#grey when making what the game thinks is the good-aligned choice *always* works out for you no matter what

[vounoura]

I've been musing on it pretty much since I committed to my bad end durge run but I think so so so many RPGs struggle hard with 'evil' choices bc most evil choices amount to over the top 'be a complete and utter monster' versus like. actually nuanced evil runs

[personname1]

In this idea of the "Gray Jedi" I always come back to the idea of Kreia and Jolee Bindo from KOTOR. And I think this is where we see what the prototypical "Gray Jedi" are. I don't know Jolee Bindo as well but from what I remember he is described as a Gray Jedi because he uses emotion when he uses the force. But I think what people miss is that he isn't some morally grey character who goes out and kills people and does terrible things. Rather he is a person who still overwhelmingly seems to be a Jedi and for all that his in game "Alignment" is neutral his actions show what he is.

Now I know KOTOR 2 way better so I will actually provide some thinking on Kreia. Kreia throughout the game criticizes your actions both light and dark. She comes across as the idea of a "Gray Jedi", a force user who does what needs to be done. But you look and she never advocates for helping others, she never stands for any way but the shortest. Starting on Telos IV she advocates you work with Czerka because they are the pragmatic choice. On Onderon she approves if you side with General Vaklu, on Nar Shadaa she criticizes you helping refugees instead of working with the Exchange. Her actions consistently show that she is not a good person. Beyond what your character sees as well is how she treats everyone around her. She breaks into Atton's mind to manipulate him, she forces Hanharr into servitude with the direct intention of having him kill one of your companions, she sends a message off to Darth Nihilus that he should go to Telos IV to find Jedi, exposing Atris, she corrupts Atris to the Dark Side - further than she already was.

At the end of the game Kreia even kills the Jedi Masters you have been searching for (unless the PC killed them in a Dark Side run), causing unknown amounts of damage to the remaining Jedi Order. She encourages you to this same pragmatic view and acts and thinks that you became stronger when you were cut off from the force. Despite this though (and some of the early 2000's game mechanics) the essential story of KOTOR 1 and 2 is that you either fall to the dark or ascend to the light. Neither makes a character more powerful lore wise (in game because of Force Storm and Life Drain the darkside is more powerful, but that is mechanics fighting narrative and also not that big a deal because while weaker force wave is still very good AoE damage). You single-handedly fight Darth Sion in KOTOR 2 until he accepts your philosophy or strength and gives up, you with just one other Jedi and the Mandalor (this was before the title became Mand'alor) fight Darth Nihilus who consumes planets for fun, and by yourself wade through a sith base killing well over a dozen lesser sith lords, several dozen sith assassins and Darth Traya who get this - Is KREIA! WHO SHE HAS BEEN THE WHOLE TIME! And you know what at 10 years old when I first played this I wasn't surprised, BECAUSE SHE ADMITS IT TO YOU!

In the end her philosophy isn't even that you can walk between dark and light (she even admits to having fallen) but rather that you (as in your character) should destroy the force, that the wound that causes you such pain should expand until ALL THE FORCE IS GONE because she thinks that would better than having the force there because she thinks it 'enslaves' people against their will. BUT EVERY ASPECT OF THE GAME DISAGREES WITH HER. You and your companions gain levels by getting stronger with the force, you become a beacon to people around you if you ascend to the light side, and you can do so much to help because you have the force. Yes it is possible to beat the game without it, but so much of what makes the story work is this juxtaposition between what evidence tells you (that the dark side makes things worse, that working together allows people to become the best of who they could be and do so much good, that in the end it doesn't take being the most powerful - explicitly you aren't as strong as Revan and for most of the game even as strong as you once were, but that good people standing up and helping is all that is needed for good to actually triumph) and the philosophy of the main antagonists.

TLDR: In an unhinged way even the prototypical "Gray Jedi" are actually either light or dark just with different philosophies that influence how they interact with you as a person. The idea of the gray jedi falls apart if you loot at the text, and subtext of what happens in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. While there are items that talk about Gray Jedi in there you never meet any who does not fall into the dark or ascend to the light, and any actual 'gray jedi' ability is just a game mechanic to allow players to play how they want.

TLDR of the TLDR: Gray Jedi are not supported even by the parts of Legends that seem to at first glance support them the most.

I don’t think some people realize why the gray jedi thing pisses some of us off so badly.

Imagine you like lord of the rings and you decide to look around the fandom.

And it turns out that 10+ or something years ago someone wrote a piece of fanfiction where they rewrote the rules for the ring. So instead of it only having one master and corrupting everyone else that tried to use it, it sometimes chooses to take a new master if it feels the person is worthy of it. And therefore this author’s self-insert OC can now use the one ring in all its glory without getting turned crazy.

This fanfic gets published (as some fanfics do) and most of the fandom has read it and loves it.

Now, when you (someone who has only dealt with canon works written by Tolkien) see this fic you go… huh. That’s nice, but it goes against the very point of the books and the lore tolkien created. So while it’s a good fic I’m not going to interact with it.

But then people keep harassing you for taking about/ writing the one ring the way tolkien wrote it to begin with.

And they SWEAR that this is the Actual lore of the one ring, and that YOU are wrong. Which is completely insane to you, because FRODE TOOK IT TO MORDOR FOR A REASON. There is only one lord of the ring!! That’s literally the name of the series that’s what it’s about!! If what the fandom was insisting about was possible, there would be no plot. In the original books.

This is why we are so upset over gray jedi!! Bc if it was possible to use the dark side but still be a good guy then wtf is wrong with Anakin? Why the fuck did Darth Vader fall to the dark side? Why did Luke struggle so much? If you can have your cake and eat it too why are the movies so fuckin long?? Why did Luke fail against Vader in Empire? what lesson did he learn in Return? Why would the movie be called Return of the Jedi if Luke had not learned the Jedi ways????

You can write OC’s as gray jedi all you want but when you start forcing it into canon it literally ruins the movies!

[rev3rb]

Spoilers for the end of DGS2, but the thought has been plaguing me for a while now.

I just can’t stop thinking about how odd it feels that Asougi chose to be a prosecutor in the end. While some of that oddness definitely comes from DGS’s rushed wrap up post 2-5, I also just feel that Asougi’s own reasoning for becoming a prosecutor hits a little wrong.

Narratively I get why he became a prosector. It’s to set him up on an opposite but complementary path to Ryuunosuke (among other things), but I feel like for his own personal story, it doesn’t make a ton of sense the way it was done. At the very least, it feels like it’s a decision Asougi should have made much further down the line.

The rest goes under a cut bc this gets a little long.

When Asougi gives Ryuunosuke Karuma, he explains why he wants to become a prosuctor, saying the following:

“Because I’ve seen it now. I’ve seen what’s inside me. The demon that reared its ugly head that day. It was only for the briefest of moments, the last time I came face to face with that inspector... but it was unmistakable, I wanted to kill him. I’ve always known there are demons that live inside people. And now I know there is one in me. The fact that it very nearly consumed me is something I’ll carry with me until the end of my days... while I devote my life to fighting those whose demons have got the better of them... as a prosecutor!”

I don’t know if it’s just me, but if anything, it feels like this should reinforce Asougi’s want to be a defense attorney. Maybe that’s a little odd, but bear with me here.

He’s basically saying that while he knew that there were bad people out there with ‘darkness in their hearts’ (essentially), he’s come to realize that he too has this potential to do bad in him. If anything, shouldn’t that make him realize that good people can do bad things? Shouldn’t that make him realize that there are people out there who make mistakes? Wouldn’t it then make more sense that he’d feel compelled to help those people?

I understand that getting convicted of murder results in capital punishment here, but wouldn’t that make for a great new shift or addition in Asougi’s original goal of wanting to change the justice system? Now that he understands that good people can mess up, wouldn’t trying to change the law so that convictions aren’t necessarily so harsh be a great goal for him?

Sure, I get that Asougi’s goal wasn’t as noble as you’re initially lead to believe as it really had more to do with wanting revenge and all that, but with how he talked in 1-1, I can’t help but think it wasn’t all fake. I like to think that Asougi really did have ambition to change the legal system along with his goals of finding out what happened to/getting revenge for his father. But we’ll never really know since DGS2 couldn’t give us time to properly talk to Asougi about stuff like that.

Yeah, he can do this from the prosecutor’s side of things. No doubt that it would be much easier that way in universe, so in that instance his reasoning for becoming a prosecutor would track. However, from the way Asougi’s talking here, that doesn’t appear to be his goal at all. It really does come off more as “I want to contain the darkness within me while I punish those who let that darkness get the better of them.” It feels rather harsh, even if I’m unsure that it’s supposed to come off that way.

On top of all that, I feel like a character having this kind of goal would fit well with the themes of the game. DGS’s characters are not as black and white (for the most part) as the characters in the mainline games. Take a look at the true culprits across both DGS games. A number of them never intended to hurt anyone, and some that did never intended to kill anyone. There’s grey morality everywhere, and yet if a person is convicted of murder, they’re faced with capital punishment. (The games themselves sorta get around this by having the less guilty characters not actually kill anyone, which feels like a bit of a cop out, but I guess we can’t be too morally grey now can we?) A character trying to align the universe’s punishments with the grey morality seems like it’d be a nice fit, and interesting to boot, but I digress.

To bring things back to Asougi specifically, I suppose another way to read what he said is that this realization caused Asougi to lose faith in people, something he’s said is vital to being a defense attorney. In which case, becoming a prosecutor is his only real option if he wants to still become a lawyer, but there’s another issue I take with it.

When Asougi first tells Ryuunosuke he’s going to be prosecutor, he says he’s going to study under van Zieks to become as formidable as he is. The problem is that, not but a few days earlier, Asougi said that he’d never be able to forgive van Zieks. While that doesn’t mean that Asougi wouldn’t be able to work with van Zieks, it would no doubt be difficult due to those lingering feelings of resentment. On one hand, this tells us that Asougi is putting aside his feelings to better himself as a lawyer, which is good, but it feels very odd that Asougi would have such a change in attitude towards van Zieks in such a short time period.

Not only that, but van Zieks also no doubt has some conflicted feelings towards Asougi as well. Without getting into a big analysis on how van Zieks might feel towards Asougi himself post 2-5, I feel it’s safe to say that those feelings would be complex. Add on that Van Zieks has purposefully distanced himself from people for years, and while he’s shown that he's slowly moving past his issues, I can’t imagine he and Asougi would get along well at first for the same reasons I stated earlier. They could tolerate each other, yes, and ultimately, I do feel that they’d be able to properly accept everything and become good colleges... but again. That. Takes. Time. Likely a lot of time in their case. It’s just not going to be a good environment to learn in at that point in time.

It honestly feels like they’d get on better if they were rivals in the courtroom where they can grow to appreciate each other’s abilities without having to actually directly interact much at first like how van Zieks and Ryuunosuke did. From that point it would make a ton more sense if Asougi were to decide he wanted to change sides. Then again, maybe that anamosity and tentative truce would escalate if they were on opposite sides of the courtroom...

But look. All I’m saying is imagine if Asougi stuck with being a defense attorney and tried to change the law surrounding convictions. He ultimately could have become a defense attorney like Raymond Shields, where he takes guilty clients who deserve some sympathy in an attempt to get them less harsh punishments. It would have been cool.

TLDR: Prosecutor Asougi works, but it feels like a weird and awkward choice at that point in time. On the other hand, defense attorney Asougi could have been really cool.

[stableoftheunstable]

summary: You and Sasha decide to actually socialise but doubting your curiosity, you end up finding out one of the deepest secrets that’s been happening behind your back.

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notes : hi! this is my first full story- and i promise the plot will get better!! Thanks for even attempting to read, I hope you enjoy, updates will be on my twitter @d3villi3r !!!

this is also on ao3 !

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Which one to you think looks better?” a voice echoed from above you. Instantly, you peered your head from above your laptop to see your roommate switching between two dresses in the mirror, “Well?” She questioned; her eyes fixated on you with an eager expression on her face. Your eyes analysed the two options she laid in front of you, one was an emerald V-neck dress that looked like it was made of some type of silk and the other one was a standard little black dress. “Aren’t they both mine?” you asked Sasha as she tried to change onto a separate subject” Anyway I say green, it’ll look cute” paying her no further mind you carried on typing on your laptop paying no mind to Sasha, “The black one it is!” Sasha excitedly skipped out of your room to change. Well, what was the point of asking me then? You murmured under your breath.

You brushed off Sasha’s clear shade to you and carried on searching, as depressing as it sounds you just wanted to relax, between university and work, everything just drained you. Yes, it meant you had no life outside the two, but it also meant you had your life together for once. Moving in with Sasha was cost effective but as much as you loved Sasha it felt like she was always there, literally.

“Okay be honest how do I look?” Sasha aimlessly walked into your room pulling her dress down as she waddled. Sasha stood in front of you twirling her reddish-brown hair that she threw into her usual loose ponytail with her bangs neatly parted to the left side of her face. “You look great!” you shot a quick smile towards Sasha before she could get offended at anything. Suddenly, you felt the empty space on your bed sink; at the corner of your eye Sasha sat next to you, and aggressively stared at the wisps of your hair that stood out.

“Sasha...?” you turned towards her almost banging heads with her because of how close she was, “What are you doing?”. “Before you make up your mind please just hear me out!” She pleaded. “Come to this party with me please! Even Mikasa is going and when has that girl ever left her house!” Sasha begged and begged, she softly pouted and bounced up and down on your bed disrupting the set up you had. She put on her best puppy dog eyes and fluttered her eyelashes till you answered.

“Whose party is it anyway?” you questioned hoping she would stop bouncing. Sasha stopped in her tracks and furrowed her eyebrows towards you “I’m not sure, something to do with Connie and Armin” You looked back at Sasha and gently sighed, “What time do I need to be ready?” Sasha’s eyes lit up with a gleaming smile she jumped off your bed dragging you with her, “YES!!, okay you have until 9:45” Sasha sang as she headed for the door, you peered at the time on your laptop seeing it said 9:25, “I have 20 minutes?!” You said as you gawked at her “See you in twenty!” she said as she slammed the door behind her.

After ages of Sasha thanking you for coming with her the pair of you arrived. The house was quite big for a pair university students to own, music boomed from the house piercing your ears as Sasha pulled you through the house, people stood squished together as they danced some of them cursing at you as you pushed passed but Sasha paid no mind towards them, none of the faces you grazed seemed familiar until Sasha pulled you into a basement. As Sasha skipped down the stairs together a swarm of familiar voices flooded you.

“Hi Sasha! and hi y/n!” a voice called from the corner. For a basement it wasn’t too shabby, besides from the odd choice of white walls there was 2 couches and table in the corner filled with drinks, the music that played from above was still loud yet was muffled perfectly. You and Sasha walked towards the voice and to your surprise it was Hitch who stood next to Mikasa who paid you and Sasha no mind,

“Surprised to see you y/n, you barley leave your house. Like Mikasa!” Hitch exclaimed as she nudged Mikasa. You sarcastically laughed at Hitch with no care for what she was saying as you already didn’t want to be here, why let her make it worse. Your eyes drifted throughout the room and to no surprise as per usual you saw Armin and Connie awkwardly trying to flirt with a group of girls. The interior of the basement was beautiful, with fitted lights and basic decor, you’d never assume that a bunch of guys lived here you thought. In the corner of the room stood a shortish guy who stood mixing brown and white. ‘Note to self don’t drink from wherever he’s pouring that into,’ you thought as you continued looking all you continued to see was sweaty people making out in all corners of the room. After scanning the whole scene, you tried to join back into whatever Hitch and Sasha were blabbing on about. “We’ll be back y/n alright!” Sasha giggled as Hitch grabbed onto her “Oh and don’t go upstairs bye!” her voice muffled as her and Hitch ran of like a couple of schoolgirls to the opposite side of the room. You smiled towards Sasha and gave her a sheepish wave as you and Mikasa stood there awkwardly in silence, you didn’t really know much about her apart from her overprotectiveness, even though it was a little too excessive it seemed sweet but that was the only thing you knew about her, you aimlessly stood there in complete and utter silence until Annie slithered next to Mikasa. Annie and Mikasa had to be the most anti-social out of most people you knew, they were so quiet and secretive almost as if they were made for each other. Annie looked up and locked eyes with you and confusedly furrowed her eyebrows at you; with no idea with what she was trying to say, catching on to what you thought she was trying to say you slipped away leaving them to their own devices.

