#academy of ro’

[midnightsun-if]

I don't know if I actually sent this message or typed it out and thought against it so let's just double check lol

Will we be attending parties or anything at the Academy? I was wondering if we do if we'd have a selection from outfits to choose from that would, most certainly, get the ROs attention...

I don’t believe I received your other message, I’m afraid — so I’m glad you resent it! 😄

For future events like that I can’t really say — as I know a lot of things will crop up organically as I’m writing — but I do know two parties that will occur within Midnight Sun that are part of the plot. A random party to celebrate the start of the semester; so that one is the less formal party. The second is much later on and it’s a masquerade ball — as I have a weakness for them — that I think will be quite interesting. Especially since I already have a couple of the ROs outfits already planned (masks and all).

As for getting the ROs reactions? It’d just depend on where said party may, or may not, take place. As the first party, that I mentioned previously, is fairly early so there won’t be much of a reaction from the ROs like Scarlett, Sloane, or Cyrus/Cyra… However, there would still be different reactions depending on said outfit; it just probably won’t have to do with attraction… Like I can already envision a comment from Sloane if the MC decides to wear something pink (as an example).

There will definitely be reactions during the masquerade ball as it takes place in the chapter right before you lock into their romances.

[tellltaleacademy-if]

Are any of the ROs red flags, and can the MC be a red flag? Also who is dom/sub, etc? Thnx

I would say the biggest red flags are probably Soapy and Yifei. Soapy cause they are literally stalking you as your fansite and digging into your personal information to learn more about you, and your relationship will have a lot of conflict and mutual obsession. But Yifei is just really mean and never fully on your side so trusting her will NEVER be a good decision. All the other MCs are supposed to be more ambiguous and some that definitely seem like green flags will actually be revealed as toxic, so watch out for that !

MC definitely has some unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior, mostly due to their obsession with being an idol and fitting into the Kpop industry, some of their thoughts on the girls appearances can be harsh and judgemental, but nothing fatphobic or horrid.

When it comes to the second part I would say :

Yifei - That high femme stone top dom they told you not to worry abt.

Nyla - Lowkey dom with verse tendencies Soapy - SUB !! Mayuka - Dom ! Agatha - Sub with dom potential Dambi - Sub Emiko - Dom Sabira - Dom with verse tendencies

Thanks for the ask !

[msclaritea]

David Harewood Says White Actors Should Be Able To "Black Up"

I really don't get how Britain is able to function with THIS.much stupidity in its midst. This is the same bootlicking race-baiter that also warranted an article after saying that Disney should introduce a Slavery storyline into the fictional Little Mermaid JUST BECAUSE she was played by a black woman.

Black people were unfortunately part of European history. They were even a part of Royalty. But now it seems as though british film AND Hollywood are deliberately going overboard with swapping white people for black people in an excessive fashion JUST so they could then start introducing White people, playing black people.... basically going back to Blackface, a perennial favorite of Ashkenazi actors.

And FYI, when I confronted the duplicitous David Harewood about the mermaid/slavery crap, a WHOLE shitload of British BLM aka Black Lives Matter trolls came after me. He's a piece of shite and so is RADA for appointing such ignorance. He was given that position to spew this nonsense. Just shite.

Jake Kanter

April 23, 2024 6:24AM PDT

[yetanotherrpfinder]

Hello! I'm looking for a longterm roleplay partner. I am looking people who won't use text talk and will roleplay in third person. I use Canon x Canon. I'm open to any kind of rp and I'm also a fan of doubling, but I mostly do 18+ as I am 21

The fandoms I do are:

Now you see me (Movies)

Rise of the Guardians (2012 movie)

Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix show)

Umbrella Academy (Netflix series)

Total Drama (TV series)

The Maze Runner (Movies)

Harry Potter (Movies)

Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children (Movie or book)

Disney Zombies (Movies)

Marvel

Shazam

I roleplay through Discord:

lady_shazam

Like if interested!

