#i hope characterisation didn't take the hit too hard!

[slashingdisneypasta]

Foxy Coltrane x Fem!Reader || Excerpts

Plot: A few (5) of your many 💋kisses💋 with Foxy Coltrane. They aren't really in any particular order.

'I just wanted to know what it would be like.' - Gilmore Girls

Warnings: Sexual references + kissing gifs. Reader is pretty obsessed. Unedited.

***the 'fem' part in the title can be taken with a grain of salt. I only put it because the gifs are all hetero. If that doesn't bother you, theirs actually no mention that the reader is feminine in the writing.

1; The first time.

Your lips touch his, your hands sliding up a moth eaten american flag shirt and the warm chest under it and they reach his shoulders, and its absolutely everything you thought it would be. He grins against your mouth like he just won a bet and strong arms wrap around you; holding you still. Literally caging you in.

If you hadn't already committed to this madness, then you probably would have the good sense to be afraid of that. But you wanted this. You thought about it, you considered the pros and the cons, the feel of his lips on yours vs the feel of his fingers in your guts, and the desire to kiss him won by a landslide.

You must be crazy.

Foxy kisses just like how you would imagine a 55-year-old borderline feral classic to kiss- all encompassing, that beard rubbing your face in an oddly pleasant way and his big hands grabbing your hips just like they belong there. Like you're his. He takes his time kissing you, his mouth moving carefully on yours, just enjoying it; a hot piece of ass like you just walkin' up and kissing him out of nowhere. He's definitely game for shit like that.

When you have to breathe and separate just for air, he tries to follow you for half a second, but settles for giving you a mischievous, almost smug grin and dropping his forehead against yours. "... well hi." He drawls, his voice a slow crawl that makes you feel things. Terrible, dangerous things.

Breathless and eyes glazed over with want. Everything about the older man is perfect to you- how can he be so handsome?? How can he be so hot? And interesting? And the fact that he's considerably saner then his brother and sister is definitely a bonus for you. "I just wanted to know... what it would be like."

"Oh? Making out with an old guy?" Foxy teases. "Kinky little bitch, huh?"

"Making out with you." You admit boldly, your hands still on his shoulders and watch his face transform into a wicked grin.

"'s that so?... " He looks thoughtful and impressed and intrigued by you, his eyes soft but daunting at the same time. "You sure about that? Kinda dangerous, dontcha think?... "

Definitely. "I think it was worth it."

"You wanna get outta here?"

2; When he comes back after a trip away from you.

"Fox!" As soon as you saw him laid back half-slumped in the cushions on your couch, his knees spread wide manspreading like an ass, and an old black-and-white on your tv, and that slow smirk on his handsome face after he was gone for 2 months, your mood is completely lifted. You had the l o n g e s t day at work and you were ready to absolutely collapse but the effect he has on you is an instant recharge. A slow grin spreads across your face as you close the door behind you. You've missed him so bad-

"Hey there sweetheart. Been a while this time. My bad." The way his eyes flicker down your body and back up to your face again, the happy-to-see-you grin on his handsome rugged face, lights you up inside even brighter. He came here to see you!! He's happy to see you!! "C'mere."

You don't hesitate a second before crossing the room and settling in his lap, connecting your lips in a searing kiss full of all the want you've had to compartmentalise and put away all the time that he was not here. He barely moves, seeming lazy as he just lifts his chin to kiss you back. He doesn't need to move; you're in control (at least he lets you believe you are, 'cuz he likes you) and you're already nice and close in his lap, your knees digging into the couch cushions on either side of his camo-clad hips.

You went from negative one hundred to positive two hundred so fast you're already clenching around nothing, and so when he puts his hands on your hips (His big, dangerous, experienced wolfman hands) and encourages you to grind down on his hard bulge - which must have already been hard before you walked in, - you're happy to oblige. The kiss has to stop, at that- an inconceivable sigh of relief choking you at the feeling you missed; your head pressing into his shoulder as your hips slowly move against him.

"There, there, baby... I'm back... "

3; When Otis is looking at you a certain kind of way.

You hate Otis' attention. You hate being around Otis- he nearly killed you when you first met the Fireflies, after all, and it was only Baby who kept you alive cuz you were a good playmate (now of course you're Foxy's playmate, instead though. Funny how things change). But even now he sometimes looks at you, and you can tell he still wants to kill you after all this time. Pull you apart and make something new out of your pieces. Otis hasn't become attached to you in the slightest- he never would. In his head you will always be prey.

The whole time Otis has been sticking near to you tonight and picking on you Foxy has been behind you, telling him to back the hell off you whenever he goes too far, or just glaring. Otis knows what he's doing, knows he shouldn't be messing with you (You're Foxy's), but of course he doesn't care.

When Otis crosses the line with Fox (Finally. He crossed the line as far as you're concerned 3 seconds in), referring to you as 'meat, you're sure Foxy's going to pick up your hand and take you both out of there. Leave. Go somewhere where it can be just the two of you.

You're shocked when he sits down in a chair and guides in between his legs, one hand on your waist drawing you in for a deep kiss thats would be completely indecent in any other social group but the Fireflies. A surprised noise slips out of you but after he uses the opening to slip his tongue into your mouth, you get quiet; obediently kissing him back. Needily kissing him back. You're absolutely all his and you can never ever help it when he kisses you. He kisses you, and its all over. Any restraint you had, any nervousness or fear (Of him, of Otis, of your own psychotic desires for this evil man) disappear and all you have is a want for the warm familiar feel of him under your skin.

He knows it.

He knows as soon as he does this to you you wont be scared, anymore. You'll forget all about Otis. And Otis'll lose all interest.

And just like that, with Foxy's tongue deep in your mouth and his hand on your waist squeezing the fat there gently and making you crazy, Otis rolls his eyes and gets up. You don't even notice him leave, your fingers losing themselves in your Foxes hair just like the rest of you is lost in him.

Foxy cracks his eyes open, still kissing you, to watch him walk off. Too fucken easy.

4. Slow kisses when you're alone and you have plenty of time.

Sometimes the stars and the planets all align and your free wolfman stays. Foxy gets that still energy about him- like he's not going anywhere this time, at least for now, like here with you is exactly where he most wants to be in the world- and thats saying something because Foxy can go anywhere he wants to. Have whatever he wants. do whatever he wants. At least thats what you think.

At least he can get whatever he wants, from you.

During these times where he's still, not going away, you hope to be alone. No Fireflies, no Spaulding, no scary Otis.

Because- g o d.

When you are alone-

Theirs something oddly romantic about him, something from those old movies he likes in the way he touches you. His lips on yours are soft, teasing, setting your nerves on fire and making you moan. He'll sit on the couch for hours with you just tasting your lips, and your tongue, and your cheeks and jaw and neck and anywhere else he can reach. And when you get up to eat, or shower, or go to the bathroom, its not long before the possessive-obsessive wolfman comes up behind you and starts all over again.

He presses your front against a wall and lathers your neck and shoulders in those maddening gentle kisses, he feels up your spine with the tips of his dirty fingernails while you're cooking something on the stove and then sucks the darkest hickey you've ever seen into the crook of your neck (It'll be so sensitive to the touch after. He'll leave the same ones in all sorts of other places on you, too), he'll kiss you deep until you get lightheaded from the sheer lack of air.

He makes you even more addicted to him. Makes it even worse when he inevitably leaves again.

But... while it lasts....

5. The kiss in the middle of a fight.

Its honestly the hardest thing in the world for you to be mad at this man- because he could hurt you. But also because you love him. And also because he refuses to listen!!

"You are the most frustrating- are you hearing me??"

He looks up from a machete set across his knees, which he was picking blood clots off of with his bare fingernails, and raises his brows. "... huh?"

"Ughhhhh!" You just got finished telling him what was bothering you, and he was off in la la land!! Frustration washes through you like a tidal waive and you don't know what to do with yourself. He does this every time!! You're pretty sure he does it on purpose! Unsure what to do with yourself, you whip around and storm off- ignoring his 'wait, hold on, wait, wait!- '.

When suddenly his hand wraps around your wrist like a vice and whips you back around to him you end up slamming right against his chest. You try to back up and storm away again but his other hand comes down on your arm and holds you still. "Hold on, there. What's the problem, sweetcheeks?"

"Whats the pr-!? " Ohhhhh. "Let me go, I'm leaving!"

"Come on, clue me in."

"I did! You weren't listening!"

"Alright, shit, well I didn't think it was something important. Fuck me. Alright, siddown, my ears are wideee open."

"No!"

"I'm not givin' you a choice."

Instead of arguing with that you just start struggling against him again, and he watches half-annoyed at your little attempts; wriggling your wrist in his grip and trying to yank your other arm away from him- you budge him but he doesn't let go. "Fuck- "

Eventually his annoyance turns into amusement, watching you wriggle like a worm on a hook. "Goddamnit, you're cute." A slow smirk spreads across his face looking down at you. "Makes me wanna do stuff to ya. Stuff ya like. Too bad you're so upset... woulda been a fun couple hours."

Thats, admittedly, makes you falter. Even give up. Fuck. Breathless, you stop your fighting and look up at him with big frustrated bambi eyes. "... what?"

"You heard me."

"I'm mad at you." He cant do this to you!! This isn't fair! He's an ass, and he deserves to be mad at for a while.

