#top-script original content

[top-script]

ok but like

[top-script]

me

[arimiadev]

"I want to make a visual novel but don't know how"

visual novels are one of the most diverse and varied mediums out there and can be so much fun to make. if you've ever wanted to make one, it's pretty easy to get started!!

Overall Guide

this is a lengthy guide I made going over different parts of visual novels and how people make them! now let's go over some parts~

What Are Visual Novels?

Visual novels are a medium of video games focused on storytelling through the use of static or low-gameplay mechanics. Most can be considered a subsection of interactive fiction. A lot of visual novels have no gameplay or minigames, but some do feature light gameplay. The important aspect is that the gameplay in visual novels is never the focus, and instead the game focuses on a story delivered through dialogue & narration in textboxes on the screen.

Some visual novels are romance, some are fantasy, some are mystery, some are NSFW, some are cutesy, some are kiddie. Visual novels come in all shapes and sizes.

Visual Novel Misconceptions

Visual novels have been around for several decades now, but parts of them are still misunderstood by wider audiences. Here’s some frequent misconceptions about visual novels.

"Every visual novel has sexual content."

Visual novels come in all shapes and sizes, which includes content. Not every visual novel has sexual content, nor is it required to sell well. Visual novels are a medium for storytelling rather than a genre, so they can be anything you want them to be.

"Every visual novel is a dating sim."

Similar to the last one, some people think every visual novel is a romance game or a dating sim. Not every visual novel has romance in it, nor is it required to sell well.

"Every visual novel has choices and multiple endings."

Some of the most popular visual novels out there like Umineko When they Cry don’t have choices. Choices and multiple endings aren’t required to make a visual novel—completely linear experiences are fine.

"Visual novels need to be long."

Some of the top visual novels on itch.io right now are under 25k words, which puts them under 2 hours of playtime. Visual novels don’t have to be a certain length—they can be as long or as short as the story needs them to be. There’s even an annual visual novel jam, O2A2, that focuses on making a visual novel under 1k words with limited assets.

"Visual novels don’t sell well."

This is very much your mileage may vary. Some visual novels sell very, very well, such as how the recent Our Life: Now and Forever Kickstarter gained almost $300k. Marketing is an entire field just like art and writing and isn’t something you can skimp on or push to the end.

"Visual novel players hate reading."

A vast, vast majority of visual novel readers want a visual novel—they want a game that is light on gameplay and heavy on reading. You don’t have to add gameplay to a visual novel to keep people interested. Rather, minigames added at random can deter players. Visual novel players want an engaging story—if you’re worried of losing their attention, then focus on a tighter script or cinematography.

"Visual novels need to be anime style."

Visual novels originated in Japan and most do have an anime style, but visual novels do not need an anime style to sell well. The art style for a game will change the audience for the game—players who want something anime style probably won’t be interested in a semi-realistic style, but other people will be. It’s all about finding the right style for your story and finding the audience who responds well to it.

Visual Novel Terms

Here’s a list of terms you might encounter in visual novel and game dev communities.

EVN / OELVN – stands for English Visual Novel and Original English Language Visual Novel. Two terms used for describing Western VNs that are made in English, although EVN is used more frequently nowadays. An EVN/OELVN is specifically a visual novel made in English first, not a visual novel that has an English translation (and was made in a different language first). There are several variations of this, such as JVN meaning Japanese Visual Novel and RVN meaning Russian Visual Novel.

Kinetic novel – a visual novel that’s linear with few or no choices. Has only one ending. Also called a linear visual novel, linear game, etc.

Game jams – an event where developers have a set amount of time to make a game, ranging from a weekend to several months. Some jams have themes that the games must follow as well as other restrictions while others are more freeform. Nowadays, most jams are hosted on itchio. You can find a list of visual novel game jams here.

Game engine – a piece of software used for developing video games. The most popular ones for making indie VNs in English-speaking areas are Ren’Py and Unity, though Tyranobuilder is very popular in Japan for indies.

Text/code editor – when programming, you’ll need another piece of software to edit and write code that works with the game engine. Some popular text editors are Visual Studio Code, Sublime, Atom, Notepad, and more.

Character sprite – the individual character art that changes expressions and can move around the screen. Can include multiple outfits, pose changes, and more.

CGs – although it typically stands for Computer Generated, CGs in visual novels typically means the cut scene art where no sprites are shown (unless there's a side sprite on the textbox). CGs are usually reserved for special scenes and are the type of artwork you’d see in a CG Gallery or as promotional artwork.

UI / GUI – the User Interface / Graphical User Interface. This is what the player interacts with such as the textbox, main menu, save / load screen, settings, and more.

ADV mode – the standard reading mode for visual novels, short for Adventure mode. The textbox is located at the bottom of the screen. Popular examples of this are Steins;Gate, AI: The Somnium Files, and Amnesia.

NVL mode – a different reading mode for visual novels, short for Novel mode. The textbox covers most of the screen. Popular examples of this are Fate/stay night, Tsukihime, and Umineko When they Cry.

Dating simulator – dating sims are some of the oldest forms of visual novels and are essentially stat raisers where you spend time with various characters with the goal being to romance them by getting your stats high enough. In Western spheres dating sim has become synonymous with a romance game, where stat raising is not involved, but it’s important to note that dating sims refer to stat raisers a lot of the time. Unlike otome, a dating sim doesn’t refer to a specific sexual orientation.

Otome / Otoge – roughly translates to “maiden’s love” and is used to describe games with a female demographic, usually dating sims & romance games which feature male love interests and a female protagonist. Some otome games feature female and other gendered LIs, but male LIs are still the primary focus.

Eroge – an erotic game. If a game has sexual content in it, it’s an eroge. The original Fate/stay night (not the remastered version on Steam) is a popular example of an eroge.

Resources

And now, let's look at some tools and links for actually making visual novels.

Engines & Programming

Ren’Py – free visual novel engine

Twine – free text-based game engine (usually used for interactive fiction)

Naninovel – Unity-based tool for making Unity VNs

tiny tools – collection of various game dev tools

Ren’Edit Add-On – Ren’Py script editing & feedback tool

Ren’Py Accessibility Add-On

Feniks Ren’Py resources – various add-ons and tutorials by Feniks

Game Jam & Short Dev Advice

Game Jam Survival Guide - Essential Tips and Tricks

Releasing 8+ games (ft. game jams) and when to take a break

making game development backup plans

Advice for Leading VN Game Jam Teams

How to Make a Visual Novel Solo

How to Finish Your Visual Novel

Design

How to Make Visual Novels

Visual Novel Conference Talks

Visual Novel Cinematography & Design

Art Direction & Execution in Visual Novels

Making Impactful, Impressive Character Sprites

Post-production Techniques for VNs

Vimi’s Visual Novel Design

Writing

Writing Interactive – guides for narrative games writers

Visual Novel Conference Talks

Writing Mystery Visual Novels

How to Design Interesting Choices in VNs

The Intrigue of Ambiguity

Artwork

Clip Studio Paint

Krita

FireAlpaca

Medibang

GIMP

FastStone Photo Resizer – batch photo resizer and editor

FotoSketcher – various settings to apply artistic filters to photos

Marketing

How to Market Visual Novels

Marketing Visual Novels FAQ

Marketing Fundamentals for Indie Game Developers

Marketing your first indie game – What we learned from releasing the same game twice

The stairstep approach to indie game marketing

Marketing your Visual Novel for Kickstarter

Visual Novel Press-Kits

Audio

Eric Matyas music & SFX

Vita-chi SFX & graphics

Free Music Archive

Free Sound

dova-syndrome

Misc.

Lemmasoft Creative Commons Forum

itch.io visual novel resources

Google Fonts – free fonts

Uncle Mugen backgrounds

Canva – browser & desktop graphic design tool

Unsplash – free photos

Wrapping Up

all in all, visual novels are a fun medium to explore and play around with. if you want to make something short as a test run, try joining a game jam! if you want to see how varied visual novels can be, try playing some indies from itchio! at the end of the day there's no bad way to start making your own visual novel. hit the ground running and go for it!!

I've been developing visual novels for over 10 years now, blogging about them on my own blog and releasing visual novels through my studio Crystal Game Works. I hope this guide helped shed light on how to get into the medium!

