#//also got my hands on some sweet overlay packs so i definitely used those for this

[mechahero]

let that boy make himself a funny little creature persona!

textless versions and wips below the cut bc i thought they were cute

[randombtsprincessa]

The Man in the Pink Cape || 5

Author: Randombtsprincessa

Characters: Jin (Non Idol) x Reader (2nd POV)

Chapters:  01  02  03  04

Warning: Light Smut

Jin earned more than one date.

He earned you, fair and square. The second date, which was a lot more domestic, included movies, popcorn at his dorm. That in itself was not new but the spontaneous make out session definitely was.

His fingers had dug into your hips even before you had the time to turn towards him before his mouth was on yours, hot and demanding. It had led to you throwing your arms around his broad shoulders, clutching to him as he pressed you back against the couch.

He had kept himself from completely putting all of his weight on you, but you could already feel the excitement he was feeling which only made you blush hard and pull away, both of your cheeks bright red and breaths and coming out in heavy pants.

That had been five dates before, now you felt no shame in having him walk you to classes and fetch you from them, a glorious smile on his face and a sweet kiss always ready for you.

He also introduced you formally you to the pack members of Suga’s crew.

Yoongi, Hobi, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook you already had met but you now got to meet Sarah properly who turned out to be an actually chirpy girl once the sun was at its proper place in the sky. She was the type of girl who would bond with you in the library but instead of reading, she shared her favorite quotes and memes under the small table lamp on our table, not that you minded, you loved her already.

The last person in that bunch happened to be M. She was the type of girl you know was a genius. She always had a tablet in her hand and the only time she looked up at you was when Jin had called out for her to pay attention during dinner.

“She’s like the head of the British Secret Service,” you had said, smiling slyly at her, making Jin chuckle.

“She’s my best friend. Mind you, she’s worse than that lady in Bond. If she had to shoot her best agent, she would.” He had said.

Along with Jin, you seemed to have attracted Damhongsaeg special attention. He seemed to be everywhere.

You could be walking over to get the bus if you had a special assignment and Jin couldn’t get you and you would see shadows flashing past while you could swear you saw pink and black.

The first time you brushed it off, thinking you were delusional from exhaustion but after the tenth time when you saw a figure standing well back into the trees as you dropped a drunken Eunji and exasperated Hanna to their dorms you were sure the Campus Vigilante was keeping an eye on you.

Why…well, you didn’t know, but it felt nice. It was like having a guardian angel.

Eunji and Hanna were both enthusiastic and scandalized when Jin had asked you out for the 6th date. You had no idea why until both of them showed up to your apartment, wearing huge smiles.

While Eunji immediately set to work on you, you kept protesting which was ignored. “Shut up, please, I had to go through Jiji’s lectures all morning.” Hanna said.

“Why, for what?” you asked irritated.

“Apparently, the sixth date is when the boy or the girl is supposed to make a move. Since, we’re pretty sure you won’t, she’s making you irresistible.” Hanna rolled her eyes.

The wave of embarrassment that flooded you was hard hitting and you were sure you were looking like a tomato.

Truth be told, after many more make outs in Jin’s dorm and one in his car when he’d dropped you off, had made you want to look in that direction but you weren’t sure if Jin was ready. You’d taken off his shirt once but when it came to you pulling off yours, he’d smiled and stopped you.

You had chalked it up to him being nice about it.

“Hey, you look great,” he said immediately when you showed up on his doorstep, a bottle of soju and wearing clothes a tad bit tighter. None of those things were your idea.

“Thanks,” you couldn’t help be nervous around him today, keeping a tight smile on your face when he reached out for the bottle and pulled you in for a gentle peck on the lips.

“You ok?” he asked, frowning when you pulled away quicker than you used to.

“Yes, I’m fine,” you threw him a smile as you took off his jacket. He kept a suspicious look on his face as he led you to the couch.

“So, is this a usual date?” you blurted out and immediately felt like clamping a hand on your mouth when you noticed glasses, pizza and popcorn on the coffee table and the TV on.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Were you expecting something else?”

“No…no, of course not,” you flopped down and gulped down the lump in your throat. Suddenly, you felt silly, like Eunji and Hanna had messed with you. Clearly Jin wasn’t like average guys and you felt dumb for thinking he would pull a move on you without talking to you first.

He took a moment to sit next to you, pulling off two slices of pizza and handing one to you as he pressed play to the comedy he had picked out.

You couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.

