#only get three class skill trees?

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Despite my disappointment over the lack of choice and variation in character creation, Avowed does have one advantage:

I can easily start crafting my character now, without getting choice paralysis or having to see how a certain class/subclass will play before committing.

It definitely makes decision-making so much easier

[bunny-lily]

Satoru, who...

Did you ask for more fluff? I did, ehe~

Pairing: Gojo Satoru x fem!reader

CW: pure fluff, just fluff, no angst, only happiness | proposal, marriage, pregnancy, husband!Gojo, dad!Gojo, soft!Gojo, categorically fucking whipped Satoru, domesticity, kinda slice-of-life, mildly suggestive at the end

The starstruck boy, Gojo Satoru, who is utterly obsessed with you in every way possible.

AN: while I’m in the middle of writing an absurdly long fic, I wanted to post some shorter stuff to 1) keep my hands loose and brain active/busy, and 2) post something while I’m working on the fic to come. I won’t post much about it rn because I want to actually finish it first and not make any promises, so enjoy a lil fluff in the meantime <3 just something short and sweet

WC: 3k

Satoru, who is smitten with you from the very moment he first lays eyes on you. Sure, he's had infatuations before, but they were short-lived and typically lasted no longer than a week. A quick fascination, then poof. You, on the other hand – you are different.

And it is plain to see for pretty much everyone. He is normally cocky and outgoing, even during the little fads he’s had, he never let down his façade of bravado. You, though? You melt all his walls until he’s a goopy puddle of a blushing, giggling school girl.

He is whipped, almost to an annoying point. He rambles off Suguru's and Shoko's ears enough times for them to know when he’s about to start singing your praises and avoid him, or distract him somehow (which is a monumental task when his ditzy head is full only of thoughts of you).

Even so, they are conflictingly bewildered and happy for their friend. For him to have found someone that he is interested in for longer than a week – let alone several months, now – is a riveting change of pace. He seems so genuinely delighted any time you two interact, bubbly, dreamy sighs leaving him as hearts dance in his eyes.

He has fallen for you bad.

Satoru, who’s a stuttering disaster when he tries to ask you out on a date, and damn near collapses in relief when you’re able to decipher what the hell he’s going on about and agree to go to the new café that opened up near campus with him.

One date turns into two, then three, then a dozen more that become routine for you. You meet up after classes let out, then head to the café side by side. Or, if one is running late, you have each other’s orders memorized. You even go the extra mile and order him a sweet he hasn’t tried yet to surprise him with when he bursts into the establishment, panting like he ran a marathon. He might as well have, he booked it for the café as soon as he was free, dying to see you.

Satoru, who is somehow in even more shambles when he gets the nerve to ask you to go steady with him, despite the two of you being borderline boyfriend and girlfriend by now. He’s jittery, sweaty, downright vibrating with tense energy when he brings you to the sakura tree near the back of school that you two had laid claim on. Oh, and when you say yes? He’s certain he’s died and gone to heaven. Nothing can explain how an angel like you decided to grace him with your existence as is, let alone love him – even while you called him an idiot and said you thought you two were already dating.

Satoru, who was already protective over you when you first met, dials it to eleven after you agree to being his girlfriend. Gojo Satoru, the strongest man alive, could inspire fear and respect simply by being in the room with his confident and brash nature, completely relaxed and faithful in his skill. But if, gods forbid, something happens to you? Gone is that cocksure attitude. Gone are the coy smirks and passive-aggressive taunting meant to rile others up. Gone is everything but his one track mind that focuses solely on two tasks: protecting you, and destroying whatever harmed you.

Satoru, who spoons you to his chest and watches ASMR, random videos, or movies on your phone with you 'til you both fall asleep. It became routine shortly after you began officially dating. You'll climb into bed first and decide what you want to watch while he finishes his nightly regimen, then he'll slip under the blankets and pull your back flush against his front, prop his chin atop your head, slide a thigh between your legs, and off to cozy dreamland you two go as whatever you choose acts as white noise. 

It brings him an immense amount of comfort, and though he doesn't need as much sleep as normal folks, he'll refuse to leave bed until you're awake (with the exception of any needs he might have to take care of that will only see him away for a couple minutes at most before he’s cradling you in his protective hold again).

Satoru, who salts and peppers your face with endless, ticklish kisses to wake you up, saving the best kiss for when your sleepy, pretty little eyes open: right on your lips. He always wakes up before you do, and spends hours watching your blissful, precious face as you snooze, content and relaxed like a cat with full trust in its human. The comparison always makes him smile, because he, truthfully, envisions you both as being cats all the time. Lazy ones that cuddle in the sun, your smaller form using his ridiculously fluffy and larger one as a pillow-slash-blanket. His tail twined with yours, your ears twitching as he grooms you with kitten licks, ah, the dream.

Satoru, who wants to slap a ring on your finger the very moment he can. You two spend so many days and weeks raving about your imaginary wedding that he so desperately wants to be real, setting up plans, picking out what you would want for decor, scrolling through forum boards for ideas on a wedding dress for you. He is practically more excited at the prospect of getting married than you are, eager to help in every step of the process and more. 'Let me handle all the hard stuff, baby,' he nearly begs. 

He won’t tell you the cost of anything, and insists you go all out. Get the dress you want, don't you dare look at the price tag. Choose the perfect venue, he doesn't care if it's in Japan or fucking Dubai, he'll handle paying for everyone's travel and hotel needs on top of the whole wedding. Only the absolute best for you, nothing less, everything more.

Satoru, who is a train wreck of nervous excitement, anxious anticipation, and giddy trepidation when the day comes for him to propose. He takes you to the perfect location – up a short and easy hiking trail that leads to a cliffside with the most magnificent view of the ocean and setting sun. You think it's just a sweet date trip, until you see the path of tea candles guiding you to a romantically set up picnic blanket, a basket resting atop it, waiting to be opened.

When you turn around to express your shock and confusion, you find Satoru on one knee, looking up at you as if you are the most gorgeous and divine creature to ever exist. He's confident and boisterous, as always, as he plays out his little speech about how much he adores you and wants to keep you by his side, forever and ever, but he's a shaking trash fire inside. A shivering little dog that's relieved he didn't stutter or screw up the speech he practiced a hundred times over and then some.

Satoru, who's thanking every god to ever possibly reside above (and even below) when you throw your arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder as a flood of yeses pours out of you, slurred as you ramble through your tears and tell him you love him, how happy you are, and a plethora of other things that make him genuinely the most elated person to ever live.

Satoru, who slides the brilliant engagement ring he had custom made for you onto your finger; smooth, with an inset blue diamond that shares the same shade as his eyes, nestled in with a dozen tinier crystals in vine-like spirals flowing outward from the center. Swarovski, of course. He made sure that it was all flush with the platinum to ensure it wouldn't snag on anything. 

He was practically breathing down the jeweler's neck during the entire process, needing to guarantee it’s positively perfect for you. And, when he sees the glimmering jewelry cozy on your finger, the evidence of your bond and the next step in your journey to unite as one, he knows he made all the right choices.

Satoru, who only uses the finest material for your matching wedding bands, and has the insides of both engraved with each other's names. Yours in his, his in yours. He has the same jeweler as before (poor guy) design them to have two stripes of platinum within the gold of your rings, delicate and stunning for himself and his wife.

Satoru, who's jubilant and so incredibly ecstatic that you're now his wife that he can't help but tell everyone he knows, everyday, multiple times a day, even those that were at the wedding. He just can't get over it. You're his wife, the girl he's been crushing on since highschool, the girl he swore to make his, and to devote himself to. It feels like an incredible dream, and he worriedly pinches himself from time to time to make sure it's real. 

He did it. He married you, and now you carry his name in yours, in your wedding band, everywhere he could put it to subtly (not really) show you off as the unquestionably precious treasure you are, his wife, and how overjoyed he is that he managed to catch you and keep you.

Satoru, who forgets how to function when you hold up a pair of white and pink sticks on his birthday, from different brands, both showing positive symbols. You. You're pregnant. With his baby. He swears his brain short-circuits because one minute, he's staring at you like you'd grown a second head, and the next, he has you wrapped up in his arms as he showers your forehead, cheeks, nose, jaw, lips, neck, ears, anywhere he can reach, with kisses.

He's a babbling, sniffly mess as he practically crushes you to his chest and coos and preens and weeps with elation. He reveres you like a deity and he’s your loyal and pathetic servant who was blessed beyond measure that you decided to give him the gift of life. He's going to be a father, and it's all because of you.

Satoru, who completely spoils the living hell out of you during your pregnancy (as if he hadn't already been), bending backwards for you for everything. Weird cravings? He's on it. Swollen ankles and nausea? He's rushing to the store for medicine, then rubbing your feet to ease the ache. Insatiable horniness? He's your slave for you to use for your pleasure. Hormones swinging wildly back and forth? He's there with a box of tissues and his firm chest for you to beat on when you feel like you're going crazy. It's his fault you're pregnant, after all. You're doing the hard work of not just carrying his child, but of nurturing it, growing it, letting it take from you to develop strong and healthy. Of course he's going to take care of you.

Satoru, who refuses to let you do any work. You're on indefinite parental leave. From the moment you show him those positive tests, he sits your pretty ass down on the couch and tells you firmly that your only job now is to help your baby develop. He'll take care of everything else, don't even think about lifting a finger.

Satoru, who's there at every appointment with you, clutching your hand tightly as you talk to your doctor about everything you need to know. And when you have your first ultrasound, and see your fetus together for the very first time, he's crying right alongside you.

Satoru, who spent meticulous hours packing a duffel bag with everything you'll both need for when it comes time for you to go into labor. Spare changes of clothes, plenty of water, blankets to keep you warm, a couple pillows, anything and everything. He refuses to go in unprepared. As soon as it's all packed and ready to go by the 8 month mark of your pregnancy, it's in the backseat of the car. The baby car seat is in the trunk of the sleek and top-of-the-line SUV he purchased specifically for your soon-to-be family. He doesn't care that it's taking up space, or that it’s too early, he refuses to go in unprepared.

Satoru, who immediately ditches work the very instant your water breaks. Who gives a fuck if he's in the middle of something important, nothing takes precedence over you and the incoming birth of your infant. He's breaking several driving laws to get you to the hospital, but neither of you care. Not when you're panting in the passenger seat, white-knuckling the grab handle with a palm pressed to your stomach, grunting and crying out in pain any time you have a contraction. It's a miracle he doesn't get pulled over, and he's incredibly thankful (and proud of himself) for thinking of calling the hospital ahead of time so that they're ready for you.

Satoru, whose entire world becomes a blur from the second you reach the hospital, to the second you're crushing his hand in your grip, screaming as you fight to bring his baby into the world. He's letting you yell at him and blame him for the pain you're in, easily accepting and agreeing because it is his fault. 

But while your shaking sobs and shrieks of agony wound his heart beyond any possible measure, he also can't help his elation at knowing it's time, all the waiting has been worth it, every minute spent catering to your every need, want, and desire. He'll do it indefinitely, wait on you hand and foot for the rest of his life, treat you like a queen, because you deserve it and so much more.

Satoru, who's shocked by how well he's holding up when the nurse puts the wrapped up, pudgy little newborn in his arms, gazing down at the tiny being. His tiny being, your tiny being, the fragile and priceless life you both created. Looking down at his kin, his reason for being, he knows he'd do anything and everything to protect you and your child.

Satoru, who sees you, a disheveled and tired disaster, with your hair all tangled, frizzy, and astray, strands stuck to your sweaty skin, your body slack in relief as the hardest part is finally over, watching your husband hold your baby, and he thinks you're more beautiful now than you've ever been. 

You look like you’ve been dragged through hell; your legs are sticky with residue blood, amniotic fluid, placenta, and whatever else that needs to be cleaned off (though your legs are covered with a few layers of blankets to keep you toasty warm while you recover from labor), your face is a little pale and sallow, you're barely clinging to consciousness, and he's marveling at how he's never seen anything or anyone as utterly blest and sacred as you. 

A goddess amongst men, the only one the strongest man in the world would ever willingly bow down to without you even needing to ask.

Satoru, who helps place your baby on your chest, the nurse having opened the blanket for skin-to-skin contact as you feed it, and finally lets himself release all his pent up emotions of raw, unfiltered joy. Every cell, every fiber, every atom in him is dancing in overwhelming happiness. He'd do it all over, again and again, as many times as you'd let him, if it means he gets to see you this blissful and tranquil. The glow of maternity suits you like no other, even in all your unkempt and chaotic glory. 

Satoru, who can't believe he's a dad. He goes above and beyond, insisting he takes care of the baby at night so you can sleep – he doesn't need as much rest as others do, after all. He murmurs to his newborn about how much he cherishes and adores you, how much you mean to him, how you're the best wife and mommy a man could ever ask for and more. He reads the kiddo bedtime stories to help it sleep, feeds it, changes it, whatever it is that is needed, he's there and doing it. 

On top of that, he continues to be your doting, devoted, caring husband. He makes sure you're taking your vitamins, takes you to all your postpartum appointments, aids you through your subsequent depression, all of it. He's sworn himself to you for life, not just in this timeline and universe, but in any and every single one of them.

He made and said his vows with purpose and conviction. He meant every word, and upholds them like his life depends on it. Because, in his mind, it does.

Satoru, who is patient with you, and firmly commands you to not push yourself to do things you can't do while you're still in recovery. He doesn't care if he has to wait months or even years for you to be ready to lay with him again, he'll wait it out. He might not be a patient man, but for you, he'd wait until all the stars die. 

Oh, but you, darling little minx that you are, do your best to take care of him, too. Even when he urges you to rest, or not worry about it, or anything other arguments he might have against it, you tend to him in whatever way you can. Touching, sucking, rough and heavy petting, whatever it takes. You refuse to leave him alone to suffer through months and months of dryness with no relief save for his hand and the toy you surprised him with to help take the edge off.

Satoru, who can't be more grateful to you. You're more than his wildest dreams, the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect person as a whole in the entirety of the universe. He really can't help boasting about being the Chosen One, because he really is, if the cosmos decided to gift him with you.

Satoru, who swears to take care of you for the rest of your lives, and does well on his promise.

Satoru, who fights for the sake of you and your kin alone. He refuses to leave you in any way, shape, or form. He refuses to let the world be a danger to any of you. He refuses to have anything happen to his family. Nothing will tear you apart, not now, not ever.

