#Hey sorry I never continued our rp

[memeapple2]

Tails gets trolled rp starters part 1

yeah 😔 yes I'm leaving in the typos beacuse it's funnier that way :^) Fight me nerds!!

"Fuck you trolls!"

"They can't troll you if their dead!"

"I'm so mad, I'm gonna have sex with my girlfriend so I won't be so mad."

"Dumbass will learn."

"Mad? U Mad? U look mad U stupid bitch!"

"sorry *insert name* if this looks gay to the viewers."

"the art of trolling was actually started from humans but it wasn't called trolling it was called being a dick but back in the middle ages i was being made fun of because i wasn't human."

"im extremely hurt you would think im a douche. it might not look like it but i have feelings and you hurt them."

"hey can you put that on a coaster?"

"They have been getting trolled. you know how it is. there calling *insert name* gay and shit they cant take it."

"the way to stop a troll. is to become his friend .as his friend you can show him the right path!"

*-goes back to knitting-*

"come i will talk to these kids and stop this hate with kindness!"

"sometimes there is need to do whats needed, if it was up to me *insert name* would be dead and we would never have to worry"

"im not gay I have a girl friend and i would like it if this conflict to end in peace"

"you must not know who i am. i have alot of talent and i have lots of friends. one of my friends is right beside me . and for what your saying isn't true, so i am not afended by your hateful comments"

"ehhh...... im gonna ignore what you just said and ask you one more time. lets end this hate and become friends"

"why don't we just be friends this is stupid"

"ok im gonna take a random guess and say you guys failed with that peace crap"

"i fucking knew it"

"hello dickheads so your the trolls i heard about"

"hey do you see that? it looks like a group of pokemon.coming at us"

"for a em→→breaded donkey i can sure fuck your mom hard."

"there isn't. you remember what happen when you guys tried peace? you cant talk to them. there to oblivious"

"yea remind me next time to not kill such a fat person"

"high shovel!"

"ok i'm gonna go back to sleep now good night."

"banana"

"don't worry man I killed the fat one. its all cool man. i know all about the taste for blood"

"thank you for proving that peace isn't shit. when it comes to trolls. your a good friend"

" *insert name* Wake up! you fucked up big time!"

"People can't troll me beacuse I have no ears. They can't troll me if I can't hear them!"

"What? I don't have fucking ears!"

"If you don't mind I'd like to continue knitting this!"

"did you know with seat belts people die all the time in car crashes? I thought that was interesting!"

"have you ever been bitch slapped from lack of listening? Lack of doing what you're told? Beacuse I'm not that far from slapping you."

"which means I can be super powerful and kick everyone's ass..I'm gonna be awesomely badass!"

"trust me this plan will be better beacuse I'm gonna smoke my smart weed! I'm smarter when I'm high."

"Why are you filled with so much hatred and aggression? I'm finding it difficult to assume what you must have went through to mold you into the person standing in front of me now."

"Hey troll! FUCK YOU!!!"

"hmmmm this isn't as i thought it would be, killing people is really boring and all these annoying screams, i mean damn."

"Yeah that wasn't very good. I tried to do something similar to high shovel. Let's just forget about this."

"there is no need for any blood shed, this problem can be solved with out any villains"

"I do all kinds of stupid and gay shit."

"I’m starting to think that even if we pray our hearts out and know that we do wrong, that maybe there are things that god can’t fix and maybe, instead of putting our hope in god to fix all our problems we take action for our mistakes and learn from them."

"Sorry it took us so long to save you from TIME PRISON. So what did you do in TIME PRISON?"

"You gotta calm down bro, chill man, smoke a joint!"

"After 50 years I started to feel like I was losing my sanity so I started to break my fingers and I would just break my fingers and set them again. "

" I started breaking all my bones. I broke every bone in my hands. I broke my arms, separately, and then I started to break my own ribs. I broke my femurs, it took a while. And then I healed and broke them again."

"After 5000 years my bones were all scar tissue. They had all grown so solidly back together that I was unable to move. "

"And after another 5000 years of furious infinitesimal movement, I built up enough muscle mass to spontaneously break any bone in my body, and then I could move again. "

"My body had done so much healing that I healed almost instantly. That’s all I do now. Every time I move my body, my bones shatter and heal back in my next shape. If I take a single step, every bone in my legs splinters and then reforms. I don’t know what pain is because I have been alive for 10 million years."

"Okay but it looks like your walking normal."

"Well that's just stupid."

"oh sorry i forgot about this and took a nap and then took a shit. im so sorry i forgot but no worries man im here now"

"ahhhhh........................................................ yeah i dont know."

"hey your awful lonely. you must be a looser or something."

"this is the down side of having no ears, i can't hear if *insert name* is screaming for help or not, i mean i have no clue if hes screaming towards me back, so damn it having no ears kind of blows."

"hhahahahahahahahha i dont even know what the fuck you said?"

"i was trolled until i got bigger and stronger then them now i am feared"

".................... i have no importance to this story line what so ever, i think im gonna go."

"wow that story was super amazingly awesome, im not even joking right now"

"ahhhhhh so gay"

"we neutral's dont take sides in childish battles that normal people do. to pick sides is fullish."

"well most of the trolls are stupid but they all think there smart it's funny if you think about it."

"ummm. what object is like that? huh? ........ its unbreakable and its breakable? how is that possible? is it a liquid? hmmm i don't understand ?"

"now im gonna kick you right in your hairy ballsack"

"ok everyone! do you guys see this paper? well theres nothing on it yet but there will be"

"hey guys i was just telling him the plan. we are gonna do a all nighter and get fucked up hahaha its gonna be sweet."

"What? what are you talking about? We can discuss this further when there's not a gun in my face.."

"shut up, i got this alright, i got this shit in the bag, you'll see."

[lone-wolf-lunagaron]

The Stains Of Time (Open RP)

The moon was shining down brightly onto the citadel. In area 9,Fenrir was sleeping after a particularly long day of hunting and chasing out intruders from his territory. Around midnight,he struggled to sleep.. he tried shutting his eyes tightly…then he started tossing and turning until he could handle it no longer. The fanged wyvern got up and went towards his other den… one he made with the help of his now deceased mate in area 4 beside the old castle and behind several broken wooden planks. Dashing past a sleeping Espinas in area 12 without waking it,and continuing past area 2 where he would usually sit to clear his mind just before the bridge that leads into area 3 of the old castle,he stopped just before going passed the crumbled wall of the old castle in area 4. Taking a brief look around of his surroundings,the fanged wyvern huffed with his heart heavy with guilt and chest feeling super tight and sat down.

“…Hey …Beautiful night,isn’t it? …Do you remember how we met? …I remember nearly driving my claws through your chest. …Then,you knocked me onto my back,Seeing those beautiful eyes of yours glaring into mine. Didn’t think I’d actually start to fall in love with you then. …I remember how we went hunting together. *chuckle* Even fought together. You fought beautifully,love. …Do you remember the song I used to sing to you Before we slept under the moonlight together? …How’re the pups doing,love? …Bet they’re real lucky to have a mother like you…*sigh* …There isn’t a moment that goes by when I’m not thinking about you. …If only I was there to protect you. …I… I love you with every fiber of my being. …I’m sorry I wasn’t there… …I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you… our pups… our family…” The Lunagaron said as he was on the verge of tears.

He didn’t care if someone was listening or if he was being watched,he needed to do this and part of the fanged wyvern wanted to sing out the song Fenrir used to serenade his mate with… but the other did not want to relive those painful memories… Of all his past failures,his failure as a mate and father haunted him the most. With tears now pouring from his eyes and ears lowered,he stood bipedally and howled loudly out of guilt and sorrow so loud,it echoed throughout the entire locale of the citadel.

As if right on cue with his grieving howl,Lightning boomed in the distance and rain come pouring down almost immediately after. The fanged wyvern knew a thunderstorm was approaching. Fenrir got back down on all fours,he dashed back to his den in area 9. The Lunagaron kept running while trying to keep himself from slipping on the now wet and muddy terrain. The shame he felt for not being there to protect his family,weighed heavily on the Lunagaron’s heart. Never again does Fenrir want to feel the pain of losing a loved one because he wasn’t there to protect them…

[sitorrothekitsune]

Alright. So. The blog I reblogged this post from deleted their original post, and maybe even blocked me, but I think what I said was actually important so I deleted my post and anonymized it. This is the original post:

And this is the original response from my end:

Hey, I don’t know who or what this group involved, and I’m not saying it’s not wrong, but I’ve actually done this to somebody before. And at least in my case, it was a complete accident.

I was in a Roleplay with somebody and our characters had good chemistry. I was enjoying it. I had typed out this really long response, pressed send, and thought nothing of it. I get a response like five minutes later, but I was kinda done writing for the day so I put it off until the next.

I looked at it the next day and had no ideas on where to take it from there, but I think I’m a pretty good writer, so I knew I’d think of something. Fast forward a couple days and I get a text from the guy. Just checking up on me. He asked me if I was still feeling the desire to continue, and I said yes. I was having fun. But every time I looked at that message, I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t know how to own up to that, and I don’t think I would be able to still today. Well, a couple days turned into a week, and then into two. He already knew I was a slow writer, but he was starting to get really concerned. It was every day that I got a message, and every day that I told him I still wanted to do it. And one day, I finally owned up to it. Told him my shame. And he blocked me. Ghosted me. And I still haven’t been able to apologize.

Partially, this post is my apology to him. If you ever see this, dude, I’m sorry. This was never about you or your character. I was too invested in the story, and I was too caught up in my own shit to admit that I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to ask because I was always slightly jealous of how easily it came to you.

But this is partially to say that creativity is hard, and no matter how good someone is at creating a story, it’s hard to sit down and put pen to paper. This is especially true for TTRPGs where you not only have to make the story, but also do all the background math, balancing, character sheets, scheduling, and all this other stuff.

