#given brief formatting and editing

[itwasntimethatdidit40]

Happy Birthday, little finch.

Gif credits

Pairing: Jackson!Joel X AFAB!reader

Words count: 6731

Rating: +18 NSFW, Minors please don’t interact

Summary: Everyone forgets your birthday but you receive an unexpected invitation (wink) that will change the fate of the day.

Warnings: POV second person, smut, little power dynamic, little brat taming, begging, unprotected P in V (please, always use protections in real life!), Reader's age is intentionally unspecified, you can imagine an age gap between her and Joel or not, oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), nipples play, Joel comes on reader's tits, just a little of pulling hair, soft!Joel, grumpy!Joel, pet names (little finch, honey, baby, babe), mention of fasting as a sarcastic joke (I don’t condone joking about no one’s eating habits), reader has hair (It is not specified how long they are or what they look like), reader can be lifted by big and strong Joel, reader has a able body, breasts and vagina and she wears a dress, apart from that no other description is given, reader is part of the Jackson community, I don't know anything about Jackson, I only know a few details about second game’s plot (including that detail, yes) so everything I describe is purely from my imagination and may have no bearing on the original Jackson, brief appearances by Maria, Tommy, Ellie and Dina, drinking, swearing, Joel calls reader “little finch” (I came up with this nickname just because my grandpa used to call me with a bird name when I was little and I always found it sweet, so here we go ❤️), Joel can draw (I don't know if it's true but for me it is, okay, allow me). I hope I haven't forgotten anything but if I do I'll add it as soon as I notice.

English is not my first language so please be kind, I always try to do my best, no proofreading (sorry), very little editing, I apologize for any mistakes. I'm writing on my phone, I hope the formatting isn't too bad 🥲

Thank you so much to anyone who will read this, I really hope you’ll like it, kind comments and advices are really appreciated ❤️

I've been listening to Hozier's "Talk" heavily while writing this so here it is, I'll let you know. It's such a beautiful song and I love Hozier so much 🫠

You wake up struck by a ray of sunlight that enters faintly through the half-closed shutters and dies right on your face.

You have no idea what time it is and your head feels heavy and confused, you turn over in bed thinking that maybe you can give yourself another 5 minutes but then you hear voices outside already awake and ringing and then you think that maybe it's really late. You sit up and retrieve the clock from the bedside table, it's 7 in the morning.

You get up and go to the kitchen to make some coffee and from the window you see some people already busy doing their work. Some children head towards the building designated as school in Jackson, happily laughing while they chase each others.

You yawn and open the cabinet in the kitchen where you keep the coffee filters, a precious supply recovered during an exploration that you jealously preserve.

The coffee is also the result of a find and therefore it was carefully rationed with the other members of the community.

You are grateful that it exists because this morning you really need it, last night you slept badly, continuing to toss in your sleep and always dreaming of the same thing again and again. You being swallowed up by a hole in the ground and no hand reaching out to help you. Just a great dream.

The coffee maker burbles a few minutes later, releasing the drink you crave.

Temperatures are milder in this season so you no longer need to put on a heavy jacket and snow boots, there is a bit of fresh wind but nothing compared to the harsh winter that has just passed.

Today in particular you feel like dressing better than usual, you go back to your room and open the wardrobe, carefully inspecting the few clothes hanging there.

You obviously don't have much choice because they're all salvaged second-hand clothes, but Maria gave you a nice pair of denim shorts a month ago and they look very nice on you.

You take it out of the closet and place it on the bed along with a white tank top that highlights your boobs just right, it’s nothing particularly fancy but it makes you feel good, you head towards the shower humming softly.

The shower helps you wake up, you dress and you leave the house feeling a bit better.

You meet a couple of people who greet you as you make your way to the library.

You enter, smelling the familiar smell of books and immediately get to work cleaning and dusting the shelves and the floor, like every day.

The morning passes peacefully, only a couple of people come in to borrow books, so after doing your chores you took the opportunity to rearrange thriller’s books section.

You're a bit shocked by the fact that no one told you anything particular but you don't mind, these people have a lot to think about and a lot to do.

When you leave it's lunch time, so you head to the common room.

The crisp air caresses your face and the sun gives you a little warmth that you missed so much, you really love this season in Jackson.

You enter the room filled with chatter that echoes off the walls. You take your place in line and once you have had your portion you sit at one of the tables.

No one reaches you yet. You're alone in a room full of people.

You see him in a corner, sitting with Maria and Tommy and you get lost for a while observing the way he moves his large hands, how his hair rests at the base of his neck, his big brown eyes, so communicative, the way his flannel shirt - which has practically become a distinctive trait of Joel - hug his muscles, the way his lower lip slightly twitch while he’s talking.

You’re totally captivated.

You can't help it and you know it.

Every time he spoke to you, even for just a few minutes, your body reacted unequivocally at his deep low raspy voice, his proximity always caused you trouble.

You like this man, much more than you are willing to admit.

Joel Miller.

You're friends, you might say. As much as it is possible to be friends with a man like him.

He's friendly, but always with an undertone of detachment that you can't define, as if he's afraid of letting himself go with someone and let his feelings flow freely.

And just as you're thinking this, he turns and looks at you for a moment.

You are sitting, yet your knees feel weak and you feel your cheeks redden knowing you've been caught.

You turn your eyes back to your lunch, quickly finishing your meal and bringing your tray back. You leave the common room feeling in a bubble.

It's stupid that he makes you feel like a little girl with her first crush but it always happens, by now you're resigned to always making a fool of yourself with him.

You walk home to do your household chores and then go to the patch of garden you've been assigned to take care of.

You meet various people along the way but again everyone just say hello, you see Ellie with Dina and they both wave at you and nothing more. In the meantime, Maria has left the common room and the only thing she asks you is how the courgettes you planted a month ago are coming along.

It's strange, but you shrug your shoulders and think that deep down today is not such a relevant day for others even if you hoped it would be because you now consider these people as your new family.

You stop thinking about it and focus on the things you have to do but a tiny piece of your heart hurts a little, just a little.

What the hell is wrong with people today? Only a month ago they throw a big party for Tommy and now nothing, not even a hint.

Okay, Tommy is higher rank, he is married to Maria, everyone sees him as a guide just as they see his partner.

And he goes on patrols, certainly offering others a greater sense of security and protection, unlike you who deal with less dangerous things.

That's probably why, you're just a minion in Jackson's pecking order.

You let off some steam by plowing your field with more force than necessary, small drops of sweat slide down your forehead and you end up hot and with your arms aching from the effort.

Stupid girl, stop thinking about it, it's not that important to have a birthday, not in a post apocalyptic world where everyone is struggling to get ahead.

But still, they acknowledged every single special day of everyone’s here before, except yours and nothing particularly relevant is happening, it’s been a couple of quiet weeks.

You're wiping sweat from your forehead with one hand when you hear a voice behind you.

"What are you doing tonight?" It's his voice, you'd recognize his among a thousand.

You turn around stuttering “uh, what?”

And there he is, flannel shirt, curls slightly blowing in the wind, mouth curved in a smirk, dark piercing eyes.

Fuck.

“I asked…what are you doing tonight?”

You feel the nervousness rising in your chest, it's the first time he's spoken to you in a week and you weren't ready in the slightest.

“Uh…oh…nothing special, I guess, I think I'll read a book and go to sleep early”

you say trying to maintain a certain apparent nonchalance.

“You didn't mention dinner, are you going to fast?” Oh, great. Sarcastic jokes, classic Miller behavior.

“No, of course not,” you reply, rolling your eyes.

He chuckles “okay, so, would you like to come to my house? I cook”

Fuck. Is that, a date?

You instantly feel your mouth dry as you try to reply “Well, it’s not like I have something better to do so yes, why not”

You don't want to make it obvious to this man how he makes you feel. There are worse things to worry about in this world, but letting yourself go with someone who always shows restraint only to be rejected - on your birthday, no less - doesn't seem as pleasant.

And that's how you usually communicate anyway, bickering.

Maria often laughs about it, you are both stubborn and neither of you ever wants to agree with the other.

One day she told you that she thinks you'll end up together and you practically laughed in her face. Not because you don't want to, but because you thought Joel didn't even see you that way.

Maybe Maria was right all along, who knows.

“Good, see you at 7”

And he goes.

You watch him walk away for a while, still with spade in your hands.

Suddenly this day became interesting.

You run into the house and take off your dirty clothes throwing them in the basket you keep in the bathroom and go to the shower.

While you're soaping yourself up you wonder what came into his mind.

As you rub your hair, you think that maybe he's making fun of you but Joel doesn't seem like the type to make a prank, he's always quite sarcastic but not a proper prankster.

It's part of his charm, he always looks grumpy but you know he's not bad, the way he looks at Ellie or his brother says everything about him.

He would do anything for the people he loves.

And he’s not mean, he was kind to you too.

You've spent more time looking at him, analyzing every chat you had with him than you like to admit, so yeah, you're pretty sure he's okay.

Once you get out of the shower you open the wardrobe and find yourself contemplating the usual clothes with which you have to make the best of things.

There is a cute dress that you have never worn because you have never found a particular occasion. It's quite short and low-cut, definitely not suited to Jackson's lifestyle, here everyone wears jeans and sweaters or t-shirts.

You think that maybe tonight is the time to dare even if you don't want him to burst out laughing and ask you what you've got in your head.

It's just a dinner.

He never mentioned anything romantic.

You're obviously nervous, because you like him and if it doesn't go well you should continue to see him every day anyway.

In the end you decide to wear the dress anyway but to tone it down with a cardigan and a pair of boots, so as to make it look less like "please fuck me" style.

You shake your head, how much trouble are you going to for Joel Miller.

However, you have to admit that it's the first really exciting thing that's happened to you since you've been here. You thought that surviving was enough so you obviously never complained about it.

You fix your hair after drying it, you look at yourself in the mirror and you think that you're not that bad after all.

It's almost time, you leave the house and walk the few meters that separate you from Joel's house with your heart beating wildly in your chest.

You climb the few steps to his porch feeling insecure and stupid for accepting, who knows what you expect from this lonely man.

You shrug and knock on the door, snuggling into your cardigan in the cool evening air.

You consider going back and pretending you had a mishap, but Joel opens the door.

“Hey, come in” he smiles at you. You cross the threshold timidly as a delicious scent invades your nostrils.

Who knew Joel Miller could cook?

You follow him into the kitchen and Joel pours you a glass of wine.

“Where did you find this?” you ask in surprise. Wine is a luxury that you haven't been able to afford many times in Jackson, usually the only thing they bring back after searches and patrols are bottles of cheap whiskey.

“I found it two km from here in an abandoned shop. It was stuck under a shelf, probably for years”

“Oh, great”

“Well they say that aged wines are better. Like men, don't you agree?” He smiles, winking at you.

He winked.

Fuck.

You try to hide your surprise by taking a long sip from your glass.

While Joel is busy checking on the stew you take a look around the living room.

It's a nice house, simply furnished like all the houses in Jackson, tidy and clean.

There are some sheets with drawings on the coffee table in front of the couch. You know Joel made them because you've seen him several times on his porch busy drawing animals. A squirrel, a deer, a small bird. He's really good at it.

And obviously his guitar, resting on a stand in a corner near the couch.

In a totally cheesy way you would love to hear him play something for you.

“So, do you like wine?”

You turn and see that he is a few steps away from you, glass in hand.

“Uhm, yeah, it’s good”

He gives you a smile “stew is almost ready”

“Can I help you with something?”

“No, don’t worry, you’re the guest”

You see him linger with his gaze on your legs and up to your breasts and you think that the dress wasn't such a bad idea after all.

He is wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans and is breathtaking.

You scan each other for a few seconds, without speaking. You are like two predators sniffing each other to see who will give in first.

“That dress looks good on you” he finally says and for the first time you notice that he is slightly embarrassed. He looks down at his glass and stares at it harder than necessary.

You still don't know why he invited you tonight but honestly at this point you don't even care. He's more handsome than ever, his hair still slightly damp from the shower and pulled back, that little scar on his cheek that you'd be eager to find out the story of, that smile he's giving you and his hands nervously gripping the glass, everything about him draws you in like a magnet.

