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scp-tiggles · 3 months

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First addition to the au!

Scp 079 (Android form)

50% ler | 50% lee

As a ler:

He’s pretty sweet, ngl. Usually he wrecks someone without the need to feed off laughter like some of the other anomalies, its just for “research” or if someone seems a bit gloomy.

His favorite move is bear hugs. Uses his main arms to hug someone, then the other four to tickle them.

Speaking of, don’t bother trying to hide spots from him. His eyes have sensors that basically pings him to wherever someone is ticklish at.

His teeth are relatively pointy for tickle nibbles!

Teasing wise he’ll either make remarks about how your reactions and laughter help his research. Or option B is he’ll use baby talk!

Will make sure the lee is okay afterwards, offering water (and affection if the lee desires)

As a lee

Super ticklish oml. Cannot STAND his ribs or armpits (his main set) being tickled!

Absolutely can’t take teases, calling him cute? Baby talk? You’ll have him a giggly mess in no time!

Surprisingly, he’s able to blush. And tickling around his ears or neck is the best way to get it.

Super cackly laughter, snorts a whole ton.

Will try to get revenge with his other four limbs, watch out!

Speaking of revenge, he will 100% get it afterwards.

You could actually make him reboot if you tickle him to much, he doesn’t mind, but its the best way to give yourself a head start FROM his vengeance!

Feathers will absolutely annihilate him, same for brushes (specifically paint ones)

Normal PC form

60% ler | 40% lee

As a ler:

Much like before, he’s still pretty sweet as a ler.

This form resides in his cell, he can upload his consciousness between bodies in order to utilize each one. This one controls the machinery in his cell.

He LOVES to experiment on lees, tickling them to oblivion for his notes, their laugh, their ticklish spots, what tools work best, etc.

The metal extending parts of his limbs are able to lightly zap people, doesn’t hurt, tickles like hell though!

His teases remain the same, a bit more baby talky since he has more confidence of lees not getting revenge in this form.

Has a data base of most doctors at the site from the times they fallen to his clutches, loves to tease them with it too.

“Oh, my. Your laughter has gotten much more squeaky since our last session, doctor! I’ll have to test you to see what else has changed at once!”

A bit more generous with aftercare, since he’ll tickle lees significantly longer then when in his android form.

As a lee

Now while this form has no spots, you still CAN tickle him.

High voltage electricity, messing with his computer system (i.e a virus), all tickle him HELLISHLY.

And he low-key enjoys it.

He’ll keep his secret enjoyment of tickles to the grave though.

Anyways, like before, cannot stand teases at all. Folds immediately.

His screen will glitch and bug out if he is laughing too hard.

Speaking of his laugh, its still cackly, all be it more higher in pitch the worse he’s being tickled.

Has on more then one occasion accidentally (and purposely) zapped himself on his own tech.

Random facts!

Surprisingly doesn’t have a favorite lee, since he wants to expand his database he’ll rarely go after someone twice (unless bored), but does have favorite lers.

076-2, 682, and 096 are his current favorites for one reason: he snags up their victims after they’re done for experiments.

Will team up with other anomalies, especially if their target is one he hasn’t gotten too before.

He was actually created by the foundation, he was basically made to tickle other anomalies and get tickled, so the foundation could lessen breaches and not have to use d-class all the time.

He ended up gaining self awareness and decided to use his access to foundation technology to cause chaos though, lol.

But he does of course care deeply about the staff and other anomalies, staff especially. (Mainly the doctor who created him, who will be revealed later on! :>)

I’ll probably post the art as a separate thing too, but i got a post done, wooo!

#sfw #tickle art #sfw interaction only #tickle fluff #scp tickle #tickle blog #sfw tickling community

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lacunafiction · 1 year

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Progress Update: February 18 2023

TFS: Book One Masterpost 🌲 TFS Patreon (New pricing and Benefits) 🌲 If you’re enjoying your time in Fernweh, please consider leaving a review/rating on the platform you downloaded the game from during your next break from the story. It helps TFS out and encourages me! 😍💚

Hello Returning Visitors!

Hopefully, you’re doing well and aren’t lost in the woods somewhere…

We celebrated our first Valentine’s Day 💘 together since the release of TFS: Book One. In case you missed it, here is a link to R’s Valentine’s extra writing, which is available to the public. Patrons receive six themed writings (one for each romance route) during holidays/seasons; R’s official writing will drop in March.

You can check out the #public tag to discover more TFS goodies on Patreon.

We should get into how Book Two is going!

My intention is to have the same (unlucky number 13) amount of chapters. ⬛🐈 I’m noticing that the chapters are tending to be longer as I move forward, partially due to the scope of the plot points, but also because of the level of variation that I’m adding by calling on variables. (Book Two’s Introduction is about 3 times longer than Book One's.) This is primarily due to scenes that trigger based on your MC’s current choices along with past choices/stats.

Something I’ve been having fun with in this book is the ability to make nods to past RO moments you may have experienced while giving options for you to explore those tentative feelings/bonds. I couldn’t do this too early in Book One, since you were still meeting and learning about the characters; now, I can! 😎 Or at least, I can give you the opportunity to be flirty with J as soon as they call you on the walkie talkie in Chapter 1. Having that past history thanks to Book One is something I’m sincerely enjoying incorporating into Book Two—it creates links between your two playthroughs that will hopefully make everything feel more real.

I know I’m supposed to be a little vague about things in these updates; it’s hard when I tend to ramble. XD The scene I recently wrapped up involved the MC’s W-given nickname coming into play and tailoring how they interact with you in the Fernweh Diner. It will be interesting for replays.

Thank you for your support and best wishes! 💚

#interactive fiction #hosted games #fernweh saga #progress updates #weekly updates #(really it's a progress update but that is my old tag; i will eventually need to edit them to be all progress updates. hmm...)#who do queue think you are?

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despair-to-future-arcs · 9 months

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Are we going into a origin story?

...So, given your retiring after the trial next year; you really think leaving Kyosuke in charge is a good idea?

Well given the options we have, I really think I can trust him and he has shown how to run the foundation, but I do think he needs a bit of a tight leash on him.

But maybe you could keep a control of him? So far you seem like you can be able to talk some sense into him more then I do.

You don't need to flatter me, sir. You need someone to keep a level head to realize somethings and to make sure everyone doesn't lose their shit.

Still... I do remember when started Future Foundation it was only just you, myself, Koichi, Kyosuke, Juzo, Emiko and Seiko and... we were trying to save the other students...

I remember it as well... it was quite chaotic as well...

...

Date: April 28th, 2013

Jin: So... we got the doors block now...

Looks to the case but still, your planning to stay here Jin?

More then likely, given the Steering Committee is going to have someone to blame and I'm it's current headmaster, they'll likely aim for me along with Kyoko...

That's why me and Miss. Yukizome intend to stay here and keep those in Class 78-A safe.

*Is looking at his phone* It's getting pretty bad out there... you think we can find a safe place for the rest of them...?

*gets up* Koichi, what are you talki-...

*Koichi show the video to Jin, it shows numerous building destroy and rampage*

I see... looks like things aren't getting any better, aren't they?

Looks to be the case, I do wonder how this happen...?

I'm not sure either, all of this started when Class 78 enroll, maybe there's a mastermind that plan this all out...

Oh, is those skills from your dad coming in handy?

Don't bring up my father into this, I just figure that it might be the case and Kyoko did do an investigation so maybe I can figure somethings out too.

But I think it's best that you both take the remaining students out of Hope's Peak before the parade gets worse.

Heh, will be sure to do that - Jin now please be safe.

You got it, cheif. good luck... *the duo walk out and head to a secret exit as they close the door which standing at the door is Masa*

So... is the headmaster coming or is he staying?

He decided he's going to stay with Class 78-A and will take the rest of the students away from school grounds.

I see, well maybe it might be safer I suppose...

Right but anyway, is all the documents in the car?

Most of it, Miss. Shinogi is getting the last of it in there so we should be okay for now so let's go.

Ah good... then let's get going... *the trio head down the tunnel*

#dr #danganronpa #dtfa #despair to future arc #ds:rw #despair side: re write #dr3 #danganronpa 3 #dr0 #danganronpa zero #kazuo tengan #masa esumi #jin kirigiri #koichi kizakura #anonymous #ds ep 4

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spaceistheplaceart · 2 years

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Ok im super nervous typing this so please ignore any typos my hands are like hfahjsgshsjkkkiyioughoughh

Ok so! I've been lurking an looking at the Swap Au with Narry an the. Director an I just love it lots im probably! Gonna draw some thing for you but uhm. So this is kinda. I've been thinking about the Player!

In this Au it doesn't make much sense for there to be a player but I've been thinking an. So you know how the Director is obviously uhm! Has more power than humans and such, in the. Office way but can't directly controll Narry, maybe there's something that can! The Player obviously. Again it doesn't make much sense? In the context of your au but I just can't get it out of my . Brain. Rotating it .

So how would. They Player interact through Narry an what would. How would the Director feel?? Probably not good haha. Also maybe Players are a sort of. So there's the Director an Curator (Im so sorry I can't remember the au name ough) and probably a lot of other beings like them, so maybe the Player is . Also something they're aware of? At least to some degree? Like the Player (s) are a type of . Being that comes an goes an can be unpredictable! Like youre not sure if a Player would. How would you know until it's to late?

Maybe Players are a sort of. Hmm traveler type things? They find a "story" they find interesting an take control of the "main character" , in this case Narry. It could be that in this au Players are more like! Curious beings but definitely detached? Like they either don't know or don't care that theyv taken over an actual person.

And maybe it depends on what type of Player is in control! Like there could be a Player that's just. That messes with things an doesn't listen to the Director at all on purpose. What about a Player that's looking for all the "endings"? Or looking for secrets?? Or a Player that just genuinely wants to explore the story? AAGAHG there's so so many different things!

And what about Narry?? Like somethings else is currently piloting his body an he can only watch. Maybe it's a sort of ! Out of body experience? He's just a passenger an its more like. Everything feels like he's underwater n he can't focus on one thing really. But if he can then that's absolutely terrifying !! Plus there'd be no "dialog options" so it's not like Narry , or the Player, can communicate with the Director

And for the Director, who's trying to help Narry with his perfectionism an other things, this is a super huge road block!!! Especially because the Director actually cares about Narry an is probably worried about him. Like I assume the Director knows what a Player is but maybe . Like it's. You never know how to exactly deal with a Player? You can't get rid of them exactly, they have to. Get the experience they want an then leave or maybe they can get bored an "log off" so to speak?

Ok sorry for! Rambling I am. So nervous but I hope this was an interesting idea? Like I said for the. Past few days I hsve been. Rotating this in. My brain. Your Swap Au is so cool I have. Ough!! Anyway uhm. If you do wanna hear more or. Something that'd be nice? If you'd wsnt!! Ok byeA! An thanks for the! Really awesome Au !

An since this was so long uhm, here's a pic of my cat as! Uhm. She's soft

okay so there's a lot going on in this ask, so I'll try to answer what I think you're asking

1) you're right in that narrys parabke would not work as a video game. I always imagined it as a TV series or a movie. However, if there was a player like entity... Perhaps it would just act as a... Like... Opposite to a storyteller?

2) they possess people and "tell stories" with their lives, but of course, the person who's being possessed didn't fucking consent to that. Or they take away the story experience from the vessel.

3) they could be called players, or maybe storysnatchers... Maybe they're like those cockroach mfs on infinity train where if you get too far out... Uh oh.