I love RP, DnD, and TTRPGs. I’d pick up another in a heartbeat. But it’s hard, and I don’t want to cast blame on creators for not being able to keep up the pace. At least they tried.

That about sums up my end, but I’ll leave with these final thoughts. These stories are the brainchildren of their creators, and most of the time are given so much thought and attention that they feel real. This gets people excited and emotionally engaged, but comes at a hefty cost. The people experiencing the story can never go back to being bystanders. They are as much of the story as the world is. And this can be a death sentence…

Some of my readers may be unfamiliar with this feeling. “How’s that? It’s just make-believe.” One might say. But the feeling I’m talking about is one more primal. You don’t consciously realize it’s there until it’s gone…

Thanks for reading my little rant if you got this far. I’m sorry to talk about something so frustrating. I just don’t think it’s fair to throw shade at people if they had good intentions. I’m not saying that the DM from OP’s situation did either, I wasn’t there. But we should “never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” (Hanlon’s Razor)

[krpgarden]

can i seek for some advice please as an admin? i notice that there is a decent amount of people joining my rp but most never complete their arrival checklist, some even after giving them extended time. is there something wrong with my rp that people don't want to stay? // hey, bud. i don’t think it’s anything to do with your rp, rather whoever is joining isn’t putting in the effort. for months now, i’ve joined more rps than i can count because of how many shut down (whether because the admins close it, members decide not to participate, or a mix of both) and have tried my absolute damnedest to be as active and as engaging as i can in each. as time has gone on and i see only a handful of us trying to keep the rp going, i am running out of steam. i begin diligently working on the checklist only to see the rp has gone dead before i can even finish. in the beginning, i’d still post in hopes it would come alive again, but it often doesn’t. as of late, i’ve gotten so incredibly discouraged and lose the heart to continue working on it now as i see no one is trying. yes, i know i should try still, but when i’ve been in x amount of rps since about may with this being a repeating occurrence, i’m losing the drive to try anymore. i tried to help admin once months ago and this happened with the rp i helped with too. i don’t know what’s going on with the community, but people either need to try and have fun like they used to, or stop joining rps and discouraging admins and other rpers who do want to try. the admin who sent the message i’m replying to, i’m sorry this is happening yet again. please, keep your chin up. there’s so many of us who want a home for our muse(s), we just wish others did too.

hey there, thank you so much for your message 💚 i think a lot of others feel the same way as you do. maybe people aren’t having fun anymore? if anyone has more insights, do let us know.

[n0chanxes]

I’m still here and interested in our threads I promise

hi hello hey, its me I’m really sorry to those I’ve kept waiting for replies, I feel terrible.  My brain is muddy most days, especially after work, and since this is very much a hobby that I want to continue enjoying, I only rp the muses that are awake.  Even then I only rp when I have the energy to, which isn’t nearly as often as I’d like.. I don’t like forcing myself to reply to things because I love going back and re-reading replies and I find I’m never happy with/can always tell when I lost muse but still forced out a reply. I also really like being online with my rp partner so a good thread gets going. It helps me stay in the muse’s mindset and makes thinking about their thoughts, actions, reactions, and reasoning easier and more enjoyable. I’ve been doing this, here, for well over a decade, and I always get into periods where I make rp feel more like a job than a hobby. I’ve up and left my accounts before because I managed to suck all the fun from writing because of that mind set. I’m so so sorry that means some of you have to wait so long for me.

Please like this if you’d like to keep our threads. Or comment on which threads you’d like me to prioritize if I can. Conversely, if you’d like to drop a thread, please comment or message me. I’ll understand either way!

<3 

[agnespjurati]

" Stay away from my niece."

“Your niece?”

The person in front of Agnes looked a lot like the late commander Data but he seemed as cold as the metallic floors of La Sirena. He had to be the infamous Lore, Data’s twin.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly want to get close to her!”

[pocmuzings]

The rpc wants more diversity which is FANTASTIC! However, as a cis-white-straight-cookie cutter mun, I am often afraid to use more diverse fcs of different ethnic/cultural backgrounds, because in the past I’ve been attacked, quite viscously, for not portraying them how people felt I *should* this is not to say I white washed them; I always do name searches for culturally relevant names. Make sure to research some customs of that particular ethnic group. I am welcome to advice from people with experience with that culture or who have more knowledge than me, and like learning! But, on the same token, rp is a way to escape from the real world for me, and researching too extensively, I.e. learning everything about a particular culture is tiring. It’s not supposed to feel like researching for a paper where I need to cite my sources etc. All this to say, we WANT to be diverse, but sometimes it feels like trying just brings more backlash than sticking with a non-diverse fc. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to be diverse but has had bad experiences when they’ve attempted to do so?

i'm sorry you've been attacked 'viciously' . without knowing the full extent of what happened , i can say that whilst i understand your well-meaning , i feel this is a little bit victimise-y on your end . using the word 'vicious' when being educated for free by poc isn't always appropriate or the way to go . again , maybe it was particularly vicious and this person who attacked you was completely out of line , but you can understand my apprehension as well , on the subject .

i'm glad to hear you're welcome to advice , but in that same aspect - if you're welcome and receptive to advice , why does it then scare you to try again ? you're never going to get it 10000% right . never ever . i rp different ethnicities all the time , and i know i'm not going to get them always right . i do the same thing you do - i research what i can , i follow blogs , i ask people of that ethnicity in the rpc. i make sure i do the work , because it's important . but also , if somebody comes to me and says ' hey , when you wrote xyz . . that wasnt appropriate / was stereotypical ' , i simply say ' im so sorry . i understand . i won't do it again ' . thats all it has to be , and all it should be . maybe you need to also look inwards on how you receive feedback at times , or how well you incorporate what somebody tells you .

i know having bad experiences can ruin a lot of things , but you can also hopefully understand why so many poc are getting frustrated at times . we are out here , answering questions , providing guides , giving resources . we are correcting people when wrong . we are speaking up on micro-aggressions ic and ooc . do you think that thats why WE started rping ? do you think that was how WE want to ' escape the real world ' ? do you know how tired WE are ?

i'm sorry , i'm not trying to be a dick , but i just don't want to pander to white feelings on this . if you messed up , or did something wrong , then apologise . grow from it . learn from it . you don't need to 'cite your sources' when rping . you certainly can also realise you'll get a lot of conflicting information at times , because no one person or source can be monolithic to a whole ethnicity and experience . but that doesn't mean you stop trying , or see it as a ' bad experience ' . i don't understand why somebody would attack you ' viciously ' unless your portrayal of a character was a ) super insensitive , b ) you didn't listen to advice / tips given , c ) you argued back or d ) you continued in the behaviour even after it was told it was inappropriate

again , maybe i'm wrong and somebody was completely unfair to you . but i don't want to spread the narrative that muns of colour are vicious , cruel and unreasonable people if somebody makes an honest mistake . we aren't . we are trying our best to educate white people . for free . we owe you nothing .

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

Hi. I can come off anon if you'd prefer to answer privately cause I really don't want this to blow up in a negative way. I just feel overwhelmed, kind of lost, and I really appreciate your view point... SPN has always been a comfort show (Dean being my comfort character) but since the mess with J*P & learning so much about someone who I really liked + use for an RP OC, I haven't been able to enjoy it like I used or even write said OC. Do you have any advice? I miss Dean & SPN and 1/2

2/2 and I feel like I'm letting my bff down cause I have hiatus on that OC who is their ship partner and doesn't want J*P to not be the faceclaim anymore. I'm a fan of G*n P too (Wildfire rewatch paused too) so I just feel lost. I don't know how to see J*P anymore/not feel like disgusted with who he truly seems. I miss not knowing, being able to enjoy content that includes him like SPN, Gilm*re Girls, or cons. I miss feeling connected with A*K*F. I really need advice, please, any at all?

an add on... I am sorry for the possible emotional dumping there too. I just am scared to put it on a public post with how some fans are of his and plus my bff who can ignore it better than me, who wants me to do the same cause they insist they did the same with M*ish and J*A who are my favorites. I feel lost. I'm so sorry, I just really did not where else to turn for advice on something like this.

hey there, hon, i'm sorry you're dealing with this shittiness.

my qpp and i have been together for almost 16 years, and one of the things that got us together was a form of role-playing some characters. we've kept that up all this time, and it's grown and evolved into us writing fleshed-out fic together where we each write one of the characters and trade little chapters back and forth.

so all of that is to say that i completely understand what you're describing. and i have to say that most of all, i'm very concerned by how your "bff" is treating you.

when it comes to our writing, me and my qpp's number one rule is prioritizing each other's physical health and mental well-being. even after all this time, we love and look forward to getting the email with the next part, but we still constantly reassure each other if you don't feel up to writing right now, don't worry about it. rest, take care of yourself, do what you need to do, and if you're having emotional issues then talk about them to me.

you and us always, always, always comes before the writing, because while that's meaningful to us and we enjoy it, it's still just a thing. we're more important. one time i went an entire year without writing anything because my mental and physical health was so terrible, and she never once pressured me.

if my qpp told me that the actions of the actor behind a character had unsettled her so badly that she couldn't continue writing that with me, i would of course be saddened and disappointed. but i would never try to force her or guilt her into doing it anyway, and she would never do that to me. never.

it makes complete sense that you're having these feelings about a character with jared's face, and i feel very critical of your friend for not being understanding of that fact. i don't think it's remotely the same to compare it to your friend "getting over"/"ignoring" misha and jensen for you, because i don't know of anything either of them have done that compares to the shit jared has pulled. and besides, it doesn't matter, because the fact is that you ARE upset. you can't bargain someone into just not being upset anymore.

i'm sorry to say it, but i think your friend is being selfish. they want you to deliver role-playing without caring about your feelings, and certainly without prioritizing your welfare.

let's be clear: this is something you do for fun. you are in no way obligated to do this, ever. if it's not fun or fulfilling for you anymore, you are allowed to stop. this isn't a marriage, it's just a role-play. it can be meaningful and intimate, but it's not a contract you signed. if your partner is no longer meeting you halfway and is just using you to get what they want, you have every right to back out of the situation.

i know that will suck and it'll hurt, but you shouldn't force yourself to do this just to please them. you'll get more and more upset and start to resent them, and eventually you'll explode.

you need to talk honestly with your friend and lay down some boundaries. if they can't respect your well-being, they're not the best friend you thought they were.

i wish i could tell you how to solve your feelings towards j*red, but i think this is the more immediate problem. if you can get distance from this pressure to "get over it", maybe then you'll be able to actually deal with the feelings and figure stuff out.

