#raid etiquette

[vonlycaonwife]

May I please have a smexy von lycoan x maid!reader, (fem please) where the new maid is a clutz and gets on Von's nerves on accident. and then one day he loses his composure and decides to 'punish' her and maybe teach her a lesson about proper serving etiquette. please scenario, i would like to hear your thoughts. ;)

I know who you are you sonuva- ANYWAY yeah I can do that.....lord help me

Female reader! Also very ooc!

Warnings: Smut, breeding, face fucking, knotting, dubious consent, unbalanced power dynamics (boss/worker like), severely ooc, partially written before game release

He has just about had it.

A few months ago the agency had just hired a new employee, one that Lycaon had to supervise. She seemed very sweet and excited to do her job, something he enjoyed seeing since those at Victoria Housekeeping Co. must have a good head on their shoulders to do their job.

But then it turned out she was even more of a clutz than Corin, something that's baffled almost everyone.

An often occurrence would be her cleaning something to perfection, only to end up breaking said thing. Another would be her always burning whatever it was she was baking, or adding too much of something. Even during hollow raids she and others end up getting hurt by her own weapon rather than by ethereal. Mainly the only thing she can do is serve tea and even that's a fifty-fifty on if she'll drop the cup in your lap or not. It was astounding how many things went wrong when she was near, though she was always apologetic over every mess up.

And today Lycaon had to scold her once again over the continuous trip ups, though he has not done that yet since the woman was late for their meeting again. 

It was bad enough for him that he had to deal with his own body that was determined to start a rut, but combine that with the fact that the woman that irritated him to no end also had a scent that drove him mad. He usually had better control over himself, but every time something happened that involved her he would have to steel his nerves or otherwise he would go into a full rut. It annoyed him to no end. Though he supposed it was why he was harsher on her than he was on anyone else, as much as he hated to admit. Others had brought it up to him about his behavior, but he would rather be harsher than act like a feral dog. 

"You're late." He huffed once he heard the door open, he turned his eyes to meet the doe like ones of the woman. He held back a growl as her scent entered his nose, quickly placing his hands onto the desk to keep himself from tearing into his uniform. She flinched at his tone, brows pinched in anxiety.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to run here to be on time and...I bumped into someone and caused another mess. I cleaned it up though! So it's no worries!" She reassured, waving her hands around in an attempt to placate his wrath. She tried to smile even when the atmosphere began to grow cold, something that irritated the man even more.

"Another one? How many has that been today?" He asked angrily, his claws just barely scratching into the wood of his desk. Her scent was driving him mad, he had to keep his mind off of it by directing his growing frustrations onto her. 

The woman flinched again, fear rising within her. While she was used to being scolded, this kind of anger aimed towards her was new and frightening. At most the wolf was only ever annoyed or frustrated, but now she felt like she was about to be eaten alive.

"It seems you need another lesson." He said, suddenly calm. At least what she thought was calm, but at meeting his eyes once again all she could see was unbridled anger. Along with something else she couldn't discern. As he stood she froze in place, her hands gripping onto her skirt tightly her knuckles almost turned white. The two kept eye contact as the large man walked his way around his desk, ignoring the claw marks, before standing directly in front of the woman. "We've had this conversation so many times, but it seems you're not getting it.”

"I-I'm sorry Sir! I'll do better, I promise!” She begged, straining her neck to look up at him. While she wasn't that short, she always had a hard time not cramping her neck whenever she had to look at Lycaon. She shivered under his gaze, steeling her nerves so she wouldn't step back in fear. While she is able to handle most things, right now it almost felt like she was prey staring into the face of a predator. “Really I will.”

“You say that…” He started, before suddenly growling with a ferocity that terrified her. She suddenly backed up, her mind running over what options she had, before her back ran into the door behind her. She quickly turned around, her flight instincts blaring danger in her head, attempting to open the door before she felt hands slam onto the surface beside her. Frozen in place she could only be aware of her thoughts screaming at her to run, before it all stopped when she felt his breath hit her neck. “And yet you never seem to improve.”

Lycaon can only berate himself as his own body had seemed to be taken over by his instincts. Just the sight of her looking up at him with her wide eyes had made him mad, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to be closer to her. Her scent was overriding his sense of smell, the feel of her shaking in fear under him was embarrassingly delicious. He didn't think of himself to be cruel, and yet he relished in her fear. His hands were shaking against the door, claws scratching at the surface while he barely tried to reign in himself.

“Do you even know how much you irritate me? How annoying it is to have to have these talks with you every damn week?” He growled out, his nose brushing against her hair as he spoke. His claws dug deeper into the wooden surface as he tried to keep himself from touching her with them. He knew if he did that he couldn't go back, he wouldn't be able to hold himself together like he barely is at this moment. His sharp ears heard her gasp as the sound of wood splitting rang out. “Do you even know how hard it is to keep myself contained with that smell of yours?”

“I-”

“Shut up.” He brushed his teeth against the skin of her neck, groaning as he heard her whimper in fear. But what also caught his attention was that her scent somehow became even more potent, making him realize something. He slowly released his hands from the wooden surface, giving them a quick glance for any potential splinters, before dropping to his knees. His hands lifted up her skirt, releasing an enormous wave of her scent. He quickly moved his face closer to her, his nose brushing against her core.

“S-Sir!” She yelped, her hands moving to try and move him away before he could realize. But she stopped when he heard him growl, ordering her to stay in place. Understanding he figured out how she was suddenly turned on by the sudden turn of events, she obeyed his order. She stared at the patterns of the wood, trying to keep her mind off the fact that her superior was suddenly sniffing her like a horny animal. Not that she minded too much, as she had developed a small crush on him since gaining her job at the company. 

“Lesson one, speak when spoken to.” He said, his hands gently caressing her thighs as he nudged them to spread apart.

“B-But-”

“Quiet.” He ordered, before pressing his nose against her once more. He could feel his entire body shiver as the woman's scent flooded his senses. His ears could pick up the noises she tried to repress, causing him to huff in amusement. He used one hand to move the thin fabric that separated him from her bare skin aside, making it possible to place his long tongue along her folds.

“Ah! S-Sir wait-”

“I said, be quiet.” He grunted, adding a growl to emphasize his order. He felt her freeze from his tone as he swiped his tongue over her once more. The taste that spread on his tongue was like heaven to him, completely making him forget the world around him as he pushed his face deeper to taste more.

As his tongue entered her, her hands quickly flew to cover her mouth to prevent any noises from escaping. Her forehead leaned against the door as she tried to even out her breathing, her legs began to shake as she felt his tongue reach deeper. She could feel his hands gripping tighten as a way to keep her still, his claws digging into her skin in a way that brought no pain to her. 

Soon she began to feel that familiar coil within her tighten, causing her to grip onto her face harden. She could feel his tongue quicken its pace as her walls constricted, her whole body shook as she felt that coil ready to burst. Only to be met with a sudden emptiness causing her to quickly turn her head around to see him stand up. She wanted to ask why he stopped, before she suddenly was lifted into the air. Squealing at the movement, she wiggled in his grip before she found herself placed onto one of the plush chairs. After blinking a bit to understand what had happened, she looked up to see his piercing red eye staring down back at her.

“Lesson two, all employees must fulfill their tasks with perfect proficiency.” Lycaon barely spoke, adjusting his belt before pushing down his slacks to reveal his hardening member. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in his size, her thighs squeezing together in both mild fear and anticipation. Wordlessly she adjusted herself in the seat and hesitantly wrapped one hand around him, slowly moving it along the shaft. She closed her eyes in embarrassment, but a gentle began to pet her head, making her meet his eyes once more. “Just relax.”

His voice was very gentle, putting her in a shock before she could realize he removed her hand and pressed the head of his cock against her slightly parted lips. She almost jumped at the contact before that hand gripped her hair to keep her in place. The low growl he released was the only warning he would give her. Shivering she widened her opened mouth and slowly gave small licks, earning a hum in approval. Soon she leaned forward, bringing the head into her mouth and sucking. Her hands were gripping onto the skirt of her uniform, knuckles turning white as she tried her best to keep her mouth wide enough to accommodate his size. 

Quickly the thirian took charge and began to move his hips slowly, pushing his length further and further down her throat. As time went on his pace became rougher and faster, causing tears to start welling in her eyes. But she made no complaint, only kept her eyes shut as she focused on breathing through her nose. Embarrassingly she could feel the spot on the cushion seat below her become damp, making her whine against him. Though she could barely hear herself over the growls the man was releasing. Soon she could feel him pulsate against her tongue, but before he could cum, he released himself from her mouth. 

