#my bard is doing great things

[slayerdurge]

ok this is the first i'm finding out that durge has a little corpse-looking goblinoid weirdo butler who shows up and brings gifts as rewards for murder. i love him.

[wannabebardrambles]

caitlin live reacts - 29!

yall shits getting real. u thought i was insane before??? ITS ABT TO GET MUCH. MUCH. WORSE

JB can roll 3 hit die as temporary hit die bc Aelys imbued positive energy???

Fave fave fave running gag is referencing modern media as if it were plays or books

‘We are honourably gonna steal all of their books’ ‘as long as the knowledge is shared, I do not consider it a crime’

‘Serve straight….fire’ Hannah

‘Getting her a nice patries from wherever you are does get it up’ HANNAAHHHHHH

Not gold being so busy BURNING Magus hes fully just doxxing them Jesus CHRIST

This is an ability we need to come back to??? Wiping out all magic?? Incredible

GAHHHH AELYS IS TEARING UP reading this

Katari has a hot girl break down and GOOD FOR HER

H. O. T.

Synnove starts CRYING????

KATARI TOTALLY MELTS UGHHH

If we lose gold right now. 

Katari is SO UPSET and now IM SO UPSET she does NOT understand

The girls are FIGHTING theyre FIGHTINGGGGG

At this point im just like. Get the answers from the light hunters and give the books back

OR. OR. BLAME HAREEM DIEINAHOLEHAREEM

‘Technically not first’ ‘do you know that’ SOMEONE EXPLAIN THEAGUS’ BACKSTORY TO ME STAT

‘This is an iteration upon which we had not yet decided. Good work theagus sot’ hey will what the FUCK were there other iterations of theagus?? Here in regulus?

‘Bring the evidence to the chamber of light at dawn it will be altered in the ways it needs to be’

Gives him temporite? GAGGED

‘Follow the paths’

Jesus fuck katari LOST IT oh my god I LOVE HER

Tis adorable and also scary much like this ship

Im so angry that bubbles and valor ruined our only one bed trope will was doing his best

Aelys feels like she did in the sand. wuh oh. From fingertips to elbow she is BLACKENED

Being cut off from outside forces cannot be good for a group of ppl all equally dependent on supernatural beings

Aelys crit fails her sanity so badly that theres a moment she wonders if she’s been in the pit since the dream scar. And she was the one who choked. UGHGHHGHH

THEY LOST A SANITY FAILURE

AELYS LOST TWO???

Synnove felt like it was 3 yrs and shes decayed

Fml

Wow I HATE this music

Ok katari helping aelys through that. Was. Fucking everything.

Chains of the jailer

shes opening this up to the party??? Jesus fuck

‘New ;and’ YES U FUCKED UP

FOLLOW THE PATHS, LIGHT THE lamps and run

Oh boy. ‘I trusted you’ fuck katari is MAD. Shit FUCK

Yall are hot as fuck

YALL. YALL. Y A L L 

‘Feather fall’ ‘how?’ ‘I can do it on up to FIVE PPL MOTHERFUCKER’

‘Ill take any damage necessary…since ive been fucking up, I want to user the negative energy to stall the blade’a UGHGHGHGH I LOVE HER

Um sixteen d6??? Theagus is blowing shit UP ‘motherfucking DIEEEEE’

Yall fucked up

Yall fucked UPPPPPP

Lmfaoooooooooooooooo

JB picks up a caeten cutter? Wot is that

GOD JB is so hot he IS the leader hes fucking EXCEPTIONAL

JB AELYS COMBOS ARE SOOOOO HOT OH MY FUCKING GOD IM SWWOOOOONNINNGGGGGGGG

God its CINEMATIC UGHGHGHHGHH

ARRHRHHHH THE TRAIN ARENA??? COME ONNNNN

Stone chalice, lantern, guards, and closing portecullis  

Can add a permanent d4 to his shield attacks??? wild

Owl, wings outstretched. Lion. 

The lion and owl hold power now caged, to swing wide the gates and knowledge assuage - X. wow thanks for the help creepy monstrous voice in aelys head. Glad to see hes finally paying his rent!!!

Will did not just fucking crit with lightning damage against a frightened aelys. Fuck. The dice tell a story and its a rlly fucking brutal one

One hundred. And twenty eight.

There is nothing left but the copper skeleton

HOW ARE WE JUST GOING ON WITH COMBAT

LIKE AELYS DIDN’T JUST GET DISINTEGRATED

‘I mean you can animate my bones’ JONNNNNNN

Key breaker aura. Statues glow

Im so fucking like. Aelys just insta died against a spirit thing in one single hot while jb is taking no damage whatsoever from the bbeg devastator’s three fucking attacks. Obsessed. Distraught.

Yay the mutants are trash now! But theyre doing better than aelys bc aelys is just copper bones!!!! help

[twistedappletree]

lmao i’m surprised my approval rating with astarion is even at medium, he literally hates everything i do 😭

[ettadunham]

guys... guys... did you know that if you try to play an instrument in bg3 while not being proficient at it, you get rotten tomatoes thrown at you? and if you do it in camp with scratch, he'll come up and howl at you. i love this game so much.

[bloggingwithauthorialintent]

On Genres: Mystery

I put in my blog description that my favorite genres are (in no particular order) scifi, fantasy, and mystery. But those are pretty big categories and I can get more specific

Mystery is the easiest to specify for me - I love detective fiction. The investigator doesn't have to be an actual PI or police detective though, the idea is to have one main character who solves crimes. (For example the main character of Elsa Hart's Jade Dragon Mountain who is an exiled librarian who has the miserable luck to keep getting tangled up in murder mysteries). This also happens in other mystery subgenres and other genres altogether, but there are other more subtle qualities that differentiate them. My brother once tried to convince me to watch a horror movie (I think it was The Conjuring but I'm not certain) by claiming "It's a mystery!" I watched the first few minutes then walked out saying "dogs don't die on-screen in mysteries." (Despite the name, murder mysteries don't actually tend to be very violent in the story itself. They're typically about the aftermath of violence and the how and why, rather than being about the acts of violence themselves) To me, a good detective mystery is essentially the journey of solving a puzzle. The reader should be encouraged to try and collect clues as they go, and be wowed by the detective's investigation. I'll never forget my first Sherlock Holmes story - reading The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle back in middle school, the scene where Sherlock analyzes the hat (which, to be clear, is not even remotely good science by modern standards) stuck with me and inspired me to seek out the rest of the Sherlock Holmes stories. It's also important to detective mystery that the investigator is a strong character. A blorbo, if you will There are plenty of posts about how many modern adaptations make Sherlock Holmes less interesting than he is in the books (though I think that's partially because there are a lot of stories and that they highlight different parts of his character, so there's a lot of room for varied interpretations). Whatever you think of him, I don't think I've ever heard someone call him boring (I'm sure someone's said it at some point, but it's certainly not the majority opinion). He catches attention in whatever adaptation it is (though I'm sure y'all are aware, given this is the SuperWhoLock website) Agatha Christie's Poirot is a very different character from Sherlock, but just as interesting. I have some very strong opinions on the most recent movie adaptations of Poirot that require me to harness all my little grey cells and go "It's okay for people to put their own spin on a character. It's okay for people to interpret a character differently" through clenched teeth. They did right by his mustache though The Penumbra Podcast has Juno Steel in the Junoverse part of that podcast (if you're unfamiliar, it's 2 podcasts in a trenchcoat). It's called The Junoverse, but In universe, the world does not revolve around Juno. However, love for Juno and later all the other recurring characters is at the heart of that show (which you should listen to, if you don't already) tl;dr - Detective mystery is great because it's Investigator Blorbo solves the puzzles of other people's (sometimes murderous) actions

