i am so curious abt awo (for the wip ask thingy if you're still doin that)
of course! i don't have a lot of it written, unfortunately, but here's a little bit more
Betas couldn't scent the way alphas and omegas could, of course, but they could still sense some of the pheromones. One of his old friends had once told him it was kind of like being hit by a Poison-type move, or having an unpleasant encounter with a salazzle. At the start of rut, though, Augustine guessed that whatever a beta could detect would not be something they're really aware of, more of an impression than anything else, like a sixth sense or a hunch. Maybe even like a fight-or-flight instinct of sorts.
Lysandre finished clearing the table without saying a word. He came back from his last trip to the kitchen with his tie visibly loosened, the flush on his cheeks somewhat faded yet still present. His smile, as usual, was small and polite. Augustine supposed he was used to practicing self-restraint, if only for the sake of good manners.
"Professor, Champion," Lysandre said evenly. "I hope you've enjoyed the meal."
Augustine grinned at him, showing just enough teeth. "Of course. Your food never ceases to amaze."
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A lot of people's issues with modern D&D would be immediately fixed if they accepted the game for what its rules actually say the game is trying to achieve (even though the rules are usually not vocal about it and you kind of have to divine that purpose).
Like, a lot of GMs seem to stress over making their games challenging enough but not too lethal because if the dreaded TPK happens or a character dies before fulfilling their personal arc then the narrative momentum of the game dies. But like:
Death is pretty much the only consequence of note in modern D&D. It might not be a fun consequence but without it you lose all tension
The fact that death is always on the table should be an indication that the game itself does not care about narrative continuity nor your characters' personal arcs.
Despite all the modern guardrails and mechanics like bonds and ideals that are supposed to add character death, D&D is ultimately a "some assholes go to die in a ditch" type of game. And that's okay. But playing it as a "I must preserve narrative continuity and make sure characters stay alive or else my plans are ruined" game means an uphill battle against the game itself.
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WHAT ONCE WAS
Jacaerys Velaryon x Reader
At dinner with Jacaerys, your newly betrothed, the pair of you recount memories from your childhood.
wc: 1.2k
fluffy asf 💌
“We used to be friends once. Do you remember that?”
This wasn’t the conversation you were expecting to have nor wanted to have at the current moment. Sat with your newly betrothed and his family at the dinner table, you watched while your mother and father chugged down wine like it was their last night alive. From your seat, you could see your brothers’ dancing with women that were not their wives, lustful looks in each of their eyes.
You supposed your betroval could’ve been worse, a hundred times over. You could’ve been wed to someone like your brothers, promiscuous and irresponsible, or like your betrothed’s uncles, cold and cruel beyond belief.
No, Jacaerys was a proper gentleman which is why you almost felt bad sipping your wine and lying through your teeth. “Not particularly.”
Everything had changed since then, there was no point in admitting that your heart swelled at the memories of when you were young, harboring a crush on a boy you thought would never be yours. It was better to forget. To diminish the hope that he was still the lovely boy he once was.
“No?” Jacaerys repeated as if he didn’t believe you, leaning forward to rest his head in his palm. In the corner of your eye, you could see him looking at you underneath his eye lashes, his lips twitching as he fights a teasing smile. “Nothing at all?”
Sighing softly, you kept your eyes staring ahead, refusing to give him the even slightest affirmation to his question, yet he continued. His head fell off his hand as he spoke, tilting to meet his shoulder as he looked at you with endearment. “Do you remember when we played tag around the castle and you fell and scraped your knees?”
It’s like you can see it from an outsider’s perspective as he describes it, the edges of your mind blurred by nostalgia.
The sound of your laughter echoing the castle walls, the quick thumps of your feet padding the concrete floor, hands bracing against each corner to boost your momentum.
Sparing a glance behind you, you can visualize the bounces of his brown curls, baring his teeth with joy as his hands reach to grab you, but you push forward, the last of your energy— which you shouldn’t have done because it sent you tripping, missing the very last step and landing on your knees.
