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#cryptic ads and ideas
crypticroleplays · 2 months
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LF: HTTYD RP
Currently I'm hunting for a How To Train Your Dragon roleplay though I'm also open to other settings/aus, as long as I can use the OC of mine who is featured below!
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General Roleplay Information
- I write rather detailed responses and often do my best to at least match the replies of the person I'm roleplaying with. I have 7+ years of experience as well.
- I will ONLY roleplay with adults/18+ individuals, I often include mature topics in my character's lore and like exploring dark themes, thus I would like to stick to people in my age range.
- Aside from the age rule I don't have anything else to mention for boundaries. I am a very flexible person with roleplays and am open to most ideas over all.
- An additional warning: While I have not mentioned it directly in his character information, as to keep some mystery, the OC featured below does have a past history with abuse of several kinds so please keep that in mind as there is a chance it will be brought up depending on how things go.
- In the case of this being mainly for a HTTYD setting I am mainly looking for rps that would involve other human ocs, though I will also consider lycanwings. Canon characters are also on the table I guess? In short though the only thing I'm not looking for is one sided human and dragon roleplays with this character.
- Plot and roleplay themes/setting are up for discussion so we can make sure everything fits for both characters involved. I am also very open for potential shipping plots! Slow burn or other wise.
- I generally prefer to roleplay over DMs or Discord, so please feel free to send me something via DM if you're interested, I promise I don't bite! You can also just comment/reblog with something and I can DM my discord information for doing something there.
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OC Information
All base information for the character I wish to use.
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✦ Name: Rem is the only name he ever gives.
✦ Gender: Male
✦ Age: Roughly 37-38 (Though I am open to doing things with his past, so he'd be somewhere in his 20s depending on when it is.)
✦ Sexuality (opt.): He likes men :)
✦ Occupation (opt.): Rogue Dragon Rider - Freelance Criminal (for himself)
✦ Personality: An oddly often cheerful and upbeat person, Rem notably lives in the moment so to speak with little focus on the future, no matter how quickly said future and consequences come for him he really does his best to ignore it. He in general lives fast and does his best to just roll with life's punches. With people, or well, men he tends to have a habit of being mildly flirtatious - often in the way of making snide and usually vulgar comments/jokes. While he is not as inclined towards it as he once was, he still has a notable liking for hooking up with people now and again when he can.
He holds little attachment to objects and is very quick to move on and replace things- he has a similar outlook with people unfortunately, while he has friends he doesn't really let himself get overly attached to any one individual, so if they grow to hate him or leave or… worse he isn't all that bothered. His relationships with others are loose friendships at the best as he tends to be cagey about his past and will do almost anything to avoid the topic if he can help it. The only thing he is distinctly attached to is his dragon, though he isn't exactly worried about loosing them.
While he often can seem snarky and selfish, especially with prioritizing himself above all else, he does have a good heart. Though some emotional and mental scars keep him from meaningful connections, it's simply not worth the risk to him even if he yearns for something stable.
✦ Appearance: Standing between 6 '1 and 6' 2 Rem is of decent height and is rather broadly built - while he is agile and quick on his feet his broad shouldered body type suggests otherwise. He keeps himself covered almost entirely by clothing, though his face is partly visible, the lower half being covered by a mask. Bright green eyes are often visible in the shadow of his cloak hood along with the glimpse of pale freckled skin and at least one notable scar that creates an uneven diagonal line across his face. His hair is dirty blonde yet often seems more brown with streaks of white and it's rather fluffy/curly in texture. His outfit is a combination of leathers and cloth studded with dragon scales (namely from grim gnashers), with some metal adornments here and there that are an odd purple-black color. A green cloak rests atop it all with striped patterns on the interior that mimic his dragon's wing stripes.
✦ Backstory: The vast majority of Rem’s personal history is something he keeps very close to his chest, though what is known about him is his lifestyle of being a rogue dragon rider - for years now Rem has gotten by in life by snatching and stealing from just about anyone, and much like his dragon he's often a bit too slippery to be caught for long. This does mean his masked visage and rather notable dragon are known throughout islands and villages, there's a price on his head in half the Archipelago and beyond but they haven't caught him yet and they won't as long as he has anything to say about it.
✦ His Dragon(s):
-His main dragon is a slitherwing with polycephaly, a great green banded serpent who's notably defensive over him, with good reason.
-He sometimes has a secondary dragon in the form of a freshly hatched leucistic slitherwing, who's lovingly named Spirit.
✦ Casual Other Little Facts:
"What" makes up like half of his vocabulary and he often tends to be very expressive with his hands when he speaks.
While he is not very open emotionally, Rem can often be very physically open or touchy with people though it is explicitly on his terms. He tends to get very flinch-y if touched unprompted by others.
While he is very good with his dragons he is very iffy with almost any other species. He is knowledgeable of slitherwings almost exclusively with some exceptions.
While he may be clever and very good at thinking on his feet he can also be a bit dense sometimes, especially when handling people and their emotions under normal social circumstances. He's got street smarts, not book smarts.
Weapon wise he often utilizes a bull-hook of all things.
When he has Spirit, that little dragon means the WORLD to him. He's like cat dad vibes but with a little highly venomous dragon.
(Art of him cause shockingly I can draw this fucker)
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cavae-oculos · 2 years
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After a long day of fishing, you started the journey back to your campground as nightfall crept in. It wasn't until now that you realized that your radio had been missing from your bag. Maybe you had lost it along the trail. When retracing your steps proved fruitless, you wondered if you should confront your friend about it, as they had a bit of a habit of taking your things and pretending they hadn't. But arriving at camp, you froze in your tracks. Your friend no where to be found and the food ransacked, your missing radio sat right next to it. Almost as tall as the trees, it listened attentively to the crackles and mumbling until it's head shot towards you. The corners of it's jaw curled upwards. The hairs on the back of your neck raised as it stood on all fours and began to stagger towards you. Something like static came from it's throat, until it "spoke" near-verbatim,
"CALL NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE TODAY"
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evilminji · 4 months
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You know what Damian deserves?
A Grand Chunibyo Epic Drama Romance of his very own. Something to REALLY make his parents wince and take a good, long look in the mirror. Because... YEP. Yep that's definitely Their Son all right.
They suddenly feel like they should apologize to several long suffering individuals.
Just?
Damian needs to meet a Fellow Dramatic, Too Serious, Feral Gremlin, "I AM The Heir Apparent! My Blood Is Mighty And My Heritage Noble!" Little NERD? Someone who matchs him, beat for beat, with all the flamboyant Stabby Drama and rooftop dramatic chase scenes of his parents but now?
With Ghost Powers!
Because she is a PRINCESS. In search of someone Worthy(tm) of her Hand(tm). Not because her DAD told her too, obviously, no no. She overheard some of the Ancients talking about how that's how THEY got married. And knows that princesses usually get spouses chosen for them. So SHES gonna chose!
Perfect plan.
And who BETTER? Then the Blood Son of... THE BAT*dramatic musical sting*! Prove yourself, Robin! *lunges with a blade!*
Obviously, love at first dramaticly back-lit monologs followed by sword fight and dramatic escape. She's a formidable opponent.
But? Who IS she? This dramatic Chunibyo WEEB of a child? She! Is Danny's SECOND Clone Daughter. It was discovered? The only way to truely, PERMANENTLY, stabilize Dani? Was to get cells from a stable Clone.
Meaning one that WASNT rapidly aged.
Danny was... conflicted. He was against creating a kid JUST for giving medical aid to his other kid. But? He WASN'T so against the idea of having a kid? Like... a baby. Doing Dad Stuff. Cause... cause he wasn't 14 anymore. He's just graduated college. Has a stable job.
Dani suggested they go for it. But only if they were sure it wouldn't hurt the kiddo.
And it didnt!
She was and is PERFECT. The light of their lives. A delightfully ghost raised little Stabby Feral Honey Badger Gremlin of a young lady! But she's ALSO? Missing! And Danny, king of the Infinte Realms, is Losing His SHIT.
WHERE IS HIS BABY!?
Dramaticly martial arts fighting in the rain, DUH dad! She has to defeat the boy she likes, drop a symbolic gift at his feet, then leave with a cryptic but Cool And Meaningful Statement! You wouldn't GET IT, you're so OLD!
Dick blames Bruce for this. You see this? Do you Bruce? This is YOUR genetics at play! You added AL GHUL DRAMA to your nonsense and now he's discovered dating!! Look at him! He's pining! Dramaticly training in early hours! He's gotten JON involved!
Just? Let JLA Dark have FUN for once. Let them see THE princess of basicly EVERYTHING... harrasing Batman... by trying to date his obviously willing son... and just go "Read at 12:37" sorry Bruce! Looks like they're out of the office! Doing.... uuuuh.... MAGIC STUFF *sounds of popcorn being popped* YEP! Maaaagic! He he he >:D
@lolottes @ailithnight @nerdpoe @hdgnj @hypewinter @mutable-manifestation
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motherlvr · 11 months
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Your Morally Gray Neighborhood Spider-woman
SPOILERS FOR ATSV, this includes the plot of ATSV
Word count: 2.9k
Pairing: Prowler! Miles Morales x Spider-woman! Reader, Earth 1610! Miles Morales & reader
This is a continuation of Part 1 but may be read as a stand-alone. this will probably be the last part of this for now, thank you for reading!
Summary: During a minor identity crisis, you question your morals. Further adding to your list of problems, it seems like Miles has a twin brother he failed to mention to you.
Warnings: nothing too serious, established relationship with Prowler! Miles, possessive miles, Major spoilers for ATSV, not canon, minimal cursing, jealousy, reader is so silly sometimes, i got sappy at the end sorry, fluffy ending
A/N: just know that if u interact with any of my works then i literally love u with all my heart
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You weren't sure where your morals lie, but you assumed they were in the gray area. Matter of fact, you must be colorblind.
Could you even be considered a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-woman anymore? You were sure it was against your moral code to be dating a guy that you had previously described as a "cold-blooded killer." Who were you now? The Morally Gray Neighborhood Spider-woman? It wasn't nearly as catchy. Maybe you were an anti-hero now. Is it possible for a Spider-person to be an anti-hero? Surely not, you thought.
Interrupting your thoughts was the buzz of a phone. Miles' phone. You soon realized your present state, burrowed against your boyfriend on his bed. He had a suffocating grip on you, like he was afraid you'd disappear if he let go. Letting you get a breath of air, he loosened his grip on you to check his notification.
He slowly unwrapped his arms from around you and started to rise from the bed. He pressed his lips to yours before saying, "Lo siento, mami. Uncle Aaron needs me." He started putting on his Prowler gear.
To be frank, you were sick and tired. You've heard the same excuse over and over from Miles. At this point, you didn't understand why he was being so cryptic. What secret is there to hide if you already know he's the Prowler?
"Miles, enough with that vague shit. You keep acting like you're Batman or something." You sass, rolling your eyes at him and laying up in his bed. It was surprising how much he let you get away with. If anyone else had said that to him, he'd claw their throats out, surely.
"Let me come with you, Miles." You suggested, immediately jumping off his bed to follow him. He didn't like that idea. Not one bit, and it was clear on his face. "Hermosa," Miles started, but you interrupted him, pointing a finger at his face. "You know damn well I am fully capable of protecting myself. Just let me into your life, Miles. I want to see what's so important that you have to go and ditch your girlfriend yet again." You dramatically sigh, hoping he'll cave. After a few moments, Miles eventually gave in. "Fine. C'mon, princesa." He sighed and gestured for you to follow him.
He led you to what seemed to be a sketchy, dull, and grimy basement. If he wasn't infatuated with you, you'd wonder whether he was plotting to murder you down here. Upon further inspection, it was actually an apartment. As your eyes scanned the eerie room, you noticed chains hanging on the walls and an abnormal amount of weapons. However, there was also a large flatscreen and a kitchen. You could only assume that this was their Prowler Cave.
Other than the random civilian tied up on a punching bag, it looked like a fairly normal room. Almost cozy, if you were being generous.
Speaking of, why was there some poor boy restrained on a punching bag? You could barely see him due to the punching bag being larger than him, but from your current standpoint, you could only assume he was around your age or younger.
Miles stepped in front of you, holding a hand out to prevent you from taking a step further. Curling your lip in a frown, you shooed his hand away and continued walking, but stopped before the hostage could spot you. He stayed behind, lurking in the corner.
Miles' uncle greeted you both, "I've got a surprise for y'all." Apparently, Miles had let his uncle know in advance that you were welcome into his Prowler cave.
Miles, ever loving his dramatic entrances, jumped down from the corner he was lurking in. You had to stifle your laugh.
Uncle Aaron rotated the punching bag, revealing the unfortunate boy that got restrained upon it. Your jaw fell to the ground. You couldn't believe what you were seeing. How was this possible? You started to wish you had paid attention during Physics.
Attached to the punching bag was a near-identical copy of your beloved boyfriend. His eyes were wide full of fear, and for a second, you felt pity for him. Uncle Aaron left the room, leaving only you and the two Miles.
"Your dad is still alive?" Miles asked his impersonator, astonishingly unfazed by the fact that there was a copy of him staring him directly in his eyes. "What?" The impersonator questioned. "Your father, you said he's still alive." Miles repeated, his voice piquing with interest. "Yeah." The copy replied in a low voice. His face had no remnants of fear, it morphed into confusion instead. "Who are you?" The fake Miles asked, his eyebrows furrowing. He reminded you of your boyfriend in that way.