Yes, he kissed you, yes, he was your boyfriend and yes, he made out with you with no control over his passion but yet, weren’t you good enough or desirable enough to bed? What was wrong with you?

You peeked a little at him to see him leaning back, chewing, clearly oblivious to your inner turmoil.

He finally felt your gaze on his face and turned to you, his face scrunching in concern.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nothing,” you said, horrified to hear that your voice shook. It actually shook. You were upset because a man didn’t seem to want to sleep with you. What was wrong with you?

You instead directed anger towards your irrational best friends and got up from the sofa, fully intending to rattle some sense into them. “I’m not feeling so good, I should go.” You hurriedly picked up your bag and began walking towards the door.

“Hey! Y/N, tell me, what’s wrong?” He was in front of you so fast you had to stumble back, gaping at him as you turned to look at the sofa and back at him. How did he move so fast?

“Tell me,” his voice deepened and he took a step closer to you, inches from your face.

He was back to intent Soekjin, no longer the sweet Jin who had been chewing pizza beside you.

This only made you want him more…

You threw yourself at him, crashing your lips to his, making him fall back in surprise before he caught you, gently pulling away and looking at you in shock.

“Is that what’s been bothering you?” he gasped.

“What?” you asked confused.

“You don’t think I want you? That’s what this is about?” he was getting upset. You could tell from the tightened grip on your shoulders, his furrowed brows and his voice.

“It’s not that.” You quickly said but he was already pressing his mouth to yours again, cutting you off harshly.

Your arms wrapped around his shoulders and he pulled away once again to glare at you.

“Of course I want you. I’ve wanted to get my hands on you ever since I saw you in that damned dress at Suga’s party. Jesus, you little idiot,” He gritted his teeth before his look softened. “I want you, I want you now as well but I wasn’t sure if you were ready. If we were ready,” He whispered pulling you to him so he could press his forehead to yours. “Jin,” You whispered your voice decidedly low and husky. He opened his eyes to look at you, seeing the decision in your eyes.

“Are you sure?” he whispered.

You nodded and his resolve strengthened.

Mouths pressing together again, he lifted you up, wrapping your legs around his swimmer’s waist as he carried you to his bedroom. He kept the lights off, allowing the small streak of silver moonlight to be the only illumination needed as he dropped you gently on the bed. You tried backing up, so you could get up higher on the bed but he gripped your ankle, pulling off your socks and dropping them off before allowing you to scoot upwards.

He watched you for a second before reaching down to the hem of his own sweater, neatly pulling it off of himself and throwing it to the side. The moonlight did an amazing job of highlighting his sculpted torso. A firm line of chest, shoulders huge and just begging for you sink your nails and teeth in, flowing up into the long neck. He was a god, you thought, feeling smaller and belittled by his beauty.

He moved away to a chest of drawers, opening the third and retrieving something. Was it…oh god, had he been waiting for this? Why hadn’t he made a move for so long?

He came back to the end of the bed and silently dropped the silver packet next to you.

“Only if you’re ready,” he promised but you were already reaching for him, desperate now to feel his body on top of yours.

You dug your fingers into his shoulders and pulled him to you, moving your lips against his throat, trying to come off as enticing. You probably tickled him because he backed off with a chuckle, grabbing your wrist as he placed a knee on the bed.

“Be nice, Jagi,” he whispered and pressed you down before finally putting his weight on top of you, hot and just perfect. Your lips met in a fiery kiss, a low groan escaping you to be swallowed by him when he placed his hips over you in a way that made you feel exactly how much he wanted you.

“Let’s take this off you,” he muttered, reaching down to flick at the edge of your slinky black top and slipping your arms out of the fancy clasps. He had to struggle a bit with the butterfly knot at the back of the halter overlay which made you curse Eunji for going overboard. This would’ve been easier if you’d just worn a shirt.

He finally pulled you free before wincing at the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra.

You flushed to your roots when you remembered that conversation.

“I am not going braless.” You said and Eunji frowned at you.

“You can’t wear a bra with this. You don’t have the right one and I didn’t bring mine. Besides you might get shy and not let the man take it off you!” She hissed making both you and Hanna cringe.

You dimly wondered how Duri would take this.

“I just can’t,” you whined before she crossed her arms.

“He’s your boyfriend. You’re serious about him. You have to let him see your assets sometime.” She said.

“Eunji, please, I don’t have enough sugar in my body for this conversation!” Hanna cried out.

