#and beta as the forgery

[horizonclothing]

[redrandomposts]

Gifts to the Crown Prince

After being fed up with their son pursuing cultivation, the XIanle Emperor and Empress had arranged a marriage with a respected omega. The omega now has to win favor in a loveless marriage.

(crown prince!xie lian x hua cheng (kind of))

A wedding with a celebration of three nights descended among the Xianle Kingdom, lanterns lit even in the outskirts of the city. The crown prince had a wife, and it was the most joyous news of the century in the kingdom.

Hua Cheng would say the same - he had spent years building a name for himself, ever since he was saved by his highness - if his highness didn't seem to hold animosity toward him.

He had only seen his highness twice since they were married. It's been an entire week since the wedding! On their wedding night, Xie Lian had given him a mating mark and they laid stiffly next to each other. When Hua Cheng awoke on dawn, his highness had left with not a bit of warmth on his spot of the bed. The last was a coincidence, barely a glimpse, at his highness training.

(Did his highness really hate Hua Cheng so much?)

Hua Cheng would take what he could get though. He's married his highness, so there surely has to be something he could do.

===

Xie Lian didn't hate his...spouse, as much as anyone would suggest. He just hated the idea of having a spouse, of one day breaking his cultivation clause. And it may bleed a bit onto his impression of his spouse, so he'd taken to avoiding him.

It had been a week since their marriage, and he'd successfully avoided his problems. Even Mu Qing had commented about it. So, for the day, he was also avoiding his attendants, swinging his sword in an empty, unused courtyard.

"Your Highness." A beta servant stood at the doorway, holding a scroll. Xie Lian supposed this was his spouse's servant, because he wore red with simple, silver embroidery. No other servant in the palace wore such a color.

"What does he want?" Xie Lian asked, knowing that the other would know he's talking about his spouse. It was quite a bit since their marriage, so he'd expected to be summoned by his spouse once.

The servant was drawn in on himself. "No, no, he doesn't want anything... He has simply wished to gift your highness a painting. This one was unsure of where this should go."

Xie Lian hardly glanced at the painting, gesturing to a stone bench. "Place it there. I will bring it to my rooms after I'm done training."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Xie Lian didn't watch as the servant left it there and scurried away, focused on going back to his training.

That night, he unraveled the scroll to see a lovely mountain range, reflecting into a winding river. He might be more interested in swords, but the art must be praised. He wondered who the painter was as he hung the scroll.

===

Hua Cheng refused to be disheartened by his husband. The fact he took the scroll meant he had a chance at befriending him at the least.

He wiped off his makeup as he shapeshifted into his true form, throwing the simple robes into a corner.

Perhaps Xie Lian would accept another one of his paintings, or if he would get bored of it quickly. Remembering Xie Lian's earlier dismissal, Hua Cheng should do something different.

He knew one thing his husband loved; swords. He could paint a thousand paintings, yet it would not be worth the weight of a single sword to his highness.

As an omega, he wasn't even allowed to do such heavy work, but his ability to shapeshift into an unassuming beta lets him into the forgery easily. He's a quick learner, perhaps, with how fast he learned to forge a sword. Forging one worthy of his highness, however...

That week, he sent yet another painting while he forged sword after sword until he perfects it.

===

Two months into their marriage, Xie Lian sees no hint of his spouse since the first week. However, his spouse had sent painting after painting each week, and Xie Lian was running out of room on the walls to hang the scrolls. Each painting was a beauty that deserved to be displayed. His parents had even liked the paintings, and had lowered the intensity of nagging after seeing them. (Perhaps, they could smell his spouse from each painting. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, they were elated he was seemingly getting along with his arranged lover.)

Still, they were beauties. Perhaps that was why he felt less-than pleased when the servant didn't appear on the day he'd normally appear with a scroll in hand.

This disappointment had swiftly faded the next day, when the servant had shown up with a sword in hand, presenting it to him. It looked as if it was only a ceremonial sword, yet Xie Lian could tell - this sword was just as functional and sharp as it was beautiful.

He displayed it as the centerpiece in his room after training with it once. In the future, he'd polish it again and again so it'd forever stay beautiful.

===

The sword had been an overwhelming success. Hua Cheng had seen it; the way his highness' eyes had lit up at the sight of it. However, forging it had been too time-consuming. He'd be able to get a sword a month at the rate he forged it. His highness deserved more than that.

So forging had become a thing he did in the background; he was left with trying to find something new to gift his highness.

It had come a day when he - in his servant disguise, strolling through the market - encountered a solution. Folding paper to make shapes.

At first, it was simple - a sword, a flower, small decoration pieces that he paired with the paintings. Soon, he wrote illegible things on it that would allow folded birds to fly and folded flowers to bloom when embued with spiritual power. But he has to go further, further, further; his highness deserved only the best.

So what if he had to spend sleepless nights painting and folding to make a puppet-esque play with the origami figures? His highness deserved no less.

===

Xie Lian didn't understand. He had seen his spouse only once, when he left his mark on their wedding night. Why did his spouse continue to send him paintings each week, beautiful flowers from paper that could bloom, and swords bimonthly? It's been six months, and it seemed that the gifts had only grown in quality.

Even Mu Qing and Feng Xin were puzzled. The only person he could get an answer from, presently, was his spouse or his spouse's servant.

...Speaking of which, had not appeared yet today. A feeling inside him bubbled up. He was worried.

He put the sword he'd been training with away, then wandered to the hall his spouse lived in. It was a bit far from the main palace, but it was not lacking. His parents had put the utmost effort into his spouse; the gardens, the architecture, even the talismans placed on it were of top quality.

He opened the door. An overbearing yet pleasant smell had filled the hall.

