#I can't wait to stream bigger games

[addaxbones]

You built your own computer today? 👀

This sounds like a story for stream, but perchance I can ask how that went- or for a little more- in this here ask?

I DID! All the parts finally came in a bit faster than I thought so after class today I have just been building and setting up my computer, it went pretty well, some pretty easy troubleshooting. i guess here is as good a place as any to show my build.

[th3-c0ll3ct3r]

pssstt, mr beast employed a convicted pedophile who raped a child aged 1-11. Every work has background checks. His nickname is delaware, as a joke that he can’t go back to the state. Mr beast used the nickname multiple times, he appeared in his videos, mr beast when living with ava kris was seeing the damn pedophillic poster proudly sitting on the wall and its visible in his videos too. He also was active in the disgusting servers ava kris was in.

Bro ik but I got a Twitter DM from someone who will allegedly knew him telling me to stop already get sued and I'm not about to risk the lawsuit with the Millionaire.... ON TWITTER

Mr Beast has:

Hidden over 8 pedophiles at his company, some of which work with the children that they have in their videos.

Hired registered sex offenders to also help manage children in their videos.

Underpaid staff.

Try to peer pressure employees into letting him by them a house so that they could live closer to work making it so that their whole life revolved around his actions.

Had his friend illegally put down 1000 of his signatures on hoodies to give to fans, effectively scamming every single person who bought his hoodie.

Including harmful products and chemicals in his chocolate that he promoted would not be there.

He has literally committed a war crime. I'm not joking.

Had illegal gambling live streams with minors.

Violated many guidelines on the health and safety of everyone participating in the beast games.

Covered up sexual harassment within the beast games so that the episodes could come out on schedule

Good ol'tax fraud.

Not providing his workers with substantial healthcare got the shit they were doing

Holding out payment from certain people.

Purposefully manipulating of a content creators into believing that all of his challenges were indeed true and accurate so that they could spread the word and cover up anyone else who was saying that the challenges weren't real effectively using his friends to cover up his own lives dragging them down with him

Marketing Team Sea's, as saving the world getting a $100million together to help save the ocean, only to Backtrack later in interviews as he realizes that it did not in fact save the ocean and he actually caused irreparable damage to the ocean

Not recycling are the rubbish he collected from the ocean, and instead it ended up in landfill

Making anonymous donations to politicians

Unjustly firing Jake the Viking I'm not apologizing to him for it and refusing to supply him with ample unemployment pay for a long time

Being in a multiple discord servers with multiple minors and knowing that they were Minors

Defending Dr Disrespect

Endorsing the Shadman

Editing as of currently over 100 YouTube videos to remove the poster of the Shadman in his videos so that it can't be used as proof in court. That's right my friends. He's edited over a 100 videos currently and is still editing our every inappropriate comment form Ava Kris Tyson, every inappropriate comment of himself and all posters of the shadman as well as covering up his gambling

I don't know how many people knew this but he also made fun of Ironmouse, as in the vtuber for her disability in which he scrubbed the clip from the internet and acted like it never happened

Uses often AI generated scripts in his videos

He provides housings for pedophiles and sax offenders

Had one of the minor that either he or Ava Kris Tyson were messaging in that discord server be employed by Mr beast and another one appeared in a challenge. They had waited till these people turned 18.

And it is currently speculated that he is paying his girlfriend not to say anything

I also posted a theory on Twitter about why people don't believe Mr beast is a bad person. To which it was reported within the same day for misinformation and harmful content which practically proves I was right.

So I'll share it here. AHEM

Mr beast would only make his challenges in genuine for a select number of content creators with bigger platforms so that they could spread the word on their bigger platforms that is challenges were actually real.

But for other people like Rosanna Pansino and many of the winners they which rated poorly because they didn't have as big of a platform. He would do withdraw their winnings or what they actually should have been paid, disregard their feelings, sale to mention the terms and conditions set with the money that they had gotten from their challenge, an also failed to mention that the money that they had won or earned had not had the Taxes paid for them so by the time they had already spent the money they got to let us saying that they had to pay taxes because it came over additional income.

However the people who've said this publicly on YouTube with shadow-banned, because it made YouTube best earner look bad

[bababaka]

Shipping Wars - Bade x reader

The prompt:

Person A, B, and C are famous. Their fame is growing and they are hesitant to come out as a poly couple so they just pass it for a really good friendship. Thing is, the internet being the internet started a shipping war. Some ships A and B some B and C some A and C. It’s starting to do some fights online. One day, they get tired of being asked questions about it and decide to come out as who they are.

Warnings: Aged up Characters. My writing and grammar. Some anxiety but nothing too much. Me not knowing how Twich works. I didn't truly revised it so...

Word count: 3.143

An -> I tried writing in portuguese and then throwing it into the google translate. Lotta work, let me tell you. Nah. It was a valid experience, though.Don't know if i'd do that again. Anyawyas. Love Bade and yeah. Here it is.

You liked what you did.

Entertain and chat with people on the internet who have the same interests, while playing some silly game or one that you've waited your life to play. Was funny. Interesting. Laugh and freak out on the internet with others.

In your five years on the channel, you've created a loyal, funny, and comfortable community. But, well, things started to take a bit of a left turn after the channel's first year.

The shipping war.

And the more time passed, and your popularity increased, the bigger the fight became.

@Yn'slapdog

Jpg.net 

Get yourself someone that looks at you like yn looks at Jade.

-> @Thatonetheaterkid

uuuhm i wish! Thats real love right there! 

-> @Yn'slapdog

Yyyyes! They are the reason i believe in love!

-> @Beck'sBack

whaaaat? Why? They are not a couple! Stop being a delulu! Jade is dating Beck!

Jpg.net 

I mean! C'mon! Look at them people! 

-> @Badeisreal

duuuude! Yes! Their chemistry in that movie was just off the charts! And that scene was improvised by the way! 

-> @Jade'sbottom

it was IMPROVISED??? WHAT? OMG! THAT IS MY FAVORITE SCENE! THEY ARE MY FAVORITE COUPLE!

-> @Badeisreal 

Right? Same! Also, i heard they are going to play as a couple in a new movie AGAIN! 

-> @Jade'sbottom 

jsjfjrkfkekfjdkdjdk Santa is bringing my gift

-> @Yn'slapdog

...its may…

-> @Jade'sbottom 

….Santa is late…

-> @Astarion'slittlebitch

ok. Guys. Take a breather. It is a crime you guys haven't mentioned Beck and Yn. 

They are so darn cute in yn's streams! 

-> @Imyourfather

YEEEEES! BECK BRINGS YN SNACKS ALL THE TIME! AND EVEN PLAYS SOMETIMES! 

-> @Thatonetheaterkid 

...i don't watch their streams… not really my cup of tea. 

-> @Y/n'slapdog 

You should though! There's a lot of damning evidence there! INCLUDING JADE MAKING COMPANY TO THEM! 

-> @Beck'sBack 

we back at this again? 

-> @Thatonetheaterkid 

oh, please! Jade and Beck are actors!!! They are meant to pretend!!! Fake! If they played a couple and didn't seem in love they'd just be out of job.

-> @Badeisreal 

There's somethings you just can't pretend tho!

-> @Imyourfather 

yes. There is. Thats cinema for you.

-> @Theoficialdreamer

What if they are just all good friends though? I mean. They do live in the same house. Maybe just roomates. 

-> @Yn'slapdog  

...get off my thread….

- Boom! That's how it's done! Pay up, guys! I warned you not to doubt me. I am a god.

You got out of your chair, jumping in front of the camera and computer, which showed the end credits of the game.

"I can't believe it! How many people have zeroed in the first time like that?"

"Few. And now they're part of them! What a legend. Mad respect."

"Look at theeem! Dancing with joy! How cute! I can't even be sad about losing the bet."

Yourmom donated $500.

Spideeey donated $500

"Ah! Come on!!! Really?! Noooooo!"

"Just pay, man. Accept that it hurts less"

"Ugh. Next time, I'll win the bet."

Mastermind donated $700

"You guys should just give up at this point. Yn is invincible"

Damn right i am! - you finally finished your extremely petty celebration. You did an event of ten challenges, and in each challenge, if you won, a group would pay you. If you lost, your subscribers would choose a punishment.

But, you were amazing. And didn't lose even once. Inside, you were scared to death of what they might ask. Your fans were cool. But they could cross some lines.

- So, that was the last challenge, right?

You waited and read the comments until you received a definitive answer from one of your moderators.

"Congratulations, Yn. You completed all ten challenges exceptionally."

Yn'srock donated $500.

