#there seemed to have been fairly okay ? management of the woods by the bronze and iron age brits but that did mean lots of heathland

[cocteautwinslyrics]

learning about the history of wood cover in great britain. i am blaming the romans for a considerable part of this.

[lynn-does-stuff]

Partners

A BlueCross Oneshot

Warning: I'm obsessed with LOTRO so this entire oneshot is based off of it-

—————

Cross was resting against his large, two handed blade, glancing at the corpses of the perished mobs around him. They were all below his level, so they were fairly easy kills, plus the drops weren't that great. But, at least he finished that quest. He checked his health and scowled, before opening his inventory and taking one of the smaller healing potions. As the odd tasting liquid slid down his throat, he felt his health rise again. He then checked his deed log, groaning again.

New Deed: Goblin Slayer - Kill 30 Bleary Goblins (1/30)

New Deed: Force of Will - Use the skill Force of Will 1500 times (4/1500)

Cross had had enough of all of the stupid quests and the stupid deeds and whatnot. They had no real purpose, other than getting special currency for the special merchant stands and boosted REP with the other civilians. It was so tiring to do, but necessary to level up and continue on throughout the world.

Cross suddenly perked up as he heard a cry from across the forest. He quickly picked up his blade and rushed towards the source of the cry, dodging the trees in his path. When he stopped, he found a younger looking skeleton, adorning a short blue dyed cape. On his back was a lute, and he was holding a cowbell. Three goblins surrounded him as he shook the cowbell, reaching for his lute. Cross, without thinking, rushed forward and started attacking the goblins. He heard a shout of displeasure from the other skeleton as he used the skill Force of Will, killing them instantly.

"Hey! What the heck! You just took my kills!" Cross turned to the shorter skeleton who was now glaring at him angrily, still holding onto his cowbell. Cross simply stared at him in surprise before answering. "I heard you cry out. I came to help you."

"Uh, hello?! Ever heard of a battle cry?! That was one of my three cries I use, it was an attack I have!" Cross simply blinked in surprise before turning away. The new skeleton just huffed before speaking again. "Look, I'm working on a deed right now called 'Goblin Slayer'. To make up for stealing my kills, you should partner up with me and help me complete it. I have four so far."

Cross blinked in surprise again. "Hey, would you look at that, I'm working on that deed too. And after killing those three, I have four killed as well."

The skeleton perked up. "Awesome! Then let's form a Fellowship and get Goblin hunting! Oh, uh, what's your name?"

"Cross." The other skeleton nodded and sent the Fellowship request over. "My name is Blue. I'm a Skeleton Race Bard Class, and I specialize in Scholarship, Weaponsmithing, and Farming, making me a Historian Vocation. What about you?"

"Oh, uh, I'm a Warrior class right now, but I'm thinking about upgrading to a Champion class so I can wield two smaller blades instead of this large one. I'm an Armourer, meaning I'm a Metalsmith, a Prospector, and a Tailor. I was actually hoping to find some rare metals out here to make some new armor."

Blue nodded excitedly. "I can't wear the heavy armor, it's not compatible with my class. But I haven't met any tailors that could make me any armor. But here you are! I'll make you a deal. You help me out and make some really good armor for me, and I'll make your new twin daggers. What'd you say?"

Cross thought for a moment before nodding. Blue jumped up in excitement and shook his cowbell in the air happily. Cross chuckled as he hit the accept button, creating a Fellowship between the two.

"Now, we should probably get out of this area so any mobs that spawn don't try to attack us." Blue said, placing his hands on his hips, placing his cowbell back on the loop of his belt. Cross nodded and followed the shorter skeleton through the eerie woods. They kept walking until Blue suddenly placed his arm out. Cross was about to ask what was wrong before Blue muttered quietly. "Jackpot.."

Cross looked up to see they were standing outside the goblin ruins. There were two towers that stood high up in the air, crumbling, like simply touching it would cause then to collapse. There were also crumbling walls surrounding the two towers. The goblins had made this their home, and there were currently two standing outside as guards.

Blue started talking in a hushed voice. "Okay, that place is likely filled with goblins. There's two kinds that I know of, and that's the axe throwing goblins and the close range dagger fighting goblins. Think you can distract the ones with the daggers while I attack from afar?"

