#really enjoying how this new coloring strategy is turning out

[salty-an-disco]

Hero in A1,please?Also I hope you're having a nice day!

thanks! it's been a lower energy day, but otherwise, been pretty nice :]

and here's Hero in his softboi era <3

the pants and socks feel very stuffy and uncomfy on his feathers, but he can't deny how cute those soft colors make him look (will still take those off as soon as he can tho. the sweater can stay, it's loose enough where it doesn't bother him)

[bambieyedoll]

⋆·˚ ༘ * WOLFPACK HEADCANONS 𐚁̸.ᐟ — you take them lingerie shopping with you.

synopsis: how they'd react if they went shopping with their s/o and they see them looking for a new pair of lingerie/cute underwear.

pairing/s: paul lahote, jacob black, embry call, quil ateara, jared cameron, seth clearwater, sam uley, leah clearwater

masterlist | check out my other work !

paul lahote

paul wasn’t even paying attention to what aisle you wandered into until he noticed you slow down—then stop—in front of a wall of lace, silk, and soft pastel fabrics.

at first, his brow twitches. confusion turns to amusement fast. “wait—this is what you were looking for?” he asks, voice low and already laced with mischief.

when he sees you pick up a delicate little set—lace-trimmed, pale blush—his entire demeanor changes.

smirk mode: activated.

he steps closer, arms folded across his broad chest, head tilted slightly as he watches you pretend to inspect tags. “i mean… if you’re trying to kill me, just say so.”

he doesn’t get shy. not paul. if anything, he enjoys the idea that you’re looking at something sexy for yourself—because he’s the one who gets to see it.

picks up a darker, more sultry pair and holds it out to you with a grin: “this one. definitely this one. you should try it on. for research purposes.”

if you so much as blush? he’s thrilled. will lean in and murmur something like, “don’t get all shy on me now. you started this, sweetheart.”

absolutely insists on buying it for you and wants to carry the bag out, pride written all over his face. you’re his girl—and he’s not quiet about how lucky he is.

jacob black

jacob’s totally content following you around the store, not really paying attention, until you veer off into a corner he wasn’t expecting.

the lingerie section.

his steps immediately falter. he doesn’t want to seem weird about it, but the moment he sees you scanning a rack of lacy bralettes, his ears turn bright red.

“uh… this the right aisle?” he asks, trying to sound casual, even though his voice cracks a little at the end.

you don’t even respond—you’re already holding up a set to inspect. and that’s when jacob’s brain starts to short-circuit.

he can’t stop glancing. can’t stop imagining. you in something soft and sheer, maybe in his hoodie right after.

“you… you’d look really good in that,” he mumbles without meaning to. the second he realizes it, he groans and covers his face. “shit, forget i said that.”

you laugh, and that only makes him more flustered. you teasing him? game over.

“this is so unfair,” he grumbles under his breath. “you’re not even doing anything, and i’m losing my mind over here.”

he walks out of the store with his arm around your shoulders and the most intense internal monologue of all time.

embry call

embry’s always been a little awkward with attention—especially when it comes to you. so when you intentionally drag him into the underwear section while out shopping? he’s already sweating.

he tries to play it cool. tries to keep his hands in his pockets, tries to hum some tune and look away. but he fails instantly the second you lift up something silky and say, “do you think this color would look good on me?”

he makes a choked noise. his whole body jerks slightly like he’s been electrocuted.

“i—uh—y-yeah. that’d look amazing. wait—i mean good. just—good. totally appropriate.”

he’s so red in the face. you could probably fry an egg on his cheek.

he peeks at the tag like he’s examining battle strategy, then whispers, “are you getting that for…you know. wearing around the house? or…like. just…wha—what’s the purpose?”

you tease him about being flustered and he covers his eyes.

but even through the nerves, he genuinely thinks you’re beautiful no matter what you wear. so when you ask which one he likes, he points to something soft, cozy-looking, not too flashy.

“this one,” he says quietly, handing it to you like it’s a sacred artifact. “you’d be comfortable in it. and you’d still make my heart stop.”

jared cameron

jared walks into the lingerie section like it’s the highlight of his day.

he’s not shy. not even close. “oh, we’re going in here? finally,” he jokes, grinning.

the moment you start flipping through the hangers, he’s already at your side, picking out options. “okay, but look at this one. it’s got your name all over it.”

jared treats it like a fun game. he’ll toss out ridiculous suggestions just to make you laugh, then sneak in one that actually makes you blush.

“you keep reacting like that and i will ask you to try it on right now,” he teases, voice low and teasingly serious.

he watches your face more than the clothes—lives for your flustered expressions.

if someone else walks by and gives you a look while you’re holding something sultry? jared steps closer, voice dropping: “keep lookin’ and you’ll go blind.”

he pays for it all without hesitation and tucks the bag under his arm with a proud smile.

“don’t worry, babe,” he says with a wink. “i’ll help you decide which one’s best later. in private.”

seth clearwater

poor seth. the minute he realizes you’re looking at underwear, he nearly combusts.

“oh! oh—uh—y-you’re shopping for that kind of stuff?”

he stands a full foot away from you like he might get struck by lightning just for being near a pair of lacy panties.

he keeps trying so hard not to look, but curiosity always wins.

when you hold up a cute, pastel bralette and ask what he thinks, he freezes. his mouth opens—no words come out. he just nods rapidly.

“yep. cute. definitely cute. super… lacy. i mean—lovely.”

if you tease him by grabbing something bolder, like red lace or black satin, he gasps. “that’s—um—that’s—wow. you’d—uh—you’d wear that? for… like… sleep?”

later, as you’re checking out, he tugs at your sleeve and whispers, “i think you’d look beautiful in anything… but that one? that one’s gonna live in my head forever.”

his honesty is so endearing, and his face is red the entire drive home.

quil ateara

quil’s the type to notice instantly what aisle you’re walking into—and make a comment before you even grab something.

“ohhh no. you’re doing this to torture me, aren’t you?”

he follows behind you with a dramatic sigh, hands in his hoodie pockets, eyes twinkling.

“i swear, if you hold up something with bows or frilly lace, i’m going to melt into the floor.”

and then you do—and he does.

he pretends to faint. literally leans back like he’s about to collapse. “have mercy.”

picks out a ridiculous novelty pair first (think: glitter hearts), just to make you snort. but then he finds one that’s genuinely sexy, holds it up thoughtfully, and gets weirdly quiet.

“you’d look so good in this. like, dangerous.”

when you actually buy it, he jokes the whole time—but his hand stays firmly at the small of your back.

that night, when you wear it? his first words are, “okay. yep. dead. you killed me. worth it.”

sam uley

sam is calm, composed, and entirely unreadable—at least on the outside.

the second you start browsing lingerie, he’s beside you with one eyebrow lifted. “lingerie shopping, huh?” he murmurs, voice deep and smooth.

there’s something in his tone that makes the back of your neck heat up.

he doesn’t tease. doesn’t get flustered. he just watches you with this quiet, intense gaze that says everything.

when you lift a black lace set to inspect, he steps closer. “you’d look stunning in that,” he says simply, like it’s a fact.

if another guy walks past and looks at you too long? sam’s hand tightens slightly on your hip. that protective, alpha instinct doesn’t sleep.

helps you find your size without hesitation and is absurdly practical—until you try to call him out on enjoying it too much.

“maybe i am,” he says, low and husky. “but you knew what you were doing bringing me here, didn’t you?”

by the time you leave, his arm is around your waist, and he’s leaning down to murmur in your ear, “you’re wearing that for me later. no arguments.”

leah clearwater

leah doesn’t usually linger in stores longer than necessary. she likes getting in, getting what she needs, and getting out—especially if the store’s crowded.

so when you pull her gently toward the lingerie section, she blinks, glances at the signs overhead, and says with a dry laugh, “oh, so we’re going there today?”

her tone’s light, a little sarcastic, but not biting—because even if she doesn’t say it aloud, she’ll follow you anywhere.

she stands at your side as you browse, arms folded and eyes scanning the displays with a raised brow. you half-expect her to scoff at the lace and silk, but instead, she just murmurs, “some of this stuff looks like it’d fall apart in the wash.”

still… she lingers. quietly. watches you sift through colors and fabrics like she’s memorizing which ones you’re drawn to.

when you hold up a soft, lilac set—more cute than bold—leah’s eyes soften. she clears her throat. “that’s nice. you’d look really good in that.”

there’s no teasing in her voice, no biting remark—just quiet honesty.

and when you smile at her reaction, she shifts her weight awkwardly, glancing down. “what?” she mumbles. “i’m allowed to have taste.”

you ask if she wants to help you pick one out, and she hesitates. for a second, you think she’s going to say no—but then she reaches for a muted wine-colored bralette and matching bottoms. “this one,” she says, holding it out gently. “i think it’d suit you. strong. subtle. pretty.”

she says the last word a little softer, barely audible, and you catch her biting the inside of her cheek when your eyes meet.

leah’s not used to softness—not the romantic kind. but around you, it leaks through in little glances, brief touches, and quiet protectiveness.

when you head to the register, she walks close beside you, her hand brushing yours until she just grabs it outright.

“you don’t have to dress up for me,” she murmurs once you’re alone again. “i already think you’re beautiful.”

but then—just a beat later, a small smirk tugs at her lips as she adds, “still. if you do wear that one tonight, i’m not gonna complain.”

[omnomnomdomcaps]

All Game No Life (Remastered)

Another Halloween, another lovely opportunity to explore the bewitching, twisted, and the spooky of ab/dl fiction. This one was a collab with @drdaddy19, who you should totally check out!

To the adoring viewers, she was the legendary Kamiya254, a strategy-minded master of simulation, role-playing, and puzzle games. In reality, she was Steff, a dean’s list college student and star track athlete. And Steff was bored.  

She had conquered all the popular titles, besting many of her rival streamers - and never letting them forget it. But wanted a new challenge, and so she asked her followers for a suggestion - something deep and immersive, something she'd never seen before. And luckily, one of them had just the pick. 

From the moment she started Doctor D's Infinite Playground, Steff was impressed by the colorful aesthetic and creative level designs. The puzzles were wacky, the world was full of rich detail, and the play was simple and addictive. There was just one problem - her character sucked. 

Steff was baffled. How was she supposed to navigate through the world and solve puzzles with a character that couldn't even walk, or talk to the NPCs? Did she really have to crawl through every level? So she asked her follower for help - the same one who suggested the game - and he delivered. 

It all came down, he pointed out, to a hidden menu for character customization, and Steff was stunned when she saw how easy it looked. There was no request for payment, no gold or gems or progress required. All it took was a simple press of an "Upgrade" button with a large red "WARNING!" underneath it. 

It seemed too good to be true. And sure enough, when she pressed it, the girl felt an electric shock. 

"Well, this is new," she remarked, trying to shake off the odd sensation. Somehow, though, it only made the game seem more intriguing, and if that was all she had to pay to upgrade, it seemed like a great deal. And so, Steff brushed off her dull headache as the result of too much playing, and pressed on with her powered-up character, easing through the next few levels as she was finally able to move around comfortably and gather information from the other characters. 

That night, she bought herself a stuffed animal. She didn't know why - it just felt right. 

Steff was completely hooked. She kept upgrading, zooming through levels as her character gained ability after ability, learning to jump, drive, swim, and even sneak around undetected in the game world. All the while, her pile of stuffies grew, and her bedroom transformed from a simple gaming den to a pink and pastel wonderland. 

Of course, as she was quickly becoming incapable of realizing, the boosts in her character’s abilities and intelligence were coming at the cost of her own. As she went deeper and deeper into the game, she started to falter at those track meets she once dominated, finishing 4th, then 10th, then last. Her grades, once top of her class, began to plummet. And her commentary, once full of powerful strategic insight, turned to clueless, childish babble - something her viewers seemed to enjoy tremendously.

By the time she reached Level 38, Steff had to drop out of school altogether, unable to keep up with what her professors were saying. She chalked it up to the time she spent playing, but it didn't matter to her anyway - she had always dreamed of being a full-time streamer, and her follower count was booming.

By level 63, though, the girl was even struggling with getting her console set up. Luckily, a follower volunteered to come over and help her- the same one who told her about the character upgrade hack, the very same one who suggested she buy the game in the first place. The old Steff would never be so naive as to invite over a complete stranger like that, but she had fallen far from the old Steff. 

Her character’s stats and skills were through the roof, but the game’s puzzles were giving her headaches. Even when her chat seemed to insist they were simple challenges that small children could solve, Steff found herself baffled, and if any numbers were involved she would simply give up. Pumping more stats into her character seemed to be her only option, but she swore off the upgrade button after her regular electric shock on level 81 caused her to wet herself suddenly, leaking through her pants in front of all her viewers (who seemed to eat it up).   

Her new friend, though, was more than happy to help, guiding “Steffie,” as he called her, along through the play, reading and explaining text on screen to her, and always checking to make sure she remembered to go potty while streaming. And when he noticed that she kept trying to play one-handed because of a thumb-sucking habit she developed, he was even nice enough to find a pacifier for her to use. She started calling him Daddy, and he seemed to enjoy that. 

And then, she reached level 96. Even with a character capable of flying, punching through walls, and reading minds, it seemed she had no way of breaking through. Frustrated, Steffie banged her fists against her bed, bawling as her chat gawked at her tantrum. But as her daddy pointed out, it seemed the only way forward would be to max out her character completely. 

