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genshin-impact-updates · 11 days ago

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"A Space and Time for You" Version 5.7 Update Details

Dear Traveler,

Below are the details of the Version 5.7 update "A Space and Time for You" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems per hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/06/18 06:00 (UTC+8).

Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 5.7.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/06/18 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please log in and claim your compensation before 2025/06/21 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins

2025/06/18 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Xbox Series X|S: Open the system main menu, select "My games & apps," select the "Manage" tab, and on the "Updates" page, find "Genshin Impact" and confirm to update.

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Characters

5-Star Character "Void Star" Skirk (Cryo)

◇ The Seven-Shifting Serpent: Cryo

◇ Weapon: Sword

◇ A visitor who once appeared in an Abyssal rift and the Primordial Sea, this solitary warrior mentored Tartaglia in the martial arts.

◆ Skirk is a flexible Cryo DPS who performs well both on-field and in quick-swap rotations.

She can obtain special energy by triggering certain Cryo reactions via party members and releasing Elemental Skills.

By tapping the skill button, she will continuously consume this special energy, causing her Normal Attacks to deal Cryo DMG for sustained combat.

When sufficient special energy is accumulated, she can consume it all to unleash her Elemental Burst, dealing massive AoE Cryo DMG instantly.

4-Star Character "Ode and Oblation" Dahlia (Hydro)

◇ Vision: Hydro

◇ Weapon: Sword

◇ Deacon of the Church of Favonius and the Anemo Archon's representative in the church.

◆ Dahlia is a Hydro support character who provides shields and ATK SPD buffs for his teammates.

When releasing his Elemental Skill, Dahlia summons "Sacramental Shower" that can launch characters upward or deal AoE Hydro DMG to enemies.

His Elemental Burst summons a Shield of Sacred Favor and increases the ATK SPD of the active character.

II. New Equipment

New Weapon (Examples based on Refinement Rank 1)

Azurelight (5-Star Sword)

Within 12s after an Elemental Skill is used, ATK is increased by 24%. During this time, when the equipping character has 0 Elemental Energy, ATK will be further increased by 24%, and CRIT DMG will be increased by 40%.

◆ The event-exclusive 5-star weapon "Azurelight" (Sword) can be obtained from the Event Wish. Please refer to the relevant official Event Notices for specific acquisition details.

III. New Main Story

1. New Archon Quest

Archon Quest Chapter V: Act VI "A Space and Time for You"

Permanently available after the Version 5.7 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 28 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act V "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

• Use the "Quick Start" function to immediately begin the prerequisite quest: Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn."

2. New Story Quest

Skirk's Story Quest "Crystallina Chapter: Act I - Whispers Betwixt Stars and Night"

Permanently available after the Version 5.7 update

◆ Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act V "Masquerade of the Guilty"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

Additionally, after the Version 5.7 update until 2025/07/08 17:59, the "Quick Start" function will be available for Skirk's Story Quest - "Crystallina Chapter: Act I - Whispers Betwixt Stars and Night."

IV. Function Iterations

Quest Resource Management Update

After the Version 5.7 update, when first launching the game on mobile, Travelers need to select their preferred resource update option:

◇ Full Resources

Download all resources. Future version updates will automatically update related resources.

*Recommended to select "Full Resources."

◇ Basic Resources

Only downloads essential resources for gameplay, excluding optional content like some Archon Quests, Story Quests, and Hangout Events. Locally downloaded related resources will be automatically cleared. Optional content will not be automatically downloaded in future updates. To experience related quests, you'll need to manually download missing resources first.

After initial selection, you can change your option or manually download needed resources via Settings > Resources.

*This function is only available on mobile devices.

V. Genius Invokation TCG

Genius Invokation TCG Gameplay Update

New Character Cards: Chasca, Citlali, Mavuika, and their corresponding Talent cards. Corresponding invitation duel and guest challenges have been added to the Player List.

New Action Cards "The Dockhand's Assistant," "Crown of the Saints," "Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City," "Rawr! Rawr!," "Fight for Death," "Fire and War," "Flying Squad, Attack!," "Fruits of Training," and "Harvest's Boon" have been added which can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

The Forge Realm's Temper is once again available. The theme of this edition is "The Forge Realm's Temper: Endless Swarm":

(1) Defeat endless waves of enemies during the rounds in "The Forge Realm's Temper: Endless Swarm" to accrue score.

(2) After you complete the stage battle, you will gain a score and the corresponding rewards based on the highest score you got in the stage.

(3) Different stages will contain different special rules that grant buffs. Use these rules well to fight more effectively.

VI. Imaginarium Theater

Imaginarium Theater Update

After the Version 5.7 update, the first season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on July 1, 2025.

Required Elemental Types: Pyro, Hydro, and Cryo

Opening Characters: Lyney, Xiangling, Tartaglia, Dahlia, Wriothesley, and Rosaria

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Emilie, Kinich, Lan Yan, and Noelle

After the first season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Mualani, Lyney, Yaoyao, and Charlotte will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

Envisaged Echoes Update

After the Version 5.7 update, new challenge stages and Echo cosmetics for Raiden Shogun and Shenhe will be added.

VII. Spiral Abyss

Spiral Abyss Update

◇ After the Version 5.7 update, Phase 1 of the Spiral Abyss will be updated on July 16.

◆ Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

All party members receive a 60% Cryo DMG Bonus.

All party members gain a 60% Pyro DMG Bonus.

◆ Floor 12 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

First Half: Cryo DMG dealt by all party members increased by 75%.

Second Half: All party members' Nightsoul-aligned DMG increased by 75%.

◆ Updated the monster lineup on Floors 11 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

◆ Blessing of the Abyssal Moon:

Bitterfreeze Moon

When a character triggers Cryo-related reactions, a shockwave will be released at the opponent's position, dealing True DMG to nearby opponents. This effect can be triggered once every 2.5s.

VIII. Other Update Details

New Character Specialty Dishes:

○ Skirk's specialty: "Abyssal Bounty"

○ Dahlia's specialty: "Chatter of Joyful Nights"

New Collaboration Recipes:

○ Obtainable via Mail: "Meat-Lover's Feast," "Nine-Fruit Nectar," and "Bubblemilk Pie"

Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 2 or above can log in after 2025/07/11 12:00 (UTC+8) – before Version 5.8 maintenance to claim these via mail. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the rewards in time.

Adds new Achievements to the "Wonders of the World" category.

Adds Set 41 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

Adds some prompts for loading screens.

New Namecards:

"Skirk: Lone Shadow": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Skirk

"Dahlia: Sacred Duty": Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Dahlia

"Travel Notes: Speculation": Reward obtained via the BP system

Adds a new consumable "Dust of Enlightenment" to the Artifacts system. Travelers can now consume Dust of Enlightenment to randomly reallocate the enhancements of Minor Affixes on a fully-leveled 5-star Artifact.

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Enemies

Abyss enemies, such as Abyss Lectors and Abyss Heralds will now activate their Wards shortly after their HP falls below a certain percentage and are Frozen. (Previously, they remained frozen for an extended duration without activating their Wards, making them difficult to defeat. With this change, they will now activate Wards more quickly, allowing them to be defeated normally.)

● Chat

Optimizes the display and interaction experience of the chat interface.

Adds the "Manage Emoji Group" feature, allowing you to customize which emojis and emoji groups are shown and how they are sorted.

Adds interaction options for individual chat messages, such as tagging other Travelers in non-private chats.

Optimizes the block function. Blocking settings will no longer reset when switching devices. A "Mute List" has also been added under "Manage Blocklist."

● "Character" > "Artifact" Interface

Adjusts the "Fast Equip" interface and optimizes the algorithm for configuration recommendations.

The "Recommended Configurations" function now includes a "Check Alternatives" feature, allowing you to swap Artifacts with other suggested options.

You can now select two preset configurations in "Custom Configuration."

Adds a new "Recommended Order Scope of Effect" setting to the sorting function, which can be set to "Current Slot" or "All Slots."

● Crafting

The "Crafting" > "Convert" interface now includes a "Filter by Character" feature, and a "View Characters" button has been added to the top-right corner of the screen.

The "Crafting" > "Mystic Offering" screen will now remember the last selected Artifact Strongbox and automatically select it the next time the screen is opened.

The number of Condensed Resin in your inventory is now displayed on the "Map" and "Domain Entrance" screens.

● Domains

After completing a Domain, you can now select "Skip Reward Cutscene" from the top-left corner of the reward screen.

If you exit a Domain before starting the challenge, the "Challenge Failed" screen will no longer appear.

● Adventurer Handbook

Added a tracking option for Ley Line Outcrops in the Enemies tab.

You can now click the question mark icon when selecting certain enemies in the "Enemies" tab to view the relevant tutorial.

Adjusts enemy order in the "Enemies" tab based on update timing.

The "Domains" page of the Adventurer Handbook and the corresponding Trounce Domain entrance interfaces now show "First-Clear Rewards" for Trounce Domains. These rewards can be claimed upon clearing the Trounce Domain on highest difficulty, whether in Single Player Mode or in Co-Op Mode. Travelers who already cleared the relevant Trounce Domains on highest difficulty before the update can claim the rewards directly afterward.

● Spiral Abyss

Optimizes the UI and user experience for the Spiral Abyss interface.

When restarting a floor or entering the next floor after completion, the "Start Challenge" screen will retain the previous team configuration. A button that clears all current Party Setups has also been added to this screen.

If you complete a chamber but fail to earn all Abyssal Stars, the results screen will now include a "Retry Challenge" option.

After completing Floor 12 Chamber 3, the results screen will display your total Abyssal Stars for this season, and all unclaimed Star's Bounty will be automatically distributed by the system.

● Other Character Enhancement interfaces

In the source info for "Character Ascension Materials" and "Character Level-Up Materials," clicking "Obtained from the Crafting Bench Conversion Tab" will open the Crafting Bench on the Map.

The source info for 3-star and above "Character and Weapon Enhancement Materials" now includes a shortcut to Stardust Exchange.

For Local Specialties that can be farmed via gardening, their source info will now indicate "Grown in the Serenitea Pot."

In certain interfaces that recommend development stats (e.g., recommended Character - Artifacts, talent priorities, etc.), preset data will be used for recommendations when player data is insufficient.

Adjusts the display and interaction of the "Character" > "Talents" interface. If enough materials are available, talents can now be leveled up consecutively in the confirmation screen.

Starting from Version 5.7, the "Character" > "Talents" interface and the "Test Run" event will feature the "Talent Demo" button, which includes character role descriptions and some skill descriptions.

Optimizes the UI for claiming rewards after completing a Domain or Ley Line Outcrop. A new option to consume Fragile Resin or Transient Resin to receive triple rewards has been added. This option will only appear when you own these resin types.

● Genius Invokation TCG

Optimizes the matchmaking mechanism for Genius Invokation TCG co-op matches. The opponent's ready status will now be hidden once matched.

● Quests

Adjusts the unlock requirements for the Genius Invokation TCG tutorial quest: now requires Adventure Rank 30 and completion of the Archon Quest "Song of the Dragon and Freedom."

Optimizes the order and display of World Level Ascension Quests.

New dialogue options have been added to NPC Orban. These options become available after completing the Archon Quest "Paralogism" and the World Quest "The Festering Fang."

● Audio

Optimizes fade and transition sound effects when interacting with the "Sweet Dreams" furnishing.

Optimizes Ifa's "Hello" voice-over in Japanese.

Adds and replaces some of Kinich's English voice lines in content from previous versions. (Now, all of Kinich's voice lines have been replaced.)

Supplements some of Hu Tao and Venti's English voice lines in content from previous versions.

After Version 5.7 is updated, Keqing and Paimon's English VAs will be updated (this change only applies to new content in Version 5.7, historical content will be gradually updated in subsequent versions).

● Other

After consuming food with a duration-based effect, a notification will now appear on the game interface.

Adjusts the trigger conditions for the blue-highlighted guidance box in "Craft" > "Convert." (Travelers who have already triggered it will not see it again.)

Increases the daily forging limit for Weapon Enhancement Materials on the Forge page. For example, the daily cap for Mystic Enhancement Ore has been raised from 30 to 40.

Adds one "Dust of Enlightenment" to both Gnostic Hymn and Gnostic Chorus in the Battle Pass system.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Quests

Fixes an issue whereby under specific conditions during Escoffier's Story Quest "Treasured Above All," the cooking screen displayed abnormally.

Fixes an issue whereby the quest objective "Try to activate the Astral Assemblage(s)" in the World Quest "The Forsaken Sea of Wisdom" could not be completed under certain conditions.

● Enemies

Fixes an issue whereby the attack range of the enemy "Lava Dragon Statue"'s magma strike did not match the actual animation.

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Local Legend: The Peak" behaved abnormally in combat and remained immobile for a period of time after using its skill under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby during some attack animations, character attacks failed to deal damage to the "Secret Source Automaton: Overseer Device" even when the enemy was within the player's attack range.

Fixes an issue whereby the enemy "Ferocious Warrior: Human Ram"'s eyes displayed abnormally while casting a skill.

Fixes an issue whereby during the "The Game Before the Gate" challenge, the Ascended King had a small chance to fail to revive properly after being resurrected by the Sublimated Queen.

Fixes a discrepancy between the hit location and model position of the enemy "Chess Game: Queen Piece" after being defeated.

Fixes an issue whereby some enemies could not exit combat after leaving the battle zone.

● Characters

Fixes an issue whereby Ifa had a small chance of not triggering the "Hypersense" effect of Ororon's Ascension Talent "Nightshade Synesthesia" when continuously attacking from a distance and approaching the enemy.

Fixes an issue whereby characters revived using food was brought back with 0 HP under certain conditions.

Fixes an issue whereby there was a small chance that Escoffier's nose highlight could sometimes display abnormally under shadowed lighting conditions.

Fixes an issue whereby Iansan could move horizontally through the air under certain circumstances.

● System

Fixes an issue whereby there was a small possibility that co-op Travelers who are not in your Friends list might not appear in the "Friends / Recent Co-Op Players" interface.

Fixes an issue whereby the map of Natlan may display abnormally under specific conditions.

Fixes an issue whereby the quantity of certain rewards on the "Domains" tab of the Adventurer Handbook were displayed incorrectly on Sundays.