[4giorno]

baldies gate is very difficult

[rivilu]

I'm fucking sick again! You know what that means!

[dear-ao3]

friends, besties, worsties, davids, and meow meows of the jury. i have a tale for you. while i claim to be no bard (like saph, the queen of very long dramatic tumblr stories that make your heart weep), i must spin a wee bit of yarn in the form of a story. what story? a story of the green cake.

we shall, as most stories do, start almost at the beginning.

the date? january 2nd.

the time? late.

the occasion? saph comes home the third.

the problem? i have no butter or sugar.

now, saph's birthday was recently, so like any other best bud i said i was making a cake. i believe my exact words were 'i'm making you a cake whether you like it or not."

now, gang, i must level with you. this is the fourth cake i've made in my life. i am a reasonably good baker (i can bake a Mean Loaf of Bread), but i'm not a very experienced baker. 3/4 cakes were reasonably good, and only one was just slightly off. so, my track record is mixed, but i am hopeful.

now, let me take you to the present.

i am sitting at my dining room table, typing this post. i am wearing a shirt covered in flour, the green cake is in the oven.

how did i get here?

well, we won't go to the beginning. we've already seen what was basically the beginning, with me having no butter or sugar. the real story begins the morning of january 3rd. which is today. which is when saph comes home, expecting a green cake. as most reasonably well adjusted people do when their roommates parents are visiting, i stressed cleaned the entire apartment at 4am, after realizing the mice in my walls are fucking. i did not leave them a condom. i did not have one that would fit them. i can only hope they have plan b. so naturally, i went to bed at 6am.

and i still had no sugar or butter for the green cake for saph.

and i needed to get started on this cake before 10am, or saph would be here before it was finished.

and i went to bed at 6am. so naturally i set my 9:00, 9:02, 9:04, 9:06 alarms, and hoped i'd lock in when i woke up.

friends, i hate to admit it, but i did not lock in. nay, i slept through all of my alarms and woke up at roughly 9:45. it was cold, damp, and the mice were still probably fucking. i threw my hair into a messy bun, and ran downstairs, only to find my mom was selling me to one direction.

jk. it was far worse.

because saph said she had sent me something.

what did saph send me?

a full poster of david malukas! do i know why? no! but he lives in my kitchen now, providing me with mental support. thanks david!

so, i begin to make the cake after laughing for about 10 minutes about why david is now in my apartment. it starts off surprisingly well. i have not forgotten the salt.

everything is normal.

until i remember.

the cake needs to be green.

why? idk thats what saph said she wanted so i am just going to do what i was told to do and make this damn cake green.

but its now late in the process, and if there is one thing i have learned in all my years of watching the great british baking show with my mom, it is to never over beat your cake.

and my cake, right now, was perfect. trust me. i ate plenty of dough to know it was wonderful.

so now i am trying to figure out how to make the most perfect shade of nico rosberg green, feeling a bit like an alchemist. david malukas is staring me down. my time grows shorter and shorter with each beat.

and then, gang, i had to give up on this being nico rosberg green. i did not want to kill my cake. my green cake. my now mint-green cake that i am baking for saph. so naturally i'm like, okay, time to pour this.

easy, right?

WRONG.

so one thing to know about me is i suck at cutting things.

it's unfortunately a key ingredient in cake making that you have a stupid little circle on the bottom of your cake tins. i cut it the best i could. which was bad. so i'm already fighting demons trying to get the stupid parchment paper from sliding every which way, and then, my friends, i realized something horrible.

the batter had not mixed at the bottom. so now i was fighting even more demons and trying not to get loose flour in my cake.

i think i succeeded. only time will tell. david is watching. the cake is almost done.

i am setting the green cake free.

look upon him now, and weep. the green cake prevails! even though he doesn't look very green yet.

and now, for the hardest part. frosting.

let's see how that goes.

david still watches.

[dduane]

A homebrew Iliad project

I've been fiddling with this for a long time.

Backstory: I've been dabbling in various depths of the great wine-dark sea of the ancient Greek classics since I was about seven or eight. (Might have been earlier, but I have no data to confirm that.)

I know Greek mythology like the back of my hand. (...Insert here the inevitable sound of Scotty whacking his head into an Enterprise bulkhead.) I know... a lot. And—leaving all the other stuff I know about that no one here is gonna care about one way or the other—I've read the Iliad and Odyssey probably about twice a year for the last fifty years or so. Or maybe more.

To my grief, I don't have enough classical Greek (or good enough Greek of any kind) to do any kind of respectable new translation of the work. That's far beyond my scope, or my level of scholarship. But I can sure as hell do... a retelling? A restatement? I have a number of favorite translations to use as guides, and the Perseus digital library... and, you know, dictionaries. And I'm not afraid to use them. :)

...And I'm a storyteller, and have no shame about the possibilities inherent in going where lots of others of my tribe have gone before—in restatement or in fiction. So let's just call this "a homebrew version of a work that hasn't been out of 'print' for thirty-five hundred years" and leave it there. (Is this ὕβρις? Yeah, seems likely enough. Whether this is going to be a manifestation of the downfall of the Greeks, or of the Geeks, remains to be seen.)

Anyway: my plan is to start publishing books (i.e., chapters) of this homebrew Iliad in the Fic Foundry writing website that will be opening up at last sometime over the next couple of months. The first few books will be open-access: after that they'll go subscription. They'll come out at irregular intervals (because there'll be paying work going on as well. [resigned sigh: So what else is new.])