Your dearly beloved Prowler opened his mask, "I'm Miles Morales. But you, you can call me the Prowler." He said, his accent exposing. Those simple two sentences had more of an effect on you than they should have.
"If I don't go home, our dad is going to die." The fake Miles says with fear in his voice. "Your dad." Miles interjects coldly, lacking sympathy. The hope was slowly fading from the other Miles' face. He shook his head and said, "Please, you have to let me go." with more assertiveness than before. Your boyfriend leaned closer to the fake, "Why would I do that?" he inquired.
Deciding to interrupt their stare-down, you stepped out of the darkness and made yourself known to the fake Miles.
His face lit up with recognition. He whispered your name, "Is that you?"
"First off, how do you know my name?" You questioned, raising a confused brow. This whole situation was starting to creep you out. As you stepped closer to him, both of your spider-senses went off.
"You're like me." You both said in unison.
Your boyfriend was watching this interaction, narrowing his eyes. The fake Miles was only giving your boyfriend more reasons to keep him confined here.
"Look, you've got to help me. In my universe, you were my girlfriend too. Except you weren't Spider-woman. Don't you have a sense of morality? Hasn't anyone told you that with great power comes great responsibility?" The poor guy was practically begging you. You were sure that if he wasn't tied up on a punching bag, he'd be on his knees pleading with you. Which would be a fun sight to watch, you think.
You scoffed at the fake Miles Morales and replied, "You said it wrong. It's, with great ability comes great accountability." Rolling your eyes. This impersonator couldn't even get the quote right.
"That's not-" He cut himself off. "Whatever. You've got to help me, please." The fake Miles pleaded with you. He started to glitch, this universe was taking a toll on him already. As you stared into his eyes, he reminded you of a miserable, dejected puppy. Unbeknownst to you, the less-menacing Miles Morales was only stalling to charge up his venom strike.
Fortunately for him, he didn't need to resort to his venom strike just yet. That would only make this situation harder for him to get out of. He wasn't planning on getting on the bad side of another Spider-person.
"I think we should help him." You broke the silence, turning to your Miles. He was about to argue with you when you continued, "Not only because he's a fellow spider-person, but also because it's harder to resist someone when they look exactly like you, Miles." You grinned, teasing him.
As always, Miles couldn't deny you. He growled to his other self, directing the clone's attention away from you. "You're lucky my girl was here to save you this time, spider. I would've had no issue leaving you here to watch you rot."
As you untied Miles from the punching bag, he mouthed a "Thank you" to you and said,
"Do you guys happen to have a watch that can teleport me back home?" in all seriousness. It was almost comical. "No, but maybe I could help you out." You responded. "I have a good friend, Peter Parker. He's a scientist that specializes in quantum physics, I bet he could help. He works at Alchemax." His eyes seemed to lighten, "You know a Peter Parker?"
On the way to Alchemax, your boyfriend decided the phony version of himself was getting too comfortable with you. He was asking you way too many questions such as,
"How did you become Spider-woman?" The same way you did, Miles.
"How long have you been Spider-woman?" Ever since I got bit by a spider.
"Why are you with the Prowler?" He's not such a bad guy. A few seconds passed and you said, Nevermind. But that's what makes it exciting. You wink at him.
And that's when your lover decided to step in. He interrupted whatever Miles #2 was going on about. "Shut up for once." He snarled at him, towering over his clone. Within a second, your boyfriend had his copy in his grip with his razor-sharp claws in his face, a warning. You noticed sparks flying from the other Miles' fingertips. Why don't I have electric powers? You pondered. Not wanting to witness a homicide today, you pulled your boyfriend away before he could get the chance to slaughter himself. Or at least the morally good version of himself.
Your Miles snaked his arm around your waist possessively. He glared at the other Miles through his screen mask, but you were sure Miles #2 felt his sinister stare. He and you were walking a few paces ahead of his duplicate.
Some days, you weren't sure whether you wanted to kiss him or throttle him during his sleep. Although you couldn't deny that a part of you liked seeing him like this.
“Settle down, babe. He’s not my type.” You reassured him. He almost felt appeased, until he rethought your words. “Not your type? Mami, we look almost identical.” Your Miles said with irritation in his tone. You laughed at his confusion as you shook your head.
Although they were nearly identical in appearance, you noticed clear differences. For instance, your Miles had an intimidating and menacing presence. While the other Miles had more of a "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man" energy to him.
"No, I mean, he's a little too dorky for me." Your boyfriend seemed to approve of your response, gazing at you. You shivered under his watch.
“I heard that." Miles #2 muttered, following behind you two.
Miles’ gaze was still set on you. He didn’t intend on breaking it any time soon. Although you couldn't exactly see his eyes, you could feel his stare. Nervously glancing the other way, you avoided eye contact. Because you knew that if you looked at him again, you'd pull him in and wouldn't be able to pull away. You felt like you were pinning for him all over again.
You glanced back at him, "Miles, stop staring at me. I might kiss you.” In an instant, his mask was off. He pulled you into a searing kiss, cupping your head with his hands. You reciprocated immediately.
His kiss was demanding and forceful. You could hear the thump of your heart, increasingly becoming louder. It was only a few moments long but felt like forever. He pulled away sooner than you'd liked, leaving you desiring more. “Had to show him that you’re my girl. Sólo mía. Right, princesa?” He stared into your eyes, making your heart pound impossibly faster. You cheekily nodded, the words being lost on your tongue. Miles smirked in satisfaction and closed his mask as you all approached Alchemax.
You strode into Alchemax like it was your second home and looked for Peter's office. Your boyfriend treaded right by your side, while the other Miles strayed behind you like a lost puppy. Which essentially, he was.
Successfully finding Peter's door wide open, you knocked. He looked up from his pile of work. Peter greeted you with a smile, "Come on in. It's great to see you, kid. But, uh, why is the Prowler in my office?" He said to you, his voice barely above a whisper. The Prowler in question was menacingly yet quietly standing in the corner of Peter's office.
Peter looked slightly green, but you consoled him. "Oh, don't mind him. He's my boyfriend." You shrugged. Peter shot you an extremely concerned look, judging your taste in guys, no doubt.
You simply smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "But anyway, Peter. This is Miles, he’s from a different dimension." You pointed at Miles, who stood stiffly next to you.
"We were hoping you could help us create an inter-dimensional teleporter. Or rather, a watch that can jump universes?" You told Peter.
The scientist seemed fascinated by this information about the multiverse. “That's a specific request. Lucky for you guys, I've been working on a prototype. Be wary that it is just a prototype, so there's no guarantee it'll work." Peter said.
"Great! I just have to make sure I get out of here before I either glitch to death or Miguel and his spider-team show up to beat me to death." Miles awkwardly said, scratching the back of his head. His glitching issue was getting worse the more time he spent in your universe.
Spider-team? No one's ever told you about this. If this "Spider-team" really did exist, why weren't you invited? No, you take that back. You could name a couple of reasons why you weren't invited, starting with your boyfriend who was standing next to you in his full Prowler suit. This is what you deserve for not being a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-woman, you sigh.
"Let's hope this works then." Peter says with an unsure tone. He cuffs the watch around Miles' wrist and changes the settings.
Silence falls upon the room as you all observe the watch flash for a moment, and then go dim again. How anti-climactic.
"Oops, sorry guys. Wrong settings." Peter Parker awkwardly laughed and fumbled with the watch again, and then said "Alright, this one should work."
Suddenly appearing to your right is a captivating portal of sorts. It was in the shape of multiple hexagons and had an orange hue. You couldn't take your eyes off of it, you'd never seen something so alluring. Other than your boyfriend, that is. You chuckled at your inner monologue.
Peter was ecstatic, “The other scientists doubted multiversal travel existed, but this is a critical discovery in the history of science!”
Miles, the Spider-Man one, was bewildered. He could finally go home and save his father. “Dude, this is awesome! I can't thank you guys enough. Maybe I'll see you guys again sometime." He smiled, referring to Peter and you.
Miles #2 seemed to be leaning in for a hug when your boyfriend interjected. He stood in front of you and glared at the phony version of himself, "Not too friendly now." he scowled.
“Chill, man! I didn’t mean it like that!" Instead, Miles gives you a two-fingered salute and fist-bumps Peter. "See you around." He finally says, jumping into the portal and wasting no additional time.
The portal closed behind him and you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Maybe you weren't a morally gray neighborhood spider-woman after all.
Who were you kidding? You're dating a murderous asshole. You must've been guilty by association.
You just hoped that the dorkier version of your boyfriend made it to his universe, and wasn’t sent to a completely different one yet again.
Shaking off the thoughts, you told the scientist, "Thank you, Peter! You were a big help." You hugged Peter and waved him goodbye. "Anytime, kid." He replied. Your prowler followed you out, his hand settling on your waist.
As you returned to Miles' house, you sat on his bed with him and said, "You know, your cooperation has to count for something. Even if you were just brooding the whole time."
"I'm the Prowler. I wasn’t brooding, ma.”
"Whatever you say." You rolled your eyes at him. "Anyway, you didn't kill him, so that's a start. I'm proud of us!" You gleamed at him as you mentally patted yourself on the back.
"You know I love you, ma. But you talk too much." Miles said, pulling you by the waist into his embrace.
You knitted your eyebrows as you replied, "Babe. It runs in every Spider-person. Didn't you hear how-" This time, Miles was the one shutting you up by pressing his lips to yours in a surprisingly soft kiss. His gentle lips moved against yours, and you couldn't help but melt into his touch.
You smiled into the kiss, deepening it. You didn't need words to show him how deep your affection for him lies. If you could, you'd freeze time to forever stay in his hold.
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Dating the public’s enemy number one had to be diminishing your PR. Not that you had one, anyway.
Initially, you worried that your terribly different lifestyles would inevitably lead to the end of your relationship. The Prowler and Spider-woman was an unlikely combination, after all. You snuck out at night to fight crime and restore justice, while he snuck around with his uncle to be a hitman of Kingpin. But you loved him like no one else could.
He invoked emotions in you that you weren't completely familiar with. Your mind was consumed by thoughts of him. You couldn't breathe with him around, nor could you control how fast your heart throbbed. But you would gladly suffocate if he was the one taking your breath away.
And you had a feeling that your sentiment wasn't unrequited.
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hermosa - beautiful
lo siento - i'm sorry
sólo mío - only mine
princesa - princess
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A DC X DP IDEA #4 You’re worth is more than a penny.
Imagine dis…
We all read and saw fanfictions about either Jason, Constantine, Bruce, or even Jazz raising Danny when he became younger due to Clockwork’s interference, but what if we reverse the roles?
Alfred Pennyworth was raised by Phantom.
It was early 1900 in England where it is common for children were being sold like cattle for a penny. Among the rows of yelling parents who are willing to sell a few of their children for a few pounds to help themselves or the younger ones at home, one parent was loudly exclaiming that his child is merely worth more than a penny. A nameless child with skin and bones as a body, at the tender age of 6 years old he already knew the horrors of child slavery. Some were never seen again like the ones he saw outside playing tag and others return to their parents in a body bag. He also knew that no one would want a skinny child like him so he waited for the inevitable beating at this man’s house, He refuse to call that man his father nor that dingy four-by-four wall home.
Suddenly a distinguished gentleman walked past him and he was just in awe at what he had sawed. A young man that seemed like in his early 20s has a face of youth yet has an air of maturity around them. Wearing the cleanest pair of white waistcoats and black trousers, shaggy black hair, and striking blue eyes.
It was obvious that he was an errand boy looking around for new workers, his mind supplied.
The man looked at him with raised eyebrows and couldn’t help but think that this person may buy him out of this man’s clutches and put him to work that may or may not end his life.
The older man who saw the interested look of the errand boy tried to advertise him as his worth is merely a penny.
Danny was merely taking a break from his kingly duties after months, years, and centuries have passed since his adventures as Danny Phantom. Visiting a newly made dimension in the eyes of the king of Infinite Realms, he made his way through the early 1900s for some sight-seeing, with the insurance from his advisers, court, family members, and consorts (Tucker & Sam) he went and enjoyed the view and contemplating that why does Clockwork give him his farewell in a form of a cryptic message such as a father of a bat needs saving from his unexpected fate,  as well this universe felt like something interesting is bound to happen.
Being the High King of the Infinite Realms the realms itself chose him as their champion and king through countless rights of ascensions throughout the years.
Seeing that child slavery is still a thing at this point in time made him want to turn around and go to another realm less depressing than this time and come back later when they abolished slavery.
Though he caught an eye on this thin scrawny little boy who is nothing but skin and bones that the tiniest gust of wind will push him on the brick pavement, the boy’s parents however saw him taking interest and tried to get rid of the boy seeing that he was nothing but an extra mouth to feed due to his “responsibility” as a parent and tried to sell him for a penny.
Danny weighed the pros and cons in this situation, raising a mortal child may be both rewarding and satisfactory but the fact that he cannot break the ancient rules to make him immortal that was placed by the Realms themselves to uphold the balance between the living and the ancient realm, but he can bend it to an extent, so that if he can extend longevity in his lifespan to at least reach a century or so.
Added to the fact that Clockwork gave a message to protect him.
