#was obsessed with this thing for a bit while I was playing a mining game....

[circlebuttons]

Rafe on Love Island

- this is a throw away rant because of how obsessed i am w love island us rn. I feel like Rafe would be a mix of leah and rob with a bit of caine for rule breaking.

-

You get coupled with Rafe in love island on the very first night. When all the guys walked in your eyes were on him immediately, he's taller and broader than everyone else in his sharp grey suit with his white button down being unbuttoned just a tad. The closer he gets you notice that his eyes are already locked on you. His eye contact makes your heart race and the cherry on top is the sly smirk that creeps up on his face when you lean over to the two girls you already befriended in such a short time and quietly inform them that, "Buzzcut is mine." He scoffs out a silent laugh on account of you never look away from him once or block your lips from being able to be read. You're the first person he introduces himself too, holding your hand firmly and probably for a bit too long.

He sits on the couch facing you and during the icebreaker questions you learn that Rafe Cameron is a man who's lived a lot of lives but is now a certified businessman, looking to find his first ever stable relationship. The most important thing you learn is that your feelings of attraction are mutual when he pulls a card that reads "Kiss the islander who you think is a gold digger"

His eyes immediately land you and he clarifies to everyone that he's picking you not because he thinks your a gold digger, but because he'd rather have you be his sugar baby, it's all about perspective at the end of the day.

"You can take all my money" he mumbles before kissing you gently at first with a coy hand on your neck, but you're the one to deepen it and he follows your lead immediately before you break apart, softly saying, "Nice to meet you" while using your finger to wipe the rouge lip combo that you both are now wearing.

There's no doubt in your mind when picking Rafe to couple up with. After the coupling Rafe is on your heels following you like a puppy to an area of couches where you're meant to get to know each other a bit better before sharing a bed. There he asks a lot more questions about yourself, hanging onto every word that leaves your mouth. You eventually leave to go get ready for bed and he reluctantly separates from you, being the first one under the covers laying awake with bright eyes when you climb in on the other side of him. "Courtesy pillow?" he asks looking at you cautiously. "Not unless you need it, I'll behave for the first night" you smirk at him before turning to your side and getting comfortable and little do you know how long he stares at the ceiling replaying every event from today, avoiding reminiscing on the kiss to avoid becoming to worked up, but worked up nonetheless because he feels insane for falling for a girl this fast into the game.

That morning Rafe wakes up with a smile on his face for the first time in ages and he wakes up like that everyday in the villa because no matter what it's always you. He's nothing short of obsessed with you, just as much as you are him, but the two of you being head over heels doesn't make for good tv until Rafe starts playing more defensively. The first male bombshells that get added to the villa get nothing but glares from him as they get way to comfortable with you in the games and attempt to pull you for chats while you're literally right next to him. Production had made it clear that it was off limits to physically fight, so Rafe had to settle for pulling in other guys for secret "chats" instead where he'd just loom over them and make sure it was understood you were happy being coupled with him.

Production would have to step in again to remind rafe that it was also against the rules to hinder filming in anyway meaning saying blunt no's when another girl tries to pull him or turning his head when the objective of a game is to kiss. It unexpectedly makes better tv when Rafe starts his malicious compliance as he sits either blank or stank faced and awkwardly silent in one on one chats with girls who insist on talking with him and in challenges the cameras capture the disgusted tight lipped faces he makes when he's forced to kiss someone else. You feel the same way he does, you're a bit more complacent with production and don't mind participating. It bothers Rafe sure, but at the end of the day it fuels him seeing you kiss another islander and knowing that he's ten times better than any of these guys will ever be. You and Rafe discussed that you have to do what you have to do for tv, but outside of mini games there was to be exclusivity. Exclusive is a word you use a lot, waiting until the outside to be a real couple.

Although what you don't wait for is having sex in the villa after finding out all the guys left for casa amor. Hearing that Rafe was the only guy to refuse not only made you proud, but surprisingly horny too. Making out at night or even grinding on each other wasn't foreign to either one of you, it's when your hand drifts into Rafe's waistband that he shoots up to flip you under him, eager to finally have all of you. After that night the two of you sneak around fucking like absolute bunnies. You protest weakly every time he starts kissing on your neck, knowing what's about to to happen, mumbling "Fuck me, my moms watching" before you the two of you duck under covers and have the best sex of your lives.

[54625]

I miss kelp cocaine

I miss everyone congregating at Phil and Missa's, I miss Roier's over exaggerated moan every time he and Cellbit kissed, I miss everyone throwing their balaclavas on and going "passa tudo...", Tubbo's constant grilling of Fit and Pac (especially Fit), Mike's hairdressing, everyone singing the Pac e Mike wow wow song, Gegg, the admins striking people with lightning perfectly on cue, the Foolish cheating allegations, Slime and Mariana traumatising their viewers, Dorime playing randomly, people turning eachother rainbow coloured with the rainbow jelly, Dapper randomly pulling out all kinds of crazy creatures from his backpack, the extremely overwhelming pre-event meet ups, Las Casualonas, the casualonas dance, Sunny's materialism, Etoiles telling everyone how and why their armour and weapons aren't actually optimised, Phil breaking the fourth wall, Baghera and her fish joke, Rubius abusing his creative power, Foolish ruining the tension during serious moments, Cellbit obsessing over every lore lead or clue, Roier and his hilarious PNG builds, Felps "finally being added to the server", Fit always looking after Mariana's builds in his absence, everyone playing hide and seek, Cucurucho spying on and jumpscaring everyone, Quackity constantly being made fun of for his dead kid, Phil and Fit's aggressive "friendly" flirting, Cellbit talking over Richas' shoulder while he's painting, Leonarda's spoiledness, Ramón's obsession with the citric acid cycle, Slime's ability to show up for an event out of nowhere and just completely derail everything, new players always freaking out about Fit's voice, Quackity desperately trying to find a match since day 1 and always failing, Maximus' talk show, people teleporting in and out at just the right second, Jaiden's love for Hatsune Miku infecting the server, Bad and Foolish's encounters, Ramón threatening to blow himself up or digging himself into the ground when he doesn't get his way, Tallulah drowning herself when she doesn't get her way, the hilarious mistranslations, the wonderful screenshots, Vegetta's mines, Jaiden's expanding list of nationalities, Antoine being an enigma, the in-game karaoke place, Bobby starting fights, Juanaflippa dying over and over, Empanada trauma dumping about her first death to Bagi, Cellbit's vivo turbo ad, Bad yelling "language!", Pol and Foolish and Mouse not being able to stop laughing around each other, Pierre and Max's damn furry club, "no mames!", Spreen leaving for cigarettes, Bad stealing furniture, Missa being incomprehensibly cringefail (I will never forget that "bucket clutch"), Felps' hole, Tubbo's bigger hole, Mike going crazy that one time, Chayanne whipping out his cooking utensils, "Fofoca!", Pomme being the French Sniper, Pepito being homeless for a sec? Richarlyson's many personalities and characters, Tilin being "la tres leches", Trump even being called Trump to begin with, Cucuruchito flirting with everyone, dozens of plots to break into various federation buildings, hundreds of rule breaks, DanTDM being theorised to be Bagi's missing brother, Etoiles' love-hate relationship with the codes, Kameto going out for milk, Tina's heavily one sided rivalry with Fit, everyone changing their skins for events and some people being so extra with it, things falling into chaos every time an event needed them to travel a long distance together, the messy group photos, Charlie's grief spirals, people meeting up at Spreen's bar way back when, everyone making an effort to speak languages they don't speak, the sharing of international memes, the teaching of swear words, the joy that was born from the interconnectivity.

Just all of the things, dumb, hilarious, or adorable. The moments, bits and little jokes that made the QSMP so engaging, fun and entertaining to watch. That made you feel like you were participating in one massive celebration. I miss it.

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- The Late Late Show Clips

Part 52

2015

The video starts with James Corden in front of the camera at a basketball court. His hand on his hips with a sweatband on his head

“Today is the combination of a life’s dream”

The clip then cuts to Harry

“It definitely feels like the last erm five years being in this band was preparation for this game”

“The best way to practice dodgeball” James is stood talking with the boys and YN around him with a pile of dodgeball balls in the middle of them “is to practice without a dodgeball” Niall passes a pretend ball to James while Louis and Liam get ready for the imaginary ball to go to them. Harry and YN stand off to the side with arms crossed with raised eyebrows.

The next clip shows Niall

“The singing thing just happened I never planned a career in singing. It was always about dodgeball for me”

“We got a great coach and great team captain and an amazing support system” the camera shows YN holding pom-poms jumping up and down “we wouldn’t be here without her”

“When I was asked to join the team I was a little shocked, but then I was just told to stand on the side and cheer I thought why not. Singing was never really a passion of mine, it’s not my long term goal. I’ve always wanted to cheer on a dodgeball team”

The next clip shows the boys doing sit ups and YN running over to Harry to put his hair in a bobble

“I’m absolutely dodgeball obsessed and yeah I’ve always lived and breathed dodgeball it’s just such a big part of me” Louis says to the camera

“Have you ever played dodgeball before?”

“No never”

The rest of the video shows the boys playing dodgeball against a group of girls and YN having an issue with their male cheerleader. Unfortunately Cordens Angels loose the game, and the boys and YN looks devastated.

Comments:

YN just cheering the boys is priceless!