[jenivi7]

First Lines Tagging Meme

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE TAGGED IN THIS TWICE!  Thank you @ink-flavored and @clyde-side !! (I almost just did this on my own too because I love babbling about my own fics...)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

Now pinned and under a cut because it became a really long, really good introduction to me and my stories! 

Hello!

Unnecessary and overly wordy introduction/personal musings: I love opening lines so much. When I worked at a bookstore, I used to open books and hardcore judge them on their first lines. I had barely any free time to read at that point so if it didn’t grab me in the first line or two, I put it back. The first Harry Potter book is actually in my pile of really good openers. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” (Subtle alliteration, HELLO??) So I'm super excited to see if my own first lines come even close to the standards that I apply to other people lol. MY OWN MONEY IS ON NO. I have the feeling that I'm so frantic trying to get the story down on paper before the good words disappear from my head that I'm not actually paying attention to the first line. BUT LET'S SEE, SHALL WE.

So just straight up going backwards, I've written and posted TWO BRAND NEW THINGS after being away from fandom almost entirely for 10+ years! They're drabble length but they're shiny and new! <3 (All available fics are linked!)

1. Tango:

She teaches them to dance so that they can dance with her but when Atem gets that mischievous smirk on his face and pulls Yugi into his arms, their bodies spark and the dance floor smolders at their heels.

(The fic is so short that this is a full 1/5 of it but actually, I think I crammed all the good stuff right into that first line. This already might be my favorite. Like it says there in the line itself, Puzzleshipping.)

2. No Betting:

Anzu sat at the kitchen table writing carefully calculated answers onto sticky notes before attaching them to a fourth-grade math worksheet.

(Peachshipping! This one doesn't pop off until about line five so here's the rest of that bit:)

She had the same arrangement with her spouse as most parents had. When the kids were good they were hers. When they were bad, they were his. And when they were winning at games because they picked up rules with uncanny speed and read their opponents with more insight than ought to be available to a child, they were definitely, definitely his.

3. If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say (working title):

When he realized that the figure sitting under the game shop display window and smoking wasn’t Ryou, the physical body response was as though it had discovered a coiled snake not two feet away.

(This one! It's a NEW half finished(?) WIP. I actually started this one before the drabbles but wanted to finish before posting it. Then it got out of hand, then work got out of hand, then I started a couple more projects and well. I keep putting words on it though and eventually there will be a Kleptoshipper that turns into Puzzle and Tender for your reading enjoyment. Also, fair warning - don't use song lyrics as a working title. Every time I look at the document I get the song stuck in my head.)

Now we have polished up reposts of old stories for their move to AO3, where I'll basically keep my master archive. Not full re-writes but I fixed a bunch of typos and awkward sentences and they're much stronger for it. Most of these are from a pairings contest way back when so LOTS of different pairings and lots of AUs!

4. Human:

It was like a bad noir, the thought crossed both of their minds.

(Scifi AU, Rivalshipping. That one's not bad for a first line. Actually no link at the time of writing cause the re-edit is going up in like, a half hour? an hour? a half day? It's my next project after finishing this, finishing up the edit and posting it on AO3. Now with link!)

5. Blood:

Fingers through midnight black hair, whispers in his ear, touches that sizzled along the skin, awakening nerves and senses. 

(Dungeonshipping, Pegasus x Otogi, vampires AU. Oh that’s a nice first line! <3)

6. Crazy for You:

The keys are too large and too heavy for the doctor more used to more modern facilities but she doesn't say anything, just follows the orderly as he pulls the large door open.

(Manipulashipping, Anzu x Marik, Psychward AU. Still one of my favorites from that era. Big bold warning though, THIS ONE CONTAINS NON-CON)

7. Finality:

“What are you doing here?”

“Saying goodbye.” Bakura’s translucent arms swept across the graveyard. “Is this not an appropriate place for it?”

(First two or so bits of dialogue as the first first is a generic question. You can tell this is one of the really old ones just by that but it's a sweet, sad little Tendershipper that still has a special place in my heart.)

8. Pieces of You:

Glitter caught the light, leaving shimmering trails in the air as it got everywhere.

(Glittershipping, Anzu x Kisara. Another one that's special to me. Kisara is my girl and my first writing muse. <3)

9. Cambodia:

“It was summer of fifty three...”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, it can't have been fifty three. You might be that ancient but I'm not. It must have been sixty three.”

(Jiishipping. Yes. Sugoroku x Arthur. HEY, IT CAME UP IN THE RANDOM DRAW FOR THE SHIPPING CONTEST OK. And my writer's brain hasn't backed down from a challenge yet... Another one that takes 4 lines to pop off but it's a good start. Actually, here's the rest of the bit just because I cannot get enough of these two bickering:)

“What do you mean it must have been sixty three? You don't even know what story I'm trying to tell.”

“Am I in it?”

“What?”

“So you're deaf now as well as daft? AM I IN IT?”

“Of course you're in it, y'old coot. Don't know why I'd tell a story without you in it when both grandkids are sitting here.”

10. Coffee and Cigarettes:

"Cigarettes and coffee? That's not a very healthy lunch." 

Mana crossed her legs and took a refined sip of her own coffee even as her company was not. 

(Mischiefshipping, Mana x Thief King Bakura. Oh this one I'm actually sad that it doesn't immediately sparkle in the first line cause it's one of my absolute favorites of everything I've written. And I think it's the only time I've ever written Mana but I LOVED IT AND HER. Oh no! I lied, I've written her at least one other time though I don't think that one quite captures her sheer chaos energy like this one does.)

11. A Million Missed Chances:

Somewhere along the line, someone made a choice.

(This one. THIS ONE. I think this is by far the most epic idea I've tackled. I still don't know if the sheer scale of the thing came across in the actual fic but in my head it was massive and I remember pounding away at my teeny tiny laptop late at night because the whole thing hit me maybe a day or so before the story was due for the pairings contest. We only had a week to write each fic and my really good ideas never came to me before the very last minute. T.T Conquestshipping, Mai x Valon.)

12. A Fear of Falling:

She drove.

Like she always did when something bothered her.

(Oh the first chapter on this is also one of the really ancient ones. Like one of the very first things I wrote. That first chapter really shows its age and is a little shaky but the others are better and the last one is what fits into the chorological order here. Polarshipping, Jou x Mai. One of my very first ships. Probably THE first actually <3)

13. What Our Creators Make Us:

"Well, well." The match flared, scattering dark shadows until it was blown out and the only light that remained was the red glow from the cigarette end. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

(Psychoshipping, Marik x Spirit of the Ring Bakura. With a bit of Bronze, Angst and Tender in the follow up. Old but I'm ridiculously proud of it, hence it's place in the master archive. Ahaha you can tell how old it is though by how clever I think I am. I thought it was funny to make my audience figure out who was talking and not reveal the characters for a good fourth to third of the fic. Ahhhhhhh. Sorry about past me.)

14. A Revolution of the Spirit:

It wasn't fair.  It just wasn't.

That they were close was understandable (you don't get much closer than sharing headspace) but that even now, after deals were made with gods, endless arguments, compromises and the ultimate guilt trip that he had only been a teenager when he willingly sacrificed himself for all of humanity, things she had only half seen and only partly understood even though they had all been there to witness, that even now Atem continued to invade Yugi's personal space as though he belonged there got on her nerves.

(Woah Nelly! That third sentence should probably be three, four and five. Even if I just split it in half we'd continue the pattern of things popping off in the fourth line. I think that's one pattern that's emerging! A really good bit takes me about four lines to set up and deliver! Oh, the challenge was Revolutionshipping, Anzu x Atem, but the fic is actually Spiritshipping, Anzu x Yugi x Atem.)

So confession time, I haven't been out of fandom completely, I just hadn't written my own standalone stories in a very long time. There are a few (ok ok more than a few) long-running rps that @miss-moberg and I have been adding to on and off over the years. I can't resist throwing in a couple of these.

15. Cafe!

The door shut behind them with the soft click of the latch and the exhale of a breath long held.

(This opening line was from December of 2020 when we rebooted a very old Prideshipper and that is a damn good opening line if I do say so myself. I can definitely see the difference now between the newer works and the older ones. I've gotten better, she's matched me pace for pace and eventually something will be finished, I'll work up the courage to ask permission to post it and the whole internet will get to see how brilliant the two of us are together.)

16. Treasure Hunt!

"Ryou, I think you're going to regret letting me tag along on your adventuring this time."  Yugi didn't bother turning away from the airplane's tiny window to see if his seatmate was paying attention.  He was more thinking out loud with his friend playing the role of a convenient sounding board.  "Because I think this trip is the only thing I'm going to talk about ever again."

(One more from RP because it's got that fun, four line punch that we've discovered is a pattern for me! Opening entry is from 2017.)

Also, in truth, my count is a little off when I say I'd been out of fandom 10+ years. I've been away from YGO for that long but I did spend a brief stint in Homestuck where I read a ton of fanfic, flirted with a couple group RPs and even wrote a tiny bit. 9 years without writing a new fic isn't as impressive as saying ‘over a decade’ but it is a little more accurate.

