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natsaffection · 6 months ago

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Auge um Auge pt. 3 | N.R.

Investigator!older!Natasha x Robber!younger! reader

Warnings: Age gap (Natasha is 32 = reader ist 22) steamy tension, Natasha being overall cute

Word count: 5,9k

A/n: I love writing love confessions..🫂👀

The heist had already been ongoing for a few days, and the tension between the robbers and the police had become unbearable. The professor had anticipated the police’s response and had tasked you with laying the groundwork for the next step: infiltrating the police’s command network with a cleverly disguised trap.

Using your hacking skills, you had inserted malicious code into the police communication network. The code caused intermittent failures in critical systems like surveillance cameras, encrypted communication channels, and tactical coordination tools. It wasn’t a complete blackout, but it created enough chaos to leave the police scrambling for solutions.

“They’ll think it’s a sophisticated hack.” the professor had said. “And when they realize their own tech team can’t fix it, they’ll seek outside help. That’s where you come in.” You had smiled, though your stomach churned with nerves. “What if they don’t take the bait?” The professor had adjusted his glasses, his voice calm. “Trust me, they will. You’ve done good groundwork, and Natasha will bite.”

Officers shouted over each other, screens blinked with error messages, and the air was thick with rising panic. The robbers had taken over multiple police systems, rerouted communication channels, and disrupted surveillance feeds. Worse, they had fed the unit targeted misinformation, nearly leading to a catastrophic operation that left officers in complete disarray.

Maria sat at the central workstation, her jaw clenched as she desperately tried to regain control. “It’s like they’re toying with us..” she muttered, staring at the corrupted data streams on her screen. “They know exactly where to hit us. Natasha stood nearby, her arms tightly crossed. “How bad is it?”

“They’ve locked us out of certain areas of our own system.” Maria said sharply. “And their encryption? It’s not standard. It feels almost..experimental. Natasha frowned. “Can you crack it?” Maria paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, then exhaled sharply. “Maybe. But not fast enough. They’re three steps ahead, and we don’t have time to lose.” Natasha hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Then we need someone who thinks like them.”Maria turned to her, narrowing her eyes. “What are you suggesting?”

“I know someone who could help us.” Natasha said cautiously. “A civilian. Brilliant with tech, unpredictable, exactly the type of person who could mirror the robbers’ creativity.” Maria’s eyes widened in disbelief. “A civilian? You can’t be serious, Natasha. This isn’t some neighborhood dispute, this is a high-risk, top operation. And you want to bring in someone off the street?”

“She’s not just ‘anyone.’” Natasha countered firmly. “I trust her.” Maria scoffed. “And that’s supposed to reassure me? I trust you, Natasha, but this? You want to involve an outsider in our operation?”

“We’re already exposed!” Natasha snapped, her voice rising. “They’ve hacked our systems, locked us out, and led us straight into a trap. We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.” Maria folded her arms. “And you think your civilian will magically solve everything?”

“I think she’s our best chance.” Natasha said. “Maria, you’re the best there is, but even you said this isn’t standard. This encryption? It’s personal. We need someone who thinks like the person who designed it.” An officer hurried over to Maria with a report. “Ma’am, they’ve breached the surveillance network in the eastern quadrant. We’re blind.”

Maria slammed her hands on the table and cursed under her breath. “Damn it.” Natasha stepped closer. “We don’t have time to debate this. You need help, Maria. And you know it.” Maria stared at her. “Even if I agreed, why her? Why would she agree to this?” Natasha hesitated, her jaw tightening. “Because she’s already involved.” Maria frowned. “What do you mean?”

“She’s the one who gave us the tip about the camera.” Natasha admitted. “She’s brilliant, completely unassuming, but she knows things. I think- no, I know she’s exactly the type of person who could have designed this encryption herself.” Maria shook her head. “You’re taking a huge risk.”

Natasha’s voice softened. “If this fails, it’s my responsibility. But if we don’t try, we’ll lose this fight. And we can’t afford that.” Maria sighed and rubbed her temples. “Fine. But if this backfires, you’re the one taking the fall.”

Natasha found you in your usual spot at the café, your laptop open and your fingers flying across the keyboard. You paused when you saw her approaching, your eyes widening slightly. “This is becoming a habit..” you said with a nervous laugh. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

Natasha dropped into the chair across from you, her expression serious. “I don’t have time chatting this time, we need your help.” You tilted your head, trying to look confused. “With what?”Natasha leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. “My team’s systems have been compromised. Surveillance feeds, encrypted communication..they’ve all been affected by some sort of evolving encryption. We can’t crack it.” You raised an intrigued eyebrow. “And you think I can?”

“You’ve already proven you can.” Natasha said firmly. “The sniper incident..if it weren’t for you, we’d have walked right into an ambush. You see things my team doesn’t, and I’m not too proud to admit it.” You tried to appear hesitant. She’s taken the bait. “Natasha, I’m just a freelancer..I’ve never worked on anything of this scale before.”

“I trust you.” Natasha said, her voice steady. “And I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.” You swallowed, the sincerity in Natasha’s eyes tightening something in your chest. Stick to the plan, you reminded yourself. Finally, you nodded. “Okay, I’ll help.”

You entered the command tent under Natasha’s watchful eye, feeling the weight of every officer’s gaze on you. Maria was waiting at the workstation, her expression skeptical but resigned. “You must be Y/n.” Maria said, gesturing toward the monitors. “Show us what you can do.”

The professor’s words echoed in your head: “Stay calm. You’re one of them now. Look nervous, but not too nervous. Don’t let their chaos overwhelm you, control it.” But as you ventured deeper into the tent, it became harder to ignore the efficiency and organization of the police. Large maps of the bank were spread across tables, officers compared information, and intercepted radio transmissions flashed on the screens.

Your eyes landed on a monitor, and your breath caught. Names. Two names. Tokyo. Rio. The police had already identified two members of the crew. You froze for a moment, your thoughts racing. How? How could they already know their names? And why didn’t you know about this?

Natasha noticed your hesitation and approached with a clipboard in hand. “Y/n?” she said, her tone firm but not unfriendly. “Is everything okay?” You blinked and snapped out of your daze. Forcing a small smile onto your face, you said, “Yeah, sorry. It’s just..a lot.” Natasha’s eyes softened slightly. “It’s overwhelming, I know. You’re walking into a warzone here, and this isn’t an easy place to be.”

You nodded quickly, doing your best to play the role of an overwhelmed civilian. “It’s just..I didn’t expect it to be this serious. Seeing all of this..” Natasha gave you a reassuring smile. “You’re doing great. Just focus on your part. We’ll handle the rest.” You nodded again, but your stomach churned. Your nerves weren’t entirely an act anymore. The reality of standing in the enemy’s camp, surrounded by people working tirelessly to unravel the professor’s plan, hit you harder than you’d anticipated.

You sat down at a workstation, your fingers trembling slightly as you typed. You had to stay on course, complete your task without raising suspicion. But your thoughts kept drifting back to the screens with Tokyo and Rio’s names. If they were already so close to those two, how much longer before they found the rest? Natasha stood nearby, her presence both comforting and unsettling. You could feel her watchful gaze on you, her concern growing with every passing second. “You’re doing great.” Natasha said quietly, crouching beside you.

You forced a weak smile, your voice shaky. “Thanks.”The professor had arranged a distraction inside the bank, chaos that was meant to make your role as a nervous civilian more believable. The crew was supposed to fire shots into the air, throwing the police into panic and creating the perfect diversion for you to finish your task. But you were so lost in your own thoughts that you’d completely forgotten about the plan. When the sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the tent’s speakers, you flinched violently, your eyes widening in genuine fear.

Natasha frowned, her expression sharp. “Shots fired inside the bank!” she said grimly, grabbing a radio. “We need visuals on the situation, now!” Your heart raced, your mind screaming at you to get a grip. It’s the plan. It’s part of the plan. But the sound of the gunfire had shaken you to your core. You were too close to the enemy, too exposed. For the first time, the weight of what you were doing, the danger you were in hit you fully. Natasha noticed your trembling hands and pale face. “Hey..” she said gently, stepping closer. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”

“I..I’m sorry..” you stammered, your voice breaking. “I just…it startled me, that’s all.” Natasha’s expression softened, her concern deepening. “This isn’t something most people are prepared for.” she said quietly. “You’re doing more than we could ever ask of you. But if it’s too much, you can stop. No one would blame you.”

“No.” you said quickly, shaking your head. “I can do this. I just need..a minute.” Natasha hesitated, then nodded. “Take all the time you need.” As you tried to steady your breathing, Natasha watched you closely, her own thoughts racing. She admired your bravery. Walking into such a dangerous situation as a civilian was no small feat. You looked up and caught Natasha watching you. “What?”

“Nothing.” Natasha said quickly, forcing a small smile. “I…I just admire your courage.” You blinked, surprised. “Courage?” Natasha nodded. “Most people wouldn’t put themselves in a situation like this. You could’ve said no when I asked. But you didn’t. That says a lot about you.” You swallowed hard, guilt churning in your stomach. “Thank you..” you murmured, turning your gaze away.

Eventually, you regained your composure, finished your task, and planted the necessary code into the police’s system. But as you left the tent, Natasha’s words echoed in your mind. “You could’ve said no. But you didn’t.” You had just led Natasha directly into the trap, exactly as the professor had planned. But for the first time, you began to wonder if the cost of the plan was too high. Your hands hovered over the keyboard as you pressed the final key, and the tent filled with the sound of systems coming back online. The previously chaotic screens now displayed a smoothly functioning network.

Natasha, standing nearby, let out a deep breath, visibly relieved. “You did it.” she said, her voice full of genuine admiration. You forced a small smile, but inside, your heart was racing. The professor’s instructions had been clear: “Plant the backdoor. Subtly, cleanly. Once you’re out, we’ll have access to everything.” That’s exactly what you’d done. The professor now had ears inside the tent, but you couldn’t let your relief show on your face.

Natasha approached, placing a hand on your shoulder. “That was incredible work, Y/n. I don’t know how you did it.”

“I’m just glad I could help.” you said, trying to sound humble. Quickly, you packed up your laptop, eager to escape the suffocating tension in the tent. As you slung your bag over your shoulder, Natasha stepped in front of you, her green eyes softer. “You’ve been through a lot today..” she said. “More than anyone in your position should have to.” You looked around nervously. “I’m fine.”