After walking around aimlessly, you ended up walking to the table filled with drinks trying to avoid the disgusting concoction of white and dark alcohol, your eyes glazed over the table and just grabbed the quickest soft drink and made eye contact with the stairs, you swiftly made your way towards them forgetting the demands Sasha made earlier. You hopped up the stairs with your drink in one hand and the other pushing through the basement door as you did the music boomed into your face slightly making you jump, the room was filled with dancing people and people casually playing card games on the floor, what was the point of me staying down there? You thought,

Using your feet to guide you through the crowd, you stumbled through trying to avoid any rowdy drunk you approached earlier. As you approached the end of the sweaty crowd, you unconsciously fell onto a tall figure causing parts of your drink to spill onto them. “please don’t be drunk, please don’t be drunk, please don’t be drunk” you pleaded under your voice hoping they wouldn’t be too fussed over the spill on them

Regardless, the figure laced their hands up your back bracing you from any fall. Without thinking you raised your head to see who the tall figure that lured over you was. A waft of cherries and a deepened cologne hit you. Your eyes aligned with them before backing off them “I’m sorry,” you shouted hoping they heard you over the music, the tall figures eyebrow furrowed and mouthed “huh?” Before pulling you somewhere quiet, your face grew confused as they pulled you into a kitchen. Trying to hide the fact you were phased you repeated what you said before.

The guy propped himself onto a countertop, he sat there in a pair of grey joggers with a black hoodie that was slightly damp from the drink you spilt on him. “it’s no problem cutie,” he chuckled placing his arm onto his neck, the loose sleeve of his hoodie shifted down causing a fresh tattoo peer from his sleeve. A Japanese dragon swarmed up his forearm with his veins lightly popping up leaving them on display, the black and red ink of his tattoo complimented the warm undertones of his skin. His hair was thrown up into a sleek messy bun showing a freshly cut undercut that shaped his face. You awkwardly stared at him, he extended his hand while announcing his name to you, “I’m Eren” you planted your drink down before grasping onto his hand “I’m y/n” you replied, Eren shot you a smile, “I’m sorry about the drink spill,” you blurted out hoping he wouldn’t get mad,

“It’s cool, honestly don’t worry,” he reassured looking at you up and down before continuing, “Who you here with?” Eren asked, he grabbed your drink and shot some of it back without asking.

“Sasha, I don’t know if you know her” you felt completely out of your skin, the husky undertones in his voice made the blood rush to your face and your eyes wonder.

You heard many things about him on campus like how he dropped out to move onto ‘better things’ he was like the one everyone wanted to be. However, his voice sounded like a dream to you, something about it seemed new.

Suddenly, he softly pulled you closer to him, “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you beautiful what did you say?” Butterflies grew in your stomach as you found yourself standing in between his legs closer He rested his hands on your waist for a few seconds anticipating your reaction, his hooded eyes looked down at your reaction as he grazed your skin his laugh echoed as you felt your face violently blush at his slow touch. Eren’s emerald green eyes smirked at you igniting a certain flame in you, shaking off the feelings he brought to you, you repeated what you said about Sasha and his whole expression changed,

“Sasha? Sasha Blouse?” He asked. Confused as you were you just nodded at him, no clue what Sasha was known for, but it didn’t feel like it was good. You stood there dazed as why he was so shocked at her name. It was just Sasha the same girl who sits in her room and eats all day and occasionally comes in your room to ask if you have food. However, you dismissed the thought of Sasha being known for something weird.

“What brings you here? You don’t look like you’d be at one of these types of parties”. Eren tilted his head down at you, softly lifting your chin to make eye contact with you, his warm hands on your cold skin intoxicated you. But what did he mean by these types of parties? Is he high or something? Isn’t this a normal party? “I don’t understand what you mean?” Eren just gazed towards you before pulling something out of joggers.

Cautiously, you crinkled your nose while slowly creating a distance between the two of you backing away unaware of what he pulled out. Eren pulled the object into his hands grasping the gun that laid in it. The steel frame stood between his hand, his lengthy fingers wrapped around the metal frame, you unconsciously widened your eyes at the sight. Unexpectedly, you could feel the steel of the gun align with your chin, your skin tingled with your eyes staying narrowed at the marbled floor. The hand that clasped onto the gun lifted the small pistol to align your endearing face with theirs, the man’s green eyes captured itself into yours: his fingers stayed cocked onto the guns trigger leaving it piercing your skin. Blood crawled to your face, you wanted to say it was at the fact a what seemed to be loaded gun stayed aligned to your chin your life aligned with a guy you just met, but butterflies grew at the way he peered down at you from the counter, he licked his chapped lips softly grinning as your eyes dimmed at the sight of him “One like this,” he uttered, Eren’s words echoed throughput your mind, his words crawled out with no care keeping his tone low. The distance between the two of you spoke louder than words, seeing your tension he took the pistol from your face and tucked it back into the waistband of his joggers, still spaced out Eren’s hands met your waist pulling you back into the space his legs made as he sat on the counter.

“A party like this” he uttered under his breath. Eren removed the gun from your face placing it back to the waistband of his joggers. The feeling of your heart sunk to your stomach his face stared down smug at your distress, “So what does that mean…?” your hands greeted your face as you stood more confused at before the feeling of the gun lingered on your skin. “it means you are involved in a gang activity,” Eren again pulled you closer towards the gap in between his legs his words echoed through you making you screw your face. Eren’s words sat in your brain the way they slipped out of his mouth with no precaution or hesitation. “Gang activity?” you quivered, slightly crawling out of your skin, his legs hit against you as he swung them against the counter; “Yeah the one Sasha is apart of.”

Gang activities? What does that even mean… Sasha brought me to a gang party? “Are you like in a gang?” confusion bubbled as Eren swung his legs hitting you along the way, his hands gripped onto the marble countertop. Eren’s slender eyes admired you with the same grin staying plastered over his face, the music of the house filled the small side room leaving you saying huh to all his questions.

Mid conversation the rooms door swung open to reveal Connie with a stern face on his look, closing through the door he walked towards Eren who faced him as confused as you were. Connie ushered Eren down from the counter and whispered something throughout his ear. Eren’s face dropped “Are you serious right now?” Eren snickered towards Connie. Reaching for the gun that laid on his waistband Eren gave the gun to Connie before giving a faint nod. Awkwardly you stood by the counter watching the two converse.

Connie left with the gun and closed the door behind him, “we’re gonna need to go.” He said approaching you making you feel small but trying your hardest to not show it and dismiss the feeling. “we? I’ll just find Sasha it’s cool” you blurted out inelegantly, “no WE need to go before-“Eren’s sentence was cut off by sirens that got closer by the second, Leaving you no time to react Eren took your arm and pulled you through a backdoor that led to a garage filled with sleek cars with dark tints which you thought were too dark to be legal. In the dimness of the garage, you saw Eren walk around what looked like a 2018 model of Karma Revero to open the passage side door to you. Slipping into the car seat a “Thanks” slipped out with a faint smile plastered on your face, ‘what the fuck is going on,’ you whispered to yourself before Eren hopped into the driver’s seat and swerved out of the garage.

The scent of cherries filled your nose as you sat longer in the car, red L.E.D lights went around the interior of the Revero. The car mats were engraved with the letters ‘E.J’ which appeared mostly everywhere, the floor mats, the glove compartment, and the gear box all somehow showcased the two letters. Eren drifted around corners making the sounds of house party and the sirens a distant memory; it was almost as if he was trying to dominate the gear shift when he pushed it every 2 seconds, he pushed it forward accelerating and indicating his lane changes. You couldn’t help admiring the way he focused himself on the road, his eyes stayed narrow it seemed like he was in his element as the loose hairs that stuck out of his bun flew with the harsh winds that snuck out of the window. His head moved with music causing him to turn it up more with the buttons on the wheel. As much as you hate to admit in falling for someone and first sight, the confidence Eren exhorted made you kind of gawk over him longer than you’d ever would. While you indulged in the sight in front of you, you failed to notice the blaring of your phone screen that flooded with texts,

‘I told you to stay in the basement, where are you??��

‘Y/N???’

‘Are you okay??’

Sasha’s texts flooded your phone with her panic, trying to soothe her anxiety you replied with a

‘I’m sorry about the whole basement thing, I’m okay though!’

Placing your phone down you felt a pair of eyes observing at you, “What?” you asked shifting your attention towards to Eren rather than Sasha who was blowing up your phone. “Nothing, you just seem tense,” Eren uttered while changing gears for the umpteenth time before looking back at you. “Where are you driving me-” you tried to say before you were interrupted by a phone call, you mouthed sorry towards him before answering the phone.

“Y/N are you okay? Where are you, and why is it so loud?” Sasha screamed over the phone, before replying you mimed to Eren to turn the music down allowing you to hear her better. “Sasha I told you I’m fine, I’m with someone don’t worry-” Eren grabbed the phone out of your phone out of your hands loose grip before shooting you a quick smirk that peered at the side of his mouth, leaving you twiddling with your thumbs. “Hey Sasha” he croaked while slowing the car down. Sasha’s voice reverberated throughout the phone almost as if she was lecturing him. “Sasha she’s fine, It’s not like I’m going to hurt her, calm down” ignoring his reassurance Sasha continued to complain over the phone. Awkwardly, you sat not knowing what Sasha was blaming him for your eyes looked at the skylines: the stars silently twinkled as the building lights stayed lit. Nothing but industrial buildings surrounded you along with people in suits exited and entered the beige buildings most on their phones in heated debates or carrying cases of information. “Sasha, I have no product on me, everything is with Connie, I’ll text you where to meet later, see you” Eren uttered into the phone before ending the call and tossing it back into your lap. You sat puzzled; the night went too quick all of these events occurring because Sasha wanted you to leave the house and now you sat in the passenger seat of a random guys car who’s driving you somewhere. Hesitantly, you shifted to face him watching him accelerate, “Do you like street race or something?”

“Sometimes why?” he admired you from the corner of his eye while driving round corners.

“You just control the car well, and you have a bunch of initials everywhere, I don’t think that’s normal… is it?”

“Hmm yeah the cars custom,”

“so what does E.J. mean?”

“Eren Jeager”

“So it’s your name? Jeager?”

Unbothered by your question he shot you a “yeah” before he swerved into a block of condos his face laid stern as he pulled up to a pair of black glazed gates scanning his thumb to open the gates.

While the gates rolled open you could see yourself grow with awe at the exterior Eren reversed the car leaving it in park, leaning over he opened the glove box and pulling out a set of keys. Eren left the car, jogging around to open the passenger side door for you offering his hand to pull you out. Taking him up on his offer you latched onto his hand and closed the door behind you, hoping a smile would show your appreciation for his sweet actions. Eren jetted up towards the condo doors leaving you aimlessly walking towards him like a lost dog. Shivers shot down your spine as the nights wind hitting you, leading you throughout the condos walls you ended up at his door. After fumbling with the keys Eren pushed through the door revealing the levelled apartment.

Ushering you through the door you were suddenly surrounded by the white and grey exterior, two sofa’s laid on the soft beige floor. Walking in further you felt yourself get lost in the décor of the house, leaving your stuff at the door you stood in the middle of the room staring at the glass roof. After staring in awe at the roof in the corner of your eye you could see Eren beacon you towards him, he was sat on a grey sofa that sat in the middle of the room. Following his gestures you sat down next to him making sure to leave a defined gap of space, noticing your barrier he he tried to engage with you.

“What’s your major?” Eren croaked before clearing his throat “psychology, what about you?” you could feel your nerves settle allowing you to sink more into the.

“ I don’t do university, well not anymore ,”

“Well what did you major in?”

“I also did psychology,” Eren sat unbothered, scrolling through his phone paying you no mind.

“Psychology!?” You asked, you shifted your weight to the side and faced Eren, his lips stayed pursed making his eyebrows furrow. Almost as if he could feel your eyes, he looked up to meet your shocked face; making his puzzled. “What? Do I not seem smart enough for a subject like that, is my brain too small?” Eren sarcastically asked while he jokingly pouted. “No… just a surprise that’s all,” Eren dropped his phone down turning all his attention to you, “but why would you do psychology” leaving emphasis on the ‘you’ .Anticipating his reply you leant your elbow onto the arm rest feeling Eren scoot a few inches closer.

Following on from before you could feel that flame that grew from earlier, his green eyes seemed fuelled by desire. “I don’t know, I like the way people think,”

“So why drop out?” You could feel yourself leaning in, he didn’t seem as cocky as earlier as he pulled his guard down.” Just got caught up in some things” his eyes dimmed slightly almost like he was ashamed of something. “Things like?” at this point after constant inching Eren’s arm snaked around you with his head resting against you” I just needed to pay off some student debts, so I got involved in things.”

“So, you’re a criminal?” silence fell between the two of you, hoping you didn’t hit a nerve “Yeah, what about it” his reply sounded empty almost heartless.

Everything Eren continued to talk but seemed as though he was crushed by something, his arms raised from you and while turning to face you.

The olive and hazelnut shades in his eyes flashed towards yours. Helping guide him you felt yourself lean in towards him, a smirk grew on your face as you left the rest up to him.

Taking initiative he pushed his lips onto yours the slight roughness of his colliding with the soft touch of yours.

Deepening the kiss Eren’s hands clutched onto your waist lifting you up to straddle onto him. Your legs straddled either side of his waist with his hands lacing themselves around your waist, making your arms meet the back of his neck. Eren slipped his tongue through a parted gap that was pursed into his lips, causing an overwhelming taste of cherries that swarmed your tastebuds. Eren’s lips escaped yours; grinning he made his way to the sensitive spots of your neck.

You could feel your body push onto his lean frame; the quiet, breathy moans twirled out of your mouth making its way into his ears. You could feel a heinous grin grow on your neck, your words fuelling his passion. Eren’s breath against your neck was hot and heavy, it wrapped around your neck making straight butterflies grown in you.

Eren clung onto your waist allowing yourself to grind on his lap, the friction between you and the thin material of his joggers allowed you to feel the stiffness of his cock grow beneath you. Abruptly, flipping you off his lap Eren aggressively placed you beneath him, his knee placed in between your legs barley grazing over your clothed cunt.

Stopping in his tracks, Eren lured over your face raising his eyebrows for approval.

“Are you okay with this?”

Wrapping your fingers around his hoodie strings that dangled in your face along with the key necklace that laid on his neck you nodded and smiled with your approval leaving everything up to him. Eren grinned making his way down towards your hips, his hands feeling rough against the sheerness of your skin as he trailed along it.

Eren slipped his hands up your dress rolling it up giving himself easier access. The blood rushed to your face the second you could feel Eren tease his way through. He sloppily kissed against the inside of your thighs, skipping your obviously aching core. He laughed as you struggled to contain yourself the closer and harder he kissed along your thighs. Paying extra attention to your sounds he went softer in some places; ignoring other places.

“Eren please?” you whispered under a groan.

Noticing your struggle of speech, Eren attempted to prolong your struggle by circling his thumb around your clothed clit. Your legs squirmed at the sudden impact of his thumb. Tired of the same movements he clawed down your underwear and left it on the side.

“Fuck princess,” Eren uttered from under you.

Out of embarrassment you could feel your face flushing, the feeling quickly rushed away the second Eren’s tongue took one swift lick up your sensitive bud your back arching at the sudden wave of pleasure.

The circling around your sensitive bud almost sent you into overdrive. With your hand gripped around his hair multiple small gasps left your mouth, the hold on

his hair getting rougher loosening his bun.

With his bun falling out and his chestnut locks wrapped around your hand, Eren slipped through two stern digits into you, your walls tightening around his two fingers.

“Oh fuck Eren-“ you moaned out, the second you adjusted to the pace of him.

“Fuck you feel good” Eren groaned under his breath.

Coming close to your high, the inhales you took became sharper with your thighs aching to close. Realising you were close Eren pulled away, lifting his head up- his hair flew down his face resting against his shoulders.

Pulling you back onto his lap, you straddled onto him a sweat-filled mess, Eren removed his hoodie and pulled down his joggers slightly just above his knees.

