#custom rune sets

[santaeofficial]

Greetings From Santae, Our Kickstarter Is LIVE NOW! Our Kickstarter Campaign will run August 30th - September 30th! With the overwhelming support from our community we were fully funded in 28 minutes! Let's hit these stretch goals and bring so many amazing features to Santae Much Sooner than planned!

Exciting things are underway in the magical world of Santae, and there’s no better time to begin – or continue – your adventure with us.

We’re thrilled to announce that the official Santae Kickstarter campaign launched August 30! Backing the project will grant you exclusive access to the site during our Beta launch, in addition to an incredible variety of rewards.

Tier Rewards range from beautiful Animated Wardrobe items for your avatar, to the companionship of the Kyree, Phasmic, and Seamso pets, and much more. You can even unlock the opportunity to collaborate with our art and design teams to design your very own site content: A Minimal, hairstyle, on-site item or clothing set, NPC, or even pet species!

Visit the Official Santae Kickstarter Today!

Visit this page for a sneak peek of all available Kickstarter tiers and rewards!

The Road So Far…

The beginning of Santae’s Alpha test on May 12th, was the start of an incredible journey. In the weeks since then, we’ve enriched the game with dozens of regular updates and exciting new features.

Here is just a taste of what we’ve added to enhance your experience on Santae:

New pet species

On Santae, mystical pets are your adventuring companions. There are plenty to choose from, and many more species on the way! Over the course of Alpha, we released 5 brand new pet species for Santarians to befriend. We’ve also increased the amount of pet friends you can add to your adventure party to 10 when you start!

The adorable moth-like Nochturn is ready to join any Santarian’s adventuring party as soon as they join the site. Brave adventurers who journey to the Lava Caves of the Flamefall Cascades can find the draconic Harlowin and fearsome Grusim. The elegant Drava can be found at traveling merchant Vespera’s exclusive shop. And finally, the friendly Quibbit evolves from its tadpole-like Minimal form.

Which pet species will become your faithful adventuring companion?

New Pet Colors

No matter your style, you can customize your pet companions on Santae with the help of magical shimmer dust!

We announced FOUR exciting new pet colors over the course of Alpha, with more to come in Beta and beyond. Will your pet let its true colors shine with the beautiful Prismatic shimmer dust? Will it become an adorable Pipsqueak? Will they show class and elegance with a RegalShimmer Dust? Or will you give your pet a taste of retro digital style with the brand-new Synthwave color?

New Minimals

In the world of Santae, your pets can adopt enchanting companions of their own called Minimals! Choose from dozens of types to find your pet’s perfect match.

Santae’s Alpha phase has brought many new exciting types of Minimals to join the herd. Which will your pet adopt?

Exciting New Site Features

The world of Santae is rich with opportunities to explore, gather, and discover. During the site’s Alpha phase, we’ve unlocked engaging on-site mini-games that bring you and your pets all across the vibrant world of Santae.

Send your pets Gathering at locations across Santae and they will bring back exciting items to share with you! Your pet might bring you a magical rune from the mysterious Stormforge Caverns, gather useful plants from the Ancient Grove, or maybe even discover an egg that can hatch into another pet at the volcanic pools of Ember Springs. You can also direct your pet to pluck rare berries from the Great Berry Tree!

When your pets go Fishing at the sunny Solar Sands – or in any gathering location across Santae – there’s no telling what they might find at the other end of the line. You might reel in a delicious fish, an eel that can join your pet as its Minimal companion, a piece of useful equipment that only needs a small repair, and so much more. More discoveries in the depths of the waters around Santae are sure to come.

If you want to tame wild Minimals, go visit Silvershade’s Ranch in the Lani Archipelago! They will send you out into the wild to catch and tame a Minimal through an interactive Herding mini-game. Bring berries, toys, and plushies to tempt and distract the Minimal as you and your pet cooperate to befriend it.

A Dynamic World

Santae’s sunny days and mysterious nights each hold their own mysteries to explore, watch as the clouds move while you play, and every hour on the hour you can watch the transition to day/night. As the world cycles between states every hour, you and your pets have the chance to make exciting new discoveries!

Visiting the Lava Caves in the dark of night will bring you face to face with the opportunity to tame a fearsome Grusim – but during the light of day, the Grusim retreats. While the sun shines over the Lava Caves, you can instead bring your Harlowin egg there to hatch into a new companion.

Exciting Events

The most important ingredient in the world of Santae is you: The community!

Over the course of THREE exciting events, our Alpha Testers have been able to participate in and shape the future of the game’s world. Together, we’ve discovered new Minimals, locations, and even new pet species.

The Goopper Swarm

Mysterious slug-like Minimals swarmed Gathering locations all across Santae, prompting adventurers everywhere to collect them in an attempt to learn more.

By collecting the Gooppers and discovering their source, Santarians discovered a brand-new location: The Goopper Grotto. This tranquil forest clearing holds an amazing secret: When you bring a Goopper there alongside certain powerfully magical items, the Minimal will transform!

The Mourning Grusim

By following the traces of an ancient legend, adventurers learned of a mythical creature lurking deep within the Lava Caves.

Together, Santarians discovered sanDust: A secondary currency earned through site activities. This magical dust proved to be the secret to calming the ferocious ancient beast within the caves. By working together to collect sanDust, the community unlocked the ability to tame and adopt the Grusim for everyone!

The Quibbit Cove

When Santarians began to discover mysterious eggs around the site, they banded together to collect them and learn more about them. Together, we learned how to hatch Quibbspawn eggs into a brand-new Minimal: The Quibblet!

But the Quibblet was no ordinary Minimal. More ancient clues pointed the community towards a newly-discovered location, Quibbit Cove. It was there that the true secret of the Quibblet was revealed: Feeding it in the cove causes it to evolve into a fully-fledged pet, the Quibbit!

Thanks to the community’s efforts of research and discovery, the location of Quibbit Cove and the secret of Quibblet evolution are now unlocked for everyone.

Thank You For Being A Part of the Magic of Santae!

Whether you’re an experienced Alpha Tester or a brand-new applicant to the game, we’re so happy to have you as a part of the community we’re building together.

Alpha has brought so many exciting updates – but we’re even more excited for what will come next as we continue to work together to make Santae the most magical site it can be.

Make sure to sign up for notifications about the official Santae Kickstarter so you don’t miss the start of our next big adventure as a community!

With Love and Gratitude,

~The Santae Team

[inochi-pms-things]

Witch Font collection Part 1 - Madoka Magica

This font collection was still in its infancy when i first started making it and i've come a long ass way since i first remade the few fonts i had and the ones that were lost.

Musical Font Runes is the only one i revectored to add new letters to it. the others were hand done by me or remade by hand.

I will be making more fonts in the future but for right now heres the handful of them i made.

[ouchlord-vivaldi]

Elden Ring NPC Quests Ranked By How They Will Affect Your Credit Rating:

--------------------SPOILERS--------------------

Ranni and Goldmask, 10/10

Inheriting the world as Ranni's lord and setting the Golden Order right with the mending rune of the perfect order are very good for credit.

Boc, 9/10

Helping someone start a tailor business will help with loans, but as you are his only customer it may be a rough start to his shop.

Millicent and Igon, 6/10

Helping with such quests can be positive if it yields a net gain, but Millicent has some problematic family and Igon keeps shouting about Bayle at the bank meetings.

Alexander, Fia, and Rya, 4/10

None of these quests will really wreck your credit but they're not going to help, and hanging out with jars of guts, necrophiliacs, and snake women isn't really gonna convince people.

The Loathsome Dung Eater, 1/10

No, no no, no, don't deal with this guy, this will lower your credit rating horribly. Nobody is gonna offer a loan to anyone who hangs out with the loathsome dung eater or literally turns the world to shit.

Shabriri, 0/10

No world, no credit, no rating. No problem, but also, existence ended.

[harpersessentials]

+90 VAMPIRES & VAMPIRESSES MODS & CUSTOM CONTENT

i have been playing a new occult legacy in my gameplay blog. so i started looking for mods to enhance this occult experience. right now, i am playing with vampires, so i will share my findings with you.

SMALL MODS

vampires everywhere by kuttoe

plasma packs from plasma fruits by littlemssam

vampire powers by littlemssam

no burning sun in forgotten hollow by littlemssam

vampire self-preservation by gaymerborealis

vampire invasion fix by lotharihoe

occults activities by zer0

bloody party event by ilkavelle

vampirify spell by r3m

reworked vampires mods (vampire tweaks) by zero

vampire tweaks by airianna

crimson tea by icemunmun

advanced plasma packs by erosims

tralfaz vampire mods

GAMEPLAY MODS

vampires rebalance (harder vampires) by awwoo

vampire bloodlines by baniduhaine

super rascals (child vampire manifestation) by dipper

CAREER MODS

vampire council by lilyvalleycc

vampire rights advocate by lilyvalleycc

vampire counsellor by lilyvalleycc

darkside vampire by tlaram

ASPIRATIONS MODS

dracula untamed aspiration by ilkavelle

bloodborne aspiration by sresla

slayer & nosferatu by snowii95

SKIN DETAILS & MAKEUP

gapped vampire teeth by wyattssims

ankle biter teeth set by yooniesim

countess a vampire mini set by ladysimmer

nightfall tattoos by mynasims

real lips - vampires by amoebae

CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES

ruffled shirt by myfawnwysimblr

bite me top by lilypixels

vladislaus male clothes pack by wistful castle

rose dress by regina-raven

evelyn dress by nords

edea dress by sentate

revampire gown by tryllike

sanguine society collection by ellone

brides of the undead by zeussim

razorblade romance by myfawnwysimblr

tricker treat stuff set by ayoshi & aharris00britney

spooky kids rec by invadersims

toddler vampire suit by georgiaglm

bat and vampire costume (infants) by powluna

bat ass glasses by xldkx

spider gloves by regina-raven

punch drunk rec by pyxiidis

bat wings by nolansims

batty wings for infants by lilypixels

chilling clasps by nolansims

bat earrings & necklace by shandir

it's frickin bats tights by arowenc

bat wings boots by ctrl-sims

HAIRSTYLES

nadja hair by llazyneiph

farrah bun by dogsill

mon hair by simduction

de-chained bang long by missbunnygummy

twists long conversion by kiarazurk

vampy accessory bangs by atashi

BUY

skelly planter by nolan-sims

spooky clutter by 9sims

medieval music boxes by plumbobteasociety

my little montster nursery mobile bylittlbowbub

tiny vampire nesting blocks by tartiish

small bearcula by pixelfolk

coffin bookcase by simlaughlove

functional radiators by chippedcupanddustybooks

coffin beachtowel by bramblefinch

coffin mirror by xldkx

(not so) vampire bathroom by simswonderland

rune stone set by lumenniveus

the princess and the vampire bedroom by sixam

BUILDS

old church by alerion

chapel of ritual by xogerardine

blackmier house by septembersim

grim's house challenge by schnuck01

hemlock hollow by schnuck01

little vampires cottage by pixelshary

'til death do us part by whyeverr

quiet voices memorial by sweetbeagaming

POSES

bloody lovers by ratboy

vampire ea poses by herecirmsims

baby bats by marshmallow-sims

fangtastic poses by samssims

vampire family by culsims

bare your fangs by alpine-lapine

[indeepertidesif]

Your mother was a siren, your father a human. Disconnected from the supernatural world, you grew up in sunny California with your parents teaching you how to juggle your secrets and the truth. Then, at thirteen, your mother died.

In Deeper Tides is a Disenchanted spin-off interactive fiction story that takes place on the sunny coast of California (and the oceans that surround it).

In the aftermath of losing your mother, your father encourages you to reconnect with the family she left behind. At 24, you finally take to the ocean, only to receive a chilly greeting in response.

As you struggle to get closer with your mother’s family and heritage, you get swept up in the aftermath of a whirlwind assassination plot. The leaders of your family’s pod are dead, and you’re stuck in the middle of an ages old rivalry that could tear the sea apart.

• Create your character. Customize gender (full customization, including trans MCs), pronouns, and appearance.

• Story based over stat based.

