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#SLIGHTLY IN-DEPTH CHARACTERIZATION )
idiaa-shroxd · 1 year
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YOUR WRITING IS SO PRETTY I COULD EAT IT. YOU CHARACTERIZE THE CHARACTERS SO WELL TOO!!!
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thank you so much!! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ happy you think my writing is very pretty!! and also makes me happy you think my characterization was correct.
when writing for characters always take a bit of extra time to ensure they sound good? thinking about having an actual conversation with them for a minute and what they’d do! ♧ personally a big fan of viginettes since that reveals a lot of a character more than mainstory.
Σ('◉⌓◉’) mini (huge) rant within the tags of the way of my process to understand a character!!
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#i’ve been trying to work on characterization with trey for example because in the main story he is relatively nice#but within his viginettes he’s a bit more than that like a slightly smug teaser than boy next door.#the characters tend to have complexity rather than one dimension traits people tend to stick by#which isn’t a bad thing but to start writing it could help kick you off but majority of the time your characters do have many emotions to#aspirations- such as vil being mean BUT that coming with subtle charm of care- he does not derive pleasure from purposefully degrading other#he firmly believes he can see the beauty in everyone if they try and he attempts to get others to apply themselves so they can be pretty#he does not go around like ew you’re ugly go away unless you have a negative attitude like leona who purposefully does not put any effort#but sometimes his pursuit for beauty can go out of hand like with epel or neige but his dorm ssr perfectly illustrates he knows what he does#he does not always explain himself with having epel do heavy lifting which only helps epel improve but he would not tell him this directly#there are other characters i can rant about the way i write. such as sebek being a malleus fanboy#but that was not a central part of his personality to warrant every fic just mentioning malleus each sentence#the best way to learn how to write for him would be looking at his viginette or his event story without tsunotarou!! he is quite a wonderful#-ly designed character but gets overlooked due to his ‘louder’ part of his personality. but he genuinely has captivated me as a character#the best examples for eng players would be during harveston- when he was extremely passionate about what he did with a soft side for his#plush!! he’s a big softie. he’s just very confused because his grandfather openly hates humans. he acknowledges marja and complimented her#he’s not hating humans for no reason but because it was taught to him. he’s trying his best to be what he is but you can tell he is not too#prideful that he would refuse to acknowledge marja just for being a human. in fact in his viginette he HELPS humans with their lumber#though that is technically due to him being confident he can do so compared to a human thanks to being a guard for Malleus but he is quite#happy to be complimented!!-. he is a character with more depth: ceremony viginette next#he tells yuu to just let him handle things since he’s stronger which shows he’s also blunt and says things without thinking about others at#times. but people are MISSING out on fics with sebek yuu and tea bonding over tsunotarou because he has no hostility to those who like#tsunotarou. he is happy to teach!! his other viginette think pe??: lilia tricks him into eating steak with yogurt iirc and he does honestly#it’s disgusting but he trusts lilia and 100% believe the old fae. THE POTENTIAL. authors need to use that?? just lilia messing with him or#how he can sometimes be so gullible you can get him to trust you mixed together with how attached he was to squirrel plush#he’s actually such a cute character.#there’s also Kalim who KNOWS there are bad people. he is not innocent as he knows there are bad people that want him gone#his least favorite food is curry because Jamil got sick for a week after taste testing his food.#Kalim just chooses. he wants to believe the kindness of the world not due to purity but due to the fact he does not want to live in constant#fear. which in itself already makes him more than one dimension. he may seem carefree but there’s room to play with when describing him??…#questions of styx.
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jardaddy-a · 2 years
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@rapturam​​ delivered a letter !  ( plots please ! ( listen i adore what we talked about on my other blogs and some dynamics we have already i am SO curious for your lamb thoughts ) )┊   ⤏ send me “plots please”… and I’ll respond with  3  (or more)  interesting  plots / relationships / connections  I can think of for our muses! // ACCEPTING !
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This took me a hot second to work on because I had to do speedrun Anthurium’s new icons and I know little from the game other than Dior rambling about how their cult is fucking dying LMAOOO .    Which I need to change , I need to know what the game is ABOUT !!! 
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1.) 🍏 DAISY  &&.  LAMB  ━ Okay , let’s start with platonic / funky friendships !  Considering that the laniatura of Sanctum Natura are pretty much time travellers   &&.  they’re known for hopping through multiverses for fun   &&.  observation purposes , it’d be funny if Daisy wandered into lamb’s little world by chance .  Considering she’s a devout follower of her own Goddess , she would definitely be interested in exploring other cultures and learn how other creatures devote themselves to the deities of their domain .     So just imagine her just walking in with apple pie as a housewarming gift and seeing the cult and she’d be like “Okay what the FUCK is going on in here ?” / j .     
But I think Daisy would be a very good friend for Lamb considering she’s from a different domain , immortal ( so lamb wouldn’t fear any type of loss ) , and she would see Lamb as their own person ( or lamb )   &&.  seek out a genuine friendship since she would communicate with them as they truly are .   It would also make up for a good contrast in personalities considering Lamb seems to be a very reverent creature , and Daisy’s the complete opposite due to her overly cheerful personality , this girl can literally light up the entire room with her aura alone ( sometimes literally with her powers ) .  If Lamb wants a friend that they can truthfully be honest to , she’s the one for the job ! 
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                                       MORE BELOW THE CUT  ! ! ! 
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2.) 🎎 ANTHURIUM   &&.   LAMB ━ Okay , i offer the prospect of shipping .   I read your most recent post regarding Lamb’s perspective towards love and I offer (1) immortal priestess who has the full capability to see them beyond a mere figure of idolization   &&.   worship since she is outside of their jurisdiction , it’s easy for her to see and love them as who they truly are .  Like Daisy , she also works in the churches ( or temples ) of Existence .   Considering Lamb’s love languages are acts of service and quality time .    Anthurium is a very homely person and she adores doing simple and meaningful things for her lover .   If Lamb fancies eating anything or has any cravings ( do they even eat . . . ? ) , Anthurium is a brilliant cook and would make home-cooked meals for them .   Even the simplest actions of respect like cleaning the locations where they hold sermons or any of their ceremonial artifacts and totems , whatnot .  
And as for spending quality time , this girl has the eternity of life being a deity’s champion so she’s willing to earnestly take her time into getting to know Lamb in a pace where they feel most comfortable .  Both of them sort of resonate with me considering both of them have personal fears and traumas in relation to their pasts and they could possibly support each other and keep each other grounded , Anthurium distances herself from mortals because of her uncanny to attract the supernatural has cost her those she loved and she’s afraid of losing others to the same fate .  The only cons are the periods that she’s away considering she’s devoted to her tasks in her own world hence there will be moments where her presence is minimal and the fact that she’s a magnet for supernatural creatures .   But she will always come to them , despite their differing responsibilities she will still show her devotion to them .  She would be willing to gently hold their hoof if need be .    I just find it funny because Anthurium is a priestess that attracts supernatural creatures and spirits and she ended up with an eldritch lamb cult leader , wouldn’t that be a SIGHT ? 
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3.) 🌹 ROSERED  &&.  LAMB ━ Another potentially cute platonic relationship , and as a twist I’ll give a little youngin in turn !    I feel like Rosered would mesh well with Lamb’s personality .   I can see their first meeting being this child just travelling around and looking for new inspiration for her art pieces and accidentally wandering into Lamb’s world like some sort of cultish edition of Alice in Wonderland .    She just sees Lamb and instantly latches on to them .   ( It’s because she probably thinks they’re incredibly fluffy and she can’t resist cute animals )  Rosered is a very docile and sweet child and she has a very in-depth and vivid way of seeing the world .   I feel like she would visit Lamb from time to time and have a peaceful conversation with them over a cup of tea , or ask about Lamb’s cult and doctrines because she’s a very curious child .   And she’ll also craft artworks and pieces for Lamb ,  one day she’ll come running and show Lamb a dope portrait of them that she painted .  Rosered in mcdonalds with Lamb “Excuse me , they asked for a lamb toy in their happy meal.” / I’M JOKING - 
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( INSERT THIS A.I. thingy , Imagine a painting like this but way prettier , i’m out of Midjourney trials LMAOO ) 
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crossdressingdeath · 5 months
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The thing that gets me about the changes Larian keeps making is that all the things they change them to would've been perfectly fine and in-character... if it wasn't for the fact that something else had been there first. Lae'zel being a little more business-like and "You're the boss" about being left in camp would've fit her character (you are in charge, it makes sense that she'd obey without any fuss once she respected you at least a little), but because they started with "You're going to die without me" it's become them softening a strong character because people complained about a woman being slightly mean to them. Gale being less aggressive about you denying him magic items would've fit him with the way he very openly expects you to kick him out of the group when he brings up the orb, but because he was aggressive about it it feels like they're pandering to the people who throw massive temper tantrums about having to give him three of the vast pile of useless, easily-obtained magic items. And Gortash's letters to Franc being less passionate and more professional would've fit him as a consummate politician who in-game only shows any real affection to Durge (and to a lesser extent Karlach), but because we started with these very passionate and delightfully personal letters it feels like a massive blow to his characterization. Not to mention the uncomfortable fact that they cut him openly flirting with another man but as far as I'm aware left the letter regarding him seducing Lady Jannath alone; what's going on there, Larian...?
But basically it really is like... if we'd started with the changed versions they all would've been perfectly fine! They wouldn't have been a problem! The problem comes from the fact that by changing these things now when the game should be finished (and changing them from equally in-character things that give the characters more depth) it feels like Larian is pandering to the worst parts of the fandom to the detriment of everyone else.
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saintmuses · 10 days
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❝𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝❞
Pairing:
Tom x Janet and Bill’s Daughter!Reader
Summary:
After Tom found out about the affair between his wife and Bill, surprisingly Janet as well; He went after one person he had been wanting for a while now.
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Warning(s): SMUT. Drug usage. Implied minor age gap??? (everyone’s grown). Minor corruption. Protective!Tom. A small flashback in italics. Minors, dni! Note: do not fucking do drugs.
Word Count: 2.4k
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“What the hell?”
Tom heard a familiar voice shrieking down the hallway, and he bolted towards where Janet was to see her standing there holding onto the door handle with his gun hanging on her fingers loosely next to her thigh. He turned his gaze to see Y/N standing in the doorway, bewildered with her hand on her chest as if she was about to have a heart attack. He could feel his face softening at the sight of her before his eyes hardened when he turned back to the older woman.
“Put that away before you scare your daughter some more.” He hissed, glaring down at Janet who was abashed by her own reaction.
Later that evening, he walked quietly down the dimmed hallway after leaving the kitchen towards her bedroom.
Jinny and Martha took Bill to stay with them since Janet kicked him out with a ferocious rage on her face despite having a moment of calm while bringing him back.
Then Janet out of guilt wanted him to stay overnight so they could talk about what happened. He was not in the mood to venture out of the place and take a transportation to his empty house, hence why he agreed upon that.
It wasn’t because of that hypocritical bitch; it was something else.
He fucking despised everyone in the house he was standing in. He hated Janet, he hated Bill -at least he had a decency to admit he was having an affair whereas Janet got pissed the fact he was having one while she was having an affair with the same person- he could not stand that miserable cynical bitch April, could barely tolerated Jinny and her wife Martha, then there was self-preaching Gottfried. God, he hated them all. 
They were all so self-absorbed within themselves.
However, there was one person in this house who he did not hate. Ever since he had met Y/N at one of the dinner parties a year ago which was held in April and Gottfried’s home, he gravitated towards her. Soft eyes with a sweet smile.
He placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers as he propped himself against the doorway that was already opened.
His heart constricted at the sight of her sitting with her legs crossed in her sleepy shorts and plain t-shirt, looking down at the computer technology as the bright light shined on her face.
He gave her a small smile when she looked up from her laptop. “Hey, Y/N.”
She gave him a quirk of lips before her eyes dragged from his face to the screen in front of her. She hesitated before she returned her gaze to his. “Tom?”
He hummed in response, indicating he was listening.
“I’m sorry that your wife…” she trailed off awkwardly before closing her laptop with a quiet sound.
His shoulders shifted as he shrugged. “It’s alright. Our marriage hadn’t been well for a while,” sweat began to collect at his temples. Goddamnit.
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s still not an excuse, isn’t it?”
He swallowed thickly, “no. I suppose not.” It came out as a rasp. His fingers trembled slightly, feeling the urge. “I will be right back.”
“You know you don’t have to go to the lavatory for that,” she told him, a knowing glint was shone in her depths.
“You…?”
“It’s kind of hard not to, you’re a bit jittery. It’s in your eyes.” She pointed out softly.
His ocean blue eyes analyzed the bedroom, taking in a mental of things that made to add to her characterization. “Well, I would have to do it in the bathroom since I don’t want to ruin your pretty things.”
“Okay.” She simply said. A beat before she opened her mouth. “Tom?” 
“Yeah, baby?” An endearment slipped from his tongue unbidden
A slight red shade painted her cheeks as she blushed, and he belatedly realized he had called her a pet name. 
“I’ve never tried cocaine,” she mumbled.
He closed the distance between them, his dress shoes barely stopping at the edge of her bed. “You shouldn’t,” he stated, shaking his head quickly. “I don’t want you to get into this stuff, promise me you won’t.” He said, sternly while staring into her eyes.
A pause before a sigh. “I promise.”
A sense of feeling washed over him, and he took a step back, adding the distance between the bed and himself.
“Since you won’t do it in my room, and you don’t want me to do it…can I watch you while you do it in the lavatory?” She asked, nibbling on her lips nervously.
