#so all three were susceptible to that promise

[narvan-jester]

Save A Horse (Bull)

WC: 4,871

Tags: Alternate Universe - Western, Rodeo Competitions, Cowboy Hats, Alcohol, Making Out, Not Beta Read, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Alternate Universe - No Band

Read under the cut or on AO3

The black bull seemed somewhat more wild than before. Phantom's eyes widened a little as the man on screen tilted his face to the camera, flashing it a bright, confident smile. Fuck, maybe it was a good thing Aurora made him stay. The dude definitely wasn't hard on the eyes.

Or

Phantom ends up grabbing a drink with Bull Rider Swiss.

Phantom pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the incoming headache brought on by the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells around him, endured for far too long. He let out a sigh. “Aurora, promise me that after this show we'll leave,” he asked, exasperated.

Aurora, his best friend for longer than he could remember, just smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Come on, Tommy, I can't believe you're not enjoying it! Let loose a little, we haven't even seen the goats yet!”

Phantom frowned, wagging his finger in her face. “Oh no, no, no, I know how you work. I've known you long enough. Thirty minutes is going to turn into three hours before you know it. And!” He said, pressing the finger over her lips, keeping them shut as she tried to protest. “You only want to see this next show because you think the rider’s hot. I know you, you never enjoy bull riding.”

Aurora swatted Phantom’s hand away, a pout forming on her face. “You're no fun,” she whined, lifting her hat to sweep her hair back before settling it back on her head. “Besides, after this show there's barrel racing, and I wanted to study some of the riders. You know the Cirrus is here!”

God, Phantom wishes he wasn't so susceptible to Aurora’s charms. “Fine. We'll stay until after Cirrus' show, then we'll leave. Deal?”

Aurora pouted slightly. “Deal. Now come on, we have to get good seats.” She practically dragged him up the metal risers, sitting him down forcefully and plopping herself right next to him. “You never know, maybe you'll enjoy it!”

The pounding behind Phantom’s eyes only increased as a crowd began to gather, mumbling half-heartedly about how he was “missing the sheep shows” and had “already seen the steers”.

He tried valiantly to focus, for Aurora if anything, as the speakers crackled to life. He squinted up at the screen, watching a big black bull shake and toss his head from side to side, restless and stubborn in the closed-off space.

Some name shone on the screen, flashing away before he could read all of it, only catching something like “Swiss”. He rolled his eyes as Aurora poked him a little, straining her neck a little to talk to him close enough to be heard. “That's the one. He'll be last.”

Phantom gave some sort of a half-entertained grunt, seemingly enough for Aurora to not jab him in the ribs.

He didn't pay much attention to the few poor riders flung right off their smaller, tamer bulls, feeling Aurora tense in sympathy as each one hit the ground. Only when he faintly heard the intercom announce the name did he perk up for Aurora’s sake. Not that he needed to be listening, Aurora’s sharp punch in the shoulder was enough for him to straighten up, eyes locked on the screen.

The black bull seemed somewhat more wild than before, possibly helped along by the bull rope now tied around it. His eyes widened a little as the man on screen tilted his face to the camera, flashing it a bright, confident smile. Fuck, maybe it was a good thing Aurora made him stay. The dude definitely wasn't hard on the eyes.

Aurora must have sensed his thoughts, because she once more strained up to talk too loudly into his ear. “I told you he was hot!”

Phantom grumbled, face going red as he pushed her away playfully. “Shut up and watch the show.”

The man has since turned his attention from the camera, carefully mounting the bull. And if Phantom’s eyes were admiring his body as he settled onto the bull on the screens, no one needed to know.

He tore his gaze away from the screen as a shrill beep echoed through the arena, instead looking down to watch the bull rip from its spot into the arena, bucking wildly to rid itself of the parasite on its back.

Phantom couldn't keep his eyes off the man’s hips, rolling and shifting in quick adjustments to accommodate the rapid shift of weight, thighs pinching close to its flank and one hand raised in the air, the other wrapped white-knuckled around the rope.

His movements were fluid, oddly natural as if he fused with the bull itself.

It seemed both an eternity later and far too soon that another buzzer sounded, announcing the end of the ride just eight seconds later. The rider jumped off, rolling into the ground almost gracefully, before hopping to his feet and jogging to the edge where he easily slipped over the fence, dropping onto the other side without issue and quickly absorbed into a wave of bodies.

Phantom was nearly oblivious to the cheers around him, until Aurora giggled beside him. “I bet now you're glad I made you stay,” she teased.

Phantom rolled his eyes, but in truth, his headache was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. In fact, now the pain was nearly imperceptible, as if it wasn't there at all. “You,” he sighed. “I am going to get you back for this.”

Aurora giggled again. “Yeah, sure you will,” she said, eyes only half focused on the bull being rounded up below as they began setting up for the next event. “Come on, there's at least a few minutes until the barrel racing starts, let's grab something quick to eat.”

Phantom simply nodded, following Aurora down the stands with the rest of the previous crowd. Most of the crowd seemed to gather in a throng near where he had spotted the rider jump out of the pen, clearly clambering for a grin or a fist bump or an autograph from the little local celebrity.

He barely noticed he had stopped until Aurora was back at his side, tugging him away. “You absolute dunce, you stick with me, you hear me? I don't care if you want Mr. Swiss Cheese over there to give you a bright little grin, I want a cheeseburger.”

Phantom rolled his eyes, letting himself be dragged along by her. “When do you not want a cheeseburger?”

“Shut your mouth,” she snipped playfully, just continuing to pull him along.

* * *

The little burst of energy gained from watching the bull rider was drained from them too quick for their liking, headache once again presenting to pound at their temples as they sat through all the barrel racing for Aurora. Their gaze barely tracked the rider Aurora had wanted to see, only giving a hum of acknowledgement as she gushed over her methods.

He sort of registered her saying something to him, but it was drowned under a wave of fuzz and pain in his head. The next thing he really noticed was Aurora no longer being by his side, and the realization was enough to immediately zap his brain into overdrive.

His gaze immediately darted over the heads of the surrounding crowd, trying to grasp a glance of her tan hat and failing. He grumbled a little under his breath, wishing she hadn't worn the damned thing when she wasn't even competing just so he could see her colored hair bouncing through the crowd.

Phantom knew she could hold her own in a fight, unfortunately from personal experience, but that didn't still his worry of something serious happening to her. With no other reasonable idea in mind, he set to a brisk walk, hoping to somehow stumble across her.

He took several rounds around the arena, stopping at her favorite food trucks and brushing past the goats just in case. His breath only seemed to quicken in his worry, pulling out his phone to see if he could call her.

He bent over his screen, tapping it and clicking the power button. Fuck. Of course it stayed black, dead. He pocketed it, sighing more with worry than exasperation as he decided to branch out to places he hadn't looked.

God, it was loud. Concrete and sheet metal did not agree with his ears. The floor was covered in a fine layer of dirt and hay dust, which he kicked up with each step. The smell of sweet fair food mixing with animal feces turned his stomach, combined with the worry making it all that more nauseating.

Phantom wasn't even sure where he was walking, barely noticing the fewer people around him as he walked, opening and closing the little metal gates separating areas behind him.

A shrill whistle suddenly caught his attention, turning around to meet the source as someone approached him, rubbing sweat off their face with a bandana. “Ho boy, watcha’ doing back here? You got clearance, or you with anybody?”

His eyes squinted a little, faintly recognizing the face twisted in confusion. “Uh, not sure, but I'm looking for my friend. About yay high, pink and blue dyed hair?” Phantom asked, gesturing. “You seen her?”

The man shrugged. “Probably not back here. Y'know this is where the riders and such are supposed to be?”

Phantom’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit! My bad, haven't been to this venue before. I'll go look elsewhere,” he stammered, stepping back slightly.

The man grinned at him and that finally sparked Phantom’s memory. Jesus fuck, that was the bull rider. Swiss, or whatever his name was. “No need to worry, buddy, no one minds much, just as long as you don't cause problems on purpose. Besides, maybe…” he trailed off, scrubbing a little at the stubble on his face as he thought. “You said pink and blue dyed hair?” He asked.

Phantom’s eyes lit up a little. “Yeah, about shoulder length, and a tan hat.”

Swiss' eyes widened and he chuckled, as he patted Phantom’s shoulder like they were old friends. “I wouldn't bother myself looking for her right now, unless it's a real emergency. I saw Cirrus walking out of here with a little lass matching just the description.”

Phantom lifted his hand to his face, exasperated. “You're joking, right?”

“Nope! Seems like your little friend has wormed her way into the eyes of the big dogs! Trust me, if you go after her now she will kill you, if Cirrus doesn't do it first,” Swiss commented, a bit too casually for Phantom’s liking.

Swiss flashed another of his smiles at Phantom, and his short-lived annoyance vanished in an instant. “Message heard loud and clear. Might as well congratulate you for your time on the bull out there before I get out of your hair.”

Swiss' expression shifted minimally, rummaging in his pockets for something. “Yeah, yeah, it was a tough bull. You got a hat or something for me to sign?”

Phantom’s brow furrowed. “No, no, I don't need an autograph. Never a huge fan of bull riding.”

Swiss' face shifted again, seemingly more light-hearted as he tucked a sharpie back into his pocket. “Damn, hitting me with that now?” He joked, once again slapping Phantom on the shoulder.

Phantom’s face flushed as he groaned, hiding it in his hands. “You know what I meant,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah, I catch your drift. What's your name, kid? You compete in anything?” Swiss asked, nudging Phantom again.

Phantom forced his hands back to his sides with more effort than it should have taken. “I'm Phantom, but most people call me Tom or Tommy. More normal, easier to remember. I typically show sheep or steers, some roping, but this one was too high level for me to really get in,” he told Swiss, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Swiss shrugged, beginning to walk away, gesturing with one hand for Phantom to follow him. “Phantom ain't a bad name. God, at least you're not stuck with the nickname Swiss.” He raised a hand as Phantom opened his mouth to object, almost as though he had sensed it. “Trust me, used to not be as much of a good thing.”

Phantom clicked his mouth shut audibly, nodding along. “No, no, I get it. It's why I started going by Tom instead of Phantom.”

Swiss whistled. “Trust me, kid, you take that uniqueness and hold it tight. No one’s gonna watch if there ain't no bull on the field.”

Phantom tilted his head minutely at the comparison, tucking it away in their mind to ponder over later. “So when do you think Aurora- er, my friend, is going to be back?” He asked, changing the subject.

Swiss chuckled, hunching his shoulders a little bit as that dazzling grin lit up his face once more. “I'd give you two hours at best. At worst, you ain’t seeing hair nor hide of her till morning.”

“Fucking hell,” Phantom groaned, running his hand over his face. “I'm not sure whether to be more disappointed or proud of her.”

That got Swiss to let loose more than his previous chuckles, laughter setting something fizzing and popping in Phantom’s stomach. “Yeah, yeah,” Swiss said, waving away the last of his laughter with a hand. “Say, since you're probably stuck here for a little longer, you wanna sneak out and grab a quick drink with me?”

Phantom's eyes nearly popped from his head. “Well, if you're offering,” he joked, trying to slow his jumping and stuttering heartbeat to a normal speed once more.

Swiss chuckled again, flashing Phantom yet another bright smile. “C’mon, I'll drive us there if you won't mind. My truck ain't far.”

Phantom nodded almost over enthusiastically, energy seeping to pop over his skin. “Yeah, yeah, sounds good!”

Swiss nodded, smile dropping into something more sober as he reached an exit door, pulling his keys into his hand in preparation. “Don't stop for anything, don't talk to anyone. Try and walk as quick as possible, I really don't want to end up signing fifteen more autographs,” he groaned, rolling his wrist.

Phantom nodded, attitude sobering with Swiss as he stepped through the door, pace immediately fast enough to have Phantom stumbling to keep up.

