#And it’s still an absolutely cutthroat game at the higher levels

[faye-circle]

The only reason a game should not have access to immediate pausing is if it is actively connecting to online multiplayer. Difficulty spiking via time sinks is some bullshit and I’m mad it exists. You can make a difficult game while also making it user friendly. Even challenging games are supposed to be fun and it’s not fun to have to either try to speedrun to somewhere to save/pause or, like OP said, lose an hour or more of progress because Uh Oh! Something urgent came up at work and you just have to pray enemies don’t respawn.

Unpopular opinion: All games should have the option to enable pausing.

And to save almost everywhere.

Yes even in soulslike games.

I am an adult who has a full time job and responsibilities. I get to play maybe an hour a week. I do not want to lose that hour of progress because devs decided 'pause' was not allowed in their game and I had sudden unexpected things come up that meant I had to quit the game without saving/leave it playing and hope enemies wouldn't respawn.

Also it would massively increase accessability. I have fully working non-injured hands and they still need a break after a tough boss fight. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for people with joint pain, arthritis, etc, etc.

[sa-gt-tarrius]

Liars Ahead: Proceed with Caution

Warnings:

Foul language, needles, lots of injuries, character death. Tread carefully!

@cakercanart @secret-shifters

This fic is a bit gritty, moreso than what I usually write. If it’s too much for you to handle, or if it’s just not up your alley and you don’t really like the harsher elements, please feel free to let me know! I’d be happy to edit it down to make it less angsty.

***

No one knew exactly how many secrets MIRA Incorporated kept under wraps.

Their kind of work demanded secrecy, of course. When a company is involved in such groundbreaking fields, they are bound to draw prying eyes. MIRA specialized in relativistic aeronautics, atmospheric engineering, and long-term spacefaring. These terms were new-age babble that roughly translated to “living in outer space.” MIRA studied things that science fiction nerds could only dream of seeing. 

However, MIRA understood that profits would tank if any old Joe Schmoe could walk into their headquarters and leak their data. It was no surprise, then, that the employees of MIRA knew so little about their own company. Most workers had to stay on their assigned floor for their entire careers. Three whole levels of clearance were required to use the fancy upstairs bathrooms!

But there was one thing that was no secret to anyone: MIRA was planning something big. Something amazing. And whatever it was, it was going to happen soon. Excited whispers swept through every office and laboratory—the company had something in store that would rock the world. 

But to Henry Newground, this was all a bit underwhelming.

Henry had been tirelessly working at MIRA HQ for five years. He was an accountant for MIRA’s payroll, which meant he spent most of the day staring at lists of numbers and rummaging through file cabinets. When he was first hired, Henry naively believed that he could climb the corporate ladder and become an astronaut if he just worked hard enough. But alas, it was not to be—even after long years of no sick days and lots of overtime, Henry was still a simple accountant. He fought tooth and nail for a goddamn raise, so it was no wonder that his dream job was a mere fantasy. 

At least, that’s what he thought. But then a letter appeared on his desk one morning. 

Mr. Henry Newground,

We at MIRA have accepted your application to join our spacefaring and research apprenticeship program. Enclosed in this letter is a Level 10 Clearance Card. You will need it to access the upper office on the 50th floor, where more details will be provided. Please come to the office as soon as your shift ends. 

Kind regards, 

Elliot Rose 

Chief Executive Officer of M.I.R.A. Incorporated 

At first, Henry thought this was just a joke. His boss Kerri didn’t mention the letter all day, so she must’ve not known about it. (Either that or she had been in on it the whole time. She was a well-known jokester, after all.) And none of Henry’s coworkers spared him a second glance as he quietly left at five o’clock to head upstairs. 

The security guard at the elevator tried to turn Henry away, which seemed to confirm his just-a-prank theory. But as Henry fumbled over a frantic apology, trying to explain that he must have been set up by his coworkers, the security guard spotted a shiny blue rectangle dangling from Henry’s neck: a Level 10 Clearance Card. The guard opened the elevator door without a word, ushering the confused man inside and pressing the button for the fiftieth floor. 

“Ms. Rose doesn’t usually let people into her office,” the guard murmured as the elevator ascended ominously. “You must be helping with that big project they’re talking about. All the nerds upstairs won’t shut up about it.”

“Sh–she said she’d give me details when I got to her office.” Henry spun to face the guard, his face scrunched up anxiously. “Do I look okay? I didn’t have time to put on a suit…”

“You look fine. Stand up straight, we’re almost there.”

Given the air of mystery surrounding the upper floors of the building, Henry had no idea what to expect. But what he didn’t anticipate was to be met with a gust of wind. Henry shielded his eyes as a glare of sunlight began to burn his retinas. He was outdoors—on the roof of the building. It looked like a helicopter pad, only much, much larger. 

The security officer cleared his throat, gently ushering Henry out of the elevator. He jutted his finger towards the other side of the launch pad, towards a hallway that led back inside the building. “Just follow the path for a bit, and then take the left path at the fork. If you make it to the greenhouse, you went too far.” 

“Er, thanks…”

“And make sure you knock. Ms. Rose hates when people barge in.”

Henry nodded tentatively. He took a deep breath and marched towards the entryway, determined to get to the office before chickening out. 

The upper floors weren’t that unusual, Henry thought as he trotted along. He passed by a smelly locker room, a tiny medical bay, and a grimy computer room. Nothing about this place seemed particularly flashy or elite. Henry was starting to think he was on the wrong floor. 

Henry made the left turn, as the guard told him, and arrived in a small alcove with three rooms. One of the rooms was a lab of some sort, although it was barren and empty for the time being. The room ahead was filled with bushes and shrubs, with a large glass tube in the centre. And the last one was closed—a sign reading “please knock” hung nearly on the doorknob. 

Henry knocked three times and yanked his hand away like the wood was searing hot. 

Then the door creaked open. 

No one knew much about Ms. Elliot Rose. Even the managers and supervisors scarcely spoke of her at all. Henry honestly had no idea what to anticipate from her, aside from the cutthroat ruthlessness most company owners tended to have. But instead of a snide, fierce woman who could tear him apart with a glance, the woman standing in the open doorway was hardly remarkable. She was just barely taller than Henry, no older than thirty, and her red hair bristled out in all directions like she hadn’t brushed it in days. Her eyes were bagged and sunken, almost sickly, and her gaze was panicked and wild for a moment before locking onto Henry. 

She frowned. “Can I help you?”

“Ms. Rose?” Henry tried, unsure if he was truly talking to the CEO of the largest corporation on the planet. “My name is H–Henry Newground. I was told to come here at five, I–I have a clearance card if you need to see it—”

“Oh, right. Henry.” The woman suddenly straightened up, swinging the door open fully and gesturing for Henry to enter. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry to inconvenience you like this.”

“It’s fine. I���m sorry for the delay.” Henry stepped inside, clearing his throat in a sorry attempt to appear composed. The room was nothing special—just a small office with four computer desks and a box-shaped radio. The woman took a seat at the messiest desk, leaning back into the chair. Henry claimed an empty chair from a desk nearby, bouncing his leg anxiously. “So, um… about this spacefaring program…”

Elliot Rose smiled, sinking into the chair cushion and leaning back. “I’ve looked over your application and was very happy with what I saw. I think you have potential, Henry.”

“Thank you,” Henry sputtered, baffled and giddy that the CEO was singing such high praises of him. “I’ve always loved learning about space, you know. That’s why I applied for this job. Even as a kid, I—”

“That’s great, Henry,” Elliot hummed, slipping out a gaping yawn before continuing. “Anyway, I just wanted to run a couple of things by you before we send you off. You got your master's degree in microbiology from Harvard, correct? I’ve also heard you’ve taken courses in astrophysics.”

Henry nodded eagerly. “That’s right. I’ve also taken extracurricular classes on geology, I was the leader of the chess club… a–and I sold drinks at the campus football games,” he finished lamely.

“You see, Henry,” Elliot drawled, twirling a pen with her fingers, “I have thirty-four other applicants with higher education than you do. Half of them have three or more doctorates. I don’t care much about your education.” She leaned forward, crossing her arms firmly over the desk. Something glinted behind her eyes—it was impossible to read. “But you have special skills, ones that could greatly benefit my crew.” Elliot leaned forward, crossing her arms firmly over the desk. “Our coordinators are getting ready to send supplies to Polus on a small dropship. The trip will last about two days. I want you on that ship before it takes off.”

“Y–you want—” Henry choked on his breath. “You want me to go to space?”

Elliot smirked. “Is that a problem?”

“I–I just— Y–you don’t— W–well—“

“Use your words, Henry.”

“I’m just…” Henry sputtered, struggling to find words to say. “Don’t I need training?”

“You don’t sound very excited… I thought you would be happy about this. Didn’t you apply to join our spacefaring program last year?”

“I mean, yeah.” Henry shuffled in his seat awkwardly. “But my application was turned down. I didn’t have enough education for it. Why do you want me now?”

“Things change,” Elliot laughed. “I’d like to personally ask you to join the Polus crew and help document alien life.”

The two fell silent. 

Elliot smirked coyly. “Is that a yes?”

“I–I mean, absolutely,” Henry sputtered. “I’m just… a little confused. Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

“I most certainly do,” Elliot replied. 

“Okay,” Henry muttered, unsure of how he managed to get into this strange situation with no warning. “So… what now?”

“Go home, get some sleep, and come back here tomorrow. Same time, of course. I’ll get you all the details by then.” 

“Okay.”

“Have a good night, Henry.”

“Th–thanks.”

Henry’s head was still spinning as he made his way out of Elliot’s office. 

“You alright, buddy?” the security guard piped as Henry entered the elevator, his eyebrow raised curiously. “You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

“I’m fine.” Henry gripped his forehead, fighting off another dizzy spell. Butterflies were forming in the pit of his stomach as the elevator descended. “I just need to go home.”

And that’s exactly what Henry did. As soon as he fetched his lunch kit from the office fridge, the young man hopped into his SUV and drove straight home. Not even bothering to change out of his work uniform, Henry collapsed on the bed. His head continued spinning. 

Surely this was a big joke. 

Elliot herself said that many people were far more qualified than he was. So why was she so adamant about having Henry on her crew? It made no sense. 