And so, Steffie went to the hidden menu, and clicked the “Upgrade” button one last time.   

In an instant, everything went blank. The girl spent several minutes sitting on her bed in a stupor, sucking rhythmically on her pacifier as the last remnants of her intelligence were sapped away into the game. When it was done, she collapsed onto the bed in a heap, toppling over her tall can of iced tea in the process. Two puddles immediately formed - one around the can, that had spilled onto the carpet below, and the other around the bottom of Steffie’s short blue dress, as her new lack of potty control made itself readily apparent to her viewers. 

She would keep playing after that - sort of. Her daddy worked through the levels for her, while Steffie just sat and watched, oohing and aahing at the flashing colors. By then, she was nothing more than an oversized infant - she had forgotten how to read, how to count, how to walk and how to talk. She would often giggle as she mindlessly filled her diapers on stream, bouncing and squishing on the bed while her daddy finished each new level. 

But her character? Her character was unstoppable.

****

Image Credit: LittleforBig (IG)

Model: Mercurial Mouse

This picture has been modified from its original version

[navydoves]

GAMER GUY? ˚🎮🕹️👾

LADS men as GAMERS!

✎ᝰ a/n: they're all streamers lol, enjoy!

⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎

˚🎮🕹️👾. ˚🎮🕹️👾. ˚🎮🕹️👾.

XAVIER

❥ xavier is the go-to comfort streamer. he only really plays easy rpgs, farming sims, or turn based games. it’s not that he doesn’t or can’t play harder games (like combat or first person shooter) but it’s more like he doesn’t prefer to most days. he thinks of games as a peaceful, winding down hobby so most days he’d rather not break a sweat trying to clear levels or fight bosses. on the rare occasion when he does play harder games, he’s always so strangely good at them. he tries to tell his chat that no he didn’t pre-play the game before the stream and no he didn’t watch videos for strategies. he’s just naturally that good!

❥ his most common time to stream is evening to night, but sometimes he’ll fall asleep while the camera is still on because he’s so tired. he wears bunny or cat headphones that light up and has a matching light up controller or keyboard. his set up is pretty simple, just a pc with two screens and his gaming console. there’s no big extravagant show or a special room for him, he’s very casual.

❥ xavier really enjoys talking to his chat. he doesn’t go out of his way to answer every question, but he’ll dedicate a few minutes to just reading people’s comments and giving short responses. he’s a natural charmer with his soft laughs and candid responses, no wonder he gets so much traction.

❥ and speaking of which, xavier truly doesn’t know how well liked he is. the amount of donations and viewers he gets even when he goes missing for months at a time is abnormal. he constantly has to turn down the donation noise down on his streams because it gets annoying. (the noise is the sound of a shooting star btw hehe.)

❥ he’s a bit of a secret gamer nerd. his chat will ask what the posters and figures are in the background of his streams, and xavier will make it a habit to bring out his new collection of merchandise he got. he doesn’t fill his room to the brim with items though, no no. xavier only collects a decent amount of sentimental, cute things that fit well within his room. so if anyone asks about them, be prepared for a shy but intriguing conversation!

“i can barely keep my eyes open… but i really want to explore this new area. will anyone stay awake with me? wow… all of you, huh?”

ZAYNE

❥ zayne’s streams were once few far and in between. he only started streaming because he felt kinda lonely without anyone to play games with. he has friends, yes! but working a full-time day job means that you end up being too tired to find other people to play with, if they even play games in the first place. playing games is his little side hobby and his way of connecting with other people.

❥ zaynes primary games are puzzle based games, story-centered rpgs, and of course… tetris. he loves anything that requires thoughtful thinking and enjoys a good storyline. but when he just needs to turn off his brain and talk to his chat, he’ll opt for his favorite time-passing tetris. it’s become somewhat of an inside joke between him and his viewers that tetris is his lifeline. it’s not even mundane to watch him. contrary to popular belief, zayne is a good conversationalist when he’s comfortable, and playing for his viewers is actually very comforting.

❥ zayne’s set up is pretty simple. nothing too colorful or bright, just hues of blue and white around his monitors and consoles. maybe he’ll have a snowman figure or a snow globe perched up on his desk but he keeps his gaming area relatively declutterred and clean. not only does it bring him mental peace but it’s also very aesthetically pleasing to look at. even his PC background is of like… snowy mountains or something. it’s like his signature!

❥ zayne mostly plays in the evenings or mid-afternoons. evenings after work or midday if he’s off. he didn’t have a schedule at first, but when he started to get into the groove of streaming more regularly, he also started to have more of a rhythm for his streams. weekends had a high probability, thursdays and wednesdays were his next best days. but at the very least, zayne promises to stream at least twice a week just to keep his viewers (and himself) happy.

❥ it’s actually quite obvious that zayne has a bit of a soft spot for his chat, especially his regulars. it’s very easy for him to remember usernames or the life stories of someone, even if he only saw them online once. he has his special of making his fans feel special. he might not say it often but zayne is actually very grateful for his viewers. he’s not a big streamer or anything, but he definitely has a solidified circle of people who like watching him. he’s very well liked for his skills (and his face but he gets shy whenever he’s complimented).

“i can’t be bothered to play god of war today guys, apologies, i’m very tired. let’s switch over to tetris… why’s everyone laughing?”

RAFAYEL

❥ rafayel is a popular streamer and he loves it! due to his charismatic, funny, and playfully personality, rafa ends up drawing in thousands of viewers each livestream. while his intent at the beginning was to just share his love for video games, he doesn’t mind the attention one bit. he revels in it actually. and despite his growing popularity, the best part about rafayel is that he keeps authentic. there’s never any extravagant or clickbait-y videos, it’s just always rafayel being rafayel.

❥ rafayel’s most played games are the games his viewers ask him to play. his favourites would definitely be a mix of dress up/massive multiplayer/adventure video games. he really doesn’t have a strong preference, he’s willing to play anything. the only hiccup here is when his chat asks rafayel to play a really heavy-duty combat game that he really isn’t mentally equipped for. he’ll spend a good forty minutes on a boss before semi-rage quitting and pouting… and then maybe he goes back to it an hour later.

❥ rafayel’s set up is very colorful but not blinding. the lights are somewhat dim but they all shine rainbows across his face and room. it’s really eye catching! his actual set up is quite massive. he has four different monitors but onto really uses two. he switches between different cute headsets but his staples are the unicorn one and the mermaid designed one. his desk set up isn’t just where he plays games, it’s where he thrives. there’s even a wheely cart of snacks so he can eat mid stream if he so wishes. it’s messy, sure, but not overwhelming. it’s the way he works.

❥ rafayel does not have a streaming schedule at all. he tried having a schedule once and then started to feel kinda suffocated by it. he’s a very type B, “i do what i want when i want to” person. it’s a little hectic but it works the best for him because as soon as he feels obligated to stream, he doesn’t wanna do it anymore. but it really doesn’t matter at what time he streams, he’ll still get a good amount of viewers from all over! he is really grateful for the flexibility. apart from his job as an art teacher, streaming really does pay the bills. and to think, he can do it at any time!

❥ with his chat, rafayel is definitely the most interactive. sometimes entire streams will be dedicated to getting to know his viewers better. he gets very attached. but he has no problem reprimanding someone for being aggressive or rude, either to him or others. he takes that kindness shit seriously! the only time he’ll be “mean” is when he’s play fighting with the chat, which he does so often that he starts to have personal beef with certain users. but it’s all in love, of course!

“ah! fuck! i died again! what do you guys have me playing? what if i just turned off stream right now, huh? yeah… yeah, thought so!”

SYLUS

❥ when sylus first considered streaming, he thought maybe he was a little too old for a seemingly “juvenile” hobby. but his young companion, coworkers (luke and kieran) pushed him to at least try! sylus was a bit awkward at first, what with all the mechanics he had to build for a set-up and all the games that were available to him. the first few streams went just as he thought, him tensely pulling up random games and playing them to an audience of two (luke and kieran again). he almost gave up after the fourth or so livestream, but once his viewer count went up to five, he decided to stay a little longer.

❥ a good idea, that was. because in just a few months sylus would amass a couple hundred viewers that would tune into his live streams. it also helped that sylus really found his niche in first person shooter/close combat/stealth games. he felt the most confident in these games and would always take suggestions for new games under the same category. just to humor his chat, though, he’d indulge in silly casual games which he always scored high on, but sylus enjoys thrill much more. his set up is simple and sleek, black and red as the main colors and nothing getting in the way of his space except maybe a coaster. and just 1 singular pair of black headphones because they go a long way.

❥ despite being fairly new to games, sylus gets the hang of things very quickly. it’s very impressive. he doesn’t get emotional about losing or being stuck somewhere either, just a bit frustrated. if he gets too frustrated, he’ll decide to take a break and pop open a beer and talk to his chat. he’s very straightforward forward and amused with his viewers. he finds all the comments about his looks and skills very flattering but also kinda funny. like: “wow? that’s about me? haha.”

❥ sylus and his chat is very endearing relationship. there will be rare moments where he will explicitly say how grateful he is, but most of his gratitude comes from his attention. his first donation came as a shock and he almost felt a little uncomfortable to think that someone would give him money just for… gaming? he turned his donations off after that, and no matter how much his chat begged, he never turned them back on. he thinks the best appreciation comes from from dedication, and sylus is definitely dedicated.

❥ also, kinda funny, but the viewers definitely enjoy sylus’s voice. part of his charm is that soothing, raspy voice. it’s mature and deep, very commanding of attention. he never realizes how entranced his viewers are from his mannerisms. his deep voice, the tapping of his fingers, the clicking of his tongue. it’s all very satisfying and so sylus. his mature look and atmosphere draws in just about anybody. it’s very calming in a way… very soothing to the soul.

“how old am i? too old to be playing mortal kombat on stream, that’s for sure. but i do it because i have fun, nothing more to it. hm? i can never be old to enjoy myself? that’s nice of you to say.”

CALEB

❥ caleb has always been an avid video gamer player since he was a kid, and getting into streaming really was one of his goals. he didn’t need to be popular or make money off of it, he just wanted to share his passion with everyone else. but now, he was both! caleb could be considered semi-popular. he garners a few thousand viewers every stream which is a lot more than what the average streamer gets. it’s like an unspoken wish of his come true.

❥ it’s for that reason that caleb tries to stream as frequently as possible. he wants to have every chance to meet his audience and play games with or for them. he’ll host multiplayer games or join other people’s games to be able to experience the fun of co-op. his schedule is set for weekends, but it’s absolutely possible for him to pop in for a few hours on weekdays to continue a story quest from his favorite adventure game. he actually refuses to play certain games unless his audience gets to watch it too.

❥ caleb’s set up is actually very high-tech. he’s saved up a lot to buy his stuff and for that reason, he’s really, really careful with it. he doesn’t rage or put unnecessary drinks around his tech. he tries not to dirty it up but he really likes to eat while streaming so that tends to get a little hard. the main colours there are white, orange, and purple. people remark how those are the colours he wears the most often too. his headset is a pair of white and orange ones, but after encouragement from his chat, he added some dog ears to them. it’s a little embarrassing but whatever makes the fans happy.

❥ there really isn’t a game category out there caleb hasn’t tried. after years of gaming, he’s dipped his toes into practically every genre and knows a lot about gaming companies and developers and even some coding. talk about a true gaming nerd. but still, he’ll replay a lot of games because he really does get immersed in what he does. and any new big game that comes out, he’ll play almost immediately to give his two cents in. and trust, he’ll always have a lot to say.

❥ but just like the love he has for video games, caleb definitely has gotten a love for streaming too. sometimes he gets so sad that he has to cut the stream that he just… decides to bring everyone along. he’ll turn on a small go pro and just take his viewers on a grocery run or out to the park to get away from the screen. sometimes gaming and streaming overlapped, but other times they were lovely in their own right. of course every minute of the way, caleb has his nose stuck at the chat, wondering what his viewers are saying and laughing at their jokes about how weird and goofy he is. caleb lived for that.

“bro, how lore-packed is this game??? let’s check to see how many hours i’ve played… fifty-three?! alright guys, haha, i’m not jobless i swear. how about we go out and enjoy the stars before my retinas burn off?”

⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎

˚🎮🕹️👾. ˚🎮🕹️👾. ˚🎮🕹️👾.

[otakween]

Digimon World Data Squad - Final Thoughts

Another Digimon game defeated 😉 This one felt kind of like a knock off of the Tales of series in its presentation (although it has turn based fighting). They're both Bandai Namco, so not much of a stretch there. It's one of those games that's objectively kinda bad but still manages to be enjoyable despite its flaws.

Despite the localized name, it is NOT a part of the Digimon World series. I guess it's considered a standalone. Kind of a side story to the Savers/Data Squad anime.

Notes:

This game took me slightly over 17 hours to beat over 3 weeks. Really the time it takes to beat is inflated because the game throws a random encounter at you every two seconds 😒 Also, I could have done all the bonus content, but I really didn't want to trudge through the dungeons again.

Speaking of the random encounters, not only do they slow the game to a crawl, they also make it pretty easy to become OP so long as you don't flee from any of them. Sometimes I enjoy the built in grinding, but this was a bit excessive. The "low/no encounter" items made things better late in the game but you also had to use a new one so frequently because they expired in like 1 minute!

