#loading screen quiz

[dgrailwar]

Round 8, Day 3 - All Teams (Overseer Announcement)

…What a mess that Pretender left. Greetings. It's me, the Overseer again. We haven't spoken much as of recent, have we? Are you enjoying yourselves? I hope so. However…Well, we can't continue the war with the world in this state. It'd be a mess, and rather uninteresting to look at. I suppose I'll have to do some cleanup. Hrm… ah, how troublesome. Well, I suppose I'll have to put something together to keep you all occupied? How about a game? A… quiz game? People enjoy quizzes, right? Magi love being correct about things. Here. Let me give you some quizzes about your Servants, as I attempt to load a backup of the digital space so that you may continue. My goodness, the assets are a mess… I'll just have improvise the visuals. Find something quick and simple. Not a problem! Not… a problem… at all… Here! A quiz! Look at that, and pay no attention to the workings on behind the curtain… and remember, no cheating!

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

update: gameplay is much less user-friendly (or at least less wendy-friendly) on the ps2

okay time to remember how the ps2 works again <- person who acquired their first ps2 in the year of our lord 2024

[syntheticcy]

Overworked and Underwhelmed (Reboot! Wally ongoing fic)

You arrive at the library, clutching a book in your hands. You've been studying it almost every day for an exam you've already taken twice. If you fail one more time, you'll fail the class! Not to mention, you'll have to enroll next semester and take on another loan.

You find a table at the back of the library, near a window. There's some random guy at the end of it, just silently scrolling on his phone. Completely ignoring his books and papers. You decide to disregard him and make your way to the other end of the table. Sitting by the exit, you take out your laptop, notebook, and pen.

You try to get to studying, yet you can't focus. It feels like time has stopped and everything is so quiet that it feels loud. You tap your foot and grab a pair of headphones, slipping them on and connecting them to your phone. You play a random song and just space out.

Forgetting why you're even in the library in the first place! Everything is so boring and aggravatingly slow. You snap out of it once you hear a chair being pulled out. A girl sits at the table, merely a few chairs away. Holding a physics book. Soundlessly mumbling while reading. Your roll your eyes and try to do the same with your notes.

You finally crack open your notebook and sigh, already tense just by skimming the pages. You look back at your laptop and go over the same stupid questions you've struggled with all semester. It's a shock you've been able to keep yourself afloat in this class with such an low score— the lowest score in the class.

The simple thought makes you grip your laptop, and grit your teeth. With your beat-up notebook and an old pen that barely has any ink, you attempt to write out some more notes and try a practice test. Painfully focusing on each question and working it out in your head and on paper. After some time, you think you've finally got it.

You click submit, watching the screen ffilmer to white. A small dotted circle pops up, bubbling around. Its taking a minutes to load, maybe you got a perfect score? Or maybe its just a poor wifi connection. Still, the tiny insignificant thought fills you with joy. The corners of your lips start to turn up, just a bit however.

You know you can't get your hopes up, your honestly hopeless. Still, your hard expression softens up, maybe you've finally done it. Maybe your not hopeless after all! Your heart starts to swell and hope fills soul, that is until you get a connection error pop up. You let out an annoyed groan and cry out.

"Are you kidding me?!" Immediately, you hear a loud "Shh" and you cover your mouth. Apologizing as you shut off your wifi and turn it back on. As the page finally loads your slight smile fades. Zero across the board. You hit your head against your notebook and shut your eyes. Taking a minute to recover. It takes everything to give up and go home.

You go over the answers and take notes, rereading the notes over and over. You even go the extra mile and rip out some page and redo them completely. Your brain feels like it's being turned to sludge with how much you're reading and writing the same thing over and over. After some more minutes you try again with another practice test.

Yet as soon as you look at the first question. You forget everything you just read, let alone wrote.. How shameful. Isn't this your passion? Why doesn't the material seem to stick with you? What are you doing wrong? And why can't you figure out the issue? You've tried reading the textbooks, making flashcards, having someone quiz you, reading out loud;

Trying online quizzes, staying after class, asking in-depth questions, and just so much more. Every time you think you've finally got it. That you've finally figured it out. You immediately get the answers wrong. Just thinking about it makes you want to scream. You close your laptop and put your head down.

Why can't you understand? Why can't you just sit down and comprehend what's been given to you? What's been said to you over a million times, what's been EXPLAINED to you over and over again. You rub your temples, feeling all your pent-up emotions bubble up to the top. Covering your head with your arms, you struggle to steady your breathing.

There has to be a way to get it. There's just something your doing wrong. There's a reason, why can't you figure out the reason?! Tears of frustration sting your eyes, threatening to spill out. Unbeknownst to you, a soft sob slips out from your lips. Midterms are right around the corner, and you still haven't progress in this class.

Your lack of comprehension skills are going to be the death of you. It all just seems so useless. What's the point of trying when you know you'll fail? Why do you keep trying to pursue a dying passion project? Why won't you just choose a normal blue collar job? It's stable and has a better income. But this is your life, all you've ever wanted is so close.

Barely within your reach. You just need to pass this stupid class and these horrid tests! On the verge of bawling your eyes out, you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder. You take a minute to recover, and you can hear a chair being pulled over. "Hey.. Are- Are you okay?" A hushed and mannish voice whispers to you.

You struggle to grab a hold of yourself for a moment. Softly murmuring an excuse in hopes of being left alone. "M'fine, only tired." The person pauses and nervously places a hand in your shoulder again. "Do you need some water? Maybe a tissue?" He continues, pushing for a genuine reply. You wipe your eyes.

If you knew them, you'd probably find it comforting. But all you can feel is shame. "I'm fine, just.. Studying. I guess." You lift your head and look at whoever's speaking to you. As your blurry vision comes to, you see messy blueish hair and a concerned expression. You make a face before it clicks. It's the guy who was on his phone!

He looks kinda familiar, but you can't quite place your finger on it. Then again he is just some semi-generic guy, you've probably seen him around campus. You push away the odd feelings of déjà vu, more focused on the conversation at hand. He leans closer, speaking quieter. "Are you sure? Your uh, you were crying."

His voice is harder to hear now, not to mention a little strained. You sit up more, fixing your posture. "I'm just overwhelmed, right now." He makes a face and goes to rub your knee. Yet, you scoot away. Finding his actions a little unnerving and honestly, kinda pushy. While you appreciate the sentiments, this guy doesn't seem to really get boundaries.

He frowns slightly but keeps a sympathetic tone. "If you don't mind me asking, what's gotten you so worked up? I doubt it's just studying." You rest your head on your wrist, choking down the shame and anxiety. "It's not *that* serious, I'm just... having a hard time with class, right now."

You mumble, hoping he doesn't notice how tense you are. Wally's expression tightens up, and his eyes dart over to the notebook you shoved aside. He picks it up and leans back. Cracking it open, as if it's his own notebook. "Are these your notes?" His expression becomes unreasonable and iffy.

All you know is it's not a positive one by any means. You debate snatching your notebook from him but reluctantly, you nod. Hoping he puts the damn thing down. Wally looks back at the pages and squints. "Hmm..." He turns his gaze to the crumbled-up papers next to you.

Spotting all half-written, sloppy, and semi-incoherent notes you've written. "You know.." He pauses, turning away, grimacing. His turmoil is painfully visible to you. You hold your head in your hands, asking why you're even in the library at this point. Hell, why are you even in college?

If these are supposed to be the "best years" of your life, then it's probably best you give up hope now and find the nearest rope. The guy tries to pat your back as he clears his throat. Making you look around for the quickest exit. "If you need help," The man mutters, "I can try to tutor you." You raise a brow. "You can tutor me? Have you taken this class before?"