"I know, I know." The grin on his face spreads as he steps in closer to your body, now that you're not actively trying to get away from him anymore; he knows he's got you. You can feel his warmth against your skin through layers of clothes. "... but come on, that'll just make it more fun, right?"

"... " You part your lips to respond, agree with him or deny him some more even though you know you want to give in, when you realise his grip on you loosened. Your heartbeat immediately picks up and thank god he doesn't realise it because a moment later you're gone from his grip and storming off again.

This time you make it a mere 2 feet before he catches you again and drags you back right against him this time; smothering your laughter and his amused grin at your cheek with his mouth.

The kiss immediately destroys any last resolve you had for yourself and you ring your arms up around his neck; slipping your tongue into his mouth.

#i want to kiss himmmmm XD #this was originally just the first excerpt but it was so simple and dissapointing 😅 so- i added more kisses (: #XD #also forgive me. i'm a lil romantic about foxy and it d e f i n e t l y shines through 😂😂😂 #i hope characterisation didn't take the hit too hard! #i watched that forest scene before writing the last one so i think he came out best in that one ^^ #Foxy Coltrane x Reader Excerpts #Foxy Coltrane x Reader #Winslow Foxworth Coltrane x Reader Excerpts #Winslow Foxworth Coltrane x Reader #Foxy Coltrane #Winslow Foxworth Coltrane

[canmom]

having just read an enormous metafiction about tabletop roleplaying games, i ended up reflecting a bunch on how I play them - what my characters are to me. a discussion which ended up as a segue into a discussion of what an rpg 'system' actually means in practice.

...happy new year!

as a GM, I tend to be far more improvisational than Joon of Worth the Candle, but I have an affinity for how he does things - one of my most successful games had the players ultimately ascend to usurp me as MC of my Apocalypse World game, which is essentially the structure of WtC.

as a player... my characters are usually ways of experimenting with ideas or conflicts, reflecting some aspect of me, attached to some kind of cool image. my characterisation has been a bit weak for a long time, but I'm growing out of it.

sometimes I've played with groups who found it very easy to see what my character is 'about'. sometimes not. in one sad story - nothing Fel Seed level, don't worry - I struggled fruitlessly to find a way to mesh with the type of story desired by the group and create a story I found compelling. every time I thought I'd hit a groove, I'd press other people's buttons in a bad way. eventually I was asked to leave, and after doing a session where I retired my character, which felt at the time like reading out a false confession before my execution, except I had to improvise within bounds, I left the group and server and basically never spoke with them again.

looking back on it... I was going through some shit. not on the level that Joon was, and I didn't deliberately try to hurt people or lash out in frustration, but I wasn't able to see beyond what I was struggling with (at that time, the surface presentation was my discomfort with the need to make violence in fiction out to be justified, like 'evil races'). I didn't realise that the concepts I found compelling kept hitting another player's no-go list, which sucked for both of us - her to have a frighteningly opaque person who seemed determined to press boundaries, me because it seemed like every time I finally came up with a good idea and thought I had a handle on my character, the DM would quietly ask me to shut it down. nowadays I hope I would have understood all this and recognised the group and game was not right for me and quit sooner, but at the time it seemed like a deep personal failing. it's still a little sore.

nowadays I'm blessed to have a really good group of players with a great DM and everyone invested in the game, and I'm playing a Baru Cormorant knockoff who's the best realised character I've ever come up with I think. and like those previous characters, "Silene" is someone who exists to help me explore some shit. I can invest her with beliefs and attitudes I find repellent but could imagine another me believing, use her to examine arrogance and disregard for others. she's kind of an evil Bryn, and I can slip into playing her like a glove to get a different angle on these kinds of feelings, and then take the glove off later. and for everyone else, she hopefully comes off as an entertaining, strongly defined character that gives good handles to play off.

it's an interesting double consciousness because I absolutely get invested in what she wants and try to make her cool, but also ultimately I think she's wrong and I want to show it. and yet... I put stuff I do like into her, or follow ideas that come to me in the moment. her playful enthusiasm for 'natural philosophy', her loyalty to her friends - she's got an endearing side, she could grow out of it. i ended up 'discovering' that she has a lot of discomfort with rejection, which isn't a character choice I made consciously, but something I felt when other characters responded appropriately to the offputting character I had deliberately created. and it works, it's a good trait for her.

sometimes I get afraid that Silene is more of a true portrayal of me than I want to admit, or that I've been playing her too hard in a way that's unpleasant out of character too. I'm lucky that my friends are understanding and willing to reassure me in this situation. it can be a fraught thing to play this kind of character, but that's why it's interesting!

at university a long time ago, I played an industrialist character, "Sarus Tarr", in a game of Burning Wheel. that was another great game with a GM who was honestly much more astute than I was, probably than I am.

Sarus Tarr was not a good person. he was "about" the costs of technology, the industrial revolution - at the time I was much more straightforwardly a transhumanist true believer, so I made his conflict honestly a bit too simple, about the people chewed up by his factories as they changed the world with cheap iron goods. (the transition to modernity has been an obsession for that long I guess!).

I listened to the Clockwork Quartet a lot in that period. I was fascinated by the doctor who builds increasingly elaborate contraptions to save his comatose wife, replacing more and more of her - "what nature has neglected, the fruit of modern science will provide". I didn't really know much about the industrial revolutions, but I knew a little about the Luddites.

I remember one scene from that game the GM arranged a conversation battle scene in which Tarr was forced to defend his factories, using Burning Wheel's elaborate system. I wasn't sure I was up to it, but with some encouragement, I went for it, and surprised myself, getting into a good flow arguing - one of the most intense sessions I've played, but that was what made it so great. I defended Sarus Tarr's factories as thoroughly as I could. I can't remember what I had him say, but there was a choice about whether he was lying about some point he made about the safety of the factories, and I had him tell the truth. on the rules layer, I did my best with an unfamiliar system, weighing up options and FORKing in skills where I could.

in the end, Sarus won, and the protestor was forced to change his beliefs, the stake of the battle. if I'd lost, Sarus would change instead.

I realised that this didn't feel right. Sarus shouldn't have won. I didn't change my beliefs on the spot and instantly become an anarchist or a Marxist or something, that came later, but I think I learned something important, whether about the sorts of characters I like to play, or about what I really thought about factories.

nowadays I love the spotlight and I have to be conscious to make sure other players get their moment and I don't hog it. a lot of good RP is just improv comedy principle when you get down to it - making and taking offers, 'yes and'. your first idea is rarely as good as the idea you can make by bouncing off another player. why is that hard? there's something addictive about RP, a mindset I can access every week, where creativity just flows. ideas come, you respond to the prompts, you kind of inhabit another mind for a bit - it's not for nothing that hardcore LARPers talk seriously of 'bleed'. being in the hotseat with no time to think too hard, and just going for the idea that comes to mind from whatever is simmering in the subconscious, is fantastic. it cuts through all the barriers and blocks, and you get to see the response immediately, from people who each have an entirely different perspective on what this story is about and a different palette of ideas.

that flow state, the positive feedback, is hard to build and a little fragile. you need people with the same sort of wavelength, it's hard to find with strangers. you need to feel safe - it's a very vulnerable act. you need to be attentive to the other players. there's so much unspoken.

the 'Forge' and 'story games' movements did their best to translate those best practices for creating that kind of intense game into rules and procedures. I don't think it made bad games at all, it's hit and miss like any paradigm, it's more... most of the stuff that makes a TTRPG work is stuff you can't make into formal protocol.

but one of the good ideas to come out of those movements was the need to view a 'game system' (which 'Does Matter', ron would like you to know) as not just what's printed in the book, or the formal system of rules, but the actual way which people interact at the game table. accordingly, they made experimental games which played with ideas like sharing the right to have a final say on what's true, game mechanics which adjust the fiction based on drama rather than internal logic, or formally structuring conversations around scenes and phases and times for picking from lists of prompts.

for me, this was great. I struggled a lot with doing prep, since it's been hard to concentrate and hard to come up with a new image when one is filling my head. writing and drawing is a way of releasing them so more can grow. having a structure to facilitate an improvisational style has been an incredible boon.

but as it turns out, a book - which is not some perfect formal system but a prompt that players lean on while creating the 'actual game' - can only do so much. you can only playtest and wordsmith so far.

that's great. every Apocalypse World or D&D game I've played (to focus on the systems I've gotten to use more than once) has been completely different, arising from the dynamic of the group I'm playing with and the skills brought by the players. and yeah, cultures will develop - the Actual Play podcast is a powerful machine for aligning expectations, the D&D forum egregore acts as a weird sort of dialogue partner for many groups, there are many floating expectations of what a game is supposed to look like - but ultimately it's a weird inscrutable alchemy created by the ritualistic social space where you make up a story with another person and each let out some of the stuff you're carrying under the surface.

that's why people care so much about their characters. and it's why telling a good story about an RPG session is hard in most of the same ways telling a good story about a dream is, though you usually have a bit more shared context to lean on with an RPG.

my very first in-person RPG group was when I was what, 15 or so? maybe younger. we played D&D 3.5. I was by far the most invested, and I'd built up an idea of what D&D is like from the Giant in the Playground forums. we played through Sunless Citadel and then various brief games under rotating DMs while I tried to cook up an Eberron game, which... never really got off the ground and now I think about it, one of the players tried to have their character do a rape, and that probably had something to do with it. (i tried to negate it IC bc I was young and stupid). this was in the heyday of 4chan and my friendship group were all big channers so the humour we shared was very "15 year old teenage boys in Somerset who know about encyclopedia dramatica". I was Quite Autistic and often oblivious or hyperfixated and kind of the butt of a lot of jokes, but my friends found me endearing I guess, and were willing to indulge me in playing D&D and get into Warhammer. I would sometimes pretend to run out of the room and commit suicide as a joke. one time I misunderstood the word 'elope' and implied a relationship with another player character, and while it would be nice to say I played it cool and was like yeah we eloped that good with you~, I actually ran upstairs and printed out a replacement version and tried to pretend it didn't happen. teenagers!

anyway, we played "D&D". the rules were functionally pretty much what I said they were because nobody else cared that much and digging into one of those tomes is like... instant screeching halt to the session. I would print off maps and try optimised builds from the stack of splatbooks that absorbed all disposable income. mostly it was a pretext to just hang out. the players were trying to wind me up as much as anything. I played the role of exasperated DM who wanted tob keep the game on track. nobody cast magic missile at the darkness but that's the vibe.

