#from being minecraft instead of embracing the fact that it is minecraft

[myrmica]

this'll probably get rehashed in a blog post at some point because i have more to say. but the thing about watchers, or any reading of the life series that takes it from "game people are willingly participating in for fun" to "fucked up situation people are trapped in by a higher power" is that the cultural imagination for death game fiction does largely fall into that second category; minecraft hunger games as a foundational part of early mc pvp tournaments is literally Minecraft Hunger Games. but these things are also usually a social critique of some kind, and to write a social critique requires a grounded world with history and governmental systems and all of this stuff that minecraft never NATURALLY has. when you play out the hunger games in minecraft it becomes a decontextualized tournament for tournament's sake. the archetecture of minecraft as a setting implies that, unless something else is clearly and intentionally set up to take it's place (for example, qsmp's federation as an in-universe entity keeping the players "trapped"), a minecraft server is a thing that people join intentionally and can leave as they please. life series is very much just minecraft. the thing that makes a "trapped by a higher power" story meaningful, its defined world and system, is absent. so the watchers as a villainous force end up feeling directionless, especially when they've traveled so far from the starting point of evo's little meta nod to the audience/early-mc herobrine allusion that mapping them onto the audience nets you... nothing really? like, "the audience controls the death game" no we don't, the players do. "the audience... likes watching the death game" yeah, because it's minecraft?

[firespirited]

Honestly I don't even believe Musk is autistic. I think he's just an ass and wants to use his supposed autism as an excuse. I've never met a person with autism who acts like THAT.

Neurodivergent people can be horrid too, I think if you have a fairly coddled existence or lose sight of where you came from anyone can go from being decent, even really empathetic to being self-absorbed. It's how we ended up with folks who felt alienated growing up into bullies who can't fathom that they're being bullies because they were the hurt one.

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So there's this threshold of money which allows you to live comfortably, not worry about your kids and even make investments and once you earn above that, if you're not super careful, your priorities and mindset radically change: it becomes about ego, rankings, accolades, having three more lines about you in the paper than the other person. It's above this threshold that the only identity politics that matter is the shared wealth bracket so you get the Jay Zs, Caitlin Jenners and JK Rowlings of the world who were underdogs at one point but seem, like, completely removed from their old life.

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We live in an age where hyperfixation on a subject (and the parental loan and investment bluffing) has led several autists to get very rich or famous: Zuckerberg, Gates and Musk, Dan Harmon and Stanley Kubrick, the creator of Pokemon, several minecraft youtubers... Success without hurting others (whether you're neurotypical or not) is all about knowing your blind spots and making sure you have collaborators who'll correct you (and protect you from tarnishing your image at the very least).

Elon Musk is most probably autistic*, raised by a heartless dad then failed upwards: so he might have seen himself as a victim, as the only smart person in the room and definitely not needing anyone's help far before he ever hit that income threshold and started seeing most other human beings as pawns or useless in his world.

A lot of us have learned to compensate really hard in the areas where we tend to be clueless but there are people who don't. My Grandma put a huge amount of work into passing at work but she gets cruel with loved ones when she feels insecure and overwhelmed to get us to leave instead of being able to say she needs some space. I have to work really hard on presenting painful facts in a sugar-coated carefully planned manner instead of just blurting it out because volume and tone really matter.

*He feels Aspergers applies to him and people generally don't come out as something potentially stigmatizing unless it applies. Also I have to show you this photo of him, his twin son (on the right) and triplets: I can't tell you exactly what it is but it's something: I have so many photos just. like. this. from overly posed to not quite there to I forgot we were taking photos.

In a nutshell: We all have blind spots, we don’t all have a billion dollars and surround ourselves with ‘yes men’ so we can ignore the consequences of the blind spots. If I hurt someone, I hope they’ll tell me or that I have folks who’ll notice so I can change. You have to hope that should you ever get successful, you’ll remember those safety nets and keep embracing the discomfort of having to remember to do better.

[pandas-soft]

“I wanna kiss you...”

C!Dream x male! reader.

AU: Coffee Shop.

Friendly reminder this is with their Minecraft personas! I don't write about CCs.

Read rules before requesting~°♪

Warnings: «Blossom» used as a nickname for reader.

Dream was... Something. He was mostly wearing a cynical smile each time you guys were outside. Never truly trusting anyone around him, and playing tricks that you could easily see through. And that's was what he loved the most of you: the fact that he could not lie to you.

But he was a totally different personality when it was only you two. Specially if you guys were alone at home. Dream would start to get clingy, hugging you from behind your back, humming melodies in your ear, kissing your hands or the top of your head. And the sight of him leaving s trail of kisses in your hands wasn't weird.

But Dream was acting weird since the moment you came home from work. You worked at a coffee shop near the centre. You actually met Dream there, he was searching for a "coffee that doesn't taste like dirt" and you had fun surpassing his expectations.

You saw the blonde man stare at you from afar on the couch. He didn't move a bit, just following you with his sharp eyes. "Are you okay, Dream? You haven't stopped staring" you commented, crossing your arms over counter. The tall man opened his mouth to speak, but immediately shut it.

His eyes stopped looking at you, instead staring at the window in clear shame. Whatever he wanted to say was enough to make him feel embarrassed; small thing that you found adorable.

You moved closer, sitting next to him with a sneaky smirk. You let your left hand play with his golden locks, humming softly as he turned around to see you face to face. He let the weight of his head rest on the palm of your hand, looking at you with eyes embraced with love. It was weird for him to let his eyes show any type of emotion, even with you. But he felt so safe with you that he couldn't do anything but let you know that he did, indeed, love you in his unspoken way.

"Mind telling me why got you staring so much?" You asked softly, caressing his cheeks in a loving manner. His lips touched your hand, sending an electric sensation through your body. "Dream-", "I wanna kiss you." He states looking at you, "May I?". You were speechless. Of course you knew he was bold most of the time, but it still caught you out of guard. "Blossom?" He asked quietly enough for you to heard.

You blinked repeatedly, your brain still processing what he just said. "Blossom?" He called you once again, slightly worried that he had say something out of hand. You didn't respond, however. Being your immediate reaction to his words being grabbing his face to kiss him yourself.

Dream's eyes widen but he was quick to kiss you back. You felt his hands fall on your waist, as if they were supposed to always be there in first place. Dream was quick to break the kiss, staring at you with warm green eyes, he chuckled seeing how you blushed once you processed your own actions. "Dumb blossom" he mumbled to kiss you once again in your rumble. Once you both broke up from the kiss you smiled, loving this moment. Nothing could break this moment...

"You taste like coffee-", "Dream!"

[prestonplayzlum]

Will Minecraft update on April Fool's Day 2024?

Look, it's going to be April Fool's Day again. The fact that Minecraft's April Fool's Day jokes come true has every Minecraft player looking forward to what's going to happen on April Fool's Day, so let's talk about it:

Before the official start, let's talk about a very interesting little story about April Fool's Day, according to legend, France was the first day of the New Year on April 1 each year, and later in 1564 France started the general Gregorian calendar year, and January 1 of each year as the first day of the New Year. However, due to people's old habits or ignorance, many people still take April 1 as the New Year, so this day is called fool, fool's festival. Various April Fools' Day versions of Minecraft throughout its history.

In 2022, Mojang released a version of the April Fool's Day game called 22w13oneBlockAtATime, which changed many game mechanics, such as the player can directly synthesize items in 3*3 places instead of using the workbench synthesis logic, and can hide directly in wooden barrels without being detected by stealth. You can easily hold the creature on your head, of course, you can also hold the mine car, the end of the crystal, etc., the skeleton wears two telescopes, the block will be blown up, the player and various containers inventory will disappear, the villagers trading without GUI but directly to the money to show him a lot of interesting features. It can be said that 2022 is a rare "full of sincerity" April Fool's Day version in so many years.

In 2021, Mojang released a new game called Minecraft Plus! "April Fool's Day" screen saver, suitable for Windows XP system, including throwing blocks, flying coolie afraid of face, swimming light squid, spread grass blocks and other random screen. It was also a year when Mojang went deep into Microsoft.

In 2019, Mojang claimed to have found an unreleased dust-covered 3D Shareware v1.34 "April Fool's Day" version in a dark corner of the basement during the studio's relocation. This version contains elements of the Mosaic game from the 1990s, adding such fun things as forced Nightmare mode, red and blue keys, and more. But I was finally persuaded by this picture.

In 2015, the first snapshot of the year was an April Fool's Day version of the conventionally named 15w14a, titled "Love and Hugs." Added obsidian ships, pink Minecar, Love hole ships, love arrows that will make creatures reproduce, happy coolies, Pink Witherers, iron puppets of love, flying squid, most damage actions bring health recovery, etc. Maybe it's responding to the theme of love and embrace.

In 2013, the most classic version of April Fool's Day in the history of Java version 2.0, such as TNT half bricks, extinguished torches, stained glass, pink vipers, red stone worms, diamond chickens, exploding furnace, fat eating sheep flying away, talking cubes, and more.

The question is, what will be updated on April Fool's Day this year? Let's wait and see.

[shortystack75]

I’m gonna brain vomit my thoughts about minecraft gods anyone who doesnt wanna read that can keep scrolling

So I’m gonna separate them into 3 categories, explain, and give some examples before m a y b e talking about specific ones because my brain is melting rn

1. Broadly Minecraft. These are deities that exist, once existed, or possibly exist in every Minecraft server because it is minecraft.

The only ones that really fit into this category are Herobrine, Steve, and Alex. While talking about people at least, I’m also personally including The Void and The Deep as deities. 

For me, I imagine Herobrine to be something akin to a mix of Hades and Persephone in how his followers acted/worship, they use epithets and are afraid to speak his name, he is mysterious and they think him inevitable. 

Steve and Alex were once mortal, but ascended to godhood after their death. Enough people worshiped and became devout, built temples and left offerings, for their loyalty to seep into Alex and Steve’s spirits, making them probably the first made-not-born gods

The Void and The Deep are both less worshiped, but it wasn’t always this way. The towering and advanced cities of the end have since regressed and been nearly abandoned by their inhabitants after the dragon took power, and the cities of the deep dark were built to worship The Deep, praying for sanctuary from the world above as much as safety from The Deeps own creatures.

2. Cross-Server Gods. These are deities that probably started on an smp or other role play server but have been more widely connected or mentioned.

I’m obviously not going to be mentioning or talking about all of them, so the ones I’ll be talking about are Kristen/Mumza, Saint Pearl, and The Watchers

Of these examples, the only one I believe to be born/always exist in a godly way is Kristen, otherwise known as Mumza, and as a god is often referred to as Lady Death. Widely known and worshipped as a death god, she has connotations of being feared because of her alignment of death, but also seems to be mentioned to being a safe embrace for an afterlife. This last fact may be recognized because of partially mortal/divine beings having contact with both her and the mortal plane.