[captainderyn]

I have so many Roslynd and Five thoughts and absolutely no way to articulate them 😭

[tora-the-cat]

Soku: Didn't you kill that Akatsuki guy? Ro: Yes, that's right. Shikamaru-dono, you killed Hidan of Yugakure and Kakuzu of Takigakure. Shikamaru: yeah but that's different. Soku: like. how?? Shikamaru: It wasn't an ASSASSINATION. It's- they knew why they were dying. what it was for, who was doing it. I fucking hate them, but they're still ninja, still people, even they deserved the dignity of fighting for their life. Ro: *purses his lips because, as a more seasoned shinobi, he understands the weird lines in the sand some shinobi draw to stay sane, and knows that it's better not to poke at them too much cause those lines are usually there for a reason.* Soku, murder baby, staring at Shikamaru like he's a fucking idiot: I like, don't even know what you're talking about. I'd actually totally RATHER assassinate someone. If they're gonna die anyway, even the worst people deserve a quick death. Why would I drag it out like that, just for a fight? Ugh, men are so stupid Shikamaru: *Stares at her like she's insane* Soku, getting pretty angry, actually: like, seriously- my first kill was an assassination, and it was, like, no big deal. The guy was already asleep, he might as well have had a heart attack, you know? But the first time I had to, like, actually fight someone to the death, THAT freaked me out. I don't get what's wrong with you, wanting to see people all angry and desprate to live even though you know you won't let them. Shikamaru: .....*has fourth panic attack of the day*

LIKE. if Yano had ACTUALLY been commited to the 'shikamaru struggles over assassination' plot point. Soku was a GENIUS character to put on his team. imagine a better universe where Shikamaru has an actual BREAKDOWN after failing the assassination attempt once and being forced to retreat and try again, because he just wants this mission OVER, he just wants to NEVER think about it again, he wants to NOT get this icky feeling planning an assassination, like a coward that can't fight his own battles cause that's how he THINKS of assassination. 

And he actually lowkey freaks out and turns to Ro and Soku like 'how do you do this. Literally HOW are you okay with just assassinating people. like I've been trying to make peace with it for weeks now and I just can't' and they both. stare at him a little confused.

[heavyisthecrownif]

Intro

The Emperor is ill; the people of the capital whisper with varying degrees of concern or delight; he has completely fallen into the clutches of madness, as the most insidious tongues allege, the truth is, to their ignorance, considerably more urgent.

The Emperor, Airlar the Unifier, responsible for the greatest modifications to the constitution and State in the entire history of Ehyla, a living testimony to the existence of a civilization buried by the sands of time as well as oblivion, is irremediably, undeniably dying.

And so your life undergoes an absolute change overnight by nothing less than imperial decree. As the only one of your siblings of the right age, you are not only heading to a nest of conspiring vipers that you should never have dealt with, but every second, implicitly and explicitly, you are being judged and evaluated for a purpose that escapes your knowledge. Truth be told, at least it's not all bad; you have your very competent and loyal assistant at your side, and with your sister relatively close by, your experience shouldn't be so terrible...

Unless...

CW: This is a dark romance, and what this entails—things like possessiveness, stalking, manipulation, jealousy, and dependency will be seen in varying degrees in all routes. Sexism, transphobia, and homophobia will be briefly mentioned, as well as religious trauma, abuse of power, graphic violence, and optional explicit sexual scenes.

This list is subject to change as the game progresses.

HITC is only for an audience of +18.

Demo: Prologue: 11k last updated on 2/21/25

Since HITC is a wip all blog content is subject to possible changes in the future.

•Customize your Crown; personality, appearance, gender, pronouns, independent of the chosen gender, magic type, and where the foreign half of your bloodline comes from.

•Build friendships, romances and/or enmities with 5 diverse characters, all of selectable gender (with ace options).

•Find out why you are in demand in the capital and why you should study at the "Saint Elizsea Academy for Illustrious Young People" side by side with the cream of the crop of Ehylian society.

•Have a familiar! With options, so far, to choose from a wolf, a ferret, a raven, a snake, a crocodile, a deer and several types of dogs and cats.

Choose wisely! They all possess consciousness and at least a degree of magical attributes and some are...sassy.

•Shape the narrative with your decisions, every choice matters.

•The Crown: You! As the fourth child of a marriage between a former general promoted to king for his illustrious strategies against the rebellion against the fae and a foreign scholar, your outlook is, to say the least, peculiar. Not only are you the product of a marriage of love, with the confidence of genuinely and willingly counting on the support of your brothers and older sister again, but also, well known for their almost barbaric customs, your parents have the audacity to allow you to decide what to do with your own life, from coveting and collecting knowledge to learning the art of war or venturing into any of the five arts, you have a place nothing less than privileged, so far from being the firstborn and with an older brother more than capable and willing to take charge of the kingdom, your future is, to say the least, very promising, until an edict of the dying, and extremely capricious emperor demands that every young people of marriageable age who is not taking charge of the administration of their jurisdiction at the time, must go to be evaluated at The Academy in the heart of the capital, with your first brother discarded, your older sister engaged, your second brother in the borderlands doing pilgrim work and your younger siblings too young to attend that leaves you alone as an option.