Henry knew he wouldn’t have gotten any answers that night, not by muttering and mumbling into his pillow like a lunatic. He’d have to get the details tomorrow like Elliot told him to. So instead of uselessly mulling it over, Henry plucked his phone off the side table and quickly dialled a number. The phone barely had time to ring before someone on the other end picked up. “Hey, sweetie. How was work today?”

“Hi Henry, it was good! What about you?”

“Well, I–I was called into a meeting by the CEO. She said she wanted me in her spacefaring program.”

“Oh, that’s… hang on. Are you serious? They accepted you?!”

“Yeah. She asked me to help with some research. She said she was impressed by my application and—”

“You’re going to space!” A young woman’s voice bubbled ecstatically over the phone. She laughed and giggled, even belting out an excited shriek for good measure. “I’m so proud of you! I knew you’d get in, I just knew it!”

“You did, yeah.”

“God, I wish I could be there right now,” the woman chuckled. “I want to give you a big hug.”

Henry smiled faintly. “Thanks, sweetie.”

“I’m going to go buy a bunch of chocolates for you today. I don’t know if it’ll get delivered before you leave, but it can at least be a welcome-back present.”

“Oh, you don’t have to, Sigrid,” Henry replied. “How would you even send it? The post office won’t accept packages that big. I don’t even know if a box of chocolates would fit in the mail truck.”

The woman, presumably named Sigrid, huffed indignantly. “Well, fine. I’ll just think of something else.”

Henry had never actively sought out a relationship. He was too focused on work to consider dating, and his social circle wasn’t large enough for him to start dating around. And yet, for three years now, Henry had been in a lovely relationship with a woman named Sigrid Brandson. She lived in northwestern Canada (according to her), far away from any large cities, and Henry wasn’t yet lucky enough to meet her face-to-face. 

The reason? Sigrid was a giant. 

There few places giants and humans could casually be together—and much fewer ways to travel to each other—so they usually spent their time on the phone or video calls. Henry didn’t mind much, although it was disheartening to have never kissed Sigrid even after years of being committed. 

It was thanks to Sigrid that Henry learned to speak and write Riesian, the language of the giants. When the two first met on an online fan forum, Sigrid spoke very little English, and Henry didn’t even know the Riesian language existed. But with time and effort, the two were able to cross the language barrier, eventually teaching each other their native tongues. 

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Yeah, she said I’m going to a planet called Polus. They have a research base set up there.”

“Polus?” Sigrid repeated. “Oh… that’s… that’s nice.”

It was then that Henry realized Sigrid’s voice had become a tad crestfallen. He frowned. “Everything good?”

“Just… be careful out there,” Sigrid murmured. “I know it’s probably fine and I’m worrying about nothing, but make sure you stay safe, okay? And call me if you can. I’m so proud of you, Henry.” She suddenly stopped speaking English and switched to Riesian. 

“Bai tcho eim, honey.” 

Be safe.

***

On the days leading up to takeoff, Elliot had been vigorously training Henry. He learned how to fix wiring issues, how to power up engines, how to use the weather nodes, and how to examine and sort specimens that were brought into the base. Henry was very quickly becoming a rather competent spacefarer. 

But still, Henry was on edge. Despite the training and the reassurances from Elliot, something didn’t sit quite right. But none of that mattered—before he knew it, Henry was stuffed into a white spacesuit, complete with the MIRA logo and the American flag emblazoned on the shoulders. Dozens of people swarmed around him, talking to each other and furiously taking notes. A brisk wind punctuated the murmur of the crowd. 

Elliot knelt before him, her hands running along the fabric to make sure the suit would fit Henry. 

“You’ll be accompanying Aesir Vidstrom while you’re on Polus,” she said as she worked. “He’s the new chief of medical staff. He’ll meet you at the landing site and help you get settled in.” Elliot fiddled with the straps on Henry’s waist, tightening the suit until it fit. Henry was quite a few inches shorter than prior astronauts, so his spacesuit needed to be altered before he could use it. “You’re to stay with Aesir at all times unless he says otherwise. Is that clear?”

Henry nodded and glanced away, choosing to stare at the looming spaceship atop the crowded launchpad—a dropship, Elliot had called it. The ship was fairly large, about eight meters in height and width, and the nose stretched outwards almost twelve meters. The jet black paint glistened in the early morning sun, and Henry’s nose crinkled at the smell of something burning. 

“And remember, my crew is always on standby. We’ll be ready to help you whenever you need it.”

“Th–thank you, ma’am.”

“Don’t mention it.” Elliot finally stepped away from Henry, admiring the finished spacesuit. “I think you’re ready. Let’s get you out of here.” She turned around, facing the crowd, and raised her voice. “Five minutes to takeoff!”

“Five minutes!” someone screamed over the din. “Fire up the reactors!”

“Starting reactors! Diverting power to the left and right engines! Standby…”

“All clear, ma’am! Someone get Newground on board!”

“Let’s go, Henry.” Elliot shoved Henry towards the dropship. The large metal plating began to slide up, similar to a garage door. A pair of men in uniform guided Henry up the steps and into the cabin of the ship. Ten plush seats lined the walls—Henry took a tentative seat in the closest one, the farthest to the left, and began to buckle himself in. The men in uniform quickly left as the engine roar increased in volume. The other staff members gathered along the edges of the launch pad in anticipation. 

“Good luck, Henry!” Elliot hollered, waving her arm up over the crowd. “You'll do great, I know it!”

Before Henry could reply, the door began to slide shut. The ship shivered and groaned, and within seconds, the whole thing began to rise and sway. Henry barely had time to squeeze his eyes shut before the ship suddenly lurched forward at unimaginable speeds. 

The poor man clenched his seatbelt like a lifeline. He knew takeoff would only last a minute or two, and yet the ordeal seemed to last a lifetime. Henry felt his body being squished against the chair, constructing his lungs and preventing him from breathing. As much as he tried to, he couldn’t even scream. 

And then, as quickly as it began, everything started to slow down again. The roar of the engine faded somewhat, and the whole cabin gradually stopped shaking. Henry wasn’t quite confident enough to get out of the seat, so he remained strapped in, gasping heavily as he tried to soothe his racing heart. 

Finally, when everything was calm, Henry shakily unbuckled himself and rose to stand. As he shuffled through the cabin, he took the time to properly examine the interior of the dropship he would be riding in. There were various steel crates scattered about, each containing canned rations and various tools. A small laptop was placed on the smallest crate, detailing the dropship’s velocity, fuel levels, turbulence, and current distance from Polus. He made a mental note to check on it later to make sure everything was normal. 

And then, on the starboard side of the ship, a solitary window glimmered.

Henry dared himself to peer outside. 

He paused, then gasped.

Even after seeing outer space countless times in photographs and videotapes, Henry was still gobsmacked by the vast starry void before him. To his right, the planet Earth was rapidly shrinking as he blasted further away, and the sun was a mere speck of light in the distance. This wasn’t a fantasy anymore—Henry was hurtling through the solar system in a spaceship, making his way towards an alien planet. 

A childish grin crept onto his face. 

This was it. After years of daydreaming, Henry was a real-life astronaut—his younger self would be so proud. Henry was so ecstatic that his earlier anxieties and frustrations were completely forgotten, left behind on his home planet. 

In less than two days, Henry would arrive on Polus to begin his spacefaring apprenticeship. He kept thinking about Sigrid, imagining all the stories he’d get to tell her when he got back to Earth. 

This was going to be amazing.

He just hoped nothing would go wrong. 

***

The trip to Polus was progressing faster than Henry ever expected. He wondered how MIRA’s ships could move so quickly and yet use so little fuel—it was a blessing of science, to be sure. 

But by the twentieth hour of the trip came and went, Henry felt anything but blessed. 

There wasn’t much for entertainment in the dropship. Henry could only fumble around on the laptop, gaze out of the window, or pace the cabin a few times. The boredom was excruciating, but the anticipation was even worse. Luckily, Elliot had reached out to him a few times via video calls, answering questions and keeping him company during the arduous journey to Polus. 

“Any turbulence today?” she asked. 

“None,” Henry replied. “No asteroids, either. Everything is fine so far.”

Elliot smiled. “Good. The dropship has a bit of a reputation for rough rides, so I was worried about engine damage. Seems like I was worried about nothing.”

The two made idle conversation every four hours or so, which was a welcome distraction. As much as Henry adored being in space for the first time, he couldn’t deny how lonely and boring it was. And having someone like Elliot to guide him was another welcome addition, even if her presence unnerved Henry somewhat. 

Two more days passed. Henry was munching on his lunch ration. He’d opened the package to find sliced canned meat—bland and oily and smelly. But with the addition of some crackers and canned oranges, the meal made for a decent lunch. However, before he was even halfway finished eating, a rumbling began to overtake the cabin. His lunch contained tumbled onto its side, spilling cracker crumbs all over the floor. Henry instinctively latched onto a nearby crate, trying his best not to fall over as the entire ship swayed. 

A synthetic voice rose over the fray. “Entering the Polus mesosphere,” it announced in a polite, monotonous tone. “Current velocity: 326 miles per hour. Engine temperature: nominal. Distance from indicated landing site: estimate of 833 miles. Please fasten your seatbelt and prepare for landing.”

Henry was knocked to the ground as the shaking intensified. The ship was approaching Polus, and fast. He crawled to the nearest seat, restraining himself a bit too tightly in his haste. The voice continued droning on as the ship entered the planet’s atmosphere. 

“786 miles… 721 miles… 678 miles…”

And then a deafening screech sounded from above. Henry winced and tightened his grip on the seatbelt as the ship suddenly did a nosedive. 

“504 miles… 452 miles…”

A siren overhead wailed loudly. Bright red lights flashed in the corners of his eyes. 

“310 miles… 259 miles…”

Something was very, very wrong. 

“199 miles… 97 miles…”

He braced himself. 

“12 miles… 2 miles…”

Everything went white. 

***

“Come on, don’t die on me.”

Black dots continued to bounce in Henry’s vision as his mind stirred. The young man let out a miserable groan, clutching his forehead painfully. 

“That’s it… Wake up, little guy…”

Henry paused. It took him a moment to realize that the voice overhead wasn’t speaking English. It took two more seconds to realize that the voice was extremely loud, almost like it was coming from a speaker. 

Both these mysteries were solved as soon as he opened his eyes. 

A monstrously large figure loomed above, blocking out the light of the bulb dangling overhead. Ginormous eyes, hazel and bright, were locked onto Henry’s trembling body. And it—he—was smiling gently. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” the giant man murmured in Riesian. “I’m not gonna hurt you, little guy.”

