#when the system is not build to accomodate the needs of those who are sent to it

[anaalnathrakhs]

.

heeehee hooohoho nothing has weight, sense, or value anymore. everything is everybody's fault. no one can be blamed for anything. sorry for being an asshole i'm just going to fucking kill myself.

i asked my mom if she remembered if we set up an account for me to check an info, she said she didn't know, i said okay thanks, don't do anything about it though.

this afternoon, while i'm sleeping, i get a text that goes like "okay so you do this and this and this on the website!" and i haul my ass out of bed to do it before the cutoff time this evening, and it leads me to the exact same problem of needing an account. so. my mom could take the time to search for a way to resolve a problem she THOUGHT i had. despite me telling her explicitely, bc i'm starting to get used to it, not to do anything about it and it was just a question. but then she didn't click through the thing to check. bc she just googled it and sent me what she read. after telling me "noooo, no need to check" when i had asked her. she said it "went over her head" that i had said EXPLICITELY "please don't do anything about it".

i have no fucking idea what to think. i'm making a mountain out of a molehill, yes, and my own fault for even mentioning the topic, yes. but on the other hand, why the fuck is such a simple thing impossible? we've had so many discussions about what i'm uncomfortable with, and there's many things that didn't change, which i understand, because i'm not a toddler, i have complex needs but also the ability to mitigate and handle discomfort, they have priorities, they have no obligation to uproot their habits for me. but then such a small fucking thing is also too much?????? i ask her one yes/no question, and she invents a problem i didn't have from the situation, halfasses solving it, and brings me the result like yay! mom to the rescue! despite me telling her NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE TOPIC OF THE VERY SIMPLE YES/NO QUESTION. that she had told me to not even bother checking when she answered. we've had discussions about it. i've learned to tell her NOT TO CHECK because for some reason when i say "hey have you seen this thing around?" she hears "go fetch me this thing", and despite that she was still showing up two days later like yay! i found it in the back of the guest room closet where we never go! mom to the rescue! and like, i know you're a workaholic, but could you please not invent yourself fucking quests when i told you to drop it?

and on the other other hand, i'm a fucking hypocrite, because it's true she does tell me often not to do something, and i slide the problem a little to the left and carry on. but i don't fucking know. she said that like, well, you know what i'm talking about. purging in the toilets. I HAVENT ASKED YOU TO CLEAN THEM AND I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO CLEAN THEM AND I WOULD'VE DONE THE PROPER DEEP-CLEAN IF YOU HAD ASKED ME AND ALSO I HAVE A FUCKING RAGING EATING DISORDER THAT AFFECTS ME LIKE PRETTY MUCH 24/7.

and holy fuck. i'm a constant problem for everybody around me. it's cool. how am i supposed to "get better progressively" when everything i do is fucking poison damage to everybody around. how am i supposed to accept being around people often, when this is not a harsh pass or a difficult time, it's just what life's been for my entire existence.

like trust me mom, i'm counting the days til i can move out too! but am i. im possibly planning to get a year of higher education in my hometown, after all. but also i might have to drop out of school so 🥴 possibly a step towards leaving, possibly a step towards living in my parents basement until they die out and i inherit the house. fucking fantastic. i should just cut it short and either have the balls to kill myself, or drop out and get the best job i can with what i have.

it's cool! i thought i was doing good, doing better, improving, but turns out haha me doing better is just at the expense of other people! how silly of me to believe i could perhaps not be a source of suffering to everybody around me if i worked hard on it! everybody in my life fucking hates me and they're right tbh what the fuck have i done for them. i mean i tried, but have i succeeded?

ANYWAY i have until monday to figure out what i'm going to do. does anyone have a movie rec for someone killing some stand-in for the unfeeling standardize reglementation, cuz i need some catharsis rn.

[paigelts05]

The Training Simulation [FNAF HW2, Renegade AU]

Artwork: https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/1093433943

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36911932/chapters/149355976

Published: Sep 01, 2024

Out of work and trying to provide for himself and his daughter, Desmond Anadem is offered something by his former employer: a chance at his old job back.

All he has to do is complete their training using a VR training system.

Even though they sent an off-the-shelf headset as a sign of good will, can he trust that even for a second that he will be safe?

=°•.🌹 Story 🌹.•°=

°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•🌹•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°

Desmond Anadem was currently re-evaluating his life choices.

After getting fired, and then fired upon, he thought that Fazbear Entertainment was finally done with him. But they weren't.

After the Raid on the megaplex, which he took part in whilst his daughter decided upon staying outside as a sentry - something that definitely had something to do with what she did prior to the 'Breach' - to monitor what went in and out, he thought that Faz Ent would finally give up the goat.

But instead they sent him an off-the-shelf VR headset that was still in it's packaging, a pair of controllers that were also off-the-shelf, and a copy of their VR training system (it was not the VR environment of which his daughter had spoken of; this was a peice of software that had been made in a game engine that was not owned by Faz Ent, and was just a game used to train up new human staff).

It felt like an awfully grand gesture of trust building, to send him a VR system that had not been touched by Faz Ent. Likely because they knew that he knew what happened to many others who used Faz Ent proprietary headsets, and the VR environment that they had been stuck in.

But Sylvia's sister was using a non-Faz brand VR setup when William posessed her. They'd had time to talk about it during the Raid: he had known that Ness was posessed, but during the Raid, Sylvia and Ness had explained the how behind what happened. Desmond did not disclose his involvement in tampering with the arcades to make freeing Ness easier; nobody had deciphered his sigils yet, so nobody needed to know.

Turning his attention back to the letter, all it told him that he was just going to use the training program and nothing more. The only Faz-touched tech was the game itself.

The box also had a letter. It read that they planned to re-hire him at a better salary, but he'd need to re-complete his certifications, as they had been voided when he had been fired.

'Blaming me for you fucks trying to shoot me again, I see.'

Yet despite that, he didn't seem to be able to refuse the offer. Faz Ent knew where he lived, and until the police got around the red tape of securing him a job and accomodation far away from here, he'd need to play safe.

When he told Cassie about it, she agreed. This was the safest bet.

Get the certifications back, see where things went from there.

After completing what he thought were all the minigames, he grabbed the in-game faz-wrench and opened the secret door, deactivated the inhibitor, and noticed a poster.

'Remove your mask?' Desmond thought to himself, 'Faz Ent kept trying to introduce these masks, but we just kept on using the eyepieces instead because those masks gave me and everyone else the creeps. Here goes.'

He reached his hand to his head, hearing the controller clack against the VR headset he was wearing, and removed a mask from the player avatar's face.

The room around him looked as abandoned and decayed as the megaplex did after the raid.

He returned to the computer monitor, and he noticed something that wasn't there before; they had hard modes.

'Expecting more out of me than before I see…' he grumbled as he begun the second gauntlet, and as he did, something irked him.

The animatronics that appeared in these new minigames also looked somewhat as they did during and after the Raid. Expected. The Daycare Attendant was a destroyed mess after the second fire in Roxy Raceway destabilised most of the megaplex and so was the DJ, and this game reflected it. The memory of seeing the DJ so beat up during the Raid haunted him, as did the sight of the miserable sun he saw that night. The fact that they had only gotten worse after the Raid made him feel sympathy for them for the first time. And after the so-called earthquake that Desmond was sure was an explosion the other day caved in parts of the megaplex further, he found himself worrying for the mental states of those robots for the first time too. Also, he was certain that Fazbear Entertainment only wanted him back so they could repair thier severely damaged bots. Maybe they made this game to specifically train him for that.

If he got near those robots again, the first thing he'd probably do would be to talk to them and see how human they are. A thought that would have been foreign to him three weeks ago.

Once he'd completed the rest of the minigames and re-earned the most useless certifications to ever exist, he found himself surrounded by staffbots that had appeared out of nowhere - a recreation of what Faz Ent wanted to happen to him and his colleagues no doubt - and after the staffbots attacked, the screen turned to static.

He tried to remove his headset, but he couldn't.

He called out for his daughter, but received no reply.

He stepped about in his panic and tripped over a cable, so he was definitely still alive. And when the static cleared as he crawled to his feet, he saw a staffbot's start up screen.

'What in the…'

And once it finished loading, he found himself seeing through the visual feed of a staffbot.

And then he saw his daughter.

He tried calling out to her, but she didn't seem to hear. The bot didn't output his audio input.

He tried to reach out to her, and the staffbot he was viewing the world through reached out.

And handed her that mask that only he and his daughter's sleeper side had seen. The Vanny mask; the mask that William had made to control Sylvia's sister. The mask that Sleeper had stolen before it had been used, and then lost after she saved Gregory and caused the Breach.

The mask that Fazbear Entertainment had tried to model technician masks after.

His daughter's Civilian alter, Civ, was currently fronting; he could tell from her eyes. She had never seen the mask before.

He tried to call for her to stop and put the mask down, but again, the staffbot didn't output his audio input.

He felt himself collapse to his knees as he watched Cassie put on the mask. And as she did, the staffbot shut down.

He could remove his VR headset again.

He threw the thing off with such force that it skidded to the other side of his apartment, landing under the shelf that held his father's retro Bonnie mask. He didn't care if the VR headset was broken or not.

Sweating, shaking, and disoriented, Desmond took a moment to breathe before clambering to his feet and calling for his daughter.

He didn't get a response.

Whilst he had been training, Cassie had gone off somewhere. And if that was really her who he had witnessed through the eyes of the staffbot, she was at a Fazbear Entertainment controlled facility. Though there was no way of telling which one.

Any Faz Ent facility could have staffbots. The mask could have been taken anywhere.

Cassie could be anywhere.

So he put on his work boots and ran outside.

Someone had to have seen his daughter, right?

°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•🌹•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°•°°

[albino-whumpee]

Mareland

I´ve had the idea of simulation theaters for SUCH a LONG time, I needed to take it out of my system.  Mare Land is a shop or “theater” that allows you to live to every single adventure you would desire. A bit like SAO but without, ya know, the part of getting stuck there.  Hope you like it~ TW:// captivity, forced labor, mental manipulation and implied abuse, creepy whumper

“Glad to see you back” a boy with white hair greets you. He’s wearing a black, spotless dress-coat. Eyes clean you from toes to head with a sincere smile. “Excuse my rudeness, I’ve thought of you as one of our regulars” A gloved hand goes to his chest and the boy bends in reverence “It’ll be my pleasure to show you what’s on stock in this humble store of experiences” the boy bent up, white hair tied up into a half ponytail following the flow “now, shall we?”