- Sweet! I'm buying a new mattress after this! Mine broke.

Before the chat could react inappropriately to your speech, Beck appears at the door, out of view of the camera, but unfortunately his voice is audible.

- I heard screaming. What happened? - Normally, you would brush him off and get back to your stream, but, throwing caution to the wind, you turned your attention completely to him.

- What happened? It happened that I'm amazing and you owe me, baby!

- No.

- Ohohoho! Yes! - Beck joins you in front of the computer, the credits rolling on the screen. The actor's delicate, pretty face contorts, eyebrows furrowed, mouth contorted, and a defeated sigh. 

- How? You didn't even like AllSouls.

- Nope. But, a bet is a bet, I did it and now you gotta pay. The chat already did.

And that's when you turn your attention to your computer and notice the chaos in the chat.

Damn it.

This happened whenever Beck or Jade appeared on your streams. Sometimes it could be restrained. Like the times Jade remained by your side, almost sitting on your lap, throughout the stream. Or Beck would join and play with you. Your fans would get used to their presence.

But, well, there were moments, phrases, actions that turned your lives into a complete mess.

This was one of them.

"They are so cute!"

"Ooooh! Bet?? Bet what?"

"BABY??? I'm sorry, WHAT?"

"Bet, hm? The sexy kind?"

"Beck's so hot. Lucky yn"

"Wait??? Beck Oliver?? Wth? Im new someone explain to me"

"They live together. Jade West too."

"And they're also dating"

"Stop spreading fake news!"

"C'monnn! Admit it they'd look amazing as a couple"

"Guys! Stop! We don't know a thing! Respect their privacy please!"

- OK! OK! Let's stop, guys.

Beck laughed awkwardly. He had read the comments.

- Hi, chat. Long time no see.

"Yeah! You should come over yn's streams more often! 

"Oooh! You guys should play one of those games for couples"

"You should do pvp. I'd bet on Beck." 

- Ok! Ok! First. Stop betting against me. Learn your lesson, I'm the best. 

- Cocky. - He murmurs.

You continue, ignoring Beck. - And second, it's no big deal. Just because Beck played a million times and couldn't finish it without dying, he thought I couldn't. Well, you thought wrong, bitch!

-Okay, okay! I lost, you won. Satisfied? - Beck rolled his eyes, but the smile he had tried to suppress gave him away. And you couldn't stop smiling. 

- Not even close! - you had plans for Beck. Your back and neck were extremely sore, and your boyfriend had talented hands.

The internet and the outside world were unaware of your real relationship with Beck and Jade. They speculated, of course, but everything the three of you said was the same thing.

"Chat, we're friends. Stop."

"No, no. Beck and I are just good friends. It helps a lot when we play as a couple"

"We're not a couple."

"No."

"Just friendship."

"Are you stupid? Do you need me to draw? Friends!"

"F-R-I-E-N-D-S! We're just friends!"

It was a recurring question. Jade couldn't always stay calm. It was quite common for her to lose her cool actually. She was always like that, short tempered.

You met Jade and Beck in high school. And before you even finished your senior year, you were together. It was complicated. Painful. Difficult, but in the end, everything was resolved. And you have remained together ever since.

9 years later, and here you all were.

You've decided to try streaming. After 5 arduous years, you got your first million subscribers.

Jade and Beck pursued acting careers. And, along the way, they won a few awards here and there. Their goal was the Oscar. And you supported them more than anything.

They also created channels on YT. They weren't active like you, but every now and then they would record vlogs and other stuff.

Jade posts a "things I hate" videos series. And would terrorize unsuspecting civilians.

Beck talked about cars, and his hair for some reason. Both recorded backstage videos, and rarely, about life inside the house.

That was the problem. You appeared with a certain constancy on each other's social midias. Whether it was a video or a photo.

And that caused a stir. Which turned into ship wars.

- Hello, darling. - you threw yourself on the couch, next to Jade, who was smiling at the phone. - what you're doing?

- Ah, hey. - Without hesitation, she snuggled into your arms. - Nothing much. Just seeing how my last video is doing. 

- The cover one?

Yep. - She shows you her phone, a soft smile in her face, and her eyes just at ease. - You look cute playing a guitar. 

- Well, thank you. I agree. I should play more to you and Beck. - you say cocky. Jade huffs at that.

- Sure. 

- Anyways, babe, i was thinking. You, me, Beck, dinner? I'm cooking.

That got Jade's full atention and she stops staring at her phone to look at you.

- That sounds interesting.

- I was hoping to come off as romantic.

- It didn't.

- Not even if I say it'll have candle lights?

Jade cocks her eyebrow at this. 

- Kinda lame. Overused.

- Right. Right. What about me serenading you and Beck?

- Cute, but corny. 

- What about me doing your and Beck's favorite food, serenade you and make a reference to "the scissoring" at the end? 

Jade goes silent at this. And you realize that you had hit the nail on the head. You knew your girlfriend.

- Well, now i have expectations.

- Worry not. They will be met. 

- It better.

Lucky - cover by Jade West ft Yn

2.3 M views

140.787 comments

Thecurupira

Dude. I was just listening to this song! Definitely adding to my playlist. you guys ar releasing it on Spotify? I MUST LISTEN EVRYDAY

Littleprincess24

At this point they're just mocking us. WHY CHOOSE THIS SPECIFIC SONG??????

Zeldainmasteros34

KSNFKDNCKDNFKDNCKDNCKDK IM DYING JADE IS SO HOT! AND HER VOICE!!!! 

Whydidithavetobespiders

That's love.

Look at how they look at eachother.

I rest my case.

Kieranhotttt69

Yn can play the guitar??? And sing??? That's so hot of them ngl

Luke2385

Idk who i want to be. Yn or Jade.

The interviews with Jade and Beck all had something in common. The dreaded question.

- You are a couple in your newest film. Extremely in love. But, what about in real life, is there someone special?

Jade had improved a lot. The patience. Manners. And with Beck by her side, she could control herself.

- No. There's nobody.

- Really? But you are so beautiful and young.

Jade gritted her teeth. Fists opening and closing. Beck rushes in to interfere. He smiles, which many magazines call "the masculine charm".

- Haha. Life is like this. What can we do? We haven't found the right person yet.

The interviewer pauses. Her eyes slightly closed gains a manic shine. They had fallen right into the trap. It was like a predator, salivating at the sight of its defenseless prey.

- But, there are rumors that Yn, a famous streamer, who lives with you, has some involvement with one of the two. Is it true? Jade, on your channel, a cover was recently posted in which you do a very romantic duet. What can you say about it?

But, Jade West was never prey.

- Wow. You don't have intelligent questions to ask so you repeat the same question that a million people have asked? Do you think you will be the person to have a different answer? Do you think you're so special? Well, you're not. And I'm going to speak slowly, so that you can get into your fucking empty head, Yn and I are friends. Beck and I are friends. Nothing more.

The reporter was lost for words. She stuttered awkwardly and didn't know how to redirect the interview, completely embarrassed.

Beck sighs. Jade got better. She hasn't changed completely.

- I think this interview has come to an end. - Beck says. There's nothing he could do now.

The reporter didn't hesitate to jump out of the room. The silence that followed was uncomfortable. Jade crossed her arms. And she stared at the floor. Her leg starts to bounce. Nonstop. Until she can no longer bear the silence, the crushing feeling in her chest. - Are you angry? - she says, hesitantly. Beck sighs.

- No. It's okay. It was not your fault. She wasn't very kind.

Beck lifts Jade's head, his hand gently on her chin.

- It's fine. Come here. - and pulls her into a hug.

- This sucks. - Jade murmurs quietly.

- Yeah. It does...

- Hello losers. Another video. This time we're grocery shopping. - Jade starts talking to a camera.

- Do you really have to record it? It's just grocery shopping. - You asked. Not seeing why she would want to film your outing.

-I want to record so i will.

- Fine. - you shrug.

- Are you guys ready? - Beck comes into the living room.

- Yes. Say hi to the camera Beck.

- …Why are you recording? We are just grocery shopping.

- That's what i said!! - you chime in, excited to see you aren't alone in the matter.

- Oh my god! Because i want to! I don't have to, but i want to…You two are annoying. 

- Why thank you. I try my best. - you smirked. You did enjoy being a little shit.

- Fine. Let's go. Get to the car. 

Grocery shopping wasn't something you did together all the time. Mainly because someone was always busy. But it was faster when the three of you did it together. Beck was the driver, Jade was just picky about what she'd eat, and you were the muscles(though actually, you were the one who has more experience shopping. Jade just likes to try to spite you. Never works.)

