whatever clothes are needed for the job. He tends to drift towards waterproof outer layers due to his days whaling. 

BEST   PHYSICAL   FEATURE  :   :His beard obviously

LAYER 002 :    THE  INSIDE.

FEARS  :  Losing his friends, whether it be to death or simply drifting apart. 

GUILTY   PLEASURE  :    Pastries. Caleb always liked sweets but after the war and the lack of them for so long he just can’t resist them. 

BIGGEST   PET   PEEVE :    Stubbornness. Even though Caleb himself is extremely stubborn on certain topics he hates when others refuse to budge on topics even when given logical reasons.

AMBITIONS   FOR   THE   FUTURE  :   To finally gain some peace in his life. To see his friends grow old and raise children.

LAYER 003 :   THOUGHTS.

FIRST   THOUGHTS   WAKING   UP  :  Depends on the day however, it is usually whatever plan he and Ben are working on. 

WHAT   THEY   THINK   ABOUT   MOST  :  How he is endangering the lives of his friends by asking them to spy for them. 

WHAT   THEY   THINK   ABOUT   BEFORE   BED  :   Caleb doesn’t do well with sleeping. He usually ends up passing out when he has reached his limit. Therefore his last thoughts are simply whatever him and Ben are currently working on. 

WHAT   THEY   THINK   THEIR   BEST   QUALITY   IS  :  His ability to adapt to any given situation and to maintain a lighthearted mood through the worst situations. 

LAYER 004 :    WHAT’S BETTER ?

SINGLE   OR   GROUP   DATES  :   Despite being very smooth with the ladies Caleb prefers to go on group dates, especially with Ben as he loves playing the wingman. 

TO   BE   LOVED   OR   RESPECTED  : Caleb would much rather be loved. He is a fun-loving free spirit and despite his being in the army he doesn’t wish to be looked up to. 

BEAUTY   OR   BRAINS  : Caleb loves both but ultimately he  would love a woman with brains enough to put him in his place. 

DOGS   OR   CATS  :   Cats. Ever since his whaling days when his ship had several mouseing cats. 

LAYER 005 :    DO THEY…

LIE  :  Caleb doesn’t mind lying as long as it is to protect his friends and family. 

BELIEVE   IN   THEMSELVES  :  He definitely  believes in himself but after mistakes or screw ups he gets in his head.

BELIEVE   IN   LOVE  : Caleb is a big softy with a big heart so he definitely  believes in love. 

WANT   SOMEONE : absolutely Caleb always imagined himself with a large family.

LAYER 006 :    HAVE THEY EVER…

BEEN   ON   STAGE  : No 

DONE   DRUGS  :  Once or twice while he was a sailor 

CHANGED   WHO   THEY   WERE   TO   FIT   IN  : Only in the way that he disguises himself for the cause. Otherwise he is unapologetically himself

LAYER 007 :    FAVORITES.

FAVORITE   COLOR  :  Caleb’s favourite colour has always been the ever changing colours of the sea. The way that it can shift from wine dark to light green has always amazed him. 

FAVORITE   ANIMAL  :  Once he saw a monkey on his travels and since then he has fallen in love with the creatures. 

FAVORITE   BOOK  :   Don Quixote 

FAVORITE   GAME  :  Drafts 

LAYER 008 :    AGE. Depends on the date but I play him around the age of 25 or 26. Historically Caleb was 29 when the war broke out. 

DAY   THEIR   NEXT   BIRTHDAY   WILL   BE  :    September 12th 

HOW   OLD   WILL   THEY   BE  :   Timeline dependent.  

LAYER 009 :    FINISH THE SENTENCE.

I   LOVE  :   my friends and family.

I   FEEL  :   Full of energy and fire

I   HIDE  :  How soft I really am

I   MISS  :  My home

I   WISH  :  For peace and love.

[emsartwork]

BONDING/EVER REALMS MASTER POST

k. lets do this y’all

Terms: Bonder=non-human member of the bond. Bonded= human member of the bond. 

Starting off with the bonds and how they’re different from each other.

Every person born in the magix dimension has a potential complementary or companion bonder. I talk about how Companion Bonders are born in my MAGIC MASTERPOST. Companion bonds exist from birth, and are cemented when human and companion come within a yard of each other. Before the bond is cemented, only the companion species can actually sense and track down their person. Some choose to do this but most are content to exist as individuals without a bonded. After the bond is cemented the Bonded does have access to supplemental magic from their companion. This access can be deepened based on the level of closeness between bonder and bonded, as done in witchcraft and some masculine magic practices, but fairies often don’t take advantage of the opportunities a companion bond offers them. Companion bonders are sexless and usually genderless, but will often take on the pronouns of their bonded. 

Despite the common misconception, sprites and pixies are (closely related but)different species, not male/female sexes of the same species. The wings or tail are the basic physical differences. Pixies also have a rounder face, thinner/lighter limbs, and a longer torso to account for the wings taking up space on the back. Sprites have a stockier build over all, their torsos are shorter and widen at the base to account for their tails. Any companion bonder with a mix of these traits is considered a Hobkie, and usually their physical attributes are unique to them. Behaviorally, Pixies and Sprites are complete opposites, Pixies are aggressive, solitary, and prefer high places, Sprites are skittish, pack oriented, and prefer to live on the ground or below it. As with physical attributes, Hobkies will have a mix of these behavioral traits. 

Magic Animals bonds are not predetermined. This bond type is dependent on compatibility between personalities and is similar to friendship. The bond is prone to fluctuate and change as time passes, but generally does not terminate until death on one side or the other. Magic animals are given a boost of power through the bond, and the bonded will gain access to the magic animal’s wild magic core. This allows magic users to tolerate larger amounts of wild magic with out adverse side effects, and allows minor manipulation of wild magic. Magic animal bonds are necessary for Faunix, Fractix, but do not have to be used as a transformation trigger, they are also common among Druids and Shamans. 

the elemental companions are different, they are each native to one of the Ever Realms, and access the Magix dimension through an Elemental Gate. Each gate has a specific guardian. Humans are able to bond with the guardian of the gate closest to them geographically at birth (so for the ocean gates; each of the winx and their home planets, Roxy would be able to bond with phylla, and Mirta, who was born on Magix, with Nissa) This is a surface level bond, and neither party gains access to the other’s core magic. Instead, the Elemental companions are important for earning Harmonix, and kick-starting each elemental quest to gain access to the ever realms. A fairy has to bond with one elemental companion each to earn Harmonix, or use the creature of the rainbow mantle as a short cut. For Witches and Masculine style magic users, the elemental companions offer a similar task, and similar power if the task is completed, however these magic users don’t channel their power into wings and thus are not considered fairies(I’m still working on these concepts).

Now for the Elemental companions and the Ever Realms!

This is the theorized model of the universe, and is based on some ancient texts describing the ethereal fairies’ attempts at creating the world. First they tried to create a world with the only element that existed at that time, energy, this translated into the world of the eternal flame, and nothing could live there. Water was tried next, but also remained lifeless. The Immortal forest was created with the element of earth, and succeeded in creating plant life by also using water and fire(the sun lmao). The Endless Storm was created with the element of air that was created in the Immortal Forest. The Ethereals then created the Golden Kingdom (this has no relation to my original post with the golden kingdom tag oops) and decided they were comfortable there and done making worlds. However, the Great Dragon and the Shadow Phoenix decided to try one more time, and literally give their all into making a living world. This resulted in the Magix Dimension. All of the worlds have pillars running through them, connecting and stabilizing them.  

The djinn are said to have been born from the sparks of life that were put into the Eternal Flame. They are Guardians of the Fire Gates, usually located in Volcanoes or created temporarily in large fires. It is especially hard to befriend Djinns as they are difficult to find and dis-trustful of other. They do have sexes and reproduce sexually. They live off of heat and will die if in a cold environment for too long. They are almost always warm colors with a neutral white to brown skin tone.  

Selkies are one of the elemental companions that have made a home for themselves in Magix as well as their original Ever Realm. They are the guardians of the Ocean Gates, formed from shells from the infinite ocean. They are tenacious and determined but friendly to non-threatening individuals. The majority of observed Selkies are female, and its hard to even spot a male selkies as the species doesn’t have a lot of sexual dimorphism, but their reproduction is a closely guarded secret they refuse to even share with the Nymphs. They eat fish and mollusks, and occasionally shed the thick layer of skin on their torso and tail. Selkies are usually cool colors, but can adopt warmer colors over time in order to blend into their environment. 

Kodama are born from the trees in the Immortal Forest, and occasionally take on guardianship of a forest in Magix. They are the guardians of the Forest Gates, which form in especially large, old trees. They are sexless and genderless. Kodama rarely speak, and its considered an honor just to let another see their bare face. Kodama have limited shape shifting abilities, they cannot change their over all size or strength, but can grow wings for flight, a tail and claws for climbing, and ears to enhance their hearing. Kodama wear masks at all times. They are white, gray, pale green, or sometimes a light yellow/beige color, though their eyes are usually a dark green or brown. Their diet is unknown but they are thought to be capable of photosynthesis.

Sylphs have also made homes for themselves in the Magix Dimension, however they live on high, high mountain peaks and rarely come down so they aren’t a common sight like selkies are at shore lines. They are the guardians of the Storm Gates, these gates are actually mobile, following air currents on a planet, and forming in the center of intense storms. Sylphs are playful and mischievous, but can also be a bit skittish. They reproduce sexually through eggs. Male Sylphs have a chest floof and light fluffy feathers on their hips. Female Sylphs have a smooth chest and more feathers under their tails. Sylphs’ coloring can be white, blue, gray, orange, yellow, or brown. They usually have speckles or barred feathers in a darker accent color, and their chest and stomach are lighter then their backs. Syphs eat nuts, seeds, and insects, though they enjoy small prey animals when they can get them as well.

let me know if y’all have any questions!

[thegamecollection]

FAR CRY 6 - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

A modern-day guerrilla revolution kicks off in Yara today! The sun is shining, the city is burning, the people are dying... It’s another perfect day in paradise.

For those of you waiting on review scores before pledging to the cause, then we’ve got the ammo you need! Lock and load your weapons... You’ve got a tyrant to terrorize!

IGN - 8/10

“Far Cry 6 is some of the most fun I’ve had with this series in nearly a decade. Its cast delivers strong performances across an enjoyable story, even if it’s also a fairly predictable one that doesn’t always land the bigger swings it tries to take. And despite some faltering new inventory mechanics and a handful of bizarre design choices, its creative weaponry means taking down an outpost, ransacking a convoy, or even just taking a ride with a buddy has never felt better.”

Read the full review here.

GodIsAGeek - 9/10

“To say I’ve had a lot of fun would be a massive understatement. Far Cry 6 is a bottomless toy box for adults. Guns, bombs, cars, planes. Weaponised backpacks and animal sidekicks. The sky isn’t even the limit to the amount of things you can do. I spent almost 70 hours playing the previous entry in the series, and after a few hours in Ubisoft’s latest, it was apparent how bigger everything was. The map is gigantic; the vehicles range from tanks to fancy cars to horses; and the guns…oh, the guns. Despite it being chaotic almost all the time, it’s story has a lot of heart, and plenty to say about despotism and those living under the weight of a dictator.”

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 4/5

“Whatever the pimples and mood swings of Far Cry 6’s move into the next stage of maturity, all the important things you love about Far Cry are still there, and there’s more of it than ever. It’s a supersized playground of chaos and helicopters and unexpected rooster content and things that explode and will last you well into 2022.”

Read the full review here.

HardcoreGamer - 4/5

“The Far Cry franchise’s long history has come with a wide array of ups and downs. There have been excellent titles, mediocre titles and forgotten titles within its history. Far Cry 6 finds itself sitting close to the excellent titles thanks to its strong plot, characters, world design, gameplay and presentation. It’s a dark tale, one that explores some of the worst aspects of humanity, but balances itself out with a colorful cast of characters that display different rays of hope for a better future. The world is fun to explore, filled with a batch of great side activities, and never once compromises the story’s pacing.”

