#journaling game writing

[autumnalwalker]

Solarpunk Witch Masterpost

Note: This is mostly just a repost of a prior post of mine, but with a more indicative title regarding its content and thus more suited to future linking and editing should I ever get around to revisiting the project and adding more.

So anyway, back when I was working on @thearchivistsjournal, I made the ambitious-but-perhaps-ill-advised attempt to simultaneously write a second ongoing journal-style story on a fixed chapter schedule. This became what I've referred to from time to time on this blog as the "Untitled Solarpunk Witch Story." It was my first attempt at writing dialogue and proper prose (as opposed to all epistolary journal format) so it came out pretty rough and I put the project on hold indefinitely. It's something I'd like to revisit one day once I feel I can better do the idea justice, but I'm fond enough of the concept that I thought it might be fun to share the couple of chapters that I wrote for that rough draft.

Also, I wrote it as a part of playing the solo journaling game "Village Witch" by Eliot Silvarian. The idea was that each week I'd do a tarot card draw and use the corresponding prompt from that game as my prompt for that week. And, similar to The Archivist's Journal, the time passing IRL would correspond to the time passing in the story, albeit broken up into bigger chunks.

So, anyway, without much further preamble, here are the links to those rough chapters:

Prologue: Setting Out

Vernal Equinox, Five of Pentacles

Spring, Week 1, Seven of Cups

Spring, Week 2, Three of Swords

Spring, Week 3, Ten of Swords

Spring, Week 4, The High Priestess

Spring, Week 5, Five of Swords

See also: The Witches' Testaments, a series of interviews serving as a prequel of sorts regarding how the world made the transition from cyberpunk dystopia to what's seen here.

Also, a bit of worldbuilding trivia as to why the familiars take the form of robotic animals: Link

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In Stars and Disco

(Disco side of the swap)

[aftgphoenix]

I’m thinking of a Neil with a kid fic but the kid is one that Neil found abandoned somewhere as an infant and decided to raise them. Maybe after he buried his mom on his way to Arizona?

[kapilesque]

Sad and tired, I have nothing to offer other than silly billy doodles

But I decided to post them anyway

[valgeristik]

man with every job reference compilation. for funsies * 'bugs' includes: insects, spiders, snails n the like

Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser List

i'll elaborate a bit about the 'every job' part. kinda did so before in this post but that was like. a modern au kind of thing Anyway. Really found it funny how in botw+totk he is asked to do everything. hes the carpenter hes the designated driver hes the cook hes the engineer, etc, etc, AND he does do it all, too. so honestly, the post from a year ago works still, just needs a bit of tweaking re: terms. if im making sense rn. but do u see my vision...

[formulapookie]

rosquez for on a scar pls<3

20. on a scar

Marc is tracing a pattern between all the moles on Vale’s chest, head resting on the older’s arm as he strokes his hair.

This is one of the moments Marc prefers in their newfound routine. The domestic feeling of belonging somewhere that’s not a place per se, but the arms of someone you love so dearly, like Marc loves Vale.

Vale is home to him as much as he is home to Vale.

It’s enough to look one of the two in the eyes while he’s watching the other do anything.

It’s pure love.

Vale watching Marc pace around the house? Love Marc watching Vale cook? Love Vale watching Marc getting ready to go train? Love Marc watching Vale while he explains to him all the different kinds of wines he has in his cellar? Love

Vale is looking at Marc right now, and he wants nothing more than to hug him tight and never let him go again.

He’s divine, perfect body, out of this world face, amazing personality and that god forsaken smile that never fails to brighten up Vale’s days.

Vale’s eyes lock on that scar, one of too many, the one which had Marc almost stop racing, the one he got back in 2020, when he was so high on painkillers and antibiotics he hallucinated Vale being with him, in Cervera, holding him at night when the pain was too much.

Vale hates it.

Not the scar as a thing, but what it means.

They weren’t speaking back then, not even a greeting.

Not even “hello” if they met in the hallways of some hotel they were both in.

And when Marc had gotten injured, and declared he was going to miss the season because he had to get surgery, and because his arm hurt too much and had to undergo rehabilitation Vale hadn't called.

Or texted. Or sent anything to say “I’m sorry you’re going through that, as a rider I know how awful that must be”

Nothing. Complete Radio silence.

The scar reminds him of what he had managed to get of those years, 2020 especially, when he wasn’t there.

Marc didn’t like to talk about it, he hid his scar for the majority of times, either with sleeves or bandages or simply sitting, standing or laying making sure to cover it.

But Alex did.

He told Vale everything, how awful he was for letting his brother suffer alone, calling for him during the night, blindly reaching out to someone who wasn't there, who was probably at some club getting shitfaced with his friends, who was probably making fun of him.

