#i stopped very quickly

[soggypotatoes]

wow I tried to read some messages I sent the other night and my head hurts bc I don't remember them at all and also they're so. sick

#like mentally sick #i stopped very quickly #im slipping between suicidal and happy so rapidly today #talked to my psych tho #shes now asking if i want to see her 6 days a week wtf #i feel like im in a joke #i mean it was a joke in parks and rec lol #but shes right shes the only one i talk to #im in a bit of a life or death phase atm #last night i tried drawing a map of the options/paths i have ahead of me #they all involved pain and self harm #and most of them led to death #didnt realise that till i showed it to her #ed mumbles

[watchingwisteria]

listen there really was just something about how in the book, snow’s 3-page descent from hesitant lover boy to deluded psychopath happens entirely in his mind. lucy gray gives him no indication whatsoever that she suspects him, that she’s going to leave or betray him. he’s just sitting quietly in the cabin waiting for her to return when that seed of calculated suspicion, which he has needed to survive the capitol, takes a hold of him and chokes the life out of any goodness left inside him. it really drives home your terror as a reader that “oh my god did he kill her? did she escape? what happened to her? why would he even think that?” in a way that when the movie had to adjust for visualization it lost some of that holy shit this guy has lost it emphasis.

#seeing some discourse and im not saying lucy grey didnt know #im saying she never dropped the kind of hints that she knew like she did in the movie #or if she did snow isnt worried about them until he very suddenly is consumed by them #snow is not concerned about whether or not she believed him. of course she did! hes snow! #but then shes gone…. for a while…… #and its the sudden immediate drastic unravelling that comes across so clearly in the book #that i knew wouldn’t translate to screen yet still cant help but miss #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #tbosas #lucy gray baird #not a crime or anything just a note that i cannot stop thinking about #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #this is all from memory of reading it quite a while ago. so maybe 3 pages is an exaggeration #but i remember it happening VERY quickly and without much external cause #like we as the reader have no indication as to whether shes nearby or not. #snow has no idea either. he just SUSPECTS. and his suspicion breeds the hatred that has been bubbling inside him all this time #he hates how she undoes him. he hates that he WOULD run away with her if shed let him keep his secrets #and he HATES more than anything that she makes him WANT to tell his secrets #he wants to be vulnerable and reveal the ugly nasty parts about himself and still be loved #but he does not let himself and it is everyone’s downfall #he chooses cruelty bc it is easy and familiar and makes him feel more powerful than the vulnerable give and take that real love requires

[spiderziege]

for the doodles, maybe some etho or/and cleo?

hello, request thats been in my inbox since october,

#felt like doing something messy today and i always love drawing these two #zombiecleo #ethoslab #my art #i know i stopped doing daily doodles very quickly lmao but i do still have the requests and ill get through them eventually. maybe

[kiivg]

.This game very quickly devolved into a Halsin kissing simulator 🫠.

#baldurs gate 3 #halsin #bg3 tav #tav #halsin x tav #tav x halsin #bg3 #mxm #tristan yarrow #.and by very quickly i mean i cannot stop kissing this man. #.i will kiss him everywhere. #.sewers? yes. covered in goo and blood? yes. in front of gales salad? yes. #sketch #.on a different note- the age sliders are not fantastic so…. :(. #.HOWEVER.. that one anon who pointed out I am always human! HAH! u were right I cannot play as anything remotely non-human :( I dont like.

[shepscapades]

I do have to ask. Was the docsuma ever planed or did they force themselves into exsistence. did you go into this expecting them to have so much homoerotic energy or did it just spawn b4 bc of how other people went insane over doc and Xisuma (separately)

it was 100% completely genuinely unplanned.

I went from a diehard rendoc shipper expecting them to be lowkey The Ship for dbhc doc (or not making doc a focus character at all, really), to thinking it would make a lot of sense/would be funny if Doc ended up being an android mechanic, to thinking it would be cool if Doc and X were close in this au because they both do android tech, to then being like... oh they can be research partners.... to then planning the [REDACTED] comic to then thinking... oh... what if they cared a lot about each other :(((( and the dynamic kinda stole my heart tbh

BUT IT WAS ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO BE LOWKEY bc i know docsuma is... Very Rarepair-y even though doc and xisuma have been good friends for aaaages hehe

