#i wanted the whole face journey. for science.

[fruitydiaz]

I never saw you coming. And I'll never be the same.

[Image description: 9 large gifs of Buck processing his kiss with Tommy.]

[r3medialch8os]

so since u guys liked that i did this with remedial chaos theory i will now also be doing this for epidemiology.

the most incredible thing about this episode is that it is in fact Not merely an homage like most concept episodes are; it actually happens. a zombie epidemic For Real takes place at greendale. it's not a gimmick or a game or a way to frame the plot. the actual conflict is derived from the fact that people are zombies and the study group need to outrun them/turn them back. how often can you say that a sitcom incorporates a storyline like this and sincerely pulls it off? never.

the emotional tension in this episode is framed around troy/abed/jeff and the dichotomy of being a nerd vs. being cool, which respectively get attributed the qualities of caring about the people around you who have turned into zombies or wanting to run and escape from the zombies without trying to help. abed and jeff's costumes are both pointed out in the beginning receiving clear denotations of 'lame' and 'too cool to care' and therefore their positions in the conflict are cemented. the episode has a push-pull with troy being the moving factor, having to decide what he thinks is most important. he gets swayed in the beginning by two girls rejecting him over his costume and jeff mentioning how expensive his suit is. he changes from his ripley costume into a 'sexy dracula'. abed spends the whole episode trying to get troy back to his side, even saying "what defines a nerd? committing to an awesome halloween costume with your best friend?" troy is eventually 'turned back' into his nerdy self (perhaps a zombie metaphor itself, keeping in tone with the theme of the episode) because jeff cares more about his suit getting dirty than surviving the herd of zombies.

a crucial part of the episode is that it is soundtracked by abba music playing from the dean's playlist. now, who would i be if i didn't investigate significant music choices connected to scenes? first up and probably the most important one: s.o.s. is used in the background of a scene where abed confronts troy about changing costumes. troy insults him and walks away. the lyrics are: 'you seemed so far away, though you were standing near. you made me feel alive, but something died, i fear. i really tried to make it up, i wish I understood. what happened to our love? it used to be so good.' next; gimme gimme gimme plays right before the scene where chang and shirley hook up. another insane choice is at the end when troy is fighting the zombies. the whole sequence has mamma mia playing in the background Faintly. then when troy eventually gets to abed and has to fight him, the music comes in much louder with the lyrics: 'here i go again, my, my, how can i resist you?', which i think fits perfectly. the ending song fernando has the lyrics 'there was something in the air that night', both referencing the thermostat changing the zombies back and the fact that it was just an incredibly weird fucking night.

troy is dressed as ellen ripley and also kind of acts as the ripley of this episode. his journey in this as being the sole survivor and the one to eventually save greendale adheres to a common science fiction model where a life-threatening force is faced against the protagonists and they fall off in degrees, resulting in one person being left to mend everything. here specifically, it seems to mirror ripley's journey in alien (1979) as it starts with a crew that eventually gets cut down leaving only her. i thought that was really cool.

more alien tidbits, but the jumping cat scene is also inspired by it. jones the cat is an imporant figure in the first alien movie. in various scenes, members of the crew will go looking for him, then get ambushed by the titular alien and subsequently killed. it is a minor homage to the movie through yet another subtle reference. the bit is also parodying jumpscares in horror movies in general, and how they are used to cheaply amplify the tension. anyways, it's quite the multilayered joke because it also really works out of context as a bizarre comedic moment.

troy and abed's scene in the basement pays homage to princess leia and han solo's scene in the empire strikes back. the conversation in the film takes place just before han is frozen alive in carbonite by darth vader. not knowing if he’ll survive, he kisses leia, only to be torn away from her by stormtroopers. she says 'i love you,' and as he descends into chamber, han replies, 'i know.' an undeniably romantic moment, maybe one of the most memorable ones ever, is applied to troy and abed who have held reign over the emotional core of the plot for the entire episode. it's pretty special that such an iconic moment is given to them, i feel like the creators of the show wouldn't just do this sparingly. it also perfectly resolves their conflict as troy makes such a vulnerable statement and abed assuring him that he already knew, validating their bond once again.

more on troy and abed, it is pretty amazing realizing the emotional implications tied to how dire the situation was. everyone in this episode was under the direct threat of Not Surviving, and still abed sacrificed himself for troy. he knew this was for real. he couldn't be sure if they were going to make it. but i think he had enough faith in troy to aid in his escape. it's very touching. further, it's incredible that troy is willing to fight all the zombies (all his friends) but when it comes time to punch abed, he refuses to do it. he's struck by the force of their friendship, mumbling 'we're friends' defeated before eventually succumbing to his bite.

troy saving the school by controlling the temperature; nicely setting up his further plot with the ac repair school.

him being the one to escape and abed saying 'be the first black man to make it to the end' subverts the common horror trope of 'black dude dies first'. a playful way of keeping up with the horror movie theme of the episode.

also ironically this episode, which features the song mamma mia by abba, sets up a plotline in season two about shirley not knowing who the father of her new baby is, which is functionally the plot of the movie mamma mia!, a musical based on abba's music. probably a coincidence but a pretty funny one.

at the end when the army arrives, they ask the dean about witnesses. when he says he is the only witness, one of the guards reaches into his jacket, suggesting that he's pulling a gun intended to kill the dean and get rid of the witness. when they notice everyone in the school is still alive, they abandon this plan and go for 'scenario b'. kind of dark but i laugh every time that scene happens.

anyways that's all i could pull from my brain crevices for now. this episode is a genuine masterpiece, it will never ever get old and will remain to be one of the most unique sitcom episodes ever created.

[ryusuisloveinterest]

Hello! I came back with another request!

I was wondering if you could please write something, with " I feel safer with you" kind of moment, please?

I would like to request this for Ryusui, kohaku ( girls need more love here) and ukyo, please?

Thank you!

welcome back anon! I think I went for what you’re asking for but if you don’t like it then feel free to let me know! Ngl they’re kinda long lol. I hope you enjoy 💕

I feel safer when I’m with you🩷

Ryusui: New America City Arc

“You’re staying here.” Ryusui demands you. You scowl. “Why?? I can help you sail the ship! I can keep Watch! There’s so many things I can do just let me come with y-“ This is the first time you’ve ever seen Ryusui so serious. Sure he was always focused and determined on something, but he never had such a solemn face. “(Y/n)…” he says as he drags you by the arm, leading you to the Perseus. “Please Ryusui…let me come with you.” “No…” This is when you lost it. “Why Ryusui?! This isn’t fair. We’ve been through everything together and now-“ “I want you to be safe ok?!!” Ryusui would never raise his voice at you. Ryusui’s voice has never trembled before. Ryusui’s eyes have never been filled with tears about to spill over. Ryusui has never desired something more in his whole life. “S-Stanley is going to come after us. He’s not gonna just slap our wrists and move on. No… he’s gonna come at us guns drawn and take every single one of us until he’s satisfied…” His eyes lock onto yours, desperation in them. “I can’t let you be put in that kind of danger. You have to be safe, I have to KNOW you have to be safe…” The water starts to fall out of his eyes. “We don’t have time for this, I have to get you to the Perseus before-“ He was shocked at the sudden soft lips onto his and the small hands that touched his face. He wraps his muscular arms around your waist and pull you closer to his body. As your lips slowly part, you softly smile at him. “Oh Ryusui, I’m never going to be safe unless I’m with you…” He’s stunned, confused on what you mean. “Remember, before the whole petrification, when you were at my place during a thunderstorm. The one that was on the news for weeks?” He nods. “I was doing the laundry, and you were building one of your model ships. I was almost done with the towels when the lights went out. Of course I started panicking, I’ve never not been scared of blackouts.” You chuckle, thinking of the memory. “I just sat on the couch, trembling, when I feel my favorite blanket wrapped around me.” Your mind travels back to that very day. You both remember every little detail from the cologne Ryusui was wearing to the conversations the both of you had to distract you. “As soon as you wrapped me in your arms, I felt a weight being lifted off my chest. I wasn’t afraid anymore, and it’s all because of you.” He reaches his hand out, tangling it in a few strands of your hair. “Please my love, if you want me to be safe then let me come with you…” He pauses, contemplating on what to do. “Fine, but let’s hurry.”

Kohaku: After Perseus is finished

The Perseus was finally done. Everyone celebrated for only a short while since Ryusui began calling names. One after the other, Ryusui calls name after name. “To help with ship maintenance, (y/n)!” You’re shocked at first that the Kingdom of Science wants you on their journey, but you except the offer with a small nod and walk onto the ship. Everyone greets you and welcomes you on board, well tried to. Kohaku snatched you up immediately, basically throwing you in the air because of how excited you are that you’re coming. “Thank goodness you’re here (y/n)! I thought I would have to separate from you!” You can’t help but blush and giggle at her reaction. After everyone boards and Ginro does his swimming to the boat thing you all head out to Treasure Island. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon night falls and you and Kohaku are the first on night watch. You both stand hand and hand as you lean on the sides of Perseus. The smell of the ocean sets the romantic mood as the stars provide some light for the both of you. Kohaku rests her head on your shoulder, letting out a small sigh. “I’m really happy you’re here (y/n), really. To be completely honest I thought you would stay behind. You’ve never really be the one to venture out.” You let out a laugh. “Well, you could say I wanted to stay close to a certain someone.” This made Kohaku giggle. “Besides, I was curious. To see more than just the island we live on.” Kohaku smiled softly while holding your hand a little tighter. “But…aren’t you even a little scared? About leaving your home?” You were shocked at her sudden vulnerability. The strong lioness showing her fear and worry. You squeeze her hand back. “Hey, we’ll be fine. Everything is going to be fine. As long as we have each other, there’s nothing to worry about.” She smiles at you, then gives you a small kiss on the cheek. You laugh to yourself. “Plus, I don’t have to worry about being mauled by a bear or something, I have Ishigami Village’s strongest warrior with me, I never have to worry with you around Kohaku!” Kohaku laughs at this, and if you’d look hard enough then you could notice the small blush forming on her face. “Thanks (y/n), I’m glad I can always count on you…” She takes a small step towards you before sharing a delicate kiss.

Ukyo: Stone Wars

You were sitting outside of Tsukasa’s cave, waiting for the meeting between Tsukasa, Hyoga, and Ukyo to end. As you were about done picking the random flowers that found their way through the rock, you see Hyoga angrily stomp pass you. You look in the cave as Tsukasa and Ukyo walk out. “(Y/n).” Tsukasa says as he nods at you, walking to a quiet place to think. Ukyo sighs as he walks over to you, grabbing both your hands and kissing them. “Tough meeting?” You whisper. He nods. “Let’s get you some food then you can tell me all about it yeah?” “I’d love that.” He smiles as you both walk hand and hand to your shared hut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night eventually falls as you and Ukyo cuddled close together for warmth. “What’s on your mind Ukyo? You’ve been acting strange ever since your meeting with Tsukasa and Hyoga.” Ukyo barries his face in your neck, breathing softly. “Hyoga was telling Tsukasa that we should only revive the strongest while Tsukasa believes only the young should survive.” He buries his head deeper, taking in your scent. You rub his ear, making his face heat up. “And how do you feel about that? Do you agree with letting a few live and the rest die?” You already knew the answer, but you had to hear it from his mouth. Ukyo holds you tighter when you feel your neck become wet with his tears. “N-no one should die, w-why do we have to d-decide who lives or dies? It’s not right!” You cup his face and wipe his tears. “That’s not all you want to tell me, is it?” He stares up at you, hesitant. He touches your hand and kisses it. “I found a phone.” A phone? In the stone world? How? “On the other side was the Kingdom of science…” Yes, Tsukasa’s current enemy. “Their leader, Senku, said if I could help them, they’ll prevent anymore bloodshed and stop the destruction of the statues…” Hes scared to tell you more, but he holds you tighter. “What else Ukyo?” “I cant, the more you know, the more likely Tsukasa could harm you. I have to keep you safe..!” You grab his face making him look at you. “Listen to me, I’m here with you. No matter what we face we’ll do it together. And as for my safety, I know that I’m safe when I’m with you!” This causes Ukyo’s tears to fall out again. He looks down and takes a breath. “I agreed. I dont want anyone else to die…” You squeeze his hand and kiss his hand. “Then no one else will. We’ll make sure if it. Together…”

[exoticabl4]

Where to start ?