He immediately wanted to say no.
But what if someone else would be too happy to let her watch it, possibly going as far as letting her take a bump or two. He could feel the anger brimming at the surface at the thought. He knew she would listen and would not break her promise to him.
However, why wouldn’t he do it so her curiosity would be satisfied, and she would not feel the need to consult someone else if they were to offer the opportunity.
With that, he changed his mind. He nodded, “come here.” He murmured, holding his hand out for her to latch onto it.
Relishing in the feeling of warmth of her hand as she clasped her fingers around his, and he immediately intertwined them together.
The lights were dimmed in the living room as they walked in the hallway, but he could hear chatter in the kitchen, luckily the door was shut so April, her husband and Janet wouldn’t see them going to the lavatory.
Opening the door, he quickly pushed her in there gently before flicking on the switch. His hand reached and twisted the latch to lock the door behind him once he stepped into the lavatory.
He unbuttoned his blazer before reaching in the inner pocket to drag out a clear plastic bag of white powder, and a card. Dropping them in the bathroom sink.
He had thought about doing it again on the edge of the bathtub, in the same spot that he had done it before. However, she was here.
He dragged his bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling on it before releasing it as he turned around to look at her with determination in his ocean blue depths. “Do you trust me?”
“Yeah.”
“Come here,” he said for the second time today. He took a step back from the sink when she closed the distance. She looked up to him with curiosity in her gaze. He only gave her a small quirk on his lips before turning her around to face the mirror, away from him.
He pushed her head to the side, pushing her strands behind her neck before leaning in.
He inhaled slowly, humming slightly as he glided the tip of his nose against the curve of her neck. The scent of florals engulfed his sense.
He was touch-starved from her skin. Raging inferno bloomed underneath his skin as he looked from afar, always watching her while he had no idea his wife, Marianne was cheating on him with Bill and Janet at the same time. He could’ve had her a while back if he had known.
“You’re trembling, baby.” He whispered; his nose grazed her skin. His hand roamed in front of her body, reaching in the sink absentmindedly until he heard the crinkle of the packet that held the drug as he picked it up from the sink.
He brought it to her collarbone, tilting the bag before spreading the white powder into a thin -as thin as he could- line onto her skin.
Then he closed the bag, throwing it back in the sink before he tilted his head forward.
He inhaled sharply as the white powder drifted into his nostril before lifting his head. He dropped the short metal straw in the sink. Closing his eyes for a release of euphoria as he gripped her waist, his ears prickled at the sounds of her light whimpers. He opened his eyes to see there was residue left behind before he leaned forward, parting his lips. His tongue slipped out of his mouth, lapping the residue off her skin.
He saw them reflecting on the mirror as he lifted his face, his eyes were dilated while half-lidded due to her close proximity.
But the look on her face was just enough to push him over the edge the cocaine could not accomplish.
Tom eventually gripped her jaw, pulling her in quickly as he turned her face to him, their lips colliding with such force that she would have stumbled backwards into the sink were it not for his hand pressing into her back, bringing their bodies closer together. 
“Fuck,” he breathed into her mouth. Pulling back, he turned her around to face the small mirror. He then tucked his fingers into the waistband of her sleepy shorts and panties, bending down as he dragged them down until they hit the tiles. He then forced her legs apart as he urged her to bend over slightly, she had to place her hands on each side of the mirror to hold herself up.
Unbuckling his belt before unzipping them, he then pushed his trousers along with his boxers down his thighs, freeing his cock from the constraint. He stroked it with his fist a few times. 
His hand came down between them to rub the curve of her ass. Then using both of his thumbs, Tom reached down and spread her folds to show him just how eager and ready she was despite not touching her.
“Fuck, you have a pretty pussy.” He breathed, straightening up; bringing his thick shaft to her cunt before slowly began to push into her tight entrance, feeling her slick hole resisting his intrusion. She was very tight.
About halfway in, Tom began to pull himself back until the tip of his cock was right at her tight entrance once more. It flexed and clamped down involuntarily, giving him enough pleasure on its own without even moving. With the way she was shifting on her tiptoes revealed to him just how needy she was. His hands come down to grip at the porcelain sink on either side of her frame.
Tom’s fingers tighten around the sink, using them as anchorage to force the rest of his cock in her cunt.
He simply pulled out before forcing his way back in with a grunt, giving her little hole no choice other than to adjust to his size. Her cunt oozed droplets of warm slick, coating his shaft in arousal.
His cock pulled out of her cunt, quickly sliding back in. He continued the process a few more times until her body relaxed enough to take him fully without resistance. Once he felt her, he began to pound into her, ramming his cock into her tight hole.
He used one hand to collect her hair to the side, bringing his lips to her ear. “It should’ve been you,” he grunted before pressing his lips to the curve of her cheek.
“What do you mean?” She panted the question, eyes squeezing shut as she tried to restrain herself from making any more noises from erupting her throat.
His lips brushed on her skin as he spoke. “You should’ve been my wife.”
The effort was fruitless as those words became her undoing. Her whimpers were strained, swallowing down anything that would give her away in the house due to the walls being thin even down the hallway.
“Let me hear those pretty sounds, baby,” he breathed out, panting as his hips slam into her ass loud enough to echo in the lavatory each time. 
“I can’t, they’re-“ down the hallway, she wanted to say, but couldn’t due to the noises that were threatening to slip. She shook her head, craning her neck to glance at him at the mirror reflecting the image of them. Her brows were furrowed, but her eyes were drawn out similar how a drunk person would look like except she was all cock drunk. 
“Fuck them,” he grunted, letting go of the side of the sink to grip her throat, curling his fingers around one side while his thumb resided on the other of her throat, squeezing hard enough for her to choke. She gasped for air against his palm, her hands still flexing onto the wall. 
When she struggled to give in, his hand crawled up her throat to press against her lips, his fingers prying her mouth open. His fingers pushed further back into her warm mouth, pressing against her tongue as he quickened his pace.
He stared at her at the mirror, full blown lust was etched on his face while hers were just as beautiful which caused him to flex his fingers in her mouth when her drool began to dribble down his fingers eventually making its way to the back of his hand before dripping down to his wrist. He angled his hips in the exact same way, shoving into her with enough force.
His thick cock abused her cunt, stretching her hole so wide around his shaft. With her leg lifted onto the porcelain sink, she was spread for him to slam deeper into her over and over again
His balls smacking against her cunt. It was difficult for her to stay silent; her walls were completely melting against his roughness.
“Tom,” she whined, attempting to warn him.
He needed more, somehow the cocaine fueled his lust to ruin her. He took a hold of her hips with a bruising force, dragging her leg off of the sink, before lifting her until her legs were dangling as he began to pound brutally into her pussy.
About to unravel, she gripped one side of the sink, knuckles straining as her other hand smacked, attempting to grapple the other side of the sink. She tried again. “Tom.”
He heard her, but he didn’t slow down like she thought he would. He merely grunted, moving his body faster as each thrust grew in force. He was fucking her pussy as if it was the last thing he would ever do, ruining her body as much as he wanted. It was his, after all. She was his. 
Her juice was coating his cock as it slid in and out of her cunt. The feeling of her insides tightening and clamping down against his cock was beginning to overwhelm him and he slammed into her, thick ropes of cum starting to shoot out of his tip, pumping into her until there was no longer any room in her cunt.
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ghosts-and-glory · 4 months
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Some Narinder character analysis for y’all.
This is a slightly re-edited excerpt from a much longer post of mine where I was specifically trying to provide a rebuttal to someone else. I’m kinda proud of some of my takes here and the write up took me hours so I’m gonna repost it here on its own.
I’m going into specifically into Narinder’s
Speech patterns and way of expressing emotions.
Implications of his post defeat dialogue
Relationship with Aym and Baal
Feelings on Ratau’s death
And a little extra on why do we “babygirl” Narinder
Full analysis under the cut.
The way Narinder expresses his positive feelings
First I gotta establish Narinder’s voice. Narinder seems almost incapable of giving a genuine compliment especially without turning it into something about himself.
Here’s three examples of him giving a complement to The Lamb. Taken from after defeating Amdusias and Shamura. He also complements The Lamb when you sacrifice Ratau but I’ll come back around to that.
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I wanted to grab the entire quotes so it didn’t look like I was nitpicking.
"Very good, my vessel. It seems I chose well when I kept you from Death.”
First example, “very good,” is the complement, but immediately after he takes credit for this by calling you “my vessel” thereby claiming ownership over you. His vessel did well. And again “I chose well” doubled down and complemented himself.
“I admit, you have worn it (the red crown) almost as well as I could have myself.”
Again we see the complement layered in ego. “Almost as well as I” in other words you did well, but don’t forget I’m better. Also important to draw attention to is “I admit” this is a very explicit statement of his refusal to acknowledge the success of others.
"Your appetite for death is something I can admire, Vessel. But the Crown is mine, and none - NONE - are worthy. None other than I.”
Here he almost lays down a complement. “Your appetite for death is something I can admire” straight up, states his admiration. He seems to almost realize what he’s done and quickly pulls back into his ego, “But the crown is mine” “-none are worthy- None other than I.”
These are the three of the four ONLY times that Narinder ever says anything explicitly positive about someone else when he is a god. Thus establishing that the head ass cannot give out a compliment to save his life. The one time he gives you full credit for your actions he immediately pulls right back into his ego.
I cannot stress this enough. Someone who is characterized as cold and emotionally closed off as Narinder is WILL NOT suddenly undo this characteristic when they try and express a positive feeling.
Okay with that established we can look at his follower dialogue. Specifically these two examples from when you resurrect a follower and allow him to go on a mission.
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“I cannot begrudge supplantation by one such as yourself.”
Literally saying I don’t resent you for taking my place. It’s not an explicit statement that he respects you but this is he weird fucked up little way of saying it. Of course he still lays it out in a way that’s self centred but we know from the way he has spoken that this is about as much verbal praise he is capable of giving.
The other one is a less explicit statement but I think it’s a interesting reflection of the final place of his character.
“…my thanks, Lamb.”
Being his last bit of unique dialogue, it’s an incredible ending to a character. He thanks you. That’s all he needed to say.
Narinder’s reaction to his defeat that he would rather die.
Let’s go over his dialogue in some depth.
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"You weak, snivelling, foul thing. You - wait! Waaaiiiiiit!"
I’m starting with this line as it compels me the most. I find that there are two separate readings of this and I can’t really point to one above the other. On my play through I had assumed his wailing was more in reference to being denied death. It could also be read as him not wanting to be reduced to a follower and realizing what your mercy really means for his future.
“-are you to be a vengeful false idol, or a merciful coward? No longer can you blame your vile acts on me."
Okay, looking at the way he presents your two options he seems to push more for the murder action. “-vengeful false idol,” is how he refers to murder. It’s not exactly a glowing review but his use of the word vengeful is important. We know that one of Narinder’s main goals in the game is revenge, we he already acts with revenge I can’t say that he’s using this word as an insult. The false idol part of this statement seems like he’s attempted to separate himself from you, again for is ego.
Then he presents the spare option by calling you a “merciful coward.” The flow of this full sentence puts more pressure on this option. He presents it as the “or” the second option. This is the bad option, the option of a coward.
“So. vou are no different to me after all. You have become as I am."
I know this is a deranged order to go over these quotes but last we got murder. Compared to his spare dialogue this is incredibly sombre. We know from already establishing how big his ego is that saying you are the same as him is almost a compliment. I do find this dialogue incredibly interesting tho, I can’t exactly explain why but I can’t help but read this as damning as well. It’s like he means it in both ways, the ultimate fuck you. You are just as I am, for better and worse.
But from what we know about Narinder his edgy ass cannot express emotion. He wraps his statements in layers of irony and selfishness. Unless it supports the persona he puts on or inflates his ego he WILL NOT right out state his feelings or needs, especially when he was a chained god.
Relationship with Aym and Baal
Aym and Baal are incredibly hard to characterize. They don’t have much dialogue to work off of and only three characters every speak on them, Shamura, Narinder and Forneus. The context of the game does present them as more Narinder’s first (and second) hand, less followers more apprentices, almost, but where’s the fun in assuming.
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"Intended as keepers, perhaps, but they were young and in need of guidance. Must I be blamed for my influence?"
I wanna draw attention to the specific wording of keepers. Again, based on the way Narinder speaks its safe to assume he means the formal meaning of a keeper, meaning a caretaker. It is unclear if Narinder was told they where his keepers or if he assumed so, but either way he still speaks on them as such.
For the sake of argument (and I don’t wanna rewrite this bit entirely) I’m gonna put the idea that Narinder brainwashed Aym and Baal against my presented idea of them being his keepers or apprentices.
The proposed idea of the brainwashing angle can be developed based on Narinder saying that “they where young and in need of guidance, must I be blamed for my influence.” This implies that, as much as Aym and Baal may have been sent as keepers, they where still young and Narinder could not help but be an influence on them. I am gonna come back around to this thread so hold onto this for a moment. Moving on.
“Two kits I did have, true love found! And yet one lackadaisy summer day, my beautiful children were taken away... a gift, they said, for the one they loved most, the one that waits...”
“Ooh, kits... I remember, I remember... two kits in my claws... a gift.."
It is unclear and morally dubious how Aym and Baal came to Narinder. First we’re not 100% where Narinder is chained. The wiki lists it as the afterlife and in dialogue Narinder refers to it as “at the gates between this life and the next, trapped at the nexus of what was and what wasn't.” (When he asks you to send him on a mission.) We can travel there both by dying and being summoned there by him.
