#i did not play dnd. i observed while everyone worked out their characters and then said i might join in later.

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

🎟

[teplejtrouba]

will and eddie being friends headcanons:

- eddie ADORES his art. paintings, drawings, whatever he's into at the moment, eddie's always gonna tell him how cool it is and how much he loves it

- they're both DnD obsessed nerds and that's definitely what most of their time together is spent doing. making new characters, coming up with the story for the rest of the hellfire club. eddie always goes hard with the drama and gore and tragedy and fights and will is more into the fantastical elements and chatacter relations and aesthetic choices for the worlds and stuff. so together they come up with the most awesome campaigns

- will LOVES drawing/painting their ideas. and eddie sometimes asks him for specific art too and always wants to see the stuff will did on his own. he definitely drew everyone's characters and loves coming up with like locations where their stories take place and then when they play they put his drawings on the table for the Atmosphere

- eddie loves seeing how the always quiet and timid will becomes passionate and excited and dramatic during their DnD sessions

- but at one point he realizes that will is like that with him even when they're not playing and it's because will feels like he can really be himself around him and trust him and he knows he won't make fun of him or make him feel bad for being annoying or taking up space

- i think will tells him that as well at one point. eddie definitely cries a bit when he goes to sleep that night

- a part of it is definitely the Queer Solidarity™ eddie notices right away but he's Sure after a few weeks of observing the way he acts around Mike. so they definitely have a talk. i think eddie would either nonchalantly mention a past male crush/lover or work it somehow into DnD talk. like 'this is the character i came up with years ago and this is his husband, who later dramatically dies in his arms after saving the kingdom' or something. the conversation is slightly awkward and eddie doesn't pressure will into saying anything really but he just wanted him to know that it's okay and he's not alone

- helps him with the mike stuff for sure. they come up with a secret codename so it's not suspicious to others

- eddie really helps will stand up for himself more and just be a bit more confident

- maybe before the coming out thing they have a similar talk to the one will had with Jonathan about being a freak. he needed to hear it again, that it's okay to be different, this time from The Freak of hawkins high

- he's will's personal bodyguard. if anyone is mean to him or bullies him he definitely makes sure it never happens again

- joyce LOVES him. he becomes attached to her too because he never had a stable mother figure in his life and she's the nicest mom in hawkins. she's glad someone's looking out for her boy now that Jonathan's in college (Eddie's on really good terms with him as well), maybe he drives him from/to school sometimes. she invites him to dinner at least once a week

- eddie makes will draw some design he's been thinking of for a while. eddie loves it and will doesn't think much of it except that it's really cool and he's glad eddie likes what he did with it. and then when he comes to hellfire one afternoon he almost has a heart attack because that's HIS picture on EDDIE'S ARM

- and eddie's just so excited. he didn't tell him that he's gonna get it tattooed because he knew will would protest but eddie really wanted this and would do it anyway so he just asks for forgiveness and not permission

- will just. does not comprehend. but eventually after he questions Eddie's sanity for a few minutes he just. hugs him.

- eddie tries to get will into metal and mischief. it works partially, will likes some of the songs but still prefers Jonathan's music taste. but he's always gonna listen to anything eddie brings him because he loves how excited he is about showing him so of course he's gonna let him ramble about his favourite bands for hours.

- I don't think will would be really open to trying beer/weed/cigarettes/other drugs and Eddie's honestly glad, he always offers it as a joke. he tries drinking beer one (1) time but it's gross

- eddie lends him his jacket one time and he does feel pretty cool in it. I don't really think will would be brave enough to explore his style in any big ways but i think eddie notices will's interest in his fashions. so he gets will a cool ring for his birthday and he's always happy when he sees him wearing it to school

- i don't think will would really come to his concerts (or that Joyce would let him) but he does enjoy seeing him practice on the guitar. maybe he tries it out a few times too. or helps him write songs for corroded coffin

- they're just. they would love each other and i hate the duffer brothers for not even letting them meet

[harvestdew]

Do you have any specific seb headcanons? I feel like most everyone has at least one or two about their sdv spouse; but if you're more interested in giving a kiki and seb character dynamic analysis like you did for haley, abigail, and shane I'd be SUPER into that too

I LOVE SEBASTIAN i’m glad you’re interested in hearing about their dynamic! i like when people talk or ask me about this stuff so i get irrationally happy when people are interested in my oc or my opinions of characters in the game. again i’ll put it under a read more since i don’t want to clog people’s dashboards up! also here’s a quick sketch of him i did as a little treat

sebastian headcanons

i always thought and still think he’s asian (like me and kiki) because of his dark hair. i know people say he dyes it but whatever

he’d probably like sanrio even if not openly? i think he might be embarrassed since ppl assume sanrio’s for kids but he’d especially like keroppi because he likes frogs

he’s GOTH (and to some extent punk) not an e-boy people need to stop calling him an e-boy i’m begging you because if you saw e-boy culture on tiktok you know they’re the legit antithesis of him and he would probably hate/make fun of them with sam and abigail

my dude wears glasses but only when he’s alone in his room which is why if you took him out to get food he wouldn’t be able to read the menu at mcdonalds

he’s naturally good with cats in the same way he’s good with frogs. he’s one of those people who doesn’t even know but cats just seem to really like them for no explainable reason

definitely plays minecraft. no ifs ands or buts. he is not ashamed in it and neither should you

i don’t think his hair was intentionally supposed to be longer on one side.  i think he grew his hair out once in high school and then tried to cut it but cut off too much on one side but when he saw how edgy it looked he went idk this kinda looks nice and left it

i don’t know if anyone knows about the games yume nikki and ib but he’d like those types of games a lot. and in the context of him being a programmer, he’d probably code something similar to the premise of that game. very deep but also kinda confusing games

i don’t think he hates maru. she specializes in STEM just like he does and a lot of their interests align imo. i like to think sometimes they help each other out whether it be with maru’s robots or his own coding. at least once he matures out of the phase of feeling secondary to her and realizes she actually really loves her brother

kiki + sebastian relationship

i feel like the couple meme sheet i did embodies their dynamic pretty well but if it wasn’t obvious i like opposites attract and goth/prep dynamics

even if they don’t have the exact same interests, they strive for compromise. as in kiki giving him tulips since she likes tulips even though he hates flowers - he keeps them in a vase anyway. kiki doesn’t like horror, sebastian probably does, and she watches movies with him so he isn’t trapped watching awful romcoms with her. he also probably doesn’t love sweets but i think i established earlier kiki’s pretty good at baking so he tries to eat whatever she bakes anyway. and it’s not like those “the old ball and chain” relationships but more so done out of love so your partner doesn’t feel like they are losing parts of themselves dating you

not that they don’t have anything in common though b/c kiki liked the cave saga comics as a kids and would participate in dnd sessions with sebastian

they were definitely best friends before they went out and i don’t think it was love at first sight. he was probably thinking why the hell does this chick keep showing up in my room for the first few weeks of their friendship until she kinda grew on him once he realized she was there to stay and annoyingly persistent

