#its fun to experiment with their simple design

[jeneco]

After not vibing with its mechanics at all back then when the game came out, I finally finished Rain World! and I loved it!! a lot!!!

(by "finished" I mean I played Survivor + Monk in that order, I'm still making my way through the other campaigns)

[styxxsyringe]

first attack on @marnielovesyouu !!!

[skitskatdacat63]

I have a problem.

Further evidence:

[cavegirlpoems]

So many TTRPG people, like yourself, seem to exist in a world where players don't actually enjoy the campaigns they're in, and don't actually like playing with the people they play with, and your whole approach to game mechanics seems like it's about trying to bribe these people to continue playing at a given table.

i have no idea where you get this idea from, I play a bunch of different games - including freeform text rp, fest larps, parlour larps, regular tabletop campaigns, longform play-by-post games and narrative wargames - and I have a lot of fun doing it. I wouldn't be a game designer if I didn't actually enjoy games. The thing is, if you study game design and ttrpg theory seriously, you think about the intent behind design decisions. Game design doesn't just happen by accident, the designer put a given rule in for a reason. So, you ask yourself why the designer made the game the way it did, and what they were trying to achieve.

A significant tool for game design is considering the feedback the game provides; what behaviours that ruleset rewards and what it discourages. (You can apply this analysis to other games, too, like video games). When I'm talking about a bribe, it's in that context; how does the game reward you for doing things, and what things does it reward. (For example, 'scrabble' rewards you for playing words with weird letters in them by making those letters worth more points.)

The thing is, ultimately, every game relies on a simple proposition; that if you volunterily use its rules, you will have fun. You don't need to follow the rules, and you can have fun without them, but the idea is that using the rules will let you have more fun, or a different type of fun, than if you didn't. (For example, throwing a ball around is a bit fun, but if everybody agrees to follow the rules of basketball, you get a different experience that a lot of people prefer). So, the only bribe you're making on the interpersonal, out-out-of-game level (unless something weird is going on) is "if we play this game it will be fun". When I talk about bribes and incentives, it's *inside* the game, after we've all agreed to the game's proposition of "if you use the rules, you will have fun".

Now, what counts as an incentive varies by game. Some, like Warhammer 40k, are challenge-based, and have ways to keep score of success and victory; here, things that signify overcoming the challenge are your incentives; how you get a high score, how you win, etc. Others, like most ttrpgs, are creative-based. What constitutes an incentive within the game's structure is less precisely defined. By and large, though, these incentives tend to be things like increased agency within the game fiction, space for creative expression, and experiencing and learning about more of the game fiction. (In this structure, 'being more mechanically powerful' can be thought of as a way of granting a player more agency, because their actions are more likely to succeed and result in the outcomes that they want. If the mechanical growth is lateral as well as vertical, then how to get more powerful is - itself - a venue for creative expression in what to prioritise, which is also a reward).

In the same way that you have the adage that 'restrictions breed creativity', the same goes for Fun. Limiting your scope from anything-goes freeform by voluntarily agreeing to use a set of game rules can produce similar results. Voluntarily limiting your agency in the fiction according to a set of game rules produces a friction that players of roleplaying games find enjoyable to push against. In this context, a reward structure within a game serves the useful purpose of signposting which direction you should push to get the fun kind of friction. A game which limits your options, and then gives you more options when you engage with certain behaviours, is telling you that those are the intended behaviours. Likewise, a game that limits your options even further when you do something is encouraging you not to do that. This is because game designs are not neutral and universal, they exist to create specific experiences. A game that rewards you by giving you more space for creative expression when you get in a fight - and gives you less space for creative expression when you avoid violence - is one that wants you to engage in violence, because it's designed to be a game where you have fun by fighting. This isn't bribing the players to sit down at the table and play the game; that has already happened outside the context of the game. They have already agreed to the game's offer of 'if you use these rules, you will have fun'. Rather, this bribing is within the game-space, the games mechanics encouraging the players to engage with it as intended, in the way that will be most fun. IE: these incentive structures are a tool the game uses to achieve the promise it makes; they guide the players towards the fun that they volunteered to have. Hope that makes sense. * * * Now, your initial ask is a weird take that's entirely unrelated to anything I've posted, and - particularly from an anon account- oddly antagonistic. I don't know if you're genuinely confused about game design, or arguing in bad faith. Either way, this probably doesn't merit the small essay I've produced, but have one anyway, it's always fun to clarify my ideas in written form.

[centrally-unplanned]

For a piece I am working on I was reading some 2010's-era discourse around "Are Video Games Art", particularly the Roger Ebert essay rejecting it in 2010. And it is such a classic example of "culture wars end with a whimper" - no one ever convinced anyone ofc, but meanwhile gaming as a creative space grew so diverse and ubiquitous that trying to convince people of the negation side became simply impossible and virtually everyone saw no need to even mention the topic again.

I was discussing it with partners and I thought about doing a poll here, and we just laughed; why bother right?

Now back when this discussion was "big" a common thing was to name the games that were the most art, the sword you would carry into battle. In my era the most common pick was Shadows of Colossus due to its commitment to atmosphere and moral ambiguity...while also being a game of sequenced boss fights. Choosing the dozens of experiment "arthouse" games seemed like cheating, and also failing to prove your point. No one cared if Roger Ebert thought Uncle Buddy's Phantom Funhouse was art; it had to be the games you played after all. Still, everyone had their pick, and through those picks the culture showcased the art/game binary - generally downplaying game mechanics, level design, or gameplay as art-worthy compared to "traditional" concepts like narrative, visuals, or thematics. But ofc it was unique to each person, and definitely a fun little exercise at the time!

My own personal pick was always Today I Die, a ~5 minute Flash game where you solve simple puzzles in a way that assembles and changes a poem. I liked it because, while it was ofc "artsy" and hit those atmospheric notes while utilizing traditional art genres as its focus, all of that was completely bound up in the gameplay. Sans the game decisions there is nothing there but a childish poem, so without the game elements the art fades away. Also you could play it instantly and get the point. Many games fulfilled such criteria ofc, but I always liked it.

(As a Flash game its original home is long dead, but I think if you google around you can find ways to play it)

[streamsofmoon]

okay i’m imagining famous!vi x randomgirl!reader !! childhood friends who grew up in the suburbs and vi got famous for her music- now she’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world

reader is SOOO unused to the public attention. she’s always staying out of the public eye, private social media accounts, covers her face in paparazzi photos, etc etc.

giggling and kicking my feet just imagining them hard launching at like the grammys or something!!!!!