“Me too, I need alcohol if I need to do this.” You muttered and her eyes lit up immediately. That’s how the bottle of Soju came into play.

Jin cursed lightly to himself as he reached out and pushed you back against the pillows, his eyes fixed on your exposed chest. His eyes darted up to yours as his hands gently brushed down your side, leaving Goosebumps against your too hot skin.

“Baby…you’re beautiful.” He murmured and leaned down to brush his lips against yours once before moving down to plant gently kisses against the side of your neck as he travelled down to the skin he had bared to his hungry eyes.

You whimpered when he finally swirled his tongue around the bud, making you buck up from the cool sensation as the night air hit you before he mouth engulfed the flesh, sucking and soothing each nibble with his now warm tongue.

His fingers went to the waistband of the black jeans; Eunji had mercifully allowed you to keep, playing with the button before undoing it, his mouth still working on you as he kept his eyes on your face, watching every expression minutely.

When no resistance came from you he pulled back, undoing his own pants and pulling them down along with his boxers, revealing himself to you. You pulled up to your elbows, watching him grip himself, his breaths now coming out as pants as you saw the almost painful looking hard on, or for you the first ever hard on.

He stroked himself, once, twice before his eyes lifted up to you. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” he asked.

Your eyes widened, your legs drawing closer out of sheer instinct. You couldn’t help but be shy now. Could he feel your inexperience? “Don’t hide from me,” he put his hands on your knee, gently pushing them apart again. “I need to know this.”

You gave him a scared, quick nod.

In reply he gave you a magnificent grin, the first for the night as he hooked his thumb and forefinger under your jeans and pulled them off you easily, his eyes falling on the black lace that covered you.

He let out a low hiss. “You were planning this, weren’t you, baby? You went all the way, I should’ve noticed. I haven’t paid attention to your properly tonight.” His eyes were pure black now, dilated from lust as he ran a finger down your slit over the cloth, it tightened when it reached the hem and soon the pretty little thing that Eunji had very carefully and thoughtfully picked out for you joined the pile of clothes on his floor. He smirked at the sight.

“I’m just going to have to make it up you now.”

With that his head sunk into your heat and your eyes closed, plying you for the ecstasy Jin would have your way to ‘make up’ for his inattention.

When you woke up, your body felt sore, like you’d run a long marathon but it was a nice sore. You could feel a heavy arm draped over your waist, your head resting on the crook of Jin’s elbow as he slept on.

A low blush lit up your cheek, thinking of last night as every thrust, every moan and grunt and the mind blowing climax made you snuggle closer to your boyfriend. Jesus, you loved him.

You froze for a second. You loved him. God, you loved him. Without a thought of your parents, your life ahead, you had fallen head over heels for this boy and you had not a shred of regret for it.

Your movement made him whine in protest, his arms loosening around you to allow you free movement but he nuzzled his head into your hair, falling asleep again. You giggled softly, placing a soft kiss on his temple and sitting up to see where your clothes had gone last night. It didn’t matter it they’d been yours but you had to return that damned top to Eunji.

Jin had been careful, he’d put all of your clothes in one single pile at the foot of his bed, so you glanced at him with an amused grin. Jin’s beautiful skin, you saw was unmarked, as you still hadn’t been able to bring yourself to actually suck and leave bites on his skin but he hadn’t been as generous. Small pink marks dotted your shoulder, they would fade with the day, you hoped.

You slid over slightly and got out of the bed, pressing your lips together to withhold the wince of pain from your core. You went over to the pile, kicking it over lightly but you didn’t want to wear the sweater from last night. It was heavy and you were already hot from last night. Instead you went over to the clothes he’d haphazardly left over his desk chair and pulled out a much lighter, blue shirt, the type which had pockets all over its front.

Even as you pulled it over your head, you felt the leather flop down on your head and you immediately jumped away from the foreign sensation, swatting your head to make it fall off you.

When you saw what it was, you froze.

It was black, leather with cut outs for eyes and long spikes running over to cover the rest of the face. It was a mask you had the vague recollection of from the night you were almost assaulted. It was Damhongsaeg mask.

“Baby, what are you doing?” you jumped again, whirling around to see Jin sitting up, his sheets pooling around his waist, a groggy expression on his face as he squinted at you.

“Nothing, I just…” you began when his eyes fell to the floor, right on the mask. His eyes popped open wide, all signs of sleep vanishing. “Y/N, don’t touch that!” He almost tripped over his feet as he tried to get up, but he stood up straight again, holding the sheets to cover himself as he snatched the mask off the floor, tossing it on the desk.