Bought the boy for a penny and carried the child towards the disguised horse carriage.
Now, how to explain to his family that he acquired a mortal child?
The nameless boy widened his eyes in surprise as the “errand” boy actually bought and carried him gently towards a clean carriage that looked like is owned by a king.
After making him sit beside his employer, his employer began asking him questions.
Such as his age, and name. likes, dislikes, and many other confusing questions.
At the mention of not having a name his employer began to frown, looks like he has made his new employer furious and he hasn’t even begun to earn his keep.
After a tense silence, his employer declared that HIS new name would be Alfred Pennyworth, as the word Alfred means counsel as he stated that he can see his future and that he would counsel different men who wish his advice, and Pennyworth, as his father is a fool for selling him for a penny as he is worth more than that.
At the time the nameless no…, At the time Alfred didn’t know what is the warm feeling on his chest that made him long for this man’s approval. He may be naïve or far too trusting for putting his trust in a man he met for a few minutes but at the time his only thought was he had his own name that he owns.
When the carriage stopped his employer carried him out of the carriage, and what greeted him is something he would never forget.
An endless green sky stretches along the horizon, A large black castle that reaches the sky that has growing vines all over its walls, at the front an entire estate dedicated to different and extinct plant life to flourish, and rows and rows of servants lined up and dressed in the fanciest clothing for maids and for all genders bowing ever slightly greeting and welcoming back their master in unison.
He looked behind him and around him for the master of the house but when he couldn’t see one, he turned his attention to the one who bought him as he is quite sacred for upsetting for not greeting the master in his own house.
But as he turn to the man for a plea for help he caught the small smile that his employer gave him and nodded towards the directions of the servants.
That was the time he learned that the man who bought him and gave him a name is his supposed master.
The next few days were confusing to the young Alfred Pennyworth, as he expected to be working on the animal shed or any menial tasks yet he was treated like a prince.
Free to learn what he desired, learning skills that he would never think of learning, free to eat anything his heart and stomach desired, free to have a soft bed to sleep on as well as having toys to ensure that he was not bored, given a wide variety of possible hobbies to take his mind off things. Gained and learned philosophies around the realms as well as had great teachers in teaching him essential things in morals, science, and more. Most importantly gained a family that he never thought he would even have.
He learned how to walk silently as a ghost, be swift in terms of movements waster no action, be present like a shadow, and use any weapon at hand, one’s body is a weapon itself. Discipline thy self in any temptation known to man, to integrate oneself to be unknown, eyes and emotions betray your mind be mindful of your facial and body movement as a single doubt will get someone you love to perish, but most importantly learned his new family’s motto.
Family is family.
Simple yet a powerful motto. No matter how cruel the man who brought and gave him a new life and purpose, the man who he saw as father, maybe in making decisions to ensure that the Infinite Realms stay balanced throughout the entire realms. How ruthless are his aunts and uncle to make sure that everything in between stays in the center of the balance as too much of the brings chaos
When Alfred was merely a teen he was given a blessing by his father, to be able to live a long life while maintaining his morality. One day he may die which is true, but it will be a long time before the reaper takes him to his next adventure.
Spending time with each member of the Nightingale family are memories that will be kept deep inside his heart. His mother Sam, taught him the wonders and secrets of flora, his other father Tucker, taught him how technology is used both in hope and destruction, His uncle Dan taught him about being an impenetrable wall in both mind and body, His older aunt Jazz taught him how to read his opponents in combat as well learning the beauty of human brain, His aunt Ellie who taught and showed him the wonders of the world in terms of the scenery, delicacy and culture, His grandfather Clockwork, taught him to be a cryptic as well moving on and forward as bad things are as natural as breathing and to move on is to let the time run its course.
Last but not least his father Danny, the High King of the Infinite Realms the man who he owes his entire being and life. The man whom he respects and wishes to turn out like him, the man who is proud to call his father. Taught him a multitude of things that one would not expect from a king, Be a Gentleman. A firm handshake combined with looking the other person in the eye carries with it respect, dignity, and strength, Honor Your Father and Mother, Respect Women, Be a Man of Integrity, Take Responsibility, and Work Hard, among the advice he gave and taught to him that they put into his life through action and words.
When WW2 came to his dimension he asked his father to be able to go back as it is still integrated into his blood to fight for the country that he was born into. As well as making a name for himself, to prove to the world his worth is more than a penny, to prove that all of their learning is not to be put to waste.
With the approval of his family, he set out to make his name.
S.A.S. Armed Services, fighting in 15 different operations between ages 18 and 20. A skilled medical and front liner soldier who was decorated. He later joined MI5, as well the secret forces of the Queen and later being knighted by her majesty
In this present time, we all know the current Alfred Pennyworth, the kickass ninja butler who is a mystery to the Batfam and has a lot of skillsets that are both surprising and expected to the Batfam. The butler who dared to out Batman the Batman. The butler is willing and dared to ground Batman for not taking care of himself. The butler carries a shotgun out of defense and we are pretty sure he is hiding a hidden bazooka somewhere in the manor. The butler who cooked delicious food and the one who raised Bruce Wayne
Working for the Wayne is not set to be permanent but the moment his ward Bruce Wayne becomes a hero just like his father and brings in his own version of a makeshift family he cannot help but stay for the sake of his ward that he saw as a son.
His family was there every step of the way.
Looking at the long dinner table that is filled with food with his ward/ son and his children he can't help but look fondly at the scene in front of him.
This is why he would not eat with the rest of the Batfam, the ambitious dinner or just being complete brings him back just when he was just a little boy looking at his father for guidance.
The Bat family are known to be good sometimes great detectives as they were taught by the greatest detective in the world, despite their wit and intelligence they still could not figure out their grandfather/ butler.
Having no presence before WW2 is common, as many orphans joined the war to bring acknowledgment to their names and presences. So when a glowing green letter made its way towards the kitchen counter, just as Alfred took a moment to look when he immediately snatched the said letter and ripped it open to see the contents.
Now mind you this was a never occurrence as Alfred Pennyworth is the epitome of calmness and neutrality so when he tore a letter like a kid who was given his first Christmas present all noise seemed to stop to look at the wide-eyed butler.
Alfred kept reading the said letter with wide eyes ignoring the shocked look of the people around him. Immediately telling Bruce that he will be going on an immediate 2-week vacation without even concealing his own joy in his voice and quickly turned around to pack a suitcase worth.
The entire Wayne’s both adopted and not are now invested what could the letter possibly contain that Alfred Pennyworth himself becomes a kid just by reading it?
Tailing the said butler was hard, following his quick steps which indicate impatience from the patient butler as well as a small smile that indicates fondness immediately became their new case.
Stopping at a large mansion surrounded by plant life that has a gothic aesthetic to it. As Alfred entered the gate he was tackled by a small black-haired blue-eyed child immediately followed by three teens and one large buff young adult.
All of them are hugging and exclaiming joy as Alfred reciprocated each hug with enthusiasm for his age.
Who are they and how does Alfred know all of these people?
 …
PS: If someone out there wanting to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so don’t forget to tag me though.
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pucksandpower · 8 months
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Grid Kids: Escapades
Sebastian Vettel x wife!Reader x platonic!drivers
Summary: everyone’s favorite grid family takes on their biggest challenge yet … an escape room
Series Masterlist
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“Alright, who thought it would be a good idea to lock a bunch of F1 drivers in a room and expect them to work together to get out?” Charles grumbles, eyeing the cryptic clues scattered around the dimly lit space.
George smirks, picking up a coded message. “Well you’ve had plenty of practice trying to decipher Ferrari’s strategy lately, so maybe you’ve got an advantage here?”
The room erupts in laughter as Charles feigns a wounded expression. “Low blow, George! Do I not suffer enough already?”
Lando, fidgeting with what looks like an ancient artifact, suddenly blurts out, “Do you think this is like a button or something?” Before anyone can respond, there’s an audible snap and the artifact falls apart in his hands.
“Seriously, Lando?” Max exclaims, shaking his head in amusement. “First my trophy, now this? Hands off everything, please!”
You chuckle, patting Lando’s back consolingly. “It’s alright. Maybe breaking things is part of the puzzle?”
Lance, busy trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, adds, “At this rate, we’re never getting out of here.”
Mick, focusing on a puzzle piece, comments, “We’ve only got an hour, guys. Let’s get serious.”
Sebastian begins delegating. “Alright, George and Max, you handle the codes. Mick, Charles, focus on the physical puzzles. Lance, Lando — just ... try not to break anything else.”
As the room buzzes with activity, you can’t help but think that this is one of the best ideas you’ve had in a while. It’s hilarious watching these fiercely competitive drivers work together in a situation that doesn’t involve cars and tracks.
After a series of (mostly) successful problem-solving attempts, a loud buzzer sounds, indicating you’re out of time. The doors swing open, revealing a grinning staff member.
“You were only one clue away!” she exclaims, clapping. “Not bad for a first attempt!”
Max looks around the room, a smirk forming. “Well, if Lando didn’t break that artifact, maybe we would’ve made it.”
Lando throws his hands up defensively. “Hey! I added character to the room.”
Everyone bursts into laughter, making their way out. Another day, another adventure — this one off the track.
***
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sebastian mutters, amusement evident in his eyes, as he steps into the living room. There are strings hanging from the ceiling, makeshift locks on the furniture, and “cryptic” clues pinned everywhere, like Look UNDER the couch, accompanied by a not-so-subtle arrow pointing downwards.
You, equally surprised and amused, chuckle. “What in the world happened here?”
Charles steps forward, barely containing his laughter. “Welcome to the Grand Prix Escape Room! Guaranteed to be at least 90% more escape-able than the one we failed at.”
George adds, pointing to a padlocked fridge, “I did the food clues. Trust me, they’re the most challenging.”
Max chimes in, “And Lando ... well, we didn’t let him touch anything breakable this time.”
Lando mock-pouts, “One little accident and suddenly I’m the family menace.”
Lance hands you a paper that reads The KEY to success is WHERE you eat BREAKFAST. He grins, “That’s my contribution. Top tier clue, right?”
Mick has a mischievous twinkle in his eye, “I suggest you look in very obvious places. We wouldn’t want this to be too hard.”
As you and Sebastian navigate through the hilariously straightforward challenges — like the “hidden” key taped directly next to the padlocked fridge or the note on the oven saying THIS IS NOT A CLUE, just wanted to remind you we have pie — it becomes clear that this isn’t about the challenge at all.
It’s about laughter, family, and the simple joy of being together.
After an entertaining fifteen minutes, which involves Sebastian dramatically pretending to struggle with a code that's simply “1234,” you successfully escape.
Mick raises a toast with room temperature champagne (they forgot to place it in the fridge before it was padlocked), “To the greatest escape artists in the world!”
You laugh, “And to the best, most creative grid kids in the universe!”
***
You wake up to the soft chimes of your alarm, stretching lazily before noticing an envelope on your bedside table. Scrawled on it in mismatched rainbow crayons is Mission: Breakfast Heist.
Opening the note, you read:
Dear Y/N and Seb,
Your breakfast has been stolen! To get it back, follow the clues and embark on a thrilling adventure. Also, no cheating by ordering takeout!
The Breakfast Bandits (aka your grid kids)
Amused, you head downstairs, following a trail of strategically placed toast crumbs. In the kitchen, you find another note taped to the coffee machine: To get your morning brew, tell us a joke that’s new!
Sebastian, rubbing sleep from his eyes, joins you and declares, “Why did the coffee file a police report? It got mugged!” Mick appears from behind you, making both of you jump, and hands you two cups of coffee before backing away silently.
Chuckling, you move on to find that on the fridge, instead of a padlock, there’s a touchpad with a question on its digital display: What’s hot yet cool at the same time?
You ponder it for a moment, thinking of all the possible answers. Sebastian, catching on to the playful challenge set by the grid kids, smirks and says, “It’s the Iceman, isn’t it?”
You both laugh, with you playfully nudging Sebastian, “I always knew you thought Kimi was hot.”
Entering K-I-M-I on the touchpad, the fridge beeps in agreement and swings open, revealing a lavish breakfast spread and a note that reads: Breakfast is served! We might have kept it under lock and key but only to make it special. Enjoy!
From the doorway, the “Breakfast Bandits” applaud, their faces beaming with mischief.
Lance grins, “Took you long enough! And Seb, never knew you had a thing for Kimi.”
Charles joins in the teasing, “Seems like there are still some secrets in the paddock!”
Sebastian playfully rolls his eyes, “At least my secret doesn’t involve singing into a hairbrush every night before bed.”
Charles blushes as the room bursts into laughter. “Who told you about that?” he exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at Lando, who’s trying hard (and failing miserably) to stifle his giggles.
Lando attempts to defend himself through his laughter, “It wasn’t me! But if we’re confessing, who knew that Seb’s haircare routine involved more products than all of ours combined?”
Sebastian raises an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. “Gotta keep the locks looking good, don’t I?”
Max interjects, “Well, if we’re on the topic of secrets, who wants to bet on how many stuffed animals Lando has on his bed?”
Lando gasps dramatically, “Betrayed by my own brothers! Next time, I’m hiding them all in George’s room!”