i don’t really get the vibe sebastian is the type to give you advice when you’re upset but it’s not necessarily a bad thing for kiki. it’s better for her, as opposed to haley (who i DO think gives good advice), to sometimes have someone to listen to. imo he’s more observant so he is able to pick up on her being upset when someone like abigail might not notice

in general the same goes as what i’ve said about shane and haley - a lot of their dynamic is based on helping each other, especially helping each other grow

they definitely bicker but not in an overdramatic way? i feel like the only thing they’d fight about is something as dumb as robin and demetrius fighting over tomatoes being fruit - ultimately harmless (plus robin and demetrius have one of the healthiest relationships in game). maybe something like that one vid of the guys fighting over whether or not water is wet

kiki definitely gets on his ass about his health all the time. like i KNOW it’s annoying the way your mom might nag you but i am so bad at self-care myself that i’m 99% sure he probably forgets to eat sometimes after coding for hours which is why she drops food off for him constantly

sebastian is better at showing affection through his actions because saying stuff verbally is not his strong suit and embarrasses him, so usually he resorts to things

kiki is also so good at giving sebastian super well thought-out gifts (like bidding on a signed copy of the comics he likes) that he gets really nervous around holidays because he doesn’t want to give her something that she doesn’t like and disappoint her. gift giving is a competition at this point

pda is not really sebastian’s thing so kiki doesn’t indulge in it that much so he won’t die of embarrassment. but on occasion she does do some pda in front of everyone though to embarrass him b/c it is kinda funny to her

their dates tend to be really simple too? i don’t think either of them are big gesture types of people or they only do that type of stuff once in a while. i think he’s come to terms that kiki refuses to go back to the city for dates but is okay with date nights in. weirdly enough he plans them more knowing that she’s really busy with farm work

i feel like there’s more but i’m kinda forgetting i might add some more later if i think of some... thank you so much for the ask though!!!

[theunacceptablepylades]

Playing in Full Color: How the TTRPG Community Addresses Its Diversity

Last week i wrote an article/piece about my feelings on some nonsense that was happening surrounding critical role and its kickstarter. read it if you want, consider dropping some money in my kofi if you enjoy it

Nico @thedaedpoets

12.3.19

Over the past week, I, like many other people that exist in the Twittersphere and consider themselves TTRPG (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) fans have been buzzing about one particular topic: Critical Role.

Critical Role is a webshow/podcast featuring a large group of friends who also happen to be well known (voice) actors. It’s been an ongoing game since 2015, with their second campaign on the Geek and Sundry Network beginning in 2018, and is sponsored by/partnered with both Wizards of the Coast, the proprietary owners of DnD, and the Geek and Sundry Network. Recently, the crew announced a Kickstart for an animated 22 minute short, titled The Legend of Vox Machina. The isn’t the first piece of media they’ve produced based off their show before either. Vox Machina: Origins was a 6 part comic book series that ran 2017-2018. Likewise, the characters of Vox Machina (more or less) became playable in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire via a DLC pack. Two volumes of The Chronicles of Exandria have also been published at this point.

So what exactly has people buzzing this time around?

The Kickstarter had a $750,000 goal when it launched on March 4, 2019. Within an hour, it hit $1 million, and today (March 12, 2019) it’s currently sitting at $7,064,058 and still climbing. This has understandably caused many people, both fans and not, to put a more critical lens on while examining the crew of the show and where all of this money is going.

While that is an undeniably valuable conversation to be having, another topic has been brought up in the wake of the past week’s controversy: Diversity, especially racial diversity, in TTRPGs.

Throughout the 11th, I saw discussion of Critical Role’s lack of racial representation being had, even going so far as to compare it to that of other TTRPG podcasts. What I noticed about this discussion was one glaring fact: Everyone I could see participating in it...was white.

Much of this discussion was fueled by a Polygon article published on the same day. In it, the Kickstarter and the lack of diversity was mentioned. What caught my eye was that out of the five podcasts mentioned, only one of them features more than one person of color on their team. More than that, the article, the website it was published on, and even the sources of the tweets pulled to be used were comparable to an Arctic tundra in the winter.  This isn’t meant to rag on the work that was done or the people doing it. It’s just an observation that I made as a Black person. And I had to wonder.

Why are conversations around and about our inclusion in TTRPGs...not including us?

Something especially interesting I’ve noted about these discussions over the past week have been the beginnings of a debate about two of arguably the most well-known podcasts within the sphere: Critical Role and The Adventure Zone. I’ve seen people argue about how, despite the fact that TAZ is performed by the McElroy family (four white men), it is somehow more diverse than the equally white cast of Critical Role. I was extremely confused by this claim, so I went through a lot (and I mean a lot) of tweets reading this same argument over and over again.  In the past, Critical Role has had all sorts of issues with representing minorities (not just PoC), and in a similar vein, so did TAZ. Commendably, both podcasts accepted these criticisms with relative grace and strove to make both the PCs (Player Characters) and NPCs (Non-Player Characters) feature a wide range of identities in future episodes and campaigns.

This is all well and good (in fact I encourage it), but what I always come back to is the the lack of actual acknowledgement of PoC in these spaces.

Podcasts like Friends at the Table, One Shot Podcast, and Rivals of Waterdeep (to name a few), both affiliated (in the case of RoW) and unaffiliated with WotC, are relatively well-known and well-loved podcasts featuring a variety of players of all sorts of identities and backgrounds. These are the types of podcasts people have been clamoring for for years, yet they receive only a fraction of the attention (or funding) on a good day, despite vast quantity of content they all produce both for free and through their Patreons. What was surprising to me was that none of these creators have been contacted yet about their opinions about racial diversity in games yet.

Another mildly surprising part of this is how there was also no mention in the Polygon article of the Twitter hashtag #FundDiverseGames, founded by Twitter users Riley @jaceaddax and @rpgdesignfrog. The hashtag sprung up in response to the massive financial response to the CR Kickstarter. It’s a veritable treasure trove of TTRPGs of various genres and subjects written for and by marginalized creators, and encourages folks who are able to toss some money into the Kickstarter to also fund smaller game designers.

This isn’t to paint a bleak picture of the situation. While there has been some pushback from fans wrongfully defending Critical Role from this perceived attack, many folks have also taken this opportunity to accept the criticism and push the community to grow. Known voices within the community, like DC @DungeonCommandr have said “CR fans need to actually take the lead from Matt and accept that criticism is okay…” Matthew Mercer himself (the DM of Critical Role) has acknowledged the work that needs to be done by both creators and fans alike. Both he and other members of the Geek and Sundry team have taken the time to point focus towards the content in #FundDiverseGames. This is admirable, and begins to chip away at the massive question of “How do we direct the spotlight?” Both #FundDiverseGames and non-profits like I Need Diverse Games have been hard at work pushing for this, and I can’t wait to see more people and organizations with this energy pop up in the future.

