#maybe a select few but generally nah

[stormz369]

☕💖 Can I Get Your Number? ☕💖 Ch 12

Jason Todd x (f)Chubby!Reader

written with a female reader in mind, first person pov, no use of Y/N, will probably get NSFW later, let me know if there's anything else I should tag this with!

warnings/labels: a tragic but necessary lack of Jason in this chapter, reader's friend calls her a bitch (affectionately), talks about insecurities

wc: 2k

Chapter Selection

“Bitch, get out here already!” Stella called from her perch on my couch.

I chuckled softly, slowly entering the living room. It felt so strange to have such a fancy gown on in my dinky little apartment, but Stella had pulled the best friend card, so of course I had to show it to her! I did a little spin so she could see the full effect.

She gasped softly, covering her mouth with one hand. “Oh my fucking god…”

“... What?”

“God, you look like a princess!” She squealed before pouting a bit. “It's downright criminal that you're not even going to ask them about letting me tag along! I want the princess treatment too!”

I chuckled, smoothing out the skirt. “I'm not going to ask favors of people I barely know, Stell!”

“So ask your boyfriend, you know him!”

“Next time. I don't want it to look like I'm using him for his family connections, or his money.”

She sighed; “I guess you have a point … hey, he's got brothers, any of them single? Maybe I could swing my own invite to this thing!”

“... You know what, I don't know if Dick is single or not. … Tim's got a boyfriend, so the only definitely single one is the fourteen years old.”

She sighed, throwing herself back on the armrest. “Lame… well, at least let me live vicariously through you; what are you gonna wear with it?”

“... Elaborate?”

She raised an eyebrow; “jewelry, shoes? Oh! Let me do your hair and makeup, pleeeaaaase let me do your hair and makeup for the gala!”

“... Jewelry; I don't know. Shoes; these black heels Stephanie helped me find - she said they're the most comfortable heels she's ever worn, I just have to wear them for a few hours at a time the week before. Hair and makeup; yes, you can be in charge.”

Stella beamed, clapping excitedly. “Ok! Go get changed, we're going shopping!”

“We- … I literally just put this on, now you want it off???”

“We have to get you some jewelry to go with your dress!” She grinned, shoving me toward the bedroom. “Unless you think he's going to get you something special? Should we leave your options open?”

“Oh god, he better not… Nah, he wouldn't. The only reason I let him buy the dress was because I couldn't afford to do it myself, he knows that.”

“... Girl, you are the only person I know who could be handed a golden opportunity to be a sugar baby and wouldn't take it. What is wrong with you? Do you like the diner that much?”

She helped me out of the dress, hanging it back up and zipping the garment bag around it while I found some casual clothes to wear. “Not particularly, but I do like my independence. I do like knowing that if something went wrong I would still be able to take care of myself. And I definitely like knowing that I'm not relying on a man I've known for less than a year to pay my rent.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Ok, but … what if you guys got married? Would you let him pay the rent then?”

“In that highly unlikely scenario? Sure, why not?” We kicked our shoes on and headed down toward the bus stop.

“What do you mean ‘unlikely’?”

“... He's who he is, and I'm who I am. … I love him, Stella. I think I probably would marry him if he asked, but honestly, … sometimes I still wonder when the other shoe is going to drop. I mean, come on; he is so hot-”

She groaned her approval; “indeed~”

“-and sweet, and clever, I just … what on earth does he see in me??” I sighed softly, fidgeting with the strap of my purse.

“Um, hello? Beautiful, smart, kind, generous, creative; gee, I wonder what he could possibly like about you!” She smacked the back of my head gently; “do I need to shout your many excellent qualities to the whole street? Cause I fucking will!”

I snickered, shoving her off of me. “Ok, ok! Yes, I have many good qualities. But still, we don't exactly make sense together; he's a Wayne, he could have anything and anyone he wants, and I'm-”

“What he wants.”

“-broke, the fact that we met at all makes no sense.”

“Yes, thank god for the weird pushy brothers, we must remember to include them in our prayers.” She rolled her eyes affectionately as the bus pulled up and we got on.

“He is built like Hercules-”

“And you're built like Aphrodite - thick thighs, soft squeezable curves, excellent tits.”

I snorted; “you show me the Aphrodite statue with a tummy like this, please. Stella, be real. I know I'm pretty - I'm not questioning that. I know Jason doesn't think there's anything wrong with my body, and I don't dislike my body myself. It's just … I also know what the women who are typically at these events look like. I've heard the comments my whole life, I know what people think of bigger girls, and … at a certain point it gets disheartening … I don't want to look out of place next to him.”

She pinched my cheeks between her hands, staring into my eyes. “Now you listen here; you are not allowed to be this defeatist about my best friend and her hunky boyfriend's future. Got that? Yeah, you're in totally different tax brackets, now. But you can't forget, he's the Wayne boy that got lifted out of Crime Alley. He didn't look like he belonged there at first either. Hell, maybe that's one of the things he likes about you; you're kind, and practical, and you don't care about his status.

At this point he's probably used to girls tripping over themselves to say, be, and do whatever he wants because he's a Wayne, not because they like him. We have established that this is not some convoluted college boy prank. He likes you. He's been devoted to you for months; I know because I have barely seen you - you’re always together. He wants to show you off in front of all those one-percenters at that gala. You are what he wants. Sit back and enjoy the ride, girl; stop looking for car crashes!”

Stella gave me a firm look as she released my face, and I slowly nodded; “... You feel better?”

“Much.” She grinned; “you?”

“Much.” She nodded happily and hugged me. I leaned against her, looking out the window for our stop.

Stella pulled me along to store after store, insisting I needed the proper undergarments for a gown like that, then that I should have a new perfume - “not a bath and body works body spray, a proper perfume” for special events -, then since we were already there she wanted to pick the perfect nude lip color for me. Finally, we ended up at the jewelry store. 

“Are you thinking gold or silver?” She peered into the display case.

“I don't know … maybe gold? … Nothing too expensive obviously… maybe a ruby pendant, to match the dress?”

The store clerk ignored us while we looked through the options, busying herself with something at the register. I was looking at a necklace with a gold chain and a teardrop shaped ruby pendant when she hurried over behind the counter. “Hello, Mr. Drake-Wayne! Is there anything I can help you with?”

Stella and I jumped a bit, turning to look behind us. And there was Tim, and Duke. Duke had his usual smile ready for us, but Tim simply raised an eyebrow at the associate. “... These ladies were here first.”

Her smile fell just a bit. “O- oh, of course. Um, … ladies?”

“... We're fine for now, thanks. … Hi Tim.” I chuckled softly; “have you upgraded from running background checks to actual stalking?”

Duke laughed, elbowing me playfully, and Tim groaned softly. “I'm sorry, ok?”

“I know, and I forgive you. You had to protect your family, there's nothing wrong with that. But I now have the right to tease you about it forever.”

Stella elbowed me firmly, wide eyed. “Ow! … Tim, Duke, this is Stella, Stella - Duke, and Tim.”

She grinned, holding out her hand for Duke to shake. “Hi! Wow, I can't believe I'm finally meeting a few of you!”

I chuckled softly. “Yeah, so what are you guys doing here?”

“Just hanging out, but we saw you over here and figured we should make sure you aren't looking at anything for the gala?”

“... Yeah, why?” I raised an eyebrow.

Duke grinned, shaking his head; “then stop.”

“... Jason knows I don't like him spending a bunch of money on me, and he already bought my dress…”

“Girl, get over it. It's a gala, let him get you nice things!” Stella grinned.

Tim tilted his head, frowning; “why don't you want him to spend money on you?”

“... I don't know how to explain this to you Tim. Just, … suffice it to say, Jason knows I don't want him doing that. So why should I not be looking at jewelry?”

The boys looked at each other, having some kind of silent conversation, before back to me; “... Look, just trust us? … We'll help you pick some earrings!”

Duke grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the necklaces. I followed, frowning a bit; “... Alright, but only because I trust Jay…”

Tim nodded, clearly relieved, and the boys started looking through the earring options. Stella followed along, offering her opinions as well. Finally, they had it down to a pair of earrings they insisted was perfect. Only problem was they were $500.

“Jesus Christ, Tim, what's with the bougie taste?” I sighed, setting them back down.

“What? They're perfect!”

“That's like … half my rent, rich boy!”

“... Ok, so I'll get them for you.”

“... Tim, if I don't want Jason spending this kind of money on me, what makes you think it's ok for you to?”

He shrugged; “cause I'm not going to sleep with you after?”

Duke smacked him, wide eyed; “um, dude???”

Stella blinked, not sure what to make of this, and I fixed Tim with my best ‘are you fucking serious?’ look.

“... Is the problem with Jay spending money not that it would make you feel bought and paid for?” Tim frowned, looking me over. “Huh, I'm not usually wrong ... Ok, sorry then. … I really don't understand though, what's the issue if not that?”

“... If I let him buy me too much too quickly it will start turning into a situation where I need him. If he's getting me expensive gifts, and paying my rent, and buying my groceries, how is he supposed to know that any steps we take in our relationship are because we want to take them, and not because I feel like I owe him for funding my lifestyle?”

A glimmer of understanding filled Tim's eyes, and he nodded slowly, a little grin on his face. “Ohhh, you're good. … Figure out what you want to do with your life, a brain like yours is too valuable to be wasted.”

I chuckled softly, nodding once. “I'll get right on that.”

Tim nodded. “Ok, so … let me get the earrings. Cause if I get them, we can say we're even for the whole stalking and background check thing.”

I thought for a moment. I liked having the upper hand on him, it was funny watching him squirm, but I also really did like the earrings, and they would look incredible with the dress. Plus, I wanted to look like I belonged at the gala, and these earrings would help me do that. “... Hmm … Deal. You'll buy the earrings, and I'll stop teasing you with the background check.”

He grinned and nodded, turning back to the counter and the store associate. “Alright, the lady will take these, and those matching hair pins.” He pointed to a set for $300.

“Wha- Tim???” I stared at him.

He smiled brightly; “those are my gift to you. You've been a good sport about a lot of weird shit, and … I haven't seen Jason this happy in a long time.”

“... You're not allowed to get me a Christmas present.”

He shrugged, smiling. “Ah, but you will be around for Christmas? Good.”

Next ->

Divider by: @saradika-graphics

Taglist (open):

@jawdropforkpop @krys0210 @snowy-violet @superthoughts @wordsfromshona @mystic60 @iwannabealocalcryptid @morstuavitamea-a @frosty--giants @arisa191 @prized-jules @phoenix666stuff @dinonuggysandhuggus @anuttellaa

[istharoth]

In love with a 2-D Character?! Sinostra Edition!

Blurb: In which you are a character in a popular game the Tokyo debunker boys are coincidentally in love with.

CW: Mentions of Organ Harvesting in Taiga's section.

↪ Taiga Hoshibami:

He doesn't play games. Next.

JKJK he only plays for the gacha aspect and gets annoyed when he doesn't have any more to pull.

Streamer Taiga? In this AU yes. Streamer Taiga who does absolutely insane things + says out of pocket things but doesn't get cancelled because people think that's his humour.