NEED a famous!vi x unrenowned!reader!!

vi x f!reader | modern day, famous!vi

synopsis: an editorial about vi hard launching at the grammys.

a/n: i wanted to try another perspective angle. it was a lot of fun! thank you, nonny, for the idea! <3

vi's hard launch at the grammys! (no one saw it coming)

by stephanie williams

last night, i had the gracious honour of being an interviewer on the red carpet. it had always been a dream of mine; to see the celebrities whose songs dominate the charts, be able to actually approach them and ask questions.

it was a whirlwind experience from start to finish. every little thing left me speechless, from the musicians' arrivals to the elegance of the venue. talking had nearly escaped and i almost forgot my own name!

everything was wonderful and perfect—but the evening did have a highlight.

i got to witness something very spectacular.

anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows who vi is. anyone who's anyone knows her music and is aware of its influence. you can't hear a vi song and not want to dance to it. her tunes are electrifying. they, quite frankly, make you want to shake your butt.

i've been a fan ever since she appeared on the scene, and this was before she made her big break. i'm talking about when she was on soundcloud, dropping teasers and singles for a few hundred people. her beginnings were humble, and so was she. she still is, to this very day, and to see her skyrocket after years in the dark was so gratifying to see.

so when i saw her strolling down the red carpet, i freaked a little (a lot).

i was aware that i'd meet her, but the awareness was no match for my nerves. meeting someone you've admired for years was and will never be a simple thing to experience.

plus, it didn't help that vi looked even more beautiful in person. all dressed in a designer black suit with no shirt beneath her two button blazer. her silvery jewelry, a brilliant match against her tanned skin and pink hair flawlessly slicked back. she was absolutely stunning.

but what specifically caught my eye was the person by her side. also immaculately gorgeous in a beautiful silk evening grown that flowed to the floor. her hair all done up and pristine; everything about her was just enchanting.

she was devastingly beautiful.

something in me immediately knew who she was. not personally, but as in who she was to vi. because of the way vi walked with her with an arm wrapped around her waist. how she'd look at her often, the softest smile gracing her lips with her eyes shimmering like stars.

i didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it was pretty obvious to me as well as everyone.

vi walked down the red carpet with her guest in tow. she stopped for one or two small interviews before making her way towards me. during that time, her guest was escorted into the venue by vi's manager, leaving vi to handle what she needed to.

with, admittedly, shaking hands, i politely introduced myself to vi. she was charming, friendly, and hilarious. she made me snort-laugh too many times to count. but as the interview drew to a close, i found myself shooting my shot.

"so," i said slowly, testing the waters. "if you don't mind me asking—?"

vi grinned, like she knew where i was going. she didn't stop me, allowing me to ask my question.

"how long?" was all i said, and vi instantly knew. it was definitely not the most professional question i had asked, but vi didn't seem to mind.

"i've loved her since we were kids," vi confessed fondly, hands stuffed in her pockets. "and she isn't used to this world, so we decided to keep it quiet. anything to protect and maintain her peace. i'd do anything for her, and the only reason why she's here is because she wants to be here to celebrate with me."

there were butterflies in my stomach, violently flapping butterflies.

"she's one lucky girl," i said, smiling and vi shook her head.

"nah, i'm the lucky one," she said and soon she was waving goodbye as her manager came to get her.

vi went on to win 3 awards that night and in the pictures of her holding the awards, she's beaming ear to ear as she holds her girlfriend in her free arm. her girlfriend is also beaming just as hard, brilliant as the sun.

now i did not get to meet vi's girlfriend and maybe i never will.

but if someone is able to make vi that happy, to make a love so strong it lasts for years?

then she must be an angel.

stephanie williams

editor

[alienatedbug]

Evil Tetro au !! Okazaki/Tsuno designs

Its kinda difficult to read my handwriting so plot and design choices under the cut :3

(Ignore my spelling mistakes.. mb)

Warnings: drugs and poorly written/explained points Design

I wanted Tsuno and Okazaki to parallel each other design wise and motive wise. Okazaki has brighter, more lighter values for them to stand out compared to Tsuno’s cooler tones, darker values.

Underneath Oka’s shawl, is a darker fabric to symbolise her less ‘heroic’ Robin Hood persona they put on. (I’m not a big fan of completely wiping a character’s personality in AUs so I still wanted Oka’s more villainess tendencies). The darker colours in their lower half is also emulate this. Okazaki has a feathers throughout her design bc it looked good, I don’t really have anything to say to add. Large feathers beneath Oka is to show her Kitsune motifs- as well as this, I thought it would be quite interesting the Kitsune/feathery tails could act as a ‘cat with nine lives’ esk thing. Okazaki in this AU is an attention seeker who strives for danger to stand out from others which causes them to get into near death experiences.

Tsuno time !

Okay, the design choices are mostly random icl. I wanted Tsuno to have a more stereotypical hero suit ig. It makes more sense if you read the story part. Tsuno has a more streamlined, simple silhouette (and sharper bc shape language) as in this AU she doesn’t realllly want to stand out as this could out her ‘nightly activities’ but does anyways. Her hair to suppose to look like a ghost since like ghosts aren’t seen..(I can’t word this part well). The reversed hair, specifically the black part, is too show her dark mindset. The symbol is a moon also to symbolise her ‘nightly activities’.

What is her nightly activities you may ask? Selling drugs to the poor, shown by the strap across her body. Inside the bottles are either drugs, to illegally sell or chemicals to throw as Okazaki lmao.

Not much else other than those main design choices so off to the plot we go !!

Plot

The characters are ooc and the story is not believable whatsoever but that was the look I was going for, so don’t come after me x

This AU is (ofc) inspires by that Von post as well as the DC franchise (specifically the Gotham area).

I wanted the story to focus on perspectives, which I’m a big fan of, most if not all of the characters believe themselves as ‘correct’ n stuff. So Okazaki, being the protag is an unreliable narrator constantly, exaggerating her feats and good achievements. They act as a Robin Hood/Dark Knight amalgamation. However, as the story continues the characters that follow Oka slowly realise that Oka isn’t all that she seems.

The main plot is as followed: Okazaki goes by the name of the ‘Phantom Thief’ they travel the country to fight evildoers, to rid the country of criminals and get more street cred. As Okazaki continues to travel Japan, she slowly recruits people to her cause (E.g. Watari and Tamba).

The main antagonists are: Sasaki and Tsuno (maybe one or two more). They both have the same motivations of taking over Japan and subsequently, the world they also most definitely hate each others guts.

Now how does Tsuno do this? Tsuno, like said previously, Tsuno sells drugs. Like the type of drugs (like Arcane) which makes the people who gets addicted extremely reliant to them- this means Tsuno is able to control them more easily and can act as her lackeys. Tsuno thinks drugs are the best thing to grace the planet, but she follows Walter White’s rule of never taking the herself to not get addicted herself.

How has Tsuno able to not get arrested? Two things, the police fucking suck and she basically runs the law. In this AU, Tsuno has a goodie-two-shoes superhero facade (like Homelander from the boys) making her OP in the sense of everyone thinks she can’t do any harm whatsoever. Which is why she wears a hood, to hide her face.

—

This was very fun to write and design evil tetro characters so I will be doing this again so if you want me to design/write of the the Tetro characters feel free to ask in my inbox but rq two since I’ll be doing it in batches of two x. Thanks so much for reading if you’ve read to the end i really appreciate it <33

[feverdreamjohnny]

"Why There Will Never Be a Peeb Adventures" otherwise known as "The Peeb Adventures Pre-Mortem"

Since 2020, I've made a good chunk of games. Hell, even though I've been doing this for 10 years to date, the majority of my progress as a creative began over the course of this 4 year period.

Out of all the games I've made - or otherwise had a hand in - there is only one that's apparently struck a chord so deeply with people that to this day I still get messages and comments asking when it will come out.

The title of this post already explains the whole deal so I'm not gonna be dramatic about it right here. As per usual, I will instead get heart-clutchingly dramatic about the subject by the end of this story.