— Arimia

[hellsslibrary]

Sae + feminization and breeding kink please I need it

You can make him an omega too if you want

"Come on, dude. Skirts were originally made for men, they rock them way better than girls..."

MASTERLIST is here.

#a.n. : THIS WAS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN. If anything, for the script I took that extra scene where they assumed Sae was a crossdresser, but if he really was and that makeup bag wasn't from Aiku's ex, yeah. So you can imagine that picture of Sae.

!!Warnings: crossdressing, light feminization, breeding kink (obviously), top!reader, bottom!Sae, no dom/sub boundaries, but Sae is a little more dominant if you choose (sorry, power bottom Sae world domination), praise and worship, riding, thoughts about what Sae would be like if he were a girl, but they're not serious, at the end Sae puts lipstick on your lips because I thought it was cute.

The soft rustle of the sheets, Sae's almost inaudible sighs, your moans, the slight groaning of the bed and the slapping of bodies against each other echoed in the large bedroom. Your eyes were fixed on Sae's calm and contented face as he slowly rode your cock.

His damn long eyelashes were even more visible because of the mascara on them, his lips were tinted with cute pink lipstick, and his cheeks were blushing not only from your actions with him. There were gold earrings in his ears, as well as a small necklace around his neck. On his torso was your shirt, which was not buttoned up, and on his hips was a regular pleated skirt and fuck... It was the hottest view in the world.

"So... What were you angry about when you came?" you ask, breaking out of your thoughts about admiring the perfect man on your cock, forcing him to open his eyes and look at you.

"I'm not angry, just a little disappointed. This infantile striker from the U-20 was rummaging through my bag... Found makeup there," Sae says evenly, interrupted by a light sigh from his lips as your hips slightly moved up during his bouncing. "They put it down to the fact that I have a girlfriend or something. It doesn't matter, don't think about it."

"You? A girlfriend? Funny..." you giggle, squeezing his waist tighter, which is why he started pushing on your shaft a little harder, pressing his hips on you. "When you reveal our relationship, it's obviously... Will make them disappointed? What should people think in such a situation? I don't know."

"I'm telling you, don't think about it. Even if they thought it was mine, it doesn't matter at all," Sae shakes his head at your thoughts, tightening his grip on your chest, leaving red marks from his nails there.

"Mmm, what do you think you would look like if you were a girl? Well, I mean, your breasts... I think it would be small, it would suit you. Maybe A-cup? Maximum B-cup..?"

"Idiot, what are you thinking about? If I were a girl, nothing would have changed... You just wouldn't get out of my cunt," the midfielder whispers, frowning slightly, moving his hips in a circular motion and then shrugging his shoulders. "But I think so. Small breasts sound logical. You are gay, why are you having such thoughts?"

"I don't know... You'd be such a queen... You're still the queen, though," you chuckle, lightly pressing on Sae's lower back, making him arch back, admiring his slender but muscular curves.

He just raises an eyebrow at these words, but doesn't pay attention to them, closing his eyes again and just focusing on how your cock feels inside him.

But your eyes didn't close for a second. How could they when a literal deity was riding your dick? Exactly, no way. You tried to absorb his every reaction, the way his breathing hitches, the way his hips twitch, the way his eyelashes flutter, the way he bites his lip to hide his moans, all of it.

You would literally worship this body without ceasing, if it were physically possible, of course. He would kiss every inch of you, come up with the most original and romantic epithets just for him, just for the beautiful man in front of you.

"Sae?"you ask carefully, looking at him, and his only reaction is to mumble. "You like it when I'm in your bussy, right?"

Sae's eyes immediately open and he stops his movements, looking at you with such a disapproving look that even your cock inside Sae moves from humiliation... Or something else.

"What is it... Bussy?" He's asking, even though he clearly doesn't want to know the answer to that question, judging by your face, which is red with shame and obvious excitement.

"Pussy. Man's. Like a boy plus a pussy and you get a bussy..."

Sae just blinks slowly at your explanation, and then sighs as expected. After all, what did he expect from you? And he resumes his movements, making you whimper softly at the feeling of him squeezing around you.

"Yes, I like it," he whispers confidently, flicking your nipple, which makes you blush even more, but you're clearly smiling contentedly, and then you raise yourself up on your elbows and kiss him.

The elder Itoshi just sighs, but puts his hands on your shoulders, responding with a kiss, which is why most of you have to push into him obviously not rhythmically, given the not particularly comfortable position, but it doesn't matter. The way his lips slide against yours and you feel the faint taste of chocolate from his lipstick, the way he moaned softly into your mouth was enough.

He pulls away first when he notices that you're whimpering from lack of movement and gently pushes you back onto the pillows, eyeing you. A barely visible smile suddenly appears on his face, only the corners of his lips turn up.

"Sae, why are you smiling, hmm?" you ask, rubbing his sides, thinking maybe he's amused by your impatience or something, but the next second he grabs your chin, grabbing something from the bedside table and opening it.

"You look good with my lipstick," he whispers, carefully smearing the lipstick on your slightly moist, pouty lips, and then pulling away, slowly running his thumb along the edge of your lips, where his own lipstick smeared after the kiss. "You also obviously enjoyed the taste, no?"

"If you were on my face, it would be even better... Mmm!" escapes your lips, but Sae just snorts and kisses you again, grabbing your chest and slightly accelerating his hips, swallowing your moans with pleasure.

"You're going to be an even better boy and make me cum, and I'll think about it, okay?" Sae asks, whispering it into your lips, narrowing his gaze when he looks at your lust-clouded eyes, and after your quick nod, he just kisses you gently on the cheek.

[top-script]

together we can kill organized society

[iwillmissourtalks]

SEARCHING AO3: A (SLIGHTLY) MORE ADVANCED GUIDE

Disclaimer: This is very very geared towards finding fics about a particular character rather than a pairing. My favourite guys tend to be popular-ish women that appear in a lot of fics but only as supporting characters so I’ve had to become v good at combing for things that actually centre them <3

For this guide we’re gonna use my current hyperfixation: Mel Medarda & see what we can find lol

1. Use the tag filter system as your default! It’s superior in every way to the normal search except for the “any field” section which can be pretty useful but unless you’re using it for SPECIFICALLY THAT, don’t bother.

You can access the tag filter by clicking on any common tag (we’re gonna use “Mel Medarda”) and then hitting filters.

This thing is SO useful! Poke about in the dropdown menus; each of them will have the top 10 associated tags for that category. For example the top additional tags for Mel are Angst; Slow Burn and Fluff because,,, well. yk

+ it shows the number of fics with those tags under the “main” tag of Mel Medarda!

2. Keep an eye out for character specific tags! Now that we’re definitely using the tag filtering system we can start actually filtering through those tags <3

Most characters will have common but specific tags that both name them and imply something about their arc in the fic. A frequent example is something like “X character needs a hug”, or more obviously: “X character centric”.

These are my go-to tags for Mel! Most characters will have a variation of this set + some others (“BAMF character name” is also a pretty common one in older fandoms) and any one of these (INDIVIDUALLY, at most filtered in sets of 2) will lead to a few hundred results. It’s not 100% flawless because a lot of authors over-tag, but a solid 80% of the fics under these tags will at least heavily feature the character you’re looking for.

3. Filter by summary!!

At the bottom of the tag filters there’s a section called search within results. This is your Best Friend.

summary: “_”

^ for easy copy/paste

What this script will do is search for whatever you put in the quotation marks and then only give you fics with that thing in the description. I like to use it for character names but it also does a pretty good job filtering for tropes — try using it for vampires lol

Doing this with Mel narrows down her character tag from 7000+ to just under one and a half thousand fics, all of which at the very least include her name in the description.

4. RAREPAIRS ARE YOUR FRIEND! Canon but only semi-popular ships are infinitely more likely to get tagged in the background than say, for example — melvik (nobody is writing background melvik). This tip only works if you’re willing to multiship for more content of your guy but it is very effective.

