#like if it's meant to resemble the player no matter what

[invinciblerodent]

a little highlight from the Nautiloid last night, this uh

this thing, it.

it has her face

so she'll probably never be free from that particular nightmare, which is cool

[h3arts4strs]

Birds of a Feather

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K. Sato x fem!Reader

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01 ᯓ★ After years of not seeing or hearing from your old friend, Kenji Sato, it’s announced the player would be making a return to Japan. Although you have decided to leave that life behind, an unexpected encounter is made.

WORD COUNTᯓ★ 1.2K

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“Western baseball sensation, Kenji Sato, is finally coming home.” My attention immediately shifted from what was meant to be a crochet sweater but rather resembled a Thneed from The Lorax, to reach for the TV remote to increase the volume. “It's reported that the famous baseball player will be returning home and joining the Japanese Giants this season! Pretty exciting-“, it was at that point I switched off the TV and let out a sigh. It has been years.

Ken and I had a strong bond in the past, one bound together through child wonder, the thought of something lasting forever and a shared love for Ultraman. I still remember the first day we met, sometimes shamelessly catching myself thinking about the incident. It was a summer afternoon at a primary school baseball game. Due to the sport being newly established at my school and the few numbers at the time, the boy and girl teams had been conjoined to make up for the numbers. I could still recall the lush grass underneath my shoes as I gripped the baseball bat, ready to swing and woo the crowd of students who had stayed after school. The pitcher, a dark-haired boy whose head was too big for his shoulder was getting in position, waiting for the signal from the coach. One, two, three, ball! The ball was hurdling towards me, its speed picking up as it got closer and closer. I kept my eye on the ball then, smack!

I dropped my bat and my hands immediately flew to my right eye, gently applying pressure in a poor attempt to alleviate the pain I felt. How embarrassing. Members of my team were flocking to check my condition as I was still in shock. The team surrounded me as the coach gently removed my hands from my eye, revealing the dark ring that had started to form from where the ball hit me. It was that day that I had met the boy who hit me with the ball, it was that day I had met Kenji Sato.

It was through the baseball incident we started talking and quickly became the best of friends, often going out after all baseball games to get delicious frozen treats or play superheroes in the park. One of my favourite memories with Kenji was, the time he gave me the best advice, something I carry with me every day. It stemmed from primary school and how I would be alienated or made fun of for how I looked. Whether it was for my skin colour, hair, or how I sounded, especially when speaking in broken Japanese, I became the talk of the school. I hated it. I hated how my name was an inside joke to many cliques. I hated myself. The relentless teasing led to me always begging my mom to let me straighten my hair, in an attempt to fit in. Kenji noticed this, prompting the best advice he has ever told me, something that will forever stick with me, ‘kids will talk no matter what, so give them something good to talk about’. It was moments like that that had us stuck at the hip until a forceful separation was made a few months later, Ken was moving to America. 

At that point in time, it felt as if the world had ended at the fruitful age of 11, unbeknownst to what awaited me in my years of adolescence. My best friend would be moving across the North Pacific, to the world of the west, leaving Japan and me behind. We then made it a mission to keep contact, not allowing our friendship to falter and for the first year and a half we did just that. The strength of our bond could not be questioned as it was that strong and not once had I ever been left to wonder are we still friends. It was only until I noticed he messaged less and less and took longer to reply and when he did, it seemed forced. I was naive to think that we would stay the same, to believe that he would get tired of this distance. We were like two slow dancers, experiencing each other's comforting embrace until the song's ending would inevitably force us to part. I can’t blame him. Life happened and we unfortunately never spoke again, leading me up to my present, one where I sit snuggled up in a warm blanket as I attempt to crochet while having the ambience of the TV fill my luxury apartment.

I would love to meet up with Kenji again and see how he’s been doing after all these years but the thought of it being an interaction is nothing short of that awkward tension with constant “oooh”, “That’s cool” and “By the way, sorry for not messaging you anymore out of the blue, I was feeling a bit silly” so it would be best I leave that chapter behind, continue living life as I have been. After coming to my conclusion I decide to retire for the night, getting ready for a busy day as a KDF fighter pilot.

. . . 

As the sun shines through my blinds, I slowly rise, stretching until a satisfying pop noise escapes my back. I go about my regular morning routine and change into my fitness wear which consists of sweatpants, a compression jacket and some trainers. After battling with my hair, I managed to put it into an updo, practical yet adorable. I grab my headphones, phone and house keys and go out for a morning run. 

I had started incorporating morning runs on weekends as a way to remain active when I was not able to surf and enjoy other water activities. As my body carried me on the boardwalk at a steady pace, I listened to my favourite artist and mentally planned out my day, I was going to go home, freshen up and explore the city, discover small shops that hid in the crooks and crannies of the city, have lunch at a cute cafe then return home, it would be the perfect self-care day. 

I continued to run, enjoying the salty breeze that gently blew on my face, the rising sun that warmed me up and the sound of crashing waves I could hear over my music. My mind and body felt amazing, being able to reconnect with nature after a long week of flying and capturing was therapeutic.

After running my routine 5km, I headed towards the nearest smoothie bar to get myself the tasty treat I deserved after doing my run and beating my previous time constraint. I walk into the shop, enjoying the feeling of the AC cooling down my body. I analysed the options on the menu and decided to go with a simple berry smoothie. Once my order had been prepared and I reached over the counter to receive my drink, I felt someone tap my shoulder. When I turned around to see who was behind what they needed, “Hey, it's been a while."

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✮chérie

[misshoneyimhome]

500 FOLLOWERS FESTIVAL

“So you think my legs are going to magically spread for you?” I Matthew Tkachuk

Summary; Despite your mutual disinterest, as the younger sister of a Florida Panthers player, it was inevitable that you would cross paths with Matthew Tkachuk at the celebration party.

Tropes & warnings; Matthew Tkachuk x reader, enemies to lovers, player's younger sister, Stanley Cup celebration, alcohol consumption, language

Other notes; So, lovely babes, this is my first time writing for Matthew Tkachuk, so I'm beyond excited to hear what you think of it 🙏🏼 Also, this idea has been on my mind for a while, so hopefully it turned out well ✨ I really hope you enjoy it 🌺

Word count; 4.2K

Taglist; @couldawouldashoulda50 @findapenny@justwanderingbutneverlost @cixrosie

➼｡ﾟ

The Florida sun slowly sank behind the streets of Miami, casting a golden light over the lively chaos following the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup victory. The city was buzzing with joy, fans filling the streets, waving banners, and chanting team chants. 

And as a guest at the team's exclusive post-championship party, you navigated through a sea of ecstatic family members and hockey players; the venue was a swanky club, decorated in gold and red, resembling the team’s colours.

Being the younger sister of a Panthers defensemen had its perks, but tonight, it mostly meant being pulled into conversations with unfamiliar faces. You spent the evening listening to hockey tales and politely acknowledging jokes you didn’t quite get. The loud music and constant chatter were starting to give you a headache, and you yearned for some peace.

So, leaning against the bar, you nursed a drink and tried to fade into the background. And sensing your need for a break, the bartender handed you a fresh cocktail with a sympathetic smile. You took a sip, the cool liquid a relief from the heat and noise.

However, just as you began to relax, a familiar voice broke your reverie. "Well, if it isn't y/n y/l/n," Matthew Tkachuk drawled, his smirk as irritatingly charming as ever, leaning beside you at the bar, his gaze meeting yours.

You rolled your eyes. "Tkachuk," you replied, your tone dripping with the disdain that had characterised your interactions from the start. He was a forward for the team, undeniably talented, though you’d never admit it aloud.

And even worse, he looked effortlessly handsome in a well-tailored suit that managed to be both relaxed and expensive; his tousled hair and that trademark smirk were frustratingly perfect.

"So, enjoying the party?" he asked casually, mischief glinting in his eyes.

You shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. "It's okay. More my brother’s thing than mine."

Matthew chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Yeah, I can see that. But you have to admit, it’s a pretty epic celebration."

You glanced around at the crowd, the dazzling lights, and the palpable excitement. "I suppose," you conceded. "But I’d prefer somewhere quieter."

But his smirk just simply widened. "Really? I would’ve thought you were someone who enjoys being right in the middle of everything."

You raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that?"

Unexpectedly,  Matthew leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a confidential tone. "Because no matter where I go, you always seem to be there."

Your eyes narrowed. "Maybe that’s because you always manage to show up where you’re not wanted."

Matthew laughed, a genuine sound that briefly eased your annoyance. "Fair point. But you know, sometimes the best things happen in unexpected places."

You scoffed, rolling your eyes once more. "Yeah, well, I’m not holding my breath for that."

_

Matthew had always managed to get under your skin. Whether it was his smug grin on that annoyingly handsome face or his undeniable skills on the ice, he exuded confidence without apology. He was the type of guy who knew his worth and flaunted it freely.

To put it bluntly, you had never particularly liked Matthew Tkachuk - well, at least, that’s what you thought. While he hadn’t directly wronged you, he was simply too much—too loud, too cocky, too... everything. His presence could dominate a room, sucking out all the air and attention effortlessly.

If you were to compare him to a fictional character, Matthew could easily pass for Prince Charming from the Shrek movies: overly self-assured, possessing a strong ego, and strikingly handsome in every way. His eyes were magnetic, his smile infectious, and his physique impeccable. He walked with a swagger that bordered on 

arrogance, and it drove you mad.

Oh, that body...

There was this one time you inadvertently caught sight of it after a training session while meeting your brother, and the image had unfortunately burned itself into your memory. He had emerged from the locker room, shirtless and still gleaming with sweat, his muscles flexing with every move.

It even intruded into your private moments, alone in your bed, right when you were on the brink of climax. The memory of his sculpted abs and the way his shorts hung low on his hips invaded your thoughts at the most inconvenient times.

You were of course incredibly embarrassed about it, not wanting to admit to anyone that you had briefly fantasised about Matthew Tkachuk. And even worse, you had to acknowledge to yourself that you had enjoyed it. The fantasy of him, his strong hands on your body, his lips against your skin, had led you to that intense pleasure that left you breathless and somewhat ashamed.

Him. Of all people.

Naturally, you tried to convince yourself it was solely the work of your vibrator. Yet, you couldn’t shake the fact that he had crossed your mind. Every time you saw him, that memory lingered in the depths of your thoughts, causing you to blush and feel a mixture of irritation and something else you weren’t ready to acknowledge.