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hyperactively-me · 6 months
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ask from @redzscare
(king!ghost x princess!reader au) -- anger
i just wanna say oh my god, thank you for your inbox message with those two amazing and well thought out ideas!!!! i would also love to know your other ideas if you still have any :) and i know its been over a month since you requested, but i wanted to do your ideas justice! i decided to split them up into two separate pieces so that it can flow better in the story, but i have your first request in my "to be written" notes, and it will be posted in the future!!!! i hope you like it! the angst is immaculate and heart-wrenching. anyway, here is #2!!!
word count: ~3.6k
warnings: fighting/yelling, angst lots of angst/hurt (like A LOT, A TON, he's so mean, you've been warned), hurt/comfort, happy ending!!!
The past few weeks have been nothing but stressful for Kastron. A southern kingdom, for no clear reason, has been trying to infiltrate the borders of Kastron. As the tension between the two realms escalated, King Simon found himself ensnared in the web of political turmoil and military strategies, his every waking moment consumed by the threat looming at the kingdom's doorstep.
As the southern kingdom persisted in its attempts to breach Kastron’s defenses, Simon’s frustration grew. Kastron’s forces have been able to hold off the enemy for the past few weeks, but the battle was proving to get more difficult by the day. His days were spent in council meetings, devising counterstrategies, and restless nights plagued by the knowledge of impending conflict.
Throughout the past few weeks as Simon was extremely busy, you had taken to caring for more things around the castle. By no means was it an easy task. Your already busy schedules were now packed with more mundane, tedious tasks. You had to step into a few roles that Simon usually took care of, thrown into uncharted territory that you now had to know like the back of your hand. 
To say you were stressed was an understatement. To say that you felt secure in this new position would be a lie. Hell, even with your lessons, you were still slightly insecure about helping run a whole kingdom. The lessons were truly helpful, and you really were learning useful information, but to actually put this knowledge into practice proved to be more difficult than you thought; a learning curve, if you will. 
Every evening before you went to bed, you watched Simon with a heavy heart. Stress etched lines on his face, and the once affectionate bond between you strained under the weight of your responsibilities. 
The command room now had countless maps, scrolls, and military reports scattered across the tables, and you found yourself poring over them, trying to decipher strategies that seemed more like cryptic codes than plans for defense. The language of war was harsh, and its intricacies were not easily grasped. You also had to take care of more civilian matters, tending to disputes and other technicalities that arose when handling such matters. Managing the palace as well proved to be more difficult, although it was not as prioritized as other duties you had to upkeep. 
Simon, in his stress and preoccupation, had not noticed the added weight on your shoulders. The castle, usually filled with warmth, now echoed with the sounds of strategizing military personnel and the tension that gripped every corner.
One day, as you were immersed in the endless paperwork, a knock on the chamber door interrupted your thoughts. Simon, looking more fatigued than ever, stood at the threshold.
“I need these reports on the southern borders done by tomorrow morning. Make sure they’re accurate,” he said, his voice clipped and devoid of the usual tenderness. It echoed the commanding voice he reserved for his soldiers.
You take a breath. “I’m not sure I can have those ready for you by tomorrow Simon. Can’t you ask someone else to do them for me? I’m sure Price can—”
“Price is extremely busy devising strategies. He doesn’t have time for paperwork.” 
Simon's curt response echoed through the room, leaving you with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. The weight of the responsibilities, the unrelenting pressure, and now Simon's growing impatience were pushing you to the brink.
“Simon, I'm doing my best,” you pleaded, looking up from the parchment strewn across the table. “I'm still learning, and there's just so much to handle.”
Simon's eyes flashed with frustration. “We don't have the luxury of time for you to ‘learn.’ We need results, and we need them now.”
The exhaustion etched on his face mirrored your own weariness. The kingdom's issues had taken its toll on both of you, driving a wedge between you.
“I’m just asking for your patience,” you implored, hoping for a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
His gaze remained unyielding. “I ask you to take care of things in my absence, to support me. And it seems even that is too much.”
“I'm sorry, but I'm trying my best,” you scoff.
Simon scoffs back, his expression a stern resolve. 
“I don't have time for apologies. I need solutions. Figure it out,” he said, turning on his heel and leaving the room without a backward glance.
Left alone, burdened by the weight of your responsibilities, an angry tear escapes the corner of your eye. The castle walls seem to close in on you, and with a swift motion, you brush the tear away, forcing your attention back to the task at hand.
. . .
It was an innocent mistake, a forgotten task that finally ignited Simon's brewing anger like a firecracker on the brink of explosion. 
As you stood before him, explaining the oversight, his eyes darkened with frustration.
“Are you even paying attention?" Simon's voice rose with frustration.
The storm within him erupted, and hurtful words spilled from his lips like daggers. "How could you be so careless?" he bellowed. "This is important, and you can't even handle the simplest tasks!"
"I'm sorry, Simon. I’ve been busy, but I'll fix it," you pleaded, trying to diffuse the growing storm.
"Fix it?" Simon scoffed, his anger unabated. "You're always making mistakes, aren't you? I don't know why I expected anything different from you. You’re just a fuckin’ spoiled little princess, just complaining about all the work she has to do. You’ve never seen a day of real work in your whole life, and the moment you have to do anything remotely helpful, you become useless.” 
You’re stunned into silence. It feels like your heart has fallen out of your chest, your throat constricting with anxiety. This isn’t the Simon you knew. 
"You can't possibly understand the pressure I'm under!” Simon's voice carried a harsh edge as he spoke, the strain evident in every word.
"I tried my best, Simon. I'm not used to this," you replied, hurt laced through your voice. The word useless echoes through your mind. How could he? 
"Your best isn't good enough. We can't afford mistakes," he snapped.
“We’re supposed to be a team," you responded gently, trying to bridge the growing chasm between you.
But Simon's patience had worn thin. “You can't even manage the affairs within the castle! How am I supposed to rely on you when you can't even handle the simplest tasks?”
"I'm sorry, Simon. I never wanted to let you down," you whispered, your voice barely audible amidst the tension.
"Let me down?" Simon laughed bitterly. "You were never lifting me up in the first place. Just a burden I have to carry alongside everythin’ else I have to worry about."
His words pierced through you like a million iron swords. The once warm and loving connection between you and Simon now felt frayed, hanging by the thinnest of threads. Your attempts to support him had become ammunition for his anger.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not cut out for this,” you admitted shortly, your shoulders slumping under the weight of defeat.
Simon's expression twisted with a mixture of frustration and exasperation. “That's the first sensible thing you've said.”
His cruel words struck a nerve, tearing down the foundations of trust and understanding that had defined your relationship. His words hung in the air like a bitter aftertaste. Hurt and frustration welled up within you, but you swallowed them and bottled them up, unwilling to add to Simon's burden.
The pain in your eyes did not escape Simon, but his frustration blinded him to the depth of his own words. In that moment, the man you loved seemed like a stranger, his anger, frustrations, and impatience casting a shadow over you.
With a heavy heart, you walk away, desperately holding back tears. It took everything within you to not let out an audible sob, clasping your hand over your mouth. You push open the door hastily, stumbling out into the hallway. You wipe your now falling tears off your cheeks with the back of your hand as you make your way to your old bedroom. 
The echoes of Simon's bitter words lingered in the corridor as you escaped into the dimly lit hallway. Desperation clawed at your chest, and with each step, the weight of his accusations pressed harder. Holding back sobs, you fumbled your way to the shared bedroom, seeking solace in the sanctuary you once knew.
Once inside, the room felt emptier than before, its warmth replaced by an icy chill. Closing the door behind you, you allowed a few silent tears to fall, the pain of Simon's harsh words cutting deep. As you glanced around the room, the memories of happier times haunted the corners. A sense of isolation settled in, and you felt like a stranger in the very place that used to bring comfort. Swallowing hard, you allow yourself to let it all out, crying into the empty bedroom. The resilient facade you had built over the weeks seemed to crumble in the face of his words.
The weight of the crown, both figuratively and literally, felt heavier than ever. With a shudder, you begin to remove the regalia that symbolized your responsibility as queen, a responsibility that had become increasingly difficult.
The empty now seemed like a cold, unwelcoming space. You curled up, hugging a pillow close to your chest, seeking any source of comfort. The room held a somber silence, a silence you haven’t heard since you were last in this room, before you had fallen in love with Simon. 
As sleep finally overcame you, the hope for a better tomorrow mingled with the ache of your strained relationship. 
. . .
Sleep had been elusive, and the echoes of Simon's bitter words reverberated in your mind. With a sigh, you rose from the solitude of your old bedroom, still haunted by the sense of isolation that clung to you.
He hadn’t even come looking for you. 
You had called a maid to help you get dressed in your room, but made her swear to not say anything about you being back in this room to the rest of the staff. You purposefully waited until after your usual breakfast time with Simon to get something to eat, strolling into the kitchen to request a small breakfast. 
After breakfast, you read through your schedule for the day. Today you were supposed to have defense lessons with Simon. Not going to happen. Taking a pen, you scratch it off your to-do list. 
With a sigh, you run through the rest of your plan for the day, mostly consisting of busy work and advising. 
The day unfolded in a haze of responsibilities, each task demanding your focus. Advising on matters of governance and managing the affairs of the kingdom became a refuge, a temporary escape from the emotional turmoil that threatened to swallow you whole.
Dinner that night came and went, and again you had refused to sit at the table with him. Instead, you chose to wait until after he was gone to eat. Sitting at the expansive table, you picked around at your food, taking small bites before you became nauseous with unease. 
This was the longest you’ve gone without Simon the whole time you’ve proclaimed your love for him, and it’s only been a day. After finishing your solitary meal, you made your way to your old bedroom yet again. The night pressed on, silent and unwavering, wrapping the castle in a cocoon of quiet melancholy. And so, you retired to your old bedroom, bracing yourself for another night of sleepless contemplation in the face of a relationship that seemed to be slipping through your fingers.
. . . 
Another agonizingly painful day had gone by of you avoiding Simon. The same evening, he had come to knock on your door.
He called your name from behind the door. His voice sounded gentle, yet strained. 
You stayed silent, unmoving from your curled up position on the bed. 
He persisted, knocking louder this time. 
“Go away,” you yell, fighting back more tears as your heartstrings were being tugged with every time he called your name. 
“‘M not going away until you come out,” his muffled voice filtered through from under the door.
“Yeah, well, I may as well rot away in here. Leave me alone, Ghost.” 
That shut him up immediately. You could hear his footsteps fade away in the distance. 
You sob into your pillow, burying your face in the fabric to muffle your cries. 
. . .
The next morning was rough. You were groggy, two nights of restless sleep taking a toll on you. Right before you entered the kitchen for breakfast you were stopped by Ghost. He had jumped in front of you out of nowhere, blocking you from entering the kitchen. 
“Dove, please—” he began. 
“Don’t call me that, get away from me–”
You try to sidestep him, looking at the ground as you attempt to move past him. 
“Just listen to me–” he grabs your shoulders firmly, forcing you to stay in place.
“Let go of me–” you shrug his hands off, yanking his wrists off your shoulders with a vice grip. He lets you shake him off you, but still moves to block you from entering the kitchen.
You sigh angrily, finally looking up at him with a death glare. 
“Oh, you finally need me for something, right? Is this what this is all about?” 
Simon's eyes held a mixture of concern and frustration. “I need to talk to you. Please, just listen to me.”
The coldness in your expression didn't waver. “Talk? Is this about another mistake I made, or perhaps you've found another fault in your ‘spoiled princess’?”
Simon winced at the reference to his hurtful words. “No, it's not about that. It's about us. I... I overreacted, and I said things I shouldn't have. I need you to understand the pressure I'm under.”
A bitter laugh escaped your lips. “Pressure? Yes, I understand. I've been picking up work and dealing with responsibilities I’m not prepared for. I understand pressure very well.”
Simon's jaw tightened, regret flashing in his eyes. "I know I've been distant, and I've let this problem consume me for the past few weeks. But, dove, we can work through this. I need you.”
Your anger flared. “Now you need me? When everything is falling apart? What about when I needed you? You were too busy berating me.” 
The word berating came out stressed, and a flare of emotions bubbled in your chest. You fought against tears threatening to spring from your eyes. 
Simon's expression softened, nothing but remorse in his eyes. "I fucked up. I should’ve never said those things to you. I was wrong, and I’m sorry. Please, let me make it right.”
You shake your head, taking a step back. 
“You can't just apologize and expect everything to go back to normal. Words have consequences.” A fat tear rolls down your cheek. “I’m not one of your soldiers you can order around.” 
The moment Simon sees the tear, knowing that he’s the cause of it, he comes crashing down. 
He drops to his knees in front of you, his eyes pleading with a desperate intensity. “I never meant to hurt you. I can't bear to see you cry, especially because of me. Please, give me a chance to make things right.”
You sniffle, wiping the tear away quickly. The raw vulnerability in his voice tugged at your heart, but you held onto the shards of your wounded pride. 
He reaches for you, holding your hips tightly in his grasp as he looks up at you from the floor. His hands on your hips sought reassurance, his eyes pleading for a chance at redemption. You fold your arms over your chest, hugging yourself tightly. 
“Please, love, please, I will do anything, I’ll prove to you every single day for the rest of my life that I can treat you the way you deserve. I don’t want to turn into my father.” 
His thumbs press into the flesh of your hips, his usual stoic demeanor crumbles, and in this moment of vulnerability, he’s laying bare his regrets. 
