#I haven't seen a poll about this going around so I made one (though I think I remember a tag survey pre-polls)

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

night out

a/n: we back babyyy!!! i haven't been able to stop thinking about these two for fucking months, so i wrote both this aaaaand another part to wrap up their story and get it out of my system.

summary: “I can’t believe you’re fucking jealous right now…”

warnings: bodyguard!bucky barnes x reader x ex!peter parker, light smut, reader’s mom is the british ambassador to france, age gap (10-15 years), tattooed!bucky (both a metal arm and tattoos as picked in a poll by you), beefy!bucky, forbidden romance, bffs kate bishop and yelena belova, french rave, dancing, kissing, over-the-clothes fun, foreplay, references to public sex, choking, manhandling, jealousness, possessiveness, angst, arguments, brat mode activated (though its totally justified), these hoes are not dealing with their emotions in a healthy way but it's just for the sake of yummy drama

word count: 1993

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

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“I thought we were just going to a cute little wine bar, not a fucking rave,” you yelled over the music as your friends dragged you further into the warehouse. 

“Oh, come on, babe,” Yelena boomed, slinking her arm around both yours and Kate's neck, “don’t be a chicken now.”

“Yeah,” your brunette friend on the other side of Yelena tilted her frame to catch your apprehensive eye, “you already sneaked out, so you might as well make it count.” 

“I hate it when you’re right,” you groaned, your gaze narrowed to a squint as you got used to the warm flashing lights that dully illuminated the club. 

“Then you must always hate me,” a smug smirk spread across her features before the trio of you ventured further into the crowded space. 

As the night faded away, you found yourselves bathing in the strobes of neon light as your bodies moved on their own accord, like you were all part of a hive, buzzing together in harmony.

But then when you tapped both of your dancing friends on their shoulders and ushered their ears to lean in close to your lips, you told them, “I’m gonna go get some water,” receiving two thumbs up before you made your way through the crowd to the curved bar in the corner. 

However, after the bartender handed you a plastic bottle and you tilted your head back to take a much-needed sip, a familiar voice found your ears from across the bar. 

“As I live and fucking breathe,” you tipped the bottle back down and glanced down the way at the unexpected figure moseying closer to where you stood. 

“Peter!” a surprised smile couldn’t help but spread across your features, “what are you doing here?” 

Settling in beside you, he said, “it’s a Saturday night, where else would I be?”

“No, I mean, what are you doing in Paris?” 

“Oh, what, am I not allowed to be in your city anymore since the breakup?” he joked.

“No, of course, you can be here.” 

Leaning in even closer so that he didn’t have to yell as loud, he asked, “so how are you doing?”

“Me? I’m good, yeah,” your head bobbed in a nod, “how about you?”

“Can’t complain,” his gaze washed over you as if no time had passed at all, “so… can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” you shifted the water bottle to your other hand. 

“You seeing anyone?” 

“Oh, wow,” you half coughed, “Peter Parker, king of subtlety.” 

“Yeah, well, I’ve seen you naked more times than I can count, so I figured subtlety went out the window a long time ago,” he smirked, “so, are you?”

“I–, uhm…” your eyes averted a moment as you uttered, “no.” 

You weren’t, it was true. Though the reason for why you’d sneaked out in the first place did have to do with a matter of the heart. 

You’d asked your friends what their advice would be if you hypothetically needed to get over someone. They both of course assumed that you were referring to the man standing before you in the disco and not the person who watched you like a hawk every minute of every day. The method they had suggested wasn’t a sound one, though one that still found you desperate enough to try. 

To go out, meet someone else and bang the dude out of your system. 

“Can I ask you something else?” Peter asked again, ripping you out of your thoughts, away from your bodyguard and back in the moment. As you offered him a nod, he smiled brightly, “you wanna dance?”

And that’s how you found yourself in the middle of a crowded dancefloor, plastered against your ex.

It didn’t take long before your lips reunited as well, staying locked as you both let your hands wander, though for you it wasn’t entirely in the spirit of rekindling something that you’d missed, and more to help you forget about the person who you truly wished to lose yourself on a dancefloor with. 

“Fuck,” you heard Peter groan in your ear and his desperation poked your lower abdomen for the attention you used to give it, “you wanna go slip into the bathroom?”

“Uhh,” you giggled as his lips tickled the side of your neck, “what kinda woman do you take me to be?”

“Mine,” he smiled, “that’s who. I know you. A club bathroom is nothing… remember Amsterdam?”

“Y-yeah, I remember,” your body tingled at the thought. 

“That’s also an option, if that’s the kind of mood you're in,” he winked. 

Chuckling as he squeezed your tit, you shook your head lightly, “I’m not fucking you here on the dancefloor.” 

“Oh, come on, it–”

But the rest of your ex’s sentence was cut short as a figure forced itself between you two and pried you apart.  

Instinctively reaching out for Peter as he was forcefully pushed back, your arm then faltered as you blinked up to discover who had shoved him. 

“Barnes,” a shiver ran down your spine at the stormy expression plastered all over his face, a side of him you’d never witnessed before, “I–”

But he cut you off, only to bark, “out, now.”

“But I–”

“Do you wanna walk on your own or should I just toss you over my shoulder?” he glared down at you just before you watched Peter’s hand plant itself on Bucky’s broad shoulder. 

“Hey, dude, don’t touch her, back off,” your ex tried to square up to the intimidating guard dog. 

“No, no, Peter, it’s alright,” you rushed to explain, knowing full well that your bodyguard could and would put him in the hospital, “he’s–…” your eyes briefly flickered up to Bucky’s steely blue eyes, still directed at you, “he’s my bodyguard,” before you let your touch graze Peter’s forearm, “I’m so sorry, it was great seeing you again, but I have to go.” 

Getting dragged out of the club like a perp from a crime scene was not the way you’d imagined your night would wrap up. 

After he’d virtually tossed you in the back and slammed the car door shut behind you, you fished out your phone and swiftly sent your friends an explanatory text while you half-watched Bucky march around the vehicle to the driver’s side. 

The silent treatment he then served you nearly felt worse than the heated words you imagined tumbled around in his head as he fumed, his knuckles nearly turned white from how fiercely he was gripping onto the steering wheel. 

But when you finally mustered the courage to break the eerie silence, your words came out just above a whisper, “I’m sorry…”

“Are you?” his eyes snapped up to find yours in the review mirror, “really? Because I don’t fucking buy it.” 

“Well, I am!” you threw up your arms, “what do you want me to do?” 

“Not sneak out like a fucking teenager to get drunk with your little boyfriend,” 

“I’m not drunk and he’s not my boyfriend!” 

Not taking any of your words to heart, Bucky went on, “you know how stupid this was, right? What if something had happened, huh? I know you didn’t personally read the threats you got back when I first got this job, but trust me when I tell you that if any of those fuckers had gotten their hands on you tonight, you’d be lucky if you were still breathing when the sun rose. This is exactly the sort of reckless behaviour that caused you to need my help in the first place.”

Your mouth then fell open, utterly stunned at his audacity, “oh my god… you’re unbelievable…” you uttered breathlessly before hazily commanding, “stop the car…”

“No–”

“Stop the fucking car!” you roared, casting your gaze to him once more till you felt his foot step on the break. 

As the car screeched to a stop, you wasted no time ripping the door open and storming out. 

Though you didn’t dare to look back, you still heard him exit the vehicle as well and shadow you as you wandered a few paces away, just far enough for you to be able to get some air. 

“Y/n,” you heard him from just a few meters behind you, “get back in the car–”

But you didn’t shift your feet as you then interrupted, back still turned to him.

“I can’t believe you’re fucking jealous right now…”

“What?”

“Well aren’t you?” you heatedly twisted around to face him, “because it sure fucking looks like it. Getting all fucking possessive, ripping me away from my ex before I can crawl my way back to him, before I get the chance to feel anyone inside of me but you–”

“Stop–”

“Is that it? You just want me all to yourself?” you kept on poking, too blind by your fury to consider the consequences, “you want it to be you that I’m so in love with that I’d make you personalised porn, which would consequently ruin my life and cause me to have a babysitter essentially stalking me.”

“Stop!” he took a step closer as he barked.

“Unless you’ve already seen the tape,” your feet shifted back, keeping him at a distance, “fantasising that it’s for you, getting yourself off to the image of me bouncing on that pretty pink dildo–”

Your sentence then crumbled into a shrivelled yelp as you felt his cold metal hand seize your neck and push you the last few inches up against the brick wall behind you. 

His fingers didn’t squeeze you in the slightest, though you still knew just how easy it would have been for him to tighten his grip and turn it into more than just a raging warning. 

“You done?” he spat as his eyes pieced directly into your soul, “or do you wanna give me more reasons why you’re nothing more than a spoiled little brat, why I should just quit now and not have to deal anymore with what a fucking pain you are in my ass?”

For the life of you, no attempts at offering him an answer were successful on your lips. 

He scared you. 

He’d never scared you before. 

Both because of the explosion you’d undoubtedly made even worse than it had to be, but also his fleeting threat of leaving you for good. 

It all terrified you… 

Though, there was also a different sensation that it awoke within you, one that caused your eyes to flutter down towards his lips, an action that your bodyguard surprisingly mirrored as well as your heated breaths synced up. 

You had no idea who moved first, if it was you or him, but the next thing you knew, you were kissing him.

With adrenaline still pumping in your veins, you clawed at his broad frame as you let your tongue flicker out and flutter against his own. The steely hand that had locked itself around your neck softened and whisked down your form, mirroring your own starving touch as he securely held you like you were about to fall. 

However, just as your palm slid down to find the bulge in his pants, rubbing it needily before your fingers tried to seize the short zipper, Bucky took a large step back, snapping to his senses and creating a wide distance between him and your melted form against the brick. 

His eyes refused to meet your foggy ones as he held them to the ground, slowly catching his breath before uttering, “get in the car,” defeat shining through in his low tone.

“Bucky–,” you tried, but without success as he then cut you off. 

“Please, just–…” his gaze fluttered shut a moment as you then heard him sombrely promise, “look, I’ll make sure your mom doesn’t hear word of what happened tonight. If we go now, then we’ll arrive before any of the staff wakes up, no one will notice.”

© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble

[devourable]

⚠︎ the stalker

sfw, mdni, beta read by @fluffula | tags ;; masc yandere x gn reader — stalking (duh), themes of self deprecation/lack of self worth, erotomania

hii im back from my unannounced hiatus bc i have more time on my hands :] ik vega didnt win the poll but fsr theyre the only one i could get myself to write sooo 🫶 i know im super rusty since I haven't written in ages so sorry if this is a lackluster return fic. it just be like that

vega just wasn’t the type of person that people liked. it was a fact, and he was well aware of it.

they were lanky and awkward, unkempt, and often didn’t know what to say or do in any given social situation. no one went out of their way to interact with them and vice versa. the few times he ended up around others anyway, he always found himself sidelined by the few people he could refer to as friends — they’d never be the focus, if they weren’t forgotten about entirely.

they weren’t anyone’s first choice. hell, they weren’t a second or third choice, either. it was a sad existence that he had accepted long ago — why bother trying to fit in if he wasn’t wanted? he was so boring, he wouldn’t wanna hang out with himself either, anyway. so every day and every night, they were alone.

then, he met you.

it started so simply. you started working at the same office as them, and they knew off the bat that it was your first time in a place like this. they expected nothing of you — maybe a lukewarm greeting as you passed each other during the workday, but not much more than that. so it surprised them when after your introduction, you rounded their desk and gently asked if they could show you around. maybe it was something about your tone, maybe it was that friendly look in your eye, maybe it was just you as a whole. but something about you just got them. they were out of their chair before they realized it.

they weren't the talkative type, but it didn't matter — you kept asking questions during the entire tour. what was that room for? how long had they been working there? did they like working there? you wanted their attention and they for the life of them couldn’t get why. even less so, they didn’t understand why they were so ready to give it to you. they couldn't help the way they stuttered out their answers to your questions, nor the way their face flushed after you laughed at the way they responded. but you did have to work, so you withdrew from them eventually to do just that.

well after you departed to your cubicle, you remained on their mind. your voice, the way you laughed, how you looked, it all swirled around in their mind as they sat in their desk. it remained that way the entire day, the following night, and the day after — they couldn't get you off their mind!

you chose him. you chose him, out of everyone else in the office. you were the only person that did that, and it made them feel so seen. so real, so… loved? was this what love was? the pounding in their chest and their flushed face would make him believe so. they couldn’t wait to see you again. just the thought of you returning the next day and every day after that bloomed butterflies in their tummy.

vega’s longing for you only grew more and more intense after every passing day. every day you came to work, they’d be the first to greet you and the last to bid you goodbye. they even changed their days off to match yours — going to work hardly seemed worth it if you weren’t there to make the day more bearable. every day they sat at their desk, daydreaming about spending time with you, going home with you, doing all the things they never imagined that they’d ever do before. and even though they were too awkward to seek you out during the work day, it didn’t stop them from staring at you every chance they got.

but after that first day, you paid less and less attention to them. you had work to do, after all, and no matter how hard they yearned for you, it grew harder to get you to notice them and harder for them to watch you. it was excruciating. for the first time in his life, vega wanted to be wanted — by you, specifically. he wanted your attention, your voice, your eyes on them again. but if they couldn’t have that, they needed to see you more to make up for it.

the stalking started small at first. occasionally following you when you got up from your desk to give a file to your supervisor or use the restroom, pretending to be distracted should you ever notice them (which you hardly did — they didn’t know if that bothered them or not). sometimes he ended his day at the same time yours ended so he could walk out with you, watching you leave from their car before they left themself. and eventually they started to follow you home directly. it was always from a distance. they wouldn’t want to frighten you, after all! it was okay as long as you weren’t bothered by it, he told himself.

he memorized your routine so he could base his own around it. you went to the store? he was going too. spending the day at the library? he was stalking after you from a different aisle. sometimes they’d leave little gifts on your doorstep just to see your bewildered reaction. watching you became his favorite pastime — they almost liked it more than talking to you directly. you somehow never noticed them lurking, staring at you from some shady hiding spot, panting and trembling just from the sheer excitement that your existence caused them. were you aware of just how cute you were when you thought no one was watching you? knowing all your bad habits, your mannerisms and all the things you did in private was exhilarating. it was like a secret for just the two of you. and whenever you came into work and talked to him like you usually did, it made him so fucking excited. did you know? maybe you did and you were fine with it. that had to be why you were so nice to them. they loved the idea of you liking their bad behavior.

vega had no plans of confessing to you anytime soon. he had so much fun stalking you, he saw no need to ruin it with his feelings. besides, you liked them back anyway — you had to have, why else would you let him get away with it for so long? he knew you wanted him, and he wanted you in return. all he had to do was wait for you.

[just-some-trans-nobody]

Nick Valentines x GN reader

Pure fluff for y'all, with a touch of angst at the end. I know theres like zero demand for fallout 4 fanfic but I made a poll idk how nany months ago asking if I should make some Nick Valentine fanfic and I got a couole of yes and exactly one follower from that poll. So this goes out to the small anount of people who said yes and that one follower I got from it, theres nore Nick fanfic to come I've just haven't gotten around to it yet but I promise I'll post some every so often.

Like always minors don't interact!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He loves playing with your hair when he thinks your asleep. Sense he doesn't sleep he'll join you in bed when he needs a break from going over files and lay down with you so he can olay with your hair.

It started with him sitting on the edge of the bed looking at the wall as he thought about his most current case but when you started to stir in your sleep, having a bad dream, he laid down next to you and held you in his arms whispering sweet things to you until you calmed dow.

He found himself enjoying having you in his arms. Thus started a routine of him slipping into bed with you every so often to take a break.

Normally he would take a smoke break when you slept but he found himself craving a cuddle more than a smoke lately.

Soon every so often turned into every night of him crawlling into bed with you and getting up before you woke.

One night he had been loat in thought about something and hadn't noticed you waking up until he heared your tired voice ask him what he was doing.

"What? Oh sorry didn't mean to wake ya." He said pulling his hand away.

He was surprised when you asked him to keep playing with your hair. More than happy to oblige he started playing with it again.

It soothed you back to sleep in his arms snuggling into his chest as you slept soundly.

The next night when you got into bed you patted the spot next to you with an expectant look.

"You want me to join you or somethin?" Nick would ask looking to the bed then to you. Nodding you head you gavw him a big smile.

Who could say bo to that?

Nick was now "going to bed" with you every time you were. Really it was him laying in bed playing with your hair as he talked avout whatever case he had currently going on until you fell asleep.

He wouldn't admit it, at least not out loud but he adored this nightly routine the two of you had going on though he never hid the smile on his face every time he saw you getting ready for bed or how fast he was to crawl into bed with you to cuddle.

Nick always played it off cool as if it wasn't the favorite part of his day or anything.

If you asked he would probably say aomething like. "Just doing my job to keep those pesky nightmares away." Or "only making sure you don't stop breaming in your sleep. You humans are rather fragile after all."

Acts as if he isn't often the first one in bed waiting for you.

Before he atarted cuddlibg you every night he would work straight through the night till morning. He wouldn't even realized you had gone to bed till you walked oast him yawning telling him good morning.

Now though? He reminds you every night at 9pm sharp that you need to go to bed.

He'll play it off as your human and need to get a healthy amount of sleep as he actively take his coat and tie off to get comfortable.

If you buy him a pair of pajamas to wear he'll laugh avout it and say he doesn't need them.

He's wearing them the very next day.

If you gad gotten them before he started cuddling you every bight he would just give you a weird look for the thoughtless gift and put it in his empty dresser to collect dust or to be used by guests staying the night. He didn't sleep why would he need pajamas?

Now though? Might own three different pairs

You bet they match with your pajamas.

If anyone else sees him in his pajamas he'll puff out his chest as he puts his hands on his hips. "What? You never seen a synth in lounge wear before? Beat it, it's time for bed."

Nick takes bed time very seriously.

He's big spoon. It feels weird for him to be little spoon

Wont fight you if you want to try big spooning for once but he wasn't really into it

Nick much more prefers having you in his arms. It helps ground him and reminds him that you truly are here now with him and bot some memory from the past seeping into his present.

That and how can he play with your hair all night if he's not facing you silly?

He will lean in every so often and place a soft kiss on your forward as he whispers a soft "I love ya." As to bot wake you.

If he ever lost you he would lay in the bed alone holding onto your pajamas as he tried to think back on all those nights he spent laying in bed with you. He would stop after a few weeks as it hurt too much but after a few years when he had time to heal he would start doing it again so he could feel like you were there again. Nick didn't know how much he missed this, how much he missed you.

[it-its-swag]

Welcome to the it/its swag showdown competition face-off tournament bracket

These are getting kinda old ngl but whatever

Howdy! You can call me Bee if you like, i use they/it pronouns and I also run @bread-n-roses. I've seen a bunch of these poll accounts around (you probably have too) and there's not enough it/its representation so I thought it would be cool to make a competition for characters with it/its swag!

This was inspired by many different accounts, but notable among them are @autismswagsummit @besttship @bestbutchbracket @thecompetitionshowdowntournament @nonbiney-swag-competition and of course, the progenitor of all of these, the one and only @sexymanotd.

Rules

The characters don't actually have to have it/its pronouns, it can be just vibes or headcanon if you like! Though I would love to see some canon it/its characters :D

No people from real life (unless it's REALLY funny like. Joe Biden idk)

No characters from mob psycho 100 or the owl house (and no sans). I ABSOLUTELY DON'T have anything against these but they have a tendency to completely dominate polls so for the sake of giving other media a fair shot I will be excluding these characters.

If I feel uncomfortable with a character being in the bracket I simply will not put them in, I'm making the poll and I have the final word on how it's run.

The bracket

There's probably going to be 16 slots, or maybe 32 if this somehow gets enough attention and nominations. Each round will be 24 hours, with a break of about a day (maybe more maybe a little less depending on how I'm feeling) between each round.

I haven't made the nomination form yet, but that'll come soon.

[incognitopolls]

ive seen a few other poll blogs like yours around, have you thought about shouting them out? it could be a good idea to diverge some attention from your blog so its more manageable as well as to give them more engagement

I'd love to shout out some other poll blogs. I've seen some but haven't made a note of the urls.

If you know of a poll blog that you think more people should follow, or if you run one yourself, feel free to tag it on this post! (At some point I may go through and compile a list for quick reference– we'll see though.)

[springlock-suits]

Hey there followers and friends passing by! I made a dtiys!

