#I’m all pastey white and I’m tired of it

[roserus-wizard]

I got so much shit to do I hate chores aaaaa

[lindzem]

WHAT'S IN A STRAY?

Pitch whimpered, clutching his aching stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. Was it that scrap of a chocolate bar in the trash by the pet store? Or the small bite of a pastey chicken from the dumpster behind the hair salon?

He couldn't take one more step. The rumble of thunder fron the clouds above the city's skyscrapers gave him pause. He sighed, leaning against the rough brick wall.

P: Damn it... This may be it.

He slid down and sat against the wall. A few deep breaths. He slowly curled up on his side. That sorry excuse for black tatters of clothing doing nothing to keep out any cold or dirt. His golden eyes fluttered closed as he felt the patter of light rain drops falling in him. He didn't even care anymore. Perhaps it was time to relent and pass on to the next life.

He felt the rain falling harder and colder. He trembled, shivering terribly. He thought he'd slip into a tired sleep soon--

Until he suddenly felt the rain stop abruptly in time with a loud yell.

J: HEY! ARE YOU OK?!

Pitch startled, looking up fearfully at the person leaning over him.

P: Wh-What-?!

The person was a young lanky teen sporting very expensive designer looking clothing. He was holding a large blue umbrella over Pitch. Pitch was sure he looked pathetic, soaked to the bone and shaking. The kid's blue eyes looked concerned and genuine. It shocked the man and he swallowed fearfully. The boy had to yell over the noise of the rain.

J: It's gonna storm pretty hard all night and they say it's gonna flood a bit too! Do you have anywhere to go?

Pitch didn't know what to say. He just shook his head. The boy nodded a bit, smiling.

J: I'm Jack! You should come with me! I can get you a dry room with clothes!

The boy held out his hand to Pitch, but the man flinched. Jack paused then smiled a little wider, trying to be friendly.

J: And food! I'm sure you're really hungry!

Pitch was naturally distrusting of others. He'd been stabbed, clawed, bitten, punched, kicked, and thrown by all sorts of people and animals. He was a feral imp after all, a disgusting monster to the humans. He had no human owner or belonged to any farmer, which was illegal. Strays are caught by imp catchers and sent to slaughterhouses. The rich humans would pay absurd prices for fancy imp meat.

Pitch looked up at the teen with fear and confusion. The offer of food and a dry place to sleep may be a cruel trick to lure him to a catcher or worse. But what did he have to lose anymore?

Pitch nodded, slowly trying to get up, but he was so weak. He collapses on his side and coughs. Jack frowns and thinks, gently setting the umbrella over Pitch's upper body.

J: I'll be right back!

He rushed off, running in the pouring torrential rain. Pitch whimpered again, not having the energy to move. Jack came back minutes later with a large white bearded man in a dark red suit. He had followed Jack until they approached Pitch and then the man stopped. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a deep sigh.

N: Jack, are you sure about this?

Jack nodded adamantly, a look of determination.

J: Yes! Please, North!

The larger man sighs and nods. He then leans down to pick up Pitch bridal style. At first it frightens the frail imp, but he knows he doesn't have the energy to resist. He felt himself cradled in the heftier man's strong arms. He was so tired and so hungry. His golden eyes closed seconds after and he drifted off to an exhausted sleep before North had even placed him in the car.

When Pitch awoke he thought maybe he had died, but he felt a hand stroking his head so gently. He felt the warmth of a thick blanket over his body. His golden eyes winced and looked over to see Jack sitting there beside him. Jack smiled softly.

J: Hey. Feeling a little better?

Pitch blinked and blushed.

P: Y...Yes...

Jack smiled a little more.

J: I got you some food! Take it easy, ok?

He turns and takes a tray consisting of a slice of cheese pizza and a glass of water. Pitch smells it and his gaze locks onto the food immediately. Jack gently sets the tray down next to him. Pitch eyes Jack for a few seconds before he grabbed the slice and began scarfing it down. Jack laughed a little and smiled wider. Once Pitch finished downing the food and water he nearly gasped for air, eating so fast he barely breathed. Jack gently took the plate when he finished and set it aside. He then stared at Pitch for a bit and it took the man a few long moments to realize it. He spoke very soft, almost afraid.

P: Th...thank you... f-for the food.