Either way the assumption is that Aym and Baal had to die. (As an aside I have my own speculation on the conditions required for a person to be presented to Narinder or to be resurrected but that’s off topic.) The horrific implications being that either Shamura themself killed the kits or that they where already dying. However you cannot blame the reaper for ushering the dead away from life.
I’m going to work off of the cult specific definition and characteristics of brainwashing. It’s hard to characterize where Aym and Baal sit here as, again they have little dialogue and due to the nature of brainwashing it’s hard to spot. First I wanna grab my brainwashing resources.
I’m using Encyclopedia Britannica’s page on brainwashing, cults, indoctrination, manipulation as my primary resourse.
Again I kinda wanna apply a layer of irony to how literally I apply real life tragedy to this game that obviously uses cults in a comedic manner. I wanna focus in on the characteristics displayed by victims of brainwashing and the techniques used in brainwashing by an abuser.
Looking at the elements used in brainwashing the only one I can say off the bat that is present is isolation, obviously. But with that let’s grab all of Aym and Baal’s dialogue.
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What is clear from their dialogue is their obedience to Narinder. They call him master while his keepers and still when you meet them later when adventuring. And physically we do see them by Narinder’s side the entire main game and they fight the Lamb first. But if we add some nuance and look at their role as keepers or my own theory of being apprentices both actions of obedience make sense still for those roles. On the same note they also don’t display traits you would expect for someone fully under Narinder’s control. They speak to the Lamb out of turn and attack without prompting from Narinder.
Other characteristics are hard to imply. With torture I do want to pass it off an unlikely as based on the way Narinder tries to manipulate the Lamb it’s only verbal and he cannot attack while chained and I don’t see that changing with the keepers. Traits like sleep, water and food deprivation can’t be applied for various reasons (mostly the being dead one) and we don’t know anything about Narinder and the keeper’s interactions in the past so I’ll have to disregard other traits like suggestion.
Baal: "It's you. Usurper of the Red Crown. The one who freed us."
Aym: "Ha! You are nothing compared to our Master. We have not been in this world long, but already I can tell you are weak. You lack discipline. Our Master wielded Death with precision and control. You allow chaos to reign."
Baal: "What my brother means to say is thank you."
Moving onto groupthink I can pretty comfortably say that this is not a present characteristic of Aym and Baal. In their limited dialogue we can easily characterize Aym as more outwardly defensive of Narinder but Baal is more reserved and even contradicts Aym and is able to speak freely of Narinder.
Looping back around to the way Narinder speaks on his influence on Aym and Baal. Again we know how Narinder speaks, he cannot give honest compliments and dodges affection like it’s a professional sport. With the way he will outright tell the Lamb to manipulate followers and then uses the words “guidance” and “influence” about Aym and Baal, he has to be avoiding admitting affection to the keepers. He does follow that up with “Do what you wish, scornful God. I care not for them.” But again does Forneus not also allow her kits to do as they wish?
My own reading of Narinder’s relation to Aym and Baal is that of mentorship but it could also be read as parental. But saying brainwashed is a big stretch.
His feelings on the death of Ratau
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This is like another example of like, yeah, wow, an evil character does evil? Who could’ve possibly foreseen this? Sarcasm aside I do see his comments on this being a lesser evil.
First I do have to ask why, if Narinder held strong sense of unrest against his former vessel, did he not have him struck down? The main reason I can see is that Ratau is still devoted to the red crown, most clearly seen by the statue at the lonely shack which generates devotion.
Second, Ratau’s death isn’t on his hands, it’s on yours. I find his pride here is from The Lamb’s actions not the death of Ratau. You killed your mentor, he describes your actions as “treacherous opportunism” and says “A great Vessel takes their master's will as their own.” Based on his later dialogue this is likely more foreshadowing the Lamb becoming as Narinder is. Narinder tried to kill his siblings, and you did kill your mentor. “You have become as I am."
I’m gonna tangent quickly cause there’s a line here that is incredibly interesting.
"He renounced his position after striking a bargain that resulted in the sacrifice of a Follower. He was weak."
Incredibly interesting the way he condemns Ratau’s sacrifice of a follower. Narinder directly contradicts himself. It is implied that the follower was lost to another being that did not benefit Narinder, but the Lamb also sacrifices followers to the Fox and Midas. Just something to chew on.
Why do we “babygirl” Narinder and other evil characters?
This is kinda the last bit I’m gonna get into before I cap this off. It is incredibly funny for me to say “I babygirl Narinder” only to get a reply that’s like “I don’t think you babygirl him on purpose.” But I wanna talk about why this happens and why it happened to specifically Narinder.
When people complain about the fandom interpretation of Narinder I think they forget the tone of cult of the lamb. The closest thing I could think to call it would be a dark comedy kinda energy.
The game has very dark themes going on. Mentions of real horrible things like genocide, cults and religious abuse. But also just like look at the game, it’s visual style is so cute and non threatening, the bird characters have two mouths to commit to the bit. If you look at the way it depicts cults it’s very surface level, it’s more focused on being a satire on the common satanic media kinda look of a cult. Visually it bathes in its aesthetics, taking names from books like The Lessee Key of Solomon, uses villainous depictions of symbols like the pentagram or old Hebrew script, disregarding its nuanced origins.
And then they go onto do the funniest thing ever. The other bishop’s? Gross little freaks, based on commonly disliked animals, worm, frog, squid and spider. And then- and then they make the god of death, who they characterize and manipulative and evil, they make him a catboy. You cannot tell me they did not know what they where doing.
Why have I shot Narinder with the babygirl beam? CAUSE THE GAME DID IT FIRST!
I’m gonna call the god of death my little meow meow and point out his status as a Tumblr sexy man cause he’s a little guy and I wanna give him head scritches. But I’m also gonna call him a layered, fucked up and an incredibly interesting character in the same breath.
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simp-ly-writes · 4 months
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Chapter One: The Awakening
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Can be read as a standalone: Personal Hell Series (pt.2)
Pairing: (Hazbin Hotel) Lucifer Morningstar x demon overlord!Reader
Summary: Surrounded by darkness- you rest waiting for a hand to pull out out of its depths. From your last breaths, much time has passed and perspectives have changed. Even if you were to return, would people even want you to?
Warnings: 4662 words, mentions of violence and mental health, possible gore and death.
A/N: Still getting into characterization of these characters, apologies if things appear slightly off for one reason or another :)
Masterlist | Taglist | edited.
Hazbin Hotel Masterlist
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Hushed voices swirled around the darkness, you did not know if your eyes were open or closed within this space nor did you know if these sounds were from a distant memory or present- wherever that would be when you awakened… when you hopefully awakened. 
You could not panic in this space, you could not hear yourself breathe in the stale air. Its coolness flooded your lungs as a shock of your heart echoed with its beat when a hand appeared in front of you, gloved in white. You hovered your own above the outstretched palm, you could not understand a word they spoke as their fingers flickered in the depths. 
You placed your hand cautiously into their own, one finger at a time before the gloved hand latched on with a vicious grip. Their hand shook as your atmosphere started to rain golden coins in the shadows. You felt another hand being brought to your neck, forcing you to look upwards to the thousands of coins falling around you, clashing like swords against one another yet falling endlessly. They did not echo, only chime as the voice began to hum, their grip loosened as a coin was headed straight between your eyes- it was all you could focus on. 
You breathe heavily as you thrash out of their grip, they allow you to easily as their hands blend back into the black depths once more. You look back up now, the coin is only seconds away, growing in scale- encompassing every part of your mind as you try and leave. You are desperate for escape, you imagine yourself running in the void, you plead into the space before being overwhelmed with the sense of falling. 
Your eyes open up to the familiar red skies, you look around hopelessly for the golden circle about to seal your fate but only smog filled clouds drift-by peacefully. Looking around Hell once more has you crying out in happiness before being overcome with disbelief. How were you back? Why were you so happy to be back?- Blue skies were only so far away and yet the tearfilled eyes and fluttering ends to your smile could only mean one thing, whatever- whoever had allowed you a second chance had somehow known that above all else, you wished to be back here with the people you loved. 
But those thoughts were of secondary matter as you looked around the forested area, the area silent beside the trees drifting by in the growlingly harsh winds coming from the east. You struggle to stand, roots encompass your form as you wiggle out from underneath them. The wood groans from your struggle as you summon your claws forward, slicing through the material with ease. You lean against the tree’s trunk for support, your legs wobbling like a sailor returning home from the sea. 
Your neck cracks as you let out a yelp from the static pain, rushing to massage the muscle as you take your first steps forward. You shiver from the breeze, gripping your white military jacket closer to your form as you follow the sun forwards and out of the woods. Your eyes go wide when the first semblance of neon lights gleam brightly in your face- showcasing crude language as a scantily dressed demon shoves you aside and into the road with a laugh. A car swerves around your form as you curse out- matching the signs choice in language as said car drives itself into a building just down the road and a fire warms your backside.  
Various demons and creatures alike watch as you stumble through the cityscape and decide to take a moment in a nearby alleyway. Various rats greet you with their sharp yellow teeth before scurrying back off into the sewers below. You choke back the smell of utter shit wafting up through the drains as you process your surroundings. Time had definitely passed from when you first entered the void and you were clueless as to when you had ended up in. 
You hear as hundreds of footsteps walk past your position as you try and pick up on their conversations, “mickeys got a special at the club tonight- always a good show that rat is.” “Rozrid overdosed an hour back, that fucker took the last of my stash.” “some princess they are, little bitch has worse vocals than that guy I fucked yesterday. All that preaching and hopeful shite- someone ought to teach her a lesson.” 
Princess… The word echoes through your mind, tracing through every bit of your memory. PRINCESS! You shriek into the alleyway before rushing out and back onto the crowded streets. You feel each stain of dried blood on the sidewalks as you run towards what you hope to be downtown- you need to get into the inner circle. You needed to see if your work had paid off as that one passerby stated for yourself, you do not feel the tears drip down your cheeks as you throw each person aside in your path of havoc. A sign pointed towards a railway station as you dashed to the sounds of the steam engine screaming out. The train is about to leave as you leap onto the back cart door and fumble your way inside. 
The sole of your left boot is now completely missing as a leftover fork stabs into your skin. Various suits and gowns stare at you in disbelief. A few rise to a fight, thinking you to be a demon playing a dangerous game with their hearts as others join your tears in joy. You shake off their stare, picking up a knife before ushering it to enlarge. The spear now being tipped down an aggressive tophat's Adam's apple before you throw them out the window, their comedic scream echoing against the side of the tunnel before a splat of their corpse as the train runs over their corpse. A woman stands, her parasol being flaunted like a foil moves sharply to stab you, sidestepping it and crashing into a table, you rip the cloth from its surface, casting it in flames before throwing it to her skin that melts with agony. 
You continue walking forwards before looking over your shoulder to address the crowd, “will there be anyone else wanting to play with the Right-Hand?” Silence is their answer as you hum out in approval, unlocking the next door and entering the subsequent cart. You look into the various suites before finding an empty one at the end of the cart. The door slips open with a wave of your power before locking behind yourself. Leaning against the door, your heart pounds  heavily in your skull as an overpowering of new information brings on yet another headache. 
You wish nothing more to be back in the void now while staring into your appearance through the black mirror. Your reflection is only dim- perhaps the mirror is mocking your lack of looks currently as you run a hand through the top of your hair, cringing at the dried-blood clumps that stop your fingers from progressing any further. 
Turning back around you enter the small bathroom, turning the skin on as you pick through your locks before having to cut various lumps out that are not worth the pain. The towel you use to whip your face turns from white to brown as you summon a fire in your palm to eliminate the cloth's existence. You wash your fingernails clean and extend your claws outward, picking out the flesh clumps and bark from underneath, humming to yourself while sitting on the toilet seat. 
The train rocks sharply, making a harsh turn in a split moment as your face meets the corner of the sink and your right eye swells, almost closing. Cursing into the small bathroom, you strip yourself of your coat and clothing before soaking them in a freshly filled skin. You enter the bedroom space in the meanwhile, still humming a classic tune of your time while looking for supplies to fix your boots. The dresser houses the original room's occupants gear as you smirk at their taste in undergarments- how scandalous they appear in contemporary times it appears. 
 You stumble across a sewing kit just under the lacy garments as you throw your shoes off and get to work, a knock at the door startles your moment of peace as you curse out before snapping your fingers, the shadows of your usual magic flicker, as an ash like substance falls to the floor. You try a few more times as the door handle jiggles before a do not disturb sign now sings into place on the external door handle and you await for the sounds of the cleaning cart to carry past. 
Shaking your hand, your powers still need time to awake to full use and by the grumble of your stomach, they would not be healing anytime soon. You deeply missed the palace’s food in a time like this, fresh and otherworldly fruits summoned by the King just for you. Your favorite dish? Finely prepared by lunchtime with strict preparation orders, and what of dinner? Why- you always share that time in the gardens with the royal couple- chatting happily amongst one another. A bittersweet smile finds a home against your features as you continue connecting the leather back to the sole before putting the boot up to your face, admiring your handiwork and settling your foot back into its reassuring squeeze. 
Looking out the window as the sun kisses your features, you watch as thousands of buildings pass-you-by, blurring together with the speed. An announcement chimes through the stereo as you lean against the headboard, eyes closing to the gentle rocks of the cabin. “May I have your attention passengers, this train will be making all stops to the inner circle over the next two days. Tomorrow morning we will dismount for a refueling before continuing- have a pleasant afternoon passengers,” the announcer flashes before the line goes silent once more. 