I would also run games of "D&D" online over the Giant in the Playground forums. this was a strange ritual. the first step was that someone would write a forum thread with a pitch. then, players would bring complicated builds and pages of backstory. if I was the DM... ostensibly I'd be selective but I hated rejecting people so I'd start a second group of necessary. we'd start the IC thread. I would set a scene, then everyone would describe the appearance of their characters for several paragraphs. Some light character interaction would happen - slowly since you had to deal with different schedules and time zones, hence the paragraphs. Hopefully nobody would lose interest already, and we'd get going.

eventually we might reach a point where a dice roll is called for. this would take a couple of days to resolve if there was a timezone difference. at worst, the player would state their intended action with a paragraph of flavour, the DM would ask for a specific dice roll, the player would roll it and report the number, the DM would resolve the action.

if that sounds slow as shit, imagine how much it would bog down when you actually started combat. you'd have to establish initiative, everyone would need to take their turns, and if someone was away for some reason? you just gotta wait, or maybe bump the thread with a nagging message.

for this reason, games would very rarely get past their first combat. the fate of just about every single one of these games would be to fade away after some player stopped responding and the rest gradually lost interest. the game was more about... suggesting the idea of a game, and agreeing that idea seemed cool, and a token gesture at playing it.

(the much more robust form of forum RPG was the 'god game'. these would revolve around a pantheon of gods creating a world together. they would usually start on farflung parts of the map and build civilisations that would eventually interact, if the game got that far. the need for back and forth was minimal. posts would be enormous, each one looking more like a short story. the players had a lot more leeway to make decisions but direct interaction was rare. in short it was a form of parallel play.)

both of these 'games' as rituals have little resemblance to what D&D is supposed to be, as declared in the books and suggested by people who had real, dedicated in-person groups of the kind I have now. they were almost a kind of meta-roleplaying? everyone agreed that the activity we were doing in each case was 'playing D&D' though, and we really were responding to the D&D rulebooks.

every time I've played Apocalypse World, even in friend groups where talking about sex is pretty normal and comfortable, the 'special moves' on each playbook that trigger upon sex were implicitly or explicitly off the table. it would be weird. it's definitely part of the design that Vincent and Meguey seem to have intended, though. maybe in their group that is chill. moreover, i tend to neglect the inter-session planning methods, threat clocks etc., and refer to the list of MC moves much less than I'm supposed to. I would still say the games we've played are Apocalypse World, even if it's not exactly the Bakers' well polished machine.

in one game of D&D I played, I started creating an elaborate 3D map of the zone we were exploring in Blender as we played, which I streamed live on Twitch. (the creative energy of an RPG seems to feed into visual art somehow - or maybe just the sense of confidence it engenders). that became a core part of the game procedures for us: @barnacleheretic would describe a scene and I would take a minute to add a model of it to the map. you could never write that as an explicit game mechanic in a published book, but it did a ton to anchor the group and make the setting feel substantial. likewise, I always draw every group I'm in, and if the game goes on long enough, scenes that feel particularly vivid. drawing forces me to pay attention to detail.

the actual process of creating a character and inhabiting them is... very hard to teach except by giving people examples of other players and space to figure it out for themselves, I guess. playbooks and classes help with the blank page problem, but to get to the point where you launch away from the list of numbers and start to get a feeling for how your character thinks and what they mean to you? that's art, and thus as hard to teach as any art. all you can set up is the scaffolding, a gamut from combat stats through beliefs and tags and flag systems to whatever the hell chuubo's is doing, and rely on the social skills of the players to engage each other and get the engine turning, juices flowing.

I hope I continue to play RPGs for the rest of my life.

#roleplaying games #introspective nightposting

[petriichvrs]

𝚁𝙴𝙱𝚄𝙸𝙻𝙳𝙴𝙳𝚂  𝙰𝚂𝙺𝙴𝙳  :   5, 7, & 39 !

5. WHAT IS A CHARACTER YOU HAVE NEVER WRITTEN, BUT WANTED TO  :  in terms of nox, george weasley, tonks, madam zabini and xeno ! i don't think i could ever pick up any of them for various reasons, but i do think i'd have had a lot of fun developing them. in terms of anything else i just have a bunch of original character ideas and nowhere to really put them. bummer, but only while i'm thinking of it !

7. WHAT CHARACTERS DO YOU RELATE TO THE MOST  :  i don't know which way i am meant to take this ! like. characters i play or just fictional characters in general. i think i've put a lil bit of myself - sometimes only the teeniest amount but still, enough - into all my played characters, so that's hard to narrow down. probably i related to keira or marietta - who share a lot of core characterisations, honestly - the most, but even then, they're very formed by their pasts in a way that makes them very unique FROM me. fictional character wise, i don't really know. i have really pondered this for the last ten minutes. i don't know ! nobody and everyone. again, i think the issue is that i can usually see something of myself in all my favorite characters which is why they're my favorite, but when it boils down to it, i don't really relate to them much. again. they're too informed by their own lives for me to really be able to.

39. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST FACE CLAIM DECISION YOU'VE EVER MADE  :  oooh, tough ( especially since, not to toot my own horn, i have been kind of a trendsetter within the hp rpc ... most of my general castings have been adopted elsewhere when i was the first person to suggest them so. hehe. ). i think for nox and my own characters within it, i'm most pleased with chase sui wonders as marietta & davika hoorne as pansy - i think both suit the way i read those characters and the way i formed my take on them better than i could've hoped from anyone else, especially davika because. i struggled very much finding someone who DID fit my vision of pansy, when i finally got around to apping to her. including lumos, sandra oh / jung hoyeon as sybill & melis sezen as lily. including aurora, i will NEVER top odessa a'zion as cordelia - i don't think some of you guys know i had her casted for almost two years before i actually created aurora, and i didn't even intend on playing her. i thought i'd go for portia when the time came, to be honest. i'm pondering the entirety of my time in the rpc in gen and i think aside from those guys, the only characters i'm really proud of casting are my key marvel canons - gemma chan for jean grey, boyd holbrook for clint barton, vanessa kirby for emma frost and lindsey morgan for laura kinney. i haven't been that attached to face claim in a long time, so those are the only ones in other canons i've played and other original characters i've played where like. i'm unlikely to ever switch it up because i feel like i hit perfection already.

𝙴𝚇𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴𝙻𝙵  »  currently  not  accepting  !

#answered #hehe

[phoenixcatch7]

Okay listen I'm gonna gush about age of calamity but seeing as I myself am only like,,, halfway I'm gonna tag spoilers so (lengthy) happy rant under the cut:

ASDFGHJKL??!! Oh my GOSH it's so GOOD!! It's so solid! Listen I was already squealing when I saw impa appear but I figured since she was a beginner character she'd have straightforward movesets and I'd be encouraged to move on, yada yada, but no!! She absolutely slams! She's so fast and agile, it's amazing!!! She's my third fave so far, Link remains my first of course, and darling mipha is second! Dude, I was SO happy to play as her! And baby sidon is adorable. She's so quick as well!

It didn't take long for me to figure out that my style is fast before strong, because I was so hyped to play urbosa and then her zl is stationary charging ToT, completely killed the momentum. I level her up of course, but I don't really play her anymore.

I had high hopes for maz koshia too! I definitely wish I played him more, but I think I'd need to spend a lot more time in the meditation shrine before I felt comfortable taking him on main missions. He's got the coolest sprint too lmao. Örb™

Sidon is SO fun to play as well, I didn't expect to have as much fun with him! His zl is so great to spam, it's an easy rhythm and deals loads of damage. (he's so big next to his sister ToT I love them both so much). Did Not expect the shark aesthetic but its cool XD.

The cutscenes where the future champions appear was INCREDIBLE!!!! I was like :O!!!! @0@!!! Squirming in my seat heavy rock playing on my phone it was the best! They get to MEET THEM AND HELP AND THEY SAVED THEM AND *CRIES*

Really, just in general, the story in this game is AMAZING!! The cutscenes are so well done, and it's great to see link in the outfits I pick out for him XD. I like being dignified, but I have put him in a moblin mask and nothing else to storm the castle with.