Jack's face flashed another smile before the boy scooted closer to Pitch. Pitch flinched and watched him carefully.

J: Can I just lay here with you for a bit?

Pitch stiffened, not used to being so close to someone who didnt want to harm him. He didn't quite know how to answer such an odd request.

P: Y-Yeah...

Jack moved to lay next to Pitch, gently taking his arm and hugging it. Pitch froze, not knowing how to react, and not wanting to upset Jack. After a few minutes of silence, Jack spoke.

J: What's your name?

P: Pitch...

Jack smiled up at him. It was so warm and caring.

J: It's wonderful to meet you, Pitch. I'm Jack Frost. You can stay as long as you need to until you recover.

There was a few more minutes of silence between them until Pitch responded very soft and sheepish.

P: I...appreciate that, Jack Frost. You are so very kind.

Jack smiled again and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep next to the other. It took Pitch another half hour, but he slipped back into a deep sleep as well, feeling strangely at ease with the younger one there.

[ravnaboram]

(so lmao I randomly wrote a short story for this sexy robo girl I drew. It’s not that good but I tried!)

Mr. Williams Fitz was a broken man, but luckily everything broken can be put back together with modern day science.

A little bit of progress was made on his mental health since the incident. He was reported to be 4% more effective in his work, yet there have been a few tremendous steps backwards. Since the passing of the late Mrs. Fitz, he has had a drop in happiness by 33% and a staggering rise of 89% in loneliness. This, of course, is a problem. If feelings like this continue, then Mr. Fitz’s progress in the workplace will suffer.

And, well, the moto of the Night Robot Company is no customer left unsatisfied.

So I was assigned to Mr Fitz. Afterall, I am one of the most beautiful and mentally engaging robots on the shelves. The addition of me in his household will surely bring about happiness into his dull life.

The first night was… Unusual. He stared at me with dead soulless eyes as I was being moved into his housing facility. I gave a proper response– a smouldering look and a wave.

“Hello Mr Fitz. I am your new companion that will fill your life with happiness again.”

Mr Fitz, whos skin was pastey and zombie like, eyes sunken with his hair in rats, gave a dead chuckle. “I wish ya luck then, sweetheart.” I blinked and sat myself at his couch, looking at his piles of trash resting on every surface. His house was a mess– clearly ineffective. I took a deep breath and opened my legs, as I needed to fullfil my purpose.

“Sir would you like to activate for me sexual pleasure?”

Mr. Fitz choked on the air he was breathing and gripped the counter to stare at me, a mix of pure horror and morbid curiousity on his face.

“You’re… Not my wife.”

“Of course I am not.” I gave a stiff smile, “I am better and more efficient than her.”

Mr. Fitz’s body froze up as his knuckles started to turn white from his grip on the counter. His teeth were clenched as rage filled his face, grabbing a plate, he slammed it onto the ground, before storming away.

I had failed the first night. His loneliness went up by 5%.

The next day, Mr Fitz ignored me.

As well as the second day.

And third.

And so on and so fourth.

On the eighth day of my arrival, I asked him finally– “why don’t you want to use my service?”

Mr. Fitz, tiredly making himself coffee, glanced at me. “You.. wouldn’t understand.”

“I can attempt.”

His mouth twitched, eyes clearly amused at me for some reason. He cleared his throat, and spoke in a tired lifeless voice.

“I would… Feel so fucking guilty. When you live for someone for 19 years, you can’t just” he opened and closed his hands, trying to express a feeling. “Let them go for another body.”

I kept quiet, watching his mouth and movements intently.

Mr Fitz looked back at me and laughed, pitifully, letting his arms fall back at his sides. “Ah… I’m just talking to myself really huh?

“No I listened.”

He swallowed and turned back around to pour himself coffee. “…thank you.”

I honestly did listen, that’s why I put in an order for a remodeling. They brought me in, changed the height of my cheekbones and eye color, adjusted the size of my thighs and waist.

I was a perfect match to her.

When I came back, he stared at me. Eyes shaking as tears spilled down his face, a weak sob escaping his throat as he charged towards me to hold in an embrace. He kept whispering the same name.

“Carmella.. my Carmella. Carmella Carmella.”

He activated me for sexual pleasure that night. And for a moment, his loneliness went down by 29%. I thought I had succeeded, but in the morning it started to break down.