Another frustration with this game is that the sound mixing was atrocious! It had the benefit of having all the English dub voices but that didn't matter because you couldn't freakin' hear anyone over the blaring music! It was painful to listen to and the subtitles were absolutely required. (There was no way to adjust the sound btw)

I was impressed by how much is voiced in this game, even though the dialogue is not that well written. I liked that they had victory dialogue at the end of each battle (that I could barely make out lol).

Graphics-wise I think the game looked pretty nice, typical PS2 JRPG with the bright colors from the show. The movement of the digimon in and out of battles was great. I really liked Agumon's "windmill arms" when he got all charged up. That was cute.

Weird af battle mechanics were not for me. Which skills you have access to are based on your digimon's mood and sometimes they want to be useless for whatever reason. A lot of the support/guard skills I also just never used because it was extremely unclear what they did? I couldn't find good online guides for this game either because it's not that popular lol.

(Gaogamon was the most annoying digimon in my party. He never wanted to be helpful in battle and his attacks were always super weak >:()

Speaking of weird mechanics, digivolution was weird too! I eventually realized that there was a hidden (never introduced/explained) menu that told you the requirements for each digivolution. I spent a long time thinking it was just random and getting shitty digimon every time I attempted a digivolve mid-battle. On the bright side, it was easy to just pick a digivolution you already unlocked and jump to it. That was convenient but felt really weird because digimon games have never let me do that before (at least not going to a higher level).

This entire game was insultingly easy until the final boss who suddenly got really hard (until I found a good strategy). All the other bosses just took one try. The game is very unbalanced because they give you so much money after each battle to the point where you can basically buy infinite recovery items.

Every single boss I fought (except one) had the same "VB" weakness? How lame is that? I was able to use the exact same strategy for ever boss and it made things very monotonous.

I liked the dungeon design/variety in locations, but the constant battles left me disoriented and made it hard to appreciate the view.

(Shout out to the walkthrough I found that had maps of each one. Made things a lot less painful.)

There was a handful of game exclusive characters that were fine I guess. I liked Kosaburo and his Biyomon, but Yuma and Kagura were pretty forgettable. They felt like the kind of characters you'd see that were made to appear once in a Digimon movie.

Speaking of Kagura, he was the (gasp) surprise villain (another reason this reminded me of a Tales of game tbh). He was pretty pathetic as a villain. They reveal at the end that his whole motive was being jealous of Thomas being better than him at everything. Like, okay, cool story bro.

Rolled my eyes big time when they revealed that the plot revolved around the seven deadly sins. How many times is Japanese media gonna pull out that cliche? I'm literally playing a completely unrelated visual novel rn (11eyes) that ALSO has a seven deadly sins plot. (Actually they came out 2 years apart from each other, so maybe it was a 2000s craze lol).

It seemed pretty unnecessarily cruel to kill off Nitta in front of his daughter like that. All the characters are just like "there there..." to her. I don't get why he had to die when Kagura didn't? (They were both "absorbed" by digimon) Makes no sense other than that Kagura had more plot armor.

I did feel pretty powerful defeating Lucemon Satan Mode at the end there. Unfortunately this is one of those games that goes back to the title screen after you beat the last boss. I've always thought that was a weird choice. Let me save!!

The Digimon video game franchise continues to be completely different with every release! Half of me is like "what's up with this chaotic mess!?" and the other half is like "yes!! Keep surprising me!" I'm really glad I'm playing the games alongside the anime. Feel like I'm on my way to becoming a Digimon scholar lol.

I give Digimon World Data Squad a 5 out of 10.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

hi!! im absolutely in love with ur work!! i would love a platonic and romantuc marvel + dc matchup :)) guy/girl/anything in between for either platonic or romantic, i am 18 y/o and i use they/them pronouns!

physical appearance: midsize body type, lots of softer features, shaggy blonde hair, hazel eyes and big ol round glasses

personality: very confident (way too much for my own good) friendly, outgoing, humorous, stubborn, ambitious, and emotional

hobbies: drawing, reading, writing, watching movies/tv, playing video games, and acting/singing in local theatre productions!

aesthetic: typically cluttered and colorful, lots of patterns and bright colors!! i have an androgynous clothing style and i usually wear v colorful makeup

fave movies/tv shows: funny n gory fast-paced action (ex: bullet train the suicide squad, the boys), silly horror comedies (ex: tucker and dale vs evil, freaky) or goofy teen comedies (ex: sex education, mean girls, pitch perfect). also ANYTHING ZOMBIE RELATED I LOVE ZOMBIES!!

fave music: amped up alternative pop/rock!! think mindless self indulgence and will wood type beat w lots of weird sounds and earwormy tunes (some more artists i enjoy are poor mans poison, twenty one pilots, set it off, the lumineers, and hozier)

sorry if this is a lil long!!

Hey, I'm sorry this is so late! <3333333333 And you gave great info, (I also love zombies) :)

But I hope you like your matchups!

Romantic and Platonic Matchups; Marvel and DC

~~~

Romantic;

~~~

Marvel;

Pietro Maximoff -

You met Pietro after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Yes, he is alive and well.

So speedy, bullets didn't even graze him.

Anyway, you met Pietro during a benefit event he was forced to go to since he was an Avenger now... Oof.

He was there begrudgingly, rolling his eyes and lounging in a corner while trying not to look completely bored.

He tried having fun and talking to a few people, but they were all the same. Like Tony, rich and just... Ugh...

You were invited since you were part of the press, and when you spotted him - the speeder that helped save New York from robots - you walked over.

You couldn’t resist joking about how out of place he looked, making a quip about his fancy suit - the tie loosened, and hair a slight mess - and not to mention that casual slouch.

He smirked, surprised by your boldness. Your confidence intrigued him immediately, and he stuck around to chat.

You both introduced yourselves, despite you knowing him already from the news, and you being a part of the press.

It wasn't long until you got him laughing out loud from how funny you were.

After the event, you continued hanging out.

You quickly bonded over your shared love of fast-paced action movies, bantering about which stunts were the coolest or most unrealistic.

You both love to have movie nights where you watch movies such as Bullet Train and for some reason, Pietro really likes Mean Girls.

Pietro adored your bright, colorful aesthetic; he loves gifting you clothing that matches your aesthetic and vibe; sometimes after hanging out with Pietro, he'd wink, speed away, and you'd find a pair of socks that you absolutely love.

You guys love playing video games together. He’d win the racing games but get frustrated when you beat him in strategy games. But, it is all in good fun.

He always forgives you ;)

Pietro realized that he had feelings for you when he speeded his way to your apartment - you gave him a key - and he found you singing and dancing without a care in the kitchen.

He stood there, shocked, before that soft smile of his appeared, his eyes half-lidded - he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, and eyes softening - the sight of you being so carefree, and the sound of your voice, made him feel warm inside.

Yep, he had fallen for you. In that moment. Even more so when you noticed his presence and turned. The bright smile on your face was contagious and made his already fast-beating heart race.

He would then begin subtly showing off more than usual around you, zipping through your tasks and chores to impress you - and help you not have to do those said chores - like dishes or vacuuming.

Another thing you begin to notice is that he stands closer to you during conversations.

Pietro finally confesses on day when he takes you to the country you have always wanted to visit; something you didn't even think Pietro would remember you telling him.

There, at sunset, after a full day of exploring, Pietro confessed his feelings for you.

"You know, I've never wanted to slow down before, but I think I could for you."

You understood what he was saying.

He loves to sneak backstage after your performances to surprise you with chocolate and your favorite flowers.

You balance his impulsiveness with your thoughtfulness, often bringing snacks or water when you know he’s been running around too much.

He constantly finds excuses to pick you up or carry you places. "Why walk when you have me?"

You and Pietro like exploring vintage shops and hunting for accessories for both of your wardrobes.

He loves saying, "Didn't see that coming?"

Visiting theme parks together, with Pietro insisting on riding every rollercoaster twice because it’s the 'only thing fast enough for him.'

Competitive video game nights that end in playfully over-the-top arguments.

Pietro loves just dancing with you to your music, like Twenty One Pilots, and The Lumineers.

At night, if you have trouble sleeping or just want to cuddle, he'd hold you close, petting your hair, humming old Sokovian songs his mom used to sing to him.

~~~

DC;

Richard 'Dick' Grayson -

You met Dick at the community theater where you were performing.

He was there with his father, Bruce, and his brothers, as a part of a Wayne Foundation charity; to help preserve the theater.

He was immediately struck by you, not only by your beauty but your beautiful voice and the way you stood on the stage; he swore you were one for Broadway or something.

Watching you perform, Dick was mesmerized. He leaned over to Tim mid-show to whisper, “Do you think she’s famous? Because she should be.”

Tim rolled his eyes, but even Bruce smirked slightly at his son’s obvious admiration.

After the performance, Bruce encouraged his sons to mingle with the performers and other guests as part of the charity event. Dick made a beeline for you, heart pounding, rehearsing a casual greeting in his head.

(“Hi, I’m Dick. No, wait- that sounds weird. Richard sounds too formal. Just smile- wait, don’t smile too much!”).

When he finally approached, his first words were a rambling compliment about your performance.

“Hey! I just wanted to say you were… Incredible out there. Seriously, I’ve seen Broadway shows, and this was better. Way better. Not that I’m, like, a theater critic or anything…”

You laughed, finding his nervous energy endearing, and thanked him.

You clicked right away, finding his humor and charm impossible to resist.

Dick started showing up at the theater regularly, always claiming he was there to help but spending most of the time talking to you. He’d bring coffee or snacks, using them as an excuse to hang out.

Oh, yeah, he was just in the neighborhood. Totally.

During your conversations, you realized you both loved action-packed stories, albeit in different forms - you loved movies and theater, and he loved acrobatics and comics.

You both also bonded over your shared love for anything zombie.

He quickly became your go-to person for venting.

Dick realized his feelings after one of your performances. Watching you light up the stage with confidence and talent made his heart skip a beat.

But, let's be honest here, you had him since he first saw you.

He’s a sucker for your colorful aesthetic, often complimenting you - sometimes complimenting you multiple times a day.

He’s incredibly supportive of your hobbies, showing up to every performance and cheering the loudest at your shows.

You surprise him with little doodles or notes in his gear bag, and he secretly treasures each one.

Dick loves to treat you by taking you shopping, either at malls or thrift stores, where you end up with bags of new colorful clothes.

When he is not Nightwinging around in the night, Dick will bring you into a waltz, holding you close as you hum a tune. Sometimes, you both dance and just have fun, playing Poor Man's Poison or Set It Off from Bluetooth speakers.

You both have cozy nights in, also when Dick is free for the night, where you both watch The Boys, popcorn with you, and Dick's arm around you.

~~~

Platonic;

~~~

Marvel;

Tony Stark -

Being a part of the Avengers meant you were forced to know Tony Stark since he was Iron Man.

You joined the Avengers after Nick Fury asked you to join. Yeah, pretty simple.

You were actually staying at the X-Mansion in the countryside of New York when you got the call.

How did he get your number?

But, Nick had heard of your mutation and asked you to come over to the Avenger Tower for a meeting.

They would pick you up and everything.

You were quite curious, and cautious, but you went.

You never thought that you were going to be asked to join the Avengers.

But, hell yeah, you knew that you could do it!

After agreeing to join, another meeting was held in which you got to meet the other Avengers and get a tour - along with seeing your new room.

Tony freaking Stark was very interesting in getting to know you more, and so, like Tony Stark do, he decided to hold a party for you.

Beforehand, he asked you about your favorite bands and made sure to play them during the party.

You were really boppin' to Hozier and Twenty One Pilots that night.

During that party, Tony got to know you.

Your humor caught him off guard, and he was instantly hooked on your witty remarks and unshakable confidence.

Oh, he knew you both were going to be good friends.

You became his unofficial creative consultant, offering feedback on everything from suit designs to marketing slogans.

He loved teasing you about your colorful aesthetic, but secretly thought it was awesome.

Like he does for everyone, he gives you the nickname 'Rainbow Brite.'

Refereeence.

Tony would take you on spontaneous shopping sprees, insisting on buying you over-the-top outfits or gadgets.

He likes buying things for you and loves it when you just buy things for yourself on his card.

He doesn't care, he's rich.

You are the only Avenger that actually allows him to buy things for you all the time. The others kind of reject his gifts at this point.

He lets you drive any of his cars.

Don't be surprised as well if you find his credit card in your wallet.

Tony loves spoiling his friends.

Endless banter and sarcastic back-and-forths that make everyone around you groan.

Tony will watch movies with you, just be warned, he will make fun of them most of the time.

~~~

DC;

Harley Quinn -

You met Harley at an underground art exhibit where you were showcasing some of your drawings and art.

Your colorful style caught her attention, and she immediately complimented your vibe.

On top of that, she called you a 'walking masterpiece.'

You struck up a conversation about art and horror movies, and Harley decided then and there that you were her new best friend.

Have fun.

Harley adored your outgoing and confident personality, and the two of you quickly became partners in chaos.

Stealing carts full of food from stores, setting off colorful smoke bombs, and petting Bruce the hyena.

She loves how you can match her energy, and is endlessly impressed by you and your talents.

You became her go-to person for any advice she may ever need or just someone to rant to when things get sad or overwhelming.

And the same goes for you, she will always be that shoulder to cry on if need be.

Watching zombie movies while Harley cheers for the zombies and throws popcorn at the screen.

Singing and dancing together to loud, upbeat music.

Shopping trips where Harley encourages you to go even bolder with your style.

Matching outfits!

Will go ham on watching Pitch Perfect and Suicide Squad.

