#new flower power unlocked | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blueskittlesart · 4 months

Note

i kinda really wanna see a big ol vent/rant from you about genshin now lol. I would read an essay

I'm not sure you understand the insanity you just unlocked in me but ok

genshin impact is probably the clearest modern example i can think of of capitalism absolutely eviscerating a creative project. For context, I started playing genshin in 2021, just after the 1.4 update. it was venti's first rerun/the first windblume festival if that means something to you. and I really genuinely thought that it might have had something special. It was a gacha that didn't FEEL like a gacha, which was a huge feat to me.

it began with a very simple story pitch--you, the protagonist, are one of a set of twin siblings traveling through space. you come upon a seemingly unassuming world and your attempts to continue your journey are suddenly stopped by a mysterious, all-powerful figure. you are separated from your sibling and wake up alone on the shores of this planet you were attempting to leave together. throughout that opening cutscene and scattered through the world and your character's dialog there are implications that all is not as it seems, that your character is something unique to this world and that they possess powers and abilities that you've yet to unlock. You are told that you must travel the seven nations of this world in order to find your sibling, which is great--a simple, zelda-like objective which drives the player to explore the secondary narratives of the world. none of this is bad on the surface. in fact i'd argue it's pretty good. there's a ton that can be done with these story bones. even at launch the map and combat system were full of potential as well.

Note: for ease of reading, i'm going to label the different storylines of the game now. A-plot refers to the central objective of the entire game; the find-your-sibling plot and everything that encompasses, including the abyss order/dain, the heavenly principles, the fake sky, etc. B-plot refers to the secondary objective present in each new nation, usually meeting the archon and/or solving a problem for the archon. (A and B-plots will occasionally intersect.) C-plot refers to any story, location, or background information which remains in permanent gameplay but which isn't directly related to the A or B-plots, such as dragonspine, the chasm, enkanomiya, etc. D-plot refers to any story, location, or background information which is confined to limited-time events and does NOT remain in permanent gameplay, regardless of its connection or lack thereof to the A and B-plots, such as the golden apple archipelago, the infamous albedo/dragonspine event, the infamous kaeya/diluc event, etc. Lore as i will refer to it in this post refers to any information which is present in permanent gameplay but which is not directly told to the player within the A or B-plot story quests and objectives, including books, weapon, artifact, and item descriptions, world quest dialog and puzzles, etc.

So now we're in mid-2021, there are two nations' worth of B-plot story quests released in full, and we've run into our first problem, which is that the game isn't finished yet. I don't have any actual information about how the game was/is written, but based on what i've observed over the past few years, my best guess is that the A-plot has been fully written since the beginning, at least in some form. there were very early-game events and information pertaining to the A-plot that would take years to see any actual payoff in the main story quests (kaeya's origin story, the 1.3 scaramouche fake-sky drop, the flowers in lumine's hair, etc.) but those kinds of A-plot story easter eggs very quickly dropped off when the game absolutely EXPLODED during the pandemic.

this sudden burst in popularity was the true beginning of the end for genshin, i think, because suddenly they had a HUGE fanbase that desperately wanted more content faster than they could pump out new A-plot or even B-plot story quests. one of the most pervasive complaints about the game when I began playing in 2021 was that there was nothing to do between story quests. update 1.4 (which was the update I started playing at) was important in that it was the first time since genshin's release over a year before that players recieved any new A-plot, in the form of the archon quest We Will Be Reunited, also known as the quest with the most fucking misleading name of all time. you'll never guess what doesn't fucking happen during this quest. anyways. we were a year into gameplay, two nations out of seven released and a third on the not-so-distant horizon, and it seemed obvious that players were owed some sort of A-plot payoff. and that's very much what WWBR was advertised as, from the quest's name to the banners full of art of the twins staring wistfully at each other. The thing is, what i'm describing as A-plot payoff was actually. not really A-plot payoff at all. WWBR was the reveal that the protagonist's sibling was working with the abyss order, and that the abyss order was connected somehow to Khaenri'ah, which at this point casual players would only have known about from THAT QUEST and MAYBE kaeya's character descriptions if they were diligent enough to get him to friendship level 10 (which, btw there is no indication that you should do to get important context about the story of the game, because kaeya is a 4-star starter character and the only character in the entire game that actually has genuinely important story hidden in his character descriptions.) So what I'm calling A-plot payoff felt at the time a lot less like A-plot payoff than it did like an abyss sibling cameo in an attempt to satiate everyone who was begging for more story. We actually gained almost net 0 information. this is very quickly going to become a pattern.

As I've already alluded to, the motives behind this writing decision are transparently obvious. Genshin is a free gacha game which relies on a consistently active and engaged userbase to make its money. With fans getting restless about the lack of engaging story at the time and a new, very ambitious B-plot quest gearing up for release that would require major support from that fan base in order to remain profitable, the writers were backed into a corner. they HAD to throw the fans some sort of bone in order to keep them engaged with the A-plot, since it was originally pitched as the driving force for the story as a whole, but they were also clearly not at a stage of the writing process where it was prudent to give the player any REAL information about the A-plot. This is how we ended up with a 10-second abyss sibling cameo and an offhanded mention of Khaenri'ah, a nation whose plot-relevance was at that point still basically unknown.

The real problem is, WWBR worked. at least, it worked as intended at the time. It satiated story-focused fans in the interlude between B-plot nations, as hyv was gearing up to release inazuma, which required a lot of time in preparation. WWBR was followed almost immediately by the C-plot golden apple archipelago in 1.6, widely regarded as one of the better events of version 1. GAA was memorable especially because it was the first event that involved an entirely new, limited-time-only map, meaning the event had much more longevity than the standard events players were used to. This is, imo, most likely the update combination that led to the standard formula which hyv uses for its quests and events nowadays. the back-to-back release of WWBR and GAA satisfied both fans who wanted A-plot story AND silenced criticisms about the game lacking endgame playability, which at the time must have seemed like a goldmine to writers desperate for a solution to their content-to-fanbase ratio problem.

From here, genshin started following a standard method of release for their next three nations--inazuma, sumeru, and fontaine. the formula generally went as follows: one major version update (usually version x.0) containing a major map update which included all B-plot relevant locations in the new nation, and the first chapter of the B-plot story quest relevant to that nation. this would then be followed by 2-3 version updates which would each contain the next chapter in the nation's B-plot story quest, sequentially. After the nation's B-plot quest ended, during the downtime in which the next nation's story and map would be finalized, subsequent updates would be largely C-plot, and would contain minor expansions of the map to increase endgame playability via exploration and world quests. This is how we ended up with updates like the chasm, the several extra islands in inazuma, and the quite frankly ridiculously large sumeru map, as well as the offloaded maps like enkanomiya and the sea of bygone eras. with the possible exception of the chasm, none of these areas are A OR B-plot relevant. hyv has realized that artificially inflating the map makes their game technically more engaging during the downtime between nations. However, this comes at a price. While the scenery and set design of the game remains consistently beautiful, the actual, mechanical gameplay that populates that scenery very quickly became mind-numbingly boring if not borderline unplayable. While the 1.0 questlines were not perfect, there was at least an emphasis on the player actually DOING things. 1.0 B-plot quests would have you going to mini-dungeon temples and completing challenges which would acclimate you to the combat system while also serving narrative purpose. There were quests that required you to navigate open-world dungeons. Because your characters were lower-level, combat challenges that arose during these quests were CHALLENGES, rather than two-second buttonmashing segments. By the time we get to sumeru, though, both B-plot AND C-plot quests have become little more than moving your character from location to location and tapping through (usually unvoiced) dialog. there's no GAMEPLAY in the quests anymore, because gameplay isn't what makes money. What DOES make money is giving players 300 hidden chests to find in an open-world map segment, each of which gives them 1/80th of a gacha pull. And so the story suffers and the map gets bigger.

Along with the map expansions, downtime between nations usually also nets us one A-plot quest, usually involving the character dainslief, who was the driver of the initial WWBR quest. This is the second half of hyv's magical formula for keeping fans happy between major releases. the A-plot quests will, as a general rule, give players either very little new information or no new information at all, but will dress up the delivery in such a way that it ALMOST feels as though the protagonist has moved forward somehow. the most recent example of this writing style, the 4.7 quest bedtime story, amounts to about an hour and a half of gameplay and, while it DOES contain a segment in which the protagonist finally actually has a conversation with their sibling, that conversation literally begins with the line "I have so many questions, but for some reason I don't want to ask them right now," ensuring that the sibling will not actually be required to give away any plot-relevant information whatsoever, and the quest ends with the protagonist FORGETTING THAT THE CONVERSATION EVER HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

As I think I mentioned before, the cardinal problem of genshin impact's writing is that fans want answers faster than the writers are prepared to give them. I don't doubt that there's a game bible or relevant equivalent somewhere within hyv which contains the explanations we are currently lacking in regards to the A-plot. the game is consistent enough in its storytelling for me to believe that this isn't all just being made up as we go along. But I'm also certain that a lot of the late-game A and B-plot that is planned (especially if the Khaenri'ah is truly planned to be the 8th nation of the game) hinges on the player knowing very little about the A-plot. this would be fine if genshin was a standard single-release video game that players could work through at their own pace, but it isn't. it's unfinished, and each nation in the game releases months to years after the last, leaving the writers to scramble to fill in the gameplay gaps and players struggling to remember plot-relevant information when it's brought up literal years after they last heard it mentioned. Not only does the time between updates leave players frustrated about the lack of A-plot, it makes the A-plot harder to understand when it is brought up, because the writers are required to throw in so much dense C and D-plot just to keep engagement high enough to make the game profitable in its downtime. we joke about the insane convolution of genshin's lore, but that is first and foremost a byproduct of its financial model. the game requires engaement to be profitable, and adding lore for players to look into drives up engagement. The fact that having so much story with so little plot relevance muddies the waters and makes the A and B-plot stories considerably harder to understand doesn't matter as long as money is being made.

I want to take a quick detour here to talk about the release of sumeru specifically, because this is when I really began to clock the fact that genshin was declining. on paper, racial sensitivity issues aside (Not that they're not important, but i'm doing this deep dive from a storytelling and game design point of view, nothing else. that's a whole can of worms i don't have time to get into here) sumeru was a really promising addition to the game. The new B-plot quest which was set to drop in 3.0 was highly anticipated for several reasons. Two fan-favorite characters (kaeya and scaramouche) were expected to play major roles, because of earlier C and B-plot quests, and much of the nation's scenery that was teased in trailers and promotional content appeared to tie into the A-plot. the most exciting draw about sumeru and version 3.0, though, was the major update to the combat system.

Arguably genshin impact's most interesting feature upon release was its combat system. The map was basically a botw clone at that point, and the story quests, while decently engaging, were rough around the edges to say the least. What genshin DID have going for it was a unique real-time combat system that rewarded strategy and quick thinking.

Genshin's combat system is elemental, and on release there were 6 elemental affiliations: anemo (wind), cryo (ice), pyro (fire), hydro (water), geo (rock), and electro (electricity.) in a sort of pokemon-like system, certain elements were weak to other ones, but more importantly, certain combinations of elements could drastically boost combat stats. Players got to construct four-slot teams of characters, each with an elemental affiliation and certain "skills" which would match their element, and you were encouraged to use the interactions of these elements to build teams. very quickly, a huge community formed dedicated to optimizing teams and tiering characters. People would even make a game out of building teams specifically to do high-level damage with "bad" characters or characters who weren't designed to be damage drivers (my 100k jean burst was an incredible moment fr.) this was, of course, also a picture-perfect driver for the gacha aspect of the game, which was how players obtained new characters.

Pre-3.0, combat was... well i won't say it was balanced, but there was no elemental reaction that had any MAJOR advantage over the others. when you actually ran the numbers, i believe vaporize was the best reaction in terms of damage output, with the best team being raiden national with kazuha for EM buffs. but a well-built freeze or melt team could do similar numbers, or even better numbers depending on your artifact rolls. (ayaka permafreeze you will always be my #1.) Despite a steady stream of new characters with each update, characters from the earliest version of the game like xingqiu and xiangling were still topping the charts in terms of usefulness and versatility in teambuilding. However, as early as 1.0, players had been teased that a major update to the combat system was planned. There was a seventh element, dendro (plants) which pre-3.0 only existed as an elemental affiliation for menial enemies. there were no playable dendro characters, and the only elemental reaction that existed relating to it was very low-level and not particularly useful in combat.

Originally, dendro was projected to be added to the combat system somewhere in version 2, but its release was delayed substantially, meaning it came out along with its affiliated nation, sumeru. And as soon as it came out, it basically broke the combat system. I assume that the scaling they ended up going with may have been out of fear that players would be hesitant to integrate a new element into their pre-established team builds, and thus they may have been worried about sales on their dendro character banners, and i assume that the fact that 3 elements are required to get the highest-level reaction was an attempt to make the meta more balanced in the face of that scaling, but, well... it didn't work. At this point, the genshin impact combat meta is basically "if you're not using hyperbloom what the fuck are you doing." there's basically no reaction in the game that comes close to it in terms of both damage and ease of use. you are not going to beat a hyperbloom team with anything other than a better-built hyperbloom team. combat is now very heavily skewed in the direction of dendro, meaning that if you DON'T want to use a dendro team, you're going to be doing significantly lower numbers. And since enemies are added with each update, post-3.0 combat becomes difficult and annoying if you don't have a hyperbloom team on-hand.

The major gripe i have with dendro isn't even the scaling, though. I mentioned offhand earlier that the 1.0 B-plot questline had a section which taught you the basics of the combat system via mini-dungeons. These mini-dungeons, of course, taught you the version of the system that existed pre-3.0, so there's no tutorial for dendro reactions. Rather than integrating the tutorial into the story and world like they did in their early quests, upon playing 3.0 for the first time players were given a popup that explained, very wordily, how dendro reactions worked. there was no opportunity to test these reactions in an environment without consequences--if you wanted to try them you'd have to remember the relevant information, build yourself a team, find an enemy to try them on, and just hope you got it right. This lack of integration is something i began to notice more and more with genshin as it progressed, especially in sumeru. where in mondstadt and liyue open-world puzzles would be explained to you by an npc or via environmental context clues, in sumeru you'd be stopped while exploring every two seconds by a popup explaining some puzzle or another which, of course, you wouldn't read, because you didn't want to do the puzzle right that minute anyway, and then by the time you DID want to do that puzzle you'd have no in-game way of figuring out how to do it. The puzzle popups may seem like a small thing, but it's one of the clearest examples in the game to me of the fact that the player experience is so clearly not being prioritized here. the game doesn't even TRY to be immersive anymore. they have no qualms about pulling you out of the story to read a paragraph about how the puzzle works. they don't care how your character, in-universe, is supposed to have acquired that information. they don't care why your character, in-universe, is doing the puzzle in the first place. because they know the reason YOU are doing the puzzle, which is to unlock a hidden chest that gives you 1/80th of a gacha pull.

That was not "a quick detour" was it lmfao. ok anyways. back to the story. Now i want to talk about D-plot, meaning limited event stories, and lore as i defined it earlier, meaning contextual details not present in quests or playable story. This is where i think genshin's story becomes completely inaccessible.

Already, we've covered the fact that in order to consume the very basic story, players have to be willing to wait years between A and B-plot quest releases, punctuated by irrelevant map expansions and interlude quests. I mentioned before that genshin's incompleteness is one of the major problems of its story. the fact that players have to wait years, remembering plot-relevant information that they have no way of knowing will even BE plot-relevant, for the payoff of these narratives is frustrating at best and actively malicious at worst. But in theory, there should be an obvious way to circumvent this. One could just wait until the game IS completely finished to play the whole thing. Sort of like buying a game in early access but waiting until it's actually finished to play it all the way through. that's theoretically possible. but, as i have been hammering home this whole time, genshin is a free game, and therefore genshin relies entirely on a consistently engaging fanbase in order to remain profitable. if genshin does not have a base of players who are willing to log in every day, or at the very least once every update, the game's financial model collapses on itself. therefore, genshin puts on limited-time events. this is a standard in gacha games, as a way to keep the fans consistently engaging. What is not standard, however, is the way that genshin uses these events as vessels for its story. about 19 out of 20 limited events in genshin impact will be useless menial bullshit with no effect on the story or really even the player aside from maybe making you fucking angry. 1 out of those 20, though, will be innocuously named, with nothing in the banner or event description to indicate that it's special in any way, but it will contain serious A or B-plot relevant information that exists nowhere else in the game. My personal favorite example is the infamous 1.3 scaramouche appearance, in which he showed up, told the protagonist that the sky was fake, and then immediately fucked off again. Scaramouche did not show up again until at least 2.0, and the fake sky wasn't so much as MENTIONED again until 3.2, almost TWO YEARS LATER. but there are others, such as the (almost equally infamous) albedo doppelganger event in which a major character's loyalties are called into question, or the event where major biographical information is revealed about kaeya, the only playable character with major known connections to the A-plot and Khaenri'ah. With all of these events, once the event period ends, the information contained within them vanishes from the game completely. there's no way to replay old events that you've missed, even sans rewards, so if you miss a plot-relevant event the ONLY way to catch up on that story is through word of mouth. again, this is a transparent way to keep genshin's userbase engaged during downtime between B-plot quests; if you don't log in and play every event, how will you know if you've missed something important? You might not be able to fully understand the future story if you miss out on the D-plot now!