5. Related to tip 4: Search by otp! If you’re locked in on a particular pairing that’s more popular, you can search for fics that ONLY include that ship.

otp:true

^ for easy copy/paste (again)

This is super useful and also the main reason I don’t tag side pairings in my own fics! Also remember to use this script with ship tag rather than just a character one — otherwise it won’t work.

6. Parent tags exist! This is less of a strategy and requires more trail & error, but lots of tags filter into each other. For another Mel-related example, filtering by the Only Meljay tag would also being up fics tagged with Jayce/Mel Medarda-centric — despite (potentially) not having the original tag you filtered by. This is because Jayce/Mel Medarda-centric is the Parent of the original tag, meaning ao3 has deemed the two tags related enough to appear in each other’s search results.

This is something done manually by ao3 staff so the consistency of parent tags are a little weird sometimes.

More practically, this is an interaction to keep in mind when blocking tags. If for example you were to exclude “Torture” from your search, ao3 would also automatically exclude —

Implied/Referenced Torture

Physiological Torture

Aftermath of Torture

And probably many more.

Even if the broad category of torture isn’t tagged in a fic, the specific referenced type of torture counts — to ao3 — as a tag of torture by itself.

Interestingly, the “sub-categories” of tag don’t feed into each other this way. You can block Physiological Torture and still see fics tagged with Implied/Referenced Torture or Aftermath of Torture.

Knowing this is useful in the sense that the more specific you get with a blocked tag, the less likely you are to accidentally filter out something you would actually be fine with (or inversely blocking a general category you HATE means you don’t have to obsessively filter out every possible iteration of that thing you don’t like).

You can tell tag is a Parent Category by searching for a Sub Category and blocking what you think is the Parent. This will result in 0 results.

Implied/Referenced Torture tag after blocking the Torture tag.

Each of these strategies are things to be done in waves or in combination with one another. Casting a wide net and then narrowing it down is really important, too many tags and you end up with no results.

Ao3 has an INCREDIBLY robust set of archival tools. It’s an amazing site and if a fic exists and you know what you’re doing, you should always be able to find it.

Happy reading <3

[croworro]

I found this song a bit ago London by badflower, and I think it would make such a cute schlatt fic bc it fits him so well 🫣

The quiet life

Pairing: Jschlatt (John) × fem!reader

NSFW 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Word count: ~ 3.7k

Warnings: Slow burn, intense yearning, domestic daydreaming, emotionally intimate smut, friends-to-lovers, sharing a bed, soft boy feelings, whispered confessions, Schlatt being painfully in love, aftercare, cuddling, slight language, eventual smut

Summary: You’re just friends. The trip was just supposed to be to about making content. But now you’re playing house in a too-small LA apartment, pretending not to notice how close you’ve gotten. But Schlatt does notice—constantly. You wear his shirt, make him laugh in your kitchen, fall asleep inches away like it means nothing. And he? He’s rewriting his entire future around you.

A/N: Omg first of all, this song is going on my playlist IMMEDIATELY!! also I really really hope this is the vibe you were hoping for. I leaned heavvvyyyy into yearning schlatt, because men don’t yearn enough nowadays smh. Hope you like it anon! Also what do we prefer for schlatt, I’ve seen people use John and Jay for him but idk what I like better?

He wasn’t supposed to stay this long.

Originally it was just a weekend thing, shoot a few videos, film a podcast episode, catch up with his other friends in LA. But then you’d offered your couch. Then you’d started inviting him to late-night drive-thrus and mid-day coffee runs and content brainstorming on your apartment floor in pajama pants and a clay face mask.

And suddenly it was ten days later and his return flight had been “pushed” three times.

No one questioned it. Not even you.

You were used to people overstaying in LA. But you weren’t used to how soft he looked when he watched you talk. Or maybe you were. Maybe you just didn’t care.

He sat on your balcony now, pretending to scroll through his phone. You were inside, fixing your hair for some shoot you’d roped him into, humming a song under your breath he couldn’t place.

The sun was setting in that cliché LA way, rosy and fake and too warm for February. He hated this city. The traffic, the people, the way everyone was always looking past you, scanning for someone more important. He hated the fake smiles and overpriced restaurants and the rooftop bars that charged $40 for a drink he didn’t even like.

But he’d never been more comfortable anywhere than he was on your couch, in your too-small apartment, with your laugh echoing through the paper-thin walls.

He stared at the skyline, but all he saw was a different view.

Something quieter. Pine trees instead of palm. A kettle on the stove instead of a ring light in the corner. You with your hair tucked into a hoodie, his hoodie. Cold tile under his feet in a creaky kitchen. A radio playing something old. Your voice calling to him from the next room.

A life where none of this mattered, numbers, views, subscribers. Just you and him and a porch light that buzzed when it rained.

He could see it so clearly it made his chest ache.

“Yo,” your voice called from behind him, snapping the fantasy clean in half. “Ready to film?”

He blinked, startled. Looked up.

You were in cutoff shorts and a tank top, hair clipped up, cheeks flushed from rushing around. You were glowing in the warm light, realer than anything he could’ve imagined.

“Yeah,” he said, voice scratchy. “Let’s do it.”

You walked past him onto the balcony, brushing your fingers across his arm as you passed, totally unthinking. Totally unaware.

He sat there for another second, pretending it didn’t wreck him.

Filming took longer than it should’ve. It always did when he was with you.

You kept going off-script, cracking jokes that made him snort mid-sentence. Your camera overheated. You lost the mic pack for twenty minutes and blamed him like he’d eaten it. He didn’t even fight you on it. He would’ve gladly swallowed it whole if it meant hearing you laugh like that again.

Now the sun had long set and your apartment buzzed under the weight of warm LED strips and half-broken lamps. You were cleaning up the kitchen, barefoot in a pair of plaid pajama shorts, your tank top swapped for his old t-shirt, something he’d left behind on his last visit that you never gave back.

He leaned against the counter and watched you move around, sipping from the same water bottle he’d been using all day.

You handed him a plate to dry.

“Bet you didn’t think you’d be doing dishes in my apartment when you booked that flight,” you said, side-eyeing him with a smirk.

He shrugged, trying to keep his voice casual. “Could be worse.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re here enough. I should start charging rent.”

He wanted to say, Yeah, well you should just move in with me.

But he just chuckled and took another plate.

The two of you worked in sync, like you’d done this a hundred times. Like this was normal. Like you were just two people at home after a long day, worn out, comfortable, quietly tangled in each other’s orbit.

And that’s when it hit him again.

You weren’t his.

You didn’t belong to him. You weren’t building that life with him, not really. This was temporary. A glitch. A shared moment that wouldn’t mean the same thing to you as it did to him.

To you, it was probably just a fun week with a friend.

But to him, it felt like a preview of something he’d never be brave enough to ask for.

You wiped your hands on a dish towel and glanced over.

“What?”

“Huh?”

“You’re looking at me weird,” you said, laughing softly. “You okay?”

He forced a shrug. “Just tired.”

You eyed him for a second longer than normal. Like maybe you didn’t fully buy it. Like maybe you were starting to feel it too, whatever this was. But then you looked away and stretched, your shirt riding up slightly as you did.

He looked away fast. Took a breath. Let it sit.

“Hey,” you said, suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you stayed.”

And just like that, he was ruined again.

It was just past midnight when you padded into the living room, rubbing your eyes and clutching the edge of a blanket around your shoulders. Your voice was soft and half-asleep.

“Hey,” you mumbled, stopping in the doorway.

Schlatt was on the couch, curled uncomfortably with a throw pillow under his head and a YouTube video paused on his phone screen. He looked up at you, trying to blink himself more awake.

“Everything okay?”

You nodded, then hesitated. “I feel like a dick.”

He blinked. “Why?”

You came in a little further, chewing your cheek. “Because you’ve been sleeping on this stupid couch for like… a week and a half now. And it sucks.”

He sat up slightly, one elbow propped on the armrest. “I’ve had worse.”

You rolled your eyes. “That’s not the point. My bed’s a queen. And I don’t move around. You’re gonna wake up with permanent scoliosis if you stay on that thing.”

He opened his mouth to say something clever. Something to diffuse the way his chest suddenly got tight. But then you said it:

“Just come sleep in my bed.”

And he felt his brain short-circuit.

