#literally no other character in the game talks like that

[vintagerpg]

I played a lot of NES games back in the day and genuinely love a bunch of them — I occasionally like to fire up the ol’ system for a refresher (did you know: I can beat the original Contra without the use of the Konami code or having to continue?). Perhaps because I’ve kept them around, I generally don’t have a ton of nostalgia for NES-era videogames. Like, when I talk about how great Shadowgate is, it doesn’t come from a place of longing, it comes from a place of recent experience because I just played through it a couple months ago. 

An exception to this is the original handful of Dragon Warrior games. I still own my copies of the first three but I have zero desire to replay them, mostly because of the grind, partly because I find the interface too clunky to go back to. But I love, love, love the monsters in those games. They are clearly inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and that inspiration, recursively, served to further fuel my interest in the mysteries of the tabletop game (when the original Dragon Warrior was in my NES, in 1986, I had D&D books, but it would still be a couple years before I played the game in a sensible way). All this to say, when I came across Dragon Quest Illustrations (2018), I snapped it up with zero hesitation.

As with Magic Realms, which we’ll talk about later this week, DQI is all killer, no filler, in a way art books seldom really are. It is literally just the illustrations. There is a one-page introduction and a few pages of text in the back, but other than the names and a couple liner notes, it’s all art. Every monster! Even lots of monsters that never made it into the games. A lot of them are doofy as all get out, others are pretty (cartoonishly) terrifying. The rock golem will forever be a fave, as well as the weird shaman guys (though I hated fighting them in the game). There are lots of little details that clearly either come from Dragonball, or will go on to be expanded in Dragonball (I’m not a Dragonball guy, so I can’t tell which is which). Akira Toriyama (RIP) was a real master at creating distinct characters with relatively low complexity — they overflow with both motion and personality.

Dusty old fun fact: Americans of a certain age, like me, know the early games as Dragon Warrior instead of Dragon Quest because of SPI’s RPG DragonQuest, which by this time was owned by TSR, so given that company’s habits (They Sue Regularly), the decision was made to change the name in the US. 

[kxsagi]

Hey kxsagi😜😘

Out of all the Football clubs in the NEL arc I think Ubers is on the very top for me b/c I just LOVEEEE the way they play against their opponents and the relationship and dynamics they have with each other! Aiku and Sendou are such a duo, my boy niko is such a little brother coded in the team, Don Lorenzo is such an underrated character frfr and also him and Snuffy's father and son like dynamic is so adorable🥺🥺 I'd love to hear your hcs on them.

Ty in advance😘😘💥

“𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬”

a/n: YESSS ubers supremacy!!! as much as i love bastard munchen, you have absolutely elite taste because ubers has so much heart, honestly it’s like mafia tactics meet found family. their loyalty, structure, and the way they all look out for each other (while still playing to win) makes them so unique compared to the other teams and i am so here for it 🫡

also decided to do this in a different format! 

(their team name ubers reminds me of that one meme where it’s like “uh i never went to oovoo javer” 💀)

ubers team general headcanons

everyone on the team secretly knows they’re the “organized crime” themed squad. they lean into it. their pre-game huddles sound like mafia sitdowns. “you don’t go down unless i say so,” aiku announces, while sendou nods like he’s his consultant. niko has no idea what that means but he goes, “got it, boss.” 

snuffy runs a tight ship, but never disrespects anyone. his “fatherly” energy isn’t loud – it’s quiet, composed, and deeply respectful. he cooks post-match meals like a literal dad. big “who wants more steak?” energy. the boys make fun of him but never to his face because they all lowkey adore him. 

when it comes to chores, niko does the dishes. reluctantly. because the last time sendou did them, aiku got food poisoning + lorenzo is banned from the kitchen because he once tried to make “gains ramen” which was just protein powder, boiled chicken, and pre-workout. snuffy had to call poison control. 

their team group chat is horrific. aiku sends gym thirst traps with captions like “morning motivation.” sendou sends cursed memes at 3 AM (niko replies with “please stop”). snuffy sends quotes from philosophers like “a man who conquers himself is mightier than he who conquers a city.” everyone reacts with 🫡. lorenzo only sends selfies and flex pics with random motivational phrases like “get money, stay jacked.” 

aiku oliver & sendou daiya – the menace duo

literally the worst pair to be seated near on team trips. they will prank everyone. lorenzo once woke up with his chains braided. niko caught it on camera and it went viral in the ubers gc. 

sendou tries to act cool around girls but somehow always fumbles. aiku lets him crash and burn every time. “you’re doing amazing, sweetie,” he deadpans as sendou gets rejected for calling someone “m’lady.” 

despite their chaos, they always have each other’s backs on the field. aiku trusts sendou’s instincts, and sendou follows aiku’s leads without question. it’s instinctual, like they’re synced. they don’t even need to talk sometimes, they just know. 

niko ikki – baby of the team

everyone thinks niko’s this quiet little strategist, but he’s also the most chronically online member of ubers. he runs their meme account anonymously. only snuffy knows. snuffy lets it slide because niko always includes respectful captions under snuffy edits like “our king 🫡” 

lorenzo calls him “kid.” sendou calls him “baby bro.” aiku once called him “squirt” and niko didn’t speak to him for a week. but deep down he’s grateful because he’s never had this kind of camaraderie before. 

sometimes he’ll be sulking in a corner after a rough game and snuffy just walks over, sits down beside him, and hands him a juice box. “you did good, kid.” niko cries. silently. every time. 

don lorenzo – chaos incarnate, misunderstood legend

he eats protein powder raw. sendou dared him once to snort it. he did. it was not a good day. 

he’s rich. obscenely so. he always flashes his gold teeth and quotes, “i only trust two things: muscle and money.” he funds team bonding trips without blinking. his idea of bonding? paintball war in the woods. 

has the softest spot for niko and treats him like a tiny feral cat he found outside and adopted. “he’s scrappy. he’s got instincts. he’s family now.” niko just blinks like 🧍🏻 

snuffy and lorenzo have a dad and rebellious teen son energy. snuffy’s constantly like “don’t do anything stupid,” and lorenzo’s like “no promises, papà.” but whenever snuffy’s serious, lorenzo listens like a soldier. no matter how wild he acts, he respects snuffy like a father figure. 

snuffy – the dad of the year

gives out the gentlest life lectures. “football’s like pasta, boys. you gotta boil under pressure to get good.” everyone’s like “… what?” but then they do get good. 

refuses to raise his voice. instead, he lowers it. when he’s disappointed, everyone feels like they just let down their entire lineage. 

he makes each player write down their goals and reviews them monthly. lorenzo once wrote “get more gains and less enemies.” snuffy nodded like that was a valid mission statement. 

if you cry in front of him, he’ll give you a side hug and pat your back once. just once. but it’ll heal you emotionally. 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢

[wrestlingwreck]

LivDom's Problems

This is probably more of a vent post than anything else, but I said I would make a post about this at some point, so here it is. If you're a LivDom fan you're gonna wanna scroll past this.

Right off the bat I'm going to disclose that I am a RheaDom and L4B truther, but this post isn't about them. I'm going to do my best to view LivDom in a vacuum, without comparing them to other ships, except where it would be unavoidably relevant.

I also want to say that I have no issue with Liv or Dom as characters. I actually love both of them as SEPARATE ENTITIES. My problems begin and end with them as a couple. Also, this is in no way meant to hate on LivDom fans. I'm not going to tag this as LivDom because anyone scrolling through that tag probably doesn't want to see posts against them. This is purely an opinion.

Also, I know it's all kayfabe, but I'm treating it like it's real, because it's more fun that way.

With that said, I'm going to start with my most biased point, as it's based mainly on personal preference.