The D-plot problem is something that I think could, in theory, be circumvented by dedicated record-keeping. if the wiki had anything resembling an easily accessible event database that marked story-relevant events and contained summaries or gameplay videos, at the very least you wouldn't have to fear being completely lost on the off chance that a random throwaway line in an event from fucking 1.3 becomes plot-relevant. but hyv obviously doesn't want that, because it undermines their financial model, and the sheer number of events and the amount of rerunning of irrelevant events they do makes the task of recording and categorizing them all daunting if not impossible.

Then, of course, there's lore. this is arguably what genshin is infamous for in certain circles of the internet. You know that unraveled video where bdg reads every book in skyrim? if you tried to do that with genshin the video would probably be about 10 hours long. and it's not just books; genshin hides (potentially) plot-relevant information in weapon and artifact descriptions, in random hidden world quests, in character bios... the list goes on. and 9 times out of 10, the information is essentially written in code. Plot-relevant characters will have multiple names, or the relevant information will refer to them as vaguely as possible, presumably to further the "mystery" and encourage theorizing among fans. but the sheer amount of information like this that exists within the game makes it all but impossible to determine what is plot-relevant and what isn't. For a topical example, the most recent A-plot quest bedtime story mentions the name Rhinedottir in connection with events in Khaenri'ah, suddenly making that name A-plot relevant. Rhinedottir is an alternate name for the character Gold, whose existence you would only have known of before this point if you'd unlocked and read the character Albedo's character bios. (Albedo is a limited-run character who hasn't been available since november 2022, btw.) the only other information about Rhinedottir permanently available in the game comes from the description of the weapon Festering Desire, which was only obtainable from a limited event back in 2020, anyway. So basically, if you wanted ANY context for that remark, you'd have to have been playing the game since AT LEAST 2022, AND you'd have to have taken the time to go over your weapon and character descriptions with a fine-toothed comb. keep in mind that as of right now (june 2024) there are 85 playable characters in this game, each with 10 unique unlockable character bio sections, and over 150 weapons, each with their own unique descriptions, not to mention over 50 artifact sets, each with 5 unique artifacts, which all have their own unique descriptions as well. there are also 51 different collections of books which contain written lore as well. the idea that any player could keep up with all this, or that anyone could even sift through it all to pick out the important things that they NEED to keep up with, is insane, especially when the game makes a point of withholding crucial plot information from its players within the A and B-plot quests. this amount of written lore only exists, again, to drive up engagement in the hopes of subsequently driving up profit. Even if the average player isn't reading and absorbing all this information, the fact that it's there coupled with the fact that the writers consistently refuse to reveal anything beyond surface-level A-plot information means that there's basically ENDLESS theory fodder. and THAT means that people will be posting their theories and talking with each other and getting into arguments. it means "genshin impact" trends on twitter. it means engagement, and engagement means money.

basically what it comes back to is that everything is so transparently money over player experience with this game. I think what we're witnessing with genshin is what i would call an end-stage gacha game--a gacha game that's gone on a little too long and gotten a little too popular, and so the veil has started to slip a little more than usual. Gachas work primarily because they operate by toeing the line between what is fun to play and what is a predatory mechanic. As long as the actual gameplay remains engaging and rewarding, players can ignore the unsavory business practices underneath. At this point, genshin has swerved too hard into the money-hungriness and is still hoping that they can use their old tried-and-true engagement farming methods to remain popular regardless. currently, it seems like those methods are still working, unfortunately. Like I said in the post that prompted this, i really can't wait for the hyv writer NDAs to expire 10 or so years down the line, because I can only imagine what an insane shitshow writing for this game must be. I want to see the tell-all articles. I want carnage.

That being said, I played genshin impact religiously from 2020 to 2023. I loved the game. Despite myself, I am still really, REALLY interested in the A-plot. I want to know what's going on with the protagonist and their sibling; where they came from, what happened to them, what the heavenly principles are, what role celestia plays in all of this. I want to know Kaeya's full backstory, what role Khaenri'ah plays in the overarching story, and what happened to it in the past. but I don't really have any faith that I ever will, because I know that as long as keeping their fans in the dark and stringing them along remains profitable, that's what hyv will continue to do.

Do I think genshin impact is unsalvagable? in its current state, yes. If I was given the ability to turn back time and convince a bunch of executives of the profitability of this venture, I would change almost nothing about the story of genshin and completely rework the mechanics of its release. I would make it a series of single-release self-contained games rather than a constantly-updating gacha. Each game would be one B-plot quest, or one nation, eight games in all, preferably released once every year. Removing the gacha mechanic, players would be given access to a certain pool of characters to build teams at the start of each game, and then periodically unlock new characters as the story progressed. for example, if you were playing the inazuma game, you'd start out with only your protag, and after progressing to a certain point in the story you'd get a pool of inazuma 4-stars to teambuild with freely. Then, as the story progressed and you met plot-relevant inazuman 5-stars you'd add them to your pool. I'd change basically nothing about the combat system except for a properly integrated introduction of dendro when it makes its appearance in sumeru. Once you completed the story in that nation, you could move onto the next game in the series if it was out, or if it wasn't, you could continue to explore the open world while waiting for the next release. Would this be as profitable as the gacha model? probably not, but what it WOULD do is allow for much more consistent pacing and writing, with the added bonus of not making your userbase feel like you'd shoot them in the head for their pocket change.

#jesus christ. hi everyone #asks

276 notes · View notes

genshin-impact-updates · 29 days

Text

"Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn" Version 5.0 Update Details

Dear Traveler,

Below are the details of the Version 5.0 update "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems for every hour the servers are down.)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (Please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2024/08/28 06:00 (UTC+8).

Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 5.0.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2024/08/28 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please log in and claim your compensation before 2024/08/31 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins 2024/08/28 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Region

New Region - Natlan

The warriors of the mountains lead the path unto flowers splendorous, and the swimming Saurians of the springs bring news all night. On the far shore from sand and sea, the blazing epic hymn echoes through the land where the Sacred Flame blazes eternal.

Beyond the fiery altars and the mysterious realm of night, an unprecedented adventure is about to unfold in the land where humans and Saurians dwell together.

◇ New Areas: In Version 5.0, the following areas in Natlan will become available: Tequemecan Valley, Coatepec Mountain, Toyac Springs, and Basin of Unnumbered Flames.

※ Completing Archon Quest Prologue: Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" will automatically unlock a Teleport Waypoint to the right of Tequemecan Valley in Natlan (If you have already completed this Archon Quest, the Teleport Waypoint will be unlocked after the update). You can use this Teleport Waypoint to head over to Natlan. You'll also receive the Primogem reward for this Teleport Waypoint when it unlocks automatically.

▌New Mechanic in Natlan

"Saurian Indwelling"

Natlan's Saurians are unique life forms that can enter a "Spiritsconce" state under specific circumstances.

Indwell your spirit onto Spiritsconces to activate their power, transforming into and controlling the Saurian's original form.

▌New System in Natlan

"Tona's Flame"

You can obtain Pyro Sigils during your adventures in Natlan. Offer them up to the Tablet of Tona at the Temple of Pax to increase its level and obtain valuable rewards.

Satisfy any one of the criteria below to unlock "Tona's Flame":

• Enter within a certain radius of the Tablet of Tona

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

Reputation System in Natlan

◇ Natlan Reputation Unlock Criteria:

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

Each tribe in Natlan has its own Reputation System. Visit each tribe's "Obsidian Totem Pole" to undertake the quests and earn Reputation EXP. Upon increasing Reputation Levels, you can claim corresponding rewards. Once a tribe's Reputation Level is maxed out, you can also receive additional rewards from the "Speaker's Chamber."

Expeditions, Daily Commissions, and other new content will also be added in Natlan. In Natlan's new commissions, if related achievements of a Commission Quest are not unlocked yet, the probability of that Commission Quest appearing will increase.

◇ Natlan Daily Commissions Unlock Criteria:

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

• Complete the World Quest "Toward Red-Hot Adventure!"

In addition, there will be new "Radiant Spincrystals" in Natlan.

II. New Characters

5-Star Character "Splish-Splash Wavechaser" Mualani (Hydro)

◇ Vision: Hydro

◇ Weapon: Catalyst

◇ A well-known guide in Natlan who owns a watersports shop, and expert in all forms of wave-chasing.

◆ Elemental Skill: Surfshark Wavebreaker

◆ Mualani enters a surfing stance, and can move on land, water and liquid Phlogiston swiftly. While in this state, Mualani applies "Marked as Prey" to opponents upon coming into contact with them and gains Wave Momentum. In this state, Mualani's Normal Attacks will be converted to Sharky's Bites, and consumes Wave Momentum to increase the DMG dealt by Sharky's Bites. When she has 3 stacks of Wave Momentum, when Sharky's Bite hits an opponent, she will fire Shark Missiles at nearby opponents Marked as Prey.

◆ Elemental Burst: Boomsharka-laka

◆ Fires a Super Shark Missile that can deal AoE Hydro DMG.

5-Star Character "Turnfire Hunt" Kinich (Dendro)

◇ Vision: Dendro

◇ Weapon: Claymore

◇ A Huitztlan Saurian Hunter skilled at counting costs.

◆ Elemental Skill: Canopy Hunter: Riding High

◆ Kinich can swing in mid-air using a grappling hook. When the grappling hook hits an enemy, it attaches to enemies and Kinich will fire Loop Shots. When Nightsoul points are at max, he can use the Elemental Skill to fire a powerful "Scalespiker Cannon" and deal Dendro DMG to enemies.

◆ Elemental Burst: Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord

◆ Unleashes the power of the Almighty Dragonlord, K'uhul Ajaw. Ajaw will unleash his Dragon Breath at intervals, dealing AoE Dendro DMG.

4-Star Character "Mottled Gold Yet Unsmelted" Kachina (Geo)

◇ Vision: Geo

◇ Weapon: Polearm

◇ A young warrior of the Nanatzcayan, given the Ancient Name of "Uthabiti." Kind-hearted and insatiably persistent, she grows stronger and more capable with each setback she faces.

◆ Elemental Skill: Go, Go Turbo Twirly!

◆ Fight alongside Turbo Twirly. Kachina can ride Turbo Twirly to move swiftly, climb, and slam enemies, and also summon it independently to deal continuous DMG.

◆ Elemental Burst: Time to Get Serious!

◆ Creates a Turbo Drill Field that increases Turbo Twirly's attack AoE and its Movement SPD when Kachina is riding it.

III. New Domain

Domain of Forgery: Ancient Watchtower

◇ Legend has it that in ancient times, the colossal beasts that roamed the land had a civilization of their own. After exploring the entirety of the land and surrounding sea, they built these structures in an attempt to cast their gaze upon the even wider world beyond. But these wise beasts have long since vanished, and in the present, no one now knows the true purpose of this place.

◇ Unlock Criteria (satisfy any one of the criteria below to unlock):

• Adventure Rank 10 or above

• Complete "Knights of Favonius" in Archon Quest Prologue: Act I "The Outlander Who Caught the Wind"

◆ Challenge the Domain to obtain Weapon Ascension Materials.

Domain of Mastery: Blazing Ruins

◇ In that era, when people had yet to attain true mastery of the flames, there were sages in all corners of the world who pondered the fire and sought to fathom its mysteries. It is said that these ruins are all that is left of what was once a ring-shaped ceremonial site. Here, these sages attempted to perfect the rituals required to transform phlogiston. Among the heroes who later followed the mighty one into the belly of the volcano, there were several who once trained in this place.

◇ Unlock Criteria (satisfy any one of the criteria below to unlock):

• Adventure Rank 10 or above

• Complete "Knights of Favonius" in Archon Quest Prologue: Act I "The Outlander Who Caught the Wind"

◆ Challenge the Domain to obtain Character Talent Materials.

Domain of Blessing: Sanctum of Rainbow Spirits

◇ It is said that the first sage to learn how to use phlogiston created a place of great purity, and that within this place, warriors were taught to wield the power of prismatic flames and flowing light. Later, even before they were used to resist common enemies, these powers were employed as weapons in conflicts between the tribes. Disheartened by this state of affairs, the Sage of the Stolen Flame withdrew from the world, vanishing from the pages of many tales. Devoid of their original purpose, these empty trial grounds were left behind, along with all those stories that came to be forgotten...

◇ Unlock Criteria (satisfy any one of the criteria below to unlock):

• Adventure Rank 10 or above

• Complete "Knights of Favonius" in Archon Quest Prologue: Act I "The Outlander Who Caught the Wind"

◆ Challenge the Domain to obtain Artifacts in the "Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City" and "Obsidian Codex" sets.

IV. New Equipment

1. New Weapons (Examples based on Refinement Rank 1)

Surf's Up (5-Star Catalyst)

Max HP increased by 20%. Once every 15s, for the 14s after using an Elemental Skill: Gain 4 Scorching Summer stacks. Each stack increases Normal Attack DMG by 12%. For the duration of the effect, once every 1.5s, lose 1 stack after a Normal Attack hits an opponent; once every 1.5s, gain 1 stack after triggering a Vaporize reaction on an opponent. Max 4 Scorching Summer stacks.

◆ During the event wish "Epitome Invocation," the event-exclusive 5-star weapon Surf's Up (Catalyst) will receive a huge drop-rate boost!

Fang of the Mountain King (5-Star Claymore)

Gain 1 stack of Canopy's Favor after hitting an opponent with an Elemental Skill. This can be triggered once every 0.5s. After a nearby party member triggers a Burning or Burgeon reaction, the equipping character will gain 3 stacks. This effect can be triggered once every 2s and can be triggered even when the triggering party member is off-field. Canopy's Favor: Elemental Skill and Burst DMG is increased by 10% for 6s. Max 6 stacks. Each stack is counted independently.

◆ During the event wish "Epitome Invocation," the event-exclusive 5-star weapon Fang of the Mountain King (Claymore) will receive a huge drop-rate boost!

Ash-Graven Drinking Horn (4-Star Catalyst)

When an attack hits an opponent, deal AoE DMG equal to 40% of Max HP at the target location. This effect can be triggered once every 15s.

◆ Ash-Graven Drinking Horn (Catalyst) and its refinement materials can be redeemed in the "Traces of Artistry" event.

▌Forgeable Weapons

Flute of Ezpitzal (4-Star Sword)

Using an Elemental Skill increases DEF by 16% for 15s.

Earth Shaker (4-Star Claymore)

After a party member triggers a Pyro-related reaction, the equipping character's Elemental Skill DMG is increased by 16% for 8s. This effect can be triggered even when the triggering party member is not on the field.

Footprint of the Rainbow (4-Star Polearm)

Using an Elemental Skill increases DEF by 16% for 15s.

Ring of Yaxche (4-Star Catalyst)

Using an Elemental Skill grants the Jade-Forged Crown effect: Every 1,000 Max HP will increase the Normal Attack DMG dealt by the equipping character by 0.6% for 10s. Normal Attack DMG can be increased this way by a maximum of 16%.

Chain Breaker (4-Star Bow)

For every party member from Natlan or who has a different Elemental Type from the equipping character, the equipping character gains 4.8% increased ATK. When there are no less than 3 of the aforementioned characters, the equipping character gains 24 Elemental Mastery.

◆ You can exchange for Weapon Forging Blueprints from Alom in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame: Temple of Pax by consuming certain amounts and types of materials.

2. New Artifacts

Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City (4–5 Stars)

◇ 2-Piece Set: When a nearby party member triggers a "Nightsoul Burst," the equipping character regenerates 6 Energy.