Before she could question anything, she suddenly felt him grab her by the waist and all but slam her onto the desk. But nothing happened, he only stared into her eyes. It’s as if he was hesitant to do anything else, his claws gripping onto with the same intensity as earlier. The two stayed in their fixed position before one finally spoke.

“Do you want this?” The words barely came out of the thirian, more so only able to leave past his lips with his pants.

“W-What?”

“I’m asking if you truly want this, because if this goes further then we can’t go back.” He slowly explains, like he was in a daze.

“Oh…” She blinks, her muddled brain struggling to fully comprehend what he was saying. But once it settled itself within her thoughts did all the muddiness completely disappear. “O-Oh! Y-Yeah I am! I’ve uh…”

Her face flushes as she attempts to get her thoughts in order. “I’ve already…had some feelings for you so…if you don’t-eep!”

His lips slam onto hers, interrupting her words. She lets out a surprised squeal, tensing in his grip, before relaxing and wrapping her arms around his neck. She moaned as his tongue explored her mouth, swallowing her noises as he reached one hand to rub circles around her clit. Soon she felt the tip of his cock nudge at her entrance, causing her to tense once more.

“Relax.” She could barely hear him say as he slowly thrust himself inside. Her insides almost felt like they were on fire from the sheer intense heat of his length. When he finally completely filled her, tears were running down her face as she tried not to move and adjust. Lycaon trailed soft kisses all over her face as he waited for her to give the go ahead. Soon she began to relax, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Reading her body languages, Lycaon began to move his hips at a slow pace. He closed his eyes as he concentrated on not losing control, the way he could only smell her scent and the fact it was all over him made him almost go insane. The one hand still holding onto the desk tightened around the wood, close to splinting it like what he did with the wall earlier. He had moved his other hand to her clothed waist, keeping her in place as soon began to speed up. Her whines rang out of the room, adding fuel to the fire of his loosening restraint.

As he focused on controlling his instincts, he somehow didn’t notice her fingers settling into the fur at the back of his neck. She gave it a quick pull, not too harsh to pull out any fur, making him groan in pain. He opened his eyes to meet her own, glaring down at her intensely. He leaned down, growling out harsh words of disapproval. But the lustful gleam he saw in her eyes and her whiny begging was what finally drove him to let go. Slamming his hips against hers with wild abandonment, his teeth gently biting at the exposed skin of her neck while his hands grabbed onto her legs to move them on top of his shoulders. 

He was taking it all in, the sound of her moans and high pitch screams, the taste of her sweat and tears on his tongue, and the smell of their scents mingling together along with the growing smell of sex. He even could hear his own groans and growls, though his focus moved quickly to the feeling of his swelling knot enlarging. His instincts were urging him to push it in right this instant, but he had some restraint left to wait. 

Meanwhile she was overwhelmed by his rough pace, tears flowing down her face as she was slammed with wave after wave of pleasure. She could barely think, her mind only focused on the feeling of him filling her to the brim. But soon she could feel that familiar coil within her, tightening at such an alarming rate. Her voice began to break as it reached a higher pitch than her vocal cords were able to handle, her hands clutching onto his fur in search of anything to stabilize herself. She tried to let any words out, but was once more interrupted by him kissing her. She could only moan into his mouth as she felt something bigger push into her. Her eyes widened in shock as his knot was thrusted in, her body tensing and squirming as the rush of pleasure flooded her veins once more. Released from the kiss, she could only whine as her insides were filled with his hot seed.

“Wait.” He said, gently keeping her in place as she squirmed. “Give it a few minutes.”

She nodded in response, having no energy for words. He chuckled at that, amused at her state. Once he was able to remove himself, he shushed her as she whined from the loss. She could feel her eyelids growing heavy, as her body finally relaxed after everything. She barely felt him move her to sit back in the chair she had stained, hearing him whisper about returning with cleaning rags and other necessary items. She wasn't able to respond before sleep finally overtook her.

She wasn't able to see the soft he gave her, nor did she even realize he had kissed her forehead. He quickly made himself suitable again before quietly leaving through the door, locking it to make sure no one would walk in on the mess he had to clean up. Though he's sure he would walk into an even bigger mess once the woman wakes up and tries to clean. But he isn't too upset about that fact now.

Since it just means he has an opportunity to teach her another “lesson.”

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

Imagine having deep discussions with the Whitebeard pirates

Ace: Have you ever wondered why the world government opposes people so far away from them, doing what we do?

Marco: [mutters] I wish you would just stop saying odd shit.

Whitebeard: well we're breaking the law, obviously.

You: It's a little deeper than that. It's because what many pirates do, is the same thing the world government does.

Marco: We are not similar in any way.

You: no, think about it, what does the world government do? They lay out a bunch of rules and if you don't follow them, they use violence to force most of the world into following them. And if a nation elects not to join the world government, or can't afford to join, they raid and pillage those islands and take their citizens as slaves.

Izou: On the other hand, if a nation does join the world government, they have to pay heavenly tributes, because if they don't, the Marines will raid and pillage your country. But if they pay the heavenly tributes, the marines will protect their nation from outsiders, like pirates and non-world-government-nations.

Whitebeard: However, on top of paying the heavenly tribute, the average person also pays local and national taxes, so it's a heavy burden for some countries.

Marco: Oh my gods, it's like a protection racket, that common thugs run, just on a massive scale.

Whitebeard: and, like many pirates.

You: they don't like pirates, for the same reason they don't like common thugs, because you all are muscling in on their turf.

Thatch: so most governments are just organized, and socially acceptable, thuggery.

You: Not all, look at Alabasta for instance, King Cobra has a lot of social programs for his people. Food programs and affordable housing for the poor. Medical programs that put a doctor in every village and a bunch of other stuff. The people should receive something back from their government besides 'protection'.

Ace: I know a lot of nations that are in the world government have a large lower class that they exploit labor from and bleed them dry with taxes, tolls, and fines. I can never forget what I saw at the Grey Terminal out of the Goa Kingdom's Great Gate.

Thatch: That's because in "normal society" they value wealth, and look down on and take advantage of people who don't have it. Meanwhile, in pirate culture, we value strength and look down on and take advantage of those who are weaker, like how we raid other crew's ships because we can, and they can't stop us.

Izou: [sighs] That's an oversimplification If I ever heard one.

Thatch: [steps into Izou's space bubble.] You got something to say to me?

Izou: I've been to both world-government nations and non-world-government nations, and I can tell you that they value both strength and wealth. It's just different classes value one over the other. The upper and more privileged class values wealth, and daintiness because they can hire the strong. While the less privileged value strength, because it helps them survive, because they don't have money.

Thatch: I know that, did you forget I grew up poor as shit, mister little daimyo's vassal-boy.

Izou: And I was a wandering beggar minstrel before that, also keep Oden's name out of your mouth.

Thatch: how about you fucking make me?

Marco: [hops between the two men and dramatically claps his hands together like a clapperboard.] Aaand scene, that was a brilliant performance, gentlemen.

Ace: it was almost hard to tell that you two are actually friends.

Thatch: [huffs] Alright, I'll take it back, I'm sorry Izou.

Izou: I'm sorry too

You: you all are too fighty.

Ace: bitch, you're the most stab happy out of all of us.

You: I am not

Whitebeard: Just last night, you stabbed Vista's hand with a fork because he kept reaching over your plate.

You: ... I did do that, but only after asking him to stop three times. Which is more than reasonable, he's a grown-ass adult, and he, and his fuck ass mustache, should know basic table etiquette by now.

Ace: and then you stabbed me for no reason, with the same fork!

You: that was for good measure, just in case you got any ideas!

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[waitineedaname]

okay I've finished making my big spreadsheet of how mp100 characters refer to each other! some thoughts on this under the cut because it got long

the Kageyama brothers are very polite in how they refer to people. their parents must have really instilled etiquette into them bc no one else is as consistent about using polite honorifics/titles as they are. the only people Mob doesn't give an honorific/title are his brother and Dimple, and the only people Ritsu doesn't give an honorific are Dimple and Shou, who he just calls "Suzuki"

Reigen, on the other hand, is pretty inconsistent and casual with his use of honorifics. he says "Mob-kun" a couple times and "Ritsu-kun" once, but usually they're just Mob and Ritsu (or "Mob's brother" lmao). the only honorific he consistently uses is "Tome-chan"

it's infrequent, but both Reigen and Dimple refer to Mob as "my boy" at some point :') he's their boy!