_

As you stood there, amidst the lively atmosphere of the Stanley Cup celebration, you had to clench your thighs together and banish all lingering thoughts of him. The vibrant energy of the party coursed through your veins, yet the memory of Matthew's teasing smirk and his lingering touch persisted.

But it seemed as though he could sense your unspoken resistance. And Matthew was the type who thrived on challenges; and you were a challenge he wasn't about to shy away from. So suddenly, he was closely beside you, his breath warm against your ear, cutting through the room's clamour. "Well, I must say I didn't expect to find you here, princess. I thought you didn’t like partying with your brother's teammates?"

Your eyes narrowed. "I don’t. I'm only here for the free drinks." You tried to sound nonchalant, but deep down, you couldn’t deny the thrill his proximity brought.

Matthew chuckled, and despite your efforts, a small smile tugged at your lips. There was an undeniable magnetism in his confidence, his playful demeanour contrasting sharply with the intensity he showed on the ice. But shaking your head, you reminded yourself of all the reasons why you shouldn’t like him. He was arrogant, overly self-assured, and absolutely the last person you should find intriguing.

Yet, his husky voice once again brushed against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “Or maybe you’re just here to have a good time?”

Raising an eyebrow, you met his gaze with a defiant stare. “So you think my legs are going to magically spread for you just because we're at the same party?" you retorted, trying to regain your composure and create some distance between you.

You felt assured by your words. Maybe it was the outfit you'd chosen that gave you that extra boost of confidence — something you'd been very mindful of when putting it together; the sleek black dress you'd opted for hugged your curves perfectly. Its smooth silhouette highlighted your figure with undeniable allure, while the low neckline offered a subtle hint of cleavage, adding a touch of charm suitable for the occasion. Under the soft lights, the dress shimmered elegantly, catching the eye as you moved and subtly drawing attention.

Despite its form-fitting design, the dress fell just above the knee, striking a balance between sophistication and allure. It was a choice that exuded confidence, commanding attention without overshadowing the celebratory atmosphere of the evening. Plus, the drinks you'd been sipping for the past few hours had added to your courage.

Matthew simply raised an eyebrow, his blue-grey eyes twinkling with amusement. "Who said anything about magic?" he teased, his voice low. "But I wouldn't mind if it happened."

Your cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "You're unbelievable." The heat of the moment and his proximity made it difficult to think clearly, but you were determined not to let him get to you.

Matthew then leaned back, his expression turning more serious. "Look, y/n, I know we've had our differences—"

"You mean you've been a prick," you interjected, unable to hold back. It was instinctive, a defence mechanism kicking in to shield yourself from the unexpected vulnerability his seriousness revealed.

But Matthew just sighed, running a hand through his curly hair, styled into a soft, modern mullet. His eyes softened momentarily, revealing a glimpse of the person beyond the bravado. Yet, before he could say anything more, you were both pulled away to rejoin some of the others, their laughter and high spirits drawing you back into the celebration.

As the night wore on, both you and Matthew kept your distance, focusing on simply enjoying the party. You laughed, danced, and chatted with others, trying to push the encounter from your mind. Yet, every so often, you caught him glancing your way, his gaze thoughtful and intense, making your heart race all over again.

Despite your best efforts, you couldn't help but be aware of him, his presence a constant hum at the back of your mind. Though the celebration continued around you, a whirlwind of joy and excitement, there was an undercurrent of something else, something that left you wondering just what Matthew Tkachuk's intentions were, and whether you were ready to find out.

It was a huge win for the Panthers. The air crackled with excitement, a chorus of cheers and celebratory shouts echoing through the room. Drinks flowed freely, and the players, including Matthew, were eager to shed the weight of the season's training rules and simply revel in their victory.

Despite their attempts to keep the celebration controlled, the intensity of the moment quickly swept everyone up. Laughter filled the air as families began to depart, leaving behind only the players and their younger siblings at the lively gathering. And in the midst of it all, Matthew felt a surge of confidence building within him.

And that’s when his eyes landed on you once again.

From across the room, he observed you with a mix of curiosity and admiration. Your laughter resonated, adding to the jubilant atmosphere as you engaged in conversation with some of the other players' siblings. Matthew couldn’t deny that there was something distinctly captivating about you tonight, a subtle allure that drew his attention and held it.

“You should hit that,” Brady, Matthew's younger brother, interjected abruptly, breaking through his thoughts.

“What?” Matthew replied, caught off guard by Brady's blunt statement.

“Go for it,” the Ottawa player teased, a mischievous glint in his eye and a slight slur to his words. “You’ve been staring at her all night. Just go for it! You know you want to.”

Matthew chuckled dismissively, shaking his head. “I haven’t been staring at her all night. I’ve barely spoken to her.”

But Brady's lips just curled into a smirk, his confidence buoyed by the alcohol swirling through his veins, amplifying his bravado as he leaned in towards Matthew. His words dripped with sarcasm, each syllable a challenge meant to goad his older brother into action.

"Sure," he scoffed, the hint of a dare in his voice. "Come on, I dare you to go ask her for a dance."

Matthew's brows furrowed slightly, his eyes narrowing in playful disbelief at Brady's persistence. A chuckle escaped his lips, a mix of amusement and mild protest.

"No way, man," Matthew replied, shaking his head with a wry grin. His brother's teasing was nothing new, but tonight, under the influence of celebration and camaraderie, it almost struck a chord.

Brady, undeterred by Matthew's initial refusal, pressed on with the banter, his voice carrying a playful challenge underscored by the sibling rivalry that defined their relationship.

"Alright, I guess if you don't want to, it’s cool," he taunted, his words tinged with mock disappointment. “I mean bro, you can be a chicken if you want to, but don't tell me you're afraid. After winning the Cup, this should be a piece of cake. Unless you're scared she'll turn you down?”

And the barb hit its mark, stirring something within Matthew's competitive spirit. His jaw set with determination; he couldn't let Brady's jibes go unanswered. As athletes, the Tkachuk brothers were no strangers to challenges and dares—each one a gauntlet thrown down, impossible to ignore.

In that moment, Matthew's resolve solidified. He couldn't allow his younger brother to mock him for shying away from a simple act like asking someone to dance. After all, he was Matthew Tkachuk, a Stanley Cup champion—this should be effortless.

So, as mature as ever, Matthew raised an eyebrow. “Fine, you want a show? Watch this.”

Brady's eyes tracked his movements with a mixture of amusement and curiosity as his older brother weaved through the jubilant crowd. The room buzzed with excitement, cheers reverberating off the walls, and the beat of celebratory music filled the air. Despite the festive atmosphere, Matthew's attention honed in on your distinct presence across the room, a singular figure amidst the sea of revelry.

However, with each deliberate step toward you, Matthew felt a peculiar weight settle on his shoulders. His heart suddenly thudded loudly in his chest, a blend of nerves and adrenaline pulsing through his veins like a current.

Wait, what? Why? he silently questioned himself, puzzled by the sudden intensity of his emotions. It was just you, after all—a person he didn't need to impress or prove himself to.

Yet, there was an undeniable pull, an intrigue that had always lurked beneath the surface, even if Matthew had never outwardly acknowledged it. Unlike other women in his life, you exuded a unique aura that captivated him. Whether at the rink before or after training sessions, patiently waiting for your brother, you seemed to radiate an effortless calm and genuine happiness. Your vibrant smile lit up the room, your spirit almost ethereal in its positivity. But it was your sharp wit, akin to a sailor's banter, and your quick-fire comebacks that left an indelible impression on Matthew.

And perhaps it was precisely this multifaceted charm that intrigued the Arizona forward more than he cared to admit.

So, as Matthew closed the gap, he mentally bolstered his confidence, preparing to gently interrupt the small talk surrounding you. 

"Hey," he said, tapping you lightly on the shoulder.

You turned, surprise flickering in your eyes before masking it with a smirk. "Back for more, Tkachuk?"

But he just grinned, leaning casually against the wall beside you. "Couldn't stay away."

"Of course not," you replied simply, rolling your eyes playfully as you tried to hide the slight flutter in your stomach that his presence stirred.

There was a brief moment of silence, a hint of awkwardness settling between you, as you both seemed unsure why Matthew had suddenly returned to talk to you. But then he broke the silence with a proposition that caught you off guard.

“How about a dance?”

“What?” you replied, genuinely baffled by his unexpected request.

“How about a dance?” Matthew repeated, his voice more confident this time, his gaze steady on yours.

You blinked in surprise, momentarily at a loss for words. This was not the Matthew Tkachuk you were used to—the cocky, overconfident player who always seemed to know how to push your buttons. This Matthew seemed... different.

Still, you weren’t about to let him off that easily. "You’re joking, right?" you replied, your tone laced with a mix of incredulity and sarcasm.

His smirk widened slightly, yet there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—determination, perhaps a hint of vulnerability. "No, I'm serious. One dance. Unless you're too scared to be seen with me."

And that did it. You never backed down from a challenge, especially not from Matthew Tkachuk. "Scared? Of you? Please."

"So, prove it," he challenged, extending his hand towards you.

With a light huff, you placed your hand in his, feeling a rush of adrenaline as he led you confidently to the centre of the makeshift dance floor. The crowd around you seemed to part, creating a space where only the pulsing beat of the music and the heat between you two existed. The deep bass reverberated through your chest, setting a rhythm that seemed to sync effortlessly with your movements alongside Matthew.

As you danced, the initial tension between you began to melt away. There was an undeniable chemistry, an unspoken understanding that drew you closer despite your history of mutual animosity. Matthew's hand on your waist guided you with a firm yet gentle touch, each step bringing you closer together physically and emotionally. The energy between you was palpable, a magnetic pull that neither of you could resist.

Despite your best efforts to maintain a facade of indifference, you suddenly found yourself swept up in the moment. The barriers you had carefully erected seemed to crumble in the face of this unexpected connection, leaving you both vulnerable yet exhilarated.

Then, as the song drew to an end, Matthew's breath warmed your ear again as he leaned in closer, his voice tinged with a hint of mischief and genuine warmth. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

You pulled back slightly, your eyes locking onto his with a mixture of defiance and something deeper—a flicker of unspoken emotions stirring within you. "I suppose not," you admitted begrudgingly, unable to ignore the rush of exhilaration that his proximity brought.

"Maybe we should do this more often," Matthew suggested, his tone playful yet his eyes revealing a sincerity that surprised you.

But you just raised an eyebrow, your guard instinctively rising. "Don't push your luck, Tkachuk."

