#i am getting less and less creative about announcing the updates

[urlocalllamajpg]

orenjinohana ch31

update. @geoblitzz <- vry cool dude xe's awezome

#i am getting less and less creative about announcing the updates #in my defense am tired #and most of the readers for this one aren't on tumblr #is k tho #orenjinohana update #orenjinohana #shut up emily

[theharrowing]

Harrow's Holiday Cheer Event 🎁

hello, friends! 🥳 i am excited to announce that i have reached 2k followers!!!

since my semester is winding down to an end and i have been having some troubles with writing lately, i thought that doing a little excerpt/drabble event might be a fun way to get the creative juices flowing, so here is what i have in mind...please read all the rules before joining in on the fun!

❗❗❗ SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED ❗❗❗

Rules & Guidelines:

there are two levels of participation to this event:

anons & blank profiles can only get sfw excerpts

folks with age or age range listed clearly on their profile can get nsfw excerpts & drabbles

this means you can either have an exact birthday ("21") listed or you can have a range/year that you are born in ("80s baby" "in my 30s" "94 liner" etc.) this is because i do not give smut to minors, nor do i encourage it, and i need to be able to see that you are at least 18+. this also has to be clearly listed in the open; i am not going to dig thru 'about me' and 'faq' posts/pages to find anyone's age.

anyone under 18 with their age listed will be blocked because i do not want minors interacting with me at all.

how to participate:

pick a prompt from this smutty prompt list

pick a character of mine or let me choose by telling me whether you want any member x member or any member x reader

send me a little dm with your choices

crossover pairings are allowed! want a certain character from one fic and a certain character/reader from another? let's do it!!!

if there is a particular scene that comes to mind with the prompt, you may tell me what it is, but i may be less likely to build of an existing scene that create a new one.

and if you would like me to put some kind of holiday spin on it, i can try, depending on how inspired i am to do so. i'm kind of a scrooge when it comes to the holidays, but feel free to ask for it!

more guidelines & disclaimer:

all of my past characters are acceptable, unless it is for a fic that i have orphaned. a short list of orphaned fics can be found at the bottom of my master list.

please only submit once! if the event is slow, i may call for more people to join, and at that point you can submit another.

i reserve the right to deny any request, or to only fulfill as many as i have time for. should i receive more than i can fulfill during this event, i will save them in my inbox for future events!

depending on how inspired i am by each request, i may write just a couple lines of dialogue or i may write a full on drabble.

depending on how many requests i receive, i may continue to write these into the new year. i have no end date planned, just vibes, so i will make an announcement in the future when things begin to wind down!

these rules and guidelines are subject to change or be modified. i will reblog with any and all updates if they come.

if you have any questions at all, shoot me a message!!!

thank you again so much for following me!!! 🎈 🥳💜💐🥺✨😍💖🎉🤸‍♀️🌷

this little community we have built means the world to me, and i am so thrilled to have such lovely readers, and to be making so many really amazing friends!!! the irl connections i have formed through this fandom and through writing have been wonderful, and i really, truly cannot put into words how much everyone means to me!!! 💜💜💜 thank you for being here!!!

if you would like to gas me up by sharing how we met, or sharing any memories or whatever, i would be excited about it, but no pressureeee!!!!! 😍🥳🥰 i love you!!! drink some water and stretch your neck!!!

p.s. shout out to @sailoryooons for coming up with the name hehehe. 💜

#harrow's holiday cheer event 🎁 #excerpt & drabble event #thanks for 2k!!! 🎈

[fillinforlater]

Important Announcement and Updates

Hello everyone, Smite here!

Dear readers of my blog, loyal followers, writer friends and everyone in between, I got some news for y'all. Things will change and partially already have and I feel like I should give a heads up about it in a single post so you're not confused as to what has happened.

But first of a word from our sponsor a big thank you for the insane Notes-Totals on my last couple of fics. There is a lot of 900+ and already a fuckton of love for "Just Testing", and leaving aside all the nonsense I wrote in this fic, I'm still very grateful for the support. Thank you!

Now to the upcoming changes/wtf is actually happening:

1. I will take an (warning, evil words ahead) indefinite hiatus from writing fics in the manner I did in the past/up until now.

What does this mean?

"Are you retiring? Are you going to delete your stories? Are you not going to be online/active in Discord anymore?"

NO, NO and NO.

I have no plans to (ever) retire and if I would, a 31some would look pitiful it would be with a feeling of certainty and geniune satisfaction (at least I hope so).

I just need a break from this neck-breaking pace of forcing every ounce of horniness and creativity from my head onto the Docs to the point where it's all just a mush of nudity, sex and filth and words and chaos... I'm losing grip on wtf I write at times.

This hiatus is to reset myself, to test other things without feeling forced to post them or at least something just to be on a streak, just to push that number higher and higher. I will def continue creative writing, just don't expect me to post it cuz it won't be all kpop.

BASICALLY: Stories will be released, but they will be rarer and most likely longer and hopefully still to your liking, from a story and smut perspective (unless it's full-on fluff/angst).

2. Uni will come like three big waves and during the strongest fucking tsunami, I have to do a boatload of other things on top. I'll be busy, I need to be focused, failure is not an option. Freeing myself from the (internalized) pressure of "having to post a fic this week" will help me to push through this mess.

I'll miss you when exams start and I'll come back to you, don't worry.

3. MoA will continue until Part 100, then there will be a two year special (because dayum, that's how long I am doing this already) and before/after the special, MoA will enter a new phase:

Instead of doing an appreciation post every Monday, I will do MoA's whenever I've read one to five stories that I want to appreciate. They will pop up every now and then, in different formats, to show you what I read and enjoy and who you should follow for more good stuff.

My intention with MoA was always to appreciate something, never to exclude someone or tell them that their writing id bad because they have been featured less than others. I want to continue this with more heart than before, so I'm going to break out from the regular pattern after Part 100.

4. Regarding the update I send a while back with all the series' and stuff: I still have intentions to keep my promise and write them, just with less urgency and pressure. The final request from back in January 2022 (lol) will also be written.

I will try my best, I thank you for your patience.

5. The final part of L4 and another fic are big guarantees to be released soon, so get ready, cuz I won't hold back. Remember: I'M STILL HERE! I GOT A LOT OF STUFF...

See y'all around!

... and I'll add more!

Let's start this new era on my blog. I hope you'll give me the same love and support you've given me until now.

(Oh, and feel free to flood my askbox with pics, questions, gams and ideas. No guarantee of reacting to them, but they might stirr me up xD)

[lulu2992]

Exploration of the now-offline Far Cry 5 official websites

Part 4: Game Info (Europe)

Recovered content

The European website was first archived on October 9th, 2017, almost five months after the announcement and before the release of Far Cry 5. On the home page, after an image of the “key art” (see under the cut) and an invitation to watch this video...

...there was the ABOUT THE GAME section:

FREEDOM Set in beautiful Montana, an incredible Open World. Hope County welcomes you to the Land of the Free. FAMILY Led by The Father and commanded by The Heralds, Eden’s Gate preys on those hopeless folks who have fallen into economical and psychological despair. FIREARMS From shotguns to slingshots, this toy chest is stocked, locked and loaded with every piece of steel you’ll need to take down the Cult. Lead a resistance against a fanatical cult in small town, U.S.A., where Freedom, Firearms, and the Project at Eden’s Gate rule above all else. Lead a resistance against a fanatical cult in small town, U.S.A., where Freedom, Firearms, and the Project at Eden’s Gate rule above all else.

Clicking “More Info” took you to the GAME INFO page, which wasn’t archived before March 10th, 2018, and looked like this at least until February 7th, 2020 (last available archive):

FREEDOM, FAMILY & FIREARMS Welcome to Hope County, Montana, home to a fanatical doomsday cult known as The Project at Eden’s Gate that is threatening the community's freedom. Stand up to the cult’s leader, Joseph Seed and the Heralds, and spark the fires of resistance that will liberate the besieged community. In this expansive world, your limits and creativity will be tested against the biggest and most ruthless baddest enemy Far Cry has ever seen. It’ll be wild and it’ll get weird, but as long as you keep your wits about you, the residents of Hope County can rest assured you’re their beacon of hope. Join the Resistance on March 27th, 2018, with Far Cry 5. Available on PlayStation 4 system, Xbox One, and PC.

The FREEDOM section was mostly about the open world and game mechanics, but the others were about the Project and the Resistance.

Here is FAMILY:

PROJECT AT EDEN’S GATE The Project at Eden’s Gate, led by The Father, believes The Collapse is imminent. They’re on a mission to save your soul – whether you want it or not. JOSEPH SEED – THE FATHER “I am your Father. And you are my Children.” FAITH SEED – THE SIREN Once you fall under Faith’s spell, you’re a goner. As Joseph’s voice, Faith acts as a divine instrument of chaos to keep the congregation in a state of bliss. JOHN SEED – THE INQUISITOR John will use intimidation, faith and violence to secure resources vital to the Cult’s survival - be it a home or a person. JACOB SEED – THE SOLDIER As the Cult’s recruiter and former Army marksman, big brother Seed’s main duty is protecting the Project at Eden’s Gate.

The four red buttons redirected to the Character Spotlight videos about Joseph, Faith, John, and Jacob posted on the Ubisoft UK YouTube Channel.

Here is FIREARMS:

THE RESISTANCE Throughout the hills, valleys, and townships of Hope County, civilians of all walks have joined forces to resist against the cult, and rid their land of its chaos once and for all. But it wouldn’t be as fun if new toys hadn’t been brought along the way. Boom boom boom boom! ♫

Clicking “More Info” opened a pop-up window with a video and a description for each character; I will detail all of that in future posts.

Commentary

Sadly, the European website was archived way less often than the American one. It seems it was also rarely updated, as it apparently said we could still “pre-order” the game... in 2020. But since it used to exist and wasn’t identical to the American version, I decided to include it in these posts too!