Totally not meta.

[yuurei20]

Ortho Info Compilation part 4: Appearance, Honorifics and Games

Unlike Idia, Ortho’s hair is not a manifestation of a curse. He says “It’s just artificially generated" but still made of fire like Idia’s and he “can turn it any color by altering the gas mix.”

For Fairy Gala IF Ortho makes his own mechanical body based on Crewel’s designs in what is possibly for his first time occupying a body that was not designed for him by Idia.

Both before and after Book 6 Ortho typically refers to people by their full names with the “-san” honorific upon greeting them for the first time, and then by their first names with “-san” during the ensuing conversation.

(The full name pattern is sometimes recreated on EN, and sometimes not.)

He refers to Idia by the “Nii-san” version of “older brother,” which becomes very important during Book 6 when it is revealed that the original Ortho upon which he was based used the “Nii-chan” variation when he was still alive.

At the end of Book 6 there is a conversation where Idia dismisses Ortho from his role of little brother, during which Ortho refers to him by his name with the “-san” honorific, as he does every other character.

When Idia accepts his request to become his little brother, he returns immediately to “Nii-san.”

Most characters keep to their own, individual speaking conventions for Ortho with Azul referring to him with “-san”, Ruggie with “-kun” and neither Vil nor Kalim using any honorific at all.

Malleus refers to him as “small Shroud” (or “littler Shroud” on EN).

Floyd’s nickname of Clione-chan is the same on both servers, while Rook’s nickname of Monsieur Doll (Monsieur Marionette on EN) is changed to Monsieur Wonder in Book 6.

While pronounced “Monsieur Wonder,” the word that Rook is actually using means “Miracle.”

This comes up again during Playfulland when Fellow flatters Ortho with, "You're a literal miracle! One containing infinite possibilities! Simply incredible!"

Ortho responds, "Everything you're saying is indeed factually correct, but it's still so embarrassing to hear it out loud!"

When asked about how much he interacts with other Ignihyde students, Ortho responds that they play phone games a lot. He doesn’t play computer games as a general rule, since it doesn’t really require any effort for him to win.

He says he enjoys competing against his dormmates, who keep coming up with new strategies no matter how many times they lose.

There is apparently an “anti-Otho” game strategy guide where students use handwritten notes to hide information from him, as even the tightest data security won’t stop him.

Ortho mentions ordering a game to play with his roommates during a “dedicated gaming day,” and it seems he collects games in physical form rather than only digital.

Ortho seems passionate about games, saying that the idea of adapting his and Trey’s skills to the skills of their customers during New Year’s would be “an insult to the game” and he would never do it, despite how the store’s success (and their own bonuses) are depending upon the customers’ willingness to play against them.

Ultimately Trey offers the idea of helping customers improve their skills so that they are not beaten so handily in every match, of which Ortho approves, saying, “A full-throttle battle, where anyone can win. I like it! All games should be like that!”

When Ortho uncharacteristically misses a shot during billiards Vil says he better not have done so on purpose and Ortho responds, “I would never pull my punches in a game!”

[ocean-blue-orchids]

Wiro Scribe: NRC Music Fest Costume Vignette-“For the Club!”

This is a “vignette” story for @twstinginthewind’s NRC Pop Music Fest event!

AUGH ok so this is technically submitted about one hour after midnight but here it is! Below the cut is a fic designed to be the “vignette” that a ssr Wiro card would have for this event. Uh this thing was NOT proofread we die like pop music club members

Oh and a quick note on Wiro

-Octavinelle freshman who wished he was put in Ignihyde at first, he’s pretty good with computers and octrio terrified him

-Nervous little guy who is trying to learn to be cunning (while also not being mean about it)

-Member of the pop music club. He doesn’t sing, but he can write music, and he’s been trying to make songs that the three other members could enjoy playing together.

Pt 1

————

“I officially call-“

“Ooh, ooh! Use ‘declare.’ That sounds more official.”

“Ok…I officially ‘declare’ our second Pop Music Club meeting for the NRC Music Fest open!”

Kalim clapped loudly, with Lilia whistling in approval. From behind the pair, a short student clapped quietly in his bean bag chair. Lilia swiveled himself around on his stool to face the guppy.

“Oh come now, Wiro. You have to show some enthusiasm too! Give me your best war cry!”

“I-I don’t think I really have o-“

“WAR CRY!!!”

“UHHH YAY NRC MUSIC FESTIVAL!”

Wiro’s pale face went slightly red, a combination of embarrassment and exertion from shouting so loud. Lillia smiled and nodded in approval.

“Very good, Wiro! That’s a proper club battle cry. Now we can truly start the meeting.”

Cater tapped on his phone to open the next slide of his brightly colored presentation. It read “RECRUITMENT!!!🤩🎉🎶” in a bold font.

“We can’t host this festival on our own! The whole point of this is to drum up interest in the club, so I think we should each get out there and find other people to perform with to fill out more of the event time. So…we should divide and conquer!”

Wiro grimaced slightly.

“Isn’t dividing kinda…your thing, Cater? Do we all have to go it alone for this, or…?”

“Aw, what’s wrong, Wiro? I thought you of all people would appreciate my strategy here.”

Kalim took a moment to study Wiro’s face, social gears turning in his head.

“Oh! Awwwe…Wiro, are you nervous?”

The pink tint on the freshman’s face made it clear that Kalim was right on the money.

“How adorable~! Come Wiro, let me squish your face-“

“Noooooo-“

Lilia made a quick lunge for Wiro, but he managed to dodge it by sinking further into his beanbag.

“Is that really it, Wiro? You’re nervous to recruit for the club on your own?”

“It’s not much of a surprise, is it?” Lilia spoke from the corner he had crash landed into, seeming somewhat content to stay in his upside down position. “Poor little Wiwi was so shy when he first came to us~”

“Was?”

“Shh, Cater. Be nice to your underclassmen.”

Kalim took a sip of the energy drink he always had on hand for club meetings before speaking.

"It's true that you're…sorta the least extroverted out of the four of us. I mean, when we first met you you were hiding under the club keyb-"

"AGH-You uh. You don't need to remind me. I was, I was there."

Cater sighed as he tapped to the next slide.

"I know that this might be a harder task for some of us than others, but it's gotta be done. No new recruits, no festival. And no festival…means no more music club next year."

Wiro sat up a bit, fiddling with his tie.

"I know that too. And…I think I can do it. I owe it to you guys to at least try, right?"

Kalim let out a loud whoop and raised his fist in the air.

"That’s the spirit! Think of it like…arranging a song, Wiro! But the notes are people, and the lyrics are also people! And the song is people, and-“

“Oooookay. We’re getting off topic and we still have a lot more to get through. Also, Lillia, you’re getting pale-er.”

Lillia flipped himself upright.

“So professional today! Go on, fearless leader, we await your commands~”

Wiro relaxed back into his bean bag, pulling up a digital note on his tablet to start working on a plan. He was the Octavinelle rep for this club, after all. If he couldn’t come up with something good for the event and it flopped, chances are he’d never hear the end of the teasing from his fellow underclassmen. Not to mention…well, it wasn’t any use to dwell on his feelings when there was so much work to be done.

————

Pt 2

As always, the Film Club was hard at work. Their current project was set to film in two weeks, and they had also agreed to help broadcast the NRC Music Fest in exchange for a chance to perform a musical number during the event, but they were still working diligently on their own projects. As to be expected of a club run by Vil, of course. The Housewarden was watching his club mates run lines when he noticed the door to the auditorium quietly open, letting a sliver of light into the room.

“Mm…alright everyone. Take a break, drink some water, we’re back in five.

A chorus of “Thank you five!” echoed through the auditorium.

“And Wiro?”

Wiro jolted a bit at being instantly noticed by Vil’s keen eyes.

“You may come up on stage and speak to me. But you also are limited to our five minutes-we’re on a very tight schedule here.”

Wiro briskly nodded and made his way onto the stage, standing in front of Vil, who was currently sat in a directors chair.

“I’m assuming this is about the Music Festival?”

“Mhm-I wanted to ask Ortho if he would be willing to sing a solo for one of the main stage performances?”

“Ortho? Sing? I know that Idia gave him those capabilities…but they aren’t exactly angelic vocal cords, Wiro. If you’d like, I could offer some additional students to round out the performance-“

“Nope! Thanks for The offer but really, I want Ortho for this. It certainly beats the alternative…”

“What was that you just mumbled? You need to project, Wiro.”

“Ahha uh it’s nothing sorry thank you bye bye now-“

Wiro blurted out his goodbyes and walked as fast as his little legs could carry him.

——

The day before the Music Fest was set to be held, the cast and crew had gathered for a proper tech rehearsal. This was at Vil’s insistence, as he was absolutely flabbergasted when Kalim had mentioned their lack of plans to rehearse beforehand.

As Wiro made his way to the lighting booth to make sure the crew was set up, he saw Ortho heading his way.

“Oh, Ortho! Thanks again for helping me out with the performance, did you get the files I sent you?”

“I…did, yes. But how did you know exactly how to make something that would run with my voicebank software? You kinda freaked Idia out when I showed him the song.”

“You, you showed Idia my-uh…I mean…well, I just kinda assumed that he built yours off of the same engine as Hatsune Miku. And I was right, right?”

“You were…I wasn’t aware that there was another vocaloid fan in the school. You should talk to my brother, Wiro!”

“What?! No way. He’s too cool for me to talk too…”

Despite having a high tech processor, it took Ortho a moment to truly process that.

“…you may be the only other person in this school that shares my opinion, Wiro. But still, I’m excited to have a solo tomorrow, so thank you for this!”

“A…solo?”

Crowley appeared behind the duo the same way he always appeared: out of absolutely nowhere. Wiro practically jumped out of his skin, while Ortho simply waved.

“Hello Headmage! Is there a problem?”

“I’m afraid there is, Ortho. You see, this festival has been advertised as live performances-and while you are indeed alive, we may draw some criticism from the crowd for having an act that lacks any live singing.”

“What?! But Headmage, they just don’t get the magic of voice bank software! I could-“

“Nope! The decision has been made, Wiro. It’s for the good of the festival! However, as I am ever so generous, Ortho can perform if you make it a duet.”

Wiro wanted to protest more, but it was impossible to get a word out. The shock that caused his temporary outburst had quickly worn off.

Ortho looked at Wiro sympathetically as Crowley walked off to attend other matters.

“Hey, it’s ok, maybe we can find someone else to learn the song in one day?”

“….no way am I letting this get messed up because of a technicality. There’s only one other person who could perform the song with you on such short notice…!”

Without warning, Wiro ran off towards the dorm portals.

“Tell Vil that I’ll be back in an hour!”

“But Wiro, he said attendance is mandatory-“

“An hour, Ortho! I need to set something up! He’ll live!”

Ortho sighed as he watched Wiro run off.

“Whatever he’s planning…he’s clearly fired up.”

————

Pt 3

“Next act is on in five minutes! Ortho and…”other”, get by your entrance!”

Lilia’s voice echoed through each backstage worker’s headsets, including Cater’s. He turned to look at Ortho, who was already at his spot in the wings.

“Ortho, do you know where your other singer is? And where’s Wiro, did he just disappear?”

“Wiro said he had to go do get the singer, and that he’d be back in five minutes.”

“When did he say that?!”

“Fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds ago. Twenty nine seconds ago. Thirty seconds-“

Cater covered his face with his hands and exhaled before quickly collecting himself.

“That’s…not ideal, ngl. He just dipped? In the middle of the show?”

“It was for a good reason, Cater.”

A deep baritone voice came from behind them. But when Cater turned around, all he saw was Wiro looking up at him.

“Wiro! Jeez, you really know how to scare a guy. But who just spoke to me?”

“That…was me.”

Sure enough, the low voice was coming out of little Wiwi’s mouth. The difference between the voice and the body was somewhat uncanny.

“Wiro!? What the-why-no, first, what is that voice? Second, why do you have it? Third, what is that voice!?”

“Well…I got this voice from Azul. Because I don’t have a good singing voice…but Ortho needs someone to sing this duet with him.”

“Wait…don’t tell me you-?!”

“Yep. I made a deal with Azul for it.”

Cater had to take a deep breath after that one.

“Wiro. Are you insane.”

“Nope! All things considered it went pretty well. I just offered up a chance for them to sell their Mostro Lounge drinks directly to the guests today in exchange for a voice Azul has as collateral from some other deal. And he agreed!”

“Wait, Mostro Lounge is doing the drinks for us? Since when!?”

“Since yesterday.”

“Who-how did you get it together so fast?”

“Kalim just kinda signs anything you hand him. And it shouldn’t be a shock that Housewarden Ashengrotto managed to get together extra workers and drink stock in eighteen hours. He’s pulled off crazier feats before. And of course I offered to help run food back and forth from Sam’s shop and prep it.”

“What the…did you even sleep last night?”

“A little bit.”

Ortho scanned Wiro’s face.

“Readings show about four hours of sleep total, as well as heightened anxiety levels.”

Wiro’s face flushed a bit.

“Ok, so it wasn’t exactly easy. But…I wasn’t going to just sit by and not contribute anything to this festival. This club…means a lot to me. It was one of the first places where I learned what it meant to just…hang out with people who like me. So…uh…I wanted to help.”

Wiro’s still uncharacteristically deep voice got quieter as he spoke.

“I’d do anything for this club. Really.”