Cross nodded as they slipped silently through the trees. They slipped through the cracks in the ruins, passing the guards completely unnoticed, before attacking with full force. Cross lunges forward with his large blade, attacking the two goblins that stood near the fire. Blue leaped onto a broken pillar and started playing his lute, playing a minor chord, and then a major chord. He then played a combination of the two, adding a total of three music buffs onto him. Because of the buffs, his special attack was unlocked, allowing him to play a few notes that attacked all of the goblins within range with a powerful attack, as well as heal both him and Cross.

Cross finished them off using the Force of Will skill, slicing through them with ease. They had also managed to kill off the guards that came running in as well. Blue hopped down and started progressing through the ruins, Cross close behind.

There was quite the number of goblins in the ruins. But they had little difficulty, with Cross's powerful blows and Blue's buffs and heals from his lute and bell, they managed just fine. Eventually, they made it to the end of the ruins and stood in the last empty corridor that lead to the last dimly lit room.

"Well, we've almost cleared out these goblin ruins, and I'm sure we're almost done with the deed now!" Blue smiled eagerly. Cross nodded. "I only need one more." "Me too!"

Blue played a quiet chord on his lute once more, fully healing the two of them. He then readied his instruments and stared eagerly at the last room. "Well, let's head in!"

The two walked into the dimly lit room, a sudden chill washing over the two of them. Blue shivered as his short, blue cape blew slightly.

"Foolish..."

Both of them suddenly flinched at the sudden voice. It was raspy and high pitched, and reminded Cross of an annoying five year old that had been screaming for too long. Suddenly, the old torches in the room burst into flames, casting ghostly shadows throughout the collapsing rubble. From behind a pillar came a large goblin, much larger than any of the other goblins they had faced. Cross quickly checked the info for the new monster before faltering and stepping back. Blue quickly turned to him, only to find Cross wide eyed and shaking slightly.

"T-that's.. that's a signature.. so not only is it fifteen levels above me, but it's also way stronger than me!" Cross shook as he spoke, backing up against the crumbling walls. Blue quickly faced forward again, only to nimbly leap out of the way of the large club coming in his direction. He quickly used the target lock skill to check the enemy, and sure enough, it was a signature at level 45.

"What the hell?! Why is a level 45 signature in a level twenty area?!" Blue yelled as he leaped back again, ringing his cowbell quickly. It was smaller and easier to move around with, despite it being weaker compared to his lute. "I don't know! But the exit is blocked!" Blue leaped again. "Damnit! Well we'll have to fight it if we want to get out, so get your ass over here and help fight instead of shaking on the wall! It's a game Cross, you'll respawn if you die! FUCK-" Blue yelped as the Goblin King smacked him, causing him to crash into one of the crumbling walls.

Cross stood still, frozen, as the goblin rose his club into the air again. Blue's health had dropped immensely with that single hit, and he was currently stunned, so he was unable to heal himself. Not that it mattered, because even his largest healing spell couldn't fully heal him, and the next blow would be sure to kill him.

Cross quickly focused on Blue once more and faltered as he smiled weakly at him. Seeing this, Cross became enraged as his eyes flared, purple and red light filling up the room. He rushed forward and sliced the Goblin King, landing a critical hit. Because of this, the goblin turned around and faced Cross with a creepy smile. Cross faltered and took a step back, staring up at the beast's gleaming eyes. He wouldn't be fast enough to be able to dodge any of the attacks because of the class he chose, so he knew he was done for. He was about to close his eyes and brace for the impact when a flash of blue rushed in front of him and grabbed him before everything went black.

—————

When Cross could see again, he was surprised to see they were standing next to a large stone lantern in the center of one of the Elven Skeleton villages. He frantically looked around for Blue but his efforts were fruitless. Though, they were still in a Fellowship, and Blue's health was fully restored, as well as his own. Cross sighed as he quickly changed his settings so that he could only see the health bar of the people in his Fellowship before scanning the crowds. It seemed pointless until Cross sported a green bar located near the crafting center. He grinned before shoving his way through the crowded village, startling some of the townsfolk and earning him some glares. He didn't care however, he needed to know what happened.

When he reached the crafting area, he found Blue hunched over one of the forges. Cross was about to reach out to him when Blue's hand shot up.

"Wait your turn asshole, these daggers are more important than your probably novice level bronze sword you're about to make."

