#behind the creator and the players and just-

[ominouslemonnade]

tiny rant

ok im just gonna ramble a bit here.

So, to be honest, not really happy with the whole paywall thing slashfic got going on, every other painfully obvious important option that changes the course of the story's trajectory is hit with the hearts thingy, it kinda feels like the mc is being trapped in some sort of inescapable box . Ive noticed that everytime theres this "upcoming big moment" it leads to another downer and the authors are really milking and dragging it out for very long— by adding more characters that do not play a vital role to the main story, plotlines being stacked one after another ,it has gotten to the point that the whole of slashfic is getting difficult to keep track of, the storyline is messy with all these new plotlines, the character writing being done dirty. Despite all that, i think slashfic can *still* be made into something more interesting , something that is not as uncomfortable as the questionable ads they have...

Another thing— the development of relationships of mc with the main 4 is too quick, too forced i feel. Would've been more reasonable if the slashers slowly , and i mean by their own pace, gain trust in mc and not just literally jump right into "spice" .

So heres my conclusion to this: Slashfic has a very messy story, tricky to keep track of because of unecessary plotlines that add nothing to its supposed horror element. The whole mystery behind camp nevermoor, was working well enough JUST FINE. The settlers, the tree, lysa monroe and the cultists, and the involvement of the dunlaps with magic was a driving point.

And it got me thinking and brew more ideas.

1.) A comic, all things orgainzed into one. A comic where it gives us more insight, background or info/depth to camp nevermoor and the events that took place before the main conflict happened. This way, it could give more easy to navigate and understandable context to the main story and why it happened.

2.) A game, it has fun mechanics like a minigame and all. The game explores more on the main story, aka the recent events happening. This could also be an opportunity to see more into the lives of the slashers or camp counselors and explore their character by being given more information on each of them, be it their history or life growing up where you can play in their perspective to understand more, to feel the characters complexities and the nuances of why they are the way they are. For hearts, you dont have to pay, you earn them! Example: By playing into a sidestory of each character or do simple tasks that correlates to their preferences (Basically a whole grind system) So ; more hearts earned = increased bloodlust. As for the minigame, it could help build up your skills! (Stealth, agility, speed, strength, reaction) with each score adding to the percentage of each skill, and these skills helps you progress even more in the story.

Other games i played on dorian they were at a nicer level of decent , not too much paywall options and the story is consistent and progresses from its main point. Character writing is not very questionable but actually put into thought. Slashfic seems to be the leading game in the app but the way i see it, if the expensive paywall options and the excuse of supporting creators keeps going on coupled with not adhering to criticisms or suggestions , the game will be overshadowed by other games and it will soon loose its current spotlight because the way it is drives players further away from interest in playing because of its paywall problem. Each characters writing are just watered down blatant tropes and thats basically all that they are, its sad. I really thought slashfic would improve more on because the nevermoor story really did got my attention. Its a shame to see ive came this far along in the game to be met with a downgrade. But i still keep playing anyway and i do not know why, and honestly??? Im also starting to slowly loose interest having to wait so long and the episodes have gotten so short (lord spare me).

I already have art and redesigns in mind, these ideas aren't really much of a help to my motivation of finishing the plans i already have in motion😅

Anyway this is all!

@ xoxo-chrmy has a great concept for a slashfic rpg game! Check em out :]

[asynchronouscommunication]

As someone who has played Dwarf Fortress since before it was out on Steam I feel like it's important to add that when 'developers' is used, the base game was made by mostly one guy (Tarn Adams) with help from his brother (Zach Adams). Noclip has a 4-part series about its creation. For /eighteen years/ Tarn Adams worked on this project and released it, FOR FREE, on his website with only ASCII graphics. Its only now after running into the sad hill of 'need more money to survive than what loyal fans can consistently give' that they (Bay12 Games, the company Tarn and Zach own), partnered with Kitfox Games to release it. 18 years of love into the project, and he's still updating it. To call it a colony sim is something of an understatement because it tires to simulate /everything/ it possibly can. Dwarf Fortress is what inspired a lot of other games that are now super popular today. Putting links at bottom incase they don't embed properly. If you want fun, one time stories I suggest checking out: Boatmurdered - A game where different players had the fort for a year then passed it on to the next, mostly text. Bronzemurder - by Tim Denee, an incredible comic showing the layout of the fort in a vertical format and taking you through its tales. For videos on youtube the three I'm most familiar with is: Kruggsmash - draws his own art to illustrate moments, flavors his forts and the critters in the game in really creative ways that sometimes change from series to series. Does some modded dwarf fortress runs too (The Kingdom of Autumn is excellent fall vibes, but RedVault: A Dwarf Fortress, The Long Night Series is one of my favorites for cyberpunk and sound design etc.) I suggest Northbridge, The Road to Riches for some of his more modern stuff. Crumpetsounds - Lots of British humor with the narrators you hear in the videos actually being 'characters'. Specifically the main character is a god-like being whom 'created' the world in Dwarf Fortress that he plays in. He explains it a bit in the early episodes of Mirrorgleam, which I also recommend as a first entry point. hoodiehair - There is a long tradition in Dwarf Fortress of its players conducting unhinged, unreviewed, unethical experiments (1) in the game. It's a game, it's meant for people to play around and have fun after all! Hoodie Hair keeps that tradition alive and I LOVE her work. She's got short (longest video is about 10 minutes) stand alone videos chronicling her experiments in the game. Unlike the other two these aren't full fort playthroughs following the rise and fall of a single fortress, I mean they are but they're very abbreviated and I love it. She embraces the

Other: Looking for funny comments in the patches is a long time tradition and yields hilarious moments like the cats in the tavern dying from licking the booze off their feet as mentioned above. :D Some places collect these, like the bay12 forums. Which also has a dedicated board FULL of other fort stories.

(1) once upon a time a SINGULAR dwarf fortress player so horrified Tarn with how they figured out to make tons of money that Tarn changed how mermaids work. Links: Boatmurdered - https://lparchive.org/Dwarf-Fortress-Boatmurdered/ Bronzemurder - https://timdenee.com/bronzemurder Kruggsmash - https://www.youtube.com/@kruggsmash Crumpetsounds - https://www.youtube.com/@crumpetsounds Hoodie Hair - https://www.youtube.com/@hoodiehair Noclip: Dwarf Fortress Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-THgg8QnvU5xvhtFe7orgcnfIqFq_qVk Bay12 forums - https://www.bay12forums.com/smf/

Can someone explain Dwarf Fortress to me???

[wheelercore]

Theory with no coherent proof on my part: brenner only visibly ages rapidly when a portal is open.

[connormoving]

no sims 5 . guys im gonna

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

So I waste a lot of time watching youtube videos about shitty cryptogames. For those who have better uses of their time than I do and don't understand how cryptogames work and why there's six billion of them, let me explain.

The idea behind your standard cryptogame is that you cobble together some bare-bones crafting game or rpg or something, and you sell the players virtual real estate for real money. It doesn't *have* to be real estate -- sometimes it's NFTs that give you a play advantage or creatures the players use to fight or something -- but it's usually real estate. Cryptobros get in early and buy the virtual real estate while it's 'cheap', with the expectation that when the game really takes off, they can sell it for tons of money to other players. The real estate usually offers some in-game advantage (you can build on it, or you get voting rights, or you can tax shop owners on it, or something), but some games don't even bother with that and rely purely on "you bought it so other players will want to buy it from you".

Why does this fail, constantly? Because nobody cares about the actual game. Other games *have* successfully monetised this stuff, but cryptogames never succeed, because almost everyone in these communities are people who are just there to buy crypto stuff with the sole goal of selling that crypto stuff to someone else in the community. The games are never fun enough (or frequently, even playable enough) to bring in a real player base. They serve no purpose, fill no need, and bring in nothing except more cryptobros easily duped out of their money in the hopes of duping someone else out of their money. Asking "so why will players be interested in coming to our Virtual Libertarian Empire and making us any money?" or "how will this game make anyone money anyway?" or "when will this game become a game?" gets you kicked from their discords for spreading fear. Of course this game is gonna take off, bro. If it wasn't, would it be expanding so fast at this early stage? Would so many people be eager to buy virtual real estate in it? This is the next big thing in gaming. (Then the creators take the cryptobros' money and ghost them.)

Why am I bringing all this up? I dunno. Every time I see them putting a new AI Virtual Assistant in something I get weirdly reminded of cryptogaming. For... some reason.

[nijuukoo]

It feels surreal to see this out there, in the wild, and being played by real people. It feels like a dream--a crazy fever dream that's been going on for years and now Date Everything! is officially live on all platforms, and I am so immensely proud of everyone involved in this game ♥

This is Sassy Chap Games' first project, and I could not be more humbled to be a part of it. Everyone poured their soul, their excitement and humour into this. This isn't just a dating sim; it's one giant love letter to creative passion, to artistry, and to self-expression. It's a celebration of artists and creators of all forms and backgrounds, from programmers to writers, from artists to cosplayers, and from musicians to voice actors.

Long thank you ahead, as well as character spoilers if you wanna go in blind!!

I wanna give a huge, immense thank you to my art team: Tay, Pejnt, Renoni, Elle, Debz, Palea, Cael, Helly, Nick, Mel and Shenae. This game is jam packed with so much beautiful hand-drawn artwork, and I'm so lucky to have worked with such incredible artists to complete all those gigantic spreadsheets of assets TuT Thank you all for all your hard work. I love that I can recognise who did what based on the styles, and I’m so happy that people will see your uniqueness in this project.

