#i believe in my right to have a shadow horror spinoff

[vialdovi-artstuff]

something something something about a shadow horror game detective kind of thing

[cryptidplays]

Y'know, since it's 🎃spooky month...💀

I want to share with you all some horror games/visual novels that I greatly enjoy.

(Recommendations under the cut. This will be Part 1 of my recommendations)

Emerald Wasp is a very interesting game. The story takes place in the 1980s and revolves around two men who get trapped in a supposedly abandoned bunker. They discover the horrible truth of what went on there after it was no longer used by the military, and they have a run-in with a former soldier who was thought to be dead after a military operation in the 1960s (I think?) ended in the disappearance of everyone in his squad.

Anyways, my description can't really do this game justice. But I wanted to recommend it for the spooky month. There is a lot of disturbing imagery, so take the time to read the content warnings if you do decide to play it. I highly recommend that you be 18+ to play because of this imagery.

The only thing that I found difficult with this game was the walk controls, which are a little fidgety sometimes (and there is a mechanic where you have to manually use a lighter in your inventory to see sometimes, but things like that are common in RPG maker games, so I didn't find it bothersome.)

Fatal Focus (by the ever awesome Catsket!)

is a psychological horror visual novel (with an emphasis on the psychological aspect) where you move to a small town and you have a hobby in photography. One day you look up some photography events that might be happening in the near future and end up noticing that there will be a photography walk on that day. When you go to the meeting place, you end up being the only person that shows up besides the walk's host: Adonis, who shows you a side of the town (and yourself) that is more disturbing than you might expect.

This is yet another fairly disturbing game, although it is more in the descriptions than in the imagery. There are descriptions of rot, maggots and even cannibalism, but the atmosphere of this game is immensely creepy and beautiful. It's perfect for a late-night spooky story session.

If you like yanderes and spooky atmospheres, then I recommend A Date With Denial

It's another visual novel, and this time you awaken in a restaurant across from a charming, yet oddly terrifying man who calls you his "muse" and claims you accepted a dinner date with him. But you can't remember anything. Depending on the choices you make, you can get one of three endings and even discover how you ended up where you are. Although, the strange man who calls you his muse continues to remain a mystery. (Hey, at least he's cute and shows off some nice cleavage... that makes up for it, right?)

This visual novel is a prequel/spinoff to Batter-Sempai's other visual novels: Be My Muse and Let Me Remind You(this one doesn't have a demo yet). All of which feature the handsome Zecharias Mnemosyne as the yandere love interest.

While I've only played A Date With Denial so far, I really adore Zecharias and I found the concept behind him and these stories to be a lot of fun.

My Ange is still a demo at the moment.

It is another yandere horror visual novel, in which you have lost your job and moved to another city to get away from everything for a while. Unfortunately, your new apartment comes with its own troubles. It's rundown and the previous tenant had seemingly run away, if you are to believe what you've been told. There may also be something very wrong with your neighbor. He seems nice enough, but there's something off about him.

I just really liked the idea behind this one. The feeling of isolation is so good, and Noah is fucking adorable even if he is creepy. I love character designs that include too-large and very dark eyes, especially with the creepy little smile Noah gives. Plus, depending on your choices you can get one of three endings... and all of them really will leave you with a sense of dread. This VN has a lot of potential, so I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Domestic Dread is also a yandere visual novel demo.

It is another VN that centers around having lost some of your memories. Except, this time, it is due to an accident you seem you have gotten into the night prior. Your best friend, Marcelo, claims that your boyfriend had nearly killed you and he must pay for it.

The manipulation in this one is very well done. Marcelo is charming, and handsome, and you can't fully remember him or your boyfriend... so it's very difficult for you to make sound decisions.

This is also another VN with multiple endings, and at least one of them is pretty damn gruesome. I recommend reading the content warnings. But this was created by the amazing Epykslion and their partner Leo, who make an excellent team. Leo's art is gorgeous, and Lion has wonderful knowledge of the yandere genre. So if you love yanderes and are 18+ (for the disturbing/violent imagery), then you're in for a good time.

Anyhow, that is Part One of my spooky/horror games recommendations for October. I will mostly try to recommend indie games, although I may let nostalgia take over and pop in a couple of old PS1/PS2 games in there, too.

[autumnslance]

This is a very silly ask (and feel free to ignore it completely), but do you think any of your OCs would be friends with characters from other franchises? (Fun fact, this was inspired by a piece of fanart that made me believe that Thancred and Leon Kennedy of Resident Evil fame would absolutely be friends. Or at least drinking buddies.)

Hrm, I don't often think in terms of crossovers and mashups anymore--which is funny, as one of my earliest online RP experiences was a multiverse setting where OCs from any and all settings--franchise, gaming, original, etc--could co-exist. Normal mortals teaming up with demigods from novel series and mega-damage users from RIFTS and an array of fantasy and sci-fi and horror characters in between.

I sometimes think about how my OCs in various settings would interact together; how my WoW OCs would get along, or not, with the FF14 crew, or the FF14 OCs with my D&D characters. I tend to lean into certain archetypes (bards and paladins/clerics/priests are favorites), so there'd be some overlap and things in common, and also some frustrations at similarities that grate and clash.

So I don't think too much about how they'd interact with canon figures from other settings, but any OCs I'd have in that realm instead.

Well, the adventuring parties of Actual Play shows like Critical Role (and its animated series spinoffs) is pretty easy; Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells are all as chaotic and as helpful as adventurers tend to be, for good or bad. So there'd be eye rolling and irritation, but also understanding and diving in alongside, forming friendships with the weirdos cuz well, adventurers are Like That. They're RP characters too though so might be cheating, or at least easier to figure out for me.

Vax has that sort of noble rogue energy that'd make Aeryn fond of him, while Vex would initially drive her up a wall until they reached an understanding. Scanlan's annoy the heck out of her until they got to sit down and talk for real and she saw under the vulgar exterior. Percy'd be tolerated as Insufferable Noble Trying Too Hard. She'd be patient with Grog and enjoy his overlarge childish glee at everything. And who doesn't love Pike? Literal angel with a chaotic bent herself, she adds a bit of calm when not engaging in sibling shenanigans with Grog. I think Aeryn'd relate most to Keyleth, funnily, and they'd get along decently. Tary, too, would get a lot of sympathy concerning expectations, and also nerding around with his crafts, and may make dealing with Percy a tad easier.

