Happy birthday to Fenir, our favorite vigilante librarian. And also, to his author, @crescencestudio. I hope you both have a great day to celebrate you('s) (◕ᴗ◕✿)
The sketch was done by my girlfriend, and I colored it in, so technically, this plushie is a combination of two things I treasure the most: My girlfriend and Fenir.
Not only that, but he can also squeak.
Yeah.
Here's footage of him squeaking with Laufey music in the background.
Anyway, this sweetheart of a man belongs to @crescencestudio in their game Alaris.
HAPPY QUEST DAY a little throwback to the first time i met quest when i was doing his route in honor of the fact that it's been months, and he is still, in fact, breathtaking
How to make your readers Feel emotions for Dummies
(Horror edition!) aka Make your readers Tense.
Anyway, you want to know how to make your readers angry or tense? Well... have I got some useless tips for you!
First, think about what would make you tense?
Usually, you will write about things that you enjoy, therefore your readers will most likely be similar to you, so you should take your own experiences within media and just... steal them
2. Second, Use short sentences, and add onomatopoeia
Nobody likes having to make their brain work faster. And shorter sentences will actually do that. So using it is very helpful.
For example: Nothing in the house made a noise except for something dripping from the ceiling.
Vs
Nothing in the house moved. Not a noise could be heard. Not even the rustle of wind against the walls, or even her own breath. Save for one thing. Drip, drip, drip. Something falling slowly from the rafters overhead. Then, she knew.
See? Better!
3. Next, you should make sure to dance around the word was
Trust me, it just adds that much more oomph
4. Underdescribe the important shit, Overdescribe the unimportant stuff
I don't have an example for this... uh... have a nice day
5. Make your protagonist likable
Please
6. Show your readers early on you won't hesitate to do something shitty
Like kill off a protagonist who didn't actually matter, do something drastic in the story that shows your readers you aren't fucking around
I really want to know what would each LI prefer to get as gifts (definitely not because Fenir's birthday is like more than a month away and I want to be sure for future plans), I kind of guessed they would appreciate anything MC came up with, but is there anything specific they'd like to receive?
U REMEMBER FENIR'S BIRTHDAY?????? ((he's blushing))
🎁 LI's Preferred Gifts
Kayn: i think because they've received so many gifts over the years, they would go crazy over sentimental kind of gifts. so like a locket where they can put a picture of you in it. a perfume/candle that smells like a place you two went to together... things like that!
Druk: likes experience-type gifts. so anything you two can do together or with friends. can be a small trip, a massage, a nice dinner, cooking class, etc. basically anything where you can make some memories!
Fenir: anything related to books/reading. can be an actual book or things that enhance the reading experience, like a comfy blanket or anything that he can use to make notes in his books (cute post-its, highlighter colors, etc.). feel like if kindle's existed in the alaris world, he'd go crazy over one
Etza: they're the type of person who doesn't like to spend money on themself, so i think any elevated, functional gift would go a long way! for example, they would be the type to use the most basic wired headphones and use those forever. so if you got them a really nice pair of headphones, they would be speechless.
Kuna'a: i legit can't think of anything this guy would want yall LFAJISELIFJSELIJ.... this is a man of SIMPLE MEANS... i literally think one of those "i owe you" kind of gifts would be best. like u know those cheesy gifts people give of like "one coupon to redeem a massage from me" and stuff like that? i think he'd go crazy over that.
Aisa: for some reason i feel like aisa would tweak out over something really simple like a bouquet--just like something they're not used to getting. i think as someone who's a bit colder/stronger, they don't typically receive gifts that speak to their softer, feminine side so i could see something like a bouquet making them melt
Xyx’s hair tickled the base of your neck, his arms slithering around your waist and gripping like a vice. “I think the odds are in my favor today.”
You refused to acknowledge him for the time being. You’d asked the receptionist at the hotel you were staying very politely that you needed two beds, and here you were. In his arms. Which was nice, you loved him and he loved you and he was really warm, but it would be even nicer if he wasn’t being such a smug asshole about all of this. “This is only something that happens in bad fanfiction.”
“Oh, don’t act like that doll. You love me.”
You covered up the fond smile that was growing on your face by rolling your eyes. “Some days. Now I’m wondering why we’re even together.”
"So what I'm hearing is," he grabs your jaw with gentle fingers and places kisses where your jaw and neck meet, more smile than lips. "You admit that you love me? That you're sooo obsessed with me?"
"Oh my god," You feel laughter bubbling up in your throat and the faux scowl that once covered your face has been replaced with something more genuine. "You suck."
You feel Xyx's teeth against your skin. "And you're in love with me. What does that make you?"
"A fool."
He hums, closing his eyes and chuckling. His smirk is nothing but mischievous, you don't dare to trust him. "I was going for mental, or deranged even, but sure."