A big shout out to Jay, our 3D modeler, and Clara, our animator, who are so incredibly skilled at what they do. The house is beautiful, as is the world outside, and you both did such a wonderful job giving all the Dateables a roof to live in, and a cosy world for the players to roam. For a game that takes place in one location, you’ve made it feel like a whole world.

The characters would not be complete without the creative minds of the writing/narrative team. William Hinz, Jay Choi, Souha, Logan Burdick, Brendan Blaber, Dom Dinh, Devin Connelly, TJ Young, Nick Thurston, Sam Ortiz, Julia McIlvaine, Ray, Robbie, Amanda--oh god i know im missing a handful Q_Q but damn, the amount of work and creativity needed to create so many branching stories, endings, and weaving together relationships amongst various characters--that's such a feat that I was lucky enough to see develop behind the scenes <3 I can't wait to play the game myself to find out how the stories have changed and ended up--it's a very funny feeling to be involved in the game so intimately and yet i still only know about 10% of the characters’ full stories, and I know i'm going to be surprised when I play through this myself XD.

Thank you to our composer and maestro, Garrett Williamson, and his team of music masters--the OST is absolutely incredible, so unique, and mind-blowing to know that all our dateables have their own theme that's beautifully reflective of their personalities, theme and stories even without needing to see them. You are insane at what you do, and i know you and i can volley compliments back and forth until the end of time, but I get the last word on this blog: you are an absolute beast at music, sir, and I can't wait for the rest of the world to know your big music brain.

All of these amazing assets would just remain a big ol’ pile of assets if it weren’t for the incredible dedication, time, and energy of our programming team headed by Thiago Moreira. You and Sam Reinhart are so crucial to making this happen, for piecing things together, for making things move and animate, and for fixing all the bugs as they arise. Oh my god, all the bugs. You guys are some of the chillest people I’ve ever met, and y’all been such a rock for everyone when things go awry.

A shout out to Greg Batha and “MsMinotaur” Adriel. This game literally would not have gotten off the ground without you two at the very beginning. Y’all the OG team, and I am so happy I got to meet the two people who built the launch pad that started this whole thing.

To the producers, and the brains behind this crazy game--Ray Chase, Robbie Daymond, Max Mittelman, and Amanda Hufford--You guys are absolute legends. Thank you for so many years of pitching the game, and keeping the idea alive through the blurry years that was 2019-2022. It's crazy to think how I first knew y'all as game characters from FFXV almost ten years ago, and now you guys are game producers. Amanda, you are such a fun energy to be around, and it was so incredible working with you on your characters (Thank you again for the big brain behind Eddie and Volt--I will never get over them.) Thank you for your voices, your writing, the long hours, the organisation, and for keeping everything so exciting! Y'all form the absolute bedrock of this thing. Thank you for believing in the team, and weathering through the obstacles to keep this party going. this would not have come to fruition without you guys at our backs.

I love all of you, and i know this is just the beginning ❤️

[cybrasigilism]

Could I request a nsfw fic of soft dom thanos x reader reassuring them because they feel shy during intimacy? (I’m such a sucker for soft doms☹️) btw I love love your work ur one of my favorite writers :3

aww i’m so honoured! thank you so much for the love 😘

Judge Judy (Thanos/Player 230 X Reader)

warning: smut (omg someone sound the alarm bells) | not proofread | lowercase intended | ooc thanos? (writing him a lot softer than i think he would be) | protection not specified (don’t rely on the pullout method pulease) | praise | soft dom!thanos | reader has female genitalia | PiV

character: thanos/choi su-bong (player 230)

A/N: it lowkey felt strange to write thanos super soft n’ sweet? i can get behind a gentler version of him, don’t get me wrong! and thank you so much again for your kind words :) hoping i did your request justice! (+ the title of the fic is taken from a Tyler, the Creator song title, please check it out Judge Judy is really good)

MDNI! 18+ content under the cut, reader’s discretion is advised

─────⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ ─────

you were beyond ashamed of yourself.

here was your boyfriend, putting down his all for you, and you still couldn’t escape your mousey state, still hiding away as much as possible in that shell of yours. even as he had his hand between your thighs, working absolute magic, you couldn’t muster up a moan. you were absolutely horrified of making any noise. sure there was the occasional gasp for air and slight moan but you held back as much as possible; gripping the sheets, biting your lip, anything to stop that voice of yours coming out. you almost slipped up when he started kissing your neck, leaving hickeys anywhere he spent a particularly long time on.

it got to a point where enough was enough for thanos.

he was desperate to hear you, he wanted so badly to draw moans and whines from your lips, but you were positively petrified. before he moved forward to the actual sex part of the ordeal, he pulled away, now looming over you as you laid there, wide eyed and just so quiet.

“what’s the matter, baby?” he asked, looking you up and down. you exhaled sharply, looking away in shame. “i’m sorry, i’m just..nervous, that’s all.” he cocked his head to the side, eyebrows crinkling upwards in a look of concern. “nervous? for what? we’ve done this before..” he had every right to be confused, you knew that. if you could get naked in front of him, why was your voice where you drew the line? “was it something i did?” he wondered, and you felt your heart break into a million pieces.

“no! god no, i just..” you started, feeling your shoulders tense as you found yourself scavenging for words that should have come all too easily to you. “i don’t want to be obnoxious..?” the look of concern on thanos’s face slowly let a smile creep through and he chuckled a bit, you felt your cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “don’t laugh!” you cry out, covering your face. “i’m sorry! i’m sorry, i just wasn’t expecting that, that’s all.” he explained, calming down. he grabbed your hands, moving them down from your face, able to make eye contact once more.

“be obnoxious all you like,” he started, his gaze had become softer than you’d seen it before, “you don’t understand how badly i need to hear you.” you gulped, grasping his hands in return. “i don’t…i don’t think i know how…” you felt your eyes shift again, you didn’t know how? he took your chin to redirect your line of sight once again. “if that’s all it is, i can help you.” he assured, you felt the tension in your shoulders ease. “just follow my lead, okay sweetheart?” you nodded, leaning forward to initiate a kiss, to which thanos happily accepted.

this time, you weren’t gonna hold back. you were terrified, sure. but you were not gonna hold back.

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

and hold back you did not. fuck, you didn’t even know you were capable of such sounds. from the moment he thrusted into you, you were more vocal than either of you knew possible. thanos was certainly not disappointed, he had gotten more vocal in response too. you know he had told you to follow his lead, but now it seemed you had taken the role of leader.

“there ya’ go, that’s my girl.” he praised as he bottomed out once again in your tight cunt, maintaining a steady pace as he pumped in and out of you. you couldn’t imagine forming words at this point, he consumed all your thoughts, ridding you of the ability to form intelligible dialogue. “god, you have such pretty moans, fuck.”

his relentless praise caused you to clench around his cock, which made him make sluttier sounds than you, which was currently saying a lot. with your newfound voice, an endless cycle of pure ecstasy laid ahead, and it was better than any drug in that cross that thanos wore.

─────⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ ─────

apologies that this one is shorter than the others, but i felt it was best short and sweet! thanks for reading and for the recommendation! as always, any advice/constructive criticism on how to improve my writing is appreciated and requested!

have a good rest of your day/night lovelies!💋

Tags: @gongyoosgf @kvstjwonnie @pink-apples001 @fiicalapsiholoaga

[aventurineswife]

I'm loving this SAHSR au of an artist player! It's so good.

I want to add something, like what if the characters hear player singing? It could be any type of genre, from laufey to MSI or even Robin's songs. I wanna know their reaction to hearing the player sing, whether player has good or bad singing voice.

Anyway, remember to take care!

-🪽 anon

I gave up on editing this.

It happens by accident.

The stars are quiet. The Museum of Divinity has no new paintings today. The characters, scattered across their worlds, are going about their business.

And then—

A voice.

Echoing through the universe like a whisper from the divine.

At first, they think they're imagining it. A trick of the wind. A malfunction in the stars.

But then they realize—

It’s you.

And everything stops.

Welt was reading, but the second he hears your voice, his book slips from his hands.

Himeko’s coffee cup nearly overflows. She grips the table, trying to process what she’s hearing.

Welt: “This is… unprecedented.”

Himeko: “Unprecedented? We are hearing the Creator’s voice. You expect me to analyze this rationally?”

They try to remain professional, but they’re both completely in awe.

Blade’s grip on his sword tightens. His breath stills. His heart (what’s left of it) aches.

Dan Heng stops mid-movement. His entire body tenses.

If your voice is soft and melancholic → They feel a strange, aching longing.

If your voice is powerful and emotional → They feel as if they’ve been struck by lightning.

They memorize every second. Every note. Every breath.

If they never hear you again, they will still remember it forever.

Sunday? He is GONE.

Immediately kneels, hands clasped as if in prayer.

“The voice of the divine—resonating through the cosmos! Ahh, what a BLESSED day this is!”

Aventurine? He plays it cool.

Casually leans against a wall, smirking.

"Didn’t expect you to sound so… charming, dear Painter."

But internally? He is obsessed.

Sunday writes poetry about it. Aventurine never stops thinking about it.

Kafka smiles immediately. "Oh? What a lovely surprise."