Natasha frowned slightly. “I don’t think you are.” She paused, her voice turning gentler. “How about some fresh air? A walk. After all this, you could use a distraction.” You hesitated. You weren’t sure if being alone with Natasha was a good idea. But her gaze was honest, her concern disarming. Finally, you nodded. “Okay.”

Natasha smiled and led you out of the tent. The two of you walked along a quiet path in a nearby park, the tension of the command tent slowly fading behind you. The fresh air was a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the tent, and you took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. Natasha studied you for a moment, her gaze softening. “You’re braver than you give yourself credit for.”

You looked away, guilt twisting in your chest. You wouldn’t say that if you knew the truth, you thought. You stopped at a bench near a cluster of trees, the calm of the night settling around you. Natasha sat down and gestured for you to join her. For a moment, silence reigned, broken only by distant sirens and rustling leaves. “You were really scared in there..” Natasha said quietly, turning to you. You hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Finally, you nodded, your voice barely a whisper. “Hearing those gunshots…it was real. I’ve never been that close to something so…dangerous.”

Natasha’s expression softened further. “You never get used to it.” she admitted. “But it’s also not something you should have to go through.” You looked at her, the genuine concern in her eyes tightening something in your chest. “Why do you care so much?” you asked before you could stop yourself. Natasha blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” You hesitated. “You barely know me. But you’re going out of your way to make sure I’m okay.” Natasha’s gaze dropped for a moment before meeting yours again, her expression unreadable. “Because I see that you’re a good person.” she said simply. “And because I’ve been where you are, thrown into something I didn’t ask for, feeling like I had to prove myself.”

As the two of you continued walking, the conversation grew more relaxed. Natasha shared stories about the less glamorous parts of her job, staking out warehouses in freezing temperatures, dealing with endless bureaucracy, and the time an overeager recruit accidentally locked her in a supply closet. You laughed despite yourself, the tension in your chest easing for the first time in hours. “You make it sound so… glamorous.”

Natasha grinned. “Oh, it’s every little girl’s dream. Dodging bullets, endless paperwork, terrible coffee. What more could you want?” You shook your head, a genuine smile spreading across your face. “I can’t believe you’re actually human.” Natasha raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. “Don’t let that get out. I have a reputation to maintain.” By the time you returned to the tent, you felt more at ease but also more conflicted. Natasha’s kindness and humor had broken through your defenses, leaving you questioning your role in the heist.

As Natasha held the tent flap open for you, she smiled. “You were amazing today, Y/n. Really.” You nodded, your throat tight. “Thanks. I… you know where to find me.”

————————————————————————

The bell above the café door jingled, pulling you back to the present. It was already late at night, and you were back in your usual corner. Her shift had gone on longer than you’d expected…You glanced up casually, expecting another late-night coffee addict. Instead, your eyes narrowed slightly when you recognized the woman who walked in.

Maria.

You remembered her from the command tent. Sharp and authoritative, someone who missed no details. What was she doing here at this hour? Your curiosity flared as Maria approached the counter, ordered a coffee, and then sat in a secluded corner. Her posture was casual, but you noticed her eyes scanning the room, as if assessing potential threats..or watching someone.

You barely paid Maria any attention until she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Something about her body language shifted..relaxed, but not entirely. Whoever was on the other end was clearly someone she trusted. Ever the opportunist, you opened your laptop and connected to the café’s public Wi-Fi. A few quick keystrokes later, you intercepted Maria’s phone signal. A faint hum played through your headphones as you tapped into the call..curiosity had won. The connection stabilized, and a voice came through that made your breath hitch.

Natasha.

“Hey..” Natasha said, her voice softer than you’d ever heard it. “Hey…” Maria replied warmly. “Still in?”

“Yep…” Natasha sighed with a light laugh. Your fingers froze on the keyboard. What the hell? You hadn’t expected a private, casual conversation. You should disconnect. You should. But your curiosity burned too brightly. A pause followed, a familiar silence that hinted at a shared history. You frowned slightly and leaned closer to your screen.

“How are things? We haven’t really had time to talk lately.” Natasha asked, her voice quieter now.

“Well… I miss it, honestly…talking to you all the time, I mean. It feels like old times.” Maria replied.

Natasha didn’t respond immediately, and you heard the faint sound of her shifting in her chair. “Maria…”

Maria chuckled softly. “Relax, Nat. I’m not trying to stir anything up. I just wanted to check on you.”

An uneasy feeling churned in your stomach. You knew you were intruding on something deeply personal, but you couldn’t stop listening.

“I noticed something today..” Maria began cautiously but firmly. “That girl you brought into the tent…You’re spending quite a bit of time with her. And guess who’s sitting a few tables away from me?” A pause followed before Natasha answered, her voice sharper. “Wait…”

“She’s here. Midnight. Alone.” Natasha’s sharp intake of breath was audible. “You can see her?”

“Yes.” Maria said, her tone softening. “And before you say anything-no, I’m not going to approach her. I’m just trying to understand why she’s so important to you.”

“What?” Natasha began, but her voice faltered. She exhaled sharply, her tone shifting. “Maria, she’s been through a lot today.” Natasha said quietly. “And she’s helping us.”

“She’s helping you.” Maria corrected, her voice gentle but firm. “You brought her into the team. You’re the one spending all this time with her.”

Natasha sighed softly, almost as if she’d expected this. “Can we stop talking about this? I know where this is going…”

Maria’s voice softened. “Fine. Then I’ll just ask outright. Do you want to sleep with her?”

You choked on your coffee, quickly covering your mouth to avoid drawing attention to yourself. You glanced at Maria, who was still sitting calmly, completely unaware of the chaos she’d just caused. “Maria, seriously-”

“You’re not denying it…” Maria teased, her tone playful.

Your first instinct was to disconnect, but your hand hovered over the keyboard, frozen. This is too much. I shouldn’t be listening…But your curiosity won out. You leaned back slightly, guilt rising in your chest. I shouldn’t be here. But… I want to know…

A long pause followed. Natasha exhaled slowly. “You’re using the wrong word.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked, confused.

“‘Sleep.’” Natasha said, her voice quieter now. “That sounds like a one-night stand. Like something meaningless.”

Maria chuckled softly, though it sounded sad. “And you want more than that?”

“Yeah..why not.” Natasha admitted, her voice steady but vulnerable. “If I were with her, it wouldn’t just be that. She’s not someone you just ‘sleep’ with.”

Your head spun, Natasha’s words echoing in your mind. She doesn’t want something meaningless. She wants… something more? Your heart fluttered, and a nervous laugh bubbled up in your throat. She’s not someone you just sleep with. Those words felt both impossibly heavy and surprisingly light. You clamped a hand over your mouth to stifle a grin. Stop acting like a teenager! This isn’t normal! But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake the warmth spreading through your chest, or the guilt of eavesdropping on something so personal.

“Just be careful, Nat…” Maria said quietly. “That kind of trust is hard to earn. And if you’re not careful, it’ll hurt both of you.”

“I know.” Natasha replied, her voice firm but tinged with emotion. “Thanks for caring, Maria. But I’ve got this.”

Maria sighed, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. “Goodnight, Natasha.”

“Goodnight.” Natasha said, and the line went dead.

The connection ended, leaving you sitting there, completely stunned. You leaned back in your chair, staring at your laptop as if it might explode at any moment. Your cheeks burned, and your mind raced, replaying Natasha’s hesitant “Yeah..why not” over and over. What the hell just happened? you thought, running a hand through your hair. You’d hacked into Maria’s phone for a tactical advantage, not…whatever this was!

Natasha Romanoff wants to be with me?

Your thoughts shattered as Maria stood up and began walking toward you. You froze, your breath catching. She knows. She figured it out! I’m done for. Maria stopped at your table, her sharp eyes studying you closely. You gripped the edge of your laptop, your heart pounding so loudly you thought it might burst. “Everything okay?” Maria asked, her voice softer than you’d expected. “You’re here alone at midnight. That’s…unusual.”

You blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I’m fine!” you said quickly, forcing a smile. “I…I’m just working.” Maria studied you for a moment longer, then nodded. “Alright. Take care of yourself.” She turned and walked away, leaving you frozen in place, your head still spinning.

Meanwhile the activity in the command tent began to wind down for the night. Officers moved between desks, and the soft hum of conversations filled the air. Natasha leaned against a table scattered with files, her arms crossed as she studied the timeline of the heist on the main screen. Yet her thoughts weren’t entirely on the case. Maria’s words from earlier replayed in her mind, “She’s here. At midnight. Alone. I’m just trying to understand why she’s so important to you.”

Natasha sighed quietly, running a hand through her hair. Maria wasn’t wrong. You were always alone, and Natasha couldn’t shake the image of you sitting in that café, typing on your laptop as if you had nowhere else to be. It unsettled her in a way she couldn’t fully explain, and Maria’s direct question only made it worse.

“Why is she so important to you?”

Natasha pushed off the table as the commander signaled the end of the shift for the night. It was late, and most of the team members were heading home. Normally, Natasha would stay longer, but tonight she felt the urge to leave. You listened through your earpiece and when you heard the commander announce the end of the shift, you exhaled in relief. Finally. Natasha was leaving the tent, which meant you could leave too.

You started packing your things, sliding your laptop into your bag as you prepared to leave. The familiar chime of the doorbell froze you mid-motion. Your heart sank as you saw who had just walked in. Natasha stepped into the café, her eyes scanning the room quickly before landing on you. Her expression softened slightly as she approached, her movements deliberate but calm.

You froze, your bag only half-closed. Your heart pounded as Natasha closed the distance between you, her presence overwhelming even in casual clothes. “Hi.” Natasha said, her voice warm but tinged with concern. You forced a smile, trying to keep your voice steady. “Natasha? What are you doing here?” Natasha slid into the seat across from you, propping her elbows on the table. “I could ask you the same thing. I just got off work. Thought I’d check on you.”

“Again?” you laughed, your nervousness slipping into your tone. Natasha tilted her head slightly, studying you. “You’re always here late. Alone. That doesn’t seem right to me.” You swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the table. She’s noticed. She’s been paying attention.. “I…I like working at night. I’m fine, really.” you said quickly, your voice trembling slightly. Natasha raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “That’s the second time you’ve said that. Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

You hesitated, your mind racing. What does she want me to say? You looked down at your hands, fiddling nervously with your bag strap. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do.” Natasha said gently. “It’s midnight. Most people your age are either at home or out with friends. Why are you always here?” Your chest tightened. Natasha’s tone wasn’t accusatory. It was gentle, caring, and that made it even harder to deflect. You felt the weight of her gaze, the genuine concern in her eyes. “I… I just like it here.” you mumbled, avoiding her gaze. “It’s nothing.”