He chuckles and shakes his hand in a "so-so" motion. "Sort of, I'm taking the same class." He says proudly as he beams. Awaiting your response, only to receive a faint "Hm." You're not really religious, but a leering feeling makes you second guess that decision. And oddly enough you pray this man leaves the library.

Noticing how... Eager you are for him to tutor you, he quickly he spills his "credentials". "I'm passing the class, I have one of the highest grades." He pauses, nervously hoping for you to say something. When he's met with unbearably uncomfortable silence he tosses an arm around you and attempts to pull you closer.

Sputtering out and struggling to keep his voice down. "I also tutor people in that class already! I-I usually work for a fee- But for you, I'll tutor you for free!" He smiles, his lips quivering. You shutter and sink into your seat. "You're going tutor me? For free? Is this a prank?" You murmur skeptically.

The man tenses and makes another face. "What? No!" He sighs and softens his voice again. "Look, I just want to help you. You're having a bad time studying and I figured I could help. We have the same class, twice a week!" He nearly pleads, trying to get you to face him as he blabs on.

"We share a study group! The 'Weekly Sit Down' one. You know, the group chat that never shuts off? I go to it on weekends and sometimes Fridays." You stop trying to escape from this random dude and it finally clicks. You have seen this guy! It's that Walter guy. You tried a few Friday sessions with the group and you saw Warren sitting by that Julie chick.

Walden was kinda funny when he wasn't near you. Waldo spoke a lot about music and theatre. Maybe this Willy guy is better when he's on stage and not speaking to you. But now that you think about it, you think you might have seen someone that looks like him at the coffee shop you frequent. The more you look at Winston;

Or whatever his name is, starts to kinda look like the professor's classroom assistant. Say, the more you think about this weirdo, he's almost like a constant background character for you! Maybe he's not as creepy as you originally thought. He's probably just trying to get by like you.

You blurt out a thought, perking up. "Hey, I think I have seen you around! You're that Willy guy who talks about theatre a lot, right?" The guy looks crushed, and he pulls back with a baffled expression. "My name is Wally." You cringe, it dawns on you that you never actually bothered to learn his name. Let alone thought about him enough to get interested in knowing him.

But at least you got the first part right? Well- almost right. Wally looks away and takes a deep breath. "Look, let's just- get back to what we were talking about." You nod, burying the cringe deep down. "Yeah, so, tutoring?" "Yeah, tutoring. I'll help you with whatever you need. Just call me Professor Darling!" You chuckle, what a peculiar guy.

"Professor 'Darling'? Is what your nickname now?" Wally leans back in his chair, holding up your notebook still. "Yup, that's me. Wally, Wally Darling. But to you, it's Professor Darling." You roll your eyes and smile, lightly mocking him. "Okay, Professor 'Darling'."

NOTES: OKAY SO I FINALLY FINISHED THIS, I'VE ALREADY POSTED ABOUT IT ENOUGH BUT I FINISHED IT AND I'M JUST SO HAPPY. I REALLY HOPE I CAN WRITE MORE THAN JUST A ONESHOT FOR THIS!! THANK YOU SO MUCH LAS, ZOMB, TAWNY, MOCHI, BEE, RIRI, AND JUST EVERYONE ELSE SO ENCOURGED ME TO KEEP WRITING!!! IT'S BEEN SO MUCH FUN AND I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE WELCOME HOME UPDATE!!! MY MANN IS COMING HOME SOON WOOOO!!!!!!

EDIT: Chapter two: Odd Dynamic

[rocknrollsalad]

rating: T cw: abandoned pets tags: modern au, platonic stobin, first meeting, animal shelters, another universe another menial job, bad holiday innuendo, implied hook ups word count: 995 written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt "mistletoe"

there's now a part two

One of the fun bits about running the social media for the animal shelter was naming the animals that came in. Crafting something just unhinged enough to be spread around which lured people in was Robin’s jam. Yeah, her creative skills could be better used but they weren’t going to waste. And this way cute animals got loving homes.

As fun as it was to name a litter of kittens things like “Left Sock” and “Stolen Pants”, Robin also had to play to the season. Though her and her supervisor went rounds about this. Robin didn’t want to entice parents to adopt a kitten for their kid only for them to get the thing back in four months. She didn’t make the big bucks though so she had to do what she was told.

When the large litter of kittens rescued from a cold and abandoned barn came in? Robin knew what she’d be forced to do. The props would be cute but the names would be lame and overused.

It wasn’t a shock to anyone that she dragged Steve into the process. He was her best friend, they applied for the job together and wanted matching schedules, but he also actually had Christmas cheer.

Best friend, decorations, and kittens all wrangled into the same space, they set to the difficult task of naming each of these adorable little furballs. There were eight of them and that number was the only thing stopping Robin from bringing home the whole litter.

Latkes, Kugel, Lump of Coal, Winter Solstice, Krampus, The Ghost of Christmas Past, Cheeses, Meeces, and Mistletoe were all photographed and the colors of their colors logged before Robin and Steve went to the office to edit pictures.

Steve had Latkes in the pocket of his hoodie, sleeping away in the comfort and warmth, and Mistletoe wandered from shoulder to shoulder. The rest were happy back in their homey pen, heating blanket and food freshly stocked. Robin wanted to be annoyed but Steve always had at least one animal in tow, he couldn’t help that they were drawn to him. Or that he couldn’t say no to them.

“We oughta take a picture of you like that, imagine the dates you could get asking people to meet you under this mistletoe,” Robin said, turning back to the screen.

“Wouldn’t that be better if she was the one in my pocket?” Steve asked.

“Oh my god, why would you say that?” Robing aggressively clicked the ancient mouse to try and make the computer load faster so she didn’t have to think any more about the implications of that.

“You set me up for it!” Steve said, that same indignation he always had that made Robin want to punch him.

“Whatever. Not even you could get a date with something like that.”

Robin didn’t turn around, she could feel Steve accepting the challenge she absolutely had not issued. No way he got it to work.

—

The day had been slow, boring but expected. Robin was the only one on duty right now. The two others went off to take their lunch knowing Robin was fine with Steve there. He’d come in to hang out, a pretty typical thing when they weren’t scheduled to both work.

Steve was sitting on the counter, Robin in the chair with her feet up and next to his leg. They were on their fourth Buzzfeed quiz when the door opened. Steve and Robin both had to fight glaring at whoever interrupted the scientific “what type of fruit are you” quest.

“Hey, do you guys still got Krampus?” the guy asked, skipping all greetings.

His lack of manners had Robin staying in her seat. She wasn’t going to overdo it if he couldn’t manage the bare minimum. Steve, however, was on his feet all Christmas cheer and eager to help. Robin knew what that meant.

Added confirmation came as Steve leaned over and whispered “I think he needs to take home Mistletoe.”

Sticking her finger toward her mouth, Robin gave a half-hearted gag. If anything, she was annoyed with how easily this all came to Steve. This guy was so his type there was no way he wasn’t going to try something and Robin supported that but did he have to be so good at it?

“We do,” Steve said. It shouldn’t have been a seductive statement and yet…

Of course, it worked. The guy was the first person Robin had ever seen do a spit take without having anything to drink.

After an awkward stare-down, Robin cleared her throat as the only professional for miles around, “Would you like to see him?”

“Yeah, yeah, man. I think I would,” the guy said.

Rolling her eyes, Robin lifted a foot to kick at Steve's hip. “Show him the cat, you idiot,” she groaned.

Since he was almost out of reach, the kick did nothing to Steve as he flashed that award-winning smile that drove everyone wild and he had the customer follow him.

