#still haven't played this game but i love them ???

[izelascendant]

Sportsmanlike

Chapter 5 - Stanford, Part 2

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Rating | Mature Summary | Things begin to spiral between them. Lots of drama in this chapter. And smut. Pairing | f!Original Character x Art Donaldson x Tashi Duncan x Patrick Zweig Tags | Tennis, Competition, Love Triangles (Squares?), Jealousy, Plot, Emotional Infidelity, Eventual smut, Eventual Romance, Eventual Relationships Word Count | 4.2K Author's note | Important note! This is the last chapter of the FIRST part of this series. Don't worry there's more drama to come in the second part. SMUT warning.

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Sportsmanlike on AO3 | Chapter 1 - US Open 2006, Chapter 2 - Finalist Fusion, Chapter 3 - Aftermath and Accolades, Chapter 4 - Stanford, Chapter 5 - Stanford, Part 2 | Sportsmanlike PART 2 - soon

Art

Acting normal around Tashi proves to be more of a challenge than they had expected. After that night, Art finds himself exchanging secret glances with her, his gaze filled with a hidden hunger that only she can understand whenever they’re around Tashi. And when they’re alone, they fight to keep their hands to themselves.

Not even a week has passed, and she finds herself unable to resist Art. Tashi joins her to watch one of Art’s matches, and she finds herself unamused by his distraction.

Tashi leans back in her seat, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she observes Art on the court below. "He seems distracted," she notes, her eyes fixated on his movements. "I can tell his mind is elsewhere." Her observation rings true, his focus clearly divided between the game and the thoughts that occupy his mind.

“Yeah, it's weird.” She fakes her agreement, a small, secret smile playing on her lips as she observes Art’s athletic body. Her eyes are glued to his every move—she takes in his focused expression, the way his muscles ripple with each swift movement—and the determination on his face.

After the match, she finds herself knocking at the door to his dorm room. Very few words are exchanged between the moment he opens the door and the moment she's lifted onto his desk, her legs wrapping around him as their lips collide in an impatient, desperate kiss.

“Take off your pants.” Her words come out in a rush as she reaches for the band of his sweatpants, hardly giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Art stops her for a moment, his mouth moving along her neck, kissing his way down her delicate skin as he mumbles a soft protest against her flesh. "Not yet." With a swift motion, he pulls off her shirt, tossing it aside, leaving her exposed to his touch. "I still haven't finished what I started at the party."

The sight of him settling down on his knees before her, nestling between her legs, provokes a delicious shiver of anticipation within her. She watches him intently, her breathing growing shallow at the knowledge that he has waited patiently, eager to please her. The thought only fuels her desire.

As she leans against his desk, he strips her from her shorts and gently lifts her legs onto his shoulders, his firm yet tender grip securing her in place. 

He’s sloppy with it—practically making out with the soft spot between her thighs—shamelessly lapping his tongue over and over. Her grip on the desk tightens instinctively, her body arching involuntarily against him. Her fingers tangle through his curls, tugging gently as a mix of cries and moans escape her lips.

Art occasionally pauses for a moment to gaze up at her, his eyes locked with hers, a thin strand of saliva still hangs from his lips as he takes a moment to catch his breath.

It probably should’ve stopped there but there's no going back now as their desire for each other takes over. They don't even bother to move to the bed, instead finding themselves right where they are, with her leaning back against the desk—her legs wrapped tightly around Art's hips—his face pressed into the crook of her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

And there goes the rest of their afternoon.

Tashi

About a week later, things start to take a turn. 

Late afternoon, just as the sun is setting, Tashi joins her on the court—the golden hue of the setting sun bathes the court in a warm glow. To her surprise, Tashi takes things easy, each swing of her racket is unusually unhurried. The atmosphere is laid back, and the sounds of their racquets striking the ball and their soft laughter fill the air.

"You going easy on me today?" She asks, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Tashi's eyes narrow as she speaks, a note of accusation in her voice. Her words hang in the air, breaking the casual atmosphere between them. “Art told me about you two.”

The atmosphere on the court takes a serious turn as she stops playing and looks at Tashi with a stern expression. "What?" The tension between them is palpable.

Tashi adopts a nonchalant, even slightly apologetic, tone—trying to play to her sympathies—her nonchalant demeanor betraying her manipulative intentions. "Listen," she starts, her tone laced with false sympathy. "I didn't ask about anything, he just came to me and told me everything." She shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know if he was trying to brag or what," she says, the subtext clear in her deliberate ambiguity.

Her confusion and disappointment wash over her, leading her to let out a frustrated sigh. She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to make sense of the situation. 

Tashi approaches her with an almost babying tone, her voice laced with a facade of sweetness. "Baby, I'm sorry."

She can't help but lean into Tashi, seeking comfort in the midst of her disappointment. Her voice is hushed as she whispers, "I can't believe him." The depth of her frustration is palpable—yet—she finds herself caught in the web of Tashi's manipulation.

Tashi's tone is soothing as she comforts her, wrapping her in a hug. "He's just a boy," she says, "Boys are stupid like that."

Turns out, she seeks comfort in the familiar warmth of Tashi's arms just as much as Tashi too needs comfort, her own hidden emotional turmoil creating her need to hold onto her just as tightly. In that moment, she allows herself to find peace in their closeness, unaware of the hidden desperation within Tashi.

“Speaking of, I think Patrick’s cheating on me.” A sudden shift in conversation occurs when Tashi shares her worry, her words carrying a hint of uncertainty and unease

She leans back, her eyes widening in genuine astonishment. "Are you serious?"

Tashi's manipulation runs deep, her desire for control over her clear. She sees no happiness in her own relationship with Patrick—and in a twisted way—she wants to prevent her from finding happiness with Art. Tashi knows how to play the game, to control and maneuver the situation to her advantage.

"I mean, he's on tour. I don't know what I expected." Tashi says, her sigh tinged with sadness and disappointment.