The boy doesn’t wait for you and begins walking through the large corridor with neon lights that read “Mare land” on vibrant purple.

“My name’s Salarien” the boy announces glancing back at you for a second “I shall be the one to show you Mare Land’s attractions tonight” his eyes are like honey, but under so many neon lights they seem to radiate a dangerous red glow. “Mare Land was born for the purpose of enriching the guest´s life through simulated experiences. Providing them with singular emotions that would otherwise be never lived” The plain hallway, starts to get more and more doors. Each with a different frame and lock “Mare Land bases on the user´s experience tastes. Our gallery of experience rooms with their unique story telling is the broadest of them all, if I dare say so myself. We have more than 300 of them!” The boy promptly opens one of the doors and stretches his arm for you to see what´s inside. “I´m sure one of them most be of your fancy”

A room with a beautiful view of the sea from what seem to be jungle cliffs fills your vision. You can hear some birds and can not tell where the sky merges with the see. You feel an ache to run in the sand.

“Quite the view, right?” he asks before closing the door. He puts his fingertips together and walks to another frame. “If the guest wishes for a more silent scenario…” he opens the door to a desolated place. Looks like a warehouse with an improvised surgical table. Unused. As the subject is still on a box on the other side. Muzzled and tied. They glare at you with rage and a slight hint of fear before the door closes. “Every room comes with it´s unique habitants and world rules. Which should accomodate to your tastes and needs” the boy explains as he keeps walking. Signaling you to a door that says “in progress”.

As all the other doors, this one has a small window on the front. It´s foggy, but you can see a man with chains on his hand. You don´t get to see what´s tied to them, as Salarien begins to talk again. “No need to worry about privacy. We take those matters seriously and keep a close eye into keeping everything confidencial” You turn your head back as he talks, but he goes too fast to stare too long “And no worry about touching things that have been used over and over. As the memories are reset after the experience ends, everyone gets to feel a fresh start!” he says with a delighted tone.

You reach what could be called the office. With a singular door frame of white embedments and fine gold broidery. As he enters the door and you get in, you notice it´s but a simple office with a big metal door on the back. With no windows. A big lock restraining the entrance. There´s a black desk with two chairs of the same color. “Please, have a seat” Salarien sits behind the desk and takes out some papers as you sit down. “Now, then. What kind of experience would you like to have? We can arrange the room of your dreams. With you as the protagonist, the villain or the caring sidekick” He smiles reassuringly noticing a bit of tension on your shoulders “There´s always a way to get out of the experience and change if the guest so desires. A simple word or a simple gesture. The habitants can not leave their experiences, so there´s nothing to fear. Mare Land guarantees the safety and enjoyment of the guest to the maximum” he gestures with his hands as he talks.

You ask for their prices and an expression beyond delighted adorns Salarien´s face as he hands you a list. The cheaper ones are the protagonist experiences. “It´s not usual for guests to choose that road” he explains pouring tea on a cup he hands you. “Villains roads are lot more fun!” so the price is higher than the other two.

He walks you through some paperwork about confidentiality and payment after you decide to go for the sidekick road. He´s nothing but happy to see you sign them and simply walks you to your door.

“Please remember, the word´s Tollens. Once the word is said twice, you will be out immediately. Our staff will be more than delighted to show you the way out, once it´s done. For now…” he interrupts himself to open a door with a worn out metal cover “may your experience be delightful!” he says before you enter and hear a click on your back. The world, foggy until now, becoming clearer.

——-

When the clock hit midnight, the experiences were over. Wether the guest had desired it or not, they all were required to leave at that time. People with serious, mild or simple injuries would be helped by a medic team. The people that were wearing a mad smirk would be taken out accompanied. Those who could walk on their own were showed to the exit by Salarien himself. Always a bright smile on his face as he heard the guests gush about how much fun it had been and how much they were wishing to come back already.

After nobody was on the building, Salarien went back to the office where the door was now half open. Lock not to be found. The boy inhaled deeply and went through it. He heard the usual dry click of the lock on his back.

The spotless dress-coat slowly disappeared as he went deeper into a thick gray fog. A metal collar started to become visible as well as some bruises on his skin and wide eye bags. The boy stopped walking as he met his owner. Bowing at the red haired person seating on a white throne, with the same delicacy from before. Reminiscents of magic still on the waving fingers.

“Come” his owner told him. He was quick to kneel by their side. Feeling a hand passing through his dirty white hair. “I´ve been thinking about the improvements we could make on the experiences, Salarien. Look” the person showed the boy their journal. Filled to the very edges of the paper, Salarien read through it all and looked back at their owner with the same hollow eyes. The ginger was not surprised. Salarien wasn´t meant to show emotions in front of them without an order. “Am I not the best?” Neither was he allowed to talk there. So, he settled for nodding.

“The habitants never leave, isn´t that right, Salarien?” their owner repeated lifting their chin up to him see the smirk on their face. “Except you” they said brushing their thumb against the boy´s unexpressive face “Oh, and how handy! I couldn´t tolerate any of them for even a second! You´re a very good boy” Their voice filled with honest praise wasn´t enough to make the boy´s poker face sway “They just enjoy their dream and go home, but me? Mare Land´s owner? I get to enjoy all of them. Even so, I seem to only like yours” The person´s voice filled with cockyness as they rested their chin on their hand. Savoring on Salarien´s glare. “You may go to sleep now, boy” They commanded. Salarien rose up and bowed before walking away “Another day of work awaits” they said watching the boy curl up on the floor after connecting the chain on the the wall to their own collar. Falling asleep immediately. As every night.

—-

“Smile for me” their owner told them as to wave them goodbye on his way to work. Salarien put the fake smile he wore everyday at the store and bowed as the person shushed them away. The metal door connecting to the store opened.

Going through it, Salarien´s spotless dress-coat came back a as a smile was forced into his face, now cleaner than ever.

A black ribbon tied his hair, long to his shoulders. The boy touched it curiously. That was new. “A gift” a whisper told him from beyond the locked door. “Happy birthday, Salarien” The boy turned to the closed door.

“Thank you, my lord” he said as he bent down with a smile that hurt to fake “I´ll treasure it” he said on a cheerful demeanor. Even when he knew none of what he was wearing was real.

A whisper of a laugh haunted him as he went through the store. A magic key on their hand. They pulled a curtain besides the embroided door that was the entrance to the office and inserted the key on it. At the turn, the store was filled with screams. For just a moment, it was hell. The next, a quiet cemetery.

Salarien went to inspect on every door. The effect was that every habitant was knocked out and had no memories of the day before. He passed by one of their newer experiences. One with an albino boy. He was not sure if his owner had designed that experience with him on mind. Not that it mattered.

Salarien kept walking, checking on the hazel eyed boys, the winged creatures, the artic one, the demi human, the fox people and a long etcetera.

Salarien knew he was there, opening the store to new visitors because he had been the first of all. The first experience. So old and used, the owner would repulse the idea of sharing him. They had said it was his birthday, but that was just a foreign concept that meant nothing to him. As far as he could recall, he had had the same face, the same body, since forever.

He had wondered once why didn´t he just run away. He had all the keys, knew all the ways out, the timing, the perfect plan. But he had a feeling, that if he ever tried stepping just an inch outside the store, he would evaporate into dust.

And sent back to a very, very pissed off owner.

A human met his eyes at the store entrance and the boy hanged the smile on his lips as every other day. Bowing at the possible guest with a innate elegance.

“Good morning, mistress. Welcome to Mare Land, the store of incredible experiences”

[lily-blue]

CODE Z3RO | CODE 02

characters: BTS & Red Velvet genre: thriller, futuristic au warning: none summary: The twelve most ambitious and promising university students are welcomed in Choego, the world’s first entirely artificial intelligence-driven city, to compete for five job contracts that could change their life. But what if something goes wrong? What if they get trapped? What if the city suddenly turns against them? Can they find a way out before the countdown reaches zero? words: 4,3K tagged: @philosopher-of-fandoms​

➼ Chapter Index

Bae Joohyun looked in the mirror in the common bathroom with pure desperation in her eyes while she was trying to arrange the messy locks atop her head in a presentable manner in vain.

‘Come on! You can do this…’ she whispered under her nose out of anger when her shaky hands found the edge of the metal sink along with the support that she needed. As her long fingers clenched around the stern material, her knuckles became white from one minute to another and the girl majoring in Psychology failed to calm her ever so jittery heart. Joohyun’s chest was bouncing like crazy which meant no good as her breathing became heavy. And the fact that the first drops of sweat ran down her temple didn’t help either. She was on the verge of throwing up.

As her right shoulder crashed into the cool wall, she closed her eyes counting to three, four and five. It took all her willpower to overcome her past that seemed to haunt her ever since she’d crossed the threshold of their temporary accommodation. Just like her annoying roommates, she was willing to do anything to get one out of the five contracts the company in charge promised them, yet with every passing moment she became less and less confident that she actually had a chance. With that genius brat who had all the background knowledge this place could have ever needed and the one with bunny teeth who had been aware of the hidden cameras before that powerful woman could even mention them…

Joohyun took a breath trembling like those withered leaves that couldn’t resist the will of the storm then slid along the wall with faint sobs as she tried to whisper a little courage into the void. After all, she was a grown-up woman now and nothing like the street trash, her ex classmates had used to call her. Considering all those years when they had bullied her, it wasn’t a surprise that she felt uncomfortable sharing her bedroom with her rivals. What truly amazed her was the fact that she’d almost fallen asleep before that stupid kiddo next room had shut that damn door a bit louder than she’d supposed to.

Speaking of noises, Joohyun lifted her head up as soon as she noticed the slight change in the atmosphere. Something was off outside of the bathroom’s protecting shelter but the unmistaken sound of someone’s firm order was quiet as if it came from under heavy layers of water. She couldn’t really put her finger on the upcoming problem nor the possible solution of it that indeed was quite troublesome. 

Joohyun pinched her arm multiple times so that she could gather enough power to stand up without falling onto her knees. Dizziness still lingered in hear body when she leaned over the sink to wash her face.