This isn't really a celebration of anything, I'm just a fan of draw this in your style challenges, and I haven't really seen any in awhile! Though I guess if I was celebrating anything it'd be over 60 followers on here and 220+ on my Insta! I'm glad so many like to stick around for my silly little aus and art :]

The Draw This In Your Style v

You can change the perspective, lighting, background, etc! You don't have to go for the camera filter like on the first image, and while I did use my Dave design for the drawing, you don't have to make it my version specifically ^v^

Rules, prizes, and extra versions of the art (base colors and maskless) v

Rules and Prizes v

@ this blog,( @springlock-suits ) with your finished drawing! If I don't reblog it in a day, feel free to hit me with a dm, or try some other way to contact me to make sure I see your entry!

This will be cross-posted on my insta, @ darling.dolly.darlene so you could also post your entry there instead!

No stealing art that isn't yours, tracing, ai, or anything along those lines

The deadline for this DTIYS is November 15th! But I am willing to extend it if enough ask for extra time

You can change pretty much anything in your redraw; scene, outfit, lighting, pose, perspective, etc. But you gotta make sure it's still recognizable! I'd say keeping purple guy tied up to a chair in some Freddy's location with the Springbonnie mask somehow included is all you need

And not a rule, but feel free to ask as many questions as you may need! I will answer as best I can, my asks and anon asks on here should be open ^v^

I did a poll earlier about whether or not this should have prizes, and the answer was overwhelmingly yes! How many people joining will affect how many winners, but right now I'm thinking there will only be one

As I can't offer much else, the prize will simply be digital art by me! If you win and don't want the prize, just tell me and I'll ask a runner up instead ^v^

Since my art requests are always open anyway, to make the prize special for DTIYS winners I've decided they can request I draw things I don't usually do for art requests, like their Ocs, their own designs, added backgrounds, and/or I design a character or fusion that they can own and use

Extras v

Since I did a bunch with the lighting and bluring, here's versions that show it without! This was my first time doing such strong perspective, so I did try to hide it a bit, but I think it turned out pretty alright :>

And here's a maskless version! Mostly I made this for fun at the last second, but I imagine some artists out there would prefer to draw a human over an animatronic, so feel free to do a version like this instead! It includes Springbonnie simply in the form of some shadowy ears

This was vaguely based on a panel from the tse graphic novel! I'm a big fan of the "I am one of them" scene

[gimmethosedaddymilkers]

The Stronger Desires

So, starting off strong, we're doing the request for @cantchoosejust1 first, who lovingly requested a femme fatale reader.

Now, I haven't written anything like this, so hopefully you enjoy my spin on things.

Now, let's see exactly what happens with these two.

*Side note, I may have a poll later regarding a pfp change, just to see everyone's thoughts.*

Warnings: Cursing, canon like violence, sexual innuendos, perhaps even fluff, Female reader

The gif is unfortunately not mine, and Tumblr didn't wanna work with me, so it's from Pinterest.

Anywho

Arthur wished, truly, that he could explain exactly how he ended up in this spot, but honestly he'd be just as lost as whoever he was telling the story too.

The night had started off pretty good in all honesty. The gang had been celebrating, enjoying their success on the last job they'd managed to pull off, drinking, laughing, and causing problems for everyone else around them in the saloon.

The place had been lively. Hell, even Arthur had ACTUALLY been having fun.

The biggest smile on his face as he took a seat in the far corner to catch his breath from all the dancing and singing he'd been doing, which he was sure had made him look like an absolute fool.

He chuckles to himself as he quietly lights a cigarette and places it between his lips.

The Saint Denis saloon was...surprisingly more lively than what he'd expected it to be. Rich folks sure knew how to party properly.

Out of the corner of his eye he spots something, a brightly colored dress, not out of the norm for this place, but, for some reason, this one seemed...different.

He turned his head to look, and he was honestly surprised he managed to keep the cigarette in his mouth with the way it nearly fell open.

The woman wearing the dress was far prettier than the actual dress itself.

A gorgeous face, and absolutely wonderful hair as well.

The only part that didn't quite make much sense to him was the fact that you were all over a fat aristocrat. Balding with an awful mustache, but you seemed to be rather excited to stand next to him.

He couldn't quite understand it, how absolutely stunning you are, yet you're following a man like that around.

It boggled him.

The night continued, as they usually do, but now that he'd seen you, Arthur couldn't quite stop staring at you.

You were absolutely beautiful. You were...stunning, and it was damn near impossible for him to focus on much else.

It was hard not to when they man you were clinging too was a big as a house, and being followed around by at least four body guards.

What he was doing in a saloon he'd never know.

It's pretty late at night when things really start to get confusing for Arthur. It's about here that he'd be a little...confused when trying to retell the tale.

Due to the confusing nature of it all as well as all the apple pie moonshine in his system.

Things seem to be going smoothly, until all the sudden the entire saloon is screaming rather than singing.

Instinct takes over and Arthur's hand grabs the butt of his pistol before he realizes exactly what's going on.

The crowd quickly disperses, and it's then that Arthur realizes exactly what happened.

You, you're what happened.

There, on the floor is the aristocrat, though he's much less lively now that there's a bullet wound through his head.

How the hell he hadn't heard the shot he still didn't grasp.

The body guards all surround...you.

Arthur almost jumped up right then and there to defend you. He could take out all four of them in a matter of seconds, and he knew that, but right as he contemplates it he watches you pull a revolver out from under your dress.

The evening suddenly got much more interesting.

"Back off! Or I'll kill you too, that fat bastard had more money than he needed anyway, and if he'd put his hand up my skirt one more time he was gonna die in a much worse way, so be fucking GRATEFUL!"

Arthur nearly laughs out loud at the venom in your voice. It was...well it wasn't funny actually, it was more...attractive to him than anything.

For a moment you make eye contact with him, and it's a strange sensation, the way the two of you seem to talk with your eyes.

Arthur gives you a soft nod, a small smirk on his face and then he nods towards the saloon doors.

You give a nod in return and Arthur takes it as his que to leave discreetly.

It's only a moment later when you exit the saloon at a sprint, and Arthur holds his hand out for you to grab as he sits atop his horse, a black Shire.

You take his hand and he hoists you up easily, as if you weigh nothing at all.

The moment you're on his horse he takes off, the remaining guards rushing out of the saloon too.

It's only seconds after that, that the sound of the lawmen's whistles can be heard. One of the patrons must have reported the gunshot.

You hold onto Arthur for dear life, an arm around his torso and the other holding out your revolver.

"Nice to meet you mister! I take it you aren't exactly a friend of the government either?"

"No ma'am!"

Arthur laughs at the absurdity of it and keeps riding hard as the lawmen start to gather behind the two of you.

"Quick on your feet back there!"

He states, taking a turn down an alleyway that appeared to be just big enough.

"Thanks, you too, saw you reach for your gun!"

You chuckle to yourself.

"Don't exactly look the rich type. In fact, don't look like the Saint Denis type. I take it you might be in the uh...'bodyguard' business."

"If ya mean shootin' fools who deserve it, then yes, I am."

"Yeah, that's what I mean."

"Arthur Morgan."

"Y/N L/N."

"Nice to meet ya. Let's get the hell outta here."

Arthur did his best to do just that, out running the law as quickly as he could get his poor horse to go.

Finally after quite some time the two of you make it into the woods, just outside Saint Denis, the sound of the lawmen steadily fading.

You're nearly out of the woods, metaphorically of course, when a stump seems to have other ideas.

Arthur and you both go flying off the horse, and directly into the mud below.

It's dark as hell and Arthur has no clue exactly where he is, and you just barely do.

Both of you are covered in mud and Arthur's horse: Mayhem, is currently writhing on the ground attempting to right itself.

You sit up in the mud, scoffing and trying to wipe mud off your face as Arthur does the same.

"Christ Alive..."

Arthur groans, flicking his arm downwards, trying to get the mud off.

You do the same, looking at him with a look of disgust on your face, only for a moment, before you start laughing.

"Well, Mr. Morgan, how very kind of you to dump me in the mud like this."

"Well I didn't mean-"

You laugh and stand up, before you tear off your skirt, now soiled with mud, to reveal your pants underneath it.

"I needed to get that thing off anyway, I was about tired of it."

You reach your hand out, and Arthur takes it, a sort of sheepish grin on his face.

"Well, glad ya ain't too mad at me."

"Nah...you ain't crossed the line just yet cowboy."

Arthur laughs this time and pulls his hand away to run it over his stubble in an attempt to try and get the rest of the mud off.

"I'll be stinkin' for weeks with this stuff, even if I take a damn bath at the hotel."

He sighs and takes his hat off, wiping mud off the brim.

He looks up at you.

"So...Miss L/N...You...sure seem more than capable of takin' care of yourself...I assume you got somewhere you can hide out for a bit until the law gets off you?"

"Course I do."

You laugh and step closer. You take the hat from his hand and gently place it back on his head, pressing your hand to his chest in the process.

"All worried about me there, Mr. Morgan?"

"Worried? No. Curious? Yes."

You offer yet another chuckle and then step around him, letting your hand travel over his shoulder, gently taking it away as you step closer to his horse, and offer it an apple from your bag that had been hidden beneath your dress.

"Well Mr. Morgan...if you're so interested, I suppose you'll have to bump into me again sometime soon, won't you? After all you did save me back there...even if you threw me into the mud afterwards."

"Hey I said-"

"So defensive."

You tease and step back towards him, you flick his hat, making it tilt upwards slightly.

"Send me a letter sometime Mr. Morgan...I could use someone like you for some of my...endeavors. If you're willing that is."

"Depends...You ain't gonna make me dress up and sing the can can are you?"

"No, I wasn't but...now I might."

You laugh and look towards Saint Denis' in the distance.

"Well...Mr. Morgan, if you could do me a favor and drop me off near Rhodes...I think I'd be forever in your debt."

Before Arthur could really register it, that's exactly where he was, stopped in front of the Rhodes train station, holding something you'd given him as he watched you climb onto the train.

A heavy locket, sat in his palm, as well as a handkerchief you'd insisted on giving him, with your initials sewed into the corner of it.

You smile at him, and wave from your seat as the train pulls away, and something within Arthur tells him that it won't be the last time that he sees you.

He couldn't quite remember exactly how he'd managed to end up here. In all complete honesty, the only thing he really knew for certain was that you were....something, that was for sure. Spitfire and kick to you.