"Thank you. You're not bad either." You giggle and you know that it’s definitely what you needed tonight. To feel attractive. To feel seen.

He comes back to the kitchen and after a few seconds he calls you “Dinner’s ready”

You sit at the table in the kitchen and he places a plate in front of you that smells of home, of memories and takes you back to when you were little and your mom cooked for you.

It's like Proust's madeleine.

Evoking sweet feelings with food is one of your favorite things to remember who you were, who you loved, and what was before this debacle.

It's melancholy but also comfort in a certain way, it's like holding on to the truest and most authentic part of you, the one that made you who you are today and probably allowed you to survive.

You take a bite as Joel looks at you in anticipation.

“Wow, this is good!” you exclaim “extremely good. Who knew that you were a chef”

“Ha! I’m really not, it’s just a stew and I’ve done it so many time that I can’t get it wrong at this point”

“It's still the best I've had in years, I need to get invited to dinner more often”

You chuckle and then you blush, because you've made it clear that you hope it's the first of many times.

Damn you.

You hadn't had a love interest in years, obviously, there wasn't time to think about that while the world burned and you had to fight to stay alive. But here, in this little bubble, where people have welcomed you and you have recovered crumbs of normality, it doesn't seem too stupid to feel something for Joel.

Is he grumpy? Sometimes. But he is also incredibly generous, to be honest. When you asked him, a formal contractor, to help you create the library he snorted, he told you that it wasn't necessary, that no one would ever go there anyway.

You shrugged and said that you would have done it anyway with or without his help, Maria had already given you permission.

The next morning you got up early to go and clean up the designated building and found him there, he was repairing a damaged window that wouldn't go up or down.

He grumbled when you asked him ironically what he was doing “someone has to stop you from opening a crumbling library”

You smiled, feeling your heart warm.

And so it was every day until the place was ready. Joel showed up early in the morning or in the evening, spent a few hours fixing the steps, eradicating moths, building shelves and cabinets, even a desk for you.

You've never talked in depth about your lives but you still know something you've heard through the grapevine. He's very secretive about his past so you never asked him any uncomfortable questions, the last thing you would want is for him to never share anything with you again.

The time he helped you with the library was the most enjoyable time you've had here so far and that's when you realized that your crush was more serious than expected.

“Do you want another glass of wine?”

“Why not, i don’t have to drive home”

He laughs “Yeah, no fines for you”

“At most a headache, but I'll think about that in the morning”

“Were you surprised when I invited you?”

he leaves you speechless for a moment and then you find, you don't know how, the strength to use irony, like you always do "I've known for a long time that you want me" you giggle and brush your hair away from your face while you say it.

"Oh yes? How strange, I actually thought it was the opposite” the smirk and the deep chuckle he gives to you goes straight to the most private part of you. Right there. It sits on your clit and you feel it tingling.

Fuck, this man.

You never experienced a flirty Joel Miller before and you were actually quite sure he wasn’t even capable of being so but he is.

“Oh shut up, finish eating” you scoff, feeling your cheeks turn on fire.

He lets go for a while and watches you amusedly fill your mouth with his stew.

“It's a pleasure to see you eat, little finch”

He started calling you that when you couldn't move the furniture in the library on your own. "I don't know how you thought you could manage on your own, little finch."

At first you hated it, now you pretend to hate it but you actually like it.

“Stop calling me that!” you still have to keep up a facade after all.

“Oh come on, finch is the cutest bird, don’t be offended”

“I’m no bird” you pout.

“Yep you are, finch. Delicate. Elegant. Pretty. You walk like you’re floating in the light air and your voice is a lovely chirping sound. It gets on my nerves sometimes, but I actually like it. A lot.”

Oh.

Oh, fuck.

You can't believe he said that.

You feel your heart melt like snow under the sun, your lips involuntarily curl into a smile, your hands tremble with the desire to touching him and between your legs a lustful heat invades you all over.

His face is relaxed, his eyes sparkle mischievously and his smile…his smile pins you to the chair.

You raise your glass in an attempt to drink some courage while he doesn't stop looking at you silently.

Just enough time to bring your lips close to the glass and you find yourself coughing, you're too distracted and the wine goes sideways.

Obviously.

You can't help but look like a fool in front of him, you don't even know how he thinks you're elegant.

“Jesus, are you okay?” he asks in alarm as he reaches up to wrap his arm around your back and pat you lightly.

To your surprise, his large, calloused hands can be very gentle.

“Oh my god, yes, yes I’m okay” you reply between coughs "I'll get over it now"

Now that he knows that you will survive he sits back down to his chair and scrutinizes you with an amused expression.

“Did I go too hard on you?”

“What? No, not all” you reply red-faced, while trying to regain some composure.

“Okay, if you say so” he places a hand on yours gripping the table “Has it passed?”

“Yeah, I think it is” You pour a little water into the other glass he has set and drink, this time slowly.

Finally you feel your breathing return to regularity and your cough gradually subside.“Thank goodness, little finch, think if I should have taken you to the doctor in that lovely dress” and laughs.

You've never seen him laugh so much.

He is intelligible most of the time but tonight he is an open book.

“What's wrong with this dress, Miller?” you ask, ironically, you may be clumsy but not to this point and you want to try to get back at him.

"Nothing. You don't see many of them in Jackson, that's all."

“It doesn't look like anything special to me,” you say, as you realize he's staring insistently at your tits. “Do you see anything special, Miller?”

He shrugs “It’s pretty low cut for nothing”

You bend over slightly, resting your forearms on the table smiling at him, exposing your boobs even more. He is sitting in front of you and still watching at them.

“You're pretty good at it after all, little finch” his eyes have become darker and it's as if a small flame is burning inside them.

You feel a certain pride rising in your chest.

“Now you look like the embarrassed one, Miller, have you seen how things have changed?” Your smirk doesn't go unnoticed by Joel who squirms in his seat as if it has suddenly become uncomfortable.

"Can you tell me something? Why did you invite me tonight?” you’re pushing him, and you know it. And actually, you like it, for once you feel like you have the upper hand.

“Isn't it obvious, finch?” he mutter.

“Maybe, but I'd like to hear it from you. Use your words, Miller, I know you can."

“When you asked me to help you to arrange the library I thought you were crazy. Then I realized I was wrong. It was a nice idea. It was a great idea actually. No one here can go anywhere anymore, and in any case there is nowhere you can go so it is comforting to know that there is always a way to take refuge elsewhere, at least for a few hours, reading a great book. So yes, finch, I like you. I like you because you gave us back some beauty.”

“Fuck Miller, you can make speeches whenever you want”

“It's just one of the reasons I like you, you’re also smart and thoughtful and gorgeous but yeah, that’s it, I’ve said it”

His gaze is languid, you'd almost say longing. Maybe you managed to scratch a small piece of the invisible armor he built to protect himself.

One moment you were bickering as usual and the next Joel fucking Miller left you speechless.

No sarcasm, not an ounce of irony, he sounds sensitive and vulnerable.

It's so strange to see him in this light, the only other time it happened to you you were in the library, he found a children's book and held it in his hands looking at it in silence.

For a moment you could have sworn you saw tears in his eyes, he looked helpless and hurt and then it was the usual Joel, complaining about the mess and the weight of the boxes you had made him lift that gave nightmares to his back.

You get up from the chair without even realizing it, as if it were an involuntary movement that your body needs.

You stop in front of him, who is still sitting, his arms abandoned on the table, his gaze following you questioningly.

You put a hand in his hair and let it run through his dark curls while he instinctively closes his eyes, abandoning himself completely under your touch.

You would like to say something but you don't want to ruin the moment and in any case you can't find any words suitable to describe how you feel.

Moved, yearning, grateful, overwhelmed?

All these things together at the same time.

You let your hand linger on the base of his neck, stroking softly

“Look at me” you whisper.

And his gaze turns, his whole body turns, and you've never seen him so clearly. He rests his large hands on your hips and his gaze pierces you as he lands on yours.

You feel his grip tighten as you lean over him and leave a shy kiss on his lips. Small. Brief. And another, instinctively. And yet another.

And another until his lips part on yours and fit perfectly in a long sigh. He tastes like wine and loneliness and desire.

It’s manly but tender and demanding for more.

Your tongues meet and it's like an electric shock that surprises you but at the same time it's inevitable like when two surfaces rub together generating energy, it is an unwritten physical law that holds you together despite having used all your strength to keep each other at a distance for months.

Now, all you can do is give up.

You kiss him like it's the last thing you do in your life, his eager hands roam your hips, gripping your ass and squeezing tightly.

He part from your lips just the time to stand up and wrapping you entirely in his arms, his mouth searching for yours again, eager, his hands stroking your back while you feel just like a little finch in the most comfortable nest you could find.

“God, I want you” he mutter in your ear nuzzling at your sensitive skin.

“Take me. Just… take me, Joel”

It’s a dreadful need that you feel deep in your bone, the last shred of love you could find in this broken world, a sweet feeling of release that you desperately wanted.

You can’t think straight and don’t want to.

He take off your cardigan and reaches for the hem of your dress and lifts it up roaming your thighs feverishly, squeezing and stroking, his fingers digging into your flesh as you moan softly into his ear. He pulls it up to your waist and you help slide it off your head.

He bends down to take off your boots and throws them on the floor in an unspecified place, then he gets up and takes you back in his arms. He's still dressed while you're almost naked and exposed in a pair of black lace panties and a matching bra. You might be intimidated but you're not. You let yourself be held and explored by his hands. His calloused fingers, rough but gentle, touch you everywhere, giving you goosebumps. He lifts a hand to one of your breast and squeezes it through the fabric.

You can't help but let out a muffled moan while he is filling his hand with your flesh.

“Do you like it, finch? Me squeezing your boob?” he says in a whisper, looking into your eyes.

“Y-yes” you mumble “give me more”

There's a smug, lecherous smile painted on his face as he reaches for your bra and unclasps it with a single gesture.

He slides it off and drops it on the kitchen floor. Your nipples stiffen in an instant, hit by the air, he takes one between his fingers and pinches it, pulling it gently and then his mouth is on it swirling his tongue and sucking it. You squirm at the sensation, digging your hand into his hair again, pushing his face into your breast “more, more” you stammer. You feel his smile spread across your skin and his teeth bite lightly into you.

“You’re ravenous, aren’t you?”

You pull his hair and tilt his face slightly to regain eye contact. “Do you mind?”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“Good, you can continue doing what you were doing” you smile defiantly. You like to provoke him, especially now.

“You're bossy for a little finch, I like that”

he smiles back, his eyes shining bright with thrill and anticipation.

He returns to greedily licking and sucking like a thirsty man on your nipples, another loud moan escape from your lips.

“Fuck, you’re so good”

“I just started with you, you have no idea what awaits you” he whispers.

“Mmm then less talking, Miller, show me”

Without having to be told twice, he picks you up, much to your surprise, and places you on his couch in the living room.

“Woah, Miller, easy”

“You told me not to waste time talking” he shrugs. chuckling.

He pulls you to the edge of the couch “spread your legs”

You open your legs a little but he is visibly not satisfied, he takes your knees and opens them more "Like this. Now stay still” he orders.

He kneels between your thighs and pulls your panties aside.

You feel his fingers trail up your thigh, slowly, taking the time to slide lightly over your skin, causing you a mixture of tickling and excitement.

You writhe when you feel his index finger grazing your pussy lips, wandering up and down caressing for a little bit before sliding it between them and wetting it completely in your juices.

“You’re soaking wet, baby”

You can literally feel your cunt dripping when he keeps going up and down, briefly sinking into your hole with the tip of his finger and then on your clit, moving in circle with two fingers over your bundle of nerves.

You’re whining again, you’re growing impatient and he perfectly knows that

“Joel…”

“Yes, Finch?”

“You're doing it again”

“What”

“You know what. Do you want to torture me?”

"No. I just want you to beg me."

“God, you’re impossible” you roll your eyes out of exhaustion and arousal.

He stops completely.