None of this is being said to villainize “Big Name TTRPG Podcasts” or to shame their fans. This problem of the lack of racial diversity permeates everything from workplaces to video games to film and so on. What I’m advocating for is not only the expansion of our attention to include racial minorities in these discussion, but to center our voices while we have them. We have valuable, nuanced opinions, and I’d love for 2019 to be the year the conversation is had with us, not just over our heads.

[thejenesaisquoigirl]

DnD Ask Meme- Talise

Link to original, blank meme: https://thejenesaisquoigirl.tumblr.com/post/186529464305/dnd-asks More about my tiefling swashbuckler under the cut~!

1) What would they consider to be their biggest failure?

Oof. Maybe not being able to save her family, or at least her sister-in-law and nephew. Maybe her (former) deep reliance on alcohol once her memories started coming back. Trauma is a motherfucker

2) What’s the story behind their name?

When I first went to grad school visit days at my current institution two years ago, there was another person interviewing with a name that sounded similar. Really loved it and added on LaPearl for her alias’ last name (for her eyes). Her birth name is my Warden from Dragon Age Origins (Hozanna Cousland, only more french) since the backstory shares a lot of similarities. 

3) What’s their relationship with their family?

When she was Hosanna, very close. They all loved learning (though maybe different things), the people in their city, and each other. She was closest to her brother, Yanis, despite their age difference. She felt adrift after losing them and finding Yanis has upset any equilibrium she was finding. 

4) What’s one song that describes them or is them?

The cover of Rise that Superfruit did on their channel

5) Who is their best friend?

Yanis was her best friend growing up; the years after losing him were rough but she was working towards a place of resignation...then they found him alive. As Talise, it’s super weird because yes, her brother used to be able to embarrass her in her previous life; but now, it’s the first time she’s ever felt shame. Hosanna, while sharing a small flair for the dramatic, was a very different person than Talise was crafted to be. But in the party, Jax is the closest to a best friend. 

6) Why are they their class?

 She was reincarnated by a coast druid, and it was only natural to join a crew due to not remembering her past right away. Her previous skill with dueling with a rapier mixed with her familiarity with locks led to her embellishing her new self into the type of sailor one would find in a storybook. 

7) What do they think of their party members?

She feels distinct lines in the sand amongst the party. At first, said lines seemed only about their sleeping habits (there was no other way the rooming arrangements could have shaken out and everyone live). But now, it feels very much like two separate factions working together. Separately: Q- she’s terrified of everything she does being in that book, and she has a hard time wrestling with his innocent naiveté when it reminds her of who she used to be. Briony- Not used to being around women in a strictly friendship sense, but is happy for her presence so Q has someone of a similar maturity. Braxton- He’s rarely there. Annoyed yet darkly amused when he takes point with trap checking and lock-picking; annoyed because she assumes he believes himself an expert in everything (maybe due to him being slightly misogynistic)...amused because she's better and it’s funny to watch him fail due to his own hubris. Jax- They instinctually understand each other. It’s complicated but in a good way as she thinks the world of him. Caspian- Like recognizes like but she feels they have different motivations behind collecting information...and it’s hard for her to move beyond a betrayal of trust. She does enjoy bantering with him and sharing a penchant for innuendo.

8) In what ways are they similar to you?

Insightful, observant, curious, collector of knowledge, has two sides to protect her softness

9) In what ways are they different from you?

Unashamed in the way she moves through the world, unabashedly flirtatious and teasing, confident, how she copes with things (tends to be physical indulgences), seeing trust as black and white, unafraid of confrontation or large birds

10) What do they look for in a romantic partner, if they have a romantic orientation?

She’s super pan and attracted to interesting people. She loves those who keep her guessing and have layers she can explore without ever becoming bored. With a lot of hidden quirks, they need to be fine in indulging her intense love for museums or sleeping in until the latest time possible. Because of stuff that happened in her past, she needs someone who she feels safe with and who can handle that baggage. Someone who can keep up with her banter but who can be soft with her; she wants an equal partner and not someone who she has to take the reins from all the time. So confidence, intelligence, depth, strength, compassion. 

11) If they had a patronus or animagus form, what would it be?

Ooooooooo....idk. Maybe a panther animagus? Something that slinks around with confidence but can be very soft. Patronus would be a cat like Talis or a hippogriff like Fantôme...or a peafowl.

12) What do they smell like?

The ocean and "oriental” notes with hints of coconut and citrus. Someone who has sailed the coastline would have had the opportunity to collects lots of sachets of things to scent their clothing along with various oils, etc which lends itself to the “oriental” perfume family.

13) What is their secret skill?

Sketching/drawing. She’s intensely private about it; but has charcoal, pencils, and a sketchbook in her pack that’s rather like a diary.  

14) What is their relationship to spirituality?

Non-existent save for some superstitions. Hosanna was religious but not superstitious; Talise reversed it as she had a hard time retaining her faith in anything.

15) If they were to be remembered for something, what would they want to be remembered for?

NOT for what happened in her previous life, unless that remembrance served the greater good. She’d just like to be remembered, in general, rather than lost to lines in a book. She wants people to speak kindly of her and the small amount of goodness she’s put into the world.

16) Why did they become an adventurer?

Chance meeting in Dolcino when she was taking a break from sailing haha And news of Yanis came up on their travels so she had to see it through.

17) What’s one thing about their backstory that came to you after you already started playing the campaign?

One notable thing--hadn’t even thought about her being an alcoholic (sober now) until making her playlist. For some reason, “Chandelier” kept coming up and it had to have been a sign because it’s deepened her in ways I wasn’t expecting. Also her tattoos. And her not being a morning person xD

18) Do you have any headcanons for them that haven’t come up in game? Or headcanons for other party members?

Absolutely. Her tattoos and why she has them (only one person in the party has probably seen them); what drove her to her alcoholism; and her sketching. Other party members: Q- that he has tried to teach some magic to Quirrel enough times that Quirrel can mimic the somatic components of some spells; that he’s instantly awake in the mornings with a pep in his step. Briony- that she genuinely doesn’t know or understand how privileged she is and so makes statements about some type of princess-y thing she thinks is normal but is very much not. Jax- he has Talise braid his hair before sleeping because it’s more effective than a ponytail in keeping it neat at night; he quietly chats with Francis when he needs to think through things weighing on his mind; he keeps a tiny, secret notebook to make notes to himself on things he remembers, things he enjoys, etc. Caspian- when he reads dialogue he really likes in books, he’ll speak it aloud until he figures out the exact voice for the character so he can use it for later; 

19) Any ships with your character? If a PC or NPC, what interaction launched it?

She’s the first character in a LONG time I legit ship with another PC. Whether it becomes romantic or remains platonic (it’s not just up to me or Talise), Jax is the most significant person in her life–excluding her brother. They just got each other from day one and they seem to be the only ones able to easily talk to the other, even when the subject is difficult. The canon you created about her feeling safe with Jax is 100% true; ever since Before, she has a hard time sleeping around other people but she trusts him enough to even share a bed…and he’s the only one with whom she would never be anything but truthful. At their core, they are people reinventing themselves after tragedy but don’t know if they’re doing it right. But Jax makes Talise feel it’s alright to be who she authentically is rather than acting the part she’s written for herself; and to find joy again in the things from her past. The ship’s legit launch was after their serious conversation about “equivalent exchange” in relationships (about Caspian) and has since been buoyed by all their side chats + interactions. “…are you just going to stare at me?” “Until you’re ready.”