Next to the radio sits a box with various coloured buttons on its surface. You pick up the strange object with curiosity, never had you seen such technology so openly available. The palace always believed in the traditional forms of accounting, books, records, and maps- how your heart ached to be inside your office one more, to complete your studies and report back to the court the morning after. You did not know if any of the servants or council members would remember you now nor if the royals even did. Shaking your head, too much time has passed- I would only be causing a disturbance to the new routines enforced, you think to yourself before snapping your clothes dry and pressing them against your form and snuggling underneath the covers. The weird box would have to await for another day. 
Your mission objective was to find the princess, see that you could retire that past-self, the one known to be dead- better dead. You shake in your sleep as you find yourself back to that announcement day. The joyous laughter erupting from the back of your throat at the feeling of the demon lord gasping for air, pushing up against your shadows as they tighten, the blood of the fallen soaking through every garment you wore as the sky rained arrows and spears alike. The silver glowing eerily a sea of blood encompassed the field. But just as your grip lessens, you feel that nauseous feeling overcoming your laughter, that blade cutting through your skin, slicing your core ever-so elegantly as you reeling in pain as you kick widely, mouth gasping, hands praying to the red skies you created. 
You hear as they laugh in your face before the world goes back. You are drifting through a dreamless state, your breaths echo evenly in the empty space before that white-gloved hand emerges once more, extending itself outwards to you. Learning back the hand only follows you with ease, floating just over your own, just asking to touch your own once more. You shake your head, pleading to awaken, hoping that the awakening you had earlier was not just the continuation of this nightmare on the other side…
--
You gasp yourself awake, the sweat dripping down your back as you throw off the covers. You feel from your feet all the way up to your head- you were still yourself. Looking up into the back mirror just in front of you, your face glows with newfound life as you gasp in surprise. Not a single cut, scrape, or bruise littered against your complexion. You shiver in confusion, reaching to grab your tailored coat from the nearby armchair.
Looking out the train window, the modernized outlines of a large city bustle on the horizon. You squint your eyes, trying to pick up on the sign just in the distance, in a fit of barely-visible text you make out the words, Welcome to the Pride Ring: Pentagram City 50 lives away. 
But just before you can jump up and celebrate to your adventures start, the radio by your bedside table crackles violently as the various nods fly off and post holes in the walls. Maroon waves flood from the speaker- only growing with sound as a shadow creeps out from between the emerging cracks as the device shatters into two and out pops what you could assume to be the radio demon himself. 
His yellow teeth make you cringe as they point nearest to your cheeks as he lends forward and takes in your appearance. The colour of their sharp points reminds you of those coins that plague your sleep as a red-leather hand extends its way towards your own. Without even moving he picks your hand, giving it a quick three shakes before dropping it swiftly and leaning against his cane. 
“Why hello, deer! Someone has decided to awaken from their… beauty sleep it seems,” the overlord teases as their voice crackles slightly at the end. You only roll your eyes as the air comes to a halt in the room as a screech can be heard as their nails dig into a nearby wall.
“Now you see- I am at a crossroads dear-General. On one hand I could return you to the King- maybe a bit roughed up- a good spar we could have here- just outstanding work you made of that couple earlier- BRAVO!” a series of cheers and claps emerge into the space that have you rolling your shoulders back and twisting your fingers, preparing for an attack. 
“But- I see that you are eager to draw blood, I do adore that quality of yours- just like old times no?- A scrape here, a scar there- all in good fun, but nevertheless where would the fun be in those few moments of thanks, a favour to be paid in future then I would be ushered back out?” He tisks while twirling his microphone, dispatching his nails from the wall as he passes up and down the small hallway, “I think I will go with the second decision- yes. You will join me to Hazbin Hotel-”
“And why in the every-living fuck would I do that radio-tower?” you question back, summoning a small portal behind yourself to gather a specialmade weapon, it cries for blood in its long rest as you hold it back in wait- watching as the deer-man’s head cracks at a ninety-degree angle. Eyes swirling with malice before cocking his head back with uproarious laughter,  small music notes appear like pollen in the air around his head- swirling like a hurricane before he gathers himself once more, bending forward to stare deeply into your eyes. 
“You would because you wish to see the Princess of Hell- do you not? I heard your sleep filled murmurs through the wire- you have nothing to hide~” he sings songs before extending his hand once more as a portal opens behind himself, a grand foyer stills in the background as smaller figures look through from the otherside curiously. 
Your eyes flash before and behind him as you debate your options, to stab or not to stab? “What is in it for you, Alastor?” you question, raising a brow alongside your blade- purposely not cutting into his skin yet applying enough pressure to feel as he glumps from underneath the angelic blade. 
“What is not in it for me- deer? I get to watch the father of hell himself one day realise you had returned and in doing so, decided to stay with me instead of reporting back to him for whatever little reasons your mind comes up with,” he adds with an erie-cherrie tone that has you cringing up your spine before motioning him through the portal with a tilt of your blade. His hands go up as an even wider smile coats his features, he turns around- coat tails flapping with the actions as he allows you to enter first, closing the doorway behind you both. 
--
You look around the Hazbin Hotel with great interest before a dull ring echoes in your head, you feel yourself falling backwards and against a sofa. The blush yet stained fabric groans over your collapse as you lean forward, clasping your head in your hands- a silent scream escapes between your lips as you become trapped in a distant memory, locked in earlier times. 
Queen Lilith stood beside you as she walked alongside your dedicated steps, you were monitoring the perimeter of the palace walls as she got you caught up on the various court meetings you missed that afternoon and the new idea she had, “There must be another way, Lucifer believes otherwise yet the killings- they cannot go on forever as they are merely a plaster to a larger crack in the system of death. There must be some way to get those who have fallen off the beaten path back on track- returned to heaven's pearly gates…” 
The Queen continues to describe her idea to you as your attention becomes divided, half-listening to her latest idea while also looking into the surrounding forest for a potential attack that you scouted while in town earlier. A group of thugs at the tavern were plotting to overthrow the couple- you would not allow that to happen of course. 
A few finger emergence in the blink of an eye as Lilith goes through shock- so lost in your soothing presence and her ideas that she stumbles back as you shove her aside, summoning your armour as you jump upwards- casting your sword through their bodies in a line before dropping to your knees in front of the King who had just arrived. You slam your helmet off, awaiting for the next orders, only squeaking your eyes open to watch as Lilith slaughters the rest with a mere click of her fingers. 
“Now back to where we were, what do you think of it dearest friend? Do you believe it to be possible- probable even?” Lilith asks while cleaning her nails as Lucifer checks his wife over from the attack. You rest against the ground still, holding your helmet between your hands, “Possible is never the question- my Queen. You are only the most powerful beings in Hell- there is little not possible yet probable is at a minimum. Heaven is dead ears to any semblance of change…” you scoff while rolling your shoulders back, “...trust me in saying that- they will never listen- not even to the truth, as I am sure you both already know.” 
A silence overtakes the woods as the smell of rotting corpses as you try your best to keep dinner town. The King raises his hand, motioning you to stand yet just as you begin, he takes your hand in his own- helping you up the rest of the way before offering an arm to his Queen as you follow in their shadows. 
--
When you emerge back in the hotel, you are still at the dozen or so pairs of eyes staring at you- analyzing your every move. You feel a static presence behind your neck, your hairs raise- it could only be Alastor. “Now, esteemed guests of the hotel and royalty alike,” your breath hitches as you look over each person of the crowd- eyes going wide when red eyes and golden hair grace your vision. “May we please extend our warmest welcomes to the oldest soul in the room, the confidant, historian and general of the seven rings of hell.” 
“Alastor,” You growl out with utmost annoyance, watching as horror takes over the supposed Princesses face before you even got to make a personal introduction. You soon realise your position as eons of service create your actions as you fall onto your knees before the royal, offering your hands as you state, “It is with great honour I get to be in your presence, Princess of Hell. It fills me with utmost pride and sincerity when stating that the sacrifices I have made have amounted to your life- my only plea would be to have met you sooner. Seen you grow by your parents' side but know that I am now your blade, an extension of mind and keeper of souls for as long as you see fit.” 
Charlie stands before you in shock, looking to Vaggie for assistance who’s sole attention is staring at the blade on your back- wondering if this was really you or someone imposing to attack. Angel Dust stands to the side, leaning against the bar while whispering over to Husk, “So… who is this person?” their hands wave over to your general direction as they sip down the rest of their glass. Husk rolls his shoulders and shakes his head, “Are you deaf- or just plain stupid? Did you not hear Alastor's speech?- they are practically the Right-Hand to all of Hell and should be dead.”
“Dead?” the spider questions back, “they sure look alive to me- more than alive, think they would fuck me?” Husk chokes on his drink and does not even bother to answer the question, only watching as Angel Dust walks his way over to stand beside Charlie and takes a closer look.
Charlie appears to snap back to reality, her cheerie personality falling instantly as she takes a deep breath, “If you are really who you say you are- prove it to me and then we can talk more.” You only nod once, starting to prepare yourself for a summon as Vaggie snaps her eyes away, looking towards her girlfriend with concern, “Everything alright?- I’ve never seen you like this before, is there something I should know? What did they do to you?” 
“More like all the things I wouldn’t care if they did to me,” Angel Dust comments as Vaggie flips him a quick finger in return. “You will find out just as I do,” Charlie states in a cold tone, she could not believe the person who helped to create everything she made this hotel to combat against, made her parents split, and the person she ever-so desperately wanted a chance to meet as a child- studying their craft, could quite possibly be before herself. 
You stand as everyone besides Alastor takes a step back, the Radio Demon leans forward with utmost intrigue pursuing his actions as you float slightly off the ground. You take the finest sliver of your blessing from the royal couple, a golden strand weaving its way around your fingers like a snake in grass that makes your shadows cower away. You toy with the snake, keeping careful track of its power while trying not to ring the bell on its collar, alerting the owner. 
When you fall back to the floor, your shadowed face returns to your face as you breathe heavily from the amount of control you had to bring forth. “Does my father know you are here?” Charlie questions with a tilt to her head.
“No, Princess. And I would like to try and keep it that way. I understand the damage I left from my untimely… passing. I do not wish to stir the pot more if I were to announce my return- shaking the foundations so to speak,” you reply with your head bowed, a silent golden tear falls down your cheek that you don’t bother to notice for it was the aftermath of using such magic. 
“How are you still alive?” Vaggie questions straight away afterwards while doing her best to stare into your eyes. “I have few theories but I have yet to find truth in any of them,” you state, falling back onto your court speech as you become bombarded with questions circling around you. 
“Do you want to fuck after this?” Angel Dust questions as you glare deeply at them, “I do not have time to waste on such matters.” You can hear a crackle in the air, Alastor appears to be covering up an actual laugh. 
“How did you get that blade?” Husk questions while cleaning the bartop, you twist your head over to the voices direction, “It was a birthday gift from the Queen.” You watch as his hand stops its circling with the rag, head slowly tilting upwards as furrowed eyebrows question your statement, “I assure you, before my death we were all in each others good graces- more so even…” you trail off with a twinge of a smile that has Charlies heart breaking for a third time that day. 
Your head snaps back over as Charlie clears her throat, your attention now solemnly on her. “Why would you create an extermination day if you were so against violence?” This question catches you off-guard. Your job came with violence as it did brains and empathy- how would she have known beyond the personality you created to the public… NO- no, no, no they could not have. 
“I read your journals, your books, listened to my fathers countless stories- you were a breathing legend- a myth of high regard and yet when my father read your eulogy at the royal funeral. He announced to everyone of your kindness often forgotten and all the little things in life that everyone takes for granted now. Yet YOU hid it, my FATHER hid it alongside my MOTHER! Your vile creation- why?” The Princess comes clean as Vaggie stills beside her, Charlie falls into her arms as she hiccups with tears. 
You hand twitches, wanting to bring Charlie into a hug, to listen to her worries, her ideas and history just as you did for her mother. “I am sorry,” you start off my saying, “And that will never be enough- I never expect it to be. I spoke out to Heaven, I followed your mother’s wishes- you may not know this Princess but you echo her past beyond measure. I watched as your fathers power flickered underneath their spears at God's hand and against the destruction of many. I take the blame for the creation of the extermination day. I pleaded at the Gates before falling back to Hell. It was the best choice we hand for a future for someone like you to rise again”
Charlie nods once before turning around and walking towards her room with Vaggie for support. Angel Dust lets out a low whistle before murmuring something about needing another drink, a few shots were already prepared at the bar- courtesy of Husk. Alastor comes around the couch and stands in front of you, “Now that was a wonderful display! The drama, the passion, the SPECTACLE! Oh, what a show, deer. Now I think it is time for some rest, there is an open room right beside my own if you need anything at all- I am your new first call after all,” the demon overlord says with excitement, clapping his hands together before opening a portal to one of the upper floors.
To be continued.
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╰┈➤ A/N: hope you all enjoyed reading this next part! Thank you all so much for support on the prologue!!
Hazbin Hotel Masterlist
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radiantlyrey · 12 days
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Ruby Sunday: Thoughts & Theories (SPOILERS)
WARNING: LONG POST. SPOILERS & SPECULATION AHEAD. MOVE ALONG TO NEXT POST IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN UNSPOILED!!!!!
The Facts Were These:
Ruby Sunday was abandoned by as a newborn baby by her birth mother. (Note A: Her birth mother's name is unknown, but has been promised to us. Note B: Her birth mother's provenance is equally unknown, and has not been promised to us.)