When starting a project like this it seems like it might be wise to, in a general way, set out the goals.

Ease of accessibility. Lots of people have never read this story, or have experienced it only in one kind or another of paraphrase. (Yeah, well, here comes another one.) For maximum accessibility, I think this means what I want to do is a prose retelling. Nor am I going to get too hung up on anachronisms in the prose style. I'm reaching for the around-the-campfire sound, a little; or the story told after dinner, in episodes (and let's not throw the beef bones at the bard, she's doing the best she can).

Fidelity to the source material. This is an old, old story that both ascends to surprising heights of feeling and amazing depths of cruelty. There are things in it that some modern readers are not going to like at all: particularly the graphic gore and violence of what is repeatedly described as "the world's greatest war story". But these aspects of the Iliad, and the frequently callous, cruel and misogynistic understructure of its story, come with the territory of the original. I will in appropriate ficcer's style add trigger warnings where I think they're needed.

Completeness of the story. The temptation is always going to lurk for an adapter to decide what's important and what can be thrown out. I'm hardly immune. But it's my intention to leave the structure as intact as possible. Some people will disagree with my choices. (shrug) People have been disagreeing about ways to handle this work for centuries. What'll a few more be, among friends?

...So that's the plan. When this material starts to be ready to appear online, I'll let people here know where they need to go to access it. And after that... we'll see how things go.

I'll start this story as its first tellers did, and ask the Goddesses of epic storytelling to stand by me and lend a hand telling this one. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one angry young man: Achilles, only son of King Peleus. Achilles was completely possessed by a bitter rage that brought a whole host of troubles down on the great army of the Greeks. That unquenchable fury sent many a strong man’s soul to the Underworld, and left their bodies feeding the dogs and the vultures, while Heaven’s intentions moved inexorably on toward the Gods’ final goal...

[thedemonofcat]

Jaskier IS NOT HUMAN. He's also not...any one thing? Each of his grandparents (or great grandparents) are a different type of supernatural who were pretending to be human. So when he runs away from home to become a bard and chase a witcher, there's a long argument over who he gets this behavior from.

Jaskier took a deep, theatrical breath—like he was about to perform on stage rather than explain his ancestry.

“So! My great-grandmother was a Nymph who fell madly in love with an Elf—scandalous at the time, I'm told—who later became my great-grandfather,” he began, waving his hands as if conjuring the romance before Geralt's eyes. “They had my grandfather, a delightful half-Nymph, half-Elf hybrid who eventually married—wait for it—a Siren.”

Geralt blinked slowly.

“Now, that Siren, my grandmother, later swooned for a Fae,” Jaskier continued, pulling out a rolled-up parchment and dramatically unfurling a family tree that looked like it had been drawn by a very caffeinated cartographer. “They gave us my father. My father, not to be outdone in the whole 'romantic chaos' department, fell in love with a Selkie—yes, a literal shapeshifting seal woman—my mother.”

He paused, one hand on his chest as though delivering the climax of a tragic ballad. “And thus, I was born. A miracle of love, magic, and deeply questionable compatibility.”

Jaskier looked at Geralt expectantly. “Do you understand now?”

Geralt, whose eye had twitched somewhere around “Siren,” stared at him, slack-jawed. “I think I need a drink,” he muttered.

“Excellent!” Jaskier said cheerfully. “Now—on to the dragon side of the family!”

Geralt groaned. Loudly.

[the-french-belphegor]

As a fellow gnome, I'll handle the talking.

Redraw of this great little moment in Vox Machina: Origins Vol. 2 when Scanlan, Keyleth and the twins are looking for Grog and meet Pike for the first time - and Scanlan is struck speechless :D (which is a huge thing, for a bard, especially this one!) He just stares at her with heart eyes in the two pages after this one and doesn't utter a single word until she scries on Grog and gasps (at which point he drops all pretence of chill and worriedly asks "Was it Grog? Is he all right?" GOD I LOVE MY BIG AND SMALLS.) (anyway.)

I'll just let the man describe this moment in his own words (ie. his "do not open till I'm dead" letter to Pike):

The moment I first saw you was not a choir of angels singing, nor silly butterflies fluttering in my chest. No, the moment I met Pike Trickfoot was the tragic moment I realized that my heart, my soul, would be forever incomplete without you.

That darn bard is good with words, huh :D Provided he has the brainspace for it, anyway.

Original comics page under the cut!

(art by the wonderful Olivia Samson)

[anneapocalypse]

I cannot help feeling like the tendency to see Inquisition!Leliana in stark contrast to Origins!Leliana has led to some people forgetting what... Leliana is actually like in Origins.

In fairness, as in all Dragon Age games some very revealing character moments happen in party banter which makes it easy to miss. But the gentle-hearted mystic who desires only to draw others unto the love of the Maker has never been all that Leliana is, and it's always been in direct conflict with the side of her that is not only adept at intrigue and yes, violence, but enjoys those things. This is the central conflict of her whole character, and it's not a trivial conflict, because there is not one simple answer to who Leliana truly is. She is both of these things. She is deeply religious and finds comfort in her faith, and thinks it should bring comfort to others as well. She's also prone to gossip and pettiness and all the qualities that helped her thrive as a bard.

There's this one particularly revealing piece of banter with Alistair if the Warden is in a romance with Morrigan:

Alistair: So have you heard? Morrigan and him are... you know. Leliana: Have you nothing better to do than to spread idle gossip? And besides, he can probably hear us both. You're not being very discreet. Alistair: No, look, he's not even paying attention. Leliana: Hmmm. maybe. You don't... think that he's serious about it, do you? The woman is a vile fiend. Alistair: Well, look here, now who's an idle gossip? Me-ow! Leliana: You're the one who started this, I might remind you. And I'm... well, I'm ending it!

I once had the especially entertaining experience of getting this banter, and minutes later hearing Leliana turn to Morrigan to give her the "It's so nice that you're together, isn't love wonderful?" line. But whether or not you have the pleasure of hearing them back to back, I think this dialogue make it pretty clear that while Leliana would like not to think of herself as a gossip, it takes very little prompting from Alistair to get her to slip back into that mean girl persona. And Alistair (who is more perceptive than he often gets credit for), calls her on it immediately, clearly embarrassing Leliana--who realizes that her mask has slipped.