20) What would your character consider their biggest success? Or what is your favorite success your character has had so far?

Finding her brother and beginning to reconcile Hosanna with Talise. My favorite success was that conversation mentioned above...or successfully surprising characters and peeps with her backstory drops.

[sapphicdalliances]

Hi, Yuletide writer! First of all, my sincere apologies in my delay of getting this letter written up at all, and my enthused thanks for being here!

I’m a simple bitch with simple tastes; here is a general summary of my preferences, and fandom-specific notes and prompts can be found further down!

I very much enjoy:

Romance -- anything up to and including plotless shippy drivel

Short fics, or even collections of tiny fics

Long fics too, so I guess what I mean is, don’t feel pressured either way

Comedic tones, slice-of-life, lighthearted fun, any amount of improbable romcom tropes

Am also hella on board with misunderstandings, drama or angst as long as there is a happy ending!

I’m deeply okay with AUs, and most likely would be down for any modern, romcom, fantasy/fairytale, gender swap, or remix/crossover AUs you feel inspired to explore! My favourite settings include mundane/urban fantasy (witches! werewolves!), anachronism-stew-with-magic western fantasy jumbles, and disney’s Tangled.

Specific tropes I love:

Proposal fic

Wedding fic where the couple getting married is not the main couple

Outsider/third character POV of the main couple

Exes who are still in love/getting back together

Friends-with-benefits-with-feelings/did a bad job keeping it casual

Shipfic where two or more couples are contrasted

Oblique declarations of love/saying i love you without saying i love you

Provision and caretaking (acts of service!)

Aggressive matchmaking/wingmanning by an enthused friend

Hanahaki, or any other improbably dramatic instances of Cannot Spit It Out

Arranged marriage/fake marriage/fake dating

Epistolary fic

Regrettably I also love a/b/o, especially the kind that emphasises on scent safety and contains little to no actual sex

I’m not as into:

Political or social intrigue, mysteries, complex magical plots — by no means a dealbreaker, but not high on my list of priorities

Kidfic

First person narration

Soulmate AUs specifically

In general, please avoid:

Character death or serious/permanent injury

Animal abuse or death

Infidelity

Hopeless or downer endings

Fandom specific info starts here!

Princess Tutu - Ahiru, Fakir

I’ve loved Ahiru/Fakir for years and years — they are both very strong, willful but compassionate characters, and the way they intersect is just so sweet to me. While I would be ravenous for any tutu content, gen included, I really would be particularly delighted with some overtly shippy fic for this one, I hope that’s okay!

Suggestions:

Modern AUs: vet science major Ahiru + English major Fakir meet in theatre club?

Step Up-style remix where they become somewhat-unwilling dance partners because their regular partners are somehow indisposed and work better than expected

That one ending fix-it AU where Fakir writes her back into a girl and they retire into the village, the one we all have in our treacherous hearts, i will never get enough of these

Fakir and Ahiru’s relationship progression as observed by the other members of the school/town

Or mix it up with any of the tropes in my general list! For this ship, I would like a maximum rating of T, please!

Wotakoi

I love every ship in this manga equally but perhaps I love Kou/Naoya more equally than the other two? They are just so kind and so silly, and so sweet to each other in exactly the way both of them didn’t realise they were missing! Honestly, anything with these characters that’s along the lines of canon would be delightful; the particular energy of misfits realising that they don’t have to be alone is something very dear to me.

Suggestions:

Accidentally dating ft. Kou and Naoya, or, “and you’ve made out how many times now? Hmm. Yeah, that’s not technically a bromance.”

5 times Hirotaka and Narumi almost, almost kissed, and 1 time they did; the unresolved romantic tension may kill me and it would be worth it

What Hirotaka and Narumi taught each other (apart from the more mundane gaming and life skills, i believe that she taught him how to smile and be loved by others, and he taught her how to be loved by herself!)

Smutty domesticity ft. Koyanagi and Kabakura — a lazy Sunday, laundry in the sun, fucking on the couch, everything easy with familiarity

The fantasy/MMORPG AU, where Hirotaka is the lazy but brilliant crown prince, Naoya the hapless but beloved second prince, Koyanagi his spymaster and Kabakura the captain of the prince’s guard; Narumi his childhood friend-cum-betrothed, and Kou a mysterious archer who saves a distressed Naoya from bandits in the village?

The gang tries to play DND. We finally find a game that Naoya is good at.

Or mix it up with any of the tropes in my general list!

Nezha - Oubing

I feel 100 different ways about this movie and 88 of the ways are SO CHINESE. The filial piety, the familial sacrifice, the friendship! I do believe that Nezha and Aobing are in love, I hope this is a reading of the text that we share, but if not, gen about their friendship/rivalry would also be well-recieved.

Suggestions:

Aobing has been practicing bigu (a cultivation style that is meant to remove one’s need for food or water) since he was born; Nezha introduces him to food, and other creature comforts — do they have BEDS in the dragon palace for example?? Buddhist-style cultivation is very ascetic and difficult, but Nezha is so wild and full of feelings and love!!

Modern AU: delinquent Nezha and prim, proper exchange student Aobing

Modern AU addendum: nobody believes Nezha when he says he’s got a hot boyfriend in Taiwan and thinks that he has made Aobing up

Arranged marriage/political fantasy AU where the prince of dragons is given to the most controversial heavenly general in an effort to improve both families’ social standing

For a gen prompt, if you want to do something about Nezha and/or Aobing’s relationships to their fathers, debts and affections and resentments, that too would be lovely!

On the other end of the spectrum, i’m down for PWP with xeno tropes re: aobing’s dragon anatomy! So long as the top/bottom roles are not too strictly defined, i just like it when they’re equitable or switch!

And of course, feel free to mix it up with any of the tropes in my general list!

Kazetsuyo/Run with the Wind

I didn’t tag any characters because my favourites were not in the list, and of course because I do love everyone, but my personal priorities are in order: Shindo, Musa, Haiji, Kakeru, Nico-chan, Yuki, the bombastic twins, and then everyone else. The spaces between those positions are very small so if you happen to have a passion for a character/ship lower on the list, worry not, there is limitless affection within me for everyone!

Suggestions:

Shindo should get to take Musa to see the snow… he deserves that

He also deserves to run the ekiden again in his fourth year and not be sick and actually win section 5!

I do think Kakeru and Haiji are most definitely soulmates — if you choose to focus on one or both of them, I really do believe they are in the romantic kind of love, is the thing!

Perhaps their relationship, an inevitable drifting together, as perceived by everyone else in aotake?

Or Haiji comes to Kakeru’s graduation, all their tenderest affections still unspoken, and somehow, without any premeditation, by the end of the day they’ve kissed

You know what I think? I think Hana-chan likes and is capable of dating both of the twins, and I love that for her

Or gen canonverse with everyone (or just everyone you care about) taking turns caring for Nira and reflecting on the race!

