Hii hello today I offer you a messy comic! ┌(・。・)┘♪ Tomorrow? .... let's not think abt tomorrow lol. Didn't sleep + my back is damaged beyond repair but uhhhhh... worth it?
Had that scene from more blood stuck in my head so I wanted to draw Flora in a similar situation c:
The other night husband and I were watching a documentary about the yeti where they were doing DNA analysis of samples of supposed yeti fur, and every one of them came back as bears.
Anyway, the next night we watched a thing about some pig man who is supposed to live in Vermont. People said it had claws and a pig nose but walked upright like a man. Now, I happen to know that sideshows used to shave bears and present them as pig men. So every piece of evidence they gave of this monster sounds to me like a bear with mange.
So now the running joke in our house is that everything is bears. Aliens? Bears. Loch Ness monster? Bear. Every cryptozoological mystery is just a very crafty bear.
Bears. They’re everywhere. Be wary. Anyone or anything could be a bear.
As the OP of this post, I’m going to threaten that if this gets to one million notes by the 10 year anniversary on 1 June 2026, one year from today, I will get a lower back tattoo of the loch ness bear monster.
was listening to jeff buckley and thinking about the horrific cycle of sacrificial brides. one thing led to another;
shu falls for a sacrificial bride, who suffered the same fate as all the rest
warnings: mentions of death, gore and violence
— lonely is the room, the bed is made | shu
Sacrifices weren’t given funerals.
Sacrifices were scraped off the floor and buried in unmarked graves on unmarked hillsides. They ceased to exist as soon as their brittle, broken bones hit the cold, damp earth. Tasted, tested, forgotten. That was the way of things.
Why, then, did Shu feel like a piece of him was buried with this last one, out there in that forest, that haunted sea of soil and corpses?
He didn’t follow the familiar that disposed of her, nor did he mark the spot where she now lay. Too troublesome to stare at a heap of dirt, to know that the girl beneath is now just a mangled mass of sinew and innards and torn skin. There was no point in grieving that, was there?
But she would not let him seal this away like he allowed her to be.
Her screams cut through dreamless sleep, piercing over strings and sonatas. They rang in his ears as if the throat they were torn from still existed.
And every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. Her gaze, frantic and fawn-wide as she was dragged away by her torn shirt-collar. Her quivering hands reaching for him, each finger joint taut with their own separate pleas.
He saw lacquered wooden door gleaming as it slammed shut, a plank of wood that he could have easily splintered to get to the other side.
But he did not. Would not.
That same door stood now, intact as ever, thrown open to the bowels of her last living moments.
The blood and guts were scrubbed away, the room combed over until it looked unlived in. There sat the same four poster bed with its creamy pink duvet, and the cherry wood vanity with the bite of nail marks along its surface.
It was the same room that a hundred girls lived and cried and died in. It was the maw of a beast, always ready for the next one to come along…
And it was stripped bare. There was nothing left, nothing physical, that belonged to her. Not her useless trinkets scattered along the desk or her cream-coloured coat that she kept slung over the back of her chair. Not even a whisper of scent remained.
Rain beat against the window, the wind howling and slamming against the glass. Shu opened it with shaking fingers, letting its icy tendrils spill over the window seat cushions and washing over him in rivulets.
She would be with him forever now, the memory of her.
He remembers her as the rain begins to seep through his cardigan. Her, with the sunlight gliding over her hair in the golden stillness of early morning. Her, warm and soft and alive in his hands, pulse ticking beneath his palm and blood velvet on his tongue. Her, broken and battered and unrecognisable, reduced to an aftermath.
This manor had never lacked for ghosts. This very place was a tomb… his, hers, what does it matter?
All he knew was that he had welcomed another haunting. This nothing-girl would follow him to the end of his miserable immortal life.
He could hear her voice on the wind as it rushed into the room. Branches careened against one another as the weather swelled and surged.
Thunder cracked in the distance. Frigid fingers, gnarled and soil-crusted, closed iron-bound around his neck.
How could you let this happen to me? a gusty throat wailed, mournful and accusatory. How could you?
Something knocked rhythmically in the night storm as he choked on tears he had no right to. It was a heartbeat, slowing towards an inevitable end. It was her again, crying out;
“Well done Subaru! You hit the bullseye!” Yui’s jovial voice and clapping filled the room as Subaru steps back from the dartboard. He looks chuffed with himself before scowling.