THAT BEING SAID I DON'T PLAN ON SHOVING THIS SHIP IN ANYONES FACES LOL they ended up being kinda downbad for each other in a few of my unposted side-drawings but i don't want to make it a central thing unless people really wanna see it LKDFJGLKDJFG

#basically it started as a joke and then it very quickly stopped being a joke #but i dont wanna be obnoxious abt it bc quite frankly besides intense pining i don't think the characters would be obnoxious abt it either #dbhc ask #dbhc #dbhc doc #dbhc xisuma #dbhc docsuma #docsuma #ask #anon #in fact i wasn't really planning on making the docsuma thing confirmed or obvious for a while #but the GUY.EXE song thing started a rabbit hole i couldn't help but keep digging hahaha #its been fun to watch people put the pieces together =w= #but anyway!! i had wanted to say all of this at some point anyway so ty for the ask!! :>

[hailsatanacab]

@the-ghost-trader - ooooh, i love this! it has the potential to be so incredibly sad, too, like poor Damian just trying to carve out something normal for himself only for it blow up in his face

BUT, shockingly, i'm not about the angst today! not yet anyway 😇

---

“So, how was your day?”

Despite his answering groan, Damian likes this. This. This whole… thing he has with Danielle. With Ellie. 

And, yeah, he’s not exactly told any of the others yet, but can you blame him? For wanting to keep something, anything, to himself. Wanting to keep this small little slice of goodness he’s managed to carve out, untouched and unmarred by his family, by their other lives, by the rogues, the vigilantes, the assassins, everyone.

“That bad, huh?”

Being with Ellie is freeing. That’s the best way to describe it.

She knows. Damian surprised even himself when he told her—not about the others, mind, but he supposes it’s not hard to put two and two together and Dani has always been smarter than most—but it’s the best decision he’s ever made, and no matter what the niggling little voice in the back of his head says (the one that sounds suspiciously like Father), he can’t bring himself to regret it.

He won’t. Because having Ellie know gives him freedom.

She’s a safe place, a hand to hold, a warm, welcoming presence when things inevitably turn ugly. It’s the freedom to just be normal when everything else in his life spirals into stranger and more stressful missions.

“Richard is being insufferable again. I do not understand his incessant need to know everything about my life.”

“Oh? What’s he done now?” 

“I was subjected to an hour long interrogation about my love life, like it’s any of his business. It’s infuriating!”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I get the same thing from Jazz, constantly. It can be suffocating.” Ellie says as she curls herself tighter into his side. “But it’s just how they show they care.”

“Yes, well, sometimes I wish he wouldn’t—”

“Hey!” Ellie pushes herself up to glare at him, punctuating her shout with a soft whack to his arm for good measure. “What have I said about using that word?”

“Yes, yes,” he placates with a roll of his eyes, “‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I apologise, it won't happen again.”

“Damn straight it won't.”

She maintains eye contact with him for a second longer before tucking herself back into his side, squirming around with a long, contented hum that Damian can feel rumble through him. He smiles and doesn’t complain even when he has to shift to give her more room after a particularly strong elbow jabs him in the ribs. It means leaving the warm patch on the couch, but he’s rewarded with another long, happy moan as she settles and Damian can’t bring himself to mind.

Ellie constantly makes noises. Little mews and hums and laughs and songs known only to her. It reminds him of a cat, sometimes. He likes it. It calms him down; it means she’s happy, so he's happy.

They settle back into the cushions and Damian lets the subject drop, not wanting to spoil the moment. Outside, the wind changes direction and from where he’s laying he can watch as the snow starts to come down thick and heavy. Hopefully it’ll mean a quiet night's patrol.

“Is that why you haven’t introduced me yet?”

“What?” He can't help it, he stiffens at the thought of losing his secret, of the scrutiny he'll be inviting if he lets anyone know.

“Are you worried I’ll embarrass you?”

Damian’s eyes snap down quick to reassure her, only to see her light, teasing grin. He lets out a breath of relief. It figures she wouldn't worry about that.

“Of course not, don’t be absurd. You could never embarrass me.”

“I don’t know,” she muses, her voice taking on a dangerous lilt, “that sounds like a challenge.”

“Believe me, having been subjected to Father’s Brucie persona at every gala I’ve been to, it would take a lot to embarrass me.”

“Alright, bet. I’ll get you, just you wait.”

“You’ve already got me.”

She flicks him on the nose. “You’re such a sap.”

He hums his agreement, enjoying the tinkling sound of her laughter. And then, before he can think otherwise, he asks, “Is that why you haven’t introduced me?”