As above, please feel free to mix it up with the tropes in my general list!

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun

I only selected Seo and Waka because they are simply my top priority, but if you want to serve a side of Chiyo/Nozaki and/or Hori/Kashima and/or Seo and Kashima being beautiful best friends and/or Mikorin being a beautiful himbo who we are delighted to have here, i would not complain at all!

Absolutely anything about them being goobery oblivious idiots in love would be perfect, such as:

5 times they went on a date without realising, and the time they realised

Everyone else literally just thinks they’re dating and they are completely clueless

Or on the other end of the spectrum, everyone tries desperately to set them up/matchmake for them, not realising that they’ve been going steady for four months

A hanahaki AU would be particularly hilarious with these two, I feel

Urban fantasy AU where Waka is a hapless monster hunter and Seo is an annoying but deeply harmless werewolf who’s been terrorizing his town??

Regency or faux-regency AU where Waka is literally like “drive by your rival’s estate slowly so that she may seethe with jealousy at the loveliness of your new hat” and Seo is like “oh goodness, he is courting me. What a fool. What an absolute buffoon.” and challenges him to a swordfight

Fairytale AU where Seo believes she must rescue the prince from the tower and deliver him back to the kingdom capital, and the prince, who had not realised he’d been kidnapped, thinks Seo is a usurper from a rival kingdom who must be supervised all the way back to the kingdom capital to be served her justice

Or anything else equally romcom-y, and of course, as always, throw in as many tropes as you like!

Thank you for reading this whole mess of a letter, and I sincerely hope I haven’t bored you too much. The most important thing to me is that whatever you end up writing, you are able to enjoy the process at least somewhat, and deliver a fic that you like! I can also be found on twitter at @hawberries_ (for art) and @popplioikawa (for general ramblings), and if you have any desire to send an anon ask to this tumblr with questions, i’m actually not sure if that’s allowed but i’d be happy to get some! Thank you again, and happy holidays!

[oldboyjensrps]

Jensen’s Preferences

Themes and Preferences

tagged by the rad: @bluteamblueprints

aka, things i’ve always wanted to ask people / have people ask me. please remember to repost rather than reblog!  Getting put under the cut as to not clog dashboards.

what types of genres do you gravitate towards?

Well jeepers I’m a fan of balancing comedy and serious shit, and also a fuckin sucker for romantic shtuff. Found family? HOO YEAH THAT’S THE SHIT. I also enjoy a good spicy thread as long as it’s balanced with humor and actual character work.

Action/adventure? Sign me the funck up. Add in magic or fantasy? Sure why in the not? Monstrous characters that can be sweeties also? Check mate, mate. Also just monsters can be fun.

Tragecomedy is neat. I like to mix my genres like a child at soda fountain.

what types of genres do you gravitate away from?  

Angst for angst’s sake. Like I said above, I really am more of a “mix and balance” type writer, and often overly angsty threads die fast or at least get... very tiresome. Doesn’t mean I won’t accept an angst based starter or send one, but it might turn a little silly as well since I’m rping in the tf2niverse. in order to keep things gloomy it takes a lot of negating character progression (since people tend to remain sad for a while in real life) and I’m trained to “yes and.” Also it brings back cringey memories from olden days.

Smut without chemistry or character development. Rushed romance lands here too.

What type of characters do you play often?

    Oh boy uh. Mmmm.... sarcastic. Characters. Women who are very terrifying and dangerous but also goofy and awkward? Also men who are terrifying and dangerous but also goofy and awkward. And nonbinary characters who are terrifying and dangerous but also goofy and awkward. Characters heavily inspired by the Golden Girls and Hawkeye Pierce. Uh, and self inserts. It’s actually really interesting to try and look at what you, as a character, would do via stepping back and looking at your basic traits and experiences etc.

What kind of characters do you tend not to play?

Flat characters. I’ve tried with dnd npcs. They always complicate and become gremlins with actual purpose.

Any pairing tropes you particularly enjoy?

Both parties being awkward idiots and not seeing the very obvious signals that the other person likes them. Partly because it makes observer characters just so done.

Enemy to lover occasionally as long as it’s not..weird.

Being insufferable together in terms of puns and chaotic antics

Cuddling, lots of physical affection.

Buddy cop type romance

Being trapped in a space somehow together and shenanigans.

Platonic tropes?

Lotta physical affection and being like... cats in a pile.

You know? A good good cat pile.

Getting up to antics like stealing a mannequin from a store going out of business.

Just being super close

FOUND FAMILY (especially found dad/child dynamics)

Being ready to throw down for each other.

Throwing down for each other.

Being honest with each other, even if the other person doesn’t want to hear it as long as it’s for their sake.

Antagonist tropes?

Ahahah hahahah...

Sorry you just ever uh, make a character so awful, vile, and reprehensible that even you cringe when thinking about them? I did. It’s an NPC for one of my blogs, but he has influenced the lives of all my main Tf2 muses.

Frenemies is fun

Antagonists that are equally in the right as the protagonist but with different methods

True redemption arcs like Zuko.

Also Vegeta type redemption arcs. Those amuse me.

Be mean to Messenger I wanna know how she works.

Prefered thread type?

Paragraphs. I ramble occasionally but tend to match length though I never expect my partner to do the same. Not one liners though, just can’t do it in the tumblr format. I don’t regularly use icons (mainly because I OC a lot) but I hope to do that some more with my Spy blog.

Favorite types of Interactions?

Ones where the muses agree to give both muns the middle finger and just randomly go completely off the rails? Like so in character that they get away from us.

Hurt/comfort

Stuff with MEAT and multiple facets/layers

Wishlist.

For @Oldboyjensenrps

Even more interaction with canon characters for Messenger

To eventually actually get “The Jack” interacting on the blog

Familial threads 

AUs

Specifically working with Messenger’s 10th class Verse-Mercsenger (under [merc au] tag)

More frands/more stupid, questionably-legal antics

Fight the messenger

adopt the messenger

seduce the messenger-sucker for well done romance and/or smut threads

For @dastardlydapperbastard

Interaction with other mercs

franship with other mercs

fights with other mercs

All the above with ocs too

Good luck romancing him but that would be interesting to see if anyone succeeds

accidentally adopting but he’ll never admit it ocs

awkward scout threads if anyone needs a spy

buddy cop type Scout threads

Interacting with Scouts that aren’t his Scout and accidentally (but again he’ll deny it) adopting them

Crack him open and feast upon his emotions somehow

Open the can of worms that is Jolene. (see bio)

let me be the grumpy old stab man

tagging: I think everyone I interact with is spoken for on this one, so if you’re reading this and haven’t done it you, I tag you pikachu.

[rebeckaomalleywriter]

25 Questions Tag

I was tagged by @wolvesofarcadia for this. Thank you so much!!!