Read the full review here.

PlayStationLifestyle - 8.5/10

“While it may not wholly evolve the franchise in a radically new way, Far Cry 6 smooths out many of the wrinkles and growing pains previous Far Cry games have had, while building on a foundation that’s largely worked for the series since 2012’s Far Cry 3. Far Cry 6 strikes a great tonal balance, a variety of activities and exploration that never get dull, another imposing villain whose presence can be felt throughout, and a brilliant main character. Yara is a fun playground because it’s Dani’s playground, and that’s a crucial part of the equation, part of the meaningful growth the latest entry brings to the Far Cry franchise. ¡Viva la Revolución!”

Read the full review here.

PlayStationUniverse - 8/10

“Familiar, entertaining and with a cast of wacky characters, Far Cry 6 is a lot of fun. It is not novel, new or groundbreaking in any way but we are here to play Far Cry after all, and Far Cry 6 is certainly that. With lots to do and discover, Yara is a great playground to cause destruction and carnage. The customization is much improved from previous games as is the crafting, and if you liked Far Cry before, then this should be right up your street.”

Read the full review here.

It’s all shaping up to be the best Far Cry game in years! We’ll see you on the streets as we take back this place in style!

Grab your copy on all formats right here at The Game Collection!

-Jack

[bawkrya]

Ok i’m answering all the questions from that one ask meme bc i was basically sent all of them from discord friends

🌳How does your clan use the landscape of their territory to their benefit. Do they alter it?

To give background on what Phrauge’s territory actually looks like, a LOT of it is actually desert. The sand is a deep red, and despite being a desert, dig a shallow hole and it’ll be filled with a toxic liquid that the scientists in the clan are still trying to figure out. Anura, the main city, kind of sits at the beginning of the desert, but is surrounded by trees in kind of a U shape. Then the Malignant Redwood, a super toxic jungle, sits along the border of Shadow

BUT! The main thing Phrauge has done is found a way to solidify the sand in a dragon-friendly way in order to make homes. A lot of homes are directly connected to the ground, so sloped homes are a common occurrence. It wasn’t until recent years that Phrauge started using balanced concrete pads to start building houses/other buildings. The one HUGE altercation they’ve made above ground was when Bawkrya started expanding their territory into the Redwood, where he built his home

The trees, plants, and animals found at the location his home is in was sent off to mages, scientists, etc. to be studied-- he actually didn’t plan to build a house there until it was offered to him

UNDER Phrauge is a dragon-made cave system for the most part that was expanded into an underground city, and the houses/buildings there share a similar look in that they’re built from the stones and all that. A good portion of the “Higher Mall” is carved into the walls of the cavern.

🏠What are the housing accommodations? Any architectural influences?

There’s housing in basically every part of Phrauge. Due to how old Phrauge is as a Clan, the majority of this housing are tall apartment like buildings where families have lived for several generations. These apartments tend to be PRETTY large as they accommodated Imperials and other large species for the most part

While the majority of the house will be made out of sand/concrete, wooden decor, supports, etc. are implemented throughout it, but like especially for decoration. Bone is also a common decoration, with both wood and bone being carved with smooth and stupid intricate designs.

For the wooden and bone decor like that, for apartments that had several generations in them, some of the decor may tell stories of those who lived there, or list position in the clan, or have a family tree. If the family ever moves from these houses, the decoration is either taken with them or sent to historians in order to preserve them

Also Phrauge really loves some tiling. Tiled floors with wooden walls is pretty common, esp with how customizable it can be. Despite the popularity, there’s not too many dragons in the clan who actually make tile-- so there’s maybe three or four dragons really well known for the tiles they’ve made.

As for influences, there’s a LOT. If you can think of a style, it’s most likely sitting somewhere in Phrauge. the housing described above is moreso the style that belongs to the clan, but since a LOT of dragons are moving in from various flights, housing of different looks tend to drop in all the time

❤️How are hatchlings raised? By the clan? Just the parents? Just one parent? Is there a nursery for eggs? How is that set up if so?

It really depends on the area. In Anura, it’s generally only the parents raising the kids, given how many different dragons run through the major city from different flights, but there are plenty of childcare options for parents who may be in the higher ranks of the clan. There’s mostly daycares, but teens can make a living off of babysitting!

In Gabbro, a smaller city based near the Earth border, it’s more communal based. Less tourists go through that area, so everyone knows just about everyone, and with how much security is in place, parents are generally at ease letting their kids run around doing more simple errands.

As for underground, it’s almost strictly just the parents. While Bawkrya is trying to make it a more safe city, dragons still try to do shady business there, and it’s an overall much more strict setting. Most families don’t live there unless they have to-- for ex; the home has belonged to a family for a long time. Still, for those on the richer side, they mostly keep security in place for that home in favor of buying a new one aboveground.

For members of the clan who are Officials, children are usually taken care of by other officials, or by specifically hired babysitters/tutors. For example if Xentheryn and Akeldama, the two official Blood Mages/Scholars of the clan, were to have children, Bawkrya (leader), Fortinbras & Valencia (Head of Trade/Supreme General), etc. would be some of the few who may keep an eye on the kid(s).

🌧How do they lay their dead to rest? Is it a cemetery? A hall of the dead? An item crafted to remember them by?

Due to the nature of the sand in Phrauge, most if not all are cremated. This is mostly so dragons may keep their family with them, as there really isn’t anywhere to bury someone. On top of that, Imperials used to make up the majority of the clan, so bodies couldn’t be buried even if the family wanted them to be.

Some families may build temple-like concrete buildings in order to store the urns of their deceased. These buildings are generally small, and located near the woods. They’re also able to be moved from where they’re placed if needed-- which is why Bawkrya, with the permission of the families, relocated a lot of these temples to a specific area thats under more security.

These temples are protected by a magic talisman that’s fueled by the living family. So, unless you’re blood related or otherwise bound to the talisman, you won’t be able to go in or move these temples. If a family no longer has a surviving member, it is usually bound to the clans Immortal (TBA Dragon), who will continue fueling it so long as their loyalty lies in Phrauge.

For Dragons of higher rank, with the families permission, their urn may be placed in the Capital Building. Urns in this building are protected by two talismans, one fueled by the family, and the overarching one fueled by the Immortal.

In the temples, important items that belonged to the dragon may be set next to the urn. For ex: Bridal Boas, small weapons, journals, etc. As for items families may keep, since jewelry is super popular in the clan, Rings, Necklaces, and other forms of jewelry are typically worn by the dragons Heir, or whoever they may have left it to. Bawkryas pendants are a well known example-- it’s rumored they belonged to his mother, but they only thing known for sure is that it was passed onto him when he was young.

⚔️How do they get along with beastclans? Is there tension even if they get along well?

Honestly, pretty well. The most trouble Beastclan folk might face in Phrauge is from tourists who aren’t familiar with the laws set in place protecting them against dragons. So, many tend to live in the Gabbro instead of Anura.

Dragons also still have beastclan familiars, like Bawkrya does! Familiars in this sense are treated equally, and are more of a partnership between dragons, whether it’s familial, platonic, or romantic. Familiar is just the universal title most end up using

🍽Any culinary inspirations or specialties?

There’s several Phrauge specific specialties, and every single one is a meat based dish. I don’t have names yet for them, but the most well known is a soup made from bone broth with lots of meat in it. Grouse is the most common choice of meat, with different sorts of seasoning, sauces, etc. depending on the region/who cooks it. Veggies and the like are mixed in too-- but again it’s all dependent on where you have it made

A special kind of beef jerky is super popular too, with magic based ingredients!

But, also, since plenty of dragons move into Anura every day, specialties from other clans or flights gain traction as well. Though-- nature specialties don’t really last long

🔑If your clan is land locked or lacks bodies of water how do you feed pescatarians? If its dry or frozen how do they feed herbivores? Does this area limit what dragons have joined your clan due to unstable dietary supplies?

A LOT of food is imported! Like a lot. Phrauge does a lot of trading among other clans/flights, so there’s rarely ever a shortage, especially since Bawkrya and Fortinbras have teamed up on trade. So, dragons aren’t really limited.

🎀Does certain clothing mean anything in your clan? Colors or items signal a rank or status like marriage, warrior, healer?

Bridal Boas are a super common, Phrauge specific thing. It’s something all partners in marriage wear, and something they make for each other. Bridal Boas are made from fur, decorative metals, and jewels. They don’t specifically have to be boas, just made out of fur! As for colors, white is the most common, but Reds, Dark Greens, and Dark Purples are other colors associated with marriage.

For Mages, they tend to wear metal masks with heavily jewelry. Xentheryn and Akeldama have the most prominent masks as they’re the Official mages, but all Mage related masks are decorated depending on what they specialize in. For those two specifically, being Blood mages, Red jewels, copper metal, etc. is used for their masks with more flowy designs

Bawkrya has a specific uniform he has to wear when doing Clan Ceremonies. The majority of this uniform is made from bone-- with the bones being from past enemies that Phrauge has defeated. The fabric used is from specific beasts too, all which past Leaders have killed themselves. Also, passed down jewelry and the like.

⭐️Is your clan healing magic based? Apothecary based? Surgical? A strange combination?

It’s more of a combination, with how many dragons there are. And, it really depends on the injury or illness a dragon may have. But, the most popular form is magic based, with most if not all mages in the clan basing their studies in healing.

✏️What are real world influences that have been implemented into your clan’s design or culture?

For fashion, a lot is inspired by the 1930s fashion from various countries! For a specific source, the fashion in Winter Begonia is a huge influence. I just tend to make the clothing sluttier LMFAO

so just really nice and layered tuxes and semi form fitting dresses. but in Phrauge theres boob windows somehow implemented. + STUPID heavy jewelry + LOTS of fur and potentially bones

[soobadnoonecanstopher]

Dressed Up, Part 2 of 2 (An I Give Up Deleted Scene)

Genre: Fluff / Smut (18+)

Word Count: 11.9k

A/N: Warnings(AKA goodies): sugar daddy kink, semi-public sex, sensory deprivation, panty sniffing, cum fetish/cum play with marking, cream pie, dirty talk, jeez stfu baek.

[Part 1]

IGU Deleted scenes masterlist

  You hadn’t done much research on the topic, so you couldn't be sure about how likely it was to actually happen, but you were nearly positive you were about to spontaneously combust at any moment. 

The aftereffects of your sexy video call with Baekhyun had left you in about as much of a state as you had ever felt yourself in before. 

 Perhaps your decision to hold off on the easy and quick gratification; to let it go for now and focus on making yourself look beautiful for the evening instead, perhaps that had been a mistake. Your goal, of course, when you pulled yourself up from that bed and forced your body to move back into that bathroom so you could clean yourself up a bit, apply another coat of that lovely scented lotion to your already oversaturated skin, the only goal floating inside your fuzzy mind, was perhaps a little bit rooted somewhere in the realms of revenge. 

 It wasn’t that you were mad. 

 You were just wound up. In an if-I-don’t-get-dicked-down-soon sort of way. You were frustrated. Your skin was sticky-hot to the touch despite the air conditioner in your apartment blasting a frigid temperature over your head and you were certain that if this had been a cartoon, animated heat waves would be visible rising up from the top of your head. 

 This wouldn’t do. You needed to cool off before you slipped on the very expensive and luxurious dress that hung on your closet door; watching you and no doubt judging you for this obviously pitiful display of human malfunction. The garment made of sheer tulle and high-end silky lace with hand-stitched sterling embroidery wouldn’t be caught dead desperately chugging ice water and then sticking it’s entire head into the open freezer door when the ice didn’t cool it down fast enough. 

 You had to just use this. This mood that persisted would have to fuel your every move. 

 You were going to get ready. You would put that dress on and its silky fingers would caress every inch of your hot skin as you slid into place inside of it and it cradled your curves and your bones in its beauty and you would show him and everyone at that party exactly what a truly beautiful and desirable woman could look like. 