Saint Pearl, or Pearlescentmoon’s character from Empires smp season 1 that died and then returned as a deity in the Afterlife server and more, is similar to Alex and Steve in that she ascended after death. Her first worshipper was a friend of hers in her life, and after she died he seemingly kickstarted a religion that raised her to godhood. She is seen to keep much of her personality in her godhood, being friendly and up for playful sparring. 

The Watchers, despite being probably the most wide-spread cross-server deities, are also one of the most inconsistent. They have been shown to be both above and below other gods, as their original interpretation was to represent the audience of the Evolution smp. In my interpretation, each watcher varies in power, some above some below, and are some type of ‘artificial’ gods. Instead of being created from the faith of their followers, they are a group of mortal-turned-gods that are typically hand-picked by themselves.

3. Single Server Deities. These are deities that exist primarily on their home server. Some of them have been described as demigods or less powerful than others. 

There are obviously countless of these as there are countless Minecraft servers, so I’m only really gonna talk about DreamXD, Aeor + Exor, and Noxite.

DreamXD is a powerful god worshipped across his server, and is known to appear before his followers or those breaking the rules he sets. While I havn’t spoken much on the designs the communities have adopted for many of these, I will note how both DreamXD and Watchers are often depicted by fans with attributes taken from biblical angels.

Aeor and Exor are twin gods from the Empires smp. They are mentioned to be from what was likely a pantheon of other gods before the rest went dormant, and are notably one of the few non-humanoid deities here. This is likely because most gods are depicted by players, while these are mostly interacted with through lore and storytelling.

Now, you may be confused on why Noxite is in this category when MCC is canon to many different servers. This is because Noxite themself isnt spoken of in context to other smps, just MCC itself. MCC seems to have a pantheon of gods, as well as a champion, with Noxite as the head of said pantheon. When participants are praising or cursing in their realm, it is always either to Noxite, or their chosen champion.

Anyway guys my brain is fuzzy and full of bees have a good day

[youbutstupid]

In September one of the first pieces of content I ever watched of the Dream SMP was George’s ‘Minecraft, But I’m Not Colorblind Anymore’ and I was instantly drawn to George because of two things-

1. His blatant honesty. He didn’t dramatise it like a lot of people do with the Enchroma glasses, he kept in the parts where it was clear the glasses weren’t doing everything to help him such as when he mixed up the green and yellow wool blocks or where he kept mixing up the iron and diamond armour. Even at the end when he took the quiz and it stated even with the glasses he was colourblind still. He kept it all in. He didn’t sit there like ‘omg wow I can see purple finally 😫’ cos we all know that isn’t the case. He never sat there and said ‘I can see red’ because that’s impossible, he will never be able to see red even with the glasses, he instead just described things as being more vibrant or darker or lighter. I just really liked how genuine it all seemed.

2. His overwhelming positivity. He was never upset about anything, he wasn’t upset that the glasses couldn’t help him see new colours, he instead was just celebrating the fact that he could see differences between colours and that was enough for him. He was never downtrodden by the results he more just accepted when he still couldn’t distinguish some colours and moved on. The glasses obviously didn’t cure his colourblindness because that’s impossible and also the fact he doesn’t wear them shows the results were probably a bit lacklustre- but he was still happy about it all and was excited to try something new. The way he sees the world is different but that doesn’t mean it’s worse and he is very embracing of that.

For context (I got these screenshots from this video )

This is how George sees without the glasses:

And this is with:

He isn’t seeing the green of the grass or the pinks of the peonies or the neon of Dream’s skin or the brown of the oak trees but it’s okay for him and that’s enough.

[lovebugcody]

i think my favourite thing about the dream smp is that it is a style of story telling that does not exist anywhere else.

and i don’t just mean that the stories are told through minecraft roleplay, sometimes with the face of the streamer, other times with just the pixel face they chose to represent themselves in game. and i don’t just mean that the stories continue when we aren’t watching, which is something rarely done because few formats allow it. or even by the fact that sometimes the story is told outside of the server, like when they tweet in character. hell, even the way that the ‘costumes’ are so simple but massively effect the story!

but i mean in that all the stories are told by unreliable narrators, and that there is no distinct “good guy”. which is fascinating and something that is difficult to achieve in any other format. 

every step of the way, we know a person’s morals and reasoning just by watching their stream or reading a tweet. you can be on anyone’s side just by tuning into their streams for long enough. you can see them as the hero, or the villain if you watch someone else’s stream. and none of them can be trusted. 

the idea that you can see someone as a hero or a villain based on what stream you watch is something i have seen mentioned before where the person was saying you can’t be a [character]!apologist if you only watch that streamer. and this is an incredible thing! in more the fact that if you only watch one person, then you may see them as the hero or the protagonist, because you have seen their motives and reasoning play out, you know why they are doing what they are doing. and someone who has never watched them may think the opposite because they have only seen the actions without the reasoning. 

the dream smp is so human in it’s story telling because of this (if you ignore the half pig, the winged man, the 9 foot tall demon, the immortals, the sheep pirate captain, the half enderman half mystery, and the man who clawed his way out of hell, and instead see them as “human”.) each character has been written with their own unique story and goals and motives in mind, and it’s do-able because each character is made by the creator, and even the audience. the major plot is a collaborative work, too, which means that the creator can keep their character true to what they want from them. this allows them to be complex beyond what can be done with an individual creator of so many characters. take the amnesia plot lines for example. yes, there are currently four (maybe five) characters with amnesia, but each is unique in it’s cause and effects. captain puffy has memory loss because of a family curse,. ranboo is part enderman and has moments of blackouts and needs his memory book to keep track of experiences. ghostbur (and to an extent glatt, according to quackity’s latest lore stream) have memory loss because they are literally the ghosts of men that died. and karl, his memory loss is caused by (involuntary) time travel and whatever is happening with the inbetween. this is both something that would be difficult for an individual writer to achieve.

and more on the audience. no other story is so affected by the viewers and audience. headcanons are often made canon by the creators, which never happens in other media. i can’t think of another story where things happen because the audience goes “i think this happens” and the creator goes “love it, yes”. big examples of this are philza’s wings being destoryed when wilbur made l’manberg blow (which also ties in phil’s hardcore world which he is of course best known for), quackity having a scar on his face with poor eyesight because of his fight with techno, and even karl being a timetraveller (i’m not sure if this was karl’s original intention, but he embraced it when we all fell in love with the concept). plus! we have been made canon! we are the voices in techno’s head, and philza’s too! we are the citizens that voted in the 2020 l’manberg presidential election which greatly affected the plot. we exist in the story in many many ways, and effect the story because of it!

and back to the story continuing outside the streams and when we aren’t watching! things like george sleeping through streams because timezones has been taken by the creators and us in our grubby little mits and decided that george’s character now hibernates or some shit. it’s incredible! and dreamxd! the creative mode character that dream has that we made into an immortal god and who we have decided (with their encouragment really) is in love with the very mortal george

tl;dr, the dream smp story telling is complex, unique and can only really be done in the format of minecraft roleplay streams.

[denkamis]

hi!! could i get double chocolate and cherry with kaminari, shinsou and midoriya please?❤️

idk if i did this right so im sorry if i didnt!

to anon: hey anon, no worries! you did it perfectly :)) aww i love the characters you chose for this prompt, this is adorable. enjoy some fluffy times with these sleep deprived boys from a very sleep deprived writer <3

warnings: none! just some swearing and some bad sleeping habits lmao. reader is gn!

prompt: denki kaminari, hitoshi shinsou, izuku midoriya scenarios + “it’s okay, i couldn’t sleep anyways.”

denki kaminari

denki stays up late playing osu and minecraft

what can i say, he’s just a gamer man

so he’s honestly pretty reliable when it comes to you knocking on his door at late hours of the night

always the biggest cuddle bug, really happy that you go to him first out of everyone

literally drops everything for you hehe

lots of sleepy kisses too

“fuck! goddammit,” denki grumbled, shaking out his wrist as he had just failed the six star version of the intro of blend-s on osu. he had gotten rather addicted to the circle clicking game. this further resulted in denki staying up late on school nights, despite kirishima’s warnings of him potentially falling asleep in class the next day. it was fine, he could always borrow notes from you or jirou anyways!

as he went to restart the map again, a soft knock came at the door to his dorm room. spinning off his computer room chair, he prepared himself to be lectured by aizawa for the fifth time this week about breaking curfew. “aizawa-sensei, i know that i’ve been loud lately but i swear this time it won’t happen- y/n?” he stopped mid-sentence as he saw you standing on the other side of the door. “what are you doing up so late?”

you shook your head, immediately hugging his torso instead. you were clearly a bit distraught about something, but denki wasn’t a mind reader. he figured that from the way you were clinging onto him, it must have been a bad dream of some kind. “hey, hey, easy there! nearly knocked me over, huh,” denki laughed lightly, pressing a soft kiss to the side of your head before closing the door behind you. you clung onto him, face buried in the crook of his neck. it made a small blush dust across his cheeks, a warm feeling spreading through his arms as he held you close. “i hope i’m not bothering you,” you mumbled, to which denki hummed. “you never bother me, babe. it’s okay, i couldn’t really sleep anyways.”

the two of you stayed like that for a long while, denki swaying the two of you back and forth. you could feel gentle lips peppering the crown of your head with kisses. as your heart rate slowed, denki piped up. “wanna stay here for the night? my bed’s missing out on some action! and by some action, i mean sleep. i really can’t sleep.”

you snorted at his words, your eyes flicking up to his goofy yet endearing smile, his eyes bright yet a bit tired from late night gaming. he poked his tongue out at you, making you roll your eyes with a tiny smile of your own gracing your features.