Fixes an issue in the Travel Log/Tribal Chronicles interface whereby certain content in the quest "Orchard Repose" was displayed incorrectly.

● Genius Invokation TCG

Fixes an issue whereby after reviving a friendly character, if Bond of Life was attached and then removed, Sigewinne's Character Card passive skill "Detailed Diagnosis, Thorough Treatment" would not trigger as expected.

● Other

Fixes an issue whereby the number of characters calculated that met the effect conditions of the "Chain Breaker" weapon did not match the actual number under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby when using the "Take Photo" function with Lynette while the character was active, her face would be displayed abnormally when switching to another character and then switching back to Lynette.

Fixes an issue whereby the Statue of The Seven could restore fallen characters' HP when the characters had not been revived under certain circumstances.

Fixes an issue whereby teleporting to the Trounce Domain "Unresolved Chess Game" on PS5 under certain conditions would result in a scene loading error.

Fixes an issue whereby after switching characters while collecting treasure, certain actions of Cloud Retainer's Damasked Device, Itty Bitty Octobaby, or Firstborn Firesprite would fail to trigger.

Fixes text errors in certain screens and descriptions.

Fixes some text errors in certain languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

◆ Optimizes inconsistencies between certain voice-overs and the corresponding lines.

◆ Optimizes certain English translations.

〓Genius Invokation TCG Balance Adjustment〓

Adjusts the Elemental Dice cost for Kachina's Character Card Technique "Twirly Twirly Bam Bam" from 1 Die of any element to 1 Geo Die.

Adjusts the effect of Zhongli's Character Card "Dominance of Earth": adds a limit of "Max 3 times per Round" to the "Geo DMG +1" effect.

Increases the starting Max HP of Albedo's Character Card from 10 to 12.

Increases the starting Max HP of Neuvillette, Beidou, Candace, Baizhu, and Hydro Hilichurl Rogue Character Cards from 10 to 11.

Adjusts the Elemental Burst DMG of the Hydro Hilichurl Rogue Character Card: Hydro DMG dealt is adjusted from 3 to 4.

Reduces the Elemental Dice cost of Raiden Shogun's Elemental Burst and Talent Card "Wishes Unnumbered": the Electro Dice cost is adjusted from 4 to 3.

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #genshin impact 5.7

97 notes · View notes

lightsoutmatthews · 18 days ago

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omg i agree with other anon—so happy i found your blog and fab writing! i literally just binged all your fics! would you ever do a part 2 of dogs know best with auston? that story was so sweet

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I´m blushing at all those compliments and nice words about my writing 🥰

As you wished, dogs know best part 2 coming up.

Dogs know best (the aftermath) – Auston Matthews

You didn’t expect to see him again so soon.

Three days later, you were back at the park, Rosie tugging excitedly on the leash the moment you hit the gravel path. She sniffed the air like she somehow knew Felix might be nearby.

And sure enough, there he was.

Same doodle, same Gucci bandana – different hoodie, but the same guy crouched next to him. Auston looked up just as Rosie began her sprint, tail going at full speed again.

“Déjà vu?” he called as Felix perked up, recognizing Rosie instantly and bounding toward her. You laughed, catching up with your dog as she and Felix launched into their usual whirlwind. “Or fate,” you offered, only half-joking.

He gave a sheepish grin. “I was kind of hoping I´d run into you.”

“Oh really?” you teased. “You mean you didn’t check you schedule to make sure this time lined up?”

“Hey, I´m not that strategic,” he smirked. “Okay, maybe a little.”

You both laughed, settling into a rhythm as easy as the first time. For a while, you talked about nothing – you favorite coffee shops, your latest attempts at training Rosie not to pull during walks, Felix´s newfound fear of the Roomba.

Eventually, you both ended up on the same bench, the dogs resting at your feet, panting but content. “You know,” Auston said, glancing sideways at you, “I meant it the other day. About this being rare.”

You nodded, feeling Rosie shift against your shoe. “It´s rare for me too. To meet someone where things just click like this.

He smiled, soft and honest. “It´s weird, right? Like, the dogs knew before we did.”

You nudged Rosie with your toe. “She´s got a sixth sense for people. Never runs up to anyone like that.”

“She might be my new wing woman,” he chuckled.

You smirked. “I should thank her for the meet cute.”

He paused, tugging gently on Felix´s leash, clearly thinking. “Would you… want to grab a coffee sometime? Like, not here. Somewhere with fewer squirrels?”

You felt your stomach do that little flip. “Yeah,” you said, feeling the grin pull at your cheeks. “I´d like that.”

“Tomorrow?” he asked, hopeful.

“As long as we can bring the dogs,” you replied.

“Deal,” he said, pulling out his phone. “Text me the time and place. Felix and I will be there.”

You watched him walk away again, but this time, he turned around once, gave a little wave and smiled when he was you still looking.

Rosie bumped your leg again, tail thumping the ground. “Yeah, yeah,” you said softly. “I know. You did good.”

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

The next day the weather was indecisive, sun, clouds, a breeze that couldn’t make up its mind, but you figured Rosie wouldn’t mind and if Auston was still game, then you weren’t about to back out either.

You picked a café with a big patio, dog-friendly and slightly hidden from the usual weekend crowd. You got there a little early, mostly because Rosie wouldn’t stop pacing at the door as if she had somewhere to be.

When Auston walked up ten minutes later, hoodie tucked over a plain tee, sunglasses on, Felix trotting proudly beside him, it didn’t feel awkward. It felt as easy as in the park.

“Hey,” he greeted, pulling off his sunglasses with a smile. “You beat me.”

“Rosie was impatient. Apparently, she had a date.”

He laughed, tying Felix´s leash to one of the patio hooks before sitting across from you. “So, she´s the boss.”

“Always.”

The server came by, and you both ordered. Coffee for you, a cold brew for him, two bowls of water for the dogs.

“So,” he said once they were settled at your feet. “How do you usually spend your weekends when you´re not accidentally bumping into NHL players?”

“Mostly this,” you answered. “Dog parks, bad coffee, maybe a good book if I can stay awake long enough to read.”

“Sounds better than half the things I´m expected to be doing.”

“Like?”

He gave you a half-shrug. “Media stuff. Sponsor shoots. Talking about games that haven’t happened yet.”

“You really hate all that, huh?”

“I don’t hate it,” he said carefully. “It´s part of the job and I knew that from the beginning. But this-“he gestured around, to the quiet table, the dogs lounging in the sun, the espresso machine humming inside, “-this is rare.”

You nodded, your fingers grazing the edge of your cup. “Well, I´m glad you came.”

He glanced at Felix, who had his chin resting on Rosie´s back like they´d been friends for years. “Me too.”

You talked for a long time, too long, probably. The kind of conversation that loops naturally, without checking the time or feeling the need to fill silence. He told you stories about playing in Arizona as a kid. You told him about the worst date you ever had (it involved a mine and a broken Uber app). He laughed until he nearly out spit out his drink.

Eventually, the sun dipped lower, and the breeze got colder. Rosie let out a deep sigh, Felix giving her a sympathetic nose nudge like he agreed, it was time to wrap it up.

Auston stood, brushing his hands on his pants. “Hey, can I walk you guys home?”

You blinked. “You sure?”

“I mean, I did kind of promise Felix we´d walk off his whipped cream treat,” he said, pointing to the smear of foam on the doodle´s nose.

You laughed. “In that case, lead the way.”

The walk was unhurried. Auston kept the leash loose, Felix trotting next to him like a gentleman. Rosie, for once, didn’t pull.

Outside your building, you paused. “Well,” you started. “Rosie´s officially obsessed. Might need to start scheduling dog dates on the regular.”

“Anytime,” Auston chuckled. He hesitated again – just like he did the first day in the park. “I had a really good time too.”

“Me too,” you smiled.

He rubbed the back of his neck, almost as if he was nervous. “Would it be too soon to say I´d like to do it again? without needing the dogs as an excuse?”

A shy smile spread on your lips. “Are you asking me on a real date, Matthews?”

He shrugged. “Guilty.”

“I´d say yes, even without the dogs,” you answered his question, unlocking the door. “But bring them anyway. They´re better company than most people.”

“Deal,” he grinned. “I´ll text you.”

You waved him off, Rosie practically skipping through the door beside you. As you shut it behind you, your phone buzzed.

Auston – dog park squad: Still can´t believe she liked Felix more than the peanut butter treats. That’s how I know this is serious.

You laughed, typing back with a grin.

I Guess she´s got good instincts.

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

A week passed. A couple of text. A meme here, a dog photo there. Casual. Comfortable.

Then finally, a proper message.

Auston – dog park squad: Okay, I´m going for it. Want to grab dinner this weekend? No dogs. No park. Just us?

You stared at it for a second, smiling like a teenager. Rosie tilted her head at you from the couch like she knew. Again.

I Bold move, Matthews. But yes. I´m in.

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

He let you choose the place again. You picked a place a little out of the way – cozy lighting, exposed brick, just fancy enough to feel like a real date but not so much that either of you would feel out of place.

When you walked in, Auston was already there, leaning slightly forward at the table, sleeves rolled, checking the drink menu like he was studying for a test.

“Hey,” you announced yourself.

He looked up, face lighting up, and stood without hesitation. “Hey.”

To your surprise he went for a casual hug as a greeting. You immediately felt comfortable in his arms.

You took your seat and tried to ignore the flitter in your chest that came after that. No hoodie this time – a button-up shirt, sleeves rolled casually, and no baseball cap. A pair of sunglasses stayed on the table. He wasn’t hiding and somehow that made it all more real.

“So,” you said, unfolding your napkin. “No Rosie. No Felix. Do you think we´ll survive?”

He laughed. “Barely. I almost brought a squeaky toy for moral support.”

Dinner unfolded like a slow burn. The kind where you forgot to look at the menu for a full ten minutes because the conversation just kept going. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t flashy. It was easy.

You talked about everything you´d almost brought up at the dog park. The things that didn’t fit in quick chats between leash tangles and poop bags. Favorite movies. That weird gap year you took and regretted. His love-hate relationship with being recognized in public. How hockey was both his escape and his prison on some days.

At one point, he said “You know, I think this is the longest I´ve gone without anyone asking about the playoffs.”

You grinned. “I was saving that for dessert.”

He shook his head, laughing. “Figures.”

By the time the plates were cleared and the waiter subtly dropped off the bill without even asking, you weren’t quite ready for it to be over.

Auston picked it up and waved away your protest. “You got the next dog playdate; this one is on me.”

Outside, the city hummed around you, cars passing, patio laughter, music from someone´s open window. You stood together just a little too long near the curb.

“I had fun,” he said.

“Me too.”

There was a pause, that kind of silence that´s filled with possibility and a hundred unsaid things.

“Would it be too soon if I kissed you?” he asked softly.

You shook your head. “Not even a little.”

He stepped closer, and when it happened, it was slow and sure. Not rushed. Not hesitant. Just right.

When you pulled back, you didn’t say anything. Neither did he but the smile he gave you said everything.

“I´ll text you,” he said again, low voice.

“I know.”

You watched him walk away, a little stunned by what just happened but mostly happy. Really happy.

When you got home, Rosie jumped up like she had been waiting all night to judge you.

You gave her a pat, let her sniff your jacket and collapsed on the couch with a long sigh.

Your phone buzzed.

Auston – dog park squad: so… dinner round two next week? Youn can bring the real boss this time.

I She´s already picking out her outfit.

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

The next few weeks were spent with dates, dinners, the dog park, the coffee shop. Stolen kisses here and there but you hadn’t labeled it. Not out loud, at least.

There had been sleepovers (mostly with dogs draped over limbs), movie nights with lots of cuddling, coffee runs in the morning, texts just to check in – but no labels. It was working. It was good.

But the question that lingered in quiet moments – was this just easy or was this something?

You didn’t expect it to come up during a walk through Trinity Bellwood’s, but that´s exactly when it did.

The sun was starting to dip behind the trees, casting long shadows across the grass. Rosie had discovered a patch of mud and was rolling in it like it was her birthright. Felix stood nearby, horrified, as if she had personally insulted his grooming standards.

Auston let out a long, slow sigh. “Your girl is feral”

“She´s a free spirit” you replied, watching her barrel toward you in slow motion, mud coating half her side. “And she´s about to ruin your sweater.”

“She wouldn’t dare-.”

Thwump.

She leapt up, paws on his chest, tongue out, absolutely delighted with herself. Auston stared down at the paw prints now stamped on his front like abstract art.

He didn’t even flinch.

“She´s officially impossible,” he said, trying to keep a straight face.

You laughed and pulled Rosie back, apologizing with all the sincerity of someone who knew it wouldn’t be the last time.

But then Auston went quiet for a beat, looking at you, not the mud of the dogs.

“I´ve been thinking,” he started, brushing at his hoodie pointlessly.

You paused; leash looped in your hand. “About?”

“This,” he said, gesturing between you. “Us.”

Your heart kicked up, but you tried to play it cool. “Okay…”

“I don’t want to keep pretending like we don’t already know what this is,” he mumbled. “I like you. Not just hanging out or texting or messing around with the dogs. I like you and I want to be with you. Properly.”

You blinked. The world kept moving around you – dogs barking in the distance, a couple walking by with iced coffees, kids shrieking near the swings – but you felt like time had paused for as second.

“Auston…”

“I know you weren’t rushing it,” he added quickly. “And I wasn’t either but it´s not casual for me. Not anymore.”

You swallowed around the smile pushing at your lips. “I didn’t think it was.”

“You didn’t?”

You shook your head. “You don’t just let anyone drop their muddy rescue dog on your designer couch and eat half your fries.”

He laughed, a little nervously. “So… is that a yes?”

You took a step closer, fingers brushing against his. “Yes. That’s a yes.”

He exhaled like he had been holding his breath since he started this conversation. Then, leaned down and brushed you lips with his.

You backed away from each ither when Felix barked – loudly – and launched himself into Auston´s hip. Rosie followed, circling you both with the leash dragging, tail a blur.

You groaned. “They´re so not subtle.”

Auston just smiled, slipping his fingers fully into yours, not even trying to dodge before the chaos. “They knew before we did.”