I don't think it follows from this that Leliana necessarily hates Morrigan unilaterally. There's something much more complex going on between them, in my opinion, because they are such distinct opposites in upbringing and personality. Both Leliana's faith and her life of courtly intrigue are nonsense to Morrigan, who neither believes in the Maker nor has much patience for intricate social graces (at least, not yet). Meanwhile, I think Morrigan's outward self-possession and the sense of power she exudes is a source of both fascination and frustration for Leliana, who thinks she understands power, both social and divine--but finds in Morrigan a kind she cannot fully comprehend. (I also think you can definitely feel some sexual tension into their banter, especially the much-beloved banter about the velvet dress.) Ultimately, both of them are very concerned with power, but approach that concept very differently. And Leliana responds to this clash of ideals in a particular way because her own self-image is so conflicted.

As all great Dragon Age foils do, Leliana and Morrigan needle one another, push each other's buttons, challenge one another's sense of self, and in doing so reveal one another in their complexity and sometimes in their ugliness. It is perhaps easy to write this off as the tired trope of women being unable to get along with one another, or conversely to claim that they get along just fine and fandom has fabricated the tensions between them; I think to do either of those things diminishes a genuinely complex and sticky relationship that serves to reveal a lot about both characters.

[partyof4game]

Party of Four is an adult (18+) interactive fiction game with RPG, romance, and dungeon break themes written in ChoiceScript.

The known world of Vert is at peril from the appearance of portals: vortexes of mana that open into a land of dungeons separate from yours, filled with traps, mazes, and monsters. The populace is in constant fear of monsters that escape the portals and roam across the landscape. Your world relies on two things: the Heroes who band together to enter theses dungeons and close the portals, and the Gods who Mark them.

You are an orphan that grew up in a church dedicated to one of three patron gods: Nivari, Goddess of the Sun; Peysca, God of the Ocean; and Alina, God of Wilderness. One day a rumor comes to light - a prophetic dream has been plaguing the upper clergy, depicting that you will be the next chosen Disciple and given a Divine Task both great and terrible.

You will head into the dungeons, you will fight, or you will suffer the consequences.

In Party of Four, you can:

Play as male, female, nonbinary, or trans; be gay, straight, bi, aromantic, or asexual.

Choose the God you follow: Nivari, Peysca, or Anila.

Choose your class: Warrior, Mage, or Healer. Differentiate your talent further by picking a specialization! Are you a faithful Warrior Templar, a whimsical Wind Mage, or maybe a bumbling Herbalist Healer?

Choose your four person party from a cast of characters.

Explore dungeons using your skills, wit, or stand behind your friends.

Befriend a giant pack beetle that comes with you on your adventures.

Romance, befriend, or discover a situationship with a shieldmaiden, an arrogant mage, an awkward healer, your childhood friend, an aloof ranger, an electric guild mate, or a mysterious bard.

Explore the city of Sentari and the sights it offers.

Become a feared vigilante of justice.

Pet the giant rat (or bat; or spider).

Graphic violence against fantasy creatures and humans.

Religious themes.

Explicit sexual content. (skippable)

My humor. (not skippable)

Raena: Your childhood friend and fellow orphan in the same church as you. She is the pride of the parish's Armsmaster and has been training on the bow since she could hold one. While she can be rash and impulsive, she admires you greatly and will go out of her way to help you.

Vana Peacebearer: A shieldmaiden from a clerical family. She is slow to warm to others, but will always reciprocate any kindness she is shown. Vana will follow the player character out of a sense of duty, but there is something that she desperately wants and cannot have. . .

Maymie Fox: A mage with an affinity for short-range elemental attacks, her favorite being lightning. Maymie will do whatever it takes to come out as the top dog. As an ex-street rat her morals are questionable at best, and vicious at worst. If you make a friend of her, she will drag you right to the top with her, whether you like it or not.

Jem Miye: A little shy, and a lot awkward, Jem is the quintessential healer. Like you, he's a Disciple, but to the God Melekoth, who rules the Moon. He has a feminine appearance that makes him insecure, but you can build him up with your friendship (or love).

Linzel Syrat: Linzel is just charming enough to mask how much he absolutely does not care about other people’s problems. He wants to join your party for the profit, although he'll be the last to admit he finds you interesting. He has a giant spider/bat/rat named Fancy that follows him wherever he goes. (Familiar choice available to players who might suffer the 8-legged aversions.)

Aslo Gergin: Loud, brash, a man's man, Aslo is a mage who likes to fight on the front lines, no matter how ill-advised others think it is. He's a hot and cold person, always willing to reexamine his opinion of people on the fly. He loves fiercely and immediately, which can get him into trouble.

Sweets: A follower and devotee to the Goddess Myrtle, patron of music and merrymaking, Sweets is a playfully mysterious bard who resides in Sentari, the capital of Vert. They enjoy getting other people to talk about themselves and making a pretty penny at the night markets off accidental confessions or juicy gossip in general. Your name is on a lot of tongues lately and Sweets is very interested to know more.

Patreon | RO Intros | CoG Forum Thread | Current Demo (107k)

Second IF Project (Sci-Fi High Stakes Slice of Life)

Asks are welcome. NSFW asks are welcome.

[starsofarda]

So, here's some thoughts about a fic I willone day write. Many thanks to @starshadeemilyart for helping me with brainstorming a few ideas.

I do not have a title for this yet. I will call it, at the moment, "The Feanorians' adventures in the Shire".

Bullet points seem like a good idea, so I am sticking with that.

Feanor gets kicked out of Mandos, Namo has had enough of this guy moping over the tortures of his sons and adamantl requesting to be sent back to Aman.

As a punishment Namo kicks him out, but sends him in the Shire, together with his sons, Fingolfin, Fingolfin's sons/daughter and Thingol. They are at the Grey Havens and Cirdan is refusing to let them leave ME. Arson/Kinslaying is stopped by the arrival of Gandalf.

Gandalf is tasked with taking care of Feanor & co. Gandalf will be happy about the task until Feanor opens his mouth and it is an insult. Gandalf also opens his mouth and it is another insult.

It's suddenly Gandalf "I preferred white" The Grey vs Curufinwe "Get thee gone from my gates" Feanaro in a battle of who can sass the other out first.

Someone interrupts them, maybe Gwahir has come reminding Gandalf of the task at hand.

Moment of Fingon calling Gwahir "Thorondor" and Gwahir saying "no, that was my great grandpa, I am Gwahir, current king of the Eagles". "Ok. You were not supposed to have such a short life?" "Apparently it's punishment for saving you all." "We are sorry!" "Oh no, we chose this, no probs mate"

Anyway, they are all in the Shire and it's during their travel to Hobbiton that they see what appears to be a bard, all dressed in black, sad and looking like a withered stalk. He is singing the Noldolante and they see it's actually Maglor

Cue family reunion, cue everyone gets filled in on what happened since their death.

Somehow they also start learning Westron bc having Linguistics Georg over there is actually a good thing.