If your voice is soft and sweet → Kafka closes her eyes, swaying slightly. Like she’s letting herself drown in it.

If your voice is raw and emotional → Black Swan literally stops breathing.

Black Swan murmurs, “To leave behind only images was not enough… now you bless us with sound as well.”

They both want to hear more. Even if it means hunting for echoes of your voice in the stars.

Luocha listens in complete silence. He places a hand over his heart.

"The artist who paints with colors… now paints with sound as well."

Jing Yuan exhales slowly. His usually lazy demeanor shifts into something far more serious.

"I could listen to this for eternity."

They don’t just hear your voice. They feel it.

March 7th: SCREAMS.

Sparkle: ALSO SCREAMS.

“OH MY GOD THEY CAN SING???”

March tries to record it. (Fails. The audio is impossible to capture.)

Sparkle is immediately writing lyrics down. "If they ever sing again, I’ll be ready to write it down word for word!"

They both talk about it for WEEKS.

The moment your voice fades, they feel it deeply.

Some search desperately for ways to hear you again.

Some simply sit in silence, trying to preserve the moment forever.

And some—

Well.

Some would do anything to make you sing for them again.

I better not see anymore SAHSRAU after the last one.

[cuteandhughesy]

5 Times ╰┈➤ MK23

summary: where a fan creates a mini compilation of all the times you and your boyfriend, matthew knies, were seen kissing and being cute on camera.

[word count] 2.0k

warnings: SFW! pre-established relationship | fluff | matthew being a cutie

a/n: just a short and sweet little imagine for my pookie kniesy :) the next story to be worked on is a jeremy swayman fic based on a request ! so stay tuned for that

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

you and matthew lounge together comfortably, your libs tangled together on the couch. free evenings with matthew typically all looked the same - the two of you snuggling and enjoying each others presence in the homey comfort of matthew’s apartment. most of the time, including right now, you'd find yourself lazily scrolling your tiktok's for you page, and matthew watches amusingly over your shoulder - head resting against yours as you both laugh at stupid videos.

it wasn't uncommon for you to get hockey related videos and compilations among other varying tiktok videos - you were dating an nhl player after all. but tonight one edit in particular had your thumb freezing mid scroll - you and matthew re-reading the capitalized title that flashes on the video screen.

"matthew knies and y/n being cute and kissing on camera"

with much curiosity, you and matthew let the video play - intrigued on just how often you and matthew had shown affection in the public eye.

1st clip

the video starts with an interview clip that was taken at the last tavares foundation event just a few weeks ago.

at first, you're wondering how a clip of max domi smiling his toothless smile as he talks about how beneficial and important the tavares foundation is, correlates to you and matthew.

but then the screen is cropped, focusing in on the background behind max. in the back, you and matthew are standing near one of the backdrops covered in the foundations logo, facing one another as you chat together.

the fabric of your pastel, silk summer dress is looking reflective under the studio lights, which instantly draws your eyes in - no wonder fans spotted you lurking in the background.

you're smiling as you sip on some of the fancy cocktail held in the long stemmed glass. that moment you remember your face flushing from an inappropriate comment matthew had made regarding your boobs - and your memory is confirmed as matthew throws his head back in the video, his laughter just catching the audio through your phone.

matthew reaches out for you, one of his suit covered arms wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you through the short distance of space between your bodies. now that you're tightly pressed against him, matthew smirks sweetly and leans down, planting a cheeky kiss on your lips.

just before the clip ends, you watch yourself reluctantly pull away from the kiss, a smile on your face. both of you are completely oblivious to the interview happening a few feet away, and that it’s recording your interaction - matthew leans back in, pressing two more chaste pecks to your mouth as the video cuts.

2nd clip

the clips transitions into a different setting, and you and matthew are met with the sight of an almost empty scotiabank arena. the video is actually from another girlfriends instagram story as she films her partner greeting his family in the stands after the game.

once again, the creator of the video zooms into the background of the video. a few sections away, you and matthew were stood with matthew's family. it was from the end of the previous nhl season when matthew's parents and brother had flown in for a couple weeks to watch some games and spend time with their son.

matthew is standing behind you, pressed tightly against your backside. he's got his arms around around you in a gentle hug, and you reciprocate the intimacy by holding onto his forearms, keeping him close. both of you are blissfully unaware of everything around you, the two of you laughing and chatting with matthew's mom and dad about the game and even upcoming dinner plans.

you both look so domestic and in love - you've never seen the clip before and you honestly barley remembered that day before watching this video - but now you know it exists, you'll definitely have to save it.

you watch as matthew laughs at something seemingly particularly funny, and he sweetly leans into the crook of your neck, his chest rumbling against the material of your toronto maple leaf branded jean jacket. you're laughing as well in the video, and without even knowing what's funny, present you and matthew laugh along.

3rd clip

the next video was also from last season, and you and matthew are met with a scene from nathan phillips square in downtown toronto. the edit is clipped from a fan account, and they had captured a sweet video of you and matthew.

it was from the yearly family skate for the leaf players and their families, and your boyfriend had asked you to come along. the camera follows you and matthew, gliding leisurely along the expanse of the slippery ice rink with one another.

matthew is infront of you, skating backwards so he's able to look at you while he does so. you've got your hands clutched in your boyfriends warm palms, and he is pulling you gently along the ice with him, so you don't actually have to move your feet.

the smile on your face is bright, lighting up your entire winter kissed face. matthew is chatting away happily, his usual animated expression giving away the lightheartedness shared between you.

your lips move, but you can't tell what you're telling him - keeping some privacy and intimacy between you despite the cameras.

matthew's response isn't with words, but instead he slows you both down, coming to a halt before leaning in and kissing you. it's not a very long kiss, but it is definitely more than a peck - there's no tongue, or teeth, or grabbing onto one another like animals - the kiss is just simple and sweet.

matthew pulls away, his usual cheeky grin gracing his bright coloured lips.

right before the clip changes, you and matthew continue back at the slow skate you'd been doing just moments before the kiss - both of you looking at one another with the glimmer of light in your gazes. 

they throw another short clip in from the same day of events. this time you're on the bench, cuddling up to william nylander's adorable puppies when matthew waddles over to you, his balance off because of his skates touching floor rather than ice.

he's slightly breathless from the scrimmage he’d just finished with his teammates, and just like all the other previous videos, he's got no clue there's a camera on.

matthew runs a hand through the dogs curly hair once before repeating the gesture on your head, smoothing over your styled hair before coming the rest on the side of your face. he tilts your head upwards in search of your gaze, and once he has it, he smiles quickly - leaning in to press a hello kiss to your lips.

4th clip

the next video has a recency favouritism for you, because it was only a few days ago. at the leafs home opener, you and some of the other established wags were standing along the boards for warmups. their kids were bringing the energy, happily watching their dads and the team greet them in between warm up drills.

the video is clearly taken by a fan - a shaky recording taken from the adjacent side of where you were standing.

matthew is standing right infront of you, and the video captures him blatantly flirting with you through the plexiglass that separates you two. matthew jerks his head at you, and a smirk is tugging at the corner of his plump lips.

although it's not the best quality, the video captures when you roll your eyes playfully - looking very amused at your boyfriends typical flirty antics.

matthew laughs, spinning on his skates so he's properly face to face with you. you smile warmly at your boyfriend through the glass, and matthew smiles back - tapping the heel of his hockey stick on the plexiglass right by your face.

the he turns away, shooting you one more charming smirk before he skates away, a puck sitting against the tape of his stick - shooting it over to marner.

5th clip

you've seen the next video before. it's from the leafs blueprint series on youtube - a series where they follow around players and the team to capture some lighthearted, behind the scenes footage. the rookie episode was one of your favourites merely because it had matthew in it.

the clip used in the edit was taken when your boyfriend was giving the camera crew a tour of, at the time, his new apartment. matthew loved his time living with john tavares and his family, but he had been over the moon at having his own space to come home to and have you spend time in.

towards the end of the tour, you're seen watching happily on one of the barstools, smiling encouragingly at your boyfriend showing off his stuff - furniture and framed photos of his family and you two together. matthew introduces you proudly, making some ridiculous joke about you being his 'professional dress shirt iron girl.' it has him smiling proudly at his joke, while you shake your head resting on the heel of your palm - a gentle, amused grin on your face.

the camera crew captures matthew's departure to the rink from the apartment. he's got a small duffle bag in one hand, containing his practice necessities, and a protein shake clutched in the other. even without the use of his hands, he parts from you sweetly, kissing you firmly.

he mumbles goodbye against your mouth before completely pulling away. this time, matthew was very much aware of the camera filming your interaction and he didn't want to subject you to crazy pda.

but you don't care about the cameras, and you watch yourself blush under your boyfriends intense blue eyed gaze. your clear flustered face has matthew's sultry smirk deepening - shouting out another goodbye as he leaves his apartment.

the producer asks a question about you in the car on the way to the rink, asking matthew about your relationship and what you mean to him and his career. matthew's response to that always had you melting, and as you watch the video for what feels like the hundredth time, those warm, loving feelings are just as strong as every other time.

"y/n is not only my girlfriend but she's my best friend. we've been dating for a few years now, and every year she's never failed to be the most supportive and loving human i've ever met. she doesn't care if I win or loose, she just cares about me. without y/n I probably wouldn't of made it as far as I have. I love her so much."