He chuckled softly, "fair enough, y/n. Fair enough."

As you then turned to leave the dance floor, determined to regain your composure amidst the fluttering in your stomach—just like when you felt your very first crush—fate decided to intervene in the form of a clumsy collision. Another large body bumped into you, causing their drink to spill onto your dress, and you stumbled backwards, only to find yourself caught by Matthew's quick reflexes.

"Whoa there," Matthew's voice was calm, his arms wrapped securely around you. "Are you alright?"

Once again you met his blue-grey eyes, and you felt your heart racing as you momentarily lost yourself in their depths. "Yeah, I'm fine," you managed to say, your voice revealing a breathlessness you couldn't conceal. "Thanks."

Matthew steadied you, his hands lingering on your waist a fraction longer than necessary, stirring a warmth that spread through you. "No worries," he replied softly, his gaze holding yours with a gentle intensity. "But you can always just say it if you can't resist me."

Rolling your eyes in mock exasperation to hide the blush creeping up your cheeks, you teased back, "Don't flatter yourself, Tkachuk. It was just an accident."

His grin widened, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Sure, sure," he responded, his playful manner unwavering. "But accidents can lead to interesting places."

Unable to stifle a laugh at his persistence, you shook your head with amusement. "You're impossible."

"And yet, here we are," Matthew countered, his tone light but his eyes holding a sincerity that made your heart skip a beat.

But before you could reply, your brother appeared, slightly tipsy and curious. "Hey y/n, everything alright here?" he asked, eyeing you and Matthew with interest.

"Yeah, all good," you replied quickly, stepping back from Matthew's embrace. "Just a minor collision."

Your brother raised an eyebrow but chose not to press further. "Alright, just checking. You know how wild these parties can get."

"Yeah, I know," you agreed, grateful for the interruption. "Thanks."

As your brother then wandered off, Matthew turned to you with a more serious expression. "How about we leave?"

"What?" you asked, surprised by his sudden suggestion.

"Let's get out of here," he repeated, his voice soft but resolute.

Confusion mixed with a touch of curiosity as Matthew took your hand, leading you away from the bustling crowd. Despite your uncertainty, you were drawn to his calm assurance, ready to follow wherever this unexpected night might lead.

Matthew guided you out of the noisy room, his hand warm and firm in yours, fingers intertwined as if they naturally belonged that way. The sounds of the party gradually faded as you stepped into the cool night air, a refreshing change from the warmth and noise inside. You followed him down a path that veered away from the venue, guided by the gentle moonlight casting soft shadows around you.

"Where are we heading?"

He glanced back at you, a mischievous yet reassuring smile playing on his lips. "Just trust me. It’s… quieter."

You walked together in comfortable silence, the lively sounds of the city night slowly giving way to the distant crash of waves. After a few minutes, you arrived at a secluded spot overlooking the beach, the peaceful scene illuminated by the moon's soft glow. The rhythmic sound of waves brushing against the shore provided a soothing backdrop, while stars sparkled brightly above, mirroring the newfound excitement in your heart.

"This is... nice," you confessed softly, taking in the tranquil beauty surrounding you.

Matthew shrugged casually, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky. "Sometimes it's good to escape all the noise. Clears the mind."

You nodded in agreement, savouring the calmness that enveloped both of you. "Yeah, it does."

Standing side by side, immersed in the serene atmosphere, you sensed a shift in the air. It was a moment suspended in time, where words felt unnecessary yet emotions spoke volumes. Despite the unexpectedness of being alone with Matthew Tkachuk, someone you often clashed with, there was an unspoken understanding between you now.

Then, almost as if to break the tension or perhaps to fully embrace it, you spoke up, your voice teasing yet tinged with uncertainty. "Listen, Tkachuk, if you're planning to kidnap me —"

"Then what?" Matthew interrupted, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he turned and closed the distance between you, his tall figure towering over you. "What would you do if I did kidnap you, huh?" he challenged, his tone teasing yet carrying a hint of something deeper.

You were momentarily stunned into silence, caught off guard by his unexpected boldness.

"Lost for words?" Matthew teased further, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he observed your reaction, his presence exerting a magnetic pull that left you slightly breathless.

"N-no," you managed to stammer out, your mind racing to process the whirlwind of emotions. "I'm just... not sure why you suddenly wanted to be alone with me like this."

Matthew paused, pressing his lips together and his expression softening as he considered his response, his gaze unwaveringly locked with yours.

"Lost for words?" you teased back gently. "I mean, you could have just—"

Before you could finish your sentence, Matthew leaned in and kissed you, a sudden gesture that completely took you by surprise yet somehow felt inevitable. The abruptness made your knees weaken momentarily, leaving you stunned. But then, driven by a newfound desire, you found yourself responding to the kiss, your hands instinctively gripping the front of his shirt.

Matthew cupped your face tenderly with his hands, sending a rush of warmth through you. The kiss was filled with urgency, conveying emotions that words had failed to capture. It was everything unexpected yet strangely fitting.

And when he then pulled back, both of you were breathless, chests rising and falling together. His forehead rested gently against yours, and as you looked into his eyes, you saw a mix of vulnerability and determination that mirrored your own inner turmoil.

"I wanted to be alone with you because... I can't get you out of my head," Matthew confessed softly, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to shatter the fragile moment between you. "You drive me crazy in ways I can't explain. I just... needed you to know that."

Your heart raced at his honesty, a swirl of emotions overwhelming you. This was Matthew Tkachuk—the guy who always managed to push your buttons—now standing before you with a vulnerability that felt disarmingly real.

"I..." you began, struggling to find words that matched the intensity of the moment. "I've been thinking about you too. More than I'd like to admit."

His eyes brightened with hope and relief upon hearing your confession, a gentle smile forming at the corners of his lips. "So, what do we do now?" he asked softly, his thumb delicately caressing your cheek, anchoring you in the present moment.

You returned his smile, genuine joy spreading across your face. "I suppose we see where this takes us. No more arguing, no more games. Just... us."

Matthew's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with happiness and anticipation. "I like the sound of that."

He then kissed you again, slower this time, his lips conveying a promise of newfound connection and unspoken possibilities. When you finally pulled away, the world around you felt different—brighter, filled with potential.

And as you walked hand in hand back towards the distant sounds of music and laughter, there was a renewed energy crackling between you. You knew your brother would notice the change immediately. Always protective, he might initially confront Matthew, but you trusted him to ultimately understand.

[mollysunder]

Viktor's Sources of "Inspiration"

The hexcore is incomplete. Currently Viktor only has the runes of Precision, Domination, Sorcery, and Resolve. To complete the hexcore and unlock it's true potential he'll need Inspiration, but where will he find it?

Viktor could find Inspiration through Sky. The most noteworthy possible hint was in Sky's last scene. Sky's last words to herself were how Viktor inspired her, and in that moment we get a glimpse of her notebook. Some have speculated that the emblem on the cover of her notebook resembles the Inspiration rune itself.

Sky also left a series of notes from her undisclosed research project. From the quick shots we get of her notes we can assume Sky was researching methods to stimulate plant growth. Her research may be in a similar vein to Viktor's research where he experimented with how the hexcore reacted to organic plant matter and stimulated its growth in turn. Could Sky's research be the key that will help Viktor stabilize the effects of the hexcore on organic matter like plants (and people)?

Even in death Sky's character could serve to reflect the theme of inspiration that Viktor desperately needs...

Except the Inspiration rune does represent the literal definition of the word "inspiration". In Runeterra, the Inspiration rune is meant to symbolize the ability to "Outwit mere mortals". In-game the Inspiration path gives players a set of tools they can use to apply unconventional strategies to outwit their enemies. And the one character that demonstrates those traits the best in Arcane is Jinx.

The first time the Inspiration rune's meaning was applied correctly in a sentence was when Viktor was describing the design of Jinx's chomper grenade. And it's true, thematically Jinx's chomper grenades and they way she uses them align with how "inspired" tools work.

Jinx was able to pull off a 3-in-1 trick with her chomper. The grenade was the bait and the snare against the enforcers, the distraction Jinx used to steal classified technology and info from Piltover, and the means that Jinx would use to frame the Firelights in her crimes. Technically she's gotten away with it all so far. What Jinx with her tools does isn't just outwitting her enemies, she's running laps around them.

Another possible clue that could mean Jinx will help Viktor discover the Inspiration rune is that her champion tag was disguised as a rune within the hexcore in Viktor's Magician tarot card. The same tarot card that gives us a brief shot of the Machine Herald's silhouette.

Maybe this all leads to Viktor working with Jinx next season, even learning from her to the point where he'll even end up taking a page out of Jinx's playbook. Viktor's set to be banished from his research bubble in Zaun, in a time where allies will be hard to come by and enemies will be easy to make.

Sky and Jinx are two very different characters that manage to apply the term inspiration in two very different ways. I want to think that was on purpose by the writers. But who knows for sure though, we can only see how things turn out next season.

tldr: Sky represents the traditional definition of inspiration, while Jinx better embodies the Runeterra's definition of the actual Inspiration rune. Sky's death may also be a weird rune pun.

[thatfeelingwhentheshowisover]

Coomer: his greeting dialogue trigger is broken, he has multiple consciences going at the same time due to his clones he feels their pain and fear, his body loosely resembles a humans due to the replacement of limbs with robotics and generous removal of organs with few being replaced

Bubby: no real noticable glitches cept the car, he has pyrokinesis and can fly(fr spin dashes in the boss fight), he resembles a human more than Coomer but is more physically resilient than a human since he is the "ultimate lifeform"(Shadow kin fr)

Tommy: no glitches but does have an "auto aim" due to being an NPC and is scared by this, the full blown human of the science team, he made Sunkist when he was younger and he learned how to read sweet voice because of her

Darnold: no glitches but his programing prevented him from joining the team even though he wanted to, he invented most of the Gatorade flavours and is rich from the royalties, he is a normal human, and he is a workaholic

Forzen: he can glitch to random areas on the map but he doesn't have any real control over where he ends up, he joined the military so that he wouldn't have to pay for college, he never expected to be put into action, "Team Nice" was made up by the rest of his actual assigned group because they all decided he was useless and wanted a way to send him away, him and Benrey "were" friends because they got into a heated argument about gamer YouTubers they'll get over it though

Benr(e)y: got a respawn glitch a no clip glitch and his code got sorta overwritten with the code for The Nihilanth near the end, before the events of the game he was a volunteer for human experiments with xen crystals which caused his ability to use sweet voice and increased resistance, possibly why he was used as a vessel for the messed up Nihilanth code

Gman: has no glitches but is fully aware, his "employer" is the game itself he was to ensure the game continued as it was meant to, Benry's glitches did complicate things like how the time freeze didn't effect him, Mr. coolatta can freeze time and has connections to most files within the game

Gordon: is the host for the player and looses consciousness once the game starts, as the vessel he cannot die no matter what happens, the player can see the world as it "truly" is, before game Gordon was chosen for the xen experiments but was declared a failure because he didn't change as noticeably as Benry(let's just say there's a reason he's the player character)

[coffeegnomee]

thinking back on Vitalasy, and how he seemed to be creating a character that is faced with unlimited power, caves to that power, but ultimately decides to not to become fully evil.