Ritsu doesn't refer to the Awakening Lab kids at all until he asks their names after being kidnapped lmao the only exception is when he calls out to the older Shiratori brother after the younger one is taken away and he calls him "Shiratori-kun." considering the fact that after asking their names, he refers to both of them as Daichi-kun and Kaito-kun, I think there was absolutely a moment when everyone was freaking out about the Shiratori brothers where he was like "ohhhhh that's his name"

also he switches from "Onigawara-san" to "Onigawara-senpai" when he realizes he's friends with his brother lmao fakeass

even though Mob starts calling Teru "Hanazawa-kun" as soon as they exchange names, Teru doesn't give him the honorific until they decide to raid Claw together. I guess that's the point when he decides they're friendly enough for it? he calls Ritsu "brother-kun" as soon as he realizes they're related and never refers to him by his actual name

everyone calls Teru some variation on his nickname EXCEPT Mob and Dimple. Dimple actually only calls him "brat" and "that guy" for a while until he managed to track him down again during the alleyway incident, which I realized is because he was exorcised before learning Teru's name lskdjflkdsf from the Seventh Division arc onwards, he just calls him "Hanazawa"

I love that Dimple tries to refer to the brothers with cutesy nicknames and both of them are like "if you do that again I'm killing you all the way dead" and he's like "understood." and then refers to them by given name from then on lmao

Teru refers to Dimple as "Dimple-kun" and Tome calls him "Dimple-chan," both of which are SO funny to me because he's way older than them. rude as hell, this evil spirit deserves no respect

Shou doesn't use honorifics or titles for ANYONE. Ritsu is just Ritsu, the Ultimate 5 are all their last names, his dad is just Pops. he also exclusively refers to Mob as "Ritsu's brother" dkfjldskfj

Serizawa alternates between "Shigeo-kun" and "Kageyama-kun" with no real rhyme or reason to it. just seems to depend on his mood I guess

[demilypyro]

Extremely obvious differences in player etiquette between WoW and FF14 btw. Like, as a tank main, the amount of people that run ahead of me in WoW? Disgusting.

In FF14, it's considered standard for the whole 24 person raid to sit and wait until all new players have watched cutscenes, and only then do we start the fight. In WoW? I'll be lucky if my 4 party members aren't running ahead of me because I spent 1 second looting a chest.

[comfortless]

syl. *grabs you and shakes you* syl. i woke up in a cold sweat thinking of like… könig. already off to a great start ik. but space opera könig. (not like star wars or anything) but think like 70s aesthetics all bright and colorful. he’s a bandit in a stolen ship, formerly part of a military group making peace with other planets but something went awry and he’s just having fun now!

reader is part of a small research group that has landed on a planet he’s camped out on and he’s just like “ok” followed by “i want that”. steals all of her supplies and then her. doesn’t care how much she protests when he just hauls her over his shoulder, pats her butt bc he thinks THATS going to calm her down and throws her into his ship.

she’s happy he’s not some creepy alien but at the same time who really knows what’s under that hood anyway hmmmm and she wants to hate him but also all that’s playing in her head is that one rah band song. messages from the stars lmao please. there is something in the way you write that is so special to me and if you were to come up with a full blown story for my dumb idea i think i would scream for 20 hours straight.

lil wisp….. you have no idea what this has done to me. i am going to be thinking about this for an eternity. let’s cook.. i see your vision and i would love nothing more than this too!!

content/warnings: implied violence, abduction, dubcon groping?

König’s been on his own, drifting through the stars for so long. Only raiding the ships he comes across for food, supplies, and when he stumbles across a mechanic he puts them to work with a silly laser rifle pointed right at their head (because let’s face it— when you’re a wanted space pirate who in the universe is going to fix your ship for you??). He’s put all of human etiquette far behind him, and now his life is quite literally just one relentless adventure. He wouldn’t have it any other way!

That is, until his ship is fucked up again, displaying about thirty bright red warnings on its silly hologram screens that he just can not make sense of. The thing is old, has been shot at more times than even he can count, and it’s finally failing him if the loud sputtering and incessant orbital beeps are anything to go by. He considers his luck has run out when he lands the damned thing on some hunk of rock out on the outskirts of a galaxy most don’t even bother with, because there’s nothing out here.

Thankfully, his frustration is short-lived because a smaller ship lands only a few days later; painted in the bright, pearlescent blues and pinks of your standard peace-keeping, research vessel. It’s the perfect craft to steal and it wouldn’t even be difficult… the three humans that exit are so much smaller than him and entirely unguarded. They’re just here to study a few minerals, maybe haul some back to their little camp a few worlds over for fuel and research. He won’t even get into too much trouble for it, he thinks, because even his trashed ship could take them back home. See!! He isn’t all that bad…

At least, until he notices her, bent over admiring some silly, little cluster of crystals in her skin-tight jumpsuit that makes him see stars. The heavy boots that rise up to her knees making her look like little more than a fauness, and she’s so pretty he just can’t help but get a closer look while her teammates are off chittering away and exploring the nothing planet.

She isn’t even afraid of him when he approaches. Just straightens up with her hands clasped in front of her and a smile on her face. She hasn’t seen the holograms of him, displaying a sizable bounty for his veiled head, doesn’t take a wary note of the massive rifle he has slung over his shoulder; she just sees another person. He hasn’t been looked at like that since long before he left home!!

This sweet woman has no sense of self-preservation either, because she immediately asks him if he needs food or water; gestures over to her brightly colored ship with that pretty smile ever-present on her face, and that’s all it takes for him to decide that not only is he taking the craft, he’s taking her too.

He doesn’t say a word when he lifts her up over his shoulder, and the poor thing must be shocked because it takes her a moment before she starts squirming in his grip. König does well to remove the little radio strapped to her hip, giving her ass a firm squeeze in the process before tossing it in the dust behind him. That’s all it takes to shut his little prinzessin up before he hauls her back into her ship and demands she turn off any tracking systems. Her knees are a bit weak when she fumbles with the control panels, and he’s unashamed of his own erection when he slides in behind her to lean over the console as the ship starts up.

She whines about leaving her friends stranded, of course, but he’s in a world of his own when he grabs her by the hips and seats her in his lap while she pilots. Never mind the others, he’ll take good care of her, honest!!

[angrelysimpping]

if i made it in time to request… may i ask for LIs reacting to a super badass pc who constantly gets into fights and isn’t good at socializing but once around LI is super docile and soft like a lovesick puppy?

Contents: Alex, Avery, Eden, Kylar, Robin, Sydney, Whitney (they/them); Reader (you/your); mentions of public sex in Whitney's section; mentions of blood and fighting but nothing too explicit

Words: ~ 300 each

Alex

Does not realize for the longest time. 

They think you're just the sweetest. 

Always hanging around you on the farm, making sure nothing happens.  

Tosses a bail of hay at you cause they just can't help it. They wanna see you squirming and pinned, needing their help. 

But you surprise them, taking care of yourself. 

That doesn't tip Alex off, though. 

Not even when they catch you jumping the fence, taking a solid swing at that one pervert who likes to catcall Alex as they work, lets Alex in on how much of a scrapper you are. 

Why would it? 

You're always so sweet with them. Always making them tea, sitting in their lap, getting pinned under Alex's weight in bed. If that pervert pushed you to your limit, they must have really been out of line. 

Then come the raids. 

And Alex sees a pack of Remy’s goons scatter at the mere sight of you.

And they can see it. All at once, they understand. 

Maybe it's the way you stand, silhouetted against the security lights. Maybe it's the cock of your head or the twitch in your hand as they form into fists. 

And Alex falters. 

Have you been hiding this from them? The fact that, well, that you're not just some soft townie?

Those thoughts, fears, of you lying to them dissipate as the night winds down, and Remy's goons are sent packing. 

Before Alex even gets the chance to question you about it, you're tugging them into bed, curling into their side.

And the tightness in their chest relaxes, melting against you. 

So, you've still got a few surprises in you, huh? That's fine. You're still Alex's partner, and they're yours. 

Honestly, they never realize you’re bad at socializing. Standoffish while meeting their family? Yeah, that’s understandable. Have a hard time talking to customers on the farm? Well, that’s Alex’s job anyway. 

Avery  

Avery took a gamble on you, really.

You were just so nice to look at, would look so pretty on their arm at events.

And then the way you looked at them, all dopy-eyed. A lovesick pup ready to do anything Avery asked of you. Yeah, Avery can work with that. 

Of course, your shit social skills are a minus. A really big minus. But, as long as you cling to Avery’s arm and look good, gaze at them like they hang the stars in the sky, then they can live with you not being the best socialite in the world. 

They will try to get you into etiquette classes though, trying to make you even more valuable to them. 

They find out you get into fights quick, idling in their car near the school one afternoon only to see you getting into a fistfight with someone who tried to grope you.