“You’re…you’re…the,” you stuttered.

He made a face at you before laughing, “No, I’m not the vigilante, Y/N. That’s a replica I had Jimin make for Jung kook’s birthday.” He said.

“What…? Why would you give that to him as a gift?” you asked, curious.

“Because he’s a weird kid, who cares, anyways…I’m hoping this stupid obsession dies before his birthday so I can just give him a normal gift, but no…this is what he told Hoseok he wants.”

“What does he want to do with it? What if someone blames him for being the vigilante?” you asked.

He shook his head. “No, he has an alibi for all the show ups I think. Like I said, he’s a weird kid. Now, I was thinking we could have breakfast; a shower to get you to cool off then we can go for a drive…? Or if you want, we can stay in, order take out for lunch and maybe go for a few more rounds?” he smiled cheekily at you, snaking one hand around your waist and pulling you to his chest, chasing away all thoughts of the masked hero from your mind.

[sheplaysthegames]

20 Questions for Simmers

1.) Favorite Sims Game

While I have played and loved every version of The Sims, I think my absolute favorite was The Sims 2. It was the one I couldn’t put down! The little details and humor are what really stand out when I look back, and I don’t remember having any real problems with it either since the game itself was pretty solidly developed and bugs tended to be squashed quickly. Overall, I was never bored playing The Sims 2 and I still occasionally boot it up just to reminisce.

2.) Yourself in 3 Traits

Ambitious, dog lover, neat

3.) CC or No CC

I play with a small amount of CC. Everything I download is Maxis-match, and I pull pieces out whenever we get new official content that I can use instead.

4.) Preferred Part of the Game

I really like each part of the game and try to spend my time evenly among them. Lately I’ve been building and messing around in CAS more than actually playing though. Oops!

5.) Favorite Expansion Pack

In The Sims, my favorite EP was Makin’ Magic. I was so young when I played that I thought I was incredibly clever for figuring out the pattern to the spells in the dueling arena so that I’d win every time. And I had a lot of fun creating one of each type of potion and then trying them out on the poor, unsuspecting townies!

In The Sims 2, my favorite EP was Bon Voyage. I spent so much time completing every single vacation memento! Some of them were really hard to figure out too, so finishing the collection was really rewarding to me. All three of the destinations were equally fun to explore with their local dances, gestures, foods, and massages. I could really feel the difference between visiting Takemizu Village, Twikki Island, and Three Lakes.

In The Sims 3, my favorite EP was Ambitions. The firefighter career and the new inventing skill were the real highlights to me. I spent weeks creating a Simbot without cheating, and firefighting was a really exciting change from the standard rabbithole careers. Another neat feature was the ability to sculpt statues of Sims. Never-melting ice sculptures looked great in mansions, and of course stone sculptures made great monuments to ‘famous’ Sims in town.

In The Sims 4, my favorite EP (so far) is Seasons. The weather effects are beautiful, the raincoats and rainboots and umbrellas are adorable, kiddie pools are the greatest item ever created, and temperature is just such a vital addition that it's finally starting to feel like a full game for me! Seasons and weather in general also function differently in each world, which is perfect. I didn’t want snow in Oasis Springs, and Brindleton Bay desperately needed fog and rain to feel complete.

6.) Favorite Game Pack

In The Sims 4, my favorite GP (so far) is Vampires. I never really liked this life state before, but this time around they’re fantastic! The abilities help differentiate each vampire from one another, and I love that they don’t have to ask permission nicely before biting a Sim. The sticker cracks and spider webs are also something I’d been wanting to help make places seem less perfect. Overall, the life state seems so detailed and sets a much higher bar for future life states. I don’t even mind paying for each individually if they’re this well-done.

7.) Favorite Stuff Pack

In The Sims 2, my favorite SP was H&M Fashion. Honestly, I just really loved all the new clothing that kept my Sims from constantly matching each other. And building a clothing store with all the cool retail items that came with it was a lot of fun too!

In The Sims 3, my favorite SP was Town Life. The rabbitholes were more modern and added some variety since most of the others were the same building with slightly different colors. I had a lot of fun remodeling my more modern worlds with them.

In The Sims 4, my favorite SP (so far) is Laundry Day. I’m a sucker for realism elements so adding another menial chore for my Sims makes me happy. The laundry system is surprisingly complex, the furniture filled in a lacking farmhouse style I felt was missing from the game, and stackable machines look perfect in apartments. The clothing and hairstyles were also very well-done and I have to actively try not to overuse them on all my Sims.