Such a basic question and yet so many answers. At the beginning of your journey, you'll find yourself with a whole lot of motivation, goals and dreams, so you may feel kinda lost as to where you're supposed to start.

1. Know what you want.

It may sound kind of cliche, and stupid, but really, what do you want ? Yes you wanna be successful, but doesn't everyone want the same thing ? Be precise and give the details. What does success mean to you ? How does the highest version of you look like ? What's her self-concept like ? How does she dress ? Is she more classy or street wear ? Mysterious or a ray of sunshine ? Avoid following the trends. For example, lately the "dark feminine aesthetic" has been taking over tiktok and pinterest, and no matter how cool it might seem, it might not be your cup of tea at the end of the day. Do not to strive to become someone you won't enjoy being. Don't try to be liked by everyone or try to be the heart of the parties when you genuinely enjoy being alone more and have very few friends and acquaintances. And don't try to be "mysterious and dark" when you're actually someone who laughs a lot and who's socially attractive. You can also make pinterest boards with specific facial features you want, with the body type you want, the vibe you want in general. Or, you can keep a journal and divide your life into different aspects (physical attractiveness, intelligence, mindset...), and go into details in each aspect.

2. Create a base routine.

What's a base routine ? That's basically a simple, yet achievable and productive routine you're going to follow, and prioritize over any habit you want to add to your life. So for example, I don't have much time in the morning, so my base routine mainly focuses on after school (your base routine could be about all day, you do you), and it looks like this :

45 min of maths

1 hour of other school work

15 minutes on Duolingo

Learning one new page of spanish vocabulary

Listening to my beauty subliminal playlist 2x

Listening to my specific feature subliminal playlist 3x

Brush my teeths

Affirm and meditate

Go to sleep

As you can see, my base routine is literally SO simple. Every two months, i may add more stuff to my base routine. The goal is to prioritize this routine over any other new habit you wanna add. For example, let's say i wanna start working out every day for 1 hour, and the first day i started, i found myself with no time to work out, which is normal, since I'm still discovering about what works and what doesn't for me, but I'm not going to ruin my base routine or not do one of the habits in it, just for the sake of a newly formed one.

3. Create an alter-ego.

Really basic, but you're going to create a sort of character in your mind, give it a name (mine's name is Abla 😉). This alter-ego is everything you wanna be, so everything you wrote about in step 1, and you're going to start acting like her. Everytime you're feeling lazy, or confused, ask yourself "What would she do ?" (she being your alter-ego). Slowly, you're going to morph into her, and don't hesitate to go for it and exaggerate.

4. Find out about what you're supposed to do.

Divide your life into aspects. I personally, have divided mine into 6 aspects :

Physical attractiveness (face, body, hair, voice, scent, style)

Intellectual development (knowledge (psychology, body language, science...), language learning, chess)

Mindset (confidence, self-love, self-concept, self-worth, discipline)

Skills (cooking, endurance, baking....)

Spiritual life (religion, meditation, mindfulness, healing)

Personal achievements (writing a book, best at my promotion, become president of a club)

That's how i divided my life, now take the time to divide yours, and identify what habits you're supposed to follow in order to improve in each aspect. For example, to improve your appearance, you may have to start a skincare routine, so that's one of the habits.

5. Declutter your space.

Your phone, your room, your desk, your locker, your wardrobe everything. Change your phone theme, block people, delete unnecessary pics and screenshots, donate clothe you don't need, clean your locker. Have a rebirth in a clean and organized space.

So that's it for this post, hope it was helpful, bye my loves.

[eyesthecolorofarson]

Interacting with Entities

The Justice Leagues main meeting room wasn’t usually this crowded, with both the entire Flash, Bat, Super, and Arrow families in attendance. Though to be fair, Red Robin didn’t usually send out a message on mass that told them he had information that changed the fundamentals of life and death.

Tim was typing at the main computer, ignoring or not hearing the whispers of everyone around him as he opened what seemed to be a very disturbing image. It showed a little girl, no older than ten, with red hair and off-color green-white skin in what seemed to be a lab. She was leaning against an operating table, sobbing. On the operating table was a toddler, who couldn’t be older than three.

He’d been dissected. He was pinned open like a frog in a high school science class, and the only thing in his small body were his ribs. His other organs were in jars surrounding him, his heart above his head. His eyes had been removed as well, placed in separate jars on each side of his heart.

The room fell deathly silent as they took in the image. Tim turned around, tired and grim, and spoke. “Who you are looking at is Jazz and Danny Fenton from Ohio. Jazz is possible a different species, and Danny is a clone she created. The reason she knew how to do this and succeeded is because of her hyper intelligence and from watching her parents, who are scientists.”

Tim turned around again and clicked a button. “And as you can see, their very unethical ones.” The video began playing, projecting the girls deep, heart-wrenching sobs. You could hear how much she loved him, how many good memories she had with him. She choked, sniffling and whimpering in a soft, broken tone, “I–*hic* I….. I j-just didn’t wa-waaant *hic* to be alone any*hic*more….”

Behind her, something began to form.

It made the video distort, but it was clearly a person fading into existence. It looked like someone swirling something in reverse. The video cleared up and floating where the vortex had been was an old man, with icy blue skin and red eyes. He had long, white hair and wore a cloak that hid the rest of his body.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke in a soft tone, “You are a child.” Jazzs sobs didn’t stop, but they slowed as he continued. “You are a scared, abused, neglected, horribly alone child. The only thing you wanted was to be loved, to have something to love. This was not your fault. This was a failure of the system, not you.”

Jazz had stopped crying, and for a moment they were silent, staring at the body in front of them. The man spoke again, but softer. “There is a way to bring him back, you know.” Jazzs head wiped around so fast many worried of whiplash. But the camera now has a clear view of her face, and her bright red eyes.

“How?” She said, gripping the man’s cloak, “no riddles, no cryptic messages, please Clockwork, please, just tell me how to bring him back.” He smiled softly and patted her head. “It will be a long journey, and difficult in ways unimaginable, and you must do it alone. But I believe you will be able to succeed.”

Clockwork began floating about the lab, picking out random things such as syringes filled with strange brightly-colored liquids and futuristic looking weapons as he spoke. “What is an Entity, Jasmine?”

Jazz watched him, confused, but answered. “It’s when the personification of a concept, like Lady Justice, or a natural unchangeable occurrence, like life and death or the four seasons, gains sentience and comes together to form a corporeal, human-like form.”

“It happens when these concepts or occurrences gain enough power,” she continued, “and then every part of them comes together to form a singular whole. Like how every religious belief formed Lady Death, or how everyone’s opinion on a season effects how they act and express themselves.”

“Very good.” Clockwork said, the objects he picked up floating around him in a circle when he let them go. “Deep in the Hindu Kush Mountains, in a place called Nada Parbat, there is an Entity trapped. Her name is ɭ̷͕̈́ค̴̡̞̮̱̩͓̝̅̈́͗͆̋̆̋̈́̉̿̓̕͠ᘔ̴̨̢̖͔͖͚͙̗̚ͅค̵͈͍̞͚̄̐̃̔̌̋͜ͅг̶̣̙̰̣͔̖̰̱̝͔͍̘͂͆̄̈́̆̍͑͒͛̃̚ͅย̶͇̥̜͈͚̼͉̈́̈̓̒͊͗̍͋̄̆̕͠ร̷̪̃̈́͒̒̿͠͝.” The Justice League was torn from their intense focus of the video to the sudden pain in their ears, the wave of nausea that washed over them, the dizziness and confusion. Whatever language that was it wasn’t meant for human ears.

In the video, Jazz didn’t seem effected, and even understood what he was saying. She muttered the word, over and over again, before she said, “Lazarus? I’ve never heard of that before. What’s she made out of?” Clockwork floated back towards her and continued to explain. “Her true name is Lady Life. She is the oldest, the truest, spread among and deeply connected to every part of this universe. From the smallest ant to the largest planet, she is Life in its purest form.”

“Is she older than you?” Jazz asked, tilting her head and grabbing every syringe she could reach, placing them on a different table than the one Danny was on and organizing them by size and color. Clockwork laughed. “Far, far older. She existed before Lady Death did, in a sort of ‘chicken and egg’ scenario.”

“I tell you this,” Clockwork started, handing Jazz several of the weapons before continuing, “because for the past few centuries, Lady Life’s powers have been severely abused by people who are not worthy of them. And those subjected to her power against their will are going about treating the side effects incredibly wrong.”

“What are the rules for interacting with an Entity?” “Do not take, do not lie, do not steal.” Jazz replied, “Ask, explain, thank. And good will follow.” Clockwork smiled. “Very good. And what is the rule for when bringing an Entity into the body?” “Do not bathe, for it washes away.” Jazz again replied. “Do not inject, for it pierces skin. Consume, for eating is only done willingly and happily.”

“Now, a series of questions.” Clockwork said, “When bringing an Entity into the body, what happens when you attempt to lock it away?” “It will attempt to lock you away.” “And when you ties to fight it?” “It will try to fight you.” “And when you try to control it?” “It will attempt to control you.”

Jazz finished her sorting and turned to look at Clockwork. “The best way to bring an Entity into your body is to accept it, respect it, and love it, and it will give you the same in return.” They stared at each other silently for a couple minutes, not blinking or breathing.

“I have to bring Lady Life into Danny.” Jazz finally spoke. Clockwork nodded. “But how?” Jazz look to the operating table for a moment, before turning back to Clockwork. “He can’t eat anything….” Clockwork moved to the side, blocking her view of the table. “Remember, Jasmine; ask, explain, thank. Like everyone, Lady Life has many sides. While yes, she can be endlessly cruel, but also deeply loving and compassionate. It all depends on how you treat her.”

Jazz thought for a moment. “So, if I free Lady Life—because that’s what you want me to do, right?” At Clockworks nod she continued, “Right. So, if I free her, and I treat her really nicely and I ask nicely, she’ll bring Danny back?” Clockwork said yes, and Jazz fell silent again. “How do I do it?” She said, her red eyes alight with determination. Clockwork held out his hand, and when she took it—

Both them and Danny were gone

[builtbybrokenbells]

Spitfire | iii

Jake still can’t seem to get the girl from the bar off his mind, even after his time in Baltimore was long forgotten to everyone else. He spends his free time getting to know her, realizing quickly that she’s everything he’s dreamed of. She makes fast at showing him that not everyone is interested in him solely for the fame, but he’s still puzzled at how she pushed him to the brink of falling in love with her in only a mere few weeks.

Read part two here

Read part four here

Pairing: jake kiszka x f!reader

Word count: 5.3k

Warnings: university exams/exam season (🤢), drinking, smoking (weed & cigarettes), long distance, annoying brotherly activities, fluff, mentions of provocative text messages, not really a whole lot w this one, but sorry if i missed any!

hi! here’s part three :) this is mostly a filler to advance to the main story, but i wanted to throw in some long distance fluffiness because i love hurting my own feelings! lots of dialogue to set the scene/relationship/emotion. as always, enjoy, and please be kind and ignore any grammar mistakes 🫶🏻🫶🏻 also disclaimer I am no longer a science student at university so some of the science-y stuff may not be perfectly accurate, no hate pls

~

An incoming call shook you from your focus, your eyes quickly darting down at your phone to see who it was from. You removed your glasses for a moment, rubbing your eyes to wake yourself up. When you put them back on, you noticed that Jake was the one causing the disturbance. A small smile crossed your lips as you picked your phone up, swiping across the screen to accept the video call. His face appeared after a few seconds, a beaming grin plastered on his cheeks. His hair was damp, likely from him showering after the concert he’d just had. A few hours earlier, he promised he’d call when he got back to the hotel, and it wasn’t like Jake to forget a promise.

“Hello, beautiful.” He said before you had a chance to greet him. You let out a small laugh, clicking the lamp on that was sitting on your computer desk. You placed your phone against the screen of your laptop, propping it up so you didn’t have to hold it.

“Hello, handsome.” You greeted back. “But, I am far from beautiful right about now.” You dismissed him, taking your hair down from its messy bun and putting it back up, neater this time. “I think this paper is going to kill me.” You truly meant it. You were in the midst of writing your final thesis paper for your undergraduate degree. After doing a research credit all year long, the paper proved the most difficult of the whole process.