1. PDA

The amount of PDA shown by this couple is something I find to be uncomfortable, but more than that, it feels too showy, like they're overcompensating for the cameras. They're constantly hanging off each other, rubbing noses, making suggestive comments, and using pet names. It's Like they have to PROVE that they're a real, happy couple.

Additionally, Liv's insistence on calling Dom 'Daddy' is just... gross. I'm not against Mommy/Daddy kinks- some could even say I understand the appeal- but it crosses the line when someone calls their partner that in public in what is clearly supposed to be a sexual manner. I don't want to be forced to hear a woman call a man Daddy, and I don't know many people that do.

Also- and this is again more down to preference- you will never show me this man and convince me that he is 'Daddy.'

2. How They Started

Dominik and Liv literally got together because Dominik CHEATED ON RHEA WITH LIV IN FRONT OF HER AFTER SABOTAGING HER TITLE MATCH. Regardless of your feelings on RheaDom, that is deeply wrong. It also establishes a pattern of behavior.

We always knew that Dominik is a slimy little weasel- it's one of the funniest things about him. He betrayed his family for the Judgment Day, then betrayed Rhea for Liv. It isn't out of the question that he will eventually betray Liv for someone else.

Namely, another champion.

I'm not saying that this would ever actually happen, but it goes to further my point. When Tiffany essentially hit on Dom when talking about cashing in her briefcase, he didn't look uncomfortable or annoyed.

He looked... intrigued.

Until, that is, Liv looked back at him and he realized that his girlfriend might be upset.

It wasn't exactly the reaction of someone who is unquestionably loyal to Liv, is all I'm saying

3. His Reasoning

To start, I'm just going to quote Dominik verbatim as to why he chose Liv over her.

"Now, I got a girl that calls me Daddy. She gives me tendies whenever I want, she lets me play video games whenever I want, she lets me be me. And, she did something you could never do- finally helping me beat my deadbeat dad."

Does this sound like someone who chose Liv because he just loves her so, so much? Or does this sound like a spoiled child talking about why he wants his babysitter to be his real mom?

He only talks about what Liv does/did for him. He doesn't say that she's kind/smart/courageous. He focuses on her physical appeal and how she indulges him.

He also claims that he was embarrassed to call Rhea 'Mami,' but the first time he does it is of his own volition, and Rhea seemed visibly surprised when it happened.

4. Finally, Communication

Dominik isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer- this is nothing new- and he's not particularly skilled at reading the room. He doesn't pick up on tone or subtext. He doesn't read between the lines. He takes words at face value and doesn't question them. He requires clear communication, especially if someone is upset with him.

Liv is not someone adept at clear communication. She's passive-agressive and doesn't always say what she thinks. It's played for laughs, but it's still true.

After Rhea wins the title back from Liv, Dominik asks if Liv is mad at him for trying to hug Rhea (which he explained away as him trying to steal the title, even though he would know damn well that's not how it works), and Liv says that she isn't mad in a tone that makes it very, very clear that she is, indeed, mad.

Dominik, however, doesn't question this. He takes her words at face value, despite Finn, JD, and even Carlito being able to tell that Liv is at least a little upset with him. Eventually, we're led to believe that Liv just got over it, but the core issue of communication was not solved.

In Conclusion

Without taking other relationships like RheaDom and L4B into consideration, I propose the claim that Liv and Dominik are, in my opinion, the WORST kind of straight couple. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[girlfan100]

Wanted to try analyzing Lyle in depth/just my general thoughts and opinions about him. all under cut 👇

Alright. I want to preface this by saying that I am not justifying anything unethical that Lyle has done by any means- moreso I am trying to figure out a reasoning as to why he is the way that he is. Nor am I trying to “woobify” him or whatever, I just think he’s genuinely an interesting character I’d like to dissect. Morally greyish. I also apologize if it seems I am grasping at straws at some points, hopefully I’ll be making good enough reasoning for my thoughts.

First off, I believe Lyle has Bipolar Mood Disorder. It seems he’s been suffering through a manic episode during the events of the game and even beforehand. He talks of a project he has been working on in his dark room, and while its clear these are just photographs of Sam (for the most part), Lyle could still consider this an actual project; likely something he’s obsessing over because of a drawn-out manic episode. Because he has an interest in photography, he likely reverts to similar activities during these episodes.

His chronic obsession with Sam could also explain this. It’s not uncommon for people with Bipolar Mood Disorder to become obsessed with another person, and y’know, being turned into a giant mechanical camera spider probably isn’t helping much. It’s clear he’s ashamed of his new form (based on his reaction when you look at him), and he knows Sam probably wouldn’t relish in his appearance either, which only worsens the obsession.

Obviously Lyle has a crush on Sam. I… don’t need to explain that. Lol. Clearly Lyle isn’t treating this crush the same as the average person would, though, and I believe this is because he literally doesn’t know how else to. Bipolar heavily influences on one’s relationships with other people, and assuming he’s not exactly an extroverted individual (anxiety meds? being a weird nerd?), he tends to be ‘creepy’ towards Sam with the photography and all. I’m lenient on calling him creepy because I don’t think he fully understands what he’s doing is bad, nor do I think being ‘creepy’ is necessarily intentional. It’s just a combination of disordered thinking, romantic obsession, and emotional irregularities.

I understand he stole Sam’s spare key. Again, Im not trying to justify it, it’s.. not good at all, but I don’t think there’s actually any proof he’s used it before? So I cant really speak on that topic too much. Maybe he took it in a frenzy and was too anxious to return it. I dunno 🤷‍♀️. Its a little too far even for him, I mean, he asks Sam for consent to kiss. Whatever you wish to believe, I suppose.

In general I think some therapy and mood stabilizers would help him plenty. My boy just needs some help regulating his emotions is all… thanks for listening to my rambling. I love him a lot!

[windylink]

Sailing Into Legend: How The Wind Waker Changed Zelda Forever

🌊✨ The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - An Epic Analysis & Discussion! ✨🗡️

Hey Zelda fans! Let’s dive into one of the most beloved and talked-about games in the series: The Wind Waker. 🎮💙

🎨 Visual Masterpiece & Bold Choice When Wind Waker first launched, its bright, cel-shaded cartoon style shocked many fans expecting a darker, more realistic Zelda. But guess what? That bold art direction has stood the test of time! Its vibrant, expressive visuals make the world and characters pop like no other Zelda game. Toon Link’s iconic look has become a fan favorite and inspired many sequels and spin-offs. 🌟🖌️

⛵️ Sailing the Vast Ocean The game’s biggest innovation? The vast open sea! Instead of the usual Hyrule fields, you explore a sprawling ocean dotted with mysterious islands. Navigating the Mascarón Rojo (your trusty boat) gives a true sense of adventure and freedom. 🌅⚓️ Sure, some players found the sailing a bit slow or repetitive, especially hunting for Triforce shards, but the HD remaster fixed many pacing issues with faster travel and improved controls. 🚤💨

🧩 Puzzles, Mazes & Gameplay Classic Zelda magic is alive here: clever puzzles, epic dungeons, and memorable boss fights. Plus, new mechanics like controlling the wind with the Wind Waker baton add fresh layers of strategy and fun. 🌬️🗝️ The game balances challenge and charm perfectly, especially with the optional Hero Mode for those craving extra difficulty!

❤️ Story & Characters That Stick With You The narrative blends humor, emotion, and legend. Link’s journey from a peaceful island boy to a hero facing ancient evil is timeless. Characters like Tetra/Zelda and the Mascarón Rojo bring heart and personality, amplified by the expressive cel-shaded art style. It’s a tale about courage, friendship, and moving forward - literally and figuratively. 🌟👑

🎮 Legacy & Fan Debates The Wind Waker sparked tons of discussion:

Original vs. HD version - which do you prefer?

Is sailing a relaxing voyage or a tedious chore?

Favorite dungeon or boss?

The emotional impact of the ending?