He'd see you again. he'd make sure of it.

Okay, so, like I said, this is slightly different than what I write, not by much, but it is a little different, so I hope it was good, and I hope that you enjoyed it! As always, I'm always happy to rewrite something if it doesn't hit the spot just right!

[familyvideostevie]

on this fine night

this is the third-highest vote from this poll, about 1000 years after the fact. just a drive with eddie, friends to lovers <3 enjoy! | fluff, friends to lovers, 1.4k

It's finally that time of year -- warm enough to leave the windows open everywhere you go. You sleep with fresh air rustling your curtains and walk everywhere you can to get some sunshine. When night falls, you can't get enough of the gentle pre-summer chill.

Eddie is happy to indulge you. He picks up whenever you call and is at your house in less than 10 minutes, even though you know it should take him at least 15 if he follows the speed limit. And then the evening is yours -- you and your dear friend cruising around town until you yawn and he demands to take you home so you can get some beauty sleep.

Tonight is no different. He picks you up with a slight squeal of his tires and a grin that lights up the dusk.

"Someone call a taxi?" he says, leaning out of the car window so far you worry he'll fall.

"Hi, Eddie," you laugh. The passenger door requires two hands to pry open and the whole van generally feels like it's about to fall apart, but it gets the job done and you always feel safe in a way that doesn't totally make sense. Eddie even got the seatbelt replaced just for you. It's one of the first things you learned from Eddie Munson -- appearances can be deceiving.

"Where are we going tonight, esteemed passenger?" He puts his hand on the back of your headrest and turns to back out of your driveway. You lean back so you can feel his fingers brush the top of your t-shirt and hope you're not too obvious.

"It's your turn to pick." He pulls his arm back and you try not to sigh too loudly. Sometimes it feels like you're just living your life waiting for him to touch you. But you're friends. That's it.

Eddie hums, tapping his fingers on the wheel as he drives down your street. The mixtape he made you is playing softly -- you told him to keep it in his car since he always drives you around. Part of you wishes you'd never asked him for one because when he made it you thought your heart might burst from your chest. Guys don't just...make mixtapes for their friends, do they?

You wish you were brave enough to say something to him. Maybe even ask him if he wants to catch a movie or go to dinner instead of just driving around. But you worry -- what if that drives him off? What if you embarrass him and yourself and then you lose the best part of your day?

A hand on your arm brings you back to the present. You realize that Eddie has been talking to you and you didn't hear a word. "Sorry," you say automatically. He releases you and you turn to him, cheeks hot. He's smiling but his brows are drawn in concern.

"What for?" he says. "S'okay, I zone out too. Not while driving," he adds. "I was saying that I know a place we can go. I think you'll like it."

You roll your shoulders and try to smile as genuinely as you can. "And I haven't been there before?"

"Nope," he says, popping the p.

The rest of the drive goes by in comfortable silence. It's not odd for you two not to speak; sometimes you just want to enjoy the quiet companionship and the music and the night air. But by the time the van slows to a stop in the empty lot of a lookout point you haven't seen before, you're antsy to get out of the car.

Before he can say anything you throw open the door and hop down, making your way to the edge of the dirt overlook and bracing your hands on the metal barrier. You're not that high up -- there are no truly high places anywhere near -- but you get a decent look at the town down below.

Eddie's door closes behind you and you hear the drag of his sneakers as he walks towards you but you don't turn around. Why can't you shake it, tonight of all nights? Why can't you just be normal about this, be his friend, be as much as he wants and no more?

"Are you okay?" he asks, softly. "I'll take you home whenever you want if you're tired, or something."

You cross your arms and sigh, imagining him behind you. He's probably got his hands tucked into his pockets and his hair a mess over wide eyes. Intimidating to some, sure, but just a kind, cute guy to you. Your friend who you'd like to be more.

"What are we doing, Eddie?" you ask him. It's so quiet you don't expect him to hear, but he does.

"Well," he drags. "I think we're...hanging out?" Anyone else and you'd think they'd misunderstood you, but you know Eddie and you know he caught your meaning. Which means that this is a rejection. You can't help it -- you bury your face in your hands and groan. Great, you think. Now you've ruined it.

"Okay," you say, muffled. "Okay."

"Wait," he says. "Wait, hold on. I--" Footsteps and then you see him through your fingers as he stands next to you against the barrier, turns so that he's leaning on it and facing you as much as you'll let him. "I think I got that wrong, I'm sorry."

Oh god, this is even worse. He's backtracking because he's uncomfortable that you're upset . "I think I'm the one who got it wrong, Eddie," you sniff. "I'd like to go home now, please." You turn away from him and try to make your way back to the van but Eddie gently grabs your wrist.

"Please listen, sweetheart," he says. The endearment stops you but you don't look at him, instead eyeing your shoes. Maybe the earth will open up and swallow you right here and you won't have to keep living this moment. "I know what we're doing here. At least I know what I'm doing. I'm trying to work up the nerve to ask you on a date."

"Oh," you say. Your heart won't stop racing and sitting down sounds really good right now. Eddie...likes you? The reality of it is much harder to wrap your head around than you thought. "Okay."

"I should have said before," Eddie continues. He sounds flustered and maybe a little sad. Could he be upset that he's upset you? "I just really like being friends with you and I don't want to scare you away."

You finally look up at him and find his huge brown eyes blown big with concern and his mouth tugged down into a frown. You really do like him so much. "You don't scare me, Eddie."

He smiles a little at that. "Well, that's good." You step towards him a little and his hand moves down from your wrist to loosely tangle his fingers with yours.

Suddenly you feel brave. This boy who can be loud and messy and distracted but also kind and thoughtful and funny and sweet and every good thing you could ever want has just told you he wants to date you. "I would say yes," you say. "If you asked me on a date. But I feel like we have been going on dates already, Eddie."

His cheeks darken at that. "I mean, maybe. I guess so. That would make this our...what, fifth night drive? Sixth?"

"Have you been counting?"

Eddie tugs on your fingers a little. "Maybe! Can you blame me?"

The grin that creeps onto your face is so wide and genuine you're sure your cheeks are going to get sore. "I guess not."

He wrinkles his nose and leans in just a hair. Your heart beats impossibly faster. "Does that means I can kiss you? Since we've been dating for a while?"

You laugh, a giggle that sounds a little hysterical but in a happy, fun, unrestrained way. You're flustered and kind of worried you're dreaming but you might as well lean in to your dreams coming true, right? "Maybe," you tell him. "Don't push your luck, Munson."

Eddie laughs, too, but loudly and fully before grinning so wide you can see all of his teeth. His eyes are sparkling ."Me?" he says. "Never."

[z00mbi3sstuff]

Little Secret

--<3--<3--<3--<3--<3--

The poll is finally done, so here's a part of my Twi x Male!Reader

I didn't quite finish it since I ran out of ideas🥲

but I hope you like it!

——————————————————————

Notes: Twi and reader are the same age; male!reader; reader is seen as generally smaller than Twi; bi Twilight? Bi Twilight.; secret realtionship which is really unnecessary; getting caught; being silly together

Twilight is glad to finally be back in Ordon Village, his lovely home. He can't wait to see all of the familiar faces and places, and of course, his beloved boyfriend.

You two met not too long ago, but it sparked between you right from the beginning when you first moved to Ordon. Almost everyone in town thinks you two have something going on, and you do.

But the catch is that you haven't made it public yet, acting as 'roommates' when in reality you always snuggle up together or goof around while working on the ranch.

It isn't really necessary to keep it a secret, since most people would be really supportive, but you've decided to keep doing it for now until you've figured something out.

He might be home, but now he has the Chain in tow, hoping they don't find out just yet, even though he's sure that they would be accepting of his unique relationship. But there's always a what if that stops him from actually being open about his same sex relationship.

You were relaxing at the ranch after taking care of everything around the ranch, waiting for him to come back soon.

The sound of some knocking at the door snaps you out of your thought. You feel giddy and excited to see him, hoping its actually Twilight waiting behind the door.

He's been gone for so long you can't wait to throw your arms around him and kiss him over and over again.

...

... Until you opened the door and saw 8 other men with him at the front door, with all of them looking awfully similar to each other.

"Uhm... everyone, this is my... roommate!"

Twilight informed the others nervously. Giving you a quick side glance, signaling you to play along.

"Yep. I'm [Name], nice to meet you all."

You greet them and wave a bit before stepping to the side to let them in. The boys quickly fill the room while most of them look around curiously after your allowance.

You had quickly leaned all their names, or well, their nicknames. But it was still quite confusing having to call your beloved Link *Twilight*.

You wait for a moment until asking the question you've been thinking of for the past minute.

"It's already pretty late, should I cook something for dinner?"

Twilight was about to gladly offer his help just to spend some more time with you, but Wild quickly came first.

"I could help! The name's Wild, just to fresh up your memory."

Wild suggested and stepped forward, with Twilight deciding to keep his mouth shut so he wouldnt raise any suspicion.

"Alright then. How about some fresh pumpkin soup? Im sure Link has told you about it before." You say to the others and take a look at all of them.

"Let's see if it's as good as his."

The oldest says. He seems to have red and blue markings on his face, and is also noticably taller than the average Hylian.

"I'll try my best to compete."

You say and let out a small chuckle as you walk to the kitchen with Wild in tow, giving Twilight one more sorry look while all the others scattered around the ranch.

After a while of cooking enough soup foe everyone, you call all the boys into the kitchen, which soon gathered at the dinner table to try your pumpkin style soup.

All of them sat around the dinner table as you put the cooking pot in the middle and make sure to give every Link enough to be full for the day. It was nice sitting with so many people at the table, as if you were family. Seeing all of their expressions as they try your soup made you giggle.

You soon sat down next to Twilight after giving everyone a fair portion to eat. Twilight sneeaks his hand on your thigh while enjoying your self-made pumpkin soup. It had a more sweet aroma to it and seemed like the perfect at home medicine.

After dinner, everyone has scattered once again, leaving you and Twilight in the kitchen with the dirty dishes. There was no one here with you two, so the two of you were enjoying your alone time with some playful teasing.

You bump your hips together with his from the side playfully and he gets you back with a poke in your side, making you both chuckle.

"I'm glad you're back. I missed your *oh so muscular body*. And you too of course."