Taiga: "Lmao, last week I harvested organs." His fans: "OMG TAIGA YOU'RE SO FUNNY! WAS IT BLOODY!?" Also Taiga: *wants to explain the full thing but forgets so he just laughs it off*

So he plays the game right, he's bored as hell, he chooses a random character and then he sees you in the prologue.

You're bloodied up for sexy reasons and you're trying to kill him? That's his type, he loves those angry people who try to kill you, maybe you're a bit greedy too?

Geneunely regrets not choosing you in the selection screen but forgets about your existence just as quick, until you re-appear in the fourth chapter.

Pulls on every banner, does not care who the character is, he just wants to test his luck.

Has insane streamer luck, and luck in general. Is the type of streamer who does pulls on his viewer's accounts and to mess with them, he deletes a high-levelled artefact for fun.

His fanbase knows they have to say goodbye to the artefact to get the character lol

He doesn't remember you for the most part, he just knows you're relevant to the lore of the game.

Maybe has one or two merch items his fans gave him but he forgets who you are.

↪ Romeo 'Fico' Scorpius Lucci:

Adds him into the does not play games list.

Judges every character in the selection screen because Rui will not stop yapping about the game he's playing.

But who is he to judge? His last name is literally a play on Gucci.

You're a satisfactory character, in terms of design, so he picks you.

He's the type to have two accounts, has one for you, his side account, and his other account mains the character you torment, that's his main. [In this case Kaito's favourite character]

Doesn't spend money on the game because he thinks it's unnecessary, though he's easily annoyed when he doesn't get a character. Romeo: SIH [Shrivel in Hell] WTF [What the fuck] RIH [Rot in Hell] CHBB [Come home, you Basic Bitch!]

That's what goes down every time he pulls on his accounts. The last one is meant for his main account, he could never call you BB. You're him, he is you.

Romeo will go out of his way to have the clothes you wear custom-made for himself because he likes them so much.

If you mention a brand in-game, be it perfume or makeup, he's going to search for the equivalent of the irl one and get it.

Also isn't much on merch, might have a few of your jewelry statements and clothes but that's about it.

↪ Ritsu Shinjo

Why is everyone in Sinostra in the does not play games category?

But he'll play it because peer pressure always works.

Is the type of player who focuses too much on the story and if laws are mentioned, he's going to write threads on if they're wrong or right.

Might sue the game company if they're wrong. [nah he won't, I'm just exaggerating.] He understands the concept of fictional and real so i doubt.

selects you because you're the most normal based on the character selection screen.

He thinks he isn't big on merch, but no, he's a collector. You know those standees of characters outside events people steal sometimes? Yeah, he's going to get Taiga to steal them, but in a way that makes them unpunishable by law.

Won't go buy a body pillow but a cardboard cutout is a must. If you have a fan club, he's going to rise up the ranks and would likely be in the single digits of the fandom.

He likes them underrated characters frfr.

Prev [Jabberwock] Next [Hotarubi]

[varsity-sportsbeing]

Okay, I have ventured into the podcast bro realm for a Pierre-Luc Dubois (link - Empty Netters EP 53) and returned alive to summarize. Someone’s got to do it. Here is a list of things that seemed interesting to me! I’m also working on transcribing a few longer bits.

Name lore: PL to friends and family, about five hockey bro variations of Dubie, and

Torts decided to call him Luc. Because “PL” was too complicated. No one else calls him that! Yike!

Off days in Winnipeg he hung out at an Italian grocery store and coffee shop. What a vibe.

Referenced “red boots that broke the internet” on a tangent. Apparently more fashion knowledgeable than me 🤷 I had to google that shit

DJ guy in the locker room a lot of the time, but not a huge fan of the responsibility. He cares a lot about music and likes French rap in particular.

Mentioned sewerball being dangerous for rookies and he did not participate his first year in Columbus. Context for the Sharks?

Oh they are so excited about the LA deal for him. And hindsight is 20/20 but he seems much more tempered about it. Subjectively it’s like he’s saying “they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse” and they are like “isn’t it so great when you just have that perfect clarity that something is the right choice?” He’s clearly in for serious tho - talked about renting while buying/building a house (which in LA is gonna take years for sure)

Ok this is the funniest one. He has an alter ego of sorts. If he does not want to interact with someone who’s maybe recognizing him he’ll say his name is Enzo. Enzo who works in cybersecurity.

Apparently Byfield is a great guy but a total liar

Selected short transcripts below the cut.

Disclaimer: this is my first time transcribing anything, so feedback is welcome. I started from the generated transcript. I had a difficult time telling the two hosts apart by voice, so I just went with referring to them collectively most of the time, and when I felt it was important, by either left [L] or right [R]. If you are a big fan of these guys, I am sorry. I also cut out a lot of "yeah yeah" interjections for clarity.

Podcast link

Nickname Discussion: 12:31

Hosts: Alright, we're officially welcoming Gretzky Cup gold medalist, World Junior silver medalist, the Paul Dumont Trophy winner, the Mike bossy Trophy winner, 2022 World Championship All-Star, and the third overall pick of the 2016 NHL draft Pierre-Luc Dubois. Welcome to the empty netters podcast.

PLD: Thanks for having me

Hosts: it's just a long time coming dude. Exciting exciting stuff. I'm very very happy about it dude. When we met - when you first got here for media day, or you know, the Kings media day and everything, I heard one of the reporters was like, "What should we call you?" and you're like, "PL is good," so I call you PL. But I'm curious, like dude, what is - I want the scope of what people call you. What do your boys at home call you, what are the guys in locker room calling you, what does your mother call you? Because we have a funny sphere of people who know you, and everyone refers to you as something different.

PLD: Yeah I have a lot of nicknames.

Host: Yeah you do.

PLD: I don't even know where to start. I got Dubie.

Hosts: Yeah which is sick. That is a sick nickname.

PLD: That was my dad's nickname when he played. Because my dad played um, in the AHL and IHL so, that was his nickname. So it kind of started because of that. Then I have Dubes because I don't know why. Honestly I don't remember that one. Duber is my Instagram. That doesn't really apply. Nobody really calls me Duber. I have PL which is like what my family and close friends call me. But then I got to Columbus, and Torts said PL was too complicated; too long. So he changed it to Luc. [Host: It's two letters!] So I also had Luc. Yeah that's what I said! I was like complicated? Long? It's two letters! He's like nah, it's - it's Luc. I was like alright. So he would call me Luc; nobody else calls me Luc. Ummm [counting on fingers]- Dooby, Dubes, Duber, Luc, PL and then uh here - like my - when I was younger - you ever watch Even Stevens?

Hosts: oh my God yeah okay

PLD: So yeah my cousins who are older than me and my sister when I was annoying they call me "Beans."

Hosts: no no dude

PLD: And I love, I love Beans. Yeah I think it's hilarious. So a few - that's like, that's come up in the past. But yeah, so I'd say those five or whatever. Pierre-Luc when I was in trouble. Yeah I never want to hear that one

Winnipeg Down time 42:37-43:28

Host[L]: What was your go-to off day in Winnipeg?

PLD: There's this place uh, actually- I love this place, Italian grocery store called Deluca's.

Hosts: okay fuck yeah, okay

PLD: Good pizza, great coffee, the people are phenomenal, great food. So I'd go there even if I didn't have to do groceries. I'd just go there and have a coffee.

Host[L]: Yeah, is it Italian family owned and run?

PLD: Yeah

Host[L]:Yeah those are the best man

PLD: Great people. So I'd like to say thank you, because I was there a lot. You know, I'd often stop by my parents, go say hi. There's this place called The Forks - another good coffee - I love coffee, so yeah, spent a decent amount there. And then at the end of the year, we found a golf simulator we spent a decent amount of time at. So yeah, I'd say those things. Then I played a decent amount of video games too

Host[L]: So what's the go to? Actually, before we even say it - I am assuming you're a FIFA guy?

PLD: Yeah

Host[L]: Are you also a formula one guy?

PLD: yeah

[Editor's note: I am not a formula one guy but I know there's enough overlap between hockey and formula one fandoms that I figured I ought to include it. They talk a bit more about the video game after this]

Red shoes thing 45:45-46:11

[On screen they have a giant ~3ft slide from a sponsor. They do an ad for the brand.] Hosts: For everyone watching I hope you can see this incredible slide sandal. We don't have to do this, but it's amazing. It's a sick slide. You're uh, you're getting a pair of these - really it's not that size. You should-

PLD: Yeah, it's like a dog bed.

Hosts: Yeah, dude, you see all these NBA guys showing up to games in crazy fits? If you showed up in two of these, you break the internet. It'd break the internet.

PLD: Yeah, it's like the red boots, that broke the internet, same thing, yeah

Locker room DJ & Sewerball 46:35-47:35

PLD: I was forced to be DJ in Columbus.

Hosts: oh wow young

PLD: Yeah, too young. I wasn't ready.

Hosts: That is aggressive. Huge responsibility. How much French hip-hop did you shove down their throats?

PLD: I got chirped too bad so I stopped. But - ah, me, I'd always sit in the dressing room because my first year, I didn't play sewerball. Because as a rookie playing sewerball is tough.

Hosts: yeah yeah, dangerous.

PLD: Yeah, it's also dangerous. So I just stay in the dressing room, tape my sticks, and so would Panarin. And I played a Russian song for him. He loved it, didn't say anything. So I played a French song to see how he'd feel about it - didn't say anything. So I was like okay we're onto something here. So I played my French rap when everybody'd be gone. And then when he left, Bjorkstrand would be that guy, so I'd play some Danish rap for him and then I'd play my French stuff. But yeah, when I got put in that position, I wasn't ready for it. It was stressful. A lot a lot of sleepless nights, shuffling through the playlists, being like, "I gotta get this one out. I didn't like the reaction from anybody."

Enzo 1:30:30

PLD: Enzo - okay funny story. That's like my name when I go somewhere and somebody recognized me and I don't want to talk.

Hosts: Oh you just go like this - I'm Enzo. I'm not Pierre.

PLD: I say, "People tell that - people say that to me all the time." But I'm Enzo.

Hosts: oh my God that's

PLD: So at like Starbucks -

Hosts: So you have like a secret personality. When someone asks for your name, you say Enzo.

PLD: Yeah like Starbucks - Enzo. Because like, also Pierre-Luc - like, nobody gets. In English-speaking places, nobody gets it. So I just say Enzo because everybody gets that. But yeah, so uh Enzo is that name.

Hosts[L]: Having a Alter Ego when you don't want to be recognized might be the greatest.

Host[R]: Like, "Oh everyone thinks, I'm everyone thinks I'm Pierre-Luc."

Host[L]: I'm so glad I asked about that

PLD: And when somebody says - hey are you Pierre-Luc?

Host: -I look just like him, I get that all the time. Like I know, I know doppelganger.

PLD: I have no idea who this guy is but like whatever.

Hosts: Have you ever come into a circumstance where you pull that move, and someone's like bullshit, dude I know it's you?

PLD: Yeah in uh, we were in Dallas, it's after a game. I went downstairs to get my food, because I ordered food at the hotel. Then um, I had to go get it at the bar, and it wasn't ready. So I was like, hey I'll have a beer here. And these four guys next to me, they're like, "We saw you play tonight." I was like, "No idea what you're talking about." Then like, "Yeah, we saw you play. Pierre-Luc Dubois, you're Pierre-Luc Dubois, yeah right." It's like, "No I'm Enzo." like, "Where do you work? it's like, "Uh, cyber security." Yeah like, "What company?" "Fieldman Pelts," and they're like, "oh oh okay." And I came back to my room, and I thought, I was like, that was perfect. Because they had no idea about cyber security. They had no idea what questions to ask.

