#play Pretend (please don't)

[myreia]

✦ D I S C I P L E O F T H E H A N D

Alchemy for potions. Blacksmithing for repairs. Leatherworking and weaving for mending. She is not an artisan, but the basic skills she has picked up over the years have served her well. Self-sufficiency has always been at the forefront of her mind, and she is pleased that she can keep herself afloat when needed. Besides, crafting is relaxing. A hobby or two here and there is good for her mind. —level 90 compendium

[chiropteracupola]

ADIÓS PELOTAAAAAAAAA!!

[gouache and acrylic on recycled chipboard, 2024]

[kinthulou]

Disability in TTRPG: Nerf Your Rests

So I love to think about how to represent disability in my ttrpg, yeah? As a disabled person, this is super important to me. And I may have just figured out how to nerf long rests (via D&D 5e mechanics) in a way that's entirely representative of my actual lived experience with chronic pain and fatigue. Folk are welcome to use this in their own games, as a way of explaining their own disability to others, or to adapt to other systems or to their own experiences. But for now, I present to you: the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Long Rest. Per standard long rest rules, taking a long rest replenishes the following: 1. Hit Points 2. Hit Dice 3. Spell Slots Choose two. If you choose to replenish Hit Points, you may only do so by rolling whatever Hit Dice remain from your day's pool. You will always replenish Hit Points first, and replenish Hit Dice second. If you have one or more levels of exhaustion, you may either: 1. Choose one from the replenishment list and remove a level of exhaustion. or 2. Choose two from the replenishment list as usual, and keep the level of exhaustion. Optional, but related rule: You have resistance to healing magic and items, and only regain half the HP you would otherwise be granted by the spell or item. You may be thinking, "Why would I use these rules? They seem complicated and risky?" Well, yes, but also they can provide an approach to gameplay that's all about clever resource management, and also a lot of people actually live like this every day and maybe we'd like to be able to engage with said clever resource management in a way that's fun for once. Maybe we need a safe and controlled way to practice asking for the accommodations we need, or to gently teach our friends how crucial those accommodations actually are. And maybe some of us just really like our characters to be disabled like we are, so we can still explore the fantasy of going forth and exploring dungeons and fighting dragons and completing adventures in a way that feels genuine to ourselves? Idk, man (gender neutral). Do with it what you will. But I'mma be out here nerfing some long rests.

(As always, please work with your game master on any nerfs. They need to know you want to do this, and need a chance to warn you if the game they have planned might not jive with these mechanics, or to help you change things to fit what you both want out of the game.) (Also, if you're not playing a caster, replace Spell Slots with some other resource replenished on a long rest. Or something else! Get creative with it!)

[wallbeatjournal]

JIMIN MENTION. Riverdale characters as BTS members

unfortunately i did workshop this with the army gc and i think i have a proposal. it doesn't totally work because of gender dynamics and the way the universes of corporate-competitive art performance and riverdale aren't really quite aligned, but i think i got somewhere.

RIVERDALE MAINS AS BTS MEMBERS:

jughead = rm / kim namjoon. iconoclast. the lyricist-narrator of the whole deal. the link to the big corporate-bureaucratic metaplot in the sky. a typewriter kind of guy. there are so so so many of him and sometimes they interact. queerbait-complicit and yet sidestepping it.

reggie = jin / kim seokjin. the negotiator. the big-city boyfriend from the hallmark movie. the nation's son-in-law but DID flirt with your grandmother and your dad at the function. fed that mean old man from his bare hand. schemes and scams, less opportunistically than as a vocational calling. second place to karl marx and knows it.

betty = suga / min yoongi. she's resisting her idol image with her gratuitously-edgy secondary persona but she's still your poor little meow meow, your baby. she's alert! she's fractured! her amygdala is working sooo hard. her shadow grows and grows and she's avoiding it she's looking at it she's avoiding it she's looking. don't say tangerine.

veronica = j-hope / jung hoseok. idk it's about perfectionism. it's about how CRYING 👏 DOES 👏 NOT 👏 FIT 👏 WITH 👏 HER 👏 LIFE'S 👏 VIBE. it's about lean-in girlbossism. it's about success not creating psychological safety (but she wants more anyway bc what else is she here to do). she's nice but she's ruthless but she loves you!! and on several tragic levels iykyk: she da bus driver all of a sudden.

kevin = jimin. compulsive joiner. compulsive people-pleaser. compulsive flirt. compulsive. mapplethorpe fanboy. gender outlaw. a smoke-show, now. most likely to charm a late night talk show host. queerbaiter of the cruising-coded-crowd-scene variety. most likely to put it all on the line for a little cabaret ♥

cheryl = v / kim taehyung. questionable art appreciator. questionable painter. questionable self portrait accumulator. high-aesthetic curator of Scenes and Situations. president of gay fanservice (self-appointed). glamorous alien OR reclusive little freak. if the high-aesthetic, melodramatic-literary closet case lament fits.