Ortho and Cater were silent for a moment, but were interrupted by Lilia’s loud shouts into the comms system. The fae shouted like he was running an army or something.

“Ortho, Wiro, you’re on in one! Also, Wiwo, you little softie you~ Young bonds of friendship are so adorable~!”

“I know, right?! I didn’t realize that was what you had me sign yesterday, but I’m glad it worked out for everyone, lil’ buddy!”

Cater tapped his microphone to check it while Wiro grew even more embarrassed.

“Did Kalim and Lilia hear all of that too?”

“Yeah we did! I feel the same way you do Wiro! Pop music club forev-“

Vil’s voice could be heard through what had previously been Kalim’s feed.

“Focus in, the four of you. Don’t make me remove your mic privileges. Wiro, Ortho, you’re on in thirty seconds.”

Wiro adjusted his outfit, a trendy casual fit with tons of kandi bracelets on it.

“Do I look ok?”

Cater ruffled his hair a bit, pushing a stray curl back for him.

“You’re gonna do great.”

“I sure hope so. Oh, and btdubbs Cater, please let me know what our attendance numbers look like because I may or may not have put up a week of me being anemone-ed as collateral for Azul if we don’t hit a certain attendance threshold-“

“Wait-wait what-?!”

But Wiro was already walking out on stage with Ortho for their performance.

Cater sighed, shaking his head.

“That kid…”

“Oh, don’t fret over it Cater. He’ll survive either way. I’m just surprised that he has the courage to go on stage like this. I couldn’t even imagine him doing this when we first met him. Clearly we’re having an influence on him. Or at least you are. He did just say “btdubbs”…”

Cater couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he watched the pair start their duet.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe this club is more helpful than we give it credit for.”

“Mm. Maybe~”

————-

AUGH OK ITS DONE YAYYYY

For the record the groovy would totally be of Wiro and Ortho jamming out on stage in some costumes-I feel like a pop fest gear for Ortho could look so cool like. Stick some stickers and decals on him and change his flames to a neon green or something

Oh and I imagine the song they’d sing would be “Why Do I (With Hatsune Miku)” by Set It Off, although I’m sure the version Wiro wrote was school appropriate

This event was super cool and fun to write about! And it was an excuse to yap abt Ortho canonically having the ability to sing like Hatsune Miku so ‼️🎉

I also had to go and change ALL THE WORDING because I original wrote this as Pop Music Club Fest and not NRC Music Fest. But we survive baby

[arisenreborn]

∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

Part 2 (of 3)!!! The long Q&A stuff for Olivia. I get way too long-winded so I'm divvying them up. 😂 (Part 1 || Part 3) [template]

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

Olivia was born to the Tramont family, a noble family who have historically sworn themselves to the knighthood and service of Vermund. While women becoming knights isn't exactly unheard of, Olivia, however, was expected to marry to further secure their households status, and bear sons-who-would-become-knights. Olivia, however, thought this was bullshit. She trained in relative secret from a young age, spying on her older brother or the knights training grounds and mimicking their actions, or reading extensively on technique and strategy. Nevertheless, her defiant inclinations manifested plenty enough elsewhere to make her relationship with most of her family strained. She was vocal against the increasingly useless nature of the nobility, or how they turned a blind eye to the suffering of people beyond the noble quarters. Meanwhile her parents wanted her to dress up and appeal to those very self-serving nobles to better secure their families position; while they'd historically ascended to nobility through valiant deeds, the other part of this had been strategic marriages. Unfortunately for her, she did enjoy dressing up and going to parties, frivolous and hedonistic as any teenage girl might be. When there came to be talks of an arrangement between her and the Regentkin, however, she secretly enlisted with the knights. To avoid scandal, talks of marriage were dropped, and her father could do naught but quietly allow her to continue, but she was all but effectively disowned. On the surface they continued to support her (financially, most crucially), but otherwise all familial ties have been cut.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

Before she regains her memories it's immensely confusing, though she does get through that (relatively small) period of time well enough on a sort of muscle memory. Despite their estrangement, her family was hard-pressed not to give their full support of a daughter who had become Arisen - though playing their pieces just right against Disa's scheme is crucial. They spared no expense seeking out a means of undoing the curse that stole Olivia's memories, and though it wasn't entirely flawless, it was enough to restore her. Since then, she's taken the title with pride and enthusiasm, seeing it as a sort of 'proof of her worthiness', that she's right to eschew the schemers and self-serving nobility, that the pursuit of her path to help and protect was all but ordained. Alas it is more complicated than she could have ever dreamed, but she's very stubbornly against complaining about the burdens of her duty. Least of all one that 'freed' her from so many of her past shackles. Never mind the shiny new ones.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

Admittedly simple and straightforward (hah). She mislikes the mistreatment they often receive, but this isn't significantly different from her dislike of anyone's mistreatment. Initially she sees them akin to the ideal form of uncorrupted soldiers and knights: noble warriors pledged to a grand cause, more or less. So at first she regards them the same way she would knights under her command, in an official capacity, with a sense of authority and responsibility any commanding officer might have. But see: Olivia isn't really that serious. She has an ideal of knighthood and also an understanding of the reality of it, and she falls somewhere outside of both. She aspires to the ideal, is affronted at the oft times corrupt or otherwise unpleasant reality, but is a little too capricious to actually embody an example of the former. So, as she travels with them (and especially deals with Emrys) her true colors balance out; she likes having fun and laughing with them, getting drinks and delighting in their stories. Less a band of knights and more a simple group of friends. Through these interactions her understanding of them and their plight grows, though she isn't really sure what she can do to change things for them...

4. What’s their relationship like with their main Pawn?

Whew, boy. Complicated. Starting out she trusted him implicitly, finding his relaxed and friendly nature comfortable and easy to get along with. This was true for a time, until shortly after her memories were restored. Then she gradually started to notice that some of his remarks seemed less humorous than they seemed at first glance, or that he often shirked responsibilities to other pawns where he could. Which was fine, to an extent, except she couldn't shake a discomforting feeling at times. Among the nobility, being able to tell who regarded you with distaste was a very useful skill in navigating political webs, and her alarms were going off, though she couldn't tell just why. Eventually discovering that most all of it was a lie and that he hated her for almost no other reason than the fact she was Arisen was more hurtful than she would have anticipated. She's dealt with a lot of people disliking or disapproving of her over the years, but she'd really come to rely on and trust him by this point, and it didn't seem like the sort of thing (initially) that they could just 'talk it out'. She loathes that she feels 'weak' and 'helpless' about it. It's not something she can solve with her usual methods, and while often she'd have moved on and not cared what others thought of her, she found herself caring very much about this strange, belligerent pawns opinion and feelings towards her. It took quite some time, and a lot of bumps along the way, but she did come to recognize and understand his feelings for her were far more complicated and not actually about her. She loves and cherishes him dearly, and wishes to stay by his side and help him finally move forward past the long-lingering scars of his past.

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

Oh, absolutely. Becoming Sovran would mean she could change and fix so many things! Though she knows that's a little naive, she does have a strong belief she could change things for the better with that kind of influence. As she travels she begins to have doubts, or maybe 'cold feet', about just how much work she'd actually have to do, but ultimately it only further strengthens her resolve.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

Olivia is polyamorous and very open and honest about her romantic and intimate relationships (because they do vary in terms of how romantic/intimate they are at times). Her and Emrys are partners in every sense of the word -he shares similar inclinations after all- but by the end have come to a basic understanding that 'at the end of the day, they go home together'. Though sometimes they're both in bed with Wilhelmina, when she's in town. She has a... frankly long list of close friends, friends with benefits, lovers, and everything in between, spanning to before her time as the Arisen and into the over-year-long journey as Arisen. But she never pursues anything without everyone being on the same page. This would get way too long if I got into the specifics of every single relationship, because there are a lot of different nuances for each one, but maybe I'll do another write-up on that alone some time. Needless to say she's very friendly and outgoing and people are drawn to her, so she has lots of both. Though one note is that she's on good terms with Sven, they had a ??? bumpy history (mostly from her perspective he was clueless), but outside of their families arrangements she sees him as a dear friend and ally.

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?

Growing up in a family of knights and having an idealized dream vision of knighthood will make you pick up a sword and shield. Later she would dabble in other arts, but above all being in melee is where she thrives.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Monster-slaying and traveling IS her way of relaxing. Actually, before becoming Arisen she hadn't traveled a whole lot, and while it was kind of there in the back of her head, it wasn't a super prevalent thing in her aspirations (it would likely be a necessity as part of knighthood, but beyond that, not much consideration). So actually traveling and getting to see the wider world (getting to see it from the back of a griffin) really opened her eyes to how wondrous and amazing an experience it is. Having a super competent traveler like Emrys around certainly helps a lot, too, she might not have enjoyed it so much if not for that. 😅 Otherwise she loves dressing up and indulging in finer things from time-to-time, collecting pretty trinkets and beautiful dresses - and of course going to events requiring such things. Though she's just at home in a dingy tavern drinking men twice her size under the table. (Though she likely won't be walking home in a straight line.) Overall she enjoys socializing and being around other people. Also, ever since she was a child she loved playing in the fields outside of Vernworth, climbing trees or "playing" with the oxen (mostly just watching them, but once or twice she definitely climbed on them resulting in... antics). Nowadays she doesn't pester the livestock so much, but she does enjoy running through the fields and feeling like a kid again.

[jcmarchi]

MIT student encourages all learners to indulge their curiosity with MIT Open Learning's MITx

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mit-student-encourages-all-learners-to-indulge-their-curiosity-with-mit-open-learnings-mitx/

MIT student encourages all learners to indulge their curiosity with MIT Open Learning's MITx

Shreya Mogulothu is naturally curious. As a high school student in New Jersey, she was interested in mathematics and theoretical computer science (TCS). So, when her curiosity compelled her to learn more, she turned to MIT Open Learning’s online resources and completed the Paradox and Infinity course on MITx Online. 

“Coming from a math and TCS background, the idea of pushing against the limits of assumptions was really interesting,” says Mogulothu, now a junior at MIT. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to learn more about infinity?”

The class, taught by Agustín Rayo, professor of philosophy and the current dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and David Balcarras, a former instructor in philosophy and fellow in the Digital Learning Lab at Open Learning, explores the intersection of math and philosophy and guides learners through thinking about paradoxes and open-ended problems, as well as the boundaries of theorizing and the limits of standard mathematical tools.

“We talked about taking regular assumptions about numbers and objects and pushing them to extremes,” Mogulothu says. “For example, what contradictions arise when you talk about an infinite set of things, like the infinite hats paradox?” 

The infinite hats paradox, also known as Bacon’s Puzzle, involves an infinite line of people, each wearing one of two colors of hats. The puzzle posits that each individual can see only the hat of the person in front of them and must guess the color of their own hat. The puzzle challenges students to identify if there is a strategy that can ensure the least number of incorrect answers and to consider how strategy may change if there is a finite number of people. Mogulothu was thrilled that a class like this was available to her even though she wasn’t yet affiliated with MIT. 

“My MITx experience was one of the reasons I came to MIT,” she says. “I really liked the course, and I was happy it was shared with people like me, who didn’t even go to the school. I thought that a place that encouraged even people outside of campus to learn like that would be a pretty good place to study.” 

Looking back at the course, Balcarras says, “Shreya may have been the most impressive student in our online community of approximately 3,900 learners and 100 verified learners. I cannot single out another student whose performance rivaled hers.”

Because of her excellent performance, Mogulothu was invited to submit her work to the 2021 MITx Philosophy Awards. She won. In fact, Balcarras remembers, both papers she wrote for the course would have won. They demonstrated, he says, “an unusually high degree of precision, formal acumen, and philosophical subtlety for a high school student.”

Completing the course and winning the award was rewarding, Mogulothu says. It motivated her to keep exploring new things as a high school student, and then as a new student enrolled at MIT.

She came to college thinking she would declare a major in math or computer science. But when she looked at the courses she was most interested in, she realized she should pursue a physics major. 

She has enjoyed the courses in her major, especially class STS.042J/8.225J (Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century), taught by David Kaiser, the Germeshausen Professor of the History of Science and professor of physics. She took the course on campus, but it is also available on Open Learning’s MIT OpenCourseWare. As a student, she continues to use MIT Open Learning resources to check out courses and review syllabi as she plans her coursework. 

In summer 2024, Mogulothu did research on gravitational wave detection at PIER, the partnership between research center DESY and the University of Hamburg, in Hamburg, Germany. She wants to pursue a PhD in physics to keep researching, expanding her mind, and indulging the curiosity that led her to MITx in the first place. She encourages all learners to feel comfortable and confident trying something entirely new. 

“I went into the Paradox and Infinity course thinking, ‘yeah, math is cool, computer science is cool,’” she says. “But, actually taking the course and learning about things you don’t even expect to exist is really powerful. It increases your curiosity and is super rewarding to stick with something and realize how much you can learn and grow.”  

[asaltyrat]

Civilization 7 and the Fleeting Wow Factor

I’ve said this before, I’m a giant fan of strategy games.

Civilization 5 has a couple hundred hours put into it. Civilization 6? It didn’t feel nearly as !FUN! As 5, and I’m entirely unable to put my finger on exactly why Civ6 didn’t cultivate the same sort of excitement and ‘one more turn’ FOMO as some of it’s earlier titles. Granted the graphics were stellar and the game itself ran rather well without many defects. But there was a lack of wow factor I think Sid Meyer’s longest running franchise depends on to make it a truly good game.