• Romance any of the eight romance options (details below, profiles coming soon).

• Decide how you cope with your family and pod, and choose which side (or none) in a centuries old rivalry.

Rune Flores, he/him or she/her, a siren. The heir of your family’s pod, whose parents were just assassinated.

Thorne Varela, he/him, a siren. A tailless siren, to be exact. The bastard son of an affluential woman, he might be an unexpected ally.

Llyr/Llyra Silvia, he/him or she/her, a siren. The young leader of the pod rivaling your family’s, incriminated in the plot to kill Rune’s parents.

Talya Silvia, she/her, a siren. The younger Silvia sibling, and by far the most dangerous of the two. She’ll protect her family at all costs.

Malak ‘Mal’ Faris, they/them, a siren. An elite guard tasked with protecting Rune in the aftermath of unrest following the assassination.

Aster/Astra Solis, he/him or she/her, a siren. The spy of the Silvia family accused of the murders and set for execution.

Yan Liang, he/him or she/her, a human. A marine biology major working down by the docks. They’ve seen more than they should’ve, and the consequences might be dire.

Haakon, he/him, an unknown. A creature from the depths of the ocean that wants to save others because he couldn’t save his family.

[prokopetz]

This seems like something you would know. I have a deep and abiding love of d12s. Do you know of any tabletop games where they get a lot of use?

(For the purpose of this request I'm going to assume you mean systems which actually do something interesting with d12s, and I encourage anyone who chimes in via the notes to do the same – i.e., no "Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition counts because greataxes have a d12 damage die" nonsense, please!)

Off the top of my head, S John Ross' Pokéthulhu uses d12 dice pools – one of the very few titles I'm aware of that does so. I've actually ripped off borrowed the way it does conflict resolution for several of my own projects. It's a more solid piece of work than the subject matter might suggest, too; it has one of the more functional one-on-one monster battling systems I've encountered.

On a more serious note, there's also The One Ring, a tabletop adaptation of The Lord of the Rings whose conflict resolution involves rolling a d12 together with a variable number of d6s to generate a total. The 11 and 12 on the d12 produce special results, as do certain specific numbers on the d6s; the game really wants you to buy a custom dice set with goofy little runes in place of the special numbers, but it's perfectly playable with standard dice. Of course, if you're a big fan of d12s, you may want the custom d12 just to have it.

[felassan]

New BioWare Blog post:

"Journal #6 Lethality and Levelling An inside look into Rook’s Warrior combat Hello everyone, Since our summer reveal in June, we’ve been reading all the great excitement for the game and listening closely to what you’d like to see next. Our reveal trailer showed off the prologue and very beginning of the game, and now we want to shift our focus to higher level combat. Today, we’re going to cover our game’s combat system, looking at how Rook and Companions can be built up to meet the perils facing Thedas, using deep RPG systems. This starts with choosing a desired class as there are three main classes to select from when creating Rook: stalwart Warrior, deft Rogue, or spell-slinging Mage. This blog and accompanying videos will focus on the Warrior class, and we’ll have more to share on the other classes before launch."

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE By choosing Warrior, the fighting style revolves around close range combat and defense. Skills, Traits, Runes, and Abilities are customizable to best suit that type of playstyle. The loadout will have slots for Abilities, accessed from the Ability Wheel. Picking which Abilities from the many in the arsenal to bring into battle is a strategic choice made for each encounter, and they can be swapped out anytime, except during combat. For some added depth, there are up to three equipable Runes. Runes provide a variety of control, utility, or additional damage to synergize with your build. While in combat, all three Runes can be cycled through and activated. There are a wide range of potential Abilities that are unique to each Class and can be customized by spending Skill Points. For example, the Warrior class will have certain abilities that deal fire damage. Players can plan their build around this, and each skill point spent could be in pursuit of this build. Each step taken is designed to augment Rook and/or Abilities. Eventually, Rook will gain access to Specializations, which grant powerful Abilities, unique to each Specialization. These Specializations will also provide a unique Ultimate Ability (more on that later below) tuned to the theme of that Specialization, so a Warrior specializing as a Grey Warden Champion will gain access to the devastating incendiary Warden’s Fire that launches a flurry of searing strikes that ignite foes like tinder. This is the best Specialization Area for defeating darkspawn, an enemy that many Dragon Age fans know well. Check out all the Specialization Areas below (minor gameplay spoilers) and we’ll have a separate spotlight on progression later as well."

"Warrior Rook Specialization Areas: Reaper - Become night's blade. Steal life and risk death to gain incredible, unnatural abilities Slayer - Leap into the fray. Wield massive, punishing weapons while rushing enemies to deal devastating blows. Champion - Be the shield. Shrug off damage while summoning righteous fire down on enemies. Rogue Rook Specialization Areas: Duelist - Draw your steel. Parry and dodge past enemies to gain strength with every strike. Saboteur - Set the stage. Deploy explosives and turrets that devastate enemies, then pick them off with arrows. Veil Ranger - Hunt the enemy. Snipe enemies from afar using artifacts that charge arrows with dangerous, powerful magic. Mage Rook Specialization Areas: Death Caller - Embrace the dark. Drain life from enemies and cast spells that writhe with the essence of death itself Evoker - Call the void. Freeze enemies in their tracks, then summon the deepest cold to tear them apart. Spellblade - Be the storm. Channel potent spells for close-quarters combat infused with lightning's wrath."

COMBAT BASICS Now let’s talk about the foundations of the combat system. The four core moves that all three classes share include jump, dodge, light attack, and heavy attack, which can all be chained together. Rook can dodge at any time, even mid-attack, which adds fluidity to the combat. Is taking damage or dealing it better at that moment? Light attacks do quick damage and build small amounts of stagger; heavier attacks are slower and build more stagger to your opponent. Once enough stagger is built, the enemy will be rendered more vulnerable to all incoming damage and allows Rook to perform a takedown.  Each of these attacks (light and heavy) can be charged by holding down the button to deliver a more potent version of the strike. For example, a heavy attack can be charged while using a staff to unleash a magical wave of destructive energy. Attacks can also be triggered while sprinting and/or jumping to add depth and fluidity to combat. In addition, each class has ranged attacks, blocks (or parries, if timed properly with the right weapon set), and the ability to control Companions’ combat strategy. Each Class also has two distinct weapon sets, which can be swapped seamlessly in the heat of battle. This drastically changes the available move-sets and strategies. Heavy attacks remove Armor Barrier (denoted by a yellow bar) faster, and ranged attacks remove Shield Barrier (denoted by a blue bar) faster. There is also the Stagger meter (denoted by a lavender bar) which builds as hits are landed against an enemy. Stagger creates opportunities for bonus damage and special Takedowns.  The Ability Wheel pauses the fight for more precise control over Rook’s own abilities and those of their Companions, and where those tactical RPG elements come into play. Players can use the Ability Wheel to assign Companions to attack specific enemies, individually or together. Abilities can also be bound shortcut keys to keep the action flow going, instead of always bringing up the Ability Wheel. Vulnerabilities and resistances of enemies can also be seen while targeting enemies in the Ability Wheel. For example, Darkspawn are weak to fire damage."

"BUFFS, DEBUFFS & CROWD CONTROL Some Abilities apply buffs or debuffs to help you in the fight. For example, Davrin has the Heroic Strike Ability which applies the Overwhelmed debuff to enemies. This will increase the enemies’ Stagger and make it easier for Rook to perform a Takedown. There are also Area of Effect Abilities to help the party defeat large groups of enemies. Controlling the field of battle is a key consideration in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Players will need to consider which buffs/debuffs or crowd control Abilities will work best for each situation.   Abilities require Class Resources (Mana, Momentum & Rage) to be able to use. Each class primarily builds up their Class Resource by dealing damage with basic attacks. In addition, each class has a secondary way to build their Class Resource - Warriors build Rage by taking and dealing damage, Rogues build Momentum by dodging attacks and parrying successfully, and Mages regain Mana passively over time.   Warriors who go into battle with a sword-and-shield build, will have access to the Shield Throw Volley. By landing a Heavy Attack on a Shield Throw return, the shield will ricochet, taking out multiple enemies. This sequence can repeat up to three times, causing a devastating ring of damage around Rook. This attack works well against swarms as well as distant adversaries. Other ways to manage distant enemies lean into Companion abilities, such as Davrin’s Death from Above to send Assan, his griffon, to attack enemies. Warriors also have the Grappling Spear Ability to pull enemies close for an easier victory. With these tools, attacks can be chosen based on the type of enemy and the situation to dispatch foes in the most optimal way, especially on higher difficulties."

"PRIMERS, DETONATORS & ULTIMATES Many Abilities include some type of coordinating effect and serve as either a Primer or a Detonator that can result in devastating combo attacks when properly executed with the Companions. These Ability combos can be set up in the Ability Wheel.  Finally, you have your most powerful attack: Rook’s Class Ultimate Ability. Doing damage to enemies increases your Ultimate Meter. The Ultimate Meter won’t fully fill during smaller skirmishes, because they are designed to decimate a significant swath of the battlefield or the toughest bosses.  All of these options combine together to create a rich combat experience that is highly customizable. The entire Skill Tree is also fully refundable, and Skill Points can be redistributed. We encourage you to try out multiple builds, use different Abilities for each mission, and change up the Companions you bring into battle. These videos have highlighted several of the ways that players can achieve strategic combat in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We’ve put them all together in case you wanted to see them back-to-back. Check out the full video below! there’s a lot to explore in the game and a lot more to talk about. We’ll have more to share on the Rogue and Mage before launch, as well. Next week, we look forward to companions week, along with another Discord Q&A planned for August 30th where we can answer more of your questions about the game. Chat soon!             — The Dragon Age Community Team"

[source] <- video links at link

[ranchstoryblog]

PRESS RELEASE: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma’s Bold Reimagining of a Beloved Franchise is Revealed During Nintendo Direct

Marvelous USA Announces Spring 2025 Release Window for Fresh Take on Fan-Favorite Action RPG/Life-simulation Franchise; PAX West Presence Confirmed

TORRANCE, Calif. — Aug. 27, 2024 — Marvelous USA today revealed Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma for the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam, debuting the first official trailer on today’s Nintendo Direct livestream and announcing a Spring 2025 release window. This next-level offering is the latest entry in the popular action-RPG and life-simulation series, and introduces players to the lands of the east for the first time in franchise history with Japanese-inspired visuals and new twists on familiar themes and gameplay elements. Attendees at PAX West, taking place Aug. 30-Sept. 2, will be able to participate in a Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma booth activity showcasing Earth Dancer abilities and have the chance to earn exclusive, themed merchandise in the Marvelous USA booth, #809. 

Ravaged by the effects of the Celestial Collapse and the cessation of power provided by the runes, the eastern lands of Azuma are a shadow of their prosperous past. Weakened by corruptive forces, the gods of nature retreated from the world, leaving mountains to crumble and fields to wither. The people of Azuma seek aid against a blight that has swept these once-bountiful lands. One young hero enters into a contract with a dragon and sets out on a journey. “Accept the might of the Earth Dancer. Use this power to save the land.”

Guardians of Azuma takes players on an all-new adventure in the never-before-seen country of Azuma. Here, players will assume the role of an Earth Dancer destined to return hope—and life—to the once-thriving land. Choose from one of two protagonists whose fates are closely tied together, and experience reimagined and expanded Rune Factory gameplay; as Earth Dancer, players will farm with grace, restore and build entire villages, and fight with new weapons like the Bow and Talisman. Azuma is a vast world to explore with majestic villages to uncover, each taking inspiration from Japanese culture and each with a seasonal theme. In addition to exploration, combat, and village-building, players will also cultivate relationships with the locals, recruiting them to your side in battle or to help manage the villages. Wield sacred treasures of the gods and the Earth Dancer’s power of dance to purify the land and return Azuma to its former glory. The adventure of a new world awaits.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Key Features:

Bold New Abilities and Weapons: As an Earth Dancer, use the power of dance, sacred treasures, and fresh weapons like the Bow and Talisman to purify the land, farm, and undo the Blight’s damage.