Satoru, who loves you more than the sun, the moon, and all the stars combined.

—-—-•(-•ʚɞ•-)•—-—-

Banner by cafekitsune ♥ thank you for reading

[luveline]

Hii, I absolutely love your Hotch fics in which he meets his adult daughter. Could we get one in which she is feeling down about something and he helps/reassures her?💕💕

It’s difficult to foster a relationship with someone when you don’t get to see them. Even harder when the relationship is with your father who didn’t know you existed for over two decades, and who works as a Special Agent in the FBI, spending half of his life in other states. 

Lately it feels impossible. 

He’s just never home. When he is, he can't make it to dinner. You start to feel exactly as you had before you knew him, alone again, working hard to keep up in class, drained from your part time job, and always tired. 

You should stay home and sleep, but tonight, your dad is free for dinner. 

You wait on the corner of the street in the golden light of the restaurant. It’s chilly out, and the sky is slowly darkening. You watch the road for the shape and bulk of Aaron’s SUV, relieved to see him on the way past. He parks in the parking lot, making a small stop into the trunk of the car before he makes his way toward you. 

He’s carrying a little white teddy bear wrapped in pink heart cellophane. 

You know it’s for you, but it’s still sweet enough to surprise you when he smiles at you and encourages it into your hands. “Hello,” he says, wrapping one arm around you quickly as he kisses your cheek. 

It’s always a shock, but never unwelcome. 

“Hi, Aaron.” 

“Let’s go in, yes?” he asks. “It’s too cold to stay out here. Were you waiting a long time?” 

You let him walk you to the entrance, where he gives his name to the hostess for the reservation, and together you follow her to a small table near a bay window. The trees outside are strung with tea lights. The restaurant smells like nutty chocolate ganache. You mentioned that you liked the desserts here the first time he brought you, and he’s continued to bring you here ever since. 

You are undoubtedly getting to know one another. You’ve met Haley three times, and Jack five. You had dinner together only two weeks ago where he tried to show you how to keep spaghetti on your fork while failing to manage it himself. He was sweet, and Aaron was really good with him. 

You’d been jealous. 

“What’s the bear for?” you ask. 

“I’m trying to buy your forgiveness. Is it working?” 

You laugh without thinking. “My forgiveness?” 

“Sometimes, when I don’t see Jack for a long time, he gets frosty with me. I know it’s poor parenting but I’ll bring home a souvenir in the hopes he won’t stay mad.” 

“This is a souvenir?” you ask. 

He sits with good posture, but his face is ducked apologetically. It’s a kind sort of look, like he really is sorry. “I think I owe you more than that.” 

This regret he’s expressed before. You truly believe that he wishes he could go back in time and be there for you, which might be why it aches to think about it in detail. He wanted to be the loving, doting father. He just didn’t get the chance. 

“It sort of… breaks my heart sometimes, when I see you,” you say. 

It’s a lot. You haven’t even ordered your drinks. 

“It does?” he asks gently. 

“I wish…” You bite the inside of your cheek. Shake your head when you can’t finish. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I think about it a lot. I resent your mother.” 

She’s your mother, but yes. “I do, too.” 

You listen to the clatter of the kitchen somewhere deep in the building and the indistinguishable chatter of other families and dates where they sit around you. Your hand closes tightly on a napkin. 

“Are you okay? You look tired, honey.” 

“Must be a Hotchner thing,” you say. 

He laughs like you haven’t just slighted him. “It definitely is. I’m getting the sense that you’re upset about more than your mother, though.” 

“How would you know?” you ask genuinely. 

It’s his party trick. You’re expecting a rundown: your hand moves a quarter inch to the left and shows your upset, or your nose twitches to betray your true feelings. But he doesn’t need to use his special set of agent skills on you tonight. 

“You won’t look at me for very long. It’s exactly like your brother.” 

You sniff ineffectually. “It is?” 

He looks especially solemn, then. “I wish we didn’t miss out on so much with each other, but I’m here now, if you want me. You can tell me what’s bothering you. I promise I’ll listen.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I’ve always heard worse.” He manages a smile. “Not that what you’re feeling isn’t important.” 

“Well, I… it’s mostly the little things. You know school is hard.” 

“At GWU? It’s gruelling.” 

“It’s awful. I probably need a tutor.” You laugh. “Maybe. It’s not so bad, and once this year is over, I’m done, but I have my internship lined up for the summer, so I’m trying very hard to– to work as much as I can now. But working and studying all the time makes me tired.” Your cheeks heat at having spilled it all without finesse. “Sorry, I know you work twenty three hours a day.” 

“How many hours are you working a week?” he asks. 

“Uh, usually twenty-four. I try to do three shifts a week. Sometimes they want me after school, so it’s more like twenty-nine or thirty-four.” Or forty-four.

“And you’re studying–”

“Every spare minute.” 

He nods thoughtfully. “I’m sorry. It sounds hard…” 

“What?” you ask. 

“I’m just thinking about something.” He licks his lips. “And you’ve always worked? Since high school?” 

Your flush worsens. “Yeah. I have to pay for school somehow, and to eat.” You quieten. 

“What if you didn’t have to work, honey?” 

You shake your head vehemently. “Aaron.” 

“I’m serious. What if you didn’t have to do so much? You need time to do nothing. Overworking yourself will give you an ulcer, trust me, and that’s the last thing I want. I could–”

“I can’t take your money–”

“It’s not just my money. Does Jack ‘take’ my money?” 

“You signed up for Jack–”

“And I’m signed up for you. I want to be here for you, and this is what father’s do, okay? If they can, and I can.” 

“Unnecessary brag.” 

He ignores your joke. “Even if I could just pay for GWU. I know those textbooks are burning a hole in your pocket.” 

You refuse. Aaron promises to return to the subject when you aren’t exhausted, and maybe you’ll let him. It would be beautiful to wake up on a Saturday with nothing to do. 

It would be nice not to miss your dad. You’ve done it your whole life, but now he’s real, and he seems to really care about you. When he hugs you after he’s paid for dinner, you want to be allowed to cling, and, as he tightens his hold, you realise you are. 

“It’s so good to see you,” he says, rubbing your upper arm. 

“Yeah,” you mumble. 

“Can I see you tomorrow?” 

You ease back. “Really?” Because you hadn’t mentioned that you missed him, but he already knows.

He pats your arm. “You know I’d see you every day, if I could? I’ve missed out on enough already. We’ll take Jack to Olive Garden again and you can think a bit more on what I proposed.” 

“I can’t take your money,” you repeat quietly. 

“Not that, though you should. You can tell me anything, okay?” 

You breathe out as he steps away. “Okay.” 

He touches your cheek briefly. “Okay. I’m proud of you. You’re doing great.” 

“Thanks, Aaron.” 

“You’re welcome. Text me when you get home safe, all right?” 

You look at him for too long. “Thank you,” you say again, moving in for another hug. 

He props his head atop yours carefully. “You’re welcome, honey.” 

[aireia]

holy shit. they're both hopeless. — satoru and shoko suspect that you and suguru have feelings for each other.

tw/cw: gn! reader, a tiny bit angst at the end but overall fluff + crack. angel used as a petname. not proofread + rushed.

note: school sucks, i'm half awake as of typing this, have mercy on my rusty ass writing skills —masterlist

“so. you like them, don’t you?”

it’s too early in the morning for this. suguru had just stepped foot into the classroom, and he was already being interrogated by his friends. they were eyeing him up and down with suspicion in their eyes, as if it would provide them with an answer.

“who?” the raven haired male feigned innocence. he knew damn well who the duo were talking about, from their not very secret gossiping to spying on him when he spoke to you. suguru was still kind of offended that they thought he didn’t notice them there. just because he didn’t have six eyes didn’t mean he didn’t have good eyesight! he could clearly see satoru’s head peeking out from behind a tree and shoko in the bushes.

“you’re not serious, are you?” satoru asked in disbelief, exchanging a few glances with shoko as if to say, “this guy is actually hopeless.” 

they couldn’t have mistaken the soft glances he shot your way whenever you walked by them, or him lightly brushing his fingers against yours, or the very obvious tint of red on his face whenever he spoke to you for something else right? satoru swore on his six eyes that he wasn’t mistaken.

they decided to drop the topic after a while. if he wasn’t going to give them an answer, they’d just have to ask you instead.

they found you talking to suguru after class, laughing with him over small talk before you waved him goodbye. there it was again, that genuine smile he rarely showed. they approached you to tell you about needing to speak to you, then dragged you somewhere more private to speak. 

“you like suguru right?” wow. direct. that wasn’t a question you expected today. 

“we’re just friends,” you replied them. you could feel the heat rising on your cheeks. you had to change the topic, fast. “don’t you have a mission to get to, gojo? geto left earlier because he thought you were already waiting on him.”

“...” 

he whispered something in shoko’s ear before darting off somewhere. well, whisper isn’t really the word. you clearly heard him telling shoko to “carry on with their mission and get you to admit you liked him,” and telling him all about it later. now you’re wondering if they secretly have nights where they just spill everyone’s secrets to each other late at night when everyone else is asleep.

shoko eventually turned back to face you after watching gojo run away. she placed both her hands on your shoulders and looked at you dead in your eyes. “are you sure you don’t like him? not even a little bit?” you shook your head, and she sighed. both of you are hopeless. 

-

“so, what should we do?” shoko asked satoru as she painted his nails. “they’re beyond saving,” she continued.

the snowy haired male thought for a while before responding. “we set them up on a date.” shoko perked up at this. “you think?” “definitely.”

they lowered their voices after that, discussing how they would somehow drag the both of you to a location and ensure that you’d have a nice date and be together by the end of the day. with occasional breaks to gossip about random things and pairing teachers with shitty attitudes together, they finally came up with a plan. 

-

now, you should have noticed the signs earlier. satoru and shoko were acting weird earlier. not only had they been whispering the entire day, acting like ninjas, but they also completely dropped the topic of you and suguru liking each other, and invited the both of you to a restaurant. satoru’s treat. 

and now, you were standing in front of a restaurant waiting for all three of them. sure, you were a little early, but you didn’t expect no one else to be here. you stared at the group chat, waiting for possibly any type of text to indicate they had arrived, but nothing. 

“y/n? you’re here early.” you could have recognised that smooth voice anywhere. suguru was the second to arrive after you, and the both of you exchanged some small talk before a notification popped up on your phone.

“we’re running a little late! you two go ahead inside!” we? were they together? and they knew the both of you had arrived? suguru sighed at the message. “let’s head inside. it’s hot out here anyway.” suguru ended by extending his hand out for you to take it, and you smiled before slotting your fingers in between his. 

after the both of you were seated, you noticed something. satoru reserved a table for two people. of course he did. somehow, you’re convinced they’re both somewhere in the restaurant, disguised with newspapers and wigs (possibly contact lenses), spying on you and suguru.

another message was sent, this time to suguru. he sweatdropped as he read the message. there was an image attachment of a money transaction to his online banking account, captioned with “go get them!!”

he was going to slap satoru when he got back. 

suguru deeply sighed before putting his phone back into his pocket. “they aren’t coming. i’m guessing they’re trying to set us up.” “obviously. well, since we’re already here, might as well make the best of it?” you suggested, and he agreed. 

maybe dates set up by your friends were better. you ended up laughing with suguru, having a nice dinner… it was quite late when you left the restaurant, but you still ended up walking around with him and exchanging even more words. the walk back to your dorm rooms was mostly silent, though. walking hand in hand while the moon shone upon you, and his thumb lightly brushing over your hand, almost as if he were trying to remember the feeling of your skin because one of you would have to let go eventually. you tightened your grip on him at the thought. 

-

“y/n, angel, you aren’t usually this clingy,” suguru chuckled when you nuzzled your face into his chest. he wrapped his arms around your body, bringing you closer to him and running his hand through your hair. “everything alright?” you nodded, but your lover knew you better than that. he’d have to ask you about it again later.

“do you wanna tell them we’ve already been dating for a few months?” you asked. the both of you had decided to keep your relationship secret early on, and your friends were starting to catch up on it. you think. 

a brief moment of silence followed your question before he answered. 

“nah. they’ll figure it out eventually.”

by user @ aireia, do not plagiarize and/or translate.

[mayghosts]

Little Gold Top: (5) Kate Martin x Reader

Summary: late night dorm confrontations and impulsive decisions

(Previous) (TOC)

Warnings: sad confrontation, wtf, not proof read!

AN: guys i officially have a fanfic author life, like shits crazy!!

Practice was rough. Kate knew it was rough by the way the coaches were whispering on her way out of the gym and how Caitlin looked at her in the locker room. Kate was supposed to be the captain, the glue that holds the team together. With everything going on lately she couldn’t help but feel that she was loosing her skills. Not to mention, an incredibly talented teammate.

She couldn't decide if it was worth it to double text you. Flipping her phone over again, she was met with her unanswered text. Her attempt to fix whatever the fuck was wrong. Is anything even wrong? Flopping into her bed she stared out the window, watching the sun dip below the trees. The idea that at the end of the year she would be graduating, you two would probably never even live in the same city again. She couldn’t help but feel a bit existential.

Quickly this existentialism turned to fear. Wrapped in her comferter headphones pumping Frank Ocean she couldn't help but think about how different you were. Not in a pick me way, but in an emotional way. Kate was always a bit of a hopeless romantic. Plenty of times she's seen a girl in the hallway and planned their futures together. But when she thought about you, she saw everything. You were everything.

As the street lamps outside the dorm flicked on she felt the pit in her stomache return. You were so close, probably only two minutes away; but you've always been so far. Sure the two of you had been physically close, and physically you two knew eachother like a married couple. Emotionally, Kate had no fucking clue who you were. And it killed her. It would probably only take her three minutes to get to your appartement. A two minute run down the street, up two floors, about fourty steps off the elevator to the left, room 203. Kate could see it in all her head. She would knock and you would open the door with a big smile. You would pull her inside and you would watch UP! on the couch and you would tell her about your day. She would listen and love every second of it. The way your hair falls on your shoulders, the way the light from the tv refletcs off your face, the way you light up as you tell her about the dog you saw on your way to class. She would even love the chocolate on your face from the icecream you would eat and your really long monologues about subjects she dosen't really understand, all because she loves you. She really really loves you, and she is so fucking scared.