Just once, Robin would love to channel whatever magnetism Steve had. There’d been so many girls that had come through the door, single girls who talked about their ex-girlfriends, and Robin couldn’t so much as give them her number. Steve was going to walk out of here with a wedding ring.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Steve and the guy walked back to Robin looking like they’d solved world hunger. Thankfully Steve was smart enough not to hook up with people at the shelter but Robin knew that look, both on the customer and Steve, a hook up would happen.

In case that wasn’t enough, the guy was carrying Mistletoe and not Krampus like he'd asked for.

Steve stood on the customer side of the counter and said “Hand me the adoption form, wouldya? We’ll get Eddie this adorable little friend and then I’m going to help him set his apartment up to be a cat dad.”

“You’re insufferable.”

[angerieque]

How to: fix your attention span.

Hi angels! It's been a minute and I missed you loads so, I'm back with another "how to" post. Today's is about our declining attention spans. With the spread of short videos, the easy access to the x2 button, and the endless scrolling, it's been pretty hard to focus on one thing for more than 2 minutes. I'll be sharing some tips I've been experimenting so pay attention!

Neglect the x2 button: Yes, it's hard. Especially when the video is 10 minutes long of an influencer getting ready BUT try to physically restrain yourself of using that button, and if you fail to, close tiktok or whatever platform you're using for ten minutes and do anything else.

Read: As easy and simple as that. Read. Any type of books, any genre, just read. If you can't seem to focus on what's written grab a pencil and trace the words to make sure you're reading and comprehending each and every one. Set a goal for the amount of pages you want to read each day (e.g. 10 pages everyday) and make sure you reach it.

Ditch your phone: Turn it off, put it as far from you as you can, and don't check it for a designated period of time (e.g. 2 hours).

Fix your sleeping schedule: Set a bedtime timer, stop scrolling an hour before bed, and know that it'll be hard at first but then it'll get so much easier once you're accustomed to it.

Digital detox: Try digital detox once a month, reduce your screen time, read, go to the gym, take a walk outside, spend time with family/friends.. Do anything that will make you spend a full day without screens.

Mind games: YES! Sudoku, chess, flags quiz, literally any game that will sharpen your mind and memory.

That's it for now babes! Hope you have a good day! Much love, Angel.

[jaggedamethyst]

circuit breaker 🔬🌌 (part six)

tutor!jayce talis x reader, ekko x reader college au

content: after a week of sessions with jayce, you finally have to take your quiz

i dont think there's any warnings here...sad ekko like the chat requested though!!!

notes: i regret nothing

word count: 2.6k

series master list

。·:*:·ﾟ★,。·:*:·ﾟ☆　　 。·:*:·ﾟ★,。·:*:·ﾟ☆

The start of class almost always was filled with you and Viktor talking. In fact, it was the way you first met—casually asking one another about the syllabus. There was a nostalgia whenever the two of you would meet before your scheduled start time. Viktor was truly a good friend, you’d always thought. You wouldn’t pass up your chats for anything. 

“Me and Jayce had a few sessions this week, I feel like I’m prepared for once.” You looked down at your planner as you spoke. 

Viktor dug in his bag, “I’m glad to hear that. It’s great to know that Jayce is a good tutor.” 

“He is,” you nodded, continuing your writing. 

A sound of your instructor coming in made you grab your laptop. On Fridays it went unspoken that the first task of the day was the weekly quiz. You shook off your hands, feeling a sudden nervousness. 

Viktor placed a hand on your shoulder, “You’ve got this.” He sent you a soft smile before turning to open his laptop—not at all phased by the quiz. 

“Not to change the subject, but,” you leaned over to Viktor, “How’s Sky?” 

You immediately noticed the blush prickle on his cheeks. “I think…we should focus on the task at hand.” 

A knowing smile found its way to you, “Send her my regards, then.” 

The both of you stifled a laugh, your whispers echoing over the quieting class. Soon, the only sound to be heard was that of paper being written on and calculators clacking. It comforted you to know that everyone seemed to take this seriously. In the sea of people, you thought, maybe there were others who also had a lot at stake. You let the thought carry you, almost sinking you into a warmth that made you feel surprisingly comfortable. 

Scrolling through the questions left you to picture your sessions, to imagine Jayce outlining the graph for you. The color coordinated arrows filled your mind, and the answers came flooding in. You had to be sure; you checked, double checked, and even triple checked for simple mistakes you’d made before. Before you knew it, you were submitting the quiz with a sharp breath in. 

You glanced over to Viktor who’d already finished. He looked at your screen expectantly, just as eager to see your result. With one click, the submission page loaded—with another your score appeared on the screen. 

“Oh my gosh?” You whispered quickly and looked to Viktor with wide eyes. 

“Does that say what I think it says?” 

“Viktor… I got an 87%.” 

“I can see that,” he mirrored you wide eyed expression but kept his tone low. “Well done.” 

“With the midterm in two weeks I really needed this.” You nodded to yourself, feeling the tears well in your eyes. As embarrassing as it might be, this was a reflection of your hard work and perseverance—you could do this. 

Viktor rubbed your now shaking arm encouragingly. “Good job.” 

You exhaled the weight of everything as you spoke, “Thank you.” 

With a quick flip of your hand, you pulled out your phone. You made sure to not make much noise, wiping the tears that threatened to fall from your lash line. Scrolling through your recent messages was much more conflicting than you’d imagined. The urge to press on Jayce’s name, to tell him immediately was immense. You let the thought come and go, deciding against bothering him with something so minuscule. Ekko, though, he’d understand. 

You grimaced at the last messages you sent to each other being so plain—empty, even, after what happened with Jayce. You didn’t intentionally push him away—there was just so much going on. 

hi

i miss you !!! 

btw i did good on my quiz…so you should come out with me to celebrate tonight…because im def celebrating 

please? 

You frowned at your phone. Enough time passed where you thought Ekko might be ignoring you. But you couldn’t pester him—that would be even worse than simply being left on seen. Deciding to let it go for now, you paid attention to the lecture, typing away notes that you would undoubtedly bring back to Jayce to decipher later. Just before you closed your laptop, a notification popped up on screen and illuminated the top corner. 

let me know where the celebration is you know i love a good party

As the first text from Ekko went away another popped up in its place. 

i missed you too

——————

For once your afternoon and evening weren’t spent in worry about the next big thing you had to do. Your quiz was done, you’d done a good job, and you still had time to prepare for the midterm. On top of this, you had the opportunity to reconcile with Ekko; you were truly grateful. 

Arriving at the bar, you were immediately bombarded with the sound of people talking and the overwhelming background music. Your eyes trailed the sea of people, searching for any familiar figures until you settled on two. Viktor and Ekko were sitting in the corner, tucked away in a spot they knew you’d like. It was slightly intimate and allowed you to actually talk—you appreciated the thought. 

You approached the table, waving at the pair. 

“Look who finally decided to show up.” Viktor joked, nudging Ekko.

They looked at each other, Ekko speaking up, “Hey, it takes time to look good, right?” 

“Absolutely,” you high fived Ekko as you slid in beside him. The booth was rounded, which you always liked. Instead of being forced to choose what side of a seated booth to be on, you could sit and see everyone equally. You’d mentioned that particularly annoying feeling before—and they remembered. “So is anyone gonna get the fries or should I?” 

“Already ordered,” Viktor said, “Ekko made sure to get those and your drink.” 

Ekko nodded, “Shirley Temple so you can be fake drunk like you do…for the vibes you know?” 

Just then, the ordered arrived. You exchanged looks with your friends, “I love you so much.” 

“And we love you,” Viktor spoke up. “But don’t be angry with me. I saw Sky walk in just a few minutes ago.” 

“In any other circumstance, I’d be a hater…but I know you like her so go ahead.” 

“You are an amazing friend.” He moved to stand, putting pressure on his cane. “I’ll be back, but you’re in good hands.” With that, he walked away and moved toward Sky on the opposite side of the bar. 