The world building is so good, the characterisations are solid, and it's so awesome to see 100 years ago when everything was still intact!

Ah, the castle mission. I tried to clear all the guardians out the first time, I really over level so it wasn't impossible, but then rhoam died :/. I don't really think much of him but that hit hard, watching poor zelda. I'm really glad they didn't give him a useless or cowards death, they could easily have done that given some opinions of him, but it felt so much more true to him. I tried a few more times to kill all the guardians but I just can't reach them :(. I want to save him at least once!!

Akkala was AMAZING!!! Both the quests I've done are SO FUN! Sooga was a great bad guy (I'm worried for him, WHERE IS HE) he felt like the closest to an equal warrior to link. Didn't stop me from trapping him in a corner and cheesing him for all he's worth, but that's the fun of it.

Speaking of fun fights, I was surprised by Teba! His aggressive speed and combos made him a good match for my style, he's easy to main! Needs levelling up if he wants to join my party proper, but so do the majority lol.

Ngl the fairy fountains I DID NOT LIKE. They're so funny and creative, but ehhhh I don't like the idea of them fighting at all, it really messed with me, alas.

I haven't gushed about the cutscenes enough, they're absolutely AMAZING. They're so well animated! It's incredible!! I love love love how they got all the voice actors back, and everyone gets to be a huge found family ToT. Even revali gets a goof or two (though mostly at his own prides expense lol). Little Egg is just cute enough to be comedic relief without being in the way or depleting the angst (the angst is SO GOOD, OH MY GOODNESS). I don't know if link gets microexpressions or I'm just projecting but his animators did him so fine. He looks BADASS. He's THE COOLEST MF AROUND AND THEY ALL KNOW IT. Putting him in a hood obscures him over the shoulder shots occasionally but it's worth it lmao.

I dont know WHO they have doing the lighting of those cutscenes but PAY THEM MORE. It sets off like EVERY scene, especially the ones on the divine beasts, and at night, just LOOK AT THEM.

The most recent mission I've done, Fort Hateno, AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. SO SO GOOD. Zelda!! Darling!! The interactions between riju and urbosa (she's so tall she has to bend like IN HALF to get to her level I'm crying) were so sweet and so neatly showed their dynamic, and really emphasises how riju is a good and capable leader but also still a child. We don't get nearly enough of that. Also her special is super fast and I love it.

ZELDA SHINING PRINCESS OF LIGHT YOU'RE DOING SO WELL HONEY, YOU'RE DOING GREAT TOT. The shiny light was so fun to play with :D. Underleveled, but I feel like I could finally let her safely on a battlefield by herself. I mean I could before, I mained her a bit, but now she's got eldritch weirdness under her belt, she's not gonna die like an npc escorts if she accidentally winds up in the middle of the field. I'm REALLY going to have to put her through her paces in the meditation room though, I have NO idea what she does now lol. What do the gold rings do??? Why is her zl that?

LINK I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT YOU BUT YOU'RE LOOKING FINE AND OP KEEP IT UP KING. His zl is sooooooo handy, I can whip it out whenever and knock the enemy flat from across the field, definitely think the rito should have that move wholesale but ig not lol. My build for him focuses on the full health sword beams, so I have to be careful with him. But he's so easy to mow down a battalion with, he's soooo overleveled.

Haven't had a chance to play with kohga but he's sure to be fun lol. I'd accidentally been spoiled on the yiga defection, but I didn't see anyone else with him... Respect for sooga, loved his character since I saw him, hope he's okay.... We'll definitely either see him make a dramatic escape or a corrupted boss, but we should end up with him in the roster so it shouldn't be too bad? Right????

Wonder what the purple colour is on wind blight? There isn't a wind element, but it's not malice either. Maybe it'll get explained.

But UGH IT'S SUCH AN INSANELY AWESOME GAME!!! I've already clocked 50 hours easy, and I'm only on chapter six! It's just POW and WHAM and KABLOOIE! Each chapter makes me go OH MY GOSH SUPERB YOU FUNKY LITTLE CHARACTER and clutch my heart like a fainting Victorian maiden seeing a modern shirtless male model XD. Each time there's an amazing plot twist and I'm. Like

W H A T.!???!!!

I actually have the og hyrule warriors, so it's really good to see how far they've come since! More input from Nintendo has done WONDERS with their characters and setting lol. But the moves are creative, the maps are easier to work with, the camera angles aren't nearly so bad! I keep being surprised by the unexpectedly good graphics on such an old ds game, but that's neither here nor there. The fusing system is a million times easier in aoc, too, but it still took me a while to get the hang of it.

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY BUT SOMEHOW READ ALL THIS, TLDR GET THE GAME

[shysneeze]

cliché (cedric diggory x fem!reader)

Cliché 

Cedric Diggory x fem!Hufflepuff!reader

Request: could you do a Cedric Digorry oneshot in which the reader is also a hufflepuff who's always smiling and he sees her crying?

Warnings: mentions of loneliness, crying angsty but also as title suggests its super cliché and soppy but you’ve been warned 

(Author’s Note: This is my first Cedric fic so excuse me if the characterisation isn’t quite correct, its a work in progress also the ending might seem bit rushed but this is a procastination baby and I got spooked last minute that I’m four weeks behind on uni work. )

.

Some might call her a cliché.

It’s rumoured that the hat barely hovered over her head for two seconds before its decision was made, that its decision was made the minute she stepped into the great hall and smiled.

Some will say that the warm yellow tie fixed neatly around her shirt collar and badger crested robes are unnecessary all these years later, that from just one conversation with (Y/N) (Y/L/N), no one could ever doubt that she belongs in Hufflepuff.

With a smile sweeter than honey, her presence can lift the stubbornest of frowns and the lowest of spirits. Patient and loyal, she lends herself as a friend to all, from homesick first years to gossiping classmates.

Like hot chocolate on cold winter day, she’s the most welcome cliché there is, and her reputation precedes her, known to all as the girl with the infectious smile, the never-ending supply of cheerfulness.

Cedric Diggory is no stranger to her smile, the one that sends warmth to his cheeks when their eyes meet during class, the one that causes him to lose all his well earned confidence, that turns house prefect, quidditch captain and school champion, Cedric Diggory, into a nervous wreck.

He’s fallen under the same spell as everyone else, enamoured by whatever it is in her presentation that lifts the mood of an entire room, that holds people captivated and has people longing to be in her company.

Tonight however, he’s seeing her without that smile for what feels like the first time, and his concern logically overrides the part of him that would usually be flustered to be anywhere near her.

The otherwise empty common room is lit only by the gentle flame of the fire, crackling softly in the background. He was about reprimand her, before she turned to face him and he recognised her, even with wide watery eyes and tear-stricken cheeks.

“(Y/N)?”

“C-cedric?” Her voice wobbles until panic suddenly grabs her expression. “Cedric!”

She pulls her jumper’s sleeves over her hands and presses them hastily to her eyes in a scramble to hide her tears. Then, gulping momentarily beforehand, she pulls her lips into a smile so fragile, it falters instantly.

“You caught me.” She forces a chuckle. “I should be in bed...”

She climbs to her feet sheepishly, making her way around the furniture in order to slip past him. He’s almost too dazed to stop her, only reaching out at the last second to take hold of her hand before she can sneak up to the girl’s dorm.

He tugs her back gently, curling her back until she tumble softly into his chest. He steps back quickly to give her space, but keeps hold of her hand too keep her steady. She stares up at him once firmly still again, red-rimmed eyes a mixture of panicked and surprised.

 “Sorry- are you okay?”

“Fine.” She lies poorly.

She scans the room quickly for an excuse, zoning in on a book left lying on the coffee table in front of the sofa she was moments ago sat upon. She turns back to him, mustering a sheepish smile.

“Sad book is all.”

Cedric raises a quizzical brow, slowly leading them both towards the aforementioned book. His eyes scan the title before returning to her own with a knowing glint.

“Really?” He asks. “Transfiguration for Senior Students?”

“Too much change…” She nods, wincing at the stupidity of it. “Fine…”

She drops herself back onto the sofa with a shaky sigh and a hiccup of someone who’s been crying for a while. He studies her for a moment, worried by this teary version of the most cheerful girl in Hogwarts, then, he takes a seat beside her.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, voice gentle and encouraging. “You can tell me.”

“You have enough to worry about with the tournament, Cedric.” She shakes her head. “You don’t need my silly problems on top of it.”

He shakes his head, frowning at the statement.

“I doubt they’re silly, (Y/N).” He says. “Just different.”

Something in his voice, soft, kind and genuinely concerned, has tears stinging at her eyes again and a frustrated sigh falling out her lips. She sniffles again and presses her palms to her eyes.

“This is so stupid.” She hiccups. 

“Hey.” He whispers softly. “It’s okay.”

She freezes when she feels the warmth of his fingertips on her hands for the second time this evening, tugging gently to pull them away from her eyes. She lets him, surrendering to his gentle touch.

“You don’t have to be happy all the time, (Y/N).”

Her breath falters at the statement, the weight of it taking a moment to sink in. She pulls her hands from his to wipe newly forming tears again with her sleeves, the efficiency of which she’s beginning to doubt.

"No one's ever told me that before." She admits, once convinced that she’s composed enough to do so.

"What?" He frowns.

"That I can be upset." She laughs sadly. "I'm sure it's just common sense but no one's ever actually told me before."