“So are you, babe. Can you please let me do what I know best?”

He presses on your clit with two fingers and you squirm.

“Fuck. Okay”

He starts teasing your clit again, moving his fingers up and down to gather your wetness and spread it all over your lips.

“The thing is, finch, your pussy is so good. Look at her, I can’t rush it. She deserves to be loved nicely and slowly”

He is sitting on his heels just taking his time with you and you can’t be more eager to have him in your hole but you breath, resigned to wait for his pace.

He teases your entrance again, this time with two fingers, pushing in a little deeper.

His thumb is still taking care of your clit, moving a little faster than before.

“Eyes on me, babe”

And you do, you lock your eyes with his and you see hunger and lust and wonder.

He’s admiring you and you feel flattered.

He brings his face closer and sticks his tongue out, licking you from bottom to top and then again, letting it slide between your lips.

His beard is scratching you, his tongue stops on your clit swirling around it, jerking it slowly, again and again until you see him closing his lips on it and sucking gently.

He’s devouring you at this point and you mewl and cry and scream for more.

“Jesus - fuck - oh my goodness”

Your fingers are entwined into his curls and you’re pushing his face against you as much as you can, his tongue is fucking your hole now, he delves into you and lick all he can and you start to feel an incredible warmth rising from your core, in your tummy, to your chest.

He finally lets his index and middle finger sliding into you, pumping slowly in and out of your dripping wet cunt.

“Joel, oh my God I - ha! - I can’t, oh God”

“Yes, you can. Just like that, baby, give it to me” he whispers softly against your skin.

You’re on the verge of coming, the most incredible orgasm is knocking at your senses, overwhelming and brutally crushing into you.

“I’m com - oh GOD - yes,Joel, fuck”

He praises you again “come for me, soak my fingers, come on”

And you do. You gush all over his fingers like it was the last thing you do in the world, your legs shake and your heart reach an impossible pace that leaves you breathless.

He keeps licking and pumping into you until you calm and you can’t take your eyes off him bowed between your thighs, he drives you wild.

He stands up grunting at his poor knees and you giggle, he raises an eyebrow at you

“I wouldn't laugh considering the fact that I just made you scream my name”

He sits down on the couch next to you, circling your waist with his big strong arm and pushing you against him.

You bury your face in his chest “Aw, you’re so touchy, Miller” and you giggle again.

“You’re such a little brat.” He says, stroking your hair “But see? I wasn’t lying. It's been many years since I last did this but I still know what to do”

You raise your eyes at him “yeah, I give you that. You’re fucking good” and you place a kiss on the hairless part of his beard “but I-”

“What?” he interrupts you, looking at you maliciously

You bite your lower lip, feeling hot again just for the way he’s holding you tightly watching you with lust in his eyes.

“I want your cock”

“Oh. It’s time to beg, baby”

“Joel…”

“Beg for it, little finch” he’s smiling but his voice is firm and slightly authoritative

“I never beg” you scoff

“You will start now, sweetie, if you want to see me naked”

You look at him with exasperation, rolling your eyes immediately after “okay, Jesus. Can you please give me your cock?”

“Manners, babe. Ask gently”

You ask yourself what have you done wrong to fall for such an unbearable man “Good Lord”

“Beg with conviction”

“Joel Miller, could you do me the courtesy of fucking me? Please?”

You’re smirking hard. You definitely love to get on his nerves.

“You’re getting into trouble with this attitude, you know that?” He reaches one of your nipples and pinches it hard making you whimper into his arms.

You turn serious, looking him in the eyes intensely, licking your lip before saying “Fuck me, Joel. Please.”

“Mmm yes, just like that baby, it didn't take much”

He finally stands up in front of you. He takes off his shirt, revealing a strong, broad chest.

You can see a thin strip of hair disappearing under his jeans but apart from that he is almost hairless, his skin is delightfully dotted with freckles that make your mouth water.

He throws off his shirt and bends over to remove his boots.

Your eyes linger on his back, on his tense, rippling muscles, you can't believe how gorgeous he is, after all you think it was worth begging for this but you will never tell him.

He unzips his jeans and takes them off, remaining in his boxers. The sight of his deliciously soft tummy drives you completely insane. You’re craving him like you never did with anyone before.

“Kneel on the couch for me, baby” he orders and you immediately do, you turn your head just in time to see him taking off his boxers, freeing his already hard and swollen cock. Your knees sink into the pillows and your hands rest on the armrest, you are completely exposed to his will.

He gets behind you on his knees, gripping your hips and pulling you towards him.

“Fuck me Joel, please, fuck me now” you cry

“Such a good girl, begging for my cock like that. You learn quickly, little finch”

You only feel the tip poking at your entrance, he slides his cock against your dripping folds “Beg once more, babe”

You writhe, it’s more than you can take right now, you want him desperately.

“Please, Joel. Please” your voice sounds distraught but you don’t care, not now.

He enters you with a single thrust that makes you scream “Fuck!”

He’s big, so big that his cock burns in your center.

“I told you you were getting into trouble, baby, if you wanted me to be gentle you should have behaved better”

It's a small punishment you can bear, after a few seconds you already got used to his intrusion, you never felt so full before and right now you couldn’t ask for anything better.

He begins to move slowly, in and out of you, sinking deeper each time and reaching that spot that makes you see stars.

His loud grunts numb your head, his fingers dig into your hips as he thrusts into you, maybe he will leave some marks and the thought excite you even more.

“Oh God, please don’t stop, please”

He’s pounding into you incessantly, every thrust more deep leaving you short breath, you’re so wet that every lewd sounds coming from your cunt is making you feel like you’re on the brink of falling apart.

“Fuck, you look so pretty like that, babe, the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, so perfect for me”

You whine even more at his praises, feeling your pussy clenching hard around his cock.

“Joel please I’m-”

“I know baby, I know, I can feel you, squeezing my cock just right, God you’re taking me so good”

You basically spasm on his cock right now, legs trembling as your sink your fingers in the fabric of the couch desperately trying to hold your posture.

He holds you tightly by your hips, grunting with each thrust into you, hitting your cervix again and again.

“Come for me baby, come all over my cock”

You’re quivering so hard that you almost think of being on the verge of losing your mind.

You cry his name feeling so full and dazed while your orgasm explodes inside you.

He pumps into you until you calm down but he’s still throbbing against your walls “Where do you want me?”

“On my tits - please”

He comes out of you and you lie down on his couch, his throbbing cock is in front of you, he takes it in his hand, milking it a couple of time before releasing his cum all over you. He moans loudly as he paints your tits and chest with his pleasure.

He lies down on top of you, groaning “God, this was amazing”

You feel his sticky seed spreading on your skin but you don't care, you wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him softly.

He moves to the side so as not to weigh you down and takes you in his arms again.

You hide your face for a moment in the crook of his neck, inhaling his woody, citrusy perfume, with a hint of the natural sweaty scent of his skin. He smells amazingly.

“I could get used to it” you giggle

“Me too, little finch” and he leaves a kiss on your hair.

“Oh, you made completely forgot about it, do you know what day it is today?”

“No, should I?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you. It’s my birthday.”

His eyes widen, “Really?”

“Yep”

“Well then happy birthday. Did you like your present?”

“It’s the best I’ve ever received”

You kiss him again, knowing how true it is.

“We should take a shower,” he laughs.

“Yeah, you’re… well…all over me…but to be honest, I like it.”

He smiles widely “Come on little finch, I might have another gift for you in the bathroom”

“Oh, then I can’t wait to unwrap it”

[bg3ficreviews]

BG3 Fic Review Guidelines - let us know what you think!

Hi everyone, We've finally settled on some fic review guidelines we'd like to implement here, but we would like to share them with the community and get your feedback. It's important to us that we support our fellow writers in a collaborative space. The best way to do that is to hear your thoughts and incorporate them into our plans and strategies. Once we have finalised our review guidelines, we plan to open up our doors to bring more reviewers on board and really get going properly. We may do this either by creating a Discord server for the team or simply allowing reviewers to submit their work to the blog directly. Regardless, our fanfic community is important to us and we want to do our best to help build a supportive, inspiring and creative environment. But! without further ado, here are the BG3 Fic Review Guidelines as they currently are, listed below the fold. Please feel free to reply on this post, send us an ask, or email me (Aivu) directly should you have any comments or questions. My email address is aivuthedragon[at]gmail[dot]com.

Happy writing!

Aivu 🐉💜 BG3 Fic Reviews, Editor

The BG3FicReviews review guidelines (WIP)

Please note these guidelines are a work in progress, and we may update them as we go depending on questions that arise in the community and among our team members. That said, the goals behind the BG3FicReviews blog will remain largely unchanged, and represent our underlying philosophy as a team. We’ll start there.

What are the goals of the BG3FicReviews blog and its team?

At the moment, we have four main overarching goals: 

Help foster a kind and supportive community for fanfic writers in the BG3 fandom that helps to uplift them/us and their/our work; 

Provide a useful resource for fanfic writers (in the BG3 fandom and more generally);  

Provide a helpful guide for fanfic readers on some of the best, most interesting and most innovative BG3 fanfic currently being published; and

Create a safe space for writers to explore topics of various kinds while also supporting proactive and inclusive tagging.

With these four goals in mind, our objective is not and will never be to unduly criticise an author or write negative reviews. Fanfic authors write for free and because they love to write and share their words with the world. We don’t believe in stifling that passion with negativity. We want to uplift writers and support them to continue doing what they love. 

Review submission guidelines

Here we have some broad questions to help guide a reviewer when reading a given work, as well as what could be included in a review. These are the kinds of questions I (Aivu) ask myself when I write my reviews. 

What are some of the dominant themes of this work?

What is unique about this work? Has a trope been approached in a fresh, innovative way? Or perhaps it’s a very good example of a well-used trope?

Feel free to be creative in your review - just as authors develop their own voice in their writing, you are free to build and develop yours. (Just please keep in mind the four goals of the BG3FicReviews blog when you do.)

Did you have any ‘aha!’ or ‘wow!’ moments when reading this fic? (Note: please be mindful of spoilers, and try to explain such moments in a way that doesn’t spoil the work for potential readers.)

How did you feel while and after reading this work? Did it evoke any particular feelings for you?

Please include a brief list of the most important tags when submitting your review - it will help our readers skip over a review of a fic that might not be to their particular tastes (which is absolutely fine).

Please be aware that we do reserve the right to edit reviews to be in line with our standards and the formatting we use for the blog, but we will provide feedback as much as we can and discuss any revisions with the author of a given review.

What are our future plans for the BG3FicReview blog?

In order to provide more hands-on support to writers, we are currently considering starting a strictly opt-in beta reading programme for fanfic authors. We don’t have a big enough team for this at the moment, but the idea would be that authors submit their work to be beta-read and can ask for help in particular areas of their writing (or their writing generally) to help them feel more confident in their work and with sharing it. Our team is too small at the moment to manage something like this, but as a long-term goal it’s something really important to us.

We are also considering opening a writing and fic review focused Discord, but that really depends on how much interest there is in such a space as there are many excellent BG3-focused writing Discords out there already. We are always open to suggestions from the fanfiction writer (and reader) community about what kind of support and tools could be helpful and useful. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to send us an ask or an email and let us know!

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

“And when she learned of Finwë all that had befallen since her departure (for she had given no heed to it, nor asked tidings, until then) she was greatly moved; and she said to Finwë in her thought: ‘I erred in leaving thee and our son, or at least in not soon returning after brief repose; for had I done so he might have grown wiser. But the children of Indis shall redress his errors and therefore I am glad they should have being, and Indis hath my love. How should I bear grudge against one who received what I rejected and cherish what I abandoned.’“ - J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth's Ring, Laws and Customs Among the Eldar

@finweanladiesweek day 1 » INDIS & MÍRIEL THERINDË

[ID: an edit comprised of four posters in dark and light browns accented with gold and silver.