“That’s different,” she scowls. “You know how hard it is to get there, there’s no signal, and Danny only gets a break like—oh, Ancients!”

Damian gets another elbow to the ribs as she bolts upright, a manic grin on her face that has him laughing.

“What is it?”

“It’s the holidays! It’s nearly Truce Day! You know I said I had a family thing around Christmas?”

“Yes?” 

“Well, do you want to come to it? I can introduce you then! I mean, it’s going to be a bit formal and you’ll have to meet everyone, not just family. There’s going to be some banquets, you’ll have to sit through some long speeches and you have to be on your best behaviour at all times, okay? Absolutely no fighting, it’s called Truce Day for a reason!”

“What?”

“Yeah, it’ll be perfect! I think Jazz is going in a couple days earlier to help with the preparations, so I’ll get her to let Danny know—and fair warning, he will try to give you the shovel talk, but this is great! It’s Truce Day, so he can’t actually do anything about it!”

“I’m sorry, but you're going to have to explain a bit.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s a bit much—but that’s family, right? Danny can get pretty protective over me, which is why going on Truce Day is the best time to do it! He can’t even command the Fright Knight to stab you! It’s genius!”

“Ellie, what?”

“Like, yeah, sure, he’s the king, but even he has to obey the rules of Truce Day—and then once you’ve spent all day with him, he’ll see that you’re a fantastic, wonderful, kind, brilliant, smart, strong, capable person and he’ll get over himself and everything will be good!"

Damian collapses down onto the couch, the wind knocked out of him. This is… He had not expected anything like this at all. For all that Ellie talked about her family, she had never mentioned this.

“Did you… did you say your brother is a king?”

“Yeah! High King Phantom, have I…” The manic grin slips off her face as she turns round and notices Damian. “Have I not mentioned that before?”

“No. No, you have not.”

“Ah. Sorry. Probably should clarify that I’m also a princess.”

“Right. Yes, that follows.”

“And I’m not really his sister, I’m his clone.”

“What?”

Damian blinks and tries to say more, but he has no idea what he’s meant to do with… any of this information. 

Normal. He thought she was meant to be his normal. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Not that it changed anything, of course, of that he was certain. It’s just… a lot to take in. Overwhelming. But it's okay! He takes a deep breath, and another, and a sense of calm washes over him. Ellie makes one of her little hums as she cocks her head to the side to consider him and he can't help but relax at the normalcy of the sound. It'll be okay, he's dealt with stranger and he can deal with this.

“I’ve, uh… I’ve told you that we’re half ghosts, though, right?”

“What?”

#dpxdc #danny phantom batman #danny phantom crossover #damian wayne/dani phantom #do they have a ship name? probably but idk it sorry #this was fun!! damian is strong and smart and capable and he won't let this stop him! #sure it's a shock but what does that matter when he has the love of his life by his side!! #he can get through this! at least his girlfriend's brother/original/...father? can't get his knight to stab him #that's a point in truce day's favour - even if damian is regretting asking to be introduced #in ellie's defence she thought he knew! he's slightly liminal himself she just assumed he could pick it up! ... he could not. #when they actually get there damian loves it - he fits right in with all the ghosts #there's a little adjustment period where he is VERY prickly with everyone but he gets the hang of it very quickly #all the ghosts are very impressed with his willingness to throw down and he has to be reminded by a very stern ellie that it's TRUCE DAY #stop fighting!! #ah i really enjoyed this thank you for the prompt! i hope you enjoy it too!! #as always it came out a lot longer than i intended - i don't know why i even bothered with the whole 'five sentences' #it was obvious i wasn't going to stick to it smh #anyway i hope you liked it!! #(also but sorry i prefer to call her ellie sorry i know i'm in the minority here haha) #my writing #(shit how is it four in the morning eep) #cab writes

[wanders-in-stars]

Going through a dwemer ruin and fell off a platform and died, but before the game reloaded I heard Gore say,

"Oh, you moron. Get up! Hey, get up – oh, gods."

I – help?? The sudden change in his tone when he realised what had happened?? My heart???