archie = jungkook. golden boy all-rounder. beefcake-on-display. designated himbo. Wants To Help. will NOT contribute to a conversation so don't even try. gives kind of a sincere wounded baby animal quality at times. queerbait via lore-relevant chime card sponcon (this isn't jarchie but it does make you ask yourself "is charlie puth sort of jugheadcore, if jughead sucked (derogatory) instead of sucking (complimentary)?")

[gensokiyoo]

APPARENTLY THERE'S A NEW BENDY GAME???

[raptorian-the-brave]

have you heard of fallout

Fallout..? I've heard of that before, something relating to radiation, yes? I fear I'm not that familiar with nuclear fallout, and I don't wish to be either. Oh, it is a franchise too, isn't it? I didn't realize that at first, I don't know much about that either... It's been recommended to me before, but I don't play many video games.

[ahollowgrave]

WIP Wednesdays

Tagged by: @thefreelanceangel & @lavampira (a week ago (':), plus a handful of people who tagged me weeks ago! Thank you so much for the tags, I really appreciate it! Tagging: You (: Please, if you feel moved to do so, share a WIP you're excited about and tag me so I can also be excited about it. I struggle to share things when they are done, let alone still WIP, however! I have been trying to write every day this year so I do have something to share! A little snippet from a longer piece, trying to nail down Odette and Odile's complicated relationship.

“Blessing?” Odile’s greeting is delivered in a sun-bleached drawl from the direction of Odette’s office. No doubt digging around in her research. The nun felt invisible hackles raise and she drew a breath, exhaling a prayer asking for patience. Always patience. Heeled footfalls announced Odile's movement and when she rounded the corner Odette started. She will never get use to her own face on another person. 

“Aunt Odile, I had no idea you were coming,” She injected as much warmth as she could into her smile. It doesn’t reach her eyes but that’s alright; it is an important survival instinct to watch predators. 

Odile’s lids remained half-lidded, shuttered like an abandoned home. Despite their faces being nearly-exact copies Odette has always struggled with reading her Aunt’s expressions. Now is no exception. Fear scraped hot fingernails against the back of her neck and her heart gave a sluggish squeeze.

Odile’s smile is sudden with too many too white teeth on display, momentarily blinding. There is little warmth in it only a smug satisfaction; she has read Odette’s fear and part of her cannot help but relish in it. This is a woman who never tires of her reputation being black as pitch. They stared at each other for some time in the yawning silence.

Odile spoke first, setting her satisfaction aside in favor of furthering her goals, “I let myself in,” Odette hears: this is still my home. “I came to give you this but when Flower told me you weren’t home…” Odile trailed off, letting her niece’s imagination do the work, and a moment later she offered forth ‘this.’ A thick envelope of cream colored stock sealed with a healthy wad of red wax.

[gildedmuse]

Play Pretend (Please Don't)

Part I

[All my writing posts should come with an @jhaernyl credit. She doesn't always have to say much, but what she does makes me want to write something just for her.]

Its Zoro's first ever high school party, but even he knows what it means when someone sets a bottle down in the middle of the floor.

Robin somehow talks Nami into it, and Nami forces the rest of them because she's just bossy like that (and too embarrassed to admit she's only going because Vivi is there.)

Without hesitation, Zoro gives a flat no. He came here to get out of the dojo, the cheap watered down sake, and because his friends wanted to come, that's all. He doesn't see why he should be forced to sit around and watching a bunch of people he only half knows or likes giggling and whispering about who kissed who based all on a random bottle spin.

Then Robin slides up beside him, though before he can her no as well she speaks right passed him.

Robin: Will you be joining in as well, Torao-kun?

Law: Why? Are you going to try you luck, Fluer-ya?

Trafalgar Law is a black haired senior with a wicked smirk that curls around his lips the same way his tattoos curl across his olive skin. Both make him look just a little dangerous. Like a knife, or an unregulated kendo match.