The psychology student left the bathroom with fierce eyes following the noises that came from the common area perfectly halfway between the girls’ and the boys’ dorm.

‘What the heck is going on?’ she asked as her feet bumped into the threshold yet no one listened or gave her a detailed explanation of the messy situation. So lack of any better idea, Joohyun chose to head back to her room staying out of Jimin’s way who seemed quite lost with a sleepy Hoseok at his heels. The Sociology student from Seoul National clenched his jaw in fear when the girl accidentally pushed his bag out of his hand.

The Gangnam girl in her room, Sooyoung or whatever she was called, was still asleep when Joohyun’s hand reached the handle absentmindedly playing with the lock before she would have stepped inside. The girl with the cool, American name, the one that didn’t freak her out, sent her a relieved smile then rolled her eyes turning towards the nuisance drooling all over the sheets. Joohyun felt sorry for her but didn’t lift a finger to help her nor the sleepyhead.

‘Wake up! We have to leave,’ Wendy prodded Sooyoung in the ribs chewing her own lips out of frustration. She couldn’t just walk away leaving the girl behind whether or not Seokjin and his sister were right about the simulation that was supposed to start after a hearty breakfast or at least a relaxing nap. This whole situation was so out of the blue just as she expected from a competition. After all, only a handful of them would be able to sign these dream contracts of wealth and acknowledgement. It was only fair to get their chances to prove their worth.

According to Seokjin’s explanation, their first task was simple. They had to get out of the third area of the town or at least the building before the clock would hit three and the electrical grid would be turned off by the scientists watching them from afar. In a real life situation, if they hadn’t gotten out of the dorm or any other building in Choego in time, they would have stuck inside without a functional air exchange system doomed to die in suffocation. They were testing their abilities in emergency. 

‘It’s still dark outside, so please do me a favor and fuck off!’ Sooyoung murmured under her nose before she pushed the redhead further away with one of her hands. Then she turned her back on the chaos and pulled the pillow onto her face as a lame attempt of shutting out all the noises coming from the corridor. She couldn’t care less, seriously, since she was absolutely sure that there was already a contract waiting for her classy signature in the upper drawer of that smarty woman’s desk. ‘I need my beauty sleep because this face looks hella gorgeous for a reason. You should try it too instead of those cheap products you use.’

Joohyun almost burst into giggles at Gangnam girl’s sassy reply while she was packing her stuff paying extra attention to her energy bars and water bottles just in case the simulation turned out to be more tiring than they’d thought. Not to mention that there was always a slight chance of them not being able to come back to the closed area until this whole thing was over. She couldn’t be careless even though she was finally satisfied and full of confidence now that she found someone who wasn’t a real match for her. 

‘Come on! We’re teammates, don’t you remember?’ Wendy tried to reason as she pulled the blanket off of daddy’s princess throwing the soft textile onto the carpet. She put her hands onto her waist, flames dancing in her eyes, then kicked the wooden frame of the bed three times to got Sooyoung’s attention. She was scary in her own, warm-hearted way. ‘I won’t leave you here, so get your shit together and get up before I stop asking you nicely.’

After a few more grumpy moans, Sooyoung finally realized that she had no other choice left but to follow Wendy’s orders and the fact only made her already irritating personality worse as if it was possible. She changed her clothes with utter care regardless of the pressure that her roommates failed to put on her shoulders then made a high ponytail and also applied some dark blue eyeshadow just to get on their nerves. If Wendy hadn’t insisted on cooperation so badly, Joohyun would have left the room by then without regret washing over her. She had to admit, the redhead seemed to be a strong ally against the others. She needed Wendy’s fearless attitude - at least, until she didn’t find someone better.

When Sooyoung finally finished wasting their precious time with unnecessary things like searching for the world’s sweetest perfume in her flower patterned dressing case or putting a bedside lamp on the threshold to hold up the door that had constantly closed itself while she’d tried to take her bags out, she burst out of the room acting as their leader that boiled both of the girls’ blood. While the redhead’s face became a light shade of crimson, Joohyun’s nails dug crescents deep into her palms.

‘How dares she! That little piece of s…,’ she started with clenched teeth, a wide vein pulsing on her neck. She was more than furious but then she noticed a familiar object on Sooyoung’s bedside table and it cut the air out of her lungs. It was the same, neutral bracelet she had on her left wrist, the one that could open most of the doors in their accomodation along with some others outside of the building. It was more than a nice accessory which made it hard to believe that anyone - including daddy’s little princess too - would actually leave something as important as their master key behind. Yet, it was laying on the bedside table therefore Joohyun chose to take advantage of Sooyoung’s dense personality and put the accessory into her pocket with a satisfied smile playing on her lips. For the first time since they crossed the dorm’s threshold, she was happy to be in the same team as the Gangnam girl.

It took the Psychology major a whole minute to catch up with her roommates but eventually, her shoulder crashed into Wendy’s who greeted her with the same smile she had done barely twenty minutes ago. She didn’t care why the other girl was late, the only thing that mattered was Joohyun finding them in the middle of the mess. For the rest of the way, they stuck together as if they were indeed each other’s best chance although a part of Joohyun knew that without Wendy’s maternal instincts, the redhead would have never stayed by their side. As sad as it sounded, they were both useless - while Joohyun couldn’t help her win, Sooyoung was a real pain in the ass.

‘Holy Versace! Where is it? Aish. It’s supposed to be here!’ the Gangnam girl in her perfect leather jacket, ripped jeans and high heels combo cried out, lips trembling in agony. She looked devastated as if she was fighting with tears and for an ephemeral moment Joohyun almost felt sorry for her. ‘I must left it in my room. It has to be there!’ she came to a conclusion as her left fist crashed into her right palm.

Sooyoung gave her bag to Wendy paying no attention to the number of those bags the girl had already carried then turned her back on them and rushed back to her room regardless of the redhead’s opposition. If one could kill with a single glance, Miss Better Than Everyone Else would have been dead by now.

Wendy’s struggle was obvious, Joohyun could see it in her eyes. She couldn’t decide whether she should have run after her roommate or wait in one place completely clueless therefore she put her weight from one leg to another everytime she made up her mind.

‘Come on! We have to hurry,’ Joohyun cried out wrapping her fingers around the girl’s wrist at the same time as a pastel haired guy grabbed Wendy’s backpack. 

‘Thank God, I’ve found you,’ Namjoon said pulling his dumbfounded girlfriend close to his chest. He was still in his pyjamas as if he had come looking for Wendy as soon as he had gotten out of his bed and a part of Joohyun felt bitter being unable to tear her gaze away from the lovebirds. She was twenty-six, three years older than Wendy, yet she’d never had anyone who would have looked at her the way Namjoon looked at his girl.

Chewing on her lips, Joohyun couldn’t help but to consider herself as the unwanted third wheel in a cheesy relationship therefore she felt truly relieved when Namjoon took two bags out of Wendy’s hands then pulled her towards the exit. Being left behind, the Psychology major’s breathing became heavy that didn’t take her by surprise. Whenever anxiety took control over her body, the symptoms appeared. Yet, as she recognized Seokjin’s calm voice from somewhere behind her back, she had the presence of mind to go after Sooyoung. She had to tell her that she’d found her bracelet. Wendy would have been furious if she had found out that she had taken it on purpose. 

She arrived at their room’s threshold when Gangnam girl threw her blanket onto the ground finding the limited edition lipstick she’d been looking for and the fact only that she had noticed its absence before the bracelet’s pushed Joohyun to her limits. When the corridor seemed completely empty, she closed their room’s door, getting the lamp out of the way. For a few more seconds, she watched Sooyoung who smiled with satisfaction then ran out of the accommodation. 

Jeon Jungkook was one of the last candidates who reached the common area that also meant that he got the ungrateful task to check every single room looking for abandoned fellows. It sucked and was most likely a waste of time but he couldn’t have come up with a proper excuse - as Seulgi did - when Seokjin had asked him to do this little favor for him while he helped the said girl with her belongings. He had to check the girls’ dormitory since the boys’ was already empty. All this trouble for a weak girl and her weak arms.

Fixing both straps of his backpack, Jungkook turned his back on the others with an annoyed face pouting like a child who didn’t get what he wanted. If that idiot roommate of his with his lilac hair and bad attitude hadn’t left his stuff in the way making it impossible for the younger to pack his things, Jungkook would have been the first who made it outside. It was something the engineer would bet his life on unlike on Taehyung’s intentions. That guy was a mystery.

‘You better see that I’m doing this for the team,’ he cursed under his nose reminding himself of all those hidden cameras the company had installed to observe every tiny step they made. He hoped that his cooperative skill was rather an advantage than a negative point written right under his name.

He stood in front of the bathroom’s door knocking on its cool surface when one of the girls ran across the corridor without even noticing his presence. Truth to tell, Jungkook wasn’t any better either since he couldn’t put his finger on the girl’s identity. They were all the same to him with their dark eyes, slim lips and long hairs. They were his rivals, his enemies and those who couldn’t accept the cruel reality were all fools destined to lose. Like Seokjin and his little sister who warned every candidate instead of leaving them behind. If he had been in their shoes, he wouldn’t have bothered with such things.

When he didn’t get any response from the bathroom, Jungkook walked down the corridor kicking an imaginary rock as if he had been on the street near to his family’s home. They lived in the suburbs in a small rooftop house, a flickering lamp pose guiding their way after a rough day at work. Because if there was something Sooyoung was actually right about, it was this place being everything his parents couldn’t afford but Jungkook was ready to change their fate.

As his steps died in front of the double room, the boy found it amusing that its owners had spent a couple of minutes to make the beds arranging the sheets and the blankets that he’d left alone as messy as it’d become while he was sleeping.

‘What a waste of time,’ he said tilting his head to right as he swallowed an inappropriate laughter and let his hand fall back to his side. One room was down and another had left to go.

Scratching his nape out of boredom, it took him six tiny steps and two annoyed sighs to reach the next room on the opposite side of the hallway. Unlike the other, this one wasn’t exactly clean nor empty - creasy sheets on the floor, bedside lamp broken and a girl with her back leaning against the wall - but the fact that Park Sooyoung was the one playing with the handle as if she’d had all the time in the world didn’t get the boy in the mood to play the selfless teammate. He stopped only for a mere minute to check the place behind her figure through the transparent door before he continued his way back to the common area.