“Tch, course I did. I would be a shitty vampire if I couldn’t do this much.”
Laito sighs. “Ah~ that’s true, darts is like child's play for a vampire. Subaru give me a turn.”
Bickering then began and Evelyn from her seat in the corner prepared herself for a headache. They hadn’t noticed her yet, too wrapped up in arguing with each other and bothering Yui to pay her any mind. She was here first anyway, having developed the habit of sneaking off to the game room after dinner most days to try to nap. The unused state of the room, its small size, and its far away location from the various brother’s regular haunts made it a calm enough space she could get a short tense nap for an hour or two on one of the two sofas hugging the wall. Well used to anyway, now she’s seen people in here any hope of a nap here is dashed. She had arrived and settled in on the verge of finally sleeping only to be interrupted by Subaru and Yui’s arrival. How those two ended up hanging out and playing darts was beyond Evelyn but didn’t change the fact she was now stuck waiting for a moment that the door was free and they were distracted enough for her to slip away. Laito’s arrival then cemented her need to escape as quickly as possible. Thankfully the two brother’s arguing will keep them busy and with any hope the Yui girl will keep her mouth shut if she spots her.
“Oi! What are you doing hanging around with these idiots pancakes!” Ayato barked out, marking his arrival and killing Evelyn’s hopes further. Yui takes her place by his side much to the chagrin of the others. What was the relationship between those two? The girl followed the vampire around constantly, knowing he was capable of killing her at any moment. The vampire was even more bizarre. Listening to her and following her around as if on a leash while complaining. Yet he is a Sakamaki, a prince, and therefore a member of the majority of vampire society which view humans as nothing more than food or at best pets. They do not entertain notions of love or care towards humans. Evelyn knew Richter had been involved in an affair with Cordelia but surely Ayato was still the king’s child and not Richter’s. So why entertain a human girl? Why hold a sentiment absent in his entire family save his uncle who actively interfered in his mother and father’s relationship? As the arguing continued to intensify Evelyn pondered all of this, zoning out as her only escape route was blocked off.
“What on earth is the cause for all this noise? Do you two lack any sense of decorum?” The second eldest son entered the room causing the brothers to pause their bickering for at least a few minutes as he began to lecture them. Adelaide was with him and quietly moved to sit on the sofa by Evelyn. The two women exchanged a knowing look, Evelyn quirking a brow. Adelaide’s eyebrows scrunched lightly as did her nose. Evelyn rolled her eyes. It was a comfort at least to know she was finding things just as difficult. Evelyn was constantly worried her issues handling Shu were setting her back while her sister was left with all the work. Before she could even try to speak both noticed the increased volume in the room as the fighting worsened.
“Shut up, you’re all so loud.”
A voice sounds to Evelyn’s left causing her to flinch, all eyes snap to the sofas. Both the one she sat on with Adelaide, her presence now known. But also the sofa perpendicular to hers where Shu lay. Shu’s ability to sneak up on her was unnerving to say the least. Evelyn was never the type to not notice someone’s arrival whether they teleported in or not. Yet Shu had this uncanny ability to appear without a single hair raising on her neck. It unsettled Evelyn deeply, as did most of the revelations she gained after each interaction with him. He lay there as if unbothered by the growing risk of violence in the room, earphones in and eyes shut as normal.
“Shu stay out of this. Pancake lets go!” Ayato grabbed Yui and made their leave. The remaining vampire attention’s now turned to the two women left behind and the vampire lazing near them.
“Ah Shu, you don’t need a whole girl to yourself, same as Reiji. You should let us have a taste” Kanato whined, gripping the bear he always carried closer to his chest. Kanato creeped out Evelyn. He was the least predictable and most volatile of all the brothers, and his worst moments were a terror to behold. Thus far Evelyn had only heard his meltdowns through the walls of the manor. She wasn’t eager to watch one up close.
“Yeah you two should share with your younger brothers~” Laito purred, sizing up Evelyn and Adelaide with a look that screamed trouble.
“That is a ridiculous notion, they have been given to us by our father to use as we see fit. You are not owed anything” Reiji spat out, his penchant for sassy remarks almost reminded Evelyn of Adelaide. He pushed up his glasses, likely preparing himself to launch into another lecture before Laito interrupted.
“What about a game then? Whoever wins a game of darts gets first pick of one of the girls, second gets the remaining.”
“What an effort.” Shu muttered as Reiji scoffed.