 The experience was largely the same, which was pretty much what a lot of Civ players want. A ponderous, thoughtful experience where players can take their time and make the exact right play they want to in order to progress, grow their cities, and enjoy the banter of other players, if they were anything like me sitting in a voice call with six other people. But somehow the experience in six didn’t have the same punch as five did.

 It wasn’t the fully animated, somewhat cartoon-like representations of world leaders. I thought the eccentric displays of some of these notable names were perfectly on par with a alt-history spanning experience like civilization. I’m a particular fan of Teddy Roosevelt and Ghandi, both having extraordinarily expressive faces, broad movements, and some of the crisp multilingual dialogue i’ve heard in a game.

 It wasn’t the gameplay. I rose cities, sent my scouts out, and complained about barbarians. Every note in the game hit the mark perfectly for it to be an outstanding civilization experience. I was particularly impressed with how smooth of a transition it was between games. There were a few notable quality of life improvements with combat animations and interesting changes to the map layout, but it wasn’t anything that held me up for any appreciable amount of time.

 It was something about the whole package. Cities were lovely to look at and interesting to see, but they didn’t feel like they were growing or improving as ages went by. Landmarks seemed to be a little out of place. And of course I don’t mean in the historical sense. No, in fact it wasn’t the great wonder builders of Egypt that built the great leaning tower of Piza next to the Oxford University. That’s just par for the course.

 There was a distinct lack of ‘wonder’ in Civ 6 that made it fall flat, despite the game’s attempts to really drive home that concept with unexplored regions of the map showing up as old sea charts and vague sketchy details. For a 3d game it felt flat and uninteresting. But if you were to look at screenshots of the game, you’d wonder what the hell I was talking about. The game itself is bombastic and vividly colored with the developers making full use of cell shading and bright, complementary colors to make structures and units really pop.

 Now we have Civilization 7 to look forward to. I’ve seen the trailers, the overview of the new game, sat down to watch and dissect the gameplay and I’m starting to get a little impressed. Part of my complaint with Civ 6 is that cities really didn’t look like they were expanding and changing, but with the new experience in 7, we’re looking at tile improvements that expand the borders of the city and overall empire in new and exciting ways, with buildings, roads and facilities rendered in what feels like a more organic urban spraw. The new system Feraxis is calling “Ages” where you can willingly change the empire you represent as time progresses feels less like a major shakeup and more an expansion on the old system we saw in 6, where Civics can be hot-swapped to pivot an empire’s focus to readily fit the gameplan.

 I’ll be keenly watching this for a time longer, as we still have a good while before we see it’s full release in Febuary of 2025 and see what features get expanded, if the graphics are improved or reeled back. With GoT’s Gwendoline Christie narrating our empire-building experience, it will at least sound regal and grandiose. Cross your fingers to see if CIV7 brings back that wow factor I’ve been missing.

Stay Salty~

[lunarsilkscreen]

Digital Card Games

There are two major card games on mobile right now; Magic: The Gathering Arena, and Hearthstone. Sorry to the other games; I'm sure you're very fun to play.

Hearthstone enjoyed the privilege of ensnaring its customer base from WoW, a move that FFXI tried previously by charging extra for its Tetra Master add-on and subsequently discontinued for lack of interest. And because of that fan-base; enjoyed a rapid growth and boost to sales, as well as outpacing every other card game app in the market by a wide margin.

Because of the digital nature of this card game app; Hearthstone was able to employ mechanics {game features; not the profession} that offline card games could not--Such as stealing cards from your opponent for the duration of the game and shuffling randomly generated cards into your deck.

As well as many transformation and morphing capabilities that were intuitive and much easier for a player to understand than Magic was able to do with physically printed cards.

Hearthstone is the current leader of digital cards. However--because of MTG's rabid customer base; Hasbro is likely deciding to also transition to a mostly online format. This is because it is much cheaper to run, and the profits are much higher for cards you don't have to physically print.

Despite this; MTGAs design doesn't really lend itself to a digital front. And this is also despite the many MANY years MTG:Online, MTGs former digital card app having been available on PC for much, much longer. (Yes, they run at least TWO digital store fronts, and Hearthstone still manages to beat them out.)

This is because of the card's and overall game design being based around physical cards and a tabletop. MTGA has started to diverge in mechanics from the tabletop variant however; likely to try to outcompete hearthstone and try to be more user friendly...

Despite that competition; MTGA card boxes have at least a paragraph on every single card you play. Make games slow and difficult to pay attention too.

Even though hearthstone is feeling the bloat itself; especially if you play with randomly generated cards for your entire deck, they seem to be easy to wrap your head around exactly what a card you can't remember what the exact mechanic for does.

And after a couple hundred cards, it's near impossible to memorize every single detail.

The difficulty with hearthstone is trying to handle complex mechanics with it's much shorter timer. But it's much easier to understand all the cards being played, and quicker to form a strategy. And Despite MTGA's much longer timer, new players can expect to hit the limit much easier with just a couple cards.

This is extraordinarily evident in MTGAs newcomer challenges. Spark Mode, and Color Challenge. As many players start running into make poor decision and just not having enough time to read what's essentially the length of a YA[young adult] novel once a turn.

I'm a very fast reader, and much faster on the uptake than most, AND I'm a seasoned MTG player. And despite that; I cannot keep up. It's no surprise if other players have trouble with that as well.

It's not an intelligent thing. It's an issue with accessibility as well. Players requiring a screen reader have no chance without memorizing the extensive library of cards. And new players? Many won't try to play without having been seasoned on the physical format with other players to have helped them in the beginning.

I'm pointing out the extreme negative that MTGA currently displays, but despite this; I bet a lot of hearthstone players are turned off when encountering the extensive reading you might find yourself while at the bottom of silver rank.

As players just starting out have to face being pounded into the dirt while learning how to play the game at the lowest ranks in both games. And waiting for another player to get a bad draw to win a challenge to unlock features isn't very fun while also reading pages upon pages of varying card interactions.

Again; I'm fairly quick at reading and understanding card interactions, and the beginning mode is *not* an easy thing to jump into. I might be older, but I'm not *that* old.

This isn't even a "good ol days" when card effects were rare and special, weenies were white and green had the stompies. That was easy to get into for a new player; but boring to continue playing.

Hearthstone's limitations are it's previous benefits; tight small interface, easy to understand and non-cluttered. But it can't grow without addressing the limitations in its own growth, and being displayed and easy to understand on screen.

MTGAs limitations are as described above, but every single permanent (in play card) is hard to keep track of (not including trying to keep track of your lands that can't stack)

And despite what it knows as a reading experience, MTGA tries to retain its physical format in the digital world, and hide what your card does, by forcing you to tap and hold everything to read it (making reading and comprehension slower) but opting to display the image over the card effects. Discouraging even trying.

Seasoned players would say; "Well yea, but once you know the meta..." And then when you're hit with the off-meta deck, and you're penalized for reading and misunderstanding the off-meta interactions, you blame the opposing player for making you read more as the reason you lost. Right?

Hence why I chose to talk extensively on Hearthstone's RNMeta. This makes it easy to understand where the flaws and weaknesses are in both apps.

MTGA is going to be much hard to organize, and I'm saying this solely because that's the way it is on the table, I would suggest combining auras with the cards they're attached to, and stacking lands that behave similarly together so that you can see your mana base efficiently. (Yes even when they're tapped, thank you.

"Excuse me, how many land do you have?"

"Don't touch my land you jerk!"

[devious-bliss]

A Warrior and Elf Walk into a Bar

Author's Note: This will be a 3-4 part story that will be worked on every so often. This part in particular won't have any tickling cause this sets up the world a little bit. Despite this, I hope you enjoy! <3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Tavern: the perfect place to celebrate milestones, gather new party members, or in this case, plan out battle strategies. Damian, an “amateur warrior”, was sitting at a booth lost in his own thoughts as he strategized how he could fight all the different creatures that these rich nobles are dying to be quelled but always fell short by one wrong play or one key attack that couldn't be made anywhere else.

"If only I had someone else to help me out, but those other warriors are too damn self-absorbed, they would never listen to my calls. What about sneaky bandits? They can follow an order if they are paid enough… no, that wouldn’t work: too costly and untrustworthy. Well that leaves us with mages: Stuck up high elves with a damn superiority complex. They’d never dare be humiliated by someone like me. *Sigh* Look at me... what the fuck am I even saying! I HAVE to be the problem here if everyone isn't compatible with me." He slams his fist into the table in frustration which went completely unnoticed with the tavern’s commotion going on.

////////

The air was brisk and sent chills through a mysterious figure, cloaked in a hood and robe as they further wrapped themselves trying to find somewhere to stay the night. All hope feels kind of lost as lines of houses loomed in darkness for as far as the eye can see err… can’t see. Minutes feel like hours as this figure looks up to the sky, gazing at the stars that are brimming with light, and before they know it, they have stumbled upon the riotous tavern.

"Maybe someone can help me here..." They thought to themselves as they walked into the tavern. The change from a chilly, tranquil environment to a warm and raucous one was almost overwhelming but they didn't want to go back outside in that cold so there's no turning back. They struggle to navigate themselves through the seas of people. As they approached the bar, the bartender caught their eye and catered to them like everyone else.

"What can I get for ya?"

"Just water, please." The bartender briefly looked at them questionably for a moment before shaking it off and walking to the dispenser. Upon his return, the bartender handed over the water.

"Okay... Here ya go." They grabbed the tankard as they took out their coin purse and handed over what few coins they had left. A brief sigh of hopelessness was let out before exploring the rest of the tavern. It seemed filled with only rowdy and rambunctious drunkards at first glance, but upon further inspection, they spotted Damian alone contemplating. He gave off this odd kind of aura that they couldn’t quite put their finger on. After a deep breath, they gathered the courage to walk up to him.

"U-uhm, E-Excuse me" Their voice came out weakly, hesitant, and quite... feminine. He didn't notice them at first and instead was just zoning out. After a few moments, they tried again by tapping on his shoulder, startling him.

"Ah!" He jumped a little as he was brought back to reality, causing the hooded individual to jump back in response.

"Oh, sorry about that. Just wasn't expecting someone. I'm Damian, who're you?" He put on a slightly embarrassed smile, extending his hand out to them.

Before they said anything, they grabbed their hood revealing a rather interesting sight: a rather charming, female elf. Her skin was very pale, almost like snow with long, silver hair that shines warmly from the light of the room with small and pointy ears peeking through. She had very soft facial features which complemented her small figure, but what really caught his attention were her eyes: a color similar to that of a vibrant cyan.

"I-I'm Silavetta... May I join you?"

"Sure thing." With that, she sat down across from him, unsure of how to present her issue to him. So instead, she just studies what he is doing. It appears to be a piece of paper that has a list of what she could only assume were bounties as well as a bunch of basic symbols in some strange configurations.

“So uh… Silave-”

“S-Silvie!...You can call me Silvie.” A sudden outburst was quite a surprise from what he saw just moments ago.

“O–kay then Silvie, what brings you here to this tavern? You don’t seem to be the drinking type considering your… water haha.” He chuckled as he could see her face start to redden as she averted her gaze from him. There is so much information that her brain was processing: his perception, her unattentiveness, his… aura, and how to ask to join him… at least for a little while… and hopefully nothing… tragic… happens.

“Um… that’s what I was gonna talk to you about. You see… I was kinda wondering if I… could… join…you…” She tried to keep going, but doubt followed every word that came out. She could only see his eyes closed in thought until she looked away again. Strange aura or not, I think this was a mistake.

Now it was Damian’s turn to think: The perfect opportunity presenting itself right in front of him.

“Well, luckily for you… I am looking for a companion as a matter of fact, but I was starting to think that I’ve run out of luck…”

“W-Well you see… I find myself as an average archer…and… I’ve dabbled with a little bit of healing magic.” She looked away as she spoke, seemingly not very confident in herself.

“Well then… I’m not very sure if you will help me in my travels judging by your own self assessment. However, that only means you’ll have to prove yourself tomorrow morning then.”

“R-Really!? Thank you so so much Damian!” She perked her head, absolutely ecstatic.

“Don’t worry about it, shall we go then?”

“Go? Go where?”

“Back to my residence of course! I’ve got a spare bedroom that you could use for the night!”

“R-Really!? I would’ve thought you’d be staying in one of the bedrooms here?”

“That’s… shall we say not my thing. If you haven’t noticed already, some of the other patrons of this place like to live loud which has persisted till mornings on many occasions.” A weak look of pain was strewn across his face.

“O-Oh, I see…” Her face started to flush upon realizing her statement.

“Anyways, let’s head out then, shall we?”

“O-Okay then!” Damian rolls up his paper while Silvie puts her cloak back on and braces for the cold.

The second he opened the door, a chilling brisk of air bit their skin.

“Brrr… It sure is cold out here.”

“This has actually been the warmest it’s been recently.”

“Really!? I think I’d freeze if it were colder.”

“Well don’t worry, it won’t take long to get back to my place. Speaking of which, follow me.” He takes a turn right into an alley behind the tavern. Hesitantly, she follows behind him.

Why is he bringing me here? This can’t be good.

She looks down the alley to find Damian staring straight at a blank wall.

Now I’m having second thoughts on this guy…

Her negative thoughts were quickly brushed away as he waved at the wall and a source of bright, white light manifested itself, creating a portal.

“W-Wait! You know magic!?”