Natasha sighed, leaning back slightly. “I’m not trying to pry. But you shouldn’t be here alone so late.” You looked at her, your stomach twisting. She thinks I’m alone because I have no one. She’s not entirely wrong, but the real reason is so much more complicated.. “Come with me.” Natasha said suddenly, her voice soft but firm. You blinked, your eyes widening. “W-What?”

“Come with me.” Natasha repeated, her gaze steady. “To my place. You shouldn’t be here alone this late.” Your heart raced, panic rising in your chest. Go with her? To her place? I can’t. You shook your head quickly, your voice stumbling. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

“Why not?” Natasha asked, her tone calm but insistent. “You’ll be safe. You can bring your work if you want. But I don’t want to leave you here.”

“I..” You hesitated, your mind spiraling. What if she’s testing me? What if it’s a trap? Natasha leaned across the table, her hand brushing yours lightly. “Please..” she said softly. “I’ll feel better knowing you’re somewhere safe.” You stared at her, the sincerity in Natasha’s voice making your chest ache. She doesn’t know. She has no idea who I really am. She’s just…worried. “Okay..” you finally whispered, your voice barely audible. “I’ll come with you.”

Natasha’s apartment was exactly what you’d expected..minimalistic yet elegant, with clean lines and an undeniable sense of order. The open-concept living room was softly lit, a bottle of red wine sat on the counter, and the faint scent of cedar lingered in the air. The space felt personal yet guarded, much like the woman herself.

You stood awkwardly near the couch, unsure of where to put your hands or your thoughts. This wasn’t where you’d ever imagined yourself, and the thought of what might happen here made your stomach twist with nerves. Natasha, however, seemed completely at ease, shrugging off her jacket and tossing it casually onto a nearby chair. “Make yourself comfortable.” she said, her voice calm yet warm, catching you off guard. “Want something to drink?”

“Uh…no, thanks.” you replied quickly, your nerves making you sound more jittery than you intended. Natasha glanced over her shoulder at you, her lips quirking into a small, knowing smile. “Relax. I don’t bite.” You managed a weak laugh, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “That’s…good to know.”

Natasha chuckled softly as she settled onto the couch with a grace that seemed effortless. She grabbed the remote and gestured for you to join her. “Come on. Sit. I thought we could watch something.” You hesitated for a moment before walking over and sinking into the cushion next to her. Not too close, but not too far. Natasha noticed and smiled to herself but said nothing.

“What do you want to watch?” she asked, scrolling through streaming options. “Action? Comedy? Something completely ridiculous?” You shrugged, trying to focus on her question instead of the growing tension in your chest. “Something light, I guess. Nothing too intense.”

“Alright.” Natasha said, selecting a movie and setting the remote aside. She leaned back, draping her arm over the back of the couch, close enough for you to feel the faint warmth of her skin. The movie started, the sound filling the quiet space, but you found it hard to focus on the screen.

Fifteen minutes in, you were acutely aware of every detail about Natasha..her presence, her proximity, the subtle scent of her perfume. She sat close enough that her arm occasionally brushed yours, and you felt her gaze on you now and then. You tried to concentrate on the movie, but your thoughts kept wandering. Why had she invited you here? Was this just her way of unwinding, or was there something..more? The possibility made your heart race.

Then you felt it…her hand on your shoulder. At first, it was a light touch that could’ve been accidental. But then her fingers curled slightly, her palm resting firmly on your shoulder, and you realized it wasn’t a mistake. You froze slightly, your breath hitching. Natasha noticed immediately. “You look like you’re waiting for something to explode.” You laughed nervously, rubbing the back of your neck. “Maybe I am.” Natasha raised an eyebrow, her smile widening. “It’s just me. You don’t have to be so tense.”

Just her. That was the problem. It wasn’t just her! It was her. Natasha Romanoff: sharp, confident, undeniably alluring. You had no idea how you’d ended up here, in her apartment, watching a movie, feeling like the ground beneath you had completely shifted. “I know.” you murmured, trying to steady your voice. “I… just…”

Natasha leaned closer, her hand sliding from your shoulder lightly down your arm. “I’m not going to do anything you’re not comfortable with. You know that, right?” You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest. “Of course!” For a moment, neither of you spoke, the sound of the movie filling the space between you. The way she looked at you, with a mix of amusement and something warmer, softer made your breath catch. Before you could stop yourself, you blurted out, “I’m not good at this.” Natasha tilted her head, her smile returning. “Not good at what?”

“This..” you said, gesturing vaguely between the two of you. “Being here. With you. It’s…I don’t know. You make it hard to think straight.” For a moment, Natasha just stared at you, and you felt your cheeks heat. But then she laughed, a soft, genuine laugh that made your stomach flip. “That’s cute.” she said, her tone carrying a playful edge. “You’re nervous.”

“I’m not-” you began, but the look she gave you stopped your denial mid-sentence. “Okay, maybe a little.” Natasha’s smile softened. “Why?” she asked, her voice quiet but genuinely curious. “Why does this make you nervous?” You hesitated, your heart racing as you searched for the right words. “Because…it’s you..” you finally admitted, your voice barely a whisper. “You’re…I don’t know. You’re intimidating. I-In a good way! And I don’t exactly have a lot of experience with…this kind of thing.” Natasha leaned forward slightly, resting her elbow on the back of the couch as she turned toward you. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure..” you said, trying not to sound as nervous as you felt. “Why does this make you so uneasy?” she asked gently, her voice devoid of teasing now. “Is it exactly me? Or…something else?” You hesitated, your heart pounding as you considered your answer. “It’s not you..” you said finally, your voice quieter now. “It’s…I guess it’s just that this feels… different.”

“Different how?” Natasha pressed, though her tone remained careful, as if she didn’t want to push too hard. “Like… I don’t know!! Like it matters..” you admitted, your cheeks flushing. “And that scares me.” Natasha’s expression softened further, her gaze searching yours. “I don’t want to scare you.” she said quietly. “That’s the last thing I want.”

“You don’t.” you said quickly. “It’s just…I don’t really know what I’m doing here.” Natasha studied you for a long moment, as if weighing her next move carefully. Then she spoke, her voice low and steady. “Would you tell me if I did something that made you uncomfortable?” You nodded. “Of course.”

“Okay.” Natasha said, exhaling softly. She shifted slightly closer, her hand resting gently on the back of the couch. “Because I want to kiss you. But only if you want me to.” Your breath caught, her words sending a wave of nervous excitement through you. You stared at her, your heart racing as you processed what she’d said. “I’ve never-” Natasha cut in gently, her tone steady. “It’s okay. We don’t have to.”

But something in her patience, in the way she didn’t push or demand, made you take a shaky breath and nod. “I think I want to..” you said softly. Natasha didn’t move immediately, her eyes staying locked on yours. “You’re sure?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

“Yes.” you whispered, your voice trembling slightly but sincere. Only then did she lean in, her movements slow and deliberate, giving you every opportunity to change your mind. When her lips finally met yours, it was soft, so soft that it left you breathless. Her hand cupped your cheek gently, her thumb brushing against your skin as if to steady you.

The kiss was unhurried, warm, and filled with a tenderness that surprised you. You felt yourself relax into it, your nervousness melting away as you kissed her back. Natasha pulled back slightly, just enough to look at you, her forehead resting lightly against yours. “You okay?” she asked softly. You nodded, a small, shy smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah..” Her lips curved into a smile of her own, and she pressed a brief, tender kiss to your forehead. “Good.” she murmured. She leaned in again, her hand remained on your cheek. The connection was both electrifying and calming, as if nothing else in the world mattered except for this.

But just as the kiss began to deepen, Natasha pulled back slightly, resting her forehead against yours. Her breath was warm, and her voice was soft but resolute. “We should stop..” she said gently. You opened your eyes, looking at her. “Why?”

Natasha gave you a faint smile, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from your face. “Because you’ve had a long day. And because I don’t want this to feel rushed. For either of us.” You bit your lip, your cheeks heating again. “You think I’m not ready?”

“I think you’re nervous.” Natasha replied honestly. “And I don’t want you to feel like we have to go anywhere tonight. We don’t.” Her words felt like a weight lifting off your chest. She wasn’t angry, wasn’t pressuring you, she was giving you space, something you hadn’t even realized you needed. “Thank you.” you murmured, your voice barely audible. Natasha tilted her head, her smile softening. “For what?”

“For being patient with me.” you admitted, your cheeks flushing again. Her smile grew softer still, and she pressed a brief, tender kiss to your forehead. “Get some rest.” she said quietly. “You’ve earned it.” Natasha stood, walking into the kitchen and pouring you a glass of water. After a moment, she returned and set it on the coffee table in front of you. “You can take the bed.” she said as she settled back onto the couch. “I’ll sleep here.” Your eyes widened. “What? No! This is your apartment.”

“Exactly.” Natasha replied with a playful glint in her eye. “And I’m saying you take the bed. No arguments.” You shook your head, laughing softly. “You’re impossible.”

“I’ve been called worse..” Natasha said with a smirk. The playful exchange eased your nerves further, and you found yourself smiling as you stood and stretched. “Fine. But if you wake up with a sore neck, don’t blame me.” Natasha laughed, her gaze following you as you headed toward the bedroom door. “Goodnight.” she said softly.

You paused in the doorway, glancing back at her. “Goodnight, Natasha.” As you stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind you, you let out a shaky breath. Your heart was still racing, and your mind replayed the kiss over and over, but there was also a warmth in your chest, a quiet comfort in knowing she understood. That she wasn’t rushing you or asking for more than you were ready to give. You lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a small smile on your lips. You hadn’t expected any of this, hadn’t seen it coming..but maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t as terrifying as you’d thought..

#natasha x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha smut #natasha romanov x reader #dom!natasha x reader #nat x reader #natasha romonova #the avengers #natasha #natasha romanov smut #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff x reader

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exilethegame · 2 years ago

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Writing Update (09/22/23)

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I made one of these, huh? 👀

I've spent the past few weeks settling back into university work, but now I'm back into the swing of writing and developing things. So I thought I would take this chance to clarify some things, and lay down what the future of The Exile is gonna look like.