1. Is there a story you’re holding off on writing  for some reason?

I have a trilogy in the works. It was actually what I planned on writing first, but I got passionate about my current WIP, and decided that the trilogy would be better for me once I’ve got more experience. So, it may happen next : )

2. What work of yours, if any, are you embarrassed about existing?

I don’t think I’m embarrassed about anything. Everything I’ve written, private or otherwise, has led me to where I am now, so I am so happy for every single word.

3. What order do you write in? Front of book to back? Chronological? Favorite scenes first? Something else?

Generally I write chronologically, but there are times where a scene pops into my head, and I must write it down. I keep One Note notebooks for different WIPs, and use that to write out random scenes and dialogue, both while i’m planning, and while I’m writing. Sometimes, a scene pops into my head, and that is what sparks the idea for the rest of the story.

4. Favorite character you’ve written?

Man, this is hard. I love Regina, because she is complex, and so different to me. Writing her really provokes me to consider the world differently. Maliel is a lot of fun, because he is so... Maliel. 

5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?

I was actually very surprised by the turn Maliel took. He wasn’t initially planned, but I realised that Regina needed someone on side, who would support her through all the crap, and a small role became a bigger role for him. I ended up really loving him.

Outside of my current WIP, I’ve been writing short stories for a future DnD character, Helin, and it has been a blast to explore a bit more of my darker nature.

6. Something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

I’m honestly not sure about this. I am editing my current WIP, so at this point I can change anything as I wish. There might be a few small things in my Helin short stories that I ended up not being completely happy with, but I have already shared them with my best friend (who is playing Helin’s brother, Alfirin, in the future campaign).

7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

I’m not embarrassed, but I can be cautious I suppose. I do tell anyone who asks me what I do that I’m a writer, but I can be guarded about going further, because I am so damn hard on myself. I am working on being more confident, especially now that I am editing, and that much closer to publication.

8. Favorite genre to write

Fantasy, though to be fair, that is the only genre I’ve really written in any serious capacity. I also love the idea of horror, and am fiddling around with a few ideas there.

9. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

I read. A lot. Every book I read fuels my imagination, my passion. I also listen to music, and try to find songs that relate to my works. Sometimes I lie awake for hours imagining music videos in my head while listening, and that helps get a different perspective on it all.

10. Write in silence or with background music? Alone or with others?

I listen to music. I have a playlist for my WIPs, filled with music that reminds me of the characters, settings, plot points, and so on. I put it on shuffle, though if I am working on a scene that I feel suits a piece of music in the list perfectly, I’ll click into that one while I’m writing. I think I do better alone, though I like going up to the cafe to write, if my agoraphobia will let me. Still with music, because the sounds of conversation can be distracting sometimes.

11. What aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

Hmmm... I suppose my dialogue has changed a lot. I used to write without contractions, so everyone sounded ridiculous and overly formal. I’ve worked on not doing that, and on creating voices for each of my characters, because no one speaks exactly the same as their conversation partner.

12. Your weaknesses as an author?

I am way too critical of myself. I question every little thing, from my writing, to my desire to be published. I am slowly working past this, and I am determined to finish and publish my current WIP so that I can start all over again ; P

13. Your strengths as an author?

I think my strength really lies in emotion. I am pretty good at conveying emotional moments and details. Maybe because it is my favourite part of writing, so that is conveyed through my writing. I am a very emotional person, very empathetic, so I put a lot of emphasis on it.

14. Do you make playlists for your work?

Yep! Like I said above, I have one for each WIP.

15. Why did you start writing?

Because there is nothing I love more than a good story. Ever since I was a child, I have loved to read and write. I used to write poetry primarily. I felt like I wanted to be able to express myself through words. That is truly how I am. 

16. Are there any characters who haunt you?

I’m not sure really. It depends on what you mean by haunt. There are characters that don’t really get a happy ending, and I think about that a lot. If we’re talking about ‘oh god, why isn’t this character working?’ I am still trying to work on my antagonist for a different WIP, the trilogy I mentioned.

17. If you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

I’m still new at this really, but I would tell her to just write it. There are always going to be reasons not to write. Be your own reason to write.

18. Were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? What were they?

I think most people probably are influenced by previous works, whether we’re conscious of it or not. I know that Terry Pratchett is a big inspiration, but I’m not sure if he affects my writing style.

19. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timelines, ect.?

I use OneNote. I have separate notebooks there for my WIPs, and tabs for different characters (their backstories, motivations, dreams, etc), the timeline, important events, places, and so on. It is a relatively easy way to keep everything organised and easy to find.

20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

Both really. Sometimes I can’t write for long periods of time, due to my health, so writing in small bursts is the only way to make any progress at all.

21. What do you think when you read over your older work?

"Use contractions in your dialogue woman!”

22. Are there subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

None that I’ve found so far. In regards to reading or watching other works, the only thing that makes me feel uncomfortable really is animal cruelty, so I’ll be avoiding that I think. Sometimes writing about difficult topics is confronting, but it can help open a dialogue if done well.

23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

My experiences with depression have helped me with some aspects of my writing I think, especially in regards to particular characters. I think dealing with several mental and physical health issues has helped me to be a bit more patient in the process. I don’t have to match anyone else’s pace. I think I am a very empathetic, observant person due to all of my experiences, so I hope that translates into more realistic characters.

24. Have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

Expert is probably a bit much, but I do a lot of random research. Where is the best place to stab someone to disable, but not kill them. How long could you push on with an arrow sticking out of your shoulder. Different mining processes. Stuff like that.

25. Copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of.

Regina took her time replying. “If you’re telling the truth, then it’s nice to see that criminals like you still exist.”

“I take exception to the term ‘criminal’,” Finn’s usual bravado had returned to his voice as they pressed on. “’Rogue’ is more my style.”

“Well, then you should stop claiming that we’re in the same line of work, because I’m no rogue. I’m a hunter. I’m a murderer. I’m a terrorist. I am a criminal.”

“You left something off the list,” Finn said.

“I think I covered it all, actually.”

“You’re all those things, sure. But to a lot of folk, you’re a hero.”

“And I take exception to that term. Don’t ever call me that.”

Finn stopped and turned to face Regina again. He looked as if he was trying to figure out what to say, before he shrugged, and turned back to the road. “Your call.”

I am going to tag @writingtofindmyself @brynwrites @winnieleighwrites @rychillacases

[2towels]

Roll Initiative [V:LD]

A Voltron: Legendary Defender fic, Klance.

Theme: DnD AU, KlanceWeek2017

Pairings Klance (Keith/Lance)

Rating: Rated E for Everyone, swear warning

Words Total: 2520

Tags: mutual pining, living vicariously through dungeons and dragons characters, dungeons and dragons dating lmao, lots of dialogue, coran’s a snack mom, everyone’s there, even matt!!

Summary:

“Holy crow,” Lance shot up, excitement written in the way his face lit up, “Are you going to propose to me, Keith?”