You say to tease him a little bit, still feeling quite giddy.

"I missed you too, especially this."

The rancher replied before patting your rear, making you gasp and nudge his side.

"Really now? What about this?"

You replied and put your hands against his chest before leaning in for a long awaited kiss.

Twilight immediately reacted and pulled you closer by your waist, basically melting in your hands.

Both of you were really getting into it, ignoring the world around you before both of you started to hear footsteps approaching the kitchen.

You both quickly create some distance and act like nothing has happened.

You soon see the same tall blonde man from earlier round the corner. You could even mistake him as the father of all these boys.

"You two are taking awfully long. Do you need any help?"

The man asked with his soothing voice.

"We're fine."

"Everything's alright."

You and Twilight state before putting the remaining dishes into the cupboards after cleaning all of it properly. You lean closer to Twilight and whisper to him.

"So that's your 'Dad'?"

You whisper to your secret significant other teasingly, but it seems like Time heard you.

"Do you really call me your father when I'm not around?"

The man speaks up again and smiles softly as he walks over to give you a firm handshake.

"Please, call me Time."

You nod slightly and shake his hand.

"[Name], if you didn't hear me earlier."

You answer and chuckle a little but still feel kind of nervous, since he and your Link are probably very close.

Time seems to notice the awkward behavior between the two men but decides to ignore it.

"Ah, right. I came here to tell you two that we will be going into town to restock our supplies."

The older man looks at Twilight and then at you.

"Do you wish to come with us?"

He flashed you a quick smile while waiting for you answer.

"Oh, thank you, but I have to decline your offer. I still have some work to do here at the ranch."

You politely decline his invitation before Twilight takes the opportunity.

"I think I should stay here too. I already have enough supplies, and [Name] over here might need some help."

Twilight looks over to you and flashes you a smile. And you do the same.

"Yes. That would be really nice."

Time looks between the two of you, already suspecting something, but showing no signs of it.

"I understand we will try to be back in an hour to assist you later."

Both you and Twilight nod and glance at each other, trying to hide your smiles.

You're finally gonna be alone, which will definitely result in lots of kisses and hugs.

"Don't do anything while we're gone."

Time says jokingly and he leaves the room, making both of you blush.

It wasn't long until all of the boys left. Leaving you and Twilight with the ranch all to yourselves.

After waiting for a minute or two, you pretty much just throw yourself at your boyfriend, feeling needy after having to wait for him for so long.

"Whoa there darlin'. Don't just attack me like that."

He chuckles and gives you a toothy smile, his canines showing that you love oh so much.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't resist."

You answered softly and hugged him tighter.

"I missed you so much."

You muffled into his chest, making his cheeks turn red.

"Missed you too sweetheart."

He replies and picks you up to carry you to the couch.

"I can walk myself, you know."

You spoke but still showed a small smirk on your lips.

He then let's himself fall down on the couch while you're still laying safely in his arms, a squeak escaping your lips.

You were about to speak up as Twilight starts smothering you in kisses out of nowhere, but of course you didn't mind getting so much affection from your silly boyfriend.

After quite a while of being touchy feely and messing up the neatly placed blankets and pillow on the couch, both of you decided to go a more calmer route. Which mean picking out your favourite book and reading to him while he lays on your flat chest, not being able to resist squeezing your sides with his hands.

It was amazing getting to cuddle your beloved again after so long. But you still had lots of catching up to do.

Just as Twilight was falling asleep on you while you were starting another chapter, you hear someone open the door to the Rancher's home.

Twilight was already asleep at this point, but you couldn't just wake him up again. He's just too cute!

Before you could choose what decision to make, Warriors had turned the corner, standing at the foot of the couch and looking at Twilight as he's sleeping soundly on his roommates chest.

"Oh... sorry to interrupt."

Warriors blurted out. His body doesn't know how to respond to this sight.

And you don't either.

——————————————————————

And another is done!!

This is not as good as I wanted it to be, but it's okay ig

I currently don't have any ideas so please recommend me some stuff to make😓

Bye Bye!

[pbnmj]

Genuinely curious, what’s up with Noir’s age? And what does it have to do with his 08/09 run? ((You may ignore if you wish :D))

i no longer have to do an extremely long explaination about comics noir because it has already been done here, by foolsocracy!!!!!!! really great breakdown of his very vague age, which is never said outright in the 08-09 run, only implied!! my own personal take on this is that he's 17-turning-18 in the first one, just about graduated high school but not able to afford college (see the panel below LOL)

this also got a little longer than i thought it would, so under the cut for the rest of it! the tl:dr is "itsv!noir is not the same as comics!noir, and people saying that he's 19 isn't strictly true. to me, he's around 30!"

eyes without a face (the 09 run!!) only takes place 8 months after, in september 1933, which makes peter 18-turning-19. this is more of a headcanon though!! (see the noir birthday poll, which made me a noir-is-a-december-baby truther)

(peter being a libra is mentioned once in the first issue of amazing spider-man (2015), mostly as a punchline, and a specific date of october 10th was given in another issue that i have lost. other media, like with the mcu, has his birthday on august 10th. but to me noir is a sagittarius and you cannot pry that from me)

the 2020 run of noir begins establishing the year as 1939, making peter around his mid-20s, and 25 if you believe me on the 'peter was 17 in noir 2008' LOL.... i won't lie though i haven't read this one properly i very quickly skimmed so pinch of salt regarding my takes on the 2020 run

noir being in his teens during the first original runs is why "itsv!noir is 17-19" goes around so often! i've seen that on tumblr, twitter AND on tiktok and i don't mind what people hc, but it has become a pet peeve when people say it like its canon even though it's never been mentioned by the writers or the art book. itsv!noir is similar to his comic counterpart, but his differences in his origin story make me interpret him as a different noir (like how peter b.'s dimension is 616B, making him... 90214B?)

again, we are straying from itsv canon/etc here because i'm deranged, but i personally hc noir as being 32! some of my friends think he's in his mid-20s, others think he's older, but really the only reason is that 32 is the midpoint between the other two peter parkers: ripeter was 26 and peter b is 38. he's also voiced by nic cage, which makes me think older in the first place!

i just like the idea that he's more experienced that ripeter, but hasn't gone through as much as peter b. he spends most of the movie being broody ("moral ambiguity of your actions!", "matches burn down to my fingertips", etc etc), or snarkier than you'd expect ("it's that easy" "who are you again?" "you gonna fight or are you just bumping gums" etc etc). he also very sweetly tells everyone that he loves them before he leaves !!! i feel like it can in fact be in character for a peter parker in his late 20-early 30s, distanced from his tragedies in his own world by time (he doesn't forget them, that's different !) being able to look out for the spiders around him.

okay now we are VERY deep into hc territory, but it makes him able to balance out the rest of the itsv spider-gang as an older-brother figure who's able to guide peni, miles and gwen but also be able to act as a voice of reason for peter b. and ham if the sitauation calls for it. that being said noir is still peter parker and is therefore capable of spider-esque tomfoolery, which can lead to him misjudging the need for a snarky one liner ("this is a pretty hard core origin story"). my characterisation of him is also very inspired by heyitsspiderman, the itsv fic that changed me for the better, and noir isn't even in it that much LOL

veering back into itsv!noir's age and your actual question though: he's always read older in the movies, and not at all 17-19. noir is always going to be around 30 (32 if i have to give a number) to me!! if anything, he did go through the same kind of 'canon events' as comics noir did, but is an older and more experienced version of him, with tweaks to the backstory (like a radioactive spider instead of a spider-god, and webshooters instead of organic webbing). there are reasons ofc to see him being younger (egg creams are non-alcoholic, and that if it's 1933, his comicsverse self would be 18-19 too) . however you must consider that sony didn't expand on this and therefore it's up to fan interpretation and also that

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Six of Crows fan-written Script

Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll to see if you guys wanted to keep this going!! 🖤

Hi, so in true me style I still haven't got around to organising these posts into scene breakdowns so this is the next part of episode 1 scene 5, I'm hoping that I can get the end of scene 5 out in the next post and then from that point forwards I'll be able to post it scene by scene. I hope that makes sense.

Same reminder as usual: I'm trying to be as true to the books as possible whilst also matching Show!canon but I've also taken the occasional bit of artistic licence as to how I would imagine producing the show myself, for example inserting my personal headcanon about Anya in the opening scene of episode one. Also, I have never written a script before so the formatting is my own made-up method; if it doesn't make sense please let me know and I'll adapt it :)

Side note: Would it be helpful for me to make a masterlist with links to the parts I've already posted?

Recap since it's been a while - Kaz is with Van Eck at the Hoede house and is holding a knife to the merch's throat when Mika walks through the wall, frightening Kaz because he thinks he's hallucinating from a drug Van Eck has given him

EPISODE ONE SCENE FIVE (PART 2)

KAZ: What the hell is this?

VAN ECK: Let me go and I’ll explain

KAZ: You can explain right where you are

VAN ECK: What you’re seeing are the effects of jurda parem

KAZ: Jurda’s just a stimulant. It’s harmless

VAN ECK: Ordinary jurda, yes. Jurda parem is completely different - and most definitely not harmless

KAZ: So you did drug me?

VAN ECK: Not you, mister Brekker. Mika

[KAZ turns and looks at MIKA. The camera moves slowly up the Tidemaker’s figure; his hands are trembling, the dark circles beneath his eyes are pronounced, and his kefta is slightly ill-fitting as though he has lost a lot of weight since it was last altered]

VAN ECK: Jurda parem is a cousin to ordinary jurda - from the same plant. We aren’t sure of the production process, but a sample was sent to the Merchant Council by a scientist named Bo Yul-Bayurr

KAZ: Shu?

VAN ECK: Yes. He wished to defect, so he sent the sample to prove his claims regarding the drug’s extraordinary effects - Please, mister Brekker, this is a most uncomfortable position. If you’d like, I can give you a pistol and we can sit and discuss this in a more civilised fashion

KAZ: A pistol and my cane

[VAN ECK gestures to one of the stadwatch guards by the door, who leaves briefly and returns with KAZ’s cane]

KAZ: Pistol first. Slowly

[The guard unholsters his own gun and hands it to KAZ by the grip. KAZ grabs the gun and cocks it in one swift movement, then releases VAN ECK and throws the letter opener onto the desk before snatching his cane from the guard’s hand. He is immediately more comfortable. VAN ECK paces backwards and KAZ moves slowly towards the window]

VAN ECK: That cane is quite a piece of hardware, Mr Brekker. Is it Fabrikator made?