This game perfectly shows how Zelda can reinvent itself while staying true to its roots. It’s a masterpiece of art, gameplay, and storytelling that continues to inspire fans worldwide. 🌍💫

Drop your thoughts, favorite moments, or fan theories below! Let’s celebrate the magic of The Wind Waker together! ⚓️💙✨

[ikeyuuns]

3. the party

warnings : swearing , drinking , implicated intoxication , typos

character count : 3641

notes : please ignore time stamps also i’m not the best writer … bare with me. 🙏

you sigh heavily as you and your friends sit in your car in the driveway that leads to the dreadful party and turn towards chaewon, giving her a ‘do i really have to be here’ look. she groans and rolls her eyes like you’ve personally offended her.

“yn, seriously you’ll have fun,” she says with a sigh. “we’re all here and you literally have a car if it gets that bad.”

“yn come on,” jongseob chimes in. “this is the only party we want you to be at.”

hyein sighs and rests her head behind you on the driver’s seat before speaking up. “yn, you’re already in a dress with straightened hair you’re not getting out of this party.”

you sigh, knowing she’s right. “yeah, yeah.” you murmur as you look at the simple short black dress you’re in that chaewon gave you and then the heels hyein forced you to wear.

jungwon groans and throws his head back. “can we go in already? i wanna drink.”

your friends all agree and get out of the car before you reluctantly trail behind them. you’re already dreading of all the awkward small talk you’re inevitably having to suffer with throughout the night.

you nervously followed behind hyein and chaewon whilst they walked through the house like it was their second home. they approached their other friends who you’d vaguely heard about. you awkwardly said hi to them as you stood next to chaewon and hyein.

in the middle of a conversation you hadn’t been listening to since it didn’t involve you, chaewon nudged you.

“yn, can you go get me a drink? please?” she asked with a pout that made you visibly cringe.

“yeah, yeah just stop with that…” you trail off and gesture towards her face. “..face.”

she smirks and mouths a thank you before being absorbed into the conversation again.

you sigh and head towards what seems to be a kitchen and you immediately see jungwon there.

“chaewon?” he asks, already knowing the answer as you scan the counter for her favorite drink.

you chuckle and grin before nodding at his question, “how’d you know?” you jokingly asked him.

he rolls his eyes and chuckles before grabbing a drink and leaving.

your eyes trailed around the room after jungwon departed and you were met with another pair of eyes.

you two locked eyes silently staring at each other, your eyes sort of wide as he continued to look at you almost shamelessly. the gaze was intense and you felt exposed and interrogated, like you had personally did something to him.

little did you know, it was jake sim.

jake was looking, almost zoning out in your features. but, when your body turned away his smile slowly comes to light as he admires the image of you that won’t—can’t leave his mind.

jake had never noticed you, not until now. he didn’t know anything about you and he felt like he just missed out on the biggest opportunity.

the first thing he noticed about you was the smile you had. the way your whole face lit up with it while you were talking to jungwon. he doesn’t know you but he almost feels like he needs to know you after fumbling so badly by just staring at you like an idiot.

he remembers how you had been talking to jungwon, one of his friends outside of his usual friend group. he needed to somehow figure out who you were. he signed and rubbed his forehead out of frustration for fumbling this so hard. he hardly noticed girls at college and the first time he does it doesn’t seem to be in his favor.

jake silently curses and groans, all he can really do is picture you for the rest of the night. he needed some kind of distraction from it all so he decided to forget about it (he never really did forget about it for more than five minutes) and make most of the party with at least two hundred people there.

synopsis : yoon yn is a quiet and awkward college student, she’s invited to a big party hosted by jake sim and his basketball team after winning a game. and knowing her loud and outgoing friends, she was going to the party whether she wanted to (she didn’t) or not. and there, jake sim spots her for a split second and tries to find a way to get closer to her.

masterlist || back || next

taglist : @007chan @getoxo @thealchemy89 @seyoungiesleeps @millis-diary @firstclassjaylee @enhzzlvr1009 @naevisringring @nauljise @right-person-wrong-time (taglist open :p)

[mikayuumouse]

akutagawa for the ask game!!

omggg yess this is gonna be fun

The game in question;

So for Akutagawa, hmm. I'd say:

My favorite thing about him is probably his character. That sounded so vague lmao 😭 I love how he is, as a person. Like his personality/writing is just my absolute favorite (did I mention he's my favorite character). Idk if that's as specific as the question implied though, so something specific I like about Akutagawa is his drive. He's determined, reckless, definitely fueled by his emotions, and I love it

I don't have a least favorite thing about him, although I kind of wish he had eyebrows 🤔 also I hate that he abused Kyouka and Higuchi, but alas, character flaws and Akutagawa is not without sin

Favorite line is "Return the weretiger to me" is that even a question you guys. Honorable mentions to "The weretiger is my ordeal", "Yes", literally any time he's said Jinko, and ["Just the two of us?"] "Do we need any more?"

idk what "brOTP" means, I assume it means my favorite platonic relationship Akutagawa has? For that, it's Akutagawa and Gin. I know they're not the best siblings and Akutagawa isn't the best brother, but I still appreciate their dynamic as family, and I think Gin helps shape who Akutagawa is

SSKK. I live and die for Sskk oh my God they're my favorite ship they're my everything they're soulmates I love them pleaseee Asagiri let them kiss we all know Akutagawa is in love with Atsushi and Atsushi is in love with Akutagawa, like omg they're so freaking perfect for each other, and mirror each other, and are infinitely connected even in alternate universes. Sskk allllllll the way oh my God I would literally jump into an active volcano for them I ship them so much, the romantic undertones of their relationship actually have me walking into the sea and never coming back because WHAT, oml they're just so good together and they love each other, I know they love each other and care about each other and quite literally died for each other! You can't tell me that they're not meant to be! I love, love, love, love, love Sskk with all my heart

Akutagawa x Higuchi. Literally why would anyone even ship that. Ew.

He paints. He's not exactly amazing at painting or art, but he finds peace in it (he finds himself accidentally painting Atsushi more and more often...)

Uhhh idk, I feel like Akutagawa is underrated? Like he was so not talked about for so long in this fandom, until the latest chapters. He's definitely getting the spotlight more now, but he's still underrated imo (no idea if it's an unpopular view tho lmao) (also this isn't unpopular but TOP AKUTAGAWA SUPREMACY THANK YOU 🛐)

Breathe by Taylor Swift. I'M JOKING I'M JOKING, it's actually It's Alright by Mother Mother

And one of these two is my favorite :>

thanks for the ask!<33

[klysanderelias]

Reblogging @nongunktional's tags-

I agree and I want to talk about this because, y'know, I like talking, but also because I think that talking about player agency and engagement can be kind of obtuse sometimes and I want to drill down on that.

I think a lot of DnD campaigns have fallen into the 'fantasy epic' structure of things like Lord of the Rings - where the idea is to take the same characters through an entire far-reaching and fully connected plot, from level 1-20 or whatever, where the big bad is introduced in act 1 and you kill him at the very end.

And I think that this comes from a lot of sources, but what it means is that you start seeing DnD games that are written in such a way that the players are railroaded pretty hard. After all, to use BG3 as an example, the entire game is focused around the illithid parasite - being able to remove it would break the entire story and render the later parts of the game completely unusable. They're written like novels, which means that the players have to go HERE next, because that's where the next plot point is, and if they DON'T go there, the story stalls to a halt.

And not to be a materialist, but I can't not mention the profit incentive for this - Paizo sells their Pathfinder/Starfinder adventure paths for 20-25 bucks a book, 6 books an adventure path. DnD sells their campaign books for like 50 bucks a pop. If you split away from the story on book 1, Paizo is losing like a hundred bucks.

And the problem I have is that it strips away basically all player agency and input - you might be allowed to pick which of three places you want to go, but the story won't progress until you do [x], and no matter how much it obfuscates it, the story is linear and can't react to the player's choices.