I felt the idea of a "Pre-Mortem" might be a fun way to talk about games that will never be finished. Maybe I'll make more of these down the line for other old games, who knows.

"The Incredibly True Origins of Peeb Adventures" or "Wow! I Hate It!"

Peeb Adventures began as a gift game for my long-time friend Aaron. It was simple, fun little gag that stemmed from a 3D model I made of a character he doodled during a drawpile session. I gave Peeb a grapple hook just because I wanted to experiment with swinging mechanics and felt the gag gift was a great space to toy around in without having to actually ask myself how on earth I'd want to structure a game around a grappling hook. Foreshadowing!

Eventually, the gag gift did that classic thing all developers have experienced before where your game spirals out of control and grows into a hideous monster, and what started as a fairly abstract grappling toy convergently evolved into that dreaded state we call a "3D Mascot Platformer."

I made a very short demo in the summer of 2020. It went absolutely nowhere, and after an idol of mine caught wind and asked to play it (before sending about 3 paragraphs of feedback suggesting how to improve what was, in my view, a trainwreck of baby blocks stacked on top of eachother), I shelved the project.

"The Absolutely Tremendulous HPS1 Adventure of Peeb" or "My Friend Jam Suggested I Revive the Project and So I Did"

Shortly after Peeb was shelved for the first time, I joined a community of game developers called Haunted PS1. For those not in the know, HPS1 was essentially the nexus point for "retro horror games" in the indie sphere, and a lot of the resulting deluge (non-perjorative) on itch.io can find its roots in this community.

HPS1 was a good place. Lots of nice, talented people willing to tolerate the kind of mindless riffing I often do in voice calls, anyway. I made a decent chunk of friends there, some of which I'm still quite close to, even today.

HPS1 has this tradition called the HPS1 Demo Disc that began in 2020, and with the year coming to its end, there was talk of a new one set to arrive in spring 2021.

Unlike the first demodisc, however, 2021's disc required you to submit a game in-progress to a panel of judges. They'd then give their yay-or-nay, and you were either in or out.

One day, I was musing over the fact that I didn't really have anything to submit so I would likely have to sit out of 2021's disc. My friend, Jam, who you might know as the developer of the Heilwald Loophole (or Beton Brutal) suggested I consider reviving Peeb Adventures as my submission to the demo disc.

Why did I follow through on this? I don't know. It's funny to think a scenario this simple was the launch point for my career.

Over the next 6 months, I worked on turning the absolutely horrendous gag game into... Something still kinda trite but at least playable. I had some help from my longtime teammate drurylain, my longtime friend Aaron (the creator of Peeb's original design), and my longtime spiritual uncle Tim, and with our powers combined... A new kind of demo experience where you don't do anything of particular note besides swinging around was born.

Also quite important: the very same drawpile session that spawned Peeb also spawned Orbo, who would also make his own appearance in Peeb Adventures as a recurring side character (since I felt like Peeb needed a friend).

"Go! Incredible Friendship Unites in the Gameosphere! Peeb and Orbo are Born!" or "Peeb Adventures: Coming Never"

So the demo for Peeb Adventures was finished early March 2021, and the demo disc went live on itch.io on the 25th of the month.

The demo disc then proceeded to do a backflip and pick up a LOT of traction online. Which then meant Peeb itself was catching little bits of the traction in its mouth and smacking its lips.

I went from "guy who makes games for nobody" to "guy who makes games for that one very specific brand of teen on twitter who loves the object head show", and I was riding high.

Fanart poured in. People showed a lot of love. I was dazzled by it all, really.

Despite the love for the game and the potential on hand, progress was stagnant. My group of friends and I all got together in a google doc and wrote an entire planning bible for the game. Game mechanics, story beats, twists and turns, the whole thing. Despite having the structure lined up, I had other ambitions and began working on a multiplayer deathmatch game that quickly overtook my work schedule.

Peeb sat on the backburner, but at the time I still wanted to finish it one day. My main excuse was "well, I just need more money! If I'm going to work on this game it's gonna need more than one fulltime person and I can't just ask people to work for free!" That excuse worked on me for a while.

"I Don't Think I Want to Play With You Anymore Peeb!" or "There's Such a Thing as Too Much Love"

A while had passed at this point. My ambitions hadn't just grown, they'd completely shifted. Before long, I found myself working on yet another demo for the 2022 HPS1 Demo Disc, "The Spectral Mall."

Nowhere, MI wasn't just some random toy for me, but the culmination of all my love into one game. Despite its silly demeanor, the game was a product of a lot of pain, and even now I still desperately want to finish it. Except I have to make money to live, so... Oops!

Anyhow, there was a shift in demeanor for me during 2022. You have Peeb, a game that I made on a whim as kind of a joke with friends, and you have Nowhere, MI, a game that meant the world to me during really dark times.

And you know what? There were a lot of people that wanted Peeb. People that never stopped asking me about it.

I realized while working on Nowhere that I didn't really know what I would even do if I ever had the chance to work on the full Peeb Adventures. Not only did I find the nagging kind of annoying, Peeb was also something I couldn't really... Wrap my head around?

It occurred to me that Peeb wasn't really "my" game anymore, it was "his" game. The old Johnny.

I'd changed a lot since the game had come out in early 2021. In a year and a half my world got flipped upside down, and... I don't know, Nowhere was way more reflective of who I was now. Sure the humor was still pretty asinine, but there was a shift. It was hard to picture the "Peeb Adventures" people were actually looking forward to when my own sensibilities had drifted so far.

When the Nowhere demo came out along with Spectral Mall, it did... Alright? People liked it, but it wasn't the same as Peeb's release. Hell, even in Nowhere's release there were people pushing it aside to ask the same question they'd been asking every week leading up to it. "When is Peeb Adventures coming out?"

"Goodbye Peeb!"

It was increasingly harder and harder to not look back at Peeb and kind of hate it. It was rough in every respect, and yet it whenever I met people who'd heard of me online, they always cited Peeb Adventures.

Strangers continue to ask me when it's coming out. On rare occasion I'll get someone asking about Nowhere and I'll feel a bit excited anyone else cares about that game besides me and maybe my friends, but most of the time people just ask about Peeb.

To finally answer this question I've been asked for nearly 4 years: There will probably never be a Peeb Adventures.

"Goodbye Johnny."

I like to believe one of the reasons people are attracted to my body of work is because I make games to reach out to other people. That's probably not the real reason, but it's nice to play pretend and imagine your work has more significance than just "ha ha boner."

I put a lot of myself in my games and I rarely hold back, even if an idea is insanely stupid or strange. The result usually becomes something more like a scrapbook than a game.

It's hard to try and expand on a game like Peeb when the Johnny who made it isn't really with us anymore. If I worked on Peeb now, you'd get some kind of irregular frankenstein that'd never be as exciting as the original vision was.

By the time I get around to Nowhere again, am I still going to be this Johnny? Or will the next Johnny look back at Nowhere the same way I look at Peeb now? Who knows.

Anyway, look forward to more games from me and my friends. Even if it's not Peeb Adventures, it'll still be us.