You said it like it was no big deal. Like it was a logical, normal thing. You were doing him a favor. Being nice. There was no hidden meaning in your voice, just sleepy kindness, the way you’d speak to any friend who looked like they were starting to fuse with your furniture.

But he wasn’t just any friend. Not in his head.

“You sure?” he asked, forcing a smile. “I snore. And sprawl.”

You gave him a look. “So do I. You’ll fit right in.”

He didn’t move right away. Just sat there, watching you yawn and pull your blanket tighter around yourself. You looked so soft like this. Bare-faced. Hair mussed. Half-asleep in the doorway like a scene out of a movie he wasn’t supposed to star in.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “Yeah. Alright.”

You didn’t wait for him to follow, just turned and walked back down the hall.

He stared after you for a second, running a hand over his face like maybe that would help clear his head. It didn’t.

When he finally stood, grabbed his charger, and followed you to your room, he already knew he wouldn’t sleep. Not really. Not with you a few inches away, breathing slow and steady beside him, wrapped in that same damn blanket.

You lifted the covers without a word when he walked in. He slid into the space next to you, careful not to touch. Careful not to think too hard about how close this felt to the life he kept dreaming about.

The room was dark and quiet except for your fan humming in the corner. You were already drifting off when you murmured:

“Now you won’t have a broken back.”

He swallowed.

“So generous of you.”

He teased but inside, he was screaming.

Because this, laying next to you, watching the soft shape of your shoulder in the dark, breathing in your shampoo, this was the closest he’d ever been to that other life.

The one where you weren’t just letting him sleep in your bed.

The one where it was his bed too.

He layed there for hours, wide awake. The fan hummed quietly in the corner, stirring the warm air in slow, lazy circles.

Schlatt lay perfectly still. Not asleep. Not even close.

He was hyper-aware of everything: your breathing, the slight shift of the mattress every time you moved, the faint scent of your shampoo lingering in the pillows. His body was tense, coiled in a way that left his back sore and his thoughts louder than they’d ever been.

You hadn’t touched. You were respectful. Friends. Two people sharing a bed to avoid a shitty couch.

But still, he was in your bed.

You sighed beside him, kicking off the covers. “Fuck, it’s hot.”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t dare.

You must’ve assumed he was asleep, because a moment later, he felt you shift, slow and quiet, like you were trying not to wake him. He felt the blanket rustle, the mattress dip behind him, and then the unmistakable tug of fabric sliding down your legs.

He nearly stopped breathing.

You slipped off your pajama shorts, nothing too scandalous, just something soft and loose. But now all that was left between you was his t-shirt and your underwear, and you had no idea he was awake and losing his mind.

He wanted to roll over. Just to look. Just to see you in that soft, sleepy state. But he stayed frozen.

Until you moved again.

This time, you rolled closer.

Not all the way. Not pressed against him. But enough that your knee brushed his under the blankets, and you didn’t pull back. You just settled there, warm and bare-legged and totally oblivious to the way you were unraveling him piece by piece.

He couldn’t do this anymore.

“Y’know I’m awake, right?” he muttered, voice low and gravelly.

You went still.

For a second, there was nothing but the fan and the thudding in his chest.

“…How long have you been awake?” you asked, barely above a whisper.

“Since you kicked me in your sleep,” he lied. “Like, an hour ago.”

You exhaled, a quiet laugh. “Well, shit.”

He finally turned to face you.

And there you were, hair messy, face flushed, blanket pooled at your waist. His shirt hung off your shoulder, and the hem just barely covered where it needed to. Your legs were bare in the moonlight cutting through the blinds, crossed loosely like you had no idea how badly you were fucking him up just by existing.

“You could’ve said something,” you said softly.

He blinked. “And said what?”

“I dunno.” You shifted, propping yourself on your elbow. “Just that you were awake.”

He didn’t reply, he just swallowed. His throat was dry.

You looked at him, really looked at him, and something in your face softened.

“What are you thinking now?”

He hesitated, fingers curling in the sheets between you. Then:

“That I wanna kiss you,” he said, voice barely there. “But I don’t wanna fuck it up.”

You didn’t move for a moment. Just looked at him, blinking slow, the air thick between you. Then you leaned in.

“Then don’t fuck it up,” you whispered.

And that was it.

He kissed you slow, like he had all the time in the world to make up for. Your lips were soft, warm, a little unsure at first until you sighed into it, your hand sliding up to cup his jaw.

The sheets shifted as you moved closer, your leg sliding over his hip, pulling him in. His hand found your waist, then your thigh, gripping like he was trying to memorize the shape of you.

When your hips rolled against his, he gasped against your mouth.

“Wait,” he breathed, forehead pressed to yours. “Are you sure?”

You nodded, eyes dark and heavy. “I’ve been sure.”

He kissed you again, deeper this time, his fingers slipping under the hem of his shirt on your body. He found your skin, soft and warm and his, and you shivered at his touch.

Everything slowed. Every movement was careful. Reverent.

He pulled the shirt up, and you let him. He pushed the blanket down, and you reached for him with shaking hands.

There was no rush. Just heat and breath and quiet moans pressed into each other’s mouths, like you were afraid to break the spell. He touched you like he’d imagined a hundred times but never dared. You arched into him like you’d been waiting for this just as long.

“John,” you breathed.

And he nearly lost it.

Because this—this moment, this warmth, this body beneath his, was real. Not a fantasy. Not a dream he’d take home and replay in his shitty bed in New York while he jerked off. This was happening.

And it was better than anything he ever imagined. You felt the way he trembled when you whispered his name.

“John,” you said again, slower this time, like it meant something heavier.

It did.

He looked up at you, eyes wide and glassy in the dark, his mouth slightly open like he couldn’t believe this was real. His hand slid along your thigh, fingertips brushing so gently you almost shivered from it.

“Say it again,” he murmured.

You leaned forward, your lips barely grazing his. “John.”

He groaned, low and wrecked, like the sound was ripped straight out of his chest. Then he kissed you hard, deeper this time, desperate. His hands roamed your body, worshipful but greedy, like he didn’t know where to touch first.

“You’re so—fuck, you’re soft,” he breathed into your neck, dragging his mouth down to your collarbone. “Been thinking about this for so long. You have no idea.”

You whimpered softly as his hand slipped between your thighs, cupping you through your underwear.

“I thought about this,” he said, voice hoarse and honest, “when you laughed in that shitty parking garage. When you passed me a drink and didn’t look away. When you wore my shirt and didn’t give it back. Every time you got close and didn’t mean to.”

You gasped when he pressed his fingers against the fabric, slow, patient pressure, teasing you through the damp cotton.

“I kept thinking—if I just had you once,” he continued, kissing up your jaw, “just once—maybe I could get it out of my system.”

He dragged your underwear down your thighs. You helped him, lifting your hips slightly, and he tossed them aside like he’d been waiting his whole life to do it.

“But now I’m here,” he whispered, running two fingers up your slit, slow and reverent, “and I know I’m never gonna want anything else.”

You whimpered, breath stuttering as he circled your clit in lazy, feather-light movements.

“Please,” you said, not even sure what you were asking for, just more.

He kissed your knee, your thigh, your hipbone. “I got you,” he murmured. “Just let me take care of you.”

He slipped two fingers inside, slow and gentle, curling them just right as your back arched. His thumb pressed against your clit again and again, and your legs trembled as you reached up to bury your hands in his hair.

Your breath hitched. “I’m—fuck—don’t stop.”

“Not going anywhere,” he said, voice thick. “Come on, sweetheart.”

You came with a soft cry, body shuddering, legs tightening around his wrist. He didn’t stop until you were gasping, until it was too much.

He kissed you again, deeper now, slower, letting you catch your breath. Your hand fumbled for his waistband, pulling at it clumsily.

“Take it off,” you whispered.

His eyes fluttered shut for a second. “Yeah,” he breathed. “Yeah, okay.”

He kicked his sweats off, crawled back over you, and lined himself up slowly, like he wanted to savor this, not just take it.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he said.

You just wrapped your arms around his neck, tugging him down until your mouths met again. “I want you.”