The entire first act of Balder's Gate 3 is such an egregious example of this - you follow up on like literally six or seven different leads to get the parasite in your head removed, and literally all of them go exactly nowhere, because again the plot requires you to have the damn thing in your head. There's even a point where a powerful devil pops out of nowhere to ask if you want to sell your soul in exchange for some pest control - and even if you say yes, I will 100% right now sell my soul to you, he goes 'I'll come back when you're desperate' and disappears.

And that's been my experience with a lot of recent material - it's either leading PCs by the nose from place to place by restricting the breadcrumbs, or it's constructed in such a way that they literally don't have any other options that aren't just abandoning the conceit of the adventure entirely. You don't get meaningful choices, you get a split in the flowchart that comes right back to the next node anyway.

Which is why it's so bothersome that the whole 'how do you want to do this' thing took off - again, I think there are other criticisms to be made, but primarily my problem is that it's a carrot that kind of disguises how little the GM gives their players creative input.

And specifically I talk about 'agency' and 'creative input' because that's very different from 'choice' in my mind. Players make choices all the time, from 'do I hit this goblin or that goblin' to 'am I going to serve this unjust king'. The thing that I'm looking for is, if the players do something the GM wasn't prepared for, do they get pushed back onto the rails, or does the GM roll with it?

If the players go, 'hey, we are willing to sell our souls right now, 100%, in order to get these parasites out of our heads', does the GM go 'well the devil says no' or do they say 'okay, huh. let's talk about what that means and where we would go from here.'

Or, for a lesser example, if I as a player go 'actually I sympathize with this villain, and instead of killing them I want to try to find a way to protect them and figure out how to make peace', am I allowed to? Or does the monster entry say 'fights until killed'? Am I given the opportunity to change and affect the world around my character, or is this a cutscene where my only option is to press F to perform my finisher?

And to be fair, part of the reason why GMs push back against this sort of thing is because a) it requires WORK and b) it often requires them to throw out prep. If you kill the big bad in act 1, assuming they let you, they have to completely rewrite the adventure to account for that, and they're sure as hell not getting paid to do that. But also, it's because a lot of players want to GET that result without putting in the work themselves - they expect the GM to rewrite the entire adventure without any input from themselves.

Y'know, creative control comes with responsibility. I as a player feel like it's my job to pitch ideas and work with the GM to come up with a solution for things I want to do - if I say, hey, I want to save this villain NPC, my job is to say 'and here's my long-term plan, and here's a next step we can do as a scene, I'm going to start working on [x] in my downtime' and so on. And that's not what the culture is.

I think there's a lot of factors to blame, but regardless of where it comes from, the result is that a lot of GMs aren't willing to share creative control, because they're worried (and maybe rightfully so) about players breaking their toys and acting smug about it, and a lot of players don't push for agency, because the GM absolutely stonewalls them.

And there are a lot of solutions to this, primarily not setting the entire damn adventure in stone before the players ever touch it, but also I think there's a culture of very adversarial play, where GMs try to force the players into a predefined route and players try to break their way out of that box, and both sides are doing it with zero respect for each other.

And I think combat is the easiest thing to compromise on because the story can't proceed if everyone dies, so if the GM forces you into a fight, they probably need you to win it. But I think there are a lot of choices that the players are denied leading up to it - partially, again, because the maps are already made so you HAVE to fight these bandits here, fuck you - that would lead to much more fun and engagement if the GM and players shared their toys. Weathertop is a great scenic location for a fight, but it's also a choice that Aragorn and the hobbits make ahead of time - they go there to get a vantage point to see the Ringwraiths coming, and to hide, and it's specifically characters making bad choices that bring the fight there. Players who feel like their decisions mattered, and led naturally to the outcome, are going to be more jazzed about playing it out.

And, conversely, players are going to check out hard if they feel like nothing they do matters - always arriving just a little bit too late to save the town, or watching the bad guy teleport away AGAIN gets really draining because you can feel the rails. Of course I'm going to be passive if I feel like I'm just watching a movie anyway.

And y'know, I think that there are too many GMs who read the campaign book cover to cover and get so invested in the cool book they just read, and completely forget that the players don't know ANY of that. And I can't meaningfully agree to everything in that campaign book! Yes, I understand the premise of the adventure, but at a certain point if I want to go off-book because I'm not interested in fucking exploring the underdark for three chapters, well, that wasn't part of the pitch!

Maybe the thing I hate the most about Critical Role's influence on ttrpg culture is the 'How Do You Want To Do This' shit - I hate it so much.

And like, y'know, there's a conversation to be had about the way it centers grotesque, over the top violence, and how it often produces wildly dissonant moments where a character suddenly goes wildly outside the bounds of who they are simply for a 'cool moment' or where it dramatically changes the tone of a fight and thus how I feel about it (and that's not even mentioning the way that players will do shit like that randomly - I will never not be upset about the way that Dim/ension 20 had the whole 'goblin up the asshole' thing)

And there's also something to be said for like, it's just a fun thing matt mercer wanted to do to let his players feel cool and give them the mic for a second to cut a promo, and it's definitely not the only thing that the show is about, but like...

It's like the GBBO Handshake, y'know? It's something that's Iconic, and gets this sort of following because it feels momentous or special, and suddenly all anyone cares about is getting it. Like, it is annoying to me how people will fall over themselves to get a handshake from paul hollywood but literally no one cared about impressing Mary Berry to the same extent. She didn't have a Thing and so her feedback was always rated lower than Paul's because the Handshake Mattered.

And I don't think it's Matt Mercer's fault the way I think it's Paul Hollywood's fault, exactly, but it is one of those things that I do have to assign blame to him as the originator of a thing that I hate.

Specifically because.

It creates this culture where the biggest moment you can get, the thing everyone wants, is to get the messy kill. It creates this culture where getting to describe an over the top Doom finisher is an ideal, and where it feels like it's the one moment where every GM is willing to share the spotlight a little.

And that sucks. For a lot of reasons, but primarily because it decenters like, any other agency the player can exert.

It sucks so bad when the only time you get creative agency as a player is to say how much you kill a thing. Throw out as many ideas as you want in the rest of the game, and get ignored or shot down, but this one guy? This rando bandit? This is your moment, brother.

And again, I don't think this is necessarily how Critical Role is run, but it's definitely how it's played, and how it models behavior for players, which is why it's so upsetting. I love listening to ACTUAL actual plays, where things are discussed openly at the table, because it gives people a model for how to handle things. Critical Role, all that stuff is discussed off-stream, all the backstory stuff is worked out ahead of time and all the major story beats are pre-planned, even if just in vague terms, and I think that's fine! IF you're doing a stage show, and not an actual play. Yes, players should discuss ahead of time whether they're interested in having their characters pursue a romance, and yes, if a GM is going to introduce a major plot arc based around a PC there should be discussion about it ahead of time, but obfuscating all of that just means that people listening don't understand how to DO it.

And what it means is that the big moment where players get to hold the reins for even a second, on-screen, is the kill.

And all the other stuff? Well, y'know, you don't need to ask the players for input. Just be a good DM, like Matt. Just tell a great story and they'll all sit in raptured silence and be so excited to follow the tracks to the next plot point, and the only time you need to check to see if they want to DO anything is when they roll a crit.

And it's just like, there are basically no 'how do you want to do this' moments in the HUNDREDS of episodes of Friends at the Table, and all of the memorable moments are players taking agency and pitching ideas. Like, there are big kills in Friends at the Table that fucking HIT, and none of them are because they're Doom Finishers. Hadrian in the Hieron holiday special fucking HITS because it's a meaningful, powerful character choice. Mother Glory in the other Hieron holiday special HITS because it's such a tragic, hateful thing to have happen. Hella killing [redacted] isn't cool or exciting, it sucks, and it plays directly into her 'I would rather destroy something than try to understand it' morality, so it fucking HITS.