And how when you simplify that, it makes sense? But that wasn't the experience of watching s4.

Just, like. I just saw that fanart of Vi tormenting Planet in the prison. And it got me thinking.

It's like he was planning on showing the descent and then dramatically revealing that it was all part of the character development.

And that works when it's scripted? Like how Parrot descended closer and closer to Clown's mentality in that one uu video and as he did more and more evil it was like, woah he doesn't realize how much he's like clown! i wonder what he will do when he does realize!

But in an unscripted story your actions are taken at face value as being the only actions the matter for today because today is all that matters because the future is entirely unknown.

And so the buck stops at today.

And that stream was just so evil. (and awesome i fucking love that stream) But he exited it not realizing at that moment how evil it was, it was all still a question, a hypothetical, i have unlimited power, what do I do with it? Because it wasn't time to let it go. It wasn't time yet to reveal good intentions.

And it just made him look so much more evil. And every time he used the exploit he looked more and more deranged and disconnected from reality. How could you say you're good when you're actively doing something illegal?

And faced with so much backlash from the players, how could it not hurt when the vision isn't being seen? And so the pivot point moved forward and forward and forward and suddenly he was giving up the power as a desperate plea to be received back in with good graces bc it was never meant to be ultimate evil.

i dunno. it's just so perpetually interesting.

The players on lifesteal resist "scripting" so much. Everything that resembles it is resoundingly attacked and destroyed. And it's not even a matter of the perpetuating member not "understanding" how lifesteal works bc having a plan is the basis of a youtube video and it's a content server.

But like, Mapicc and Zam betraying spoke during dupe war, Mapicc betraying Ro during the end portal trap, Mapicc resisting Vi and calling out the dissonance with his character, Mapicc (i'm starting to realize maybe it's just Mapicc's presence that causes this effect lol) carting everyone.

But also like Bacon resisting Vitalasy, Bacon Ro and Mapicc resisting pb&j in the meeting.

But on any other mcrp server, like in qsmp even, someone's dramatic character is accepted as just that - a character for the moment, doing lore as you do. They're handled and rp'ed with and it's never destroyed utterly.

But there's this intensity with Lifesteal that breaks the barrier of rp into like, you have to be yourself and make sense and be logical with your reasons, while also being like, I have silly reasons that are illogical because my character is flawed and isn't that fun. But "isn't that fun" is met with "I will destroy you because destruction is the fun of this server"

[songoftrillium]

Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my actions before me. 

I am delighted to announce that Dead Mountain's release, initially slated for Halloween 2023, has been delayed!!! 

Wait, what?

This post is enormous, but please take the time to read it. Likes don’t increase visibility to others! Please reblog this to spread the word! 

When I started this project, my stance on Werewolf: the Apocalypse underwent a series of evolutions between then and now. In short, Dead Mountain, a chronicle meant to simultaneously provide a game module and queer inclusivity at gaming tables, has grown beyond its original design and size and into something much bigger and bolder than what I initially set out to do. It has become a more significant task than one person can accomplish alone. Of course, I could delay Dead Mountain's release a few months to get it completed, and I will still be releasing it standalone eventually.  I could also put it out, but what would come out would fall short of presenting Werewolf in a way I feel does the game justice.

In many ways, nothing changes; it just happens later. In its current form, however, Werewolf: the Apocalypse doesn’t provide a game that fully supports the scale and inclusivity this chronicle demands. The project rapidly ballooned the chronicle into something more resembling a corebook; while fun to imagine, it is more than I initially set out to accomplish. The volume of literature needing redrafts and the need for this to be a single chronicle alone are at odds with each other, and more than one person can write independently.

I plan to reapproach this in a way that has the team excited, and I think this will excite you, too. See the rest below the cut.

As work on Dead Mountain progressed and drew closer to completion, the things I needed to include to make it happen in a way that did its subject matter justice grew beyond its original scope. The more aspects of inclusivity, culture, and story that turned up missing from the newest edition out of the occasional paragraph, the more I came to realize that if I wanted Werewolf: the Apocalypse to represent what good I see in it, I needed to also make the game itself presented in a fundamentally different way than it has before. 

I have a challenge to World of Darkness writers: 

New players should only have to read for no longer than an hour to start coming up with character concepts. 

Every Werewolf corebook put to print is falling short of that goal. It would be unjust to force players to wade through the old literature to explore all the game has to offer, and I think y’all deserve better. The tribes they read about should focus less on everything wrong with them out of the starting gates and provide players and storytellers with something worth fighting for and motivates them to action.

Over the past few weeks, we have realized that the things we need to include to do justice to the subject matter of Dead Mountain have grown beyond the project's original scope. We want to ensure the game is inclusive, culturally representative, and accessible to new players. Given the available core literature released with the latest edition lacking coherent structuring, our writing has had to balloon beyond a typical RPG supplement size to provide a functional game representative of, and relevant to, queer culture. Therefore, we have decided to delay the game's release by one year to Halloween 2024. This extra time will allow us to create a game that meets our high standards and provides an enriching experience for all players, and make Werewolf: the Apocalypse a more accessible game, particularly regarding accessibility to new players and storytellers. 

My goal is simple: Nobody new to the World of Darkness and Werewolf with an 8th-grade reading comprehension level should do more than an hour’s reading (10,000 words) to comprehend Werewolf: the Apocalypse well enough to start thinking up character concepts. New players shouldn’t have to wade into problematic legacy literature to get the specifics of Garou society or to seek cultural representation. Storytellers should have guidelines on creating chronicles with their players and interlinking them with stories. 

A series of players guides and storyteller handbooks intended to streamline the flow of information to the reader, sorted by Garou ranks, both in terms of gaming power levels and depth of information relevant to Garou of that rank. New players want to know how to make new characters. Storytellers wish to know the kinds of NPCs appropriate to characters of that power and how to run games. This is not a corebook but a series of reference guides intended to keep the depth of the world we all love in the legacy game in an easily navigated format while only revealing the most pertinent information for a given Garou’s rank and a ready-to-go adventure to pair with that game ranking. With each successive release, more information about the world of the Garou, Garou society, their enemies, and the complexity of available storytelling tools will also evolve to grow the game in tandem with players and storytellers.

Book 1: Cliath — Contains enough information for new players and storytellers to get started, focusing on character generation, Rites of Passage, and culture.

Book 2: Fostern — Expanded Garou powers for the ‘citizenry and society (and not-so-nice things that happen in the background that they keep hidden from the cubs and cliath) of the Garou. 

Books 3: Adren — Explodes into an anthology of Tribebooks with expanded powers and tribal customs and detailed septs, camps, and factions vital for any Adren fighting for Gaia.

Book 4: Athro — exploration of spirit and history. The secrets that bind society and a more lucid view of what elders in the Garou Nation face, with expanded Garou stats covering both rank 4 and 5.

Book 5: Elder — The Storytellers guide, focusing on world-building and running one's own chronicles in the World of Darkness.This puts all prior ST info in one place with a master index and any extra systems errata needed.

Our small team consists of seasoned storytellers, writers, and werewolf academics working on making Werewolf more accessible to new players. We’ve been researching, playing, or running inclusive Werewolf tables for over 60 years combined, and are self-taught experts in everything Werewolf. Everyone on this project deeply loves the game and sees its inherent value and well-meaning beneath its 90s liberal veneer. Many of us have spent decades perfecting our craft and knowledge of this game, and we want the rest of you to see the Werewolf that we see in the pages.

We are using By Night Studios' edition of Mind’s Eye Theater: Werewolf as a baseline reference for this project. Much work has already been done to bring inclusivity to the game and encourage character investment in the world, and translating that to the tabletop will be a more inclusive baseline to utilize than any other corebook. We will continue the metaplot of Werewolf: the Apocalypse, with a handful of changes to tribes and factions of Garou. Due to the MET systems translations needing to be done, we still have our work cut out for us and plenty of writing to do. This game will be shifting the formatting to prioritize ease of identifying information pertinent to players versus storytellers while prioritizing keeping culture, mechanics, or cross-edition compatibility as best we can with updated sensibilities.

Stay tuned for another post this afternoon to learn more about our first upcoming book in the series!

[violant-apologia]

firmament theory! spoilers for chapter two of firmament below the cut

what is firmament for? aside from the story, the lore, the new locations, mechanics, etc. the railway was tied to a replacement of the old level overcapping system, and evolution was a vehicle for a more advanced set of destinies. i've got an idea of the mechanical purpose firmament could be leading up to, and it's to do (of course) with the alternate history stuff.

so far, with the vulgate, the caustic apocrypha and the library of impossible things, firmament has already seeded the idea of in-universe "retcons", and two versions of history (like the gullet falling/not falling) existing at once. the advent text when caustic apocrypha were first introduced even indicated this was the case with the PC – "a person unmistakably you, but living a life that bears little resemblance to the one you inhabit now." what would this all allow, mechanically speaking?

resetting – or playing multiple – ambitions. you can easily see how this works: an in-canon reset of one's own history to allow for a different path through the neath, even competing and incompatible histories existing at once with multiple ambitions or multiple endings of the same ambition. i think it's very possible that the final reward of the firmament storyline will be a way to reset ambitions.

failbetter have talked before (and even started, and abandoned, plans) about allowing players to play a second ambition. the planned iteration of this was metempsychosis (or "meeting your end") which would allow old characters to find an ending to their story and leave some of their key achievements to a new, earlygame character. eventually they scrapped this plan; here are some of the reasonings given in the relevant blog post (which i think they should have called "meeting your end meets its end" but whatever) and whether they still apply to an "ambition retcon" in firmament:

A lot of existing content would need to be retrofitted to work with MYE [...] and a lot of individual judgement calls would have to be made on which items and qualities would transfer over to a new character.

this is clearly not an issue; only selective parts of history need to be rewritten, you're not creating an entirely new character here.