It Takes a Village: Don’t just mind the farm—rebuild entire villages! Construct and place buildings strategically to entice people to return to the villages and contribute. Revive the gods to bring vitality and valuable resources back to the plagued lands.

Your Fantasy Japanese Life: Experience beautiful Japanese-inspired character designs and aesthetics—from festivals to events to monsters. Explore Azuma’s natural landscapes and its seasonal-themed locales steeped in tradition.

Classic Romance and Relationships: Choose between male and female protagonists, then befriend or romance any of the eligible candidates—god and mortal alike—in fully voiced scenarios. Recruit these new friends to aid in dynamic battles, too!

Pre-orders for the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma “Earth Dancer Edition” will be available soon via the Marvelous USA store and at participating retailers for an MSRP of $99.99. This stunning collection comes in a custom outer box featuring awe-inspiring art of a battle high above Azuma, and includes a physical copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD, an art book, an Azuma-inspired folding fan, the “Seasons of Love” DLC bundle, additional DLC costumes for your protagonists and their divine sidekick Woolby, and a plush Woolby keychain. The standard edition of the game will also be available to pre-order for an MSRP of $59.99. Details on digital editions and pricing will be announced later.

Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch™ and Windows PC via Steam in Spring 2025. The title will be published in Japan by Marvelous Inc. and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. More information can be found on the official website, https://na.runefactory.com/azuma/, and on X @RuneFactory. This title has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found at www.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles on YouTube and get updates by following on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Threads.

[thechosenone-if]

DEMO

Last updated: 21 June 2022. Wordcount: 24k words (average playthrough of 17k word)

Rating: 16+ (mentions of mental illness, violence, blood, sexual themes, strong language, transphobia, chronic pain)

The Chosen One is a text-based fantasy epic story where, as it often happens, you are the one chosen by the Prophecy, destined to fight in the Last War under the King. Unlike your average tale, though, you most certainly know to be the Chosen One and you have spent all your life waiting for your King's call.

You will NOT be the victim of events out of your control, nor you'll be an unwilling participant. You are not an orphan, and your family will not be slaughtered in order for you to unravel your true purpose in this world.

Oh, no. Absolutely not.

Instead, you are prepared and in control. You are powerful, more powerful than any other being that ever walked through this land, and you are ready to fulfil your destiny.

When the story begins, you are in the North, waiting. And when the call finally, finally, happens, you have to set off for the South with your Mentor, as specified in the prophecy. The Last Journey has begun.

Every interaction counts, remember that. But remember also that you are the Chosen One: you can do what you want, you have the power to forge whatever future you want for the Regions and for yourself.

LOVE INTEREST

RASCIA | The Forgotten One Healer (gender selectable M/NB/F): the colour of their skin, as well as the arcane language that litters it, marks them as kaehan, a native of the very kingdom you are prophesised to fight against. But destiny works in strange ways and maybe, after all, they were the one you needed all along. You will have to travel far before you meet them, though, and you will have to fight and to lose more that you ever thought you could shed. Because before you rise, you have to fall.

Rascia is a tall (1.79 m/5'11") person, with wavy waist length sapphire hair, a coral complexion and bright sea blue eyes. Their lean body is almost totally covered by religious silver tattoos, now rendered useless by their condition. As a result of their loss of faith, Rascia is completely colorblind.

OTHER CHARACTERS

The Mentor: they, as you, are part of the Prophecy, chosen to accompany you in the Last Journey. Your bond is... strained. You only want to be looked at with some sort of pride but all you seem to find in their eyes lately is doubt.

ASHEN | The Hero: you'll soon meet them. Remember this, though: keep your jealousy at bay before it starts consuming you.

The King: not much to say to that. They are the king of the land, you never obviously met them and their true intentions remain unknown.

FEATURES

customize your MC's name, physical appearance, gender (M, F or NB, cisgender or transgender) and preferred magic (elemental magic, enchantments, illusion magic).

play as a semi set character, with a sharp tongue and a very strong personality, but with a soft spot for plants and kind healers

choose the rune that's engraved in your skin, and choose carefully because every Region will react accordingly.

build or destroy relationships with the cast, and find, in the midst of the Last War, the only one you can truly be yourself with.

The story will be released on Itch.io chapter by chapter (with a not so accurately estimated total of 9 total chapters) and will be completely free form start to finish.

[mintmatcha]

a meet cute

cw: cisfem reader, reader is part gnome, dungeon meshi universe, it's about an insane side character, sorry

A gentle breeze cuts across the shop, just over the front counter. You have to lean into it to get any sort of relief from this summer's heat. Your shop door's bell chimes as a customer walks in. It's unusual that anyone is out this time of day in this type of heat, let someone fully robed, scarf and hat included. He's dressed in dark, rich colors, the types of dye that drip with indigo and money, a contrast to the reddish tuft of hair of his head.

He'd be cute, you think, if he wasn't a gnome.

It's not that you don't like gnomes-- you are one, mostly-- but gnomes around your age are boring. The men nod along to anything you say, try to impress you with pleasantries and tidbits, all with that glint in their eye, they've found their next wife. They are dictated by societal niceities and traditions, topped off with a strange sense of superiority, all while they still eye you like a piece of meat-

But this gnome isn't looking at you like that. No, he's marveling at your wears.

The stranger tilts the glass in the sunlight and rainbows refract across the floor, dancing in looping, wonderful patterns long after his movement has stopped. Figures of dancers twirling around each other, bowing and dipping with ease, disappate into the air. His hands are actually a bit small for a gnome, thin fingers, uncalloused and delicate with the way he inspects the magic.

"The runes on this are subtle," he notes, mostly to himself. "Gnome magic on elven crystal."

"You have good taste." You lean more forward on to the oak surface and he jumps a bit, as if he hadn't noticed you were even there. "And a keen eye."

The man melts into a polite smile. His eyes are downturned and his cheeks are round, tickled pink from the sun. He approaches you, a prickle of chill following suit. There must be some elemental magic sown into his clothing or something.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you," you say. "It's my work."

"You have a talented hand for magic, then."

"And you have a talented eye."

His nose wiggles in that delightfully gnomish way that only old men do. "No talent, all practice."

You give him your name, he gives you his. Holm. Classic. Boring. Standard.

"Is this a gift for your wife?"

"Oh, I'm not--" He waves that thought away with disinterest-- which happens to peak yours. "My party mate is getting married."

"An elf?"

"Dwarf, actually." He twirls to glass again and the waltz of light resumes. "To be honest, we aren't very close. I don't really know what she likes, I just think she deserves something nice."

"The effect won't be as brilliant for her, because dwarfs don't tend to have a very good mana flow, but it'll still be pretty. A couple glasses for her and her beau-" You wipe away a bead of sweat that's begun to roll down the side of your neck. "And maybe a bottle of chilled wine. I think that's a very good present for anyone."

He nods, button nose crinkled with delight as he places the glasswork on the table before you. "I'll get a sex then."

A beat passes. You can't help the wild smile that sneaks out. "What was that?"

"Hm?" He hasn't moved, frozen in place, still holding the glass. His expression doesn't change, but you swear there's a touch of pink creeping over his ears.

"You said a sex."

"No, I said a /set./"

"No, you didn't." You cock your head to the side in the way that makes your neck look long and your smile charming. "Are you thinking about sex, Mr Holm?"

He swallows and you think maybe you've gone too far. Your brand of needling is more of a half foot type of humor, which isn't universally appreciated, to say the least.

"I'm- I don't--" Holm surprises you by laughing at him self. "I don't do that."

Interesting. A gnome with a sense of humor. You didn't know those existed. You lean back, trying to bite back your smile as you speak. "What? Think about sex?"

"Or anything else to do with that word."

You inspect him a bit closer. The colors, the hat, the symbol burnt into his pouch-- they're religious symbols. He's a spirit worshipper, one of the religions in the south. You aren't sure of all of the intricacies, but you know the most devout are completely celibate.

Holm shrugs rather casually. "Close enough."

"Oh, you're one of those monk-things, aren't you?" For some reason, you're a bit disappointed. Of course the man you have a nice rapport with is one that won't fuck you.

Not that you want to fuck him.

"So, you must think about sex a lot." You call as you walk to your backroom. There's a couple of different versions of the glasses, so it takes you a moment to find another set of dancers. Really, this guy has nice taste; this is your favorite piece. "Since you can't have any."

"Probably less than you do-" he calls back. "Since you heard is when I clearly said set."

Despite yourself, you laugh. It's not particularly funny, but there's butterflies in your chest and a tremble in your hands. You wrap the glasses in pieces of cloth and ribbon-- purple, to match his scarf-- before bringing them back up. The stranger is still watching you with that look on his face, the crinkle in his eye-

"It's on the house," You slide the gift wrapped presents over to him.

"I couldn't possibly."

"Just come back again some time. Or buy me a beer if you see me at the bar."

You both know that isn't a fair trade. Crystal is expensive, magic work even more so; you could charge him a couple hundred gold if you wanted, but... conversation is sometimes more valuable than money.

"I don't drink." He rubs the back of his neck, almost sheepish. "I eat, though."

The flutter in your chest gets worse. "Food then."

He nods. Taking the gift, he picks it up and starts towards the door, a hum on his voice and a deeper smile creeping up on his face. When he gets to the door, he puts up an arm to open it, then pauses.

He turns back around.

"I want to pay." The strange says, firmly. "I'll still buy you food, but I want to pay for these."

He pulls a bag of coins from his belt and presses them into your hand. It's heavy with gold. He doesn't pull away until you meet his dark, stern eyes and close your hand around the bag.

"I don't want to lead you on," he says, softly. "I find you very..."

He says more with silence than his words.

"Don't worry," you say, even though a worry does creep up your spine. "I'm not so desperate that I'll fall in love with a priest."

"Not a priest, but thank you." His cheeks puff with smile and you immediately know that you may have lied.

[lizardcatcreations]

Infernal Firestorm

a prototype set and d20 for my contribution to the Caliya's Chronicle of Runes Kickstarter hosted by Spectre Creations, which launches June 20th!

we're still tweaking the design a bit (which is the same as my OG Firestorm design) to make the orange a bit more red, but i'm so happy with how these initial attempts turned out! the top backer tiers will have the option to add either a full set or just a d20 if you're wanting to get your hands on this custom Infernal font. and not to worry--there will be a number key included with the dice for the backers who order them!

although at this point i've spent so much time with these dice that i'm able to read the numbers, so i promise it's doable.

[asklesbianonceler]

I'd like to pose some theories and observations about The Night of Black Knives

There's something extremely specific about the black knives and it's that they cannot be seen while wearing their cloaks unless illuminated by the Sentry's Torch, an item that was not held in the lands between until after Godwyn's death, and yet, here it is. Not just an average wooden torch, a custom torch, in the hand of a black knife, specifically illuminating her face. She is showing her face to Godwyn so he knows who killed him. She wants him to see her, a woman with long blonde hair.

It was no mistake it was Godwyn and he was not just the best choice. It was personal.

What else do we know of the black knives? They had close ties to Marika herself and were all Numen just like her.

We now know Godwyn was not her first son and his death was merely a means to an end. Would she be able to sacrifice a child forced upon her by the golden order? A child who in the eyes of the order was perfect? I think so. If it gave her a good enough excuse to shatter the Elden Ring which she was still punished for.

Maliketh's great rune says Marika only needed him to seal away destined death, yet she betrayed him. Who else would have been able to get close to him?

Ranni and Marika wanted the same thing. It was all set up. There is a reason Ranni cradles Marikas head in the age of stars ending before putting it back on Marikas body.

Marikas body also vanishes in Rannis. It isn't being taken over by the Elden ring again. Ranni sets her free. she didn't have to put the head back on.

Yes, I can tie Melina into all this. Just ask.

[flowerbetweenfangs]

Cream Filling: Chapter Four

CW: There is discussion of an abusive relationship. The MC also remembers the lovebombing stage. Nothing is on screen, so to speak.

This is part of an ongoing series. You can read the previous part here!