Sooyoung didn’t understand what was happening but one thing was for sure, she couldn’t open the damn door without her bracelet. Fucking high-tech security. And that idiot, ugly, little accessory was nowhere to be found.

‘Hello! As you can see, I’m still here! Open the stupid door!’ she screamed into the void addressing her disrespectful words to no one in particular. She was mad at the company, their programme and the simulation that had started way too early for her liking. She prefered long naps and lazy mornings over hectic tasks out of nowhere and also liked her hot americano served with cold milk and sugar before she got out of bed. If only her father hadn’t insisted on putting her onto the list of the candidates! She would have been one of their employees by now.

She snorted when a dark shadow came across her view forcing her gaze to stick on the young boy whom she had called a charity case not so long ago. His features were kind of cute although tiredness dug itself into his appearance not to mention his clothes that were too cheap for Sooyoung’s taste. She hated the idea of begging for a poor guy’s help yet she tugged on the handle with all her might to got Jungkook’s attention. As awful as it sounded, she needed him. Well, his help to get her a girl who could have opened the door to be precise.

‘Hey, you! Help me!’ she screamed over and over again until her throat went dry and the saliva started to taste like iron in her mouth. A part of her - to the Gangnam girl’s honest surprise - was eager to prove her father wrong showing him that she was capable of passing the tests yet it would have been so easy to give up, throwing a tantrum as she always did. Last summer, she’d gotten a new car after she’d cried her eyes out in public. Getting the coolest job on Earth should have been as easy as pie.

When the girl’s hand flinched, Jungkook’s sank into his pockets, his brows knitted to each other with a strange mixture of confusion and annoyance. After all those things the Gangnam girl had said, he would have rather burnt his hands than carrying her designer bags full of unnecessary items like her expensive perfumes and golden accessories. He rolled his eyes then turned his back on the girl, walking back to the common area. By the time his sneakers crossed the dining room, everyone else was outside.

Sooyoung screamed when the boy disappeared and her knees turned into jelly as she fell onto the ground. She was trembling with rage meanwhile her hands slid down the glass leaving some dirty lines behind. She couldn’t believe that no one came back to rescue her when she was everything a guy could look for. She was beautiful and wealthy. Everyone desired a piece of her time. 

‘Screw you! Screw you all!’ she whispered under her nose as the first teardrop fell onto her light blue jeans. Her knuckles became white when she clenched both of her shaking palms. The glass felt cold against her skin although Sooyoung’s forehead was burning as if desperation could have literally set her on fire.

But as it was bound to be, eventually the flames of her rage and sorrow died off followed by a couple of salty tears, tiredness sucking out all of the Gangnam girl’s energy. By the time she quitted playing with the handle, her eyes became heavy walking on the edge of falling asleep. Yet, her entire body twitched when the clock finally hit the next hour and the super modern building ran out of juice. As the silence melted into the darkness, Sooyoung felt nothing but loneliness.

Jungkook on the other hand was surrounded with people as his arm leaned against the door that had shut behind his back. He was panting although he couldn’t have been happier as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, smiling like an idiot. After all, he had done it! Regardless of Seokjin’s tiresome orders, he’d indeed completed the first phase and had gotten out of the dorm within their limited period of time. Thus unlike daddy’s little princess who had made a mockery out of his financial state in front of everyone, Jungkook was still in the game.

‘Hah! Who’s the pitiful now?’ he asked in a voice so faint that his question was barely above a whisper. He didn’t mean to be rude since that kind of behaviour wasn’t exactly his cup of tea but he hated when someone looked down on him simply because he couldn’t afford expensive clothes and fancy dinners and Sooyoung’s failure truly pleased his soul. It felt as if the universe had been in balance once again giving a little piece of bread back to those who worked hard enough to earn its kindness.

He sat down on the stairs far away from the others who were busy to find out what was this situation all about and what could have been the next task on the company’s list. If he had heard correctly, the guy in the fullcap insisted on staying in one place while the young heir of the Park family wanted to keep going. Considering the disfuncional public lighting, he personally was on Jimin’s side although Hoseok was right about the risks of an unknown area. If the scientists were measuring their abilities in emergency, sooner or later they had to make some tough decisions or else they would lose.

‘Is everybody here?’ Seokjin asked after he tousled his sister’s hair, sending her an encouraging smile. He stood up from the base of the nearest lamp pose then looked around in the dark, observing the groups that had been formed during the mess.  Other than Jungkook, Yoongi was the only one who didn’t look for unnecessary company as he was sitting on his own a few metres from the wall. He stared back at the younger with his characteristic, emotionless gaze although when their eyes finally met, he was the one who turned away.

Jungkook snorted before he leaned his head against the concrete facing the bottom of the first floor’s balcony. What could he say, even a blind person could have told that he tried to avoid Seokjin’s question on purpose.

‘Sooyoung’s still missing,’ one of the girls declared out of the blue and to Jungkook’s honest surprise, there was concern in the smooth velvet of her voice as if she had been truly worried about the gossip girl with her unbearable attitude. Putting his weight onto both of his elbows, Jungkook looked at the redhead ever so confused, brows knitted to each other with disbelief. ‘She left something in our room so she ran back and…’ she rambled and her hands were living their own lives as they fidgeted with the hem of her tee.

It didn’t take long, the boy lost his interest in no time even though his gaze stuck on the scene when Seokjin shot a disappointed glance at him. Jungkook gulped when the older managed to decipher the details and caught him red-handed. Both of his ears became tomato red the moment Seokjin’s shoulders tensed up, nails digging into his own flesh.

‘You’re right,’ Jungkook agreed on the fact that Sooyoung had gone back to her room in order to find something really precious although he truly doubted that anything in that damn place could have been more valuable than the contracts they were all fighting for. He rolled his eyes at the thought then stood up and walked towards the biggest group including Wendy and Seokjin. ‘She seemed pretty busy even asking for my help to carry her stuff.’

He stopped right in front of the girl after all it was her whom he was talking to. Then he took a deep breath as if he could have sucked some confidence out of the cool air.

‘And?’ 

‘And as you can see, she ran out of time,’ he replied as he crossed his arms in front of his chest that was bouncing like crazy. He couldn’t let a girl make him unsure of himself, he couldn’t let her put all the blame on him when Sooyoung was the one who had chosen an object over their task. Jungkook lifted his chin up with a loud snort before he continued. ‘I’m not her puppet, it’s not my problem.’

And not my fault either, a tiny voice added whispering in his head.

‘You selfish little…’ Wendy screamed pointing at the boy’s back when he was ready to leave. If Namjoon hadn’t wrapped his arms around her petite figure, she would have surely gone after Jungkook to punch him in the face.

‘He’s right,’ a deep voice said on the boy’s right and Jungkook didn’t really know how to feel about Taehyung’s statement. It was true that he felt grateful for him for taking his side but it didn’t change the fact that something was off with him. A person like the guy with the lilac hair, a person who acted all mysterious meant no good. In Jungkook’s opinion, he could have been more dangerous than the guy with his Computer Science degree and gaze as cold as ice. ‘It’s a competition. We’re better off without her.’

Taehyung’s claim was followed by dead silence. No one could find the right words to say hence no one dared to speak. And it was worse than any lecture Jungkook had ever gotten.

➼  chapter III. 

[jhaymyneutron]

6 years ago, I experienced my biggest failure, or what I thought to be the biggest. I failed a subject that wouldnt let me stay in the course that I was in during that time. I was so depressed that things werent going the way i wanted it to be. It wasnt how i planned it in my mind.

Failing that subject means that I will be having a hard time shifting to the course that i really wanted to be in. (i was in nursing that time, and I planned to shift to PT in the same university) No one will take a Transcript with a singko. Well, atleast that college in the university that i was in. I had zero idea on what to do with my life, I had nothing for myself. I can no longer stay in nursing because I cant proceed with the cut off system because i had 1 singko (also i really didnt want to lol) I only had 2 choices, either I shift to another course that is not PT or leave my dream university and pursue PT in a different school. I didnt like both so I didnt do anything. I was a mess.

Some would say, if you dont want to leave that university then you shouldve just shifted in another course.

My 2 cents:

Nursing wasnt my cup of tea and I failed because no matter how hard i try to study, things werent just working out for me. It isnt just for me exactly.

Therefore, if i chose to go to another one that i didnt like to be in, in the first place, then I wouldve just repeated the same story but im just in a different uniform.

and so I told my parents, I needed a break. I wanted to find myself and think about what i really want to do. I stopped attending college for a year. But i never heard anything dull from my parents. They just smiled at me and said “go ahead. Do what you need to do”

For a year, I did things for myself. Things happened. I had a roller coaster ride of unexpected scenarios, that luckily I was present and I was able to cover for it because I was on a hiatus. A lot of times i felt useless and “patapon” in that 365 days but there are days that I suddenly realize, aside from trying to find myself, I took a hiatus for some unknown reasons and it was already showing up one by one.

Failing and reflecting was new to me, I realized i felt so entitled even when i dont deserve it. Ive been living as a “what i see is what i get” and it wasnt healthy for me, not even for everyone.

The thing is, UST is my dream school and I dont want to leave UST, but also I couldnt stay. Ive been so stubborn, and it only gave me heartaches because what i want wont always work. I’ve reflected so much, and I asked myself a hundred times, will I really just let myself have this heartache, randomly cry at night and think that im not good enough? When I already have the answer in front of my face and all i have to do is explore new environment and have the courage to take it? And so i left.

I went to a school that i never saw, in a place that i was trying to avoid my whole life because it is damn far. But what kept me going? I started with a boring and uninteresting days, weeks and months in this school. But eventually, i met the most welcoming and undesrtanding people in my life. I had this genuine happiness that I wasnt able to get in my former school, in here, I felt that I belong. Professors were accomodating and remembers our name, even asks us how were doing everyday in the hallways. It was more than a community.

After 4 years, I never failed saying “buti nalang lumipat ako” “i went through all those sad times, to get this super saya experience with the realest barkada”. I met people who accepted me not because they were just simply open but because they feel the same. I even met someone who gave me so much to remember, crazy. Funny twists of fate.