“Me? Well, not really… it’s just a basic waypoint spell. Something that you learn in the ar- I mean… pick it up after traveling long enough. I’ve traveled around… half of the continent by now. It’s hard to tell, but to be honest, it’s a big place.” She still felt a little skeptical about the whole situation, and his words didn’t instill any confidence either.

Regardless, Damian started to walk through the portal and shortly followed Silvie walking behind him. Soon after the portal closed and they left without a trace.

[lebenspurpur]

showering with the slashers

|Michael| (SFW)

You will need months to convince him to shower with you. He is surprisingly insecure and shy when it comes to nudity and especially taking off his mask. In the beginning he will even leave it on until he realizes that the steam plus the hot water are making it impossible to keep it on.

After he decides to join you he will ask for one every day. I mean he won't ask verbally he'll just stand in the bathroom when you shower until you invite him in.

Most of the time he will just place himself underneath the stream of water like a statue and let you shampoo his hair. If he's feeling generous, he will do the same for you and give you a little head massage. Michael will always use your soap since it smells like you but obviously this idiot won't ever admit that.

His favorite are showers in the evening because he adores laying in bed after a long, hot shower. Those are also one of the rare times where he actually allows cuddling.

|Vincent Sinclair| (SFW)

Vincent prefers bathing over showering. Though he won't say no to a shower.

It will definitely take him a while to gain the confidence to join you. In the beginning he'll turn his back towards you so you won't see his face. Show him love and appreciation and he might open up a little.

Vincent loves dealing with your hair. Obviously he has like 15 different hair products even though he rarely uses them. Now he can use them on you.

If you shampoo his hair he is in heaven. Imagine him underneath a stream of water lovingly gazing into your eyes while you softly trace his scalp with your fingertips. I love him, what can I say.

He will dry your hair himself and then gladly put lotion on your body. Such a sweetheart. Afterwards he likes cuddling while watching something together.

|Bo Sinclair| (NSFW)

You won't even notice when Bo enters the bathroom. He just suddenly stands behind you, arms wrapping around your upper body and his lips attached to your neck.

After a passionate make-out session he might wash your body. He likes to use his soap since that's a sign that you're his. As if the marks he leaves weren't enough.

Normally the shower is one of the rare places where he expresses his real emotions because nobody except for you will see them there. So expect lots of praising while his soapy, calloused hands trace your hips with such tenderness, you don't even recognize him.

Afterwards he'll either make you dirty again ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) or he'll lay on your chest, relaxing after a long day.

|Lester Sinclair| (SFW)

Yes Y/N, he'll gladly shower with you! He will take good care of you and that's a promise.

You'll always be glad when he showers with you since, let's be honest, he smells like rotten road kill. If your soft hands go over his scarred and exhausted body he cant' help but stare at you fondly.

I feel like Lester would try to make bubbles with soap in his hand. Or make a beard out of foam. He always tries to make you let out that adorable laugh of yours, what'd you expect?

After showering he'll wrap you up in his arms and tell you about his day. Whenever he chuckles about a funny memory a deep rumble can be felt in his chest. It never fails to make your heart grow warmer. As soon as you fall asleep he presses a soft kiss to your forehead and tucks you under the covers.

|Baby Firefly| (SFW)

Baby will always invite herself in the bathroom as soon as you're comfortable with that. Her soft hands will softly massage your shoulders and back and you can feel the knots and tight spots slowly relaxing.

But don't be foolish, she expects a massage as well. Baby values fairness so every action of her has a price. Not that you mind.

Baby's soap smells like cotton candy and fits her aesthetic wonderfully. Sometimes you'll steal a little bit for yourself.

I also believe that Baby likes to sing in the shower. According to my personal opinion one of Baby's big passions is music. Her sweet voice will be loud and clear and if you look at her she'll wink at you and smile.

After you're done she'll gladly let you brush her hair. Since the mane of hers often doesn't do what she wants it to do she gladly accepts help. If you put a hair product in her hair while softly clearing the knots she'll close her eyes while humming faintly.

|Otis Driftwood| (NSFW)

Otis is very similar to Bo when it comes to showering. Though he is also surprisingly shy. Not because of his body, more because of your feelings. Do you really want him in the shower?

After he gets over those thoughts he'll slip behind you every now and then, his big hands caressing your ass, scaring the shit out of you. If you shriek or jump he'll just chuckle and continue raking his hands over your naked form.

Even though he pretends like he doesn't like it, he loves if you wash his hair. Come on have you seen that mane? It needs some serious care and especially good conditioner. It's also dyed (I refuse to believe that his natural hair color is white.) so a good wash is long overdue.

Afterwards he'll gladly lay in bed with you while reading or discussing things. I believe that Otis also enjoys reading stories to his partner. After all you can discuss them with him later.

|Billy Loomis| (NSFW)

Are you kidding? Of course he'll shower with you!

His eyes plus hands will never leave your naked body, prepare for him just being horny. Yes Y/N, he'd love to put soap on your body. What do you mean not just on your chest and ass?

Eventually he'll grow tired of just looking at you. His hands will be all over your body soon, his lips attached to your chest leaving little marks.

If he's tired he'll oblige to your charm and wash your body without being naughty. Afterwards he'll just silently hold you close while the hot water engulfs both of you. I mean mostly him but his body will keep you warm.

|Stu Macher| (SFW)

Stu enjoys every activity he can do with you on his side.

He'll gladly massage your back, pressing little kisses to your shoulder plate. His hands will be so soft when they rub soap all over your wet form.

He loves when you try to wash him but fail because you're too small. He'll steal a kiss or two when you try and reach him by standing on your tip toes.

After all the cleaning is finished he will wrap his strong arms around you and press his chest against your back, humming fondly. He'll close his eyes and softly let the water flow over your connected bodies.

|Brahms Heelshire| (NSFW)

Brahms hates cleaning. No matter how. You will have to coax him into the shower by showering with him. It's really the only time when he ever showers.

Don't expect him to actually wash himself. You can do that Y/N. Such a malicious little gremlin. As soon as your hands touch him he'll put his head on your shoulder and start whispering very naughty things. Y/N you're torturing him, what is he supposed to do?

Okay so there might not be a lot of cleaning. If you really want him to be clean you will have to use a punishment or coax kind of strategy. No good night kiss for Brahms if he doesn't clean himself I guess. God he will be so whiny. Brahms is going to pout for days after this.

Afterwards he still wants your attention. Y/N wasn't he a good boy? He deserves a reward doesn't he?

|Josef| from the creep series (SFW)

Shower? With him? You really want that? Eh.. okay.

He'll be a bit insecure, Josef isn't used to receiving adoration. As soon as you start putting soap on his body he visibly relaxes and sighs softly. He loves being touched, yet he never asks for it.

Afterwards he'll always want to shower with you. Please just touch him some more.

Josef will happily return the favor. His touches will be very soft and tender, he doesn't want you to feel any kind of uncomfortable or scared.

After showering he will rub lotion on your warm skin, he wants it to be healthy Y/N!

Josef will also prepare a healthy meal. Food is important Y/N and god he loves cooking for you. His body in new clothes, smelling like aftershave, wet hair in a bun, singing quietly while he makes roasted vegetables. Please wrap your arms around his torso. He will nearly faint.

|Thomas Hewitt| (SFW)

It will take him a while, mainly because of the mask. However coaxing works quite good so he might give in after you bribe him a little.

Tommy is going to wash your hair very precisely, not wanting to cause knots. He knows how hot in can get in Texas as well which leads him to move away from the refreshing water, leaving you more space. He's just very considerate, compared to other slashers (ehem, Bo.).

Please wash his hair, he'd feel so special. Especially if it's your own shampoo.

After showering he'll wrap you in his strong arms and nuzzle his face in your neck, mask off. Do whatever you want Y/N, he's just glad he can lay next to you right now.

[dapandapod]

Connecting dots

You have heard of truth spells. Now get ready for a lying curse!

Here on Ao3, where I think Im hiralious.

As per usual, things got way longer than I intended, please enjoy of the 2981 words of this stupid, in my opinion very funny and a lil antsy thing.

(repost because bot army found me and invaded and i got tired of blocking ten a day)

Geralt has seen a great deal of curses before.

Heck, he’seven been cursed before. Usually it is a truthteller one, a true classic, and no one thinks twice about it. Normally it’s easily solved after some awkward as fuck questions of some very intense teasing.

But this time there is something else going on.

Nothing he says is true.

Nothing.

Not the grass is green or the sky is blue. Not that his name is Geralt or that his favorite animals are bards.

(Bards are feral and therefore counts as animals. Not telling anyone they are his favorites though.)

It is one of those times where Geralt travels alone. Of course he does. So there is not anyone to notice, not really.

When they ask obvious things, of course he gets strange looks. It makes his life hella difficult when they ask him how much he wants to get paid, which usually end up giving him nothing. Or if they ask him if he is a witcher, and he ends up saying no.

Or on a memorable occasion, someone asks him if he eats children.

Which, of course he doesn’t.

So the curse makes him say yes. And he is chased out of the village with torches and pitchforks of doom.

On the bright side, the curse doesn’t stop him from asking questions to others. All of this could be funny. Some of it is, when people thinks he is being rude, sarcastic or joking. It could be, except Gealt prefers very much not to lie when he can.

He seeks help from a mage, but when he asks if he needs help Geralt ends up saying no. And the mage slams the door in his face.

Then his path crosses with Jaskier.

Which is both a relief and a fucking pain in the ass. Jaskier talks nonstop, he asks rhetorical questions all the time, and Geralt is trying his hardest to keep his mouth shut.

“I have heard that wyverns are not real dragons, Geralt. Is that really true?”

“No.” Geralt grits out. Fuck.

“I knew it! Because I read this poem you see and-”

Ugh.

“And then there was this old professor back in oxenfurt. I swear he has never seen a real drowner in his life. I have seen a great deal of them, no thanks to you my friend. I just don’t remember what color they have when they are young, would you fill me in here Geralt? I really would like to shut that old wheezer up.”

“Pink.”

Geralt is so frustrated. His frown is deeper set that ever before.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Huh! The more you know I suppose.” Jaskier muses, tapping a finger on his chin. “You are the expert after all.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes Geralt, this is not the time to be humble.”

“Yes it is.” Maybe, if he lies enough Jaskier will pick up on it.

But alas, Jaskier does what everyone else does.

“Geralt are you alright?”

Fuck.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?” and oh Geralt wishes he would ask it another way.

“Yes.” He lies again. Jaskier studies him, sees his deep set frown, and lets it go.

Geralt would appreciate it any other night, but by now this is rather troublesome.

“Jaskier. I don’t need your help.” Fuck this is so frustrating.

“No, I get it Geralt. It’s alright, I will leave you be. I know I annoy you sometimes.”

“Yes you do.”

Fuck. FUCK.

The bard looks hurt and turns away. Geralt puts his head in his hands and groans. This is such a disaster.

They spend another few days awkwardly side by side.

It takes some time, but Geralt finally figures out a new strategy.

“Jaskier. I don’t want to ask you this.”

“…Alright?”

“If there was something… different with me, would you notice?” Geralt has been looking for a way to phrase this.

“I suppose? Oh no, is that why you were annoyed with me? Did you change your hair?”

“Yes. Fuck!” This is so fucking annoying. He wishes he could straight out say it, but no, why would any curse work like that?!

“You are joking right? You haven’t changed your hair in the last few decades I’ve been with you.”

Wait. Has it really been that long? Huh.

“I have.”

He really hasn’t. Maybe he should.

Is that the cost to make someone notice? Geralt sighs and looks up at the sky.

The clouds are hanging low and preparing for a real downpour. Maybe he can use that.

“Looks like the sun is coming out.” Geralt comments, looking intensely at Jaskier, hoping he will pick up on it.

“Really? Looks like rain to me.”

“Nah, I’m thinking snow tonight. It seems cold enough.”

It sure as hell doesn’t. It is in the middle of summer, and Jaskier sure is dumb if he isn’t picking up on this.

Jaskier is picking up on something, luckily.

He shifts and get right up in Geralt’s face. The bard smells nice, his intense stare is doing something to him.

“Do you want me to notice something Geralt?” Jaskier asks, studying him closely.

“No.” Geralt lies softly, heat rising to his cheeks.

It is interesting, because that is half lie, half truth. There are things he would rather Jaskier didn’t notice. Like the blush he is wearing right now for instance. Among other, similar things.

They stare at each other for a few seconds. Geralt is trying to ignore how close the bard is, focusing on how to phrase himself.

“Don’t come closer.” Geralt all but whispers, hoping the bard doesn’t hear. It slips out, and he finds it hard to understand the rules of the curse.

Jaskiers eyebrow twitch and he leans back just a little.

How does he say this the easiest way?

“Roach is a goat.” Geralt begins. Swallows. Hoping Jaskier forgets his first statement. “Bunnies can fly. The sky is green.”

“Geralt? What?” Jaskier tilts his head in confusion.

“Ask me something.” Geralt says, he is starting to feel desperate. He must look like it too, because Jaskier is looking a bit worried.

“Alright? Uh… How many fingers am I holding up?” Jaskier holds up both hands.

“Two.” Geralt lies, and finally something clicks in Jaskiers head.

He hopes.

Or that was his neck doing something unholy when he straightened up. It didn’t sound good anyhow.

“Why are you lying Geralt?”

“I am telling the truth.”

“No you are not. What is my name?”