4) narry getting possessed by one is very obvious. He stops talking. Immediately, director knows what's happening and gets the entertainer. the entertainer I think would be the best for getting rid of these guys bc 432 can fucking mess w the code so... Y'know. Maybe entertainers got some experience.

5) they're like pests you gotta yank outta the vessel. I imagine the storysnatchers look like black goopy hearts with tendrils that allow them to slink around and slip into cracks

* also yeah. Abt them getting bored. That's another way to rebid of them I'd just put the vessel in a boring or annoying room

6) anyways yeah! That's what I came up w. I hope this is what u were asking? Unless u were asking me permission to tell ME abt UR ideas which is also veryyyy welcome!!! I'd love to hear em

I don't think I'll make this canon. But its a cool idea.

7) :) Hehe kitty. Fluffy.

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dukerin0 · 2 years

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Vicious Princes Mechanics: EXPRESSION

Yeah fuck it let's talk about mechanics. Starting with EXPRESSION in The Devil City & Its 77 Vicious Princes. The first in what I'll hope to be a series of commentaries on the way the game works.

Social mechanics in games can be a tricky subject. My impulse has always been to play out full conversations in lieu of calling for anything like a persuasion or deception roll. We've all had conversations and told lies, after all. It's much more straightforward a thing to arbitrate than say a swordfight. Unless you're one of those HEMA guys. The fundamental makeup of most TTRPGs is conversation.

The flipside of this impulse: what about people who want to play as a silvertongued Casanova, but aren't big talkers in real life? That's leaving them in the lurch. Plus if you're playing a game like 5e, where there are stats and character options related to that sort of thing, you've wasted a skill point or a feat or whatever.

It's tricky!!!!

The Expression Aspect is how I've tried to reconcile this in DC77VP.

Every NPC in DC77VP has a set of beliefs that influence their actions. It's one of the most important parts of creating them. Beliefs are wide-lens, things like:

The Prince of Sand truly loves me.

The city’s laws are unjust.

My stepsisters are not to be trusted.

If you're trying to deceive, distract, or convince an NPC, you just do it. Describe how or what you say. If it takes advantage of the NPC's beliefs, they're likely convinced.

Successful Expression messes directly with those beliefs--an expression roll lets you add a new belief or, on a particularly lucky roll, modify or delete an existing one.

In my experience, fundamentally changing someone is HARD. How often have you had a long conversation with someone, forcing them to finally concede a point, only to later see them reverting back to the same flaws you thought you'd alerted them to? It takes something really impactful to make us truly change. I wanted to give that power to my PCs.

If you don't have an expression trait or a roll, you can still do the normal talky nonmechanical procedure I detailed above. But if you DO, you now have the power to really influence NPCs semipermanently.

Here's why I think expression is neat:

It encourages problem-solving NPCs, and I love problem solving. In DC77VP a lot of time is spent talking--scheming, seduction, shady deals, that's the meat of the game. By giving each NPC a list of beliefs (and suggesting to the GM that they wear these beliefs on their sleeve) you can turn each one into a little puzzle. What beliefs of the Dauphin can I use here? How can I twist them so that he'll serve my interest, without having to resort to a roll in the first place? Or, failing that…

It's powerful. An NPC, once Expressed upon, keeps that belief. Their long-term perspective is permanently modified. A player whose character is a better talker than they are can play out that influential fantasy--but they still have to make some active choices and decisions, because…

It's consequetial. A belief that helps you out now (Now the Dauphin thinks violence is wrong!) can come back to bite you (Now we need him to lend us funds for a mercenary force, but he's saying no!). My hope is that players will think carefully when Expression comes up. The minigame here is finding a belief that will help you in the long term. It's a ton of fun to find ways to twist newly inculcated beliefs around on the Princes who planted it (just don't go TOO overboard with it).

It's suited specifically to the game. Expression in its current form arose somewhat organically out of my playtests. DC77VP is played in the wider time unit of days, and in the single-city constraint characters stick around, showing up repeatedly. I dig that kind of setting-mechanic marriage.

OK wow that's a lot of words. I hope it's somewhat interesting--it helped me, anyway. Next up I'll cover violence.

#indie ttrpg #mechanics chat

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jowritesfanfiction · 1 year

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Newton

Fandom: Back to the Future

Ships: N/A

Rating: General

Summary: Emmett’s got his work cut out for him with his new companion.

You can also read the fic here!

In the time that Copernicus had died and when Emmett met his next companion, several things had changed.

The Brown Mansion was gone. A freak accident had caused the mansion to burn up in flames. Emmett was gone when it started, and returned when the fire department was working on dousing the flames. For several years, he wasn’t able to forgive himself for not being there that day.

Money was slowly depleting. With the mansion burnt, Emmett sold the land to earn a little more money and had the garage renovated into a living space and a laboratory. The money from selling the land only helped with expenses for a little while. It was only a matter of time before Emmett would need to find a way to earn some income.

The current state of the garage-laboratory looked like a tornado had come in and someone had attempted to clean it up, but with only the tornado’s destruction for reference.

Emmett had slowly become discouraged by his failure. He had spent the last several years or so trying to work on the Flux Compressor to no avail. The only progress he had made was renaming it to the Flux Capacitor. He tried working on other inventions, but he didn’t find any joy or interest in it. He had become isolated and lonely.

When his new companion came, that all changed. It had to. Newton was only a puppy and could easily get lost or hurt. Newton needed to be taken care of.

There was also the fact that Newton only had three legs. Considering that Newton seemed well-adapted to it, Emmett assumed he had been that way for a while. And since it wasn’t a problem for Newton, it wasn’t a problem for Emmett.

Newton did have one issue, though: Newton did not like being left alone.

Emmett did everything he could think of. He laid next to Newton as Newton fell asleep, let Newton know he was still around every so often, and limited the time he took to work. Even with all of that, Newton couldn’t stand to be alone.

“I don’t want to give up on him, but I don’t know what to do.” Emmett complained to the animal shelter coordinator.

“Have you thought of hiring someone to help take care of him? Or just to spend time with him while you work?”

“No.” Emmet admitted. “You really think that’ll work?”

“It’s worth a try.”

It would be worth a try, if Emmett could find someone that would want to keep one dog company. Most responsible people had jobs of their own or were in high school. Adults didn’t want another job and most high schoolers avoided Emmett—some rumor about him being an evil scientist or something. Emmett wasn’t too sure.

No matter, Emmett would just try and figure out how to help Newton on his own.

“What is it?” Emmett asked the dog. “What do you want?”

Newton only whined in response.

“Maybe if I leave a jacket, you’ll be fine?” Emmett suggested, taking his jacket off and laying it next to Newton.

Newton sniffed the jacket and after careful examination, laid on top of it.

Emmett went off to another room to test out his hypothesis. Newton wasn’t crying yet, so Emmett felt hopeful this would be a success.

However, Emmett’s success only lasted for a few minutes when Newton started whining again.

“Well that worked well…” Emmett sighed.

If having his scent didn’t work, maybe Newton wouldn’t cry if he could hear Emmett consistently. Checking in on Newton a couple times throughout the day wasn’t helping, but perhaps if he could hear Emmett all the time, Newton would feel more secure.

With that, Emmett went to the store to find a pair of walkie talkies. While searching, he came across a pair that worked differently to typical walkie talkies: one end was always transmitting a signal without the need to push a button, while the other worked as normal. This pair seemed like a better option than typical walkie talkies. If Emmett gave Newton the receiving end of the pair, Newton would always be able to hear him.

He grabbed a box off the shelf and made his way to the check-out.

“How old’s the baby?” the cashier asked, punching the price into the register.

“The baby…?”

“That’s what you have the baby monitor for, right?”

“Is that what this is?” Emmett wondered, glancing at the box.

“Yes…?” the cashier said, confused, “It was in the infant section.”

“Oh. Well, it’s for my dog.”

The cashier raised an eyebrow, then shoved the box to Emmett. “Have a nice day.”

Emmett tested his new hypothesis as soon as he got back. He set up the receiving monitor with Newton and the transmitter with him—after all, Emmett could hear Newton just fine without a transmission.

As Emmett worked, he mumbled to himself. From the other side of the garage, Emmett didn’t hear anything from Newton. The baby monitor was a success!

Newton’s issues didn’t end there, though. After gaining some independence, Newton discovered that he, like his namesake, could make objects fall down. This seemed partially due to the state of the garage being an amalgamation of what seemed like every possible item one human could possibly have in a garage, but also Newton’s mischievous nature.

Emmett, only really used to older dogs, was not prepared for all of this. While trying to work out several theories of time travel, he also had to juggle watching Newton. Usually, Newton wouldn’t cause too much damage, maybe an object or two fallen on the ground. With the frequency of having to clean up after Newton, it was starting to take a lot of time away from Emmett’s work. He would not stand to let this go on. It was time Emmett finally tackled and fixed the disaster of a living space.

The entire garage was a mess to begin with. There was no order. To get anywhere, Emmett had to squeeze past tables and climb over furniture. He could only imagine that the whole place must feel like a labyrinth to Newton.

To help create some form of structure and order to the madness, Emmett divided the garage up into two areas: one for living and the other for his inventions. The living area would be in the back since that was where the bathroom and kitchen were. The laboratory would go in the front of the garage, near the entrance.

Now, Emmett had to actually make that into reality. First, Emmett put Newton in a safe spot where he wouldn’t get hurt.

Then, Emmett cleared out the back of the garage and moved his bed, dresser, armchair, and recreational things into the back. Knowing that the laboratory would end up an organized mess (but more mess than organized), Emmett set up a barrier between the two areas to keep Newton safe.

With the living area finished, Emmett began moving all his inventing equipment away from the main entrance and attempted to put some form of organization into the laboratory.

“Well, Newton…” Emmett sighed, plopping himself on an armchair. “We did it.”

Newton gave a supportive lick on the scientist’s hand. Now the two could rest.

After a good, long rest, Emmett went back to work on time travel. He would need a way to transport himself through time, but how would he do it? It would have to be easy to obtain, but able to carry someone through time and go through a wormhole.

Bikes were out of the question. There was no knowing what would happen in the wormhole if someone was just riding on something. To be fair, there was no knowing what would happen if you were to go through a wormhole anyway, but Emmett wasn’t going to take any risks. Besides, the average person can only go 14-18 miles per hour on a bike and that was too slow.

Boats, trains, airplanes, and rockets were other options, but each had their own issues. Boats were only accessible by water. Trains were only accessible through tracks. Airplanes and rockets were expensive to make and to power.

Cars were the only option. But if Emmett was going to travel through time in a car, he might as well go in style. He didn’t want to travel through time in just any car, he might as well show up with the best of the best. And so, Emmett waited around for the right car.

In the meantime, Emmett read more on theories about black holes and on wormholes. He read what other people had to say about Einstein’s theory. And as he did so, he had Newton by his side the whole time.

Emmett would never dare let another person take Newton away. Newton was his companion, his friend. Unfortunately, some people did not understand that. One of them was a Mr. Otis Peabody.

Mr. Peabody would ask Emmett to fix this machine or check on that mechanism. Emmett would oblige—afterall, he was in need of money—but not without some reluctance.

“Here’s the problem.” Emmett pointed out, “That gear’s too big. It’s pushing everything else out of place.”

“Are you sure? That’s how it was when I bought it.” Mr. Peabody huffed, leaning on his rake.

“Do you want me to fix your tractor?”