—

The gang plays DnD. Klance Week 2017 Day 1: Free Will vs Fate

Alternate Title: Shut up and ask him out roll the dice

Read on AO3 (please)

Tired eyes stared down all around the table. Pidge pushed her glasses up her face, past her bangs to rest on her head, and gave a long, suffering sigh. From beside her, she could see Matt look up and glance her way, having heard her pull a signature Shiro sound, but she couldn’t help it. Not anymore.

Lance, as usual, was the first to verbalize his complaints. “Allura,” He whined, shifting in his seat so he could lean forward, “You always make your campaigns so long . Can we just go to a tavern or something? We’re still recovering from the giant nest!”

Across the table, Keith nodded in silent and rare agreement, his eyes flicking around as he scanned his papers.

Allura clucked. “I’m afraid not. We’ve got at least two more hours tonight, so stop complaining and get yourselves in order.”

“You’re just trying to make your campaign last the longest because Shiro has the record!” Lance accused. Their dungeon master bristled, but didn’t comment or correct him.

“Alright.” Shiro sighed, “I’m sure, on appearances alone, the group of bandits…you’re calling them Galra still, right?” At Allura’s nod, he continued, “The Galra have no interest in trying anything with us. I think we should carry on.”

“No.” Keith grunted, “Red’s gonna be suspicious.”

“You mean you’re suspicious?” Lance snorted, ducking down as Keith throw a chip at him.

“I told you it’s not a self-insert.” The other boy growled.

Hunk cut in, “I agree with Keith.” and swirled his mug of hot chocolate contemplatively.

“With Red !” Keith threw his hands up, leaning back in his chair.

He continued on, though Hunk did have the decency to look sheepish, “Right. Saffron would agree with Red. Kinda. He’d be nervous, but only a little suspicious.”

“Alright then. So, Red’s awareness would give an advantage, of course, but Saffron gets nothing from his general fear.” Allura dictated, shuffling papers mysteriously from behind her partition.

“As usual.” Pidge grunted, “Foxglove ignores the bandits in favor of staying focused on that strange dwarven thing she’s going to figure out soon.”

“Is it time for her to roll for that again? What did we say she had to get over?” Matt wondered aloud, glancing at Allura from his own papers. “I’m just following Nero’s lead, by the way. Shiro’s in charge, after all, Red.”

“Over a sixteen.” Allura hummed, nodding at Matt’s instruction, “and five minutes.”

“Which is bullshit because of my–”

“I did the math twice , Pidge.” Allura brought out her overly-authoritative tone, “At your request, and it is still a roll over sixteen.”

Before Pidge could even retort, acid on her tongue, Coran wandered over from the kitchen, all smiles and completely unaffected by the argument and tension brewing. “How are all you adventurers doing? Kill any goblins today? Has Azulle been kidnapped again?” He tweaked his mustache as he leaned over Allura’s side, humming a little.

Lance’s head shot up, face alight. “Coran! The gorgeous man! I’ll ignore that jab for now. Did you make any space juice?”

Hunk made a face from beside his best friend, shifting to see Coran from around the lankier boy. “More important question: how are the nachos coming?”

“Adventure’s going great, Coran!” Matt finally responded for the group, cheerful, “At Allura’s pace, we’ll be here for a few more weeks under your hosting!”

“Well,” Coran mused, moving in on the table further to observe their work up close as well, “That’s no trouble. I’m just glad you little rascals are all interested in these old antiques of mine.” He plucked up one of Allura’s hidden books (ignoring her soft “Wait, they don’t–”) and hummed more as he revealed it to browse.

“Is that the monster guide? We just left the town! To go to one less than a mile from here! This is a basic retrieval quest!” Pidge huffed, “Damn it–”

“We need to get Plaxum and Swirn back over, we do so much better with rogues like them.” Shiro commented thoughtfully.

“ Without Blumfump. Man, he’s exhausting.” Hunk rubbed his face.

Lance straightened his spine a bit. “Hey, come on, he means well. Besides, he doesn’t like to do campaigns unless he’s the DM. That’s why he and Slav only play Magic down at the Post.”

“Oh, good.” Pidge began, weirdly excited seeming, “So we can re-invite them without the other.”

“Please don’t let Slav back in your house, Allura.” Shiro whispered.

“He was very informed about potential campaign outcomes when I discussed ours with him last week at the Post, I’ll have you know,” Allura defended, “but yes, I don’t think he’s interested enough to join us again.”

“So, space juice for Lance? Anyone else?” Coran set down the book with a smile, counting as Keith, Pidge, Matt, and Allura’s hands all flew up. “The nachos will be done in just a tick or two as well.

A murmur level of cheers followed, and Allura straightened up as Coran parted, ready to set back to the quest. “Let’s see…Oh, Lance?”

“Azulle follows Red’s suspicion, but way more lax about it.” Lance said smoothly, switching papers in his hands, “Does anybody have my purple highlighter?”

Keith handed it over, ignoring their brushing hands fluidly. “Azulle should know to trust Red’s intuition from the supply raid alone, let alone the countless other quests they’ve done and he’s been right.” He mumbled, pressing his elbows into the table as he leaned forward. “He’s always good about this stuff.”

“Hold the phone.” Lance spread a hand as he idly highlighted a section of his personal notes with his other, “Back up. Azulle is well aware that Red has great intuition, but he’s a total hothead, too, adn that supply raid was only so much of a shit show because Red charged off, anyway, regardless of whether he was right or not.”

“Yeah!” Matt laughed, “I wouldn’t have died if we took things slow like Lance suggested.”

Hunk laughed along a moment, “No, dude. You would have died. You sort of always die.”

“You and Shiro have death records .” Pidge snorted.

Allura rolled a die without preamble, stilling everyone as they looked to the sound. “The bandits pass by, taking in the party, and notice Keith’s–”

“ Red’s. ”

“Red’s glare. They’re disgusted, and advance on the bold group.”

“Azulle flies to the front and tries to charm them!”

“He does not –” Keith said immediately, “Red’s glare intensifies as Azulle moves to flirt.”

Sliding down in his chair, Lance groaned, “Jealousy, thy name is Keith. My charm skill has saved us so many times!”

“Lance, roll.”

He followed suit tensely, without readjusting his seat. The dice rolled almost lazily, prolonged as the group watched. “Eight.”

Allura laughed plainly. “They notice that you smell like cow and see Red’s background glare. The charm is wasted.”

“They never like Kaltenecker.” Pidge commented, a lightness in her tone.

“I smell nachos!” Hunk sang, listening as Coran came back with drinks in hand.

Lance huffed, his foot brushing against Keith’s from being so far under the table. “At least Keith likes cow.”

“ Red .” He stressed in return, not moving his foot.

“Keith and Hunk have initiative. the Galra advance with a scoff.” Allura narrated.

“Red pushes Azulle behind him, draws his sword, and makes a strike for the leader. Rolling.”

“My hero!” Lance cooed, making prolonged eye-contact with Keith while the die bounced.

“You never said how many there were, Allura.” Matt murmured, glancing at Hunk as the boy rolled as well.

“Drat.” Allura murmured back, flipping a curtain of hair over her shoulder and beginning to tie it up as Coran set her drink before her. “There are three. Would you like to hear their names?” Her voice became almost gleeful.