I love how serious they took this

I love how YN and the other cheerleader had beef

“Now we’re about to play what is probably the craziest game we’ve ever had on our show. It’s a game that I’m already regretting thinking of. It’s time for tattoo roulette with One Direction. Ok here’s how it works. On this table we have 6 boxes. In 5 of them is the word safe. Inside one of them is the word tattoo. Each of us will chose a box and if the box says tattoo in it they will get a tattoo right here right now live on the show. If it’s one of the boys or YN they will get Late Late tattooed on them and if it’s me I will have 1D tattooed on me” YNs face lights looking giddy with excitement

“I think we should go ladies first” Louis says looking at YN who’s stood next to Niall

“Me to. Niall” YN presents the boxes making everyone laugh

“Niall your the only member who doesn’t have any tattoos so are you going first?”

“Yeah”

“Oh my god he’s shaking” YN gasps

“Niall off you go” Niall goes to the boxes and chooses a box “ok YN your next” Harry goes to help YN down the stairs in her heals, but she effortlessly walks down without any help. Many years of practice under her belt

“I’m just going to pick this one” she shrugs taking a box

“I hate how calm you are” Niall says to YN who brings the box over to where he’s standing

“It’s fine I’ve been meaning to book a new tattoo in”

“Harold. How are you feeling about this?”

“I’m fine” Harry is next to chose a box, then Louis and finally Liam.

YN and the boys are stood in a line with their boxes

“I feel like I’m on deal or no deal” YN comments

“Now you’re a professional tattoo artist. Your good at this”

“I’m alright” the tattoo artist shrugs

“Can you do removals?” James says

“I’m a bit hurt James that you don’t want 1D permanently on your body. Plus removals hurt more than the tattoo so I’d just keep with the tattoo”

“Not helping YN” Niall nudges his friend

“Alright Liam you go first” Liam lifts up the lid which says safe. Louis is also safe. James is next and he’s safe. Harry quickly swaps his box and YNs box around

“Oi”

“I just have a feeling YN” Harry says

“Ok will YN you go next” she lets out a big sigh, then opens the lid revealing the words safe. All that’s left is Harry and Niall. Niall looks like he’s about to throw up Harry opens the his box and it says tattoo causing Niall to jump up and down with glee

“Harry styles is getting a tattoo!” James smiles

Comments:

The fact Harry swapped his and YNs box because he had a feeling

Niall just thinking thank god it’s not him!

I’m going to miss them!

“Hey mate it’s me. I’m in a real bind traffic wise I know your in town is there anyway you can help me?” James starts the video clip with him on the phone sat behind the drivers wheel of the car. Niall then opens the door and sits in the passenger seat “hey man thanks for this” Louis Harry and Liam then join in the back “well since your all here where’s YN?”

“Here” YN pops her head up from the floor

“Where did you come from. No scratch that how did you get in here?”

“I have my ways. Now where am I sitting?”

“Here” Harry pats his and Liams knees. YN gets up and sits half on Harry and half on Liam

“Ok fair enough. If anyone needs a wee”

“I need a wee” Harry raises his hand

“Hold it. Now are you ok if we listen to some music?”

“Yeah course” what makes you beautiful starts playing. They all sing the song, Harry every now and then singing to YN.

“Blimey you’ve got a boney ass YN” Harry laughs with an arm around her waist making sure she’s safe

“Is it scary having people find out where you are, where you live”

“It can do when they are outside your house. I’m living alone at the moment so it’s scary when people are ringing your doorbell”

“That’s why she’s got Cookie. Scare them off” Niall jokes

“Worst she will do is lick someone to death” YN laughs. Story of my life then plays. YN tries her best to sing but her part of the song is sung by Harry

“Let’s do a band harmony. I’ll kick it off and you follow”

“I’ll do the highest note” YN says goes into a whistle tone as they all harmonise. The next song plays, the best song ever, Harry and YN sing the adlibs. When James does a high note after YN everyone looks shocked

“Ok YN how do I like keep that high note for long”

“Lots of practice and drinking hot Lemmon and honey water”

“I think you need to rethink the hiatus. This just feels right. So YN don’t go on tour with Justin. Just release more music. I just think this is whats best”

“Oh James” YN pats James on the shoulder

“Do you know the game sleep marry cruise”

“I love this game” YN claps

“YN. Your three are. Justin, Harry and Chris Hemsworth”

“Oh god errrm” YN awkwardly laughs “I think if I sleep with Chris things would be awkward so cruise Chris. Sleep Justin and marry Harry, he’s a good cook”

“Thanks for helping me get to work guys. I love you all”

Comments:

Harry singing ‘don’t need makeup to cover up’ to YN just makes me sad they aren’t actually dating!

Haha YN stealing Harry’s drink and him just letting her as if this is just normal!

YN actually looked so sad during story of my life. Liam and Louis just holding her hands breaks my heart

“marry Harry, he’s a good cook” hmmm sure…

[dailyadventureprompts]

Monsters Reimagined: Kobolds

I started playing d&d during 3rd edition, which presented kobolds as a trap happy gaggle of dragon obsessives who were counted as the weakest but smartest of the traditional dungeonfodder humanoids. Other than being lizardy they were presented near identically to goblins, both being petty and cruel and resentful over their small stature and the place it meant they occupied in the world. This overlap is actually one of the reasons I haven't gotten to kobolds before now, as I kinda felt like I covered most of it in my writeup for goblins a couple years ago.

Since Kobolds are a reoccuring request however I eventually decided I was going to give the people what they wanted. My plan was to talk about d&d dragonsimp kobolds vs. warcraft candleloving kobolds vs. jrpg dogpeople kobolds, and how all of these relate back to creature's mythological origin but hey wait a minute the official forgotten realms wiki says WHAT ?

Huh, that sounds like a weird sort of projection from a man who's super insecure about his height. I wonder if the original dragon magazine listed as a source here has anything more to.. Oh.... OH-NO

Living space, huh? Extinction of weaker peoples, eh? A religion based around survival, insularity, obedience, and the defeat of stronger enemies through attrition, yadon'tsay? Man, the canine kobolds might be on to something because there's an ORCHESTRA of dogwhistles going on here.

Friends, there's a lot to unpack here, so like a kobold with a pickax lets dig in

Where it started: the connection between kobolds and goblins and gnomes predates d&d back to mythological roots, as all are names shared by the european folklore character of "weird little guy who lives under the hill and plays tricks on us". Kobolds have an even more delightful bit of etymology attached, as miners blamed them for magically transforming valuable silver for (at the time) worthless cobalt. Originally my rehash of kobalds was going to centre on them as tinkerers/engineers for this reason, as alchemical cobalt batteries sound rad as hell.

Kobolds are in this way also part of the greater traditions of "mine spirits", Knackers, tommyknockers, and the like. Who play tricks on miners, and are just as likely to cause disaster when displeased as they are to warn of it when befriended.

Then the d&d authors did what they always do, they pilfered the name of folkloric creatures for the game while ignoring actual mythology, drawing hard and fast lines and making up rigid catagories as they went.

What's wrong: Given their proclivity for traps, sneak attacks, and guerilla tactics you end up getting a LOT of comparisons between Kobolds and the Viet Cong… which I find very telling.  So many of the original d&d antagonists were vessels for middle aged geeks of the 70s and 80s to hit back at their insecurities ( whether it be challenges to their masculinity, sexuality, or something more existential) it doesn’t surprise me at all that d&d has an enemy that let american boomers rehash their nation’s at the time biggest military debacle. 

Kobolds are so weak and undeserving you understand, they’ve only survived because they’re tricky, but this time we’ll get them, if we come in with enough firepower and hirelings to get through the meatgrinder we can finally hit them where they live and deal with them for good. 

D&D worldbuilding imagines kobolds as “the other” from an occupier’s lens: resentful of their rightful displacement, nursing their hatreds in the shadows, emerging only to attack or to steal and despoil what they’ve been denied. They have no ambition, no culture, no wants beyond being a threat for the new dominant power. They’re cowards for using traps and poison and tactics on those here to plunder their homes. 

What’s worth Salvaging:  While the 3e revision of kobolds as dracomaniacs is a welcome change from their old lore I’m not especially fond of it. Overuse of dragons is one of the things that most turns me off general fantasy media. Any group of sapient creatures serving a dragon is just as likely to form a dragoncult, it doesn’t make kobolds special. 

That said, if you did want to double down on kobold dragon worship you might consider spicing in a few elements from my revamped version of Tiamat, painting their reverence not just as ego and overcompensation but as a desire to emulate and become…certian kobold enclaves possibly using sorcery or alchemy to transform a chosen among their people into a fully fledged wyrm. 

While we’ve mostly tossed alignment to the curb where it belongs,to distinguish kobolds from goblins it might be worth leaning into their lawful aspects; Underfoot foremen and notaries and  work crews addressing things with a utilitarian collective effort before scurrying out of sight when the shift change occurs.  Where as goblins are screwball and slapstick onto the verge of cartoonishness, perhaps kobolds are practical and industrious to the point of causing problems: They dam a river to access a sacred cave heedless of the disruption and flooding it’d cause, they tear down, occupying and restoring a derelict mill and restoring it to function regardless of who owns it, undermining the foundations of the duke’s palace following a vein of copper in the nearby hills. 

This efficiency-focused attitude also helps thematically define mechanically minded kobolds against gnomes and dwarves as the game’s other tinkerers:  They share the practicality of dwarven artisans and the inventiveness of gnomish artificers, but lack the sentiment the other two place on what they make.  Kobold craft is often regarded as lower quality, but that’s because resource efficiency and easy replaceability are primary metrics upon which they judge something. 

