#base game tags so i'll figure it out as we go

[nebuladreamz]

Testing out something

M,,maybe I'll go goofy with,, DCA Bioshock AU,, as a treat

[thewidowsledger]

The Call

Chapter 3: 7 Minutes in Heaven | 7.5k

© thewidowsledger 2024 - DO NOT REPUBLISH AND PLAGIARISE

Summary: You were supposed to take her out—the infamous Black Widow—Natasha Romanoff. The S.H.I.E.L.D. has been keeping an eye on her for a while now and for some reason, another high-ranking agent as you was sent to get the mission done. But then, he made a different call leading the mission to be here in front of you, soon to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Pairings: Ex-Russian Agent Natasha Romanoff x Senior S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Female Reader

Tags | Warnings: 18+, fluff, sparring, jealousy, triggering Natasha's trauma, asshole Daisy, yummy awkward Nat, sexual innuendos, flirting, dirty talk, praising, Natasha making r make inappropriate sounds😩🤪 kissing

Author's Note: Based on my own experience but I changed it a bit, lol. Enjoy, I'll see you when I see you :)))

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⧗

“Johnson was there in her office.”

“What?!” Yelena shot back.

“She had flowers with her.” Natasha added not sure if she should say it now that she knows how Yelena will overreact.

“What?!” Yelena exclaimed again as she palmed her forehead, “What are they talking about? Did you hear?” she added in a rush. “No, she asked her to leave when I came in.”

“That's good, that's good.” Yelena said, trying to calm herself or gaslight herself rather.

Natasha posed a question that left Yelena stunned, “Do…do you think Y/N still has feelings for her?”

“She told me she's over it and I’m making sure that it really is.”

Natasha just nodded slowly pulling the sleeves of her pink shirt up to her shoulders innocently, “I’ll go get some water.”

“Sure, sure,” Yelena tried to hide the devilishly smile naturally forming in her face but as soon as Natasha walked away, she aggressively tapped Madisynn’s thigh.

“Aw!” Madisynn swatted Yelena's hand away.

“Do you know what's on my mind right now?” Yelena asked the girl who was dumbly tilting her head at her. But Yelena gave her a knowing look that made the girl’s head light like a bulb.

“Oh, I think I do know what's on your mind,” she said as she looked at your figure walking towards them. “Hi boss!” She greeted in a squeal.

You looked at the two confusingly not liking the evil faces they're making right now. “Okay, enough of that look. Stop grinning at me, you both look like a pervert.”

“Foul!”

“You're so mean!”

“Where's…Agent Romanoff?” You asked ignoring their whines and you wished it came off casually. But the two agents only grinned once again at your question, you immediately caught their reactions and you crossed your arms at them waiting for an answer.

“There she is!” Madisynn pointed behind you, her nails never failing to flex.

You immediately turn to see Natasha, her shirt sleeves rolled up to her shoulders and her biceps were godly…you thought to yourself. If only you knew the two agents caught you checking Natasha out.

“We haven't done anything yet but it's working already.” Madisynn whispered to the blonde.

“I know, I know. This is gonna be so much fun.”

⧗

The team-building event got off to a great start. All the agents were thoroughly enjoying themselves as they played various games together. Shouting, clapping, laughing here and there, it was a sight to see and it was a fun experience. Could you imagine that these agents were trained to save the world but right now they're trying to balance plastic cups on their heads? It was the only time when the entire agency came together to unwind and have some fun and be free with themselves while simultaneously strengthening their bonds with each other.

Many teams had already been eliminated, but thankfully, yours was still in the running for the game. You heard Yelena taking charge and leading your team as if they were on a real mission, you couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles.

“Okay you idiots, balloon bust, the instruction is very easy we’ve done this last last year guys. We just have to keep the balloon up on our stomach, no dropping, no popping. Be gentle with the balloon,” she relayed, as if it was a serious mission. “It’s our baby!” she clapped between each word.

The team just nodded eagerly cheering themselves as they went to grab their own balloons. You hyped your team up by giving them thumbs up and a lot of claps.

Your gaze shifted towards Natasha and you observed how she seemed a little lost throughout the game. Yet, she hadn't lost her endearing smile the entire time. She has been asking Yelena over and over on how she's supposed to play in each game, on how she is going to contribute to win and Yelena has been nothing but patient towards her, guiding her and giving her tasks on what to do.

The thought hit you then, it is her first time experiencing something like this. Her entire life she was used to working alone. You knew her past, of course you do. You know how she hadn't had the luxury of playing with dolls, teddy bears, and make-up like you had. Instead, she had spent her childhood toying with real guns, learning to crack codes on computers, and mastering the art of physical combat that if she fails every time—she’ll end up tied up in a cell or eat no food for days.

She was too young for that, she was supposed to be protected—no kid deserves that.

As you stared at Natasha, a pang of pain gripped your heart. You watched as she laughed when she saw Yelena huffing in frustration after her balloon popped. Your entire team had given up, and all of them just ended up bursting into laughter, lying on the ground.

Your team ran back at you, waiting for the next game. Natasha was still giggling her life out, shaking Yelena's shoulder.

“Hey Romanoff, water?” she was the first one you offered water.

When she looked stunned and didn't respond, you chuckled faintly, which seemed to make her even more surprised.

“C'mon, take it before I take it back,” you urged and Natasha quickly snatched the bottle from your hand. As you handed out the water to the rest of your team, you couldn't help but notice the adorable blush spreading across her cheeks.

You watched Natasha as she gulped down the entire water in the bottle in one go. You were fixated on her neck, watching the way her throat moved with each gulp. She had chugged it down so quickly, like it was just a matter of three quick swallows. The sight of her holding onto the empty bottle, squeezing it tightly, was doing strange things to you. As you continued to observe Natasha, a warmth crept up your face.

“Hey, boss, we need you for the next game.” Yelena informed behind you, pulling you out of your trance.

“Me?” You turned to look at her as you pointed to yourself as if you weren't just checking out the redhead.

“Yeah, it's three-legged race. We're only five,” she shrugged innocently but in the back of her head she’s plotting something.

“You're my partner,” you immediately told her.

“Nuh uh, Nat’s your partner. You're almost the same height though she's taller than you. Madisynn and I have the same height so…” Before you could even protest further, Yelena tightly grasped your wrist and forcefully dragged you towards Natasha. As you approach her, you catch sight of her lifting her shirt to wipe some sweat from her forehead, revealing a glimpse of her well-toned abs.

You had seen all her muscular frame in all its glory for today.

“Where's your ribbon Nat?” Yelena asked. As Natasha hesitantly handed it to Yelena, Yelena pushed you down, causing you to yelp. Before you realized what was happening, Natasha was also pushed down and you found yourselves side by side. The blonde then knelt down in front of both you and Natasha, preparing to bind your legs together.

Yelena smirked mischievously as she observed the scene in front of her, her task completed, “Perfect!” she exclaimed before walking back in front of your team’s line. You and Natasha were left stunned, your bodies pressed close together.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly, tugging her sleeves down, embarrassed at how sweaty she was, “You're tight?” Realizing how she worded the question Natasha immediately palmed her face looking the other way, “I mean no-not t-tight for you?”

You didn't miss the curse that came after that.

“I’m fine, you?” you replied, not bothering the silly, nasty, cute mistake and tried to sound authoritative. She just gave you a thumbs up and put both her arms on her knees.

An awkward silence hung in the air after your brief exchange, until the shrill sound of a whistle pierced through, signaling the start of the race.

Darcy, the designated emcee for the day, called out, her voice echoing through the area, “Are the teams ready for the race?” A twinkle danced in her eyes as she added, “Did you know that they say 80% of the paired players for this game usually end up together?”

Yelena leaned over to Madisynn and muttered, a mischievous smile on her face, “Darcy definitely knows the assignment.” Madisynn smirked in agreement, seemingly in on the unspoken plan they had in mind and nodded.

However, you and Natasha missed the playful comment because you were too focused on planning your strategy for the race.

“Coordination, Natasha okay?” You reiterated and she agreed, her cheeks turning a slight shade of red. Natasha felt a different kind of warmth as you spoke to her with a gentle tone, different from your usual cold and robotic tone. And the way you called her by her first name sent a flutter through her heart.

Daisy stood at a distance, her eyes locked on you and Natasha as you talked. She clenched her fist tightly, not liking how close you were to the red head.

A shrill whistle pierced the air once again, signaling the start of the race and a chorus of cheers and shouts echoed loudly as the first pair sprinted off, kicking up dust and sand behind them.

Sensing a bit of struggle on Natasha's part, you offered, “You can hold onto my shoulder if that'll make it easier for you.”

Natasha nodded appreciatively, her left arm about to reach for your shoulders when she surprised you by gently taking your right arm instead. She positioned it around her back, creating a more intimate position as you both clung to each other for support. The unexpected action caused you to blush and you found yourself pulled closer to her as Yelena and Madisynn handed you the flag, signaling your turn to start.

As you began the race, the mood was lighthearted, filled with laughter and giggles. You started off good, however, just as things seemed to be going well, you suddenly tripped and lost your balance, causing you to stumble forward. But Natasha was quick to hold you back, grabbing you by the waist, preventing you from falling forward. In the process, your hands inadvertently landed on her abdomen, seeking support.

“That was really stupid,” you manage to say between giggles.

“You're fine, we’re close c’mon,” Natasha encouraged sheepishly, her response catching you off guard as it was the first time she had talked to you again this entire game.

“Left, right, left…”

You and Natasha continued with the race, Yelena and your team eagerly watched and cheered from the sidelines, supporting you every step of the way. They shouted encouragement and teasing comments.

“I am going to tie you both for life!” Yelena exclaimed.

“Fall for Nat, boss! She’ll catch you!”

“Don't get too tangled up now!”

As you dashed towards the finish line, an unexpected trip caused you to falter—again. Natasha's quick reflexes kicked in once again. Her hand moved swiftly to support your head, preventing it from hitting the surface with a thud. She acted instinctively, shielding you from further harm. With a soft thump, you found yourself on the ground and Natasha was now on top of you. Her right hand holding the back of your head, her body hovering over yours.

Natasha's gaze remained fixed on you as you burst into a fit of laughter, lying on the floor. She couldn't help but marvel at the sight before her, no cold voice just your laughter filling the air. No hint of seriousness on your face, your unguarded expression and carefree attitude were delightful to behold.

As you continued to lie on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, you didn't notice Daisy appearing and giving Natasha a push from the sides. This unexpected shove caused Natasha to stumble and fall beside you, landing rather clumsily on the ground.

“Get away from her.”