•The one who left (RO): Asterion/Astrya Dellamort. With silky midnight waves and expressive eyes that evoke the memory of the moon in their hue and roundness, they possesses an astonishingly delicate and pretty face, for someone who has been classified with little variation as a rigid, cold, arrogant, difficult and even bitchy person throughout their young life, Azzy, the nickname with which you baptized their and, unbeknownst to you no soul is allowed to use without going through severe verbal reprimands and/or public humiliation, was, at least until the age of 13, your best friend, with their mother being a strong ally, and more importantly, a supporter of your parents, it is no wonder that you two were brought together to be playmates since before you could remember.

Truth be told, Azzy was never easy, despite knowing you all their life there is something about you that bothers they deeply, they can trust your reasons, your transparency, but they can't understand your affection, because as the only child of the Queen, Azzy they was much more exposed and at a much younger age to the cruel machinations of politics, so, with an almost supernatural ease they developed a capacity with words as bewitching as it is deadly, cruel if you will even, not that you have witnessed it first hand, of course, for many complaints, frowns and playful reluctance, you probably have the rare honor of knowing and living with the kindest version of Azzy, which in turn gives you the merit of being the person who knows they the most and the least, being a witness to they gentleness but mostly ignorant of their cruelty.

It's not until a tragic occasion, when your relationship breaks down, abruptly, suddenly, with the roughness of a wound that hasn't healed properly even five years later, that you wonder why Azzy decided to cut off all contact with you, but, unbeknownst to you, they despises and belittles anyone who tries to gain their favor by putting you down.

Tropes: Friends (with the possibility of a friendly rivalry...or not) to "rivals" to lovers/ Attachment issues, let's say Azzy is fine keeping their distance, (they're not) but if you come back into their life there's no turning back/ The ice king/queen's weak point/ Misunderstandings/ Forced proximity.

The one who takes care of you (RO): Kaihlan/Karonthe Agrapolli. Strictly speaking, Kai is your bodyguard, but over the years they has taken on far more than their fair share of responsibilities, and no matter how much you and your parents have asked them not to overexert themselves, the satisfied gleam in their amber eyes whenever they do something to make your life easier, along with their unbeatable stubbornness, means that you can count on Kai as your shadow more often than not.

As the eldest of your father's right-hand twins, Kai has been two things to you: a constant and a teacher. With their undeniable combat skills and their minds as quick as their feet, it is not only an honor to have them defend you, but also teach you.

Kai is loyal to you to the core; in order to ensure your happiness and safety, they is capable of acts that go against morality and even the laws of man and god.

Kai is probably the tallest person you've ever met, so tall that when you were younger and cheeky you asked them if they weren't part giant, they laughed but otherwise didn't answer the question. With sun-kissed skin glowing a shade reminiscent of honey almost as much as their eyes Kai is not only tall, they're broad and rough, with large scarred hands that extend all the way to they forearms you'd expect they to behave like a bull in a china shop, and they do in a way, but when you're around them, they seem incapable of anything but the most dedicated and delicate care. Both M!Kai and F!Kai have hair brushing their shoulders in a fluffy reddish-brown mess, with the back of their necks longer than the front and scattered freckles from spending so much time in the sun.

Tropes: Puppy love/They look like they could kill you and potentially will if you're not MC, but they're actually a cinnamon roll, long-term crush, himbo/bimbo, surface only, gentle giant, wolf in sheep's clothing.

The one who admires you (RO):???. You're not sure how, but you've somehow managed to get a hold of a stalker.

What you know so far is little and downright mediocre, they either have enough power or influence to bribe someone into getting their letters to you within the castle grounds, or more unlikely, they're stealthy enough to slip past Kai's ever-watchful eye, so all things considered, there's most likely magic involved, which brings you back to the first point, or they're rich enough to hire or own a wizard themselves or they're powerful enough to conjure their presence into your chambers without raising suspicion.

Tropes: Loved you from the moment they saw you/secret admirer/strangers to ???/would burn the world down for you.

The one who does not show up(RO): Secret route! You'll know when you meet them...maybe.

Tropes: Love-hate/they despise loving you/they want to live in your heart... literally/the love that was never meant to be/they are doomed. to love you? to exist without you? not even they know.

The one you impressed (RO): Elysse/Eylarion Kurayoi.

If there is one word to define Ely it is scandal, with their elastic golden curls bouncing with the sound of their thunderous laughter, they would not readily admit how much they love to impress, but the mischievous sparkle in their mahogany eyes says otherwise.

You know little to nothing about them other than the rumors that proclaim that they have no standards regarding who they share a bed with, but for some reason you intrigue them, if you were to ask them they would say little more than that they are curious that you are so different and little else.