Artsource

[auroralwriting]

can’t take my charm ౨ৎ

ellie williams x singer!fem!reader

synopsis: you’re jackson’s very lovely performer, every wednesday, friday, and sunday nights performing at the local bar for the whole town. ellie is, as always, enamored with you.

haha yes this is based off of lucy gray from the hunger games.. i have multiple obsessions

“hey, we got ‘bout five minutes till we go on,” your bandmate, claire, said as she stuck her head in the bathroom you resided in. you were adjusting your outfit and hair, making sure you looked perfect.

you hummed for a second, “alright, i think i’m ready.”

“and you look amazing as always,” claire smiled, leading you to the rest of the band.

over the years, tommy helped you gather instruments and other useful things such as your microphone to help you perform. you really owed him.

you grabbed your mic and as you all walked out onto the small, makeshift stage, everyone cheered. you hooked your microphone up to the cord.

“hey, ya’ll!” you say cheerfully into the mic. “how’re we feelin’ tonight?”

applause and whistles followed, and you smiled. “are you ready to hear some music?” again, more applause.

you heard you drummer start counting in as the band began to play. everyone in the crowed started to move, some dancing, some just swaying to the beat while watching you.

you quickly found those perfect eyes staring at you from the bar. that’s where ellie sat, watching you with a smile on her face. you always caught her eye. sometimes you’d talk after your set. she always complimented you. you complimented her. there was a mutual pinning between you both.

“can’t take my charm, can’t take my humor,” you start to sing. everyone starts to cheer as your voice entered. you saw ellie whistle.

“thinkin’ you’re so fine, thinkin’ you can have mine, thinkin’ you’re in control,”

the song ended soon after, cheer and applause erupting.

this next song, well, it was a doosey. your bandmates didn’t take long to catch onto your and ellie’s infatuation with each other. they encouraged you to write a song about it. and here you were, about to perform it for everyone, including her.

“now ya’ll, this next one is somethin’ special,” you begin to say. everyone quiets softly to listen.

“this one’s about someone, someone i feel’s just too special to not have a song,” small cheers erupt.

you nod to your band who slowly starts the song. it didn’t take long for partners to start dancing. it was a good song to do that to.

“everyone’s born as clean as a whistle,” you sing. “fresh as a daisy, not a bit crazy,”

ellie’s eyes pour into your own. you can’t peel yours from hers. your singing directly into her soul.

“this world, it’s dark, this world, it’s scary. i’ve taken some hits, no wonder i’m weary. it’s why i need you. you’re as pure as the driven snow.”

as you sing, jesse sits next to ellie, nudging her. she doesn’t look away from you.

“lover girl’s written you a song, eh?” jesse teases.

“shut up,” ellie remarked softly. she wanted to hear you. she wanted to soak in every word you sang, memorize it and keep it forever.

jesse just smiled and walked back to dina, who couldn’t help but giggle at ellie’s reaction to your song.

it ended with your words, the biggest applause of the night erupting. you give a small bow, not pausing to speak but allowing the band to start playing another upbeat song.

it went on like this for a few sets. once your band ended and a duo went to take your place, you looked at claire nervously.

“girl,” its like she read your mind, “go talk to her. she couldn’t take her eyes off ya.”

you nodded and went into the crowed of people, trying to push through everyone to get to the bar. you could just see it, but it was loud, and everyone was dancing.

suddenly, your hand was captured in someone else’s being dragged to the bar. you knew it was ellie guiding you.

one you emerged from the crowd, there she was. she got up on her seat and patted the one next to her. you sat down and turned your seat to her.

“hey pretty girl,” ellie flirted. “you sounded amazing.”

“thank you, els.” you smiled bashfully.

there was a pause. you wanted to ask her about the song. her song.

“i loved the song,” it was like ellie read your mind. “it was beautiful.”

you looked down, “it’s for you,”

“for me?” ellie teased, “little old me?” she laughed at your embarrassed face. she took your hands in hers. “i loved it, sweets. i wish i could hear it over and over again.”

you shrugged, smiling a little. “then just ask,”

ellie raised an eyebrow at you, and you got the hint. you laughed slightly and leaned closer to her.

“everyone wants to be like a hero,” you sing while laughing with ellie. “the cake with the cream, the doer not dreamer,”

“i fucking love your voice,” ellie smiled. “it’s so beautiful. just like you,”

your face turned bright red at this. “i think your beautiful, too,”

“maybe sometime i can play guitar and you can sing for me,” ellie suggests, nudging you with her shoulder, now incredibly close. legs touching, arms basically touching.

“you play?” you ask as she nods.

“joel taught me,” she smiles.

her fingers find the bottom of your chin, turning your head to face her. neither of you said anything, you didn’t have to. it didn’t take long before her lips were pressed against your own.

“such a little charmer,” ellie teases once you pull away, “feeling me in with a song,”

you laugh, “i already had you before that,”

“yeah,” ellie nods, hand in yours, her thumb rubbing your hand softly, “you did.”

[coatree]

So I do some writing on the side and recently a couple friends of mine started making this DND style AU about their WL/SOL/CTM maps, I’ve, accidentally, become obsessed with this AU and figured I’d put some writing on here for fun

These were made with a one time pass through as a fan of the AU, if you want to learn more about it, most of the content of this AU and its basics are here, and spread through out Lew’s blog. it’s creators are Lew (Ellery), CJ (Syyrin). Smurg (Flint), Chris (Iscariot), and Maruu (Mar).

Please check it out. They have made me insane about this. There is so much art and things I will post because of them.

Card Games

“You ever play cards before?” Iscariot blinked out of his half-asleep state and glanced over to Flint, who was waving around a small box in his hands. Iscariot looked to the box, noticing the similarities to something he had seen some of the other people in the cult hold onto whenever it was a particularly long day. He blinked back to reality when he remembered Flint was waiting for an answer.

“Uh, no.” Iscariot said bluntly, recalling that no one ever really offered to teach him cards. It made sense to him, he wasn’t supposed to show weakness, and play was a form of weakness. It may have been a good way to pass time, but it was never, well, in the cards.

“Really??” Flint said, sitting up straighter with his face shifting to confusion. “Not even Crazy Eights? Go Fish? Poker??” Flint pushed, only getting closer to Iscariot as the man shook his head and leaned back in response. Flint huffed and sat back, opening the box and pulling out a stack of cards.

Flint shuffled the cards in front of Iscariot, confusing the hell out of him, before the deck was placed on the grass in between the two, and cards were being given to him. He held the cards gently, not trying to put a hole in them, as Flint held his own row of cards, looking up at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“So first, I’m going to teach you the easy basic card game, Go Fish. You can play this anywhere at any time basically, no matter what cards you have, as long as you have a full deck.” Flint started. Iscariot listened closely, not wanting to mess up what Flint deemed the “easy basic card game”. While every inch in his body told him that he shouldn’t be playing games, the other parts of him said that he should at least give it a shot, and he shouldn't back down from a challenge.

So, he started playing Go Fish. He slowly got the hand of it, sometimes fumbling his cards, or messing up the names of the suits, but overall he wasn’t terrible. He had even won a couple of times. After the fifth game, Syyrin came over and joined in, wanting to play as well after she saw the two “having fun”, which Iscariot wanted to protest. but he bit his tongue.

Eventually, Mar also came over, deciding to join the game. She made it her life mission to target Iscariot, obviously, with her one goal being to make Iscariot lose at any opportunity. And yet, despite all that, Iscariot felt… something weird. It wasn’t what he usually knew, it felt new, fresh, it was similar to a feeling he got when Ellery…

Whatever. Regardless, it was peaceful, calming, and-

“Can I join too?”

Iscariot’s breath caught in his throat, he turned to look at Ellery who was looking at them all playing cards with an expression Iscariot couldn’t place. He didn’t get a chance to say anything before Flint lit up

“Yeah! Of course! Here, after this game we’ll get you some cards.” Flint spoke excitedly, the group watching as Ellery sat between Mar and Iscariot. He watched the rest of the game, Syyrin won, and held the cards that Flint handed to him

Iscariot was fine. He could be fine. Being so close to Ellery was perfectly fine. It was just, a normal, card game. There was no reason for the pit of guilt to-

“How do I play?” Ellery asked. It was a seemingly normal question, something that anyone would possibly ask, but the way Flint and Syyrin’s faces dropped at Ellery’s question, only made the pit inside Iscariot grow.

“You- you don’t know how to play?” Syyrin asked, to which Ellery shook his head.

“Did I?” Ellery asked again, confused as he stared at Syyrin and Flint.

The space went silent, the cracking of the fire and the rush of wind being the only noise heard. Iscariot, however, could only hear his heartbeat, the loud, drumming sensation of his heartbeat as Flint and Syyrin looked devastated, and Ellery realized why. The new feeling he felt earlier vanished without a trace, falling into the deep pit of guilt that took its regular place in his gut.

He stood, dropping his cards on the grass before stepping back, causing the others to look at him.

“I will… check around the area. Play without me.” Iscariot mumbled, heading over to his weapon and grabbing it before vanishing into the woods, leaving behind the stares of the other four as Flint once again taught someone how to play Go Fish.