#auston matthews #toronto maple leafs #auston matthews imagine #toronto maple leafs imagine #auston matthews x reader #nhl imagine

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yuurei20 · 2 months ago

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alright, I feel like letting this consume my mind for a really good while so... is there a list or something with all the content that's out? I know there's manga, novels, 4-koma, anthology,, but I'm not sure about all the events of the game besides the main story.

I'll search for fan translations myself but there's too many content and I'm a little lost where to start jsjskd I need a little help to know how many things are of and also, I have another question: where do you all know when there's something coming out, like new manga chapter or a 4-koma one? any updates page I should know of? I'll follow any recommended blogs of translations if you have any more.

and I'm really sorry I know it's a lot 😭

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🐦‍⬛

By "content" do you mean the supplemental media, like manga and novels? 👀 You then mention "all the events of the game" so maybe an event list would be better? Or past real-life events, like cafes and concerts?

Here is a list of all these things just in case :D

Supplemental Media List (stories) ・Manga: Episode of Heartslabyul, volumes 1-4, complete The prologue and Book 1 of the Main Story (game) ・Manga: Episode of Savanaclaw, volumes 1-2, ongoing Book 2 of the Main Story (game) ・Manga: Episode of Octavinelle, volumes -1-2, ongoing Book 3 of the Main Story (game) ・Manga: Episode of Scarabia, volume 1, ongoing Book 4 of the Main Story (game) ・Manga: Anthologies, volumes 1-2, complete? Slice-of-life stories independent of the game/game's creators ・Novel: Episode 1, the Rose-Red Tyrant, complete ・Novel: Episode 2, the Usurper of the Wilds, complete (JP only) ・Comic: 4koma, ongoing Slice-of-life stories independent of the game/game's creators

Supplemental Media List (guides/artbooks/etc. Complete? Ongoing? Mysterious) ・Magical Archives Game Guide volumes 1-2 ・Twisted Wonderland Official Fanbook volumes 1-3 ・Visual Book volumes 1-4 ・Design Note ・Twisted Wonderland Art Gallery, volumes 1-2

Event List (non-Main Story), this chart is updated and shared every month and might not be what you are looking for but just in case here is an order of release of all events to both servers, from launch! (does not include reruns)

Real-Life Event List (does not include pop-up shops) ・2021/10/1 - 2021/11/29: Disney Ambassador Hotel Special Room ・2022/3/7 - 2023/9/17: Twisted Wonderland Exhibition ・2022/10/7 - 2022/12/11: Cafe, Scary Monsters ・2022/9/30 - 2022/10/27: School Uniform Exhibition (by Cosplay Essentials) ・2023/8/20: Twisted Wonderland Fes ・2023/10/26 - 2023/12/17: Cafe, Disney 100 ・2024/9/6 - 2024/11/24: Cafe, Glorious Masquerade & Playfulland ・2025/6/24 - TBD: Special Course at Empire Grill ・2025/10/11 - 2025/10/13: 3D Magical Live -Blazing Jewel-

Manga Chapter Release Information Episode of Savanaclaw/Octavinelle/4koma, Monthly on the 18th

New chapters of the Savanaclaw/Octavinelle manga and 4koma are published in G-Fantasy magazine on the 18th of the month (or the 16th when the 18th is a Sunday) 🥳

The Savanaclaw manga and the Octavinelle manga have recently been publishing in an every-other-month schedule in G-Fantasy, but this is not always consistent.

For example, Octavinelle's newest chapter was released a few days ago and the next update has been announced for the June 18th, while Savanaclaw's newest chapter was released in March and the next update has been announced for July, with the added information that it was meant to release in May but it is taking a month off, so maybe only 4koma in May?

This information is from the most recent chapters in each. On the last page of new chapters they always write when it is that the next chapter will be coming 📅

(note: new chapters are counted one month in advance, so the May-release issue is called the "June" issue, the June-release issue is called the "July" issue, etc.)

#twstask #twisted wonderland

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taomyou · 2 months ago

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nerds do it better - chapter 1: Digital Gate, Open!

synopsis: You know, most people wouldn't be all that interested in getting to know the weird Digimon kid. Good thing you're not most people! - or, you and Gojo meet at a Digimon TCG game night and become really, really good friends.

tags: gojo satoru x reader, nerd!gojo, fem!nerd!reader, modern au, college/uni au, meet cute, fluff || wc: 5.2k

ao3 || tumblr masterlist

You chew on your bottom lip as you look at yourself in the mirror of your car’s sun visor. You hadn’t bothered to put on any makeup or dress nicely, but now you’re beginning to feel self-conscious of that decision. Should you have gotten pretty for tonight? You wanted to look approachable—friendly, even—but maybe something other than your faded college orientation shirt, an old pair of basketball shorts, and your beloved pink crest of sincerity necklace would’ve been better for that.

You can feel yourself start to sweat, your left hand clammy as you grip onto the steering wheel even though the AC is still running. Your right hand is still on the gear shift, ready to put your car back in drive and leave, but you can’t bring yourself to move it.

Your eyes flicker between your reflection and your rearview mirror to see the near-empty parking lot around you, and you wonder whether or not you’ve made the right decision coming tonight. You count 6 cars, all of them parked right next to each other right at the entrance. Apart from those few, there’s absolutely no one else around.

You groan, moving both your hands to the top of your steering wheel so you can thrash your head back and forth in despair. As you move around, the small black box in your pocket falls out, and once you feel the weight gone, you stop immediately and pat around in your chair to pick it back up. You panic when you can’t immediately find it, but eventually you see that it’s caught between your seat and the door, so you quickly turn off your car’s engine and open the door so you can pick it back up.

Your legs now swung out, you sigh to yourself as you put the box back in your pocket. You awkwardly lean down to make sure that nothing had fallen out, but you don’t see that familiar plastic sheen anywhere, so you figure it’s all safe. You look around to make sure that nobody’s seen you haphazardly shuffle about in your car, but, as you’d expected, there’s no one there.

It really is so empty, much more than you’d thought it’d be. The advertising for the event looked so well-put together and planned, but there really isn’t anyone around. Who could even say all those 6 other cars were here for the same reason you were? They could just be there to shop around.

Your feet to the asphalt, you put your elbows on your knees and groan again into your hands.

Seriously, why the fuck are you even here right now?

You run through it again in your head to delay having to move, but, honestly, you’re about a minute away from just turning the engine back on and driving out of this sketchy parking lot at the edge of town.

You’ve been playing Digimon TCG since it’d launched a couple years ago. You suppose a more accurate statement is that you collected the cards back then and learned the actual rules of the game a few years later in the summer between high school and university, but no one around you really cares enough to hear the difference, so you just say you’ve been playing since launch.

Makes you sound cooler, anyway. Like, “look at me, a grown adult woman, I’m so up-to-date on a children’s game franchise that I’ve been playing their card game since it released!”

But, anyway.

You don’t have much company that’s all that interested in playing with you, at least not anymore. You fared just fine with finding other players in online servers in the past, but with your third-year university schedule, you’ve had to stop queuing for duels that pretty much always end up being hours-long, even on weekdays past midnight.

And, full offense to them, but the only people available to even play by the time you’re finished with your responsibilities for the day aren’t all that great, always lecturing you mid-game on the current game meta and pressuring you for extra rounds when they lose to your deck. And, quite frankly, you didn’t clear your deskspace and set up your overhead camera at your PC to listen to a bunch of basement dwellers whine about how your “weak” deck should’ve lost to theirs (which you call out as blatant misogyny—God forbid a girl plays with cards that’re girly, cute, and viable for comp).

You don’t know anyone personally who plays either, much to your dismay. Admittedly, you hadn’t tried very hard to look—only asking someone if they played if you saw a Agumon keychain on someone’s backpack around campus or if you’d overheard any sort of tabletop game conversation—but the answer was always a resounding no, I didn’t even know there was a card game. You’ve tried getting your friends interested, even lending them decks you’ve played in the past, and while they do put in an honest effort to pick it up, you know they’re not having as much fun as you’d want them to.

. . .

And that’s how you find yourself here now, in the near-empty Jujutsu Comic Shop parking lot on a Friday night, your Beelstarmon deck heavy in your flimsy shorts pocket, supposedly ready to play a few tables with other local players who probably don’t even exist. You saw a small flyer for a DTCG game night put up on one of the bulletin boards on your uni campus last week, went home and triple-checked your deck to make sure none of your cards had suddenly become illegal for play since the last time you got them out of their case, and made the relatively long drive to get to the comic book store.

All that only to find that the whole thing is a complete bust. Seriously, 6 cars?! And it starts in, like, 10 minutes! The flyer said free food—that’s usually enough on its own to get everyone and their mother to these things!

God, and the likelihood that everyone waiting in there is an arrogant asshole that’s going to insult your deck is high enough that you’re better off just building a new one with whatever booster packs are in the store…

There’s at least one of those fuckers waiting in there. One of the 6 cars in the lot is littered with Digimon stickers, enough of them that you’re going to assume that they’re crazier about it than you are, which is saying quite a lot considering you’ve been in love with it since you were a young girl. At the very least, there’s none of those excessively lewd stickers plastered on it—just a bunch of Rookie and Champion levels—, but you can barely even spot the license plate with how overstimulated your eyes are. You’d probably find the car cute in any other context, but, right now, you’re just annoyed at yourself for thinking that coming all the way out here was a good idea.

You lift your head to do one last scan of the parking lot, feeling dejected.

You really do want to play, but would it really be worth it to stick around if you weren’t going to have any good games? It’s starting to get late, the sun starting to dip past the horizon, and it really doesn’t look like any more people will show up. You suppose that the other cars could’ve been full with friends carpooling and there’s actually a bunch of tables being prepared as you’re loitering in the parking lot, but are there even enough people in this college town who know a Digimon card game even exists?

You’re probably part of the problem yourself, unwilling to face the other thing holding you back from just going in and making yourself present. It’s… scary to be somewhere like this, all on your own and to play something you feel strongly enough to spend the last 30 minutes driving to. And you hesitate to say it’d be embarrassing—cringe isn’t real, people should do whatever they want—, but it would be sufficiently embarrassing to walk in, see nobody there except for the organizer (who’s probably the owner of that obnoxious Digi-Car), and have to sit through some painstakingly boring games with someone who probably won’t respect your build choices.

You close your eyes and lean further into your elbows, deciding that you’ll leave in a second. As disappointed as you are, it does feel nice outside today, even with how clammy your hands still are, but that’s to be expected in the tail-end of winter. Your only opportunities to be outside like this nowadays are when you’re walking between classes and when you’re chasing after the evening bus home from campus, so it’s refreshing to actually enjoy the breeze for once instead of being upset that it ruins your hair.

You don’t realize you’ve spaced out until you hear the sound of someone clearing their throat, and you’re shaken fully awake by it. You straighten up, hands now in fists in your lap, and you look around frantically and towards where the sound came from.

And, standing over the parking bumper in front of your car, is…

“Nanami?”

What’s he doing here?

When the two of you make eye contact, his eyes widen in mild surprise. The two of you were in a few general education courses together a year or so back, and while you wave at each other if you see him around, you don’t really interact beyond that. At most, a one-in-a-blue moon text 15 minutes before a deadline if either of you needed an emergency set of eyes to review a paper, but you don’t know anything about him beyond what you’ve seen in class.

“Oh, hello. It’s nice to see you,” he greets politely.

“Yeah, you too," you say cautiously. “What’re you doing here?”

“Ah, well,” he purses his lips, “my friend sent me out to see if anyone was out here, he put together the event.”

“Oh.”

There’s an awkward pause, and you nod along to the silence.

“Is that what you’re here for?” He asks just as awkwardly.

“Yeah, I guess so.” You put your hand over where your deck is. You figure that you’re comfortable enough with Nanami to tell him your reservations. “Just… don’t really see anyone else. I wouldn’t want to be the only person there, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.”

There’s another pause.

“I didn’t know you played,” you comment awkwardly. He’s just about the last person you’d expect to see at something like this, and you imagine he thinks the same about you. Apart from a small D-3 digivice keychain on your backpack that constantly gets mistaken as a Pokédex for whatever reason—it’s ridiculous, they look nothing alike—, you don’t really parade around your obsession enough for people to assume you’re a raging geek for it.

Can’t exactly afford all the anniversary merchandise anyway.

“I don’t, but my friend is,” he pauses to sigh, “to put it plainly, obsessed with it and everything else Digimon-related,” he says. “He always begs our friends and me to get into it, but none of us have the time.”

You chuckle dryly at that. “Sounds about right, I've tried with my friends too.”

“I can’t understand how he finds the time for it himself, he goes to school with us.”

You gesture vaguely towards the direction of the other parked vehicles. “Is he the one with the car?”

“Yes, don’t remind me,” he groans. “You do, though, I presume? Play the card game?”

You nod, leaning into your hand and sighing. “Yeah.”

“If you don’t want to go in, I’m not gonna snitch on you for leaving, but you are the only person that’s come to actually play.”

“Seriously?”

He nods with a slight frown. “He’s dragged all our friends here for company, but it’s just him who plays.”

“Did he plan the whole thing by himself?”

“Some of our other friends and I helped decorate and set up, but for the most part, yeah.” Nanami sighs again, but this time, it’s more sad, less exasperated. “We tried telling him not to get his hopes up, but he never listens.”

You frown, looking over at the entrance to the small shop just a few meters away.

Ok, well now you just feel bad for the guy. You… kinda feel like you have to go in now, your good conscience wouldn’t let you sleep if you didn’t step inside for a second, take a look around. The least you could do is compliment his car—glancing over at it again, it really is super cute.

Besides, this dude seems… enthusiastic to find someone to play with, so much so that he’s planned an event for it and invited all his friends to stick around and fill space. It’d upset you if you were in his position and nobody showed after all that effort spent.

And, surely, this guy can’t be that bad if Nanami’s friends with him, right? The tall blonde is polite and a good peer review partner, and even if that isn’t much to go off, it’s better than having no knowledge of who’s in there. It’s no longer a faceless middle-aged man beyond the door—now, it’s just a faceless friend of Nanami’s.