"Really?"

"I'm supposed to be the one that has it all together." She reminds. "I'm the shoulder to cry on, not the crier."

She lets out another sigh, looking up at him with watery eyes.

"I didn't know it was possible to be so lonely while never once being alone."

His heart twists at the realisation, that beneath the happy cliché is an ordinary girl shrouded in the worst type of loneliness, the type only felt in a crowded room, that exists in the gaps in lively conversation and that hits you when you try to sleep after a long day spent with friends.

“I don’t know if that makes sense- “

“It does.” He assures quickly. “It does, (Y/N).”

“It’s not that I dislike being the one to help people.” She explains quickly. “I love that people can approach me and ask for help.”

"That doesn't mean it's not hard." Cedric says gently.

"Yeah." She agrees with a sigh. "It just gets to be a lot sometimes..."

"I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

Her eyes drop to her lap, the softest of sigh escaping her lips, dropping her head back against the back cushion of the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. This isn't how she saw her evening going, sat across from Hogwarts's champion in tears, a blubbering mess.

“It’s okay.” She mumbles. “It’s just how it is.”

"It doesn't have to be."

“Huh?”

“You shouldn’t have to pretend you’re okay all the time.” He explains sincerely, even if just a little nervously. “I want to help, even if that just means being the shoulder you can cry on.”

There is a deep honesty in his grey eyes, intense as they hold hers. She can hear her own heartbeat in her chest, hopeful that even in the quiet of the common room, he can’t hear it too. She’s embarrassed enough for one evening.

“You don’t have to- “

“I want to.” He gulps.

“Why?”

There is that blush she’s become so acquainted with, the one that causes butterflies to flutter in her stomach and for people to nudge her and tell her what a cute couple they’d make together when they notice. The blush she’s grown to find so endearing.

“I care about you, (Y/N).” He admits. “I want you to be happy, but I also want you to know that when you’re not, that I’ll be here to listen to you rant or cry, or even just sit with you in silence if that’s what you need.”

She takes the words in, not sure how she’s supposed to reply without firing herself into his arms. He reaches out nervously for her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. The look he gives her is something between reassuring honesty and shy, as if trying to make sure he’s gotten his point across.

“You don’t deserve to feel lonely.”

“T-thanks, Cedric.” She manages after a minute, although unsatisfied about how understated it is. “That means a lot.”

Whether the warmth of his hand in hers or the kindness of his words she’s unsure, but for the first time this evening, her chest feels lighter and although her eyes sting, they no longer well with tears when she’s left to her own thoughts for longer than a few seconds. 

“Someone should have repaid you that kindness before now.”

“I’m glad it’s you.”

Her voice is quiet, nervous to say the words aloud. Yet, they’re bold words, a leap she’s suddenly proud for taking and that she hopes he’ll find the deeper meaning of. At his expression, she knows he does, but that he needs to be sure.

“I mean to say that it means more coming from you than I suspect it would from anyone else…”

“Oh.”

She panics, sure she’s made a mistake from his slight reaction. She goes to pull her hand from his in order to make her mortified bid for freedom easier, but his grip tightens enough to still her desire to flee.

“No, I just need to know you’re not just saying this because you’re upset.” He explains. “That you aren’t just doing this out of gratefulness or- “

“I like you, Cedric.”

There it is, a clear and concise confession, the words he’s never imagined from her lips before, not when he’s so regularly embarrassed himself by turning into a stuttering nervous wreck in front of her.

“I’ve liked you for a while and I’m not just saying it because I’m grateful.” She adds in assurance. “I’m doing it because you’ve just seen me at my worst and not ran, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel completely alone.”

“I’d never run.” He whispers reassuring, rubbing his thumb soothingly over her knuckles.

“Not even now, with puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Not even now, because you look beautiful regardless.”

She once again worries that he’ll hear her hear racing in her chest.

“Talk about a cliché.” She exhales.

“I quite like a good cliché.” He states, grinning at her softly. “They’re terribly misunderstood.”

She returns his smile, not the one she forced onto her cheeks at the beginning of the evening, or even the one that he’s so used to making him blush, that he knows now was hiding a pain beneath it. This smile is new, honest, and soft, the prettiest thing he’s ever laid eyes on.

“I love this smile.”

She melts into his touch when one of is hands comes to cup her cheek, pad of his thumb ghosting over the corner of her lips. He’s decided it’s his new favourite thing, this newly genuine smile.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Hmm.” She hums in agreement. “Yes please.”

Their lips meet tentatively, her face still cupped in his hand, the other holding hers still. It’s slow, he gentle with her and she’s grateful after such an emotional evening. She’d go as far to say that it’s perfect in a way.

“I’m never going to let you feel lonely again.”

“I believe you.”

#cedric diggory #cedric diggory x reader #cedric x reader #cedric imagine #cedric diggory imagine #cedric diggory reader insert #cedric diggory fanfiction #cedric diggory fanfic #harry potter imagines #cedric #harry potter #harry potter and the goblet of fire #reader insert #x readers

[mammonprotectionsquad]

hello, i would like to ask for a request. im new in this blog but i have seen that you do write for yoosung (which, i really like the way you characterise him), so may i suggest a writing of yoosung x mc where mc realises she actually has romantic feelings for him but is too afraid to say something and get rejected? please dont do it if its not of your liking 😊😊 (sorry for the english xx)

Thank you so so much, dear anon! And don't worry, the request is exactly of my liking :D I just hope I managed to reach four expectations for this 😊 and don't worry, your English is totally fine! 💕

Realizations

Yoosung x Reader

The phone vibrating in your pocket made you avert your attention from the laptop screen, heart skipping a beat as soon as you fished it out and saw who just sent you a message.

Ever since you joined the RFA, you'd gotten along best with Yoosung. He was sweet, not to say downright adorable, funny... There was not a single moment where you didn't enjoy talking to him.

Things got even better when you found out you were actually going to the same college, by bumping into each other in the hallway. Understandably the blonde was pretty confused when you dropped his name so casually, since he hadn't known what you looked like. Though soon enough confusion made room for surprise, followed by genuine joy.

Ever since then you two spent as much time together as possible. Lunch break, free periods... One of you always asked the other to hang out.

That day it was Yoosung who asked, telling you he had some free time now and was wondering if you'd want to grab something to eat with him.

Naturally you said yes, along with telling him that you were currently in the library, but would be with him as soon as you could.

When you shouldered your bag and left the library, you were already met with a big, if a little sheepish, smile. Making it sheer impossible not to smile right back.

"I uh... thought I'd come pick you up. The library was on my way anyway", he explained, at the same time casually grabbing your bag to carry it for you.

"My, what a gentleman you are", you chuckled, feeling your cheeks flush. Though you didn't hesitate to reach out and take his hand.

At that point it was nearly normal to do that. It didn't only give you a rush of happiness and made your heart beat faster, but it also helped you calm down. Especially when you were stressed about upcoming exams. Having him around in general was enough to achieve that, actually. But you've never questioned it.

It was nearly like he was your rock, an anchor. And you hoped you were something similar for him as well.

That's when it suddenly hit you like a brick to the head.

Shit, I fell in love with my best friend..., was all that went through your mind.

Thankfully he was too lost in telling you about his latest big Lolol raid to notice your internal freak out or how quiet you'd gotten all of a sudden.

You tried your best to act as normal as possible for the rest of the day. But as soon as you were back home? Your thoughts went a mile a minute, all while you paced around the place, hands occasionally ruffling through your hair.

"That's so stupid and cliché... I can't be in love with him! He... We... We're just friends. He probably doesn't feel the same about me."

Eventually you flopped down on the couch, dropping a pillow to your face and letting out a long sigh.

You couldn't tell him. Under no circumstances. Not only because you were wholeheartedly convinced your feelings were unrequited, but you also didn't want to risk losing your best friend, in case you should have the guts to confess.

If you'd just act normal, ignored the butterflies and the way your heart began to race at every interaction you had with him, you'd be able to get over it, sometime. Easy.

Or so you thought. No matter how hard you tried to pretend like nothing was going on, you still involuntarily distanced yourself a little from Yoosung, during the next couple days. You didn't even notice it yourself, but apparently he did. Because when you were on your way to head outside and spend your free period in the sun together, he rested a hand on your shoulder to stop you. Concern fairly visible on his face and it immediately made you feel somewhat guilty.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been a little off, lately..."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a bit stressed and tired. Nothing to worry about", you tried to soothe him, even doing your best to smile convincingly.

What you hadn't expected was him pulling you into his arms without any warning, the action enough to make your heart beat hard and fast in your chest. It was impossible not to melt into the embrace and you felt yourself lean into him, your face buried on his chest.

"Stop cuddling your girlfriend and being disgustingly cute like that! Some of us don't need the painful reminder of how single they are", you heard one of his friends call out your way.

"Sh-shut up!", was all Yoosung stammered as a reply, pulling you just a little bit closer.

And you? You couldn't help but notice how he hadn't corrected his friend. That he hadn't told him you two weren't a couple. It did little to nothing to calm down the butterflies in your stomach. In fact, they actually went on a rampage. Leaving you to have to remind yourself about how you shouldn't get your hopes up...

You remained in that hug for a bit longer, before he finally let go, but was quick to take your hand as he gently pulled you along to the tree you usually rested under, when the weather was nice. His face as red as what you assumed yours must've been as well, from how flushed it felt.