 You were just going to have to kill him.

 You’d called ahead for the car. One of the perks of living in this particular apartment high-rise was the car service offered at an insanely expensive, completely unreasonable price. You’d only ever seen Baekhyun use it a handful of times, opting instead to drive his own car most of the time. Tonight was different. Tonight was special and you couldn’t quite see yourself stepping out of a plain old taxi cab onto the steps of the party venue, a luxurious five-star hotel in the heart of Seoul, wearing a dress of this caliber and gussied up in such a way. A taxi? No way.

 No, tonight required an exit from the backseat of a large and mysterious black sedan with blacked-out windows and a personal crisp-suit clad driver who called you ‘Miss’ and when you smiled into your response to his inquiry about where you were headed tonight, he actually stuttered a little bit and turned pink in the cheeks. 

 He was young and adorable and seemed to be hesitant to make eye contact with you in the rearview mirror at the red lights even as you asked him casual questions about how long he’d been driving and where he was from. Satisfied with his short responses and finding little else to ask the man, you let your mind drift in the back of that car as your eyes raked over your own appearance at this very moment. 

 When you were seated, minimally obscured by sheer red tulle, your smooth bare legs were completely visible up until high up on your thighs where the flesh-colored lace underdress began. The expensive elegant strappy heels, the soft skin of your legs, the perfectly manicured red toenails. Even the way you smelled — clean, tastefully perfumed in a new scent you had picked up at the salon — you had never felt quite this clean in your entire life. All of this effort which had been the source of much exhaustion throughout the day suddenly felt invigorating. 

 You looked good. Better than good, you looked like the kind of expensive that most could only dream about and when you shifted in your seat, uncrossing one leg to switch to the other, pointing your toe inside of your shoe and slipping the sheer dress up higher to expose more of the leg you could see the diamonds around your wrist sparking in the night lights of the city despite the dark tinting in the windows; you could still make out some sparks in those magical stones. 

 Slipping easily into your traveling mind came his face. 

 His slight lips; the softness and pinkness you would see in them. The yielding flesh of his cushy cheek that gave just a little when you pressed your lips against them. The goosebumps that would travel up your spine into the back of your scalp and explode over your crown when you would feel him arrive behind you and slip his long fingers over your shoulder. He would coat you slowly but completely as your back connected with him and his hand would move. Lightly touching and reaching for the space over your voice box; his fingers tripping lower over your sternum and grabbing with a hot palm over your breast, before the heat from his breath preceded the soft wetness of his lips on your neck. The warm exhale through his nose as his lips would open up and teeth would bite down on sensitive skin, pulling the flush of your skin to the surface with the suction of his mouth — it would make you melt; would make you moan; would make you acquiesce. 

 A soft sigh from your own body betrayed you.

 There would be rules tonight. Of course, there would. You wouldn't be allowed to touch him freely; nor he, you.

 So... climbing into his lap and fucking him at the dinner table was obviously off-limits. 

 Would you get to dance with him at least?

Could you even stand that? Being held in an embrace while being denied the satisfaction of and encouraging the drift of his hands or the tense grip of his fingertips into the curve of your ass. 

 The daydream had brought a fresh wave of longing and your flushed skin once again prickled and heated. The warm temperature you felt in your thighs intimated to the much warmer, much more compelling heat that taunted from your inmost hollow. 

 A pointed beep sounded out; an impatient driver in the car directly behind honked their horn and you looked up from your hands running lightly over warm thighs to catch the instant your driver looked away from the image of you in his rearview mirror. The car surged forward through the green light that had grown stale with his preoccupation. 

 The feeling was unmistakable. The way you looked tonight was like a tempting and untouchable work of art. Made to be looked at and desired. Dreamed over perhaps. 

 And untouchable by all except for one. 

 The car came to a stop behind a line of cars all similar in price range and you waited for just a moment for the traffic to move through the large archway of the entrance to the hotel. Your invitation said the party would be held in the grand ballroom and there were crowds of people milling around outside, all flanking a central walkway where the occasional dressed up party guest walked. 

 As your car moved closer, the butterflies inside your stomach began to flutter and rise up when you realized that the twinkle of lights you saw was not some flashy hotel signage but was actually the flashbulbs of cameras going off. 

 You thought for sure the crowds of press and fans would have dissipated by now, but it appeared that a good number still remained, keeping a close eye on arriving guests for any sign of glimpsing a beloved celebrity. 

 The cars were moving and your number was up. There was no turning back now. 

 Your driver was out and you held your clutch tightly in the hand that gripped the tulle of your dress. You inhaled a steadying breath and poised yourself for your exit. 

 Your car door opened. You reached for the extended hand of your driver and placed a heeled foot down on the cobblestone of the hotel’s circle drive. 

 You heard voices and shouts and a murmur of sounds from people who clamored around you and a number of bright flashes illuminated your peripheral vision. 

 You were not deaf, nor were you blind. You understood the questions on their voices. You, a regular girl who just happened to have been thrust into this life. You felt like an alien and a little bit of a fraud. Making them believe that you might be somehow worthy of their cameras, yet what other choice did you have? You had to walk this pathway to enter the venue, there was no side entrance for party guests. 

 The ‘Who is she?' and ‘What agency?’ mingled with their best guesses about who you might be. Even approving comments on your style and a few shouts for you to stop and turn for their photos. You gave a stiff smile and a tiny wave and your diamonds sparkled brightly when their flashes exploded. Despite you being a complete nobody in their world of entertainment, you certainly seemed to fit the look of the kind of VVIP that would attend such an event. Pictures were snapped. Curiosities and questions were left unanswered and as you approached the rows of security at the main entrance, you’d hardly had a chance to pull out the exclusive invitation from your sparkly new Tom Ford sequined evening clutch bag before you were simply ushered through the doorway. 

 Nobody even really looked at it. You nearly paused your steps to make sure they really took notice of the invitation — your right to be here, dammit —you’d gone through the trouble of bringing it along with you. But the velvet ropes had been open for a while already and you ran the risk of blowing your cover completely if you questioned the inviting extended hand of the staff-woman who begged for your movement. 

 “Right this way, Miss. Might I know the name of your party?” 

 She walked along and slightly ahead of you. 

 “Byun,” you said softly with just a little bit of that secret taste in your mouth as you spoke his name. You did not have to say his first name, as he would be the only Byun in attendance. Aside from you, of course. 

 “Ahh, very good. Artists of EXO are seated at the front section of tables on the left side. You will find your place labeled as the guest of the artist. Please let me know if you need anything.” 

 She was bowing at the waist and you nodded your thanks, watching the top of her tightly formed bun of black hair that did not raise back up again. You gathered that she might stay there all night, bent in half like that, if you didn’t move to enter the main ballroom doors that were open in front of you. 

 And you were going to go inside, it was just…

 Well…

 The noises inside were loud, boisterous, clanking of glassware, laughing voices, and modern pop music easily reaching your ears through that open doorway and well…

 It was just so scary now. 

 The enormity of this evening was hitting you hard and fast and you turned to look again at the bowing woman to find that, thank god, she was no longer bent in half but standing with her hands folded neatly over her belly and she merely looked at you with an innocuous smile on her face. 

 “Just in there?” You asked the obvious and she smiled a millimeter wider and nodded her head once. 

 You nodded in response and opened your lips to speak again but swallowed it away quickly.

 A deep breath through closed eyes, just for a little more oxygen. A little courage. A few more seconds... One...two... 

 On three you lifted your eyelids and your chin. You straightened your shoulders, aligned your spine, called upon every ounce of confidence you had inside of you to flow into your limbs and command your body...

And you walked. 

 It was really just one several thousand dollar foot in front of the other. No big deal.

 But oh… Oh, the brilliance was staggering.

Opulence, all around. From the enormously tall cathedral ceilings to the several, several enormous crystal chandeliers that added to the incredible lighting display of the ballroom. 

 It was too much to take in — the flowers and greenery that seemed to transform the entire place into a glistening botanical indoor garden to the lights that netted over the ceiling, giving the illusion of a starry night sky. And even the tables — the crisp white linens covering expertly decorated table settings that glowed with candlelight arranged around tall centerpieces made of fresh flowers with enough sparkle and glitz to blind you. 

 It was a fairytale. 

 Ultimately it was recognition that eventually pulled you out of your stunned reverie. Standing just a few feet away from you, holding a glass of champagne and covering her mouth as she laughed at something was, the queen of Kpop, BoA. You felt stunned and star-struck at the same time. She was so much smaller in person than on TV. Even with the tall heels she wore. She was just tiny. And so beautiful

 Oh right, more than just seeing your dear sweet husband who you loved and missed dearly, you would also be right in the middle of this enormous SM Entertainment branded party. Most of the faces you saw were somewhat recognizable to you. And more than just floored that these talented and amazing people were actually real, you were flabbergasted with just how incredibly beautiful they all looked. As if SM itself had the secrets to the fountain of youth and slathered all of their artists with it upon entry into the company. 

 Or perhaps it was just the money that did it. 

 You lifted a palm to rest over your cheek, having seen an image of a glamorous woman in the mirrors that lined the walls near the entrance of the ballroom and realizing that she looked a lot like you. Only it felt impossible that you could compete with the beauty you saw in the faces of the beautiful people all around you. 

 But was it possible? Did you also carry yourself with the same confidence and poise? 

 Should there be any reason why you couldn’t? 

 You were certainly dressed the part. You were successful and intelligent; even without the millionaire husband. You could hold your own in the busy hectic emergency room at the hospital and soon you would be finished with your internship and would be hired full time at the same hospital if you wanted. 

 Hell, you might even skip the ER and make the move to specialize in the ever lucrative field of plastic surgery. You were practically overflowing with potential and there was no reason why you had to feel intimidated by that obviously well-off older gentleman who just walked by you wearing an actual smoking jacket and fuzzy Gucci slippers on his feet; looking quite pleased with himself to be out in public wearing a glorified bathrobe and house shoes. 

 You must have looked at him for too long. 

The old man had turned and locked eyes with you for long enough for your gawking to appear purposeful to him and his lips pulled into a wide grin. Directed right at you. Oh no.

 Your mother had always taught you to be polite to elders and on instinct, you smiled softly and gave a single head nod. Something meant to acknowledge but you did not mean to encourage. 

 When his grin changed into a single eyebrow lift and a swift change in his direction of travel, your smile fell. 

 “New girl group?” He was speaking to you now. You hadn’t even walked very far into the party and you were already having this sort of experience. 

 The man did not wait for you to answer, for now, he was really getting a good look at you. His eyes took you in from head to toe and you blanked out your face, lifting your chin and sighing a little loudly as you averted your eyes and relaxed the arm that held up your clutch bag, letting it drop dramatically and swing along your thigh. You felt it coming and you honestly didn’t want to do this. Come on, old man. 

 “Or maybe someone with more connections?” 

 Your sigh was not meant to be rude. You had no intention of being rude to him, but you were quite used to being leered at by creepy men who still had hope inside of them and you were beginning to lose interest in where this was headed. 

 “Let me buy you a drink?” He said while reaching into his jacket for what you hoped wasn’t a wad of cash. 

 It was a business card and you could see the letters C.E.O. Boldly written beside a name and above that, in larger letters, a company that you knew well. In fact, every time you used the refrigerator and microwave at home you saw his company’s name. 

 “Isn’t this an open bar?” You asked out of genuine curiosity as you looked down at the man’s card. 

 The old man’s eyes widened and he threw his head back as he let out a genuine laugh that pulled at the corners of his lips and his eyes. 

 You couldn’t quite grasp what he found so funny about your question. You could clearly see waitresses and waiters carrying trays of various alcoholic drinks all around you and at the bar across the way, beside the walls covered in golden colored heavy drapery, the liquor was flowing freely without so much as a single bill exchanged. 