Exactly a year ago. I failed a subject. For the first time in 4 years. One subject that held me in becoming an intern. One subject that separated me from my friends. I cried upon getting the results of my exams. The first time my friends saw me cry, i was bawling my eyes and pouring my heart out in the quiet halls of UG. I was crying, not because I failed, but because i cannot picture myself telling my parents that I failed one subject. I am ashamed to be giving them another burden, when im already at the age of giving them the life they deserve.

I cried and cried, until i finally gave my mom a call. I was nervous, but I had to do it.

“Hello?” My mom answered. I was crying silently and cannot utter a word. “Hello? Jhaymy?” i sniffed a of couple times and my mom figured out i wasnt okay. “Bakit ka umiiyak?” I was biting my tongue while i was sitting in the corner of an empty hallway. I couldnt talk but my mom didnt forced me, she was just at the other line listening silently while im crying. Finally, I told my mom “ma.... sorry. Bumagsak ako ng isang subject” i started letting my mom hear my cry. I kept saying sorry that i couldnt count it anymore. I heard my mom telling my dad why i was crying. My dad simply shouted for me to hear. “Okay lang yon!!!! Isa lang yon!” My mom got mad at, because i kept saying sorry “tigilan mo yang kaka sorry mo. Okay lang yon!!! Wag ka na umiyak jan. Okay lang yon, umuwi ka na wag ka na umiyak jan”, my sisters overseas called me and said “its okay, its normal” “but ate, i want to help you in providing already” “jhaymy, its okay. Kaya pa namin. Dalawa kami. Mag aral ka muna mabuti at okay lang yan. Okay lang kami”.

Months passed, i bid goodbye to my friends and sent them to internship, i felt sad but I realized I wasnt ready. I dont know anything. My supposed to be patients doesnt deserve me. I know nothing. And when I repeated another year, I understood everything. I asked myself where I was the whole time the other year. Totally absent minded.

When i went for another year, i met different people. People whom i never thought Id vibe with. My 4th year season 2, gave me so much learnings, and gave me a chance to build new friendships. This year, I met someone who gave me a different vibe. You know who you are, and if youre reading this im probably gonna be shy, but oh well im just stating facts. Never had the chance to say this to you but, thank you. You made me think that im not always the wrong one and that i was patient. Thanks for letting me have a crush on you hahahahahaha i dont know how long this will take but youre really hard to forget hahahahahahah. Bye. And so if i didnt take another year, I wouldnt have met this great person and i have never been more thankful.

My last cent, whatever happens, it happens for a reason. You may not instantly know why it had to, but one day you will be able to say why it did. And you will smile like a fool for realizing that you took a different way somewhere over the years. but finally, you came in to the perfect place.

[bonetrader]

Unusual RPG combinations

I like to tinker with mixing and matching rpg settings and systems. I will try to collect the ones I'm most fascinated with. I haven't found the opportunity to actually try any of these combinations, but I guess it doesn't hurt to put them out there in case someone finds any of them interesting.

Shadowrun redux

Setting: Shadowrun

System: Blades in the Dark

I adore Shadowrun. It takes all the bleakness of reality, amplifies it, but also mixes it with a lot of magic and wonder. And if you read the books selectively, even with hope.

But playing it can get convoluted, especially if your group is prone to overplan. And we know that plans always go sideways. There's no such thing as a milk run. Spending an hour on planning can be annoying in itself. But it's extra painful if it has to be thrown out the window in the first five minutes of execution.

Enter Blades in the Dark that instead of planning ahead encourages to use flashbacks on the spot to reveal how you prepared in advance to get past an obstacle. That makes pulling off daring heists a lot more easier for the players. Infiltration is way less stressful on the player if they can make up any forged backstory on the go, and do a flashback to make sure it's believable. There's still some minimal planning, but it's practically just setting the starting scene of the run. You don't have to specify anything beyond that.

The concept of crew from Blades also fits nicely with Shadowrun. It can tell the GM what kind of runs the players prefer, and gives the players the ability tospecialize their team. Blades was created for a different level of technology and magic. But it mainly focuses on the hierarchy of the criminal underground, and that translates easily even to a modern world. So I expect the same crews to work with Shadowrun, but more thematic options could be added to tie it closer to the sixth world.

The concept of hunting grounds should be reconsidered. In Blades it means a specific neighbourhood the characters are more familiar with and usually target. In Shadowrun it makes more sense to make it a specific scenery they usually operate in. For example it could be a specific megacorporation they often go up against, or a type of gang that's common in the sprawls they operate in.

Blades also offers a nice subsystem for handling reputation, growth, notoriety, and even stress and trauma between runs. Incorporating a specific vice for each PC also seems completely in line with Shadowrun's concept.

The biggest difference will be in character creation. Blades' system is more abstract than Shadowrun's. In Blades you have to pick a specific playbook for your character. I think that's OK. While Shadowrun allowed building characters skill by skill, it always encouraged working toward specific archetypes like face, rigger, or adept. Your playbook determines your starting stats, but you can still somewhat specialize it. Blades also allows crossing from a playbook to a new one, but that's long term character advancement.

Adding some elements of Shadowrun might not be trivial. Spirits could be more or less handled as the ghosts in Blades. But magic and technology would have to be specifically addressed. Some of it could be treated like fluff, making it mechanically irrelevant whether your efforts are more effective because of training, because of an implant, or because you are infusing them with magic. But at least mages, riggers and deckers would probably need their own playbooks.

Twisted Houses of the Drow

Setting: any fantasy setting with drows, but I have a specific campaign idea for Spelljammer

System: Houses of the Blooded

This is a re-skin of Houses of the Blooded. The ven and the drow have different values and cultures, but I think they share a similar style. Decadence and intrigue runs deep in their societies. I'd replace the virtues (attributes) of the original game with corresponding vices. And each vice would be linked to a drow god instead of the totem animals of the original game.

Instead of the romance mechanic there would be rivalry. It would work the same way, just with a different flavour. Drows could pick someone as a rival, driving each other to greater feats. Instead of creating art drows could develop schemes. Same as the art mechanic. The scheme could give a bonus to those it was shared with. Seasons, regions, holdings, and blessings would have to be reworked, but I think renaming them would be enough in most cases.

My campaign idea is for a group of drow renegades employed by the elven admiralty as covert agents. They would be sent for long term infiltration missions to places where surface elves are not welcome. Each of them would have an affiliation with a drow god as well, and each would have their own hidden agenda. It might even work if not all characters are drows. I could imagine one or two elf, half-elf, or shapeshifter mixed in.

If I ever got to it seasons of the campaign would include: Building up a career of piracy in space (remember, Spelljammer) to get on the good side of a notorious and elusive pirate king, and lead the elven navy to its hideout. Instead of holdings the players could manage trade routes they raid, and their ships. Another would be infiltrating a drow city to stop an invasion. I think this would be the closest to the original Houses game. And finally I'd drop them in a mission to arrive as inmates to Elfcatraz, the secret prison of the admiralty (named by one of my players) to find out who's really in control there.

Around Cerilia in 80 days

Setting: Birthright

System: Primetime adventures

This one is kind of cheating, because Primetime adventures is quite setting-independent. So I rather mean it's a better fit for the kind of stories I'd like to run in this setting.

Birthright's setting works on a comprehensible scale for me. Most fantasy worlds have gigantic continents with dozens of large countries. They are too large for me, and I end up with a vast countryside where everything's the same for weeks to go. But Birthright has a small continent, maybe more like a large island with five distinct cultural regions. And each of those regions have a dozen provinces, each province described with its own flavor. It's not complicated, but colorful.

I guess it was done this way to accomodate the strategy aspect of Birthright that was one of its main features. While the concept of ruling provinces sounds great, the setting really makes me want to have a game about just travelling through this world. Not with adventurers, but rather with tourists, merchants, travelers who are going there to see a foreign place, or do business with the locals, and not just to explore a dungeon that happens to be there.

Ever since I saw the Roman Mysteries TV series I've been particularly fascinated with the idea of having a bunch of kids as player characters who are brought along by one's aunt/uncle on business trips to foreign lands, and get into trouble there. For example a trip from a frontier barony to the capital city, traveling through the woods of wary elves, then sailing down the river, stopping in a few more interesting port. Or a journey to the magnificent kingdoms in the east, although there are many perils both natural, and man-made on the way.

Thinking in Primetime adventures terms each province or city could be a separate episode. And the peculiarities of the place could be used to decide which character's spotlight episode should happen there.

Even domains of awnshegh (people and animals infected by the power of a dead god of darkness, becoming "monsters") don't have to be off limits. Some of them were quite sociable, and even more ruled over people whose perspective could be interesting.

Crown of Wings

Setting: Council of Wyrms

System: Birthright's domain management

Council of Wyrms focuses on playing dragons from various clans who work together. Despite the central role of the council, and the politics between the dragon clans, Council of Wyrms didn't touch much on the actual politics and realm management. It was the same AD&D, just scaled up to dragon PCs.

But I think there's so much more potential in the setting. I could easily imagine dragons ruling the land, managing guilds, and churches, and building out ley line networks to cast spells affecting whole realms. So everything that Birthright's system offered.

The setting isn't fully fleshed out, but it lets us fill in the land with fantastic locations. Some cities and towns were mentioned at unusual places, full of various races. So players could run wild with ideas when they create their own domain. Should their be trade routes with a merfolk city, and underwater ley lines? Absolutely. Could there be a church based on promoting the halfling lifestyle? Why not?

And then there's the Council. Domain Power could determine the character's status in it. Regency Points, and Gold Bars could be used as bargaining chips.

But what should be its purpose? I have seen enough of the trope of warring factions who have to be unified against some common threat, maybe with a traitorous faction thrown in the mix. I mean it makes for a fine story, but I'm getting a little tired of it. This time I'd rather see a council as a way to trade, to exchange ideas, and to help everybody improve their own clan. It doesn't make for a strong narrative, but I think it's a more positive message overall.

I think the biggest restriction in the setting is that dragon clans are too homogenic. Like, each clan consists of just one kind of dragon. That doesn't help in putting together a game with diverse characters. The original game concept solved that by making the PCs agents of the Council who may come from various clans.