[csuitebitches]

I apologize for the long ask and if this question is a bit juvenile but objectively, how can one “gain” pretty privilege/gauge how they are viewed? I’ve done well in career pursuits for how early on I am ( I graduated in 2020) but started noticing that the invites to events/opportunities where one can really establish themselves not only professionally but socially, I was getting passed over by some higher up colleagues. In speaking to a female mentor who is related to my field and the same background as me (Black), she alluded that while my race may play a small factor in it, it’s more so my appearance that may be holding me back as the personality and poise is there. Some coworkers of mine who are brilliant and POC have similar credentials and positions as I and while we are all wonderful and hard working, they (who I feel are more beautiful and put together looks-wise) have discussed privately to me they have noticed a difference in treatment between us. While it’s not right, I am adult enough to know not to let things that can be fixed hinder the life I want. Your page is a wealth of information and I appreciate how encouraging you are!!

well. I’m going to be very blunt.

it’s all fun and games to say “oh fuck the beauty standards they’re terrible and they shouldn’t exist” yes, true, unfortunately they do exist and they play a bigger role than we imagine it to be.

the first thing you have to get right is your mindset.

you need to be strong enough to admit that you need changes in X, Y, Z area but not in A, B, C area. You also need to be a little loyal towards your racial identity (for the better or worse) because that’s what is going to make you stand out.

if you have a sensitive, overly emotional mindset and you get hurt very easily / become obsessive by nature, I highly recommend you to STOP reading now.

Understand what is considered pretty in your country and area. Even in one country, beauty standards can different from the north and south. Don’t exactly try to become attractive for the opposite sex but understand what they find attractive because these guys are your primary responders to your pretty privilege. Women will be kind on the surface and so it can be difficult to get constructive criticism from them.

Understand what YOU consider pretty. Who are the women who you think are crazy beautiful? What do they look like, dress like, how’s their hair and their make up, can you replicate any of it? Rule of thumb when it comes to hair and beauty - look at influencers / celebs who are of your racial background for the best fit.

there are always a few things that are universally considered “respectfully attractive” not “you wanna fuck me attractive”- semi modesty/ modesty outfits (my father always told me that when in doubt, go for a more conservative look), hygiene, well kept hair, clean nails and toe nails, soft skin, natural make up, natural hair colour, perfume, clothes that fit, skin care, a workout routine.

pretty privilege is not just the art of looking pretty. It’s also bringing in something of value on the table. Value = money / connections / knowledge/ humour / being the fun social person / whatever value the target group considers to be the most important for you to be relevant to them. Work on your soft skills. It’s better to look half baked but have solid soft skills than to look amazing and not know how to converse.

things that one normally notices when meeting someone new:

Skin - is it clear, is the make up overdone?

hair - is it messy or does it suit your face structure?

how you smell

teeth, when you talk - and dental hygiene

shoes - are they filthy?

shirt/ top - does it fit you well (always check that the seams on your shoulder and your actual shoulder line up), the colour of your clothes

body type, posture, how you carry yourself

start with incremental changes. Make a list of things you think you could improve on (this is not a list of “ugly” things, it’s an “improvement/ potential” list). Sort them according to ease of improvement (is this going to be expensive and difficult or affordable and easy?) and time (can this be done overnight or will it take some time).

Use point 1 and 2 only as launching pads. You do not have to look like Beyoncé, you’re simply understanding what her MUA and hair stylist does for her that could work for you. After a point, you have to ensure that YOUR identify sticks out and is still there, you’re not born to imitate someone else and also, it’s very obvious when someone is trying to be someone they’re not.

again. I repeat. If you’re going to get obsessive and make yourself sick over this it’s NOT WORTH IT. If you’re not mentally capable of making these changes, do not go through it.

[miryum]

HI!!!! Good morning/afternoon/evening to youuu! First, I want to say I really enjoy your fics, it makes me feel like I'm on cloud 9. Too bad their just fiction. Anyways....

Idk if you write fics about benny watts, but ig it's worth a shot, I'm obsessed with play date by Melanie Martinez and that song really fit with benny. When benny was only with the reader to practice or play with her but they have a little thing that a couple does but without label. So the ready gets really tired and have a fight with him, and at the end benny told her his feelings.

Really hope you can make this. And advance thank you! <33

YES!!! My beloved Benny Watts!!!! I love him so much 😊 Thank you so much for your words, yet alas, mine are just fiction *sigh* (also, love your username)

Benny moved a rook across the chess board and your face scrunched up. You were nowhere near the level that the great Benny Watts was, but you liked the think you could predict his moves. You had known Benny since you were children, and therefore were able to practically able to read each other minds. That was an argument Benny used many times to rope you into playing chess with him. If you, the person who was able to prophesy his every move, wasn't able to beat him, then he was confident no one could.

You had tried multiple times to get out of playing chess with Benny (albeit thankful that it was a bit of steady income for the two of you, seeing as you were roommates), but he always managed to trick you into playing with him. Sometimes it was through bets, or he got you tipsy, or he simply looked up with you with puppy dog eyes and you melted.

It was hard though, being Benny's friend. You were constantly left alone at the apartment- if you could call it that- and sometimes had to pick up extra shifts because Benny was too engrossed in chess that he forgot to pick up a check. Your friends had urged you to move out, seeing how the stress could get to you, but you refused. You felt bad about the prospect of leaving Benny. He was your best friend, although you sometimes wondered if you were his. He clearly shared a special relationship with Arthur and Harry, simply because they were all the same sex.

And then there was Beth.

You were unsure of when the girl had first appeared in your life; she had just showed up at one point. And you saw how Benny reacted to her.

You were about to move a knight when a knock sounded on the door. Sharing a look with Benny, both silently agreeing to pause the game, you got up and opened the door. Sighing at the character who was waiting to come in, you moved back to the chess boar and plopped back down on the ground.

"Beth!" Benny smiled brightly. You hated him for it. Your feelings for Benny were probably a main factor in why you stayed by his side, even after he had pushed you into the friend-zone multiple times unknowingly.

"Are you guys playing?" Beth moved to sit by you.

You scooted away from her and towards Benny, gesturing to the board and saying, "Play for me, will you? I could never win against the prodigy."

"Hush," Benny took your hand in his. "You were doing wonderfully."

Without another word, you sat back and watched as the two young adults warred in a battle of the wits. No matter how many times you would watch it, you were always awed at the swift, defiant movements that they shared.

An unwanted pang of jealousy wormed its way into your stomach. Why couldn't you've been great at chess? Would Benny than pay more attention to you? And how could he be so blind? Who else had stood by his side for as long as you?

Throughout the match, Benny continued to hold you hand. When you went to pull away, reaching for a book or magazine to interest yourself in, he pulled you back and muttered something about 'his good luck charm'.

Rolling your eyes at his persistence, you shrugged him off. After a while, Benny was declared the winner, but by a slight margin. Even you were able to see how Benny narrowly avoided defeat. He had gotten lucky. Beth thanked you for letting her drop by, saying she had originally come for a book that Benny suggested. After she had left, you started to pack up the chess board. You had come to live with the fact that in your shared apartment with Benny, chess boards would outnumber anything else.

"You alright?" Benny stretched out on the floor, glancing over your figure.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Come on, Y/n." Benny shot you a hard look. "I've known you forever. I can see when something bugs you. Out with it."

"Are you blind?" You rounded on his suddenly, your odd question confusing the boy.

"What do you mean?"

"Can you see what's in front of your eyes?" you pressed again. "Because I don't think you can. Every time that Beth, a lovely girl, no doubt, but only a new, shiny toy to you, rounds the corner, you're transfixed and I can't understand why."

"Where is this coming from?" Benny exclaimed, feeling bombarded.

"Haven't I been enough?" You ignore him and continued on. "I've tried to be a great friend, but it's hard sometimes. It's especially hard when I've been crushing after you for the past few years and you can't realise that I like you!"

"You like me?" Benny stilled, blinking owlishly at you.

"Of course, you idiot!" You wanted to throw the chess board down but knew that a line you shouldn't cross. "We've had some pretty bad arguments in our lives and any other friends would've separated by now. Why do you think I always come back to you?"

Benny couldn't help but let a laugh escape. "You come back to me?" he clarified, shaking is head. "No, Y/n, I come back to you. God damn it, I like you too. Love you, in fact! Ever since I first set my eyes on you. You, may I remind you, had a school-girl crush on that one boy, Jack. So, I backed off. I've been harbouring feelings for you ever since."

You stared at him. "Pardon?" you asked finally.

"I guess I am blind." Benny flashed you a brilliant smile that made you melt. "Blinded by my love."

[oldhalloweentape]

🪨Venture (OW II) x (fem) reader ⛏️

(Gamer Girl Reader Edition!)

(Picture’s not mine!)

(Request here! Yeah so, here’s this! Not much to add, I’ll probably start working on the Junkrat headcanons now there aren’t any more asks for Venture at the moment)

- I think the idea of Venture, a very outdoorsy and adventurous person with you, a girl who is more inclined to stay inside and play your games could be really cute :))

- Despite their keen interest in getting out of there and exploring they’d happily stay inside to spend some time playing games, especially with you!

- In their opinion, it’s like exploring whole new world’s without the hassle of exerting themselves physically (they like doing it nonetheless ofc) besides giving themselves a hand cramp or two.

- If there’s a game you especially like in particular, they take notice and either play it with you or play it later if it’s single-player only— 80% chance of them becoming obsessed with it as well.

- Lore??? Yes please, they want it so bad that they can make a billboard of everything so they can try to “crack” the game franchise.