Thick sheets of snow covered the streets, the grey sky plunging the world outside into early darkness. Streetlights flicked on, bathing everything in amber light. Despite the lack of sunlight, the sidewalks and strip were empty. 

“Full moon,” Horac commented. “Everyone who’s got half a brain is already at home.” 

“Magic rituals, werewolves running around, and everyone who needs it is charging their charms.” Wrecks shrugged, before yawning. 

“All the wildlife around my home is being so noisy right now. I barely got any sleep last night.” He rubbed his main eyes. 

Elle went to touch her protective charm, but only felt the spider. Right. She’d left stone at home, right on the windowsill so the rays of the moon would charge it with protective magic. Her neck felt naked without it. 

A blast of cold air hit her. Shivering, she rubbed her arms as a man in a large coat shuffled in, clutching papers. His face was wound in scarves, hiding his face. Without a word, he came to the front counter and set the pile down, without looking at Elle. His fingerless gloves showed his nails were thick and opaque, slightly longer than normal, and tapering to a point. 

His hand rested on the counter, and the papers shuffled again. 

Looking down, Elle realized it was a job application he was presenting to her. Before she could ask him any questions, he shuffled away, pulling his patchy coat tighter around himself went to the door, holding it open as a gaggle of goblins came in. 

Quickly, she snatched up the application and put it into a manilla envelope along with the rest. Runes appeared on the tab at the top, before the papers vanished in a puff of smoke. 

“Welcome to Ramses!” She called out, having to lean over the counter to look the new customers in the eye. They were a small group of regulars, and she gave them her best smile. 

Once the café closed, Elle tried to not lament the small pile of tips on the counter. At least with her favor, it meant that the debts she’s acquired would be a lot less cumbersome in the next couple of weeks. Still, she felt a pang of anxiety as she picked up the bills and stuffed them into her wallet. 

“Attention residents.” A voice crackled over an old ham radio, the dials twisting to try and get a signal. Elle jumped, putting a hand over her chest as her heart hammered. 

“Moonrise is in three hours!” The voice continued, followed by feedback. Wrecks yelled, covering his ears and scuttling to the kitchen.

 “We advise all non-magical residents to please be indoors before then.” The crackling lessened. “All those afflicted with lycanthropy please proceed to safe areas. Those who plan on performing rituals, please refrain from doing so unless you are being supervised by a professional…” 

As more warnings and advisories warbled on, Elle rubbed her ears. 

“You alright, Rookie?” Horac asked, going to the radio and attempting to adjust the volume, before yelping as a bolt of magic hit his fingers. Waving his hand, he sucked on his finger and glowered at the machine. 

“Does it do that every full moon?” She winced, hoping it would stop soon. 

“Yeah. But we’re normally out by then.” Horac shrugged, then looked at the empty café. “But we have to have one for safety standards.” 

Sighing, Elle went to the back and clocked out. 

Wrecks parted with a polite farewell, before scampering up the side of the café. Silky strands quickly froze as he spun, but that seemed to be the goal because the drider was using them as a bridge. 

Hopefully, this one wouldn’t be burnt down. 

Going to her car, Elle shivered. Snow was starting to come down heavy again, clinging to her clothes and hair. The old clunker was already covered in a foot of snow. She unlocked the door and pulled, having to yank harder than normal to free it from the ice. 

After scraping off her windows, she sat in the driver’s seat. Her breath was foggy. Taking the key, she stuck it in the ignition. Turning it, she felt her heart drop when the engine stalled. 

No. She was just starting to claw her way out of debt. She could not have this happen now! Turning the key again, she held her breath as the engine sputtered, but nothing more. 

Why today of all days? Trying to keep her breathing steady, she rubbed the steering wheel. Whispering a few affirmations, she tried to will the car into starting. 

There was a rap on the window. Turning, she saw Horac standing right outside. 

“Need a jump?” He looked pointedly at the front of her car. 

“My savior!” She called out, opening the door and popping her trunk. 

Once she got out the jumper cables, Horac repositioned his truck. It was probably older than her clunker, but obviously better taken care of. There was a wax finish on it, catching the streetlight and looking lovely. The tires were new, windows all but sparkling. If it wasn’t for the snow and some slush, it would have looked like it rolled off a vintage vehicle lot. 

And when it started, the engine purred. 

Elle wondered if he was the type to stay in the garage after dark, polishing the metal meticulously. And if he winced every time her car squealed to life. 

Once she’d opened the hood, Elle rubbed her hands together and stared at the vehicles. The Boarman fiddled with the cables, before standing next to her. Without realizing it, she scooted closer to him, feeling his body heat. 

Sighing, he slipped off his coat and put it over Elle’s shoulders. Whatever it was made of was heavy, nearly making her knees buckle. She pulled it closed, adjusting her stance to stay upright. 

“Aren’t you cold?” Elle asked. 

“It’s not too bad.” He assured her. “I’ve dealt with a lot worse.” He fiddled with his key ring. “You want me to unlock the café so you can wait inside while your battery charges?” 

With a sigh, Elle shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, there should be enough juice for me to get home.” The thought of her getting stuck on the highway on the trip back made her shiver. To be out on the full moon, without a protective charm. Shaking her head, Elle walked to her car and rubbed the roof, giving it a few more affirmations. 

After a few more minutes, Elle slipped into the car and took in a deep breath. Turning the key, she winced when the car sputtered, before dying again. Sighing, she hit her forehead against the steering wheel, feeling ready to burst into tears. 

Come on… Not today of all days. 

“Want to call your insurance?” 

Biting her lip, Elle avoided the Boarman’s eyes.

“... You have insurance, right?” 

When she didn’t respond, Horac mumbled something, running a hand down his face and rolling his eyes. Sighing, he looked away and at the businesses turning their lights out and covering their windows. 

“Then again, I don’t think there are any places open because of the full moon.” 

Looking at his truck, Horac jerked his head toward it. “Come on. I’ll take you home.” 

“It’s a half-hour drive!” Elle protested. “And you’ll be in the Leviathan district!” 

“Alternative: Leave my coworker stranded on the full moon. She gets bitten by a werewolf or worse.” Horac took the cables off and put them back in her trunk. “A ride service is going to be more expensive, but if that’s what you’re more comfortable with.” 

Elle wasn’t so sure the pittance in her wallet would cover the gas money the truck would need, let alone for a ride service or taxi.

“Well…” 

“I should be able to make it back with plenty of daylight to spare,” Horac assured her. 

Looking at her car, Elle slipped in and gave it one more try, but the engine only clicked. 

Pulling out the tips, she peeled off one bill for herself and passed the rest to him. “I know that thing’s gotta be a gas guzzler.” 

Rolling his eyes, Horac sighed and helped her into the truck, before starting it. They drove through the strip in silence as more snow fell. 

“I knew that thing was going to crap out on your eventually.” Horac sighed. “I could always hear it before seeing it.” 

Elle felt her cheeks burn. “It was all I had.” She swallowed hard. “I… Lived in it for a few months before I got the job at Ramses.” 

Horac’s shoulders squared, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. 

“Damn.” His tusks wiggled. “I… Don’t mean to pry, but has your ex been bothering you again?” 

Shaking her head, Elle looked down at her phone. “No. I used my favor to make sure that he’d been taken care of.” 

“Any word on that?” 

“No, but it’s only been two days.” Elle sucked in a breath, looking at the burn on her wrist. It still perfectly resembled a pair of lips. Heat rushed through her, the memory of Ash’s lips on her skin fresh. 

“You’re gonna be fine,” Horac said, reaching over like he was going to clap her on the shoulder. His hand hovered, before returning to the wheel “Ash, if nothing else, knows how to leave his customers satisfied.” 

The silence that followed was stifling. Horac fumbled for the radio, finally managing to turn on a classic rock station. 

They were about to get onto the highway when traffic started to bottleneck. Elle inhaled sharply, seeing all the cars ahead of them. 

“Rookie.” Horac’s voice was calm. “This may put you in an awkward spot. And I’m sorry.” 

Her eyes didn’t leave the road. There were a few vehicles that had slid off and flipped over. A few of the occupants were camped out on the shoulders, bundled up against the cold and chatting with police officers or on their phones. Despite this, another car flew past them in the merging lane. 

Unable to stop, it slid, rear wheels spinning as the driver tried to get traction again. 

If it was this bad now, how would it be after Horac dropped her off? Sure, his truck was better suited for the conditions, but the other drivers…

“Horac. How far away do you live?” 

“About twenty minutes from here, other direction.” He said, eyes not leaving the road. Another car spun out, and he winced. 

“I would… Feel really bad if you drove back in this.” Elle swallowed. “I… Don’t have anyone at home that needs me. If it’s easier, I can just crash on your couch tonight?” 

Horac visibly relaxed. “I didn’t want to make it awkward and just offer it to you. But it beats driving home in this.” He craned his neck and nodded. 

“Let me get off at this exit.” Flipping on his blinker, Horac inched forward and then eased out of the traffic. 

Elle kept a death grip on the handle above the window. 

“Will, uh, your kids be there?” 

“No.” Horace’s eyes narrowed and he began to ease up the ramp. “It’s their week with mom.” He let out his breath when they managed to get onto a level surface. “We switch off every Friday.” 

Once they were back in the district limits, the ride went a lot smoother.

“They’re safe?” 

“Yes.” He exhaled sharply. “The safest they can be.” 

They drove in silence again, the music filling the void. Buildings began to become sparse, long snowy fields taking over. She stared at them, seeing a few dead stalks of plants. Farmland? She frowned. 

Horac kept his speed low, so the twenty minutes turned into thirty before they came upon an iron gate. Elle blinked rapidly, trying to hide her confusion. To her shock, the gate didn’t look like it surrounded a community, but a long sprawling driveway. 

With a grunt, Horac opened the door and stepped out of the truck, physically opening the gate. It squealed noisily, making Elle grit her teeth, hands clapping over her ears. Once it was open, Horac looked back at her. The gate trembled slightly in his grip, but he kept it lifted. 

“Think you can scooch it up a little bit for me?” He beckoned her. 

Looking at the driver’s seat, Elle bit her lip. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she slid into the driver’s seat. With a white-knuckled grip, she shifted the gears and slowly edged the truck forward, hearing the roar of the engine as she stomped onto the gas. The vehicle lurched forward, and Elle quickly slammed on the brakes, chest hitting the steering wheel. 

Horac winced and kept his head down as he waved her forward. 

Much softer, Elle pressed on the gas. The wheels spun, spraying snow behind the bed of the truck, but the vehicle slowly rolled forward, finally passing the threshold. Slamming on the brakes again, she threw the gearshift into park and all but jumped into the passenger seat again as the gate squealed behind her. 

Horac got back into the truck with a sigh. 

“Well, you didn’t wreck it, so that’s a good start.”

They drove up the winding driveway, a house slowly coming into view. It was a two-story ranch, with a screened-in front porch. An old tire swing hung on a large tree in front, children’s toys covering the yard, half-buried in snow. Remnants of a garden were poking from behind a stone ring.

“It’s been in the family for years,” Horac explained as they parked. “Didn’t have the heart to sell it.” 

Stepping out of the truck, Elle shouldered her purse. The snow continued to come down in large flakes, leaving the area blindingly white. As they entered through the garage, she could feel the pressure of a second threshold spring up. 

Flipping on the lights, Horac opened the door, letting her go first. 

They entered a living room. Despite the toys in the front yard, the inside was spotless, things tucked away cleanly into totes or baskets, blankets on the back of an expensive-looking couch, and an old tv set. 

“Wow.” Elle fidgeted with her purse. “I had no idea.” 

“It’s an inheritance.” Horace shrugged, before going to the kitchen. “Er… I hope you don’t mind tv dinners. It’s all I got that’s human-friendly. I normally eat out when my kids are here. I, uh… Don’t really like cooking when I’m not working, you know?” 

“Sure!” Elle’s stomach grumbled. At this rate, she was ready to start chewing on anything solid. 

Next to the couch was a nightstand with a lamp. A silvery rectangle was next to it, showing cracked glass across the middle. 