Swiss stopped beside a tall black truck, unlocking it and climbing in. Phantom took to the other side, lifting himself up slightly into the passenger's seat. Swiss shut his door firmly and Phantom did the same, watching as Swiss leaned his head back, eyes closed with a sigh.

Phantom took the moment to rove his eyes over the interior of the truck. Several crushed energy drink cans lay on the floor at his feet, more on the dash and in the backseat. Otherwise, the truck was sleek and clean, furnished by shiny black leather.

Phantom’s eyes darted back to Swiss as he heard a little chuckle, smiling a little awkwardly at him as Swiss gazed back. “Sorry about the mess, most of my buddy’s don't mind,” he said, straightening in his seat and sliding his key into the ignition. “Just throw them in the back seat if they're bothering you.”

“No, no, it's alright,” Phantom said, mind a little dazed still. The conversation drew to an awkward silence as Phantom drew the seatbelt over his body, clicking it into place. “Know any good places around here?” He asked, trying to get the conversation up and running again.

Swiss chuckled, shaking his head as he did the same. “No, no, not really from around here. You?”

“Couple towns over,” Phantom replied, studying Swiss as he began to pull out of the grounds. “We just gonna show up to the first bar we see and hope it ain't crowded?”

Swiss shrugged, a sly smile on his face. “Well, I know one place. You a fan of underground shows?”

Phantom shrugged a little. “I'm pretty much up to anything as long as the beer’s good and the music’s good,” he stated simply.

“Then you might damn near love this place,” Swiss grinned, tossing a glance to Phantom before leaning over and turning up the radio, letting the music fill the truck for the drive.

A few minutes later, Swiss pulled into a little near-empty parking garage, switching off the ignition. “Alright, Phantom, I'm about to blow your mind,” he said, stretching both his arms high over his head with a groan.

Phantom shrugged, a little nip of anxiety working its way into his brain. “You didn't bring me here to kill me, did you?”

Swiss barked out a laugh, warm enough for Phantom to forget his previous worry. “God, of course not! Trust me a little here,” he joked, slipping out of the truck, Phantom following.

Swiss waited until Phantom rounded the truck to meet him, setting off not in the direction of the exit, but instead to a small metal maintenance door inset into the wall. “Wait, Swiss, what are you doing?” Phantom asked, heart rate skipping as Swiss reached for the handle.

“Dude,” Swiss placated, pointing at the metal plaque. “I said it was gonna be an underground show.”

Phantom fixed his attention on the plaque, quickly skimming the words. Raindrop Bar. “Huh,” he muttered simply, tilting his head at the door as Swiss rolled his eyes playfully and pushed his way in.

The atmosphere inside was far different from the empty parking garage they had been in just a moment before. It was populated, for one, eyes pinning on them the moment the door opened before slipping away one by one. It was also louder, too, a little rag-tag band up on a makeshift stage playing something deep and rocky. Dull colored lights swept over the small crowd gathered in front of the stage, and it took a moment for Phantom to realize that Swiss was walking away from him.

They hurried to follow, nearly tripping over themselves as they caught up to Swiss right as he slid into a seat at the bar, flashing a grin at the bartender. Phantom slid in beside him, shifting to get comfortable in the polished wood seat.

The bartender smiled back at Swiss, immediately turning to greet him, sashaying his hips. “Swiss, Swiss, Swiss, what am I going to do with you?” He cooed affectionately.

Phantom’s eyes quickly darted over the bartender’s body, a casual glance-over before his brain caught up to him and his eyes locked on him again. To say he was beautiful would be an understatement, with his curled black hair shining nearly blue around his eyes and with the silver glinting from his ears and face. Their eyes traveled lower for a moment before they diverted their attention, a little panicked and flushed, back to Swiss.

“God, Rainy, don't even try to get on me for this,” Swiss jeered playfully. “You're not much better.”

The bartender turned his attention to Phantom, forcing him to tear his eyes away from Swiss. “Now what's your name and your order?” He asked quickly, stepping back to grab a cup.

“Uh-” Phantom stuttered, glancing at Swiss for a little help. God, it did not help. Swiss was gazing at him with a hungry look in his eyes, grinning lazily. He tore his eyes away as quick as possible, warmth brewing in his gut. “Name's Phantom. How about a good ol’ judge of character?” Phantom asked, mind too frazzled to grasp anything else. “Whatever you think I'd like.”

The bartender nodded, hips swaying a little bit as he whipped up what looked like a cherry sour, sliding it to Swiss. “Gotcha.” He hummed idly, pulling stuff towards himself before speaking again. “So how’d little Swiss here pick you up?”

Phantom shrugged, glancing at Swiss only to be met once more with his grin and forcing himself to look away. “I wandered where I shouldn't have, and sweet talked my way into my current situation,” Phantom joked, trying to play up his confidence. The bartender hummed, eyebrow twitching upward as he slid Phantom a cocktail, orange slice perched on the edge of the glass. Phantom lifted the glass to his lips, sipping it and humming appreciatively at the perfect mix of flavoring and liquor.

Swiss sighed, sipping his own drink. “Yeah, yeah, pretty much,” he commented, waving his hand dismissively. “Phantom, by the way, this is Rain. Good friend.”

Phantom nodded at Rain, smile a little tight as he took another sip of his drink. Rain flourished his hands, shrugging and lolling his head to the side. “Owner of this fine establishment,” he added, voice a little playful.

“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Swiss joked, taking his hat off his head and tossing it playfully at Rain. Rain caught it, slipping it onto his own head and sticking his tongue out at Swiss as Phantom felt his chest constrict, knowing exactly what that meant.

He diverted his gaze, and downed the rest of his drink, barely registering the taste and instead reveling in the mild burn as it slipped down his throat.

Swiss chuckled at Rain, glancing back at Phantom as he clinked his empty glass back onto the table, stubbornly refusing to look at him. Phantom could feel his expression fall. “Whoa, dude, you okay? Are you still worried about your friend?”

Phantom clenched his teeth, shaking his head and rubbing at the side of his nose a little, huffing, refusing to make eye contact.

Swiss beckoned for his hat back from Rain, quickly sucking the last of his drink up as he shifted slightly in his seat, reaching into a back pocket to slide a ten over the bar. “Alright, let's get you back,” Swiss said, voice quick as he stood, clapping Phantom on the shoulder.

God, he wished he could refuse, but his truck was back at the grounds and his phone was dead so he couldn't call a ride. Damnit. He stood, eyes still stubbornly lowered as he followed Swiss out, missing the look Rain threw him.

He slipped into the passenger seat without saying a word to Swiss, refusing to meet eyes with him. Swiss got in as well, shutting the door, but not starting the ignition.

As the tension stretched between them, Phantom finally glanced up, meeting Swiss' eyes where they were locked on him. “You going to acknowledge me now?” Swiss asked, voice a little sour.

God, maybe alcohol wasn't the best idea for him. That drink must have been stronger than they thought, rolling their eyes and scoffing. “Just take me back, dude.”

Swiss tilted his head. “No,” he deadpanned.

“No?” Phantom sputtered indignantly, glaring at Swiss.

Swiss crossed his arms in front of his chest, brown eyes glowing almost gold from the interior lights shining down on them. Phantom furrowed his brow, cowered a little, suddenly too aware of how much scrawnier they were than Swiss.

“You're a bitch,” Phantom hummed, waving him away and turning his face out the opposite window.

“What upset you so bad?” Swiss asked, voice low and gravely behind Phantom. He stayed stubbornly quiet, making Swiss sigh. “I know this is about Rain and the hat.”

“Yeah, it is about the fucking hat!” Phantom spat with no real malice behind the words, feeling like nothing more than a jealous schoolgirl.

Swiss groaned, and Phantom spared a glance as he dragged his hand over his face, rubbing at the stubble on the sides. “Christ,” he muttered.

“Just take me back,” Phantom muttered, voice a little too quiet. “I was being stupid.”

He suddenly felt a hand grasp his, and gasped indignantly as Swiss dragged it closer to himself onto the center console. Phantom fixed a glare to the top of Swiss' hat as he bent over his hand, writing rapidly into the skin of it.

The moment Swiss straightened, Phantom snatched his hand back, a glance at the skin of his hand making his breath stutter just a bit as he realized what was written there.

Swiss was waiting as Phantom looked back up at his eyes, offering a small smile at him. Phantom squinted, then sighed, eyes darting down again. “Fine. Apology accepted.”

Swiss raised an eyebrow. “That was enough of an apology for you?”

Phantom gazed into Swiss' eyes, scrutinizing them. “What more apology do you have to offer?” He asked, maybe a tinge recklessly.

Swiss slowly raised his hand to the one he had just written on, brushing lightly over the knuckle, sparks flying from the contact. His eyes never left where they were locked on Phantom’s, and he found he couldn't look away either.

It stayed that way for a few moments, long enough for the interior lights to click off. In the dark silence, Swiss spoke again. “Can I kiss you?”

Any other circumstance and Phantom would have said no. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, or the drying ink on his hand, or the tingles in his gut when he recalled Swiss' grin, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he nodded, just a little tilt of the head, leaning towards Swiss.

Swiss met him halfway, lips crashing together in the dark and noses knocking into each other. It wasn't simple or graceful, instead woven with too many complex emotions to study in the dark.

Phantom pulled back for air, chest heaving a little as he tilted his forehead into Swiss’, nudging up his cowboy hat slightly. It seemed almost intimate for a moment, breathing in each other's air, until Phantom darted in again, mouth open and hot against Swiss’.

A hand fisted into his shirt at his back, pulling him closer. The kiss was nearly ravenous, and Phantom couldn't seem to get enough. Swiss pulled away for air this time, and Phantom felt a thin string of spit connect their lips for a moment before falling away.

They sat for a few more moments, chests heaving in tandem as they breathed in each other's warm, humid breath. Swiss twisted his head, nosing at Phantom's neck, hat falling onto the floor without care.

Phantom gasped as Swiss' warm lips plastered themselves to his neck, hands snaking around to grip Swiss' shirt tightly in his hands, eyes fluttering slightly.

Warm, wet kisses were gently placed along his neck, trailing upward to a point just under his ear. Phantom must have whined, gasped, something, because Swiss chuckled before gripping the skin lightly between his teeth and sucking.

“Oh fuck, Swiss, Swiss,” Phantom stammered, nails digging into Swiss' back from where they were clenched.

Swiss pulled away, eyes searching Phantom’s in the low light. “Too much?” He asked, a little sheepish.

“Fuck no,” Phantom managed to mutter, dragging Swiss back towards him and crashing their lips together with more passion than before. Open-mouthed and messy, Phantom reveled in the taste of whiskey on his tongue, whining as Swiss nipped gently at his bottom lip before pulling back again, locking eyes.

They were both panting, hungry with passion. “I need to get you back,” Swiss whispered, voice still too loud for the quiet space punctuated only by their heavy breaths.

“I know,” Phantom replied, voice equal in volume, still unable to tear their eyes away from each other.

“Fuck,” Swiss sighed, pulling away with great effort and sliding the key into the ignition, sparking the engine to life. He picked his hat up from where it had fallen, slipping it back onto his head.

Phantom straitened, a blush spreading on their face as they buckled quickly, embarrassed as light from yellow street lamps washed away the privacy.

It was quiet the entire drive back to the grounds, breaths returning to a normal pace as they kept their eyes averted from each other the whole way.

Swiss eased into a parking spot at the grounds, shifting the truck into park. Phantom undid his seatbelt, opening the door and preparing to step out when Swiss' voice stopped him. “Hey.”

He glanced up to meet Swiss' eyes, irises carrying hope in their deep blue, nearly purple depths.

Swiss took his hat in his hand, reaching and settling it onto Phantom’s hair with a tired smirk. “Call me?” He asked, voice softer than his words suggested.