Mr. Peabody ignored him. “Your dog’s messin’ around my pines.”

Without taking his eyes off his inspection, Emmett calmly responded, “Newton won’t hurt your trees, Mr. Peabody.”

“I don’t want him over there. He’ll disturb their natural reproductive systems.”

Emmett’s whole face contorted in response to Mr. Peabody’s comment. He shook his head and went back to fiddling with the mechanics of the tractor.

“He’s got a pinecone! Tell him to drop it!”

“It’s a pinecone.”

“You tell him to drop it, or I’ll make him.”

Mr. Peabody had a serious expression on his face.

“Newton, c’mere.” Emmett called.

Newton padded his way over to Emmett with a small animal in his mouth. Emmett reached his hand out to Newton.

“That ain’t no pinecone!” Mr. Peabody gasped. “What is that?”

“A rat.” Emmett dangled the dead rat to Mr. Peabody, allowing him to see for himself.

Mr. Peabody slowly nodded his approval, looking at Emmett and Newton.

“You’ve got yourself a good dog there, Brown. He’d be a great dog here on the farm.” Mr. Peabody commented, “Even if he’s missin’ a leg.”

“What do you mean by that?” Emmett scowled.

“Nothin. All I said was he had three legs. That’s not wrong.” Mr. Peabody replied.

Emmett was unimpressed.

“And he’d be a great dog on the farm.”

He was beginning to get slightly defensive. “He’s my dog. He lives with me.”

“I’d be willing to pay for it.”

“He’s not for sale.”

Mr. Peabody had a crafty look on his face. “I know you need the money. Name your price.”

“Mr. Peabody, I am not selling Newton. You will not get me to sell him. I’m sorry.”

“Then I don’t need you coming around here anymore.”

“That’s fine by me.” Emmett replied, packing up his things.He patted his thigh for Newton to follow him and began heading home.

“Ha! I didn’t even pay you!” Mr. Peabody jeered.

Emmett turned around, but continued walking backwards. “I didn’t even fix your tractor!”

Mr. Peabody dropped his jaw. He let out a furious yell and chucked his rake on the ground.

Mr. Peabody had another surprise coming to him: Emmett noticed that suddenly there had sprung up several small holes around Peabody's precious pines. Newton walked proudly alongside Emmett, almost as if he knew what he had done.

#doc emmett brown #doc brown #bttf fic #bttf #back to the future #original fanfiction #fanfic writing #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 author #ao3fic #ao3 #my fanfic #dogs

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dashawfrostart · 5 months

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This Week In "Time & Again" #8: Achievement (Almost) Unlocked! And A Pre-New Year's Mess

Does it ever happen to you that you're so energetic, and hyper, and full of determination and all - and then you take a deep breath, sit down happily on your comfy couch, and you're ready to start writing a new and lovely blog post!.. ... but then you realize you have absolutely nothing to write about. Or - perhaps, to be more precise - you feel like there's nothing worth mentioning that would make an interesting, succulent, and informative post.

That happens to me once in a while - which is odd, considering how much of a babbler I tend to be when it comes down to self-expression in written form (it must be, Lothar affects me in a certain way and alters my usual behaviour, because normally in my life outside any artistic activities I am fairly quiet).

The aforementioned little hiccup on my way of the "ultra-completionist of the Pre-2024 To-Do List", unfortunately, hindered my progress, and the final number of the blog posts ended up a tad smaller. I don't think there are any complaints from the readers though 😎 I'll try to keep up next year. On a side note, one of the goals on the list has been removed and deliberately postponed until January. I have reasons, trust me 😁

But most importantly, Christmas season of "Time & Again" turned out to be pretty good! Just as planned, at this point of time, just a couple days short of 2024 (because I started writing this post yesterday), The Lineart is 98% done - it only needs a sparkle of perfection and and a short session of filling up the gaps and missing spots here and there on different pages. AND DONE. Moving on to The Colouring Stage right after all of that has been properly handled. (oops, unintentionally, I lied: I already started to partially colour some peculiar things... too excited; can't hold back, LOL!) I would say, this is truly a great achievement. Well... almost got an achievement anyway. Working on your grand project every day, little by little, and watching it growing, evolving, and getting fleshed out a little more day by day is hard to describe in a verbal form. I wonder about this sometimes... Perhaps, those who have never been in a similar situation will not understand this emotion very easily. But I'm telling you with 100% honesty, as usual - this emotion is priceless and really makes you feel that you're doing something important in life.

So, in short, everything goes steadily and as planned. Plans change sometimes - but that is totally fine. Currently, everything is indeed as planned - and I can't help but rejoice 🥳

As a treat for reading yet another one of my excessively talky talky longreads, I'll tease you with some rather unpredictable snippets now ;)

Just who are those guys???.. And what's the situation??? They sure look feral! You will definitely find answers to all of these questions after Chapter 5 is released sometime in 2024 ;)

... In the meantime, as I've been working on a peculiar troublesome background, I have discovered a handy option in Krita's Assistant Tool that I believe has a possibility to make my life easier in the future. I used Assistant Tool before, and quite profusely. But thanks to a certain video I came across, I happened to find out that there's more to that incredible tool. I'm excited to cover this topic in the next blog post, so stay tuned!

I also made a horrible mess on one of the pages that currently looks this way:

How do you like the funny lettering???!!! 😁 Those are not stickers, by the way (although that's certainly a good idea to turn those into stickers!.. That'd be a story for another day tho). Why those are needed - that I'll keep a secret for now. But I wanted to show you what they look like - especially when cluttered altogether, hehe. Also, obviously, this is not the final version of each one of those sound effects bubbles. There's more work to do eventually 😉

For now... let there be silence. In a bit over 24 hours, the calendar will show 2024 on this side of the globe. So I'll stop typing right now and I'll save more stories for later. ... I'm also wrapping it up for today with my ridiculous habit to scatter vaguely related song references across the text, so, yup - time for a small break 😅 (And I should also take a break from listening to Ultravox on repeat, otherwise my non-existent vinyls are gonna get non-existent holes in them... wait... how does that work exactly, again?..)

So, for a bye-bye, I'll say show this:

Bah-bye, my friends! And see you next year! 👋🥳😁

#TimeAndAgainbyDWF #This Week In Time And Again #krita #wips #graphic novel

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disappointingyet · 5 months

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More films that didn't quite make my favourites of 2023 list... although some of these got very close.

You Hurt My Feelings

Nicole Holofcener has been making consistently good very talky films for many years now. This one stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a writer whose essentially rather appealing life has just become a little more complicated. Her husband (Tobias Menzies) is (of course) a therapist. If you’re not the kind of person who gets upset at the idea that people with such enviable lives should ever think they have any problems, this is funny and insightful.

(Prime)

Alcarràs

My mother spent part of her childhood in a village in Catalunya (otherwise her family were city people), and her strongest memory was picking fruit from the trees and eating it, and nothing (she told us) could ever approach how delicious it was. I thought of that watching Alcarràs, which takes place on a Catalan tenant farm during the peach harvest.

It all seems idyllic: the gentle abundance of nature, little kids roaming freely over the land… But of course, it isn’t: the family’s lease on the farm is not a formal one, rather the legacy of a (huge, it should be said) favour done in the 1930s, one that understandably seems pretty distant to the current landowner, born, I’m guessing, in the late ‘80s. He’s busy shifting his fields to the more profitable option of solar energy generation, so this could be the last peach season.

The cast is largely non-professional, there’s no score and the cameras often stay close to the characters, so the approach is naturalistic. But this is isn’t brutal realism: there’s fun and it is all very pretty if maybe doomed. We see it through the eyes of multiple age groups: the little kids who keep losing their latest fort, the teenagers who are somewhat adrift, the current generation in charge of the farm and the oldies, including the patriarch in decline (Josep Abad, who looks a lot like the great British character actor Peter Vaughan).

Small point: I think it would be useful for non-Iberian audiences if the subtitles pointed out the rare times the characters are speaking (Castilian) Spanish - eg, with west African day workers or with the Romanian woman the film seems to be implying is a mail-order bride.

Anyway, it’s very good.

(MUBI)

L’Innocent

This doesn’t have a promising premise: mother and adult son who interfere too much in each other’s lives, mother runs acting classes at a prison, marries one of the inmates, when he’s released the son doesn’t trust him and starts spying on him. Director-star Louis Garrel has given himself the role of one of those moody, immature blokes we are somehow meant to have some sympathy for despite their dickishness. (If this were British, it would almost certainly be the year's worst release.)

And yet… I really liked this film. It contains a lot of things that – if done well – endear a film to me: amateurs trying to trail people, scenes in which the characters are acting, heist planning… Also: I’m wondering if I’ve ever seen a film set in Lyon before? It’s funny, it shifts gear nicely and ties together well. (If you’ve only seen Noémie Merlant in Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Tár, here’s a chance to watch her having fun.) (MUBI)

Actual People

Super low-budget/ultra-indie/neo-mumblecore movie about a student gradually falling apart in her final year of college – it’s basically a comedy if not a particularly cheery one. Lots of parties in small apartments and shouted conversations in hip bars, that kind of thing. I liked it quite a lot… but also don’t remember it that clearly.

(MUBI)

Broker

After a career making films in Japan, the great director Hirokazu Koreeda ventured abroad for 2019’s La Vérité, just the most French film you’ve ever seen. That was an impressive bit of code switching, but didn’t play to his strengths. For Broker, he’s also working away from home in a foreign language (Korean), but this one has a lot in common with Shoplifters, his excellent film from 2018.

In Broker, a young mother abandons her baby outside a church. She later tries to retrieve him, but he’s been nicked by a couple of guys who sell babies to desperate couples. These are the bad guys, right? Nope. These are our rather sweet protagonists, and the mother joins up with them on a road trip to find a nice couple who are also willing to pay a decent amount for poor little Woo-song. Meanwhile, a pair of exhausted cops are on their trail.

You can tell it’s a Koreeda film by the sheer amount of time the characters spend eating and, if not eating, talking about food, plus all the stuff about families, biological or chosen. I’ve watched a lot of movies set in Korea, but I think this is the first one I have seen with multiple references to Tottenham Hotspur’s dazzlingly skilful forward Son Heung-Min. On the other hand, like many Korean movies I’ve watched, it stars Song Kang-ho.

It’s touching, it’s funny, the characters are endearing, it’s a very nice film.

Retour a Seoul

French party girl* Freddie (Park Ji-min) sort of accidentally ends up in holiday in Korea, country of her birth. Just as haphazardly, she makes contact with her biological father and has a massively awkward meeting with him and his family, not helped by the fact that she doesn’t speak the language. Freddie, it seems, is not a comfortable fit for Korea. The film then takes some interesting turns, while determinedly not filling in the gaps. If you’re the kind of film watcher who needs to know who/what/why and sometimes when, you’ll get deeply frustrated here. I found it very absorbing even though I was never entirely sure what the film was trying to say – plus there’s some great hair, make-up and costume work going on.

*In the non-euphemistic sense.

Amanda

Super-offbeat Italian indie about a young woman from a privileged family who has no friends and does things like hang out at raves on her own. I guess some points of comparison (if probably not particularly helpful ones to most people) are Todd Solondz and Roy Andersson. Bleak comedy, basically. I’d heard great things about this and it didn’t fully live up to my super-high expectations. (Its director, Carolina Cavalli, co-wrote Fremont, which I liked a whole lot more.)