And like, I could go for hours, and I couldn't tell you ANY of the 'how do you want to do this' moments from the 50-60 episodes of critical role that I watched, because they all suck. They're all just spectacle, just getting keys jingled in your face for a few seconds, and it's so frustrating that it feels like that's the only thing people have taken away from Matt Mercer's GMing (I have a lot of OTHER critiques about his GMing, so I'm not saying that learning from him in other ways is better, but I'm also a hater).

But y'know, they clip well for tiktok or whatever.

It's just one more goddamn thing I hold against 5e culture, but it's also so quintessentially AMERICAN - of COURSE we're going to want to spotlight a grotesque kill, have you watched ANY of our tv shows. Of course the only time that a player's input is needed is so they can narrate their finisher - that's EASY and it's FUN because we have no concept of the humanity of the people we kill. It's fun to climb up a monster's asshole because no one has to consider whether that COUNTS against a nonperson.

And it's just like, y'know, I feel like there's this glorification of violence as long as you can feel justified, and it's easy for us to feel justified, so you end up with people making zombie movies just so that they can sell fantasies of shooting your neighbor in his face for mowing the lawn too often, or you ignore any morality because someone hurting you in the past DEFINITELY justifies waterboarding them with isopropyl.

And like, I don't want to be too high-and-mighty because I do think there's a place for over-the-top violence, and for retributive violence, in storytelling, but I just don't think it should be as a highlight reel, and it shouldn't be a candy-coated reward for rolling good.

It matters, it's noticeable, how you as the GM frame the camera. It's obvious what you care about depending on what details you ask for. And y'know, it's obvious what you're not interested in when you don't ask.

And again, it should not be the only time you ask a player to describe something.

[prokopetz]

Monster-in-a-glowing-tube-of-mad-science-goo type video game boss with a "hyper-evolution" gimmick that's just an absolute vertical wall in the game's difficulty curve, but if you trigger its busting-out-of-the-tube cutscene and leave, when you come back later you'll find that with nothing to fight it's evolved an obsessive interest in baking instead. There's a minigame.

[ninesugars]

hello to all 5 people that still care about fates. guess who’s replaying conquest

[ai-the-broccoli]

enemies to lovers / but you'll never own my heart

@luzon-dove happy birthday, Quinn!! As a present, I decided to draw a piece fanart of your "blood in the walls of the yagami house" AU fic series, since I found it very well-written and full of super interesting ideas and concepts. I hope you like it!

[shmowder]

yk it's always something when a game borrows from middle-eastern culture, aesthetics, and mythology or just outright takes it all as the main hook, and when you check the long list of supported languages, Arabic is nowhere in sight

[slymanner]

Look all I'm saying is if that a shadow game can work THAT well and be so well designed story wise and gameplay wise

HE can work

[silversinfinity]

Cabin Fever

*this is a fetish blog- non-fet blogs and minors DNI (no age in bio -> blocked)*

Fandom: L/ove and D/eepspace Spoilers: None Pairing/AU: Z/ayne X f!Reader, normal universe Length: 5.4k

Contains: sneeze fetish content (duh), sickfic, fevers, caretaking, that trope where a character’s powers act up because they’re sick, reader insert

Summary: L/ove and D/eepspace's "Winter's Emissaries" summer event, wherein everything is the same, except I made it better gave Z/ayne a cold.

Notes: Backstory time! This game had an event last summer that included four different virtual roleplaying games to complete (one for each guy). In the one featuring Z/ayne, you play as “Winter’s Emissaries” searching for treasure to save a village. While playing through these, you also receive special social media interactions, one of them being this one from Z/ayne. I think my inspiration should speak for itself… 🥴

I wanted this to feel like it could seamlessly fit into the original canon plot, so a few lines of dialogue and description were adapted directly from the game. There's also gonna be casual mentions of things which might go over your head if you haven't played, but it shouldn't ruin the fic reading experience!

Okay, enough yapping. Enjoy 🫶

Fic Masterlist

Your reflection was barely visible in the glass as you stared out the window. Snow swirled in a gray and white cacophony, past the glass pane and all across the region as far as you could see. The conditions seemed more treacherous now that you had escaped them, free to observe rather than experience it. 

You'd experienced it enough today, anyways. Your face still stung of whipping, icy winds, and your hair dripped as clumps of ice and snow melted off your head. Every part of you felt chilled- your fingers, your toes, hell, your very soul. This little cabin was truly the desert oasis of the frigid mountain forests. There was no way either of you could've survived a night out there. 

To your right and behind you, a stunted rush of flames brought the fireplace to life. Your hand curled over your chest, relieved. There was never a situation where you weren't grateful to have Zayne around, but this one especially so. His simple presence was enough to flip an unfortunate situation into a favorable one, or at the very least, an okay one. This would be okay.

Another bundle of snowflakes rushed past the window as a new gust of wind took to the air with violence. You leaned into the knotted pine of the window sill and walls, pressing one ear to the glass.

Your brow furrowed. Only the crackling of the fireplace registered to your senses. Not even a muffled echo of the blizzard’s roar could be detected through the glass. Was the soundproofing of this cabin really that thorough?

Zayne’s hand on your shoulder shook the question out of your mind. “You shouldn't stand so close to the glass. A blizzard can break the window.” His voice was calm. “Come sit by the fireplace. It'll warm you up.”

You stood back from the glass, and one of Zayne’s hands caressed your cheek, palm hot against the chapped skin of your face. You found him in a similar state, skin flushed and wind-broken around and across his nose.

Zayne led you to the fireplace with a hand to your back. Heat instantly washed over you, and you tugged off the heavy coat that still clung to your shoulders. 

“You say I need to warm up, but you're the one who gave up your coat,” you said, hanging it on the hook off to the side of the hearth. He'd insisted you take it, once you realized the hard way that your own coat was highly insufficient for the weather.

“You're right. Come sit.” Zayne had seated himself in a wicker chair a few feet back from the fire’s glow. You paused to consider whether there was enough room to join him. If you were expected to fit next to him, you’d practically need to be sitting in his lap.

…Not that you minded. You never minded that.

As anticipated, you found yourself crunching your knees up to settle yourself next to him. You were squished against him, legs to legs, warm body to warm body.

It occurred to you, though, that there was plenty of sitting space throughout the cabin suitable for two people, much unlike the chair you had just forced your way into. You looked at Zayne and smirked. “I get it. You're using the fireplace as an excuse to cuddle, aren't you?” 

Zayne tilted his head and met your gaze. His lip curled so subtly you had to squint to see it: “Well, if you knew that was my goal, why did you still join me?” 

You nearly got lost in his eyes, aglow with a sunset orange reflection of the flames. “Because… I may or may not have the same goal,” you finally admitted, nestling the rest of your body to Zayne’s. Your head settled perfectly against his chest, like a puzzle piece to its match.

“I'm honored to be your personal heater after serving as your navigator.” 

A comfortable silence followed Zayne’s words. Your attention honed in on the crackling of the fireplace, the flames within wiggling their unsteady dance and casting a faint, smoky scent into the air. You inhaled deeper, chasing the nostalgic memories of summer bonfires lingering behind. The air was dry, but warm enough now that you didn’t feel moisture chasing every breath in through your nose. But the same couldn’t be said yet for Zayne, based on the still frequent sniffling above you. It really was dreadful out there…

The whole reason for your journey here slowly crept back into your mind. Today the blizzard would keep you both within the safety and warmth of this cabin, but you knew there was still a long journey in the cold ahead of you. As Winters Emissaries, it was your duty to complete the task given to you. The whole of a village was counting on it. 

As to what it was though, you still weren't completely sure.

“Hey… do you think the treasure the villagers mentioned is something like this?” 