8.) Least Favorite Expansion Pack

In The Sims, my least favorite EP was House Party. It felt like the smallest addition we were given, and parties weren’t enough for me to explore more than a handful of times before I got bored. As soon as the next EP came out, I moved on to the new content and I don’t think I ever threw another party again.

In The Sims 2, my least favorite EP was Nightlife. It wasn’t bad at all, it was just the one I used the least. My personal gameplay style at the time was incredibly family-oriented and you just don’t take your kids to clubs. I only ever went to the new Downtown subhood for first dates and a few marriage proposals since the date interactions were pretty cute.

In The Sims 3, my least favorite EP was Showtime. I don’t think I ever really played with anything from it. The ‘optional’ online connection where you would send your Sims to someone else’s game to perform really made me mad since some of the items you paid for were locked away behind it and I had no desire to participate. And the whole in-game news feed and achievement system were horrible and really caused problems. The venues were also super glitchy so even when I did give the new active careers a go, trying to complete a performance was almost impossible. Overall, the whole thing felt like more trouble than it was worth.

In The Sims 4, my least favorite EP (so far) is Get to Work. I think my expectations were just too high going into it. The active careers are okay, but none of them make me actually want to follow my Sims to work past the first few days because they get highly repetitive and there’s no real risk associated with them. The retail system also seems a bit lacking. There are very few retail items to use when building a store, although I do have to mention that the clothing mannequins are pretty cool. And actually running it is too easy since you can just instantly restock the items even if they’re unique things that you’ve made your Sims create.

9.) Least Favorite Game Pack

In The Sims 4, my least favorite GP (so far) is Spa Day. It’s not nearly as immersive as the others. There isn’t much to do outside of getting a massage or doing yoga, and both are kind of boring to do repeatedly over and over. It doesn’t expand on the gameplay nearly enough to be categorized as a GP in my opinion; I’d demote it to SP.

10.) Least Favorite Stuff Pack

In The Sims 2, my least favorite SP was Glamour Life. It added the least versatile stuff. Most of my Sims weren’t swimming in cash, so the items, particularly the clothing, were rarely used since they’d look and feel out of place. 

In The Sims 3, my least favorite SP was Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats. I didn’t even buy it and I have no idea why anyone did. The objects were all horrible and cheesy. There was literally nothing good about it. At all. Ever.

In The Sims 4, my least favorite SP (so far) is My First Pet. No matter how many times they deny it, it’s a massive money grab. The furniture set literally completes what they left incomplete in Cats & Dogs! The clothing is for the most part just recolors of what we already have! And to top it all off, there’s just one new critter. They claim four, but it’s the same thing with a different skin overlay. I am perfectly fine with some items in a pack being dependent on owning previous packs so that they can continue to expand on past content. But to release this immediately after the associated EP and for it to pretty much be the rest of the items that we were missing from said EP...certainly seems like they withheld content just to wring an extra $10 from their players. Especially since it wasn’t even mentioned in their quarterly teaser. Haven’t bought it, and will not until it’s on sale.

11.) Custom or EA / Maxis Sims

EA / Maxis Sims are the best! I adore the premades and their unique, weird stories. My favorite thing to do is make them over and put an interesting spin on their storylines while still keeping them recognizable.

12.) Households or Single Sims

Definitely households. I prefer organized chaos with lots of things going on at once! There just isn’t enough to do when there’s only one Sim.

13.)  Free Will On or Off

Free will is always firmly set to off in my game. I’m a dictator when it comes to my Sims and I make no apologies for that.

14.)  Favorite Life Stage

Toddlers. They’re just so darn cute! The expanded skill building this time around is really cool since they actually learn in discernible stages instead of all at once, and I’m still not over their ability to go up and down stairs all on their own. The little mess-makers also have some of the cutest interactions with other Sims and their environment.

15.)  Favorite Life State

Aliens. The first time I ever had a Sim abducted was in The Sims 2, and it terrified me because I had no idea what was going on and didn’t know if he was ever going to come back. Then he was finally returned and popped out an alien baby! It was just so surprising and ever since I’ve had a particular fondness for extraterrestrials.

16.) Favorite Skill

Cooking is probably my favorite skill to build. Something about getting to see what those difficult dishes look like is just fun to me. Since The Sims 4 actually includes 3 separate skills for cooking, gourmet, and baking skills I’ve been having a blast discovering all the new recipes!