His father. His terrible, disgusting, abusive father. 
"You’re not turning into your father, Simon," you whispered, your voice carrying reassurance. "But you also can't treat me like that ever again. We're a team. But it's also not just about the words. It's about trust and understanding.”
He nods, swallowing thickly. 
"Please, dove," he implored, his voice choking with emotion. “I never meant to hurt you like this. I'm begging you, give me a chance to make things right. I can't stand to see you in pain.”
“I miss you,” he whispers, and you spot a few tears in the corners of his eyes. You’ve never seen him cry before. “I miss you, and I don’t deserve you. Not after what I did to you.” 
Your heart wavered, torn between the hurt he caused and the raw vulnerability he now displayed. The sight of Simon, a powerful and composed ruler, reduced to tears, spoke volumes about the depth of his regret.
As you looked down at him, a swirl of conflicting emotions clouded you. Part of you wanted to pull him into an embrace, to reassure him that things could get better. Yet, the wounds were still fresh, and trust can’t be easily mended. You swipe his tears away with the pad of your thumb. 
“Simon,” you began, your voice gentle but firm, "this isn't something that can be fixed overnight. It's going to take time."
He nodded vigorously, his tear-streaked face desperate for any glimmer of hope. "I'll do anything, dove. Anything to make it right.”
The sincerity in his voice resonated, and for a moment, you softened. “Simon, I need you to understand that we're in this together. We need to communicate and support each other.”
Simon nodded, a genuine determination in his eyes. "I promise you, I'll be there for you. No more takin’ out my frustrations on you, it will never happen again, so long as I live.” 
You sighed, the weight of the situation still heavy on your shoulders. “Actions speak louder than words.”
He nodded again, his gaze unwavering. "I'll prove it to you, every day."
Releasing your hips, Simon stood up, his eyes never leaving yours. The air between you held a mix of tension and tentative hope. 
“I love you, dove. I love you.”
He wipes his face clear of the tears, and you stand there, twisting your hands together. His hands brush over your upper arms, causing you to shiver slightly, but this time you don’t back away. You let him ever so slowly pull you in for a hug, and you reluctantly grasp on to his tunic. His arms pull you in tighter now, and he strokes your hair in reassurance. 
You breathe out the quietest, “I love you.”
. . .
A few weeks passed, and the castle, once shrouded in tension, began to regain its warmth. The scars of those horrendous three days were healing, and your relationship with Simon has strengthened more than ever. The air was lighter and you felt like a significant change had occurred between you and Simon. 
Simon had indeed lived up to his promise. He consistently showed effort in rebuilding trust. Small, thoughtful gestures became the norm—unexpected flowers, shared quiet moments, and the tenderness in his voice returned. The voice he has reserved only for you. You had moved back into his room after a while, sharing a bed again has never felt so good for you. Honestly, you were relieved. You didn’t have any doubt that Simon wouldn’t live up to his promises. 
The castle had transformed back into a sanctuary. The sounds of strategizing military personnel were replaced with the hum of everyday life. The warmth returned, and the tension that once gripped every corner dissipated like a distant memory.
The conflict in the south had been resolved after Kastron’s forces were successfully able to defend the border. Their motives were still unclear, but Simon had put it behind him. 
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, you found yourself in the garden. The air was crisp, and the fragrance of blooming flowers filled the space. Simon joined you, and together you strolled through the gardens, hand in hand.
“I missed this,” you smile, leaning into Simon’s side. 
Simon tightened his grip around you, his eyes softening as he looked at the vibrant hues of the sunset. "I missed this too."
The weight that once burdened your relationship had lifted, replaced by a renewed sense of connection and trust. The garden echoed with the shared laughter and whispered promises of your love, and it always will. 
Simon glanced down at you, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. “Do you remember the first time we walked through these gardens together?” he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
You giggled, the memory surfacing in your mind. "How could I forget? You were trying to plant the most random assortment of seeds during the off-season.”
Simon laughed, a genuine sound that warmed your heart. “I was nervous. I wanted everything to be perfect.”
“And look at us now,” you said, gazing up at him. “Perfectly imperfect.”
He pressed a tender kiss to your forehead. “I love you, darlin.’”
The sincerity in his words made your heart flutter. “I promise to always be with you.”
The sun dipped lower, casting a warm glow over the castle and the garden. As you continued your leisurely stroll, the castle loomed in the distance, its turrets illuminated by the fading sunlight. 
The stars began to twinkle in the evening sky, and Simon pulled you closer. “Let's stay out a bit longer, yeah?”
“Mhm,” you nod, nuzzling against him. 
You take a beat.
“I love you, too,” you whisper. 
He strokes your waist, squeezing your flesh in his grip.
“I love you.”
- - - - -
(masterlist)
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icysinner · 4 months
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❆⋆꙳•☃︎⋆꙳•✩⋆꙳•❅
𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡: eren is a better gift giver than you thought he was.
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: not much, tooth rotting fluff.
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.093k
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secret santa was arguably the only thing that made christmas as a college student exciting. everyone knows that as you grow older, christmas gets less and less interesting, but with the right group of friends, it has the potential to be just as fun as when you lived at home with your parents and siblings. sasha always organized the secret santa event, just because she took every holiday seriously as if her friends were her children.
just eren’s luck, the one year he gets to be your secret santa is the year that up until christmas, your friendship was becoming a lot more than just friends, meaning he had to put together a gift that meant a lot, he had no choice, you meant a lot. “connie, i’m fucked.” eren complained as he paced back and forth in their shared dorm room. “you stressin’ over nothing, she already likes you, she’s gonna like whatever you get her as long as you put some thought into it.” connie replied, not looking up from his phone as he offered eren the advice.
while connie was right, eren wanted this gift to be more than just a friendly gift exchange, he wanted it to mean something more than just that. “that’s the problem, i have no thought.” eren said, his tone completely serious, making connie laugh at him. “okay, that’s fair. ask mikasa to help you, she’s a girl, she knows what girls like. plus she’s close to y/n, you’re like a close second to mikasa on her list.” connie’s suggestion showed just how little “thought” eren had, because he didn’t even think about asking mikasa, and that was your best friend.
౨ৎ⋆ ˚ ❆。⋆⁺₊❅.
“so, are you asking her to be your girlfriend with this gift or is that coming later?” mikasa asked, being sure to throw in the whole girlfriend thing. to be fair, you and eren have been dancing around adding the title to whatever the two of you have going on. “i think i wanna ask, but i don’t know how to pair a gift with something like that.” eren said, mikasa was more surprised at the amount of time he was really putting into this, she’d never seen him think this hard before. (and they have an english lecture together, so trust her.) “i think that she’ll like whatever you get her. she likes a bunch of shit, pick one thing and do it.”
obviously eren had thought of that, but that was basic, and you have everything you like already. “okay, here’s an idea. make her a basket.” mikasa suggested, making what seemed like a lightbulb go off in eren’s mind. “actually… i like that idea.” eren said, a million ideas running through his mind at once. if you liked so many things, getting you all of them at once was obviously the best idea. oddly enough, eren trusted himself enough to make it completely on his own, it wouldn’t feel genuine if he didn’t, he thought.
౨ৎ⋆ ˚ ❆。⋆⁺₊❅.
everyone was assigned a secret santa on december eighteenth, which gave them a full week to decide, put together and deliver a gift. eren spent the entire week buying separate things from a million different stores for this one basket. he only asked for help when he needed an opinion on a color or which gift cards he should put in the basket. he’d completed this elaborate gift, and now he had to shake off all his nervousness in order to actually give you the gift.
eren
wyd?
y/n
not shit
eren
perfect
eren
don’t go anywhere or do anything i’ll be there in like 5 minutes
y/n
i’m nervous omg why u so cryptic for???
obviously, eren was your secret santa, but that’s not why you were so nervous. if it was just a regular gift, why would he calculate everything so well? nonetheless, you were excited for whatever it was. you lived in a single dorm, but it was across campus from your friend group, which was the only downside it really had. after all of his perfectionist behavior, shifting the basket around a million times to make sure you could see everything he put in it perfectly before you took it out, he arrived at your door.
it took some building up for him to actually knock, and once he did, all of the nervousness he had multiplied yours tenfold. you nearly shot up from your seat to go answer the door, opening it to a smiling eren, holding a basket in one arm and a heart shaped box with flowers in the other. your eyes widened as your face grew into a smile. “eren, no way.” is all you managed to get out of your mouth as you stared at him in adoration and disbelief. “you’re not gonna be able to look at all of the stuff if you don’t let me in.” his words made you snap out of this trance you were in as you stepped out of the way to let him in.
eren took a couple steps forward and set the basket and flowers down on the counter, but he kept the box behind him. “look at what’s in there first.” he directed, because he knew you well enough to know that your curiosity would make you want to know what’s so special that he’s hiding it. you pulled all of the stuff out of the basket one by one, looking like a little kid under the christmas tree again. “eren, how much did you spend on all this stuff?” you asked, your eyes widening with every object you pulled out of the basket. “you worried about the wrong thing, that doesn’t matter. you like it, right?” eren asked, to which you responded with a nod. “then that’s all that matters.”
“i need to get a vase, i wanna keep these.” you said to yourself as you sat them up next to the basket to make space for the last thing eren was hiding from you. the small comment made eren smile to himself as he held out the box to you. you looked down at it, reading the red cursive letters written on the dessert. “yes, duh!” you exclaimed in excitement, taking the box from his hands and wrapping him in a hug. “i don’t even wanna eat it, i just wanna save it forever.” you said, making eren laugh at you. “you say that now, but i know you well enough to know you’ll definitely eat it.”
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canmom · 2 months
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The themes of NieR Reincarnation
A post about the recurring elements of Drakenier and the use of branching timelines as a storytelling device. I'll be discussing spoilers for basically every DoD/NieR game.
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Records
A somewhat understated recurring motif of the Drakengard/NieR series is the idea of stories or memories of humanity being stored in some massive archive.
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It's an idea that first entered the series in NieR Gestalt/Replicant. Early drafts of the game focused on the idea of a world built out of stories and fairytale characters, and while most of this was cut, some remained in the Forest of Myth area.
Following NieR's obsessive love of hopping between different game genres, the story here is delivered through prose/text adventure segments. There is a sense that this area of the game exists as prose, with the characters slightly aware of narration - narration which absorbs the characters until you find a way to escape. Eventually you find out - it's rather cryptic in the actual game, but spelled out explicitly in Grimoire NieR - that it's a huge computer system storing records of the deceased humanity.
In your second visit to the area, the story focuses more on distant history, that all these stories are fragments of memory of the lost pre-apocalpytic world. You encounter a Gestalt (human soul extracted from body) that is eating the memories stored in the tree, and kill it, and for Nier and co., this is enough - but for the player, you really don't know half of what is going on.
In the story The Lost World, which was adapted for the additional Ending E added in the Replicant remake, Kainé returns to the Forest of Myth and finds the computer system expanding. She fights clones of herself before eventually speaking to a mysterious administrator and descending into a virtual world that seems like a corrupted version of her memories. But she's able to connect to her memories of NieR, Emil and Grimoire Weiss, and through that connection cause a kind of timeline collapse effect that allows her to resurrect Nier. Terms from DoD3 such as 'singularity' come back again.
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In NieR Automata, the idea of the legacy of humanity becomes increasingly central. While the androids believe they are reclaiming Earth for humanity, the Machine Lifeforms' motivation is in large part driven by their efforts to pore over the records of humanity and learn how to evolve their condition, even by blind imitation. Many of the different Machine Lifeforms you encounter are shaped by their interpretations of human society. The motif of human buildings recreated in white blocks recurs at certain points.
In the final sequence of the game, you climb a tower, and inside it visit simulacra of locations from the Replicant/Gestalt. You learn that the machines have infiltrated the androids' network and downloaded basically all the information the androids have, including all their records of humanity. When the machines' 'Ark' is launched into space, it carries their memories and consciousness in data form.
The YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raid series in FFXIV continues this idea of obsessive, blind reconstruction. The machines you fight here are now all the more explicitly connected to the apocalyptic shit in DoD; they have also been frantically creating duplicates of YoRHa android 2P, the Bunker and so on in corrupted form. Although the story here has mostly other interests, it's another recurrence of the idea of trying to recreate things that were lost.
Along with this idea of the archive comes the idea of preservation of that archive. Whether by accident or deliberate attack, the survival of the archive is not guaranteed.
This is all absolutely central to what Reincarnation is about.
Branches
The Drakenier series has played around with branching narratives pretty much from the start. It's somewhat infamous for it in fact - did you know that NieR is actually a spinoff of ending E of Drakengard, the one where you appear over Tokyo and have to do a rhythm game? Yeah, so...
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Most games are fairly cagey (ha ha) about the mechanics of these branches. Indeed, although we speak of branches, the structure of these games is not really a branching one like a visual novel. The branches and 'endings' are usually unlocked sequentially.
Drakengard/Drag-on Dragoon (DoD1) is probably the closest you get to a traditional branching structure. You can unlock routes in certain missions by fulfilling certain conditions. The exact logic of these branches is not really explained - you can go back to a point before you recruit a party member and get a different branch where they're present for example. That said, it's not like a visual novel where you can be 'on' one branch or another - you can always jump to any level from any timeline.