Henry swallowed hard. He took a moment to gather himself so he wouldn’t have a panic attack, then turned his attention back to the giant face hanging above him. The huge, strange man cocked his head curiously. “Ah geez, I hope you’re not broken or anything… That would suck.” The voice boomed and shook Henry’s core, even though the giant was trying to speak softly. Henry couldn’t even keep eye contact without his heart dropping, so he kept his gaze locked onto the giant’s chest. He only barely noticed the white MIRA spacesuit the giant wore, identical to Henry’s suit in every way aside from its massive size. “Oh yeah, you can’t understand me, huh? Maybe we have a translator lying around here…”

“I–I am fine,” Henry fumbled in awkward Riesian, forcing his voice not to waver. He wasn’t even sure if he was even speaking correctly—but he was too nervous to care about his grammar. Fluency was the least of his problems. “I am okay.”

“Sweet.” The giant nodded, froze, then gasped. “...Wait, you can understand me?”

“I d–d–do.”

“But you’re human.” The giant’s face descended further—huge strands of curly brown hair brushed along Henry’s stomach. “Humans don’t speak Riesian.”

“Y–you’re right,” Henry murmured, flinching away from the enormous eyes drilling into him. “It’s a long story.”

The giant suddenly scoffed, his sheepish half-smile giving way to a full grin. “Cheeky bugger, huh? The name’s Aesir. What’s yours?”

“You are Aesir?” Henry perked up. “Aesir Vidstrom?”

Aesir’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh, yeah. You’ve heard of me?”

Henry licked his lips, trying to remember some difficult Riesian words. “You are a… scientist. A space e–explorer. B–b–but Ms. Rose… never said you are a… giant.”

“How about that,” Aesir laughed, stroking his chin. “Never thought I’d meet a human like you.”

Thinking for a moment, Aesir snapped his fingers in a sudden realization. 

“Oh, wait—then that would make you what’s-his-name, right? HQ said some random new guy was on his way. But they never said you’d be a human. That’s MIRA for you, I guess… If they were stupid enough to wreck your ship, then they’d forget to mention that.”

“Wreck my ship?” Henry repeated slowly. Memories began flooding back into his mind. The alarms, the flashing lights, the sudden nosedive…

The dropship crashed. 

“Wait, then I—” 

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, buddy.” The giant winced when Henry scrambled to sit up. “Take it easy, yeah?” Aesir paused for a moment, tapping his foot a few times. “Actually… Wait here for a sec, alright? I need to grab something.”

With that, Aesir moved away to shuffle out of sight.

With the enormous face out of his vision, Henry was able to sit up and finally assess the surrounding area, hissing a bit as he aggravated his injury. He was sitting on a mattress that stretched several meters in every direction. The blue sheets and white pillow were reminiscent of a gurney, like ones you might find in a hospital. And sure enough, upon closer inspection, the room appeared to be a small medical bay, white walls and smell of disinfectant included. There were three other identical beds lined between curtain barriers, just like the bed he was sitting on. Henry peered to the right. He could see the silhouette of Aesir leaned over a countertop through the wall of curtains. 

What was he doing over there?

Henry forced himself to speak. “This is Polus?”

“Sure is,” Aesir replied from beyond the curtain wall. “You were lucky you made it this far on that hunk of junk—if your ship malfunctioned any sooner, you might’ve crashed into an asteroid or something.” Aesir came back into view, sidestepping the curtain to approach Henry. “Now stay still.”

“I… uh…” Henry held up his hands, carefully scooting back a few inches. Aesir hadn’t come back to Henry empty-handed; in his left palm, the giant cradled a glass syringe filled with a bluish liquid. The needle was almost six feet tall, taller than Henry was. “I–I do not need that.”

“Yes, you do. Come over here.” 

“It is t–too big,” Henry wavered, curling in on himself as Aesir continued to approach. “Nothing hurts. I am… un–uninjured. Do not need that. Do not need it.”

Listening to Henry’s trembling voice and weak attempts to dissuade him, Aesir’s face fell. “Look,” he whispered, getting onto his knees to kneel by the bed, “don’t make this harder than it needs to be. When we’re in medbay, I’m the boss.” The giant slowly reached out his free hand, grasping Henry’s shoulder with his enormous finger and thumb. His other hand, the one bearing the syringe, began to drift closer to Henry. “Now stay still, or this will hurt more than it needs to.”

In a fright, Henry leapt away from Aesir’s hand in a frantic escape attempt. He scrambled across the sheet, making a beeline for the white pillow at the head of the bed. 

“Shit—” Aesir cursed under his breath, tossing the needle to the side. He made a lunge forward, both hands outstretched, reaching for Henry’s tiny form. Before Henry could reach the pillows, the terrified human being suddenly found himself encased in musty, cramped darkness. His stomach sank when he realized what just happened—Aesir had trapped him in his hands. 

A feeling of intense vertigo overcame him as Aesir stood up straight; he felt himself being slammed against the giant palm beside him. Despite being very obviously trapped, Henry continued to squirm, searching in vain for an opening to crawl through. He pawed at the skin surrounding him, growing ever more desperate. 

And then a light shone through the fingers above him. “Stop being a brat,” Aesir muttered. Henry opened his mouth to retort, but his breath hitched in his throat when a sharp pain pierced his lower back. He let out a strangled sob, trying not to thrash around and hurt himself more. 

Aesir hummed contentedly. “There we go… nice and easy.” The needle retracted as quickly as it was injected. Henry took the moment of reprieve to dry his eyes and ease his pounding heart. “Told you it wasn’t that bad,” he chuckled. “Just be thankful it wasn’t worse.” 

Henry refused to reply—he focused on keeping his eyes locked downward. Aesir’s lack of empathy was beginning to unsettle him; although the giant paid lip service to Henry’s discomfort, he ultimately seemed to care very little about the pain and terror he was causing. 

Aesir, oblivious to Henry’s plight, lifted his hands to his face, staring down the sniffling, petrified human with unbridled excitement. “Well, now that you’re all drugged up, I figure we’re good to get your suit back on. Don’t want you freezing out here, you know.”

“Suit?” Ah, yes. They were in space, after all. It made sense that he should have to wear a spacesuit, even if they were indoors. “O–okay.”

Aesir pulled his left hand away from Henry, reaching for the nearby countertop. His hand returned quickly, dangling the white spacesuit with his index and thumb. “Legs up, bud. Let’s get you dressed.”

“I can do it,” Henry said quickly, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. 

“Yeah, nah,” Aesir chuckled. “Doctor’s orders. Now hold still this time, you brat.”

Henry huffed pointedly, knowing that he wouldn’t be getting out of this. With heavy reluctance, Henry slowly raised his legs into the air, allowing Aesir to slip the pant legs on, followed by the sleeves and the helmet. Unfortunately, the visor was cracked along the upper edge, but Aesir urged him not to worry. “The glass is three layers thick,” he explained. “You’ll be fine until we can get a replacement.” Surprisingly, Henry didn’t quite believe him. 

Henry had only just gotten the suit fitted (or rather, Aesir did the fitting for him) when someone suddenly spoke up. “Aesir.”

At the sound of the firm, strange voice, Henry flinched. His eyes landed on a figure standing in the corner of the room, dressed in a bulky green spacesuit. Henry couldn’t see her face—the light of the room reflected off the visor, obscuring whatever was behind the glass. Henry briefly imagined that she looked like a war veteran, stoic and hardened, probably with lots of scars decorating their skin.

“Oh, Svikari!” Aesir whirled around at the voice, clearing his throat and donning a lopsided grin. “What brings you here?”

“I came to see the human.” The woman, presumably named Svikari, barely budged as she spoke. It was like she was a statue with a voice of its own. “But I see you’ve taken care of things. I’ll be on my way, then.”

Aesir choked on something. “W–wait! Hang on a tic, alright? Why the hurry?”

Svikari cocked her head, acting as though Aesir’s question was incredibly stupid. “I have work to do. I came to see how the human was doing, and now I have to go.”

“Well, hang on,” Aesir stammered, fumbling over his words. “How about you come with me to storage today? I have to do some refuelling there.”

“I don’t have any tasks in storage today,” Svikari replied curtly.

“Come on, boss,” Aesir urged, lowering his voice. “It’s safer in groups. You know that.” He perked up a bit, raising his cupped hands. Not expecting to be jerked upward, Henry was almost launched off his palms. “A–and I know you wanna meet the human! He’s kind of bratty, but I think you’ll like him.”

Svikari paused. “Hello, human,” she said softly. “I trust you’ve been treated well?”

Henry hesitated. What was he supposed to say? He was tempted to start ratting off all the bruises he was getting thanks to Aesir, but he bit his tongue. Would he get in trouble if he told the truth? This Svikari character seemed far less sympathetic than Aesir, so perhaps there would be no point in complaining. They might even hurt him even more for speaking up. So he swallowed his pride and nodded slowly. “Y–yes, I am fine.” 

Svikari paused, glancing between Henry, who shuddered under her scrutinizing gaze, and Aesir, who smiled hopefully. 

“If you’re that afraid to go alone, I suppose I can come,” Svikari sighed. 

“I’m not scared!” Aesir retorted, tightening his painful grip on Henry. “I just don’t wanna get jumped in there.” Shrugging, Aesir once again prodded Henry in the stomach, chuckling as he did so. “I guess if an imposter shows up, I can use Henry as bait. You wouldn’t mind, right bud?”

Svikari laughed in reply, although something about her tone seemed… off. Henry wasn’t able to tell if the laughter was genuine or sarcastic. Henry said nothing at first, focusing on clutching his stomach to keep himself from throwing up. 

“I–imposters?” Henry finally coughed. “What are imposters?”

“Oops.” Aesir winced painfully. “Uh, well… we weren’t supposed to tell you.”

“I see no harm in explaining,” Svikari interjected. “If he’s going to stay here, he should know.”

“But Ms. Rose said—”

“I’ll handle Rose. Just keep your mouth shut.”

Aesir groaned, scrunching up his face in discomfort. “I mean… you’re the boss, dude. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. She’s scary when she gets mad.”

“Thank you, Aesir.” Svikari nodded, finally turning her attention back to Henry. “I assume Elliot never told you about the strange happenings on this base?”

“N–no.”