[ladybugbirdie42]

Anastasia Camp Formation Story Translation Pt 4

First | Previous

When the conference ended and they left the assembly hall, Julius generously praised Anastasia for her attitude during the discussion.

4

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Anastasia. As expected, your performance was magnificent.”

In response to the praise, Anastasia put her finger to her lips and said, “Hmm.”

“Well, I’d say it was a passing grade. It was partly thanks to the preparations made beforehand, but I think the biggest reason was that I felt reassured havin’ Julius there.”

“I am unworthy of such words. I would be honored if I could be of some help to you, Lady Anastasia.”

“Hmm, a perfect answer… Oops.”

Anastasia pouted in dissatisfaction for a moment, then noticed something and stopped in her tracks. Julius followed her gaze as she turned around, widening his eyes slightly as well.

In the castle corridor, a figure stood tall and composed, not joining the wave of nobles leaving the room. Her gaze was sharp, but not intimidating. Simply put, she had a dignified presence.

In fact, the woman’s presence was like a sword and was almost dazzling.

“Lady Anastasia, that person is…”

“I know, she’s famous. Besides, it’s hard ta mistake her for someone else.”

Interrupting Julius, Anastasia stepped towards her with her hands clasped behind her back. The woman didn’t move in response to Anastasia’s approach, and the two of them naturally found themselves facing each other.

“Anastasia Hoshin.”

“Yes, yes, that’s me. You’re Duchess Crusch Karsten. Or rather, would it be easier ta understand if I called ya Crusch the royal candidate?”

“You may call me what you like. I am in a position to compete with you. In other words, you and I are on equal footing.”

“Hmm, just as the rumors say…nah, she’s even more straightforward than the rumors say.”

The green-haired woman who answered Anastasia’s call—Duchess Crusch Karsten—folded her arms.

She was also a candidate for the Dragon Maiden qualifications, just like Anastasia, and was the first person to be recognized. As she was also a member of the upper nobles who were summoned to the assembly, she would naturally have attended the previous assembly.

Therefore, like Bordeaux, she could have objected to Anastasia’s participation in the royal selection on the grounds that she is from another country, but—

“Ya didn’t do such a thing. Is that a relaxed attitude?”

“Relaxed? I’ve never been one to indulge in such things. I am aware of the mission and responsibilities that have been imposed upon me. Besides, this is now my greatest wish. I will give it my all.”

“——”

Crusch’s way of life, which embodied what an honest and upright noble should be, was something Julius could respect. However, there was something strange about how Crusch was speaking just now. It was an odd feeling that Julius felt because he had had a few opportunities to interact with her.

She had always maintained a strong awareness of her responsibilities as a high-ranking noble. And yet, when Crusch declared that she would give it her all in the royal selection, she seemed tense somehow—

“It’s been a while, Julius Juukulius. How have you been?”

“—It has been a while since I last saw you, but I’m glad to see that you’ve remained well since then, Lady Crusch.”

“I heard from Ferris that you haven’t changed either…No, maybe not. I don’t think you would have done something like this if you were the old you.”

“——”

“If there’s been a change of heart, I guess it’s the same for both of us.”

Crusch did not reprimand Julius, who chose to remain silent in response, but merely nodded. Then she turned to Anastasia,

“Once the remaining two candidates are present, the royal selection will begin in earnest. I’m glad I was able to meet you face to face and exchange words with you before that happens.”

“Are ya the type of person who wants ta see the face of the person yer gonna defeat, Crusch?”

“I would like to know their face. And if possible, I would like to know that my opponent has a purpose worthy of aiming for the throne and is powerful enough to compete for it.”

“Not only do ya look like a knight, but even yer way of thinkin’ is like a knight. In yer eyes, do ya think I fit that ideal?”

“—Let’s have dinner sometime soon if possible. Anastasia Hoshin.”

Crusch smiled faintly and turned away without giving a clear answer to the question. However, that smile was the best possible answer to Anastasia’s question.

—Crusch recognized Anastasia as a rival candidate in the royal selection.

Without a doubt, Crusch was the favorite to win the royal selection. Her judgment made Julius nod in agreement, knowing that his own eyes were correct.

Anastasia quickly noticed Julius’s reaction and pursed her lips.

“What? Ya look awfully satisfied.”

“Of course. After all, Lady Anastasia has been recognized by Lady Crusch herself. She will likely be the most difficult opponent, but it is also an honor.”

“Lady Crusch, what’s with that? And what’s with it bein’ an honor? I’m not the type of person ta get fired up when faced with the glare of a strong opponent. I’d rather have an easy victory, so it scares me.”

Anastasia frowned, making a troubled face as she spoke.

It was still fresh in his memory that she had been excited and couldn’t wait until the big stage where she would put her name forward for the royal selection.

“—That’s right. Anastasia Hoshin. I will tell you one thing.”

Crusch stopped in her tracks as she turned around and pointed a finger in their direction. When the two of them looked up at her, Crusch’s amber eyes narrowed.

“At the moment, there are three known candidates. In addition to myself and you, there is also Baroness Barielle, Priscilla Barielle…but she is also quite a formidable opponent. You should prepare yourself.”

“Thanks for the advice. But it’s okay. –I already know that.”

“…I see. That was just unnecessary worry.”

Strangely, Anastasia looked genuinely displeased. Seeing this, Crusch gave a wry smile, as if she had realized something, and this time she finally left the corridor.

Seeing her leave, Julius and Anastasia were left alone in the passageway.

“Lady Anastasia, what you were talking about just now…?”

“It’s not difficult. The second candidate, Priscilla Barielle… I just spoke ta her in person a little while ago. She seemed like a tricky opponent too.”

“You met Lady Barielle in person!?”

Unexpectedly, a look of surprise appeared on Julius’s handsome face. Glancing at the good-looking man’s reaction, Anastasia gave a slightly mischievous laugh.

“I was just tryin’ ta scout the enemy. The reactions might be different before and after I put myself forward as a candidate. I thought it would be nice ta stir things up while I’m at it.”

“You never cease to amaze me… So, did you have any success?”

“—No matter how many times we negotiate, it’s all a waste of time. But findin’ out after just one is a bit of a gain, if ya want ta call it that.”

“That is…”

Julius frowned slightly, wondering what that meant.

Julius knew very little about the second candidate, Priscilla Barielle. To begin with, there was a gag order on the royal selection itself, and the same went for information about the other candidates.

Those involved in the royal selection were limited to a few important people, including high-ranking nobles, and the royal guard knights who were tasked with searching for candidates with the qualifications to become shrine maidens. Julius, however, was more familiar with the situation than the other knights because he was the first to discover Anastasia, the third candidate.

All Julius knew about Priscilla was that she was the wife of Baron Leip Barielle, who was much older than her, and that it was the Baron himself who was most enthusiastic about the royal selection.

However, as if to correct Julius’s perception, Anastasia shook her head.

“Everyone says that it’s the Baron who’s the real challenger, but if ya see them in person, you’ll see they’re mistaken. –The princess is a much bigger monster than the Baron.”

“…Isn’t calling her a monster a bit of an exaggeration?”

“Maybe it was inappropriate to call a girl that. But, Crusch went outta her way ta warn us…Don’t ya think that’s credible?”

Julius held his breath at the persuasiveness of that statement, while Anastasia narrowed her eyes in a smile.

The one the Dragon Gem would choose would be someone who was qualified to be a shrine maiden who could communicate with dragons—in other words, someone who could fulfill the role that the Lugunican royal family had played up until now.

Given that her qualifications were recognized, how could he think that Priscilla, whose true character was unclear, was merely an ordinary person hiding in the shadow of her husband? In fact, Anastasia and Crusch, two talented people, had been recognized by the Dragon Gem and their names were on the list of candidates.

That was an overly naïve, immature, and shallow understanding. Julius admonished himself.

“My opponents are a duchess and a giant monster… It looks like a tricky situation. Since I’m competin’, I absolutely do not wanna lose, so I need ta think about this carefully.”

“Think about it?”

“If we’re gonna do it, there’s no point if we don’t win. It’s better not ta do it than ta lose. So, I’d like ta go back ta the mansion now and discuss various things.”

As Anastasia gently combed the white fur of the fox scarf around her neck with her fingers, she curled her lips as she considered the pending issues for the upcoming royal selection.

Seeing her pondering, Julius realized that this was beyond his ability.

“My apologies, Lady Anastasia. I actually have an appointment with someone after this.”

“Oh, really? Hmm, then…can we talk tonight?”

“Yes. Then, let’s meet at night. This time, I will come and pick you up myself. –I will do my best to give you good news.”

“If Julius says so, then I guess I’ll get my hopes up.”

After saying that with a playful gesture, he made an appointment for the evening with a smiling Anastasia.

After that, Julius escorted her out of the castle and saw her off to the inn in a dragon carriage. He bowed to Anastasia, who was waving, then turned around with a firm grin on his face.

The meeting place was the knight barracks adjacent to the royal castle. Unlike normal times, Julius passed through a corridor filled with many knights and guards and stepped into the dining hall.

There, awaiting Julius was—

“—This way, Julius.”

A voice called out to Julius, who was looking around the room from the entrance. Looking towards the back of the room, he saw a red-haired young man sitting alone at a four-person table, waving in his direction. Waving back, Julius headed towards the table without hesitation. He then bowed slightly to the person he had been keeping waiting.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. The business at the assembly hall was completed without any problems.”

“It was a meeting of the high-ranking nobles and members of the Sage Council. You played an important role, so I think it would be unbecoming of a friend to blame you for being late.”

“It’s a relief to hear you say that.”

Julius smiled and narrowed his eyes at the joking young man. Then he looked around the slightly crowded dining hall and deciding it would be too conspicuous here—

“—I have something important to tell you. Let’s move to another location, Reinhard.”

So he approached the red-haired young man—the “Sword Saint” Reinhard van Astrea.

Next

[just-a-carrot]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Eac6Ps1zOvFmi6QNoO4se?si=L0aZAqxXRXijZplnA1Jufw&pi=u-Z04h-Qq6Rve1

carrot I beg of you to rate my iggy playlist. It’s song I associate with him, his story/character, few ship-specific ones (or LI related in general)

did I cook or nah (happy to explain any of the songs on the list)

(I also have an orlam one and a genzou one if you wanna see those too. same format and reason for song selections :3)

HELP how am I supposed to rate it??? 🤣 I could never rate a playlist you personally made for your associations for a character hahaha because to you it means a lot, same as the iggy playlist I made means the world to me lol

this playlist is great though! admittedly I maybe know only half the songs LOL (which makes it even harder for me, as I have no personal associations with those songs, and for me, personal associations are so important with the songs I relate to things and/or enjoy). I also don't like listening to ballads/slower songs unless I have a strong personal association so I tend to almost never put them on playlists dhdhdhd

I like the oldies/older songs on here that I recognize though! especially sloop John b I love that song for some reason (strong personal association from a book I read as a child LOL). head over heels always reminds me of the movie Donnie Darko... (which also weirdly gives me some Iggy vibes in a way). come sail away is also a great song... also love the Kirby addition at the end HAHAHA

I don't think I can rate this though 🤣 I think I don't know enough about too many of the songs, but I really like the ones I do know! and it has good vibes in general. I love when people make their own playlists for the chars with songs they associate with them! I feel like it's a way for people to combine music that is important to them with characters that are important to them and that makes me want to weep in feels sob

[lolliputian]

Some ramblings on the Tieflings' appearances...

