#wip tag game?

[supernova3space]

@johaerys-writes I saw the WIP tag game thing

So

(Kinda doing this cause I've never done this before and it seems so exciting also if I don't do this now I'll obsess and stew myself over how I missed the opportunity for the rest of the week but I'll probably regret this anyway what am I talking so here we go)

So, here's what I've been working. Idk whether I'll ever finish it this year (or the next) so here goes.

They're kids here. And Pat is an adorable cowherd. Achilles is not what you think he is. Took inspiration from mythology and folklore.

“Gori! Gori!” Patroclus called out, “Come here!”

Their two cows, Bossy and Chandu were standing placidly, their jaws mechanically chewing and chewing.

“Bossy, stay here. Chandu, watch her.” He instructed them.

Bossy, defiant as always, gave him a lazy look and ambled away from him.

“For heaven's sake,” He dragged her heavily by her rope and tied her to a tree. “Try wandering now.” he said triumphant.

If cows could glare, Bossy was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. Chandu would keep guard. It was fine,

He ran away from them, his eyes seeking Gori’s white coat. How hard could it be?

“Gori!” He grabbed onto a branch for stability and cupped his palm to his mouth, “Gori!”

A faint tinkling of bells.

Gori!

He ran ahead, his nimble feet used to jumping over the gnarled roots and forest ground.

The fog would settle soon and he had to find her quickly before the sun set over the tops of the trees.

He could hear the tinkling louder, accompanied by the gurgle of the river.

Of course that dumb calf went to the river. She behaved as though she knew the whole hill by heart.

He was closer to the river now.

But the sound was different. It was less of a bell and more of bells.

He sprinted as though a ghost was at his heels.

Angry spirits inhabited the forest. If any of them found Gori, she would be an easy sacrifice for their dark rituals. Angry spirits always had bells.

His head pounded as he thought of poor Gori, trembling as some grotesque, monstrous being, seven feet tall and long, stretched limbs and all bloody pointed teeth with some horrible halitosis cornered his calf. He couldn't imagine it. It was too horrible. Oh, his poor calf.

He had to find her or they were both dead. She, by angry forest spirits. He, because of his father.

Silent. He had to stay silent. Or the spirits will get angry and they will use his bones as drum sticks. Brrr…

Sweat dripped down his back and he nearly stumbled over a fallen branch. His run through the forest seemed to take forever.

He reached the river.

He found Gori.

And something else.

Or rather someone.

The girl looked startled, her back pressed to the surface of a large rock that lay on the river bank. In front of her was Gori, awkwardly trying to make her way towards her.

The girl looked at Patroclus.

No, not girl.

Boy.

Patroclus stood stuck to his spot. The boy stood frozen, staring at him.

Every single part of his body was adorned with ornaments of gold and jewels. Perhaps more luminous than the jewellery, Patroclus felt, was his hair. A thick mane of flaxen hair, strings of pearls like stars, trapped and threaded beautifully in his tresses. A necklace of gold around the column of his throat with an emerald encrusted locket that fell against his chest.

It seemed impossible that such a person could exist, his angelic visage and his wide human emotion, out of this world and yet a part of it.

His bright green eyes never moved from Patroclus.

The boy looked terrified.

He realized how odd he must look, gaping at him while Gori attempted to get closer to the boy, his limbs uselessly hanging, dead weight.

With every step Gori took towards him, the boy shuffled closer to the river but never dared to touch the water. Stuck between bovine hell and river water.

“Gori!” He ran ahead as his mind finally regained his body and caught the calf. “Got you!”

The boy now looked even more frightened, jumping back with Patroclus’ sudden sprint towards him, his breath coming out heavily, golden fingers gripping into the surface of the rock, eyes bright with fear.

Patroclus picked up the calf in his arms with a huff. Still small enough to be carried, she was heavy but he wasn't going to take risks dragging her up the treacherous slope of the hill.