- 100% buys merch for you AND themselves, cause I feel like they’d do it either due to them wanting to be supportive or partaking in the games fandom themselves.

- Specifically, I think they’d like certain games such as:

- Tomb Raider: I mean, look at it— It has artifacts, parkour, and a badass main character (I can see them crushing on Lara Croft as a little kid, can and will die if you ever cosplay as her). Self-explanatory.

- Minecraft: Endless possibilities, worlds, scenarios, they can make blocky replicas of real-life historical architecture— “…You wanna put our Minecraft beds together?”

- Spore: A little more niche with this one but this game is all about literally building up an organism and giving them culture and civilizations, come on they’d totally love a game like this… Dig it even.

- Assassin's Creed Unity: This game literally helped with the reconstruction of THE Notre Dame— THAT’S how accurate and intricate the amount of detail that went into the world-building of this game is. It’s like a love letter to them.

- Stardew Valley: As much as they like adventure (and Stardew provides that in the mines anyway) it’s nice to play a game that’s focused on something as simple yet intricate as this… That and I know a clueless player who still has fun regardless when I see one.

- BG3: It has adventure, mystery, a medieval aura, great character dialogue, and animal companions that are all so different and so charming… A large, HOT, silly tiefling woman (again if you cosplay as her they will not recover) who could throw them against the wall like they’re a bag of half-empty chips. 10/10.

- ANYWAYS, back on you two, if you make time to do what they like they’ll do so in return. Making an effort as they try to get a few pointers from the Queen of gaming herself— D.Va.

- Helps happily of course thinks y’all are adorable and reassures Venture that when she’s done with them they’ll know everything there is to know when it comes to dating a gamer girl. It’s so fucking stupid but the intent that Sloane had for wanting to impress you is still apparent.

- The information helps surprisingly, to woo you successfully, which D.Va actively boasts about whenever she can after asking how y’all are doing.

- For sure goes on mall dates with you to get gaming stuff, prefers it over online shopping. Buying things like shirts over your shared favored games, and sharing them. Loves to be able to smell you on them (not in a creepy way) while away at work for a prolonged period.

- Loves to distract you from playing your games, sitting behind you, arms wrapped around your waist as they lean against your back, head either on your shoulder or the top of your head.

- Sometimes feeling a bit flirty and kissing the back of one of your ears, rubbing your sides, mumbling honeyed and lustful words, things like “You look gorgeous to me right now mi corazón, how about you put that controller down and let me prove it?”

- They’re like a spoiled cat when it comes to your attention, I would know because I have three, and one is currently making my other arm fall asleep.

(There!! Sorry if this came out a little later than it should’ve, I’m a little exhausted from some real stuff, and I stayed up over midnight for this one. The Venture effect lol)

[floras-imagination]

guitar hands 🎸✌️ PART 2 - matty healy x reader

Part 1

summary: matty gets jealous... word count: 3k warnings: 18+ smut, fingering authors note: still obsessed with his hands lol, I may even write another part hihi hope you like it xx

Since the day Matty found out about your feelings for him, you've been spending every single night at his place. Despite being best friends for so many years, you both decided to take things slow. It was your idea to keep the relationship private for a little while—not just in public or on social media, but also to wait a few weeks before letting your friends know, just to see if things work out well. Though Matty agreed, he still struggled to keep his hands off of you in public. He wanted everyone to know that you're his and his alone.

After a few weeks, the whole hiding game became more and more unbearable for Matty. He was sick of only kissing you at home and not being able to hold your hand outside on the streets. However, what he didn't notice was that you quickly found a way to take advantage from his suffering. You loved it when he gave you the 'bad girl treatment', showing you that you're all his and belong to no other than him, so you always tried your best to tease him in public, making him suffer by wearing tight, short dresses or skirts, withdrawing his touch to be the baddest girl you could be.

It was your mom's 60th birthday today, so she was throwing a huge garden party, inviting all of her friends, colleagues and loads of people you've never seen before.

"Can you please come with me to the party, babe?" you asked Matty while he was pouring some freshly brewed coffee into your cup. "It's gonna be so boring, sitting around with all those people I don't even know."

"Course I'll come with you!" he answered, setting the coffee pot back on the table. "I think your mom wouldn't mind, would she?"

"No, definitely not!" you chuckled. "She loves you."

"Hmm, I know. Who doesn't?" he grinned, placing a quick kiss on your cheek.

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

afternoon

You were still standing in front of the bathroom mirror, putting your makeup on, as Matty appeared behind you, already dressed up for the party in his irresistible business dad attire, setting your pulse racing with every glance.

"Ready, baby?" he asked, casually leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed as he watched you applying the second layer of your mascara.

"Yep, almost done."

His eyes swept over your figure, lingering on the contours of your dress. It was a mini dress, dark blue, covered with lace and boasting a plunging neckline. He raised an eyebrow as he asked "Uhm... are you sure you want to wear that?"

"Why?" you feigned innocence, though you knew he was concerned about the shortness of your dress. Of course, you chose a cheeky dress again, considering today's party as a great opportunity to stir a bit of jealousy in your boyfriend. Glancing at yourself in the mirror, you gave him an innocent look. "Don't you like it?"

He took a few steps forward, enveloping you in a hug from behind, his eyes fixed on your reflection in the mirror. His warm breath against your cheek weakened your knees, igniting a swarm of butterflies in your stomach. "No... I love it," he said with a smile. "But don't you think it's a bit too... revealing?"

"Oh," you continued to play innocent. "You think it's too short?"

"Hmm..," Matty hummed, softly kissing your neck. "Don't want the others gawking at you when I can't even show them you're mine."

His words brought a smile to your face. Though it wasn't easy for you to tease him when he showered you with so much cuteness and affection, it always seemed to pay off in the end.

"But you know that I'm only yours, Matty," you replied, turning around to kiss him while still wrapped in his loving embrace. "And I know it, too."

He loosened his hold on your waist to cup your face with his hands, gazing deep into your eyes." But I want everyone to know."

"I know, babe," you said, taking his hands in yours and placing a soft kiss on the back of his fingers. "We'll tell them soon, okay?"

Not entirely satisfied with your response, he tilted his head to the side and sighed. "Okay..."

"Come on, let's go. We're already late."

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

When you arrived at your mom's party, about 30 minutes too late, the house was already filled with plenty of people. You soon spotted your mom in the crowd outside in the garden.

"Hello, darling!" she greeted you with a hug. "You didn't tell me you would bring Matty."

"Hello, Mrs, y/l/n", he said as he handed her a giant bouquet of flowers. "Happy Birthday!"

"Oh thank you so much, Matty!" she said, smiling happily as she pulled him into a hug. "It's wonderful to see you. Haven't seen you in a while, huh?" Her eyes darted down to his outfit, analyzing it momentarily. "Damn, you're looking good!"

"Aw, thanks!", he beamed. "But you're looking awesome, too!"

"But... you look different, somehow." she said.

"Different? What do you mean?", Matty asked, looking down on himself.

"You mean like a..." you paused and grinned at Matty "Dad?"

"Yes... Now that you say it", your mom answered.

You couldn't stop yourself from laughing, covering up your mouth with the back of your hand as your mom gave you a slightly confused look.

"Did I miss anything, Matty?" she asked him

Matty chuckled "Nah, I'm just... getting older, you know? Can't dress like a teenager anymore"

Resisting the urge to kiss his adorable face was a constant struggle for you. Phantasies about his loving touches and tender kisses filled your thoughts, consuming you completely as he stood there with the cutest smile on his face.

To distract yourself from your own mind, you decided to take part in their conversation, "He's trying to look like a dilf, mom. It's his new aesthetic, you know?"

You cheekily grinned up at him, trying to resist the temptation to glance down at his hands. The watch he wore accentuated his irresistible guitar hands, which your body craved desperately at any given moment of the day. Though you tried your best to resist the urge to look at his hands, you couldn't shake the flood of weakness that overtook your mind. Eventually, you gave in to the desire to glance down at his hands. As your eyes drifted back up to his face, he gave you a playful wink, signaling that he had noticed your gaze. He enjoyed the fact that you were daydreaming about his fingers inside you, and catching you staring at them only intensified his longing for you immeasurably.

"Like a dilf? What is that?", your mom interrupted your daydream, causing you and Matty to burst into laughter.

"Nevermind" you both exclaimed in unison, still chortling.

After the three of you enjoyed a pleasant chat for a few more minutes, your mom began steering the conversation in a direction that didn't sit well with you.

"But what about you, Matty?" she asked. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Uhm..." He gave you a quick glimpse and even though he wanted to tell her the truth, he didn't want to say anything you weren't yet ready for, so he continued "No. Haven't found the right one yet, I suppose."

To avoid any more awkward questions, you tried bringing the conversation to an end. "Matty, could you get us some drinks, please?"

"Sure, love," he smiled. "I'll be right back."

Matty was already out of sight, fortunately, as your mom continued "I know you said you wanted to take a break from dating, but..."

"Mom, stop...", you sighed, already aware of her intentions.

"No, listen," she turned around, gesturing towards a man, a few feet away. "This is Tom, my colleague. Handsome, isn't he?"

"Nope, I don't think so."

"Tom!", she called out. "Could you join us for a second?"

"No, mom... please". You nervously fiddled on your phone case, already dreading Matty's inevitable reaction and though it was actually your plan to stir a bit of jealousy, a sinking feeling in your gut warned you that things might escalate beyond your intentions.