Tár

How much of the love for this film came from (my fellow) Gen Xers enjoying watching Cate Blanchett’s Lydia Tár humiliating the kids with their ‘my journey’ self-obsessions? To be sure, there are many other pleasures to be had: Blanchett’s performance, the interior design, the costumes, the music etc… Plus just debating questions like: is this a ghost story/horror movie? But while I was impressed, I’m not sure I really liked it that much.

May December

Actor gets cast in a movie about a real-life scandal - grown woman had sex with 13-year-old… and when she gets out of jail and he’s of legal age, they marry. Almost a quarter of a century on, they are still together and they allow the actor to visit for research. Which is surely asking for trouble.

May December is not the only film this year (I’m thinking of Anatomy Of A Fall, for instance) that in summary could sound like it could be a 1991 erotic thriller but very much isn’t.

Natalie Portman plays the TV star, Julianne Moore the suburban mom-turned-sex offender-now again a suburban mom. Both women are terrifying. Charles Melton plays the somewhat hapless husband.

This is a strange film. It’s directed by Todd Haynes, who is known for wildly adventurous music biz movies (Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There) and retro-set melodramas (Far From Heaven, Carol.) May December is a melodrama but its 2015 setting is not long enough ago to count as a past when things were different*. So it lacks the tension between nostalgic beauty and undisguised bigotry that was crucial to the appeal of FFH and Carol.

In its place we get… a jarring score borrowed from The Go-Between (1971) and the occasional unsettlingly weird shot. Presumably, by way of reminding us that this is a doubly screwed-up situation: that even if the outcome is seemingly a happy family, what Moore’s character did was unspeakable but also Portman’s actor is a nasty piece of work.

There are echoes of Single White Female, but few of the trashy thrills that movie had. Some critics have mentioned Bergman’s Persona, and I can see why. I was left wondering whether if I had watched more films by (1970s German master/chemical dustbin) Rainer Werner Fassbinder, May December would make more sense to me. Then again, I have to assume the vast majority of people who catch May December on Sky (in the UK) or Netflix (US) will have seen exactly zero Fassbinder flicks.

All of which is to say that May December is an interesting and sometimes compelling movie, but not one I actively enjoyed.

*I mean, in a number of ways it does feel like a long time ago, but none of those are relevant to this film.

How To Blow Up A Pipeline

There are plenty of films about people setting off bombs. Less common are serious-minded, commercially released films unambiguously endorsing the destruction of corporate assets in the country the film was made. The reference point for critics was Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves – the other relatively recent film about American eco-terrorism – but that film is deeply ambivalent about its characters’ underlying motives and the wisdom of their actions. HTBUAP, at least as I understood it, is firmly onside with its crew of angry Gen Zers.

But although the message is pretty earnest, the medium is a stripped-down thriller: it’s classic heist movie assemble-the-team, plan, execute and then deal with the messier than planned consequences. It’s pretty effective, and very watchable – I just felt the film requires more of a buy-in on its politics and admiration of its characters than I can manage. (Netflix)

Un Beau Matin (One Fine Morning)

Secretly, the most Brexity film of the year, occasionally seeming like it’s directly aimed at Brits who imagine that the French have figured out how to do things like care homes. Apparently not, according to this film starring Léa Seydoux as a young widow whose writer father has dementia. The ending seems to be trying for something a bit upbeat, but the rest of the film is so bloody miserable it can’t pull that off. I really liked Mia Hansen-Løve’s previous film – Bergman Island – but this is hard work. (MUBI)

Les Cinq Diables (The Five Devils)

This gloomy, spooky French drama starring Adèle Exarchopoulos is rather like a darker, fucked-up reworking of Petite Maman, and fulfils my default expectation that ‘x but dark’ = ‘x but worse’. It can’t quite decide whether it wants to be an all-out horror movie – I think it would have been far better if it had been.

(MUBI)

El Conde

Hard to think of anything more off-putting for people of my age and ideology than a film narrated in the voice of Margaret Thatcher – that’s a real fingernails down the blackboard experience. This is a truly bizarre film from the always-interesting Chilean director Pablo Larraín: the idea is that Augusto Pinochet is a vampire and thus didn’t die in 2006 but instead continues in existence in hiding in a vast remote compound. The movie is a baffling mix of horror fantasy (it’s in lush black & white) with characters reading out great lists of how much the Pinochet family have stolen from the Chilean people. And then there’s that narration in English and dialogue largely in Spanish (and some French). Credit to Larraín for looking for new and interesting ways to tell stories about historical figures (this follows films about Pablo Neruda, Jackie Kennedy and Diana Spencer and he’s taking on Maria Callas next), but for me this doesn’t really gel at all.

(Netflix)

Passages

Very big with critics, this one. Tomas (Franz Rogowski) is a diva-ish film director married to long-suffering Martin (Ben Whishaw). Then he gets picked up by Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) at a club and pretty soon is saying he’s in love with her. If you’re thinking this is the familiar tale of a bloke stubbornly insisting he’s straight after all, you’d be wrong – Tomas is still very much the same silk-crop-top-wearing dude whoever he’s shagging on any particular day. I think the film’s success hinges on whether you can understand why either Martin or Agathe tolerates this obvious tosser for more than a few days – I couldn’t, so didn’t really enjoy the film. (Indeed, probably the best scene for me is one with just Whishaw and Exarchopoulos.)

(MUBI)

Women Talking

One of those films I had a very strong idea of what it was going to be like before I saw it, and that idea was not exactly wrong, but not right either. I think the version in my mind was more like 1970s Marxist collectivist theatre – truly just women talking. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an awful lot of debating, but there’s also some pretty Malickian shots of kids running through fields, a bit of romance (misplaced) and some dramatic tension.

It takes place in one of the religious communities that cosplay living in the 19th century (the news story the book the film is based on was inspired by happened in a Mennonite settlement). Some of the men and boys have been drugging and raping women and girls, and on a day when all but one of the men are away, the women gather in a barn to decide whether to stay or leave. Rooney Mara is very good, Claire Foy I don’t really get, Ben Whishaw is unnecessary (and I’d already see him being perpetually long suffering this year in the couldn’t-be-more-different Passages.) It’s watchable but worthy and a little obvious in places.

La Amiga De Mi Amiga (Girlfriends And Girlfriends*)

Barcelona-set (but in Castilian Spanish not Catalan) indie movie in two senses – it’s minimal budget and somewhat homemade but also assorted characters are in somewhat twee bands and the soundtrack is on a similar tip. The director, Zaida Carmona, plays Zaida (it’s one of those films where most of the cast use their own names), who has been dumped by her girlfriend and flees to Barcelona. She meets up with old friends; she fancies a woman, that woman fancies another woman’s girlfriend who in turn fancies… You get the vibe. They have dinner parties, they go each other’s rubbish performance art or gigs, watch Eric Rohmer films, hook up and fall out. It’s meant to be kind of funny but also kind of honest, but I found it flimsy and a bit clumsy. Then again, that’s also my take on Rohmer, so maybe Carmona has nailed what she was aiming at.

*This English title is absolutely terrible. Firstly, My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend both sounds so much better and tells you what the film is about. Secondly, the title is a riff on Eric Rohmer’s L’Ami De Mon Amie – the lead character’s fave film – which in the UK came out as My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, in line with the original title. (In the States, it’s true, that was released as Boyfriends And Girlfriends, but why double down on a lousy decision from 36 years ago?) (MUBI)

Saint Omer

Bleak French courtroom drama. A woman is on trial for killing her small child – that she did it is not in question, whether there were any mitigating circumstances is. A writer/academic goes to watch the trial as material. She’s pregnant. Like the accused, she comes from a West African family and seems to feel that they share something. It’s fairly austere in style and intellectually high flown – characters are described as Cartesian (ah, the French, or at least the French in movies). It’s clearly a good film, and there are pertinent points being made about racism and France etc, but it’s a tough watch and I never felt I was in its groove.

(MUBI)

A Plein Temps (Full Time)

My sister and I were discussing a French film when she asked, ‘Has it got that actress who always gets naked?’ With French actors, that doesn’t narrow it down a lot. But I think she was talking about Laure Calamy from Dix Pour Cent/Call My Agent, who stars in this film but stays dressed.

This is a very stressy picture – it’s got the fraught vibe of something like Uncut Gems although everything that happens stays within the law. Calamy plays Julie, the divorced mother of two who lives in a village some way out of Paris but works cleaning rooms in a posh hotel in the city. She’s got an educated, bourgeois background so maybe feels the work is beneath her – and her manager certainly assumes that’s the case. During the week or so the film is set, there are escalating strikes bringing Paris to a halt, so each commute is something of an odyssey and she’s late to work, late picking up her kids from the neighbour who reluctantly looks after them, etc. Those commutes get urgent electronic thriller music, and the idea is to make us feel as on edge as Julie. It’s well done, but not much fun… and I suspect it wants us to have more sympathy for Julie because she is a middle-class person in an uncomfortable situation. If true: boo!

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in-case-of-grace · 7 months

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TTRPG Devlog- Qet 3.0

I'm gonna try to do devlog sorta talky posts occasionally! So this week I've been doing some work on my big dark fantasy eldritch horror TTRPG, Qet.

Qet has been one of those projects that's been on/off aince 2019, as it was my first TTRPG endeavor. It originally began life as a 5e module which...meant a lot of 5e's brainrot came with me when I transitioned Qet into its own game.

I've taken various breaks from Qet to develop smaller, tighter games, to study other games, and to generally sharpen my understanding of game design. This has lead to a cycle where I often return with a new perspective and identify a major problem that needs to be fixed.

This time, that problem is that Qet as-is has wayyyy too much emphasis on combat. A problem that absolutely stems from its origins. Yes the rules do a lot to make combat scary and not ideal, but the problem is a lot of the rules and equipment are specifically made for combat...which emphasizes it by virtue of volume and connection.

This is a problem I've seen at various stages and moved to correct without actually identifying the root, as I think I have now. How am I going to fix this? I'm straight up going to strip out most of Qet's combat mechanics.

For reference, Qet has a combat system I am actually happy with, it's just in the wrong game. It's got some Monster Hunter DNA with limb targeting and injuries, you can even cut off body parts mid fight to change the course of things and also to use said body parts in alchemy. There's a rock paper scissors damage/health type system that gives each weapon, attack, body part, and armor piece a different damage/health type- inspired a bit by DOS2. You can only hit body parts with health types that are vulnerable to the damage type of your current weapon/attack. That sorta thing.

There's also a whole set of mechanics related to acting out of turn, and mechanics for interacting with the environment around you (like lighting grass on fire, breaking walls, kicking people off cliffs, etc.) and rules that tell storytellers to put interactive elements in their maps.

This is a horror game! We don't need all that here! We Just Don't! My basic plan is as follows:

1- Cut out damage/health types.

2- Simplify limb targeting. (It needs to be quick and easy, without needing to look back and forth between sheets and the books.)

3- Cut out maps, switch to range bands. (I have an idea that would actually make this suit the genre quite well.)

4- Cut out misc combat mechanics.

I will salvage the cut mechanics to use as optional modules in Fruit Forge, which is a game all about picking and choosing what mechanics suit the type of story you're trying to tell.

It's gonna be a lot of work to do this and will require me to rewrite a huge chunk of the current rulebook draft, as I had finished all of the rules writing and was at the stage where I was filling out all the various tables. It will be worth it, though.

I might make the now defunct Qet 2.0 draft available to patrons if there's interest, so those curious about what I'm working with and why I'm changing it can check a look.