17. What You Will:

In the land of fair Illyria, along a small, sandy stretch of its rocky shore, a ship has come to ruin and one lone woman lies still as death among broken wood.

(The beginning of a Homestuck/Twelfth Night crossover that I'm still determined to work more on someday. It's only got a single chapter but it's magic though now I'm concerned about not being able to recapture that. Not a bad first line though. The style is so different it took me reading it a couple times before going, oh yeeeeeah, that's pretty good!)

18. Relentless:

You pull him to the deck and then across it by the remains of his shirt. Let him say one last goodbye. His ship pillaged, his crew murdered, his hands bound behind his back and at your mercy.

Funny word, that. Mercy.

(The first line is pretty decent but there's that four line combo again! Five but I could basically fix that with a comma. Featuring the troll ancestors Mindfang and Dualscar because every time Hussey introduced new characters they were instantly my favorite.) 

19. Black:

There is dark and there is dark and there is dark and then there is black. She is black. Licorice and coal. She is hate and resentment and everything that tastes bitter, the kind of black that coats the tongue like oil, drips down the back of the throat and keeps going.

(Oh wow. Am I allowed to say that about my own work? A Terezi/Vriska drabble that I'm putting as much here as I think I can get away with because it's so good that it fucks me up a little going back and reading it.)

And here it gets tricky because I think the more recent of the old, old fics are in the Drabbles and Shorts collection on ff.net and I can't see a post date. So I'll just pick a good one to end on.

20. Two Princes:

It was inevitable as the rising of Ra's chariot after a long night, as the flooding of the river banks every spring, and Atem always knew that Yugi's kiss would be as warm and gentle as the evening breeze in the summer that brought relief from the scorching day. It was.

(How about the final honor going to more Puzzle/Blind? This probably has the strongest first line of its era. Actually I'm not sure when it was written. It was just hanging out in my writing folder and, thinking about it, I probably wrote it when I was fading from fandom the first time around but still trying to hang in there. No wait! That’s too sad, we can’t end on that! Lets add one more to the list for the sake of personal narrative!)

21. Linger:

The world doesn't need him anymore. It doesn't need his sword and it doesn't need his pen.

(A tiny Princess Tutu afterward that I wrote for myself. Nice one-two punch in the opener. Also it rounds out the personal story that accidentally developed here with a line later in the fic, "Words, however, never stray far from a good writer..." Like, wait, stop. Past me, how did you know T.T)

Did that take a sudden emotional turn for anyone else or was that just me. Can I offset that a little with an honorable mention? Let’s do that while I collect myself. Here’s one more.

Honorable mention: Ryou and the Thief

There was a storm gathering and too much magic in the air. Much more than occurred naturally and magic at this level was never a good thing.

(I can’t have a list of things I’ve written without having Ryou and the Thief on it. If you click on this one though, BEWARE, it’s old, it’s silly and it has a ton of explicit gay sex that… would be written very differently if we were handling it today I’m sure! This is the first RP @miss-moberg and I ever did together and our excuse to Gemship and Puzzleship turned into us running the boys through a whole adventure based on the Osiris myth. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever completed and I’d still consider it kind of my legacy.)

And that’s the last 21(+1!) stories that I’ve written! 

The clear winner of best first line for me is 15. Cafe! It’s short, elegant and manages to contain a whole mood even without the context of what’s going on and who’s involved. (Spoilers: It’s Seto and Mokuba making an AU escape from Gozoboro.) Close second is Tango, the most recent story. It’s neat to see just how much better I’ve gotten and also really cool to see that even if the first line itself doesn’t contain a punch, it’s usually because there’s a nice, strong idea being set up and delivered in the first four lines (or so). What a pleasant surprise!

AND WOW, this whole tag thing didn't need to be so long! Or personal! Seriously, if you get this tag from me the challenge is only to list the first lines to 20 stories and maybe try to draw one or two conclusions from them. You all thought I was joking when I said I loved talking about my own writing! But actually, I guess it’s fine like this as I ended up using it as a way to re-introduce myself. Like, "Hey, I used to live here a long time ago and oh my god I love what you've done with the place!" Rather than being someone who's just popped up out of nowhere a few weeks ago to creepily bother all your best of the best creators so....

^///^ Hello!

Thanks for letting me ramble!

Tags! I think I've seen most of the authors I follow do this already but on the off chance you haven't been tagged yet: @elexica (checked your blog to see if you'd already done the tag and saw that you're another person returning to writing fanfiction after 10+ years. Same! Hello!!), @danieco, @draconicmaw, @nedjemetsenen (has someone tagged you already?) and two shots in the dark, @miss-moberg and @edmondia (I'm so sorry you two. T.T Please feel free to block me forever.) And please, anyone else who wants to babble about their own writing! Do this, it was so much fun. <3

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP meme from Scream Queens Ep 11 "Black Friday"

"Be careful. I'd really like to kiss you again."

"I'm saving my energy for Black Friday doorbusters tomorrow morning."

"How about you do the honors?"

"Oh, the holidays. That festive time of year where everyone's decked out in their Christmas finest."

"The season of joy and love and presents begins when the clock strikes midnight."

"I thought you got all your clothing hand-delivered by A-list designers."

"Black Friday is about buying deliberately cheap, totally forgettable Christmas gifts for friends. The obvious cheapness of the gift makes them question our friendship and makes them way easier to manipulate as they try desperately to get back on my good side."

"Is this black toilet paper?"

"Amazing. A pair of mink albino boy shorts."

"I bribe the dude who deals weed off the loading dock to let me in a half hour early."

"Torturing these soulless manatees of senseless consumerism brings me so much joy. And isn't joy what the holiday season's all about?"

'At first I was like, "What a weird turkey." And then it clicked. Like... "Damn, that's a head."

"When you agree with me, it makes me question whether I actually agree with me."

"I am gonna take this opportunity to be the strong parental influence you have never had."

"You are gonna march over to that sofa right now and you're gonna sit down because you are in a time out."

"I'm sorry. Did you just put me on a time out? You do realize I'm not seven, right?"

"Well, behold how badly you've failed."

"I think it's pretty safe to assume that your career is over."

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to the mall to exercise our patriotic right to join hundreds of thousands of our fellow out-of-breath Americans in sweatpants as they make frenzied, ill-thought-out purchases of cheap, crappy garbage they can't afford and don't need. To deny us of that right would be un-American."

"Let's go, sluts."

"I want to know what I'm being charged with."

"You drove your pickup truck through the front window of a Best Buy."

"You killed or maimed people. Let's go."

"Sounds awful, but I'd keep that to yourself."

"You're not really helping yourself."

"Most of the uniformed cops out there are working on a volunteer basis because they get backed up inside if they don't crack a few skulls every day."

"There's a killer on the loose and you're telling us this town has no police force?"

"I don't understand why you have to get us the crappiest gifts possible and then make sure we know about it beforehand just to ruin the surprise."

"I mean, that's like bringing pineapples to Hawaii."

"So would you feel the need to waste $13,000 buying me something I already have?"

"Maybe instead of using my disgusting wealth to buy my friends crap, I should use my disgusting wealth to buy my friends things they would actually enjoy."

"The mall is deserted."

"Oh, go on and shoot me, hag. It'll just make me young and skinny forever and you'll still be old. Come on, finish me off, you shriveled, old crone!"

"First day on the job and I caught a killer."

"Wait, you have a gun?"

"Damn! Why didn't I shoot him when I had the chance?"

"How's your crossbow wound?"

"The arrow missed all major arteries, and I'm currently rolling on some sweet painkillers."

"What exactly are you proposing?"

"I've always had this vision of a band of sisters who stand together like an impenetrable community of shields who kept everyone safe and secure."

"Sometimes, instead of shields, we need swords."

"No one is going to help us."

"No one is going to stop this until we are all dead."

"Well, I'm sorry, but she is a vindictive, amoral woman who no one is gonna miss."

"I say we poison her."

"Did you ever do it in my bed?"

"So you were gay lovers?"

"No, we were not gay lovers."

"I'm an investigative journalist."

"Well, you know, I really love the idea of a bunch of guys from different backgrounds getting together and forming a brotherhood for life."

"Have you ever been to a driving range?"

"What sort of ab regimen are you rocking, bro?"

"I guess the fact that you and I cannot stand one another is finally out in the open."

"Name your weapon."

"So pick your weapon. You can choose sabres, guns, baseball bats, small pebbles, spoons, doesn't matter to me. What does matter, is that we will fight, and we will fight to the death."

"Well, I am sorry that took so long, but, you know, a watched pot never boils."

"Being a millennial feminist means growing up listening to Taylor Swift say she doesn't like to think of the world as boys versus girls."

"That's not what feminism was about."

"How come all the pictures on the wall are selfies?"

"Oh, it smells amazing."

"Where did you get puffer fish venom?"

"I want to be there when she dies."

"That's bliss!"

"Is it nutmeg?"

"I am like a soldier at war. I am killing to stop more killing. It's totally justified."

"But what about moral law?"

"Oh, that would be hard for you?"

"I don't "rage" on Tuesday nights or have competitions about how many girls I can have sex with in one day."

"What I'm trying to say is guys join fraternities to get a sense of structure in their lives. Problem is the structure

they're buying into is antiquated. It's misogynistic and hierarchical and dangerous."

"It's misogynistic and hierarchical and dangerous."

"I don't think I'm in the right headspace right now."

"You're a rare breed, one of the true good guys."

"That's the weirdest explanation for anything I've ever heard."

"We need to think of new ways to kill her!"

"I'm really gonna cherish our time here together."

"Killing is wrong, but, under this circumstance, I don't know what other choice we have."

"Hold on, sluts."

"When I was your age, I was thoughtless about sex."

"If you don't think you're ready, you probably aren't. And if you aren't, well, then no good can come from doing it, anyway."