Under the cut are all the available source files, saved directly from the website, of the images you see in the screenshots:

But first, here is the site’s version of the “key art”:

And now the images that actually are in the screenshots:

(The icons became red when you hovered your cursor over them)

The three icons below are not the source files. I couldn’t find them so I simply took and cropped screenshots:

I will upload the pictures of the Resistance (from the FIREARMS section) in the posts dedicated to each character.

#far cry 5 #eden’s gate #joseph seed #faith seed #john seed #jacob seed #grace armstrong #jerome jeffries #nick rye #mary may fairgrave #hurk drubman jr #jess black #sharky boshaw #adelaide drubman #boomer #cheeseburger #peaches #hope county #heard in the video: #philippe fournier #marri knaddle

[playthelaughtrack]

A Rabbit and a Mouse Walk Onto a Movie Set...

Updates and Announcements.

Hey y'all! I've been writing off and on for this fic, and wanted to drop a bit of behind-the-scenes information.

First off, as I am both a student and a working actor, I write for this fic in between classes, rehearsals, and auditions. Thank you all for your patience thus far!

Second, this fic will be posted here and on my AO3 account, playthelaughtrack. New chapters will appear on AO3 before they are uploaded here!

And finally, I've rewritten this first chapter so many times, amd I think I've finally latched onto a start I like. That being said, if you'd like to read a non-canon, previous part of the first chapter, it will be under the cut below! I felt like it was a bit too bland of an intro for the silly tone I wanted to set, but it's an interesting read nonetheless. I hope you enjoy this little crumb while I desperately try and finish this thing lmao

______________________________

It's almost comforting, in a way to be as exhausted as you currently were. After all, less sleep meant more work was done, more hours well spent! Or, at least, that's what you liked to tell yourself. Maybe it was for your own conscience, to convince yourself that not only was horribly messing up your sleep schedule a normal thing, but also was what made you so successful.

That, or you were too tired to rationalize anything better. Probably a mixture of both.

As writers stumbled into the room, you could tell they felt the same way— eyebags, sleepy yawns, and cups of various caffeinated drinks were donned by every person present. That was the life of a working creative.

As soon as everyone is settled, you stand up from your chair at the end of the table. The room falls into a hush.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming in this morning," You begin, stepping towards the whiteboard hanging on the back wall. "I know this film's had more than a few rough spots, but we're going to pull through. You all need to be working double time— yeah, yeah, I know. Whoever groaned in the back, I felt that. But it's gotta be done! With the arrival of Bugs and Mickey—"

WIth that, you pin a piece of paper onto the board from the company CEO, ordering that the film would feature multiple cameos from big name toon stars to generate more income at the box office. The room erupts into chaos. The Bugs Bunny and the Mickey Mouse?

It wasn't uncommon, per say, to hear those two names in the same breath. The pair of faces from rival cartoon studios were constantly the main topics of cartoon critics everywhere, endlessly debating over who had the best ratings, characters, gags, merchandising… you couldn't help but wonder how the two actors personally felt about this silent competition.

A part of you felt weirdly sentimental about it. Clawing your way to the top, stepping on so many toes to get where you were, working long days and nights was just the way of life for a famous director, like yourself, to make it anywhere.

It wasn’t uncommon to antagonize other directors, writers, anyone whenever they got a little too good. But in a sense, it was almost admirable. The dedication put into every aspect of creating was enough to wear even the most determined souls down. You shake your head to rid yourself of the thought… There was business to discuss.

No use in wasting time to romanticize it.

_

You awoke the next morning to the usual sounds of falling anvils and fire alarms, taking a good look around your on-studio home— you wouldn’t consider yourself messy, but there was a good amount of takeout boxes in your trash bin accented wonderfully with stray bits of clothes scattered about. Home decor at it’s finest, really.

______________________________

Thank you for everyone who has stayed around for so long! Love you all. <33

#A Rabbit and a Mouse Walk Onto a Movie Set #looney tunes x reader #toon x reader #mickey mouse x reader #bugs bunny x reader #who framed roger rabbit

[ragnarlothcat]

5 (What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!) for as holy and enchanted, 7 (Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?), and/or 49 (What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!) for the ask game??

Hello Trees!!! Thank you 🥰🌲 (ask game)

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about as holy and enchanted? Answer it now!

When I first posted that fic last year (last year? why does it feel like 50 years ago?) people did ask me a lot of questions that mostly dealt with how Obi-Wan would adjust to human society, which is vaild. But what about how Anakin adjusts to god society since I suggest pretty loudly that Obi-Wan made him a god too? It's a thing in d&d (I think) where regular people become gods through various deeds and whatnot but here's Anakin getting deified because he's very mouthy and has a fantastic ass.

The bleak sequel to this fic is Anakin realizing all his loved ones are going to die and he can't stop it (maybe this is where evil god Palpatine comes in as per usual). The comedy sequel is it takes Anakin quite a while to notice that he isn't aging. Either way I love imagining the chaos these guys would find themselves in!

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I was thinking about my demon fic again (spoilers for the next question you sent me!) and I really like that I made Hondo the real estate agent. I think he's extremely funny and amoral and I stand by that decision 100%. I love this horrible man!

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

It's...my demon fic!!! I've been toying with doing the same thing I did with my baseball fic where I forbid myself from working on any other projects until this one is done because updating once a year during October is a goofy way of handling this story and it makes it difficult to pick it back up. I left myself a note in the middle of the chapter that says "dictionary conversation" and I have no idea what to do about that. Cut it, I guess, and leave the note to languish until I get a flash of 3 am inspiration?

Here's a tiny bit from the Halloween party chapter!

“Hello there,” Obi-Wan says, Anakin’s hand clasped firmly in his own. “Trick or treat?” Quinlan’s face falls and his eyes flick between Anakin’s horns and Obi-Wan’s collar. “Goddammit Obi-Wan.” Obi-Wan grins back beatifically. “That’s rather the idea.” “Good evening, Quinlan,” Anakin says very seriously, like the world’s most alarming door-to-door salesman. “We’re here to both delight and terrify you.” Quinlan looks neither delighted nor terrified, he looks like he’s about to shove Obi-Wan back down the stairs and leave his body to the raccoons. “These costumes are both creatively and morally bankrupt,” he announces, waving a hand at the cross around Obi-Wan’s neck. “And they’re much less funny than you think they are.” Anakin blinks back at him, the picture of doe-eyed innocence. “They aren’t supposed to be funny. They’re supposed to be romantic.”

#ask game #treescape #why doesn't my computer recognize the word 'raccoons' #one raccoon is fine #it's the plural it won't stand for #trying to ward off an infestation i suppose #it's far too late for that #we have ceded ground to the raccoons long ago

[paigelouisehart]

I'm back!

It has been months, literal months, since I have sat down at my computer with the sole intention of writing a blog post. Life, as it so often does, got completely on top of me and the free time (and more importantly, the mental power) I had  to sit and write very quickly dwindled into nothingness. But I am back, with eager fingers, a lot to update you on and a plan for regular posts in the new year!

So what have I been up to? 

Well, although I haven’t been writing much here, I have been writing a lot elsewhere and am absolutely thrilled to announce that my third poetry book “Pain & Perseverance” will be available on the 25th November 2022. I am so, so excited for this book to be out in the world as it feels like I’ve been working on it for such a long time. Split into three sections; Pain, Perseverance, and Prospect - it features poems that cover love, loss, grief, friendship and hope. It is a real love story to my own messy mind and complicated relationship with emotions and asking for help. If you would like to purchase a copy, the link will be available here on release date, or follow me on Instagram to receive updates.

Secondly - my third year of study with the Open University has begun and I am officially knee deep in set books that need to be read, essays that need to be written and a big dollop of procrastination that needs to be pushed aside and ignored!

This year is all about English literature and studying books set by the University - something that I have very mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it’s no secret that I love reading, and this is a sure fire way to bump my Goodreads total read books up and to expand my literary knowledge, but on the other hand - I’ve never been a fan of being told what to read. I am a firm believer of “if you’re not enjoying a book, put it down. Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy when there are plenty of others to choose from”, but when you’ve got a 2000 word essay to write that relies on you having read the book - that option no longer exists. I’m confident that there will be a good number of books that I read as part of my studies that I will enjoy, but so far - we’re not off to a good start! (Thank goodness for my huge TBR pile to give me something I do want to read in between them!)

And finally, I have been focusing really hard on doing things for myself that bring me joy. After a pretty rough couple of months, my mental health took a battering and I knew that something had to change. Since I’ve got my brain back into a good place, I’ve been making a real conscious effort to do things that make me happy but that have no other purpose other than that. This has meant more bubble baths, more fun eye makeup and less smothering face make-up, reigniting my love for Pokemon games and creating art that is for me, rather than to be gifted or monetised, and most importantly, creating art that isn’t necessarily “good” but is just enough to get my creativity flowing again. And as you can see from this photo - some silly Halloween photo shoots!

That’s all for now - I’ve got a bar of chocolate and a film waiting for me so I’ll end it here. But I’ve got a whole list of bits and bobs to upload before the end of the year, so keep an eye on my social media for updates!

Thanks for reading - it’s good to be back!