On one hand, Avery’s pissed. The last thing they need is their name tied to some delinquent. Also, what with your apparent prowess in fighting, there’s little to no chance Avery can ever put you in your place if you step out of line. It makes their rage simmer under their skin, knowing they can’t physically push you around.

On the other hand, you stomp that groper into the ground and then climb into Avery’s car and give them that same adoring look you always do. It’s hard to stay mad at you when you look at them like that. It’s a little soothing, really, you looking so soft and submissive, full of adoration. You wouldn’t fight back against them if they got rough with you, would you? No, Avery doesn’t think so. 

Chides you, wiping away a stray droplet of blood, telling you not to get into too many fights. It could reflect negatively upon them, after all. 

Will get upset with you if you ever show up to one of their dates with the evidence of a recent fight, be it something as large as a broken limb or as small as a bruised cheek.

Eden

Honestly, this is Eden’s ideal. 

Cute house spouse who does whatever they want? Follows after Eden like a puppy following its master? What’s even better is that you’ve always been like this, submitting to Eden’s whims right from that first meeting. 

Perfect, perfect little pet for them.

You take on your role so readily, following their every order, it’s really like you were made for them.

Of course, nothing in Eden’s life can actually be perfect. You have to go back to town, back to school.

But then you trot back into the forest every afternoon and lay on Eden’s bed, eagerly waiting to fulfill your spousal duties. 

It’d be great if you weren’t late getting home one evening.

If Edne didn’t have to stalk into town, looking for you.

To find you, surrounded by a group of perverts. 

It makes Eden’s blood boil, makes them want to forbid you from ever stepping foot back into town. You’re their’s, Eden’s. You’re too soft for town, without their protection.

And then you kill those thoughts, sending the gang running all by yourself.

It’s a bit of a shock to Eden, really. Almost a betrayal. This whole time, you could fight Eden off if you wanted to. It’s one of the few things they feel confident in, their strength. You’re able to fight off a whole group on your own? Yeah, no, that gets under their skin. 

But then you light up at seeing them, wrap your arms around their waist and apologize for making them worry, for making them come into town looking for you. 

Their collar is still around your throat, their scent still clinging to your skin, and that quells Eden’s anger and paranoia.

Gruffly says something about going back to the cabin, jumping slightly when you take their large hand in yours as you walk with them back to the cabin, back home.

Might never find out that you’re bad at socializing, but boy do they love it. You’re bad at socializing? Good, stay in the forest where you don’t have to try to bullshit your way through social interactions. Can’t make any friends? Good, Eden is all you need, anyway. 

Kylar

Oh, nothing is a surprise to Kylar, not when it comes to you. 

Kylar knows you’re a badass, that you’re always getting into fights and winning. If they’re honest, it actually turns them on a little, seeing you bloody people who try to grope you, knowing that you can protect yourself. 

Sure, Kylar wants to protect you, but knowing you’ll get violent if some pervert tries to grope you? It sets butterflies off in their stomach. 

Double so if you ever swoop in to stop someone getting rough with Kylar. Seeing you defend them has them pressed against you, mumbling about going somewhere private.

Though, they also hate seeing you in fights at all. They don’t like that there's the potential of you getting hurt. 

As for socializing, they’re thrilled! They’re also bad at socializing! You’re just like them! Also, it means they won’t have to fight for your attention, will they? Or, at least not as much if you were a social butterfly.

And then they adore how you act around them. All sweet and soft and docile. A side only they get to see, right?

Really, Kylar is going to match your energy, two lovesick puppies following after each other. 

Ready to threaten anyone who comes near you, naturally, even if you can defend yourself. 

Robin

You’ve always been so sweet to Robin. All these years in the orphanage together, you’ve always been kind to them. 

Then, their feelings towards you start shifting, becoming more romantic. They’re nervous as hell leaving their confession for you to find but then you’re kissing them in their room and they know they made the right choice. 

They love it, they love having you by their side constantly, that you’re an endlessly sweet person in this screwed-up town. 

So, it comes as a massive shock when they see you deck Bailey.

Not only that, but you drive the caretaker off, refusing to pay the money the caretaker demands of all the of age orphans. 

Have you…have you been able to do stuff like this the whole time? Have you been doing stuff like this? Fighting people? 

Robin’s never been one to gossip, they never realized you were the subject of so many fights around the school. 

But, well, it makes sense now why you were always covered in scrapes and bruises. Why Robin had to act as your personal nurse every now and then. 

They wish you wouldn’t get into so many fights but, well, they can understand when it’s someone like Bailey or Whitney. 

Just promise them that you’ll always come to them if you get hurt, alright?

Picks up on how bad you are at socializing and just rolls with it. They won’t ask you to do anything outside your comfort zone if you’re helping them with their drink stalls. They don’t mind that you’re bad at talking to other people, they find it kinda cute, actually. You’re all badass and great at fighting but then you trip over your own words and look at them like a lost puppy. They love it, they love you.

Sydney

Sydney has heard a few things about you.

They’re no gossip, but students talk far too loudly in the library. Even after Sydney tells them to quiet down, they still hear about how you wiped the floor with someone who tried to sneak a hand down your pants in the hall or sent someone to the nurse because they groped your chest.

On one hand, they don’t think violence is the answer, but, well, they can kind of understand when it comes to perverts trying to assault you.

They also hear things from Sirris, stories about having to give you detention for fighting with classmates during lectures.

That they don’t understand. It never occurs to them that you might be defending yourself in those cases as well, not until after they’ve met you at least. 

Your poor socialization skills are, well, it’s not completely lost on Sydney how bad you are at socializing. It’s just, they’re not great at socializing with their peers either. They don’t have many friends their own age thanks to their temple vows and being a teacher’s kid. So, it doesn’t really bother them. It’s actually a little endearing, your awkwardness. Makes them feel a little more comfortable around you, actually.

Then, when you’re actually in a relationship together? When you follow after them, lovestruck and puppy-like? They love it. Makes their heart all fluttery.

The more corrupt they are, the more they encourage you to fight anyone who tries to touch you. The purer they are, the more they wish for you to forgive them and move on.

Whitney

This is also Whitney’s ideal. 

Cute slut who does whatever they want and follows after them like the bitch they are. Yeah, that’s exactly what Whitney wants. 

Being shit at talking to people and making friends is a bonus. No one to try to get you to see the light and leave them, no one for you to hang out with except for them. They love it. 

Bullies you for it, of course, but they love it. They can have you all to themself and not have to worry about shit, it’s great.

When they find out that you’re a badass? That you could take them in a fight easily but choose not to? Ego boost.

Yeah, you just sent a group of full-grown adults running, you probably even sent one of them to the hospital. Then, Whitney gives you a look and you’re on your knees in an instant. How could they not feel like a fucking god when you’re doing shit like that?

They become insufferable after finding out you’d fight anyone and probably win. Especially if they can use it to their own advantage.

Also loves having you do something badass only to dom you after. There’s someone else’s blood on your face and you’re on your knees, looking up at them, ready to give them head. It becomes one of their favorite things in the world.

[the-desert-beast]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EARN TOO MANY GODDAMN BAGS FROM THE MAD KING'S LABRINTYH???

WELL HERE'S HOW!!!!!!

A recent patch allowed for boons to grant you "kill credit" meaning that when an ally with a boon you gave them kills something, you earn loot too! As such, Herald is now an AMAZING way to loot a fuckton of bags from the Mad King's Lab.

First, some lab farming etiquette tips.

Low damage is your priority. Unequip exotic+ trinkets, and if you have the bag space, swap your exotic+ armor for masterwork gear of a support/survival stat set.

SPAMMING AUTOATTACK IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!! NO RAID ROTATIONS! except for boss doors. bosses have so much goddamn health.

NO POWER GEAR; power deals Too Much damage far too quickly, as the open world mobs in the lab Do Not Scale with the amount of nearby players. Power gear & builds will cause you to melt mobs before anyone else can tag them!

NO MOUNT ATTACKS: Mount abilities deal too much damage for the same reasons as above.

Let the tag/Commander open doors! Don't open Boss (purple) doors when running with a Mob (green) Doors only group!!

NOW HOW MAKE MONEY (GET BAGS)??????

For Tag Herald, You'll want to run Invocation, Salvation, and well. Herald. My build looks like this

My Revenant is running level 75 or lower Masterwork(green) Shaman's gear, no trinkets, with a level 75 masterwork Shaman's Shortbow.

Shortbow lets you tag plenty of mobs when they're stacked! With the help of shortbow 4 & 5 you can tag some stray groups of mobs yourself!