“how could i say no to that?”

hitoshi shinsou

we already know he’s up at these unholy hours

not for any particular reason, just because he can’t really sleep

quite the insomniac that one

and the fact that he can’t sleep properly or well unless you’re with him

you smell like lavender in the morning too bc he puts it in his pillow to help him sleep, thank you

shinsou lay awake in bed, eyes trained on the ceiling as he waited for himself to fall asleep. it was no secret that he barely got any rest, so it was simply easier to just sit and wait until his body exhausted itself to the point where he simply fell asleep. staying as still as he could, he kept counting the amount of times he breathed in and out. it made him acutely aware of his surroundings. the crickets outside his room, the way the moonlight streamed through his blinds, the miscellaneous creaking sounds of the dorms. yeah, he definitely wasn’t sleeping tonight.

he didn’t flinch as the door to his room opened, blinking slowly as his eyes adjusted to the light spilling into his room along with a new figure. “y/n?” he asked, not bothering to sit up. “hey, are you up? sorry toshi, i couldn’t sleep,” you explained softly, allowing the door to close behind you as you tiptoed across his dorm room. his hair was sprawled across his pillow, deep violet locks hiding his hands situated behind his head comfortably. it showed off his arms that were built from training for when, not if, he ever got into the hero course.

a lazy smile crossed his lips at your words, his heartstrings being played by you so seamlessly. “it’s okay, i couldn’t sleep anyways,” he replied with a tilt of his head towards you. he moved over a bit in his bed as to give you space to lay down next to him. you crawled beneath his comforters, inhaling the scent of lavender as you did. apparently shinsou had said that the smell helped him fall asleep easier. strong arms wrapped around your waist, encasing you in a protective embrace as your head rested comfortably against his chest. the comforter was thrown over the two of you. you felt so much safer already.

his large hands were placed on your lower back, his thumbs drawing lazy circles on your skin as his breathing began to relax noticeably. hiding your smile, you cuddled closer to him. to this day, you had never seen shinsou fall asleep so quickly since that night.

izuku midoriya

baby is up studying for a test that’s in like 2 weeks

either that or he’s on an all might video spree on youtube and no that is not the first time this has happened, it is certainly not the last

he has so many stuffed animals in his room probably, like he just has them stuffed in his closet

the all might plushies stay on the bed tho

his cuddles are unmatched tho, change my mind

izuku was pacing around his room, vocabulary words spinning about his mind as he counted them on his fingers. he was mumbling definitions to himself, going over all of them in his head before referencing his notebook to make sure nothing went wrong. amidst his ramblings, a knock at the door made him jump to attention. “come in?” he called out, watching intently as he saw you come into view. his face showed relief, grateful to know it wasn’t aizawa or kacchan complaining about his incessant pacing.

“would it be alright if i sleep here tonight? i’m worrying about my grades and stuff again,” you rubbed the back of your neck with a small smile, trying to play off your question as relaxed as you could. it wasn’t exactly a secret that you had a crush on the boy in front of you. he was kind and humble, wanting to help as many people as he could despite all the circumstances that had the world against him. it was admirable. even now, he looked so concerned from the clear lack of sleep you’ve been getting these past few days. “of course you can sleep here. ah, wait! i have to, ah,” he stumbled over his words as you looked to the bed to see not one, not even two, but four all might stuffed toys on his bed.

“oh.”

midoriya’s face erupted with crimson, shoving the plushies into his closet as he sputtered out various excuses as to why they were there in the first place. when he turned back to you, you were giggling. not at him, but because of the entire situation in general. “you’re adorable, izu,” you told him gently. a light feeling bloomed in his chest upon seeing the smile you held for him. you looked so undeniably beautiful to him, the way your hair was a bit messy and how you stood in your pyjamas. while others, including yourself, would find that you looked completely normal, midoriya loved seeing you be so casual, so comfortable around him.

“you’re sure i’m not interrupting you, though?”

midoriya returned your smile with his own, stepping forward to intertwined his scarred fingers with your delicate ones. “it’s okay,” he murmured softly, holding your hand as if you were the most precious thing in the world to him, “i couldn’t really sleep anyways.”

all works © denkamis 2021.

tags:

@meilbox @honeykami @httpfirx @strawberrysalwa @hey-i-really-miss-you @smexy-goose @satis-kei

want to be on the taglist? see this post!

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Family member anon, here I go.

S/o visiting with Ron and they friend bob for chaotic day, only some peoples have a ability to break the fourth wall including Ron and bob but Ron s/o have the ability to escape this game to visit irl. During totality not stealing bob and bossip place during Ron talking about want to escape this “game” Ron s/o felt bad and didn’t know Ron feels, after Ron song is over s/o decided to bring Ron with them. Before Ron hit by a car ron s/o teleport with Ron to escape this “game” and saved Ron from a random car, Ron is happy with s/o and finally in peace until returning the “game” to invite bob for a relaxed time

Ohh I love this! Ik Ron's dialogue at that part is all jokes but I can make angst out of that :)

..........

"So lemme get this straight-"

"I'm totally straight, haha."

"Would you be serious for ONCE in your life?!!"

"Bob, be nice."

"...fine. Anyways, you got fourth-wall powers like us?"

"Yeah, and then some." You shrugged at the white blob, smiling.

It was true. You were among the few individuals who were self-aware of the fact they're in a popular rhythm game called Friday Night Funkin', especially the mod universe. But you hailed from the outside world, where it was only seen as a game and nothing more.

Despite this barrier you've made a lot of friendships, and found love in the folderhead, of all people.

When you realized him and Bob infiltrated a mod called "VS Bob and Bosip" and turned it into a "Bob's Takeover" update, you decided to visit them.

You've met the stars of the original mod before the update, learning they were also self-aware as they tried getting to The End of Minecraft and ended up in this game instead.

After mentioning them, Bob had a plan to rap battle the pair, joking about wanting to earn the rightful title of "Bob". And he wanted Ron to accompany him for unknown reasons, but you didn't mind. You figured they moved past their rivalry from Bob's own mod.

So you hung out at a different section of the park, finding some other people to sing with.

One of those ended up being Keith and Cherry, but you still referred to them as "Boyfriend" and "Girlfriend" often. They didn't possess the level of self-awareness that you did, but Keith wanted to challenge you and you happily obliged.

It was an easy battle for the most part, but the moment you finished, Cherry noticed two figures rapidly approaching:

Bob but in a yellow shirt with the word "Gloopie" on it and a blue wig, and Ron wearing attire similar to Bosip's, a spiky yellow wig included.

As they recognized who you were with, they began acting unusually out-of-character, with Bob spewing violent threats to Keith and forcing him into another rap battle. Ron looked traumatized, as though he didn't get a choice to put on this outfit.

You wondered what was wrong until he finally broke down when Bob finished singing.

"You know me, right? I'm Ron. I was featured in the mod "Literally Every FNF Mod Ever"...VS Bob? You gotta remember that, right?!" His hands shook as he stared at the blue-haired singer, who seemed clueless.

"Ron?" You were worried, assuming he was having some sort of existential crisis. "You okay?"

"I was murdered..and stabbed. My body was used for satisfaction by Bob..and....I-I was tortured for years on end." He stammered over his words as he turned to you with tears in his eyes.

Unfortunately your suspicion was correct. According to Ron, he truly did die in that mod, only to be revived by real-world forces and used as a "puppet" for likes and fame. The fact he couldn't live a normal life with you and was trapped in this stupid game felt like an eternal punishment for him.

You had no idea he felt this way all along, or how he came to be self-aware on such an extreme level.

Had you known sooner....you felt so guilty.

"I can't do this..I CAN'T!! GET ME OUT OF THIS FUCKING TORTURE!!" Ron pulled at his wig, which to stuck to him like real hair. "[Y/n]..I-I can't take this..GET ME OUT OF HERE!!" He grabbed your shoulders, panicking and sobbing. "I CAN'T KEEP LIVING LIKE THIS!!"

"Ron, Ron...it'll be okay." You hugged him closely. "I overheard Bob and Bosip say they had to sing to get out of this game. How about we try that, hm?"

Sniffling, he nodded and muttered an "okay", perking up as he spun around to face Keith. He seemed wildly concerned about both Ron's odd speech and sudden mood swings, but forced a smile upon seeing that he was about to be challenged.

"Rap battle?"

"Okay."

As bizarre as Ron's song was, it was quite catchy and amusing to say the least. Though even with all his craziness, he remained no match for Keith.

"Unfair! I didn't have a 4th-wall break meltdown for nothing!" Ron threw his microphone to the ground in defeat as the music stopped.

"You did your best, though." You tried staying optimistic, but Bob just snickered and Keith just rolled his eyes and left with his girlfriend.

A few moments later Ron stormed out into the middle of the street in a fit of anger, and your eyes widened as you saw a car speeding down the road.

"LOOK OUT!!"

"Huh?"

You decided to use your powers and take his hand, teleporting you both out of the game seconds before the car could hit either of you, leaving a Bob-disguised Bob all alone.

"..where the fuck did they-"

...........

"Oof..where are we?"

"Uh...my room." Helping Ron stand up, you smiled and pointed to your computer. "See? Your icon on the mod's main menu is blank. You're outta there finally."

He stared at the screen for a second, perplexed by what just happened. But then he looked all around your room as the realization finally hit him.

He was in your world. Actual reality.

Finally free.

"FREEDOM AT LAST!!!" He spun around and embraced you, his smile stretching to the edges of his head. "This is so pog, oh my god oh my god."

You chuckled and hugged him as well, relieved that you were able to save his life and bring him to your world. After hearing what he's been through, you knew he needed this.

"So now that we're outta there..can I ask what's with the whole Bosip getup?"

"Oh..right." He blushed as he stepped back and looked towards a nearby mirror. "I thought it would make me look cool and distract me from the agony of my own self-awareness. Sorry if I scared ya back there."

"Don't worry, I understand. You look cool in any outfit." You chuckled, before another thought occured to you. "By the way, Ron?"

"Ye?"

"After Bob calms down maybe we can...go back in the game and fetch him so he can get a taste of the real world, too."

"..........."

"..........."

"....you can do that?? We should probably find Little Man, while we're at it."

"I don't think he's as self-aware as his dad yet-"

"Oh don't worry. He's 27 so he knows."

".......wait he's almost THIRTY?!!"

[salcreus]

The power of sunsets: And why the night is no longer scary

Yes I promise this is about hermitcraft SPOILERS FOR BDUB’S FINAL EPISODE Here’s your pre-warning that English is Not my first language, and to take everything that I say with a grain of salt. Just having fun over 5 seconds of video, that’s all <3

Have you ever looked at a sunset? Felt the warmth of the sunlight rays touching you? Maybe you were with friends, laughing away at an awful joke that still got you right in your ribcage, or maybe you were alone, contemplating why you, and only you, were allowed to witness such a sight. Maybe, and just maybe, you didn’t even pay much attention to it, just letting the newfound heat greet you for a short while as you went on your merry way, continuing on whatever your mind was guiding you towards.

Yet it was still there. There for you, every day, every step of the way, whether you like it or not. And, as beautiful as it is, it’s also a cruel mistress, always warning you of the time running out, letting you know with a kind, warm heart that today’s chapter was closing by, to get ready for the tomorrow that was to come.

Of course I, as the hopelessly dramatic person that I am, always liked to place that short analogy onto the sleeping beauty that is Bdubs, as a way of plastering this idea of, - and I’m shortening this for the sake of both your time and mine -, “Oh, he does not like the night, nor the sunset, not because the mobs terrify him (though that can play a part, we are all human after all), but yes because it’s a black flag warning him that time is always moving on, and that sooner than later, he will have to accept that things end, that things are not in this perfect, always sunny without clouds world, but yes in this painting with many shades and tones.” As funny and somewhat endearing as that idea was, it is merely fiction that I thought about, coming from a Minecraft server of all things- Cute, but that’s where it would stand for the rest of time.

Queue his last episode.

Dang, that got me.