[cruel-hiraeth]

꒰ THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF LOVE ꒱ RORONOA ZORO X READER

warnings ⟢ slight angst (though it gets resolved). hurt/comfort. mentions of death and dying. descriptions of blood and wounds. brief allusions to buddhism. reader is gn and described as “beautiful” once.

word count ⟢ 1086

notes ⟢ happy birthday to my most beloved! this fic is self-indulgent (i.e. full of my hcs about zoro’s childhood) and a labor of love. the three of swords design in the banner is from the rider-waite tarot deck. three of swords generally depicts a difficult, sorrowful experience.

So this is how it ends.

The midafternoon horizon is fathomless—a halycon ocean—the sun anchored in its depths. A cool breeze stirs, kissing his tawny flesh, rustling his hair, and chiming his earrings; whispering beachgrass casts sinuous shadows across his face, allowing his good eye to rest in partial shade. Nearby, the tide laps at the shoreline—tenderly, the caress of a lover. Foam glides across half-buried seashells and beached debris in a brief greeting before returning to the sea, heeding her call.

Where Zoro is, he can’t be certain (not an uncommon occurence, though he would never admit it). His robe was slashed off at some point, and fell to the ground in shorn tatters. He lies bare-backed in a slurry of sand and ichor, his swords beside him; weeping wounds litter his torso, the most gruesome of which stretches from his navel to his right side. While he had the wherewithal to cut his haramaki and tie it around his waist as a makeshift tourniquet, the fabric is sodden, metallic teardrops puddling in the sand.

Pain is a feeling he greets like an old friend. It’s comforting, almost, like a suffocating embrace. As a boy, he had to nurture that cold familiarity if he wanted to survive—be it fighting bigger kids for spare scraps at the orphanage, or taking lashes from a bokken at the dojo. Strength comes with a cost, as does physical and mental growth. Existence is suffering, and suffering is—in its purest form—pain. But the mind-numbing sting that currently radiates from his injuries is the last thing on his mind.

For the first time in years, Zoro is afraid. He shivers despite the scorching sunbeams, sucking in shallow mouthfuls of air, glistening beads of sweat sliding down his body toward the earth.

It isn’t the prospect of death that scares him; he has walked most of his life along the corpse-strewn path of demons, fighting against his fate as an asura. And he has peered into death’s grim visage before—too many times to count. He even dived into hell and cleaved through its bowels to face Enma, emerging victorious as the king of souls departed.

Regret, however? Regret is a different beast.

It’s why he trembles now, covered in grime and gore, half-lucid. As dark thoughts slink to the forefront of his consciousness, he’s aware that dying here will mean failing. Not simply failing himself and his own dream of becoming the greatest swordsman, but also failing his captain and best friend, and failing to preserve Kuina’s legacy. Most gut-wrenching of all, he knows that dying here will mean failing you. There’s so much Zoro wants to do with you, so much he wants to say. He itches with regret, calloused digits twitching at his sides, desperate to claw his skin off.

Clarity torments him. Memories flit before his steel gaze, now wet—a tear-streaked blade. He sees you: the flicker of your eyes when you tell a story; the curve of your lips when you poke fun at him; the halo of your hair when you nap against his chest; the set of your jaw when you’re serious. More than anything else, he longs to tell you how he feels.

I love you.

Three simple words that he always struggled to string together. Perfect moment after perfect moment was presented to him on a gilt platter: inside the crow’s nest at dawn, or beneath the lush boughs in the tangerine orchard—even perched atop the Sunny’s bow to watch the sunset. He squandered each of these opportunities because he (foolishly) assumed there would be more in the future.

I love you.

If only he could muster the strength to breathe out the sweetness of your name once more—to taste each smooth, honeyed syllable on his lips, to feel it silken on his palate. Maybe then he could forgive himself. But instead, it dies on his tongue as his vision blots and blurs. Eventually, his world goes black.

I love you.

Zoro awakes to the muffled creaking of a hull.

His head pounds, his mouth is bone-dry, and his limbs are leaden and stiff; he feels like death, and suspects that he looks like it, too. Surgical gauze tightly wraps his frame, stifled wounds screaming in agony. When he glances up and sees framed pictures of the crew above his cot, he recognizes where he is: the Sunny’s infirmary. In his periphery, you’re sitting at Chopper’s desk with a book in your lap. He tries (and, to his frustration, fails) to shift into a seated position. As soon as you notice the movement—head snapping up in surprise—you rush to his bedside.

He waits for you to reprimand him for being so reckless while away from the rest of the crew. But you don’t—not yet, anyway. (Not until he’s mostly healed. And for that, he wonders if you may be an angel.) Instead, you kneel on the wooden floorboards to level with him. Your fingertips tentatively brush against his cheekbone, as though you’re testing to ensure that he’s real. Content with what you find, you cup his chin, allowing him to lean into the soft warmth of your touch, catlike.

“I was worried about you. Well, so was everyone else. But I’ll only speak for myself,” you murmur.

His voice is gravel, cragged from disuse. “Sorry.”

After a few beats of silence, he clears his throat. “Is Chopper on break?”

You nod. “I’ve picked up the night shift so he can sleep.”

“How long was I out for?”

“Roughly two days.”

“Fuck.”

That draws a chuckle from you.

Zoro swallows. “Listen, I—”

Your thumb grazes his chapped lips, forcing him to pause. “Save your energy, Zo. You don’t have to defend yourself; you’re safe with me. I promise.”

Tired but patient, your gaze breaks him, only to piece him back together. His heart aches.

He inhales deeply. Then—in a flood of emotion he can’t stem—the words flow out: “Y’know I’m not good with feelings…or words. But, uh…” A broad palm wraps around your wrist, your skin hot against his. Ignoring the heat creeping up into his cheeks, he sighs, “I love you.”

Before he can second guess his confession, your lips bloom and burst into a radiant smile, setting your features alight. He doesn’t think you have ever looked more beautiful.

“I know,” you admit airily. Leaning in, you dot a kiss to his scarred eyelid. “I love you, too.”

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

That child reader request gave me a question that I somehow didn't think of until now.

Assuming they have a house now in the neighborhood, who did the reader live with? And next obvious question would naturally be, how were the neighbors like as hosts to the reader?

I'm glad you asked! Was thinking about this awhile before writing anything down.

If you like my work, please consider commissioning me or leaving a tip on Ko-fi (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

Where the child Reader lives

★ The neighbors got together to try and figure out where you'll live. Poppy worries about you being lonely if given a home of your own. So, for now, they decide on letting you choose. Going to and from houses as you want.

★ Some nights you'll spend with Frank. He cleaned out a room in his attic used for storage. And fixed it up to be a suitable bedroom for you. Complete with a butterfly patterned blanket on the bed. It's a nice place for you to relax after a day of fun.

★ When you spend the night in Julie's home, she makes it a proper sleepover. Complete with a pillow fort! She plans everything out ahead of time. Games, snacks and music are all taken care of. So you don't need to worry about it.

★ With Barnaby you kind of just sleep wherever you want. Couch, bed or floor. Doesn't matter. You've seen Barnaby sleep there. So why shouldn't you? For some reason you only do this in Barnaby's home. Probably because it's the only place you'll get away with it.

★ You have so many blankets. All made by Poppy. She insists on making you then. Nights with her are very cozy. There's a special corner in her home decorated with fluffed pillows and carefully placed blankets. It has the appearance of a nest. That's where you sleep!

