#{banter}

[illusionaryrambler]

Ezekiel walks through the woods, trying to make as much noise as possible while arriving to a small clearing surrounded by mushrooms. You see, he wasn’t trying to be secretive. No. If anything he wanted to be noticed.

Only the luckiest are looked at, though Ezekiel wouldn’t consider himself that in the slightest. More like a privilege to be in the presence of a helpful annoyance. He clears his throat and begins to create as much noise as humanly possible(Ezekiel was only human after all).

“OH BOY, IT WOULD SURE SUCK IF THE FAE TOOK ME!”, cried the man, banging pots and pans together in the middle of the circle of mushrooms, “A TRAGEDY! A HORRIBLE THING! AN…ATROCITY!”, Ezekiel most likely looked(and sounded) hysterical at the moment. Desperate times call for desperate measures…or so they say.

“You know,” a coy, dreamy voice announced, “you don’t have to do this every time you want to gain my attention. Though, I must say, this is quite entertaining. Better than that weird stationary object that plays moving pictures.”

Ezekiel turns around and glares, “You’ve been missing for weeks! How else was I supposed to get you to listen? Your mother has been worried sick!”

“Oh, wee lamb, I’m sorry you had to endure her lecturing. How might I repay you?”

“By giving me back my sanity,” Ezekiel huffs and mutters, “and maybe help me with my astronomy homework.”

“It amazes me how little you know about the night sky even though you stare up at it practically every night.”

“We can’t all be magical, Adonis.”

“Of course, darling,” Adonis chuckles softly, “Now, what about this homework confuses your small, human brain?”

Ezekiel rolls his eyes and hands over the sheet of paper(filled with nonsense if he had any say in it), and Adonis squints at the blasted thing before scowling,

“What in Mother Nature’s tongue is this?!”

this prompt was super fun!! these are my characters, Ezekiel and Adonis. they’re idiots but i love them. there will be torturing of them soon(because i just can’t NOT torture them a little bit).

they just fit so well with this prompt, so i just had to write a little snippet of them for this.

"OH BOY, IT WOULD SURE SUCK IF THE FAE TOOK ME!" cried the man banging pots and pans together in the middle of a mushroom circle.

[aventurineswife]

ok uhhh dr ratio with an s/o who is just as intelligent as he is

so when they have their first kiss, the reader gets so nervous that they start mumbling random facts about ancient egypt / etc. :3

Facts Between the Kisses

Summary: In the grand library of the Intelligentsia Guild, Ratio shares a rare moment of vulnerability with you, his equally brilliant partner. After hours of intense discussion, a surprising first kiss leaves you so flustered that you begin rambling about ancient Egyptian medical practices.

Tags: Ratio x Reader, Fluff, Romantic Comedy, Kiss, Nervous Reader, Banter.

The Intelligentsia Guild's library was vast, a labyrinth of shelves and tomes brimming with knowledge. Ratio sat at one of its ornate desks, the golden owl ornament on his shoulder glinting in the low lamplight. His eyes, framed by his wavy hair, scanned the pages of an ancient manuscript. A faint smirk curled his lips as he heard the approaching footsteps—light, deliberate, and unmistakable.

“Late for our discussion on temporal mechanics, are we?” he said without looking up.

You grinned, stepping into view with a stack of books tucked under your arm. “Only because I was busy proving your theorem on recursive algorithms incomplete. Again.”

Ratio’s smirk deepened. “I expected no less from you. Care to enlighten me?”

You set your books down with a soft thud and leaned forward, gesturing at one of the diagrams in his manuscript. The two of you dove into an intense debate, trading ideas and insights like dueling swords. Your conversations were always this way: sharp, challenging, and utterly exhilarating.

After hours of discourse, the library grew quieter. The steady hum of your voices faded into a companionable silence as you both sat back, basking in the afterglow of shared brilliance.

Ratio’s gaze lingered on you, his expression uncharacteristically soft. “You know, it’s rare to find someone who can keep pace with me,” he said. His tone was casual, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity that made your heart skip a beat.

You laughed nervously, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. “Well, someone has to keep you grounded. Otherwise, your ego might collapse into a singularity.”