It’s not that it was the shiniest or most eye-catching of endings, in fact, it’s just another Bdub’s episode- You do some building, some jokes yada yada episode ends- The only difference is that this time is the final one of the season. Just that.

Yet…. Yet I can’t shake off that feeling of the final sunset. I almost wished it continued, instead of his outro, just due to the pure feeling that I couldn’t really grasp (or even dare to explain) at that moment. Though, if I really had to try and spit out something from a more logical standpoint, it’s most likely due to the whole process of seeing the evolution and achievements that he went through, while also hearing the struggles of perfectionism, of quality vs quantity that I won’t dare to quote on this short text, of this overall sense of joy mixed with self-reflection of a man that has done so much, but that he feels to be so little. Which is a shame, because Bdubs is one of the most hardworking content creators in my personal, subjective opinion, and shouldn’t have to worry about these silly numbers next to the pictures of his buildings, but I also understand where he is coming from and his reasoning behind it. That little context warms up the stage for this spectacle of light because you see this tiny very tall man, and his adventures, and all the laughs and shenanigans that he has gone through, and hardships, and plotlines, and- And you, yes you, the viewer behind the screen, see his journey, a journey that is held by a pack of personality/talent, scattered through all of these episodes. . . And you see him rest. No night, no darkness, no sunset, only the Today, and only the bright blue sky telling you that everything is going to be okay. Such a marking part of his videos, that by default is an expected truth by this point, not to be broken or refuted. But not this time! It's Adam and Eve biting the forbidden apple but freaking- Minecraft version (Can you tell that I've given up being poetic and I'm falling on a more humorous type of writing) It's defying everything that we expected of him, of this persona that he chooses to showcase, finally allowing the sunset to take over, because why wouldn’t he? It’s the ending of an era, the final chapter of the book that you have been reading for oh so long, though it’s also the realization that it’s completely fine to let things go, it’s not something that should be feared, but yes something that should be embraced-

So who cares if a few phantoms show up- let them be, they can only fly so much before the sunrise smiles at you and you go back to the old fairytale lulling you into safety. And who cares if the things that you always plan oh so perfectly don’t work out, that’s what life is all about, failing, getting up, trying again, and having fun. It’s okay to let things go. To let them rest. To let them embrace, tightly or not, but always present. Always loving you.

Or it could be that it was just too pretty of a sunset bathing a too pretty of a city to let it slide.

[mjxmoon]

george being a bitch because he’s shy 🪴

george x black reader

word count: ~1.1k

request: Can you do georgenotfound with a black reader where like he sees her stream all the time bc he has a crush and dream invites her to film with them and he's being really stiff and distant so she thinks he's like racist or something and goes to cuss him out?(fluffy ending though please)

a/n idk how fluffy the ending is but enjoy also this goes from like 3rd person to 2nd person a few times oops

warnings: swearing 

“You invited her over here!?” George shouts in disbelief, “Why would you do that?” 

“Come on, you like her and you’re only in Florida for one more week,” Clay explains. The sound of the doorbell then rings throughout the house and a wicked smile appears on his face “Oh she's here.”

“WHAT!?”

Outside you bounce on your heels nervously as you wait for someone to answer the door. When ‘Dream’ invited you over to his house to film a video with him and George your heart stopped. The fact that one of the most popular Minecraft YouTubers watched your streams AND wanted to make a video with you in person was almost too much to handle. A man then opens the door, and it takes you a moment to realize that who is standing in front of you is Clay.

He says your name with an enthusiastic grin as he pulls you into a hug. You never expected him to be a hugger but willingly accept his embrace. “It's so great to meet you!” He says excitedly as he ushers you inside, taking your coat from you quite gentlemanly and welcoming you into his home. 

damn, this man's stacked you think to yourself as you look around his house. You spot George hanging back by the staircase and feel a little bit star struck seeing him in person “Hi! George, right?” Dumbass You curse to yourself, what a stupid introduction. 

He raises a hand to give you a wave before swiftly turning around “Yeah, let me know when you guys wanna start filming.”

You knew to come with the expectation that George wouldn't be the same as he was on stream but you were expecting a little more enthusiasm. “Um yeah let's get started.” Maybe he’s just nervous around new people. You try to convince yourself before your mind wanders to the other more racially motivated possibilities. 

Clay leads you to his office that's complete with the sickest gaming setup you’ve ever seen. “Wow,” You say looking around in awe. You notice George staring at you from the corner of your eye and when you try to acknowledge him he quickly turns away and goes to do something else.

As Clay starts explaining his plan for the video you can only think about George and the reason he’s being so cold to you. He doesn't have to be an angel but some basic human decency would be nice. He’s the reason you got into streaming and as embarrassing as it is you developed a slight crush on him so him being a bit of an asshole hits you a little harder than it should.

You snap out of your thoughts as Clay extends one of his headsets to you. You stare at it for a moment before confidently taking it and setting it on your head. I'm not gonna think about it anymore you tell yourself I'm just gonna have a good time. That's what you came here for anyway- well not exactly it was mostly to meet George- but instead of sulking over it, you decide to make the best of the opportunity. 

While you guys film a Minecraft manhunt together you try your best to ignore George and his shitty attitude. Every time you tried to make a joke or interact with him he wouldn’t say anything or talk to Clay instead. As time passes it becomes more and more infuriating and you practically give up. Now that you think about it, maybe you should have had more sense than to develop a crush on a steamer you knew nothing about and expected him to give a shit about you.

“I'm gonna go get something to drink,” Clay says, sliding off his headset “You two want anything?”

“I’ll have some water please.” You say. George shakes his head as he immediately gets on his phone, probably to drown you out for the next 5 minutes.

Clay looks between you and George and feels a little guilty for the tense situation he’s created. Clay teased George relentlessly about his crush on you, but maybe he should have warned George that the girl he's been in love with for months was coming to see him. Clay keeps his eye on them until he closes the door a little scared of what will happen once he leaves.

“Hey did I do something?” You finally decide to ask after a painfully awkward moment of silence. 

“No,” George says, simply not looking up from his phone. 

His tone is super dismissive, which only pisses you off more, “Do you not like me?” You inquire. He doesn't respond, and you can’t help but feel like you’ve found your answer. “Really? Is it because I'm Black?” You don’t know where that came from, but it was at the back of your mind, and you don’t feel guilty for asking. His eyes snap to you rather quickly and you sit there with an unamused expression letting him know you’re dead serious. 

“Because if it is just say so, that way I don’t have to stay here anymore with you and your racist bu-”

“Why would you even think that!?” He cuts in, very hurt by your implication. 

“Well I don’t know you’ve been kind of a dick this whole time- and this wouldn't be the first time someone’s been a dick to me because I’m Black.”

“It's not like that I swear, and I don’t hate you-” he stumbles over his words trying not to say what he so desperately wants to but it comes out anyway “I….like you.”

You pause your rant and look at him in shock. It takes you a moment to register but when you do you feel a mix of all sorts of different things “So what you were just gonna treat me like an ass because you liked me? What is this elementary school?” You flop back into your chair and huff feeling slightly embarrassed.

The silence falls back over the room and you fiddle with the hem of your shirt as you give the response he’s been waiting to hear “And I like you too.”

He blushes and as he opens his mouth to speak the door to the office burst open “Almost busted my ass coming up the stairs.” Clay says slightly out of breath.

You and George burst out laughing, letting go of the awkwardness and tension built up from earlier, finally able to express yourselves.

“Did I miss something you two seem more chummy?” Clay says as he slides back in his chair. 

“Nothing.” George replies, quickly logging back into the game, flashing you a cute grin before putting his headset back on. “Come on, let's finish this!” 

“Uh-huh…” Clay says looking between the two of you unconvinced “I’ll just check the recording later.” 

“The what?!” You and George look at each other in horror when you realize that Clay never actually paused the recording, and your conversation was now going to be in his possession forever. “DREAM!”

[bunnyywritings]

when worlds collide

kozume kenma x fem!reader [LDR]

[a/n: hehe this gif is cute 🥺this was buried in my drafts so I edited it a bit, I’m slowly getting my motivation back so uhh yeah, enjoy! -yours truly, bunnyy -`ღ´- ]

He met you during one of his late night gaming sessions. You had tried to speak to him in English and he felt kinda bad for not being able to formulate a good response. Boy was petrified when he mumbled to himself about how cute your voice was and you had responded in Japanese.

From then on, there was frequent chats on discord and whatnot before the both of you had built up the courage to finally do a video call. He realized he was in love with you when you had joined his Minecraft server with Kuroo, Lev, and Hinata. You had gotten along with them so well. Just hearing you joke around and tease them made his heat happy.

He was hesitant to confess since you guys were 5,000+ miles away AND there was a 16hr difference between the two of you. Kuroo talked some sense into him and he ended up telling you while he was visiting your Island in animal crossing...it was so wholesome.

After getting a hang of each other’s schedules, things got easier and since it was summer, the both of you had time goof off on minecraft or on animal crossing, or just be on video call and send each other tik toks and memes. However, lately there had been a strange lull in conversation and whatnot. The distance was starting to take its toll on the both of you. He had just gotten accepted to the same Uni that Kuroo was currently attending, they had moved into an apartment off campus together because Kuroo absolutely despised his current roommate.

“So, how’re things with (y/n)?” Kuroo asked as they both carried the last boxes into the living room. There was a small silence that followed before Kenma sighed rather heavily and Kuroo just knew that it wasn’t good.

“Honestly, I don’t know...I thought they were going well but lately there’s been a weird lull. We’ll talk but it’s always very short before she’s making up excuses to go or something.” The edges of his lips twitched downward as he plopped down onto the couch.

“You didn’t make her mad or anything, did you?” Kuroo was trying his best to act neutral. He knew the reason you had been “ignoring” his buddy lately and he was trying to keep it on the down low.

“I don’t think so? I’ve tried to think of anything I could’ve said or done but I can’t think of anything.”

“Maybe she’s just busy? Isn’t she also just starting her freshman year of uni?” Kuroo quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right but still...she could’ve just said so.”

After Kuroo had cheered up his best friend, they ordered some pizza and he had told you that you might want to put your plan in motion sooner rather than later.

You had just gotten off the plane when you received his text and reluctantly agreed. Sweats and dark under eye bags isn’t really the first impression you want to make but you really did just want Kenma to finally hold you in his arms. The thought was almost overwhelming.

Getting into the taxi, you gave the address that Kuroo sent you and you were on your way. It took a few hours but you finally arrived and made your way inside and to the elevator. Heart pounding as you slowly approached the door. You could hear the familiar sounds of Mario Kart muffled through the door, with a shaky hand you tapped your knuckles against the door. Basically hearing your blood rush though your ears, your heart almost stopped when the door opened.

“Well look who’s finally here.” Kuroo whispered before completely stepping out and closing the door behind him. He pulled you into a quick hug and introduced himself. “Are you ready?”