“Fuck him.” She attempts to comfort Tashi, her protective instincts kicking in. "Seriously, what is wrong with those two?" she murmurs, her loyalty to Tashi shining through as she offers support.

Tashi's expression softens as she reaches out and takes her hand gently, her grip gentle but firm. "Hey, come sleep over at my dorm tonight," she says softly.

She finds herself agreeing eagerly to Tashi's suggestion, her desire to be there for her friend shining through. "I'll come over later," she confirms with a gentle smile, a touch of warmth in her eyes.

As the two girls part ways, there's an intimate moment where they share a look that holds a silent understanding—and perhaps a hint of something more.

As she rounds a corner on her way back to the building, she suddenly spots Art heading her direction. His presence catches her off guard, and she crosses her arms over her chest as if subconsciously bracing herself for the encounter. The timing couldn't be more comical.

The moment he sees her, he cluelessly makes his way up to her, a smile on his face as he greets her. “Hey, are you coming back from—“

"You told Tashi," she cuts him off, the disappointment evident in her voice. Her frown deepens as she looks at him, her frustration palpable."What part of 'this stays between us' did you not understand?"

Art's expression falters, and a mix of guilt and frustration washes over him. "No, listen," he says fervently, wanting to explain himself. "You know how Tashi is—she always manipulates her way into things," he tries to defend himself. "She coaxed it out of me."

Although Art is telling the truth about Tashi's manipulation, she remains unconvinced, choosing to side with Tashi.

Her arms remain crossed over her chest, her expression hard. "That's not what I heard from her," she retorts, her voice firm. "I just wanted some damn privacy, and you messed up."

"Well, Tashi's lying—that's such bullshit," Art's frustration and desperation to defend himself grows as he tries to make his case. "What reason would I have to go tell Tashi about all this?" he reasons, his voice tinged with a mix of defensiveness and disbelief.

“I don't know, but maybe you should get your priorities straight.” Her cold tone leaves Art feeling stung, the accusation hanging heavy in the air between them. 

The sight of her leaving, her words echoing in the silence, leaves him feeling both hurt and frustrated. A small part of him breaks from the unexpected rejection, questioning the situation and their connection.

The calm ambiance within Tashi's dorm brings a sense of comfort. The room is bathed in a soft, warm glow cast by the faint orange light, creating a cozy atmosphere. The familiar melody of their favorite music echoes softly from the old stereo stationed atop the shelf, adding a touch of familiarity and nostalgia to the scene.

♬ I never was in love

You know that you were never good enough

Fall asleep right next to me

You know that you were never good enough … ♬

Tashi's laughter fills the air as she holds her face still, carefully attending to her eyebrows with a pair of tweezers. "Sit still," she chuckles, her tone filled with a hint of playfulness. 

"Don't make my eyebrows disappear." She warns jokingly, a glint in her eyes as she peers up at Tashi.

“Done.” Tashi's thumb brushes against her eyebrows and she leans back to examine her work. A soft smile playing on her lips. Tashi’s compliment "beautiful" hangs in the air, and she can't help but let out a small huff of appreciation. 

The warm lighting and soft atmosphere of the room add to the intimate moment, casting a gentle glow over the two girls as they sit together.

"You know, I missed this." She murmurs, feeling a similar sentiment reflected in Tashi's expression. Just as Tashi is about to stand up, she stops her, taking her hand gently. “Why did you really invite me over?” She asks, feeling there might be something underlying to Tashi’s intentions. “Need me because your boyfriend isn’t around?” The question lingers in the air, its playful tone laced with genuine curiosity.

Tashi smirks and with a firm yank, she draws her closer, her words carrying meaning. "You're here because nobody understands me like you do," she admits, her tone surprisingly sincere.

The room falls silent as their eyes lock, a charged intensity passing between them. The warmth of their joined hands contrasts with the electric air, creating a palpable tension that fills the intimate space.

As their faces draw closer, she can't help but let a smirk tug at her mouth. "What are you doing?" she asks in a tone tinged with playfulness. Tashi leans in further, their lips just millimeters apart, their breaths meeting in the charged space between them.

Tashi's response is direct and without hesitation. "You know exactly what I'm doing," she retorts.

"You sure you want this?" Her heart races with the implications of their actions. Tashi's reply is swift and decisive as she smirks. "I want it even more now that there aren't two losers watching us."

At that moment, any traces of mixed feelings she harbored towards Tashi go out the window.

The passion between them burns even more intensely than the first time, though this time it doesn’t feel rushed. They get to take their time and appreciate each other, the two girls naked and scrambling around in Tashi’s sheets. Their limbs seem to mingle around randomly—kissing each other’s neck, shoulders, back, collarbone, breasts.

Tashi’s eyes flicker down to a spot a little below her hip, her fingers gently tracing the contour of the small tattoo—a lily. With a soft surprise, she speaks up. "How come I've never noticed this before?"

"Oh, it's stupid." She chuckles softly, looking down at her own tattoo. "I got it done when I was sixteen. It’s pretty much hidden all the time," she adds, explaining the discreet placement of the tattoo.

Tashi's fingers glide gently along the pattern of her tattoo, the touch sending tingles down her spine. "Why a lily?"

"Because I like lilies." Her answer is simple, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "And because it symbolizes a fresh start," she adds, a note of deeper meaning in her words.

The room fills with the sounds of their labored breaths and the soft rustle of bedsheets as their bodies press closer together. The intensity of their kiss deepens, a silent language of desire and connection passing between them. 

A hint of playfulness dances in her eyes as she gives Tashi an instruction. "Sit," she says—her voice is firm but the corner of her mouth curls up into an adorable smirk. She pats her own shoulders, signaling for Tashi to obey the command.

"Sit? You want me to sit on your face?" Tashi repeats, a note of surprise in her tone.

"Don't make me beg." She teases, the tone of her voice laced with a hint of desire. She stares directly into Tashi's eyes, conveying that she's absolutely certain of her request.