Catching his own breath, Eren clutched onto your neck loosely- pulling you down making his lips connect to your ear.

“Can you ride princess?”

His words hit you straight at your core making you hum in approval. Pulling his boxers down- you raised yourself onto him inching down slowly allowing you to take him whole.

You grinned as Eren groaned tilting his head back as you clenched around him. Breathless, you rocked yourself into him feeling the top of cock kiss your cervix.

“Fuck, you’re so tight” his wrists clutched harder against your hips, his nails ever so slightly digging in. His hands slipped down your waist , his palms growing with sweat with every thrust he pushed into you.

Ungodly words left you and Eren’s mouth, his hair clung onto his face due to his sweat. His words becoming more degrading the closer he got , your nails clung at his back grasping for support. With your mouth close at his ear- every beg you had for him went through his ear.

Words of how you wanted him and only him, how good he felt , the way his moans made you hit the edge.

“So you’re a whore for my dick?” he breathed out, smirking at you as you pulled your head out of his neck. Nodding at his statement you took in one of the last thrusts he pulled Eren lifted your face to meet his. His face filled with lust

“Use your words princess,” his eyes drew to your lips waiting for your answer

“y-yes” you stirred out.

Reaching your limit, you took in one of the last thrusts as your sight turned white with no recollection, soon after reality hit back at you, you could feel Eren twitch violently against you. Wanting to eye contact he engaged his eyes with yours, making a few looks at you before asking,

“Tell me where you want it kitten,” Butterflies hit you as you said “inside.”

Not waiting another second Eren used this to realise himself into you, the warmth poured down your walls as Eren shot his head back.

A few minutes went by of you staying warmed onto him. Lifting yourself off, you asked for the the bathroom and made your way there.

After a few minutes of cleaning up, you returned to see Eren standing by the door with his hair thrown up again and a stern look on his face.

“what’s the issue?”

“Sasha”

“what about her?”

“There was a shipment issue,”

“A shipment issue? What’s that ?”

“It doesn’t matter we need to go come on”

[dr-gloom]

Some thoughts/analysis on the new episode, because the video itself and people's reactions were bugging me

Disclaimers: I don't hate Patton or Roman, I'm not calling Patton abusive or manipulative, as those terms insinuate knowing what you're doing and I don't think Patton does know how he's coming across

- First I wanna just point out, as a few others have, that Thomas is once again wearing black and white while discussing a grey-area issue. I love the attention to detail

- The recap only really highlights that Thomas admitted to wanting something that contradicted Patton's statement of why he's a good person (or more specifically "perfect", which, as nice and friendly and lovely as that sounds, is a toxic mindset and I like that Thomas touched on that at the end), which is an interesting point to cover honestly, especially since later Thomas challenges Patton to call him a good person

- "Now kiddo, if you're gonna dish out Fs, why don't we make them friendly hugs?" I understand Patton was trying to lighten the mood and joke a little and all that, but he's not letting Thomas just... Be angry/upset. He's trying to control how he feels and steer away from negative emotions, which I thought he learned not to do??

- I love that Patton heard what he was saying and stopped. Good on him. But what he replaced it with is called guilt tripping and that's not much better. "I'm surprised you would say something like that about your friends. I always thought that when it came to your pals, that sort of language would be... Ineffable?" It may sound gentle and sweet, but he's still saying "you can't talk about your friends like that" (and I get it, we all know that's not how Thomas really feels, but again he needs to be allowed to express himself). You can tell from Thomas's face while Patton's talking that the guilt tripping worked, at least for a moment.

- Anyone else notice a little Logan shining through in Thomas's words/actions the first portion of the video?

- "If our goals aligned with his what would that say?" Uhmmm gee lemme think Roman... Maybe that you care about Thomas's mental health and desires???

- I think it's very telling that during the rap Thomas cuts Patton off right before he's about to say something that, judging from the graphics, was going to make him sound heroic and said "I made this choice", while looking very... Upset.

- Okay so when Thomas was all "why didn't I just talk to them???" I felt hella vindicated but the second time I watched I finally heard Roman say "I mean I kinda brought that up before but it got shut down faster than an Antarctic icepop shop". Like... Fuck, they seriously do not appreciate or listen to Roman at all

- Patton brushing them off with "Eh well hindsight is 20/20" pissed me off so much. No empathy whatsoever. Jesus Christ.

- Roman's reaction when Thomas said no to the whole future vision thing made me laugh and no one is talking about it

- But yeah Thomas talking about using foresight has a total Logan Vibe

- Patton's reaction when Thomas says "I made a decision with a blindfold on" is... Interesting...

- Seriously that cat analogy was so specific.....

- One should never base their decisions on "well they've helped me before so I owe them" like. No. Patton, Roman, stop. He should have decided to go because he wanted to, not because he owed it to them or you made him feel like shit

- "Those baby-making Catholics" lmfaooooo

- "You, thinking about giving their wedding a pass all because of a callback that, really, might not work out". That bugged me too, because it can just as easily be argued he gave up his big break for a wedding he barely participated during. If we're being completely logical here (and borrowing from a later concept of how our time is better used), his time would have been better-spent at the callback since he wasn't even mentally present at the wedding

- "Maybe they understand, and maybe they still want you to go to the wedding but feel too guilty to say so. Or, maybe you end up going to the wedding, and they feel guilty seeing you there because they feel like they took a big opportunity away from you". First off, they did (or would have, had the conversation taken place and they insisted he come). Secondly I personally feel like he owed it to them (and yes, I'm aware how that sounds but I can't think of better phrasing) to talk about it with 100% honesty on both sides, because now he's angry that he went to their wedding and they have no idea. Sure, the vid ends with them coming over to catch up, but if it hadn't? That's the kind of shit that festers very easily. I feel like he'd have been more satisfied if he had still decided to go after talking with them. I think Thomas realizes this too when he responds to Roman's question with a very sure, very adamant "No."

- "This was our chance to be there for them when it counted". I know this is me reading into things but it felt like he was saying anything else he may have done for them doesn't matter or isn't good enough

- "Why does their complexion matter" LMFAOOOOOO omg roman

- "... We can all agree that you're a good fellow-" "Can we? All agree on that?" Like fuck, Thomas still isn't sure what Patton thinks of him? That cuts deep. And... Patton still hasn't apologized. He conceeded that he's "been a bit much", which is far from the same thing

- pfffft what the fuck was Roman trying to do???

- "Well that's a relief... I think". Meaning Thomas still isn't fucking sure where Patton stands. I have to admit his dialogue did sound a bit circuitous

- he almost said GameStop lmfao

- why is he fixating so much on frogger

- "At least 16 graphics!" I died laughing

- "By the liquid lipstick of William Shakespeare" wut the fue? Lmao

- "just like you don't have to get him a hotdog" "I feel like you kinda do... Maybe". I know Janus says it later on but he was right when he said peppering in a few "I don't know"s and "maybe"s does not a conversationally-conscious person make. Like, he didn't even add the maybe until Roman reacted negatively to what he was saying

- I'm surprised Logan said it'd be wrong for Thomas to keep his money to himself tbh

- Roman mouthing "behoove". Like, c'mon dude, stop being such a dick to Logan when he's just trying to help

- Logan's so done he's not even trying to hide it. Like you can see the annoyance clear on his little pixelated face

- Also did anyone notice that Logan kept getting cut off so the next time he "spoke" he made them read it aloud so they'd actually fucking listen

- "Yeah! As long as that's not the main reason you're doing it!" Honestly though, most people do good things for their own benefit; tax benefits, That Good Feeling, compliments from others etc. It doesn't diminish the effect of the good act, so who cares?????

- "You shouldn't do a good thing just because it makes you feel good... I-I think." He's trying so hard but he's just not understanding how this works is he. Also it's interesting that he preaches holding to your values and not nitpicking situations yet he's literally doing it right now because last time he just... Needed to counter Janus and couldn't admit he'd had a fair point

- "Deceit said you'd be doing the right thing for a selfish reason if you did it for your own emotional gain". You can tell by his tone he's trying to make Thomas see Deceit as wrong and bad but like literally two seconds later he audibly confirms he feels the same way

"Definitely! Maybe... I think so... What do you think?" Tbh I'm proud of him for asking someone else's opinion, esp cause he's screwing this up so horrendously

- man if Roman being scared to share his opinion after Patton visibly disagrees isn't a huge red flag idk what is

- the world of the video game is called AU I'm screaming

- I'll always be salty that Roman once again shoved a "dark side" into the villain roll without asking

- I don't agree with Patton automatically assuming that just because the hero wants a reward, it means he doesn't care about the people he saves getting it. People can have multiple motives and wanting recognition isn't bad or evil or selfish

- I'm so fucking glad Thomas snapped and asked "am I not allowed to feel good if I do something good" because that's basically what Patton's saying and no one was addressing it. And Patton saying that can't be a valid motive is honestly fucked up

- during the trolley problem the options toggle the most between morality, anxiety, and denial. Idk, it's just interesting

- it's also interesting that Patton views moving the trolley as worse than letting it stay, meaning he thinks small active murder is worse than larger, passive murder. Not bad or good or anything, just interesting

- I hate hate hate that Patton silences Logan when he's the one who asked him to say something, especially since he follows that with "oh you can't really learn good morality from a book hahahaha". Like dude just acknowledge that you don't agree but there are other valid points of view, my god

- also you can tell from the color that Janus totally put that skip button in, meaning Logan really, really wanted to continue but Janus could see it wasn't going to get them where they needed to go

- "stu-ooper dooper unique mustache" lmfaooooo

- Thomas keeps coming back with something along the lines of "I need the answer to X so I can meet your expectations". He even says "I don't understand what I need to change so I can meet your standard". Last time I did a post like this, back when SvS came out, I said Patton has too much sway/control over Thomas, and he still does. Thomas doesn't try nearly as hard to "meet the standards" of his other sides, but in this instance he's desperate to know how he can appease Patton. I don't think that's necessarily a good thing, given that it's likely because he wants Patton to say without hesitation that he's a good person

- Roman thinks he's the problem I wanna cry

- "And I'm an awful driver" I laughed so hard

- "I only mean well when I say that that is the stupidest thing you have ever said" I can't stop laughing XD

- "You're just blowing smoke" seriously someone help me

- Roman's reaction when Thomas says he feels guilty just killed me. They all just acknowledged that Roman is his motivator and Thomas comes out and says his motives make him feel guilty? Ouch

- "Doing nothing is even worse!" Patton honey I'm begging you to please stop talking omg this is going so poorly

- "doing nothing is worse than doing a good thing for the wrong reasons" first off, who's to say what a wrong reason is, and secondly, that's an interesting take from the man who refused to move the trolley 👀

- oooof Thomas's relief when Logan cuts in though

- "Huuuuuhhhh I do need help" fuck, I wanna cry, poor Thomas

- "Logan, like you said this isn't your area of expertise" ITS NOT YOURS EITHER ROMAN OMG

- "Every point you've made in today's discussion has contradicted that sentiment" YES LOGAN JANUS SLAY. Also anyone else notice Patton looking to the others for validation because I Sure Did

- oh man though I thought Logan was finally getting the chance to lay into Patton and take him down a peg and it turned out to be Janus

- "Oh, is it not? Please, correct me if I'm wrong." yeah paTTON CORRECT HIM IF HES WRONG (notice how he doesn't even have an argument to that, all he can say is "you're wrong!")

- honestly the way he goes from 0 to 60 should've tipped us off that that was Janus

- I wanna know if Patton turned into a muscular frog irl

- idk Patton feels like a villain when he's all "Thomas you choose!"

- "What have you done with Logan?!" "Nothing at all and I resent the question" weeeeeelp there goes loceit

- even Janus admits Patton is misleading unintentionally can we all calm down now

- I find it interesting that Thomas willingly stays behind Janus

- "Sure if he's in that kind of situation then of course he should focus on himself. But does he deserve it? I don't know." *Record scratch* excuse me wHAT?????? And like, you can't ignore the obvious symbolism behind that attack missing Janus and hitting Thomas. Thomas is knocked out and Patton just ... Keeps talking? Jesus fucking christ

- and Roman so adamantly attacking Janus has a very pre-AA vibe to it

- "Not that any of you care, but I am unharmed, and I don't want to talk about it." Thomas looks like the only one genuinely concerned when he says this and that hurts

- Janus looks so happy that Logan's backing him I wanna cry my baby aaaaaaa

- SOMEONE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE CHOICE ROMAN MADE AAAAAAA THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU can we stop acting like Janus is evil now please

- "Well when is it enough?!" ".... Trees?" I'm STILL LAUGHING SOMEONE HELP ME

- I'm so fucking happy Thomas doesn't agree with Roman about trusting Janus

- Roman laughing and saying Janus's name is stupid and Janus's jab about him and Remus just... Gutted me y'all. Thems some hurt boys. And he looks to Thomas and Patton and they just... Can't side with him, cause they know that was hella fucking rude of Roman.

- I genuinely believe that Janus's nod meant Thomas was telling the truth. Based on his facial expression (which was slight but idk I notice more stuff than most people apparently???) He was trying to reassure Roman. And Roman just... Took it the completely wrong way, because he still thinks all Janus does is lie. When Roman says "wow, I can't believe this" you can actually see Janus's smile disappearing, because he realizes Roman took the nod the wrong way

- aaaaand then he immediately goes into attacking Janus. *Sigh*

- "Everything's gonna be okay, kiddo. We love you." "*Scoff* Right." I truly believe the next video is gonna be about Roman, because there's no way in hell they could ignore the obvious hurt and self-deprecation coming off of Roman

- "Janus? Is there a limit to how many times a person can say sorry before you have to admit that they're just bad for you?" Patton was talking about himself. Whether Janus was trying too hard to be witty and missed that or what, his reply hurt Patton, and you can see that Janus realizes his mistake with Patton's reaction. We have to remember that this isn't a side who's used to how the others communicate, though. He doesn't spend time with them outside of the few videos he's shown up in because of how they treat him. It's gonna take him time to get the little things like this and until then there's gonna be a lot of hurt feelings and (hopefully) apologies

- Janus immediately backtracks once he realizes what the real question was and says "... it depends... How many things have they had to apologize for? How frequently do they have to apologize for things? How terrible were the things that they did? One of the biggest factors in my very humble opinion is whether or not they seem to be making an honest effort to do better" this is Janus trying to tell Patton "you aren't bad for Thomas. I see how hard you're trying. It's okay"

- you can totally see Janus realizing why Patton fights him so hard while Patton is explaining how hard shit's gotten as Thomas grows up

- "Janus?" "I'll take care of him" y'all I need the tissues

- Janus trying to lighten the mood with the whole push-someone-down-the-stairs thing just... Made me die laughing. Y'all know he's hella good at April fool's pranks okay? Okay

- "You're not stuck with an evil snake boy, you're just stuck with a snake boy" HES SUCH A DORK I LOVE HIM

- I reacted the exact same way to Thomas saying Janus was right omg

Again, I'm not saying I hate any of the characters, this is just a stream-of-consciousness analysis-and-commentary-type post on the new episode

[kinghoranshit]

Just Another Normal Story (HS) - PT 1

I yanked on dark denim skinnies. Then pulled on an oversized, ugly, reindeer sweater. Tonight’s the Lowry family, white elephant Christmas. Since there were more than twenty of us, this was how we did it. 

“Nichole! People are arriving! Are you almost ready?” My mom called up the stairs. 

“Yeah!” I replied and walked out of my bedroom to look over the railing so she could see me. Then I went into the bathroom to brush out my silver, mid-length, wet hair and I did little makeup; it was just my family.  

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was immediately pulled into hugs. 

“How’s our little Nikki?” uncle Jeffy gushed. 

I laughed. “I’m doing alright. Got some of my own novels in the works. Started my new freelance editing work too.”

“Heard that’s not super stable,” someone commented. 

I turned around and rolled my eyes. “Writing is a career, Daren, and I’m quite good at it.”

His blue eyes laughed, but his lips pressed in a firm line. “Money will be tight.” 

“I know that.” I huffed. “Everyone keeps telling me that. Leo and my friend Sonnie are the only ones that haven’t. They trust my choices.”

“I think writing is a great career,” a deep, soothing voice stated. One that was completely unfamiliar, and British.