Announcing the feature caused a lot of anxiety for those of you who didn’t want to put a permanent end to your characters.

again, this isn't a problem if a new character isn't being created.

Being able to stack rewards from multiple Ambitions seemed intractable for game balance and led to players feeling like they would be pressured to play through MYE and restart. But a lot of players wouldn’t want to undergo MYE if it meant giving up on Ambition rewards, either.

the first part of this is still true, if the implementation allows treasure-stacking. but it's much less of an issue without the second part; if it's purely an additive process rather than a replacement of a character, the primary reason people wouldn't want to do it disappears, and multiple treasures can be factored into game balance with the expectation of people having them.

(and again, additionally, this only even matters if you keep your old treasure. an implementation where you only ever have one is also completely feasible.)

Fallen London looks much more sustainable and healthy now than it did at the end of 2019. If the game will keep seeing an expanding endgame and a continuing role for endgame characters for years to come, it makes less sense to reset and replay the early game.

without a new character, the earlygame is left out of it. there's still less of a need to bring back old ambition content given the new structure of updates, but that's something people were clamouring for a lot more than a reason to revisit the earlygame.

they ALSO mention:

However, we know that those original desires – being able to put an ending to your character, definitive or not; playing through different Ambitions or replaying an Ambition – are still there. And we’re still looking for ways to address them.

they've addressed the "put an ending to your character", and it clearly landed on the "or not" side of definitive: the new destinies. the indication they're also looking for a way to incorporate ambition stuff is a sign too.

Another lesson we took from this is that announcing something ambitious and experimental so early on hasn’t really paid off.

and this is why they haven't said anything about it yet. even though this far into the process it's probably either set-in-stone definitely happening or not, it explains why they wouldn't have indicated ambition reset was on the cards if it was.

so, there we go! i hope i was convincing, and i really hope it happens, because it's been something i've wanted in the game for a long time. if you agree or disagree with my thoughts, feel free to comment or note and i'll probably respond!

[latriii]

✶ ENHYPEN TRACKLIST MASTERLIST

선반 TRACK ONE — YANG JUNGWON

━━ BACKSEAT FEVER | 선반

・drabble ・0.3k word-count

you really disliked jungwon, he always seemed to never leave you alone whenever you two were together. ever since your teacher made you move your seat to the back right next to jungwon, all he’s been was a headache to you.

━━ LET ME GO | 선반

・one shot ・1.7k word-count

you, sunghoon, and jungwon were childhood friends until jungwon suddenly confesses to you and claims he wanted a private relationship while also being in contact with multiple people at once— knowing this, you decide to create a plan by using Sunghoon to move on but Jungwon wont let you.

━━ DEJA VU | 선반

・social media au + writing ・14+ ・completed

DEJA VU would be word that went though yn’s mind when she first saw the class president, yang jungwon. yn would be thinking that she had seen and even talked to him before, yet— she couldn’t completely recognize nor remember. the slight resemblance jungwon had with the guy sato yn had kissed at a party last weekend ran through the girls mind. there was one problem, yn couldn’t remember the guys face, she could only remember the one dimple he had. they aren’t the same person right?

━━ ONE FAVOR | 선반

・social media au + writing ・14+ ・completed

ONE FAVOR that yang jungwon owed sato yn. one favor he had to obey by no matter what. jungwon and yn are childhood friends that grew up in front of the media due to their famous parents. luckily for them, they were both talented singers so, they naturally became idols. but, one day jungwon embarrassed yn real bad on live television when they were younger, he owed her big time—no questions asked.

━━ 서울 SEOUL CITY ANTHEM | 선반

・social media au + writing ・on hold

SEOUL CITY ANTHEM: angel, the song that blew korea away, the song they both wrote about you. -> one day, as you were walking around your campus, you see a flyer for vocalist auditions for a band: nvrmnd, since you weren’t satisfied with your current college life, you decide to take the chance. you never expected to become bandmates with YANG JUNGWON and KIM SUNWOO, you also never expected to be the girl the boys wrote about in the hit song everyone loved.

철수 TRACK TWO — NISHIMURA RIKI

━━ ( 尤も ) NATURAL | 철수

・social media au + writing ・completed

It was natural to call you pretty, it was natural to approach you, it was natural to confess to you, and it was natural to like you. Sadly for Nishimura Riki, his liking for you was meant from afar. Riki had seen you at the volleyball court during the first day of hybe sport summer camp, since then— he developed a huge crush on you, word spread that a huge amount of people have.

박성훈 TRACK THREE — PARK SUNGHOON

━━ LAST INTERLUDE ✶ 박성훈 PART ONE

・ one shot ・4k wc ・written series

Do you believe in reincarnation? You’ve lived over fifteen lives, but your fourteenth life stuck with you. As you lived your fourteenth life, you meet a boy who seemed to peek your interest after years of being bored of living life over and over again. Your friendship with Sunghoon grew until it suddenly stops and your reincarnated again.

━━ GIRLNEXTDOOR 태산 ・ 박성훈 DESIREFORYOU PART ONE

・ one shot ・3k wc ・written series

Having to move to a new area was already tough enough but being in a relationship with the biggest player known in your new school after being warned was even worse. Once you finally seperated from Sunghoon, you try to move on with no other than his twin brother, Taesan. The thing was that it was accidental, which led to things getting complicated between you and your two neighbors. You became the notorious Girl Next Door that they both desired.

김선우 TRACK FOUR — KIM SUNOO

이희승 TRACK FIVE — LEE HEESEUNG

박종성 TRACK SIX — PARK JAY

심재윤 TRACK SEVEN — SIM JAKE

✶ LATRII | 2O23 do not copy or plagiarize any of my work.

[poogieparadinium]

some thoughts about this creepy creature:

aka shara ishvalda / the can of fourth wall breaking worms that monster hunter / capcom never entirely opened.

--- DISCLAIMER!!!--- IT’S ALL A BIG THEORY HERE AND SHARA’S LORE IS REALLY UP TO INTERPRETATION!! I JUST THINK ITS EYES ARE COOL!!!

To start off, shara is infamous for its unsettling gaze-- unlike every other monster in the franchise, its eyes track the camera, not the hunter.

That is, in this THIRD PERSON game, shara looks not at the character, but directly at you, the player behind the screen.

This implies that shara ishvalda has some awareness of the game, and the fact that there is a world beyond.

More evidence for this self awareness comes from the fact that during its fight, the ghillie / camouflage mantle is useless and does nothing to hide the hunter from the monster. While this can be chalked up to the fact that shara navigates using ground tremors, other monsters that sense vibrations can still be fooled.

Because shara is watching YOU, the player, it doesn’t matter if the character tries to hide or disguise themselves.

Finally, the themes surrounding the design of shara ishvalda suggest an even deeper meaning beyond its awareness. Shara is built to resemble a lotus flower, a known symbol of transcendence and rebirth. Additionally, the armor, weapons, and design of the monster are meant to invoke themes of Buddhism or Hinduism. Both of these religions focus heavily around rebirth and reincarnation as well.

Though there is no hard evidence to suggest it, the themes and symbolism imbued into shara’s design could imply that it has or is in the process of undergoing some form of reincarnation.

Like other monsters in the game, we can and have to kill shara ishvalda multiple times in order to farm materials-- how another seemingly unique elder dragon (especially in the cases of bosses such as shara, xenojiva, allmother narwa, geismagorm, fatalis, etc.) is there is never something that monster hunter questions, but bear with me here.

Shara’s theme is named “a single bloom in eternity”.

What if there really is only one Shara? What if that Shara is aware of its ‘reincarnation’ every time the player kills it only to come back and challenge it again? What if that Shara is aware, but trapped by the restrictions of its limited moveset and the whim of the player, being brought into existence and destroyed over and over again anytime they want some more parts or just a challenging fight?

In the end, you can never kill Shara Ishvalda in a way that matters. It knows you are there, but can only watch as you destroy it over and over again.

[the-arcade-doctor]

Sonic.EXE in Jotaphobia's canon is a evil entity who was born in the depths of the abyss, the malicious force was fascinated with humans and their language, but most of all, Sonic The Hedgehog. He donned the name "X", since the tenth time he formed his dimension after the world of Sonic, it worked, all the other 9 times, it ended in burn marks on the entity's only form of flesh, eyes, resulting in bloody tear streaks it didn't even know it could produce, the tenth time was a success, he took the form of Sonic The Hedgehog, and made it one with himself after some experimentation, he did it, he forged a disk made out of a black glass-like material that held his twisted vision of Sonic's world, flowers grew eyes, grass withered, totems screamed and blood rained from the skies, it was PERFECT. He was ready to send his corrupted home down to the masses, except for one thing, he didn't know how to. He mulled over the idea for a while, teleportation? No, too sudden. An advertisement? Good idea, but the execution would be flawed and messy. He didn't know much about the human language just yet. Human. The word ate at him, and then, he got it. He'd take the form of a human. He cackled, relishing in his genius. He used his limited shifting abilities to turn into something resembling a human, this form was never meant to be perfect, it just needed to get the job done. Eyes slightly too big, skin papery thin. He didn’t look particularly trustworthy. It didn’t matter. He got to work, down on Earth, his time there was infinite but VERY limited, he could only walk in shadows, luckily, he was covered in the veil of midnight, he went to the place he got the code for Sonic in the first place, and knocked on the door.

A fairly unkempt looking human in his early teens answered the door. He wore a coat and a dirty hat. They conversed for a while as X offered the game to him as a "Sonic experience unlike any other.", he accepted after a quick back and forth.

The thing resembling a human vanished into the shadows as he left. He was going to enjoy the next however long this game lasted. The soon-to-be-victim started the game up, and began to play.

It started almost instantly, he played as Tails, some occasional platforming sections later, he had to traverse a spiky plain until he reached an arch gate made of dead Flickys and other such creatures. He walked through, and was instantly warped to a shadowy place, Sonic with his back turned was at the edge of the screen, a text box popped up

"HELLO. I WANT TO PLAY A GAME. WOULD YOU CARE TO JOIN ME?"

The scene changed to Angel Island Zone, albeit on fire.

A timer started ticking down, it reached to 0 and X began his chase. It was over with quickly.

"YOU'RE TOO SLOW. DO YOU WANT TO TRY ONCE MORE?"