...It seemed his spouse was in heat.

=============

okay so omegaverse only so i have a reason that they can get married

plotholes? who? no, idk how hua cheng was able to become xie lian's husband. no, idk how he can shapeshift just accept it

i have a...feeling crown prince xl is really stubborn and oblivious. no, he doesn't want a husband, so he'll ignore the problem. no, he doesn't know who the strange servant is. no, he doesn't know it was his husband who painted each painting. no, he doesn't know his husband had forged the swords. he might be able to accept his husband can do origami.

Do they fuck? i mean, it's open-ended, but... in my head, they don't. hc might be too young to go through sexual heats. xl simply helps his husband through heat by cooking him food (counter productive? not for hua cheng!) and fetching him things. they nest together and scent together and form a close bond during the week.

you can think of the central idea like this: after three to seven years from the festival, they get married. so. it's ancient china, and i don't want to extend a plot so long. it might even follow canon, albeit delayed.

how was my writing? im seeking to improve it.

[greybackpack]

Playing Tilda’s Art Tour again and I have so many feelings about the first piece of art, Vermeer’s Woman Reading a Letter, and the forgery. It’s not only indicative of how Aloy sees things, it’s also how deep Tilda’s wounds go. All she wants is the original, Elisabet, but when she gets a copy, Beta, she doesn’t feel the same things for her because they aren’t the same. Like how Vermeer wasn’t lauded as a great artist, Tilda believes she didn’t cherish Elisabet enough when she was alive. No matter how many copies she’ll see, Aloy included, it will never be Elisabet. And yet, she keeps both. And yet, Tilda hangs onto both Aloy/Beta and the memory of Elisabet in hopes of ever reaching the original.

Also, her discomfort with the Cupid painting, yeah. And the “boy in the hood.” Tilda apologizes to Aloy bout Varl but it doesn’t seem like she feels very… real? I mean, in the form that she only cares about Aloy, yes, that’s true. But Varl? No. Anyways I love the introspection Tilda’s teaching her and also inadvertently revealing to Aloy. It’s also why I think Tilda was so disappointed with Beta, because she wanted introspection and Beta hasn’t had enough life experience, any true thoughts of her own when they made sure she only knew what the Zeniths wanted, and Beta probably would have come across as just an empty copy (which she isn’t, those fucking Zenith bastards).

ANYWAYS I HAVE FEELINGS

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Rulebook June 6th 2024 Update and Changelog

It’s the first Thursday of the first month of us doing a regular patreon rulebook update on the first Thursday of every month, and that means a major update!

It has been so nice to be able to finally work on the rulebook again instead of doing nothing but Kickstarter prep and promotion, and man have I been hard at work. Last week, if you count my A.N.I.M. job and my “normal” job, the shortest workday I had was 9 hours and several of them were 14 hours. At least I enjoy both jobs!

We have started getting more art into the rulebook, and getting those stretch goals taken care of. One stretch goal (the forgery rules) has already been added in full, with another stretch goal about 75% done, plus a complete overhaul of how Chase Scenes work and a whole new mechanic for determining how the police react to the actions of the PCs. Now, as the PCs are investigating crimes, if they’re not careful, the police could be investigating their crimes in the background too!

In addition to all the changes from the changelog below, we now have new and improved character sheets, and the Eureka adventure module “FORIVA: The Angel Game” is now fully finished, not counting the artwork, but that is going to get its own post.

Here is the full changelog! Remember, you can get a copy of this beta version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, along with three adventure modules, two short stories, and a novella, all for just $5 on our patreon page. And there’s no better time to do so, because of the Gorgon Initiative! Long story short, the playable gorgon monster type is a Kickstarter stretch goal we didn’t hit, but if we can reach 50 total patreon subscribers before the end of June, we’re going to be adding it to the book anyway! At the time of writing this, we’re at 41/50! You could make the difference, and get all this new Eureka content to boot!

CHAPTER 1

Have started working on replacing the examples of play with updated ones that actually fit the current and slightly more stable version of the rules. These will be found in various chapters. You can see them in the table of contents.

Added a Foreword, a section on other media to offer you inspiration when playing eureka, and a section on some of the subtler themes of eureka

Copy-edited Foreword

A few minor clarifications in the Making Rolls section

Added a chart explaining the percentage chances of failures, partial successes, and full successes for modifiers from -7 to +7. 

Added Heat optional rule. A whole new set of mechanics for tracking how much police attention the investigators may be drawing, as well as how law enforcement will respond. Currently a work-in-progress, but mostly functional already.

CHAPTER 2

Added the Forgery skill to write-in skills

Many new snoops have been added. 

Removed the “Seating” stat for vehicles, you know how many people can safely fit in a car

Removed the placeholder boat entries from the item list because we did not hit that kickstarter stretch goal

Added Skateboard to item list. 

Added four-wheeler to item list. 

Added Acceleration values to all vehicles in the vehicle list. Acceleration is a new stat used with the new way that Speed is calculated for Chases.

Adjusted the Driving bonus of motorcycles and dirtbikes.

Changed Large Mansion cost to 25 Wealth Points in character creation.

Started copy-editing this chapter.

CHAPTER 3

Added vehicle crashes to irregular forms of damage section

Tiny tweak to Drowning/Suffocation rules.

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

Completely revamped the way that Speed is calculated. 

Added a mechanic to determine how many nodes ahead a fleeing character starts.

Added an optional rule for bringing an end to chases 

Added vehicle attack rules for use during car chases

Added more guidelines for how to make your own obstacles

Added recommended numbers of nodes for chases and recommended distance between obstacles 

Added the work-in-progress random obstacle tables

On-Foot Urban Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited

Vehicle Urban Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited

On-Foot Wilderness Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited. 