“Says the one who’s making music,” Daren, a great friend of our family, remarked and turned around to look at whoever it was. 

I peeked around his shoulder to see a guy the same height as him. He was obviously closer in age to me. His green eyes caused me to catch my breath. Holy fuck. He was attractive. I felt my cheeks burn at the realization that I am, in fact, wearing an ugly sweater. And my hair was still becoming an unruly mess as it continued to dry. I tried to not make my fingers running through my hair too obvious. 

Though, I felt better when I noticed he was wearing a somewhat ugly sweater as well. Green to match his eyes with grey snowflakes aligning across the chest. His hair was a little messy. Curls that looked the color of melted dark chocolate. His features were strong. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. 

His eyes met with mine and I couldn’t stop myself from changing my sight to Daren. I think my hands were shaking; I managed to fold them together to help stop my nerves. This always happened when anyone I found attractive remotely looked in my direction. 

“Nichole, this is my second cousin Harry Styles,” Daren introduced. “Harry, this is Mark’s daughter, Nichole Lowry. I feel like I’ve done my part.” A sneaky grin placed on his lips as he walked away and into the kitchen where everyone else had congregated to talk and eat. 

“Hi,” I breathed, my cheeks still burned. 

He had his fairly large hands in front of him, folded, and a cute smile crossed his lips. “Hi... So, you’re an author?” 

I nodded. “Yeah, sort of. I copy-edit for others right now.” 

“What do you write?” he asked, seeming naturally interested. 

An easy, big smile now replaced the nervous line I had moments ago. “Novels. All mostly YA mysteries and supernatural. I’ll basically write anything though.” 

A devious smirk replaced his smile. “Do you write, like, smut and stuff?”

I wasn’t going to question why he knew something like that. There were multiple reasons, but it wasn’t my business. 

I cleared my throat with a fake laugh. “You think you’re funny. Yes, sometimes, I do… What about you? You write music, right?” I was hoping to change the subject off of me. I’m not one to talk about myself. 

He brought a hand through his hair. I could almost guarantee that he had a popping bicep underneath that bulky sweater. He looked like a fantastic hugger by his stature and demeanor. I’d love to be wrapped up in them. I averted my eyes back to his to avoid any further (dirtier) thoughts. 

“I do. The lads and I are trying to make something of ourselves. Our working name is One Direction.” 

“I’m sure you’re great! What’s your main genre?” 

“Pop. A little mix of pop rock.” 

I slowly nodded. “Nice, my kinda thing. Maybe I could hear a song or two some time?”

His face brightened up like a little kid’s on Christmas morning. “Yeah, of course, love.”

My heart fluttered at the word ‘love’. I bet it was something that he used a lot on the daily considering he was british, but it was just so soft and sweet. I couldn’t help the butterflies that filled my internal organs.

I noticed the mass of my family coming out of the kitchen and gestured to them. “Later then… I think we’re starting soon.”

“Okay. I won’t forget.” 

I laughed. “Same. I’m gonna get a drink. Want anything?” I walked past him and headed towards the kitchen. For some reason, I just knew he’d follow. 

I grabbed a wine glass from the kitchen and poured some of the rose wine my mom had already opened. 

“I don’t know,” he replied. 

I raised a brow. “How do you not know? Either you’re thirsty or not.” It came out a little more snappy than I had intended and I shot him a sheepish look. “Sorry. Are you thirsty? We have water. I know a couple beers in the fridge. Rose wine. A bottle of white somewhere. Uhm… We also have some sparkling juice I believe.” 

He chuckled. It sent shivers down my spine. He rubbed his chin and it was now I noticed the rings he wore. God, those made the thoughts I was trying to suppress worse; I’ve only just met the guy, I needed to chill. But the fact he wanted to keep talking to me… Why?

“I think… I think I’ll have the rose.”

“You got it.” I reached back up in the cabinet on the middle shelf for another wine glass. The last one happened to be in the way back and I was having a hard time reaching. I felt something hard against my back and a hand lightly brushed mine before taking the glass. My face heated up furiously now at how close we were. 

I turned around and looked up into his intense eyes. I couldn’t help glancing at his luscious lips then back into his eyes. I noted he did the same. 

“Here you go,” he whispered, his voice a bit raspy, and handed the wine glass to me.

“Are you two coming?” Daren called. 

I groaned internally. “Yeah, Schumaker, we are.” 

Harry chuckled again. “He is quite annoying.” 

“You are right on that one,” I remarked and poured his wine. I corked the bottle before I picked up mine. “Ready for some fun?” 

He took a sip of his and tasted it thoughtfully, his eyebrows furrowing, “Yeah. How is it done?”  

I smiled and went on to explain it. We all got a number out of a hat or bowl and went in that order. There would be a couple rounds of the starter gifts, and then once round of the large gift. Items were locked down after the round was officially over. Families sort of became smaller teams when it came to getting certain items; we had the rule that items could be stolen up to three times before it was locked.

He tapped his chin. “Okay… I think I have it. Are we on a team?” 

That caught me by surprise. Usually, it was my two brothers, my mom, my dad, and I who are a team. When Daren came last year for his first Lowry christmas though, he just joined our team. 

“Yeah, sure. Our team also includes my two brothers Leo and John, mom, dad, Daren, and I,” I stated, pointing them out from where we sat on the carpet. My parents had a thing for naming us kids after famous actors. Leo was named after Leonardo DeCaprio, John after Johnny Depp, and I was after Nicholas Cage. They thought I was going to be a boy, thus they only changed a couple letters and still got their way.

“Okay… Uhm, not sure what to take so just tell me.” 

He was so freaking cute. He was both cute and sexy, he was basically a nuclear weapon. 

I giggled.“It’s not rocket science. Take whatever. Don’t be afraid to steal, we’re all friendly here.” 

He licked his lips. “You do know stealing is wrong?” 

“Not here. It’s all part of the fun. Seriously, don’t worry about it.” 

“Okay. Am I supposed to tell you what number I am?” 

I shrugged. “You can. Everyone will know eventually.” 

“Number twenty two.” 

“Hey!” I exclaimed, lightly whacking his arm. “I’m number twenty one, and you’re the last one. We can tag team.”

“Alright, everyone knows their number and is ready?” my aunt Dianna asked, who sat over by the massive pile of starter gifts. She always went overboard every year; she thrift shops a lot. 

“Yeah,” everyone chimed in on their own account. 

“Okay, let’s get this started!” She clapped her hands. 

***

I shook my right leg nervously. We were in the large gifts now; the final round of the white elephant. We had three rounds of the starter gifts. So far, no one had taken the gift I wanted to go for. An HP Envy 5525 printer. I knew which one it was because it’s one our family contributed. I didn’t know why. My mom knew I’d been needing a new one, yet she didn’t get me one for Christmas when it was one of the only things on my short list. 

This was the sucky part of being the second to last person. The anticipation. 

My cousin Jeremy was two numbers before me and my heart clenched when he went straight for it. Everyone ‘ooed’ after he’d revealed it, and it was now that I noticed other family members were interested. It wasn’t impossible for them to get it if they had the means. But Jeremy and his wife seemed to be smitten with the gift; it was a nice ass printer. 

I looked down at my hands in my lap, then looked back up when I knew it was the next person; Leo. Suddenly, I had an idea. Subtly, I texted him. He gave me a short nod and I let out a breath. We’d always been a great tag team. 

Leo stood up and walked straight over to Jeremy to grab it. Everyone ‘ooed’. And knowing he’d go for what Leo wanted, I’d steal from him when it was my turn. I watched as Jeremy went to take the FIFA games away from cousin David. Cousin David only laughed, eyeing all the presents. He decided to go for another large gift; there were only three left. It ended up being a toolset, which was up more his alley anyway.

My heartbeat quickened as I got up and went to Jeremy to take the FIFA games. There were ooo’s and laughs once again. I saw him look at Emily, his wife, and I mentally cursed. Jeremy took Emily’s gift and of course, she went to take the printer from Leo. 

Leo looked around and I internally cheered seeing my family plan the next moves. My oldest brother John and my mom had worked together so John could get the weight set and my mom could get the running gear. Leo took the toolset from my dad, and then he took the printer from Emily. 

I smiled widely, then frowned as she took, Jeremy’s mom, Nancy’s gift and in return she got the printer. Gah! It’s never ending! My dad looked at me and shrugged. I shrugged back. My dad went for one of the two last gifts. It was a movie, candy, popcorn basket; that worked for our whole family. It was two movies we already had though-- ‘We’re the Millers’ and ‘Battleship’. 

I looked over at Harry. “Your turn.” 

He looked at me thoughtfully and whispered, “You really want that printer?”

“Yeah, but you-”

Without hesitation he took it away from Nancy-- the last alliance for Jeremy’s side. 

He plooped back down beside me and presented it to me.“You said stealing was okay.”

I laughed under my breath. “Thanks, but now you didn’t get a large gift. I’ll wrestle my dad for that movie basket.”

“No worries, love. Your smile is enough.”

The heat came up my neck again and I forced myself to watch the end as a distraction. Nancy just took the final gift. It seemed like the large gift round was always equivalent in time with the amount of rounds we did for the starter gifts. 

Everyone who tag teamed switched their gifts around and all was right. Now, it was time for whatever before those who had to drive home did so. I might eat. 

“I’m gonna heat up leftovers, want anything?” I asked as I stood up and straightened out the sweater. 

He stood up as well and smirked. “I could eat, especially with you.”

It took a second for his words to click and I cocked a brow. “Did you just ask me out?” 

“I did.” He chuckled. It vibrated in my chest. 

“I’d love to.” I smiled before I headed to the kitchen.

Next: 2

[Masterlist]

[n3verending16]

you were good to me - Oikawa Tooru x Reader

So, this is my first ever fanfic! Aah! Writing this was 100% a daunting experience for me, but I largely enjoyed writing it (posting it tho? *rapidly spams space button to align lyrics with the middle* *posts* *formatting is completely off and i have to do it all over again* *screams*). If you have any constructive criticism/ formatting tips, please comment it or send me a message ʕ •́؈•̀ ₎

Not requested, but certainly inspired by all the other oikawa x reader writer-chans out there (and a good friend of mine, yejin if you're reading this ily smkamsjskamssjk)!

caitlin and cindy ily too uwu

Based off "you were good to me"

All credits belong to their rightful owners

………………………………………………………………………………………

Lying, isn't better than silence

"I don't love you anymore."

Oikawa Tooru could feel the bitter aftertaste of his own words to you that night.

Floating, but I feel like I'm dying

One year later, and he still couldn't break off the chains that anchored him down every time he jumped for the ball in a match. He couldn't fly like he used to, the guilt in his gut pressing him down every time he looked towards the stands and you weren't there, cheering for him as you usually did. It was his choice, his fault. And he regretted it, although he wished he didn't.

Still, no matter where I go

At the end of every road

You had always been there for him before, whenever he felt he wasn't good enough. The gentle caress of your fingers through his hair and your soft eyes peering into his own chocolate irises had helped him get over the loss of the match and focus on getting even better than he was. On particularly harsh days, you sang him to sleep, the dulcet tones and lull of your voice relaxing him as he passed into a gentle slumber.

You were good to me

You were good to me, yeah

You had always been understanding of him whenever he ended his practice sessions late. You never asked for his time, knowing his passion for volleyball burned brighter than anything you'd ever seen before, and you wanted to support him. You hugged and congratulated him with a smile on your face when he won, and you comforted him when he lost, but most importantly, you were always there in his life. A constant he could trust, someone he could rely on, someone he could love. He'd been thankful for it. And yet, when he saw the successful application to the Argentinian Volleyball Team, he was hit with the truth. Oikawa was moving to a country on the other side of the world, and things would've gotten so much harder for the both of you. You deserved someone that was so much more than him, someone who would hold you at night, someone who could go on real dates with you, someone who could, and would, put their own time away for you. As much as it hurt him, he knew for your own good, he had to let you go. So he did it the way he hoped would hurt you the least.

I know it's easier to run

After everything I've done

Cut it off. Keep your emotions away from this. This is what's best for them.

"I'm moving to Argentina, and I think it's time I tell you something..."

"I don't love you anymore. We should end things."

You were good to me

Yeah, you were good to me

He still hears your quiet sobs that night sometimes.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Leaving, isn't better than trying

You'd spent that night lying on the couch, crying to yourself over your boyfriend who'd just walked out on you. What had you done wrong? Were you still not good enough for him? As soon as you had began to stop, reduced to sniffles, images of his silhouetted back as he walked out the front door and the cold glint in his brown eyes as he said the words that broke your heart flashed through your mind made you start bawling all over again. Had everything that had happened between the two of you been a lie? Had your presence in his life not mattered to him as much as his presence in yours?

Growing, but I'm just growing tired

You would've liked to say you were a different person than you had been one year ago. You would've liked to be spiteful and show Oikawa Tooru, international volleyball star, that you had outgrown being lovesick and was now independent and successful, with people who truly loved you. You would've liked to tell yourself that you were so, so much better off without him. But that was a lie, and you were not one to lie to yourself.

Now I'm worried for my soul

And I'm still scared of growing old

You had, honestly, tried to get over him though. You'd made yourself pass out from drunkenness only to wake up the next morning with a pounding headache and the incident more ingrained into your head. You'd busied yourself with cooking, gaming and knitting, and when that hadn't worked, considered a one-night stand from an overly amiable guy you'd just met at the corner café, after deciding against it when one of the girls standing in front of the window outside sent you two a deathly stare. You'd stacked all of his belongings and tried to burn them, until you realised your shaky hands couldn't start the lighter properly.

Even if you had forgotten him for a while, a dull, grey, reprieve from the emotions in your head, it wouldn't have been for long; the memories were everywhere. There was the book he'd accidentally spilt his bubble tea in when you snuck up behind him. There was the somewhat-lopsided drawer, a result of when it got stuck and he'd tried to force it in anyway, ending up in the sides breaking. There was the red christmas mug you'd gotten for him; only to realise he'd given you the exact same one, but green. The small bin in your room was full of milk bread wrappers. Even the study desk in the corner reminded you of days where he would try to draw something cute for you- you'd laughed and told him he had all the time in the world to improve.

You were good to me

You were good to me, yeah

That had clearly been a lie. And yet, you couldn't bring yourself to believe the words he'd said to you before he left a year ago were the truth. You had been sure that your relationship was pure, built from the ground on trust and a mutual understanding of each other- you'd respect his love for volleyball, he'd respect your desire to work harder in your career. Sure, he didn't sound like he was lying, but he was THE Oikawa Tooru- a man who held his confident and flippant façade up to the spotlights, letting the light shine on him however he pleased. You needed to know the truth, and like a burning question at the back of your mind, it never disappeared- before you contacted Iwaizumi Hajime, his best friend and your former close classmate, who told you "It was about time you knew the truth". You were glad to have heard those words.

After having a long conversation with Haji (most of it was you cussing), you wanted to hug Oikawa and punch him at the same time.

One decision led to another and the next day, you were standing on an airplane one year after the breakup with a plane ticket clutched in your hands, and a ticket to the Argentina vs Spain match folded up neatly in your purse.

"Try to let him off easy, yeah? He hasn't been at his best ever since he left you. I think he still regrets it."

………………………………………………………………………………………

And I'm so used to letting go

But I don't wanna be alone

There's noise in the stadium, filled with the audience's cheers and camera shutters going off, but drowned out by the silence in his own head. Oikawa lines the ball up to serve, watching the other team, analysing their positions. "Where should I hit?" he thinks to himself. This is his chance to take another set against Spain. If he misses this one, they will have lost the match 3-1, and it would've been his fault. He can't let that happen. The whistle blows, the ball goes up, and he's doing his jump-serve again, feeling the chains around his feet ready to snap taut like always.

But then amidst the bright lights, among the screaming crowd, he sees a flash of white and teal. Time seems to stop, and he floats in the air.

Was't that his Aoba Johsai volleyball jacket from high school? The one that he'd left behind at your house?

At first, he dismissed it quickly, thinking it was another die-hard fangirl who had one made or maybe even someone from his old team, because no way in hell could you be here right now watching him play when he'd walked out of your life and caused you so much pain and heartbreak one year ago. But then he saw the black purse, with a delicate pink floral pattern and gold highlights. The one he'd gotten for you on your birthday. He meets your wide eyes, your name is on his lips as he stares at your form.