Kate could feel the panic building in her chest as she swung her feet over the side of her bed. Pulling her shoes on she slipped out of her suite into the kitchen and out into the hallway. Where she was going she wasn't sure, just somewhere, wherever her feet took her. Into the elevator, down two floors. Running through the chilly night air she could feel the tears biting at her cheeks. Into the lobby, scan the emergency key card shes kept since freshman year, into the elevator, up two floors, fourty steps to the left.

Your Pov

You hadn't slept yet. You were deffinately tired, exhausted actually, but whenever you closed your eyes you just saw the missed shots and then Kates face. Neither of these were the right mateiral to lull you to sleep. Sitting on your couch, you let the tears flow. nothing seemed to be going right so far. Fuck Kate for not being able to keep it in her pants. You don't think you've ever been so upset with someone before. You don't think you've ever had someone like Kate before. Techincally, you don't even have her.

The pounding at your door startled you from your haze. You contemplated just opening the door without looking and letting the serial killer in. Maybe he would watch UP! with you, or put you out of whatever meta hell this is. You walked towards the door, stopping to grab a knife in the kitchen. Just incase.

Looking out the peep hole you were met with none other than Kate Martin. You glanced at the clock on the stove. 2:05, late enough to pretend to be asleep. As she started banging again you heard stirring from the room down the hall. dammit shes gonna wake Gabbie up. You unlocked the chain and lock and flung the door open. Stepping outside and shutting the door behind yourself. Kate seemed shocked to see you, funny seeing that she was the one breaking your door down.

"Okay, what the actual fuck-" "I love you." You snapped your head back to look at her in the eyes. For once, everything was silent. You gently dropped the kitchen knife as you reached out to grab her shoulder "Kate what are you talking about?" She shrugged away from your touch, "please I just... I need to... I-" You could feel your heart tear a bit everytime she failed to find the words. You left your hand out like a statue and watched as the tears streamed down her face "God I don't know, I'm scared I've fucked us up. We can't be done yet we have so much left I-" She palmed at her damp cheeks, attempting to dry the tears. Her hair was frazzled, still in the ponytail from practice. It was far too cold for the PJ shorts she was wearing and you couldn't help but wonder if she was cold. "-and I'm sorry it's so late I was just thinking that we have never watched UP! together, and I don't even know your middle name and I have been such a shitty friend!" "Kate, its so late can we-" "No! because I need you to listen. What kind of friend fucks the girl she loves in the back of a toyota? What the fuck happened to us?" "Kate!" You didn't often raise your voice, so it caught her off gaurd. You were most actually speechless.

You felt the emotions of three years of unrequited love pressing behind your eyes. Pulling her by her arm, you dragged her inside. She followed you like a lost puppy. Locking the door behind you pulled her to the couch and threw her a blanket. "Just sit there, and don't say a fucking word." She looked over at you with big eyes, and you pretended not to watch her as she sat awkwardly on your couch. You turned the kettle on, staring at it waiting for the water to boil. Maybe you could just incinerate yourself in the oven? You peaked over your shoulder to see her passed out on the couch, curled up with her head on the arm rest. You poured yourself a cup of tea, turned off the kettle and gently padded over to the couch. Turning off the lights you found your way to a spot on the opposite end of the couch.

Through the darkness you could see the curve of her shoulders, her blonde hair falling over the fuzz of the blanket. Truly a sight you could never get sick of. She really was the prettiest girl you knew, probably the prettiest girl ever. Everything seemed so complicated, these past years with Kate seemed so simple in the moment. Now it just felt like a big mess. How do you even fix this? What even are we fixing? Maybe that was a tomorrow problem. For now you were just happy to have her here.

[felassan]

New today on DA:TV from Game Informer:

"How Romance And Relationships Work In Dragon Age: The Veilguard by Wesley LeBlanc on Jul 08, 2024 at 02:00 PM Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a BioWare RPG, which means a lot of things, including the fact that the game will feature romance. Based on what I learned during a recent trip to BioWare's Edmonton office for the current Game Informer cover story, Veilguard will be the team's most romantic game yet. Relationship Level"

"Every companion in the game has a Relationship Level related to Rook, and the choices you make (and not even specifically about the companion, but in the world in general), what you say to companions, how you help or don't help them, and more all play into it. Every time you rank up a companion's Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion. Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook's expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there's still some customization here.  Each companion has access to five abilities, but you can only take three into combat. Thus, it's important to strategize which abilities to spend a skill point on and how those abilities can synergize with your current build on the battlefield. Though I couldn't confirm, Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes hints that companion issues, problems, and personal quests will play into this Relationship Level and how a companion interacts with Rook.  "[Bellara Lutara, for example] has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you're on," Rhodes tells me while I watch game director Corinne Busche play through a linear, story-driven mission in Arlathan Forest where Rook is searching for Bellara. Busche adds that "relationships are key, not only romance but friendships. We wanted to lean into not just the relationships the characters have with you but the relationships they have with each other. It's a found family, and at the end of the day, they need to trust they all have each other's back." Romance"

"However, fret not, BioWare fans – romance is a key part of relationships in the game, Busche says, noting some of the romances will get quite spicy. However, not all of them will, as "each romance has a very different flavor," according to Busche. Some characters are straight to the point, while others are more awkward, having never been in a relationship before. "You learn who these characters are in how their romances unfold," she says. She likens romantic and platonic relationships to another way to "level up" your companions. It's not just experience and skill points that determine Rook's standing with companions, but diegetic conversations, too.  BioWare has already revealed that every companion in Veilguard is pansexual, notably different from the community-dubbed "playersexual" approach in some games, which sees NPCs adjust romantic and sexual interests based on the player rather than their own sense of sexuality. As pansexual companions, they are attracted to people of any gender (or regardless of gender). That's a critical distinction because, in Veilguard, your companions aren't just going to vie for your affection – they might take attraction to other companions in the titular Veilguard.  Giving one companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm shoulder of someone else on the team. Busche says companions can form romances with each other, although I'm unable to confirm if that means locking Rook out of forming a romance with them.  I saw nothing resembling romance in my very early hours with the game. However, I did see the romantically inclined "emotional" response in Rook's dialogue choices at times, which led to my Rook flirting with ice mage and private detective companion Neve Gallus. Busche says this is the option to flirt and push platonic relationships into romantic territory, though Rook's flirtatious efforts aren't always reciprocated. But that's not to say you should ignore the other options – I saw dialogue choices resembling friendly, snarky, and direct, too, and I can see how these different flavors of dialogue likely mix and mingle into Rook's relationships with companions. It's still a mostly mysterious system to me, but as Veilguard is due out this fall, I don't have to wait too long to learn more and neither do you. For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below."

[source]

[atopvisenyashill]

what do you think of waymar 😭 george wanted us to dislike him?

no, i don’t think george wants us to dislike him at all! rather, i think waymar is our introduction to the themes george is most fond of - the arrogance of the noble class, the concept of a true knight, and the randomness of death.

our introduction to waymar royce is kind of quintessential spoiled little lordling. his clothes is too fancy, he’s dismissive of the smallfolk who clearly know better than him, he’s got that shiny knighthood but he’s not all that impressive, he doesn’t even have the right type of horse for ranging! he mocks both gareth and will, despite them being more experienced than him, and despite gareth being an “elder” of a sort. for waymar, the idea that gareth could have a better understanding of the situation is unthinkable. when gareth tells the story of frostbite in an attempt to get waymar to turn back, waymar dismissed him wholesale. he leads them, unknowingly, to their doom because he is simply too arrogant to see the sense in what gareth is saying. not only is that entire dismissive attitude prevalent in the story, but someone marching themselves and several innocents straight to their doom over their pride is a HUGE issue throughout the series as well. just as varys says - it is always the innocent, the peasantry, who suffer the most and here, poor gareth and will are forced to pay a price for the foolishness of someone they KNOW is less experienced.

and then the others come.

There was a faint blue shimmer to the thing, a ghost-light that played around its edges, and somehow Will knew it was sharper than any razor.

Ser Waymar met him bravely. "Dance with me then." He lifted his sword high over his head, defiant. His hands trembled from the weight of it, or perhaps from the cold. Yet in that moment, Will thought, he was a boy no longer, but a man of the Night's Watch.

The Other halted. Will saw its eyes; blue, deeper and bluer than any human eyes, a blue that burned like ice. They fixed on the longsword trembling on high, watched the moonlight running cold along the metal. For a heartbeat he dared to hope.

He won’t win this fight. He knows it, the Others know it, and Will knows it. But the fact that Waymar has doomed himself and his men to death doesn’t matter here; what matters is that he doesn’t give up! When faced with a monster from a story book, an impossible nightmare, Waymar picks up his sword and he fights, and for a moment, Will has hope.

That’s why it’s Waymar in the prologue. He’s not an exemplary sort of man, he’s not particularly smart or skilled or kind or even overly cruel or stupid. He is a very normal, common type of man who led a very normal life until this moment. But he still tries.

And so does poor Will! And so does Gared! Will is terrified as he hides in the trees, watching Waymar fight and die, knowing that going to help will just get them both killed. He’s not particularly brave, but I would say he’s smart! Genre savvy even, when he knows the fight is hopeless and makes the decision to keep hidden and fight another day. Gared flees (and it’s interesting that we have the theee main fear responses here - fight, hide, and flee) but he’s so traumatized by what he’s seen that as he’s questioned he can’t give a good, clear answer. And then he’s uselessly, needlessly killed by our shining example of chivalry and honor in Ned Stark, his head kicked like a toy by Theon Greyjoy. As Jon says, he only dies “well” because he’s shell shocked - he is confused and deeply afraid in his last moments.

the three of them - gared, will, and waymar - are the entire series diluted down to one chapter, to three unextraordinary men. but with them lies a lot of the point of the whole story. and waymar specifically, for me, is about all those moments of bravery in the face of unbeatable odds. he’s a very normal, very flawed person who reaches down deep in himself and finds something good and brave at the very end.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Find Your Way Back Home: Part Two

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.6k

Warnings: smut, virgin!reader, oral fem!receiving, age-gap romance, angst

Summary: Dean purposely kept you out of the hunting game so you could focus on school and getting your degree. You still help out wherever you can, and that includes being there for Dean in his personal life as much as you can in his hunting life.

Author’s Note: This is the second part of six parts of the commission for @winchester-sinchester. Dean is twenty-six, the reader is eighteen, and Sam is twenty-four.

x

You stare out your dorm window in thought. You haven’t heard from Sam or Dean in a week. Are they alive? Did some monster finally catch up to them and kill them? Are they purposely ignoring you? You’ve been a steady force in their lives since you took down your first vampire eight years ago even if you weren't hunting with them together.

Whenever they would be in town, they’d hit you up and ask you to come along with them. John was with them for a few years until Dean and Sam got old enough to take care of themselves. Then it became only you three, which you preferred. You never liked how John treated his sons when he was with them.

Every time they packed up to leave for the next town, you begged them to take you with them. Dean didn’t want to deprive you of getting an education since you weren't born into the life like they were, so he convinced you to stay in your group home and in school. You studied hard to pass your classes while studying the monster world. The local library had more books on monsters than you thought, so you spent a lot of your time there. On days you weren't studying, you were in that same park practicing shooting and honing your fighting skills against trees.

Sam became impressed with your progress but it wasn’t his approval you were seeking. It was Dean’s. At fourteen when all your friends were experiencing romantic thoughts for the boys in your grade for the first time, you were experiencing them for Dean. He was twenty-two and so much older than you but you couldn’t help but have a major crush on him. Was it wrong to want his touch at such a young age?

He never did anything with you, of course, and you never pushed the idea. You just settled on fantasizing about him and rejecting any boy that came your way in high school. While all your friends were getting their firsts--kisses, losing their virginities, going on dates--you were at home wishing you were doing that with Dean. 

By the time you were sixteen, you touched yourself to the thought of Dean for the first time. By the time you were eighteen, you were planning on taking those fantasies to the next level. You’re an adult now and fully capable of going after what and who you want.

The birds outside your window chirp happily pulling you from your thoughts. You really need to get your homework done if you want to pass this class. Not only did Dean encourage you to stay in school, he encouraged you to go to college. Fighting and breaking into places was cool for a while until you got a taste of technology. Hacking and making code became a passion of yours so your major is in Computer Science. You’re only a Freshman but you’re passionate enough to complete your degree.

Your phone rings and seeing his name pop up on your phone distracts you from your responsibilities. A blush starts to creep up your neck, your heart flutters, and butterflies erupt in your stomach. He’s twenty-six and you’re eighteen. There is no doubt in your mind that he is going to break your heart, but you’ve always been a live-in-the-moment kind of girl.

“Hi, Dean,” you smile when you pick it up.

“What are you doing?”

His voice sounds rough like he’s trying to suppress his emotions. He’s always been very good at that.

“Homework.”

“Open your window.” There is no screen on your window since your roommate almost fell through it trying to jump on your bed when she got drunk. You haven’t had the heart to tell your RA about it. You open your window and look down at the ground to see Dean standing there looking up at you. Damn, he looks pissed. “Are you gonna let me in, sweetheart?”

Thank God your roommate isn’t home right now. You run down to the first floor to let Dean in. Only residents of the building are accessed to key cards that get inside the building. It helps with random people trying to come in whenever they want. It’s mostly for the creeps trying to follow home a bunch of college girls.

Dean doesn’t say anything to you on the journey back to your dorm. He’s never been here before, and you’re suddenly conscious of the random items everywhere. If you had known he was coming, you’d have cleaned a little bit. Dean walks into your bedroom and chuckles at the splashes of color everywhere. Pillows of different colors, the pink on your walls, a few posters on the wall, and nothing like he’d expect.

“Cute room,” he finally says.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not doing too well, sweetheart.” You wait for him to continue. “Sam’s going off to college. Stanford.”

“Why is that a bad thing?”

Dean snaps his head to you and glares angrily. You’re not sure if he’s angry at himself, Sam, or you.

“He’s fucking leave the family like I don’t fucking matter.”

He sits on the edge of your bed so you take a seat next to him.

“I’m sure that’s not true at all.” You’ve been with them long enough to know that Sam has always butted heads with John. Dean obeys him without a second though but Sam is the rebellious one. “Maybe he wants more than the life your dad forced him into.”