 It suddenly occurred to you that he probably didn’t mean he wanted to buy you an actual drink right now, but more along the lines of perhaps buying you several of them at a later date at a fancy hotel bar and then a few more up in a penthouse suite room. You had mistakenly taken his pickup line at face value. 

 He took a moment to recover and rubbed at his eyes. “Beautiful and funny — I like you,” he said, “Will you tell me your name.”  The pattern of his speech took on a more direct delivery and while his request sounded, on the outside, like a question, there was little in his delivery that suggested as such. This man was very important, extremely aware of his own importance, and was not used to having to work very hard to get people to do what he wanted. 

 “I’m sorry, Sir, but I need to go. I am meeting someone. Thank you for the...uhh...the card.” 

 You lifted a, hopefully, polite hand as an apology and gave a small smile of faked regret. 

 “Okay, dinner then. Or anything you want. I will spoil you rotten.” He was leering. It was too much and you shook your head again, with your smile slipping away into what you hoped wasn’t too rude of an expression, however persistent he was, you had to admit you felt a bit amused with the man’s attempts. Perhaps this was how he had come to be so successful in his life. He was just charming enough to keep you from getting mad. Still, you had no idea what kind of power this man had and what trouble he could cause if you weren't careful with your rejection. 

 “I hope you have a lovely evening, Mr. Choi,” you said and you watched the moment of realization that flashed over his eyes. His lips pulled into a small pout and he shrugged lightly and dismissively. 

 “Give me a call if he treats you badly,” he said, pointing a finger down at the card you still held between your fingers. You shook your head and tried your best to hand it back to him. Somehow not wanting to keep this, for fear that such an act might actually be an inappropriate thing to do. He wouldn’t take it back and you sighed, looking down and wondering where you could put this thing. Did you slip it into your purse? Did you put it in the trash? 

 He was gone by the time you looked up and you walked further into the ballroom, where you began to recognize more and more faces of partygoers. 

 Names were fuzzy. You recognized the faces of group members. NCT there, a few of them at least. Red Velvet was over there. Probably not all of them. OH! A few faces from Super Junior and was that PSY? Your mind was overwhelmed. You made eye contact with Johnny Seo and you quickly looked away from the man. You tried your best to play it cool. No big deal. Just Johnny from NCT. Oh god, he was looking at you. Why was he looking? You were just a nobody. Wow, he was handsome in person.

 You saw his height first and a feeling of relief bubbled up inside your chest to see the wide toothy grin of Park Chanyeol as he talked and laughed with someone shorter whose face was obscured by other guests. But Chanyeol was like a beacon. Like a street sign that directed your travel. You could always see him in the crowd and if you just traveled toward him, you would be sure to find Baekhyun somewhere close by. 

 North Star Park Chanyeol would lead the way. You would follow him to find your love.

 A waitress passed by carrying a tray of champagne glasses and she paused in front of you for a moment to give you a chance to grab one. 

 Your nerves were reaching new heights and you had agreed with yourself to keep it to a 2 drinks per hour limit tonight. It was a party, after all, and you were pretty certain that two would keep you just social enough to be able to handle looking at all of these untouchable people in the face without shrinking into yourself or falling to their feet to worship them. Two drinks as a limit would also keep you from being drunk. You could still control yourself with two drinks. This drink would be your first. You reached for the glass after slipping the C.E.O.’s business card that you, impossibly, still had under your thumb and your bag.

 The champagne was of high quality and went down smoothly. You downed the entirety of the glass before you realized how you must look to the casual observer and you made a quick glance around yourself to survey the situation. 

 You were met with eye contact and a smile. Again, it was Johnny, who seemed to be, beyond all reason, still paying close attention to you despite the small group of people who he stood amongst. Members of his group. A giggling pretty girl touching his arm, begging for his attention. 

 Damn the eye contact and damn the amused smile of that man that watched you. 

 The waitress was back and you placed the empty glass on her tray. 

 It felt like a magnet. The pull to look back at your witness. It was mostly the embarrassment of your awkward moment being caught, but you gave in to the urge too easily and of course, he was still watching you, only this time his smile had changed to a chuckle and a head shake. 

 Now was not the time for shame. You were gorgeous and you were here to have fun. Perhaps to make some new friends too. You grabbed for champaign number two from a tray that walked by and you lifted the glass in his direction with a smile and a lift of your eyebrows. He lifted his own glass into the air and the little exchange pulled the smile to your lips to match his. 

 Maybe you would ask Baekhyun to introduce you later. 

 The groups of people mingling, chatting, and networking grew a bit denser and you wove between the crowds, brushing a bit close behind Oh Sehun who spun around quickly and did a double-take when he realized who you were. He did a wide-eyed full body once over of you and his lips pulled into a friendly smile. 

 “Oh my god, look at you — You look incredible!” He said noisily and his arms wrapped around your shoulders as he leaned down to plant a soft kiss against your cheek. Sehun had always been one of your favorites. 

 “It’s so good to see you, Sehun,” you said, and you meant it. While he was a close and reliable friend, his schedule was just as busy as your husband’s and you found that you didn’t get to just sit and chat with him nearly as much as you would have liked. Occasions to see him, such as this, were extremely precious and rare. 

 And while part of you longed to stay here and catch up on all you had missed in the life of the tall dark and handsome man who stood before you also noticed the interesting body language of the girl he had been chatting with and the way she quickly and discreetly pulled her hand away from his forearm, averting her eyes and looking down and away from him in the presence of someone she did not know. 

 You leaned a bit closer to him and glanced pointedly toward the girl; a silent question on the subtle nod of your head. 

 Sehun’s lips parted and he inhaled. A pregnant silence sitting for a moment on his tongue before he leaned down to whisper something into her ear that sent her head shaking back and forth in quiet protest. You heard a soft whine from Sehun in response. 

 “Actually,” Sehun’s voice was very low now and you could see the grin on his lips as he gave actual voice to what was clearly some sort of secret between the two of them. 

 “Sehun,” you heard her voice give out an obvious warning. 

 True to his character though, Sehun didn’t heed the warning.

 He was never one to do the expected and you heard the long sigh of defeat from the girl who now shot daggers up into the side of his face and then quickly looked at you with her eyebrows raised, ready to defend.

 “Actually, this is my gi—” 

 “Actually, I am...part of his security team,” she spoke over him quickly and the conviction in her voice wavered some when he looked down at her with disbelief written all over his face. You heard another whine, this time much stronger and he reached for her fingertips, gripping her hand to swing it back and forth. 

 “But you said—” 

 “I said I would think about it, Oh Sehun—you can‘t always just do whatever you want.” 

 There was obviously something vitally important happening between these two and you waved a quick hand and gave a sheepish smile to Sehun as you made your way away from the bickering couple, suddenly invigorated by seeing more and more people who were closely connected to Baekhyun; he had to be close by. 

 There were just so many people. 

 Your eyes searched every face and when a laughing woman tipped her head back with a particularly violent burst of amusement you caught a glimpse of light pink hair just behind her. Your heart leaped.

 And when that woman moved you saw broad shoulders filling out a crisp black tailored suit jacket. You saw the outline of his strong back. The instantly recognizable shape of his hips filling the same black slacks you’d seen him zipping up a little over an hour earlier. 

 He turned his head to the right and when you caught a glimpse of his beautiful profile the impact of it was significant — pink lips, pointed chin and all; he was smiling wide; breathtakingly brilliant. His straight white teeth, his beautiful neck— Baekhyun was talking to someone, and she was leaning in, laughing easily at his jokes and her fingertips reached for him, intending to lightly brush over the smooth crisp fabric of the suit, right over his firm chest.

 The instant she reached you saw him move, his balance shifted and he leaned away. Her touch had just missed him. It was such a subtle gesture that it looked entirely coincidental. Had it not been for the smallest shift in his feet, one might have thought their timing was just a little off. That this man hadn’t intentionally avoided the touch. But you knew him very well and he was always incredibly insightful even down to his body language. 

 The eye contact that she attempted was frantic. You could see it in the way her gaze reached for his eyes. Desperate for any little bit of a connection she could get. 

 But Baekhyun was looking down at his watch and when she gave up and turned to find someone else to flirt with, his eyes left hers and lingered above her head, floating past the many faces of the people around, he seemed to be searching the room for something...for you.

 Looking and looking...

 Your heart rate increased and you gripped the stem of your champagne glass tightly as you downed half of the drink. His search would come to fruition now. He would reach you soon.

 You could practically count it down with each deep breath of oxygen you pulled into your lungs.

 On the third exhale his eyes found yours and the search was over. 

 He had found you.

 Baekhyun’s face held steady for exactly two seconds before you saw the swift rise of his chest and parting of his lips as they hung open in surprise. 

 He took his time with it. 

 Perhaps it only felt longer to you. 

 From your view of him, only a few feet away, you watched the tick of his irises as his eyes traveled from your face, down, with a pause at your neck, another at your chest, then much too slowly down to the floor and then he screwed his eyes shut tightly; overcome for just a moment. 

 His hand reached for the tray that passed by and grabbed a glass of champagne. He held it up, opened his mouth, and tossed the golden liquid back with enough quickness to be able to place the empty glass back on the very same tray before the serving staff moved on. 

 Oh, this wouldn’t work. It had been too long since you’d seen him in person. His skin was clear and lovely. The volume of his cheeks was softer; his cheekbones less angular. Angelic even. His hair had grown some. You’d always been weak to pink. He was looking at you with a building intensity in his eyes and it was smoldering. 

 How would you manage this? 

 He was so beautiful. You found the simplest of things difficult. Breathing in particular — he looked like a fucking prince. How could you get your lungs to work when he was easily the most beautiful man you had ever seen? 

 Like the swing of the compass needle, your entire body was drawn to his magnetic pole and you gave in so easily. 

 You wanted to run. You wanted to throw yourself into his open arms and taste the rough collision of his skin on yours. His muscles and his bones would smash against yours. 

 Instead, you pushed it down. You shoved down hard with every bit of your fortitude and when you found yourself within whispering distance of him you watched the view of his incoming lips until they blurred and vanished and you felt the light brush of those soft lips as he lightly kissed your cheek. 

 It was the same sort of friendly greeting as Sehun had given you mere moments earlier but Baekhyun’s hand lightly trailed along your waist, finding the place where the back of your dress dipped down low and exposed the small of your back. 

 His fingertips lingered there and his touch might as well have been an electric shock. 

 He pulled back but the fire inside his eyes did not lessen. 

 “I thought I was ready,” he said under his breath and he inhaled a deep breath which he exhaled through parted lips. You could smell the sweetness of the champagne on his exhale. 

 “But, what the hell? How can you be this pretty? I need to sit down.” 

 You’d underestimated how badly you would want to touch him. You longed to reach for his hand, slip an arm around his waist. Slide your hand into his suit jacket and slip your fingertips into the waistband of his pants. Tiny things you’d always done very comfortably like a palm on his face, a kiss on his lips, your fingernails raked over the scalp at the back of his head; suddenly completely off-limits to you and you held on to the props that filled your hands for dear life. 

 He had moved to a table and pulled out a chair. He sat down roughly with a groan and his entire body moved with agitation. 

 “Can I sit with you?” You felt so on guard with your actions that you began to second guess every one of your moves before you did it and he was leaning on his elbows with his hands fisted together right in front of his face. 

 “Yeah.”  His answer was short and well controlled. His legs were shaking under the table. 

 His eyes found their way to you and followed as you pulled out the chair beside him. You sat down, finally having somewhere to place the drink and bag you’d clung so tightly to since arriving. 

 “What’s that?” 

 He’d noticed the white business card that sat under your bag and he reached for it with his fingertips. 

 Baekhyun held it up to his face and his eyes were moving over it, eyebrows instantly furrowing together. 

 “Some old man gave me his card when I arrived.” 

 Baekhyun lifted brown eyes up roughly and his lips pulled into a hard line. 

 “Who?” 