Of the Nein, Caduceus is a spot of calm, aroace energy. Not as right as he thinks he is about many things, but he means well and tries, and that counts for a lot. Aeryn'd have tea with him any day. She'd also be drawn to Beau's bravado and brashness and they'd get into trouble together. Same with Fjord and Caleb, really; there's a level of familiarity in how they approach things with 'let's poke it and see what happens' but also the care they have for others in general. Same with Yasha. Jester's a bright light ball of energy and oh gods her and C'oretta in the same space would be exhausting. Nott/Veth is a bit more complicated; probably depends on when in the campaign, is it before or after Veth's reunited with her family, as she undergoes a shift emotionally once she has her original self back as well as her husband and son. Molly would aggravate and charm Aeryn by turns; Kingsley she'd be sympathetic to and understand too well that living in another's shadow aspect. Essek is fine; he's a wizard to talk shop with, learn from, mess around with spellwork. Luc is a brat also in the shadow of his accomplished mom and adventuring family, and needs mentoring and guidance and a lot of patience oh gosh.

A lot of the Hells would honestly be irritating, especially Imogen's propensity to just use telepathy intrusively; girl needs a lesson in why you don't want to poke around uninvited or casually to get your answers, and a WoL's head is wilder than most. FCG needs mentoring and guidance like whoa. Fearne's also an agent of energetic chaos; fun in doses. Laudna's not so scary, very sweet and fun and sad and likely needs help she doesn't know how to ask for. Ashton's grating in his arrogance and rebelliousness for rebellion's sake (though that may shift given recent things...). Chetney's surface attitude would be annoying, but soon enough he'd be a safe and calming point, given his perceptions. Orym's also just calming and reasonable; maybe a little too much sometimes, and needs to be reminded to cut loose now and then, it's good for you (and your friends).

Dark rolls with it all; she's very easy to get along with. Iyna wouldn't be able to stand most of them. C'oretta would get along well with most everyone but lord her and Jester and/or Fearne in the same place...Terrifying!

That's one off the top of my head, after a long holiday weekend thinking about it off and on, anyway!

[thatonecrookedsmile]

Uhhh it might be pretty late (literally), but we're a little less than 24 hours away from the release of Secrets of the Machine, so I wanted to get all my thoughts in order and put them in one post. Originally I went through them in the form of screenshots within my last drawing, but I thought it would be a bit clumsy, especially in a description that was already long. And even though it was in your own post it was weird, so I'll put the whole text here. I'm not used to going and publishing my thoughts in so much detail, especially when it comes to things I like. And I already make too long descriptions that bother me, so I'll probably never do this again!!

But I've written so much so far, so there's no going back. Here's my pre-release analysis/thoughts of the new game Bendy: Secrets of the Machine.

uuuuhhhhhhh enjoy?

So. “Secrets of the Machine”? New game focused on Gent. Huh. A surprise. But intriguing nonetheless. I don't mind Gent being explored more in the future. I've been thinking for a while that it would be interesting to see more of them besides just the Ink Machine itself and Thomas Connor. Plus, even though I still like stories focusing on the horrors of Joey Drew's studio, there will come a point where there will be nothing more to tell about that place, so I have no problem starting to also focus on the Other Bad Company in this universe which also has hand in the creation of the Ink Machine itself.

They are also credited on the Steam page as developers. I don't think that means anything other than being something meta. Not in the sense of "oh, look, we created a real company that has the same name as the in-universe company" (at least, I don't believe it will be that) and more of a "funny haha" kind of meta. This is a game that will focus on them after all.

Because of the enigmatic (for lack of a better term) circumstances of this game, it's difficult for me to analyze everything on the Steam page without my thoughts colliding so I'll be straight up about what I think this is going to be. Right away, this isn't going to be a big game. Not even close. I mean, this was announced almost 2 weeks ago with a release date of April 14th, it's going to be free, and it's 1GB big. It really won't be insanely big. (And considering that the devs are also working on The Cage - a game that probably won't be that big but definitely won't be a small spinoff either, and that of current game projects this is the Next Big Thing they're working on - I doubt it really would be)

I believe that one of the points of this game, if not, the main point of it - besides being a puzzle (?) game to occupy us during these waiting times - is to tease us future Bendy projects. I don't know if it will be THE way to give us teasers going forward but I believe it could be One of the ways. The Steam description says "Lurking amongst the shadows are glimpses into the past, the present, and the future of the Dark Puddles." So whatever happens in this game, not only will we see things related to the previous games but also things that are yet to come. What I think is most likely at the moment are teasers for, again, The Cage. Which I don't think is unlikely. The Pit, originally (at least in the real world from what it seems) was the Research Wing of the old Gent Workshop, so I think it's not impossible that Secrets could be a way to give a possible look at what we can expect from The Cage and the horrors of The Pit. Maybe later in the future, we may have teasers for Bendy 3. Possibly also for the Lone Wolf rebrand of BATDS? To be honest, this last one is the least likely possibility.

I saw someone before saying that this game could be a type of "Interactable Experience/Teaser". I believe the whole "Interactable" thing in the Steam's description resulted in this thought. (“Discover the interactable Secrets of the Machine…”) (“Unravel the Interactive Mystery.”)

I only know two "games" that fit this type, that teaser for the movie "Super 8" that you can play in the Portal 2 extras and the famous P.T (Playable Teaser for a canceled Silent Hill game). I don't know if SOTM fits into the same type of experience as these other 2, but we'll see (However, even though I know absolutely nothing about P.T., from what I hear, I think I can guarantee that whatever SOTM is, it will be far from what P.T. is, lol)

In a way, I see SOTM being something more or less similar to Dark Survival/Lone Wolf (whatever you prefer). 

