You play as Zak Soto, a normal 25-year-old guy trying to live his life. Ok, scratch that, he isn’t normal at all. He has extremely strong psychic abilities, and is able to see things that most normal people do not. On top of that, he’s currently being hunted down by demons, and the one who is supposed to be protecting him...? Is a demon who is holding a grudge against him!
Will he be able to survive these encounters with demons while he tries to find the solution to his problems? Will his demon be able to get over himself for two seconds to help him? Are these feelings towards his demon just frustration or is there something more...?
You help decide in... DEMO PARANORMAL!
CONTENT WARNINGS IN GAME
-Help Zak make choices with his relationships, his problems, and help him find solutions
-Romance a demon! [Or befriend him, if you prefer]
-Become friends with angels, humans and 1 [one] other friendly demon
-Learn the mysteries around Zak's life
-Help keep Zak alive.
Each playthrough is around 100k+ words, and there are 2 endings.
CHARACTERS [Headshots here]
Zak Soto- The main character. He's nice and friendly, [maybe a little TOO friendly] and a little too trustworthy. He is very powerful, with a very powerful soul. He's able to see all things supernatural, and he's usually able to 'take care' of whatever pays him a visit. But when the blessing that was bestowed upon him by an angel 20 something years ago starts to lose it's power, that powerful, strong soul starts to cause more problems than solutions for him.
Demo [Pronounced "DEE-mo"]- A lower-ranked demon that used to think he hit the jackpot when he met Zak and made a contract with him. But little did he know how much trouble this little human would cause him. Demo is grumpy and doesn't like to talk much, usually opting to grunt or growl.
Uncle Vic- Zak's uncle. He can't see or sense anything supernatural, but he knows how much of an inconvenience it all causes his nephew. He's a little overprotective of Zak, and hates that he hangs out with a demon. He's dating Mike.
Mike- Uncle Vic's boyfriend. He's the embodiment of 'tropical vacation dad', complete with khaki shorts. He's very kind and giving, and is completely smitten with Vic and his nephew from the 'first moment they met'.
Abriya- Zak's best friend. They meet when Zak gets a job at Mike's antique shop and are inseparable since. Abriya thinks that Zak's powers are super cool, and she herself is able to see more powerful demons and angels.
Murmur- Murmur is a strangely nice, gentle demon. They don't have any need or want to continue to power up anymore, so they don't make contracts anymore, but they do love to learn things about humans.
Does anyone else feel like if they keep desperately playing BG3 Early Access, somehow the full release will come quicker? Maybe if the game feels how badly I want it, it’ll just...give a little extra.
It’s also completely free (but you can always donate to treat us to a coffee or meal if you enjoy it)
Christmas Otome is the sequel to Valentines Otome and the third entry in the "Holiday Otome" series.
With graduation drawing near and Emma's relationship getting serious, Maia starts to wonder about her future. Should she listen to her parents and return home or try to make it here in the city? A chance encounter leaves her with just a couple of months to melt a frozen heart but can this super serious girl do it?
Features:
Heroine's name is changeable
130K+ words
3 Love interests
9 endings
A map system
A shop system
A dreamscape system that provides insight into the LI’s subconscious
30+ CGs
An optional tutorial as well as a recap of the relevant events from the previous games
Opening Video
Music by Tyler Thompson
Get it on itch.io!
Christmas Otome by Synokoria
There’s also a short, optional survey that you can take once you’ve finished the game. All results can be viewed by clicking “see previous responses” once you have submitted.
(I meant to release it yesterday, but with burnout coming at me from all angles, I needed to take an extra day to breathe)
Tomura Shigaraki x Fem! Childhood Friend Reader
(Warm Bodies AU where they're less like zombies, but they're more mindless breeding machines and the only way to bring them back is by giving them intensely positive emotions.)
It's been months since the outbreak started.
One little quirk is all it took for all of Japan to fall into shambles. Curiously enough, only the men were affected by it, turning into insatiable beasts, searching endlessly for someone to breed mindlessly. Not really the undead, but not entirely human either.
Somehow, those who were able to escape from the clutches of such a dangerous quirk were only the men who already had partners, lovers. In some cases, those who were not sexually attracted to anyone-- and/or those who had impossibly strong bonds to their friends-- could also scrape by unaffected.
Unfortunately, the Safe Zone only allowed people in if they contributed to the saving of another.
—————————
He wanders about aimlessly, not remembering a single thing. Where he came from, who he was. His head felt like it was in a cloud, body heavy.