★ After dinner, Poppy always reads you a story. Usually its an older book like The Wizard of Oz. As she reads her voice is soft and confident. Unlike her usually timid demeanor. If you fall asleep while listening she bookmarks the page and goes to bed.

★ Wally offers you a glass of warm milk before bedtime. Of tea if you prefer. Every time you sleep over, Home is ecstatic. Her light bulbs shine just a bit brighter and she leads you through the hauls. Guiding you to Wally using floorboard creaks.

★ Though this rotation is... unconventional. It works! And you seem happy with it. Being able to spend some time in one area before moving to a different one lets you experience all that Home has to offer. When you get older, or if you get older, they build a proper home for you.

★ Your future home has a distinct 70's design. With arched doorways, wooden floors and stained-glass accents in the windows. Starting out as a simple one bedroom bath and kitchen. But as you grow more rooms get added to accommodate. 

[officialspec]

can you pleeeeease post your dm sexuality/gender hcs on here.... 🥺 i don't have a twitter but i wanna know. it's like a pandora's box to me now i'm like scratching at the door. let me in

heres the link 2 the thread (mild spoilers btw) ill post a transcript under the cut for ppl who dont have twitter

first off i think laios relationship to sex is super removed for like 50 reasons without even getting into his actual sexuality

he grew up in a place with very repressed ideas about sex and has a lot of fear about asserting his presence in situations

his special interest takes precedent over any social interactions he has and the level of closeness he feels towards people

he has a hard time figuring out his feelings towards other people both bc hes autistic and bc he has freaky deviantart fetishes that make sex in his mind a very abstract concept <- this one is me projecting mostly

that aside, i feel like gender-wise hes attracted to ppl so infrequently it may as well be entirely case-by-case

the idea of him being gay appeals to me from the 'raised with traditional values he Does Not fit into/hasnt begun to question it yet' perspective, i lauve characters who put a lot of stock into performing a role thats expected of them and fail miserably for unknown (gay) reasons

from his perspective tho i dont think he would ever really label himself anything. hes going to pride parades in the shirt+shorts Ally Fit to clap for his friends

hes also 'cis by indifference' imo... i love tmasc laios hcs it just doesnt mesh w his personal history to me. i do think hes got some kind of therian gender thing going on (not trans or nb but a secret third thing) but i cant see him changing anything abt his appearance/pronouns to accommodate that post-canon. hes just doin his thang

falin is in a similar boat for gender. i LOOVE tfem falin but the village repression thing has been bugging at me so i dont think i subscribe to it anymore (canon purist sorry) BUT if u hold that hc i am clapping and cheering regardless

instead i was propagandised to a while back and i LOVEEE the idea that being fused w a male dragon and the residual traits she has after being revived have given her a type of gender euphoria she didnt realise she was missing. a little boygirl swagger if u will

sexuality-wise i also dont think she would care to label herself, shes a lesbian by virtue of only being interested in One woman and zero other people. without marcille i do think shes still exclusively attracted to women, and i like to imagine she might experiment around a bit during her travels post-canon (pre-relationship). hearing abt it might put marcille on the news though

marcille is very simple That is a transfem lesbian. she cant get pregnant, shes obsessed w being femme and all that combined w her half-tallman struggles to be seen as 'properly feminine' by elf standards reads very transfeminine to Me. also her bookboy crush REEKS of comphet its not subtle

i think a more comfortable marcy might have the space to experiment w being elf butch like her manga boys but thats mainly self indulgence for me. utena could have saved her

senshi is gay his whole thing is abt not being able to perform dwarven masculinity to a proper standard (soft hearted, not as strong or rugged as his peers) which is like gaycoding 101. also hes a bear. homosexuality be damned by boy can work a grill

adding onto this i rly think senshi got some type of euphoria from being an elf in the changeling chapters. he was feeling himself so much i think he was using it as an outlet to have fun being a little fem and fruity without needing to justify it. do u understand

i dont have any particular opinions abt him gender-wise beyond that. his bulge is an essential part of his character design but i also saw a transmasc senshi a couple days ago that made me nod my head thoughtfully so i could go either way

chilchuck is cis and bisexual this is just canon. not even just his old man crush on senshi altho i do think thats very funny but they put his ass on a cover themed like hes in a dating sim with all the men and women in the cast and then slapped it in front of a chapter called "bicorn". i simply cant pass up that kind of overt signaling. its so fucking funny what else is there to say truly

izu to ME is a transmasc aroace lesbian (this one has the least basis in canon i just know it to be true) shes a little genderfluid with it nd uses he/she i think. i like to imagine she consistently uses masculine personal pronouns to refer to herself either way tho (boku, ore)

i think izutsumis gender/sexuality is entirely secondary in priorities to her body dysphoria. she has a lot of learning and acceptance 2 do before that kind of self discovery is on the docket and in my mind eschewing gender on some level is part of that. get sillay

shuro is cishet but at least he feels bad about it. next listen listen to me i dont think he would ever actually examine this but i need u to put on ur tin foil hat with me for one second. i think estrogen could have saved her. i have more thoughts on this but im not gonna propagandise too much on this post just know that im right

kabru is a transmasc bisexual this is also practically text. his whole thing of being treated like a doll by milsiril to put in pretty dresses, plus i think it would be pretty easy for him to stealth in the west since tallmen are seen as inherently more masculine than elves

(i also think changing genders is just more common for elves. theyre androgynous enough that it wouldnt be hard and like who in their right miiiiind would be the same gender for 500 years. dwarves too)

i think he started presenting as male socially in the west but didnt need to consider medical transition until he moved to a more mixed culture where other races might see him as a woman

i dont have to explain the bisexual part. have u seen him

namari is a butch bisexual this is just canon straight up. shes not transmasc but i think the default settings for dwarven women is like 4 years of T regardless. shes a hit at all the local cruising spots despite her renfaire nerdisms i know this

and just bc im thinking abt em kiki and kaka are identical and kiki is tfem :} theyre both attracted to women but kaka is a sub so i forgive him

THATS ALL 4 NOW theres a lot of characters so i cant have thoughts abt all of them at once but i hope this was good. im right about everything forever as per usual

[0siixteen]

Highschool au! Aventurine was walking around the school taking photos (you can choose the reason) when he accidentally caught reader smiling with their friends in his camera/phone's camera and his heart skipped a beat. He took the photo while smiling fondly.

Basically developing feelings

i hope this is satisfactory to you. idk if i steered off from your prompt so im sorry if i did TT

pairings: aventurine x gender neutral reader

cw: none. well maybe fake ghosts.

✩₊˚.⋆ 🂱 ⋆⁺₊✧

“test of courage?”

was handwritten in red, with a badly drawn bloody font on a poster outside the classroom door. and in front of it stood aventurine, arms crossed while studying it as if it was the results of an important test.

why would he be interested in anything like this? he wasn't initially. but then someone mentioned a secret prize, and his curiosity was instantly piqued.