“I think you’re going to ace it.” He said, taking a seat on the hotel bed. “What’s it on, anyway? You never actually told me.” He was right; you’d been working on it the entire time you’d known him, but never dived into the specifics with him, too afraid of talking his ear off about your year-long journey.

“Um,” you gave a small chuckle, pulling out your draft report. “The study of blood-glucose measurement based on blood resistivity.” You muttered the title before tossing the book of paper back down. His eyes widened a bit, trying to process what you were saying, but he covered it up quickly with a supportive nod.

“I love it when you talk science to me.” He sighed, a note of humour radiating from him. You let out a giggle, happy he’d called to ease the tension between you and your work. “But, you know, could you give me a refresher on what exactly that means?” He asked, leaning back against his headboard. You noticed he was shirtless, feeling a small flutter in your stomach at the sight.

“You mean to tell me you can’t tell me all about a diabetic study based off voltage and curve fitting?” You asked, an incredulous look in your eye. He laughed, giving a shrug.

“I’m a bit rusty.” You admired his features, how beautiful he looked when he was happy. You also noticed he looked tired himself, his eyes drooping slightly.

“I’ve been doing a research credit for my degree. I read a study about something similar way back in high school and it stuck with me, because my father’s side of the family struggles with diabetes. My dad and two of my brothers have Type 1. I decided to take a deeper look into it for my thesis.” You explained. He gave you his full attention, humming an agreement to assure you he was listening. “But basically what I’m doing is experimenting to see if we can measure a persons blood-sugar level in a non-invasive way. I studied pulses with electrodes and compared the voltage to different blood-sugar levels on a curve to see if it’s a suitable way to calculate it.”

“Did it work?” He asked, genuinely intrigued.

“Well, sort of.” You scratched your head, furrowing your eyebrows slightly, trying to find the best way to explain it. “There’s definitely a correlation, and I think if it was studied further, it could genuinely get somewhere. It would be pretty cool if it did. Blood-sugar level tests are extremely troublesome in general. They take time, they’re painful, and super expensive in the long run. I know my family spent thousands of dollars on Will and Sam when they were kids, and we had good insurance. It was really interesting to look at. I’m glad I picked it, but almost seven months of study is a lot to compile into one report.” You chuckled. “It’s required to be 40-60 pages long.”

“I think you’re a genius,” he said as a matter-of-fact “and I know that whatever you put down on that paper is going to be fantastic.” He assured you. You gave him a smile, appreciating his words.

“I can only be so much of a genius with a recycled idea,” you reminded, sitting up in your chair. “But I’m almost done the bulk of the work now, so I can forget about it soon enough.”

“When is it due?” He questioned.

“Friday.” You sighed, looking at your calendar. “Three days to go and I’m officially done.”

“See? That’s not so bad. I’ll read it when you’re finished and tell you how amazing it is. I probably won’t understand any of it, but I do know how to give you a compliment.” He flashed the smile that you’d been missing so much. And he was right, he sure did know how to compliment you. It was his favourite pastime, even when you looked as run down as you did in that moment.

“And I would be more than delighted to share it with you.” You watched him again, more interested in him than you’d ever been in your schoolwork. “Anyway, enough about me. How’d your show go, rockstar?”

“I don’t think I can ever get enough of you,” the cheesy line was accompanied by a goofier grin. You rolled your eyes, both of you knowing you weren’t really annoyed with him. “It was good. The crowds are always amazing. We played really well, but I am tired though.”

“Of course you are; it’s hard work to put on a good show.” You sympathized. You could tell how much he loved what he did, but he was always exhausted when he called you at night, which was a common occurrence. He’d been gone for almost two weeks, now, and if he absolutely could not call you during the day, he texted as much as he could. Communication was never ceased, in turn, never leaving you wondering if he meant everything he’d told you. It only took him the length of the plane ride to use your number after he left, claiming he didn’t stop thinking of you once while he was flying away from you. Now, the end of your semester was quickly approaching, which meant the end of your bachelor studies as well.

The day you’d so conveniently ran into him at the coffee shop had sparked a beautifully blossoming relationship. That evening, both went back to your house, where he’d met your roommates (well, officially, at least) and you all had dinner together. You’d given him the house tour he’d been so eager for, and eventually you went back to his hotel with him. Much to everyone’s disbelief, it was completely PG the whole night, aside from a few kisses. You’d met his brothers, spent some time with them and were lucky enough to get to know them, even if it wasn’t much past the surface level. You and Jake spent the night talking, listening to music and really getting past the superficialities.

Not once did he make an advance, proving to you even further that he meant what he’d told you. You shared a bed with him night, falling asleep wrapped in each others arms with no intent for sex or any other hidden implications. It was something you’d never experienced before. When you woke, you got breakfast together. You went with him to the airport to see him off, and he’d kissed you. That’s where the intimacy ended. Now, you had to see him through a phone screen or a camera, always aching to be held by him again. It was the most peace you’d ever known from another person.

You were still nervous, finding it hard to integrate another person into your daily routine in such a way, but the process was made so much easier because of the type of person he was. He was understanding of your timidity, always kind and gentle, he was quick with his words and they were always sweet, and he was gorgeous. Making Jake a part of your every day life had been easier than anything you’d ever done. Nothing was official; it was mostly just phone calls and texting, even if it was constant. A lot of it was innocent, asking about each others days, or mindless chatter that you would never bother to share with anyone else. No matter what you had to say, he always seemed to want to listen. Occasionally, the flirting would take over. He was usually very respectful, he didn’t like to initiate until he knew you were okay with it, but every now and then, he’d send a risky text or picture first. Nothing too graphic, just enough to let you know he was thinking about you. You’d never admit it, but they were some of your favourite texts to receive. Sometimes you would send one first, particularly when it was a bad time for him, just to be an asshole.

You were still processing the entire situation. You’d never been in a relationship or a ‘situationship’, as some say, without it starting with sex, or at least the intent of only having sex. It was nice, knowing him so well before he knew you so intimately. The emotional intimacy felt way nicer than any physical gratification you could imagine. You felt yourself really falling for Jake, despite being so evasive of the idea when you first met him. You truly felt like he was someone you could love, or he was someone who could love you like you’d always wanted.

“When is your ceremony?” He asked. Your eyes shot up to the screen, breaking out of your thoughts.

“Uh, what, sorry?” You cleared your throat, feeling a bit embarrassed for zoning out.

“Your graduation ceremony?” He asked again, not bothered by having to repeat himself.

“Oh,” you looked at your calendar again, eyes tracking the days. There was a big red circle with the word ‘freedom’ scribbled in it. You chuckled to yourself, remembering when Eve had written it. She was over the moon for you when you submitted your credits for review to graduate. She was taking her degree slow, likely to finish in five years rather than four. Knowing that you would still be there with her while she finished, or that she wouldn’t have to leave you behind when she moved away, made both of you relieved beyond measure. “The 24th.” You clarified.

“I have a show that day.” His voice was sad. You felt a bit of disappointment at his words, but you understood. Besides, you’d only known him for a couple weeks; you couldn’t expect him to drop everything to go to your graduation when he barely knew you.

“That’s okay.” You assured him. “I didn’t expect you to go anyway.” You realized how harsh your words sounded after they came out. A solemn look fell across his features. “No, Jake, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” You rushed out. “I just meant that we’ve only been talking for a few weeks. I would never expect you to drop your whole life to come and see my ceremony.”

“You say that like you’re not important to me.” He said, fidgeting with something behind the screen.

“I know I am, Jake.” You assured him. “And you’re important to me, too. I just know that life is busy. Especially for you, rockstar.” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Maybe Eve will be generous enough to do a video call with me.” He suggested. You nodded, thinking that wasn’t a bad idea at all.

“I’ll have to ask her, but I’m sure she would. I think she likes you.” He let out a small laugh.

“Well that’s good, I guess.” His attention was disrupted by a knock on his door. “Hold on,” he mumbled, getting out of the bed. He continued holding the phone, not wanting to miss a moment of time talking to you. You heard his hotel door open, only being able to see his shoulder on the camera.

“Hello, brother.” You heard a voice say. You could recognize it as Josh’s. He’d joined your calls a fair few times over the last few weeks, just the same as Danny and Sam. You were slowly getting to know all of the boys, which was really making you feel like Jake was serious about this whole thing. “Care to partake?” You heard a laugh fall from Jake, warming your heart. You were certain that it had become your favourite sound in the whole world.

“Yeah, but she has to join, too.” Jake informed his brother.

“Oh, is that y/n?” Josh asked, his excitement growing. “Actually, I don’t think I even have to ask.”

“Hi, Josh!” Your voice echoed from the phone. You saw a struggle on the screen, hearing muffled bumps and noises, until eventually Josh’s smiling face popped into view.

“Hey, mama.” You could hear Jake arguing with his brother, trying to get his phone back. Josh seemed to be walking down the hallway, now, away from his twin. You couldn’t help but giggle at the interaction. “You wanna get drunk with us?” He asked. You eyed your laptop screen, internally debating if you should or not.

“You know, you guys are awfully bad influences.” You teased.

“Is that a yes?” You could see Jake approaching in the background of the camera, now. Josh raised his eyebrow at you in anticipation. He was still evading Jake, picking up his speed as he ran away from him.

“Josh, don’t pressure her into it.” Jake scolded. He sounded far away, you could barely make out what he was saying. You were having a hard time holding back your laughs, now. The whole situation was perfectly comedic and seemed to be exactly what you needed to feel better.

“Yeah, I’d love to, Josh.” You agreed. He let out a triumphant noise, halting his movement completely. Jake finally reached him, grabbing his phone back. You finally lost control of your laughter when you saw his grumpy expression appear in the frame. “Hi, honey.” You joked through bouts of giggles, wiping away a tear that had fallen.

“I’m glad you think he’s funny,” Jake tried to sound annoyed, but he was failing miserably, unable to stay upset while seeing you so happy. “Try being around him all of the time.”

“Oh come on, he’s not that bad.” You comforted, catching your breath.

“You have no idea.” He grumbled, making his way back to his hotel room. Josh appeared behind him, holding a liquor bottle in his hand. You stood yourself, throwing a hoodie on over your tank top. Jake watched you silently, admiring you. He thought you were the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, even when you were doing the most mundane tasks. You grabbed your cigarette pack from the desk and slipped it into the pocket. “Are you sure you want to stay on the phone? I can let you go, I know you have work to do.” The concern was dripping from his words.

“I’m okay, I want to talk to you guys. I wasn’t getting much work done, anyway. I think I just have to take a break, start fresh tomorrow.” You were lying, but only slightly. Your work was not going fantastic, but you were making progress. Still, you’d rather put the last bit of your report off until tomorrow if it meant you got to spend time with Jake, even if it was virtual.

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Jake said, a note of warning in his tone.

“She wants to hang out with us, Jake. Don’t convince her to change her mind.” You could practically hear Josh’s eye roll in his statement.

“What, I’m not- you know what? Get out.” Even as he said it, there was a smile on his face and a ghost of a laugh in his voice. You thought it was sweet, how close the two boys were. Twin thing aside, they really were best friends. They knew each other better than anyone else, and they were always functioning on the same wavelength. Even when they were mad at each other, they were never really mad.

Almost nightly you’d see an appearance from Josh in your FaceTimes with Jake. He’d instantly added you on his personal social media’s, wanting to know you just as bad as Jake did, but for a different reason. You remembered back to a few days after they left, how Josh had sent you a message telling you that ‘if Jake talked so highly about you, he had to know you, too’. The instant acceptance was heartwarming. The boys reminded you of your own brothers. You were excited for them all to meet, eventually. They’d talked on the phone a few times, but you couldn’t wait for them to all be together and really know each other.

Just as you were exiting your room, your phone began to vibrate again. A grin pulled at your lips. Your brother Sam was calling, too. “Hold on, guys.” You said, clicking the hold button on your current call and answering the video from your sibling. “Hello, spawn of Satan.” You greeted as soon as the call connected.

“I’m really starting to question if you love me or not.” He shot back. You chuckled.

“Oh, I do love you, brother dearest, but it’s because I have to.” You teased. “Hold on, I’m on the phone with Jake. I’m going to merge it.” You informed him. He gave a nod. You clicked into the other call, pressing the merge button. Within a moment, the screen was shared between Jake and Sam. It took Jake a moment to realize what happened, but when he did, his eyes lit up.