-

the video ends, and immediately you're looking over at matthew. you've got a watery expression on your face, your lips forming into a gentle, loving pout.

matthew smiles sweetly, wrapping his arms around your body and pulling you onto his lap. he kisses the side of your head with a loud smack. "I had no idea we've been filmed being all lovey with one another that many times - I guess i'm pretty social unaware." matthew hums, fingers tickling the outside of your bicep slowly.

you giggle, "you're not socially unaware, honey. people are just sneaky."

"wanna know what I think it is?"

you hum, brows raised curiously. you look at matthew from the corner of your eye, head lolling against his chest so that your cheek is pressed to his peck.

"I think i'm just too infatuated by you that when you're around I can't help but focus on anything but you."

you squint slightly. "whipped."

his mouth falls open, eyes wide in surprise from your teasing remark. matthew wastes no more time, leaning in to blow a tickly raspberry against your pink, rosy cheek.

you squeal pleasantly, trying to squirm away and escape matthew's adorable attack.

once you're laughter subsides, and matthew's done assaulting your cheek with tickly blows and kisses, he smiles. it's a sincere smile, one where he looks truly relaxed and happy. "I love you sweet girl."

you deflate against his chest warmly, and you press a quick kiss to the corner of matthew's mouth. "I love you."

[fixated-cookies]

Hallo!!! I luv your works!!!

I was wondering, what would Black Forrest Cookie react to the player sort of… turning into a cookie and falling out of the sky next to her? Would she know that they were who she’s desperately in love with?

I think it would get pretty intense with her, especially if the pastry order is near, she would probably deem it a gift for her devotion. I like this prompt! I also see the reader turning it a cookie have a specific aura only she could sense. At first, Black Forest Cookie would likely be rushing to your side, her initial reaction being one of alarm. A Cookie—falling from the sky? It’s unheard of. Impossible. You must be injured, broken—what if you crumbled? Her dark-chocolate curls trail behind her as she kneels beside you, bouquet nearly slipping from her fingers. She reaches out, her breath barely steady, intending only to check for injuries, to feel if you are still warm, still breathing. But the moment her fingertips brush against your dough—

A shock runs through her. It is not pain. It is not something as simple as magic. It is power.

An intense aura radiates from you, one unlike anything she has ever encountered. It is deeper than any blessing from the Saint Pastry Order, more absolute than even the holiest of prayers. It thrums in her fingertips, crawls up her arms, sinks into her very soul. And suddenly, she knows.

No—no, this is not just a Cookie. This is impossible. This is... Them.

A strangled gasp escapes her throat as she drops to her knees, head lowering in absolute reverence.

"... One of the Creators. Here. Before me."

Her entire life—her devotion, her worship, her very existence—was leading to this.

A moment of silence stretches between you as she trembles, fingers curled against the fabric of her dress, against the trembling of her own breath. And then—slowly—she lifts her gaze, something raw, desperate, shining in those pale, star-pupiled eyes. Giggles arise. Her entire demeanor shifts from awe to pure happiness, and suddenly, she’s not as restrained, not as quiet. There’s a warmth in her giggles, something bright and almost childlike as she takes in the incredible reality of the situation.

"Oh, oh my goodness, this is real. You’re really here!"

Her giggles would spill out uncontrollably, like she can’t contain the joy she feels in her chest. It's as if all her prayers, all her devotion, has finally been answered in the most perfect way possible. The divine Creators have not only answered her, they’ve blessed her with you, their most precious creation.

"I always knew you’d come. But I never imagined... oh, you’re even more beautiful than I ever imagined...!"

"I... I’m going to take care of you. I’ll show you everything. I’ll make you feel so loved. Oh, this is just the beginning. Just wait... We’re going to be so happy together!"

She might even start to tear up, unable to hold back the flood of emotions rushing through her. After all, how could she not be thrilled? Her lifelong devotion has led to this moment—the one where she finally gets to be close to the divine, to serve the Creator she has always longed for.

--

sorry this was rather short but it was such an interesting prompt hehehehe. I used this as a practice to get a better feel of her character and her devotion!!!

[kusin-tisdag]

How to take screenshots and edit (when it's just not your thing)

Alright-y!

So, I have over the years learned how to use reshade and to edit my pictures. I am really not a natural on these things, so this is very much to help others who are as aesthetically challenged as I am. I have to have certain "rules" to follow, because I can rarely just see if a picture will turn out well or not.

We all need to realize where I started. We're talking using FRAPS to take screenshots and then running holy colours batman! to get some sort of effect.

Now, I'm not one to buy fancy stuff and to pirate certain programs isn't really my thing either. So we mend and make do!

Also, I am by far very good at taking screenshots and edit, but I have learned things and hope that it might be useful for someone!

A word on light

One thing I've learned is to work with is light. Where the light is is where the focus will go. This doesn't mean that a person has to be in the spotlight, but if they aren't - try to make that a more conscious choice. I am no pro at this, but I have to say that some of my favorite screenshots are where the light is just good. It focuses the eye or it just give a vibe.

(and yes, for some reason all of my faves are of Agnes, which is a bit annoying since Amanda is my fav-character, lol)

This is also where reLight comes in handy. Yes, it's behind a paywall but there are ways that you will have to figure out yourself.

Great tutorial here on reLight by @pictureamoebae! (if you want to really understand reshade, do check out their tumblr. So many helpful tips and tricks!)

Posing

Posing is fun! I don't fully story-tell with my sims, most of it is gameplay. But I do like to pose for family pictures or to enhance something that is going on.

What you need is Andrew's Pose Player and Teleport Any Sim or Wicked Whims.

Now, I haven't figured out how to use WW for children and younger to pose, so I use both. And I like @ts4-poses to find poses. Eventually, you'll find your favorite creators and can follow them directly.

Angles and vibes

Here's a trick. Work with angles. I am a master of pictures with zero vibe, just a face. Those can be ok, and sometimes that's what you have - but try to angle your shot a little.

Or add clutter, focus on that and let something out of focus happen in the background.

Or just go higher, take the screenshot from above.

Or don't focus on your sim at all, focus on something else that adds to the story/post.

Take the screenshot

The light is good, the angle great, the poses are in place and now, we need to take the actual screenshots.

I am a huge fan of reshade, I use version 4.9.1 because that works for me and the presets I use. No need to update reshade unless it becomes too old.

It can be really difficult to to find a preset that you like. I mostly use birdie by @monasims, tawhay by @windslar and paperbacks by @literalite. But I have tried many.

I like this youtube-tutorial on how to make your own preset, which also helps if you wish to modify one that you've downloaded. I do always recommend learning how to use ADOF and CinematicDOF to help focus the image on what you want to capture. I also strongly recommend @pictureamoebae's Foundation.

To take pictures, use the tab-key to leave the UI behind and use Q and E to go down/up in your game and then the mouse to angle. I use print-screen to take my screenshot, but that's something you set up when installing reshade so that's different for everyone.

And now you have your screenshot and it's time to open an editing program. Cheap as I am, I open GIMP.

Let's edit!

I don't use many steps. Since I can't use fancy photoshop actions I have to make all the steps by myself and well - I am human and therefor lazy.

Resize and start to think of a post

First things first. I cut my pictures to work for the tumblr ratio. I actually don't resize them smaller anymore - because when I change layout on my tumblr I just feel as if it messes it up. Now, I don't have a huge screen and my screenshots aren't massive, so it's not necessary either.

My images will be 1017x1017, 1525 x 1017 or 678 x 1017.

Once this is done, I also try to look at how they will go together. If I want a post of just squares I need to have an even number of images. Sometimes I want a landscape image as a sort of heading, or one in the middle with squares around it. It depends on what I want to convey.

This is by no means something that comes natural to me - I am aesthetically challenged after all. Sometimes, I just have 5 images and have to make do.

Resized

Topaz Clean

Yup, it's awesome. No, it doesn't come with GIMP. Yes, there are ways to work around this. You will have to find those ways on your own.

But I have to say, it does makes wonder for the images. I have completely stolen @sojutrait 's settings because I really like her style and therefor - I copy. I have added a bit more sharpening, but otherwise it's completely hers.

Topaz Clean:ed

Curves

Curves my beloved! I use curves for two things! Take out the yellow (aka increase the blue) and to brighten/darken the image!

I do sometimes matte the image too and here's a good tutorial for GIMP users on how to use curves in GIMP (for a matte look)

Less yellow/more blue

Brighten the brights (but I did not brighten the darker parts)

Layers, curves and increase the light where needed

Now, remember that we need light? Sometimes, a screenshot just doesn't have the right light. So I duplicate the layer, use the free marking tool around what I wish was brighter and put that on a new layer.

Then I use curves to lighten the layer with what I want to brighten and to make darker the layer with what I want to put less focus on (here's an ok youtube video on the subject).

Below, you can see the effect on my images.

Sharpen

Pretty basic. I subtly sharpen the image again. Even if I use the sharpening in topaz clean I do like to add an extra touch before it's time to save and move on.

So sharp!

PSD and UI

I do like to use psd's now and then. I mainly use @windslar's psd-collections and @deathbypufferfish's Build-a-Sim Icon Pack.

It's mostly to help give some info about the post or when my sims age up and I want to show their traits.

I do use the UI-info sometimes. If I do, I go into Game Options in the game > Accessibility > UI-scale and just drag that up a bit. Then I copy/paste that part onto the image I'm using.

Done!