"Hi!" Tom greeted you, as he stepped closer.

"Have fun", she wispered into your ear excitedly, leaving you standing there alone in front of her younger colleague.

"Hi, Tom...", you didn't want to be rude, so you forced yourself to form a nice smile whilst still being afraid of Matty's return.

"Nice to meet you", he greeted warmly, his smile reaching his eyes. "I've already heard so much about you."

"Really? Well, that's interesting... I guess," you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, as anxiousness ran through your blood, making you feel more and more uncomfortable. "Uhm.. I don't know what my mother told you, but I'm actually waiting for my..."

"Boyfriend," Matty cut you off, suddenly appearing next to you, holding a drink in each of his hand. His grip firm around the cups, "She was waiting for her boyfriend."

"Matty, I'm sorry...," you whispered as you gently placed your hand on his chest, somehow hoping this would be enough to calm him.

"Could you hold that for a sec, mate?" Matty snapped at Tom, thrusting the two drinks into his hands.

You could see Matty's jaw clenching as he moved, his hand reaching out for your wrist, grabbing it tightly, and dragging you away from Tom. He didn't even care that his rapid pace, too fast for you to follow, nearly caused you to stumble over your heels as he led you back inside the house. After flinging open the bathroom door, he shoved you inside before quickly closing it again with his foot. Roughly bending you over the sink, he seized your hair and yanked your head back, compelling you to confront your reflection in the mirror.

"I'm fuckin' sick of your stupid little game!", he hissed as his eyes lit up with a mixture of frustration and desire. He knew you were playing with him and deep down, despite the fact that it was driving him insane, he enjoyed it. He knew that your only intention behind all this was to receive a rough finger fuck from him, and that you liked being treated like a bad girl, even though you never actually told him. It wasn't even necessary anymore at this point - your actions showed him everything he needed to know.

"Matty, I.."

"Shut up!", he spat, pulling your hair even tighter. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"I didn't do anything"

"Stop lying!"

"Matty, please..." you pleaded. "It was my mom's idea."

"Oh... yeah, of course...", another rough pull on your hair caused you to moan in pain. "Stupid excuses!"

"Believe me."

"You're doing it all the time", he said, looking at your reflection in the mirror. "Trying to make me jealous. Why do you keep doing it, huh?"

"Babe...I...", hearing you stutter again made him even more furious.

"And don't you dare lie to me again! I know what you're up to"

"Then why are you asking me, if you already know it?"

"I wanna hear you say it."

You gulped, trying to adjust your head in a position that hurt less under his tight grip.

"You don't have to be ashamed of saying it out loud, baby." He placed a soft peck on your cheek before whispering in your ear "We both know you're not as innocent as you always pretend to be"

"I don't know what you mean," you answered, maintaining your innocent facade to tease him just a little bit more over the edge.

"Bet you do, but let's see if I can help you out with that, yeah?" He released your hair and slid his hand down your neck until his fingers reached your collarbone. Your breathing became heavier as he let his fingers glide along its curve. "Tell me what's on your mind, babe"

"Please, Matty..." you begged, your voice already shaking. His warm breath, his touch and the sight of his fingers gliding over your chest caused goosebumps all over your body. You were craving him so much, your stomach felt sick and your thighs started shaking. You knew you needed him. Now.

As he noticed your trembling legs, his lips grew into a proud, mischievous smile "Needy slut," His fingers trailed down gradually to the hem of your dress. With a sudden, harsh movement he pulled the fabric up above your hips "But you know whose slut you are, don't you baby?" His face was resting on your head, breathing in the fresh smell of your now tousled hair while his hand was tenderly massaging your inner thigh.

"You're already dripping" he said softly. "But if you want my fingers, you should be a good girl and answer my questions, okay?" and with that he gave your thigh a firm squeeze, causing a loud moan from you. The house was full of people, who could hear you, but Matty didn't care at all. In fact, he actually wanted everyone to hear you scream his name, so he could finally show the whole world who you belonged to.

"Hmm," you could only hum a small response.

"Words..."

"Matty, please..."

"Answer my question," he demanded, still massaging your thigh.

"Which question?" you asked impatiently, as you sought for his hand to guide it further towards your core, but he stopped you before you even reached his hand.

"Don't even try, darling! Tell me whose slut you are."

"Yours, babe" you muttered. "Only yours"

"That's right, you're mine. And you know that, yeah?"

"Yes..."

"Then why did you flirt with that other bloke outside, hm?" he hissed.

"I didn't"

"I told you only good girls deserve my fingers, remember?"

"But..."

"No baby. You've been a bad girl today." he stopped massaging your leg "Such a bad, bad girl" and with those words he ripped down your panty, his calloused fingers sliding between your wet folds before he pushed two of them inside you, causing you to moan loudly at the relief you were craving so desperately. "You like that, hm?"

You rolled back your eyes as your vision turned black, flickering stars appearing in the darkness of your sinful desire. After a single deep thrust he pulled his fingers out, taking a step back from you.

You instantly turned around to face him. "No, Matty please...I need your fingers, please. I'll be good. I promise", you begged.

"Pull your dress down and fix your hair," he said with a cold undertone, his eyes turning dark and suddenly cooling the heated atmosphere.

You gulped at his sudden mood switch, already missing his loving touch on your skin and inside you. A flush of sadness overcame your shivering body as you couldn't discern whether this was part of the game or if he was genuinely mad at you.

He fixed the collar of his shirt, fumbling at the buttons as your hands frantically sought for his, but he rejected your touch. "Matty, I'm sorry."

He placed his hands on your hips, gently adjusting the fabric of your dress as he pushed it down. You closed your eyes, feeling his lips brush against your ear as he drew nearer. "You wanted the bad girl treatment?", he whispered in your ear, his voice still cold and distant. "Now you'll have to deal with it, darling."

You breathed out a disappointed sigh, resting your head against his chest. He stroked his hand softly through your hair, as he mumbled against the top of your head "and now you fix your hair, we go outside and you're gonna be my good girl, okay?"

"Okay", you nodded needily. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tell your mom about us"

"That's all?" your cheeky smile was back as you looked up at him, batting your eye lashes. "That's what it takes to earn Matty Healy's fingers?"

"Hmm... not exactly," he said, now hugging you tightly. "I'm gonna hold your hand, kiss you and touch you in front of everyone and there's nothing you can do about it. I want them to see that you're mine. And that no one else can have you."

"I've been wanting that too, Matty. Since we got together. You make me so happy," you explained, reaching for his hands again. Instead of pulling away, he intertwined his fingers with yours, pressing soft kisses along your knuckles. "But maybe I'll have to admit that I enjoyed seeing you jealous and possessive," you added, giving him a shy, apologetical smile. "And I loved the way you fucked me afterwards, when we were alone."

He grinned at your words "I know. But you could've just told me"

"Yes, I'm sorry." The touch of his graceful hands filled you with anticipation as you couldn't wait for the reward you would receive later. "But do I really have to wait until later?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "You need to prove me you're a good girl first."

You sighed at his words.

"And don't you dare try to make me jealous on purpose ever again," he added, raising his finger as he pulled away. "I swear if you do that..."

"Then what?", you smirked playfully.

"You better pray you'll never find out"

For a beat, you locked gazes, wide smiles spreading across your faces, both of you excited for the next chapter in your relationship. You were ready to step into the light, to proudly show the whole world who you belonged to.

"I love you", he whispered before landing a sweet kiss to your forehead.

"I love you, too"

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for decrying my close friend letting an e-boy close to her when it's caused problems before? a friend of mine (25) who i've known for 8+ years is a roleplayer (+ERP) in a videogame and i (27) have watched a couple of dudes now meet them and catch feelings for them through these roleplays and instantly become obsessive creeps. [ for the record, i used to roleplay as well but stopped because of similar situations. so i'm not a stranger to roleplay or anything. I am also aware of the "it's in character so it doesn't matter" "it's in-game so it doesn't matter" mindsets but these events are creating real emotional / sexual connections between the people so it's growing beyond being just "in-game" ] recently they broke connection with someone over this, but it took them weeks of debate to do it, and they were dealing with the falloff for a while. it really hurt them! [for additional context, it's happened before that these people have talked such sweet nothings to her that she's gotten feelings back and would send sexual images and videos to these people, just for them to instantly 180 and start being sleazeballs] she recently started roleplaying again and already another dude is in her dms telling her he has a crush on her, and all these sweet nothings etc. i went out and met the guy because we played together and not only is he frequently seen hitting on other girls (also has a stripper pole in his in-game bedroom??) in-call he was extremely objectifying. bragging about all the people he's been with, talking about wanting "goth mommy" (which my friend is extremely outspoken about despising), he would ONLY talk about sexual shit, and anytime anyone said anything he would make a sexual comment, etc. red flag city. when i told her about it she said she had no idea and that they talked it out, but it sounded a lot like they just passed over the problems. not even a week later now and they're getting in-game married (big social event, costs a good bit of money) and i'm not attending because i won't support it. she's upset about this and we're at odds because to her it's "just roleplay" despite the real money being spent, and the people who have come before who had done the same things nearly 1:1 and created massive problems. i even found an old DM from her complaining about a friend of hers who had done the same thing (guy had feelings for her, in a week he was into someone else and getting married) the outcome of all of this is me feeling like i'm an asshole for not just ignoring the red flags and wishing her well. i'm conflicted because i don't want to just let her hurt herself but i also don't want to be like controlling or mean AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[rc-writes]

𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 | 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢

pairings: benny weir x reader (could be seen as platonic or romantic)

warnings: two curse words??, if you’re reading this as platonic there’s one mention of wearing couples costumes but friends can totally do that to, uhh i think that’s it

a/n: alright i could have probably thought of a million more but it was literally 1am when i wrote this and i was tired lol. also i will admit that was me fulling self projecting on the info dumping about movies part and wanting to text someone at an ungodly hour, but in my defense i do genuinely think benny would do those things as well. also this was requested by an irl friend of mine who mentioned friends to lovers after i finished this so look out for that coming soon! also this is my first writing related thing i’ve posted on this blog in like 2 years!!

will try to learn spells just to impress you

of course there was a few that went wrong

maybe more than a few, but it’s the thought that counts right?

will send every meme or funny video he finds

does not matter if its 3pm or 3am he will send it immediately after he found it

which speaking of 3am i can see him not being able to sleep so he tries texting you

if you answer i can see him texting “hey what’s wrong?? why are u up so late?? everything okay??” and completely ignoring that he too is also awake at this hour

“you are aware you texted me first, why are you up”

“i asked you first”

benny absolutely loves video games and will want to play a few with you even if you don’t like video games

which if you’re with him there a good chance you love them too

but if you don’t you will most likely start liking them even just a bit because he makes them fun

getting to spent time with him and watch him do something he loves makes it special

it also can be really funny

can guarantee at least once he’d say “watch this babe” or “this ones for you” and immediately fail/die

this is also something that definitely happens in the outside world with him trying to throw something away or something

pure of heart, dumb of ass

also i don’t know shit about video games so i cannot go into anymore detail then this lol

is 100% down with spontaneous movie nights whether that be binge watching movies at home or going to the theater

if it’s a movie he’s obsessed with but you’ve never seen he will be trying his hardest not to info dump and potentially spoil the whole thing

but if it’s a movie he knows you have seen he is more than willing to explain every single fact about it he knows

“did you know that while filming this bit they had film it completely in reverse to make it look like that?? insane right!?”

speaking of movies if it’s a horror/scary movie you can bet he will try to act all tough and not scared before it starts

even if you already know how much of a scaredy cat he is he will try to play it off

but the second the first jumpscare happens there will be popcorn flying everywhere

he is no longer allowed to hold the bowl

you’re still finding popcorn in the couch

he will still continue to pretend that he’s not scared despite shaking like a scared chihuahua

you will have to be the one to grab onto him

which then leads to him hiding his face into your neck or behind you

he still refuses to let you turn it off even if you insist it’s okay

there is a part of you that feels bad but also a part that thinks it’s so funny

your contact names in each others phones are han solo and princess leia

the only suggestions i will take on this is that yours is han and his is leia

will take you to every convention within driving distance

if the convention if for some game/show/movie you don’t know be prepared for a whole powerpoint presentation or a weekend of binge watching whatever media it is

“didn’t you just say you hated doing a powerpoint for history??”

“babe this is way more important and interesting than anything school can teach”

you both will be going all out costume wise every convention

i can totally see you guys going in couple costumes or like hero and villain

if the latter you two take turns on who gets to be the villain or hero

if you are with benny there is no way you can be a halloween hater

he can do freaking magic, of course it’s his favorite holiday!!

this also can follow what i said for conventions with the costumes

at some point there is a competition on who can get the most candy

if he loses, he will say that the candy was just too hard to resist, and he had to eat just one piece that turned into him eating many pieces

this is a true fact whether he loses or not

side note if you can go a whole night of trick or treating without eating a single piece of candy while doing so i don’t believe you

[thelonelyshore-if]

Honestly even if you were only adding what you felt like would be fun to add, what’s the harm in that? It’s your game, it should be fun for you to make! Because we as players are going to have fun no matter what you add or don’t, and we all have little obsessions over things that sometimes they make it into games and sometimes they don’t! And what’s the point of making your own game if you don’t get to literally cater to your own little obsessions or mischiefs every now and again! I say go as hard (or not) as you want on customization and maybe it becomes relevant or maybe it doesn’t, but only one way to find out! As long as you’re having fun and taking care of yourself, I say forget the rest!

Thank you much, Nonnie!! This is a really kind message, and I appreciate it a lot. Though, if I'm being honest with you, I'm really quite indulgent with myself and what I want included in the story haha. It's my baby <3

Mostly I enjoy hearing other people's opinions because it gives me a chance to gather my own thoughts and to piece together what I, as the author, truly want to do. Customization is something I really enjoy...but it also adds even more flavor text for me to write. And I tend to go a bit overboard with the flavor text.

Reading the opinions of players gives me a chance to sort of...step out of myself and try and objectively see if it's 'worth it', in a way. Would it still be worth it even if I was the only person in the world who enjoyed it? I'd say yes, because ultimately this story is mine to write, and like you're saying, if I'm not enjoying it then why am I even writing it? But I also think it's important to listen to what the readers would enjoy, because while this is my story, I'm choosing to share it with y'all and I care about what you think c:

Like with all feedback, at the end of the day I'm just gathering data and will make whatever decisions feel right for me and the story. The game design aspect of writing this story is one of the hardest parts for me, and it's really helpful for me to gauge player's thoughts on certain things!

Sorry to kind of take your ask and ramble about it. It's unfortunately a bad habit of mine ^.^' But I really do appreciate your thoughts, and your ask made me smile! It also just sent my thoughts on a tangent. I hope you're doing well, Nonnie, and I also hope that whatever I end up doing is enjoyable for people to play <3

[ssruis]

Rui gets catified ohe au still in my head I like the idea of him being a guy who imbues stuff with magic and combines magic + engineering to create some truly whimsical things while tsukasa’s thing is imbuing his food with rpg type buffs/healing for adventurers (today’s special is a stir fry that improves your running speed). Both because I like the idea and also because I think in any au they need to have a shared interest to obsess over.

I think if I did write it it would be like… chapters of tsukasa and this Fucking Cat with interludes about how rks met and grew closer

In my beautiful mind palace

> the source of magic is fragments of feelings or whatever the hell they’re called. I’ve played this game for a year I should know this. wish pieces? Whatever. Those are the source of magic and people often go on expeditions to find them, which can be dangerous because there’s classic rpg type enemies out and about. Tsukasa tenma voice I don’t go out on expeditions because my job of helping people prepare for expeditions is too important (he went into the forest once and got attacked by a big bug like the ones in the Stardew valley mines and he classifies that moment as his greatest trauma)

> rui keeps to himself because people think that he does human experiments with the crazy wish piece harnessing gear he makes (incorrect he always tests it on himself) & they are scared of his silly little robots because giving life to the artificial bad (they’re not alive he just puts his will into them and that’s what they’re programmed to follow)

> nene brings rui to the cafe after she accompanies him on some sort of expedition & she’s like the owner is kind of a pain but the food is really good. She also wants to see emu (who likes hanging around tsukasa’s restaurant in her free time and annoying him/helping him with orders and waitressing/talking to saki) but she will not admit that

> before rui meets tsukasa saki has already left to travel with Leo/need. just for a bit. but tsukasa knows she’s definitely going to go on longer and longer trips and he is being so normal about this. No emu he’s not stress baking those 50 immaculately decorated cupcakes are for customers. Even though the restaurant is closed tomorrow. Ok fine you can take a bunch of them.

> rui thinks tsukasa is an interesting critter & tsukasa thinks he’s a weird guy who won’t touch vegetables but any friend of saki’s is a friend of his (he’s really stretching his logic. Emu is a friend of saki’s -> nene is friends with emu so she is by association a friend of saki’s -> rui is friends with nene who is friends with emu so he is also included in this). Tsukasa also forgets Rui’s name after this meeting it’s not his fault he sees so many people every day.

> rui eventually comes back for more food with nene because he is a lazy ass who hates cooking and also the food is just good. It’s during the mid day close to prepare for dinner rush but emu lets them in anyways. tsukasa is throwing a fit because the wish piece fueled oven is not working.

> while tsukasa is distracted by emu bugging him and nene making fun of him rui lets himself into the kitchen because he heard the siren’s song of a fun enriching task (fixing something and helping someone)

> tsukasa finds him and is like wtf get out (concerned for rui’s safety) & rui is like I fixed your oven and also your fridge and the freezer seems like it’s about to start malfunctioning you should get that fixed. (Post enrichment clarity) oh sorry I should have asked first.

> tsukasa is very enthused by rui’s knowledge and thinks it’s super cool & offers him a week of meals on the house for fixing it & they talk about the magic system for a while before he goes home

> rui takes him up on this offer. yay free food. He also offers to fix/improve tsukasa’s kitchen whenever needed for more free food and tsukasa is like yes of course i would be forever in your debt and rui is like ok great let’s make the oven reach up to 3000 degrees (has already started fucking with him)

> they grow closer over time & rui becomes a regular who visits by himself on a near daily basis (when he’s not busy)

> specific memory section of tsukasa bringing rui food and visiting him because he hadn’t seen rui in two weeks and was concerned. Which was fair Rui was locked in on a project. He gets to see all of Rui’s whimsical inventions. “Can you at least eat one vegetable I was chased by all sorts of unpleasant beasts on the way here (normal ass bugs)”

> specific memory of them going out on the town to buy ingredients and tsukasa nudging rui into socializing with people which in the long run dispels a lot of the “scary guy who lives in a house in the woods and does scary things there” rumors

> another specific memory of rui going into tsukasa’s kitchen while tsukasa is busy closing the restaurant & seeing ramune candy and being like yum don’t mind if i do & then tsukasa finds him and is like how many did u eat… bc they were specifically made to help with rui’s insomnia and mask the taste of sleep medicines/herbs (that rui refuses to take because they are green and leafy and therefore vegetable). Tsukasa has to drag rui up to his living space above the kitchen before he passes out so he can sleep it off which brings them into a new stage of their relationship: rui crashing at Tsukasa’s place when he’s too lazy to walk back home. He starts bringing work stuff with him & tsukasa only puts up a token complaint because ever since saki left he has been a little lonely.