Leaning down, she flipped on the lamp, illuminating a picture in a frame. It showed a dark-haired girl, maybe two or three, holding a newborn wrapped in a blanket. Her smile was big but didn’t reach her eyes. The crack covered a person reflected in the mirror, obscuring the picture taker. 

They were all human. 

Staring a moment longer, Elle finally pulled away when the floors creaked. Horac had gone down the hall, his shoulder scraping against the walls. 

Come to think of it, she’d never asked about his kids, and the Boarman never indulged information beyond that he had them or had to leave early to take care of something pertaining to them. 

Slipping off her coat, Elle looked down at her uniform. It was going to be uncomfortable sitting in it all night, but it was better than sliding off the road or being stranded. Pulling out her phone, she texted Wrecks that she and Horac had gotten back and were safe, reminding him to be careful. 

Heavy footsteps brought her back. 

There was a shirt and pair of shorts over Horac’s arm, judging by the size, it wouldn’t even fit over his head. 

“You don’t have to take it, but,” Horac shrugged, tossing over the clothes. “I can’t imagine the maid outfit is terribly comfortable.” 

Staring at the shirt, Elle saw it was the same pink as the ticket for “Temptation”. When she unfolded it, the club’s name was printed across the chest, a pair of crimson lips under it. 

“Old shirt,” Horac said sheepishly. 

“Were you in middle school?” Elle held it up to him. Even if they could get it over his head, it would probably rip at his shoulders. She wasn’t too read up on the anatomy of Boarmen. 

“I-” Horac shook his head. “It was a while ago.” 

Elle felt a twinge of guilt, knowing it would be unwise to press further. Holding the clothes to her chest, she ducked into the nearest room. 

There were twin beds on opposite walls, a closet between them. Each one had a trunk at a foot of it. The headboard on the right said “Isabella” the one on the right said “Jolie”. The walls were covered with children’s drawings, from markers to crayons. 

Isabella seemed to be the older one, showing more pictures. There was a drawing, showing a family of four, showing a dark-haired woman next to the girls, and a fair-haired man on the end. 

“Daddy, Mommy, Me, Jolie.” 

Elle stared at them, feeling a sudden pang in her chest. 

Slipping on the clothes, Elle folded up her uniform and sighed. 

When she came out, the shirt almost came to her knees, and the shorts down to her calves. The tie at the waist had to be looped around her hips to keep them from sliding down. 

Horac was fiddling with a dial on the television, hooking it up to his laptop and managing to get a show streaming. An old black and white movie flickered across the screen. There were two sad-looking tv dinners on the coffee table, which Elle ate. It was better than nothing, making the rumbling in her stomach lessen. 

They sat on opposite sides of the couch, the silence deafening. 

“I was thinking about breaking out some of my old bourbon,” Horac finally said. “But if you’re not comfortable, I-” 

“I haven’t been out drinking in years.” Elle almost laughed out loud. “I… Could never afford to.” She scratched the back of her head nervously. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to talk about how broke I am all the time.” 

Horac shrugged. “I mean, you can’t help it.” He faced her.  “But… You have drank before, right?” 

“Oh, yeah!” Elle reassured him. “But it was like… Sneaking drinks from the older patrons of the academy I went to-” Her mouth closed, and she sighed. “It was a different time.” 

Horac got up and went to the kitchen, glasses and bottles clinking. When he came back, he unscrewed the lid and poured them both a glass, his much taller and larger than hers, topping it off with cola. 

A large ball of ice floated in the alcohol, fizzy clinging to it. 

Picking up the cup, Elle gave a smile. 

“To breaking old bonds,” Horac said, gently clinking his glass to hers. “May yours go smoother than mine.” The hem of his shirt hiked up, showing the twisted and knobby scar on his abdomen. 

Averting her eyes, Elle tried to not stare. 

Taking a drink, Elle winced at the taste but managed to gulp down the liquid. Eyes watering, she sniffed and wiped her nose. Setting the glass down, she took in a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“You’re supposed to go slow.” Horac teased, before taking a sip of his own drink and setting it down, and filling Elle’s glass with water. “Only drink as much as you want to. If you just want water, it’s fine. And if you want me to stop drinking, just tell me.” 

He drank another glass, switching the movie to an old tv show. His eyes were focused on the screen, but she could see him staring at her out of the corner of them. 

Nursing the water, she thought about the drawing, then the photograph. Genetics of interspecies relationships escaped her. Sure, there were cambions, dhampirs, and holsteins, but purely human children? “So… What happened to you?” 

“Hm?” 

“I saw… A picture in your daughter’s room. A family drawing. It uh… Didn’t look like a Boarman in the “dad” spot.” She felt bad about prodding, but she had to know. 

Horac was silent for a moment, running a thumb over the rim of his glass. His jaw clenched and unclenched before he sighed, topping off the drink with another round of bourbon. 

“It’s a bit of a sore subject, but I feel like you should know since you’re dealing with Asmodeus.” 

“What?” She tried to not look too baffled. 

“Some of us get a demon’s Favor. Some of us get their Ire.” Horac explained, staring at the credits as they rolled across the screen. 

“When I worked for Temptation, I was a good employee. A bunch of customers liked me, so did the workers. But I also wasn’t afraid to jump in and break things up when they got out of hand. It didn’t happen enough, but it was enough to justify keeping me around. I loved my wife. Loved my kids.” His tongue flitted across his lips. 

“The succubus who had a thing for me, she was something else. Ash encouraged her because he… Has a way of thinking that doesn’t really match up with mine.” He frowned, the pause following extended. 

“You don’t need to know the details of my screw-up.” Another drink, the glass filling with more bourbon and considerably less cola.

“But I messed up big time and got involved with shit I shouldn’t have been.” His shoulders sagged, shame darkening his features. 

“If you know anything about Concubi, they can get really attached to regular… “customers”.” He added air quotes around the last word.

“Anyway, she shot her shot, wanting more. Then didn’t take it well when I rejected her.” He winced. “I deserved it. Honestly, I should have had a lot more happen.” He finished his drink, setting down the glass. 

“Ramses approached me while I was in the hospital. And offered me a job as a cook. It was different, it was new. Fresh start. And I knew I could keep myself and my family safe.” He swallowed, eyes watery. “And I knew that once word had gotten around about the “incident” I would have a hard time finding anything else to do to make a living.”  

“So, I agreed. I went to turn in my two weeks. Asmodeus took my resignation as betrayal, so he twisted my body and changed it. Ash kept him from going any further than that. That man is a demon, but he’s at least able to see both sides of things. That’s the reason I didn’t throw him out the second he walked into the café.” 

Elle stared at him, her eyes wide. She picked up her glass and gulped it down, the rush of cold clearing her head. 

“My wife wasn’t an idiot but trusted me. The Club wound up sending a bunch of pictures to our home. My… actions had broken down the threshold enough for them to be able to cross.” Inhaling sharply, Horac squeezed his eyes shut. 

“The only solace I have is that the girls didn’t see them. Isabella doesn’t really remember what I used to look like, but she knows I’m… Different now. Jolie was a baby, so she’s only known this-” He waved a hand in front of his snout. 

“-as how I look.”  

Elle put a hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze. He snorted, shaking his head. 

“I’m sorry.” She said softly, before letting him go and scooting away to the other side of the couch.

“I’m lucky.” Horac insisted. “They could have gone after my family. I’ll take something like this a thousand times if it means they’re safe.” 

He jerked his head toward her. 

“What about you?” 

Tit for tat. She almost felt guilty. He’d been so open with her about something that obviously hurt him, especially something that made him look… Less than perfect. 

Judging by how much he’d drunk, he wanted to forget. Horac seemed a little more buzzed, although his speech hadn’t begun to slur, and he seemed sharp. 

“I was eighteen.” Elle’s heart began to pound at the memory. The story had been told so many times, but each time she began, it was like her skin was being flayed open for everyone to see. 

***

“If you summon this, there’s no telling what would happen!” 

“Thousands of people summons demons every day.” Elodie swatted at the air. “And they’re doing just fine.” She looked at the symbols in the circle. “Besides, they have to do something before they can even do anything to you. Just gotta be smart about it.” 

She looked at the frightened faces of her old friends. Years had worn away the features, making them all fuzzy. There were infernal runes and symbols for various sins over their faces, obscuring them further. 

“I’m tired of living like this.” Scratching at her neck, Elodie finished touching up the last rune. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll go to the Beezelbub district and hit up the Vampires. I heard Plasma is supposed to be a safe Feeder Club.” 

Of course, the rumors about ‘blood bags’ were vile. Vampiric saliva could be addicting, leaving the human unable to go the recommended six weeks between feedings. The pay would get lower and lower, and three would bind the biter and bloody together, too big of a risk.

She looked at the circle on the floor once more. It looked close enough to the ones from the blogs she’d been consulting. 

“Now, you just need a bit of blood.” Elle paused, looking down at the components. “Whoever’s we use will be the one keeping this all in check.” 

“Why not yours?” 

“Hey!” She protested, feeling a rush of excitement and fear. “You sure about that? That means I’m gonna have all the power.” 

“You’re the one who knows the most about this.” 

Elodie huffed, scowling at the circle. “Still.” 

She flexed her fingers. Looking at the ritual knife, she picked it up, holding the handle tightly. No one moved to stop her. Either they were frozen with fear or had complete confidence. She wasn’t sure which one was better. 

Nodding, she began to head to the center of the circle, hearing a few gasps. 

“Last chance to back out,” She warned, eyeing the faces of her friends. 

No one moved. 

Taking the blade, Elle lifted her skirt and ran it along the outside of her thigh, chanting in the infernal language. It was harsh on her throat, like gargling nails. As crimson flowed from her leg to the central symbol, the lines began to glow. 

Air stirred, candle flames flickering. The energy began to shift, loud crackling making everyone jump. Elodie could feel the pressure and heat building but didn’t stop chanting. 

“Servant of Mammon, I command you to come to me!”  

A candle erupted. Then another. And soon the flames had become infernal pillars, faces flickering in the fire. Legions of screams began to add to the crackling, the heat becoming unbearable. Sweat poured into Elle’s mouth, but she didn’t stop chanting. 

Screams filled the air as the candles were dropped, and the room was vacated. Flames caught on the curtains. 

Stopping her chanting, Elodie ran out of the circle and began to stamp on the fires. Luckily, they hadn’t spread too much, but there was enough ash in the room to leave her clothes covered with them. Glaring at the closed doors, she crossed her arms. 

The petty part of her wanted to wait and see if any came back to check if she was alright. But she figured it wouldn’t end well. The Headmasters were likely already being informed of the ritual and that there was something on the loose the students couldn’t control. 

At least she could clean up the room before they got into more trouble. Or worse, someone with even less sense would try and do the ritual again and crack open a Hellmouth. 

She knelt to pick up the candles when a wave of heat rolled over her, the room suddenly bathed in crimson light. Whirling around, she saw a naked man sitting where her blood had spilled. 

Aside from the flesh-colored horns poking from his brow, he looked completely human. Inhaling sharply, Elodie felt a rush of scents hit her nose. Honey. Pine. Chocolate. Mint. The seemed to shift on a dime, images flashing in front of her. 

Honey poured in tea to sweeten it. A pine forest in the summer. A box of chocolates was passed to her by a classmate (who had the demon’s face for some reason). And the mint of someone’s breath as they leaned in to kiss her. 

Covering her mouth and nose, Elle coughed loudly, trying to clear her head and keep her eyes above the demon’s waist. 

A noise alerted him. Slowly, the stranger stood, a whip-like tail swishing behind him. Raking fingers through wavy hair, he opened his mouth to speak but paused. 

Doors burst open and in came the teachers and caretakers, shouting out binding spells and slapping charms on the walls to seal off the room. 

“Elodie Shepard! What were you thinking?” 

The demon vanished in a puff of pink smoke. 

As the room was blocked off, Elodie winced as she was grabbed by the arm and hauled off. 

“Well?” Headmistress Blackstone stared at Elodie from across her desk. “You’re lucky the spell didn’t work. Or who knows what you could have brought here.” 

Elle opened her mouth about to say it had, in fact, worked. But then she thought better of it and closed it. 