“Sandra.” Alright that is funny. Geralt smirks a little, finding himself hilarious. Jaskier lifts an eyebrow.

“I am guessing you asked me that for a reason, Geralt, please take this seriously. Is something the matter?”

“I don’t know.” Geralt says, and oh? That is interesting.

He does know, but at the same time, he guesses it depends on what the specific matter is. There is nothing wrong with him, more than the lying. There are things that trouble him, sure, but nothing ails him really.

“Alright. I really think it is going to rain, so lets find shelter for tonight, and then lets figure this out.” Jaskier says, and sure, that sounds very reasonable.

They find a small hut, probably just a place for a shepherd to sleep from time to time, but it suits them just fine.

They settle in, feeding Roach outside and brushing her down.

Geralt makes himself comfortable on the floor, partially because Jaskier becomes a right terror if he sleeps poorly and partially because there is no way he is going to share that small space with someone that smells that good.

The only reason Geralt is alive today is thanks to his self preservation.

(Also not true, most of the time it was Vesemir or Triss….)

Jaskier comes inside and settles opposite of Geralt on the bedroll, legs crossed and eyes lazerfocused.

“So.” Jaskier begins.

“So.” Geralt echoes with a soft smile.

Hopefully they will get this sorted out and Jaskier can do the speaking with the next mage or sorceress they come across.

“Let’s try to sort this out, this thing you won’t tell me. I don’t really understand what’s going on, but it seems important to you.”

Geralt shakes his head, even his body betraying him.

“What is it that you don’t want me to notice?”

Stupid fucking question Jaskier.

“My extra toes.” Geralt says sarcastically.

“You don’t have extra toes?” Jaskier asks with a frown. He has seen Geralts toes, but probably never counted them. Which makes sense, supposedly, that is a weird thing to do out of the blue.

“I do.” Geralt says, rolling his eyes.

“Alright, we are letting that go.”

Good boy, Geralt thinks. And then flushes, because that brings other scenarios to his mind.

“Why are you blushing?” Jaskier asks, tilting his head again.

Gosh, why does he keep doing that? Doesn’t he know how endearing that is?

“Because I’m warm.” Geralt lies, and thank fuck for lying and not truthing in this instance.

But it doesn’t help Jaskier figure things out at all, so…

“I want to cut my hair.” Geralt blurts, and only the thought of it stings. He cringes, despite the curse.

It really came down to the hair, huh?

“Are you sure?” Jaskier asks, lifting one perfect eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“Like, right now? You want me to cut your hair?”

“No.” Oh shit. Oh fuck. Wait, he does? This is not… what he thought was going to happen here. He did not realize that himself.

“Make up your mind, stupid.” Jaskier says, shaking his head with a smile. “Why can’t you just tell me what you want me to figure out?”

Oh that is the real question right there. What will come out this time?

“Because I enjoy hiding things from you.”

“Oh. Geralt, that didn’t sound true at all.”

Geralt pointedly raises his eyebrows and hopes Jaskier will connect the dots.

Jaskier raises his eyebrows right back.

Idiot.

“Becaaauusseee?” Geralt asks, trying to make him think.

“Oh. Wait.” Geralt waits. “WAIT!”

Finally.

“Are you actually hiding something from me? Geralt. You hate lying. Why do you keep lying?”

“I tell you everything.” Geralt says and hmmm. “Hmmm.”

He does not like that reply.

“Was that a lie too? Geralt, are you compelled to lie? And if you are, we are circling back to that fucking statement later.”

“It wasn’t a lie.” Geralt is both relieved and scared out of his mind.

There are some questions he really doesn’t want Jaskier to ask when he figured it out.

“I guess you wouldn’t tell me if that’s so, thinking about it.”

Clever bard.

“Alright, so I am going to try to ask you a few things. Is that alright?”

Geralt is not sure how to respond to that, because of his previous thoughts. Humming and grunting seems to work, so he does that and let’s Jaskier make his own conclusions.

Which, to be fair, is actually often a bad idea.

“It should be things I know to be true. Alright, tell me this.”

Jaskier lifts his left hand.

“Which hand am I holding up?”

“Your right.”

“Hm. How many rings are on my fingers?”

“Four hundred.” Close enough. Jaskier has so many rings. Jaskier squints.

“How’s. My. Singing.” Jaskier asks, leaning forward.

Geralt isn’t scard of Jaskier. Not at all. But remember that thing about bards being feral?

Yeah, be very fucking careful.  And of course this is what he would ask.

“Like ordering a pie and finding out it has no filling.” Geralt lies.

It was a lie back then too.

Jaskiers mouth opens and closes.

“I fucking knew it!!” Jaskier looks smug as fuck and Geralt is both emberassed and relieved. He have been wanting to clear that up for a while, but he is not sure how nor if he would be believed.

“Sweet vindication!!”

Geralt gives Jaskier exactly three seconds to bask in it and then he flicks Jaskiers forehead.

“You done?”

“Almost. Alright yes, I’m done. Geralt, is this a curse?”

“No.”

“Huh. Do you know how to break it?”

“No.”

“Oh, that’s convenient. I’m guessing you won’t be able to tell me, but curse breaking sounds magical. Do we need to visit a magician?”

“No.” Geralt smirks, happy to finally be getting somewhere.

“Alright! I guess we know where we are headed tomorrow!”

Jaskier rises up and stretches. His tunic strains across his chest and Geralt gulps.

“Are you really alright with sleeping on the floor?” Jaskier asks, and fuck.

“Yes.” Geralt grits out and Jaskiers eyebrows rise up, slow down.

“Oh. Geralt my dear, you are allowed to tell me these things.”

Geralt looks away, embarrassed where he sits. Jaskier steps up to him, catches his chin and makes him look up and meet those blue eyes.

“Why haven’t you said something? Wait. That is not an easy question to reply to.”

Geralt does anyway.

“Because I don’t want to share it with you.”

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Geralt flinches back, Jaskiers mouth opens in surprise.

Time to flee. Time to fucking go.

Embarrassment and shame course through him, he rises up and storms out the door.

To Roach. To his safe place.

She startles when the door bangs open, trots a few steps away before she realizes it’s him. Then she stops and allows him close.

She is so wonderful.

One of the best Roaches he has ever had. He pets her fondly, trying to calm his racing head and heart. The first raindrop hits his skin, but both he and Roach ignore it.

“Geralt.” comes softly from the door behind him. “I won’t ask any more questions. Please come inside.”

Geralt breathes in the cool, humid air. Rain has a very nice smell.

Roach tires of him and walks away towards the trees to take shelter. Clever girl. Fine.

Geralt turns, his inside like a stirred ants nest, and looks at Jaskier across the distance.

“Come on.” Jaskier urges. “We need to get to sleep if we are going to travel all day tomorrow.”

Alright, fair. Geralt breathes in through his nose slowly and breathes out from his mouths.

Bards do not scare him.

He is fine.

He steps inside again. Jaskier stands by the wall waiting for him.

“Get on the bed. It’s not like we haven’t shared before. And it is much more comfortable than the floor.” Jaskier says with a careful smile. He seems nervous too.

They strip down to more sleep appropriate clothes. Geralt lets Jaskier climb in first, so that he can place himself between Jaskier and the door.

Just to be safe.

They lie down, back to back. It is quiet. The rain pattering on the roof above, the occasional dripping from where the roof is leaking.

Thankfully not above the bed though.

“Can I as you something?” Jaskier asks quietly behind him. Damnit. “I will respect it if you don’t want me to.”

“No.”

Yes. Fuck it all. He can barely lie to himself anymore.

“Thank you. Why do you keep pushing me away?”

That… is a very complicated question.

“That’s easy.” Geralt lies. “You stink.”

Wait. Did his brain just go with the literal reason? Not the emotional one? Handy. But also very unhandy.

Jaskier snorts in the darkness.

“You think I smell good?”

“No.”

Jaskier chuckles, and then Geralt can feel him shifting behind him.

“Really, it’s so typical for you. It takes getting cursed to talk about the important things, without talking about them.”

A hand presses against his back, sliding over his shoulder blade and across his side.

“Tell me if I’m overstepping.” Jaskier whispers, shuffling closer still and wraps his arms around him in a hug.

Geralt shivers, full body shivers. Jaskier is warm behind him, his forehead pressed against the back of Geralt’s head. Every puff of breath hits Geralt’s skin, and his nerves are tingling and he wants to run.

“For the record. I think you smell nice too. Good night Geralt.”

“Good morning.” Geralt murmurs, and Jaskier chuckles.

The mage they find laughs.

Long and loud.

“Would you kindly stop laughing and fix this?!” Jaskier hisses, and Geralt stands quietly behind him. The mage wipes tears from their eyes and tries to catch their breath.

“That is the best thing I have heard all day. Lying curse! I need to do that too.”

“The fuck you will.” Jaskier growls.

Feral.

Geralt smirks where he stands behind his bard.

Well. Not really his bard. He would like him to be. It took him lying to everyone to stop lying to himself, it would seem. Interesting concept.

“You will lift this curse right this instant, or so help you I will shove my entire lute up your ass.” Jaskier growls.

The mage seems to realize the threat, finally, and takes a step back.

“Fine, fine, take it down a notch, bardling.” They say and roll their eyes. “Witcher, go sit in that bathtub while I fix the herbs. Yes, keep that stupid ab armor on. It is cursed as well.”

Geralt walks out of the mages house dripping wet, but a free man.

Jaskier waits for him with Roach on the outside, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Now that you don’t feel compelled to lie, would you mind us having a talk?” Jaskier asks him. “Don’t think I don’t remember you saying you are keeping things from me.”

Ah, shit. He had hoped Jaskier would forget about that one.

“Fine. But you have things you need to tell me too.” Geralt grumbles, trying to scare Jaskier away from it, squeezing out herbal water from his hair.

Jaskier walks real close to Geralt, right up in his face and winks.

“Oh, my sweet witcher. There are a great deal of things I would like to tell you too.”

Geralt gulps, blushes, and those ants in his chest are making a quick return.

[discluded]

ik respect other people's opinions and all of that but people be saying anything about MA on this app fr and i usually just ignore them and move on with my life because im not gonna waste my time on it BUT there's just one thing that rubs me in the wrong way and that i can't just shake it off. you can think that they're lovers, friends or wtv you want idc but saying that THEY'RE FAKE, that they turn on/off their chemistry just to gather new fans for new projects, so it's basically just marketing and that's it kinda hurts. why can't 2 people, regardless of their status is, can have a genuine bond and enjoy each other company w/o it being an act or a strategy? it's really just sad but at the end of the day it's just my problem and i keep ignoring it as i always did , just wanted to share my feelings. anyway, feel free to not answer and/or skip this ask if you like!!

have an amazing day!!!

I must do a good job blocking people with bad opinions on tungle.hell and the bird app because thankfully i never have to see these weirdos or their comments, but I do see people indirect them ha!

So I mentioned to a couple people earlier, I hear about people claiming they're doing fanservice or they're fake or whatever, and you know what I actually think it is?

You know how if you're out with friends or at a party or something, you sometimes will tell a funny story about something that happened to you that is hyperexaggerated for humorous effect but also fundamentally true? An example this is like, recently I bought a beautiful artificial Christmas tree and it didn't fit in my condo because I didn't measure the width of the tree. The bland "true" version of this story is that I bought a tree and it was too big, so I had to return it. But in regaling this story to my friends, I woefully convey my hubris in not measuring because I wanted a grand tree and then tearfully equate my suffering to that of tragic Greek heroes because the freaking tree wouldn't fit and my woeful childhood of being deprived of having a beautiful Christmas tree despite being a Christmas baby. It's not that the second version is fake -- in fact, it's actually much closer to the reality I experienced. And in particular, it's meant to be funny. Am I actually a Greek tragic hero? Well. I'm Chinese. 😏

I think Mile and Apo, separately and together, have a particular type of charm where they're both good at making us, their fans, feel like we're in on the joke when they tell these kinds of stories like we're one of their friends. I know I tease Mile for his Cringe Dad Jokes, but if you actually watch stand up, most of it is comedians both thoughtfully reflecting upon a true situation and conveying the humor in what happened to them. MileApo aren't comedians, but they are charming and funny. And this format of storytelling is the basis of humor.

I would say a majority of the people in fandom, especially these kinds of antis, are of an age group that missed out on a specific type of socialization in the last three years. They just don't have a baseline for that kind of interaction, so they think that the exaggeration or format of the way Mile and Apo talk specifically about each other is "fake" because um... lack of normal socialization.

I mean, they've both told similarly weird stories about themselves. We can't call Apo's story about being gross and sweaty because his car AC was broken or Mile's story about having to pee so bad in while stuck traffic fan service because what the hell kind of fan service is that. 💀 And if those aren't fan service, why would Apo's story about Mile's obsession with green be any more fan service when told with the same level of weird humor?

And the fact he retells the story with such consistency, now to the level of detail as the "what color boxers are you wearing" question it can't be fake. (also: still dead over Apo's lack of filter on that one. oop)

I'm not excusing the people accusing them of fakeness. Like I said, I don't care what you think or believe or have anxiety about 'cause I'm not your therapist; just don't make it my or society's problem.

But I think the answer here is uh, COVID really messed up some people's social skills, and instead of going out and trying to regain some of them, people think being mean on the internet and bullying people is the right answer. It's not. It's also not your job to worry or teach them how to socialize. Block 👍

Have a good day! Make sure to go out and take your mental health walk!!!