Though he doesn’t think much of it. This is all he’s known, after all. ‘Breed, breed, breed.’ echoes inside his head, eyes scanning the baren wasteland. The sound of quick shambling and panicked breaths hit his ears; ‘a chase’, he thinks, ‘follow.’
He finds his way towards the sound of aggravated groaning and hissing, careless fists slamming against doors. Locked in, it seems. Something tells him to put his hand on it, but nothing happens. He doesn’t know why he expected anything to happen.
The door flexes when a loud thud rams against it, and a tiny yelp behind the flipped dumpsters. The groans grow more aggressive, more hungry. ‘Breed breed breed breed breed breed breed—‘ bounces around more fiercely in his skull; he shuffles quietly over to the dumpster.
He can feel himself starting to salivate, the idea of finally being able to achieve his purpose growing more and more prominent. Peeking over the bags of trash, everything in him halts; big doe eyes stare up at him, afraid. Trembling, eyes leaking... water? ‘Tears,’ his brain supplies. Tears.
He doesn’t like them.
He watches for a moment; eyes scanning her trembling form. Another loud bang and the shriek of metal starting to give snaps him out of it. He takes her arm and yanks, dragging her out of the alley, sprinting passed the door just as the hinges burst.
He doesn’t need to breathe, heart doesn’t pump, yet his chest grows tight from the sound of her struggling to keep up. ‘Go slow. Slower.’ he complies, falling into stride. He feels something starting at him, so he turns back to look at her, grumbling, glaring.
Suddenly, he’s running into a building. She titters excitedly, too frantic to understand before she’s pulling away. Slamming the door shut and locking it. He’s a little confused; surely, she hasn’t forgotten what he is.
For a moment, she does. Her chest heaves with relief, sliding down before plopping in front of the door. He carries himself into the corner of the room, gurgling to himself.
She tenses, eyes darting to him; he squints back. ‘Now she remembers.’ he grunts.
He doesn’t know why the echo in his head went silent. The usual monotony of ‘breed’ long gone, ever since he laid eyes on her; replaced by ‘protect’ and it baffles him. Though, at the same time, it feels right.
She snivels, and his eyes latch back onto her. Still sitting by the cold door, staying away from him. He rolls his eyes and turns away, stuffing himself into the corner.
Some time goes by, how long he doesn’t know. Though he doesn’t need to know such irrelevant things. He gurgles in surprise when he feels something warm fall over him. He turns slowly, eyes meeting her curious ones.
“You’re strange, you know that?” She whispers; her eyes more curious than afraid. He only gurgles, letting the warmth of the blanket encompass him.
‘Warm is nice,’ he decides.
--
She rambles on about ‘no circulation’, or something like that. He doesn’t quite get it, but he doesn’t fight her when she insists he stand out in the sun, absorbing more of this ‘warmth’ thing he’s gotten addicted to.
He follows her around as she needs supplies, gurgling along quietly to her aimless conversations. He knows she’s only talking to fill the silence void (‘maybe she’s gone crazy,’ he thinks, ‘talking to someone who might not even understand.’) but somehow he appreciates it. Gives him something to think about.
Overtime, he finds himself enjoying her company. Mindless babble filling the everyday droning of grumbling footsteps passing by.
One day, she yelps in excitement over a can, startling him and every other mindless dolt in the area. He hisses in irritation, dragging her back to the safe house as quickly as he can. Despite the harrowing situation, she smiles, giggling with childlike glee.
He glares at her once they make it to safety, yet she hardly notices when she’s shoving the can into his face.
“Peaches! It’s canned peaches!” she cheers, prying the lid off with a can opener. The smell is sweet, unlike the usual foods she would find. He’s surprised when he feels his stomach growl instead of twist.
“Did.... did your stomach just growl?” she whispers, baffled. He shrugs, opting to pretend it never happened when it growls again. Her eyes light up.
“It did! It growled!” she laughs, then hands him a peach. He twists his face up, remembering the first time she had him try food. “C’mon, try! Maybe it’ll be different.”
He takes the peach from her hand, eyeing it distastefully before licking it. To his surprise, he didn’t feel sick. He stares at it for a moment before dropping it in his mouth. He feels satisfied rather than sick when he swallows.
“Fascinating...” she whispers, slowly approaching when he doesn’t immediately retch it back up. He eyes the can without realizing it, pouting when she offers him another peach with a coy smile. “See? Good thing I had you try.”
He takes it with a huff, grinning wryly.
--
That night, he dreams for the first time.
“Tenko...!” Echoes inside his ears. He feels his heart beat, and it nearly sends him stumbling from the shock.
“Tenko..!” Closer this time, but even as he spins endlessly to look, he doesn’t see anything.