And, in all honesty, you’ve seen a few of them walking with him around campus. You’d be lying if you said they weren’t incredibly easy on the eyes, especially that tall one with white hair and glasses.

You just hope you’re not making the wrong assumption here.

You sigh again, this time less strained, and you shake your head as you get up from the driver’s seat. “No, it’s okay, I think I’ll come take a look. Wouldn’t hurt to, right? At least there’s free food.”

“Right,” Nanami nods along. “Are you sure?”

You lean back down to grab your keys before closing and locking the doors, eyebrows furrowed at his comment. “Why, you don’t think I should come in?”

“I’m glad you are, and he’s not a bad guy or anything, he’s just… really into it.”

“I think I’ll take my chances.”

You nervously smile up at Nanami, straightening up and following him as he leads you back to the store. He opens the door for you, and you thank him quickly as you slip under the roof and he’s now the one behind you. He tips his head towards one of the game rooms towards the back of the store, and you cautiously walk towards that direction, your eyes darting all around you. There’s a huge poster on the wall in front of you with a charmingly messy drawing of the Wargreymon digivolution line with an arrow pointing to the entrance.

Your nerves buzz. Whether it’s because you’re afraid this guy’s going to quiz you on your knowledge or excited to finally meet someone in the real world that you could actually hold a conversation about the franchise with, you don’t know, though.

You could also just be hungry. You can smell the food through the door.

Before you can grab the door handle to turn it, though, someone on the other side pulls it open, and you hear an audible gasp from them when the two of you meet eyes.

Oh, shit.

It’s that guy you see with Nanami around campus—the tall one with white hair and glasses. He's dressed similar to you in an old band shirt with the logo so faded you can barely read it and a pair of grey sweatpants.

You see him look at Nanami, then back at you, then back at Nanami, then back at you again.

“Hi,” you greet shyly, now suddenly aware of how close the two of you are, barely a meter separating you.

“Hi,” he awkwardly lets the word fall from his mouth, seemingly in some sort of disbelief. His eyes fall to your necklace, just barely peeking out from behind the neck of your tee shirt. “Are you here for the game night…?”

You nod, lips pulled in a nervous smile. “Yeah.”

“Like, to play?”

“Um, yes…?” You take out the box from your pocket. “Here’s my deck.”

And once the words sink in, he just about lights up, a grin now on his face as he throws up his arms in celebration.

“Woo! We got one person!”

There’s a chorus of cheers (and a few groans) from behind him, and he moves out of the way promptly to usher you into the space. “Please, please, come in!”

You look back at Nanami who simply rolls his eyes with a small smile, and you step into the room, careful not to trip over your feet in front of all these people. There’s a desk towards the front with a sign-in sheet and a pen, so you quickly fill in your name and deck color before taking a quick look around the room.

It looks like any other ordinary club party, save for some playmats stacked at the front table and small motifs around the room. All eyes are on you now, but people have their own food, drinks, and seem to have been talking casually amongst themselves at different tables and at the edges of the room. You thankfully don’t look out of place at all because no one is wearing anything fancier than a shirt with a collar (that person being Nanami). Trays of food that’re probably going to end up being leftovers for the next week are lined on a table to the side, and there’s a cute Gerbemon drawn on another poster by the trashcan to show where to throw things away.

The guy who opened the door is still brimming with energy, kinda like his crest’s just gotten activated, and he turns back around to face you. Funnily enough, he does have the necklace on: a blue tag with the crest of light engraved into it. It must’ve been hidden by his shirt earlier and shaken forward when he greeted you.

Guess this is him.

“Thank you for coming! My name’s Gojo!” He smiles, his hands pressed flat against each other at the side of his face. You give your name and a wave to greet him, and he leans in closer to you, having to bend his knees to meet you eye-level. You blush slightly, but you’re too frozen to move away. “Say, you look familiar. Have I met you before?”

“No shit, she’s wearing our college orientation shirt!” Someone shouts from behind him.

They’re promptly shushed, and you awkwardly laugh and scratch your cheek with your pointer finger. “I know Nanami, so maybe you’ve seen me talking to him around campus. I think I’ve seen you around before, too.”

The realization dawns on him, and he nods to himself. “Right! That, and I think I recognize you from the library. You study on the 6th floor?”

You nod. Honestly, you’re too occupied with your schoolwork when you’re at the library to pay attention to anyone else around you, so you aren’t surprised you don’t remember seeing him around there.

Promptly, Gojo shoos Nanami away and orients himself to be facing the same direction as you again, his arms spread out wide. “Well, grab something to snack on, and take a seat! Actually, let me know where you wanna sit, I’ll set up the table.”

“Sure! Uh,” you start, and you point at a table towards the opposite corner of the room, “is over there okay?"

“Whatever you want!” He chirps happily, and he practically skips over to grab a playmat and a handful of memory markers. He yanks on the back of one of his friends’ shirts to get his help setting up, and the long-haired ravenette gently knocks at Gojo’s head before coming along.

After you’re done grabbing your food (seriously, what’s with this spread?), you walk over to the table you’d pointed toward earlier, and you carefully put down your plate at the free space towards the end. Gojo’s friend is off standing somewhere else now, talking with Nanami and some other people you vaguely recognize, so it’s just you and the man of the hour where you are. There’s a cute Adventure-01 playmat between the two of you and a clay Koromon as the memory marker, which makes you smile to yourself.

You carefully twirl your fork to gather some noodles onto it, and Gojo leans down to grab something from a backpack. As he’s digging through it, he tuts the digivolution animation sound to himself, and you hum along yourself while you eat. As you take a bite, you faintly hear what sounds like a deck box opening and closing, so you figure now’s as good a time as any to ask.

“So, Gojo, who do you play?”

“You’ll see in just a second, let me count my cards real quick. I usually play blue, though,” he hums, moving back up into his chair.

Blue? You suppose you’d peg someone like him as a Magnamon player. Sucks for you, though, your deck isn’t strong enough as-is to have any chance against him. Even if he isn't playing Magnamon, blue is an awful matchup for purple.

“Who do you play?” He asks obliviously.

“I have a few other decks, but I brought Beelstarmon today,” you answer halfheartedly.

“Oh, I haven’t played against purple in a while, it’ll be fun!”

“Huh?” You say that more to yourself than to him. Does he take pleasure in knowing he’s about to mop the floor with you? He seems oblivious to your concerns, though, happily humming to himself again.

“Do you play any other colors?” He asks.

“Oh! Uh,” you gulp nervously, “I main yellow, but I like playing purple, too. I tried building green a while ago, though, just not really for me.”

He nods along, hands steady as he continues to count to himself. “That’s me and red. I really wanted to build an AncientGreymon deck, but I get too anxious playing without def. Sucks because I love the evo line, but I figure they’ll eventually have better blue-red hybrid decks that I’ll enjoy playing later. I have some white decks, I guess, but they’re so boring to play, especially D-Reaper, like, I can’t even play aggressive until the set is almost over! I really ought to branch out into black, I think…”

As he drones on, you peek up at him through your eyelashes. The more he talks, the more you realize that he’s just blissfully unaware of how anxious you are, and the more his carefree energy rubs off on you.

For the most part, everyone else in the room doesn’t pay either of you any mind. Your table is practically its own island, everyone else floating around and just making their own fun amongst themselves. It doesn’t seem like Gojo minds that they’re all doing their own Digimon-unrelated things, so you choose to ignore it too.

Getting a better look at him now, even at table height, he looks so tall, kinda like the chair he’s sitting in is too small for him. You see him smiling while he talks, occasionally swiping away something on his card sleeves as he counts them, and he seems to still be shaking with quiet excitement. His glasses hide his eyes a bit from this angle, but they sit nicely at the bridge of his nose. When they fall slightly, he throws his head back so he doesn’t lose count of his deck by moving his hands elsewhere.

He still gets distracted, though, getting so caught up in what he’s saying that he loses count anyway and curses at himself for needing to start over and make sure he’s not missing anything. Everytime that happens, his friends within earshot snicker at him and he barks back at them with some corny line from the anime, then immediately looks to you to make sure you catch the reference.

You didn’t think someone being so… dorky could be so cute.

You continue eating while he talks, nodding and giving answers when he asks for them. He seems to never pause, but it doesn’t feel like he’s talking at you—more like he’s trying to say as much as he can now while he’s got your attention. Not that he’d lose it this way, you latch onto every word because it’s not often that you get to listen to someone who actually enjoys this interest of yours in the same way you do, but also because you want to stay in your dreamland for a little bit longer before he places down his broken Magnamon combo and destroys you.

If nothing else, you suppose that even if you end up losing every game tonight, you’ll have at least had a good conversation with another fan.

By the time he’s finally ready to start the match, you’ve already finished most of what you picked up for dinner, and the two of you swap decks to shuffle. You aren’t supposed to look when you shuffle, but he hands his deck to you face-up, and you catch a glimpse of the top card.

Your hands also brush slightly in the exchange, but you hardly acknowledge it in your surprise.

You raise a brow and bring the deck closer to look at. “You’re playing Cendrillmon?”

“Yep!” Gojo grins, already starting to mix up your cards.

“...Didn't you just say you play blue?”

“Ah, ah, ah,” he clicks his tongue teasingly, “I said I usually play blue. But Cendrillmon’s my favorite digimon, so I figured I’d play her tonight.”

You light up. “That’s so cute! I love when people build their decks with digimon they actually like,” you gush.

“Right!? I wish it was more common,” he sighs wistfully. “Is Beelstarmon your favorite, too?”

You shake your head, turning over his deck so you can shuffle blind. “I like her a lot, but not my favorite. I just felt like playing purple today.”

You give the name of your favorite digimon when he asks, and he gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up to you as you both continue to shuffle.

“Well, I’m glad you brought purple, it would’ve been kinda boring if we were both yellow.”

“Probably, yeah. Did you only bring one deck?”

He shrugs, looking over to the door to the room. “Yeah, I honestly didn’t really think anyone was gonna come, so I just have the one.”

“Oh,” you say quietly. Right, like Nanami mentioned earlier.

“How’d you hear about tonight, by the way?”

“I saw a flyer at North Campus, most of my classes are around there.”

“Oh, sweet! I think I sent Suguru to put them up around there, I’ll have to be extra nice to him later,” he jokes.

“Sure.” After a pause, you blurt out what’s stewing in your mouth. “I’m sorry.”

"Why, what's wrong? You didn't do anything."

"I mean, I'm sorry there's not more people here. It must be disappointing."

When he hears your concern, he chuckles and waves you off with an honest grin. “Don’t be sorry! You’re here now, so it’s already much better turnout than I expected! Either way, it’s good to have an excuse for the crew to get together, and it still would’ve been a party even if it didn’t work out. I’ll introduce you to everyone after we play a few matches.”

“You’re more positive than I’d be, I’d probably be crying in the bathroom if nobody showed up to an event I planned.”

“Maybe, but, like I said, there is someone here, and she’s having a great time!” He exclaims, holding your deck out for you to take. “Right?”

You look up at his face, a nervous smile on his features as he waits for your answer. His eyes avoid yours, but you still bring up his cards to hide behind them as you smile.

“Yeah, I’d say so.”

His lips lose their nervous twitch as he sighs in relief. “Okay, thank goodness. I wouldn’t want to let down such a pretty girl."

You lower his cards to the table and laugh dryly. “Ha ha, very funny, Gojo.”

His careful smile suddenly drops and his eyebrows furrow behind his glasses. “Uh, I wasn’t joking.”

You look down at yourself, then back at him, and before you can retort with some other kind of comeback, his friend from earlier—the one with long black hair—passes by your table and puts a hand on Gojo's shoulder.

“Satoru, play nice.” Then he looks at you and slyly smiles. “Sorry about him, he’s a huge nerd.”

He groans, and he looks up at his friend frantically. "You say that like it’s a bad thing! Shoo! Leave us alone, quit embarrassing me!”

As the two of them continue to bicker, you bite back a smile at Gojo’s expense. He occasionally looks to you while him and his friend throw other empty insults at each other, his smile telling you he’s sorry you’re having to see the exchange (and maybe that you thought he was joking when he called you pretty). When the other guy leaves and tells you, once again, that he’s sorry you have to deal with the white-haired boy, you let out a small laugh that brings Gojo's attention fully back to you.

Gojo clears his throat and straightens up in his chair again, stretching out his hands in front of him with a forced smile. “Well, don’t mind him.”

His (very bad) attempt at nonchalance makes you laugh again.

"What's so funny?"

You chuckle to yourself and shake your head. "Nothing."

Once your smile has passed enough for you to be able to get back to shuffling, you hear him whine from across the table, now holding your deck even closer to you now for you to take. “Why are you taking so long to shuffle?! I wanna start playing!”

You roll your eyes at him, playfully hitting his hand with his own cards. “Well, excuse me for wanting a fair matchup.”

“You’re excused!” He laughs loudly at his own joke, but he waits patiently for you to finish, his head down on the table as he watches you.

After another couple seconds, you pass off your cards back to each other, your hands touching again. Neither of you acknowledge it, now occupied with setting up your cards on the mat, but you steal glances at him as you do to make sure he isn’t uncomfortable with the contact. It is your first time meeting him, even if you have seen him around a few odd times before.

It seems he has the same thought, and your eyes catch each other awkwardly. He chuckles to himself, a hand now on the back of his neck, and he tips his cards towards you in some kind of gesture that asks if you’re fine. You nod, and he shyly tips his head down again, a slight flush under his eyes.

Once everything else is set up, the two of you place down five cards from the top of your deck at the top of your playerspace, and you quickly pull out a coin from your wallet to wordlessly decide who goes first. He tells you “heads,” and he cheers when you flip it and you lift your palm to reveal heads.

“Okay, you ready?”

“Yep.”

You both hover your right hands over the playmat, then nod to each other before pulling them across the board to grab your cards.

“Digital Gate, open!”

☆

chapter 2

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #satoru x reader #fluff #jjk #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #nerdjo #nerd gojo #gojo x you #gojo satoru x you

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anim-ttrpgs · 5 months ago

Note

I know ppl have talked about the monsters-as-disabled-people metaphor before but as a chronic pain haver I also appreciate how not only is the rulebook straightforward about how to create a disabled PC but actively encourages you to do so

Thank you! And yeah, obviously this is something very important to us, and we are glad that it resonates with so many others!