They happens to be your roommate at the academy and as someone who for better or worse seems to be extremely transparent and understands how everyone who has an important name in the capital acts, it might be convenient to have them around, but be careful not to leave them too close to the warmth of your home because they might not want to leave.

Tropes: Master/Mistress of seduction until they flirt with someone they really like/ Bad reputation or justified prejudices?/ the capital's rebellious child/ The most beautiful at the ball/ The beauty and the beast

Feel free to ask me anything! And thanks for reading!

[chasmdivine]

high fantasy x romance x found family x lgbtqia+

Twine demo (coming mid summer 2025) | itch.io page | Author kofi

Your family were oracles, prophets, to the deity, Rhuyen, from the dawn of mortal life long before civilization and the founding of the nation, Dalethyr and it’s prominent capital, Valesia. For centuries after, your ancestors sat upon the royal dais, providing divine guidance to numerous Thaerdazan monarchs. You are next in line to be Oracle.

A sprawling, ancestral estate in the High Garden, untold wealth, and a name that carried weight—it was all your grandmother’s. Until, on the heels of King Zerhan’s coronation and the historic concord between Dalethyr and Bhalerun, she foretold of the Crown’s downfall in an inferno of magic and smoke. Infuriated by her betrayal of his crown, she and her son were banished from the city, and the empire expanded on.

Fifty-two years later

In the year 731 v, all you know is the Chasm, the massive schism in the plains outside the city where people spit out by Valesia’s justice system, the destitute, and those shunned by the upper class—namely, your family.

Little has changed in the upper city, once famed for its forward-thinking ideals and strict, magical schools, but in the under city, pressure has formed community and bonds not even the Crown or its guards can break.

Tension has been steadily building between the two cities, and recent events have brought it to a violent boil. You may not have picked a side in the conflict, but your god has given one. The Oracle says it’s time, fate and their consequences are longer overdue. Will you hasten the empire’s fall, or try to change the outcome?

This is an active wip. Things such as names or ideas may change.

Warnings: (18+) for descriptions of violence, blood, death, and gore; drug and alcohol use, mention, and abuse; explicit language; a corrupt government; and more. Send an ask if you would like more or specific information related to the content warnings.

Customize the main character: pronouns, identity, physical appearance, and clothing

The main character has had a great many experiences living in the under city. Decide how it’s shaped their personality, and how they will react in the present and future.

Choose from four different backgrounds: merchant, smith, healer, or a runner for the Vultures.

Explore Valesia’s Upper City, but watch where you walk, snakes don’t make for good friends, and the Chasm—the home you know like the back of your hand. Well, you thought you did.

Main Character: resident of the Chasm, grandchild of the current Oracle of Rhuyen

Age: 26

Yaretzi (she/her): third year student in the mage academy, whose presence in the Chasm draws lingering eyes from both above and below

Age: 24 Physical description: hip-length black curly hair, light brown skin with warm undertones, golden-brown eyes, medium build with no muscle definition, 5'4", losing most of the vision in her right eye barely put a hitch in this dedicated student's step Romance option | pansexual | can be romanced by MCs of any gender Portrait | Full body

Admase (he/him) / Asmeret (she/her): an old friend (or romance) who is captaining a Bhalish merchant ship quite well for someone who is supposed to be dead

Age: 26 Physical description: shoulder-blade length black locs often pushed back with a leather or gold band, deep brown skin with warm undertones, dark brown eyes, large, well-muscled build, 6'2", their old forearm prosthetic familiar to you has been replaced by a new one of unfamiliar design Romance option | panromantic demisexual | can be romanced by MCs of any gender Portrait | Full body

Tejas (they/them): proclaimed an outlaw by the Crown, declared ruler of both sides of the Chasm by its inhabitants

Age: 28 Physical description: short, light brown hair, brown skin with warm undertones, dark grey eyes, slender, well-muscled build, 6’0”, despite missing fingers on their right hand they are highly capable of signing rapidly with the other Romance option | demiromantic pansexual | a romance path for MCs of any gender will be unlocked after reaching a certain friendship level Portrait | Full body

Iliyas (he/they): Bhalish emissary in the Valesian court, a soul out of place in the pit of vipers

Age: 29 Physical description: shoulder-length, black (nearly violet in some lighting) hair shorn around the ears, fair skin with olive undertones, light brown eyes, slender, narrow build with very slight muscle tone, 5’10”, he uses a well-crafted cane as a mobility aid Romance option | panromantic asexual | can be romanced by MCs of any gender Portrait | Full body

Two more ROs are planned:

A femme nonbinary (asexual lesbian) who can be romanced by nonbinary or female MCs

An allosexual man who can be romanced by male MCs

Drawing someone? Here’s a palette for the RO’s.