#writing #lifesyle #self publishing

[tonkicountry]

Wren tattoos

#Wren tattoos full#

#Wren tattoos full#

The first portion of my form is general information and acknowledgments of my policies.Īs of right now, priority booking will be given to: pieces that enthusiastically grant me full creative freedom on floral pieces with 3 or less specific flowers, table top or video game/tv/pop culture references, geometric work, traditional work, spooky or witchy pieces, fantasy or cottage core pieces, bugs If you are up in the air about your design or me doing it, please wait until you are absolutely sure. This is basically all the information you’ll need on hand to fill out my form when I am booking Follow on Instagram and turn on notifications for all announcements. I used to just go ahead and book every one I wanted to do, but I no longer want to book out that far in case I get sick and to allow my clients with continuing work to be scheduled. I can’t go through the forms as quickly as they come in therefore I usually take more entries than I have space for. I may deny some that I would like to tattoo, but others were more of what I’m looking for. You will be denied if you ignore any of my prompts and/or instructions on the form. All entries will be read by me and either approved, denied, or marked conditional if I need a consultation. If you do not make it through you will need to wait until my next booking period. I will disable the form anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 day after it has been open depending on how quickly entries come in. Look over the list below to make sure you have everything my form requires. I will be doing walk ups of pre drawn designs mostly so space is extremely limited. If you plan to attend the convention and would like to book something for that, please specify in the description box at the end of your form. I will be attending the Jacksonville Tattoo Convention August 19th-21st. This page will then be replaced by the request form submission page. Ooooh Updates!💕 Currently my books are set to open on May 31st, 2022 at 5:00pm for late summer/early fall.

#Wren tattoos

[rmhashauthor]

Basic Information

Since Instagram is predominantly a visual medium and Wattpad is more geared towards storytelling, this might be the place to write down a few things I know I would like to know about a new author.

Where am I? At the moment, I'm based in the United States. And we're going to leave it at that for the time being.

What qualifies me as a writer? As you might expect I do have a Bachelor's degree in English, but instead of going the usual creative writing route I chose to pursue writing in the more professional sense. I took technical writing classes and classes on research writing, rhetoric, literature and composition. While those don't sound like fun, I'm that weird type who actually loves research writing and taking speeches and novels apart and looking at what makes them work or not.

Why a writer? A long time before I had to analyze the themes of Moby Dick and learn how to write grant proposals, I learned how to read somewhat early and went from picture books in preschool to Michael Crichton in the second grade. Then I got into science fiction and fantasy and inhaled books like a black hole. I'll be honest and say that adolescence didn't agree with me, so writing became more than cheap entertainment - it became my lifeline.

How did that turn out? Decades later and after a lot of self-improvement I'm significantly more stable, and while writing is still a priority I can now approach it with less "frenzied need to escape from real life" and more "creative outlet that I can use to address and organize my thoughts and feelings on a subject". Some of that is due to the academic training, and more to generally maturing as a person.

What now? I've been thinking about publishing for a while, probably since I was in my early twenties. I've written a handful of things, mostly fiction, but they weren't what I would consider very good work or even terribly original. But those manuscripts proved to me that I could write complete stories, so with that question out of the way I can get on with really figuring out what I want to write. I consider those early works to be my training wheels - but because they were written before my brain was fully developed, they'll never see the light of day.

If you've made it this far, thank you. If you're interested in seeing what I'm working on, consider following me on Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/user/RMHash

I post new chapters of STARFISH every Thursday, and I would appreciate it if you would let me know how you're feeling about the story.

For more frequent updates, announcements and pictures of my cat, you can keep up with me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmhashauthor/

You could just follow for the cat pictures, she's really cute!

#author #authors #book blog #booklr #writers on tumblr #novelist #write #writing life #fiction #creative writing #writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writers #novel #first work #tumblr authors

[mistangumbah]

After many years of playing it seems like we’ve hit a wall. A wall that is unwanted but was inevitable. The way video games are set up nowadays, it is only a few ways the games are set up. Whenever there’s a new game announced, people can tend to guess what the gameplay is going to be about. The stories are different but what you’re doing in a game is the same. When a game is released, you can pretty much guess that it is going to be a RPG (Role Playing Game), a simulator, a linear story, a shooting game, a sports game, a open world game or a creative building game.

The problem comes when the AAA studios shows no innovation because they’re scared. They’re scared of experimenting on new ideas and new gameplay. In doing this, there is no real innovation in the games. There isn’t any new genres that are being published. I’m tired of doing the same thing with different characters and different stories. I want a new product not just a rinse and repeat game. It’s gotten so bad that many studios are deciding to “remaster” their old games which means they are remaking it with better graphics and re releasing it to make more money off of an old game. I’m tired of investing in a character only when it ends, I have to build another character the same way with a different story. I understand the story is important, but if I wanted only a story, why am I playing a game when I could be watching a movie, tv show or even read a book. Isn’t a game supposed to be something you play? If it is, why am I playing the same thing? When flappy bird came out, it wasn’t that it was a game that was ground breaking graphically or had a great story, no it became the biggest game because it was different. At the time, AAA studios were spending hundreds of millions of dollars on games and they had less users and made less money on a game that was made by a guy that was bored. That showed how much the world wanting something different not just the same running around and shooting. If people wanted to just run around and shoot all day, why not just release one game every 5 years and keep giving updates to add more maps, more guns and more characters? Why release a whole new game just to add more stuff? We are at a stalling point in video games. No company is risking making something new. It’s like we are reading the same story but with different characters. It’s like having 5 different “Luke I am your father” versions with different names and characters. You know how it’s going to play out and you know how its going to go. I think its time we get something new. A new type of game, a new genre and a new way to play.

How could this be solved? This could be solved by people asking for it. People keep giving money to these companies that make the same games. They need to stop investing so much in the story and start investing more into gameplay. Why am I PLAYING a VIDEO GAME for a story? I’m here to PLAY the game. What really made me start on this is a video game called “the quarry”. This game is not even a game. You literally move the controller once every 10 minuets… Now why even call it a game if you’re just sitting here watching it!!! Just make a movie or a TV show!!! Every 10 minutes I’m reminded that I have to press a button and it’s stupid. It’s not a bad story but it is a terrible game.

#video games

[thimbil]

Having some thoughts about the references and inspirations used for the Bad Batch’s designs.

So Boba Fett is my absolute favorite character and Temeura Morrison was perfect casting. I went to see the 2008 TCW movie in theaters because I was so excited to see him again, even if he was animated. You can imagine my disappointment. Whoever was on screen was not Temeura Morrison. You could sort of see a resemblance if you squinted and didn’t think too hard about it. They replaced Temeura with Racially Ambiguous G.I. Joe. If I didn’t know better and someone told me the animated clones are space Italians from the moon of New Jersey I would buy it. One Million Brothers Pizzeria and Italian Bistro. Not that there’s something wrong with being space Italian, I just don’t think it’s the right choice for the Fetts. The design got slightly improved by season 7 but it still bugs the hell out of me.

I did eventually get into the show later and (of course) got invested in the clones. Unfortunately, they were largely sidelined by the Jedi storylines. Out of the two new main characters created for TCW, Ahsoka definitely got more development and focus than Rex. When they announced The Bad Batch, I was excited to see a show specifically devoted to the clones… at least that’s what it said on the tin. We have all seen what lurks beneath those stylish helmets.

Jango Fett, you are NOT the father.

So who is?

Based on interviews with Filoni, it sounds like the Bad Batch was a George Lucas idea. And like all his ideas, it’s super derivative. The original trilogy directly lifted elements from sci fi serials, westerns, and samurai movies, more specifically Kurosawa films like The Hidden Fortress. For The Bad Batch character designs, the influence is obviously American action and adventure movies.

Now let’s get specific. Bad Batch, who’s your daddy?

Hunter

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in First Blood 1982. That bandana has become an integral part of the iconic action hero look. You see a character wearing one and it’s a visual shorthand for either “this character is a tough guy” like Billy played by Sonny Landham in Predator 1987, or “this character thinks he is/wants to be a tough guy” like Brand played by Josh Brolin in The Goonies 1985 or Edward Frog played by Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys 1987.

Hunter’s model is closest to the original clone base. If you look closely you will see the eyebrows are straighter with a much lower angle to the arch. His nose is also not the same shape as a standard clone like Rex, including a narrower bridge. It’s certainly not Temeura Morrison’s nose. Remember what I said about space Italians? It didn’t take much to push the existing clone design to resemble an specific Italian man instead of a specific Māori man. The 23&Me came back, and Hunter inherited more than the bandana from Sylvester.

Crosshair

The long narrow nose, the sharp cheekbones, the scowl. That’s no clone, that’s just animated Clint Eastwood. Not even Young and Hot Clint Eastwood from Rawhide 1959-1965. With that hair, I’m talking Gran Torino 2008. The man of few words schtick and family friendly toothpick in lieu of cigar are pure Eastwood as The Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns A Fist Full of Dollars 1964, For a Few Dollars More 1965, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966.

In a way, this is full circle because the actor Jeremy Bulloch took inspiration from Clint Eastwood for his performance as Boba Fett in ESB.

Wrecker

In an interview Filoni lists the Hulk as an (obvious) inspiration for Wrecker. Ever seen the old Hulk tv show from 1978? Well take a look at the actor who played him, Lou Ferrigno. Would you look at that. Even has his papa’s nose.

You could make the argument that Wrecker was influenced by The Rock, an appropriately buff ‘n bald Polynesian (Samoan, not Maori) man. But look at him next his Fast and Furious costar Vin Diesel and tell me which one resembles Wrecker’s character model more.

Tech

Tech is a little trickier for me to place. If he has a more direct inspiration it must be something I haven’t seen. That said, his hairline is very Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 1988. His quippiness and large glasses remind me of Shane Black as Hawkins from Predator 1987. In terms of his face, he looks a but like the result of McClane and Hawkins deciding to settle down and start a family. Although, Tech’s biggest contributors are probably just everyone on TV Trope’s list for Smart People Wear Glasses.

And finally,

Echo

Oh Echo. Considering he wasn’t created for the Bad Batch, he probably wasn’t based on a particular character or movie. But if I had to guess, his situation and appearance remind me a lot of Alex Murphy played by Peter Weller in Robocop 1987. However, Robocop explored the Man or Machine Identity Crisis with more nuance, depth, and dignity. Yikes.