He had told him how Marc, in his less lucid moments, thought Vale was really there, and he would find his brother hugging a pillow, sleeping while hugging it tightly and sometimes telling Alex not to yell because he would’ve woken Vale up.

Vale’s fingers find their place tracing the outline of the scar, slowly, feather-like touches.

Marc tenses up, his hand not moving anymore.

Vale leans down tentatively, slowly, he doesn’t want to do something that will drive Marc away.

But Marc lets him, waits to see what will happen.

He presses a light kiss on the boy’s scar, then locks gazes with him.

There’s tears in Marc’s eyes, while he looks at Vale, because the scar is something they never talk about.

Vale just knows that if Marc is hurting 90% of the time it’s that arm.

“You’re beautiful, every part of you is, even the ones you don’t like, they’re perfect”

Marc can’t keep the tears in anymore, he just breaks down in Vale’s arms, sobbing loudly as Vale hold him tighter than ever before.

It’s not often he sees Marc crying like this: real, deep, hurt.

The last time he had seen him like that was after Sepang, when Vale had doubted Marc ever being a fan of his and had called him other names too.

That night, when Vale was in his hotel room with a bunch of the Yamaha crew and some friends Marc had gone to him, lips red and patchy from Marc obviously biting them till they bled, fingernails bitten and the area surrounding them coloured of a bitter red.

He was standing in front of him, a sad face on, looking up at the man who was supposed to be the love of his life.

“Can we talk Vale please?”

“What do you - CUT IT FOR A MINUTE GUYS MARQUEZ CAME HERE - what do you want?”

Vale remembers his crew getting up from wherever they were sitting and going to the door to see how destroyed that kid looked.

“Can we talk like - without all these people?”

Marc was hurt, Vale could fucking see that, could feel the desperation coming from him.

“Talk or I’m shutting the door Marquez”

“I - why did you say that? About me, my room with your poster - you know they are there. You’ve been to mine you saw them”

Marc had looked for confirmation in Vale’s eyes, but had only found hatred and sick fun.

“If I was ever in your house it was in your wet dreams Marquez, surely I never set foot there”

And he laughed. Alongside with all the others.

Marc had stood there, heart caught in his throat, feeling laughs like daggers in every part of his body.

And he had cried, hot tears streaming down his face as he tried to walk away, shame surrounding him like a cloud.

Marc feels like that right now, ashamed weak, stupid.

Because he hates crying, much more so doing it in front of the man he loves.

And Vale is just holding him, cuddling him and stroking his back lulling him to make him calm down.

“I love you Marc, I love all of you, I always will”

He kisses the scar again, this time it calms the sobs down, Marc hiding his head more in the crook of Vale’s neck, waiting for him to finish.

“I love you too” Vale is happy, happy Marc is as well, because he deserves happiness more than anything right now.

Marc manages to fall asleep in his home, Vale’s arms, and slowly gets Vale back into his comfort zone.

“I am so sorry baby, so so sorry I wasn’t there”

A cut sob comes from Vale.

“But I promise I’m not letting go of you anymore, I want to bring you to the altar”

A third kiss on the scar, softer this time, like a peck, like a butterfly just rested her tired body on Marc’s scar, giving him a little relief.

Semd me a Ship name and a Number and I’ll write a kiss

[eziosofia]

"I’d been at The Old Avery. There were other taverns in Nassau, of course, and other brothels too, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t avail myself of both, but it was to The Old Avery that I returned, where Anne Bonny the barmaid would serve drinks (and there was no one prettier who ever bent to a bunghole with a tankard in her hand than Anne Bonny), where I’d spent so many happy hours in appreciation of that fine posterior."

ASSASSIN’S CREED: BLACK FLAG

[hungergameshyperfixation]

Oh you think you were a fan of Maysilee Donner, Haymitch Abernathy, Haymitch’s family + girlfriend, Katniss’s parents, Plutarch Heavensbee, the Undersees, the second Quarter Quell, etc, BEFORE Sunrise on the Reaping was announced?

How many of you wrote FANFICTION about them???

No seriously I’m not doubting you I just want some fanfic recs-

[intramoon]

Just my thoughts on InZoi (that no one asked for) ...