17.) Ever Completed a Legacy

Only once, way back in The Sims 2. It lasted a grand total of 16 generations before I wound up making the move to The Sims 3. I’ve tried numerous times since then, but The Sims 3 was too buggy to play a single file that long and The Sims 4 is still missing a couple of key features that I’d like to have before trying again.

18.) Longest Simming Session

When I had more free time (and was significantly younger), I happily confess to wasting away a full weekend playing The Sims 2. These days I’m lucky to get a couple hours a week here and there. Ah the joys of growing up!

19.) Personal Sims Wishlist

There are a few things I’m still really missing for The Sims 4. I’m hoping universities and witches are making a comeback soon as they’re crucial to my planned storylines. Fairies, werewolves, and a beach vacation world would also be wonderful to have but they’re less important to me.

20.) Unpopular Opinion

I don’t miss the open world system from The Sims 3 at all. I’m perfectly happy trading it for every world to be connected. Every save file is a megahood and I find that preferable to a single, completely open world. I also think that it makes the game more stable for everyone, especially lower-end computers. The loading screens are worth it!

[ruffsficstuffplace]

The Keeper of the Grove (Part 47)

A small army of workers and pack-animals trooped in to Keeper's Hollow the morning after they pawned Eluna, coming in through a mix of the Tubes and making their way through the water on boats powered by motors, with giant turtles hauling in materials and equipment.

It was fascinating watching them work, in-between Weiss tending to her new crops of sugar beets and wheat, and her budding cacao tree orchard.

The new sprinkler system was like the Tubes, a system of vines grown in deliberate paths and connected by wood and stone anchors,  and the larger equipment like the mill used live trees for foundation, the rest of them made with the raw materials Weiss had been stockpiling from the overgrowth, or gathered from the remaining wilderness.

They didn't tear down the mossy and partially rotten walls of the old barn, but instead had the weavers place their hands on them, pulsing magic into the wood and reversing the aging process right before Weiss' eyes. They even adapted most of the plant-life growing in and around it as decoration; part of the piping for indoor plumbing, power, and natural gas; or a potential source of food or other amenities for the animals they were planning to house in there, once they found tenders willing to take most of their wages in food and lodging.

Even the tree growing through the roof wasn't cut down; they just patched up the breach to keep the elements out, hacked off some of the unrulier branches, and rebuilt the interior of the barn around it.

<Foundation for house,> the foreman had explained to her, after she gave them water and some snacks for their break.

The final touch was restoring the old transport system between the barn and the house, another boat suspended in the air, at where the water level could reach during the Flood. After a couple of safety tests to ensure that the makers had completely repaired or replaced the hinges that had broken off some years back, Ruby and Weiss took the maiden voyage.

They sat on opposite ends, listening to the cranking of the motors as it pulled them across, peering over the edge and waving at the cheering construction crew, looking at the fast-disappearing overgrowth and the small but thriving farm that had gone on to replace it.

Weiss sighed happily as she turned back to Ruby. “We've come a long way from those sweet potatoes, haven't we?”

“Yep!” Ruby chirped. She playfully pointed her horns at Weiss. “And it's all thanks to you!”

Weiss blushed. “Oh please, we both know I wouldn't have even thought of gardening if it wasn't for you...”

<Just kiss her already!> one of the makers yelled, before the rest joined them, howling, cheering, and making playful gestures.

Weiss glared at them, before she quickly sunk below the level of the boat's sides.

Ruby leaned out. <WE'RE NOT--> she made a very loud sexy animal noise <--YOU GUYS!>

There was laughter, confusion, and some sighs of disappointment as Shinies changed hands.

The boat stopped at a deck on the barn's second floor. Ruby stepped out first, grabbed Weiss hand and helped her out. The boat shook a little, leading Weiss to step farther than she intended and end up MUCH closer to Ruby, just one or two inches of distance between them.

They stared at each other, cheeks taking on a light dusting of pink.

“… I… better get started on making Qrow's booze!” Weiss said quickly.

“And I better get ready for the hunts again!” Ruby said as she jumped off the platform, landing softly on the grass below. “See you later, Weiss!” she called out as she ran back to the house.

“See you later, Ruby!” Weiss replied, before she hurried headed inside, and to her new laboratory/kitchen.

With instructions from the Codex and Penny on-hand for documentation and in case something went horribly wrong, Weiss had her first batches of sore-stiff ointment, moonshine, and cheese on the burners, bacteria cultures hyper-accelerating the process to give her what usually took months in the span of a few days.