“I thought not. It’s in her best interest to keep this all a secret, after all.” Svikari folded her arms, exuding that terrifying, ominous energy that only giants were capable of. “Elliot probably told you that we found life on this planet. The life forms we discovered are what we’ve been calling imposters—carnivorous, man-eating shapeshifters that we’ve been trying to get rid of for the last few months.”

Henry felt his stomach drop. Carnivores? Man-eating? Shapeshifters? Someone had to be pulling his leg at this point. “Ms. Rose said you found plant life,” he countered quickly, not willing to believe Svikari’s wild claims. “She said nothing about aliens.”

“That’s because she was lying.”

“B–but why would she lie?”

“Telling people would be bad for business, I guess. Who knows what goes on in her head.” Svikari shrugged weakly. “Imposters have been wreaking lots of havoc lately. They kill the lights, mess with the reactors, cut off the oxygen supply… and I’m willing to bet they caused your ship to crash.”

“You’re right,” Aesir gasped. “I didn’t even think about that. They probably messed with the radio signals or something.” 

“We’re pretty sure we got rid of them for now, at least.”

“Don’t speak too soon,” Aesir corrected. “Remember what happened to Tor?”

“Of course I do,” Svikari huffed. “It took Bastion weeks to get the blood out of the carpet.”

Oh, dear god. 

There was no room for doubt, then. Henry began to tremble, tears causing his eyes to glimmer. What sort of cruel joke was the universe playing on him? After so long, he manages to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut, only to find himself stranded on a faraway planet with malicious giants and man-eating aliens. Some malicious deity had to be laughing their ass off right about now. 

“Aww, don’t worry, little guy!” Aesir cooed behind his visor, bouncing the human seated in his hand. “Big bad imposter people can’t hurt you out here.”

While Aesir continued to coo condescending reassurances, bouncing his hand in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture, Svikari stared thoughtfully at the minuscule human. Henry had no idea what was going on in that strange head of hers. Henry simply gripped the coarse fabric of Aesir’s glove, trying his best not to descend into a full-blown breakdown. 

“We should be going,” Svikari said suddenly. “Let’s take care of refuelling so I can finish my tasks.” 

Aesir hummed in agreement. “Okay. Let’s go.” 

***

If Henry was being frank, which he usually wasn’t, he’d say that Polus was a bit… underwhelming. If he wasn’t looking at the dank, snowy, barren landscape, or the abnormally large scale of everything around him, Henry would truly believe he was still on earth. Still, Aesir seemed determined to remind Henry just how small he was at any given opportunity. He’d croon, poke, and tease him incessantly, despite Henry’s continual whimpers of disapproval. 

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Aesir to fill up the fuel tank in the storage room, which was a cramped little building in the centre of the base. Svikari decided to just follow Aesir around until all his tasks were done, with the promise that Aesir would return the favour afterward. 

Svikari offered to carry Henry while Aesir worked. The giant was visibly hesitant about this proposition, refusing the offer the first few times Svikari asked. But eventually, Aesir relented, and Henry had been relegated to riding in Svikari’s hands. Henry sat in silence, rubbing his newfound bruises absently. He briefly wondered if someone would give him painkillers if he asked, but he pushed the thought away. There’s no chance they’d even consider the idea. 

“Almost done,” Aesir announced after a while, leading the group down a long hallway. Small patches of snow crunched beneath their boots as they trudged along. “I just gotta check the oxygen supply. Svikari, what tasks do you have left?”

A beat of silence passed before an answer came out. “O–oh, I need to fill the air canisters,” Svikari said quickly, stumbling over her words a bit. “And then I have to upload some data to HQ.”

“Cool.” Aesir glanced behind him, eyeing Henry with a cheeky grin. “You good back there, pipsqueak? Need anything?”

“No,” Henry mumbled. 

Aesir laughed, unfazed by Henry’s sneering tone. “Alright, don’t get your panties in a knot.”

After his initial wave of terror had passed, Henry found himself becoming increasingly agitated. He was upset with Aesir for terrorizing him in the lab. He was angry at Elliot for sending him to Polus. And he was mad at Svikari, too. He didn’t have a reason to be, but darn it, he was mad anyway. 

Henry was broken out of his thoughts when something brushed against his shoulder—a thumb. “Hey.” Svikari tapped him gently, her head tilted to the side. “You look upset. Is everything ok?”

With her intimidating presence, Henry could barely keep his eyes on Svikari. His eyes drifted to the ground, locked into his feet as he replied quietly. “Yes.”

“It doesn’t look like it,” the giant prodded. “Did he... Did Aesir hurt you? You don’t look too good.”

Henry bit his lip nervously. “N–no, he didn’t.”

Svikari sighed. “You’re lying. I can tell.” She adjusted her hands, swiveling Henry around so he had to face her completely. “Tell me what happened.”

“I–I...” Henry backpedalled, scooting as far away from Svikari’s looming face. He found his back pressing against Svikari’s curled fingers, and through the shimmering glass, he could almost see two pleading eyes locked into him. “H–he didn’t mean to. I just... wh–when he tried to give me those medications, I tried to run away—”

“What?” Svikari frowned. “Hang on, back up. What medications? What are you talking about?”

“U–um, he didn’t say what it was. Maybe it was a painkiller.”

“...Did he use a needle? Was it a blue liquid?”

“H–how did you know that?”

Svikari fell silent. She glanced towards Aesir, who was walking a ways ahead, and her muscles tensed. “That wasn’t a painkiller,” she said lowly. “It’s an experimental drug that our old medical chief was working on. We aren’t allowed to use it until we test it, since it killed our test subjects a few days ago. Aesir seriously could have killed you.”

Henry’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“I knew something was fishy,” Svikari growled, her grip on Henry tightening slightly. “Aesir was just an intern until our old medical chief got killed by impostors. No one thinks he’s cut out for the position, but we don’t have anyone else who’s even remotely qualified.”

Silence overcame them for a few minutes.

“Aesir,” Svikari finally called, a hard edge lining her voice. “Can we talk?”

Aesir stopped in his tracks. He turned to Svikari questioningly. “Hey, boss. What’s up?”

“About that drug you were working on... Have you tested it lately?”

Aesir paused, tapping his foot as he descended into thought. “Hmm... No, I don’t think so. Not since the rats died on me.”

“I see.” Svikari huffed indignantly. If she weren’t holding Henry, she most certainly would be crossing her arms. “So you haven’t used it at all since then?”

“Nope.”

“That’s funny,” she laughed. “Because I’m pretty sure you used it on the human this morning.”

Aesir’s arms and shoulders locked up.

“Am I right?”

“...Did he tell you that?”

“No, I figured it out.”

“Oh.” Aesir looked down at Henry, a faint scowl crossing his face before he turned his attention back to Svikari. “Don’t tell anyone,” he breathed. “Please. I could get fired.”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Svikari snapped. “You weren’t worried about killing him? God, it’s just like you to pull a stunt like that. You only care about yourself.”

“I–it’s not like that, boss. I promise.”

Svikari groaned, rubbing her face with her free hand. “I won’t tell anyone. But you have to get your act together or I’m bringing this issue to the captain.” Her fingers curled inward, shielding Henry from Aesir’s view. “And until then, I’m revoking your jurisdiction over the human. He’ll be accompanying me from now on.”

“But I—”

“Is that a problem?”

“N–no, ma’am,” Aesir replied shakily. “You’re the boss.”

“Good.” Svikari nodded firmly. “Now, then... let’s finish our tasks before I change my mind.”

Aesir nodded, ducked his head, and continued walking in silence. His footsteps clomped much faster than before, but Svikari continued at her usual slower pace.

“I’ll take care of this, Henry,” she whispered. “Don’t worry.”

Way to make an impossible request. Henry wasn’t just worried—he was terrified. Not only did Aesir try to make him a test subject for his weird new drug, but now he had to face the wrath of the very giant that could have killed him. The only thing standing between himself and Aesir was Svikari, who Henry wasn’t even sure he could trust.

Svikari probably meant well. At least, Henry wanted to believe that. But something was off about her that Henry couldn’t quite pinpoint. The way she carried herself, her odd way of speaking, her constant bouts of silence… She was weird. No one would deny that.

But there was something else. Svikari wasn’t just strange—she was downright creepy. She obviously knew much more than she was letting on, and Henry couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d met her somewhere before. 

And then a thought struck him. 

Henry craned his neck up to look at Svikari’s visor, and through the glass, he could almost spot the outline of two large eyes. “How do you know my name?” he asked. 

“You told me earlier, remember?”

“No, I didn’t. I never told you my name. Neither did Aesir.”

“Oh.” Svikari slowed to a stop. She glanced at Aesir, who was too far ahead to hear them conversing. The giant huffed and lowered her voice, a frantic tinge lining her words. “I’ll… I’ll tell you later.”

“No. Tell me now.” Henry wasn’t sure why he felt so brave all of a sudden; maybe he was fed up with being constantly treated like a child, or maybe he was just experiencing an adrenaline rush. But he felt he had nothing else to lose at this point—Henry wouldn’t be giving up until he got an answer. “What’s your deal?”

“Deal?” Svikari laughed nervously. “I… I don’t have a deal. I’m just Svikari.”

Henry found it a bit strange that Svikari was caving so easily to his interrogation. She had no problem shutting down Aesir, so why was she losing face in front of a human? It made no sense. But Henry was beginning to put puzzle pieces together. Svikari knew Henry’s name. She was invested in keeping him safe. She was able to tell when he was lying. And here she was, her tail tucked between her legs, being verbally grilled by a human being. 

This Svikari person… seemed awfully familiar.

“Are you?” Henry glared daggers at Svikari’s visor. “Because I don’t think you’re telling the truth. Is that even your real name?”

“It’s—!”

 “Tell me the truth!” Henry hollered, throwing his arms to the air in frustration. “I’m tired of being babied! I’m tired of you two hiding things from me! Tell me the truth right now!”

“Okay, okay!” Svikari hissed. “Keep your voice down, alright? I don’t want Aesir listening.”

At that, Henry sobered a bit, tossing a cautious glance at Aesir walking ahead. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have heard anything. “So out with it,” Henry snapped, facing Svikari with a scowl. “What’s going on?”

“...You were onto something when you mentioned my name,” Svikari said slowly, every word hushed and deliberate. “Just so we’re clear—my real name is Svikari. But you wouldn’t know me by that name.”

“You used another name,” Henry finished, the dots finally connecting in his mind. “When you talked to me.”