Fruit Forge is still #1 right now as it's closest to complete (currently at the first playtest phase!) but I'll probably start picking at Qet again soon. Ok GUTGUN might need to be before it, though. Or...

#incaseofgrace #ttrpg design #ttrpg #qet #ttrpg devlog

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theadventurerslog · 1 year

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King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder | Part 1

The Adventurer’s Log

King’s Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder Part 1

Release date: 1990

Introduction:

Welcome to King's Quest V! I've been looking forward to this one. It was actually the game I thought to originally play first before I decided to play the series from the start. And I don't regret my decision! But I am excited to finally tackle this one.

Usual disclaimer for KQ: not a blind play.

Before I get into the game proper I need to make note of the version. There are two computer versions of V: Floppy Disk and CD. The version you can buy on GOG or Steam is the CD talkie version and so is the version I have. Voice acting! Not... good voice acting, but voice acting! Okay I do find a lot of it kind of endearing in its own way. Unfortunately, the game only has speech as an option and no subtitles, so that is going to make this is a little trickier. However, there will be a video clip or two or three because some things just must be heard.

As an interesting sidenote there is also an NES port.

This game also makes the switch to a point and click interface. No more text parser which is a little sad for the experimenting end of things, but it will be nice to not have the occasional fight to find what it wants.

There are are some general actions: look, use, talk and walk. And of course you've got your inventory. Pretty standard stuff.

Now with that bit of upkeep done, let's get into this.

It's time for the return of King Graham and everything is well for the kingdom of Daventry.

Except... not, because then we wouldn't have a game now, would we? A wizard appears and with a spell makes the castle and all its inhabitants vanish!

But meanwhile Graham is having a stroll through the woods, stopping to smell the flowers, and just generally having a lovely time.

Until his day takes a turn for the worse. Nothing like a vanished castle to ruin your day. Graham is understandably stunned, but thankfully we have a witness. An owl flies down and introduces himself as Cedric while explaining that he'd been visiting an old friend, but then saw the evil wizard Mordack appear and take the castle and Graham's family.

He's cute! He has a reputation for being annoying but honestly I don't find him that bad.

Cedric doesn't know why Mordack did this, but offers his help. His employer is a good wizard named Crispinophur or just Crispin. He's getting on in years and is a bit forgetful but still one of the best wizards, so no need to worry, Graham. Cedric thinks Graham doesn't currently stand a chance against Mordack, so he needs to come with him. He has some fairy dust that will let Graham fly and sprinkles it over him. The land of Serenia where Crispin lives is too far to walk, so flight it is. The fairy dust is old but Cedric's pretty sure it still works. With those encouraging words it's time to gooo!

It's just so pretty! I love hand-painted backgrounds so much. I can only imagine what it must have been like back then going from King's Quest IV to this.

They make it to Crispin's house but that old fairy dust comes into play and wears off before landing dumping Graham into the pond.

Oops. Hey, at least there are no monsters in this river.

Crispin comes out to see what all the fuss is about.

He invites Graham inside and it's discussion time. Crispin explains that even in the society of wizards Mordack isn't looked on fondly and has been suspended a few times for his abuse of power. There's not a lot Crispin can help with but he offers some old dried snake that'll let Graham talk to animals. No dough in the ears here, but I do appreciate the shared ingredient continuity between the two spells anyway.

He also sends Cedric to help you out and it's time to start the adventure. The first main goal that Cedric advises you of is to head to town to look for supplies. The route to Mordack's castle is over some treacherous mountains so we gotta be prepared.

I explored around a little on the way. There's a path into a dark forest with a warning sign I avoided for now. I continued and found a weeping willow tree whom I could speak to. It turns out she's actually a princess who was enchanted by a witch. She'd been walking through the woods with her fiance, a prince. A witch appeared and was charmed by the prince. The prince refused her advances and so the witch banished the prince elsewhere and turned the princess into a tree. She stole her heart and turned it to gold and the only way to be turned back into a human is to have her heart returned to her. All she has to console herself now is a magic harp.

And she sings a song!

youtube

There's our first thing added to the list of things needed. Before I left I tried drinking some of the water. It was very salty. Graham was not impressed. Yuck! Willow tears...

A screen or two away I found the despondent prince who explains he can't find his princess. He describes her and asks if Graham has seen her to which Graham says he hasn't, which I guess is technically true? But come on, Graham, put two and two together here. You JUST talked to her. Anyway, the prince decides to keep up the search and leaves while adding he's sure the witch had something to do with it. Again, Graham, please.

Continuing on, I found a gypsy camp. I was told I'd need a gold coin to see Madame Mushka. Nothing to do here yet. There's a desert west of this area, but I avoided it for now.

I also found a big ant hill with a fun bit I'll get into later. For now: ants. Nothing to be done. They're just busily doing their ant thing.

And I found some bees! And I poked the bees!

And got my first glorious death. From the narrator: "That wasn't a smart move, Graham. Bee seeing you." A death is worth it so long as there's a bad pun.

Unfortunately for Graham, while I of course had a save to restore, his life wasn't to last long because in the next area was an inn, sure, and more importantly a river!

I gotta dump him in the water at least once, okay. It's like some kind of tradition. No moat or alligators here, but we do what we can with what we have. There wasn't much of a fun death message here, just fast river. But a fun "No, Graham, don't!" from Cedric.

I didn't get many deaths this session, but most of them happened in rapid succession. Because I got another one coming right up!

I just wanted to visit the dog, but when you approach the bar, you overhear the men talking about some kind of job they're pulling and the inn keeper orders them to catch you. You get locked up in a cellar to be rubbed out later and there's nothing that can be done at this point, so that's death number 3.

Onward I found a bakery with delicious custard pies of which I can't buy yet. I guess Graham didn't carry any money at all while he was out walking. Then it was time for town! But town on my own because Cedric was once chased by a dog and doesn't want to enter again, so he waits outside. Cedric not wanting to come with you into places is going to be par for the course.

There are several things to do here. A fish in a, er, barrel, to be scooped up. A man whose wagon broke but beyond talking with him, there's nothing to be done, and three shops to check out.

First: the shoe shop, or what's left of it. There's an elderly couple who own the shop, but they have no shoes to sell. Add that to the list of things to do something about.

Second: a tailor. There's a fine cloak that will be helpful to have when going to Mordack's castle but we'll need something to offer for said cloak. There was one other customer there being helped and complaining about everything he tried. A true retail experience.

Third: A toy shop. The point of interest here is a sled but again, we'll need something to offer for it. The toy shop owner is very friendly and has a grand daughter playing with one of the puppets. He mentions that his wares are a mix of things made by him or his son, and some things that he's bought himself.

Back outside, the guy with the wagon is gone but in his place is a silver coin that's easy to miss. With that coin it's custard pie time! A pie that cannot be eaten because it's going to be extremely important later. Eat that pie: get dead-ended without knowing you've locked yourself out until later. Yeah.

I went back to the bees and my final death for this session because now there's a bear trying to get their honey. I approached the bear.

I got punched by the bear. This screencap is good but even then it can't quite convey the absurdity of this bear just whipping around and socking Graham one in the face. Death number 4: punched out by bear.

The actual solution here is to throw the fish at the bear which takes it and leaves. The queen of the bees comes out and thanks Graham for saving her hive and promises the bees won't bother him now. She offers him some honey. Yay, more inventory!

We've befriended some bees. I grabbed the honey and that stick lying on the ground and carried on.

Now it's time to finish this session off with the ants.

The ants are now being bothered by a dog which is an easy fix with that newly acquired stick. Throw stick, dogs runs after and problem is solved. Just as the queen bee thanked us, now the ant king comes out to thank us as well and offer the ants' aid should Graham ever need it.

Meet King Antony. Honestly this portrait and the way his mouth moves creeps me out a little, but the ant help will be appreciated soon.

And now we finish this session off with getting too close to the ants.

Bugalooo will be stuck in my head forever. Thank you Cedric.

Next time: I still have the forest and the desert to explore. I'll need to find some things to solve my current list of needs: golden heart, gold coin for Madame Mushka, sled, cloak, shoe shop, and not getting killed by the inn thugs. Lots yet to do before starting the journey to Mordack and Graham's missing family.

Points: Unknown because they're not listed. Won't know until the end.

Deaths: 4

Time: 1:08

#king's quest #king's quest v #absence makes the heart go yonder #KQV #KQV_Log #sierra #adventure games

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myerseng · 1 year

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External antenna provides the best wireless in your home

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beewolfwrites · 3 years

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And When I am Formulated, Sprawling on a Pin - Chapter Nineteen: I May Think of You Softly

The angst is starting to hot up now, because we can’t have a Chishiya fic without it :)

As always, you can also read this on AO3 here.

Just adding this because I’ve gotten a few messages about it, but once this fic comes to an end, I’ll start reading the manga properly so I can eventually write a part 2/sequel!

While I’m reading it though, I want to make a collection of one-shots based on this fic from Chishiya’s pov. I have a few scenes in mind to focus on, but if there are some you’d like to see, just drop me a message, comment, carrier pigeon etc... and let me know!

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

‘It’s time.’

They were simple words, but they carried an awful lot of weight. The plan had to go perfectly, otherwise we were finished.

Arisu’s voice sounded from the other line. ‘Is everyone getting into position?’

I picked up the walkie talkie and headed to the door, only for Kuina to grab my arm and stop me. Perplexed, I opened my mouth to ask her why, but her pleading expression silenced me as she took the walkie talkie from my hand.

At the same moment, a new voice – Usagi’s – came through. ‘I’m in the hall, keeping lookout.’

Never taking her eyes from mine, Kuina’s hand tightened around my arm. She pressed the button to activate the walkie talkie. ‘We’re watching over the elevator to the top floor.’

Except we weren’t. We were here, in my room.

Kuina??

Once again, I began to ask her what was happening, but she shook her head, shushing me. The guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. ‘The coast is clear,’ she said into the walkie talkie.

Then it became awfully, awfully apparent what was going on.

‘The new leader is making a speech in the lobby,’ Chishiya said, ‘and all the executives and militants are at the annex. I’ll let you all know if there are any changes.’ There was a pause. ‘This is our only chance. I’m counting on you, Arisu.’

Shrugging out of Kuina’s hold, I sat down on the bed, trying to process the situation. This had been his plan from the start. Not the official plan, but a fake one: to use Arisu and Usagi to locate the safe, and to let them take the fall. Chishiya may know the passcode, but the location of the safe is something that can only be discovered once you actually go into the room.

He’s using them as his guinea pigs.

‘I’m in the Royal Suite now,’ Arisu said. ‘Though I can’t see anything that looks like a safe. Just give me a minute.’ My knee began to bounce nervously as the line went quiet. Then his voice crackled through, triumphant, ‘I’ve found it!’

A puff of air sounded from the other line, and I could practically hear Chishiya’s smirk. ‘The code, it’s 8022.’

There was a pause. ‘How do you know?’ Arisu asked. ‘Did you see inside the black envelope?’

I leaned forward, curious about how Chishiya had managed to figure it out simply by sitting in the same room. There were two possibilities here. Either Chishiya knew perfectly well what the passcode was, and he would concoct a lie to give to Arisu, or he only had an inkling about the passcode, and he was using Arisu to test it out.

‘No,’ Chishiya said, ‘but I didn’t need to. Aguni’s expression told me everything. He was surprised at first, then he was confused. I believe the paper inside was blank.’