Cross scoffed but grinned as he realized Blue was fully focused on his craft and didn't notice that it was Cross that approached. Smiling, he walked away and went to one of the looms in the next sector. He grinned as he opened up his crafting menu and selected the hardest but most beneficial tunic and trousers to create. They required a lot of materials, and Cross would probably have to go grinding for more materials later on, but it was worth it.

He took out his tailoring materials and began to work, ignoring everything else around him, as he practically poured his soul into his work. When he finished, he beamed at his creations. Not only did he manage to get enough materials to make a hat and gloves and boots as well, but every article was a critical success, making them even stronger. He scooped up the items and placed them neatly in his satchel before standing up and making his way over to the forges again.

When he arrived, he saw Blue packing up his tools with an annoyed expression on his face. Behind him were three different players, all berating him for taking too long. Blue looked about ready to snap, so Cross quickly stepped in front of Blue and held his arm out, getting in the way of the three other players. Cross observed the three characters, one had a golden tooth, one had wrappings around his skull, and the last one had a torn, red bandana. Shaking his head slightly, Cross glared at the three. They simply glared back until Cross spoke.

"I suggest you bug off. You all are only level seven, meaning you all likely just got off the beginners prologue quest. I, along with this fellow over here, am level thirty. Now, leave us be. Unless of course you'd all like to challenge us to a PvP."

The other skeletons backed off carefully before turning and sprinting away. Cross turned back to Blue, only to find his annoyed expression still present.

"You took my kills. Again." Cross only chuckled as Blue huffed in displeasure. He then opened his satchel and took out the armor he created for Blue, handing them to him.

"This includes a tunic, trousers, boots, gloves, and a hat. I wanted to make you a better cape as well, but I ran out of materials." Blue smiled eagerly as he began equipping the new gear, stars in his eyes. When he finished and closed the character tab, he handed the two twin daggers that were sitting on the anvil to Cross, who took them rather eagerly himself.

"Those are made out of some of the strongest metal you can find in this area. Plus, it has added buffs, so your movement speed should increase, as well as the critical rate." Grinning, Cross quickly changed his class and equipped the new blades. Suddenly, Cross looked up again.

"Wait, how did we get back here anyway? Did we die?" Blue simply shook his head. "Nope! While you were distracting the goblin, I used the skill 'Milestone' to take me back here. And at the last second, I took hold of you, so you came back as well. But, uh, that kinda breaks the game's systems, so you were out for a while."

Cross nodded. "Wait, what happened to that Goblin King then?!" Blue smiled cheekily. "Well, another group of higher level characters came by to kill it, but since we initiated the fight, we got the kill! But, uh, now we have to complete 'Goblin Slayer: Advanced'. And we gotta kill sixty of em now."

Cross simply grinned as he took Blue's hand. "Well, what do you know, I feel like taking these things for a swing. You with me?" Blue grinned before readying his hat. "Sure thing.."

"Partner..."

—————

Word Count: 2385

Eheh I’m just gonna transfer this over here as well before I forget again ahcfjbdjkygnd

[bisummers]

buffy/faith 2k fic: just like on tv

fuffy day ❤ UC Sunnydale college roommate AU @buffylovesfaith

“I am done with men!”

Buffy announced dramatically, as she swung her room’s door wide open. She chucked her keys towards the desk, but wildly misjudged her aim. They ricocheted off her closet’s back wall and got lost somewhere between all her shoes.

“What happened?”

Faith asked, not bothering to look up from her computer. In the four and a half months they had been roommates, this was not the first time she had heard Buffy make such declarations.

She felt her plop onto bed before saying, “I didn’t even get fake Tahiti.”

“… The what?” Faith is looking at Buffy now, her interest slightly piqued.

“You know,” she started, “in TV or in movies when a character breaks a promise they made to someone, they show they care by making a grand gesture. Something that takes a lot of effort, to prove you didn’t really mean to flake.” Buffy sat up on her bed. “Like, for example, a guy promises his girlfriend a trip to Tahiti, but then he has to cancel. So he decorates his apartment like an island and invites her over to have a date in–“

“Fake Tahiti.” Faith finished Buffy’s sentence, nodding understandingly.

“Let me guess, Riley didn’t do anything to make up for missing your last two dates?”