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

Increased capacity of an unfurled thing from beyond’s ‘stomach’ from three to fourteen.

Thing from beyond can now more easily attempt to engulf more victims after already containing one or more. This now prompts an escape attempt by victims inside rather than automatic escape.

Thing from beyond can now get a bonus to mimicry attempts by consuming a sample of the intended mimicry target’s DNA. 

Thing from beyond can now attempt to mimic a person they have never seen or heard by consuming a sample of their DNA, but narrator makes a hidden roll about it, so accuracy of mimicry will be unknown.

Gave acceleration value to witch’s brooms and other flying transportation

Gave Acceleration of +6 to Superhuman Speed trait

Gave vampire small bat manifestation +2 Acceleration

Gave vampire wolf manifestation +4 Acceleration 

Gave vampire massive bat beast manifestation +4 Acceleration

Gave wolfman wolf form +4 Acceleration

Gave lycanthrope wolf form +4 Acceleration

Added ability to resist curses to fairy and witch

Added ability for fairy to transfer curses to different names as a means of protecting themselves from curses. This gives them more of an incentive to collect names. 

Added a tiny bit about the fairy world

Added Monsters Eating Monsters section to provide rulings for some edge cases where monsters might eat other monsters and what would happen if they did

Stay tuned for a post about "FORIVA: The Angel Game", a terrifying Eureka adventure module, soon!

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but our Kickstarter page is still the best place to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, and where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more than just status updates, going forward you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy and it’s adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[wardenl4dy]

I'm asking out of curiosity... but, like, what would be the reaction of some exe's (as many as you want) if they saw Danger (Fanchild of endlesscycles,idk you can draw it if you want or tell me what the reactions would be like)

(this fanchild is mine)

I think, in my AU, Xenophanes, Faker, and Sunky would be surprised that they have (technically) another sibling, but Sunky would be in awe bc Danger looks cool.

I think also think Kuru (that one Easter egg sonic that says "Yu ah Kuru") and Alice would react the same way Sunky would react.

Fleetway and Xerox (aka, Extra Life) would be more confused, since they are Xenophanes, Faker, and Sunky's cousins and Kuru's older brothers. Eventually, they'll start teasing Danger, because they tease everybody.

Kito, Gekido, Zetsubo, Kyofu, and especially Kofuku would welcome Danger aboard. While Ken'o and Yokubo would just be left speechless.

Phi and Chi (my fanchildren of the same ship) would be very happy to meet Danger.

Tails Doll, who was always looking out for the kids the same way he looked out for Majin before Xeno came to be, would get teary eyed (in a wholesome way), because he remembers Danger.

Majin and Lord X would straight up hug Danger and not want to let go.

Faker would take Danger to meet his Faker Gang (Wechidna, Chaotix, and Hog) who are usually super chill guys, so they welcome Danger.

Zephaniah would be just as confused as Fleetway and Xerox, but Achsah (aka, Sally_ALT) would be very sweet to Danger, kinda acting sisterly, almost.

MX would have this feeling of deja vu, because he was best friends with X since they were teenagers.

Hypno and M15T (Squidward) would be intrigued.

Ethan (Lost Silver) would instantly become friends with Danger.

Needlem0use and Rewrite would be very curious about Danger.

Ultra M (one of Xeno's rivals), Omega, GB, Mr. Virtual, and Turmoil would also be intrigued.

IHY Luigi hates almost everybody and everything, need I say more?

Coronation Peach and Dais-EYE would be enthusiastic to meet Danger

Beta Luigi would be slightly curious

Emo Mario (Day Out Mario) is a big jerk in general, so he'd most likely be a jerk to Danger as well

Speaking of emo, Coldsteel would probably be the same as Emo Mario

Xterion, being the cheeky type, would do some silly, harmless pranks on Danger

EYX would too be confused

Tenmaa would welcome Danger with open arms

God Z would scare the living daylights out of Danger just for laughs

Mitee.jpeg, Silly.tiff, and the other Sunky versions of Sonic characters would swarm Danger, admiring him and asking him questions.

Faker's blood brothers (False Savior, Deluder, Forgery and Daemon) would probably act the same way the Faker Gang would react to Danger.

N30, another OC I made, would hug Danger tightly, being the sweet adopted sister she is.

Somari and Bad Day Mario would pull silly pranks on Danger

Devil Mario would be civil about Danger

Sanic.mlg would probably ask Danger if he is interested in learning to use weaponry.

Super Scourge would tease Danger.

Curse would just say a friendly "hi" to Danger

OMT would be pretty chill with Danger

Fatal Error, watching behind many screens, would view Danger as a new puppet for his takeover. No one would know he is watching them, and he is planning to rule all of the multiverse one day.

[roipecheur]

well tell us more about prize heifer 👀👀

Sladick omegaverse with reverse sexual dimorphism, aka giant omega Slade and pretty alpha Dick ♥♥♥

Featuring: Slade's pregnancy trauma, exploitation, and medical neglect courtesy of the US Army; Rose and Joey metaphorically crawling through glass to explain to their dad that "Dick is flirting with you because he likes you"; Dick in a discowing-themed tennis dress; Slade going from 0-100 real quick

Have a snip of a flashback scene:

In the end, Slade didn’t need any of it. The recruiter asked him to stand up again, and when Slade had, walked around him a slow, assessing circle. He stopped in front of him, tapping his chin in thought.

“You’re an omega variant?” the recruiter asked.

The directness surprised Slade a little, though the question itself didn’t. “Yes,” he said; that much was obvious in his size if not his scent.

“Not done growing yet either, I bet,” the recruiter murmured, the conjecture sounding half to himself.