It's going to be another small spinoff (even though, comparing the two, SOTM is larger than BATDS, with the first being 1 GB and the second being 285 MBs),something to occupy us in these moments of waiting, and as I said before, something to tease us for future things (even though, I think it can be argued that, if that was the original goal of BATDS, they didn't do a good job) (I mean, what did that game actually give us when it came to important teasers? Nathan's first mention? An entire audio log by Wilson? I think that's it)

It also seems like it won't just be a "one and done" thing, you know. Like, the game launches, and that's it. The end of the description mentions "Stay Close for Updates." So it seems that as time passes, this game will receive new updates with new content perhaps (let's just hope that this one doesn't "die" 4 months after the original release and we will have to wait 4 years later for another update)

The end of the summary it says "But stay alert, this realm changes often..." so this could also be the case where the environments in this game can also be randomly generated like the studio in Dark Survival? (or it could be a case where, we have fixed environments, but over time, the more updates we have, the world opens up more and more, perhaps?) The Drawing Room can also be a type of "main area" like the Safehouse and the dungeons in Boris's game.

In terms of story, I don't have many ideas. The basics would be a Gent employee was placed inside the Ink Realm for Experimental Reasons, and we are playing as this employee. Whatever places we visit in the cycle this time, they don't look like they came from JDS. 

In terms of characters, I think that of those that have been introduced in the games so far, the one that has the most chance of having a role is Alan Gray. He's the head of the whole business, so it would make sense for him to show up. Maybe hear from Thomas and other employees mentioned before? But I think this is very unlikely. And, as much as this is a bit absurd, I think that characters like Henry, Audrey, or even the Ink Demon will also not actually appear in the game and, at most, will have cameos (in relation to all the 'glimpses of the past, present and future')

Something interesting that was noticed, the code "131389145" (or rather, 13 1 3 8 9 14 5), changing the numbers for letters results in the word 'machine'. On the one hand, while I was organizing my thoughts, I considered the idea that the machine in this case could be the device with a toon face that appears in the trailer and screenshots, but, as others have pointed out before, it is much more possible that it is referring to the Ink Machine itself, which is more likely (and more interesting).

If that's the case, there's a good chance this game will take place after the end of Dark Revival, where Gent takes the machine for themselves again. Which, if this is the case, leaves me very intrigued.

Oh, and there will be mystery. We will solve The Mystery while we play. What mystery? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't know if there's much to say about the teaser itself, so I'm just going to comment on what I find most interesting.

- As much as I can't say that there really is something in the darkness during the first 13 seconds of the teaser, between 0:11 - 0:13, you can see something. It looks like some kind of cable I guess?

- The high-pitched scream. It appears in the device scene, and you can hear it even before, during the scene with the paint falling downwards, and before the house appears, but much lower. Nothing to comment other than I'll try to remember this when the game launches.

- The design of the house is strange to be honest. Bendy's face appears on one of the walls along with a message below, which you can't read. There is an entrance that only leads to darkness and something next to the entrance. It looks like a wheelchair to me, but I can't say for sure.

- Interesting that, both at the beginning of the teaser with the grainy film and in the device scene, you can see more colorful tones on the screen. Red, blue, purple, green, you get it. Maybe more about the experiments Wilson did? Who knows.

- The condition that Subject #131389145 is in is described as "Danger. Unstable." The name of the teaser is also "Unstable". I thought it was interesting to note.

Regarding the screenshots:

- Screenshot nº1: I don't know what this device is or what it does, but the fact that it appears in both the trailer and the screenshots gives me the idea that it's going to be something important.

- Screenshot nº2: A dark corridor with almost no light. A figure in the background, blurred. I've seen some people say the figure looks like Barley. I can't deny that they have a certain similarity (why does he look so thin, tho)

- Screenshot nº3: A kanji. This -> 悪 Means "evil". I'll be honest, this is the weirdest one for me.

- Screenshot nº4: Some kind of arch structure. I don't even think it's an entrance to somewhere, it's just an arch in the middle of nowhere. There's a cloud in the background, and something else that I can't identify.

- Screenshot nº5: A door in the middle of darkness. It leads to some room that you can't see either because it's blurred. It must be important. Maybe it takes us to the Drawing Room? In my opinion, the coolest screenshot of the 5 (I even made it my banner)

In conclusion:

I'm very interested! And this interest comes from the fact that I don't know what the hell this game is going to be. Yeah, I just wrote a few paragraphs about what I think this game could be, but at the end of the day, I don't really know what this game is going to be. And I want to know. The circumstances of his existence are so strange, and I'm drawn to it. What does this game have to offer, what will it tell me, who will I meet. I need to know what the Secrets of the Machine are,man (HE SAID IT).

This game may end up being a little different from the other Bendy games, and that goes in two different ways. Firstly, the way this game was found, the teaser, the screenshots, the logo, the Steam description. Yeah, it's a Bendy game, but there's something different this time. It could definitely be a new experience this time. (new in the sense of different) And secondly, considering what we know so far about that project, SOTM seems to share a little bit of Bendy: The Cage’s DNA, a game that, considering all the information we have available,will be a much more experimental and different game in comparison to the Bendy games that came before. And Secrets could very well be a small taste of what B:TC will offer, and if that is the case? I'm in.

Additional (or miscellaneous) comments:

- The devs have so far been ignoring this thing, which at first I found strange, but considering the nature of this game, it must be on purpose. After all, this is "Secrets of the Machine". And as far as I know, secrets are not something that are talked about in public. (Can’t believe Bendy finally entered his ARG arc)

- Even though the figure in the second screenshot looks a little bit like Barley, I have doubts as to whether the Butcher Gang will really be relevant in this game. First, what would Gent's interest in the gang be? And second...I don't know. The last time I saw people theorizing that the gang could be important in a future game, it turned out that in the end...they weren't. So I'm a little cautious.

- In the first 2 days that this game was discovered,there were some doubts as to whether this game was going to be a "troll game" or whether it was an April Fool's joke. I thought about that, and the fact that this game was discovered 1 day after April Fools didn't help. In hindsight,this idea doesn't make a lot of sense? Like, yeah, I know the joke about companies announcing games on April 1st that won't actually exist. I've seen this a few times. But like. This game was "shadow-announced" a day after the first, the whole thing had already passed, and it was scheduled to be released 2 weeks later. What kind of elaborate April Fools' Day is this where you announce a troll game one day after April Fools' Day specifically and want to launch it just 2 weeks later where everyone has already moved on with their lives? It wouldn't really be funny. Or smart.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I’ve had Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace in the back of my mind as something I want to watch at some point for a while. What finally made me decide to watch it was finishing What We Do in the Shadows and remembering how entertaining Matt Berry is. I watched the original What We Do in the Shadows movie because Flight of the Conchords made me want to see more Jermaine Clement. I watched the TV spinoff because the movie made me want more of the concept (yes, the concept of “vampires but make them mundane in a way that’s funny” has been done many times, but God damn, Jermaine Clement took it to a new level). And then wanting to see more Matt Berry took me to Darkplace.