- Ugh. I hate lines. 

- We know. - Beck answers it.

- But the public doesn't. 

- No, i think they do. You already made a video talking about it. - at this, Jade turns to the other actor.

- I did? Wait. You watch all my videos? 

- Every single one of them. 

- Uh.

- Why are you surprised? What kind of booy- Beck unmaskedly interrupts himself with a cough, and tries to recover. - what kind of roommate would i be if i didn't?

You thought that save was horrifying. And you tell Beck as much, mouthing it to him. He pushes you lightly, whispering a "shut up", you just chuckle and stay on the line. 

- Hey. Yn. What you are doing? - Beck asks. Interrupting you. Stoping you from beautiful and precious slumber.

- Napping. Or trying to. 

- You sound like an old person. 

- Perhaps because i am old.

- You are only 30 years old. Stop being dramatic.

- Nah. I need my old people nap. Bye. 

Unfortunate for you, Beck called Jade and they decided to take a picture of you. And make fun of you. 

Though Beck insists you look cute napping like an old lady. You didn't know how to take that. And Beck considered it as a victory. 

- Hello, old lady. - Beck greets you in the corridor to the kitchen. You huff, annoyed but also not completely awake. Until a thought comes to you.

- Wait. If i am your lover AND an old lady. Does that mean I am a cougar? 

You can hear Jade's booming laughter from the kitchen. 

Beck just rolls his eyes and gives you a peck on the lips. 

- Yes. It does. Good morning, by the way. 

You smile cheekily. 

- Good morning. 

You and Beck head to the kitchen then, where you see your gorgeous girlfriend still in her pajamas, brewing her black coffee, hair disheveled. Beautiful. 

She comes to greet the two of you, though when she gets to you she adds a little jab. Of course. 

- How is my favorite cougar? Slept well? No pain in your back? 

- Yes. I slept just fine. 

You decide to let it slide. You needed coffee first. 

Your breakfast at first was supposed to be calm. Quiet. Your phone however does not comply to it, beeping and beeping. 

- Hey. I thought we agreed on no phones today.

- Yeah yeah! Sorry. I just. Forgot to… - as you grab your phone and take a look at what it's bothering you and your partners, your humour just sours. 

Hundreds and hundreds of comments on your picture sleeping. On Beck's account. Just tagging you. Again. And again.

All fighting to know who was right about your love life.

Honestly, you were tired of it.

- Babe, are you okay? - Jade asks, noticing your change in mood, the frown, the twisted lip, the distant look. You look up from your phone.

- We should come out. - this quiets the kitchen. Jade with a hand on your arm, Beck still with a piece of toast in the air, on its way to his mouth.

- We should just come out. - you repeat. - I can't take any more of the speculation, the murmurs and buzz.

- Everyone would continue, even if we actually revealed our relationship. They would still gossip and be super invasive. - Beck replies, leaving the toast completely aside, and focusing on you. His face is serious. The lighthearted and fun atmosphere becomes more sober and heavy.

You have already discussed this. More than once, but in the end, you agreed that it wasn't worth the hassle, and you didn't owe other people anything.

And here you were again, debating the subject. This time, however, you found yourself unable to continue hiding.

- But, the media never stops talking and being invasive. It doesn't matter what we do. - Jade speaks up. She sighs, looking away for a moment. - I'm tired of having to lie. Aren't you, Beck?

Beck stares at the table blankly, letting his hands move repetitively along his legs.

- What if this affects our careers? - he asks. You quickly speak up.

- It won't get to that point, and if it does, it would only be temporarily. Our careers would recover. - you say, placing yourself next to Beck, Jade doing the same. And you try to lighten the atmosphere. - and if needed be, I can become your sugardaddy.

This makes them both laugh. And Beck turns to you.

- You'd make a terrible sugardaddy. - he says with a slight lift of his lips. Still stunned. He looks at you and Jade.

- Are you sure about this?

You and Jade share a look. You nod.

- Yes we are.

- With you, I can face anything.

You were in the living room. Your leg wouldn't stop shaking. The camera was in front of you. Jade was adjusting the lights, Beck was in the kitchen, getting water for you. It was now. The moment of truth.

Shit. What if you were making a mistake? What if you got ahead of yourself? What if it actually doesn't turn out okay? What if you are judged and shunned by everything and everyone? What if-

- Hey. - You were interrupted by Beck, beside you, placing a comforting hand on your thigh, and a charming smile on his face. - Everything will be fine. We are doing this together.

You allow yourself to breathe. Jade finally finishes the final adjustments and plops down next to you on the couch, while Beck hands you a glass of water. Your girlfriend snuggles next to you and kisses your cheek.

- I love you. - and all your tensions are gone. You melt into a puddle of love for your partners. You were together. You weren't going to face the public alone.

- I love you too. - you reply, completely smitten. You turn to Beck. - both of you. 

- You know I love you two. 

You shrug. 

- It's always good to hear. 

Jade laughs. 

- You are so sappy. - she says and you smile teasingly.

- And you love it. 

- Do i?

You push her and turn to start the video. 

- Hey, guys! Welcome! And today, we have something to announce. 

Yn, Beck Oliver and Jade West admit their relationship as a throuple and the internet goes crazy!

@Yn'slapdog

Ksjfjrnfjdnssosndkdksksjdksdbdj

@Beck'sback

...i guess this means we'll have to stop fighting…? Love wins…?

@Astarion'slittlebitch

...gotta admit this was not on my prediction chart bingo of this year…

@Badeisreal

Yn is one lucky motherfucker. Good for them. Hope theyre having fun living my dreams T-T

@imyourfather

The true bissexual dream lol

[oizysian]

V. WE’RE GOING SWIMMING

All Eyes on Me masterlist

Word count: 1k

•

I crept back into the hotel room as quietly as I could, sneaking into the little kitchenette so I could put the sandwich I bought for Brie away. As I was putting the bag into the small fridge, I heard something behind me. I spun around, ready to fight - or flee, really - and came face to face with Brie, who had her phone out and was smirking.

"Jesus, you scared me half to death." I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her.

"I see that." She peeked over my shoulder and her eyes lit up. "Is that for me?"

"Yeah." I breathed, turning around and grabbing it before handing it over to her. "I hope you like it. I wasn't sure what to get so I just got something simple."

"I'll eat almost anything. I'm like a human garbage disposal."

I looked her up and down as she put her phone on the counter and dug around inside the bag.

"Where does it all go, though? You're all muscle."

"I work out a lot." She said, her face stuffed with the sandwich I had gotten for her.

I shook my head, chuckling at her, when I noticed her phone was unlocked and there was a picture on the screen.

"What's that?" I pointed to it and she let out a soft hum of questioning before her eyes followed my own to her phone.

"An iPhone."

"The picture, smart ass." I reached out and took it, my jaw dropping at what I was seeing.

"Surprise, I guess." She spoke between bites.

"This ... this isn't good. This looks not good, Brie."

It was a photo of Elizabeth and myself at lunch. We really looked like we were enjoying ourselves but it also looked like a date. We were sitting rather close and she was very animated; very touchy and it seemed as though we were more than friendly.

And they figured out who I was. Oh no.

"Your chat is gonna have a field day with you, babes."

"They're gonna eat me alive." I groaned, placing her phone back down on the counter.

"I can't wait to see that." She smiled, scarfing down the rest of her sandwich.

"Brie, this isn't funny. This looks like ..."

"A date?" She offered and I nodded pathetically. "It's obvious it's not a date - she's married. She would be a fool to go out on a date in public."

"We know it wasn't a date, but look how close we're sitting. Oh gosh." I rubbed my hand over my face before looking up at Brie again, who was still smiling.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're about to blow up, baby."

"Huh?" What was she talking about?

"You were just seen out with one of Marvel's biggest stars."

"You're one of Marvel's biggest stars." I softly reminded her.

"Yes, but she's a star right now. 'Multiverse of Madness' is a hit, Scarlet Witch is bigger now than she's ever been before - and you just had lunch with her."

My eyes widened in realization at what she was saying, shaking my head desperately in denial.

"No, no, I-I'm not -!"

"You're an influencer now! Get out there and influence!"

"Brie, I don't want this responsibility. I'm just a streamer. I sit in my room and play video games, that's it."

"You're more than that now." She grabbed me gently by the shoulders. "You can do great things. That charity stream was just the beginning. Use this publicity to do all the things you wanted to do."

"You make it sound like I should use her popularity for my own gain."

"I didn't say that." But the look in her eyes said differently. "No matter where you go from here, I know I can't wait to watch your next stream where your chat goes absolutely apeshit."