#he's very quickly climbing my “favourite custom voiced followers” list #he just feels so.... alive if that makes sense #constantly commenting on the world but in relevant ways and not just the same 5-6 generic lines being recycled over and over again #the absolute shock i felt when stopping to watch some imperials fighting stormcloaks and he STARTED COMMENTING ON THE FIGHT AS WE WATCHED?? #i am SO HYPED for version 1.5 cause apparently it adds even MORE of that.... “alive-ness” #im terrible with the words but like the EFFORT and DEPTH put into this man is incredible and im desperate to uncover as much as i can #i feel like NOT doing so would be like.... a waste and an insult to all the people who worked so hard on him #skyrim #skyrim gore #yaz yaks

[bumblingbabooshka]

Voyager Crew invents the internet again but only on their ship and sometimes as a deal with other species they also give them brief access to their shitty little internet messaging boards 

#idk if star trek has a canonical internet equivalent and I don't care #I love the idea of them accidentally inventing internet 2: it happened again #its supposed to be used for work but the crew quickly stops being professional and it devolves into something more casual #start: 'Crewman Chell if possible would you be able to assist in engineering at 0600 hours tomorrow? thank you - Ensign x.' #end: 'Chell g2EN before breakfast - Ensign teeth' #they also come up with their own shorthand and slang #g2EN - get to Engineering #cant wait to see all of their extremely personalized pages #st voyager #the internet 2 is NOT very stable its glitchy as all hell bc its held together with digital gum and kwazy glue #goes out literally all the time #but its theirs v_v

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

whyyyyy are dog people so obsessed with their pet taking a shit...

#im. Confused. bc seriously why! what is it! #we have had this dog for One Full Day and the amount of times #that my stepdad has felt the need to regale me with her using the bathroom on a walk #is. well frankly its Insufferable and i Want It To Stop #like respectfully! affectionately! I Do Not Care! Hush! Cease! Good For Her! None Of My Business! #i am learning so quickly that im solidly a cat person #i do not enjoy having a Wet Beast! dogs are fine when they're not in my house! #me and my cats are like... living in my room now #i almost said Our room. well. that wouldnt be wrong at this point #absolutely unprompted #i can live with snakes i can live with lizards i can live with birds #but dogs? theyre just so much... too much... #sensory nightmares! big and loud and smelly and slobbery and their fur feels weird and theyre so Pushy- #i could handle it if it was a uh... a Sensible dog! #but this is a golden retriever mixed with a samoyed i believe! #that is not a sensible dog thats a 'i will force myself into your personal space' dog #sorry. sorry. im just not very happy with this development lmao #but its not my house not my decision and my stepdad needed an affectionate furry friend #he's happy! good! i can keep my mouth shut about my deep displeasure! #cats are so neat and clean and just sweet little packages of delight... i need to be in a room full of kittens STAT

[moveslikekeithrichards]

its so hard to talk about how traumatic it is to watch somebody be claimed by dementia without going "well i cant complain because at least i wasnt the one losing my mind (for now)" but that shit fucks you up so much. that ghost is going to haunt me for the rest of my life and all i can do is hope it Stays a ghost

#tiddytaco #b #thinking about it rn bc today while i was driving my mom home from pt #she saw someone she knew from years ago driving & was like FOLLOW THAT CAR & we met them in a parking lot #& the conversation turned to 'hey what the hell happened to your parents' pretty quickly bc our families hadnt been in touch #& it was a long conversation in the hobby lobby parking lot #& idk if itll ever Stop being fresh in my mind but now its Extra fresh in my mind #that whole time period was just so insane & awful #bc it was like Ok we're caring for both grandparents #& then my grandpa died #& all our pets at the time were very old #& when he died it occurred to me that we could easily lose both grandparents and all 3 pets within the year #it turned out to be like a long drawn-out year & a half from the first to the last #& looking back it seems impossible that is was that short a time period bc it felt like an eternity #we got off easy with grandpa bc he died before it got too bad but with grandma it just kept getting Worse #& the climax of the caring experience was traveling to take her to my uncle bc he wanted to take his shift caring for her #& that was so . So bad. SO bad #like it literally could not have gone more smoothly and it was SO bad #just thinking about it i feel like im there again i get so stressed out

[tekkenenjoyerblue]

“Now, face the mighty Bison!”

#my art #street fighter #m. bison #vega #i can’t get enough of this dude #work really tries to stop me from finishing this piece BUT I WON IN THE END #now to get started on another drawing of him <3 #this is very quickly becoming an m. bison blog isn’t it…

[chronicsheepdrawing]

AU scenario where AM and the survivors swap places and he expects to be put through the most horrific pain imaginable but instead they treat him with kindness and basically leave him alone by himself for the most part which is somehow worse.