Zoro's ends up standing there at the side trying to look disinterested and too cool and super adult - but in a cool way, not like a lame chaperone or something - sipping from his cup of watered down sake, pretending not to watch as Torao kisses four different people including - oh how gross - that stupid Ero Eyebrow (who of course goes and makes this huge fuss over how he shouldn't have to kiss Torao since he doesn't want to and only even played this game because the beautiful, sweet angel Nami-swan ❤️❤️ ❤️ requested his presence and-) Torao just smirks and grabs him by his stupid tie and drags him across the circle, and even though Zoro wants to gag at the sight, it's also sorta hilarious to watch how fast the waiter shuts up. When Torao lets go, Usoop howls, tears in his eyes, as he points out thats Sanji's face is an exact match for Kid's hair. Though Zoro doesn't actually catch the idiot's embarrassment. His vision gets caught on that hook, the upward turn of Torao's lips.

(After he shakes it off he tries to join in and poke fun at Love-Brow being an homophobic asshole, but all he sees is Black Lung's wrinkled shirt and wet lips and arg, why would someone as cool as Law waste his breath kissing someone so stupid?)

Eventually Hancock declares that this game is for children and they need to go the ante. Who is up for Seven Minutes In Marie Joice? (To no one's surprise this very quick decision comes after she FINALLY manages to get her spin to land "like a love arrow" right at Luffy, who only even sat in the circle, Zoro is sure, because Nami put down a tray of snacks. He doesn't even stop eating his chicken. Just keeps chewing staring up as the senior girl makes annoyingly high pitched baby sounds and wiggles around like a worm before finally going in for the kiss, only to miss when Luffy dives down at the plate. Her lips brush Luffy's hat and she squeals so loud Zoro winces and has to cover his ears. Why are people so weird about something as silly as kissing?)

Zoro: What's Seven Minutes In Marie Joice?

Bonney: Something you'll never get.

Some of the kids snicker, though most just shrug it off as the two of them being siblings (Bonney is older, it's practically her job to taunt him in such a manner). Zoro still doesn't have any clue what it means, so the insult goes entirely unnoted.

Law: That's not fair, Bonney-ya, I've heard Princess-ya's friends all find him very "cute".

Torao flashes Zoro a supportive smile and winks at him, letting him know it's all in good fun, none of which Zoro doesn't know how to react to. Sure, on the one hand, He's certain Torao is trying to stick up for him even if he still isn't sure what it's about. Then again, he brought up Perona's annoying little friends who sit in the backyard giggling when he's trying to practice kendo. Zoro has a feeling he's being teased whenever they come up.

The waiter snorts and lights a cigarette, as if that makes him look older and cooler. Zoro shamelessly smiles when he chokes on his first inhale.

Sanji: Bonney-chan is right, as always. Everyone here has too high of standards to go with someone as brutish as you.

Zoro / Bonney: Oi! What would you know about standards love boy? / Oi! Watch your mouth you stupid eyebrow kid!

Sanji: My apologizes oh Bonney-chan~~❤️ !!! However, you have to admit, your brother is too afraid to even join in a simple kissing game-

Zoro: I am not afraid! Why don't you come outside and say that to my-

Hancock: That's enough! I demand we begin the game!

Zoro is so ready to march off when Torao scoots closer to his classmate Penguin, patting the ground beside him. He seems to have decided that Zoro meant it when he said he wasn't afraid. Which he wasn't!

Law: Come on, Zoro-ya. It will be fun.

Zoro is going to go, but this makes him pause. He can't help but think about about how Hiyori, Smoker, Robin and even old eyebrow all got to kiss Torao. Also, Zoro isn't a coward! That's just as important to prove, so it isn't actually like he wants to kiss anyone at all, it's all about his reputation. With a glower towards the stupid love waiter he goes and takes his spot next Torao.

The second he does Law leans in a little closer, knocking their shoulders together. He leans in until he's close enough that even his whisper knocks the three gold bars hanging from Zoro's ear together.

Law: You'll like it, trust me.

Zoro refuses to shiver. Instead, he hides his reaction in his cup. He takes a sip of sake, making a muttered sound which could be agreement or whatever.

Zoro still doesn't understand the premise of the game. It's like spin the bottle but now pairs of people go back into Basil's downstairs bedroom for a few minutes (not actually seven, but just typically just until Hancock seems to deem it enough time) and people whistle and cheer when they come out. Law goes in with Bonney who looks super annoyed, then with Smoker again.

After that time, Toroa comes out with his shirt half unbuttoned and a smirk that makes Zoro all warm.

The first time it lands on Zoro, it's Nami who spins. He lays on the bed and listens to Nami complaining about "that bitch Hina" . Zoro didn't know Nami hated the pink haired girl so much. From what he gathers it has something to do with Hina and Vivi having been paired up to come in here together earlier. Zoro decides to nap until Hancock lets them out.

He forgets to ask Nami what it is they're supposed to do. 