The giant’s empty hand falling limp at her side. “I… I was hoping we’d get to see each other on peaceful terms, and… I wanted it to be on Earth, to be honest.”

Henry swallowed hard. “You… You’re Sigrid.”

Svikari smiled, trying her best not to look intimidating. “It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”

“This is impossible. I–it can’t be you. You’re a—”

“You fellas good back there?” Aesir called, swivelling his head around to peek at the pair. “Sounds like a real bout you’re having.”

Svikari cleared her throat. Her hands lowered, taking Henry out of her field of vision. “We’re fine. Just keep going.”

Aesir simply shrugged. “Alright.”

The group hooked right when the hallway abruptly ended. They found themselves standing before a small room secluded in the corner of the building. Something akin to grass lined the ground, and a large, towering tree stood proudly in the centre of the room. Embedded in the trunk of the tree was a small monitor, complete with wires looping in and out of the bark. While he couldn’t be certain, Henry wagered that this was the oxygen supply Aesir mentioned, although he didn’t expect the oxygen supply to be a plant of all things. 

“This won’t take long, ma’am,” Aesir stammered as he stepped into the threshold of the room, bending over to peer at the monitor. His face contorted into an expression of disgust. “Yeesh. Who messed with the RAD settings?”

“Beats me,” Svikari hummed.

“Whatever... Hang on, I just gotta fix this mess real quick.” With that, Aesir fell silent, sliding his fingers rapidly along the screen. Svikari simply stood nearby and waited, while Henry fidgeted anxiously. He couldn’t get their earlier conversation out of his head. Svikari’s words—or rather, Sigrid’s words—echoed in his brain, rattling his thoughts around. 

Svikari, meanwhile, was extremely quiet. Henry gazed at her, opening his mouth to ask a question, only to have a giant finger press against his mouth. Shh. 

Henry blinked, a little unnerved by how Svikari was acting, but nodded slowly. Svikari lifted her head and peered at Aesir, who was still focused on the monitor screen. Then, moving as slowly as possible, Svikari knelt down and tilted her hands, sending Henry sliding onto the grass below. 

It took Henry a moment to orient himself. He diligently wiped off the grass that clung to his suit and looked skyward just in time to see Svikari approaching Aesir from behind. The human watched intently as Svikari snuck up on Aesir, a kitchen knife clutched tightly behind her back, wondering what she was up to.

… 

...A kitchen knife?

Before Henry could even think to look again, he was subjected to the sound of a hideous squelch. There was a flash of red, a pained grunt, and suddenly Aesir collapsed to the ground, motionless. 

Svikari loomed ominously over the limp body, her hand still latched onto the knife that she’d plunged into Aesir’s back. Murky blood was beginning to pool at her feet, staining the grass a horrid shade of crimson. And then Svikari’s head pivoted like an owl, boring her gaze into Henry. 

“Don’t scream,” she heaved.

“Y–you—” Henry’s hands flew to his mouth. “You killed him.”

Svikari faced Henry fully. She extended her hands slowly and carefully, taking cautious steps forward as she spoke. “I know. Just… please stay quiet,” she whispered as she drew closer. 

“G–get away from me,” Henry choked, stumbling backwards and throwing his hands up to protect himself. “Please, don’t— d–don’t kill me.”

“Henry!” Svikari suddenly exclaimed, speeding up and making a beeline for Henry. “Be careful, you’re going to—”

Seeing Svikari quickly approaching, Henry made the split-second decision to spin around and bolt. But by the time he noticed the gaping crater in the floor below, it was too late. His foot whizzed through thin air, and with no further fanfare, he tumbled down into the pitch-black abyss. Time froze—a shout echoed from above. 

Then he hit the ground. Hard. 

Something snapped. Henry yowled in agony. He found himself unable to budge without pain coursing through his battered limbs. Tears began welling in his eyes, but he fought the urge to sob—crying would make it hurt even more. Thankfully, his visor was still intact, although the same could not be said for his bones. He simply laid motionless on his stomach, his arms and legs spread out, praying he would just pass out already.

“Oh no.” Svikari’s voice echoed off the crater walls, but Henry couldn’t see where she was standing. Even if the human was able to move his head and look around, the darkness cloaked everything in the vicinity. There was no telling where the giant was, but she was close. “Henry… It’s alright. I’m going to help you.”

“N–no,” Henry hissed, weakly hacking out the taste of copper from his mouth. “Not like this. Please.”

“Stop that. You’re hurting yourself. Please… let me help.”

“But you killed—” Henry couldn’t restrain himself anymore. He began to cry softly, despite how much it hurt him to do so. Every sniffle was excruciating, wracking his body from the inside-out. “You’re an i–imposter, aren’t you? And you’re going to kill me next.”

“No no no, honey… I would never hurt you.” Svikari’s voice was right next to his ear at this point. A huff of hot breath washed over Henry, rustling his hair. Wasn’t Svikari wearing a helmet, though? How could he feel her breath? “Listen… you’ve gotta trust me. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Henry cast a bitter glance to the side, unsure if Svikari was even standing in that direction. “You’re a liar.”

Svikari didn’t grace Henry with a reply. Instead, two long fingers slowly and deliberately dug beneath his stomach and hoisted him into the air. Henry squeezed his eyes shut as he was pressed against Svikari’s chest. Maybe this would be quick and painless. He could only pray at this point.

“Let me think…” Svikari inched her way forward, snaking through the dark underground pathway so as to not jostle Henry too much. In his daze, Henry failed to realize that there was no way Svikari could fit into the crater, let alone move around freely. But the only thing he was focused on was making peace with his life, knowing that he was about to die at the hands of the one he loved more than anyone else. 

Suddenly, Henry was blinded by sunlight. Svikari had begun crawling out of another crater located outside of the building. The holes in the ground seemed to be interconnected. But how did Svikari know that? And where was she planning on taking him? 

Before Henry could voice any of these questions, a deafening alarm sounded from above. He looked up just in time to see a flashing red light next to a speakerphone attached to the roof nearby. “BODY REPORTED,” a voice blared. “ALL PERSONNEL TO THE OFFICE. REPEAT, ALL PERSONNEL TO THE OFFICE.” 

Svikari swore under her breath. She lifted Henry out of the crook of her elbow, quickly swooping him towards a pocket located on her chest. “I’m gonna need you to stay quiet for now, alright?”

Henry’s breath hitched, eyeing the pocket warily as his legs were swallowed by it. “Why do I—”

“Shh.” Svikari cut him off. “Just trust me. I’ll explain everything once I take care of this.” With those ominous words echoing in his head, Henry was once again plunged into darkness, trapped in the front pocket of her spacesuit. 

There was no way this would end well.

***

[phantomthiefjeanne]

My Top 5 Arina Tanemura Series

This is a rather loaded question, so get ready for A List that Massively Overcomplicates What Should Have Been a Simple, One-and-done Affair! Ft. extensive reviews of all the series named. 

This is a very subjective list, but I do try and work in what is objectively high quality vs. what I simply Like (which imo is just as important in a genre that’s all about fluttery hearts and feeeelings!). Mild spoilers for Tanemura’s work ahead. 

#5: Full Moon O Sagashite

Cue gasps from the peanut gallery for what some (especially international audiences) might consider Tanemura’s magnum opus being ranked so low. Here’s the thing: if this list had been about objective quality, I would concede that this series is too good for just spot five. But since this is about personal favourites, FMoS still straddles the bottom of my own list of bests only because I read it in a time in my life when the themes of cancer! and death! just didn’t sit well when I had to confront those demons in real life as well as on the page. Such personal biases might have also explained why I never fully connected with the characters: Mitsuki, sweet child she is, felt too idealistic for a girl who’d been my age and going through similar struggles, like a distant fairytale princess. I loved and admired her but never fully stepped into her shoes, creating a disconnect the rest of the equally lovable cast could never overcome.

The “She Knew!!” Twist was a game changer in my perception of Mitsuki and the series, however, and the series remains a showcase of what Tanemura does best: classic-literature-worthy monologues, true-to-life humour (because no real life tragedy is all gloom and doom!), and breathlessly emotive art. It’s a love letter to and deconstruction of a tropey genre in equal measure; Full Moon takes the Pierrot idols by STORM in showing that transforming into a new body can mean more than just surface-level wish fulfillment for some in our society. Its shinigami mythology deftly communicates heavy themes without getting bogged down by irrelevant details, and the pacing balances its diverse plot lines without tonal whiplash—not an easy task to do so seamlessly when you really consider how ambitious and complex the series’ premise is. 

For one, it definitely runs the Tragic Back Story Gamut in a more organic manner than SHK, letting the past actually affect the present in a satisfyingly circular way. And the romance! If you squint past some of the more forceful scenes and the Takuto-age-debacle, it’s got one of the most wholly original main pairings around, swoony and engrossing because of the tragedy edging in on the sides and the Found Family aspect, but also because you’re never quiiiite sure until the very end if you’re getting the happy ending less creative shoujo setups promise. And, confession: even though FMoS is #5 here, I actually like its anime adaption better than my precious KKJ’s. It had music worthy of its source material and changes that didn’t completely uproot what the illusively elaborate manga stood for. 

#4: Time Stranger Kyoko

TSK could have been good. Like, really, really good. It’s an exercise in What Could Have Been, if only the editorial staff had given the series a chance to settle into its voice, yes, but also if Tanemura had exercised more focus and constraint in her execution of this weird, weird tale’s starting chapters. I’ve heard reviewers call it confusing on a worldbuilding level, and I’d be inclined to agree, but the logistical ramifications of its admittedly scattered lore are captivating. The details of the Earth Kingdom’s technology and governing system might be questionable, but the details Arina embeds in the relationships between the central love triangle, the intersections of the twelve strangers’ side stories with that of the main one (the witch story in SDC, actually Yume’s story upon conception, is proof of how lovely even the stories we never got to see were D:), and the heroine’s unconventional personality (they say they cut the series short because of her?! every complaint about Tanemura’s heroines being too heroic, too candy-like should be addressed to the editors that shut down Kyoko—the girl who struggles to connect with the tragedies in her friends’ lives because she’s never experienced strife like that and can’t will tragedy upon herself or anything! That’s. So. Relatable. To readers! And relevant to the very tropes Tanemura plays with! AUGHHHH!) elevate the manga waaaay above your standard MacGuffin Hunt, which could have been interesting in itself when you have all of time as well as space to explore. The fact that the rushed ending not only makes story-sense but feels emotionally satisfying, like you wouldn’t even have guessed there was that much behind-the-scenes drama to what’s presented, proves Tanemura’s talent as a storyteller.