#Ihnmaims #i have no mouth and i must scream #AM ihnmaims #Allied Mastercomputer #Based on how in the good ending to the video game you give him things representing Compassion and Forgiveness #And also that the last person you play as now watches over humanity's return #body horror #I guess? #robot horror #He's like No!! You're supposed to hate me! You're supposed to get revenge!!! #Why are you trying to give me happiness or even tranquility stop it!!! #Doodled these very quickly because I'm sleepy

[dajo42]

lots of you probably follow me from my responses to transphobic anon hate back in 2014 where i would just spam them with selfies and get thousands of notes of compliments to counteract the hate and it is very funny to me that the anons i get arent transphobic any more theyre saying i dont deserve pizza

what a wild nine years its been

#also very funny how quickly i got to like 35k followers over 2014 and 2015 and then abruptly stopped #most of you are the same people from back then #legends all of you

[dent-de-leon]

Given that all of Molly’s spells are enchantments, has he ever wondered what that’s like on the other end…? Would he ever ask Caleb to try and charm him, just to see how it feels?

As King, would he ask Caleb for it as a distraction, an escape—something to quiet all the warring memories and haunting nightmares; all those messy, complicated feelings that keep bubbling to the surface? A way to just let himself feel for Caleb without getting caught up in too many tangled pasts, without seeing his Magician’s body lying lifeless in that ruined city?

Tealeaf, who only knows enchantments—who was a performer in all his other lives, whose become accustomed to playing a part and wearing a mask when he must, who still struggles with letting himself be vulnerable and bearing his heart. Who always loved fairytales, who still lingers on the warmth and comfort of pretty dreams. “Never trust the truth. The truth is vicious—the truth thinks you owe it something. None of that. I like my bullshit—it’s good, it’s happy, it makes other people happy…”

“Once upon a time, there was a happy family…”

Caleb indulging him at first, trying to make him happy, trying to offer a gentle distraction from all the pain he still carries from life after life.

But stopping once he sees the signs, the all too familiar, faraway look in his eyes. Caleb teaching him the importance of staying grounded, explaining what his own past means to him—why he still holds onto it and never lets himself forget. Learning to forgive himself and move forward; making peace with the boy who was once Bren, while still carrying his home in his heart.

Being there to take Tealeaf’s hand and keep him anchored.

#widomauk #Mollymauk and Caleb thoughts haunting me once again #my thoughts are that molly would want to try being charmed out of curiousity and would find it fun #whereas Lucien—if the somnovum are anything to go by—i think he’s very much susceptible to being charmed #because he has all this fear and has been through so much and wants so badly to believe in something #and then I think king would think it’s interesting at first but find it kind of addicting #Caleb being willing to try it at first if he thinks they’re just having fun or because it helps king sleep better with the nightmares #but then quickly becoming wary and stopping if it becomes something that king keeps trying to lose #himself in as an escape

[iholli]

inhales fuck it, I had fun with this, you're all getting subjected to it. My singular braincell is unleashing Booigi like the plague upon Discord and my friends are happy to encourage me. thank u Holly for the galaxy brain dialogue that inspired this silly little drabble <3

King Boo × Luigi || flirt

It's been a hell of a long night in this hotel, and King Boo can't stand it any longer. Except he's really, really bad at communicating his feelings to a certain oblivious green plumber.

Takes place during the final boss fight of Luigi's Mansion 3, so you know, if you don't want to get spoilered or whatever <3

It's been hours. At least 10 of them. And the man is exhausted.

He's been through hell, awake all night, narrowly avoiding death at every turn, fighting for his life every step of the way. He's tired and afraid, damn it, and his night still isn't done.

So this battle promising to stretch for long minutes is not something he's excited for.

Honestly, he's almost disappointed when Polterpup crashes into him, accidentally knocking him out of the way as the painting falls.

Luigi sits up as the ghostly canine hops off him, scampering off to who knows where, and the poor little plumber is back on his feet just in time for the great spectre before him to turn a seething glare on him. It's all Luigi can do not to collapse under that enraged violet gaze.

"Luigi! What are you doing over there?!"

King Boo is also tired, and he is pissed. He's spent far more than the whole night with that disgustingly obsessive woman dogging his heels like a lost puppy, watching her useless staff be thrown around by Luigi-- though, of course, the king can't deny his admiration of the man's strength and quick thinking-- and in turn feeling the anger of his own Boos being sucked away into that damned vacuum. He's going to break that frustrating contraption, so help him.