Phantom nodded, mind feeling fuzzy as he absent-mindedly brushed his fingers over his neck where he could feel bruises forming. “Yeah,” he replied, voice equally as soft as he stepped out of the truck, shutting the door. He stood there as Swiss shifted into reverse, pealing away from him.

And if Phantom stood there for a few minutes, rubbing along his neck, it was nobody's business.

Finally Phantom forced himself into action, glancing around to gain his bearings before setting off in the direction of his truck. His eyes lit up a little as he saw a familiar shape leaning against it, face illuminated by her phone screen. She glanced up as Phantom came closer, smiling at him, before furrowing her eyes at him.

“Did you-”

Phantom cut her off before she could continue. “I won't say anything if you won't,” he mumbled, eyes pointedly fixed on similar marks along the column of her throat.

She shrugged in reply.

“Were you waiting long?” Phantom asked, sidling up to the driver's door, opening it.

Aurora climbing in the other side, shrugging again. “Just a few minutes.” Phantom shut his door, turning on the truck before reaching to the gear shift. Aurora’s eyes locked on his hand as it shifted, widening as she chuckled. “Damn, you did get lucky!” She exclaimed.

“Shut up,” Phantom mumbled, tugging his sleeve over the marker half-heartedly as he began steering them in the direction of home.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

If you're currently taking requests, can you please do yandere dorm leaders + Jamil with a demigod reader like from Percy Jackson the readers godly parent can be your choice. If you're not currently taking requests feel free to ignore this

Percy Jackson Reader | Yandere Twisted Wonderland

Child of one of the big three, water bends to your will. And in the oddest moments, your father gives his two senses. Nonetheless, your power earns you a lot of respect and a lot of scorn from the average student. Of course, those interested don’t mind all that much until your powers seem to be an obstacle to your love for them: 

Malleus Draconia

“I see. Your mastery of the sea is impressive. I wonder if we spar who would fare best?”

He wants to engage with your power because it gets him an excuse to take your time 

This also helps him gauge your power against his own

He doesn’t cease his repeated sniping of people that hang around you 

Even if you actually challenge him seriously

He thinks you’re just the cutest

“Fine, my love. If you wish to challenge me let's have a wager. If you win I’ll stop my…warnings. But if I win you will forfeit all rights to speak to others. This is more than fair.”

Idia Shroud

“I feel we’re connected in some odd way…”

“Yeah….”

“Do you want to play COD?”

There’s a weird synergy that has you both respecting one another

He thinks its cool how you can heal up with magic

But his excuse for prying creepily into your privacy+ is justified by his constant experimentation to measure your powers

“W-what this camera? Ha, it’s only to track what you’d do in such a harrowing situation! I-it w-wasn’t b-because your wearing j-just a white shirt.”

Jamil Viper

“You’re a lot like Kalim, I’m sure your just as susceptible.”

“...I uh…get the feeling you’re capable of something…manipulative.”

“Wow, how insightful.”

Your dear old dad is probably the only help your getting with him

He’s often finding himself befriending you 

Despite being caught trying to hypnotize you

He makes a point to use his usual tactic to leave you alone

With plenty of time to come and hang out with him

“Scarabia’s the perfect setting, not a whole lot of water for their father to stay anything.”

Kalim Al Asim

“Yay! Twinsies!”

He’s so happy that you have an affinity for water just like him

He can’t make weapons like you do or heal yourself with it

But he thinks it's pretty cool

It's even cooler that you get really cuddly weak if you stay in Scarabia long enough

“Awww why don’t you stay! I promise I’ll bring the water as soon as we finish our carpet ride!”

Vil Schoenheit

“I doubt that. If you really were the child of Poseidon I doubt he’d let you walk around with skin as dehydrated as yours.”

“Gee thanks, Vil.”

“Yup that’s what I’m here for.”

He knows he’d never be able to overpower you

But he’s not all that hurt

Where you can pride yourself on your strength it doesn’t do anything against his finesse and intellect

Which he prefers

because what power couple doesn’t complement one another with their flaws and strengths

And while you may be willing to entertain these invasive welps bold suitors

He’s not so lenient

“Where you wish to merely scare them off, I wish to punish them. It’s only a given that we mirror one another, in the method.” 

Leona Kingscholar

“Join Savvannaclaw, you herbivore. You still have some evolving you can do.”

Strong mates are always fought for in life

And to make his mark he has to sand fight off the competition

The next part will be winning your heart or successfully taming you

Just give him time, he’ll make it happen

One way or another

“Ha let’s exercise I want to see how far you’re willing to go.”

Azul Ashengrotto

“With your kind of power…you could overthrow the entire empire within the coral sea!”

“Uh, I guess.”

“You guess? (Y/n), we could bring all of those who laughed at me to their knees. Metaphorically speaking.”

“They…bullied you?”

“...”

“Aww Azul…”

“S-shut up! Let’s just put them all in their place beneath you”

He loves you immensely 

And while he may seem that he’s always aiming to slip you into a contract for ‘sea conquering’ 

He’s after something more

He’s after you

His pearl, his angelfish, he wants to be your plus one as you right the world

“Ho ho what a predicament. Why don’t we negotiate the subject of payment, after the broken china incident with Grim, we wouldn’t want you to fall into debt.”

Riddle Rosehearts

“I hardly believe your dyslexia is attributed to such a trait.”

“Bet. Write something in Greek I can do it.”

“...I stand corrected.”

“Ha see?!”

“Nonetheless you’re in desperate need of my studying prowess. Come to Heartslabyul.”

He is enamored by you 

The powers and heritage just add another layer

But he finds you are lacking for someone so kind

Or rather that you don’t have conviction

In your studies or in your boundaries

You don’t need to worry he’ll do that for you

Collaring anyone who gives threatening looks  and any look in general

“Off with your head! I decree that you will be punished for the breaking of the Queen’s law: that no one touches the Ramshackle prefect but you’re queen!”

[rainbowsillz]

𖤐 A BLIND READER THAT IS VERY NAIVE 𖤐

Warnings: Dark, power imbalance, and obsession.

Featuring: Akaza X Gender Neutral Reader.

II. mysterious encounter.

Summary: You were saved by a nice stranger. You didn't know that he was one of the deadliest creatures in Japan.

AKAZA - Upper Rank Three.

This story began a few hours ago.

 It was by chance that he rescued your oh-so-pitiful self from being mauled by inferior beings like wolves in mountains.

Akaza recalled your meek whimpering as he approached you. You seemed so susceptible, he didn't like that at all.

"What is a frail looking h— person like you here for?"

He questioned you as he bandaged your cuts and wounds with medical aid that he 'borrowed' from somewhere else.

"I.. I'm sorry. I was collecting fruits and herbs for m-my older brother and y-younger sister..." You hiccuped, tongue-tied.

Is it so valuable and important to risk your life for? This late?

"But it's 'stupid' even if you do it for your siblings. Demons exist and they will be eager to rip you apart as their meal."

He has a point. You flushed at his honest remarks.

It's none of his business. He shouldn't meddle in your affairs. You are safe, he scrutinized with caution as he turned away.

"Please, let me repay your kindness at least?"

The demon is too vexed why you sought for dainty flowers and then proceeded to hand him one like it's an ordinary day.

Such precious moments shouldn't belong to 'him.'

"I can't see your face. I must thank you once again."

Akaza huffed but he pulled it out of your fingers.

That explains why you didn't run when he talked to you. He watched you bow and it tugged on his heartstrings.

Humans fear the unknown, and so will you.

"It's a blessing that you didn't." Was his dry comment.

You reminded him of a memory long forgotten. A promise he wasn't able to uphold. However, he will protect you.

[covid-safer-hotties]

New XEC COVID subvariant poses potential threat heading into winter. Doctors urge vaccinations - Published Sept 23, 2024

By Rong-Gong Lin II

A new coronavirus subvariant is gaining steam and drawing more attention as a potential threat heading into late autumn and winter — a development that threatens to reverse recent promising transmission trends and is prompting doctors to renew their calls for residents to get an updated vaccine.

XEC, which was first detected in Germany, is gaining traction in Western Europe, said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Like virtually all coronavirus strains that have emerged in the past few years, it’s a member of the sprawling Omicron family — and a hybrid between two previously documented subvariants, KP.3 and KS.1.1.

Past surges have tended “to move from Western Europe to the East Coast to the West Coast of the U.S.,” Hudson said. “So if this does take off more and more as we get towards the colder weather months, this probably would be the variant that will potentially take hold.”

XEC hasn’t been widely seen nationally so far. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.3.1.1, a descendant of the FLiRT subvariants, is the dominant circulating strain nationwide. For the two-week period ending Sept. 14, KP.3.1.1 was estimated to comprise 52.7% of the nation’s coronavirus specimens.

XEC, by comparison, isn’t yet being tracked on the CDC’s variant website. A subvariant needs to make up an estimated 1% or more of coronavirus cases nationwide to qualify.

But there are estimates that XEC makes up 13% of coronavirus samples in Germany and 7% in Britain, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert.

“We’ll have to see how things go. If this does take off, probably we would start to see it more like November, December time,” Hudson said. “So like after Halloween — when the weather will probably get more reliably cool here, people start to go indoors more often — that’s when we’re more likely to see this potentially take hold.”

Any fall or winter resurgence, which has become a reliable occurrence ever since the emergence of COVID-19, would follow a prolonged summer surge that surprised doctors and experts with its strength.

One silver lining, though, is that the timing and strength of the summer COVID surge probably means it could be a couple of months before many people become more susceptible to reinfection, Chin-Hong said.

Last winter’s COVID peak in California — in terms of viral levels in wastewater — was the first week of January.

After the surprisingly strong summer surge, COVID is now declining or probably declining in 22 states, including California and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia, the CDC said Friday.

The COVID trend is stable or uncertain in another 22 states, including Florida and New York. COVID is projected to be growing or probably growing in New Jersey, Washington and Massachusetts, and there was no data for the three remaining states.

Still, new COVID infections remain relatively high in many parts of the country. Coronavirus levels in wastewater are still considered “high” or “very high” in 40 states, including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the CDC said Friday. They were categorized as “low” or “minimal” in six states, including New York, Michigan, Nevada and Hawaii.

In Los Angeles County, coronavirus indicators are on a downward trend. For the 10-day period that ended Sept. 7, the most recent available, coronavirus levels in wastewater were at 56% of last winter’s peak. That’s down from the 10-day period that ended Aug. 24, when viral levels were at 75% of last winter’s peak.

An average of 239 coronavirus cases a day were reported for the week that ended Sept. 15, down 31% from the prior week. Officially reported coronavirus cases are an undercount, as they don’t factor in tests done at home or account for the fact that many people aren’t testing at all when sick. But the trends are still useful in determining how a COVID wave is progressing.

The share of emergency department visits classified as coronavirus-related in L.A. County was 2.8% for the week that ended Sept. 15, down from 3.5% the prior week.

The average number of COVID-19 deaths, however, is rising — an expected development given the surge in illness and the lag in reporting fatalities. An average of 4.9 COVID deaths were reported per day for the week that ended Aug. 27 in L.A. County, up from the prior week’s number of 4.3.

COVID levels in the wastewater of the San Francisco Bay Area are also settling down. Coronavirus levels were considered medium in the sewersheds of San José and Palo Alto, and low in Sunnyvale and Gilroy, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said.

The rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive is falling in California. For the week that ended Sept. 16, 8.9% of reported coronavirus tests — typically those done at medical facilities — returned positive results. The seasonal peak was 12.8%, for the week that ended Aug. 10, according to the latest data.

It remains unclear how bad this winter’s respiratory virus season will be. COVID isn’t the only game in town, as health officials also are closely monitoring flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

The CDC in late August forecasted that this fall-and-winter season will either be similar to last year, or perhaps slightly less potent. But that forecast could be overly optimistic, the agency warned, if some assumptions are off — such as if fewer people get vaccinated than expected.