“Fuck off, Daisy,” Yelena snapped coldly as she shoved Daisy away, Madisynn immediately knelt in front of you and Natasha to untie the ribbon.

Daisy was already back in her team’s position when you got up, her team trying to soothe her. Natasha saw you looking at Daisy’s direction as if you were checking on her—on your ex-fiance.

“Y/N…I’m sor—”

“I’m sorry about that Romanoff, are you okay?” you turned to her and touched her arm which made the redhead shudder.

Back with the last name basis now?

“I-I’m fine boss.” She stuttered, stunned at your apology. She scratched the back of her neck as she looked away but looking away wouldn't hide the redness of her face.

“Piece of advice, please don't interact with her,” you gave her a half smile tapping her arm twice before shouting to your team.

“Get up! Get up!”

⧗

The sudden news hit you like a flash. One of your agents had accepted a sparring challenge from a senior of another division. It is one of the activities your team-building events often took as a competitive edge.

You realized from the start that you had forgotten to remind your team not to participate. But it was a well-established rule that shouldn't need to be constantly reiterated, the sparring challenges were typically reserved for the more seasoned members, the oldies of the agency—the seniors and Natasha isn't one.

“Fucking hell.” You hissed, striding towards the area where the sparring match was taking place, “Romanoff is really testing my patience.”

How come that you were really soft with the agent earlier and now? You're back being a meanie to her?

Yelena tried to defend her partner, her voice a squeak. “She didn't know!” she protested. “She's only been here a few months. She's clueless and her senior isn't even making things easy on her.”

You were seething with anger as you heard Yelena's words. You halted in your tracks and turned around, your gaze locking onto the blonde, who suddenly looked like a frightened child under your intense stare. You fought to regulate your breathing, trying to maintain your composure. Deep down, you knew that Yelena had a point. Her words were stinging because they held a measure of truth. Yet, your ego couldn't help but bristle at the audacity of her calling you out like that.

The sound of raucous cheering jolted you back to reality, you pushed the door swinging open with a harsh creak, you felt a sudden wave of attention directed your way. Numerous agents turned their heads in your direction. It was obvious that your arrival had caused a ripple of interest amongst the crowd. Well, let's just say that the opponent that your agent is fighting is none other than your ex-fiance.

“Fucking hell.” You muttered to yourself as you balled your fists.

You hate her for being so naive…but god, she is now positioned in the ring and greeted you with an innocent wave. The protective mouthguard showed as she tried to smile. How are you supposed to hate that?

Despite your anger towards her naivety you managed to wave back but she wasn't able to see it as your ex-fiance landed a punch on her face, you involuntarily flinched and placed a palm on your forehead. Well, that was awkward.

“Get her Romanoff!” Yelena shouted from behind, you swear you heard her betting $20 for Natasha.

“She was supposed to take you out,” Daisy growled at the redhead, her boxing gloves poised to deliver another punch anytime.

Natasha furrowed her brows together but she didn't mind what Daisy was trying to say. Natasha seized an opening and threw a punch on her sides, catching Daisy off guard and regaining the upper hand in the fight. The impact sent Daisy stumbling back a few steps, momentarily stunned by the unexpected offensive move. But then a smirk creeped out on her face.

“You're supposed to be history by now if it wasn't by Barton.” Daisy's words, though meant to rile Natasha up, seemed to be taking effect now. “If it was Y/N, you’d be dead by now.”

Natasha's breath hitched at the revelation and Daisy saw the horror that flashed into the redhead's eye. Natasha clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut.

Rule number 1: Never take your eye away from your opponent.

Another wave of cheers and shouting from the crowds surrounded the boxing ring as Natasha seized another opportunity, throwing another punch this time connecting with Daisy's cheek. It seemed as if Daisy was deliberately allowing Natasha to land blows, letting her get a few hits in. No, letting her hit her.

You stood there, frozen. You are really not liking this.

You saw Daisy's lips moving, clearly as if she was saying something to Natasha. While you also noticed how the redhead’s body tensed up and you saw her focus seemed to be shaken a little.

“Dreykov’s daughter?” You whispered to yourself as you read the words coming out of Daisy's lips. The redhead tried to throw another punch but Daisy was able to dodge it sending back a punch to Natasha's stomach.

“I won't let Y/N be with a killer like you.”

The words made Natasha’s emotions reach a breaking point, as if something snapped inside her she immediately moved forward encircling her arm around Daisy's neck locking in a tight grip. She then swung her other fist at Daisy, her boxing glove landing a powerful punch on her face as she kept her arm locked around her. The impact sent Daisy kneeling while Natasha stood behind her not letting her go, causing gasps and murmurs from the surrounding crowd.

The referee blew his whistle with a sharp, shrill sound, which echoed through the ring. He then extended his arm and pointed directly at Natasha, who had staggered backward losing her hold on Daisy.

Daisy recovered from the forceful blows, she rose unsteadily to her feet, her left eye was swollen and there was a cut on her lips. She let out a guttural snarl and stalked Natasha who was crawling backwards, Daisy leaned down to her and yelled, “Are you tryna kill me, too? Huh?!”

“You fucking kill—”

“Watch your next words Johnson!” You yelled as you ran and jumped towards the ring.

“Y/N she went out with the rules! She…she almost—” Daisy stopped when she saw you kneel in front of Natasha.

“I’m sorry,” Natasha immediately whispered. You furrowed your brows at her.

“Romanoff…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” her voice became hoarse as she repeatedly whispered. As she continued to apologize, you stared into her eyes, noticing a look in them that revealed something deeper than mere regret. It was as though a hidden trigger had been set off within her.

“Romanoff…” you called out to her again.

“I’m sorry, Y/N…I—” she choked.

“Nat,” you called softly as you brought your hands on her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she finally looked at you, “You're okay,” you gave her a smile and she nodded slowly as if she was high with the sound of your gentle voice and your soft feathery touch.

As if she was an evil and you were an angel attempting to soothe her troubled soul.

“Yelena,” you summoned the blonde over. You removed the gloves on her hands and Natasha's gaze remained fixed on your every move, her eyes never straying as if she feared losing this connection between you—it was the closest she's been with you. Her breath hitched when you moved away to give Yelena a way to help Natasha stand. Yelena knelt in front of her and propped her up with a supportive arm around her shoulder.

You watched as Natasha and Yelena slowly moved out of the ring and away from the center of attention.

You ex-fiance, who stood surrounded by her team members from her division, remained surprisingly calm. She has been watching how you treated Natasha and she didn't like it—she wanted to tear you away from her.

You stepped up closer to her, your voice low and filled with venom as you spat out, “You know she was a new recruit and you still challenged her.”

“Oh Y/N we all know she's more than just a recruit.”

You huffed at her words, you couldn't hold the outrage any longer and you hissed back, “You think I didn't notice? You triggered my agent!” Your voice trembled in anger. “Dreykov's daughter? Really? You would bring that up? How did you even know about that?” You started eyeing each of her team who were looking down to try and avoid your gaze. You know damn well that they know something about it. You huffed on how pathetic they looked.

Natasha's information was kept under you since she was your mission back then. No one could access this information unless they possessed the same level of clearance and security clearance as you did as a level 7 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Dreykov's daughter was the collateral damage to end Dreykov himself, to end the empire he built that brought horrors to the lives of young little girls. It was the last thing Natasha did before getting into the S.H.I.E.L.D. with the help of Clint.

You turned your gaze back to Daisy who is now looking down too. “Daisy…” you squeezed your eyes shut, “I forgave you for what you did to us,” you gulped as you tried to hold your tears at bay, you couldn't even utter the words that would bring up the memory of her betrayal. That she cheated.

The silence that had fallen over the entire room was almost deafening and you could feel the weight of everyone’s gaze bearing down to the both of you. You’ve had so much attention today already.

“Please stop going out of your way for this. Stop embarrassing yourself, you look desperate.” With that, you immediately stepped out the ring leaving her, she tried to go after you but her team immediately held her back.

⧗

After reading the text from Yelena, you can't believe it - they're still planning on going to the after-party after what just went down. You can feel the frustration rising inside you, almost boiling over as you read the message again.

“Please, Y/N join us, we’re all here with Natasha. She’s okay now but she's got bruised lippie though.”

“If you're scared that earthquake’s gonna be here, no she's not, so please join us here boss.”

Yelena then sent a video after she noticed that all her messages were just marked as seen by you. It's your team whining in the background, begging you to come to the party, but your gaze was fixated on Natasha's face on the screen. She waved shyly, her bruised lips forming a tight-lipped smile, the sight just making you sigh disappointingly before getting out of your car.

As you made your way into the party, you were relieved to find that most eyes were averted from you. You had been expecting a similar scene as the one earlier when you confronted your ex-fiance, but it seemed that the focus was on other things now. Maybe they're tired of the drama you had with her.

You spotted your team at a table near the bar, a few drinks already in front of them. They looked up as you approached, welcoming you with broad grins.

Yelena was the first one to greet you with a sly smile, acting as if nothing had happened earlier. “Well, look who decided to show up,” she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “Here, let me help you with that.”

Before you could protest, Yelena had taken your purse and was leading you to a seat at their table. She pulled out the chair for you, gesturing for you to sit down.

Madisynn who was next to you, slurred slightly, a sure sign that alcohol had definitely gotten into her system already. She stumbled over to you, her eyes lighting up as she turned and saw you. Her gaze lingered on you for a second before realizing it's you, her voice was slightly slurred as she exclaimed, “Boss! I'm so happy to see you. You look hella sexy in that dress! Right, Romanoff?!”

Natasha, who had been quiet until now, spoke up timidly. “Yeah, you look…” she trailed off, careful on what to say, you really looked sexy right now. The way that your black dress hugged your body and highlighted your curves, but she didn't want to sound perverted

“Beautiful,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yelena leaned in closely, her lips hovering mere centimeters from your ear. She looked at Natasha before whispering, loud enough for the redhead to hear, “I think you look delicious right now, Y/N.”

She then playfully nipped at your earlobe with her teeth, a sly smirk on her face. The brief contact sent a shiver down your spine. Yelena was never one to hold her tongue, she didn't have a filter and often spoke her mind without thinking.

You however, decided to play along with Yelena's antics, you faced her with a coy smile. Your faces were now mere inches apart, and you could see a hint of redness creeping up on Yelena's cheeks.

For a moment, it seemed like she was taken aback by your boldness, but then she regained her composure. Still, she couldn't help but back down slightly, her gaze lingering on your face before quickly looking away. You smirked as Yelena visibly backed down, her confidence faltering for a moment. Deciding to tease her further, you leaned in even closer and said, “What's wrong, Yelena? I thought I looked delicious.”