“Of course you squirm away from the first sign of having to work for something. It’s pathetic,” he adjusts his sleeves as he turns fully to glare at Shu straight on. “From the moment you were born you've had everything handed to you but never bothered to put any work in. If you look up the definition of a lazy coward in a dictionary you would just see a picture of him.”
As Reiji got through his little ramble Evelyn slowly turned to look at Adelaide with an eyebrow raised. Adelaide meanwhile sat unphased playing with her necklace. The whole room was silent for a beat before Shu slowly sat up. Evelyn had to resist the urge for her jaw to drop, of all things she would not have expected Shu to be so easily goaded into competition. Yet there he stood squaring up to line up his shot. If it was so simple to get him to do this by just insulting him why hadn’t he agreed to her very good deal immediately?
“Is he always that sassy or does he just on special occasions?” Evelyn whispered to Adelaide, the boys too wrapped up in their game to pay them much mind.
“He does quite like the sound of his own voice doesn’t he? Is sleepy always so easy to goad?” There was no sound of joy in Adelaide’s voice but the smile in her eyes made it clear that her sister had not lost her own sass or charm while stuck with the chemist.
“I wish…would make my life much easier” Evelyn scoffed as she turned back to watch as Shu hit a perfect treble 20. For the second time that night Evelyn’s jaw dropped.
“My, it looks as though we finally found someone able to give you a run for your money when it comes to targets.” A smile finally graced Adelaide’s face. Evelyn sat silently, eyes locked on Shu as he stood back to allow Reiji his turn at the board. While Laito was fair to call darts child's play to a vampire, their eyesight certainly made the game easier, aim was not necessarily something all vampires were blessed with. A vampire who always sleeps and doesn’t bother with anything would certainly not embarrass himself in a darts game with humans but wouldn’t be expected to land perfect scores straight from the get go. Richter had said Shu became apathetic rather young, and for a prince to learn archery or gunmanship instead of swordsmanship would be odd. Why would he bother with darts long enough to become an expert? How competitive is he? His brothers certainly must’ve believed they could win when setting the challenge. So surely Shu must abstain from play often. Evelyn was beginning to hate how little she could read of him.
“…Oh my.” Laito drawled staring at the chalk scoreboard. Kanato was beginning to huff beside him.
“No fair, why does Shu always win?” He stomped his foot on the floor as he pouted. Glaring at the blonde.
“...I am the oldest.” Was all Shu had to say for himself, causing Reiji to scoff and shake his head. The game was over and done in just under an hour. Shu had soared ahead of most of them, Reiji was the only one coming even slightly close but Shu still had a clean 150 point lead. Evelyn had shifted during the game to sit with her legs tucked to the side as her arm rested on the armrest of the sofa. Staring at the board where three darts all sat neatly from Shu’s last turn. Kanato continued to whine and complain as Shu turned to face the sofa. Shu and Evelyn’s eyes locked as he raised a hand to beckon her over.
“Evelyn…come here.” Shu speaks clearly for once and the others go silent as they seemingly remember what they were even playing for. Evelyn swung her legs around to the floor, while walking over she mumbles to myself.
“So you do know my name.” The remark had a lazy smirk rising on Shu’s face. Once she was within arms reach and stopped, Shu reached out to drag her closer by her forearm. The look of surprise on her face almost made him laugh as she tenses. His other hand reached over to her hip to hold her still as he sat back against the pool table by the darts board. Out of the corner of her eye Evelyn could see Adelaide stand suddenly as Reiji bristles and begins to complain.
“Shu this behaviour is entirely inappropriate! You cannot just grab and drag her around. It is highly indecent and-”
“Shut up. You shouldn’t be complaining, you get to keep yours.” Shu glared lazily at him as he moved his chin to rest on Evelyn’s shoulder. Her whole body was still and tense. Still uneasy after the last time he was this close.
“Besides,” he began. His hand raised to Evelyn’s nape to collect all her hair and ensure it was cascading down her back rather than blocking her neck.
“You came second, meaning you get my leftovers as always, be happy I chose this one rather than her.” His eyes move to point to Adelaide. Reiji’s head moved between Shu and Adelaide before he scoffed once more and moved to grab her wrist and make their leave as he grumbled under his breath about the lack of manners. Adelaide’s eyes did not leave Evelyn’s form until she was out of the room. Laito, Kanato, and Subaru also began to leave. Laito and Kanato were still complaining somewhat on how they must go hungry while Subaru glowered at nothing in particular. Within a minute Shu and Evelyn were alone.