“Three dates,” Buffy clarified, as she took off her boots. “He showed 20 minutes late today just to tell me he had to reschedule. Again. …As if! He was covered in soot, or black paint or something, wearing camouflage like he’d been playing paintball with his buddies.” Buffy stopped to groan as she finished pulling off her last sock.

“He probably forgot about our date and would rather finish his paintball championship than kiss me goodnight. I’m repulsive!”

Buffy was sporting her signature pout now, which Faith had learned meant Buffy was genuinely feeling insecure.

“Well, I say screw him. Screw them all.” Faith walked towards Buffy and sat next to her on the bed. She placed a tentative hand above Buffy’s knee. Her heart skipped a beat at the warmth of her naked thigh.

“Captain Cardboard doesn’t deserve you, and you should know better than to let a guy stand you up more than once anyways.”

Buffy didn’t appear to be listening; her eyes seemed fixated on Faith’s fingers. ‘Or,’ Faith thought, ‘I managed to make her even more insecure by pointing out her mistake and she can’t bear to look at me.’ After a few seconds of silence Faith took a gulp, raised her hand to Buffy’s chin, and softly pulled her face up to make eye contact.

“It’s not about you. I can’t see how any straight man could purposely ignore a catch like you.”

Faith smirked to try and lighten the mood, and she noticed Buffy was faintly blushing. Her eyes had softened; she kept staring at her as if waiting for more of her pep talk. Faith’s brain became muddled with all the thoughts she wanted to express, her lack of clarity made even worse by the proximity of their faces.

“So,” she said, getting up from Buffy’s bed and walking to her side of the room, “dance marathon at the Bronze tonight, B? Take the edge off?”

“Yeah,” Buffy answered with a small smile.  

Before Faith turned around, she could’ve sworn she saw Buffy bite her bottom lip.

‘You are head over heels in love with Buffy Summers.’

Faith thought, as she gazed at her reflection on the blurry bathroom mirror. She had wiped the steam off the glass to better see her face, but a slight fogginess endured. Her feelings, however, remained embarrassingly clear. She had reasoned that by admitting her affections for her roommate – even if just to herself – she would have a better chance to get over said feelings. ‘Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery and whatnot.’

Faith thought she had been doing fairly well with getting over Buffy. Then she went and did something as ill advised as touching her thigh and lifting her chin. She kept replaying the way Buffy’s pouty lips looked when she reached for her face. Every time, Faith’s heart would swell uncomfortably. She stopped fantasizing and started lining her upper eyelids, using her elbows like a clasp to keep her towel in place. Just because she was comfortable with her body did not mean she wanted the dorm’s bathroom to get a show. She heard the clink of something fall from her beauty bag into the sink, but paid no mind. She was psyching herself up, resolved to put her misstep behind her.  Tonight at the Bronze she would focus on Buffy’s feelings and drown her own with a few drinks and some overeager guys. She would make sure Buffy got the good time she deserved and Riley couldn’t give her.

Suddenly, an idea hatched in Faith’s mind. She capped her liner and grabbed her phone, texting her friend Tara before she could lose her nerve.

Buffy was waiting for Faith in their room, using her desk as a vanity to retouch her makeup. Most of her primping and priming had been done for her fruitless date with Riley, so she was pretty much ready for their night out. She was also pretty much fuming about how that had turned out. She was still trying to understand how she had sunk so low and allowed some… man-child to play her for the third time. He was probably running around the woods still, not giving her a single, guilty thought.  ‘I should just date women,’ she thought, and a wave of shame came over her.

She was reminded of the first time she had kissed a girl. She had been 15 years old and new to Sunnydale. Her only friend was a nerdy redhead called Willow, who was now far away in Harvard preparing to rule the world.  Their decision to kiss had been reached after a lot of careful deliberation. She convinced her this would not count as their first kiss; that would be reserved for whatever boy they chose in the future. This was simply practice, so that they would be ready for such an important accomplishment. Ironically, Willow was now living with an admittedly gorgeous girl called Kennedy and Buffy… well, Buffy couldn’t get a date. Turned out their pondering over kissing purity had been in vain.

She remembered the “practice” fondly and a little embarrassedly. She reasoned just because she had puckered up with a lesbian did not mean she was one. If anything made her gay, it was the shiver that went up her spine when Faith cupped her face. ‘I mean, what was that about?’ Buffy thought, feeling a little ridiculous.