This oddness of the branches is also lampshaded a little more in DoD3, the game that is most explicit about the nature of the branching timeline. DoD3 is, from the player perspective, a linear game. After you complete the first 'ending', you unlock new levels that appear at earlier points in the timeline, and diverging branches appear. In the later branches, the logic of the world is starting to break down. Party members who you'd recruit later in the story are in your party much earlier, in some cases suffering from amnesia, the implication being that it's an effect of the Flower's corruption.
The game is intermittently narrated by a character called Accord, an android 'Recorder' whose job is to document all the different versions of the story for an unknown party. Accord isn't supposed to intervene in the story, though she occasionally talks to protagonist Zero, and in the final D route, she decides to break the rules and save Zero. Otherwise, she's responsible for 'sealing' branches where it seems the world cannot be saved.
This is Accord:
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The final cutscene of DoD3, available only after you beat the ludicrously difficult rhythm game that is the 'final song', shows a bunch of other Accords appearing and talking about what a mess this all is.
Accord's other role in the game is to sell weapons. Another series tradition running back to DoD1 is the 'Weapon Stories'. In each game, you can collect weapons, which can be upgraded through a series of four stages. Each stage unlocks another part of a story. These stories tend to be quite brief - each entry is at most a short paragraph. They also, particularly in the DoD games, tend to be comically grimdark.
DoD 3 came out after NieR Replicant/Gestalt, but in every game since then, there have been cryptic mentions of Accord. In Automata she's mentioned in a note as a weapons seller; in the updated version of Replicant she is mentioned as visiting Nier's village while the party is away on her adventures, and you see a documention that mentions the 'Accord Corporation' supplying magic weapons.
OK, so, put a pin in that, we'll come back to her later.
The side material commits further to the branching idea. The original Drakengard is established to follow from the DoD3 Story Side novel, while Branch A gives rise to the Shi ni Itaru Aka manga and the DoD 1.3 novel. The YoRHa stage plays spawned alternative versions, namely YoRHa version 1.3a and Shōjo YoRha version 1.1a, with the gender of the casts flipped. YoRHa 1.3a also has Accord in it. The anime NieR Automata ver. 1.1a also presents an increasingly diverging version of the events of the game - notably, Adam turns into a multi-armed monster.
DoD2, something of the black sheep of the franchise, was originally written to follow DoD1 ending A; later it was retconned to belong to its own branch. Just 'cause.
With me so far? ...no? Yeah, that's fair. You can read about all the details I've gathered so far here, but in short, there are lots of timeline branches, and multiple versions of several stories with small or large divergences.
Reincarnation
NieR Re[in]carnation is a gacha game that's been running for the last three years, and is going to be shut down at the end of April. At the time it came out, it was acknowledge for having unusually nice graphics for a mobile game, but rather desultory, grindy, repetitive gameplay. Which remained true throughout the game's life, so I can't exactly recommend playing Reincarnation, especially at this point.
But! I would definitely say it's worth your time to dig up the story on Youtube/Accord's Library if you're into NieR stuff. I won't be going into all the ins and outs of the story and how it all fits together in this post, but I am gonna talk about how it's structured.
NieR Reincarnation places you in a vast stone city called the Cage, calling to mind the environments in Ico. At the outset, you play as a young girl travelling with a weird ghost-like creature called Mama, tasked with restoring the memories stored in objects called 'dark scarecrows' which are being subverted and corrupted by black birds which form into various monsters.
Within each chapter of NieR Reincarnation, you get a short story in four parts, presented in a kind of cutout style, which are the four segments of a weapon story. You collect the weapon and the character.
The Cage is shaped by the content of the weapon stories somehow bleeding into the simulated setting. A character's memories can be used to restore the stories to their proper course. It is possible to interfere in small ways with the worlds of the stories.
The corruption of the stories tends to involve subverting characterisation to make them crueller, more prone to random violence etc. - or points when a character could be threatened in a narratively unsatisfying way. For example, a peace-loving runaway prince could be turned into a warlike king.
Over the course of the first arc, you discover that the girl you are playing is actually a monster who has taken the form of a human girl and, regretting it, wants to give her her embodiment back. The second half of the arc has you playing the girl trying to reunite with her monster friend; at the end, you get her own backstory as a victim of brutal prejudice. After all is said and done, both characters transform into weapons, which Mama picks up and hides away.
The second arc, The Sun and the Moon, deals with a brother and sister from present-day Tokyo. Both of them have been transported into the Cage by more of the weird ghost thingies, to participate in a strange ritual that is allegedly going to restore the Cage. The rules are highly mystical - a significant sacrifice is needed.
In the most recent arc, The People and The World, the characters all emerge from their stories as the Cage becomes increasingly corrupted. We finally get the long awaited point where these characters can interact with each other, and advance the stories from a series of tragic vignettes to something more. At the same time, we get a lot more allusions to other games in the series - from the Lunar Tear room where Emil memorialised Kainé and later 9S memorialises 2B, to a brief appearance Devola and Popola.
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There's even a nod to Yoko Taro's other terminated gacha game, SINoALICE, which is going to be made into a movie oddly enough. There's a wry nod to the game being shut down.
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And in the most recent chapters we find out that the Cage is actually a server on the moon containing records of humanity - 10H from A Much Too Silent Sea is one of the main characters. 'Mama' is actually the Pod tasked with overseeing the archive, and wiping 10H's memories whenever she learns too much - though it seems at some point 10H learned the truth and affirmed that she'd protect the archive anyway and they stopped wiping her memory.
Over the course of the chapter, 10H helps the gang make their escape from the moon through the androids network, to Earth. But when they get to Earth, they find themselves in a strange white city more resembling the Cage.
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We'll finally get some answers, maybe, later this month. Anyway...
So, these records come from multiple diverging timelines, and they take the form of weapon stories. You have a unity of the ideas of character - weapon - memory - world. A record is simultaneously a tragic series of events, a person who can manifest inside the Cage itself, a simulated world which other people can visit, and a weapon.
In addition to the main storyline chapters and 'character stories', each character is associated with two additional 'EX' storylines, termed Dark Memories and Recollections of Dusk. Each one is a much more substantial narrative than most in the game.
Some of these EX stories clearly take place in different timelines to the first ones we encounter. Akeha's story, for example, takes place after her death in the original version. For the brother and sister from the Sun and the Moon arc, originally from present-day Tokyo, their Dark Memories take place in the backstory to NieR Gestalt/Replicant - the period where humanity is dying out to White Chlorination Syndrome and fighting monsters called the Legion. In this one, before the siblings could be torn apart by family drama and resentment, the apocalypse happens. Both of them end up coming into their own as heroic fighters. In the finale arc, the characters learn a bit about these alter egos, and it's made very explicit that this is a different timeline.
The monster Levania's Dark Memory is especially weird. It's the story of a salaryman who plays a monster called Levania in an MMORPG. His MMO character inspires him to live more bravely in the real world, and his life seems to be improving, but he is murdered by a jealous coworker. He wishes for reincarnation as he dies - classic isekai stuff. But the connection to the Levania you encounter in the main story is far from clear. Are all versions of Levania derived essentially from this man's tulpa?
The nature of the 'enemies' attacking the Cage is still not yet clear. They take the form of black birds. The birds are given a small amount of dialogue and characterisation, and they seem to not be malicious, just confused. The girl from the first arc in particular tends to interact with them sympathetically. However, they seem to be connected with the mysterious 'God' who was trying to destroy the world in DoD1, and the Angels and Flower of DoD3.
The birds are able to gathe together to manifest much larger monsters, the largest being giant elk and fish called Cursed Gods. During the finale arc, one of these becomes something that resembles the Mother Angel from DoD1 - and yes, there is a rhythm game - though mercifully a pretty easy one.
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In the same arc, the character Yurie, an AI city overlord with grandiose ambitions and a loathing of imperfection attempts to download the entire history of humanity from the Cage and become a more perfect being. She succeeds, only to find the answers disappointing...
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This is perhaps the closest thing we ever get to an explicit statement of what all these stories and histories add up to, but despite all this, the throughline is very strongly that these stories are essential to preserve. NieR characters exist in small groups, and it is their intense connections to these others, their treasured memories of travelling together, that motivate them to fight to preserve that thing, even if the results are destructive.
Similar themes emerge for example in Noelle's Recollection of Dusk story, which sees her travelling to preserve a place valued by her sister in crystal. And they also connect to the theme of sacrifice - the recurring ending device where the player must delete their save data in order to help someone (something echoed in Hina and Yuzuki at the altar of the sun and moon, or Levania and Fio). It's perhaps fair to say that nothing is more valued in the world of Nier than memories of a treasured person.
What about Accord? She has in fact made a brief cameo in Reincarnation already...
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It seems incredibly likely that Accord originates from the Cage, and the accumulation of weapon stories is accomplished by androids like her. Definitely in the fandom there's a lot of excitement for the idea that Accord - something of a fan favourite - will show up at Reincarnation's ending.
So mystery solved, the Cage exists in the world of NieR Automata on the moon server? Not so fast - there are various discrepancies which seem to suggest that the world of the Cage exists in a separate branch than the one we see in Automata. For example, the androids are aware that the humans are dead and what remains on the moon is a huge archive of their memories; the humans seem to have survived much longer; 2B and 9S seem to have died in different circumstances. There are other oddities which fans have compiled.
And yet, despite being a divergent timeline with a much older point of divergence, some things seem to be fixed. There is still a YoRHa, still a 10H deceived about being on the moon, still a 2B and 9S.
One popular fan theory is that Reincarnation belongs to the NieR Automata anime (ver1.1a), since Adam turns into a monster there similar to the ones in Reincarnation. The black birds are reasoned to be the Machine Lifeforms, since we know they come from Earth. I'm not 100% sure of this, but maybe?
Anyway, that's basically the gist of it.
A story told through permutations
In many fictional series with a shared universe, there is an effort to maintain a consistent shared universe, so all the different events can fit into a timeline with understandable cause and effect and characters living out their lives. Even when this proves impossibly unwieldy, as in comic books or Star Wars, the attempt is made.
NieR does not really take this approach. The creators leave many details of the world, such as place names, incredibly vague - the focus is always on telling an emotional story with characters. There is, as we've seen, an almost gleeful willingness to declare another new timeline.
There is also a certain aspect of repetition, or more kindly reiteration - the same core character dynamic revisited and retold in various forms. (2B9S gets the worst of it). A character is something like a principle or ideal, and each story shines another light on that 'core'. In the earlier storylines of Reincarnation, it became quite frustrating because it seemed like e.g. the character event stories were just rehashing the same idea rather than advance the story.
However, the more accustomed I get to this style of storyline, the more I think this kinda works. It is of course quite similar to the ideas proposed towards the end of Homestuck, or to time loop stories - the idea of varying the contingent circumstances to try to better illustrate the core characterisations and dynamics.
Yoko Taro has talked about how he constructs stories from a very simple idea, typically a moment of high emotional impact at the climax, and then works backwards to figure out what sort of story could lead into that. In Reincarnation, each character gets fairly limited time to establish themselves, so they tend to be defined in terms of a pretty narrow high concept.
For example, Akeha is an assassin in a vague historical Japanese setting; her introductory story sees her decide for the first time to disobey her lord after she finds another person who has been treated as instrumentally as her. Most Akeha stories focus on her assassinations, her relationship to her retainer, and what she sacrifices to perform the duty. Only her Dark Memory lets us see an Akeha who has escaped that life - it's a simple story about preparing food, but that's given meaning by all the other Akeha stories.
Hina and Yuzuki are defined by the same traits in their flashy scifi Dark Memory stories as in the more mundane ones - Yuzuki the quiet outcast, Hina the self-sacrificing star. Fio is defined by kindness in the context of abjection, seeing the good in monsters. Levania stories are about the desire for escape and transformation. Argo is always a shitty dad who only feels alive while climbing mountains.
The staticness of these characters seems on some level to be the point - in that we are told in Hina and Yuzuki's story that the mechanism of the Cage is to sort characters into 'Light' and 'Dark' natures, and push them to inevitable conflict, even if they try to break free. In the final arc, the characters seem to finally approach some resolution as they leave their contexts behind. Given the themes of Automata in rejecting an inevitable tragic fate, similar movement may be at work. There's an ambiguity - the need to hold on to even tragic histories, vs the wish to not be confined to them. (Perhaps it's significant that it's called the Cage...)
With so many balls in the air and so many mysteries still unanswered, it's hard to figure out how Reincarnation can deliver a satisfying resolution in just one remaining chapter, but the final arc has been really cooking so who knows! But I'm also coming to appreciate it as a kind of broader lens to notice all these recurring elements and tie them together.
Stories about alternate timelines and branching narratives are very common nowadays, particularly as a tool for revisiting a nostalgic franchise. Something something effect of the fan wiki era. So I can't exactly say NieR is doing something completely unique, but I do think there is something to its fragmented, collage-like approach to putting together story elements. There's something quite honest about it - an ability to say 'these details aren't important'.
Yoko Taro always talks about himself as an entertainer rather than an artist. And probably it is true that a lot of this eemerged from an iterative design process rather than being the plan from the beginning (the first draft of NieR envisioned it as something closer to what SINoALICE ended up being, about a world of fairytale characters; NieR Automata began life as backstory for an idol project). There's definitely a strong sense that it's being improvised. And yet despite that, it does feel like it is cohering into some sort of picture, that there is an artistic throughline to all this.