They finally arrive at Hobbiton and Bilbo has come back from the Lonely Mountain and his house is being put on auction and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins has already stolen the infamous silver spoons.

Feanor is reminded of his exile at Formenos and enquires CALMLY.

As in he shouts a loud "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE WHY ARE YOU DEPRIVING SOMEONE OF THEIR HOUSE?!"

Which also prompted Bilbo shouting as well: "I WAS GONE FOR 5 MINUTES AND NOW MY HOUSE IS ON AUCTION, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE TAKING POSSESSION OF MY MATHOMS AND MY BELOATHED IN-LAWS HAVE STOLEN MY PRECIOUS SILVER SPOONS"

Cue explanation on what is a Mathom. Feanor, as crown prince and king, takes it well.

"GET AWAY FROM HIS GATES YOU FIENDS! AND YOU! GIVE HIM BACK THE SILVER SPOONS, I WILL FIGHT YOU!"

To which Lobelia replies like the refined lady she is. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, I STOLE NOTHING, YOU WILL BE BEATEN BY MY UMBRELLA OF DOOM!"

Fingolfin, Thingol, the SoF, Fingolfin's sons are like trying to not be perceived, but they are being served tea and biscuits to enjoy the fight, bc this is an EventTM in the SHire and evveryone is treating this like a rooster fight.

It's at that point that some of them decide "fuck it, we might as well."

Maglor becomes the announcer, Celegorm is the referee, Curufin is the one building the ring, the Ambarussar act as PRs, Caranthir starts taking bets.

Maedhros is crying sobbing on Fingon's shoulder and saying something like "I want my mum, I probably deserve all of this, but by Eru Allmighty!", Aredhel is now in the Hobbit Ladies Gossip Club, Turgon, Argon and Fingolfin still try not to be perceived.

That until Thingol, out of spite, goes to Caranthir and bets against Feanor.

RIP Thingol, King of Bad Choices.

Gandalf is watching the drama unfold with the same glee he pulled Bilbo together with the Dwarves and doing absolutely nothing.

It's Feanor and a forging hammer against Lobelia and her umbrella.

It's a choir of "fight fight fight!" all the way.

Yes, Maglor is making introductions WWE style.

It still ends in a draw, but Bilbo gets back house and spoons and mathoms, bc the Hobbits as a whole deem him enough trouble if he has not only Dwarves, but also Elves around. Anyway, Mad Baggins now has a bunch of Elves with a lot of pent-up rage and a lot of free time.

DW, they are useful to the entire Hobbiton and they learn the way of the Hobbits. Somehow they start getting along.

Russingon wedding happens in Hobbit fashion, like the two are now clothed not with Elvish robes, but with carefully tailored suits like any gentleHobbit. There is a lot of crying.

CeleDhel wedding happens, but mostly so that if Eol ever gets reembodied he can fuck off immediately. Also, they are good friends and when Maeglin gets reembodied as well he can maybe have a slightly better father figure.

IDK these last two points seem like a natural consequence.

Thingol and the Gaffer become good friends, gardening reminds him of Melian, maybe he's finall making one (1) good decision.

And then they see that Elves are abandoning ME, at this point Gandalf tells them about Sauron, the rings and the whole deal.

"And who made the rings?" "The ones for the Elves was Celebrimbor, the others was Sauron."

Curufin: "And pray tell, WHERE IS MY SON."

Gandalf: decribes Celebrimbor's death as reported in the chronicles

The rest of the family reacts in the same way

In the meantime Bilbo has adopted Frodo and Frodo reminds them of little Tyelpe and they are going to throw hands

Maedhros just says: NO OATHS THIS TIME NO OATHS. OATHS BAD.

And well.

Ideas so far were to have them go to like Dol Guldur and have a fight off with Orcs and Nazguls, I am still undecided whether I want them to know about the One Ring. Oh well.

I'll probabl post something else once I figure out more stuff

Thoughts? Comments?

[thisisnotthenerd]

putting the tl;dr at the top as a poll and the commentary under the cut because it’s quite rambly and it’s also late and i’m tired.

*whether dorian is one of these is up for debate

there’s some discussion of bell’s hells not having the “it” factor for a lot of people. even though it’s my first campaign and the only one i’ve mostly watched live, i kind of have to agree.

there’s a distinctive lack of investment in backstory for the group in terms of what they’ve spent time on in campaign. i think fearne is the only one who’s been done justice, even though we’ve seen other exploration, because they’ve been to her home multiple times, and while her backstory isn’t central to the main plot, it is close. it’s enough distance for her to be able to develop as a character but also for us to see where she came from.

imogen’s is tied directly to the main moon plot, so she’s had screen time aplenty, but less time to develop quietly, as laura does really well. i might argue for orym, but that’s because his is kept simple but with depth. his backstory comes through in the acting because he’s put up against his family members occasionally, but he’s a little guy at root.

for everyone else it’s been short detours. sometimes not even that. the spotlight oscillates between moon plot and god arguments with indecisive wandering in between.

while not everyone in vox machina inherently had a deep personal connection to the big bads of their campaigns, they didn’t need to. they did it for their friends, because they loved and trusted one another deeply. they made decisions about what they were facing and stuck to it, even when it meant sacrifice. they made multiple levels of friendship around and across the table.

at this point bell’s hells has been told a bunch of different things to do. and honestly i don’t know if they ever decided on one.

that’s not the point of this though.

there’s some archetypes or dnd players out there: roleplayers and power gamers. people who are all in it for the story and people who are all in it for the game. and it reflects in the characters they build.

somehow bell’s hells (collectively) is neither.

they don’t have strong investment in the plot collectively. the character concepts range from simple to deeply complex, and i have to say that i think the simpler has worked better for a plot-heavy campaign, because the characters that started simpler had a chance to develop over the campaign rather than competing for time between the plot and their own stories hanging over their heads.

take dorian. he was a humble bard, a former noble, who’s trying to make his way in the world. he refused great power from an evil source and paid the price in the loss of his brother. he fell in love as the world ended, and is still trying to sing the songs of the people he loves because he wants to bring people joy and bring them together. he’s invested in stopping predathos because of his friends, but also to avenge loss, and to protect the people of his homeland and take up his responsibility as heir to the silken squall.

it took a paragraph. but at the table, even when he was with the crown keepers for a few months, he fits right in. he’s had growth while keeping true to his core.

i’m not going to get into the rest now but there’s a definite element of throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks.

anyways, beyond the difficulties of backstory, they’re not super optimized. i’m of the belief that optimization works in tandem with roleplay—the characters are growing and changing over the course of the story, and having the mechanics trace that and make choices impactful is a big part of the appeal of the game.