KAZ: None of your business. Get talking, Van Eck

VAN ECK: When Bo Yul-Bayur sent us the sample of jurda parem, we tested it on three Grisha - one from each order. 

KAZ: Happy volunteers?

VAN ECK: Indentures. The first two were a Fabrikator and a Healer indentured to Councilman Hoede,

[KAZ frowns; he recalls hearing the name recently but cannot remember why]

and Mika is a Tidemaker. He’s mine. You’ve seen what he can do using the drug.

KAZ: I don’t know what I’ve seen.

[KAZ looks back at MIKA, and the camera follows his gaze. MIKA is focused intently on VAN ECK as though he is unaware of anything else in the room, his expression one of desperation]

VAN ECK: An ordinary Tidemaker can control currents, summon water or moisture from the air, or a nearby source. They manage the tides in our harbours. But under the influence of parem, a Tidemaker can alter their own state from solid, to liquid, to gas and back again and do the same with other objects - even a wall.

[KAZ frowns. He isn’t convinced, but he has no other explanation for what he’s seen]

KAZ: How?

VAN ECK: It’s hard to say. You’re aware of the amplifiers some Grisha wear?

KAZ: I’ve seen them - animal bones, and such. I hear they’re hard to come by.

VAN ECK: Very. But they only increase a Grisha’s power. Jurda parem alters a Grisha’s perception.

KAZ: So?

VAN ECK: Grisha manipulate matter at its most fundamental metals - they call it the Small Science. Under the influence of parem, those manipulations become faster and far more precise. In theory jurda parem is just a stimulant like its ordinary cousin, but it seems to sharpen and hone a Grisha’s senses. Things become possible that simply shouldn’t be. 

KAZ: What does it do to sorry sobs like you and me?

[VAN ECK is marginally offended to be aligned with KAZ]

VAN ECK: It’s lethal. An ordinary mind cannot tolerate parem in even the lowest doses.

KAZ: You said you gave it to three Grisha. What can the others do?

VAN ECK: Here

[He begins to open one of his desk drawers and KAZ raises his pistol slightly]

KAZ: Easy

[VAN ECK opens the drawer with exaggerated slowness and pulls out a lump of gold the size of his palm]

VAC ECK: This started as lead.

KAZ: Like hell it did.

[VAN ECK shrugs]

VAN ECK: I can only tell you what I saw. The Fabrikator took a piece of lead in his hands, and moments later we had this.

KAZ: How do you even know it's real?

VAN ECK: It was the same melting point as gold, the same weight, the same malleability. If it’s not identical to gold in every way the difference has eluded us.

[He holds it out for KAZ to take]

VAN ECK: Have it tested, if you like. 

[KAZ inspects the gold for a moment, then slips it into his pocket. He’s decided that even if it's an imitation, it's convincing enough for him to find it a purpose]

KAZ: You could’ve gotten that anywhere.

VAN ECK: I would bring you Hoede’s Fabrikator here to show you himself, but he isn’t well.

[KAZ glances at MIKA again, and the camera once more notes his sickly pallor and the dark circles beneath his eyes]

KAZ: Let’s say this is all real and not cheap coin trick magic. What does it have to do with me?

VAN ECK: Perhaps you heard of the Shu paying off the entirety of their debt to Kerch with a sudden influx of gold? The assassination of the trade ambassador from Novyi Zem? The theft of documents from a military base in Ravka?

[KAZ nods. He is glad to know the secret of the Zemeni Ambassador’s death and remembers JESPER talking about the three Shu ships filled with gold. Although he has heard nothing of the Ravkan documents, he doesn’t want VAN ECK to know that and so acts as if he is more than aware]

VAN ECK: We believe that all of these occurrences are the work of Grisha under the control of the Shu government and under the influence of jurda parem. Mr Brekker, I want you to think for a moment about what I’m telling you: Men who can walk through walls. No vault or fortress will ever be safe again. People who can make gold from lead - or anything else for that matter - who can alter the very material of the world. Financial markets will be thrown into chaos, the world economy would collapse.

KAZZ: Very exciting. What is it you want from me, Van Eck? To steal a shipment? The formula?

VAN ECK: No. I want you to steal the man.

KAZ: Kidnap Bo Yul-Bayur?

VAN ECK: Save him. A month ago we received a message from Yul-Bayur begging for asylum, he was concerned about his government’s plans for jurda parem, and we agreed to help him defect. We set up a rendez-vous, but there was a skirmish at the drop point.

KAZ: With the Shu?

VAN ECK: With Fjerdans.

[KAZ raises an eyebrow - the Fjerdans must have spies deep in Shu Han or Kerch, or both]

VAN ECK: The diplomatic situation is somewhat delicate, and it is essential that our government not be tied to Yul-Bayur in any way.

KAZ: You have to know he’s probably dead. Fjerdans hate Grisha; there’s no way they’d let knowledge of this drug get out.

VAN ECK: Our sources say he’s very much alive and that he’s awaiting trial.

[VAN ECK clears his throat]

VAN ECK: At the Ice Court.

[KAZ stares at him for a moment, then bursts out laughing]

KAZ: Well, it’s been a pleasure being knocked unconscious and taken caprice by you Van Eck - you can assure your hospitality will be repaid when the time is right. Have one of your lackeys show me to the door.

VAN ECK: We’re prepared to offer you five million kruge.

[KAZ pockets the stadwatch officer’s pistol. He is no longer afraid for his life, but he’s furious to have had his time wasted so tremendously]

KAZ: This may come as a surprise to you, Van Eck, but we canal rats value our lives just as much as you do yours.

VAN ECK: Ten million.

KAZ: There’s no point to a fortune I won’t be alive to spend. Where’s my hat? Did your Tidemaker leave it behind in the alley?

[KAZ begins to walk towards the door and the camera follows behind him]

VAN ECK: Twenty.

[KAZ pauses, and slowly lifts his head - an image mimicking that of season one of Shadow and Bone when he heard the offer of one million kruge. He turns slowly to face VAN ECK]

INEJ voiceover, a reminder of what she told him in Scene Three: Greed is your god, Kaz.

KAZ: Twenty million kruge?

KAz voicover from Scene Three: Greed bows to me. 

[VAN ECK nods, but he doesn’t look happy about having raised the offer so much higher]

KAZ: I’d need to convince a team to walk into a suicide mission - that doesn’t come cheap.

VAN ECK: Twenty million kruge is hardly cheap.

KAZ: The Ice Court has never been breached. 

VAN ECK: That’s why we need you, Mr Brekker. It’s possible Bo Yul-Bayur is already dead, or that he’s given up his secrets to Fjerdans, but we think we have at least a little time to act before jurda parem is put into play. 

KAZ: If the Shu have the formula-

VAN ECK: Yul-Bayur claimed he’d managed to keep the specifics secret - we believe they’re limiting from whatever limited supply he left behind. 

[KAZ has already started thinking about the job, and who he’ll need on his team - and what he’ll be able to do with the money. He pauses, and frowns]

KAZ: Why me? Why the Dregs? There are more experienced crews out there.

[MIKA has a sudden coughing fit, and VAN ECK helps him into a chai and offers him his handkerchief. He snaps his fingers at one of the guards]

VAN ECK: Some water

[The guard exits]

[tgrailwar-zero]

Based on the results of this poll, Questions 4 and 6 will be asked!

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "I agree, personally. I'm not one for subterfuge, but battles are more than just straightforward conquest. We were gathering information, and attempting to bolster our forces by acquiring ones from the Nameless City. And declaring war without proper preparation is absolute foolishness."

CONSTANTINE: "I see… so, you were provided a counter-signal, which allowed you to turn Valkyrie. If you were successful, you'd have a brand new army. And Lady Brynhildr… you didn't seem to be focused on turning her, so she was…"

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "…She was a vital source of information. We struggled, but my companion most likely drew out some valuable data. The process looked painful, unfortunately… again, I'm not built for these sorts of missions, but someone has to do it."

KUKULKAN: "But… that white ghost, what was that?"

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "A gift from God, I would assume. One of His Majesty's many miracles. I know little about it, but His Majesty swears on his soul that it was there when he first began his dream to unite all of Europe, and I believe in him and his righteousness. Regardless, we've gathered what we needed and left the marks we had to. I'll have to report on the grander failures, though. But, well, c'est la vie."

CONSTANTINE: "But you do plan to go to war with the Solar Cell? Or should I say 'rule over', but that change of power won't happen smoothly, you know."

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "Our goals haven't changed, Rider. His Majesty wants to rule over the Solar Cell. Were you aware that the current authority of this place wants to use it as an incubator for an unholy beast? Humanity's data, this life that resides here, is nothing more than lambs to the slaughter. Someone needs to save them, and as such His Majesty is acting upon his grand duty as a Heroic Spirit. Perhaps it will be a bloody fight, but it is for the greater good. He hoped-- and I hope-- that you can understand that and join us. We'd rather you be our ally than our enemy."

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "However, speaking of enemies… comes the matter of your second question, of whether we had something to do with the Blue Faction's disappearance. It is fortuitous, but I can at least say His Majesty did not orchestrate such an attack. The Blue Faction is-- was-- immensely powerful, however the War is a secondary consideration. However, the War still remains, so Avenger and I are still enemies, regardless of who is responsible."

GREY MESSENGER: "…You're a liar."

AVENGER growled, stepping forward angrily.

KUKULKAN: "I don't think he is. I think he truly believes everything that he's saying to us."

With a nod in agreement, the Archbishop snapped his fingers and wrapped his cloak back around his body, his form fading into shimmering with data- a teleportation Code Cast, one that you've seen used a few times.

CAROLUS-TURPIN: "...And with that, I'll be off. Until we meet again. I hope over a meal like last time, rather than a battlefield."

And then he was gone, leaving the Attack Program behind.

At that comment, you could feel the gaze from the White Attack Program on you. It felt almost… mocking, or amused by such a statement. It was hard to tell, however- it was just a blank faced machine. One that, once your answers were thoroughly settled, was impaled by the spear of the Valkyrie BRYNHILDR before it could make a similar escape.

BRYNHILDR: "Good riddance to that awful machine... Excellent work, by the way. Disrupting that curse, freeing my sisters, helping me recover, and talking down the Saber. Your Avenger may have engaged in the actual combat, but the strategy was sound."