Weirdly enough, this is inspired upon by a comment on a DNDBeyond Facebook post.

There's a book in a few places in the game (most notably Zevlor's area of the Grove) that reference the ritual that Asmodeus and his warlocks did after the Spellplague, which cursed all Tieflings to appear more in his image. Prior to that, my understanding is that Tieflings more closely resembled humans. (Doric from the D&D movie is a good example.)

Many, but not all, of WotC's official artwork in the books show Tieflings with their horns beginning at the brow line, extra growth on the chin to mimic a beard, bumps around their eyes or cheek bones, etc. Many players choose to omit those features in their Tieflings' appearances in their home D&D games. Which leads me to what spurned this ramble: the post I reference showed an old Tiefling woman with obvious protrusions on her brow line and cheeks. The commenter on the post hinted that this was what "old Tieflings used to look like" before everyone decided to make them hot. (To which I say: lulz okay nerd, let people make hot Tieflings.)

Who is the ONLY Tiefling in BG3 who has obvious extra definition to the brow and cheekbones? This handsome fella...

...who is the "old one." Which, admittedly, cracked me up. I'd personally argue that the ridges make him look older than the wrinkles would suggest, but that's neither here nor there.

Now, granted, the fact that the Tieflings aren't more varied in their appearances in the game makes complete sense. Larian could only use so many different facial models when they're giving a set amount to the player, and it's not worth their time to give every NPC a unique face when they could add a lot of variation using the character selection presets.

But we CAN look at the other two unique NPC Tiefling models, Rolan and Dammon:

Dammon's got the more pronounced brow area, which at the very least the face model that Danis and Damays use also share. Both of them also have more pronounced cheekbones that could hint at their infernal ancestry. For me, it's been less obvious on Dammon than it is Rolan; in certain lights in the game, it VERY much looks like his protrude more than normal. I notice it less often with Dammon. Granted, in both their cases, maybe they just have really excellent bone structure, and I'm reading too much into their character models. (Reading too much into things? On TUMBLR? Nah, never happens.) Regardless, two male characters younger than Zevlor don't have as many obvious infernal features, which is an undoubtedly unintentional but still funny call back to "old Tieflings" versus "new Tieflings."

Also consider that Karlach does not share these facial protrusions that the male characters have/seem to have. (I don't think any of the female Tieflings do, and there's some commentary to be had with that, but I digress.)

But who DOES get some extra infernal features in addition to the horns? Wyll. Who is not a Tiefling, but go with it.

For shits and giggles, Mizora and Raphael also have smoother facial features:

Again, I completely understand why most of the NPCs were generic face models for practical reasons. But it is interesting they only gave Zevlor the "traditional" 4e/5e Tiefling look.

What are your thoughts? Or theories, even? Let me hear them!

[evil-peanut-butter-addict-sam]

HEEEEEELLLLOOOOOOOO!!!!! Sorry for putting the questions late just like our railway which is always late by minutes or hours :)

Life update:- THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSS FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS IT HELPED ME A LOT, NOW I SLEEP ON TIME AND NOT LATE LIKE 4 AM UNLESS I GOT FOOTBALL MATCH TO SEE 😤

I also found out how to keep myself busy and do activities and not actually feel bored, even though i am on my litttleeeeee vacation I am still doing my activities such as writing my first book, pasting images of my idols etc. Also i went for an unexpected shopping yesterday and bought a white shirt and t-shirt ✨ Really enjoying my vacation and I feel refreshed and happy, also I can say I am a lot better than I was weeks ago. Everything is good for me, I am enjoying my single life a lot, feel better and free being on my own terms than under someone else. Anyway I just got few questions bcs this questions arise in my mind a lot and it kinda disturbs me, the questions are given below:-

i) Is it a normal thing or abnormal thing to worry about someone you loved? Like i don't wanna reconnect with them but like the other part of me still worries if they are ok or not, for example like I went to shopping and while I was selecting which dress I should buy but my mind wasn't actually focusing on that instead it was worrying if they are ok or not and it's not for only one person it's about like all the people ik, it went so much that I had panic attack.

ii) Is it a normal thing or abnormal thing to remember about something which happened a year ago? Like it's been around 14 years since that devastating incident happened like I lost someone whom I was really close to Suicide, but that left a trauma mark, I was just 5 years old at that time but i still remember everything that happened including their body, idk why I still try to forget about it but my brain doesn't sometimes it recalls those things and i really get scared and start to cry like regretting if we could be a little faster we wouldn't have lost him.

iii) Is it a normal or abnormal thing to live life alone. Like don't get me wrong but I wanna live my life alone with my family members and relatives rather than dating a girl and marrying them in future. Bcs i am really trauamtised by love and I don't feel that I fit for this generation love as i feel like most of them actually don't know how to be human and what's the meaning of loving someone maybe the older generation knew that and it died with them. I am not fit for "double relationship" or "hookup culture" and most of them dating to gain something rather than actually loving them. Yes I always wanted to love someone but my experience with it has been traumatising and it had left a trauma mark that I didn't deserve, at the beginning of it my close one actually warned and also beated me after they found out, now ik they meant for good because it was just after some traumatic incident I went through but I still went with them hoping they will be good and at first i felt that and i actually told it to my close one and they agreed and thought the person was really good. But after one incident every truth came out including that they insulted my close one numerous time calling them something they weren't even though that person knew them. I still hold on hoping they actually understood but nah they again insulted including me i didn't mind about the insults that they did on my name calling me things I wasn't but I felt really bad when they called bad things about my close one. Moreover after they forgot what I did and went on to believe on the words of some people who didn't talk with them for months I really thought of letting it go because it wasn't worth it at all, beside they showed some fake promises that they never meant. All of these left a trauma mark on me beside I now have huge trust issues and I can't believe that someone will ever love me without gaining something in return. So i decided that i will live alone and focus on achieving my dreams and other achievements that i want to achieve but few people made fun of it and i really felt bad like people who never know what happened and were giving advice on what i should or not and were trying to stop me from being the free me. Even though I avoided and didn't pay attention but sometimes it questions me. Moreover is it a good thing to worry about someone who hurted you and expecting them to change later when they realises more about what was right and what was wrong? Like the other part of me says they might change while the other part says that they won't and would turn out to be a bad one, even though I can't be with them as i would get beatings and also for the little me which doesn't deserve the things that I am going through and if I get hurt badly this time I will probably end my life.

iv) Is it a good thing or bad thing to follow your idols and finding themselves as a means of comfort like example I am a tech nerd and football lover I like programming so whenever I get sad i look up to the videos related to my fav place where I want to work, or about my favourite idol or footballer. For example I really idolise Rodri and Wilbur a lot, so whenever I get sad i watch videos related to them which are funny and makes me happy but is it a good thing bcs I am a boy, and like in many instances people would call me gay while I am not, and that finding comfort through them doesn't mean I am gonna see them as lover figure I see them as an elder brother figure and I find comfort though them. Even after telling them that I am a straight but grey-aroace person they would make fun of me which really makes me feel bad.

v) Is it a normal thing or abnormal thing to really feel not comfortable with too many people bcs like year ago when I was 16 I got sexual threats in a gc and they would send texts related to it even after telling I am uncomfortable with it, i eventually left that gc but I didn't complain it to my parents and it would lead to legal matters which I wanted to avoid, so this makes me feel uncomfortable with too many people and often times I would panick and run away to a space which has less people. Moreover after all this incidents I really don't trust humans that much like I used to before except my family members, relatives and my idols.

vi) I come from a well disciplined family, so i really don't say no to everyone unless it's bad but in many instances this polite behaviour would cause toll on me. Like there was a bestfriend of mine whom i knew from years but he really kept that friendship for using me as a honey extractor, like I was working on a game which I wanna create so he was keeping friendship with me so to gain money from it and didn't mean any true friendship with me. I understood it late but when I eventually left creating distance from them and telling them that i don't want to keep anymore contact with them. But in many instances I couldn't say no at first instance when i understood as i thought it might hurt them, moreover trying to say them no in a polite manner wouldn't work. So like how to be confident and say no when you feel it's wrong any suggestions?

vii) Is it normal or abnormal thing to worry about the person you knew and knows? Like after the RG Kar incident it still shivers my spine and i really got scared, I still worry about all the person i knew because our law system is a shit and if anyone speaks about any bad thing or being too honest it would result in such horrific incidents like this. It's been month yet none of the main culprits are behind the bars and are roaming like nothing happened with them and beside Indians don't have that confident in them to lead out a protest, a simple threat would scare them and they would eventually stopped and that this is not the first time daily many people whether it's a boy or a girl get sexually harrassed or asualted and no one cares, and if any people speaks they would either get killed or assaulted sexually here. And even after this incidents the boys don't care being a good human still there are many hospitals where the doctors are getting threatened or harrassed and in colleges this has been a culture to bully, rag or assualt someone or forcefully record pornography with them and if they don't they would get assaulted sexually or murder and label it as suicide. And here many of the people who spoked against this thing got threatened and this thing really scares me a lot and I worry about the persons I know even if they are bad, and recently one of my close one got taunting while she was returning from college. A boy said "RG KAR kore debo naki?" This is a Bengali language and it translates to "should I do the RG KAR incident with you?" and like they think doing something would give them fame and name and like winning a medal. Moreover I got no energy or happiness to celebrate the greatest festival even though I am a boy.

viii) Is it a normal thing or abnormal thing to write books or games to aware people. Like i wanna work in one of my fav company and as a game programmer also beside that I wanna create a game to aware people and currently I am writing a book on depression too to aware people. But many of the people would call me abnormal or make fun of me telling what would your book do or who said you to do this and this really makes me feel bad and questions myself.

ix) Is it a normal thing or abnormal thing to actually keeping a wish to meet your idols like I wanna meet my idols and I told it to some people and guess what they made fun of me telling I am still a kid I won't be able to meet them or even reach my dreams.

Ig it's a long question but if you would give me suggestions I would appreciate it a lot as your suggestions are really helpful and it works also if I disturbed you I am really sorry I didn't know you can read it at your free time and answer it.

And yea I am healing the wounds that I didn't deserve gonna take a long time but this time I will comeback stronger and being the best version of myself! Take care and sending you a lot of positive mental health 🩵

WHOA THATS SO GOOD IM PROUD :D

I) I personally worry about the people I have loved because I'm still on good terms with them I still see them practically daily and we are still friends! On the other hand if they hurt you in someway or you ended on bad terms I don't really think its needed to reconnect with them in anyway but is good with wish a positive future for them, and not only that everyone should wish everyone a positive future whether you like them or not.