The Public Demo is now done. Chapter Five is the last chapter that you'll be able to play for free until the game is finished. Right now, I am working on rewriting what is written and porting the game into Twine. This means I'm expanding scenes, adding variation and flavor text, fixing stubborn lingering bugs, and implementing a codex + optional flashback scenes (*cough* and art *cough*) into the game. This will take a while.

I'm not just copy and pasting things into Twine and changing the coding-- I'm polishing things, adding lore and info, and overall just making the game significantly more "put together" so-to-speak. The version of The Exile that's up right now has been the Alpha Version of the game, It's never been properly edited beyond fixing glaringly obvious typos, continuity errors, and bugs. Now, I'm working on actually implementing broader, more complex changes into the game based on feedback I've gotten over the coarse of the past two years of writing!

My hope is to release the Twine Demo at some point around January. But that's a goal, not a deadline. I'll likely take in more beta readers for the Twine version of the game at some point, and post the Twine build onto my Patreon more casually in the following months. I'll delve more into both of things, however, when the time comes.

My hope is to be as transparent as possible and try to be more active on here as I work on things, so expect to see writing updates once more! Though they'll likely be quite short, functioning just to keep you guys updated on what's going on ~*behind the scenes*~

That's all for now, and thanks for reading! :)

Rewrite Progress [Prologue] The entirety of the Prologue is being rewritten and expanded upon.

Expanded the Jamie + Lnyla encounter in the woods (scene has three main variations, and can end in 4 different ways! And Jamie is less of a little brat <3)

[WiP] Expanding Vethna's intro scene-- there are two main variations, and there will likely be more than one way for the scene to end this time...

Added codex entry for magic-users

Added codex entry for Vrithka

Added codex for blood magic

Working on overhauling and simplifying stats (the main focus with be MC's combat stats, along with MC's personality + commanding style)

Debating adding a sort of optional "personality test" that will tell you what mythosi your MC would be based on their personality!

#writing update

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aro-geo-turtle · 3 months ago

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Ok I have finally gotten my tmagp case spreadsheet all caught up and I've been sorting it all different ways to look for patterns in the DPHW case numbers!

As per ep 36's reveal of their being four metrics, thoughts on the last four digits of the code:

Our highest D cases are ep 3 (8), 4 (7), and 15 (6). Guy turns into a tree, blood-drinking violin, and Lady Mowbray. They all involve the woods or the wilderness in some way? Lowest Ds are 16, 17, 19, 24, and 32 (all at 1). No clear pattern there.

Ep 6, 12, 35, and 13 are the highest ranked for P (8, 7, 7, and 6 respectively). Needles, two Bonzo cases, and the gambling app. Physical injury maybe? Not sure. No clear patterns in the low scorers either.

There's a LOT of high scorers for H, including the only 9 we've gotten so far (for the evil volin). Also 2 Bonzos, tree guy, demon baby, statement-giving dead, Voyeur movie, possessed by Liverpool, awful restaurant, Sam's statement, and the split brain experiment. Interestingly, another Bonzo (ep 12) is one of the lowest scorers for this, only a 2. No cases so far have scored a 1 for H.

@cirrus-grey pointed out that W is the highest metric and I'm seeing that too. Split brain, 2 Bonzos, Sam's statement, and Hilltop Center buried in stuff are all 8s. Voyeur movie, painting away body dysmorphia, reanimated pieces of Arthur Winstead, murder your alt-universe double, and Newton's fucked up dog are 7s. Liminal service station, custodian turns to concrete, sailing ship tattoo, coral better self, and snake guy all score 6. Once again one Bonzo statement is out of place, with ep 10 this time. The only case with a 1 for W is Lady Mowbray.

The only case with even 5s in all four metrics is Freddie eating Colin. Perfect balance, eh?

There's also the middle term, with both letters and numbers:

The most frequent middle term is 1RB, used in episodes 14, 35, 10, 6, 15, 12, and 16. These episodes feature Bonzo 3 times, and Ink5oul, Lady Mowbray, and Needles once each, leading me to guess this means externals. I'm not sure why guy-turns-into-pile-of-snakes is here, or why only one Ink5oul case is, though.

2RB is applied to 5 cases: ep 33, 28, 25, 5, and 29. I don't see any pattern here; that's the pier getting eaten by darkness, Sam's Institute encounter, the really gross restaurant, the movie Voyeur, and the flooding lock museum.

2RC is pretty straightforward! Episodes 7, 17, and 30 all have to do with the Hilltop Center! 32 is the odd one out, the woman possessed by Liverpool, but maybe its because it's still about a spot on the planet that's spooky for some reason?

13RBC is the code for ep 22, 23, and 19, all of which have similar body horror/fucked up experiment vibes? And sort of a gaining of sentience, maybe? The dog from Newton's experiment, the trapped other brain half, and the coral-duplicate woman? I'm not sure but the vibes are the same.

Eps 26, 24, and 1a are all in 1RBC. Reanimated pieces of Arthur Winstead, demon baby, and PE teacher killed by the error-chivist. No clue.

There are more middle terms with 2 cases tied to them, but that's not really enough for me to see anything there, except for with 3RB. Both ep 9 and 13 have to do with gambling.

That's about all I can glean at the moment, maybe somebody else can see some stuff here that I can't.

#tmagp #tmagp theory #dphw #dphw crunching #tmagp spoilers

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queeriouslyollie · 2 months ago

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wonderlust favorite moments/interactions/scenes/etc + notes from multiple rewatches

this is a collection of all my favorite moments, scenes, interactions, and so on (as well as interesting observations that ive noticed through my multiple rewatches) from wonderlust. this is mostly for myself lmao

NOTE: so far, i only got thru ep 1 because. im tired and its almost 4 am lmao. i do wanna get thru all the eps for this tho so :3

style conventions(so i rember qwq): things are listed chronologically, by episode, with timestamps (h:mm:ss). i also (vaguely) color coded dialogue, just the PCs w/ their colors (troy in red, runt in purple, blink in green). if there is dialogue between the lines im highlighting, there will be "/.../" followed by the next line im including. finally, additional notes/thoughts/etc from me will be in small text, italicized parenthases (like this)

this will be updated as i rewatch episodes or watch new episodes :]

WARNING: beyond this point, there WILL be spoilers. proceed at your own risk!

ps: if there is anything that isnt here that you think is worthy, feel free to add on! also, there are very likely typos and/or formatting errors so. oopsie :3 (did try my best to make sure there werent)

pps: many of these will likely involve troy because im so brainrot for this guy but i do really love them all and their dynamics :3

episode 1: one man's trash

0:06:14 troy: "well then- the the fuckin uh, i gue- i guess they'll- i guess they'll fuckin- i guess when they- i guess-"

0:07:42 baby's first troy math

0:11:50 the incident

0:17:30 troy: "my names troy and i'm never gonna die!" (this note was taken when ep 23 was the latest--so far its true, but i suppose we'll see if it continues to do so)

0:37:30 this whole interaction with runt and her cousins is just adorable and i lobv it

0:45:43 ♪♫ you gotta be careful, little runt ♫♪

0:46:40 runt: "you're goddamn right uncle threestrings, why don't they give you a record deal?" uncle threestrings: "....... hohh.." (also charlie's face during this reacting to the song lmfao)

0:47:22 uncle threestrings: "if you don't come back-" runt: "ah-" uncle threestrings: "-if you don't-" runt: "i will come back." uncle threestrings: "i just need to know somethin... how many cups do ya think they got up there?"

0:58:06 pinch: "doppler we need to break this thing or somethin-" runt: "no, don't- don't break it :[" /.../ runt: "i wanna keep it!"

1:14:24 runt: "they got this big fuckin circle in the sky too, what the fuck is that?" uncle threestrings: ".. circle? who made that?" runt: "i don't know!" uncle threestrings: "how'd they put it there?"

1:28:08 cut: "she want another one?" blink: "gran- yeah, granny granite wants a slice of cake, she took my package. you know how it is, this happens every time!" cut: "i'm gonna run out, i'm gonna run out, she's just gonna eat it all-" blink: "how! how are you gonna run out?! what do you mean-" cut: "she's just gonna eat it all!" blink: "but she's so old and slow!" (i love blink's outbursts lmfao)

1:33:05 immediate simping for aeon as her design is revealed ("id let her beat me up" lmfao)

1:37:07 (realizing i didn't put together before how he somehow got his steamsled back, obv upon rewatch i know it's because of his capture but just interesting to think about how that slipped by me the first time and catching it in subsequent watches)

1:37:51 baby's first "YOU DUDE" blink: (starts running) troy: "don't play hard to get with me dude, i'll fucking catch you, i'll fucking catch you no matter how fuckin long you run i will keep running, i'm an endurance animal of a human being" (sprinting) "you can flee now- i can track you, dude"

1:39:45 (cont. from scene above, somewhat) troy: "dude, there's no need to be such a fucking freak-" blink: "what the fuck-" troy: "-i'm just trying to talk to you-" blink: "-what the fuck are you-" troy: "-i just wanted to say... i just wanted to tell you that i'm fuckin cool, and you have gotta run with me, dude, if you wanna make it down here."

1:40:31 troy believes he's at furcon, blink calls him fantasy slurs (also he "loves birds" wauw)

1:42:17 here troy says that blink's his only ticket out, and when blink asks why him troy says he's not supposed to tell him :0

1:43:06 troy: "oh, yeah, i do have a combrussion"

1:47:00 bizly: (rolls a two against troy & blink's stealth) "dude, a two, a TWO, you're fine! you're fine." charlie (in troys voice): "yah, dude i fuckin know,"

1:49:06 the making of yort (& knilb)

1:50:12 blink: "let's-let's tackle this one thing at a time, okay?" troy yort: "alright, dude, i'm fuckin, i'm yort"

1:51:45 troy yort: "have you ever heard the saying, one guy's trash is another dude's.. fuckin,,.. coo- like- fuckin shit."

1:52:22 blink: "i don't wanna- i'm gonna be frank, the more you talk, the more i don't want to help you." troy yort: "dude, who the FUCK is frank, dude? why do you wanna be him? we already got you a cool name??"

1:54:09 troy yort: "cogs? we literally, like, live, breathe, and eat cogs up there, man. i mean, we also use it as money, but you know what i mean. we DONT eat, breathe, or live it, we just use it as money."

1:54:40 cloudspire hoohah rise up

1:54:46 blink: "what are you saying??" troy yort: "dude, you are just ridiculous, man, i-i don't even know where to start. i mean like, so basically, i'm like the shit."