Scrap Brain Zone, the player was now Knuckles. A quick journey to the right, and a boss fight initiated, X ran back and forth, ducking and dodging Knuckles' weak blows until he got bored and tore out his heart.

"SO MANY OF THEM, YET YOU'RE THE FIRST, YOU SHOULD BE HONORED."

Finally, the Doctor, it took place in the sky, the thunder boomed and the Egg Mobile had limited ammo. X eventually started flying after him, a few shots were tanked, then he got a hole blown in his face, it didn't do much though, Robotnik, and therefore, the player, was eventually slain.

"I WIN. YOUR SOUL IS MINE, TIMOTHY. THANK YOU FOR PLAYING."

His next victim, however, was very interesting.

Jay "Phobia" Parker. a 5’8, 17 year old boy wearing a black hoodie with a green “87” on it, grey sweatpants, and black shoes, under his hood lies a led visor displaying green animated eyes. Tan skin and blah blah blah, all of this doesn't matter.

Jay found the game at his doorstep, a very unkempt man walked away, disheveled.

He thought to himself about what this game was, and curiosity got the better of him...

Meanwhile, in the abyss, X was abusing his power on that poor soul he acquired, he discovered he had the ability to pilot his victim's corpses. Perfect for his next victim. One small issue, his dimensions were spilling, his digital world was cracking into another dimension. The Light was blinding. It was peaceful, calm, everything he hated. It didn't matter. As long as this next victim didn't avert from his path, it'd be fine. Following the light would not allow X to control his world as much as he could.

Jay booted up the game, and started playing as Tails.

The chase was on, Jay ran and ran, hopping over X at just the right times, until he reached a glitching particle of light, then the game froze.

"This has got to be the edgiest ROM Hack I've ever played."

X seemed.. Confused? No, Impossible, that's not how his game is played. It didn't matter, what's one buffer in the masterful craft he has built for all of humanity?

Jay kept progressing, munching on Cheetos like this was any other video game, X was FURIOUS, causing him to think erratically, causing in... Another victory for Jay???

This was UNFAIR, X thought to himself, livid. But it was nothing, this was NOTHING compared to the last act.

...Right?

X dodged and ducked through Robotnik's blasts, one thought lingered in his mind...

"WHY? WHY THIS ONE? WHY IS HE NOT AFRAID?"

Jay continued playing as normal, eventually running out of time in the level, the hedgehog didn't seem to go down no matter how many shots were fired.

X reclaimed his senses, and a message popped up on-screen...

"YOU."

"YOU'VE PLAYED FAIR, SO I WILL LET YOU OFF WITH A WARNING. WE WILL MEET AGAIN AFTER I FIND OUT WHY YOU AREN'T AFRAID OF M--"

Jay shuts off the game.

"Fuckin' weird ass fangame."

[dattosdan]

The F is key: A crackpot Utdr theory.

So, hear me out... Frisk and Kris look very similar appearance wise.

Kris is an anagram of Frisk's name, except Frisk has an "F" in it.

F is the 6th letter of the alphabet.

6, is commonly associated with Gaster in utdr, it's kind of his number.

We speculate, the voice we hear at the beginning of the game, during the goner maker sequence is Gaster, hinting, that he was the one who called us here.

So, it can therefore be inferred that Gaster, was also the one who put us inside of Kris.

Due to all the callbacks to Undertale, and the fact that the soul seems to remember how to turn into yellow soul mode even without the cell phone, it's been speculated that the soul we control, is the same one we controlled in Undertale.

So, what if Frisk's existence, and us being inside THEM, is also due to Gaster? Hear me out some more:

They have an F in their name, which could maybe imply Gaster's involvement with them, maybe he even gave them that name.

If you believe the person speaking during the goner maker sequence was Gaster, then it sorta implies he can MAKE vessels for the player.

So what if... Frisk IS a vessel, specifically, a vessel meant to resemble Kris made by Gaster.

The goner maker avatars after all, no matter how you customize them, LOOK like Kris, albeit monochrome, so maybe he just likes them and their appearance for some reason, and wanted to replicate it for Frisk.

As for why he would do this?... No clue, Gaster is a very mysterious individual, we don't really know a lot of his motives for doing or getting involved with ANYTHING in the series, so trying to tie a motive for the possible creation of Frisk to him, would be impossible at this point, maybe in the future if we find out more about him...

So yeah, this theory has very little proof, other than implications of Gaster having involvement in a lot of soul stuff, and kris and frisk being WAY too similar appearance and name wise, the f in Frisk's name is what started this whole idea in my head in the first place.

Anyway, let me know what you think, sorry if this is a bit... all over the place. wrote this at 6 am, and no, I didn't wake up at this time, I can't choose when motivation calls lol.

[kunikidas-lost-glasses]

Perfect Crime Trio making gingerbread houses

TWs: very very slight mention of grieving after a friend but it's very slight and only at the beginning. This is pure fluff.

The idea is from @unleashthegayangels. Thank you so much again for this cute idea. I hope I did it justice.

---------------------------------------------------

The idea to make gingerbread houses was Ranpos' idea

When the three of them went out for grocery shopping, he spotted them in an aisle and said that he's gonna refuse to leave the store until they got at least three of them

It didn't took much to convince Poe and Mushitaro though, even though the latter didn't really wanted to make a gingerbread house at first

Mushitaro was still grieving after his old friend after all and during the christmas time, the pain which came with grieving got even worse so he tried to avoid as much christmas themed things and activities as he could

Poe still managed to convince him to at least try it. It could be fun after all

It turned out, that it was indeed fun to make gingerbread houses together



They've started to make them on the very same evening

Mushitaro made the icing while Ranpo and Poe started to unbox their gingerbread house kits

After they've got everything out of the boxes, Poe went to their living room to get a CD with christmas songs from their CD shelf as well as to get their small CD player

Shortly after he put the CD in the small CD player in the kitchen, Mushitaro announced that the frosting was done and that they could start now

By that time, Ranpo already ate half of the candy which came with the kit for which Mushitaro scolded him a bit



Building the houses was in fact a lot of fun for them

Poe was pretty good at building the house and worked really neatly, barley making any mess

He also cut out tiny ravens out of the remaining unused gingerbread and put them on top of the house

Mushitaro had way less patience than Poe but he tried his best

He actually built a decent looking house. The only thing that wasn't like it was supposed to be was that his house was decorated with way less candy than it was supposed to be since he gave some of his candy to Ranpo

Since Ranpo had eaten most of the candy which came with his kit, he had barely anything to decorate at all, so Mushitaro gave him some of his candy



Ranpo had the least patience of them all and somehow the parts out the house wouldn't stick together at all, causing his place on the table to become a huge mess

Eventually he just put the pieces together in a way that they would loosely resemble a house and called it a day



Since he was pretty bored now, he started to decorate the little sugar figures in a way which resembled a crime scene

He then asked his boyfriends to find out who the culprit is

At first both of them were pretty confused since the question came out of the blue and neither of them noticed the little crime scene which Ranpo made since both of them were way too focused on building their own houses but after they saw what Ranpo meant, Poe started to laugh and Mushitaro couldn't stop himself from chuckling either

They then started to try to solve the case which was even more fun than just building the houses

The case was solved quickly. The witch was the culprit.



As soon as the case was solved, Poe told them to wait a second and quickly made up a crime scene with the sugar figures too

Ranpo loved Poes' made-up cases. Especially since they were extremely creative and often had a huge twist. Due to this, he was pretty excited when he saw that the writer picked up his idea and started to make a crime scene too. 

The case still got solved quickly. Nobody had been the culprit. It was an accident where no one of the suspects had been involved.



While Ranpo had been solving the case, Mushitaro stole some candy from Poes' kit. He knew that he really didn't need to assist Ranpo in the gingerbread house case since he would solve it in a matter of seconds so he decided to eat some candy while watching his boyfriends with an amused smile.

He could have eaten some candy from his own kit but since he had barely anything left due to sharing the candy with Ranpo, he just took some from Poe since he had the most candy left



Of course a candy theft wouldn't stay unnoticed in a house full of detectives so shortly after the gingerbread house was cracked, Poe asked who stole some of his candy

Ranpo started to defend himself and started to accuse Mushitaro but Mushitaro tried to talk his way out of it but while doing so he really had to bite his tongue so that he wouldn't start laughing. The situation was pretty funny after all.

The best detective of probably the whole world, solving a case of candy theft in his own kitchen while they made gingerbread houses with little crime scenes in front of the houses. Besides this it was obvious from the start who ate the candy. Ranpo had been solving the case while Poe watched him and talked with Ranpo. It could only be Mushitaro who ate it.

It didn't help that Ranpo playfully pointed out all the evidence and dramatically revealed Mushitaro as the thief afterwards

The moment Ranpo pointed at him and called him out, Mushitaro couldn't stay serious anymore and burst out laughing which was something he did rarely

He played along, telling Ranpo that he was right, raising his hands in defeat, admitting that he was the thief and that he couldn't believe that he got him before asking him what he wanted to do about it now and if he wanted to  arrest him for the tragic theft of Poes' candy

Ranpo grinned and told Mushitaro that he had to buy them two bags of gummy bears tomorrow and that he had to cuddle with him this evening

Mushitaro just smiled and rolled his eyes before accepting his "punishment"

Poe just watched both of them silently but with a warm smile on his lips



They then wanted to continue working on their houses but before they could do so, Poe had to get Karl down from the counterboard where he was currently feasting on the leftovers of the frosting which Mushitaro had left in the bowl

Karl wasn't very amused by getting taken away from his snack



They worked on their houses for around an hour longer

Poe and Mushitaro helped Ranpo to build a proper house, they've kept stealing candy from each others kits, Ranpo ended up with frosting in his hair and in his face, Poe had to get Karl away from any frosting leftovers two times more, Ranpos' house ended up with no tiny gingerbread trees in front of it since he ate them, they all laughed a lot (even Mushitaro) and they all hid tiny crime scenes somewhere in, behind or in front of their house.

Mushitaro and Ranpo also kept secretly admiring Poe the whole time since the latter had put his hair in a low ponytail and clipped his bangs out of his face with hair clips so that his hair won't get in the way while decorating his house. Due to this, his face was for once fully visible and even though Poe disliked his face and disliking all the freckles in his face even more, Ranpo and Mushitaro thought he looked stunning.