“It’s other Sam!” He said. Your brother cracked a smile, probably larger than any one he’d ever given you.

“What’s up, rockstar?” Sam asked. Josh peeked his head into view, not wanting to miss out on any of the conversation. “Twin rockstars!” Jake and Josh got a chuckle out of it. You’d instantly told Sam about Jake, calling him right after you got home from the airport. Sam, being a nosy little shit, did a deep dive of him on all social media’s. Within a few days, all of your brothers knew about him, and were begging you to let them meet him. So, you thought you’d ease the transition by allowing them on a few of your calls with him. Sam had taken to him immediately, especially upon learning he also had a brother named Sam. According to him, it was fate that you and Jake ended up together. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he wanted to date Jake, too.

“Glad I’m so easily forgettable.” You rolled your eyes, making your way down the hallway and into the kitchen. Ally was sitting at the table with a bowl of soup and her laptop in front of her. She looked like she’d been crying, staring down her final assignment with a look of disdain on her face. Exam season always put a damper on the household mood. You walked over and gave her a supportive shoulder pat, knowing you were close to the same mental state. Sam found himself chatting away with the other two boys, completely ignoring your comment, which only proved your point further. “M’going outside, if you wanna join.” You told her. She shook her head, barely being able to formulate words.

“I have to finish this.” She groaned, relaxing into her chair. “Due tomorrow.”

“Stuck?” You asked, peering down at her screen. She nodded. You gazed at the question that was left answerless, the last one on the page. “Is this Calc III?” She gave a nod. “Okay, where’s your work for it so far?” She pointed out a paragraph.

“I just can’t seem to get the numbers to work out.” She let out a long sigh, throwing her pencil down on the table. You looked over it for a minute, studying the numbers she was using.

“Okay, it’s a relation between a flux and a line integral, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” You turned the volume down on your phone a bit, not wanting to distract her while the boys talked.

“You remember the unit where you talked about the three main integral theorems?” She gave a hum, seeming to get what you’re saying. “One of those has an equation that will solve this question. And you’ll need to remember it for the exam, too, because there’s a couple questions about it.” You told her. She looked like she was wracking her brain for an answer, desperate to remember what you were talking about. After a moment, it seemed to click.

“Stoke’s theorem!” She exploded, catching the attention of all of the boys on the phone call. She noticed the lack of noise, a blush rising to her cheeks. You held up your hand for a high-five, helping her forget about her outburst. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“No problem,” you assured her “now, if you want to join, I will be outside getting fucked up. I am trying to forget about my thesis.” She let out a small laugh.

“How many pages?” She asked.

“I am on page 51, if you must know. Nearly there!” You cheered yourself on. “I should be able to finish it tomorrow.” You went to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of wine and a container of cut up fruit someone had bought at the grocery store.

“I believe in you.” She said, turning back to her laptop. “I might be out in a bit. I haven’t seen Eve all day. Not sure if she’s alive or not, so I’ll have to check on her first.” You saw Sam perk up at the mention of Eve’s name. He probably hadn’t heard from her, either. She was fully immersed in studying, more so than anyone else. She took her exams extremely serious. With a smaller course load, she wanted to ensure her marks were as best as they could be. You were proud of her for it. She worked really hard, but you did miss her presence during exam weeks.

“Saw her this morning drinking orange juice from the bottle, haven’t seen her since.” You informed her. The two of you shared a laugh. “She’s alive, just in hermit mode.”

You parted ways, opening the front door after putting on a pair of slippers. You moved over to the patio chairs placed around a table on the porch. It was a closed porch with large glass windows and another door leading to the street. You thought it was peaceful, finding it your favourite spot in the whole house. You sat down, resting your feet on the table. You pulled out a joint and a cigarette from the cardboard box in your pocket. “What did I miss?” You asked them, now focusing on your screen again.

“We were actually just talking about how much we hate you,” Sam said, a hint of fake sympathy accompanying his words.

“Mmhmm,” you mumbled, joint now between your lips and your lighter setting the tip ablaze. You took a large inhale, the cherry glowing red in the dim lighting. A billow of smoke flowed from your mouth as you exhaled. Almost instantly, you felt the tension melt off your shoulders. Josh seemed positively buzzed, his cheeks burning red and his smile never leaving. Sam looked as though he was ready for bed, eyes heavy and bloodshot. You were sure he’d been high for hours. Jake was sipping a drink silently, but his eyes never seemed to move from the camera.

“Alex and I are flying in Friday morning.” Sam said. Your eyes lit up, a course of adrenaline flowing through your veins.

“Really?” He gave a nod.

“Yeah, we decided to come early, spend some with with you before mom and dad got there. I think our flight leaves here at five.” He explained. “So you better have all of your shit done, because we want to party.” He warned.

“It will be, don’t worry.” You promised. “I think I’ll have my report done by tomorrow. I just have to type the conclusion and my entire novel of sources.” You chuckled to yourself, looking down at the joint between your fingers. “I’ll get Ally to proofread it; she said she would a few days ago. After that, I’m a free woman.” You announced, feeling proud of yourself for getting this far.

After that, the chatter died down. Sam eventually hung up, telling everyone he was tired and wanted to go to bed. You bid your goodbye, already feeling the anticipation begin for his arrival. You and the twins continued on with mindless conversation, sipping away at your drinks. When you cigarette pack was down to the last three, and the bottle of wine was threatening the end, Josh was ready to retire for the night, too. He was dozing off in Jake’s bed every so often, a small snore falling from his mouth periodically. You were caught up in Jake, not caring that the rest of the company had dwindled down. He was exhausted but still immersed in your conversations about nothing, and everything.

It wasn’t too long before Josh stumbled away to his own hotel room. He gave a solemn goodnight, telling you that he wished you were there with them, before he toddled away. Your cheeks were warm in the cool night air, the liquor and weed weighing heavily on you, but not any more than your tiredness.

When Jake settled into bed under the covers, as much as sleep wanted to become him, he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. “Are you going to bed, beautiful?” He mumbled. You couldn’t help but giggle to yourself. He was barely formulating the words, head buried so deep in the pillow you could hardly see him anymore.

“I think you probably should.” You told him, concern becoming you. “We can talk tomorrow, rockstar.”

“Don’t want to,” he mumbled “just want you here with me.” Your heart ached, hating to admit to yourself that you felt the same way.

“I know, I do too.” You finally mustered out. As much as you enjoyed talking with Jake, and as aware as you were about your feelings for him, the opening up part was proving quite difficult. You had no problem with the flirting, or the endless conversations, or even the sex talk, but telling him how you truly felt was troublesome. You weren’t sure if it was because you were scared of rejection, or because you were just scared of falling in love with him. “I miss you.” You whispered.

“I miss you too, beautiful.” He seemed more alert now, energized by the fact you’d made that proclamation first, this time.

“When can I see you again?” You picked at some frayed strings on your pants, avoiding looking at him.

“Soon, I promise. Once you finish school, I’ll take you around the world with me.” His smile brought your attention back to him. You found it impossible to look anywhere else. Your chest burned at his statement, wondering if he was being truthful or not.

“You mean it?”

“Never meant anything more in my life.” He assured you. “I hate sleeping alone, now, ‘cause I know what it’s like to sleep next to you.” You stood to go back inside, butting out your last cigarette of the night before entering through the front door and locking it behind you. You didn’t answer him until you were in your bedroom with the door closed.

“Don’t make promises you don’t mean, rockstar.” You took off your sweater and your pants, climbing into bed. The alcohol was buzzing through your veins, making your head feel a bit fuzzy. You were more than ready for bed.

“I’ve never told you anything I didn’t mean, baby.” The pet name rolled off his tongue so effortlessly, like he was meant to call you that all along, but it hit you with such an impact that you were sure it had stopped your heart for a moment. He’d called you plenty of other names, more in a compliment context, but such a domestic title was something very new. He didn’t even notice the effect it had on you; he was laying there with his eyes closed, phone only showing half of his face in the frame. When you didn’t answer, he opened one of his eyes to see what was going on. “I’m sorry, did that bother you? I wasn’t thinking,” he rushed out.

“No, Jake. It’s okay.” You reassured him. “I liked it.” A small smile creeped onto his face. You couldn’t help but return it. “I think I’m falling for you, rockstar.” You breathed after a moment too long.

“I already have, witchy woman.” His eyes were open again, watching the blush spread across your cheeks. That was the best way he could say it, because he was afraid he’d already fallen in love with you. He was glad he could at least tell you a sliver of what he was feeling for you. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Soon,” you said, curling up into your blankets.

“Can we stay on the phone tonight?” He asked. “I don’t want to hang up.”

“Yeah, I’d like that a lot.” You turned over, plugging your phone into the charger. You set your phone on your nightstand, propped up against a book so he could see you. He shuffled around, doing the same thing. This wasn’t the first time you’d fallen asleep with him on the phone. You hadn’t done it in a few days, though. It was nice. When the days permitted, sometimes you even got to wake up to him before he had to go. He usually waited as long as he could before hanging up so he could at least try to say good morning. If you were awake first, you did the same. You really enjoyed the little routines you two had been building together.

You both settled into your beds, rustling in the pillows and blankets to find the comfiest position. You watched your phone, wanting to soak in every second of seeing his face. “Goodnight, beautiful.” He mumbled, sleep calling to him. “Sleep well, I’ll see you in the morning.” He said it as if it were a promise.

“Goodnight, rockstar.” You whispered. His eyes fluttered closed as he bit his tongue, holding back any other words. The ‘L’ word was always so dangerously close to slipping out of his mouth. He felt so stupid, wanting to say ‘I love you’, when he’d only known you for a few weeks, but he felt like he really did. He’d never met anyone else who made him feel like you did, and it started from the minute he saw you.

Before you closed your own eyes, they drifted to the wall behind your computer desk. The record sleeve of one of Jake’s albums stood so beautifully prominent, his signature illuminated by your desk lamp. Your gaze lingered over the sharpie marks, stomach fluttering at the memory of him writing it. You fell asleep with a smile, already excited to wake up to him in the morning.

~

Tag list: @gvfpal @jakesgrapejuice

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi! I'm looking for a game in the space opera genre, and I'd love some suggestions. More specifically, I'm trying to find something that's pretty easily customizable or setting-agnostic. Pretty soft as far as sci-fi is concerned, even science fantasy. (And my players have a very brief attention span when it comes to learning rules, so some degree of simplicity would be appreciated, too, haha!)

For context, I have a friend who loves worldbuilding and has fleshed out a whole galaxy, and I want to run a one-shot set in his world for his birthday. In the past, we've tried using a homebrew amalgamation of D&D, SW5e, and miscellaneous other bits, but I want to find a system that fits a bit better.

Thanks for the help! 😁

Theme: Simple Space Operas.

Hello friend, this sounds like such an awesome idea! I think I’ve got a few pretty good options for you to take a look at. Many of these games pull from Star Wars as their idea of what a space opera is like, but not all of them do. Also, don't forget to check the bottom of the post to see what I've recommended in the past!

Laser-Ritter, by Bad Quail Games.

Laser-Ritter is an analog adventure game about swashbuckling heroes journeying among endless stars to embrace their destiny. There are rendezvous in hazy tap rooms, chases across distant moons, and showdowns with the forces of galactic evil. We play to find out how our Laser-Ritters follow their passions and face their pasts to triumph over adversity.

Laser-Ritter gives space for you to create your own saga. There's no burdensome timeline of canon events or overwhelming lists of characters, spaceships, and alien species to be contradicted. Every group begins their saga by creating their own dramatic title crawl to establish what's happening when the adventure begins!

This is a game all about embracing your destiny, with plenty of space to build your own universe. The game can be played episodically, or cover a long-spanning story over a series of sessions. This means that if you just want to run a one-shot, it can be pretty easily self-contained, but there’s also room to expand the game.

Players in this game have 4 stats and a health track labelled Vitality. You also have something called a Pathos track, which represents how attrition and trauma affect your character. If you fill your Pathos track, your character becomes vulnerable to dying. If you want a game with dramatic action and tragic scenes, Laser-Ritter might be for you.

Galaxy Goons and A Goons’ Guide to the Galaxy, by John Erwin.

Galaxy Goons is a space fantasy adventure hack of the Ennies-award winning Tunnel Goons. If you want a light-hearted game about rascals just trying to make their way in the universe, this is worth checking out. Tunnel Goons is known for being pretty light-weight, and Galaxy Goons is true to this legacy. Your characters are rolled randomly, with stats used to add onto dice rolls to try and beat a difficulty level.