1:55:12 just a straight roll like man and woman missionary fuckin dude fucking a woman straight roll troy yort: "honestly sometimes i think about guys"

1:57:20 (i just love how, even tho troy JUST met blink, he's already so willing to back him up. he doesn't quite understand when he DOES need to stand down but i think it does show he's never been a fully awful person.)

1:57:57 blink: "well we got some, uh, some tetanus shots in here. a few of them have been poked by granny- granny granite, so be careful about that, she's very pokey." arch: "wouldn't want anyone to catch whatever she's got, hahaha!" troy yort: "i'm not sayin anything" baby's first i'm not sayin anything (this whole interaction is so fuckin funny to me)

2:00:42 troy yort: "i don't understand why this is happening?!" blink: "i already told you!!" troy yort: "i didn't say anything!" blink: "you kept saying you weren't saying anything!!!" troy yort: "i thought that's what you wanted!! you need to be CLEAR!!"

2:02:36 bizly: "a blunt arrow comes whizzing by your head." charlie (as troy yort): "fuckin what i just smoke it" once again charlie is possessed by troy

2:06:28 the bit with the old woman and her dead husband's pan and her second husband

2:09:18 graphite's rock and the painting (troy yort keeping the rock after too is so real, i love rocks :3)

2:11:36 troy: "hey graphite, dude, can i level with you?" graphite: ".... suuuuure?" troy: "alright, sick, cuz i think i get some hp from that. maybe some other little goodies." graphite: "you just say things, don't you?" troy: "troy"

#jrwi #jrwi wonderlust #jrwi troy #jrwi runt #jrwi blink #blink wonderlust #runt wonderlust #troy lougferd #wonderlust spoilers #favorite moments #wonderlust quotes #jrwi quotes #purely self indulgent #im so biased towards troy oops i swear i wasnt trying to be in this post #i really tried to include funny bits w/ the others

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wings-of-ink · 10 months ago

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Ask Guidelines

For the sake of streamlining my inbox, please follow the guidelines below when submitting Asks. I appreciate all your questions, but I simply find that I lack enough free time to spend with them. Some weeks are busier than others for my inbox, but I personally feel it's a bit unfair to those of you who may be waiting a long time for a response. Plus, I do need some "me" time now and again, no matter how much I love sailing around on here.

*UPDATED 12/22/24

Reaction/Response-style Asks must remain paired down. These are lots of fun for all of us, but they take up a majority of the time I spend on the inbox. When you submit a request like this, please only specify up to 2 characters (ROs, side characters, etc…) you want to know the answer for (I will throw in some or all of the other characters if I have time and/or can answer quickly). If you do not specify, I will pick for you based on how quickly I can answer.

Please do not submit multiple Asks with the same question for the other characters. This will just eat up my time, and I do not want to delete them, but I will have to.

If your question has been asked before, I will try to find a link to it for you (most of these I have tracked in a document so it doesn't take long). I haven't yet put together an FAQ since I really don't get a ton of repeats for the same questions. One day, I may make a searchable document with them.

*NEW* "Spoiler" Asks. I am trying my hardest to limit spoilers for readers. Some things are going to spill with the nature of a work like this, but I want to keep that to a minimum. This is for the benefit of old readers who still want to experience things in-story and for the new who may have recently started following.

It is still okay to send these questions in – and theories too! I love seeing where your head is at on events and where you think it may be going. I just may not be able to answer certain things and in some cases, I may not be able to post a response. It just really depends on the content.

I will make determinations on these on a question-by-question basis. Sometimes the question itself contains a spoiler (even if it's just a name) that might affect a new reader's experience.

I will make tags to warn when I answer things that may have info others don't want to see.

Comments are still very much welcomed. If you by chance do not want a response posted, please simply let me know if that is what you prefer. I generally like to post at least a little response to these for you, but if that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know in the Ask.

Music suggestions are welcome (for instance if a song makes you think of a particular character).

Art suggestions are welcome (if an art piece makes you think of a character and such).

Story theories are welcome too!

Error Reports are still welcome with some guidelines.

Game-breaking errors of course are super appreciated so I can address these ASAP.

Coding mishaps (you can see code in the text or something is clearly not coded correctly) can go either to the Asks or to the Google Form, but the Google Form is preferred due to frequent repeats to the Inbox. Reports on Tumblr are tagged as "gc whoopsies" so you can check if the issue you found has already been addressed here.

Typos and grammar issues – please send these in using the Google form linked in the game and on the pinned post. It's been handy getting these in my inbox since I can fix them right away in my main Twine file, but there are a lot of errors in GC, and they're going to fill my inbox and I have no control over repeats.

Asks that are long/wordy are still okay, as long as they meet the other Ask criteria. I don't mind reading a lot since I can still do that fairly fast (and I totally understand the need for context or if you have several comments to make). I can be wordy myself, so I get it, sometimes you just want those details in there. You may not get a super long response in return, but I read every word.

Try to space out your Asks in general. I will leave this to your discretion and trust that you to not submit several in a short window of time.

NSFW Asks are totally okay with me. There is not much outside of my comfort zone. If something is too far, in my opinion, for a public response - I will simply delete it and pop a courtesy post out to try and signal to you that it is one I cannot answer.

I was hoping to avoid placing any rules on my inbox, but I never anticipated this many followers or that anyone would have quite so many questions or comments about my work. This is to ensure that I keep myself controlled more so than any of you. I have so much fun chatting with you and answering questions, that the IF writing and planning ends up delayed. Since that's why we're here, I need most of my free time to go to the IF(s) and any extras.

I will make updates to this post as needed. There will be a link to at the very end of the Pinned Post too. If the inbox gets a bit crazy or is too much to juggle during crunch times, I will continue to pause it during those so I can catch up.

Take care, everyone! ^_^

~Lunan

#god cursed if #asks

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scoatneyhall · 1 year ago

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WILD. Was anyone else aware that the Ted Lasso team has gone in and made post-production edits on season 3 episodes, sometime in the last year?

I've been rewatching the finale in advance of the one year anniversary of it airing, and straight off, I noticed that the points total on the graphic looked different to how I remembered it - a much closer race. It stuck out because I remembered being annoyed that they didn't celebrate the moment Richmond got confirmed for the Champions League, as the gap was big enough for it to have happened a while ago, offscreen. I still have a screencap from when the episode aired:

However, the current copy on Apple has an updated graphic, making the post-production graphic in line with the numbers on the actual physical whiteboard prop and the script mentioning the win streak. See here:

The corrected copy makes Richmond's points match the whiteboard, but it also puts the teams in 3rd to 5th place much closer to them points-total wise, meaning that now, in the current version of the episode, Richmond only qualified for the UCL in "Mom City," making it make more sense that the start of 3.12 is the first time it gets discussed. Would have been nice to mention that stake in the City match commentary during 3.11, but I genuinely am shocked that they went back in and edited the already-published episodes to clean up the post-production errors. For the record, here's the whiteboard as of 3.08: W10, D9, L6.

Just in case anyone cares, the order of those results was - 1 draw against Chelsea, 6 wins with Zava, 1 loss against West Ham, the rest of the draws and losses occurring between 3.05 and the loss against Arsenal in 3.07, and then the 4 wins mentioned at the start of 3.08. By the start of 3.12, it's mentioned they are on a 16 game win streak, so that's 22 wins overall, 9 draws, 6 losses, going into the final weekend, hence the updated graphic.

I like that they went in and fixed it - no idea when in the past 12 months that occured - but I also kind of can't believe they bothered? Then again, I can't believe the mistake was made in the first place, as they were so specific with details in the prior seasons, so maybe they couldn't live with it being wrong.

I know there were rumours about a ton of issues in terms of getting these episodes posted in time - right down to the wire, still fixing the edit on the airdate - and it's clear that these details were not checked and confirmed by the poor people in post who were not working off the show bible that lives in the writers heads. I don't blame them at all, I blame the people who got the edit to them late, but it did annoy me during the season a LOT. The maths wasn't mathing, and as we know this is a show that has been careful with dates and timelines and stuff like that.

Anyway! The point is, a) this post about my UCL qualification fantasies is now moot, and b) I went back and checked another post production error that had REALLY pissed me off, which was the dates of texts in Ted's phone in 3.04. Phone dates have always given us the timeline quite strictly before - it's how @belmottetower and I started the timeline in our primer, with Ted arriving in London on January 6, 2020 and then following the football seasons from there to place the season 3 finale in May 2022 - but in 3.04, all the cute texts we see to all the characters in his phone were badly misdated, placing the timeline further in the future. This caused arguments or misunderstandings, at the time about the actual timeline of the show, but it seems this was another detail the producers really wanted to fix and tighten up, as they've gone back and had it edited.

It's weird, because the texts Ted was actually going back to - the messages from Doctor Jacob - were dated correctly as late 2019, and there's even a little easter egg in the form of a US rideshare notification picking him up to go to the airport in America, on 5 January 2020. (Even the area code, 316, is apparently correct to Kansas.) That's all correct even in the original version of the episode, but somehow we then skip a year and place his most recent texts, as of 3.04, in late October 2022, when they should only be in late September or early October 2021. (I found this post on Reddit that screenshotted his phone at the time.) Examples:

I had to go back and check this, and sure enough, it's been edited to reflect the established timeline - they didn't just redate the year on each message, they also changed a bunch of the chats to be more recent - so rather than dates, his most recent chats with Henry, the Coaches, etc are from "Yesterday," then the first dated texts are in very late September 2021. This matches up pretty perfectly with where they are in a typical Premier League season - they REALLY cleaned it up. Further back, they do just switch the years on the dates, so he still got a picture from Sassy last Valentines Day, and his last one-on-one contact with Jamie is still set before the events of Wembley in 2.08 (FA Cup semi finals are in April, so a few weeks after the March 2021 date on Jamie's chat.)

My brain is itching because I swear there was a screen of Nate and Ted's text chat at some point too? With Ted reaching out about his new job, on a date that deeply did not work with the timeline? But maybe I imagined it. There's no record of Nate's number in his phone at all now, and the texts date back to before Nate left, so I guess in this version of events, Ted deleted Nate's number and message history.

Anyway, I'm aware that basically no one is going to care about this, but I suspect that the three people who will actually care will REALLY FUCKING CARE. Has anyone else noticed it? Does anyone know when it may have happened? Does anyone know what else might have been changed or fixed? I love details and I love the fact that there is no longer conflicting data about what football seasons the show is covering - it's mid 19/20 to the end of 21/22, end of story - but what a fucking mess the production of season 3 must have been, to end up at this point!