After they finished their gingerbread houses, they showed them to each other and build a tiny gingerbread house with the remaining gingerbread,frosting and candy for Karl too

They then put the gingerbread houses on the windowsill

By the time they were completely done with building and decorating, it was already dark outside and neither of them wanted to clean the kitchen despite it being a huge mess so they just went to the living room, flopped down on the couch and watched old series while cuddling.



The next day, a bit frosting was missing on some houses and Karl had a bit of frosting in the corners of his mouth



[rock-n-macabre]

Trail of the Snake ~ Story of The Savage One

Alriiiiiighty. So this is a mild clusterfuck of thoughts that strike and hopefully y’all will find some mild entertainment outta it. After seeing Goldstein’s interview saying that when herself, Paxton and Henriksen were discussing when they all got turned that Sev was during the tombstone era. Then I read on cracked.com’s article that when Lance and Bill were driving and got pulled over, they were on their way to visit their characters graves in Tombstone, Az. It got me thinking. warning there is a bit of dark shit in this. So here it is..my little backstory on the Severen I will be cosplaying. Hope y’all enjoy! ~~

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Severen Van Sickle lived on his family’s ranch in Texas. He was a free spirit that his father had to ‘keep in line’ - according to his ol’ man. He never truly fit in at the small town’s school and was often faced with the more well off kid’s bullying shenanigans. Both his home life and school life sucked and were an endless cycle of mere survival. His ol’ man kept trying to engrain ‘what a man is’ whenever he tried to approach and convey what was going on at school that made it a living hell. He always had to keep his emotions locked up inside if not he’d receive a whoopin’ from his ol’ man. His mother was too scared to stand up to his father , as well as she had her own vices and things that trumped her wanting to protect Severen. This dynamic made Severen realize in the future how much protecting family meant to him and would protect his own at no matter cost - no one would ever feel what he had to. He wouldn’t allow it.

Enter his early to mid twenties, Severen became the force to be reckoned with. He was always getting in trouble with the law to the point he got kicked out of his home - he knew it was inevitable; this was the breaking point- so he hitchhiked his way to Tombstone, AZ. Along the way he cheated in card games and different forms of gambling to earn income to survive to his best ability. Sometimes even he would get into fights where he would then pick pocket his opponent whilst they were unconscious. Eventually the small town started picking up on Severen’s doings and warrants were out for him, so he high tailed it outta there to let the dust set before returning back.

Chicago. He made it to Chicago, and returned to old means of survival. New territory, what could go wrong? He even got skilled with his ability to bluff so well he was able to win games purely off of cheating. Things took a turn for the worst when himself, a man named Louis M Cohn, as well as a few others took part in quite an illegal card game out on by some crime lords/gangsters. Between himself and one of the other players - whose name was Jesse Hooker- a fight erupted amongst the players, and the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. That’s why one should never have guns at a card game. Someone gets mad, someone shoots a warning shot and boom - authorities show up. The whole group of men gathered their bearings and fled. Louis had knocked over a lantern, causing a fire to ignite and wound up making things go up in flames.

Severen had decided to resume his hitch-hiking journey across the states until he decided to give Tombstone another try in 1881 a few years later. Surely, it would be better then. Bygones be bygones. He was a cowboy and that town oozed home to him- he was a cowboy and it was in his blood to live the lifestyle. On his journey he had put together a beaded necklace to resemble him. The Texas coral snake. He liked the pattern - how bold it was. He was a snake and that snake resounded with him. The demeanour of the snake reflected his past and upbringing- deep down, he was docile and misunderstood depending on his environment, despite it being deadly.

Severen was at the O.K Corral when he noticed a familiar face. It was that guy who he caused the commotion with back in Chicago. Did he follow him on his entire journey? It sure seemed that way - he thought he was just being paranoid until Jesse confirmed he was indeed tracking Severen. He mentioned how Severen had reminded him of his brother he had lost during the civil war. He found Severen to be a kindred spirit.

However, it seemed that chaos surrounded the duo . They were there during the midst of the infamous shootout between Earp/Holliday and the McLaury brothers. Severen just stared at the happenings - baffled- while holding onto his beer stein. This was real cowboy shit, he thought with a grin. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Jesse covered by his jacket fucking DRINKING THE BLOOD from the bodies of the McLaury brothers. The Sheriff had noticed Severen from his previous warrants and drew his piece and fired at him. He was hit. Severen thought it was the end as reality began fading in and out. The last thing he remembered was a mildly burnt Jesse looming over him.

Jesse had managed to get Severen out from the chaos and in hiding til night fall, only having received mild burns from the sun beams before seeking solace in the darkness. The town had thought that finally The Savage One had been killed - more so dead than alive- on site. They took off before making sure that him and his comrade were buried - that could wait til the next day. Or let the vultures pick at them. To commemorate in their twisted way, they made a grave marker of two sticks bearing a cross with ‘Severen Van Sickle’ on it and Jesse’s one as well as they found he too had a warrant. Boy, if they only knew and thought to check. Dead men tell no tales.

Severen was seething when he came to. Jesse managed to calm down The Savage One and explained what had happened. Now no one could mess with him. He was indestructible. A smirk plastered itself on Severen’s face as he made his first kill - taking to the lifestyle like a fish to water - and the Sheriff had been a mighty first big catch. Severen surveyed what he had done after. He was not to be fucked with. He bent down and easily tore off the sheriffs patch like it was a simple sticker on a piece of paper. A commemorative piece of his rite of passage. It became tradition to him to collect trophies off of things that he felt was monumental to him. Or if it looked cool. He wasn’t picky.

He was the reaper, as his last name alluded to - Severen Van Sickle. The Savage One. Taking names and digging graves.

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling World : FEBRUARY 1995

1-2-3 Kid: Daring to Dream!

Branded too small to ever be a wrestler, the 1-2-3 Kid was taunted by the crowd at his first professional match. Now, he has silenced the skeptics by becoming the foremost representative of the WWF’s “New Generation” and it is the 1-2-3 Kid who is having the last laugh!

By Howard Feintuch

In 1998, WHEN a 15-year-old Florida youth told the people around him he was going to become a professional wrestler, they just shook their heads. One look at the youngster told the apparent story.

He was just over six feet tall with a long slender build. Maybe he could be a basketball player or a baseball player, but a professional wrestler? Never! After all, professional wrestlers were those hulking, larger-than-life, muscle monsters who were televised into millions of American homes each week. 

Every person who told the youngster that his dream couldn’t be achieved only fueled his ambition. Every discouraging comment from those who insisted they meant well further motivated the teen to follow his dream of becoming one of the top attractions in the world of professional wrestling. Six years since the beginning of his odyssey in Florida, this young man has traveled many long and hard paths, and, true to his dream, he never gave up. 

Each night finds him in the ring in a different World Wrestling Federation city ready for any challenger thrown at him, no matter how much of an underdog he looks like on paper. And you know what? This Kid is doing quite well for himself. Wrestling fans worldwide know him as the 1-2-3 Kid, and with each passing week he further establishes himself in the major leagues of professional wrestling, winning more and more respect from peers and fans for the tenacity, heart and skill he displays in the squared circle. 

The 1-2-3 Kid readily admits to becoming a wrestling junkie after watching his first match. “All it took was seeing one match and I was hooked,” revealed The Kid when he was 19 and just becoming a star in the GWF, “After that first match I knew it was my destiny.” 

The Kid was intrigued by pro wrestling and anxious to get involved. He didn’t want to wait until his 20s to get started. He wanted a career while still in highschool! 

“I started hanging around the matches when I was seven,” recalled The Kid. “I was there every week without fail. It got to be so they got familiar to seeing my face. When I got a little older, the promoters let me set up the rings. After being that close to the action, they was definitely no holding me back!”

In early 1988, The 1-2-3 Kid approached the late Boris Malenko for help in getting started. Malenko was one of the veterans of the Florida wrestling scene and had seen a lot of wrestlers come and go. He must have recognized something special in The Kid, something that separated him from others who just said they wanted to become professional wrestlers. Later that same year after undergoing a rigorous training program in Malenko’s wrestling school, The Kid made his debut against one of Boris’ sons, Dean, at a Suncoast Wrestling Federation show. 

At the age of 17, the 1-2-3 Lod made a decision that would mark the first major turning point of his wrestling career. The Kid packed his bags and left the warm, sunny Florida climate for the cold days and nights of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Kid had a reason for his geographical relocation. It was a shrewd maneuver that would bring him to national attention before he was out of his teens. 

[The Kid demonstrates one of his high-flying maneuvers, Impressing the likes of Razor Ramon]

In the town of Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, one promotion existed that closely resembled the regional promotions of old. It was operated by Eddie Sharkey and doing a thriving business. With no television and little advertising, the reputation of Pro Wrestling America grew by word of mouth, Relying on “hard workers and presenting a little something for everybody,” the PWA actually was out drawing the AWA in the late ’80s.

Sharkey, a well know lightweight wrestler during the ‘60s, is widely considered the greatest active wrestling trainer. The graduates of his wrestling school, founded in 1984, read like a Who’s Who of professional wrestling: The Legion of Doom, Rick Rude, Rick Steiner, Bob Backlund, Jesse Ventura and The Warlord, to name a few. It was not uncommon for a talent scout from the big leagues in the U.S., as well as Japan, to come to his shows. Scouts respected Sharkey’s opinion and knew he had an uncanny ability for picking out the future greats from early potential.

Because of his success in getting his wrestlers into the big leagues, Sharkey is constantly besieged by requests from dozens of aspiring wrestlers wanting to work for him. The 1-2-3 Kid was one of the lucky ones. Sharkey was able to find a place for the 17-year-old in his league. After seeing the Kid wrestle his first match in the PWA, Sharkey never regretted his decision. 

[Ramon was so impressed by the 1-2-3 Kid that he even recruited him as a tag-team partner!]

When 1-2-3 Kid emerged from his dressing room for his first match in Minnesota, the fans were a little surprised. After all, with his baby-faced looks and thin build this kid couldn’t possibly be a wrestler. As he walked to the ring that night most fans in the audience were laughing and taunting him.  They were amused at the mere sight of him. Sharkey recalls that the laughing stopped about two minutes into the match. It was never started up again in a PWA ring. 

“They (the fans) were really giving him a hard time,” recalled Sharkey. “They were treating him like a complete joke. But he gets in there and does one move and the crowd gets real hushed and silent. And then he starts doing more moves and by this point you can see a subtle change in the crowd’s attitude. They didn’t see him as a skinny 17-year-old anymore. They just saw a damn good wrestler.”