But time moves again. And he grunts as his palm makes contact with the ball, making it fly into the corner and the other team turns and gapes at where surely there was a dent in the ground from the impact. They'd taken back a set, the score was 2-2. His team cheers wildly around him. The commentators rapidly fire off about the service ace- something he hadn't been able to do for a long time.

He's still staring at you in mid-air, but then he falls, meets the ground, his legs give out from under him and everything blurs.

You were good to me

You were good to me, yeah

You stare, lips parted as he collapses, slightly rising from your seat from worry. Had his knee gotten any better from before? Would he still be okay? Surely everything he'd worked for couldn't just end from a fall... but you realised if it did, it would've been your fault. You were, after all, the one who distracted him. Something punches you in the gut as you watch him get up, and he looks at you, the expression on his face one of pure shock and something you can't quite decipher. He keeps his eyes on yours as they shrug on his national sports jacket and carry him off, and you stare into his milky chocolate irises until the doors close behind him. Then you're pushing yourself through the crowd of seated anxious girls to find him again.

God only knows where our fears go

Hearts I've broke, now my tears flow

Oikawa finds himself in the hallway staring at the azure blue sky outside the window as a flock of birds soars past. The medics fuss over him, lifting his mildly sore leg and checking it once, twice, and he absentmindedly nods at their questions. There's a commotion at the door at the end of the hallway and he hears your muffled, strained voice. "No, please! I need to see him... you don't understand..." Eyes widening, he lifts himself up and hobbles over to the door at the end of the hallway, ignoring the protests of the baffled medics and guards. He puts his hand on the handle of the door and pushes, finding you arguing with a guard on the other side of the door. He hears his name from you, your voice giving him comfort. He smiles, albeit a broken one but still, a genuine smile, before he falls, his knee giving out again.

But this time, you're there to catch him.

You'll see that I'm sorry

Cause you were good to me

You were good to me

You hold Tooru as he sobs onto your shoulder. His tears cascade down his face as he clings to you, and he knows he doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve you. Why had you tried to find him, after he broke your heart a year ago? You realise you're crying too when your vision blurs and all you can sense is the warmth from his skin on yours, his smell filtering the air around you. You take a deep breath in, honey vanilla with slight mint curling into your nose. People awkwardly stand by as they watch the reunion, mindful of the emotions and rawness in the air but also aware of the need to relieve pressure from his leg a bit. Eventually, someone bites the bullet and Oikawa sits down against the wall with you on his right. "You came here from Japan." Tooru hoarsely whispers. "Why?"

Before you could answer, the door opens and his teammate pops his head in, taking note of the people standing uncomfortably around.

"Hey Tooru, are you gonna be able to play?" he speaks in Spanish. He takes sight of you, a girl he's seen somewhere before, sitting next to his friend, and pauses.

"Wait, isn't that the girl on your wallpaper? I thought you said- never mind." He carefully speaks in broken English.

"Anyways, coach says if you're still fine we can send you in." You blink as Tooru puts his arm around you, a pout evident on his face. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to play (the medic nods along in agreement), just give me a few moments." he answers. His teammate hesitates, nods, and closes the door. Tooru turns his head and rests his head on your shoulder, his fluffy brown hair tickling your neck. You nearly want to cry at what his teammate just told said. "Oh, Tooru..."

"You still haven't answered the question," he tells you. "Iwa-chan must've told you that I left because you deserved more than someone who couldn't be here for you. I don't deserve you, y/n-chan. You deserve to be happy, and... I'm not the one." He tucks away your air behind your ear. "But now that you're here, I can't help but want to be selfish. I want us to be together. I still want you."

You can't help laughing quietly at him, the little pout forming on his face again. "Oh Tooru... you wanted me to be happy. And you thought leaving me so brashly would achieve that? You forgot one very, very important thing." You lean into his shoulder, and play with his calloused fingers.

And now I'm closing every door

Cause I'm sick of wanting more

"If I'm ever to be truly happy..." You tell him, shifting yourself so you're cupping his soft cheeks and looking into his chocolate eyes. "Then you are, absolutely, essential in my life." His heart leaps, soaring at your words. After all that time, you still...

You tut at the dreamlike, adorable expression on his face. "C'mon, Tooru. Don't cry on me now. You've still got a match to win, don't you?" He breaks himself out of his reverie as you lightly pinch his cheeks, and grins ear to ear as you begin to move back to the stands. "Wait, wait." He shrugs his volleyball jacket off his shoulders and hands it to you. "Wear this over that, I want everyone to know you're still mine." You rolls your eyes at his childish request, "Your fangirls are going to kill me, I swear," but comply nevertheless. He's still smiling as he watches his oversized jacket swish around at your mid-thigh as you walk towards the doors. Anything else could come after the match, but for now, this was good enough for him.

You were good to me

You were good to me, yeah

For the rest of that match, for the first time, Oikawa Tooru flies. They do eventually win, 3-2. He's never felt more ecstatic as he pulls you in happily, kissing all over your face and handing you his Most Valuable Player award as you giggle from his childlike antics. The reporters rapidly take note of everything and theres a collective groan from the gaggle of fangirls somewhere, but it's you and him both in your own little world.

Swear I'm different than before

I won't hurt you anymore

Life goes on. You fly back to Japan, with a promise that he would never shut you out again. Sure, you would've preferred it if he was next to you, but you called and messaged each other so frequently that you found you had little to worry about. In rare spaces of time, he flew back to Japan to meet family and friends before spoiling you on dates, decorating your house ("Hey, we need to retake this photo! I'm even better looking now!") or cuddling on the couch together. Every relationship had its downsides, and long-distance relationships were even more a pain, but you were more than ready to take the troubles on if it meant you could still see his smiling face through the messenger call at 1am in the morning.

And you knew this time, he wouldn't stop you from trying.

Cause you were good to me

[kusunogatari]

[ ObiRyū October | Day One | Shining Armor ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ]

[ Previous || Next ]

It all comes down to this.

Checking and double checking his gear, Obito can’t help a worried sigh. For weeks he’s been considering giving a new hobby a try, and even before then he’d started saving for something to do. He stumbled across a possible activity completely by accident when making a detour home one day from work. In a park he’d never visited was a group of twenty or so people - adults, mind you - doing what looked to be some kind of...really involved make-believe.

A little research revealed it to be called LARPing. Live-action roleplaying. Like taking one of his favorite fantasy videogames or a tabletop campaign, and making it as close to real as one can really get: literally acting it out, in real time, with real people. Dressed up as their characters and everything!

He was hooked.

Hours of research later, he’d gotten started: crafting his outfit, weapons, supplies, and a character to play. A barbarian warrior...something he thought suited his build, and his appearance.

No real need to explain his scars, that way.

It took a while to build up the nerve, but he finally approached one day and asked about how to join. Most events were just day-long ones as opposed to full weekends, he’d learned. And an entry fee helped cover a few costs like extra props, costumes, and even food for the players over the course of the day. Fifty bucks and he could hop in.

He hadn’t done so right away, still fiddling with all the details of his character. He wanted it to be perfect…! But eventually there was nothing left to procrastinate, so...he packed up his gear and headed out.

And now here he is, standing with a few other newcomers. Thankfully his underclothes were normal enough to walk here in, and he starts strapping on armor he’d made. It’s nothing too fancy, but he managed to get some metallic paint to make it look like real steel. Overall, for his first go of it? He’d say he’s done well. There will always be time to improve as he goes, right?

It’s a high fantasy setting, as he’s learned. Elves, magic, that sort of stuff. Pretty typical, as far as he’s read. And while he’s set to be a moldable, playable character, so too are there those who play more static roles for the players to interact with...as well as those helping to craft the stories. Each only takes six to eight hours, as not to drag on past each day gathering. But some end up interconnected. Today, it seems, given all the new faces, they’re starting a new event.

The main coordinator and storyteller gathers the characters together to give a brief overview, as well as introduce the NPCs before they start. But once it begins, there’s no breaking character. Hours of being someone else for a day - no longer is he Obito, but Garver the Crushing, complete with a mace and shield he found tutorials for online.

With the plot set, everyone disperses, taking their places and readying for the game to begin. Obito, along with a few others, start by browsing the “town” to gather supplies for an upcoming battle set to take place. His character doesn’t know any magic...but he can certainly use things like throwable weapons, and potions to ensure he doesn’t get taken down too easily.

But the NPC selling potions is swarmed first, so he idles around for a bit, browsing a selection of weapons available for gold...or in this case, real-world quarters used in place of anything too fancy. In the end he picks up a dagger, not wanting to eat into his character’s savings too much.

He then finds the potion “shop” empty of other patrons, and shyly makes his way forward.

Right away he can tell, this one’s a pro. Not only does she have a good array of props, but her outfit looks entirely legit. Within an actual period-appropriate tent are few shelves, complete with a banner: White Dragon Remedies, it proclaims. Bottles filled with shimmering liquid are made of a squishy, clear material to prevent any breaks. She also has some “enchanted” clothing: more glittering fabric to indicate their magical properties.

Turning to face him, she reveals more of her outfit. While her actual dress is a rather plain dark grey, it’s her cloak that makes his jaw drop comically. White with silver embroidery work, it’s a piece of art in and of itself. It sweeps the grass, a wide hood draped over her head, still revealing her fake (but very convincing) elven ears.

Her eyes are a light grey, almost white to match her colorless locks. Even her brows and lashes are white! He wonders if it’s makeup and a wig, or if this is how she actually looks.

“Greetings, traveler,” she offers with a smile that makes his chest clench. “Are you in need of my brews…? Or perhaps something laced with magic to protect you?”

Still a bit shell shocked, Obito flounders for a moment like a fish out of water. Clearly she’s a long-standing player to be this prepared and decked out. “Uh, I...y-yeah. Um…”

As he stutters, she can’t help a glint of amusement in her eyes he’s pretty sure isn’t in-character - she’s actually having to hold back a laugh, he can tell. “I have a wide variety of wares,” she offers, clearly trying to help him regain his head. “Potions of healing, articles of protection, and even scrolls of contained spells for those unable to cast enchantments themselves. All highly valuable on the battlefield for a warrior such as yourself. Is there anything specific you’re looking for…?”

Trying to delve back into his character, Obito looks around. What would Garver like to take with him…? “I’ll take healing potions, at any rate. What do they cost?”

“I’ve one that can heal a minor wound, and one for a more...serious injury. The former is ten gold, and the latter twenty.”

Ooh, he...won’t be able to get too many. His ears turn red in embarrassment at his both in- and out-of-character poverty. Weighing his coin pouch, teeth nibble the scar along his lip in thought.

“I also have garments that help reduce damage taken. More costly, but also more effective over time. You’ll need fewer potions for as long as you have it, my lord.”

“Oh, I’m no lord,” Obito quickly refutes. Garver is a simple mercenary, after all.

“Any patron of mine receives my respect,” is her polite rebuke. Reaching for a verdant scarf, she holds it aloft for him to look at. “This will halve any damage you take. A robust enchantment indeed.”

Something about it catches his eye. “...and the cost?”

“Fifty gold is all. And, since you’re a new face in town, I’ll throw in a lesser potion of health for good measure, no extra charge.”

“But -?”

“Dark times lie ahead, traveler. We must all be cautious. And you’ll need to survive them to visit me again when you’ve more coin to spend, hm?” She winks an eye, and his chest flutters again. “Consider it an investment in your well-being. And perhaps mine, if you ever return.”

Blinking at her, Obito then looks down at the scarf. It does sound like a pretty good deal… “...I’ll take it.”

“Excellent!” Folding the scarf as he counts out his quarters, she fetches one of the blue sparkling potions. “I wish you luck, traveler. May fortunate winds blow at your back.”

“A-and you,” he stutters in reply. “...thank you.”

“Save your thanks for when that scarf saves your life, stranger.”

“...Garver.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I - my name, it...it’s Garver.”

Her expression brightens. “Ah! A pleasure, lord Garver. I am Wyria of the White Dragon. I hope our paths will cross again sometime.”

Not sure how to reply, Obito just gives a sheepish nod before retreating. Nearby, another male player seems to evaluate his gear.

“Well met,” he offers, nodding to Obito in greeting.

“Hello.”

“Been to stock up on potions, have you?”

“Er...yeah. Yes. I...can’t afford much.”

“A mercenary’s life is spent in constant search of coin, eh? You must spend it to make it.”

The corner of Obito’s mouth twitches. This interaction seems a lot...easier. “True enough. Though just once I’d like to get ahead.”

“All it takes is one lucky break! And just one unlucky one to have it all come to a screeching halt. We walk a blade’s edge, my friend.” Holding out a hand, he offers, “Irkvar.”

“Garver,” Obito replies, shaking it.

“So...what think you of the potion seller?”

“What do I...think?”

The other man grins. “A beauty, isn’t she? Not often you see elves this far north. They seem to prefer the warmer climates. But she keeps us all stocked and alive.”

Before he can stop it, Obito’s brow furrows. “...seems we’re lucky to have her, then.”

“Indeed.” Glancing around, the man then leans in and whispers, breaking character for a moment. “She’s a professional cosplayer. Goes to cons and makes big bucks with photos and shit. She’s huge on Instagram, too. All-natural hottie - no wig or anything, that’s just how she looks. Makes her super popular if the cosplay fits well. Wouldn’t mind getting to know her better but she tends to ghost once the events are done.”

At the rather...objectifying language, Obito scowls. “Can’t imagine why,” he mutters sarcastically.

But his tone seems lost on his companion, who then slides back into character. Yet even as the idle speech drags on, Obito can’t help but remain annoyed with the guy.

What an ass.

Once the prologue is completed and the characters found to be ready for the next phase, Obito manages to evade his new “friend” and immerse himself more into the story. The city has received word of an impending attack...and he has a choice to make. Stay and fight for the city, and receive less gold...or betray them and join the attacking force, which has more gold to spare.

Thinking of the goods he could acquire with some extra spending money, Obito nonetheless finds himself tugged toward the moral high ground. So after some debate, he decides to remain in the city. A few more darker-aligned characters actually swap, and he finds himself preparing to face them.

It’s them, or him.

Hours pass as skirmishes start and stop. Strategies are laid out, twists in the story guided by the NPCs. Obito, scarf around his neck, manages to keep his character alive, relying on his single potion as the battle seems to wane.

But then the boss appears...and he realizes he’s made a grave mistake. There’s no way he’s going to make it with no more potions! He could do the cowardly thing and run, but -?

“I cast Wall of Spectral Light!”

Jolting, he turns to see the potion seller. A hard glint is in her eyes, staring at the boss with a snarl.

Seems she’s decided to work to protect her home.

The narrator calls out the spell’s effects, proclaiming that her actions help protect a section of the defending army...including Obito. No damage is taken, but the barrier can only repel so much damage. From a belt at her waist, she begins tossing extra potions to the players.

“I’ve no gold,” Obito replies.

“We’ll settle any debts later, should we live through this,” she replies, looking to him gravely.

For a moment, Obito forgets this is all a game. He meets her desperate gaze with one of his own, and there’s a sort of...spark.

But they don’t have much time to chat.

The battle rages on, player characters calling out spells as Wyria and other NPCs lend scripted hands. And just as the sun starts setting, someone lands the final blow...and the boss collapses, dead.

A chorus of triumphant cries echo out over the park, and characters celebrate, embracing and beating chests. Obito sags in relief. In truth...he’s exhausted. More so than a day at work!

And as the cheering goes on, it’s joined by children who had stopped to watch, Obito sheepishly waving to them and earning more excitement. Seems they’re convinced this is all real: the joys of childish imagination.

Looking just as tired as the rest of them, the NPCs offer their congratulations to their heroes. And Wyria greets Obito, much to his surprise.

“So, seems that scarf served you well, Garver,” she offers with a wry grin. “I think you can properly thank me, now.”

“It did...as did your potions. I owe you more than just gold - I owe you my life.”

“You and a few others,” she replies cheekily. “But all debts will be settled in time. I’m sure  I have a job or two you can do for me sometime.”