Nysa (she/they): Oracle of Rhuyen, outcast of the Upper City and proud of it

Age: 74

King Zerhan Thaerdazan (he/him): king of Dalethyr

Age: 70

Demo | Itch.io | Kofi | Patreon | Pinterest | Bluesky

[midnightsun-if]

Those vendors sound fascinating! I hope, for example if we're romancing Scarlett, we might be able to buy something from one of them for her.

Or give her something from a carepackage from home. I fully expect Saraya to try and go so overboard the Academy has to contact her to tell there's a limit on how much she can send her child every month.

You’ll absolutely be able to do so! And the ROs may buy something for you as well once deep enough into their route.

Saraya would definitely try to send you things, correct, but the care package would be a mixture of various things from the family: Helena would send you money and basic necessities (or things that made her think of you), Saraya would send you a miasma of things (among them probably a plant from her greenhouse), Cienna would either send you a few of her favorite books (filled with her own personal notes and thoughts as she was reading them) or little reports she’s made to tell you how she’s been and how the family has been getting along (ever the efficient one), Persephone would be the baked goods/food person, and Christian would send you various movies/games/shows that he feels like you should watch.

All of the family would chip in, but I could definitely see Saraya trying to go overboard and Helena having to gently step in.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

our Final Boss concept was that snoke was working on a magical item that like. corrupted all force users to Be Evil, just like how he canonically corrupted young ben solo’s brain as a trial run. ben’s redemption is actually well-paced so by the time all the force users in the main cast are aware of this threat and sensing themselves getting corrupted ben is freaking out like “im going to become evil again oh shit” and rey just keeps telling him to go hang out with chewbacca and calm down

just spent three hours verbally outlining a revised star wars sequel trilogy with several nerd friends and i love our version of ben solo that doesn’t exist

[tellltaleacademy-if]

PLAY THE DEMO HERE (30k)

You are an independent trainee trying to survive through a big company's new survival show, Telltale Academy, but things take a dark turn when a mysterious site called GUMIHOCOM, starts leaking the contestants dark secrets, getting them kicked out one by one. They couldn't possibly know what you've done, right?

There is no way they could publish something like that.

You can't know for sure, can you ? The threat claws over your nape. To save yourself and your debut, you have to find out who is behind GUMIHOCOM, or at least get them to leak your fellow contestants secrets before yours !

ᡣ𐭩 Play as female or AFAB non-binary.

ᡣ𐭩 Romance and investigate your fellow contestants.

ᡣ𐭩 Manipulate situations for screen time and popularity.

ᡣ𐭩 Pick songs and concepts for your stage performances.

ᡣ𐭩 Engage in ships and fanservice.

ᡣ𐭩 Sabotage your rivals and bribe staff.

ᡣ𐭩 Choose your skills, strengths and weaknesses as an idol.

ᡣ𐭩 Bite down the memory of that night…..

NYLA SARATHKUMAR (F,21) [ RO ] Daughter of the cyber-security CEO, Nyla is the only contestant that seems chill with potentially being exposed online. Wether she's a wolf in sheep's or a lucky go-lucky goofball, being close to her means safety. And it doesn't hurt that she's just so sweet. Will your affection for her get in the way of your need for survival?

NOH DAMBI (F,21) [ RO ] A lost it-girl, Dambi is an ex-member of a famous girl group who got kicked out for bullying accusations that have since then been " disproven ". Now she turns back to the spotlight for her major comeback, but nobody seems to believe she's truly innocent. She seems so lonely and misunderstood, someone who needs a kind hand. But can you trust your heart to her ?

MACY LEE WALSH (F,20) Being the sister of a well-known Kpop gossip youtuber to the likes of Sojang, Macy knew she was walking into a piranã bowl when she joined Telltale Academy. The most likely culprit, when then leaks start turning up her head is immediately on the market for a high prize. And everyone must be right, right? The apple never falls too far from the tree.

SOAPY (F/M,2X) [ RO ] Your fansite, your knight in shining armor, your stalker? Nobody has ever had your back like your biggest fan. They would do anything for you, even leak other contestants scandalous secrets. Or at the least you hope so.

MA YIFEI [ F, 25 ] - A rich girl and former member of Chinese group SNH48 Yifei would be the epitome of an ideal female idol, if she wasn’t a huge lesbian. For mean girl who’s obsessed with the aesthetics of perfection and femininity, that’s a pretty rough secret to keep, specially when you start to develop feelings for the girls you're supposed to be kicking into the ground .