I groaned, momentarily forgetting about how they would all react. They knew about my crush on Elizabeth, but seeing me with her was a completely different story.

"I'm afraid to stream now."

"They're gonna be happy for you." She said, her smirk almost hiding a hint of emotion in her eyes, her voice laced with a slight bitterness I didn't understand. "They're gonna be proud of you for finally landing your dream girl."

"I didn't land anything." I pulled away from her and walked over to one of the chairs at the small table, sitting down in it. "I don't even know why this conversation is a thing - we're just friends. We're all just friends!"

A flash of hurt colored her face before she snapped back to the present and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe so," she leaned against the counter. "But I still say you get what you can out of this."

"She's my friend. I'm not gonna do that."

She shrugged, her shoulders dropping with relaxation.

"Enough of this Lizzie talk. Let's go for a swim in the pool."

"I don't really feel like swimming." I grumbled when my phone went off, indicating I got a text.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked to see who messaged me - Lizzie.

"What'd she say?" Brie asked, apparently realizing who it was at the look on my face.

"She said she's sorry."

"That's it?"

I shot Brie a look before returning my attention to my phone, typing out a response to her quickly. No, that hadn't been all. She hoped that this incident wouldn't affect our friendship and she asked if she could see me again before I left so she could apologize in person.

"So no pool?"

I sighed and looked up at her.

"Brie, I don't even have a bathing suit."

"So go out in your undies. It's the same thing."

"Elizabeth is coming to talk to me in person." I finally spoke, my eyes glued to my shoes.

It was quiet for a moment before Brie spoke again.

"Tell her to bring her bathing suit then, 'cos we're going swimming."

•

@oh-thats-cute @marvelwomen-simp

[queengiuliettafirstlady]

A lovely game 

A lovely game 

Fandom: Ikemen Vampire

Pairing:   Jean x Julia (Half-Pureblood vampire)

Part of : Ikemen advent calendar hosted by me and @candied-boys

Prompt : December 2 - Secret Santa

Tag:  Established relationship Fluff

Word Count : 934

Author’s Note: A whimsical game is the perfect opportunity to give and receive gift guided by hearts deepening the bond that bind their heart together with unwavering affection. 🥰

Tag list

@kissmetwicekissmedeadly @aquagirl1978

@william-rex

@candied-boys @writingwhimsey

@fang-and-feather @moonstruckmelancholic @lichtluv

@wistfulwanderingone @rjthirsty @ike-garden2024

@maeko-kun @oda-princess @rkmaru

You can find me on AO3 as QueenJuliet  😊

Thank you for everyone who will like, reblog, or comment please be gentle with me english is not my first language so please do not leave rude comments I apologise for eventual errors I hope you will like it 😊

The occasion to have fun in that mansion ran all year around, even more during holidays, that day was no exception since the request of Le Comte to speak with everyone in the parlor set the whole house in disarray with excitement.

One of the happiest at her uncle's plan was Julia that with a spring in her step reached her boyfriend's room only to wait with bated breath for him to answer after she so eagerly knocked on his door, just about when she was to go away a pair of listless navy blue eyes met hers.

“Good evening Jean.”

“Good evening to you Julia.”

“I am sorry to have bothered you.”

“You don't need to worry … may I know why you are here?”

“Ohh you see ... The other residents gathered in the drawing room ... and my uncle asked me to come fetch you but only if you want, like I don't want to pressure you.”

The stream of words from her lips were interrupted when he gently cupped her face in his hands brushing his thumb on her cheek, his eyes filled with affection bothered by a speck of regret at the sight of a strained smile appearing on her lips.

“I am happy you came for me.” 

A blush crept on her cheek making her even more adorable until he took a step away taking her hand in his bigger ones, smiling at the sight of the coy expression glimmering in her chartreuse eyes.

“I am ready if you wish for us to go together.”

“Oh yes please.”

Ever the gentleman Jean offered Julia his arm smiling when she clinged to it, sticking together even when once in the parlour he took a place on the sofa smiling as she did the same leaning on his chest.

A bright smile danced on her lips as he listened to the whimsical plan her uncle proposed to the residents of the mansion, if he had to take his words as the truth the day of the birth of Christ they had to share a gift with a person whose names was written in the card he so elegantly gave each one of them.

“Do you like the idea, Jean ?”

Julia’s voice was the only thing able to pull him out of his reveries, his heart raced madly in his chest at the sight of her shy smile with her gorgeous tourmaline eyes betraying the excitement she felt at the project her uncle brought everyone in.

“I do, Julia.”

A smile brighter than the sun and ten fold warmer danced on her lips 

“I do too. I can't wait to see what everyone will come up with.”

With a spring in her step she tucked the card in her skirt pocket before following him out of the room ready to think about the whimsical plan her uncle proposed.

Before they knew it the day come around everyone beamed with curiosity some hiding it better than others as they sat around the table, and yet when Jean saw Julia all dolled up with a green velvet dress that complimented her curves swaying her hips as she approached him he found himself unable to look away as a certain desires awoke in his heart.

“This is for you Jean. Merry Christmas.”

That simple wish that until now was nothing for him, spoken by her soft lips with so much affection was enough to move him to the core, emotion glimmering in his moonless eye as he carefully pulled the ribbon on the box she carefully placed in front of him. 

“I mostly thank you for this gift … please allow me to reciprocate.”

“I accept it gladly.” 

With a smile to rival any light Julia took the packet he took out from his jacket, like a child in a candy shop she beamed as she swirled the gift between her fingers until his voice took her away from her endeavours.

“Julia.”

“Yes.” 

“Thank you for your gift … I loved it very much.”

Jean was never good with words and yet he did his best to express his gratitude to her, unable to explain how much her thoughtful gift warmed his heart to its very core like nothing ever did except her unconditional love.

“I am so glad to hear that.”

Jean clutched the book to his chest smiling as she placed her fingers upon his own reaching to brush a gentle kiss on his cheek

“You are and always will be the swan for me, never forget that.”

Unable to contain his emotions he wrapped her in an hug, only after placing the book carefully on the table as to not ruin it

“Did you like mine ?”

“I have yet to open it, give me a minute.” 

The shy smile dancing on her lips made her shine even more under the light of the chandelier, that so sultrily swirled on the velvet planes and curves of her dress, rivalled by the brightness of her eyes as she took in the inside of the package he so gallantly held for her to open.

“Oh Jean I love it, thank you so much.”

Affection filled her eyes as Julia’s delicate fingers stroke the soft fur of the white tiger she was holding close to her chest, without wasting a moment she leaned to leave a kiss on his cheek, relaxing in his hug as he wrapped one arm around her form minding nothing of all the residents’ stares as they share a light kiss, before pulling away only to gaze at one another with fond smiles.

[luminavt]

Level 5 Presentation for Fantasy Life: i : NEW LIFE REVEALED!

So Fantasy Life : i just had its segment in the Level 5 ch presentation.

As someone who loved the original game and put nearly 200 hours into it? Trust me, I WILL be streaming this game on release. This was a huge comfort game for me back then, and it likely will be again!

Here's a quick overview of what was shown off by the wonderful and enthusiastic developers!

Small peek at character creation

Terraforming for the main island of the game and town.

"Artifact" system to bring former characters of the original games to your new island. Characters trapped in the form of various objects, once freed, can join your party and provide services to your island town.

Furniture and Housing showcase

Cooking minigame display, showing off how foods crafted can be ranked from 1-5 stars based on performance. They're pretty similar to the original game

Fishing mechanics showcase.

Miniboss combat showcase

Reveals of the two new lives. One, the Farmer was already revealed.

However in THIS Livestream they revealed one new life! Click the read more to see the new life, as I don't wanna spoil it for anyone looking to be surprised.

The new Life revealed is...

ARTIST!!! As an artist myself I'm PLEASANTLY HAPPY for this reveal and can't wait to see what it'll contribute to the game.

Overall. I'm happy and excited to see this sequel come to life. I wanted to see more of the game's exploration, as the original Fantasy Life 3ds had an amazingly huge world to explore.

So far I have yet to see even a display of the world map. So i have no clue to go off of for now.

I hope that this sequel provides just as big of a world, if not BIGGER to explore.

Sadly There was no release date revealed. which is VERY dissappointing. but I won't rush something I've waited THIS long for. I can wait a little longer.

Once this game releases, I'll likely be streaming it a lot, and hopefully it catches hold for me. If it does, It'll definitely be a regular thing for me.

Fingers crossed for a successful launch!

[fedoraspooky]

I haven’t been here long. What irritating changes have been made?