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but you can still check out the public beta on itch.io to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, etc.!

You can also follow updates on our Kickstarter page where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more, you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy earlier, plus extra content such as adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

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honeyhaeya · 7 months ago

Text

🎮02 | Quit🎭

Part-Time Lover | JxW - masterlist

⚠️ WARNINGS ⚠️: strong language (profanity), petty arguments, mention of alcohol consumption, reader getting drunk, depictions of stress/anxiety related to online and work life, light suggestive jokes/humor. (thats about it in this chapt) smut warnings: n/a (yet) wc: 6895 (longer than the usual? ikr)

Jeonghan stared at his monitor, blinking twice. It has been two days since he last played with you as WINN3R. His Discord notifications were a chaotic blur of pings and unread messages. He’d finally caved and clicked into the app, his mouse hovering over the muted server where his circle of gamer friends resided. The icon sat there, blinking at him like a neglected child waiting for attention.

It had been ages since he’d last opened this. Back in the day, the server was his second home. Back when life wasn’t about board meetings, product launches, and meticulous schedules. Back when all he had to care about was climbing leaderboards and outplaying opponents.

The familiar server name, "GG Hyungsquad", brought a wave of nostalgia. The banner—a badly photoshopped image of all their gamer tags—looked just as ridiculous as he remembered. It had been years, but the memories came flooding back. Late nights at arcades, skateboards abandoned on sidewalks, and tournaments that had them glued to their screens until sunrise. That was their world. They weren’t just friends; they were brothers bonded by joysticks and caffeine.

But now?

Jeonghan sighed. He’d grown so distant, hadn’t he? He muted the server ages ago, choosing to prioritize his company and responsibilities over late-night gaming sessions. His friends got it. They’d teased him about it, calling him CEO-nim and joking about how he’d abandoned them for a “suit-and-tie life,” but they never pushed.

Click.

He opened the server, scrolling through the channels.

[#general-chat] pledis_boos: Bro why is Mingyu’s face in every ad lately?? Do they just like buff guys who are bad at games now? min9yu: HEY WTF I CARRY YOU ALL THE TIME!!! vernon_98: "Carry"? In which world? This one? Nah. Try again. ho5hi_kwon: Let’s all agree Mingyu’s just here for the visuals. min9yu: CAN YOU NOT

Jeonghan chuckled under his breath. They hadn’t changed a bit.

But then, his scrolling halted.

[#gaming-vc] kitsunya: you guys are so bad at league. please uninstall. ho5hi_kwon: YOU'RE CHEATING I SWEAR. min9yu: Literally HOW are you this good. You’ve got to be hacking. pledis_boos: Guys. GUYS. Let’s stop embarrassing ourselves. Kitsunya’s just built different. kitsunya: built different my ass y'all are just too weak :p

Jeonghan froze.

@/kitsunya.

His eyes darted back to the username, reading it over and over again. It wasn’t a coincidence, was it? There was no way. No freaking way.

You were here.

His heart skipped a beat, and he let out a breathless laugh. Of course you were. Of course his ridiculous friends would somehow rope you into their chaos. How had he not seen this coming?

Curiosity got the better of him. Jeonghan navigated to the gaming-vc channel, his mouse hovering over the join button. For a split second, he hesitated. He hadn’t gamed with them in years, and now you were part of the mix? What if you recognized him? What if he blew his cover as W1NN3R?

But then again, the thought of hearing your voice in the midst of their usual banter was too tempting to resist.

Click.

The moment he joined, chaos greeted him. “OH MY GOD, IT’S JEONGHAN!” Hoshi yelled, his voice piercing through Jeonghan’s headset.

“Hyung! You’re alive!” Seungkwan added dramatically. “We thought you forgot how to use Discord.”

“CEO-nim, gracing us with his presence,” Vernon teased, his tone as monotone as ever.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress the grin forming on his face. “Yeah, yeah, keep it coming,” he said lazily, leaning back in his chair.

“Jeonghan?”

Your voice.

He stiffened for half a second before regaining his composure. “Who’s this?” he asked, feigning ignorance, even though he already knew.

“This is Kitsunya, obviously!” Seungkwan chimed in, like you were some sort of celebrity. “She’s the one who’s been carrying these idiots in League. Don’t let her innocent voice fool you; she’ll destroy you in-game.”

You scoffed. “They’re exaggerating. These guys just tilt too easily.”

Jeonghan smirked. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said smoothly. “Nice to meet you, Kitsunya.”

“Likewise,” you replied, your tone polite but distant.

The next few hours passed in a blur of chaos and laughter. They queued up for a few matches, and though Jeonghan mostly stayed quiet, he observed.

You were exactly as he’d seen on stream—sharp, witty, and completely in control. Every time one of the guys fumbled, you were there to pick up the slack, your voice calm as you directed them in-game.

But what fascinated Jeonghan most wasn’t your skill. It was the way you seamlessly fit into his circle. You weren’t intimidated by their larger-than-life personalities or their endless teasing. If anything, you gave as good as you got, throwing jabs that left even Seungkwan speechless.

And when the game finally ended—another victory, thanks to you—Jeonghan couldn’t help but feel… intrigued.

“Well, I think I’m done for the night,” you said, your voice cutting through the post-game chatter.

“Already?” Mingyu whined. “One more match!”

“I’ve got work tomorrow,” you replied, and Jeonghan swore he could hear the faintest hint of exhaustion in your tone.

“Boring,” Hoshi teased.

“Some of us have responsibilities, unlike you,” you shot back, earning a chorus of laughter.

As you left the call, Jeonghan sat there, staring at the now-empty slot in the voice chat where your username had been.

“Kitsunya, huh?” he murmured to himself, a small smile tugging at his lips.

This was going to get interesting.

You turned your computer off, your reflection flickering on the darkened monitor.

Shit. Jeonghan plays?

The thought looped in your head as you sat frozen in your chair. What the actual fuck? Jeonghan—your boss, the ridiculously polished, too-handsome-for-his-own-good CEO—played video games? The idea felt so far-fetched it almost made you laugh.

The same Jeonghan who demanded flawless work, who breezed through meetings with his effortless charm, and who somehow looked better at 3:37 a.m. than you did on your best day? That Jeonghan? Playing games? On Discord?

Your heart pounded as questions began to swirl.

Had he always been in that server, lurking silently? How long had he known? Was it a coincidence? Or—your chest tightened—did he already know you were both kitsunya, the streamer, and his secretary-slash-makeup-artist?

No way.

Right?

You swallowed hard, shaking your head in disbelief. There was no fucking way.

You paced the room, your thoughts racing. Jeonghan had always seemed... perceptive. The kind of person who noticed things others didn’t. His eyes always carried a glint of something—like he knew more than he let on. But that was just his CEO persona, wasn’t it? You didn’t remember any moment where he’d given even the faintest hint of recognition toward your streaming life.

Still, the timing was… suspicious. You’d been added to the server just a month ago, introduced as one of Seungkwan’s friends. And now, for the first time in what felt like forever, Jeonghan reappears?

No, stop overthinking.

You sighed, slumping onto your bed and burying your face in your hands. So what if he played? So what if he knew? You weren’t breaking any rules by streaming, and your private life was just that—private. There was nothing to worry about.

Right?

But the thought lingered. Jeonghan’s smooth, composed voice echoed in your mind from earlier in the call.

“Nice to meet you, Kitsunya.”

There had been something in the way he said it. Too polite. Too deliberate.

You shook your head violently. “Nope. Not doing this,” you muttered. “I’m too fucking tired for conspiracy theories.”

You grabbed your phone to mute Discord for the night, but just before you switched it off, you noticed the server icon glowing faintly. A new ping in #general-chat. Against your better judgment, you tapped it.

[#general-chat] pledis_boos: Bro how is Jeonghan still good at League after disappearing for years?? ho5hi_kwon: Right?? He carried that game like it was 2016 again. vernon_98: Maybe he was secretly practicing in his office lmao. min9yu: CEO by day, gamer by night. What a life. ho5hi_kwon: Watch out Kitsunya, he might replace you as our new carry.

You threw your phone onto the bed, facepalming.

“Replace me? Over my dead body.”

But as you lay there, staring at the ceiling, another thought crept into your mind. What if this was intentional? What if Jeonghan wanted you to know he was there?

The very idea made your stomach flip.

It was ridiculous. He’s your boss. Why would he care about your gaming life? Why would he even join a match with you? It had to be coincidence.

And yet, as your eyelids grew heavy and exhaustion began to pull you under, you couldn’t shake the memory of his voice in the call. His tone, his timing—it all felt too… deliberate.

But tomorrow was another day. You decided to let it go. For now.

Jeonghan, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he stared at the Discord chat. His friends had flooded the server with their usual nonsense, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was thinking about you. "So, Kitsunya," he murmured to himself, spinning a pen between his fingers. Seeing your reaction in-game earlier had been entertaining. The way your voice tightened just slightly whenever he coordinated with the team. The way you muttered curses under your breath when things didn’t go as planned. You were sharp, competitive, and painfully good at masking your emotions. But Jeonghan had always prided himself on seeing past facades. It had been a long time since he’d felt this intrigued by someone. Not that he’d admit it, of course. For now, he’d keep playing the role of the unsuspecting CEO. After all, the game was just beginning.

Wonwoo leaned back in his chair, headphones snug over his ears as he prepared for another late-night stream. His week had been nothing short of chaotic, bouncing between sponsorship obligations and his part-time jobs. Sure, he didn’t need the extra work—his regular streams and tournaments brought in more than enough cash—but the latest gaming setup had caught his eye, and he was dead set on getting it. He cracked his knuckles and logged into Discord, quickly skimming through his notifications. His brow quirked when he noticed a familiar username in the #general-chat server. @/jeonghaniyoo_n. "Jeonghan’s back, huh?" he muttered to himself, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Jeonghan’s hiatus had been the talk of their friend group for months. The guy had seemingly dropped off the face of the gaming scene, only to reappear out of nowhere. Wonwoo didn’t dwell on it, though; there were games to be played. Switching tabs, he opened the #gaming-updates server and typed a quick announcement.

everyone_woo: Streaming 10:23 pm min9yu: He’s suddenly back without notice.

He switched to his streaming platform and hit "Start Broadcast." His fans immediately flooded the chat, spamming greetings and hyping up the night. --- First Game: Valorant Wonwoo loaded into Valorant, selecting his main, Sova, a sharpshooter with incredible recon abilities. He adjusted his sensitivity settings and warmed up in the range while chatting with his viewers. "Alright, chat. Tonight’s gonna be smooth. No raging, no distractions. Just pro gameplay," he said, smirking as the donations and comments rolled in. The match began. Wonwoo was placed as a Duelist in his team of five, their goal clear: attack and plant the Spike, or defend and defuse it. His coordination was impeccable. First round in, he landed a clean triple kill while defending A-site, his precise aim and fast reflexes earning cheers from his viewers. "Easy, easy," he muttered into his mic as the enemy team tried to regroup. By the second round, his team was up 2-0, with Wonwoo leading in kills. MVP vibes, his chat spammed.

Midway through his second match, an unexpected notification popped up.

ho5hi_kwon has joined the game. jeonghaniyoo_n has joined the game.

Wonwoo froze for a split second, his eyes narrowing. "Oh? The retired CEO and the circus tiger decided to show up, huh?" he said into his mic, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. Hoshi: "Shut up, nerd. Ready to lose?" Jeonghan: "I won’t even have to try." The lobby dissolved into chaos as their fans started spamming messages in both Wonwoo’s and Jeonghan’s chats. It wasn’t every day that you saw some of the top players in Korea casually trash-talking before a match.

Game On: Team Deathmatch Mode The match started with Jeonghan and Hoshi on the opposing team. Wonwoo’s competitive streak kicked in as the game loaded. "Alright, boys, no holding back. Let’s make these two regret logging in," he said, coordinating with his teammates. The first few minutes were a whirlwind. Wonwoo and his team pushed aggressively, taking control of the map. Wonwoo, using Sova, expertly tracked Jeonghan’s movements with his recon bolts. "Got you, CEO," Wonwoo muttered as he landed a perfectly timed headshot on Jeonghan, who had been lurking in a corner with Jett. Jeonghan’s voice came through the game chat, calm and smooth as ever. "Lucky shot." Hoshi was no easier to deal with. His Phoenix was an absolute menace, using flashbangs and firewalls to corner Wonwoo’s team. But Wonwoo’s aim remained impeccable. "Hoshi, sit down," he said, landing a kill streak on the tiger-like player. The match reached its climax in the final moments. Jeonghan’s team had pulled ahead slightly, but Wonwoo wasn’t about to let them win without a fight. It came down to the last kill. Jeonghan versus Wonwoo, Sova versus Jett. The tension was palpable. Wonwoo fired his ultimate ability, Hunter’s Fury, a series of devastating energy blasts, but Jeonghan dodged them with Jett’s agility, gliding across the map like a ghost. The two clashed in an intense 1v1, their every move scrutinized by their teams and fans.

Victory: Wonwoo's Team Wonwoo landed the final blow with a well-placed knife throw, sealing the win. "GG," Wonwoo said coolly, his voice betraying no emotion. Jeongahan groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Nice game. Been a while, you didn't hold back down there," Jeonghan chuckled. Hoshi laughed. "Welcome back, Jeonghan. Looks like you never left." As the match ended, Jeonghan leaned back in his own chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Watching Wonwoo win was likely. The man was literally an addict to games since then. But what really piqued his interest was seeing if you would join the chaos again. After all, it wasn’t a game night without Kitsunya.

The next night, you logged into Discord out of habit, still half-asleep and sipping on your coffee. Your day at work had been another whirlwind—Jeonghan’s last-minute meetings, a pile of emails that somehow became your problem, and a near-meltdown from one of the junior staff over a lipstick launch. You rubbed your temple, your mind buzzing from the caffeine, and clicked open the #gaming-updates channel. It had been quiet for a few days, but as you scrolled, you froze.

jeonghaniyoo_n: Streaming tonight? 10 PM? ho5hi_kwon: Jeonghan asking to stream? who are you and what did you do with him? everyone_woo: More like he’s bored because he’s bad at work. min9yu: Shut up, both of you. he carried last match.