Natasha watched the exchange between you and Yelena, her eyes narrowing slightly. She hadn't realized just how close you were with Yelena, and it made her shift a little awkwardly in her seat.

A pang of jealousy flared up within her, but she quickly pushed it down. It was none of her business who you chose to be close to even if it's with her closest friend, and besides she had no right to feel possessive over you. Not when you hate her.

Not when you were supposed to be the one to take her out.

Still, the sight of Yelena being so flirtatious with you made her feel a little bothered. She found herself coughing involuntarily. It was an unexpected reaction, and she quickly tried to cover it up with a sip of her drink.

Yelena caught sight of Natasha and a sly grin spread across her face. She exchanged a glance with Madisynn in a brief second enough for you and Natasha not to notice.

“You okay, Romanoff?” The blonde asked, as she wrapped her hands on your waist, you on the other hand leaned to the blonde—not aware of the antics that she and Madisynn planned.

You were comfortable with Yelena's closeness, having known her for a long time and having shared many experiences together. She was like a strict baby sister, the type of sister that would ask you who you were with and what time you would be back. And If anyone hurt you, she wouldn't hesitate for a second to go after them. Her protective nature went into overdrive, and she would hunt down whoever had caused you pain. She cares for you and she would go far to keep you safe.

She had been there for you during tough times, like when Fury had to call her to make you come out to your childhood bedroom after your ex-fiance cheated on you or when she had to clean your room after she finally get you out to eat at the dinner table with your father. She had seen you smile because of your ex but she saw you cry more about her. Tough and good times, she had been there—always.

You yourself look out for her too—she can be careless at times so you gently correct her when she crosses the line or make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble. But at the same time, you also relied on her quirky sense of humor and unwavering support. She was part protector, part best friend, and part sibling all rolled into one.

“Let's play medusa y’all!” An agent shouted in the distance and it made you laugh.

“What are we? In college?” You huffed after, only to be dragged by Yelena.

“We’re joining!” Your eyes widened in disbelief and attempted to pull away from her grip, wanting nothing to do with this childish game. But just as you were about to tear yourself away, Madisynn suddenly latched onto your other arm, effectively trapping you. You were too confused when you noticed that Yelena was gone and Madisynn replacing her as if it was all planned.

“This will be fun boss, c’mon.” She slurred with a drink on her other hand.

You forgot to breathe as you saw Daisy across the room, conflicting emotions bubbled up within you, how in the hell she's here and you didn't even know?

Part of you wanted to run away from the room to escape the memories of her betrayal. But another part of you, driven by your desire to maintain your composure and dignity, compelled you to stay and keep things professional after what she did to you and to your agent.

But…a small, a sly part of you, tucked away in a hidden corner of your mind, whispered a tempting thought.

What if I make her jealous?

The idea was a little petty and you knew it, but you couldn't help the flicker of satisfaction it brought you. The chance to show Daisy that you were doing just fine without her, perhaps even better, was tantalizing.

But with who?

As various agents approached you with smiles, greetings or drinks, a wave of realization washed over you. Deep down, you knew this whole thing was ridiculous. Trying to find someone to make out with solely to make your ex jealous was a far cry from the person you aspired to be.

You shook your head slightly, silently scolding yourself for even contemplating such a childish idea. This whole situation was just plain stupid, however, despite the logical part of your brain telling you it was a stupid, a small, defiant part of you still wanted to go through with it.

If only you had known, but you were oblivious to the fact that Daisy had been burning with jealousy since the moment she spotted you with Natasha during the game.

Darcy, with her usual enthusiasm, called out to the group of agents gathered around you, “Alright, everybody! Form a circle, it's time to start!” She then saw you and let out a squeal, “Hi boss!”

You waved shyly before you settled down on the cold floor of the room with Madisynn beside you, “Where's Romanoff?” You asked, “and Yelena…” You rushed out. Madisynn then gestured with her drink, drawing your attention to the direction she was pointing. There, across from you, sat the redhead and the blonde.

Yelena had made sure that you and Natasha were seated directly across from each other, perfectly setting up the game of Medusa to play out exactly how she had planned.

“Alright, everybody!” Darcy shouted, getting the group's attention. “Everyone sit in a spot where you can see all of the other players.”

Once the group had taken their seats, she continued, “Now, each of you put your heads down. On the count of three, you'll raise your heads and stare directly at someone else. If you lock eyes with someone, both of you lose, and I will yell 'Medusa' if I caught y’all staring at each others’ asses and I will be sending you to 7 Minutes in Heaven!”

The agents began shouting and whistling, creating a chaotic atmosphere, hyped up from the game.

With a flourish of her hand, Darcy counted down, “Three, two, one.”

Everyone raised their heads, and you were suddenly faced with a sea of staring eyes. You quickly darted your eyes to an agent who was luckily not staring at you. The room buzzed with tension as people nervously tried to avoid locking gazes with the other players. Darcy stood in the center, ready to call out the first pair of victims. Her eyes scanning the group, spotted a pair that had locked eyes with each other. A sly grin spread across her face as she called out, “Medusa!”

The two unfortunate players were singled out and a chorus of “ooo” and whistles erupted from those around them. They sheepishly got up, blushing as they made their way toward the 7 Minutes in Heaven.

As the players shuffled off to the 7 Minutes in Heaven room, the game continued. It was only a matter of time before another pair would be called out for staring. You found yourself becoming more nervous as the round progressed.

Darcy's eyes glinted mischievously as she scanned the group once more, eagerly awaiting her next opportunity to pounce on a paired set of victims.

You were contemplating your strategy. And thought of Natasha, part of you knew that Natasha was averse to staring, always quick to look away—especially on you. But this might work to your advantage.

As the countdown ended, you found yourself staring at Natasha. She, as expected, was not looking at you. However, your heart raced when you noticed her eyes on someone else in the group. You furrowed your brows, trying to follow her line of sight to see who she's staring at.

Who was she looking at? Is she eyeing someone else? Oh, how you hoped that whoever she's staring at isn't looking back at her too.

You finally let yourself breathe, a wave of relief washing over you as Darcy called out “Medusa,” pointing at the pair who had been caught staring at each other. Thankful that it wasn't Natasha and whoever she's staring at, you felt a weight lift from your shoulders.

As Natasha navigated her way through the game, a plan formed in her mind. She glanced over at you, contemplating the likelihood of making eye contact with you. Her thoughts ran through her head, reasoning that you wouldn't look at her because you harbored a deep dislike for her—who would lock eyes on someone they hate, after all?

Natasha glanced around the room full of agents, her gaze falling upon Daisy, who was watching you as giggles escaped your lips at whatever Madisynn was whispering to you. The sight of your ex continuously eyeing you only made Natasha wish that you wouldn't look at your her the same way again as you did when you were still together.

She wished that you would look at her—this time.

“3”

“2”

“1”

You find yourself staring at the green orbs staring right back at you and the world seemed to stopped only for it to continue when Darcy shouted Medusa, her fingers pointed decisively at you and Natasha.

A collective gasp filled the room as everyone realized what had just taken place. Darcy's gleeful expression revealed her satisfaction at having caused this unexpected twist. Madisynn and Yelena traded smug grins, thrilled to see their plan unfolding flawlessly. They had orchestrated this moment carefully and their plans had paid off.

As word spread about your unexpected pairing with Natasha, your ex, Daisy, couldn't help but glance your way. She tried to hide her fueling rage, but her emotions were laid bare in her eyes. A lot of agents were looking her way too, satisfied at her reaction and silently rooting for Natasha.

Madisynn placed a gentle hand on your shoulders, helping you stand up from being seated on the floor. Your mind was still reeling from the sudden turn of events, unable to fully grasp what was happening. As you looked at the small cabinet not so far away from of you, the realization of who you would be sharing such a confined space with finally sank in.

“Times ticking boss.” Darcy whispered as she gently held your hands and pulled you. Meanwhile, Natasha was being ushered ahead by Yelena. Yelena then pushed Natasha gently into the small chamber, causing her to stumble forward slightly as she made her way into the cramped space. The room was dimly lit, its walls closed, not enough to leave little room to maneuver.

Natasha looked up as you stood just outside the small chamber. She saw how hesitant you are and she spoke up softly, “If you don't want this, you don't have to.” Her voice was gentle, giving you the option to back out of the situation if you so desired.

But you didn't listen to her, you immediately climbed into the small room and found yourself sitting beside the redhead. Before you had a chance to process the tight space, the door closed with a distinct click, sealing you inside with her.

Darcy's voice echoed from the other side of the door, she knocked, reminding that your time starts now, “Alright, lovebirds, 6:59 minutes. Enjoy your time there!” Her amusement was evident, and her words were followed by a series of giggles and shouts heard in the distance.

As Natasha hugged her knees and said, “We don't need to do anything,” she did so with a sense of finality, as if speaking aloud the thoughts that were already in your head. She already assumed you wouldn't want to do anything in this tiny-spaced room.

You haven't really scolded her for accepting the challenge from your ex and for going in here when she's supposed to be resting, you wanted to, though, but seeing her right now at this moment, you just couldn't bring yourself to.

You broke the silence, your words reverberating in the small chamber. “We can talk,” you suggested softly—too softly, your fingertips grazing the ceiling inches above your head. You asked once again, “Do you want to talk about something?”

Natasha sat silently, her eyes locked on the door as if she just wanted all this to be over, and for a moment, she didn't respond to your question. The quietness in the tiny space seemed to stretch on and her lack of response left you unsure of how to continue—so you just stayed silent too.

A couple of minutes have passed and you two just sat there. The silence between you was heavy, almost unbearably so, until Natasha finally spoke.

“Do you think you would make the same decision as Clint,” she started, her voice soft yet steady, “if you were the one sent to take me out?”

You were taken aback by Natasha's question, her words piercing through any facade you may have tried to maintain. How did she know about it? Panic and anger surged through you as you thought of the only person who could have told her the about it—intentionally told her. But you quickly pushed that thought aside, realizing it was a moot point now. The dilemma of how to respond to her question left you momentarily tongue-tied.

Would you? You asked yourself.

“I…” you trailed off, “I don't know.”

You took a deep breath, your voice low and steady as you finally admitted the truth. “Everything happens for a reason, Romanoff,” you began, your words measured, you’ve never been like this when you were talking to her. You’ve always been so honest, no, harsh when it comes to her, “It was originally my mission to take you out.”

“But Clint was the one sent with the same mission, you.” You sighed disappointingly as you recall the memory.

“I was upset, bitterly disappointed, angry.” You looked down at your thighs plopping sideways, “I immersed myself in studying you, devoting significant time understanding your every move, training myself on how to…” you stopped realizing what the next words would be, but Natasha knew what it was you’ve been trying to say.