The situation may be improved because people may still have some residual immunity from flu and RSV, Chin-Hong said, which flared up the past couple of winters. Also helping matters is the rollout of vaccines against RSV, which became available last year.

Still, every winter carries its own respiratory illness risk. Circulation of a type of flu that’s different than the ones included in the vaccine would make those shots less effective, for instance.

And the experience from parts of the Southern Hemisphere for their winter suggests the respiratory virus season could be active here, Hudson said.

“Australia — they had a pretty robust and early flu season, and we are already starting to see a couple of cases of flu here in the U.S., which is pretty darn early,” Hudson said.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines. The immunizations are widely available, and the best time to get vaccinated is in September and October, the CDC says.

After a coronavirus infection, people may consider waiting three months to get the latest COVID vaccination, according to the CDC. But people can also choose to get it as soon as they feel better.

“I always have hope. And if folks get vaccinated — this is the perfect time now to get vaccinated against flu, get the new COVID shot — we could potentially tamp down on what will certainly be another more typical fall-and-winter surge. But I think the jury is out in terms of how bad it is going to be,” Hudson said.

Getting vaccinated “means fewer sick days and more time with your loved ones. We are stronger when we are all protected against respiratory diseases,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, the director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement.

Older or immunocompromised people who haven’t been vaccinated in more than a year are at highest risk for severe COVID illness and death, officials say.

Data show that people who got last year’s updated COVID vaccine were 54% less likely to get the disease between mid-September 2023 through January, according to the CDC.

A flu vaccine that’s well matched to the circulating viruses can also reduce the likelihood of becoming sick enough to require a doctor’s visit — by 40% to 60%, the CDC said.

There are needle-free options for getting the flu vaccine, such as FluMist, which has been available for many years as a nasal spray for non-pregnant people ages 2 to 49. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved at-home use of FluMist — meaning adults can administer the vaccine to themselves or their children.

A prescription will still be needed for the at-home option, which is expected to be available starting fall 2025.

COVID remains a greater risk to public health than the flu, the CDC says. Since Oct. 1, at least 55,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported nationally. At least 25,000 flu deaths are estimated over that same time period. Flu death estimates are expected to be updated in October or November.

The CDC recommends RSV vaccinations for all adults age 75 and older, as well as those ages 60 to 74 who are at increased risk for severe disease. The RSV vaccine, however, is not annual, so people who got one last year don’t need to get another one at this time.

An RSV vaccine is also available for expectant mothers at weeks 32 to 36 of pregnancy to pass protection to their fetuses. An RSV antibody is available for babies and some young children, too.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will again make four free COVID tests available through the mail for households. You can register at covidtests.gov starting at the end of September.

Besides getting vaccinated, California health officials urged people to take other steps to prevent getting sick and infecting others. They include staying home when sick, testing for COVID and flu if you’re sick, wearing a mask in indoor public settings, washing hands, covering cough and sneezes, and ventilating indoor spaces.

[thxrnking]

Now a thought you've given me while reading the jack/wander dynamic is that not only would they lose each other, but they'd also put the other in harms way by giving nightswan acsses to one without the other being there to protect them or stop her from possibly hurting them (the way you write them, jack leaving wander and putting directly into the hands of nightswan)

So i guess the question is, is wanderlust aware of the fact that he's just there as leverage for jack, or is he blissfuly unaware? Im sure jacks fully aware that if he left nightswan would hurt wander (very possibly because she keeps him reminded of that fact) but does wander know? and would he care? is he happy to be of service, no matter what the price is, or is there a certain fear that keeps him in line, knowing his place is to keep jack in his and if he fails to do so its his head? and would that be something he'd use if jack seriously considered rebelling, reminding him that hes actively in danger if he does so??

Sorry if this was complicated or something you were already alluding to my adhd go brrrrrrrr

I've spent all day on this answer and I just hope I can make it make sense.

Night Swan would only hurt her Children if they displeased her directly, she would never punish them for the stupidity/disobedience of the others. Instead she prefers to motivate them with the promise of reward: personal praise for Sara, recognition for Brezziana, and Jack and Wanderlust for each other. As long as they stay loyal they get their 'prize' and fear of losing it pushes them to do as their told.

Wanderlust is vaguely aware that Night Swan is using him against Jack, but he honestly doesn't care. His own motivation is Jack's safety, and he will do anything to make that happen, even if it means going along with Night Swan for now to keep her from hurting him.

Post-corruption Wanderlust has much fewer moral issues over what he's willing to do, including but not limited to, lying, manipulation, threat of physical force, actual physical force, scheming etc.

Initially he encourages Jack to give in to her corruption of him as a direct way of ending Jack's torture at her hands. If he's corrupted then she won't harm him any more. Over time though, he actively maintains the corruption (reminding Jack what he has because of it i.e. him) because he believes Jack is and will be happier as the Swan Prince. Confident, no insecurities, almost always smiling.

He trusts no one else to be able to keep Jack happy.

Wanderlust is a man of few words post-corruption, but he is always three moves ahead of everyone else. And the second going along with Night Swan doesn't serve his purpose, he doesn't plan to stick around.

Jack wouldn't really think of rebelling, perfectly happy with the life he has as Jack Swan, however the fact he chose his corruption does make him more susceptible to changing back. He may question but without someone to keep poking a hole in his doubts, it won't just happen.

[666writingcafe]

The Confrontation

Author's Note: I thought I'd make things more dramatic by having MC be the one that passes out after the trip to Thirteen's cave. Also, the following scene takes place at the Demon Lord's castle as everyone anxiously waits for MC to recover.

Lucifer

The air is tense. Diavolo has gathered everyone in the sitting room for an urgent meeting, but no one seems to want to speak. It's as though they're afraid that their words will further harm MC.

"So, Lord Diavolo." Thank goodness. Asmo has broken the silence. "You're going to explain exactly what's going on, right? That's why we're all here, isn't it?" Diavolo sighs.

"Yes. It's time for everyone to be on the same page. We've kept this secret for long enough."

"We?" Satan repeats. "You mean, it's not just you that's been hiding things from us?"

"We've merely kept a promise," Barbatos chimes in. "Nothing more."

"What in the hell are you talking about?!" Mammon shouts.

"There is reason to believe that MC's power is gradually destroying the three realms." My brothers are stunned into silence. I don't blame them. I reacted similarly when Diavolo first told me.

"MC reached out to me a few months ago," Diavolo continues. "They told me that they believe there was a connection between a recurring nightmare they had and strange phenomena taking place in the human world. They kept track of the dates and noticed that there were some that didn't connect to anything there. So naturally, they wanted to know if similar phenomena were occurring in the Devildom."

"As it turns out, they were," Simeon adds. "The Celestial Realm experienced strange events as well, and all of the dates MC recorded corresponded to something that occurred in one of the three realms."

This statement causes the room to erupt into chaos. The only people not yelling at Diavolo, Barbatos, and Simeon are Beel--who simply stares forlornly at a random spot on the wall--and Belphie. I should be surprised by the latter's reaction, but I suppose that he used his mental connection with MC to put the pieces together.

I wish this wasn't our reality. The possibility of losing MC has kept me awake more times than I'd like to admit, and if I didn't promise myself I'd remain sober through this, I'd be drowning in Demonus right about now.

As it is, it's hard to keep my composure as I watch everyone I care about fall apart like this.

"Enough!" The single word cuts through the arguing and causes everyone to look towards the entryway. MC looks a little pale, and they're using Solomon as a slight crutch to keep them upright, but at least they're alive.

"I would advise you all to watch your tone, because they haven't done anything wrong," MC warns once they have our attention. "I'm the one that has requested secrecy. Not Diavolo, not Lucifer, not anyone else, me."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Asmo and Luke ask simultaneously. The two of them exchange sheepish glances before Asmo adds,

"We would have been more than willing to help you, MC. You didn't have to keep this from us."

"Yes, I did. If everyone knew, it would have been harder to make certain decisions."

"What decisions?" Levi asks, making MC sigh.

"I shouldn't even be alive. Between my ancestry and my pacts with all seven rulers of the underworld, it's a miracle I haven't spontaneously combusted, let alone not caused irreversible damage to the three realms." MC briefly pauses as they steady themselves. "The problem is that my power is very hard to control. Even after all of the studying and training I've gone through, it still overtakes me rather easily. It's quite dangerous."

"Last time, MC was knocked out for a few minutes," Solomon recalls. "This time, for a few days. It's very possible that the next time might take them even longer to recover from, and there may come a day where they might not wake up at all. And that's just them. All of us are susceptible to the effects of MC's power."

"So, what do we do?" Asmo asks. "How can we help MC?"

"According to my research, there are only two ways to fix this issue: find a magical object strong enough to suppress the impact of MC's power, or have them revert to the state they were in when they first arrived to the Devildom."

A magical object...

There is only one capable of doing the job. Problem is, I would have to admit that I gave it to her after I got cast out of the Celestial Realm, which would cause even more drama.

Plus, would she even have it still, or would she have thrown it away or destroyed it after our relationship ended?

My train of thought gets interrupted by the sound of a blade getting unsheathed. Turning my head towards the noise reveals Solomon holding a dagger.

No. Not a dagger. The dagger. The one powerful enough to sever pacts. Once that gets used, we will never again be bonded to MC in that particular way.

Where did Solomon find it? More importantly, how long has he had it?

[aeori-o]

I think everyone has basically accepted that Vere and Kuras don’t have red choice options in the Touchstarved Demo and despite the fact that I am haunted by the promise of a hidden/secret ending on some of their social media posts and in the tutorial I am throwing in the towel on this.

I don’t know if they’re counting the red option for Ais and Leander as “secret endings” or if maybe they’re counting the death with Vere as a “secret ending” (even though that is in no way secret) but the game is just buggy enough that I’m not sure if I’m going to miss something from the game just not displaying it. I feel too disheartened by the thought of wasting a bunch of time when a weird bug might make something not display correctly. (The Ais and Leander options don’t seem susceptible to bugging out but Mhin’s red option will always appear if you play on an ‘Alchemist’ save and then switch to/load an ‘Unnamed’ or ‘Hound’ save but will disappear again if you start a new game under ‘Unnamed’ or ‘Hound’ and the same is true of the opposite: if you don’t start a new game under ‘Alchemist’ when you were previously playing a different background it won’t appear.) (Edit: My wording was unclear here I meant if you started a new game under ‘Hound’/’Unnamed’ and then switch to/load an ‘Alchemist’ save it still won’t display.)

But just in case anyone has more patience than me to crunch through this I’ll go over what I know and have done below.

Okay first thing’s first. Everyone seems to be able to get Ais and Leander easily enough but there are only two options that actually matter for getting each of their red options. It does not matter what background you pick. It does not matter what else you click anywhere else you will always get the option if you click these two (or the game is bugging out).

Leander:

You’ve gotta take those flowers.

Regardless of how you come to be touching him you have to keep doing it.

It does not matter if you choose to drink the same thing as him, it doesn’t matter if you dunk on all of his friends in the ending segment after choosing him, it doesn’t matter if you hold back from touching him in the first place. All that matters is taking those flowers and giving into your fascination with how his skin feels so you can later give into the impulse to feel up his face.

Ais:

You’ve gotta tell him to fuck off.

You’ve gotta pat the Soulless (Princess).

Again it doesn’t matter what else you do. Doesn’t matter if you call Princess cute later or say you didn’t trust it not to kill you, doesn’t matter if you ask for help or demand to know what he wants. You can choose anything and as long as you picked those two you can have a little nibble as a treat.

Mhin:

As mentioned above their red option sometimes bugs out. The way to get it is to start a new game with the Alchemist background, it should show up during your first interaction with them after the three option dialogue choice and before the options “You know what? Fine.” and “I just need help finding my lodgings.” No special choices are needed, just the background.