◇ 4-Piece Set: After the equipping character triggers a reaction related to their Elemental Type, all nearby party members gain a 12% Elemental DMG Bonus for the Elemental Types involved in the elemental reaction for 15s. If the equipping character is in the Nightsoul's Blessing state when triggering this effect, all nearby party members gain an additional 28% Elemental DMG Bonus for the Elemental Types involved in the elemental reaction for 20s. The equipping character can trigger this effect while off-field, and the DMG bonus from Artifact Sets with the same name do not stack.

Obsidian Codex (4–5 Stars)

◇ 2-Piece Set: While the equipping character is in Nightsoul's Blessing and is on the field, their DMG dealt is increased by 15%.

◇ 4-Piece Set: After the equipping character consumes 1 Nightsoul point while on the field, CRIT Rate increases by 40% for 6s. This effect can trigger once every second.

V. New Main Story

1. New Archon Quests

Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

Permanently available after the Version 5.0 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act VI "Bedtime Story"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

Adds the "Quick Start" function:

(1) Once unlocked, you can maintain your current Archon Quest progress, while accepting and progressing through Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn." This function will be available until the Version 6.0 update.

(2) Unlock Criteria: Reach Adventure Rank 28 or above, and complete Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III "A New Star Approaches."

Archon Quest Chapter V: Act II "Black Stone Under a White Stone"

Permanently available after the Version 5.0 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

2. New Tribal Chronicles

"Where the Springs Return"

Act I – Act III of "Where the Springs Return" will be permanently available after the Version 5.0 update

◆ Act I and Act II Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

◆ Act III Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete "Into Eternal Night" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act II "Black Stone Under a White Stone"

The three acts must be experienced in sequence. You can only unlock the next act after completing the previous one and meeting the corresponding unlock criteria.

"Yupanqui's Turnfire"

Act I and Act II of "Yupanqui's Turnfire" will be permanently available after the Version 5.0 update

Act III of "Yupanqui's Turnfire" will be permanently available after 2024/09/17 18:00

◆ Act I – Act III Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

The three acts must be experienced in sequence. You can only unlock the next act after completing the previous one and meeting the corresponding unlock criteria.

"A Prayer for Blessings, Told to Crested Peaks"

Act I and Act II of "A Prayer for Blessings, Told to Crested Peaks" will be permanently available after the Version 5.0 update

◆ Act I and Act II Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

The two acts must be experienced in sequence. You can only unlock the next act after completing the previous one and meeting the corresponding unlock criteria.

If you use the "Quick Start" function to experience Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn," you can accept the Tribal Chronicles once you meet the criteria for completing the corresponding Archon Quest (you are not restricted by the Adventure Rank 40 or above requirement).

3. New World Quests

New World Quests

"In the Footsteps of the Chosen of Dragons" Quest Chain, "Shadows of the Mountains" Quest Chain, "Tale of Dreams Plucked From Fire" Quest Chain, "Between Pledge and Forgettance" Quest Chain, "To the Night, What is the Night's," "Ripe For Trouble," "To Wish Upon a Star," "Stride on Rainbows, Split the Waves," "The Case of the Crafting Bench," "The Call of Mystical Martial Arts," etc.

VI. New Enemies

Goldflame Qucusaur Tyrant

◇ A Qucusaurus whose extraordinary form is a result of being unable to withstand the great power it has been granted.

It will fly into the air during combat and enter the "Golden Flame" energy-gathering form, creating a shield around itself and launching a Flamewind Feather towards the ground that summons a flamewind. If you cannot destroy the Flamewind Feather before the Qucusaurus dives down into it, the creature will use a Phlogiston Current to return to the skies. This will persist until it is exhausted and returns to its original form.

Located at Basin of Unnumbered Flames

Gluttonous Yumkasaur Mountain King

◇ A powerful Yumkasaurus that has experienced numerous impressive battles.

It will collect Flamegranates during combat and spit them out as bombs. However, if you can use Pyro to ignite the Flamegranates before the Gluttonous Yumkasaur Mountain King can swallow them, who knows what might happen...

Located at Tequemecan Valley

Wayob Manifestation

"Rock-Cavernous Wayob Manifestation," "Flow-Inverted Wayob Manifestation," and "Foliar-Swift Wayob Manifestation"

◇ The Wayob worshipped by the various tribes of Natlan manifest themselves in the form of these obsidian totems.

In battle, the Wayob Manifestation will deploy its Arena: Moment of Trial, creating a shield for itself and absorbing the Elemental Energy of all characters in the Arena. Characters in the Arena deal greatly increased DMG. If the shield is broken before the Arena expires, they will also regain a large amount of Energy. However, if they fail to break the shield, the Manifestation will generate a barrier based on the value of the remaining Elemental Shield.

Secret Source Automaton: Hunter-Seeker

"Secret Source Automaton: Hunter-Seeker"

◇ An ancient mechanical creation that wanders Natlan to this day, though its function is not known.

When characters enter and maintain the Nightsoul's Blessing state, the Secret Source Automaton: Hunter-Seeker will start progressing through its Adaptive Countermeasures. Once those are complete, the Hunter-Seeker will unleash its special cluster laser. Still, risk and opportunity go hand-in-hand, so perhaps you might take this opportunity to deal immense damage to it...

Avatars of Lava

"Fluid Avatar of Lava" and "Eroding Avatar of Lava"

◇ A strange monster that must continually absorb heat to stay in an active state.

However, it seems to damage itself should it absorb too much. After you use Pyro attacks to cause it to fully enter an Overburn state, it will rapidly disintegrate.

Natlan Saurians

"Koholasaurus," "Tepetlisaurus," "Yumkasaurus," "Koholasaur Whelp," "Tepetlisaur Whelp," and "Yumkasaur Whelp."

◇ The Saurians that inhabit the land of Natlan.

Special dragons that were better able to adapt to their environments, taking on different shapes and forms based on their surroundings.

Sauroform Tribal Warriors

"Flowing Blade Skirmisher," "Flowing Blade Grease-Saw," "Flowing Blade Harpoon-Thrower," "Koholasaurus Warrior: Waveshuttler," "Koholasaurus Warrior: Reefsplitter," "Forged Sand Interrogator," "Forged Sand Shieldbreaker," "Forged Sand Javelineer," "Tepetlisaurus Warrior: Shard Striker," "Tepetlisaurus Warrior: Rockbreaker Blade," "Swiftstep Seeker," "Swiftstep Storm Scout," "Swiftstep Armed Courier," "Yumkasaurus Warrior: Whirling Leaves," and "Yumkasaurus Warrior: Flowing Skyfire"

◇ The warriors of Natlan's great tribes who fight for the honor and glory of their people.

Over long years of living and fighting alongside their Saurian companions, these tribal warriors have gradually acquired their traits and learned how to apply them on the field of battle.

VII. Other Update Details

New Recipes:

○ Monstadt "Good Hunter": Meatnado and Apple Roly Poly

○ Cipac (NPC): Grainfruit Chips and Grilled Fish in Mint Sauce

○ Chanca (NPC): Grainfruit Meat Soup and Cup O' Grainfruit

○ Obtained from talking to Chanca (NPC): Tatacos

○ Exploration Rewards: Saurus Crackers, Stuffed N' Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate, Blazed Meat Stew, and Fried Shrimp Beanballs

○ World Quest Rewards: Sour Sauce Kipper and Forest of Color

○ Natlan Reputation System Rewards: Glittering Gemstones, Hot Spring O'Clock, and Puff Pops

○ Event Reward: Delights of Wondrous Wonderings

New Character Specialty Dishes:

○ Mualani's specialty: Pass the Luck

○ Kinich's specialty: Saurian Hunter's Reward

○ Kachina's specialty: Impeccably Organized

Adds new "Meetings in Outrealm: Series V," "Imaginarium Theater: The Second Folio," "Natlan: The Land of Fire and Competition (I)," and "Duelist: Series I" Achievement categories, and adds new Achievements to the "Wonders of the World" category.

Adds Set 34 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

Adds some prompts for loading screens.

New Namecards:

"Mualani: Sharky": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Mualani

"Kinich: Ajaw": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Kinich

"Kachina: Twirly": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Kachina

"Natlan: Divine Army": Reward for reaching the highest Reputation Level with 1 tribe

"Natlan: Fiery Dragon": Reward for reaching the highest Reputation Level with 4 tribes

"Achievement: Endpoint": Reward for completing all achievements under "Meetings in Outrealm: Series V"

"Achievement: Feline Fortune": Reward for completing all achievements under "Imaginarium Theater: The Second Folio"

"Natlan: Return of the Flame": Reward for completing all achievements under "Natlan: The Land of Fire and Competition (I)"

"Achievement: Lord of the Night": Reward for completing all achievements under "Duelist: Series I"

"Travel Notes: Primal Fire": Reward obtained via the BP system

Adds new Character Event Wish mechanic "Capturing Radiance." For more information, please visit the "Wish" interface in the game.

Reduces the maximum amount of Fate Points required from 2 to 1 in the Weapon Event Wish "Epitomized Path."

Adds new Artifact Salvage function. Artifacts that have not been enhanced and leveled up can be salvaged into Sanctifying Unction and Sanctifying Essence in Inventory > Artifacts.

Adds some new adjustments to the Artifacts system:

(1) Adds the gadget "Artifact Transmuter," which can be obtained by completing the quests in "Adventurer Handbook > Experience" and can be used to extract and redeem Artifacts.

(2) Adds new Consumable "Sanctifying Elixir": Use the "Artifact Transmuter" to extract a certain number of 5-star Artifacts that have been enhanced to "+4" or above, and convert them into "Sanctifying Elixir" (You can convert Artifacts into 1 "Sanctifying Elixir" per version). You can also obtain "Sanctifying Elixir" by exploring the open world.

(3) You can exchange for certain components of certain Artifact sets by using the "Sanctifying Elixir" in the "Artifact Transmuter." Apart from that, you can also determine the Main Affix and two Minor Affixes (Different Artifact components require different amounts of "Sanctifying Elixir." The same set of Artifacts can only be exchanged once in each version).

Adds new event "Turbo Twirly!": Progress through Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn" and invite the character "Mottled Gold Yet Unsmelted" Kachina (Geo).

Adds World Level 9. Upon reaching Adventure Rank 58, Travelers can complete corresponding World Level Ascension Quests to increase their World Level. After the World Level increases, the levels of monsters and bosses will increase, the challenge difficulty and the rewards dropped will also be increased (Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 58 before the version update can complete Ascension Quests to increase their World Level after the version update).

Adds the Borderland Billet series.

Adds Borderland Billet Conversion for various Weapon types in "Crafting Bench > Conversion": Use Dream Solvent to convert Billets of other types to Borderland Billets for the same Weapon type, or change Borderland Billets to Billets of other types for the same Weapon type.

Adds another 8 sets of Artifacts available to exchange in the Mystic Offering system: Artifact Strongbox: Deepwood Memories, Artifact Strongbox: Gilded Dreams, Artifact Strongbox: Desert Pavilion Chronicle, Artifact Strongbox: Flower of Paradise Lost, Artifact Strongbox: Nymph's Dream, Artifact Strongbox: Vourukasha's Glow, Artifact Strongbox: Marechaussee Hunter, and Artifact Strongbox: Golden Troupe.

Adds new Gadgets: Firstborn Firesprite and Kaboom Box.

Adds new Natlan Reward Gadgets: Pyroculus Resonance Stone and Pyro Treasure Compass.

Adds some of the Harvestable seeds from Natlan to the Seed Dispensary.

Adds new Wildlife: Red Flamingo, Halberd-Crest Bird, Thick-Feathered Ruffed Pheasant, Flowcurrent Bird, Alpaca, Brown Deer, Flying Squirrel, Capybara, Pyro Crystalfly, Blue Mountain Spoonbill, Flowfire Bird, Phlogiston Aphid, Crystal Beetle, and Long-Necked Rhino. You can use the Omni-Ubiquity Net to capture certain Natlan creatures.

"Genius Invokation TCG" Gameplay Update:

New Character Cards: Xianyun, Freminet, and their corresponding Talent cards. Corresponding invitation duels and guest challenges have been added to the Player List.

New Character Card: Hydro Hilichurl Rogue and the corresponding Talent card. The Tavern Challenge has also been added.

New Action Cards: "Xenochromatic Hunter's Ray," "Yumkasaurus," "Koholasaurus," "Stadium of the Sacred Flame," "Atea," "Edict of Absolution," and "Saurian Dining Buddies" can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

The Forge Realm's Temper is once again available. The theme of this edition is "The Forge Realm's Temper: Game of Wits":

(1) During The Forge Realm's Temper: Game of Wits, some stages will have special victory and defeat conditions. Adeptly adapt your tactics to complete the challenge and avoid the conditions for defeat!

(2) Within The Forge Realm's Temper: Game of Wits event stages, there will also be special rules that can easily exert influence on the tempo of the match. Fully utilizing these special rules will contribute greatly to your success.

Imaginarium Theater

After the Version 5.0 update, the two Imaginarium Theater seasons will be as follows:

The first season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on 2024/09/01 04:00.

Required Elemental Types: Pyro, Hydro, and Dendro

Opening Characters: Dehya, Xiangling, Mualani, Candace, Emilie, and Yaoyao

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Kaedehara Kazuha, Kachina, Clorinde, and Raiden Shogun

After the first season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Collei, Cyno, Neuvillette, and Amber will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

The second season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on 2024/10/01 04:00.

Required Elemental Types: Pyro, Electro, and Geo

Opening Characters: Dehya, Chevreuse, Keqing, Fischl, Chiori, and Ningguang

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Kinich, Yelan, Venti, and Sucrose

After the second season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Venti, Thoma, Mika, and Navia will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

After the first season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the following adjustments will be made:

(1) In the new gameplay phase, Wondrous Boons will be updated to "Brilliant Blessings" focused on the current season's three-element reactions. You can continuously upgrade the Blessing level to enhance the effects of the corresponding Elemental Reactions. Based on the new Brilliant Blessings, the refresh mechanic of Performance Events has also been adjusted.

(2) Reduces the number of characters required for each difficulty level, and additional characters included can receive buffs:

a. The number of characters required for Easy mode has been reduced to 8, and you can include an additional 2 characters.

b. The number of characters required for Normal mode has been reduced to 12, and you can include an additional 2 characters.

c. The number of characters required for Hard mode has been reduced to 16, and you can include an additional 4 characters.

Each extra Alternate Cast included will receive additional Fantasia Flowers and increase the Blessing Level (the Blessing Level provides attribute buffs to characters) when the performance begins. Making full use of the special rules can help you better complete the challenge.

(3) Visionary Mode is now available, which can be unlocked after clearing Hard Mode previously. The required number of characters for participation is 22 and 4 additional characters can be added. Both the Debut Performance Gift and Performance Tour Rewards will be increased to 10 acts. Additionally, by completing 10 acts of combat performances in each season of "Imaginarium Theater," you can receive 1 Key of Echoes in the "Envisaged Echoes" gameplay.

(4) The number of "Fantasia Flowers" obtained from completing "Battle: Normal" and "Battle: Defense Sequence" in performances has been increased to 90, and the additional challenges in "Combat Events" have been removed.

(5) The usage limit for the Rewind function has been increased to 2 (on any difficulty mode except Easy mode).

In future updates, the development team will continue to optimize "Imaginarium Theater" based on your feedback and actual data from the gameplay.

Spiral Abyss

The "Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy" and "Unfinished Reverie" Artifact set rewards in "Domain Reliquary: Tier I" and "Domain Reliquary: Tier II" for Spiral Abyss Floors 9–12 will be replaced with the "Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City" and the "Obsidian Codex" sets.

Floor 9 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All party members gain a 50% Pyro DMG Bonus.

Floor 10 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• DMG dealt by characters is increased by 50% when in Nightsoul's Blessing.

Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All party members gain a 60% Dendro DMG Bonus.

• All party members receive a 60% Hydro DMG Bonus.

Updated the monster lineup on Floors 9 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

Starting from the first time that the Lunar Phase refreshes after updating to Version 5.0, the Lunar Phases will be as follows:

Contending Moon

After the active character uses an Elemental Skill, Normal Attack and Elemental Skill DMG is increased by 40% for 12s. For characters in Nightsoul's Blessing, this effect is enhanced: Normal Attack and Elemental Skill DMG is increased by 80%.

※ The above updates to Spiral Abyss will take effect after the Spiral Abyss update on September 16.

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Quests

Adds pop-up notifications for some newly-added quests before long quest sequences or before battles.

Adjusts the placement of some enemies in the Archon Quest "We Will Be Reunited" to reduce the difficulty of combat.

● Enemies

Reduces the damage dealt by the enemy "Fatui Skirmisher - Cryogunner Legionnaire" when multiple hits of Frost Blast continuously hit a character.