With Tashi hovering over her, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of desire, the atmosphere between them thick with anticipation. Her eyes gleam with excitement as she gently grabs onto Tashi's thighs, securing her position and drawing her closer to her, bringing her down comfortably.

Tashi's slender body moves gracefully, her hips rolling back and forth in a way that's both captivating and sensual. Soft breaths of pleasure escape her, her desire growing with each lap of the redhead’s tongue against her core. 

In return, she relishes the sensation of being beneath Tashi, embracing her submissive role in all aspects of her relationship with Tashi—on the court, and in bed. Being the one to bring Tashi this type of pleasure is a rush—a drug she's helpless to resist.

But, what brings her the most pleasure is waking up in Tashi's arms the next morning. The feeling of their bodies pressed against each other, skin-to-skin, it feels like she's won something precious—Tashi, and Tashi is all hers, even if only for that night. No matter how much she endures throughout their relationship—the tennis, Art, Patrick—what truly matters is this moment, where she holds Tashi close and feels in love.

But as she lies there in Tashi's arms, there's a small nagging voice in the back of her mind. She's aware of Tashi's manipulative tendencies, but she chooses to turn a blind eye, if it means she can have moments like this—moments where she feels loved and adored. It's a calculated decision, a compromise she's made, but the question remains—is it truly love, or merely a prize she's won at a cost?

Her thoughts are interrupted as Tashi’s phone's ringer breaks the peaceful silence. Tashi groans and pulls away from her, reaching for her bedside table to grab the phone, leaving her with Tashi's back facing her as she answers the call. 

"Oh, it's you. How’ve you been, baby?" Hearing the nickname ‘baby’ coming out of Tashi's mouth sends a wave of annoyance through her, Patrick's presence looming over like a dark shadow.

She pulls the sheets over her head to muffle the sound of Tashi's voice, desperately seeking to drown out the painful reality confronting her.

"I miss you too." Tashi chuckles into the phone.

She slowly climbs out from the bed, the sheets falling away from her naked body as she begins to search the floor for her clothes.

“Hold on, I’ll call you right back.” Tashi hangs up and looks over at her. "You heading back?" she asks, her tone showing no hint of remorse or guilt.

Her voice carries a subtle sigh as she responds, her tone somewhat dry. "Yeah," she says flatly, pulling her t-shirt back over her bare skin.

"Don't be late. I told Art we’d start training at 9:30." Tashi instructs, moving with purpose as she begins to get dressed.

She blinks, accepting her fate—the reality of the situation. She doesn't regret their night together, but she wishes it had ended differently. Ultimately she feels like she fucked up, big time. 

She begins to spiral towards the second week. 

She offers Art a heartfelt apology, acknowledging her mistake in not believing his side of the story. She knows it unfortunately doesn’t fix the situation or completely mend the rift between them—things can’t return to the way they were beforehand.

She tries to avoid both Art and Tashi, pouring her energy into her studies in a desperate attempt to salvage her academic performance—her grades are slowly declining along with her mental state.

She notices as Tashi takes on a more prominent role in training Art, and perhaps intentionally, Art seems to be going along with it as a form of retribution against her. She suspects that—out of spite or as a form of punishment—he is willingly going along with this change to increase her downfall.

As she contemplates the situation, it dawns on her that Art may be just as in love with Tashi as she is.

She can’t help but think about how everything went downhill so quickly. She feels trapped at Stanford, surrounded by people she isn't sure she can trust, and compelled to participate in a sport she never even wanted to pursue in the first place.

"Seriously?" Tashi's gaze burns into her as she misses yet again, her voice filled with annoyance and disappointment.

Art stands on one side of the court, observing the situation at Tashi’s side, while she stands on the opposite side, racket in hand, her hair pinned up and her body sweaty.

"Your game is fucking horrible," Tashi states bluntly. With each of Tashi’s digs, she feels her frustration mounting, bordering on the edge of a breakdown.

She takes a breath and returns to her position. Art serves and the emotional dam within her begins to crack as she misses the return once again, slamming her racket to the ground with a loud clatter. "Fuck!" she curses loudly, her voice filled with frustration and tears beginning to form in her eyes. Uncharacteristic of her usually composed demeanor, she paces around the court, her clenched fists trembling with pent-up emotions.

Tashi stands with her hands planted on her hips, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance as she taunts her. "C’mon, stop being a pussy," she says, her words cutting through the air.

She glances at Art, searching for some form of support or defense from his end, but instead—she's met with a guilt-laden expression as he looks away. Anger boils within her as she shoves her racket into her bag. "Fuck the both of you," she mumbles as she storms off the court.

Patrick

It doesn’t help that Patrick's return to Stanford coincides with that week, adding an extra layer of complexity to the already tense situation. He immediately notices the shifts in the dynamic.

He decides to address it—at the most inopportune moment—his timing, as usual, leaves much to be desired. It only adds an additional dose of stress as she prepares for her upcoming match against Tashi.

♬ I fucking hate you

But I love you

I'm bad at keeping my emotions bubbled

You're good at being perfect

We're good at being troubled

Yeah … ♬

As she stretches and warms up for the upcoming match, she glances up and notices Patrick making his way toward her, a serious expression on his face. She stops her stretching momentarily and looks at him. "Where's Tashi?"

Patrick's annoyance is evident, his words carrying a hint of irritation. "We got into an argument." His expression shows a mix of frustration and lingering tension. The air between them grows tense with unspoken words

"What?" She pauses her stretching as Patrick's words sink in, her attention fully on him now. 

His intimidating presence looms over her, his expression growing cold and accusatory. "Don't play dumb," he says in irritation. "Art told me about you." His gaze is locked onto hers as he practically towers over her.

She narrows her eyes defiantly, her voice growing in defensiveness and sarcasm as she counters, "What about it? Aren't you happy Art got some action?

"About you and Tashi." he clarifies, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

Did Tashi tell Art herself, or is this another consequence of her manipulation? The realization sinks in, and she knows that Art must have passed the information to Patrick—panic begins to crawl up her spine as her heart skips a beat.