He chuckled, a low, melodious sound that sent a shiver down your spine. “Perhaps. But you’re not just an equal—you’re… more.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. Before you could respond, Ratio leaned closer, his striking eyes locking onto yours. His confidence was palpable, but there was a hint of hesitation, as if he was stepping into uncharted territory.

“May I?” he murmured, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it.

You nodded, your breath hitching as he closed the distance. His lips brushed against yours, gentle at first, then firmer as the moment deepened. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you in that perfect, fleeting instant.

When you pulled back, your heart was racing, your thoughts a jumbled mess. Instead of saying something romantic or profound, your nerves got the better of you.

“Did you know the ancient Egyptians used honey as an antibacterial ointment?” you blurted out.

Ratio blinked, clearly caught off guard. You clapped a hand over your mouth, mortified, but the corners of his lips twitched into a grin.

“Fascinating,” he said, his tone teasing. “I assume this is your way of processing… overwhelming stimuli?”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “I can’t believe I just said that.”

He gently pried your hands away, his smile warm and uncharacteristically tender. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s endearing.”

You gave him a skeptical look, but his gaze was so earnest that you couldn’t help but relax.

“Besides,” he continued, leaning back with a smug expression, “it’s fitting that our first kiss would be followed by a discussion on ancient medical practices. I wouldn’t expect anything less… unique from you.”

You rolled your eyes, but a smile tugged at your lips. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, you adore me.” He reached for your hand, his touch sending a thrill through you. “Shall we continue our discussion? Perhaps this time, you can focus on me instead of ancient Egypt.”

Despite your embarrassment, you found yourself laughing. “Deal. But only if you can keep up.”

Ratio’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Oh, my dear, I always do.”

[lyn31]

Through His Eyes

Summary:

How you see him and/or how he see you?

AO3 link

Notes:

Pairing: Zayne x MC/Reader

College AU, fluff and short.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zayne doesn’t know when it started.

The noticing. The lingering. The way you make a home in his mind without even trying. Maybe it’s always been there, hidden beneath the years of familiarity, but lately, it’s been impossible to ignore.

It’s in the little things.

Like the time he was drowning in coursework, running on too little sleep and too much caffeine, and you—without even looking up from your own book—wordlessly slid a snack across the table to him. A quiet offering. You didn’t nag, didn’t tease, just kept reading like it was the most natural thing in the world. He stared at the snack longer than necessary before finally picking it up.

Or the day in class when he was particularly tense, thoughts pulling him in too many directions. You leaned over, playfully whispering, “If you need a distraction, I can fake a dramatic exit. Maybe trip on the way out, make it really convincing.” He huffed a laugh despite himself.

Then there was the time he forgot his scarf. It was freezing out, and before he could even comment on the cold, you were already wrapping yours around his neck. “And now who's the hopeless one?” you tease, shivering slightly. He should have told you to keep it, but the words never left his mouth.

Or the way you always notice when he’s holding in exhaustion. He never mentions it, but somehow, you just know. And without thinking, you reach up, kneading the tension out of his shoulders like it’s second nature. He should pull away—he tells himself that every time—but he never does.

He’s used to you being dramatic. He’s not used to you being soft when it matters.

Like when your hand brushed against his, absentmindedly playing with his fingers while talking about something completely unrelated. Like when you pulled him to a dessert shop after a long day, pretending it was for yourself, even though you both knew he was the one who loved sweets. Like the night you texted him at some ridiculous hour, probably not expecting him to answer—but he did. You talked until your words slurred with exhaustion, your voice growing softer until you finally fell asleep mid-sentence. He lay there for a while, listening to your steady breathing before he let himself sleep, too.

Or the time you walked past a vending machine, and without hesitation, grabbed his favorite chips—without him even asking. Just tossed them at him like it was nothing.

And then there was this moment.

You, ranting animatedly about how the Percy Jackson movies would’ve been fine as standalone films but were an insult as adaptations. Him, watching, something warm curling in his chest. He didn’t realize he was smiling until Caleb nudged him with an infuriatingly knowing look.