Ruby Sunday has been taken out of time twice--once by the goblins on the night of her birth, and once by her stepping on a prehistoric butterfly and changing history.
Despite a genetic test, Ruby Sunday apparently has no relatives on Earth who her DNA can be matched to.
The snow from the night of Ruby Sunday's birth and abandonment appears when the memory of Christmas 2004 is invoked. (Note A: It also seems to appear when she is feeling some strong emotion.)
Maestro, a child of the Toymaker and a part of the pantehon, believes Ruby Sunday is human until Christmas 2004 is invoked. They then think Ruby may be connected to "the oldest one" (another child of the Toymaker? another god?) before calling Ruby a "creature" who is "very wrong."
The events of "73 Yards" appear to show Ruby Sunday trapped in a loop of time (perhaps more a Möbius strip of time) that only breaks when she dies.
The Doctor at times is discomfited by Ruby Sunday and her existence. (Note A: He is surprised by the Butterfly Incident detailed in Point 2. Note B: He hides his concern about the snow with a hug. Note C: He runs a genetic scan of Ruby after their first adventure.)
The Doctor has been following Ruby Sunday since before they properly met. He has admitted this to her, but he has not explained why.
Ruby Sunday and the Doctor have a lot of common in their backstories--they were both abandoned as children; they were both adopted; they are both somewhat unconnected to their adopted societies. Coincidence seems to be tying them together, and to their adventures. (There have been a lot of parentless children in these stories.)
So those are the facts.
Now for some metafictional facts: There are a lot of strange things going on with Ruby Sunday. She has yet to properly, by herself, save the day. (In fact, in two of her five episodes, she has been absent for the climax entirely.) Most modern companions do this in their first couple of episodes. Despite her moment of defiance in "Boom", she has yet to make the Doctor angry with her actions, which most companions have done by now. It's almost as if she only exists as a character on a purely surface level. She has little depth, hardly any flaws; she and the Doctor get along like breezy best friends, but there's not much of substance about her. Given RTD's reputation as a character writer (especially as concerns Doctor Who), the characterization of Ruby Sunday has seemed more than a little flat. And I can't help but wonder if maybe this is all deliberate.
By this point in the season, when we've hit the halfway point, everyone has a theory about Ruby Sunday. The writing has encouraged the mass theorizing, piling on mystery after mystery with gusto. There are even theories (mostly driven by the fourth-wall breaks in "The Devil's Chord") about the whole season being some kind of misdirect or fakery. But those theories, I think, go slightly too far.
I have theories of my own, of course. My crack theory is that Ruby is either related to the Time Lords or even the Doctor's mysterious species. There is a little evidence for this--her disappearances and reappearances from the timeline, the time loop stuff from "73 Yards"--and it might be true, but I'm starting to shy away from it slightly. Another theory I've seen in this line is that Ruby is part of the pantheon, another god-like being who's been disguised as a human. This seems a little likelier, but I have another idea.
Maestro refers to Ruby Sunday as a "creature" in "The Devil's Chord"--and the word "creature" has the same Latin root as the word "create." I think it's entirely possible that Ruby was created as a trick or a trap for the Doctor, that she's merely an idea that's been given human form. The idea is this: "someone who travels with the Doctor." Fans have already pointed out the numerous parallels Ruby has with other New Who companions--she phones her mum from the future like Rose in "The End of the World"; her existence mirrors the mystery of Clara Oswald in Series 7; she has a lot of the spitfire spunk we've seen from Donna Noble; she even dies and comes back to life like Rory constantly did during his tenure!! Given the teasers we've received for the penultimate episode, "The Legend of Ruby Sunday"--an image of a monitor with the episode's title on it, and [NOTE: I cannot seem to find a source for this; please help!!!!!] a line of teaser dialogue about the Doctor's life playing out on multiple screens [AGAIN: cannot seem to find a source; if you know where teaser dialogue lines for this season were released---or if they're even real--PLEASE LET ME KNOW], it seems to me that the Doctor's life has been studied in order to create the perfect companion, a tailor-made trap for the Doctor and the Doctor alone.
I don't think RTD is stupid enough to pull a "gotcha! it was all a dream/TV show/hallucination!" trick for the whole season, which I know a lot of people are theorizing about. That is a hard needle to thread in the best of situations, and if it doesn't land effectively, then a good chunk of your audience will leave in disgust and never come back. But I think it's very possible you could pull the same trick with one character.
My theory is this: Ruby Sunday is a simulacrum, or hybrid (ha), or something else entirely! But she is not Real. She was created to be thrown away, a lure for the Doctor meant to be eaten or discarded. It might be that she's part of the Doctor's species, but caught by the pantheon (or something else) and changed into a tool or toy or something not-quite-Real. There's been talk about how Doctor Who is gaining more fantastical elements (goblins and gods and so on), and what is more fantastical than a fairy tale? I think the legend of Ruby Sunday is one such fairy tale, and I think I know how it's going to end.
Ruby will, at last, assert herself. She will break free of what she's been created (written) to be, and claim her personhood/characterhood. She will re-enter the world fully herself and fully three-dimensional. She will finally become Real, with all that that implies.
And nothing is more fairy tale than that.
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flower-boi16 · 10 days
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I genuinely hate how Season 2 derailed Loona as a character
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I actually liked Loona in Season 1. She wasn't an amazing character, sure, but she was decently compelling and nuanced in Season 1. Despite Loona's cold hearted & gruf attitude, she did show genuine care for Blitz as her father.
Spring Broken is the first episode where the two have a major conflict with each other, with her developing feeelings for Vortex and Blitz just being a bit overprotective of her.
Despite the drama...not getting resolved within the episode, it works fine enough and you can kind of understand Loona's perspective here; she was almost going to be eighteen, until Blitz adopted her and now she was under his wing, plus Blitz being heavily over-bearing to her as shown in this episode. And it is shown that she does immediantly regret what she said to him, that she didn't need him then and she still doesn't need him now.
Despite the uh, very big world-building issues Queen Bee causes, I actually do really like the episode for the development it gives for Loona's reletionship with Blitz. The episode does show that, although Loona is very cold-hearted and frequently gets annoyed at Blitz constantly babying her all the time, she does have genuine care for him as her father. She comforts and takes care of Blitz in the episode and even proudly proclaims that she is her dad, showing that she's proud to be his daughter, in spite of how over-bearing he might be.
It's good development for her and her reletionship with Blitz that adds more nuance and depth to her as a character. You can understand her frusterations to Blitz to an extent from her perspective and the show makes it clear she isn't completely an asshole. It makes for an interesting and complex father daughter reletionship, where the two don't always get along with each other (and frequently may have conflicts with each other) but they do still genuinely care for each other. It felt like she had real layers to her in Season 1...
...and then Season 2 came along and ruined everything. Seeing Stars completely character assasinated Loona as a character on so many levels. She suddenely starts acting extremely aggressive towards over asking her to just be slightly nicer to clients. I already talked about before why Seeing Stars' thematic messaging fails but the rest of the episode THEN makes Loona such a massive hypocrite; she's out here telling Octavia that she learn to apperciate how hard her father tries to do his best to be the best father for her when SHE in the SAME EPISODE treats her OWN FATHER like complete shit.
Even worse, Loona never apologizes to Blitz for how she previously treated him before, and even after he apologizes for threatening to replace her, as he's running straight to her to give her a hug, Loona kicks him in the balls. This is extremely OOC for Loona and directly spits in the face of her past development in Season 1. It's character regression and assasination, plain and simple.
Western Energy continues new characterization in Season 2, now making her even more aggressive than she was in Seeing Stars with her flat out acting like a wild animal. Like, she litteraly goes to attack the docter once he brings out the needle and just fucking looses it.
I really hate how Loona has become so much more needlessly aggressive to others in Season 2 when that wasn't who she was in Season 1. She had more of the attitude of a moody teenager rather than this.
Loona went from a character with a decent amount of nuance to being completely derailed into an overly aggressive bitch who attacks others, and it's another example of Season 2 ruining one of the show's most interesting characters.
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amyrlinegwene · 9 months
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It’s become really apparent to me how TV has changed based on the shorter seasons.
I feel like so many TV shows want to tell really in-depth complicated plots, but they’re only given eight episodes (sometimes less). And this can work if you have a smaller cast, or you are very strict about who the core cast is, for example in succession, the core characters are the family unit and the secondary characters—the people who work at the company— are not given a similar level of focus, the actors do a really great job of conveying who those characters and what their motivations are, but they still leave you wanting more because ultimately, you know, you might get a hint of something in the script that you can’t go into in depth.
I think the problem is trying to fit a really complicated plot(s) in an eight episode season that also has an extremely large cast of characters that they want to focus on. I see this in Wheel of Time, I saw it in The Gilded Age too.
And one of the main ways I feel like the stories really suffer is that you don’t really get to sit with a story or the implication of things that happen like you do if there is a longer season. For example, there’s a lot of cutaways right after dramatic event instead of seeing peoples’ reactions and afterwards reactions are implied, or perhaps you skip an important scene altogether, and then just tell people that it happened. 
And I think there’s choices that you can maybe make as a writer or a director once or twice for a meaningful reason, but sometimes it happens so often it really feels like it’s only to save time. You didn’t want to see the character having in that emotional reaction for more than two seconds because you don’t have enough time the episode to focus on them, now you have to go to someone else’s plot. Or you skipped over that explanation/event to just have the character have already found out in the next scene because you know if they were to have that scene, it would take up at least a couple minutes because of course they would react to strongly to that news. But now they have known for hours/days etc so their reaction is stale and can be implied with a withering look or a long sigh and a quick mention to let the audience know that something happened.
When you have a large ensemble cast in a short season, there simply isn’t time to give everyone a meaningful plot all the time or there isn’t time to examine everyone’s deeper characterization as a result of their plot; this often ends up with audiences wanting more and writers relying slightly on stereotypes or character tropes to help round out the character in audiences minds.
I really hope the strike helps reverse the trend of shorter and shorter seasons for television shows, because while not every show needs to be more than eight episodes, many shows would benefit from the ability to have more time to tell their story. It is wild to me that a 12 or 13 episode season for a drama series is now a long season to me.
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theemissuniverse · 7 months
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Okay, okay, so I read the Shao Kahn fic for the first time earlier (I was avoiding it because I’ve never liked Shao Kahn), and now I’m genuinely questioning things about myself. He’s such a smug bitch and I’m ??? attracted to that?? (part 1 had me choking on my drink when it got to the NSFW part) All in all, extremely well-written, phenomenal characterization, I love how sassy the reader is because I actually see myself in them (I’m sick and tired of the timid, excessively submissive “I’m not like other girls” Y/N, so it’s a nice change of pace) also, the bits with Mileena were cute as hell. It made me think of-
Y/N: Alright, listen up, you motherfuckers. Not you, Mileena. You’re doing great and I’m glad you’re here.
But yeah, thank you for the food. I am now questioning my absolute loathing for Shao Kahn.
“IMPENDING DOOM” SHAO KAHN X FEM!READER PART 3
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here’s part 1
here’s part 2
A/N : thank you! I’m glad that I’ve impressed the majority with you with this series! This is something I really like because it’s different
WARNINGS : (MDNI) thigh riding, praising, cumming
MASTERLIST 1 , MASTERLIST 2
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Questioning your relationship with Shao Kahn took place at an everyday occurrence. It was something that ran through your mind at a constant rate.
He was the cruel tyrant awaiting to conquer all realms. Not when he was with you though. Everything was different.
The way he acted around you, the way he treated you, the way he’d constantly make an effort for you.
It gave you…butterflies?
You had to of been ill. There was no way in the very depths of Outworld that you could ever fall for a man like Shao Kahn. It was uncanny.
You were in the dining hall, seated by yourself. You constantly tried to lift the fork that was sitting on the table. You managed to lift it at a great height until your magic gave up on you and it fell on the table. You sighed.
Someone had pulled up a chair to sit next to you. It was Mileena. “Your telekinetic gift has grown. Perhaps it is my father’s doing?”
You rested your chin on your hand. “Unfortunately, I have to give it to him - I did not expect for me to grasp this so quickly.”
A presence was behind you. “I still cannot understand why the Emperor would choose such a weak woman.”
You didn’t have to turn around to see who it was. You knew it was Skarlet. “Thanks for the words of wisdom, Skar.” You stuck your thumb out sarcastically as a ‘thumbs up.’ “Always can count you, dude.”
Mileena turned to Skarlet, annoyed. “Don’t you have something better to do, vampire.”
Skarlet was offended by this. “I am no vampire, you failed Kitana clone.”
Mileena slammed her fist on the table and got up from her chair. “I am no clone!”
You got in between them. “Ladies. How bout we take five, yeah?”
The two of them stared down each other before Skarlet walked away. Mileena grumbled under her breath and crossed her arms.
You turned your attention back to Mileena. “Don’t worry about her. Let her be obsessed with her own father…or whatever Shao is to her.”
You sat down in your chair and continued to try and lift the fork into the air. Mileena just stared at you, curiously. “Do you really want to go through with the marriage?”
Pausing, you stared down at the fork. It was a valid question. You just didn’t have a valid answer. “I…don’t know.”
“My father is a lot of things but…he would never actually force you to do anything. If he’s doing all this then that means he knows that deep down, your heart desires it.”
The statement struck you. Because it was at least slightly true. Especially what Shang Tsung had told you. You were tired of being third best. You wanted to be the best.
Shao Kahn could give you that.
Were you starting to become the very villain you feared? All because you adored power?