The sound of Ekko beside you broke your gaze, “Hi.” 

“Hi.” 

“Congrats on your quiz, knew you could do it.” 

You nodded, “Thank you.” You let silence fill the space for a few seconds before speaking. You didn’t want to face the awkwardness, but it was inevitable. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault.” 

“But Jayce showed up to help me and it interrupted our whole thing—and I feel so bad.” 

“Dont,” he twisted his lip, and reiterated. “It’s not on you.” 

“You sure?” 

“I just dont like people trying to walk all over you…you don’t deserve that.” 

You agreed, “I know.” You moved to start in on your fries, taking a sip of your drink between your chews. 

You and Ekko fell in and out of conversation, sometimes letting the comfortable quiet sit between you before laughing together again. Between the sweet giggles from the both of you and the crinkles in your eyes from pure enjoyment, Ekko paused. You watched him look at you with a more serious look on his face. 

“What,” you reached for a napkin, “Is there something on my face, or-“ 

“No,” he laughed, then. “There’s just nobody like you, really.” He punctuated the sentence with a slow roll of your name from his lips. You straightened up at that, looking down at your plate of half-eaten fries. 

Usually, you just liked the ambience of a bar. The social setting got you just out of your comfort zone enough to fulfill your quota without overwhelming you. But the ruckus had done just that. To top it off, you weren’t even a drinker. You never drank, in fact. It just wasn’t a taste you enjoyed. So you settled on the somewhat enjoyable appetizers they offered and would call it a night. Tonight was different. You became increasingly aware of the sensory overload, and whatever Ekko was trying to say had you feeling stir crazy. 

“I have to pee.” 

Without another word, you pushed out of the booth and beelined it for the back of the building. You moved away from the blaring sounds of people talking, cutting the corner toward the bathrooms. Even if you didn’t have to go, the solace of a quieter room sounded nice right now. You took your time, going through the motions slow—even making sure to take extra time to dry your hands twice. Your mind wandered between the hand dryer and paper towels; the time dragged but not enough to allow you to avoid the reality waiting just beyond the door. 

You stepped out, a bit disoriented by which direction you had to go in. 

“Funny seeing you here.” 

You perked up at the sound of Jayce’s voice to the side of you. Without thinking, you approached him and paused, before reaching to hug him in gratitude. 

He continued, voice muffled by you pressing into his chest. “Heard someone did well on their quiz.” Viktor must’ve told him, you figured. 

“That would be me,” you looked up at him. “With your help, of course.” 

He backed up, breaking the hug and wiping his hands in a dramatic motion. “Oh no,” he shook his head, “That was all you.”

“Oh, please. We both know I wouldn’t have done remotely well without you.” 

He grasped both of your arms at your sides, shaking you reassuringly. “What did I say about giving yourself more credit?” 

Peering up at him, you didn’t speak, just twisted your face in recollection. You took the time to observe him, his hair looking slightly different. The volume had fallen through the day obviously, and the bags under his eyes were more visible than you’d ever seen them. 

Jayce spoke again, “So how was it? Tell me all about it.” 

You stayed close to him, recounting the details of the quiz. “And like in our sessions, I made sure to go back and check my work. Made me feel way more confident and obviously… it paid off.” You put your hands on your hips, “Eighty freakin seven.” 

Jayce just smiled warmly. Not responding, but rather just admiring you and how happy you were. He reveled in the pride you showed, knowing he had a part but that it was ultimately you who had done the work. 

With a hand on your shoulder, Jayce finally spoke. “You’re really smart, you know that?” 

You suddenly became aware of how desolate the hall to the bathroom was. The sound of people socializing only echoed as opposed to resounding in your ears. Music seemed to dissipate where it would screech. You were left with nothing but the tingling of Jayce’s grip on you and the intense focus of his eyes. 

You continued to study him, watching as his chest rose and fell—mirroring you. You blinked, finally responding through a whisper. “I have a good tutor.” 

The words just barely passed your lips—tumbling off of them slowly in a way that had the man mesmerized. You watched his eyes flicker down and then back up to you. 

The hand on your shoulder found itself snaking around and up to your cheek, a thumb rubbing small back and forth motions into your skin. Jayce allowed his other hand to mimic the motion—both of his hands now cupping your face in intrigue. 

He tilted his head slightly before pushing himself forward with urgency. You hadn’t registered how quickly Jayce’s lips connected with yours until they slowed against you—appreciating the feeling. The tension in your body had released, allowing you to reach your arms up and around Jayce’s neck. Your lips molded into each other’s, like they were meant to be there and intended to stay. You tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck, allowing yourself to nip at Jayce’s lips. 

You pulled back slightly, observing only the lower half of his face. The way the ghost of facial hair lingered there. How the swell of his lower lip almost always resembled a pout—even when he smiled. 

He couldn’t stand the distance and pulled you back in, working on a lip at a time. He groaned to himself, drowning in the sweetness of your lips. He continued to nudge into you, accidentally pushing your back to the wall. Your hands roamed his back, clawing at anything to ground you. His rough stubble, the fabric of his clothes, that scent of him that you loved so much, it was all too much. 

The sound of an approaching person startled you, even more so when you heard it was accompanied by the noise of clinking metal. When you realized, you pushed Jayce away—an apologetic look all over your face. 

A call of your name had you straightening your clothes; Jayce remained still, watching you. 

Viktor had come into view, pausing his steps at the sight of the pair of you. 

“Hey,” you spoke first. “You okay?” 

Viktor looked at Jayce, then at you. “I’m well. Just curious to see where you disappeared to.” 

“Oh…I just,” you smoothed over your shirt again, “Just had to use the bathroom.”

Viktor quickly flickered over to Jayce. “And you?” 

Clearly not paying attention and still looking at you, Jayce let out a sound. “Hmm?” 

“Are you also using the bathroom, Jayce?”

“Right, yeah…” he cleared his throat. “I just stepped out. We ran into each other.” 

With your lips? Viktor wanted to say. 

“Right, well.” You interjected, “I think this celebration’s lasted long enough.” You clasped your hands together dramatically. “I should head home for the night.” 

You allowed your peripheral to linger on Jayce, expecting something from him, before fully turning your head. He masked a smile—but the quick upturn of his lip made the motion apparent.

You awkwardly raised your hand, waving to Jayce and slipping past Viktor’s standing form. Flustered didn't even begin to explain it. You moved fluidly through the now growing crowd of people, the bar becoming more packed as the night went on. Without a second thought you approached Ekko, tapping his shoulder and motioning for him to leave with you. 

“I’m tired, I think. You wanna head out?” 

Without a reply, Ekko stood, following you toward the exit. The brisk air whipped around your skin—a chill there that hadn’t been before the sun went down. You shivered, then, both at the temperature and at the lingering feeling of Jayce’s lips on yours. 

Ekko broke your train of thought, “You okay?” 

You looked over to him, “Yeah, why?” 

“It’s just,” his focus was quickly drawn to your lips. “Just that you wanted to leave so suddenly, I guess.” His mouth seemed to open and close, searching for the words. Ultimately he was taken aback; he noticed the displaced sheen of your chapstick. The shine of the balm that was once properly placed seemed to have traveled and smeared around your mouth. 

Ekko nodded to himself, urging his body to take a step away from where he’d been so close to you. 

You cleared your throat, missing the way Ekko’s body slumped. “I just wanna get some sleep, it’s been a long week.” 

“Okay.” 

Your brow arched at him, then. “You alright?” 

Ekko swallowed in his mouth, controlling his stride and masking his distress. “I’m good…let’s head back.” 