 You lifted a single eyebrow and kept the smile free from your lips. 

 Good ol’ Baekhyun. At least he was reliable. 

 “Some eccentric millionaire who wants to be my new sugar daddy.” 

 As soon as you were through the sentence Baekhyun had leaned forward with the card held out between his index and middle finger and he pushed the card through the opening of your champagne glass, fully submerging the paper within the wetness of the alcohol. He left the card there and rose to his feet. 

 “Hey!” You put your best into it; fake-protesting the destruction of such a valuable business card. “But, he said he would spoil me rotten, Baek.”

 He reached down for your hand, gripped tightly around your wrist and pulled you up behind him. 

 “Tell me you want to be spoiled rotten. I dare you to say it.” 

 He had turned to speak to you in a low growl as you followed behind, your arm still held within the grip of his hand and the sensation of this one hand on you was exhilarating. You’d grown so desperate for him to touch you for so long that even this had sent the butterflies in your stomach flying again. 

 He dropped your hand and you looked around to see unfamiliar faces laughing and talking amongst themselves. 

 “Friends, okay? We are just friends to these people. Come. I have to mingle and try to act normal.” 

 For the first hour or so, you felt a bit like a puppy following its master. You didn’t exactly know many people here, apart from EXO members, of which there were several who had greeted you cheerfully. 

 With the new faces, you performed well enough. Smiling and introducing yourself comfortably. You found that most of his friends and acquaintances didn’t question the friendship beyond the initial explanation. By this far into the evening, many of them had already been drinking. What you did notice, was the lingering looks you received from a good number of the men, and at least two eye rolls from some catty women who seemed to take exception with you for existing within their eyesight. 

 It wasn't something you could control, and you didn’t care as much as you thought you might for the scorning looks. Envy was a bitch, but your champagne was tasty, at least. 

 Alcohol was one thing, but your stomach was beginning to crave something else when party guests began to make their way back to their tables for the dinner to begin. 

 There would be speeches and an award presentation for the company during the meal. 

 The food was delicious, albeit a little hard to focus on with Baekhyun sitting beside you, tapping his knee against your knee below the table. 

 When the lights dimmed for a musical presentation you missed the meaning of romantic ballad being belted out because Baekhyun’s hand had reached for yours below the table and he was running slow and deliberate circles into the palm of your hand with a pointed index finger. He used just enough pressure for it not to tickle and when you focused on the shape he was drawing you realized there was a point at the bottom and a dip at the top. A heart. Again and again, a pretty secret etched into your skin with a wandering hand. 

 What you wouldn’t give for just one hour alone with him. 

 The lights remained dim after the performance, and Baekhyun quietly excused himself for the bathroom, leaving you at the table with a fresh glass of cola with a splash of whiskey. 

 A DJ on the stage filled the silence after the applause with high volume, high energy music that blasted through the sound system around the ballroom. 

 People were drinking. The music was too loud for casual conversation, but a lean in, a hand on a shoulder and a few giggles and nods was all it took for people to rise from their seats, finish off the last of whatever drink they had been nursing, and take to the dance floor. 

 The joyous mood was infectious; you loved this song. Your body moved on its own; bobbing your head and drumming your fingers to the beat on the table surface. 

 “You look like you need to be out there dancing with somebody.” 

 The voice came from right behind you and you turned to find the source.

 You’d yet to have an introduction with him and you felt rather starstruck looking at him up close; finding Johnny standing there with a small smile on his face speaking to you about things like dancing and your apparent need for it, stopped your head bobbing and finger tapping and made your jaw drop; the alcohol buzzing inside of you kept you loose enough to keep from jumping up and down and asking for an autograph.

 He was tall. You pushed up from the chair you had been occupying and stumbled just a little to put a bit of space between you both so you could look up at him.

 “Oh, no. I’m very happy with watching.” 

This evening didn’t need to get any more surreal than it already was. 

 “So are you, umm, I noticed you are sitting with Baekhyun—” 

 What exactly was happening right now? It must have been the champagne that made his cheeks look a little flushed and made his voice unsteady. 

 “What about me?” 

 Baekhyun was back. He did say he would only be gone for a moment. 

 “Ahh...Baekhyun,” Johnny spun when you did and the three of you stood like points on a triangle facing each other. “So are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”

 Baekhyun’s eyes flashed to you and you looked at him with for guidance here. It felt like a standoff. After all, this was his world and outside of his ridiculous good looks, impressive height, amazing dancing, and smooth rapping in one of your (secretly) favorite K-pop groups ever (a fact you would deny until death), you really didn’t know much else about Johnny. 

 “Actually,” Baekhyun was still looking at you as he spoke and you could hear the clench of his jaw as the words pushed out slowly, no doubt grabbing to hold on to his teeth and the sides of his lips as he forced them out, “we’re just friends.” 

 He reacted strongly the f word. As if he’d just straight up cussed in front of his grandmother. 

 Johnny looked from Baekhyun to you and back again at Baekhyun who actually followed wherever Johnny looked like he was watching a sports match. 

 “Oh,” Johnny said in a bright and chipper tone. 

 “In that case, would you like to dance with me?” 

 He was speaking to you. You had a wide smile on your face. And it was genuine. You couldn’t help it. You had a little shuffle in your shoulders already from the music that played overhead and you looked toward your husband who was looking down at his foot and kicking at the carpet with as subtle of a pout as you had ever seen on him. He looked up into your bright smiling face, not matching your enthusiasm one bit.

 “Do I?” You whispered excitedly and covered a little laugh that escaped. 

 He looked into your excited face and exhaled into an eye roll. 

 “Baekhyun, Oppa!” A high pitched shrill voice pierced your eardrums and popped your happy little bubble with her bouncing up and down inside your line of sight. She was inside of the triangle, uninvited.

 She was like a chihuahua and she obviously believed she was on ‘Oppa’ terms with your dear husband. 

 “Baekhyun, dance with me,” she was whining and pleading and his arm was already being pulled and bounced all over. 

 She, as Baekhyun quickly introduced to you, was Sana and she was a junior at his company who he had been so helpful toward when she was new and still unsure of the ropes. 

 What was immediately evident was that this little girl had a silly little crush and she would have declared her immense gratitude to the man for telling her the time lunch was served or informing her where the bathroom was. It didn’t take much to impress her when Baekhyun was involved. 

 “I guess we’re dancing then,” Baekhyun gave in and Sana squealed not unlike a happy little piglet with a fresh pile of slop. 

 The excitement you felt about getting to dance with one of your favorite idols was just a little bit dimmer as you watched the pair of them hop off to join the crowds on the dance floor and while your expensive heels gave you some height to work with, Johnny was much taller than Baekhyun was and it took you almost the entire first half of the song to find a comfortable rhythm with him. 

 Although with Baekhyun it was never in public, when he pulled you up with both hands from the sofa and made you yelp in surprise laughter with the twirls to the beat of some ridiculous song that caught his ear on the radio, or when the song shifted and his arms wound tighter around your waist and his steps slowed to the romantic ballad that he sang along to in your ear, you never experienced an off step. Not with him. 

 Not like the awkward steps you tried to discreetly correct with Johnny. From where you were on the dance floor, you could see the expert ease with which Baekhyun and Sana danced. They kept a decent distance from each other, and of course, she was smiling and laughing like a maniac. 

 Baekhyun’s focus was light and loose on her. His dancing was effortless and still looked professional. Of course, he was a professional, but they didn’t have to look so damn good together. She was small and pretty, of course. Positively ripe and begging to be tasted. But Baekhyun, no, his focus drifted over to you while he danced. Looking absolutely beautiful and perfect as he moved his body. 

 You, on the other hand, you imagined to the outside observer, might look like one of those inflatable signs they set up outside of businesses. The ones designed to attract attention for being ridiculous with its flailing arms and offbeat torso movements. A calamity in a pretty dress and heels. 

 It definitely wasn’t Johnny’s fault. He was doing great. He was working with what you gave him in downright adorable ways and soon, your missteps turned into smiling and when Johnny let out the first loud laugh after you had stepped on his foot for the third time, you found it difficult to keep up the fragile composure you’d been desperately holding on to. 

 “I’m sorry, I think I might be a very bad dancer,” you laughed and he laughed harder, reaching out to try and connect with you in some other way, with a hand along your waist. You felt the warmth of his fingers along the skin of your lower back and when you actually relaxed and paid closer attention to his touch, you found that if you just let your body listen to what he was telling you with his movements, that it wasn’t so hard to follow him along. You just had to give in to him. 

 “There you go!” He cheered when you’d done something he was pleased with and you held on to his arm and his waist a little bit tighter when he spun you in a dizzying circle, laughing all the while.

 By the end of the song, his warmth was all around you. Never in your wildest fantasies did you imagine that you would have this sort of intimate familiarity with the way Johnny Seo of supergroup NCT smelled after a vigorous round of dancing; with just a light sheen of sweat actually visible on the surface of his skin. 

 Still, the song had finished and you stood completely still, the spell of his arms still around you despite the opening rhythm of the next song beginning to play overhead. 

 Johnny was looking at your face with an unwarranted and serious expression in his eyes with no traces of the lighthearted laughter from before. You were the one to take the first step back from him, breaking the trance he had been under. He let you go, but his hands remained in an embraced position for a good second or two after you were out of them. 

 You straightened your dress some, noticing how the deep plunge of your neckline had slipped and made a bit more of your skin visible, particularly between your breasts. You should have used the double sided tape. At least you had avoided a full flash, but damn this sexy dress didn’t mix very well with dancing. When you pulled your eyes up to the spot where Baekhyun and Sana had been you expected to see them both pulling away from the dance floor and heading toward the tables. 

 What you saw was a single pair of achingly familiar black eyes set on you. 

 He was watching you. Even in the dim lighting, you could see the spot Baekhyun occupied was at least three shades darker than the rest of the room; from the completely obvious storm cloud that sat over his head. 

 How long had he been watching? 

Had he ended his dance with Sana early just so he could stand there and burn in flames as another man danced with you like that? 

Did he see the laughing and the touching too? 

 Would he be consumed by it now? 

 You had to look away. Your skin was buzzing with an electric feeling. You could hardly stand it.

 You quietly thanked Johnny for the dance and excused yourself for the bathrooms and made your way away from the bustle for a moment of peace. 

 A moment of quiet, where those dark eyes could not set you on fire.

 Your respite was short. You returned to the party but lingered on the outskirts. 

 Would Baekhyun be dancing with Sana again? Or someone other pretty young thing? 

 You scanned the crowds, searching for the familiar light cotton candy pink of the top of his head. 

 It was darker in here than it had been when you’d first found him and all of your casual searching came up empty. 

 Until a light touch on the back of your elbow pulled your attention just behind you. 

 “Here you are,” Baekhyun whispered and the sight of his face was instant relief. How did he do that? Just seeing his face in person calmed your soul. Quenched the needs you didn’t even know you were longing for. 

 “Dance with me,” he said. His hand was up, waiting for yours and you gave it. 

 “Will it be okay?” 

 “No,” he mirrored your unease what a confession of his own, “this is definitely going to kill me.”

 At least the song was upbeat. At least the dancing was fast and fun and involved laughter and spinning and cute noises he made with his mouth into your ear as he warned you about the next move. A spin, a dip, and ’one two one one, one two one one, I said one TWO one one, that was my foot, darling,’ At least it was fun enough to distract you from the warmth of his hands as they held onto you. At least the quick movement of your feet kept you from standing too still inside his embrace; from feeling it too much. You had little time to get used to the overwhelmingly wonderful smell of him within his suit jacket if you only got quick short bursts of it.

 And when the song ended and another began he was pulling you again, asking for another dance. Just one more. You could have another dance with this man without it being too dangerous, right? The lights were dim enough, and guests were occupied with their own dance partners. Plus with how much they had all been drinking, surely another dance would raise no alarms. 

 Of course, you gave in. There was no harm in this. When would you ever get another chance? 