"The main thing is you have to be perfectly dry. The cryosauna is set to 200 degrees below zero, so any water on your skin freeze instantly."

"How come there hasn't been any screaming?"

"No, we need to get away while we still can."

"Hey, hey, it's enough. The point has been made."

"Why do you want to continue taking this any further?"

"Yes, I feel guilty!"

"Don't you ever call me again."

"I heard about these Buddhist Monks that found a way to meditate, so they can sit outside all night, way, way up in the Himalayas in weather that would kill a normal person, but their core temperature stays totally normal."

"You're thinking of the movie Teen Wolf, you brainless gash, which is not, in fact, a documentary!"

"Uh, Rasputin. He was a mystical Russian peasant who became a close advisor of Tsar Nicholas II because he could magically cure Prince Alexei of his hemophilia."

"Okay, this seems totally not germane to what we're talking about, so can we please just skip ahead?"

"Maybe she has some magical powers that make her unable to die, like some horror movie villain, like Michael Myers, or Jason, or Dr. Giggles."

"So, maybe try on a size zero."

"Okay, I'm not gonna try on the size zero because I won't fit into the size zero."

"This is discrimination!"

"Look at her. Give her something. Give her something to be happy!"

"Come on, what is wrong with these idiots?!"

"Why did you ask me to meet you here? And why are you carrying a bag clearly filled with chains?"

"I thought we could talk about bondage and go for a swim."

"You're all packed up. I thought you were staying until you cracked the case."

"I was just gonna go to the woods and write or something,

like Thoreau, but with WiFi."

"I mean, maybe I could come with you. Might be kind of romantic, you know?"

"I could bring a slow cooker, and we could talk about the case all night over short ribs?"

"Well, I do love short ribs."

"I'll always be able to say that my first was with a great, great, great guy."

"I am a sentient grown woman who has been through

hell the past few weeks, and I'm sitting next to you, now, with open eyes and an open heart, telling you that I want to give myself to you."

[confessionsofa-roleplayer]

i could use some advice on how to let go of old muses and move on. i always get too wrapped up in nostalgia and the good times i've had writing my older muses, and i end up not wanting to lay them to rest just yet, so to speak, even though i know deep down their muse has already left. and it's not fair to just keep people hanging on bc i'm too chickenshit to come out and say those muses are archived for good. what can i do to just let go?

I am quite possibly the worst person to give advice about letting go of old muses, OP. In my mind, if it feels like there are still stories left to tell, then letting them go is practically impossible. However - as I've often been told by partners and friends - I'm a bit of an odd duck. I don't 'lose muse' for my characters. I can not write as someone for years (due to lack of partners usually), and then turn around and pick them right back up without blinking an eye when someone shows interest.

However, all that said, if you know your inclination to write as a particular character has left you, then that's a good starting place. The hardest thing, by far, is communicating your decision to your partners. You can, of course, just walk away - but I really don't recommend it.   If you care about everything you’ve built/created with this muse and about the partners who’ve helped you do that, I think you owe it to yourself and to them to say something before leaving for good.

I think what I would do is make a public post, and then tag my current partners under a 'Read More.' It would probably go something like this:

"Hey everyone. First, I just want to say what amazing experiences I've had with each and every one of you while writing on this blog. I have so many great memories, and a blog full of fantastic RPs that always make me smile.

Unfortunately, I've been struggling to write (your muse’s name here) for awhile now and I don’t think it’s going to get any better.  It's not fair to myself or any of you to try and force things, or to make people wait months on end for replies that probably aren’t coming.  For that reason, I've decided to archive this blog. I'm so sorry for disappointing or upsetting anyone with this announcement.

If you would like to explore other muses with me, you're welcome to follow me here: (@ list your other blog/s) or if you’d prefer to stop RPing, but keep in touch, please message me for my Discord (or IM app of choice.)

Thank you again for the wonderful stories all of you helped me create.  I’ll never forget them.

If letting go has less to do with upsetting partners, and more to do with your own mental attachments, I can offer a few suggestions that might help (depending on your preferences.)  These are things that can help you continue to feel close to a muse even after you stop RPing as them:

Set up aesthetics boards for them on Pinterest.  

Turn them into characters for RPG campaigns

Turn the RP blog into an aesthetics/fandom blog

Keep writing privately.  Even if it’s only drabbles or headcanons - there’s no need to let them go completely.

Put your favorite RPs into GoogleDocs that you can read any time you’re in the mood - without having to actually revisit your blog.

I’m sure there are lots of other options and ideas out there.  Would our followers like to offer other suggestions? Or anecdotes about how y’all made the decision to let a muse go and/or how you went about it?

~ Mod MJ ~

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Eighty Three

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

March 25th, 2003

Remy stared at the menu hanging over the counter and blinked back his tears for just a little while longer. Today had been a long, frustrating day, and he was just going to be making his way to Sleep Easy for more long, frustrating work. He needed a break. He needed sleep. He needed food. But he wasn’t about to get any of those things, because he had to keep working even when the going got tough.

August walked out of the back and stood back to the counter like Remy was doing, sighing. “At least it’s closed now?” she offered.

“I can’t keep doing this,” Remy groaned. “I can’t keep up this amount of work.”

“Just a little while longer and you won’t have to,” August consoled him.

“I know,” Remy sighed. “And you’d better come work for me, because I definitely need someone with experience to help train the newbies.”

“Of course,” August said. “Just say when. I’m with you.”

  March 28th, 2003

Remy was staring at the numbers so long that they were starting to blur together. He knew what he had to do, he knew how to run a business, but there were days where it was just...almost too much.

The doorbell rang and Emile called, “I’ll get it!” so that Remy could keep working. Remy both loved and hated Emile for that. He kept focusing on his work for all of the twenty seconds it took for Emile to welcome the person on the other side of their door. When the person responded, Remy’s pen clattered onto the desk. The two voices continued on, and Remy could feel himself moving without telling his body what to do. He walked down the steps of their townhouse, and found Emile talking to the voice in question...but, it couldn’t be... “Toby?” Remy asked.

Toby looked over, put his suitcases down, and smiled. “Hey, baby bro. How you doing?”

Remy’s eyes welled up with tears, and before he knew what he was doing, he ran forward and crushed Toby in a hug, sobbing into his brother’s shoulder. “Oh, baby, it’s okay,” Toby said with a laugh. “I never stopped loving you. I never stopped wanting to write. I should have known that our parents were lying about the letter. I never, ever wanted to hurt you.”

Remy just held his brother tighter, continuing to cry.

“Tell you what, though, your boyfriend is a catch,” Toby said. “I don’t know any of my past girlfriends who would track you down for me.”

Remy took a step back and sniffled, wiping at his eyes. “He’s the best,” Remy said with a weak laugh. “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him.”

Emile kissed Remy’s cheek and Remy laughed again, tears tapering off. “How about I let you two get caught up, while I take Toby’s stuff to the guest room?” Emile offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“No, he knows. He’s gonna insist, though, so I wouldn’t recommend fighting him on it,” Remy said with a beaming smile.

“Oh. Okay then,” Toby said. “How about we get one of those killer cups of coffee you can make and we chat?”

“You come to my house with no warning, cause me to have an emotional breakdown, and then ask me to be a barista for you?” Remy asked, a shocked laugh flying out his mouth. “Wow, Tobes, you haven’t changed a bit!”

“Oh. Oh! Oh, God, I didn’t mean it like that—!”

“Remy, no. Toby, I guarantee he was joking, he does the same thing to me all the time,” Emile said. With a grunt, he picked up Toby’s suitcases. “Remy, go easy on him, your parents abused him too, remember?”

Remy paled a little, and sobered a lot. “Oh, Jesus. Forgot that bit.”

Emile rolled his eyes. “I know. Go easy on him. Make yourselves coffee. Hug. Cry a little. Catch up. But go easy on him.”

Remy saluted Emile and watched as he went upstairs, before the realization hit him. “You bastard, you called the number Dice gave you without me!”

The faint, “Yep!” Emile called back made Remy want to run upstairs and slug the no-doubt smug grin off Emile’s face, but Toby put a hand on Remy’s shoulder before he could.

“You okay?” Remy asked when he turned back to find Toby crying.

“You’re real. I just...you’re alive, and joking, and energetic, and you’re real,” Toby said. “I haven’t seen you this animated since you were in the fourth or fifth grade.”

“Yeah. Being away from Mom and Dad combined with Emile sorta...force-feeding me the idea that it’s okay to feel kinda...helped,” Remy said awkwardly. “I don’t really know what to tell you. The change was so subtle it feels like I barely noticed after a while.”

“I need to pay that man a million bucks. You smiled at me, Rem. You genuinely smiled.”

“Don’t give him more money, he already has a trust fund,” Remy joked, walking to the kitchen.

“Woah, hold up, what?!” Toby asked.

“How do you think he hired a private investigator to find you? Guy’s kinda loaded. Less so since he bought the shop and put some of his money into the PI, but he still has a lot,” Remy said, setting everything up to make coffee.

Toby shook his head. “Holy shit, Rem, you need to tell. Me. Everything.”

“In due time,” Remy said, beaming at Toby. “In due time, I promise I will.”

Once Remy had the coffee pot on, he hugged Toby again, taking in how he still smelled like the laundry detergent he used, how he wrapped his arms around Remy like he was scared Remy would break, how he was warm and alive and felt safe to Remy’s brain. Toby let out a shaky breath. “This doesn’t feel real,” Toby admitted. “None of it feels real.”

“I know,” Remy responded quietly. “But it is.”

“Am I intruding?” Emile asked from the entrance to the kitchen.

Remy stepped back by maybe six inches, still leaning into Toby slightly. “Not at all,” he said. “What’s up?”

“These fell out of your bag, Toby,” Emile said, passing over three pairs of packages, each pair wrapped up in different wrapping paper.