She seemed impressed- anger at the Attack Program had seemed to make her a bit bolder with her emotions. Perhaps she would have handled things differently, but she made no move to offer corrections or unwarranted advice, and you were getting the feeling that she recognized you a bit more as a peer.

However, there seemed to be one Servant who seemed displeased.

GREY MESSENGER: "We should have killed him."

The red-clad Servant spoke up, with a brusque huff. KUKULKAN's eyes narrowed, as she put her hands on her hips, glaring at the Avenger-class.

KUKULKAN: "Oh, come on! He surrendered! We need to stick to our word, and he gave us information! Besides, he said--"

GREY MESSENGER: "He's an enemy. The more enemies you leave alive, the more chances they'll have to stab you in the back. We won one battle, but they gathered information as well. Saber seems like an immovable wall, but removing one of his 'bricks' could have been catastrophic for him. Who cares about being nice? Kindness will get you killed. Don't give others the benefit of the doubt- it's not like they'll return the favor."

You could feel the disdain in his voice at the last part of his comment, his advice bitterly spat out towards the young goddess. Surprisingly enough, you saw RIDER nod along with AVENGER, though his expression was a bit complicated.

CONSTANTINE: "I agree with Invader that we should not have gone back on our word, but I can't argue with the exact principle of what Avenger is saying. But that's only if Saber proves to be unreasonable. As of now, we can't jump straight into bloody warfare with him. He still wants to be an ally to us, even if he stands against the Solar Cell. Which means, whether you like him or not, politicking with him is a good option. If he instigates against us, then we should obviously defend ourselves, but as of now, keeping the Archbishop alive was a smart choice."

The discussion was cut short by a flash of magical energy, as the shimmering form of the young Valkyrie that had given you this detour appeared before you.

ORTLINDE: "Valkyrie, Designation: Ortlinde. Reporting that Thrud has returned back onto our synchronization, as well as our other sisters. They seem weakened, so they are reporting to the infirmary at the Training Grounds until they are fully recovered, and can give a direct report on the situation."

BRYNHILDR: "Ortlinde? ...I see, so you sent them. You have my thanks, sister."

ORTLINDE: "I'm… it wasn't… uhm, thank you Elder Sister. And thank you, Interlopers. You have my- you have our thanks. And you will be compensated properly. Goodbye!"

With a bit of a nervous nod of her head, the message ended and you got an alert.

[ Received 1000 PPT from VALKYRIE ORTLINDE! ]

KUKULKAN: "We really have to decide whether we're keeping 'Interlopers' or not. Back when we were fully 'ends justify the means', it worked, but we're trying to find a lighter path, yes?"

As the Invader mused, the elder Valkyrie began to float in the air.

BRYNHILDR: "I should return to my beloved. I don't think I'll re-synchronize like Thrud, though. Not until I'm certain I'm clear of whatever that Saber and Attack Program did- if they did anything at all. Regardless, take care on your journey, travelers."

With that, the Valkyrie vanished into the sky.

KUKULKAN: "We should get going too. There's not anything left here for us, I think. Let's see..."

KUKULKAN pulls out the map, detailing your current locations.

-

The situation with SABER and BRYNHILDR seemed to take quite a bit of time. It seemed like you could hit one more location before leaving if you wanted to make it in time for the Flaming Bout.

Your current map details are here.

You are currently in the City Outskirts.

THE NAMELESS CITY:

NERO is still building!

MUSASHI is still investigating!

CONSTANTINE, the GREY MESSENGER, and KUKULKAN are in your current party! *If you chose to 'leave the Nameless City', your party will automatically regroup, even if you had given your reserve members a task. As you've visited at least one other location (City Outskirts), your reserve Servants will have finished their tasks by the time you reconvene!

[chevvy-yates]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Decided it is time for another update so here's a longer post to what I've been up to and stuff that circles around in my head lately.

tagging:

@medtech-mara, @imaginarycyberpunk2023, @itzsassha, @humberg, @kittenchrissy, @rosapexa, @cinnamon-mey, @heywoodvirgin, @dreamskug, @drunkchasind, and everyone who sees and wants to do as well.

No pressure as always!

—

1. CHARACTERS & LORE

Let's begin with sth. first I have on my mind for a while: As this fandom (sadly) seems to fall more and more apart, I would like to know if there are still people interested in reading actual lore content or not. As some of you know my dear friend @nervouswizardcycle and I are continously building up some sort of our own expansion after the main game events with rp/fic, character builds, backstory lore and support by vp and it eats a lot of time. The lack of interactions on tblr during the last few months and in several discord servers has led to me not posting a lot anymore either (beside my mental exhaustion phases that come and go). It seems more active again though, as majority already played Phantom Liberty by now or are right into it, so they slowly come back bc they presumably avoided spoilers. —————— So, here is me wondering how many following my blog are 'really' interested to see me sharing all lore of the boys (including story parts) or does the majority prefer just to see pretty pics and that's it? —————— (I've wanted to add a poll here but it doesn't let me save my post so I might do it in a seperate one a bit later) I know: it's my blog, I post what I like in the first place, and I'll likely continue that way but somehow I would like to know if it's worth the effort of formating and thinking about how the posts could look or if I can take that time to do something else with it instead if there's less interest. So, I would just keep it in my tiny discord server I share with my rp partner(s)/in private chats with those interested bc it's gotten to be a lot and we are still at the very start it feels.

2. SKILLS, CYBERWARE & HUMANITY LOSS

As I'm the type that can't have ocs with no background/lore, I sat down the other day and did a build for each with their skills, wrote down what chrome everyone got (incl. additional c-ware from the lore books plus I'm reading e.g. into what programs my runner twins are likely to make use of). It went this far that my friend used the amount of the game's 'cyberware capacity' as 'humanity loss'. It is used in the lore books/ttrpg anyways. So I've counted all my boys possible capacity* and use it as humanity loss (HL) now which led me to thinking about which one of my ocs goes to get treatment and how often they go to see a MedTech on regular base. I thought I could give them a certain minus amount to reduce the HL for each depending on how much or less c-ware they got — e.g. Thyjs as soldier has most (but all is good Militech chrome) and used to go and still goes regularly so his HL gets a huge reduce — whereas Ryder's gets always nulled no matter how often he gets threatment, because BEAST (rogue AI) eats it away each time (to understand that in full you probably have to know the story). Ry must have most HL loss as he often walks along the edge towards cyberpsychosis, so I'm forced to reduce Thyjs' with most c-ware installed a huge amount. And that's how I made it now. It's probably far away from canon ttrpg as my 'canon cp world' consists of 75% game, 20% lorebooks and 5% own added ideas I haven't seen on the lore yet. And I like it that way I gotta say. On a little side note: It also had me thinking about creating a new support character for the team that could be in fact a MedTech. But I won't do that anytime soon.

* some things might still change as I slowly started playing their playthroughs and skill them for real now. I love each build so far because it's a whole different experience! And playing someone with noe netrunning ability is hell as I was only usedto paly netrunner before.

3. FIC SNIPPET TIME

I decided to give you an insight of what I've roughly written yesterday about Ryder and Thyjs having a talk about how they feel for each other:

“Ik ben eerlijk. I liked that accidental kiss we shared a-and i-ik find je leuk, Ry. Probably more as— a friend is supposed to do.” De Wit instantly starts feeling nauseous and something tightens around his stomach but he needs to get it off of his heavy feeling soul. “I-I guess I have stronger feelings for you than I had expected and it’s confusing me.” He frowns, “It’s not usual for me. Never felt any kind of such an attraction towards other men. I-It’s just you— I think I might be into you, Ryder.” The last sentences came in a mere murmur than spoken and Ryder’s name was only a light whisper. Thyjs didn’t dare to look to his left. He feared he would lose his new gained friend now because he said his stupid thoughts aloud. Instead he continues staring at the distant horizon feeling the lump in his throat only getting heavier. The sun was already half arisen and the sky was painted in a bright orange and yellow fading out into never ending blue. After de Wit seems to have finally finished his long talk, Ryder realizes the pack has fallen out of his hands. He needed to repeat in his mind what Thyjs just told him. Did the man really pour out his heart to him at this very moment? He couldn’t believe it at first. The pale soldier he obviously secretly fell for just told him he was having feelings for him that reach further than friendship? It took him what seemed like an eternity to get out of his frozen state. Ry moves up into a straighter position, still supporting his body with his right forearm, turning more towards Thyjs, who is still watching the rising sun with a rather sad look on his face blinking every once in a while. Eventually Scharfenberg brings up his left hand to reach for the older man’s face and de Wit suddenly feels two fingers under his chin making him look at the younger man again. He sees a tiny smile on those dark lips he caught himself looking at so many times in utter secrecy. That tiny smile that’s usually the base for a brighter even more heartwarming smile baring dangerous fangs who make the man look frightening, but smiling like that? Thyjs often caught himself thinking Ry looked cute with these fangs as well. Ry sees Thyjs’ confusion as his eyes look questioning right back at him. So Ry better says something now. “I-Ich äh—” he clears his throat, “—I don’t know where to start. How to talk feelings in the first place.” Letting Thyjs talk himself off seemed to be right for Ryder and it was worth it, because he thinks it’s the most earnest confession someone has ever made to him, yet he doesn’t know how to answer to all this best. So he decides to place himself into a sitting position, to look the soldier boy straight into the eyes. His gaze gets distracted by Thy’s slightly opened lips for a split second. It is the same situation as earlier downstairs, only that Ry has his fingers still under de Wit’s chin and starts to lead his face towards the other man. Just a few inches are left between them and Thyjs can feel the younger man’s warm breath on his skin. He also has this incredible sight at those beautiful male black eyelashes again the very moment they cast down and then he feels those same lips from before on his own with such a soft pressure that again he closes his eyes in an instant and starts to revel in that same electricity running through him but also the revenant paralyze surrounding him again.