Patrick's voice pierces through the air, cold and filled with spite. “You've got some fucking nerve, sneaking into my girlfriend’s bed when I'm not around," he spits out, his words laced with anger and disgust.

"Jealous because you weren't there to watch?" She challenges, her eyes locked on Patrick’s. She continues, her words laced with sarcasm and mocking. “You sure liked it that night at the hotel, huh?"

“That’s different.” Patrick maintains a serious demeanor as he responds, his voice firm.

"How so?" She presses—her eyes boring into him—awaiting his explanation.

Patrick's words hit hard. "Because it meant something this time. You’re in love with her, for fuck’s sake—everyone can tell." The truth of his statement renders the space silent for a brief moment.

Her frustration reaches a boiling point as she struggles to find a response. "Fuck you." She hisses at him, her voice laced with a mix of anger and helplessness.

Patrick drops the final bombshell, his voice cold and calculated. "You wanna know what else? She doesn’t love you back. She knows you’re the one person who can beat her, and she just needs to have that control over you."

She angrily grabs her belongings, the weight of Patrick's revelation hanging heavy in the air. "Fuck you and fuck Tashi," she spits out.

He follows after her, determined to keep the discussion going. "It's 'fuck Tashi' until she chooses you, right? and what about Art? Do you feel good playing games with his feelings?" His tone is harsh, his words aimed to provoke and guilt her.

"Playing games with his feelings?" She scoffs, her voice filled with frustration and annoyance. "You haven’t even been around, and you try to act like the judge here?" Her accusations hang heavy in the air, adding fuel to the fire of their argument. "Why did you and Tashi really get into an argument? Was it because of me—or because you can’t keep your dick in your pants when you're on tour?"

Patrick shakes his head in disbelief, attempting to turn the tables with his response. "That’s rich coming from you," he retorts, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She tries to distance herself from the heated exchange, but Patrick continues to pursue her. Just as she’s about to push him away, a voice cuts through their altercation, calling out to Patrick. “Let it go, Patrick.” Art’s familiar voice causes both of them to stop in their tracks.

With a scoff, Patrick steps back, his expression frustrated and defeated. "Enjoy your match." He mutters as he turns and walks off, leaving her and Art alone together.

"How long have you known about me and Tashi?" She asks, her question hanging in the air.

Art's demeanor is surprisingly calm though she can tell everything has taken its toll on him just as much. His soft gaze meets hers, conveying a mixture of understanding and exhaustion. "Just forget about it. There's no point in dragging this out."

She buries her face in her hands, sighing deeply as the weight of their situation settles heavily on her shoulders.

As she steps onto the court for her long-awaited match against Tashi, a surge of anger and determination washes over her. The moment brings her back to the first time she faced Tashi, in the finals, and how she succumbed to Tashi's dominance under the pressure—not this time.

Tashi locks eyes with her from across the court, her gaze sharp and almost calculating. It's as if she knows what's going on in her mind, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Meanwhile, Art blends in amongst the spectators—silently watching from the sidelines—there's no sign of Patrick anywhere.

The heat of the match is palpable as she and Tashi face off against each other. They match each other's intense energy and aggressive rhythm, each swing sending powerful blows across the net. Harsh grunts fill the air as they play with fierce determination, neither giving any ground to the other.

The match abruptly comes to a halt as the sickening sound of bone cracking pierces the air. Tashi falls to the ground, clutching her knee in agony. Panic fills the air, and she reacts immediately, leaping over the net to be by her side. She drops her racket and kneels beside Tashi, her heart pounding in her chest as she tries to comfort her injured rival.

Art quickly sprints over from the bleachers, his expression filled with worry as he rushes to be next to her and Tashi. Their eyes meet, mirroring each other's fear. Tashi lies on the ground beneath them, her knee twisted in a horrifying position as she cries out in pain. It's a gruesome sight, difficult for either of them to look at.

#Spotify #challengers #challengers 2024 #patrick zweig #tashi donaldson #tashi duncan #challengers movie #art donaldson #challengers fic #challengers film #challengers fanfic #challengers fanfiction #art donaldson x reader #challengers x reader #challengers smut #tashi duncan x reader #art donaldson x female reader #art donaldson x you #art donaldson x patrick zweig #art donaldson x tashi duncan #tashi duncan x you #tashi duncan x oc #patrick zweig x reader #patrick zweig x you #patrick zweig x art donaldson #patrick zweig x oc

[myers-meadow]

Palace life: A! Astarion x Tav drabble

Title: Palace life

Pairing: Ascended Astarion x Tav (unnamed)

Summary: A year after the reunion party, you've settled into life at the old Szarr palace, and into your role as the Vampire Lord's dear consort. A small vignette into my Tav's life past the game end.

Warnings: Ascended Astarion himself. Blood drinking.

Word count: 530-ish

Please be kind, this is my first attempt at writing Ascended Astarion, and perhaps even Astarion altogther. divider by @/saradika-graphics

The sunlight of the day fades, leaving the sky orange, with the deepest blue overhead. About time you return to the palace.

Astarion is waiting for you in the dining hall he favours, surrounded by corpses, two spawn and some half-dead poor sod. Hunger gnaws at you by the sight of him and those red droplets that have since dried on his skin.

"Love, there you are," Astarion coos. His spawn eye him, weary at his honey-sweet tone. "You've been out for a while, haven't you?"

There's a hint of something underneath his sweet tone, but you don't mind it. He's still your love, your world. He pats the chaise lounge he's sitting on and you sit down next to him. With a soft smile, you reach out to play with his curls.

"I was soaking in the sun. It feels like the warmth is still there."

He eyes you lazily, like a cat, taking in all of you, every detail of your appearance. "Will you go out again tomorrow? I'll join you." He leans up to drape himself over you, sitting in your lap sideways. "I've been inside for too long these past few weeks." His arms come to rest around your neck, pulling you in for a kiss. "You're still warm from the sun, too. Gods, you gorgeous thing... Have I missed anything while you were out?"