“Ah! Just as well, I was going to go upstairs to get them for Rem in a minute anyway,” Toby said. “Hey, Rem! Want to open three years’ worth of Christmas and birthday presents?”

Remy laughed in shock. “Seriously, Tobes?! You didn’t have to!”

“I know, but I wanted to,” Toby said with a grin, passing Remy one of the pairs, which had a fair amount of dust on it. “These are the earliest, go ahead and open them.”

Remy tore into the paper on the bottom one, and groaned, holding up a For Dummies book on accounting. “Mom’s idea?” he asked.

Toby snorted. “No, I was trying to be tongue-in-cheek about it. ‘In case you want to skip the college classes and save some money.’ Mom would have killed me if she’d known.”

“You know what? You’re right,” Remy said, using the book to point at Toby. “You are absolutely right about that, I’m sorry for implying that you’re in cahoots with her.”

Toby snickered and Emile blinked. “You two look nothing alike at first glance, but your mannerisms are practically identical.”

“That’s the best part about being brothers,” Toby offered. “People would ask if we were twins because we acted so alike.”

“Nah, we just spent time with the people in the house who hated us the least,” Remy laughed, opening up the other present. “Oh...wow. Toby...where did you get these?”

“I know a guy in college who’s a woodworking fanatic,” Toby said as Remy inspected the cooking utensils. “All of them are hand-crafted. Check the bottom of them.”

Remy did and grinned when he saw the initials “RP” embossed on every last one. “I don’t know what to say, Tobes.”

“Oh come on, that pales in comparison to some of the woodwork Liam does,” Toby laughed. “Open the other presents. Two thousand one, next.”

Remy put the book and utensils on the counter, and opened the next set, which turned out to be related. A cookbook that specialized in baking recipes, and a book that taught you how to decorate cookies and cakes to make them look fancier than they were. “This’ll come in handy for the store!” he exclaimed, looking at Toby with a grin. “I’ve always wanted to know how to make the expensive cookies!”

“Game for one more set?” Toby asked.

Remy nodded, taking the last set of packages. He tore one of them open, revealing a soft, fluffy, baby blue sweater that looked like it would give vague shape to Remy’s relatively flat body. “Oh,” he said softly.

“I know clothes are really hit-or-miss, but I saw this and I don’t know why...but it just screamed like something you would enjoy.”

“Yeah, no, definitely,” Remy agreed.

“Uh...it was from the women’s section...if I’m being totally honest,” Toby said, scratching the back of his neck.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Remy said. It did matter, but not in a negative way. No, it told Remy that one day, Toby might be okay if Remy were to wear something feminine around him. There was hope after all! “I love it still.”

“One last thing,” Toby said.

Remy opened the small package and laughed when he pulled out a shot glass, decked out in rainbow and shaped like a certain unmentionable body part. “Mom would have killed you if I opened that in front of her.”

“Meh, by this time I knew that she wouldn’t be around whenever we saw each other again, so I figured, ‘what the hell? Get him a shot glass that he’d love to use.’”

“I will love to use this on the rare occasion that I drink,” Remy agreed. “And not just because I can pretend it’s Emile’s.”

Emile choked and Remy gave him a wicked grin in response, giggling like mad. Emile took the shot glass out of Remy’s hands and said, “I’m confiscating this so you can’t continuously make jokes about it. You can get it back when you want to use it.”

Remy pouted. “Come on, Emile! I’m done joking!”

“So am I. You’re not getting this back until you want to use it for its intended purpose. I know what you would do to tease me with it, and I’m not having it,” Emile said.

“Am I missing something?” Toby asked.

“You remember when I had a brief lollipop craze in highschool?” Remy asked.

Toby blinked. Then, he turned slightly disgusted. “Rem, that is so much more about your sex life than I ever needed to know.”

Remy giggled shamelessly. “Relax, Tobes, we use protection like you told me to,” he offered.

“You’re getting progressively worse now. Trying to see how bad you can get?” Toby asked.

“Pretty much!” Remy agreed.

“God, I really hate your antics sometimes. Never you, though, Rem.”

Remy beamed. “I love you too, Tobes.”

The coffee machine beeped and Remy poured two mugs full, passing one to Toby. “Shall we go sit on the couch and hang out and stuff?” Remy offered.

“Once I hide your dick glass, sure,” Emile said, ducking out of the room.

“I will find it when you least expect it, Emile, this house isn’t that big!” Remy threatened.

He got no response.

Toby snickered and led Remy to the front of the house, and Remy flopped down on the couch after resting his coffee on the new coffee table. “Tobes, being an adult is hard,” Remy whined.

“Tell me about it. What’s eating at you?” Toby asked.

Remy sighed. “...I worry that I’ll never be enough. I mean, you’ve seen Emile. He’s training to be a therapist, he’s spoken about getting a doctorate one day. I could wind up marrying a doctor, Tobes, and I’ll just be the over-glorified barista who couldn’t stand his managers so he made his own place.”

Toby stared at Remy, coffee in a white-knuckled grip. Remy frowned. “What?”

“So much,” Toby said. “So, so much.”

“Start with the biggest thing and we’ll work our way down,” Remy said.

“Marriage?!” Toby asked incredulously.

“When it’s legal,” Remy agreed.

Toby blinked. “You were going to tell me?!”

“Duh? You still up for being my best man?”

“Hell yes!” Toby exclaimed.

“Next?”

“You’re worthy of so many things. You’re not just an over-glorified barista, you’re a culinary genius and Emile and I both agree on this. Just because you don’t have a fancy diploma doesn’t mean you’re lesser.”

Remy blinked. “Doubt.”

“Reassurance,” Toby replied. “I’ve seen the way Emile looks at you, Rem. The man is smitten. Even if you were lesser, which you’re not, he would never leave you for anything.”

Remy smiled softly. “Anything else?”

“...Abuse?” Toby asked, voice small. “Like, I knew some stuff wasn’t normal, exactly, and some of it was extreme, but abuse?”

Remy’s smile faded and he nodded.

Toby’s eyes clouded with tears. “She said it was my fault that Jamie stalked me,” he admitted softly. “Because they acted so similar and Mom thought she was perfect for me. It wasn’t until I said that I broke it off because she was trying to force herself on me—which is true, I didn’t make it up—that she sided with me. I knew Jamie was abusive, but Mom...”

“It’s okay,” Remy promised, putting a hand on Toby’s shoulder. “We’ll get through it together.”

“Promise?” Toby asked.

Remy nodded. “I promise.”

[draconscious]

BLOG/LIFE UPDATE

[[ Hey all, I hope everyone is hanging in there. A few people have reached out to me lately (thanks to those who did!) just to check up on their threads and to see where I’m at. So, with that in mind, I figured it would be best to come through with an ooc update. Well, it started out as an update but turned into a venty, rambly long mess of a journal entry--so I’ve put it all under a cut. Whew, sorry. I haven’t written freely in a minute and it shows lmao.

tl;dr - My life is in a really wacky place right now, so this blog is temporarily going on low activity for the next few weeks. Sorry for poofing, and thanks for your patience. :) ]]

The long lowdown: I work full time at a medical clinic, helping with patient check-in, relations and billing. Starting around last month, COVID-19 cases in my area exploded and haven’t calmed down, and all hands on deck were needed. I had previously been working from home, but now I’m working on-site 1-2 times a week, with mandatory overtime thrown in as well. I’m in no way equalizing myself with nurses/doctors (the real MVPs!). Still, there’s so much work piling up, so many people to talk to/comfort, and lately it feels like I’m punching waves--some days I don’t feel like I’m making a difference at all. I got called into work the morning after an isolated turkey day, and on my first call, some awfully uncool dude argued with me over mask policies for what had to be a solid hour. Super lonely, super lame. 

You know what else is super lame right now? School. Turns out that virtual grad seminars kind of suck, and now we’re thundering towards due dates for end of semester papers/projects. As Darth Scholar would probably say about me: “The imposter syndrome is strong with this one.” Writing for RP? Super fun, confident, and carefree. Writing for academia? Second-guessing myself, deleting and rewriting paragraphs, all that classic stuff. This semester of school, combined with this period of work, is bodying me harder than usual and I’ve honestly never felt more overwhelmed in my life. I think I would be handling school better if it weren’t for the work crunch (and vice versa). Writing is definitely harder this time of year for me. 

I’m sorry if this is all coming off like some pity party. I don’t want that. This is just my first time really writing/reflecting on the past month, and I apologize for unloading it so suddenly now (I know this doesn’t belong here so I’ll probably delete this later). Even though I’m feeling really overwhelmed right now, I’m no quitter. The light at the end of the tunnel is the end of the semester, and I can see it. Honestly, I already feel better just writing this all out and getting it off my chest (I’ve been piling these thoughts up confessional-style and it feels good to knock some of them over here).

If you’ve read this far, thank you (and if you haven’t, I don’t blame you LMAO). I’m looking forward to getting back into the shenanigans with everyone once I get my mind right. To everyone who might be struggling right now (esp. my fellow school squad)--you are not alone. I know everyone is dealing with their own brand of 2020 madness, so please try to be kind--to others but especially yourselves...you deserve it. And to my thread partners, thank you for being SO patient--I’ve got a few drafts lined up, but I hope we can continue our adventures in earnest (and start some new ones!) when I’m finally free. Until then, see you soon, stay healthy/safe...and stay frosty. B)

[tshalloweenhorrornights30]

For:

New RP Information!

Expectation Animatronics (3 Current Muses + 1 New Muse + Null Muse)

#1:

Withered Springtrap

Other Names:

1. Expectation Scraptrap

Real Name: William Afton (Your current muse)

Gender: Male

Sex: Straight

Michael's Story: "Father. It's me, Michael. I did it. I found it. It was right where you said it would be. They were all there. They didn't recognize me at first, but then...they thought I was you. *Heavy sighs* And I found her. I...put her back together, just like you asked me to. She's free now. But something's wrong with me. I should be dead. But I'm not. I've been living in the shadows. There is only one thing left for me to do now. I'm going to find you. *Ominous Voice* I'm going to come find you..."