You’ve been training yourself on how to eliminate her—to kill her.

There was a silence between the two of you again, not heavy this time, you leaned back against the cold wall and squeezed your eyes shut for a moment before opening them again.

“He made a different call for a reason.”

Natasha looked at you intently as you spoke again, “He saw something in you. And I think I do see that now.” You finally looked at her.

As you locked gazes, your eyes involuntarily fixated on her bruised lips, and you were certain that she was doing the same. However, the intensity of the moment became too palpable and you found yourself awkwardly turning your eyes away from her in an attempt to alleviate the growing tension.

“Boss, are you still alive in there?” You heard Darcy call out, how dare she ask if you were the one still alive? If there is someone supposed to be out of breath right now, it would be the redhead beside you. “You still got 2 minutes…and 32!”

“I wonder what other agents did in this room.” You suddenly spoke, but you didn't mean it to come out as if you were trying to hint to do the same thing you know agents did in this tight room which is releasing some sexual frustrations. “Gross.” You then whispered that made the redhead laugh.

“Yeah, I think they really need that.” She replied in a low voice, trying not to burst into more giggles.

“Wow, aren't you sexually frustrated too Agent Romanoff?” Maybe now you are hinting something.

Her voice echoed through the small space as she quipped, “I don't wanna get another punch from your ex.”

“You wouldn't catch a punch for me? Agent Romanoff?” you teased, your seductive tone adding an extra layer to the already charged atmosphere between you two.

Only if you know the things she would do and take for you.

“Trying to make your ex jealous?”

“Hm?” you eyed her before focusing with the necklace around your neck, fiddling with it absentmindedly as you avoided the redhead’s accusation when suddenly, her hands reached out and pinched your waist.

The action caught you off guard and an unintentional gasp escaped your lips. At that moment, Yelena's voice echoed through the door, as she whisper-shout, “What was that?!”

“What was that for?!” You quickly slapped Natasha's arm in retaliation, causing her to exaggerate a groan of pain that was heard outside.

“Oh god, it's happening. Shit! Shit!” Yelena exclaimed, apparently unable to contain her excitement. A chorus of shouts and whistles erupted from the agents gathered just outside the door, their reactions evident even through the thick boundary.

The situation was too absurd to not find amusing and you struggled to contain your laughter. Your hand shot up to cover your mouth, attempting to hide the impending giggles and shock at the chaos happening outside. You looked over at Natasha, you found her wearing a smirk. She then gestured for you to tap on the walls and you followed her lead, making a moaning sound as you did.

“Oh god!” you exclaimed, feigning a sense of ecstasy, playing into the moment and the reactions you knew you were eliciting from the agents outside.

“Oh god?!” Yelena and Madisynn shouted in chorus, “Praise the Lord!”

As you continued your act, Natasha suddenly spoke, her voice low and seductive. “Oh yeah?” she purred, “Mhm, yeah. That's my good girl,” she murmured, the praise and the nickname making you feel and think inappropriate things right now. 

Is this even appropriate?

Both you and Natasha released synchronized grunts and moans, intentionally creating the illusion of some... passionate act.

As your performance continued, you could hear Yelena's voice rise above the others, “Romanoff, if you hurt Y/N, I swear I'll chop you into tiny pieces!” Yelena threatened. “42 sex-onds!” she reminded in a rush.

“Get on my lap,” you hadn't even realized what you were doing until you found yourself sitting sideways on Natasha's lap, your tight dress not allowing you to straddle her but you still complied with her commanding order. The space between you grew even tighter, the proximity leaving you heady and breathless.

Natasha then shifted her thighs beneath you causing you squeal in surprise. 

“Sorry,” she whispered, but you just nodded, your face a burning kettle. Outside the door, the agents’ voices grew louder, their excitement evident as they reacted to the sounds you and Natasha were making.

“They were rushing it out!”

“Give them more time! C'mon!”

“I hope at least one of them could finish.”

You brought your hand on your mouth to contain your laughter once again. You blushed at the comment of the agents, the other was holding Natasha’s shoulder so you can steady yourself.

“18 seconds!”

The countdown and the outside world faded into the background as you bit your lip, your breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Overwhelmed by the moment and the intensity of your emotions, you leaned in and surged forward, your lips crashing onto hers, bruising them further in a desperate and passionate kiss.

As your lips melded together, Natasha's hands instinctively found their way to your waist, gripping it firmly, grounding you both. Pulling away, you locked eyes with Natasha, the gravity of the moment finally sinking in. Your heart hammered against your ribcage as you notice her lip, slightly bloodied with traces of your lipstick smeared across it. 

“I can't believe I just wasted those minutes in silence when I can have this with you,” she confessed.

And with that, the door of the small room you were in swung open, signaling that your 7 Minutes of Heaven is finally over.

The Call: Masterlist

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

Good news, everyone: we'll be able to debut the finals tonight. Thank you for your patience in this time, it's greatly appreciated.

But before the finals begin, it's time to present the Billboard Consolation Prizes...

*cue Hot Chocolate's "Every 1's a Winner"*

We have fourteen awards to give out this tourney; some were voted upon by the followers of the tourney, some were given out directly.

The first award is one that the fans voted on: The Powerful Mustache Award. This award goes out to the competitor that had the sweetest, sickest 'stache in the game. There were a few nominees that had the lead at some point in the voting, but the winner ended up being...

Frank Zappa! Congratulations, I'm sure some people will Freak Out over this win.

Next is the Failure to Launch Award. This one goes out to the round-one loser that had the most submissions to be in the tourney. With five user submissions (and no wins in this tourney,) the winner of this award is...

Elvis Presley! Elvis unsurprisingly lost out in the first round to Johnny Cash on the Johnny Cash website, but now he has an award for it.

The next award is the Who? What?? Award! The Who? What?? Award goes to the most obscure/strangest submission in the tournament--no shade here, he's a cool dude. This award was originally going to be a user vote, but I figured that nobody else could possibly take the title except...

The one and only Moondog! Shout-out to the one who submitted him in the first place for introducing me and undoubtedly others to this musical character.

Our next award is the Mama's Boy Award! For those of you who haven't seen I Love New York (most of you, I'm assuming; I think the venn diagram for lovers of vintage music and VH1 reality TV is two circles), the Mama's Boys were those contestants handpicked by New York's mom...and in this case, the Mama's Boys were picked by me! If you remember at the beginning of this tournament, I added more contestants to bring the total number of men to 256. These were musicians and singers who were so famous that it was baffling that it wasn't there, or perhaps they were added to round out some band lineups (newsflash: John Bonham and John Deacon were Mama's Boys.) Some were also added to throw in some characters that were significant in music that you might not have thought of, like Jorge Ben, Arthur Lee, or Richie Havens.

Now that I've explained who could be in the running for the Mama's Boy Award, I'll explain how you win: by making it farther than the rest of the contestants selected by the pollmaster. That distinction goes to...

Mickey Finn! Mickey made it to round five without having been nominated by the public, but was bested by Billy Preston.

In a similar vein to the last award, next we have the Spanish Inq-

Next we have the Spanish Inquisition Award. This one was a fan vote, and it went to the competitor that nobody expected to make it as far as they did. Overwhelmingly, the votes went to...

Bruce Springsteen! ...Bruce Springsteen? I can honestly say I didn't expect that result.

Next is the Crossover Award! In the days of yore, a crossover artist was one that was marketable, or could chart, in more than one music chart. In the modern age (or at least in this tourney,) a crossover artist is one that can qualify for more than one tournament. The nominees of this award, one that has been awarded based on fan vote, were all also featured in @hotvintagepoll as well. This award, like the tourney, was based on hotness, and the winner is...

Elvis Presley! This is Mr. Presley's second nomination and second win. (Didn't make it out of round one but he's doing pretty well here.)

Next award is the No Help Required Award. This award goes to the contestant that made it farthest in the tournament without having propaganda submitted during or between rounds--that means nothing on the post, nothing in the propaganda tag. The winner of this impressive feat is...

Stevie Wonder! Stevie made it to the quarterfinals without the help of propaganda, but was ultimately defeated by David Bowie.

The next award, voted on by the fans, also had a surprising winner. This one is the Robbed Icon Award. I asked voters to think of the contestant whose elimination was the most unfair...maybe he was up against a guy you thought was gross, maybe he didn't have enough propaganda, maybe he was just hotter in the 80s and hadn't grown into his looks yet. The votes are in, and the award goes to...

David Bowie! The amount by which he lost was a shock, but he had a most worthy opponent. David, you make a lovely third alternate.

Next is the Multi-Instrumentalist Award. Many of our contestants choose to be a master of one skill, be it guitar, vocals, songwriting, piano...but some would rather be a jack of all trades (and maybe a master of one or two? This is a bad metaphor right now.) I chose a handful of contestants who could truly be considered great multi-instrumentalists, and asked you to say which one was hottest. Without a doubt, the winner is...

George Harrison! Most known for playing guitar, George Harrison is said to have been able to play 26 instruments, from the sitar to the glockenspiel.

Next is the Band Assassin Award. Because the pairings were random, there was always a chance that a contestant's opponents might have something in common with each other (weirdly, Ron Mael both defeated and was defeated by David Jones.) Two contestants, however, each defeated two members of the same band, both wiping out half a lineup. The TWO winners are...

Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix! Paul McCartney beat two members of The Monkees (Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz) in rounds one and two, and Jimi Hendrix took out half of Queen (Brian May and Freddie Mercury) at the same time in the quarterfinals.

Our next award is the All Together Now Award. As you've probably noticed, there were several complete band lineups in the Billboard Hotties Tourney. While some were completed by yours truly, some were all submitted by the voters! This award goes to the first band to have its complete lineup submitted by viewers like you (thank you!) The winner is...

The Who! Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend were all submitted by you guys, Keith Moon being the last to round out the lineup. The Monkees were the second group to have their whole band submitted.

In the grand tradition of many beauty pageants, this tournament has a Mr. Congeniality Award. Now, it's a little hard to judge the contestants themselves, as they're unaware of the poll's existence and/or are dead, so we won't be judging their decorum today. Instead, this one goes out to the fans of the contestant. Each poll is going to have its tantrums, but for the most part, this musician had fans who were hilarious, kind, and generally well-behaved. Mr. Congeniality goes to...

Clarence Clemons! One more time...spotlight on The Big Man.

The penultimate award is The Popular Kid Award. This one goes out to the contestant that had the most nominations. You'll see why the Spanish Inquisition Award winner surprised me, because the Popular Kid Award winner is also...

Bruce Springsteen! The Boss is the only contestant to crack the double digits, with ten nominations to his name. David Bowie came in second with nine.