Mileena walked away from you and you continued to sit there, getting tangled into your thoughts.
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Hours had passed by and you were in your room. You were busy reading your book. The door had opened. You didn’t have to bother looking up. “Made anyone cry today?”
Shao Kahn rested his hammer on a chair not far from the door. “No but it’s only 3 in the afternoon.” He said, making you snicker. He took his red cape off and hung it on a nearby wall. “How was your day today?”
“We are not doing the husband and wife, asking each other about our days fiasco.” When you had said it, Shao Kahn uttered a laugh.
“What do you suggest we talk about then?”
“I don’t know. World hunger? Poor people? Anything else.”
Shao Kahn made his way towards the bathroom. He turned the water on for his bath. “Remind me to kill Reiko.”
The statement caught you off guard. You brought your head from your book and looked over to him. “Should I even ask why?”
Shao Kahn walked out of the bathroom and to the dresser where the big mirror was. He started to take off his rings. “He was in my chambers trying on my crown.”
“Damn. Dude might have a death wish.”
“And I will grant him that.”
You thought about it for a moment. You decided to test him. To see if you truly had that much control over Shao as you thought and everyone else did.
You clicked your tongue to the roof of your mouth. “Why don’t you ease up on Reiko?”
“Why do you ask or care about that?”
You closed your book and sat up on the bed. Shao Kahn did not turn to face you as he took every ring off his fingers. “I mean, he’s a great soldier. And he only tried on your crown because he admires you so much. It’d be a shame if all that loyalty would go to waste.”
Amazement wasn’t even the word. Shao Kahn was actually pondering on what you were saying. It took him a minute. “You are right. I will give him one more chance.”
You had done it. You actually convinced Shao to do something and actually not kill someone.
Shao walked back into the bathroom to stop the water. He walked back into the room and removed his crown before placing it back on the dresser.
“We will marry tomorrow night.”
Your eyes widen. You stood up from the bed and walked over to him. “Tomorrow? Isn’t that sudden?”
“I told you it would be soon.”
“Okay but like you didn’t say when so by definition, you telling me this is sudden.”
Shao brushed your comment off and started to unbuckle his pants. “You should join me.”
Last time he had asked you, you were annoyed. Bothered. But this time when he asked, you wanted to.
And god did you hate yourself for wanting to.
“Okay…but you have to keep your hands to yourself.”
Shao stopped in his tracks. He looked at you, a little stunned. He did not actually expect you to take on his offer but he was not complaining in the slightest. “You are asking me to do the impossible, my Empress.”
“Tuh.” You shoved past him a little, going to the bathroom. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll make it possible.”
Shao Kahn chuckled. He had always enjoyed your threats and you couldn’t begin to understand why.
He turned around so he was facing you. By that time you already had your whole evening gown off. You were unclipping your bra.
He watched as your bra fell to the ground. And then you took off your underwear.
This was the first time Shao had seen you naked and he had to admit, it was beautiful sight to see.
You were extremely gorgeous. Everything about you screamed beauty to him. He couldn’t help but get lost in all that was you.
You noticed his staring. You felt yourself get a little shy and you tapped your foot on the ground. “Stop staring at me like that.”
Shao didn’t break his gaze on you. “Like what?”
“Like you enjoy what you’re seeing.”
Shao Kahn broke out of his trance. He took some steps towards you. Very careful steps. The air was thick. It felt like you could cut the tension with a knife.
He made it to you face to face. As much as he wanted to touch you in all the right places, he’d respect what you had said. For now at least.
He lifted your chin up high so your eyes could meet his. “I do enjoy what I’m seeing.”
You hated it. You hated the way the tyrant made you feel. How could he of all people make you feel this way?
Your hands landed on his exposed chest. They rubbed all over slightly before then reaching to the buckle of his pants. You finished unbuckling his pants and when you did, his pants slid down with ease.
No eye contact was broken. You grabbed onto his underwear and slid them down as well. The two of you being completely naked.
“Shall we?” You asked.
Shao stared at you for some time before walking a little bit past you. He got in the tub on the right side, leaning back.
While his bathroom was huge, his tub felt like it was even bigger. Even with you going into the tub there would be a lot of space between you two.
You got in on the left side and sat down before leaning back. “Why do men like cold ass water when they bathe?” You questioned.
Shao gave you a look. “Cold? This is boiling hot.”
“No it is not. My grandma’s frying pan is hotter than this.”
When you said that, it made Shao Kahn laugh. A genuine laugh. You couldn’t help but bust out laughing yourself.
Shao Kahn wanted to appreciate the silence. He really did but he had a few things on his mind. “Why did you join the tournament? And how are you so close to Liu Kang and Kung Lao? You are no monk.”
You gasped sarcastically. “Really? I’m not a monk? Thanks Inspector Gadget.” Shao rolled his eyes playfully but didn’t say anything. You sighed a little. “I was living with my Grandma until I was seven. Someone raided the home and killed her. I lived on the street which felt like decades. Probably about three years. Then I met this one guy. Some thug was messing with him. The guy was a big guy too. Like a big ass guy.” Shao chuckled at the emphasis you put on it.
You tapped your finger on the side of the tub. “Well the big ass guy wasn’t having it. Not at all. He kicked his ass. And when I mean kicked his ass I mean…he really did a number on him. But the guy…this big ass dude didn’t fight him by the usual. Not a gun. Not no punch to the face or kick to the balls. He was…he was using everything. His hands, his feet, his head, everything.”
“So, I went up to him. I was like ‘that was cool! You gotta teach me that!’ He told me that I wasn’t ready. To come to him another time. He tried to walk away but I wouldn’t let him. I was like ‘please. Just tell me how you did that! I need to know! I don’t want to end up like my grandma!’ He turns to me and he goes ‘you really don’t know?’ Told him no. He told me that it was martial arts. But not just any. It was…it was to actually kill someone.”
“Told him my whole story. My parents dipped out on me, grandma died, and he took me in. His name was Master Bo’ Rai Cho.”
At the reveal, Shao Kahn couldn’t believe it. He gave you a look. “That drunken fool?”
“Yup. That’s where I met Liu Kang and then Kung Lao. That’s why we’re so close. I still don’t know why I was chosen to be in the tournament.”
“Because that fool Raiden saw something great.”
You scoffed. “Raiden. Yeah. He’s something.”
The relationship between you and Raiden had always been rocky. You felt like he favored Liu Kang and Kung Lao all the time.
He never believed in you and you’d guess you couldn’t blame him. It was only just now you were in tune with your telekinesis.
“How did you find out about your gift?”
“I was sixteen. I got angry at something. Can’t remember what. But all I saw was…anger and I threw Bo Rai Cho across the room using my mind. They say you usually gain abilities like that through trauma.”
Shao Kahn watched as you went from enjoying telling the story to complete sadness. It stung him a little that your mood could shift so easily.
He grabbed the bottle of soap and placed it on his hands. Then set the bottle down before then grabbing your right foot and rubbing in the soap on your leg. “Gifts such as that are a blessing and a curse.”
You let out a tired sigh. “More so a curse for me.” You played with the soap bottles that were sitting on the ledge. “Everybody has their own thing. Raiden is the God of Thunder. Liu Kang is the chosen one. Kung Lao is the descendant of a great champion. I’m just… me…”
Shao was actually taking in everything you had said. It was starting to make sense to him. As he knew you craved power, he just hadn’t known why.
“You’re going to be The Empress of Outworld. You beat them all in a landslide.”
You couldn’t help but smile at little. Usually you’d argue with him. That you never wanted to do this. That this was all done by force but for some reason now when he said it, it felt right.
Standing up in the water, Shao watched you. He wasn’t expecting for you to go over to his side. You turned your body around and then sat down in the water before leaning your back against his chest.
Shao Kahn was pleasantly surprised but he wouldn’t make that known. He didn’t want you to get up from him. He grabbed the soap bottle and placed some soap in his hands. Then he set the bottle down and began to rub the soap in your back.
You hummed a little at the feeling of his hands on your body. His hands were rough but he made sure to rub softly in your back.
He washed your back with the water until there was no more soap. His hands were clean of soap.
Shao’s hands started to run along your body. Especially at your breasts. He was waiting for you to object but you didn’t.
You moaned at his touches and sat even further back on him. He played with your nipples and cupped your breasts like they belonged to him.
Something came over you. You couldn’t help it. You turned your head around to kiss Shao but he had stopped you.
He placed a finger on your lips. “I want to save that for tomorrow night.”
You were a little shocked. Shao Kahn had more self control then you did.
You turned your head back and allowed Shao Kahn to continue to massage all over your body.
Like you were made for him.
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Later on, everyone had disappeared as tomorrow was a busy day.
You didn’t have anything to do. Shao Kahn just told you to show up to the wedding and look pretty.
Bored out your mind with everyone gone, you decided to do some snooping around the palace.
Nothing changed much. You couldn’t find anything that you didn’t see before.
That was until you found a door.
There was something eerie about the door. You couldn’t describe it. Something just told you to open it.
And you opened it.
When opening the door, you walked in further. There were stairs.
You went down the stairs where you could hear cries for help and screams of agony. It disturbed you.
Making it to the very bottom, you saw people were in prison cells. That or they were chained. You were shocked.
Most of the people were monsters or were in mutated form. Besides one.
You walked closer to the woman. She was a black woman with glowing eyes. Her hair was black, straight, and in a bob. Her outfit was completely yellow.
You had wondered what the woman could’ve possibly done for her to end up down here.
She noticed your presence. She immediately stood up from the ground and hurried to you in an instant. She of course was stopped by the cell. “Please! You have to help me! I’ll do anything! I’m good for it! Tell the Kahn that I’m good for it! My name is Tanya.”
You tilted your head at the woman. You were no fool. There was something about her that didn’t seem so innocent.
You leaned against the wall and motioned with your hand for her to talk. “Well, Tanya you might want to convince me as to why I should let you go. It’s kinda creepy down here and I want to bounce.”
“Shao Kahn slaughtered everyone when he raided Edenia. He had only kidnapped a few of us. Now, I am not sure where the rest of my people are. And I don’t care. I just want out of here.”
Tanya pauses as she takes a good look at you. “You are not from Outworld.”
“How’d you figure that one out?”
“You do not talk as if you are from Outworld. Also, everyone in Outworld knows not to come down here. They are afraid of what Shao Kahn might do to them. You must be from Earthrealm.”
“Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner!” You said sarcastically. You stopped leaning on the wall and walked closer to her cell. “My name is (Y/N). And I don’t think he’s gonna do much to me. He’s got a soft spot for me.”
Tanya’s eyes widen at this. “An Earthrealmer? I had not predicted Shao Kahn would fall for one.”
“Story of my life. Still haven’t really convinced me as to why I should put myself in jeopardy to release you.”
“I am loyal! I will serve the Kahn of Outworld. Please. You have to convince him.”
You thought about it for a moment. You were going to be with Shao Kahn whether you liked it or not. You mind as well get something out of it.
“You will not.” You told her. “You will serve me. I am to be the Empress of Outworld tomorrow night.”
Tanya could not believe that. “An Earthrealmer being an Empress? Shao Kahn must be love struck.”
“Trust me, I’m banging my head against the wall about it. Know this though, do not underestimate me for being an Earthrealmer. Do not think you can cross me.”
“I would never, Empress.”
You gave her one final look as if to really see if this was worth it. You then shrugged at it. What was the worse Shao could do to you?
“Stand back.”
Tanya listened to your command and walked away from the bars on the cell. You stared at the bars. You concentrated everything with your mind. You then ended up destroying the bars with your mind.
Tanya looked at you in amazement. “I have never seen an Earthrealmer with so much power.”
“I’m a hat full of tricks.” You grabbed Tanya’s hand and helped her out of the cell. “Come on.”
You brought her upstairs. Then made sure to close the door behind you.
When you turned around, you saw Shao Kahn sitting in the dining area with Shang Tsung, Reiko, Skarlet, and Mileena.
You motioned for Tanya to follow you. Shao turned into your direction and when he had seen you with Tanya, his face twisted with confusion and anger.
You spoke before he would get the chance.
“She already pledged her allegiance to me so don’t go out on a villain monologue on why she needed to stay down there. She’ll prove she’s worthy. And if she doesn’t…simply end her. You can’t always scare your way into people following you. You wanted an Earthrealm Empress. This how we deal with things in Earthrealm.”
Shao stayed silent as he heard your explanation. The others awaited to for his anger to combust. For him to get rowdy with you but he did not. He stayed silent.
When Skarlet had seen this, she immediately stood up from her seat. “Emperor, she made a decision without consulting you! She puts this whole empire at risk for the generosity that she shows!”
“Oh?” You questioned her. “Was it not generosity when Shao Kahn took you off the streets and taught you blood magic?” You turned to Mileena. “Was it not generosity for Shao Kahn making Shang Tsung give you life?” You turned to Reiko. “Was it not generosity that saved your ass from death because he had listened to me instead of himself?” You finally turned to look at Shang Tsung. “Was it not generosity for him to give your old ass life and now you don’t look like a dying raisin anymore.”
You turned back to Shao that looked like he was pondering on your words. “Is this not generosity? Taking me in? Treating me like I am your own? Is that not what this is? Call me weak if you want to but you’re the one that wanted a weak woman.”
Shao Kahn stayed silent. Skarlet had seen he was really siding with you. “Emperor I-“
Shao lifted his hand up to stop her from speaking. “You are far from weak, (Y/N).” He put his hand down. “You are going to be the new Empress. You are free to do or make any decisions as you please.”
The tyrant actually supported you? Now everyone had seen everything.