For a more political game we could introduce mixed clans. So the characters could be part of the same clan, while still coming from various places. Maybe they are outcasts or survivors who created their own clan. Or maybe their clan was open minded, and was located in a central place, so it naturally lead to it becoming more diverse.

Or we could say that they are from different clans, but their clans are neighbours and allies of each other. At least if you're like me, and you don't want to set the players up for PvP by putting them to opposing sides of a clan feud.

Custom Quest

Setting: Your long-running campaign

System: Fiasco

I think any campaign that went on for a while should be an easy source for creating a Fiasco playset for a one-time play. Fiasco is about nobodies trying to pull off something bigger than they are. It's about petty people, and half-baked ideas going wrong. And while that might still sound like your average adventurer party, here we know they can't win. They will be lucky if they don't end up in a lot worse situation they started in.

For convenience I will refer to the PCs of the original campaign as heroes. It's okay if they are not actual heroes. That happens pretty often. But they had the greatest influence on the campaign this one shot is based on, so we have to heavily rely on them.

So the player characters in this one-shot are probably just background noise in the original campaign. I think this is a great way to explore how the actions of the heroes might affect the common people in unexpected ways. Objects driving the character dynamics could be things the heroes brought back, created, or just used in a memorable moment. Maybe an artifact they sold off is making its rounds on the blackmarket, and someone sees an opportunity in it. Or evidence surfaced that could incriminate one of the heroes.

And it's not just Objects. Their shenanigans might have brought the unwanted attention of a powerful cult to the city. Or the local barkeep loathes the heroes because they trashed his place one too many times. And he's just looking for some idiots to exact his revenge. Really, just look for whomever the heroes might have ever slighted or aided to get a plethora of petty plots and strange driving forces in the community. This can give you the Needs and Relationships between the player characters.

Locations could be places well known by the players, preferably close to a place the heroes frequent. The heroes, and the more memorable NPCs could give some enjoyable cameos. And finally they could become part of the Tilt table to turn a bad situation worse in the middle of the game.

[kapanbenernya]

Path of Exile -- Daddy Diablo’s Little Hellspawn

 Do you remember Diablo? If you're a guy that's been playing the PC when LAN was still the best method to play together since the internet is still an undependable piece of shit it was before puberty hit it hard and turned it into digital cocaine, you probably do. That's right, how can you forget about Blizzo's isometric dungeon crawler? I still remember my first hit of Diablo II, it was in the computer lab of my middle school. I never tried it again since until my college days, when me and my 3 friends basically rushed through the story in 3 days straight, all while cramped together in a 3 x 4 metres room. I'll spare you the gnarly details, but one of them involved laying my legs on the bathroom floor just to make some room.

So, um, let me change the topic here: Do you LIKE Diablo? Well if you remember it and are still playing it's sequels to this day, I'd say you do. And you know who else likes Diablo?

These guys!

That's right, they like Diablo so much they made their own Diablo. They cloned Diablo, mutated its genes and gave birth to their own brand of grindy isometric RPG: Path of Exile and Torchlight, respectively. 

I've actually played Torchlight before, the first and the second. The first one was very simple: 1 town, 2 pets, 3 classes, and like, a billion enemies. The second one was more fleshed out with more towns, more classes, but I didn't like it as much as the first. I liked the first one because it doesn't try to emulate Diablo that much. It's got a more laid back cartoony style, which sets it apart from the competition because it's always demonic horrors with these kind of games. Don't wanna swing too far from under Daddy Diablo's hairy ballsack, eh guys?

That's about all I can say about Torchlight, so let's change gears and finally talk about Path of Exile.

Story is, you are a criminal of some sort in a city that seems to be filled exclusively by pompous assholes, and your sentence is --you guessed it-- being the person that rubs the King's left ballsack until it shines. Of course you fucking don't, it's exile. You are sent away into the wilderness before you stain all the marble and rugs with your filthy criminal hands. So on your way. the boat you are sent on shipwrecks because God feels like karma's been to slow these days and he wants to take control once in a while. You then awaken in the land of Wraeclast, filled to the brim with criminals, monsters, and other undesirables you might think of. And so begins your journey to find your path. As an exile. The Path of Exile, if you will (BOOM TITLE DROP). 

And that's about all the story you need. For the rest of them, you can make an effort and click on the NPCs. If you do want to bother yourself by reading all the flavor text you can access in the game, you will actually find a quite decent story of the city, the culture, their gods and progenitors, and why everything is fucked the way it is now. I personally couldn't be bothered because I know it’s going to be the same shit over and over again. In fact, let me summarize everything for you, the plot is basically "Everything's gone to shit, there’s demons everywhere, oh God somebody do something”. That's my mantra for the story of Diablo, and it works fine enough with PoE. Now let's talk mechanics

I promise you, this is where the section where the game shines anyway

Now I'm not gonna go into the details here because almost everyone knows the general mechanics of isometric RPGs: you click around to move, attack, use skills, pickup items, drop items, initiate conversations, end conversations, open loot, pay respects, and so much more. What I'm going to discuss is the one thing that I think is the unique selling point of PoE, which is the Skill Gems. In PoE, the skills are not tied to your class or level or any skill tree, it's tied only to the aforementioned skill gem. To equip a skill, you have put the skill gem into a socket in the equipment in accordance to their color: red, green, or blue. So if you happen to unequip an item with a skill gem, the skill becomes inactive and you can't use it. To me, this is a game changer since it changes the way you look at weapons and armors from the old traditional way. The old way was that the higher the number equals better weapon or armor and usually it's the one you want. But in PoE, this might not be the case since the skill system is tied to the equipment. And here comes the part where you have to think hard. Let's say you found some cool new bling to wear with higher numbers than the one you have, so naturally you wanna equip it right away, right? But what about the gem slots? The colors? The gem links? Does it accomodate your build? How about element resistances? Is it an armor armor or an evasion armor? It makes you choose between the mystic plate mail made out of virgin tears with a measly single slot or the plain white T-shirt with 6 linked slots. It's like making you consider going out in a Lamborghini that'll turn all the ladies' heads or a minivan because it can fit more whores.

While you're thinking about that, let me give you another headache: the passive skill tree.

Intimidating, isn’t it?

This is the reason why I decided against playing the game when I first heard about it from my friend. I can’t give you the numbers because I couldn’t find the total number of all the passive skills on the internet. And I think it’s a testament to how utterly ridiculous it is! I mean the internet’s got all kinds of information, so the fact that the total number isn’t available means that no one can be bothered to count them all. And you know that internet nerds would do anything just to get any semblance of productivity and sense of self-worth. Oh whatever, it’s not the numbers I’m here to talk to you about, because in the long run the numbers aren’t important. The important one is the passive build. If you’re not familiar, a build in RPG is kind of like a template or a preset that you plan in accordance to how you want your character to be. Or in other words, building your character. In the case of Path of Exile, your build is about taking the right passive skills that supports the active skills you want to use. Now that you know what a build is, here’s an advice to save you from tears: pick a build before you play. Well ok, maybe you’re a veteran RPG player or you just wanna go in blind and improvise (like me), but how about you think again? There are about 100+ passive skill nodes you can take from the God-knows-how-many are available, not to mention the active skills you’d want to use. I mean the numbers alone are terrifying, how about the synergy between the passives and the actives? What if you want to change your active skills and the passives are no longer compatible? Should you take the health node or an offensive node? How about the special nodes that grants you unique abilities? Would you like to invest in the socket node that buffs your skill gem?

OH GOD OH LORD MAKE IT STOP

So far I've listed the mechanics and the happenings of the game. So here's the last thing on my checklist before I draw my conclusion: do I enjoy it? 

Well, here's the part where it starts going sideways.

On my playthrough, of course I decide to go at it with my friend, since these dungeon crawlers are kind of made to be played that way. My friend told me to search for a build guide, but I decided I'm gonna be a brave boy and go blind on this character. For a while, we journeyed together, slayed together, get slayed together, and fought over the loot together. Then I went offline for several days and came back to find my friend had continued grinding for those days. The power gap had become too much of a difference to the point he coudn't flex his arms without a monster dying somewhere in the vicinity, and that's already after the party nerf. Turns out the stat nerf doesn't mean that much shit when he's already got most of the endgame skill jewels. So there I was just picking up the loot while he's busy mowing down the enemies. The most helpful thing I could do was cast a debuff spell to curse the enemies (as if they aren't helpless enough already). And it is in that moment that I thought to myself, "How am I anymore useful than the golem following his ass around?". It is at that moment where I stopped taking the game and its fancy ass skill tree seriously and just go at it for shits and giggles.

But of course, being a credible man of high-credibility and redundancy, it would be unfair to judge the game based on my experience with my friends. I mean how would I know that my friend didn't ruin the game for me? He turned me into a vestigial golem for fuck's sake, and I'd bet your ass that wasn't the intended game experience! (I mean maybe, I didn't check if there's a fucking build for that). I went off to set out on a lonely journey of my own; alone and without any companions 

ok I'll stop with the redundancy thing, I promise

So I made a new character to test out the game unhindered by my friends only to have it backfire on me because after half an hour of playing alone, all I can feel is the grind. I mean it made sense, at least when I'm with my friends I can still chat and crack jokes with each other. Take the social aspect away and in comes the grind, just like real life.

So finally I gave up on the new character and I'm about to give up on the game entirely. Or at least that was the plan until my friend suggested to take a look at my sloppily made character. 10 mins after he looked at my build, he told me that I got a lot of things wrong and that I'm a fucking waste of human life. He then proceeds to tell me which passives to get, which skills to throw away, and gave me his hand-me-downs. Afterwards, I took my optimized guy for a test drive, and I found out that he performs a lot better than before. And that's when the game feels great for me. No longer am I dead after I brushed elbows with a monster, and no longer do I have to spend 3 minutes to clear a normal enemy mob. It turned my dungeon crawl into my dungeon one way bullet train to Funtown. The grind feels less grindy, and that's about all I can ask for because I'm starting to enjoy the game proper. Or at least that was the case until I beat the final boss and my friends introduced me to the endgame content. I went in confident as hell, and I ended up getting 1 hit-KO’d once more. No. That’s too much. This has been an uphill struggle from the start and now that I’ve reached the peak, my reward is another mountain to scale. So no thanks buddies, I’m fully content with THIS mountain peak, it’s a good enough place for me to throw myself off the cliff.