I am not a cynic but I am skeptical of any new "life simulation" games. And that's not to say I don't want The Sims to have a competitor, I think EA needs a competitor for The Sims. For the price tag of The Sims, EA needs pressure on them to address their complacency (with game content, the growing issues with paid content, etc). InZoi is far from that. At face value, I think the gameplay is unimpressive. I can understand why people are drawn to an in-depth, hyperrealistic character creation but to what end? The inclusion of AI, even if just for primarly patterns/textures, is an increasingly slippery slope. It's just for patterns ... for now, but how will AI provide shortcuts for the company in the future? That's one of my concerns and I think it's a bit shady for the company to have this feature. Any kind of AI generation has significant environmental impacts and contributes to art theft/the distribution of AI that has burdened the art community. I struggle to find a justifiable reason for the game having AI because I don’t think there is one. If you consider the computer that is needed to run a game with graphics like InZoi, the game isn’t accessible to people with “lower-end”/older PCs. An issue The Sims team had to address with the Sims 4 ie. the change in graphics and the game no longer being open world. I like that more people can play The Sims without needing a PC that is worth thousands of dollars. I keep seeing the comparison of InZoi to GTAV NPCs. As someone who has spent a lot of time playing with friends on GTAV FiveM servers, even those servers have better gameplay than I’ve seen with InZoi. Not to be funny but InZoi reminds me of those invasive 3D p*rn game ads.

The other aspect of InZoi that bothers me a little (maybe a lot) is the stark difference in how “regular” simmers are reacting to InZoi versus how some content creators/custom content creators are reacting. It’s a little frustrating for the people, even if through EA’s allotted 21-day early accesses, who make hundreds if not thousands of dollars off the community aren’t acknowledging let alone addressing the glaring concerns users have about InZoi. It seems many of them are going to brush these concerns aside for the opportunity to mod for the game (a game to me that doesn’t seem to value artists' work) and worse case scenario will jump ship to InZoi if Simblr takes issue with it.

It’s … interesting.

[acquired-stardust]

Game Spotlight #15: Policenauts (1996)

Ash finds herself firmly back in the Kojimaverse as she talks about the 1996 Sega Saturn version of Policenauts for Acquired-Stardust's first spotlight of our second year. Disappointing followup or misunderstood masterpiece? And just what is a "sexy adventure" anyway? Come read along as we answer all these questions and more!

Oh, Hideo Kojima. When last we covered his work in written form on the blog it was almost a year ago in the form of a spotlight on 1994's Sega CD port of Snatcher (which you can read by clicking here). If it wasn't already abundantly clear let me state the obvious: I'm a huge fan of the man and his work. I think he's one of gaming's top creative geniuses alongside the likes of Yasumi Matsuno, Fumito Ueda and Yoko Taro. But you could be forgiven for not sharing that feeling when looking at Policenauts on a surface level or by taking common talking points about it at face value.

Policenauts is something of a black sheep in the Kojima portfolio that is often maligned by people for being 'Snatcher but worse'. It has a similar fish out of water setup taking place in a near-future science fiction world. Its lead character, the womanizing Jonathan Ingram, has a similar relationship with a former lover to Snatcher's Gillian Seed and even looks a bit like him, a point that is alluded to in the game itself as part of a meta cameo (one of several callbacks and references to Snatcher). The sexuality and its use for attempts at comedy can be obnoxious and over the top. Some of the themes of Policenauts are also retreads of themes Snatcher deals with, which can certainly dip into feeling like they were less effective this time around. What's more, the game is far more linear and on-rails than Snatcher, presenting far fewer opportunities to tinker with it and discover much in the way of hidden easter eggs or cleverly placed extras. Some of its later developments feel a little bit like 'a hat on a hat' and not entirely necessary. Its featured romance is very forced and odd (though ultimately executed extremely well). These things are all true.

Be that as it may, make no mistake about it: Policenauts is a fantastic experience that is, like its lead character, a fascinating time capsule from a long gone era. Following a similar blueprint to Snatcher's usage of various sci-fi media (most notably Blade Runner), Policenauts is heavily patterned after the Lethal Weapon franchise, and uses the familiarity one may have with its buddy cop formula to get its foot in the door before subverting your expectations as it deviates into its own original work rather quickly.

Opening after an accident in combination policeman-astronaut (the titular Policenauts) Jonathan Ingram's testing of a high tech mech suit during a spacewalk outside of the space colony Beyond Coast that sends him adrift in space for 25 years while cryogenically frozen, Jonathan picks up where he left off by becoming a private investigator of meager success in Earth's Old LA. Finding himself a stranger in a world he is 25 years removed from and stricken with severe cosmophobia from his ordeal. Jonathan's former wife has moved on and remarried. His four fellow policenauts have settled into comfortable lives on space colony Beyond Coast as something of heroes and celebrities. Forced to overcome his cosmophobia when a very personal case sends him once more to Beyond Coast, Jonathan reunites with his best friend and former fellow policenaut Ed Brown (himself still a cop on the aforementioned space colony) to unravel a conspiracy.