I like how connections like that happen with watching comedy. And of course, Darkplace has lots of its own connections too. I feel like Richard Ayoade, Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, and Matt Berry just spent the 00s creating/writing their own projects and appearing in each other’s (Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh). And another big thing happening in comedy in the 00s was everything Mitchell and Webb ever did, and Matthew Holness was involved in that, so it all ties together. I know Holness also showed up briefly in The Office, though I don’t really remember that because it’s been years since I’ve watched The Office (UK) - another defining bit of 00s comedy. And on the subject of The Office, I didn’t know Stephen Merchant appeared in Darkplace before I watched it, so I had an amazing moment of “Holy fuck I think that chef is Stephen Merchant” at one point. I don’t know what point I’m trying to make here; it isn’t any kind of surprising revelation that comedians work with each other on multiple projects. I just happen to be marveling a bit right now about how many other significant comedy shows cross over with the people who made this one very weird 6-episode parody.

Anyway, I sat down today and watched all six episodes in one afternoon, and it’s one of those things that made me say I can’t believe I didn’t get to this sooner. I’m still processing the really significant number of levels on which they put jokes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, for that reason if for nothing else. The jokes are in the writing and the acting, but also the set design, the props and costumes, the pacing, the directing, the sound editing, the voiceovers, the soundtrack, the camera angles, the awkward cuts from one shot to another, the effects, the fucking credits at the beginning and end, the layers upon layers of things they intentionally got wrong.

It is so, clearly a passion project for its creators. It feels Richard Ayoade went to Cambridge, joined Footlights, and went into comedy just so he could make this specific show. And then as soon as he got out of university with enough clout to get something commissioned, he made it. That’s the best way I can explain it, it feels like a guy who was a big nerd about both comedy and horror spent his youth working out every tiny aspect of that genre that would be fun to take apart. I have no idea whether that’s actually what happened (I mean, it probably isn’t since I just made this up, I’m just trying to describe how the show feels and not claiming to be able to read young Richard Ayoade’s mind), but it seems like that’s the only way a show this intricate could get made. If it had actually been planned for years by a very meticulous nerd who knew these genres inside and out.

I’m going to have watch these episodes more times; I’ve seen them once and feel like at least half of the material must have gone over my head. There was so much going on that I know I didn’t catch it all. I just want to say I’m very glad I finally decided to watch this show. It was so fucking funny and I feel like it would take me ages to watch it enough times, and to watch it carefully enough, to properly appreciate every funny thing about it. I look forward to taking on that challenge.

[newbornwhumperfly]

the ink bled right through...

CW: allusions to attempted non-con

so i love @much-ado-about-whumping and i love their beautiful characters – Déomas and Rhys – and i love writing spinoffs of other works rather than my own stuff (hehe) so here we are!!!

you’re so inspiring & kind, Bel, so here’s A Thing insp. by your boys and your love of sartorial whump!

title from “colour me in” by damien rice

~

Déma is rumpled.

It is the first thing which catches Rhys’ eye as he stumbles upon the slighter figure in the hallway to Rhys’ office. There is at times an aura of disheveled roguery Déma has, making what Rhys would deem sloppy in another person seem dashing. Daring. Charming…like it suited him somehow.

Yet now, there is nothing of the windswept to his hair, auburn strands sticking up here and there like the mop of an unruly child, ruffled by his mother. His shirt is crumpled, creased, unevenly untucked. A button on his trousers is undone halfway up and the lacings are loosened, partially-tied, as though they had been yanked.

Furthermore, the way he darts at Rhys’ rounding the corner puts him in mind of a spooked horse. Rhys glimpses the whites of Déma’s eyes before the man crooks a smile at him. 

“Hey, Rhys. Just heading to grab a quill from your office.”

Rhys frowns.

“Are you alright, Déma?”

The smile is...wrong. He didn’t meet Rhys’ eyes and as Déma tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, Rhys sees - 

“Are you hurt?”

A scuff, berry-red, sits bright on Déma’s temple. But when Rhys goes to brush his hair back, to see, to help, Déma glides back. The whites show once more and the smile flattens, paper-thin.

“It’s nothing, mother.”

“Don’t give me that, Déma, what happened?”

Déma opens his mouth to speak and pauses. His gaze, unsmiling and skittish, darts over Rhys’ face before he shrugs into an airy reply.

“If you must know, Sir Percy and I had a...small tiff. About my...availability to his, ah,  affections. His feelings were hurt but he’ll...he’ll get over it.”

His smile broadens, razor-edged, and now, closer, Rhys sees his rosy lips are darkened. Bitten. 

Rhys’ stomach floods with ice and his hand flies to his rapier.

“Sir Percy? He, Déma, did he hurt you?”

A stupid question. Rhys’ gaze rakes over Déma again, taking the detail in with new horror. 

He imagines the man in question. Taller than Rhys, heavier, threat stocked in wide shoulders and massive arms. A brutish man. He imagines those meaty hands on Déma and the ice melts, boils, turns to anger with a dizzying speed. 

“Where is that bastard?”

He’s gritting words through his teeth, flushed, aching to fight. Déma frowns and narrows his eyes, a cloud darkening in his expression. 

“I appreciate you’re such a gentleman, Rhys, but it’s all quite in the past now. Under the bridge, if you will.”

Déma quirks his eyebrows, grins – thin, sharp, bright as foil – and tosses his head back, flicking Rhys’ concerns away like a fly and the fringe of his hair slips to veil his left eye, to hide the mark on his temple.

Rhys has the sudden thought that this was his intent.  

“Déma, this son of a bitch hurt you, you can’t just expect me to do nothing.”

He’s hot. He’s burning up. He needs to spread that fire to something else, to watch it burn, to hurt whoever saw fit to touch and take and harm because they possessed some modicum of power. 