watching vox machina and the mighty nein fight is a treat because not only are they level 20 and therefore godlike in power, their mechanics support interesting combat where failure hits hard because they’re built to succeed. when someone fails a save or misses it means something. they have options in their wheelhouse but they’ve found their niches and know how to play to their strengths.

bell’s hells is playing high level combat right now, but they have middling stats: lots of dump stats, 10-14s in the middle and some attacks/spell saves that aren’t as high as you’d expect of level 15 characters. they have several characters with perhaps too many options, and have made some weird strategic decisions. they’re indecisive. in combination with fluctuating luck from the dice, there’s times where they can wreck house, but also times of them failing saves, missing on full turns, losing resources, and overall failing more than they succeed.

also bell’s hells don’t make big decisions in combat unless they’re absolutely forced to. in the last arc pre-final battle, the big battles were otohan on ruidus, dominox and ludinus in aeor (+delilah), zathuda and the unseelie in the feywild. with otohan, they were dying all around until fcg’s sacrifice. literally end of the line. then in aeor, they fought to end dominox, got whammied with downfall, and then had the delilah fight, but then her sealing came later. they fought in the arch heart’s temple, but the big revelations came on the heels of that, between the arch heart themself and then zathuda being strung up on the loom.

but of a tangent: i don’t think naddpod and critical role can be fairly compared, because they’re different in tone and telling very different stories. i relistened to naddpod c1 recently along with the last few episodes of c3 as we approach the finale, and while they have gotten more creative on the character building side, the story is still well done and combat is fun to listen to. they have had moments of deep tragedy on naddpod. they’ve had cameos of old characters, and even had one of them as a pc for a full arc mid-campaign 3. they’ve explored the future of the world of bahumia after the events of c1.

and while the story is satisfying and fun, the combat is also satisfying and fun. not just because murph is really good at building combats that are interesting in theater of the mind, but because the characters are built to be good at what they do. and when they go down, when they miss, when they fail, it hits harder. but they bounce back and keep going even when the circumstances suck. and they make narratively important decisions during combat.

with bell’s hells, i have often noted a split between their combat and roleplay. i like matt’s combats. i think they’re fun and make good use of a variety of enemies, terrain, and complicating factors. with vm and mn, it makes for really engaging episodes of combat, where they make use of the environment tactically and get to discover elements of how the field is set up as they go. i’m using the recent examples, which are not entirely inclusive but generally reflective of their combat trends.

vox machina fought their way off an airship, onto a chaotic battlefield, and then stealthed up to the malleus key, where they proceeded to defeat ozo cruth, break the bloody bridge, and get vax out of imprisonment. the mighty nein stealthed around kreviris, met with the volition, zip lined to and blew up the arx creonum, and then snuck through to meet the weave mind in combat. i can recall fun details and clutch moves, big risks including characters dying, and overall, battles that had character interaction.

as i’ve talked about before, bell’s hells gets whomped. they swing for the fences on some things, but when it doesn’t pay off it’s not just a missed opportunity, it’s often an active barrier or a loss of valuable resources that drive them closer to crisis.

imogen’s whirlwind, laudna’s disintegrate, and dorian’s forcecage were all great moves this episode. it also means they’re down some of their highest level spells before they actually face ludinus and/or predathos. granted they have the orb. but whether they can use it will be variable.

[takesyouranemo]

5Swirl -

- How would they react, if you confessed to them?

•Venti, Xiao, Kazuha, Heizou, Wanderer. (Elongated-Slow Burn)

- Words: 4K

-CW: Some fluff, SFW, drinking, GNReader, —

-Wanted to write something that didn't have anything to do with Juicy~.

Venti -

You disliked the smell of wine, yet the smell coming from him was always sweet. No matter how many times you caught the smell of dandelion wine in the air, or the smell of cecilias, you relaxed. You relaxed, when you heard a harp and the sound of a melody. And you relaxed listening to the song he wrote about you.

You watched and you listened to his song as he sang, smiling and singing along with the children that always crowded around him. Then his eyes finally caught onto yours, sharing a smile as he performed for them.

After his performance he came up to you and took a strand of your hair in his hands and took it up to his nose.

"if only the wind could carry such a beautiful aroma." he uttered softly. If only he knew what his own scent did to you, I'm sure he would spread it far and wide just to haunt you.

"Venti." you murmured.

"yes?" He let go of your hair, letting it fall into place again. "Did you like my whimsical performance? great wasn't it? never had such a large and energetic audience!" he added.

"I saw, and I loved it. It's not what I'm here for though.."

"oh? then what brings you to the anemo archon himself huh?" he lets out a small chuckle.

"I'm quite a busy bard you know?" he turns his body away from me and crosses his arms jokingly.

He always looked so cute when he was trying to be cheeky, you always did admire every single thing about him, even his teasing. Though you did always have a way to get back at him.

"Oh right~ you are too busy to listen to a fans romantic advances~!" you cooed. Putting your fists to your hips.

"Of course noot-"

It sounded like he was about to say something before he paused, putting his raised hand back down slowly. Turning back over to you with a bright smile, "Eeh? Did I hear that right? or was the wind playing tricks on me?" he quickly takes hold of your hands. His eyes sparkling as he looks into yours.

"Do you mean what you say?" was today that day? The day your were finally going to answer his multiple confessions?

You just smile and let out a small chuckle at his reaction. "Heyy.. your really keeping me on the edge here!" he whimpers. If he had puppy ears, they would be drooping right now.

"I do, I mean everything. I like you." You finally answer his confession, cause a god knows, you wouldn't have.

Xiao -

Your tired, exhausted, and famished. Sitting at Wangshu in waiting for the man that makes your life somewhat endurable. Sometimes when your alone, and you think about him, you wonder how he would look like with a sad look on his face, anger or even vulnerability. It's not because you hated his guts, and you wanted to see him suffer, but because you wanted him to trust you enough for your too see that side.

You really did enjoy his company, being able to talk to him in his free time no matter how short- you still waited, even if the time you two spent together wasn't very long. Yet you didn't know what made you so reliant on him.

You feel someone tap your shoulder, "y/n, your here again." you turn to look at him, your tired eyes glancing up at him, upon realizing it was Xiao, you smiled softly.

"You came, I thought you forgot about me." You choked, rustling with the hem of your top. You were nervous, and you didn't know why. Xiao did notice this. "I wouldn't have," he pauses just for a second before sitting beside you, propping his polar arm beside him. "You waited a long time today.." he murmured.

"oh yeah.."