The exact tropes and references used in The Bad Batch have been done successfully with characters who aren’t even human. Gizmo from Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 had a brief stint with the Rambo bandana. I could have picked any number of characters for Defining Feature Is Glasses but here is the most cursed version of Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Suffer as I have. Marc Antony with his beloved Pussyfoot from Looney Tunes has the same tough guy with a soft center vibe as Wrecker and his Lula (also a kind of cat). Hell, in the same show we have Cad Bane sharing Cowboy Clint Eastwood with Crosshair. I actually think Bane makes a better Eastwood which is wild considering Crosshair has Eastwood’s entire face and Bane is blue.

So we’ve established you don’t need your characters to look exactly like their inspirations to match their vibe. So why go through the trouble and cost of creating completely new character designs instead of recycling and altering assets they already had on hand? Just slap on a bandana, toothpick, goggles, and make Wrecker bigger than the others while he does a Hulk pose and you’re done. Based on the general reaction to Howzer it would have been a low effort slam dunk crowd pleaser.

But they didn’t do that.

So here’s the thing. I like the tropes used in The Bad Batch. I am a fan of action adventure movies from the 80s-90s, the sillier the better. I am part of the Bad Batch’s target audience. Considering what I know about Disney and Lucasfilm, I went in with low expectations. I genuinely don’t hate the idea of seeing references to these actors and media in The Bad Batch. I don’t think basing these characters on tropes was a bad idea. If anything it’s a solid starting point for building the characters.

The trouble is nothing got built on the foundation. The plot is directionless, the pacing is wacky, and the characters have nearly no emotional depth or defining character arcs. They just sort of exist without reacting much while the story happens around them. But I can excuse all of that. You don’t stay a fan of Star Wars as long as I have not being able to cherrypick and fill in the gaps. This show has a deeper issue that shouldn’t be ignored.

Why do the animated clones bear at best only a passing resemblance to their live action actor? In interviews, Filoni wouldn’t shut up but the technological advancements in the animation for season 7. So if they are updating things, why not try to make the clones a closer match to their source material? Why did they have to look like completely different people in The Bad Batch to be “unique”? Looking like Temeura Morrison would have no bearing on their special abilities and TCW proved you can have identical looking characters and still have them be distinct. In fact, that’s a powerful theme and the source of tragedy for the clones’ narrative overall.

Here’s Filoni’s early concept art of Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Hunter. (Interesting but irrelevant: Wrecker seems to have a cog tattoo similar to Jesse’s instead of a scar. Wouldn’t it have been funny if they kept that so when they met in season 7 one if them could say something like “Hey we’re twins!” That’s a little clone humor. Just for you guys 😘)

None of these drawings look like the clones in TCW, much less Temeura Morrison. Let’s be generous. Maybe Filoni struggles with drawing a real person’s likeness, as many people do. But he had to hand this off to other artists down the line whose job specifically involves making a stylized character resemble their actor. Yet the final designs missed the mark almost as much as this initial concept. Starting to seem as if the clones looking more like Temeura Morrison was never even on the table. It wasn’t a lack of creativity, skill or technical limitations on the part of the creative team. I don’t think there is an innocent explanation. They went out of their way to make the final product exactly how we got it.

This goes beyond homage. They could have made the same pop culture references and character tropes without completely stripping Temeura Morrison from the role he originated. It was a very purposeful choice to replace him with more immediately familiar actors from established franchises and films. It wouldn’t shock me if Filoni, Lucas, and anyone else calling the shots didn’t even think hard or care enough about the decision to immediately recognize a problem. And I don’t think they believed anyone else would either. At least no one whose opinion they cared about. Those faces are comfortingly familiar and proven bankable. They are what we’re all used to seeing after all. They’re white.

Lack of imagination, bad intentions, or simple ignorance doesn’t really matter in the end. The result is the same. Call it what it is. They replaced a man of color with a bunch of white guys. That’s by the book garden variety run of the mill whitewashing. There’s no debate worth having about it. For a fanbase that loves to nitpick things like whether or not it’s in character for Han to shoot first or Jeans Guy in the Mandalorian, we sure are quick to find excuses for clones who look nothing like their template. Why is that? If you don’t see the problem, congratulations. Your ass is showing. Pull your jeans up.

#star wars #the bad batch #unwhitewashtbb #wrecker #crosshair #tech #hunter #echo

[secretly-a-cold-blooded-murderer]

Five Thousand Miles

Warning: Angst, descriptions of covid patients’ suffering, hospitals

A/n: I researched a lot about what covid patients go through in a hospital and their treatments but still took a couple creative liberties so I apologise if the descriptions aren’t accurate. Do tell me how you liked it!

Summary: Y/n tests positive for covid-19 and has to be hospitalised. Her boyfriend, Harry is five thousand miles away from her.

“Harry, I’m scared,” Y/n confessed as she readied herself, struggling with wearing her mask and gloves while also balancing her phone to continue talking to her boyfriend on FaceTime.  

“It’ll be alright, you are taking every precaution you can. Plus, you have to get out of the house sometime, you can’t survive on air alone. Trust me, baby, you can do this.”

Harry’s voice was keeping her grounded, she wanted to continue talking to him but knew it would be impossible to shop and talk to him at the same time, so she nodded at him, “You’re right. Okay, I’ll call you when I get back. Safely.”

Taking a deep breath, she went out the door to a world of germs, people, and newly acquired viruses.

Being in the middle of a pandemic alone wasn’t her favourite situation to be in. It felt better when she had company, people who would help her buy the essentials. As soon as situations eased up a bit, her quarantine partners left New York to be with their families. She was all alone now.  

Looking at all the empty streets, Y/n was left with a weird sensation. The city that never slept had never been quieter. She was so used to being woken up by car horns and car alarms in the morning that during the first few weeks of lockdown, she found it hard to wake before noon. This quiet was almost poetic, like the stuff of post-apocalyptic films. Y/n wasn’t sure if the silence comforted her or terrified her.

There were more people in the store than she had expected, though all in their masks, she breathed in relief. She went straight to the personal hygiene section, remembering the most important item on her list, only to find that the store was all out of toilet papers, the one thing films didn’t guess would be a big problem. She rolled her eyes at the selfish people who had panic-bought more stuff than they would have needed.

She tried every store near her neighbourhood, and eventually was able to get the last set in the final shop she visited. Tired from driving all over the city in search of toilet papers, she went to the check-out line to finally buy her stuff. 

Standing in her place, Y/n noticed the people in the store, few whose foreheads were furrowed, their eyes darting around making sure they were maintaining the mandated distance from others, panic evident on their mask-covered faces. Some others appeared plain bored. Already used to the new routine and just wanting to get it over with. 

She was so lost her observations, she almost didn’t hear it, the woman behind her in the line coughed loudly, making people jump farther apart than the required six feet.

“It’s just allergies,” the woman announced in a nasal voice, rolling her eyes at people’s reaction. 

As Y/n’s turn came at the check-out counter, she found herself frozen to the ground, she didn’t know why but the cough threw her off. It felt weird to react the way she did, but she could not make herself move. She was nervous. She wanted to laugh at herself for feeling this way because of a measly cough, but it wasn’t so simple and right now all she felt was fear.

“Oh for god’s sake,” the woman moved forward, pushing her aside and placed her items at the counter. Even the employee there seemed wary, but knew he had to comply to keep his job.

It was only after the woman left, was Y/n finally able to move, she shook her head as if to shake the incident away from her mind and finally paid for her items.

She ran all the way home, even though she knew she shouldn’t have. She couldn’t help herself, she just wanted to move away from the public and into the safety of her home as soon as she could. 

As she entered her house, Y/n felt her chest tighten, as though someone was sitting on it, she couldn’t breathe properly. It felt like she was breathing through a squished straw. 

In between her wheezing, she searched around for her inhaler in her side bag. She felt her breath coming back a few seconds after she breathed in the medicine. She fell to her knees in exhaustion and took in a few more breaths to calm down.

She then picked herself up and embarked on an extensive set of tasks- Taking off her gloves and mask, removing her shoes at the entrance of her house, washing her hands. But, this somehow didn’t seem enough to her, so she went ahead and took another shower, just to be extra sure.

While in the shower, she cursed her asthma. It wasn’t usually a big hurdle in her life, but now, everything was a hundred times worse. This was the first time she had feared for her life. Her anxiety was at an all-time high and all she had to keep her sane was her daily FaceTime calls with Harry.

Opening her laptop to do her work, she checked the numbers again- seventy thousand new cases. She sighed and closed her laptop, not having the motivation to do any work. She scrolled through her social media to distract herself only to be shoved more news about the coronavirus, she let out a groan of frustration and switched off her phone, deciding to take a nap instead.

Only she couldn’t sleep. She thought back to all the plans she made with Harry, promising him to be there next to him while he toured the globe. She laughed at the situation and how no one in a million years could have guessed the current world state.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she must have as she woke up with a jolt in her bed after a strange dream. She shook her head and looked out her window to see the sky dark. She switched on her phone, it was 8 pm. She cursed to see three missed calls from Harry and one from her friend, Sarah.

Preparing herself, she called Harry. 

“Where were you, I called like three times?” His voice was deeper than usual, she guessed he had just woken up because of her call. She calculated it to be 4 am in London, where Harry was. She felt bad for waking him up like that.

“I know, I switched off my phone and fell asleep. Sorry,” she grimaced.

Harry hummed in acknowledgement, “how you doing?”

She could hear rustling on the other side and imagined a sleepy Harry sitting up in his bed, his hair messy from his sleep, “Just missing ya’.”

“I know, I hate that I had to leave you like that, wish you could come with me,” there was a hint of a whine in Harry’s voice which made Y/n smile.

“Wish I had a visa for England, I really wanted to come too,” and she meant that. At least that way, she wouldn’t have to be alone.

“I’ll video call you tomorrow, it’s late here, or rather early,” what he was saying next was obscured by his yawn. She sighed, she missed him too much.

“Yeah sure, see you tomorrow, bye.”

“Bye.”