He pushed in slowly, both of you moaning at the stretch, the warmth, the relief of finally having each other. He buried his face in your neck as he bottomed out, whispering your name like a prayer.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “You feel like—fuck.”

You rolled your hips, and he moved with you, slow at first, long and deep, dragging it out like he never wanted it to end. His hands gripped your waist, your thigh, your hands, anywhere he could touch, he did. He needed to feel all of you. Needed to memorize this.

“Look at me,” he whispered, pulling back slightly. “Let me see you.”

You blinked up at him, dazed and open, and the look in your eyes almost undid him.

“Christ,” he whispered. “You’re so fuckin’ perfect.”

You pulled him in again, kissed him like you’d always been his, and when you clenched around him, he cursed into your mouth.

It was soft. Hot. Messy. You didn’t hold back. You said his name again and again like it belonged to you. And when you came a second time, with your nails dug into his back and your body arched into his, he followed, whispering something wrecked and quiet into your skin, something you didn’t catch, but felt deep in your bones.

After, he didn’t move. He just stayed there, buried inside you, your hands tangled in his hair, breathing in your scent like he wasn’t ever going to get enough. He hadn’t pulled out yet. Didn’t want to.

Your fingers traced slow, lazy lines along his spine. His lips were at your throat, soft and reverent, kissing gently between shaky exhales. His whole body was trembling, not from exertion, but from something quieter. Something that had been building for days. Weeks. Maybe longer.

Neither of you spoke for a while.

Just the hum of the fan. His heartbeat against your chest. The warmth of his skin slick against yours.

Finally, he shifted, pulled out slowly with a soft grunt and kissed your forehead before collapsing beside you, one arm still hooked around your waist. You turned toward him immediately, letting his chest become your pillow. He wrapped both arms around you and pressed his face into your hair.

You didn’t think you’d ever felt him this quiet before.

“John?” you whispered.

He didn’t answer right away. Just pulled you closer, kissed your forehead, your cheek, your jaw.

Then, barely louder than a breath:

“Move back.”

You blinked. “What?”

He pulled back just enough to look at you, eyes dark and wide and full of something that looked almost like fear.

“Move back to New York,” he said again, voice breaking a little. “Please.”

Your mouth parted, but you didn’t say anything yet. Just stared at him.

“I know it’s selfish,” he rushed on, kissing your shoulder, then your temple. “I know you’ve built a life here and it’s not that easy, and I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t—fuck, if I didn’t feel like I’d fall apart when I go home without you.”

Your heart slammed against your ribs.

He cupped your cheek, brushing his thumb gently beneath your eye.

“I wanna wake up with you,” he whispered. “Every day. Not on some couch in your living room or a fucking rooftop party, but like—really. In some house where we cook the same dumb breakfast every morning and you wear my hoodie for real.”

You exhaled, shaky.

“I’ve been pretending it’s fine,” he said. “But I can’t do this fake life thing anymore. Not when I know what it feels like to have you like this.”

His voice cracked.

“I don’t want a version of you I get in little doses when I’m lucky. I want you in the quiet. In the boring. I want all of it.”

You searched his face. He looked… open. Scared. Hopeful.

So much hope it hurt.

You touched his jaw. “You really mean that?”

He kissed your palm.

“I’ve never meant anything more.”

And then, slowly, you nodded. Just once.

Dividers by @uzmacchiato

[simp-ly-writes]

What Would You Do?

─────── · · A The Comment Section (spin-off / pt.4.5)

Pairing: Spencer Agnew x gn!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: In this standalone part, everyone finds out how Spencer seems to know you better than you know yourself and the comments go wild over it. It's still recommended that you read the series for the full effect.

─ · · TAGS: standalone, gender-neutral pronouns, social media au, attempt at comedy, light swearing, fluff, mutual pinning.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | PART ONE | PART FIVE

─ · · A/N: thank you so much to the wonderful @sserendiipiity for this idea and sorry it took so long to write this! All original images belong to their owners, my work is my own. Asks are open for Smosh!

─────── · ·

Being in front of such a small crew was refreshing besides the hundreds of workers you were starting to get used to for your up-and-coming movie entrance. Still to this day, you didn't know how you landed such a part with all of your acting history coming from youtube but nevertheless as Courtney called you all to take your positions; a newfound anxiety found its way into your mind. This episode was solemnly focused on you and how well your fellow cast members and friends knew you.

Soon the heat of a thousand LEDs made you start to sweat as you smiled at the camera and introduced this weeks episode, "Hey guys, welcome to what would (name) do. And here today I am with my friends Trevor, Amanda, and of course, Spencer. Yes, we have been reading your comments everyone-"

The crew in the background began to laugh as Spencer shook his head with a small smile, foot taping yours from underneath the table as you waited for everyone to finish. "-and Spencer and I will be going back to our regularly scheduled content together. But thats besides the point! I am going to be reading these question cards that I totally wrote and your goal is to guess my answer. So if I said, 'Who do you think if the last person I messaged?" You all would answer..."

Putting the cards down quickly and going for your phone, you rolled your eyes at yourself for seeing who, as always was at the top of your history. Head now in your hands- knowing how quickly the fans would clip this next moment. Courtney began to count down behind the camera, voice trying to hide her giggles as everyone knew the answer right away.

Picking yourself up and trying not to make eye contact with anyone at the table, Courtney didn't even get a chance to hit one as both Trevor and Amanda have already flipped over their boards, arrowheads pointing towards Spencer with large grins strapped across their faces.

"And why do you think its you Spencer" you ask, not even having to look to look as you stare into the camera with a straight face. "Because we are each others conscious?" Spencer answers matter-of-factly, the smile he sends you breaks your character as you announce one point each before moving on to the next question.

"Okay, If I could learn any skill and be super good at it, what would it be?" You take a second after reading the card, unsure of your own answer as you look around the room for any ideas. Peering down the table, everyone seems to be writing a lot as you tap your marker lid against the table. Courtney begins to count down once more as Trevor rapidly erases his answer and writes down a new one as you raise your brow curiously before marking down your own.

"Let's see these answers, because I am unsure myself."

Trevor goes first out of the line, "I had a few ideas but I think I remember talking to you about being a better driver... that or being a quicker reader."

"I completely forgot about that- I would agree, being able to read and remember scripts super quickly would be awesome. Let's see what everyone else wrote down though, Spencer?"

"Well I said that you want to learn everything about music. I know that you always have wanted for some groups to make one more album or for others to pick up their sound. But what if you could make your own music just how you want it to sound?"

"Fuuucckkk, thats so good!" you moan out, trying to imagine everything you could make before your eyes flash back open in horror. You clasp your hands over your mouth before throwing your head back laughing as Spencer shoves your shoulder, "Not in front of the cameras!" He points dramatically at every single one as you grip his shoulder trying to calm yourself as he two joins your laughter.

Amanda had erased her answer by the time you two caught your breaths as Courtney asked off-camera why. "This game is what you kids would say, rigged. Like what am I going to say thats topping thing one and thing two here? But I was going to say skateboarding," Amanda responds in a lighthearted tone.

"Skateboarding?" Trevor asks, eyebrow raised as you nod your head, curious to learn the answer. "I don't know! I just thought it would be something cool that you would like to be really skilled at."

"I mean... it would be pretty cool. I could be all Tony Hawk Skate Park all around the office," you voice, picturing a future video idea before giving points out to Spencer.

─────── · ·

The video continues as expected, your fellow cast mates mocking annoyance and play-fighting amongst one another as Spencer nails question after question, often answering better than the answers you come up with for yourself about yourself.

At some point, Amanda and Trevor had tackled Spencer to the ground, begging him for answers as he held his hands, glasses askew as you sat and watched from your chair, tears stringing down your face as you hunched over, your stomach hurting from laughing so much as Courtney yelled for break, you all taking your fourty minutes to grab drinks and snacks at the cart.

"You do know how crazy the comments are going to be underneath the video, "OMG I ALWAYS KNEW SPENCER AND (NAME) WERE MARRIED'" Amanda mocks in an obnoxious girly tone as you shake your head, knowing her words to be all true true as Spencer leans down and steals a bite from for sandwich. You glare playfully at him as he turns around chewing, going to find Alex to ask how the other shoots are going back at Smosh Games.