Credit where it's due, some changes have been good, like polls and stuff! But the big recent changes thus far that I would classify as irritating are:

- The UI change. This one may be less irritating for newcomers because it's basically the same layout as twitter and instagram, but for a lot of folks who've been here a long time, it feels cramped and like a loss of identity for the site. For many, the appeal of tumblr is that it ISN'T an algorithm hell like twitter or insta. Also, there's the annoyance of having to relearn where everything is, because it all got moved around.

- The users being lab rats for various tests the devs wanna pull out of nowhere without consenting to beta testing new site features- like the one that took away user icons on the dash for like half the site. They finally put them back after getting enough feedback that said NO, but users were so used to their feedback being disregarded that they were half expecting the change to be pushed through anyway.

- The Netflix tie-in advertising being pushed even to people who had PAID tumblr for a no-ads experience. Complete with them somehow thinking it would be a good idea to put an unescapable-by-scrolling spooky clown on peoples' dashboards that u had to use ublock to get rid of. While I'm not scared of clowns and often find them quite charming, it sucks that staff didn't take coulrophobia being a common fear into account.

- A wave of fully sfw trans posts being wrongfully marked Mature and staff doing little to nothing about it. Not sure if this is still ongoing, but it destroyed a lot of trust and good will. (LGBT+ users have been having to fight a constant war against censorship ever since the adult content ban on tumblr, so yeah... Nevar 4get the list of banned search words that would bring back no results, like 'girl')

- The site gradually moving away from customization. Tumblr is a BLOGGING site. But it seems to have lost sight of that fact, because most new users don't even know you can fully customize your blogs with css and stuff (an option that is now off by default for new accounts!), because of the in-dash viewer giving you only how blogs look on mobile, which is a lot more uniform. There, it's more like every other site- you get a banner and icon. Oh, but you can change colors and fonts from a drop-down list too, that's cool I guess. Though they recently took away custom color schemes on Message windows, just another little bit of personalization taken away.

- TUMBLR. LIVE. Basically tumblr teamed up with a skeevy dating app partner to allow for livestreams- but not the cool kinda livestreams like on twitch where you can draw or play games, no- to a site full of people who value anonymity, they decided to push phone cam only livestreams. Not only that but by agreeing to the terms, you're giving out tons of personal data including your location to said skeevy dating app partner and all of THEIR third-party ad partners. Needless to say, most people didn't wanna use it, so instead of users it's flooded by p*rn bots (which is ANOTHER issue we've been dealing with for a long time and have been getting an even bigger influx of FROM tumblr live) and scammers. And thus, since tumblr likes to put a carousel of current streams on people's dashes, you often get softcore p*rn thumbnails from the bot streams with no way to avoid it except for toggling off tumblr live entirely.

- Oh wait. That's right. You CAN'T toggle it off. Because you can only snooze it for a while until BAM, you're jumpscared by a carousel of ladies licking your screen again! But hey, at least they made the snooze 30 days instead of the 7 it used to be, right? Yeah, except for the fact that you can't get rid of the tumblr live button itself on the app anymore, and now it's front and center with a NEW notification tag on it, overlapping your dash and cramming useful stuff like the search button out of the way.

NOW- A lot of this stuff CAN be at least mostly fixed on desktop by installing ublock and xkit and tampermonkey + dashboard unfucker... But that's a lot of stuff just to make the site usable, you know?

[thomotomo]

Accidental Reveal - Faker x Male Reader

A/N: Once again coming back from the dead to drop you a lil something~ My current hyperfixation is Faker (and T1 and the LCK as a whole too) and I have a few more ideas in stock so maybe I'm gonna drop some more stuff soon! If you wanna request for any League player don't hesitate, I'm absolutely down :D

You were a rather well-known streamer, mostly known for playing Osu and a variety of games such as sometimes league of legends. You had been dating Lee Sang hyeok, better known as Faker, for the past 3 years. The two of you had recently decided it would be good to start living together and for the past two weeks you had slowly been moving your stuff to his house.

You hadn't been streaming during that time, chilling and hanging out with your boyfriend whilst installing your stuff. You had been lucky it was the off-season so could spend most of your time together.

But today, Sang Hyeok had went out to meet up at T1 Headquarters for some work so you decided it would be nice to stream so you had spent most of the afternoon catching up with your chat, telling them about your move with your partner (obviously omitting with who and where exactly you had been moving).

You had been playing Osu, it had been a while and you had been itching to try out new maps so you were rather happy to be able to do so once again. You were having so much fun that you hadn't noticed your phone going off quietly so you jumped, when, right after you finished a song with a nice grade.

You took off your headset as you saw your boyfriend grinning face. You exhaled loudly before standing up to greet him, giving him a peck, completely forgetting that you were live,so in the meantime, your chat was going wild, even though your camera's angle wasn't super wide, they still had seen Sanghyeok's face.

You were in the midst of telling to him what you were doing when suddenly your face decomposed as you realised that you were live and that people now most likely knew who you had moved in with.

"I was streaming...", Sanghyeok's face froze too and you winced before quickly seating back on your chair.

"Hey everyone thanks for stopping by today, I er... gotta go do something quick so we'll see each other very soon! Bye."

You waved at the camera and ended the stream, keeping an eye on the chat, who was still yelling and typing "FAKER?!?!?!!?", you knew you had fucked up. You shut down everything and turned towards your boyfriend, after all he was the bigger celebrity out of the two of you. You knew that you weren't 1000% in the shit as T1 and the management alongside both of your respective families already knew about your relationship so it wouldn't come off as a surprise to them but to the rest of the world and especially to the whole country, it was another thing.

"Fuck Sanghyeok I'm so sorry. I was happy to see you and I forgot to tell you..."

"No it's okay I should've knocked." He said as he sighed and shook his head. The two of you stood there in silence, you were dreading the panicked phone call that would ensue. You stepped towards your boyfriend, kissing his cheek, trying to soothe him at least a bit.

"Hey, we can't do anything about it at the moment. Do you wanna eat something? We can order."

He nodded quietly, he was still frowning, you could feel that he was stressed by everything that was happening. You took out your phone out and, ignoring the DMs coming from some of your friends, you ordered comfort food for the both of you and waited for your order to arrive.

You could see that he was glued to his phone and you could only guess what he was reading. As if he could read your brain and hear your worry he spoke up.

"Don't worry it's just the groupchat with the guys. They're worried about us."

You couldn't help but let out a quiet breath. At least he wasn't letting shitty comments online get to him. You were itching to take a look at Twitter but you knew it wouldn't be good, looking at the timer for when your food would be delivered, you couldn't help but bite your lip in worry. Sanghyeok chuckled quietly and grabbed your face, peppering it with gentle kisses.

"Stop frowning and worrying we're going to be okay. Even if people don't like it. What do you want to watch?"

You smiled softly at him and both of you checked Netflix to see what show you'd be watching tonight. Soon after you had started the first episode of this show you had been wanting to watch the delivery person called you up. You went to fetch the food and as soon as you came back, the both of you settled and dived into your dinner, opting to enjoy it quietly and ignoring the storm you had created. Once you finished cleaning up the dinner the two of you laid down on the couch, him laying down on you.

Whilst you were really into the show you had turned on, you had moved to replying to your friends and family who had discovered the situation or were worried about you, reassuring them that the two of you would be okay.

Once that was done you turned back your focus on the show and on Sanghyeok, caressing his hair gently. You were just basking in the presence of each other, after all you it was late at night and worrying about what had happened was useless and you would deal with the consequences tomorrow.

[taggedmemes]

SENTENCE MEME ⟶ STREAMS AND SUCH / part one always feel free to tweak the sentence to fit your muse.

'what if we simply posted the child through the window again?'

'it's not a sexy book!'

'you're thinking of the other roger. he's also called roger.'

'you're interacting with that guy's junk at the moment.'

'i've always thought that horses hooves sound like they're saying 'tip-of-the-butt'.'

'to be fair, if i saw a horse i wouldn't try to go up and ride it.'

'ooh, i've got an idea. ow! that's not part of the idea!'

'i'm going to kick him into the sea.'

'you shouldn't put this many corpses - or any corpses really - in the river.'

'i've put him through a lot this week.'

'can't wait to see how i solve this.'

'calm down baby, have a cold green mountain iced tea.'

'thank you silenced pistol, i love you.'

'let's have a coffee about it.'

'well, we're alive. which is more than i can say for him.'

'fuck-a-doodle-dandy!'

'stupid trolley problem!'

'just wondering if i can shoot the door button.'

'so sorry about what happened to you, thank you for the keycard, byeeee!'