It is just a brief kiss, similar to the one in the apartment downstairs but shyer in its move. As soon as it happened it ended. Ryder opens his eyes afterwards immediately because he fears somehow the man in front of him would get up, step back and turn away but instead he still feels his chin pressed softly against his fingers. It casts another tiny smile onto Ryder’s face as his now racing heart skips a beat or two, seeing that Thyjs didn’t make a move nor a sound. His eyes open now as well and Ry swears he’s never seen heterochromia looking so soft but also surprised at the same time at him like Thyjs does right now. He waits for a reaction but Thyjs just keeps looking at him, lips parting shortly just to close again. “What? — Did that make you that speechless now?” Ry asks with nearly the same surprisement. Thyjs lets out a heavy breath and nods, eyes totally lost looking at him which lets Scharfenberg put on a warm smile. “Want to— try again?” Thyjs swallows his unspoken words that gathered in his throat he couldn’t speak aloud and nods again. Heavier, his lips turning into a smile as well and his eyes are suddenly filled with happiness and relief, like he’s telling Ryder that he cannot wait to have their lips meeting once more and to feel that intense buzz from before as it spreads through his entire body like when he’s powering up electricity. This feeling right now? It’s strong and sends an entirely new sensation through him. Is dat het gevoel van vlinders in je buik? He wonders but doesn’t get much more time to think about it because Ryder choses to lean in for a second time.

It can and probably will be rewritten or changed but I definitely want to have it this way! Thjys starts talking and talking almost doing a monologue instead of a dialogue until he comes to the final point and Ryder wants to respond with words but doesn't know how to (he may find them a bit later) and just does what's best: kiss this soldier. I'll max out this kissing scene for a lot more pages just because I can.

I love the idea of Thyjs as war machine being totally romantic and getting super takative when alone with Ryder. And Ryder definitely is a soft romatic boy, alsways was bu Beast made his life harder to show this side more but Thyjs gets to see it also in private.

4. VP

Since I do more 'actual play the game' now even though I have installed most of all mods back, I rarely do pics atm. If I do, they are just rather nice pics where I try to use the ingame light rather than to spawn spot lights. here's a preview of what comes next:

I have so many ideas I want to put into reality. Especially pics that underline the rp/fic chapters mentioned above. But I'm not going to force myself. I'll see what I can realize for the rest of the year and what gets to be stamped as a New Year's resolution. I'll probably focus on a few blorbo pics this weekend because Ryder's birthday is around the corner (31st October) and Jay's boyfriend Enzolino has just a day prior. So if I can manage, I'll do that in the first place.

Thanks for reading! <3

[gren-arlio]

Ah, Visual Novel Disc System games, my beloved. Welcome to Episode 8 of (Waku) Puyo Extras.

(Serilly reading a fashion magazine is pretty nice honesty. Too bad that Honey Bee and Momomo are gonna appear any second now.)

Hello everyone, it's the guy whose computer exploded on him once as well as the only Ciel fan in America (Seriously, I'm glad some fans know about Quest nowadays). Thankfully, the computer's slowly but surely getting fixed, so who knows, maybe I'll continue Arle's route next month due to every week having something planned this time around. (Apologies, Arle route watchers)

As the silly meme about PuyoLympics comes around and goes around (Thanks Witch,) I haven't neglected to speak about what the poll wanted to speak about: Serilly's Happy Birthday.

Would you call this a character speculated episode? It's more of a game starring a character, but I dunno.

With that, I think we can begin. Hope you enjoy.

------

First, let's talk about its origins:

Serilly's Happy Birthday was released in 1998 from Disc Station Volume #18, a magazine that carried either demos of games or full blown games, on the Windows 95.

(For some extra info, there were 2 sets of magazines. Issues #0-32 and Volume #1-27.)

It's a little unclear what month this was released, but we can make do with what we got.

(Cover page for the Volume.)

However, and idk if this is big news or not, but I think I found an page covering Serilly's Happy Birthday, though not in the best quality out there.

I haven't seen this anywhere on the Puyo Nexus, or anywhere else really, so take this with a grain of salt. If true though, I adore how it looks.

Apparently it was made by the people who made the Tower of the Magician artstyle, which would make a ton of sense, but take this with a grain of salt.

(No Schezo though. Yeah he just makes a cameo, but hey, would've been nice.)

Also, tiny Carbuncle. You love to see it.

-----

So, whats the game about?

The game itself is a Princess-Maker (Or in a better term, Social Simulation, didn't know the name first time around,) type game, a genre where you see the world of our own and the fictional world. Take Animal Crossing or Tomodachi Life for example. Or The Sims.

The story is that Serilly was given the ability to go on land, but she still doesn't have any legs. Minor misconception but an understandable one.

You then...simply put, plan Serilly's birthday as a whole, going through a week by week basis to get to the end of the year.

(A screen showing the days. From the Japanese characters from top left to bottom right, its Arle, Rulue, Suketoudara, Witch, Draco, and Owlbear.)

You may wonder what the numbers mean on the left. I'm glad you asked. They're stats that increase whilst doing activities with Serilly, such as dancing with Incubus, studying with Satan Masked Principal, I believe training with Samurai Mole, cleaning with Kikimora, etc.

From top left to bottom right, it goes Power, Head(? Due to Samurai Mole,) Cuteness, Story(? Or negotiation.), Kindness, and fatigue. These points are given in random increments, and doing too much tires Serilly, so heads up on on that.

(Cleaning with Kikimora. This is the best quality I could find this.)

Speaking of characters, here's some that appear in this game:

Arle

Witch

Suke

Owlbear

Masked Principal (NOT Satan. Wrong guy.)

Rulue

Draco

Incubus

Kikimora (Man. She's everywhere.)

Schezo. As a cameo in I think one of Witch's supports, and he's not the best written here.

-----

Wait, Supports?

Now you may wonder what I mean by supports. Well, to get an ending, along with Stat Points, you need to talk to the person themselves, which is why with my little Fire Emblem brain, call them supports. You have to have spoken to them enough, as well as get the necessary stats to get their ending, which is why it's so hard to get Draco's ending, least from what I see and hear. And Witch flat out won't talk to you if you're too stupid for her apparently.

However, while a little one-note, the supports and talks themselves are very charming in their own right, and they look stupid good to boot.

(A small support you can get with Witch.)

So, with those 6 characters I mentioned for the endings, there's 7 possible endings. One of them is NO ONE going to Serilly's birthday. If I ever got this ending, I'm retiring from everything.

Serilly herself is still fairly shy, but much more outgoing than what we're used to, which is nice considering she's the star of the show. I genuinely like how she's written here. Not Waku Puyo levels of great, but still top 2 IMO.

The characters themselves are roughly the same, with some expections. For example, the Masked Principal is actually incredibly nice to you, which is just...amazing tbh, Rulue is more dedicated to her training than anything, and Schezo...sucks as a character this time around. He's just a dude walking around saying "I want you!" like an actual pervert rather than just being a goofball about it. Oh, the misery. (Everybody wants to be my enemy...)

But what do some of these endings look like? Unfortunately, our old pal "The 10 image limit," has attacked us once again, and so, I can only show 4 of them.

But they're the popular characters so...I guess we win this time.

I genuinely love how this game looks, man. And the endings themselves are super charming in their own way. I believe in the Masked Principal ending, she helps people swim (Panotty, Archan?, Honey Bee, and Kodomo Dragon,) and it's honestly super cute.

-----

So what do I personally think?

I think this game is incredibly interesting, as it's something that Disc Station or Puyo has a whole hasn't really seen. They chose an interesting character with Serilly, and they honestly made this game look visually stunning. The music is nice to listen to, and the characters are fairly nice to you for the most part, which is a nice change of pace considering it's, well... Serilly.

Overall, if you can ever find a way to see gameplay of the sort, check it out.

This is a shorter Puyo Extras, but I think I covered most of the basis of this game. That'll be all for now.

Cya guys.

[feedists4walz]

do you love talking to people? do you excel at speaking to people off the cuff, on the spot, under a moderate amount of pressure? do you do your best work in person, face-to-face, or at community events? i can't relate but i respect your hustle so much. you are doing what i cannot!

phone banking is a great option if you don't mind (or even enjoy) talking on the phone. i personally find it very stressful but i have friends who love it because they get to speak directly with members of the community and have real, human conversations with them.

how it works: your organizer will help set you up on a platform with a google voice number or autogenerated phone number, give you a script, and turn you loose with an auto dialer to make the calls. as with textbanking, you'll probably also get a list of canned responses related to policy, issues, other relevant info, etc. to refer to in your phone conversations. phone bank for democrats in ...

Florida

Montana

Nevada

North Carolina

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Presidental election

Mobilize has tons more phonebanking events as well!

knocking doors is exactly what it sounds like. i have not done this myself, but if you live in an area where you feel safe walking around and talking to unfamiliar people and want to connect with members of your community, this could be a great option for you!

how it works: your organization will give you a training if you're new at canvassing and will provide you with any materials (flyers, cards, stickers, etc.) you might need. you will also get a script with talking points and canned responses you can use with voters.

Mobilize is once again a great hub for in-person volunteer opportunities.

be sure to look for local door-knocking events! many smaller grassroots campaigns use this method of canvassing to make themselves known and communicate directly with their communities.

target lists for canvassing are generally made up of registered voters or voters who are likely to support your cause, so there is a lower likelihood of confrontation or aggression.

many events recommend showing up with comfy shoes, sunscreen, water, and a mask!

voter registration events: have clipboard, will travel! i haven't done this myself, but i have had some genuinely nice conversations with canvassers on the street.

how it works: your organizer will supply you with a brief training, a clipboard, forms, pens, flyers, etc., and send you out to "hot spots" like college campuses, grocery stores, parks, or city centers. you will also likely get a script with talking points and candidate/policy information.

Mobilize has a huge list of voter registration events all over the nation!

many of the events i've seen encourage wearing liberal/leftist t-shirts, hats, pins, etc., to enhance approachability! sunscreen and water are also highly encouraged, and a mask is probably a good idea too!

bring a friend if you don't want to go alone!

become a poll worker. i'm doing this for the first time for my state primary in september and i'm honestly kind of nervous but i think it'll be a good experience! of course, working the polls doesn't support one candidate over another, but poll volunteers are crucial to keeping elections free and fair!

how it works: sign up through your town or city's website (i literally googled "become [city] poll worker" and found the link). you'll do at least one training session and get assigned a role on election day.

some states do pay you for your time working and training, but it may differ from state to state. this handbook from the US Election Assistance Commission should be able to tell you about payment in your state -- i just ctrl+f "compensation" and comb through.

All Voting is Local has a handy guide for first-time poll workers! (their compensation link is broken though)

see you out there!!