You felt Zayne move above you at the sudden sound of your voice. He pondered your question. “A treasure that brings warmth in winter… the concept is similar enough,” he eventually said. 

“But visiting the palace just to get firewood for them would be pointless. They could just go into the forest themselves, couldn't they?”

“Perhaps the treasure is a self-heating energy stone. Winters Emissaries are like torchbearers. They've been entrusted with the responsibility of bringing energy to the village.”

An image of yourself and Zayne wearing special ceremonial attire during an Olympic opening ceremony, sacred torch and all, flashed in your mind. It was far more flashy and loud than your actual reality, traveling alone together in the winter wilderness of the mountains as the elements assaulted you. “Zayne, your imagination got a little wild there,” you giggled. 

“Oh? Then what sort of fantasy would you prefer to listen to?” Zayne sniffled again. Outside, the world had begun to turn dark.

“Something real, maybe.” Your eyes searched the space above the fireplace, as if the answer would appear there for you. “Hmm… talk about your childhood memories. When we were kids, wasn't there a time a snowstorm trapped you at my house?”

Long was the history between the two of you. You spent your childhood together, grew up together, and now Zayne was a unique combo of your primary doctor, lover,  and a formidable fighter you could rely on in any Wanderer encounter. 

So, you were a little hopeful Zayne would still remember your early days, after everything you'd been through. 

Zayne’s hand fidgeted at the small of your back. “...I remember that,” he finally began. “My parents and I went to your place for dinner. And then it suddenly started snowing. It was getting late, and we tried to head home but the car wouldn't start. We had no choice but to spend the night there.” Zayne paused, swallowed, and cleared his throat. His voice was noticeably rougher when he spoke again though, as if he hadn't cleared anything at all, “But you had already returned to your room. We had barely talked that day…”

There was a tremble you noticed in his voice too, as though the memories themselves manifested within the language he spoke. He wasn't always the most straight forward with his sentimentality of your shared youth, but there were always signs he cherished them the same way you did.

Yet you always felt strange, separated from yourself whenever you reflected on it, everything being the same and yet so different from what you had with him today. As children, could Zayne and I have ever imagined ourselves nestled by the fireplace one day, enjoying idle conversation?

“Maybe it's because I went to bed too early that day. If only I had known…”

You waited for Zayne to respond, or continue, but it never came. His breathing steadied and slowed above you, and you craned your neck to look up at him. 

His eyes were closed, long, dark lashes completely still. No surprise sleep took him so quickly; for as often as he would lecture you about getting enough sleep, you knew his line of work didn't allow him to rest as well as he'd like. He was known for taking any time he could between surgeries to nap. This quiet time in a cabin was the perfect environment for Zayne to take advantage of.

You were careful not to disturb him as you settled your head back where it was most comfortable. The warmth you shared between your bodies had only grown, stealing away any drive you had left to stay awake. The fireplace became a blur as your eyelids drooped.

Against your ear though, you were still awake enough to notice the slight wheeze in his breathing. And from his nose, the tiniest whistle when he exhaled. Both were not typical for him, in all the times you had rested together.

Mentally, you winced, remembering the pity taken on your poor choice of winter wear once the blizzard hit. Zayne assured you he still had enough layers on, and initially you believed him. 

Now though, you realized he would've told you that anyways. Of course he would've; he was prone to worrying more about you than himself. 

You wondered if this wasn't normal tired for him, but sick tired. Had he been hiding it from you? Or was it too early for him to even realize?

You were only barely awake yourself anymore, unable to think clearly. “Zayne?” you murmured, quiet, still hesitant to wake him. You heard nothing back, and then you heard nothing at all, as sleep stole you away too. 

—

You woke up suddenly, somewhere soft, warm. Pillow under your head, and layers of blankets draped over you. Sluggishly, you picked up your head. The grey light of morning seeped through the windows, pale and too early to be awake. You squinted to make out flecks of snow billowing past the window, just as energetically as the day previous. 

This wasn't where you had fallen asleep. So how did you…? 

Oh, right.

Somewhere in the night, you vaguely remembered being lifted and held to Zayne’s chest before he settled you somewhere else- it was in this bed, you now knew. You stretched and whined beneath the blankets before rolling over. Next to you, the comforter was pulled back and the fitted sheet wrinkled, implying Zayne had slept there next to you. The bed suddenly felt cold.

As you sat up, you frowned. Something had woken you, but what? It was quiet in the cabin. “Zayne…?” you called out groggily.

“heh’tSCHh-!”

Oh.

“hegH’SCHUhh-!”

Sneezing. Zayne sneezing, to be exact. Muffled and echoey beyond the half wall immediately behind you, you concluded he was too far away to have heard you, in another room of the cabin. 

You heard him sneeze again, after a longer delay. You internally winced as you had the night before. For all the time you'd known Zayne, you'd never heard such frequent disruptions, except for when an outside factor- such as illness- was actively aggravating him.

The urge to investigate dragged you out of bed. Your ears pointed you towards the bathroom across the way. As you got closer though, you stopped. The sound of rushing water could be heard, loud and clear with the door of the bathroom wide open. Your approach to the door was a little more hesitant- was he showering this early in the morning?

Beyond the steam cloaking the room, you found Zayne not in the shower, but hovering just to the side of the sink. His hair was slightly disheveled from its usual neatness, and damp, implying he'd been standing in there for some time. Even from where you stood in the doorway, his body language read of discomfort.

Though you stepped lightly, your bare feet weren't quiet enough to avoid alerting him. Zayne turned to look your way. His posture instantly straightened, but it didn't hold, wavering in tune with his breath. 

“Y-Y/N, hih…! hH’gnx’SCHhh-!” He notably pressed into his wrist, cutting the volume. That wrist flipped, and his fingers clamped over his nose, pinching tightly over the bridge in a fashion you'd seen before, when he was either annoyed or- “heh-NGTt-uh!” -suppressing a sneeze. 

“Bless you… thanks for the wake up call.” You couldn't help yourself from teasing him.

“Did I wake you?” He paused to sniffle, thick, unproductive. “I tried to be quiet getting out of bed, but I suppose that didn't last…” Zayne’s voice cracked and he coughed, hoarse. 

Concerned, you stepped into the bathroom, closing the space between you. “What's with the shower?” you said. 

“Clearing out my sinuses. You can turn it off.” The steam in the room was pleasantly warm, but the humidity was a little much, you thought. You shut the water off.

“Did it help?” you asked. 

“Well, it made me sneeze through the worst of it.” With the water off, you can hear congestion in his voice more clearly, and you shuddered to think this was an improvement from when he'd first awoke. His illness had set in, and it had done so quicker than you thought possible. Zayne took one step back from the counter, touching one temple and wincing. You saw him sway.

Your brow furrowed. One of your hands drew up to his forehead before Zayne had the chance to stop you. Your fingers brushed his bangs aside with a gentle sweep, and the pads of your fingers ghosted heat, searing his skin deeper than any steam could create on the surface. 

“You have a fever…” Zayne swatted you away, but you grabbed at his wrist in rebellion. Instantly, you gasped and froze in place. Under your palm and fingers was an icy cold, etched across his skin and leaving purple welts in his wake- it could only have originated from his abilities. “Your Evol, why…?”

In one quick move, Zayne shook his head at you, tugged his freezing wrist from your grasp, and twisted away with a wrenching sneeze. 

“hegH’NSCHhih-! Hh…” The exhale carried exhaustion. You allowed him the space to recover but refused him another inch beyond that. As you examined him closer, you realized that white, crackling frost glazed not just his wrist, but his neck too. 

“Are you…okay? Why is your Evol doing that?” you asked.

But Zayne couldn’t seem to catch a break. “I'm f-fine…hih…!” His denial was drowned out in a shuddering hitch of breath. He managed to retrieve a bunched up wash cloth from the counter, just in time to jam it under his nose before he-

“hih’MPFSChh-!”