II) I'm saying these all from my perspective and what I do! I feel it's decently normal to remember something from that long ago especially if it left a mental or physical mark on you. For example, almost 3-4 years ago now I learned how to ride a bike for the first time and I fell to the ground pretty bad so it left a big acar on my knee for those whole 3-4 years and it's just now starting to fully fade away, and when I fell the pain was kinda bad and I was crying quite a bit and I still remember it perfectly. I know that example probably wasn't all that good compared to your example but I did wanna trauma dump on you.

III) its completely normal to wanna be alone, I understand that so much before I dated anyone I didn't feel the need to date or feel the need to get caught up in relationships! [But then I found my first ex and that kicked it all off lol]

IV) who tf is not normalizing that everyone can find comfort in a idol? Anyway yes its completely normal to look up old vids and stuff even if you are a dude that YOUR comfort, don't let anyone take that away from you by calling you a gay men.

[Never finished this sorry]

[nellas-art]

11, 23, 39, 46, and 50 for both of your Narinders?

11. How did Narinder feel about his priests, witnesses, and followers?

This applies for both Narinders; he saw them as a means to an end, a resource to be used just as the other Bishops did.

I imagine he treated his priests and witness (I headcanon that each god had only one witness) somewhat better than his followers, but on a personal level didn't really connect or care for them; he did what he needed to do to keep his followers loyal and from dissenting. It wasn't until after his imprisonment when he got Baal and Aym where he started to care.

23. Are the kits, Aym and Baal, really his children?

I know canonically they aren't, but I still headcanon that they are (like the situation where it was revealed that the Koopalings weren't Bowser's kids but a bunch of people including myself were like nah those are his kids). Plus they look more like Narinder than they do Forneus.

As for whether the twins refer to him as father depends on the au; you know the conversation where Narinder states he cares not for them? In the au with Lambert, Baal and Aym don't overhear this conversation and go on to refer to Narinder as father; while they do reunite with Forneus and go on to travel the world, the boys remain close to him.

However, in the three of hearts au, Baal and Aym overhear that conversation and are pissed, hurt, confused. This puts a strain on Narinder and the twins' relationship and Baal and Aym would actively avoid him for a long while (months up to almost a year maybe). Eventually they would reach a point where their relationship gets better, but the twins don't refer to him as father and would get pretty upset if Narinder ever referred to them as his sons.

39. Does he take a lover other than the lamb after being spared? If so, describe them!

In the au with Lambert, while he is married to Lambert, their relationship doesn't become amicable/romantic until much later (months for friendship, years for romance).

Aside from Lambert, Narinder does develop a crush on Gremermer which he keeps under wraps for years and has a bit of a situationship with Fear.

Gremermer was the first person (aside from Lambert and Fear) who didn't look at him with animosity or distrust when he first arrived. They helped him settle in, provided a listening ear, as well as helped redirect his anger and frustration into something more productive (such as farming).

Gremermer more less became Narinder's rock and best friend with their patience and directness with him, and that eventually bloomed into a crush. Narinder doesn't want to ruin what he has with Gremermer so he keeps his feelings hidden (not that Gremermer would reject him, they like him too but are also one to drag their heels when it comes to confessing romantic feelings).

As for Fear, Narinder initially found her annoying and crass; always bugging him to hang out with her, or work with her, or flirt with him, or tell him a silly joke in an attempt to get him to smile.

Eventually, he finds her Fear's antics endearing to an extent (he does get annoyed with her from time to time) and does accept her proposition for a situationship; Narinder is kinda shy about it though.

In the Three of Hearts au, Narinder isn't in a relationship with Apollyon and doesn't take any lovers; he's friends with Witness Astaroth but doesn't have a major interest in anyone romantically. He and Apollyon kinda just tolerate each other.

46. Describe his personality.

His personality his more less the same in both aus; grumpy, snarky, generally has an air of superiority. Generally keeps things short when conversing with others and prefers his solitude, but does soften with a select few (Lambert, Gremermer, Paar, the witnesses and Baal and Aym in the au with Lambert, Witness Astaroth, and Baal and Aym in the Three of Hearts au).

The main difference is that Narinder mellows out quicker in the Three of Hearts au (because he doesn't have to deal with Apollyon directly as she gets Astaroth to deal with him, they both have their space to cool down, whereas with Narinder in the au with Lambert, he immediately gets married to them and Lambert regularly interacts with him in an attempt to help him settle in, which Narinder's not happy about and isn't afraid to show it).

50. Free headcanon space!

In the au with Lambert, Narinder takes a more active role in helping out the cult similarly to Gremermer; he assists them with keeping things in order when Lambert's away on a crusade and does whatever jobs need to be done, farming, refining, chopping wood, anything. I feel like after all that time in the Gateway being chained, he likes to keep busy.

In the Three of Hearts, Narinder exclusively farms; it's not that he can't do the other jobs or dislikes them, it's just that Apollyon gave him the natures necklace and thought that the best use of his time was to farm since he's immortal.

Also for both Narinders, his favourite thing about being free is basking in the sunlight.

Thanks for the asks!

Link to the Narinder questions

[dragonscanwrite]

GoS: Time and Place - Part 3

"That was the worst display of discipline I have seen in four centuries! You not only defied a direct order, an order from a top general, but you did so in front of a holy Slann Mage Priest!"

Scar Veteran Ataxor paced back and forth in front of Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah. Spittle hanging from his snarling jaw before he plunged on.

"You have disgraced yourselves, your cohort and our entire delegation. Furthermore-"

"Ataxor! A word please." Xi-Boq called out to the Scar Veteran. It gave a final snarl towards the two Saurus before following Xi-Boq as he left the barracks. He lead it down a corridor and into the chamber he had been given to stay in while the delegation was is Tlaxtlan. As soon as Ataxor had entered the room Xi-Boq turned to the Scar Veteran.

"You will not make it to the status of Old-Blood if you cannot see beyond surface details." He snapped.

"You're meaning, Lord Xi-Boq?"

"That Slann was not testing our soldier's resolve. They are so below the consideration of one such a being."

"Then who was being tested?"

"It was I! Lord Chuqa-xi was testing me and my resolve. The devil knows my objection to seeing our own kind spilling each other's blood. I was being tested, to see if I would give such an order. "

"You did well then my lord!" Ataxor rumbled, "It was just a shame that it was disgraced by-"

"As far as I am concerned, those two passed the test flawlessly." Xi-Boq growled, advancing on the Scar Veteran, "I just don't know if I passed…"

The Old-Blood turned to face the shrine to Tzcatli he had assembled in the chamber.

"Let those two go to enjoy the feast. I need to meditate." he rumbled. " Send Aktaka in." he added as the Scar Veteran bowed and backed out of the room. It saw a scrawny Skink scribe waiting by the door.

"Xi-Boq said-"

"Yes, I heard."

The Skink entered and closed the door.

Ataxor walked back to the barracks and looked at the two Saurus, who were still standing to attention.

"You can go." it said.

###

The feast wasn't an overly grandiose affair. But visiting dignitaries and their entourage were traditionally welcomed with a display of the host city's generosity and abundance. One of the smaller plaza's had been set aside to hose a number of long tables, several roasting fires and a performance area where a selection of songs, dances and music were performed. A few barrels of pulque and mezcal were also made available for the delegation.

When Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah rejoined their assigned Saurus squad, their Champion was just about to square off in wrestling match with one of the Saurus of their host's barracks. They both took deep swigs from the jar of harsh fire-water being passed around.

The two wrestlers stood in the performance area. They leaned in close, touching each others crests before taking up combat stances.

"I thought you were going to be executed or something." one of the squad said, turning to Ruq-Gar.

The wrestlers charged, grappling each other, then broke apart. They circled each other and then lunged again.

"Yeah, disobeying a direct order, from Xi-Boq no less!" chimed in another. He passed a huge lump of roasted meat to Ruq-Gar.

The saurus took it, holding it by a huge bone and tore off a chunk with his powerful jaw, "Nah, I saw his eye. I'd be in worse trouble if I'd pulled the trigger!" he said, spraying meat and spittle.

There was a roar of from those watching, as one of the wrestlers managed to fell their opponent, but they rolled away before they could be pinned.

"It was really strange in there." Ka'rah said. "My head was so fuzzy, I could feel 'myself' evaporating, if that makes any sense?"

"Yeah… Maybe" Ruq-Gar replied. "I'll tell you though, if that Slann, that Lord Chuqa-xi had ordered me to shoot you, Scar Veteran Ataxor wouldn't have bawled me out!"

Their Champion had now pinned the other Saurus to the ground and it was signalling submission. A drum beat started as the winner was declared and given a small feathered band by way of a prize. Another drum beat on top of the first and then a flute began playing as a few Skink musicians moved onto the performance area.

Ka'rah took a big sip of mezcal, "Makes you wonder what it'll be like when we start finding our own Slann.", she mused, thinking back to the sight of that Saurus killing its fellow in complete obedience to its master.

###

"I thank you Lord Chuqa-xi for finding time between your celestial contemplation for someone as humble as I" Starseer Tel'aqua said, kneeling painfully before the Slann.

"Under the circumstances, I thought it would be more productive to talk with you in person."

The Starseer's aids helped the Skink back up and onto a carved wooden bench. His was clearly still suffering from his injuries, but had insisted he be transported to negotiate with Tlaxtlan personally. He doubted the efficacy of Saurus diplomacy. After hearing the results of Xi-Boq's first discussions, his doubts were not shaken.

"I hope that we can move past the mistakes of my General. As you know, we have been wrecked upon your lands. I, as the most senior member of the expedition as as a member of the highest echelons of the celestial priesthood would like for formally request the assistance of you and your city in our recovery efforts." Tel'aqua said, stiffly but confidently. He then slumped on the bench, wincing in pain.

The Slann sat in a contemplative silence for some time. One by one, he took a proffered grub, slurping it down noisily until the platter offered up to him was empty. He then turned his attention back to the crippled Starseer in front of him.

"Well said. On behalf of the city of Tlaxtlan, I accept your request. But one thing Xi-Boq did make very clear was how much you do not considered yourselves spawn-kin. As such, any requests for help will come with strings attached. I wish to make sure Tlaxtlan is compensated for any reduction in its capacities. And to prove our good intentions, a supply caravan has already been dispatched to the site of your unfortunate accident."

"Thank you my Lord." Tel'aqua said, awkwardly bowing while sat on the bench. His attendants leaned over, ready to catch the injured Starseer if he should fall. He would have to have a word with the great General Xi-Boq. While he was a mighty warrior and a grand strategist, his diplomatic skills were lacking.

The Slann Mage-Priest took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lapsing into the deep concentration of his kind. Starseer Tel'aqua waited to see if there would be any more but the audience was apparently over.

The ancient Starseer Ockchi-iktotl shuffled into the grand chamber and indicated that Tel'aqua should follow it. One of the temple guard Saurus that was watching over the Slann picked up bench after Tel'aqua had vacated it. It followed them as the Skinks made their way to a side chamber.

"We have a growing problem with the children of the horned rat." The old Starseer explained after his counterpart had sat back on the bench the temple guard had laid down for him. "A sizeable force has been discovered north of the city, centred around a number of Lost Shrines. We are unable as of yet to deduce their motive or what their interest in the Shrines may be, or even if it is connected at all."

"Surely you aren't expecting us to take on a Skaven war host for you?" Tel'aqua objected.

"Ah, but with the help I suspect you will require, this would be of adequate payment. We do not have forces of size enough to cleans the foul vermin from our soil by ourselves. But we do have enough to augment your own forces. We know the land and can guide your forces."