Your jaw clenched as you read the messages. Jeonghan? Streaming? Since when?!? No. Fucking. Way. You reread the username for the third time, just to be sure. That wasn’t a fake account—it was him. But you hadn’t ever seen him active in the group before, even though you knew he was technically part of the same gaming circle. You hesitated, your fingers hovering over your keyboard, but the chat kept moving.

jeonghaniyoo_n: Wonwoo and Hoshi, get in my squad. @min9yu, you're on standby. ho5hi_kwon: Sure thing, bossman. everyone_woo: @/min9yu's already benched lmao.

You sighed, not wanting to get involved, but something about the group’s energy tonight made you linger. You didn’t play with them often, but when you did, it was always chaos—and you were too tired to overthink. 10:15 PM You loaded into Valorant, headphones on, your usual confidence returning the moment you saw the familiar splash screen. The adrenaline of gaming was your escape—a space where your tired, overworked secretary persona could dissolve into the sharp, skillful player your fans knew as @kitsunya. But this time? The lobby felt different. Lobby: Match Start As soon as you joined the custom game, the chat lit up.

ho5hi_kwon: Oh shit, the kitsunya's here! everyone_woo: Great, now i can lose twice as fast. min9yu: As if you weren’t already carrying the Ls, wonwoo. jeonghaniyoo_n: Queue already

You paused at Jeonghan’s comment, your fingers stiff over the keyboard. His tone—or at least what you imagined of it—felt deliberate, like he was testing you. kitsunya: "and here I thought you were all serious players. what’s this clown show?" The chat exploded into laughter, and for a moment, the tension lifted. Match Setup You were placed on a team with Wonwoo and Hoshi, while Jeonghan and Mingyu were on the opposing side. Your character pick? Jett, of course—agile, sharp, and deadly. The first round started, and your team took control early. Wonwoo's pinpoint accuracy with Sova complemented Hoshi's aggressive pushes as Phoenix. You fell into your rhythm effortlessly, clearing angles and securing headshots like second nature.

Round 3: Midway Through

"Top mid, two," Wonwoo called out over voice chat. You responded immediately, using Jett’s dash ability to reposition, cutting off an enemy push. "Got one," you muttered, your voice calm as you landed a clean headshot on Mingyu. "You’re insane," Hoshi said, laughing. But Jeonghan wasn’t giving up. He played Chamber, a sentinel with precision abilities, and you had to admit—he was good.

Final Moments of the Match

The tension in the game was palpable, the chat exploding with messages as the final moments of the 1v1 showdown between Jeonghan and Wonwoo unfolded. You watched intently, your character long eliminated from the round, leaving you no choice but to spectate Wonwoo's gameplay from the sidelines.

The map was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that set your nerves on edge. Every footstep, every shift of the operator's aim, could make or break the game. Wonwoo moved with precision, crouching around corners, holding angles like his life depended on it.

You muttered under your breath, leaning closer to the screen. “Come on, you bastard... just peek already,” you hissed, watching Jeonghan’s Chamber disappear into a teleport at the last second.

“Nice try,” Jeonghan’s smug voice rang out through the comms, and you rolled your eyes. That was his signature move—baiting his enemies into overthinking, and then striking like a snake.

Wonwoo didn’t bite. Instead, he repositioned with surgical precision, heading toward the high ground. You could practically feel the weight of the entire round resting on him. Jeonghan had the operator, but you’d seen Wonwoo clutch in worse situations before.

“Five gifted if you miss,” you teased through comms, hoping to crack Wonwoo’s concentration.

“Mute yourself, kitsunya,” Wonwoo replied sharply, but there was no malice in his voice, only the hyper-focus of a man who was determined to win.

Your camera panned as Jeonghan peeked a corner, operator at the ready. Wonwoo was waiting. The crosshairs aligned. A burst of gunfire.

Headshot.

The kill notification flashed on the screen.

VICTORY

The screen lit up in your team’s colors, the victory music playing. The chat went wild:

- “NO WAY WONWOO CLUTCHED THAT!” - “Jeonghan WHIFFED LMAO.” - “WONWOO KING ENERGY.”

You threw your head back with a laugh, groaning dramatically. “Unreal. Of all people, Wonwoo clutched that?”

Wonwoo’s voice was steady, laced with the smallest smirk. “Maybe if you stopped dying in the first two minutes, you wouldn’t have to depend on me so much.”

“Ooh, burn,” Seungkwan cackled in the background, his voice nearly drowning out the victory screen.

Jeonghan’s sigh came through comms, followed by his usual mocking tone. “Well, congratulations, team carry. But don’t get used to it.”

"Better luck next time, sweetheart," Wonwoo added, just to get under Jeonghan's skin—and probably yours.

You groaned louder this time, fighting the heat rising to your cheeks. If the chat noticed the shift in tone, they didn’t let it show, flooding with emojis and more banter.

But as you muted your mic, you couldn’t help but smile, the adrenaline of the match still coursing through you.

It had been two months since you started working for Jeonghan and exactly five weeks since he discovered your double life as Kitsunya. So why the fuck was he still pretending he didn’t know? Every time your paths crossed at work, he acted like the composed, mildly sarcastic boss you’d gotten used to. Not a single comment about late-night matches or the fact that his so-called “secretary” could carry an entire Valorant team.

Weirdo, you thought for the millionth time.

When the invite to the Streamer-Fanmeet Gaming Expo arrived, you couldn’t say no. The event was an exclusive, high-paying opportunity for streamers to connect with fans and other creators. And when you saw the paycheck? Yeah, it was impossible to pass up. Thankfully, the organizers had chosen a date that didn’t clash with work—or so you thought. Because there, standing by one of the gaming stalls, was Jeonghan. You shouldn’t have been surprised; he was part of the same circle of streamers as you, after all. But seeing him in this setting, looking every bit the gamer he once was, sent your brain into a tailspin. He wore a black bomber jacket over a graphic tee, paired with ripped jeans and an air of effortless cool. If it weren’t for the fact that you worked with him almost daily, you might’ve gotten flustered by the sight. Nope. Not happening, you told yourself as you adjusted your glasses (part of your outfit) and made your way inside. The venue was buzzing with activity. Booths lined the walls, showcasing merch, gaming setups, and meet-and-greet areas. Streamers and fans mingled, and the excitement in the air was palpable. You spotted Seungkwan waving at you from across the room. Thank God for him—navigating this event alone would’ve been overwhelming. “You look... different tonight,” Seungkwan said with a smirk, his eyes scanning your outfit. You glanced down at yourself: white long-sleeve polo, black necktie, and a high-waist pencil skirt that hugged your curves perfectly. It was your typical office attire, but with a twist—your signature red kitsune ear headband sat atop your head. “It’s called branding,” you deadpanned, adjusting your tie. “Branding? More like slaying,” Seungkwan teased before leading you toward the rest of the group. The first person you saw by the stalls was Seungcheol, casually leaning against a counter while talking with Jeonghan, Dino, and Joshua. Seungcheol was exactly as you remembered him from your rare interactions: charismatic, loud, and the unofficial leader of their circle. Beside him, Joshua was calm and composed, his smile disarming as he nodded along to whatever Dino was excitedly explaining. Your gaze lingered on Jeonghan for a second longer than you intended. He didn’t notice—or maybe he pretended not to—but the slight smirk on his face as he listened to Dino’s story made your stomach flip. He’s too pretty to exist. It’s a problem. Further down, you saw Jun and Minghao—the Chinese duo who dominated every League of Legends match they touched. Jun was animated, gesturing wildly as he explained something to a fan, while Minghao stood coolly beside him, offering occasional commentary. You groaned internally at the memory of losing countless matches to them. Hoshi, Mingyu, Vernon, and Wonwoo were grouped together, laughing at something on Mingyu’s phone. Typical. You were willing to bet they were already planning a prank or some ridiculous challenge for later. On the other side of the room, Woozi and Dokyeom were deep in conversation, likely discussing music or some new project Woozi was working on. You made a mental note to swing by and say hi to them later. Did I miss anyone? Probably. This group was massive, and keeping track of them all was a feat in itself.

Seungkwan nudged your shoulder, snapping you out of your thoughts. “Come on, let’s introduce you properly. Everyone’s been dying to see Kitsunya in person,” he teased. You rolled your eyes but followed him anyway. As you approached, Seungcheol was the first to notice you. His eyes lit up in recognition, and he grinned. “Ah, the legendary Kitsunya,” he said, holding out a hand. “Finally gracing us with your presence.” Joshua gave you a warm smile, and Dino waved enthusiastically. But Jeonghan? He glanced at you, his expression unreadable, before returning to his conversation like nothing had happened. Seriously?

You forced a polite smile, exchanging pleasantries with the group, all while Jeonghan’s aloofness gnawed at you. Did he think ignoring you here would keep up the illusion that he didn’t know your secret? Or was this his way of messing with you? Whatever it was, you weren’t about to let him get under your skin.

The night carried on with a blur of photo ops, fan interactions, and casual games. But every time you glanced in Jeonghan’s direction, he was already looking at you—or worse, pretending not to. By the end of the event, you were exhausted. But as you made your way to the exit, Seungkwan caught up to you, a mischievous glint in his eye. “You know, Jeonghan’s been talking about you nonstop since you joined the office,” he said casually. You stopped in your tracks, turning to him. “What?” “Oh, nothing,” Seungkwan said, grinning. “Just thought you should know.” Before you could respond, he disappeared back into the crowd, leaving you standing there, equal parts confused and intrigued. Jeonghan. Talking about you? You didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed. Probably both. You scoffed at the ridiculousness. Game on, Jeonghan.

The event was winding down, and you were starting to relax. Most of the fan interactions were over, and the night had shifted into a more casual hangout vibe among the streamers. You decided to wander the venue, looking for a spot to decompress before the inevitable socializing would pull you back in. That’s when you spotted him. Wonwoo was perched at one of the quieter tables near a VR booth, casually scrolling through his phone. His ever-present headphones hung around his neck, and he wore a black hoodie paired with his signature expression—a mix of calm indifference and quiet observation. You couldn't deny that his face-card would never decline. Seriously, is this group recruiting visuals? You considered walking past him, but then his sharp gaze flicked up and met yours. For a split second, you thought he’d ignore you like he usually did during group interactions. Instead, he tilted his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Kitsunya,” he said, his voice as low and steady as always. “Wonwoo,” you replied, raising a brow as you adjusted your glasses. “Fancy seeing you here,” he remarked, leaning back in his chair. “It’s a paid event. Why wouldn’t I be here?” you shot back, crossing your arms. “Fair point,” he admitted, glancing back down at his phone. You stood there, unsure if the conversation was already over. Classic Wonwoo—conversations with him were always a guessing game. But just as you were about to leave, he spoke again. “So... white-collar kitsune, huh?” he teased, nodding toward your outfit. You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “What can I say? Gotta keep the brand alive.” He hummed in amusement, finally setting his phone aside. “Well, the fans love it. The chat’s been blowing up since you walked in.” “Is that so?” You quirked a brow. “And what about you? Don’t tell me you’re one of them.” His smirk widened just enough to be noticeable. “I wouldn’t go that far. But I’ll admit, the tie is a nice touch.” You scoffed, shaking your head. “Flattery doesn’t suit you, Wonwoo.” “Who said I was trying to flatter you?” he countered, leaning forward slightly. Okay, that caught you off guard. Before you could think of a comeback, he gestured to the seat across from him. “Sit. Unless you’ve got somewhere better to be,” he said casually, but the faint challenge in his tone made it impossible to refuse.

The conversation started slow—typical of Wonwoo—but it didn’t take long for the familiar banter from your previous streams to resurface. Despite his reserved demeanor, Wonwoo had a knack for throwing sly comments your way, and tonight was no different. “You know, you still owe me for that Valorant match,” he said, leaning back with an air of nonchalance. You blinked. “What match?” “The one where you rage-quit after I sniped you three times in a row,” he reminded you, a rare glint of mischief in his eyes. “That wasn’t rage-quitting,” you argued, narrowing your eyes. “That was a tactical retreat.” “Sure,” he drawled, clearly unconvinced. “Let’s call it that.” “Do you always have to be this smug?” “It’s part of my charm,” he replied smoothly, earning an exasperated groan from you.

Just as the teasing reached its peak, Jeonghan’s voice cut through the air, calling your name from across the room. You turned to see him approaching, his expression as unreadable as ever. “There you are,” Jeonghan said, glancing briefly at Wonwoo before focusing on you. “Seungkwan’s looking for you. Something about a group photo.” “Right, of course,” you replied, standing up quickly. But before you left, you turned back to Wonwoo. “This isn’t over,” you said, pointing at him. Wonwoo chuckled, the sound low and surprisingly warm. “Looking forward to it.”