He looked up to apologize to the boy but he had vanished.

Tagging @pijulle @bakerstreetbaggins @cowsonabus and anyone else who'd like to share a WIP!

Gods this is so fun 😊

[a-library-ghost]

“But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”

[sadagios]

my right hand man.

+ some really really rough sketches of duos for the au. if you cant figure whats going on with the sketches, dont worry, i cant either.

[verflares]

touched up penn doodles from the other day that i dontttt think i will be finishing but it feels like a waste not to at least post em

[fortuneforsaken-if]

What is a King to a God, and what is a God to a non-believer?

DEMO ☥ PINTEREST

This game is geared for mature audiences and as such is strictly 18+.

Ancient shackles bind you to the mortal realm, a soul severed from a home lost to the sands of time. A curse on you, a blessing for those who take command; Who wouldn't like to own a God?

You're the highly revered deity of fortune. Or you were, five thousand and eighty-two years ago. Now you're nothing but a glorified plaything to one of the most powerful families in the world. Every demand you must fulfill, no matter how vile or self-serving. The illusion of choice is all but shattered, there's nothing you can do to change it.

Or is there?

It takes a simple thing for something to shift. A fragment from the past, an ageless, flickering hum of power that unfurls the hands of fate and unearths buried sparks of hope. No one would've thought that an ancient sherd would hold the first hint to your freedom, a warm, familiar sensation of your soul locked in a tomb somewhere where no mortal has stepped in well over five thousand years.

Let's hope the decay doesn't take you before you find your way back home.

☥ FEATURES ☥

Two separate sides to customization; The one mortals perceive, and select parts of your true form. Choose names, appearances, gender, pronouns, sexuality, romantic orientation, and more.

Shape the personality that starts to re-emerge after being dulled for the better part of history. Reconnect with yourself, and get in touch with memories and feelings you lost so long ago.

Experience a character-driven story full of twists and turns that eventually determine how each of the three endings play out.

Romance one (or two) potential love interests from a cast of characters; A shunned archaeologist, a primordial God, the reincarnation of a priestess, or the mysterious man you can't quite place. Or don't, it's up to you.

And last but not least: Don't let the decay reach your heart. Every change of fortune has consequences, and mindfulness is encouraged. This game does have bad endings.

☥ CAST OF CHARACTERS ☥

Zain/Zaina Tharset ∆ M or F, 28

"You're my birthright, and I'd sooner have you dead than let you make a fool out of me."

Z is your charge. Loud, obnoxious, and entitled; They don't care about your feelings or protests. Every desire that leaves them only serves them alone, and it's on brand for most of the charges you've had before. In simple terms, Z is not a good person, and the more time you serve under them, the less you believe they have any redeeming qualities.

Like everyone in the family, Z has warm brown skin with golden undertones, and eyes in light shades of brown. Their hair is naturally curly and shaved on the sides, leaving a strip of hair on the top and back, like a fashionable mohawk. Zaina's hair reaches the middle of her shoulder blades, while Zain's stops at the nape of his neck.

Being bound to them is painful, but you have no choice. Trying to retrieve your soul will be an ordeal, and it might not be worth the agony.

Rami Tharset ∆ M, 28, RO

"Just because the world has forgotten you, forgotten them, doesn't mean I will."

Rami is the twin brother of your current charge. Kind and humble, it's difficult to imagine him a part of the Tharset family on count of how different he is from that pit of vipers. He keeps to himself, usually holed away in a library or study where he digs into the history of, well, you. Or the ancient world you came from. This has caused the rest of the archeological community to shun him, the name of your old empire nothing more than a myth and a glorified fairy tale.

Rami shares his family's warm brown skin tone, and the black curly hair that's usually a messy mop that sits on top of his head, unstyled and naturally chaotic. It reaches just the stop of his ears, and is shaved in the back. Light brown eyes that are quite blurry without his glasses, but the gold-tinted pilot-framed lenses fit him nicely.