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta

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atinymekanie · 3 months ago

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The Night We Met - Chapter 13: Error In The Code

|| Premise: What if Dawnbreaker's wish for one day and one night with the woman who lives only in his dreams... came true? ||

Late afternoon sunlight slanted down onto the doctor as he hurried through the deserted streets of the city that wasn’t his, that couldn’t be his, that was too empty and cold and lifeless to be his city. Zayne glanced furtively from side to side as he strode quickly past alleyways and side streets, the phone that didn’t quite belong to him in one hand and a plastic bag full of his purchases that also somehow didn’t quite belong to him in the other.

A chill breeze swept past him, causing his longer than normal hair to shift in front of his eyes, and Zayne pocketed the phone for a moment to sweep his hair back with his hand, sighing as he did so. Another half mile to go. Another half mile until he was back indoors in the relative safety of the apartment that didn’t quite belong to him, either. Another half mile until he could focus on something other than his thoughts, the thoughts that very much did belong to him.

His gaze wandered down some of the alleys that he passed, occasionally noting a still form lying slumped against the wall, or a small creature skittering back into the darkness. Once he had even seen a small bot fruitlessly bumping into the concrete wall in front of it, over and over and over again, caught in some loop of code. Trapped in an inescapable loop. Zayne shook his head, shoving away the mental images and pulling out the phone again, checking the navigation icon to be sure he was heading back to the apartment and not losing himself in the eerie, dilapidated streets of the city he was trapped in.

Sure enough, he was on the right route, the buildings rising around him beginning to appear familiar once more. That was a scary thought. The idea that this place, that these streets with buildings that reminded him of gravestones lining a pallbearer’s walk, could become familiar was vaguely terrifying.

Zayne’s green eyes flicked up as sunlight passed across him, the pale golden light that matched the flecks in his irises seeming much weaker than it normally would, perhaps due to the pall of pollution that hung high in the air above him. That was also likely the source of the pervasive smell. He wasn’t sure he would ever become fully accustomed to the acrid scent that invaded his nostrils every time he set foot outside that apartment. Good. Zayne never wanted to become accustomed to anything here.

But what if it was necessary? Icicles seemed to sprout inside Zayne’s heart at the thought, piercing through his flesh in frigid spikes of fear that made his blood run cold. What if when he went to sleep that night, the world refused to right itself? What if he remained here, in this city of nightmares, instead of being returned to his own city? What then? The ice in Zayne’s heart expanded, slivers of it invading his veins as he quickened his steps, turning a corner as he followed the navigation interface’s directions.

Before he could sink further into the depths of his despairing thoughts, Zayne recognized the stretch of deserted buildings that sat across from the apartment’s small alley entrance. Relief flowed through him, followed quickly by revulsion at the realization that he was beginning to find solace in such tiny things. Truly, this was a kind of hell. Picking up his pace but not quite jogging, Zayne moved toward the alley and slipped down it, hurriedly opening the door to the apartment with the all-too-familiar code and closing the door quickly behind him.

A sigh left him as the door clicked shut, one of both relief and mental fatigue - the experience of navigating the mostly unfamiliar city with its strange technologies and lifeless streets was draining in a way Zayne hadn’t fully expected. The emptiness set his teeth on edge and the stillness that was only occasionally broken by the hum of robotics made his hackles stand up. It was more unnerving than the Arctic had been. At least there he hadn’t been so alone. At least there had been trees and snow and small birds and beautiful auroras.

Drawing in a deep breath, Zayne dropped the plastic bag on the tattered couch cushions and sat down beside it. Inside the bag were a few more bottles of filtered water, a sandwich that seemed to be somewhat fresh instead of frozen or pre-packaged, a bottle of cleaning spray and a sponge to replace the ones Zayne had decimated earlier that afternoon during his cleaning rampage, and a box of sterile gloves he had managed to find.

Originally, Zayne had planned to find and purchase a medical supply kit, but during his cleaning spree he had discovered a basic one beneath the bathroom sink. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing - the only truly necessary thing missing had been the sterile gloves. The idea of tending to wounds without gloves to lower the risk of infection, either on another or oneself, made Zayne twitch. Hopefully, the hunter would appreciate the addition to his medical supplies. If not, that was just too bad.

After unbuttoning his coat, Zayne picked up one of the bottles of water and stood, stepping over to the little jasmine plant and placing the bottle beside it, unopened. He stared down at it, wondering if the hunter would take the hint and realize that the plant likely needed fresher, cleaner water if it was to ever thrive. Shrugging, he pulled the phone out of his pocket and opened the notepad icon, part of him wondering why he was even bothering with this. Would the hunter even notice a note in his phone? Zayne glanced at the little plant, noticing that the small white bud at the top was ever so slightly more open than before.

Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to try, Zayne typed out some short care instructions for the jasmine regarding the water quality, how often to water it, the amount of sunlight it needed, and so on. That should do. Nothing fancy, but enough to get the point across. He read over the instructions once more and then flicked over to his previous note - his plan for the day. Steps 1 and 2 were complete, now on to Step 3.

Staring at the list, Zayne realized that he had also technically accomplished Step 4 - ‘Navigate the city successfully’. Huh. To be fair, navigating during the day and doing the same thing at night were often vastly different. He tapped on Step 4 and added the addendum of ‘at night’ to the end. A sinking sort of feeling began in Zayne’s stomach at the thought of moving through the already unsettling city without the help of sunlight. The feeling settled like cold fog in his gut, and he closed the notepad icon quickly, dropping the phone into his coat pocket before taking the coat off and draping it over the arm of the couch.

Forcing away the unpleasant thought, Zayne narrowed his focus back to preparing for his evening enterprise, his mind settling into a methodical approach to the situation as a coping mechanism. Put away the purchased items, rinse off and change clothes, make sure the phone was fully charged, eat something akin to real food, and plan out the route toward that wretched dot.

Nodding decisively, Zayne set about the first task, placing the bottles of water and the sandwich into the refrigerator and placing the sterile gloves in the bathroom with the medical supply kit. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be needed anytime soon. Once in the bathroom, he flicked on the light, his calloused hands moving to the buttons of his shirt to undo them. Zayne blinked slightly, realizing that the myriad scars that normally adorned his hands were gone.

Pausing with his shirt half unbuttoned, Zayne held out his hands in front of him, his long fingers splayed out as he turned them palm up and then back again. That was odd. While the hunter did have plenty of scars across his body, they didn’t seem to have been inflicted by the hunter’s Evol, the way his scars were.

Of all the curses the hunter seemed to have heaped upon his head, how ironic was it that the one curse Zayne normally had, the hunter seemed not to? His brow furrowed for a moment, wondering at the significance of such a thing, but when he was unable to immediately pinpoint a reason, Zayne deliberately set the thought aside. The hunter clearly had more than enough to worry about as it was. Raising his hands back to the buttons of his black shirt, he finished unbuttoning them and slipped it off his shoulders, setting it on the counter.

The old mirror above the sink reflected his image, albeit slightly thinner and vaguely more unkempt than normal. Zayne saw something on his chest that he hadn’t noticed previously - a long, thin scratch that ran from just above his sternum down to the top of his abdominal muscles.

He traced a finger over it lightly, wondering where it had come from. Had it been acquired randomly, while lifting something, exercising, or some other mundane task? Or had it come from one of them? One of the creatures the hunter killed. That did seem the most likely answer. Since the thin, shallow cut didn’t hurt and it didn’t appear to be infected, Zayne dropped his hand back to his side and proceeded to finish undressing before turning on the water in the shower.

Much to his dismay, Zayne couldn’t seem to find the hot water setting, no matter which way he turned the knobs in the shower. Huffing slightly in frustration but wanting to get rid of the sweat and grime from cleaning as well as the unpleasant smell of the outside, even if only for the next few hours before he went out again, he begrudgingly stepped into the cold spray, gasping at the frigid sensation.

It felt almost as if he had doused himself in his own Evol, the cold water running through his dark hair and dripping down his face in chilly rivulets before streaming down the muscles of his back and arms. Zayne felt a shiver run through him as the bitterly cold liquid made its way further southward, down his torso and over his hips and thighs, causing him to wince as the frigid water made its acquaintance with his most sensitive areas.

“And they say ice baths are good for the body,” Zayne muttered under his breath, his tone clearly sarcastic. Hurriedly, he set about cleaning himself as quickly as he could, not wanting to stay under the icy deluge for any longer than he had to - just long enough to scrub the sweat from his skin and wash the strange smell from his hair.

Once that was done, Zayne shut off the water, his relief from the cold short lived as the brisk air of the apartment hit his skin. What he wouldn’t give for the warmth of his own shower and bathroom, not to mention the warmth of the woman who normally joined him there. Sighing, he stepped out of the shower, forcing those thoughts back behind the wall he had built in his mind.

Shaking his head once to free some of the water from his dark hair, Zayne grabbed the lone towel from the rack by the shower and dried off, then wrapped it around his waist before gathering up the clothes he had been wearing. As he moved toward the bedroom to deposit the clothes in the laundry basket there, Zayne noticed that the sunlight had mostly faded from the window - a lone sliver of it still fell across the jasmine plant, illuminating the small white bud at the top. Soon the light would be gone from the window entirely.

Sunset would be arriving in the next couple of hours. While Zayne couldn’t help the twinge of anxiety that flickered inside him at the thought, he did quash it as best he could. Sunset comes every day, no matter what place, or time, one might be in. If nothing else, it meant he was that much closer to sleep, and therefore, hopefully, that much closer to the end of this nightmare.

He moved into the bedroom, tossing the dirty clothes into the basket in the closet and dropping heavily onto the bed, the thin mattress squeaking shrilly in protest. The sound made Zayne grimace as he flopped backward onto the bed, the towel sliding from his waist in the process, its sides draping across his thighs. Turning his head, he gazed over at the monitor with its dot, the rhythmic sound it made making itself known to his consciousness again. Even in the short time he had been there, Zayne’s mind had already begun to filter it out sometimes, a fact which unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

The soft, steady blip of the dot as it moved across the screen slowly seemed to grow louder and louder in the silence of the bedroom, the apartment suddenly seeming too small for the sound and at the same time too large for just himself. In between the blips of sound, the silence began to ring in Zayne’s ears, the lack of sound other than that of the monitor making the silence too overwhelming, his mind recoiling from it as he placed his hands over his ears and closed his eyes.