“Uhm y-yes and no...” He chuckled at your shaky response and opened the door again, motioning you to step inside. Taking a deep breath, you stepped passed the threshold of the door, pulling your luggage behind you. As you walked down the hallway, your breath hitched and your eyes started to water as you caught sight of the familiar head of “pudding”colored hair.

“Kuroo what’s taking so lo-“ he turned, freezing when his eyes met yours. His voice was much more soothing when it was unfiltered, much fuller and deeper.

“Hi sweetheart...” your voice cracked the slightest bit as you noticed his eyes glossing over.

“Oh my god, (y/n).” He got up from the couch, remote violently clacking onto the floor as he rushed over to you. You barely had time to react as he pulled you into an embrace, arms wrapped tightly around your waist. Tears had finally started to trail down your cheeks as you wrapped your own arms around his shoulders and buried your face in the crook of his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here...”

Kuroo smirked, his own eyes watering a bit as he walked into the kitchen to give you two some space.

“I can’t believe it either.” As you said this, he clutched onto you even tighter, afraid that if he let go, you’d disappear. Much to his dislike, you pulled back just a bit. Hand coming up to gently caress his cheek. Warm amber eyes gazing into yours.

“C-can I...can I kiss you?” Cheeks turning a deep pink as he asked, to which you immediately said yes. Heart swelling at the fact that he wanted your permission first. He held your chin deftly between his fingers and with the utmost gentleness, pressed his lips onto yours. It took you a moment to process what exactly was going on but you had finally melted into the kiss, lips moving together languidly with want. Needing to finally feel each other’s lips moving in sync. Turning your head the slightest bit, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. The feeling of his tongue foreign yet welcomed as you tangled your fingers into his soft blonde locks. A small groan leaving his throat.

“Alright alright! If you’re gonna be like that then get a room!” Kuroo groaned, making both the both of you jump away from each other. “I don’t wanna listen to the two of you sucking face like that.” He childishly gagged. Your cheeks burned furiously at his words, choosing to bury your face in Kenma’s chest instead.

“Don’t tempt me to take that offer.” The cocky tone in his words shocked both you and Kuroo. “But since we’ve already got the switch set up, why don’t we play something.”

Kuroo offered you some pizza, which you gladly accepted and you made your way to the live room. The three of you played for a couple of hours but when your eyelids started drooping and you were constant falling off the maps, they decided that it was enough for the night.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Kenma whispered, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. You weakly protested as Kuroo pried the remote from your fingers.

“You’re falling asleep at the wheel (y/n). That’s extremely dangerous.” He snickered. After brushing your teeth, you snuggled into bed with Kenma. This was kinda like when the both of you would be on FaceTime before in bed and sleep but a thousand times better.

“When do you have to go back?” He asked, hand under your shirt and tracing random words and shapes into your skin.

“...I’m not going back.”

“Huh?” He tried not to seem too excited but you could definitely tell. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I got accepted to yonsei. I’ll be going to school with you guys.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He was slightly upset that he wasn’t able to celebrate with you.

“Well, I didn’t want to ruin this plan or give you any false hopes just in case I wasn’t actually accepted.”

He sighed and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head, “Well I’m glad you’re here.” He chuckled softly when you yawned a couple times. “I’m sure you’re very tired from your flight.”

You nodded, humming in agreement. “It was a long 12 hours but I’m here.” Your voice was slurred with sleep.

“Go to sleep kitten, I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Neither of you separated the entire night. So when Kenma woke up, there you were. Head resting on his chest, shoulders rising and falling with every breath you took.

It was well passed 12 in the afternoon but he didn’t care, he’d stay there with you in his arms for a lifetime.

𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔩 𝔱𝔞𝔤𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱(open) : @ohbois-biggay-bnha @yuiji-yuiji

[rainbowbutterfrosting]

The Revived - Chapter 6: A Talk

This is chapter 6 of the dream smp fic @dramaticsnakes and I are writing. Thank you to @r0w3n-1n-d0ugh for beta-reading this chapter!

AO3

Read in order (on Tumblr)

Characters in this chapter: Wilbur, Tubbo, Ranboo, Ghostbur, Phil

Word count: 2,988

Cw:  Eating/food, major angst, loneliness, bottling up emotions, trust issues, fear of abandonment, discussions of betrayal, implied suicidal thoughts, loss of purpose

Fic summary: Wilbur was alive, and it was such a magnificent feeling, that made his mind spark with anticipation. It didn’t take long, however, for Wilbur to realize that this new breath of life, was not just his own. An echo-y voice hides in the back of his mind, and before he knows it, the transparent version of him he saw at the endless train station, is a lot more ingrained than he’d expected him to be.

And Wilbur really shouldn’t care. Because he’d be damned, if he spent the life he’d awaited for so long, babysitting a lost cause of a ghost, stuck in the very same limbo Wilbur spent so long in. It was an even exchange, and one Wilbur wasn’t going to mess with. Why exactly he ends up setting out to get the ghost out of his mind, in order to save the both of them, however, is beyond him. And perhaps Wilbur’s past isn’t as easy to leave behind, as he’d hoped it would be.

The table was already set before they walked down, three chairs and a hightop were around the table. As Michael sprinted towards the dining room, everyone else walked at a moderate pace. Wilbur found himself sitting at the chair furthest away from the little family. While Wilbur didn’t mind imposing on most things, the domestic scene before him appeared private, as Tubbo gently lifted Michael to the highchair. Everyone sat down, and as Wilbur saw the food on the plate, he realized that it had once again been quite a bit since he ate. He looked at the inviting steak, and cut off a piece of it with his knife and fork, shoving it into his mouth, embracing the taste.

“What’s that?” Ghostbur asked in awe, causing Wilbur to feel a little abashed, as he realized what was going on. Wilbur swallowed. “Mm, this steak is really good,” he said in response, and Ghostbur gasped excitedly.

The steak was actually quite delicious. He didn’t remember tasting Tubbo’s cooking in a while, which of course made sense, all the years at a train station considered and all. Though this was clearly food, made by someone who cooked proper meals frequently, which was an interesting change, from their time in the wars. A change that left a strange stinging sensation in Wilbur’s chest that showed up uninvited every once in a while, but was fairly easy to quench. 

“Thank you!” Tubbo said with a cheerful smile.

“There wasn’t much food in limbo, you know.” Wilbur commented, eating a bigger piece, “In fact, there wasn’t anything. I tried to lick the walls once or twice, but they tasted worse than the walls in this world.”

Tubbo’s face turned slightly pale, and he chuckled awkwardly. “How do you know-” he trailed off and shook his head, “Nevermind.”

At that moment, Wilbur realized that all this time being dead, made people look at Wilbur strangely, and treat his comments with a new sort of hesitance. What would usually have been met with laughter, was met with stares and grim silence. 

But Wilbur’s words were just something everyone else would have to get used to eventually.

Ranboo sat next to Michael, cutting the steak on Michael’s plate into tiny pieces. He tried, to little avail, to put a piece into Michael’s mouth, which Michael looked away from quickly. “Come on, Michael, it’s dinner time,” he said gently.

Tubbo turned to his husband and his child- which was a sentence Wilbur still hadn’t gotten quite used to thinking- and tried to assist. He smiled nervously, as he grabbed another little piece. “It’s good for you, Michael. And delicious!” he took a piece from his own place and ate it, followed by an overexaggerated hum of satisfaction. 

Ranboo took the fork and asked Michael, “Do you want it?”

Michael shook his head no, slightly pouting. Ranboo gasped, “But steak is so good! Well…” he aimed the fork for his mouth instead of Michael’s. “I’ll gladly take it, steak is one of the best things ever.” When Ranboo opened his mouth to eat the steak, Michael made grabby hands towards the fork.

Ranboo barely held back a laugh, “But this is my steak isn’t it?”

Michael shook his head again and moved his head towards the fork. Ranboo smiled, his plan working exactly how he expected it to, “Alright, I’ll let you have a bite.”

Ranboo led the fork to Michael’s mouth as the toddler took it gratefully. Michael even dared to make a face towards his father that could only be described as a pure soul attempting to look evil. Ranboo gasped dramatically, “I thought we taught you better than such manners!”

Michael snorted as he opened his mouth for another bite. Ranboo cut up a small piece of steak when he was casually interrupted by a series of knocks on the door. The specific pattern flew by Wilbur, but he felt instinctively that they were a planned order. Tubbo got up at the same time as Ranboo.

“I’ll get it,” Tubbo assured him.

“You already made dinner. I’ll do it,” Ranboo pushed his chair back in.

Tubbo walked towards the door, “I’ve got it, Boo, spend some time with Michael.” Ranboo’s shoulders noticeably relaxed at the nickname.

“Alright,” Ranboo sat back down and picked up Michael’s fork. He led it towards the toddler as routine, occasionally making comments about how he wished for a bite so Michael wouldn’t get suspicious. 

Wilbur took the moment to remember his recent conversation with Ranboo. Why did Ranboo believe Dream was such an antagonist to imply that it was obvious why he held such distaste for him? There wasn’t blood on Dream’s green hoodie, but Ranboo clearly saw it on his hands in a way Wilbur couldn’t understand. “Why do you hate Dream?”

Ranboo tensed, “I- well, hate isn’t the word I would describe it as…” While Michael was chewing he ate a piece for himself. If Ranboo was actually hungry or trying to delay the conversation, Wilbur would never know.

“Then describe it.” Wilbur was tired of the lack of knowledge he knew. Before he was decently satisfied, but his curiosity demanded more when Ranboo mentioned Dream. 

Ranboo chewed on his steak, clearly longer than he needed to. “It’s not really too important on the word choice, it’s just-” Ranboo looked at Michael with a fondness as he slowly got another bite for the boy. “He’s done a lot of things,” Ranboo’s voice was almost a whisper.

Ghostbur hummed, “People don’t really like Dream. I can’t recall much of him, but… he did something bad. No, a lot of things bad. He did some bad stuff to… to Tommy! Made him really sad.”

Wilbur nodded from Ghostbur’s explanation as it was more helpful than Ranboo’s. He was about to ask what Dream did to Tommy, but his thoughts were interrupted when Tubbo spoke, “Guess what, Michael, Grandpa’s here!” Wilbur looked over and saw Phil rolling his eyes at Tubbo’s word choice. 

Wilbur remained quiet as Phil’s eyes lingered on him. 

Phil’s expression was akin to concern, and Wilbur wasn’t that fond of it. Once again, he felt as if he was on display, and as if he’d given something away he should’ve kept to himself. “Techno said you’d be here,” Phil said quietly, and he waited for a few moments as if he wanted a response.

Wilbur didn’t know what satisfying response he could give. “Did he?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light, as he jokingly added, “You know, I almost managed to forget how much of a bastard that guy was.” Ghostbur gasped in a worried kind of way, though he didn’t say a thing out loud.