I will note that I also had it fail to show up when using he/him pronouns once, but then trying another new game with he/him pronouns it did show up with all the same choices. It has to be a new game, if you load from a previously made Alchemist save it’ll fail to show for some reason. If you play through as a new Alchemist and then get it, then load a Hound or Unnamed save it’ll still show up despite the ‘wrong’ background now being chosen.

Everything Else I Know From Playing A Stupid Amount Of Times:

Since Leander and Ais have two options that supersede all the others in terms of mattering it stands to reason Vere and Kuras might be the same. Vere is easier to test on since you get a total of three one-on-one dialogue choices with him before the ending segment where you choose someone to follow (and for Ais and Leander none of the options in that section matter for the outcome).

Unless the game was bugging out I could not trigger any red option with Vere with any Background and any combination of responses to him before choosing to follow him. I would probably move onto trying different combinations of the ending conversation next but I am tired and did not try that.

For Vere I also tried being as rude as possible to everyone (triggering the red option with Ais since Vere likes Ais and making sure to not trigger it with Leander). That didn’t work. So then I tried making sure I was as rude as possible to everyone and also not interesting to Ais. Also didn’t work.

Kuras you have five options with before also running into him with Mhin which is more than anyone else has so I definitely have not been able to run through all combinations for Kuras interactions. I also tried getting along with him, Mhin, and Leander and avoided triggering the red option with Ais and shut down Vere to see if that would trigger anything with Kuras. It didn’t.

Also worth noting for anyone else grinding away at this: - The enter key is not your friend, it will select the first option before you see it every time. Spent a big chunk of my first play through wondering when I’d get to choose anything before I realized I needed to mouse-click instead of hitting enter.  - Using ‘skip’ will always stop at choices or new dialogue. Different pronouns than what you’ve used in previous saves counts to the game as new dialogue. - This might be exclusive to my computer but the game somehow messes up my headphone audio, it makes everything extremely quiet even with the audio turned up to 100. Restarting fixes it, but it’s really weird. Edit: This was a weird result of my motherboard and CPU having beef and had nothing to do with the game, I’ve updated chipsets, UEFI/BIOS, and my OS and it no longer does this.

I guess my expectation for ‘secret’/’hidden’ endings with visual novels is for it to be Very Obvious that’s what it is. I’ve been assuming that you need all five red options to get it. But I also have to consider this is just a demo and referred to as the first chapter by the devs so maybe they really do just mean the death ending, or the two ending red options that are available.

I don’t know! But I have too many things to do to keep bashing my head against this as much as I want to. So if anyone else does discover anything further and you’ve read this far please let me know. I’m at a loss.

Edit: The Devs made a post saying not all characters have red dialogue prompts in the demo (but every character has bonus rewards/scenes and I am reasonably certain I’ve found all of those) so at this point (I have put over 7 hours into this demo) I’m pretty sure there isn’t a secret/hidden ending in the way I was expecting (being a clear, alternate end that differs noticeably from the ways the demo ends just running through it) but all of the alternate scenes with characters are great and I would really recommend running through until you’ve seen everything you can!

Edit 2: Someone reblogged this with some very sweet tags which spurred me into re-reading this where I noticed typos and some unclear phrasing so I fixed those. Also struck out my weird volume issue, that turned out to be related to some major computer issues I was having at the time and was actually unrelated to the demo.

[soft-bellied-tannies]

Hidden Intentions

Read here or on AO3!

Jin and Hoseok had talked about it many times together - enjoying watching their partners settle down. They loved the physical display of their love and seeing them indulge, seeing them eat.

It was a shared interest that they could discuss together and figure out ways to foster it more often in their home which is how nights like these came to be.

It became quite obvious that some of their partners were more susceptible to their interests with proper planning.

Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin had always been easily fixated on a deep conversation, especially after getting philosophical or introspective. Their other four partners thought it was endearing and sweet.

Jin and Hoseok talked it through and figured out that if they kept Taehyung and Jungkook occupied and ensured that the other three didn't run out of food and wine, they could have them mindlessly eating and talking for hours.

It started with an unsuspecting meal, but a good meal nonetheless.

Jin prepared a nice, hearty meal that Hoseok paired with rich, red wine. They gave them one solid plate to start the night off right without overdoing it along with a big glass of wine to loosen them up, encouraging their dive into a sound discussion.

With promises of playing their favorite games after cleaning up dinner, Jin and Hoseok distracted the youngest two while encouraging their other partners to get comfortable on the couch and continue talking.

Truthfully, they couldn't even recall what the conversation choice had been that night - just that it was focused enough to have Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin blindly agreeing to the directive.

Hoseok sauntered into the living room with a fresh bottle of wine, topping off their glasses and accepting their affectionate thanks and kisses, but he also didn't linger long enough to interrupt them.

While giving them time to nurse their once again full glasses, Jin crafted a spread of salty snacks that would be easy to grab without a second thought.

Bowls of chips and popcorn alongside a nice spread of cheeses and nuts that paired well with the red wine.

Jin couldn't hide his soft smile as Jimin pulled him in for a gracious peck, thanking the eldest for his continued care throughout the night.

And that smile only grew as he watched all three of them extend a hand toward the tray of snacks, grabbing the first bite of many that followed while humming and nodding at another point that was made in their chat.

Jin and Hoseok tried to hide their excitement when Taehyung and Jungkook excused themselves to go play a few rounds of a video game. It was the perfect excuse for them to keep an observant eye on the living room, ready to refill and watch.

All three grab without thinking, always seeming to have a bite of something in one hand and their wine glass in the other as they delve deeper into their conversation.

Namjoon and Yoongi clearly held the brunt of the shared appetite, both reaching for the tray of food like it was a practiced routine. Surely neither of them had ever eaten this much in one sitting before.

Jimin, on the other hand, was their lovely heavyweight, especially when it came to wine so Hosoek decided to pop a bottle of prosecco open after the third round of red wine refills.

While Jin filled glasses with water and offered cans of Coke to the other two, Jimin smiled with excitement when Hoseok handed him a new glass full of his favorite bubbly - thanking him with a kiss similar to Jin's earlier.

It started to seem impossible that they still had room in their unsuspecting stomachs as they watched them find a new tangent for their discussion while greedily sipping on their fresh drinks.

Jin and Hoseok couldn't believe that they were not recognizing the effects building up.

Could Namjoon not feel the way his waistband appeared to be straining? How the jeans were certainly creating a red, indented line across his midsection?

Was Jimin oblivious to how he had curled into the loveseat with one hand resting on the crest of his clearly bloated middle, his cute chubby fingers self-soothing his taut skin?

Did Yoongi really forget that Jin had refilled the popcorn bowl twice now after emptying it himself? How could he be ignorant to the salt puffing up his cheeks and swelling his stomach?

Seeing their plan perfectly unfold left Jin and Hoseok struggling to keep calm, needing all their restraint to not interrupt their conversation to gently rub bellies and kiss soft cheeks.

Ideally, they would explore more intimacy than that, but both had to exercise a different type of control than the one they already had that night.

By midnight, Taehyung and Jungkook had already said their goodnights and gone to bed together, also unaware of the pure indulgence that had taken place for hours after dinner.

It was clear that Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin had finally tapped out - completely wine-drunk and overly full.

Namjoon and Yoongi had pushed their drinks away, talking more quietly between each other when they noticed Jimin start to doze off.

Hoseok had rescued the last bit of Jimin's final glass of prosecco from where the glass dangled in his sleepy hand. He dropped a few kisses on his forehead, enough to wake him and help him off to bed - dragging a slow-moving Yoongi along to one of the available beds as well.

While Yoongi seemed to find sleep the moment his head hit the pillow, Jimin seemed to have a slight resurgence that was testing Hoseok's ability to stay calm.

Crawling into the middle of the bed, Hoseok couldn't help but think of no better place to be aside from a bed that could somehow fit all seven of them. He took a moment to look over Yoongi as Jimin got situated, appreciating the way his plump cheek squished against the pillow and how he cradled his full stomach in comfort. 

Jimin scooted himself backward until he felt Hoseok's chest against, humming in contentment and mumbling his love for the other.

Hoseok couldn't hold back any longer with how sweet the younger looked and sounded, reaching his hand over Jimin's waist as he would any other time except this time it found the taut crest of his stomach.

He began by gently caressing circles over Jimin's now clingy sleepshirt before Hoseok ventured below the fabric, receiving a pleasant sound from his drowsy partner.

With growing confidence, Hoseok pressed a little firmer with his still gentle massage and felt the way Jimin's impressive bloat fought back against his fingers until an unexpected burp left Jimin's mouth.

Hoseok stilled, unsure of what the reaction may be, and was shocked when he heard Jimin let out a squeaky giggle before saying, "I'm all bubbly."

The ever-charming disposition of Jimin made Hoseok join him in laughing, continuing his massage and agreeing, "Yeah, baby, you are."

He held it together long enough for Jimin to finally fall asleep, not before letting out a few more muffled hiccups and burps. Hoseok mind raced with excitement and kept a tight lid on his arousal, knowing that it would be such a fun story to recall for Jin.

Jin who was left with Namjoon and would have a story of his own to share.

Namjoon was clearly the farthest gone, considering his much lower threshold for holding his alcohol. He had to keep his composure as his partner leaned his full weight against him during their trek upstairs.

It wasn't news that Namjoon was a rambling, lovey drunk, but Jin hadn't expected this particular type of ramble when he led the other to bed.

Spending the next ten minutes until he knocked out, Namjoon babbled on about how good Jin's cooking was, how caring Hobi was, how nice their night was - on and on until his words were replaced with snores.

Jin cuddled up beside him, similar to Hoseok in being unable to keep his hands away. He let Namjoon rest his head on his chest and stared at the ceiling as he tried to ignore the sensation of Namjoon's soft middle against his side while running his hand up and down his back.

And it seemed that their little experiment had not ended there.

When those three woke up the next morning hungover and still impressively bloated, they excused it with all the wine as the drunken haze of their night can only recall the nice long talk and alcohol, seeming to forget the progressive stuffing that took place over hours.

Jimin was tucked up against Taehyung on the couch in an oversized hoodie, arms over his recovering midsection and aching head on the other's shoulder who was quietly recounting his and Jungkook's successful night of gaming.

Yoongi was nursing a cup of coffee at the kitchen counter, silently watching Jin and Jungkook prepare a carb-loaded breakfast to combat the queasy hangover nausea and occasionally accepting bites that Jin offered him.

Namjoon had the worst of it. He was laid out on the couch, a silver of his soft tummy visible from where his shirt rode up, and his head in Hoseok's lap - the other being incredibly gentle as he ran his hand through Namjoon's hair.

Taehyung and Jungkook had asked what caused the random drunken Friday night considering it started with a nice dinner and no intention of being more than a relaxing night.

Jin waved them off, excusing the other three for simply being able to enjoy their night however they liked.

The relaxing day continued due to the big breakfast and tired mood piling on top of their persistent hangovers. Taehyung and Jungkook sensed the shared mood and matched their lounging and calm attitudes.

Jin and Hoseok shared a few pointed looks at seeing how nicely Namjoon's clingy t-shirt framed his still-full belly or how Yoongi was sitting with one hand on his bloated middle like it was made to perch there or how Jimin spent the entire day with Taehyung's or Jungkook's hand slipped under his big hoodie.

Although they never discuss how that night unfolded or the accepted aftermath, it also was far from the last time it happened.

Those nights managed to happen once a month at least. Jin and Hobi became pros at spoiling their partners and Taehyung and Jungkook seemed to join in, a solidarity in pampering their partners.

Much to Jin's and Hosoek's delight, the nights were never anything but perfect each time they were graced with the opportunity - quite obvious when looking at how their partners were filling out.

They knew it would likely become a topic of conversation at some point. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin were too intelligent to not have already caught on to something happening.

Maybe they would start with Taehyung and Jungkook considering how the pair tend to join in now.

The way their hands always seemed to find their way under Jimin's shirts or rest on his round backside and how they offered to feed him during the more rough hangover mornings.