It's often said that Jonathan is a very unlikable character, but I find the opposite to be true. There is a solemness, sadness and resilience to him that comes across very well, being inherently at odds with a time that did not stop and life that moved on without him. Much is also made, as previously noted, of his womanizing, and I'd like to address that talking point by first pointing out that much like Snatcher, the vast majority (in fact all but one or two instances) of the sexuality of the game is entirely optional and serves as a bit of meta humor. Jonathan's inability to control himself is a direct result of his literal inability to control himself as he is at the complete mercy of the player, who can decide to pester multiple female characters to with zero benefit. Just as well, Policenauts lands firmly in the genre of something I like to call 'Sexy Adventure', a term borrowed from a song featured in the iconic Lupin III franchise that contains works you might be familiar with such as Space Dandy, City Hunter, Dirty Pair and indeed Lupin III.

Several tropes of the genre include a strong sense of Japanese sensuality and horniness, action sequences involving guns and cars, romance, large scale conspiracies and characters who are masters of their particular fields to an absurd degree. Jonathan's womanizing, something almost exclusively indulged in as optional behavior by the player, is certainly less than Arsene Lupin III for example, but coming to terms with the horniness of this micro-genre is imperative if you hope to enjoy anything it has to offer. Just as well, Policenauts' original release platform before being ported to the Sega Saturn was the PC98 which (along with the earlier PC88) was known for a frankly overwhelming amount of pornographic hentai games. To a large extent this was very much the norm for games on the platform and the time, and while nothing in Policenauts borders on pornographic, the sexuality of it is to be expected.

Policenauts doubles down on a distinguishing feature of Snatcher in its thorough worldbuilding, and is perhaps the key area that the game shines in most especially when compared to Snatcher. Containing an in-game encyclopedia that is always accessible at the touch of a button, it is dauntingly dense and features countless clickable entries detailing many aspects of life, culture and science in the Policenauts universe, often dipping into heavy doses of hard science with surprisingly detailed explanations behind even mundane parts of everyday life on Beyond Coast, such as biodegradable plastics, a problem which Kojima envisioned solved by 2040. I was a bit taken aback by given the foresight of the plastics issue given our own real-world news cycles being dominated by topics like microplastics in recent years.

The level of real science involved in the encyclopedia is rewarding for those of us who like to devour every bit of information we can get our hands on and can pick out the real from the fictional and it helps make Beyond Coast feel all the more real. The sci-fi Japanifornia that is Beyond Coast is almost a character unto itself to an even further extent than Snatcher's setting of Neo Kobe and remains in my book one of the most fleshed out and believable settings in all of gaming. Furthermore the knowledge Hideo Kojima has in a time before the level of availability and access to information we have in the current internet age is hugely impressive.

Overwhelming density is a recurring aspect of the game which may make or break your enjoyment of it. For a game that is less interactive than Snatcher it is somehow more dense, intimidatingly so if you are willing to indulge in its encyclopedia and really study the universe that Kojima created. The player is also able to examine a shocking number of elements of backgrounds and get multiple optional lines of dialogue about them, although as previously noted Policenauts offers much less in the way of diversion and distraction, and is significantly more linear.

Some of the core themes and strengths of Policenauts are similar to Snatcher, and while not all of them are as well executed this time around, a number of them exceed Snatcher. The importance of family, as well as different utilizations of it, is highlighted through the game. For Jonathan it is a trauma. A source of obligation and a constant reminder of not belonging in the world. Fellow former policenauts Ed Brown and Joseph Sadaoki Tokugawa are also used to explore these themes, with Ed's family keeping him grounded after personal and professional tragedy leaves him similarly traumatized and Tokugawa's lineage is a guiding beacon, instilling in him an ambition that sees his rise to the head of the Tokugawa Corporation, which has become large enough in the 25 years Jonathan spent in cryo sleep that it's said to quite literally own outer space. Ed's scenes with his family are perhaps the emotional core of the game and are shockingly well done for a game that features slapping a woman's breasts in an attempt to swat a mosquito.

Further themes explored are the way that the past becomes the future, and how easily it is manipulated by bad actors with agendas when few people who lived through it are around to contradict those agendas and narratives. Policenauts also plays into real history in its utilization of time as a story theme with its character names, often referencing real Sengoku-era Japanese family clans.

It is a fascinating predictor for some of the subjects explored through some of Kojima's later works. The toll that time takes on individuals is is also a constant fixture of the story. Pioneering heroes become broken down and traumatized. Corruption will slowly trickle in if you allow it to in ways that a past self would've stood against. One's life can always change in the future for both better and worse in ways that the present self could never have foreseen.

Jonathan contrasts Snatcher's Gillian Seed masterfully in this particular regard as a man who is a literal manifestation of the past, confronting his former comrades and the state of the world head-on as a reminder of the bright ideals that guided mankind to space to begin with. Also of particular note, without delving too much into spoiler territory, is the remarkable way that Jonathan trusts the corrupting factor of time to help Ed's son Marc given all the damage Jon has seen it do to those around him as well as the world itself.