Blackstone spread polaroids taken from the scene across the desk. Despite the anger in her voice, the older woman’s brows quirked up, obviously impressed. 

“I know you’re kicking me out next week.” Elodie tried to keep her voice calm, despite the burning on her leg. “Because I haven’t shown any particular skills. Nothing to justify keeping me past adulthood.” 

“So,” Blackstone steepled her fingers. “Was this supposed to impress?” She shook her head, “Because the Guardians will have to be notified, and that room will have to be sealed off to prevent anything further from happening. Anyone who needed that room will be denied it for at least a month.” 

“It was supposed to give me a chance before I got thrown out with nothing.” Elodie shook her head. “You’ll never get it.” 

Sighing, Blackstone pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, Miss Shepard. We tried to raise you right, even letting you stay past the cutoff date for a couple of gap years while we tried to finesse a proper higher education for you. But between your subpar test results, your need to skirt the rules, and the number of times you’ve been caught on grounds with boys-” 

“It takes two to tango!” 

“I know, Miss Shepard, but you have a… Habit. You’ve been caught no less than six times with four different boys. The woods. In the bathrooms. Even in the library where you were supposed to be studying! One of those boys had parents who donate to the school. They threatened to pull their funding because they thought we were neglecting his education.” 

Elodie scowled and looked out the window. “I bet if my parents were rich, you’d let it slide. But because I’m a foundling brat-” 

“There are a lot more with half your talent who work twice as hard,” Blackstone warned. “People who have gone through a lot more than just parental abandonment. You have to stop assuming people who aren’t blindly praising you are out to get you.” 

“This incident would have been the last straw, even if we had a reason to keep you here, this cannot be overlooked.” Blackstone pointed to one of the photos. “What were you planning on doing with this particular demon?” 

“A demon of Mammon can get you material goods.” Elodie shrugged. “Figured if I was going to be left with nothing, I could at least get myself something to help me live until I could get something to sustain myself.” 

“Well, you need to brush up on your runes.” She waved the photo. “ This is a symbol of Asmodeus, not Mammon.” 

“...Oh.” Elodie shifted uncomfortably. That explained a few things. 

They stared at one another in silence. Elodie shook her head, before standing up. 

“I’ll go collect my things.” 

Blackstone raised her hand, magic crackling in the air. Elodie plunked back down in the chair. 

“You’re never to take up the title of Mage, used magic generated of your own power, or use the academy for any reference in any career endeavors.” The Headmistress sniffed. “I hope this stunt was worth it.” 

As Elodie packed up her belongings, which wasn’t much, she noticed her friends were giving her a wide berth. A change of clothes and a few toiletries that could fit in a small backpack were all she had left in the world. 

If they hadn’t run… They’d probably be joining her on the street tonight instead of next week. 

Once she was off the property, the squeak of the iron gate loud in the night, she finally started to cry. She let out the tears,  before sniffing and wiping her eyes. Fanning herself, she managed to pull out a map without stumbling. 

This was it. She was on her own now. 

Staring at the map, she stood under a bus shelter, letting the dim amber of the streetlight illuminate the twisting lines of the map. Wind buffetted Elodie, threatening to rip the paper from her hands. Gripping it tightly, she grit her teeth and sucked in a breath. 

The cycling scents hit her nose again. Peppermint. Pumpkin. Fresh bread. Coffee. 

The smell of a city square during the holidays. Autumn gatherings with pastries. A bakery in the summer. A cafe in the spring. 

Jerking her head up, she stumbled back. The demon was standing across the street, now dressed in a uniform from the academy. It was too small for him, the buttons straining and pantlegs baring his ankles. 

“Oh! Now you show up!” Elodie snapped. 

“Sorry about that.” His voice made her breath catch. Each syllable seized her heart, and the map slipped from her hand.

“Adrian Ashborn.” The Power of his name crackled in the air. 

Ashborn. So Blackstone had been right. He was a Demon of Asmodeus. 

The faces in the flame came back. Were they other Concubi trying to break through the veil?  

“I was trying to summon a demon from Mammon , not Asmodeus.” Elodie rubbed her face. “You were a mistake, I’m sorry.” 

He was suddenly in front of her, their faces close enough for breath to mingle. 

“Gah!” She flinched away from him. 

“Don’t do that!” She rubbed her brow. The smells were starting to worm their way in, and she wanted to bury her face in his chest and just rest there. 

No, that was how they trapped people, focus!  

“Go away.” 

“I can’t do that.” He said, a matter of factly, keeping pace with her as she started to walk. “You summoned me, so you have to dismiss me.” 

“I’m not a mage anymore.” Elodie looked over her shoulders to check for cars. “They took all my magic, you must have felt the power holding you drain.” 

“You bound me with your blood, not power.” 

Elodie let out another groan, which seemed to amuse Adrian. His smirk would have been punchable on any other face. She still wanted to hit him, but she felt more restrained than normal. 

“They really sent you out here with nothing, huh?” 

“Can’t afford to keep feeding and housing me without a return.” Elodie sniffed, trying to flag down a passing car. “Barely managed to scrape by on my final exams to keep me. If I’d passed them this year, I’d be there until twenty-six.” 

They sped up, hitting a puddle of mud and spraying her. Stepping away from the road, she looked towed the lightening sky, ready to scream. 

They finally came to a rest stop, and Elodie ducked into the bathroom. Adrian started to follow her, but she swatted him in the chest, pointing to the sign. 

“Ladies only.” 

Inside, she scrubbed off the worst of the mud but was still covered with it. Changing her clothes, she stuffed the damp clothes in her backpack. At least she had that. 

When she came out, Adrian all but tackled her. He seized her arms, the touch sending a bolt through her. She barely managed to clench her jaw before a loud moan came out. 

“I got us a ride.” He jerked his head toward a van, where a bunch of men in flannel waved them over. 

“There’s a motel about three miles from here.” He explained. “They’re on their way to the nearby Hunting Grounds.” 

Werewolves. Blinking, Elodie sputtered. 

The pack was a polite, if talkative, bunch. They had filled up all the seats, but there was room on the floor of the van to sit, so she did. Adrian sat next to her.

Elodie was glad she didn’t have to say anything, although being in close proximity with Adrian was making her head spin. The scents, the warmth of his skin, the way the sun seemed to hit him just right. 

“Sucks that you’re in such a tight spot, but we’ve all been there.” The pack leader remarked, “It’s not much, but we’ll cover your first night so you can at least sleep somewhere warm while you try and get your bearings.” 

“Thank you.” Adrian smiled, and there was a collective inhale as everyone quickly averted their eyes. “Parents were a lot less accepting than you were.” 

Elodie tried to not roll her eyes. Of course, he’d go that route. Two lovebirds from different species in an unforgiving world. She felt guilty for lying, but she also didn’t want to be kicked out of somewhere twice in less than a day. 

“Just gotta find your people.” One of the wolves said. “It’ll get better, trust me.” 

The wolves let Adrian cover up with one of their blankets, but by the time they were at the motel, his skin was already blistered and peeling. The clerk took one look at them and about fainted, but quickly passed over the key as Elodie yanked him back into the room. 

“They weren’t kidding about you guys not being able to handle the sun.” Elodie winced, scouring the bathroom for a first aid kit. 

“I’ll heal up eventually.” Adrian watched her from the bed, which of course there was only one of. “You’re quite resistant.” 

“Huh?” She paused, looking at the pitiful bar of soap and toiletries they had. Sighing, she began to check the closet. 

“To my charms.” That damn smirk was back. 

“Oh. I feel them.” Elodie rolled her eyes. “But I’m ignoring it, like a random person screaming on the crosswalk.” 

“Ah. Explains your irritability. Ow!” He swatted at her backpack when it hit his face. When it fell, small red lines opened on his face and began to bleed. 

“Look.” His voice dropped a few octaves, freezing Elodie in place. “I have a proposition for you.” Taking a tissue from the box on the nightstand, he dabbed as the blood. “I can’t be sent back until I fulfill a contract, and you seem to be in a bit of a bind.” 

“I may be an incubus, but all that means is that I get my power a certain way. I might not have Mammon as my Prince but…” He squeezed the tissue tightly, the veins on his hand popping out. When he opened it, there were gold coins in his palm. 

Elodie stared at it, eyes wide. Licking her lips, she dared a few steps closer. 

“I think we can come to some sort of agreement.” He palmed the gold and stuck it in his pocket, the motion betraying his erection. 

“Good to know Demons are pigs just like their human counterparts.” Elodie snapped, turning away and scoffing. “I’m many things, but I don’t-” 

“It’s literally how I sustain myself, Dear. Do you shame a vampire for feeding on blood? Or a human for eating meat or vegetables? A spider for eating a fly?” 

Sighing, Elodie nodded. It was in his nature, and he couldn't help it. Not to mention he was probably in pain from the sunburn. He hadn’t asked to be summoned. And she’d yanked him into this mess. 

Turning to face him again, she rubbed her thigh nervously. 

“Just one contract, and you’ll go away?” 

“Of course.” The corner of his lip tugged up. “If that’s what you want.” 

Her lips parted as she tried to come up with the words, but nothing came out. 

“For one, I would like to not be reminded of Hell, so if you could be so kind as to assist me with my burns.” 

Swallowing, Elodie gestured to the empty closet behind her. “There’s uh… Not any aloe or anything like that.” 

“As I said, we sustain ourselves on a very specific sin.” He flexed his fingers, “Unless you’d rather me wait around until nightfall and go looking for someone else.” Leaning over, he put his ear to the door. “I can hear the hotel staff moving around, I’m certain there’s someone among them that wouldn’t mind a quick fuck in exchange for-” 

He yelped as Elodie slammed him against the headboard, arms clutching the too-tight shirt. Buttons popped off, rolling on the floor. 

“You are not going to abandon me after all I just went through!” She snapped, before realizing she was digging her nails into his skin. Blood had soaked into the fabric. Red smeared on her fingers, and she let him go. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine,” Adrian assured her. “I love a woman who can kick my ass.” 

Rolling her eyes, Elodie slid off the bed, sitting at the foot of it. 

Adrian placed a hand on her thigh, right over the wound from the ritual knife. The touch was light, but it felt like he’d stuck a blade into the wound. Wincing, she pulled away, but his fingers lingered on her skin. 

“Why’d you cut there instead of your palm? Would have been a lot easier to control where your blood dropped in the circle.” 

“Not as many nerve endings. And I wanted to make sure I could hold onto the knife if you got wily.” Although her friends running and breaking the circle had made that pretty much impossible. 

“And if you’d cut here.” His fingers slid to her inner thigh, making her breath hitch. “You would have cut the femoral artery and bled out before the people who sealed off the room got there.” 

The touch was light, but Elodie could feel herself starting to quiver. Adrian inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. The blisters on his hands and fingers began to heal, the skin becoming smooth and whole again. 

“You may not be able to use magic made by your own power, Miss Elodie Shepard.” The energy of her name crackled in the air, making her heart skip a beat. 

“But I can promise you, if you allow me this, I will make sure that you are taken care of.” The tip of his finger brushed against the cotton of her panties. 

Elodie’s back arched, a shuddering breath escaping from her lips. The finger between her legs stayed, before Adrian’s hand began to travel up more, slipping past the fabric. A soft moan escaped him as he found the soaking folds. 

She fell back onto the bed, her skirt hiking up as her legs spread. The burns were gone from Adrian’s arm, and more were vanishing before her very eyes. Adrian’s fingers pumped in and out of her, his free hand sliding up and slipping under her shirt. It slowly rose up, exposing her midriff and bra to him. His nails traced over her breasts, covering her in gooseflesh. 

The hand went behind her shoulders, unhooking her bra with surprising precision. Leaning down, he took the cups between his mouth and yanked it off. 

Running his tongue over her nipples, he put it between his lips and began to suck. His finger circled her other breast, nail tracing over the erect tip. Between that and the fingers pumping in and out of her, it was almost too much to bear. 

She just wanted to come. But… Then what would happen? Panting, Elodie stared up at the ceiling, the soft moans getting louder and louder. 