The way Taehyung liked to pinch Yoongi's cheeks or pat his belly and how Jungkook curled around Yoongi claiming he was always so soft and warm.

The way Jungkook likes to climb on Namjoon's lap with praise for how soft and comfortable it is or how Taehyung likes to sneak his hand into Namjoon's back pockets any time they are close to each other.

And, of course, it didn't hurt that their partners were truly stunning as the arrangement continued, helped by the fact that they never ran out of things to discuss with each other. Those long nights of food and wine became second nature to their sweet, softening loves. 

Namjoon with his softer thighs and layer of softness settling in his lower belly, often on show thanks to his continued wear of whatever shirts he grabbed from his closet without bothering to check the size or fit.

Yoongi with his dumpling-round cheeks and matching pale belly that seemed to absorb every calorie of their wine-drunk binges, his waistband permanently worn under his growing-rounder stomach.

Jimin with his interesting contrast as the salty snacks and mix of wines give him an impressive bloated belly each night of indulgence that then seems to find a final place in his widening hips and ass.

For now, Jin and Hoseok would relish in the successful indulgence of their hidden intentions, never growing tired of the display of gluttony they could bring out of their partners.

And who knows, maybe their hidden intentions aren't so hidden after all?

[princeescaluswords]

Something that really gets me is the "stupid Scott" mentality many of the anties have. Especially considered in on several occasions throughout almost all seasons we see some semblance of Scott who really trying to put his foot down to get better grades\ maintain his grades. There's even a few scenes of him studying and even promising his mom that he will be better. Season 3 saw Derek actually looking back at Scott questioning what he was doing there when he should be at school. It gets implied heavily that it's his involvement in the supernatural world that gets in the way of his studies. Something we physically see. Yet the anti Scotts love this rhetoric that he's an idiot or an imbecile. Yet he's able to maintain well enough grades to stay on the lacrosse team and get into AP classes.

Side bar: those last two points make me question if Scott's grades or really as bad as he thinks they are or if they're just not where he wants him to be. Which would actually explain Kira and Lydia's reaction because he's always saying they (his grades) suck and yet he's in class with them.

Your question actually made me take a moment to re-evaluate the scene you mentioned in Parasomnia (5x02). Don't get me wrong, I still hate the whole bit because the heart of the scene is cruelty presented as humor. Other than the fact that the joke's not funny, the set-up also relies on a dynamic between Scott and Lydia that we haven't seen since Season 1 and a dynamic between Scott and Kira that we haven't seen since Season 3B. Even though I feel the scene is demeaning and regressive to all three characters involved, I have to admit that it serves multiple narrative purposes.

Yeah, but no one's tried to kill us in six months either. Other than Belasko's surprise attack at the Senior Scribe, the characters have been at peace. Their decisions are no longer matters of life or death, so they've been able to relax. We get a little Season 1 Lydia, the Queen Bee of the school. We get a little of Season 1 Scott, though instead of focusing on making first line, he is focusing on becoming a veterinarian. We get a little of Season 3B Kira, who wants to fit in and be friends and is thus a little susceptible to peer pressure. The scene tells us that they got to be kids for awhile.

Why wouldn't you tell me? Were you worried what I would think? The scene helps set up the crises of the season. Scott doesn't think he's smart enough, and that insecurity, coupled with the doubts that Stiles, Malia, and Liam exhibit, leads him to doubt his own decision-making. As a result, he doesn't take action until it becomes problematic, such as with Kira's fox spirit or violating Corey. Kira's timidity exacerbates the danger of her fox caused by the Doctors.

You'll get them back; you have to. As much as I also dislike the scene in Status Asthmaticus (5x10), it underlines the importance of the pack. These kids like each other and they need each other. As cruel as Lydia's behavior is, she's not doing it because she despises Scott. She is genuinely wondering if he's in the right class. As weak as Kira's capitulation is, it comes from a desire to be friends with both Lydia and Scott. And Scott needs to grapple with failure and a lack of faith. They are a pack; they reinforce each other.

So, the scene does serve a good purpose; I just didn't find it aesthetically pleasing. That's okay. It's not the only scene I have with this problem. But they hang together as a cohesive whole.

But fandom? Fandom's a different story. Parts of the fandom have this habit of taking scenes out of context in order to make their point, and their point is always that Scott shouldn't be the lead protagonist. In this specific case, he's stupid and thus shouldn't be entrusted with the story. For example, they take Stiles's barbs such as "I don't know how you would survive without me" and "Still want him in your pack?" as proof positive that Scott is unworthy and that Stiles doesn't really like him (yet when he says nasty things to Derek or Peter, it's banter) and then ignore scenes like Scott outwitting Peter in Season 1 in terms of the mall scene and Peter's date with Melissa. Scott outwits and out-thinks the villains -- Peter, Derek, Gerard, Deucalion, Theo, Gerard again, and the Anuk-Ite. When push comes to shove, Scott's smart enough for the responsibilities he takes upon himself, even if he confuses bestiary with bestiality.

I mean the scenes where Scott defeats the villains by perceiving their actions and coming up with strategies that defeat them happens every season and they're never blink-and-you-miss-it events. Then why do parts of the fandom keep up the illusion of Stupid Scott? As it always is, it's the racism. They cash in on the Lazy Uneducated Mexican trope in order to delegitimize Scott in favor of some other white boy.

Take Season 2. I've actually read Sterek stans blame the destruction of Derek's pack on Scott's plan to stop Gerard. How that works, I don't know. It's not like Derek ever expressed any single strategic thought aside from "kill them before they kill me." And it wasn't working, because Derek was playing right into Gerard's hands; that old hunter knew a werewolf's nature was an instinct toward violence. It's Scott whom Gerard underestimated as a guileless simpleton, and he spent 18 months spewing black goo because of it. But who cares? To parts of the fandom, Derek should have won due to him being a hot white man with a sad backstory. The color of his skin is the only thing that really matters.

Take Season 5. Stiles stans will go on and on and on about how Scott should have listened to Stiles, but that's where they stop. They have to stop there, because Stiles didn't have a plan. He couldn't prove to anyone his gut instinct about Theo -- not to Scott, but also not to Malia, Liam, Lydia or Sheriff "Tender Hug" Stilinski. The show didn't blame Stiles for not being able to defeat Theo and the Doctors on his own, but parts of the fandom can't tolerate that, so they blame Scott for Stiles not being able to defeat Theo and the Doctors. Because it can't be Stiles's lack of honesty and incredible self-loathing that's the problem.

In the end, that scene in Parasomnia can't be taken by itself. There's another scene in Mrs. Finch's class, where Scott gets the first quiz back and he scored an 86. It's not a 100% but it's not a Fail either. And that's the nuance their racism doesn't allow them to see.

[brineffxiv]

Uh oh. What happened while we were gone?

Everyone wants to resign at once to go become adventurers? Sorry, "heroes"?

What am I to say to this? They want to help people. To do what I did. How can I we say no when they have only the best of intentions, and what they do will be for good?

Oh no. What's happening now?

Uhhh... Wasn't Y'shtola just talking to me about the connection between seeing a meteor shower and the Echo awakening? A memory of the Final Days?

Oh shit oh shit! They can hear Hydaelyn now?! Their Echo awakened!

You.

You did this somehow. What are you planning!?

...it just stopped. Was it even real!? How did you make them hear Hydaelyn? Also, like, how dare you just tell all these people they're Warriors of Light now?! You're going to get them killed! I have a dangerous life! Not that you care about any of that...

Good questions Alphinaud, but Elidibus is not Emet; he's not just going to tell us what he's up to.

HAH!

You bastard. Stop making me laugh.

So you confirm it's true? The Echo was a power of the ancients and triggering the memory of the Final Days in our souls will awaken it in those susceptible?

...yeah, the more I learn about Hydaelyn the less charitably I see Her. Two sides of the same coin, each inclined to use the people bound to them for Their own purposes with little regard to those peoples' well being.

It's sure seeming that way, isn't it?

Damn, so She doesn't even personally choose Her champions?

Excellent question!

...

I've got a baaaad feeling about this.

.

.

.

I get to pick who came to visit me?!

Cyella. It's totally Cyella. I want to know what she thinks of all this.

You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you, but you should know the truth...

Yeah, Elidibus might not have known it, but by taking Ardbert's body he has made this personal.

I will. I promise you that I will. Elidibus will die by my hand and Ardbert will have his rest.

They're still hard at work.

That's his blue arm, is there something wrong with it.

No you absolutely aren't. I know how this goes. Something bad is happening and you're going to pretend it's not until it gets too bad to ignore. Don't be so stubborn!

What the fuck. How is Zenos in Amaurot?? Ooo new outfit. Nice.

Oh. He was sleeping.

...Asahi? But you're dea-

Ascian.

But if two of the big three are dead and Elidibus is currently walking around in Ardbert's body, then who are you, pray tell? One of the sundered for certain... I wonder how many Ascians are left?

Huh. Zenos has recurring dreams of the Final Days. That can't have helped with his ...everything he's got going on.

Found a way to what?

You are... entirely too happy talking about the Final Days. It's the great tragedy of your people, and yet you smile like a madman when speaking of it.

[theawokenmultiverse]

UPDATED LORE!

Ok! the Lore has been updated , rewritten a bit and fixed! There has also been some things added!

Characters:

Stain: the force of creation, creativity, and soul

Null: the force of destruction, rebirth, and loss

Piety: the force of thought, wisdom, and free will.

Story:

The Blossom Age

Three forces of chaos made the multiverse. Together they made the multiverse whole. However, Null grew vein, Despite being loved he was not seen as a true “guardian” and was often respected because he was feared. He knew that he would never be as adored as the other two and because of this, he was susceptible to insecurities.

One day, a being from another multiverse was sent to theirs, Being taken by the wormhole that leads to the multiverse this being took root after meeting null. Phobia is a being with twisted morals and fear woven deep into their very creation. Phobia believes they are helping everyone by giving them what they truly lack, the power to combat their greatest fears and destroy them. They planted seeds of doubt into his fragile psyche which caused him to believe that even the ones he loved the most only stayed because they feared what he’d do if they left.

The roots of insecurity grew ever larger in his soul until he could bare it no longer and inevitably lost himself. Destruction became hectic, rebirth was no longer an option causing the aus to be stuck in a dormant state and loss was abundant. Those who survived fled to the order of the multiverse, A safe haven for all Aus. Eventually, the entire multiverse would crumble and in its last dying breath, piety and stain used the remnants of what was left to create the reset soul and by combining their powers they were able to fuse it to Null’s soul and shatter it in the process.

The pieces scattered all around the multiverse, planting seeds that lay dormant in the empty aus. The shattering caused a great slumber, freezing the multiverse order in time. That is until one faithful day, two strange beings were sent into the multiverse by accident. Geister and Stellar had accidentally reawoken the universe, however, stellar was trapped while his brother roamed around freely, his memories completely erased by the timelines.

Stellar had accidentally reawoken the universe, however, stellar was trapped while his brother roamed around freely, his memories completely erased by the timelines.

The Reawakening

Stain was reawakened as a code spirit. Upon finding anomalous he could sense a powerful sense of wonder and curiosity deep in his soul.

This caused him to view him as a capable heir to his role, however, he was not a fool. He knew well that he had to train him before he could be able to take up the mantle of guardian. He knew it would take years and years for him to be ready but something was keeping him from being patient. He could feel Piety’s presence growing ever stronger and he knew that he wouldn't be able to prepare him to take up the mantle so he had to at least teach him to fight. The future of the multiverse depended on it. However, even he knew that This new change would not please the council if such a thing remained. Geister was given a new name, anomalous. He could not remember his own nor did he understand the world around him so Stain found it fitting to name him after a word that means to be different or strange.