● Serenitea Pot

Increases the load limits for both indoor and outdoor areas in the Serenitea Pot due to stricter performance optimization strategies.

● Exploration

Clicking "Go to collect" under the "Source" of regional specialties now directs to the open world map and displays the areas where you can collect the corresponding specialty.

Now, before reaching the maximum Stamina limit, Travelers can increase Stamina by leveling up any region's Statue of The Seven (meaning Travelers no longer need to fully level up the Statues of The Seven in Mondstadt and Liyue to reach the maximum Stamina limit). After the version update, if a Traveler has already leveled up the Statues of The Seven in regions other than Mondstadt and Liyue, they will receive the corresponding Stamina increase.

Adjusts the difficulty of battling "Ruin Hunters" in the World Quest "Nine Pillars of Peace," and significantly reduces the difficulty at World Levels 1 and 2.

Increases the material drop rates of enemies "Nobushi," "Kairagi," "Specters," "Abyss Mages," "Ruin Guards," "Ruin Hunters," and "Ruin Graders."

Increases the total pin limit on the map from 200 to 250.

● Food

Adds new icons to some foods with special effects.

When using certain specialty foods (such as character specialties), secondary confirmation pop-ups or prompts will appear.

Adds filtering and sorting functions on the Inventory > Food interface.

Optimizes the sorting rules on the "Cook" interface.

Optimizes the filter function on the "Cook" interface, adding filter options related to Proficiency.

Adjusts the order of using food to revive characters: Low-rarity basic food will appear first.

● Shop

Adds the "Crown of Insight" as an exchangeable item in the "Shop" > "Paimon's Bargains" > "Starglitter Exchange," priced at Starglitter ×50, with a monthly refresh.

"Mystic Enhancement Ore" is now available for unlimited exchange in the "Shop" > "Paimon's Bargains" > "Stardust Exchange," and can be unlocked after exchanging existing "Mystic Enhancement Ore."

● Crafting and Forging

In the "Forging" interface, the number of items that can be forged in a single queue for Weapon Enhancement Materials has been doubled. For example, a single queue can now forge Mystic Enhancement Ore ×10 instead of ×5 (the daily crafting limit remains unchanged).

In the "Forging" interface, when selecting Weapon Enhancement Materials to forge, the maximum quantity will be selected by default.

When crafting "Condensed Resin" at the Crafting Bench, the maximum number of crafting attempts will now be automatically selected based on the remaining amount of "Original Resin" and "Condensed Resin," and the confirmation pop-up has been removed.

When selecting to craft "Condensed Resin" at the Crafting Bench, the number of "Condensed Resin" in the Inventory will now be displayed in the top-right corner of the interface.

● Enhancement

Reduces the frequency of the EXP overflow prompt during character leveling: when the EXP overflow is less than 1,000 (non-refundable), the prompt will no longer appear.

The EXP overflow prompt during weapon enhancement has been changed to a text notification and will no longer appear as a pop-up.

● Stellar Reunion

Updates the "Stellar Reunion" interface.

During the "Stellar Reunion" event, Domain of Mastery and Domain of Forgery rewards from different days will be available at the same time, allowing Travelers to freely choose the material drops they need.

Adds new exploration-related quests.

Adds new character and weapon enhancement-related quests.

Adjusts the daily double drop opportunities in "Reunion Blessing" to 3 times.

Adds new version highlight videos, with rewards available after viewing: Primogems ×40.

Reduces the number of quest objectives related to Archon Quests, and the related rewards have been transferred to that of other quests.

Adds "Reunion Gifts": Starting from Version 5.0, if returning Travelers activate the "Stellar Reunion" and meet the following criteria, "Reunion Gifts" will be unlocked, allowing them to obtain Intertwined Fate ×10 by completing the related quests:

a. Adventure Rank 30 or above

b. Haven't logged into the game for at least 45 consecutive days

c. At least 60 days since the last time they activated "Reunion Gifts."

If a Traveler logs into the game during the Version 4.8 "Stellar Reunion" maintenance period and meets the following conditions, both "Stellar Reunion" and "Reunion Gifts" will be unlocked with the Version 5.0 update:

a. Adventure Rank 30 or above

b. Over 45 days since last activating the "Stellar Reunion" event

c. Haven't logged into the game for at least 45 consecutive days

● Other Systems

After the version update, the characters that appear in the "Theater Lobby" will no longer have quest progress requirements.

Updates the layout of the Account "Profile" interface, adding the number of characters in the Character Showcase and namecards displayed.

In the "Party Setup" > "Configure Team" interface, Travelers can now hold and drag to adjust the party order.

Increases the Inventory limit of Furnishings from 2,000 to 2,200.

When the Reputation Level of a certain region reaches the maximum, the weekly Reputation Quests for that region will no longer be available.

● Battle Pass

Starting from Version 5.0, some Battle Pass missions will be adjusted.

a. In Daily Missions, the Battle Pass EXP for completing "Claim Daily Commission Rewards 4 times" will be increased from 150 to 200.

b. The Missions "Complete 3 Requests" and "Complete 3 Bounties" will be removed from Weekly Missions.

c. New missions will be added in Battle Pass > This BP Period: "Enhance 5-star artifacts a total of 30 levels," "Enhance 5-star artifacts a total of 60 levels," and "Enhance 5-star artifacts a total of 100 levels." Completing these missions will grant Battle Pass EXP x3,600, Primogems x60, and Sanctifying Unction x60 each period.

d. A new mission will be added in Battle Pass > This BP Period: "Complete the Act 8 Performance Challenge in Imaginarium Theater and finalize," which will grant Battle Pass EXP x2,250.

Starting from Version 5.0, Travelers can select 3 out of 4 types of Battle Pass rewards (Mora, Character EXP Materials, Mystic Enhancement Ore, and Artifact Enhancement Materials). Details can be viewed in the Battle Pass interface.

Starting from Version 5.0, the Talent Level-Up Material bundles "Guide to the Original Current" and "Guidance of the Land of Verdure" will be replaced by "Guides of a Journey," and "Philosophies of the Original Current" and "Philosophies of the Land of Verdure" will be replaced by "Philosophies of a Journey," allowing Travelers to choose any Talent Level-Up Material from all regions and types.

Starting from Version 5.0, Travelers will receive "Sanctifying Elixir" upon reaching BP Level 26 in the Gnostic Hymn (information about "Sanctifying Elixir" can be found in the "Other Update Details" section of this notice).

Optimizes the Battle Pass system interface.

Updates the skip function for the Battle Pass animation. Viewing history will be recorded starting from Version 5.0, meaning that from Version 5.1 onwards, if Travelers have already watched the Battle Pass cutscene, it will not be replayed the first time the Battle Pass interface is opened after the version update.

● Other

Regarding the adjustments to the Reputation System and Battle Pass Reputation quests, after the Version 5.0 update is completed, the development team will send the following rewards via in-game mail: Mora ×1,000,000. Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 or above before 2024/08/28 06:00 (UTC+8) will be eligible to claim this reward. Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 5.0, so please remember to log into the game to claim it. The mail will be valid for 30 days.

Adjusts some of the terrain in the adjacent "Desert of Hadramaveth" area due to the release of a new area.

In "Envisaged Echoes," adjusts the collision size of some parts of the scenery in Jean's challenge stage to prevent enemies from being abnormally stuck in the walls when knocked back.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Enemies

Fixes an issue whereby when challenging the enemy "Hydro Tulpa," the character's attacks would incorrectly lock onto the "Half-Tulpa" that appear instead of the "Hydro Tulpa" itself under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Fatui Skirmisher" would not re-enter combat for a long time after disengaging in certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby the combat difficulty of some enemies did not adjust dynamically at different World Levels. Once this issue is fixed, the DMG dealt by some enemies may change.

● Character

Fixes an issue on certain Android devices whereby Clorinde's Elemental Burst animation would be delayed when she casts her Elemental Burst.

Fixes an issue on certain Android devices whereby the model of the character Gaming could not be displayed properly.

Fixes an issue whereby the effect of Emilie's Lv. 6 Constellation would abnormally fail to take effect when revived at a "Statue of The Seven" after being defeated by certain enemies.

Fixes an issue whereby the direction of the attack effects would be abnormal when Emilie performs a Plunging Attack under certain circumstances.

● Genius Invokation TCG

Fixes an issue whereby there were errors in the description or text display of some cards.

Fixes an issue whereby some "companion" cards generated by "Puca's Support" had effects inconsistent with those played from the Hand and adjusts the list of possible "companion" cards that can be generated.

● Audio

Fixes an issue whereby the game music would be abnormal in the domain of Nahida's Story Quest "Lingering Warmth."

Fixes an issue whereby there is a chance that the sound effects of character movement would be missing when Sigewinne moves in the water.

Fixes an issue whereby in the "Character" > "Profile" > "Voice-Over" interface, there was an error in Arlecchino's Chinese voice line for "When the Wind Is Blowing."

Fixes an issue in the "Genius Invokation TCG" gameplay mode whereby some of the voice lines for Navia did not match the actual in-game actions. After the fix, the corresponding relationship between certain voice lines and in-game actions will be adjusted.

● Other

In the Simplified Chinese "Tutorial" and other interfaces, some descriptions incorrectly refer to the effect as "Shield," and has been adjusted to "Ward" (this issue also exists in other language interfaces and will be fixed in a future update).

Fixes an issue whereby the book model of the Furnishing "Hardcover Storybook: 'Simulanka'" would disappear abnormally under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby after completing a performance in "Imaginarium Theater," the "Performance Cast" would display abnormally during the finalization screen if all characters in the team were defeated.

Fixes an issue whereby the game would not pause on the finalization screen after failing a performance in "Imaginarium Theater."

Fixes an issue whereby there was an image error in the artwork background of Kirara's outfit "Phantom in Boots."

Fixes an issue whereby in certain situations, the character would incorrectly retain some expressions after exiting "Photo Mode."

Fixes an issue whereby there was a chance that the achievement "Melting... Away..." could not be completed.

Fixes some text errors in certain languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

◆ Optimizes inconsistencies between certain voice-overs and the corresponding lines.

◆ Optimizes certain English translations.

〓Genius Invokation TCG Balance Adjustment〓

Adjusts the effect of the Talent Card "Featherfall Judgment" of the Character Card "Cyno": Adjusts "... uses Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer while having at least 2 levels of Pactsworn Pathclearer's Indwelling effect, deal +2 DMG. (Once per Round)" to "... uses Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer while having at least 2 levels of Pactsworn Pathclearer's Indwelling effect, DMG dealt by Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer +1. (Max twice per Round)."

Adjusts the effect of the Elemental Skill of the Character Card "All-Devouring Narwhal": The effect "Deals 1 Hydro DMG. This character deals +1 DMG for every 3 extra max HP provided by Insatiable Appetite (Max +4)" will be adjusted to "(Max +3)."

Adjusts the "Deep Devourer's Domain" effect of the Character Card "All-Devouring Narwhal": Adjusts the "increases in Max HP" effect from taking effect immediately to taking effect at the end of the Round.

Adjusts the number of times the damage negation effect triggered by "When the character to which this is attached takes DMG" occurs per Round for the Equipment Card "Prospector's Drill": Adjusted from "Twice per Round" to "Once per Round."

Adjusts the effect of "Bond of Life" state: The Bond of Life can now negate healing effects associated to the "increases in Max HP" effect.

After the version update is completed, the rewards for the web event "Off We Go to the Nation of Pyro!" will be issued officially: "Ring of Yaxche," "Footprint of the Rainbow," and "Earth Shaker," along with their corresponding Ascension Materials: Delirious Decadence of the Sacred Lord ×6, Blazing Sacrificial Heart's Terror ×3, Axis of the Secret Source ×3, Shard of a Shattered Will ×3, Ignited Stone ×3, Sentry's Wooden Whistle ×4, and Damaged Mask ×2. These rewards will be sent to Travelers via in-game mail.

a. Travelers who logged into the web event "Off We Go to the Nation of Pyro!" and cheered for the Sacred Flame Pilgrimage before the version update will receive an in-game mail approximately 2–12 hours after the update is complete. The mail will be valid for 30 days, so Travelers should log in to the game and claim the attachment within 30 days from receiving the mail.

b. Travelers who log into the web event "Off We Go to the Nation of Pyro!" and cheer for the Sacred Flame Pilgrimage after the version update will receive the reward mail within 5–10 minutes after completing the relevant reward objectives. The mail will be valid for 30 days, so Travelers should log in to the game and claim the attachment within 30 days from receiving the mail.

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #genshin impact 5.0 #here we go lads

103 notes · View notes

gojostan-doodles · 9 months

Text

Local farmer/ florist, Amari Vaughn 🌸💐

As a human/ demon hybrid, Amari is gifted with immense physical abilities. When she was a kid, it was very common for her to accidentally break things since she didn't know her own strength. But her affinity for flowers encouraged her to learn how to be delicate with her hands. She realized early on that she wanted to be a florist one day. During her developmental years, she was discreetly monitored by her parents, who looked for other signs of her having supernatural powers. They were relieved to learn that Amari was as normal as everyone else (for the most part). Because of that, they opted out of telling her that she was half demon, thinking that it would only be a source of stress for her if she knew.

Amari grew up in the city without much trouble. She played a lot of sports when she was in school, but it didn't interest her that much. She enjoyed taking care of plants, but found it hard to pursue that kind of work in the city. It's too much of a concrete jungle, y'know? So for a while she gave up on the idea.

Amari worked at a construction company for about 2 years before deciding to go after the life she actually wanted. So she packed her things and took a bus ride to Pelican Town, moving into the farmhouse her grandfather left for her. Settling in took some time, but Amari adjusted to her new lifestyle. She felt right at home surrounded by lots of nature.

But of course, Stardew Valley is a really weird place. So it wasn't long before she encountered the junimos, and later Rasmodius. The "tea" she drank from the wizard not only gave her the ability to communicate with the junimos, but also unlocked her dormant supernatural abilities. She immediately gained a white streak in her hair, and while in a disoriented state, accidentally set herself ablaze and fecking collapsed 💀 Reasonably stunned, the wizard puts out her fire with magic. When she finally wakes up he apologizes, telling her that he'll look into what went wrong and report back to her as soon as he can.

In the meantime, Amari tried to return to her life as a farmer, only to be met with a new set of problems. She struggled with burning her own crops (and many, many other items). During full moons, she would undergo a physical transformation, forcing her to stay home since she stood out like a sore thumb. So yeah, her first year really sucked 🥹 It was clear by her transformation that she was half demon, but it was later confirmed by Rasmodius. Amari was really confused and angry when faced with the reality that her parents didn't bother to tell her something so important.

Things eventually got better though. Over time she figured out that being stressed causes her to combust, so she ended up burning things less often. She made a lot of lovely friends in town too, some who turned out to be just as odd as her. It was really nice knowing she wasn't alone. And eventually she married Sebastian, so things were really great for a change!

About a year into their marriage someone new showed up to the farm, a demon named Uruz. Turns out he and a few others where tasked with searching different realms in order to find Lord Wynn. He's Amari's father, and the king of the demon realm. Uruz accidentally found Amari because her aura is the same as Wynn's (and since it was the night of a full moon, it was more intense). When Uruz learned that Amari knew nothing about her powers, he took it upon himself to stay and teach her everything she needed to know. Apprehensive at first, Amari eventually agreed after talking it over with Sebastian. She felt like she couldn't rely on her dad to tell her anything. So she decided to take this as an opportunity to learn everything, about herself and the demon realm. So currently there's a menace living on their farm that they have to keep in check 😭

Since Amari is only half demon, the abilities and traits she inherited from her dad is a mystery. So when she learns about how long demons usually live, she becomes incredibly anxious about her future. But she tries not to think about it.