For a while neither of you said anything, just sitting next to each other. Close, but the only physical contact you had were your intertwined hands, since Yoosung kind of refused to let go.

Platonic. It's all platonic. We've always held hands, it's normal. There's no deeper meaning behind it..., your thoughts began to run wild once again and you only really got pulled out of them, when the boy next to you cleared his throat rather awkwardly.

"So uh... I-I know we're friends and all, but uhm... W-would you maybe like to go on a date with me?"

"Huh?", was all you managed to get out. After all, the last thing you expected to happen was for him to ask you out.

"D-do you want to go on a date with me?", he repeated and you weren't entirely sure if it was his hand that got clammy, or your own from the shock and excitement of your feelings apparently not being unrequited. "Of course it's totally fine if you don't want to! It's just... I really like you and I've been trying to gather up the courage to-"

You decided to cut off his rambling by pretty much throwing your arms around his neck and sure enough, he did go quiet. Even needing a couple seconds until he was able to wrap his arms around your waist in return.

"I'd love to go on a date with you..."

Not only did you hear him let out a relieved sigh at your answer, but you could also feel him relax.

"Picnic sounds good?"

"Sounds amazing", you beamed, pulling far enough away to be able to look at him. And the bright smile he aimed at you was enough to make your breath hitch ever so slightly.

"I take care of the food and you pick a place. Deal?", he murmured, twirling a strand of your hair around his finger.

"Deal~"

As it turned out, there had been nothing to worry about to begin with. Seeing how you would actually be going out with the guy you fell head over heels for...

Masterlist I Masterlist II

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#request #mystic messenger #mysme #mystic messenger yoosung #yoosung kim #yoosung x mc #yoosung x reader #mystic messenger mc #mystic messenger reader insert #mystic messenger oneshot #mystic messenger fanfic #my writing

[zedecksiew]

Kriegsmesser

When I received Kriegsmesser in the mail I finally googled "kriegsmesser", and found out it meant "war knife". Which makes sense; Gregor Vuga's ZineQuest 2021 project is a tribute to "roleplaying games named after medieval weapons".

I love Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay's piss-renaissance Old World setting. I tend to pick up WFRP-a-likes sight unseen:

Warlock (quality);

Small But Vicious Dog (yesss);

Zweihander (which I have come to hate); etc.

Anyway: I backed Kriegsmesser without really knowing anything about it. So Kriegsmesser surprised me.

+

Kriegsmesser grew out of a Troika! cutting. Its 36 backgrounds are compatible with that system: each come with a couple of lines of description; a list of skills and possessions; an a visual cameo cropped from actual 16th-Century woodcut art.

Cohesive and competently flavourful. My favourite is the Labourer, who always starts with "an empty pine box":

"You've spent your life breaking your back, working hard for other people's profit. You have nothing to show for it but a spectre of the future."

(The obligatory ratcatcher-analogue , called the Vermin Snatcher, is here -- check that box!)

+

Kriegsmesser also comes with its own ruleset. Hits all the notes it needs to, with lots of orientation and advice for how to run a game -- but ultimately super-simple, mechanically:

Roll d6s equal to the value in a relevant skill, look at the highest result. 6 means you get what you want; 5 or 4 means you get what you want, at a cost.

It's not quite a dice pool, since only the highest result matters. No opposed tests.

+

Kriegsmesser intends to have this base mechanic handle fights, too. The combat rules - with armour, toughness and weapon values -- are nested in an optional section.

For a WFRP-a-like, this feels like a purposeful departure.

Many of WFRP's most celebrated adventures are celebrated for bits that their underlying ruleset does little to support: the investigative structure of "Shadows Over Bogenhafen"; the complicated timetable of "Rough Night At Three Feathers".

Ludwig von Wittgenstein never needed a statblock to be memorable.

Not to say that lethal, hyper-detailed fights isn't super Warhammer-y. (Kriegsmesser includes an injury table, broken down by body-part -- check that box!)

But here it feels like Gregor is saying: "I'm not Games Workshop and Roleplay isn't an ancillary of Warhammer Fantasy Battle; we can evoke grim-and-perilous-ness even if we fork away from heavy combat rules."

+

It has become ritual for me to read my partner Sharon to sleep.

Sometimes I read her RPG things. The other night, after I read her Kriegsmesser's introduction --

" The Empire wages an eternal war against Chaos. Its priests preach of Chaos as an intrusion, something unnatural ... These men see Chaos in anything that does not buttress their rule. They call it disorder, anarchy, corruption. They say that to rebel against their order is to rebel against god and nature. That the current arrangement is natural, rather than artificial.

" Meanwhile, the common people look to the Empire to deliver the justice that they were promised and they find none. They look to the Empire and do not see themselves reflected in it. They look around at what they were taught was right and good and see only misery.

" Their world begins to unravel. Chaos comes to reside in every heart and mind sound enough to look at the world and conclude it is broken. "

-- Sharon remarked: "Nice one."

The RPG things I read her generally leave Sharon lukewarm. She has enjoyed a couple -- but, yeah: for many of these books, text isn't their strong point.

Kriegsmesser is the only time I can recall Sharon praising the writing of an RPG book without my prompting.

Nice one.

+

That introduction surprised me. It underlines Kriegsmesser's biggest departure from its WFRP-a-like pedigree: how it characterises Chaos.

Corruption, a mainstay of most grim-dark-y games, is made an optional rule, like combat. Explaining this, Gregor writes:

" Kriegsmesser partially subverts or deconstructs the traditional conceit of Warhammer where the characters are threatened by the forces of Chaos. In this game it is the player characters who are the agents of 'Chaos': they are likely to become the 'rats' under the streets, and the wild 'beast-men' in the woods bringing civilisation down. It's the Empire and its nobles and priests that are corrupt ... "

Describing the Empire, Gregor writes:

" The Empire encompasses the world yet is terrified of the without. It enforces itself with steel and fire yet considers itself benevolent. It consumes the labour of others with bottomless hunger yet calls its subalterns lazy, or wasteful, or greedy. "

Holy shit this is the first time I've seen the word "subaltern" in an RPG thing, I think?

I love this.

+

Rant incoming:

With every passing decade Warhammer abridges its Moorcockian roots more and more; nowadays it is "Order = Good" and "Chaos = Evulz", pretty much.

Gone are the days when chaos berserkers are implied to grant safe passage to the helpless (because Khorne is as much a god of martial honour as he is a god of bloodletting); Or that the succor of Papa Nurgle is a genuine comfort to the downtrodden; Or that Tzeentch could unironically embody the principle of hope, of change for the better.

As Chaos is distilled into unequivocal villainy, Order goons get painted as Good Guys by default --

Giving rise to Warhammer's contemporary problem, wherein fans are no longer able to recognise satire.

+

When I was introduced to 40K, it seemed pretty clear that the Imperium was a Brazil-esque absurdist-fascist bureaucratic state: planets are exterminatus-ed due to clerical error; the way it stamps out rebellions is the reason why rebellions begin in the first place.

Tragi-comic grimdarkness. That was the point.

Nowadays that tone has shifted -- and you're more likely than not going to encounter a 40K fan who argues that the Imperium's evils are a justified necessity, to prevent worse wrongs.

We went from:

"Space Nazis because insane dumbass fuckery, also chainswords vroom vroom rule of badass!"

To:

"Space Nazis because it makes sense actually, and also chainswords make sense because [insert convoluted rationalisation here]."

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Even Fantasy Flight's Black Crusade line, which ostensibly offers a look at 40K from the perspective of Chaos, never truly commits to its conceit.

With prep you could play a heroic band of mutant freedom fighters, resisting the tyranny of the Evil Imperium --

But I don't remember Black Crusade giving that kind of campaign any actual support. Its supplements service the relatively more conventional "You can play villains!" angle; the Screaming Vortex is a squarely Daemons-vs-Daemons setting.

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This tonal drift culminates, in my mind, with Age of Sigmar, Games Workshop's heroic-fantasy replacement of the old WFRP / WHFB setting.

Here's the framing narrative for AoS's recently-launched Third Edition. Let's see whether I've got things right:

A highly professionalised, technologically-superior tip-of-the-spear fighting force (the Stormcast Eternals);

Backed by an imperialist military-industrial complex (Azyrheim);

"Liberating" rich new territories (Ghur) for exploitation by a civilised settler culture (Settlers of Sig-- I mean, Free Cities);

Justified because the locals are irredeemable heathens (Chaos and Kruleboyz).

I mean, that's a sweet-ass Warhammer setting. It's contemporary, laser-guided lampoon. Except it is played totally straight.

In AoS, a literal crusade is justified as the moral good.

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I think Kriegsmesser surprised me because its framing of Chaos -- as a promise, as the light of hope shining through cracks of a broken world --

It feels so fucking right.

Yes: its a subaltern deconstruction of the conventional moral universe of Warhammer -- but it is a take that is also already implied / all but supported in the various depictions of the setting: from WFRP to the modified title-crawl of Black Crusade.

I'm annoyed I didn't think of it, myself. Damn you, Gregor!

And I'm annoyed that more Warhammer fans aren't thinking it, also.