Origin: After Fazbear's Fright is burned to the ground, he survived the dreaded fire as his arm is now missing, he's missing one eye, even one of his ears, and his skeletal fingers are much revealing, but the flesh and bones inside of him remains in the suit and never changed his appearance at all. Despite his withered appearance he was originally named Withered Springtrap.

#2:

Nighttime Baby

Other Names:

1. Freakshow Baby (Originally)

2. Expectation Scrap Baby

3. Ejected Baby

Real Name: Elizabeth Van Helsing Ray (Your current muse)

Gender: Female

Sex: Lesbian

Story:

Funtime Freddy- You are crowding us.

Circus Baby- Be quiet!

Bon Bon- You can't tell us what to do anymore!

Circus Baby- Yes I can, you'll do everything that I'll tell you to do.

The Bidybabs- We outnumbered you.

Circus Baby- That doesn't matter, dummy!

Funtime Freddy- We found a way to eject you.

Ballora- Francis no! Don't you dare, she's my wife, don't you seperate her from us please! *Crying* T-T

Funtime Foxy- Francis don't you do this, she's our boss.

*Circus Baby gets ejected from Ennard (They/Them) anyways*

Circus Baby- You'd be lost without me!

Funtime Freddy- Ha Ha! Say goodbye to our friend!

*End of Story*

Origin: This is basically what happens if Francis (Funtime Freddy) decided to eject and reject her as the leader, then decides himself to be the new leader, even though Ballora hates it what he has done, and Vixen (Funtime Foxy) didn't like the ejection plan either but he still done it anyway. It comes to the conclusion that she can put herself back together. She went back to the underground facilty to get her animatronic shell back, and Micheal Afton who came back to the facilty one more time before the facilty becomes abandoned and shut down for good, he found her and helped her put her back together. After she's put back together, she left the facility and went somewhere else. her height is still 7.2 ft. and her weight is still 585 lbs. She looks the same but her hair seems different, Plus she has her microphone back, and this time she has only one huge claw. and her personality seemed a bit angry, annoyed, and heartbroken after she got ejected from Ennard (They/Them), But she still loves Ballora, and she'll always love her no matter what happens to her. Because Ballora was heartbroken too, but for Francis and the others, she felt betrayed because of Francis (Funtime Freddy). And now, she's all alone without Ballora because of him. And now she llives in the alleyways of the old Fredbear's Family Diner. Nighttime Baby was originally named as "Freakshow Baby".

#3:

Injected Freddy

Other Names:

1. Freakshow Freddy (Originally)

2. Expectation Molten Freddy

3. Injected Freddy and Co.

Real Names:

1. Francis "Funtime" Fazbear (Funtime Freddy/Your current muse)

2. Ballora Afton (Your current muse)

3. Vixen "Funtime" Fazbear (Funtime Foxy/Your current muse)

4. Bon Bon Miku (Your current muse)

5. Bill Mickey & Lill Mickey (New Muse)

6. Rianna Minnie & Mary Minnie (New Muse)

Genders: They/Them (Male and Female)

Sexes: Lesbian (Ballora Afton), Straight (Funtime Freddy, Funtime Foxy, Bon Bon, The Mickey Brothers, The Minnie Sisters)

Security Tags Active:

001. "Funtime Freddy"

002. "Funtime Foxy"

003. "Ballora"

Security Tags Inactive:

004. The Bidybabs

005. The Minireenas

006. Bon Bon

Priority One: With the most amount of remnant collectively in its structure, this amalgamation of Afton's constructs is a necessary element in Paragraph 4.

Story (Continued):

Ballora- You fucking asshole! How could you do this to Elizabeth?? She's my only wife that cared for me. She doesn't deserve this! *Crying*

Funtime Freddy- It's not m-my fault, okay maybe it was and I took it too far, but Bon Bon made me agree on this, I swear!

Bon Bon- Well that bitch deserved it Francis, I don't wanna be bossed around by her anymore, I'm tired of being the foot of the group.

Funtime Foxy- Bon Bon you should be ashamed of yourself, you made us kicked our boss out because of your sorry, unexcuseable "Oh I'm the abuse victim" ass!

Bon Bon- Hey listen you bitch, I-

Funtime Foxy- And now we're all gonna be very frightened if she ever comes back to us and possibly kill all of us because of you! I hope your proud of yourself Francis and Bon Bon, because I ain't talking to one of you guys for a month!! Humph!

Funtime Freddy- But wait Vixen I....*Sighs sadly* aw shoot.

Bon Bon: Well good riddance, I don't even wanna hear Vixen speak either.

Funtime Freddy- Bon Bon, you're not helping at all.

The Bidybabs- Well we fucked up.

The Minireenas- Us too.

Nighttime Baby- I FoUnD YoU traitors~!!! *Evil Giggling*

*End of Story*

Origin: This is what happens when the rest of the remnant remains, and Elizabeth Van Helsing Ray (Circus Baby) gets ejected by Ennard (They/Them). Francis (Funtime Freddy) however took it too far and now he felt worried as well. He couldn't talk to Vixen (Funtime Foxy) for a month, Ballora won't even talk to him at all, The Mickey Brothers (The Bidybabs) & The Minnie Sisters (The Minireenas) are frightened that they might be killed as well, & Bon Bon she just doesn't care at all, nor either is helping either, because she thought Elizabeth deserved it, and she is kinda tired of being the foot of the group anyways. And now Nighttime Baby will soon kill all of her traitors except Ballora. Injected Freddy was originally named "Freakshow Freddy"

#4 (New Muse):

Toy Lefty

Other Names:

1. Expectation Lefty

2. Lure Encapsulate Fuse Transport & Extract 2.0.

3. Toy Puppet (Formerly)

Creator: Henry Juniors Emerald

Real Name: Merissa Emerald

Age: Immortal (15 years old)

Gender: Female

Sex: Straight

Blueprint Info:

A. Top Hat= Navigational Sensors

B. False Sensory Output

B Notes: Bracelet Code 9340123387. Emit for security receiver frequency FZ5542.0

C. Microphone= Dream Wand

C Notes: Use lullaby index 02. Upon suit-seal, provide steady voltage throughout. Behavior upon suit-seal not guaranteed.

D. Yellow eye= Facial Recognition 2.0.

F. Song Databank

Story: Unknown

Origin: This new version of Lefty is a newer sleeker capture mechanism model for the Toy Puppet (Merissa Emerald), and he's much more kid-friendly than the original Lefty. This new animatronic can take song requests with a Song Databank equipped with 1000+ songs. Toy Lefty was originally known as Lure Encapsulate Fuse Transport & Extract 2.0.

#5 (Null Muse):

(Work in Progress)

[chaoslordjoe]

Bloodlines AU - How to Bungle a Beach Bum

An Atlesian on the beach was like seeing a leprechaun. It just wasn’t that bloody common with how many surprisingly preferred the cold.

Weiss Schnee was one exception though, here on break from CEO work with her 8-year-old son Dominick building sandcastles sitting next to her. Weiss proudly looked at her son, still attempting to form the perfect shape as he glanced at her for advice.

“How did you build sandcastles back then, mother?” He innocently asked.

“Your father used to take me during summer vacation. He was still afraid of water back then, but still enjoyed beaches.” Weiss answered, raising her sunglasses. She then gave a dreamy sigh at the following memory. “We entered a sandcastle competition that day.”

“Did you win?” Nick asked.

Weiss shook her head. “Unfortunately not. But it was still pretty fun, and we’ve been perfecting them ever since?”

“What can I do better with them?” Nick continued.

“Don’t make a sandcastle, sweetie. Make a sand palace!” Weiss beamed.

“Okay!” The young man said with a nod. “I’ll do my best for you. Do you know that man on your right?”

Weiss turned around, noticing a well-built gentleman wearing a black pair of swim trunks and sandals. The CEO blinked in confusion.

“...No? Do I know you, sir?” She finally replied.

“Good day, Miss Schnee.” The man introduced. “I’m an investor here on vacation and wanted to comment on how lovely you look today.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow at that. “Investor, hmm? To what do I owe the pleasure.”

“You see, I’m working on a startup featuring easy stock trades and was wondering if you were available later.” The yuppie insisted, not noticing little Dominick glaring at him in the background.

Weiss paused, only to turn back on her stomach. “I see.” She said. “Sorry, but I’m here enjoying the beach with my son. Have a good day and good luck on the next magnate you come across.”

“Oh, alright.” The schlub replied. “Maybe I could take you and your boy for a ride later, and show you what I have in my office?”

Weiss looked back up, this time looking more irritated. “Already have a ride.” She said, gesturing to her staff car on the parking lot. “And unlike yours, it isn’t compensating for anything.”

“What?” The douchebag replied in mock hurt. “Oh no, Miss Schnee. I meant nothing by it. And I’m plenty...You’re married, aren’t you?”

“Very.” She answered, showing off her wedding ring.

“Well, screw this.” The douchebag huffed. “You’re lucky I don’t have a playroom for your little twerp, toots. Good day to you.” He plainly snipped, storming off.

Weiss scoffed, noticing Dominick’s confused face.

“Typical douchebag.” She commented, laying back on the towel. “You’d think they would’ve learned by now.”

“What’s a douchebag?” Nick cutely asked.

“A bad person, sweetie.” Weiss answered. “A very bad person. Promise me you’ll never be like that guy, okay?” She requested.

“Okay. Why did he try to flirt with you?”

“Because he’s a dummy.” She answered, not that Weiss ever had much love for bankers to begin with.