But you didn’t cry because of your scraped knees, even though you can remember the burn of your skin, the blood dripping down your shins as Jacaerys brought you to your mother. You sobbed into Jacaerys’ shoulder as the maidens rubbed ointments onto your cuts, your hands fumbling to grasp the mud covered edges of your dress so it wouldn’t interfere with their practice.
Your betrothed finishes your thought for you. “You started crying because you ruined your favorite dress. Although, I thought it still looked pretty.”
Jacaerys’ eyebrows jump, as if he was surprised when you turned to him. He must’ve been close to a heart attack when he saw a small smile on your lips. Nodding as you talked, you continued the memory, “It had grass stains from when we played outside. By the lake.”
He doesn’t chastise you for lying earlier, instead he just smirks at the memory. “You pushed me in.”
You suck in a small breath as you turn your body to him fully, your eyes wide— defenses ready on your tongue. He kept trying to get you to sit with him, to kick your legs in the water and reap the benefits of the cold water of the hot day. It was your brothers who waved you in, mischief dripping from the tongues as they pushed you back toward your friend. You braced your hands on his shoulders and just shoved.
Right after the deed had been done, you were overwhelmed with guilt, your brothers’ cackles ringing in your ears as your lips trembled watching Jace gasp for air.
“My brothers coerced me to! I would’ve never done that myself.”
Jacaerys shook his head, knees lightly knocking into yours as moved to match your position. He glared playfully. “You were a little devil.”
He forgave you immediately though. Pulling you into a hug, soaking your clothes, but you hadn’t mind. You were just happy he wasn’t mad at you.
Snorting at his accusation, eyes finding your dancing brothers in the crowd once more. They never did change. Still wild, crazy, and deceitful as the day they popped out your mother’s womb. The poor woman. You hope your children won’t turn out like your brothers. You hope Jacaerys hasn’t changed. In the midst of your reverie, you don’t notice how the man next to observes you. How his eyes memorize the colors in your eyes, the slope of your nose, the dip of your cupids bow. He hopes this all will become a memory one day— the quick shift between your awkwardness to your full encompassing love.
He knows he’ll love you, just as he had when you were children.
It’s Jacaerys’ voice that drawls you back from your thoughts, your eyes turned to his, but he’s focused on picking at the table cloth. “I remember, last time I saw you, I cried because I had to leave.”
Without meaning to, your smile deepens, something stirring in the pit of your stomach. Teasing, you whisper, “You cried?”
Jacaerys rolls his eyes, running a hand through his curls as he finally makes eye contact with you. “I fancied you. Of course, I got teary eyed when I was forced away.”
For a beat, it’s like your heart stopped, overwhelmed by the weight of the words he threw so nonchalantly. Like it didn’t matter. Like it didn’t make your stomach flutter and a heat to your cheeks. You’re in complete disbelief. “You fancied me?”
“Don’t rub it in,” he scoffed.
“No, it’s just…” I fancied you too.
The words are left unspoken, but it doesn’t stop you from spiraling. Throwing your head back in laughter, you sound close to ugly, but you’re happy. You haven’t been happy in a while.
“There’s the smile,” he says it like he missed it. In all fairness, he does. When he flew on his dragon and hadn’t been welcome by the familiar grin in your lips, a bit of his heart shattered in his chest. He was glad he got you smiling at him again because when he was seven years of age, that was all he wanted to do. It’s all he wants to do. For the rest of his life. “I can remember that.”
“Jacaerys—.”
“You used to call me Jace,” he says, growing the courage to connect your hands together, holding both of them just as he planned since he was child. “I liked it when you said it.”
“Would you like it if I called you Jace?”
He smiled sweetly. “Very much so.”
There’s no other way to describe it other than that it feels right; the two of you together again, smiling at each other like idiots while you reminisce, holding each other’s hands like you were already wed. Like this had been planned since the beginning.
Jace’s thumb caresses your ring finger— where his wedding ring would on the morrow.
Maybe, you two can make things the way they once were. Together. Happy. And in love.
i’ll edit and proof read later 💀 if this is shit i apologize
jacaerys velaryon, i will love you forever 💌
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