It’s the way you see him. The way you slip past his walls without even trying.

And it’s the way he lets you.

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Notes:

I was gonna make it like how I usually write but after a few draft this is what I ended up with! It's a cute little one 🥹 Tell me what u guys think, because I feel like I'm doing a bit experiments with this one ahaha

[nephilimeq]

Like A Kid Again

Prompt: Banter

@bucktommyfluffebruary

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62721625/chapters/162682855

Buck followed after his boyfriend, trying to figure out what had gotten into him.

With his fingers tightly gripping his, he practically dragged him further up the hill, looking as though he was going to be taking them all the way up to the crest, and Buck shook his head and attempted to pull out of his grip, saying, “Hey, I said we could have a picnic and I already did all the hiking up here, I’m not doing more of that,” and was thrilled when he escaped from his grip and moved out of reach, skipping backwards, grinning as Tommy reached out to grab at his waist, but missing by a mile.

“Ha! Nice try!” he teased, being careful of his footing, making sure that he didn’t slip on the slick grass at the same time he dodged his boyfriend’s attempts to recapture him—and then was suddenly taken aback when Tommy caught up to him and managed to get his fingers around the back of his shirt, pulling him towards him.

“Got you,” he muttered, sounding far too smug.

Buck twisted and managed to get out his grasp a second time and tried to run off a second time.

“Gotta catch me!” he shouted over his shoulder, smiling wide when he saw Tommy trying to catch up to him, for once his long legs coming in handy as he ran from him, not quite going full speed, but going just fast enough to make him work for it.

--

Tommy did his best to catch his breath as he tried to catch up to Evan, his boyfriend suddenly in a mood, and he prayed that the gazelle-legged idiot didn’t ruin his plans. The ring was in his pocket, zipped up tightly, but as it bounced against his side as he jogged after his boyfriend, he felt a flutter of nerves.

He loved Evan, that much was certain…but was it too soon?

Was it too soon to ask him to spend the rest of his life with him and wake up every morning next to the same person without ever letting him have the chance to experience anything else outside of his first queer relationship?

Wait, no. He shook his head as he picked up his speed, trying to catch up to his boyfriend, reminding himself that he was doing Evan a disservice by thinking that just because he was his first relationship with a guy that he didn’t know what he was getting himself into—hell, that had been one of the things they’d talked about when they got back together, about how he had made assumptions and made decisions for the two of them instead of talking it over with him.

Tommy’s hand caught the edge of his boyfriend’s shirt a second time, and he did his best to shove the thought to the side—

—but then Evan slipped away again, saying, “You gotta do better than that!” and he narrowed his eyes and refocused on trying to catch the thirty-four year old man who had suddenly turned into a child playing a game of tag or keep-away.

The item in question being kept? His heart.

As hokey as it was, there was something freeing in the way he chased after him over the wide expanse of grass, both of them being careful to avoid the edges where there were trees, knowing that there was a dangerous drop-off on the other side, and Tommy smirked as he realized how he could catch him and yelled, “Don’t go over the edge! I don’t have a helicopter to catch you, and our cell service is spotty, at best!” and Evan almost immediately slowed down.

…and Tommy lunged forward, thrilled when he got both of his hands around his waist.

--

“Got you,” the airman whispered into Buck’s ear, and he shivered, but at the same time tried to pull out of his grip. When he found he couldn’t, he did his best to wriggle against him in an attempt to distract him, but Tommy merely said, “Nice try, but even your perfect ass isn’t gonna distract me…”

He moved one hand and reached down and lightly slapped it.

Buck grunted.

“Ugh, babe…don’t start something you can’t finish,” he lowly said, and his boyfriend chuckled and breathed into his ear, “Who says I can’t finish?” and Buck rolled his eyes and swiftly turned around and gave him a look, no longer trying to get away from him, and said as he levelled his eyes at him, “We are in a public space, I don’t care that we are isolated in the middle of nature, I am not letting you dick me down here in the grass,” and was thrilled when that earned him a full body laugh, Tommy’s eyes crinkling up, his nose scrunching in the process, one of his favorite things to see on him.