That's pretty much it. Thing is, to post good edits you have to actually take good screenshots. As annoying as it is, it's like cooking: it all comes down to the ingredients. I hate cooking Yes, editing does help but I think my main journey has been to learn to take better screenshots from the start.

The picture below is from resized to done.

Hope this might help someone! I will probably learn more and more as I continue to post, but this is where I am so far in my journey!

[luv-nikki]

Scoring on and off the pitch ₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

George Clarkey x fem. reader!!!

About: you are a video person for the sidemen charity match and you catch a certain player eye.

⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰ ⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰⊱✿⊰

The energy at the Wembley was electric. The fans roared in anticipation, their voices blending into a deafening chorus of cheers, chants, and the occasional scream of excitement. The Sidemen Charity Match was about to begin, and among the many internet personalities on the pitch, there stood George Clarkey.

You stood at the sidelines, with your official staff jacket, camera slung around your neck. You had been given media access to the event, assigned to capture behind-the-scenes moments for a YouTube documentary. Though you were there for work, you couldn’t ignore the way your eyes drifted to George more often than not.

The two of you had known each other for a while—mutual friends, casual interactions, the occasional Twitter banter. But recently, your conversations had taken on a different edge. A flirt here, a lingering glance there. You weren’t sure what it was, but something about today felt different.

As the match began you found yourself cheering for him, even when you were supposed to remain neutral. Every time he had the ball, your camera lens found him. Every time he tripped or stumbled—because let’s face it, George wasn’t exactly prime Ronaldo—you couldn’t help but laugh. Midway through the match, he caught your gaze from the field, a smirk playing on his lips. Then, as if to impress you, he attempted a skillful pass… only to completely miss the ball and trip over his own feet.

After getting up, red-faced but still grinning, George jogged toward the sidelines where you stood. “Enjoying the show?” he panted, brushing sweat-soaked hair out of his face.

You bit your lip, suppressing a giggle. “Oh, absolutely. I think that was the most athletic thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You wound me, Y/N,” he said, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. “Stick around after the match—I’ll prove to you I can actually score.”

The double meaning wasn’t lost on you, and the blush on your face had nothing to do with the sun.

The match ended in a thrilling 9-9 victory, with the YouTube All-Stars barely edging out the Sidemen FC during the penalties. As the players cooled down and fans trickled out of the stadium, the real fun was about to begin: the afterparty.

The venue was packed with influencers, music thumping through the air as drinks flowed freely. You sat at the bar, nursing a cocktail, when George appeared beside you, still slightly sweaty but cleaned up, his jersey swapped for a sleek button-down.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he teased, nudging your shoulder.

“I could say the same,” you shot back, tilting your glass toward him. “How’s the ego holding up after that little… incident on the pitch?”

He groaned, rubbing his face. “Don’t remind me. I swear, I was trying to impress you.”

Your heart skipped a beat. “Oh? And here I thought you were just naturally that graceful.”

He chuckled, leaning in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “You’re killing me, Y/N.”

You turned to face him fully, the tension between you crackling like the final moments of a penalty shootout. “Maybe you should try scoring off the pitch, then.”

For a second, he looked stunned—like he wasn’t sure if he actually heard you right. Then, a slow smirk spread across his face.

“Oh, Y/N,” he murmured, eyes locked onto yours. “I thought you’d never ask.”

And just like that, George Clarkey—content creator, and now, quite possibly, the man who would ruin you for anyone else—pulled you into a kiss that tasted like adrenaline, laughter, and just a hint of something more.

[mayaree-darling]

who's to say what's real or fake// Genshin SAGAU

from aree: impostor au but you actually are the impostor? but ofcourse theres a twist. I think i'll call this FakeGrace!Reader. This was just going to be a headcannon post but ended up a whole fic plot

warnings: themes that all come with the sagau tag (yandere, lots of religious talk, cult, etc.)

word count: 2k~

You end up on Teyvat and immediately the characters recognize you as their Creator; of course you're their Creator - you have the same face, name, and voice. You go through the ordeal of getting to know all the characters all over again and they in turn love you as the god they’ve been waiting for all this time.

You decide that well, this is the world and characters I spent blood, sweat, and tears building (even if it was behind a screen) so might as well help out and do what needs to be done. The people come to you for their problems and you find that they're not as difficult as when you were simply a player. Maybe a minor dispute here and there between the NPCs, but now the vision holders and the Archons ask for your thoughts on how to go about political matters concerning their nations. Even Snezhnaya has signed a peace treaty with the other nations as a show of good faith to the Creator (even if you know for a fact its a temporary one).

All has never been better.

Until another Creator appears in Teyvat, and this one bleeds gold the way their stories foretold. In a way you do not.

The vision holders are torn. Yes, you are an impostor, and they want to hate you for tricking them, but at the same time haven’t you only shown them love? Haven’t you been patient with them and understanding despite being thrown into a world you’re unfamiliar with?

But with careful coercion from the other god, they have to choose to follow their true Creator. You decide to take pity on them and step down from your position yourself, choosing to live with the Aranara who have gladly taken you under their wing (fake god you may be, you are still a friend of the forest, and the forest always remembers its friends).

The Archons tell their new Creator that you are no more. They pretend to not hear when the Creator says they should have brought your head with them, maybe just a bitter reaction for finding out that they have been serving an impostor all this time (the Archons are lying when they say they do not feel sickened at the idea of hurting you, and disgusted at this new God's words)

It soon becomes clear to the people of Teyvat that this new Creator is not you - none of the patience or kindness you had showed them. This new one thinks helping their people is below them, even laughs at some of their problems. They chuck their duties as a god to the vision holders and spend their days leisurely, wining and dining on the best food, expecting to be waited on hand and foot. And at first it was fine, the characters understood. Maybe their Creator was just enjoying the fruits of their labor for once (although in the back of their mind, they can't help but compare you - you who worked tirelessly to attend to everyone even when they’d almost beg you to take a break). The characters tell themselves that they just need to get used to this new god, their true Creator. It will all right itself in time. Even as the Creator acted more like a child by the day, calling for the punishment of characters for the simplest of things. It’s fine. It’s fine.

It didn't take long for their will to break.

The God of Wisdom is called as such for a reason. Nahida may be younger compared to the rest, but she is braver than most. She simply tried to impart a fraction of her wisdom, softly suggesting to the Creator to show mercy for their people who were gravely punished for things they did not do.

This Creator was not you. They did not have a drop of patience that you had, nor any love for their creations. Their god saw this as nothing but an act of treason. How dare a mere Archon tell them what to do? She dares to question who the Creator can and cannot punish?

The silence is deafening in the throne room as the Creator calls for the death of Lesser Lord Kusanali and the destruction of Sumeru. If it is mercy she asks for then it is the last thing she and her people will receive. The other Archons agree past gritted teeth, the sin of Khaenri’ah weighing heavy over their shoulders still.

Nahida had been banished to Sumeru before the order was given, so the Archons make their way to the Nation of Wisdom to tell her of her sentencing, hoping to beg her to ask the Creator for their forgiveness.

This can't be how it ends. Are they to spend their lives in fear of the god they so revered?

They enter a forest emitting divine energy in search of their friend, hearts heavy, but they found something else.

They found you. They found the Creator they loved once upon a time.

They seemed to have caught you mid-conversation with Nahida, and to their surprise (and resentment) the Tsaritsa; they can only assume that the god of Snezhnaya has informed you first of Nahida's fate. The Wanderer catches sight of them and stands in front of you in protection. You don't even bat an eye. You swallow hard and stand, Nahida's hand enveloped in yours, and the other gods would be lying if they say they did not feel jealousy strangling their lungs.

With a steady voice, you tell them that should they take one step against Nahida, you will meet them halfway. If they decide to send Sumeru to hell, they will have to go through you first. You will do everything you can to stop them, and if Sumeru falls then you fall with them.

They don't have to look at the others to make up their mind. There's a beat of silence but first it's Morax, and Beelzebul and Barbatos and then Focalor, and they are on their knees, heads bowed low.

It is only right to show respect to their god, after all. How could they be so blind?

Validation of their actions comes soon after as you let go of Nahida's hand and tell the Wanderer to stand aside. You do something that tyrant of a Creator that sits on a glass throne would never - you kneel before them and hold out your hand.

"Why are you all kneeling? Stand up. I am no longer your god. But I hope you will have me as a friend. Will that be alright?"

There are tears in their eyes as they let out stuttering laughter. Yes, this is their god. Their god with so much love and compassion and a heart that does nothing but bleed for them. A heart that does not ask for them to bleed.

You are their god. You are their true Creator. Golden blood be damned. All that gold has done nothing but blind them.

Eventually, you all end up on the forest floor. You accept the role of a friend as promised, and catch up with them. The Archons are almost in tears as you listen to their stories earnestly, squeezing their hands in sympathy as you listen to the pain they've been through under the rule of their so called Creator (they really should find a new title for you, the god that sits on your throne has sullied your rightful name). At one point they stop telling you stories of their mistreatment, unable to see your face be any sadder than it already was. They take to retelling your stories together, reminiscing better days - because is that not what they have done all this time? Think about the lovely you for every wrongdoing the other god had done in your name?