After a moment, Zayne surged up from his supine position on the bed, needing to do something other than sit and listen to nothing. The towel fell to the ground as he strode out of the bedroom and over to the TV set, turning it on and watching as the medical drama began to play after a moment. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than the silence. He frowned at it and then down at his nakedness and sighed, turning and stepping back into the bedroom to pull a new set of clothes from the closet.

The clothes were almost exactly the same as the ones Zayne had put on that morning, the monotony and the black and grey scale of the hunter’s closet doing nothing for his mood. Almost robotically, he pulled on each item of clothing, zipping up the slacks, buttoning up the shirt, and pulling the socks onto his feet, creating a thin barrier against the cold air of the apartment. He stood up and moved from the bedroom, retrieving the phone from the coat he had left on the couch to check the battery percentage. 28%.

With a sigh, Zayne returned to the bedroom and rummaged through the small nightstand, finding the charger and placing the phone on it, hoping it would be charged fully by the time he had to set out. Staring at the phone screen, he noticed a small icon at the top left had appeared once the phone was charging. Curious, he tapped on the icon and watched as an interface he hadn’t seen before opened.

The new interface wasn’t very complicated, in fact, it had no options to tap or select, and instead was purely informational. Zayne stared at the screen, disbelief written across his features, his mouth falling open and his eyes widening. His own photo, name, age, and height stared back at him from the informational interface, along with other identifying info such as what appeared to be the address of the apartment, the serial info and phone number of the phone, and a few other strings of numbers and information that Zayne didn’t recognize. The emergency contact section was conspicuously blank - the only section that was blank, in fact. He exited out of the interface after a moment, his gaze still trained on the home screen, staring at the icons on the pale blue background.

With a trembling hand, Zayne set the phone face down on the nightstand, squeezing his eyes shut as he did so. It had to be a fluke. A trick of the light, a glitch in the system, an error in the code. Because if it wasn’t…then the hunter had his name. Or did he have the hunter’s name? Did it matter? The questions reverberated through his mind, bouncing off the walls Zayne had erected to keep thoughts exactly like this at bay.

Thoughts that he had tried to bury, that he had tried to separate from his logical, methodical thought processes began to scratch and claw at the walls he had built, emboldened by this new information. Zayne raised his hands, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes until phosphenes danced behind his closed eyelids, colors swirling and fading in turn. Now was not the time for this. It was nearing sunset, and the monitor behind him sounded louder than ever, even with the drone of the TV in the other room warring with it.

Zayne shoved himself to his feet using the nightstand to steady himself, his lips set in a thin line, his eyes narrowed as he forced his mind to conform to his will, entombing the ricocheting thoughts within the walls he had created, expanding them as best he could to accommodate the realizations he didn’t wish to face. Focus on the controllable aspects of the situation. That was the key, the mantra he had learned as a doctor and as a combat medic, and the one Zayne kept repeating to himself as he moved through the apartment, taking out the sandwich and water from the refrigerator.

Sitting down on the couch, Zayne forced himself to begin eating, knowing that he needed to do so but finding no enjoyment whatsoever in the task. The sandwich was bland; the meat and cheese were poor imitations of what he was used to, and the condiments almost nonexistent. But he ate it anyway, his body demanding food after the exertion of cleaning the entire apartment and his earlier excursion.

Fixing his gaze on the TV, Zayne forced himself to watch as he numbly continued to eat, the doctors and nurses on the screen recreating a poor imitation of what he normally did every day. At least the oddities and irregularities portrayed on the screen seemed small in comparison to the ones he was avoiding facing in reality. He tried to focus on the story being told, on anything but the intrusive thoughts screaming at him, but found it difficult to get past the multiple instances of malpractice that were clearly evident, causing him to scoff a few times. Zayne almost choked on a bite of his sandwich at one point, when he realized the patient in the show had been misdiagnosed and no one had caught it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zayne could see the light fading as he finished eating, the glow of the sun disappearing completely from the window the closer it got to sunset. The cold fog that had settled in his stomach earlier that day returned with a vengeance, and he picked up the bottle of water, downing as much as he could in an attempt to drown the unnerving feeling in his gut. Instead, the water seemed to weigh heavily in his stomach, churning and roiling uncomfortably.

Glancing over at the window, Zayne watched as darkness engulfed the little alley outside, shadows creeping across the windowpane from the tall buildings around them. One lone street light flickered on at the end of the alley, sending dark shapes skittering along the asphalt - the shadows of dead leaves from trees he had yet to see. The water Zayne drank sat leaden in his stomach, and with a groan he lifted his legs up to stretch out on the couch, shifting onto his side to face the TV as he did so.

Soon Zayne would have to head outside, into the darkness that slid through the vacant streets, into the world that was so like his own and yet so alien at the same time. Soon he would have to put Steps 4 and 5 into action. But not now. Not yet. Another hour wouldn’t hurt. He had to wait for his food to settle anyway. Right? One more episode of the ridiculous medical drama wouldn’t hurt. Would it?

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

(Sorry the post is a bit late - I was out of town! Tags: @callme-naomi @altair718 @seris-the-amious @schnittled @punk-cat @criffininflight @justpassingdontworry )

#love and deepspace #love and deepspace fic #the night we met #dawnbreaker fic #zayne love and deepspace #lads #li shen #dawnbreaker #fanfiction #zayne #zayne li #zayne l&ds #zayne lnds #zayne lads

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valiant-if · 5 months ago

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2/22/2025 Early Access Demo Update

It's here! This demo update is huge because it's the first update in which Chapter 2 is complete! That's right, you can now play Chapter 2 from start to finish, and (barring any coding errors I haven't found yet) all branches and paths are accessible! Members can find the update here:

The public demo will be updated through the end of Chapter 2 on March 1st!

#ko fi update #ea demo update #valiant milestone

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bah-circus · 11 days ago

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hi…may we request a level 3 alterpack that’s an introject of broken spawn from let him go? if it’s allowed…

Of course dear audience! We have heard your request and have found a suitable performer for you! We hope this performance suits your needs, but you are free to make any adjustments you wish.

❣︎For Our Next Act, Please Welcome,,,❣︎

Broken Spawn!!!

°·⊱ Name: Broken Spawn, Sebastian, Revere, Julian, Auxis, Tremble, Enquiry

°·⊱ Age: 22

°·⊱ Race/Species: Robloxian

°·⊱ Source: Let Him Go ; Roblox

°·⊱ Role: Trauma Holder, Memory Holder, Guilt Hoder, Isolator

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Sex: AMAB

°·⊱ Gender: Deadboy, Spawnpointic, Staticgender

°·⊱ Pronouns: Dy/Dyr; It/Its; Gli/Glitch

°·⊱ Sexuality: Asexual

°·⊱ Personality: Broken Spawn is a scared and quiet individual who has been through many horrible things. Dy doesn’t enjoy making itself known, and prefers to stay unknown and unseen.

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Nicknames/Titles: The One Who Mourns, Seb, [Prn] With Guilt, The Crying One, Aux, The Sad One, [Prn] Who Cries, The Broken Martyr

°·⊱ Likes: Glitch Aesthetics, System Errors, Dark Spaces, Digital Corruption, White Noise, Empty Rooms, Breaking Reality, Code Manipulation, System Crashes, Void Spaces

°·⊱ Dislikes: Normal functions, Perfect Code, Light, Order, Structure, Being Fixed, Completeness, Regular Patterns

°·⊱ Emoji Sign-Off: 💾🕳️🪦🏳️🐈‍⬛🌑

°·⊱ Hexcode: #815248

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ TransIDs: transCatBoy, transNonverbal, transCatEars, transCatTail, transInvisibilityPowers, permaSleepy, transSlittedPupils, transNightVision

°·⊱ CisIDs: Robloxian, Grey Skin, Black Eyes, ADHD, Anxiety, Introvert, C-PTSD, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue

°·⊱ MUDS: Guilt-Ridden Personality Disorder

°·⊱ Paras: 🥄, 🍸, 🐾, 🐲, 🥚, ☠️️, ❣️, 💐, 🧵, 🥇, 🫀

°·⊱ Faceclaim: 1 | 2

Sorry if this pack is kind of ass, I fear I got stumped since we did a level 2 of this character recently haha, hope its still somewhat decent though <3 - Pest Swarm

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drv2occideruntau · 3 months ago

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REPORT CARDS

This section of your packet includes information about your fellow participants in your Summer School Semester, including small drawings courtesy of our own Ultimate Digital Artist.

———

Amami Rantaro

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Adventurer

Blood Type: B

Height: 5’9”

D.O.B: October 3

Likes: Flowers

Dislikes: Rough seas

———

Arakaki Suzume

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Tarot Reader

Blood Type: A

Height: 5’8”

D.O.B: April 16

Likes: Golden jewelry

Dislikes: Microfiber cloth

———

Furuta Teruko

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Lucky Student

Blood Type: O

Height: 5’4”

D.O.B: February 13

Likes: Stamps

Dislikes: Revolving doors

———

Kano Chieko

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Forensic Investigator

Blood Type: AB

Height: 5’3”

D.O.B: May 22

Likes: Rubber gloves

Dislikes: Bleach smell

———

Kishi Isanari

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Comic Artist

Blood Type: B

Height: 5’1”

D.O.B: December 28

Likes: Apple cider

Dislikes: Pencil smudges

———

Koga Yoichi “K2-Y01”

Gender: ??? (Sometimes referred to as Female)

Talent: Ultimate Computer

Blood Type: ???