While laughing, Tommy managed to gasp out, “Dick…dick you down? You…you thought that was…was the right…right phrase to use?” and Buck nodded, not budging one bit, moving his hand around his hip to pull him close.

“Oh, I’m sorry, what would you have me use? Laying me low? Having grassy congress? Logging my—?”

“Don’t finish that sentence. I beg of you,” he softly pleaded, his eyes wide, and Buck snorted and shook his head and got closer to him and said, “Okay, but only because you asked so nicely,” feeling the way his boyfriend’s fingers slipped into his back pocket and gently groped him.

“By the way, what’s gotten into you?” he asked the airman, curious as to his mood. “First you take over my picnic, and, you know, I was chill with that. It’s a good spot, nice and romantic, don’t think I could’ve picked a better place. Second, you start taking pictures of the food…and then third, you decided to drag me further up the hill to the very edge of what I think is reasonable. So…let me ask my question again: what’s gotten into you?”

Tommy’s expression turned soft.

“I dunno. Just…follow me, will you?”

He slowly unwound himself from him and instead gently held his head and gave him a beckoning look with his eyes, and Buck felt a flutter in his chest and he nodded, following his boyfriend up the hill, closer to the edge, putting his trust in him…

[notarealwelder]

ime "llm with citations" immensely outperforms a normal search engine in convenience

people who claim that LLMs are literally useless are kind of weird to me. like, theyre not AS useful as many companies would like you to believe. but theyre basically google! google also frequently lies! it's fine, youre an adult, you can check if things are true. maybe these people dont google information very often? im a big "googling information" enthusiast. if you dont like to google for information, im not sure what you would use LLMs for. bounce ideas off of?

[kinascorner]

In Memoriam of the 3 party member system😔, a curated selection of some of my favorite three-way dialogues.

---

100% support the devs on doing what they need to to balance gameplay, and i'm excited to try the new combat system, but I'll miss the surprise additions to chatter.

[hairmetal666]

"Is this always how they act?" Jonathan asks. He has to lean close and yell a little for Robin to hear him over the noise of the house party.

"Yup," she says.

She, Jonathan, and Argyle continue to stare at Eddie, sitting in an easy chair, Steve perched happily on his lap. Eddie has a whole bowl of bbq Lay's, and Steve will lean back for a chip, which Eddie feeds him with a smile.

"And they're definitely not dating?" Argyle asks when Steve leans back to whisper in Eddie's ear, mouth pressed close. It's deeply gratifying that they just got in from California and already they see it.

"Steve says no."

"You think he's lying?" Jonathan asks.

"I think he doesn't realize he likes Eddie yet."

Eddie tugs at Steve's hair, and Steve turns back, gives him a smile that's so intimate Robin can't stare directly at it. Instead, she turns to her friends, but Argyle is still watching Eddie and Steve. He's drumming his fingers against his chin, expression what Robin could only call mischievous.

"What are you planning?" Jonathan asks.

"Just helping some bros find true love."

Jonathan looks mildly concerned but before he can say anything, Nancy makes her appearance. And they're something, becoming something, and she cares about Eddie and Steve getting their shit together, but Nancy is smiling and she's so, so pretty. It's easy to get lost in the blue of her eyes and the sweep of her hair and forget about everything else.

---

A few hours later and they're all sitting around a coffee table in the basement, just the six of them. It's sort of funny, she thinks, how it always ends up being the six of them.

They're crossfaded already, but that hasn't stopped Eddie and Argyle from lighting another joint. Her thoughts have gone light and floaty, all that's holding her to earth the press Steve's leg and Nancy's hand against hers.

Argyle is sort of monologuing and she doesn't think any of them are paying much mind, but then he stops mid-sentence, grips Jonathan's shoulder tight enough that his knuckles go white. "Dudes. What if we played Truth or Dare?"

Nancy snorts. "Not on your life."

"I don't think I can move?" She says. She leans into Steve, sighing with contentment.

"I, for one, would love to see Buckley complete a dare," Eddie says.

She sticks her tongue out at him. "I've done plenty. Band kid, remember?"

"Ugh, curse the horny trumpeters." Eddie slumps on the coffee table in defeat.