Grinning tiredly, Obito watches her for a moment before everyone is gathered for a final celebration in the town. As it begins to wind down, the storyteller declares the event over, and everyone is allowed to break character at last.

Sighing in relief - yet wholly satisfied with his Saturday - Obito glances around. It’s then he realizes he didn’t see Wyria in the party, and indeed she’s instead been packing up.

Seems the man from before is right - she doesn’t waste any time. It wilts his expression, as he’s pretty sure he understands why. Keeping his helmet tucked under his arm, he sheepishly approaches. “...need any help?”

At his voice, she spins around, eyes wide, still dressed in her attire. But she softens as she recognizes him. “Ah, sorry...I thought you were, uh...nevermind.”

“I think I know who you mean,” Obito assures her. “So I thought I’d lend a hand, if...you want it.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.”

They finish dismantling her setup, which Obito compliments. “This must’ve taken a lot of time.”

“And money,” she assures him dryly. “But...I love it. It’s been worth every dollar and hour. I love acting and dressing up, so...it only makes sense. I was one of the people who helped set up the LARP group here.”

“Really?”

“Mhm! Right out of high school. It was really small and...cheap at first. But we’ve grown a lot over the years. We even put on shows for schools sometimes. Which helps earn more money to keep the group going.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Maybe you’ll join us for one?”

“Eh…” At that, he hesitates. “...maybe. I’m still, uh...new. And…” He gestures to his face, wilting. “...not sure I’d be good around kids.”

“They seemed to love it before. And they’ll just believe it’s part of your character. Are…?” It’s her turn to pause. “So...those are real?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. The hair and stuff, I mean.” Her eyes roll. “Used to get me bullied, but I do pretty well thanks to it now.”

“Someone mentioned you cosplay professionally…?”

“Mhm. It’s not a full gig, I still work. But it helps. And it’s a lot of fun, when...people aren’t being jerks.”

Obito sours. “Yeah...I caught a whiff of that earlier. I’m sorry.”

“It comes with the territory. Just...wish that it didn’t.” After a pause, a box of stuff in her arms, she offers, “I...just realized I never introduced myself! My...real self, that is. I’m Ryū.”

“Obito.”

“Nice to meet you. And thanks for the help.”

Helping her load the last boxes into her car, Obito can’t help but ask, “So...do you always play an NPC?”

“I do. As much as a character is fun, I enjoy being part of the structure. And since I’m one of the founders, I feel more...set in stone that way. I play Wyria every time. So I’m almost like a playable character, just...set to a script. I’m the same person for every story, but I enjoy it a lot. I feel like a piece of the foundation that way.”

“I think I understand.”

Closing the car door, she gives him another look. “Thanks for helping me pack up. And…” She glances past him for a moment, and his head tilts. “...for helping ward anyone else off.”

Obito nearly turns to look, but brightens in understanding. “...oh! Yeah, sure. Any time.”

“So, will you be back next weekend?”

“Er...maybe.” He itches his neck guiltily. “The, uh...ticket price is a little steep for me.”

“Yeah, it can be. Very few people come every week. Mostly it’s every other, or once a month. It keeps the group fluid, though. A different pool every time.” Ryū gives a smile. “But it’ll be cool to see you again. You did really well for a first timer!”

Obito feels himself get warm at the compliment. “Y-yeah?”

She nods. “Did you do any theater in high school?”

“A little, yeah.”

“That helps. And it only gets easier the more you do it. I’m sure Garver will be a staple pretty soon. And Wyria will always be happy to sell him some potions...for the right price.”

Smiling bashfully, Obito then stiffens. “Oh -!” He reaches up and takes off the scarf. “Here, I -”

“No, that’s yours.”

“...but -?”

“You bought it in-game, so it belongs to Garver.” She waves a hand. “I get material and stuff pretty cheap, don’t worry about it. And players trade things back in for upgraded stuff, so it usually cycles back. Just don’t lose it, okay?”

“Oh...well, thanks.”

She just smiles in reply. “Well, I guess I’ll see you whenever you can make it back in! Take care, Obito.”

“Yeah, you too.” He steps aside, letting her pull away from the park’s lot in the dusk of evening.

He needs to get home, too...it’ll be dark by the time he gets back. Stripping off his gear and putting it back into his duffle bag, Obito smiles to himself. It was a really good day…! Better than he’d feared. And maybe he’s even making a new friend, both in and out of character. Sadly his low wages mean it might be a while before he can come back, but...well, it’ll be worth the wait.

Replaying it all in his mind, he starts back toward home, unable to help but linger on the scenes with Garver and Wyria. Partly he feels bad - he doesn’t want to be like Irkvar. But, well...her character is interesting! And Garver just...enjoyed her. That’s all.

...that’s all.

��    Aw yisss, we’re back with another ObiRyū October, y’all! And the first piece is set in a modern verse with some LARPing, cuz...Obito is a canon professional LARPer, after all xD And the prompt just fit too well, I couldn’t not do it lol      I have a few buffer days built up JUST in case I fall behind (as I...always do), but I’ll still be writing to try and keep up. Otherwise, as per usual, I’ll be doing my best to post once a day through the whole month in celebration of my OTP!       So on that note...I better start working on more xD Thanks for reading!

[wastefulyears]

hiya! i’m chloe. i’m fun, come and plot with me (our characters can love and or hate each other)!

[ TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET, CISMALE, HE/HIM. ]    introducing jules charbonnier , TRIBUTE of the 74th hunger games, representing district 12. my sources say that they are twenty-two years old, & that they’re pretty handy with agility and slingshots. wonder if that will do them any good in the arena ? anyways, caesar says you can’t miss them, because they remind everyone of a quiet demeanour with a sharp tongue, might be a sinner might be a saint, old pictures that have been mended, and tired eyes.

full name :   jules charbonnier

age / dob :    twenty - two ,  december twenty - eight .

zodiac sign :  capricorn

gender :   cis  male

moral alignment :  chaotic neautral

pronouns :  he / him

district :  twelve

occupation :  work in  the  mines  

sexuality :  bi sexual

weapon  of  choice :  a  slingshot , also his hands for climbing and doing sneaky things

face claim :  timothée chamalet

see , the sea wants to take me . the knife wants to slit me . do you think you can help me ?

jules was dealt a bad hand being born into the poorest district in panem , district twelve . to make matters worse , he lost his mother as a child and is the youngest of four brothers . only having his brothers and father to look up to he’s definitely grown up in an environment where you have to suppress your emotions and fend for yourself . jules watched his older brothers find work in the mines , as per tradition. dangerous and tiring work, they haven’t been well fed or in good health for years. 

living in the seam , he didn’t stand out much . if asked , you would be told how the citizens unfortunate enough to live there also take on the same appearance , from the dark hair to the grey eyes .

love is natural and real . but not for such as you and i , my love .

his attitude toward everything is very nonchalant. he pushes away any feelings of hopefulness , likewise he doesn’t allow himself to feel disappointment . he steals to survive . not intelligent , but observant.

he’s a loner . he would rather not watch any of his loved ones suffer or die at the hands of the capitol . so he chooses not to have loved ones .

he will probably bite your face off if you push him too much.

i know it’s over , and it never really began . but in my heart , it was so real .

he went to the reaping wearing his eldest brother’s best clothes . which turned out to be a good thing , considering all of the capitol had been watching as he was reaped . suddenly everyone around him saw him , called his name , acted as if they knew him personally . with a nervous cough and a clenched jaw he made his way up to the stage . being from district twelve he did not expect anyone to save him then , and even more so , he does not expect to win now . still , not one of his brothers cried . 

everyone seemed to have a morbid curiosity with the games , every year they watched , they smiled at any glimpse of hope , and cried at every heartbreak . maybe the time taken to watch the inevitable tragedy helped jules prepare for the seventy - fourth hunger games , his games . jules has the same strategy going into the games as he has had his entire life : keep to himself , always have a slingshot close by , and steal whatever he can find . it’s what he knows . he does not care to survive , but he can . he has been doing it for a long time . but if he is going to die , he would rather be unbothered when doing so .

[erikchamber]

Fox’s Blaster (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

This is my first finished prop and I am incredibly proud of it. It is not my first prop because I’ve started a few in the past and just never got around to finishing them either for complications, not enough skill, or just boredom; but it is the first prop I’ve completed. I intend to finish all those other, but I just wanted to ride the motivation for this one and it certainly paid off.

For anyone interested in how I made it, please continue reading.

(Tried to edit which messed up my post so most of the pictures are unreadable. Trying to fix, but connection is shoty. Check out someones reblog to see all)

Step 1: References and Drafting

First I needed to get some reference images for the blaster. Thankfully, Smash Bros has a convenient in-game camera mode so I was able to zoom in and take screenshots of the blaster in any frame of gameplay. 

I briefly considered making the blaster able to open up like in the second image above, but I had no idea how to do that and figured it’d take too long to figure it out, let alone actually make a prop capable of that. So, I decided on a single piece prop with nothing moving. Better to keep things simple when you’re starting out.

Now I had to draft outlines for it. I use Rhino 3D for all of my drafting, whether 2D or 3D.

I imported my reference images and traced them as best I could. Unfortunately, since there’s no option to turn off perspective in Smash, some dimensions were a bit off, but hardly an issue.

Before I went any further, I needed to make sure I had the right scaling, so I made a mock-up. Since I needed the handle to fit my hand, I made it out of layers of PVC foam board and just used cardboard for the rest of the gun.The sizing was actually perfect by coincidence, but I needed to determine the best thickness. I tried out a few thicknesses for the handle with different numbers of layers and found 5 layers of 6mm foam board was perfect. 

Next I made a 3D model to make sure all my dimensions looked right when put together.

Step 2: Materials

Before I did anything to start making the physical prop, I had to plan out all my materials and cuts. I did some adjustments to my traces so that a length wise cross section would fit into several pieces of equal size. Below, to the left of the yellow lines, are one of each kind of cross section I need. There are 7 total layers. The largest pieces are within layers 2-6, comprising the main body of the blaster and part of the handle, as well as support for the laser-sight barrel. After those are the two outer layers for the handle which will have some beveling, and then layers 1 & 7 include a few smaller pieces to add bulk to the two bulging sections at the top of the gun.

The section to the right of the yellow lines are for planning out how many cuts to fit into each board of material (For some reason I doubled a few layers on the right sheet, not sure why).

Materials (everything in the finished product):

6mm PVC foam board (celtec)

1″ PVC pipe

1.5″ PVC pipe

PVC cement

Spray paint

Acrylic paint

Tools and disposable materials:

X-acto knife

Straight-edge of some kind

Sand paper, both fine and course versions

Blue painter’s tape

Brown paper

PVC pipe cutter (any kind of saw will also work)

Thumbtack (or something with a fine point)

Large piece of cardboard (painting surface; can use whatever you don’t mind being spray painted)

I spent some time debating what I wanted the blaster to be primarily made out of. I had worked with PVC foam board before and I knew it was high quality and would provide a good weight to the prop. I also considered EVA foam which I’d just heard about at the time, or just plain cardboard. PVC foam board was the best choice, though I does take a few passes with an X-acto knife to cute through 6mm, but if you’re patient it’s worth it.

Step 3: Cut and Assemble

Now comes the tedious part.

Since I had digital plans I printed out full-scale outlines of each part. I then taped the sheets down on the PVC boards and used a thumbtack to poke the corners of the outlines and leave small impressions in the board. Then with a straight-edge I used my X-acto to connect the dots and cut out each piece.

Below is layer 5, i.e. the middle most piece of the blaster.

The PVC board is pretty dense, which adds to it’s quality, but like I said I had to run through each line several times before cute when all the way through. Do not rush this part. I may have been a bit too anal about it, but I did not want any mistakes at all.

Some pieces required beveling. I do not have any kind of table saw or other tool made specifically for beveling so I did it all by hand with my X-acto knife. This requires even more patience than the last part. Once you cut too much, you can get it back on and look the same. I recommend listening to some music or have a show play in the background, just be careful with the knife and always cut away from yourself.

Once all the board and pipes where cut I cemented everything together. You can see the other parts which have beveling. Again, takes a long time, especially when it’s circular.

What I found is despite my best efforts, not all the parts where exactly aligned and flush with those next to it. this part was 0.5mm too high here. This one was 1mm too thick there. I spent a lot of time sanding everything down so the edges were all aligned. I didn’t get everything perfecting flush due to my limited tools, but I was happy with it. This actually killed two birds with one stone because I would have needed to sand it down anyway so the paint would hold onto it better.

Step 4: Painting

Now for the fun part.

The base of the blaster is black so I can paint the whole thing a black coat, but for the grey on parts like the outer handle I’ll have to tape sections off to protect the black.

As you can see, the only thing I taped off from the black coat was the Star Fox emblem on both sides of the barrel. Since it’s small with lots of curves and made of tape, I had to be delicate with cutting it.

But I think it worked out. Just a little tap residue to wipe off.

The grey was fun because of how I had to weave tape between all the joints and crevices. As you can see, used brown paper and taped that on, rather than cover the whole thing in a layer of tape. Just tape along the edge of the paper and attach.

Lastly, the finer details, i.e. anything orange or blue. I did all these details by hand, again using painter’s tape to make sure my lines were exact. Don’t forget to sand whenever you put on a new layer of paint. I forget to sand for the orange on the picture below the first time and the acrylic ended up peeling off. Sand so the paint can grip onto something rather than a smooth surface.

And voila!

Pretty damn close to Nintendo’s replica (below), don’t you think?

From start to finish, this took me about 2 months in my down time. 1 month drafting and obsessing over how every detail needed to be replicated perfectly, and 1 month of actually building it. I should have paid a little more attention to the spray painting, though. I’ve never spray painted before I had trouble figuring out the right distance to hold the can, and some of the grey paint found it’s way under some edges of the tape, but not a big deal. And maybe some time spent to texture the handle.

Overall, I absolutely love it! It’s got a great weight to it, feels wonderful in my hand. I don’t think I’ll ever cosplay as Fox, but this has been a wonderful use of my down time rather than just web-surfing and video games all the time. I built something with my hands. There’s nothing quite like it.