#she's plagued by the horrors but she pretends not to see them #stardew valley #stardew valley oc #stardew valley farmer #farmer amari #gojostan's ⭐💧 headcanons

274 notes · View notes

jxsterr · 1 year

Text

im such a lover of pre calamity zelink purely because any interactions or affection between them is that of two kids with the weight of the world on their shoulders trying to navigate confusing emotions — it’s just so innocent and unsure and RAW. like just imagine them when they’re close and having to figure out what that overwhelming feeling in their chest is whenever something as simple as their hands are close. what are they yearning for? what is the heart asking them to do? why do they feel so upset when their hands move away?

because realistically they’re not going to have many references, nobody’s going to sit the princess down—who is supposed to be unlocking her powers—and explain to her the intricacies of crushes and the human desire for physical touch, and the same goes for link. their human side is Completely ignored as we already know, any emotions that don’t pertain to the calamity are discarded and seen as ridiculous. so they’re left to explore with each other but there’s Roles here and rules that come with, are they really allowed? but then the roles start to disintegrate the moment they grow closer, the moment they’re more friends than princess and knight, and they both start getting curious.

with how much restraint link is bound to have and has shown previously, it’s definitely zelda who starts to push boundaries a little and touches him more, but he’s her knight and while he’s unsure of how permissable this situation is he lets her do so because that’s his princess, not that he doesn’t mind it or anything

so it starts as simple as a hand on his bicep at the sight of danger or somewhere new and of interest, something that makes him tense for a moment but then breathe and relax because it’s her and the touch is kind of nice. then it turns into hands on his shoulders from behind when he’s sat by the fire, when she’s just come back from pestering the local wildlife and he looks up at her and she grins in a way that makes his stomach swirl. it grows to zelda threading wildflowers through his hair and combing her own fingers through it so she can put it back up for him, daring to rest her chin on his shoulder to ask what colour flower he wants next and her hands are on his arms and goddess this is close. it’s to the point where she hugs him whether happy or upset and it stuns him, but he slowly wraps his arms around her every time and feels the way she melts against him. where she’ll take his hand into her own and fidget with it—because she’s a destructive fidgeter otherwise—bending his fingers, tracing parts of his palm until she’s memorised the shape of him and he lets her because he knows how anxious she can get. it doesn’t even tickle that much from how calloused and damaged his hands are.

people notice this, too. impa raises an eyebrow whenever she catches the tail end of zelda squishing his face for fun because she does treat him a little like a puppy (though she would argue it’s because he lets her) and she merely waves a dismissive hand. the guardsmen are regularly reminded that link is her favourite soldier from the way his name rings off her tongue like wind chimes, from the way she runs to him first and foremost after hunting a nearby monster hideout, especially when she argues that holding his face is necessary to make sure he’s okay. the guards merely grin. king rhoam doesn’t see it though, goddess knows how he would feel about her knight distracting her from her duties, but urbosa does because zelda has to get parental approval from somewhere. urbosa sees the way zelda looks for him in the group when she’s not by his side, almost making sure he was still there if she wanted him, and urbosa smiles. she sees the way zelda’s hand sneaks its way into his whenever she’s scared or nervous about something, even though she’s surrounded by the champions, and how his hand tightens around hers so she knows he’s going nowhere. it’s almost enough to bring a tear to the chief gerudo’s eyes, to know that her little bird is in safe hands whenever she isn’t around, to finally see her smiling and laughing and not shivering, tear-stained and weak in the middle of ice cold water, begging and pleading into thin air. when she looks at them, she sees two kids finally being able to embrace some of their youth and find comfort in one another, and it gives her hope. hope that they can still be naive teenagers together despite the circumstances they’re all in. and idk i just think that’s pretty neat

764 notes · View notes

dewffin · 3 months

Text

soo... I think I accidentally began to make a Silmarillion Fangame...

For some unknown reason i was like "I wanna make textures :D" but i didn't want to model shit, so i just used VROID studio as a painting book... but then i was like "ummm, i never tried to draw a character an then tried to make it 3D in vroid" so uh-

yeah...

and then i was like "let´s drop this bad boy in Unreal to see how he looks" and because, well, i don't know why i decided to try to make him look a bit 2D? like he was drawn? like doing the complete opposite of what i just did?

so this is what he looked when i began to play with post process stuff

and because i wanted to look around and stuff i added a little guy i had, and it turns out that he was really little and i had to make him a box to take pics of Fëanor's face

Then i did more stuff and i ended up with these cute flowers :D

And then I said fuck it, i think I'm making a game...

So the thing is that doing a game doing a game while being a one person studio is a biiiiiit difficult.

By that i mean i had to try to keep my head leveled in what i could do, so I ended up with this...

Tecilwë's Adventures in Arda

(yeah, i don't have a name for this)

So, you play as Tecilwë, a noldorin journalist that travels around trying to document the best stories of Arda. You can find out what is happening around by talking with people, sneaking around or finding clues. Then, you can write your take on what happens, and depending on what you say, how you say it and what secrets do you keep your reputation as a journalist and your relationship with the different character you find can change for better or worse.

A little bit about Tecilwë...

Q Tecilwë Autanna - S Tegilu

Tecilwë - The one who writes [tecil “pen”, wë “person”] or as i like to call them "El pibe birome"

Autanna - the lost sign, the fool sign [au “away, lost”, aut “fool”, tanna “sign, token”]

A young lore master from Tirion. Studied under Rumil, and is excited to document all that happens in the course of the story.

Curious and eager to learn. More often than not ends up in trouble for documenting what was not supposed to be seen.

Tecilwë believes in the power of the word, and on how truth is composed by those who write it.

Not often remembered, wants to be remembered as one of the great lore masters. But the curse of the Noldor runs deep…

Basically a player insert

Y alto chismoso

What i have for now in gameplay is that you can run around a location (and you'll be able to travel to different places, but time passes so, for example, if you leave Aman you cannot go back, or if Gondolin fell then you cant go there). There as i wrote you can talk to people and find out stuff, and all what you find you write in your journal, which you can check to remember what you have seen. With all of that you can unlock new dialogues, and when you get enough information you can end the day and write like a newspaper or magazine. If, for example, you found that gasp Maedhros and Fingon are being two love birds behind a tree, you can write about that in different ways. A- You just say thing as they are. B- You say that is great to see the unity in the House of Finwë. C- Accuse Fingon of corrupting the innocent eldest of Fëanor. D- say nothing about this. With A you get lower relationship points with Russingon for exposing them. B gets you a good realtionship with them, but lower with Fëanor. C gets you a good amount of points with Fëanor, but the other two will hate your guts. And with D, nothing changes, but you can confront them about their relationship and tell them to be more careful if they want to keep it a secret.

Also if you write a lot about gossip stuff you will lose credibility and that is kinda a way to not being remember as the great Lore Master you want to be...

Also i love how FIngon's hair is coming out. This is like a first draft but it was fun to make.

Also this motherfucker is so fucking tall

And this is one of my favourite screenshots from when i had Fëanor as the playable character

(also here is really noticeable that i added lights to their eyes, and it switches form golden to silver light)

In short, a gossip simulator

Also i cannot wait to make the "Who is Gil-Galad's dad" level

Version 0.1.0

Other updates

#silmarillion #silmarillion fangame #3d art #vroid #unreal engine #feanor #maedhros #fingon #russandol #game idea #my art #Tyalië Myatil

110 notes · View notes

alice-angel12x · 2 years

Text

Death is always around the corner

Riddle + Death!Reader

This Death is greatly inspired by the wolf death from Puss In Boots, and Jenny-Jinya kind death. (some headcanons for some of the characters) Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, Idia, Malleus

Let's set the Scene: Masterlist

Something was off about this Mirror ceremony, Crowley could feel it. But decided to shack it off and continue with the ceremony.

"Ah, my lovely Lord, The noble and beautiful flower of evil, You are the most beautiful, number one in this world. Follow thy heart and take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror. Flames that turn even stars into ashes, Ice that imprisons even time, Great tree that swallows even the sky, Don’t be afraid of the power of darkness, Come now, show your power. Mine, theirs, and yours, There’s only a little time left for us. Do not let go of that hand, at all costs," Crowley chanted as a green flame appeared in the mirror.

As the night continued, all the new students were neatly sorted into dorms. There was just one coffin left, and just as he was about to insert the key to unlock the coffin. The coffin began to thrash and shack, as puffs of blue fire spewed out from the creaks in the coffin. The headmaster quickly stepped away from the coffin when the lid suddenly blasts off its hinges in a blaze of fire.

From the coffin, a grey cat creature with blue fire ears skitted across the ground. The crowd of students stared in confusion till something caught their attention. An eerie whistle could be heard from the smoking coffin. Out from the smoke steeped a mysterious figure. A figure dressed in the school's ceremonial robes stepped out into the chamber. They stood unnaturally still as the hood of their robe completely obscured their face as they continued to eerily whistle.

"U-Um, excuse me young...Um... You could have waited a few seconds longer till I opened the gate. Anyways please present yourself to the dark mirror," Crowley stuttered as he hurried the stranger.

The mirror awakened to look at the figure, and only stared in... fear?

"Ugh, I can smell... a disgusting amount of blot," The figure spat.

💗Riddle Roseheart💗

Riddle didn't really know what to think of this strange student. He never got a good look at them at the ceremony. The only thing they could tell was that they were a wolf beastman of sorts.

And his only other source of info was word of mouth around the school. And hearing that they were a part of the chandelier incident. Riddle already doesn't like them.

luckily he had the fortune to see this mysterious. Upon seeing this student, they looked strange, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was cause of how they just stared unblinkingly at him. With an ominous smile on their face.

When Riddle tried to scold the first-year group for all the trouble they have caused. Yet the student who went by Y/n, simply smiled, unfazed by his words.

This greatly annoyed him and he pulled out his magic pen, but in a blink of an eye, Y/n swiped it out of his grasp. He stood in shock as Y/n chuckled and took a sip of their drink.

Freaked out, Riddle decided to just leave. Yet for a week he felt watched, and whistling followed him no matter where he went. And Y/n's silhouette is always just on the edge of his sight.

One late night, Riddle had to drop off small books at the library, when the whistle filled his ears.

"Are you stalking me?" Riddle glared, as he turned to see Y/n resting against a pillar.

"Just observing. It's been a long while since I got a good look at the Roseheart family. And it's a shame to see how far they have fallen," They growled.

"How Dare You! Off with-'' before riddle could even finish his spell. Y/n swiped the pen from the boy's hand. And then quickly pinned him to the wall.

Riddles's heart started to beat insanely fast as he stared into Y/n's blood-red irises.

"Listen very closely, your life is crashing toward a terrible end if you don't change your tune," Y/n growled softly into Riddle's ear.

Riddle shut his eyes tight waiting for the next attack, but nothing came. As he slowly opened his eyes, he gasped when he found himself in his room.

When morning came, riddle ran to the library to apologize for losing the books. To only learn that Y/n had returned them for him.

Assuming it must have just been a dream, he didn't take Y/n's warning seriously. As blot continued to accumulate. Unaware of Y/n watching from a window across the courtyard, as they polish their sythe, with sad eyes.

They watched as Ace fail to properly apologize to Riddle's liking, and quickly banished the 1st years from the dorm. Which lead to this conflict.

As Y/n stood before Riddle and his overblot as he rampaged across the garden. Reading their weapons, preparing to claim Riddle's life before the blot does.

Suddenly, Aduece, Grim, Cater, and Trey stepped forward wanting to save Riddle. Y/n smiled softly as they dashed toward the blot creature to Find Riddle's soul.

_____________________________________________________

As Riddle slowly came to his dream of memories, he found himself sitting at a party table floating in the darkness. In front of him was a book with his name as the title, and the silhouette of his profile was on the cover.

"Not a good start to life huh," said a voice, causing Riddle to gasp and look up at the source. at the other end of the table was Y/n, dressed in black silk robes. "Strict mother molding you, all the while claiming it is for your own good."

"S-she didn't want me to be a failure like father. He was lazy and couldn't handle the work of a doctor," Riddle said.

"Did your mother tell you that?" Y/n asked as Riddle nodded. '' Then you might want to read this.''

Y/n slid a tray over to Riddle, on it was a book that read Mira Rosehearts, his Mothers name. Riddle looked back to Y/n for an explanation. "Everything your mother had said, done, thought, felt, and heard is documented in this. I recommend reading pages 9131 to 9134."

Riddle quickly read through said pages but slammed it down in anger and disbelief. It read how Riddle's father began to outshine Mira, and when people started to praise him more than her. She divorced and made sure she had full custody of Her son. She vowed to mold him and make him the perfect Roseheart, to outshine everyone else, no matter the cost.

"That is not my mother! You're trying to trick me! Who do you think you are?!" Riddle growled as he stood up from his chair.

"I Have a Beginning, But No End, and I End All Things That Begin. Who Am I?” Y/n asked simply.

"What is this rubbish, the answer is... The answer is," Riddle said slowly as his eyes widened in horror.

"I am Death, straight up," Y/n said as their eyes glowed, causing the boy to fall back into his seat.

"S-so I'm dead?" Riddle asked slowly.

"No, you escape me this time. You are very lucky that some people came to your rescue. Or else you would have died here today," Y/n said as they flipped riddle's book all the way to the back. On the inside of the back cover was a "wanted" Poster.

In bold words on top was Wanted, with Riddle's face printed in the middle. And Dead or Alive is printed at the bottom.

" I would have had you sign, right here,” Y/n said as they tapped over the word Dead. Causing Riddle to gulp nervesly.

"But You attend our school, have I truly escaped you?"Riddle asked nervously.

"Just because I am Death, doesn't mean I enjoy everything it entails. I do not enjoy having to separate families and loved ones. It's just a job that needs to be done," Y/n explained. " And I came here to collect an arrogant little boy, who thinks himself as law and order incarnate. But I can't seem to find him anymore.

Riddle watched as Y/n collected the books and turned to leave, as a door of light appeared.

"You were given a second chance Riddle. Live your life your way for yourself, not how your mother wants you to," Death Y/n said as they stepped through the door.

Riddle finally came too, much to everyone's relief. When everything was set and done. Riddle apologized to everyone and promised to improve on his behavior.

Yet as the days went by, Riddle noticed that Y/n for the most part vanished. He would see them around every once and a while, even Ace, Deuce, and Grim don't seem to hang out with them much.

Grim already spilled the beans on Y/n's identity, and of course, most kept their distance. For who would want death hanging around them.

One day at the reunbirthday party. As All of Riddle's new and old friends gather around his table. Enjoying tea and baked goods, the young dorm leader noticed a lone figure at a table.

Y/n sat alone at one table at the very back of the party, even the tables next to them were empty. As everyone wasn't really comfortable being near them.

Riddle watched sadly as Y/n sat with no snacks, tea, or even company to enjoy. So with a wave of his pen, Riddle levitated a fresh teapot with cups and a large tray of baked goods. As he proceeded to pull out a chair himself at Y/n's table.

Much to everyone's surprise and slight fear. Even Y/n was surprised by Riddle, but they smiled softly as the two began to chat and enjoy the unbirthday party.

But sadly their job here at NRC isn't over yet.

#disney twst #twst wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #riddle rosehearts #riddle roseheart x reader #riddle x reader #twst riddle #Death!reader

1K notes · View notes

quitealotofsodapop · 2 months

Note

This idea would probably be for soft Boiled and slow boiled, basically any au where Wukong is MK's teacher and not his sibling or parent. Kaiju forms.

I personally headcanon the kaiju forms and projections in the show (Mei's dragoon and Macaque's giant war form) are more... projections of one's soul/true self. So... for those who are not aware, Wukong does canonically have one on the book. It's a giant limbed monkey and with multiple heads and arms. It so is canonically so terrifying that it had frightened both his enemies and his own people so badly he had been utterly heartbroken by the event.

Sometime between s4 and s5, Wukong is working with MK to help him get used to his new monkey form and trying to help him control it. The kaiju form MK took dueint the battle with Azure comes up and MK asks about it. When Wukong explains what it was, MK gets super excited to learn and wants Wukong to teach him except...

Wukong: Sorry kid, I can't teach you how to control your kaiju. You'd actually be better off asking either Mei or, ugh, Macaque!

MK: WHAT!? Why not!?

Yesss

Wukong canonically does not like his War/Kaiju Form.

The clearest idea I could gt of how it might have looked was from a toy site, I imagine in LMK verse its lot more solid-coloured and vaguely shaped;

In Jttw he loses all interest in his victory against Heaven when his Kaiju Form scares his own people - and if we add in the Brotherhood, Macaque as well.

We discussed in dms how Wukong's anger under the mountain was likely a mixture of despair (they lost and couldn't save their bros from punishment), pain (fresh from the Furmace yo), and self-hatred.

This newly unlocked form of his - this manifestation of his inner self, was so terrifying that his own people, his allies, his own mate fled at the sight of it.

Macaque did "run off" that day, hence part of Wukong's anger. But afterwards, after the fight, Macaque had to admit to himself that while Wukong's kaiju-form was terrifying it had also been beautiful. Beautiful and sublime like a star going supernova.

Macaque's own Kaiju can be separated from him as a shadow of himself, but he's secretly ashamed of his reaction to Wukong's all those centuries ago. When he does let his Kaiju form take over his real body, it becomes primal, impulsive and brutally honest. Something that honestly helps with how quick he is to dodge confrontation.