Nick folded his arms, holding his shovel like a gun. “Bankers sound really stupid.” He admitted.

“Mm-hmm.” Weiss replied with a smile. “Do you want some ice cream?”

“Nah, I’d rather work on this sand palace for now. I know papa wouldn’t put up with this.” Nick said as he looked back on his sandy creation.

Weiss snickered. “Oh, he has stories to tell.”

“You rang?” Neptune Vasilias replied within earshot, carrying root beer over.

“Oh, hi honey.” Weiss greeted, kissing his cheek.

“Hi, Snow Angel.” Neptune kissed her ear in return before looking to his son. “You’re not giving your mom a hard time, are you Nick?” He jokingly questioned.

“No papa.” Nick answered with a head shake. “I was curious about flirting. Mother said there was a douchebag who came up to her.” He said, making Neptune freeze.

“Hey! Language.” Nep scolded with the dreaded finger. “Don’t say that word your mother said. Was he there for long, Weiss?” He then asked, turning to his wife.

“He ran as soon as I showed him the ring.” She answered.

“Did he offer to take Nick at all?” Neptune continued.

“For a ride in the car, but I showed him ours. Thinks he’s so slick, hmph!” She answered, folding her own arms and doing the signature Schnee pout.

Neptune rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, he can go soak his head.” He commented, saving the vulgarities for when they were alone. “You wanna get some ice cream, pal?” He then asked Dominick.

“I wanna do this sand palace first.” Nick insisted. “Mother suggested it and I wanna try it out.”

“I’ll help him out with the palace.” Weiss spoke.

“Still got our old tools?”

“Yeah. Back from when we tried making our own.” She said, giving a quick nuzzle to her husband.

“I am impressed.” Neptune replied. “I’ll be sure to take you guys for ice cream later. And don’t forget the flags, okay Weiss?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Weiss said, getting up to sit behind their son and guide him.

“Sure, papa.” Nick said before giving a triumphant smile to his mom. “I’ll keep the jerks away from you, mother!” He declared, holding up a shovel.

Weiss chuckled. “My little hero.” She replied, ruffling her boy’s hair as they got to work.

Another RP done by me and @darksaiyangoku. Enjoy the extra Dominick cuteness, folks.

[whitecatindisguise]

The Sundrop Alchemist (4)

Posting a little bit earlier today, bc thought we all need some fluff and happy times after the RP thread.

Anyway, onwards.

Summary: Varian decides to go see the birthday lights with the help of rather unwilling intruder. But what can he do to convince him...?

AO3 link is here

------

Chapter 4: The Unwilling Helper

With a little help from Ruddiger, Varian managed to move the intruder from the closet, onto the chair. The two then tied the boy’s hair around the body like a rope. Ruddiger made sure the hold was secure. Neither knew if the intruder was dangerous but they weren’t going to take any chances. 

When the raccoon finally deemed the knot safe, Varian pulled the chair a little bit closer to the light, himself hiding in the shadows. He nodded at his friend and prepared for the intruder to wake up. 

Ruddiger climbed the teen’s frame. He sat at his shoulder and smacked his cheek with a paw. Varian held his breath. The intruder didn’t even react. Ruddiger shot him a puzzled look and smacked him again and again, with no result, apart from the cheeks reddening. The raccoon huffed in annoyance and scurried down. 

Varian’s eyes followed the animal as it went to the kitchen, grabbed one of the glasses and filled it with water. The raccoon climbed the unconscious teen once again and dumped the whole glass at his head with the biggest I’m-so-done face Varian has ever seen. 

The teen shot up almost instantly, Ruddiger falling off in the process.

“Wha-?” The green eyes widened in shock. “What’s going on? Why am I wet?” His gaze fell on his bindings and he looked truly puzzled. “Is that… hair?”

Varian suck in a breath, clenching the frying pan harder. This was it. 

“S-struggling is pointless.” He creaked out, voice shaking. He gulped and tried to calm himself. The intruder was tied up. It was Varian, who had the upper hand here.

“What?” The intruder turned towards the voice, eyes squinting in an attempt to see through the darkness. 

“You won’t escape, until you answer my questions.” Varian took a steadying breath and stepped into the light, frying pan pointing at the tied teen. “Who are you, and how did you find me?”

The teen blinked in confusion. 

“Woah, you’re a boy?” He asked. Varian’s cheeks reddened with anger and he let the frying pan fall.

The boy stared at the unconscious teen in puzzlement. Ruddiger chittered angrily.

“S-sorry bud. I might have overreacted.” He chuckled nervously. The raccoon continued to chitter as it went back to the kitchen to refill the glass. 

~~~~

“Let’s try again.” Varian said with furrowed brows, when the teen woke up again. “Who are you and how did you find me?”

‘Is this all hair yours?” The intruder asked in return, eyes scanning the room. “That’s a lot of hair. Is it real?”

“Wha-? Of course it’s real and- Hey!” Varian started replying before he noticed the teen changed the subject. He pointed the frying pan at him again. “Just answer the question!” 

“How about a no.” The teen shrugged and looked at him challengingly. “You can’t make me.”

“‘No, but I can let Ruddiger scratch your face.” Varian answered, pointing at the raccoon which growled. 

“Ugh, fine. Name’s Hugo.” The teen, Hugo said. “Hugo McCoy. What about you, Princess?”

SMACK

~~~~

“Why do you have to hit me every damn time?” Hugo growled, drops of water falling down his bangs. “And can’t you find a way to wake me up that doesn’t include making me wet?!”

“We tried to smack your face but you wasn’t reacting.” Varian shrugged. 

“So you just decided to dump water at me? Way to go, Princess.” Hugo growled. 

The long-haired boy flinched and raised the frying pan.

“Do you want me to smack you again?” He threatened, eyes sending daggers. 

“Nah, I’m good.” The tied teen replied, raising open palms to show he was giving back. “So what is your name? Or should I just call you Blondie?”

“I’m Varian, and you can stop with the stupid nicknames.” Varian finally said. “Now, for the second question. How did you find me?”

“I wasn’t looking for you, per se, Sweetcheeks.” Hugo shrugged. “I was running from those crazy guards and more crazy horse while trying not to lose the goods and-” He suddenly stopped himself and looked around frantically. “Wait, where is my satchel?”

Varian smirked.

“I’ve hidden it somewhere you’ll never find it.” He exclaimed proudly. The teen looked at him unamused and then took a scan around the room.

“It’s in this pot, isn’t it?” He asked, pointing with his head at the pot standing behind Varian. 

SMACK!

~~~~

“Alright, now it’s hidden in the place you’ll never find.” Varian marched in front of the tied-up teen. “And you can take apart this tower brick by brick, and you’ll never find it. Only I know where it is.” The raccoon chittered angrily and Varian corrected. “Okay, only I and Ruddiger know where it is.” 

“Nonononono! You don’t understand! I can’t come back without it!” Hugo argued frantically, eyes widening in terror. “Donella’s going to kill me!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give it back to you. Now, you were saying something about the… horse?” The long-haired boy cocked his head in confusion.

“Yeah, horse. Four legs, tail, mane, hooves-” The bespectacled teen started but Varian cut him in.

“I know what a horse is, I’m not an idiot!” He cried. 

“Could have fooled me…” Hugo murmured and Varian rose his frying pan higher.

“You’re really asking for another smacking.” He growled. “But why were you running away from the horse?”

“Dunno what they feed that thing, but it’s not normal.” Hugo shrugged, not elaborating. 

“So… you weren’t looking for me?” Varain’s eyes widened in realization. Hugo huffed in response.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you from the beginning!” He exclaimed loudly. “I was running away from the guards and this crazy horse. Found the tunnel. Found the tower. Climbed the tower to hide. End of story! Now, can I have my stuff back?”

“Actually, no.” Varian replied matter-of-factly. He reached for his notebook and showed it to Hugo. “Do you know what these are?”

The tied-up teen squinted his eyes, gazing at the picture. 

“The alchemical lanterns? Yeah, why?” He looked up at the long-haired boy quizzically. “Also, nice drawing.”

“I knew they weren’t stars!” The boy exclaimed, not listening to his hostage anymore. “The colours were off and they were moving too fast to be stars. Plus, they appear only once a year, which is unheard of when it comes to stars.” He turned to Hugo with a serious face. “I’ve come to a decision, Mister McCoy.”

“Just call me Hugo, Blondie.” Hugo cut in and Varian raised the frying pan again. “Okay, Varian.” He corrected and the pan was lowered. “Geez, you need to work on anger control. You can’t just go around smacking people in the head.”

“Anyway, as I was saying.” Varian continued, ignoring completely the last comment. “I’ve come to a decision. Those alchemical lanterns, as you call them, appear only once a year, which is tomorrow night. And you, Hugo, will take me there and bring me safely back into the tower.” The bespectacled blonde looked ready to argue but Varian was having none of it. “Then, and only then I will give you your satchel back. Do we have a deal?”

“Um, no.” Hugo replied quickly. “Can’t you, like, go alone? Why do I have to take you there?”

“I don’t know the way, and you, clearly, do.” Varian answered quickly and smirked. “Of course, I could let you go now, but I already told you. You get the satchel back only after we’re back safely from our little trip.”

Hugo sighed in defeat.

“Okay, I didn’t really wanted to do that, but you give me no choice, Princess.” He somehow managed to reach into his pocket and took out a blue ball. “Beware the power of Alche-!”

SMACK

Hugo’s head fell down, the teen falling unconscious yet again. His grip on the ball loosened and it fell on the floor, rolling away. Varian came closer and picked it up, inspecting it from all angles. 

“Did he really just tried to attack us with a bath bomb?” He asked in confusion, looking at the raccoon sitting on his shoulder. The animal shrugged. 

Varian sighed as he observed the unconscious teen. This is going to be much harder than he imagined.

------

Hugo smack count: 6

Have a good day~