"...I didn't mean to." He looked a the floor, like he was guilty about something. Crossing his arms. "you should have left" his gaze back on you.

"But I didn't, and It's not like i've got somewhere to be~" you uttered sassily as you drooped over the table. He sighs and looks away again. "Still. You shouldn't have to wait so long." he huffed. Which made you smirk.

"I wanted to see you though.." you cooed.

"hmph, your insufferable.." He glances back at you, restraining his inner turmoil. Your eyes lingering on his for a moment, and before you knew it, you blurted it out without thinking, "I must really like you then huh?." You didn't realize you said it out loud until Xiao's eyes went wide, his gaze turning away again.

"Such careless words, do you wish to suffer so eagerly?" his words were stern- yet so filled with affection. He brings his hand to his face, trying to hide behind it almost.. "truely, humans are such reckless speakers.." you swear you could see a tint of blush on his ears.

Finally it clicked. All this waiting, all this patience your never had for anyone but him, and this feeling of warmth in your chest.. You had fallen for him.

"Its true.." You mumbled. "I really do like you I-."

He suddenly stood up taking hold of his polararm, "I think that's enough for today.." he didn't want you to see him like that. "Wait Xiao!" You grab his arm before he could disappear on you again. He stands motionless, not moving an inch.

"You will suffer with me. My karmic Debt-" he rasped, pausing for a second. "I.. wish not to hurt you y/n.." He muttered softly. You stand still for only a moment, before hugging him from behind. "but you wont- You wont hurt me."

"how can you be so sure?" he growled softly, gripping his polararm.

"I just know you won't! so please.. just stay with me."

Even the smell of Qingxin flowers, and the sound of windchimes couldn't overpower the stifling atmosphere in the air, it lingered heavy, but sweet at the same time.

He stood quiet, his grip on his polearm loosening just slightly. His other hand relaxing after a while, hesitantly placing it on your arm gently, which were still gripping tightly around him. Afraid that he would disappear again.

He lets out a low breath, he just now realized he was holding, "If that what you want.. I'll stay." He slowly relaxed into your arms, his body betraying him, as a smile crept onto his lips. Maybe he could get used to this..

Kazuha

You didn't like being alone, so most of the time you would seek for something to distract you. Parties and alcohol being one of them, luckily you weren't a drunk, or nor did you drink yourself silly, but you used it for a way to get your mind off things.

Maybe, over a certain wandering poet. You have been thinking a little too much about recently. You take another shot, "kaahh~!" you let out a satisfied sigh, the drink hitting the spot. The music loud in your ears as the warmth from the drink spreads in your stomach. Your 5 shots in, and your starting to feel tipsy, the flashing colorful lights blaring in your eyes as your put the 6th shot down.

That's enough, If I drink any more- I dont think Ill get home, you thought.

You pay for your drinks and you start making your way through the bar to leave, passing by people singing, dancing, and making out- you didn't pay attention to them though, your just weaved your way through the people until suddenly someone bumped into your shoulder. You turn to curse out who ever just bumped into you, your eyes locking onto theirs-

It was him.. it was Kazuha, the man that was invading your thoughts all day. What is he doing here? "uhh" you utter out.

His eyes linger on yours for a while, "y/n?" his voice sending familiar shivers down your spine. After a moment, you finally speak. "What are you doing here?" you ask- trying to break the awkward 'silence'.

His eyes linger on yours, "A few friends wanted to divulge in drinks, I couldn't see why not." He steps towards you- and you don't make any move to back away. "is that so?" your eyes follow him as he comes closer, "yes.. would you like to join?" He offers. It was so tempting, but you already had so many- any more, and you would drink yourself silly.

"Thanks but I can't, I have to get home-"

"I'll walk you." he interrupts, not even letting me finish my sentence.

"huh? W-what about your friends? You can't just leave them."

"They will be fine, I'm not the designated driver." He finally fills the gap between us and takes my hand, leading us outside of the bar.

"You already look like you have had a few drinks, I'll make sure you make it home safe." he pauses for a second, his fingers intertwined with yours- making your heart skip a beat. "Please allow me take you home." he speaks again, his voice angelic almost, like he was asking for permission.

"Sure.." and you just couldn't help but let him.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passes by, it surprises you, you too haven't been this close together since- you two broke up. It wasn't for anything crazy, it really was just right person, wrong time type of situation- though it's been a while since that, and your never really had the courage to look for him again. You were the one that broke his heart remember?

Your hand was still intertwined with his, he hasn't let go, and there was no sign of it any time soon.

Is this even healthy? should I even be here right now? why did I let him? all questions running through your mind wildly. Your heart beating rapidly.

What surprised you even more was the fact that he still knew his way to your house. Even as your both stand in front of your doorstep. Your eyes looking at your door then back up at him. His eyes glossy, like he was sad that it was over.

"well, this is my stop." you bite your lip, trying to stop yourself from saying anything crazy.

He catches that, "you don't have to go."

You gaze up at him, why did you break up with someone so beautiful and so good to you? You didn't even remember why. His eyes meeting with yours. His hands holding yours now gently.

You try to bite your next words back but you just couldn't. This moment was just too perfect. "I still like you.. Kazuha.." you manage to say.

"I just never knew how to tell you.. I was too embarrassed- I just couldn't-" Suddenly he leans in to hug you, his eyes shut and he holds you in a tight embrace.

"shh. I'ts ok.." he smiles, "I've been waiting for you.. I've been giving you the space you needed." You couldn't help but tear up, have you been worrying for nothing? has anxiety been clouding your thoughts?

What made you feel like you didn't deserve him?

Heizou -

It was your birthday, and you loved escape rooms. Something about them you found fascinating. Yet all of your friends hated them because they were "too much for our brains," it's whatever- it's not like you wanted to go to one anyway right?

No but you did- and your only option left was Heizou, your childhood friend, that was absolutely obsessed with them. You tended to avoid him because he teases you too much, and it made you feel some sort of way.

Your walking the halls of your school and people are congratulating you left and right. You were quite popular.

"You alright?"

Your soul almost leaves your body. Heizou had snuck up on you, giving you a scare. Seeing your reaction, he chuckles.

"Heizou! You scared me! you almost gave me a heart attack," You turn your body to shove him, he backs up with his hands in the air before you could.

"Ooh- my bad, I didn't mean to scare our birthday icon~" he purrs, putting his hands back down into the pockets of his pants. "What ever.." you mutter.

A few hours later, the bell finally rung. You packed up your stuff and you made your way out the classroom- Heizou chasing up with you. "Aye, that hurt.. you didn't wait for me~?"