"I'll have you know, they were very wholesome games."

Steve squints at her. "Wasn't there an orgy in someone's pool?"

She sniffs, looks away instead of answering, which makes everyone laugh.

"Speaking of sex," Argyle says. "No one catch your eye tonight, Harrington?"

"Wasn't really looking."

"That's new," Jonathan says.

Steve laughs. "I'm tired of hooking up."

He's told her that too, countless times. She thinks the real reason he hasn't dated in months is sitting right next to him, drumming his fingers on the coffee table.

"Maybe you've just lost your touch," Argyle says.

"I have not!" Steve clutches a hand over his heart. "If I wanted to, I could pull any girl upstairs."

"C'mon, my dude, no way you're that good."

"I was!" He looks to Robin, Nancy, Jonathan. "I was, back me up!"

"I don't know, Scoops wasn't your best work," she says.

"No, no, we said Scoops doesn't count! It was the hat. The outfit! I did fine after!"

"I happened to think the sailor costume was very cute," Eddie says.

"Thank you," Steve preens. He shifts away from her to lean into Eddie, who grins.

"I don't think we can trust Eddie's judgement here," Nancy says.

Steve points at her. "Yes, and I remember you being totally uninterested."

She squeaks in indignation, Robin smothering her own giggles behind her hand. "It was--it was hormones!"

"Yeah, very uninterested in me." Jonathan chimes in. There's a little second where no one reacts--the fact that Nancy was technically still with Steve when that happened ringing unspoken between them--before Nancy and Steve start to giggle.

"I've hooked up with everyone I've ever tried to," Argyle chimes in, nonchalant.

"No way," the whole group says.

"I've got the touch."

"C'mon, that literally can't be true just by like...stats," Steve says.

"Don't know what to tell you, my dude." Argyle's smile is smug. "I'm really good."

"You're just jealous," she tells him. She nudges his shoulder so he knows she's joking.

"No! Jealousy has nothing to do with it."

They erupt at that, calling out the obvious lie.

"I'm not upset!" Steve shouts over them. "I'm just saying, it didn't happen. Sorry, Argyle. You have bizzaro charm, but there's no way it has a 100% success rate."

"Sounds like jealousy to me, Stevie." Eddie cocks his head with a smirk.

"Harrington, you're so cute when you're competitive," Argyle says. "Anyway, it worked on--"

"Don't say Jonathan," Nancy, Steve, and Robin all say.

"Hey! Why not me?'

"Well, it's just--" Nancy waves her hand in the air. "You're. I mean. It's not hard."

Jonathan groans, hides his face in his hands as they laugh.

"I'll prove it to you," Argyle says to Steve. "100% success rate."

"What?"

"I'm going to seduce you."

"Oh, shit," she says.

She knows what's going to happen even before Steve puts his hands on his hips, awkwardly cause they're sitting, cocks an eyebrow, and says, "Okay."

Eddie grumbles something she can't make out, but Steve shakes his head, laughs. "Nah, it's just for fun, right?"

"Until it works." Argyle tosses his hair.

Steve rolls his eyes. "Gimme your best shot."

They rearrange around the table, Eddie and Argyle swapping places.

Everyone is quiet for a second, Steve reaches for his drink. "You got great hands, Harrington," Argyle says.

"I--oh, what?" Steve splutters. He goes a little pink, and Robin thinks it's the first time she's seen him this flustered by a compliment.

"Yeah." Argyle takes his hand, traces along his palm and knuckles. "Big. Strong. Like you could really take care of someone."

Eddie kicks the table, sending it rocking, scattering empty cups and chip bags. Steve is crimson, totally oblivious to Eddie's flailing.

"Thanks," he mumbles. He doesn't pull his hand away. Robin, everyone, is riveted.

"No one's ever told you that?"

"No. No one."

"That's too bad. It's probably all about your hair and your eyes and your body."

Steve smiles and it's one she recognizes, flirty and a little wicked. "You noticed my body?"

Argyle laughs. "Oh, c'mon, you know everyone notices that."

"Would you believe it if I told you I don't get enough compliments?"