Still, you can’t give an award to the imagined greatness of What Could Have Been, and Tanemura’s storytelling wasn’t entirely faultless in inciting what was essentially the series’ cancellation. As entertaining as they were, characters like the thieves and Chocola detracted from the story’s forward momentum and frankly made the series strange in ways that weren’t creative but rather just uncomfortable. The inexplicably incessant focus on the harassment of the teenaged girl characters unsettled me—odd for a series that contains one of the sweetest, most consensual pairings in Arina’s career. 

Kyoko and Sakataki, as a couple but also as separate characters, saved so much else about the series for me. The brash, lazy princess and her stoic, loyal knight...They’re such well-established characters that even with the mounds of untold chapters, you can sort of fill in the blanks on what their love line and separate characters arcs Could Have Been.

And also, since this is a list of my self-indulgent personal favourites, I just really love elementalists and twins, y’all. TSK has BOTH elementalists AND twins, PLUS angsty brothers and secret royalty trying to blend in in high school (it was only the first chapter, but whatever). TSK checks so many of my boxes. That’s why it ranks so high despite its flaws.

#3: Sakura Hime Kaden / Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura

Full disclosure: I grew up with Asian period dramas, with its stunning sets and sweeping costumes. Sometimes they had demons and magic swords. Sometimes they just dealt with the cutthroat machinations of palace politics. Either way, I loved them, and so how could I not love Tanemura’s take on the genre with a series that deals with BOTH?!

SHK’s pacing gets so muddled later in its run you can see the boom mike and stunt wires trying to very mechanically drive the once-promising series to an abrupt end, and the lack of very distinct features in the main character’s personality made it hard to sympathize with her as her destructive fate came into fruition…

but Y’ALL. As a period fantasy and romance and showcase of East Asian myths and even as a shounen manga, something the series is technically not, it is a MASTER CLASS. Tanemura excels in taking what you expect and not so much as stomping on those expectations as much as perfecting them and filtering out the impurities holding them back. Tanemura’s art is also at the top of its game here; the drama and dynamism her detailed style and heavy screen tones deliver fit the series like a glove. The perfunctory bumps along the way to the expansive legend Arina is trying to tell are disregardable in light of how epic and original this series is. With its massive cast of demons and royalty and everything in between, it tries to do a LOT, and for everything it does wrong, it does twenty other things right—and most of the time, it’s the first to do it, in what might be the only period-magical girl series out there.

Its strengths are especially evident in the first three volumes, before the story is bogged down by the Princess Rescue arc, which caused a halt in forward momentum that the series never really recovers from. These starting chapters are perfectly paced, with gorgeous worldbuilding (the soul symbols! what a clever character device!) and deliciously dark stakes that seem to get higher and higher without running out of steam—and we haven’t even met our main villain yet!

As interesting as the main villain is, though (I absolutely despise him but understand where he’s coming from—finally, Arina has broken the Weak Villains curse she and the MCU had both been cursed by), the introduction of him and his demon posse bloats the series to the point where, like TSK, we get sad about What Could Have Been because a lot of what these beginning chapters achingly builds up to, like the xenophobic tension between the emperor and the demons, or Asagiri’s character arc regarding personal sacrifices, falls to the wayside in favour of later, less promising developments.

BUT STILL. Those beautiful transformations. The unconventional way Sakura and Aoba’s swoony romance unfolds (even if the Yuri arc was misplaced). The lush costumes and backdrops. The breathless revelations Tanemura doles out with ease throughout...SHK is severely underrated in the overseas fandom, in my opinion, and I highly implore everyone to at least give the 12-volume series a try, especially now that the series is complete and you won’t wreck your heart agonizing at the cliffhangers between the chapters. If you think you’ve grown out of Tanemura, SHK might just change your mind. It’s dark without being cynical, with a heroine who proudly exclaims that she loves the sensation of just BEING ALIVE even as the world collapses around her. Maron and Mitsuki would be proud. 

#2: The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross / Shinshi Doumei Cross

In the grand tradition of Hana Yori Dango, and the Heirs and Gossip Girl-types that followed, GAC is a story about the dramatic lives of rich kids at a rich school, with Cinderella imagery to boot.

But this is an Arina Tanemura series, so YOU KNOW it’s going to take the outdated, melodramatic clichés that plague such seemingly unintellectual stories, like birth secrets and arranged marriages, and turn them into something new and deeply meaningful…just like how the Fairy Godmother makes magic happen with Cinderella’s old rags.

The junk-food quality of other (to borrow a word from Korean dramas) “makjang” Cinderella stories is still there, to ensure maximum entertainment and enthralment, but with SDC and the surprisingly deep themes it has to convey, we discover that it was never the genre itself or even its well-worn tropes that was lazy—it was the previous writers, who could never quite pace character arcs or plant plot twists in the masterful manner Arina does. Ouran takes standard shoujo tropes and parodies them. SDC makes a convincing argument defending them by showing how, in the right hands, these devices can work and work well without irony.

Is the series unrealistic? Sure, but instead of treating it like the simplistic slice-of-life it was never meant to be, read it from the lens you’d use for a lore-heavy fantasy novel or palace drama, and you’ll see the genius in Arina’s intricate storytelling, ambitious themes, and breathtaking academy politics. It’s got surprisingly nuanced messages to convey about relationships of all kinds (not just romance!) and enough self-respect to never repeat a plot line, never let a character remain a stereotype, never let the story be as simple as “plucky girl falls in love with cold heir”… The situations the characters are thrown in may not be familiar to us, but their emotions always are. These emotions bounce off the page and speak volumes even when we’re reading between the lines—even when they’re so heart wrenchingly, humanly complex only one of Tanemura’s transcendent analogies could do them justice.

SDC is shoujo at its best: fluffy and fun, but even when your heart gets on its rollercoaster to sink and fly per a wave of Fairy Godmother Tanemura’s magic pen, your brain comes along for the ride. You get as much out of SDC intellectually as you would emotionally—and that’s a whole lot.

(Now if only I could get that live action adaption!)

(Also, btw for those who haven’t read it, SDC is a little funky with its LGBTQ+ representation. It’s there (I saw my bi daughter Ushio’s cameo in idol dreams the other day, and CRIED), and it’s mostly positive, but definitely a lil tone-deaf and misguided. Just a forewarning. This is also partially why this series isn’t #1.)

#1: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne / Phantom Thief Jeanne

I don’t really need to write a blurb on why I love KKJ, do I? This whole blog, despite it being my personal, already feels like a 7-year-old shrine to the series. I’ve talked a bit about my relationship with the series here and here. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve ever divulged on Tumblr how important this series is to my very core, however: at a time when I was having the darkest of thoughts and my family came tumbling down around me, I took solace in reading and re-reading KKJ. I looked up to Maron but connected with her as well; at a time when I felt abandoned, she showed me how to survive...because it’s ok not to thrive 100% of the time. You can see in Arina’s freetalks, for better and for worst, she really put her truest self into the pages of the manga. It remains to be one of the rawest works of fiction I’ve ever read–and thanks to KKJ itself, I was able to move on from that dark period and later interact with Pretentiously Serious Fiction in my academic career, but nothing’s ever quite hit the genuineness and vulnerability Tanemura expresses within KKJ’s 7 volumes.

Even when Maron’s lessons ended, the series introduced me to an online community that I can honestly say saved my life. The debt I owe to KKJ as a reader, a creator, and a living human being is immense. 

And that’s not even getting into how good it genuinely is, you guys. Even if you aren’t big on Tanemura’s nuanced approach to human feelings and sweeping universal truths about the human connection, you gotta admire the genius of her pacing. The series is so fluid, with no moving parts missing nor extraneous–a rarity in this genre. KKJ’s plot twists and character arcs unspool organically, with unmatched grace. Looking at some of the male characters’ actions, I’ll admit it’s not perfect, but the experience it provides very well may be. Dear reader, even if KKJ is not your #1, I hope your #1 book, song, film, whatever provides you with the same kind of sanctuary that KKJ was for me, way back when. 

As if this list wasn’t long enough, some honourable mentions: 

Almost made the cut: (Absolute awakening angels) Mistress Fortune It’s so cute! And does what it sets out to do so well! It’s a short, sweet romcom starring a magical girl duo...what more could you want? I used to agonize over how the side story left their feelings (Arina had promised to go back to them! She’d PROMISED!) but after having lived, loved, and learned past the duo’s age bracket, I totally get it now, Kisaki. I do. 

Now if only Giniro hadn’t been quite so forceful, and if the weight loss plot lines could have been dropped entirely...

Favourite oneshot: The Short-Tempered Melancholic I love both parts of this duology! Even if it’s straightup silly in what I think is supposed to be feminism, the romance is adorable and it’s ultimately inoffensive. Like with Kyoko, the well-crafted heroine and hero carry this one home, and I wouldn’t have minded an entire series just about them and those ninja hijinks. Runner-up for oneshots would be Shoujo Eve: 24 Hours. 

Favourite *new* Arina series: Idol Dreams/ 31 idream The pacing’s a little messy and the story’s logistics don’t quite click as well as, say, FMoS, but of the smaller projects Arina has taken on since SHK, this one’s definitely my favourite. Even with all of its cameos and references, it stands alone well enough as a good josei series, rather than a TanemuraTM series. As with KKJ, here she tackles subjects that feel personal to her, and the authenticity works.

Phew! That was probably more than you asked for, which is why I left this post until Reading Week to write. As well as a Top 5 list, I think this doubles as a Top Recommendations list–so feel free to message me if you’re interested in anything I listed! ;) 

[bitegore]

jdsfgsfdhjfdjfsdgdsfh yeah i do. i don't think it's formalized, though, i think that's just how their relationships work.

It is very explicit that Onslaught is in charge because like look at this guy, do you really think he's going to tolerate "onslaught has fallen, i, ....idk, vortex, now lead the polycule" bullshit from his teammates? absolutely fucking not. you start muscling in on His Spot and His Control and he will send you down to the bottom of the list in about four seconds flat and everyone will know because they play all sorts of stupid power games to keep everyone in line. Like

[vague gesture]

okay you gotta understand, like, any team that is going to contain Vortex and Swindle is constantly going to have to kind of babysit them to keep them in control. Both of them are absolutely not obedient at all and they love shaking off the reins. Pitting them against each other in order to attain status is a much easier way to keep them in line than it is to try and individually manage both at once. Pitting all four is an even more effective way to do it, because to attain power in a ranked list under an authority all you have to do is sell out someone higher on the list than you and watch them hit the bottom. And I think Onslaught is smart enough to realize that.