“What are you doing?” She turned her head as much as she could with his head against her shoulder but still all she could see was his hair. She could feel her blood rushing in her ears as her heart beat so hard she was worried it would burst. She tensed as he chuckled to himself.
“What a surprise, so you do get frightened.” She could feel his neck rumble as he spoke. At the sound of his voice so close to her ear she shivered, a flush rising to her face.
“Whe are you so close?” she mumbled, hands stiff by her side.
“Isn’t it obvious,” his head tilting as his mouth moves to sit against the skin of her neck. “Claiming the victor’s meal.”
Evelyn’s blood turned to ice as his lips touched her skin. Jerking back, she briefly escapes his hold before she’s spun around and dragged backwards. Her back nestled against his chest as he laughed.
“Don’t move, …unless you want to lose an eye.” His left arm raises, holding a dart poised 5 centimetres away from her right eye. Evelyn’s breathing quickened. Her mind raced. Why was Shu doing this, he had explicitly avoided biting her until now. She knew he was hungry, he must be unless he was secretly finding food somewhere else.
She felt him move before suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She felt numb bare the sensation of his arm tightening around her and the sensation of his mouth slowly warming.
“S-Shu…” she gasped, her hands swinging up to grab his arm holding her still. Her eyes darted around the room as Shu slowly lowered the dart. Dropping it to the ground in favour of holding her even closer with both arms. Groaning as he continued to drink.
His teeth loosen as he pulls away slightly. He gasped out. “Your blood it’s so hot…. it feels like it’s burning my throat.” His tongue caught a stray trail of blood oozing from the punctures. His nose pressed against her pulse as he inhaled, his mouth slowly opening once more. His teeth plunged back into her neck. Evelyn let out a sharp hiss, feeling slowly returning to her body as she became aware of the blood being drained from her.
“Shit that hurts.” Her fingers twisted in the fabric of his cardigan sleeve. The soft cashmere juxtaposing the sharp sting of his fangs. His grip on her had not loosened but he had stopped digging his fingers into her sides. Instead one hand anchored itself on her right shoulder, and the other on her left hip. He held her firmly, his cheek pressing against her jaw. She could feel his skin warming, whether that was from the direct contact or from drinking her blood she didn’t know.
Shu meanwhile seemed overwhelmed. Gulping down hot mouthfuls of blood. “Not bad, you’re nowhere near as sweet as Yui…but I’ve generally preferred more savory food anyway.” His mouth pulled away fully, seemingly done for now.
“Never had a review before, although I’ve also never been bit before…” Evelyn quipped as her hand rose to press against the wound to try and stem the bleeding. She could feel Shu’s eyes burning into the back of her head. His hand rose to bat hers away, his tongue flattening against the wound and licking a stripe along her neck. He laughed as she tensed and shivered at the sensation. The moment head raised her hand flew to the wound to feel only slight raised bumps where his teeth had punctured. No doubt a harsh mark still remained but the bleeding was stemmed. Evelyn took a moment to catch her breath, Shu’s hands had loosened and dropped to her hips but had not yet fully let go.
“Does that mean that deal is on? Or do I have to start screaming and struggling?”
Evelyn and Shu had settled into a nice dynamic since the “school event”, as she has since come to think of it as. Neither had brought up the kiss itself, instead a quiet understanding of sorts had settled upon them. Evelyn could give as good as she got from him, and so Shu seemingly resolved to hover nearby as a silent watcher offering sarcastic comments from time to time. He still disappeared for days at a time often but he was certainly around much more than before. Irritatingly this most often included him napping on her bed while she worked. Ordinarily this was of no bother to Evelyn as he was quiet and, as an insomniac, she rarely used the bed herself. However, having reached a full 48 hours since she last had any rest she was running on empty. The words on her textbook were blurring and churning together in her brain, manifesting as a violent headache.
“Shu…,” she began, massaging her temples in an attempt to soothe the dull ache of her skull. “I need to sleep, can I please have my bed back.” A gentle rustle was heard as he moved his head slightly adjusting himself, followed by a heavy sigh.
“Too bothersome,” was all he said, as his eyes stayed shut.