"Well, its better than the hate. I thought I was actually going to get fired or killed if we didn't release that video soon enough," you respond a bit tensely as Trevor flicked your forehead. "Hey, none of that, (name). We all would've made sure it never came down to that."

Amanda nods in agreement as Spencer rejoins you both. He places his chin on your shoulder, asking you quietly, "How're you doing?"

"Better," you respond with a small smile, taking in his equally tired expression as you ask him the same question. He hums out positively before leading you both back in front of the camera.

As soon the red dot starts to flicker in your face once more and before you can finish the question, Amanda had already stood up, chair screeching against the floors as the table shook from her enthusiasm as she screamed out her answer. "Describe what you think I would wear tomorrow-"

"SOMETHING OF SPENCERS AND JEANS, where are my points?! Take THAT SPENCER!" Amanda dances for the camera, fingers flipping the man off as you hide behind the board, giving her the point as no one else bothers to answer.

─────── · ·

"And for our second to last question today..." you all were starting to grow loopy. After a full day of shoot after shoot, you all started screaming out random things at one another, sometimes without context and the outline of a gameshow had gradually turned into a shouting fest. "...Fuck, Marry, Kill-"

"SPENCER, SPENCER, SPENCER," Alex shouted from off-camera, chest raised proud of his throw-back answer to an earlier episode as Amanda wheezed out, Trevor throwing his board for the bit, "that was going to be my answer too!"

Spencer's ears had flared bright red as he started off into the distance. You hide your face in your hands once more, shoulders rising and falling with silent laughs before managing to read the rest of the actual question left.

─────── · ·

By the end of the shoot, Spencer had one as he raised your hands together cheering before taking a bow to the crew and then the camera. "Well, to no one's surprise, Spencer won todays episode but I have to say, you all surprised me with your answers. It feels so good to know I have all of you as my friends. And to all of those watching at home, be sure to check back in the next few days to find the new content we have cooking up. Bye!" You all wave towards the camera's before the screen shuts of to black.

─────── · ·

A few weeks later...

🔔 Smosh Pit just posted! watch now?

─────── · ·

What Would (name) Do?

Smosh Pit ✓ [Subscribed] Like 132k | Dislike | ... 8.29M subscribers 430k views 1 day ago you'll never guess who wins this episode! click to read more

3,333 Comments

username01 1 day ago The team was COOKING on this video. username11 1 day ago Well, this is one way to shut us all up and goddam it I'll take it all! username44 1 day ago Anyone else had to pause this video multiple times to look at the camera in their room and scream BC this was TOO much for little ol'me to handle. username13 12 hours ago "You'll never guess who wins," - yeah right. ▼ 50 replies ↳ username88 4 hours ago IKR? The bigger shock would have been if Spencer was banned from participating hahaha. ↳ username20 12 hours ago Kinda feel like he should've been. I mean the cast was taking it great but it must get kinda annoying how he knows every answer. Some even seemed like (name) didn't even know themselves! ↳ username54 30 minutes ago This is concrete evidence to the (yourshipname) case, these two idiots belong together. username73 12 hours ago I am salivating over all of the edits I know will come from this video. Where is @ (yourshipname)updates when you need them? ▼ 1 reply ↳ (yourshipname)updates ✓ 10 hours ago I am here and am happily overworked! We are eating good folks! username52 30 minutes ago Trevor and Amanda pinning Spencer to the ground with (name) cry-laughing in the background was not a meme format I thought I needed. I can't wait for the next Who Meme'd It!! username14 1 day ago "Spencer, Spencer, Spencer" - Alex Tran 2024 username02 just now I honestly thought they would all be quicker to name Spencer as (name)'s lest message. Like whenever they are not actively filming I swear I see them smiling at their phones in the background of videos. username05 23 hours ago (name) and Spencer: try not to fall in love. difficulty? impossible. username66 15 minutes ago Amanda calling the game "rigged" was so good. BC let's all be real here, this was fan service at its finest and i'm not even upset about it. username70 1 day ago The fact that they kept (name)'s: "Fuuucckkk, thats so good!" in is shocking to say the least. These edits about to be straight WILD. username23 14 hours ago There's literally to much to comment about, I am going insane. username80 1 hour ago "SOMETHING OF SPENCERS AND JEANS, where are my points?! Take THAT SPENCER!" Amanda has confirmed what we all believe people, let us all thank her in the comments below \/ ▼ 44 replies ↳ username54 30 minutes ago Yes, thank you dear Amanda!! ↳ username90 30 minutes ago I love confirmation bias. ↳ username54 just now I love how Spencer wasn't even mad. Like bro was damn smug about that fact while (name) was blushing so hard thinking none of us would ever catch on XD

─────── · ·

─ · · A/N: I am kinda obsessing over (name) and Spencer...

─ · · TAGLIST: @lisiliely @missflufffanfics @little-stitious-studios

[top-script]

scientifically speaking, fish breath the oxygen diffused into water, so, if theres no oxygen in the water, the fish drown

i think

Computer show me the "big one"

[icefest]

In celebration of the remarkable life and career of Val Kilmer (1959-2025), we're hosting a cross-fandom collection to honor his extraordinary contributions to film and the characters that captivated our hearts and imaginations.

About the Exchange

This event welcomes fanworks of all kinds celebrating Val Kilmer's diverse filmography. Whether you were moved by his portrayal of Jim Morrison, thrilled by his Iceman, enchanted by his Batman, or captivated by any of his other iconic roles, this is your opportunity to share your creativity with fellow fans.

Eligible Fandoms

All Val Kilmer roles and films are welcome, including but not limited to:

Top Gun/Top Gun: Maverick (Iceman)

Batman Forever (Bruce Wayne/Batman)

The Doors (Jim Morrison)

Tombstone (Doc Holliday)

Heat (Chris Shiherlis)

Willow (Madmartigan)

Real Genius (Chris Knight)

The Ghost and the Darkness (John Patterson)

The Saint (Simon Templar)

At First Sight (Virgil Adamson)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Gay Perry)

Alexander (Philip II)

Thunderheart (Ray Levoi)

The Prince of Egypt (Moses, voice)

Any other film from his extensive career

Accepted Fanwork Types

We welcome all forms of creative expression:

Fanfiction: One-shots, multi-chapter works, poetry, scripts, alternative universes, crossovers

Fan Art: Digital art, traditional art, comics, photo manipulations

Poetic Works: Poems, sonnets, haiku, free verse inspired by Kilmer or his characters

Video Tributes: Fanvids, edits, animation

Audio Works: Podfics, song covers, original music

Crafts: Cosplay, props, jewelry, clothing designs

Meta: Character analysis, film essays, retrospectives

Collection Rules

All works must feature a character portrayed by Val.

Please tag appropriately for content warnings.

Both new works and reworkings of previously shared creations are welcome.

Both gen and shippy content are welcomed and encouraged.

Suggestions for Participation

Explore the complex dichotomies in Kilmer's roles: hero/villain, strong/vulnerable, comic/tragic.

Consider crossovers between his characters (What would Doc Holliday say to Iceman? A Crossover between Real Genius' Chris and Top Gun's Iceman, maybe?)

Reflect on the iconic lines and moments that defined his performances

Create "what if" scenarios for his characters' lives beyond the films

Craft poetry inspired by the emotional resonance of his performances

The collection can be found on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Ice_Fest_Exchange/profile.

Add as you finish, and enjoy! Celebrate and have fun!

Timeline

The collection is open as of now, and we ask that all completed works are posted into the collection by July 4th of this year. That said, the collection will remain open all year round, and we invite you to add your tributes to Val as you wish. Val will be missed, and his legacy will endure.

In Memoriam

This collection seeks to celebrate Val Kilmer's enduring legacy as an actor who brought depth, charisma, and unforgettable presence to every role he embodied. Through our creative works, we honor his contribution to cinema and the impact he had on audiences worldwide.

"The only love you keep is the love you give away." - Virgil Adamson, At First Sight

[anim-ttrpgs]

Your post detailing a story in ad&d of a band of warriors delving into a dungeon filled with large lads and undead inspired me to look into ad&d 2e myself and so far I have found myself enjoying the mechanics greatly. So thank you for that do you have any advice for those just getting into ad&d?