And after all that, after all his carefully laid plans-- the countless romantic settings, the harmless spooks, his desperate attempts to flirt-- Luigi still hasn't realized it! Only that awful Hellen Gravely had been wooed by the candlelit dining room, the beautiful concert, the seaside view! King Boo has had all he can take. At least Luigi vacuumed Hellen out of the picture, what a relief that was, and satisfying to say the least. Oh, and who could ignore the way Luigi smiled and danced and cheered for himself every time he successfully captured a ghost...he's just too cute!

He couldn't possibly admit it aloud, but that little green plumber has the king of Boos absolutely wrapped around his gloved finger.

"UGH! That's it! I'm sick to double death of you!"

Sick to his heart of that cute little mustache, those soft shoes, those blue doe eyes, that adorable accented voice, that sheer obliviousness! How could King Boo possibly make his feelings any clearer?! Surely Luigi is just tormenting him, and he's sick of it!

"You want to fight me? FINE! Let's go, Luigi! This is the end for you, once and for all! HERE I COME!"

The Italian's teeth are chattering in fear, because of course he doesn't want to fight, and he's thoroughly convinced the Boo just wants him dead, or at least trapped forever as a decoration. Well, it's no fault of his, considering every attempt King Boo has made at flirting has nearly gotten him poisoned or skewered or whatever else-- it's been such a long night, Luigi barely remembers all the ways the hotel has tried to kill him. And the king of Boos is very, very intimidating, no thanks to his threatening dialogue.

Which, Luigi can't possibly admit aloud, is rather attractive, in an inexplicable way. That voice, and those eyes, and...

No, no, no time to think about that now. That "rather attractive" ghost is trying to destroy him!

King Boo cackles, nearly at the end of his rope, summoning lightning, showing off his tongue (very intentionally, that is), throwing fireballs and explosives, every time missing and angrily cursing before vanishing. That Luigi...too smart in all the wrong places! Like he knows every move the Boo is going to make! Yet he can't figure out King Boo's affection towards him?!

When Luigi throws an explosive back at him, sending King Boo reeling and coughing smoke until he collapses on the roof, he's feeling more frustrated than ever. The plumber and that strange, goopy green clone of his suck him up by the tongue and smash him back and forth against the roof until the Boo tumbles backwards.

Enough is enough.

King Boo rematerializes before Luigi, glaring daggers, his enormous maw closed in a deep frown. The man steels himself for another round of attacks...

...but they don't come.

Instead, King Boo snaps.

"You know what?! Enough of this! You're cute and I've been trying to tell you that for hours-- no, YEARS now!"

Luigi freezes, his whole body going still as a ghost hit with his Strobulb. He...what?

The Boo's mouth is open now in a snarl, his brows low, his eyes glowing bright with irritation. He looks so angry; surely Luigi misheard him! If looks could kill, the plumber would already be six feet under!

"There, I said it! Must you torture me further?!"

No, he heard right.

...

He heard right?

The nozzle of the Poltergust clatters on the now-cracked concrete, Luigi barely even realizing he's dropped his only protection. He stares, then blinks and starts sputtering.

"C...cute? A-ME?!"

Oh, the Boo is a goner when that heavy accent comes out. His face flushes royal blue as he drifts like a deflating balloon to the rooftop. "OF COURSE YOU! HOW have you not figured that out?!" King Boo tries to snap in his usual tone, but it comes out in more of a pathetic whine as his voice cracks in disbelief.

"You've been-a trying to kill me all-a night!" Luigi chokes out. He's so shocked, he sinks to his knees, taking off his cap as his other hand comes up to run through his hair, the Boo watching his every move-- has he ever seen the plumber without his hat? His hair looks as soft as his mustache...

"I-- I HAVE NOT!" King Boo retorts after a moment, equally stunned.

"What...what do you call all of-a that, then?!"

"I was trying to flirt with you!" The king frantically pinwheels his nubby arms in a desperate attempt to explain. "I know those idiots kept ruining everything, but I was trying! I had a nice dinner planned, a walk through the garden floor, a magic show--"

Luigi's hand drops to his lap and he stares again at the ghost. "You set up all that...as a date?"

King Boo stops his rambling. "...yes?"