Pidge laughed, flipping pages frantically. “Yes. I’ll add them to our Worst Names Ever list.”

Allura was not deterred. “Plytox, Plyrox, and Sendak. Sendak’s the leader, missing one eye, and his roll beat yours, Keith. Hunk, What is your action?”

“Uh,” He groaned a moment, giving a wary eye to the sludge concoction Lance was downing almost frantically. “Saffron lets Red rush ahead and casts a barrier on whoever Matt is right now.”

“Whoever Matt is right now thanks you.”

“Roll again?”

“Eighteen! Woo!” Lance cheered for Hunk, throwing him a high five and not noticing Keith’s close gaze while he pumped his fist.

Pidge’s phone timer went off, and she jumped. “I’m using this turn to perceive this fucking relic again. You guys can battle on your own.”

“So, Matthew’s character is protected sufficiently, Sendak laughs at Keith’s–Red’s, I know, don’t start–Red’s attack and sends him flying back into Azulle with a hard shove. No damage necessary, he’s just being a little stinker while he tries to rough you all up. He then advances on Shiro due to his natural leader appearance.” Allura explained, as she always did in these events, with a pleasantness of a ruler, completely in control of all outcomes no matter the situation.

Shiro grunted, “If I sacrifice myself this turn can I go watch whatever Coran is in the den?”

“Azulle pleasantly cradles Red as he fumbles through that fall.” Lance cooed again, still engaged in on-again, off-again eye-contact with Keith that might last too long.

Allura narrowed her eyes at their leader. “No. I’m sorry you dislike this campaign so much, Shiro, but you can complain about it with Pidge when the night is done. Sendak draws a short dagger.” Mindlessly, she pulled the new bowl of nachos Coran delivered more towards herself and Hunk, shoving a handful into her mouth.

Keith picked at his cheese-less personal bowl of chips with fake nonchalance. “Red stands and sends Azulle a meaningful smile, preparing for his opportunity again…”

“Aww. Azulle kisses Red’s cheek and moves away to draw his bow and aim for the farthest Galra from Sendak’s flanks.”

“Plytox. Roll?”

“Seventeen. Oh my god, we are on fire tonight!”

“i’m gonna swing my spear into Sendak to try and distract him from Nero, because Shiro’s participation sucks when Coran’s got a good movie on.” Matt assured, rolling his die before he was prompted. “Six. Welp. Never mind.”

“No, that’ll do.” Allura nodded, “Not much, but Sendak is affected by such a bug bite. The goon Azulle hit is without the use of a shoulder.”

“Nero is tired but draws his sword and humbly requests Wemb to move over before he dies.” Shiro sat up a little, reaching for a nacho, “Also, I’m very focused on this game, I just appreciate Coran’s outlook on other activities.”

“Is that who I am right now? I picked the name Wemb? I’ve been loosely following Yuv’s character outline this whole time.” Matt complained, squinting at his papers.

Lance threw his head back in a laugh, “You need to get a better organization system. Hunk teaches, look at how pretty his binders look.”

“I think Shiro wants to retire from DND. I bet he’s going into LARPing.” Pidge snickered, “Can I roll for Foxglove yet?”

“You may.”

“Fifteen. Fuck. One day.”

Allura didn’t even bother to look sympathetic. “You’ll have better luck soon. Let’s see…The goons each knock an arrow at Saffron, recognizing his status as a healer. Roll for avoiding those, Hunk.”

“They always underestimate my dexterity.” Hunk laughed and Allura swore quietly, also having forgotten, as Hunk’s roll was modified into well past the necessary range.

“They miss so far that everyone, your party included, is embarrassed for them.” Their dungeon master begrudgingly narrated, “Sendak, however, is not deterred. Lance, you’re fastest, go ahead.”

“I throw another arrow at cold shoulder goon.”

“Plytox.”

“Playtex?”

“Lance.”

“And my roll is a beautiful thirteen. Are you proud mom? Is mama out there somewhere realizing my DND worth?” Lance elaborated, all smiles as he drank his sugary space juice.

Shiro glanced around the table, but Pidge beat him to commenting. “I’m sure somebody’s proud of you.” She laughed, adjusting her glasses so they were fixed on her face one more and glared in the light. “Red’s swooning by now.”

“Actually,” Hunk began, “When are Azulle and red getting married? Can we have a badass quest wedding? Wedding quest? We need closure.”

“They’re married through the spirit of battle. They don’t need fancy clothes or rings or ceremonies. It would be complicated.” Keith colored, sending a fleeting glance towards Lance.

“Well, I mean…” Lance laughed, glancing away too, “Azulle wouldn’t mind, anyway.”

“Foxglove was with Red in that market after the stupid retrieval quest we did for the Yalmor innkeeper, and Keith, you spent a lot of time whispering to Allura about what you were buying, so Foxglove should know.” Pidge explained slyly, scrutinizing her papers with a false casualty, “Can’t withhold information, you know.”

“Holy crow,” Lance shot up, excitement written in the way his face lit up, “Are you going to propose to me, Keith?”

Keith’s own face flared immediately, though he didn’t flinch under Lance’s beam and gaze. “I’ll text you what I bought, Pidge.” He gritted out.

“Why, thank you.” She said mercilessly.

When a strange silence fell over the table, unrealized only by the still excited Lance, Keith stood abruptly and moved away from the table. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Allura sighed, though she didn’t look like she truly had any objections. When Keith was out of sight, she and the rest of the table turned to Lance collectively, watching him smile down at his character notes almost bashfully.

“I can’t believe you’re going to marry Keith.” Hunk said lightly, all smiles.

He laughed in return, moving his bright eyes to meet his best friend’s own. “I know, right? Who thought we’d get here ?” After another chuckle, he stopped. “Wait.”

“There it is. We can all go home.” Pidge threw her hands into the air.

“Lance…” Shiro started, eyes on the hallway that led to the den where Coran was comfortable, “I give you my blessing.”

“Please don’t do this.” A flush raked up Lance’s neck to the tips of his ears, and he groaned as loud as he could. “They’re just characters.”

“Dude.” Hunk began, only to be cut off by Lance’s own standing.

“What’s that, Coran? More space juice for me in the kitchen? Be right there!” And he was gone.

Pidge rested her head in her arms on the table. “End this. Why did we even introduce them? Introduce this game ?”

“Without this game,” Matt decidedly sagely, resting a hand on his sister’s back, “We wouldn’t even know the extent of how sad they pine for one another.”

“They’ve contaminated dungeons and dragons by being in love.” She whined, squinting at Allura when she laughed from behind her partition.

When Keith returned from his fake bathroom run, he immediately asked, “Where’s Lance?” much to his own dismay at his train of thought.

Shiro looked towards him, soft mirth in his tired eyes. “Keith,” He began seriously, “Please, ask Lance out.”

Keith’s face gained color quickly, and he downed his space juice as he sat, fluster only amplified when Lance returned from the kitchen with a refill for the two of them.