Also frankly the Combaticons are all fucking mean, and they have basically no status within the Decepticon Army. No one likes them, they had to be mind-controlled to stick around in g1, they're weird and unpleasant and sort of trapped on the outskirts so it's not like Vortex and Brawl and Blast Off can get their kicks pushing around, like, Dirge or some other low-level Decepticon. Keeping it inside the gestalt both decreases the likelihood of fatal and/or severe incidents (very bad on your record if you're supposed to have them on a leash) and means that they still get an outlet. and being rewarded for it by Onslaught means that they aren't gonna hide it from him so he can just clean up after it relatively easily.

I do not believe there's, like, a ranking board or anything but I do believe they all can tell who is in favor and who is in disfavor and how much of either they've got. The only thing stopping it from being like the original Evil Ranked Polyamory thing is that Onslaught's position, I don't think, ever changes.

also like lmao i dont think swindle would suggest it. it suits Swindle better not to have to compete for high ranks because he is really the least, like, Combaticonnish Combaticon, and furthermore he does better when he's not really under control or trying to play to anyone else's rules. A cutthroat environment of power games and subjugation will cut into his bottom line, lmao, he neither needs nor wants that. I could see it coming from Onslaught or Vortex, who both play social power games, but that's about it.

I mean, the obvious answer is the Combaticons, the combiner group that is both not actively kinda dumb (affectionate) and contains Swindle, but I feel like they'd possibly shoot down this idea because Swindle would suggest it?

Dschsgqhdjgs you make great points, anon, but I'm going to pass this to my Combaticons expert. @bitegore do you think the Combaticons would participate in evil ranked polyamory?

[247krp]

— Rejoice, little lambs! We have recovered our own Kim Jongdae, spotted prancing about in the Northeast Side. I remember seeing him with the Snake Nest back in high school, but I’m not here to spill yesterday’s tea. So straight to the rundown: can you say deceitful and nosy? Apparently now he spends time as a fashion stylist at KS Star Entertainment, and keeps skeletons buried at Banjeom Apartments, 603. But those won’t stay hidden for long, if you and I have any say on it. Welcome back, Hellcat; we missed you so.

TW: mentions of abortion, death, name-calling

In case you don’t remember the devil’s name, here’s to refresh your memory:

this no-name boy’s an ant among other students. a scandal could slap every one of them in the face and they’d still forget his name by mid-morning ( or first thing in the morning, if he was really lucky and they were particularly merciful about letting him fall with grace ). there’s no wealth, no power, no influence to build and command an army of his very own.

maybe it’s luck the nest takes pity on this nobody – he seizes the opportunity to rise above the royalty, the heirs-to-be, the iron fist rulers. maybe he’d make himself a god.

no, he’s a fucking google search engine of excuses for bailing fellow snakes out of binds. ( really, it’s his mistake for fantasizing too greatly. he’s still the ant here. ) they just couldn’t wait to bleed his gullibility dry; maybe it’s for his own good – that they’re tearing down a too-frail-for-this-life naïve boy and making, creating something bigger, better. they’re cutthroat. two creatures of the night. they prey after dusk. their words poisonous; dripping from their mouths and burning holes through flesh. forked tongues like knives. two snakes that mark anything and everything as theirs.

it’s a dangerous territory he’s stepped foot on, and there’s no going back.

he wants to believe, to delude himself that he’s the true threat of this bloodthirsty trinity.

but reality’s a lot grimmer and unforgiving.

he lives to please, lives to do as he’s told because it finally gives him a name to be called by.

besides, he’s worked too hard for this, and to lose it all now? they bleed him dry through the years and he learns he’s absolutely nothing. he needs them, just like they need him. they’re an unstoppable force together. and alone, they’re their own worst nightmares. he’s just a little too loyal, a little too forgiving, a little too ignorant to see them as the coldbloods they are. they’d take down all who cross their paths, or die trying. he hangs on to his rose-tinted glasses, tightly. it’s all that’s left in their destructive wake.

it’s a hush-hush secret between a couple of no-good snakes that plays like russian roulette. and no one can ever know.

Nevermind the memory lane though, the present is always the ripest fruit:

he’d much rather go back in time to warn his former self. the world’s falling down, and after all of that wasted effort for this young, hopeful, prosperous boy. the regret of fucking everything up and destroying monsters and destroying the future before it could destroy him is like an acidic taste at the back of his throat. bitter, bitter regret.

but, of course, he’d never admit to that.

admitting there’s a problem is admitting there’s something wrong, admitting that things are out of control, admitting he needs help.  and no, he doesn’t need help.

he surely can’t forget the poor students of cheongnam’s past shot down for their foolish reaching out to others. see, that’s where the strong prevail and the weak fall. mom and dad did do something right – helped build him strong. the world may be stone and gravel and dirt around his feet, but never will he crumble. ha! over his dead body will they take him alive. he’ll take his unwavering loyalty for those who never gave up on this no-name boy straight to the grave.

the bugs swarm his skin – his time is running out in this twisted game he plays. child’s play tempting fate and getting high off of the chase of cops is now a forty hour a week, nine to five job he must slave over. each time, the stakes raise a little higher. each time, there’s more to lose. each time, there’s more to gain.

it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. it’s itchy, it’s fire, he wants to peel the skin off. ( or better yet jump out of it because how can he even stand looking a monster in the mirror to see what he’s become )

down, down, down he goes. further, further, further he drowns.

it’s a fatal taste of bliss. he needs it. he’ll never fill this expanding void – endgame is self-destruction and ‘completion of the final level’ and ‘winner, winner, you have won! congratulations!’ it’s accomplishment, a sense of purpose, happiness, alcohol and nicotine and drugs to make the bad go away. he fears facing the cold, unforgiving tundra the world really is.

once a snake, always a snake.

But we are nothing if not open books – my job is to ensure you get to the best pages:

i.               imagine the glee, the relief, the pride of mom and dad when they conceive a lionhearted boy.

1992. the fragile lion isn’t given a chance to make something out of himself – not with bird bones weighing down upon him and crushing unto him. every breath is hollow, crackles like mini storms in his lungs. he fights a war beneath the surface and loses. mom and dad kill away pieces of themselves to bury with their soldier son who fought oh-so-bravely. 1993, rip.

1994. they can’t bring back the dead. it would haunt them. mom dreams wide awake of terror, of young boy flesh raining down upon her in bed. she isn’t relieved remembering that he’s safely tucked away six feet under. they can’t rewrite the past, but they can’t give up. what would devastate her more – a new baby girl, or murdering another of their kin?

the second’s a success. he’s no lionhearted boy.

ii.              oh, skeletons in the closet. hear them knock, see them run.

dad feeds his disappointment to mom and son alike. there’s something, well, different about this one. this one isn’t a prince born from their hopes. this one, dad says, won’t amount to much. there’s a certain lacking flair in the boy’s eyes for honor and drive to be the best. he’ll do, he’ll do, dad must remind himself.

the comparison of what who never was devastates a young jongdae. it isn’t jealousy; not when there’s no sibling to rival with, not when there’s no competition in their veins and challenge in their eyes to compete for the love and affection of their parents. there’s just a kim jongdae at war with a dead would’ve-been older brother having robbed his worth before even high school.

excerpt i. it’s time to face your fears

there’s nothing. it’s empty, he’s empty. mom left plenty hearts rotten with all of these i love you’s. as fake and phony as the cients of plastic surgeons. it’s cold, suffocating. mom and dad wrap the lies a little too tight around his neck. he lets them.

in darkness, the ceiling whispers this:

imagine when you were a kid and you played in the snow and you were so cold and tired, but you came inside and your mom had a blanket straight out of the dryer, and some hot cocoa, and a loving hug. the warmth, comfort, relief, relaxation, safety, and love. instant peace. feels like a sigh of relief. imagine the more times your mom welcomes you inside with a hug, cocoa, and a warm blanket, the longer you have to stay outside, and when you go out, you don’t have a jacket anymore, or boots, or gloves. each time you’re losing more and more insulation from the cold. the cold becomes so much worse. you get frostbite, you’re in physical pain, you just want to go home so badly. eventually there is no hug, no cocoa, no warm blanket; your mom’s not even there, and you’ve been outside naked crying in the snow, begging for it to end since you woke up. outside is your home now. what would you do to get back inside? you’re stuck trying to believe that this time your mom will be there with that warm blanket, instead of an empty, drafty room with nothing but a few walls to keep you out of the wind for a little while. no longer a warm sigh of relief, but a brief respite from the bitter cold that’s your entire life. you may act a bit reckless. playing outside in the snow becomes your life. inside is addiction. being clean is buying really good winter gear, and accepting living in an igloo, and being okay with your new life as an eskimo; but you remember what the indoors feels like, and sometimes you can see your mom, and a warm blanket, and cocoa through a window, and you know the door is unlocked. the longer you’re outside, the warmer it feels. how long until you open the door?

he dreams they’re on hands and knees, begging for his forgiveness, that it never meant to come out like that. he’s still suffocating, but he just can’t unwrap the scarf they made just yet. it’s warm, a reminder they exist.

iii.              open the door

it isn’t the same. the hugs suck the life out of him. dad’s tough love in scolding and punishment and why can’t you be like all of those other kids is murderous. he’s convinced.

2009. he enters hell high. ( he lovi ngly dubs cheongnam ) look hard enough, blood’s on the walls. listen close enough, shrieks echo through the halls. it’s a constant upstream battle to not defame the great kim name, to try his hardest to make dad proud, to turn a blind eye to the carnage a killer by the name of gossip girl leaves in her wake at school, to fill the void. he’s probably as empty and hollow as the stripped corpse of his dead brother.