SABIRA OMAROVA, [ F, 23 ] - A Russian Tatar model who landed herself in this program through a series of unfortunate events, and the object of Yifei’s unrequited obsession. Engage in Love Triangle route where you can be Yifei’s Rebound and romance Sabira at the same time.

TADA EMIKO, [ F, 2X ] - One of the company’s oldest trainee’s and an unbreakable soul that seems to maintain her spark no matter what. A true idol.

KIM AGATHA, [ F, 20 ] - Weird girl central. A former child model and fellow long time trainee at LOVEKRAFT ENTERTAINMENT, she seems to be the CEO’s favorite.

LI MAYUKA, [ F, 22 ] - The life of the party. No filter and no discipline, Mayuka really doesn’t seem like a Kpop trainee, but maybe her rebellious nature is exactly what you need to shield you from the horror of this industry.

[serveandchoke]

The Other Court

Jannik Sinner x Former Tennis Player!Reader

Summary: After a brutal injury ends reader's meteoric rise, she disappears from the sport. Until Jannik Sinner finds her years later in Rome, coaching a wildcard on the very courts that should've been hers. She's not the girl he used to chase, and he's not the boy she used to beat.

a/n: this is in jannik's pov

When they were fifteen, she always beat him to the court.

Morning sessions started at seven, but she’d already be through her first basket of serves by the time Jannik arrived, bag slung over one shoulder, curls still damp from a half-awake shower. She never looked up. Just tossed another ball in the air, fluid and easy, the lefty toss not quite textbook but undeniably hers. He recognized it in his sleep, that uncoiled whip of a swing, the sound it made when she timed it right: low, clean, final.

She was faster than him. Lighter on her feet. Her footwork was tighter, her hands quieter, her temper non-existent. Even when her backhand clipped the net cord and dropped out during match play, she never snapped a string or muttered under her breath. Just shook it off and walked to the other side like it didn’t bother her at all. It drove him crazy in the way that admiration sometimes does.

They trained together every summer at the academy in Bordighera, back when they were still juniors with secondhand rackets and parents who clapped a little too loudly. At first, she barely spoke to him. She was focused. The kind of focused that got under his skin, because it made him feel like he was still a kid playing catch-up. She hit with the older boys. Ran extra laps. Practiced double-handed on both sides, just in case she ever needed it.

"You're not trying to be good," Jannik told her once, wiping sweat off his chin during a break. "You're trying to be perfect."

She took a sip from her water bottle, eyes still on the court. "Trying to win."

And he remembered that. He remembered everything, actually. The way her braids would come loose halfway through drills, the neon pink tape on her wrist, the callus on her index finger from stringing her own rackets at the academy’s shed. She liked black strings and hated indoor courts. Said they made her feel like the air was too still. Trapped.

The first time they played a proper match, she double bageled him.

He was furious, but Jannik couldn't help it but to also admire her play. She was gracious as ever, light on her feet, the way she just floats across the court.

"You played well," she told him at the net, offering her hand, and he wanted to believe it wasn’t pity. Wanted to believe she meant it.

They weren’t friends exactly. But they were something. Rivals, maybe. Mirrors, sometimes. But Jannik couldn't help himself, he felt as if there was something threatening to bloom. And maybe she felt it too. He rose fast, but she rose faster. By seventeen, she had her name stitched on a Nike visor and a junior Grand Slam final under her belt. Reporters circled her like hawks. People talked about her with a kind of breathless expectation. "The next big thing", they said, like she wasn’t still a teenager trying to stay upright under the weight and pressure of it all.

And then came Roland Garros Juniors.

It was supposed to be her title. She’d made the semis look routine, dismantling the third seed in fifty-eight minutes on Court 7. Jannik watched from the top row, elbows on his knees, barely breathing when she hit a running forehand up the line that spun so hard it dropped on the baseline and skipped into the fence.

He never told her he watched. He never told her he skipped his own recovery session just to see her play.

The final was scheduled on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. It was hot that afternoon, the kind of Parisian heat that made the clay smoke beneath your soles. She started strong, holding serve at love. Jannik was in the stands again, this time in a proper seat, credentials hanging around his neck. He could see her clearly from the third row. The thin line between her brows as she bounced the ball, the way she reset after each point like she was erasing the last one.

In the second game of the second set, it happened.

She slid for a wide ball, that same smooth left-foot plant she’d done a thousand times before. But something went wrong. Her shoe caught. Her knee twisted. Her racket dropped to the ground a full second before the scream came.