“Join us for dinner.”
Tanya bent down to whisper in your ear. “I am amazed at how much of a soft spot he has for you.”
You snickered a little. “I told you.”
You and Tanya took your seats. When you were sat down, Shao Kahn spoke to Reiko. “Reiko. Thank (Y/N) as without her you would not be alive.”
Reiko turned his attention towards you. “Thank you, Empress.”
You shrugged some while eating. “It’s whatever.”
Everyone heard plates clatter and turned to see Skarlet aggressively slam her fork down and walk away.
Shao Kahn rolled his eyes at her behavior. “She is always a brat.”
You shook your head and continued eating your food, wondering how much longer Skarlet’s behavior towards you would go on.
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It was late at night. You and Shao Kahn were getting ready for bed. He was sitting at the edge of the bed rubbing lotion all over his body.
You were at the dresser, taking off your earrings and necklace.
You wanted to fight the feeling you had toward him. Everything in your being was screaming to not fall for the man but you couldn’t help it.
The way he stuck up for you in front of everyone was not only kind of him but was extremely sexy to you.
You felt the wetness between your thighs form. You bit your lip slightly as you tried to push away those thoughts.
“Thank you. For sticking up for me back there.”
Shao didn’t bother to look up to you. “I trust if that Edenian betrays you, she will be dealt with.”
“Of course.”
“Then I don’t care what you do.”
You finished taking all your jewels off and turned to look at him. He was shirtless and had his boxers on while he lotions his body.
You licked your lips. You tried to fight off all of the thoughts that ran through your head.
But you couldn’t. You were only human.
You walked over to Shao Kahn and stood before him. Shao looked up at you and your eyes meet.
You sit on his lap and kiss all over his neck. Shao Kahn groaned in pleasure. He threw the lotion aside and his hands clung on to your back.
Luckily for you, you had were in your night gown. You rode your nightgown up where your underwear was seen.
You placed your clothed clit onto his thigh and began to go back and forth on him. You moaned out in pleasure.
Shao Kahn licked his lips at the sight and held onto your hips as you rode his thigh. He made sure to help you go back and forth at a steady pace.
You moaned loudly. His thigh was perfect for you to ride. It was big and bold. You didn’t have to do much moving for constant pleasure to hit your clit.
“This is what I like to see.” He told you. His right hand slid on your ass and gave it a grip before smacking it. You moaned. “Keep going until you cum all over my thigh. I want you to make a mess on me.”
You held on tightly. Your arms wrapped around his neck and you focused moving on him up and down. Shao Kahn bounced his thigh slightly so he could meet with your force.
“Oh god, yes.”
Shao Kahn ripped your entire night gown apart and immediately attached his lips on your right breast. You gasped at the feeling of his tongue colliding with your nipple.
You continued moving on him back and forth, closing your eyes in the process. Shao played with your other breast. You clawed at his back and he only groaned in pleasure as a response.
Shao pulled away from your breasts and watched you ride his thigh. Your head was swinging back in pleasure. He brought your chin down and made you look at him in the eyes. “Look at me. I want to watch you fall apart.”
You hesitantly opened your eyes and there Shao Kahn was looking at you, awaiting for you to cum all over his thigh. “It feels so good.” Shao placed his hands on your hips and moved you faster on his thigh. “Oh god. Oh my god.”
“Like this?”
“Yes. Please. Oh my god. I’m so close.” You felt your eyes about to close again but you forced them open knowing he would be mad if you closed them.
The two of you looked in each others eyes as you inched closer to your release. “I’m cumming. Oh Shao please let me cum. Please. Please.”
“That’s right. Cum on me, my Empress. Let it all out.”
You continued to hump on his thigh. He bounced his leg a little to meet you halfway. You clawed on his arm. You were about to throw your head back but he grabbed your chin and forced you to look at him.
“Oh yes. Yes. I’m cumming. I’m cumming.”
Shao Kahn helped you ride your orgasm out as you continued to spit out incoherent sentences. He made you finish completely on his thigh.
You took in a deep breath when you were done. “What did I do to deserve such a gift?” He questioned.
You chuckled slightly. “I just felt like it.” He began to kiss your neck softly and you moaned at his touches. “Stop before I make another bad decision.”
“I like your bad decisions.”
You moaned more when he sucked on your sweet spot but he soon pulled away. He laid you down on the bed. Then he reaches over to turn off the lamp.
The room was dark. He grabbed the blanket and placed it over the two of you. “Tomorrow you will be truly mine.”
Even after all this you still didn’t know if marrying him was the best idea.
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profoundbondfanfic · 2 months
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Mantle
Mantle by tiamatv Rating: Teen Word Count: 16.7k
Dean doesn’t know why his little brother wants him along at this pretentious party-slash-job-interview for the Broken Seals Corporation. Dean’s just a hunter—a badass one, sure, but Sam’s the big-shot mage. And Sammy’s sure as hell not listening when Dean tells him he’s got a bad feeling about Broken Seals’ CEO, Lucifer. When fucking Ruby shows up, well, it’s all downhill from there. Until a pretty, blue-eyed mage in an ill-fitting suit says, “You’re Dean Winchester” like Dean’s the famous one.
This is a retelling of folklore that we all know, but it has some delightful twists along the way. For being fairly short, this fic packs a powerful punch as far as plot and characterization go. This is one of the most delightful "first meetings" between Dean and Cas, where you really see both of their personalities shine. Dean is kind and curious while Cas is the awkward, slightly grumpy asshole that we all know and love... at least at first. (Let's face it, no one can stand up to Dean's charm.)
This fic is very much a fish out of water epic, with Dean and Cas meeting at a fancy party, where Dean is entirely out of his depth. He finds a kindred spirit in Castiel (the food at fancy parties should always be mocked) and they embark on a lively evening of conversation. Beneath all the bantering, however, is the sense that something is very wrong with Castiel, and that not everything is as it seems regarding his partnership with the sinister Lucifer.
Cas is delightfully grouchy and yet vulnerable, and Dean is the hunter that we all know and love, covering up his insecurities with bravado and jokes. Seeing these two meet is a wonderful delight! 💖
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wandashousewife · 4 months
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“Dear Child.” (Chapter Five)
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Pairing — Wanda x Reader
Synopsis — Your father was notorious for going on failed tinder dates for years after your mother had left for her own reasons which she never told you. You never actually thought your father had a chance in the vast sea of relationships until you found out that one of his friends knew a European woman a couple years older than you who wanted to marry him. Strange.
Warnings — Failure dad, absent mother
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Wanda responds with an attempt at indifference, yet her subtle tells—the bouncing leg, the fidgeting hands—betray an undercurrent of nervous energy that lingers just beneath the surface. As you change the channel on the TV, a scene unfolds featuring a young couple, capturing Wanda's attention for a brief yet contemplative moment.
Her gaze remains fixed on the screen, the flickering images seemingly sparking a cascade of thoughts within her. The quiet ambiance of the room provides a canvas for unspoken sentiments, leaving you to ponder the complexities that lay hidden beneath the veneer of nonchalance. In the gentle ebb and flow of the scene, you sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere—a quiet dance of emotions that adds a layer of depth to the shared experience of watching TV together.
As the scenes unfolded on the television screen, a delicate dance of emotions played out before you, each moment imbued with its own unique blend of tenderness and vulnerability. Amidst the flickering images, you couldn't help but notice the subtle shifts in Wanda's demeanor—the way her hand would reach out, seeking solace and connection in the warmth of your touch whenever certain scenes would appear. She didn’t even realize she was doing it. Her fingertips lightly brushed against yours in the most subtle way possible. But each time it happened, she’d pull away quickly as if she had been burned by a hot flame.
She shifted slightly in her seat and cleared her throat, turning her attention back towards the screen. It seemed like she was trying to distract herself from those little instances of closeness.
“Why doesn’t he just propose right then and there? If I were him I’d be on my knees begging.”
She chuckles at this comment and leans back in her seat, her hands playing with her lap. "Because some people like to save the surprise for later." She shrugs and turns her eyes back towards the TV screen. "And other people like dragging things on unnecessarily."
The sound of heavy footsteps reverberated through the house, signaling your father's descent from the upper floors. The faint aroma of beer hung in the air like a lingering specter, a silent testament to the tumultuous undercurrents that simmered beneath the surface of familial dynamics. As he entered the room, his gaze lingered briefly on Wanda, his smile devoid of warmth and laden with undertones of malice—a stark contrast to the indifference he directed towards you.
In the wake of Wanda's arrival, a palpable distance had emerged between you and your father, an unspoken acknowledgment of the shifting dynamics that had reshaped the contours of your relationship. Though the estrangement weighed heavy at times, the absence of closeness between you was hardly a newfound revelation, merely a continuation of the prevailing detachment that had characterized your interactions in the past.
Wanda looked up when she heard your dad arrive downstairs. She tried to act aloof and unbothered by his presence, but there seemed to be a sudden tightness to her lips as she stares at him with tense eyes. She lets out a small sigh, feeling her pulse quicken with the thought of an inevitable confrontation with him. As your father silently beckoned Wanda to join him, a heavy sense of discomfort settled over the room like a suffocating blanket. With a begrudging reluctance, Wanda rose from her seat, her steps faltering slightly as she made her way towards him. The air crackled with tension, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between them.
As they converged, your father enveloped Wanda in a sloppy, awkward embrace, the gesture dripping with an unsettling mixture of familiarity and indifference. The forced intimacy of the moment left a bitter taste in your mouth, a stark reminder of the superficiality that often masked the complexities of human relationships.
In the aftermath of the awkward exchange, a palpable sense of unease lingered in the air, casting shadows of doubt and disillusionment over the fragile facade of familial harmony. In that moment, the gulf between you and your father widened, a silent testament to the irreconcilable differences that underscored the ever-shifting landscape of family dynamics.
Wanda looked visibly uncomfortable, her hands curling into fists as she was pulled into another of his strange kisses. Yet again, she tried to suppress her feelings, trying not to let her emotions take over. But even she couldn't explain why just being close to him made her so uncomfortable.
There was a slight twitch to her jaw and she bit the inside of her lips but she couldn't really do anything to avoid him when he was this close. The smell of beer and cigarette smoke made her want to retch.
Your father then looked towards you, a scowl appearing. “Have you applied to any universities?” Was his only question.
"No dad," you answer him bluntly, looking him directly in the eyes. "Not yet. I'm still thinking about it." You try to stay calm, but his sudden scowl had annoyed you a bit. You could already tell that this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
“You better, because you’re not staying here unless you actually do something with your life.”
"I'm well aware of that," you snap, your anger boiling over your voice. "Don't worry about me. I'll get it done." Your words seem sharp and your voice had a coldness to it, but you couldn't really do much to suppress the rage you felt after having this same argument with him so many times.
He only grumbled and walked back up to his room, seemingly not caring about anything else other than his own pleasure, which would be whatever disgusting television show would show on Adult Swim. As soon as he got upstairs, a moment of silence followed as you and Wanda seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She rubs her forehead and lets out a long sigh.
"He always has to make it a problem with everything," she grumbles, trying to make light of the situation as she sits back in her spot. "Don't worry about him. Just finish your high school stuff and go off to college. It's not like you've been lazing around or what not. He's just being an ass."
“Do you ever wish you weren’t married to him?”
Wanda paused and considered your question for a few seconds. She frowned slightly, her eyes looking away for a few seconds.
"I mean, sure. There are definitely times when I wish I wasn't. That he was someone else entirely…. But I'm happy with the life I have now." She shrugs and looks back towards you. "Even if it means putting up with his bullshit."
“Oh, okay.”
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twopoppies · 9 months
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hiiii gina! can you recommend some fics with handful-spoiled-moody-babygirl harry in them? :) thank you so much!
Oh, I’m really surprised I don’t have a rec for this topic yet and I’m surprised I don’t have a bigger list. But here is what I can suggest!
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Allegro/Adagio by coffinofachimera (E, 9K) everything I’ve read from this author has been so beautifully written, and this is no exception. Yes, it’s filthy, but they give such depth to the characters’ reasons for the way they “play”. And this is one of the rare fics that really take us through the build up to the scene, straight through to aftercare. I really loved this one.
I Love My Hands Around Your Neck by @fournipplesau (E, 6K) Hello... this was really hot. I just loved the dynamic between the two of them—you really get a sense of the difference between them when they play and how they interact when they’re not. Also, just really hot. Did I say that already? Yeah.
babydoll blues by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain (E, 112K) At last, the full-fledged, dirty, sugar baby fic we needed. Harry's character is so layered and so beautifully drawn, I just fell in love with him. Louis is sexy and powerful and also tender and sweet, just how I imagine the actual Louis to be. This author wrote one of my favorite fics of 2021, so I was really excited to dive into this one. They really know how to set a scene and draw you in to their characters. Scorching smut scenes, excellent use of side characters, and some angst that fully made me cry. Definitely worth a read!
it's all for you, everything i do by moonshinelouis (E, 2K) This short little fic is made up of one of my favorite tropes: Louis feigning disinterest while Harry begs for his attention. I really enjoy the way this author is able make their fics feel more than “just” a PWP.
To Be The Friction In Your Jeans by orphan_account (E, 20K) Again, slightly dated characterizations because it was written in 2012 (no one writes OT4/5 orgies anymore, do they?), but I actually really like this one. It’s simultaneously funny, oddly believable, and really damn hot. Harry-centric.
pretty in pink by hereforlou (E, 6K) I love this author’s writing and they give suck a relative portrait of an established relationship in this one: Harry is whiny and needy. Louis is indulgent and loving. The whole thing is very sexy. Link is to a download.
redder than the devil by mercutionotromeo (E, 5K) This short fic has so many kinks and so much smut that I probably could add it to 10 different rec lists. I love this author and hope they keep gifting us with their writing.