He's one of the few friendly faces you face in the Tharset circle, and you curse your misfortune that you couldn't have him as a charge instead.

Maluset ∆ M, N/A, RO

"For all I am, all I have controlled, still I could not keep you safe. Forgive me, old friend."

The God of the Night, and everything that you have left of an age and life long forgotten. While the rest of your pantheon faded one by one, he remained. You've always known Maluset as a calm presence, a steadfast and unperturbed God that never let himself be shaken, by mortals or his siblings.

While Mal prefers manifesting as his animal motif - a jackal made of black marble and eyes like consolidated galaxies - he does have a human form too. If he must appear mortal, his skin takes the color of what the mortals of your time had; bronzed, medium brown with a golden undertone. His hair would be jet black and curly, medium length, and he likes it naturally tousled by the winds. If necessary, he'll let his eyes appear dark brown in color, but he prefers the starlit skies in them instead.

He's been a constant in your life, at least until he disappeared three centuries ago. You know he's still out there since the realm where you take shelter is his, and it hasn't yet disappeared.

Rory Ewing ∆ F, 23, RO

"I can't remember, but your face, it stirs something in my heart. Why? Who was I to you?"

Rory is a new acquaintance to you, but there's something very familiar about her. She might just be a student now, her curiosity bringing her close to you, but you can feel an old connection whenever she's close by. Her voice reminds you of prayers long ago, even if her modern vernacular is closer to 'damn, that shit's the bomb' than hymns sung in your praise. Then again, reincarnation has a way of changing people.

It doesn't, however, change appearances. Back in your day, Rory's vessel was a traveler from the north; Her skin was light beige, rosy in its undertones. Her hair was thick and a subdued red, woven into an intricate braid that hung over her shoulder, reaching her midriff. Her eyes were also uncommon to you; pale green, vibrant but ghostly.

She doesn't remember you, and maybe that's for the best. Her new self is a stark contrast to who she was, and you don't think she'd enjoy the idea of donning priestess garb over the punk-rockish getup she wears now.

Taz Arian ∆ M, 34, RO

"Funny, isn't it? How some people seem familiar, even when they shouldn't be."

Taz is... Someone. He appears out of nowhere to join your journey, his knowledge of old ruins and tombs handy but somewhat worrying when he shouldn't even be able to see you. There's a strange thrum of power coming from him whenever he speaks, and you swear you've met him before, but where? It might be easier to find out if he didn't deflect and flirt his way out of things, but it does help with mortals that can't see you.

His appearance is nothing extraordinary; Dark brown hair that's held up in a bun, and you could assume it reaches his shoulders when loose, the loose curls pulling it a tad shorter. His eyes are light in color, almost golden in the right light, glinting with mischief. His skin is weathered, and golden bronze in color, with an intricate tattoo of an eagle spanning across his chest. He also sports a short beard, which gives him a rogueish look.

There is something about him that tugs at your memories, but you can't catch that thread of remembrance for long enough to recall him. Still, he doesn't seem to mind and resorts to teasing you instead.

[darkfictionjude]

Total wordcount: 630, 489k

Four side quests

Playdate (?)

Find out a secret

Perhaps rekindle an old friendship, a new love (or not)