When he comes out Love-Brow nearly attacks him, which Zoro is fine with (he's always happy to kick that blonde pervert's ass) but Nami jumps in and calls him idiot for thinking that anything happened. Eyebrow goes on about Nami's purity (puke) then nicks Zoro for "striking out". Zoro doesn't really care about waiter boy's opinion of him and just shrugs if off as him being an asshole like usual.

Law gives him a sort of smile though and ruffles his hair before patting him on the back.

Law: Bad luck, getting her on your first try. Come on, your spin will go better.

Then it's Zoro's turn to spin...

It comes really close to Sabo and Ace which makes Law tense up next to him - it's barely noticeable except Zoro is hyper focused on Torao the whole time, to the point where the nearly missed when the bottle stops.

Zoro's wondering why Torao had gone all weird when he hears a giggle.

Robin: How fortunate for me, Kenshi-san.

When they get back to the bedroom, Zoro sits at the end of the bed, unsure what else to do. Robin follows suit, sitting suspiciously close to Zoro, who automatically crosses his arms, trying to look ready for whatever. Even though he still doesn't understand the point of this game.

Robin looks at him and giggles.

Robin: Would you like a kiss, Kenshi-san?

Zoro: What! No, of course not woman! 

Zoro: ....

Zoro: Is that what we're suppose to be doing?

Robin: I believe it is the "fun" part of this particular game, yes.

Zoro: *frowning* What's the point in switching rooms and calling it something different if it's the same game? Just so people can pretend they're doing something interesting instead of just kissing each other more? Tch. How pointless.

Robin: It does seem rather secretive for just kissing. *Leans in and plants a soft kiss on Zoro, who is too shocked to protest in time* Perhaps you should ask Torao-kun to help explain it's objective?

Robin goes on to say that it's alright if they pretend they did kiss, though Zoro doesn't see the point in pretending such nonsense. Not until they leave the room and Law lights up with this wicked grin, leaning in close when Zoro sits back down.

Law: See, wasn't that way more fun?

Zoro: *Stomach all fluttery* Hmm? Oh yeah. It was.... Great.

For a while neither of them get picked which it turns out is Zoro's favorite part of the game because it's mostly just sitting around drinking and talking with friends. And Torao doesn't get up to disappear with some girl or have a bunch of friends show up and drag him away. He stays next to Zoro the whole time.

Sometimes they'll talk about the couple that goes into the room and Zoro is working on piecing together what is the point of the game is, though it still feels like a waste of time. If you want to kiss someone so much why not just ask them?

He brings this up to Torao, who chuckles and says it's a fair point.

Law: But then why are you playing, Zoro-ya?

Zoro didn't want to admit that he's playing because Torao was there and, honestly, he didn't know what it was, or that he thought of all those other people Torao has kissed and hadn't liked it.

Zoro: I don't know. Bored I guess?

Law studies him and Zoro tries not to squirm under his gaze. Finally, Zoro snaps, demanding to know what he's staring about, when Torao's curious looks blooms into a smile.

Torao leans close again, speaking so no one else can hear.

Law: It's alright, Zoro-ya. I won't tell...

Tell? Tell what?

Law: I think it's cute. *Knowing smile* You want to practice before you ask her out, huh?

Zoro: Eh?

What? Zoro honestly has no idea what Torao is talking about. Not until Torao bumps their shoulders together and nods over to the snack table.

Smoker is over there, having left the game a while back. He looks annoyed but is standing there anyway while Kuina's younger sister - who has been a total brat until Kuina agreed to bring her along - is clearly upset about something. Knowing her it has to do with the Young Marines club since she's always going on about it.

Zoro: What? Tashigi?

Law's meaning taking a moment to sink in. When it does Zoro is ready to get all worked up because why the hell would Torao suggest THAT!?

Zoro is cut off before he can raise the point properly by a bunch of whoops and cheers that he's learned means two popular or attractive people or people already a couple got picked.

Tashigi is the last thing in his mind as Ace saunters over to a pleased looking Law, who takes his hand and pulls himself off the floor in a way that somehow makes Zoro feel dizzy. Can people just standing up be consider attractive? The two of them don't even wait to get back to the room, sharing their first kiss while standing right there next to Zoro.

It is nothing like the short, chaste kiss Robin gave him earlier.

It feels like Hancock waits forever before telling Shachi to knock at the door. Ace comes out with this devilish grin, his jacket and belt tucked under his arm as if he hadn't had the chance to put them back on.

Zoro pointedly looks at the carpet so he doesn't catch what Torao looks like. Though when he sits down  next to him Zoro can't help but notice he feels warmer somehow.

If Law notices Zoro isn't purposefully ignoring him he didn't show it . He doesn't really seem to pay any attention to Zoro at all....