“Is anything not bothersome to you?” she muttered as she moved around pages of her most recent assignments. Sleep deprivation is a dangerous thing, it loosens the tongue and dulls your reactions. Of course Evelyn knew this already having been subject to the lecturing of both her sisters and Richter every time they caught her up burning the midnight oil. It was hardly her fault sleep eluded her. Her nightmares were hellish and near constant, her body unable to fall asleep always alert. How funny a girl who cannot rest for fear of losing diligence is paired with the living embodiment of sloth. Her assignments in a neat pile she turns to face the sleeping prince, her gaze hazy and unfocused.
“What will it take to get you to leave?” she ponders, pulling at loose threads on her oversized jumper. The formless thing engulfed her but she couldn’t bear to wear anything remotely skin tight in this place lest the more perverted Sakamakis take it as an invitation.
The question results in the opening of one eye, a light blue pool staring through her. Shu’s head tilts towards you almost imperceptively, a heavy sigh leaving his chest.
“Just sleep here as well, it’s less effort.” He shifts, lifting his right arm to fold under his head and reestablishing himself on the bed. Evelyn noticed at this stage that he had taken off his shoes, a welcome improvement compared to the mud and rain stains on her bedding. He smirks to himself, seemingly unable to resist opening his mouth to add a sarcastic comment. “With how much of a pervert you are, how could you resist the chance to terrorise someone.”
“Terrorise? Ah-ha so funny.” The dry comment was all Evelyn could muster. Her head throbs behind her eyes, while her body refuses to sleep the side effects of that choice were making themselves known now.
With the exhaustion becoming too much to bear Evelyn groaned. Forcing her chair back she slowly stumbled towards the bed, her fingers still rubbing tight circles against her head. In her haze, her hand slid along her desk catching the edge of her notebook and slicing open her finger.
She went still, waiting for the sensation to register. Her whole body felt like it was stuck in molasses, slow and sluggish. Every movement a drag. Her hand raised, it felt so slow her head making the room spin. Eventually her fingers were held at eye level.
“Shit!... that's hurt,” she muttered sharply. With her hand in front of her she could see the slow formation of a fat bead of blood at her finger tip. The edges of the bead caught the light, almost glistening. What a simple yet complex thing blood is, she thought, its the essence of life itself yet it just looks like a red dot now. The bead grew quickly, fattening by the second. She puffed her cheeks exhaling a narrow sigh as if fed up with her own blood. After a moment the surface tension broke. The blood slowly trails down her finger, taking a winding path following imperfections on the surface of her finger, pooling in the folds of her knuckles like tiny rock pools.
Tutting, she began to move her hands toward her mouth. Yet before her finger reached her lips she felt her body jerk as she was twisted into the hold of the Shu. Moving faster than one could think possible, Evelyn's wrist was now firmly stuck in his grasp, with his other hand wrapped about her waist pinning her against him. The sudden movement caused a swell of pressure to pulse behind her eyes as she let out a gasp of pain.
“Shu what is wrong with you!” Pulling her arm lightly only led to Shu further tightening his grip. His pupils were tiny dots zoned in on her bleeding finger. His mouth was barely open but it was clear he was salivating. As Evelyn's brain caught up to her she realized the true gravity of her mistake. She had allowed herself to become complacent. She had forgotten that at all times she was in the presence of a sleeping lion growing more hungry by the second. And now she was about to pay the price.
If it weren’t for her pending doom, Evelyn could almost appreciate the glow of the moment. The haze of exhaustion tinting the world. The moonlight was the main source of light now, the candle on her desk extinguished by Shu’s sudden movement. The blood looked much duller now, no longer reflecting the warm light of the fire. Yet Shu glowed. His golden hair reflected the shine of the moon, like a halo. The shadows cast on his face only further brightened the pale skin not hidden. His fangs were brighter still, bone white peaks barely visible as his mouth hangs half open.
But it was his eyes that most captured Evelyn’s gaze. The blue eyes are no longer deep blue pools, calm and distant. Instead they were sharp and stormy, it felt for the first time Shu was actually looking at her.
Shu slowly leaned in closer, every inch of space closed between them less to her tensing more and more. Yet she couldn’t take her eyes away from his. She vaguely pondered what he saw. Surely in the dark she looked as dull as her blood, the bags under her eyes no doubt casting deeper shadows on her face. It wasn’t until he was less than 3 inches from her face that she eventually screwed her eyes shut as if suddenly able to pull out of her trance, her shoulders tensing up to her ears. She could feel his slightly chilled breath against her cheeks, feel the light brush of his hair touching against her ear. It was bizarre to not feel any notable warmth emanating off of him, the chill of the night or maybe Shu himself soaked into her. She could feel goosebumps forming on her arms and legs even under the thick material of her hoodie.