She hung up her apron with pride, washing her hands, and heading off for a much deserved snack break before it was back to practicing her Actaeon and learning more about Fae society—fittingly, the day's lesson were about Talos, the progenitor for the Order of the Makers, and one of the most prolific engineers, scientists, artisans, and many more professions of the “Ekindling Era” beside.

“Where have I heard that name before?” Weiss asked as they walked back to the house.

“Probably from one of the more popular Fae epithets,” Penny explained. “'Talos Stinky Beard' is the one of the top ten.”

“Why his 'stinky beard' of all things?”

“Talos was a goat Fae, and extremely proud of his beard which he liked to grow long and wear in braids, and meticulously groomed every morning and night. Whenever an experiment or an endeavour went horribly wrong, or in an entirely unexpected and oftentimes unpleasant direction, for some bizarre reason, his beard would always be stained or marred in some way, the most frequent being afflicted with a difficult to remove smell.

“On a related note, he has another popular epithet frequently used as part of prayers to him: 'Talos Help Us All.' This one was because Talos was also oftentimes called in to assist or reverse the damage done by other Makers less skilled than he, also victims of unexpected outcomes, or both.”

“Well 'Talos Help Us All,' then,” Weiss said.

Penny frowned.

Weiss stopped. “… What?”

“I forgot to mention!: that particular epithet and its related prayers are only ever used AFTER something has gone wrong. In Fae superstition, saying it BEFORE anything unfortunate has happened will allegedly cause something to go wrong, as Talos was also well-known for his short temper and dislike of others calling for him, largely because it entailed him having to fix yet another disaster or mitigate unforeseen consequences.”

Weiss frowned. “… How bad are we talking about, exactly?” she asked.

Penny smiled. “Just repeat after me: 'Gabija Have Mercy On Us All,'”

“Gabija Have Mercy On Us All,” Weiss said.

As Penny climbed up to get the elevator, Weiss made a note to herself to not call upon any more divine powers until she knew everything there was about them.

It started with her moonshine.

Though for full flavour and maximum potency, it needed to ferment for a week or more, ethanol was already present within the first 24 hours, and since that was all Qrow really needed, he, Weiss, and Penny were at the laboratory doing the first taste test.

All of them cringed as Weiss poured some into a shot glass, as the moonshine had developed an incredibly powerful, acrid aroma. “Man, they weren't kidding when they said this brewer's bacteria was powerful stuff,” she said as she pinched her nostrils then handed it over to Penny for scanning.

“We Fae have neo-steel guts compared to you humans,” Qrow explained. “It takes a LOT more to get us fucked up.”

Penny made a beeping noise. “Analysis complete! Qrow, I would HIGHLY suggest that you don't drink this, I've detected worryingly high levels of ethanol...”

“It's moonshine, Penny,” Qrow said as he plucked the shot glass out of her hand. “It's meant to be that way.” He raised it in the air. “Bottom's up!” he said, before he knocked it back in one gulp.

“Well?” Weiss asked.

Qrow came to in a hospital bed.

<UNCLE QROW!> Ruby cried, jumping on his bed, and nearly smashing her horns into his head as she hugged him. <I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE NOT DEAD!>

<Fuck me! What happened?!> he asked.

Ruby pulled away. <You mean you don't remember?>

<Last thing I'm getting from my chronicle is me drinking some of Weiss' moonshine, thinking 'Huh, not bad, kinda sweet, but I could see myself drinking this soon as it's got some time to age,' and then POW! Nothing!

<Did the makers launch another rocket, and it happened to punch through the roof and land on me?>

<Actually, you died of alcohol poisoning,> Penny said as she came over. <Fortunately, my mender protocols include detoxification and revival of patients, so long as brain activity had only recently ceased.>

Qrow's eyes widened. <Holy fucking shit… Weiss' booze was that strong...?>

Penny nodded. <The makers currently have it in secure storage, until they find someone brave-stupid enough to want to do serious study of it.>

Qrow laid back on his bed. <How long was I out?>

<6 hours and 37 minutes, including the five minutes that you were brain-dead,> Penny replied.

Qrow closed his eyes. <Someone fill me in on what the hell happened in the meanwhile, before the Council gives me crap about it...>

Penny put her hand to the chronicle-governor on the back of Qrow's neck, and did.