Break a leg finger

A cozy rainy night at home

T̸̢̹̞̘̩̮̮̫̘̜͕̆̓ͦͮ̈́ͬͣ̾̋ͪ̈́̾̾ͬḩ̸̸̧̢̛̘̰͉̺͓͍̹̩̹̠͍̹͎̼͍̠̪͎͎̋̃̌͊̎ͥͬ̓̾͆̄̚͘͟͝ͅe̦̖̖̙̪͔̥̹ͥ̅̍͆̄̏͟y̟̒́'̷̸̬̹̲̮̦̹̺̟̏̽̉́̎ͨ̄̀ͮ̂̔͒̓͜͝r̸͇͕̫̣͉̟͍ͨ͗e̢̝͗̌̂ ẃ̸͇͍͑ą̷̛̛̣̦̮̂̑ͧ́͆͊͐̓̕͢t̷̶̶̢̨̹͇̝̲̝̼̖̠̣̀͐̑ͧͬ͂̔̓ͦͭ̅͋ͨ̂ͯ̎̆̈̓ͤͨ͂̕̚͟͞͞͞c̶̶̨̥̟͉̱̝ͦ̾̋̉̀͊̏͝ḩ̶̯̲͖̫̝͓͕̰͚̯̜̗͛̅̈́ͬ̿̀̑̈́̑ͨ͊̕͘͢ḯ̵̢̛̠͉͕͚̝̺̫̭̖̜̝̫́ͤͩ̌ͭ͛̈͛ͮ͐ͬͫͣ́ͫͧͬ̑̏̚͘̚͘͘̕͞͠͞ͅṅ͍̞̜̣̩̋ͫ̊̓̒ͅǵ̨̳̜̭͔̤̗̟̦͊ͬ̎͛ͩ͑̑̋͆͘͢͜͞͡ ẏ̶̵̵̧̛̛̬͉̼̮̭͔̳̹̗͍̗͈̪̌̄̔̌͊̿͆̌̃͆̍̓͑͊ͦ̚̕͢͝͞ͅǫ̸̮̬͚̦͔̟̞̗̪̫ͮ̓͂̒̆̊̆̿̆̎ͮu̟͚̦͕͚͂ͥ̿͐̾̅͐͟͠ͅ

Now this time there is a lot of typos because I've been very busy and those will be fixed at a later date but do send me any coding issues :)

P.s. Reblogging helps a lot

Play | Spotify

[ominouspuff]

ooooh can i see something from "the one about gentleness"?

This one is a large/ambitious image, but here is a section. The idea behind it is “gentleness is a choice” — a major hc of mine for Cody in the RepGA fix-it AU, right alongside the “Cody as a military prodigy that could be (and occasionally is) terrifying”.

@lunaemoth @thepatchycat, since you wanted to see this one too (I’ll also address your second choice options, just wanted to include you here as well.)

[monster-match-if]

Welcome to Paradise!

A few decades after the mystical veil between the human and supernatural world was shattered there are still efforts done to fully integrate the two societies. What better way to achieve that than an international & interspecies dating show?!

Ten lucky beings are going to be selected for the first ever edition of Monster Match, and embark on a month-long vacation on a tropical island. Follow your heart or mind when making decisions and win the public’s favour. At the end of the month, the fan favourite couple will win a whopping cash prize of €500,000, to keep or split between them.

Couple up, have fun with the various challenges and most importantly stay alive find love!

And beware of what’s lurking in the shadows!

Genre: Reality TV dating show, monster fu- lovers. Love island the game, but with monsters. Strictly 18+!

WIP - some things may still change on the way.

Play as Male or Female.

Choose to be a Sweetheart, a Charmer or a Flirt.

Have fun or stir up some drama between the other contestants!

Find love or do it all for the money.

Split the prize, or keep it all to yourself… if you win.

Choose between 5 gender selectable ROs and two male partial ROs.

Try to figure out what's happening to the eliminated contestants or ignore the gnawing feeling.

Entirely choice based, the stats are there for flavor text. This is an excuse to write monster, ermm, loving content. The story is rated 18+ and will contain NSFW and maybe some gore along with other dubious things. There will be fade to black options and skippable scenes as well as preference options and some pretty tame and sweet routes, but why are you here if monsters are not your thing? Read at your own discretion!

Morgan → Vampire🦇 - M/F - 6’  Tall and pale, with dark hair and crimson eyes, and an infuriating naturally gorgeous body. Always has the hair styled neatly and preferes classy clothes. An incurable flirt. Expect: Blood and biting related activities. Not particularly loyal.