A Goon’s Guide to the Galaxy is made for the same kind of setting, but uses a different set of rules, namely the 24XX SRD. This means that instead of just rolling d6’s, your characters will have a few things that they have a d8 or d10 for, and there might even be a few skills that only allow you to roll a d4. 24XX games also tend to carry roll tables to help the GM come up with obstacles and goals, so that might help the GM decide what about this homemade galaxy might be interesting to follow.

Rebel Scum, by 9th Level Games.

REBEL SCUM tells the story of how scrappy, anti-fascist heroes can fight back against a government with unlimited power (including giant lasers and space magic). Inspired by a love for a certain line of 3 and 3/4 inch action figures, this is a fast paced, feel good, space opera of rebellion and adventure.

In this TTRPG, characters are all expressed as action figures, with their pertinent stats and abilities "on the back of the card." Choose your toy and get out into battle!

So Rebel Scum borrows very obviously from Star Wars, but of course the book can’t just put the game in the Star Wars setting, so they create their own. What this means is you can pretty easily throw out that lore and build your own world, although the expectation in this game is that your characters will be working to overthrow some sort of galaxy-wide power. The rules are very simple to learn - in fact the booklet is under 100 pages, and that’s including art, setting, and example characters. If you have a standard set of polyhedral dice (and I’m assuming you do, if you’ve played D&D) then you’ll be able to play this game.

Save the Universe, by Don Bisdorf.

Tyranny and cruelty have spread across the galaxy, and only you can stop it!

Save the Universe is a sci-fi adventure roleplaying game in which the players create their own great galactic menace and then portray the brave heroes battling against it.

I think the biggest pull for this game is that it encourages you to build your own galaxy. The game even comes with a number of questions for you to answer, and if you already have a world decided, you can slot in the answers according to your friend’s world. In fact, assigning world creation to one player is actually a recommended option in the game!

Even though this game is pretty open in terms of the details of your galaxy, there’s still an overarching theme of an Empire or large enemy that your characters will be resisting. Then again, I have a feeling that’s a common theme in space operas.

Plerion: Space Opera Adventure Game, by Zotiquest Games.

Intrepid spacers ply the vastness of the Five Galaxies in search of fortune and glory.

This is Plerion, a sci-fi hack from Cairn designed to play radiant space opera. Inspired by classic science fiction and the RPGs that emulate it, but with a more modern twist, winking at transhumanism and cyberpunk.

Plerion is an adventure game for one referee and at least one other player. Players act as hardened spacers exploring, exploiting and commerce through the vastness of space in the far future.

The author of this game cites Mass Effect, the Traveller roleplaying game and the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. Cairn, the game that inspired this one, is a game that makes survival difficult and daunting for the players, and asks them to put the fiction first. This means that combat shouldn’t always be the answer. Instead, players are encouraged to find ways to solve problems using their tools at hand, which is a common trend in many of the games that inspired this rule system.

What’s So Cool About Outer Space, by Jared Sinclair.

WSCAOS is a tiny little system for going to space no matter where you are! 

This is an incredibly tiny game, with just two pages to print out and use as a rules reference in any galaxy you like. It’s also the parent of a number of “What’s So Cool About" games that use the same philosophy - minimal rules, and plenty of agency left up to the group in terms of what possible backstories you might have, as well as what might be considered an advantage and what might not.

No-one Owns The Sky, by Free Radicals Press.

A band of misfits lives aboard a rundown starship, traveling from one frontier world to the next, hoping to make a name and a living for themselves. Along the way, things always seem to go sideways, but the crew holds on, no matter what.

NO ONE OWNS THE SKY is a sci-fi roleplaying game that is rules-light and relies on players to craft and flesh out the universe of the setting as a collective. This game was designed for two or more players. One player is always the referee (REF), a neutral arbiter and guiding force for the game. The others act and play as player characters (PCs). These players, with their REF and their PCs, will tell amazing, collective (and interactive) stories with the help of imagination, dice, roleplaying, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

This game uses a staggered success layout, which means that you could roll a failure, a success, or a mixed success during any given roll. Anything above a 5 is a success! It looks like the game uses more than just d6’s though, so the larger dice you roll, the higher your chances of succeeding. The setting is also up to the players, pretty good for folks who want to build their own galaxy.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Space Fantasy Rec Post

Impulse Drive, by Adrian Thorn.

Syzygy, by Ostrichmonkey Games.

[paraliveimaginesblog]

the phrase "If you never put them down you'll spoil them!" 4 for kanata with his twins and on the other hand his fem reader who insists that he let the girls go bc they arrive late to kindergarten (⸝⸝ᴗ﹏ᴗ⸝⸝) jaja thanks yuu and have a nice day </3

Kanata Yatonokami:

It was a stand-off.

“Kanata.”

“Hm.” He inclined his head toward you but still wasn’t looking at you, one twin in each arm as they clung to their father, the silent begging quite obvious to you.

“If you never put them down you’ll spoil them! They have to walk into school themselves, you know?”  

“Mhm.” He was sensitive to their emotions, always had been, knowing what they needed even as babies who couldn’t use their words. You wondered if it was some sort of mystical parallel twin situation, like how he could figure out Nayuta’s moods, but since it lacked any science behind it that you were aware of you liked to equate it to him simply being an attentive father.

Overprotective seemed to be the better word these days.

After an argument about exactly why you didn’t want to homeschool them, you had enrolled them at a school with good reviews nearby. You could walk with them each morning, see them off, and you had already met their teacher with a direct line of communication: if anything happened, you’d know. It didn’t really seem to soothe Kanata but the girls had initially been excited about having a new environment to explore, but the first day anxiety was hitting them hard as they insisted their dad carry them all the way to the front doors.

“So, I heard you agree with me, but I’m seeing no move to actually put them on the ground.” You placed a hand on your one daughters back, trying to ignore the tug on your heartstrings at her teary eyes; the twins looked so much like you but the eyes were all their dad, and you’d have a hard time turning him down too if he knew how to pull the puppy dog eyes. “Come on, school will be fun. And you’re in the same class, you’ll have each other the whole time.”

They shared a look, then looked at their dad who quickly glanced back and forth between them before letting out a deep sigh. He lowered them to ground, giving each a tight hug of their own, with you dipping down to kiss their heads goodbye before they darted off to the school. The reassurance they’d remain together seemed to provide enough confidence that they’d at least make it through the day okay, holding hands as they walked up to the door and greeted the teacher who immediately welcomed them inside with a kind smile.

If they were anything like their father they certainly wouldn’t be won over by something as simple as a nice smile and basic pleasantries, but you really hoped they didn’t give their teachers too hard a time.

You looked back at your husband who had turned to face the other direction, hands stuffed in his pockets. You almost thought he was pouting but if he was displeased, it was unlikely he’d hide it as he could be quite argumentative when it came to expressing his opinions.

“…Are you crying?”

“…No.”

You tried to move quickly, the rapid tapping of your approaching feet alerting Kanata of your movement; he turned one way, then the other, refusing to let you look at his face. Even when you jabbed at his side or his shoulders he ignored you, eventually beginning the short walk back home while continuing to avoid your teasing. You didn’t talk much but you were sure once you were home, he’d relax his shoulders a little more, especially when you informed him it was only a half day so your daughters would be home in a mere few hours.

It was nice to see there were still cute sides to your husband you hadn’t discovered yet, though, and you looked forward to the parenthood journey with him at your side.

[moorishflower]

Hey here's a snippet from the retired Dream/Hob/Daniel fic for those interested <3 n for you @fulcrvm!

Hob moves to the bedside, carrying with him a mug and a plate, both of which he sets down upon the table. The mug smells hot and sweet, and the plate contains a single slice of toast, thickly-slathered with butter and fruit preserves.

Morpheus’ stomach makes a curious rumbling noise; he can feel the ripple of muscle there when he puts his hand flat upon it, and Hob smiles. His smile is so brilliant, and he thinks, for the first time, that perhaps a month of this, of this tenderness and this affection, will be enough to sustain him on his journey to whatever awaits him beyond the Sunless Lands.

“Finally hungry,” Hob says. He sits down on the edge of the bed, hands twisted into his lap. “Was starting to get worried. You going to try and eat?”

Eating, eventually, will bring with it a whole new host of problems. He does not want to think about this body converting food into energy, and the complicated process required, and the waste it will generate.

He also cannot deny that the smell of the food is…appealing.

“Friend at work makes homemade jams,” Hob is saying. He has picked the plate back up and is holding it out to Morpheus, encouragement writ large upon his expression. “This is…cherry, I think? Cherry and orange? Looks like there might be marmalade bits in there. She’s a bit of a mad scientist.”

Morpheus wonders at the wisdom of subjecting this new stomach to fruit-based mad science, but, in the end, the ceaseless cramping in his belly wins out. He picks up the slice of toast and must lean far over so that he may take a delicate bite of it, hovering over the plate so that he does not drip jam onto the sheets. He hears Hob sigh in relief. Then, all of his attention is focused upon his tongue, and on the texture of the toast between his teeth, and the sharp-soft crumbs that stick to his lips as he tears off his small bite and chews. The jam is tart, tingling upon his palate, but the sweetness chases after, washes over his tastebuds. Cutting through the jam is the savoury warmth of the butter, half-melted, coating his tongue in a layer of delicious oil and dripping in a fine golden line down the curve of his bottom lip. Hob watches his face, studying him, as Morpheus licks after the single drop.

The bread, he thinks, is merely a mechanism with which to convey butter and jam. Perhaps this is why the toast from before had held no appeal.

[deathsbestgirl]

scully's memento mori voiceovers. her love letter to mulder. leaving him something because she can't be there.

"i feel these words as if their meaning were weight being lifted from me, knowing that you will read them and share my burden, as i have come to trust no other. that you should know my heart, look into it, finding there the memory and experience that belong to you, that are you, is a comfort to me now..."

trying to unburden herself, to leave him with the love in her heart and free him of the guilt of her death too.

"a faith shaken and strengthened by your convictions, if not for which i may have never have been so strong now."

telling him how he's changed her world, made her stronger and is the only reason she can face this.

"hoping that you will forgive me for not making the rest of the journey with you"

she wants to finish the journey with him but she can't. asking forgiveness for something that isn't her fault. leaving him is the worst thing she can imagine.

"that it starts as an invader, but soon becomes one with the invaded, forcing you to destroy it, but only at the risk of destroying yourself."

this is the whole show. scully sent to spy on mulder, to debunk his work. the pilot is about them developing trust and becoming a team. becoming so intertwined that they are one, two sides of the same coin. it's the whole conspiracy and why they'll never win. to do so would mean to destroy themselves and lose their innate goodness. to be like the men in the shadow government they're desperately trying to expose and to stop.

"it's science's demon possession. my treatment, science has attempted exorcism"

connecting science & her faith. her beliefs & her skepticism. somehow one and the same when seemingly at odds.

"and if the darkness should have swallowed me as you read this, you must never think there was a possibility of some secret intervention, something you might have done. and though we've traveled far together , this last distance must necessarily be traveled alone."

she doesn't want to be his next crusade. the next one he uses to nail himself to the cross. she doesn't want him to walk into every room with his eyes closed, hoping that when he opens them she'll be there. she knows him. she knows his pain and his guilt it, and she tries desperately to absolve him. love as absolution in the only thing she can give him now. these words before her death.

"mulder, it's difficult to describe to you the fear of facing an enemy which i can neither conquer nor escape."

the vulnerability she is consciously handing to him.

she writes of penny northern, a woman she loves and fears, envies and respects. because she faced what she knew to be true and tried to pass the strength and wisdom onto her.

"mulder, i feel you close, though i know you are now pursuing your own path. for that i am grateful, more than i could ever express. i need to know you're out there if i am ever to see through this."

she speaks as if he isn't out there searching for answers to help her, to save her. as if it's just his quest for the truth he's continuing. as if scully isn't the most important thing to him right now. as if his life doesn't depend on hers. but she knows. and she needs him to know everything he does is worthwhile. that she can't go into the darkness if he isn't there to light it up, even from afar. that he is light & love and making a difference in the world. in her world.