The footage was from Penny's optic sensors, with an overlay of her many scanners' readouts, a scrolling ticker of her inner thoughts, and her “To Do” list in the upper right corner. The latest item was <Keep Qrow from Dying.>

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…!” Weiss whispered over and over again as she stood over her and Qrow. “Is he dead?! Did I kill him?!”

“No,” Penny replied as she held her glowing hands over Qrow's unconscious body, “he's just suffering from severe alcohol poisoning, he's not yet--”

Qrow's vitals readings flat-lined.

“--And now he's dead.”

Weiss wailed in despair. “Ruby's going to kill me!”

“Initiating revival protocols!” Penny said as her hands began to glow with immense power. “And Ruby won't take violent retribution on you, knowing this was an accident; however, she will definitely be permanently traumatized, and also likely fall into a serious depression.”

“THAT'S EVEN WORSE!”

Qrow fast-forwarded the footage. Penny revived him, stabilized him, and proceeded to siphon all the alcohol from his system. Unfortunately, there was no closing his eyes for the inevitably messy aftermath of that last part.

The emergency menders were called in, and Qrow was hauled off to the hospital for recovery. Penny spent a good while consoling a distraught Weiss, and he put it back to normal speed as after she recovered and they were back in front of the still, looking at it like it had grown fangs and legs.

“Is Fae alcohol always this powerful...?” Weiss asked.

“No, which is what worries me,” Penny replied. “There's no reason for any of the ingredients or the processes used to end with a product this potent, especially this early in the fermentation stage. The only way they could achieve this is with a catalyst.”

“Like what?”

Penny shrugged. “I don't know. I suggest we call the Maker's Forge—they're going to want to study this. And more importantly, we might need someone with the skill and equipment to safely dispose of it...”

Weiss warily looked at the other two containers of fermenting products.

“Don't worry!” Penny said. “Sore-stiff ointment and white cheese are not nearly as volatile as moonshine is!”

Qrow fast-forwarded again through their attempting to recreate the wort they had used for the moonshine, until Ren and Nora arrived at Keeper's Hollow.

“You two work as safety inspectors, too?” Weiss asked as she met them at the doors of the barn.

“Yes,” Ren replied. “It's cheaper and easier, considering we're already combat-trained watchers.”

“You need combat-training for this job?” Weiss replied.

“Yep!” Nora replied as she walked in, her hammer over her shoulder. “Never know WHAT might come out of a flunky science experiment, here in the Valley.”

Weiss was silent as the two went up and began to test her moonshine.

The results were not encouraging, with the alcohol levels still strangely, dangerously high, and requiring extreme dilution in water until it was reasonably safe to drink.

“There's only one more test to see if we're going to need to bar you from making more until you get a license,” Ren said.

“What's that?” Weiss asked.

“The Fury Potato Test!” Nora cried, pulling out a canister from her back-pocket.

“It's when we see if your alcohol could potentially be used as an explosive,” Ren explained.

Qrow fast-forwarded over the preparations, and resumed when they were standing at a remote, uninhabited corner of Keeper's Hollow, on a bank facing out to the water.

Nora loaded the canister full of moonshine into her hammer. “FURY POTATO!” she cried as she swung.

Thoom.

They all watched it sail off into the distance, and into the water.

Plop.

They waited a few seconds.

Nothing.

“Welp, that answers that!” Nora said, putting her hammer down and leaning on it.

BOOM.

Quite a lot of clouds of debris, exploded plant matter, and dead fish and frogs began to float up to the surface.

“… Nope, spoke too soon!” she said.

“Yeah...” Ren muttered, “we're going to have to confiscate all your moonshine and your still, until we're certain you won't accidentally blow Keeper's Hollow sky high.”

“What exactly did you do to make it, anyway?” Nora said.

Weiss walked them through the process, and at the end, added, “I also kind of said 'Talos Help Us All' just after I put them away for aging...”

Nora and Ren's eyes widened.

“… I didn't know you weren't supposed to say it then.”

“What's inside the other containers, and when are they going to be done fermenting?” Ren asked.

“Sore-stiff ointment and white cheese, and a little before two tomorrow afternoon.”

“Call us when you open them,” Ren said as he made a note of it in his tablet. “Ideally, when Ruby and Blake are with us.”

“Tell them to come armed!” Nora added.

“Is invoking Talos when you shouldn't really that bad?” Weiss asked.

Ren put his hand on her shoulder. “Let's just put it this way: pray to whatever other deities you believe in, except for him.”