“It’s always been just me and him. It’s always been about putting Sammy first. Now he wants to leave as if everything I’ve done for him doesn’t matter.”

“You do matter,” you whisper. “He knows what you’ve done for him. Him going away to college doesn’t change that.”

Dean looks at you and you get lost in his green irises.

“Whose side are you on?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side. I can see both points.”

Dean sighs. “Who do I have without him?”

“You have me.” Dean shakes his head but you keep him from going anywhere. “I’m serious. All of my classes are online. I could go with you if you want. I don’t have to live here.”

Dean looks back at you and subconsciously glances down at your lips. You part your lips and lick your lower lip and he follows the movements with his eyes. He remembers a conversation he had with you a year ago when you were venting to him about relationships.

“Still haven’t had your first kiss?” You shake your head. “Do you want to?”

His voice is laced with desire. This is it. This is the moment you’ve been after since you’ve had romantic feelings for Dean. Why are you so fucking scared? You nod twice before you can talk yourself out of it, and he looks back into your eyes. Dean leans into you slowly to give you time to back up if you don’t want this and when you don’t, he presses his lips against yours.

You’re afraid that your heart is going to jump out of your chest from how hard it’s beating. Despite the many, many videos you’ve watched on anything sexual, nothing compares to living in the moment. You barely have a chance to kiss back when Dean pulls away.

“Sorry,” you whisper.

He doesn’t move from you. “What for?”

“I’m not very good at this.”

“I’ll teach you,” he smiles.

With more confidence, Dean leans in again. He presses his lips more firmly to yours and grabs the underside of your jaw. He moves your head to the side to control the kiss, a kiss which you’re melting in. You’ve never felt anything like this so you trust Dean to lead you exactly how he wants you.

He swipes his tongue over your bottom lip which makes you part your own, and he slowly slides his tongue into your mouth. Damn, he is really good at this. He sends butterflies swarming in your stomach and a spark of pleasure straight down to your pussy. Dean shifts on the bed and gently lays you down so he can crawl over you. He presses light kisses down your neck as his hands start to roam your body.

You’re wearing a loose shirt which makes it easier for him to slide his hand underneath your shirt. Your breath hitches at the thought of his hand on your breasts, pulling at your nipples until they are perky and hard.

“Is this okay?” he whispers as his hand ghosts your ribs. 

You’re not wearing a bra so he is just shy of touching your breasts. You’re nervous but you welcome the new feelings.

“Yeah,” you whisper back.

He kisses your neck a bit more and slides his hand over your breast. He takes your nipple between his thumb and index finger and rolls it until it becomes hard. You gasp and throw your head back from the slight pleasure. You’ve played with your boobs before but having someone else do it, someone you have a major crush on is something completely different.

Dean lifts your shirt up and removes it so that the only thing you’re wearing is pajama shorts. You decided against underwear because you had no plans on leaving your dorm room. If you knew Dean was coming over, you’d have put on something sexier. Dean kisses down your chest and stops to pull a hardened nipple in his mouth. Damn, so that’s what that feels like. To have a wet muscle lap at something that’s already sensitive.

He doesn’t stop there. He releases your right nipple with a pop and places open kisses on your stomach. He doesn’t want to do anything you might be uncomfortable with so he stops right above the waistband of your shorts.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” you shake your head.

“No? You want me to eat this pretty pussy?”

“Fuck.” He has such a filthy mouth. “Yes, please, Dean.”

Dean smirks and hooks his fingers into the waistband and pulls your shorts down and off your body. He grabs your thighs and spreads your legs so that your pussy is bare to him. Dean leans in and kisses your inner thigh to tease you. The anticipation is making you wetter than it should. You’ve fucked yourself before with your fingers and toys but never have you had someone so close to your most intimate parts.

Dean closes his mouth over your sensitive clit and sucks. Your hips buck against his mouth as you let out a sinful moan. His tongue hooks around your clit, and your hands grab fistfuls of his hair. He licks down to your slit and slides his tongue through your folds, and you arch your back off the bed.

“Fuck, Dean! Right there!” you gasp and tug on his hair to pull him closer to you.

He slides half his tongue into your aching core only to lick back to your clit. He massages your thighs before his right hand runs over your slit. He pushes a single finger into you and grunts when he feels how tight you are. His cock is straining against his jeans but he ignores that for now.

When he feels you get a bit wetter, he slides in another finger and curls them so the pads of his fingers touch that sensitive spot inside. You can feel yourself getting closer to the edge with each thrust of his fingers and each lick of his tongue.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come,” you gasp.

“Then come.”

With his permission, you tip over the edge and explode all over his mouth. He removes his fingers and laps up every drop you’re willing to give him.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you taste amazing.” 

He kisses up your body until he reaches your lips. Both of you don’t care that your taste is on his lips. He kisses you feverishly, eager to sink himself inside you.

“Do you have a condom?” you ask.

Dean moves off you and digs one out of his pants pocket. He never leaves the house without one. He’s single and loves to mingle so why not always carry one with him?

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. Please fuck me.”

Dean sheds every layer until he is as bare as you, and you can’t help but look at the sheer size of him. Is he going to fit? He rolls the condom over his cock and pumps it twice to get himself ready.

“Tell me if you want me to stop.”

“I won’t.”

Dean lays over you and grabs your left knee. He hikes it up so he has enough room to slide inside you. He rubs the tip of his cock over your throbbing cit and you gasp at the pleasure it sends through your body. He pushes in a few inches and that’s enough to get your eyes rolling to the back of your head.

He goes slow and allows you to adjust to him before sliding in a few more inches. The burn of stretching hurts but you tell yourself it’s only for a few minutes. It only takes one. Once Dean seats himself fully inside you, he gives you time to adjust to him. He’s never felt anyone so tight, so perfect for him. You wrap around him like a warm blanket on a cold day. How is he ever going to be able to leave?

“Okay, you can move,” you nod.

Dean starts slow to get you used to him but when he hears your eager moans, he goes faster. He grips your hips and sets a nice tempo that makes your heart lurch into your throat. This is what you’ve been waiting for your entire life. Dean has been the main subject of your fantasies for years now and it’s finally happening.

“Damn, sweetheart, you feel so perfect around me.”

“You feel so good!” you moan. You’re embarrassed to say that you’re closer to your second orgasm than the first one, but Dean’s okay with it because he’s chasing that same high at the same time. “Shit, I’m gonna come!”

“Yeah? Come for me. Come around my cock.”

Dean reaches down and rubs your clit in hard circles to help you over the edge. White-hot pleasure shoots from your core to the rest of your body as you come around him. He shoots his load into the condom and groans in pleasure. He rides out the high before pulling out, and he flops right next to you on the bed.

To prevent the condom from sticking to his ski, he peels it off and throws it into the small trashcan next to your bed. You roll over to face him and he gives you a lazy smile.

“Damn, you really know your stuff.”

“I’ve had practice,” he chuckles.

You scan the features on his face before snuggling closer to him.

“Will you stay with me? My roommate won’t be home all week.”

“I don’t know,” he whispers.

“Why not? Sam got out. He went to college. This could be your chance to get out of the life. It’s time to start your own.”

Dean has to be honest. He has thought about dropping everything and starting a new life somewhere. He’s seen the desirability of an apple pie life. He looks at you and sees that opportunity in your eyes. It wouldn’t hurt to try, right?

“Okay, I’ll stay.”

“Promise?” you whisper.

“I promise.”

You two go to bed together peacefully. However, when you wake up, he’s not next to you. In fact, he’s not anywhere in your dorm. He left and didn’t leave a note behind explaining why he wanted to break his promise. You curl into a ball in bed, unsure how to feel.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[rebeccathenaturalist]

An App Does Not a Master Naturalist Make

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/app-not-master-naturalist/ - I had written this as an op-ed and sent it to WaPo, but they had no interest, so you get to read it here instead!

I have mixed feelings about Michael Coren’s April 25 Washington Post article, “These 4 free apps can help you identify every flower, plant and tree around you.” His ebullience at exploring some of the diverse ecological community around him made me grin, because I know exactly what it feels like. There’s nothing like that sense of wonder and belonging when you go outside and are surrounded by neighbors of many species, instead of a monotonous wall of green, and that is a big part of what led me to become a Master Naturalist.

When I moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I felt lost because I didn’t recognize many of the animals or plants in my new home. So I set about systematically learning every species that crossed my path. Later, I began teaching community-level classes on nature identification to help other people learn skills and tools for exploring their local flora, fauna, and fungi.

Threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Let me be clear: I love apps. I use Merlin routinely to identify unknown bird songs, and iNaturalist is my absolute favorite ID app, period. But these tools are not 100% flawless.

For one thing, they’re only as good as the data you provide them. iNaturalist’s algorithms, for example, rely on a combination of photos (visual data), date and time (seasonal data), and GPS coordinates (location data) to make initial identification suggestions. These algorithms sift through the 135-million-plus observations uploaded to date, finding observations that have similar visual, seasonal, and location data to yours.

There have been many times over the years where iNaturalist isn’t so sure. Take this photo of a rather nondescript clump of grass. Without seed heads to provide extra clues, the algorithms offer an unrelated assortment of species, with only one grass. I’ve gotten that “We’re not confident enough to make a recommendation” message countless times over my years of using the app, often suggesting species that are clearly not what I’m looking at in real life.

Because iNaturalist usually offers up multiple options, you have to decide which one is the best fit. Sometimes it’s the first species listed, but sometimes it’s not. This becomes trickier if all the species that are suggested look alike. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) all have pinnately compound, lanceolate leaves, and young plants of these three species can appear quite similar. If all you know how to do is point and click your phone’s camera, you aren’t going to be able to confidently choose which of the three plants is the right one.

Coren correctly points out that both iNaturalist and Pl@ntNet do offer more information on suggested species—if people are willing to take the time to look. Too many assume ID apps will give an easy, instant answer. In watching my students use the app in person almost everyone just picks the first species in the list. It’s not until I demonstrate how to access the additional content for each species offered that anyone thinks to question the algorithms’ suggestions.

While iNaturalist is one of the tools I incorporate into my classes, I emphasize that apps in general are not to be used alone, but in conjunction with field guides, websites, and other resources. Nature identification, even on a casual level, requires critical thinking and observation skills if you want to make sure you’re correct. Coren’s assertion that you only need a few apps demonstrates a misunderstanding of a skill that takes time and practice to develop properly—and accurately.

Speaking of oversimplification, apps are not a Master Naturalist in your pocket, and that statement —while meant as a compliment–does a disservice to the thousands of Master Naturalists across the country. While the training curricula vary from state to state, they are generally based in learning how organisms interact within habitats and ecosystems, often drawing on a synthesis of biology, geology, hydrology, climatology, and other natural sciences. A Master Naturalist could tell you not only what species you’re looking at, but how it fits into this ecosystem, how its adaptations are different from a related species in another ecoregion, and so forth.

Map showing Level III and IV ecoregions of Oregon, the basis of my training as an Oregon Master Naturalist.

In spite of my criticisms, I do think that Coren was absolutely onto something when he described the effects of using the apps. Seeing the landscape around you turn from a green background to a vibrant community of living beings makes going outside a more exciting, personal experience. I and my fellow nature nerds share an intense curiosity about the world around us. And that passion, more than any app or other tool, is fundamental to becoming a citizen naturalist, Master or otherwise.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[zaceouiswriting]

Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.36

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: None

(Riven)

(Brandon)

(Sky)

The midday sun is beating down on us so hard that we have long since thrown away our shirts. Although I don't sweat as much as the others when swinging weapons, I'm not used to the sun like they are. The heat makes my movements sluggish, but the other three are less fortunate. Riven and the blonde Sky are breathing so heavily that it's a wonder they're still standing, while the brown-haired Brandon merely sparkles like finely cut crystal. Maybe it's cruel to force them to use real weapons instead of their much lighter Phantoblades, but who cares?

I even ignored all my classes that day to put them back in their place. Even though I'm not as good as the last time I fought them, and my skills have diminished despite being reconnected with my aura core, I still beat them effortlessly.

"I didn't know the Prince of Eraklyon was trained so weakly." I try to taunt Brandon, who doesn't react as he should since it should undermine his entire training, but I see the real Sky fuming out of the corner of my eye. "Attack me again. We've been through this a dozen times, and you still can't get through me!"

His face is full of frustration, but without hesitation, he delivers a light blow in my direction. As I'm about to dodge it, I realize it is just a fluke, only to move his greatsword backward in one fluid motion, visibly flexing his biceps. If he wasn't such a cheeky, innocent-looking jerk, I would fall in love with him because of his beauty, highlighted by the sun breaking through the treetops. But how could I, after what he had done to me the night before?

When he finishes his turn, he strikes again but stops right in front of my head, then thrusts his sword forward as if he were using a spear. I can barely manage to fall back in time. Until then, he does exactly what I taught him, which makes me grin like a proud mentor. But he doesn't seem happy at all because his face hardens, and he uses the energy of the downswing to bring his sword back up until it reaches his shoulder.

Suddenly, his eyes sparkle. Somehow, for once, I take him seriously. His whole face hardens even further just before he swings his sword again, putting all his energy into the blade. It comes at me at a breakneck speed that would have made anyone cringe, but I only stand there and stare into his eyes. And then, finally, a weak point came: his left knee buckled, hampered by the enormous pressure of this attack.

At the last moment, I duck under his swing. He obviously wasn't expecting it, but I don't attack back, as Brandon has already reached his limit. Only a second later, the ground trembles as he pierces it with his sword, his head swaying. The exhaustion and the heat have clearly taken their toll on him.

“Why are you training us like this?” Brandon finally asks, breathing heavily as his body shakes like a tree in a storm.

The question alone makes me scoff at him, but I quickly realize he is serious. Anger flares up inside me again. Is this guy serious? I feel an angry fire in my soul as I step toward him. He tries to raise his sword again in clear, utter fright, but with a wave of my hand, it flies far away, and he falls to the ground with a loud thud.

"Are you serious?" I grumble heatedly. He raises his eyes slightly, but I see only shy curiosity in his expression. "Were you really that fucking drunk last night?" As I get louder, the ground beneath us begins to shake violently.