“You held yourself together pretty well.” He rose up to straddle her. Taking his finger out, he brought it to his lips. It was shimmering with wetness. 

“But now that I know it’s there…” 

Opening his mouth, he began to suck it. A moan went through him as he shuddered, brushing his erection against her panties. When he pulled back, there was a wet spot on his crotch. 

“You’re not going to be able to hide it from me anymore.” He ground his hips into her, his smile widening as she let out a few whimpers, before clapping her hand over her mouth. How thin were the walls of this place? 

The noises made him chuckle, the blisters receding from his cheeks and jaw. Did anything related to sex give him power? 

“It’s taking all my self-control not to tear these off you right now.” He hooked a thumb under her waistband, slipping her underwear off and flinging it to the side. “When I get you some more clothes, I’ll make sure to do just that.” 

Grabbing the hem of her skirt, he roughly pulled it off, the seams popping. 

Putting a leg over his shoulder, he began to kiss down (up?) Elodie’s calf, the back of her knee, then thigh. His tongue circled her inner thigh, then slowly traveled up. His fingers parted her lower lips, breath rolling over the soaking folds. 

Elodie clutched the blanket, biting her lip. 

Adrian began to lick, hands wrapping around her thighs and placing her knees on his shoulders. Elodie yelped, legs crossing at the nape of his neck. The motion pushed him further into her, and he groaned. His teeth grazed her, revealing they were slightly sharper than a human’s, but not enough to be fangs. 

He plunged deeper, rolling his jaw and moaning, pulling back with a gasp and swirling his tongue around her clit. Elle moaned, rocking her hips against his face as her legs began to shake. The noises of pleasure only encouraged him further, and he continued to lick and suck at her clit, fingers plunging into her, thrusting back and forth. 

When he pulled his face off to breathe, he licked his lips and brushed up the fluid into his mouth, sucking his fingers with a moan. 

“Way better than aloe.” He panted, the burns now gone. Fumbling, he managed to unbutton the shirt and shrugged it off. 

Unbuttoning the pants, he let them slide down to his thighs, his cock hard and dribbling. Taking some of the fluid still on his chin, Adrian stroked himself, panting as he made eye contact with Elodie. Black and white rippled in his sclera. 

Pushing her leg up, Adrian lined himself up, damp head brushing against her wetness. Elodie’s breath hitched, feeling herself clench. He noticed, brows coming together in confusion. 

He put a finger on her clit, and began to circle it, grinding his hips against her, using her wetness to lube his shaft and head up. Biting his lip, he stared down at her, slowly starting to smile as she let out more pants of pleasure. 

As he continued to stimulate, he lined himself up again, her breath hitching as she shifted, opening her legs wider. She could see wetness on his fingers and her thighs. 

“You’re something else, Elodie,” Adrian said, his voice barely above a whisper. Shifting his hips, he slid inside her. “I can tell this is going to be the start of something amazing.” 

It was like a barrier had been broken, something inside her unraveling. Back arching, Elodie screamed as she saw every color of the rainbow, her vision blurring. Eyes watering, she felt her voice start to give out as her perception of the world started to slip away, only sensations of pleasure filling her mind. 

Adrian’s fingers laced with hers and he pinned them on either side of her head. His legs pushed hers apart and he began to thrust, hilting himself inside with each movement. 

Elodie could see various runes and symbols, feeling the contract starting to form. It was like manacles were forming around her wrists, pinning her to the bed. 

He released her, tangling his fingers in her hair and pressing her lips to his. As he continued to thrust, his tongue plunged into her mouth. Closing her eyes, she let the sensation take over. The runes and symbols seemed even more vivid than before. 

Wait… Those are infernal… 

Their tongues twined, and his moans reverberated in her ears, vibrating through her entire being, his heart thundering in his ribcage, the raising and lowering of his chest. Heats mingled, going from pleasantly warm to an inferno of pleasure. 

He’s been writing the contract the entire time? 

Adrian finally pulled back, gasping for air. His grip on Elodie’s hair tightened, keeping her head down on the bed. His skin glistened with sweat, his whole body heaving with exertion. 

Wait, go back, what does it say? 

Grabbing her hips, Adrian raised them, thrusting deeper than before. She could feel his hip bones with how hard he slammed into her, making her squeak and lock her legs around him. Smiling, he shifted and spread her out over his shaft, then started to rub her clit again. 

All thoughts and symbols began to fade away. 

Elodie yelped, feeling the pleasure ripple through her body, then crest as she clenched. 

Letting out a groan of pleasure, Adrian shuddered, his cock twitching. Panting, he pulled out, white strands spurting onto her stomach. 

“Well, I’d say that was…” His eyes narrowed as he lifted her hip. “What the Hell?” 

“W-what’s wrong?” Elodie sputtered, legs shaking too hard to move.

“You’re still twitching. You okay?” 

Nodding, Elodie fell back with a sigh, covering her eyes. He’d have to learn to not scare the bejeesus out of her next time. 

Wait… Why was she thinking about a next time? This was supposed to be a one-time thing. Panting, she turned on her side. Fumbling with the air conditioner, she turned it on full blast, letting the cool air roll over her. 

Then, her stomach heaved. Springing up from the bed, she rushed to the toilet, her legs giving out just when she reached it. 

Retching, she felt her stomach empty itself. The pleasure that filled her body started to turn into a pattern of throbbing and dull aches. 

Fingers went through her hair. Adrian clutched it in a knot at the back of her head, tight enough to hold it back, but loose enough not to make the headache worse. The cycling scents started again, but now they were making Elodie’s body shake and eyes water. 

“Sorry. Should have told you about this. It’s a bit of a hangover.” Adrian sat on the rim of the tub, leaning down and pressing his lips to her shoulder. Wincing, Elodie jerked away from his touch. “Humans aren’t… Too terribly used to the sensations.” 

He looked hurt, but it was hard to tell how much out of the corner of her eye. 

When Elodie finished, Adrian flushed the toilet, putting a damp rag to her forehead. Then, he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom. 

The hotel room had gone from a barely furnished space, to something out of a luxury suite. The bed was taller, the comforter fluffier and embroidered with a scene from hell. A demon (that could be said to resemble Elodie) reclined in a pool, being fed some sort of fruit by a pair of naked men. Setting her down, Adrian smiled. 

The backpack she’d come in with was now a trunk, so full of clothing that the lid couldn’t close. Adrian pulled out a silk robe and passed it over to Elodie, and she slipped it on. He pulled out a matching one and tied it, but it did little to hide his growing erection. 

The mini-fridge that came with the room was now filled with champagne and chocolates. The nightstand was now filled with money and jewelry. 

“It’s a start,” Adrian confessed. “I’m not a servant of Mammon, but…” 

***

“It’s always good until it isn’t,” Elle said, sighing. 

“Making a contract that you couldn’t even read.” Horac shook his head and sighed. “Damn. I knew demons were sneaky, but that seems low, even for a Hell Dweller.” 

“It was my own damn fault.” Elle looked at her drink. Even if she hadn’t gone into all the details, they were still fresh. Concubi preyed on sensation, so encounters with them were near impossible to forget. 

“If I hadn’t tried to summon a demon, none of this would have happened.” Her hand went to her thigh. The scar had long since faded, but she could see it in her mind’s eye, still slick with blood. 

“But ‘maybe’, ‘shoulda’, ‘coulda’, ‘woulda’ gets tiring after a while.” She had gotten past the point of self-pity. It was why she’d started this new life. Why she’d gone into so much debt to escape him. And why she was finally going to leave the past where it belonged. Behind. 

“What will you do when he’s gone?” Horac asked. 

The question gave her pause. She’s spent so long focusing on getting out from under the rock it never really occurred to her what “later” would entail. 

“I don’t know. I never really had a plan outside of ‘get away’ and ‘pay off my debts’.” The original plan was to work as a mage. Then it was to survive with Adrian. Then it was to get away with Adrian…” She frowned. “I kind of just went along with what felt right at the time. Because…” Her hands closed on the empty air. 

“...It felt right?” Horac finished for her. 

She stifled a laugh. “Not as profound as I could have hoped.” She shrugged. “Until I know my next move, I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing.” 

Taking the tv dinners and glasses, Horac cleared off the table. He managed to find an old phone charger Elle could use. Once she’d gotten it plugged in, she set up a makeshift bed on the couch. 

Horac shuffled off to his bedroom, where Elle could hear him talking on the phone, likely to his daughters. Despite it all, he had people who cared about him. 

She thought about Wrecks and Ramses. Now she could add the Boarman to the list of people she considered her friends. 

Staring at the shadows on the ceiling, Elle laced her fingers over her stomach. Closing her eyes, she settled in, pulling the blankets up to her chin and trying to snatch a bit of sleep before the morning. 

Next part here!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Common Knowledge 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, power imbalance, bullying, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: Geralt of Rivia, Harald Halfdansson, tall & plus-size reader

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You unfurl the strip of legal pad, marked with Professor Halfdansson's messy and pointed writing. The usual scribble that has you squinting at your returned papers. He must be the only instructor in the college that still handmarks his assignment.

Like much of his style, his slanted cursive is chaotic. Often, his lectures or spiraling tangents about his trips to Norway or some mythos unrelated to the topic at hand. He is a well of knowledge, but one which is often overflowing and bottomless.

The subject is far from your first choice. You prefer history with a human subject. Your intrigue is those events which truly occurred, people who once walked the same earth as yourself. Mythos and belief is a human creation but it hardly captures your imagination.

Along your search for title jotted onto the scrap, you find several other books to sate your personal preferences. A book on the Beothuk and their demise and another illustrated index of Renaissance art. Finally, you find the rear corner of the store, the mythology shelves nestled behind Spirituality and New Age.

You hover your finger before the rows and lean in, squinting through your lenses as you search out the rather Nordic-sounding name. You sense a shadow at the end of the aisle but do not look over. You'll just be on your way once you-- there it is.

You pinch the spine of the deep blue tome and slide it out. The cover is stamped with gold runes and lettering, a viking helm the central image. You double-check that it matches the professor's scrawl, however you can never be sure as his Fs look like Ss.

You set it flat on your armful of book, balancing the weight with the rest as you crumple the scrap and tuck it into your pocket. It's a bit more than you want to spend but it will be useful in maintaining your average through Halfdansson's course.

The shadow comes closer and you shift out of the way for the approaching customer. You sidle away as they huff, a breath that fans around them. He leans into the shelf and you sense his head shift and his gaze follow your slow retreat.

"Ah, you are a fan of vikings?" He asks, stopping you in your tracks. "You must've watched the show, hm? Cute series but not very accurate, you know?"

You blink, taken aback but his tone and his assumption. It isn't the first time you've met the attitude in your chosen discipline. When it comes to military history or the lives of vaunted men, there is often an intonation towards female scholars. You have been dismissed more than once.

"Never seen it," you lie, "you seem the type though."

You note his snow white hair, a peculiar shade, drawn back into a half pony, and his blindingly pale eyes. He wears a tunic better housed in the closet of a LARPing club and looms with an air of indignation. He puts a thick hand on the shelf and leans, no doubt used to towering over others.

"Funny, that is the very book I came for," he intones.

"Oh, what a coincidence."

HIs jaw ticks and he snorts, "seems you've found quite the lot--"

"I have. A whole trove."

You go to turn away and hear his sole clomp down behind you, "surely you can grab another encyclopedia. I really need that one."

"Uh, no, this is what I need."

He follows you down the aisle as you keep a quick step, uneasy at how he trails you so fervently.

"Maybe you should grab another one."

"I have all the others. I've been waiting months for that to come into stock," he insists.

"Well, you can find a kiosk and order one in--"

"On a three month backorder," he interjects and grabs your arm. "I'll pay you--"

You spin back to face him and hit his chest with your books, "don't touch me."

"Well, just..." he retracts his hand, "hold up. I'm trying to talk to you. To barter--"

"I'm sorry, but I need this book for class," you hug the books and back up, overly aware of the tingliness from where he grabbed you. You don't like being touched. At all. You can feel your heart pumping.

"Does the school not have a library, little girl?"