"shut up." You mumble, your palms feel sweaty, you rushed out of class without waiting for him, and your heart is a little too much. why?

"Come oon! Where are we going for your birthday? somewhere to eat? are we hanging out? are we going to an escape room? I know you want to go to one don't lie to me~ orr do you want to do something completely different and play a little game together?~" he teases, you turn your head quickly, pushing his face away- your face red as hell.

"Dont say things like that!!" You snap at him.

"like what?" he smirk, happy he's affecting you.

"Don't pretend you don't know what im talking about!" you feel your heart race.

"Ohh- are you talking about the little game i'm offering?" he chuckles. "we played games together all the time as kids? what's so different?" he smiles cheekily.

"That's not the same thing!" you yell.

"oh-ho-ho~ I know what's going on.. Y/N- get your mind out of the gutter~" he pokes your for head, and your snap his finger away.

"stop it- you know what your doing! always making me so nervous!" you growl, "your always teasing me like this, my heart can't handle-" you pause suddenly. What are you saying?

Heizou paused to, speechless by your reaction, had he gone too far? or had he just uncovered a side of you that he never knew you had? "Y/N.." he reaches for you, but you turn away from him.

Something about his expression. You didn't want to look at him, you didn't want to risk witnessing his disgusted reaction.. You don't think you will be able to handle that.. You cover your ears and start speed walking away. Stunned by how you reacted yourself.

"Wait!" He calls out as he runs after you. Taking a firm hold of your arm, and starts dragging you somewhere. "Heizou!" you stutter out. He stays quiet, taking you to a hidden corner under the staircase. Finally letting go of your arm and pauses before turning to look at you.

You could physically feel the mood change dramatically.

"You hate me?" he asks the question as if it were already a fact. His expression killing some part of you inside.

"No of course I don't!" you respond instantly.

"Then why are you acting like you do? am I doing too much?" his voice raises slightly.

"I'm not!- Your not!" you started feeling panic growing.

"Then what is it? I know when something's up with you- I know how you like when your hiding something." He states.

"I can't help It! I just like you!?" You blurted out, you had a beautiful habit of yelling things out without thinking. You choke back a gasp. His eyes widen. Yet an unexpected curve to his lips showed.

Did he do that on purpose? "I can explain.. I" - "I knew it," he cuts you off, leaning in closer to you, backing you up against the wall. "You like me.." He murmurs back again, like he couldn't quite believe my own words either. My face flushing at the closeness.

"I thought you would never confess.." he snickers.

What did he mean by that. Has he been knowing?

"So.. No escape room?" - No escape for you now..

Wanderer -

There was always this one guy always bothered you, your own personal bully- as you call it, really I see it more as though you two are friends. You really never thought you would even have one, but here they are, invading your personal space, while you're actually trying to get your work done.

Even though he bothers you- you never really told him to go away. Something about him was entertaining, enough to keep him around.

"What are you doing?" He sits down beside you, planting his arm on the table- resting his head on his palm. "Earth to bug eyes. hello?" he quacks.

"Huh?" you turn your head to look at him. You first catch the glint in his eye and then the smirk. He's only smiling because, one- you finally acknowledged him, and two- because of the indifferent expression you had on your face.

What a sadist. You sigh, "What do you need Wanderer?" you huffed. Turning your gaze back to your books.

"hmph, a little rude. But no, I don't need anything as of right now.." he sighs.

Listening Wanderers voice is a blessing and a curse, you honestly had a little crush on him, why? because he was cute, and you low key liked his attitude.

"Then why are you here?" you ask almost annoyedly.

"because I can be." he snaps in response.

You put your book down one last time, looking over to him; Noting on how the sunlight from the window makes his hair look silky and soft. You didn't mind your thoughts, you knew for a while now, even if you kept it secret from him.

"What ever." you grumbled.

He smirks, admiring you; especially on how you looked when you were annoyed by him, seriously- it kept him wide awake. "What's with you today? normally you would have walked off somewhere,"

You don't respond, staying silent.

He chuckles, knowing he was affecting you; putting his arms down and leaning in closer to you. “What? Is there something on my face?” He whispers lowly. You hadn't realized that you were staring, forcing your own eyes to tear away from him.

"Maybe.." you respond just as low and cool toned as him. A moment of silence passes by. "You are quite pretty when your quiet." you mumble, taking a peek back at him, catching an unexpected flustered look on his face.

"That was a first, but not gonna lie, I liked that." He hummed, leaning back onto his chair. You look away again, feeling your cheeks getting slightly hotter, while desperately trying to ignore the aching feeling in your heart. "What did you like about a comment like that?" you huff.

"Nothing much.." he sighed. You instantly catch onto his shifty behavior. Glancing over at him, wondering what he was up to.

"What do you mean?" You ask suspiciously.

"Nothing.." he murmurs. Was he tryna act smart with you? or trying to avoid something? What did he mean by he likes it?

"Hmph." you turn away from him.

"Oh come on- I thought you liked it when I'm quiet" he teases. You face was turned away from his eyes, but still- your cheeks still flushed pink and he knew it. You were curious to why he cared so much about that comment you made..

"Why did you take it so seriously?" you directly ask- curious about his answer.

"Cause I liked that you thought about me like that~" he purred.

You stay quiet, not daring to look at him right now.

"Hm? What's with the reaction?" He waits for a reply, when he didn't get one- he smiles. "Are you angry?" he waits a moment again, his smile now curving into a smirk. "Wow~ Y/N silent treatment? on this fine morning? I would never dream of it!"

You indeed keep giving him the silent treatment, as he starts poking at you to annoy you.

"Come on- tell me- what's bothering you beautiful-" his arms wrapping around your neck from behind you- causing your cheeks to flush even more. Beautiful? did he really think that?

"Nothing.." you mumble. Not being able to keep up your alter ego.

"Just tell me you like talking to me- it's not that hard.." He hums lowly in your ear. Which sends shivers down your spine.

"It's nothing serious, I'm just overthinking things.." You choke out.

"Oh really? like what huh?" he teases.

Your brain already overloading, the growing warmth in your ears, his breath on your neck making it feel tight. Which definitely was the cause for what you said next.

"Just stuff.. about how I like having you around and how you make me feel- you know? It's really nothing that serious.." You pause, may lord barbatos strike you down and send you to heaven- because what in the ever living lord just came out your mouth.

"Wait.." you stutter quietly try to save yourself.

"Hah- not that serious? sounds serious to me~" he laughs, "I mean- why didn't you say so sooner?" he purrs seductively, holding you a little tighter.

"If all it took to make you fold was just some very intimate questioning.. I would have done so much sooner.."

--

:)