With every word I say, it gets worse, almost as if the world itself is trying to intimidate the specialist. It all ends when Brandon dares to lunge forward, his face twisted in exhaustion, confusion, and anger. I can feel my veins boiling just at the thought that he would try to attack me again. I raise my hand and imagine a fist in my head. "Stone transformation!" I scream. A heavy lump of stone appears in the sky. “Stone hand!”

A large, heavy stone hand appears over us. Staring deep into Brandon's hazel eyes, I start smirking. I see the realization dawning on him; he swallows so hard that I can hear it several meters away. His larynx twitches nervously, and fear is clearly visible in his distorted features. But it has already been too late. I don’t need to move, yet the hand slams down, capturing him underneath it. A scream leaves his tensed throat. His arms emerge from under the stone hand, which mainly serves to hold him so that he cannot hurt me or himself.

"Maybe you should ask your best friend over there; you two protect each other from everything anyway." He stares crestfallen past me. I even believe in seeing uncertainty in his otherwise confident eyes. Maybe he is even wondering if I've found out about them, but he says nothing. I roll my eyes, grab Brandon with the stone hand, and move him into the air. I carry him behind me, floating in the air, and walk over to the other two, still in no better state. "I've finally decided," I announce, leading to more confusion. "I want Riven as my assistant."

I tilt my head down, smiling sheepishly as I approach Riven. He's sitting on the floor, knees angled and arms wrapped around them. His gaze is directed far into the air, as if his thoughts were entirely elsewhere. He doesn't even seem to notice when I stand over him, blocking out the sun. I clear my throat, but he's still staring somewhere else as if there could be anything more interesting than me, which is obviously impossible.

But Riven's eyes are so dull that, for a moment, I even fear he's no longer alive. I summon a rock in my hand, break it apart, and soften it until it's nothing more than a ball of soft dust, almost like a snowball. Carefully, I let the ball float behind me until it's multiple trees away, only for me to move one of my fingers. Out of nowhere, the ball races past me. Not even a blink of an eye later, with a satisfying crunch like a snowball, it hits the seated and unsuspecting Riven on the head. With a manly, high-pitched scream, he falls to the side, hiding his head behind his arms while simultaneously rubbing the spot where my mass weapon of fun hit him. 

When I see his extreme reaction, I have to do my best not to scream with laughter.

A few moments after the first hit of my dust ball, he slowly emerges from his hiding place. "What the fuck was that?"

"Language!" I warn him teasingly. When our eyes meet, I glare at him, like he did in the dungeon. He looks at me in surprise, but before he can say anything or, even worse, argue about it, I grab him by the collar and lift him off the ground. "You belong to me now!"

I see him blushing profusely. But why? I don't think all three of them were like me. But why are they acting so strange? Is there something in the water? All I can do is shake my head, hoping to get rid of this ridiculous thought. I can hardly believe my stupidity. If there had been something in the water, Saladin would at least have known about it, right?

Instead of thinking about it any further, I put Riven back on his feet, even though they are quite weak. I slam my hands against his shoulders in an attempt to snap him out of his daze, but it doesn't work. Instead, he looks at me with a look that I can't, or rather don't want to interpret. Somehow, this not only makes me even more uncomfortable, but it also warms me inside, like a magic spell.

This all seems so suspicious to me, yet here I am, pondering whether I should test it or not. The problem is, if my guess is true, I'd be in danger—not a life-ending danger, but a danger nonetheless. My whole body shudders just thinking about doing something like that to Riven. It was enough that Brandon caught me when I was unprepared.

My hands are still on Riven's collar to keep him at a distance. I stare past him thoughtfully, but I notice something odd when I refocus my gaze. Though seemingly innocent, his smile has a malicious undertone; one corner of his lips is higher than the other. What really confuses me, however, is the emotion in his violet eyes. But it all disappears when I focus on them, quickly replaced by a scowl.

"You like my eyes?" Riven asks boastfully. "So you have feelings for me? I know girls can't keep their hands off me, but-"

Without hesitation, I lift Riven back into the air by his collar and throw him away. His eyes widen as he flies. He crashes to the hard ground with a clatter and a thunderous bang. He appears to have several metal objects on his body, more than just the one hidden dagger my instincts warned me about.

"I want to change my mind!" I scream as I turn to the other two idiots, one of whom is still trapped in the stone hand I summoned earlier.

Sky and Brandon look over at me. Brandon looks up at me with his teeth clenched in anger. They don't even have to answer me for me to know that it will be a clear 'no.' So I turn away, but as I do so, with a single thought, I destroy the stone hand. I hear Brandon exhale in relief, which also alleviates me, but somehow, it hurts, as if I've put someone who cares about me in danger. 

All I can do is massage the bridge of my nose and try to accept my self-inflicted fate. I just suffer in silence under my incredibly unfortunate grab. I should have chosen the real prince because the one portraying him is nothing but an airhead.

"Are you thinking about how lucky you are to have me by your side now?" a warm, hoarse voice whispers in my ear. It sends another shiver down my spine and causes a strange feeling in my stomach.

“Wha-What do you-“

"Pssst," Riven whispers, wrapping one of his strong arms around me and placing his large hand on my stomach. I'm getting nervous, my stomach rumbling, and my heart racing. "You can use me however you want, as promised."

Riven, seemingly without any shame, puts his head on my shoulders, his lips so close to my cheek that I almost feel like running away or ramming my elbow into his stomach. But neither my legs nor my arms want to listen to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see his grin and an arrogant glint in his shimmering eyes, like a gigolo, chuckling because he thinks he has hit the jackpot.

It makes me angry, and I'm honestly disgusted, but there's nothing I can do in this state of my body. I've missed the warmth of another person and the feeling of being protected as if nothing could hurt me. Riven is stronger than he looks. He had been holding back during all our training sessions, and I only won quickly in our first official battle because I surprised him.

But when I think about it, he could probably be useful to me, but all this flirting is too much for me, as it is so out of character for him that it almost hurts. Or perhaps he just behaved differently before. But why is he changing now?

But suddenly, his head and arm disappeared, and his lean, muscular body pressed against my back. Confused, even shocked, I almost fell over because of my weak knees. It takes me a few moments to get my bearings again. But when I do, I turn around only to feel my cheeks burning.

Right before me, Riven is kneeling with his head bowed, muttering about being my submissive servant. He raised his head slightly as he said this, and I caught another wicked gaze in his eyes.

Even though it's obvious he's trying to tease me, I still feel this strange warmth in my chest. Suddenly, something snaps in my head and fills my thoughts with an endless desire for revenge, so much so that I can't suppress a malicious grin. "Okay," I mutter back, gaining Riven's attention. He stands up with a bright smile, showing his pearly white teeth, but I hold up my hand, stopping him in his tracks. "I didn't tell you to get up, did I?"

He stares at me in shock, seemingly searching my eyes for some sort of reassurance that I'm serious. Even though my words should be enough to make him realize that I am serious, I glare at him to ensure he knows that I am absolutely serious. He swallows, nods, and gets back down on one knee.

I put my hand on his head and ruffle his hair slightly. "Let's see how long it takes to break you." I maintain eye contact with him while a mischievous smile creeps onto my lips. It seems to make Riven uncomfortable, perhaps even panicked. What a pleasure to see him like this.

[Masterlist]

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 3 Fast Times at Fantasy High

Welcome back to Fantasy High! It’s a very exciting episode because something that we rarely see in this show about high schoolers studying at an adventuring academy is happening: The Bad Kids are actually going to class. 

But first, they have to get to school. Riz, unsurprisingly, arrives first. On a big old 30 Investigation roll (+11 to a 19), overnight he did a deep dive into what everyone needs to do to get into a good college. Fig is actually doing great. If she would just go to her classes, she’d be fine. Kristen on the other hand is in serious trouble seeing as allowing your god to die is pretty much an auto-fail for a cleric. Fabian and Gorgug are both solid students with good extracurriculars. Their main hurdle is going to be the MCAT–the Multiclass Achievement Test. In order to multiclass, you need to get permission from your current advisor and pass the test. Then you can take 3/4 of each track for a 150% course load. And then, of course, he and Adaine are the party nerds so they’re doing great. They could maybe add some extracurriculars but they’re model students. 

RIz also has done some research about possible college options: Astral State University (where they visited in the one shot), CUS Dabus (in the City of Doors), Bastion City University (who are doing big, world changing stuff), the Society of Shadows (the rogues only group that forces you to leave your life and friends behind that Penny Luckstone refused to join in The Seven), and–most hilarious but also saddest–Lord Salazar Edge's College of Lone Adventurers (which we learn in the AP was a Murph pitch, lol). 

Back at Mordred, Adaine is doing her best to get her less studious friends up and ready for school, going as far as casting Friends on them to get them in the car. Fig willingly fails and Kristen–who really wants to be convinced–sets the DC at 10 and gives Adaine the Help action. Before they get to the car, Lydia (Ragh’s awesome mom) slaps a toxic looking blue energy drink from Kristen’s hands and gives them all full trash bags full of food for lunch (she’s used to feeding half-orc athlete Barb Ragh, not three spellcasters).

Jawbone loads them in the car and, on the way to school, they hear the song of the summer which is this emo anthem. When they meet Riz, he’s super excited to see everyone and show them their dossiers. He even made one for Adaine just for fun even though she doesn’t need any help and she loves it. What she (and Riz) don’t love however is Fig’s new school plan which, as we learned last week, is to enroll in something other than bard classes and then go to her bard classes (since a part of her isn’t going because she has chronic Stick-It-To-The-Man-Itis). Riz and Adaine try to figure out if they can gaslight Fig into going to her classes or hack the system somehow. 

Back at the Thistlespring tree, Gorgug is doing some last minute pre-school work: creating his homunculus (which is kind of like an artificer’s familiar). It’s a hastily made archaeopteryx (flying dino thing, if you know Pokemon, think Archeops) that’s light on the feathers. He accidentally names it Cloaca (a birds multipurpose excrement chute) which his parents love because it’s spreading awareness of non-traditional bodies. Then they launch into a story about mermaid reproduction that I’m not gonna get into because not even Gorgug wanted to hear it. He’s clearly anxious about his skills because he feels his parents disapprove of the bird even though they’ve never been anything other than 200% supportive of him in their lives. 

He gets a ride to school and his friends meet Cloaca, who he nicknames Chloe–the name I’ll be using even though the Bad Kids of course will exclusively call it Cloaca. Riz hands Gorgug his file which he reviews along with the letters from his parents. It’s a lot of the same info except that one of the letters is a rejection re: Multiclassing with a note to talk to his advisor (Porter, the Barb teacher who Fig hates). 

Fabian shows up, starving and shabbily dressed without Cathilda to take care of him–she’s still in Leviathan. The girls share their trash bag food with him which he wolfs down gratefully. (When he mentions his parents are away, Fig seems surprised that Gilear left. Interesting to note for future eps because that feels out of character for their relationship). Anyway, he mistakes Chloe for a piece of trash because is it really the first day of school if Fabian doesn’t insult Gorgug (accidentally this time. progress!) and then the bell rings. As it does, the Bad Kids look around and realize something strange: they’re Juniors now. That means more than half the kids here are younger than them now. They’re not the Freshmen they once were. 

The Sorc Prof (Jace Stardiamond) is filling in as VP while Gilear is away and as he makes an announcement on the intercom, Fig almost falls into an open construction pit (a SECOND construction based incident) but is saved when she’s hit with an armful of gym equipment instead. Put that on the Faeth luck swap conspiracy board. Anyway, Jace also says that Aguefort is gonna be out so they have a new Principal: Emergency Backup Interim Principal Grix. The Bad Kids have never heard of this guy before. 

In the spot where they saw Dane and Penelope campaigning to bring back Prom Court their first year, the Bad Kids now see a table for Student Gov manned by Jawbone and a minotaur student he seems to know: Mazey Phaedra–a senior and the student body prez. She’s also based on a Scottish Highland cow which isn’t important to the story but it is important to me because those cows are super cute. Riz suggests they sign up so they go talk to Mazey who seems cool: She thanks them for saving the world, she knows Ayda, and Fabian clocks later that she’s a dancer bard. All green flags. 

After indulging Fabian’s ego for a bit, the squad encourages Kristen to go for President. Before she can though, she’s beaten to the punch by a halfling student with major Tracy Flick energy who introduces herself as Kipperlily Copperkettle. Kristen immediately shoots back with, “What are you, four different dogs?” which is maybe the funniest thing a Bad Kid has ever said. The Bad Kids hate her vibes on sight but Kristen especially is full aggro. Riz notices that she’s wearing a pin of a rat’s butt being grinded between two gears and when asked about it, she says it’s Ratgrinders pin–Ratgrinders being the name of her adventuring party. They ask who else is in her party and she points out Reuben–an emo, gnomish bard who is signing autographs because he’s the one who wrote the song they were listening to on the way to school (before Kristen changed it to a health and wellness podcast). 

Kipperlily (who I’m gonna call KP) is told that she can sign up but she has to find time to campaign outside of her classes. She says that won’t be a problem because she’s already aced Junior Year and she slides over an envelope to Jawbone to prove it. Apparently, the way Rogue classes work here is that the students find clues and puzzles throughout the school left by the professor but they’ve never actually met them. If a student is able to find the Rogue professor, they automatically get an A for the year and, apparently, KP did just that. 

Paperwork in order, KP is about to leave but Fig stops her to ask what her platform is. Her answer: “Equality, equanimity, and fairness under the rules. In the past, there has been an eccentricity to the bureaucratic and administrative decisions of the Aguefort Adventuring Academy that has favored some students over others. Very nice to meet you guys.”

As she leaves, they hate her even more. 

Adaine tries out a new trick she has which allows her to see into the ethereal plane. She sees a lot of Aguefort’s wards but also the fact that the wards are porous enough to let in ghosts because one of the professors is a ghost, though they don’t know which one. She suggests to Riz that maybe the Rogue prof is a ghost. She also sees some ghost steaks in the fridge, presumably belonging to the ghost prof (btw: steak for lunch at a high school seems wild, lol). 