Snag a Relic of Speed from the survival relic chests or off the tp! This relic + the Herald trait "Rising Momentum" will give you enough speed to keep up with the groups this year! (I tend to outrun them, so you can change this trait if you like. remember the low damage rule!)

Now for actually picking up the bags you'll want to leave one or two facets of your choice pulsing boons. Light, Elements, Strength, and Nature are all good options.

I leave Light & Elements active the entire time, using my Elite Consume skill when I fall behind or the group has no mobs to smack for a stretch of the lab.

For more bags, max out your magic find!! Lick those spirit banners!! Eat those Chocolate Omnomberry Creams or Omnomberry Bars!!! And lick a utility item that gives magic find!! I use the festival utility items (Crystallized Nougat, Pumpkin Oil, Sharpening Skull.) They're pretty cheap and they give you +30% Magic Find. The more magic find, the more bags!! If your guild has a Magic Find buff- nab it!!! Don't forget your magic fin boosters too. you want to get to around 250+ - 300 magic find!

you can check your magic find on the equipment panel, it's the last attribute listed on the right.

A little clover icon + the % of your magic find!

i think that's everything, happy farming! Remember to keep your damage low and to stretch every 30 minutes to every hour!! stay hydrated and take care of your eyes & posture!

HAPPY MAD KING FEST

[enbysiriusblack]

I'm not sure if you've made a post about this before or not. But what do you think Sirius and Regulus' childhood was like?

i think i have? but oh well

very very cold. i think they spent most of their time with tutors, like learning charms, potions, transfig, dark arts, astronomy, arithmancy, history, runes, as well as stuff like reading, calligraphy, maths, politics, piano, violin, flying, etiquette, etc. sirius also had playdates set up by walburga (with people like evan rosier, mulciber, the carrows, avery, xenophilius (i hc him as a malfoy), etc. whereas regulus didn't really as he barely spoke as a kid & was awkward with interacting with others, plus he wasn't the heir so it wasn't as important for him to have important acquaintances. they'd also have a lot of parties & functions they have to go to all the time. I also think sirius snuck out quite often, even as a kid, to just walk around london for a couple hours whilst regulus refused and would sit in his room doing his studies that sirius had finished ages ago. i also think they'd still be allowed to play, and sirius would be very much in charge of it when they played together. like telling regulus what to do or what they should play with, he'd come into regulus' room with a bundle of blankets and pillows and tell him they're going to make a fortress, or he'd raid the kitchens in the middle of the night and wake regulus up and say they're having a picnic in the parlour with their stuffed toys and dolls. I also think walburga was more present as a parent, like I think they had tutors for everything other than etiquette and reading, which walburga taught them. she also would occasionally play with them, more so when they were very young, and read stories to them. whereas orion was more just there during all mealtimes and at functions, or with making sirius sit in his office and trying to condition him into the perfect heir.

[corpsebasil]

I have a request for knight!Nikolaï and it's soul c r u s h i n g

So hear me out:

He and the reader obviously love each other, maybe they haven't say anything yet (because the ✨slow burn✨ and the angst™) (and maybe a dash of social etiquette too lmao); but it's like, the TENSION DEAR GOD——

(anyway,)

There's a war or really big battle somewhere, and kinda last minute, as it takes more and more importance and might be a threat to the royals (even tho it's not around the castle); at first the guards aren't worried but the princess is still anxious that Nikolaï might be called on the battlefield (he assures that he won't leave her side)

aND—— the superior officer says that Sir Nikolaï have to go to the front! Like next day or something!! AND THE ANGST?? LOVE CONFESSION FILLED WITH DESPAIR OF MAYBE NEVER SEEING THE OTHER AGAIN??

But there's more to that! *takes a deep breath* I raide you: secret wedding just the night before he leaves (bc they obviously can't bz together but wth he might die so let's goooooo)

And then he leaves (bc if that means protecting the princess, he'll fight and he IS willing to die if that means she lives)

Whether he survives or not (like in that GLORIOUS ANGSTY headcanon you wrote *chief kiss*) is up to you, I just—

I just need to cry in a corner rn *sob*

Omfg

“Hey,” you laughed, opening up your door and backing up, allowing Sir Nikolai to enter your rooms. “You’ll never believe it. I actually just made banana bread and—“ You paused when you saw his expression, the tight smile and furrowed eyebrows on his face. “—what?”

“I’m needed for the front.” Was all he said and your stomach dropped.

You stared at each other for awhile, both fully aware of the situation; a foreign kingdom—Damn them—had started border skirmishes with increasing aggression each time. You, the princess, had been sure your personal guard would never be chosen to go and fight. He was supposed to protect you, wasn’t he? Supposed to be by your side at all times, wasn’t he?

“No.” You breathed, taking back a step. “No, you—” you stopped, turning away as a hand flew to your mouth. “No.”

“Your Highness—”

“No.” You snapped, turning back to face him. You stepped closer and risked taking his face in your hands, your thumbs smoothing across his cheekbones. You were shaking your head and trembling when his arms banded around you, pulling you an inch closer. “I won’t let you.” You rasped, eyes looking anywhere but at his face. “I won’t you—you can’t—“

“It’s my duty.” He told you, a hand running slowly up your back. “It’s an honor.”

“No.”

“Your highness—“

“No.”

“Y/N.”

“Damn it, no Nikolai!” You wept, yanking away from him and walking several steps towards the window. You took in several shaky breaths and stared out, your mind racing. Every soldier had died so far. Every single one. You couldn’t take losing Nikolai. You just couldn’t.

“Princess.” He breathed, approaching cautiously and placing his hands on your waist. You closed your eyes and leaned into him, convinced the floor was going to open up at any moment and you’d fall into it. “Please. Please.” You risked turning and looking at him and his expression was devastated. “I know. I know, love.” He murmured, carding his hand through your hair.

Your forehead met his shoulder and you gasped, clutching his shirt hard.

“Not you.” You whispered, eyes squeezed shut. “Anyone but you.”

“It’s an honor—“

“Shut up.” You snapped, looking up at him. Maybe it was the fierceness of your expression, maybe it was the way you held him, but he leaned down and kissed you.

Your heart stopped.

Stopped. His mouth was warm and soft, lips moving gently along your own, and you sighed aloud against him. Good God. It felt so good you clutched him tighter, your hands pulling him roughly against you so that every inch of your front touched his.

Later that night you found yourselves still in your room, a thin metal band around your finger. He couldn’t afford much—hadn’t planned this—but what he did have was a family heirloom that he offered you. An heirloom he’d slipped onto your hand as he murmured reassurances in your ear, promising to come back to you.

An heirloom you’d kept almost savagely, kept close to your heart, on the day the news came that he’d died in battle.

Sorry HAHA

[srslyscary]

RUNWAY TO REPLAY

profiles ✰ sillies !

★ YN LN • @ luvemperor ᥫ᭡ a popular streamer, aspiring model, and college student. majors in fashion design and is a star student. unlike her proper school etiquette, her home style is very different.

★ @ wusyaname ᥫ᭡ yn’s private account where she is chaotically in need of help.

★ YOON TIMOTHY • @ liltimmy ᥫ᭡ one of yn’s closest friends. a well known streamer in terms of his mannerisms. he’s been clipped more than once because he’s a little sassy.

★ @ timtamz ᥫ᭡ tim’s private account where he complains about his brother stealing his clothes, people clipping him, and the outside world.

★ KIM DOEUN • @ yungpoozay ᥫ᭡ yn’s child. yn adopted doeun after she raided her after a stream one day. she’s a little silly girl but she’s very sweet, always wants to whoop someone’s ass in fortnite.

★ @ kittykatt ᥫ᭡ doeun’s private account where she talks about the most random things ranging from her highschool life, to her last nightmare.

★ ARICELI MINOSA • @windycelii ᥫ᭡ yn’s childhood friend. ariceli is a foreigner that moved to korea when she was three. ariceli and yn have went to school together start from kindergarten to now, where they share the same major in college. ariceli dreams of becoming a fashion designer and hopefully one day designing clothes for yn in her modeling career. they are also roommates.

★ @ ninicellz ᥫ᭡ celi’s private account where she talks about her cats, her boyfriend, and her best friend yn.

masterlist | next profile

[java-dragon]

Bookbinding/Fan binding for beginners by... a beginner PART ONE

SO YOU WANNA BE A FANBINDER EH!?