As you laugh and smile with them and their stories and their company, the idea burrows through their mind without your knowledge, taking root, and they refuse to let it go. Wouldn't it be so much better if it was always like this? Seeing your smiling face with them, a person that deserves to be called a god even more so than all of them combined. Knowing you were safe from harm, not having to defend yourself, especially from them under orders from a tyrant. Knowing you loved them the way they loved you.

It was all better with you.

When you weren't looking, the Archons gave each other knowing looks and curt nods in understanding.

You are their beloved Creator.

As a peaceful silence falls over you, they watch as you smile sadly, their hearts breaking to see such an expression on your face. In a soft voice, you apologize for not being able to do much to help them. When you lift your head, golden resolute eyes meet yours.

"You’ve done enough, Your Grace. Let us handle the rest."

You may have laughed at the old title, but the Archons are hell bent in returning it to you. Although it hurts them to say goodbye, they know it’s only for the moment. Soon, you will be with them. Back in your rightful throne, as you have always deserved.

Nahida is the youngest, and so they decide to spare her the carnage. The rest know she is no fool, they don't need to tell her what they had planned for her to know what happens next. She does not fully agree in the others' decision, yet she stays in Sumeru, promising to make sure you do not find out. Word travels fast to the other vision holders in the form of a breeze from Barbatos. Barely anyone had disagreed with the notion of removing the rejected god from the throne, and those who were hesitant at first changed their mind after hearing how you were ready to go down with Sumeru. Morax and the Tsaritsa lead the rebellion.

A god is only as powerful as the people who worship them. By the time the Archons arrived in the throne room, the Creator had no one to hide behind.

They made it a spectacle. They spin a tale for the people that the god they so worshiped was an impostor who had switched bodies with their rightful god, which explains the gold blood that should be yours. They say you were patiently waiting for them all to come back to you, to remove this impostor from your throne. You were ready to accept them all, they just needed to get rid of this filth that dared destroy your name. The Creator - no, the Impostor - is horrified when the people accept this story so easily, but they only have themselves to blame. Who cares what they have to say to defend themselves, although it’s not like they can anyway - how can they when their tongue was cut off?

Teyvat was silent as gold painted the streets of Liyue Harbor. Teyvat no longer cares for golden blood, not after all the blood and tears it had taken from its people. After all, a golden soul stands ready to take back their rightful place.

Your followers thought it had all been worth it - the pain, the hardships, the blood - to see you smile the first time you set foot outside Sumeru after what felt like years to them. And yet, despite the joyous occasion, you hesitantly turn to them and ask a question not even Irminsul would answer you.

"What happened to the Creator?"

You would be lying if you said the soft smiles each of them gave did not unnerve you as they all said the same thing, like a joke everyone knew all except you.

"We simply removed the Impostor from Your Grace's presence."

They are thankful that you are blinded by your love for them to see the gold shine on their hands. You do not ask about the shimmering streets either. Liyue was the city of gold after all, was it not?

For now, their biggest concern is your acceptance that they are your equal, but that can easily be fixed. You are their friend now, but someday you’ll be their god again. Slowly but surely. They will sit you back in your throne. They will kneel before you again. They will give you the reverence you so deserved.

It will all be yours.

You're their wonderful Creator, after all. Maybe not to you right now. But you always have been for them.

They’ll start from calling you Your Grace. You’d be too kind to tell them off over and over.

You always had been good at adapting.

You had gotten used to it then, you’ll get used to it again.

✨ Masterlist ✨ 

Taglist: 💛@anime-allover  💛@faeriessky  💛 @prksolon 💛 @dai-tsukki-desu

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine and belong to their respective creators. Their portrayal is merely my own interpretation of them and may not be accurate to their intended characterization. I stake no claim to the original works, only to the ideas and plot of the fictitious stories I’ve written them into.

[insomniac4000]

Chris and the PR girl

Oh look another ChrisMD Charity match fic no one asked for

Chris Dixon also known has ChrisMD had already done the whole relationship in public thing before. His audience knew him as the football-obsessed YouTuber who thrived in challenges, took on outrageous football dares, and managed to score goals against some of the best players he'd ever faced. In later years he was also known as the guy who had split up with his ex and everything possible to stop being single anymore, it became as much of his personality as anything else. But for the past five months, there had been someone behind the scenes, someone who had become an integral part of his life—Y/N, the PR mastermind for the Sidemen.

While his friends, fellow YouTubers, and the Sidemen themselves were all aware of their relationship, the public was still in the dark. Chris and Y/N had made the decision to keep their romance under wraps, not out of shame, but simply because they wanted to enjoy their time together without the pressures of social media dissecting every moment. Chris had walked that road before and while it was fine it wasn’t something that he was interested in pursuing again, Y/N working in PR needed absolutely no persuation at all, she had seen other partners be dragged through the mud countless times, seen a lot of speculation about things, shutting down rumours about other people and she didn’t want to have to PR manage her own life, doing it for seven famous people was more than enough. They’d agreed to wait for the right time to go public.

It turned out, the right time was the Sidemen Charity Match.

The atmosphere at the sold-out Wembley Stadium was electric. The crowd of 90,000 fans screamed in anticipation as the YouTube Allstars prepared to take on the Sidemen FC. The match was one of the biggest events in the YouTube calendar, bringing together creators from across the platform, all competing for a good cause, over two million pounds was raised at the last match and this year it needed to be better, eveyr year the event got bigger and this year was no exception.

Chris had been on fire since the first whistle. He had already bagged two goals, as well as assisting two others, one for Speed and one for Will but the hat trick moment came in the 78th minute. With a perfect assist from Angry Ginge, Chris took a touch, steadied himself, and sent a shot curling into the top corner. The crowd erupted, his teammates swarmed him, and the announcers lost their minds at his display of skill. All of that hype came crashing down in an instant when Chris decided to celebrate by doing his little jump from the Valentines Day episode advert, showing everyone while yes he was a great footballer he was also just a massive nerd. Y/N loved him for it, she was watching from the VIP area making sure the social media posters were busy doing their job, camera angles were where they needed to be and the hype was truly captured.

Chris ran toward the corner flag, sliding onto his knees before standing up and making a heart with his hands. The camera zoomed in on him as he held the gesture for a second longer than usual, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Y/N, watching from the VIP section, felt her heart swell. She knew that was for her.

Talia, sitting next to her, smirked. “You realize he just did that for you, right?”

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, trying to suppress a grin. “Shut up.”

Freya chuckled, nudging her shoulder. “Oh, you’re blushing.”

She was. But the fans didn’t know. To them, it was just another celebration—one of many in the heat of the moment. But for Y/N, it was everything.

The game ended up 6-7 to the All stars, the first time in a long while they had won, in no small part to Chris who was having the game of his life. He called Y/N his good luck charm before the match and it seemed like it was very true.

After the match, the energy carried into the after-party. Held at an exclusive London hotel, it was a night for celebration. The Sidemen had raised millions for charity, and the YouTube Allstars had put on an incredible performance. Drinks flowed freely, laughter echoed through the venue, and the music kept spirits high.

Chris had been on cloud nine the entire night, the thrill of his performance still coursing through his veins. He found Y/N at the bar, talking to Talia and Faith. As soon as he saw her, his grin widened, and without hesitation, he strode over, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a deep hug.

“Three goals,” he murmured into her ear, his voice filled with excitement. “I did it.”

She pulled back slightly, her hands resting on his shoulders. “You were amazing, Chris.”

“Now that is a kodak moment,” Talia gushed, she snapped a pic knowing it was for private Instagram’s and group chats only.

“Can I borrow you for five minutes or are you working?” Chris asked biting his bottom lip slightly.

“I’ve got some time,��� Y/N responded slipping her hand into Chris’s as they walked over to another quieter part of the room to steal a few private moments away from the camera.

As the star of the All Stars the drinks were flowing very freely for Chris, his whole team made sure his hand was never empty, while Y/N was still half on duty she had loosened up too on the instruction of Simon and Josh that she has been on all day and the professional stuff was all wrapped up apart from one photographer who was under strict instructions by Y/N to not post anything scandalous.

“There you are,” Chris slurred slightly sneaking an arm around her waist, sloppy grin on his face.

“Hello hero, I feel like I’ve barely seen you, you’ve been so popular tonight,” Y/N responded with a small giggle.

“Well I’m here now.” Chris cupped her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. The alcohol, the adrenaline, the sheer joy of the moment—all of it clouded his usual restraint. He leaned in and kissed her.

It was nothing scandalous, just a sweet, lingering kiss between two people completely lost in the moment. But what they didn’t realize was that, in the midst of the celebrations, cameras were everywhere.

Flash. Click.

And just like that, their secret was out.

The internet exploded the next morning.

The first pictures surfaced on Twitter, showing Chris and Y/N in a tight embrace at the after-party, their foreheads touching. Then came another—Chris pressing a kiss to her lips, his hands still cupping her face as if she were the most important thing in the world.

“WAIT A MINUTE—IS CHRISMD IN A RELATIONSHIP???” one tweet read, already racking up thousands of likes.

“Who is the girl? We need answers.”

“Does this mean the heart celebration was for HER???”

“SHE WORKS FOR THE SIDEMEN I’M SURE”

The speculation was rampant, theories spreading like wildfire. Some fans were shocked, others delighted, and a few (as always) were heartbroken. Chris and Y/N’s phones buzzed relentlessly with messages from friends, all with the same variation of ‘Well, the secret’s out.’

Even the Sidemen and others got in on it.