At this point, Fabian notices Mazey’s dancing shoes (Badidas of course) and clocks that she’s a dancer bard. He talks to her about how he’s looking to multiclass and she hooks him up with a note to give to the dance class professor (Terpsicore Skullcleaver) that says he’s a good kid. She also tells him that Jem Peppercorn (the absolute legend who stayed in the gym eating for the whole Goldenhoard fight) graduated last year and he had the party house which means there’s an opening for a new party house. And Fabian has a very big, very fancy, very empty house. Kristen does an Insight check and gets a Nat 20 to clock that yeah, there’s a little bit of a flirty vibe going on. So of course, she uses Thaumaturgy to create tremors–a move I was extremely confused about at first blush but I think she was using to give Fabian an excuse to hold her or something. Clearly, she’s a more attentive Wingwoman than she is a Saint. 

Anyway, conversation finished, they go to the Auditorium where Jace announced Principal Grix wanted to give a speech. Grix is a gold, warforged spellcaster with a ball comprising his lower half instead of legs. Apparently, he was created by Arthur Aguefort to take his place while he’s on vacay. He speaks in a stilted, robotic manner and gives a speech parallel to Aguefort’s day one speech about what an Adventurer is. But instead of the rambly, unhinged answer Aguefort gave, he simply gives the Dictionary definition: One who goes on adventures. And then he starts going off about order, bureaucracy, and rules. 

The Bad Kids are taken aback–even rules gremlin Riz.On a 27 to clock whether he’s been hacked (because she can’t believe Aguefort would make a robot that acted like this) Adaine sees Grix steepling his fingers and saying “Perfect order” which isn’t conclusive but is def troubling! They start raising their hands and asking Jace questions about if they really have to follow rules in a hard way this year–it still is Aguefort after all–but Grix cuts in and says that the backtalk he’s getting is exactly the problem. He casts Time Stop (a 9th level spell) and the entire auditorium finds themselves in the hall, in a single file line, ten minutes before class is about to begin. Not a great start to the year! And on a dirty 20, Kristen doesn’t see KP anywhere. Suspicious! 

Riz tells Fabian and Gorgug about any extra MCAT stuff they don’t already know. He also tells the group about the Frosty Folk Festival and Gorgug mentions that his parents are hosting. Fig says she wants to maybe try out some of her new songs there…once she’s written them. Fabian asks if they can take a break from hardcore Bad Kid stuff this semester and Kristen says that’s a good point because she has a campaign to focus on. Fig declares herself secret service because, of course she does. She also announces her plan to go to Bard classes…but disguised as a new persona (Tiny Emo Girlie: Wanda Childa) so she can befriend and spy on Reuben. Riz and Adaine are at the end of their collective rope. 

With his free time before the bell rings, Gorgug wants to talk to Porter to sort out the MCAT stuff. Porter lays it out for him. He thinks Gorgug has amazing, raw, natural talent and he uses his rage in a really noble way to protect his friends. But he hasn't seen him reach his full destructive potential and he’s not impressed that he defeated the Night Yorb will tools and “magic” instead of rage. He would be fine if Gorgug wanted to get some Fighter levels with Ms. Jones or something else that would dovetail nicely with Barb classes, but as of now, he hasn’t seen what he needs to see to think that Artificing classes would do anything but steal focus. Gorgug can of course quit the Barb track and move to Artificing, but Porter is not giving his approval. 

Meanwhile, Fabian is having a much less hostile meeting with Terpsicore (after an accidental detour to Adaine’s wizard class because he trusted Fig–who’s never been to bard class–to give him directions). Terps is this tiny (5 ft 3in) Half-Orc with crazy, hyper positive, aerobics grandma energy who immediately breaks down Fabian’s cool guy jock persona and gets him into a dance, jam sesh with her that moves through different styles of dance and music. I can’t do this scene justice, you have to watch it. Her “Uh-oh, uh-oh! Uh-oh, uh-oh! A challenger approaches!” tells you everything you need to know about her. 

By the end of the dance, Fabian has fully embraced his weird art kid energy and Terps has approved Fabian for multiclassing. It’s looking like all sunshine and roses for Fabian until Terps tells him that if he’s gonna make this multiclass thing work, he needs to be really serious. Lots of rest. Lots of healthy food. And no parties. Uh-oh indeed. 

Next up, we turn our attention back to Riz who’s still in the hall and tries to steal the envelope KP turned in to Jawbone to get some info about the Rogue prof. Jawbone catches him and is good natured about it but won’t let him have the envelope: not for moral reasons so much as because a good rogue has to earn it by not getting caught. 

Riz asks about KP and Jawbone says she’s a good kid but kinda Type A. He asks Riz if he’s getting some “I’m in the picture and I don’t like it” energy from her and Riz denies it. Jawbone decides to give him a little bit of a hint re: the Prof and says that KP technically didn’t find the prof. The prof found KP. But he won’t say more and he would appreciate him not saying where he got the info. The main reason he’s giving the info at all is because KP was snooping and heard him talking about Kristen’s god dying. She then asked Jawbone a bunch of questions about Kristen which he answered so he figured fair’s fair with regard to giving Riz some info about her. Riz is troubled. Jawbone tells Riz that they’re due for a heart to heart but Riz says he’s good and he’s stressed but stress is good. Yikes!

Kristen is also still in the hall and finally properly signs up for class president but, as she does, she hears some familiar voices: it’s her parents, dropping her younger brother Bucky off for his first day at Aguefort. She has serious deja vu as they’re saying the same “Don’t mix with the weirdos” stuff they said to her on her first day. Kristen fails a Wisdom save and is deeply affected by watching her parents basically bullying her younger brother who she hasn’t seen in a good bit now. The last time she had any contact with them it was just to give them her dragon gold and that was over the phone.  She sees that her not being in the household to shield her brothers from her parents has led to them having to take all that parental abuse and pressure alone. She goes over to confront them feeling hot under the collar and Riz senses a crackle of something in her aura. 

Cass chimes in, thinking she’s been summoned, and asks if it’s a good time for them to talk and Kristen snaps at her that OBVIOUSLY it’s not a good time. Kristen feels a spasm in her body and, for the first time, Cass snaps back at her: "Fine! I can make my own people to talk to!“ Deeply concerning, but we’ll come back to that. For now, we follow Kristen as she reaches her parents and brother. Bucky immediately goes in for the hug and seems very happy to see her. Her parents, not so much and the feeling is mutual. “Second time’s the charm, hopefully” they say, tacitly deeming her a failure. She pretends to be directing traffic so she can hustle them out the door ASAP and gets a Nat 20 to do so (rolling with advantage for reasons Brennan doesn’t expound on). Bucky says he wants to talk to Kristen about something but he’s late so can they meet up after class? She says sure thing and he runs off, his longsword trailing after him. 

Kristen is left alone with her parents and it’s a bit of a standoff. Her mom asks how she’s going and seems to genuinely want to know to some degree but it’s still mainly jabs about her lifestyle and choices and leaving the church. Her dad especially comes down hard on her for leaving Helio without a chosen one and becoming a cleric to a night goddess right before they were struck with four months of night which, admittedly, is a fair thing to have questions about. But Kristen has died and come back from the dead. If that can’t keep her down, her parents certainly can’t. She pirouettes away from the conversation and heads to class (because she may not be worried about her parents but she is worried about what Cass said to her). 

We hop over to the second nerd of the party, Adaine, who’s in wizard classes with Professor Tiberia Runestaff who Brennan says has “Evil Lucille Bluth” energy (which is different from regular Lucille Bluth how?). She’s a friend of Aguefort’s from the Mountains of Chaos and Adaine wants to impress her so so bad. 

She starts off her lesson by saying that this year is the weed out year. This is the year that separates the paltry magicians from the truly great casters. Then, she starts listing out the materials they need for this week’s castings–a list that includes TEN BARRELS OF DIAMONDS. For ONE WEEK. Adaine may come from money but she doesn’t have access to any of that money right now. She raises her hand to ask if there’s any way she could borrow some diamonds from the school or something and basically gets a harsh, “That sounds like a you problem” kind of response that she shrinks back from. Tiberia continues to list the ridiculously expensive materials needed to continue on and Adaine knows that she can’t ask Jawbone for any of this. She resolves to call Aelwyn for help during lunch. 

We then move on to a Fantasy High first: Fig going to class! Although she’s not going as herself. She’s disguised as her alter ego Wanda Childa. The professor (Lucilla Lullaby who is some kind of chill Eladrin) seems to perhaps think she recognizes her before she sits down next to Reuben. She charms him by smelling of peach schnapps and cigarettes and they have a flirty emo-off before Lucilla points out that she’s 100% not on the roster and, despite the fact that it doesn’t always seem like it, this is a school with rules. This year especially! She leaves, but as she lingers to give Reuben one last look (and sniff) she notices that he has a Ratgrinder tattoo that matches KP’s pin. 

As she exits Lucilla is making a call on her crystal and there’s a good chance it’s connected to the encounter Fig has when she gets to the hall. Jace Stardiamond is leading an eagle aarakocra Council of Chosen agent (think FBI) who is investigating truancy in the area and calls Fig by name–well by pseudonym anyway. He is incidentally also looking into the disappearance of Hilda Hilda. Sensing her chickens are finally coming home to roost, Fig gives a weak lie about not knowing how schools work and skateboards away, using Cutting Words to prevent Agent Clark’s attack of opportunity on her. He vows to find out who she is as she makes her escape. 

Proving you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it go to bard class, Fig goes outside to spy on her class through the window instead of attending because she thought Lucilla actually seemed pretty cool. She doesn’t hide well enough though and Lucilla spots her through the window. She’s shocked to see Fig for the first time in two years and welcomes her in like she’s the prodigal son. Fig asks if it would be weird for her to attend. Lucilla assures her that it’s the opposite of weird and, in fact, mandatory. 

She settles in for her first day of bard class–this semester and ever–but out of the corner of her eye, she notices a sneering Rebuen texting someone. It’s Lola Embers. Looks like they’re signed to the same label. 

Finally, we hop to Kristen who’s headed to cleric class with Professor Yolanda Badgood (a wispy air genasi). Before class even starts she tells Kristen to meet her after class. We timeskip to that meeting and, like many others in this ep, she thanks Kristen for saving the world. But she has a followup question: How did she do it when her god is dead? Kristen says she has a lot going on with her estranged parents she just saw and her scattered mind and her feeling like the stairs are disappearing behind her as she climbs. She has to update her god in the files and her address for that matter because, as we learned when she talked to her parents, all her mail is still getting sent to her old address. Her professor sincerely asks her how she’s feeling and Kristen says she’s fine but asks if there’s some kind of test she can take that will tell her what god is right for her. Her professor is like, “Didn’t you just say you had a new god???” But Kristen feels so much pressure with Cass and she mainly feels annoyed by her presence. Professor Badgood says that she’s allowed to change her god as much as she wants–she herself gave up an active relationship with a divinity so she can be kind of an interfaith minister to all her students. And she says that all faiths are trying to capture a piece of the truth–even the out there ones with evil gods and such. She recommends that Kristen spend a week earnestly trying to connect with Cass and if she still feels like she wants to split she can go from there. 

Kristen has a followup question: What do you do when your god says, "Fine, I'll- I'll make new followers"? Badgood seems taken aback, and she’s even more so when Kristen says she’s been rude to her god. Kristen asks if she should apologize and Professor Badgood gives her the most gracious version of, “Duh, obviously” a person can manage. She directs Kristen to one of the million prayer rooms in the class so she and Cass can talk. 

Kristen actually takes this seriously–or at least more seriously than she takes most things. She clears her mind and meditates until she finds herself in the forest of Sylvaire where Cassandra is crying to herself. A bright moon that would erase any shadow or doubt encroaches. When Kristen tries to touch Cass’s shoulder, the god flinches away and sobs that Craig–her only other follower–has joined the Wolfsong Revival. Tracker’s movement.   

Cass is scared. She doesn’t want to end up dead in the Astral Realm like Yes? Kristen apologizes and says that she understands that she’s getting to point where chaos isn’t cute anymore. She follows that up by saying that her top two priorities are Cass and her student president campaign however so I don’t know how committed she is to being serious. Cass isn’t either because she flat out states that she can’t rely on Kristen. She’s so so lonely and she’s confused about why things aren’t working out. They started out so big and magical and they’re still so stuck. She thought it might be because of her somehow but then she learned about the trail of abandoned gods in Kristen’s wake and realized that *she* was the connecting factor, something that Kristen cops to verbally: “It’s me,” she says. 

Cass announces that she’s getting some help and Kristen asks who. A cleric? Nope. No clerics for now. She just wanted a friend. Kristen sees her petting something invisible and asks if it’s a dog. 

“I’m more of a cat person,” Cass says as a black cat fades into view. 

“Hi Kristen,” Kalina says. 

And that’s where we end our ep!!!! The bitch is back!!!!

Honor Roll

Riz for Thinking Of All His Friends

In Sophomore Year there was a thing with Riz’s dad where it was like, sometimes you show your love through work and, viewed through that lens, Riz *really* loves his friends. I recognize that the likelihood of his meticulous plan actually working is slim to none and he’ll have to accept that even if they all stay really close friends (which they better), they’re likely on at least slightly different life paths, I do think it’s really sweet that he’s putting so much effort into making sure that ALL of his friends are successful by the metric that he’s using. Also, the “Hi Adaine :)” binder for her was so cute. I love nerd friendship. 

Detention 

Fig for Hilda-Hilda-ing Too Close to the Sun

Girl the Fantasy FBI is after you!!! Just stop lying and go to class!!!!!

Random Thoughts

In the AP for this ep, Emily mentioned some cool warlock thing that might be worth taking the MCAT for and officially registering (she’s currently off the books multiclassing) but it’s never mentioned in the actual episode so I assume it got snipped away in editing. 

I really love how polite Adaine is to anyone who hasn’t earned her scorn and the little moment of her taking a reasonable amount of food from the trashbag Lydia offered her and thanking her was very endearing to me. 

Zac is very quick on his feet and Chloe is a GREAT save for Cloaca but it is ABSOLUTELY not gonna be what anyone calls that bird but me and him. 

When Jace said over the intercom that Sorc classes are just talking about how fun and easy magic is, I’m surprised Adaine have anything snarky to say about that, lol. *I* had a comment and I don’t even go to that school. 

Is anyone else getting like…Santa Clause 2 energy from the Grix situation? If that ends up being the vibe then that’s super funny because iirc Santa Clause 1 was ref’d a bunch with the oracle stuff in Freshman Year. Full circle baybee. 