So far, the night out at the Bronze had turned into Faith’s own personal nightmare. She had forgotten her wallet, giving Buffy no choice but to cover both of their tabs. However, Buffy didn’t have enough for both of them, so Faith decided she could live the next few hours without liquor.

“Don’t worry about me,” she told Buffy with misleading confidence. “You drown your sorrows to your heart’s content.”

Boy had that been a mistake.

Faith had spent the night too aware of clammy hands and sweaty shirts. Too aware of Buffy’s every sip and increasing regard for guys. With every passing minute it became clearer to her she couldn’t continue the night pretending to be interested in men. Pretending she wasn’t jealous of the way Buffy laughed at their bad jokes. Pretending she wasn’t mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the way the light hit her jaw line when she flipped her head back. She was overwhelmed by an irrational need to punch the surrounding vultures and take Buffy safe into her arms.

Faith excused herself from the dance floor, stole someone’s shot from the bar, and headed out of the Bronze before the tequila’s rightful owner could protest. The shock of cold midnight air hit her hard enough to calm a bit of the fury going on in her head. She could still feel the burn of liquor down her throat; it made her feel in control. With that came a pang of guilt.

“Let’s leave the questioning of my alcoholic tendencies for another night, okay brain?” she muttered while wrapping her arms around herself.

‘Just get through the next hour,’ she thought, giving herself a while before going back inside.

It was an hour later now, and the girls were on the way back to their dorm. Faith had received a text message from Tara 20 minutes ago, confirming the plan had been set in motion and everything was successfully completed. Faith’s hope that tonight wouldn’t be a total disaster was all hanging on her ability to pull off this absurd idea.

“You should be really proud me,” Buffy said, “When I said I was done with men, I meant it. I didn’t give my number to a single one of those boys, not-a-one.”

Buffy was slurring her words just a little bit, but the fresh air from the walk back home had helped to diminish some of the influence. She was still tipsy, but not drunk.

“Yes, B, your act of selfless bravery will not be forgotten,” she teased, trying to juggle a leaning Buffy in one arm while opening the door with the other.

“There we go,” Faith announced as she heard the familiar click of the lock and swung the door ajar.

“Oh my god… Faith.”

Tara’s twinkle lights were hanging from their windows and the cabinets above their desks. There were strings lined full of cardboard shells, fishes, and palm trees hanging from their headboards and the doorframe. Faith’s radio was playing soft luau music while Buffy’s radio played the sound of waves crashing. To Faith’s surprise, Tara had even purchased a bottle of rum and placed it on the nightstand… next to her now empty wallet. Tara had truly gone all out. When Faith had confided in her about her feelings for Buffy she hadn’t exactly expected dissent, but she had not considered she would have received such fervent support either.

Buffy, she realized, was no longer holding on to her arm, but was twirling dazedly in the middle of the room, taking everything in.

“Is this–“

“Fake Tahiti,” Faith confirmed. “Or what I assume is a wildly inaccurate yet very loving rendition of it.”

Buffy’s rising smile could have lit up a stadium.

“How did you do this?” Buffy asked, breathless, turning towards Faith.

“Tara did most of it. I gave her my keys before I came back from the shower so she could use her last birthday decorations to spruce up the place.”

Buffy was laughing now; she had just noticed her stuffed pig Mr. Gordo was wearing a fake lei.  Faith questioned how it was possible to like someone so much so damn fast.

“Why?” Buffy questioned, inching closer, making eye contact. Her face was full of innocent curiosity. Faith had not expected that question.

“Because… I just like to see you smile.”

The words stumbled out of her mouth, truer and more candidly that she had ever spoken. Her entire body was on edge, the uncertainty of how Buffy would react lingered in between them like a fog.

Buffy looked to the floor as if deliberating, nodded her head, and kissed Faith straight on the mouth.

Both her hands rose gently but firmly to the sides of Faith’s neck as she put more pressure on the kiss. Buffy stopped after a moment, nothing but electrons between their lips. Faith stood there – eyes still closed – for what felt like an eternity, praying to whatever god would listen that she had not just hallucinated. When she realized it was real, Faith held onto Buffy’s back, pushed her forwards, and returned the kiss with unrestrained enthusiasm.

As they kissed, they both felt a weight being lifted – as if they had finally reached the finish line of a marathon they had been running for weeks.