If not for the man’s mild beta scent and the complete lack of arousal in his excitement, Slade might have mistaken his interest for attraction. As it was, the attention felt more like a judge at the county fair sizing up a prize heifer, something Slade’s classmates used to compare him to when they thought he couldn’t hear. Even that was more polite than the nasty whispers of breeding bitch.

Beginning to suspect he might not need to, Slade played his ace in the hole to see how it would land. “I haven’t had children yet, sir,” he said. “I reckon I’ll grow some more when I do.”

The recruiter’s face lit up like Christmas, and he rushed to get the paperwork, and Slade knew he’d never needed to worry. About his forgery, or his age, or the sickening outcome where they figured out who he really was and called his father.

He was an omega. The army was always going to want him.

[fatherfigurefusion]

DRDT Beta AU (feel free to ask me any questions about it)

Teruko Tawaki, Ultimate Lucky Student

The protagonist. Despite having the Ultimate title of “Lucky Student,” it seems like the only luck Teruko has is bad luck. Accidents and misfortunes constantly plague Teruko and those around her. Because of this, she exercises caution in just about any situation and yearns to keep the people around her safe. Teruko has a natural inclination towards protecting others, at the expense of her own health.

Alexander "Xander" Matthews, Ultimate Rebel

With a constant smirk on his face, Alexander “Xander” Matthews earned the title of Ultimate Rebel through his consistent tendency to go against the status quo and break the rules. In spite of his shifty appearance and personality, Xander has a strong sense of morals, and is constantly trying to right the world’s wrongs. Xander seems to revel in his reputation as a "criminal", a "troublemaker", and a "problem child", with negative comments almost never fazing him.

Charles Cuevas, Ultimate Chemist

While there’s no doubt that the Ultimate Chemist is very educated and talented in the field of chemistry, Charles Cuevas is highly reckless and appears to enjoy any instances of chaos and destruction, especially if it involves something exploding or melting. He is very expressive regularly found smiling and laughing maniacally. He is also quite scatterbrained, and finds it very hard to recall information not related to his Ultimate talent.

Ace Markey, Ultimate Jockey

Ace Markey is an incredible Jockey, having won dozens of awards for his jockeying abilities...and yet he doesn't seem to care one bit for it. In fact, Ace doesn't seem to really care about anything apart from satisfying his base desires. He appears to take nothing seriously, and would rather slack off and joke around than do anything productive.

Arei Nageishi, Ultimate Bowler

Arei Nageishi made her debut in the bowling world as a teenager by winning multiple bowling championships. Perpetually stone-faced, Arei is quite the pushover, willing to do as much labor for others as possible, even if she's unfairly worked to the bone. Ultimately, she just wants to ingratiate herself with others, but how far would she go to be accepted by others?

Rose Lacroix, Ultimate Art Forger

As the Ultimate Art Forger, Rose Lacroix paints copies of famous masterpieces that are so realistic that they’re often mistaken for the real thing. She owes her forgery talent to her photographic memory. Unfortunately, based on Rose's constant thousand-yard-stare, this appears to be more of a curse than a blessing. She seems to be unable to relax, and is often heard mumbling ominous things to herself.

Hu Jing, Ultimate Zither Player

Hu Jing is an incredibly talented musician who specializes as the Ultimate Zither Player. It’s said that even a listening to a few minutes of one of her performances will bring tears to even the hardest of hearts. Hu holds her talent with great pride, and is often considered snobby and conceited by others because of it. She places as much emphasis on being prim, proper, and perfect as possible.

Eden Tobisa, Ultimate Clockmaker

Grouchy, bitter, and perpetually exhausted, Eden Tobisa is the cranky Clockmaker. She has a bit of a tendency to overwork herself as she gets absorbed into her work sometimes, leading to all of the issues described above. While it may seem like Eden is on the cynical or pessimistic side, she is merely your typical socially-awkward girl with no clue how to carry a conversation.

Levi Fontana, Ultimate Personal Stylist

His musculature may be intimidating, but Levi Fontana has the innocuous talent of Personal Stylist and the personality and outfit to match. He has quite the sociable yet goofy and airheaded personality, but he is surprisingly good at giving out advice and assistance to people who need it. Levi's helpful yet naive nature seems to be the result of a dangerous past that he refuses to elaborate on.

Arturo Giles, Ultimate Plastic Surgeon

Arturo Giles is a Plastic Surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery. In spite of his talent, he holds a strong dislike for both the work that goes into it and the beauty standards that characterize the industry. Dislikes aside, Arturo is down-to-earth, sociable, and definitely one of the less outlandish personalities in the cast...unless you happen to be a celebrity, in which case he'd really display his utter hatred for you.

Min Jeung, Ultimate Student

Min Jeung is one of the top school performers in the nation, and as thus has rightfully earned the title of Ultimate Student. Her talents lie in her diligence at studying and her excellent memory. She is hardworking, overly-formal, and very loud, always seeks to uphold rules at any cost and has a strong dislike for those who seek to break these rules.

David Chiem, Ultimate Inspirational Speaker

David Chiem is a renowned Inspirational Speaker who has motivated many people through his straightforward speeches. Despite what one would think when they hear his talent, David is a foul-mouthed cynic who nonetheless encourages others with his brutally honest "encouragement". His edgy personality is sometimes seen by certain people as a mere act, but others claim that he is genuinely that harsh and pessimistic.

Veronika Grebenshchikova, Ultimate Horror Fanatic

Despite what her talent would suggest, Veronika Grebenshchikova is incredibly timid and cowardly, seemingly scared of even her own shadow. Her intense consumption and studies of the horror genre (perhaps leading to her easily-scared personality) have earned her the title of Ultimate Horror Fanatic. Her tendency to get carried away when talking about terrifying scenarios that could befall others run the risk of frightening people away.