 The second song ended too quickly. Upbeat danceable pop songs these days were infuriatingly short in length. They should all be at least a minute longer. At minimum. You released his hands and felt the cool air of the room replace his body heat and you took a step back from him when the next song began. 

 It was a ballad; a slow romantic love song. 

 The opening piano chords played overhead. A glance around you showed couples responding to the song. Some left, some stayed. You were thankful for the darkness around you that obscured their faces well enough to give the scene just a little bit of privacy. 

 You’d been prepared to leave. You’d even pivoted on your heels and began to walk back, back to your table, back to a fresh drink of something cold to battle the heat, back to a reality that did not allow for this sort of grand romantic moment with the man you loved more than anyone else in existence. What you hadn’t let yourself hope for was the way he reached for you with a low hand, and pulled you hard; pulled you back into his arms.

 The force of the way he pulled made you spin in a little teetering circle and you collided with all of the warmth and firmness of his chest. Baekhyun’s arms encircled you, moving down to your waist and the darkness of the dance floor gave you just enough of a cover to hide the intense flush you felt flooding your cheeks. 

 “Baek—” your voice came out in a single whispered breath pushed straight from your lungs. 

 “I need this,” he said through gritted teeth.

 “But, what if...someone—”

 “Fuck them. I need this, right now.” His voice was a low and dangerous whisper against your ear and the music drifted all around, matching the beat he swayed with. 

 He was leading you and you melted into the smell of him, laying your forehead against his shoulder and allowing your air to come from the crook of his neck. 

 And you danced with him. 

 Just as you often daydreamed you might have slow danced with him on your wedding day. Had that day gone differently. 

 As the song played on, you could feel the change in him. The spell was working its magic on the both of you and you gave in to the embrace with a hand slipped inside of his parted jacket. Just to feel his warmth and life easier. You were greedy for him. 

 You wanted to forget who he was and where you were. The softness of his fingers as they ran along the small of your back didn’t help. You were intoxicated by his touch. Was he singing along now? That sweet lullaby in his perfect voice tickled along your eardrums as the darkness around you both enveloped and teased. 

 You had drifted. Quite literally with the dance when you finally pulled your eyelids open you had found that he’d led you toward a quiet corner off the side of the dance floor. Far away from the groups of people that danced, it was much darker here along the wall where the thick golden colored drapery covered whatever color paint the walls might have been before. 

 The netted twinkle lighting that covered the ceiling had no effect here in your dark corner where his arms held you tight and you stood completely still quite deafened by the pounding of your heart inside of your ears. 

 When Baekhyun took another step back you could see that he was about to hit the thick curtains. He would run out of places to retreat. There was only so far into the darkness that he could go before he simply ran out of pathway to travel. 

 The surprise came when he took yet another step and pulled the curtain away from the wall where it hung heavy. He stepped behind it, into the complete and utter blackness behind there and the momentum with which he pulled made you surge forward, toward him, with the quick movement. 

 And every bit of light was gone. The dark was absolute.

 There hadn’t been much light to work with before this, but inside this dark space with one side of you, a wall, the other side the heavy fabric of a curtain and in between you both stood in the space, only enough room to stand and nothing except for the closeness and low and heavy breathing from his lungs you heard and felt along your cheek. 

 “Baekhyun, what are you doing? I can’t see anything” 

 “But you can hear me,” he said against the side of your face. The sound of his voice was incredibly clear in here. The heavy drapes were muting the sounds from the other side. 

 You felt the warmth of his fingertips along your face, running slowly from your jaw line up to your ear and behind. 

 Your breathing felt too fast. You couldn’t see anything, but his warmth was too much.

 “And you can feel me.”

 Without your eyes to tell you he was coming, you had to rely entirely on touch. The sensation of his warm exhale along your jawline where his fingers had been. His hand had moved to behind your neck and you felt the plush softness of his lips traveling lightly along your face. 

 He let out the smallest moan a second before his lips reached yours and his mouth opened over yours, claiming you. He was demanding. The desperation you knew he had felt all night, the same desperation you had felt all night, boiling over now with this single needy and unrelenting kiss. 

 When he pulled away from the kiss it was for a gasp of air and you felt yourself too affected for this to be just one kiss. 

 You reached for him again, a hand wrapping around the back of his neck to pull him down you connected your lips to his once more, reveling in the way he gave in to your kiss so readily. 

 But he pulled away once more; clearly something on his mind to pull his lips away from yours. 

 You wished for some light so you could look into his eyes just once. 

 Why would he steal you away in this secret and dark space only to keep you at this weird arm's length? 

 “Did you have fun?” His question was a dull whisper into the space directly in front of your face. 

 Did he mean the party? 

 “It’s been nice,” you said in a whisper that matched his in volume but not in the strange intensity.

 “Dancing with him?” He breathed out the second half of his question that you had interrupted with your misunderstanding. 

 “I think— I think I must be the more loyal one, between the two of us. I didn’t even touch her once, and yet… he wants to fuck you, you know.” 

 “Baekhyun.” You said in a much more controlled voice. 

 You could hear his rough exhales now. He was losing control of himself. But part of you knew. You’d seen it too; that flash of desire inside of Johnny’s eyes. 

 “He’s not going to get to fuck me. You know that.” 

 You reached for him. Your hands landing somewhere along his stomach and he did not retreat. 

 “You’re his fan.” 

 This wasn’t a question. You heard no traces of doubt in his voice and you were thankful for the darkness now. You had no response. You felt caught off guard by it. 

 “Why so quiet, love. You look at him with the same expression of pure fucking delight that you have when you watch that baking show you love so much. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Did you honestly believe that it was something you could keep from me?”

 You were stuck; your hands were still touching him, gripping with your fingertips around his shirt. Then he moved and you felt his hand slip over the back of your right hand. He gripped hard and pulled your hand off of him until you released his shirt and relaxed your grip within his hold. 

 “I know you, baby. Did you forget how well I know you? I know you...inside and out.”  

 He rotated your hand, moving it down lower so that your open palm was laid directly over his dick. He was very hard below the slacks. Your mind was swimming and you moved your hand over the bulge that you felt there. The overwhelming effect you had on him. The way he wanted you, just as badly as you wanted him. 

 “I don’t blame him. Or any of them. You—” his voice hitched once when you squeezed over him, slipping a hand up the length of his erection, not finding the end, as it disappeared somewhere behind the waistband of his pants. “—fuck, you…are, the most beautiful woman in this entire place.” 

 “I don’t want any of them, Baek. There’s only one person I want.”

 You reached for the button of his slacks and popped it open, struggling against the pressure from behind. The zipper caught halfway down and you didn’t get to feel the smooth skin of his dick before he was talking again. Before he was wrecking you with the filthy words he whispered into your ear.

 “Did you enjoy wearing my gifts tonight, baby? Did you like being seen in them?”

 You felt the tips of his fingers trailing over the diamond bracelet you wore around your wrist. His head dipped and you heard the sound of his mouth opening as he pulled one of your diamond earrings in between his lips and lightly sucked on it. Letting it go with a gentle pop which he followed with another kiss on your neck, just below your ear. He inhaled to speak again. 

 “I have to confess, I loved seeing you in them. I loved the way they looked at you tonight and thought ‘Ahh...she’s somebody’s. Someone really loves her a lot.’ I want, so badly, for them to know whose wife they are fantasizing about when they think about fucking you.”

 You could only focus on your own breathing. Part of your mind tried to remind yourself that while this darkened curtain gave the illusion of privacy, you should really keep your mind about you. You were in a very public place right now, playing this very dangerous game with this man who had lost every bit of his own self-control. 

 “Because, my sweet, darling girl, that is what they are thinking. When they see you in this dress, that’s what he was thinking. I bet he jerks off tonight dreaming about how good your pussy must feel. But I guarantee, his hand will never compare to you.”

 He surged with motion and spun you by the shoulders and pressed you against the wall. He was at your back and one of his hands reached around, slipping inside of your dress and squeezing and kneading your breast.

 “I know he wants to bend you over, lift up this pretty little skirt and slip his dick inside of you...like only I get to do.” 

 You could not help the way your body responded to him. Your desperation reached new heights as you bent at the waist and pushed your ass toward him. You felt the grind of his dick when he gave you just a little of what you wanted. The words he whispered made you lose your sanity. You felt the fabric of your dress move. You felt the air up high on your thighs. Higher even, he pushed the dress up, baring your ass with his roaming hands. You knew he could only feel with his wandering hands, without any speck of light in here. 

 “Do you want me to do that, baby? Do you want me to fill you up with my cum? Do you want to feel it dripping out of you as you dance with him?”

 “Fu—Baek—” Words malfunctioned. He was too much. Eternally. Without exception. The man was too much. 

 You had worn the lace panties. They helped with your wetness only just, but it was better than nothing. You felt his hands slipping between the lace, landing over your bare skin as he began to pull them down. 

 You felt the slip of fabric and pushed your knees together to aid in their removal. He was low, crouching on his ankles to remove your panties from around the heels you wore and you wondered about the special attention he paid to them. 

 Then the swish of fabric flowed slowly beside your face. Slow enough for the inhale of breath and the scent of your own arousal to tickle your nostrils. Immediately after the fabric left, you heard his deep inhale from behind you, followed by his low appreciative moan. He shifted and you assumed he pocketed them. 

 “I’m keeping these,” he said, “I want you to drip.” 

 There was more movement and you flinched and whimpered when you felt the lightest touch of his fingers between your bare thighs. You were so wet. You were so desperate. 

 Only sounds followed. A zipper pulled and the sibilant sound of fabric, a rustle and then warmth. A hand on your hips, then moving below and your indelicate whimper and then the pressure came. 

 You were so wet there was no resistance as he sunk into you and your lips parted with a hiss as he filled you entirely in one motion. You could not help the short high cry that betrayed you and his hand rose to plant a hot palm firmly over your open mouth. 

 He held you there, thoroughly held in place with two hands, one pressing heavy over your mouth and the other gripping hard into your bare hip and he moved again; fast and rough and you shifted against the wall that had nowhere to hold on. 

 You felt completely had; in that moment, as the small crawl space of darkness grew uncomfortably warm and what precious little fresh oxygen grew sticky and humid, you were consumed. Eaten up. Used by this man in the most satisfying of ways. The rough pounding slapped hard into you and the steady thumping of some dance song just outside of that curtain provided a perverse soundtrack of this forbidden sex. It was raw and it was exhilarating. If only you could get a little more air. Your mind grew dizzy and lightheadedness mingled with the rough pounding against your insides making you shake and tremble as your hands slipped and your legs gave way with the orgasm.

 It swallowed you up so completely you only barely noticed the way he stiffened and trembled behind you. You felt the telltale signs of his climax with the tiny tremors that pulsed with each burst of heat inside of you and when he went still enough to loosen then cover over your mouth you gasped in for the precious air he had deprived you of so completely. 

 You were gasping too hard. This dark damp space was too warm now and the comedown from the high was a slow one. 

 Baekhyun was motionless as he struggled to catch his breath and after a moment you heard his low throaty voice again reach your ear. 

 “This is what is going to happen—��

 Your eyes were closed but you opened them to listen to his words, despite seeing absolutely nothing when you did. 

 “I am going to pull my dick out, and there will be a mess. You see, I’ve been saving myself for you, my love. Nothing, and I do mean absolutely nothing compares to the feeling of filing you up with my cum.” 

 You felt yourself squeeze around him as he spoke. It was involuntary. The effects of him. It was just his power. 

 “Are you listening to me, baby? You feel a little distracted.” 

 He’d felt you, of course.  

 You nodded your head once and exhaled through your parted lips. 

 “I’m listening,” you said. 

 “Good. This is what will happen. I will leave first.” You nodded along as he spoke, trying not to be too distracted by the feeling of his size receding. 