KP seems like she is springing into existence to fill the voice left by Penny Luckstone getting her GED and leaving. They’re like on the exact same level of one axis of a cartesian plane but on opposite sides. Both at 100% intensity but vibes in opposite directions.  

I kinda wanna add a poll to this post that’s like, what is the crazier story? Mermaid reproduction with the Thistlesprings or snapping turtle man with gun up his secret cloaca story with Jawbone?

Honorary Honor Roll to Ally the person for the legendary 4 dogs joke. Honestly even funnier knowing that that’s the actual name of Brennan’s old PC. Burned the man to his face. Roasted him like corn. 

OK, so what are we thinking about the Ratgrinders? Is that a ref to grinding rats for XP or more how they see other people/what they’re going to do to people who get in their way? KP is obviously very rules focused but in a Lawful Annoying way. I do think it’s interesting though. Have any of you guys ever seen the Community episode where it turns out everyone at Greendale hates the gang because they have major main character syndrome and are always forcing everyone else at school to accommodate their flights of fancy (a perfectly reasonable reason to have beef with people)? I’m wondering if there’s a bit of that energy happening here. Either way, this strikes me as a party that’s interested in exploiting loopholes and such for maximum efficiency (eg: finding the rogue prof for instant straight A’s) and that’s a different kind of maverick behavior than what the Bad Kids do which is go buckwild, breaking rules if necessary, but getting real results. It’s like the BK’s are Aguefort’s perfect party and I’m suspecting the RG’s are Grix’s. Speaking of–

A FH concept I had ages ago was rival adventuring party to the main group which has like, bizarro versions of everyone. And we may be getting that! We have an emo bard to contrast Fig’s punk rocker energy. And a rules follower (derogatory) rogue to contrast Riz who is also a rules follower (blessed). Very curious to see the rest of their party! And very curious to know if they’re Bad (™) or just annoying in a high school way. Sometimes people just don’t vibe with you. 

Oh, a specific concern that I have: KP specifically asked where Kristen was able to create a god. I don’t think that’s info I want a super type A person I don’t trust to have. 

Very sweet that Jawbone’s immediate instinct when he thinks an earthquake is happening is to bodily shield Fig and Adaine, his two kind daughter-figures in the Bad Kids. 

Kristen says that Cass is a hard sell but I have to disagree. Look at this flyer. It looks convincing to me!

“I think songs can accomplish a lot, if you let yourself hear the music.” Gorgug :( He’s gonna show Porter this season. I just know it. I believe in you Spring Break! 

Love Murph throwing in the Frosty Folk thing apropos of basically nothing just to make sure they had an in-character reason to all know about that for later, just in case. Info management! Important! 

I remember Bucky being a lot younger but either I’m confusing him for one of her other two brothers or it got retconned (or Quangled lol) older to make this storyline work. Very interesting that he went in for the hug, not the other way around. Seems like at least one person missed her. With his longsword and his parents’ inclinations, it seems like he’s most likely a Helioic Paladin. I’m very interested in how they’re going to treat his relationship with Helio because even though Kristen rejected him and we’ve seen that he has some followers that range from just shitty (K’s parents) to downright culty (the Harvestmen), that doesn’t mean that all of his followers are like that and we’ve never actually seen Helio be anything but pretty chill when he’s appeared. He wants to talk to Kristen about something and my conspiracy theory brain is wondering if he was asked to be Helio’s new chosen one but he hasn’t told anyone yet. That would be very interesting and I’d like to see a storyline about the tension of K and her brother having very different relationships with the same god. The chill peace and love god might have been a great person for him to turn to in absence of his one lifeline in the house leaving. But it could also be tons of other things so we’ll see. 

Wild that Kristen has pissed off or abandoned every member of that godly family (Sol, Helio, Galicaea, and Cass). She really is the constant here. 

Ally says Kristen is wearing an Adidas tracksuit meaning that this world canonically has both Adidas and Badidas. 

It’s a funny moment when Terps is like, “Is there harm in your life? ”to Fabian when he mentions eating food out of a trash bag but like, the kid isn’t doing *great*. Def some neglect happening and he said he was wearing yesterday’s clothes and still banged up from the Night Yorb fight. If I was a teacher, I’d have questions too! 

Yolanda Badgood. Terpsichore Skullcleaver. Lucilla Lullaby. Most of these professors are named like My Little Ponies and I love it. 

When Lucilla say “Wanda” it seems like she briefly (correctly) thought it was Fig which is funny because it paints the picture that she’s been actively waiting on pins and needles for her to show up for the past two years. It’s funny because she’s not a missing person. She’s highly visible both from saving the world and being a rockstar AND both of her dads work at your school! Just get in touch! 

Really hope Adaine follows up on the Aelwyn conversation because I wanna see two kids raised in old money discuss the price of ten barrels of diamonds. 

Also lol at random things like Fabian being the FUTURE OF DANCE being pinned on Adaine’s oracle prognostications. 

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

Star Rail mechanics for beginners

Characters have two attributes:

Their Path

Their element

Characters can equip two sorts of items:

Lightcones

Relics

Characters can upgrade three things:

Their level

Their upgradeable abilities (basic attack, skill, ult, talent)

Their Traces (extra skills + extra damage multipliers ability tree)

This is all you really need to keep track of.

FAQ

Q: Can you dodge?

A: No. Shield up and/or use a healer. Shields are really good.

Q: Can you assassinate enemies?

A: No, but attacking them first does damage them when the fight starts.

Q: Is the turn-based combat fun?

A: I found it fun, it’s not so complex that it’s hard to understand, it’s pretty and it’s relatively dynamic. Try it out~

Further details below.

Path

Acts both as a weapon class and an analog for a dnd class style battle role. Preservation characters have Tank like abilities and so on.

Element

The damage type your character does, as off launch thats one of seven:

Physical

Ice

Fire

Lightning

Wind

Imaginary

Quantum

Each enemy has multiple weaknesses among these. Enemy with a weakness to an element usually resists it less and their Toughness bar gets damaged every time they’re hit by their weakness. (It’s like a second white HP bar.)

Once the Toughness bar is empty, they suffer from an element-specific effect (Frozen if you broke it with ice, Burn with fire, etc), their action is delayed, and they’re stunned for a turn.

Lightcones

A character can equip up to one, and their level can be upgraded. They add extra stats to any character and each have a Path assigned. Only a corresponding Path will activate the extra effect a Lightcone has.

Example:

A Hunt character with a Hunt lightcone will activate the extra effect (ex: Basic attack damage 20%), but this will not happen if the Hunt character equips a Preservation lightcone. However, the Hunt character will benefit from the extra stats in both cases. (ex: HP +300, ATK + 200, DEF + 400) .

Lightcones are primarily gained in gacha but there’s a few other ways to obtain them, like level up rewards or shops. They come in 3*, 4*, and 5*.

Identical lightcones can be fused up to four times (for a total of five levels), which increases their extra effect.

Relics

They’re equippable items that have stats and set bonuses with extra effects. Set bonuses in CBT3 were at 2 and 4 relics of the same set.

They come in 2*, 3*, 4*, and 5*. The maximum level of a relic changes with its rarity. As off CBT3, none of the Relic set were rarity locked, so you’ll be able to upgrade any of them by swapping out for rarer pieces.

A character can equip up to six relics, split into two subtypes of relics: sets with 4 relics and sets with 2 relics. You don’t need to worry about this. Just know they add stats to your character and give extra bonuses when in a set. Easy.

These are NOT gacha-locked, they’re fully farmable. Farming can be automated and you can borrow a friend’s character for it too, so it’s not too tedious and also an opportunity to experiment~

Level

Characters are leveled up with exp materials and other materials you find or fight for. User level locked due to materials becoming accessible over time.

Upgradeable Abilities

There’s four abilities you can upgrade (and one you can’t, Technique).

Upgrading an ability makes its multipliers go up, but doesn’t change how it works.

It takes material and money for each, all of which, to my knowledge, can be obtained just by playing the game normally (I think one of the rarest ones is in the free battle pass though).

These upgradable abilities are:

Basic attack

Skill

Ultimate

Talent

Upgrade them to make them better. That’s really all there is to it.

Regarding how they’re used:

During your turn, you may consume a skill point to use a skill, or use a basic attack and gain a skill point.

Skill points are shared by the whole team.

Attacking and getting hit gives your character energy. When energy is full, Ultimates become available. These can be used at any time, even during the enemy’s turn.

Talents activate without your input whenever their conditions are fulfilled but may have use limits.

Traces

Traces are skill trees with two sorts of bonuses you can unlock:

Stat bonuses (ex: HP +4%)

New abilities

You can upgrade Traces over time with materials and money. Each unlocked node of the Trace only needs to be bought once, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on whether you can buy a nice one.

(As a word of personal advice, unlock at least one, preferably two ways to remove debuffs from allies before chapter 2, it’ll make your life easier during a certain boss fight… March 7th and Natasha have cheap Traces that let you do so.)

For character information and cost calculation you can use this website, but beware of spoilers as it’s a database.

[joka13]

FANFICTION: Weasley Twins x Reader (Slytherin Girl) - Part 27

WARNINGS: passionate kissing

You struggle to keep up as Fred and George tug you through the halls of Hogwarts castle.

"Slow down!" you pant.

"We can't! We're losing daylight," the twins say together, still pulling you along.

"It's only 1:30," you huff under your breath.

Eventually, the three of you reach the Quidditch stadium field. At once, Fred and George call out, "Accio Cleansweep!" Seconds later, two broomsticks seem to come out of nowhere and into the twins' open hands.

Fred turns to George and asks, "D'you think Ginny would mind if we borrowed her broomstick?"

"Not if we said it was for y/n to use," George responds.

You shake your head. "No, don't bother. I can't fly on my own."

"Really?" George says. "But you must've taken Madam Hooch's flying class during your first year."

"I did, but I barely passed," you chuckle, embarrassed to admit it. "I don't trust myself to be so high up. I get all shaky."

"Wow! Finally, something that y/n isn't good at!" Fred exclaims.

You roll your eyes and shove his arm playfully.

"So you've got a fear of heights?" George asks disappointedly.

"No, no," you quickly clarify, shaking your head. "That's not it. If anything, I love the view more than anyone. I even enjoy a good climbing tree here and there. I just... Let's just say I can depend on my smarts more than I can my athletic skills," you laugh. Fred and George smile at this, causing you to become bashful, but you quickly shake it off. "I'm alright if I'm flying with someone who knows what they're doing."

"Well, you're in luck, y/n!" says Fred. "Because we know exactly what we're doing." Both twins mount their brooms. You watch in awe as Fred takes off, using his long legs to push himself from the ground and into the air. He hovers about ten feet away, waiting for you and George to join him.

"Come on then!" George encourages. He scoots forward on his broom and excitedly pats the open space behind him in invitation.

You take in a deep breath. "Okay."

You nervously move to sit behind George, your heart beat quickening as you wrap your arms around his waist. You can't help but acknowledge how strong his torso feels.

"Try not to enjoy this too much," George says jokingly, though you're half-certain he must've read your mind.

"I was about to tell you the same thing," you gingerly laugh. You're glad that George can't see your furious blushing, but Fred can. He grins knowingly down at you, and you hide behind George in humiliation.

George chuckles. "Ready?"

"I haven't done this in years, so please start slow," you plead, tightening your hold on him.

"Sure thing," he replies. He steadies his feet flat on the ground and you shut your eyes tight. You anticipate the jerk of the lift off, but for a moment too long you don't feel anything.

"Open your eyes, y/n," you hear one of the twins say.

You open your eyes to see Fred floating alongside you. He smiles cheerily. You look down at the green field far below and gasp, clinging to George in fear. The twins laugh.

"Careful now. Hug me any tighter and I won't be able to breath," George wheezes exaggeratedly.

"Sorry," you apologize, loosening your hold around his waist.

Fred snorts. "He's not."

You laugh and George shamelessly shrugs.

You watch anxiously as Fred soars away. He spins around to fly upside down and performs loop-de-loops for your entertainment. You start to let go of George to applaud, but quickly catch yourself and grab George's waist once more.

"That was brilliant, Fred!" you yell.

George looks over his shoulder to grin at you. "Would you like to try that?" he asks.

"No!" you instantly shout. You clear your throat. "No, thank you," you finish sheepishly.

"Alrighty then," George chortles. "We'll just cruise for a bit."

You hold on tight as George gradually takes you higher in a wide spiral. He stops once you're level with Hogwarts' astronomy tower. The view of the castle, the rippling lake, and the surrounding mountains from so high up takes your breath away.

"Wow... how beautiful," you sigh in amazement.

"Not as beautiful as you," both twins say in unison as Fred flies up to float at your side once more.

"Aw, thank you, guys," you giggle, grinning at Fred. You rest your head on George's back and give him an affectionate squeeze. You feel his muscles relax as he sighs happily.

In that moment, you are so utterly content. You close your eyes peacefully and feel the cold wind on your face. You can hear the faint sound of birds chirping in the trees down below. You inhale the smell of honey and redwood coming off of George's sweater. And with the twins so near, there's nothing else that could make you happier.

The word "love" forms in your mind, and you can almost feel it forming on your tongue, but you force yourself to remain silent. You still wonder if it's too soon to confess, even if your feelings are obvious.

Without speaking another word, Fred flies forward towards the lake. You and George follow at a slower speed. You lean to the side to see past George and watch as Fred dips down, barely missing the edge of the trees before reaching the lakeshore. George does the same, though he descends gently.

You fly over the lake, so close to the water's surface. George reaches out with one hand and strokes the small waves, splashing droplets in your direction. You squeal in surprise.

"Hey!" you laugh, and George laughs with you.

You and George follow behind Fred as he soars higher into the sky, up, around, and over Hogwarts castle. You realize that you've never felt so free. You start to holler with gladness and the twins join in. The three of you whoop, cheer, and laugh. But soon you feel your fingers freezing up in the rushing, winter air, and you sadly request that George bring you to the ground.

You and George land back in the quidditch field with Fred not far behind. After managing to get off the broom without tipping over, you move to George on wobbly legs.

In your extreme happiness, you throw yourself onto him, pulling George into a passionate kiss. He's caught by surprise at first, but soon drops his broom and returns the gesture with even more passion. He holds you to him firmly, his lips moving against yours with an overwhelming ferocity. You almost believe you're going to faint until you spot Fred dismounting his broom. You finish your kiss with George forcefully, leaving him gasping for air, before running to Fred.