--

every time scully says "mulder" addressing him directly as she pours her heart out on page after page. leaving him with no answers, leaving him alone, dying before they reach the truth. it's a living nightmare. lying on her deathbed unable to help him, unable to give him what he needs. what he deserves. the prospect of leaving him with no one to trust, no one on his side, no one to love him and follow him. terrified he will follow her to the grave. that's what she believes her role is supposed to be, the end of their never ending line and she needs his to keep going.

[suckerfordylansstuff]

New Journey (S.H.) Chapter 7 Season 1

! This is a backstory. There are more chapters to the actual fic. Check my masterlist !

Pairing: (eventual) Steve Harrington x henderson!reader

Summary: The beggining of the story. How did Y/n Henderson get herself into this mess? How did she deal with the loss of a dear friend and how will she survive the bullies and monsters?

Warnings: swearing, blood, fighting

Notes: I told you I had the next chapters ready to go. Enjoy! 💕

Gif not mine

Chapter 6 << Masterlist >> Epilogue

Making a sensory deprivation tank wasn’t in your plans today, but here you were with the kids, Jonathan, Nancy, Joyce, and Hopper separating into teams to prepare it. You were paired with Joyce and Eleven to help her prepare for the tank.

“Where can we find goggles in this school?” Joyce asked you and you pointed to a classroom at the end of the hallway.

“That way is where the science classroom is. You will easily find goggles there. I’ll come find you after I get Eleven something to eat to regain some of her strength.”

You left Joyce and Eleven as you headed in the opposite direction towards the kitchen area. Walking through these halls made you almost nostalgic as you remembered your time spent here. It wasn’t any different than high school, kids were mean, and teachers were too strict, but right now you longed for the lost innocence of your old self.

You stepped into the kitchen and tried hard to find something a little edible in this nightmare of a kitchen. You ended up opening a refrigerator to find probably hundreds of puddings in there. You grabbed two of those and the cleanest spoon you could find and made your way back to the classroom where you found Joyce and Eleven sitting on two chairs facing each other. Joyce was busy covering the goggles with tape as you walked in, grabbed another chair, and sat down with them.

“Here, I hope it’s not spoiled.” you joked and opened the pudding for her and held it out for her along with the spoon. She sent you a small smile and started eating it. You turned your attention to Joyce who was just finishing up the goggles.

“You think this will be good enough?” she held them up for you to see.

“Yeah, they should be able to let her concentrate better.”

“Great…” she looked at Eleven for a moment. The girl was eating the dessert fast and before you knew it she was reaching for the other one. You both smiled at her, making you miss Joyce’s eyes now on you “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Huh?” your head whipped in her direction.

“When you guys found her, you should have said something to us.” Joyce’s words were so sincere, it almost brought tears to your eyes.

You smiled and looked at her shaking your head a bit “You were focused on Will… And she looked so scared around me at the beginning, I didn’t want to bring more adults before we had completely gained her trust.” Joyce understood, but she still felt bad that you had to deal with all this before she learned more about this case. It was just her motherly instincts kicking in. Almost losing Will forever made her feel empty, and she didn’t want to feel it again with any of you.

“Just know that you can always come to me for anything.” her smile made your lips turn upwards as well, taking her hand in yours.

“I will.”

“Finished.” Eleven’s words pulled you towards her and you grabbed the empty cups, getting off your seat to go throw them into the bin. In the meantime, Joyce was talking to Eleven about the goggles.

“Okay, great. So, this should keep it dark for you. Just like in your bathtub.” she stopped for a moment to take a good look at the little girl “You’re a very brave girl. You know that don’t you? Everything you’re doing for my boy… for Will… for my family… Thank you.” you returned to your chair and watched as they held hands “Listen. I am gonna be there with you the whole time. We both will. And if it ever gets too scary in that place, just let us know, okay?” you nodded at her words and waited for El’s answer.

“Yes.”

“Ready?” you spoke up.

“Ready.”

The three of you made your way back to the gymnasium where the others had set up the pool. Everything was ready for her. You took your seat in between Dustin and Lucas as you all watched the young girl put on the goggles, enter the pool, and relax her body to float.

You can feel your anxiety kicking in, the silence around the room making it worse while you wait for something, anything to happen.

The lights started flickering above you before turning off completely, darkness surrounding you.

Not much time passed when Eleven’s voice filled the gymnasium and the lights started flickering again. But you didn’t care. Your entire focus was on Eleven and the word she whispered, the name ‘Barbara’.

“Is Barb okay? Is she okay?” Nancy asked, her voice filled with fear, begging for good news. But all of your hopes were let down when the girl before you started repeating the word ‘gone’ each time getting louder and louder. Tears filled your eyes as they fell to the ground. Your friend was gone, you would never see her again.

You could hear Joyce reassuring Eleven, her screaming easing down, but you still couldn’t look up, like a weight keeping your head down. A hand covered yours and squeezed it tight, pulling you out of your trance. Dustin was looking at you with his big eyes and you used your strength to nod, silently telling him ‘thank you’.

Both your heads turned back to Eleven who had now found Will at Castle Byers. The realization that at least Will was okay, allowed you to take a deep breath, blinking away the tears that had gathered underneath your eyes.

“You tell him… Tell him I’m coming. Mom is coming.” Joyce said to her and Eleven repeated the words. The static coming from the radio stopped for a moment when a single word came through.

“Hurry.” you gasped as you heard Will’s voice, weak and small, but it was his.

“Okay. Listen, you tell him to- to stay where he is. We’re coming. We’re coming, okay? We’re coming, honey.” Joyce was on the peak of tears after hearing her son’s voice.

You could hear Eleven reassuring Will when she suddenly stopped speaking, whimpers now only coming from the radio. El shot up from her lying position, breaking any connection with the Upside Down. She was crying but she was okay. Joyce took her in her arms and tried to calm her down.

The girl ended up cuddling in a blanket, sitting with the rest of the kids, while Hopper and Joyce started making plans, Jonathan helping them, when you realized that Nancy wasn’t in here with you, you silently made your way outside.

You found her outside the room, sitting on the ground and leaning her back on the wall, her knees brought up to her chest. She looked sad and lonely. You knew all you could offer her right now was just your presence. You couldn’t make her happy or less worried or angry at herself because you were in the same situation. You had both lost a friend, a best friend in Nancy’s case.

But the brunette didn’t care about words of empathy, she just didn’t want to be alone, so as soon as you sat beside her she hugged your form as tight as she could, praying that nothing else bad would happen to any of you.

Being in Nancy’s arms brought back all the emotions you felt when you heard the word ‘gone’ from Eleven’s mouth “I’m so sorry, Nance.” you fought back the tears in your eyes as you hugged her tighter.

“I’m sorry too.” her voice whispered in your ear.

You spent a good while just holding each other, your head ending up on her shoulder when Jonathan walked out of the gymnasium and spotted you. You watched as he made his way towards you and sat next to Nancy, the comfortable silence lasting for only a moment longer before Nancy spoke up.

“We have to go back to the station.”

“What?” you and Jonathan said in unison, your own head leaving the comfort of her shoulder as you sat up straight.

“Your mom and Hopper are just walking in there like bait. That thing is still in there. We can’t just sit here and let it get them too. We can’t.” you all knew she was right. Hopper and Joyce haven’t seen this thing and for all you could know more of these monsters could be down there. The least you could do was distract one of them, possibly, hopefully, even kill it.

“So, the plan’s still on?” you knew what the answer was going to be, but you had to make sure you were all on the same page.

“I wanna finish what we started. I want to kill it.” Nancy answered you.

___

You left without saying a word to the kids. You knew if you had gone back to the gymnasium, they would have wanted to join your task and there was no way in hell you were even having that conversation. So, you didn’t say goodbye to Dustin, which meant you also couldn’t die during this madness of a plan, because you really couldn’t leave without telling him a final goodbye.

Your first stop was at the station, taking back the stuff Hopper had taken out of Jonathan’s car. Then you headed straight to his house. The first thing on the plan was to put back on the bulbs of the hundred little Christmas lights Joyce had put up. After that, you had to take care of the weapon equipment. Nancy had her gun with her, but unfortunately for you, the Byers didn’t have any other weapons inside the house, so you decided to use that and help Jonathan get creative with the baseball bat they had, putting nails all over it. For your protection, you had a couple of knives that you carried with you. Sure, they were small, but you had good aim.

You watched Jonathan carefully place the bear trap in the hallway, helping him when he needed it. The final step was to pour gasoline all over the hallway, stopping just at the living room’s entrance where you placed a chair and the yo-yo that was connected all the way to Will’s room. After all the preparations, the three of you gathered around in a circle, each of you holding a knife.

“Remember.”

“Straight into Will’s room. And-” Nancy said before Jonathan spoke again.

“Don’t step on the trap.” your friend’s eyes fell on you.

“Wait for the yo-yo to move.” you finished and held his gaze.

“Then…” he lights up his lighter for just a second, before bringing his focus back on the task at hand “All right. You ready?”

“Ready.” you and Nancy say, holding up your blades, a small hint of apprehension rising inside you.

“On three. One. Two… You don’t have to do this.” Jonathan must have noticed your shaking hand closing in on your free palm.

“Jonathan, stop talking.” Nancy told him.

“I’m just saying, you don’t have to-”

“Three.” you said determined and you grazed your palm as much as you had to draw out blood, to draw the monster to you. Nancy and Jonathan followed along, and the room filled with your gasps of pain. You dropped the blade on the table next to you and rushed to grab the bandages, tightening them around your hand to stop the bleeding. Nancy came over to help you tighten the fabric around your hand, waiting for her own turn.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when your thoughts were interrupted by a creaking sound.

“Did you hear that?” Nancy asked the three of you. She and Jonathan were sitting together on the couch as she was helping him with his cut. You were sitting on the opposite side of the room, playing with your blade after cleaning it, and calming yourself down before everything happened.

“It’s just the wind. Don’t worry.” he said to the both of you with a soft voice “My mom, she said the lights speak when it comes.”

“Speak?” Nancy questioned.

“Blink. Think of them as alarms.” he explained.

“Like when El uses her powers.” you thought out loud. Your eyes connected with Jonathan’s and his look made you stare back down on your hands. Mentioning Eleven’s name right now reminded you of everything you kept from them, from your friend who was so desperately trying to find his brother, oblivious to the fact that you knew the entire time. You felt guilty and embarrassed, but you swallowed down any unwanted feelings for now. The sudden knocking on the door certainly helped get your mind off of things as it startled all of you.

“Shit…” the curse left your lips while your heartbeat peaked up.

“Jonathan! Are you there, man? It’s… It’s Steve! Listen, I just want to talk!” Harrington’s voice was clearly heard through the door, only making you question whether it was true, or the gasoline had messed up with your head.

You turned to look at your friends, silently asking them what the hell are you gonna do now. His knocking wasn’t stopping, his voice was getting louder, and you couldn’t believe you were worrying about Steve’s well-being right now, but if you didn’t stop him right now there was a high chance your high school was going to have to find a new ‘King’.

So, Nancy quickly opened the door and tried to make him leave, keeping her answers short, which wasn’t making her dear Steve any less concerned. You and Jonathan kept quiet just waiting for this to be resolved, when Steve’s worried question made you pay more attention to the conversation happening by the door.

“Hey, what happened to your hand? Is that blood?”

“Nothing. It- It was an accident.” Nancy tried to dismiss him, but he wasn’t bulging.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Wait a sec. Did he do this to you?”

“No.”

“Let me in.” Steve pushed past her and stopped in his tracks as you and Jonathan came into view, as well as the hundreds of lights and the weapons lying around. Yeah, it didn’t look good on any of you “What is…”

“Get out of here.” Jonathan tried to push him back out, but Steve was strong enough to hold his position.

“Whoa. What is all-” he pointed around, but you really didn’t have time for his questions.

“Get out, Harrington.” you pointed towards the door.

“Listen to me, I’m asking you. I’m telling you, get out of here!” Jonathan was still pushing him back, but still to no avail.

“What is that smell? Is that gasoline?” you and Jonathan continued your yelling, failing to make the famous jock leave, when Nancy’s voice grabbed your attention from behind.

“Steve, get out!” you turned around only to find the end of Nancy’s gun pointed to Steve. You took a step back letting her handle the situation.

“Wait, what? What is going on?” the guy looked startled as he watched the high school sweetheart with a gun.

“You have five seconds to get out of here.” Nancy told him.