Mei's (and by extension Ao Guang's) "dragons" are literal manifestations of what their true forms may be. Mei could have her own American-Dragon-style dragon form she could flaunt if she worked at it. That or the energy is literally Ao Lie's spirit coming in clutch as a power-up.

Ao Guang's dragon-energy meanwhile looks like his lego set colouration, suggesting homebody just a big lazy to waste his true massive form on them.

So when Wukong and the gang sees MK's own Kaiju/War-form for the first time during his fight with Azure....

Wukong is like "NOPE! Not my expertise!" cus he literally only used his War Form twice in the entirety of the book - the Battle of Flower Fruit Mountain, and when him and DBK had a Kaiju vs Kaiju battle together later in the Journey.

When MK prods him about it, Wukong becomes... kinda cold and closed off, telling MK that he's better off talking to Macaque about it.

Macaque is still barely in the "anti-hero" category, so MK is a little hesistant to ask him for help (especially since one of Macaque's teaching methods included a rom hack).

MK even tries going to DBK on the matter first, but the retired-demon king has a similar negative reaction. Seems that even he didn't like the Bull he became when him and Wukong truly fought. It's why he even refused to transform when he was under true duress from LBD or the Brotherhood.

DBK does give MK advice on what a "Kaiju/War form" is though. DBK's mind had been clouded with anger when he was a younger man, so his became a pure-white charging bull that destroyed all in it's path. Sun Wukong does not care for his War Form since it truly scares him to use.

MK thinks that impossible! Why would the Monkey King be afraid of his own super-cool power?

Until DBK asks him something important; "Aren't you afraid of yours?"

MK's complex over learning that he's a "Harbinger of Chaos" hits immediately, and he runs off to seek Macaque's guidance.

Macaque is amused, if not a little surprised that MK ultiamtely went to him for help with his Kaiju form.

MK: "Trust me bro, you're like my third choice. I can't ask Mei cus not even she knows how her's works." Macaque: "Eh. I'll take it. I am curious why yours is so much more taller than mine though."

Hint: it's a self worth thing Macaque developed whilst under the Brotherhood that he needed to "limit the space he took up", he's still working on that.

Some fun mentor-and-son-figure kaiju training occurs, and MK eventually asks a bombshell question;

MK: "Hey when Monkey King said you ran off, what did he mean?" Macaque, stiffens: "I didn't run from the celestial army if thats what you're wondering." MK, remembering what DBK said: "Were you afraid of Him?" Macaque, pauses and sighs: "At the time yes." MK: "At the time?" Macaque: "MK, in that moment, I hadn't known Wukong even had a War Form or even knew what they truly meant. All I saw was this... demon where my best friend once stood." MK: "OH... I mean... that sorta explains why you guys were fighting under the mountain." Macaque: "Yeah. You can see why I called him-" MK: "I mean, I wouldn't know how bad I'd feel if Mei ran away from me cus of my power up..." Macaque: "...what?" MK: "You ran away from your best friend. That's not cool. Scared or not, that was your buddy in there. And if he saw you running or I dunno shadow portal-ing away, I'd get why he was so salty when you popped up later with a peach like nothing had happened. From his view, he was going through something new and terrifying for him too and you abandoned him. Twice if you never came back to check in on him." Macaque: "... you're a smart kid MK. Way too smart for me." (*Macaque portals away to make a long overdue apology*)

Macaque himself seemed to be having a similar revelation when he saw the fight in 3rd person in the Memory Scroll. That his own reaction was more of a build-up of frustration from his treatment in the Brotherhood rather at Wukong specifically.

In Short; these bitches needed a relationship referee to call a yellow car when they tossed their unrelated anger at each other.

Bonus: I love the idea of Wukong's kaiju form being HUGE, and MK's being the medium between him and Macaque. Also, cuddly giant monkeys made of light and shadow.

#sun wukong #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #shadowpeach #lmk dbk #lmk demon bull king #lmk aus #lmk #lego monkie kid

99 notes · View notes

fazedlight · 4 months

Text

Lois (inspired by this fic by @luthordamnvers and @snowydragonscave)

Can I trust a Luthor?, Lois thought.

The fight had already begun, drawing the entire staff of The Daily Planet to the building’s windows. The battle between Superman and the mysterious figure might simply be another Tuesday in Metropolis…

Before the sky turned red.

Lois’s finger itched at the scrap of paper in her hands, a note attached to a flower delivery, written in a messy scrawl. “In the darkest hour, the answer is at the top of the Planet.”

Lois glanced to Perry White, to James, feeling the notable absence of Clark. Can I trust a Luthor?, she asked herself again, her sensibilities warring against Lena Luthor for being from the wrong family, for being too young, for… this is bullshit, Lois thought.

She turned on her heel, darting across the room without much notice, jerking open the stairwell door before bounding the three flights up to the roof of the Daily Planet. Yanking a bobby pin from her hair, she quickly unlocked the security door - a practiced habit, from her occasional secret smoke breaks - and made her way onto the roof.

She approached the giant sphere, THE DAILY PLANET boldly imprinted along its side, as her eyes scoured over the globe’s infrastructure. It didn’t take her long to notice the slightest edge of a box hidden at the very base - somewhere that someone would only look if they had need to.

She yanked at the box, throwing a quick look over her shoulder as the rapidly dimming skies contrasted with the blasts of green echoing along the clouds. Farmboy’s running out of time, she thought, ripping at the box until she came to folded metal.

That’s when she grinned. Daughter of an army general, Lois knew her way around a weapon. She was almost gleeful as she snapped together the clever telescoped rifle, the back of her mind admiring its sleek construction - despite the bulky payload - as she briefly fantasized about shooting Lex Luthor out of the sky.

But as she turned, settling onto the building ledge to steady her weapon, her eye caught on the note attached to the scope. “Aim for the S”, it said.

Lois tilted her head curiously, feeling a wave of realization, hearing Lena’s words in her ear. “Lex is my brother and I love him, but I can't stand and do nothing.”

Lois turned again to the sky, watching as Superman faltered, as the hero struggled to stay in the air, dodging more attacks as the sunlight shifted a darker red. It’s now or never, Lois said, knowing somewhere in her soul that Lena was out to do the right thing. She adjusted her aim, not lingering given Superman’s movements, carefully squeezing the trigger.

Light burst from the end of the gun, Lois’s eyes widening as the laser split across the sky, cutting through the atmosphere until it landed squarely on the kryptonian’s chest. Lois’s expression shifted to a smile as Superman’s entire frame changed, power roaming through his posture, like air filling his lungs. He surged forward again, throwing the mysterious figure across the sky like a ragdoll, continuing to chase after the attacker with new vigor.

Lois turned up to the sky again, watching the eclipse continued on, hearing sonic boom after sonic boom as the battle raged in the distance. Until finally, light began streaming again, yellow sunlight brushing her face in welcomed relief.

She smiled again, turning to pack the gun back into the box, intent to leave it where she had found it so that her Little Luthor benefactor could later retrieve it. Thanks, Lena, she thought.

She heard a clamor behind her, the heavy steps of a familiar photojournalist running her way. James watched as Lois shoved a box beneath the Planet’s globe again, before she rose, dusting herself off, making her way back towards the roof door.

“What did you do?” James asked incredulously as she brushed past him.

It was a simple answer. “I shot Superman.”

#this scene kept bouncing around in my head so here we are #mel writes ficlets #supergirl

86 notes · View notes

azrielslightintheshadows · 10 months

Note

Could you possibly do a fluffy Rhys x reader where reader has always been kinda independent and has never really experienced someone wanting to help take care of them and spoil them until Rhys came along?

Let me take care of you.

Rhysand x f!Reader.

Warnings; swearing.

Masterlist.

I hope this is how you imagined this!

Growing up as the middle child of your family you had no choice but do anything alone. Your father was always spending time with your older sister, caring for her and making sure that she had everything she wished for. Your mother on the other hand was always babying your younger sister. When you were eight years old you learned how to make snacks when you got hungry, how to make your bed and how to wash your clothes. You always played with your older sister's damaged toys and wore her old clothes since your parents never bothered to buy new ones for you. It wasn’t that they didn’t have the money, when your younger sister was born your mother filled her room with several toys and clothes. As you grew up you started working at a bookstore and after a while you managed to save enough money to move to your own place. Your parents never tried to get in touch with you and even though it hurt, you continued your life like they never existed.

One evening as you were closing the bookstore a handsome male approached you. He was dressed casually but you could still see how elegant he was even in his loose clothes. “Excuse me do you know where the store owner is?” his deep voice sent shivers down your spine. You looked at him and almost gasped when you noticed his violet eyes. The High Lord.

“Uhm probably at his house.” You replied.

“Oh, did he say something about a book? He told me to come today to pick it up.” He spoke.

“No he didn’t mention it.” You started unlocking again “Come in maybe he left it somewhere.”

He nodded and followed you inside. “Thank you for doing this.”

“No problem” you smiled and checked the counter and the drawers.

“What’s the title of the book?” you shouted from under the counter.

“Beasts of Prythian” he answered, and your breath hitched.

“No its not here. Maybe he forgot?” you said softly “I can write it down and ask him again tomorrow.” “Oh okay. Thank you” he smiled and as you stared at his sharp face and those violet eyes that shined under the light of the stars the bond snapped.

That was how you met your mate, the High Lord of the Night Court -Rhysand.

He came the next day and asked you on a date and now a year later you are packing your things to move in his house.

You glanced at your apartment for one last time thinking about the life you are leaving behind and how much Rhysand changed it.

On your first date he appeared at your door with a bouquet of red roses making your heart skip a beat. No one had ever gifted you something and you had to use most of your power to hold back the tears of happiness.

“This is for me?” you had asked softly.

“Well I’m not planning to take someone else on a date and even though I’m amazing I don’t usually buy myself flowers” he had rolled his eyes with a playful smirk.

“You arrogant High Lord” you had snorted.

He took you to a nice restaurant and when the waitress guided you to the table, he pulled a chair back and waited for you to sit. You hadn’t realized that he was waiting for you, so you pulled the chair across him and sat down. He stared at you, and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“Oh you pulled the chair for me?” you had asked him.

“Its okay” he had replied with a tight smile.

“I can get up and come sit there if you want.” You mumbled scared that you offended him. “No no its fine I’ll just sit here.”

That night he escorted you back home and left.

Your thoughts kept running to the times he did something like that.

When he came to your house with a bottle of wine, and you spent the night cooking and talking. He kept insisting to help you make dinner and afterwards he made the dessert alone, making your heart swell as he offered you a plate with a feline smile.

When he found out you were having nightmares and asked Madja to make a tea that would help you sleep peacefully. You had looked at him like he had grown a second head when he gave it to you.

When he bought you a gown for solstice after he invited you to meet his family. You had offered to repay him, but he shook his head.

“Let me spoil you my love” he had said, and tears streamed down your face.

The next day you used your savings to buy him a nice quill.

“So you will think about me when you work.” You had said and he chuckled.

“I always think about you.”

Rhysand practically gave you everything you wanted, if you stared at an item for more than five seconds the next day he would come to your house and give it to you.

At some point you felt so bad, like you were using him, so you stopped looking at the store windows. Even then Rhysand would get you the most amazing stuff.

“I saw it and I immediately thought of you.”

“Oh come on this screams y/n”

“I dreamed of you in this, you will look amazing. I can’t imagine another female wearing it.”

“This was made for you”.

And always you would furrow your eyebrows.

“Rhys you’re spending all your money on me. I don’t need more clothes or at this point anything.”

“Let me take care of you.”

You gave up and bought a second closet because your old one was full.

It wasn’t only the things he bought you though. Rhysand could always understand your mood. If you were happy, he would immediately take you to Rita’s or for a stroll in the city. Sometimes he would even arrange game nights with his family.

If you were sad though he would make you dinner and spend the day cuddling you, and telling you that everything is going to be alright.

One day one of your coworkers was being rude to you. You had decided to ignore him until your shift ended and then put him in his place. Rhysand came to pick you up and overheard you coworker saying. “Being the High Lord’s whore doesn’t make you better than us.” You had opened your mouth to tell him off when he knelt in pain, holding his head with both his hands and crying. Rhys strolled in with his hands in his pocket and a cold expression.

“Say that again” he had growled.

Your coworker couldn’t speak.

“Rhys its okay I can handle this” you had said.

“No!” he snarled “say that again”.

When he didn’t reply Rhysand crushed his memories and pulled you out of the store.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles Rhys. I’ve been doing it my whole life.” You had screamed.

“This means nothing. It’s finally time for someone else to take care of you. Your parents may have been useless but I’m not! You’re my fucking Queen.” He had screamed back, his dark power trembling the whole city.

That night you cried in his arms, letting all the trauma out and accepting the new life he was offering you.

“Ready?” your mate asked as he hugged you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder. “I think so.” You sighed and stared at the open door of your apartment from the outside.

“Let’s go then.” He said and closed your door. You smiled thinking how fitting it was for him to close the door of your past life.

“I love you” you softly said.

“I love you too.” He replied and grabbed your bags.

Hope you enjoyed this!

241 notes · View notes

notroosterbradshaw · 2 years

Text

the Relationship Experience - seven

part of: The Boyfriend Experience universe

six.

It was so early – well, not early by his standards, but Rooster knew it would be way too early to expect you to be awake. He squinted over his shoulder as the sun was starting to rise on the horizon, a scorcher on the cards if the burn of its climb held any credence.

He wasn’t due back for another few days, but please the right people, know the right ass to kiss to potentially get him on a plane to bring him home sooner? He'd try it if it could get him back to you quicker. It probably wouldn’t happen again, so he’d take the reprieve this time.

Hitching the flowers in the crease of his elbow from that florist you loved to drag him to when he wasn’t due on base with the sparrows, he knew walking in on the morning of Valentine’s Day was going to be tough. But he also knew most people didn’t say no to a man in uniform just wanting to buy a beautiful bunch of roses for the girl - no, woman. The woman he hadn’t seen in three months and to surprise her that morning.

Three hellishly long months.

He’d missed Christmas and New Year and he’d expected to miss today, too. But sometimes good things happen to reasonably good people, he figured. Or painfully brownnose to your superiors until you get your way. Look, he wasn’t proud of it, but hey.

He was home.

He quietly unlocked the front door and let himself in, dropping his duffle by his feet, and wandering into the familiar surroundings of your apartment. The linger of your perfume, the photo wall. He went over and said hi to his mom, tenderly tracing the frame before moving to the kitchenette for a hard-earned glass of water. He sculled it before going for seconds and tossing his gaze over his shoulder for your bedroom, quietly placing the glass in the sink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and subsequent buttons of his NWU, energised.

Placing his hat on the bench with his phone silenced, keys and sunglasses within it, the pull to your bedroom was purely magnetic.

Pushing into the bedroom soundlessly, Rooster’s gaze softened, seeing your sleepy form on your side of the California King, his pillow snuggling tight against your cheek and your sinful body draped in a lone white sheet. The sexiest of sights and it took everything in his power not to rush you. Choosing to take his time, he sat at the desk seat of your bay window and unlaced his boots, placing his socks in them and tidily putting them out of the way, before removing his shirt altogether, laying it carefully over the back of the chair. He loosened his slacks, but resistance was futile. He was half-hard and wholeheartedly unabashed about it.

He had to wake you.

Moving across the room, he sat on your side of the bed and smiled to himself, allowing his fingertips to graze your supple, warm skin and he was awestruck. “My sweet girl, I’m home,” he dared whisper, his tender rasp rougher in his exhaustion.

But if he knew and boy, did he know how well you slept… it was going to take more than some sweet coos to wake you. He lowered himself to sweep the lowly sheet away from you, letting it slink down your back and the curve of your hip, prompting him to leave a wet kiss against it. He grasped a handful of your ass, massaging it in his palm and smiled when he heard you whimper and roll closer to his side, looking for his warmth even in his apparent absence.

He chuckled quietly to himself, pleased you still searched for him.

He tried whispering your name, his mantra and reached for your hand, his lips grazing your knuckles and your fingers flexing before he placed it back on the bed and changed tack.

Hearing your gentle whimper and contorting your body into a light wriggle, Rooster bit back a smile as his tongue traced from the base of your spine towards the back of your ribs. He’d forgotten how smooth your skin was as he nuzzled some pressure into his kiss, a trail of saliva leeching between your shoulder blades.