Finally, we have the Not Just a Pretty Face Award. Let's face it, it's fun to gush about how cute your favorite singer is or AWOOGA over a bassist every once in awhile, but that's not what music is really about. It's not about the sight, it's about the sound, and that's what this award is for. Voters were asked to pick their favorite musician music-wise for this one, and they overwhelmingly picked...

David Bowie! You may not have won the beauty pageant, but you sure do sound great.

Thanks for playing, everyone! The final poll will go live tonight at midnight PST.

[tavyliasin]

Baldur's Date Open Creative Challenge!

Artists, Writers, Creators of All Kinds!

You are cordially invited to join a creative challenge!

You must be 18 years old or over to join, but there will be 2 categories, one for SFW works and one for NSFW works!

Accepted Submission Types

Please note all works must be your own and not made using any AI, including AI RP bots for writing.

Art

Comics

Valentine's Card

Fiction

Drabble collection (series of short fic, 1-5 paragraphs each)

Poetry

Song lyrics

Full songs/music

Podfic (With agreement from the fic writer)

Cosplay (No Nudes/NSFW/Explicit please)

Other Crafts (Puppets, embroidery, paper figure cut outs - whatever you like!)

For the Rules and More Details, please see below! Credit to Morb for the new event banner!

Welcome to the Baldur's Date Challenge!

Please be aware this event will include spoilers to characters, storylines, and endings, as well as NSFW content. Proceed with care!

The idea is to create something themed around a Date or Valentine Event. It doesn't even have to be romantic or positive, there are lots of ways to take this from Valentine's Cards from characters to slow burn romance to fully brutal heartbreak and violence. The choices are yours!

The Rules

By participating, even in the SFW version, you agree and confirm you are 18 years old or over.

All creators retain full rights to their works, subject only to the conditions of the platforms they share them on (ie, AO3)

Submissions must contain at least one named character from Baldur's Gate 3

Submissions must also be based around a date, valentine-type event, or similar

AUs, non-canon, alternate versions of characters are all WELCOME

You may choose your own prompt, or use the quiz to help you decide!

Poly Romance Welcome

Characters only, no actors or real people, other than using "Reader Insert" with 2nd person writing styles.

All works must be tagged appropriately for any CWs (please ask TavyliaSin for a list if required)

All characters must be 18 or over in the game as well as in the work you create

No characters in romantic relationships are to be related to each other.

Trans and gender-swapped characters are welcomed, unless it is only for the explicit purpose of making a canon homosexual couple into a heterosexual couple (eg, making Aylin a man so that the relationship with Isobel is straight) 

Deadline is 10th Feb to allow for time to check entries

Collections will go live just before midnight on 13th Feb so they are ready to be viewed on Valentine's Day

If you would like to help with the event running, please contact TavyliaSin on Twitter, Discord, or anywhere else you can hunt her down~

Dead Dove and controversial topics, kinks, and characters are allowed but must be properly tagged to give people a choice of what they engage with. This also means there is to be no shaming - Tavylia would like to support all creative works even ones she isn't personally fond of or would avoid.

How Do I Join?

You can either send your submissions directly to the AO3 Collections, or if you don't have AO3 you can wait until 14th Feb and reblog/retweet the posts I'll make for the collections on the day to add your contributions. It's open to EVERYONE who is 18+! Join in, give it a try! Submissions on AO3 close on 10th Feb 2024 (just before midnight GMT/UTC 0) so please try to get things in on time to be on AO3 so we have a few days to accept and check submissions. The collections will go live on 14th February for Valentine's just around midnight UTC0/GMT

Select "Post to Collection" to add your work! All works will be hidden until the collection releases on 14th.

Are there any Prompts?

Yes! Aside from the general theme there are prompts for art and writing (and anything else) on the following google form. You can roll dice to decide for you as each question has numbered answers and instructions on the dice to use! But you don't have to stick to the result you get - choose what you like. You don't even have to roll dice at all if you don't want to, just take a look at the selection for some ideas and choose what's interesting in it.

You can enter as many pieces as you like, so please use this to have fun and enjoy yourselves~

If you have any questions please drop them in comments, or contact me anywhere you can find me~

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

Ok, I think I have this pivot done, but nothing is permanent so let's start somewhere and build the rest together! So, reintroducing:

The Expanding Hyrule Community Discord!

Much like the name Expanding Hyrule and Original Legends, all of this is very new. And open to feedback 110%. But, much like the fact that there is no name for this niche of the Zelda community, there's not a place either. So we need one so we can pick a name together!

A lot of the assets are temp reused stuff from my fic, MoaH, but the asset is also a guild symbol and what better way to start an adventure with adventurers than with a guild! Union metaphor, adventure tie in, it'll get changed, but until a name gets picked, the acronym would be "EH" which is not as enthusiastic as I'd like to be about this. So, what is the server now!

At the top, I want to mention that I am solo-modding this at the moment, so the scale of what the server can do will scale based on that and whenever I get a mod situation figured out. Which is why:

Server is 16+. For this particular brand of building community, I want to have a space open to new storytellers and established storytellers alike. I am however only one person and until I have more Discord savvy folks to help, I don't know that I have the energy to deal with very young folks.

To the meat of it: this server is, for the purposes of this post, what I'm currently calling "Original Legend" Zelda stories. These are stories that aren't based on any particular game, they would be their own games if they were ever adapted. If you tell stories in that niche or are interested in those kinds of stories, here's your place to help us pick a name for this community and support it!

If you write Original Legend fic or have an Original Legend comic, you can get your own subcategory set up on the server for boosting and promoting your Hyrule. A community of book clubs is the idea. All you gotta do is head to the Expanding Hyrule section of the server, give me some details on how you want to set up your subsection of the server, and there you go, a place to collect resources for your work maybe a little easier than shifting through a blog or hoping the tags don't break. Here's a few of mine on the server already as examples:

Continuing on that point, the events section is open for request. If you upload on a schedule or one off but you know the day, I'll get an event set up so folks can get reminders of your releases. Additionally, if you do streams for your art or art for creators in this space, will also happily add those into the events.

For folks that like reading Zelda fic & comics, yo! You get to help us build a new part of the community! This fandom has built niches before, like the Links Meet niche. Here's another one that we can set up together! And as creators in this space, we need your help because this genre has no central identity for us to organize behind. You get to help create that!

What are y'all waiting for? The pic is linked with the invite, here it is again (x), and it's on the pinned post for this blog.

(This post has external links, so reblogs help a ton!)

[perfectlovevn]

If no one could give you the love you craved...

Then you would create someone who could.

Wouldn't that be fun?

Game is now complete. Have fun.

You were always obsessed with a specific love... not one advertised in romance novels or movies, but a love that consumes and corrupts... One of obsession and possession. No matter what you did, you could never find that love...

So you decided... why not make this perfect love instead?

A game that was suppose to be made for the Yandere Jam 2023, but I didn't have enough time to finish, so now I'm going to try to finish it by the end of the summer at latest.

Game will include:

Nameable MC (Default Name, Eris) who is incredibly manipulative

Choose your own Nickname

Too many references to yandere vns (in terms of names and nickname combos)

Milo, the to-be yandere that changes appearance, personality and dialogue based on decisions.

Everything in greyscale so I don't die of coloring

Three Choices

Eight Different Endings + A Secret Ending

Maybe Extras if I can figure out how to code it in which will include some basic side stories

Future Progress:

Extra Scenes Writing: 90%

Extra Scenes Sprites: 30%

Extra Scenes Coding: 30%

Extra Scenes Music: 0%

Milo Didn't Like that: 0%

Game Warnings:

Includes:

Bullying

Manipulation (on both Milo and Eris's part)

Blackmail

Violence/Blood

Stalking

Drugging (creation of and using of)

Possessive/ Obsessiveness

Yandere Behavior (And a yandere of course)

A Cruel MC

and others that will be added to the list afterwards

I'll try to give progress updates at least once a week so people know that I'm working on it. We'll see how it goes.

Feel free to send asks!

I'll figure out tags as we go as well. Have fun!

Tags:

#characterprofile

#about PreMilo

#about ManipulationMilo

#about ViolenceMilo

#about eris

#milo asks

#perfectlove dev logs

#Milo fanart

#C4 Draws

[spar-kie]

Do You Have The Time?

A Thorough Dissection of What Past Aevium Means For You

So I've been reading through @/jazz-kitty's rejuv playthrough (not actually tagging them bc this will contain spoilers for shit they've not gotten to but if you're reading this Jazz, keep up the good work! It's super fun to read through your playthrough :>), and I've realized we got some concrete dates (in a fashion), meaning that, we might be able to figure out when Storm 9 happens, within a couple months! As well as some other details.

Anyways even if you don't want to hear my rambling about dates, there's gonna be something I really want to share underneath the cut, I'll put some big bold header text so you know where to scroll to.

Now, it all starts here, with Melia's Mimikyu, which we are there to see caught, giving us a concrete date, October 10th, 198X.

Now you may be asking yourself, but Sparkie, the screenshot says 1984? That's because my buddy Nym, who is on the dev team, stated that to its memory, the year is calculated based off your system date. Meaning that the year will change depending on the year you play Rejuv in. However, Jazz's post that I got this from does mention in the tags how the rest of Melia's pokemon are caught from 1981-1983. I had an old save file kicking around that was near Blacksteeple, and checking "Emma's" Pokemon in that I can also say that these dates are variable based off system time. Being 198X-3 through 198X-1. For simplicity's sake we're going to be based off of System Time being the year 2024, mostly because shit like 198X-1 is hard to read. But just keep in mind that as Rejuv is set in 202X these dates have about a 10 year range they can vary by, this will come back later, take note of this.

I want to establish before we go forward, you can also see how this works for yourself rather easily, if you go into the past and catch a pokemon, the date it's caught at will be your system time, minus 40 years. This, combined with some plot elements such as Melia's birthday being after she catches this Mimikyu confirms that the past segments take place exactly 40 years before present day, with the Time Crystals not sending you back or forth to a specific time and date, but rather a set amount of time forward and back (in this case 40 years).

Anyways, this also lets us know that Storm-9 happened a little over 39 years ago as of the game's start, and at some point during the game's time span we will hit the 40 year anniversary. I always thought it was 50 years before the game's start, I don't remember if I got that from somewhere in game or it's just one of them things I got in my head, but between the wiki and a reply from Zumi on one of my tweets it's actually 40. If anyone has the same misconception I had, I hope that clears it up.