You watched the scene unfold before you, Nancy starting her countdown when the flickering of light caught your attention, your eyes widening with realization.

“Guys.” you called out, slightly hitting Jonathan’s arm to get his attention, pointing up at the lights.

“Nancy.” he tells her, but she’s too focused to hear you.

“Wait. What- what is this?” Steve asked, terrified over what was happening before him.

“Nancy!” you screamed.

“Nancy, the lights!” Jonathan finally managed to get her attention “It’s here.”

“Wait, what’s here?” Steve said.

“Where is it?” Nancy completely forgot about Steve as she walked next to the two of you. Your backs faced each other, creating a circle so you could have a clear view of the room before you.

“Where is what? Whoa! Easy with these!” Steve exclaimed when he saw you use your weapons out for defense. He was watching everything happen before him and did not understand a thing. Why were you all here? Why were you all hurt? Why did you have weapons? And what were you looking for?

“Where is it?” Nancy asked again, getting impatient.

“I don’t know. I don’t see it.” Jonathan said.

While your eyes were moving everywhere at once, trying to find a glimpse of the monster and ignoring Steve’s cry for an explanation, you saw specks of dust falling in front of you, making you look up. Suddenly, with a loud thud, the creature appeared from the ceiling “There!” you pointed.

Nancy started firing at the creature but Jonathan was already grabbing her, yelling for all of you to start running. With quick breaths, you began walking backward following your friends, but Steve’s still body made you stop. You grabbed his hand, tagging him along with you. You both started running, quickly telling him to jump over the bear trap, only letting go of each other when you entered the room and Jonathan closed the door.

“Jesus! Jesus! What the hell was that? What the hell was that?” Steve was panicking and yelling at the three of you, but right now it wasn’t the time to draw any more attention to you, so you collectively decided to tell him to ‘shut up’ while you waited to see what the monster was going to do.

You could hear shrieking from outside so you took your position with your blade out before the door next to Nancy and Jonathan, who had the lighter ready, waiting for the yo-yo to give him the signal to drop it. The plan was for the Demogorgon to trap itself in the bear trap and then light up the hallway, so it would burn up.

So, you stood there, hearing it walk around the house, panting as you prayed to hear the trap go off, but nothing was happening.

“What’s it doing?” Nancy asked you.

“I don’t know.” Jonathan answered.

The flickering lights returned to normal when you noticed that the house was now too quiet.

“Can you hear it?” your voice was small, dreading any type of answer you would receive.

Jonathan just muttered no. He put his lighter back in his pocket and carefully opened the door, each of you going out one by one. You looked around the house, expecting to find it hidden in a corner, ready to sneak up on you, but it was nowhere to be found.

You let yourself relax for a moment, your knees almost giving up as you crouched down in exhaustion. But, of course, you couldn’t even have a moment to yourself since Steve had started panicking again, yelling how this was all crazy. You stood up when you saw him grab the phone to call for help, but Nancy was quick to stop him, throwing it on the floor.

“What are you- What are you doing? Are you insane?”

“It’s going to come back. So, you need to leave. Right now.” she instructed him.

The guy was frozen for a moment, looking around the trashed living room and glancing at Jonathan and you for confirmation. It didn’t take long for him to understand how serious all of this was, scrambling to take his car keys out when he fled to the door.

A few moments after the door closed behind him, the lights started acting up again “Get ready.” 

You held the same position as before, looking around the room to spot it. Nancy’s adrenaline was making her ramble about where the hell it was, while Jonathan’s impatience was getting the best of him as he was now ordering the creature to show itself. You just stayed silent, trying to realize where it was going to appear.

Suddenly the lights went out and a growl was heard from behind you.

“Jonathan!” Nancy screamed for the boy’s name as the Demogorgon attacked him, sending him to the floor, the bat falling from his grasp, leaving him helpless as the creature climbed on top of him.

“Nancy, shoot it!” you yelled, and she responded quickly, the sound of shots filling your ears.

“Go to hell, you son of a bitch!”

The Demogorgon rose from the ground, the bullets doing little to no damage as it began closing in on Nancy. You just watched in horror for just a moment, watched as Nancy continued firing at it, but when she ran out of bullets, you took it as your cue to help her out. You take a deep breath and aim the blade at it. Luckily for you, it successfully landed on its back, making it shriek in pain. Unluckily for you, it didn’t do enough damage to stop it from coming towards you.

It felt like time was moving in slow motion when the abandoned bat caught the corner. The adrenaline inside you told you, you could make it, you could grab it and beat the creature with it. But your fate was decided for you when it clawed the carpet from under your feet, sending you to the floor.

You thought this was it. You hopelessly laid on the floor watching the monster approach. Its petal-shaped mouth opening up, revealing hundreds of teeth ready to demolish you. Your eyes closed waiting for the impact, and it did come, it just wasn’t for you.

You opened your eyes to see none other than Steve Harrington swinging Jonathan’s bar effortlessly, avoiding any contact the Demogorgon tried to make and in return landing every swing he made. You watched him in awe, tears prickling in your eyes as the realization of not dying caught up to you.

Nancy was helping you get back on your feet when a snapping sound caught your attention.

“He’s in the trap! He’s stuck!” Steve yelled and Nancy screamed for Jonathan to do it now.

He goes over to the poured liquid on the carpet and drops his lighter, fire igniting in the hallway, the monster screeching in pain. The heat burned your face, so you shielded it with your arm. You saw Jonathan grab the fire extinguisher as he instructed you to get back before firing it.

After a few seconds, the fire was out, smoke filling your lungs and making you cough. As it cleared out, the four of you started walking forward to see the damage, Steve next to you still holding the bat ready to defend all of you. But you quickly realized that once again, it had disappeared.

“What…” you mumbled under your breath.

“Where did it go?” Nancy asked.

“No. It has to be dead. It has to be…” Jonathan was panting, frustration filling his entire body.

You put a comforting hand on his shoulder when you notice the Christmas lights before you light up one by one. In fear you all backed away slowly, nearing the end of the hallway when they stopped approaching you and started lighting up in the opposite direction. Steve, who was now shielding the rest of you with his body and the bat, began following after them, which made you all follow after him slowly.

The lights lead you back to the living room and you all look at them nearing the front door. Jonathan moves a bit ahead of the rest of you, muttering something before you all follow the lights outside of the house.

You stand on the porch watching the streetlamp flicker for just a moment, then return back to its normal state.

“Where’s it going?” Nancy asked.