When the call disconnected, she messaged Sarah to ask what the call was about, who didn’t respond. She shrugged her shoulders and went down to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner.

~

It started with a headache. She didn’t ponder much on it and instead only took medicine to curb the pain enough to continue working. 

It was when she felt a certain roughness in her throat, did she pay attention. Her cough worsened within days, she was having a hard time breathing normally. It felt like a less severe but constant asthma attack. She took her temperature, which showed her to be having a fever at 101°F. 

It took her some time to even process what was happening to her, she initially wondered if it could be the flu or something non-covid, but she knew she couldn’t take the chances. Harry was the first person she informed.

“What are you saying?!” Harry was frantic, his forehead creased as he ran his fingers through his hair, messing them up.

“I have a fever, a cough, and I’m having difficulty breathing,” counting the symptoms on her fingers, she informed him again.

“It could be the flu, Y/n you didn’t even go outside. How could it be anything else?”

“H, I did go out to buy supplies, didn’t I? Maybe I got infected there somehow. We shouldn’t be kidding ourselves. I have to at least get tested.” You didn’t want to show him just how scared you were, but it was hard to keep your voice from cracking.

“I am scared, H,” you let the tears out. Your shoulders shook while you tried to wipe your tears as they were leaking from your eyes.

Harry closed his eyes, not being able to see you sobbing, “I know baby, but I know you’ll be strong. I will take the next flight to LA. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He promised, his mouth set in a hard line as a strong look of determination crossed his face.

  She shook her head with as much strength she could muster, “No Harry, you shouldn’t keep travelling, plus, you can’t stay with me and I don’t want you staying at some hotel. It’s not safe.”

“Bu—”

“—I won’t hear another word about it. I have Sarah, and you have your work to take care of. I will be fine.”

She knew Harry wanted to say more, object to her claims, she would not be fine. But he knew it would be of no use, once she had made up her mind, it would be impossible to change it. So, he settled for a low nod.

“Keep me updated, I’ll also talk to Sarah. She better be there for it all. You should now call your doctor, see what’s the next step.”

Y/n nodded, smiling that Harry understood. She didn’t want to trouble him. She also wanted to pretend for a few more seconds that this was not a big deal.

She called Dr Gupta, her heart was beating at an all-time high and her energy was at an all-time low. She barely had enough breath to tell her doctor about her situation who booked an appointment for her to go to the nearest covid testing facility.

She took a deep breath, wore her protective gear and drove to the testing lab which was a ten-minute drive from her place. She was already out of breath by the time she reached the place.

When she was done with her test, she felt worse than she had before. Sarah called to check in on her, but Y/n didn’t have the energy to talk so Sarah video-called her, seeing Y/n’s face would have to be enough for her at that point.

Sarah’s eyes softened, seeing her best friend heaving, eyes shut and groaning due to her chest pain. But she knew, more than anything, her best friend was scared.

“I hope with everything that I am that the test comes back negative,” her voice was tinged with worry and genuine hope.

Y/n could only nod.

The call came two days later, Y/n sat up in her bed, she had been dreading this moment these past days, with Harry and Sarah to distract her.

The test came back positive.

She fell back into her bed, cushioned by her pillow and started shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed.

She felt insanely dehydrated by the time she stopped crying, she didn’t even get to call either of her friends. She stood up with a groan, and following one slow step after the other, she went to the bathroom to wash her now tear-stained face.

The call she made to Harry wasn’t an easy one. She knew he would take the news worse than she had, and her reaction was not a light one.

“I prayed. I promise I prayed Y/n,” his words were almost indecipherable in between his cries. His every tear followed the other with a ferocity never before noticed by Y/n.

Her own tears followed suite, she was so sure she had finished up all her tears, but she was proven wrong. Soon, the only conversation happening between the two was through their sobs.

She wanted to curse all the gods, she didn’t want to go through the pains of having this disease and she didn’t want to do it alone. Even though she had Harry and Sarah standing right beside her, knowing they would not be able to meet her in person, she had never felt more alone.

“I don’t feel good, H,” she confessed. Breathing was becoming difficult day by day, she would rather have an asthma attack twice a day than having this constant pressure on her chest and throat. She knew she had to tell him, “I have to get admitted to the hospital first thing in the morning tomorrow, they say my covid could be worsened because of my asthma,” she let out in between a series of coughs stopping her after every word.

Harry nodded, his heartbeat rising. He cursed himself for leaving his girlfriend alone in the country. If he hadn’t left, she would not be going through this, “I’ll tell Sarah, you go rest,” he promised, seeing it get increasingly difficult for her to even sit up in her bed.

If Y/n was scared before, then the hospital made it thousand times worse. It was a scary sight, the covid ward was in an isolated area of the hospital, the doctors and nurses were in full PPE kits, the patients were lined up next to each other separated by curtains. She passed a room with ICU written on the glass door. With what she could see, she noticed several other patients, some with masks covering their nose, probably providing oxygen. Others seemed in worse conditions, they were intubated via ventilators. 

Seeing them facing the same crisis together, although away from their families, but forming a new family of sorts in solidarity to their conditions gave her little comfort. Those who wore the nasal masks and thus still had the ability to talk were speaking to each other, even reading something from their phones to those who were on ventilators. Covid had seemed like a situation she would have to go through alone, her initial views though were changing.

She was admitted to the regular covid ward, with the rest of the non-critical patients and would be observed overnight. She was assisted with oxygen through a nasal mask, just like the people around her, she had noticed.

“Hey, I’m Cecilia, call me Cece,” a thirty-something woman introduced herself from beside you. The curtain was partially open, allowing Y/n to see only her face.

“Y/n, nice to meet you,” she called back, smiling as much her energy would allow.

“Never guessed this is how I would be spending my lockdown,” she laughed lightly, pointing to her mask. She then followed it up with a cough, groaning with the strain.

Y/n felt bad for her, only to be subjected to the same.

These were going to be some long days. Though she did feel better knowing she would not be facing this alone. She looked around the room, at probably twenty patients around her, in the same situation as her, if not in worse conditions. She then thought back to the people in the ICU and what they must be subjected to.

Her phone brought her attention to itself, it was Harry FaceTiming her; putting on a smile, she picked up the call. 

“Hey handsome,” she suggestively raised her eyebrows, not wanting to worry him any further.

Harry did not even notice her words, he was too busy gawking at her nasal mask, “what is that?” worry coating his voice.

“Oh just my new accessory, you like it?” although Y/n wanted to look nonchalant, the pain in her voice could not be hidden, she sighed, “They are giving me oxygen through this.”

Harry’s eyebrows were knitted together in worry, Y/n wanted to make him feel better. She could not rest knowing her love was out there worrying about her, “Look I made a friend,” she turned the camera to Cece laying next to her six feet apart, “Cece, say hi to my boyfriend, Harry.”

She had forgotten her boyfriend was a big deal but was reminded of it by Cece’s gasp, “Harry freaking Styles ohmigod ohmigod,” Cece squealed, making Y/n forget for a second that she was not a teenager.

“Hullo love,” Harry greeted her in his ‘fan voice’, a smile graced her lips. “Hope you beat covid and get better soon.” Cece’s smile made Y/n realise how long these people had gone without having a reason to smile and how desperately they needed it. 

 Cece’s squeal garnered the attention of the people around them. Noticing the pop icon on the phone screen, conversations started flowing between everybody. Introductions were made, friendships were formed and smiles were passed around, along with Y/n’s phone. So, she asked a nearby nurse if they could access a bigger screen so everyone could see and talk to her boyfriend.

When the staff hooked up a screen, Harry gave all the patients an impromptu concert. Y/n had not smiled in days the way this concert had made her. She expected fear, anxiety, deaths and instead got friends, laughter, and music.

When Harry was done performing for his audience, he gave her a brief look. “I love you,” she whispered to him, smiling when he returned the words.

The next day, she was woken up by the noises around her, she panicked for a moment, not recognising the place she was in; but calmed when she regained her senses and noticed the blue curtains of the hospital, several machines and the people they were attached to. 

She made a short conversation with Cece but had to stop because she was getting out of breath. With every passing moment, her chest pain too was increasing. She did keep listening to people chat around her. Some were on calls with their family, others were busy reading books and listening to music. She kept getting shouts of gratitude from the people in the ward for Harry the previous night.

For the next two days, that kept her going. She learned about her fellow patients, Jonathan was 59 years old, his son was an engineer and he couldn’t have been more proud; Jaya was a 42-year-old woman with bronchitis and wanted to visit Paris at least once in her life. Marc was a 50-year-old diabetic who was in a band in the 80s, they were planning a reunion show. She met countless people, each with their own stories. 

At about 10 am on a Thursday, her situation worsened. The doctors had come for a routine checkup, only to see that her oxygen levels were dropping steadily and she needed immediate assistance.

She was shifted to the ICU ward. She had to be intubated and thus was given a board and marker to write anything if she wanted.

“—Yes sir, she was shifted to the ICU this morning—”

“—We can’t say much right now, but we’ll inform you if anything changes—”

“—Okay, take care, Sir.”

Y/n heard bits and pieces of the conversation her doctor was having with Harry, although since she was on medication, she couldn’t register much of it. The nurses brought her phone to her, a silhouette moving on the screen.

“Hey baby, how are you feeling?”

Y/n pondered how to describe the immense pain burning through her respiratory passage and the lack of oxygen eating away her lungs and not give him nightmares. So, she offered him a tired thumbs up.

Harry watched his girlfriend cough, her face contorting in pain and could not control his tears, he didn’t want to think about the worst-case scenario but could not stop his mind from going there. He knew how low the chances were of people on ventilators coming back. But he had to remain positive, someone had to. She needed him to be strong for her. So, he wiped away his tears, put on his best brave face and talked to her.