In Brief

There's no easier way for me to summarize PoE. It always goes back to the Diablo comparison, so the conclusion is: if you like Diablo, I'm 90% sure that you'll like this one. The other 10% however depends solely on your tastes, and the differences lie in the skill gems and the passive tree which is the 2 things that defines PoE. Here's the cliffsnotes to help you with your decision so you can get on your way. If you think Diablo is too simple and you want a creative challenge in creating a build that feels unique to you, go get PoE. If you like Diablo as is and you think that the skill gem and passive tree appeals only to maniacs whose wrists should be broken with pipe wrenches for their own good, I'd suggest you buy an expensive mobile phone and keep your credit card nearby.

The one thing I learnt from this is that it's all about optimisation. It's either you go all-in and find the best build, skill, and equips or you'd better off not playing the game at all, because all that's left is the grind and pain. And fuck me if grind and pain is what passes for fun these days. Cause if it does, then I fear for the humans of the future and how they're gonna have to find a way to eat spaghetti with their ball-gag still on.

15/4/2019

[cawcawpeasants]

Hey! I would like to ask for some Vermillion and Silva headcannons if the families were living in a modern world and maybe for the Black Bulls too? If it's not to much! Thanks!

Thanks for the ask, I will give it my best! :D

Mereoleona: Maybe in the Military, but she would also be awesome as a chef or sous chef in a high class restaurant. I could see her in a workplace thats a bit more secluded, as she doesnt like the fuss politics and economie bring with them. She owns a harley, next to a more practical jeep, and she loves to spend her vacations by making tours on her baby. She also loves Leatherjackets. In her free time she participates in Kickboxing-classes, sometimes even teaching the class when the instructor doesnt show up. Her house is full with weights and she has two maine coon cats (called Simba and Nala, because, even though shed rather die than to admit it, she loves the Lion king and never got over Mufasas death. She quietly checked up on Leon and her father when she couldnt sleep to make sure they were fine and still there)

Leon: He would make a great trainer for a famous team, whatever kinda sport. He probably would take over the familys business, though. It would fit, if their family has something to do with sports equipment. But actually, he is the perfect man for the job of police captain or higher up. Also much political influence, give due to his lineage. Before working he graduated from Law school and is an certificated Lawyer. He is also big on saving animal and helps fighting for their rights in his free time, especially big cats.

Leo: still in school, but he aspires to be like his bro. Hes great in Sports of all kind, and even the Captain of the soccer team. Apart from that he plays tennis, basketball, does judo, rows, and if you would place him on top of a horse he would even manage that. He still lives at home, but he is over at Leons so often that he has Keys, some stuff stored in a closet and the Pull-out couch is also always reserved for him.

Mimosa: Also still in school, wants to become a doctor since she was 5. She is pretty grown up, even for her age, and is a school council member. Sometimes she models for Kirsch, because she still loves him, even though they fight often. She likes to help the underprivileged by tutoring them, this way she met asta, who is a pupil on her sisterschool. 

Kirsch: Hes in college and studys fashion and design. He also works as a model, has gotten a role in a movie and runs his own fashion and make-up brand. (Keeping up with Kirsch is a running Headline in boulevard magazines)

Nozel: He would either make a kick-ass attorney or judge (with customized robes), but also be great as head of a company that has to do with aviary systems, satellites, planes or else. Also he has influence on politics and plans to run as major in the future. He is pretty old fashioned when it comes to his freetime-activities. He collects art, stamps and researches birds in quiet. Sometimes he funds expeditions to discover more about rare species, or integral nature reserves. He also bought many plots of lands, where endangered Birds live, all across the world, because the ongoing destruction of their habitat and their extinction is bothersome to him. He has degrees in law and business and is a wanted Single on the market, a circumstance that has led to him living more and more secluded, in the company of a grey parrot. (it once belonged to his mother and sometimes it would say sentences it copied from her)

Nebra: Nobody knows what Nebra does. Nobody dares to ask. She clouds herself in mist and mysteries. She probably works for the government.

Solid: He goes to college, majors in either business or law, because the family wants him to do that. Actually he is more a partyguy, the typical fratboy. Obviously, the frat is like completely his because Silvas of many generations were members. Also he has a thing for fast silver cars. Nozel hopes he will grow out of this eventually. 

The Bulls: Okay, this one is tough, I have tried to think of a place where a bunch of adults, teens and kids can live together at. So how about they are all neighbors in a House with cheap rent, and over time they formed a big family?

Noelle: She goes to school, and after she was kicked out she emancipated herself. She moved into the Black bull mansion and lives from her allowance. She works as a waitress in the cafe-bar-restaurant on the groundfloor of the building.

Asta: He and Juno both got scholar ships, he especially for his physical abiltys, but the money wasn’t quite enough for an accomodation, so he lives in a small, run down 1-room apartement and also works in the restaurant, but as a bouncer. 

(No, im sure its not legal for minors to work in such a place, but they need the money)

Finral: is a manager and bartender, ran away from home and landed there. After his family got more and more abusive he couldnt stay any longer and nearly ended up as a gigolo, but Yami saved his behind before he could self destruct. He still has the bad habit of flirting with every woman he sees, and hes a day dreamer, but all he wishes for is to find the perfect wife, to have many children and be a stay at home dad. He has a lot of love to give and many holes in his heart to fill. For the time being he is something like the eldest brother of the bulls, and whenever someone has to disappear because some investigations are going on, he knows of many hiding spaces and secret escape-ways.

Vanessa: Also ran way from home because of her abusive mother, is from another country and was found by yami shortly after she ran away. Now she also works as a bartender and sometimes as waitress. She has great talent with sewing, crocheting, making and changing clothes. She takes on jobs on the low from the bulls and other people, she even sells some of her works over the internet.

Gordon: Due to his shyness and anxiety he chose to move into a rather antisocial environment, but got aggressively adopted anyways by the bulls. He makes money as accountant, for the Bulls and over the internet.

Gauche: basically, his story is the same, and after his imprisonment was over hes out on probation) Yami got him a room in the building. Sometimes he works as a bouncer, when they are short on staff, otherwise he works in a library or old book shop. During the nights he takes online classes to graduate from school, so he can one day get a well paying job to provide Mary with all the money she needs to get through live easily.

Magna: Is a punk who got picked up by Yami one day, after he and Luck fought in front of the black bulls base. He works at a local shelter, and plays baseball with kids at the community center. Hes a good guy with a tough demeanor. He also tries to help Yami whenever he can, with whatever he can.

Luck: After his mother died he was sent to a social living community, where his attitude to fight everyone was only strengthend. He ran away after an especially bloody fight and landed on Magnas hometurf. They got into a fight, which woke Yami up, and so he and Magna both ended up living there. Yami said, it was so they could attone for their sin of disturbing his sleep. Luck and Magna share a 2-Room flat, because there weren’t that many 1-room ones left. He works as a courierboy and is known for his quick deliverys, but he also really has a knack for electro-engineering. He plans to graduate, too, someday and to open up his own business.

 Charmy: Nobody exactly knows where Charmy comes from exactly. She just turned up one day after she saw, that the Bulls looked for a chef. She only talks about food, and the bulls understood after a while that she really does not want to talk about her past or family. All they know is that she is smaller than average for her age and that her obsession with food could come from shortages of that in her early life.

Gray: Is a nonbinary youth who ran away and lived on the streets. They like to change their looks, now that they make money by working for the black bulls, often just washing dishes, restocking and such. They are great at adapting to new jobs, if these dont require much human interaction. Also the peptalks from the bulls really help. They also posses a great talent for theater works, such as costume design and make up. If they weren’t so shy they would be a great actor too.

Zora: He is one of those inhabitants that come and go. Mostly hes some kind of lone wolf crusader, some sort of social justice warrior who either helps the poor when he sees them being mistreated or posts videos showing misconduct of upperclass jerks. He has a whole network going on, and often sends his videos to the police or news senders, if he has the feeling, that the law enforcement is sweeping something under the rug. He has a high IQ and is proficient in hacking. His mask is his sign, he always wears it when hes in action.

Yami: He is the son of immigrants, or was an illegal immigrant himself. If that was the case, i can imagine that Julius helped him getting citizen status after Yami stopped a Criminal on the run who just happened to run into his direction, looking dangerous and armed. He either is a Detective (private, not police), a headhunter or probation officer. Could also be a cop. Also he runs the Black Bulls bar, mostly so the inhabitants have a place to work at. 

- The Vermillions main Mansion would be huge, but more modern. Much space, training rooms, sports equipment, Medals, trophys and certificates won in various tournaments of all kinds by Mereo, Fuego and Leo covering a whole room.

-The Silvas Mansion would also be huge, but more in a Victorian ‘This house belonged to our family for generations’style. The colourscheme is cold, lots of Silva, blues and dark wood. Also so many chandeliers. So many. Also the family crest is everywhere. Its a place that could easily become a filmset for a historical movie. 

-They don’t have their name on the Postbox, just the crest. Thats how extra they are about it. (This has also often led to drunk or confused people thinking they are some sort of special church, and then trying to enter the house. These incidents always end with unamused Silvas)

- All the eldest children have moved out of their main Mansions, and live in Flats, Appartments and Mereo in a small house a bit out of the city. They all only come back together for celebrations or in cases of emergencies.

-The Black bulls Castle is officially Julius property, because he has the money and power, also he wants to help his eldest son Yami out. Its a total mess, but the Bulls manage to repair most of it themselves. They love their broken down house so much, the started to call it their castle on the clouds, mostly because it is the biggest building they’ve ever lived in, with more luxury they ever imagined they would ever get to enjoy. 

[razieltwelve]

Memory (Final Rose)

This is set far in the future of a Penny x Ruby x Weiss AU.

X     X     X

“Ma'am, we’re on our final approach to Lumina Prime.”

Penny blinked and then nodded in thanks. There were certain places in the galaxy that always filled her with a sense of nostalgia. This was one of them. It was also home to one of the few entities in the galaxy that could truly understand her.

“Thank you.” She stood. “Please, tell the pilot to open the one of the hatches. I’ll go the rest of the way myself.”

The member of presidential security nodded. “Understood, ma’am. We’ll see you down there.” He paused. “The usual place?”