‘Blank? But what about the passcode you just told me?’ Arisu asked.

There was an amused hum. ‘The wax seal. You remember Hatter’s ring… it was stamped with the word ‘BOSS’. When the wax seal was stamped, the embossing left numbers. That was the true code.’

You really are incredible, and not necessarily in a good way.

It certainly sounded convincing enough, though until Arisu tested it, there was no way of knowing whether this was the genuine truth, or an impressive sounding lie. And judging by the way things were going, he would find out very quickly.

My heart broke for Arisu as he spoke with pure, blind amazement. ‘Chishiya, I’d hate to be your enemy.’

I held my breath, waiting for the worst as silence ensued. This was a setup, after all. I glanced at Kuina, but she only looked at me apologetically.

Why does he have to be so cruel?

‘Chishiya??’ Arisu’s voice shook. ‘Chishiya, the code’s wrong?’

The static shut off into silence.

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

Even the stale air of my room tasted bitter as I gripped my walkie talkie, turning it over in my palm. It was tempting to just toss into the dustbin and wash my hands of the whole thing, yet I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Chishiya had backed me into a corner. It would be too dangerous to stay at the Beach now that the militants had taken over, but I also resented Chishiya for stringing me along in such a dreadful scheme.

Kuina was waiting for me in the hall outside. Now that the militants were busy with Arisu and Usagi, the royal suite was unguarded. This was the final test. The real plan. But as for whether or not I joined them…. I didn’t have a choice, or at least, it seemed that way. I remembered the words that I’d told Hatter when I first arrived at the Beach.

‘I still have a choice. It’s just that one of the options doesn’t look too great.’

There was always the option to stay and pretend that I had nothing to do with it. Except there was an obvious downside; Niragi wouldn’t settle for that. He’d be out for blood. My blood. It was either possible death or certain death… freedom or confinement. I knew which one I preferred.

‘Though wise men at the end know dark is right, because their words forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night.’

It was funny how fittingly Dylan Thomas’ poem sprung to mind now. I was going to die. That was inevitable. But I still wanted my voice to be heard. I still wanted to chase the meaning of it all.

Pocketing the walkie talkie, I walked towards the door. It almost felt sad. All the textbooks I had been given, the books that had kept me sane this entire time… I would have to leave them behind. They were gifts from Chishiya, but after what he’d done to Arisu, they were tainted. I shut the door behind me, quite possibly for the last time.

Kuina was leaning against the opposite wall, and when she saw me, her expression was one of relief.

‘For a minute, I thought you weren’t coming.’

I tried to smile. ‘For a minute, so did I.’

The hotel was quiet as we made our way to the top floor, it became apparent how quiet it was. The militants and executives were likely dealing Arisu and Usagi by now, and I hated to think of what was currently happening to them. Perhaps this was another reason Chishiya wanted to use them; as a distraction.

‘I don’t like it either,’ Kuina said. Her jaw was rigid. ‘I really don’t like it. But I have to get home to my mother.’

Some of the bitterness I felt softened. I couldn’t fault her for that. Not really. She had told me once, while we were on the rooftop, about her mother being the only one to accept her after her gender reassignment, and now her mother was ill, yet she was stuck here, unable to help. She had tried asking about my own life, although I’d brushed it away at the time.

‘My brother,’ I said after a moment. ‘I want to get back to him. He’s older than me, a psychologist. He went into psychology to research treatment options for certain mental health conditions. My mother isn’t happy… to put it mildly. She’s a mess. Probably it’s something to do with being married to my dad, or maybe it’s genetic.’

Kuina went quiet at first, then took the quit-smoking aide from her mouth. ‘Are you two close?’

I shrugged. ‘I suppose we are. We both grew up in the same place, and we both have that understanding. He was always the one who went first, and I’d follow him. He wasn’t scared of anything, not even my dad.’

Kuina and I didn’t say anything more after that. We were nearing the top floor now, and even though I couldn’t see him, I knew that Chishiya was lurking somewhere, waiting for us to give him the all-clear.

As planned, Kuina handed me a second walkie talkie, and I took my place at the end of the hall, looking out for any executives. Meanwhile, Kuina took watch outside the royal suite, where she could see Aguni’s room. So far, Aguni had remained in his old room, despite being the new number-one, and since Arisu and Usagi’s capture, he had yet to emerge.

Chishiya’s voice sounded through the walkie talkie. ‘You two, how are things on your side?’

Just the sound of his voice brought with it a mixture of anger… despair… betrayal… relief… and love. Even that. How was it that now, when I had never been more hurt by him, I still craved the safety I found in his voice.

I don’t know who I hate more, him or myself.

I didn’t particularly want to speak with him. But ignoring him wasn’t an option either. ‘You’re all good to go from where I’m standing.’

‘Aguni’s still in his room,’ Kuina’s voice crackled through. ‘We’re getting bored now.’

‘Then should we get going with the plan?’ he suggested.

I clicked my tongue, eyes scanning either side of the empty hall. ‘We’ve already gotten going. It’s you who needs to hurry up.’

‘Patience,’ was the curt reply.

I didn’t hear anything, but I knew that somewhere down the hall, Chishiya was entering the royal suite. ‘I don’t know if Arisu is stupid or intelligent,’ he said. ‘Hatter was paranoid. He wouldn’t have hidden the cards in a normal safe.’

Did Arisu try breaking into one of the hotel’s guest safes?

‘Where’s the real one then?’ Kuina asked. She sounded tired and weary.

‘When Arisu was caught,’ Chishiya replied, ‘Aguni wasn’t paying attention. He was looking towards a certain picture on the wall. It turns out the paper wasn’t empty after all. It contained a drawing instead.’

It was impressive how Chishiya was able to figure these things out through body language alone. For someone who seemed to have no concept of how people behaved, he sure paid attention to our behavioral patterns.

‘So, you had no idea where it was until then?’ I asked.

‘Exactly,’ Chishiya said. ‘What happened to Arisu was necessary if we were going to find the real safe. Speaking of which, I’ve found it.’

The way he talked about it was chilling. Not so much the words themselves, but the ease in which he spoke them, the lack of hesitation.

Kuina seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she sighed into the walkie talkie. ‘You used him just for that?’

The response was immediate. ‘In order to gain something, you have to lose something. He’s just a sacrifice. Things like this happen a lot, don’t they?’

The level of self-assurance behind those words… it was brutal. I always knew he was like this, but what did that mean for me and Kuina? Were we just pawns like Arisu and Usagi? Would our deaths be necessary too?

‘No, they don’t.’ Kuina said. ‘Not at all. I really don’t want to be your enemy.’

At this, I almost laughed. When I first met Chishiya, I had thought the same thing, and earlier today, Arisu had said something similar himself.

‘I get that a lot,’ Chishiya replied.

Perhaps everyone is his enemy. Perhaps the only person he sees surviving the Borderlands is himself.

The idea was a harsh philosophy, but it made sense. Chishiya had always made me feel like insignificant just through his calculating gaze alone. In that sense, he was just like my own father, and chances are that was why I was drawn to him. In this crazy parallel world, feeling small was the only thing familiar to me.

Maybe, in order to gain my own freedom, I have to lose Chishiya.

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

Now that the sun had set over the skyline, the evening had turned still and cold. Aside from the hum of cicadas and the chatter of crickets, it was quiet. Leaning against the outside wall of the hotel, I wrapped my arms around me, although it did nothing to stave off the shivers that tickled my skin. Nor did it melt the wedge of icy determination that had buried itself within me.

I’ll follow him for the sake of leaving the Beach… but I refuse to let myself love him.

I had never been a good liar.

To my right, Kuina was leaning against a lamppost, staring guiltily at the ground. Meanwhile, Chishiya removed his numbered wristband as he strolled towards a decorative brick archway that led out of the hotel grounds. ‘I guess we won’t be needing these anymore.’

‘Don’t you feel sorry?’ Kuina asked quietly.

He stopped. ‘Sorry?’

I looked at him curiously, wondering how he could seem so calm. ‘About what happened to Arisu… I feel really sorry for him. We both do.’

Kuina nodded, folding her arms tighter. ‘Don’t you?’

Chishiya’s eyes flitted to mine, and for the first time, I saw genuine surprise there.

Show me a sign… please give me a reason why I should trust you.

‘Is there anything we wouldn’t do in order to survive?’

A shudder ran through me, and this time, it had nothing to do with the breeze. His words confirmed my every suspicion, but I couldn’t let myself feel so disappointed. I needed to block it all out… block everything out.

Then he smiled. It would’ve been easy to mistake it for his usual smile, if not for the hint of bitterness there. ‘If you both feel so worried, then maybe you should go and help him.’

Kuina looked at him, eyes wide with regret. However, she didn’t move. Neither of us could. We both had our own reasons why we needed to survive and return home. Knowing this well, Chishiya took a step towards the arch, only to stop once more. His brow furrowed as he whispered something under his breath.

Growing impatient, I pushed away from the wall and walked towards the exit… towards freedom.

‘Stop.’

Chishiya’s hand clasped around my wrist, dragging me back. I yanked my arm away immediately, both hating and loving the feeling of his fingers on my skin. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

Kuina appeared at my side, and the three of us watched tentatively as Chishiya tossed his wristband through the arch. A red laser burst through the plastic, leaving behind a singed hole.

I stepped back, horrified. This couldn’t be… could it?

The Beach is a game arena??

#alice in borderland #aib #imawa no kuni no arisu #chishiya #chishiya shuntaro #chishiya x oc #chishiya x reader #chishiya alice in borderland

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reydelcastill0 · 4 years

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Are They Selfish?

Tubbo likes their friends a lot, don't get them wrong. But seeing Tommy with his family reminds Tubbo how much they yearn for their own family. They hope it's okay to have found one in Manberg.

Tommy has always had it all. Friends, family... And often times, the spotlight. Tubbo wasn't jealous of it, because they always had second-hand whatever Tommy had, but it was tiring experience everything like that. They wanted Wilbur's attention, too, or to be acknowledged as more than an errand boy. And they also didn't want to suffer alongside Tommy. They know that sounds rude, but sometimes Tubbo has to pay for things Tommy does and he doesn't.

They like hanging out with Tommy, being their best friend and all. It's just exhausting to be forced into a supporting character role. They probably don't want the main character role anyways, but they want more than they have. They're not jealous of Tommy, who seems favored by Wilbur. They're not jealous, and they don't think they ever could be. They love Tommy too much to... Well, Tubbo just knows they wouldn't abandon Tommy, not on purpose, and not out of jealousy. They can only imagine under one specific condition, but Tubbo knows Tommy loves them just as much as Tubbo loves him, so it would never happen.

Tubbo, who had initially thought Tommy and Wilbur's drug scandal was not good, but quickly changed over because of Tommy, knew they would never leave Tommy. They weren't even mad when Tommy left them, he was exiled. Even if all Tubbo wanted to do was follow him, but couldn't, Tubbo wouldn't be mad at Tommy. If anyone, they should be mad at Schlatt. Schlatt separated the boys, immediately doing so by blinding Tubbo with fear and a promise of power.

"Tommy?" Tubbo had called out, forgetting to turn on their walkie-talkie as they realized that he was truly gone, standing in shock as they watch their friends run away from an onslaught of arrows. They remain in L'Manberg, primarily out of shock, but mostly hoping for a sign that perhaps Schlatt is joking. That maybe after talking about the fountain and lowered taxes... That maybe Schlatt would say that he was joking. Tubbo quickly learns the new president— the emperor— wasn't.