Shu was breathing through his mouth. The ragged inhale and exhales cause her heart to beat far too fast for her liking. If she had opened her eyes she was certain the only image she would see was that of a crazed animal, seconds away from biting into her neck.
“You should be more careful.” And he was gone.
Evelyn didn’t sleep for more than 4 hours that night. Or the night after. Her dreams were all of her drowning. Dark blue surrounding her and isolating her on all sides. No up or down. No sounds or feelings. Just a cold hollow feeling as she realises she cannot breath and she is entirely alone.
Shu had returned to being entirely elusive to her once more. Yet she still rounded every corner with held breath dreading seeing him. Her finger had healed by morning, the only evidence of the night before was the blood on the notebook which had cut her. She tore out the page and 5 pages either side tossing all of them into the fire and watching them burn lest the blood attract unwanted attention. She watched the flames lick along the edges and work their way in, taking slow deep breaths as if to remind herself she could breathe. The routine repeated for a week.
During the week though she did have time to contemplate the situation. Shu hadn’t bitten her, why? It made no sense, she was delivered as food for him and he must be hungry. Maybe he was playing with her, maybe he didn’t like her blood, a thousand other maybes crossed her mind ranging from his fangs not working right to him wanting to drink when she asked for it. The last one making her laugh at the foolish notion of it all. Eventually she settled on the idea that he didn’t drink to avoid the hassle of running or fighting back, he did detest all things bothersome. That thought led to another until a half baked plan formed in her mind. She needed him to stay unbothered by the others and to have any hope of speaking to Adelaide, and he needed blood. Ayato clings to Yui too much to make her a viable option so she had to be the easiest choice for him to bother ordering Reiji to do anything.
Perhaps in her life before the manor she wouldn’t run with such a weak hope but desperation was all she had at this stage. So she found herself searching corners and music rooms for him. 2 weeks after the incident she found him, sitting on the stairs leading down to the rose garden from the back porch near the kitchen. Rain pounding down, drowning out the sound of her shoes. She found herself approaching until she stood behind him with her arms crossed.
“I have an offer for you,” he didn’t respond, which was to be expected. Waiting a moment hoping his eyes would open or some movement to confirm he wasn’t asleep. Evelyn was beginning to suspect he slept much less than he seemed to for he was never truly asleep when she was near, always able to pass remarks on something to do with her. Yet he made no movement but she continued regardless.
“You need blood and you detest effort. I need to see my sister. So I propose that you do that for me in return for a peaceful drink. Is it not less effort to order Reiji to let me see Adelaide than to chase down random girls?”
“So is this what you did while at Richter’s tower? Offer up your wrist for petty favours, what a pervert," the mumble was progress. However he seemed to be losing interest.
“I’ve never been bitten, Richter would never allow that.” Shit, she spoke without thinking again. She needed to get her head back on straight.
“Never hmm?...What a drag, don’t bother lying its a pain”
“No it’s true.” At least he wasn’t disappearing or laughing her offer down.
“So what did you do while at my uncle’s tower?” This wasn’t good, he was too intelligent at times and so easy to underestimate. She needed to come up with something fast.
“I danced.” she mumbled, the first half-truth to come to her mind that was a plausible reality. But instead a chuckle greeted her ears as Shu disappeared.
Rewrite: First and foremost, I’m going to be rewriting Softly, Opulent. I have much improved in the time since that first demo dropped, and I’m going to rewrite it to show it. Along with the rewrite, some things in the story will be tweaked:
Characters: Some characters are going through a rework. I had an idea for their stories that’s changing now. The ROs will be tweaked just a bit too—but don't worry, they’ll keep those basic traits that they have already.
Magic System: This won’t be a drastic change with what I have in the demo. But there is some mention of Dalia having magic in chapter one. It’s very brief, but I’m taking it away. There is also an option in the intro post to learn magic but that’s not going to be an option anymore. Magic will still exist in the world, but be much more restricted and only a few select characters will use it. That’s because all magic comes with a price, in the words of Rumpelstiltskin and all that.
Rating: The story is going to be 18+ now. It’s not a really big change, but the reasons for this is simple: there will be sexually explicit content and more in this rewrite, while the plan was only suggestive content before.