It was sharp. Real.

Jannik stood before he realized it.

Trainers rushed in. The match was paused. She didn’t get up.

He watched her hold her leg like it might come apart in her hands. Watched the other girl cross the net hesitantly, not sure if she should celebrate or apologize. He watched her get stretchered off the court, face blank, mouth pressed shut like she was refusing to cry until the tunnel swallowed her whole.

And just like that, the golden girl disappeared.

There were whispers after. Surgeries, rehab. A press release about a "complicated tear." She withdrew from Wimbledon juniors. Then the US Open. Then silence. Her social media went dark. Her name stopped showing up in draw sheets.

The world moved on.

But Jannik didn’t. Not really.

Not when he won his first ATP title. Not when he cracked the Top 10. Not even when he stood on the Centre Court of a Slam final and someone in the front row wore a visor just like hers. Not even when held the World No. 1 title.

He still remembered the way she moved, the sound of her serve, the way she told him trying wasn’t enough.

He still remembered her, she haunted him. Always wondering she could be, if he would run into her during tournaments.

And then, years later, in Rome, she came back.

But not to play.

——

The clay was different in Rome. Deeper. More theatrical. Everything at the Foro Italico felt like it was made to be watched. The marble statues, the sunlit courts, the piazza where the press circled like bees. Jannik didn’t love the noise, but he’d learned how to move through it. Smile here. Interview there. Keep the routine intact.

It was just past four when he cut through the practice courts after media rounds, intending to duck back into the locker room. He kept his head down. Headphones in. Until something stopped him.

Not a sound. A posture.

He looked up. Court 5.

A junior wildcard was practicing, kid from Naples with a sharp slice and nerves too big for his frame. But Jannik’s eyes weren’t on the boy.

She was standing behind the baseline, sunglasses perched on her head, arms crossed, lips pressed together in the way she always did when she was watching. Really watching. Not just looking for errors, but timing. Effort. How much a player wanted it.

The same way she'd once looked at him.

She hadn't changed much. Older, maybe. Stronger in the shoulders. Her hair was different, tied back in a low knot, but the way she moved; that hadn’t changed. She stepped forward during a drill and mimed a motion to the kid, hips rotating, weight shifting, like she was still teaching her own body what to remember.

Jannik’s heart dropped somewhere low in his chest.

He waited until the rally ended before he called her name.

She turned before he finished saying it, and she smiles.

For a second, neither of them said anything.

“Hey,” she greets, in that soft, wry tone that hadn’t aged a day, God, Jannik could fall apart at the sound of her voice. “Didn’t expect to see you lurking around the junior courts.” she smirks, a hand on her hips.

“You never know where the real matches are,” he said, slow smile pulling at the edge of his mouth.

She laughed, quiet but genuine. “Still with the one-liners, eh?.”

“Still trying to impress you, is it working now?” he said before he could help it.

She raised an eyebrow, just stared whilst quirking a playful smile. “You used to do it by overhitting forehands. Am I right or wrong?”

“And you used to do it by destroying my serve.”

“I was fair,” she said. “Just better.”

He smiled again. Because it was true, and because it was good to hear her say it like she used to.

“How long have you been coaching?” He asks, trying to keep up the momentum of their conversation.

“Just started with him a few months ago.” She nodded toward the boy, who was now sipping from a bottle and wiping sweat off his chin like a pro. “He reminds me of you.” She looks at him with a look that Jannik couldn't quite read. Was it longing? Or something else? Jannik couldn't decipher.

“Red hair and sickly looking skin?” he offered.

“No,” she shook her head, laughing. “The way he hates to lose. And you never used to admit it, but it showed. Always trying to hit your way out of frustration. No one could tell you were frustrated, but I dd.”

He tilted his head, a small grin. “You used to smile when I did.”

“You were predictable,” she breathes out. “But not boring.”

There was a pause.

He looked at her again. Not past her. At her. At the hint of sunscreen on her nose, the fray of her old academy cap, the careful way she stood, like she still carried her injury in her bones, even if it didn’t show anymore.

“You ever think about playing again?” he asked.

She shook her head once, not unkindly. “Sometimes. When I’m stringing rackets. Or watching a late match. But I don’t miss the tour.”

“You miss competing,��� he said.

She didn’t deny it.

He took a step closer to the fence, fingers curling around the wire like it might keep the moment still.

“I watched your Roland Garros final,” he said.

“I know,” she said, just above a whisper.

He blinked. “How?”

“You always sat in the third row,” she said, turning toward him. “Back then, at least.”

He let that settle. Let the honesty of it rise between them.