Fred has already tossed his broom to the side and welcomes you with a joyful grin and open arms. You leap, and he catches you in a bear hug. You crash your lips to his and he responds accordingly, moving perfectly in sync. You cup his face with both of your ice-cold hands, but he doesn't care. He holds you like he'll never get to hold you again, clutching your waist so tight that you eventually can't breathe. You reluctantly break the heavy kiss, and, after a moment of both of you panting in recovery, Fred sets you down.

George has come to join the two of you, and you give both of the twins one more quick hug and kiss.

"Fred," you say after pulling away. "George..." You can't hold back the strong emotions inside of you. "I think... I think I love—"

"Weasley! Y/l/n!" a sickeningly familiar voice rings throughout the stadium, and the three of you freeze in place. You slowly turn around, dread welling up in your stomach, to find that the voice belongs to none other than Professor Umbridge.

[backatitagainatichirakus]

Honestly Kakashi did his best with what he had lmao.

For starters, he DID teach team 7 useful jutsu, he taught them chakra control, every single genjutsu Sakura knew before she went to Tsunade was taught by Kakashi. Who do you think taught Naruto how to hide underground, a jutsu that was crucial when fighting Neji, Jiraiya? PLEASE. No need to mention Sasuke's Chidori.

He also taught them the fundamentals of teamwork, to never leave someone behind. That they were not expendable, and that they needed to rely on people. (What a fucking hypocrite. But isn't hypocrisy an important part of parenting/mentoring/big brothering or whatever the hell Minato was trying to do when he got saddled with Kakashi ?)

He never wanted to be a teacher, it was imposed onto him, he had zero experience, and he'd never had to try too hard to understand anything, so he definitely would not know what to do if someone didn't get things on the first try.

He did what he could while he could. The damn Plot was working against him.

He was a traumatized, depressed 26 year old man who probably never believed would live past 17, but there he was! In charge of the two most traumatized orphans in the entirety of Traumatized Orphans Village, and a girl who was NOT taking this shit seriously.

Ah, but they had time. There was no war brewing, no need to torture these kids to forge them into dead-eyed deadly weapons. They could go at their own pace! Also apparently the academy curriculum had changed to MAXIMIZE the child mortality rate! Why teach them tree walking when, truly, flower arrangement was a far more important skill? That's a girls only class though! Let the boys run around meanwhile they don't need to learn flower stuff. Ah, the blond one can't pronounce Chakra? fuck that kid srsly, his vibes are TOO rancid... demonic even (WHO SAID THAT?!)

And then? Their first C-rank mission? Turned into an A rank and left him out of commission for a week! But it was okay, it was fine, he could handle it. If he didn't die when he tried to kill himself in his ANBU days then it was unlikely he would now! Though he had to depend on three newly minted genin to protect themselves and their lying bastard of a client haha, but he was being so chill about it Kakashi was such a chill man haha. When was the last time someone he cared about died? Years! He was definetly not cursed or anything.

And then at the end of that week he had to fight the assassin of Assassin Village that had put him out of commission on the first place, and he also had to push through at least two of his triggers and afterwards explain the literal embodiment of two other triggers how Shinobi actually work! It's not about saving princesses, boy! It's about dying :).

They go back, and he decides that the kids handled themselves well enough, and the chunnin exams are being hosted by Orphans Village this year! What a great opportunity for the children to learn about Shinobi life in a controlled environment! Even back during Ninja War III they went through the chunnin exams and nobody even died. They're gonna be just fine!

Unfortunately, turns out The Banished Local Crazy Scientist of Traumatized Orphans Village had his eyes on one of his students (the one that he unwittingly projects on) and now! Triggering Orphan #2 is cursed!

AND THEN. The village gets attacked! The president/major dies! Kakashi gets sent into a torture coma in which he gets the Pincushion Jesus treatment for what literally feels like months! Hosted by the utmost expert on genjutsu torture to ever come out of their beloved Orphans Village!

Then he wakes up, turns out he wasn't tortured non stop for three months! It was just a dream, silly. And! since the Village is short staffed he immediately gets sent on mission after mission! Sorry Kakashi, we don't believe in convalescence periods when the only thing injured was your mind. And then, when he comes back from his many missions, their new alcoholic major/president tells him Orphan #2 defected. But don't worry! she sent Orphan #1 after him accompanied by a group of meddling kids and a dog!

So, Kakashi goes after them. Finds and picks up an unconscious Orphan #1, Orphan #2 is long gone. He goes back to the village, thankfully some meddling sand kids helped the meddling leaf kids. Then, Orphan #1 announces he's going out of the village on a road trip with The World's Worst Godfather to train! He's so lucky he can turn into a hot lady so that old man will train him if he just let's him look a little.

Then unserious girl turns serious, ditches him for their newly crowned (hatted?) president/mayor/president who despite being an alcoholic with a crippling gambling addiction is leagues better than their old president/mayor, who had a crippling addiction to Danzo's pussy and a penchant for letting pre-teens lead assassin squads just because they were such a delight to have in class!

Kakashi did his fucking best and, like ALWAYS, it was not enough.

At least he got to rekindle his old flame with Maito Gai.

[poetryofyouth]

My thoughts about Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Spoiler free)

After 67.5 hours of playtime, I have finished the fourth Dragon Age game. Overall, I give it a solid 7/10.

I loved

The performance. I have a good gaming laptop, but it is still a laptop. Veilguard runs buttery-smooth, never had any lag or framerate drop or anything. Didn't have any annoying glitches, some very minor graphics bugs two or three times. I know this SHOULD be the bare minimum, but considering it has become the norm to launch games that are basically unplayable because of the number of glitches, this is something to point out!

The overall story, tone and writing. Yes, these were criticised by many people, but I don't think that the dialogue was that clunky, and I certainly did not think that the tone was "not dark enough". Genuinely, people saying the game was too lighthearted and not "dark fantasy" anymore must have played a different game than me.

The look of the environments. Inquisitions landscapes were beautiful, and Veilguard manages to top that in certain areas. Arlathan Forest is absolutely beautiful, and other places you get to explore are horrifyingly, disgustingly vile and haunting and terrifying.

The Character Creator. So many details and so many hairstyles!!! And GOOD, long hairstyles, too!!!

I liked

The Companions. Rook's interactions with the companions is different than in Origins and Inquisition, most similar to DA2. You can't just always come talk to them. But they interact with each other far more than in previous games!! And I am glad there isn't a party banter glitch like in Inquisition - the banter triggers early and often. No hourlong running around in dead silence! And I also liked all the companions as characters, a lot!

The voice acting. Again, I don't really get the complaints so many people seem to have over the voice acting. Really solid imo!

The Combat. I did NOT think I would ever say that. It took a long while to get used to it because I am simply not used to playing action combat games. I only played on Keeper difficulty (2nd easiest), but that was ideal for me to figure everything out. I played a duelist rogue, haven't tried other classes. And I appreciated the uncomplicated respeccing. Especially because I was really intimidated by the complicated look of the skill tree. For rook and the companions, you can respec any skill at any time, so you can play around and try what works best for you.

Exploring. The game is not open-world and I think it was a good choice. But the relatively small areas are packed full with treasures to find. There are little puzzles everywhere. I am a sucker for that kind of stuff. Love puzzles and riddles. Only not putting this under "loved" because it kind of messed with the pacing for me in certain quests. ("Someone's in mortal peril? Sure, hang on, lemme get that treasure chest first")

Certain lore revelations. No spoilers! But we learn some big stuff. I think this was done well for the most part.

I was fine with

The look of the Characters. I was VERY worried about that at first because in general I am not a big fan of the cartoonish artstyle. What was odd is that not all characters seem equally cartoonish? Emmrich seems much more cartoonish than Davril, for example. That is an inconsistency that I found quite annoying. In general, could have been better, could have been worse. I really miss the DA2 look of the Qunari. That Arishok... still thinking about him.

The romance. So I have only romanced Neve, and it was nice. I know other romances are different, they might give you a bit... more. Again, don't want to spoil anything but.... There could have been more.

Cameos/tie-in of established characters. I want to keep this spoiled-free so I won't go into specifics. It was nice meeting some of them again, some of them were.... NOT done right. Yeah I'll reblog this post with a few spoilery thoughts on that. This could have been done a LOT better.

I did not like

Lore inconsitencies. I don't mean major, story-relevant stuff here, just some minor details. It's expected that they will get some stuff wrong but.... ugh. still annoying!!!

The villains are very black-and-white. When I think of Dragon Age Villains, I think of complex characters like Zathrian, Loghain, even the Arishok or Prince Bhelen. Characters you can empathize with, feel sorry for, even side with. The game is very lacking in that kind of complexity.

Lack of impactful, difficult choices. In previous installments, I AGONIZED over so many choices. Harrowmont or Bhelen? Celine or Gaspard? Kill or spare the Architect? Choices I took a long time to think about, choices where the game (and other media) gives you little snippets of information, not enough that you know what the right choice is for sure, but you have a lot to think about and to consider. This does not exist in this game. At all.

Rook can't be evil. I know Rook needs to be the hero. But so did the Warden, Hawke and the Herald. I personally don't like playing the "bad guy". But I like having the choice! If you have the choice to sacrifice Feynriel to the Sloth Demon, it makes the decision to do the right think just so much more meaningful.

And Rook's dialogue options are quite flat, too. The game uses tone indicators like in DA2 and Inquisition, but the tone barely even differs. The joking/sarcastic replies are not that funny (purple Hawke i miss you you will always be famous). The "aggressive" replies are really not that aggressive. Overall, that makes Rook feel quite flat.

I am VERY unhappy with

Okay. Deep breaths. No spoilers. But this game has... issues. For a game that has been in developement for such a long time, there are many aspects that are just unfinished. The Lords of Fortune for example. The entire faction makes barely any sense.

Ignoring most of the worldstate choices... This has been discussed at length before the release, so no need to get into it. But I have always admired Bioware for how they managed to tie in choices from previous games - even if they were just "throwaway oneliners". That was what made the world of Thedas feel real. That's what made Dragon Age special.

The lack of conflict and how slavery in Tevinter is just glossed over. Okay hear me out. I do NOT want more fantasy racism because I think it is cool or whatever. But we're in Tevinter for big parts of the game!! The dreaded empire that everyone in southern Thedas is scared of, where slavery is normal and they do blood magic for fun. All that worldbuilding and the setup is just... basically ignored. The venatori are throwaway enemies just like in inquisition, the politics of Tevinter are almost entirely ignored. And that is, I think, where Veilguard fails to be a proper Dragon Age game. DA was always about mirroring real life conflicts, adressing themes of prejudice, war, racism, homophobia and mental illness directly or through metaphors. Making you think about morality, both your PC's morality and your own as a player and a person. This game... this game doesn't challenge any sort of believes you might have as a person in that way. This is, in my opinion, the biggest failure of the game. The critical look at the real world, through the lense of a dark fantasy game. And if a Dragon Age game is missing that, then it just... misses it's heart and it's soul. Unfortunately, glitches can be fixed but there is no way to patch this.

Final thoughts

Okay, back to a bit more positivity. I enjoyed the game. I really, really had a lot of fun. I screamed, I cried real tears, I felt for the companions and I laughed at the funny moments. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a good game. Not perfect. And it is perfectly understandable to be critcal of it, unfortunately a lot of criticism gets lost in either "it's too woke" or people who clearly have not played past the first act.

But in general, I think both Dragon Age fans and newcomers will enjoy it and have a good time.

[felassan]

New BioWare Journal post -

"Journal #12 Top Things to Know before You Play A few tips from our Team on launch day Hey everyone, Today is the day! Dragon Age: The Veilguard launches at 9am PDT globally on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. We are so excited to share this day with you. Whether you’ve been waiting since Dragon Age: Inquisition or only a few days, we appreciate you and your support.  Dragon Age: The Veilguard is designed with the flexibility to play the game your way, customizing your experience to best suit your play style from the menu options to combat. We have some tips from our team to share as you get started and find what works best for you! Customize your Experience As you begin your journey, we also encourage you to take some time to look through the Settings menus. There are a lot of different customizations you can make to tweak your game to your preferences, including accessibility options. Read more about these options in our Accessibility blog so you can play how you prefer at launch. Combat & Respec Throughout Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you’ll be fighting various enemies in Thedas, from demons to corrupt blood mages, and each type of enemy has their own weaknesses and resistances. When creating your Rook, you’ll be able to choose between three classes - stalwart Warrior, deft Rogue, or spell-slinging Mage. If you want guidance on which class to choose and an introduction to our combat system, we encourage you to check out our Combat blog.  You can swap your abilities, and those of your companions, at any time outside of combat. You can also respec individual nodes or the entire skill tree to try out entirely new builds. We hope you feel empowered to try out multiple builds, abilities, and specializations areas. Read more about the skill tree in our Progression blog. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out a few of our team’s favorite builds:"

"Mage: Spellblade Specialization - Meteor - Wall of Fire - Chain Lightning - Ultimate: Thunderous End"

"Rogue: Duelist Specialization - A Thousand Cuts - Lightning Flask - Explosive Daggers - Ultimate: Murder of Crows"

"Warrior: Champion Specialization - Whirlwind - Grappling Spear - Deadly Ground - Ultimate: Warden’s Fire Explore Thedas to Unlock its Secrets Dragon Age: The Veilguard opens up for exploration after the Prologue ends. As you progress through the first several quests, you’ll find more and more places to explore, from the Hossberg Wetlands to Treviso. We really encourage you to take some time to delve into each area you come across for extra side quests and loot. Check out our Exploration blog for more details! Companions & Choices Companions have always been at the heart of the Dragon Age franchise, and there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know each of your allies in this game. Each of their stories, and those of the factions as well, adds to the story and experience of the game. We encourage you to complete side content and companion quests, as they will have a direct impact on how the later stages of the game unfold. We’re so excited to share Dragon Age: The Veilguard with you. This moment has been a long time coming, and we can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts about our game. We hope you enjoy diving back into Thedas! Join our BioWare Discord to join in with other fans, ask questions, and receive tips. Get Dragon Age: The Veilguard on PC (Steam, EA App, & Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S NOW!             — The Dragon Age Team"

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