RIGHT! so it felt like maybe it might be sorta kinda helpful to put something about a 'how to do the thing' together. Buckle in this is going to be a ride and a half. Edit as of November 16th 2023 The Master List for EVERYTHING is

HERE

SO, first thing is first- if you're fan binding there is a bit of etiquette to follow. But it is just good manners to ask permission to fan bind the fic you're interested in. See if the author has a FAQ available where they state the Yay or the Nay. Submit a DM or a comment. But as a note of disclaimer- this is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE SOLD ANYWHERE. LOOKING AT YOU ETSY FAN FIC SELLERS THAT CAN GET EVERYONE INTO A FUCK TON OF TROUBLE. That is a breech of fair use laws. Don't breech fair use laws. Don't be a dick.

If you happen to have a EPUB or PDF copy of a fic that has been deleted and you wish to bind it or if you receive no response to the author in question, nod your head, know that you did your best and proceed on with the project and make your fic to put on your shelf. Sleep well knowing you did your best and you can do nothing else.

But if you receive a Nay- don't be a dick honour the author's choice and plop the fic on your ereader and call it good.

Now that we got that all out of the way. ONWARD!

MATERIALS! Musts: (The optional materials will be marked as "OP") Access to a Word processor Printer with duplex printing (It prints on both sides of the page) Fic Printer Paper- regular printer paper is FINE if you're being budget conscious. But if you'd like to splurge:

Hammermill Copy Paper But the Most bang for your buck is Church's Paper

Please note: These are US based links, and I am going from what and where I am located you might have to go to a local paper shop. If you want your book to feel very book-like see if your paper shop can take 11 x 17 paper and cut it in half for you which yields 8.5 x 11 paper on the short grain (paper has a grain there is a stiff side and a floppy side, much like fabric, by cutting the paper in half it makes it more 'floppy' and thus more book like)

a punch cradle I use one made by HoneyMinCo - or some sort of punch guide

Awl

Glue- Elmer's Glue All, Tacky, Lineco , PH Neutral all will do what you need it to do

Waxed linen thread

Curved Needles

Book press- you can make these for cheap with wooden cutting boards, bolts and wing nuts.

A brush you don't mind getting glue all over or you can use a silicone face mask brush like this hell I even use my fingers at times

box cutter or any sort of cutting tool, rotary tool

scissors

metal rulers help

spacers (Not necessary but helpful to have you can also DIY this for cheap) OP

Davy Board/Chip Board/Book Board AKA dense AF cardboard

and some sort of thick paper- like a cardstock

bone folder - butter knives also work in a pinch

Recommendations:

For Printers- Epson ECO Tanks are the best bang for your your buck ink wise and has duplex printing. Inkjet and colour options. Some binders swear by laser printers for speed and the general look for the final product but use what you have. Just make sure you have extra ink on hand.

The upfront costs can be pretty steep but a lot of the materials can be steep but you can get crafty and raid a dollar store and charity shops.

Up Next- How to get a Fic from AO3 to your word processor and how to format a document to get it ready for printing and likely more links, and some people to watch on TikTok or Youtube.

Edit: 11/1/2023:

There is a Fan Binding Starter Kit Found here

[crazydoughnutlady]

I'm bored, take some sci-fi found-family

I was trying to write something but I got bored and distracted so I decided to write this as a way to say f-you to writing block enjoy!

***

The Terran were new to the greater Galaxy. odd beings are small and had large round faces with big eyes. Instantly making them desired pets as are from a new strange planet and are a lower life-form. As for the space-faring group known as Vinlik, which is Featherdeten for close-knit-family. Terrans had little consequence to the crew, they had heard those who would try to keep me adorable species as pets had been horribly ripped to shreds and killed as apparently, Terrans were vicious. The crew of Vinlik consisting of 4 members, Never thought that they would encounter a Terran. They were wrong...

After an incredibly odd raid, they had a human on board. It had a few things with it a strange instrument likely from its home world and of course the fabric they were so they were known for being so protective of.

Captain Lilen, a tall Featherdeten and owner of the ship and considered the mother of the motley family, Decided to keep the being as they tended to look at least somewhat similar to the Featherdetens. Just lacking the titular win, feathered faces, or the slender legs that made landing from a flight so easy for the species.

Borek, a Snoutrump one of the strongest known species in the galaxy had argued that it was dangerous to keep but the captain always won out over the security guard/weapons professional.

Whimper a Phasmon, the ship scientist/medical professor stated how most Terrans about 89% killed their masters Within 30-day Cycles The other 19% killed their masters not long after. Keeping a Terran on board results usually in a 4% survival rate.

The youngest of the ship a Buzzkin, not even a proportional adult in his species. An excited genius prodigy who made his way onto the ship by being an engineer. He was curious, Terrans were unique next to nothing was known about them and maybe they only acted that way because they were scared. There was just so much unknown about this new species. Tolvin wanted to know more…

***

Three cycles, three cycles, and I broke my promise. I told the captain that he would not interact with the Terra, but I couldn't help myself. I was curious and it was kind of interesting seeing such a tiny featherless Featherdeten-like being. So I found myself standing in front of the door where the Terran was being kept I shifted the door from opaque to translucent, still strong just now I could see the Terran. It looked up at me noticing the different time as it was not its scheduled meal time it wouldn't be for a little while. “Hello, there you probably can't understand me b-but I wanted to say hello! It is proper etiquette to introduce oneself to all members of the crew… your species interesting did you know that?”

I stood there for a moment before the Terran begin to bark back at me it was strange yapping noises but there was somewhat of a pattern to them almost like it was speaking but that's silly Terrans didn't have a language, they weren't a sentient species. The Galaxy Bureau of Investigation of New Species (GBINS) already tested, too violent. I sat down and began to talk about meaningless things with the Terran just to hear the odd pattern of its barks we ‘chatted’ with each other for a while. Eventually, I had to leave as he would get caught talking to the Terran the one thing I was strictly told not to do. “I have to go now but we'll talk next cycle promise,” I kept my promise returning to the Terran every day.

“Hello, Featherless!” I decided to call it Featherless deciding it shouldn't go without a name. “Hado!” “Did you just say hello?” “Hado! Hado!” it repeated. Terrans could mimic. No one else has ever documented to this it’s a fascinating discovery, Terrans can mimic others! “That's so cool Featherless! what if you said my name?” Then pointed I pointed at myself and said in a slow but clear voice, “Tolvin.” “Toe-van” “Tolvin.” “Toe-van.” “What close enough you're faster on the uptake than most mimics.” It then pointed to itself and made a barking noise, “Sarah” “What?” It just shook its head from left to right, “Sarah” “Sarla?” “Sarah” “Sarla” Featherless - no Sarla released a breath and moved its eyes in a circle before refocusing on me.

“Well, it's nice to meet you then wait if you have a name that means you have a sense of self which is only present in sentient beings but that doesn't make sense the GBINS had proclaimed that humans were too violent to be sentient which doesn't make sense because it has a sense of help self! we-we've been keeping things that were- that is- oh no, I've been calling it, an it! They are a sentient being and I've been treating them like a pet-” “Toe-van” Sarla's front appendages were pressed against the force field their eyes were blown wide (wider than they usually were) and they were staring at me intently. “Sorry… I had a bit of a freak-out. I should go.” Turning the door opaque, I turn down the hall and ran back to the engine room.

The engine room is my favorite place in all of the ship no one bothers me here free to tinker. To busy myself with the mundane things that keep the ship running.

It takes me three recycles to return to Sarla’s room. The other members of the crew are still debating on what to do with the human. Earlier that cycle Borek come by with a faulty communicator he has a backup, but he prefers his main one. However, I couldn't just get the right kind of focus in the engine room (Something that's never happened before) so before I knew it I found myself wandering back to Sarla. Turning the door translucent I began to fix the communicator one of my proudest works simple AI that analyzed language and then translated it. Sarla was returning conversation in that odd barking ‘language’ of theirs and I would often say a few things back. Suddenly silent barked a few things and the translator buzzed to life “…you gotta understand how lonely I was! You are the only nice person I've met in space!” They quieted as they saw me jump at the translation. We sat in silence for a few seconds before it began to bark again, “The [thing] you're fixing is it okay? it's not going to ---- right?” I stared at them then the communicator then back at them, “What? why are you looking at me? What is that thing doing?” Turning on the two-way communication feature I slowly began to speak, “It's a way for different species to communicate with each other it's for one of my crewmates but it started translating your language.” “Wow, I can understand you! Wait you understand what I'm saying now! This is amazing so can you take me home?” “I don't think so it is really hard to get to your home planet. With how hard the government mandates what goes through airspace there… I don't know if you've noticed but we're not very legal. The captain is planning to just give you to someone as a pet once we find somewhere cheap to drop you off. “I'm sorry, please tell me the [communicator] got what you were saying wrong, my people are considered pets!?!” Their voice begin to get louder and the communicator began to register the emotion as possibly angry. “Yes…?” Sarla out a string of words that the communicator could not translate, but I felt they were curses.