Or perhaps that's just the effect of getting way too invested in something. I won't deny that NieR brings out the fan in me.
Anyway Accord had better show up next month. Guys. You've been teasing us for so long...
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Pluralistic is four
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I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and then SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!
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Four years ago, I started pluralistic.net, my post-Boing Boing, solo blog project: an ad-free, tracker-free site that anyone can republish, commercially or noncommercially. It's been a wild four years, featuring over 1,150 editions, many consisting of multiple articles:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/02/19/pluralist-19-feb-2020/
As a project, Pluralistic has been a roaring success. I've published multiple, significant "breakout" articles that popularized obscure, important, highly technical ideas, most notably "adversarial interoperability":
http://pluralistic.net/tag/adversarial-interoperability
"End-to-end" as a remedy for multiple internet ripoffs, including as a superior alternative to link-taxes as a means of saving the news industry from Big Tech predation:
https://pluralistic.net/tag/e2e/
and, of course, "enshittification":
https://pluralistic.net/tag/enshittification/
These are emblematic of the sorts of ideas that I've spent the past 20+ years trying to popularize in tech-policy debates dominated by technologically illiterate policy ideas ("abolish Section 230!") and politically illiterate technical ideas (so many to choose from, but let's just say "cryptocurrency"). They require that the reader come along for a lot of cross-disciplinary analysis that often gets deep into the weeds. These are some of the hardest ideas to convey, but nuanced proposals and critiques that work on both political and technical axes are the best hope we have of successfully weathering the polycrisis.
Blogging has always been a part of this project. For nearly 20 years, I posted nearly every day on Boing Boing – 53,906 posts in all! – taking note of everything that seemed important. Keeping a "writer's notebook" in public imposes an unbeatable rigor, since you can't slack off and leave notes so brief and cryptic that they neither lodge in your subconscious nor form a record clear enough to refer to in future. By contrast, keeping public notes produces both a subconscious, supersaturated solution of fragmentary ideas that rattle around, periodically cohering into nucleii that crystallize into full-blown ideas for stories, novels, essays, speeches and nonfiction books. What's more, those ripened ideas are supported by a searchable database of everything I've thought about the subject, often annotated by readers and other writers who've commented on the posts. I call this "The Memex Method":
https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/09/the-memex-method/
Pluralistic marks a new phase in my deployment of the Memex Method. With 50K+ notes in a database, I've gradually turned Pluralistic into a forum for far more synthetic, longer-form work that pulls on threads from decades of research into nothing in particular and everything that seemed important.
Pluralistic is also an experiment in retaining control over my destiny – but not my work. Rather than hitching my ability to reach an audience through a platform that can be enshittified at the whim of a mercurial, infantile billionaire or their venal, callous shareholders, Pluralistic is published web-first, on a site I control, and then syndicated to every platform that matters to me. It's a process called POSSE (Post Own Site, Syndicate Everywhere):
https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/13/two-decades/#hfbd
I want to spread the ideas I fight for, so I post them everywhere, and license them Creative Commons Attribution-Only, encouraging others to repost them. Lots of small sites do this, but so do large ones. Notably, Wired picked up my first breakout piece on enshittification and republished it under the CC terms:
https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/
This was a really interesting process. On the one hand, I didn't get paid for this feature, which did really well for Wired. On the other hand, nearly 30 years of writing for Wired makes me doubtful that I could have gotten this piece out in the form it emerged, without substantially toning down (or, if you prefer, neutering) the rhetoric that made that piece more persuasive. A commissioning editor from one of the largest newspapers in the world got in touch with me after it came out and said they wished they'd published it – but also that they knew they couldn't possibly have done so. By publishing the story first on my blog, proving its audience, and establishing its canonical form, I was able to get it amplified by a service with a much bigger platform than me, without having to compromise on the form.
That republication gave me the much-maligned "exposure" – but it also carried the message to places it wouldn't have reached on its own. I don't write – have never written – solely as an income source. As both an artist and an activist, connecting with audiences has always been co-equal in my mind with earning my living. That's why I don't do a lot of film-writing: it pays well, but most of it never sees the light of day. It's also why I stopped writing for ad agencies: it paid well, but it didn't matter to me or my audience. To mangle Dr Johnson: "No man but a blockhead ever wrote solely for money."
The open nature of this blog, with its many open syndication channels, creates multidirectional pathways for evaluating and refining my attempts at making my ideas understood and my art land. My posts often circle back to points I made earlier, incorporating useful feedback from readers and colleagues, sure, but also anticipating and rebutting those areas where critics have convinced others in various forums. Vanity searching is unjustly maligned: I learn a ton about how to make by work better by lurking in Reddit comments, Hacker News, Twitter, Slashdot, Metafilter and other forums. I also take a sneaky pleasure in knowing that the persistent trolls who reliably pop up to grind their weird axes about me (sometimes referencing blog posts I made decades ago) have taught me how to neutralize them in advance, and it's delightful to see them try their same old lines, only to have other commentators point out that my latest piece makes it absolutely undeniable how wrong they are. Living well is the best revenge, indeed.
Four years. I've been writing Pluralistic for four years. During that time, I've published eight books – and beyond any doubt, Pluralistic helped me get those books into readers' hands. But far more importantly, during that time, I've written nine books – and contracted for a tenth – as the Memex Method paid off again and again.
I don't know how long I'll do Pluralistic for, but I don't foresee stopping any time soon. What's more, no matter what happens to Pluralistic, I can't ever see giving up on the Memex Method, keeping notes in public and making them work for me.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/20/fore/#synthesis
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candyhoiic · 2 months
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Edit: this was way longer than intended
TW this holds like the tiniest amount of suggestiveness as I briefly go over procreation/sex but it's nothing in depth. I only added it since a big part of eden lore is basically cannon Adam being a dick about wanting to be dominant in everything including sex. Spoiler alert he's not a dick about it in this au.
Back with more Adam switching places with Lilith au thoughts that no one asked for <3333 This time I wanted to focus more on their time in Eden and the dynamic between Adam and Lilith.
Since it's said that Lilith and Adam were both made to be equals being made from the same dust I imagine they would have pretty similar personalities at least at the beginning. With them both having dominant personalities, the two would quickly drift apart with them constantly clashing together. I.e. they're naming a deer and Adam wants to call it a buck while Lilith thinks the name doe would fit it better, but frankly neither of them wants to submit to the other so they just keep on arguing. Which eventually leads them to just going behind each other's backs, causing deers and most animals to have two different names based on their sex.
This would continue to carry on until there were no more animals to name, but then it would start all over again when it came to naming foods, and it's quite clear they just don't work well together. So, they eventually come to a mutual agreement to just leave one another alone. And for the most part it works with the two of them just kind of sticking to their own pieces of Eden. I.e. Lilith favoring the beaches while Adam was partial to the more shaded parts of the garden.
However, this doesn’t work forever since eventually the seraphim come back down and ultimately ruin it all. For the first time in ages, the angels call out for them to express their confusion on why the two have yet to even attempt to procreate. This causes them to both play it off as just not getting around to it, and while the seraphims seem to accept their excuse at face value, they still do basically tell them to get a move on. Saying how it's in god's plan that the two of them populate Eden. While Sera even cryptically mentions how if they don't then they'll need to come up with something else.
Safe to say the both of them are a little scared about what will happen if they fail their purpose, causing them to once again attempt in getting along with each other. Although just like before, the two butt heads constantly, and eventually they come up with the bright idea that they don't necessarily need to like each other to have sex. So, they decide to just give up on interacting with one another outside of what was necessary.
Only to also realize they cannot agree on anything in the bedroom either. The position? Who's on top? Fuck that if one of them can't be on the top than neither of them can!
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(Or at least Adam was in denial)
Which leads to pretty unsatisfying sex but they do, do their purpose so really the seraphims can't get mad at them. Although this new cycle leaves both Adam and Lilith in even worser moods than before, which is why Lucifer even comes into the picture to begin with.
See the seraphims might not do much, but they do periodically check in on Adam and Lilith with an all seeing orb. Similar to one used to watch Angel Dust during the trial Charlie has with Heaven. So during these periodic check-ins, they notice how Lilith and Adam are unhappy in Eden, and in an attempt to alleviate this they assign Lucifer to go down there to basically keep them both happy. They make this decision partly due to Lucifer being known as god's morning star, making him more than qualified to lighten up the mood. But also because they're tired of Lucifer constantly wreaking havoc in heaven's order with his bouts of creativity. So, they see it as hitting two birds with one stone.
Even if Sera was a little hesitant to do so, considering there's a chance Lucifer will cause just as much havoc with his creativity in the garden if not more. However, the others argue that he would be too busy keeping Lilith and Adam both happy to do much mischief, if any at all. Ultimately, the latter argument won out.
So, Lucifer is now assigned to the garden, and over all his introduction is taken well by both Adam and Lilith. The two of them actually getting along enough to stand being near each other for once. At least while Lucifer was there to keep them both preoccupied. The two being very curious about the seraphim after all.
And through all three of them spending time together I can actually see both Adam and Lilith becoming more tolerant of each other until dare I say it they actually start to like each other. Not enough to love each other as they were intended to, but they basically were those types of friends that only became friends because they had a mutual friend, who in this case is Lucifer.
During these times, Lucifer introduced the first humans to music with Lilith taking to singing while Adam seemed to favor using instruments, specifically string ones. Imagine a cute moment with all three of them just creating music together <333
Now of course there are still times Adam and Lilith can't stand each other, which leads to days where Lucifer has to spend time with them separately. During one of these times, Lucifer may or may not have created ducks, and had Adam name them so they would be a thing because ducks are the greatest and it was a crime that they weren't a thing already!
So, yeah small duck lore they weren't actually meant to exist lmao and Adam was the one to suggest their weird corkscrew penises so blame Adam for that one. Also, blame Lucifer for thinking listening to him was a good idea. When Lilith found out she wasn't impressed.
And just to be fair to Lilith when she and Lucifer spent time alone they probably went to the beach mainly. They had water fights started by Lucifer, but Lilith wasn't about to not retaliate after he got her soaked. Honestly slay
Anyways when Lucifer wasn't around because even he had a life outside of them, and went back to heaven at the end of each day. The two were reminded of their other purposes besides just tending to the garden. Which was the only real time Adam and Lilith weren't happy/at each other's throats. When they had to do the do neither of them ever came away happy from it despite their relationship being arguably better ever since Lucifer came.
And since it was basically Lucifer's job to keep them happy, he could pick up on their moods relatively well. So, eventually he put two and two together, and was like hey they were both happy when I left them, but once I came back they were upset so clearly something must have happened.
So, he asks them both what was wrong, but neither of them seem keen on talking about it with him because if there was one thing these two had in common it was their stubbornness. Safe to say, he didn’t get his answer for quite awhile until eventually it comes out, and well Lucifer's job is to keep them both happy. He would also be lying if he said he didn't see them both as attractive so he made them both an offer. He was already their buffer in everything else so why couldn't he be their buffer in sex too.
Understandably, the offer was shocking and while both were tempted, they were also unsure. Whenever the other seraphims mentioned procreation it was always strictly between Lilith and Adam, man and women. They never mentioned that the act could have a third participant or that it was appropriate for a man to lay with another man. So, they didn't outright decline the offer, but they didn't accept it either. As neither of them wanted to bring forth the wrath of the other angels or god. Instead, the three just kind of acted like nothing was said for a while. Although the offer was fresh in all of their minds.
Lucifer was most likely freaking out in his head being like I really just suggested that?! What was I thinking, I made everything so much more awkward, didn’t I?! While Adam was having a crisis over even being slightly open to the idea of laying with someone that presented male, and Lilith was probably the most level headed.
She wouldn't necessarily be like yeah lets do this right away, but she would definitely see the pros to accepting this arrangement and notice how the cons didn't really outweigh them. Probably would go through the whole scenario and rationalize why it really was for the best that they accepted the arrangement. Before she would do it all over again because she was still scared of upsetting any higher power like any normal human would be and wanted to make sure she was making the right decision.
So, after a lot of consideration and even more panicking, the three eventually agreed to the arrangement. With Lilith being the first to come to this conclusion followed by Lucifer and finally Adam. Although at first, Lucifer would just be there to talk them through it, coming up with solutions to their problems, basically playing mediator while never actually intervening in a physical manner.
Then, when that was well received, and after he was encouraged by both parties to get more involved Lucifer would start to touch Lilith while they were intimate, but still nothing too invasive. He would only touch when necessary to ensure everything ran smoothly. He wouldn't yet lay a hand on Adam because the guy was still kind of antsy over having another man present during intercourse. Period.
Although that wouldn't last for too long with Adam's jealousy winning over his initial gay panic, and eventually Lucifer would have free range to guide both of them in a physical, non-invasive manner. I.e. he would put his hand on one of their hips to get them to thrust in rhythm with each other instead of fighting over who was setting the pace.
From there, they would eventually become more comfortable with the whole arrangement and Lucifer would slowly become more of a participant rather than just a buffer.
This arrangement would notably work better for everyone, and their dynamic would probably become the healthiest it's been.
A/N: Surely, nothing could ruin this. Surely...