He called her every three hours. Giving updates to her about his day, talking to her about whatever he could. He talked enough to compensate for the silence on her part. She smiled through every sentence, even though he could not see it, even though it wasn’t visible on her face, even though she didn’t have the power to, she smiled.

And she listened. So she didn’t have to focus on Josephine dying next to her or Augusta who was a hair length’s distance away from dying the previous day. Even though doctors told her that her situation was worsening, she listened because that became the only thing keeping her from giving up.

As her pains didn’t go away, and her condition worsened further, she was given sedatives and was thus mostly asleep. Which she was thankful for, for she couldn’t take it anymore, she just wanted to rest.

Dr Garcia came by routinely to check on her, talking to her about the outside world, gave her the gossips being passed around the hospital. Even though she was barely awake to listen to any of it, she was thankful for the kind doctor providing a calm lull while doing her job.

“Mr Styles, I’m afraid her condition isn’t getting any better. She should have shown atleast some improvements,” Dr Garcia informed Harry in a heavy voice.

On the other side of the line, Harry didn’t know what to do, it felt like someone was pulling away the floor under him. “What happens now?” He asked, praying for some hopeful news.

“We really can’t say much, each case is different, but it would be better uhm,” the doctor was thinking through her words, wanting to be as considerate as possible, “is there any family of hers that would want to talk to her?”

Harry almost let out a sob as he realised what the doctor was implying ‘is there anyone who would want to give her a final goodbye?’

“No, Y/n’s family passed away in an accident when she was 16, it’s just me and Sarah,” he explained, his voice on the verge of cracking, it was becoming harder to get words out of his mouth. He didn’t want to talk anymore, he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

“Oh, I understand,” Dr Garcia nodded, feeling sorry for the young girl who had stolen the hearts of everyone in the ward. She was a sweet girl, who had dreams and still held love for life even after everything she had seen. “This is not the end, Harry, she can still recover, God, I pray she does, this is not the end.” She really believed the words she was saying and wanted Harry to feel the same.

He nodded, tears clouding his eyes. He too really wanted to believe that.

A beat of silence fell upon the conversation, both in deep thought, “Harry, she wrote something on her board when she was awake yesterday,” Harry’s ears pricked up, “she wrote and I quote ‘I will not give up’ with a smiley face at the end. She is a fighter, you remember that,” Dr Garcia gave her parting ways and went back to her work.

Y/n’s words were imprinted in Harry’s mind. After the call, he made himself more presentable, wiping his tears and drove up to the church near Y/n’s house. He had come back to LA after Y/n was admitted to the ICU. He couldn’t be five thousand miles away from her in that condition.

The church was almost empty, which was surprising to Harry, given the situation, but he wasn’t complaining. He walked up the aisle, his hand grazing each wooden bench as he reached the altar and kneeled. He didn’t what to pray or how to pray, but he tried anyway. He closed his eyes and called out to God; he prayed with every part in his body, with every bone, every muscle, every fibre of being for his love to get better. For her to keep fighting. And for him to gain enough strength to deal with it all.

All this time, he had been feeling so helpless, not being able to do anything to make her better. But he made peace with the fact that the only thing he could do right now was to have faith. To have faith in God to guide him and her, in Y/n to be the stubborn strong-willed woman that she was and continue fighting, he had faith in his faith and that it would not disappoint.

He stayed there, talking to God until the closing hours. He then went back to Y/n’s place and sat on the sofa, waiting by his mobile, ready for any phone call he might receive.

He was awoken the next day by his phone ringing on the coffee table next to him. He looked at the time, it was noon, he picked up.

“Congratulations Harry, she’s getting better,” the relief was evident in Dr Garcia’s voice.

Harry felt himself getting physically lighter.

“I mean there is still a long way to go, but her oxygen levels are rising, her lungs are recovering, she’ll be soon able to breathe on her own. Harry, she did it, she won,” Harry didn’t listen to the rest of what the doctor was saying, he was too busy falling in love with the love of his life. It felt like he himself had come back from the dead. He knew his faith could never disappoint.

“Thank you doctor, I’ll be waiting for the call when you tell me she’s tested negative,” he laughed, his lungs breathing in air after what felt like a lifetime.

Dr Garcia chuckled along with him and agreed, telling him Y/n would call him when she woke up.

~

“You know I love you right? My fighter,” Harry tightened his grip on her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Y/n’s head fell back as laughter bubbled out of her, “You just told me that like two minutes ago.”

“I know, but a few weeks ago I thought I would never get to say it to you ever again. So, I will keep reminding you every minute that I love you and that you are the strongest person I know,” he snaked his arms around her, placing his head on top of hers, “I really missed holding you.”

She breathed in Harry’s scent, slowly regaining her sense of smell, she had missed this too. She cupped his cheek with her right hand and gave him a light peck.

Harry grabbed the back of her head, keeping her lips on his, deepening the kiss. When they separated, he rested his forehead against hers, not wanting her to move even an inch away from him.

Noticing her deep breaths, he whispered in her ears, “This is the only reason I want you to be out of breath. This and well... the other one,” he smirked.

“Oh hush you,” Y/n blushed, she sucked in a breath through her teeth, “Shit man, I love you.”

#Harry Styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fic #harry styles one shot #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #covid19 #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles angst #angst

[dallonm-archive]

[image description: a photograph of an orange tree in front of a blue sky. in the middle, in a white and bold serif font reads "writing update." /end id]

Hi friends! The clown shoes are squeaking because I'm making a post a grand total of -checks calendar- two weeks after a mini hiatus announcement! Don't get me wrong, I still want to take a step back and have less activity on here, but my intention was to re-evaluate my relationship with tumblr and as soon as I stopped engaging (beyond brief scrolling bc I am still a silly little gen z) that happened! So whilst there'll still be minimal activity I'm fine with posting and engaging, because I realised I want to solely focus on what I love about writeblr: the sharing of art.

The biggest thing though is that I was focusing more on how I presented my work rather than the act of sharing itself. For example I love writing long writing updates where I just get to infodump about something I love but I'm always like "oh nobody's gonna read this essay of an update that's under a read more" but now i'm like??? who cares they're fun to write lol?? And that's also what I love to read on here. But that mindset was making me actually care about notes and reblogs which I'd rather not care about At All so I'm gonna follow my own advice and do whatever I want lol! which will be:

General writing updates, I like the idea of doing these monthly or so because it encourages me to stay consistently creative and have a round-up of that creativity. I really liked doing this for camp nano!

Revelations, Revelations updates, because she is simply my Baby, light of my life, and I could talk about her for hours. They'll be less frequent but longer and more in depth.

I'm also not going to talk about short stories for a while! I felt ready to start submitting this year, but that was very tied into my plans to apply for a writing masters this autumn and clearly what I wasn't ready for was my creative and academic lives to combine because it pressured me so much I haven't touched short fiction in six months LOL. I really want to fix that so for me the solution is to have as little as an audience as possible!

But yeah crisis over and time to post about whatever I want! which is the tender and gay chapter I've been writing about Beau and Felix this month because I love my boys. I'm at the part of the book my friends and I lovingly call ✨ Beaulix Summer of Love ✨ because it is Summer and they are realising they are in Love. I've basically spent all of pride working on this chapter, titled Our Body. I'm not a fan of the title but I only use chapter titles in the drafting process, they won't carry on if I publish this so does it really matter? No because it's gay content. This chapter is all about queer intimacy and queer vulnerability, and I am obsessed with it.

[image description: a photograph of a person in a white t shirt laying on their back in bed, their face away from the camera. The figure is mostly in the shadows, but there are spots of light on their shirt and neck. in the middle in a white serif font reads "our body" /end id]

Basically I am creeping out to post gay content then retreating back to my nest because I have no self control. Gay content and excerpts under the cut! Happy Pride!

taglist - ask to be added or removed - @childhoodlovers @aetherwrites @svpphicwrites @spencers-tomes @abiandwriting @kowlazovdi @avi-burton-writing @ryns-ramblings @kitblogsthings @bijouxs @bookphobe @moonhungers @alicewestwater @bookpacking @shaelinwrites @onlyganymede @theelectricfactory @write-like-babs @oceancold @veiliza @sidhewrites @wolf-oak @oasis-of-you @coffeeandcalligraphy @cecilsstorycorner @howdywrites @keira-is-writing @flip-phones @piyawrites @goose-books @avakrahn

disclaimer: this is my original work. do not copy in any form that's just not cool

I think this collided perfectly with my re-evaluating my relationship with writeblr because this is my favourite thing I've written in ages and all I could think was "god I just want to share this with all the gays". In this chapter, Beau and Felix have a little ~road trip~ and its not a road trip its them driving out of SF for one (1) night on impulse because they don't wanna face their problems which okay mood!! This chapter navigates the state of their relationship where they're not established as a couple, but they've had their first kiss and were basically like "yeah i like that. lets keep doing it", so it showcases the strong bond they already have as friends, and how this new type of intimacy is lacing into that. This is also like the only plot stuff I can even share about this part of the book because its the one thing that's not a spoiler LMAO like! Everybody knew this was gonna happen that's why it happens so soon!

Not from this chapter but here's their first kiss bc I love it. Tbh writing this stage of their relationship has been a ~journey because I'm always like oh is this over the top, is this cheesy, but then I remember queer people deserve romances that are just blooming with love so!

Beau leans over him and blows out the candle. They lie there, fleeced in darkness and each other. And then they kiss. And it’s hushed, barely there, like they’re still figuring out that this is something they can do. They kiss and Felix can conclude that it’s 1987 and they both have bodies, that it’s raining and Beau’s lips are soft. And when they pull apart, they look at each other like they can see each other, and kiss again. Again. Two men, two bodies, and a softness they are not meant to share. A softness Felix knows he can’t have with another man, but the kisses are as delicate and real as Beau’s hand on Felix's cheek and Felix’s hand on the back of Beau’s neck. Beau hums as if he’s also just realised that yes, this is real and yes, they do have bodies. And that their bodies are separate but designed to lace together, like the sunset and the waves.