"I'm gonna punch you." You roll your eyes again and make an attempt to move your hands, but they're pinned to the side of your head before you can even go that far.
Xyx's eyes are now open and cunning. Like a devil, you think. Like a really pretty devil. "With what hands?"
Your guard is let down and you barely notice him leaning towards your face, pressing angel-like kisses all over your face. You sigh. "You suck."
"You've said that before. Are you just so in love with me you can't think right now?"
You kick him in the shin and give him a quick kiss to his lips. "Don't push it too much."
Xyx laughs and you swear to everything that is righteous and holy that it's the most beautiful thing you've ever heard. Your limbs are entangled and you could swear you hated him a minute ago, but when he's this pretty you forget why.
You push a strand of hair away from his eyes and he leans into your touch, kissing your palm softly. His laughter starts up again and his demonic smile returns. "Eww. You're being cringe right now."
You shove him off the bed. You remembered why you hate him.
A pair of arms wraps around your ribs and holds you tight. Xyx buries his head in your collarbones and takes a deep breath, breathing in your scent and your familiarity.
The rain's been coming down for a while, you assume, because his hair is wet and making you laugh softly as it glides up and down your neck. A hand reaches up to mess his hair up and he stops breathing entirely, for a moment at best, like your touch scared him to the core. You frowned at the thought and turned (to the best of your abilities) towards him. "Hi, love. Is everything alright?"
He doesn't reply and that's more of an answer than anything to you.
"Ah," you chuckle a bit and keep note of how his attention is purely focused on breathing in your scent and you wordlessly persuade him off of you, becoming face to face with him. "Rough day?"
Xyx sighs and runs a hand through his hair then proceeds to wipe his hand on his suits blazer. "Sorry, but I'd really rather not talking about it."
"That's alright too." You hum and grab his dryer hand, wiping your thumb over his knuckles and you barely see how his eyes go from mildly annoyed to something soft; relief or maybe a watered down version of joy. "Would... you like to join me in the bathroom?"
He stares at you for a second before processing a response, a voice that's barely there. As quiet as a willow tree and wavering ever so slightly, shaky almost. "Please."
His grip on you is almost bone crushing, like you'll leave him at any given moment, while yours is certain he'll stay. You guide him to the bathroom and close the door as he begins undressing. You help him with the little things, undoing his tie and unbuttoning the ends of his shirt. When he's bare in front of you, you press a kiss in the center on his tattoo and he just shivers.
He watches as you light a candle and make sure the water in the bathtub is a suitable temperature for him, and he furrows his eyebrows in confusion when he sees you only roll up your sleeves. "Are you not joining me?"
"No," You smile at him and gently help place him into the bathtub, kissing his cheeks and brushing hair out of his eyes. "I just wanted to help you relax, that's all."
"Oh."
Xyx sighs in contentment as you cup water into his water and massage shampoo on his scalp, and if you see tears in his eyes you don't comment on it and he doesn't recognize them. His heart beat feels like it's going insane, like he can't breathe properly with it pounding pounding pounding on his ribs. He's certain you can hear it.
Xyx once felt he was falling, someone unable to save like Icarus, and you caught him. He once believed he would never find someone who loved him again, he once believed he would spend the rest of life atoning for sins he does not remember committing and he found you instead. You bless him with your presence and for that, he's forever grateful.
You're humming and it's a song he knows you like, a song he's come to like because of you. He hums along with you and your humming becomes less of a modern tune and more of a hymn of laughter he finds himself addicted to.
You pour conditioner on his scalp and he relishes in the attention your fingers give him again, the sour look that was once previously on your face replaced with a smile.
You wash off the soap on once of your hands and hold one of his, the hand washing his hair becoming increasingly slower as time moved on. You two in the moment just felt timeless.
Xyx squeezes your hand and you squeeze back instantly, in sync. He kisses your knuckles and you kiss his, in sync. He leans over to kiss your head and you do the same, only wiping your mouth off afterwards. "I think I just got soap in my mouth."
He laughs and it's something beautiful and you smile because of him, and vice versa. He's only Xyx when he's with you.
You dry off his hair and brush it out for him, and you guide him to your shared bed and he follows you like a blind mouse. You say him down and kissed him softly, a tender moment that lingered for a second. He pouts and looks at you with doe eyes. "Doll, that was awful, you barely even kissed me. I think you need to try again."
A laughter escapes out of you and your fingers find his face once more that evening, pulling him closer to you. You kiss him again and again, like a broken record and he comes back, again and again. "You're so greedy. That's a deadly sin, you know."
Xyx smiles against your lips, finding the nape of your neck. You half-expected him to be looking at you with something devilish in his eyes, but you found nothing short of an angel sitting in front of you. "I'm well aware," He pulls your hand up to his lips again, kissing each knuckle separately. "And I would spend the rest of my afterlife in Hell if it means I got to be with you for as long as I can breathe."