“I don’t think that’s the monster.” Jonathan simply answered as you all stood in silence catching your breath and hoping you did enough to help Joyce and Hopper out.

~~~

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[gtenvs3000w24]

09: My final blog!

As I’m getting ready to graduate soon, ready to hopefully go into the world of science and nature interpretation, I can't help but feel both excitement and a bit of nervousness. Reflecting on my journey through university, I realize that my personal ethic has been quietly evolving, shaped by my deep love for nature and my desire to share its beauty with others!

Since I was a kid, I've been really drawn to the outdoors and nature, especially animals. Whether it was chasing butterflies through meadows, building forts in the woods, or simply lying in the grass and watching clouds drift by, nature has always been one of my happy places. As I grew older, my passion for nature grew more into a passion for conservation and environmental advocacy. I think I started to see nature not just as a playground, but as a precious and fragile ecosystem that needed protection. From the smallest hummingbird to the mightiest lion, every creature and every corner of the natural world has become special to me. 

As I prepare to step into the role of a nature interpreter in the future, I find myself thinking about a whole new set of questions and responsibilities. What beliefs do I bring to this work? What kind of interpreter do I want to be? At the heart of my personal ethic, I have a passion for the beauty and complexity of nature. I think that every leaf, every rock, every drop of rain is a masterpiece in its own right, deserving of awe and admiration. But my passion also goes beyond just appreciation, it extends to a determination to protect and preserve the natural world for future generations. In my eyes, being a nature interpreter isn't just about pointing out cool animals and pretty flowers (although those are definitely fun parts of the job). It's about creating a sense of wonder and curiosity, giving people a deep connection to the natural world and inspiring others to become passionate stewards of the earth as well (Beck et al., 2018, p. 42). 

To achieve these goals, I'm personally a firm believer in the power of hands-on learning. There's just something magical about getting your hands dirty and your feet wet, about feeling the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Whether it's leading nature walks, conducting field research, or getting to hold and touch cool animals, I'm all about getting out there and getting involved. I think that hands-on experiences are great at creating a sense of connection (GGI Insights, n.d.). They engage multiple senses, promote direct interaction with the environment, and create memorable, immersive experiences that resonate deeply with people (Bloemendaal, 2023). But hands-on learning isn't just about having fun (although, again, it's definitely a perk). It's also about deepening our understanding of the natural world, bettering our observation skills, and creating a sense of empathy for the creatures we share this planet with (GGI Insights, n.d.). After all, it's hard to care about something you've never seen or experienced firsthand. 

In addition to hands-on learning, I'm a big fan of interdisciplinary approaches to nature interpretation. The natural world is truly a complicated place, so understanding it requires more than just a basic knowledge of biology or ecology. It requires us to consider the cultural, historical, and social factors that shape our relationship with nature, as well as the ethical implications of our actions (Spokes, 2020). That's why I think it would be important to always be on the lookout for new ways to weave together different disciplines and perspectives in nature interpretation work. Whether it's incorporating indigenous knowledge into nature walks, exploring the intersection of art and science in outreach programs, or delving into the psychology of conservation behaviour in research, it’s important that we build connections between disciplines (Spokes, 2020). Especially as someone who has a passion for science, discussing science in nature interpretation is crucial because it provides a foundation of understanding, creates informed appreciation, and empowers people to make informed decisions about conservation and environmental stewardship.

Of course, no discussion of nature interpretation would be finished without addressing the elephant in the room: ethical wildlife viewing. As someone who's spent more hours than I can count marvelling at the beauty of wild animals and trying to do wildlife photography, I know how tempting it can be to get up close and personal for that perfect shot. But I also know that our desire for a good photo shouldn't come at the expense of the animals we love. That's why I'm committed to practicing responsible wildlife viewing techniques, like keeping a safe distance, minimizing habitat disturbance, and never feeding or approaching wild animals (Burns, 2017). 

Finally, I believe that as a nature interpreter, I have a responsibility to address pressing environmental issues like climate change and habitat loss. These are not just abstract concepts or distant threats, but real problems that are already having a huge impact on the world around us. That's why I'm committed to using my platform as a nature interpreter to raise awareness about these issues, to share stories of resilience and adaptation in the face of environmental change, and to inspire other people to take action in their own lives and communities. Because at the end of the day, it's not enough to simply appreciate the beauty of nature, we have to fight for its protection. 

Overall, my personal ethic as a nature interpreter is grounded in a deep passion for the natural world, a commitment to hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches, a dedication to ethical wildlife viewing, and a passion for environmental advocacy. As I Start this journey, I know that the road ahead will be long and challenging, but I'm ready to face whatever comes my way with determination, curiosity, and a whole lot of love for nature!

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (pp. 42). Sagamore Publishing. 

Bloemendaal, M. (2023, March 5). Unlocking the Power of Hands-On Learning: Benefits, Activities, and Examples. Studio Why. https://studiowhy.com/unlocking-the-power-of-hands-on-learning-benefits-activities-and-examples/

Burns, G. L. (2017). Ethics and Responsibility in Wildlife Tourism: Lessons from Compassionate Conservation in the Anthropocene. Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters, 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55574-4_13

Conservation Education: Young People for Environmental Stewardship. (2024, March 8). Gray Group International. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://www.graygroupintl.com/blog/conservation-education#:~:text=Hands%2Don%20learning%20and%20outdoor%20experiences%20provide%20learners%20with%20opportunities,sense%20of%20responsibility%20and%20stewardship

Spokes, M. (2020, October 23). The interdisciplinary path to a more diverse conservation movement. Conservation Optimism. https://conservationoptimism.org/the-interdisciplinary-path-to-a-more-diverse-conservation-movement/

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

ROUND 1 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

Solitaire

Synopsis

What if there were a game you didn't know you were playing? Where you didn't know the aim and you hadn't seen the rules?"

Charlotte Pollard arrives in a toyshop, but she doesn't know where she is — or even who she is. The mysterious owner wants to play games. He's the Celestial Toymaker, and he has already defeated the Doctor, whose essence is hidden inside a ventriloquist's doll.

The Doctor is gone. The TARDIS is lost. But the game is only just beginning...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Peri and the Piscon Paradox

Synopsis

The Doctor and Peri journey to Los Angeles 2009 to do battle with a Piscon. His name is Zarl, and he's a fish of utmost evil.

Zarl is going to steal all the water of Earth and sell it to the highest bidder. Or blow up the San Andreas fault. Or the planet. Or something like that. He's a bit vague on that point.

Fortunately, to stop him there's help from an unexpected source: a future version of Peri. She knows Zarl's dark secret.

But should the future Peri be on Earth at all? Something smells fishy — and it's not just Zarl.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Cold Equations

Synopsis

In the remnant of a shattered satellite, far above the ruined planet Earth, Steven Taylor and Oliver Harper are dying. As time runs out, they face their pasts... and a secret long kept is revealed.

The borrowed time is elapsing, and they realise they are facing an enemy that cannot be defeated. The cold, hard facts of science.

Propaganda

Brilliant story, the first (in universe chronology) gay companion gets his coming out. Hearing the Doctor and Steven accept him easily and wholeheartedly is so heart warming. Also brilliant exploration of Steven's skills as an astronaut that the writer studied professional courses to get right. Just captures the whole tea mperfectly.(@elden-12 /@hartnellwho )

The Last Post

Synopsis

People are dying. Just a few, over a period of months... but the strange thing is that each person received a letter predicting the date and time of their death.

Throughout her time as the Doctor's assistant, Liz Shaw has been documenting these passings.

Her investigation ultimately uncovers a threat that could lead to the end of the world, but this time Liz has someone to help her.

Her mother.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Scorchies

Synopsis

The Doctor, his companion Jo Grant and the Brigadier face their strangest case yet — a Saturday night TV show that has been invaded by aliens that look like puppets!

The Scorchies want to take over the world. They want to kill the Doctor. And they want to perform some outstanding showtunes. Though not necessarily in that order...

With Jo caught inside The Scorchies Show, can she save the day before the planet Earth falls victim to the dark side of light entertainment?

Propaganda

It's a very funny and dark take on evil Muppets. and the songs slap so hard. (6&7)

what the fuck happens in the scorchies. they killed the doctor dead (anonymous)

Nightshade

Synopsis

Professor Nightshade - tea time terror for all the family, and the most loved show in Britain. But Professor Nightshade's days are long over, and Edmund Trevithick is now just an unemployed actor in a retirement home, fondly remembering his past.

It's the same through the entire village of Crook Marsham - people are falling prey to their memories. At first harmlessly, and then, the bodies begin to turn up.

The Doctor and Ace arrive on the scene - but, with the Doctor planning his retirement, it may be time for Professor Nightshade to solve one last case.

Propaganda [note, both propaganda submissions mention this is a VNA, however the original nomination I got nominated it as the audio adaptation]

Moody horror that goes far beyond what you could get away with on TV. One of the best the VNAs have to offer. (anonymous)

A Dark, Moody, and down right Unsettling tale. One of the only VNAs to live up to it’s tag line of “Too broad and deep for the small screen.” (@finalpam8000 )

[strangenewwords]

List O' Fics on AO3

now with update status! (10/30/23) slownorimo update (6218 over the goal!)

Spirk

TOS/SNW

don't you know me - Still being updated.

One morning, Admiral Kirk's unbreakable bond with his husband is suddenly severed. The cause? A temporal anomaly that has turned the 55-year-old Spock into his 31-year-old self. Now, they find themselves on an uncharted path, facing an uncertain future where their shared journey hangs in the balance, teetering between continuity and divergence.

Mature (for talk about sex, but sex is kept in oneshots). Chaptered and incomplete.

we ran aground - Completed.

Set when Kirk is the XO of the Farragut and Spock is the science officer on the Enterprise. Both ships are in dry dock for repairs, and Spock runs into Kirk at a bar. He walks him home. Things progress. There's chess. And sex.

Explicit. More porn. Can also do the standalone thing, but falls in Don't You Know Me universe.

take me how you want me - Completed.

Kirk and Spock are on Vulcan for their wedding. Spock can't seem to find his center. Jim helps. With his body.

Explicit coz porn. Can be read as a standalone but is backstory from don't you know me.

Sarek x Amanda

TOS/SNW/DISCO/AOS

we can blame it on human nature - Paused

Yet another Amanda and Sarek origin story.

When four-year-old Sybok arrives on Earth to live with his father, Amanda Grayson's life takes an unexpected turn. She can't resist falling for the charm of this endearing child, but things get even more intriguing when she meets the tall, dark, and utterly captivating Sarek.

As Amanda and Sarek navigate the complexities of their newfound connection, they discover a magnetic pull between them that defies all logic. Together, they must chart a course through the chasm of their differences, all while exploring the depths of the emotions that bind them.

Teen, and it'll stay there. This is a sweet story with a dash of heat.

beyond logic - On Pause

The blurb is wrong because it's going to be redone. But Sarek x Amanda and dark and steamy.

So, so much Explicit.

Captain Shaw

burn the whole house down - On Pause

Captain Liam Shaw is a shitshow held together by the terrors of his past. This is a story of him finding something else to live for.

Mature for language, but'll probably go up to explicit because my Shaw is sex!driven. Whatcha gonna do?

Spock x Chapel

tangled memories - Completed

When nightmares haunt Christine, Spock becomes her anchor.

Teen, with some implied sex but no actual sex.

Deep Space Nine

forever and more - Completed.

Julian and Miles have bad habits. Julian keeps saying he'll stop. Garak is there to pick up the pieces.

Mature for sex, but not porn.

Father Brown

you used to be my favorite memory - On Pause

Sidney Carter and Inspector Sullivan knew one another in London years before Sullivan showed up in Kembleford. Sullivan's astonished to run into Sid again in this tiny, out of the way town. Sid can't believe Sullivan is getting on his case after the way things went down. They try to figure out where each of them fits into this new arrangement, especially when they can't seem to keep of out each others way.

Teen, but may bump up to M as I move forward.

pinch me - Completed

Sid and the Inspector regularly heat up the caravan. In the aftermath on this afternoon, their conversation drifts to how things started and where they are

M for implied sex, fondling.

[atomicarbiterglitter]

The poetry which emerges when the void summons

I stare at the ceiling and lay on my bed,

With persistent ruminations in my head,

I appear still, almost resembling dead,

With no vigour inside me, yall dread.

Isn't it the most intriguing, my partial existence?

The exuberant gigglemug, the pretense,

Cause that's what is shown, rest of it in the shadows,

My face concealing my head in meadows.

Indolent by the looks of it,yes, I admit,

Those little droplets, the radiance they emit,

Mere salt and water, as defined by science,

But they're fragments of you, says my defiance.

I know you never pray or ruminate like me,

About the consequences of your actions on me,

About those nights when I can't fall asleep soundly,

Imagining you by my side and wishing you profoundly.

Oh dear, even Satan tries to pity me, astonishingly,

When he watched you sacrifice all my potence willingly,

I just wanted to see you smile, without fabricating it,

But your bonafide pleasure was to throw me out in a pit.

I was ready to fend with my life for you,

Fight the viscous of battles , just for you,

Be vindictive against the whole universe,

Cause nothing mattered to me more than your love, in any multiverse.

I gave up my boyhood to be the man for you,

Never rummaged through the necessities in lieu,

For the little boy I had assassinated for you,

Only ever yearned just for you.

Flashforward, my eyes are still fixated on the ceiling,

It was 10 am , now it's 4pm, haven't moved a single inch of this mortal being,

For I don't find the objective to thrive, my heart is gone,

I'm just immobilised, cause my brain can't digest that you weren't the one.

Deliberately ostracised myself from my interests,

Pushed all my opportunities away, again in your best interest,

All because I wanted to sit down by the garden and talk to you, 

While the descending sun reminded me of you.

Now all I'm perceived as is an outcaste,

Cause they think I've never erased you,

They're not wrong, I did make my entire purpose to live, around you,

Always breathed the air you breathed, and isolated, whenever it was feasible.

And now,I am just left alone in these thoughts,

Without any clue of what is awaiting me,

Everyone ascending on their own pace,

While they accomplish everything they've ever wanted and spit on my face.

Is that what you wanted? Congratulations your purpose is served, 

But not for long, as I am building an armour and my empire ,

And when it's finished you'll see, that I can reincarnate and be better,

So maybe you didn't actually devastate me.

Sudden poetry from when I was almost asleep a few weeks ago, It has no specific title, it's just what it claims to be, my unfiltered thoughts.

I know this will be a direct blow to some of yall reading this, and I know I'll receive heart and gut wrenching, devastating, degenerate comments, but when I'm finally on my healing journey, which means I cope with poetry, I'll be infuriated on this platform.

I will show my frustrations, share my feelings and I'll scream till all the hurt is eviscerated from my heart in the form of words.

[arminsumi]

Maple syrup pancakes

Fluff drabble / K. Kazuha

You and Kazuha make pancakes in your apartment the morning after a long journey across Teyvat.

Cws; fluff, kissing, pre-est relationship (Bf + living together)

Notes on Y/n; gn!

Notes on this au; semi-modern!au but actually it's not really??

The bedsheets are so silky and soft that you don't want to leave bed. But then you snuggle to the left, and notice the absence of your boyfriend. It seems he's already sprung out of bed and into the kitchen.

Bleary-eyed, you waddle to the bathroom to freshen up. Upon looking at your reflection in the mirror, you notice the heavy tiredness weighing on your eyes. It's not that you're opposed to early mornings, it's just that yesterday's journey across Teyvat was quite long and arduous.

The night before, Kazuha carefully nursed your little wounds. They weren't bad enough to make you cry, but they still annoyingly stung.

After caring for these wounds again, you wander into the tiny kitchen, rubbing your eyes hard enough to experience a little photopsia.

"Morning, darling." Kazuha warmly greets you. The phosphenes in your vision clear up, and you blink a few times.

One can tell by how fresh-faced he appears that he's definitely a morning person.

He immediately comes to engulf you in a morning hug. It feels like his embrace alone balances your sleepy mind.

"You left bed too early." You complain into his chest. It's soft, the scent is vaguely of plant food.

"Sorry, I had to get some plant food for George." He speaks gently.

George was your favorite house plant. He sat proudly on the kitchen windowsill with his drooping leaves looking like elephant ears.

"... and syrup, too." Kazuha adds.

"Syrup?" You question, looking up at him.

His heart leaps a bit at how cute you are. He doesn't say anything about it, rather he presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

It feels like a stream of sunlight is running through your body at the sweet action, and your sleepiness disperses.

"Mhm, syrup. For pancakes. Wanna help me make some?" He asks, and you nod excitedly.

While you happily bounce around the tiny kitchen to fish out the cutlery from the drawers, Kazuha gathers the ingredients in the pantry.

He's humming your favorite song, since it's stuck in his brain, so that gets you humming it with him. The two of you have a sort of hum-concert, your noisiness rivalling the morning birdsongs.

You make an absolute mess in the kitchen. Well, calling it a kitchen was a stretch, considering how it barely accommodates two people. You're constantly bumping into Kazuha while cooking, you drop an egg or two, and he laughs and calls your clumsiness cute.

Then you somehow accidentally get syrup on his cheek, so you giggle out a "Sorry!"

He swipes his finger across the spillage, tastes it, and hums in thought.

"Tastes like clumsiness." He teases.

After you two finish goofing around, the pancake batter is on the pan and sizzling. The scent fills more than just your lungs, your whole body can smell these pancakes.

The first two look like botched science experiments, but then Kazuha takes over, and the rest turn out thick and fluffy.

He has to laugh when he sees how quickly you eat your stack of pancakes when they're done. They're so hot that you almost scald your mouth, but it's worth it.

You dramatically praise the syrup for tasting like 'the nectar of Barbatos', causing Kazuha to ring out with laughter.

As swift as the wind, he steals a maple-syrup flavored kiss from off your lips. His kisses have a plush gentleness that you can't quite describe.

With your hunger now sated by countless fluffy pancake stacks, you lean into his chest and watch the morning transition to midday, laying on the wicker bench of your apartment's balcony.

His bandaged fingers delicately brush through your hair. There's golden rays of sunlight and rustling trees above you two, yet you still manage to fall asleep.

I've been playing Genshin again, and so decided to write something for my favorite anemo boy!