Elindorn / Eli → Deep forest elf 🏹 (basically a drow) - M/F - 5'7 / 6'4  Tall with an athletic swimmer’s body. Dusty lilac skin, long milky white hair and pale silver eyes that seem to look into your soul. Expect: actually… the most well adjusted of the bunch. Elves mate for life.

The bombshell - Blake → Incubus/ Succubus🌶️- obviously M/F - 5’8/ 6’4  Deep brown skin, short curly black hair and vivid blue eyes. Horns and tail in their “true” form. Skimpy clothes to attract potential vict- partners. Expect: open relationship, multiple partners, life… sucking?

Kitai → Kitsune 🦊- M/F - 5'5 / 5'11 (Casa Amor contestant) The shortest of the group, but the most attentive and ready to please. Ivory skin, long jet black hair and yellow eyes.  Expect: probably the sweetest, most wholesome route, tails - nine of them.

Fionnlagh / Fion → Cecaelia 🐙 (yes, tentacles) - M/F - 5'6 / 6'3 (Casa Amor contestant)  Tanned skin, long wavy red hair, and green eyes. Eight crimson tentacles in their “true” form. Expect: foursome options, but otherwise tentacles and fun, dubious consent-ish if you squint.

Partial ROs

Ragnar → Werewolf 🐺 - M - 6’9/ 8' when in werewolf form Only RO available strictly to F MC and only one who will break up with MC if they cheat or don't have the same views. Tall and built like a mountain, with lightly tanned skin, brown hair and beard and kind brown eyes. Covered in tattoos. Expect: *sigh* knotting, breeding, bestialityithink??

Seishish  - Sei  → naga 🐍 (yes 2 🍆) - M - 6'2 / 11' long with tail out  The Host - not being a contestant will limit interactions in the first half of the story, but he is also an endgame RO. Rich olive skin with a golden hue, long wavy platinum blonde hair, hazel snake eyes. Gains a lot of length in trier half-snake form, the tail an iridescent golden colour. Expect: dubious consent-ish if you squint, ovo…ovi… the eggpreg thing.

Other OG contestants

Warlock/human - Gael - M Human - Kat - F Siren - Oralla - F Fairy - Feyre - F (original name, I know) Angel - Arael - F Demon Azrorath - M

Demo coming soon

[endemise]

✻ DEMO — Revised Prologue (Update 1 of 2)

31 JANUARY 2025

✻ INTRO POST

after many, many struggles the revised prologue is here! it is only part 1 of the demo update, part 2 containing Chapter 1 will be out in february.

this is an overhaul of the old demo. other than adding new content, the UI has undergone change. it is recommended that you play the prologue over; while some things remain, it is not the same! the changelog is below if you’d like to see what’s different. if you find bugs or typos, etc. send an ask! i try to catch them but i am but one gal

disclaimer: this content is heavy. if you read it before, you know, but is has been expanded upon. chapter specific warnings have been updated to better reflect the content, but please proceed with caution!

CHANGELOG:

Added new scenes.

Added new interactions and choices.

Edited, rewrote, and reformatted scenes.

Changed and re-coded character customization.

Added music.

Added a splash screen.

Added achievements.

Added fade-in passage effects.

Added setting toggles for music and text effects.

Re-coded UI.

Word Count w/o Code: 6.3k -> 11.5k (+ 5.2k)

LINKS

✻ itch.io | my creator page

✻ @ethersic | my main, art, etc. blog

[kk1smet]

Potter? Potter! Bloody fuc—

WIP Snip!

Tagged by @kamaela and @edieblakewrites who shared scrumptious snips and I ask you to scream at me when you publish them thank you very much. Kamaela, I think it’s only fair to share something in the same line to your wip, no? 😌

Okay I wanted to tag various mutuals this time so I used a random number generator, picked its corresponding alphabet and the first name to appear from that. I'd love to see/read your wips (but no pressure!) @dewitty1 @kyuini @notti-bianche @xanthippe74 @faiell + ofc @soliblomst ♡

[call-of-the-ocean]

Perception (Sight)

[ashwii]

Flowers are in bloom as the birds will tell

[raphaerolo]

Last line challenge

I got tagged by @collophora and @merlyn-bane thank you both :)))

I've been writing and drawing lately so Both!