Just then I heard a strangled noise coming from just down the hall turning I lock eyes with none other than Whimper. “What are you doing?” The scientist said showing the typical Phasmon signs of confusion and fear. “Toe-van who's there? That's a different voice of the communicator. what are you looking at?” “Is it translating the non-sentient being?” I click my mandibles (a sign for yes among my people), "I believe they're actually… a sentient species... and the GBINS incorrectly labeled them as non-sentient.” “Wait! A bunch of letters said that my people were non-sentient!?!” “I think that was an incorrect translation we were referring to an acronym.” I clarified for Sarla. “Didn't catch the last word sorry.” “It's okay the more you talk the communicator will be better at translating your language.” “Oh cool!” the Terran flashed their teeth something I have something they do a lot around me, I think it's a sign of friendliness among Terrans. It usually isn't put with other aggressive behaviors such as tensing muscles, which are common among predator species.

“How many how long have you been spending time with it?” Whimper asked exasperated. “Didn't last more than three days before I said hi…” “Oh, you're hopeless!” “Why is that bad?” Sarla trying to get a glimpse of Whimper. “Your species are Infamous for being incredibly dangerous.” “Can you repeat that with small words? the communicator is not that good.” “You're dangerous.” “Try again.” “You cause pain?” “You saying I'm [Dangerous/violent/harmful]” The communicator listed the possible words that Sarla could have been saying. “I think so but the communicator is not very clear.” “They're friendly to me! they've done nothing that is then possibly threatening to me yet.” Whimper shook his head up and down a sign of frustration among his people, “yet did you forget that it bit Borek?” “I would like to not be referred to as an ‘it’ anymore I'm not an object I prefer to be referred to as [she/her/referring to a female].” “Sorry!” I say as I twitch my antennas in a sign of apologies and happiness. “Why are you apologizing you're not the one I was referring to me as an object.” “Well, I was earlier before I knew you were sentient.” “[Acknowledgement/surprise/confused/stunned]” “We should probably tell Lilen about this she is the captain after all. She'll want to meet her new crewmate properly -as long as you promise not to hurt us” He said gesturing to Sarla “you get that Communicator up and running,” he gestured to me. “it'll be lovely to talk and study the ins and outs of humans and I can ask you medical questions how fascinating!” He said Clapping (a common sign of joy happiness or excitement for Phasmons) before turning down the hallway in excitement.

70 Cycles later and Sarah (as her name was actually pronounced) was an integral part of our crew-of our family. She was able to go toe-to-toe with Borek in a fight. Could eat a lot of things in higher dosages than anyone else could, making her an effective poison tester. The strange instrument she had brought along with her? It was a common device humans used to make music called a ge-tar. Although she did many things with the different members of the crew, most of the time we could be found in the engine room. For the first time in a very long time, I wasn't bothered by someone else in my space.

[coolseabird]

BG3 Tav Backstory Bash by Kelandrin

This is a challenge to help people flesh out their Tav’s backstory by exploring their past. It is organized into four sections with seven prompts. You can treat this as a monthly challenge or a general project. You can write headcanons, fics, or share art based on the prompts! You can interpret the prompts however you want. If you want to share use the tag #bg3backstorybash

I was tagged by @grenanigans <3

I tag @upturninginkpots and @quantum-dragon No pressure at all though!

I actually finally made a Tav with a backstory recently so this is good timing. Forgive me for getting any Githyanki lore wrong. I'm very new to the Forgotten Realms.

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This is Ga'rak (though who knows what his actual name is)

Yes I just stole his name from Garak. XD I initially took to calling him this half-jokingly since he reminded me of the DS9 character and it sorta just stuck. (Tbh though he is almost more similar to Odo)

Age: 45-50 years old

Gender: Male

Childhood: Born into a typical Githyanki creche, his childhood was far from typical. Early on, he was singled out for his psionic potential, leading to his separation from the other Githyanki children so he never had any friends his age. His training emphasized not just physical combat but also the mental manipulation of others. High-ranking Githyanki, part of a coalition of commanders open to unconventional strategies, decided to use him as a spy to learn about Faerunian society in an effort to learn their weaknesses.

Teenager/Pre-Game: During his teenage years, he embraced the role of an Arcane Trickster and Lore Bard, atypical classes for a Githyanki. He was dispatched to the Sword Coast under the guise of a socialite, With the aid of spells like Disguise Self (to not appear Githyanki), etiquette lessons from a human teacher his Creche had kidnapped, and a generous flow of gold from Githyanki raids, he seamlessly infiltrated the upper echelons of Neverwinter's society. (I imagine his cover persona was a lot like Jay Gatsby) He's never been in love and I don't know if he will ever fall in love in the future to be honest. (At least none of the romance options in this game really make sense to me for him. Maybe Minthara? But eh.)

Here is his half-elf disguise. He used it to trick the Tieflings holding Lae'zel captive. His name when he used this form as a spy was Garret or something like that XD.

His primary objective was espionage, identifying weaknesses for a future invasion and subtly undermining the government. As he immersed himself in the local culture, he encountered lifestyles that were very different from his oppressive upbringing. This exposure "corrupted him" and made him realize over the decades how unhappy he was in this role thrust upon him and how he didn't at all believe in the mission. He is also very cynical about the Githyanki government and doubts that Vlaakith is actually a god worth worshipping but he is too complacent to do anything about it. He is jaded and has resigned himself to this life. After all, revealing his doubts would only get him killed and he had no other paths available to him. That is, until he was tadpoled...

Meeting Shadowheart

Adulthood:

The tadpole's effect caused his Disguise Self spell to be inactive when initially meeting the others, preventing him from concealing his species from this group. As he thought his mission being revealed could endanger him, even to other Githyanki, he concocted a half-truth, telling his companions he was in Faerun as a Githyanki scout, masking his true goals. (Lae'zel doubts his story due to his rustiness and unfamiliarity with Githyanki culture and customs)

Freeing Gale

Having been isolated from other Githyanki for most of his life with his only contacts being his Githyanki handlers, he feels doubly estranged from both his own culture and the broader society of Faerun. (I was very inspired by stories of undercover agents having trouble re-integrating back into their home countries.)

He views others primarily as sources of information. While his main goal is to get rid of the tadpole, he also sees this time as an opportunity to gather more "sources." The tadpole gang becomes his targets, valued only as potential assets (particularly Wyll), yet he ultimately regards them as expendable.

Making Conversation

Even though he can come off as affable and charming, his true personality is almost frighteningly calm and detached, traits that initially put him at odds with Astarion and Karlach, who he views as a loose cannons.

Since he is Gith he is skilled with a blade but he prefers not to get blood on his hands. He is a huge germaphobe. (This makes the tadpole even worse for him. Not to mention camping in the woods every night.)

I think he'll likely get along well with Wyll and the Emperor. He can relate to the Emperor's longing for freedom and level headedness, he also appreciates Wyll's impeccable manners and potential high value as a tool. He and Shadowheart would have a mutual respect despite his being a Githyanki, he and Minthara would be cordial, and he and Gale would enjoy discussing illusion magic together. I also think he has a bit of a soft spot for my friend @upturninginkpots's Tav and will eventually come to see her as something of a little sister, he'll give her advice on questioning her own beliefs.

Here he is with @upturninginkpots's Tav, I'll allow her to introduce her. :)

Lae'zel's aggressive demeanor initially repels him, not least because of his own complicated relationship with Githyanki culture, and due to what he perceives as her "bull in a china shop" personality. She initially thinks he is a puny example of a Githyanki and she finds his cynical attitude to be blasphemous. He sees her as naive and foolish. They may eventually start to realize they have more in common than they think though and he will hopefully become something of a mentor to her in the future.

Githyanki Reunion

Upon discovering more about Vlaakith's plans, I think he will fully commit to defection. I think at this point he would also tell the other companions his true mission. (I know I can't actually do this in the game but it will happen in my head haha) The challenging thing is whether he is willing to put aside his complacency to help free other Githyanki from her grip, potentially betraying the Emperor and risking his own life in the process. Another consideration is whether a certain headstrong Githyanki warrior will start to question her beliefs and defect as well.

Thank you for reading and thanks for the tag @grenanigans ! If anyone sees this post and you end up making your own Tav post please tag me! I'd love to see it. :)

[nebmia]

Reviewing every rpg book on my shelf: 7, Wolves of God

Wolves of God by Kevin Crawford is a game about adventuring in early anglo-saxon england and its prime virtue is in how thoroughly (and for the most part accurately) it develops that time period and attempts to place players in the outlook of those people. I happen to have a particular love for the early middle ages and for the anglo-saxons in particular, which places me directly in the target demographic for this game, and as far as I am concerned it delivers.