Sharkey also remembers that as The Kid left the ring that night many of those people who had been booing and taunting him were standing and cheering him. 

Wrestling magazines around the country began to hear reports about a high-flying teen working out of Minnesota. Reporters were anxious to witness him in action and see if he lived up to his hype. 

Most of the wrestling public finally got their chance in the summer months of 1991 when Joe Pedicino launched the GWF with a cable show broadcasted five times a week on ESPN. Pedicino recruited a number of well-known names to launch his promotion. Names like Stan Hansen, Terry Gordy and Jim Cornette were all part of the GWF during its early days. One newcomer, however, who really impressed him was a 19-year-old working out of Minnesota then under the name The Lightning Kid. The Lightning Kid was considered to be a bit small, but had the skills to match any of Japan’s high flyers. Pedicino decided the Kid would be perfect for his newly created light heavyweight division. 

 “The GWF was a great place to work”, commented The Kid shortly after his last match there, “I got more expose and recognition with them than ever before and it has done wonders for making me a more familiar name to the wrestling public at large and around the world to see my talent first hand.”

During his tenure in the GWF, the 1-2-3 Kid’s attitude was quite different then what he currently displays in the rings of the WWF. He was still a high flyer and fierce and determined competitor, but he was considered a member of the rulebreaking fraternity. On making his transaction to the national TV circuit, the 1-2-3 Kid felt he needed a boost to get him started and get on the right track. At the time he felt combining rulebreaking tactics with his scientific skills was the quickest route to success and recognition. As a rulebreaker The Kid proved more than effective, in fact, he ruled the GWF light-heavyweight division with an iron fist.

The 1-2-3 Kid made his last appearances in the GWF in December of 1991. After his GWF stint The Kid returned to Minneapolis as a national wrestling star. His abilities had impressed a lot of people but the general consensus was, despite all his skill, he was just too small to make it in the big leagues.

While he still had a lot of skeptics in the States, the foreign element in the wrestling business was more than appreciative of him. He found regular work in Japan with the UWF and in Mexico with EMLL. The future of the 1-2-3 Kid on the American circuit remained a major question mark. 

By early 1992, the 1-2-3 Kid had one goal in wrestling. “I want to be sitting pretty with a big fat contract in a few years,” he laughed. 

Then a bizarre event took place in professional wrestling. A steroid scandal rocked the wrestling world and revealed the truth that the freaky, muscled bodybuilder physiques that had become so popular in wrestling were chemically induced! You can bet promoters had more than one sleepless night over the controversy. Suddenly, the physiques that had become commonplace and were thought to be a necessary ingredient to make it in the wrestling business became, instead, a major liability. Promoters began to realize they could no longer emphasize huge musclemen without risking the public scrutiny of steroid witch hunts.

A gradual change was witnessed. An emphasis began to be placed on skill and technical  ability for the first time. In the WWF, for instance, men like Bret Hart, Curt Henning and other grapplers with more normal-sized builds and superior mat skills were being given more of the spotlight. But the question still remained for the 1-2-3 Kid, at barley 20 years old and just 6-1, 215-pounds: Was his superior and exciting style enough for the new opportunities becoming available in the WWF?

“What makes me different than the next wrestler is that I try that much harder in the ring and always try to search for something extra, said The Kid during his independent stints of late 1992, “I know I have less physical size than the average wrestler, so i compensate that by doing more high-risk moves and trying to incorporate forgotten holds into the mat game. I’m not scared of facing anybody or trying any move.”

The 1-2-3 Kid certainly wasn’t afraid of trying any move on night during a match in a Massachusetts when he climbed to the top turnbuckle and leaped outside the ring toward an opponent. At the last instant the Kid’s opponent moves and threw his timing off. The Kid missed his foe and landed hard on the concrete floor, headfirst. “His head literally bounced off the floor,” said Sharkey, “it was of those scary moments you hate to see in this sport.”

[The Kid demonstrates to Doink that life is not a carnival!]

Many people thought the Kid’s career might very well be over as the ring attendants rushed to ringside to peel his unconscious body off the floor and rush him to his hospital. The Kid was fortunate not to have suffered any serious injury and recovered quickly.  In the weeks following his return to wrestling he gave no inklings of having ever suffered a near career ending injury. It was the same old Kid, leaping off the top rope and doing karate kicks. 

In late spring of 1993, The Kid finally made his debut in the WWF but with no fanfare or attention. He was matched against Razor Ramon at a television taping. It seemed like deja vu for his longtime fans as The Kid walked out to the ring and attendees who were not familiar with him laughed,  and the commentators poked fun at his youthful appearance. What followed will probably go down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of television wrestling. The Kid took a terrible beating from Ramon throughout the early part of the match, but he refused to quit and kept fighting against his veteran opponent with everything he had. Then it happened. It was one of those moments a wrestling fan never forgets. 

Ramon whipped the Kid into the corner and the Kid came out flying. He landed on top of Razor and, with three slaps of the referee’s hand, the upset of  the year occurred and a star was born. One would be hard-pressed to recall any incident in recent WWF history where a wrestler entered a TV match billed as a preliminary grappler only to pin his star opponent.

Razor was incensed at being beat by the youngster. Everywhere he went fans chanted “1-2-3” to mock him. The chant had a nice ring to it. Soon The Kid began getting referred to as the 1-2-3 Kid in honor of his victory. Ramon requested a rematch and offered $10,000 as incentive for The Kid should he emerge unscathed. The Kid accepted and got the last laugh. About mid-way through the match The Kid stumbled out of the ring acting dazed. But he knew full well what he was doing. He went over to corner and grabbed the bag of prize money and began to walk away. When Razor realized the Kid was taking his dough, he went after him. But the Kid took over and ran clear out of the building to a car waiting for him with the engine running. The last images fans saw were the car with the 1-2-3 Kid speeding away and Ramon crying over his lost cash. The 1-2-3 Kid had succeeded in capturing the imagination of the WWF audience. He was there to stay.

Some observers claimed the 1-2-3 Kid’s early victory over Ramon was a fluke. But he proved them wrong with an impressive string of wins, including one over Ted DiBiase, before finally getting defeated by IRS at SummerSlam ‘93. The 1-2-3 Kid has  since emerged as one of the most exciting wrestlers to watch in the WWF. With his high-flying fast-paced style there is never a dull moment. One of the highlights of his career thus far included a brief stint as one half of the World Tag Team champions with Marty Jannetty. But things would only get brighter for The Kid after returning to singles action. A win over Jeff Jarrett at the King of the Ring Tournament this past July and a then narrow loss to eventual winner Owen Hart further established him as a contender for a singles championship. 

After six and one half years of hard work and a never-say-die attitude The 1-2-3 Kid finally got his day in the sun when he was granted a World Heavyweight championship match against Bret Hart on “Monday Night RAW.” If there ever was a bout the Kid belonged, he proved it in spades and silenced his critics once and for all with this match. The Kid not only matched Hart hold for hold, he came extremely close to beating the champ. The match was one of the most narrowly-contested title matches of recent history. There is no question that the 1-2-3 Kid is not only one of the most exciting wrestlers in the world, but one of the most talented. You could see the admiration and respect in Bret’s face when he shook the Kid’s hand after the match and held his arm in the air, so audience could salute him. Hart knew he escaped one of the toughest matches of his reign. Nobody would ever underestimate the 1-2-3 Kid again.

Since his loss to Hart he has been fine-tuning himself in both singles and tag team competition. In one recent week of WWF action he defeated Pierre and Kwang The Ninja and teamed with Sparkly Plugg and then Bart Gunn to defeat Well Dunn. 

The 1-2-3 Kid stands as a shining example of an athlete for people to admire. He set a goal as a youngster and went out to achieve it through hard work and determination. He persevered through the good and bad times and overcame the obstacles his physical size presented. Only in his early 20s, the Kid has many years ahead of him in the mat game to thrill fans from coast to coast. Because of his young age and more realistic-looking size and build, the average fan finds him easy to relate to. His easy-going attitude has proven to be one of the major factors of his popularity. The 1-2-3 Kid had proven that dreams can come true!

[The foremost representation of the WWF’s “New Generation,” the 1-2-3 Kid has proven skill is more important than size.]

[silicondream]

I am, when life permits, a GM for tabletop games; I have a homebrew setting for D&D 5e in which I have run several games. And recently, I set out to try to use Midjourney to illustrate some of the locations in that setting.

In particular, Ennisbay and Dolindë, two of the most-often visited locations in the setting. Ennisbay is a port city built as much on the water as it is beside it; I've always described it as something akin to Venice, if the architecture incorporated influences of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. It is also the headquarters of the Adventurer's Guild, and thus serves as a common starting place (or place to return to, for that matter).

So here we have Ennisbay, as rendered by Midjourney.

Honestly, that's far closer to what's always been in my head than I expected. Dolindë proved more difficult.

Dolindë is the "city of scholars", but it began as the crossroads of three trade routes: two caravan routes across the desert, and one barge route along the river that Dolindë was built next to.

However, a number of scholars soon realized that being at the nexus of multiple trade routes meant access to books and materials from all sorts of places. As the little cluster of scholars in this trade hub grew, so did the resources and references they amassed; over the course of several centuries, the library at Dolindë became the most comprehensive repository of knowledge in the known world. And now, people travel to Dolindë as much for scholarship as for mercantile goals... though it is still a huge trade hub.

Needless to say, when adventurers need to get answers to something, Dolindë may not be conveniently located, but it is often where they go nonetheless.

Dolindë's architecture tends towards rounded shapes, to (somewhat) lessen the wear-and-tear of the occasionally sand-heavy dry wind (a'la the real-world sirocco). However, it is also a city that tends towards color where possible; the desert is so monochromatic, the city itself strives to provide some relief from that.

Getting Midjourney to spit out art that resembled Dolindë took a lot longer than for Ennisbay, and in the end I only ever got a couple of images that felt right; I will likely keep trying. But still...

As an added bonus, I did manage to get a spot-on image of a particular caravansarai on the route between Dolindë and the coastal port most accessible to ships from Ennisbay.

(The tower within the caravansarai is an alchemical engine attached to an underground spring. It uses an alchemical reaction to create negative pressure, drawing the water up and into a holding tank at the top of the tower; gravity then works to bring the water down as-needed for guests and their animals.)

I think I will continue to work on getting good illustrations of the locations out of Midjourney, and then I can make an illustrated player's guide to the setting for future campaigns...