Your murmur made him weak, but it was surely this if there was ever a right way to come home. Waking you up under his touch, his eager kiss. He was being so patient, in a way that only the last decade could teach him. But fuck, regiment be damned, all he wanted to do was wake you with his lips dipping urgently into your core, tasting you on his tongue and watching his lover, you, lose all control.

Already half undressed to his loosened slacks to ease pressure on his raging cock, he contemplated doing just that, tossing you onto your back and trapping you with your glorious thighs constricted around his ears while he devoured you, pinning you down with his strength as you pleaded for him, pleaded for his hard cock, pleaded to cum.

Three months of utter frustration pulsated in his ears, all the blood in his body located below the belt so much so that he felt like two different people:

The first who wished to wake you affectionately, kiss, caress, and fall into a slow morning of making love, showing you how much he’d missed you and how in love he was as the sun rose before falling asleep together and starting again but the second was powerful and almost feral. The second wanted to do all the things he thought about frenziedly when he found a moment of privacy, dreaming of slamming into your fervent pussy while you called for more and riding him to the rough rhythm he commanded; the head he craved so sloppy that he knew he would blow hard and fast, taking the brunt of his frustration on your body part of his choosing.

You were intoxicating, the remains of yesterday’s perfume on your skin. The tender curve of your ass that his large palm swept across elicited another subtle squirm from you. He bit back a smile; you would be writhing under him soon.

He prided himself on introducing you to the benefits of sleeping nude, something you didn’t do before him. While Rooster generally slept naked when he was at home, it was obviously not something he’d toil with while away, for obvious reasons, but he was a creature of habit and when the sleepovers started, it didn’t take long to convince you, his sweet girl, that sleep just came easier when you shared skin. Point, Bradshaw.

He would never tire of rolling over, his muscular arms searching for you, dragging you back to him and feeling your perfect ass roll with purpose against his cock, showing him you needed him during the early hours before his alarm. He’d grip your hips as he gently ground himself into you, growing harder in next to no time, and fucking you so deep while loving on you slow. Your breathy moans coaxing gentle rumbles from his chest, his voice telling you how good you were together and his mind telling him this was the real thing, and he couldn’t imagine being with someone else like this anymore.

You were his living, breathing fantasy.

“Sweet girl, wake up for me…” he whispered with a low chuckle, pushing up the bed and laying beside you to rest his head on the pillow. He brushed your messy hair from your face. Your beautiful face. He kissed the apple of your cheek, calling your name again a little louder now, his voice raw with exhaustion and desire. “I’m home.”

Watching your body twist into the mattress, he licked his lips anticipating your reaction. You’d both survived the first deployment since your lives had changed, and he needed to touch and feel you.

You rose unhurriedly, every movement fluid as you mumbled a confused “Bradley?” and dragged your head off his pillow. Blinking a few times, he tried not to laugh as you rubbed the sleep from your pretty albeit disbelieving eyes.

“Hi, baby. I’m home,” he said again, tenderly tactile as his fingertips padded your bicep to your wrist and you smiled, groggily. “I’m so happy to see you,” he said as it seemed to dawn on you that he was right before you.

“Oh, Bradley,” you scampered urgently into his arms, skin to skin just as God had intended. He missed your warmth against his and pressed a series of kisses into your jaw and clavicle as he held you close, reassuring you he was home, he was safe. “I thought I was dreaming,” you looked at him wide awake now, incredulous and still searching for signs of injury or harm, your tears reflecting in your eyes.

You didn’t know what to say, about a million questions bubbling on your lips, but you could only scramble towards his mouth and kiss him as if your life depended on it. Kiss him for getting home safely, kiss him for the days you didn’t get to kiss him at all, kiss him because you needed to remember how he tasted. And kiss him because you missed how fucking thoroughly he could kiss you. Rolling his body above yours, you laced your calves around him, hoping that if you didn’t let him go, he couldn’t disappear again.

“I’m home, sweet girl. Fuck, I missed you so goddamn much,” he found your wrists and cupped them tightly above your head, as you chased his kiss without the slightest hint of shame, and he devotedly delivered, helping relax your body back down on the mattress, his body weighing you down and fuck, how you’d missed being trapped under his remarkable, powerful body.

Without hesitation, you opened your thighs to him and although he was still dressed, he wholly let his weight release on you. He adjusted slightly to get where he needed, his hips rolled against you, the friction of his uniform eliciting a gasp from you his mind hadn’t been able to replicate when he thought about you on those cold lonely nights in the middle of the ocean.

“Fuck, I missed that sound,” he confessed, his lips leaving yours and cascading low. His breath was hot against your skin and he nuzzled your neck, burying his face into your warmth. You’d missed the tickle of his moustache as he ghosted kisses across your pulse.

“Jesus Christ,” you tenderly let your fingers lace into his soft curls and scratch at the nape of his neck. He needed a trim, and he had a rarely seen five o’clock shadow but you were lying to say you would love to see your man bearded up and a bit of length to his curls. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting in early, Bradley?”

“Where would the surprise be in that?” he asked lovingly, drizzling kisses between your breasts before resting his cheek on his favourite place to lay.

He made a good point. This wouldn’t be happening if you met him as expected. Friends, families, sailors, chaos. Not slow and delicate like this. He nudged you with his pelvis, particularly fond of that grunt you responded with. “Tell me,” he laughed quietly. “What were you dreaming about? Whatever it was had you in a bit of a state,” his big hands drifted across your forearms, biceps, and the smoothness of your breast and you leaned into it, urging him for more.

“That you were kissing me, my back, my shoulders,” you managed, bashfully covering your face with your palms. “Was getting good too…” you admitted, a small groan escaping your mouth as he swirled his tongue around a pleading nipple.

“Oh, it was one of those kinds of dreams. My dirty, dirty girl. So sexy,” he grunted but thrilled your dreams were being fulfilled by him too. “But you weren’t dreaming,” he confided in his sexy rasp. “I wanted to give you a pleasant wake-up. It’s the least I can do with the plans I have for you today.”

“You need time to rest,” you told him, remembering how your father and grandfather would be lost to sleep the first few days upon their return from deployment but also you needed him to be turning you inside out sooner rather than later. Your knuckles caressed his rosy cheeks, turning your fingers to follow his faint scars but he was never self-conscious with you, not the way you treasured them. You’d missed the feel of the wiry-raised skin under your touch and reached up to kiss each and every one.

“Oh, baby, that is so good,” he murmured, sinking further into you. You kissed the biggest scar on his shoulder, and your hands drifted down his strong side, the thick muscles contracting as you touched him.

“You sure you’re not too sleepy, big boy?” your voice was like liquid gold to his ears as your silken tongue followed your favourite scar across his throat, his Adam’s Apple bobbing under the strain.

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Hold that thought, love,” he promised you. He pulled away and you immediately missed the feel of his skin against yours, knowing your eyes were watching his every move. He moved to stand, and loosened his zip down, knowing full well that a little show to remove his slacks could turn you a little wild. Just how he loved you with that look from doe-eyed that you were home, to dark and carnal for him. He carefully shimmied the waist down, already so hard and wanting and he let his last remaining item of clothing fall, dropping his boxer briefs with his slacks. “Miss me just a little?” he asked, licking his lips as he carefully stroked himself, languid and delicate. It felt so good to know how close he was to claiming you. He heard your sweet little gasp, giving you another few moments to watch him.

You were overwhelmed by your own body heat, every nerve ending on fire. “Just a little. Your body is perfect,” you breathed, licking the side of your lip like a woman parched. You loved watching him touch himself and, on those rare occasions, when you’d shared a little mutual masturbation, you could cry out louder than if he were inside you merely from the sight alone, but that wouldn’t cut it now. You loved watching Bradley Bradshaw touch himself. He groaned a little, watching the pad of your finger circling your belly button.

You needed him. You needed to feel him drive all his strength into you, have him find the places only he knew and fuck you so good, you’d weep.

“God, you look good. Do they just lock you in the gym when you’re on the carrier to come home looking more amazing than you did the last time I saw you?” you asked before you could stop yourself. “Is this what I get from the Navy as a welcome home gift after all the years of pain and disappointment?”

He hummed but couldn’t resist a giggle at your anti-Navy sentiment. “Gym relieves the tension on multiple fronts,” he admitted, a small sneer on his full lips, as he collected the pre-cum on the tip of his cock and his finger moved to your mouth, gratefully accepting it between your lips and he breathed, scared he was far too hot, too turned on, too close to ruining all this. You missed his taste, so distinctly him.

Crawling to cover you on the bed, his knees worked with his palms, holding your knees to thrust your thighs wide, cunt glistening and on display for him. “Gotta bury my cock in you. Feel how warm and soft you are again,” he professed wildly.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Gonna get you a little riled up for me first,” he chewed his lower lip, his deep tone decisive. “Eat you out as you deserve. Fuck you so deep your eyes roll back, and you’re just fuckin’ drunk on me,” he lowered his body to yours, his slippery tongue gleefully swirling around your straining nipple and he stared up at you as if you were his last meal. His gleaming sharp teeth sank into the soft flesh of your breast, your body contorting in bliss and utter defeat beneath him.

His words made you shamefully needy.

Your noises of pleasure and encouragement were just exquisite.

You pushed your chest closer to his mouth, forcing him to pay deliberate attention to your breasts, your fingers lacing behind his thick neck, your nails raking into his scorching skin to keep him there. He’d learned early on that you adored having your tits played with. He was an ass man by nature but he was easily swayed when held you from behind and cupped your breasts as he covered you, his thumb and index finger toying with your nipples until you begged for his cock, got yourself off on his fingers… or watched as you got off on your own while he fucked into you ruthlessly. “God, I’ve missed you,” you told him, voice dripping with want.

He palmed your other breast as he looked up and smiled lazily at you. “Nowhere near as close as I’ve missed you,” he nuzzled the soft skin, pressing in open-mouth kisses, his skilled tongue swirling your nipple, his honeyed eyes dark with their longing. He breathed into your skin as you almost begged. He loved nothing more than having you melting for him.

“Oh, God,” you mewled.

“Lemme take care of you for a bit, love, but tell me… did you touch yourself when I was away?” he pleaded to know the answer.

“I thought about you so much,” you admitted. “Obsessed with you,” your back curving your breast into his greedy mouth. “Couldn’t get you out of my brain.”

He hummed, pleased. What man didn’t want to hear those words? “But did you touch yourself?” Rooster kissed between your breasts, his tongue tracing to your belly button, he stared up at you with a curious gaze, eyes dancing in a way that you knew he was taunting you, awaiting your answer.

“Every night. Most mornings,” you confided. “It is hard to let you go, Bradshaw.”

He laughed into your skin. “Good girl. I hope you came hard. But I also hope it doesn't compare to the real thing.”

“Never,” you admitted. “Nothing compares to how you get me off on your perfect cock,” you traced the shell of his ear and he shuddered.

“Fuck. Tell me more…”

You took his hand tenderly. “How good these beautiful hands are, when they’re inside of me,” you patiently sucked on his index finger again, and he realised maybe… just maybe you were the one doing the taunting in the early hours of the morning. “How your slick tongue loops around my nipple and those perfect teeth bruise the flesh,” you moaned as he took note of your subtle hint, blowing his breath against the sensitive bud and watching it pucker for him as he kissed and boldly circled it with his thick tongue at your whim before giving the other the same devotion, if not more. “Jesus Christ. I could cum like this,” you accused lightly, knotting your fingers in his curls to keep him doing what he was doing with his mouth.

“Don’t you want my cock?”

“So bad,” you told him. “I’m so turned on.”

He hummed, his long finger sweeping through your slick folds and you told no lies. “Jesus Christ. But you don’t get to cum yet,” he moved his lips away from your nipple and you flopped back into the pillow, a little deflated.

He huffed a laugh, his tongue tracing your ribs. “I know you’re not working this morning. So, I’m gonna fuck you for hours. And then hours after that.”

The sound that escaped you was almost inhuman. “But shouldn’t I be taking care of you?” you asked incredulously as he moved to his belly on the bed, roughly spreading your legs wide for him and nuzzling at your clit, reacquainting himself with you.

“Sweet girl, this isn’t about me… yet,” he muttered, his long fingers stroking the soft skin of your labia. “I love goin’ down on you so fuckin’ much,” he said more to himself. He was showing the restraint of a saint, but for all his faults, he knew this guaranteed him going straight to heaven.

Rooster’s sex drive was notorious, and his cock was above average, how the fuck else did he get his call sign? Well, it wasn’t that straightforward but the mix of wanton needs and fucking hating early mornings despite the requirement, it was interchangeable. He let people make their own assumptions, but only a few knew. Like you. “Lay back and do as you're told.”

“You’ve been at sea for months,” you tried, breath hitching as his lips nipped against the soft skin on your inner thighs. “Roost – Bradley,” your tone is a mixture of warning and lascivious need.

His eyes changed as he stared up at you, a mix of want and desire laced within the gold and honey of his colour. “You’ll make it up to me, but you just looked so pretty, love, sprawled out under the sheets, naked, soft. Those sounds you were making while I kissed you made me so fuckin’ hard,” he confided, his kiss wet as he directed his attention to your clit. “Nothing compares to being here with you.”

Your hips vaulted off the mattress almost immediately, and he used his strong hands to keep you pinned down to take everything he was offering you. His tongue traced the slick already formed, at home with a taste he knew so well.

“Bradley,” you almost chastised as your head lolled back and your nails raked into his brawny shoulders. “I want to feel you in me, I want you to feel me cum.”

“Plenty of time for that,” he shushed you, his tongue swirling at your clit, lapping up the juices that were making the most obscene sounds with his tongue. He had never been so turned on and declining to fuck you immediately was one of the hardest things he’d ever said no to, and he never ever said no to you. He smiled wickedly, feeling that familiar tremble in your thighs as he knew you were closing in on what he hoped was a really fuckin’ good orgasm, gagging to explode. Your moans, the way you squirmed beneath him, thrusting towards his mouth desperate to take all he had to offer.

“Bradley…” you drawled, the bliss in your tone turning him to jelly.

“Love,” he acknowledged, sliding his fingers in and adding to the ruthless assault.

“I missed this,” your breathing hitched as his talented fingers crooked inside you, finding that magical spot and you cursed, the pressure building in your stomach, tensing, flexing, forcing him to use his strength to keep you on your back.

“You ready to cum for me?” he asked in that rasp, thicker and dire with longing. “God, you’re a sight,” he murmured, his tongue darting out and circling your clit, dark eyes not leaving your form. He groaned, your fingers tugging at his now mussed curls. No longer a gentleman, just a man waiting for his woman to fall apart for him.

“Bradley,” you managed.

“Come on,” he growled. “Let your fuckin’ neighbours know your man is home.”

You managed a grin as he released your thighs and let your pussy grind into his eager mouth. Holy shit, he was incredible. A God of a man… and all yours. All fucking yours. It was enough to make you crack, the pressure on your senses overtaking you as you threatened to cum messily.

Your voice didn’t call to him as feral as you felt, but you breathed his name out as you gripped his strong, muscular shoulders and let go, your orgasm ripping through your body like an earthquake. Your body was on high alert as he greedily lapped up all you gave him.

“Thatta girl, just like that. Fuck, you look so good,” he murmured, banking the memory of you coming undone and all under his power. The way your body moved and quaked, Jesus Christ, he would bottle it if he could. “That’s my sweet girl,” he mumbled, awed, as you fell back against the pillows, blissed out… just how he liked it. He pressed against your tummy, his lips leaving your dripping core and travelling back up your torso, sweeping a path of your slick and his saliva against your blistering skin. He revelled in the explosions and goose pimples splaying across your skin as his lips moved over it. “Yes, love, I know,” he said as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, needing him close, and he gazed at you with soft eyes as his tongue skimmed your throat. Wet kisses continued as he devoured between your breasts, the sensations on your skin too much as you writhed with sensitivity. “You did so good, love.”

Love. There it was again. He hadn’t really called you that before; you’d heard it thrice, maybe more, in quick succession. To say you were fond of it was an understatement. You were so used to being his Sweet Girl… but you craved to be his Love. The rumble of it off his tongue was unimaginable.

“Tell me what you need,” you begged him. “I’ll do anything,” you gingerly pulled yourself off the bed and rolled him over, really seeing him for the first time since he got home. Sweet, kind, funny Bradley Bradshaw. You raffled off those positions he adored most, which brought you as much pleasure as him. “Be selfish, Bradley. Tell me what you want,” you pleaded with him.

He breathed deeply. “Be selfish…” he repeated. He was never asked to be selfish, your divine voice clouding his judgement as he pulled you to his waist, exhaustion be damned.