“Okay.” Your voice trailed off. You matched his step back to your place until he stopped to see you off. Without another word, you waved bye—watching him disappear down the path. 

part seven

taglist

@juskonutoh @sseleniaa @aerina127 @sleepysoldier @angelicmisty @1800latenitecreep @venus-in-roses @myxticmoon @rando-no-5

[uneducated-author]

Because I will never be over this adaptation and how it perfectly used every frame and then elevated them until you actually have a wonderful way of displaying each characters thought process. You see Dazai's expression change, how he moves. Dazai has been silly and disarming all of the arc so far. He dances with Sigma and splits because he wants sugar. He jokes while opening a door, and hosts a happy hour quiz, comparing Sigma to his mentee.

But here. we see him, and see how far he is willing to go. We see him stop smiling. He finds out his partner is his enemy, controlled by vampirism and smirks, even if it's more of a 'damn, Dostoyevsky'. But it's important. Because he has ten minutes to make Sigma willing to die for him. Ten minutes to make Sigma willing to die for the agency. And he has to be powerful enough to make Sigma think. Strong enough to shock him, to make him listen. Now, Sigma watches him control time, and drown Dostoyevsky. He has to show Sigma that survival isn't an offer exclusively from the decay of angels.

But here, he sees his partner, it's broadcast on a screen. He sees Chuuya follow Dostoyevsky's orders, pound at the wall, scream and struggle, and then slowly drown. And he stops smiling. Because he can't lie, not in front of his partner.

Something about how the memories load. Something about how Dazai, whose mind works faster than light, takes a moment, because if he thinks about their past, he knows he'll crack and he won't have the resolve for this.Something about needing time to prepare for the heartbreak he's going to inflict on himself. Something about how he's speaking to someone empty, because Dostoyevsky has scooped out Chuuya's soul and turned him into a stranger, and Dazai could never forgive that rat, but this is beyond unforgivable.

Something about a shadow. Something about Dazai blocking himself from the memories where their heart connect. Something about blocking the light because if he's good, right now, he'll destroy what little soul he has.

Something about opening his eyes, and forcing himself to watch, because this is why he came for Odasaku, this is why he wants a double suicide, because he believes that nobody wants to die alone.

Something about listening to Chuuya and how he drowns. Something about a second of silence except for the other half of his soul fighting to live, as Chuuya always had.

Something about the turtle smile, so clearly fake because Dostoyevsky is there, and if he survives (Dazai has every contingency) there can not be a shred of evidence that Dazai cared for his former partner, and something about how if Chuuya was listening under the echoes of vampirism, he would know that Dazai is lying.

Something about there being no chance of ambiguity. Something about the darkness over his eyes, and the pain he's tried to wipe away. Something about shadows, and how you need light to cast them.

Something and something and something, and how soukoku have always been something more.

[crunchwrapsnoopy]

Promposals [Touya Todoroki x Reader]

˙⋆✮🪩As long as I look fly by prom night!🪩✮⋆˙

"Promise to get a little better as I get older. And you're so patient and sick of waitin" Prom - Sza

High school Senior Prom AU of my fav villain ◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠

HS! Semi-Normal! Dabi x F. Reader

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

WC: 1008

"Soo..." my best friend, Mina, started with a coy smirk, "anyone ask you to prom yet?" She nudges my arm, obviously hinting at my boyfriend.

I shake my head, adjusting the books in my arms. "Nah, I probably won't go anyway. Seems like a waste of time, not to mention money."

"It's our senior year! You're acting like your parents aren't loaded," she scoffs, clearly unimpressed by my excuse. "And really? I thought for sure Dabi would've asked you by now. You guys have been dating for, what, five months?"

"Yeah, I thought he would too, but it's whatever. He's just not really into stuff like prom." I shrug, knowing my boyfriend is the definition of lowkey. Honestly, I’m sure he thinks going to prom would mess with his carefully crafted 'mysterious bad boy' nonchalant vibe.

Her eyes widen happily as an idea forms. "I'm sure Kiri wouldn't mind if you tagged along with us!"

I give her a look. Her boyfriend, Kiri, is very outwardly lovey-dovey, and there's no way he'd be okay with sharing Mina on prom night. She catches the look in my eyes and immediately reads my mind.

"Yeah, you're right. Bad idea," she admits, rolling her eyes.

"Very," I agree. "You two have fun, though. I gotta head home and study for that econ quiz."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you'll have just as much fun with that," she jokes, giving my arm a playful pat before waving goodbye.

I wave back and head out of the school, walking toward my house, which is a short distance away in the suburbs. Normally, I'd ride home with Dabi in his sexy black Mustang, but he skipped today, which, knowing him, isn't too uncommon.

I unlock my empty house—my parents are in France on business, so I’ve been left to die. Well, technically  they left me to "fend for myself," but it's basically the same thing. I kick off my shoes and head upstairs to my room, changing into some comfy lounge clothes before flopping onto my bed. I open my laptop and pull up my economics notes, trying to get through the material, but after a while, I realize I have no idea what the hell an "invisible hand" is.

I lean back against the pillows and let my eyes close. Studying is overrated anyway.

I woke up to the blaring sound of my phone alarm to take my vitamins that I had already taken earlier, but the alarm still ran incase I forgot. I groggily rolled over and squinted at the screen, still half-dazed from my nap. The time read 6:15 PM. Great. I’d fallen asleep for way too long. I rubbed my eyes, stretching as I sat up. My laptop was still open with economics notes, but the words blurred together like they were written in a foreign language. Ugh.

I pushed it aside and glanced at the clock again. Dabi would usually text me around this time, or he'd show up randomly at my door, leaning against the frame with that smirk of his. But today... nothing.

Sighing, I grabbed my phone, half-expecting another generic message from my mom or dad asking if I'm alive. But instead, there was a text from Mina.

Mina: "You sure you're not going to prom? Think about it! You'd look so hot in a dress, and I'm sure Dabi would change his mind n suck it up if you rly wanted to go. If he doesn't, still come and I'll make sure Kiri brings his best friend, so you’re not stuck third wheeling!"

I snorted at the part about Kiri's best friend. Mina's boyfriend has two best friends, Bakugo, who is painfully hostile, and Kaminari, who is super enthusiastic but also a little too much of a pervert, I'm not interested in either of those personalities. Either way, I have a boyfriend that I'm pretty exclusies with, and don't feel like pissing him off.

But the thought of prom? Of dressing up, of being surrounded by everyone else—feeling normal, like everyone else for a night—was kind of tempting. Even though I pretended not to care, I always wondered what it’d be like to go, to have that experience.

I stared at my phone for a moment, texting back:

Me: "I don’t know. It feels like too much of a hassle. You really think Dabi would go if I asked?"

There was a long pause before she replied.

Mina: "If u ask him? fat chance... But if you rly wanna go, I'll help u ask him!"

I could already hear her upbeat, enthusiastic tone in my head. It was like she was daring me to do it, challenging me to take that step.

I locked my phone, rolling my eyes as I flopped back onto my bed, already overthinking everything. As much as I hated to admit it, part of me kind of wanted to ask Dabi. Maybe he’d surprise me. But then again, maybe he'd just shrug it off and tell me he wasn’t into it, and I’d be left feeling stupid for even thinking it was a possibility.

Maybe I’d just let it go.

But a part of me couldn't stop wondering: what would it feel like to go with someone who actually cared enough to make the night special?

Just as I was starting to drift off again, my phone buzzed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Dabi ❤︎: "You still up?"

I smiled to myself, feeling a little lighter. At least he hadn’t forgotten about me today.

Me: "Yeah, what’s up? :)" Dabi ❤︎: "Look outside." 

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity sparking as I looked at my phone. Then, without thinking too much, I got up from my bed and walked over to my window. My heart nearly dropped when I first saw the fire—until my eyes caught the message the flames had formed.

"PROM?"