"The sunset was breathtaking..." You reply, the softness of his curls underneath your fingers soothing you. "I fed some stray cats, you know I just can't resist." You take a breath to steel yourself. "And I ran into Karlach and Wyll. They're back for a visit to the city."

"Ah. Are they still hunting the demons of Avernus?" His laugh is all teeth, and little joy. Karlach's words after his ascension play in your head. It seems he's not let go of them entirely either.

"It's been a year since the reunion party," You shift on the sofa, settling under Astarion's weight more comfortably, "it's making me nostalgic. I'd love to see everyone again."

Astarion scoffs. "Sure, let them come here this time. Let them see us."

You smile softly, leaning into his body, head on his shoulder. You fit against him just so perfectly.

His sharp nail caresses your cheek. "You must be hungry, pet. I saved you some." He leans down and grabs the barely conscious man by his feet by the neck, presenting him to you. "Have a drink. Indulge."

You'll never disobey him, you thought to yourself, as you finally sate that painful hunger. It'll return, all too soon, as you wipe your mouth, leaning back, tipping your head back, and laughing. The delirium of blood settles, making you giddy. Astarion settles over you, moving himself to your lap fully, you look at him, lazy and full.

"You look so good like this, darling," his eyes are similarly heavy-lidded. "Would you mind if I have a last taste of the man?" And he leans down for a deep, wet kiss, not waiting for an answer. From the corner of your eye, his spawn look on, with something akin to jealousy brewing in their gaze.

#ascended astarion x tav #ascended astarion #astarion x tav #baldurs gate 3 #astarion ancunin #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #baldurs gate astarion #meadow's writing #bg3 #astarion #astarion fanfic #ascended astarion fanfic

[gayofthefae]

Another hard truth of the matter for arguers is: if they wanted to write an endgame ship, they wouldn't have made it so easy for their build up to confession towards El to be confusable with buildup to confession towards Will.

You and your girlfriend are having trouble and you keep telling your best friend how you wish you had told her you love her and you don't know why you can't? That is not clear enough for me to be rooting for you to "tell her the truth".

As Pink Podcast recently said about Francesca Bridgerton before she met John, I want to root for you to get what you want but I can't do that if I don't know what you want.

They didn't tell us what we wanted, leaving us to split off in our guesses based on his ambiguous words - which they could have made less ambiguous. Half of us split in the direction of his strange behavior towards Will being over-correction, half split in the direction of the last thing we saw in his point of view behind him happy in his relationship with El.

But if they were making Mike and El endgame, they wouldn't have constructed that split off at all. The only reason to encourage confusion is to get people to both jump ship and be surprised when it comes. They have no reason to disguise whether Mike and El will stay together unless they are playing Will as an option, which he wouldn't be unless Mike is queer, which wouldn't make sense for his storyline unless....

Plus, they already have their "Team X" "Team Y" marketing quota filled. They haven't been using that for marketing, so why split opinions then not use it? Because the more you poke the bear, the more passionate people get, which only works for characters whose relationships aren't the center of their arcs like Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan. And they want you to be as calm and open minded as possible, with no fear of "I told you so"s so you can be fully onboard when it happens.

They made you root for what Mike wants but didn't tell you what that was for 8.5 of 9 episodes, only having Mike present a question with no indication of whether the answer was of the ONLY two options: "if I loved you less maybe I could talk about it more" or "I don't love you anymore"(which has other implications when you consider Will's plot), and only providing payoff for people who had vaguely guessed that the answer of reasoning and what he wanted - which they chose to convey HE didn't even know until late in the game - was vaguely "El", but they still didn't know the details enough to root for him to confess the "truth" because they still didn't know what that was and so were happy because the characters said they were happy but not invested as it was happening because they couldn't empathize enough to predict the next word with the characters or read the subtext.

They did some weird shit to make even the die-hards be invested in only the rewatch because they couldn't predict the reasoning even if they predicted the outcome and made a a large portion of people become indifferent to the relationship, with an even larger group actively rooting for him to be with someone else. They did some weird shit. And it ended up exactly how they wanted to.

The only people left invested are the people who nothing could have swayed. Everyone else is indifferent, "Team Will", or a combination of indifferent and hopeful for Will that makes them obliviously "Team Will". They did some weird shit and they did it on purpose.

#the duffer brothers #stranger things #byler #anti milkvan #referring to the writers and marketing team #they keep putting this shit out i'm just the messanger #and no i'm still not over mike and eleven extreme chaos edit

[imagine-darksiders]

Hello! Hopefully caught you in a restful time. I just wanted to let you know that your writing is amazing! I neither knew what darksiders was nor cared until I stumbled onto your blog. I never played the games but the way you write the personalities of each person makes them feel alive! Like I'm talking to the people myself!

The way you write trauma is realistic and it pops up at random but amazingly along the flow that it feels both out of place and not! Reminding the reader that yes, this person is brave but they're still hurt and in no way in the optimum of sanity. Even though they're holding themselves together the way a realistic person does!

I got hooked! I never knew these characters and yet you made it so that I'll feel like I knew them all my life! I'm honestly itching to buy the game yet I'm scared that the creator of the game won't be able to reach your amazing characterizations.

Is the game truly that good? I'm a little scared to buy it then find that the game devolopers rushed it. If so, which game should I start with? Does it require a strong pc? X-box? I'm still unsure of using technology.

In all honesty, I'm trying to stop myself from writing a fanfic based on your fanfic. Though, it wouldn't be the same. I still have assignments to finish and I haven't been writing stories that much. Do you have any advice for new writer? Even ones about writing-work-life balance? Or, how to bring a character to life?

I'm mostly fantasising about the storyline in my head, and drawing doodles of it on whichever paper is closest to me.

Which brings me to your fantastic art! Your anatomy is amazing! The way your draw facial expressions makes it feel like they're talking around me in real life! The body types have a wide range that I don't see often and oh so thankfull to see!