As you walked away with Jeonghan, you couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled. Wonwoo had always been an enigma—cold but oddly approachable when he wanted to be. And tonight? Tonight, he’d been... different. “Enjoying yourself?” Jeonghan asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp as they flicked toward you. “More than I expected,” you replied honestly. He hummed, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. “Good. Wouldn’t want you regretting showing up in that outfit.” “Is that supposed to be a compliment, Jeonghan?” you shot back, raising a brow. “Take it however you want,” he said smoothly, his smirk widening. As the night continued, you couldn’t shake the strange feeling brewing in your chest. Between Wonwoo’s teasing, Jeonghan’s cryptic comments, and the sheer chaos of the event, one thing was clear: this gaming circle was going to keep you on your toes. The buzz from the event hadn’t died down yet when the announcement came: an exclusive afterparty for Korea’s top streamers was being held at a high-end lounge in Gangnam. You almost declined the invitation—between the long day of fan interactions and the emotional whiplash from your conversations with Jeonghan and Wonwoo, you were drained. But the promise of networking opportunities (and free drinks) was too good to pass up. Plus, Seungkwan had practically begged you to come. The venue was sleek and modern, its dim lighting accentuated by neon highlights and a panoramic view of the city skyline. Inside, the air buzzed with excitement as streamers, sponsors, and a few VIP fans mingled over cocktails and canapés. You arrived fashionably late, your outfit now swapped for something more relaxed yet chic—a fitted black blazer, skinny jeans, and ankle boots, paired with a minimalist silver necklace that caught the light just right. “Finally!” Seungkwan exclaimed, waving you over from a corner booth. He was already halfway through a fruity-looking cocktail. Beside him sat Hoshi, gesturing animatedly about some game strategy while Mingyu shook his head in mock disbelief. “You look amazing, as usual,” Seungkwan said, his eyes sparkling with genuine admiration. “Thanks,” you replied with a small smile, sliding into the booth. “Is everyone here?” “Most of us,” Mingyu answered, glancing around the room. “Jeonghan’s over by the bar, of course.” You followed his gaze and spotted Jeonghan effortlessly charming a small group of sponsors. He looked impossibly polished, his tailored suit and perfectly styled hair making him stand out even among the crowd of well-dressed attendees. “And Wonwoo?” you asked, trying to sound casual. “Somewhere being all mysterious as usual,” Hoshi teased, wiggling his fingers dramatically. As if summoned, Wonwoo appeared a moment later, holding a whiskey neat. He looked unbothered as ever, his black hoodie replaced by a sharp button-up shirt and dark slacks. He caught your eye briefly and gave a small nod before heading to the pool table at the back of the lounge. “You’re popular tonight,” Seungkwan teased, nudging you. “Oh, shut up,” you muttered, taking a sip of the cocktail Hoshi slid your way.

The night wore on, and you found yourself bouncing between conversations. Seungkwan introduced you to some up-and-coming streamers, while Mingyu pulled you into a heated discussion about a recent game patch. All the while, you couldn’t help but notice Jeonghan and Wonwoo in your peripheral vision. Jeonghan, ever the social butterfly, was making rounds with the sponsors, but every now and then, you felt his gaze on you. It wasn’t intrusive, but it was enough to make you hyper-aware of his presence. Wonwoo, on the other hand, seemed content observing from the sidelines, occasionally chatting with his close circle. At one point, he caught your eye again, and this time, he raised his glass in a silent toast.

Later in the evening, Jeonghan finally approached you. “Enjoying yourself?” he asked, his tone as smooth as the whiskey he held. “It’s... interesting,” you replied, glancing around. “Different from the usual gaming vibe.” He chuckled. “Well, it’s not every day streamers get treated like celebrities.” “Speak for yourself,” you shot back, smirking. He tilted his head, studying you for a moment. “You’ve been making quite the impression tonight. Even Wonwoo couldn’t keep his eyes off you earlier.” Your cheeks burned at his comment, but you masked it with a scoff. “Don’t start, Jeonghan.” “Relax,” he said, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “I’m just glad you came. These things can be overwhelming.” Before you could respond, Hoshi popped up beside you, grinning. “Group photo time!”

The group gathered near the panoramic window for the photo. You ended up sandwiched between Seungkwan and Wonwoo. As the camera clicked, you felt Wonwoo lean slightly closer, his voice low enough that only you could hear. “Smile. You wouldn’t want your fans thinking you’re tired,” he teased. You turned your head to glare at him, only to find a faint smirk playing on his lips. “You’re insufferable,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “Glad you’re catching on,” he replied smoothly, straightening up just as the photographer signaled the end of the shoot.

The party continued into the early hours, but as the night wound down, you found yourself outside on the lounge’s balcony, enjoying the cool breeze and the glittering city lights. “You’re hard to keep track of tonight,” a familiar voice said, breaking the silence. You turned to find Wonwoo leaning against the railing beside you, his hands in his pockets. “Shouldn’t you be inside, brooding or something?” you teased, earning a quiet laugh from him. “I could say the same about you,” he countered. “Avoiding someone?” “Not at all,” you replied, crossing your arms. “Just needed a breather.” He nodded, his gaze shifting to the city below. After a moment, he added, “You’re good at this, you know.” “At what?” “Balancing both worlds. The office, the streams. Tonight.” You blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment. “Thanks, I guess.” “Don’t let it go to your head,” he added, the teasing edge returning to his voice. And just like that, the moment passed, leaving you both standing there in comfortable silence, the city stretching out before you.

The night was unraveling faster than you had anticipated, and alcohol had become your uninvited best friend. You didn’t plan to get drunk—who ever really does?—but between Hoshi’s relentless toasts, Seungkwan’s loud encouragements, and the general festive atmosphere, the drinks kept coming. One glass turned into two, then three, and before you knew it, you were giggling at your own reflection in the polished surface of the lounge's counter. “Another!” you declared, raising your empty glass to a passing server. “Are you sure about that?” Seungcheol asked, raising a brow as he caught your hand mid-air. “Seungcheol, my dear leader,” you slurred, patting his arm with an exaggerated seriousness, “I am more than capable of handling my alcohol.” He exchanged a knowing glance with Woozi, who shook his head and muttered, “Yeah, no. This is not going to end well.” Meanwhile, Hoshi was in no state to help, singing—screaming, really—what sounded like a very off-key version of a karaoke classic, supported by a grinning Vernon. Mingyu had mysteriously vanished, probably off charming someone, leaving the rest of the group to deal with... well, you. --- Things took a turn when you decided it was a great idea to hop onto one of the lounge’s high tables and declare yourself the “ace of the gaming world.” “All hail Kitsunya!” you shouted, arms raised dramatically. The room erupted into laughter and cheers, though some people exchanged amused yet concerned looks. --Okay, that was cring and embarrassing, but your drunk-self cannot be stopped Seungcheol immediately sprang into action. “Okay, nope. That’s enough. Get down before you—” Too late. You lost your balance and toppled forward, only to be caught at the last second by Woozi, who let out an exasperated groan as he steadied you. “This is why I don’t drink,” Woozi muttered, shaking his head. “Why did we even let her?” “I can handle myself!” you protested, though your slurred words and swaying body said otherwise. “Sure you can,” Seungcheol deadpanned, trying to lead you toward a chair.

The night continued in a blur of ridiculous antics, from you trying to "arm wrestle" a very confused server to challenging Joshua to a dance-off—which you lost, miserably. Finally, the group reached a consensus: someone needed to take you home before you caused any more chaos. “I’ll take her,” Joshua offered, ever the composed and reliable one. “Are you sure?” Seungcheol asked, clearly skeptical. “She’s... a handful right now.” “I’ve got it,” Joshua said, already reaching for your coat. Before he could help you up, Jeonghan appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He looked as calm and composed as ever, his sharp gaze taking in the situation. “Actually,” Jeonghan interjected, “I’ll take her.” Joshua frowned. “You don’t have to—” “I insist,” Jeonghan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. His eyes met yours, and he sighed softly. “She works for me. It’s my responsibility.” Joshua hesitated, but eventually relented, handing over your coat. “Alright. But call if you need anything.” Jeonghan nodded, draping your coat over your shoulders with practiced ease. “Come on,” he said softly, guiding you toward the exit.

The ride home was... interesting, to say the least. “Jeonghan,” you mumbled, your head resting against the car window as he drove. “You’re so... so pretty. Like, stupidly pretty. How is that even fair?” He glanced at you, amused. “Thank you, I guess?” “No, no,” you insisted, turning to face him, your words tumbling out in a drunken ramble. “You don’t get it. You’re like... one of those NPCs in games that are so pretty they distract you from the main quest.” Jeonghan laughed softly, shaking his head. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” You sighed dramatically, slumping back against the seat. “I’m so embarrassed. Why did I drink so much?” “You’ll regret it in the morning,” he said with a smirk. “But for now, just try to relax.”

When he finally got you home, Jeonghan helped you to your door, his hands firm yet steady around your waist, guiding your slightly unbalanced steps as you fumbled with your keys. His touch was grounding, even amidst the alcohol-induced haze that clouded your mind. “Thank you,” you muttered, your voice barely audible but laden with sincerity. “Just get some rest,” he replied, his tone unexpectedly gentle, his eyes softer than you’d ever seen them. As you opened the door and stepped inside, something tugged at you—a mixture of drunken boldness and lingering vulnerability. You turned to face him, your expression uncharacteristically open, raw in a way you never allowed yourself to be. “You won’t... tell anyone about tonight, will you?” His lips quirked upward in a small, knowing smile, one that somehow both reassured and unsettled you. “Your secret’s safe with me.” You hesitated, the alcohol blurring your sense of restraint. Words tumbled out before you could stop them. “Then... why don’t we just...” And then it happened. Without warning, you leaned forward, pressing your lips against his in an impulsive, alcohol-fueled kiss. The contact was firm but still, your lips meeting his in an almost chaste but charged moment. You registered how soft and warm his lips were, the faint scent of his cologne mingling with the dizzying hum in your head. Jeonghan, however, froze. The kiss caught him so off guard that for a split second, he didn’t react at all. His mind was a whirlwind—of shock, of the faint allure of how you smelled even beneath the alcohol, and of a nagging voice reminding him that this wasn’t right. And then he pulled back. His hands gripped your shoulders gently but firmly as he pushed you a step away from him. “What the hell are you doing?” His voice was low, steady, but with an edge of disbelief. The haze of the moment shattered, and you stared at him, wide-eyed, your heart pounding for reasons far beyond the alcohol in your veins. You tried to say something, anything, but the words caught in your throat. Jeonghan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re drunk,” he stated flatly, almost to himself. “You don’t even know what you’re doing right now.” The truth of his words stung. Of course, you were drunk—that’s the only explanation for why you’d done something so reckless, something so completely you. You blinked rapidly, your head spinning for more reasons than one. “Thanks again, Jeonghan,” you mumbled as you stumbled into your apartment, tripping over your own feet. Jeonghan didn’t move to help this time. He just stood there, watching you with an expression you couldn’t quite place—disapproval? Amusement? Maybe something else entirely. His gaze was a sobering force, and you felt a wave of heat creep up your face. Your pride, even in your drunken state, surged up like a shield. You straightened yourself awkwardly, brushing off invisible dust as if the act could somehow salvage what little dignity you had left. “Fuck... Fuck myself,” you muttered under your breath as you straightened and closed the door behind you. On the other side of the door, Jeonghan stood motionless for a moment, exhaling deeply as he ran a hand through his hair again. “What a night,” he murmured to himself, before turning and walking away. Inside, you leaned back against the door, sliding down to sit on the floor. Reality hit you like a freight train, and with it, came regret. Why the hell did I do that? Your hands covered your face as you groaned into your palms. Tomorrow was going to be a disaster. How were you supposed to face Jeonghan after this?

a/n: made this one a little longer just in case i dont post the update tommorow.

i have a taglist so if you want to be updated, reblog / comment on this post / teaser / part-time lover masterlist and you'll automatically be tagged on every chapter ! im a (wo)man of my word LOL

taglist:

@asyre @choppedballoondetective @kpoppiesofinternet @syluslittlecrow @minhui896

@october-saturn @kpop-will-kill-me (thankyou for reblogging !)

get back to the masterlist?

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octocon · 3 months ago

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Octocon for iOS launches in <12 hours!

Join us today at 6 PM ET for a launch party!

WE DID IT! Apple has finally approved Octocon for distribution on the App Store; all I need to do is press one button and it’ll be available worldwide.

I’m aware of and apologize for the fact that we’re ~2 months late on our release schedule, but Apple made it extraordinarily difficult for us to release our app. For those who patiently supported me in the App Review hellscape, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’m busy tomorrow and likely Friday, so I’ve made the decision to release Octo earlier than I originally planned: today, April 2nd, at 6 PM ET, or less than 12 hours from now!

Around an hour before the launch, I’ll be opening up a public VC in our Discord server to hold a launch party, just like we did with the Android release. Feel free to come if you’d like to discuss our platform and/or watch the ribbon be cut live!!

#octocon #octocon app #ios #system #did #osdd #did osdd #osddid

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blackbackedjackal · 1 year ago

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I was the one who started the server and founded the studio. I invited DogBlud to the server.

I was an investor on the project, quoted a total of $5200 out of the full $13,600 on a website that DogBlud commissioned Angela and her team to make.

One of the first red flags I noticed as an investor was that DogBlud never patched me through to Angela and her team. She said she would after I read over and agreed to the contract that Angela wrote up, but she never did. She promised to add me and Rex to a server with Angela so we could keep up to date with the progress. This never happened.

I messaged DogBlud several times about my payments. My first one was due February 12th. I didn't know where to send the funds and brought it up with her several days before. It was around this time that I suspected she was hiding me away from Angela and her team, and now I know why.

According to Angela's own account, DogBlud is saying she invited ME to the project. Which is a blatant lie. So let's go ahead and add taking credit for space a Black woman created, a space that was predominantly women of color (DogBlud being the ONLY exception) to the pile.

Dog was not the "group leader". She was tasked with being an investor, my business partner/consultant, a writer, and an inker. Since we agreed to start on her project, Same As Always, first, I asked her to be a project manager so that she could tell us the art direction she wanted us to take. She was asked to do these things, by me, the studio founder and lead who was working on contracts, setting up meetings with lawyers/other investors and participants, researching for and planning a KickStarter campaign that was intended to help us raise more money for the studio, set up an LLC for the studio, be a character/writing consultant, cultural consultant, art director, colorist, and more.

The reason I "wasn't able to hit my deadlines" is because A. She made completely unrealistic deadlines on a project that I and Rex were under the impression was volunteer work since none of us were getting paid. We agreed to this because we knew that a lot of work needed to be completed before the site launched.

B. Because I was in the process of moving (a move that DogBlud encouraged me to do due to my horrid living situation at the time) and did not have access to my PC for certain working hours that was had agreed to. I was working consistently on the off-hours to make up for any scheduled time I missed (my art updates were posted in the server) and kept the team updated with my moving situation. I assured Dog that once I was done moving, I'd be on a proper schedule. My move was delayed and complicated due to external factors outside of my control. After about a week and a half into what was a three week process, Dog either stopped acknowledging my updates in the chat or said that she "wasn't happy" with me even though she was harassing me and pressuring me to work on pages nearly every day when I physically could not work on them.