 “And I will go upstairs and book a suite for the night. Now just because I’m leaving early doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, My Baby. I want you to enjoy the rest of the party. I want you to dance some more. With whoever you want to dance with. And I want you to feel me all over your skin as you do that. Can you do that for me?” 

 He’d done it. He’d pulled himself out and you felt the rush of liquid slipping out of your entrance and rushing between your legs, messing up the smooth clean skin of your thighs and lower. You felt a drip sliding down, a crawling sticky thick wet trail that was pulled by gravity. It reached the inside of your knees and when you squeezed them together in some attempt to contain it, the sticky wetness merely spread around. 

 Surely you’d have a mess on the dress. Maybe even trailing down to ankle and dripping over the expensive shoes. 

 He ran a hand then, slipping his long fingers between your thighs directly into the mess, he emerged with a wetness for which he had a purpose. 

 Pinching wet fingers on your exposed nipple, he rubbed until the slick grew tacky. 

 “You’ll join me in my room for the night after you dance. I’ll bring you a key. I might even come down again just to watch you enjoying yourself.” 

 “I...didn’t bring anything else to wear, for tomorrow, Baek.” There was a slight whine to your voice. You heard it and he certainly heard it. 

 Then you heard the smallest chuckle. A laugh from somewhere in the darkness and there were sounds of his zipper. 

 “You are so cute. I’ll buy you something new. Something pretty.”

 A flash of light from the curtain surprised you and you watched the small bit of light seem to swallow up his outline and he was gone.

 You straightened the dress. You counted to 100. You then emerged from the darkness into the dimly lit empty space of this secret corner and you made your way quickly to the bathrooms. 

 You gave yourself a once over in the mirror. Much as you had expected, you looked as if you had been thoroughly fucked in a hot dark hole in the wall and it took a bit of smoothing and straightening for to bring yourself back to a somewhat normal state. 

 While you couldn’t do much about the bright red bruise you saw just behind your earlobe, you managed to at least get your appearance more toward ‘possibly just drunk’ and away from ‘definitely just fucked.’ 

 You did not touch the mess between your legs. The arousal that still pulsed through your veins was fueled even further with each step you took. 

 Out of the bathroom you walked with purpose. The music was pulsing and each heavy beat of the song was another step toward the dance floor and you made eye contact with an achingly familiar face. One that lit up with a bright smile to see you and of course he was so damn willing to dance with you. 

 It was halfway through the dance when you saw a flash of color. A familiar head of cotton candy pink pushed between you and Johnny on the dance floor. 

 His steps did not slow but you felt the hard plastic of something being shoved into the palm of your hand. You looked down instantly.

 A hotel key card, marked with two words that made your lungs inflate and your heart surge inside of your chest. 

 Pent House 

 You didn’t even try to contain the laughter that flew freely from your lips. 

 Byun Baekhyun was, once again, without exception, entirely too much. 

IGU Deleted scenes masterlist

[yandere-daydreams]

Some mature, lemon-rated, Yandere!Oc/Reader content for a lovely anonymous commissioner. Gotta say, one of the main aspects of this was how *southern* the Yandere was, and I’m both disappointed and proud to say I remember way too many phrases from my six months on a farm.

Word Count: 1.5k

~

Somedays, you couldn’t help but think that he just thought of this as taking care of another animal.

Zacharia was a field-hand, first and foremost. A farmer through and through, even if he insisted he had other hobbies besides growing so attached to his hens he couldn’t stand to slaughter them, when the time came. It was a life-style that bled into everything he did, including holding someone hostage, apparently. From the rural, wicker furniture he’d leave scattered around your room, to the herbs he’d leave to sprout in the sunlight of the only window of your room, to the way he mumbled to himself as he tied to bowline-knot around your wrists every morning. Zacharia would talk to you as he did his animals, feed you on a precise schedule as he did with his livestock, and groom you so thoroughly, you nearly thought you’d be presented in front of a county-fair as a blue-ribbon captive.

Maybe there’d be judges, and psychos who did this kind of thing as a fun, low-impact sport. It would’ve made sense, you supposed, considering how excited Zacharia had been when he first hit you over the head with the back of his shotgun.

Even now, he mumbled quietly as you leaned against his chest, your wrists bound loosely to your neck with a long stretch of pink rope, thinner than the kind he’d use to guide cattle, but not exactly soft, still. The denim he insisted on covering himself with didn’t help much, either, rough fabric scratching against your barely-covered back. For once, you wished you’d accepted his offer to let you wear one of his flannels, something you’d rejected because he’d kidnapped you and you weren’t crazy. But, it wasn’t like fighting off the heat in the thin bralette and lingerie he’d provided was any less unpleasant.

He must’ve noticed you were no longer paying attention to whatever he was saying, your eyes starting to close as you lulled into a warmth-oriented daze, because Zacharia was quick to loop an arm under your restraints, pulling you further into him and resting his free hand on your thigh, as he so often did. “You’re not paying attention, darlin’. And we’ve talked about how much I love that, already.”

His voice was already dripping with venom, and although you usually tried to ignore him, you decided it’d be easier to relent. Just this time. “I’m sorry, my mind was-” Your voice caught in your throat has the hand on your thigh squeezed gently, kneading your skin for a moment before sliding inward, falling onto the inside of your knee and pushing ever so slightly. Regardless, you clenched your legs together, glaring forward. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“You were stressin’ about something else, I’m making it better,” He laughed, the arm still wrapped around your chest pulling you closer, making it so difficult to breathe. But, you didn’t have time to think about your now-limited access to air, not as Zacharia’s hand smoothed over your leg, fingers lingering a little too close to something a little too high. Small, slow circles were soon being rubbed into white lace, and despite your best efforts, you twitched, writhing and struggling subconsciously, only allowing your captor to better access more… vital regions. “Y’know, I was thinking… a pretty little gal like you ain’t never had a boyfriend to go home to, right?”

The embarrassment flooded in before your common sense could, heat rising to your cheeks as you opened your mouth, quickly shutting it and gritting your teeth as his fingers found your clit, pressing down harshly. You only gave yourself a second to get used to the feeling, still trying to shift away from his hand. But, every little movement just ended with something hard becoming more evident as it pressed against your back. “Fuck off, don’t touch me!”

“That doesn’t sound like a ‘no’, baby.” The arm around your stomach loosened its hold on you, but only slightly, just enough to grope at your sides while he spoke. “And you’re needy enough for it, too. You’ve been begging for me to touch you since I first saw those big, ol’ doe-eyes.” His smile faded, a slight frown soon pressed against your skin. Zacharia’s voice was deeper than it had been, when he continued, vibrations reverberating against your neck. “You should thank me, just for holding back this long.”

You weren’t sure what it was, really. Maybe something in his voice, or the way he held you so possessively, or anything to do with this fucked up situation, but before you knew it, you were thrashing as violently as your restraints would allow. If Zacharia was something besides simply annoyed, he didn’t show it, his nails only digging into your side. It was a silent warning, but one you were more than familiar with, the light pressure enough to stop you from struggling beyond a cold, over-the-shoulder glare and a few bared teeth.

Zacharia huffed, smirking cockily as he pulled his hand back, slowly slipping three fingers into his mouth, his eyes never leaving yours as he swirled his tongue around his fingers. You were the one to look away first, shutting your eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to regain some composure. But, you were brought out of your brief meditation seconds too early, Zacharia pushing your panties to the side and shoving three long, thick fingers into your heat.

You could help but mewl, keeling forward from the shock, Zacharia giving you no time to adjust as he moved ruthlessly against you, slick noises quickly filling the room, both from your own wetness and the man’s saliva. He curled his fingers as he worked, forcing you to bite your cheek raw just to suppress the noises trying to crawl up your throat. Absentmindedly, you reached for his hand with your bound wrists, attempting to make him slow down, at least, but Zacharia just grabbed the pink fucking rope, twisting your arms into your chest and damn-near choking you.

“Nuh-uh, naughty girls have to ask for what they want,” He mocked, his pace never slowing. And yet, as the pain diminished, sparks of pleasure began to race up your spine, your stomach tieing itself in knots, tightening and heating up and fuck, it felt good. All it took was his palm rubbing against your clit to have your thighs unclenching on their own, bending before going stiff, just moving to open, better accommodating the man assaulting you. There was a soft hum as your keened and squirmed, Zacharia occupying his free hand with rough gropes and prodds to your chest. “Look at you, such a goddamn whore for anyone who touches you right. I bet you’re glad I gotcha first, or would you open up your legs for anyone who asks nicely?”

His voice was just a blur, at this point, barely audible to the pulse now beating in your ears. Hell, your own voice sounded further than it should’ve, distant but pathetic, all the same. “Zachy, please, I can’t-” The words died on your tongue, his thumb making contact with your clit and rubbing violently, like he was trying to silence you. You could feel his fingers spreading apart inside of you, stretching your cunt. “No, if you do that, I’ll…”

You fade into a whine, burying your cheek in his jacket as you came. Expecting Zacharia to stop, already having thoroughly humiliated you, you let yourself relax, only to find Zacharia finger-fucking you faster. The pleasure bordered on painful, your heat now raw and spent, sharp spikes of discomfort accompanying the electricity quickly building up. Fruitlessly, you shook your head, looking for something to grab despite knowing he’d never let you have that kind of support.

At some point, you must’ve started crying, Zacharia kissing your cheek so sweetly as he forced another orgasm out of you, coaxing it from you as much as he tore it from your body. His voice was too childish, too innocent, you almost didn’t recognize him. “It’s not so bad, babydoll. I’m pretty, aren’t I? C’mon, doncha think I’m cute?”

You couldn’t hold yourself back now, whining and mewling and moaning at every little movement, Zacharia giving you no reprieve, no time to rest. Another climaxed washed over you like a haze, making you twitch and scream, but with your cunt as oversensitive as it was, you weren’t given much time to prepare before another hit you like an oncoming freight train.

Thankfully, he must’ve gotten bored with torturing you, because soon, Zacharia slowed down, easing his fingers out of you while brushing past your clit, grinning as you curled into yourself. He continued to hold your hands in place, for a second, watching with cold, blue eyes as cum dripped onto your thighs, your pussy trying to clench around nothing despite the lack of stimulation. With a chuckle, he let go of the rope, allowing you scramble to your knees, panting heavily and trying desperately to recover.

But, the color hardly had time to drain from your face before a strong hand wrapped around the twine collar, jerking you back onto the mattress, throwing you down as Zacharia straddled your waist, that terrible, confident, alluring smirk plastered across his face. You didn’t have to guess at what he wanted, but that didn’t stop the boy from making it blatant.

“Don’t think I’m gonna let you run away that quickly, now, darlin’,” He laughed, leaning down to kiss the tip of your nose. “I did something real nice for you, so it’s only fair that you... return the favor.”

[mehenxe]

◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ & ღ & ♫ bc ur a slut for music ; & ✮ (i want explanaTIONS ...gET META W THIS SHIT )

◈ — share some head-canons you have for a muse of your choosing, but x4.

[ elijah kane ] ◈ — all efforts to get him into studying how to make robotics like hyacinth have resulted in a lot of miniature woodland creatures able to sprint across desks. it’s not exactly what anybody had in mind, but hey, you never know if ilya might not want to send in an actual animal for something he has going on. they can call up sugar kane industries ( big face-palm here ) to take care of the job. ( wyatt voice: seriously, you couldn’t think of anything better than sugar kane. ) / hyacinth kane has a nice ring to it. elijah has tested out several different nicknames: sugar kane also for them, mistah k, ( missus k? ), cinthy ... cindy ... ( sean: yeah! cindy k! like cindy crawford! / who the fuck is cindy crawford? / wyatt — / how old are you. ) / he’s had a life-long dream to be able to go scuba-diving off the coast of — some exotic island he can’t remember the name of. beforehand, it was one of those things that he was too afraid to do, but full-out war changes your perspective. in truth, he’s always been a water baby, growing up going swimming in the local rivers and running pellmell down the dirt lanes. he grew out of it, and then grew back into it. whether or not he’s going to be able to do that without monroe tagging along ( and then by default, ilya, and then probably hojin will want to come, and then ravi will have to, and then oliver will want to watch over them and then jinho will buy a whole yacht with his dumb vampire money — ) — ah, well, there’s worse people to spend an extended holiday with. his father will come along too: sit on the deck in a lawn chair and drink a virgin margarita as he deserves after putting up with this whole extended family. and with his son being a you-know-what.