'let's just jump over the flame— or not! or not, okay, let's not jump over the flame.'

'am i some form of robot? or was i grown in a vat?'

'that's just a waste of perfectly good gas. or fire.'

'sorry i missed you there. i was calling a video game alien a twat.'

'fuck off, you little bastard.'

'that was horrible! fuck off lads!'

'the important thing is i did not panic.'

'i'm going to hide in a bush.'

'i can handle it mostly, but not while fighting a psychic monster.'

'please stop being homeless!'

'why is a tent inoperative?!'

'that really genuinely tugs my beard.'

'waiting for green tea is my favourite absurdist play.'

'was it while i was joking about service bottom fetish game?'

'i know you caught something. it's all floppy and wet.'

'it's not them i'm worried about. it's the monsters in the bloody deep that i'm concerned with.'

'not too close to the sun, icarus!'

'if we're gonna panic, we may as well panic rich.'

'that feels trans as fuck.'

'this is a lot of wine for just a civilian house.'

'there's a bigger more windmill-y looking windmill over there.'

'what is wrong with you?!'

'that's his swan song? his death throes?'

'i'd use the clock tower to orient myself but it fell down.'

'simply follow the shouting.'

'this pearl necklace is covered in poo.'

'i mean, i don't know. i'm guessing.'

'maybe... maybe a grenade.'

'i'm being outsmarted by a creature with a brain the size of a pea.'

[pocketramblr]

How about a gamer au? like an au where shigaraki and Izuku incidentally game on the same server, so for example shenanigans like Izuku kidnapping Shigaraki's pet sheep in Minecraft and holding it hostage until he gives Bakugou back could happen

I asked my brother a minecart question in an attempt to get info to answer this ask, he was confused, and so I showed him for context and apparently "guy holds Minecraft sheep hostage" is legit a thing one of the big smps did which. But also a BABY HOSTAGE???

1- um so Izuku, lonely child he is, turns to the internet to game and socialize. He enjoys Herocraft, which is like Minecraft but with hero product placement and uh you can activate certain quirks in villagers by giving them the right item, which will recruit them for you.

2- Izuku is very careful to not give out identifying information in public streams. Because he's a good kid who listened to the internet safety rules. There's another guy on the server who is just as cautious, though Izuku has no idea that HandHeldConsoul has a very different reason for him to do so.

3- the server in question is kind of set up for large group games, usually two teams against each other in a scavenger hunt, build quest, or more specific modded game. Izuku and HandHeldConsoul are usually on the opposite teams, but once there was a game about randomly drawn partnerships and they were a team who did pretty well for arguing half the time.

4- due to being so cautious, neither suspects each other's identity. Izuku mentioned a school entrance exam but Shigaraki assumed it was for college, thinking Izuku is younger than him but not by as much, and Izuku thinking Shigaraki is like ten, fifteen years older than he actually is to have the time to play when he does. This changes at the mall, when Izuku is trying to explain Stain to Shigaraki and uses a Herocraft metaphor - the same one that had been used in the server a few weeks back. Shigaraki is like "wait are you on that server?" Izuku is like "wait you are too?? WAIT DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE HANDHC" and Shigaraki threatens to kill him there if he doesn't say who he is- wait, no, of course he's SmallMight715. The two leave with a threat of mutually assured Herocraft violence preventing any real life such.

5- Izuku does not dox Shigaraki to the server, and vice versa, though Shigaraki does try to irritate Izuku even more than before now. The others wonder what's up with that but suspect nothing. Izuku just takes it without complaint or firing back, because he's planning something bigger. He didn't expect to have to use it so soon, but when Bakugou gets kidnapped Izuku activates the plan, which is half holding his Herocraft home, goods, and allies hostage and half threat to release info on him. The rest of the server is unaware of what's going on, the admins can't help him, and so Shigaraki angrily sends Bakugou back- an excuse to AfO that "he wasn't going to join anyway, but now the heroes will really distrust him"- and Izuku releases everything for now... Then starts preparing to keep his own things safe from Shigaraki's retribution.

[arealphrooblem]

A Favor for a Favor Part One

This was written for an original exchange and it got way out of hand lol. The link to the full fic will be at the bottom but I thought it would be fun to throw it up here in parts. This does have named and gendered characters though

Synopsis:

When Roxanne -- Agent name Rocket -- is back-stabbed by a friend and given a serum that drains her of her powers and leaves her helpless, she has no choice but to turn to the one person she can't trust: Her nemesis -- a politician and king of the underworld. With her powerless and in the palm of his hand, what he decides to do with her is greatly influenced by their chance meeting as teenagers that neither of them have been able to forget.

When Roxanne turned 12, she kicked her soccer ball into a tree at the edge of the park. She’d done this many times before, because her aim was shit, which was probably why she never made the soccer team at her school. But this tree was different -- it had a hornet’s nest on the back. 

Roxanne had never actually seen a hornet before that day. Never in her life had she heard a sound more ominous, more terrifying than the buzz of hundreds of them, bigger than her thumb, rising like a dark cloud from behind the tree. 

She didn’t think. She just ran. 

And the whole world changed.   

It was like the entire city became a game of freeze tag or red light/green light. The entire population stood still while she dodged between them. And not just people. Cars stood still on the street, birds stopped mid flight in the air, a stream of pee froze between a dog and a fire hydrant. 

Maybe it was more accurate to say that the world became a photograph and only she could move around in it.

When she stopped, out of breath at her stoop, the world jumped back into motion again.  

Her power gave her freedom beyond anything she ever imagined as a child, and so she kept it a tightly guarded secret against her well meaning but overprotective parents. 

The loss of it now was excruciating. Her body moved like a drunk snail, even worse with her injuries.  The world crawled by at an agonizing pace. And she became so acutely aware of how helpless she was without it as she sat in the backseat of a car, blindfolded and trussed up like a pig at a luau, waiting to be delivered into the hands of her worst enemy. 

The Past

The first time they met, the biggest worry she had was completing her anatomy project. The deadline followed her like a shark’s fin, complete with the Jaws theme that played in her head. Any minute now the panic of her procrastination was going to rise from the depths and chomp her in half.

Which was how she found herself walking home from the public library far later than usual, guided only by dim streetlights.  Normally she would just run home  -- the distance from her front door to the library took fifteen seconds when she  used her super speed. But the sooner she got home, the sooner she had to start on her project, so tonight Roxanne took the normal, slow way back. 

Halfway home, a figure stumbled from an alleyway, colliding into her. Before she could right her balance, he quickly shoved her off of him, almost tumbling her into the street. 

“Hey!” she snapped, but he paid no attention to her, running crookedly down the sidewalk. 

He was probably drunk, trying to sneak home before his wife found out. Or maybe he was late for the subway train. Or maybe he was just an asshole.

The next streetlamp revealed a bloody hand print on her shoulder where he had pushed her. Alarm seized her, kept her frozen for long, excruciating seconds. 

Oh shit. 

Oh shit .

The revving of a car motor snapped her out of her panic induced haze. Roxanne lurched forward, becoming too fast for the human eye to track. The man had disappeared from the sidewalk, so she ducked into bodegas and side streets until she found him propped up behind a dumpster. 

Hiding. 

She crouched down before him. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

Which was a stupid question to ask; the answer was a glaringly obvious no. But she always rambled when she got nervous, which was why her presentations always went way over time. 

The man slurred something in response. She couldn’t understand a word of it. It didn’t sound like the kind of drunk slurring she heard at her friends’ parties. Maybe he’d been drugged. Did someone try to kidnap him?

“Where are you bleeding?” she asked again. “Can you point for me?”

He tried to wave her off, the hand in her face covered in blood from a cut on his upper forearm. There could be more, but he probably wasn’t even in his right mind to understand her. 

“We need to get you to a hospital,” she told him, pulling out her phone. 

He mumbled something at that, sounding panicked. It sounded like no .

“It’s okay,” she soothed. “They will take care of you. I’ll even go with you so you’re not alone.”

His slicked, bloody hand wrapped around her wrist , squeezing hard .

NO

She heard it and didn’t. The word echoed -- screamed -- around her, like the word of God. It blasted in her head. She felt it in her chest. 

He was Powered. That definitely complicated things, especially if he was unregistered like her. 

“Okay, okay,” she said. “No hospitals. No cops. But I can’t leave you here, so . . .I guess you’re coming with me.”

Before he could scream-think at her again, Roxanne pulled him up by his shirt and leaned him against the wall. He could barely stand. With some maneuvering and a few extra tries,s he managed to get him on her back. Then she blurred home. 