But back to the road trip chapter! I'm glad I got this idea to work because I've been wanting a Beaulix road trip moment ever since I realised they were a Moment. It's not shown too much in the story but I think just driving around places and singing badly to their favourite albums is literally one of their only pastimes lol. Like it's at a point where I have a spotify playlist of the songs I can see them singing along to whilst stuck in SF traffic

[image description: a photograph taken from the ground of trees silhouetted against a dark cyan, starry night sky. in the middle, in a bright cyan serif font reads "How, away from the city, they scatter the way they did in his childhood; how, away from his childhood, they beam in the eyes of someone else's wonder."

Beau doesn’t question why Felix doesn’t want to stop at his apartment, and Felix doesn’t question why Beau stops at a drugstore instead of his house. They sing to Cyndi Lauper whilst gridlocked in the city. Beau says he’d complain but the sunset is stunning: how the evening smokes the sky pink, fleshy like sunburn and how San Francisco melts into it. Beau wins at rock, paper, scissors, and Felix pays for McDonalds. Beau tells Felix which cassettes to play, and Felix flicks M&M’s at Beau’s mouth. Beau reads out road signs and Felix attempts to decipher the map, his index trailing down coffee-stained California. They drive, and the sky darkens and pools around them. The zap of cars, back and forth on either side, fades to the occasional passersby, apparitions of headlights that disappear as quickly as they appear. Beau stops for gas, and Felix drags him behind the station to stand under the stars. To look at how, away from the city, they scatter the way they did in his childhood; how, away from his childhood, they beam in the eyes of someone else's wonder. Beau can’t take his eyes off them, says it’s like they’re in a snow globe, and Felix kisses him away from the streetlights.

Back in the car, they say nothing and the silence is stunning.

I'm also campaigning for my favourite trope because "there's only one bed" is DEAD, we are all about the "there are two beds but we decided to share a tiny twin sized anyway"

This should be the part where he says goodnight and returns to his own bed, but he doesn’t. This should be the part where Felix turns around and presses himself close to the wall, but he doesn’t.

My fave part of this chapter is that it's tender as hell, but you can still see the uncertainty that comes with entering your first queer relationship. My friend described them as orbiting one another and showcasing that fear, but also this all-consuming love that's so easy to fall into and like. that's exactly it!

The best part of this chapter is when they stay at a motel, but can't sleep and "break in" to the pool at like 4am lol. This came out of a writing sprint and I love sprints because it forces you to come up with ideas on the spot and not question them. If I weren't on a timer I'd have been like "but what if there's a pool cover? what if someone catches them??" but because I was sprinting I was just like "hehe gay people :)"

I call this excerpt "I'm pretty sure Felix is autistic but he grew up in the 60s and he wouldn't even get diagnosed in the 80s so instead I just code it in because I know the non-autistics will be like oh pretty atmosphere :) but most of the other autistics will be like oh MOOD". it's about the subtle sensory overload. it's about silence never being silent.

[image description: the upside-down reflection of palm trees, fencing and the crescent moon in pool water. at the top, in a pale blue serif font reads "The noise swirls and blends with the silence and tambourines in his ears, as soft and subtle and as lucid and nerve-wracking as a heartbeat."

The mellow orange of the streetlamps. The neon red and blue of the motel sign, the flicker of TV IN ROOMS and NO VACANCY. Felix sits on the pool edge, the icy water prickling around his calves, the cool air wisping around his skin. The blue hour pales the sky a dull cyan. The alien buzz of the ice dispenser. Crickets chirp in nearby brush. An insomniac jogger echoes down the road and pays no attention to them. A car buzzes past and fades into the stillness. Sleepy blackbirds and their infant songs. The noise swirls and blends with the silence and tambourines in his ears, as soft and subtle and as lucid and nerve-wracking as a heartbeat.

Beau and Felix then do a breath holding contest and I love this excerpt as much as I fucking hate it but I'm sharing it anyway because the meta is too much. It's about the collision of his fear of drowning and his fear of falling in love with a man. (cw: drowning)

Under the surface the water warbles against his ears and needles between his eyelashes, but he floats in its zero gravity, like there is no world above with sputtering cars and crackling crickets and sunrises and no vacancies. And this is the part where the body registers something is wrong, because his heart hammers and his stomach coils like the water will when it reaches his lungs, and he’s eighteen again and they’re pushing his head down and he can't move. But Beau’s hand brushes against his wrist, and he doesn’t open his eyes but their hands find each other, fingers interlock, and he can’t breathe but he can smile, and his heartbeat softens and the water engulfing them softens. It should not be this easy to drown.

(cw: sex, but nothing explicit)

Also the funniest part about this chapter is it literally started with the fact that these two had to finally bang and I was stressed out about that so I just wrote an entire chapter about intimacy LOL oops! I usually have no problem with sex scenes (as long as they aren't like, erotica because personally we aren't about that here) but this was the first time approaching one where the characters actually had romantic feelings for one another too. There's also a lot more weight considering the fact that these are two queer men and this is the 1980s and a huge part of this book is the idea of queer sex as something that's not terrifying like the media and religion tells you, but liberating. Here's part of that because the full excerpt made my friends insane <3

Beau kisses Felix, and Felix kisses Beau. There’s nowhere to go and nobody waiting, just the two of them, wrapped around each other wrapped in the still sunrise. Eyes closed and kisses dazed, each one an invitation, to say, here we are, in our bodies, and mine belongs to yours; or, to say, here we both are, here is everything I know about myself and everything that I don’t.

Felix pulls back, “Hey, look at me.” So Beau looks at him. And Felix looks at him. Foreheads pressed together. Breath against skin. “Listen to me: we’re the only people that exist right now.”

Also the rest of this paragraph sucked but this line? Killed me a little. (and who said it omg the mystery)

"You know what's funny? I tried so hard not to adore you."

just....

[image description: an emoji with closed eyes and an open mouth, and two disconnected hands held up, designed to look like it's crying out. in red text reads "ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh" /end id]

they're gay! happy pride! I was going to wait until the actual Long Update but this chapter is v special to me and it deserved its own post. Like not to be sappy but I did not think I could write romance but writing Beau and Felix has been so rewarding. Also they are kinda partly responsible for me realising I was trans LOL I was like "why am I so attached to these men?? they're men???" and bestie...turns out you are a men....

I'm gonna end this with a dialogue moment that I cut, because it doesn't suit the rest of the chapter tonally, but I think it's funny and very reflective of their dynamic. also, as we all know, there are only two genders: gay people that know how cars work and gay people that know nothing about cars.

“Remind me: who’s working so hard right now to change this tire, in this heat, and who’s sitting in the grass?”

“Hey, I’m helping,” Felix says. “I’m giving you moral support. And I’m keeping hold of the things.”

“The things, huh?” Beau stops when Felix doesn’t answer, turns to face him. “No, go ahead, tell me what they’re called.”

“They’re the – you know – they’re the…tire screws.”

“Right,” Beau nods. “You mean the lug nuts?” He doesn’t stifle his laughter.

“Leave me alone. My only jobs are to be moral support and to be pretty.”

“You’d be prettier if you got me water from the gas station.”

And here's a dialogue line that didn't get cut because Beau is still the most iconic and funniest character in the entire fucking book

"Oh come on, it'll be an adventure. Besides, Cyndi Lauper would want us to have fun."

And that's all! I don't know when I'll next post, but I just couldn't resist sharing this with y'all. Happy pride!

#writing update #atlastracking #revelations revelations #i really was so inpatient about sharing this LOL bye! #also tumblr editor glitched so much???? sorry if theres something messed up i havent caught yet

[bladekindeyewear]

Andrew Hussie posted to Patreon that they’re going to take a slow Gigapause-seeming approach to releasing a finished HS^2 much later down the road.  I still have some bonuses, commentary, and Hiveswap Act 2 to blog through, and I’ll try to get around to some of that in a couple months if I’m less IRL busy.

Selected quotes, though not the complete post:

Homestuck^2 is going to be completed, but the Patreon will not be charging patrons anymore. The account will be frozen and no additional patrons will be accepted, but the ones currently registered are welcome to stay and receive notifications about the future of this project if the team is inclined to post any.

The plan now is to have HS^2 finished, but without a regular update schedule. Previously saved Patreon funds will be used to privately commission the team to finish the story. It will all be posted at once when it is finished, and there will be no updates until this happens. I expect that it will take a long time to finish the story. This is because I am specifically instructing the team to work slowly.

I originally agreed to let this project move forward entirely based on the presumption that it would be an enjoyable experience for the team involved. It's not like I had a burning need to release a continuation of the narrative, or a formal "sequel", which is never how I viewed this arc. The project mostly came about because I picked up on the enthusiasm the original creative group had for the idea, and I also sensed that energy was being reciprocated by the particular state of the fandom at the time. But since then I've observed it's been pretty far from an enjoyable experience for the team[...]

My only criteria for the completion of HS^2 is that whoever is involved the rest of the way just has a good time with it, and ends up feeling like they have made a good story. If the team is happy with it, then so am I, and nothing else about it matters to me. Especially not sticking to a schedule or satisfying fandom demands, whatever those even are at this point.

[...] I'll consider ways to thank the patrons for hanging in there all this time and supporting the team. [...] We all appreciate your support.

—Andrew

I expect they’ll post another version of this announcement somewhere other than Patreon, because communication can’t stay spotty about something like this -- this is why you have official accounts and such.  But I don’t know who owns the logins to those, and over long distances this can be something of a juggling act I understand.

I am enjoying HS^2 though and am quite dismayed that it’s going to be quite a while before we see the end (OR ANY CLASSPECT CONFIRMATIONS/ DECONFIRMATIONS AAAGH), and furthermore understand from personal experience that people’s emotional states are fuel reservoirs that are easy to burn and exhaust, especially based on team dynamics, subject matter and the state of the world.  So I hope those who continue working on Homestuck^2 over the next while can deliver it to us for the least emotional cost.  I think most of us don’t believe most works of fiction are worth wringing significant pain out of the creators.