“Want me to ride you, big boy?” you offered, moving to straddle his powerful quads, taking his leaking cock in your earnest palms, your thumb circling around the tip. He hissed, eyes fluttering closed as you lightly worked him. He let you disarm him for a minute or two, your skilled hands knowing exactly how he needed to be touched. The right pressure, the right speed. His murmurs quiet and abs clenched as he tried to hold it together. He didn’t want to cum like this. He shook his head slowly and sat up, you were face to face. “Blow you?”

He said a quiet no as you continued to palm his thick, long cock melodiously. “Fuck,” he breathed through his nose. “That feels good. Three months… too damn long.”

“I know, baby,” you agreed. “Doggy?” you offered, and he shook his head, trying not to laugh. “Plain, old missionary?” you goaded when you didn’t get a response. You felt his cock twitch and knew he would cum if you kept up your ministrations.

He bit back a smile. “Baby… just sit where you are and be with me,” he ordered quietly, releasing your hands and guiding himself into you, fully sheathed as you both preened to the new feeling. It had been too long for you both. He sat up and lengthened his long, strong legs before him. You were face to face and you crept to your knees.

It was an unbreakable moment and you’d never felt more adored as he tenderly grasped your chin and brought you closer to kiss your forehead. “Just still, you and me.”

You held his face softly in your hands and searched his handsome features. “Just still,” you repeated, a gasp escaping your lips as you resisted moving and keeping your promise to him. “Tell me… you’re okay, baby?”

While the impression of a grin didn’t spread wide across his handsome features, the affection in his eyes didn’t lie. “I’m fan-fucking-tastic, sweet girl. Safe and sound,” he replied with a quiet quiver in his voice as he strained to remain within you, cool and calm.

And it had been so long that he’d felt like someone genuinely missed him. Your adoration for him was palpable and almost overwhelmed him. “I’m so happy you’re home. While you were gone, everything was just so…” your voice trailed off.

“Just so, huh?” his lip quivered as he licked back a smirk.

“Just so,” you established, unable to consider the words. You combed your fingers through his unkempt curls and laced your hands behind his neck, massaging his solid traps. He smiled, his face nearing yours.

“I don’t apologise,” he laughed wholly against your lips before kissing you. “I’ll never apologise for that.”

“I’d never want you to,” you replied as he adjusted his posture and found a spot deep inside that spoke deeply to you. “Fuck, this feels so good. You feel bigger than I remember.”

“Compliments like that will get you far, kid. Just go with it. I know it’s a lot,” he talked you through it. “Gonna make everything better, I promise.”

“You’re holding out on me,” you gave a watery sigh.

“Stamina,” he shrugged, arrogantly. Rooster rarely reminded you about the threshold of his physical limits. You knew, but Jesus, there was no keeping a good man down. “Behave, and you might get what you deserve.”

“I dread to think,” your eyes closing of their own volition. “Fuck, I don’t think I can do this.”

“You can do this,” he whispered, brushing away a single tear from your sweltering cheek.

“No, I need to move or something, Bradley. Anything,” you whined.

Rooster chuckled, a deep grumble rising from his belly, and you could feel it exponentially. His laughter into your skin as you relaxed your weight on him, exactly what he wanted as you rested for forehead on his brawny shoulder, but it didn’t soothe any desire for you. “That’s my girl,” he said, swallowing hard. “You feel so fuckin’ good.”

“I’m trying so hard not to cum and you’re not even moving,” you blinked through tears that threatened as he felt your pussy flutter around him. He sighed, his heart racing. “Everything is in hyper colour.”

“I know, baby,” he grasped your chin and moved to kiss you again. “You’re doing beautifully.”

“Please fuck me, Bradley. I need you,” you begged. “I can’t do this.”

“Just a little while longer, baby. I’m not hurting you?”

“No,” you kissed him, you wanted to devour him. “Definitely not hurting me, just feels too damn good.”

Without responding, his body kicked into gear, his pelvis pressing up and his cock burying itself deeply as you cried out, leaning back and resting a palm on the bed to move to an angle that made him just that more godly. “That’s good,” he instructed, raising your hips to rest against his powerful thighs as his hips rolled sinfully slow. “I want you to touch yourself.”

And who were you to argue? You knew his eyes were glued to your body as he continued thrusting into you methodically, you needed the respite. But if he wanted to be teased, that’s what you’d give him, your free palm gripping your at your breasts, pressing and pulling against your nipples as you met his thrusts. You could cum as you were and sucked in a sharp breath, hoping to hold out a little longer for him. His eyes were keenly on where your bodies met and he groaned as your fingers followed down your belly, opening yourself to him and swirling at your clit.

“You’re fuckin’ perfect, you know that?” he asked, his hips speeding and pushing up into you. “Get yourself there, love. I wanna see you cum again. You’re so wet, can’t last,” he chewed his lip, watching your hand play with your pretty pussy. “So close, you’re so tight. Little more, love,” he cursed as you started to crumble, your cunt pulsating around him like a vice grip, the tremours bringing out the raw side of him and he fucked you madly, harder, rougher, wanting to take as much of you for himself.

“Bradley,” you panted, his name falling from your lips like a song as he licked his fingers and reached to furiously rub your clit with your own, sending you over the edge, your body shuddering uncontrollably and coating his cock with your slick juices. He cursed and his hips stuttered, pounding into you roughly as came viciously, milking his cock with all you had. He didn’t think he’s cum so hard, your body dragging out his orgasm until you were both spent.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathed a litany of curses as he pulled you to sit up and collapse against him, exhausted. He smoothed your hair back and tried to collect himself although the way you were licking and caressing his clavicle and that vein that ran down his neck, he almost forgot his goddamn name, his body sensitive in the afterglow. “I love you; I love you so fuckin’ much it makes me crazy,” he admitted as you clasped his face demanding, your tongue sweeping against his lips to kiss him roughly.

“I love you so much, Bradley. I could cum for you all day,” you swore as he giggled quietly against your lips.

“I’m holding you to that today, sweet girl,” he eased you back and his tongue darted out to swirl around your nipple. Jolts of pleasure shot through your body as you crudely raked his messy hair.

“Stop teasing,” you pleaded with him as he started to regulate his breathing.

“Can’t. It’ll be merciless all day, and tomorrow and every day after that. Want your body in every position we can conjure up.”

“Have I got you for a few days before you’re back on base?” you asked nervously, wrapping your arms around his shoulders like he could slip away at any moment. You needed him close and weren’t going to let him go easily.

“Few days,” he said softly, kissing your lips tenderly. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweet girl.”

“Oh,” you said, staggered. Like it had even occurred to you what day it was when he wasn’t around. Christmas and New Year passed in a haze; you flat-out refused a single thought of Valentine's Day without him… and here he was before you. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Bradley Bradshaw. This is all I could ever want or need,” you said affectionately. He was exquisite as his cheeks flushed.

“Hold that thought,” he said, reaching for his boxers and going to catch the mess of your lovemaking. He tidied you up like always, without hesitation.

“Such a gentleman,” you baited as he winked.

“Least I can do. Be right back,” he figured before he popped up and left the room. You sighed and moved up the bed, snuggling into the pillows, pulling the lone sheet back up your body and trying to avoid the morning chill in the room. He reappeared a moment later, water in hand, a bouquet of multicoloured roses in the other and you could feel your grin spread across your face. “Where - how did you get them?” you asked suspiciously as he offered you the glass first and you took an enthusiastic gulp. He laughed, as he wiped away the dribble that escaped your lips.

“The florist you like,” he admitted. “But don’t ask how I managed to wrangle roses on Valentine’s Day.”

“You wore your uniform,” you didn’t even have to think about it. “Who says no to a man in uniform?”

He shrugged, handing them to you. “Not many,” he rubbed the back of his neck, bashfully before moving to his side of the bed. “I’m so glad to be home.”

You put the glass and flowers on the bedside table and wrapped your arms around his neck to kiss him as if your lives depended on it. “You’re the love of my life, Rooster Bradshaw.”

He hummed. “Same, sweet girl,” he kissed you again; before you knew it, it was round two.

…that fucking 1 per cent.

A while later, finally mobile after hours in bed, you watched Bradley put together the best he could with the fruit and soft cheese you were going to spoil yourself with later that night (it wasn’t grocery day and you weren’t expecting to have to feed him too, you protested and he cackled).

But he was ravenous, and while sexy, a hangry Bradley Bradshaw wasn’t pleasant. So after a shared shower, you tossed on a tee while he was left with a pair of his boxer briefs he must have left accidentally and you’d found a few months back that you’d washed so they were ready for exceptions just like this.

A mix of 60’s Motown played quietly and while you’d always loved it, he’d helped you appreciate it so much more.

You muttered the lyrics to Smokey Robinson’s ‘Tracks of My Tears’ quietly while playing with a hole in the threadbare NAVY tank you wore, Bradley��s toe-tapping with the beat, muscles in his back and shoulders like poetry in motion as he pottered.

He looked stronger, broader, and tanner, you noted as you sat on the bench, watching him work intently. You didn’t reckon you’d ever felt like this. So drawn to someone, it scared you. And rightfully so. Rooster was everything you didn’t want to fall for. High-risk job, away so often, the Navy. But you’d never felt so confident in love either. You were so in love with Bradley Bradshaw. He had changed you; and for the better.

You smiled as he approached with a strawberry in his fingertips. “Open…”

You did as he instructed, chewing gently on his finger teasing, the sweetness of the berry a sudden craving. His eyebrow quirked. “Good?”

You nodded, completely transfixed over him. You pulled a knee to your chest, resting your heel on the bench. Eyes watching him, doting. “Delicious.”

“More?”

“Yes, please,” you replied softly and he brought the plate over to share, standing between your legs, holding a strawberry between his gleaming teeth. It was so fucking cheesy, but it was an excuse to kiss him. You managed to keep your hands to yourself as you stretched for his lips, teeth darting for the fruit and took a careful bite and his lips tenderly caught yours. You sighed into the kiss as he dragged you to him, his strong palm wide and flat against your lower back.

“I’m so glad to be home,” he confided. Of course you knew, but his tone was different. “I was away longer than we’ve been together.”

You knew, dear God, you knew. You’d always been impatient by nature, a direct causation from your father and grandpa doing this too… and it never got easier. You’d learned to know days, hours, minutes and seconds intimately. It made you appreciate the time to yourself, but in the past, you’d find ways to amuse yourself, like packing your bags and just getting out of the confines of your four walls. These days, like you’d told Bradley earlier, everything was just so. Just morning, just afternoon, just time for bed. And you shrugged gently, mostly for his benefit. “Nature of the beast,” you hummed.

He nodded faintly. “Baby, I’m being recalled to Top Gun next week. There are about 12 grads being brought in. High stakes but no one are really talkin’ much. I’m going to probably ship out in a month or so.”

You nodded again. Fuck... “Okay, sweetheart,” you answered, just like you were trained to make it easier on the men in your life. But your palms were suddenly clammy, your heart was pounding, blood pulsating in your ears and your anxiety was bubbling roughly under the surface. You knew what this meant, you knew it all too well. Grandpa used to put these highly specialised operational teams together when you were growing up. You’d never forget his guilt when parts of the detachment didn’t come home. It still lived deeply with him.

He sighed, his palm running down the side of your face and forcing your gaze to his. “But I’m taking some extended time off after that, okay? I’d really like us to go somewhere. Escape San Diego. Drive to Mexico, get on a fucking plane to Hawaii, fuckin’ Alaska, I don’t care. Just you and me. No one else.”

He’d spat out a lot in a space of ten seconds. Top Gun, high stakes. A vacation. His train of consciousness confused you but you nodded because you figured it was what he needed. “Okay, whatever you want. That sounds amazing. Beach.”

He gave a faint grin, not really surprised by your vote. “Take you anywhere you wanna go. But just us.”

His stipulation was easy to agree to. “Okay,” you cupped his flushed cheek as he burrowed into your touch. You pulled him to you and held him close. You’d learnt this in the short time you’d known him that he craved being held and you would pull him into your arms anytime he needed it... and those times you did too. “Us.”

“Anywhere you want, okay?” He rested his forehead against yours as the song changed and a small smile that didn’t meet his eyes. He helped you from the bench top and pulled you into his strong, protective arms. “I love this song.”

Otis Redding, These Arms of Mine.

“Me, too,” you said like a secret as he lowered you to the floor. You watched him expectedly and took your hand in his, pressing it against his rapidly beating heart. His hand on your back guided you that one step further so that your bodies were flush against each other. He moved so fluidly, it only made you appreciate his body more.

He rested his chin on your hair, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. “The absolute goddamn desire. I think I know exactly how it feels,” he said quietly. “I definitely get the loneliness part. You know,” he paused, waiting for the line. “These arms of mine, they are burning, burning from wanting you. These arms of mine, they are wanting, wanting to hold you,” he sang lowly and you’d be lying to say you didn’t feel like you were falling just a little deeper. And you didn’t know how much deeper you could get.

“I dreamed of you every night I was away, I couldn’t get you out of my brain,” he confided, loosening his arms from his hold you around the waist, skilfully dipping you. You wrapped your leg around him, keeping him there. He’d make sure you didn’t fall.

You were familiar. “It’s going to be so hard,” you blinked back tears although you were in his arms, already fearing the next deployment and the distance it brought.

“I love you, I love you so much,” he tenderly kissed you, tightening his hold just that little more. “I will always come back to you.”

“It scares me what you do, Bradley. It’s a different scary than Grandpa and Dad…” you buried your face in his chest, not daring to meet his eyes. He hummed to the affirmatory. It was palpable how terrified you were for him. He didn’t know how to reassure you that he would be fine, he’d done this for years. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

He sighed heavily and guided your eyes to his. “You’ll never have to wonder, okay? Oh, baby,” he said, thumbing away a stray tear. He kissed you tenderly, putting all his reassurance and devotion into it. “Don’t cry. I’m here now, let’s make the best of this time,” with that, he stood you up and started to sway you again, nuzzling his nose from the curve of your ear to your jaw. He gently tipped your chin, allowing him access to drop hot, wet kisses against your flushed skin and he knew he heard you moan quietly. “Just play out the rest of the song with me, okay?” he instructed, his large palms caressing down your side, pressing your waist into his.

For a moment, you forgot everything, your brain short-circuiting on his strength, scent and tone. “I love you,” you breathed as he slipped his palm under your thighs and hitched you without warning or effort into his powerful arms. He eased you back against the bench and god, you’d forgotten how good it was to just kiss him. The tickle of his moustache and rub of his stubble against your cheeks, something devilishly sexy, so used to his baby-soft skin and the occasional rupture of scars, his tongue smooth against yours, laced in desperation. Your hands followed the ridges and peaks of his torso and back, making him smile against your lips as you tickled him. “Take me to bed, big boy,” you whispered.

“Yes, ma’am, thank you, ma’am,” he murmured against your lips and carried you away.

You were so carried away.

“Love, you here?” The front door slammed and you jumped, grasping at your cold, old heart. A very unlike Bradley Bradshaw entrance.

“Jesus Christ,” you muttered to yourself. “Couch,” you called to him, his heavy boots clunking down the hallway before he appeared, face hard, flight suit to his waist, dark undershirt saturated, curls dripping, biceps defined. He didn’t shower at work, you noted. He never came home in his flight suit if he could help it, choosing to leave work at work. He tossed his keys, phone and glasses on the bench and crossed his arms, not daring to approach you. “Bradley, you gave me a fucking heart attack,” you exclaimed with a nervous laugh, standing to greet him and break the tension with some comedy. “Dinner is staying warm in the oven. I didn’t expect you to be so late, baby.”

“Me either, I’m sorry,” he stood before you, stoic, hard. Angry. No, apoplectic. A silent white rage you’d never seen from him before, you could feel it radiate, just pouring off his skin. You should have been concerned he was wearing a face of stone, and truthfully, you’d never seen him so upset. But also? It was simply divine. He was very sexy when he was gruff. All muscles and sweat and muscles. Was he angry at you? Fuck, back up a minute.

“Are you okay?” You asked, confused and maybe a little fearful of his answer. You took his calloused hands in yours, clutching them tightly and forced his dark eyes to yours. “Talk to me, Bradley. Did something happen?”

He’d left this morning upbeat and excited, looking forward to whatever the day promised him with his new detachment. But your blood ran cold with his answer. “Yeah,” he nodded, staring down at you, jaw tight, voice chillingly even. “Mav is back.”

epilogue.

masterlist.

A/N: the tag list no longer exists. To keep up to date, give @notroosterbradshaw-library a follow x

523 notes · View notes