Julia Rosales, Ultimate Special Effects Artist

The daughter of famous film actress Mariabella Rosales, Julia Rosales specializes in special affects for both film and theatre, no doubt using the connections she had from her mother to accomplish this. She has a bratty and self-centered personality, living for fame and adoration from the masses and considering herself to be above others. In spite of her egotistical personality and attempts to imitate her mother, she has a surprisingly shy streak.

Whit Young, Ultimate Matchmaker

It’s said that if you get the Ultimate Matchmaker to find you a romantic partner, you’re guaranteed to have a happy and stable relationship for life. However, Whit Young doesn't seem to have any interest in finding a relationship for himself. Whit takes just about everything seriously, especially endeavors relating to his Ultimate talent, and always prioritizes logic over emotions.

Nico Hakobyan, Ultimate Pet Therapist

As the Ultimate Pet Therapist, Nico Hakobyan possesses an incredible synergy with animals and works with owners to address behavioral issues in their pets. Claiming to have a psychic connection to animals, Nico is a firm believer in just about every single pseudo-science imaginable. They are always blissfully cheerful, regardless of the circumstances, seemingly stuck in their own little world, and seem to have noticeable trouble connecting to other humans.

[skambigbang]

And as out last entry, a great writer, you may remember them from last year's WW1 odyssey, Prevalent_Masters, bringing Unmasked, with art from AltErLove2021, and beta support from Avignonscat. A wtFock cloak and dagger in the world of fine art.

Prevalent_Masters what inspired you: I love heists and am darkly fascinated with the world of art crime, forgeries, and art theft. I started to think about what an art theft AU would look like with these characters, both of whom don't strike me as the criminal type in canon, and how I could write something fun and believable in that vein without losing sight of who the characters are and their relationship with one another. 

AltErLove2021 what inspired your art: I was immediately drawn to the art heist AU, because I've always loved museums and great art. So imagining Robbe and Sander as rival thieves is so much fun and the story is just so good.

Avignonscat what made you decide to beta: I was a beta for the first time last year and it was fun to be able to help with the story a little bit, bounce ideas around and see the story evolve. So when Prevalent Masters asked me if I’d like to beta again for them I was very happy to.

The SKAM Big Bang starts June 21st! Follow us for more sneak peeks and share!

[my-favourite-zhent]

New Tricks - Chapter 19

Status: Work In Progress

Version: 1.01

Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC

Rating: NC-17 (This chapter PG-13)

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary: Misadventures of Rugan and the original Zhentarim Gate's crew before and during the year of three sailing ships.

Notes: When one chapter becomes three. The main scenes for the next two upcoming chapters were written way back when I was struggling with chapter six. It was meant to be chapter eight but the plot got away from me a bit. This chapter started out as a little extra tidbit at the start but ended up growing into its own thing and for once I didn't delete an Izzy POV chapter.

Thank you to @fistfuloftarenths, @captainsigge, @dustdeepsea for always being my wonderful betas and providing me with encouragement. If it weren't for you all I think I would've deleted this chapter.

Dust also had the great suggestion of including the clip from Izzy's notebook and showed me how to do all the lovely formatting you will see in this chapter <3. (Check the AO3 link for that and additional footnotes as it's not in the tumblr post)

Also a shout out to @coreene for having such a treasure trove of lore on her tumblr! Always super helpful for fleshing out the background world lore.

Table of Contents

Read Here on AO3 or below the cut.

By now rotten luck had coloured most of Isolde’s life. 

It seemed to her that it had all begun after her parents' untimely deaths when she was sixteen.

What had begun as one bad year became two, with her exile to some gods forsaken farmlands and her first heartbreak at seventeen. 

The following year had appeared to break the trend—she had been offered the position of sizar at the university where her parents once taught. Only in reality it had simply been a year spent building the framework for a truly devastating nineteenth year and an end to her academic aspirations. Her first lover came and went. First friends came and went. Corra was the only good thing to come out of her short-lived scholastic career.

The jobs had been like that too. Someone would turn traitor or stupid. Load bearing beams would give way. Priceless urns would be full of fucking venomous spiders. Only now she had been prepared for rotten luck. Moulded by it.

Now she always slipped a spare trinket under her blouse or in her boot just in case the job didn't pay. Now she kept her valuables in a safe deposit box on the off chance her room got ransacked again. Now she slept in her road breeches with a knife under her pillow, and while she'd never been trained to kill, jabbing someone who wasn't expecting it gave you a good head start on an escape. 

Seventeen years of bad luck had taught her to be prepared and to be persistent. She had survived and even sometimes thrived because of it.

So now, as she watched the sailors drag her chest up onto the deck of the ship, she felt especially stupid.

“My tools are in there! I've paid you good coin to transport those!” She screamed, but her voice could barely be heard by the man next to her over the crashing of the waves. 

The ship rocked under another violent tumult of wind. The tempest had come upon them without any warning, clear blue skies had become turbulent greys streaked in black and white in mere moments. There wasn't even supposed to be storms like this on the Sword Coast for another month. It was just her luck. 

Distantly she heard cries to cut the main sail.

The sailor looked as contrite as one could in the midst of a squall. “Sorry lass, bitch queen needs her offering!” 

And despite the pelting hail and whipping winds it was the word lass that made her flinch. 

‘Should have never gotten aboard a ship out of Neverwinter,’ she thought bitterly as she watched them tip her chest into the sea.

The contract she had taken in Baldur's Gate was an easy forgery job. She could've sat nice and safe in a room at the Elfsong scribbling away before meeting Rugan. She would've made a mint for doing hardly anything at all. But now her seals were gone and with it the contract.