1: Roseline Lawrence, a ugandan-south sudanese model with dark skin and long coily dark hair. She is plus-size, wearing gold makeup and looking over her shoulder with one hand raised. She is framed by a gold rectangle, with gold text at the bottom reading "indis" in all caps. Below that, text in varying yellow shades reads "great; valiant woman," "second wife of finwë," and "“She was a Vanya, close kin of Ingwë the High King, golden-haired and tall, and in all ways unlike Míriel" / 2: A detail from a painting showing golden embroidered cloth draping down from above. Yellowish-orange text in a transparent brown box reads "“...when Indis saw Finwë climbing the paths of the Mountain, and the light of Laurelin was behind him as a glory, without forethought she sang suddenly in great joy, and her voice went up as a song of the lirulin in the sky. Then Finwë heard that song falling from above, and he looked up and saw Indis in the golden light, and he knew in that moment that she loved him and had long done so" / 3: A detail from a painting showing draped white and silver cloth. Silver text in the same format as Image 2 shows the same passage as the caption of the edit / Thando Hopa, a xhosa-sotho south african woman with albinism. She is looking straight at the viewer and is wrapped in a white robe that falls over her head, though she holds it out of her face. Same format as Image 1, but the frame and text are silver, and the text reads "míriel," "jewel-daughter," "first wife of finwë," and "She was a Noldorin Elda of slender and graceful form, and of gentle disposition, though . . .she could show an ultimate obstinacy that counsel or command would only make more obdurate" /End ID]

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

ok this is super half baked idea but it just occurred to me as a fun idea perhaps for next year.

concept: advent calendar. i.e. twenty-five days including the 25th of the month. could possibly be combined or connected to something with the twelve days of Christmas as well if it was wanted to go on for longer. could be modified with more traditional advent concepts (not very familiar with it myself but open to suggestions)

suggestion: a short story for each day of advent, from a combination of different authors (ideally one story per author but could be modified). either all standalone or a possible joint Christmas Day story that pulls multiple different threads together. if we got enough authors/artists together (or one or two very dedicated artists) there could be a story with an accompanying piece of artwork.

could be scheduled ebook release each day and/or posting on a website at a scheduled time each day, with possible purchase of the whole ebook or physical book in one go on the 25th / preorder so that physical media is slated to arrive at the right time.

this is kind of cobbled together but what are people's thoughts? re:word count, brief google suggests 70-90k is common as a total for the average novel, which would mean an average of 3.2k per story, or somewhere between 2000 and 4400 words if we were being a bit more loose with length.

also note that if art was involved prints could be made and shipped for a moderate sum ($27AUD at time of writing to send internationally if using a single prepaid satchel*, $3.75AUD to make 25 6"x4" prints, total cost rounds to $31AUD assuming a single satchel could be used). also possible to look at print on demand services that could cut down on shipping. (this also assumes artists would not be paid)

this is very rough in calculation ofc but what do people think about it? (frankly, it sounds like a fun sort of project for myself if nobody else wants to join me lol)

(re:financial aspect - I know in some things like audiobooks done for him my dad has paid all the costs, and any income above cost level he splits 50/50 with the audiobook reader - has a given flat rate/percentage per sale that's cost, and anything additional is royalties. unless I could pitch this to an established author or publishing house (impossible, though if there were others in on the scheme we could possibly look into the option) it would not be worth making the serial itself only available for upfront paying because I simply don't have an audience at all lol. however the possibility of making an ebook or physical book that could be sold later would have the possibility in the future to recoup costs. )

*large letter format is $15AUD but uncertain if that would be sufficient, would require more research

(trying to gauge even vague interest; if there's interest of basically any kind I can expand on my thoughts. also if anyone's interested and has discord please message me for my discord lol)

please reblog and or offer any thoughts you have!

EDIT: note that 'contributing' encompasseses both contributing and reading whereas reading does not encompass contributing

[aceofsheeps]

ARCANE: Mel’s End Scene Explained

I originally wrote this for my Medium page, 2 years ago(?) but wanted to start posting here too. I prefer the format over on Medium but it be like that. __________________________________________________________ There are many theories already on whether this end scene is just lighting the scene and dramatizing the horror of the ongoing event caused by Jinx, which it no doubt is. It’s a good transition. A slow fade from black, and then a shine of the gold that indicates something dangerous is going to happen. We’ve seen these kinds of things across different animations, anime and cartoons. For example, the common occurrence of this transition is usually visualized by a black screen followed by another effect, such as a silver sparkle of a blade before it’s shot at a protagonist. Unfortunately, I’ve had a difficult time finding examples and the best I could find is Volke’s Lethality from Fire Emblem, but I’m sure you get the point.

re-watching that specific scene again, I’ve noticed a few things that support the theory of Mel having some sort of magical ability. Personally, I believe it includes something similar to foresight, almost like a Spidey-sense.

Right before the rocket makes contact with the window, we see Mel looking at Jayce. She’s smiling after their successful voting on the peace between Piltover and Zaun. However, we can see her expression abruptly change, while Jayce remains the same. She’s alert. Her head tilts upwards like she’s sensing something and she frowns. Seeing as Jayce doesn’t look too concerned in this shot, we can assume it’s something only Mel is aware of. She knows something’s up.

Now the next shot of Mel starts off with a black screen. Then, the gold decoration slowly glows from left to right. We already know this works as just a transition scene and is most likely a reflection of the light above them. She’s our focal point. However, looking closely — although it’s difficult to see in the above GIF — there’s this distortion and chromatic aberration (seen below). It looks like an alarm. She is sensing this attack. This is what gives me the idea that she has some kind of ability to sense incoming danger. To add to this, if you listen to the scene at first you hear the rocket, but then it grows quiet. And after this brief silence you hear a musical-esque ringing. Something magical is happening here. However, given the first scene, she notices it before she starts to glow. This means this isn’t the source of her ability to sense anything but maybe an effect being activated.

Next up is her attire. You can see that the back of her dress covers a majority of the gold decorative onlay. However, when the scene comes you can see way more than what we should be able to see, assuming the black portion of her dress is transparent. If the purpose of showing the entire design — of whatever you want to call her gold decoration — wasn’t to imply some sort of ability, showing just the portion you’d expect to see off of her would do just fine. Unless of course, they just wanted a reason to show off her design. Given what we know about Arcane so far, it’s unlikely this was the only reasoning.

The three factors that lead me to believe there’s more than just editing tricks going on here are Mel’s expression and reaction, the effects surrounding her, and her attire overall. We also know this is something added on once she became older, as the younger version of her has no gold on her body whatsoever. It’s also likely now a permanent part of her as we never see her without it afterwards, meaning this could be a defensive tool or effect.

On a side note, the design looks similar to Zhonya’s Hourglass. Does anyone else see this or just me?

If Mel was a champion in League, how do you think they would go about fitting in this supposed ability to sense danger? A passive shield that activates upon taking damage perhaps?

[musepondersthings]

Here is EXCITED RAMBLINGS with Muse over a VERY SWAG Nanami fic written by pennjammin here on tumblr, you can find the fic here! Please go check their work out!

(Preface: this ramble is ripped directly from my notes app! No editing done besides text breaks, this is my live reaction to everything)

Thus begins the: “EXCITED MUSE RAMBLINGS” vol. 1, formatted on tumblr mobile.

Establishing a relationship and a dynamic between the reader and Nanami early on is great, specifically the reader being very involved in supporting his family as he works. It’s a genuine act of kindness! To go above any beyond as a support for him and already know his close family. To me it feels like it makes the picture more fleshed out and their relationship has an added layer of depth. I don’t blame reader for having a crush on dilf Nanami.

Reading over the situation, Nanami HAS to know about Reader’s feelings, if they’re being super obvious about it, he’s not one to miss those sort of things. Knowing him he likely thinks he HAS to have a professional boundary between him and reader, and doesn’t want to mix those aspects of his life. Oooh but reader is showing up at his party, where there’s probably going to be alcohol and he’ll be less guarded…

AWWW HERE HE IS!!! The dad joke is adorable, Nanami’s introduction is well done. He’s looking scrumptious tho. Yes wow he’s super unguarded, he’s being very open with reader. He has to be SMASHED right now, given how he’s described and his general demeanor, he’s much more laid back that usual. The talk about his kids and the wife fits perfectly. A call back to established relationship fits like a glove here. I enjoy the sllllow burn and establishment of prior events. I’m a sucker for lore and world building.

Good god Nanami is head over heels for reader. I can sense it. The way he treats them compared to his other workers is special, not that he treats his workers badly, but how he talks to them is notably more laid back, and dare I say, intimate. The introduction of Agnes and how he dealt with the girl talking to him really shows off the magnitude of his feelings, intended from him or not.

The reader’s thoughts are so captivating to me. The obsessiveness of putting themselves down for their crush yet leaning so far into it, makes me want to yell to em that their feelings are valid!!! /pos.

Augh Nanami is so sweet!! “Meanie” he is DRUNK drunk oh my lord. Despite everything he’s trying so hard to make reader comfortable and this shows how much he truly cares for them. Even while drunk, at a party he’s hosting, he takes time to take reader aside and listen to them and talk. The moment where reader says they should get to know each other better is nice, I enjoy the brief exploration of their relationship which has been “professional” thus far. Professional in quotes due to reader being HEAD OVER HEELS for Nanami and him acting like he doesn’t realize they’re flirting.

Said exploration attempted by the reader is cut off by Nanami approaching reader with a bluntness only alcohol can draw from him thus far lol. I find it interesting that their roles are reversed in this moment, he’s being very obvious while they’re “ oblivious” (not truly).

The sheer hunger of this man to eat reader out is astounding. He’s on readers level of adoration, if not more. He was just really good at hiding it.

HE STILL. TAKES TIME. TO BE NICE. AND DOUBLE CHECK FOR CONSENT. Consent is HOT!! The way he moves when given the word really shows how long he’s been waiting, he takes off their clothes so quickly, in three swift moments. How Nanami shuts down reader’s self deprecation of their body, how he needs *verbal consent* and double checks if they’re okay just melt my heart.

Christ, he’s so good at this reader is speechless, honestly I would be too. Being very conscious about how his actions affects them is refreshing to see.

There is such tenderness in Nanami’s actions and words even while he’s being mean. This is a very intimate act, there’s truly love and care there, and it just amplifies the entire thing. The slow buildup of trust, the comfort of being able to share fantasies and indulge in them together is delicious. The descriptions here during this scene has me captivated, just wonderful.

This moment of Nanami confiding just how MUCH he cares for reader and wants to have them a part of their family… it brings tears to my eyes. The passing of power, the amount of trust that takes, how he wants to repay reader is so wonderfully loving. The sex is so *hot*, and love they both feel for each other is always there. They play off of each other nicely both in and out of the bedroom, Reader awakening a breeding kink in Nanami catches him so off guard, they both can read each other like a book!

The after sex conversation is so down to earth, checking in, affirming that he only intends for this side of him to be for reader. It’s so tender. Both a heartwarming and sexy fic. I would read like. A novel about them.

This concludes “MUSE’S EXCITED RAMBLINGS” vol. 1

[those-weird-twolegs]

swiftpaw's wish clan culture rambles, c/ped from disco, written by mod soda

Introductory speed notes:

thunder group-hunts and eats raw food if they have to, they often fell one or two antler-less deer every shedding season and their scores from these huge deer-hunting patrols are greatly valued.

wind sundries herbs, meats, and some spices. going with the logic that they can only use herbs and spices that wont kill them, though.

river dries their river reeds, and then weaves them into baskets used for: trade, transport, and occasionally given a top, filled with water, and lined with cotton in the winter to keep it from melting too easy, and the water is filled with various raw foods. they freeze the water, preserving the food until the end of winter when their bought supplies from the solstice are running out.

shadow cooks and smokes whatever meat they get their hands on. frog? cooked or smoked. rat? cooked or smoked. traded goods? cooked or smoked. crows/ravens? cooked or smoked. they are renowned for their amazing skills in preparing the best looking and tasting meals. they are, however, also known for not having the best foods for trade, so they tend to bring valuables they find in the carrionplace, by the thunderpath, and in the swamp.

Note: below is a poorly formatted + edited discord conversation.