Punctual.

“Bless you,” you said, wincing. “Uh, you were saying? About being fine?”

He was even slower to recover, as though the very last of his energy had seeped out through his sinuses, dampening the already soiled cloth in his hand. “I'm not denying that. Obviously I'm not well.” Zayne slid past you to leave the bathroom, and you followed nervously behind him to where he dropped down on the couch. He barely seemed to be present, tilting his head back, eyes closed. The dark shadows under his eyes told you he hadn’t slept much. “I just meant… the ice. I'm fine, this always happens when I'm unwell.” 

From where you sat next to him, you took the chance to touch his forehead again, and Zayne didn't protest this time. It was worse than you initially thought. “You're really hot, Zayne…”

One eye opened. “Flirting with me while I'm sick?”

“Hey, you know what I mean…” You smiled and felt at ease- at least he wasn't so ill that mirth failed him. 

It couldn't cure all your worries, though. Your touch trailed down his cheek, to his jawline, and then his neck. It was there that the temperature under your fingers went shockingly cold, as though he'd just been outside in the winter elements without a scarf. Zayne’s brow knitted at your touch, and he shivered. 

“You're freezing,” you commented. It wasn't a question, but Zayne nodded anyway. “Let me warm you up, then.” This too, wasn't a question of permission, but rather a warning that you would try regardless.

Again though, Zayne nodded. Even a doctor as work-driven as he was knew when it was time for someone else to do the caring.

You looked first to the fireplace across from the couch, in front of the chair where you had both dozed off last night. The flames weren't flames but small, smoldering ashes- certainly of no substance to subdue a fever and keep the chill of winter out. 

You tossed another couple logs on and allowed a moment for the fire to catch.

Then, back on the couch, you adjusted your knees under you. “Here, let me squeeze in.” You sidled close to Zayne’s spot on the sectional. He hesitantly straightened his legs, allowing you space between him and the back cushion of the couch.

“It'll get nice and warm here soon,” you assured. Zayne hummed, glassy, hazel eyes fixed to the ceiling above. Your attention drew back to his Evol, still vicious and frosty at his wrists and throat. The warmth of the fire couldn't sedate this- this cold came from within, and the longer you lingered on it, the more uncomfortable it looked. You feared self-inflicted frostbite was in his near future.

“Do you think you might be overdoing it? Your Evol, I mean.”

“It's…” Zayne paused, shivering violently as though simply acknowledging the sensation made it worse. You swore you saw vapor as he exhaled, as if the air of winter itself were contained around his head in a bubble. “It's against my will, mostly…”

His discomfort was nearly palpable to you as you realized this was completely out of his control. This was the same cold extreme enough for Zayne to use in combat, after all, and now it was acting of its own accord, attacking him. 

“Think of it as a flight or fight response,” Zayne went on. “My temperature is up, therefore my body is responding by trying to cool down.”

“It's just too much, isn't it?” you said, finishing his thought for him. Zayne nodded, casting his gaze towards you. He'd never looked so openly vulnerable underneath you, except in distant memories, and you felt your heart soften despite the circumstances. 

You laid your weight heavier into him, shuffling so that one leg intertwined between his own. He caught your eye when he moved his hands out of your way. 

Maybe… if you resonated with him…?

You reached for one hand. “Here, let me just…”

Zayne shrunk away though, tucking his arms to his sides. “No, you shouldn't…touch me when I'm like this. Not on my skin.” Worry, genuine worry flickered in his eyes, and you felt that soft glow in your chest trip and falter.

“Zayne…” Your hands remained hovered at his wrist. Begging him with your eyes. He tensed, but he didn't stop you from closing your touch over his wrist. His skin was frigid, burning against your warmer palms, but only that. “You won't hurt me. I promise.”

You seemed to get through to him, and Zayne found it in himself to relax, finally. Your squeeze over his wrist was firm, but gentle, wringing your grip back and forth. You slowed your breathing and sought his Evol’s frequency, and it met you with a chaotic and unusual rhythm. A warm light glowed from your palms. In a matter of seconds, his skin took the warmth of yours.

“Better?” You asked. 

Zayne nodded, brow raised just slightly as though he didn't expect this outcome. You weren't sure you had expected it to work either. Discomfort crept back into his features, and he breathed through clenched teeth- you healed his other wrist with more urgency.

Briefly, you chewed the inside of your cheek. You couldn't deny that you found it all alarming, try as Zayne might to act casual about the whole thing. The nature of Evol was different person to person, but was it really okay for it to attack its user? Even under circumstances of illness? What if there was more to this?

…No, no. You had to shake this out of your head, stick to the task at hand. Interrogating him in the midst of being miserable wasn't good for either of you.

You forced the frown out of your expression, before Zayne could read it and interrogate you instead. “Your hands look better,” you said. “Is it just your shoulders now?”

“Yes. I think.”

“Get comfortable, then.” Both having lost their icy touch, he tucked his hands under you, and you properly draped yourself over him like a weighted blanket. Zayne tilted his head up to accept your arms wrapping over the back of his freezing neck.

You suppressed a shiver of your own as you nuzzled your cheek into the crook of one shoulder, the cold seeping into you through his shirt. Then, you remained still, focusing to match the frequency of his powers again, further resonating. Any remaining anxiety drained out of you. Maybe you couldn't cure his cold completely, but a small win was still a win in the war against misery.

Zayne sighed above you in relief. ”hh…hih…!” And then in urgency. He fidgeted under you, prompting you to lift your head.

You were greeted with the sight of a man most definitely about to sneeze.

And it had you a little mesmerized, to say the least- the stoic type, you rarely ever witnessed his face so obviously contorted. Somehow, Zayne always maintained a calm and collected demeanor, even when he was feeling anything but. This expression he currently wore though, was scrunched up, needy. His brow pinched together, eyelids taught. And the pink rims of his nostrils ticklishly flared, lip curled back into a snarl.

“Y-Y/N, my…hands…!” His breathy voice barely hung above a whisper.

You didn't get the memo- at least not fast enough. His hands remained trapped under you, and with nowhere else to hide, Zayne twisted toward the couch cushion, squelching the sneeze into submission by willpower alone.

Willpower didn't carry him very far, however. “hH’NXTt’shih-!” The burst of moisture that broke through was audible. Zayne’s chest swelled under you to gear up for a second one, and you braced a little tighter around his neck- “hegH’SCHUhh-!” The force his sneezes wrought nearly folded him at the waist, even with your full weight on top of him.

Zayne stilled after that. You were more timid as you looked back up to him. “Bless you. You shouldn't fight it like that…” you said softly.

“You shouldn't keep my hands trapped, then,” Zayne shot back.

You shrugged, although you did shift your hips up to free one of his arms. Zayne took to knuckling under his nose, before carefully dabbing at any excess dampness with the edge of his sleeve. 

“Really though, don't worry about politeness,” you went on. Your expression turned downcast. “You're sick because of me, after all.”

Several seconds passed as Zayne processed your words. Then, he gave you a look, the one he always had when you said something silly.  “You know people don't get sick just from being out in the cold, right?” 

“Says who?”

“Y/N, I'm a doctor. Your doctor,” Zayne deadpanned. 

You couldn't hide your grin. “Okay, but consider this: I saw it happen in a movie. A lot of movies, actually.”

Zayne shook his head. A yawn crept into his voice, and his eyes closed. “Right. Next time I need continuing education credits, I'll just watch some movies instead.”

“You better invite me over for a movie date night then!”

“But of course.” You held him a little tighter. The corner of Zayne’s mouth tugged into a smile. “Y/N… you really never grew up,” he said. 

“Oh?” You tilted your head at him. 

“You're just as unserious as you were when we were young,” Zayne went on. “More than when we were young, actually.”