Standing on the docks, Isolde weighed her options. It was alright. This was manageable. She still had the clay impressions of her fake seals in her pack. The sheep’s bladder she kept them in had protected them from any water damage from the storm. A half-way competent smith could recreate the seals from the pressings easily. But just how much would halfway decent cost her? More than she had left, it turned out. Most of her coin was now at the blacksmith's, and that was only the first half of the payment.

Her hand strayed time and again to where her insurance necklace would be, but she had pawned it. Pawned it for the same reason she had come to the city. The same reason she was flat broke. At least she could make that bastard buy her a drink. Blame him heartily for her misfortune. And if he smiled at her even once her fool heart would find the whole venture worthwhile.

“Sorry, miss, believe his caravan is on the road right now. Haven't seen him in a tenday.” The man behind the bar at the Elfsong shrugged.

It was just her rotten luck.

In weaker moments of her life she had considered leaving offerings to Beshaba at those little roadside shrines made of antlers and twigs. But no, fuck that deer-headed bitch. And fuck Umberlee too, while she was at it.

The barkeep looked apologetic, just as the sailor had, but that wasn't going to help her out in any way, shape or form.

She would need to find another job to take on. Isolde considered the other local contract she had ignored on account of the risk. There was nothing for it now. She leaned back in her stool and sighed. So long and low and frustrated that the man gave her another sympathetic look.

“Drink might help with that, miss.”

She opened her coin purse and eyed the few bits she had left.

“Give me the strongest thing you've got for two silvers.” She said sliding the coins across the table.

The man nodded and exchanged them for a pitcher of wine and a tall glass.

“If it's not a pressing issue,” he added as he poured the first glass full for her. “Could leave a letter with me if you like. He's in here every night when the caravan’s not on the road.”

Isolde perked up at that. “If you wouldn't mind.”

“Half the point of an inn is to have a place to send letters. I even mail some out if you've got a coin for the ship’s captain.”

Isolde almost took out her pen and ink right there, but then thought better of it. No sense trying to hastily scribble a note at the bar where some other patron would knock their elbows against hers and make the barman regret his offer.

Scooping up her glass and pitcher, pack slung over her shoulder, Isolde tipped her head in thanks and made for one of the alcoves at the far end of the taproom.

The Elfsong was much nicer than she had expected. The floors were worn but well-maintained, the drapes were not frayed and had minimal patching. She had been told more than once this place was a tourist trap, but when Rugan had called it his local she had presumed it to be something more akin to a dive bar. Had that been unkind of her? The Blackstaron and the Prow in Waterdeep had both been nicely kept inns, even if they had managed to get themselves kicked out of the first one.

She was broken from her train of thought when another patron collided into her, the wine from her glass sloshing over her hand.

“Sorry, love.” The man offered though he didn't even bother to meet her eyes as he and his date brushed past and grabbed the seat she had been eyeing. The date gave her a look that was half amusement, half pity, and Isolde muttered a curse under her breath as she stalked down to the next alcove.

Carefully she placed her wine down on the table, mindful of how it still undulated in its confines. With her clean hand she withdrew a rag from her pack and wet it with her waterskin, wiping clean the other before finally seating herself. 

As she unpacked her writing tools she wondered idly if this was the same seat Rugan liked to frequent. Would he have a regular seat? She should've asked the barman. No, on second thought that was a terrible idea. Isolde had seen and chosen to ignore the pitying look the man had given her when Rugan's name had slipped her lips. Didn't need to let him know how badly besotted she was, admitting it to herself was embarrassing enough.

She drained her first glass before setting pen to paper. This one was easy enough to write, and feeling a bit bold she applied a thin layer of vermillion to her lips as the ink dried. She marked the page with her lips and hoped it would make Rugan suitably unhappy about standing her up.

There was another letter she should write, though she wasn't too pleased about it. 

‘It might not be necessary.’ She tried to tell herself. 

She pulled out her leather bound notebook. It was a tiny thing, worn at the edges, about as wide and long as her hand but maybe two finger-span thick.

The contact information for the job had been hastily scribbled on one of the thick pages, just in case.

It had been Isolde's father who had taught her how to bind books, but it had been her mother who had taught her how to spot traps.

There were many things to take into account, but it came down to a few large considerations:

Was this culture known for booby-trapping tombs? Was this a place or person of importance?

An Imaskari noble would have a much more dangerous mausoleum than a Tharrian peasant.

Was there irregular wear on the ground that might suggest its builders walked a specific, safe path?

Pressure plates were a simple trap and thus effective trap. They stood the test of time better than more complex machinery.

Were there intricate patterns on the structure that could conceal glyphs?

Metal lasted long but magic lasted damn near indefinitely and could do far more damage.

One should be wary on any job, but if the answer to any of these questions was yes then doubly so.

Isolde had a similar list of tell-tale signs when it came to selecting jobs.

Was this client known to her network?

One tended to see the same familiar faces handling these operations. Sure muscle and labour would be locals, but the showrunner was usually one of two dozen folks who had the training to identify a site or the connections to fence the goods. Some characters were more trustworthy than others.

And no, the folks named here were not known to her or anyone she had asked.

Was the site near a city centre?

They oft times were—cities tended to grow on the bones of their forebears, like Luskan and Illusk. This meant more secrecy was necessary, but also less violence. Harder to hide a body and its eventual rot. Out in the wilds you didn’t even need to bury a corpse for it to never be found.

This job was definitely not near a city.

Was the pay reasonable?

Too high meant this was a con, you were lucky if you only came out empty-handed. Too low meant whoever was in charge didn’t even know what their goods were worth, if anything, and they didn’t know the running cost of a black market archaeologist.