Thank God it was only a couple blocks away. He was heavy. 

The Present

She didn’t need her blindfold off to tell where they had stopped. The ocean lapping close by, the echo of pigeons above her, the smell of rust and dirt. The freezing cold air.

An empty warehouse by the docks. 

They had to carry her like a sack of potatoes because of how tightly they bound her legs and dropped her roughly onto a chair. 

“This is ridiculous,” she pouted. “I came willingly.”

“Our boss always made it clear never to take any chances with you,” replied one of the men with a snort. 

Well, she couldn’t blame him for that. Over the years, she’d been responsible for breaking a lot of his power in the city underworld and losing him a lot of money. Like a lot . 

Not to mention she needed the shadow that her power’s reputation cast to last as long as possible. Once the truth got out she was toast. 

He could have made her wait in that freezing warehouse as her limbs went slowly numb just to be a dick. She fully expected it. 

Instead, she heard the rumble of another car pull up just when her finger tips started to feel tingly. Then came the distinct sound of his slow, sure footsteps in his Italian leather loafers.

“An abandoned warehouse by the docks?” she complained. “Could you get any more cliched?”

“If it works, it works,” he replied. “I don’t try to reinvent the wheel.”

He stopped in front of her and she could feel the smirk on his face. 

“I should take a picture to immortalize this moment. I never thought I would see the Rocket so  . . .still.”

She’d squirm if she could move. Panic kicked at her chest like a wild horse. It took all her effort to contain it. 

Cool fingers pulled down the blindfold and her gaze met his dark eyes and yes, his smirk. 

“Hello, Roxanne.”

“Hello John,” she countered. 

“Please, I’m dying to know -- what on Earth drove you to offer yourself to me so . . .” he trailed off, his smirk disintegrating into shock. 

She could barely feel him this time. He glided into her mind like a canoe on a glassy river. 

“Oh Roxanne,” he breathed. “You are in trouble.”

Full story here:

Part 2 here

[nicole-the-hololynx]

what old game do you think made the most or best use of its hardware?

I've been thinking over this one for a bit, and in the end I can't think of a game that punches above its weight more than Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for the PC Engine CD + Super System

Rondo of Blood is really one of the best games of its era. It's got some incredibly tight gameplay that I feel no other game of its style has quite managed to capture, it has some amazing music, and it's an absolute FEAST on the eyes with how it's filled with vibrant graphics and silky smooth pixel animations.

While Rondo stands as a great game on its own, when we look into the hardware it's running on we can really tell how much the game is pushing this console. Many people I've met whose only exposure to the PC Engine comes from Rondo think the console is some sort of "powerhouse", that it's very good at pushing these gorgeous 2D visuals in a way at least comparable to other consoles of its time, like the SNES or Genesis. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

The base PC Engine console was a budget system, meant to be a 16-bit upgrade for people who couldn't afford or couldn't wait for the bigger consoles. Internally tho, while its graphics might seem 16-bit enough, the console is actually not too different from the old NES, just with a tiny bit more juice. The CD-ROM² expansion lets it read data off discs. And finally the Super System Card is an expansion to the CD expansion that gives it a bit more RAM to play around it. That's it, that's what Rondo runs on. Just an NES with a CD drive and some extra RAM.

Rondo largely manages to look as good as it does by just knowing very well how to use the hardware. How to split the screen into strips to give the illusion of perspective or background layers. How to add sprites every now and then to make the background's strips blend in. It also helps that for a console like this a CD is practically infinite storage space, making RAM the only real concern in that regard. Really the only aspect of the PC Engine that goes underutilized is the audio chip, and that's because of the music all being streamed.

Rondo is a game I could gush about for hours, so I think I'll cut it short here. As a fun anecdote, before settling on Rondo I asked my partner for their thoughts on this, to which they replied "probably something like The Last of Us or the Wii Sports game" which uh. Isn't wrong! But still filled me with an indescribable dread...

[hazelrose3637]

Nikki's Birthday Live Stream!

Well, Shiny Designers, the Glitter of Wishes live stream has come to an end. And, wow, has it been a treat!

In case you missed it, here's the full itinerary:

A sweet Momo montage! Our favorite kitty gets a new song! Of course he mentions food in it lol

And we get a cute animation sequence of Nikki finding Momo practicing a dance in secret. Who knew Momo was so skilled?

Now, we get into the main part of the live stream. After greeting us, Nikki and Momo have a memory notebook that contains well wishes and gifts from across Miraland... and even from real life!

We visit Cloud Empire first, where the game devs filmed a stunning display of molten iron fireworks! They spent a whole day finding the perfect spot, setting up the smithing tools, and then setting off brilliant sparks. They were incredible to watch!

And then, the first round of giveaways: 12 lucky people will get 12 Sea of Fantasy tickets and 1206 pink gems. (Get it? 12/06 is Nikki's birthday.)

Off to Pigeon Kingdom afterward! A short and cute stop-motion sequence made of clay and felt shows Nikki and Momo having fun with arts and crafts. I wonder how long it took the animators to move the figures frame by frame? Nevertheless, it looks amazing!

The next giveaway code is PIGEONKINGDOM, and it will give 2888 to 5 stylists.

Third stop on our journey is Wasteland, and it offers the most gifts! First, we get Letters from Wasteland, where Vivian, Jiang Beixi, Zoey, Tess, Yisu, and even Queen Hester share memories and wishes for Nikki.

And then, we get a second dance, this time of Nikki in her standard SN dress, the Voice of Desire suit, and the Bloom Up suit as three versions of her dance to Bloom Up! It's all so cute! ^_^

Lastly, we get a quick animation sequence of Momo and his hamster friend grilling (and fighting over) steak. Nikki saves the day in a very sweet way.

Before we go to Ninir Kingdom, the third round of giveaways starts, with the code NINIRKINGDOM offering 5888 pink gems for 2 lucky stylists.

Now in Ninir, we get a glimpse of Nikki's birthday outfit! It's a lovely pink fireworks-themed dress, complete with a crown. You can check out OrangeCatty's blog here for a video and full rundown.

And we get to see our next event: the second Sanrio collab, this time with Kuromi and Pompompurin! Who else can't wait for the adorable animal friends?

Not only that, but the entire server gets a redeem code: HBDNIKKI for 520 gems! Make sure to claim it before the 14th of December.

But guess what is a bigger surprise? Real gamers voicing their wishes for Nikki! I recognized only a couple, but it was still so cool to see how many people the devs reached out to make this live stream even sweeter.

To wrap up the live stream, we got a mashup of several different Nikki songs, all leading up to the premier of a new song, Fireworks of Memories. Such a sweet song :)

The last giveaway is BESTWISH for 8888 pink gems, and only one very lucky stylist will get that. Momo comes back for an encore montage, this time with Nikki singing along.

If you'd like to check out the full archived video, check it out here.

See you next time, Shiny Designers!

[lucigraves]

Can't scroll through any social media without reporting/blocking an ad every other post. Personal creations get no traction. Endless amounts of art tossed into the void only to get drowned out beneath ads or bad faith opinions from someone with 100k followers (majority of whom are either bought or bots) who's completely lost touch with reality. Most social media runs exclusively off of a negative feedback loop, you spend so much time being angry at someone who hit post on something just for clicks. They don't think about you, they don't think about consequences because they're making $ off of you being upset.

Can't drive down a highway without being blinded by full LED screens bigger than my house advertising businesses I've known about for 10+ years. The cost of keeping every light on all 25 billboards in a 10 mile stretch would cover the cost of universal housing for the local area for 5+ years. 5 more storage units pop up in whatever land is left for sale.

Can't listen to a streaming service without an ad after every song. Can't listen to podcasts without 10-20 minutes of paid advertisements; all of them are either gacha games (gambling), weight-loss fads, pyramid schemes, therapy with unlicensed physicians who data mine your personal info or some brand you'd have to be living under a rock to not know. Every YouTube content creator makes videos exclusively about covering some topic or fad you should avoid on TikTok, seemingly bringing the topics even more attention than it had before; 30 minutes long with a 10 minute paid advertisement in the middle.

Can't make important phone calls without being met with automated help systems that never have an option for the issue you're having. If you're lucky enough to get sent to a real person you end up waiting 15+ minutes on hold and most of the time get disconnected before you get through, successfully wasting 30 minutes to an hour of you're limited free time.

Every streaming service has new shows and movies every day. One season, three if you're really lucky. And no more 12-24 episode series, now its 8 episodes, because that's whats bingeable. Nothing good approved for more than 2 seasons and maybe a double feature movie to tie up all of the loose ends they thought they had time to finish up before they dared to put a queer character in their cast. Is buying the media physically worth an ad every 20 minutes? Does it even exist physically; or is it another series that'll be lost to time because corporate noticed they can't make an extra $0.05 on every stream.