To that, you stuck your tongue out. “Coming from the most serious guy I know? You should try it sometime.” 

Zayne opened his eyes, and there was That Look again, the Y/N-Said-Something-Ridiculous Look. For a moment, it even seemed like the feverish haze had left his eyes. But it only lasted a second, and the sorry state of him continued to be evident.

Your eyes shifted down to his throat. The skin looked healthy now, as though it had never been coated in a deadly ice. “So is this whole, uh, Evol thing gone now?” you asked awkwardly.

“For now. I imagine it’ll stay away now, so long as you're here.” 

A complicated knot of feelings sat in your chest, out of nowhere. For all the times Zayne had gone out of his way to protect you, save you, cure you, rarely could you return the favor. And it was a regular experience- you were good at getting yourself into trouble, after all.

But now, here you were, in a position where he needed you. 

“Good,” was all you could muster in response. 

Your hands snaked out from behind his head where they found his face. Cupping his cheeks, your fingers brushed over all the contours you now knew deeply, intimately. You let your eyes drift thoughtfully over his lips, threatening your resolve. 

Clearly you had grown up in some way- the idea of kissing Zayne would've been strange and wrong in your youth, but now you found yourself fighting with your better judgment not to. You could already hear him quietly scold you for kissing him while he was sick.

Only then did you realize Zayne was looking at you. You found yourself instantly shy under his scrutiny- for all the times you had kissed him, gone on dates, fully gave yourself to him, he still managed to make you nervous. 

Just as the tension of your eye contact threatened to become too heavy, Zayne sighed and melted a little deeper into the couch. You shook yourself back into a caretaker mindset. 

“Are you warm enough?” Zayne hummed his confirmation. “Okay… can I get you anything? Fever reducers, maybe?”

You sat up, preparing to get up from the couch, but Zayne’s hands held your waist firmly. “I already took some. Why don't you just rest here with me?” His words caught and he coughed into his shoulder.  

Zayne’s voice was growing ragged, even for how softly he spoke. You made a mental note to raid the cabinets for tea later, whenever he was ready to accept it. 

For now though, resting with him would be an easy task. The light filtering through the snow plastered windows was still too dim and early for your liking. And with the most concerning of Zayne’s symptoms relieved, you were content to relax a little. Your breathing synced with the slowed pace of his, calm.

For all the symptoms that had been relieved though, there was always another waiting to rear its head and break the moment.

Zayne suddenly stirred under you. He stiffly exhaled. “Actually, Y/N…” Zayne sniffled, and then sniffled again, sharply squeaking within his swollen sinuses. “Maybe…you should, hih…!”  You sat up in time to see the twinge in his expression take hold, uncertain, a will-he or won't-he battle. The fluttering of his eyes and twitch of his nares tells you he definitely will, though Zayne seemed intent on holding back. The rest of his words tumbled out in a rush, “...should get me some tih-! tissues, hH-!”

His arm tensed over your back, and he swung up with the intent to cover above you. You moved quicker though, tucking his face against your shoulder. Another gasp shook him beneath you, fluttering against your skin. You only held him tighter.

“heH’MFSCHHeh-!” Throaty and violent, the sound was squashed into your shirt. It was a warm and damp rush in the fabric, and Zayne jostled you as his nose betrayed him a second time. “hH-! ‘ESCHh’uh-!”

Several peaceful seconds came and went. You propped yourself up and met his gaze sheepishly, exposing the damp spot that now soiled your shirt. Zayne’s face was hard to read, but his ears were noticeably pink. “You know, when people ask for tissues, they don’t usually mean someone else’s shirt,” he mumbled.

“I- wasn’t thinking, I guess…” you said. One hand lazily traced along the curved top of his ear. “You don't need to be so embarrassed.”

“I have a fever, remember?” Zayne retorted, so casually that you almost couldn’t detect it as an excuse- almost. He sniffled again, wet and productive. “Listen, I could still really use those tissues… unless you’re expecting me to use your shirt for that too.” His eyes shifted away from you.

The heat on his face seemed to possess your own cheeks, as it occurred to you just how compromised he was under you. Completely at your will, or at least as completely as he would allow, and so far it seemed to be a lot. Your mind threatened to drift to places far from innocent. 

“No, not unless you- asked to, I mean…! N-not at all.” Your words tripped over themselves as your tongue knotted itself with your inner desires. You shimmied back to the other end of the couch, part in preparation to get up, but mostly to hide yourself from Zayne’s intelligent gaze. He could always read right through you.

You managed to pull yourself together while fetching a tissue box from the bathroom. And a glass of water- you were sure he needed it.

You stopped in your tracks exiting the bathroom. Zayne still laid on the couch, eyes closed, somehow serene despite  being in the throes of a bad cold. 

Cute.

He stirred once you approached close enough to be heard. “Here,” you said, passing the box of tissues to him.

“A whole box? How generous,” he playfully remarked. Zayne plucked a tissue from the box, and then another. You looked down at the glass of water still in your hands, for whatever shred of privacy it would offer him as he loudly blew his nose. Soiled, he tossed the tissues into the wastebasket nearby. At this rate, and with the way that had sounded, you had a feeling that the bin would be full of them by the end of the day.

“Thanks,” Zayne said in a thick voice as he took the water from you next. He made quick work of it, and you mentally patted yourself on the back for thinking of his needs before he had even voiced them. 

You checked that the fireplace was still lively, and then you turned back to Zayne where you stood before him.

“Can I get you something else?”

Zayne looked at you with warm eyes. “I don't know… I’d just really like my blanket back.” You frowned, only to falter when Zayne winked at you. Duh.

You needed no other prompting to crawl back into your original position, settling yourself over Zayne like a large lap cat, or a blanket, as he had put it. A new sense of ease washed over the two of you. 

You turned your head where it was more comfortable on its side. Snow still billowed past outside, and you found yourself reflecting again on why you were both here. Although there would be much to do later today, or more likely tomorrow, when the snow had slowed, you could both have this moment. You didn't get to lay and nap together at home nearly as often as either of you liked, but right now, you were free to indulge in it. 

You had each other's comfort. And you had each other's warmth.

“Ya know, maybe what you said yesterday was right,” you suddenly spoke.

“Hm?” Zayne opened one eye, brow raised.

“About the treasure being something warm within winter, or however you put it.” Your limbs twitched, and you curled a little tighter into Zayne. “Maybe it's cheesy, but I feel like we have our own little treasure here, ya know?”

Zayne exhaled a laugh, but it was genuine. “Perhaps you're right.” He closed his eyes, and through a yawn, “We had to find our own little treasure before we could find one for the whole village.”

“Exactly.” You smiled, closing your own eyes. Your ears zoned in on the cracking and popping of the fireplace, coupled with Zayne’s soft breathing. 

Flashbacks of the cozy night prior crept into your mind. “Can you tell me the rest of that story from last night?” Your words were slurred by almost-sleep. Zayne only responded with a soft snore. 

Ah well, you thought. Another day, then; this treasure was treasure enough. 

[introspectivememories]

tiktok hunger games fans are like the fucking worst. half of them are so desperate to let people know that there's a Message to the book and that they understood the Morals and Themes and Messages of the book that cant look past book canon or have some fun and the other half is making ocs and slapping katniss and peeta's name on them while making the most outlandish conspiracy theories. you cant fucking do anything on there

[goldensunset]

‘the children yearn for the mines’ is a little too real to me bc when i was a kid and my older siblings were trying to get me into pokémon i really never cared to try playing. BUT. i was obsessed with the underground mining minigame in dppt. i used to beg my sister to let me take a turn playing and set it up for me bc i didn’t know how to so i could go mine for gems nonstop until i cleared that entire cave section of glittering wall spots which always made me so sad bc i was having such a great time. i didn’t even understand the significance of what i was doing but 7 year old me was high off of it