"maybe it used to be that shadow cooked and smoked the food they got from hunting and wind dried, but ever since brokenstar and tigerstar tried to assimilate the clans their traditions are all mucked up" - soda

"shadow less than wind tho"

"and because of brokenstar they now cook as well"

"They couldn’t before?" - dorito

"All clans can cook, but shadowclan is renowned for their excellence at it." - soda again

"Since cooking and smoking food is the best way to preserve food in the wild swamps of the lake and forest (yes we’re making the lake pine forest a swamp forest because swamp ≠ pine in skills), shadowclan had to perfect their talent and skill."

"as for windclan, they preferred drying their meats, herbs, spices and snacks."

"But then, obviously, brokenstar tried to force shc traditions on wc and vice versa and. things got muddled."

"Shadowclan can now dry things, if they really try hard, and windclan now knows the basics of making actually amazing foods" "now all shadowclan is known for is their food presentation"

"Brokenstar takes over windclan?" - dorito again

"For a short bit yes" - soda p3

"then they revolt and get driven out"

"And then ofc, moons later, thunder and wind and eventually river and shadow are forced to merge to defeat tiger + bloodclan"

"at first, windclan is uneasy about it, but willing for lionclan to happen because it has to. But then riverclan joins and they start seeing clan cats sharing their traditions and god, it’s horrifying to the more traditional windclan cats."

"Do the clan have their own exclusive traditions or holidays?" - dorito p3

"Yes" (looking back w/ what i have now, not really) - soda boogaloo

"Windclan, thunderclan, and riverclan celebrate the summer solstice as it brings about wonderful times of prosperity for their traditions. Shadowclan celebrates summer too, but it’s not as big as the winter solstice."

"To them, the winter solstice is when they’re able to appreciate the power of their fires most, and the act of cuddling around a fire and sharing tongues with clanmates is invigorating to them."

"Shadowstar is the one who brought fire to the clans, so shadowclan was always known for their amazing flames. But eventually, for the safety of the other clans, they had to learn to share their flames, but keep their best tending secrets to themselves."

"This was so less cats got sick from hunger and cold during winters, ofc"

(brief diverge) "Difference in clanmate + family dynamics?" - dorito boogaloo

"Shadowclan is more closed off and independent, while windclan is very communal and open. Riverclan is more like shadow, but not as strongly independent, and thunder is more like wind" - soda v5

(diverge over) "anyways— It’s said the five four original clan leaders brought their skills to the forest."

"Shadowstar brought fire tending, Wind brought sun drying, Thunder brought hunting, and River brought weaving."

"In secret, though, many of the revolutionary ideas were from skyclan, who was the clan that was the best of all at smoking meat. They were forced to teach shadowclan their ways before leaving, however, so the clans could continue to have the tasty smoked steaks and such (scrapped this part)"

"(Note: not necessarily clear sky. just skyclan.)"

"It is “unknown” to most cats why the ideas stopped flowing in after some time."

"The last warriors of skyclan were actually able to build makeshift shelters better than ever seen in a clan before, as all of their last cultural ideas were stolen."

"hrmmm would thunder have brought useful hunting techniques and such specifically? as they would all Know how to hunt id think :0c they could also be attributed to the mutual respect between cat and prey and giving thanks for it" - mod haze

"Yeah— He brought up the idea of group hunts!" - mod soda

"Since thunder was born on the forest territories, it’s more like he just brought in the idea of herding prey, and eventually developed and evolved it into herding whole deer fawns"

"A skyclan cat was the one to propose [killing] adult deer after they shed their horns"

"It was considered bonkers at the time to herd whole adult deer, but it was actually genius when it turned out that cat had meant that you wait until antler-shedding season"

"Shadowstar along with Fire could bring the art of trapping and ambush" - mod dorito

"Yes! That was back in the days before the clans fully formed, though, and the fire later was no longer offered to the other four clans after they did" - mod soda

"Clear sky brought. very little value to the table in hindsight. Many thought he was a skilled tactician, but once he died, everyone looked back and realized he was just manipulating people."

"Many even refused to call him “skystar”"

"Even his own clanmates refused him that right after his death."

"In the old days, every clan had a little of all five skills — Experimenting, Cooking/Smoking, Drying, Weaving, and Hunting."

"But as things progressed, they began refining them, until it came to be that Skyclan cats were the best at experimenting and smoking meat, Shadowclan were best at cooking, Windclan were best at drying, Thunder at catching, and River at storing (weaving)"

"Riverclan had developed the skill of insulating cool places with ice and cotton w/sky’s help a few moons before disaster began striking skyclan"

"So riverclan knows how to refrigerate stuff and has the best resources to do that with (running river water + later sterilizing it through an early skyclan invention (charcoal water filters) and then freezing it in a basket with the food you wanna preserve until later inside)"

"it’s less a practice done to store food for all of winter and more done to store until the butt end of winter and early days of spring, when prey are barely starting to come out again and their dried/cooked/smoked food from the last solstice festival is running out"

"the festivals are dropped during the great journey because of how much of a toll it took on the clans"

"but later they get picked back up in the form of daylight gatherings at the lake territory when those become things"

"The daylight gatherings are more common than the festivals, and so the clans find it much easier to survive the inbetween weeks and they therefore have less animosity"

"Now, let’s talk about windclan. Windclan was vastly known for their amazing skill at drying herbs and meats quickly and efficiently. While not as tasty, things like dried meat, herbs, and spices (on occasion) were better to get through winder months with, so the clans were very reliant on the windclan drying process. This is part of why brokenstar took over and tried to eradicate the drying traditions."

"(To be clear, the clans used baskets and such from riverclan to transport their goods and tradable valuables to and from locations such as half-way camps and festival locations)"

"(Halfway camps are usually created halfway into the territory towards fourtrees/the island, and are locations for reprieve in the territory if you’re out too long or hurt/injured.)"

"(Clans with 2+ full medicine cats will have the excess med cats wander through the halfway camps and base camp to help heal any warriors who are resting there, injured. Halfway camps are also easy quarantine areas, but MUST be doused with hot water afterwards, as this is the only way the clans have found they can prevent further outbreaks in warriors who go back there.)"

"(This is part of why bluestar is so worried about kits in into the wild’s prologue. they only have one medicine cat, and per the ways of the clans, that is simply Not Good.)"

"When brokenstar eventually tries to assimilate shadow and windclan, he is fought against by Deadfoot and Tallstar, but they are sent fleeing past the borders as their clanmates are asleep or too confused and scared to fight. Windclan is communal and giving, so the idea that a clan would want to assimilate with another in such a violent way confuses them greatly."

"When tallstar and Deadfoot come back, it is with firepaw, greypaw, and the barn cats (of which there are multiple at the time). The barn cats rally the windclan warriors — hell, even some shadowclan warriors fight back (looking at nightpelt & others) — and soon, shadowclan is forced out in the middle of the night."

"No one knows which shadowclan warriors it was who fought back, either, because everyone was so confused and exhausted in the fray of the fighting that they just. couldn’t tell it was even shadowclan warriors"

"They just think that fire and grey brought more than they actually did"

"Tallstar lost a life in that fight, and so did every barn cat except barley, who was very upset at the loss of his friends, allies, and colleagues (of which there were 3)"

"This is also around the time raven joined barley, but barley insisted the young cat stay home and protect the barn."

"So, after that, the windclan cats were not sure what to do. They struggled to rebuild their clan, and were finally doing well (but not the same) again when tigerstar proposed the merge."

"Some of the cats born or raised during brokenstar’s rule over windclan were all for the idea of assimilating their cultures. They wanted more skills, more options and opportunities, but they were all shut down and forced to think like the rest of their clanmates by mudclaw."

"Of course, these young warriors and apprentices had no idea that tiger was worse than broken. Hell, some of them thought tall was weak and soft because he wasn’t like broken, who they remembered strongest from their childhoods."

"When this was discovered, everyone was appalled and showed them the horrors of what brokenstar had truly been doing through… less than helpful means."

"Honestly, it’s mudclaw’s willingness to and skill at stamping out these quarrels and horrible beliefs that makes him the prime candidate for deputy in tall’s eyes after deadfoot’s death."

"Anyways, windclan still wants desperately to get their old traditions of drying back, but it’s not the same now that shadowclan knows their secrets. And now Firestar wants to merge his clan with Tallstar’s, to defeat tigerstar…"

"To say they were uneager to merge clans again would be understating the problem."

"Of course, the elders’ fears came true. Thunderclan and Riverclan and Windclan youngsters began to train together, teaching each other the individual ways of their clans. This was put to a stop as soon as the clans went back to their individual camps, but things were never the same, not to those elders."

"Of course most of the bleeding of culture faded over the next year or so, but that didn’t change the fact that what was done was done."

"And then… we have thunderclan."

"“Let all those whose lives are forged from the blood they spill gather under the highrock for a clan meeting!”"

"Little thunderclan, being forged on the blood of prey animals and the act of hunting animals heavier than one can ever hope to carry on their own. Thunderclan, the ones known as regal and generous natures, despite the absolute cruelty and chaotic ways they treat their prey with."

"Thunderclan, the ones who just can’t seem to keep their opinions to themselves, thunderclan, the ones who always have to get their ways, thunderclan… the one who was founded by a child."

"It isn’t helpful that the cat prophesied to save the clans came to thunderclan. It isn’t helpful that he became loud and obnoxious like the rest of them. It isn’t helpful that he became their leader."

"Do the rest of clans get the prophecy?" - mod dorito

"crookedstar and tallstar do. brokenstar does not." - mod soda

"thunderclan is the most hated, the most annoying, the most brutish fighters, and they’re aware of it. They know the other clans won’t fight their will because if they try, they might risk making themselves a target for the great warriors of thunderclan, a target of the greatest leader ever, even. Firestar isn’t like that, but he will make it known when he thinks his course of action is the best. Which is all of the time."

"Is it firestar’s idea? Yes? It’s great, keep going. Is it anyone else’s? No, stop it."

"Do they fight over Firepaw?" - mod dorito

"Uhhhh not really? Crookedstar is more occupied holding riverclan together and tallstar is trying to repair windclan. Neither can really take on the responsibility of a prophetic child." - mod soda

(the rest delves into more cat and arc-specific lore instead of culture stuff.)

[crowtrobotx]

@whateverthefuckyouwantiguess sent me a lovely ask about what Karl and Lottie’s most chaotically fluffy moment was. Tumblr, being Tumblr, completely demolished the formatting when I tried to answer and then proceeded to just delete everything when I tried to edit lol.

Anyway, did you want a ~2k word fic in response? Because you got a ~2k word fic in response. I sell chaotic father daughter fluff and chaotic father daughter fluff accessories.

Characters: Karl Heisenberg, OC (daughter)

Warnings: Swearing, brief and non serious mention of drugs/alcohol. ***

In some other life, Karl might have been a heavy sleeper. In a world where he didn’t have the omnipresent eye of Mother Miranda burning into the back of his neck, something like the suspicious clattering coming from outside his bedroom wouldn’t have even fazed him. But in this reality, all it took was the whirr of an appliance turning on for a few seconds to send him rocketing out of bed, clothed only in his boxers and stained undershirt, his hammer at the ready to flatten whoever had the audacity to come into his factory and use his hand mixer.

Had he been more awake, he might have paused to consider that the likelihood of a villager or even one of his “siblings” breaking in only to cook a late night snack was… small. Unless the flies had broken into their mother’s wine cellar, the culprit was either ghosts, a malfunctioning soldat – personal cyborg cook, filing that away for future experiments – or….

“Lottie! Dammit, what are you doing awake?”

Karl paused in the kitchen doorway, letting his muscles relax and the hammer clunk against the floor. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of her, perfectly unharmed, but coated in a fine dusting flour. Well, either that or cocaine – he wouldn’t have put it past her, to be honest.

She turned to look at him from her perch atop a chair, panic evident in her features. She curled her small frame over whatever she was working on, shielding it from his view. The hand mixer that had given her away – missing a beater – dropped unceremoniously onto the table.

“Ack! Don’t look! You’re ruining the surprise!”