Mechanically Wolves of God is built on the same fundamental system as Kevin Crawfords other ‘without number’ games: So an osr type game with a greater than usual quantity of character build options and a particular focus on sandbox play.

The first thing you notice when you read the book is the framing device. The book is treated as if it was a manuscript written by a monk in 710AD (the rather opinionated Brother Cornix) documenting anglo-saxon gaming practice that has been unearthed and edited by Kevin Crawford. This lends the whole book a very unique and (to me) entertaining voice. For illustration here is a section from character creation:

The rules in these pages will show you how to make your bold adventurer, but do not be a thrall to man-marked ink on pale parchment. If your band of gamesmen has their own thought to the right way to manage a matter, then let it be done as you and your companions think best. Listen, then, and I will tell you how to make an English hero. From the first strong sinews of the mortal body to the crown of reason and high ambition, you will learn what makes a mighty champion of our people.

The styling as a medieval manuscript does, however, mean that many standard features of modern layout are absent, such as bullet points being replaced by paragraphs starting ‘primus’, ‘secundus’, ‘Tertius’, etc and that overall the text is much wordier than most contemporary rpgs. However, there are footnotes and sidebars from ‘the editor’ which summarise important rules or discuss some of Brother Cornix’s biases, and I find that, overall, the writing style is worth it for the level of immersion in the culture that it provides.

There are three classes you can use to create your ‘English Hero’ (plus an option for multiclassing): the warrior, the saint, and the galdorman. These are broadly analogous to the original D&D fighting man, cleric, magic user line up but each has twists to place it in the setting. The big point is that each classes has a set of ‘glories’ and ‘shames, which determine how they gain (or lose!) xp. These do a lot to place your character within the outlook and value system of the early middle ages. For instance the saints shames tie them to follow the law of the church, while a warriors shames relate to oath breaking or betraying your lord or friends. An interesting feature is that, while warriors or galdormen can escape shame if no one knows what they did, a saint always suffers the penalty as ‘God knows all things.’

Which is a good segue for talking about christianity and how deeply enmeshed it is in the setting. The book spends almost as many pages detailing the essentials of early medieval christianity as it does describing the rules for combat, and then goes on to spend twice as many pages describing monasteries and giving rules for generating them. Basically, religion was really important then and also quite unlike how we as modern people understand it.

Among the other things that were important to people then but unfamiliar to a modern audience are: Cattle Raids, Feasting etiquette, a gift economy, and the weight placed on fate. All of which Wolves of god sets out rules and procedures to guide you though. Outside of what is rendered in the rules to book also lays out an expansive description of anglo-saxon england covering the legal system, customs, farming practice, history and the main kingdoms. In contrast to games (D&D) where you play as essentially modern people in an essentially modern world wrapped in medieval aesthetics, Wolves of God is a game where you simply must inhabit the alien world that is the past.

Apart from the areas where is does deviate from history, which is primarily in the transformation of old roman ruins into portals to pocket dimensions (or ‘arxes’) created with ancient roman magic into which the romano-british retreated. What with it being, at its root, a dungeon crawling game I can see why there was a need to add magical dungeons and a treatment of roman ruins is definetly appropriate as the remnants of roman civilisation is deeply important to this time period (see the old english poem ‘the ruin’) but there is still fundamentally something about the inclusion of arxes that does not work for me. I think it is, perhaps, that the existence of dungeons and the delving off them is too big a thing to add without it dramatically changing the setting. A world with dungeon delving adventures is inevitably drawn into the sphere of classical D&D fantasy and away from the early middle ages. Fortunately, I can simply choose not to have any arxes and instead focus on more historical adventures with the odd mythical creature or barrow delve thrown in (don’t ask me why a barrow feels different to an arxe. It just does, ok)

A final note: My copy is the deluxe edition, which is unfortunately no longer available. I think the only difference with the print on demand version will be a less premium binding and printing and not having the red cover with gold

[emmashouldbewriting]

William might actually have a US military medal, but since he has never worn it I’m leaning towards he maybe doesn’t. But the crew of the Iron Duke is said to have gotten a Joint Service Achievement Medal from the US in 2008 due to them seizing a ship with drugs, and William was one of them. But if he never wears it we’ll probably never get it confirmed.

So what if he does? The UK and US are allies, and if there has been a situation that would grant soldiers of both nationalities a medal, then that's fair. But there's also no reason for the Prince of Wales to don a US military medal in an official capacity.

I'd have to raid my husband's brain to get the etiquette of it all. He's a smart little bean.

[gorbalsvampire]

Statting Christof Romauld

Someone on Reddit asked if my favourite himbo had a canonical character sheet.

I looked him up in Clanbook: Brujah. He does not.

I felt compelled to stat him out in V5.

Now I kinda want to do the whole crew. I've been thinking about Dark Ages V5 for a while now and this is unlocking it all for me...

He's a swordsman, so a Melee combatant, so we're going for Dexterity 4 for that pool; 3s into Stamina, Resolve and Composure (say what you like about our favourite himbo, he can take a kicking), and the 1 in Intelligence (sorry, Christof, but if you weren't such a dim bulb you'd probably have gone insane).

For expediency's sake, and because he always has a supporting cast to cover his weaknesses, I'm gonna say he's a Specialist. Melee gets the 4 and the speciality, Athletics, Brawl and Firearms (which, RAW, covers archery) get 3s. 2s in Persuasion (he does get his own way a lot), Awareness and Stealth (there's a lot of corridor creeping in his adventures). For the 1s, I'm taking Investigation (he tries... and he's been through enough mysteries that he must be vaguely aware of how they work), Occult (he's seen some things in his time) and Etiquette (he's well spoken).

Disciplines? Let's start with Celerity 2 and Presence 1 (I don't know how I'd have got through the game without these two). For specific powers, I'm going Rapid Reflexes and Fleetness from Celerity, and Awe from Presence.

Into Predator Type, and I'm gonna be honest here, given how tricky it is to bite people in the streets without being caught, and how many other vampires there are in those "dungeons", and how often he frenzies and bites his own coterie: Christof is a Blood Leech. Extra specialty in Brawl vs Kindred, going to Celerity 3 and taking Weaving from the Players' Guide, leaning into the defensive applications, and obviously we're gonna take the Diablerist flaw because he ate Lucretia. Prey Exclusion (Mortals) is definitely a reflection of how I played Christof, too (goddamn Knights of St. John have eyes in the backs of their heads).

Advantages and Flaws: well, we're windmill slamming Archaic, of course (he's got the hang of guns, but he has no idea what a Central Computer might be). We're also gonna raid the Player's Guide again. For five points, we can take Untouchable - get away with doing something grand and stupid once per story. He's... definitely had that go off a few times during Redemption. From the same book, we can grab the Brujah Coterie Merit, Boot and Rally, for a bonus to his friends' combat rolls, and Remarkable Feature, because people do remark on all his thees and thous when they first meet him and then rapidly get used to it.

Convictions are probably derived from the Promethean ethic somehow (I'm bad at these), and his Touchstone is obviously Anezka (I have a house rule where you only need one Touchstone, like Requiem - and Redemption, now that I think about it).

Now, we get into experience. I'm going to count Christof as an ancilla here. He's lived a very storied life, the Clanbook leaves some wiggle room for how long his adventures took, he's quite low generation, and frankly I need the XP for his insane Discipline breadth. That takes his Humanity down to 5, his Blood Potency up to 3, and he needs another two points in Flaws - I'm going for another Player's Guide special, Twice Cursed, giving him an additional Clan Bane that causes physical and social damage when his Beast comes out.

He also gains another two points in Advantages, and I'm gonna pick up a Loresheet here: Sect War Veteran. He emerged from torpor right in the middle of the sect war, ended up fighting his way across New York, and he's made something of a name for himself among elders and neonates alike given what he got up to in the Dark Ages. The two dot ability here converts into Status or Mawla - one could very easily use this to model Ekaterina the Wise still looking out for him, or into his own personal clout, or... well, our Christof is at middling Humanity, so he might be... in a bit of a predicament. Spoilers for twenty-five year old game?

Finally, there's the 35 bonus XP. To start off, taking him to Presence 3, Daunt and Dread Gaze, that's 25 burned. With the remaining 10, I'm going to buy a dot in Protean (the game is very generous about handing out Protean) and pick up Eyes of the Serpent, since he did eat a whole-ass Setite, and the last three are going on the Stealth (vs Kindred) specialty from his Predator Type, just to really double down on the in-game playstyle.

And there we are - playable Christof!