Too low, far too low.

She had already known all this, but somehow had hoped the details might have changed since she last looked at the notebook. Isolde groaned and threw her head back against the wall of the booth. She was going to have to write the second letter.

Isolde poured and downed two more glasses of wine before she was sufficiently over her shame of having to ask Corra for money. If the forgery job was still around when she returned she’d pay Corra back two-fold.

Maybe she could just wait till Corra’s letter of credit came through, there were cheaper inns in the city, certainly. Gods, maybe a flophouse? But no, after hunting around the lower city and Norchapel it turned out Baldur’s Gate was almost as overpriced as Waterdeep.

‘Should’ve sent the letter and waited before paying for the tools.’ She thought dejectedly.

There ended up being roughly enough coin for a night or two in a flop house, some food for the road and a ride on a caravan heading west. So that was what she resolved to do.

Hopefully, stupidly, she looked for his face amongst the various caravans on the morning she made her way out of Baldur's Gate.

The wagons outside Basilisk Gate were packed end to end—or end to horse as it were. Some people pushed handcarts, perhaps to visit the nearby farms. She also saw oxen hitched to sturdy wagons loaded down with heavier goods. Merchants with lighter goods like the one she accompanied had horses to carry them along faster.

It was a decently nice carriage. Nothing fancy like the wooden conveyances that nobles used, but it had a sturdy canvas roof which was more than most.

The air by now was rank with the dung of a hundred beasts of burden, idling while their masters impatiently waited behind the traffic of a several dozen handcarts.

‘Just like Crimmor.’ She thought with an amused sort of wistfulness.

Isolde noticed then a group dressed in that familiar black and yellow, and her heart struggled to break free from the confines of her ribs. She leaned out the back of the wagon to get a better look. Though she squinted hard there was no one she was acquainted with. Just some red-head with clownish hair, though he had a familiar sort of chin.

“Don't want to be looking too long, dearie. Not a friendly bunch.” Warned the old woman across from her, not unkindly. The merchant’s mother as she understood it.

“Of course, my thanks.” Isolde bowed her head and sat back down on the wagon floor. 

They began moving at last, just as the dawn's early light was obscured by heavy soot coloured clouds. A wry smile twisted Isolde's lips.

“Something funny, dear?”

Isolde turned to meet the woman's gaze. “Just my luck, that’s all.”

[ao3robin215]

NOTNaNoWriMo Log_09

Alriiiiight, the first chapter is doooone. I just need some beta readers now (DM if interested) You can read the prologue here!

WRITING TIME: 4hrs

WORD COUNT: ~1,408

TOTAL WORD COUNT: ~10,971 (LEZ FUCKIN GOOOO)

EXCERPT HIGHLIGHT:

Robin could’ve never imagined what stepping into the Capital of Ylisse would be like.

Buildings upon buildings towered over them. Wide streets of stone that branched into smaller paths made way for the rivers of people. Even though one could see oxen, horses and sheep, the scent of flowers lingered in the air. Flowers covered every nook and cranny around the houses, bakeries, forgeries, taverns and tailors. There were big yellow ones, round blue ones, and thousands upon thousands of tiny white ones. Robin wondered through the halls of their mind just as they wandered through the street. Against the blue sky, the wind blew green and gold flags.

And the people… People… So many people, rushing here, racing there, heaving, hustling, walking and talking. Talking. Talking and talking.

They found themselves mirroring some of the gestures people made with their hands or their feet, or echoing their words in silence. The felt they were learning so much from just observing the vastness around them.

Ylisstol…

PLAYLIST HIGHLIGHT:

HOLY SHIT WE BROKE THE 10,000 WORDSSSSSS

[ao3feed-twiyor]

Forts Flashlights and Forgery

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/nC0JD5E by theblueeyedfirebender And like climbing a rooftop, disarming a bomb, forgery is essential to espionage. An ability applied not only to paperwork and documents, but one’s very self. To smile and lie and feel no remorse, to shed one’s outer layer and replace it anew. To cut ties, change faces, and walk away, again and again, morphing into whatever - whomever - deemed necessary to the success of the mission, the safety of the collective, regardless of personal cost. It is a talent which has defined him, erased him. A fraud. A fake. A shadow. Words: 5083, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: SPY x FAMILY (Manga), SPY x FAMILY (Anime) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Anya Forger, Bond (SPY x FAMILY) Relationships: Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Anya Forger & Loid Forger | Twilight & Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Family Fluff, no beta we die like assassins during the cruise episode, in this house we love and respect the oxford comma read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/nC0JD5E

[solitae]

I always forget how wild Tilda's collection of paintings is, and how she's clearly set it up to represent her view of her love story with Elisabet.

Also that pairing of the masterpiece vs the forgery hits even harder when you realize that's how she sees Aloy and Beta.

[synthvalet]

Tags in last reblogs given because I am dead tired of people trying to use literal Somewhat Enhanced Vocaloids TM as some sort of a slam dunk in the ongoing struggle against AI being used to try and replace voice acting, drawing or writing.

(seriously though, while AI generated images can sometimes fool a person - and this is being increasingly used to cheat the algorithmic system to get easy money off "drawings" reproducing some generic prettiness by probabilistic patterns - I am yet to find an AI fic that would pass the judgement. The style is always so stilted and generic, how does anyone even enjoy it? It's like a monotone narration over a passionate scene.)

(can't lie. AI use for correcting the style as an ESL speaker would be nice but also: beta readers with a lived knowledge of what was meant so)

For now probably the biggest fear for a completion of AI forgery is AI generated video stuff coupled WITH AI speech morphing. I don't mean like. AI fill tools in human editing. We already have deepfakes and the sheer potential of abuse in revenge porn or forged evidence.... chills.