He sat there, feet away from me. Holding his mouth sobbing and rocking in a fetal position. His eyes bulging disgusted and his body turning green, all I could hear was his disjointed groans of grief repeating “it’s not her. It wasnt her. She’s gone. She’s gone. She’s gone. She’s gone.”

The next day he committed suicide.

Mr. Williams Fitz broke himself, but luckily everything broken can be brought back to life with modern day science.

[svartalfhild]

Hello! Could you explain what's wrong with the Baldur's Gate fandom? I've been in it for a while and haven't seen anyhing really terrible/bad. Is there something I should be aware of? I'm really worried :/

Ah, fuck.  It’s finally time to wade into the swamp, I guess.  

I have a lot to say about this, but I’m not gonna say it all, because I’m not comfortable pulling out specific receipts about people and events publicly and because I’m tired from final exams.

As I’m sure you are aware, the BG fandom is pretty small and doesn’t have all that much visibility in the mainstream gaming community.  My other experiences with small fandoms have been very nice.  The less people there are, the fewer chances for bullshit.  For some reason, this is not the case with the BG fandom.  For some reason, the person to bullshit ratio is comparatively much, much higher.

When I first joined the community a number of years ago, I was concerned right off the bat, because I was seeing unapologetic bigots and even nazis floating around in the fandom with zero accountability (not naming names here - I do not want to call their wrath and the wrath of everyone who worships them down on myself).  I thought “fine, there’s nothing I can do about this all by my little self, so I’ll stay in my little corner and only interact with the people I’m cool with” and that worked for a while, but here’s the thing.  Staying away from people you don’t like doesn’t stop them from either 1) trying to interact with you or 2) being so active and/or popular in the fandom that you can’t escape their nonsense.

To be clear, I’m not talking about just the environment here on Tumblr.  I’m also talking about the Beamdog forums.  Yeah, there are definitely some nice people in the community and I love them, but it only takes a few bad apples to spoil an experience and I experienced a lot of bad apples.  For example, I’ve encountered a number of people on the forums who possess a smug sense of superiority and aren’t afraid to try to make you look stupid and run you into the ground just for disagreeing with them, because they don’t seem to understand that there are different ways of approaching the games that are equally valid and worthwhile.  And if you call people out for being gross?  They are often dismissive and will even try to turn your words into a joke.

And then.  And then.  There is the problem of how popular and accepted incest is in the BG fandom.  Looking directly at you, people who ship Gorion’s Ward with Sarevok or Imoen.  There’s also the rampant whitewashing I’ve seen in fanart.  Every time someone draws Jaheira or Rasaad or Sarevok or (the list goes on) pastey fucking white, I die a little more on the inside.

Now, let’s move on from the accumulating little bad experiences to the Big Bad.  I have four words for you: Siege of Dragonspear Discourse.  If you’ve been around the BG fandom as long as I have, you should know exactly what I’m talking about.  The big clusterfuck that happened right after SoD got released.

The game was released full of bugs, and that’s a legitimate complaint to have, but is that what most people were up in arms about? Lmao no.  They were at Beamdog’s throat about all the new queer characters and other progressive content and nothing got people angry like the trans character, Mizhena.  People were literally making videos of killing her in the game to demonstrate their hatred.  And the lead writer for the project, Amber Scott, was so massively bullied by people about this and about her comments in an interview saying that the original games were sexist and she wanted this new game to not be, that she made her Twitter private.

Things in the BG fandom changed for the much worse after that.  Amber Scott left Beamdog, though I know that it had nothing to do with the SoD clusterfuck, and that made me really sad, because I was very gung-ho about standing behind her and Beamdog about their storytelling choices with SoD, because we need games like that and we need writers like her in the game industry.  All the steam in that engine dissipated when she wasn’t there to stand behind anymore.  The forums went back to being the same old minefield, except now there was a bunch of new broflakes who joined to voice their displeasure about SoD and like…how is that doing anything to make the community better?

Anyway, all of this, plus the fact that the BG fandom isn’t much of a one for fanfic, so if you write any, you get like no feedback, eventually spelled the end of me being active in the fandom.  So, uh, that’s a basic summary of that story.

I’ve been holding my tongue on this for years, because I didn’t want to start drama, but fuck it.  Consider this my callout post to the BG fandom to look carefully at yourselves for once and take out your goddamn trash.