“Tenko! Wake up, Tenko!” Its right next to him now, and it has him jolting awake
He sits up, but it’s still dark when he opens his eyes. He looks around frantically for her, finally calming when he sees her curled up on the sleeping mat. He scoots closer, putting a hand on her back, just enough to feel it rise and fall with each breath.
He settles.
--
He starts to realize he’s capable of doing more with each new event, and with each new event, he dreams.
The worst nights are when he can hear the voice screaming in agony:
The eventual sobbing that grows quieter and quieter, leaving him feeling colder and colder. He hates those nights.
Even when his heart isn’t beating, it still feels painful. His mind races with questions and anxiety (a feeling he wish he didn’t know).
He wonders if his name is— was— Tenko, or maybe someone he used to know? He’s not sure, but he’s afraid to find out.
Afraid.
Another emotion he was starting to know well. He finds himself afraid a lot more often too.
He’s afraid of waking up one night to find her gone. He’s afraid of losing her to some other mindless victim (if he could call them that. Men fallen to the quirk; victims). He’s afraid of watching her find companionship with another human.
He knows it’s selfish, but a part of him wants to stay just like this, with her.
Without knowing who he is.
--
Life is the sweetest when she’s sharing her canned peaches (the only thing his body cares to let him eat). Two unlikely friends, making the best of what they got, but then she starts telling him about her past.
“There used to be someone very important to me.” She said one restless night,
“He and I only ever had each other. Two peas in our own little pod.”
“We didn’t get along at first, but only because we were scared. Just the two of us, living on the street. He had the strangest way of holding things too, but I guess that was just because of his quirk.” Her eyes seemed so glassy, yet so clear. So far away, yet here all the same.
“We uh... used to huddle under the same blankets, just like this.” she slides next to him; she’s warm, yet somehow still so cold, “we even shared peaches too. He never admitted it, but they were his favorite. It’s a shame we couldn’t get them often.”
“Just us against the world...” he doesn’t like the sound her voice makes when it cracks, words turning into a strained whimper. He nudges himself closer to her hoping it’s of some comfort.
“Then some weird man came and took him away, and I never saw him since.” she sniffles and rubs at her eyes, “My Tenko.”
He goes completely stiff. He can tell she’s talking to him, but it’s drowned out by the sound of something rushing through his ears.
‘Tenko! Over here! Hurry!’ his body is so much smaller than he’s used to. He feels the pounding of his heart. It hurts. It hurts.
‘Tenko! No!! TENKO!!’ the agonized screams, and a little girl who looks a lot like her is reaching out through the fog towards him, eyes shining with desperate tears.
There’s the feeling of something grabbing him by the shirt, dragging him away. He knows he’s screaming, his throat burns with the force of his cry, but he can’t hear.
As quickly as it begins, it ends.
“Hey, are you ok?” She’s peering into his face, concern written all over hers. He gurgles, fighting with his own vocal chords.
“I-I-I’mmmm ssso-o-orrrry...” it’s gravelly and slurred, almost incomprehensible, yet she seems to know what he’d been trying to say, seeing as her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“You... you talked. You actually talked!” She seems so excited for him, but then she frowns, worried.
“‘Sorry’? What for?? There’s no need to be sorry!” she rubs his back. Warm. He feels his chest squeeze.
He wants to try to talk again, even if to just make her smile, but his throat aches far too much, so he just gurgles softly, nudging his head onto her shoulder.
He practices his speech at night when she’s asleep. Quietly, of course, as to not disturb her, but it’s frustrating. Trying to sound out words messily.
“Mmmm-my nnnnnname....” his voice gives away to a wet growl, and he wheezes out a cough, “my nnname issss... Tennnko. Ten...ko. Tenko.”
--
He’s remembered a lot more after the first memory.
Rainy nights under the bridge, hushed giggles over a can of peaches.
Hard winters when all they had were a pile of blankets and each other.
The... THING that stole him away, abandoning her.
Quiet fury burns in him, but it fizzles out soon after when he hears her mumble in her sleep. It’s inaudible, and probably complete nonsense, but he likes to think that maybe she was dreaming of the good ol’ days too.
But only the good days, he hopes. Before ‘THAT’ day.
He whispers her name, stroking her back gently when she starts to fuss. ‘A nightmare,’ he muses, watching as she quickly settles back into a peaceful dream. She has them a lot, but he likes to think that they end as soon as he soothes her.
‘You’ve suffered enough.’
Thoughts come easier now as his memories come. Things that he isn’t proud of, things that makes him wonder if she’d hate him.
He remembers becoming ‘Shigaraki Tomura’, a name he thinks of in disdain.