But through what we can gleam in game, we can actually tell (roughly) when Storm-9 happens! Judging by the fact we can still visit the past at the end of the .karma files, Storm-9 has not hit the past yet. It's going to happen very soon, but it's not there yet. Thankfully, we have a very concrete date on when that would be, December 25th, 2024, as the Xen Raid is just one day later. Meaning, that as of December 25th, 1984, the Aevium region is still fine. This combined with the fact that there is a note on the door of the house occupied by the A-Gang near Hyoshi City that says they'll be out until the Summer means that they are going to be at school until late May, early June, assuming it runs at similar time frames to a school in the U.S.. Meaning that, at some point, most likely in Early 1985, but possibly for about a week in Late 1984, is when Storm 9 hits. You could extrapolate more (i.e. no teachers/other students in the academy during the Interceptor's Nightmare Realm means people might've been on break, meaning it was Late 1984 and the gang was just hanging out at the academy) but as that's explicitly stated to be not entirely accurate to how that day actually was, I'm not going to do that.

HI IF YOU JUST WANT THE FUNNY INFORMATION SCROLL HERE

Anyways, now that you've heard me ramble about dates like your history teacher, we get to the fun part! That being I get to tell you about the A gang! That being we know the protag choices are 17-18 years old, and given that we know Storm 9 happened in either very Late 1984 or Early 1985, we can assume that the A-Gang were those ages during Storm-9. Meaning their birth years could range between 1966-1968, placing them firmly in Gen X, meaning they are chronologically old enough to be some of the people reading this's parents!

But that's not all, do you remember how I stated that Rejuv took place in 202X, meaning it could be any year of the 2020s? And thus, the past segments take place in any year 40 years before that, in the 1980s? If we were to say, put the year Rejuv takes place in in 2020, then that would mean the A Gang would be born in the years 1962-1964.

The general consensus on baby boomers is that they were born between 1946-1964.

The A Gang could, conceivably, be baby boomers.

Have a nice night everyone.

[expanding-hyrule]

This is largely a repost of the original version I did on @amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet to add to the pinned post, but for the sake of having it here on this blog too as its own post:

The Expanding Hyrule Community Discord!

Much like the name Expanding Hyrule and Original Legends, all of this is very new. And open to feedback 110%. But, much like the fact that there is no name for this niche of the Zelda community, there's not a place either. So we need one so we can pick a name together!

A lot of the assets are temp reused stuff from my fic, MoaH, but the asset is also a guild symbol and what better way to start an adventure with adventurers than with a guild! Union metaphor, adventure tie in, it'll get changed, but until a name gets picked, the acronym would be "EH" which is not as enthusiastic as I'd like to be about this. So, what is the server now!

At the top, I want to mention that I am solo-modding this at the moment, so the scale of what the server can do will scale based on that and whenever I get a mod situation figured out. Which is why:

Server is 16+. For this particular brand of building community, I want to have a space open to new storytellers and established storytellers alike. I am however only one person and until I have more Discord savvy folks to help, I don't know that I have the energy to deal with very young folks.

To the meat of it: this server is, for the purposes of this post, what I'm currently calling "Original Legend" Zelda stories. These are stories that aren't based on any particular game, they would be their own games if they were ever adapted. If you tell stories in that niche or are interested in those kinds of stories, here's your place to help us pick a name for this community and support it!

If you write Original Legend fic, have an Original Legend comic, or generally make fanworks in this niche, you can get your own subcategory set up on the server for boosting and promoting your Hyrule. A community of book clubs is the idea. All you gotta do is head to the Expanding Hyrule section of the server, give me some details on how you want to set up your subsection of the server, and there you go, a place to collect resources for your work maybe a little easier than shifting through a blog or hoping the tags don't break. Here's a few of mine on the server already as examples:

(Some of these subcategories can get big, so minimized for space, here's mine for example)

Continuing on that point, the events section is open for request. If you upload on a schedule or one off but you know the day, I'll get an event set up so folks can get reminders of your releases. Additionally, if you do streams for your art or art for creators in this space, will also happily add those into the events.

For folks that like engaging with Zelda fanworks, yo! You get to help us build a new part of the community! This fandom has built niches before, like the Links Meet niche. Here's another one that we can set up together! And as creators in this space, we need your help because this genre has no central identity for us to organize behind. You get to help create that!

What are y'all waiting for? The pic is linked with the invite, here it is again (x), and it's on the pinned post for this blog.

(This post has external links, so reblogs help a ton!)

[worldwarriorandfriendsbracket]

THE KING OF IRON FIST TOURNAMENT PRELIMINARIES OUT NOW!

I figured to wait until the release day of Tekken 8 to start the The King of Iron Fist Tournament! Or the Tekken Tournament. I'll let you guys decide on the name but for now I will just say Tekken Preliminaries!

So who is fighting it out and who is currently in the 64 bracket? I did the same seeding I did for Mortal Kombat, where I based it off of playable appearances. The 8 mainline games and the Tekken Tag Tournament games, any other spinoff is not included.

Tekken Characters In the Bracket

10 playable appearances (all ten games!)

Nina Williams

Paul Phoenix

Yoshimitsu

9 playable appearances

Heihachi Mishima

Jack

Kazuya Mishima

Lee Chaolan

Marshall Law

8 playable appearances

King II

Kuma II

Anna Williams

Lei Wulong

Bryan Fury

Eddy Gordo

Hwoarang

Jin Kazama

Ling Xiaoyu

Panda

7 playable appearances

Ganryu

Julia Chang

6 playable appearances

Wang Jinrei

Steve Fox

5 playable appearances

Baek Doo San

Bruce Invin

Mokujin

Craig Marduk

Emilie De Rochefort

Sergei Dragunov

Asuka Kazama

Devil Jin

4 playable appearances

Armor King II

Kunimitsu I

Michelle Chang

Prototype Jack

Jun Kazama

Christie Monteiro

Raven

Alisa Bosconovitch

Lars Alexandersson

Leo Kliesen

Zafina

3 playable appearances

Armor King I

Alex

Angel

Ancient Ogre

Forest Law

Tiger Jackson

True Ogre

Roger Jr.

Miguel Caballero Rojo

Robert "Bob" Richards

Tekken Characters in the Preliminaries

2 playable appearances

King I

Kuma I

Devil Kazuya

Roger

Dr. Bosconovitch

Unknown

Combot

Miharu Hirano

Jinpachi Mishima

Claudio Serafino

Shaheen

Leroy Smith

1 playable appearance

Violet

Tetsuji

Jaycee

Sebastian

Slim Bob

Master Raven

Fahkumram

Gigas

Josie Rizal

Katarina Alves

Kazumi Mishima

Lucky Chloe

Kunimitsu II

Lidia Sobieska

Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo

Reina

Victor Chevalier

Eliza (gonna appear in Last Chance as I forgot)

Just like last time, four groups to decide who will get the open spots. However there is a odd number so we might do a Last Chance Preliminary poll once again. The top 3 of each group will move on to the bracket. Number 4 will go to Last Chance. The rest are banished to catering forever.

The preliminaries themselves will be out soon hopefully in the next hour or so are out now. Thank you for the support and here's to another fighting game tournament.

Also been dead for a month so tagging for visibility, however you are not obligated to. If you do, then thank you very much.

@cinderpoll @victimsofyaoipoll @elementspecificcharatourney @tournament-announcer @favoritesegacharacterbracket @clash-of-the-wizards @characterswithcolorsnamesfight @silly-name-tourney @bestadaptationtournament @best-female-villain-tournament

[kiiyome-art]

I've been thinking a lot about destiny lately, and how I want to go about writing and drawing out my warlock, Vienna's, story, now that the light and dark saga is coming to a close. I was a bit late to the destiny scene, all things considered, and between my creative struggles and (trying) to be a functional human being, I've not created as much as id have liked to. So come along with me on my little rant as I think allowed my thoughts, if you feel so inclined.^^

There's still so much I want to write, and stories to tell within the destiny universe.

I started playing the game during season of the plunder, when my friends introduced me to it, and we became a glorious fireteam! I was drawn to the pretty warlock space magic immediately, and thus, Vienna was born. ( Though I've since become a hunter main, she's still my favorite blorbo. )

I quickly fell in love with the story and it's characters, dug deep into the lore and since then, her story has gone through a LOT of changes. I try to stick close to the canon story for the most part, in my universe Vienna is the young wolf who was risen in D1, and has since gone through most of what we see throughout the dlcs and seasons past then, I'll probably elaborate on that further at one point.

Most of my drawings that I've posted here are fun little doodles, occasional quips between characters, and overall "for fun" stuff. The majority of what I've thought up for Vienna has been confined to my own head and the rare rants to my friends. And now with final shape being so close, I feel myself pressured to know, and write down, everything that I can. Which, realistically, is silly.

I had plans to make a three minute animatic of Vienna during forsaken since it was a MASSIVE turning point for her, have it out by final shape, then make an entirely NEW animatic based off OF final shape, mostly inspired by Caydes return. Whilst I had mapped out most of it and gotten some rough sketches down, I didn't even begin on the actual project. Could I have? Probably. Do i feel guilty about it? Yes. Will those projects still happen? Hopefully.

I know for all you creatives out there that might be reading this, the feeling of having plans, and not being able to carry through with them, or it not turning out how you wanted, is a shitty feeling, not foreign to ANY of us.

I felt myself compelled to write this in the first place because I know that, well, I'm not alone.

There's many creatives out there feeling the same pressure to get stuff done as I am, even if we don't say it. We want to have everything figured out, to create something wonderful, with the final shape feeling like "the end" of destiny as we know it and all. So this is me calling out to whoever might be listening; be nicer to yourself.

You have all the time in the world to create that animation, paint that painting, write that story. Just because final shape is "an ending," doesn't mean you can't still work on and have fun with the story beats you have in mind prior to Final Shape. No ones gunna call it silly, were all equally starved for content here. And who knows, once we all know how final shape ends, it might inspire you and help your story flow together better.

I'll try my best to tag my posts relating to Vienna and her fireteam with time stamps from now on, as I tend to jump all over the place and it could get really confusing really fast. The TLDR of it all;

Don't feel guilty about unfinished projects. Final shape isn't the end, dont let it be, and dont feel confined to just creating content relating to post final shape.

That's all! I appreciate you reading if you got this far, and im excited to see the amazing things the Destiny corner of tumblr will come up with next.

See you starside! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[valdevia]

Sorry to ask such a silly question, but I would rather ask then do it outright, but is it ok if we can use some of your concepts for our own stuff. I’m really fascinated with all the bone stuff you do and wanna try and use the concept for my own stuff, but since they’re your ideas I figured it would be more polite to ask first! :D

It really depends on what your own stuff is!

I'll take the opportunity to lay out my general rules on inspiration and using my concepts:

Fanart/Fanfic: Always OK! Just make sure to direct folks to the source material! (and tag/DM me so I can see it!)