He grips his pommel harder and harder and doesn't even realize he’s taken an urgent stride forward until Déma starts again and steps back again, putting space between himself and Rhys. The wariness which burns, bright, in Déma’s eyes makes Rhys feels scorched by it. He wants to cry but instead he widens the space by stepping back himself. 

“I’m, fuck, I’m sorry, Déma-”

“It’s fine. Just...just don’t make this-, Rhys, don’t-, just let it go. Alright?”

Rhys bites, hard, on the inside of his cheek, the throb easing the harsh thrum in his veins. His muscles, defined with swordplay and archery, clench around his hot blood, as useless in their strength as his fury-sorrow-frustration is sitting idle in his veins. He feels helplessand he hates it. He trembles with the want – the need– to help.

But…

Déma is glancing up at him through the russet locks, coy – yet his bitten lip is worried by his teeth and there’s a tension coiled through him, the coquettish brace of hands on hips failing to disguise how his slim shoulders are hefted nearly to his ears and his dark eyes are watchful, wary…a plea in the pinch between his brows.

Rhys wants to push but this isn’t about what he wants – it’s about what Déomas wants.  

He also has some sense – an instinct unique to his lover – that Déma is fragile right now and any indelicate word, any sudden touch, will make him spring, snap shut like a mousetrap. So he breathes. Releases his tension with his exhale. Unclenches his fingers from his sword-hilt, palm swirl-grooved from the carved pommel, and – slowly – reaches for Déma’s chin. Cups it, rubs the cleft with his thumb, soothes. Cradles Déma’s neck, thumb soothing there too, circling behind the ear. Tries to cool the heat of his fury to a tender warmth, to pour his desire to protect, his concern, his fondness for Déma into his touch.

“Of course, Déma. Whatever you need.”

Déma sighs and with the breath, the ribbon of tension untwists in his body. He allows himself to be soothed and Rhys knows he made the right choice. Déma’s dark eyes soften and the sharp edge of his grin has dulled when he pecks at the ball of Rhys’ thumb, nuzzling, feline and malleable.

“Thanks.”

Rhys’ heart takes its turn to clench now, like a fist behind his ribs, the muscle seizing in his chest, creeping up to his throat, on all the things he wants to say – vows, reassurances, pleas.

But all he does is pair his palms in a cradle of Déma’s face – so sharp and so soft and so precious – and swoop into a kiss.

Demá hums into Rhys’ hungry mouth and when he pulls away, a bit breathless, he’s bright again. 

“Well, speaking of water under the bridge, I’m all messy anyhow. Want to, uh, help me tidy up?”

Rhys slides his fingers through Déma’s hair, skimming his brow, kisses his mouth again, his little nose, his temple. 

“Of course, Déma.”

It will have to be enough.

For now.

~

Sir Percy was jumped. 

Or at least, that is what the chambermaid whispers to a fruit vendor, the murmured gossip snagging Déomas’ ear as he pays for a plum (and sneaks another, smaller plum for good measure). If the girl was to be believed – and she should really learn to whisper better, not that Déomas is complaining, but honestly – the knight was allegedly accosted by a masked man upon venturing home. The maid caught a glimpse of the aftermath, her master howling and cursing up a storm.

Broken fingers. Busted nose. Battered ribs. Shoulder sprained so badly it was nearly wrenched from its socket. Two black eyes and many a sore spot. He’d also, the little maid recounted with a note of glee, been kicked between the legs quite a lot. 

Déomas did not blame her one bit for her schadenfreude. Sir Percy was well-known for his wandering hands – it is good riddance they are hurting now. Some might call it poetic justice or even divine intervention.

Personally, Déomas scoffs at the notion of a deity and if there was one, they certainly seemed to possess the same biases as mere mortals by dropping further favor into the fat laps of those born favored. However, it is nice that the pervert got knocked down a peg or two.

Déomas rolls his shoulder - the bruise hidden below his shirt still sore, purple shadows lingering from the demanding clutch of meaty, mail-gloved fingers - before taking a bite of his plum.

A thought tickled at the back of his skull but it was swept aside as he wove his way between stalls, hunting and gathering remaining fruits – fresh fat berries of red and black and blue – in preparation for supper. He was baking a tart and it was going to be sumptuous and Rhys would agree.

He wasn’t baking it forRhys – Déomas loved pie. He would certainly do this all for himself, whether Rhys were involved or not. Certainly.

By the time the evening hour rolled around, a crisp, golden pastry is cooling on the sill of Rhys’ office. Déomas had charmed a flask of sherry off the cook and a sparkling compliment had left a glow to her wrinkled cheek as she thrust the bottle at him, grumbling something which sounded suspiciously like insufferable.

Rhys, however, is uncharacteristically late.

Déomas is sipping at a refill of his glass of sherry when Rhys sweeps through the door, apologizing profusely, dropping a soft kiss, another, once more to Déomas’ brow, breathlessly detailing some tale about horseshoes and cobblestones and really believingit would take an hour and Rhys is so fretful that Déomas forgives him immediately, scarcely pouting at all as he mellows under the kiss. He cannot be all that upset with anyone who says Déma so sweetly and is so very handsome.

Déomas blames the quite excellent alcohol for that thought.  

He blames the sherry further for the fact that it takes him a good while to notice that Rhys is…less than perfectly put together.

Rhys’ doublet is rumpled. A closer peek shows a seam has split along the shoulder at one spot, disrupting the perfect symmetry of stitches.

There is a spot of blood, nestled like a gem with the creamy folds of linen.

“Déma, I’m so sorry, I...I lost track of time. i had to take care of something and it got away from me.”

If Déomas were a little more sober, he might nod and smile and tell Rhys not to mention it. He really might just pull Rhys into a chair, straddle him, and kiss him senseless. But Déomas has never left anything he should leave be well enough alone and there’s a nervous weight to Rhys’ shoulders which provokes Déomas’ curiosity. 

“Bullshit.”

Rhys seems to very nearly drop his sword, setting it upon the desk with a heavy thump.

“D-Déma?-”

“Bull. Shit. What’d you do?”

Déomas is not suspicious. Nothing so childish. Nothing so jealous. He is...worried. Rhys looks heavy. A weariness lays over him - he has had to do something, something he doesn’t like, and there’s something about that which Déomas doesn’t like. Not at all. 