First and latest in: Drawing. I'm finally trying my hand at the long haired padawan Obi-Wan and I think he's a cutie patootie pie

My last line was the blush colouring

And now writing: I finally got to the funny part in one of my favourite wips rn

All of them got sort of quiet as they digested the news.

“It’s kind of weird to marry someone you served with,” Warren finally said.

“Yeah…” Cody bit at his bottom lip. “It is weird.”

Warren continued, still a little stunned. “Like… I cannot imagine how complicated that would make everything.”

“Pretty darn complicated,” Boil said, raising an eyebrow at Cody before raising his cup. “To Bly and Secura!”

Warren is again my precious baby boy OC who knows nothing and Boil is taking every chance he has to secretly tease his favourite older brother

Okie dokie tagging time (no pressure) : @notitlesapply @izzieedraws @aerrowx @lightasthesun @lothcatthree

[c-0f-chaos]

DEDAN UPDATE!!!!!

I've been working on it all week (that's why I had little activity) and now he is (kinda) FINISHED

I had a bit of a rush because the convention that I wanted to wear him was yesterday, I plan to do more stuff with him (^∇^)

All the progress pictures I took!! It was so fun to make, I'm excited to do more!!!!

[splatloafbud]

THANK YOU SPLATOON 1 FOR CHANGING MY LIFE ❤️

[setmeatopthepyre]

thunk it thursday tagged in fuck it friday by @bidisasterevankinard (thank you! I was brainstorming a good excuse to share this) but it's still thursday here so... behold, the new wip that I am calling phosphorescence fic [edit: renamed to pothos | pathos or pothos fic for shirt] as a working title. shout out to @sugarpenchant & @trombonechurchill for lending their thoughts & letting me yap

-

The first time Buck runs into Tommy at a call, his heart feels like a bird battering his rib cage from the inside. He'd finally gotten around to not actively searching for Tommy whenever the 118 were called to anything bigger than a two alarm fire, half convinced Tommy must've traded to a different shift despite the fact Buck knew that would've thrown Tommy's carefully planned social life into disarray. Buck never checked with Eddie to confirm or deny his suspicions. He wasn't sure what he'd do with either answer.

Which... leaves him completely unprepared for the sight of Tommy, tall, broad in his turnouts, face soot-streaked like when he showed up like some sort of action hero to Maddie and Chimney's hospital wedding. Buck feels himself stumble, relocates his feet, and finds Tommy staring straight at him with an expression that must mirror his own. Surprise. Heartache. Sadness. Tommy's eyes glimmer in the lights of the vehicles around them, and Buck hopes.

That's when Cap calls for him over the radio and Buck has to turn away and do his job. Still, that flutter of hope remains wedged between his ribs. If Tommy is even half as heartbroken as he looks, then Buck stands a chance and at this point, he'll take any chance he can get.

That night, after returning to the station and before crawling into a bunk for some shut-eye, Buck texts Tommy.

-

Tommy doesn't text him back.

Buck watches the single checkmark turn to two, but after that... nothing. No texts, no calls, no bubbles. Nothing.

The next day: still nothing.

“I think something's wrong with Tommy,” Buck says as he catches up to Eddie at the firehouse gym. “He hasn't texted me back.”

Eddie takes another step or two, then halts mid-stride and turns. “Hold on, you texted Tommy?”

“Yes, a-and he's read them, but that's it. What if something happened?”

Eddie mulls it over, taking a seat on the weight bench. “Like what?”

“I-I don't know. An-- an accident. What if he never made it home after the call yesterday?”