“sounds like a scam.” topaz and ratio had told him. but that was a weak argument. the threat of a scam couldn’t possibly go against stubbornness if it had already crawled its way inside aventurine’s brain. he simply got up from his desk and walked towards the classroom door, mumbling a “i’ll see for myself about that.”

beside him, you stood with some of your own friends, also observing this graphic design nightmare of a poster. the rules written were simple. all that was required was a group of three people, and that all the puzzles that will eventually appear must be cleared.

you weren’t too interested in the prize, but the experience itself seemed fun.

you glanced to the side when you noticed a familiar presence next to you. aventurine’s attention towards the poster faltered and he looked over at you too, his expression softening.

“i didn’t think you liked this kind of stuff,” you said to him. he smiled, and you continued. “on second thought, i think i know why.”

you and aventurine were not anything more than causal friends. at least that’s what you thought. the two of you occasionally shared classes, and sometimes hung out together. but it wasn’t a frequent thing. after school hours, he was usually spending time with his friends. and you were either with your own circle of friends, or at home.

whenever you did hang out, surprisingly he’d be the one reaching out first. he’d ask you if you wanted to have dinner somewhere together, or go to an arcade, or visit some museum. anything. but he would always be the one paying. which made you feel a little guilty.

sometimes, if you insisted hard enough, he would let you pay. but anything on the pricier side, he’d do it himself.

at school, there was always people around him, which intimidated you a little so you didn’t approach him often. he had quite a presence, but unfortunately for him, that was like a repellant against you.

he really liked having you around. you were a great friend in his opinion. and he never admitted it outright, but aventurine had always kind of wanted to spend more time with you. there was a certain charm you carried which he couldn’t quite understand the origin of. when he talked about you to his friends, they’d brush it off as “but they’re so average.” which bummed him out so he didn’t ponder on this thought any deeper.

few minutes later, aventurine now found himself inside the test of courage hall, together with ratio and topaz who both were dragged along against their will. the hallway stretched itself far ahead with a few twists and turns, decorated amateurly using cheap halloween ornaments. except it was not halloween. it was spring.

a person dressed as some evil supernatural being would jump out at them every now and then. no one made a reaction whenever this happened, so the actors would just awkwardly move on to their next victims instead. one of them muttered an apology after a failed attempt at scaring ratio, who swore he only lightly scolded them.

the puzzles were surprisingly complicated, unlike the visuals of the event. most of them were topics from different classes that were part of the curriculum.

a lot of them were from classes he shared with you, the thought briefly crossed his mind.

a few puzzles later, they reached one that came with something placed on a table next to the piece of paper that contained instructions. on top of it was a costume. a long, black dress, pointy hat and a fake beard. written on the piece of paper was a single sentence that read: to clear this puzzle, wear the provided costume and write down what you think it is.

“this is obviously a wizard.” ratio held up the synthetic beard like it was a dead animal, eyeing it, unimpressed.

everyone in the group could agree on that. but how was finding out the answer like this any fun?

aventurine then grinned mischievously when a thought crossed his mind, “the instructions were clearly to wear it.”

ratio was about to argue against that but even topaz chimed in. “we might be disqualified if you don’t wear it” she said, her tone laced with hypocritical dejection.

“…since when did we agree i’d wear this?”

but the costume was already on him seconds later.

aventurine was quick to pull out his phone in a giggling fit, facing the camera towards ratio and snapping multiple pictures. what he planned to do with these? he wasn’t so sure, but perhaps it would come handy sometime in the future for blackmailing purposes. yes, he thought to himself, he could even profit from selling these pictures…

ratio reached out to grab the phone when he noticed how suspicious topaz and aventurine were starting to look. but the phone was snatched away. aventurine looked down at his screen, laughing wickedly at the pictures.

until he noticed someone else in the background and he paused.

you stood behind ratio, laughing with your friends about something.

the phone quality was exceptional, coming from some high-end brand. even though you stood a few meters ahead, it seemed like the camera had decided to focus on you on one of the pictures.

you wore a gentle smile on your face, one so sickeningly sweet to aventurine he could taste it.

he stared at the picture for a good while, a strange, warm feeling surging through his body and his heart unknowingly skipping a beat.

he hadn’t even noticed his playful grin had taken the form of something much more suspiciously affectionate.

“what the hell is so funny?” ratio attempted to get a look at the screen too, but aventurine held him back with his arm and pushed his face away. all while still looking at the picture.

when had he started feeling this way? he had no idea. this peculiar fondness he hadn’t noticed he had for you until now. stirring his heart with tingly sensations, tugging softly at it. it was a feeling he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with, he knew he had felt something similar before. somewhere, sometime long ago with a relative.

it felt... really nice.

he looked up from his screen, towards where you stood in the picture. he hadn’t even realized it, but your group was standing not so far from his.

how long had you been ahead of him? you looked so nice. had you always looked this nice?

when you noticed him looking at your direction, you turned and waved at him with a sheepish smile.

oh. his heart skipped yet another beat.

he smiled back, maybe a little too eagerly.

he was seeing you in a whole different light suddenly. you two were just friends, right? he had always thought you were no more than that. but this… is different.

in the end, aventurine managed to secure his mystery prize. his group waited in the hallway as some students came back with it.

maybe he should’ve thought twice about the budget of the students who organized the event. perhaps in his mind, he was imagining a big prize that would be worth wasting his time. something like maybe a gift card or a meal, or snacks.

but a spork… wasn’t what he expected.

his grip on it was tight, as if he was about to snap it in two. he wanted to. somewhere deep in his heart he wanted to snap this thing.

“i’m sure it’s useful,” you said, trying to console him. even though he wore a smile on his face, you had a feeling he might not be satisfied with this.

but at least he was satisfied with the pictures of you he had accidentally taken.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Asking various crps to paint your nails

thinking so so so so hard to come up with new prompts that i havent already done for the same characters but my brain is so fried that im kind of having a hard time i fear characters: jeff the killer, laughing jack, hoodie, bloody painter notes: gn reader, can be mansion au or not it doesnt really matter here all that much, short and sweet, written on computer cws: none

JEFF THE KILLER

please he is so ass at painting nails youd have better lucky doing it yourself. please please please youre going to get a shit end product and hes going to complain a good chunk of the time

its not that hes trying to make your nails look bad. hes actually giving it a genuine shot, its just hes not... very good at it... and the more irritated he gets at the polish overflowing and smearing the more hes going to mess up. its a never ending cycle

overall not a very pleasant experience but you already asked hes going to be so offended and ticked off if you back out now. what have you done/lh

LAUGHING JACK

actually not that bad, its far from perfect but hes having fun with it... just expect the style and colors to be.... at least a little different than what you asked.... he took some creative liberties!

its a coin toss on if his creative choices are going to be amazing or if its going to be the ugliest thing youve ever seen in your life- either way please tell him he did a good job look at that proud little smile hes giving you he hopes you like it!! he made it just for you!

his claws do make it a little difficult though... very long very sharp, he tries not to nick you during the process...

HOODIE

probably one of the best finger painters you can find out of any of them- not just these four. like in general. he doesnt make a mess and he actually takes into account what you want

hes no professional and thats obvious but hey! its still a solid attempt! because he likes having an excuse to have you so close and have you under his hold. maybe if you ask nicely you can do his nails too!/hj... he... might actually let you do it... just dont expect the paint to last all that long or remain unchipped for more than a few days

hardly makes a mess on your fingers too, so as long as you want something simple and quick hoodies your man to go to!