Rhys raises his chin, his deep, dark eyes direct and bold in the firelight.

“You won’t like it. But...if you ask me, I’ll tell you the truth.”

Déomas gazes back, just as steady, just as firm, and nods. 

Rhys sucks in his cheek, biting, he does that when he frets, and sinks into the chair beside Déomas.

“I know you told me not too...do anything. About him.”

Rhys spits the pronoun like poison, like he wants to get it out of his mouth, and Déomas doesn't ask him to clarify. He just waits, only the crackle of the blaze in the hearth disturbing the pregnant space between them. 

“I tried to make it random. Something which couldn't be tied to, to anything in particular. But I...I had to. I had to do something, Déma. Someone like him can’t just believe he can do this. To anyone. But especially...especially not to you. Not in my own home. Not ever. So I...hurt him. Nothing permanent. Less than he fucking deserves. But...something.”

He finally looks away from the dancing tongues of orange, blue, red fire to glance at Déomas. His dark face is drawn tight with uncertainty. He is resigned. Resolute. Hopeful. But there is still that familiar tenderness, a concern and a care, to be found in his expression, rolling under and over the anxiety, spilling through the cracks, filling in the blanks. Ever-present. 

“I understand if...if you’re angry with me.”

Seized but an urge, nameless as it was undeniable, Déomas surges from his chair and drags Rhys into a kiss. It is hungry, messy and missing lips for cheeks, scattered, falling again and again, one kiss becoming dozens in his need to touch, to appreciate, to...to be near Rhys, as close as he can be. 

Finally, Rhys gasps for air, weakly chuckling as he presses their brows together and Déomas sinks into his strong arms, feeling folded up and held and safe. 

“You’re a mess.”

“Hardly.”

“Hmm. For you, it’s practically a pigsty. You’re a disgrace to your class, Milord Rhys.”

The man snorts, startled into indignity, as he pulls back to smile ruefully.

“Help me to tidy up?”

Warmth pools in Déomas’ ribs. He kisses - again - Rhys’ cheeks, his eyes, his mouth. 

He’s so beautiful. So good. So...Rhys. 

Déomas never wants to leave this warm room, these warm arms, this feeling, ever again. He does not say so. Instead, he drops a fleeting, final peck to Rhys’ lips.

“Gladly.”

~

well....there we have it!!! a lil’ softness

[hoshinokaabiivevo-blog]

A META KNIGHT’S TALE/META KNIGHT AND THE MYSTERIOUS ECLIPSE

No cover art this time! Might update this later with it.

It was pretty difficult trying to make this game work as a stand-alone, but still have the Kirby charm. That applies to both the storyline and the gameplay, for the record. Any and all criticism is encouraged! Just like with Kirby’s Inferno, this is not meant to be speculation on a future Kirby game, this is solely made for fun! If there ever is a Meta Knight spinoff, you didn’t hear it from me.

STORY

It’s an average peaceful day in Dreamland, and Captain Vul is overseeing the Meta-Knights’ training. They’re all doing pretty well, except for Sailor Dee, who just can’t seem to get a hang of his bow and arrow. Vul is most proud of Meta Knight himself, however, and lauds him when he shuttle-loops a training dummy into stuffing. This exercise is interrupted when a strange meteor crashes down about a mile away, and Sword, Blade, and Meta Knight go off to scope it out.

Upon further inspection, they see that it appears to be a small escape pod of some sort, and there’s a person covered in stars inside of it. Without warning, he bursts from it and lunges at Meta Knight, thrusting a nodachi at his face. They clash for quite some time until Sword and Blade take over, and the other Meta-Knights sans Sailor dogpile on as well. As Meta Knight catches his breath, a small fairy then exits the pod, dazed and weak. She shakes it off, and gasps at the sight before her.

The man manages to break through the barrage of attacks and tries again to strike Meta Knight, but their blades clash and they struggle to maintain their own ground. The fairy girl then yanks the guy away by his ponytail and shows him a picture of a certain spherical hero. It’s actually Kirby, but due to the picture having no color (or any other identification, WTF, Tara?), he believes it to be Meta Knight.

They apologize for attacking and explain themselves. Orion comes from the planet of Aurora Cosmos, which is currently under attack by a mysterious moon-like structure known as the Eclipse Castle. Being the gentlemen that they are (and a little sheepish for attacking an innocent guy), they agree to help him and lead him to the Halberd. Sailor Dee finally hits the target dead on, and Tara cheers him as Axe and Mace guide him into the ship.

Upon reaching Orion’s planet, they can safely affirm that the massive crescent moon-shaped object above the shimmering green planet probably isn’t supposed to be there. I mean, usually, it’s a bad thing when half of the planet’s coated in a gross blackish tar. Landing on the planet proves difficult as well, being that they’re attacked by shapeshifting beasts (which Tara refers to as Morphix) and nearly crash.  

Unfettered, the band of knights marches on through the land, slaying these freakish creatures and saving the natives from a gooey torment. But, something seems to be off about Orion. Even for the Meta-Knights, he seems a bit too aloof and unattached, only focusing on the mission at hand and refusing to take a load off.

This reaches a head when after defeating a massive Morphix that begins ripping the place to shreds, Orion does something obscenely reckless. He nonchalantly leaps off of a cliff, and Meta Knight dives after him, catching him and flying him to safety. When they land, the poor guy is in a state of utter bewilderment at what just happened. Apparently, Orion should be able to fly, and is pretty shocked at his sudden inability.

Later, when the crew is roasting marshmallows around a fire, he stands alone and ponders what could be happening. Much to his horror, the answer is made clear when he sees that the stars on his arms are disappearing. He quickly yanks his arm guards over the now-blank spots to hide them as Meta Knight approaches.

Meta Knight can tell something’s wrong but doesn’t pry; instead silently reassuring him that he’ll be fine if they stick together. They hear a scream of terror and turn to see that Tara’s marshmallow has caught fire, and she’s flying around in a tizzy trying to put it out. Sailor Dee helps her out by chucking it into a pond, which gets everyone to laugh and finally unwind.