Although there is a genuine tension to the game as well as a real feeling of both being and interacting with important in-universe figures, the conclusion of the game is a bit lackluster and sudden. Policenauts' plot is largely intentionally predictable, only containing a few twists you might not expect. The game's romance, previously noted as being a bit inexplicable, is ultimately resolved very satisfyingly and in a way that reinforces some prominent themes of the game.

Just as well the game takes criticism of Snatcher (and adventure games as well as visual novels as a whole) a little unevenly. It is far more linear than Snatcher, but features significantly more combat sections that see the player shoot an ungodly number of bullets and drop a frankly impossibly comedic amount of enemies by the end of the game. They are unnecessary and detract from the experience a bit, but understandable over-correctons to criticism of the traditional Japanese adventure game genre as well as Snatcher in particular.

As an aside, Policenauts features one of the most clever inclusions of a sound test mode that allows you to listen to various tracks from the game including its haunting opening theme "End of the Dark" as well as the fantastic "One Night in Neo Kobe" that was featured in the opening of Snatcher.

Policenauts is an uneven experience that in some ways reflects common trappings of its time while also looking forward to humanity's future. It asks some very pertinent questions about humanity's ability to conquer big issues if we are so unable to conquer the worst aspects of ourselves. Its usage of time and the trauma it can inflict on even the best of us can be rather sobering to see, and Jonathan's hope for Ed's son in the face of that is rather inspiring.

In some ways it reacts too strongly to criticism of adventure games as whole as well as Snatcher in particular by creating a lighter, more predictable and linear experience with more lightgun gameplay segments that detract from the overall package. Its sexuality and hamfisted comedy that comes part and parcel with the sexy adventure micro-genre can be a pain point, and it can be off putting in its density if you allow it to be. In some ways it is inferior to Snatcher, which makes an incredible case for the necessity of actually playing a good adventure game rather than just watching it that Policenauts sadly does not live up to.

But despite it all Policenauts is every bit as clever as Snatcher and in some ways it is just as strong, if not even stronger, a predictor of Hideo Kojima's future runaway success with Metal Gear Solid. Its highs may often not reach the peaks that Snatcher does, but even its valleys remain far higher than most games you could spend your time on and it remains a constant influence on some of the most popular indie game standouts like VA-11 Hall-A, 2064: Read Only Memories and Mullet Mad Jack.

If you have an interest in the works of Hideo Kojima, traditional Japanese style adventure games or the sexy adventure micro-genre, a vacation to Beyond Coast might be just the thing for you.

A gem hidden among the stones, Policenauts is undoubtedly stardust.

-- Ash

[autumnalwalker]

An Equinox Treat

So, once or twice I've mentioned a prior project that I started but never finished about a year ago that I referred to as the "Untitled Solarpunk Witch Story." It was my first attempt at writing dialogue and proper prose (as opposed to all epistolary journal format) so it came out pretty rough and I put the project on hold indefinitely. It's something I'd like to revisit one day once I feel I can better do the idea justice, but I'm fond enough of the concept that I thought it might be fun to share the couple of chapters that I wrote for that rough draft.

Also, I wrote it as a part of playing the solo journaling game "Village Witch" by Eliot Silvarian. The idea was that each week I'd do a tarot card draw and use the corresponding prompt from that game as my prompt for that week. And, similar to The Archivist's Journal the time passing irl would correspond to the time passing in the story, albeit broken up into bigger chunks.

So, anyway, without much further preamble, I just posted those rough chapters, and here's the links to them:

Prologue: Setting Out

Vernal Equinox, Five of Pentacles

Spring, Week 1, Seven of Cups

Spring, Week 2, Three of Swords

Spring, Week 3, Ten of Swords

Spring, Week 4, The High Priestess

Spring, Week 5, Five of Swords

[cassimothwin]

So you're looking for a system other than D&D...

Have you tried solo RPGs? Because it's not just "how can I play D&D alone" there's a whole world of cool stuff out there….And I want to tell you about it.

(I'm quite sick today so please forgive any incoherence or typos.)

First off, it's totally fine if you're more of a party person over a solo person. I just know a lot of people aren't aware of solo games, how they work, or the breadth of diversity you find among them.

If you ask about solo games, the first one mentioned is almost always Ironsworn. It's freeeee and comes with a lot of resources. The PDF is over 200 pages, so I understand if you don't want to dive in with Ironsworn quite yet.