"Our own forces are too, also not large enough to take on an entire Skaven army. If joined by yours, we may have adequate numbers, but the casualty rate would be great."

"Your numbers may not count as much if you were to fight conventionally. However, I see that your warriors possess weapons and equipment that may lay waste to them more effectively. Ah, I see that even you lack confidence in your effectiveness. Perhaps you should consult your war leaders. We can make some of our own forces available for a joint patrol to assess the enemy." Ockchi-iktotl said. He'd been shuffling back and forth across the finely carved tiles of his chamber.

"I believe we can work with that." Tel'aqua said. He would absolutely need to consult with Xi-Boq on this. Fighting a war against the rat kin was certainly not on their agenda for getting the Star Canoe repaired. But then, this was the Old World. A fight with them should never be ruled out of the possibilities.

"In the meanwhile, I would like to establish a meeting between our engineers and your Priests to see what help they can provide." he said.

"That will be arranged. I will send a delegation to their barrios shortly."

###

"If that is your order, Starseer." Xi-Boq said slowly.

"The Mage-Priest was quite firm and his emissary was quite clear."

"We can certainly make some reconnaissance missions. And it may well be good to give some of the new Saurus some fighting experience against a traditional adversary… But we should avoid being drawn into the kind of conflicts that would affect our battle-readiness. We still have our own mission to accomplish once we are back on course."

"Of course, of course. You are perfectly correct, General Xi-Boq." Tel'aqua said. "I will relay our position to their Starseer."

The Old-Blood bowed his head slightly and turned to leave.

"Oh, General. One more question-"

"Yes, Starseer?"

"What do we have in terms of armour and artillery at our disposal?"

"We have one armoured division of various heavy support weapons. A regiment of transports and two batteries of artillery-"

"Oh, that's wonderful, we should-"

"I can radio for a report on how many need repair. I would, however, advise against their deployment in the jungles of Lustria, Starseer. The labour to clear a road would be excessive."

"How do you define 'excessive'?"

"To carve a path from the crash site to Xahutec it would take perhaps one moon cycle."

"I see. Well, thank you General. I'll discuss with you again once I've talked this over."

The Saurus nodded and left.

###

Almost a week had gone by as more squads and their equipment entered Tlaxtlan. A temporary set of barracks and other support buildings had been constructed in the plaza that had been used to welcome the initial delegation. Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah butted the head of Scur't'kah in greeting when he arrived in the camp with the rest of their squad. Xi-Boq had the warriors in his delegation training alongside the Saurus they were staying with. Ataxor had also insisted that they do joint patrols too. The arrival of more of their own kind meant that they could practice more familiar drills.

A radio mast had been built on top of a nearby pyramid observatory for better communications with the crash site. Repair work was well underway there. The sizeable military build-up in the city had not gone unnoticed though. Phlemclaw Skritchbone twitched his whiskers as he lay amongst the ruins of an ancient stone structure. He adjusted the focus of his eye-lens, taking in the view of the lizard-things and their strange equipment. They were up to something, he'd almost run into two different patrols while making his way here. He'd slit the throats of the smaller lizard things when on their patrols as a matter of course, but now they were sending out the larger warriors. He itched to spill more of their foul cold blood but for now, he'd do with gathering information.

Ruq-Gar watched another Skink messenger run from the plaza encampment to the temple pyramid. It was the tenth one today. He stood on watch duty outside the stairwell that lead down to the barracks his squad was staying in. Another, native Saurus stood to the other side. They both quietly baked in the mid day sun. Squad Champion Scur't'kah had been extended an offer for residence on the plaza for the squad but turned it down. The tent had been situated close to Scar Veteran Ataxor. With his hatred of the quirks of the New Brood well known, he opted to keep them amongst the quiet indifference of the native Saurus.

While he had his laser rifle slung over his back, Ruq-Gar stood guard with a spear and shield. It was a new spear too. The light glinted off the freshly knapped surface of the obsinite blade and through the thin, razor sharp edge. It had a satisfying weight to it and the balance made it feel so easy and natural to wield. The weapons made back home felt like pale imitations, and in many ways, they were. The wood of their realm was unnaturally grown and only a few decades old. Pollutants and heavy metals permeated it, making it foul to use unless it was heavily lacquered. There were also no sources of obsinite, so new blades were knapped from flints, or made of metal. He could see why some of the Old Brood were reluctant to give up their old ways and old weapons. But of course, they must. If Ruq-Gar had been armed with a spear and shield, even a Lustrian spear and shield, in the battles he'd fought, he would have met his death far sooner, and would have taken down far fewer enemies.

It was a nice spear though. He wondered if he would be able to keep it.

###

Another of his squad came to relive Ruq-Gar after his eight hour shift. He'd managed to stay absolutely motionless throughout. An unusual feat for his generation. The native Saurus gave him a small nod of acknowledgement as he left.

He met with Ka'rah and Scur't'kah after returning from the armoury. They had some free time on their hands and Scar Veteran Xoc-Xor, who had spawned under the temples of Tlaxtlan, had offered to give a tour for those of the New Brood so that they could learn their history.

Xoc-Xor had lived in and around Tlaxtlan for well over three hundred years, but it hadn't been spawned for another thousand years in the future. However a lot of the cities major features had been constructed in the early period, over a thousand years in the past, before the collapse of the polar gates.

###

Another two days passed with a few more Skink squads turning up with heavy weapons and two regiments of Cold-One cavalry.

A number of the Tlaxtlan's own Saurus and Skink regiments were being readied too. Xi-Boq summoned his Scar Veterans for a council of war.

-----

If you like this, why not join the Discord server I've set up for story discussions and lore https://discord.gg/bHjABKHk

[juncojunk-o]

Commissions Live [3 Slots Open]

For more information, please read the following.

Hello everyone!

After deliberating and planning, I will start accepting requests for commission work as of today and into the foreseeable future. I will be taking a few small steps into this endeavour at first and, ideally, be expanding my offerings going forward.

For the time being, there are limited options that one may select as a basis for commission. This is meant to limit the scope of requests in an attempt to keep lead times short. I'm aware that I have a propensity to become fatigued, distracted, or otherwise sidetracked when it comes to my illustration projects. By shrinking the scope of these commission illustrations my hope is that I can finish them quickly and with relative ease. That being said, I've made a few caveats and exceptions to those interested [The caveat is basically always 'Just ask me about it and we'll work something out. Maybe.']. With that out of the way, let's move on.

Commission Info

As mentioned, what I will be offering with this first round of commissions will be limited. They'll be centred around the premise of 'Single Character Illustrations' offered at various tiers of quality. This is standard practice from my experience, but I don't often operate in this regard because I find it limiting. However, that's kind of the point this time around!

No fussing around with details. The client sends me a reference of a character they want drawn [Visual preferred, but written isn't off the table], along with the tier/price point/level of quality they desire. A pose, action, idea, or concept to go along with the character is heavily advised unless the client wants to give me creative liberty with the project.

As mentioned in the references, there might be an idea or part of the illustration the client desires or is curious about. Feel free to enquire as the worst that will happen is I say, "Nah."

Slots are open on a first come, first serve basis. Work will be done in batches until all previous commissions are complete. I'll make posts to let folks know when slots are closed and when they reopen.

Stipulations and Boundaries

I will not draw NSFW content.

An illustration may be revealing or somewhat risque, but I will not be drawing any characters in the nude or involved in indecent situations.

If you're curious about what things I'm willing to create, the best way to find out is to scroll through my posts. Otherwise, consult this helpful list that has most [I think] of the things I generally draw:

Girls

Furries / Scalies

Monsters

Fantasy Stuff

Fanart

Cool Outfits

If you're curious about what things I might be willing to create, consult this secondary list of things that I do not draw regularly, but have no qualms about drawing:

dudes

flowers? trees?

fish

animals in general

uuuuuh food

man idk just like request something normal please

If you're curious about what things I'm NOT willing to create, the best way to find out is ask. Better yet, ask yourself first. "Would this artist find drawing [blank] weird?" if you answered yes or even hesitated, you're probably right. I am a prudish individual and I do not enjoy drawing things for capital to begin with.

Payment

Payment will be done through Paypal or Ko-Fi and discussed in detail on a client by client basis.

Paypal is preferred as Ko-Fi assumes that if I get paid I will FOR SURE get your commission done. This is not my preferred method of payment. I strive to make sure the client is content with the end product before I accept payment, ergo payment shall be processed at the end of our transaction. The client receives the final, full quality, render of their requested work and I am paid in full.

How To Contact Me

Please contact on Tumblr via messaging as I will not be publicly distributing my methods of interaction [IM/E-Mail]. I can also be reached at my Twitter, @TheToothyTerror if such an avenue is more convenient.

Thanks for reading and please reblog / share this post because wow man I'm really stupid broke.

[tolkpopfan]

Oh dang- I love that sm- poor Q- at least he's still a contender! But Kevin's spot is vv deserved~ I had a feeling that's how he looked~ He's a little show off and we love that hehe~ I'm ngl I think he would really like that (ofc imo) too 🤭💖 Which makes me wonder how much further you'd look down at him 👀 I know you are thee 'tolkpopfan' and all- but would it be a few inches or like quite a bit 👀 I get that completely tho- Oh that's so sweet!! I'm so glad you could have that slight nostalgia feeling seeing him with his bangs down that's so sweet- I understand why it made you a little emotional~ Ngl I was absolutely endeared by Haknyeon- my close friend biases him- but the way he was waving out our had me absolutely 🥺🥺🥺

I realized that afterwards you wouldn't see him in LA- but I'm glad you saw him in his home state 🥺- Oh that's so sweet- (I actually had no idea that's where the 49ers play- but that is vv neat!) He lovesssss beyonce-

And just in case you've never seen some of his photos from it~ (my favorite info from it is that he got weird tan lines from this shirt)

Oh yeah- Sunwoo is always popular- ofc ofc- that's like the most biased member in korea too ebhebha- (tbh for korea (and in general) it's the Passion Fruit Line that is the most biased). I noticed they really didn't mix the selections at mine so you probably would have noticed the same- (We had a whole corner at our venue of people wanting Younghoon... so I decided then to give up on my quest for him). So we both have a Q ID then~ I'm glad you got your bias (even if he's not your no.1 now)~ but also I'm glad that you got Haknyeon because of him being like your first real encounter with tbz and all- But it's interesting that you both got Sangyeon's pc but considering both mom and I had both gotten Sunwoo's it def makes sense. It was sweet of her to give you her ID too! And that's okay- that happens!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it- and I understand why you're sad about it too. Also that's a whole nother layer that must be weighing heavy on you. It might be for a while but I'm positive the next one you will attend will have been worth the wait. And I'm glad this concert was an experience to remember. As well as I'm glad they were worth every dime~ (they were worth every dime I spent too).

I’d look down at Eric a bit. I’m probably taller by a couple inches lol. I’m not that tall. And my friend didn’t mind giving me hers because she has no emotional attachment to these people at all. She’s there for companionship, fun, and emotional support. Actually, a funny thing she said when I asked her if her bf was texting to ask if they were cuter than him was, “nah, he knows they’re cuter than him but he doesn’t care because I’m dating him and not them”. Legendary response imo.