[masterwcrk]

Inej. ( @noblehcart, moved for beta )

her skin crawled to be back in the menagerie, but her interest was piqued. curiosity brought her to the window of the girl named clary if sources were right. she noticed how the ginger haired girl didn’t question who she was- she had kaz to thank for that. reputation was everything in the barrel. it left people in wary fear and respect or made them an enemy. so far she was glad the girl didn’t seem too fazed. inej was sure that was a side effect of heleen’s treatment. anyone was better than the strutting peacock.  “i have sources.” was the simple response as she climbed down from the window sill to stand in the dry warm room and out of the rain drenching her back. her clients. inej wondered if the word tasted as foul and coppery in her mouth as it once did for her. were they her clients or her clients? or maybe they were one in the same though it wasn’t her business. not anymore.  even still she found herself getting involved. “if i were you i’d recommend not advertising that. the walls have ears. whispers turn to shouts here.” because she remembered the feel of the carpet against her cheek as she laid curled in on herself as heleen beat her for hiding money. beat her for betraying her.  beat her for thinking of escape when she had a contract. soft plush carpets still made her cringe whenever she brushed against it. thankfully this room didn’t have any. just an artist with a remarkable talent. “you need to be more careful.” was the low quiet warning. “you’re easy to track, clary. added to the fact that your forgeries have the same brushstrokes. you clearly have talent.”   dark eyes once narrowed in scanning the room now softened to the redhaired girl as she spoke again. “that painting…where is it that you saw that landscape? it feels familiar to me.”

the Menagerie groans & lurches like any of the other buildings swaying on the streets of the sinking city. the canals & the harbor would one day claim everything but so long as the Tidemakers worked their miracles & favored the city more than the coin of those who would see it buried under the waves, Clary supposes they're safe.

relatively speaking. no one could ever truly be safe in a city like Ketterdam.

she's wholly unsurprised that someone connected to a man like Brekker has sources, but she's intrigued all the same. if the Wraith could find her, then so could Heleen & the results would be far less pleasant. though, Clary has to stop & reminder herself, many of her clients had started to include powerful figures in other sectors of the Barrel. just weeks ago, the Dime Lions has paid her a tidy sum for a unique forgery. if it truly was enough to slip through the shipping inspectors, they might feel so inclined to ensure future work wasn't... impeded.

she grimaces at the reminder. her talent as a tailor was something she kept further under wraps than her forging ability, & it had saved her many a night to hear the heartbeats of the proprietress or her goons as they slunk around the halls & stairwells listening for whispers. THAT was a secret she'd take to her grave, though. forging papers & paintings passed as normal enough & kept her pockets lined enough to hint at eventual freedom; forging faces would see her burned or handed over to the drüskelle. no, she'd keep that parlor trick silent save for the quiet thank you she offers Inej.

she'd have to change her methods for forging paintings though - the Wraith did have a point. make things too easy, people start to put the pieces together. she can't afford for them to cobble together too much of that picture before she's sprung her trap & bolted from this damn place.

' it's the sunset over the Petrazoi beyond Ryevost. ' Ravka. a place she'd never once been but ached to go. ' it's a copy of a painting I studied a long time ago. it's thought to have been lost at sea, so the fact that it's not exact is good enough for a merchling looking for bragging rights. ' the fact that it was Suli territory - a trading post the nomadic peoples would have inevitably crossed through wasn't lost on her.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

'i said to the night'

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/i1BzdVH by robinlikeitshot on his foot on the turn, is that this is actually fun. He wonders if this is what draws all of Wayne’s supposed conquests in—that hint of elusive Casanova beneath the blank facade, the intrigue of intelligent eyes that flash only as he lets go of Neal’s waist right before the music stops, just a moment off-beat. --- The first time Neal Caffrey meets Bruce Wayne, it's in the man's own ballroom. The first time he meets Batman, it's in Bruce Wayne's office. Things get slightly out of hand, from there. Words: 2816, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M Characters: Neal Caffrey, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Mozzie (White Collar), Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Wally West, Roy Harper, Peter Burke, Elizabeth Burke, Kate Moreau Relationships: Neal Caffrey/Bruce Wayne, other minor relationships will be tagged later as they happen Additional Tags: slow-burn, Family, Canon Divergence, Minor Spoilers, Pre-Canon, Accidental Baby Acquisition, except the baby is a traumatized nine year old, and a traumatized ten year old, and a traumatized thirteen year old, i could keep going, Bruce Wayne's Adoption Problem, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Art Heists, !!!, Forgery, mozzie is the best character in the show you cant change my mind, I KNOW this ship is out there but it is KILLING ME, The Author Regrets Nothing, no beta we die like, iykyk, spoilers for season one and two white collar i havent watched past that yet, Identity Porn, i will absolutley add random bits of prose into this and abslslutely no one can sto p me, if u r here for the batboys i am sorry but u will have to wait a WHILE read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/i1BzdVH

[ao3feed-danganronpa]

And Then Come Home To Me Afterward

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Bg9Z8VC

by I_am_a_Ruin

After escaping from his ankle monitor, Kokichi finally gets to go for one more heist.

SaiOuma week Day 5- phantom thief/travel

Words: 1769, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Catch Me If You Can

Fandoms: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Oma Kokichi, Saihara Shuichi

Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi

Additional Tags: Detectives, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, alternate universe - art forgeries, Phantom Thief Oma Kokichi, FBI Agent Saihara Shuichi, silly hijinks, ouma is really petty lol, wrote this in one hour, no beta we die like men, Unreliable Narrator, Established Relationship, day 5 phantom thief/travel, saiouma week 2023

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Bg9Z8VC