Once all the countries of the planet are nice and monsterless, the knights turn their attention to the Eclipse Castle. Something goes horribly wrong when they bring the Halberd to the surface. Not only are they immediately grounded by black spires and crash land, Orion suddenly yells out and collapses, the stars from his body rapidly dissolving. The crew rushes over to him and a tearful Tara reveals that they haven’t been exactly honest with them. 

Many years ago, Orion’s people were cursed by a vengeful and chaotic mage named Pitch Shadow, who threatened to destroy their planet if they did not submit to his will and give him their magical power. Orion knew that going after him alone would mean certain demise, but he didn’t care as long as his planet was safe. It was only with Tara’s urging that he changed his mind and decided to seek out allies.

Orion is true and fully dead. Furious, Meta Knight leaps through the portal to destroy him, the hesitant crew following suit. Inside the Midnight Castle, they find a massive crystal ball chained to the ground with thick glowing chains. Upon breaking it open, they realize their horrible mistake, as it turns out that the chains were what was giving it it’s energy.

Now fully freed, Pitch begins to siphon all the life out of the planet. They’ve got to turn around to the Halberd and use its cannons to shatter the chains before pummeling him into a pulp once more. With the mage blasted into oblivion, the Eclipse Castle itself starts falling to pieces, and they bolt out of there as fast as they can.

The Halberd continues its journey back down to Aurora Cosmos, while both Meta Knight and Tara sadly gaze upon Orion’s body in the sick bay. Meta Knight turns to leave, but something catches his eye outside the window; a vast collection of golden stars has appeared where the Eclipse Castle used to be, and they’re heading right towards the ship.

As they fill the interior, the markings on Orion’s body reappear, and he awakens. Tara is overjoyed, fluttering around him, and cheering as Meta Knight stares in shock. Overcome by emotion, Meta Knight rushes over to him and embraces him, Orion taking it in stride as he pats Meta’s head.

Triumphant, the knights and Orion land to a cheering crowd. Orion’s wings reappear, to which he responds to by challenging Meta Knight to a race. But as the two take off and dart around the city, it becomes less of a competition and more of the two simply having fun! 

GAMEPLAY

Each member has their own personal move set and stats, which can be paired up with another knight to create exclusive moves (and to help with puzzles)

However, they all share one move; they plant their weapon in the ground and clutch onto it, preventing them from being blown away or sucked up by enemies. (ha-ha, wow, that’s dark)

By defeating enemies with combos, you fill up a meter called “boost points”. This gives you the ability to call on Tara so that she can give you extra help with a quick nuzzle or a beam of light from her horn.

These powers include temporary invincibility, stronger attacks, more health, or heightened speed.

Pieces of armor can also show up in hidden crates across various levels, all randomized.

You can mix and match different caps, armor, and weapons, but there are exclusive sets that can permanently boost your stats if completed.

There’s a daily roulette wheel (à la Miitopia) that can give you brand new armor, more boost points, or Maxim Tomatoes.

The game’s map operates the same way that Amazing Mirror’s does, with an open world you can freely move around to which level you’d like and replay them at your leisure. They’re connected all by a central hub in the Halberd, which has a training room and an armory that you can enter at any time.

There’s a boss at the end of every level, not just the worlds! Admittedly, they’re still about the same difficulty as midbosses.

LEVELS

Sable Shores

Tornado Terrace

Energy Expo

Lachrymose Loch

Lit Landing

Ablaze Alcove

Roaring Reaches

Eclipse Castle

Tara’s Dialogue (hub)

(answers to "Greetings.")

You're so cool, Meta Knight! I know you can save us! I-I-I mean, help us.

(post-game) I knew you could do it! Thank you so much for all your aid.

(answers to "Let me see the armory.")

Want to see what armors you've got?

(50% or higher completion) It's getting pretty packed in there! Watch your head!

(100% completion) Brings back memories, doesn't it?

(answer to "I want to try the roulette.")

It's time to play some roulette!

(answers to "What do you think of the crew?")

Captain Vul is astounding! But he's so tall, it scares me a little bit.

Sword Knight is great! His helmet looks like a yummy loaf of bread!

Blade Knight is so brave! He looks up to you a lot, you know.

Mace Knight is so funny! That guy always knows how to cheer me up!

Javelin Knight is very smart! I've never met a robot before!

Axe Knight is so loyal! You two remind me of Orion and me!

Trident Knight is pretty mysterious! But he's good fun!

Sailor Waddle Dee is so cute! ...um, that's all I have to say.

Orion is awe-inspiring! He's my best friend in the whole world!

(answers to "Do you have any advice?")

Have you tried out the training room? It never hurts to brush up on your skills!

Some knights mesh better than others. Try out a bunch of teams and see which works for you!

You should smile more! ...oh, that's not what you meant, is it?

(answers to "Thank you. Goodbye.")

Bye-bye!

It's been a long journey so far. Why not take a rest?

[archerwindsor]

The 10 BEST Halloween Movies + Cocktail Recipe!

Halloween movies to watch

Cheers, witches! It’s Hallo-week!

I think Halloween is SUCH a fun holiday. I love any excuse to get dressed up, obviously. Plus, I get super into fall flavors. I know Halloween can be super tempting with all the candy, but you can totally enjoy the season without messing up on your health goals. 

Don’t believe me? Check out these healthy and oh-so-good pumpkin oat bars. 

I think they’re a super perfect treat to enjoy while watching a movie, one of my fave fall activities. There’s just something about getting snuggled on the couch with a treat and a fun flick! 

And because it’s basically Halloween, there are SUCH GOOD movie options!! Seriously, if you’re trying to pull an on-theme movie marathon, I’ve got you covered with a whole bunch of Halloween movies to watch. Here are some of my faves. 

The best Halloween movies to watch this week

#1: Hocus Pocus

I mean, come on. This is an absolute classic. Sarah Jessica Parker? Check. Musical numbers? Check. Amazing witch costume inspo? Check. It’s not scary at all but it still has ultra-Halloween vibes. Plus, Dani is definitely empowered girl goals. 

If you haven’t seen Hocus Pocus before, seriously, what are you doing? You’re going to love it! 

#2: Nightmare Before Christmas 

I think part of the reason I love Halloween so much is that it kicks off the holiday season. And Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my fave Halloween movies to watch because it’s not just perfect for the spooky holiday, but it gives you that little taste of Christmas, too. The movie’s stop-motion, which is super cool, and directed by Tim Burton, so you kind of know what to expect there. 