#dogblud #long post #yes I have screenshots to prove all of this #I have over 200

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flightrising · 1 month ago

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We’ll be entering our scheduled open-ended maintenance soon (09:00 server/9am PDT) for the launch of our next Ancient breed, the Cirrus dragon!

Are you ready?

#flight rising #FlightRising #fr #dragon #virtual pet site #game #Scheduled Maintenance

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faeiri-tft · 2 years ago

Note

PLEASE do the toontown online rant i want it so badly

this post kinda got away from me, and by "got away from me" i mean this 3000 word toontown rant is Part One. there will be a Part Two to this later in which i actually talk about the fanservers i wanted to talk about. anyway let's go

toontown online (tto) was a children's mostly-turn-based subscription MMO released in 2003. after a few years of obviously being on life support, disney gave a one-month notice that tto (and several other games) would be closing on september 19th, 2013. on the same day the game closed, the fan-run server toontown rewritten (ttr) was announced (with multiple other fanservers/fangames/reimaginings being established since), and is a few months away from outliving the original game

see, one thing about tto that allowed fanservers to crop up so quickly and easily was that it had, um, interesting choices. very interesting choices. like, "kids could use a code injector to turn their backyards into giant mashed-together nightmarescapes"-level choices

youtube

(loose video description: a rabbit toon running around a chaotic mismash of rooms, obstacles, and npcs that Should Not Be There. audio caption: Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life".)

but ok let's talk about the actual game first.

toontown online (tto)

the game starts with you creating your player character - you can pick from eventually-9 species, a couple body types, and 2 dozen preset colors. the gender code is a spaghetti nightmare but you won't learn this until the fanservers come about so don't worry about it. you're then taken to the Toontorial, which explains maybe 20% of the game's mechanics before setting you loose into the main game

the toontorial also gives you the basic "plot", such as it is: Toontown is suddenly* under attack by a bunch of boring businessrobots called the Cogs. their goal is to turn toontown into a dreary gray featureless corporate hell; their business activities are so boring that they're physically painful to be around. luckily, they can't take a joke, so the toons have figured out how to defeat them: by playing pranks on them until they laugh so hard they Explode

*originally, the game installer had a little animation giving a backstory for the Cogs' creation. this was never referenced in game, removed pretty quickly, and i think even the devs kinda forgot it existed

that's...pretty much the whole story! in that context, your toon progresses through all of toontown, helping some mostly-pretty-interchangeable shopkeepers, reclaiming buildings from the cogs, eating ice cream, etc. occasionally, the cogs would Come Up With New Tricks (read: major content update) and the toons would Find A Way To Fight Back (read: same major content update). that was the closest thing to Plot, unless you count "the devs scheduled a bunch of invasions of high-tier cogs right before the game's closure". but...i doubt most the kids really expected a Plot. mickey mouse was there

the gameplay:

the Free Account

there were two...pretty different approaches to playing toontown online. when the game launched, there was a 3-day free trial to the entire game, after which you got kicked entirely until you subscribed. at some point, this was changed so that the first area, Toontown Central (TTC), was Always Free - you could do all of that area's quests/"taskline" and limited activities, indefinitely, and in theory this would make you beg your parents for the rest of the game

i have no idea if this actually got more subscriptions or not. from what i can tell it just spawned more warrior cats

(source)

there were. a Lot of warrior cats. there were some other social activities, too, such as Fashion Shows (with your limited range of clothes) and Begging Subscribed Players To Summon Cog Buildings To TTC and Getting Chat Banned. ...however, as one of the subscription kids i didn't really interact with this side of the game, so i'm not the best person to talk about it

2. the Paid Account

mmm look at those crisp clear graphics. hell yes

a subscription account gave you access to this whole map, along with all these areas' tasklines. to progress through the game, you must complete a variety of "ToonTasks" for the Toon Resistance (it's called that. their catchphrase is "Toons of the World, Unite!". you were giving disney money for this). these reward you by increasing your max health (your "Laff Points"), slowly unlocking more combat options, and sending you to different, higher-difficulty areas of toontown

some of these tasks were...longer than others. generally, though, they all boiled down to: "just go fight some cogs"

combat:

(source)

toontown battles are turn-based: the players use their attacks ("gags") first, and then any surviving cogs attack you with, usually, office equipment and puns thereof (unless the cog is e.g. a Loan Shark, in which case they can just fucking bite you). if you defeat a cog, it explodes; if the cog defeats you, you "go sad" and are sent back to the safety of the playground, lose your gag inventory, and can't leave until you heal.

early on, most your battles are 1v1, but later on almost everything is a multiplayer 4-ish-v-4.

an...interesting feature here in the game's early days was that you could only Type Your Own Words to someone who shared their "friend code" with you IRL. otherwise, you had to use this thing:

(source)

you had a set list of phrases you could string together, which generally covered most the things you wanted to say. but it could get frustrating when you wanted to have a real conversation with your toontown friends! so...as the source above mentions, people obviously found ways around the system. turns out that if you let players move objects around their houses, they will use that to Draw Letters and pass their friend code along regardless

eventually - before the warrior cats, of course - disney presumably realized this system was pretty goofy (🥁) , so the game got a real chat, albeit one that functioned on a very strict whitelist. my favorite is that it didn't let you type numbers, however you could just say won too tree for hive etc. like. disney i really don't know what to tell you. anyway

(isn't he charming)

cogs come in levels 1-12, with levels displayed above their heads, and as you'd expect their damage output and HP increase with their level. however, the game doesn't...actually show you cog HP? instead they have a little colored light on their chest that fades from green to red until they explode. you see numbers on all the damage you do, and you see your own HP/laff, but never the cogs'. also lategame cogs are Too Tall For You To See Their Level once they line up for battle (which isn't actually that bad but it's funny). there's a formula for HP per level, but it's never mentioned in-game. i guess someone can teach it to you but then you have to watch them type "a level tin cog has won tree too health" and is that really worth it

(as you can tell i just…don't get this. "my kid is practicing arithmetic with toontown!" - marketing angle expressly denied by god. the stealth edutainment was right there)

anyway! in theory, you have seven base combat options ("gag tracks"), which combine in a variety of ways:

toon-up, which restores your teammates' health;

trap, which does guaranteed high damage but only if someone uses lure;

lure, which stuns the cogs for a few turns and is the only way to make trap work

sound, which does low damage to every cog;

throw, which does medium-high-ish damage to one cog; multiple throws combined give percentage combo damage, and hitting a lured cog will also add percentage "knockback damage";

squirt, which is exactly like throw but less damage;

and drop, which does high damage but cannot hit lured cogs, and has low accuracy unless you hit the cog with something else first

each gag track has 6 levels, which you unlock by using that gag track a bunch. you can't carry as many of the high levels with you - i mean, putting one piano in your backpack makes perfect sense, but two is just silly, right

a few years into the game's lifespan, level 7s were added - these were huge AOE that you could regain with every 500 track EXP. there was also something called "organic gags" to promote the please-log-in-every-day gardening system

every player starts with throw and squirt, and throughout the game you slowly unlock four more gag tracks. your choices are permanent: once you have your six tracks, you're locked out of the seventh forever.

in theory, all of this opens up a huge variety of combat options!

in practice, the battle strategy looks something like this:

use sound

as mentioned, almost all of lategame will be 4v4 battles, which means sound will almost always outdamage everything on earth. you don't even need four foghorns (the highest normal sound gag) to break 200 AOE damage, and the highest health a cog EVER has is 200*. and two of the boss battles can reward you with gag restocks and heals that you can use mid-battle with no consequences (other than having to grind for those rewards a bunch). and failing THAT, you can just...ration your foghorns and take 2 turns to clear a set of cogs, interspersed with healing.

(*okay there was something called "v2.0 cogs" but they were...strange, and we just used sound anyway)

sure, once level 7s were added you could use those occasionally. and you could fall back on lure+throw if you didn't want to use your sound restocks. but even then, for most of tto's existence there was something called the "knockback bug" which. well. just look at it

(link for transcript. it's tvtropes sorry)

if you are a target-audience eight-year-old this translates to "lure + throw will only do enough damage if the cogs Feel like it." like it's really just insult to injury at this point. this was the result of One misplaced variable and was not fixed until the game closed

in the tto era, if you didn't have sound, you were kinda doomed to be kicked out of every fight forever

(bonus fun fact: there were Four entire battle themes and they were 40-second midi loops. let me out)

the bosses:

each of the four cog departments has a Boss Cog. to face off against them, you have to assemble a cog disguise and collect enough merits/stock options/whatever to be allowed into the boss's office.

(pictured: your convincing disguise)

when you enter, your disguise pops off due to Reasons, and you have to fight through...a bunch of waves of normal cogs. it's basically a really long normal battle. once the minions are dealt with, you have to, inexplicably, do a live-action battle against the boss themself:

youtube

(loose video description: four toons defeating the CFO by using magnet cranes to hit him in the face with safes for 32 seconds.)

the live-action rounds aren't supposed to go this quickly, but it's still...kinda strange? certain reoccurring game areas require Parkour, but there are no battles like this outside of the Four bosses. the CFO's room is the only place you see these cranes and they have A Lot Going On. the other 3 bosses have their own unique weird mechanics. before the first boss was added we neither had nor needed the ability to Jump. it's just weird

once you've defeated the boss, you're given a reward of varying usefulness (the best/most unbalanced reward type is Unites, which are a free heal or gag restock you can do inside or outside of battle. essentially lategame toons can simply choose not to die. riv2u etc.)

and, um. then you get some more merits/stock options/whatever and do it again. and again. and again. and again. and agai

the grind:

so the thing is that tto was a subscription mmo. every addition to the game had to be measured, above all, in terms of "how can we best get kids to beg their parents to give us money." this especially shows in the suit grind:

(source/source)

you have to defeat each boss 78 times in order to get all their laff points - and as you proceed, you have to defeat an increasing amount of cogs to even be allowed into the boss (although once you max you get in for free).

by far the easiest way is to run through the designated HQ facilities - basically, cog fights interspersed with some platforming or minigames. you only collect your merits/whatever at the Very End of the facility. the only way to increase what a facility gives you is if your last battle ends during an "invasion" - a timed period where One Specific Cog replaces all street cogs, usually summoned with boss rewards.

the sellbot HQ grind isn't so bad. bossbot HQ - the endest-game HQ - frequently requires you to do an hour-long facility and on six separate occasions you have to do seven of them. if the invasion ends before your final battle, you have to sit around until someone summons another. if you lose your internet connection because it's 2008, or if your parents make you come to dinner, or if hacking or the game's general bugginess cause a server reset because you're probably in the busiest district for the invasion bonus, you have spent that Entire Hour On Nothing. the CEO (bossbot cog boss) probably also takes an hour because you and your fellow players are 10

this shit, combined with laff points locked behind gardening (time-gated), racing and golfing (multiplayer minigames with absurd requirements), and fishing (RNG-based with some fish being absurdly rare. i watched my mom fish for one every day for a month), meant that maxing a toon took Years, if you managed it ever.

it wasn't, um. it wasn't good

ok so what else is wrong with this game:

i had "aged out of the game" (lol) by the early '10s, so i'm not the best person to do a writeup of the hacking/scripting situation of those days. that said, what i'm going to do is give you a few examples, and i want you to just...look at them

(source)

(source). early '10s youtube was funny i'm trying to decide if i miss it

(source). fun thing to note here is that other players had collision, so a swarm of t-posing toons could just barricade the gag shop if they wanted to

youtube

(video description: toon who has Replaced His Head Model With An Anime Logo throwing thousands of jellybeans at everyone) (cw mild flashing just in case? and also the feather headband accessory)

i should note that the Bring Me To Life vid i started with was client-side, meaning only the player could see their technicolor hellscape. this guy's face was server-side. i do Not Think you should be able to do that

youtube

(video description: a player demonstrating use of a bot to get into the nutty river district, followed by other players using it to go to different game areas)

the above video was posted on august 17th, 2013. if you don't want to watch an Unregistered Hypercam 3 recording at about 5 frames per second, what's going on here is:

the player goes to a specific location and says a specific speedchat phrase.

a bot toon teleports to their location and provides some prompts on how to use it

the player tells the bot, via speedchat, to teleport to the (currently closed from the outside) busiest district so the player can follow

these "taxi toons" were server-sided, persisted across server resets, were made by a future fanserver dev, had younger kids referring to them as a "glitch" as if this were something that could Accidentally Happen, and stayed functional until the game closed

like...a lot of the "hacking" was just baby's first script download. this one - afaict also created by the laughing man head guy - is like...the fact that after years of no substantial game updates, someone effectively programmed their own "QOL feature" (note: not actually good for the poor mid-00s server being turned into a clown car) into a silly disney MMO and it just fucking sat there for a year is just. it's just.

i don't know what this is. this is not Playing The Game Toontown Online. this is nothing. this is everything. there are comments from 2013 on some of these videos saying stuff like "hackers killed toontown", but your game cannot have this happen if it is not already dying

and, like...it was. i'm not sure how many moderators there were by this point, but at the very end of tto, the number of active devs was One. the original devteam recently brought this up at the 20th anniversary celebration: devs just...slowly started getting pulled from the game, one at a time. there were a few updates after bossbot HQ - Field Offices, which i've basically never heard anything good about in their tto form ever; the Silly Meter, a yearly event...thing whose main function was to add unskippable dancing-inanimate-object cutscenes to your street battles; Parties, which...yknow parties were okay actually. i accept parties. but they weren't exactly a Major Game Update like the ones that had come before. in 2011 we gained the ability to Wear Hats. in 2012 the test server got some actual QOL updates that never made it to the main game; the final test server update was some maintenance in february, and then nothing for 18 months. disney was not providing enough resources to address the scripting because disney was not providing enough resources to address toontown. imagine being the last dev standing on an MMO that was older than some of its players, was losing its business model to mobile gaming, and spent most of its life falling apart at the seams. just imagine it, for a second

it couldn't have kept going, not like this.

on august 20, 2013, the closing announcement came: we had a month left of toontown online. the test server shut immediately; subscription refunds went out, and the game became actually F2P for the month; the part of the announcement that went like "we're shifting our focus to other games!" made a bunch of twelve-year-olds hate club penguin as if club penguin wouldn't also close in a few years; all the holiday events went off at once; and...