BLOODY PAINTER

it comes as a shock to no one that he should be your first choice if you want something nice. painting on a canvas and painting on nails are different but he can make some guesses on how to shift himself to make it work- just enough to give you what you want

hes more than happy to do patterns and designs in your nails if you ask nicely, its going to take more time but he... actually makes quick work of it- definitely the fastest out there!

more than a little pleased with his work on you, but he will be quietly disappointed when the paint eventually chips or falls off... all that work... to be destroyed... hes still going to do your nails again if you ask

[deliciousangelfestival]

New Light | B. Barnes

Character: Neighbors!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: Y/N meets a mysterious neighbor in a stuck elevator.

A/N: I live in an apartment and often encounter different people. I wish I could start a conversation like the reader 😭

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Y/N had become a recognizable presence in her apartment building, exchanging greetings with familiar faces each time she entered the lift.

One tenant, however, remained an enigma—Bucky. Tall and always clad in a large black hoodie, he never uttered a word during their encounters.

One evening, after a long day at work, Y/N stepped into the lift, and to her surprise, Bucky entered just before the doors closed.

As the elevator ascended, an unusual silence settled between them. Y/N, feeling the need to break the ice, finally spoke up, "It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

Bucky, still maintaining his stoic demeanor, nodded in agreement. The hum of the elevator provided an awkward backdrop to their brief exchange.

As they continued in silence, the lift abruptly stopped, causing them both to shift their attention to the sudden halt.

"It's probably just a minor glitch," Y/N reassured, attempting to ease the tension. She reached for the Ring button, pressing it to summon help.

The building security's voice crackled through the speaker, providing assurance that maintenance were on their way.

With a shared glance, Y/N and Bucky exchanged a subtle acknowledgment of the situation. Y/N tried to strike up a conversation again, "So, Bucky, do you live on the same floor as me?"

Bucky, though initially hesitant, replied with a simple nod. The conversation was slow to develop, yet Y/N persisted, asking about his day and interests.

Bucky, gradually opening up, revealed snippets of his life. "I work from home most days, I'm a graphicdesigner," he admitted, his mysterious aura starting to unravel.

In turn, Y/N shared stories from her workplace, finding common ground in the challenges and triumphs of daily life.

In the middle of their conversation, Y/N noticed subtle movements within Bucky's hoodie. Curiosity getting the better of her, she finally asked, "Is everything okay in there?"

Bucky hesitated for a moment before revealing a small, furry face peeking out—the source of the movement. To Y/N's astonishment, Bucky introduced her to Alpine, his cat.

Y/N was awestruck when she caught sight of an incredibly adorable cat. Its fluffy fur and playful antics immediately captured her attention, eliciting a warm and delighted smile.

Approaching cautiously, Y/N couldn't resist commenting, "Alpine is such a sweetheart! Does he always greet everyone like this?"

Bucky, Alpine's owner, looked pleasantly surprised as he replied, "Actually, Alpine is usually quite reserved. He doesn't warm up to strangers easily."

Feeling a bit special, Y/N observed as Alpine continued to display an unexpectedly friendly demeanor, rubbing against her legs. Bucky chuckled, "This is a rare sight. Alpine doesn't usually take kindly to newcomers."

The atmosphere shifted as Bucky eagerly shared stories about Alpine's quirky habits and endearing antics.

Initially taken aback, Y/N found herself engaged in a lively conversation with Bucky about their shared experiences as pet owners. "Alpine loves to climb onto my shoulders when I'm working on my laptop," Bucky chuckled, his reserved demeanor giving way to warmth.

Sensing Bucky's willingness to share, Y/N asked about his hobbies. "Besides graphic design, what do you do for fun?"

Bucky cracked a faint smile, "I'm a bit of a movie buff, and I like taking Alpine for walks." Y/N's eyes lit up, "Really? I love movies too, and I've been meaning to explore the nearby parks."

As they exchanged stories and discovered shared interests, the once awkward elevator space transformed into a comfortable setting for connection. Bucky, now more animated, even shared amusing anecdotes about Alpine's adventures, eliciting laughter from Y/N.

Y/N thought Bucky was a scary person, but it turns out he's not. She sees him in a new light.

In the end, as the building security announced that they had successfully repaired the elevator.

Relieved, Y/N couldn't help but express gratitude for the unexpected camaraderie. Before parting ways, Bucky suggested, "You know, since we've become elevator buddies, how about we walk Alpine together to the park sometime?"

Genuinely pleased by the idea, Y/N smiled and replied, "I'd love that!" The invitation marked the beginning of a new chapter in their connection.

Author Note:

Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account. Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating. Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

Tag list:

@thezombieprostitute

@scott-loki-barnes

@rebeccapineapple

@ordelixx

@winters1917

@kandis-mom

A/N: I'm sorry I couldn't tag everyone because I wrote and edited this on my phone.

[lightandfellowship]

My take on a Quadratum Vor. Her outfit consists of: a cropped pullover hoodie with a high collar, drawstrings, gold zipper, and bell sleeves; a button-up shirt underneath that; bubble shorts with button cuffs; a dark blue belt with a gold buckle; chunky ankle boots with dark blue laces; and two overlapping teal barettes in her hair.

More detailed design notes under the cut:

Like with my Quadratum Vidar design, there were certain iconic elements of Vor's original character design that I wanted to maintain in this new design: her purple + blue + gold + white color scheme, her distinctive swoopy hairstyle, her big sleeves that completely cover her hands, her poofy shorts, her chunky boots, and certain parts of her silhouette. One major iconic element that I decided not to carry over was her mage-esque long coat, which I'll explain my reasoning for in a bit.

Let's just go from top to bottom:

Whispy Hair: With my Quadratum Vidar design, I didn't really need to adjust his hair at all since his hairdo was already quite "normal", being a simple slicked-back look. Vor, however, has a hairstyle that is much more cartoony/anime with its numerous gravity-defying elements. But this isn't a cartoon world, this is Quadratum, so her hair needs to fall a bit more realistically. Still, I didn't want to completely get rid of those anime elements since Vor's hairstyle is perhaps the most recognizable part of her design, so instead I simply made some minor adjustments in order to make her hair look slightly more feasible as a hairstyle you could pull off in real life. I did this by toning down the size and proportions of her swoops and cowlicks, along with adding more loose strands of hair. I also gave her some blue hairties on her pigtails; I experimented with putting big blue bows there instead, but I felt it looked too childish for Vor.

Two Overlapping Teal Barettes: I wanted to echo the teal straps crossing over her torso somewhere in the new design, and I also felt that the chunk of hair on the left side of her face (our right) was just begging for an accessory (it's perfectly shaped for it.) In truth, I was torn on whether to actually go through with the two crossing barettes, since Strelitzia already has barettes like these, and I very much dislike design overlap like that unless there's a Good Reason for it, but I ultimately decided that my desire for the cute barettes outweighed my perfectionist tendencies (if Nomura can give 6 different characters plaid in the same game, I think I can give Vor the Strelitzia barettes.) But let's engage in some recreational bullshiting and say that the barettes actually represent the Roman numeral for the number 10 since Vor was Baldr's 10th kill (if you don't count Bragi.)