Ironsworn has a large community, including support for Foundry and Roll20, along with many derivative works. It offers a gritty default fantasy setting, but encourages you to ignore that if you prefer another world… maybe one from another RPG you enjoy the lore from…?

BUT maybe you want something that isn't as much of a commitment (and maybe a little sad)?

Many Wretched and Alone games use a tumbling block tower to simulate a random ticking clock. It might represent your failing mental health, the barricade crumbling, the ship sinking…

One of the creators of the system has a great thread highlighting their favorite games. Just search Wretched an Alone on Itch.io to find even more.

And if you don't want to go buy a Jenga tower, there are some great random simulators out there. I've been able to play W&A games on road trips, using a deck simulator, a dice simulator, and a tumbling tower simulator. Here's tower replacement I like. It replicates the odds of a tumbling tower falling without being too complicated.

Carta is another cool system where you use a standard deck of playing cards to create a map that you explore. As you explore, you usually have to manage resourses to avoid something bad, but not always.

Here's a collection of several games made using Carta.

Dead Belt takes this concept and RUNS with it. You have a few things to track as you explore abandoned randomized ship decks, searching for a good payload. Upgrade your gear and do it again.

Does the thought of managing your character sound exciting? Do you enjoy soulslike games, like Elden Ring and Bloodborne?

Rune is a fresh release with a lot of third-party support already. It's pretty easy to pick up and play too.

Apothecaria and Apawthecaria have you making potions for the local village. Go out exploring, collect ingredients, and see if you can solve the greater mysteries of the land.

Interested in horror, but want a more narrative-driven experience? In Dwelling, you'll spend the night sleepless and alone in a haunted house. This is a very neat game.

Songs of the City is a delightful tarot game that you play once a day for a week. It's another narrative-driven game where you draw cards and cast magic to see small neat changes in the city you reside in.

Anamnesis, Anamnesis, Anamnesis. I talk about this game a lot because it's magical in its simplicity. There's nothing to track and it's an incredible way to generate character ideas or tell a story.

And now there are more Anamnesis games coming out (including mine) You don't need the original games to play any of the games you see here.

There are so many more games I want to talk about, but alas, this cold is making me stop there.

If you've written a solo game, streamed one, reviewed one, or have one you really like, I invite you to share it!

[thebramblewood]

Help, I think I've found the Sims 3 version of Lilith Vatore in Bridgeport and I already want her desperately. Also met this random bartender who I'm a little bit in love with too. (I swear I don't go looking for the ladies... the ladies just come to me naturally.)

[kedreeva]

can i participate in the WIP wednesday game even tho its for my masters thesis on science stuff….? i really need to write

you can do whatever you want forever

[sneakerdoodle]

I've put together a short solo journaling game; it's available to download for free, but if any donations are made they will be forwarded directly to an initiative dedicated to aiding women prisoners in Russia & educating the public about their experiences

I'm not really a TTRPG designer, this sort of happened on its own - but I do hope it has come together in a way that translates the intention behind it 👍🏻If you like it let me know it will boost my self-esteem a whole bunch

[formulapookie]

Diggianini 60

60. Truth serum/spell

He doesn't know precisely when it started, if this morning or yesterday already when he told his physiotherapist his shoulder hurt so much he barely could eat with that arm at lunch, all he knows is that this is really fucked up.

He cannot help but tell the truth, compulsively, repeatedly, about everything. He looked online for it, fearing a tumor or something similar, a problem with his brain maybe, neurons not acting properly.

Google told him there was a condition like his caused by a truth serum, the one you usually see in spy movies like James Bond, and he never actually thought those were real.

He read it can be contained in certain types of medicines and painkillers, and started reading through the impressively long list, it's always cited as a side effect, who even reads those, they're like Terms and Conditions that appear when you download an app on your phone. The serum is in two of the four painkillers he's prescribed, a rate of manifestation in the patient rated 1.5/1000, what a fucking joke really.

"Fuck"

In his job, lying is important, whenever they ask him about the shoulder, or the feelings after a race, he mostly lies, if he ever got the truth out it would be terrible for his PR image.

He quickly gets to the track, and starts walking around once he's inside his motorhome, pacing in weirdly shaped circles.

He wonders wether or not he should inform the PR team, Uccio maybe even, to ensure he's excluded from media questions until the effects die down.

Eventually he calls his PR manager, quickly explains the situation, and he assures him they'll take preventive measures to protect him from eventual mediatic disasters.

The one thing, or rather, person he didn't hold into count when thinking of his situation is Enea.

Him and Enea they have a kind of arrangement, a strange one, made back in Moto3, strengthened in Moto2 when they were teammates. The agreement is simple, the two of them fuck, but since it's only between them and only after races it's not a gay thing to do, they're just guys releasing adrenaline.