Stellar however wasn't so lucky, null’s fragmented code whispered to him, promising freedom, love, respect and so much more if he’d allow him to use his soul as a vessel To help strengthen him so he may return to the realm of reality and not be scattered in the fragmented code. In return, he’d get everything he desired. Now null was no longer himself, he was estranged from his old name so he chose a new one, corruptus. Spying through the code, corruptus soon learned about Stain’s little new pupil and it filled his torn soul with RAGE. With this, he began to push seeds of doubt into Stellar’s mind. Manipulating the memories he had to make him believe that anomalous had abandoned him anomalous could not be trusted for he was a liar! A thief! A disgusting brother abandoner. Why, null was such a better brother to him and he could do no wrong.

After all, he was only looking out for him. At least, that’s what he always claimed. The fusion was painful, it burned. Stellar’s poor little soul felt as though it had been set ablaze. “ do not worry. You will grow stronger and soon you will no longer feel the pain” null would always comfort him with these words. Eventually Stellar learned to harvest this feeling, this magic. It manifested as an odd orange smoke that would pour from his soul and eventually enveloped his body. He felt reborn, at least that's what he told himself. To cement this to himself he chose to let his old name die and chose a new beginning, arcana.

On piety’s once echo flower-covered throne sat a solitary halo, dust all around it but never gathering directly on top of it, forming a barrier ring of pristine cleanness around it. Statues littered the walls, one standing just behind the throne, a curled-up angel with horns curving toward anyone facing the throne, wings hiding his face. The other statues were all covered by their own wings in upright positions as if hidden in cocoons Only small parts were visible behind their large wings. The one in the center appeared to be the smallest of all the other statues. The Lord’s Return***

The Clicking of boots could be heard as a tall familiar figure stepped towards it. Arcana reached out and a tentacle formed from his hand, a painful process that was necessary for Null to reach through him and grab the halo. The halo glowed as Arcana began to be drained of some of his magic in order to free the being left inside. The Candles around them began to flicker before flames burst on every wick as a figure formed from the halo.

Suddenly a glow burst from the other statues, large cracks forming through them as they began to move, and the outer shell of the stone crumbled off. The centered one rose first, his wings unfurling around him, a blindfold taking his wings' place in obscuring his vision. He stood on his hooves before standing in an upright saluting position, soon the others following suit after being freed from their stone prison. All around the palace, the statues began to awaken.

The figure stood in front of the throne, hands clasped together, wings folded around them before unfurling to open proudly behind it. A wicked grin spread across their face as the rings spun before eyes opened slowly on said rings to stare at arcana “Greetings father, It is so lovely to see you so soon.”

Every angel standing in the room began to bow before them, getting on one knee in respect to their former ruler, Null. The angels were all varying, flesh, bone, and blood. Skeletons stood amongst human-like figures, some with animalistic features. Each looks familiar yet completely different in its own way. The only consistency was the placement of wings, though some had more than others as well as each one having a blindfold with an eye pattern on the front, seeming to mimic the eye that floated between the figure’s halo.

“Now , enough pleasantries. It appears you miss your old form, fear not! For I can bring that right back” Immediately he put out his hand, strange code like symbols flashing before disappearing into blinding light, arcana flinching as his body was enveloped in it. Letting out a scream of pain before in a flash his soul was torn into two, falling to his knees he looked up to see the half floating before him , it seemed almost…rotten. A sickly blue and green color as a body formed around it. A towering figure in a raggedy black robe appeared, this must be…null. Turning to face arcana , The first thing he noticed was the gaping hole in his skull, only one of his eyes being slightly visible, no eye light or pupil in any way, just pure black darkness.

Tentacles moved from under his robe as he got closer, They seemed to have replaced his legs. He looked like a skeleton remade from fragments of others or perhaps it was just what was left of him before it all. “Celeste, I must introduce you to my new “brother” he grabbed arcana by the shoulders and pulled him up, causing arcana to stumble a bit before regaining his composure and looking up at the large angelic being. The figure, now known as celeste stared down at him, his many eyes scanning this new figure , a falter on his smile could be seen as it twitched however soon he opened up his arms and pulled arcana into a hug “ welcome new ‘uncle’ , pleasure to meet a new addition to our little family” celeste’s many eyes seemed to glare daggers into arcana’s back before he let him go.

Null clapped his hands happily with a slightly unsetting giggle “ now, now, we have to get back to work! Our lord has also returned and he you know how impatient he may get. So, where is that son of yours?”

Celeste chuckled and slowly moved out of the way “ where he has always been” he gently gestured towards the centered figure “ the real question is..what do you need of him?”

The centered figure stood tall, seeming to not be phased by anything happening before him, but it he was indeed listening to everything being said. Null grinned widely “ I know stain has a new pupil whos just DYING to have a new PLAYMATE, so I say we send sauriel over to have a little playdate “ malice lined his voice , adding a strangely sinister tone to such an innocent string of words.

celeste belongs to @azulsundertaleblog ! ( or @azulscrown )

phobia belongs to bananachicke

art of celeste by azulscrown! <3

art below is by azulscrown! (celeste and sauriel)

[thisisevenharderthannamingablog]

Liveblogging notes on ep. 7.

This one got long! Most of it isn't even about the final scene.

We are back in the urban jungle. (The false escape is another isekai thing, right?) I was wondering if we were going to see anything like this in terms of plot with Kinn missing. I want to know how his family reacted during those three days, though! Kim especially, since this must be among his worst nightmares? Was Khun reliving his personal trauma, or did no one tell him what was going on? Korn annoyed about maybe having to fall back on Plan X? Alas.

What a lovely brawl. Vegas has a literal scorecard somewhere doesn't he.

At least Big is getting a chance to work off some of his frustration on a deserving target for a change. Vegas is like pfft amateur hour here.

Family conference. Uncle Gun so concerned.

Speaking of Vegas' scorecard, he is still after Porsche? Just take the L already.

Finally, an explanation for some of the family dynamic: Korn's fucked up, yo.

OMG look at Kinn having emotions and putting Porsche's safety first. (Again, away from the usual setting. Maybe he should arrange to get shot often.) So that's two people that Porsche has now promised he won't die.

Vegas' faaaace when he doesn't get to have Porsche all alone to play with. Maybe Kinn has been paying attention to his chess lessons after all.

So the major family gets the classy crime and the markers of high culture, but they treat their people like (expensive) livestock. The minor family has the lower-status stuff, but their employees get fresh air and can wear colors.

Did they just sit Porsche next to Macau. It's like we're in a high school AU without ever leaving the show suddenly.

Scene shift from den of vice to home of virtue, although Chay hasn't been keeping the place tidy and now Kim is coming over. Busted and charmed.

A mirror. Korn is concerned about his long-term investment in Kinn's lack of mental health. Hey, remember the last time you were happy? Remember that version of you was stupid af? Also we wouldn't love you any more. Just fucking shoot him next time, jeez. So that choice has been laid out nice and clear.

Porsche straight-up lusting after that motorcycle is one of the purest things in this show. Apologizing to Macau, my goodness, maturity is busting out all over the place (although not on Macau's side). Vegas with the red velvet shirt again, dangling that bike in front of Porsche.

Choices, choices. Hm.

Back to Chay and Kim. Fascinating parallel with the gifts. With Vegas you can't call it anything other than a courtship gesture (as Kinn notes). Kim has ulterior motives, but he doesn't want anything obvious from Chay, who is delighted just to be around him. Having checked Chay's texts to Porsche, Kim doesn't think Chay is a threat. But he's not sure about Porsche?

OMG adorable sunshine puppy. I am so distracted during all of their scenes while I wonder what lip gloss Jeff uses. Ordinary suburban home door locks are susceptible to hairpins, paper clips, etc., but all Chay is hiding is his Wik shrine. The younger generation continues to have better romantic moves than all of their older sibs put together.

After that scene with Korn, I doubt anyone is surprised to see Kinn back on his passive-aggressive bullshit, especially since Vegas is involved. Still, we are a tad disappointed. Porsche is thinking about this like a job; if he's gonna be in the Mafia, he has to think about his long-term career, and working for the main family has pretty much sucked from his POV. Kinn (who has never had a job) is thinking about it like a relationship.

Vegas with the dish on Kinn's late ex at last, putting that classic Vegas spin on it. Porsche understandably shaken.

Meanwhile, Kinn has visitors. These two are growing on me. Lovely bit of contrasting scenework there.

Back to srs Mafia bizness for a whole minute. Which of these guys is the sharpshooter, damn.

Kinn is back to work and taking his friends' advice over his father's. They are stupidly cute. I guess that's one way of finding out if Porsche is down for another try without all the weirdness factors from their first time?

Mafia housecleaning continues, a much more extended scene. Vegas isn't a wimp, I'll say that for him. Porsche has made peace with his job? Smooth and professional as everyone else on this one. Vegas do keep your mind on business and your body off of Porsche.

Success for the minor house means party time. (Somewhere, Chan is frowning.) Vegas still working though, damn. You think about Kinn more than Porsche does, and he's the guy planning to fuck him as soon as this party is over with (has to return that gun, right?).

OMFG Pete. Providing the play by play, because that kind of thing always ends well.

How did Vegas KNOW ABOUT THAT?

Why am I recalling Gun's "after all, we're family" line. Love the bared teeth. Kinn, you are one angry motherfucker like 90% of the time. We're starting to get why, but don't take it out on Porsche.

Uh-oh, Tawan mention.

Always ready to be rough with each other. At least we're not getting another whole episode of angst.

From the slap onward this scene is almost dialog-free; it's carried by such individually small things. The way Kinn says I'm sorry directly into his skin (barely any louder than his breathing), that defeated look and bowed head, such a contrast from a few seconds before. The way Porsche leads with his shoulder when he turns around, and doesn't open his eyes until they're face to face -- he looks so very vulnerable. The lighting shift doesn't just indicate mood; it's like things have moved to a different place. And Kinn just looks completely overwhelmed? That moment where Porsche pushes him back, the little nod, the hands on his face; nobody's mad or upset now.

It's in some ways the opposite of their first scene, which was Kinn giving in to a fundamentally selfish impulse. This one is for Porsche until he decides to make it mutual, reinforcing that he's an active participant this time. Kinn always with the grabby hands. The way Porsche is watching him.

[Side note: This is new territory for Porsche in that a few weeks ago he was straight. When's the last time Kinn had sex like this? Unpolished, unprofessional, messy emotions all over the room, a place and a situation where he isn't in control? It's needy and dangerous (if only because they're 15 feet away from his homicidal cousin), and he looks so utterly delighted.]

And then that embrace?! What a way to end an episode. I can see why half the fandom says this scene rewired their brains.

On a totally different note, there is a lot of food in this ep. Depending on context that means different things, typically underlines connections -- here, most of those connections are methods of control. Interesting.

[endingboyhansel]

I want to ramble about William Black/Scythe here (I’m so sorry to all my moots who know nothing about Fable)

He’s quite a tragic character when you really dig into him. First of all, he’s soulless. He’s been soulless for centuries on centuries. And the reason he’s soulless is because he saved Albion from the Court by using the Sword of Aeons. Now, the effects of not having a soul have seem to worn him down immensely. While, yes, he was the first Archon, I reckon he wasn’t the most stable ruler, especially with his children being anti-Heroes, if you were (I’ll see myself out). He became ill, and I seriously think that without a soul it made him much more susceptible to this illness - later the Corruption. The illness made him appear much more like a mummy than a human being no matter his immortality. Of course I’m just summarising at this point. But this illness must have taken root where his soul would have been. Scythe as a character is blunt and snarky. He’s seen centuries of pain and anguish, and it’s made him a bitter person. This kind of makes me think that he’s unable to feel positive emotions due to his lack of soul.

But quite frankly I think William is lonely. He’s never had an actual connection to anyone, and if he did, they’d be cut away brutally or tragically. His children became horrible people, to the point where he ran away from the kingdom he ruled. Nostro was his apprentice, the man who founded the Heroes Guild, but he died in Scythe’s company.