Eddie sighs, lays back on the bench. Grips the bar. “He made it home, Buck.”

Buck frowns and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Promptly uncrosses them again when Eddie unracks the barbell, ready to spot him. “Y-Yeah? How do you know that?”

Eddie doesn't look at him, keeps his eyes trained on the iron bar above as he moves the weight up and down in slow, precise movements. “Because,” he huffs between reps, “he texted me.”

“He... he texted you?” Buck says slowly.

“Yes, he texted me. He went out to some bar after his shift and then he drunk-texted me when he got home. He's fine. Probably hungover.” Eddie huffs his way through another rep or two, three, four.

“He drunk-texted you? What-- uh, what did-- what did he drunk-text you about?”

Eddie raises an eyebrow at him and Buck supposes his attempt at casual might have fallen just a little bit short of the mark. “Are you going to just repeat everything I'm saying, but like it's a question?” Eddie asks. He racks the weight again. “What I can tell you is, Tommy's fine. Well, he made it home okay. Okay? If he didn't text you back...” he shrugs. “Maybe he had a different reason. Or he needs more time.”

And Buck, well. Buck can give him time. He can do that. He knows what he saw in Tommy's eyes. He knows Tommy saw it in his, too. If Tommy needs time, that's what he'll get.

But, he decides, the next time he sees Tommy at a call, he's going to talk to him.

-

The next time Buck sees Tommy at a call, he's ready for it. He's had a few practice runs by now, three and four-alarms with the 217 on scene but no Tommy with the ground crew. Plenty of time to hype himself up, to imagine what might happen, what he could say. How Tommy would look at him.

The thing is. The problem is. Tommy doesn't look at him.

It's-- weird, really. The next time they're both at a scene, Buck spots him only a short distance away. He watches Tommy's gaze track along towards him and then... go right past. Like he doesn't even see him. Doesn't recognize him. Like Buck's just another set of turnouts in the crowd.

But he's made a promise to himself, and he won't back down now, so Buck marches right up to Tommy and says, “H-hey. Tommy. Uh, hi.”

Tommy looks at him then with something like vague curiosity. “Hey,” he says, plainly. Then recognition flashes, but it's still-- mild. Nothing like the heartache from before. “Hey, Evan.”

Buck will take what he can get, and Tommy calling him Evan again is more than he'd expected... even if unease curls in his gut, prickles at the back of his neck.

“So-- So were back to Evan, huh?” he tries for normal, for a grin, tilts his head.

Tommy smiles easily at him, as if they're right back at the start. As if nothing's happened. “Well, that is your name, isn't it?”

“I-- yeah, I-I guess so. I just thought--” Buck huffs. “Never mind. How, uh. How-- how are you, Tommy? I, uh, texted you.”

“You did? Sorry, Evan. I've been busy,” Tommy says, and glances over his shoulder. “Look, I have to run. See you around?”

Tommy's gone before Buck can even begin to think of a response.

-

“Something's wrong with Tommy.”

“Sure, just let yourself in. No problem at all,” Chimney says blandly from where he's stretched out on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. “Maddie's not here.”

Buck takes a seat on the coffee table, ignoring the way Chim has to lean to see the TV behind him. “I'm not here for Maddie, I'm here for you," he says in a breath. Then adds, "Because you're... you're open-minded.”

Chimney pauses mid-chew. “Open-minded,” he repeats. His eyes narrow. “What kind of weird proposition are you gonna hit me with, Buckley?”

He rolls his eyes. “Nothing-- not, not a-- It's... Tommy.”

“Tommy Kinard, the one and only?” Chim swings his legs over the edge of the couch, leveraging himself into something of a seated position. “What about him?”

Buck fumbles for the words. Decides, finally, to just get straight to the point.

“I-I don't think Tommy... is, well, Tommy.”

-

tagged a bunch of people yesterday so no tags for now unless you wanna be tagged in which case: tag, you're it.