"Not on your life."

Steve leans into him, giggles. "Well, worth a shot, right?"

"Always. You wanna know the first thing I noticed about you?"

"Ass, right?"

"It was how much you love your friends but you hide it behind a facade of disapproval. Made me think maybe you weren't used to the love you want to give being reciprocated."

They're all locked in on Argyle and Steve, but she notices Eddie flinch, move like he's about to stand, Nancy reaching out to stop him. She thinks, then, for the first time, that maybe this is mean to him. He doesn't know it's not real.

"Oh," Steve says. His voice breaks, a little, and her heart breaks for him. "I--oh."

"Your ass was the second thing I noticed," Argyle quips and the tension around the table breaks, Steve giggling.

With smooth confidence she never would have expected him to possess, Argyle cards his fingers through Steve's hair. "Just had to touch it for myself." His voice is soft.

"That all you want to touch?"

Argyle grins. "Not even a little bit."

She watches, stunned, as Steve leans in, face almost touching Argyle's. Eddie makes a noise, a pained cough, and Steve leaps to his feet.

"I can't kiss you!" He half-yells, stumbling.

"And why not?" Argyle asks. He's got a wild smile on his face.

"I'm in love with Eddie!" Steve's eyes are wide, panicked.

"I'm sorry," Steve says to him. "Eddie, I--"

But before he can get the words out, Eddie's climbing over the coffee table, sending drinks and snacks flying, the calls for him to get down ignored as he trips into Steve's arms.

"You love me?" Eddie asks.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say it before. I--got in my head about it and I--I hoped it didn't seem like I was leading you on because my words kept getting stuck, and--"

"Sweetheart." Eddie stops him. "I--" He breaks off, notices that the rest of them are raptly listening to the confession. "Do you want to go somewhere we can talk?"

They disappear upstairs, and she turns to Argyle in awe. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"What can I say, I'm a miracle worker. Are there more Doritos?"

---

Early in the morning, they're piled in Nancy's station wagon, Jonathan driving them home. She and Nancy are in the middle seat, Steve and Eddie in the back. Steve's curled against him, face pressed to his neck, hidden by a cloud of hair. She wants to ask what happened, how their conversation went, if they're official and how long Steve's known he's in love, but Nancy moves closer, head dropping to Robin's shoulder. Their fingers entwine and Robin closes her eyes, smiles.

"Tomorrow?" Nancy asks.

She nods. "Tomorrow."

[boyimjustaloserforyourlove]

Snap Snap Snap

https://www.tumblr.com/boyimjustaloserforyourlove/767338606523301888/snap-snap-snap-pt-2?source=share part two!

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED IN MY POSTS OR THE NEXT PART IN THE COMMENTS OR ANYWHERE ELSE!

me to their seminal vesicles because i wasn't raised to take shit from no man 💅🏻 also them to you in this smau✉️

my second request!!?! i hope this is to your standards. no Choso and Yuji because I can't see my babies snapping. it can't happen.

you like ? let me know! comments and reblogs and likes are appreciated and give me dopamine!

send requests, I'll probably do them all lol. i hope it is to your liking.

don't worry, both of these will be coming. your vote decides which one comes first

[nerd-elf]

I decided to take Lucanis to Kal-Sharok and it turns out it was a great choice 🤣🤣🤣

I love these two ❤️

[moonyspride]

regulus: honestly, I am so evil. So full of darkness. I feed off the souls of the living I strike fear into-

remus: you sleep with a teddybear.

regulus: he’s sECOND IN COMMAND IN MY ARMY OF DARKNESS!

[revacholthinker]

Gold & jewelry banter by and with Emmrich ✨

[pygmi-says-hi]

writing tips - banter

I LOVE BANTER WE ALL LOVE BANTER HIP HIP HOORAYYYY!!

Banter is a lovely addition to dialogue between characters. It means a lot of different things - sass, genuine insults, flirting....all sorts of options.

But overusing banter can make conversations sound circular. It's a fun 'fluffy' piece of dialogue, but doesn't do the best job conveying plot.