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, and I couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it all. Running downstairs, I grabbed some slippers and hurried outside.

"Yes! But you really need to put this out!" I called out, smiling wide as I watched him casually stand next to the fire, hands in his pockets, looking like he hadn’t just used his quirk to set the entire front yard ablaze.

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

[kakitetan]

Phighting! Self Aware AU x Reader (Scythe's Route)

Description: Your friends won't stop talking about Phighting! and so you decide to check it out. With confusing mechanics, and most of all, and odd partner system. You soon learn that it's much more than you bargained for.

You had no idea what Phighting! was. Your friends were talking about it, but you never paid too much attention, until there was one detail that caught your attention. They rely solely on you, as their partner. The game is a PvP game, where you fuse with your partner character. You have to take a quiz before playing, and the character you get will be your partner. You both have to work together to fight the other players. It sounded unreal, and it even made you a bit nervous. But it was a free game, so you decided to try it out.

Your eyes reflected the screen, processing the quiz questions that appeared…

Scythe's Route:

You stared at the screen, and a cowboy-looking figure appeared. A text popped up on your screen, "So yur my partner', ay?" She spoke, "Not too shabby, don't disappoint me now, Partner." She snickered before you logged into the game. You were greeted with a loading screen. It gave you time to process it, were these characters sentient? You knew that Roblox has some AI stuff, nah. It had to be programmed. There's no way. You leaned back in your chair. The game finished loading, and you clicked 'play' and saw other players in the lobby.

"So Partner, since yur' new, let me explain some things. I'm Scythe, I'm pretty famous round' these parts. Heh.. I use a Scythe, it can change into a rifle. Just press that button' in that corner of yours." She said.

"Pft.. Yea, no shit. I can see your Scythe." You remarked.

"Watch that mouth of yours, sweetie." Scythe glared at the camera.

You paused, staring at the screen. "Uhh." You mumbled.

"Uhh is right, now don't make me lose my temper now. Click the damn button!" Scythe demanded.

"Uhh! Yes ma'am!" You said, clicking the button to switch weapons.

"Yes ma'am is right, damn kids." Scythe tsked, "Let's go to a lobby now. Talk to that fine gentleman over there, his name is B. Zuka." She told.

You silently took control, heading over to B. Zuka.

"Hey, wanting to head out?" B. Zuka said.

"Yes sir.." You mumbled, you didn't want to test his temper either.

"Hop in." He sighed.

The loading screen appeared. You didn't realize how tense your body was until now, you tried to relax more. You appeared in an ongoing game, Scythe loaded in.

"Yur' in complete control, Partner. Let's show these folks who's boss." Scythe told you, and you nodded.

"Alright. I'll try my best!" You exclaimed.

Author's Note: Hey, it's been a while. I stopped posting for a while to focus more on my other hobbies, I didn't expect people to actually miss me. I felt unmotivated due to the death threats I've been receiving from the Pressure fanbase. But nonetheless, I decided to do something new again. I have Pressure fanfics in the making, but it will be slowing down. I have multiple hobbies, many outside of writing.

[thecozycat]

🧡 Tuesday Tips #3 🧡

Your website is more than just a collection of pages—it’s your digital home. It should reflect you, your interests, and your personality. But with so many sites out there, how do you make yours stand out?

Here are 25 ways to make your website feel more personal, unique, and personalized to you!

........................................................................................................

🎨 Design & Aesthetics

1. Custom Color Palette – Pick colors that resonate with your personality and aesthetic.

2. Unique Typography Choices – Use a mix of fonts that match your vibe.

3. Handwritten or Doodle Elements – Add personal sketches or notes.

4. Custom Cursor – Let visitors use a fun, themed cursor on your site.

5. Personalized Favicon – A tiny but powerful detail that makes your site feel complete.

6. Themed Layouts for Different Pages – Make each page visually distinct but cohesive.

7. Custom Backgrounds – Textures, gradients, or even a personal photograph.

8. Retro or Experimental CSS Styles – Go wild with unique styles that make your site stand out.

9. Create a Custom Hand-Drawn Logo – Instead of a standard logo, try sketching one yourself for a unique touch.

10. Add Subtle Animations – Small hover effects, background animations, or cursor trails can bring your site to life.

11. Play With Layering Elements – Overlap images, text, and shapes for a more dynamic look.

12. Design a Personalized Loading Screen – A custom loading animation or message adds a fun detail visitors will remember.

13. Add Your Own Handwriting as a Font – Convert your handwriting into a web font for a truly personal touch.

14. Design a Seasonal Theme Switcher – Let visitors toggle between different seasonal or mood-based color palettes.

........................................................................................................

📜 Content & Personality

15. Create a Behind-the-Scenes Page – Show how your website was built, share your thought process, or include fun bloopers.

16. Add a "The Making Of" Section – Share drafts, sketches, or early concepts behind your creative works.

17. Include a Personal Dictionary of Words You Love – A list of favorite words, phrases, or slang you frequently use.

18. Design a "Things That Make Me Happy" Page – A simple, uplifting page filled with personal joys.

19. Show Your Progress on a Learning Goal – Track and share your journey in learning a new skill, language, or hobby.

........................................................................................................

💾 Interactivity & Engagement

20. Add a Clickable Mood Indicator – Let visitors see your current mood with an emoji or phrase that changes over time.

21. Create a Dynamic Banner That Updates Automatically – Display different messages depending on the time of day or special occasions.

22. Add a "What I'm Listening To" Widget – A live-updating display of your current favorite song or playlist.

23. Embed a Poll or Voting Feature – Let visitors vote on fun topics or help you make creative decisions.

24. Introduce a Mini Personality Quiz – Something quirky like “Which of my favorite books/movies are you?”

25. Make an "Ask Me Anything" Page – An interactive page where visitors can submit questions for you to answer.

Closing: Make It Yours!

Your website should be you in digital form—fun, unique, and engaging. Whether you add just one or all 25 ideas, the most important thing is to have fun and make it your own.

If you try any of these ideas, let me know—I’d love to see what you create!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Want to help the Small Web movement grow?

Join us on other platforms. ♥

FB Page & Group:

facebook.com/thesmallweb

facebook.com/groups/thesmallweb

Twitter/X:

x.com/smallweblove

Tumblr Community:

tumblr.com/communities/thesmallweb

Mastodon:

indieweb.social/@thesmallweb

[dgrailwar]

Round Δ, Day 4 - All Teams (Overseer Announcement)

Well, that was interesting. And a mess. And far more than I wanted to show, but this was simply a detour. Let's return to your proper Servants, shall we?

We'll just load everything in... it should take some time. How about another quiz? You all did very well on the first one, after all.

[tspud-screenshots]

could I please get some screenshots of the watching man? (from the quiz show ending and possibly also the elevator ending?)

The Bucket Press-Conference Ending was easy to get, but the watching man kept on disappearing whenever I tried to take screenshots of him in the quiz show ending. Plus, trying to catch him there ended up breaking the game twice, and glitched the game out so I couldn't restart and got stuck in the Loading screen, but I managed to get these. I hope these are good!

[star-rust]

My Thoughts On Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4

First of all - whew...what a masterpiece. Every time I think that Toby couldn't outdo himself, he goes and proves me so wrong I feel like I need to grovel...

This will contain spoilers - but I won't go into super detail, just things that I noticed/enjoyed/made me cry (thanks Toby...). I'm mainly doing this for myself to collect most of my thoughts, but maybe you guys who've finished can relate to these as well! I'll go chapter by chapter just to keep it a little organized. I'll put everything under the cut so people can scroll past it easily!