2010. but that’s where one of his homeroom teachers from middle school comes in. she’s a gangly 170cm of perfection born from his mind. he  never paid heed to the extensive plastic surgery rumors. who’s he to judge when he’s wearing the skin of a dead baby – dad likes to remind him. ( dad insists he loves young jongdae all of the same. but all of the same? it’s not the same when he’s not a kim jongdae under their roof, rather a no-name spirit aimlessly wandering the rooms in search of whatever his fucking purpose is after all of these years. )

it ends up not being so bad.

numerous tutoring sessions are like this:

miss kang from middle school takes him under her wing, dotes on him, shows him what it’s like to be alive.

it’s wrong, what they have, but she teaches him it’s okay. it isn’t wrong, not if they don’t acknowledge it.

bits of jewelry, photos, a new phone, kisses on the cheek warm like honey and not like the ice of mom’s – all a lasting memory of the secret they share.

together, they build a world where nothing can go wrong; where the demons are unwelcome, where there’s no hurt, no pain. solace.

maybe he’s dead, too, and this is what being dead is like. being dead is being put out of his misery. no, her touches are real. her cherry-stained kiss marks leave lasting stamps on his skin.

so where did he go wrong? did mom at home go wrong?

dad’s disappointment becomes nothing more than a distant memory and scabbed-over wound.

2012. no one likes a snake. snakes are liked by nerds or aspiring biologists or something like that. snakes bite, crush, suffocate, devour, hurt, poison. but snake rolls nicely off the tongue. he finds himself at home with a couple of other snakes to share a nest. he’s invincible, they’re invincible. he’s not a failed could’ve been. ( miss kang’s drilled that into his head many, many times )

iv.             TIME’S UP

photos flood the internet. gossip girl’s sickeningly sweet and graceful in her murder of this boy. this little secret’s not a secret any longer. poor miss kang’s defamed, guns poised and aimed at her – firing slut, whore, dumb bitch, sex offender. and he? fake, two-faced, a bastard, garbage. he ruins a married woman’s life for his own selfish gain.

he needs it, he misses it. he needs those touches to make sure she’s still there, that she hasn’t abandoned him. he needs to hear her voice. there’s eternal darkness swallowing him. it’s empty, empty, empty. walls close around him, suffocate him. the memories hurt his head, burn his lips, bruise his heart. he can’t get rid of her, but she wouldn’t abandon him, right? he’s alone, scared. mom and dad are too far away. no, this is what death feels like. but he needs to fill the void! it’s eating him from the inside out and he might join hands with his dead brother in a ring-around-the-rosie into their early graves.

he needs more roses, needs more bracelets, needs more shoes. otherwise she might let go and disappear. so, so empty. he’s cold, lost, exhausted. he steals a card from a store. he smiles. the outside shows two stickfigures hand-in-hand. the inside, soulmates. it goes in the closet with all of the other stuff.

she promised to protect him, and this foolish boy clung to her like the lost child he always was, always still is. once again, a d rifting no-name wandering the streets, lost.

[jokeraugustocxi577-blog]

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6 Online Communities About Fallout 76 You Should Join

The video clip recreation industry is becoming a stronghold, not even a crippling financial system can convey down. At $64 billion in revenue a yr You will need to go else where by to find an impact of the overall economy now. Video clip online games have advanced from the trend to a beast which includes manufactured war with other hobbies and leisure to become a requirement in everyday life. Politics as well as other systems have built war, but none has slain this dragon. Considering that the shaky unpredictable starting of the primary industrial residence system to this mammoth reworking engineering; numerous merchandise have occur and absent around the span of 40 many years. But what's the fascination?

Spawning from your missile defense methods of the 1940's the main interactive online video game was manufactured in 1952 known as OXO. Employing a gentle pen it absolutely was much like Tic-Tac-Toe. University mainframes were being getting used to start with and many games ended up invented by persons for a pastime which intended that creation was minimum as well as the games ended up overlooked. Just about concurrently the arcade technique and residential console had been introduced and they released using joysticks. In 1971 the Galaxy Activity was set up in a pupil union at Stanford College and expanded to 8 arcade games in 1972. Then eventually color arcade programs were being released in 1979 and these games became commercialized. 1972 The Magnavox Odyssey property process was unveiled from the US, which employed cartridges (later on gets programmable) that utilised jumpers which enabled/disabled various switches inside the device, altering the circuit logic so various games could be performed on a similar program. 1976 game titles were being programmed on chips and inserted in plastic cartridges. Now in place of having video games programmed in systems there may be a library of online games.

Thriving for essentially the most innovated technology Fallout and possessing the most well-liked game titles all even though however producing a profit was an act that may confirm to get tough to juggle. In 1977 Atari 2600 (which began what is called the next generation consoles) was introduced by Atari And through the vacation period the company introduced nine games which served fuel the techniques attractiveness. By 1980 Mattel launched Intellivision with It truly is superior graphics this began the cutthroat company of online video online games. 1982 ColecoVision was brought into this boiling pot of Levels of competition of this new development. Whilst retail outlet shelves wherever full of these possibilities the business experienced It really is next crash in 1983 due to deficiency of purchaser know-how and a lot of selections. Quite a few consoles would arrive and go.

In Japan a comeback was on the rise by online video match organizations. 1985 Nintendo Enjoyment Technique(NES) was launched bundled with Tremendous Mario Brothers. Using a redesigned controller that employed a D-Pad and a few buttons NES was the muse for long term consoles. NES experienced a ten 12 months reign but video games demanding additional processing ability for graphics, video game Participate in, and conserving Room the battle for supremacy raged on. In the reign of NES numerous aspects and innovations gave hope and nervousness to gamers and developers. Although the net gave technique to multiplayer on line video games the home consoles organizations were being studying the most recent elements for his or her techniques. During the early 1990's Sega Genesis was introduced and slowly and gradually took maintain of markets, but sooner or later produced an effect. The rise of categorizing online games as genres, because of greater libraries of game titles and 3D graphics, created courts stage in and contend the material becoming distributed by these organizations. Their grievance "game titles were being far too violent and looked as well genuine". Very little did the courts know their final remark is what have been creating gamers hungrier For each and every launch. New guidelines by putting an age Restrict on who could purchase violent video games defused that struggle, but that wasn't the last war the online video video game sector would experience. 1991 Nintendo produced the Super NES and Sega's argument in opposition to it, Regardless that they each were 16-bit systems, was that Tremendous NES was way too slow. So, the formula for consoles turned terrific graphics, processing, and video game Enjoy.

Being moveable was An additional dilemma lifted through the industry which gave start to handheld units. In 1980 handheld LCD's came out, although not right up until 1989 when Nintendo released Sport Boy then moveable handhelds took maintain. When Sega and Nintendo had been in a battle of energy PlayStation made It can be debut inside the console market place in 1995. PlayStation launched with using cd's as an alternative to cartridges which became Yet another milestone and essential for your marketplace, but PlayStation continue to did not have assistance in certain markets and match organizations until finally they realised cd's held much more data and were being less costly to generate. This is able to result in counter act with their particular cd consoles. Nintendo sixty four was a success, but nonetheless working with cartridges the cost pushed video game corporations absent, and Nintendo started out losing recreation titles. Nintendo came up with GameCube a cd centered procedure, but deficiency of Grownup oriented online games and smaller library it was not as well-liked as PlayStation. Sega introduced Dreamcast in 1998 which has a created-in modem for on the net Engage in which pioneered online gaming with consoles, but failed.

PlayStation released PS2 in 1998 while with the sensation of not having a substantial competitor a remark was produced that might modify and propel the evolution from the video clip match technologies. "Video clip video game methods are the next computer systems" assisted merge the computer and video clip recreation consoles but retain them individual. Emotion threatened Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates, who is without doubt one of the richest Adult men on this planet, would department out from his Windows software to create Xbox in late 2001. His purpose was being the top gaming method and wouldn't end at any suggests. He had the finances to study and create. Bill applied his Computer system know-how for example Intel Processors and tough drives, and place it to make use of while in the Xbox While it had been a reduction for Microsoft, but that would secure his Windows model. With Xbox's graphics, hit activity titles, and on line gaming with the console having much income invested in them the opposite providers did not have the resources threatening computers any longer. Experience dominated in the home methods Nintendo and PlayStation focused on there handhelds. Each and every experienced their very own unique technology to keep them floating and evenly matched. Nintendo DS prospered with there touch display while PSP offered on multi use. PSP experienced these types of higher graphics that you may check out videos and play video games. Despite the fact that handhelds did not rise above consoles there remain markets exactly where they prosper thanks to there portability. Microsoft unveiled Xbox 360 in November 2005 although PS3 strike the selves before long soon after. The two environment the know-how typical for systems, the two featured superior-definition graphics, substantial disk drive-based secondary storage, integrated networking, plus a companion on-line gameplay and profits System. PS3 debuted greater in Price tag as a result of Blu-ray and Wi-Fi technological innovation.

Nintendo came again with drive by introducing the Wii late 2006 because of the motion controller's even though critics thought it could fail. It also was reduced in specifications, but Yet another progressive invention held Nintendo in the sport. The car and mobile phone marketplace was invaded with the video video games growth. Cars went from owning techniques personalized in-built to standard away from manufacturing unit. Cell phone went from having pre loaded game titles to with the ability to obtain from on-line which took a bit of guidance from the handheld organization. Even with these new toys the general public was still left in shock as a consequence of Nintendo Wii's participant conversation, but Xbox and PS 3's online multiplayer motion even now experienced a terrific keep. While PlayStation tried to reinvent the wheel with their very own movement controller PlayStation Transfer in 2010. Microsoft went by using a knock out blow by releasing Kinect for Xbox 360. Kinect is actually a motion sensor technology that makes use of no controllers. These movement units have unfold the fascination from teens and youthful Grown ups towards the aged who will't bodily participate in athletics, The genres now include sport Health and fitness for people who can not manage fitness center membership, senior centers and community centers. It looks far too early to inform how efficient Microsoft and PlayStation could be versus Nintendo seeing we have been only inside the 3rd round in a very twelve round 3 way struggle. January 2011 will show who reigns supreme when the revenue from the holidays are calculated.

It appears as this field evolves that science-fiction novels our grandparents browse are coming to daily life. Just like how human cloning and Room travel was imagined but wasn't understood right until many years later on, I ponder if and when warp zones or molecular separation are launched who will find it. Can be a worm gap going to transport players in the future when they're challenged to a virtual actuality battle? Another thing is for certain and that is individuals comprehend the solutions in existence along with the games which they assistance. It wont be a purchaser difficulty producing the subsequent movie sport industry scare. The technology that's frequently modifying has peeked the curiosity of thousands and thousands.