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lmagine if Kriegsmesser's perspective stood on equal standing as the GW orthodoxy. Imagine if, instead of simplifying stuff into "Order = Good" and "Chaos = Evulz", GW did a Gregor Vuga.

You'd have a Rashomon-ed Warhammer, where villainy depends on perspective:

You are fearful villagers, huddled around your priest, muttering prayers against the wild braying coming from the trees beyond your gates.

You are Aqshyian tribeswomen, defying the thunder warrior towering over you, the foreigner demanding you bow to his foreign god.

You are a Tzeentchian revolutionary cell, desperately trying to disrupt a Inquisitor's transmissions so your home planet isn't destroyed by fascist orbital fire.

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Get Kriegsmesser HERE.

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( Image sources: https://theenemywithinremixed.wordpress.com/2021/05/21/thoughts-on-the-4e-death-on-the-reik/ https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/59-brazil https://www.deviantart.com/faroldjo/art/Warhammer-40k-Black-Crusade-273596035 https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/06/09/fancy-a-new-life-bringing-order-to-the-mortal-realms-join-a-dawnbringer-crusade-today/ https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/team-america-15-anniversary-south-park-2558750 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palestinian_children_and_Israeli_wall.jpg )

#reviews #kriegsmesser #gregor vuga #warhammer #writing #rants #overthinking #rpgs #wfrp

[solacefruit]

Hello, I re-read your fic "one of a king, no category" again recently and first of all I absolutely love it and I always tear up no less then 3 times every time I read it. I was curious, if you remember, how you decided on the 9 cats you chose for the 9 lives ceremony, and also were there any other characters you considered using but who didn't end up making the cut?

Hello there! Thank you so much for writing in with such a sweet compliment, it really warms my heart to know that story has hit such a lovely chord with so many people. I think out of all the stories I’ve written for Warriors so far, one of a kind, no category is the one I’m proudest of and the one I’d like to be remembered for the most. 

And thank you for this question, it’s a very good one! I have a feeling it’ll get very long, though, so I’ll put it under the cut. 

I didn’t have to think much at all to know which cats I wanted to write about for this story, because I’ve been thinking about these nine in various ways since I first read the series. In many ways, one of a kind, no category is a love letter to characters I felt were treated cruelly and unfairly in canon and I wanted to give them a brief moment to be something other than what they were--whether that was to complicate or reinterpret the narrative they’re given in canon, or to highlight the qualities they have that often get overlooked or underappreciated by the writers (and sometimes other fans). 

So there’s cats like Silverstream and Rosetail, who are barely there and then killed off as a plot point--to cause drama for Greystripe or show the brutality of clan life, respectively. Then there’s cats like Lizardstripe, Nightcloud, and Foxheart who are basically written as shallow, “bitchy” antagonists--and as a result are often seen that way by the fandom--or cats like Ferncloud, who are seen as “boring” or “useless” because of their time in the nursery and often resented for that by fans. 

And I don’t necessarily blame fans for these readings of the characters, because the canon is so badly written. I think there’s always a tendency for male characters to be given leniency and complicatedness that is often withheld for female characters, but in Warriors, that cultural reading issue is compounded by the fact the writers themselves don’t ever really do female characters justice. Canon Ferncloud is largely there to pop out kittens and then died in battle “as a result of fan complaints” because Erin Hunter’s misguided understanding of the criticism they were receiving--i.e., interpreting “all she does is have kittens” to mean “we want her to fight [and die]” instead of “please give her character depth--no, not death, no, Erin, don’t--”

I wanted to take these characters and humanise (for lack of a better word) their canonical representations in a way that makes you actually care about who they are/were and the life they lived. Silverstream’s death is a tragedy. Rosetail’s life is a triumph. I wanted these experiences to be embodied in a story in a way that could give readers feelings and change how people thought of these (canonically very badly written) characters, not because I think Erin Hunter is a secret genius and deserves it (they don’t, I hate them), but because the characters themselves deserve more recognition and care than they often receive. 

Anyway, I’m sorry, I’ve gone way off track! To actually answer your questions: 

1. Leopardstar: one of the few female leaders--whose story is then basically about what a bigot she is and how she betrayed her whole clan (more or less) for a man because she was secretly in love with Tigerstar. I hate that they made a female leader (one of very few!) just to be like “eh she’s a lackey to an evil man she’s in love with who doesn’t care about her.” 

2. Rosetail: as mentioned before, she is barely in canon at all (in the main series; she returns in Bluestar’s Prophecy as kind of Bluefur’s best friend?). She’s actually the first clan cat to die after Firepaw joins Thunderclan, but it mostly gets swept aside and people are sad for like a minute and then the shock value wears off and she’s forgotten. 

3. Nightcloud: she’s kind of the contentious female character of the main series, because she’s either too clingy or too mean or a bad mother etc., and I’ve seen many people sympathise with Crowfeather over her--even though her side of things genuinely sucks. I wanted to give her space to be a kind of unlikeable person who still deserved better than she got. I think she deserves the same compassion people are willing to the extend to the man who mistreats her. 

4. Brightheart: one of the most famous disabled characters of canon--but she never really gets a decent resolution. Her ending is “happy” but I feel that she’s not really given closure for much of what happened to her, and in many ways the story around her is still very ableist. I feel like there’s a lot of extremely challenging internal growth that she would have had to do that never gets noticed in canon, so I wanted to give her a moment of sharing a fraction of the strength and wisdom she would have taught herself. 

5. Silverstream: as mentioned before, she’s so young and it feels to me like she exists--and dies--for the purposes of man-pain and I hate that. She gets so little personality in canon and then dies in childbirth, and I wanted to first give her a self that is so wonderful and real that it genuinely is devastating that she dies. It’s not a shrug, or a “poor Greystripe”: it’s a heartbreak to see someone so vivacious and excellent and hopeful get their life cut short. I want her story to be centred on who she is, not who she fell in love with and how he feels. 

6. Foxheart: she’s basically a mean, snotty villain in Yellowfang’s Secret (as is Lizardstripe) and an enemy of Yellowfang in a way that to me reeks of internalised misogyny from Erin Hunter, if I’m real with you. I wanted to give another interpretation of the events--especially considering how unbelievable it is that Yellowfang “got away” with that whole secret kit thing. It doesn’t make sense, unless you consider that other cats are in on it. Literally all Foxheart had to say to ruin Yellowfang’s life was “that kitten’s not mine”--and she never said that. I think that gets overlooked a lot and I wanted to explore that detail. And I thought it fitting to reinterpret a character whose name is literally an insult in canon (”fox-heart”) as having so much integrity that she would rather go down in history as a villain than be a snitch and a traitor to a clan-mate.

7. Lizardstripe: similar to above, she’s written as a horrible, bitter lady who resents her own mate and kits and is bullied into fostering Brokenkit and is miserable about that. It’s literally said “[h]er bitterness and resentment towards Brokenstar is what led him down his path of hatred” which is classic “blame a woman for a man’s behaviour” and a very rich statement from Erin Hunter who in the same breath is like “some cats (i.e., Brokentail) are just born evil as a punishment from Starclan on their birth mothers for breaking their vows.” It is so vile how Erin Hunter’s writing revolves as much as possible around blaming and punishing women for everything, including and especially men’s development and behaviour. 

8. Ferncloud: sort of mentioned before, but Ferncloud over the years has gotten a lot of fan disapproval for being passive and frequently pregnant. I think a lot of those criticisms--when levelled at Erin Hunter’s lazy writing--are fair and just but sometimes I feel that, in pursuit of more “strong” female characters in media, some fans forget to appreciate the many ways femininity and female characters can be subversive and/or still good, even when they’re not traditional hero’s narratives. In the real world, domestic labour (i.e., women’s work) is significantly undervalued, and I feel that Ferncloud can be read as an amazing example of someone who works to the bone every day and is largely ignored and underappreciated because the work she does is expected and taken for granted. 

9. Greypool: I love her--or at least my version of her. She doesn’t get a lot of attention in canon, other than a mention of being the foster mother to Bluestar’s kits and the fact she loses her memory as she ages and is murdered by Tigerclaw. It felt fitting for her to be the final life, both as a great and renowned storyteller in her own right and a cat considered to be very wise and kind with her words and thoughts, since ultimately one of a kind, no category is about the way stories can be told to shape the world--i.e., Erin Hunter’s often sexist canon versus the compassionate and intelligent retellings this fandom creates. 

As for cats that weren’t included, I’m happy with the nine I chose and I love them, but there are a lot of other cats who’ve been poorly treated by canon that would deserve a better story too. Snowfur of Thunderclan leaps to mind, as does Feathertail, and Palebird of Windclan, and honestly even Bluestar and Mapleshade. I think to a certain extent it’s hard to really engage with any of these characters’ narratives without also acknowledging the impact of sexist tropes on that narrative--i.e., how much of canon is “the character” (an intentional construct) and how much of their characterisation/story is kind of a side-effect of uncritical sexism perpetuated in the writing of said character? And I don’t really know the answer, because that’s not really a line that can be drawn. But I like to think one of a kind, no category and similar stories help reimagine other versions of these characters as fuller, more real people and that thought makes me happy. 

#reply #one of a kind no category #warriors #honestly i had to really pull back on this one so i didn't write you a whole essay but there's still a lot here and for that i am sorry #thank you for asking! i really like that story and it is the nicest thing in the world when people tell me they like it too

[uweiy]

Can you do Xingchen with Sentence 38?