Phil hummed and walked towards Michael. He gave the toddler a fond pat on the head, a gesture that reminded Wilbur far too much of a less tainted past. Phil looked at Ranboo and Tubbo. “He’s grown a bit since the last time I saw him,” he said.

“He has, hasn’t he?” Tubbo said proudly, “He’s been eating well too, mostly. We had to take away the yellow crayons. He has quite a taste for gold.” he chuckled.

Phil laughed, as he continued to pat Michael, who had excited sparks in his eyes. When Phil turned his face towards Wilbur however, it changed from laughter to a simple smile. Wilbur had the urge to walk away, though he stayed put, taking some more bites of his steak. “Listen…” Phil said, after a few casual greetings to the child and the parents, “Can I talk to you for a second, mate?”

Wilbur tensed up because he knew it was directed at him. The word alone hung in the air as well, implying that this would not be where the conversation took place. In short, that meant this was a serious conversation, and unfortunately, Wilbur had a vague idea of what it was going to be about. He nodded, more sheepishly than he would’ve liked to, and stood up from the table. Phil excused the both of them, and the two of them left the room together.

When Phil opened the door to the outside, Wilbur started to wonder if this was the moment he would be backstabbed, though he knew the reasoning was much more emotional and intangible than something like that. A backstabbing would be easy to tackle. A conversation with a concerned father was a lot less simple.

The two stood outside in the snow, and Wilbur was reminded of their first meeting after his revival. “What is it?” Wilbur said sharply.

“Wil…” Phil said softly, “I uh- I was wondering if you’re doing alright.”

Wilbur scoffed at the question, “I clearly am.”

“Wilbur,” Phil said more sternly, though not out of anger but more so out of concern. “I’m worried about your… safety- that might be the best way to put it.”

Wilbur nodded, but he barely meant it, “Understood, Mr. Minecraft, I’ll make sure to look both ways before crossing the street.” The words meant to come out in a playful way, but they were sharp with edges that hurt himself along with Phil.

“No, I-” Phil closed his eyes, focusing on his word choice. He opened them again with a look that lingered in melancholy but tried to look hopeful for Wilbur’s sake. “Techno told me about… your burns and I…” Phil took a deep breath in to try and address the topic directly, “Why did you go into the nether without any armor?” The words were quiet, but solid by themselves. 

Wilbur couldn’t hold back an eye-roll from how many times he’d been asked that today, Phil slightly frowned at this. “I mean, it doesn’t exactly matter much anymore. I’ll be more careful next time I go.”

Phil pursed his lips, “You don’t understand the point.” Phil sighed, “I’m worried about you.”

Although it shouldn’t have, it caught Wilbur off-guard. He didn’t ask why, because he knew he’d get a default answer about how he was a human being and his son and probably a sob fest that he’d heard before. He wasn’t a child anymore. He knew his place in the world. His place didn’t have any room for his father’s concerns. “I don’t need your pity about how it’s hard for me to get used to living again.” Wilbur didn’t even intend for that to slip out. He didn’t need to tell Phil anything. He didn’t need someone to be against him despite acting like they cared.

A part of him painfully thought how that description didn’t fit only one person.

“I know it takes a bit of practice?” Phil awkwardly laughed before his calm tone returned, “But you can’t get better at being alive by being reckless. It would be like saying you can’t use any measuring spoons while baking. I- We’ve got spoons, there’s no need to go through extra pain.”

“What the fuck does me going into the nether and tripping have to do with spoons?”

Phil’s tone softened, “You know what I mean.”

Wilbur looked at the snow around him, not being able to bear Phil’s sad look anymore. “I frankly don’t.”

Silence lingered in the air. It wasn’t a comfortable silence that made you enjoy the moment. It was harsh and uncomfortable to breathe in.

“Wilbur…” The tone of Phil’s voice tugged on a part of him. It was an idiotic part that needed to acknowledge that he wasn’t going to be Phil’s child again. He was just a disaster of a failed nation that everyone seemed wary of. 

A disaster of a son as well.

“You should go home.” Wilbur refused to meet his father’s eyes. Instead, he stared at his white breaths in the frozen air. 

“I don’t want you to leave again without me knowing when you’re coming back,” Wilbur told himself that he didn’t hear the small crack in Phil’s voice. He wanted to go into his father’s arms and have a moment where the two were together in a warm house in front of the fireplace. Instead, he settled on wrapping his own arms around himself. They weren’t warm to his body. They didn’t provide what he needed. Tears formed in his eyes at the thought of going home with Phil and pretending that things weren’t different now.

But everything was different. He hated that. He hated how the only laugh he would get was a small chuckle as everyone assumed he was a child that didn’t know the dangers of the world. He died three times. He knew danger better than anyone else would. He’d been betrayed more times than he could count on both of his hands. What if Phil got the courage to stab him unprompted? To bring a sword in the night and take care of everyone’s problem? “You should go,” Wilbur’s sobs almost escaped him as tears silently slid down his face. 

Phil sighed. “You know where to go if you… yeah…” Phil’s footsteps moved through the snow behind him, slow at first, only a pause stopping them. Phil wanted Wilbur to ask him to come back. Wilbur knew this. He knew he was an asshole, but he needed independence. It was ironic that he fought for L’Manburg’s, yet, it was still out of reach for him. 

After a few seconds of mutual silence, Phil’s steps continued, fading slowly. When they stopped again, Wilbur turned, perhaps to apologize but saw no one in sight. It took him a moment to realize Phil already went through the nether portal. 

Phil was gone.

He wasn’t coming back. Wilbur put a hand over his mouth, he had learned to cry silently during one of the wars. A quite useful skill if you asked him.

But no one would ask him. He was a fucking idiot that couldn’t hold onto anyone, no matter how much they asked him to stay. Yet, no matter how much he held on, he was always alone. They didn’t even leave on day one or two. No, no, no. They had to leave years after he knew them. They had to make Wilbur think he could actually hold onto them before they left.

Wilbur’s legs collapsed as he sobbed into his hand. He put his other hand on top to make sure he didn’t make a noise. He didn’t need Tubbo nor Ranboo to discover how pathetic he was. They had their family. They were happy. They didn’t need Wilbur. No one did. Tommy held a grudge against him, Technoblade thought of him as an annoying child who couldn’t handle himself, and Tubbo only took him in out of pity. 

And that didn’t even touch on Ranboo. Ranboo must’ve hated him by now. He asked a few too many questions, lingered on topics a little too long. 

He supposed that Michael cared about him. But at such an age, the kid probably cared about every little piece of grass. He wasn’t special. He was just another blade of grass that could barely make an impact. His unfinished symphony was a finished crater covered in glass, his name typically regarded out of spite instead of love. The feeling was mutual. 

“I- why did neither of you say goodbye? I thought after 6 months apart you would be constantly talking, since being in here is really lonely…” Ghostbur’s voice started to crack as small cries escaped from him. “I thought time makes the heart grow fonder, not angry and sad. No, bitter. That's a better word for it.”

Wilbur spluttered slightly, as he scoffed through the sobs. “No no, it’s… Thank you, Ghostbur, but it’s-” he stopped, his eyes widening, and his heart seeming to take a break from beating for one fleeting moment. “Excuse me-” he said, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed, “How long did you say we’d been apart?”

“Half a month. No, wait, half a year but also six months since they’re the same. Well, there’s probably a few more days added-”

Ghostbur was cut off by Wilbur’s astonished words, “I- I wasn’t there six months.”

The disbelief rang through his ears louder than Ghostbur could ever speak. Thirteen years hadn’t passed. Thirteen and a half years hadn’t passed.

Six months.

Just six months.

[crystalirises]

Day 26: Chaos Against Order

For Day 26: Create!Fundy ---> Adoption

Character: Create!Fundy comes from a world where he is a creation god. The world is somewhat similar to the Coding World, except unlike the Coding World, this Fundy does have a world to interact with and can interact with other people. Phil is also a creation god in this world, and Create!Fundy sees him as a mentor since Philza helped him learn what it is to be a creation god (this concept comes from the joke that Phil made MineCraft because... Philza Minecraft and all that). This Fundy is more responsible and calm, very far off from the usual Fundy who is energetic. He follows formality and order first and foremost.

Setting: Takes place in an AU where Eret did in fact adopt Fundy and Fundy became a prince because of that. Fundy and Phil have a good relationship here because Fundy is no longer part of New L'Manburg, thus, not part of the Butcher Army.

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34203535/chapters/86598370

“Good morning, Fundy.”

“My apologies, King Eret, but I am not your son.” Eret startled at that, rising from their throne. Fundy had kneeled before them, an act he’d never do. “There has been a change in the worlds.”

“Fundy, are you well?” They reached for their son, clasping Fundy by the shoulder. The fox hybrid rose, but instead of dark brown eyes with flecks of gold in them, a black blindfold was over Fundy’s eyes. They made a move to remove it, but Fundy moved back, a hand raised in front of him. Eret took a deep breath, worry bubbling in their chest, but from this brief moment they knew that this person was not their Fundy. “If you are not my son, then who are you?”

“That would be an answer not meant to be given.” The stranger began, head shifted towards Eret’s direction. “However, due to the circumstances, I have no choice but to state what I am.”

He smiled, “I am one of many versions of Fundy, but in my world, I am a god of creation.”

---

“So…” Phil looked from Eret to… Fundy… “You’re not this world’s Fundy.”

“Correct, Angel of Death.”

“Phil is fine, mate.” He sighed at the strict formality, “How do we.. fix this?”

“This change was caused by another version of myself, I’m afraid. Another being that does not exist within the laws of gods.” His grandson, well this version of his grandson, spoke in a soft and calm tone. It was so unlike Fundy who was always a bundle of excitement and mischief. “It will take most of my energy, but I believe there are other versions who seek to correct this issue.”

“How can we help?”

---

The train tracks screeched and echoed along the abandoned station.

Wilbur stopped picking on the skin at his fingertips, dark eyes casted towards the approaching yellow beams of light. He could feel his throat ache with years of perpetual screaming within his limbo. His dry lips cracked as a grin stretched across his face. Perhaps, he will be free today.

The train’s high whistle filled the station, hope bubbling in his chest. Perhaps, he would be free this time round. He sat up from the metal bench that he’d made his bed, and waited by the edge. The stench of death and rust filled his nose, followed by the accompanying scent of fresh air. This train came from the Overworld. He giggled to himself. Maybe, maybe. Maybe someone had come to save him. He waited patiently, stretching out his hands to embrace the welcome air of life. The train was coming into view now, its dark figure illuminated by the pale yellow lights from within its carriages. He tapped his feet against the cracked marble, humming to himself.

A few minutes ticked past, and soon, the train was pulling into the station.

The doors opened.