This game is stupid, Zoro decides, and it's not like anyone will notice if he just gets up and leaves.

Law: Zoro-ya

He has hardly even begun to move away when Torao calls for him.  So maybe Torao had been paying more attention to him than he'd thought. Zoro turns to look at Torao, surprised the older boy had been paying such close attention as to notice the moment Zoro had moved

Law is giving him a weird look that shifts seamlessly into a coy grin. Zoro is vaguely aware of some people giggling and his sister raising a fuss about something or another, really only tuning in to her voice because the way she says "Trafalgar" makes her sound honestly pissed off.

Torao is holding out a hand to help Zoro up off the floor, which Zoro takes without giving it much thought. It's only as Law starts walking then both away that Zoro glances back at the circle if their friends and classmates. And noticed where the bottle is pointing.

Law: Don't look so nervous, Zoro-ya

Torao chuckles as he opens the door, ushering Zoro inside.

Law: I'll be real good practice for you, I promise.

[cakemoney]

nona the ninth wrecked me so thoroughly I'm speaking in tongues in this here blog

[sprucestairs]

"two thirds of all demigods are adopted" factoid actually just statistical error. Adoptions Dionysus, who adopts all the big three kids because he knows first hand how shitty they are at parenting, is an outlier adn should not have been counted.

[autumnrory]

i've been going into the liam tag from time to time the last year where both his fans and people who hated him were Weird about him well before there were any allegations so i would get curious, i don't even remember what started it (maybe it was merely looking for photos that update accounts wouldn't post), but i normally try to avoid going into anything but edit tags for people i enjoy bc there are so many nonsense takes

and of course happening to go through today before the news broke bc i wanted to see what was being said about the abuse as i've only gotten bits on twitter and of course there were many posts rightfully calling it out and all but there's that weird mentality which i was getting a lot more of from twitter but some on here where they're like??? celebrating it and girlboss-ing and i'm just like. okay it's great that you're believing a victim but you're making light of it by talking about it like it's just another stan thing, i have seen that time and time again when this kind of stuff comes out and if people already thought that person was annoying or whatever they're just like "oh yes! i knew it! their career is ruined haha!" and it's like. you clearly don't actually care about the horrible things this person has done and just want to brag that you somehow ~knew~ a stranger's vibes were off and it's so beyond gross like you could use that energy to support a person's victims and instead you'll just try to prove you stan the right people and never the wrong ones or whatever

[yellowlikelemons]

Is it better if you care about me too much or not at all

[outeremissary]

kasander + 😴 please!

Thank you ❤️ Sleep questions about D&D elves always lead peculiar places, don't they?

hc + 😴 for a sleep-themed headcanon

Kasander seldom sleeps willingly. Their trance is already haunted by half-alien memories of blood and darkness, disorganized images they struggle to stitch together and match to their origins. It's upsetting even without any supernatural incursion causing more extreme visions, and it makes them fear resting. Sleeping, on the rare experiment trying to avoid the memories, is much worse. They always dream, and they always dream Bhaal's dreams. And it takes such a terribly long time to wake. So they avoid sleeping, and they're thankful not to have a reason to.

However, sleep is the most convenient way for the Emperor to contact them, and the Emperor has a way of pulling them under whenever he pleases. When they first met and the Emperor was still in the form of the Dream Visitor the Emperor offered to soothe their nights from the restless, terrible trance by quieting their dreams- if only they would sleep, of course. Disoriented, still largely amnesiac, and distressed by the visions, Kasander agreed eagerly (there was a lot of agreeing with the Emperor then) and committed themself to the psionic protection out of desperation for any relief from the growing fear there was something wrong with them. It did seem to work- mostly- but when Kas began to break with the Emperor they stopped sleeping nightly as well. By that point they were ready to grapple with the horrors of trance again, as painful and difficult as they were.

[silent-sentinels]

well. woke up. too worried to go back to sleep. too sleepy to do anything else. we'll be here i guess hgghf

[calliopechild]

Listen, I wouldn't normally cite Cosmo as support for an argument, but I can't think of anything that sums up the dangers of the stay-at-home girlfriend/tradwife nonsense like this quote:

“If you give a man the power to feed you, he also has the power to starve you.”

[orchideae]

Okay but also, when I aim to return more actively; is it too early to slowly touch on Christmas threads, even if Genshin hasn't exactly indulged us with it? Liyue not celebrating Christmas (or something akin to it) makes perfect sense, of course, but with the concept of Fontaine being so incredibly European-inspired (alongside Mondstadt), it'd make sense to have something slightly akin to it? With my verse placing Yelan in there more commonly, I just think it'd be neat to introduce her to Fontainian Christmas-y traditions.