He much prefers Tenko now.
--
“You know, you’ve been pretty warm lately. I guess sunning yourself every day does help.” She muses out loud, and he grumbles, pleased.
“Mmmaybe.”
“Hey! No stuttering this time! You’re getting better!” She smiles at him. He grunts, leaning against her.
“Oof— hey, easy there champ. You may not eat much, but you’re still heavy compared to me.” He hears her, smirking, but opts to lay more of his weight onto her.
“Hey! Come on!” She laughs, his gurgled wheeze of a laugh only making her laugh that much harder,
He thinks he feels his chest growing lighter in moments like these, wishing desperately that he could have been left unaffected.
He knows there’s no reason to worry about the past in his current state, but he still finds himself wishing.
--
“Hey, that’s weird,” She says to him one morning, ruffling his hair, “your hair is getting darker somehow.”
She shows him in the mirror what she’s talking about, and sure enough, there it is.
A tuft of black hair poking through the sea of pastel blue.
“How funny is that.” she grins. It’s lopsided and curious, but she just muses his hair one more time before going back to her morning routine.
Overtime, he notices more and more sprout in, and she always laughs at the bewildered look he always seems to have.
--
The first time he felt his heart beat was during one of those nights when you couldn’t sleep, so you would tell him about Tenko.
“I thought it could just be the two of us forever... In the same way kids feel when they ask each other to get married when they’re older.” Her words are melancholy, but her smile is peaceful, happy.
“I wanted it to just be the two of us against the world. All we needed was each other, maybe we could have been adopted by a nice couple or something, but still inseparable.”
He doesn’t say anything or make any sounds, so she continues.
“Sometimes I wonder if maybe we could have fallen in love.” He sputters then, heart thudding once, twice, then falling still. His hand smacks over his chest in shock, and for a moment, he wondered if that’s what it felt like to be alive.
“Is that really so ridiculous??” she snorts, not really offended, but not really as happy as he would like.
He shakes his head aggressively, and she laughs. Her smile is so genuine he almost misses out on the sweet kiss on the cheek she gives him.
“Thanks for always listening to me ramble. Actually—“ she sits up, and he watches her from his spot on the floor, “thanks for staying, even though you didn’t have to.”
He puts his hand over hers wordlessly, patting it gently.
“Always.”
--
He wonders if it’s possible to die without being alive.
He hopes it is.
When he wakes up, she’s gone. Nothing more than a note left behind.
‘Need food. Be back soon.’
A simple food run shouldn’t be such a big deal, but it’s climbed to be the most dangerous thing to do over the last 10 months (Has it really been that long?) and losing her so soon after getting her back is the last thing he wants.
He goes barreling out the door just in time to hear her scream.
His heart leaps into his throat. He feels sick, but the adrenaline pumps into his veins, and suddenly he’s running.
Heart racing, sweat dripping, lungs aching. His ears ring with the sound of her scream.
He stops, stomach acid rising into his throat. He feels far too sick. He runs his hands through his hair, he doesn’t even notice the light blue strands that fall away.
He hears her scream again, closer this time. He starts running again despite his shaking legs.
He barely makes it in time to see her get surrounded. The roar he lets out is nothing less than ground shaking, and it’s certainly enough to catch the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
He doesn’t remember what happened next. Colors and sound blend together to make a symphony of tragedy.
Memories and reality all blend until they start and end with her. Her.
“Tenko, my Tenko... you’re okay.” Sound re-emerges from the depths.
Warm. Warm. Warm.
She’s in his arms; so small in comparison to him. He remembers when she was the same size as him.
And, god, she’s so warm.
“Tenko.” His eyes open to meet hers. They’re glassy, but relieved. He whispers her name like it’s a prayer.
“Who would have thought this is how we meet after all these years, huh?” Her voice is soft. He finally realizes her hair is covered in dust. Dust. His dust.
He jumps back in a panic, afraid. He hadn’t been careful with his hands, hands.
“Tenko. It’s okay! It’s okay!” she soothes and grabs his hands freely, pressing his palms to her face.
She doesn’t decay like she should.
“Remember, Tenko? We practiced.”
Yes. Practiced. You helped stabilize his quirk long before he came. Promised to keep it between the two of them.
“Yes... yes... I remember...” he mumbles, and she places her hand over his chest.
“Your heart!” He nods,
“Yeah...”
“Does that mean—“
“Yeah...” he nuzzles his face against her shoulder.
“Warm...” she laughs gently,
“Yeah... you’ve always liked warm things.”
“Mm...” he stands, picking her up in the process, walking back in the direction of the safe house.