Your mouth falls open. Little girl? This guy just can't help himself. You haven't been rude, maybe matter-of-fact, but he's been downright mean.

"Not for sale," you push your shoulders up and back away.

You twist on your heel and speed away. You weave between the shelves and discount tables and join the winding queue at the counter. You don't look back and sway in your boots, waiting your turn.

"I could give you several recommendations for an alternate text," the man appears at your side, crowding you inside the black cords that rein in the queuing customers.

You ignore him and turn your head away. You wish he'd just take a hint. If you heard a single please or any sort of respect, you might consider it. He's only been a jackass and judging at first glance, he's too old for that.

"You don't need it–"

You move with the line and he growls, shifting with you.

"Look, girl–"

You snap your head back and give him a glare. He sucks in one cheek and exhales heavily, "miss, I am asking you nicely–"

The associate at the counter calls for next and you take your cue. You quickly cross the space and put your haul onto the wooden ledge. You hear the pushy stranger snarl something under his breath. You refuse to look back as you hand over your membership card.

Men like that are the very reason you despise the general public. Hard to fathom how you can be so intrigued by the human condition when you can hardly bear to be around other people.

[twilitakesscreenshots]

I'm incredibly excited to finally announce-

Twili's Celestial Bodies for Unique Tav

A custom mesh for Body Type 1 and 3 for Humans, Elves/Drow, Half-Elves, Tieflings, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, and Githyanki. You can find preview images for all bodies [HERE]

This mod requires the Unique Tav mod. It won't work properly without it (check the Celestial Bodies readme) Only the Player Character's body will be effected. No NPCs or Companions will be changed.

[DOWNLOAD]

Twili's Divine Wardrobe

A set of 3 camp clothes and 2 underwear fitted for the Celestial Bodies mod, all are dyeable. You'll find the "Divine Wardrobe" trunk in the Tutorial Chest aboard the Nautiloid (the one near where you find the rune to free Shadowheart). You can also purchase the trunk or individual pieces from the Druid Grove Trader, or the Dwarf Alchemist in the Myconid colony

Armor, accessories, and more outfits will be added in future updates

[DOWNLOAD]

[daswarschonkaputt]

[surfaces from the deep with art in tow]

'tis i, the purveyor of fem!kinnporsche lookbooks, this time bearing kimchay. if you missed the kinnporsche one it's here. if you didn't, you know the drill, thoughts and refs beneath the cut.

okay let's start with kim:

i'm gonna be real with you folks: i struggled hard with fem!kim. in my head, kim much like fem!kinn is someone who uses her clothes to send messages, but where kinn is trying to communicate power and authority, kim is instead using her clothes to adopt different personas or elements of her personality. and so, i can see fem!kim wearing nearly everything, basically.

kimlor swift aka wik aka internet popstar kim

so, return customers may notice something odd about kim: i gave her different poses for each of her personas. why? i think kim is someone who embodies a lot of different personas, and i think the change is more than skin deep.

this was very much the first set i drew. the brief for these outfits in my head was something like "k-pop kim possible". also a lot of these were drawn when i still had covid lmao so i barely remember most of it.

it was very important to me that kim had a wolf cut. that fact came to me the moment i started thinking about fem!kim. so. you know. you're welcome.

runing errands (first outfit) - this one was the first outfit i drew for kim, and it was mostly summoned up from my own head. i spent a lot of time scrolling through pinterest before i started drawing. in my head, this is sort of what she wears when she's out and about as wik but not like, performing or whatever. still a very crafted image, but a little more casual than her performance gear.

performance (second outfit) - this one does have a ref! i found this image on pinterest and was like yes. this one. i thought long and hard about what i wanted wik's fashion and persona to be, because i debated going along the family friendly singer-songstress route, but in the end i figured she had to be cool and a little edgy. hence [gestures at the clothes].

award show/red carpet (third outfit) - this one's kind of fun. longtime listeners will recall that i started drawing these lookbooks bc @mortimerlatrice told me they didn't think fem!kinn would wear dresses and i had to disprove them -- so i thought it'd be fun if for kim, she only wore dresses when on mafia business. kim in a dress is a blaring warning signal that you're gonna get your shit rocked. so, kim's award show look is a pantsuit. she doesn't wear dresses at all as wik. there was definitely a reference image for this one, but i drew the entirety of this first set when i had covid, so i don't think i saved it OTL

detective wikachu aka mafia kim

another fun detail you might notice about mafia!kim -- she's always got her hair up. that was also deliberate. also holy shit this set killed me so bad. we'll get there.

running errands (detective errands) (first outfit) - this is what kim wears when she's gotta blackmail randos for info. fairly casual, all things told, but very different in vibe to her wik stuf. also the pattern on that suit is incredibly simple but it took me 45 mins to create bc i still had covid brainfog at this point. the reference for this look was celine's spring/summer 2021 rtw collection look 24.

visiting dad (to snoop) (second outfit) - another source of debate for me. what, exactly, does kim send as a message to her father when she comes back home? i played with the idea of her wearing a sort of perfectly pretty mafia princess disguise, but i don't think that's what she'd use to get on her father's good side. so, she's wearing a dress (fuck your shit up vibes for her) but it's got a strong vibe to it. so, i had to go with alexander mcqueen, which is one of my favourite designers. this one is specifically alexander mcqueen pre-fall 2022 look 17.

at a gala (mafia-flavoured) also to snoop (third outfit) - oh my god you guys will not believe how many of these i went through. i even fully drew another option before discarding it completely. (originally, i was going to go with erdem pre-fall 2023 look 8 which i drafted here but i just didn't vibe with it the more i worked on it. i guess it felt a little too princessy? so i pivoted.) this one is from another of those designers i actually really like, zuhair murad. this one's from fall 2022 couture, specifically look 38. very much love at first sight. the moment i saw it, i knew i was gonna draw it. and oh boy did drawing it make me suffer. that bead pattern on the dress? killed me. actually killed me. fucking OW. worth it though.

family portrait (fourth outfit) - after all the suffering of kim's formal look this one was comparatively a breeze. found a pic on pinterest, and whoosh i went drawing. the reference is here.

chay!kim

this set is very much what it says on the tin, the clothes kim wears around chay. let's go.

guitar tutoring (first outfit) - okay so in my head the brief for this one was "what kim thinks chay thinks wik wears on her downtime", which very much sets the tone for the entire outfit. i just think it's fun if kim twists herself out of sorts with how clever she is and then chay just bulldozes straight through that. i don't actually have a reference for this one. just drew it.

rescue chay (second outfit) - this is what kim wears to go save chay from the tawan kidnapping. i dubbed this one "when you got library study session at 9, rescue bae at 12, and cyberpunk revolution at 3". the loose inspo for this one was this dress on pinterest which i tracked to the brand ganni and then found they no longer made.

say no to drugs, chay (third outfit) - okay so i wanted this outfit to be like. a wake up call to chay. the first time chay sees kim in a skirt, and the first time chay realises that maybe kim is a little dangerous. it's alexander mcqueen (ofc it is) and actually in the time between me drawing this and posting it, someone actually wore the skirt from this look on the red carpet. it's the spring 2023 rtw collection, look 24. salma hayek wore the skirt to the 2023 brits here.

the youtuber apology video fit (fourth outfit) - the brief here was "kim forcibly bolting on hinges". the idea was to kind of soften her mafia edges but leave the cornerstones of how she dresses for that very much there. so, dress, hair up, but much more relaxed. this outfit is from tommy hilfiger's spring 2023 rtw collection, specifically look 17.

onto chay:

chay was really hard to start with, i'm going to be real. i think the sum total for my notes when i started was just one word: dungarees? as i drew more of her i started to think of her as someone who thrifts and then alters a lot of her clothes. i wanted colour and patterns, and i suffered for them. by god did i suffer.

a few lil headcanons i have about her:

i think chay probably finds it easy to be considered cute and hard to move out of that box. i think there's a part of chay that wants to be sexy the way porsche is (ESPECIALLY if this is a fem!porsche universe) but doesn't know how to go about trying to achieve that. she had to ask yok how to teach her how to apply eyeliner bc porsche doesn't know how to and doesn't care to learn.

i think the role of like, female role model/influence in chay's life is later taken up by fem!kinn, who is full of the kind of advice porsche would be horrified to hear given to her precious baby sister.

chay has short hair because when she had long hair porsche was obsessed with getting her the right shampoos and conditioners and stuff to take care of it (probs based on some internalised stuff from when porsche was at school and girls would mock her for her split ends) so chay just puts a stop to that by cutting all her hair off and it turns out she kind of likes it? so she keeps it.

casual outfits

i drew all these patterns myself. from scratch. you're welcome.

green dungarees (first outfit) - the reference image is here. this was the first look i drew and also the moment i realised how stupid i was to choose a "fun" foot pose for chay. this caused no end of suffering going forward.

orange dungarees (second outfit) - ref here. here i started to regret the pattern aspect of my chay design. also those messy canvas ankle boots killed me to draw. they were so hard.

sweater vest (third outfit) = MORE FUCKING PATTERNS. i also had a reference for this one somwhere but i was drawing this whilst playing dnd so i think it just got lost.

special outfits

school uniform (first outfit) - i did a bit of looking into school uniforms in thailand and from what i can tell they basically all look very similar. idk if the lilac shirt + navy skirt combo is standardised for girls but it was pretty much all i found when i went looking. also she has a long skirt because when she and porsche bought it for her, they bought a really big one that she could wear all through school.

one (1) smart dress (second outfit) - the idea here is that this is the one smart item of clothing that chay has, and it's the one-size-fits-all-occasions dress. it's dark so it can be worn to funerals. it's somewhere between business and formal so it can be worn to both those kinds of occasions. it was based on this dress i found on pinterest.

going to a concert with friends (third outfit) - i... just wanted to put chay in a bucket hat? yeah that's all i have. no ref. just my mind.

porsche's first paycheque present (fourth outfit) - the idea here was that after getting some money from the whole mafia thing, porsche buys this as a present for chay. maybe it's a dress chay's always looked at when they walk past it in a shop window? this is a slight tweak on this dress by alaia. the original's like £2k which i cannot picture porsche and chay spending on a dress but shhh it's fine.

post-kim

these are the outfits from after the whole kim debacle goes down. i just really wanted to draw goth chay. and really, who wouldn't?

break-up era #1 (first outfit) - at this point i was just having way too much fun. the pattern took for-fucking-ever on the skirt though, because i thought i'd just cheekily re-use the dungaree flower pattern with colour changes but oh no that didn't work at all. i had to edit it so much. the reference is here. here her hair is freshly dyed blue, and she's given herself a little heartbreak undercut. you go girl.

say no to drugs chay (second outfit) - this is what chay is wearing when kim points at that rando in the club who offers chay drugs. you see all of the goth reference images i was finding were just too clean-cut and employable, you know? so torn fishnets it was. the refence i found for this is here but i changed it up bc i couldn't see chay wearing a little nightdress to go clubbing no matter how heartbroken she was.

visiting mum (third outfit) - in this one, in my head, chay has dyed her hair back to normal, but she's still got the undercut, so she straightens her hair and pins a little of it over the short bit to try and appear a little more normal chay to her mum. very simple outfit, no refs.

family portrait (fourth outfit) - there's a part of me which delights in this implied scenario because i just think it's funny if chay and kim are posing for a family portrait with kinnporsche and chay's ready to ignore the fuck out of kim and pretend like she doesn't care about her staring but then kim is in full-hide-any-weakenesses mode because korn's there so now chay's the one staring. relationship status: it's very awkward. anyway fashion wise i wanted two things from chay's outfit: for it to be simpler than any of the theerapanyakuls' and for it to be in a lighter shade of porsche's colour (blue). the reference was this cool dress i found on pinterest.

[exhales] is that everything? i think that's everything. obligatory tag for @yeetlegay bc i know they like to see the fem!kinnporsche content.

big shoutout to mort (tagged earlier), @antique-forvalaka, @luckydragon10, and @dr-lemurr for art troubleshooting and cheerleading duties.

everything was drawn in clip studio paint, which i cannot recommend enough. if you want more detailed info abt that side of things, send me an ask.