Every other ad is temu or shein, every product photo is blatantly ripped off of some individual creator on etsy who handmade the item and hasn't gotten a sale in 6 months. Every corporation relies on stealing from solo artists and creators and mass-producing their one-of-a-kind pieces. If they're lucky enough they'll be allowed to do a collab with a big company, all so they can make 2% of the profit.

All of this on top of having to work however many hours you need to to survive, to get by on (probably) the bare minimum, to scrape by. To pay rent to someone who owns 15 properties and charges you double what they pay monthly. Hoping (for your wallet's sake) that you don't have any emergencies lest you empty out what little savings you've been able to put aside. You get maybe 3 hours of free time in your day between keeping up with household needs. All of that, only to have to fight your way through all of the advertisements to try to enjoy the few minutes of free time you get for yourself.

I wish I could put this into words in a more palatable way, but I'm just so tired of being frustrated that so much of my limited time on earth is being wasted so someone else can make $0.0005 on 30 seconds of my life. I'm tired of being advertised to. There's so few places left worth my time on the internet anymore, because they prioritize a few cents to the ceo over me.

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 10: The Kill Box

You ready for a fight? We got ringside seats, soda and popcorn. Just make sure you've got your splash guard ready to go.

The Good.

When the illusion over Whitestone is disturbed and ripples...that's a beautiful visual effect. This show's at its peak when it portrays magic so well it inspires wonder. Exandria is a gorgeous world; it's so gratifying when it's done justice.

Earlier, I said it was a good move to split the party because it serves the intervening episodes well. But that choice gives us something fun here, too. In the original, everyone was waiting in the wings to see if Grog would win or need to call for backup. Because the rest of the group needs to get to Restruun to help, and because the gnomes are spotted and threatened, the stakes get raised considerably. Half of Vox Machina is in dire straights and the calvary isn't guaranteed to arrive in time.

Note: in the game, Matt described the spike as going through Grog's shoulder. That's till bad, mind you. Much worse in real life than tv and movies would suggest, but I can't stand seeing it go through the gut. You could conceivably miss organs in the shoulder at least. Here? Not so much.

It always a pleasure to see Pike be bad ass. According to the episode commentary they actually slowed down her face bashing because otherwise it would've been a little much. Even then it's still sufficiently brutal.

Always good to hear Ike. And Liam was right. Grog's absolutely gut-wrenching (no pun intended) vulnerability sells this scene. Grog's usually a sillier character, but Travis is just as capable of making a character hilarious as he is playing them so that they break your heart.

And of course, the iconic as always call to rage. Even more hype here than usual.

I will never complain about this show's fight scenes. You can feel the difference between Grog fighting Kevdak before he rages and after. Likewise, the difference between fighting Kevdak before he swells up with the magic of the Knuckles and after. The hits' power and the weight of the impacts as Grog is slammed around the arena makes you flinch like it was you getting hammered to the stones so hard they crack.

The choice to have the rest of the crew come in, with no fan fair, in a corner of the screen where you could easily miss them...mwah! Beautiful. It feels organic, and it makes you feel excited for noticing it.

But once the fanfair starts....their silhouettes on the roof, the closeups, Grog's call to arms.....AH! I knew we were getting something special for this episode. The fight is sufficiently gruesome on both sides, and everyone gets to show off.

The episode would not have been complete without the Willingham Poke Ball drop. It was a particularly clever move by Laura in the game and seeing it play out was just magic. The rise and payoff of the music, that shot of bisected Kevdak when the smoke clears....there's no word but epic to describe it.

Keyleth is adorable, and the Raven Queen is a cockblock.

That last isn't the good thing. But it does make for a nice set up for what comes next.

The Bad. (Or at least, not so great.)

The only thing I could've possibly wanted out of the fight that I didn't get was a bigger sense of danger. The stream version felt incredibly tense throughout, as it was essentially a timed mission. The goal was to kill Kevdak (no mean feat) before the rest of the Herd killed them.

I get that this was basically a chance for everyone to get to be badass and go buck wild. And I support that. But getting just a little bit closer to that stream level of tension would've been nice.

This is why I think Percy's "This isn't going well!" falls flat, as from what we could see it was going pretty damn well up to that point. And even after it just wasn't a curb stomp in Vox Machina's favor. A better line might've been "The tide's starting to turn!" Or, if they really wanted to be cheeky: "They're getting a Second Wind!"

I'm also a little sad we didn't get a variation on Scanlan's Hold Person from the stream. Even though I appreciated the little nod to it via Vex's bramble shot, that move lacked the accidental ironic significance of the original. Grog got kicked out of the herd by his uncle for protecting a gnome. Only for a gnome to be instrumental in said uncle's defeat. It was so good!

Nitpicks:

What was Kaylie doing there at the start of the fight? Afterwards she just disappears. If you wanted to show that she was keeping an eye on Scanlan, it would've made more sense to have a shot of her watching from a distance. That way it isn't weird that she isn't in the fight after she said she wasn't letting Scanlan out of her sight.

~*~

After the fight in the tavern with Vex and Keyleth catching up: DUDE!! Talk. To. Each. Other. Give me my banter and character relationship development!

~*~

There isn't a full version of "When the Bald Man Cries" on the soundtrack. Release the full version, you cowards!!

~*~

Kaylie's speech to Scanlan could've been rearranged a bit so it served as a smoother transition into her revelation.

Instead of this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: My mum gave up all her savings for my education. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was. You know, Dr. Dranzel spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorhalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother.

We could do this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: Even more so when I joined up with Dr. Dranzel's troupe. You know, he spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorthalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother. My mum, who gave up all her savings for my education. So that I could play and travel the way I do. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was.

Not perfect, but I think it flows better.

Down to the last two, folks. Then the fun really begins.

[starzyd13]

The Sovereign

If you're reading this, I'm so sorry. You've had nothing to do with the current events. You know what you've always been to me, my love♡

All I feel is despair, I'm so angry, I'm so hurt, I can't do this anymore, I trusted them. I hate them, I hate her, I hate the three of them. Cowards, liars, users, back stabbers. I can't live in a world like this, who can...? Is this what life has to offer? All I give, all they take. It's a constant stream of cycles, cycles that must end. My mind burns, it's raining heavily, raindrops of acidic disappointment. I'm ending this, I can't end them, so I'm ending myself. It can't happen here.

I have two choices, two places of great worth. The safe haven my former friends and I once found great joy in. And the cemetery...those who rest there never hurt me, they didn't make it all a false hope.

It didn't take long to make this choice, the cemetery is where I will give a last goodbye.

I stand upon the grave of my father's and mother's before my own. I'm not alone, I bring my last gift. My last creation, it seems silly now, but it encapsulates a time before resentment. Before sadness, before betrayal. It seems inconsequential now, but this little game I bring is my essence, my life, my heart, my mind, my last shred of joy and innocence.

It's all of me.

I bring my choice of death too, it's not shiny, but it's a speedy send-off. A gun in hand, I'm opening a new door into a new realm.

I wake up into nothing but red, flesh and the scent iron. A scorching feeling, the burning of corrosion in my skin. I'm not alone. Many speak to me. Voices unknown.They're all speaking to me, right next to me, they're all the deceased I laid to rest near. We're all in one now.

How it happened?

As I ended my mortal cycle, it seems my innards may have fled to the device that my creation lay inside. We all exist within it now.

My creation, is it real?

We live in it now, all within one vessel, it hurts, we're only human at the end of the day. I wasn't prepared to live on, in this body, with these powers, this logic. It burns through my skin, I can't see the decay, but I feel it by the second. I'm burning, we're burning alive from the inside. We can't see, we're trying to find our way.

All dark.

We whisper to each other, which direction to go, how to cope with the burning. It's a scorching sensation, our vessel feels cold and yet so fiery inside, we all feel the holes appear within our flesh as it burns and tears. Is this what remains for us in the afterlife? Beneath our feet our guts lay, our insides spill forth time and time again, the cycle never ends. It hurts, it hurts enough for my mind to stop hurting. My mind is no longer encumbered, I'm with those I can feel a sense of safety with, no matter the corrosion. No matter our decay, it's all guts and gory. No allegory, we are just existing together, a new life, a new world. We can choose any purpose we could ever want, strive to survive for something bigger.

I am not ever truly gone, wait for me. My love, one day I hope to see you again.

We can all be so much more.