And it's been fine for years now, none of them ever rethinking about it, wanting to change something in the dynamic.

Well. Ok no that's a lie. Diggia wants to, has been wanting to do it for a long time now. He wants to be able to stay after they finish fucking, wants to hold Enea close in his arms, kiss him gently, stroke his hair as he falls asleep, breathe in his perfume when they lay side by side.

And of course he never told him that, Enea wouldn't like it, he's sure of it, whenever Diggia tries to go for a kiss after Enea jerks away, if he's too gentle while they have sex Enea will do something to get him to be rough, Enea never stays, Enea never lets him stay.

But - now what if they do this and then he speaks up? Would he tell people? Would he tell the media?

He'll have to avoid him. At any cost he'll have to avoid him. Or it's gonna go to shit.

•••

The race is over, Bez finished just ahead of him, he feels the arm hurting, he'll need more painkillers now, and Enea, he won.

He smiles absentmindedly when he sees the result of the Sprint race, he's happy for him. He'd be happier if it was him instead of Martin on the second step of the podium alongside Enea but he's happy like this too.

Seeing Enea smile it's worth staying a bit more in front of the TV screen in the garage than he should.

He gets cleared of media, declared "unavailable" for non-specified reasons.

He rests in his motorhome, when there's a knock on the door, and he goes to open it, thinking it's Uccio.

But when he opens it a strong smell of champagne hits him, the bright smile of his friend blinding him.

"Can I come in?" "Yeah"

Dammit, he should've said no. But he can't lie.

"You showered already Fabio? Could've waited for me" "Wanted to" "Oh you wanted to?" "Yeah"

Fuckfuckfuck stop please stop asking me these questions shut up shut up

He is clearly about to ask why but Diggia offers him a can of monster, which Enea refuses, smiling once again.

Diggia can't help but look at him, his soft features, soft lips, soft hair, soft skin, all remind him of the warm sensation he feels every time they fuck, when Enea is riding him and he's trying to slow down the pace a bit just to enjoy it for longer, or when Enea has his back against the mattress and keeps chanting his name, and Diggia wishes he could kiss the sound coming out of his lips instead of biting at his collarbone with force

"Well that's a shame now, but I won no? Don't I deserve a little celebration?" "Yeah you do" "Choose, you can decide-" "Vojo succhiarte il cazzo" (I wanna suck your dick)

Which gets Enea a bit incredule, because Diggia never sucked his dick, if not once while drunk, so it doesn't count. Because Diggia always (if not once, drunk there too) topped, and had Enea suck his dick not the opposite.

"Ok nice, let's get to the bedroom then"

And Diggia doesn't know how to react, he really does want to suck him off, but also only did it once, what if he's not good at it? He's had girls being bad at blowjobs, it really kills your libido.

His thoughts are shut off when he sees Enea taking off his leathers completely, he's wearing the white undersuit that makes Diggia go absolutely crazy, il clings to every muscle of his upper body, especially his pecs and biceps, and Diggia can't help but stare at the scene, because Enea looks simply perfect.

He checked, the truth serum makes it impossible to lie in general, wether to other people or to the affected individual itself. So each and every thought he's having is real, true, undeniably his.

He takes off his shorts, because God forbid he wears a shirt when he's in his motorhome, and he's left in boxers, the bulge visible already, while Enea is just wearing boxers and his damn white undersuit.

He wants to bite his tongue, to shut up before causing damages, but he's not quick enough.

"Leave the undersuit on, it's hot" fuck stupid ass idiot you're a dickhead

"Didn't take you for that type of things but yeah, as you wish Fabio"

Enea sits on the edge of the bed, he's clearly hard already, grey boxers doing nothing to hide it. And Diggia would stand there staring, but the need to make him feel good is stronger, and he quickly gets on his knees, tugging down Enea's boxers, who bites his lip and gets a hand in Diggia's hair.

Enea is bigger than him, not by far, but he's still longer, so his first attempts at swallowing him don't go too far, but nonetheless he manages to get more than half of his cock in his mouth, moving with a rhythmic pace and humming when near the base.

"You should do this more often you know Fabio? I bet you'd be able to take me whole after a few tries, you're so good already"

He fucking moans at the praise, causing Enea to buck his hips and make him choke. He lets go of his cock to cough, then gets back to working Enea up, using his hand to cover the part he can't yet reach with his mouth. Enea feels even bigger, his throat clenching around him, and the older is fucking loving it

Once Diggia resumes his pace is really not long before Enea needs to cum, and since the other today seems pretty up to doing thing he usually does, he forces him to let go, tilting his head back.

"I'm gonna cum on your face ok? You like that fabio" "Yes yes please do it" "You're so fucking needy today, open your mouth"

Diggia complies, opening up and taking his tongue out, and three seconds later he can taste the bitter taste of cum on his tongue, drops falling on his lips and cheeks as well, as Enea throws his head back moaning.