[ alice bedi ] ◈ — there was a time where she was interested in wigs. she had percival sit down on her shack’s bed and watch as she perused through at least fifteen different styles of wigs. each one got a firm head-shake: too rough on your complexion; lilac looks good as a colour, but the style is horrid; why did they think it was a good idea to make a bob that length? a tough customer. she returned back to wearing veils, her preferred style being that of mantilla, or the veil that’s worn to chapel over a jade comb. due to the volume and length of her natural curls, she rarely wears the combs at all, but will if it’s a particularly formal occasion, like that time she accompanied percival to a ‘high-society event.’ ( translation: they crashed a party because he was bored, and she had a bad feeling about him going alone. ) / as the local librarian’s assistant, she’s the first to get in the way when someone is overtly curious: why are you asking so many questions? hmm? the irony is that she herself asks just as many questions — she insists that the difference is: she reads the room and knows when it’s inappropriate to ask them. ( and if she knows it’s inappropriate to ask them, and instead chooses to risk asking them regardless, it’s because she knows it’ll smooth out in the end. / despite what she wears daily, one of her most favourite colours is moss green. there are a multitude of reasons. moss is her favourite foliage. it’s similar to algae, another favourite foliage. and it reminds her of someone who she says is her sister; however, anybody who knows her, knows that she has no blood-siblings. one or the other might be a lie, or both might be the truth. when she’s in a mood, she’ll smear the moss at the base of her neck like a perfume, a splotch of green beneath white.

[ huang shen ] ◈ — he designed an irrigation system to work, specific to his farm, to be able to make rice paddies despite the surrounding environment. it’s a southern crop in the united states, but there was no way he was going to move to the south just to expand the business. his entire family was so relieved about it that they danced through the sprinklers and set off fireworks — and none of them are really into that kind of thing. it’s particularly incredible due to the area they’re in, being very prone to sometimes too much drought and too much rain, and both are responsible for driving out selling numbers of crops. his plan is to switch into an agricultural degree, and perhaps even expand it into engineering, so that he can continue helping this way. / one of his surprises for algernon was learning sign language. for the longest time, months even, shen made it out like he had no idea what was being said, and let damien, as surly as ever, be the translator when algernon was unwilling or unable to speak. in the background, however, he was working with a tutor and seeking to understand better what it meant to be both HoH and mute. then, when algernon’s birthday came around, everyone went silent ( holy god he was so nervous ) and he gave an entire romantic, long speech entirely in sign language. he’s sure that some of it got lost in translation due to how hard his hands were shaking, but the way that algernon kissed him afterwards, it didn’t seem to affect much. now, they communicate constantly on this even ground. / he’s started up horseback riding again — and has roped tobias into doing it alongside him. tobias might have grace on the stage floor, but certainly not on the back of a horse; he somehow ended up upside-down beneath the horse’s belly, and then fell down in a tangle of limbs. shen has taken to the western side of things, re-learning how to barrel race and rope cattle; but he and tobias have had to separate their lessons due to these antics. lucas isn’t allowed to come to any of them; his stupid remarks send them into fits of laughing. ( bold of us to assume he doesn’t just sit in the truck and shout anyways. )

[ deok bae ] ◈ — due to the empire no longer supporting his upgrades, nor looking in his general direction, he has had to find other ways to obtain new modifications. this is including, but not limited to, going and pulling them out of other people’s bodies as catharsis — but usually, he defects to yuri and silas to fix him up. to his chagrin, the LED-light in his forehead has absolutely no use whatsoever, only displaying his brain’s processing as a symptom of installation. he pulled it out himself via the tip of a knife’s blade. the next time that he’s seen by those who haven’t seen him in quite some time, he might be unrecognisable. i am not deok bae — perhaps deok bae is no longer himself either. if there was no connection to eli in his head, he would forget that; perhaps he would merely succumb to the machinery, perhaps he would succumb to the wolf-dom. there are several pairs of teeth in his mouth awaiting for their moment to bite. / when he was a teen, his version of ‘sneaking out’ would be to wheel his chair to the gardens at the back of the temple, where he would sit and think for hours and hours. his father would come and find him there; sometimes, master jhcor would instead. his father would return him back to where he needed to be, but master jhcor would sit beside him and gaze serenely until bae felt the need to speak what was on his mind: his angers, his fevers, his rages. one time, he was surprised to see that it was not master jhcor, nor master deok, but zan coming to sit with him. his heart had sat in his throat the whole time, half-expecting zan to laugh at him or say something particularly piteous. instead, the conversation was — well, looking back, absurdly normal, all things considering. when bae blinked tiredly, zan rose and took the handles of his chair and took him back. he hadn’t intended to ask him to do so, but it was done anyway. / bae drinks a lot of soda. it’s somewhat fitting, if you believe all that talk about how coca-cola can double as a cleaner due to the high carbonation and way it’s made. he does seem to get shiny after several cans — it’s also convenient that he can’t experience sugar-highs nor malfunctions of the liver or stomach due to too much consumption. he considers himself to be a soda connoisseur as a result. he offers a lot of hmm, that’ll taste disgusting comments that annoy the shit out of the others — but then kisung takes a drink and bae ends up being right, so there’s no regrets.

ღ ━ favourite canon ships for your muse(s). are there any you dislike?

there’s ... none that i dislike. there’s moments of come on, but that’s bound to happen. i think the favourite ships are the ... guardian / princess vibes ( whether it’s literal or not: akane / the samurai, quinn / sehrin, jian / elaine ). i also love the growing from previous immaturities towards each other ( grey / tobias, jihoon / wyatt, playboy / jordan ) — and himbos of course ( hojin / ravi!! ) there’s also the whole ... tsh, vampiric aesthetic that we get ( minzhe / yongha ) ... the ones like jisoo / mingfei, cyrian / ulysses, cadoc / pestilence ( exploring violence against but without the stickiness ). of course, if i keep going, i’ll end up listing all of them and then where would we be.

♫ ━ a small playlist for a muse of your choice

for nam jungsoo, because i actually once did make a playlist for him:

1. brand new — sic transit gloria ... glory fades 2. within temptation — what have you done 3. iamx feat. imogen heap — my secret friend 4. florence + the machine — shipwreck (the odyssey) 5. crown the empire — hologram

i mean, the songs are still kinda relevant considering his current character ...

✮ ━ top three favourite muses that you’ve played

but is it possible to pick three favourites ... that’s the real question. maybe. jianguo, because of catharsis, because of cultural exploration and similarities. grendel, because of the depth, the personal torment, the surrounding family. jinho & julius, because of exploring that darkness. and famine — man, now that’s something. there’s a lot more than three though. like blood and jisoo and tobias and arthur. but. the questions INSIST THAT I CHOOSE.

[cutietobio]

Request hi! can i ask for a scenario where Suga & kuroo taking care of their s/o 's who are in their period & have really bad cramps & pain? thank you

Oh, I know this feeling all too well.

Nobody:

Me: did you know I get cramps so bad sometimes I can’t sleep.

Thanks for the request anon, I hope you enjoy these loving boyfriends trying their best to take care of you!❤️

SUGA

“It hurts.” You whimpered out, curling yourself up into a ball alongside Suga who laid beside you, propped up against your headboard.

“The medication will kick in soon, angel.” He mumbled out softly, concerned eyes settling on your form as he stroked your hair in an attempt of comforting you during this painful time.

You sniffled and his hand paused upon the sound. You were crying from the pain. Suga shifts to sit more upright, not wanting to disturb you as your head had been laying on his lap, he peers over to take a look at you, noticing fresh tears streaming down your cheeks. The sight broke his heart, he felt completely useless, unable to do much else besides provide as much comfort as he could until the cramps subsided.

“Must I reheat your water bottle?” He asked softly, a hand coming up to tuck a strand piece of hair behind your ear before wiping away a single tear. You nodded weakly in reply, hesitantly peeling off the blankets wrapped around you as you handed him the lukewarm water bottle which had lost its effect of easing your pain.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” He questioned, not wanting to leave you without any signs of confirmation on your part.

“Okay.” You whispered out and he wasted no time in hurrying to get to the kitchen. When the water bottle was hot (not too hot, though, he wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself further), he returned to your room.

“(Name)?” He approached your form, calling for you softly as you remained rigid upon the bed, curled up into the blankets. You didn’t reply and upon further inspection, he found you asleep.

‘The medication must have worked.’ Suga thought as he moved your head gently, placing a soft pillow beneath it so you wouldn’t complain about a stiff neck later. He debated whether risking the chance of waking you up by moving your blankets in order to settle the water bottle against your lower abdomen but decided against it, instead, he set it to the side.

Suga got himself comfortable on the chair in your room, taking a glance at you every so often to make sure that the cramping wasn’t disturbing you during your sleep. He sent Daichi a text, asking if he could pick up a few things from the convenience store for him and drop it off, knowing he lived close-by.

By the time you woke up, feeling much better than before, Suga presented you with a multitude of your favourite sweets and snacks. Although, he limited how much sweet things you ate, not wanting to add a bellyache on top of everything. You couldn’t complain with a reasoning that sweet and opted to share the rest with him, he accepted, even if they weren’t exactly his favourite, he was just glad you were feeling better and that there was finally a smile on your face.

KUROO

“Do you feel better now?” Kuroo’s smooth voice asked, his eyes closely examining you as you held the cup of hot chocolate he made for you in your hands, forcing yourself to nod in reply to his question.

But Kuroo knew better than to believe you, quickly catching on to your distant gaze set on the floor and the way your bottom lip just barely quivered as if you were to start crying from the pain like before.

“It’s hurting again?” He watched as you nodded for a second reply, the cup of hot chocolate lowering in your hold, setting it on the table as you made no further attempts at hiding your discomfort.

Kuroo sighed, not because he felt burdened from looking after you but because there wasn’t much he could do to help. He felt lost and seeing you hurt due to things he couldn’t control upset him.

“Here, let me help you go lay down.” He walked around the kitchen isle, picking you up bridal style despite your futile attempt to get down and walk on your own. It was embarrassing being carried like this, but you knew he meant well and relaxed, not daring to fight against his goal of only trying to help you. You knew fully well that he wasn’t obligated to go as far as he did to make sure you were comfortable during the time of your period and you were very grateful for it.

Kuroo set you down on your living room couch which had been your cocoon ever since he came over that morning to help you. He had to dig through a multitude of blankets and your favourite plushies before he set you down. He quickly covered you back up with them, grabbing a random plushie and waving it in front of your face with the comedic purpose of treating you like a baby.

You pouted at this, making no attempts to move as he sat the soft toy right beside your face.

“Mr Snuggles will watch you while I get more medicine.” He said before leaving the room, catching the weak mumble from under your breath regarding something about how his name was, ‘Mr. Snug Snug,’ and how Kuroo always got it wrong.

He smiled to himself upon hearing this, glad that nothing would stop you to defend your beloved stuffed animals.

“Here, sit up a bit.” Kuroo ignored your whine, seeing as you were already starting to sit up anyway, he gave you the pill with your hot chocolate and watched as you swallowed it. Satisfied, Kuroo turned on the TV to something the both of you could enjoy, but you complained that you wanted to watch something directed towards a younger audience. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly changed the channel and sat through a child’s movie.

He didn’t watch the majority of it, he was too occupied with your reactions to it, glad to see you smiling at a few bits, meaning the medication did its work in easing the pain. If a dumb cartoon was all it took to distract you from your cramps, he would sit through them regardless of how terrible they were, just to see you happy.