“Come watch my match tomorrow,” he said.

She smiled, then shook her head. “You’re not a junior anymore, Jannik. You don’t need me in your corner.”

“That’s not why I want you there.”

She didn’t answer right away. Just looked down, then back at him, eyes thoughtful, careful, familiar.

“Alright then,” she said, soft and certain, smirking.

“Alright.” He grins, and Jannik watches as she walks away from him and towards her protégé. Thinking, 'I found you.'

[doriana-gray-games]

Summer post — ☀️

A little quick rundown of everything—

Happy june everyone!

Please keep cool, and find time to breathe 💖

I am really excited to have plenty of time to work on aaoth soon! I'm itching to wrap up a few specific scenes 😌

I hope you are well ☺️

I posted the other day a short story of the scene of L and W at the precinct, which is mentioned in ch2! I just forgot to write it here...

If anyone is curious, things are going really well with my day job RPG game I work on with a small team 😚

Sneak peek! (The 3d model is still a bit WIP and the game is alpha)

I'm really glad y'all chose the gothic theme in that old poll! The colour scheme did end up a bit of a mishmash, tho, but I like it—the gothic style feels perfect for the game 🌹🥀

Hmm, what else, what else... Oh, right!

XOXO

Doriana

[godsandvillains-if]

can i know abt the ros first love/crush? i just need fluff hehe

Hello and of course!! 😊

Paladin never had a crush or love before the MC. You could say that their first crush is Wildcat, though Paladin doesn't know that yet.

Archon had a few crushes during high school and one love while they served in the army, but nothing too serious. They have a crush on Stardom, but to them it is nothing more than friendly infatuation.

Ace had one or two crushes during their life and one love. They'd known their spouse during police academy, and a few years later they had a son together before their spouse's untimely death. Since then they haven't had any crushes.

Stardom has had many crushes during their life; the list goes on and on, but they aren't the type of person to become too infatuated with one-night stands. Their obvious crush is Archon.

Zodiac has dated before, two long-term partners a few years before joining the team. For a time they did think they had a crush on Ace, but they are just really good friends.

Wildcat has a new crush every week, mainly celebrities and other heroes from different groups. Nothing too serious, though.

Mars had one love in their life. I can't say more than that.

Thanks for the ask!! 😍

[kingdoms-and-empires]

Progress Report! Please check it out!

Hi guys, I recently asked people to vote on what they'd like as Free Folk on my Patreon, and they asked for public Progress Reports!

So, the progress report is available to all if you join for free on my patreon! It's free! There's content in there, even if you don't want to pay! Honestly, I'd love it if you joined!

Just uh, fyi; spoilers will be inside. Especially since ima just post the Progress Report as you've always been there.

Speaking of...

Some background information:

I rewrote everything.

There were glaring issues with the old demo, like not meeting any ROs, and it'd already be past 300k words.

Still being a lil shit, and it being past 300k words.

Having not killed a man, and it being past 300k words.

NOT EVEN GETTING KISSES OR HUGS, AND IT BEING PAST 300k WORDS!

Shame!

Shame on the author!

Puts best face on.

Puts on nice song.

Well, I listened.

The lack of interactivity, the exposition, the blah blah blah...

I tried addressing those issues, hard. I also tried addressing issues with the narrative itself. Issues with the ROs (a majority of which we never even met yet!)

Everything. This isn't a small rewrite, something that changes things here and there.

I'm even calling this the "Great Reset". Cause I reset everything. Changed almost everything.

Now?

I love this version. I love working on this version. I can see the road ahead, when previously I was unable to.

I'm so confident in this version that I put Todd Howard, and played Sweet Little Lies.

Cause I'll be hanged if I'm lying. And I'm not.

The changes I've put in, the effort I've put in, the progress I've made in these last two months.

Now, I ease you into KaE for the first 100k words. You choose whether to be raised as a Prince, Princess, or Squire and experience the politics, the characters, the living breathing world of KaE that sows the seeds of the issues that'll cause the chaos in the world you'll face later on. I've introduced new coding features that make it simpler for you and me, and it feels more immersive than before. I want us to reach the academy within 300k words. I just feel happy to be writing again. It's my real calling, and it feels good to do it.

Anyways, enough of that. Please, take some time out of your day to look at the latest of what's upcoming.

The progress for the public release is 83k words out of 100k. We're almost there for the public release!!!

Thank you for reading!!!

[house-anon]

I'm glad to know that. I would never shave my head though. once, my mother made me do that, and it looked awful.

I'm sending negative vibes to this anon.

would you still love masaki if he shaved his head

Of course!

I’ll always love him