Will tweeted “Dating apps all over the UK have had their traffic dropped eighty percent these past few months”

Simon responded, “Spend two years sorting out our messes and the last few months trying to straight up the biggest mess.”

George Clarkey simply tweeted, “Virgin no more.”

Chris and Y/N spent the morning scrolling through the chaos, still in bed, trying to process the reaction.

“So,” Y/N said, resting her head on his chest, “do we say something?”

Chris let out a soft chuckle, his fingers lazily tracing circles on her back. “I mean… at this point, do we even need to?”

She laughed. “Probably not.”

A few minutes later, Chris opened Twitter and, without overthinking it, posted a simple tweet:

“Yeah, the heart celebration was for her.”

The tweet blew up instantly, but Chris didn’t care. Because for the first time in months, he didn’t have to hide what made him happiest.

And that was Y/N.

[kpopfanfictrash]

Jingle All the Way Collaboration

Coming your way this holiday season! Whether you've been naughty or nice, you'll have seven fics to unwrap by @kpopfanfictrash , @leahsfavefics , @kithtaehyung , @yoonia , @cybrsan and @sugaurora.

All second chance romance. All holiday themed. All attempting to utilize the same quote: "The holidays aren't so bad with you around." Come down the chimney, embrace your inner Vixen, and warm up this season with the Jingle All the Way collab!

Content Creator: all amazing banners are made by the truly spectacular @kithtaehyung!!

(Links to be added as fics are posted)

Title: The Ten Days of Ex-Mas

Author: @kpopfanfictrash

Pairing: Jimin x Reader (f)

Rating/Genre: M (18+); angst, fluff, smut; hockey player au, second chance au, oh noo there was only one bed

Summary: Three months following the worst break-up of your life, you finally feel ready to start moving on. The world, it seems, has other ideas when you pick up the phone and find your ex-boyfriend calling.

Jimin Park, star right winger of the NHL and (until recently), the love of your life, has a very large problem. Despite the courage he regularly shows on the ice, in his personal life, Jimin is kind of a coward. When you broke up this fall, he could barely admit it. Not to his neighbors. Not to his friends. Not even to his family, who are expecting him home for Christmas. In a desperate plea for more time, Jimin begs you to pretend you’re still dating – and to his surprise, you agree. Faced with a second chance, Jimin is determined not to squander it. If only fixing a relationship were as easy as falling in love.

Posting Date: December 19th, 2023

Title: All I Want for Christmas is Joon

Author: @leahsfavefics

Pairing: art historian!Namjoon x art historian!reader (f)

Rating/genre: m (18+) angst, fluff, smut, second chance au

Summary: You have had a rough year following the mutual break up with your grad school sweetheart. On a whim, you book a spontaneous trip to Europe for the holidays to help get you out of the funk you’re in and assert your independence. It would be great, if it weren’t for the fact that you keep bumping into your ex boyfriend.

Posting Date: December 21st, 2023

Title: Back to December

Author: @kithtaehyung

Pairing: Seokjin x Reader(f)

Rating/Genre: M (18+); angst, fluff, smut; brother’s best friend au, wedding au, second chance au

Summary: Ever since you left town to pursue your dreams, life has fast forwarded into one big blur. so when you hit pause to attend your brother’s wedding exactly three years later, your brain instinctively resets and rewinds. because you have to spend it with the very person that had been there at the start. the one person you regret leaving behind.

Posting Date: TBD

Title: A Christmas Fix

Author: @yoonia

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader(f)

Rating/Genre: M (18+), secret baby au, s2l au, fake dating au on the side (more on that later)

Summary: One-night stands are supposed to be nothing more than just. It shouldn’t have involved seeing those two red lines looking back at you weeks later without a name or a contact number linking you back to your mystery man. Nothing more but his face. The unforgettable face that would sometimes appear in your dreams at night. So unforgettable that you immediately recognise him the moment he walks into your family home at Christmas, hand-in-hand with your older stepsister.

Title: Everwinter

Author: @kithtaehyung

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader(f)

Rating/Genre: M (18+); angst, fluff, smut; ex-fwb 2 lovers au, second chance au

Summary: You told him you loved him, and that was a mistake. Because years later, you both meet up with your old friend group for a holiday trip, and neither of you have forgotten that.

Posting Date: TBD

Title: Miracle of the Season

Author: @cybrsan

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Rating/Genre: M (18+); angst, fluff, smut; angel au, second chance au

Summary: Cast out of Heaven after a painful betrayal, you find yourself having to navigate the intricacies of human life without any guidance from the Creator or the family you have always known. Things only get worse as the holiday season reaches its peak, with reminders of the life you left behind everywhere you look. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, a familiar face pops up and you aren’t sure whether to consider it a blessing or a curse.

Posting Date: December 29th, 2023

Title: A Porn Star's Guide to the Holidays

Author: @sugaurora

Pairing: Hoseok x Reader(f)

Rating/Genre: M (18+); smut; second chance au

Summary: Jung Hoseok was your first love, a relationship that ended only because your post-high school dreams led you down two very different paths. Yours brought you to Jeon Jungkook, an innovative talent agent promising to produce the most well-loved adult entertainment artists of the era. And that’s how you became an erotic market darling, doing just about everything from outdoor gangbangs to golden showers and a long list of kinks in between.

Ten years later and you’re ready to find a new path, celebrating your exit from the business with one last appearance at the biggest adult industry convention of the year. Only when you arrive, you find yourself unexpectedly face-to-face with your high school sweetheart. Suddenly, you’re forced to confront where the years have taken you and feelings that may have never quite gone away.

What’s a former porn star to do?

Posting Date: TBD

[maliro-t]

The highlight of Veilguard for me is the relationship between Solas and Rook- and I don't know how to write about this on the internet without being acutely aware of other peoples' criticisms (such as there not being enough of it)- so I'll just say up top that I'm not actually intending this as a refutation of any of those. I just want to talk about my experience with the game and why I like it so much, which will probably make obvious where I disagree with some reoccurring critiques I've seen. *

The thing about Solas in this game is that he plays the role of the trickster perfectly. As much as Fen'Harel is a myth or a persona, and the stories we know of him invented or twisted, his role in Veilguard feels like it could slot in so, so easily with the myths, and in many ways directly parallels them. He is sinister and noble, monstrous and sympathetic, ruthless and compassionate, all at once. He spends the game trapped and humbled but can be almost gleefully condescending at times. He conflates outsmarting an enemy with being right, even as he plays the long-suffering martyr, tortured by countless mistakes. He falls easily into the role of advisor but is quick to note your foolishness. To sneer and declare the problem yours and yet still impose upon you an appraisal of your conduct.

But more than any of that, for most of the game, he's...passive. Dormant. He seems to make no moves, other than as a glorified consultant, despite starting as the main threat.

In Blood of Arlathan, when he finally rears his head again as major a player on the board, it's with a gallant offer of help. As an ally. He is exactly what you need, right when you need it, and you don't even have to ask him to be. And- because you don't have constant access to him, you maybe haven't even considered him an option!

He feels extremely intentionally sparing to me before this in service of a) making you think you're the one with power over him and b) causing you to forget he might contribute at all, so that when he finally does, it seems wholly benevolent. It comes in a moment where your goals are exactly aligned, and indisputably noble.

It's a waiting game. A classic of his, harkening back to stories we've heard time and again about Fen'harel and traps.

As Felassan tells it in the Masked Empire:

Fen'Harel was captured by the hunting goddess, Andruil. He had angered her by hunting the halla without her blessing, and she tied him to a tree and declared that he would have to serve in her bed for a year and a day to pay her back. But as she made camp that night, the dark god Anaris found them, and Anaris swore that he would kill Fen'Harel for crimes against the Forgotten Ones. Andruil and Anaris decided that they would duel for the right to claim Fen'Harel. He called out to Anaris during the fight and told him of a flaw in Andruil's armor just above the hip, and Anaris stabbed Andruil in the side, and she fell. Then Fen'Harel told Anaris that he owed the Dread Wolf for the victory and ought to get his freedom. Anaris was so affronted by Fen'Harel's audacity that he turned and shouted insults at the prisoner, and so he did not see Andruil, injured but alive, rise behind him and attack with her great bow. Anaris fell with a golden arrow in his back, badly injured, and while both gods slumbered to heal their wounds, Fen'Harel chewed through his ropes and escaped.

He goads his enemies into fighting each other for his benefit. Anaris, who had hunted him, succeeds with Fen'Harel's advice, exploiting a weakness he could only see with his aid. In turn, Anaris himself is left exposed. The victory goes to Fen'Harel, who has now dispatched two enemies at once and cleverly won his freedom.

He who was both Creator and Forgotten One. Who could walk amongst both as kin, and who in the end turned his back on them all.

Another tale:

The god Fen'Harel was asked by a village to kill a great beast. He came to the beast at dawn, and saw its strength, and knew it would slay him if he fought it. So instead, he shot an arrow up into the sky. The villagers asked Fen'Harel how he would save them, and he said to them, 'When did I say that I would save you?' And he left, and the great beast came into the village that night and killed the warriors, and the women, and the elders. It came to the children and opened its great maw, but then the arrow that Fen'Harel had loosed fell from the sky into the great beast's mouth, and killed it. The children of the village wept for their parents and elders, but still they made an offering to Fen'Harel of thanks, for he had done what the villagers had asked. He had killed the beast, with his cunning, and a slow arrow that the beast never noticed.