A figure stepped through, and underneath the shades of yellow, Wilbur could see who they were. Dread took over the hope in his chest, heart racing as he took in his limbo’s newest visitor. Well… was it both their limbo now? Two fluffy fox ears sat on top of perfectly curled ginger hair, and a fox tail wagged from side to side from behind limbo’s newest addition. Instead of his son’s eyes, a black blindfold was over them. Wilbur swallowed, words locked in his throat. He stumbled back as Fundy stepped onto the station’s platform. The train’s doors hissed quietly before withdrawing. The lights disappeared down the tunnel, and then they stood in darkness.

“How…?”

“I am here to speak to the Goddess of Death.” The voice was devoid of emotion, unlike his son’s usual spark of passion. Wilbur took a sharp breath of stale air. “I apologize for the disturbance.”

“Fundy, how are you here? I-I… You shouldn’t be here!” He wanted to clasp his son’s shoulders, but their past prevented him from moving closer. Fundy would not wish for any contact with him, not even a shoulder clasp. “Y-you had two lives! Y-you…! Who? Who did this to you?”

“Worry not, Mr. Soot.”

“Worry not? Mr. Soot? Fundy, what are you talking about?” He couldn’t help it, he approached his son, taking him in as though expecting to see the wound that had done him in. His teeth gnawed at his raw cheek, drawing blood that trickled down his throat. Wilbur thought back to the monitors that were raised above the station. Fundy hadn’t thought of him in years. The last time Fundy had ever mentioned him was when he had a confrontation with that pitiful replacement known as Ghostbur. Wilbur clenched his teeth. At least Fundy has stopped talking to that worthless husk. “You’re too young to be here, Fundy. You’re too… You were too young, son.”

“Mr. Soot, with all respect, I am not your son.” His heart clenched. Right. Of course. Fundy had… Fundy had disowned him, hadn’t he? And, he supposed, he had disowned Fundy too. Of course. Of course. Fundy wasn’t his son. He was Eret’s now, wasn’t he? He withdrew from his so— Fundy, but the fox hybrid continued on. “Your son is another realm, I am not your Fundy.”

“What…?” Wilbur’s nose wrinkled, his brows furrowing in thought. The fox hybrid stayed silent, expecting him to say more or ask more, but he was stumped. What did he mean his son was in another realm? What did that— He jumped as Fundy moved past him, the fox hybrid’s attention focused on the only door that was on the station. Wilbur had refused to enter it. Schlatt had gone in, and he never came back. He followed after Fundy. “You can’t go in there, Fundy.”

“I have to meet the Goddess of Death, Mr. Soot. The way to her domain is beyond that door. Currently, we stand on the precipice of life and death. You refuse to enter because you fear never leaving, correct?” Fundy turned his attention to him, lips set neutrally on his face. Wilbur couldn’t tell if he was being mocked, or if he was being pitied. He nervously laughed, but when Fundy reached for the door, he grasped his son’s hand with a fear he hadn’t felt in so long, not since Fundy was a baby and the walls of his nation were too small to really protect them. Fundy sighed, “I must go. You may come with me, but know that you will never return here again.”

Fundy pulled open the door, and stepped into the void. Wilbur looked on, stuck on what to do.

[amratsu]

alright these girls have haunted me for about a whole month now time to break it all down for anyone vaguely interested in them

hololive/vtuber 101 below the read more

THE FUCK IS HOLOLIVE?: An idol agency except all of its roughly 20 or so girls are youtube streamers who have their identity protected by a live2d avatar. They recently had a very fun live concert and all of them have or will have 3d models, but the majority of content is just them streaming whatever's their fancy at the time. (As of 2/17/2020 a lot of them play a lot of ARK, thank Coco for that) Therefore, they're part of the new form of niche culture called Vtuber.

THE FUCK IS A VTUBER?: Virtual youtubers. Like a normal streamer but, again, live2d portrait instead of their actual face. That's basically it. Content is about as varied as any other youtuber.

ALRIGHT, WHO WE GOT?: Hololive's split into OG Tokino Sora, the girls alongside her who are also primarily 3d, and then 'generations'. Just plug in their names and you'll find their channel easy. Again, variety differs between all the girls, but expect a lot of Nintendo games, chat streams, karaoke, and Minecraft across the board.

-Tokino Sora OG mom slash idol, debuted all the way back in 2017. Probably the only proper idol in all of Hololive. Warm, friendly, relaxing. She mostly does 3d variety streams and song debuts so she's hard to follow without advanced japanese.

-Roboco(-san) Pose happy killer robo with a notably smokey voice and calming demeanor. Plays a large amount of minecraft and first-person games in general; recent streams include ARK, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon remaster, Apex, and Fortnite.

-Sakura Miko ELIIIITE MLG miko idol with a tendency to swear a bit. High energy, fully embraced 'press f', gives herself sunglasses during streams, great friends with Pekora. Also notably into eroge. Did a full playthrough of Papers Please lately and is one of the most addicted to ARK (21 streams at around 4-5 hours each.)

1st Generation -Yozora Mel Sleepy vampire with the occasional killer instinct. Soothing, gentle, kind of lewd. Very much into nintendo games with Smash, Ring Fit, SwoSh, and Mario Kart being her latest content, but she's a little slower with the output. Part of the lewd blonde club with Aki, Haato, and Choco, who were demonetized until recently.

-Aki Rosenthal Cyber elf with detachable twin tails. Pretty similar to Mel in disposition, though less sleepy and more...I want to say 'fantastical'. Recently gained popularity due to her buck naked superhuman beefcake character in ARK, with Kerbal, Go Home, and some ASMR rounding out the rest of her content.

-Natsuiro Matsuri Eternal 17 year old cheerleader from the class next door, Matsuri is a high energy raging lesbian who's also a complete sweetie. Her infamous bandaid clip is what got a lot of western fans into Hololive. Plays a wide variety of games but also twitcasts at random times of the day like when she's in bed or in the bath, just to chat with her viewers about what's on her mind. Well loved.

-Akai Haato The ESL transfer student, girl next door, Haato is, well, exactly that. Commonly traveling for studies, Haato is a bubbly girl with a fine sense for aesthetics; you'll catch her making elaborate builds in Minecraft or playing visual novels during streams, along with a smattering of other games. Notable in that she's the only girl that'll do purely English streams, likely to help with her own education. Also kind of a baka.

2nd Generation -Minato Aqua Disaster masochist maid who's actually stupidly good at video games sometimes. She's both mischievous and hard working, massively popular in China, and, again, stupidly good at games. Soulsborne speedruns, PUBG, ARK (also one of the most addicted), Minecraft (seeing a pattern?), League if you catch her bilibili streams...but she's also the one who will spend a stream calling the other girls and asking them to bully her. Wild card gremlin.

-Murasaki Shion Genius mage who doesn't do a lot with her magic. Pretty well known for her 'neeeeeee', with a distinctly smug avatar/voice. Pretty good at games too, with a variety of Pokemon, retro games, Minecraft, Smash, horror, Mario Kart, etc. Excellent singing voice too, would recommend her covers.

-Yuzuki Choco The totally-not-a-succubus demon nurse at your highschool, Choco embodies :sweating:. Obviously she's lewd, but there's also a silly and petulant side to her that's fun to watch too. ASMR is her specialty. She's also, surprisingly, really into Dead By Daylight, so if that combination sounds fun to you hit her up.

-Oozora Subaru If Haato is the girl next door, Subaru's the bro next door. A very down to earth but energetic and sporty tomgirl, she recently spent three streams and sixteen hours on trying to take down Sans. Other recent things include Live A Live, The Witch's House, and GTA. Refreshingly easy to relate to compared to the other girls sometimes.

-Nakiri Ayame Hello, honored humans~ Hololive's millenium old oni. Has a peculiar way of speaking, especially in her pronouns, which lends a certain charm if you can got on board with it; happy go lucky, easy to like, and really cute on top of all that. Recently recovered from sickness (as of 2/26) so was the last to get on the Ark craze, she's actually very fond of multiplayer games as a way of 'getting to know mortals'. Apex Legends, Mario Kart, Splatoon, etc.

GAMERS: A sort of generation on its own, and also a kind of weird designation when all the girls game so frequently. Oh well!

-Shirakami Fubuki Fox. Not a cat. Super cheerful, makes a lot of weird noises that people turn into youtube poops (that she encourages), and also a helluva gamer. Plays plenty of battle royales, ARK, and of course Nintendo/Minecraft stuff. Infamous for her absolute feral hunter instincts in Project Winter, where she commonly massacres the entire map on her lonesome when she's the traitor.

-Ookami Mio Mom wolf who has to play tsukkomi (straightman) to basically all of Hololive sometimes. Which makes it all the more hilarious during her semi-common charisma breaks, like during Haato's recent English Exam stream. Has been into EDF, Pokemon, Ghost Trick, and Splatoon lately.

-Nekomata Okayu The sleepy smug cat with the most chill personality. Notably very, VERY close with Korone, and in general kind of a playboy in general. Never denies it or any of her myriad transgressions though. Her Mother 2 run has been fun recently, but really you could just tune into her frequent chat streams and relax that way.

-Inugami Korone Dog. An oddball who kind of just goes at her own pace, playing all sorts of weird games like Nyanpo (the pokemon prototype) and weird PS1 retro games. Shows a disturbingly violent side sometimes; her ongoing Blasphemous run and recent RE4 runs have shown how much she's into that kind of stuff. But also she's still a dog, so really don't worry.

Inonaka Music: -AZKi AZKi is closely associated with Hololive but is really more of her own thing, being even more idol than Sora is. Doesn't stream much if at all, has her own album out, does music collabs more than anything else, etc. Helluva singer though.

-Hoshimachi Suisei The vtuber idol who's totally not a psychopath, and totally a goddess at tetris. Like Fubuki, made a name for herself with her psychotic rampages in Project Winter, and also very much unfazed by horror games. Really fucking good at tetris too, doing 98v1 streams lately in Tetris 99, and a godly songstress too. Her karaoke streams are to die for.

3rd Generation: Also known as Hololive Fantasy. These girls are particularly close to each other. If you can find translated clips, I definitely recommend their host club streams where they compete in seducing other Vtubers. (Yes. That's serious)

-Usada Pekora AH^HA^HA^. You'd think she was a cute rabbit, but no! It's a Tewi level shitposter combined with some legit video game skills. She likes playing the heel deliberately just for shits and giggles, like when she nearly walked off with Miko's Nether Star. She's in fact very close to Miko, their relationship being both great friends and great rivals. Definitely one of the most addicted to ARK too; she's been making headway in conquering the ocean.

-Shiranui Flare Handsome half-elf archer, Flare's the designated tsukkomi of the third generation. She's definitely the most down to earth of them, charismatic to boot, and does as she pleases with a relaxed personality and husky, smokey voice. Very very VERY close to Noel. You'll find some really fun playthroughs of various action games like Dark Souls, Bayonetta, and Sekiro on her channel, and thanks to her picking up game mechanics fast they're fun to watch for anyone.