Karl moved cautiously into the room. It was a mess at the best of times, but it looked like a tiny tornado had passed through. There was a cracked egg lying forgotten on the tile, every spice they owned strewn about the counter, and a trail of discarded spoons leading from the sink to where Lottie was, still watching him like a hawk. He fished around the top of the fridge until he found one of his many, many cigar stashes – complete with matchbox. He used the time it took to light one to both calm his still jittery nerves and sift through the possible responses to the unusual situation.

He wasn’t going to scold her. He couldn’t. And, in truth, he wasn’t angry. Mostly just confused – what on earth had gotten into her this time? Was this normal? Did little girls go through a culinary phase? She had been acting strangely the last week, spending an inordinate amount of time sifting through his book collection and whispering to the Duke when he dropped by. Karl had attributed this to her usual antics, one of those silly games she liked to make up on the fly, but maybe they had been plotting something after all.

“Surprise, huh? So, what’s the occasion?” He gestured vaguely around the kitchen, hoping he sounded cool and casual. Kids respected that, after all. He was hip – he knew these things.

Lottie straightened up, looking sad suddenly. He could see now that she was hunched over a large mixing bowl – the mixing bowl, considering they only owned one – with a cookbook sprawled open next to it. He wasn’t quite sure how she could even read it given how much food debris had ended up on the pages.

“You really don’t remember?” she asked quietly.

Uh oh. Karl felt sweat immediately form on his forehead. Lottie’s birthday was in February. He never forgot that. Christmas was most certainly not coming up, and they never celebrated any of the villagers’ holidays unless forced to put in an appearance. There were no anniversaries worth acknowledging anymore, no special occasions to speak of for at least the next three months. Did they have some kind of social engagement? No, of course not – no one invited them anywhere out of their own free will, thank goodness.

He must have taken too long or looked particularly befuddled, because with an angry stomp of her foot Lottie interrupted his racing thoughts.

“It’s your birthday tomorrow!” She pointed at the calendar hanging lopsided over the sink. April 4th was circled in red crayon and decorated by two crudely drawn stick figures in party hats. Karl gaped at it like a dumbfounded fish.

He’d forgotten. Again.

Who could blame him? If his parents – his real parents – had ever celebrated with him, the memories had been lost to time, extinguished like the candles in one of Miranda’s miserable, rickety churches whenever a stiff wind blew through the bones of the frame. Only one other person had ever cared, and she, too, was lost forever. Decades, unnatural and agonizing, had slipped by. Older than he should have ever been, without any of the positives a long life should have brought forth.

Well, almost all.

Lottie was watching him still, no longer trying to hide her work. A hand drawn card, something wrapped hastily with twine. It made sense, suddenly. She’d tried to plan a surprise party. She was attempting to make the chocolate cake she’d found among the dusty pages. The cookbook, mostly in German, was something left in the factory by one of his ancestors that he had shoved into an unlabeled box where it could never haunt him with its presence. But she’d, apparently, struggled through it with her limited vocabulary just to try to please him.

Shit.

“Oh, Butterfly.” Karl walked to her side now, ruffling her messy hair. “You don’t have to do all this. If you wanted a cake I coulda just harassed the town baker for one. This is… nice, but I think you got more stuff on the floor than in the bowl.”

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” The change in volume was jarring. “You always do things for me on my birthday! You’re supposed to let other people buy you stuff and make you stuff! At the very least you’re supposed to have fun! You never want to do anything. You’re so boring!”

Karl huffed. “Hey now, how would you know that? You ain’t been around nearly long enough to be sayin’ that kinda stuff – your old man was a party animal back in his day.”

He had never been a party animal. Not once in his life.

Lottie sighed and looked down into the bowl, defeated. The tips of her ears had begun to flush – either out of simple frustration, or a colossal meltdown was incoming. Guilt churned in Karl’s belly – this was awkward. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but he truthfully didn’t know how to act. He did like the idea of a day where everyone had to celebrate him and give him shit – hell, he would love to make Alcina tell him five nice things about him – but this particular act was too… personal. He was completely out of his element.

Not to mention…. What was going on in that bowl? He was no baking expert, but he was pretty sure cake batter wasn’t supposed to look like… that.

“Hic. Sniff.”

Oh God. Oh no.

The eyes. She was doing the eyes--!

No no no no no no—

“D-don’t cry! Don’t cry! I’m just surprised is all! In a good way!” Karl was nearly shouting in desperation. “Look! Here! Let’s get it in the pan so it can bake! That’ll be fun, right? WE’RE HAVING FUN?”

One of the cabinets opened on its own with a loud bang as cake pan flew like a bullet off of its shelf and into his hand. Karl slammed it down on the table and snatched the batter up, half tempted to just eat it raw with his bare hands to calm her down.

Lottie blinked, the tantrum vanishing as quickly as it had come on. She threw in an extra snuffle for good measure before nodding, placated. “O-okay.”

Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating – the fourth and most dangerous Lord, bulldozed by a child. Oh, well. No one had to know. Besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t eaten his fair share of expired SPAM over the years. He hadn’t died – likely because of the mutant parasite squirming in his chest, but who was counting.

There was nothing for it. Karl resituated his cigar between his teeth and reexamined the contents of the bowl. It wasn’t that bad. There were really only a few visible eggshells, a little bit of flour that hadn’t quite mixed in yet… and the ashes he’d now accidentally used as a garnish.

Lottie looked up at him, disappointed. “Flavoring,” Karl said gruffly.

He watched the contents of the bowl ooze into the pan, momentarily fascinated that his daughter had created something which appeared to be neither liquid, gas nor solid. Maybe she was actually some kind of genius – well, of course she was – and he’d have to have her recreate the substance. For science.

“Hey, Lot. Did you put everything in there it says to?”

“Yep!”

“Are you uh…. Are you sure, kiddo?”

She shot him a glare. Lottie looked mostly like him, or at least when he’d been younger. The only evidence of her mother’s participation was the constellation of freckles across her nose and the curls, tighter than his own, adorning her head. But when she was mad – really mad-- dear God. She looked exactly like her, and it sent a shiver down Karl’s spine.

“I know what I’m doing,” she hissed.

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled instinctively.

Lottie hopped off the chair and followed him to the ancient oven, in desperate need of cleaning, which she’d miraculously preheated without burning the entire place down. He was proud of her, considering she must have taught herself how to do… everything. He certainly wasn’t showing her how to cook. She looked pleased as punch, even though he’d inadvertently spoiled the surprise.

He should say something. He wanted to say something, but he wasn’t sure what he could say that wasn’t miserably awkward or might, God forbid, make him feel things.

“There we go!” he said once the cake was in. “Can’t wait to sample the first ever Chef Charlotte creation.”

Lottie flinched at her full name being used. “Papa.”

“What? It’s alliteration. Sounds better that way. You’d understand if you were as well-spoken as me.”

Karl gave her forehead a playful flick, to which she responded with a light punch to his thigh. Discomfort of the moment aside, he allowed himself to get a little bit excited about his birthday for the first time in years. What had she gotten him? Had she made it herself? Did she ask the Duke for recommendations? Did she steal it from the big bitch’s castle? Oh, that would be grand.

“Thanks, by the way,” he said at last. It wasn’t enough, but it was all he could do. As if she precisely knew just that, Lottie flung her arms around his middle and squeezed as hard as she could.

“You gotta promise to keep the card on the fridge, too. It’s art. I used my good crayons on it.”

Karl laughed. The good crayons. Damn, he must’ve been really important. He’d like to see one of those priceless portraits in the castle hold a candle to the good crayons.

A moment passed, a rare lull in the usual madness of the factory. While down below there were gears churning and furnaces ablaze and abominations fumbling in the dark, in their perfectly unremarkable mess of a kitchen Karl was once again reminded of why exactly he needed to dismantle the nightmare that had loomed over his head for most of his life.

“Hey,” he said excitedly, crouching down until the two of them were eye to eye. He gestured to the oven with his thumb. “It’s gonna be midnight soon. Wanna get crazy and demolish that bad boy as soon as it’s done?”

Lottie scrunched up her nose. “Are you kidding me? I’m not eating that shit. It’s your birthday.”

Lottie scrunched up her nose. “Are you kidding me? I’m not eating that shit. It’s your birthday.”

[miraculousfanworks]

Brief Writing Prompts FAQ!

As you all may have noticed, Writing Prompts have been posted with regularity over the past week, with a new format. In light of this, here's an FAQ (or, uh, a Would-be FAQ) about the writing prompts we post here on the Miraculous Fanworks tumblr!

Where do the prompts come from? The prompts come from out associated Discord Server, where we have a designated channel for people in our community to submit prompts for fanfiction. That's why each prompt has a "Prompt by:" section, indicating which of our server members was responsible for it. Not all prompts posted there get posted on the tumblr page, though. There's just too many. So instead we have a system where if a prompt has to get a certain amount of likes before it's put into the queue.

I made a prompt that's gotten enough likes on the server, why has it not been posted yet? Patience, grasshopper. Even with our restrictions on what can and cannot be posted, we still have a LOT of prompts in our backlog. We're slowly but surely making our way through. To ensure viewers of the tumblr page get a constant stream of content in the mean time, we put all the prompts in a queue set to update a couple times a day. Your prompt will make it onto the page eventually!

I made a prompt that was published on the page, but you didn't credit me correctly. What do I do? Simply reach out to us, and we will do our best to fix the mistake! We credit people mostly based on the usernames and/or nicknames they use on Discord (hence the lack of tumblr or ao3 profile links), so if you'd rather be credited differently then please tell us! You get to be properly credited, and we ensure that our records are accurate. Everyone wins!

Can I write a fanfiction (or otherwise create fan content) based off these prompts? Yes, absolutely, that is what they are here for. Just make sure to give some credit to the prompt's creator! (And if you feel like giving us a shout-out too, well, we certainly won't mind!)

Are prompts posted to the tumblr exactly the way they were posted in the discord server? We try to maintain as much of the original formatting as possible when copying prompts over, unfortunately in some cases that's just not possible. The most common example of this is when people incorporate Discord formatting or emojis into the prompt. It's common practice for people to use our custom character emojis for script-format prompts, and since we obviously can't use those on the tumblr such posts are edited to maintain the intention of the original as much as possible. If a prompt is preceded by a comment from its a creator saying it's a reference to something else on the server, than that comment will usually be removed or edited since tumblr users can't make use of them. Also, if there's a spelling or punctuation error that's particularly jarring then we'll fix it, but usually we try to leave the prompts as they are. If a prompt by you gets published with edits you do not approve of, then by all means reach out to us and we will fix it.

Who's posting all of these? Who's responsible for the prompt titles, and the tags? That would be me. Hi, I'm Maspers, one of the Miraculous Fanworks mods running the tumblr. Posting writing prompts (with editing if necessary) to the queue is my job. I'm also responsible for the majority of the titles given to the prompts, since usually the prompt creator doesn't make one themselves. If the title WAS created by the prompt's creator, it'll be in quotes (" ") and I'll make note of it in the tags. And yes, the tags are also my doing, since obviously those aren't present on Discord.

Why do I see a lot of the same names responsible for creating prompts? Isn't your community pretty big? It is pretty big. But as stated previously, the prompts posted here have to reach a certain amount of likes on the server first, and some people just have a knack for making good prompts! This goes for the stuff featured in the prompts too, some concepts and characters are just more popular. If you want to see even more prompts by even more people about an even bigger variety of Miraculous-related stuff, then come join our server and check out our writing prompts channel there!

I have a question about the writing prompts that isn't answered here. How do I get it answered? Reach out to us with your question, and we will do our best to answer it for you! The Miraculous Fanworks moderating team takes its job very seriously, and we want to ensure that everyone in our community feels like they can come to us for assistance. So don't hesitate to reach out!

Who thought putting Maspers in charge of managing the prompts was a good idea? He's insane. Look I'm just as surprised as you are, really.

Thanks so much for reading this brief FAQ about the Writing Prompts on this tumblr! We hope you continue to enjoy them! Have a nice day!

[missremember]

HoAS Turns 3!