Thank you! I love AD&D and am happy to help get more people into it, or any other rpg that has similar pre-WotC dungeon crawling gameplay.

Here’s a few rapid fire tips off the top of my head for those trying to get into AD&D2e and similar games:

Everybody Reads Both Rulebooks

Really this is my stance for basically any TTRPG, but I think that everybody should read the Player’s Handbook and the DM Guide. A session of any game will always go smoother if everybody has read the rules instead of one guy being tasked with remembering them all.

Check the Wiki

There’s a very useful wiki for AD&D you can use.

While I still recommend you read the rulebooks themselves to get a full understanding of the game you’re playing, the wiki is way better than a crusty old PDF or questionably formatted and nearly-falling-apart-by-now physical copy for quickly checking rules mid-session, and for waking you through character creation.

Start Small

Even before WotC brought the D&D brand and made it the overwhelming monopoly it is today, D&D was a juggernaught if the industry, and, even though I think from reading them that TSR-era D&D was very much written with more passion than just trying to soullessly sell products, TSR still had the dollar signs in their eyes and released like a million supplement and all that crap.

My suggestion: Stick with the DM’s Guide and Player’s Handbook at first. There’s just too much shit otherwise, and a lot of the later additions and supplements have a lot of very questionable content that will not really improve your experience. For instance, why did they introduce a fucking proficiency for eating and drinking?!

Use Even Older Adventure Modules

AD&D2e is retroactively compatible with the adventure modules made for previous editions, and I suggest you use these instead. While I think AD&D2e is the best ruleset to come out of TSR D&D, the adventure modules saw a pretty sharp decline around that time. This is when adventure modules started to be more like scripted stories rather than the dungeon crawling sandboxes they previously were.

Some suggestions that should get you started and keep you going for many many sessions are:

In Search of the Unknown

The Sinister Secret or Saltmarsh

Keep on the Borderlands (get the later version not the original version.)

Village of Hommlet

Throw Everything You Know from D&D3e Onwards Out the Window

If you aren’t sure how to handle something mechanically, do not default to assuming you do it the way it works in later editions. For instance, there are no skill checks in dialogue. You might roll Charisma once at the start of a conversation to determine if the other group trusts the PC or not, but that’s it. Everything else it just talked out.

Also, encounter balance? Throw it out. PCs will have to negotiate, sneak past, run away from, or use clever tactics to survive encounters. It being unbalanced is the whole point. You should be playing this like you would play an old survival-horror game like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, not like an action game. The PCs are fragile and will die easily if they just try to take everything head on.

This is another reason that everyone should read both rulebooks. If you don’t, then you’ll default to playing I like WotC D&D, which is a totally and completely different game.

Run it as a Challenge Game

These games only work if you run them as “challenge games,” which means they are scenarios meant to challenge both the PC and the player. No one should ever fudge dice, adjust HP values of monsters, change the solution to a puzzle just to be what the players thing is right, etc. It’s a dangerous gauntlet and you see if they live or die based on their own decisions and your descriptions. If the GM bends reality to ensure the party’s success (or ensure their failure, but everyone already knows that’s bad) then the whole game and whole story is invalidated. There will be a story, but it cannot be preplanned, it will emerge from seeing what these PCs do and who they turn out to be when they encounter these challenging scenarios. That has to include the possibility of unceremonious death.

Run a Troupe Campaign and Play Multiple Characters on Large Parties

A “troupe campaign” is one where instead of a small party, there are dozens of PCs which form a pool or roster to select from. Like you read in that post, we do ours as a mercenary free company. They get hired to do this stuff.

This makes it so that, in a highly lethal game like AD&D, the “story” doesn’t end as soon as a PC dies, which also means you’re less inclined to cheat to keep them alive when they shouldn’t be. That was just one of dozens of main characters.

Also, get used to playing multiple PCs at once. Make everyone create 3-5 PCs at the start of the campaign, and everyone bring at least 2 of them per adventure. This may take some getting used to but it is really not that hard, especially if you learn to play in third-person like Eureka tells you to.

Get used to party sizes between 6 and 15 PCs. Despite ironically being less focused exclusively on combat than WotC D&D, AD&D doesn’t pretend it’s not descended from wargames.

Ignore Alignment

Yeah alignment still mostly ranged between being pointless and being bad back then too. It meant something back in the very earliest editions of the game, but by the point of AD&D2e it was already mostly a vestigial system that you can and should ignore for most classes. You can keep it for, like, Clerics and Paladins if you want, that’s what we do.

But generally you should give up on the idea that your PCs will even be good guys at all, they’re amoral mercenaries and/or treasure hunters. This doesn’t mean they’re necessarily “bad guys” either, it’s more complex than that.

(art by @chaospyromancy)

Sir Ferdinand, one of my PCs and Captain of the White Company, is a scoundrel who overcharges his employers whenever he can get away with it; does dirty mercenary jobs like raiding, robbery, and extortion as much as he does heroic jobs like rescuing kidnapped children and protecting towns from raids, sometimes even at the same time. Recently he calmly and politely told a village of lizardmen they had better swear fealty to the local lord while subtly implying that something terrible could happen to their home if they don’t. In an adventure before, while overcharging a town for protection due to a threat that the White Company knew was not credible, once the company stumbled upon a secret smuggling and slavery operation that had been kidnapping people from the town and nearby village, he put every effort towards rooting it out despite it not being their job and even later being ordered by their current employer to stop sticking their noses in it. As he said before engaging an extremely dangerous and magic-wielding man in full plate armor while he himself had only maille at the time, he could not call himself a Christian in good standing if he turned a blind eye to slave running.

What alignment is Sir Ferdinand? None of them. He doesn’t have alignment, he has values.

[top-script]

hholy shit thats what im saying. im not too far in yet, but still. the voice overs are so much better than i expected them to be. i applaud everyone behind spto for such an amazing series that does so much more than modern animated tv shows do

scott pilgrim anime also makes a strong case for why a voice director is one of the most vital and important jobs an animated product has because. how many animated movies with celebrity voice casts recently have been brought down by shit voice direction. and yet here's scott pilgrim takes off, with a gigantic cast of celebrities, many of which have never done something like this before, being guided by a voice director that's been in the business for a really long time, giving some of the best performances of their careers. celebrity voice casts aren't inherently the problem sometimes it's just most of those times they don't bother getting a director who gives a shit about good performances

[top-script]

WILL WOOD FANS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT

I THINK THIS MEANS ANOTHER MOVIE (but thats just a theory)

[fabric-shower-curtain]

By complete accident I somehow have the autopsy scar mod on top of the bhaalist tattoo mod, don’t ask me how they’re both on my durge I have no idea how it happened. But it got me thinking how would the origin characters (+halsin) react/barely react to a lover that is heavily scarred and tattooed? (Set in Act 1)

Read more for the full brainrot

Astarion: The first time Astarion saw your body for himself was when he walked past your tent late at night, through the flaps in the entrance he saw all those scars, he couldn’t tell what had you awake this late in the night, especially mostly naked with your back turned. The vampire simply continued on his way to hunt for the night. He dropped it there, until that is, the second night in the clearing you two spent together. He was lying down leaning his head against his arms as his red eyes stared at your naked body. His eyes flowed down every scar that littered your body, he barely seemed to look at the tattoos but that’s what he asked about first “So, can you translate that one?” - he points to the tattoo across your left arm, lifting up the limb you pull your skin to take a proper look at it. It’s been a while since you properly saw it, because just out of sight enough to make it annoying to stare at. When you tell him Astarion seems content with the information. His fingers drift across the tattoo. It’s a tender moment until the elf’s hand floats toward your neck. His ice cold fingers dancing across the lingering puncture wounds on your neck - “But these are by far my favorite mark on you,” You lean into Astarion’s touch releasing a chuckling sigh before calling him the weirdest flirt you have ever seen.