From darksiders Death looking like death ran over him to darksiders Fury and the female maker twin looking like what one would expect a fighter and weapon maker would look like! Even the reader character looks amazing!

Would it be okay if I ended up following your timeline? I still don't know much about the game and most of the information I'm diffusing into my brain is from your writing.

I hope you well. With care, Illya💜.

Ah jeez, ‘are the games truly that good?’

I’m biased, so I’m going to say hell yes they’re good. They’re all so different too. I got the first game when it came out in 2010 and fell in love with the style and characters, so going into 2 I already had that love for the franchise. My advice is always to start with the first game. You get an introduction to the world, the story and the characters and it just feels more meaningful when you play the sequels. I had it on the Xbox 360, but it runs perfectly okay on any system. I don’t know if it runs on Macs though.

Alternatively, you could watch the cutscenes, but I personally never get as attached to the story if I’m not playing the game myself.

I’d be so unequivocally excited if people wrote fics based on my stuff. So long as it wasn’t like word for word, you know.

Advice for new writers? Obviously focus on your studies, they’re far more important. Which is rich coming from me, I’d write during lectures all the time. But I still managed a 1st so lol. Otherwise: Get a notebook and a pen, I write so much faster when I’m not doing it at a computer. Also, don’t get hung up about making the characters too oc, you’ll forever be fretting over that, just write them as naturally as you can and love doing it. Most of my writing I do in the evening when nothing is expected of me and I can get stuck in without getting distracted.

Use simple language in your first draft. Repeat words, don’t worry about saying the same thing for the first draft, so long as you get the chapter written out, you can fuss out the finer details later. I’m guilty of getting hung up on vocabulary.

Dude. I need to see those doodles.

You can follow my timeline, no worries. Darksiders isn’t mine, all I’ll say is I’d prefer if people didn’t try to write ahead of where CHWH is currently and claim that’s how the story should/does continue.

I’m so pleased you’re enjoying my writing and art, I’ve noticed your username popping up in my notifications a lot, and it gets me all excited like ❤️ 🌟🌈🥰✨💫🫠

[lilowoof]

#I made this to let out the feels of loving my friends who love me back #if I haven't met some of yall I would have literally killed myself so I am forever grateful #and the fact that those feelings have returned....but I still have you guys....it's heartwarming to know that #I love yall #*I walk away to cry out my emotions* #I am not sure if I will make it to the end of the year tbh but I also want to in order to be around my pals and to play games with them #that's how important yall are to me #god #sorry for being so emotional on a thursday night. it just hit me really hard tonight hahha

[seventh-district]

Making Incorrect H:SR Quotes Until I Run Out of (hopefully) Original Ideas - Pt. 4 - Nuthin' but Boothill Edition

[Pt. 1] [Pt. 2] [Pt. 3] [Pt. 5] [Pt. 6]

#boothill #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr incorrect quotes #hsr memes #honkai star rail memes #hsr meme #honkai star rail meme #hsr textpost #hsr boothill #boothill hsr #hsr spoilers #hsr 2.2 spoilers #hmmm... don't think it's worth tagging the others in the 9th image. this ain't about them #still unsure abt how to do the alt text for these kinda posts properly but hopefully i'm improving #anyways. don't think i've ever seen heard and typed "cowboy' so many times in one day as i have while making this good lord #i did a bit of digging around and haven't Seen any of these done yet so. here's hoping that's the case! #i'm only ~3/4 of the way through the 2.2 main quest but the need to make these compelled me to put these out Now #i can already tell u that there Will be more of these for Boothill tho bc i'm crazy abt him. probably enough to make another dedicated post #but i'm gonna wait until i'm fully caught up on the plot (and will probably spoil myself for more of his character lore after that as well) #speaking of. i'm gonna go eat mac n' cheese and stay up too late playing through the rest of the main quest #i'm loving it so far. many thoughts head full abt it all but in a good way. hoping for more Boothill moments as we approach the end #he's def not the main character here but he is to Me okay. he is to me. i'm scarfing down every crumb he drops #i'm also suffering from Aventurine withdrawals out here. Argenti mentioning him was Interesting but i need More. Where Is He. #also. was Argenti intentionally not voiced or was it a game issue?? the hell was that. threw me off so hard when i couldn't hear him speak #anyways i'm getting off topic and wasting precious gaming time so i'll be takin' my leave now

[sysig]

Ellen McLain’s commentary from my trivia playthrough

#She's so cute <3 #WPP #Portal #Ellen McLain #If you haven't played through the audio commentary I would Absolutely recommend it it is So fun #I clicked out of curiosity - kind of just expecting like a movie's audio commentary y'know? Like a video that highlighted specific scenes #No it's just the whole game again but with trivia pop-ups! I love that!! #It reminded me so much of like trivia track or the pop up fun facts from special editions of movies I would watch as a kid #But you can play through them!! You have to click on them and they spin! I love that!!! #I always love hearing the design and development process - fascinating how the playtesters reacted to this new game! #We take it for granted now but yeah I imagine it would've been very confusing at the time #And I was like ''Well it was such a small team and Ms. McLain was such a large part of it - surely she'll have a few bubbles?'' #She does lol - as soon as I got to her first one (it was a slow burn! They buried the lead with her lol I'm already invested!) I had to go #I saved-quit the game out of sheer excitement and giddiness lol I had to sleep on it before I was ready to come back #It is so cool to hear her natural voice ah <3 And the kinds of direction she was given! Other bubbles also talk about her vocal direction :) #Very cool! I wonder what TTS they used for reference :0 #But to hear her real laugh without the audio processing over and and she still sounds like GLaDOS! I mean of course she does but just jfdksl #That's /her/ laugh! They share a laugh! It's a very similar laugh!! #Not to mention her talking about wanting to play and just fdskalfd they clearly did such a good job with her performance and ahhh #It's too cute it's all too cute sharing a room with GLaDOS while her voice actor talks about making a cake to share with her friends stopppp #I am so enamoured <3 #I also took a bunch of screenshots of GLaDOS still shit-talking while she was being destroyed lol #Actually beat the ending in one try this time :P I ran out of time the last time pfft #But now I've beaten it twice in as many days :D Although I did start it the first time several days ago - but I beat it again quickly! #Has me all the more itching to replay 2 ♪ #WPVG