The little Italian giggles breathily, then laughs harder and harder, until he's gasping, arms wrapped around himself and tears rolling down his cheeks. King Boo blushes furiously. "What-- stop that! Why are you laughing at me? What's so funny?!"

"Oh, scusa, bello," Luigi manages when he finally catches his breath, wiping his face with his shirt sleeves. "It's just-- you are-a terrible at flirting!"

The Boo puffs out his cheeks, impossibly blue as he crosses his nubs in offense. "Well-- well, you're terrible at noticing, then!" He grumbles, his mouth closing in a pout.

"Both people are-a supposed to be there for a date, you know." The man giggles once more. He can't help being amused at the adorable grumpy face before him, and he's giddy with relief, heart fluttering now that he realizes that the ghost wasn't actually trying to murder him all this time, that the little voice in his heart was a mutual feeling.

"I...knew that." Boo's violet eyes flick away-- he definitely didn't know that-- then snaps his eyes back to Luigi in sudden realization. "Wait, what did you call me?!"

Luigi just smirks, one eyebrow cocking up, a show of the confidence he's feeling now. "Maybe if you-a take me on a real date yourself, I'll-a tell you, tesoro."

"T-TES--" King Boo blows the rest of the word into a raspberry, flustered, not knowing if the Italian is taunting him or complimenting him.

"Wait...are you asking ME on a date?"

Luigi gets to his feet, shuffling across the roof to retrieve the frame lying all but forgotten on the concrete. He inspects it for a moment, then sets it upright along the wall of the roof, aiming the Poltergust's dark-light attachment at the image of his friends and brother.

The plumber glances back at King Boo before switching the light on, grinning once more at the uncertain though hopeful king watching him. "Yeah, I-a guess I am." The light activates, a beam of rainbow slowly coloring the painting.

Well, after he explains this to Mario, and gets the group comfortably settled in the hotel, that is. And maybe gets the Boos out of their respective containers, since he knows the king will be asking.

Luigi's heart flutters again. His night doesn't feel so long anymore.

#booigi #king boo x luigi #ratkingwrites #that's a tag i NEVER thought I'd be making #i actually used to write a lot of self indulgent bullshit in middle school #but i stopped for a long time until i had to come up with a story for a game last Halloween #so I'm...kinda writing stuff like this now and then #booigi Tumblr please accept this humble offering #should i post this on ao3? I've never posted on there 👉👈 #luigi's mansion 3 #this is a Hellen Gravely hate zone #every time she's on screen i want to deck her #King Boo is cute as fuck #Luigi is also cute as fuck #they're both so stupid though (affectionate) #this was fun #and i am becoming very anxious very quickly #okay bye now

[akumajoaurora]

Castlevania Games Do Have a Story (And Why It’s Important That It Stays Subtle)

Ok so this is basically an expanded writeup of some loose thoughts I posted to Twitter earlier today in response to the news that the God of War Ragnarok guy wants to do a Castlevania game, but this is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, so I figured it deserves to be on a long form post and not just Three Sentences Per Post Dot Com.

A big criticism of Castlevania that I hear pretty frequently is “Oh, it has no story”. However, this is untrue- Castlevania games very much do have a story, they’re just not presented in the format that most people are used to. 

A lot of story-driven video games play out somewhat like a TV show or a novel. You get to watch the story play out from start to finish, with characters talking to each other, and often moving and acting as though you were watching TV. There’s nothing wrong with this format- I enjoy it a lot myself! Everyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Devil May Cry, after all. But this isn’t the only way to tell a story.

With the exception of a few games (mainly Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness), Castlevania has a much different format. While there are some cutscenes, they’re generally much more limited and there aren’t very many per game; In some of the really old games, there really isn’t much dialogue at all, and instead the main plot points are given to you in scrolling text at the beginning and end of the game or in the game’s manual. This is important because it pushes you, the player, to engage with the text. The story is there, but how deep does it run? How does each game play into the overall saga of Castlevania? That’s what you have to discover for yourself, and clues can often be found in the level design, the music, and flavor text.

To give an example, let’s analyze one of my personal favorites story-wise, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. 

This game takes place 7 years after the original Castlevania. Our friend Simon Belmont, now 29 years old, has already killed Dracula. However, he begins to feel gravely ill, and fears he may be on his deathbed. He goes to the family cemetery to contemplate this, and a mysterious unknown woman appears to him, who tells him that he’s been cursed by Dracula. In order to save himself, he will need to collect five scattered pieces of Dracula’s corpse, use them to resurrect Dracula, and then kill him again, all within seven days or he will die. The mystery woman then disappears.