Gale: He really didn’t mean to go to the river at the same time he truly meant to go two hours early when he said he would, but that tome was particularly interesting - the effects of adrenaline on libido, certainly important for a man so restricted by his netherese orb. But now it was two hours past and he definitely had a musk going on. Taking an extra robe and rag Gale went to the nearby river, only you were there too. Illuminated in moonlight you were bare in front of him. Gale cleared his throat loudly, trying to let you know he was there. What he did not expect was for you to whip around and get out of the water to say hello. He tried his best to only look at your face, he did not succeed. Your skin was glowing with a vei of water cascading down in droplets. Gale’s eyes followed one droplet from your hair, down your neck, across your chest until a certain tattoo caught his eye, infernal script. Trying to keep his focus on the tattoo rather than the flesh its on he asked you if it meant what he thought it did. He was right in fact, and you told him the story behind why you got it, quite the nice tale. The wizard relaxed enough to notice another scar across your soldier “Is that from a magic missile?” He asked without thinking. Nodding in confirmation you turned to show your shoulder blade where the other two missiles struck. As you turned around the coldness of the night hit you like a thunder wave, a massive shiver shook your entire body spraying tiny water droplets around. “Gosh you must be freezing,” - Gale wrapped you in his towel-rag before stressfully ushering you back towards the camp. Once you got back to your tent you realized you left your towel and clothes on a nearby rock, you could return the peeping Tom favor.

Halsin: Halsin adores you long before he ever saw your birthday suit, sure he thought about it, quite a lot, but with his focus deep on the shadow-curse he doesn’t have time to do much other than think about out. But the first time he does see you was far from romantic or sensual. A hook horror had slashed your entire back open when you got to close, and Halsin watched it all happen. Before the beast even hit the ground he was rushing over to you, he didn’t think, he just ripped your armor right off of you to get to the wound. You might have been screaming but his ears were ringing too loud to tell one noise from another. Halsin couldn’t even see where scar ended and fresh cut began, your tattoos were doused in enough blood to make them impossible to see against your skin. The bear of an elf’s hand floated above the wound with the same glowing blue light the hook horror’s body was basking in, thank silvanus he was far enough from the sussur tree for his magic to work. Even with his healing a scar in the same place as the monster's claw marks stayed. Halsin’s druidic skills must be faltering, that’s what he determines at least. Until the next day, you’re healed fully up and about getting ready to leave camp for the day. Halsin calls out your name - “I’m sorry I could not heal you fully, I tried best I could but the scar persists” to his confusion you begin laughing. The scar he’s so upset about has been on you for so long now, and you tell him such. His healing left no scar, in fact he healed you so well an old scar was able to show.

Karlach: The first time she saw you naked you were bathing next to each other after a battle. Even with Dammon’s initial upgrade you can’t touch each other, but you swore to find ways to be intimate without touching, just like this. However you neglected to inform her about what lay under your clothes until now, scars covering you head to toe interlaced with tattoos of varying quality. “Hey Soldier! How come you didn’t tell me before stealing my aesthetic!” You didn’t even register this was the first time exposing yourself in such a way, a brief moment of panic before you burst into a smile. “Come here, let me see them” Karlach makes you twirl around, using the faintest touch of her fingers to pull your arms out and see the tattoos wrapping around them. Her eyes continued to trail down your body, after a gasp she jumped back up to your face - “That burn scar looks like mine!” She said before pulling down her trousers to show you the near identically placed scar on her thigh. But Karlach didn’t ask about the obviously fresher stab scars, she continued to smile at her new discovery but lets the two of you properly bathe for once.

Lae’zel: Even when pinning you against a wall the githyanki warrior wasn’t particularly gentle. It’s not like you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into tonight, she had said pretty explicitly she seemed carnal pleasure. Somehow Lae’zel was even more assertive in such a scenario than during your adventures. You couldn’t even take your own armor off, she practically ripped it off of you. Your body is exposed to her in an instant, she doesn’t react, her hands go immediately to unlace your trousers and undergarments. The night is enjoyable even as exhausting as it was. Only much later does Lae’zel ever comment on them, and its in a conversation praising you two’s battle prowess “Each scar is a battle fought, a battle won.” You try not to tell her you have at least two scars from dropping the knife while cooking with Gale. She’s sweet in her own way.

Shadowheart: Shadowheart first saw you naked while healing a particularly cruel wound, goblin had snuck up on you and slashed your torso deep. You stabilized yourself quick enough with a healing potion but the wound persisted. After the battle you wandered your way over to Shadowhearts tent, asking for help. She laid you down atop her bedroll, sliding your shirt off as you let yourself relax into the makeshift bed. And then you caught it, Shadowheart’s eyes widened, shit. But she didn’t say anything; she pressed her warm hands towards your open wound as they lit alight with magic. Radiating from your gash the warm feeling washed over you, your eyes closed softly breathing out in relief. Shadowheart quelled her magic, looking over you for a fat moment. You can feel her eyes wandering over you, up and down your chest, down your stomach and across both your arms. The relief of healing has left you now but you’re still too scared to open your eyes. And then a soft hand traced along your largest scar, her fingers were so light it tickled. “I like your tattoos.” The half-elf’s voice was soft, her eyes focused back on your large scar, “How’d you get that one.” Whether or not you tell the story she’s content, happy to have this extra piece of you in her memory.

Wyll: Poor Wyll just wanted to ask about the plans for tomorrow, but not only did he smack his horns on the skeleton of your tent while entering but you’re also as naked as the day you were born. The man nearly shrieked like he saw a ghost, his entire chest swelled up with his shoulders shooting up and he looked like he just swallowed a frog. Without a word Wyll turned on his heel and left your tent, only after trying to cool his blushing face off did he even process all your markings. Upon the log he sat on he dragged his hand up and down his face trying to process what the hells just happened. And then you exited your tent, completely decent this time. You greeted Wyll and sat beside him wondering what he had barged in about in the first place. But the poor man can’t even look at you. He as calmly as he could gave you the sincerest apology you’ve ever heard. After your acceptance he finally turns to you “So what does that tattoo across your back mean?” You pause for a moment, then explain as best you can. And that conversation continues just like that, he’d ask how you got a certain scar or tattoo and you’d answer him. In return he showed you one particularly nasty scar on his arm from a monster he fought while traversing the sword coast. What may have started as the most embarrassing moment of your partnership ended with you closer than before.

[top-script]

hello yes top script here,, i started making music on beepbox.co way before i knew any theory and it didnt sound half bad even though i had no idea what i was doing. it really is magical

people NEED to stop gatekeeping making music like ohhhh i don’t have an instrument ohhhhh i don’t know music theory ohhhhh i’m not gonna pay for some program. SHUT UP. take my hand.

you need NONE of that shit!!!!! there’s a website called beepbox.co. literally all you have to do is press things until it sounds a modicum of nice. it’s easy it’s free and it works on anything which has a browser because it’s a website.

if even ONE person starts making music bc of this post it will be worth it.

making bad music is just as important and okay as it is to write badly or draw badly or sing badly. you AREN’T BEHOLDEN TO MAKE GOOD MUSIC. making music is not utilitarian HAVE FUN. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!

[murderedbyhomework]

So i found an extremely interesting commment on bilibili from someone who had bought and read the entire og lhl script and also watched the show

translation: ask the director, so much fluff got deleted…. the script was filled with so much ship content, better than a lot of danmei novels i’ve read. In the later periods it was a solid reciprocal relationship, xiaobao was so top energy, and xiaohua really liked to sajiao (playing cute). When xh when to explain to xb that he didn’t kill his dad his first sentence was “i’m sorry i betrayed your trust, i was wrong okay?”. when xb went to save xh from the palace, xh was tortured for information and xiaobao helped him dress his wounds, and also broke the hand of the man who hurt him. xb felt so bad for him he started crying and xh started to sajiao “i’m very glad that you came to save me, but look (waves handcuffs), i had it under control” xiaobao also asked “how are you” xiaohua replied that shan gudao went to the palace to find the mother bug and xiaobao replied “i was asking how your wounds were”…… also when xiaobao broke out of the trap improving his original swordplay his opponent wasn’t qi mushan but li xiangyi….lastly when xiaobao gave xiaohua his qi xiaohua’s internal monologue was “the world only wants the all knowing, all capable, godlike li xiangyi, but at least someone still insists on treating me like the normal person li lianhua, that is enough” it’s all gone i’m so mad