Chapter 3: Kill Your TV? More Like F-

With how chapter 2 ended with Kris creating a new dark world, I was so excited to load up the game and get right into it. Side note, I play on the switch, but does any other console/PC have the cute little dog loading screen when loading a chapter? It's the cutest thing ever ;u;

I was just minding my own business, walking around a strange stage area and then TENNA SHOWED UP and holy shit, the graphics are phenomenal! I know it takes a lot to program/design those kinds of things, and Toby has done optical illusions like that before (the Jevil fight being 2-D) but damn! The style also made me incredibly nostalgic for a game I used to play a ton as a kid - Urbz: Sims in the City (if you know, you know). I had a smile on my face for the entire rest of the chapter (besides from the very depressing beginning and ending) but Tenna stole my heart - possible competition with Papyrus??? (jk)(maybe)

Speaking of Papyrus...

WHERE IS HE TOBY???? HUH????

Ahem...anyways...

There was a brief moment where I got so lost I kept looping around the same room, the Quiz room, and it gave me a headache :( I eventually got to a room with a console...which by the way, I actually reloaded my save because I straight up thought that I was accidentally doing the weird route LMAO I didn't get S-rank for the first round, mainly because that cooking mini game kicked my ass hard the first time I did it...I'm not the best at video games...

The Tenna fight was by far one of my favorite boss battles yet - it reminded me of the Zant battle in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess when you fought Zant through the different dungeons/areas you'd done previously in a mesh-mash style. It was a pretty easy one, though.

Seeing the Knight AND fighting (or attempting to) this early was a bit surprising to me, but not an unwelcome one. I know what everyone is thinking, but I honestly think the design is meant to purposefully mislead us - I love seeing everyone's theories, but I think the Knight is either a character we have yet to meet...or one that we know but haven't seen yet (still holding out on the Papyrus is the Knight theory). After getting my ass kicked instantly, seeing Undyne made me cheer and then immediately panic because WHAT! AND THE SHELTER????? OPENING FOR KRIS????? AHHHH

Okay. I rate Chapter 3 a Tenna out of ten ;)

Chapter 4: Toby Tricks Me Into Going To Church And Liking It???

Another strong start, I loved Toriel doting on Kris like that - it was very sweet. I can tell Susie is really starting to come out of her shell more and be her true self, especially after Ralsei's speech of how they should make real friends...which oof - that hurt bad.

I didn't realize I would be jumping right into story by stopping by Noelle's house, but uh, oops? I'm sure I missed stuff in the town but I will make sure to look at it next time I play! But man, what the actual fuck was the whole sequence at Noelle's?! I was genuinely SO confused and shocked the entire time; but I really enjoyed Kris fighting us off with a hockey stick! Something to note: I am pretty sure I know what the code for the mayor is - especially since any other time the Holiday's have been involved, Christmas has been a significant motif. But it wouldn't let me enter a code :( So maybe I'm wrong.

Something I've also noticed with this part is the characterization people have of Carol, Noelle's mom and the Mayor. While yes, she is very cold and rude to Susie, but think about it this way - how would you feel if you saw a stranger messing with your missing (and possibly presumed dead) daughter's guitar? There is a very clear reason why Dess' room is left virtually untouched while the rest of the house is pristine. The thing I love most about Toby's writing is how he has such developed characters, even ones that you only see once or twice.

It was suspicious that she showed up unexpectedly after Kris had the call with the mystery person, but Asgore ALSO showed up...so who knows? I do think she has a larger role to play, but the interaction between her and Asgore kind of proves that there aren't any hard feeling between them, so now I'm not sure why Asgore is no longer on the police force...

Now, let's get onto the actual dark world.

Chapter 4 has the best soundtrack - hands down. When the choir part started? I stopped and just listened for a while; I am definitely playing the new tracks on repeat for a while. The stained glass was also gorgeous - it reminded me of the judgement hall in Undertale!

The Jack fight was a lot of fun, but it scared the hell out of me the first time I heard the 'YOUR TAKING TOO LONG'. Fun fact that I learned, you actually can take your time, he only says that once you get to a certain part of the map! I had to redo that fight a few times before I got the hang of it - it's my favorite mini boss fight.

Seeing Gerson was honestly a complete surprise - but now knowing that the dead can be in dark worlds under special circumstances....oh that could lead to some interesting implications. Which leads me to another question - if monsters in the light world can bleed, why was Kris so afraid of dust? I'm assuming 'dust' in the light world is simply being cremated, but still. We know for a fact that Susie does bleed (and so does Sans...), but maybe there are special circumstances where monsters instantly dust? Hm.

Susie opening a dark world in the same place and essentially proving the alternate world theory was fantastic - I'm still 1000% sure that the world of Undertale IS a dark world, but we will see as the game progresses. Both Susie and Ralsei had a lot of development this chapter, and it was so refreshing yet heartbreaking to see. The glass showing the prophecy really got me thinking...what possibly is the end? With the way Susie spoke and Ralsei's fear, I have a feeling it's either sacrifice of Ralsei, all three heroes, or the dark worlds are forever sealed, never to be created again. Just like before, I think it's just one of those things we have to wait and see.

Now, the titan. OH THE TITAN.

Maybe this could help other people, but after like, a million deaths, I found out a very good strategy. If you find yourself dying a lot like I did, the best strategy is to spam brighten, and DO NOT MOVE MUCH. The little shadow things will come to you regardless, so move as little as possible to prevent damage. Seriously, this saved me so much that there were turns where I took no damage at all! The fingers are a little more annoying - but manageable. I have no advice for climbing the titan, that shit sucked ;n;

The titan's design was SO BEAUTIFUL! It's been heavily implied that the save points that only WE can see (not Kris, US) would have something to do with the prophecy and such, but man, I love seeing Toby, Temmie and everyone on the team working so hard to give us such stunning visuals.

ALSO, GET DUNKED ON???!!! SHE SAID THE THING! THE THING! OH MY GOD

Chapter 4 felt so long yet so quick - I really didn't want it to end! The somber walk back to Kris' house made my heart so heavy, seeing Susie so defeated was awful...

And then, the scene with a drunk Toriel and Sans. Literally the best.

Though, I couldn't help but think how weird it was to see him so energetic, and then I remembered the idea that this is him before losing all of the people he loves...augh. The, uh, implied bits while Kris was trying to sleep was so fucking funny - though the third voice was kind of odd? Maybe I'm misremembering it, but it didn't sound like Susie's voice...I will rewatch/replay to double check.

Chapter 4 was a 100000/10 - seriously so good.

My final thoughts:

I had such a fantastic time playing these chapters - it was nice to see familiar and new characters, and Toby continues to put out bangers as always. If you are somehow reading this and haven't played these chapters/or played Deltarune at all - please, do yourself a favor and at least play the demo - it is free after all!

Thank you for anyone that listens to my rambling! I will have another post with my biggest theory as well.

[moonlitconfessions]

Paging Dr. Daddy: Emergency Toddler Shift

It was just past 6:30 a.m. when Miya peeked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth, a wrinkled forehead, and a phone in her hand.

“Zayne,” she called, voice muffled. “The babysitter’s out. Fever and vomiting.”

He blinked mid-sip of coffee. “You’ve got class today.”

“I’m giving a science quiz to thirty sixth graders who just discovered how to make vinegar bombs.”

“...I’ve got two valve replacements and three consults.”

From the hallway, the pitter-patter of soft feet interrupted them.

“Daddy?” Lily’s curly hair stuck up in every direction. Her bunny pajamas sagged at the knees.

Zayne picked her up and she immediately clung to him like a sleepy sloth.

“Hi, baby bean.”

“I don’t feel sick,” she mumbled. “But the kitty sneezed on me.”

Miya sighed. “That was Baby. She probably just sniffed the pepper shaker again.”

Zayne looked from Miya to Lily.

“…Guess it’s Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.”