Inspiration / Derivative ideas: if you like one of my concepts and want to do something new and different based on it: just go for it, no need to ask or credit!

TTRPGs: (I get this question a lot, so I'm making it its own bullet point) It's totally OK to adapt my stories for a tabletop RPG campaign that you're playing with your friends! If it's going to be played publicly, thought, refer to the last point!

Adaptation / Translation: If you want to directly adapt one of my stories to a new medium (like narrations, videos, games, or others) or translate it to another language, please ask me first! I'd be happy to check it out, provide feedback and help out where needed! (Or even do an interview segment, like I did for the Curious Archive video!)

Commercial Projects: If you want to use any of my ideas for a commercial project, make sure to ask first! It might be ok if it's just tangential inspiration, otherwise you should probably get a license! (just email me at valdevia.art@gmail.com and we'll figure it out!)

And if your case doesn't fit any of the categories above or you're not sure, feel free to ask! My DMs are open! You can reach me here, on my Discord, Twitter DMs, or email!

[amethystina]

Shipper Tag Game

I was tagged by @a-very-fond-farewell! Thank you so much, darling! Though I'm not sure how good I'll be at it x'D

---

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don’t care anymore?

Honestly? None. While I did have some ships I was interested in, I wasn't obsessed with any of them. And I kind of still care about them? In a very nostalgic way. So I kind of fail at both parts of this question x'D

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

If I'm going with the one I got really invested in? Destiel tbh. Mainly because I was very much a late bloomer who didn't really discover fandom and fanfics until I was 20-21. I mean, I HAD read some before that but since I didn't have internet in my apartment until I went to university (I was too poor xD), it wasn't easy for me to access them. Shipping is just easier when you have internet.

But, once I had it, I DID revisit a couple of ships that were technically older than Destiel that I had never really gotten into before that, many of them from video games, anime/manga, and books I'd read. But they were all overshadowed by Destiel so that's the one I remember as my first.

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Are we talking reading or writing? I guess I'll do both?

Reading: I think it was a Zell Dincht/Seifer Almasy one from Final Fantasy VIII that a friend printed out on actual paper and gave to me back when I was 16 or 17 (again, no internet). And I honestly can't say why he picked that pairing xD (I'm definitely more of a Squall/Seifer girlie now)

Writing: Sterek. Because it felt interesting but also not too intimidating. And I also just like werewolves?

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

Not really, no. Since I've been drawing for so long I spent more time looking for art than fanfics when I was younger so I probably stumbled over a lot of them without even knowing it.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Not if I can help it, no. I tend to stay away from that sort of thing as best I can and just let people ship whatever they want. It's honestly none of my business.

6. Did you use to have any no-otp or have it currently?

I have several, mostly based on what I find triggering or squicky. But I don't announce them publically because that's just rude to those who DO ship them. And, as stated above, I try not to get involved in what other people ship or don't ship.

7. Who were the couples in the last fanfic you read?

Choi Yoon/Yoon Hwa Pyung from The Guest. Because who doesn't love some pining and Catholic guilt?

For real, though, I read very few fanfics right now and actually had to go check my history on AO3 to figure this out x'D The second to last fanfic was a Strangers From Hell one. And the one before that was a Guardian one!

8. Currently do you have any OTPs?

Several. Honestly too many to list x'D I'm one of those people who don't really let go of ships I like. They're not always at the forefront of my mind, though, but I remember them fondly and coo a little when I think of all the fond memories.

But if we're talking about the ones I'm the most focused on right now I'd say Kang Yo Han/Kim Ga On from The Devil Judge, Yoon Sa Wol/5-8 from Black Knight (currently struggling with chapter 6 x'D), the aforementioned Choi Yoon/Yoon Hwa Pyung from The Guest, and Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan from Guardian.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Sterek. But that has less to do with my dedication to the characters and more to do with the queerbaiting and how extremely shittily Jeff Davis handled that whole thing. To use the Sterek shippers for publicity and hint that maybe it could happen, only to turn around and do everything within his power to not make it happen?

I take that personally, not because I have a huge stake in Stiles and Derek as characters, but as a queer person who, for once, thought that maybe we would actually get to see a couple we really liked get together, and then didn't.

I had more hope for Sterek than I ever did for Destiel, which technically had more in-canon queerbaiting, because the people behind Teen Wolf did their damndest to give me hope. Only for me to be ignored and basically told I was being gullible for ever thinking it would happen.

And that's a betrayal I'm probably never going to forgive.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Not... really? I can't think of any, at least. But that could be because I always have a pretty good reason for disliking the ships I dislike. As mentioned, it's usually based on triggers and squicks and those don't really change. So my opinion on ships I dislike aren't likely to change, either.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I mean, considering the social climate right now? Even Sterek qualifies because Stiles was underage when I started shipping them and Derek most certainly was not xD That said, I always prefer the fics when Stiles had time to turn 18 before any of the sexy stuff happened.

12. What was your favourite crack ship?

Okay, so, I've actually read a lot of fics for ships I don't actually ship, just for research purposes. Like, I find it FASCINATING to watch what other people like, how they choose to write about the things they like, and how they decide to portray the characters. Basically, I like to analyse authors just as much as I like to analyse characters. It's a hobby of mine.

And one of my absolute favourites was reading fanfics for Newt Scamander and the original Percival Graves from the first Fantastic Beasts movie (Sidenote: She-who-must-not-be-named is an asshole and this is not an endorsement of her franchise or shitty beliefs). And why I loved that so much was because the fics were about THE ORIGINAL Percival Graves who, technically, was never IN the actual movie (he might not even be alive anymore?). Like, it was Grindelwald all the time. We never actually SAW the original Percival Graves, just Grindelwald's impersonation of him.

And I just had so much fun reading various authors' takes on this character who was never actually seen but, based on Grindelwald's impersonation, can sort of be hinted? Because he must have done a good enough job of it that the people around Graves didn't notice? It was like an anthropological dig of Percival Graves transpiring right before my eyes and since I got on the train pretty early, I could see authors being inspired by each other and how the fanon developed over time. 10/10 would recommend if you're interested in watching a fandom evolve.

(also, some of the fics were so fucking good. So there's that, too xD)

13. Who is the couple you read most fanfics of?

I'm not entirely sure if it's Destiel or Stony, but definitely one of them (Sterek is most likely in third place). Partly because there are just so many to partake in (those fandoms are HUGE), but also because they've been with me for so long and numbers accumulate. That said, I haven't read any for those ships in a long, long time. But considering how many fics I devoured during the time I was the most active in those fandoms? It's going to be difficult for any of the ones I'm currently into to catch up.

Also because I tend to be in much smaller fandoms now >_>

14. What do most of your ships usually have in common?

WELL. A while back I would have said that even if there are some enemies-to-lovers tropes and antagonising in some of them, they're all mostly unproblematic and pretty healthy.

... I can't really do that anymore, can I? x'D

I mean, Kang Yo Han is problematic all on his own, but even HE is a green flag compared to Seo Moon Jo. That fucker is just a straight-up psychopath x'D

A more serious answer: An interesting dynamic. Which sounds like a given, but is actually a bit more tricky than that. Because I've only gotten more and more picky over the years. I've actually spoken to my wife and friends about this, because I've seen a pretty noticeable shift in my own shipping practices lately.

I gather fewer and fewer new ships and that's not because I watch/read fewer things, but because I'm getting pickier about them. There has to be an extra spark that interests me, often connected to the characters' personalities and how they play off each other, while, before, a bit of chemistry was enough.

But that also makes me more versatile, I guess? Because I focus less on tropes and more on characters and dynamics. But that also makes it harder to spot similarities xD

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

I mean, hate is a strong word. But, again, it would mostly be connected to my triggers. I don't like ships that are too abusive and unbalanced. A little bit of danger is fine, but things like abuse, infidelity, grooming, non-con etc. don't work for me, personally.

---

I don't really know who to tag so just do it if you want to! :D

[shadowredfeline]

For Woman's Day, i decided i draw Tory wearing and performing the showtimes in different attires based on a new game that's coming out on the Switch in a few weeks called Princess Peach's Showtime. So Tory is doing different Roles like Princess Peach does, we got her in detective, figure skating, a Ninja, a Mermaid which her Mermaid attire looks different even though it's the same as her color attire, which i bet it would be perfect to use the Mermaid attire for Mermay if she and her friends want to do a showtime with them. And we also got her in a Swordfighter attire which Tory has never sword fought before, i hope her Brother and her Best Friend will help her out. Especially if she's trying to act like she's playing Musketeers. And we have Kung Fu which i bet she would love her attire with all the flames. Then we have her Cowgirl attire which i bet it would be perfect for her anytime she wants to go up north with her dad and her brother when they want to go the Western style towns by the mountains. We got her Mighty Hero attire which looks just like what you expect the Power Rangers or Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as for being in one of those Saturday Morning Superhero Cartoons. We got her Patisserie attire which works a lot like a chef's attire like if anytime Tory wants to cook and be a chef and bake really cool treats and meals. And Finally we got her Thief attire which it's not use for the Pokemon Phantom Thieves, but it's just an actual Thief attire like if the Ramcats or their friends want to dress as Actual Thieves compared to the Pokemon Phantom Thieves, which it is the same category of when it comes to working as a Thief. And there you have it, all 10 of her costumes for her to perform a showtime. Tory 😺🩰: Wow! This is really amazing how i can perform a Showtime for Woman's Day! My friends including my family will love this! I'll see if i can have Lisa and the others to do a Showtime together with me and we can all dress up in different showtime costumes. Plus i bet my Mermaid attire looks nice and even my Figure Skating one, since my Figure skating does fit my ballet attire, which i'll try this anytime i want to figure skate, since i have never figure skated before. Happy Woman's Day Everyone! 😄

People i tagged @bryan360 @murumokirby360 @rafacaz4lisam2k4 and @alexander1301

[notsogreatpotoo]

1, 7, 13 and 17 for your ask game!

hello!! thank you for the ask friendo :]

ask game link for reference

1: favorite or funniest nicknames you've gotten

I haven't gotten a ton of nicknames that I've liked, bc usually nicknames are based off of your 'real' name and I'm closeted to most people I know irl, but one of my friends nicknamed me Emsy, and some of my friends used to call me Mouse in middle school bc I was a very wide-eyed and confused child. but I do really like nicknames when I get them :]

7: an excerpt from your funniest, weirdest, or worst essay from middle school or high school

okay so freshman year of high school, we read romeo and juliet, and i had read it before but not in an academic context and so when my teacher said we were going to write an argumentative essay on which character was to blame for the whole... situation, i was like. no. that's not the point. so i very spitefully wrote an essay that i ended up getting an A on, which was cool because it very much did not fit the prompt. here's the intro:

Placing the blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet has been debated for centuries. Their tragic fate leaves the audience wondering: who was most at fault? Can the blame even be fairly shifted onto only one person? In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two people become infatuated with each other, but their families have an ongoing feud that limits their relationship. Many characters have expectations set for the two, whether those expectations be that they should be enemies or that their love will fix the feud. They eventually take their lives as the result of a misunderstanding. However, it is clear that Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are ultimately caused by the toxic society and surroundings their own families helped create, and the arbitrary laws of society that their families enforced.

idk, i just think it's funny that younger me was like, i don't want to do this. i'm not gonna blame one character, that's not the point of the story. fuck society.