[hrokkall]

Designed some V-Model Iterators to go with the Minos and Sisyphus slugcats I've been drawing

#Ultrakill #V1 Ultrakill #V2 Ultrakill #Rain World #rw iterator #Minos and Sisyphus scugs make a guest appearance but I'm not tagging them #Names are subject to change I just wanted their abbreviations to be VI and VII respectively. Suggestions welcome though #Questions about them are also welcome though I do like this concept #Also here's where I would normally put the disclaimer that I haven't played Rain World but I officially HAVE! I suck at it. #I'll just stick to Ultrakill for the time being lmao. But still I love the designs and aesthetics of the game so RW Ultrakill AU it is #I'll never say no to more robots you know this by now. ESPECIALLY building-sized robots #Hrokkall Sketch #RW UTKL

[dewwshi]

this is from months ago but i'm still really proud of it so here it is! i've been redrawing this same drawing every few years since 2017 and this is the most recent in that project

#night in the woods #nitw #nitw fanart #night in the woods fanart #mae borowski #nitw mae #bea santello #nitw bea #i call this the jackie's party project since that's the. that's where they are #is there still a nitw community on tumblr. i hope so #i love this game i do. it was exactly the game i needed when it first came out and i played it #i got it as a gift from someone i haven't talked to in years but i still think about them #bc it was just! a spontaneous gift bc i wanted the game!! #four if you're out there thank you

[chrisbangs]

i finished thesis, won an award, and have graduated.. hello 👋🥸

#i'm not coming back but :') hello #i forgot i even had tumblr still on my phone djdkdkdkdk #i just opened it for the first time in ??? 5 months or smth i think idk for sure #life is weird :') #remember when i said i wanna drop out every day of my life :') bc i suck at design #welp i won an award for my design thesis :') #jsjdjdkdkdkdj #turns out having friends kinda changes your life 🫂 #having friends at school has actually :') made me a happier more normal person lol #i haven't been miserable?? i haven't wanted to kms ... i have been so happy and yes school was shitty but i wanted to go and try hard bc #my friends motivated me to stay and try and that's crazy :') idk #felt really loved and like i belonged somewhere for the first time in my life 🫨 like woah ppl like me and wanna be my friend? me?? #:') i'm really happy... isn't that weird #i used to want to kms every other day hsjdndkdkdks lol 😭 #now i'm like 😭 every day i look forward to waking up bc i'm happy and i have ppl who love me and i wanna see them again and i wanna spend #time with them again and play games with them again :') #literally stayed up till ??? 4 am yesterday talking to one of them like #😭 #god jm djjdkdkdkd idk :') #my life is good... #???? IM NOT MISERABLE IDK GUYS #wild af #even winning the award was such a shock like 🥲 damn . who ? me? #ppl from like :') this big design thing in toronto we're praising it too like djdjdodjdkdj #:') it's kinda crazy.. i was super ! #man.. i cant believe how 5 months ago i was gonna kms 🥸👆 and now i'm like erm actually maybe we do need to live #:') anyway #i hope ppl on here are doing good 🫨🔨 #it is sad to not be here as much but also 👋😌 i'm happy to be free at the same time so ✨

[cinna-bunnie]

having vague thoughts about E3 and the current state of AAA game development in general..

like yeah direct promotions have had more of an impact than Big Events for me, and the main thing I'd want to see out of E3 are trailers for new games or the conversations that follow online - but a few points on that

I can just as easily look up “new games for [platform] [year]” on youtube

Something about the way AAA games are built these days makes me get bored of them ⅔ of the way through, if I even make it that far, on top of them charging more for less content and hiding away the rest behind multiple DLC packs

I've mostly been buying indies the past few years and have gotten a lot of fun out of them; they continue to deliver a nearly unrivaled experience of fun gameplay mechanics and interesting/emotional stories at a ridiculously low cost

I also have emulators for going back and playing old games I really liked so I'm not exactly desperate for new games

and idk!! weird to see E3 officially ending but I also think the landscape is very different these days including the game companies themselves. I'm not a game dev so I can't rly speak to what the change has looked like on their end over the past 10-20 yrs.

#i kind of wanna read or watch an interview with someone who's done game development for Years #and see them talk about What's Changed bc on god these AAA games can be so different from each other #but still somehow sm of them get kind of boring and repetitive FAST #i can def fw some games. I haven't played all of resident evil but they've always been fun. the only one I've played but not beat #is RE zero. also metroid - they know what they're doing over there. MP HD remake?? 😴🛌 MP Dread?? 😲⁉️🏃‍♀️💨 #i am also a fromsoft girlie.. I've never played armored core but elden ring FUCKED. especially after i learned how to mod it 😹 #i played totk and that was fun but... idk if imma beat it 🙈 I'm p into dead cells rn. I've never been able to sit through a zelda game #(u absolutely should still play it when u get the chance though it's been great so far. i just... played it for Months lmao) #anyways!! idk!! i am rambling!! games as an art are so good‚ games as A Product are.. hm 😶 #and it's not like those r mutually exclusive but where is the LOVE!!!!