Happy third anniversary to Hero of Another Story! I wanted to have chapter 10 out today, but alack. Real life has been draining me pretty hard. I'm hoping to get it out this month, though!

I started this story in 2020 as what I thought would be a brief eviction of some brainworms during a pretty rough period of my life. Now, HoAS is probably the longest continuous work I've written so far. Like...ever.

Despite how much I THOUGHT I was a good writer when I started, I can actually track, chapter by chapter, my improvement over time. Or, well, maybe it was just a change in style to one I like more. Others can judge, haha. But it's a truly fascinating cross-section, and unlike other projects...I still really like it.

I do have one small announcement about this story, actually: I've decided to break it up into "books."

This is mainly an accessibility decision. HoAS is over 70,000 words long at this point, and assuming I continue it to completion, there will be approximately 26 more chapters. It doesn't affect me either way how long the story is as one work, but I've gotten a lot of feedback about the impediment that is sometimes imposed upon readers when they see fic with a 5-or-6-digit word count, to say nothing of comments I've gotten about chapter length (shoutout to the one person who essentially called it an unreadable wall of text XP). It may sound like I'm making a slightly major decision based purely on criticism, and perhaps to an extent I am, but the way I see it I'm publishing a story that I want other people to read and enjoy, and if that means making what is essentially a formatting adjustment to make that story more accessible then that's fine by me.

Thusly, when chapter 10 comes out, I will be marking it as "complete" and adjusting the title accordingly. I'll also, at that time, be officially placing the story on hiatus, as I've been publishing this story over years, and it...kind of shows. I want to go back and edit the previous chapters to be more consistent and also do some good ol' copy editing, as there are a LOT of things that need fixing in that department as well (including spelling a character's name wrong almost every time that they're mentioned. Yiiiiikes lol). I can't say how long this will last given the length. Granted, I'm also not sure what difference putting something on hiatus makes when that something's fastest update speed between chapters was 2 months lmao.

During this time I'll also be looking to update the other multi-chaps that I have going, so you can look forward to those!

I also just wanr to say that, realistically, I'm aware that I'm not very popular. The audience for my stories compared to a lot of other writers in this fandom is...almost microscopic. But the readers that I have are so kind and so dedicated that I don't really care! To the audience that has been encouraging me to write and cheering me on for the past three years, I thank you from the very bottom of my heart. I wish I could put into words how much the comments, conversations, kudos, and every other thing that has been shared with me means. But hopefully this sappy tumblr post will suffice, lol.

I hope that this story continues to grow with me, and that we can all be excited for what's to come.

Happy birthday, Hero of Another Story! Here's to you!

[open-hearth-rpg]

Player-Facing: Great RPG Mechanics #RPGMechanics Week Five

I talked about letters and epistolary forms yesterday. They have a kind of immediacy to them– a direct communication from writer to reader, even if you aren’t the intended recipient. That feeling has made them a rich and useful tool in Good Society and in many solo rpgs.

The long time companion to the letter in ttrpgs has been the handout. These have been there since the earliest days– the first ones I recall came from early Call of Cthulhu modules and D&D tournament modules like The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. They offered in-universe objects for players to peruse– often hand drawn. These things came before Desktop Publishing and so everything had to be laid out and replicated.

I especially love objects which weren’t just summaries or images, but instead tried to look like real things from the world. Business cards, classified ads, maps, etc. It’s something of a lost art in a world of quicker online play where we can mock up battle maps and find pictures in an instant. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything quite as ambitious as my notebook for Changeling the Lost and that’s too bad in some ways.

But some games have taken the concept of player-facing materials and really delved into them. I have two old favorites in this category. The first is the classic City of Lies boxed set for the first edition of Legend of the Five Rings. This is a city campaign made up of several booklets. The basic premise is that the PCs are a new party of magistrates arriving in the city following the murder of the previous magistrate. The players are given a document which is assembled from various records and scandalous publications. It is an unreliable narrator with some things out of date and others hidden by alternate names. It’s a great companion to the campaign, even if it is a little overwhelming.

The gem of this is a smaller player-facing booklet, the testimony of the murdered magistrate. It offers more insights and clues. Importantly it is brief enough all the players can reasonably be expected to skim through it and find some direction. As a whole, City of Lies is hard to beat– and would be an amazing thing for someone to update to the latest version of the rules and setting.

The other book which sticks with me has a technique I haven’t yet seen adopted by anyone else. Robin Laws’ Players Guide to Kaiin presents a single city for The Dying Earth rpg. But it is not a GM guide. It is a player's guide filled with neighborhoods, characters, details, secrets, and rumors. It is funny, revolting, and compelling in a splendid mix– filled with folks who might help you but might just as easily strip your boots off when you pass out.

The conceit Player’s Guide to Kaiin is that the players look through and find something which catches their eye, fits with their plots, or looks worth exploring. They then tell the GM that’s what they wish to interact with and go to town, literally and figuratively. Like serious, it is great. I wish more city books existed which took this approach. Frankly it shocks me that we don’t have a guide like this for Eversink from Swords of the Serpentine.

I’m pretty sure you can draw a line from Kaiin to another Robin Laws’ masterpiece, The Armitage Files. That offers an improvisational campaign structure built around a series of ten documents. All of these seem to come from a messed up future, written by the PCs patron apparently. They tell of terrible things to come. They offer hooks, names, and incidents which the players can choose how they wish to explore them.

There are several brilliant aspects to this approach. They feel like old-school handouts with different formats, handwriting, and voice. There’s a sense of a chronology to the dissolution of the author. That’s wonderfully complicated by the fact that these letters can be presented in any order– with that basic choice shaping the play.

Importantly the letters are tight– one or two pages iirc– which means that every player can look at a copy and work through it. I love the latter player-facing full document innovation of Dracula Dossier, but that’s an overwhelming text for all the players to work through. It requires full buy-in from the group– otherwise you get the same quarterbacking problem that plagues co-op board games. Armitage also provides a plain-text version of each document which really helps at the table.

I think there’s lots of room for interesting, rich, player-facing stuff today. It doesn’t have to be massive– in fact I think these things being smaller and/or easily broken into chunks for players to work through. The trick is to make these things actionable: presented in such a way that players can immediately find cool things they want to do on any page, rather than having to read through the whole of a book.

[shraddhamatre]

How to Pass the GATE PI Exam and Open the Door to a Lucrative Career in Petroleum Engineering

One of the most prominent and difficult tests for engineering students in India is the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). It provides access to research, postsecondary education, and lucrative career prospects in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Because of its importance in the energy industry, Petroleum Engineering (PI) is one of the several subjects given in GATE. This blog will offer a helpful how-to for passing the GATE PI exam and advancing your petroleum engineering career.

Comprehending the GATE PI Test The GATE Petroleum Engineering program is especially intended for students who want to work in the oil and gas sector or other related industries. A wide range of subjects are included in the syllabus, such as well logging, production technology, reservoir engineering, and drilling engineering. Due to the exam's extensive syllabus and depth of technical content, preparation should be methodical and systematic.

The GATE PI exam consists of three sections: General Aptitude (15% weightage) Engineering Mathematics (15% weightage) Petroleum Engineering (70% weightage) Each section plays a crucial role in determining your score, and balancing preparation for all sections is key to success.

Important Hints for Cracking GATE PI: 

1. Fully Understand the Syllabus To start getting ready for the GATE PI, make sure you comprehend the whole curriculum. Drilling, fluid mechanics, petroleum exploration, and thermodynamics are some of the significant subjects covered in it. Make a topic-by-topic study plan when you are comfortable with the syllabus to make sure no significant material is overlooked.

2. Pay Attention to Fundamental Subjects Given that petroleum engineering makes over 70% of the final grade, give your core topics top priority. It is crucial to start with basic ideas and work your way up to more complex subjects like reservoir engineering if you want to do well on the test. Make sure your concepts are clear, and practice answering a range of questions related to each subject.

3. Technical Mastery Engineering Mathematics 15% of the overall points come from mathematics, which, with proper preparation, may be a scoring part. In GATE exams, topics like probability, numerical techniques, and linear algebra are frequently revisited. To master this part, practice on a regular basis and work over the previous year's questions.

4. General aptitude should not be disregarded Although it's a rather simple component, general aptitude is heavily weighted. Concentrate on honing your quantitative and linguistic skills via practice. You may easily get decent grades if you dedicate at least an hour a day to this part.

5. Complete Mock Tests and Previous Year Papers By completing GATE PI past year question questions, you may have a comprehensive grasp of the test format and difficulty level. Mock exams help you get better at time management by simulating the real exam setting. After every exam, evaluate your performance to find your weak points and make corrections.

6. Edit Frequently You must revise if you want to remember the ideas you've learned. For every topic, jot down brief notes that include essential definitions, formulae, and concepts. To help you remember the material, go over these notes on a frequent basis.

7. Retain a cheerful disposition and be dependable Preparing for GATE PI calls for consistency and optimism. Divide up your study sessions into tiny, achievable goals, and treat yourself when you reach them. To maintain your high energy levels, surround yourself with positive people and stay motivated. Career Possibilities Following GATE PI The GATE PI test is a prerequisite for admission to prestigious universities like the IITs and NITs. Petroleum engineers are in great demand in PSUs like ONGC, IOCL, and BPCL, and this presents prospects for lucrative employment offers there. It also opens doors for international and Indian research in the petroleum and energy industries.

In summary To succeed in the GATE PI exam, one must combine diligence, forethought, and consistency. You may ace this tough test and open up a world of prospects in the petroleum engineering field by studying hard, comprehending the curriculum, and concentrating on your main courses.

Start Your Preparation With: https://gameacademy.in/ / https://clppenny.page.link/cTBm

Recommended: https://www.youtube.com/@gblions / https://www.youtube.com/@gblionsaeje 

[kingdompressnews]

“Calling all Charismatic Hosts and Interviewers! Join us at Peyko Community Broadcasting Network and Showcase Your Talent on Air!”

Dear talented individuals,

Peyko Community Broadcasting Network is excited to announce that we are currently accepting show submissions for our program lineup. We are looking for engaging talk shows or interview-style programs that will captivate our audience. If you have a great idea for a show and believe you have what it takes to host or interview guests, we want to hear from you!

Please take a moment to fill out the following questionnaire and email it to us along with any supporting materials (such as a show reel, samples of previous work, or a pitch deck). We can’t wait to see what you have in store!

Questionnaire:

1. Show Format: Will your show be a talk show or interview style? Please provide a brief description of your preferred format and the type of guests you plan to interview.

2. Duration: How long do you envision each episode being? Please note that interviews can be up to one hour but will be edited down to a maximum of 30 minutes.

3. Goal/Purpose: What is the main goal or purpose of your show? Is there a specific message or theme you aim to convey to your audience?

4. Target Audience: Who is your target audience? Consider their demographics, interests, and preferences when describing your ideal viewers.

5. Re-Run Schedule: How frequently would you like your show to re-run? Examples include once or twice a week or month.

6. Set Decor/Theme: Do you have a specific set decor or theme in mind for your show? Please describe any visual elements that will contribute to the overall atmosphere of your program.

7. In-studio or Remote: Will your show be filmed in-studio or remotely? Please specify if you plan on shooting on-location or utilizing virtual platforms for interviews.

8. Equipment Knowledge: Are you able to operate studio equipment yourself? This includes cameras, microphones, lighting, etc.

9. Editing Skills: Can you handle the editing process for your show? If not, are you willing to work with our editing team to ensure a polished final product?

10. Release Forms: Will you and your interviewees be willing to sign image/voice release forms? This is to ensure that all parties involved have given their consent for the content to be aired on our network.

11. Broadcasting Platform: Will your show be exclusively run on our network, or do you have your own streaming platform? Please indicate your preference.

12. Content Guidelines: Do you agree to refrain from airing any shows with profanity, pornography, or nudity content? We aim to maintain a family-friendly environment on our network.

Thank you for your interest in joining Peyko Community Broadcasting Network! We look forward to reviewing your submissions and finding the next great addition to our program lineup.