Pedantry vs teasing

Pedantic speech is basically nit-picking. Somebody who can't bear to let anything slide, no matter how small. This is an interesting character trait and one that adds depth, but if it's unintentional it sounds frustrating. Sassy characters are fun, especially when they go off in an inner monologue.

If a character has a quip for everything, it adds a layer of whiny-ness. Sarcasm is a fun way to tease and complain. Constant complaining gets on a reader's nerves after a while. Soon there becomes so much commentary it's hard to dissect what is actually being described.

Unless your OC has no sense of social boundaries, there's usually a break in between jokes to read the room.

How do I know when enough is enough?

Think about the character. If they have that wonderfully sardonic rapport with their peers, that's great! Why do they act like that? Is it a sense of humor? Is there a running joke? When you incorporate the banter, keep it in the confines of those parameters. It'll still enrich the conversation without overwhelming it.

It's a learning curve!!!!!

I like to do it this way:

write the dialogue as banter-y and indulgent as possible. When the scene is finished, I reread and pick out the really funny bits and discard the rest or move it to a different scene.

Sometimes those indulgent character moments help the really good stuff push to the front of your mind. Go for it! You know your story better than anybody else; if it's telling your story the way you want, that's all that matters.

[aventurineswife]

Reader meows at their partner, their partner decides to FINALLY play along and meow back. Reader gives them a judgmental look and gose "grown ass man" and then leaves them seething. (Veritas, Kaveh, Sunday, Dan heng, Kinich.)

“You're a grown-ass man”

Tags: Ratio x Reader, Kaveh x Reader, Sunday x Reader, Dan Heng x Reader, Kinich x Reader, Humor, Lighthearted Teasing, Playful Interaction, Quirky Conversations, Lighthearted Roleplay, Banter.

A/N: how dare you hurt the pookies?!😕💔

Ratio had been lost in a heap of ancient texts when you meowed at him. His eyes flickered momentarily, then returned to his notes. However, you persisted, meowing once more, tilting your head as if you were trying to catch his attention. After a moment, he set down his book, the faintest smirk curling his lips.

"You’ve got my attention now," he said with a wry grin, leaning back in his chair. "Meow."

You stared at him, eyes narrowing in silent judgment.

"You're a grown-ass man," you quipped, shaking your head with feigned disappointment. Without waiting for his response, you walked away, leaving him seething with embarrassment that even his intellect couldn't resolve.

As the silence of the room settled back in, Ratio muttered under his breath, "I’ll show you… I’ll show you all." His pride, ever so finely honed, would have to settle this matter later, but not today.

You meowed softly, half-joking and half-curious. Kaveh didn’t immediately respond, his mind clearly preoccupied with his blueprints for the next grand design. But after another insistent meow from you, he looked up, blinking in mild surprise.

"I suppose if it’s important to you…" he sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up in mock resignation. "Meow."

You gave him a judgmental glance, one that he knew all too well.

"You're a grown-ass man, Kaveh," you said, your voice light but pointed.

The words stung more than he would admit. Kaveh, ever the perfectionist, stood frozen for a moment, his mind reeling. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He watched you leave, and in that moment, the grand architect of beauty was left questioning his choices with a furrowed brow and a silent, simmering annoyance.

"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself, before returning to his work. His pride would make sure to get even somehow, even if it was just with a sarcastic retort next time.

You meowed at him from across the room, your voice light and playful, but something in it caught Sunday’s attention. His eyes softened for a moment as he processed the unexpected sound.

He blinked, and then, in a rare moment of abandoning his usual reserve, he gave you a small, reluctant smile before offering a soft, almost melodic, "Meow."

You stared at him, eyes narrowing as you crossed your arms.

"You're a grown-ass man, Sunday," you said with a raised brow.

For a second, the smile faded, replaced by a distant look as though your words had struck a deeper chord. Sunday sighed, his wings twitching in mild discomfort, though his face remained calm. His gaze followed you as you walked away, and for the first time, he felt a twinge of something more than just the usual self-reflection.

"Perhaps... I am," he murmured under his breath, lost in thought, a mix of self-awareness and a quiet amusement filling the space as you left.