The music in this movie is SO GOOD. If you’re looking for a soundtrack to put on to give your house some Halloween feels, I’d definitely recommend it. Plus, Catherine O’Hara’s in it (she’s Sally — I know it can be hard to tell with the stop-motion), and who doesn’t love her? 

#3: Beetlejuice

Another Tim Burton movie featuring Catherine O’Hara — she’s not just the queen of Schitt’s Creek, but Halloween, too, I guess! Plus, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Geena Davis… Beetlejuice is totally star-studded. And it has just the right amount of creepy-crawly vibes to be perfect for Halloween without keeping you up at night. 

#4: Halloween (1978)

If you’re looking for Halloween movies to watch to give yourself a good scare, this one’s a classic. It’s a true slasher film. And people love it so much that there are eight (yes, eight!) sequels, a handful of spinoffs, and two more Halloween movies on the way. 

There’s a reason people keep coming back to these ones. Michael Myers is such a formidable character! I definitely recommend locking the doors and watching with a friend for this one. 

#5: Scream

Another slasher flick, I think Scream is a little less scary than Halloween — but it still gives you some real thrills and chills. The movie’s pretty tongue-in-cheek and it’s from 1996, so there’s some fun fashion there, for sure. 

Here’s me last year on Halloween, I was a mermaid!! Stay tuned to see what I’m going to be this year…

#6: The Addams Family

I love the show The Addams Family from the 60s. The theme song is just perfect, for starters. And the black and white makes it extra creepy, plus Morticia is a QUEEN. 

The 1991 The Addams Family movie captures what makes the show so great, but modernizes it, too. You still get all the classic characters and a fun story, to boot. 

#7: Sleepy Hollow

If you want Halloween movies to watch with an excellent fall aesthetic, def check this one out. It’s got such an autumnal feel. This one borders on scary, for sure, so be advised, but you’ll have Johnny Depp there to comfort you. 

(I know I’m putting a lot of Tim Burton movies on this list, but he just really gets Halloween, you know?)

#8: What We Do in the Shadows

THIS MOVIE IS HILARIOUS. It’s a mockumentary about vampires living in modern-day Staten Island. It’s not technically a Halloween movie, I guess, but the vampire vibe really suits the holiday, I think. 

If you like the movie, there’s a spinoff show of the same name on Hulu that I would definitely recommend.

#9: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Another not-technically-Halloween movie that’s absolutely one of the best Halloween movies to watch. This one is weird, so be prepared. But it’s really fun, has excellent music, and you get to see Susan Sarandon really knock it out of the park. 

#10: Nightmare on Elm Street

I had to add one more scary movie to this list! This one blends supernatural and slasher and features another horror icon: Freddy Krueger. It’s good enough to have inspired a whole bunch of sequels. This is another one I wouldn’t necessarily recommend watching alone — unless you like a good scare! 

Now that you have a lineup of great Halloween movies to watch, you need a drink to go with it. And I have the perfect thing! This Cider Spritz isn’t too sweet or too cidery — it’s perfectly balanced for a little hint of fall without overdoing it.

Cider Spritz recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 ounces apple cider (look for 100% or no sugar added)

1 ounce Aperol

1 ounce soda water

Prosecco or dry sparkling wine

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Apple wedges and/or star anise for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a wine glass with ice.

Add the apple cider and Aperol and gently stir together

Add soda, then fill with prosecco to top.

Garnish with a dash of cinnamon and an apple wedge and/or star anise

I’ll say it again: cheers, witches! Make your Cider Spritz, grab your coziest blanket, and curl up to watch your Halloween flick of choice. ‘Tis the season!

The post The 10 BEST Halloween Movies + Cocktail Recipe! appeared first on Love Sweat Fitness.

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[heartbxnd-blog]

@sealcdheart has sent: ☆☆☆            

MEME: Send me a ☆☆☆ and I will tell you… [SELECTIVELY, accepting, mutuals] 

How I rate your blog:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

It would be higher if I actually knew more about these spinoff games-- still needs to read on it ;w;

How I rate your URL:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

How I rate your blog theme:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

How you play your muse:

Don’t know your muse | Not my cup of tea | meh | OK | good | wow | EXCELLENT | I would like to keep you forever.

Again, I don’t know much about the GC games, but it definetely looks like you have a tight grasp on your muse! I’m super excited to see what you have in stored for it.

Thoughts/opinion on the mun:

We met: Just recently- I believe I’ve been following you for less than an week! I believed you followed me first, and then the last blog you followed was my multimuse.

And then: For a few days we didn’t get to talk/approach each other, we would be sending each other prompts but that was it- I’m restricting myself from liking starters calls- bc it is the end of the semester for me oof.

Eventually: And then we are now talking to each other- as of I’m writing this it has been exactly one day of doing so. All thanks to picking up Brendan ajksabjhbds. I’m super hyped tho <3

How much I ship our muses:

Are you out of your mind?! | NO | prefer not to | I need some convincing | MAYBE | let’s do our best for chemistry | what a good idea | YES | I’ve been hoping for this! | oh gods yes | LETS MAKE A NEW OTP | shipping hell!!

How attractive my muse finds yours:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

Platonic attraction:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

Sexual attraction:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

A situation or starter sentence for our muses:

// Besides having their past together- I would love to have something having to do with shadow pokemon! Although Brendan lacks an ability which allows him to detect any proper pokemon- It would definetely be fun to watch his reaction to these pokemon going savage- with seemingly no real reason to do so.

Watch him taking as many pictures as possible.

Meanwhile we have this bastard here, who is more than capable of detecting shadow pokemon right away- and likely from a distance as well.

Gym challenge? Gym challenge

A scene I would want to write with you:

Meeting | Cooking | Kiss | Fight | Bed-share | Shopping | World domination | Solve crimes | Stranded | Distant friends | None of these but PM ME |

Or: I have always wanted to write…

If we would write, my mood is:

fluff | angst | horror | romance | humor | hurt / comfort | action | slice of life | crack | dark threads | light threads | any genre |

Hey there dude! Welcome aboard! I’m looking forward to our future interactions!! <3