Height: 2’4”

D.O.B: September 4

Likes: Clean data

Dislikes: Error codes

———

Mizuno Keiichi

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Pediatrician

Blood Type: O

Height: 5’0”

D.O.B: November 2

Likes: Autumn

Dislikes: Authoritarian parents

———

Murakami Masashi

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

Blood Type: AB

Height: 5’7”

D.O.B: March 15

Likes: Lego Architecture sets

Dislikes: Writing long emails

(We apologize for the missprint in Mr. Murakami’s text. I’m sure he’d be glad to inform you on his talent himself! -Headmaster)

———

Omura Sango

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Skater

Blood Type: A

Height: 5’2”

D.O.B: June 11

Likes: Tail Devils

Dislikes: Splinters

———

Sakamoto Hachiro

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Librarian

Blood Type: AB

Height: 5’5”

D.O.B: July 12

Likes: JSL

Dislikes: Dog-earing pages

———

Shirogane Tsumugi

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Bartender

Blood Type: A

Height: 5’9”

D.O.B: August 15

Likes: Sewing machines

Dislikes: Underaged drinkers

———

Sugihara Miho

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Harpist

Blood Type: O

Height: 5’2”

D.O.B: January 19

Likes: Cartoon themed bandaids

Dislikes: Brussel sprouts

———

Tachibana Kenta

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Badminton Player

Blood Type: B

Height: 6’1”

D.O.B: November 24

Likes: Saint Bernards

Dislikes: Long practices

———

Tagaki Minako

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Child Star

Blood Type: A

Height: 5’6”

D.O.B: August 1

Likes: Rainy days

Dislikes: The paparazzi

———

Uesugi Hitoshi

Gender: Male

Talent: Ultimate Pyrotechnician

Blood Type: O

Height: 6’0”

D.O.B: June 25

Likes: Big celebrations

Dislikes: Penguins

———

Yokoyama Mai

Gender: Female

Talent: Ultimate Cheerleader

Blood Type: AB

Height: 4’11”

D.O.B: May 18

Likes: Action movies

Dislikes: After parties

———

We hope you use this information to get to know each other over the summer!

#occiderunt drau #danganronpa oc #fangan oc #danganronpa fangan #in character #suzume arakaki #chieko kano #teruko furuta #isanari kishi #hitoshi uesugi #hachiro sakamoto #mai yokoyama #yoichi koga #kenta tachibana #keiichi mizuno #minako tagaki #miho sugihara #sango omura

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monstersdownthepath · 1 year ago

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Homebrew Horror: Dominion Disassemblers

(Art from The Book of Unremitting Horror, pg. 66)

Though this is beyond the knowledge of any worldly being, the Dominion of the Black was not always the galactic union it is now. Until a united council with a common goal took the head of the Dominion, wars both petty and planet-scarring were common among its many factions, though in the centuries since their grand union, these squabbles have been reduced to near-nonexistence except when weapons must be tested.

Many relics from this tumultuous time remain in use even to this day, one of the most 'famous' being the Gan-Dergorin, known in the common tongue as Dominion Disassembler, monstrous, nigh-unkillable biomechanical titans with a unique behavioral quirk built into their very genetic code which made them useful in the old wars, and has them remaining useful even now, long after they're no longer needed for their original purpose: destroying Dominion technology. The war machines of the Dominion are unlike any of the minor scouting and scientific units seen on Golarion's soil, the twisted mixtures of flesh and steel nearly impossible to truly put down for good, able to continue their terrible march even as enormous portions of their bodies were torn away.

That is where the Gan-Dergorin come in. These bestial constructs have a simple tactic when facing down any enemy: tear it to pieces too small to remain active. Even the most resilient Dominion machines of terror cannot survive the thoroughness of the destruction that Disassemblers enact upon them, severing every single joint and connector from one another until their victims are rent to their smallest possible components. A Disassembler which has the time to do so will then go even further by separating all types of tissue and matter from one another, then carefully sorting the mangled gore into piles and rows based on how useful it believes its alien masters may find the components, behavior which assured a steady stream of resources for the flesh-forges of the Dominion.

Even today, their gruesome displays are useful when intimidating or punishing captive populations, though Dominion science has advanced to the point such brutal measures are no longer needed; they have much more thorough and effective means of reducing living creatures to their component parts. As such, Disassemblers are used as weapons of terror against the Dominion's enemies among the stars and within their own populations, though this isn't to say they're restricted to distant worlds.

The arrival of a Disassembler on soil beyond the Dominion's grip is an occurrence which is rare to the point of nonexistence, but it has happened both by accident (errant portals and teleportation errors) and purposeful action. On the exceedingly rare occasions when a cultist manages to establish and survive contact with entities concerned with the Dominion's war effort, they can be convinced to send one of these horrors to the cultist's world. Rarely does the cultist survive to give the war machines an actual order, allowing the machine to do what it does best: kill anything it encounters, and assure its own continued survival.

Gan-Dergorin CR 11 Chaotic Evil Large Construct Init +2; Senses: Darkvision 80ft, Low-light vision, blindsense 10 ft, Perception +17 Aura: Frightful Presence (60ft, DC 15) ----- Defense ----- AC 25; touch 11; flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +14 natural, -1 size) HP:110 (13d10+30) Fast Healing 5 Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7 Defensive Abilities: Reassemble, Upgrade; DR 5/--; Immune Construct traits; Resist Fire 10, Cold 10, Electricity 10; Weakness Serial Number, Thorough Disassembly ----- Offense ----- Speed: 30 ft, climb 10ft Melee: Pneumatic Cleaver +19/+14/+9 (2d6+6/x3), Variable Arms +13 (2d6+3/19-20) Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft ----- Statistics ----- Str 22, Dex 15, Con --, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6 Base Atk +13; CMB +20; CMD 32 Feats: Cleave, Cleaving Finish, Critical Focus, Improved Cleaving Finish, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Technologist(B), Weapon Focus (Pneumatic Cleaver) Skills: Climb +19, Disable Device +9 (+13 vs machinery/technology), Perception +17, Stealth +3; Racial Modifiers: +4 to Disable Device checks against complex machinery and technology Languages: Aklo (rarely speaks) SQ: Freeze (pile of metal junk), Standing Orders, Thorough Disassembly ----- Ecology ----- Environment: Any Organization: Solitary Treasure: Standard (scrap material, integrated items)

----- Combat: Disassemblers are not complicated creatures. They charge into combat with reckless abandon, using their Great Cleave and Improved Cleaving Finish to slaughter as many weak enemies as they can with a single attack before focusing down remaining foes one at a time with their Full-Attacks, using Power Attack at every opportunity. If given an option, Disassemblers prefer to target any creature capable dealing damage it cannot resist or nullify. A Disassembler will chase down any creature it believes it can kill and will not stop until its enemy escapes or it is driven back by damage.

Morale: A Disassembler brought below 1/4th of its HP maximum will immediately retreat to recover, even if it means abandoning fallen foes, Once it has regained at least half of its total HP and perhaps integrated new weapons, it will track down its foes to dispatch them. If it is slain in combat but permitted to return to function, it will Upgrade itself and track down its killers if possible, and follow its Standing Orders if not.

-----

Reassemble (Ex): Dominion Disassemblers can reattach severed limbs and portions of their bodies by holding it to themselves for 1 full round. A Dominion Disassembler is not destroyed when it reaches 0 HP, but is rendered inert and helpless. 1d4 hours after being reduced to 0 HP, all the alien machinery within whirls back to life--it reactivates at 1 hitpoint and resumes Fast Healing. Only the thorough and comprehensive destruction of its remains using methods such as immersion in magma, acid, or a similar substance, or turning to ash via Disintegrate or similar, can prevent a Disassembler from returning to function; otherwise, it can pull itself together from even the smallest remains.

Serial Number (Ex): All Disassemblers possess a serial number etched on a plate of alien metal somewhere within their body which is kept hidden near their centers. The number cannot be observed unless the construct has been rendered helpless, and even then it requires a DC 23 Perception check to find. Any creature capable of reading and speaking Aklo can make a DC 23 Linguistics check to memorize the Serial Number or write it down perfectly.

A creature may give a verbal command to a Disassembler by speaking its entire serial number aloud and stating the action they wish it to take, in Aklo. Due to the length and complexity of each serial number, this is a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity, and being struck by the attack of opportunity ruins the attempt to speak the number. If left without orders, Disassemblers typically try to destroy any creature that knows their serial number. Most creatures which learn of a Disassembler's serial number can easily get rid of the creature by ordering it to take a self-destructive action, or to accept the effects of a spell which will teleport or plane shift it a great distance away.

Standing Orders (Ex): To await further orders from their commanders, Disassemblers go into a low-power mode if they have not encountered another creature in 24 hours. In this mode, they come to rest and resemble a pile of junk, though they remain somewhat aware of their surroundings and may make Perception checks at a -5 penalty to detect nearby creatures and passively make Stealth checks to hide in plain sight as a pile of scrap. They can remain in this low-power state indefinitely, and will do so as long as they are not alerted to any creature, and spring back to full functionality instantly when alerted.

Thorough Disassembly (Ex): A Disassembler gets Technologist as a bonus feat and has a +4 bonus to Disable Device checks to sabotage or take apart complex machinery and advanced technology, and Disable Device is a class skill for it. In addition, after reducing a creature to 0 HP, the Disassembler is compelled to butcher it to prevent its return. It can resist this compulsion by succeeding a DC 20 Will save; otherwise, it must spend its next round attempting to coup de grace that creature if it is still alive, or to begin ripping it to pieces if it is dead.

Upgrade (Ex): When a Disassembler is defeated but permitted to Reassemble, it learns from its failure and seeks out methods to upgrade itself. A Disassembler has a number of Upgrade Points equal to 3 + its Wisdom modifier (6 for a typical Disassembler) that it may divide as it sees fit, and each time it is defeated, its Upgrade Points reset and may be redistributed. A Disassembler requires 1d4+1 days to make upgrades to itself as it gathers raw material from any source it can find (the DM may rule it finds parts much faster in areas with high amounts of technology), and never wastes time and resources upgrading itself unless it is defeated. It can take most of the upgrades multiple times; their effects stack. It will typically choose upgrades which prevent it from being beaten via the same methods it fell to previously.

1 Point: Gain 10 points of resistance to 1 form of elemental damage, or increases its resistance to an element by 10.

1 Point: Increase its natural armor by +1 or its DR/-- by 1.

1 Point: The Disassembler integrates a set of armor and/or a shield it can get ahold of into its body, granting itself the benefits of wearing the armor/shield (AC, magical abilities) but without suffering armor check penalties or speed reductions. It can only integrate one set of armor and one shield at a time.

2 Points: Increase its walk and climb speed by 10ft each, or gain a 10ft swim speed.

2 Points: Gain a +2 profane bonus to a saving throw of its choice.

3 Points: Gain 25% Fortification.

3 Points: Gain 1 feat it qualifies for.

Variable Arms (Ex): The Disassembler's Variable Arms natural attack can switch between slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage as a swift action, or change into a tool capable of fine manipulation which also acts as thieves' tools. The construct can also replace its Pneumatic Cleaver with any melee weapon it finds with 1 minute of work, losing its Cleaver attack but allowing it to use that weapon without penalty. It is considered proficient with any weapon it integrates, and wields even two-handed weapons with a single limb.

#original concepts #sort of #Pathfinder

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