If you enjoyed this, consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/erikchamber

[scraemes]

          ( PARK JIMIN.  AGENDER. )  Aleksander’s coven is intimately familiar with SUWON YI, a dedicated Death Dealer for the coven.  HE is a 750 year old vampire known throughout the New World Coven for being DARING + GENEROUS.  However, those who are familiar with them also know that they are very DECEITFUL - CANTANKEROUS.  They’re known for being the CHAMELEON.  Though they are technically disbanded, they are still dedicated to their cause.

a dumbass biography.  tldr below.

          first, he’s a fisherman in jeolla.  it’s late goryeo, but the suwon of mud, huts, and nets doesn’t know this.  the country’s in chaos with mongols and famine bearing on their necks and all he’s ever known is the emptiness of land and the bounty of a peaceful ocean.  ( lies start simply here.  yes, to the tax collector, they’ll collect more tomorrow.  no, to his mother, you don’t need to worry.  i love you, he says to a farmer’s daughter, i’ll love you forever.  yes, to his sister, i’ll stay here. )  when generals ride through their coastal town, suwon’s one of the first to volunteer for the ranks.  ( i want to protect my country, he says before making his mark.  it’s not a total lie, though he’ll never admit it.  )  he doesn’t know how to read letters on a page, but he knows how to swing a sword.  fishing’s made his shoulders stronger than others and he’s quickly ushered up the ranks to a position of relative privilege.  a general refines how he reads people and soon, suwon finds himself in the ranks of a golden company pushing the mongols back, back, back. 

          second, he’s a vampire.  after years of fighting end in a tentative peace, suwon returns home and finds his home devastated.  not mongols.  a different breed of creature.  suwon goes searching for whatever ripped the harbors and huts to shreds and finds a band of paler faces with fangs and brilliant blue eyes.  one is his old general.  his world’s expanded in a single night and suwon’s given a choice: join, or die.  it’s the second easiest decision he’s ever made.  he feels more powerful than ever before and he follows the troupe north to the lycan horde.  he helps the slaughter.  suwon journeys west and doesn’t look back.  they’re an old coven, and he never feels home with them.  he feels his best with a weapon in his hand fighting an enemy with a face, and soon he’s heading his own army and chasing lycans throughout the continent.  

          third, he’s a wanderer.  suwon rested in a deep sleep for a few centuries and when he wakes, the world’s entirely different.  his old coven’s a shadow of what it was, and there’s a flourishing industry in the west.  suwon finds himself in england on the cusp of a new century and, lethargic, abandons his old post for something quieter.  it isn’t that years and years of war have made him a pacifist ------ he’s just tired.  he plays with the idea of starting his own family, gains a partner and a few fledglings, learns how to teach and care than kill and refuses the call of covens that ask for his help with lycans in the city.  it never feels right.  not fully.  but there are moments he appreciates.  theater and music, lights and laughter, card games and shopping.  his world slows down and it’s lovely until it’s not.  after decades, he finds himself standing in an empty house, alone, holding a carnaged body and wishing he could cry. 

          silver finds itself back in his hands.  fourth, he’s a punk with a plan.  a rebel with  a cause.  he likes living with the living, he finds, that constant burst of fresh air making him feel alive again and helping lead him to the tunnels where the lycans lay, and he follows unexplained deaths to every corner of europe and asia before stepping foot in the states just as the new world coven makes a truce.  suwon doesn’t like it.  not at all.  no one’s ever knwn peace and he doesn’t understand why vampries and lycans think it’s possible.  the new coven’s a weakness to be exploited, and so he finds himself here, in the city that never sleeps.  a soldier with a death wish, maybe, wondering when a war’s finally going to steal his soul back to hell for good.  or maybe he’s fighting to protect them all ------ he’s seen the devastation beasts have, tasted the pain himself over and over.  suwon doesn’t trust them.  and he won’t rest until they’re gone.

tldr ; fought the mongols, old school soldier.  joined a coven out of spite and revenge and was an elite death squad member.  hardcore grudge against lycans.  slept for a few centuries, woke up in the 19th.  tries and fails at a family before totally rides the vibe of the times and hangs out with the young’ins.  becomes a death dealer in the old coven.  travels all over the world and came to the states to be on the front-lines for when this peace business goes south.  which it will.  obviously.

a few dumbass statistics.

western zodiac sign : aquarius.  element : air.  sexuality : pansexual.  personality type : entj - a. “the commander.”  alignment : lawful neutral.  height : 5′7.  body type : athletic.  hair color : dark grey.   eye color : brown / bright blue ( after feeding idk i can’t remember how it works in the underworld verse ).  skin tone : golden.  

a dumbass playlist.

prblms - 6lack.  if we were made of water - banks.  russian soul - skott.  badbye - rm, eAeon.  ghost - halsey.  hold on, we’re going home - lykke li.  angel - massive attack.  energy - avelino, stormzy, skepta.  m.a.a.d city - kendrick lamar.  sicko mode - travis scott, drake.  money - cardi b.  blood in the cut - k. flay.  lonely soul - unkle, richard ashcroft.  hollow moon - awolnation.  paint it, black - ciara.  desire - meg myers.  closer - nine inch nails.

some dumbass aesthetics.

gucci loafers.  catnaps.  a low chuckle against your neck.  silk on skin.  mouth full of white lies.  open collars.  heavy sunglasses and sparkling ears.  rumble of the metro in the dark.  burning neon bulbs.  sly grins.  humid summer nights.  dangling cross earrings.  a fresh manicure and flashing rings.  loaded silver bullets.  old war stories.  smooth skin in candlelight.  blood-stained lips.  miniature tattoos.  homesickness.  ancient grudges.

dumbass headcanons.

hair color changes all the time.  still has battle scars from his time in the goryeo militia.  pierced ears -- need i say more.  obsessed with the lost boys and has very strong feelings about the ultimate trio that could’ve been david, michael, and star.  flat-out tells people he’s a vampire because he’s too old to be fucking with anonymity.  knows four languages fluently, but can curse in twenty.  can barely read in any language.  fuck walking, he’s always taking the public transport.  hasn’t paid for a drink in a hundred years.  the last book he read was fifty shades of grey.  before that, it was animal farm back in 1947.  gucci shades, valentino sneakers.  has a rug made of lycan fur he only brings out to piss people off.  dated michaelangelo before he was famous.  does one good deed a month, like run for charity or donate yeezys to goodwill.  raised buddhist and still kind of affiliated.  

some not dumb connections.

sired vampires.  a sire.  former fledglings.  fellow soldiers.  trained death dealers.  unfortunate run-ins.  lycans related  ( familial, platonically, or romantically )  to ones he’s killed.  allies who are also openly anti-peace.  suspicions who are openly pro-peace.  a lycan he let free before the peace, for reason tbd.  old friends.  former lovers.  a death dealer he goes on patrols  ( ? )  with.  neighbor who’s room is next to his at the coven’s headquarters.  a new vamp who’s bringing him to the 21st century.  a vamp he’s bringing to the late 20th century.  a lycan who’s really testing his patience.  a lycan who’s really going to make him question what he thinks of the world.  gaming partners at the local arcade.  competitors.  someone who annoys the shit out of him.  a bad influence.  a good influence.  a distant relative.

note : suwon is freshly arrived in new york city, but has been on the continent for about a year.

[crassussativum]

Mass Effect Asks Masterlist- Mav

(Originally posted by thenerdcommander, credit where credit is due.)

1. What would their recruitment mission look like? ((Mav’s got a mind for tactical skirmishes and fighting with the reapers and subsequent indoctrinated has been an exercise in gorilla warfare. He’s made his way to Palaven and Menae to be of what help he can. Maybe he even already works directly with Garrus there. When Shepard arrives there and after they find the Primarch, he tags along.))

2. Would they be a romance option?  If so, who would the option be available to and what would their romance look like?  Would there be any special scenes? ((Mav is an equal opportunist in the art of romance. Male or female Shepard, it doesn’t matter. He flirts a little, teases some. Then straight out says he’s been serious the whole time and why not, right? Special scene would probably involve him talking Shepard on a date. Like dinner and dancing date.))

3. If there is one, what would their sex scene look like?  How would the scene change if Shepard or Ryder turned the sex down? ((Mav surprises Shepard in their cabin. He’s probably not wearing all that much, y’know. If Shepard’s into it, cool, if not, he puts his clothes back on and hey no big deal, you down for a drink, Shep?))

4. If left unromanced, do they hook up with another character?  If so, who is it?  Is it a canon character or another OC? ((More than likely and probably another OC though I couldn’t rightfully say who.))

5. Would they be available as a fling option?  What would that scene look like? ((Also probably and idk, something sexy.))

6. Is there any way Shepard or Ryder could get them to turn on them or betray them?  How?  Is there any way to get them to back down once the betrayal is triggered?  ((The only way that I could think of would be if Shepard were to ask/order Mav to do something he considers evil. Such as unnecessary loss of innocent life, civilians in the cross fire. Shepard wouldn’t do that. BUT if Shep did, there’d be no talking Mav down after.))

7. What would their loyalty mission look like?  ((It would break your fucking heart. During the Reaper War, Mav gets word from Carthaan, his homeworld. His family needs him. Shepard, of course, goes with to help. When they arrive on Carthaan, there is nothing but ruin, they’re too late to do anything. The crux of the loyalty mission lies in one action: Shepard can escort Mav to his family home to see for himself that there’s nothing left which will resort in his loyalty. Or Shepard tells him there’s no point, lack of survivors is obvious, at which point Mav goes off on his own and doesn’t return.))

8. Is there any way to lose their loyalty after it’s earned? How? ((Mav’s a little sensitive when it comes to familial bonds. He’d want Shepard to extend anyone the same courtesy that he got with his loyalty mission. He gets the need for closure, he’d want the rest of the crew taken care of.))

9. What would their relationship with Renegade Shepard look like?  Paragon Shepard?  If they’re from Andromeda, what’s their relationship with Ryder (pick any two alignments)? ((Mav’s easy going. He understands grey areas. Sometimes you’ve gotta do things the wrong way to make sure the right thing happens. Him and a Renegade Shepard would get on like a house fire. But at the same time, he knows when not to cross a line. Better things would happen with a Paragon Shepard.))

10. What phrase(s) would they shout during combat? ((Mav’s...er, a well educated man in profanity. Let’s leave it at that.))

11. Any squadmates they don’t particularly get along with? ((Um... I’m gonna say probably James. At least not at first, but eventually they get on fine.))

12. Are there any instances where rivalries between them and another squadmate could potentially jeopardize their loyalty or views of Shepard or Ryder? (Nah,)

13. Which squadmates are they likely to make friends with? ((Damn near everyone. He’s easy going, like I said, he makes friends pretty easily.))

14. In which game would they be introduced to the franchise?  ME1?  ME2?  ME3?  Andromeda? ((I think he’s always been kinda in the background, but ME3)

15. Would they make multiple appearances throughout the games or are they limited to one installment?  If they reappear, do they remain as a squadmate or do they become an NPC? (Squadmate in ME3, kicking around elsewhere.))

16. Which skills are available to them?  If they’re from the OT, pick four active powers and one unique passive class power (ex: Turian Agent, Asari Commando, Turian Smuggler, etc).  If they’re from Andromeda, pick three active powers and two passive (one of which should be a unique class power). ((Mav’s my Infiltrator! He’s got a Tactical Cloak, some Disruptor Amo, Incinerate on standby, and sticky grenades for kicks!))

17. Write a quick exchange of banter between them and one other squadmate of your choice. (( I can’t think of actual words bc I suck at banter, but I can totally see Mav teasing James about his fighting style on the mats. And that tiny turians are fast turians and he fucking told James he’d floor him in no time.))

18. What weapons would they use?  Pick 1 minimum, maximum of 2 firearms, 1 melee weapon, and/or 1 special or unique weapon. ((M-6 Carnifex, M-27 Scimitar- for his oh shit weapon- a knife he carries in his sleeve for close combat, and when shit hits the fan... He’s got a Cobra Missile Launcher))

19. Name one thing that players would remember them most by (ex: Garrus’ calibrations, “Lola”, Mordin’s singing, etc). ((The way he looks and sounds. Mav’s a small turian, standing at only 5′7″, his eyes are bright orange and so are his markings. And he’s got a good ol’ boy southern accent.))

20. If they’re from the OT, what ways could they be killed on Virmire, during the Suicide Mission, or the events of ME3 (pick one)?  If they’re from Andromeda, are there any ways they could die?  If so, how and how could Ryder prevent it if prevention is possible at all? ((Well, if Shepard doesn’t escort him in his loyalty mission, he presumably dies on Carthaan searching for his family.))

21. Can they be Indoctrinated or Exalted?  If so, what would they be like?  What options would Shepard or Ryder have to handle the situation?  Would there have been options to prevent it? ((No.))

22. How would they react to other squadmates, Shepard, or Ryder being Indoctrinated or Exalted? ((....He’d put them out of their misery.))

23. When on the Tempest or Normandy, where do they like to stay?  Do they roam around?  What about on the Citadel or Nexus? (Mav, a Blackwatch assassin by trade, would chill with Thane. To share notes, let’s say, or to talk philosophy. On the Citadel, there’s a few places he might hang at, a bar, the embassies, shops. He’d wander., ME3, he’d be at the docks.)

24. Do they have an opinion on the way Shepard drives the Mako?  Or how Ryder drives the Nomad? ((Nah, it’s not like Mav drives any better.)

25. Are they vocal about their opinions of the Council or Nexus Leadership?  If so, what is their opinion?  Do they make a passing comment to another squadmate or do they say it to Shepard or Ryder directly? ((He’s not, not really. He might say something nasty if he gets frustrated with the run around of the whole thing, but that’s it.))

26. What decisions could Shepard or Ryder make that they greatly disapprove of? ((Ok so....Siding with the geth. Sentient AI is a dangerous thing and will always be a dangerous thing and aren’t the Reapers literally proving that right now?))

27. What decisions could Shepard or Ryder make that they greatly approve of? ((Shepard doing everything they can to undue/fix what was done with the Genephage.))

28. Would they have any special scenes or dialogue in the Citadel DLC or for Movie Night? (Nah, he’s busy trying to drink Wrex and Grunt under the table. Mav loves his Horosk and that’s not too different from Ryncol))

29. Would they have any special scenes or dialogue in the final battle against the Reapers or the Archon? ((Just a moment to thank Shepard for doing all they could, a little pep-talk, a little let’s go fuck their shit up.))

30. How would they react to meeting Shepard’s clone?  Or Ryder’s twin? ((Mav would find the whole thing funny as fuck. He’s pretty sure he’s seen this B movie.))

[dmsden]

Worldbuilding 7 – Keeping Things Classy

Hullo again, Gentle Readers. In this series of articles, I’ve been developing a campaign setting for D&D 5e, which I’ve come to call Beyond the Borderlands. Last time, we explored the first group of Player’s Handbook classes, seeing how the barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, and fighter could inform details about the campaign setting. We extrapolated some valuable data, and I feel that some of the details that came out of that article gave me a better handle on elements of my world such as religion, organizations, and what life is like in the wilderness areas that the Borderlands help guard against. In this article, we’ll look at other batch of classes from the Player’s Handbook: the monk, paladin, ranger, and rogue. 

Monks have always held a strange place in D&D. They’ve been around since the earliest editions, but they’ve always felt a little shoehorned in, like Gary Gygax had a friend who was really into martial arts or something. While 4E gave me a good direction to go (linking monks to psionics allowed me to work in the Far Realm, the Kalashtar, and more, explaining why monks felt so alien), I’m unconvinced I have an easy way to add them to Beyond the Borderlands. 

In the Real World, the Martial Arts that Monks use developed because of tyrannical rulers who outlawed weapons. That doesn’t jibe with a society with weaponsmiths, fighters, and the like. So the next logical choice would be people who voluntarily eschew weapons. This fits with the idea of monasteries…perhaps the first Monks of this variety chose not to use weapons, and it’s only now, later in years, that those monks sometimes use weapons (to reflect that monks get quite a few weapons to be proficient with). This lends itself to an entertaining image, since these monks could resemble classic European monks, with the brown robes, sandals, and such. I will ponder on this, but my jury is still out.

In some ways, the Paladin is the ultimate good-buy of the D&D world. They swear oaths to their gods, devoting their lives to a holy path. Once upon a time, they were all lawful good, but that has been slowly slipping away, and D&D 5e continues this trend. The Paladins of 5e can be any alignment, suggesting there can be paladins of the powers of Chaos that I’ve been setting up as the major antagonists of the campaign. 

At first glance, the section on Paladins doesn’t yield much beyond this. Both the Oath of Devotion and the Oath of Vengeance suggest that paladins are specifically dedicated to knighthood and a code of chivalry. This is one of the reasons that I included a deity of chivalry in my section on clerics. The Oath of the Ancients, however, yields some interesting thoughts. If Barbarians are to Paladins as Druids are to Clerics, then what is the role of the Oath of the Ancients? Perhaps they are there to guide the balance between the natural world and the civilized world? This makes them natural choices to play on the Borderlands.

From almost the moment in Lord of the Rings that we meet Aragorn, we understand that he’s a ranger and that he’s protecting civilization from the enemies that would drag it down. This archetype slipped into D&D early on, and it remains a strong concept of the game.  

The description of rangers is very evocative, portraying them as wanderers at the edge of civilization, which fits perfectly with my concept of the Borderlands. It also suggests that they work closely with Druids, who, according to my earlier thoughts, often live over the border in the Wilderlands. This fits nicely, and it suggests that druids truly straddle the line of civilization and the wild. Oath of the Ancients paladins are in civilization, rangers are just on the edge, of civilization, and barbarians and druids are just over the side of the wild. They might all work together, but it may be a tenuous alliance to hold back chaos. 

In many other editions of D&D, Rangers had to choose a particular monster that they fight against. That makes it tricky for the DM to make sure the ranger’s enemies show up frequently enough for this choice to be relevant. Rangers in 5e choose between being specialized in single big monsters or hordes of small monsters. I think this is a very smart move, since it means so many different monsters will give the ranger a chance to shine. It doesn’t suggest much in the way of story, but it’s a great decision. 

It’s hard not to love the Rogue. Like the Barbarian, one can see their origins in fantasy literature characters like Conan, (who was often a thief), Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, and the denizens of the Thieves’ World stories, especially Shadowspawn. From their origins as the Thief back in the old days, they’ve evolved as the paragon of skill users, doing things that most characters can only dream of. They’ve always walked a thin line with the concepts of law, and they’ve stolen their way into the hearts of many players. 