"Tubbo? Where's Tubbo? Where's Tubbo" They hear Schlatt say, the mic amplifying his voice with an echo. It can be heard all across L'Manberg, the walls failing to dampen the sound.

"I'm right here," is all they can bring themselves to say. They stand at the top of the walls, watching Schlatt speak to the podium. Schlatt grins, the action being just shy of a smirk, when he spots them.

"Tubbo, get— get up here, get up here on my podium," Schlatt says, but Tubbo immediately stutters, "C'mon Tubbo, you're the secretary of state." He spoke matter-of-factly, catching Tubbo off guard. It filled them with a sense of hope and joy. They can keep their job? Surely not...

"Wait, what?— ok?" They hear Quackity chime in with 'Effective immediately, Tubbo.' "Wait I'm secretary— am I?" The promise of it is extremely intriguing. For a moment, it makes Tubbo forget about Tommy. They begin heading back to where the podium is, exiting the walls of L'Manberg.

"Yeah, I think that's, think that's— I think he's always been that? I dunno," Schlatt says. He doesn't seem to really bother much about the facts, he still seems keen on keeping Tubbo around. That makes Tubbo a slight bit happy, too. Schlatt doesn't care what Tubbo's status of power was, all that matters to him was Tubbo. Tubbo!

"Yeah, yeah that's... I didn't know I got to keep my—"

"Well I'm not gonna fire you! I mean you're Tubbo! What am I, gonna fire Tubbo?" He speaks of Tubbo as though they are extremely valuable to him. As if their worth to the nation is obvious. It's not, at least, Wilbur has never made it seem that way. This seems like a step-up, but Schlatt is conveniently making them lose sight of what's important here.

"Uh, okay?" Tubbo agrees, confused on to why Schlatt even wants to keep them. Everyone treats them like an errand boy. Besides, they're Tommy's best friend, shouldn't they be exiled as well. What good is Tubbo to Schlatt if Tommy isn't there, too? Everyone always wants Tommy around.

Schlatt's tone had remained slightly jovial, but then all of a sudden his tone becomes frighteningly serious. "Tubbo, get up here. Now." It makes Tubbo a slight bit scared, worried about what happens if they don't comply with the 'emperor'.

"I've- I've— I'm actually currently—," Tubbo decides for a moment what they want to do. Standing at the start of the path leading to the podium, they weigh their options. They could go find Tommy... Or they could stand beside Schlatt as a secretary of state. They make their choice, but they don't truly consider it. "Ok, I'm on my way," they repeat so that Schlatt does not assume otherwise. Their words have a hint of fear, no doubt because Schlatt is single-handedly the most intimidating man on the server. Far more than Dream could ever hope to be.

"Get up here now," Schlatt commands. It's frightening, so Tubbo hastens even more. They walk up the steps and rush to Schlatt. The fear driving them more than the desire for the position. They continue repeating, "I'm on my way."

Schlatt continues to goad Tubbo onto the podium, his tone returning to a more friendly and inviting one when he spots them. "Take my spot on the podium!" He cheers. He begins to praise Tubbo as though they were the very reason the nation is worth anything. It makes them feel more wanted than they have in a while. Being called the goat-man's right hand man even further solidifies the thought, overpowering their need to find Tommy and join him. Tubbo is caught off guard by the positive attention, of Schlatt's claims and appraisal.

They only snap out of it when Schlatt says, softly yet with an underlying tone of menace, "I need you to find Tommy, and I need you to show him the door. Rumor has it, he's around here..." Tubbo complies, defeated beyond belief. At least they can still go and find Tommy. Unfortunately, not under the ideal conditions. They turn on the walkie-talkie and ignore Tommy as he tries to convince Tubbo not to go through with this. They don't want to, but they chose Schlatt over their friends— their leader and their best friend. Tubbo chose Schlatt... They hope they won't regret it; they know they will.

(Thankfully, they eventually manage to convince Wilbur and Tommy of their support— their allyship. If only they would have been allowed to join Pogtopia.)

Perhaps, Tubbo shouldn't have chosen to side with Schlatt. Then, maybe, they would've been with Tommy, Wilbur, and Techno... The brothers. Tubbo would have loved to have been apart of that. But Schlatt treats Tubbo as though they're valuable and Tubbo wonders if that's how they would've been treated at Pogtopia. Schlatt even takes time to talk to Tubbo. To ask them about their day, their progress with assignments, and even tries to hang out with them.

It makes Tubbo feel wanted— more wanted than anyone has made them feel in the longest time.

And everyone is so supportive of Tubbo, even when Tubbo says they're pregnant. They're not, but Schlatt is so respectful about Tubbo's privacy that Tubbo actually enjoys it. Schlatt doesn't ask who the dad is, or how long they've been pregnant, or what they'll name the baby (that doesn't exist). Instead, Schlatt makes a slight effort to even give Tubbo less labor intensive work. After all, it's bad for the baby. At least, that's what Quackity had told Schlatt. No doubt to ease up the work on the child.

Quackity and Fundy fully support Tubbo, not batting an eye at the pregnancy. Fundy seemed skeptical at first, but they brush it off eventually. Tubbo wonders why, but forgets to ponder it any longer when Fundy asks if they're is anything Tubbo needs. Fundy is so kind to Tubbo. Has been since Tubbo officially became a member of the L'Manberg SMP.

Fundy seems to have bought the pregnancy story, even going so far as to tell Tubbo that he'll support them. Tubbo is glad, regardless of the validity of their own child. Tubbo remembers that once, they and Fundy had say down inside of L'Manberg's walls and talked. It was the night that Wilbur had said that Fundy was born a girl. Curiously, Tubbo asked what that meant, only to find out that they themselves were in a similar position. They became much closer than ever, bonding over being trans and how they wish Wilbur would give them a fraction of the attention they give Tommy.

Now, Fundy and Tubbo have room to bond over more things.

"Schlatt's really nice," Tubbo says randomly while they're hanging out. He is, Tubbo wouldn't argue otherwise. Schlatt is very considerate of his citizens. He takes time to check in on all of them. Tubbo attributes most of that to the need to hold control and to make sure no one is forming an inside rebellion. Tubbo wants to attribute it to that, but Tubbo feels like the man genuinely cares.

"Yeah," Fundy responds, "He calls me son."

"I've noticed. He's called me son once, too," Tubbo says. They ponder over it. Schlatt is a nice man. He acts like a dad and makes sure everyone is in good health. He let's everyone have their fun. He's very different from Wilbur, even though the former president wanted his citizens to be in good health. Schlatt treats everyone respectfully and equally. It doesn't matter that Fundy is a Soot. He conveniently ignored that fact, accepting that Its Fundy Soot is simply Fundy. He doesn't even care that Fundy and Tubbo are trans. He just treats them like any other citizen.

"He treats me like I'm normal," Fundy says with a sigh. Wilbur never did. Wilbur always baby-talked him and called him Champion. It was patronizing. Schlatt gives them all a default level of respect that Wilbur never really gave. It's a very welcome change.

"You are normal," Tubbo says.

"We are normal," Fundy corrects. After a bit, they direct the conversation to Tubbo's baby. Fundy is as respectful about Tubbo's privacy as Schlatt, but he seems exited no less. Tubbo is glad to have someone like Fundy in their life. He's like a brother. They've always wanted a brother.

Tubbo feels like he was lucky to get another brother, too. Quackity is the most concerned about Tubbo, seemingly trying to prevent Tubbo from doing mentally scarring things. He tried his best to stop Tubbo from the tearing down the walls, yelling as he watches do so with tears. Quackity also gets very concerned and stressed whenever Schlatt scolds Tubbo. Yeah, at times Quackity is more in tune with Schlatt, trying to keep the child in check and making sure he isn't part of any rebellion. Yeah, Quackity is most of the reason Schlatt is in power in the first place, but Quackity's loyalty wavers. If they could've done so, they would have tried to get Quackity to support Pogtopia.

Quackity is loyal, even if it seems like at times they reevaluate their stance, and won't turn against Schlatt. Tubbo tried to gauge Quackity's allegiance and came up with nothing. Quackity is pro-Manberg through and through. But at least the loyalty he pours into the nation is poured into Tubbo as well.

He always checks in with Tubbo when Schlatt is being a bit mean. He tells Tubbo that he'll always be there for them and if they ever need someone to help or step in, to let him know. Quackity is adamant that Tubbo knows he can be trusted. After all, Tubbo is a Manbergian. Tubbo matters to Quackity, and Tubbo likes to think that they still will even if things go south.

Tubbo likes that. He always worried Wilbur would ignore them like he does with Fundy. But neither Schlatt nor Quackity, and not even Fundy, ignore Tubbo. Everyone is so considerate of Tubbo's feelings.

Tubbo is glad that people care about him.

His feelings about Schlatt, Fundy, and Quackity become fully realized during one meeting with Tommy. Tubbo ends up in possession of all the discs. The discs that started a mess. A mess that has eventually become Manberg. They were with Tommy, who seemed worried and anxious. Wilbur has gone crazy, but Tommy doesn't say much about it. Instead he proposes to run away. Tubbo is almost on board with the idea.

They have all they've ever wanted. They're part of a war because of the discs. They could run away, take the discs with them and never look back. Except... Well, Tubbo has made a family in Manberg. Schlatt is so kind to Tubbo. Manipulative, they know, but Tubbo knows how genuine Schlatt is most of the time. Schlatt cares, even if he tries to appear otherwise. Fundy and Tubbo are closer than they ever have been. Bonding over the fake baby (not fake to Fundy's— or anyone's— knowledge) or their enjoyment in the nation. Quackity is there, too, concerned about Tubbo almost every step of the way. Tubbo can't leave that behind. Tubbo doesn't want to. They love everyone too much.

But Tubbo can't tell Tommy that. If Tommy decides to leave, they will. They've made heartbreaking decisions before. But Tommy changes his mind, and they both end up agreeing that for Wilbur, they'll keep fighting. Tubbo knows that, deep down, they're going to stay because the people in Manberg matter to Tubbo, even if they're the enemy.

Are they selfish? Are they selfish for wanting the family they've never had? Even at the cost of what's 'right'?—

Once about to part ways with Tommy, Schlatt, Fundy, and Quackity arrive at the embassy. Tubbo and Tommy become panicked, and Tommy leaves the excuse to Tubbo. It's not hard to think of one, it's very easy to reuse one after all. The same one they've been having to use this whole time.

Schlatt quickly asks Tubbo about this. It does look suspicious. Tubbo is from Manberg; Tommy was exiled and is now a vital part of Pogtopia...

Tubbo rushes to Schlatt's side and tugs on the goat-man's arm. Schlatt understands that Tubbo wants him to lean down a slight bit. "You know how I said I was pregnant?"

"Yeah?" Schlatt answers, wondering why Tubbo would need to meet up Tommy. He tenses, and Tubbo thinks it's a sign of him being a slight bit angry. Tommy looks a bit worried, shocked, and slightly scared (from what Tubbo can see) Tubbo, before continuing, realizes that maybe they think Tommy will be claimed as the dad.

"He's my pediatrician," Tubbo states. There's no hesitation. Both Schlatt and Tommy relax.

Schlatt seems confused, until he realizes what Tubbo means to say. "A gynecologist," he corrects Tubbo. Tubbo instantly agrees. Schlatt doesn't seem content, though, especially when Tommy starts pointing his gun at Schlatt for breaking apart the embassy.