#Homestuck #Homestuck^2 #hs2 #upd8 #Andrew Hussie

[deadlymodern]

Hi! I'm not doing the Decades Challenge anymore. If you follow my story, you may want to read this update ☺️

It's a little long, so under the cut you go.

So! After a few months struggling with the way I was telling this story, I've finally decided to drop the Decades Challenge and Legacy aspects of the Normans and embrace the story format that I've been flirting with for so long. 

As much as I love doing the Decades Challenge, at the end of the day it is a gameplay focused challenge. The Normans started out like that, but now their story has overgrown it and trying to balance gameplay, generations and story progression has become overwhelming.

I feel guilty with every update because of its pacing. My story is stuck in the year of 1898 ever since April! Thinking about that was driving me insane. During 7 months irl, I've only covered 6 months of the story… You do the math for when I'll get to the 2010s jfglkdfjglkd.

In conclusion, I want to feel free. Free to tell the story I think my characters deserve. To make story posts without any progression, just contemplation, and not feel guilty. To have more diversity without being grounded to the challenge's restrictions. And to feel free to be poetic and immersive.

And, for that, a Legacy challenge just won't be sustainable.

Not much for the readers, really. I'm still going to post a few updates every month.

But it won't be called The Norman Legacy anymore. I've already chosen a name for it and I'll announce it soon 😊 I'm also most likely going to separate them into arcs or "volumes" that will stretch out for a few months each.

Nothing changes! 

I'm going to leave the older posts tagged as #gen1 and #norman legacy for easy access.

I might add a tag with the new title, though, so I can make a chronological page.

I've never had a simblr before, much less publicly converted a legacy to a story format, so I still have to figure out some of the technical details. Any tips or suggestions are very welcome ✌️😗

We are reaching a certain moment of the story that has been expected for a while. I'm sure you all know what's about to happen. Once it does, you will get payoff regarding another sub-plot and we will wrap everything up. 

I think the moment I've chosen is a pretty good one to stop at because it gives you answers, it leaves you in doubt and really paves the way for the upcoming narratives! Well, at least I hope it does 😅

Once I upload the final Norman Legacy update (hopefully in December, but might go over early January), I will make a little overview with where all the characters are at and hopefully that will help everyone out and ease the transition. I plan on starting releasing some previews after that.

I will be going on a break from storytelling before we start things off. I want to enjoy Summer in my country. Especially because I've been working on this story nonstop since January 2020. I'll still be on simblr, but just not working on posts and not feeling guilty about it lol.

I guess that's it :D

I'm sorry if this may be disappointing to you but I hope you all understand my decision and stick around. I'm actually very excited and feeling creative for the first time in ages, so yeah! And you can still call it the Normans/Norman Legacy if you feel like the new name is too much of a stark change lol.

And for those of you who have shown interest in this change and/or given me some support over this I just want to say thank you and I hope that you'll enjoy what is to come 🥰

I'm announcing it all as if it were some fucking big deal omg hhadiahuhdi I'm just a chatty person and I like to organize my thoughts, bare with me.

But yes. I'm almost reaching my Simblr birthday, which means that the Norman Legacy will also be turning 1 year old 🥳  And there is nothing better than starting off a new year than with some revamping, am I rite?

Thank you for following this story and for all the help & support 🥺❤️

#norman legacy #thaistalks #update #might reblog a few times just in case #someone who is interested might miss it

[jaskiersvalley]

Tumblr was being a Big Bitch and reset my scrolling about 4 times before I could get to the end of your blog. You’re incredibly talented and dedicated to write so much, it’s inspiring! Thank you for being you, I hope you’re safe during these trying times!

I swear that with each new ‘update’ Tumblr breaks a little more. It is one of the charms of the site, right? Watching you blast through the blog was amazing. Thank you for all the notification pings :) Hope you’re safe and able to relax during these wild times! <3

The first winter Jaskier had at Kaaer Morhen was miserable. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration but it was most definitely not one that he enjoyed. Except for the mind (and back) blowing sex that made up a large part of winter because there was not much else to do. Throughout the season, the witchers trained, hunted and bickered. Gwent was played with increasingly twisted rules and Jaskier couldn’t keep up. He had come to the conclusion that the witchers were bored, cooped up in a crumbling old keep for months on end. There was only so much relaxing and downtime they could take before they were raring to go again. So when the invitation for a second winter at Kaer Morhen was offered to Jaskier, he began plotting.

Witcher enrichment activities were difficult to come by, no market stall really catered to such a niche area. So Jaskier was going to have to get creative. Over the course of the year, he stocked up on things which might be useful: small gadgets, a cryptex or two, some miniature throwing knives and a whole host of other knickknacks which seemed like a great idea at the time. It seemed less great when he had to lug it all up to the keep where the witchers were already gathered.

They had about a week of peace before the first wrestling match broke out between Eskel and Geralt. It was over the question of who should to the dishes and who should dry them. Only Vesemir fisting the back of Lambert’s shirt stopped him from bundling in. It was time for Jaskier to start his new programme.

The following morning, Jaskier had gone out and hidden a dozen red pebbles around the keep and the surrounding area. He walked all over the place to hide his scent and when the witchers finished their morning training, Jaskier was ready.

“You have a task,” he announced, holding a red pebble aloft. “There are twelve such pebbles hidden around Kaer Morhen’s grounds. The one who brings me most of them will get a prize.” Here, he pulled out a lavender infused cuddly rabbit. At first, nobody moved, none of the witchers wanted to look like they were keen to compete for such a ridiculous prize. However, after a few sly looks, they all seemed to slink off, even Vesemir looked shifty. He claimed he was only checking the keep was in order but Jaskier spotted him slip a red pebble into his pocket in the library.

By late afternoon, Lambert appeared, looking quite proud as he presented Jaskier with five red pebbles. Vesemir had three while Eskel and Lambert had two each. Nobody saw the rabbit but the other witchers could all smell hints of lavender on Lambert each morning, suspiciously like he had been cuddling the toys throughout the night.

Sometimes, the witchers’ restlessness was less pronounced. More than once Jaskier had caught Eskel prowling the ramparts, guarding and defensive without any threat to take his frustrations out on. The cryptex had been for him mostly and when Jaskier spotted that he was stalking around the keep again, he brought a cryptex to him.

“I couldn’t crack it, help?” Not even waiting for an answer, Jaskier pressed it into Eskel’s hand and wandered off. He was pleased to see Eskel settled into an armchair by the fire for the next two days, delicately trying to open up the cryptex without breaking the glass. When he finally got it open, a small vial of scented oils rolled out into Eskel’s palm. It would help him relax in the bath for a while.

When Vesemir started snapping at his pups, Jaskier had just the thing for him. He’d spent a good chunk of the year learning a book by heart, one that was filled with riddles.

“I am all around you until you call my name at which point I’m gone. What am I?” he asked Vesemir.

There was a special kind of delight in watching the old wolf mull over the riddle, trying to figure it out. And when he got one right, Jaskier was immediately giving him another one.

Meanwhile, Lambert was getting antsy again. So Jaskier set up a larger hunt just for him. It all started off with a puzzle box. One that didn’t have any glass in it so if Lambert got frustrated and broke it, it wouldn’t ruin his fun. The puzzle box opened up to give him a clue of where to find the next clue. Some of them were more puzzle boxes or a cryptex (with a warning to be careful attached) while others were riddles and codes for him to decipher. In the end, it took Lambert four days of solid work to finally get his prize: a hug from Jaskier.

Of course, while it was fun to do individual challenges for the witchers, they still enjoyed competing against each other. One breakfast, their plates were empty save for a large puzzle box each. They were all identical and the smell of dried fruits emanated from them. It was a race not just to get to their food but also bragging rights of being the fastest to open the toy.

In a way, Geralt was the most difficult to keep entertained because he had seen some of the toys Jaskier had acquired. Though he was still stunned by a couple of the Gwent cards Jaskier had managed to smuggle home without him knowing. They made for some great treats to find hidden in crevices randomly throughout the keep. Plus Jaskier did have the benefit of being able to push him up against the nearest surface and blowing him if nobody else was around. So even if Geralt didn’t seem to get as much attention as the others, it was safe to say Jaskier took good care of him too.

With all the witchers taken care of and kept busy, Jaskier was content and happy too. He loved watching them pout and frown over a more difficult toys Jaskier put in front of them, only to smile widely when they solved it. As predicted, the miniature throwing knives were a big hit, Eskel hoarded them with a fierce protectiveness while the others tried to steal them. It was just as well that there were four in the set so each witcher could end up with one - almost like Jaskier had planned it like that.

By the end of winter, everyone seemed happy. Keen to get back on the path but not half out of their mind with the need to go. Vesemir clapped Jaskier on the shoulder.

“Thank you.”

It had Jaskier smiling, proud but also not wanting to rub it in Vesemir’s face. “It’s my pleasure.”

“Yeah, well, we weren’t sure you’d realise.” Maybe they weren’t talking about the same thing. “I mean, we love having you here and knowing that you love Geralt. But last year was a bit much.”

“Oh?” Jaskier’s voice was strangled as he tried to figure out just what was going on.

“You know, all the noise and the smell. We’re happy for you and Geralt but even we have our limits. So thank you for bringing all these games with you this year. Our ears and noses truly appreciated it.”

Face falling Jaskier stared past Vesemir’s head and at the wall. All winter he thought he had been keeping the wolves occupied. In turn, they thought they were keeping him busy and away from sex. Next year Jaskier was dragging Geralt to Oxenfurt.

#geraskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #lambert #eskel #vesemir #witcher wolf pack #tldr: jaskier runs a witcher enrichment programme over winter