Run and I’ll Give Chase by orphan_account (E, 25K) not exactly baby-girl, but I really liked the characterizations in this one; the way Harry wants Louis, but is afraid to want him and acts kind of bratty because if it, but then finally gives in? So good! Plus…there’s a second part Jump and I’ll Catch you (E, 13K) that I haven’t had a chance to read yet.
You might also like some fics on my Desperate Harry fic rec and, perhaps, my Feminization fic rec.
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yourhighness6 · 2 months
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A Yue Stan's Thoughts on Yue's Character in NATLA
As much as I appreciated what NATLA was trying to do and think it is worth a rewatch, can I just say as an unapolagetic Yue stan that they completely ruined her, and Yukka by extension.
And say whatever you want about her scenes leading up to the sacrifice (which did make me cry, I'll admit, her speech about living was actually a nice addition), but it was actually this line that left me absolutely seething and in my opinion proves that the writers completely misunderstood what made the sacrifice so powerful:
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I actually had to pause the television and collect myself after this one because holy fuck is this the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The entire point in the animated show was that she didn't get to make her own choices before this point. She didn't get to choose who to marry, she didn't get to choose her role in society, she didn't get to choose basically anything about her life besides maybe how to style her hair or something. Yue was a character who was extremely dutiful, but also extremely boxed in by her duty. It was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness, a parody of itself, just as her mere existence was a parody: while she was saved by the moon spirit as a child and allowed to live on, it was that very reason that she eventually gave up her life. And the very fact that she was given these choices in the first place in the LA seriously undermined the idea of her sacrifice. Yue was told her entire life what to do, and although she did manage to find a bit of freedom through her brief romance with Sokka, ultimately, she still didn't get to publicly be with him or reject Hahn or anything similar. Her sacrifice was what she saw as her duty, yes, but her sacrifice for her people was also a way of standing up for herself and finally resolving to make her own choices. In that moment, she not only saved her people, but she finally made a decision for herself instead of doing something someone else told her to, even going against Sokka's wishes to do what she thought was necessary. So in the LA, with her having a place of influence in her community, with her being able to call off her engagement, with her being told that she could one day be chief, to that stupid fucking line implying that she was in no way ever repressed and free to make her own decisions the entire time, removing all of her character growth and any character significance to her actions, it was all basically pointless. It made Yue into a plot device for Sokka to bond with and to move the Aang-and-Kuruk plotline forward. In the animated series, Yue was not a plot device, and she was extremely well written, whereas in NATLA, her character fell completely flat. She talks about responsibility and pressure in her first scene with Sokka, but other than that, she has no depth. In other words, she has no depth besides her relationship to him.
Anyway, I hope we can all agree that her characterization and a lot of the decisions made in the last two episodes of NATLA were nothing but a pile of bulshit. From Iroh killing Zhao to Yukka having zero chemistry to Katara just magically becoming a master to Zuko being shelved to the plotline about Aang not feeling like he belonged having absolutely no buildup beyond a throwaway line in the second episode to everything about Yue I spelled out above, I would go as far to call it just plain bad. Again, I'm glad it got renewed, and I'll be the first to say a lot of other episodes get unnecessary hate, as well as that we are working with slightly different characters (especially Azula) in this version than the first, but I was really disappointed with seeing Yue in LA for a second time.
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storiesofsung · 2 months
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Obey Me Rewrite - the Passion Project
Note: spoilers below the cut
I’ve always been in love with the game obey me and been super passionate about it as a long time fan however the game itself is kind of lacking.
Obviously it does what it does well, it’s a dating simulator about demons from hell but what I mean is it lacks potential.
I love the characters and their relationships with each other and the overall concept, that is what made me fall in love with it in the first place however I do have my own issues with the game not as a dating simulation but as a story.
To give you more context:
Characterization
- characters are given great potential with interesting backstories and fun personalities however the direction the game takes them completely wastes any sort of progression as interesting 3 dimensional characters
Example: Satan - he is shown to show personal struggle with a sort of inferiority complex with the way he was brought into this world (or hell) by people only viewing him as an extension of Lucifer and only as wrath, not as an individual living being. He works hard to create a name for himself and he prides himself on wisdom. He has a strong character and one of the best self restraint in terms of anger I dare say (he did attack mc but honestly from the way he was acting in Nightbringer it is progression) plus he is calm and collected and obviously by now a respected demon. Though he knowledgeable in itself, he still has issues to work with, one being working out his difficulties with Lucifer, (maybe) coming to terms with the way he was born and the trauma he went through when Lilith fell (he technically felt Lucifer’s pain). Instead as the series progressed we only saw him a soft cat boy, cmon 😀.
There are much more examples of this in fact all of them have such wasted potential, I’m not going to go in depth (unless someone asks me to hehe) but a very notable mention I would also like to make is
Example 2: MC - I’m not going to comment on how they are dull or has no personality because actually they can be very sassy depending on which options you choose. Also the mc is supposed to just be a self insert so I understand that enough. Anyways what I would like to give note to is the fact that mc forgave belphie right away after he I don’t know KILLED US? Or should I say, more accurately, the game forced us to forgive him so we would have the belphie lovey dovey options (no hate to belphie stans I’m just saying). What I mean to say is that we shouldn’t have not forgiven him you know, honestly it’s more of pacing. We COULD have forgiven him and actually that would be interesting development and a look into their backstory as angels, however there was no real progression towards forgiveness or us even being remotely scared of him (I may be wrong on this but I remember belphie and mc becoming besties real quick with no hard feelings) like the snappy mc incorrect quotes I think would actually fit well into the story as well as proper talk and real progression towards forgiveness.
2. Concepts and storylines
This is slightly less of an issue but I do take slight to the way the game handles storylines. Season 1 was the best (in my opinion) because it was less of “uwu mc marry me” content and more of demons being demons.
Alright so this really bugged me but I don’t like how MC is a a descendant of Lilith, like I know the brothers and Lilith are not blood related and are honestly more found family and that MC and Lilith and so far related (in terms of how many generations were between them) that they barely share dna I believe (in terms of physical dna and all that good stuff not the angelic powers) but I’ve always found it kind of gross but I guess that’s just a me problem…
I’m going to take the next part of my issues with concepts and storyline as general as possible but it’s really long but… hell doesn’t feel like hell, or should I say devildom doesn’t sound like hell
There is technology in other depictions of hell (like Hazbin hotel) but that’s done better because it’s not so emphasized (I know DDD is part of the game but I think they drive the technology bit overboard) it’s a lot less subtle and hell just feels like an abridged human world with slight magic involved.
The demons don’t even act like demons or look like demons, as hot as their demon forms are they look like emo teenagers that just discovered hot topic like girl bye 😭. They don’t act remotely demonic like sometimes, and everything just seems like a cosplay is the best way I can describe it. I know it’s 12+ and not 18+ but I really enjoy the more gorey fanfic versions of obey me concepts because that feels like hell, it brings out emotions in me of shocked scared and surprised which is what Dre me into the game in the first place, not a bunch of boys going to play dress up and harass the MC.
I have much more problems with the game( I still love so obviously I’m gonna play it) but this is more of a rant and I just played Nightbringer so I hope there is more lore that resolves some of my issues but yeah!
I’m not that skilled of a writer or anything but I would really like to try and rewrite obey me as a kind of “real hell” as a passion project, obviouslt no characters, or anything trademarked belong to me this is more of for fun. Again I’m not that experienced so if anyone would like to give me tips on how to write or would lousy like to chat about obey me, about this rant and other issues or just obey me in general feel free to dm me I’m always looking for more obey me stuff hehe but yeah, or actually honestly I just want your opinion on this.
I know it’s not that deep it’s a game about horny demons but it still means a lot to me and I hope you guys understand where I’m coming from. Thank you.
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miyu-hyperfixates · 2 years
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Recently, I've been thinking about how the narrators of MXTX's books become progressively more unreliable with each new work. And how the more reliable they appear to be at first glance, the more unreliable they turned out to be.
1 - Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Let's start with SVSSS.
Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu is your typical unreliable narrator in several ways.
First, regarding what happened in the original. At the beginning the only thing we knew about PIDW came from Shen Yuan's knowledge and own interpretations of the book. So of course we're taking everything at face value and accept all lot of Facts that OG!SQQ was an unredeemable scum villain (lecher, murderer, abuser, low IQ etc) for example. Though it becomes quite apparent half-way through the story (with the introduction of Airplane and when hints of OG!SQQ are shown) that Shen Yuan might not have been informed of the whole picture behind PIDW. There were a lot of background information and character depths that Shen Yuan weren't aware of (and he is discovering them at the same time as us the readers, but even if we're given hints and can infer about some things, the whole picture would only become apparent in the Extras ).
This is of course due to the fact that Shen Yuan used to be a Reader just like us and wasn't privy on the thoughts and disastrous plotting process of the Author.
Secondly, the narration in SVSSS is heavily influenced by SQQ own thoughts, views and interpretations of what he is living through. We know most of if not all his inner thoughts without much filtering. And it is very obvious right from the beginning that SQQ considers himself (due to his status as a transmigrator) an Omniscient Narrator (spoiler he is so not.)
Now the thing is, SQQ is very genre savy, okay? And say what you want, but he's actually quite observant... and it's not even that he can't identify the tropes when they happened to him (the amount of times he complained to the system from being involved in a wife plots) .... it's just that his internalized homophobia and his previous knowledge of PIDW is preventing him from reaching the right conclusions.
We, as readers, don't have this problem though. And this is why, SVSSS is a comedy, it is playing with the fact that we know SQQ is an unreliable narrator and it only works if we manage to notice what SQQ is missing. SVSSS thrives from SQQ being an unreliable narrator and all the misunderstandings that derive from it. I mean the whole Jinlan arc would read very differently if we were taking things at face value.
So yeah, SY | SQQ is an unreliable narrator and we were meant to notice that he is one right away.
2 - Mo Dao Zu Shi
Let's move on to MDZS and its narrator's, Wei Wuxian.
Now, WWX doesn't appear like an obvious unreliable narrator. His thoughts and feelings do, of course, colored the narrative when describing facts and people (and boy, that man has Opinions) but that is to be expected in any narrator.
Like SQQ before him, WWX is very observant but blind to his own impact on other people's lives. And it was implied thoroughly through the novel that he failed to notice the depth of people's feelings for him. And because of that, since you're seeing the world through WWX's eyes you have to try to read between the lines to understand some people actions. A lot of things are left to (more or less) interpretation, which is why some characters characterization wildly differs from one adaption to the other. (Jiang Cheng is probably the one who suffers the most from this problem, *squinting at the donghua adaptation of JC*).
So while WWX seems like a case of typical slightly unreliable narrator due to chronic obliviousness, you might not feel the need to label him as an unreliable narrator.
Until you realize that WWX tended to downplay a lot of things regarding his own sufferings and most importantly that he deliberately left things out of the narrative. Like... you know the whole thing with his golden core.
... Which is worse than SQQ, because at least SQQ didn't try to hide anything from the readers and you know.... conveniently forgetting a lot of things because he's got a bad memory.
3 - Tian Guan Ci Fu
Oh boy.... where to begin?
Xie Lian's narration, contrarily to both SQQ's and WWX's, appears to be sort of dry, a little matter-of-fact even? He is a lot less transparent with his own thoughts, so much that I've even been reluctant at the beginning to qualify TGCF as being from XL's POV. And more importantly he often doesn't bother to tell us things that he already knows (and he knows a lot of things). Which makes him the worst narrator ever.
I mean, you think the guy 's got a case of "a little bit oblivious" what's with him so half-assingly trying to "check San Lang's status/true identity" or him not realizing that the Middle court officers were obviously his former general in disguise.... But then speed forwarding to the next arc (or several next arcs in the case of Mu Qing and Feng Xin) and you realize that he actually knew all along and just didn't bother to tell us...
And it's super funny because he's like, "What? Do you think you guys were being sneaky or something?"
Another thing that makes him so unreliable is that you see him reading aloud the story of the demise of some general and then ten chapters later you realize that the general was him all along and he didn't even twitch while talking about it.
That of course prompted the running gag that if some random characters appears in the background/past of the current arc relevant character, then that random character had a 90% chance of being Xie Lian.
So yeah Xie Lian is most unreliable narrator of all three MC, because you don't have a clue that he's one until it's hitting you in the face.
4 - ??
So, seeing as how things have progressed so far, doesn't it mean that the 4th MC would be even worse than Xie Lian?
At this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if we spent two third of the 4th novel bemoaning on how the MC is so oblivious about the ML's (and his wholeass harem of side-characters) affection for him and then we got a scene like:
4th MC, after witnessing ML drinking vinegar, grinning affectionately: Pfft, we've been married for ten years and he's still being like this.
Readers : ....
Readers: !!! WHAT?! You're married?! Since how long?!
4th MC: Oh did you not know? But we've been holding hands the whole time?!
Readers: You didn't mention any of that!
4th MC, blinking: Oh we've been doing it so often that it just didn't register as something needed to mentioned?!
Readers: What about others things though, like kissing or papapa? Didn't you think it would be worth mentioning?
4th MC: Okay first, it's none of your business what me and my husband are doing behind the scene and secondly... bold of you to assume that I would have enough senses left to narrate anything while being intimate with my husband.
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