Thanks for those Kevin pics too, I had NOT seen them and I very much enjoy them. Personally, I saw Taylor Swift in Levi Stadium back in 2015 and it is HUGE.

Tbh, kpop concerts are the only thing I’m comfortable with spending large amounts of money on. And you know what, if Day6 said they had a tour date in NorCal while I was away at school, I’d totally buy the plane tix and concert tix to see them. But only Day6. No other artist. Well maybe Woodz. But that’s it. That’s what I’ve always saved money for lol.

[casspurrjoybell-25]

November - Chapter 2

*Warning Adult Content*

 - Oliver -

A bump of turbulence jolts Oliver awake.

The side of his face is resting against something warm and solid.

"Brad?" he mumbles.

"Nope, not Brad."

Quickly, Oliver pulls away and sit up straight, rubbing his face.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

The corners of Cooper's eyes crinkle as he smiles at the young man next to him.

"It's okay. I've been told I make an excellent pillow."

"I can believe it. Do you have a girlfriend or wife waiting for you to come home to and to be her pillow?"

"Nah. I haven't found anyone who will put up with me being gone for months at a time with my job. There also isn't a huge selection of gay men on the peninsula."

Oliver whipped my head around to stare at the large man to the left of him.

"You're gay?"

Cooper grins.

"Sure am."

"I thought you were just being extra friendly and strangely tolerant of another man sleeping on you."

"Well, I'm that too."

Oliver felt himself blushing.

"Well thanks, you know, for everything. I was prepared to sit here and sulk for the whole flight but I got lucky having you in my row."

"Those are words that I've never heard come out of anybody's mouth before," Cooper laughs.

"I'm grateful you tolerated having me invade your personal space. It won't have been fun having someone cursing my existence the whole time."

"I'm grateful for your existence," Oliver replies, knowing he was flirting a bit.

Oliver knew he shouldn't be doing that but he was having a hard time feeling guilty about it.

He leaned forward and grabbed his small backpack from underneath the seat in front of him and pulled out a container of peanut butter cookies.

"Do you want some?" Oliver asked, showing them to Cooper.

I baked these for Brad and I to eat on the plane trip but he's probably got a meal included with his seat."

"I'd love some. It's going to be a long drive back home after we land, so I could use a snack."

After he took a few, Oliver offered some to the woman sitting in the window seat. When he turned back, Cooper was smiling at him.

"How did someone as generous as you end up with a guy who booked you a cheap seat away from him?"

Oliver knew Cooper didn't mean any offense but he felt like he had to defend Brad.

"He's not all that bad. It's his money after all and he worked hard for it. He's not obligated to spend any of it on me."

"What does he do for a living?"

“He's a consultant for a software company. He manages projects and flies all over the whole to meet with his clients."

"And what do you do for a living, Oliver?"

"I'm a research assistant. I enter data for clinical trials and give the trial drugs to patients in the study."

"So you're in the medical field?"

“Kind of. I have a nursing background but I want to get into the research side of it. I'm hoping to manage my own clinical trials someday."

Cooper raises an eyebrow.

"Seems to me like your job is hard work and more meaningful."

Oliver shrugs.

"Maybe. Depends on who you ask."

"What do you like about Brad?"

"He's charming and smart. A great dancer and and he always looks amazing."

"All good things," Cooper replied.

But generous didn't make the list."

"He's generous when it counts. You know, at Christmas and my birthday. And every once in a while he gets the check at dinner. I'm not expecting anything more than that."

"Sorry, I'm not trying to judge," Cooper said.

"It's your business. It just doesn't sit right with me, what he did."

Oliver didn't know what to say.

It felt shitty that his relationship looked bad to an outsider but deep down, he knew Cooper probably had a point.

If the situation had been reversed, Oliver would have bought Brad a first class seat, as well.

And if he couldn't, he would have sat in economy with him.

Fortunately, the intercom crackled to life as the pilot informed us that they were going to start their descent.

Oliver didn't want the flight to end with awkwardness, so he turned to Cooper and smiled.

"Hey, would it be okay if I reached out for more recommendations or questions about the area for my trip, while I'm here?" he asks.

"Of course," Cooper says and holds out his hand for Oliver’s cell-phone.

"You're going to love Washington. You really can't go wrong."

"Thanks. We're here for two weeks, including Thanksgiving, so we've got a lot of time to explore."

"Why did you decide to visit this time of year? Most tourists come in the summer."

"November is usually a slow time for Brad at work, so we had to put it off until now. I know it's going to be rainy, but will we still have a good time?"

Cooper nods.

"Fall on the peninsula is my favorite. Everything gets a little dried out during the summer, so the moss looks better when the rain returns. And I like the grey, blustery days."

"It'll be a change from the constant sunshine in San Diego," Oliver says, smiling at the handsome man next to him.

"I'm looking forward to it."

                                       - Cooper -

As they filed off the plane and into the airport, Cooper grips Oliver's shoulder.

"Have a great trip. It was nice meeting you."

Oliver smiles, the dimple in his left cheek deepening.

"It was nice meeting you too. I'll be sure to reach out if I have questions or need a trail recommendation."

Cooper nods and takes his large hand off Oliver’s tiny shoulder and then watches as he walked over to the window where his boyfriend is standing, already on his cell-phone.

Cooper was sad to see the cute man leave, especially knowing he'd be with his jerk of a boyfriend.

Sighing, Cooper readjusts my backpack and started walking.

He knew he shouldn't judge.

He had only seen one interaction between Oliver and his boyfriend and maybe it was one bad moment among a lot of good ones.

Besides, it's not like I had a lot of experience with relationships.

Cooper’s relationships had all been short-lived or they'd been long distance since he was either living on the peninsula or gone for months on a fishing job.

Okay, maybe he was right about Oliver’s boyfriend being a jerk.

After seeing this, he didn't have much confidence that Oliver was going to have a good trip.

This Brad guy seemed more interested in just about anything that wasn't Oliver.

Shaking his head, Cooper turns back to pay for his snacks and drink.

There was nothing he could do about it.

                                        - Oliver -

When Brad and Oliver reached the rental car desk, Brad finally got off his cell-phone.

"Sorry. Trying to make sure everything is set with work."

As disappointed as Oliver was about them spending the plane flight apart, he tried to cut Brad some slack.

It probably wasn't easy for him to step away from his job for two weeks and maybe he needed the last few hours on the plane to wrap everything up.

He wouldn't have been able to do that if Oliver was sitting next to him and now, he could give me all his attention for the rest of the trip.

"It's okay," Oliver tells him.

"Let's get the car and start driving so we can get dinner before it gets too late."

Brad frowns at this comment.

"I don't want to wait until we get to Port Angeles to eat. Let's stop in Seattle before we get on the ferry. There's a restaurant here that I want to try out."

Oliver was excited to get out to the Olympic Peninsula but he wanted to make Brad happy as well. It was his trip too after all.

"Okay," the young man agrees but half hour later, he wished I hadn't.

The restaurant they walked into was located on a pier on the waterfront.

Judging by the décor, the waitstaff and the clientele, it looked very expensive.

As they were seated, Oliver steeled himself for the prices on the menu.

He'd saved up for months for this trip and he had just enough funds if he kept all of his meals around twenty dollars.

Oliver shouldn't have been surprised to see that most of the appetizers were twenty dollars.

The entrees started at fifty and topped out around eighty.

Oliver was hungry but he'd have to settle for a plain salad.

At least those were in his price range.

"I know this probably isn't in your budget," Brad says, scanning the menu.

"But I wanted to try this restaurant. We're only going to be in Seattle for a couple hours and they're known for seafood."

Oliver gave Brad a half smile.

"I understand but since I wouldn't have picked this restaurant, could you cover for me? Just for this. It'll help me a lot."

Brad closes his eyes and sighs and Oliver immediately regrets asking.

"Oliver, you know how I feel about this. I'm not here to provide for you or for any man, for that matter. I'm looking for a partner in life, not someone I have to take care of."

"Right, sorry. Forget I asked," Oliver replies, as his heart sank.

"If I choose to treat you, it's just that, a treat. It's because I want to do it not because you ask me or because I feel obligated."

Oliver nods, staring down at the tablecloth. Sometimes he hated how Brad made him feel.

Like he was less than or like he wasn't capable of taking care of himself.

If they weren't on a two week vacation and it was any other month, Oliver would be able to afford dinner here.

It's not something he could do all the time but he could pull it off once in a while.

His job didn't pay much but that didn't mean he was living in poverty.

Before Brad, he'd done just fine living in a modest apartments with roommates, grabbing take out or getting brunch together on weekends.

Brad's taste was a lot more expensive.

When Oliver moved in with him, he could barely afford his half of the rent for his boyfriend’s condo.

Everything started to feel like a struggle after that.

"We can split an appetizer if you want," Brad offered.

That would still put Oliver over budget but at least he'd get more food.

"Okay, thanks."

Brad reaches over and takes Oliver’s tiny hand in his hand.

"I love you and I'm looking forward to this trip and to spending more time with you."

Oliver tried to smile.

"I love you too."

[twunny20fission]

My thoughts on Pitchfork's 150 best albums of the 1990s; #60-#51

There are three completely subjective criteria. 1: do I like the album, yes or no? (Basically, is this for me?) 2: Would I recommend it to anyone, yes or no? (is this for anyone else?) and 3: Is it better than STPs "Core"? (The lowest bar. Few things are better than "Purple," but Core should absolutely be in the top 150, so that's the bar.)

60: Mariah Carey: Butterfly (1997) I have never been a Mariah Carey fan. I'm impressed, and I think I'm respectful. But I'm not a fan.

Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no.

59: JAY-Z: Reasonable Doubt (1996). Pretty good. I think I'd nbeed to hear it more to really, really get it.

Like it: basically. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": maybe.

58: Slowdive: Souvlaki (1993) Didn't love shoegaze then. Don't love it now.

Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no.

57: Mobb Deep: The Infamous (1995). How are we supposed to enjoy this stuff now? It was crude and vulgar and groundbreaking then, and now I've grown up. It sounded...proficient (though there were moments when the rapping was clumsy and others where the sound mix was WAY off.) But it's childish and of little value to me now.

Like it: no. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no

56: Scott Walker: Tilt (1995). Unique, I'll give it that. Reminds me of Nick Cave, in good ways. It wasn't what I'd call 'great,' but it was worth a listen. Strange and disorienting.

Like it: yes. Recommend: no. Better than "Core": no.

55: Madonna: Ray of Light (1998). I've heard several different people say this is Madonna's "best album of the 90s." Which is fair. It is better than Bedtime Stories and Erotica. And I'm Breathless. Big deal.

There's still a lot here that doesn't hold up. We let her get away with things because she's Madonna. Whatever.

Like it: no. Recommend: i don't know. Better than "Core": no idea.

54: Scarface: The Diary (1994). As you may have noticed, I am uncultured with a lot of rap and hip hop. So little of it speaks to be, because it's so personal and vivid and far away from my life experience. There are hurdles to my understanding these on the level they deserve. This album was good, but still felt dated. I'm not dismissive, I just don't know what to say.

Like it: yes. Recommend: maybe? Better than "Core": maybe.