Soooo I’m assuming you meant Xicheng ?? If you meant Xiao Xingchen just tell me I’ll try to think of smth with him !

From this prompt list

38 - “You just feel really good. Soft and warm…”

His head is throbbing.

Lan Xichen squints his eyes, tring to bring his blurry vision back in focus.

He doesn’t know where he– wait. This luminous square, no, window, surrounded by curtains, seems familiar. He is lying on a red sofa covered by a blanket.A basin and a glass of water are waiting on the table next to him.

This is his home.

He has no idea how he got back. And he has no clothes on, save for a pair of briefs.

What in the world happened last night ?

“Did you just swear ?”

Lan Xichen’s muddled mind stutters.

1. He had no idea he had spoken out loud.

2. Jiang Cheng is here. Why is Jiang Cheng here, shirtless and freshly showered, holding a cup of tea. The hot water must’ve brought out the veins running along his forerarms, and his hair is mussed and Lan Xichen is dying.

He hasn’t gotten his composure and his manners back yet and looking like this is just unfair.

Jiang Chengs’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts, as if reading his mind.

“There is a basin next to your sofa because you kept throwing up. You’re on your sofa because at least I could watch stuff while I kept an eye on you.

“As for why I’m here and what happened last night well…” Jiang Cheng trails off.

Lan Xichen swallows.

Jiang Cheng continues “… Are you sure you want to know ?”

Lan Xichen nods.

Jiang Cheng sighs and pulls out his phone. “I did warn you.”

The video is low quality but Lan Xichen can recognize the people on it.

“my head is so heavyy …

He sees himself giggle.

“If it’s so heavy, why don’t you let someone else carry it ?” The voice holding the phone says.

Probably Wei Wuxian.

“Ooh good idea !”

And Lan Xichen in the video drops down on the floor.

Present Lan Xichen is mortified. But the video goes on and he hears himself speak.

“Ooh Jiang Cheng … You just feel really good… Soft and warmmmm.”

The camera turns to Jiang Cheng who is looking exasperated. “That. Lan Xichen, is Fairy.”

“You’re the fairy ! “Lan Xichen giggles

“Hey wanna know a secret ? I really like– ”

“Okay that’s it. stop filming you arse”. Jiang Cheng says to the camera.“

The video ends.

Jiang Cheng puts his phone back in his pocket.

"Wei Wuxian has some more, but ‘blackmailing a representative of another faculty is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity hahahaha’ he said.”

“I really can’t hold alcohol” Lan Xichen says in a small voice. “and your brother is… a…a scoundrel.”

Jiang Cheng sighs. “That’s putting it lightly. And yeah, you were pretty hammered.

"After that I decided you had had enough to drink, so I took you home. Also you were insisting that I carry you so…

"Then on the way to my car, you tried to dance with a street pole, and when it didn’t answer you said ‘sorry for bothering you sir’ and almost started crying.”

“Oh my” Lan Xichen says. He had thought this couldn’t get any worse.

“And THEN when we got here, you threw up. On my shirt.” Jiang Cheng sounds positively pissed “ So yes, I used your shower.”

Then the murderous glance disappears and Jiang Cheng finishes matter of factly

“So I took off your clothes so you wouldn’t puke all over them, put you on the sofa, basin, glass of water, and voilà.”

Lan Xichen wishes the floor would swallow him up whole. But he has to ask

“So we didn't–”

“No you idiot, have you seen the state you were in ? Of course we didn’t DO anything.”

“Did I… Did I say something ?” Lan Xichen presses on.

Jiang Wanyin looks at him flatly. “As you just saw, you said a lot of things. What else would you have said ?”

Well that’s a relief.

Lan Xichen slumps back against his pillow. “Nevermind. Thank you for bringing me home.”

Jiang Cheng nods"You should be thankful we had so many gatherings for the student committee I won’t ever be able to forget where you live.

“Since you seem alright now I’ll get going. I have a T-shirt to wash.” He adds.

“Take one of mine.” Lan Xichen says before he can think, because he’s absolutely positive the sight of Jiang Cheng in one of his shirts would kill him. “It’s the least I can do to repay you.”

Jiang Cheng considers it.

“Okay.”

___

Wei Wuxian calls out to him when they run into each other at University.

“Heyy, class president, did you and my dear little brother sort things out ?”

Lan Xichen’s brows furrow in confusion. “I thanked him for bringing me home.”

“So he didn’t tell you ? You said some pretty … Meaningful things.”

Lan Xichen’s blood runs cold.

Wei Wuxian sighs “He’s going to murder me.”

“Oh well.” Wei Wuxian shrugs, resigned “Jiang Cheng said you told him you liked him and tried to kiss him like, multiple times.”

“Oh.” Lan Xichen manages to articulate, despite the knot in his throat.

“But it seems like he hasn’t gotten the memo.” Wei Wuxian adds. His gaze bores into Lan Xichen’s.

“So man up and tell him properly, Lan Xichen.”

___

“Here’s your Tee.” Jiang Cheng says as he stands by Lan Xichen’s doorframe. “Try to be easier to find at Uni, I had to drive all the way over here. ”

“I’ll… Try ?” Lan Xichen answers. Not very eloquent, but the visit caught him by surprise.

“Goodnight then.” Jiang Cheng says as he turns on his heels.

“Wait !” Lan Xichen just has the time to grab Jiang Cheng’s wrist.

“I’m sorry for… what I said the other night. When I was… When I was drunk.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes widen and he clenches his fist “That little– I am going to have a word with him.”

Then Jiang Cheng pinches his eyebrows. “Look, I know you were drunk, and I was there and It was convenient. I won’t hold it against you. Good Night.”

“Please wait. Jiang Wanyin.”

That Jiang Cheng could believe Lan Xichen would have said that to just anyone, that he would use Jiang Cheng in such a way makes Lan Xichen’s stomach churn with revulsion.

He can’t let Jiang Cheng believe this one second longer. Even if it involves losing him.

“I meant it when I told you I liked you.”

Jiang Cheng instantly grabs Lan Xichen by the collar. “Don’t. fuck with me.” He snarls. But his voice is strangled.

“I’m not.”

“You said you’re fucking sorry. What are you sorry for if not for telling me… that, and not meaning it.”

This is horribly horribly wrong, Lan Xichen thinks. How can Jiang Cheng be so unaware of his own worth he can’t believe someone genuinely likes him.

Lan Xichen gently wraps his hand over Jiang Chengs’s clenched fist.

“I was sorry for possibly making you uncomfortable. I was sorry that I told you this way. And now I’m sorry this is what you were thinking all along. ”

Jiang Cheng shook his head. “You were drunk. There were a lot of people you could have–”

“And yet I didn’t tell any of them, I told you.” Lan Xichen insists. “Alcohol doesn’t make me … horny, it makes me honest.”

Jiang Cheng exhales sharply.

Lan Xichen needs him to understand. Needs with every fiber of his being. So he continues.

“There is no one else I wish to eat with at lunch. There is no one else with whom I turn meetings into movie nights. There is no one else I would tell ”I like you“ to. ”

Jiang Cheng’s fist finally loosens.

“You… Like me ?” He says, disbelieving.

“Yes.” Lan Xichen repeats.

“You –!” there was the fist again and Jiang Cheng sounds furious. He is going to walk away, Lan Xichen thinks. Walk away and never come back.

Instead, Jiang Cheng’s head hits Lan Xichen’s chest and he murmurs

“Do you know how hard I… I tried to stay away because I thought… ” His voice breaks “I thought I couldn’t have you.”

Oh, Lan Xichen thinks. Oh.

He doesn’t know what to say, but he has one last thing to confess.

“I was avoiding you at University because I would have combusted on the spot, had I seen you in my shirt.”

Jiang Cheng lets out something like a a half-laugh, half-sob.

Lan Xichen tilts Jiang Cheng’s head up. “I’m going to kiss you now, If that’s alright with you.”

Jiang Cheng’s voice is thick when he answers

“Okay.”

Lan Xichen inches closer and, very softly presses his lips to Jiang Cheng’s. His hand slides to the back of Jiang Cheng’s neck as he increases the pressure, capturing Jiang Cheng’s top lip.

A needy moan escapes Jiang Cheng’s lips and Lan Xichen takes advantage of the slight opening of his mouth to deepen the kiss.

When they break apart, they stare at each other, breathless.

“Would you mind pursuing this inside, I have a couch much more comfortable than my front door.” Lan Xichen suggests.

“wouldn’t you know.” Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes. “But sure.”

___

“So,” Lan Xichen starts, as they are comfortably sprawled against each other on the couch “you’re still as ’,soft and warm’ as I recall– ”

Jiang Cheng elbows him “please do not confuse me with a fucking dog.”

Then he gets up and Lan Xichen misses the contact immensely.

Jiang Cheng comes out of the shower wearing a pair of briefs and Lan Xichen’s sweater and Lan Xichen’s heart just jumps our of his chest.

This is definitely vengeance. He’s not that pained.

A.N : I just watched Fullmetal Alchemist so my characterisation is all over the place. Ed kept popping in my head at random moments but ehh

I don’t know how universities work so hope the depiction of the student body elements isn’t too out of place hahaha

#xicheng #the untamed #lan xichen #jiang cheng #modern AU #university #AU