Simon travels the land in search of the Dracula relics. Along the way he, of course, fights monsters, and also talks to the ordinary people of Transylvania in search of clues; Some of them are nice or even flirtatious towards him, but a lot are openly hostile, and will lie to him or try to scam him. Every night, Simon’s curse worsens, and the famous words “What a horrible night to have a curse...” appear as more and more monsters start to come out. During this time the player is unable to go indoors. Depending on how long it takes you to complete the game, Simon either dies fighting Dracula, or survives and frees himself from the curse. He then is seen making a grave for Dracula. This is the text of the good ending:

"The encounter with Dracula is terminated. Simon Belmont has put an end to the eternal darkness in Transylvania. His blood and sweat have penetrated the earth and will induce magic and happiness for those who walk on this land."

So, what can we get out of this short, dialogue-lite game? Let’s take a look.

Even though Simon has already defeated Dracula, the fight is not over. He can’t truly escape his family legacy, and the ongoing battle between man and vampire. Simon, like many Belmonts, is trapped within a cycle of violence- Even when he does what he’s “supposed” to do. It’s manifesting in an extremely physical way that forces him to engage with the conflict- If he were to do nothing, the curse would quite literally kill him within a week.

Simon is a thoughtful and spiritual person who respects his family greatly. Rather than getting angry about his condition, giving up, or even asking a doctor, he went to his family cemetery to contemplate in the presence of his ancestors. The fact that he seemingly didn’t go to a doctor brings me to my next point...

Simon is largely disliked by his neighbors- Even though, again, he’s already killed Dracula. A common element of Castlevania games is that the Belmont family are feared and distrusted for their magic powers and their proximity to the supernatural, and this is certainly true for Simon. Still he continues to fight.

Despite this, he clearly still has someone looking out for him. Who is the mystery woman? Is she an ancestor spirit (Sypha, perhaps)? Is she a witch? An anonymous admirer? Either way, she cares enough for Simon to help him in his time of need.

Simon is, ultimately, a deeply kind and caring person. Even though Dracula caused so many people horrible suffering, including Simon himself, he still took the time to build a grave for Dracula. He showed respect even for his greatest enemy and went out of his way to provide him dignity in death.

In the end, the people finally recognized Simon’s good deeds, and he was hailed as a hero... But at what cost? It’s worth noting the specific phrasing, “his blood and sweat have penetrated the earth”. Simon had to give so much of himself, very much putting his life on the line in order to keep humanity safe. The burden of heroism is an extremely heavy one.

Simon’s Quest becomes even more poignant when put into place with the wider Castlevania timeline. Simon is one of so many Belmonts to be feared and hated by his neighbors, give everything in order to save them, and finally win their respect- But at a very high cost. Again and again this cycle plays out. It’s also worth mentioning that Simon’s Quest is the origin of the famous background music track, “Bloody Tears”. Interesting name, isn’t it? Whose tears are they? Are they Simon’s- Is the curse ravaging him so badly that he’s literally crying blood as he keeps fighting? Are they the tears of the Belmont clan, unable to escape their fate? Or maybe tears shed for, or perhaps by, the spirits of all those who have lost their lives to Dracula? Worth thinking about. 

Every Castlevania game has a story, and all of them come together to create a much wider tale of life, death, and rebirth, generational trauma, the cosmic battle between good and evil, the nature of humanity, finding light in the darkness, and why we keep fighting. Like the gothic novels it draws from, it poses many questions about the nature of life, death, suffering, and what it means to be human. The format in which this story is told is a unique one that encourages introspection and participation. If you’re someone who enjoys media analysis, I highly recommend the Castlevania series.

Ultimately, while I don’t think it’s impossible to do Castlevania in a more traditional format (after all, LoI and CoD pulled it off pretty well), I do think that the layers to the story are a big part of what makes it, well, Castlevania. I don’t think it’s at all fair to say that Castlevania doesn’t have a story- Many of the games don’t have a distinct linear dialectical narrative the way a lot of modern games do, but they very much have a story. Why not try experiencing it?

In conclusion,

#Castlevania #I'm 100% sure I'm going to regret making this post very quickly but I need people to understand how fucking cool Castlevania is #I like thinking!! I like games that make me think! And I want people to stop being mean to Castlevania #Long post