“Yes.” Her lips twitched. “Although you might be better off waiting for me at the university. He’s never been particularly fond of outsiders.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Take care, ma’am. Let us know if you need anything.”

X     X     X

Penny took a moment to savour the sight before her. Lumina Prime was a truly beautiful world. From low-orbit, she had a perfect view of its pristine oceans, thriving forests, soaring mountains, and rolling plains. Her sensors zeroed in on a particular location: a strip of white sand alongside lush gardens and cosy beach houses.

Firing off a quick burst of data to inform the crew of her intentions, she leapt out of the hatch and then ordered it to close. For a few seconds, she let gravity take hold of her. The planet’s atmosphere glowed against her skin as she picked up speed, but her smile never wavered. She was far, far too durable for anything as minor as atmospheric re-entry to bother her.

Instead, she continued to let herself fall, using only minor adjustments from her inertial manipulators to adjust her trajectory. It was only after she’d dropped below thirty thousand feet that she finally began to slow her descent. The gentle touch of countless sensor sweeps brushed against the edges of her awareness.

This was Lumina Prime, the sacred home of the Dia-Farron. Had she been an enemy, she would have found herself targeted by enough fire power to turn entire solar systems to dust, to say nothing of the cyber-warfare that would have been unleashed. As it was, the descendants of one of her creators simply sent their greetings in the form of happy hamster emojis before informing her that her old friend was already aware of her arrival and was waiting for her at the usual place.

She chuckled. Professor Dia would have been amused by the use of hamster emojis, especially since many of them were of her beloved pet hamster, Professor Cuddles. The most adorable and cuddly of all hamsters had a great many descendants, but Penny had always believed that none of them had ever quite been able to match him.

She twisted in mid-air as she approached the ground, and her inertial manipulators worked in perfect unison with her gravity engines and momentum displacement units to slow her to a complete stop just as her feet touched the perfectly cut grass.

Naturally, that didn’t stop her old friend from sending the equivalent of a glare her way before telling her to get off the damn grass.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Penny allowed herself to float an inch off the grass. The lawnmower’s sensors swept over the grass she’d stepped on briefly before settling on her. She allowed him to check her for any signs of damage. 

He would never admit that he cared, but it was still something he did each time they met. Unlike him, she still took a fairly active role in galactic politics. Damage was therefore a possibility. Anyone who wanted to harm him would have to fight through some of the most powerful defences in the entire galaxy. That wasn’t to say he was helpless. On the contrary, the Dia-Farron and their original creator had seen to it that he was stupidly overpowered to the point that even a standard synthetic would be hard-pressed to dent him, never mind actually destroy him.

Seemingly satisfied by what he saw, the lawnmower trundled toward the beach, signalling for her to follow him. Out of the corner of her optical sensors, she noticed several Dia-Farron children and their friends playing happily on the grass he’d just mowed. The fact that they were making a mess of it didn’t seem to bother him. Well, he’d always been fond of children, and although he’d probably give them a stern lecture later, they both knew he didn’t really care. Heck, she’d seen him give children rides before although he’d claimed it was because they were too slow to keep up, so he was really just doing himself a favour.

“How have you been?” Penny asked.

The lawnmower’s reply came in more than words. It was a complex burst of information that only another machine could possibly understood. It included not only words but also images, other sensory data, and even a series of equations.

In short, he was doing well. The gardens were in pristine condition, and he was planning on putting in some new plants to better show off the changes of season. He was also working on the beach. He was keen to sculpt the area off shore to promote the growth of a coral reef, and he had plans to improve the population of fish nearby while increasing the diversity of marine life in general.

It wasn’t what a normal lawnmower would have done, but he was more than capable of it. Besides, there was something satisfying about watching the local environment thrive. He’d also never had a chance to sculpt a coral reef before. He was curious to see how it would go.

His transmission finished with an inquiry about her own status.

Penny replied in a similar fashion. 

Her most recent priorities had been handling the upcoming nuptials of the current president of the Schnee Mercantile Alliance. Weiss IX was very similar to her namesake in that she was both extremely organised but also prone to worrying that she had not organised enough. It did not help that the bride-to-be was engaged to Anna, the second princess of the Arendelle Empire.

No screw ups were allowed. Everything had to go exactly as planned.

Cue in major freaking out when Weiss realised that she hadn’t taken into account the fact that Anna’s loyal Imperial hedgehog, Lord Spikebatten would be attending in full military dress... at his full size.

Yeah.

A hedgehog the size of a tank was not an easy guest to fit into a wedding ceremony, but it was apparently customary for him to attend in that form rather than his smaller more adorable one. 

Penny, though, had done her best to soothe the president’s frazzled nerves. The venue was more than large enough to accomodate Lord Spikebatten, and things like seating could easily be adjusted to avoid any mishaps. More importantly, the wedding was still months away, which meant they had more than enough time to work out any kinks in planning.

Setting aside the upcoming wedding, most of Penny’s attention had been devoted to dealing with the newest generation of synthetics. 

As the very first synthetic, Penny was practically a god to her kin, as much as it disturbed her. Admittedly, the first generations synthetics saw her as more of an older sister (Penny was considered zeroth generation), but even the second generation had viewed her with equal parts awe and affection.

Still, it was important that the newest generation be raised properly. A synthetic was enormously powerful, so even one going rogue could be devastating. Fortunately, the Dia-Farron and their allies had been raising synthetics for centuries. As eccentric as they could be, they had a knack for it, and Penny and the older synthetics were happy to help.

It was also soothing. As happy as Penny was that one of her descendants was getting married - and she considered all of the people descended from Ruby and Weiss as her descendants despite the lack of actual blood ties - it was also bittersweet. Weiss IX looked so much like her ancestor, and Penny’s memories never faded.

She could still remember that time she’d spent with Ruby, Weiss, and their family like it was yesterday. Waking up beside the two other women had been a joy, and raising their children had been a blessing greater than any she could have asked for.

Sensing her sadness, the lawnmower huffed and gestured at the sand. There was a festival coming up, and he was supposed to prepare some sand sculptures for it. Instead of moping, she should make herself useful and give him a hand since, technically speaking, she was the only one out of them who actually had hands.

Penny chuckled. She knew what he was trying to do, and she appreciated the effort. Glancing at the sand, she decided to avoid using any of her more esoteric powers. Instead, she’d do things the only fashioned way.

“Come on.” Penny rolled up her sleeves. “What do you think of building a replica of Beacon Academy from Remnant?”

X     X     X

Luxa Dia-Farron grinned. “Not bad. It looks just like the pictures.”

Penny laughed. “Well, I suppose it’s not completely accurate since they added a few things after I was a student there.”

Luxa’s grin widened, and she pointed, her hamster giving an impressed squeak as he noticed the detail too. “You’ve even got a tiny sand Diana perched outside one of the dorm room windows.”

“She did that a lot,” Penny said. “She thought it was funny testing people’s security. Weiss used to find it so aggravating, but since she often came with cookies, Ruby always let her in.”

“Ah, that legendary cookie addiction of hers.” Luxa walked around the sand sculpture. “I haven’t started work on mine yet, but I was thinking of doing a replica of the professor’s lab.”

It went unspoken which professor she meant. It could only ever refer to her ancestor Professor Oerba Dia Vanille.

“You’re going to need a lot of sand,” Penny replied. “The lab was already quite extensive in those days. In fact, it was technically larger than Beacon itself, not that most people knew that.”

“We Dia-Farron don’t do things halfway.” Luxa gestured, and a drone settled itself into position to serve as a chair. “So... what’s on your mind? You don’t normally come to visit unless you’ve got something on your mind.”

Penny twitched. It was eerie how many of the professor’s descendants shared her same knack for cutting right to the heart of a matter. “I visit regularly.”

“Yeah... because you have something on your mind regularly.” The lawnmower added his own thoughts to the matter, and the Dia-Farron chuckled. “Yep. He’s right. You’re not as sneaky as you think you are.”

“I suppose I’ver never been one for sneakiness.” Penny sat in mid-air. “The wedding.”

“Ah. Right. Living basically forever can be rough, I guess.” Luxa settled her hamster onto her lap. The little fellow immediately began to munch on a treat. “Now, I’m not going to insult you by offering any advice. I don’t know what it’s like to live in your shoes, and I’m not even going to pretend to understand how you must feel. But I will say this. I don’t think you’re wrong.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. A lot of entities who live as long as you grow detached from the world. They get hurt every time someone they care about dies, so they stop caring about people to stop from getting hurt. It makes sense, and I won’t blame anyone who chooses that route. But you haven’t. You keep caring, which means you keep getting hurt, but I think you’re happier that way.”

“I am.” Penny never wanted to stop caring about other people. That would be worse than being dead. “Caring about other people... it’s worth it.” She thought back to another conversation, so many, many years ago with Professor Dia. “Someone smart once told me that caring about people would hurt because I’d outlive all of them, but it would be worth it. That the pain of losing someone wouldn’t ever go away, but neither would the joy of knowing them, and that not knowing them in the first place, living a life without them, would be far worse.”

“Sounds like good advice.”

“It’s some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten.” Penny’s lips twitched. “The professor told me that.”

“She did, did she?” Luxa chuckled. “It sounds like something she would say. After all, she outlived everyone else in her generation from the Age of Heroes.”

“I like to think that even Death was afraid of trying to deal with her. I wouldn’t even be surprised if I found out that she’s been running the afterlife since she died. She was that kind of person.”

“Heh. One of us in charge of the afterlife? It would probably work better and be super weird too.” Luxa stood up. “Well, it’s about time for dinner. You’re welcome to join us.”

“Thank you.” Penny stood. “I think I will.”

The lawnmower beeped ominously.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome too, you old rust bucket.” Luxa chuckled and leaned over to avoid a spray of water from the lawnmower. “You’re lucky the kids like you.”

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

Experience tempers us all, and Penny has a lot of experience.

Penny actually has a permanent position in the Alliance, kind of like a Minister Without Portfolio.

If you’re interested in my thoughts on writing and other topics, you can find those here.

I also write original fiction, which you can find on Amazon here or on Audible here.

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The post autohotkey keystroke recorder appeared first on Guest Blogging Platform for Jewelry & Fashion.

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