Cropped Pullover Hoodie With A High Collar: I've seen real hoodies with a big collar like this rather than the titular hood, and I felt that was just perfect for a more modern-styled Vor. It's hard to explain, but to me this just feels like something she'd wear. But to go more in depth, I didn't really want to give her a modern long coat because I simply think such a garment would look too heavy and mature on her (mature as in "literal age", not "emotional maturity", since she has plenty of the latter. Long coats just feel very "serious adult doing serious adult things" to me, and while Vor does desire to be taken seriously and not get coddled, she's still, like, a fun, mischievous kid at heart.) Now, canonically she's already wearing a long coat of sorts, yes, but that coat has a magical, whimsical vibe to it, almost like the robes of a mage-in-training, that makes it feel youthful and playful and well-suited to her, but I don't think a modern long coat would give off the same feeling. Meanwhile a cropped hoodie just screams "youthful" and "fun" and "energetic" to me.

Additionally, and I kept this in mind for Vidar's design as well, since Quadratum is a more realistic world, I also want the characters to be wearing clothes that are a bit more realistic for fighting in. Which means lighter weight + unobtrusive clothing and acessories that don't drag or flutter or get in the way as much (I kept the oversized sleeves though because I was already getting rid of the long coat and removing the oversized sleeves would be a step too far and make Vor feel less like herself.)

Gold Scala Emblem Zipper, Dark Blue Hoodie Drawstrings: I turned the dark blue bolo tie-esque bow of her Scala emblem brooch into hoodie drawstrings that emerge from the collar since I felt that was a suitable translation of that design element. Likewise I turned the brooch itself into the pull of the zipper since the placement was perfect for that. I made the metal parts of the zipper gold to keep the metal colors in her design consistent; I'm not a fan of mixing metals, personally.

Big Bell Sleeves With Repeating Pattern On The Edge: I'm still not sure if straightening the curvature of her sleeves was a good decision or not, but I decided to do that in order to make her hoodie look more like something you'd see in a store or on the street, rather than something that more closely resembles a mage costume. But idk, maybe it would've been fine that way; feel free to envision the alternative if you prefer the magical quality of her original sleeves. Anyway, I took the big circular design on her sleeves, made it smaller, and then repeated it in a pattern along the edge. I find that larger, blockier designs on clothing come across as more cartoony since they're more animator friendly, and the more intricate/tiny the design details, the more it'll feel like something you'd find on a real piece of clothing rather than a simplified cartoon approximation of real clothing. That was the idea, anyway, to make the design feel more like it belongs in the real world. Much like the choice to change the shape of her sleeves, I'm unsure how much I like this new sleeve design element, though.

White Button-Up Shirt With Tan Hem And Brown Buttons: Nearly identical to the undershirt Vor wears in her original design, though shortened in order to show off more of her shorts and belt, and this one is actually a button-up rather than a completely solid shirt. I didn't include the color brown much in this new design (the obi from her original design has a brown stripe on it), but as a compromise I made the buttons on this shirt brown to incorporate the color just a little bit. Tbh I struggled to figure out what exactly to put under her cropped hoodie, but this is what I ultimately landed on.

Bubble Shorts With Button Cuffs, And A Dark Blue Belt With A Gold Buckle: I kept her shorts mostly the same, though added some extra details like a pocket and seams to make them look more modern. For that same reason I removed the (what I believe to be) "slashes" from her shorts since from what I understand that's a Renaissance/European Fantasy sort of fashion trend. The button cuffs at the bottom of the shorts are meant to echo the shape of the cinching clasp around her collar from her original design. The dark blue belt takes the place of the dark blue rope belt/back bow.

Ankle Boots With An Oversized Folded-Over Collar And Dark Blue Shoelaces: Kept her boots mostly the same, though toned down the exaggerated proportions of the folded-over collar and blue orb decoration, and added dark blue shoelaces tied in a bow to also mirror the rope bow on her back from her original design.

And I think that's everything. Here's Vor and Vidar side-by-side (Vor is a little blurry compared to Vidar because I had to make her smaller in order for their sprites to be around the same size):

Thanks for reading.

[imsobadatnicknames2]

To my great surprise, one of my friends expressed interest in DnD, bringing the total people interested including myself to a whopping THREE! Now, I've only played DnD a few times at a game shop and literally no other TTRPGs, but I'd be open in checking out other stuff (and can hopefully persuade my friends)! Would you happen to have any recs for maybe a bit more of an intro/beginners game that one could run with three players total? (If you happen to know any that maximizes a player feeling badass, that'd be neat & appreciated, as I think that's the main draw for them lol). Anyways, thanks for your time :3

Hiiii thanks for your question! So have in mind that I haven't played any of these firsthand because I'm mostly into games that mechanically emphasize disempowerment (the games i run tend to go less for the Found Family of Heroic Misfits Go on an Epic Quest approach and more for the Gang of Amoral Treasure Hunters Get Themselves Killed While Looking For Treasure in a Dark Scary Hole one), so I'm going off mainly from the play experience implied by reading the rules themselves and by what I've heard other people say about them.

First of all Is Quest RPG

I've seen it recommended a couple times by @thydungeongal and after reading a bit of it I have to agree with her assessment that this is the game that most D&D players seem to ACTUALLY want to play when they start invoking Rule 0 and the Rule of Cool and playing fast and loose with mechanics. It's a game where the explicit design intention seems to be natively supporting the style of gameplay that most popular D&D Actual Play shows feature, without any of the negatives of trying to fit 5e's square peg into that particular round hole. It's also available for free, which is pretty nice.

I would also recommend Brighthammer: Rules Light High Fantasy (which is a hack of Sledgehammer: Rules Light Dark Fantasy)

It's a simple system with a d100 resolution mechanic which fits into two eight-page mini-zines, one for the players and one for the GM.

It leans into the heroic fantasy angle specifically by letting players continually accumulate advantage to rolls during combat encounters by performing heroic actions, such as defending an ally or an innocent bystander. This one is also free and it's a pretty quick read so you don't lose anything by checking it out.

Next up is The Basic Hack

This one is a slightly streamlined version of The Black Hack, which itself is a massively streamlined version of early editions of D&D. Just like The Black Hack, it uses D&D's classic six-attribute array and a lot of other mechanical elements that make it pretty easily compatible with a lot of D&D materials while still being a very distinct system of its own, but where it differs from TBH is that it simplifies a lot of its mechanics and overall has a less gritty and more heroic tone.

Lastly there is Break!!, which is the only game in this list that is going to cost you any non-zero amount of money

Break!! has some old-school sensibilities here and there (seems to take some inspiration specifically from games like Cairn and ITO) but aesthetically and tonally it takes most of its cues from fantasy anime and JRPGs. It has a pretty cool-looking setting, and some interesting twists on classic fantasy TTRPG races and classes. You get everything from "basically a D&D fighter with a different name" to "paladin meets magical girl" to "literally an isekai protagonist". Anyway one way in which it leans into making the players feel pwoerful and badass is that its initiative system rewards being proactive in fights: whatever side starts the fight gets to act first, with no checks or rolls required. Also, it handles health depletion on a per-encounter basis. Health regenerates fully imbetween fights, essentially ensures that players always start fights at full strength and gets rid of long-term resource depletion. Which, you know, i like long-term resource depletion for my games, but if what you want to do is feel like badass heroes this is definitely the way to go, and it still has some interesting long-term consequences for running out of health in a fight.