Just kidding! Something definitely did mwahaha but that's for another post because this is already too long vfgyusdjzs
Anyways thanks for reading this all if you did lol! I'm not really expecting anyone to, but I appreciate it all the same <33
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crypticroleplays · 5 months
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Finally getting around to setting up stuff here! --- This is my official post for my Dream SMP roleplay stuff! This'll include some notes, characters I play and some basic ideas/scenarios that I usually enjoy doing. I am actively on the hunt for people for these types of roleplays sooo yeah, if you have any interest feel free to shoot me a DM or something of the like. I usually prefer to do things via DM or Discord but I am open to other methods ^^ [I am still not... fully sure on how stuff works in tumblr rp communities so yeah-] Anyway I swear I don't bite I simply struggle with reaching out first so now onto the important stuff. --- Some notes: -For personal comfort I request that anyone who rps with me is 18+ or older! I am 19 (soon to be 20) so yeah. Self explanatory. -I am open for shipping related roleplays! I am a multishipper so as long as it isn't incest/underage+adult content I am down. I am slightly biased to certain things but I love exploring dynamics, so yeah, hit me with whatever. -I am a lengthy writer but don't feel obligated to meet my reply count every time, as long as I've got a few sentences to work with I'm usually good ^^ --- Characters I usually play/write [In a sort of order from most preferred to least]: Punz, Purpled, Awesamdude/Sam, Sapnap, DreamXD, Dream, Quackity, Tubbo [Better with early smp/new l'manberg specifically!], Philza, Techno, and Antfrost. *Disclaimer, I will admit I am a little out of practice with some individuals but I simply do my best to play everyone close to their canon personalities/characterization even if I don't have everything accurate [With a couple exceptions like Purpled since he has so little in terms of actual characterization from dsmp canon minus Las Nevadas, I lean more so into my headcanons for him - XD is also in a similar boat] --- Scenarios/Ideas I have a preference for: What ifs/Messing with canon events - An EASY top favorite, I love messing with the timeline [usually by changing peoples alignments/the countries they join] and I have a good handful of ideas for these types of things. Canon Compliant - Stuff within canon with no major changes to events. I am very fond of using this to explore character interactions and such. General AUs - Self explanatory but I do enjoy a good AU based rp, this includes general AUs that are changes to canon, or even universe changes such as superhero stuff, fantasy, modern, etc. etc. Crossovers also fall into this. I have some ideas for AUs, usually relating to canon buttt I do like throwing people into other scenarios/situations! Though in general and with those aside I am very freeform and will be down to listen to just about any rp ideas! :D ---
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inthelittlewood · 8 months
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How do you come up with all the lore for the life series? Like it’s incredible you’re like a genius dude- The watcher lore and everything just NWKSHDHJEKQISGSBDJWHSUBSUNWU my brain turns to mush in the best way possible thinking about it it’s incredible!
So basically, how are you so darn creative?
It can seem a lot more impressive than it actually is when you arrive to it late, it feels like everything is pre determined etc. but it's actually the opposite, I'm ad-libbing all the time in response to in game events and ideas that spring up
I've workshopped some ideas with chat too after each season so it's definitely not a solo venture
Most of the cryptic stuff is just me having fun sprinkling Easter eggs about, sometimes with no wider intent lol
Just about all creativity is just recycling your influences. So for lore, mystery and storytelling I have a lot to thank one piece, death note, shadow of israphel and other media for
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dulcibella-dreams · 2 months
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How about Minato comforting a sick SO ? Mitsuru will be super strict regarding the quarantine but Minato will find a way.
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P3 protag comforting a sick S.O.!
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 A/N: screaming. YOU KNOW I’VE HAD THIS IDEA BEFORE? hsjdkwkakdkw I have a soft spot for this idea. This sounds to me more like a story type beat than a dot point, so that is what I have done :) also tee hee I'm sick rn so 💕Hope you enjoy anon!!
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You had it really badly. Shivering in your bed with tissue boxes running out by the minute, your body was in a state of swelter and ice.
Mitsuru had absolutely banned everyone from coming to see you. Even Aigis. Why Aigis???? Not like she was going to catch the flu. You rolled your eyes.
The buzzing of your phone followed your second sneeze in a row. You were really hoping one of your friends cared enough about you to text you. Maybe this time it wouldn't be wilduck burgers persuading you to buy their ‘super mystery X exclusive alien edition triple patty burger’. You were indeed pleased when you saw Minato's number pop-up.
“How are you?” You almost rolled your eyes again. “Sick.” You stared intently at the 'typing...' icon. “I'm coming up to see you.” You blinked a couple times at your screen. You had a sudden vision of him getting brutally executed by Mitsuru. You also didn't want to pass your illness to him, or have him see you in this puffy and runny nose condition. But also, you missed your boyfriend a lot. Mitsuru had you basically locked up like jail in your room for 3 days now.
You quickly hit backspace on your DO NOT DO THAT message, and instead opted for a “how???” He responded quickly. “don't worry about that.” Why did he have to be so cryptic. It didn't make him edgy or mysterious. Okay, yes it did and it definitely added to his charm, but that was besides the point.
You looked at your window. No, he wasn't about to learn how to fly. Or get a long ladder. Or would he get a long ladder? Your laugh quickly descended to a chesty cough. The boy of your heart was truly something. He clearly missed you, despite his casual demeanour.
You suddenly hear a raised authoritative voice. Oh. Mitsuru was not pleased. “You can't go up there! You are putting at risk all of us, not to mention the student body…!” Her voice resigned after Minato very nonchalantly walked into your room and locked the door behind him. Oh yeah, that's right. You forgot he literally does not care. You notice a large open container in his hands, all contents except a water bottle obscured to you.
“She won't be coming up here.” You give him a smile. “She’ll kill you, you know.” “That's a problem for later.” He found a seat on the edge of your bed, resting the back of his palm against your forehead. “You’re feverish.” You gave him a long hard look that said, ‘no way, really?’ but kept your mouth shut, since you were honestly so pleased he was here.
Setting the container down by your bed, he pulls out a small, cold wet towel to place on your forehead. You sigh happily as your scorching skin seems to lull slowly. He grabs one of your hands, and rests it in his lap as he holds it. Minato looks in your eyes as the room fills with a moment of silence. “No-one could keep me from you.” You have to look away so you don't make a fool of yourself. It's rare for him to be so blatant about his feelings for you. He didn't seem to care about your sniffling nose, your raspy voice, or your chapped lips. You were his love, after all.
Minato gently lifted your head, resting it in his lap. He propped you up to undo the ponytail you had messily done last night. It had soothed your burning shoulders then, but now it just ached. His fingers gently threaded through your hair, completely relieving the tension. You could not fathom why he had come so prepared, but he procured a hairbrush and began working through your hair slowly. It was such a soft act of intimacy, to actively look after you in this way. To never want anything in return. His satisfaction always seemed to derive from seeing you content. You closed your eyes and lost yourself in the moment, never wanting to leave.
After some time, the silence was interrupted with a: “…Oh yeah, I brought you your favourite snack.” You watch as he reached into the container again to procure you your gift. Your sickened state almost made you barrel towards tears, but you instead settle on pulling him into a sudden hug. You couldn't even care if you got him sick anymore. You left a trail of kisses from his collarbone all the way up to his cheeks, the edge of his mouth, and finally pressing against his lips. You stay there for quite sometime, your fingers now finding his hair instead. When you pull away, he looks vaguely amused, with the slightest smirk on his face.
“I think you forgot about your snack.”
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When I Like you Best
Matty Healy x Reader
A/n hellooo, hope you guys enjoy this! It’s really short and really soft but it was just an idea that came to me :)
Masterlist
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“I think I like you best like this”
You looked up at him through your eyelashes, uncoated in mascara, skin bare of foundation or bronzer, his hands either side of your face tilting your head back gently as you lay tangled together on the sofa. “Like me best?”
He hummed in reply, an indecipherable and cryptic hum that you couldn’t quite perceive. “Without makeup” he explained, his thumb brushing over your closed eyelid, voice almost a whisper as if he was deep in thought, until his eyes widened suddenly, “I mean- I like you with makeup aswell! God I love you with makeup” his words trailed off into a whisper, as if it was a secret he was meant to take to the grave.
You couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped your lips, leaning your cheek further into his palm… you watched him, amused and utterly in love with his attempt to correct himself.
“So you love me more when I look like shit?” You questioned, jumping at the opportunity to tease him,
“No, my love for you never changes, but I think I just… like you more?” He tried, unable to find the right words, “and you don’t look like shit” he added quickly, your smile grew. “I just like when your the most ‘you’ you can possibly be, no makeup, natural hair, it reminds me of when I first met you.” He dragged his thumb along your lip as images of a young Matty flashed through your mind; before you’d discovered the real powers of makeup or a good few hours in the hairdressers, or he’d discovered the touch of a tattoo gun or hair gel, curls running riot in front of his eyes. You let him continue. “And as much as I like you all dressed up,” you watched as his tongue darted out across his bottom lip, not missing the way his eyes darkened “I adore you in your pj’s”
“Oh, shut up!” You whined, desperate to stop his teasing whilst futilely trying to escape his grasp as he pushed you away slightly by your hip, allowing him a better view as he looked you up and down, pyjama shorts hidden by one of his old T-shirts that almost drowned you, stained with god knows what and when it was last washed was none of your business. His boyish snigger ringing in your ears when he noticed you glaring at him.
Silence filled the room once his laughter died down, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder as he gazed up at you, eyes brimming with fondness, before a whisper broke through the stillness,
“I just really love you, and I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to explain it”
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finniestoncrane · 5 months
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General!Riddler x General!Boomer x Fem!Reader, word count: 750 eheheh self-indulgent hours over here, just some reader (referenced as a good girl and with a vagina) getting used by my two favourite terrible men 💚💙🪃❔ request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: sub/dom dynamics, degradation a lil bit, mentions of dp, oral sex, two on one
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With a complete disregard for you, considering you no more than an object in his eyes, Digger pulled his cock from between your folds with a grunt and gestured towards your throbbing, slick cunt. Distracted momentarily, and disappointed that he had made eye contact with him, Edward furrowed his brows and removed his own cock from the warmth of your mouth, hands instinctively moving to your wrist to keep you there, palms cupped against his balls. This was only a momentary distraction, he didn't want you to think your work was done. Desperate to get back within you, he spat his words towards Digger.
"What do you want? I'm not coming around to see what a good job you're doing. If you require praise, you have asked the wrong man."
Rolling his eyes, a self-satisfied grin still plastered to his freckled cheeks, Digger scoffed.
"Not asking for compliments, Nygma. I'm trying to be generous."
With an eyebrow raised, Edward attempted to seek clarity in his associate’s cryptic words.
"How so?"
"Well... d'you want a go on this end?"
"What an entirely unappetising manner to ask."
With his hands raised in the air, Digger shook his head.
“I’m trying to be nice!”
“It’s hardly the kindest gesture, is it? I absolutely refuse to take on your sloppy seconds, Harkness. If you are tainting her insides with your disgusting member, then she’ll have to settle for servicing me in other ways for the duration.”
It was a lot of words, and Digger’s attention span was lacking at the best of times, let alone when his cock was twitching, his eyes unable to pull themselves away from the sight of your plump lips, dripping with your own arousal, inviting him back in.
“Huh?”
In an exasperated tone, Edward leaned forward a little, the heat of his crotch warm against your already flushed cheeks as he edged closer to you. You held your tongue in your mouth, despite the strong desire to let it press out and run along the underside of his cock.
“I’m not putting my appendages where you have already been.”
“Oh… No need to be a cunt about it. I called shotgun, mate. Fair's fair!"
“Then you can settle with the choices you’ve made.”
Digger brought his hands to your hips, tugging you back from Eddie a little, a gesture meant to goad him.
“Suits me, mate. Any hole’s the goal.”
Shooting a wink towards Eddie, Digger grabbed the base of his cock and shook it in his direction, letting his length waggle in the air as he smirked. The action drew a look of disgust and a grunt of dismay from his partner in this particular crime, something that only served to spur him on as he bucked his hips, adding insult to the injury of Eddie having to gaze at Digger’s member being thrust towards him.
From between them, silent until this moment, you decided to speak in the hopes that your opinion might be heard, hoping that the idea of both of them stuffing your entrance, stretching you to your limit, or one in each hole with your mouth free to gasp and whine as they pumped into you in tandem, might be tantalising enough that they would tolerate being close to one another.
“I was actually thinking-”
“Aw, babe. Shush.”
“No one asked you.”
They interrupted you quickly, talking over each other in their rush to silence you. As he pressed the tip of his cock against your aching pussy, Digger smiled at Edward.
“Least we’re in agreement about one thing, eh, Nygma?”
Holding your chin, Edward caught your eyes in his stare, a cruel smile teasing up at the corner of his lips as he held the tip of his cock to yours, watching it slide over them, resting on your tongue as you began to dutifully hollow your cheeks around it.
“Yes. That mouths are for services, not opinions or lacklustre ideas.”
You moaned around it, a reaction to Digger’s hand meeting your right ass cheek.
“Yeah, good girls keep quiet and take what they’re given. Let us do the hard work, babe.”
Your cheeks flushed at the patronising tone on his gravelly voice. You were coming undone between them, not even sure of who you were anymore if not something for them to use however they pleased, which you were shockingly grateful for.
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