The Scythe-Nostro relationship is really interesting to me, because after Nostro dies, Scythe disappears again. He’s devastated. Even though Nostro was corrupted and Scythe was disgusted by his actions, he came back to keep him company as he died. It’s very telling of Scythe’s character - he came to care for Nostro. Take this sentence from Tales of Albion: Scythe with warm affection told Nostro of the good things he had done in his life. This seems completely out of character for Scythe at first, until you remember how he must have felt like an outsider all his life. It’s a telling master-apprentice relationship.

Unpopular opinion, but I think having Scythe take care of Rose in the Love choice of Fable 2 is a really good option, and a really interesting dynamic. Rose has experienced pain on the streets of Bowerstone Old Town, and Scythe has a disappointment in his children for what they became and how they destroyed the Old Kingdom. Looking after Rose could teach him to open up more, and experience a life that he could never have had among Heroes or even the normal villagers. In Rose’s letter she describes Scythe as “very thin and wears a hood and looks scary, but he's nice and I feel safe with him here”, which proves this. Scythe also has Rose’s best interests at heart, as Rose closes the letter with “we'll [Rose and Sparrow] be together again one day. He promised me”.

And honestly, I think Scythe’s only goal at this point is to die. He’s had centuries of suffering and seeing Albion in turmoil. The reason we haven’t seen him since the days of the Hero of Oakvale is because he’s fed up. He’s searching for some way to die. The description of his warhammer says that it's foretold that he will return to Albion. But this just raises questions. If he’s not in Albion, where is he? Searching for something he cannot find.

In conclusion, Scythe is one of the more complex characters in the Fable universe. While he may not have changed himself completely like Reaver, or became a constant presence to our three protagonists like Theresa - our other two immortal characters - Scythe is someone with so much overlooked depth. Maze was correct when he described him as a shell. Yet at the same time he has been locked in that shell since the battle with the Court.

[sentmail]

M A T E R I A

Although dependent on your own limits involving mana, something that the Science Department quantifies as MP, magic and materia affinity is a skill like any other.

If you don’t care to put the work in, in a best-case scenario casting something as simple as a cure for a scrapped knee will have you feeling spent, and in a worst-case scenario, any attempt at elemental based magic will lead to an uncontrolled spell that turns on you and spends the entirety of your magic reserves at once, leaving you susceptible to burn out.

SOLDIER RECRUIT, KUNSEL ZANTOS [ AGE 14 | LVL 8 | HP 295 | MP 58 ] MATERIA: [ NONE ]

When he started out as a 3RD Class, Kunsel never had much exposure to materia outside of the pair of Restore and Esuna that his mother owned in case of an emergency, and even then it was hammered into his head that he shouldn’t rely on magic should he get injured. (Some things are best left to the hands of qualified professionals, and magic cares not if something heals wrong as long as it heals.)

His stats, as well, weren’t particularly awe-worthy – slightly below average for his age range, even. But while others were busy underestimating just how much power a shiny orb held, Kunsel listened. He followed instructions.

It came easy.

Although limited by his MP, Kunsel’s instructor said he showed promise, and that alone drove Kunsel to study it further – part of him said that it was so that he could help others learn, while another, smugger part of him just wanted to be better than them.

SOLDIER 2C KUNSEL ZANTOS   [ AGE 18-21 | LVL 64 | HP 5589 | MP 507 ]                 MATERIA: [ LIBRA ] [ EXIT ] [ RESTORE ]

By Crisis Core, Kunsel has somewhat reached a plateau in his leveling. He’s found what works for him, and little out there challenges him in an engaging way. He has very little interest in becoming a 1ST CLASS operative, and so his time and focus are spent elsewhere: teaching others and snooping.

For materia, this means that although his equipment changes depending on each assignment, always keeping in mind a location’s fauna & their abilities/weaknesses, there are three that Kunsel always has on him.

LIBRA, MASTERED a SOLDIER specific iteration of a Sense materia, giving information that could overwhelm those not familiar with its specialized functions. EXIT, LVL 2 it’s important to always have a back-up plan, and Kunsel likes a dramatic exit. RESTORE, LVL 2 if you don’t have a restore materia with you, no matter the mission, you’re asking for trouble.

He’s got secondary favorites, and these are Barrier, Elemental, Time, and Seal. To Kunsel, materia is just another tool, and he uses it more to enhance himself and drag others down. (An advantage is an advantage.) 

Other materia depends on what he’s going to be fighting, but even so, Kunsel tries to switch his materia out regularly – they can only level up through use, and he wants them all to be around the same level of usefulness.

Whatever duplicates he can find Kunsel ‘donates’ it to the Materia Fusion department, where he’s got an 'acquaintance’… which means he’s made friends with one of the scientists that work in this subdivision of Weapons Development, and that even though only 1ST CLASS SOLDIERs are given permission to work with it, Kunsel has been messing with it for a while. Though if you ask him, he’s only been giving “suggestions”, and been allowed to keep the spoils.

SOLDIER 1C KUNSEL ZANTOS [ AGE 21-25 | LVL 85 | HP 8080 | MP 771 ++ 1066 ]               MATERIA: [ LIBRA ] [ HEAL ] [ TIME ] [ DESTRUCT ]  MATERIA: [ RESTORE = ALL ] [ BARRIER = ALL ] SUMMON: [ PHOENIX ]

Whether he was planning on ever reaching SOLDIER 1ST didn’t matter. Kunsel gets promoted two years post the Nibelheim mission where two great SOLDIERs were (supposedly) lost. A genuine effort on his part? Recognition for his efforts in teaching others? A desperate need to rebuild the numbers in a program left to rot when Professor Hojo loses interest in it? That didn’t matter either. Responsibility is thrust upon him, and Kunsel accepts it. Who better than him, to give the ranks direction? To set an example to follow?

Of course, he had to adapt how he worked and thought about combat, but always having been a schemer (or more nicely put, tactician) at heart, it doesn’t take Kunsel much time to settle into a new normal. Instead of solely focusing on buffing himself, Kunsel gives his entire party advantage, and this makes him and whoever he’s working with at the moment a bitch to deal with.

Some might wonder if this wouldn’t be heavily taxing on his MP reserves, and the answer is yes, definitely. If it weren’t for Materia Fusion, there is no way that Kunsel would’ve been able to keep any of this up for long without burning out. Years were spent mastering and fusing MP ++ materia after materia, and then experimenting with fusions until he got it right.

As his work is often team focused, Kunsel forgoes elemental materia of his own, and instead plans missions out accordingly with those in his party. Most of his is already mastered anyway, and any opportunity to cast magic is an opportunity for those below him to sharpen their skills.

So, for most intents and purposes, Kunsel’s usual pick looks something like this:

LIBRA, MASTERED HEAL, LVL 3 TIME, MASTERED DESTROY, LVL 3 RESTORE, MASTERED = ALL, MASTERED BARRIER, MASTERED = ALL, MASTERED both All materia have been fused with MP UP++ materia in the past, leading to a passive increase of 75% per materia, up to a total of 150%

The end result? Kunsel is a glass tank, a play on 'glass hammer’. He is his party’s backbone, and his extensive MP pool means he can and will outlast most encounters that they come across with barely a scratch on anyone, but he can be weakened and tired out. An exploitable weakness, should you figure it out, is that although immune to the Silence status, he is harshly affected by having his MP taken, to the point where he’ll actually take physical damage as well – a trade-off for how much he’s buffed himself to be an asset.

The best bet to dealing with Kunsel is to drain him of his MP, and you can either manage that with spells or abilities of your own, or much more riskily, attempt to steal his materia. If successful, the immediate loss of MP will stagger him and leave him open to attacks. (And he’ll have one less magic buff.)

If the fight drags on too long and he’s not knocked down, should Kunsel be below 25% with most of his party down, he will pull out one last desperation move: 

SUMMON: PHOENIX

[pkmnomegaverse]

Okay unhinged omegaverse posting time but….I’ve for sure thought about what a dystopian omegaverse AU would look like for this verse (basically omegas are getting the short end of the stick in society. “Misogynistic” route, so to speak). And while it’s pretty easy with Gen 1-4 since protags so young that “arranged marriage” to a not-terrible partner is how I often run things (as ships are all presumably the same(ish) as Mainverse), it’s 5-6 that are always tricky to work with. Since protags are old enough they would be going through their heats and probably would have a matebond in the works. Per how I headcanon things.

So! My thoughts on Hilbert/N and the mess that could be. Hilbert would he promised away to some guy. No canon character fits in my head so just some older alpha guy OC. But not Cheren since would need to be an alpha so beta Cheren it out of the running. But something something in this route Hilbert hasn’t quite gone through his first heat yet (which is typically the time bonding would be arranged in these “arranged marriages”). So Hilbert is traveling around for one last hurrah before married life it is. But he would end up going into heat for the first time in Chargestone Cave while N is around and things get out of hand (obviously) and bam. They sleep together since can’t hold back (not like Hilbert actually likes the guy he’s promised to). Easy to give into the guy he’s actually attracted to. Matebond time (RIP the Shadow Triad kinda just lurking and not having the gumption to stop things tho. Even tho you know Ghetsis said they better intervene if N tries to hook up with some troublesome omega). Like in theory, Hilbert was suppose to call up his betrothed once he could tell he was going into heat and get things sorted out with him. But since he never liked the guy…

On N’s end, I headcanon that the con of Ghetsis keeping him so isolated is that he’s initially more susceptible to omegaverse nonsense since has no built up tolerance. It’s one thing if it’s an omega he doesn’t know. Can resist enough to flee the area. But when faced when someone he’s attracted to…his feelings overwhelm him.

I do think it would make kind of a mess of the plot and N leaving at the end would be extra cruel. But would for sure explain why Hilbert leaves to find him. Would not actually make N back down though. Would instead push him further towards the idea that Hilbert will join his side after he defeats him. Will still need to fulfill their roles as opposing heroes in the short term. But will be together in the end, as the twin heroes were always meant to be one (going with the idea Kyurem was originally the three dragons as one). Even in non-dystopian Mainverse I tend to view it that in the back of his mind, N kind of assumes he and Hilbert will get together in the end once he defeats Hilbert. Hero dragons were meant to be one, afterall. But the feeling is more pronounced in this version of events.

My gut reaction to the idea was actually that they would just disappear together after the main plot of BW. Hilbert had fucked up the life he was suppose to lead (disgraced omega) and since they’re bonded, the two are tied together. Would be painful to abandon each other. So when N makes his whole speech thing about leaving, Hilbert grabs his hand and asks to go with him. And they disappear together. No one sure what exactly went down during that final confrontation with the heads of Team Plasma, as no one remains behind to tell the tale.

As for how this would effect BW2, I have less thoughts on that, but maybe Hilbert is with child or recently given birth to his and N’s first child, thus why he wouldn’t show up and only N does, once word of Team Plasma resurgence gets out. Boy on maternity leave (ignoring how I don’t actually think this would stop Hilbert from getting involved. Boy could be in his third trimester and is still gonna throw hands with Ghetsis). Nate/Hugh are easy to deal with though since are just another “happily arranged marriage” where Hugh isn’t opposed to Nate going on a journey despite being at the age heat/rut are just starting to affect them both (can continue my Gen 5 parallels Gen 1 agenda since that’s how I deal with Red/Green as well. Happily arranged marriage duo who travel at the same time so the alpha can be close by on the off chance the omega goes into heat). So Nate/Hugh would def have to deal with that during their travels. Like maybe Hilbert would show up post canon to talk with Nate (since wants to meet this guy in person who N seems to like) and Nate is kinda shocked since was not expecting to meet the hero of Unova despite all the stuff he did for the region. And then it turns out the region's hero is already expecting/has had a child!! A bit inspiring, perhaps. How being an omega with a mate doesn't stop Hilbert from being kickass when the going gets tough.