-Shirogane Noel Knight Captain of the Shirogane Knights, Noel's...kind of an airhead, actually. But she's definitely a pleasant, softspoken sort of person who's incredibly relaxing to listen to. Also a big eater, you'll hear her talk about beef bowls and muscles a lot. Just try not to stare too much at her 'pectorals.' As mentioned, VERY close to Flare (they just had a two day long date to a ryokan). Plays whatever with no focus in particular.

-Uruha Rushia The cute, soft, innocent apprentice necromancer, Rushia occasionally comes out of the gates roaring with rage filled screams before chilling out. An absolute cutie though, who loves her fans very much (though really every Hololive member does), her attempts to be cool and reliable lend to some great comedy. She's got a great singing voice if you can find one of her bilibili streams, and otherwise plays a wide variety of things.

-Houshou Marine A~hoy~. The completely safe for work, modern, not-cosplay eternal 17 pirate...and everything I just said was a lie. Most of it anyways. Marine's a riot of a lady with an incredibly dirty mind and dirtier motor mouth, great voice acting ability, and knack for art that she'll happily show off (among other things). Definitely one of my favorites, you'll find plenty of chat and art content on her channel, along with some of the most Ark addiction and a full array of Touhou game playthroughs.

4th Generation: Hololive's newest five girls, it's been a month and change since they debuted. They're notable for working together on some of the most wild content Hololive's put out so far, all helmed by a certain dragon. But we'll get to that.

-Tokoyami Towa The little devil that does whatever she wants, Towa's known for a couple of other things at this point: refreshingly honest personality, Pokemon playthroughs with an eclectic choice in team comp, and her charmingly atypical tomboy voice (though her mic's not amazing). Great singer, super funny if you can find the rare translated clip of her, and was an absolute menace at the recent Hololive werewolf/mafia game. How she managed to fake being a Seer from day one and nearly win, I'll never know.

-Tsunomaki Watame Hololive's bouncy sheep. Ram? Something like that. A very girly, friendly, lightly ara-ara personality, she's an honest and open with her feelings sort of girl. Earnest laughter at chat and games, real emotional tears while watching the live concert with her generation mates, Watame's a total sweetheart who streams a bit of music everyday as the pre-show to Coco's Morning Shitposts (official name). She's also gotten very close to her senpais in some regards...but above all she likes singing, chilling out in Minecraft, and recently playing through a couple Kirby games.

-Himemori Luna If you want to see a completely innocent cinnamon roll looking character say things like 'ass' and 'don't f*cking take crystal m*th', Luna's your gal. Her high pitched, almost childlike voice takes a bit of getting used to but she's a sweetheart that just has fun no matter what she's doing. But she'll also say a bunch of really funny shit while doing it just from sheer juxtaposition of her voice/appearance and the vocabulary. Surprisingly good at video games too.

-Amane Kanata PP Tenshi. Perfect Pitch, Powerpoint...Kanata's a bit of a sheltered honor student sort of girl who has an incredible vocal range, so much you'd be forgiven for thinking she was a professional voice actor or singer. She loves playing along with jokes even if she doesn't get them some times, and is really close with Coco. If not for said dragon she'd be the biggest memelord in the 4th generation, but alas; her channel has lots of collabs with fellow members and a series of cute 'research' videos on the various generations of Hololive. Unfortunately untranslated though.

-Kiryuu Coco The one, the only, the President of Nishinari herself, Coco has been a force of nature since she debuted. Her vulgar sense of humor, rapid fire jokester nature, fluent English speaking, and complete conversion of Hololive to the wonders of dinosaur taming in Ark has made her one of the most subscribed girls in a matter of weeks. Every day at 6am JST or 1pm PST, she does a quick 20 minute gig called Coco News (officially translated as Coco's Morning Shitpost) where she reports on the various ongoings in Hololive. This ingeniously brings attention to the silly crap everyone's been up to, really fostering a sense of community between the girls you don't see elsewhere, while also being a riot to watch as she roasts everyone for their silliness (with full permission). Other notable memes include her stalwart boycotting of Nintendo Switches, her desire to fund a Hololive house, and her recent Hitman 2 run.

[mitigatedchaos]

Banished

(1,400 words, ~ 6 mins)

Banished, Colonial Charter, The North, and the 4 gigabyte Megamod

I purchased the game Banished (2014) some time ago, but hadn't gotten around to actually playing it until recently. (I also replayed the excellent Populous: The Beginning, a game released back in 1998, and thus presumably older than some of the people that read this blog. Both are or were going for around $5-7 lately.)

Reviews described death waves, crop infestations, entire towns lost due to starvation, families killed by frostbite, and fires wiping out house, smithy, and storage barn alike. And sure, I could micro-manage a hundred tiny medieval villagers in a never-ending fight against the crushing poverty of the era, slowly grinding away surplus on meagre human and animal power, always one harsh winter away from ruin in an unforgiving wild landscape... or, having bought it on sale, I could wait and test it out when the mood struck me.

After playing vanilla Banished, I wasn't sure who wrote those reviews.

(The old way would have been to attribute this to console gamers, but this is a forward-thinking blog and we embrace inter-system solidarity.)

Build the hut to gather some berries, then plunk down some houses and a woodcutter before the winter hits and you, too, will soon be waiting impatiently for the randomly-determined traders to bring the specific variety of seed or animal you were hoping for and finally give your villagers the nutritionally-balanced breakfast they deserve. Yields will vary with the climate and seasons (and you'll lose some yields when winter comes early), but stored food in Banished doesn't rot and only about a quarter of your villagers will need to be assigned to food production.

If you're used to these kinds of games - say you racked up some hours in Anno 2070 - vanilla Banished will seem light on content. The production chains are short, the variety of goods is low, and there are only two kinds of houses. If it seems as it were made with a development budget of "just one guy," well it more or less was.

Once getting a grasp on vanilla, it was time to get some mods. More specifically, mod compilation packs, something I've learned to appreciate from industrial minecraft.

Colonial Charter

Colonial Charter is a mod pack with a relatively unified aesthetic and theme (although less unified on either count than The North, which we'll discuss later). You're (implicitly) a colonial governor working on behalf of some European power perhaps in the 1600s or 1700s. If you were hoping to engage in the true violence of the colonial era, setting out to conquer a continent with only muskets of iron and a will of steel, you will be disappointed - Banished does not feature combat. With one fierce touch, hunters transmute a deer into venison and leather without even the pretense of a bow and arrow, and so Colonial Charter represents your colony's entirely-optional military adventures as just another production building, this time masquerading as a rocky outcrop. (It does dutifully note your soldiers will require snazzy uniforms, the 'full livery' itself the result of a production chain.) If you want to build the rest of the fort, though, with cannons and wooden palisades and the like, you're in luck. Vanilla Banished has certain rustic charm to the art, and that's still on display here, so you may well find yourself taking a picture of your snow-covered frontier fortress with canons that don't do anything.

Both vanilla Banished and Colonial Charter lack a capstone building, like Anno 2070's 'monuments,' as well as, it seems, specific victory conditions. Disasters, when activated, seem relatively rare. In one game two wooden houses burned down, hardly a major setback for the Mitigated East Pensachussets Company. In another, a tornado tore through an uninhabited part of the map, and in another, a disease outbreak resulted in the (ordered) slaughter of about 75% of my supply of beef cows - a herd which was itself only one third of my supply of farm animals. In fact, with traders taking food in trade, I was often swimming in supplies, the only real constraints being the slow rate of production for Building Supplies or Fancy Homewares and waiting for traders to bring the right kinds of seeds (either for specific industrial purposes, for diet balance, or for a diversity of crops to resist blight).

But buildings don't require maintenance, so even a relatively slow production of Building Supplies is just a cap on the rate of expansion (while in real life, if you don't continuously produce the same, your building stock will gradually decrease in number and condition). Banished could use some elements from Anno 2070 - the combat or the missions help to liven things up and create breaks in the periods of building and stringing up production chains, and present a bit of risk/reward in how you allocate your resources. Alternatively, a genius aspect of The Sims 3 was the "wishes" system, both the "lifetime wish" and the more ephemeral ones that came up in response to immedate context, which could be "promised," creating a stream of game-seeded player-directed mini-goals that implicitly create a narrative around the relatively empty vessels of the sims themselves.

Story aspects presented in either way might be interesting - and a good resource sink.

The North

The North is a mod best acquired from its website. The Steam Workshop edition is out of date.

The North is more-or-less everything I thought Banished would be, but Norse, and still without unpreserved food rotting. Starting with only a chapel, one man's worth of rye, and around 20 nomads, none of whom were in the posession of tools, I subsequently struggled to reap enough surplus production to afford a charcoal pile in the hopes of maybe one day using it to fuel a blacksmith, as often even if the grain were planted early, winter would arrive early, and despite throwing every villager in the village at the fields, not enough grain could be collected to survive the year before it succumbed to bitter cold. In one village an entire population froze to death. In another, they starved. It was, in a word, brutal.

But the difficulty of The North depends a lot on the starting conditions. In the Shepard start with three families for a total of nine villagers (six adults), each with tools and the village starting with a herd of sheep, the situation was much easier. The North requires a lot of micro-management. It extends the idea of the game's developer of a more personal style of city-builder, where each villager and each family matters. In this case fewer villagers was better - while rotating one or two through the production chain to replace the tools, there were fewer mouths to feed, and thus less overhead needed for manual hunting and gathering.

The buildings are nicely-made, but while in vanilla and Colonial Charter child villagers reach age 18 after about 4 game years, in The North it appears villagers age one year per game year. This makes the situation easier to handle (as The North is tough!), but growth takes longer. Ultimately I didn't want to micro-manage the village for 100 years to get it up to size, though it might be worthwhile to visit it every now and again for the gentle gardening feel of the shepard's hamlet.

Megamod

The problem with the 4.67-gigabyte (once uncompressed; it's 1.5 GB compressed) Megamod is that it has too many mods. This makes it in some ways reminiscent of Minecraft modpacks like Feed the Beast (long live Industrialcraft). If you want to build the perfect-looking little village, Megamod is probably the best - especially if you want to stretch across the whole map, rigging up canals, moats, ponds and castles. But it's unfocused, with too many concepts and too many buildings. Some of the buildings are great, while others are clearly novice efforts. With so many options for everything, it would likely be easy to min-max and lose the element that makes Banished a game. Had all the effort that went into these mods been, instead, applied as one project with a relatively coherent vision of gameplay, it would have been able to produce a game that is 'complete' in a way that vanilla Banished is not.

Alas, with normal Banished food yields in Megamod, I set my villagers off to gathering up food and farming and wandered off to look through the piles and piles of buildings. I'd say that maybe somewhere in Megamod is a tornado shelter, but I doubt the base game code supports it. In the Early Summer season, a tornado ripped through what very little existed of the whole town, destroying every building and carrying off all the villagers to the great beyond.