Dan Heng was leaning against a railing, quietly observing the stars in the distance. He had been contemplating something far beyond the reach of your teasing when you meowed at him. At first, he thought he misheard you, but then, the second meow came, and his eyes shifted toward you in slight confusion.

"...What?" he asked, his tone uncharacteristically soft but puzzled.

You meowed again, this time with a mischievous glint in your eye. He sighed deeply, obviously not used to this playful dynamic. But after a moment of hesitation, he straightened, and with a begrudging look, he muttered, "Meow."

You stared at him, your expression unimpressed.

"You're a grown-ass man." you stated dryly, turning to leave him behind.

Dan Heng, frozen in his position, felt a sudden heat in his cheeks. He scowled at the stars, a small, bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "Unbelievable," he grumbled. A little humiliation wouldn’t be enough to break his stoic composure—but he definitely wasn’t going to let this go. Next time, he’d show you just how stoic he could be.

You meowed at Kinich, catching his attention momentarily as he glanced up from sharpening his knives. His eyes flickered, sizing you up, clearly unimpressed. His lips twitched for the briefest moment before he grunted in annoyance.

"I don’t have time for—" He paused as you meowed again, louder this time.

With a sigh, he put the knife down. "Fine," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, before deadpanning: "Meow."

You stared at him with an exaggerated look of judgment.

"You're a grown-ass man," you quipped, shaking your head.

Kinich froze. His expression soured as he watched you walk away, that slight, reluctant frustration building beneath his usually stoic demeanor. With a resigned sigh, he leaned back in his chair and muttered, "You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today."

Though it wasn’t much of a concession, it was clear to him that next time, he’d let his sarcasm loose.

[gleafer]

Another sneak peek at my Buffyverse slams fist first into the Good Omens Gaimanverse comic “Crowley’s Very Bad, No Good Day”.

Full comic lands on my Patreon/Gleafer Jan. 15th!

God I love banter. I could draw bantering all day long. Bantering banter.

Banter.

[bottom55cs]

"Thanks Osc"

"Osc?"

"Osc! It's my nickname."

[lillotte17]

Jumping on the Veilguard Banter wagon bc I'm back in the Solavellan sauce, but I can't seem to focus long enough to finish anything bigger ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

~~

“I can see the wheels turning in that big bald head of yours, Chuckles. What world-ending secrets are you pondering this time?”

“I was merely… Would I be correct in assuming that you are still in contact with former members of the Inquisition?”

“I might be. Why? Looking to liven up your days with another round of mental chess with Tiny? Not sure he’d agree to that. He’s pretty mad about the ‘ripping open the sky again’ thing, although he did think it was funny that you picked Tevinter.”

“No. Thank you. I do not think it likely that the Iron Bull and I could have any sort of conversation that did not end in violence at this point.”

“If you’d prefer, I’m sure I could get Sparkles over here to yell at you about all of this instead. He’s just as mad, but much less likely to try and bury an axe in your skull.”

“I did not ask the question in the interest of having you summon old acquaintances, Varric. I was simply…curious.”

“You can say her name, you know.”

~

“The former Inquisitor-”

“Are we really doing this?”

“…Is she well?”

“How do you think I should answer that question?”

“Honestly, if you are capable.”

“You wound me, Chuckles! I don’t deal in salacious idle gossip.”

“You wrote an entire book about her.”

“I write books about everyone.”

“Varric.”

*sighs* “Look…nothing I could say would make you feel any better. Good or bad, it is what it is. Knowing about it won’t change anything, so why does it matter?”

“She always matters.”

“Could have fooled me.”

~

“I have to ask, is what Varric wrote in his book about you true?”

“Knowing his penchant for peddling exaggerations, half-truths, and blatant falsehoods? Probably not.”

“So, you weren’t madly in love with the former Inquisitor?”

“That is… I have a deep respect for the former Inquisitor, and I am not going to discuss her personal feelings or private affairs.”

“That book has sold enough copies to rival Hard in Hightown at this point, I don’t think anything in there is private anymore. Besides, I was asking about your private affairs, not hers.”

“I am not going to discuss those, either.”

“Oh, so it is true!” *laughs*