[unhingedlesbear]

Hoghhh after a long month of defending the following characters from an entire discord server, I'm running back to here to say:

-I love Mark

-I also love Ashley

-I ADORE Emily

-I think Alex is okay

-I like Salim a lot

-I love Rachel

-I love Taylor

I am far less likely to get attacked here than there <3

#I can see peoples reasons for some of these but #1. idc I still love them #2. Why Mark? Genuinely what reasons are there to hate Mark? #This I will never understand #Genuinely the least problematic character in that entire game #And people despise him there #It's crazy #You know it's bad when DU'MET gets more love than Mark #And I've said enough here about Emily and Ashley #As for Rachel I haven't played HOA enough to fully defend her but I know that she ended up being my fav soooooooo #And Taylor? She's literally just a girl who made the mistake of being *Gasp* Emotional #tbh most of these are just girls making the mistake of idk existing #let me not get into all that here but #Isn't it funny how all these people I listed are either women POC or both? #Funny how that works #Anyway yeah it gets exhausting sometimes

[ermakeys]

Get to know you video game edition! Tagged by the wonderful @ratcready

No pressure tags for @fooolisher @jekyllnahyena @certified-anakinfucker @jadowdra and anyone else that would like to! :)

Guess who forgot to add the blank as well 🙈

#mass effect andromeda #this was my first mass effect game and really got me hooked #that's why i love the mass effect series #me3 has the leaving earth track which brings me to tears #cal kestis #love our boi 💖 #rayvis #my friends rayvis was so fun to listen to #i have another fav villain but i don't want to spoil them when lots of folks haven't finished survivor yet #jedi survivor #i just never get the chance to start hades #and i have nothing really against fortnite i just can't stand the obsession with it #especially from the kids at work #potionomics is so pretty #trespasser is such a bittersweet ending with a solavellan romance #RICKY THE DOOR TECHNICIAN!!!! #bf 2 is so stressful cause its a shooter which all stress me out #still enjoy it #terraforming mars best board game ever that you can play online too #ck3 #i should really stop spending so much time on it #i just really like what if scenarios #look one of my playthroughs of dai was 400 hours and i've replayed it... a few times #tag game

[itwasmagic]

does anyone recommend any games on steam for a beginner? i dont know what i like so im open to any genre of suggestions

#my gaming knowledge is sims / spyro / crash bandicoot / sonic #honestly have no idea what i wanna play i just appreciate nice graphics n like to press buttons lmao 💀 #the one thing i *do* really wanna play would be bloodlines 2 or coral island #however bloodlines 2 still isn't out yet and i backed coral island on switch when that was all i had n the developers haven't released it #and i refuse to buy it on steam when i've already technically bought it #also the part of me that loves building in sims wants zoo planet but it looks like it has a million expansions n i don't wanna spend that- #-amount of money yet until i've kinda decided i'll keep playing #alsooo the time is 1. bc im sick n can't leave my house and 2. my 1tb external hard drive is almost full and sims takes up a lot of my pc- #-so i bought i new 5tb external hard drive and figured i could store some games on there and give them a go #timing**

[coffeeworldsasaki]

There's the spring sale on steam and I can't even complain about not being able to choose if it's worth spending money on a game here because if I say the game's name my girlfriend will get it for me 😔

#this is a joke it's about yakuza like a dragon that even if i got i couldn't play because i still haven't finished yakuza 6 #i don't know where to attach my ps4.. #maybe getting yakuza 6 on pc now that it costs 6€ would be worth it to avoid that struggle #ALL 8 YAKUZA GAMES COST 40€ RIGHT NOW??? #damn the first time there's a big sale this way and i have some money I'm getting them yakuza my beloved #it's so funny i got the first one because my girlfriend likes yakuza and i was going through sooo many things they like to have plenty of #stuff to talk about and i ended up getting so in love with this series that I've played more games than her fjsjs

[hiddenbeks]

what is your oc's core theme?

tagged by @gwynbleidd to do this quiz, thank you jackie!!

tagging @hibernationsuit @nokstella @ravensgard @yrlietlanaevyss @ehlnofaey @feitanportor @katsigian @rosykims don't remember who has done this recently so. as usual. no pressure if u don't feel like doing this!

doing this for the once iconic poe duo that has faded into obscurity because i've neglected them for so long! time for a sura & viv renaissance babeyy

sura - the leaver

"there is nothing for you here anymore. you are being rejected by this place. it repulses you, too - you have no desire to stay here. yet, some nostalgic thorn curls into your side and keeps you bound here. there is comfort in a hell you once called home. but it is time to go. no time to stall. if you wait too long, this place will swallow you whole. then, you will have no chance to leave. you need to go; you've been waiting so long. the door is open. all it waits for is your first step. your painting is "artist's death. the last friend" by zygmunt andrychiewicz."

vivinna vellico - the popular

"the attention of outsiders is like opium. at your heart and soul you produce and create and you thrive on the love it gathers from others. it is like taking your first steps as a baby, and hearing the cheers of thousands upon thousands of parents, encouraging you to move a little more, to step towards mother or father. but when the cheers fall silent, you are lost, aimless, a boat in a turbulent sea with no lighthouse to guide you. you are no longer taking steps. there is no voice calling out to you, signalling where to turn, and there is no encouragement. you want to take the steps but you cannot find any good reason to - not without everybody waiting at the end of your path. your painting is "the birth of venus" by sandro botticelli."

okay first of all i love how viv got the least common result. if she were real and the one taking this quiz she would be so proud of that 😌 anyway. both results are spot on and illustrate the differences between these two quite well! sura longs for connection and a place to call home but feels out of place no matter where she goes and thus continues to further isolate herself. vivinna on the other hand surrounds herself with people to entertain - she has many friends and acquaintances but no idea who she is without the attention of others.. hm.....

#tag games #ch: sura #ch: vivinna #listen sura used to be one of my dearest most precious ocs..... i talked abt her a Lot...... #vivinna too. she wasn't as big as sura and i still havent gotten around to playing poe with her lol but i had a lot to say abt her too!! #i love them. both white haired unwanted children who have similar issues but deal with them in very different ways.... #initially they do not understand each other at all but they become great friends and learn so much from each other..... #i've forgotten a lot abt sura and i've been meaning to rewrite her backstory but i haven't gotten around to that either. sigh #but for now just know that her life sucks and she's never had a place to truly call home. and the companions she meets in dyrwood #are the first real friends she's ever had in her life. ok.