> overall theme of “if you feed a stray cat it will not leave.” Sorry tsukasa you fed this man & now you’re stuck with him. Also the more boring theme of coping with people leaving (tsukasa) and actually interacting with people and becoming a part of the community (rui). Rui just kinda moves in after he gets un catted.

> I think emu should be a beast tamer type of character. Maybe Mr mascot is some huge scary beast she tamed & the otoris run a merchant guild that also transports people in and out of the wilderness.

> nene makes potions with wish pieces that can give you a quicker and more specific buff/heal on the go than what tsukasa’s food does but they met through this and have bonded over sharing methods and stuff. The food buffs are longer lasting than nene’s potions. but nene has potions that will allow you to get the buff you need for any situation exactly when you need it and they’re more concentrated. Think sdv meal that increases speed vs a coffee.

> ^ tsukasa could make more specific buffs for food but 1) there are so many and he is NOT keeping the ingredients for all of that on hand all the time 2) he likes variety and trying new things so if you go to him for a buff you’ve just gotta take what’s on the day’s menu.

> rui and nene have known each other for a long time and he frequently makes stuff to help her potion making + will accompany her on expeditions to get more wish pieces. She has to lead with that because if she says she’s gathering herbs he will refuse. Yes he will help her with her personal herb garden no he does not want to touch them once they’ve left the ground because he has chosen the anti vegetable hill to die on and die on it he will.

> emu met nene when accompanying her on a more dangerous expedition & frequents nene’s shop a lot for both the potions and to see her

> emu met tsukasa because he buys rare ingredients from her and she thought he was a funny little guy and now she is seemingly hellbent on eating him out of house and home. House and restaurant? Emu you can’t have a fifth helping of soup I have other customers. Ok fine just a little. Oh you’re hungry because of a long expedition ok you can have a sixth helping too.

> meiko is there she’s a merchant of sorts

> touya works at the library. This is relevant only because tsukasa doesn’t know shit about owning a cat and needed help.

> I want to throw an in there… maybe she’s at the library when tsukasa goes there in the story. Just because.

[mouseonamoose]

Hiya! Would your newest fic make sense to me if I've never played Disco Elysium and don't know the characters? Or maybe a 10 min youtube overview would suffice? Thanks!

A good friend of mine is enjoying reading it, and she's only played about half an hour of Disco Elysium. But, then again, she's also had to put up with my obsession with the game for a while now. She also dipped out of Demonology pretty quickly, despite watching Good Omens, so... I am not sure what this tells us, if anything!

If you check it out, please do come back and let me know whether it works or not. I won't be offended, if you say it doesn't.

I've spent some time trying to find some good overview Youtubes for you, in case you want them. The game is so rich and multi-faceted, it's hard to find something that covers everything. Maybe here's a short list of things to check out:

--The Honest Game Trailer of Disco Elysium. Irreverent, as honest trailers always are, but pretty spot on. Makes the mistake of barely mentioning Kim Kitsuragi. About 4 minutes.

--Why Disco Elysium Is So Good, by dan. Gives a bit more insight into game mechanics and what is enjoyable about the game the first times you go through it. Accurately represents the importance of Kim Kitsuragi, but doesn't say enough about him. About 4 minutes.

--A Selfless Man in a Selfish World - The Importance of Kim Kitsuragi in Disco Elysium, by OwlBatross91. You need to know about Kim Kitsuragi, and this gives you that information. This also has some important spoilers, which are key for following my fic, and it accurately presents the emotional impact of those spoilery bits. Makes the mistake of idolizing Kim Kitsuragi, which is very understandable. About 9 minutes.

--There's a third character that's key to my fic (and the game, of course, although he doesn't have much screen time). It's hard to find as much about him. But here's a compilation of some of his lines in the game, which does a lot to tell you what role he plays. 3 minutes, but you'll get the idea after about thirty seconds. Not exactly the most flattering light for him.

If other people have good suggestions for short overviews of Disco Elysium, please do share.

[classpect-crew]

The Heir of Hope: Plurality and Personal Narrative

It took plurality, of all things, to realize that my greatest strength lies in Hope.

Hope is the Aspect of fantasy realized. Those who wield it are like the Magician of the tarot, capable of shaping the world according to their whims. With each thought, as Terezi wisely points out, we are helping to create our own reality; in the Domain of Hope, there is no greater truth. The Hopebound are storytellers and passionate consumers of media. They are the center of their own narrative, at times unable to conceive of anything outside of it. They may even strip other people of their agency—of their Life—in an effort to force them to make sense in their existing worldview. Dissenting allies become obstacles at best, and enemies at worst. And yet, should they yield ground to the autonomy of others, allowing the story to ‘write itself,’ they will find themselves swept up in a much more meaningful adventure than they could have possibly imagined.

Hope is the Aspect of the imagination, brimming with ideas and just waiting for an outlet to fully realize them in the material world. It is the Aspect of magic. It’s the reason I’ve been able to treat the Classpect system as a foundation for performing magic myself, seeing the world in terms of the Aspects, a bit similar to the way the ancient Greeks saw the four elements of fire, water, earth, and air reflected and embodied in all things. I now understand my recent obsession with restarting over and over in Baldur’s Gate 3 as an imbalance between Heart and Mind: in order to avoid addressing my latest identity crisis, I’ve tossed myself into a roleplaying game with a million different possibilities, and I’ve exhausted dozens upon dozens of hours trying to play every possible role, wearing every possible mask, creating every possible character.

I’m a storyteller—it’s in my blood. My father, and his father before him, and every relative of his that I’ve known have all been the same. Our family reunions were filled with wild tales sprinkled with half-truths, like the time my dad came across a particularly randy buck in the middle of the street—he swears he saw the buck stomp his hoof and wink—or the way my great uncle got his glass eye after a hunting trip when his own father mistook him for a turkey. My maternal grandmother is the same way. I named myself Taliesin in honor of that, and also to tap into some part of a greater legacy of storytellers, just like the historical and mythological Taliesin himself, and all those who have taken his name before me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had more people in my head than I’ve known what to do with. I have a veritable menagerie of colorful characters, some going back many years, who have taken up residence in my brain folds. It never occurred to me that they could become more than just puppets for me to play around with, reflecting my own dreams, desires, and fears in a way that felt safe. Separate. That was before one such puppet, Vivienne, cut her own strings, looked me dead in the eye, and told me “I want to be real, too.”

She did so not long after taking control of my body when I was in a cannabis-induced haze, speaking to my girlfriend in a voice that definitely wasn’t mine. When I came out of it, she asked “was that an invocation thing, or a headmate?” (I’ve had a few experiences with invocation, when a deity decided I could help one of their followers by passing along a message that, frankly, could have been an email.) I determined fairly quickly that although it wasn’t mine, the voice was coming from my own head. Thus began a long and very weird journey navigating my plural identity that all began when a character I’d had for a dozen years decided she wanted a chance at experiencing sentience.

It was eerily reminiscent of Brain Ghost Dirk, a sort of thoughtform that becomes real for a while because Jake believes in him that much, but also because so much of Dirk’s journey involves splitting himself off into different versions of himself. The more I interact with Viv, the more real she becomes. It feels like the effort is mutual, as if she’s using our conversations—among other, more intimate interactions—to become a fully fleshed-out person, joining me in my head as someone with her own agency, rather than just a sort of ‘hack’ my brain was using to override executive dysfunction.

When I discovered the practice of ‘tulpamancy,’ though controversial in some circles, it occurred to me that I could perform a feat like this willingly, given enough time and effort. Still, while the tips I found were helpful, I never really found them necessary for my own work. Hell, I was already doing it with Vivienne, working intuitively with her in ways that just made sense. It was something that came to me naturally, and still does. It feels like a natural gift—like an inheritance. I inherited the ability to dream up these stories, these characters, and make them real. Anyone who’s spoken with Viv, especially in person, can speak to the fact that she and I are distinct in a way that’s profound and meaningful.

There are many other connections I’ve made with the Heir of Hope: the soul-deep wellspring of faith and optimism that I’ve been able to draw from in the darkest times of my life, or the incredible effects of my religious journey as I’ve explored the vast reaches of conviction and doubt alike. Yet, those feel too obvious, too much like low-hanging fruit to write a whole damn essay about. That’s why I’ve written instead about the legacy my family has left for me, and the ways I’ve turned my storytelling into a source of personal power.

I’m not just the center of my own narrative, but also its author. At the same time, there are millions of characters, just like me, who are entitled to their own agency. They exist within my head and without it, living out their own lives, becoming more and more real with every thought, every word from their lips like cobblestones on a road to self-realization. There are times when I need to put down my pen and just take it all in, without trying to take control of the story or change somebody else by force.

I am a storyteller. I am a captive audience member. I am a character in a narrative as big as the universe itself. I am the Heir of Hope.