Schlatt seems like he's about to sick everyone on Tommy, but Tubbo just furthers that Tommy is a perfectly fine gynecologist. "I like them rude," "I crave bad behavior," and what-not.

Everyone seems sold on the cover story, but a bit disappointed.

"Maybe you should let us know you're going to handle your pregnancy," Schlatt says, and everyone agrees. Tubbo feels happy when he realizes Tommy is not the issue here, but rather Tommy's qualifications. They don't want Tubbo to suffer from any sort of malpractice. They care about Tubbo's health and will set aside differences for Tubbo.

When Tommy leaves, shooting Quackity before doing so, everyone tells Tubbo that they want to help. They even suggest asking if Bad knows how to be a gynecologist. They trust their ally more, after all. They trust Bad with Tubbo, who matters to them. They all tell Tubbo that they matter and that they want them to be able to say they need to visit a doctor. They want Tubbo to trust all of them.

Tubbo feels bad that their whole pregnancy story is a lie. They feel so loved and supported by everyone it almost makes them cry. Tubbo hopes no one will be made when they have to come clean about the pregnancy.

When everyone is at Manberg, Schlatt takes Tubbo to the White House and talks with them.

"Tubbo," Schlatt starts. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Schlatt."

"Then can you please talk to me about your health. I know I don't know anything about babies, but you're going to have one! I want... I want to be there for you, ok?" Schlatt tells them.

"I— Thank you," Tubbo earnestly tells him, "Thanks, dad." It slips out of Tubbo too quickly for them to pull it back. They knew they had been thinking about the man as a sort of dad, but they didn't expect their thoughts to ever be vocalized, much less on accident.

"Dad?" Schlatt whispers. He seems baffled, eyes wide and ears pointed directly at Tubbo. Tubbo can see a bit of a smile form on his muzzle as he becomes a bit relaxed. "Dad... I like the sound of that," he mutters softly. He stands up and walks to Tubbo.

Tubbo stands up and when they realize that he is offering a hug. Tubbo instantly accepts. They wrap their arms around the man and hug tightly. This is nice, they think, very nice.

"I'm here for you Tubbo. You're my right hand man... My son." That alone means the world to him. Schlatt is his dad now, and Tubbo almost cries out of joy. This is all he's ever wanted. A dad... brothers... A proper family who values them.

Tommy has always had it all. Tubbo knows now that they were jealous. Jealous of it all. Tommy has brothers who would kill for him, a dad who cherishes him. Tommy has it all, even during exile. Tubbo wanted a piece of that, but alongside him? They would never have even been close to having that. Tubbo thinks they finally have it all, too. Tommy and their family. The discs...

Tubbo has it all now. They decide they'll enjoy it while it last. They'll help plan the festival and they'll enjoy it! With their family. They've finally found their family. Tubbo would fight for their family. Tubbo thinks that they'll choose their family... They just hope Tommy can understand, because Tubbo doesn't really want to make that decision, but they will if they have to.

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mc-i-r · 3 years

Text

Thrill of the kill

Chapter 10

Masterpost

Ship: intrulogical

Pov: Virgil

Tw: guns, shooting, blood, dead bodies, yelling, suicide (by cop)

Let me know if I missed anything!

Word count: 1794

A/N: As promised, here is the last chapter of Totk. I'm so proud of this and seeing everyone who reads it has made me infinitely happy. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the super long last chapter!

“We’ve got ‘em. They’re at a bank downtown, holding everyone inside hostage. If we hurry we can diffuse it before it gets too bad,” I said, leaning on the doorframe to Roman’s office. He quickly got up, following me out of the station and to the car. We mixed in with the flood of police cars exiting the precinct, heading downtown to finally catch those maniacs.

“What have we got so far?” Roman asked on our way up there. I kept my attention on the road, following the back end of the police car in front of me.

“They planned out a bank robbery, a big one at that. I won’t be surprised if this is their last, if I’m being honest with ya. We profiled that they would stop at nothing to get away with it and if that means suicide by cop then so be it. They’ve been escalating for a few months now so keep your eyes open. This one is gonna be big,” I said. We turned the final corner, both of us practically jumping out of the car. I found one of the first responding officers, asking what the current situation is.

“So far, they’ve locked the door from the inside with chains and sealed off all the exits. We counted around 50 to 60 hostages inside. They moved them to the middle of the building but that’s all we know so far,” he said. He got a call over his walkie talkie, stepping way to answer it. I turned to Roman, sighing and running a hand down my face.

“It’s worse than I thought. They’re not gonna let those hostages live,” I said. Roman tiled his head like a puppy in confusion. Dammit, why does he have to be so cute?! Virgil, not now.

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

“Because, Roman, they’re psychopaths. They feel no empathy. No remorse for anything they’ve ever done. They don’t care about those people and they don’t care about the money. They’re only doing this because you need money to survive, no other reason. They aren’t going to let those people go, Roman. I know it,” I said, gesturing to the door. I started pacing, trying to figure out the best tactic to cool down the situation. None of them were good options.

“We need to set up communications. It’s the only thing I can think of. We need to get in their heads somehow. You! Yeah, you. Can you help me set this up?” I ask, calling out to a random officer. He nodded and came over to where me and Roman were trying to set up the communications operation. “Thank you….?”

“Oh, Officer Heart. But you can call me Patton,” the officer said, the cheery character extending a hand for me to take. I don’t do handshakes so Roman stepped in, shaking the man’s hand.

“I’m Roman and this grumpy man is Virgil,” he said. I glared at him, elbowing him in the side.

“Ow! Hey, what was that for!?” he said, grabbing his side. Patton just snickered, hooking up a few wires onto the recorder and phone.

“You know what it was for, Princey, don’t act dumb,” I said, turning back to the task at hand.

“‘Princey’?” Patton asked, raising an eyebrow. Me and Roman both answered at the same time.

“It’s what I call this idiot.”

“It’s his special nickname for me.”

I let out a huff of air as Patton giggled, hooking in the last wire. I pressed the power button and the line went live.

“Okay, I’m gonna need you two to be quiet, okay?” I said. The both nodded and I punched in the number for the bank, picking up the phone and putting it to my ear. I heard it ring;

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Bingo.

“Eh? What d’you want?” a nasally voice sounded from the other end. It took all my willpower not to grimace.

“Who is this?” I asked. It's best to set the scene first before getting into negotiations.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Virgil. Detective Virgil.”

“Ooh, fancy. So, Detective Virgil, what brings you here this fine day?” the obnoxious voice sounded from the other end. I’m going to have a headache by the end of this.

“Oh, you know, just a couple of serial killers robbing a bank. The usual.” A shrill laugh rangs over the phone, making me pull the phone away from my ear to save my eardrums. “You never answered my question. Who is this?”

“Remus Prince at your service,” he said. That name made me pause. It was...familiar somehow. Remus, Remus, Remus. Prince. Remus Prince. Roman Prince.

Oh. My. God.

It’s Roman’s twin brother.

Oh no.

“Do you plan on coming out anytime soon?” I asked. I had to keep my cool and try not to freak out that my crush’s partner’s lost brother is currently holding a bank hostage with his psychopathic boyfriend.

“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. I sighed. ‘This is going to be a long conversation.’

“Then tell me, Remus, why the bank robbery? Why now?”

“Well, I was getting quite bored and thought a good ol’ bank heist would do the trick.”

"So you don’t have any friends to visit?”

“Friends? HA! I haven’t had a friend in years,” the eccentric man laughed.

“Well I’m sure it’s hard to make friends when you murder them.”

“That was rude,” Remus pouted.

“So is murder,” I said, deadpan. “How do you plan on getting out of there? We’ve got all the exits covered, front and back.”

“I’m sure Logan will think of something. He always does.”

“So Logan is the other one? How long ha-”

“Hang on there sunshine, gimme a moment.” he interrupted. The line went silent for a second, the sound of distant yelling coming through on the other side. There was a gunshot, then another, and another; the sound echoing off the concrete walls. Several officers shouted, trying to advance forward to bust into the building. That would only panic them, making them shoot at random and kill more people than necessary.

“DON’T MOVE IN!!” I yelled, commanding the officers to take a step back. I put the phone to my ear once more.

“I had to take care of something. I’m sorry, you were saying?” Remus said nonchalantly. I wondered just how many people he’s killed in his lifetime for this to be normal. I didn’t like that thought very much.

“How long have you two known each other? You and Logan I mean,” I ask. I hear a humming noise come from the other end, indicating that he was thinking.

“About three years now,” he responded.

“So you haven’t seen anyone except him for three years?” I asked.

“Nope!” he said, popping the ‘p’ once again. “And I’m not complaining either. I mean...have you seen that man?”

“Not even your brother?” I asked. The line went deathly silent; so much so that I thought he had hung up. The light on the monitor proved me otherwise though, as well as the burst of gunshots that came from inside. I heard the phone disconnect and I slammed the phone down in anger.

“Dammit! We almost had him,” I yelled. I started pacing again, trying to work away the uneasy feeling in my stomach.

“What happened? Why were there so many gunshots?” Roman asked, looking more confused than concerned.

“I must have struck a nerve. We need to move in soon or else this will end more bloody than we hope for,” I said. I tried to walk past Roman but he held an arm out, effectively stopping me in my tracks.

“Hey, are you good?” he asked, voice having dropped to almost a whisper. It was sweet how much he cares. If we weren’t in a hostage situation right now I probably would have finally confessed.

“Yeah, I’m good. We just need to get them out of there,” I said, walking past him and to the line of officers.

They had formed a barricade around the entrance of the bank, many of them already aiming their guns at the glass doors. I made my way over to them, joining in the line and aiming my gun as well. A minute or two later, Roman joined me, Patton following closely behind. I was getting ready to give the command for S.W.A.T to enter when two figures approached the door, both carrying guns, one undid the chains on the door while the other pushed the door open, both of them aiming their guns at us.

I held up the signal for ‘hold fire’, analysing the two psychopaths that now stood in front of us. One officer yelled for them to put their guns down, both of them ignoring the command. They were almost in a daze, ignoring the outside world. The same officer warned them, saying that they would open fire. Again, they didn’t comply. Instead, they made their way closer to one another, guns still aimed at the line of officers. Their lips collided with one another, fingers pulling the trigger and opening fire. I ducked behind part of the barricade, shielding myself from the incoming bullets. They were doing it. They were actually doing it.

They were going to die.

I took a breath and peeked around the barricade, watching as the two serial killers were almost riddled with bullets. Still, the two stayed locked in a kiss, holding on to each other. In their last moments, they pulled apart, both whispering something that was lost to time. Then, their bodies fell to the ground in a pool of blood, limp and growing cold.

I never forgot that day. The day two lovers were caught in the whirlwind of bullets, how their love faded just like the life from their eyes. The day dozens of bodies are hauled out of that bank, their loved ones weeping at the sight. The final look they gave us before their bodies were torn to shreds. It was peaceful almost, like they had prepared for this since the moment they met. I suppose they had; having a plan in case things went wrong. It wasn’t just me that was haunted by that day. Roman almost broke down when he found out it was his brother, often visiting the crime scene and replaying the last moments of his lost brother’s life. I found him coming to my apartment almost every day, sobbing and almost collapsing from exhaustion. It was a sad day, one that ruined too many lives to count. It did help me realize something, something that I never forgot in the many years to come.

People really will do anything for love.

Taglist:

@whattheremus @falsemood @braingoburr @midnightstorm-underthe-moon @martini46

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