Redesign: The itch.io page will be going through an update, and so will the intro post here on tumbler. I will make an updated intro post with the updated info soon. More importantly, the UI of the story itself is going through a rework too.
Pronouns: I want the MC to be more grounded in the world. Gender roles will be more prominent. I’m adding a transgender option instead, if that’s something that people aren’t against. I’m not sure about the non-binary option. I wanted to remove the option to have that choice in the very beginning. Let me know if it’s something you guys want to have as a choice later on (when MC is in a healthier environment), as it’ll take into account whether MC is AFAB or AMAB. (If this makes sense.)
A. I’m on the fence about making A’s gender the opposite of MC no matter what. Let me know if everyone would hate that. I'm only considering this because I wanted to have homophobia be a factor in some stories. But I’m willing to do away with that if everyone wants A’s gender to be their choice.
I think I’ve covered roughly everything. I know this is a lot to take in and I hope it isn’t a deal breaker for some people. The foundation of the story will remain the same!
As for my last question: would everyone rather me finish the rewrite of what’s available so far in the demo and post the update, or would everyone rather wait for me to release completed chapter two with it instead?
I’m pretty sure that Australians don’t have more then maybe 30-50k MAX people on tumblr. Like American had some 30 million users in 2020 (aka basically probably peak over the last 7 2018-2025) while Australia only has 26-28million people depending on who you ask (27 to be safe) so I’m just genuinely curious how many of us there must be on here.
If you Currently live in OR were born / raised in Australia and ID as (born/raised + ID, as I know a lot of born/raised here don’t ID as Aussie) you are Australian in this poll!
People should feel humiliated to be using AI to write stories. Storytelling is one of the oldest human traditions and you're gonna look me in the eye and tell me you today can't figure out any other way to do something cavemen were doing 10,000 years ago?
AI is also SOOOO bad for the environment. We already have people that think global warming is a hoax, why should we let people use an artificial source of intelligence that requires 16.9 oz of water (a water BOTTLE) to COOL down after one singular use. School is genuinely not that hard to the point where you need AI; students past 5 years ago made it just fine.
not to be problematic but i literally do not give a shit about age gaps when dating vampires. they thirst for your blood. "but it's predatory!!!!" yeah. it is. "they're preying on you!!!" they're vampires. they do that. "it's a power imbalance!!!!!!" what part of vampires are you not getting
they eat people and can turn into bats and crawl around on walls, lizard fashion, and can hypnotize you with your eyes. a) the age gap is not the creepy part and b) the creep factor is kinda the appeal
they don’t age. that’s part of the horror of it actually. would you accept eternal life, if you can never progress? can never grow or change? you’ll live forever, eternal youth, but frozen exactly as you are now. you will never become the person you’re meant to be. you are trapped in the mind of a 17-year-old forever. also ‘theoretically old if you disregard the fact that he’s a vampire’ doesn’t even make the top 20 worst things about edward cullen list. girl he’s mormon. prioritize
I think sometime we go too far in discourse about age gaps or other problematic tropes in fiction and their potential to influence real life. This reminds me of the Belle is a Stockholm syndrome case bullshit which isn't true she doesn't display those symptoms at all when you don't do revisionist history; or the true loves kiss is rape in Snow White even though it is established that the prince and Snow know eachother at the beginning of the film. Or even the Baby it's cold outside song.
Fiction is somewhere where you suspend your belief. You're engaging in a fantasy world where vampires are real you can't just push irl context into it. If this was real life obviously you'd want the LI to all be over 30 when age gaps mean less and less in terms of maturity and how much time you've had to establish yourself.
Some of the best vampire stories have an undertone of heartbreak as the vampire will outlive their love, multiple times if it's a reincarnation world. This relies on the age of the vampire and is not possible with the age discourse. If vampires were real yes we would judge the age gaps and fairly so, but we're not in the real world. Same as BDSM or porn most studies saying these make people violent are lies funded by often very religious groups who preach purity culture. It's ok to like something in fiction as more often than not it's not the age gap itself, it's the idea of an age old vampire finding someone so normally insignificant so important, it's finding biting attractive as it's a physical tangible sign or love and want and need.
Point is we go too far sometimes in our judgements and while I do see the benefit of people using things like fifty shades as an example of abusive tactics to help get eyes on it and as something to bring interests or enjoyment to a topic. However you can't just only shit on things all the time just because it doesn't fit YOUR individual moral code. Morality is variable in many areas and the issue with censorship.