13: something you really want someone to ask you about

i could literally talk at you forever about my oc insert hunger games fic, the first part and the second part (wip) (i have three parts planned) are currently almost 46000 words and the main character is the closest thing i will ever have to a child. i've decided i'm gonna post the first chapter of it on ao3 in a few days and then figure out a regular update schedule after stuff gets straightened out (i'm moving), but if you ever want to get distracted send me an ask about literally any of it

17: government assigned ao3 tag (choose one you really like, one that seems accurate to your life, or find a generator)

one i really like: Mutual Pining

if i'm in the mood to read fics with ships, i'll find one of my fandoms and sort by mutual pining. i love these fics bc usually the complications are internal emotional complications instead of things like cheating. (note: i do not support censorship. just because i don't like reading about cheating does not mean i support censorship of that sort of reading material. curate your own experience, do not attempt to control others'.) i also like fics that have a little bit of emotional build up through pining or smthn bc it helps me get more invested :]

one that seems accurate to my life: Alternate Universe - College/University

mostly self explanatory (i'm in college and it feels like a different universe)

generator assigned tag: Historical Inaccuracy

as a History major that's hilarious

thank you again for the ask!!! :]

[ro-botany]

@levemetal Hope you don't mind my bringing this out to its own post - I saw your tags and wanted to try to help!

So, ripping models is going to be a different process depending on how the game was made; what console it was on, what game engine its built in... There's no one-size-fits-all process, and it's going to require some baseline tech-savvy-ness.

But given that these tags were regarding Grima; I'll tell you more or less how I get models out of Fire Emblem Awakening.

A Ramble-y Overview of Fire Emblem Awakening Model Ripping:

Step 0: Gather your Tools

There's a lot of tools floating around intended to help with 3DS model ripping. Some are very pleasant to use and others are janky, so brace yourself.

For this, you will need:

Citra emulator (for extracting game files)

Paragon (for figuring out where models you want are)

FEAT (for decompressing game files)

SPICA (for exporting models + textures to usable formats)

Blender (for actually working with the models) (or whatever 3d modelling program you like; I only know blender though)

Step 1: Get a ROM of Awakening

Legally obtain one, of course. Assuming you have the game cartridge the 3DS hacking community can help you more with that. Definitely do not download any game roms from any online websites, why, that would be piracy!

Step 2: Extract the Game Files

Open up Citra, add a game directory and tell it where your rom is.

Right click the rom and select "Dump RomFS" to get Citra to start extracting all the game files. This will take a while. Wait for it to be done.

Once its done dumping the files, you're going to want to go to File > Open Citra folder. From there, navigate into "dump", then "romfs", then click the big nonsense folder name - that nonsense is Awakening's game ID, so, this folder is Awakening's game files.

All the models you could ever wish for are in here!!! We just need to actually find them now.

Step 3: Figure out which model(s) you want.

Time to go open up Paragon. This is technically a tool for creating mods of several fire emblem games, but we're not going to mod anything, we're just going to use it to figure out what models belong to which characters.

The github page has instructions on it, but basically you want to open up Paragon and start a new project for FE13. Create some random output folder for it and direct it to that, we don't care. But the "Extracted RomFS Directory" should be the citra folder I just told you how to get to.

Once you have the project open, there will be a lot of buttons and things. Don't worry about all this. The only two you care about right now are "Asset Definitions" and "Presets".

(Ignore the font; I changed paragon's font to awakening's font because i'm a nerd)

Most of the human characters are easiest to find in "Asset Definitions"; some under their english name, others (like Chrom) under their english base class' name.

Grima, though, you can find in "Presets" by searching for "boss".

This entry specifically is the one pertaining to grima's full body model. There's a lot of info here, but the highlighted panel on the right is the information you need; this is telling you the names of the files containing Grima's models and textures!

For human characters, typically the head and body fields will be filled in, and possibly the hair for characters with long hair. some have accessories, some don't.

This complexity is why we use paragon to check instead of checking every single model file manually like fools. (it's me, i'm fools)

Keep this window open for reference at the side for the next step.

Step 4: Go Get the Models

Make a folder somewhere on your computer to keep this character's models.

Then, go back to that Citra folder we opened up earlier.

Awakening's assets are split up into several folders. The folder you want is "b", which has most of the character and weapon models and textures. (This organization scheme is Not consistent between Awakening and the other 3DS fire emblems, watch out.)

In here, find the files paragon is telling you belong to this character, and copy them into your dedicated folder for this model ripping project.

Wow, look at all those files we can't use. Time to make them usable.

Step 5: Decompress the Files

Open up FEAT. Drag all those files onto the FEAT window. It will decompress them; there will be a copy of each file without the .lz file extension. You did it! They're decompressed!

Step 6: Extract the Models and Textures

Open up SPICA.

Click the little Folder button in the top left to open a file. Navigate to this folder you have your decompressed files in. Click on one of the decompressed files.

For MODELS, as in the .m files, you are going to click the Save button. Save each model as a .dae file, and give each a name that will make it clear which model this is - the body, the head, a specific accessory, whatever. (you can choose .smd instead if you want, but you will need a blender addon for importing smd files if you do.)

For TEXTURES, which are the .t files, there is an extra step. In the panel on the right, there is a small anime eye. That is the textures tab. Click on it, and the panel will change to a list of textures that are in that file. You should export all of them by using the special texture export button. DO NOT CHANGE THE NAMES the texture names are important.

Step 7: Blender Time

Tragically this is the most annoying part, and I can't even give you very detailed instructions off the top of my head because the exact steps are so tailored to each specific character.

Open up Blender. Go to File > Import > Collada (.dae) and import the character's component models one by one.

Each individual file will come with its own armature for posing! If you want to have a functional, posable model, you are going to have to join them together yourself. Normally this means taking a component armature, positioning it properly in relation to the body, parenting the component meshes to the body armature, joining the component armature to the body armature, and then taking whatever root bone the component had and setting it's parent bone to the right bone from the body armature. If you just joined a character's head on the body, take the root bone from the head armature and set its parent to the head bone from the body armature. Stuff like that.

Some of the weight painting may be broken, so when you pose joints on the armature some things will move incorrectly. I do not know how to get SPICA not to do that, and I haven't found any other 3DS model exporter that works with awakening that doesn't do that. Try exporting as an SMD instead. If neither dae format nor smd format works right, You're going to have to go in and re-do the broken weight painting manually. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

You will also notice everymodel is split up into several meshes. If you need the character to be one singular manifold mesh, you're going to have to edit it to be that way yourself, in a way that does not destroy the UV maps. There is no shortcut to this. I am sorry.

Also: If it's Grima, be aware that their model is like 3000 blender units long. You will want to scale all their armatures down to 0.1 or something, because Blender does NOT play nice with stuff that big.

Anyway, textures.

In Awakening, a texture name ending in c0 is the base colours. A texture name ending in s0 is a specular map.

If the base colour file looks mostly transparent, that's because it's channel packed; the color and alpha channels contain two different textures. In Grima's case, the color channel is their actual colors, and the alpha channel appears to be an emission map.

So, go on into the shader editor, click on each mesh to open its material, and plug the textures into the right spots on basic shader node provided. Make sure to set the Alpha mode of the channel packed textures to say "Channel Packed". And you're good to go! You can see what the character looks like now!

If parts of textures should be transparent but aren't (like grima's eyes and wing feathers) you're going to have to figure out a solution for that yourself. I manually made my own alpha map for grima's eyes and wings, and it was Annoying but it was the only solution I could find.

Congratulations, you've done it!

You have successfully ripped a model from Awakening. Now go on and modify it however you need to; make better shaders for it, clean up the mesh and unwrap its UVs again for free plushie patterns, do silly posing shenanigans with it. Whatever your heart desires.

Good luck, dear reader, for you will probably need it.

[letsplaydcttrpg]

What Is This?

This is using Tumblr polls to crowdsource the decision-making in order to play through some of the solo adventures from Mayfair's 80's DC ttrpg! Vote in the polls to choose the characters and decide what to do and see what happens!

The solo modules are basically choose your own adventure stories where you read a segment of story, make a decision, occasionally roll some dice and check some matrices, and then go to the next story segment. There may be multiple paths to victory, but there are also multiple paths to FAILURE. Choose wisely! (Or don't! Up to you!)

How does this blog work?

Each decision point will have a poll in order to decide what happens next! Polls will be open for 24 hours (because there are a lot of decision points in a given module). Vote, spread propaganda for your choice, see how we do!

I'll share relevant character sheets with skills and equipment in the intro post for each module, and then add maps or other images as they come up. I'm transcribing the text directly from the physical books I own (as written, occasional weird grammar choices and all).

What if I missed the beginning?

Vote anyway! Join in at any time!

You can also catch up on what's happened so far. Each poll will have a link to the beginning of the game and the previous story segment, and a full list of the entries for the current module will be at the bottom of this pinned post. Modules are also tagged on the post with the title.

What on earth in this game?

This is the DC Heroes Role Playing Game from Mayfair Games! The first edition was released in 1985 (and as a result has some pre-Crisis canon for the characters, which is fun!), with two subsequent editions in 1989 and 1993, plus a TON of extra modules.

(By my count there are 62 additional modules/sourcebooks for this game. It's a lot! My goal is to collect all of them eventually, but so far I have 54, plus the first and second edition base game. Look, everybody needs a hobby.)

If you're curious about how the game works, Wikipedia has a decent summary of the game system, or you can look at a pdf copy of the 2nd edition game manual here. It involves rolling two d10s and then using matrices (plural!) to figure out if you succeed and how much of an effect you have. The second edition box comes with a fun little wheel to help with that.

I have a question about the blog or game system / I want to see my blorbo's character sheet from this game / I want to complain about how voting went

Feel free to submit an ask!

Current module: Wheel of Destruction

Intro

Character Selection

Equipment Selection

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 22

Part 23

Part 24

Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

Part 29