Two fairly generic paths pop up with the Rogue – Assassination and Thievery. Thievery is fairly straight-forward – you are a criminal, or, at least, someone who has run afoul of the law. I love criminals who are now working for the forces of good. I think it’s a very evocative idea. Even more so, I love a note mentioned in the Assassination section that suggests that some who follow this path do so to rid the world of evil. I love this idea immensely. It makes me think of a dark avenger concept. The Arcane Trickster archetype, however, makes it feel like this could be a particular order. Maybe this is what the tieflings have brought to the party (vs. the dragonborn giving us the Eldritch Knight, as mentioned in the last article).

I love thief guild concepts, so I suspect there will be some of this in my setting, at least in the largest cities. More so, however, I like the idea of an organization of assassins dedicated to destroying evil. I jot down the name Shadow Angels and think that it might have an origin story similar to Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride. I think also of the Faceless Men from A Song of Ice and Fire and their philosophical attitude towards killing people. I think this could add a lot of flavor to my setting. 

Again, we have elements of our setting coming from the classes of the game. Although we have hints of other classes in the offing, such as warlocks, sorcerers, warlords, and the like, we can’t yet speak to them. Perhaps when we can, we’ll be able to add more details to Beyond the Borderlands, but we’ve certainly added more to what we had thanks to the classes of the game. Next article, we’ll look at the role of the spellcasters of the game, including some that have been offered in Unearthed Arcana articles.

[fantroll-purgatory]

World: Alternia

Name: Eunoma Lesedi

(The Greek goddess of law and legislation, name translates to good order/governance according to good laws + the word for light in South African)

Age: 9.5 sweeps

Theme/Story: Law/Politics/Mutation? I think I just thought it was a cool idea for a mutation and liked the backstory I came up with for her

She is a rare fuchsia with an even rarer mutation, which would under normal circumstances entitle her to a culling. That is had she not been taken pity on by her mother. She had no idea why she showed her such kindness. It was probably a combination of the similarity of her look to that of the rainbow drinker and the opportunity for the mother to insure a proper ruler was raised for a change. She was raised in the caverns by her jade guardian with other jades acting as sisters but now that she is old enough to take care of herself she has been sent off to live in an old abandoned desert hive which long ago belonged to a jadeblood who raised a virgin mother grub like Kanaya. It is deep enough in that sandy deathtrap that she doesn’t have to worry about anyone finding her. It gets pretty lonely and she misses her mom and sisters but it also allows her to focus on her work and studies. (There is A L  O T going on in this backstory, but I think it’s kind of workable? I think there needs to be considerable intent in why she was saved, however. This isn’t the kind of thing a Jade (especially not many of them) would do lightly. Eunoma might not learn why yet, but there has to be a motivation, a goal they’re trying to achieve. Perhaps the Fuschia blood is part of it? Maybe they’re some Jades who wanna stage a full on rebellion and want to use her as a figurehead? An albino Fuschia taking down the Condesce would be a potent political symbol.)

Goals: One of my ancient OCs I wanted to fix up but turns out I need some help! So a general overview/everything (Alright, here we go!) (As a heads up, I took pity on you and am not deleting the other trolls you submitted in rapid succession, but for future reference- please don’t do that.)

Strife Specibus: 3dentkind

(Uses a trident she made herself with the help of her mother) (I’m really getting “Raised to be a political symbol” out of this. Why would she be raised to be just like an Heiress if there wasn’t a purpose behind it? Logically she’d otherwise be raised to be more Jade than anything.)

Fetch Modus: Idk honestly

Blood Color: Fuchsia

Symbol and Meaning: Pira, Sing of the Visionary

Handle: luminousJurist

Quirk: Ta|k in a ca|m yet cønfident vøice. (Proper punctuation, replaces L with | and O with ø) (Like this. Simple is often the way to go.)

Special Abilities: Her mutation, which would best be described as form of albinism that mimics rainbow drinker looks and abilities (meaning she can stay out in the sun) (hmmmmHMMMM I am unsure how exactly this would work- Kanaya could just go out in the sun before she was a Rainbowdrinker. I guess you can just handwave it as “unlocking dormant parts of the Fuschia genome” or something. Trolls have a tenuous link to biology as it is.)

Lusus/Guardian: Raised by a jadeblood in the caverns with other jades acting as her sisters before she left, mainly because she was always presented as a mutant jadeblood (which is also why she is hiding her sign, wearing it as a necklace under her shirt) by her mother in order to have her be more accepted (My main gripe with this is that it’s very unlikely, unless she never really interacted with the other Jades, that they wouldn’t know she’s not a Jade. Troll tears are tinted, and wrigglers are highly pigmented. Also all it would take is a slight cut and the jig is up. I think you’ve got to make them more complicit in the hiding and raising if this backstory is gonna come off as plausible.)

Interests: The crime, mystery and legal drama genres, whether it be books, movies, shows or games. She is also fascinated by law and the legal system and she loves studying about it, writing reforms and planning how to bring justice and order into Alternia when she claims the throne. Calligraphy is also something she finds fun to do while brainstorming. Her only non work related hobby is collecting plushies. (I like this a lot. I bet she reads about Redglare and gets mad all the time. Maybe she’s a big Summoner fangirl? He was a mutant who raised a rebellion against the culling system.) (I’d ordinarily recommend having more hobbies that aren’t “work” related, but given your character’s history, it makes a lot more sense for her to be fixated on it, even if she doesn’t realize that quite yet.)

Personality: Eunoma is obsessed over making the right decision and being a fair and just ruler. She has first hand seen and felt the cruelty of Alternia and while she is honest to a fault and rather blunt, she does this not to hurt feelings but because she feels it is the right thing to do. She is pushing herself into indifference and molding herself into the perfect middle man, erasing any opinion which might sway her judgement. Still she is disciplined and harsh, mainly on herself but also others, a strict believer in following rules to the letter and always scrutinizing her own actions. She thinks she can always do better, a perfectionist to whom nothing will probably ever be enough. She is uptight and antisocial, awful at working and even just talking with other trolls, as social cues tend to go over her head and even her own emotions very much confuse her, not to mention those of others. But on the other hand lies and motivations are something she understands and sees through all too well. She is good at predicting what people will do and spotting a liar or faker from a mile away. (We got a Mind player here! I’ll talk more about this later but you’ve got a solid character written in here. But I think you’ve got something mixed up in here: You open saying that she’s opinionated and blunt, but latter say she’s indifferent and grey-aligned?) (I think you meant “impartial” as in, “having no bias”, though. Which would make a lot more sense. Obsessed with being equal- having a character flaw of not quite getting the difference between Equal and Fair would help flesh her out, especially given that she’s right at the age where she’d be viscerally learning that difference.) (I think “follows the rules to the letter” is a little... odd? For someone who’s only course of action on the current law system would be to die messily. I think her having her own code of ethics that she strictly follows would be much better (especially with her classpect) than being a blind rules follower. She’s a path-maker, not a path-walker!)

Lunar Sway: Prospit (I think an interest in that “genetic destiny” thing that Trolls love would do her some good with this. Get her a little more going with the flow, taking threads of the past and weaving them into changes today. Seeing herself a bit in The Sufferer and The Summoner and other ancient rebellions would do her a lot of good, I think. Give her some motivation.)

Title: Mage of Mind

(She suffers form being an overly logical outcast and needs to learn to not only let loose but also let people in, she is way too defensive from having to hide her whole life and needs to learn to open up and allow herself to feel emotions) (I do think Mage is the way to go with her. The Active Knower, the Leader and Shepherd as opposed to Seer, the Teller and Teacher. She’s someone who NEEDS to get up on her soapbox and tell the world that this isn’t how it has to be, that we can make other choices, and she’s making those choices right now.) (Pathwise, I think she needs a bit more spirit of her own. Her Dolorosa-stand in needs a firmer hand in her development if she is to grow as well. There needs to be an interplay of “I know you THINK you know what’s right, Mother, but I KNOW what needs to be done, and I’m going to DO IT my way” by the end of her arc.)

Land: Land of Forums and Debate

(The Denizen has devided the people of her land and pinned them against each other. With corrupt politicians, censorship and high tension in the air, this whole place is one wrong word away from a civil war. It is her job to fix the corrupt system, unify the people of the land again and open up constructive discussion.) (She’s gotta win the arguments and lead the people! A pale girl in a world of fountains and marble! It’s pretty classic, but it fits her development as already-being-half-there on her Classpect, but needing the extra push to really do it.) (This was a much easier review than I expected, my comments are mostly for guiding this vision of her to completion as opposed to full overhauls. You’re most of the way there!) -SA

[mooncorebunny]

Settings menu mockup for a VN engine

I know, it's a bit .....

One might think something as simple-looking as a settings menu wouldn't take too much effort to create, but there's a lot of design and implementation detail that must be taken into account!

Take a screenshot of the existing game state, and blur it. Dynamic runtime gob. Over this, a fullscreen gradient overlay, the same as used on the front end, at 50% alpha. Dialog elements are drawn over this.

Design considerations:

Group settings using tabs or pages

Needs good usability by all input methods

Settings should have clear values, not mysterious icons or animated toggles

Use greying out and clear highlighting to indicate active dialog area

Use color on setting values but only for emphasis, must be readable even without

Each setting has a description explaining what it does to minimise confusion

Show description on highlight

Window size probably doesn't need to be editable graphically. The auto option is good enough for most cases, and otherwise the user can edit the ini file. Trying to set a window pixel size would be a bit annoying in a gamepad-driven menu, due to the large number ranges involved. Fullscreen mode is also always at the native resolution now, so no settings required for it.

Setting groups:

Graphics: UI magnification, Pixel scaler, Font selection, VSync

Audio: Sound mute, Sound volume, Effects volume, Speech volume, Interface sounds, Synthesizer, Soundfont

System: Protagonist name override, Analog stick deadzone, Internal translator, Translator literations, External translator, Translator command, Test external translator

When using a keyboard or gamepad, the tab row starts in focus. Selecting one changes focus to the list of settings. Selecting a setting may make a further focus change or change the view. When using a mouse, mouseovering either section immediately switches focus. Focus is indicated by the highlight box, which is either around a tab box, or around a setting line.

The top tab buttons ought to be four separate textboxes. At least one is always selected, indicated by a bold font and color change, and the tab box is offset downward slightly. Using the keyboard or gamepad immediately selects a new tab, showing a new list of settings. Using the mouse, must click a tab to change, but change the color halfway on mouseover. The middle two boxes are aligned on both sides of the horizontal middle; the other two boxes snap to them, so the tab collection is always centered. (Invisible spacer gobs to space out the buttons?)

The setting list should be presentable as a two-column choicebox. Set to scrollable on demand, in case font is too big for all settings to fit. Sliders and other possible widgets must be managed by the textbox. Can use OnHighlight callbacks and GetHighlight to implement interaction. Plain choice select should also work, since it'll go right back to the latest highlight on immediate choicematic reactivate so looks as if it never deactivated. Must trap and handle left/right keys explicitly.

When tabs are in focus:

Choicematic is disabled but settings list remains pre-printed

Highlight box is directly controlled by script over the active tab

Mouseover highlights a different tab

Left/right or click selects a different tab (don't wrap horizontally), clears and prints relevant settings list

Down/confirm moves focus to the settings list

Mouseovering the settings list moves focus there

Esc/cancel/right-click exits the settings menu

Selecting the rightmost "OK!" tab also closes the menu

When settings list is in focus:

Choicematic is enabled

Up/down or mouseover changes highlight in choicematic, standard choice controls

Confirm/click selects an option

Right-click is ignored

Esc/cancel moves focus back to the tabs

Left/right moves focus back to the tabs and immediately selects a different tab

Mouseovering the tabs area moves focus back there

[placeofwonder]

11 Tag

(Rules: Answer eleven questions, make eleven questions and tag eleven people)

@twoeyedcrow tagged me in this quite a while ago (Thank you!! I love ask games) and I haven’t done it yet because I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to come up with any interesting questions, but whatever.

Favourite type of weather?

Wind! Rain! Occasional sun visible through the clouds but just to make everything pretty and bright never to the extent where it can be Mean and Hot! Maybe throw in a rainbow or two! Oh and thunder and lightning!

How do you feel about graveyards?

Last summer in our holidays we were staying in a small building that belonged to a larger estate and one night we went out exploring and ended up on the graveyard next to the garden and it was one of these graveyards that are still in use but really old and it was dark and scary. But right now I live opposite a graveyard and it’s just a place where people were buried apart from that one grave where the stone plate on top of it has sort of cracked and sunk down, which I see every day when I take the bus.

Is philosophy necessary?

I’m bad at answering this question because I’m never sure how to define necessity, but I would definitely say that Thinking About Things is an important part of life and society. Or something.

If you could spend a day with a fictional character, who would it be?

Now how do I decide this with so many options to choose from? I’m reading American Gods right now though except I had to stop because I need to “focus on required reading” i.e. procrastinate my required reading by not reading anything and Mr Wednesday is a wonderful old fucking bastard and I don’t want to like him but I do and also I miss this book, so that’s my choice.

What “unnatural” haircolour would you choose?

Red probably? I never had the urge to dye my hair, but if I had to, I’d choose some kind of ginger colour so I guess I’d pick some shade of red that is just bright enough not to count as natural.

Or just grey or white like an old lady, which might count as unnatural due to my age?

What kind of chocolate (dark, milk, white) is best?

Dark Dark Dark fucking fight me

Your opinion on Docs, ‘stocks, crocs?

I had to Google that one. My opinions are looks neat, still not sure what this means, not my thing, in that order.

If English isn’t your first language - do you understand Scots?

My first language is German. I understand written Scots and when it’s spoken it depends on how fast the person is speaking.

Which birds are the most annoying, and why? (DISCLAIMER: birds in general are very good)

I tried to eat by the seaside today and seagulls immediately came to circle over my head until they saw it was salad and fucked off, but I’d still say that’s pretty annoying. To be fair though, the only leaf of salad I lost was one that the wind blew away, but that’s not a bird.

An item of historical/vintage clothing you want to bring back?

Uuuhh I don’t know enough about this but so many kinds of things that I imagine men wore primarily in the past (3-piece suits and just generally waistcoats, those jackets with just a shitton of buttons, bow ties, I don’t know) looks amazing and I’d say I’d like that to be contemporary fashion for women but tbh I think I’d have a Bisexual Crisis if that happened.

You have a 3D printer available to you. You are allowed to print one thing, though it can be made up of several parts. What do you print?

My first instinct is either a new hearing aid for my right ear because something is Wrong with the one I have and it’s making annoying noises sometimes but I’m not sure if I can get it fixed before I move back home OR some kitchen scales because we don’t have any but I realise that one of these could just be bought at the Tesco across the road. Also, I should probably be more creative and come up with something that isn’t already being conventionally produced, but alas, I’m not actually creative as the following 11 questions will prove. Most of them are the result of me looking around my room and coming up with questions based on the items I saw.

Do you like soup and if so, what’s your favourite kind of soup (totally not inspired by the soup alignment chart thingy that I saw recently)?

What scent of shower gel do you use?

Do you have a library card? If so, which books/items do you currently have on loan, if any?

Are you currently saving up for anything specific?

What’s your favourite bit of nature in the area where you live?

What’s the last new thing you consciously remember learning?

What do you typically do if you have a long commute or something like that?

What are you using as a bookmark in the book you’re currently reading (or in the last book you’ve read or one of the ones you’re reading right now)?

If you had to find a Secret Santa gift for an important person in your life (crush, best friend, partner, favourite relative, that elderly lady who lives across the road and always accidentally gets your mail), what would it be?

What does your most interesting pair of socks look like?

Which original of a famous work of art would you like to put in your room/flat/house?

And tagging the 11 most recent people from my notifications even though there’s no specific rule as to which 11 people you should tag: @obliviousstill, @no-ones-ghost, @zeitsrunningout, @gonna-touch-the-sky-bitch, @aureolinful, @wombat-pop, @iiamsatisfiedwithmycare, @flowers-n-bees, @kl-assic, @shuuos, @black-cat-aoife