Diggia swallows everything, licking his lips and before he can do it Enea collects all that's left with his thumb, then presents it to Diggia, that sucks it clean making Enea moan again.

Now Diggia is really fucking hard, he needs to fuck Enea right now.

"On. Get on the bed Fabio, no don't worry about the lube, I prepped myself before coming here, figured it'd be better, right?"

And Diggia would normally say yes, it's better like this, but this fucking truth serum doesn't let him lie. Not in the slightest.

"Could've done it myself, I like watching you when I open you up" "Ah really? Well next time I promise you will ok?" "Ok" "Now get on with hit and fuck me"

Diggia doesn't wait, immediately taking off his boxers, squirts some lube on it and strokes his dick a few times. He didn't lie, he can't, about the under suit, but when he fucks him he wants to be able to leave marks, bites, hickeys, bruises all over his torso, hand-shaped bruises on Enea's hips looking sinfully attractive.

"Take - the undersuit I wanna see you without it, please"

Enea has never seen this side of Diggia, he sounds almost pathetic. God it's hot. He doesn't answer, just gets naked completely, laying down on the bed as Diggia parts his legs to get comfortable between them. He hooks one leg over his shoulder and pushes his cock inside, it goes without resistance, and it already has him moaning.

"Come on" "Yeah yeah ok"

The pace he sets is rude and quick from the start, Enea sounding so angelic already, he wants to kiss him, god he wants to kiss him and never stop doing it, he wants to make him his in every way, mark not only his chest, that can be easily covered, but his neck too, so high it can't be hidden, but displayed for the world to see.

"Fuck Fabio there, again, there please god yes like that"

He hits his prostate, again and again and again, moaning in his ear and panting hot air on his neck, wishing he could just sink his teeth there, in the invitingly soft flesh.

"Enea you're so good fuck I can't - I dreamt of doing this last night" "Mh don't stop, tell me that again" "You feel perfect around me I swear, every time we fuck I want it to last longer, want to keep you here in my bed forever"

It's all Enea needs to cum, hard and fast all over the sheets, moaning Diggia's name and clenching around his cock.

One, two, three, four thrusts and Diggia is coming too, and he's too close to Enea's ear, too taken from the moment, too fucking earnest.

"I love you"

He doesn't even realize it until he's filling Enea up, what he said can't be taken back, he's coming inside him and just told Enea the three words he swore to himself he's never tell him.

Fuck nononono he's gonna leave he'sgonnaleavehe'sgonnahateme he's never gonna look at me in the eyes again

Diggia pulls out in fear, staining the sheets, Enea turns around, half shock half surprise written on his face.

"Sorry sorry Bestia fuck" "No Diggia wait you said-" "C'ho sta roba che devo di per forza a verità e che me sta a fa impazzire, non posso mentirte Enea, non ce riesco, io me so innamorato de te e non so che cazzo fa"

They're still naked and panting from their orgasms, Diggia not looking at Enea in the eyes, too scared and disgusted with himself. Not being able to lie to himself comes with accepting the fact he does like guys, a lot, maybe even more than girls. And it's scary.

"C'ho paura Enea, che mo so frocio e te me odi e non me vuoi più vedere perché te faccio schifo" "Diggia" "Don't hate me please, don't hate me" "Fabio, look at me"

He does, because he's basically being forced to do it. Enea taking his face between his hands and looking at him with - softness?

"Fabio are you serious about the truth thing? You are not lying?" "No, it's like a serum or some shit in one of my painkillers" "Ok. I trust you. Now, can you say that again?" "What again?" "Tell me the truth, how you feel about me" "I love you" "Again" "I love you"

Enea kisses him, and it's not one of their usual rushed and bruising kisses, it's gentle, caring, slow.

"You. Fabio you have no idea how fucking long I wanted to hear these words coming from you" "What do you mean? You were the one who said no staying over, or no kissing unless we're fucking, or no -" "I was scared you idiot. Scared you'd hate me"

Diggia wants to punch himself in the face right now.

"No no no Enea I could never hate you no, I love you, have loved you for a long time now, I want to be with you, properly, want to kiss you and hold you after we have sex, and stay over"

Enea smiles again, and to Diggia it's perfection again, perfection made human, hopefully made his.

"I'll stay then, as long as you want, I'm not going anywhere, I love you Fabio, I'm so glad that stupid serum got you to tell the truth" "Me too"

They kiss again, and it feels like two puzzle pieces fitting together after being apart in a box full of extra pieces, trying to find each other.

Put That Guy in a SituationTM Ask Game/Prompt!