53: Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994). I had this idea (from vague, unremembered sources) that Aphex Twin was essentially 'unlistenable techno.' I am thrilled to announce that I was very wrong. This album was dark, sure. Repetitive at times, absolutely. But it was stirring and enveloping and vibrant. It was the heartbeat of things you can't quite see in the corners.

Like it: yes. Recommend: maybe. Better than "Core": yes.

52: Sade: Love Deluxe (1992). This is pleasant enough. Inoffensive. There's certainly no one else that sounds like Sade, but it didn't blow me away.

Like it: yes. Recommend: yes. Better than "Core": nah.

51: Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill (1995). It's fine. An album that sold roughly 33 million copies. "Defined a generation," whatever that means. It's uh... a step or two better than fine. It's good. It's good. I've heard five of the songs so many times they are basically background noise, and the rest are a little same-y. I guess a lot of those things could easily be said about Stone Temple Pilots. We'll call it a draw.

Like it: sure. Recommend: sure. Better than "Core": even-steven.

[4th-earths-echos]

1th - Echo Archive:

You are in a layer.

# Admin Log - 001

It’s finally done. I managed to make it work! Alright, first thing of all. If you’re reading this you should absolutely pretend it is fiction! As long as you “don’t believe” in any of this. They won’t interfere in your life.

I mean, warping reality with your mind, multidimensional shenanigans? That’s fantasy! And I mean, even if it were real (which isn’t) it would surely be super dangerous to talk about it to the public! So, spread this cool piece of fiction™ around. It’s just some silly little literary project.

Alright, let’s start this thing.

It took a lot of energy and CPUs to convert everything, and the upload speed to another layer is atrocious even for just text and images. So the database will occasionally show new documents, testimonies and images from time to time. But it might take a whiiiile.

Maybe I’ll post an image of my setup later. I’m still surprised it works, being able to cross all of this data to your side might take years! It’s madness! But no joke… maybe it actually is really madness. I did get the idea from this horrifying dream.

This is the first log of the 4th Earth’s Echos, it should be like a blog on this social media site on your side. Tumble right? What an ominous name.

This is a backup, for safety. Information is power and gods know that they made a great job on seizing most of our hidden caches.

The world is a weird, strange place, part of sea of worlds. When they say they want to keep you safe? Well, that’s like believing that you can be safe from a serial killer by covering your eyes and pretending it’s not there. You are still in danger, but now you’re also stumbling around like an idiot.

What is even the Occult? People think of, forbidden rituals and satanic crowds. Nah. The Occult is what the name implies. It is the Hidden things, mostly information but also, our neighbors, strange “inconvenient” chapters of our history. The fact that maybe there is something more to life than a 9 to 5 and paying taxes for our overlords. The idea that there might be actually a how and a why for everything.

Revolutionary! Dangerous ideas! Could you imagine what would happen if people though money wasn’t real?! They’ve been trying really hard to suppress it.

Not by forbidding people to talk about it. But by making it really hard to truly grasp and understand what certain ideas mean. And now the whole concept that what we call “civilization” is the greatest scam of all times is hidden knowledge. Part of the Occult.

It all started with the Library of Alexandria. That place was our mecca, and they burned it down. Even in Roman times, you just couldn’t have people being able to change their own reality with their minds right? Only the selected few should be able to do that #sarcasm.

We’ve done what we can to preserve, archive, collect and create knowledge over the generations. But yet, somehow they always find us.

So. I came up with a plan. I’ll backup my archive somewhere they can never reach.

You probably have heard or listened to the idea of different dimensions in fiction right? Well, it’s all bullshit. The concept you call parallel worlds, we call them “planes” and “layers”.

Planes are different places in the same Universe. So there’s Earth (that weird place where you need a meat shell to exist), the Umbra, isolated pockets of reality like the city of Zion. And even mythological places like Asgard, the Gray Horizon and the sort.

If you can imagine a world it exists. That’s how it works, if you imagine something. It’ll exist somewhere beyond the veil.

So if you’re traveling from Earth to Zion you’re just shifting between [planes] of existence. Now, if you want to reach another of the infinite versions of Earth.

That’s a lot more complicated, just very distant Neighbors and Mages whose knowledge WE LOST WHEN THEY STARTED BURNING OUR DAMN BOOKS know how to layer shift.

Layers are, well… As the name implies. Layers, of the same place. You know how fiction talks about how different versions of our world could exist? Maybe there could be an Earth where a meteor didn’t hit earth, and there are Dinosaurs there. Maybe some better place where humanity never though of using oil to generate energy, so technology developed a lot slower, but it’s a much greener and sustainable place to live.

Well, the nature of the universe is that the act of imagining something makes it real SOMEWHERE. But you can’t just have two places occupying the same space. Layers are how your don’t get whole worlds imploding every time a sentient being imagine a different version of it.

Plane shifting isn’t that complicated once you learn how to slip out of your meat suit. Rumors say that even the Orders are barely starting to be able to pierce the veil and verify that they are small fries in the great order of things. But now, Layer shifting? That was virtually impossible for people who didn’t live in the golden age, when we had actual colleges hidden all around.

Well, it kind of still is. I won’t get technical, but I managing to send bits to a modem on your side. Which, I’m sorry… I’m gonna say it. It’s AMAZING, I managed to do what whole governments spent YEARS trying! And all I had to do was to blend some living tissue to my rig! It still sucks! It smells and leaks this weird yellow liquid and it’s so damn loud that my ears bleed sometimes if I’m not careful! But I’ve done it! MYSELF! And I’m damn proud!!!

Point is. By uploading the archives to YOUR layer, they will never be able to torch it! I mean, I suppose they exist in some form on your side, but without much to work in they wouldn’t even know what they are looking at.

I mean who would actively try to delete this? I’m just a silly author writing fiction fiction right? Nobody would ever take any of this seriously. This is just a silly blog on tumble.org

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#fiction #digitalart #writing #echoes4thearth #ocultum #occult #art #esoteric #story #narrative #short stories #fantasy fiction #witchcraft

[deathfavor]

He doesn't mind the stolen cigarette; he had more if he wanted one but that'd become something of a last thought on his mind. He just watches as she takes an savors some of it. He bends, accepting the cigarette back now that he's somewhat paying attention to it.

" Really positive parts? " It's strange to hear those words being spoken to him. Especially really positive. " You didn't get hit in the head in a fight, did you?" He asks with playful amusement, tapping the cigarette over the floor. " I'll be honest. I don't really know what really positive parts you see. " Maybe that he didn't judge people, not really. He knew how to provoke, while to hit so it hurt if he needed, but in general? He didn't judge. But that was about the only thing he could come up with. Kisaki had thought he was useful, maybe that loyalty to some people but that had been self-serving.

His eyes meet her inquisitive stare, and he allows a quiet chuckle. " Nah. It's not any of that shit. " He shakes his head, his earing quietly clicking with the action. " Like I said, I don't really know what you see as really positive about me. Maybe there's a few slightly positive things. " He breaks his stare to lean his head back in thought. " I don't really hide it, it's just selective. People worth seeing it, I guess? Or its there but people don't really notice it with everything else. Which is fine, doesn't matter to me." He shrugs his shoulders. " I'm just...here. Y'know? So I just look to make it fun. And if everyone just thinks bad things about me, well, that's that I guess. "

The question is posed with, perhaps, not enough information behind it. It was more something that had been mulling around in her head for a little. Half her own thoughts become words rather than the full fledged train laid out for further explanation. Not through some devious intention or combing for answers but merely from self musing leaking out in momentary silence.

Senju plucked the forgotten cigarette from his fingers. Not wanting it to stain the couch from ash being ignored or even, potentially, catch it on fire. Raising it to her own lips, tapping the ash and offering it back up to his lips once his mind refocused on the now.

"Mmmm, guess that's the wrong way to word it. More that you hide the really positive parts of yourself from most people." Part of her felt like she had to fight past or simply appreciate the things like sadistic delight to find how interesting and in depth Hanma really was. Leaning into his touch, rose tinted eyes watch his every moment with interested affection.

"Guess I'm just curious, why? Like I know the concept of 'if you can't handle me at my worst' but is that all it is?" She wasn't really one to talk, barely letting people even know her real name and gender let alone much about her. But she was interested in why someone else would do the same kind of thing. Why someone so complex wouldn't want to share more of himself with people?

[trashcanfills]

Self Aware Genshin AU - The First Four Chosen (Amber, Lisa, Kaeya)

When the player starts playing genshin impact, they are able to control the Traveller first. Later on, they get three free characters to play as on their team: Amber, Lisa and Kaeya in that order. Naturally, those are the ones who would be the first few who also gain self awareness along with the Traveller.

Amber is surprised at being taken over during fights, but then the shock turns to awe when her and traveller take turns to do fantastic elemental combinations or stunts that she normally would not have thought of. She later does approach the Traveller and Paimon about the odd occurrence and they explain what they know so far.

This makes Amber incredibly appreciative and admiring towards the player, because such a powerful and nice god chosen her as a vessel??? Wow. She feels so honored!

Lisa being controlled would be met with curiosity I feel, since she is someone who is eager to seek knowledge in her books. She is also rather chill and easygoing most of the time, and so would be fine to go along with what the player is making her do. Lisa would grow a fascination with the player existence, esp after clarifying with the traveller and paimon. She then checks the library’s restricted section to see if such a phenomenon has been detailed before.

Unfortunately there is not much stuff regarding the topic, though there are some sources that briefly mention the idea of powerful gods selecting worthy champions to be their vessels. In any case, Lisa is really thankful that player doesn’t have any harmful intentions of the sort and is willing to bless them with power. Def ends up as one of the more laidback acolytes when she starts worshipping you, since well…being formal all the time can be really taxing, you know?

Kaeya would also be curious but with more wariness when he feels his body being taken over by an unknown force. However he does not outright mention it or show any indication that he noticed, as we all know Kaeya is the kind to keep his own secrets and find out others’ secrets as leverage. Being more observant than most, he would quickly put together that it has something to do with the Traveller, and doesnt outright tell them and Paimon about it until a lot later.

In fact, him requesting the Traveller to help him with finding his grandfather’s treasure was a test to see the player’s capabilities and limitations. I believe after that quest Kaeya would confirm his suspicions to the Traveller and Paimon, and be interested in what kind of god the player is. Def keeps his actual opinions of the player to himself and suspicious of them, but over time will gradually grow a fondness for them since they do seem to have a desire to help others and not pose a threat.

With that, the self aware team has gone from 2 members to 5!

Kaeya would def join in trying to subvert the code by pushing a lil bit more on what he can do when being controlled by the player, like adding more variations to his lines in combat. Lisa would research more and maybe even contact other fellow academics to figure out more about the runic scriptures (the code) in general and what they mean. Both Kaeya and Lisa would also be a bit more flirtatious when interacting with the traveller since they are aware that the god is watching them through the traveller’s eyes. I mean, the player has done so much for them and the citizens of Monstadt. Surely they can afford to be more appreciative of their efforts nah yall just wanna hit on the powerful kind god and see the god’s reactions through traveller’s actions lol

Amber meanwhile is just an excitable lil bunny hehe and loves to ramble with Traveller and Paimon on how cool and amazing the player is offscreen. All of them, including traveller and Paimon, would want to interact with the player more however they can, while trying to free the people of Teyvat from the code’s limitations. Aka the start of sagau cult cough