Contact Us :

Address - Florida

Phone - (239) 280-5554

Email - subscribe@kingdompressnews.com

Website - The Kingdom Press

Blog - “Calling all Charismatic Hosts and Interviewers! Join us at Peyko Community Broadcasting Network and Showcase Your Talent on Air!”

[cidthesquid]

Today is the Day - Style Savvy : Styling Star #01

[TrendSetters]              [First Post]              [Next Post] We've finally reached the last game of the series:

If this is your first time reading my blog, Welcome! I'm playing through this entry for the first time, and will be talking about my experiences, while sharing some related person stories (if relevant) If you've already played them all, maybe I can give you a different perspective on your favorite entry! My format can get a little word-y, so if you're mainly just here for the screenshots, that's 100% okay too! Enjoy this blog however you'd like

Here is a brief summary of my thoughts on the other entire thus far:

Style Savvy DS: I have yet to finish this entry, so I won't speak a ton about it, Fun to pick up and play, really nice art style, really amazing for it's time.

Style Savvy: Trendsetters: Feels like a much more refined version of Style Savvy DS Has a laser like focus of on Dress-up and shop management. But sadly other elements, even the really fun fashion contests, can feel a little repetitive, due to lack of feedback/felt progression.

Style Savvy: Fashion Forward: (My Fav!) Significantly more variety than 'Trendsetters' But at the cost of focus. It feels like a borderline 'life-sim' game, with the exploration and socializing. Mens fashion and fashion contests are gone, and cosmetics are harder to unlock. But with the options to design (recolor/pattern) your own original outfits, as well as act as a hair stylist and makeup artist, You can really give customers a full makeover, and there's always more to do!

My Hopes for Styling Star: In short, I'd really like this to be a mix of the other two 3ds games. The easy to measure linear progression of trendsetters, with the variety and customization of Fashion Forward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -Day 01-

All three games have wildly different intros This time, we're having our uncle help us move in into our new town, he owns the local boutique, subtlety labeled as 'My Shop', and invites us to visit. (hmm, I wonder if this will be ours someday.)

ok, so it's actually called 'Timorrow', not much better, and it looks like we'll be living in the room above it. After a brief introduction, you're able to design your character:

Once again, Style Savvy proves to have one of the best character designers I've seen, with tons of options! (and unlike even some other more modern Japanese fashion game, darker skin tones!)

The art style this time around, kinda favors pastels, so skin tones will look different, But overall, I still like the new art style! Anyways,Here's my final look:

(sorry, recorded that gif at only 5fps D: other gifs should be smoother)

While live blogging this all out, I do notice that this 'Styling Star' version of my characters looks quite a bit different, maybe it was my choice of eyes, the new skin shader or something else. I think I'll stick with design, though, and see if it grows on me, There is a program you can use to backup, edit and transfer character appearances for both 'Styling Star' and 'Fashion Forward', so worst case, I could just import my previous avatar. ------- Anyways, after completing the single tutorial customer, we're told that our uncle is leaving the shop to us so he can follow is dreams. And next we're given the chance to choose one of six shop assistants:

We had these back in 'Trendsetters', But I don't remember them doing much, they did not make sales for you, or handle checkout, So maybe their role will be expanded in this game.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- And with that, We're all ready to start the game:

It seems like they've split the tutorial in half, only teaching us the essentials before allowing us to save, tryout makeup, and explore bit. Oh, and it also looks like this game ads.. Nails Customization?

(I wish there was a way to preview your whole character with the nails, it can be a little trick to coordinate only being able to see your hands, and not the outfit or face. 'My Debut! - MODEL Debut 3 #nicola' found a way around this, having the character simply hold their Hands in front of their face, (but maybe that came out later. The 'Look Book' is also expanded, as now it includes the option to fully preview and name your outfit:

(The icon will still only show one piece.) Once I leave the apartment, I can explore a selection of the city, with a few key points of interest:

I stopped by the baker first, and got some decorative baguettes, Then, even though it was not marked, with an '!' I stopped by the shop.

You get a brief introduction to your assistant, as both of you check out the shop for the first time, They actually comment on the state of the shop, and you can ask them how they met your uncle, It's pretty cool to actually have an assistant who feels like their part of the narrative this time around, they even have dialogue. After our chat, we get our first customer, (part 2 of the tutorial) and we're treated to more fun Style Savvy dialogue:

It looks like the 'Multi-search' thing from 'fashion forward' is back, where you can specifically search for a color, image, brand and more (with new options), to help really narrow down your choices,

And a new 'Search by order' function is added too! The apartment remodeling From 'Trendsetters' returns, merged with 'Fashion Forward's decoration options.

You can now even stack smaller items on surfaces such as dressers and desks. And while both games let you remodel your shop, there were only a few fixed designs you could pick. Fashion forward added a few placeable items spots, But Styling Star, allows you to fully design your shop, just like you would your apartment!

And you'll also have a scrapbook for this, so you can save your favorite layouts! I've been really enjoying this free-form prologue, but since we can't by close yet, let's progress the plot. So next stop...Nin10 Productions!

(Nin-ten Pro? I see what you did there) So we learn a little more about the town, and we're told to track down the president of the company. So after I leave, I walked around a bit, visited the park, and talked to more characters, before deciding to return to the shop. After helping a few more customers, my assistant explains the 'try it on' mechanic, where you can recommend an outfit/item more strongly.

As with previous games, it's a gamble where if you're wrong the customer leaves the store, But it makes them more likely to give the item a shot, and if they like you get a flashy response and bonus funds:

And it looks like another new feature has been added,

"I'll just restock" is a new option that puts the customer on hold until you can get the item they requested, and when combined with the new 'Check Stock', you'll always know if you have what they're looking for, before you agree to help! It's such a simple and effective solution, it's kind of hard to believe that in previous games, you just had to turn them away, and wait for them to show up again later:

The shopping experience is streamlined too:

The layout is better, it's faster and easier to add items to your cart, and you can even have the brand rep recommend items! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alright, I think that's a good stopping point for today! So far my opinions of this game are very positive! It seems to offer the variety I liked from 'Fashion Forward', with the structure from 'Trendsetters', and still manages to find ways to improve the positives of both! I can't wait to play more!

See you all next time!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you had fun reading it as well. (Click here For bonus Post 1.5) (Click here for Part 2)

As always, all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! (I'm also looking for feedback on this new style, how's the formatting, too many Gifs?)

You literally can't bother me, (unless you go out of your way to be a jerk), so post whatever you need to say!

[sayaka-mga2024mi4017]

1000 Word Essay- Deliverable

In the brief it mentions that we have to write a 1000 word essay on a chosen film and analyze it with the knowledge we learnt from this module being the foundation of film studies.

My chosen film; The Colour of Pomegranates by Sergei Parajanov

Analysis takes place from 00:43 - 10:43

We were instructed by our lecturer to first create two skeletal structures of the essay, and from that I came up with two essay formats;

i) this essay format is more centered around the Armenian influence evident throughout the film and how it is personal towards the director as well.

Intro:- deep dive into armenian culture and Sayat Nova

-director style and background, Intention of the film, style of the film -symbolism and imagery Significance of the imagery and its connection to Sayat Nova -technical aspects of editing techniques, lighting, colour etc.. Why these technical aspects are used and how it plays significance to the intention of the film

Conclusion; the avant garde aspect is to primarily focus on it being a visual allegory toward the mind of Sayat Nova

ii) this format looks more into the film's technical aspect and how its unorthodox nature in the soviet film industry created a new precedent of embracing one's individualistic ideals

Intro- Sergei’s directorial style and how the film was almost revolutionary towards a soviet film industry as well, on a global and local aspect as it was avant garde

-narration style- abstract non-linear

-the placement of items and its symbolism towards the character and why it is used as such by the director 

-the inherent Mise-en-scene used and how it almost represents a theater as such with elaborate costumes and set designs. 

Conclusion; a revolutionary film that focuses on itself being a visual experience for the audience and creates a new precedent within a structuralized nationalistic soviet film industry. 

However, after showing both structures to the lecturer we both agreed that the second format would make a more compelling essay but the content discussed in the first format could solidify the conclusion point in the essay,

Intro: contextualization of the director, Sergei Parajanov, and the soviet film industry during the 60s to 70s on a global scale. 

-Symbolism and Imagery Significance of the imagery and its significance to Sayat Nova

-Cinematography Lighting, editing techniques, colour,

-Avant-garde nature Mise-en-scene and narrative style

Conclusion;  a revolutionary film that focuses on itself being a visual experience for the audience and creates a new precedent within a structuralized nationalistic soviet film industry.

^after making the necessary adjustments and also clarifying the necessary points needed for the essay format, I was given the green light by the lecturer to write the essay

From this she had advised me to search for articles (on Google Scholar) on the Soviet film industry and its nature along with its global presence in the world.

I had found an array of articles to which I had found an array of articles that looked into the soviet film industry, the armenian culture, and a deep dive into the symbolism of the film as well.

[illusbylor]

Digital Skills with Kalina Pulit

Concept + Storyboarding

NewJeans - Ditto

Wes Anderson - The French Dispatch

During Kalina’s lessons, we considered context and format and how the placement of our work affects the audiences perspective on it. For the “A letter to...” brief I considered writing to my childhood home using camcorder footage and nostaglic imagery and music. Above are the visual references I considered for the potential production of this piece. I planned to use a mix media of film, and child-like drawn animation.

Pre production

This class talked us through all elements of pre production and planning.

Staff roles in Production:

Writer (sometimes also a Director)

Director (sometimes also a Writer)

Production Company

Executive Producer

Producer

Production Assistant (PA)

Director of Photography / Cinematographer

Art Director, Set Designer, Prop Stylist

Costume Designer / Stylist

Hair and Make Up Artist, Nail Technician, Prosthetics Artist, Special Effects

Planning involved in Pre-production:

Collating references

Creating a budget

Making a schedule

Casting – scouting and booking talent

Legal docus - any permits required

Testing – camera, costume fitting, make up, audio

Team brief

Rehearsals

Contracts

"A video treatment is a document that presents your idea for a music video, short film, or video project in a way that's easy to understand, visualize, and sell. A good treatment is a roadmap that outlines your vision, showcases your creativity, and demonstrates your ability to execute the project."

Video treatments contains: 

Inspiration + refs

Concept

Storyboard

Character description

Cinematography

Location, set design

Casting, performance direction

Costume, hair and make up

Plot diagram + narrative arc:

Post production and Editing

Case study Nike - 'You Can’t Stop Us’ campaign.

voice over

storyline

cross cutting

colour grading + colour correction

building audio to build tension

Post production roles:

Editor

Post Producer

Animator

Colourist

VFX Artist

Motion Graphics Designer, Graphic Designer, Titles Designer

Sound Editor

Composer, Sound Designer, Foley Artist

Sound Mix Engineer

Types of editing such as:

Cross Cutting

L Cut

J Cut

Solange - 'Crane in the Sky'

We were asked to consider for our own work:

Editing style – pace, overlays, cuts or transitions

Colour grade/ colour correcting

Animation/ VFX

Motion graphics

Sound design including soundtrack, dialogue and foley sounds.

My response to the task:

I want my film to take a slower pace, as I have decided it would be targeted to youtube. I think the slow place is necessary in order to create the relaxed nostalgic vibe. I want there to be a very gentle monologue, of myself reading the letter over the top of the film.

In terms of colour grading, I was thinking of using both a combination of the Wes Anderson bright and vibrant grading and the NewJeans 'Ditto' nostaglic darker and fuzzier aesthetic. I'm not certain if these will work together well but I want to use them in contrast to show the past (bright) and the present (dark).

Animated drawings or scribbles over the top of the footage to add movement to more still shots.

I am debating whether to add subtitles onto the video or not.

I will do a voiceover using a written script and then create a soundscape by filming general outdoor sounds. I don't want to use any music but in areas of film that have actions such as footsteps, I want there to be gentle footsteps in the background.

I feel like I have learnt a lot of new terminology from Kalina's lessons and it has given me an insight into filmmaking. Overall, I wish I had had more time to see this project through to the end, as the concept planning was very enjoyable. Film is definitley a skill I would like to develop and I will consider it for the future.