Felassan is everywhere in the Crossroads, in memories, in regrets, in notes that speak to a time you can barely fathom and traces of a friendship that is never once brought up by Solas directly (to my knowledge at least). I think Felassan serves a lot of purposes; he's a window into history, into Solas' mind and ideals, someone who challenges moments of ruthlessness but is loyal, an advisor who keeps Solas grounded even as he pushes him to become something larger than he is, a lingering notion of a loss that you can never really see the full scale of, and so on. And I think, too, that he's written carefully to be a meaningful presence from the rebellion without explicitly spoiling what eventually happens to him, which I wouldn't be surprised if was a legit consideration made for people who might go back and read the Masked Empire after dav lol- in the same way that Trespasser only really spoils the book if you already know what happens.

But for me, every note signed with his name is almost a tongue-in-cheek warning about what's to come. Felassan. A slow arrow, fired apparently mockingly into the sky, only to strike true when it's least expected. A solution executed with neither kindness nor explanation, serving first and foremost the interests of the one who fired it. Felassan's presence in the game ever so slightly encodes a reminder of who you're actually dealing with and what his core tenants are, whether as an ally or an adversary. You only know if you know, but it doesn't seem an accident to me that this reoccurring name of a general who shaped himself in honor of the Dread Wolf's unorthodox cleverness is so key to these traces of Fen'Harel's past, despite, again, never directly being discussed.

Anyways, to Rook. First, I gotta give a shoutout to Bryony Corrigan, whose voice I used for mine- she honestly made the game for me, especially in moments where I felt unsure of it. I love Rook, I love how they're written, and I love how they're performed. While a complete blank slate protagonist can be really fun, I find putting myself as a player in conversation with limitations given by the game really fun and interesting, and often surprising! And I do feel there's still plenty of flexibility.

My perspective on the relationship between Rook and Solas in Veilguard is specific to how I played of course, and I haven't seen other versions of their dynamic at this point to compare so I can't speak to them. But my experience was as such:

I didn't come into the game wanting to intentionally antagonize him. If he rose at me, I rose at him- and those moments of tension were really, really fun. But I tried to accept what he gave me with a fairly open mind. Skepticism, sure, but also the knowledge that ultimately, we both wanted Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain gone, and he knew them better than I did.

It was really gratifying, then, to see our rocky partnership evolve over time into what seemed like a genuine respect. But it didn't really feel straightforward to me either. For example, the conversation before Weisshaupt held a lot of weight for me: listening to him tell that chilling tale about undermining an enemy with persistent laughter and finding that 'Do whatever it takes to remove those who oppose you' was something we came out aligned on was.... There was an element of foreboding to that. Like, I had found myself actively trying to impress him here! And feeling good when it seemed like I had, but uneasy about how I had done it, even when I agreed with what I'd said.

And of course, after that comes Arlathan. Solas' big hero moment. This is the point in the game where our alliance finally felt comfortable to me. The conversation in the fade after was the first time that it really seemed like we were on even ground. And the game- not just Solas- told me here outright that I had earned his respect! After that, I didn't consider betrayal a possibility for a moment. Honestly, I barely even considered him an antagonist at all, because he had become a partner instead! I was expecting something clever down the line, but I wasn't worried about it hurting me. Our disagreements had been set aside, and the goal of his that I had initially opposed had been so thoroughly usurped I had forgotten that he was even pursuing it. And yes, that's perhaps naivety on my part, but I was so distracted by that not at all being the main plot that I forgot that it actually still was. Which is the whole point, right? He waits until your head is turned the other way to strike.

All this to say, my reaction when you kill Ghilan'nain and Solas uses the instability of the Veil to force you into his prison went beyond shock and confusion. It wasn't until well into his villain monologue that I was able to accept that he had betrayed me at all- having been thus far trying desperately to convince myself that the sequence I was seeing was Elgar'nan playing mind games in retaliation, and not actually Solas.

That prison moment is his Slow Arrow. You are Anaris to Elgar'nan's Andruil, the dagger the chink in her armor, and Ghilan'nain's death the golden arrow striking you in the back.

The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap.

And I should say, I was coming at this all from the meta perspective of someone who loves Solas and empathizes with him and has never seen him as irredeemable or evil- and I, the player, who believed that all game and is ultimately satisfied with the resolution I got- felt hoodwinked as fuck in this moment lmao!!

There's a line in the prison that Varric has about it being easier for Solas to play the villain when he knows he's causing harm- so I do think he plays up his sinisterness here on purpose. But it's such a slap in the face coming straight off of "You have earned the respect of the Dread Wolf." A true and profound betrayal, at least for me.

And it doesn't stop there! His trickster maneuvers and half-truths aren't done until the credits roll. I love that when you meet again, he is nothing but apologies. He makes every concession- that Varric was a good man, that every victory in this fight has been yours, that he needs you and not the other way around, that he was wrong and made mistakes and betrayed people who never deserved it. And of course, we know from experience at this point that this won't stop him from doing it again anyways. But he never holds back from placing the blame on himself. Agreeing with you. Telling you you're right, and that Elgar'nan must be stopped. He only ever says things that are true. Things that are aligned with your point of view.

"[The veil] will never come down by my hand." Well, yes. Because it will fall on its own when Elgar'nan is dead. You won't hardly have to do anything at that point, Solas, will you?

It doesn't matter if Rook isn't falling for it, because if they don't accept his partnership, they lose! That's it! It's the same as it was at the start, but with the added sting of knowing it probably won't work out in your favor this time.

I remember before launch John Epler saying that Solas sees himself in Rook, which really echoes throughout the whole game for me. There are some ways you could say Solas seems opposite to Rook- and of course this can wax and wane depending on roleplaying choices, but the central conceit of Rook as Varric's recruit is that they are a specialist in being willing to act. And on the surface at least, that's kind of counter to Solas' Slow Arrow, right? Blunt force versus delayed gratification. But not entirely! Because every backstory we have for Rook revolves around a kind of heroism that is unorthodox enough to have left you ultimately punished for it. Like yeah, yeah, you saved some lives.... The optics were kinda bad though, so maybe you could go on a sabbatical for a while?

Rook is, from the start, an unconventional and unsung hero, admonished by some for ruffling feathers that they shouldn't have in pursuit of a noble goal. Not unlike Fen'Harel.

I find, too, that there's kind of a nesting doll of parallels around Rook and Solas as foils that the whole story hinges on:

We see Solas, his regrets plastered on every wall, each of them tied to Mythal. At every turn he seems to warn her that this is not the right path, but he follows her down it anyways, until he is left with nothing but an overwhelming need to fix what they have broken.

We see Felassan, who still wears Mythal's vallaslin on his face, challenging Solas' judgement and methods, but still standing by him through the rebellion, after the Veil, for however many thousands of years they slept. Ultimately, in the Masked Empire, the thing that makes him falter is his admiration for someone else's pursuit of freedom. His admiration for Briala.

"I suspect you'll hate this, but she reminds me of-"

Solas is Rook. Solas is Briala. Upstarts, flawed defenders, people who are made into leaders because of their willingness to fight for something. Who see injustice and cannot rest.

Solas is Felassan, the devoted general. One who pushes against his orders but cannot deny them. Someone who loves the cause, but more than that is dedicated to the person who champions it. A voice of reason who, in the end, turns away.

Solas is Mythal, a pragmatic leader, responsible for uncountable deaths. Someone who has relied on partners and power structures that have led her down a dark path, partners whose mistakes in their pursuit of power have become her own. Partners who in the end betray her.

Solas is trapped in his regrets because they are not all his. He struggles with having been failed and with how he has failed others, and in his mind the two become conflated. He carries these contradictory roles on his back- perpetrator and victim, betrayer and betrayed- and cannot see how to overcome them. He is ultimately freed by Mythal's absolution because the foremost factor in his crusade is not belief but guilt.

The ends have to justify the means, because there is no other way he can live with himself. And at every step, he is trying to redeem Mythal as much as he is trying to redeem himself.

He did not want a body, but she asked him to come. He wanted to give wisdom, not orders. I will always follow where you go.

He left a scar when he burned her off his face.

It was all for her. It was always for her.

Solas' duplicity is unending, but so is his devotion. And there is such an earnestness to a Rook, always betrayed, that sees and empathizes with that and uses it to free him.

* I will say that during the game I was definitely wishing you could show your hand to him a little more and press him about his memories prior to the endgame (and separate from this I have quibbles with the impact of some of those memory reveals- like wrt the delivery just not feeling as weighty as I would like. The payoff is absolutely still there in the end, it just felt to me like they were too nonchalantly getting a ton of info out that had to be established moving forward, despite these being like earthshattering reveals that people have Correctly (!!!!) theorized about for up to 15 years). That being said, in retrospect it would have lessened the impact of the finale to have pressed Solas about, for example, his relationship to Mythal prior to absolutely pulling the rug out from under him with it at the 11th hour. And additionally, it's a structural nightmare because you can uncover the memories at almost any point in the story, and you don't have constant access to Solas to chat with him about them. Which you shouldn't imo, in service to the story being told!! But it's also true that early on I found scenes with Solas super gripping, and scenes with my team often...not. And that was initially disheartening, but developed positively over time on all fronts once the game didn't have to worry about setting things up. So, I did wish for more here at first, but I've revised my opinion now that I can see the whole arc.