7:50 a.m. – Akso Hospital

“Dr. Li,” said the charge nurse, barely hiding her grin as Zayne strolled in wearing his white coat—with a dinosaur-backpack-toting toddler walking beside him, holding his hand.

“She’s shadowing me today,” he said deadpan.

Lily waved. “Hi. I’m Lily. I like stickers and no carrots.”

Nurse Hana choked on her coffee. “Noted.”

Zayne set her up in his office, loading her iPad with toddler-friendly educational videos (the same ones Miya used in her classroom), a coloring book, her juice box, and one very tattered plush bunny.

Lily tapped the screen and looked up. “Where’s Prince?”

“At home guarding Mommy,” Zayne said, kneeling beside her. “Today, you’re with Daddy in the big hospital.”

“Will we see hearts?”

“…In a way.”

10:15 a.m. – Miya’s Classroom

Between giving instructions and keeping Johnny from turning his quiz into a paper airplane, Miya texted:

how’s the chaos?

Zayne sent a photo of Lily sitting in a breakroom chair with a stethoscope around her neck, looking very serious next to a resident who was trying not to giggle.

Lily is now “Dr. Li Jr.” She just told an intern to “hydrate or perish.” That was you, wasn’t it?

Miya smiled mid-grading.

absolutely. teach her young.

12:30 p.m. – Lunch Break

Zayne managed to steal away for lunch and sat on the floor with Lily in his office, eating sandwiches (hers crustless, his barely warm).

She held up a carrot stick suspiciously. “Daddy. This is orange.”

“It is. And we agreed on a truce today, remember?”

“I don’t eat orange.” She tossed it into the trash like it had personally offended her.

He muttered, “Your mother’s going to sneak it in a smoothie again, I just know it.”

Lily looked smug. “I know her tricks.”

They both nodded solemnly. War veterans in the Carrot Conflict.

2:45 p.m. – Hallway Chaos

Dr. Zayne Li had performed an entire valve replacement that morning. He’d comforted a panicking family. He’d handled two code blues.

But nothing humbled him like trying to keep a toddler from pressing every elevator button while holding a juice box upside-down.

“Lily—don’t—yep, okay. Juice on the floor. We’re leaving a sticky trail. Great.”

“Is it glittery?” she asked.

“It’s… bacteria glitter.”

A nurse wheeled by with a smirk. “You doing alright there, Daddy?”

Zayne deadpanned. “Why did I go through twelve years of med school if I can’t outsmart someone under three feet tall?”

Lily flashed him a grin.

“Because you needed a boss.”

3:30 p.m. – Back at Home

By the time Miya got home, her bag slung over her shoulder and a half-graded stack of quizzes in hand, she was met by a peculiar sight.

Zayne, lying face-down on the couch.

Lily, napping on top of him like a warm, jelly-limbed koala.

Prince was curled at the foot of the couch, purring. Baby eyed them all from her cat tower like a skeptical queen.

Miya tiptoed closer, kissing Zayne on the head. “I heard Dr. Li Jr. handled your schedule today.”

He peeked one eye open. “She made my residents do jumping jacks. Said it was for ‘mental stimulation.’”

Miya grinned and gently lifted Lily into her arms. “You survived.”

“Barely. She threatened to cancel my coffee if I didn’t say please.”

“She is my daughter.”

Later That Night

Bathtime involved Lily trying to give Prince a shampoo he didn’t ask for. Baby escaped to the closet.

Zayne and Miya finally got her into bed after three stories and a negotiation that resembled peace talks.

When she was finally asleep, Zayne wrapped his arms around Miya in the kitchen.

“You know,” he murmured, “she asked if she could wear a white coat like mine.”

Miya smiled against his chest. “She already acts like your boss. Makes sense.”

Zayne rested his chin on her head. “Tomorrow… maybe we all stay home. You, me, Lily, the cats. No alarms. No surgeries. No glittery juice.”

“No carrots?”

“Absolutely none.”

Miya grinned. “It’s a deal.”

-------

miya - @nezuswritingdesk

[legacyshenanigans]

Doing a gaming quiz with my fella, and the category was "videogame loading screens" and you have to guess what game it is.. And one popped up.

Fella: Do you know what this one is? I don't recognise it?

Me: *knowing damn well it's "Dream Daddy." A visual novel game that ive played before. Where you play as a hot single dad and you go around the neighbourhood romancing other hot single dads* I've no idea. I don't recognise it either....

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[thedreadvampy]

We had our team Christmas party/goodbye Ruth do today. and I need to show you what my friend at work made me for a leaving present because even for him it's a work of mad genius, I was just sitting there like WHAT. WHAT IS HAPPENING.

so you know, I get leaving gifts from my team, it's lovely, notebooks, pens, gift card, fond farewells, it's lovely, people say nice things about me

then my friend Zain says "I also got you something"

Now the thing to know about Zain is his party acumen is legendary. every year we're all resigned from the off to losing at Secret Santa because his gifts are insane. last year he made his secret santa a custom play set of one of our services in a branded box with tiny props. this year he made a custom Ken doll and box representing our colleague and it has a tiny collection bucket and a "collect them all!" sticker on the back where he'd found pictures of Barbies and Kens that looked like the rest of the Fundraising team. we'd just got done with a quiz where he made a custom video package, a Family Feud round with buzzers, and TWO Photoshop picture rounds. once. ONCE. we asked him to facilitate a team meeting and he wrote and animated a theme song. the man is insane. everything he does is so thoughtful, so labour intensive, and also so off the wall weird.

so I'm intrigued. especially since all he's holding is an envelope.

he says "I got you something. It's kind of an experience."

and hands me this letter.

(there's a bunch of good bits in here but I will particularly note that "It's going" has been his perpetual refrain for months every time I ask how it's going, to the point he usually doesn't even bother saying it any more.)

ok. I am confused. what is. THE DEVICE.

he puts THE DEVICE on the table. he hands me 4 cardboard floppy discs.

THE DEVICE is a large cardboard box. You will observe that THE DEVICE has an LED on the front. You may also observe that THE DEVICE has both a button. and a set of speaker holes.

this is because upon pushing the button on THE DEVICE, it makes a jaunty startup noise and an AI voice launches into a full minute setup speech before instructing me to load the included floppy discs into THE DEVICE. during the period of silence as I feed them into the slot, THE DEVICE says things like "ow, careful!"

THE DEVICE then makes loading noises, and instructors me to open THE DEVICE to see the contents of the discs.

inside the box, there are 4 gifts, each corresponding to a floppy disc and also to a conversation we've had at some point in the last 2.5 years.

this, of course, is in reference to my infamous Blobbyland post, and indeed to the fact that Zain, who is 3 years younger than me, actually FOUND OUT ABOUT MR BLOBBY from me taking about my popular Tumblr post

Gawrsh.zip references a conversation about Goofy dying in Kingdom Hearts, the first video game I remember finishing

EIGHT MONTHS AGO Zain asked me what my top 5 films of all time were and I said easy, Mirrormask, 10 Things, Angels In America, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Fury Road, boom. He's been just HOLDING THAT INFORMATION IN HIS HEAD FOR MONTHS.

the last one is my favourite. I was like oh no what could be in this poster tube cause what's left of the floppies is NIGHTMARE.EXE.

at my Halloween party last month, to which Zain was my only work friend who made it, we watched Nightmare on Elm Street and Zain, who had recently watched some video breakdowns on it, was pointing out humorous background details. and in the sleep therapist scene, both he and Tim pointed at the screen and started shouting TRAM CATS!!! and we were all losing our shit

the thing is there's a Very Weird poster in that scene. and now. now it's in my house also.

anyway I legit almost cried this may be the most unhinged and lovely gift that anyone has ever given me. I'm going to miss working with this weirdo so much.