#STOP TESTING NE GAME

[buckyalpine]

Request 👉🏼👈🏼 ? Black widow!reader and winter soldier!Bucky! He was her teacher in the red room, where they eventually fell in love and started a secret relationship, until Hydra and Dreykov found out and separated them. Fast forward several years, Bucky’s out of recovery, reunited with Steve, and living a better life when Tony brings in a new team member. And everyone’s excited but Bucky’s on edge and kinda wary until he learns who it is.

It’s his lil widow, the love of his life, his soulmate. the one Hydra and the red room stole from him, the girl he kept dreaming about no matter how many times his handlers tried to wipe his memories. Just complete fluffy, smutty, love sick shit with him being a massive simp for his deadly girl. maybe building a family, getting married, drabbles of him drooling over her skills or her in the widow suit, like oh yea, I taught her that. I can imagine him being so overly protective, constantly holding her close to his chest because she was stolen away from him once, he won’t survive if that happens again.

YESSSSS God this is so cute and smutty and angsty and FLUFFY it makes my chest itch in the best way. Pls ignore what google translate may have botched. Bucky is the cutest, horny, most deadly simp here, so proud of his girl, absolutely yes.

"ne proyavlyay miloserdiya, soldat" [Show no mercy, soldier], Dreykov hissed, letting the soldier enter the red room with a single widow standing before him, not an ounce of fear in her eyes. The soldier grunted, hitting the button that locked the door that kept her from escaping before lunging forward, testing her agility after personally training her himself.

She leapt over him with ease, bracing her hands on his wide shoulders and landing swiftly behind him and swiping her leg under him to knock him to the floor, straddling him immediately after. He grasped her hands in his, rolling over till she was pinned under his large mass with her wrists held together above her head in his metal hand.

"You've learned well kotenok" His voice was husky behind the mask, blue eyes sparkling while she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Nespravedlivo, kogda ty takoy bol'shoy, soldat" [Not fair when you're so large, soldier]. She gasped feeling him harden on top of her, his rough uniform doing nothing to hide what he was feeling for her, slotted between her thighs.

"Nespravedlivo, kogda ty takoy krasivyy, kotonok" [Not fair when you're so pretty, kitten]. He climbed off her, allowing her to get into position before attacking again, relentlessly throwing punches and blocking them till she nearly collapsed. They retreated to stand at attention at the sound of the doors hissing open, indicating training was over. The soldier grunted a nod as Dreykov walked in, assessing the widow, a sinister smile plastered on his face seeing both of his assets worn but still at their strongest.

He sent them off to their cells, confident that the fear he'd instilled in his captives would be enough to ensure they stayed in line, not realizing his punishments would only go so far.

It wasn't enough to stop the charming young man from Brooklyn who still lived in his most feared asset.

"Did I hurt you baby" The soldier whispered, kissing her bruised knuckles softly after sneaking into her cell, pulling her into his arms.

"You could never" She smiled, melting into his embrace. She never intended on falling in love with the soldier but here she was, feeling his gentle hands wander, leaning up to kiss his soft, pink lips. They were playing a dangerous game but it was to stop now.

He loved her.

She loved him.

-

"Wipe him" The hydra agent ordered while the soldier gripped onto the chair, gritting his teeth while sharp burning spread through his body, frying his brain. The widow dug her nails into her palms, resolve slowly crumbling seeing the love of her life tortured, unable to hold back anymore.

"Stop!" She finally broke, unable to watch any longer, gasping at the sinister smile Dreykov gave her, ordering his men to grab her before increasing the voltage.

"My, my, does it hurt you when we hurt him" Dreykov sneered, turning up the dial, Bucky's screams tearing her apart on the inside.

"Don't-AH-JAMES" A hydra soldier gripped her hair, yanking her back before she could go to him, shackles binding her hands together, dragging her away.

"kotenok" [kitten] The soldier sadly whispered, unheard by her, her kicking and screaming form blurry from his unshed tears. He screamed in pain as another shock ripped through his veins before the world went black.

He never saw her again.

-

Bucky gasped, sucking in a deep breath of air, his chest heaving from the dream he'd just had, sweat covering his chest, dripping from his forehead.

It was the same thing almost every night.

His mind replaying the same thing over and over again; training with her in the red room, the way she felt under him, the way he'd cuddle and make love to her afterwards without a soul knowing. He didn't plan on falling for the woman he had to train to be a killer but he didn't stand a chance the day she'd knocked him down with a knife pressed to his neck seconds later. He could have married her then and there.

He slumped back against his pillow, running a hand over his face, groaning in frustration.

In the several years, he'd slowly managed to get his life back together. He was apart of the team and living at the compound with Steve and the others. He was no longer controlled by trigger words, he had been forgiven by the government, he was starting to recover from all the trauma he'd endured. His nightmares were less frequent, slowly learning to forgive himself for the things he'd been forced to do under Hydras control.

The only thing he never got over was her.

She still lived in his dreams. Still owned his heart. That was his girl and she was torn away by the very people that had taken everything else from him too. No amount of wiping or torture took her away. His handler tried his hardest, shocking him till his nose bled and his veins nearly burnt to bits but her name would fall from his lips as he lay nearly unconscious.

His sweet widow.

Bucky glanced at the faint light starting to stream through the curtains, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed to get up instead of attempting to sleep for 5 more minutes. He threw on a hoodie and some joggers, making his way to the gym to punch his feelings away as usual. He didn't stop till his knuckles split, ignoring the sting, instead thinking about how he'd kiss her soft hands after he'd train her, bandaging them up when no one was looking.

The hot water from the shower did little to ease the tension in his muscles as he made his way to the kitchen next, plopping onto a stool with a cup of coffee. He was just about to try and relax with his coffee until Steve popped his head in with a grin.

"There you are! Tony was looking for you, we're all heading up now!" Bucky frowned in confusion while Steve grabbed his own mug, filling his cup.

"Why are we having a meeting" Bucky questioned, not willing to get up from his seat, his mind still preoccupied.

"He told you he scouted someone to join the team"

"I remember Tony going on about some new member" Bucky mumbled, not in the mood to meet new people, his anxiety only growing further. "That's today?"

Steve nodded, finishing up the last of his coffee while the brunette stayed glued to the stool.

"Buck, you coming?" Steve turned back to see a frowning Bucky, reluctantly trudging behind the captain while the others excitedly also made their way upstairs to the conference area.

"I heard Tony saying the new agent is scary as shit. Apparently he got his ass handed to him when he tried to test her and he was wearing his suit" Sam snorted while Nat smiled with excitement.

"Finally someone worth sparring with" The redhead nudged him while he shook his head.

"I'm serious! She's deadly deadly. I looked over her file, she's killed more people than you and Clint combined and half of those were hand to hand combat"

"What was the other half"

"Sniper. Like Barnes" Sam nodded to Bucky who was still disconnected from the others, his knee bouncing impatiently.

"We're lucky she's on our side" Steve mused, taking a glance of the file that sat on the table. There was no name or picture to go with it but it had a skillset record nearly put his to shame. "Jesus"

"You good?" Sam whispered to Bucky, noticing he was more closed off than usual, getting a tightlipped grimace like smile in return. Steve sat near the front, straightening himself up while the rest quietened down, hearing the sound of Tony speaking to someone as they approached the room. The billionaire opened the door, letting in the new team member first before entering himself with a large smile on his face.

"Everyone, this is-

"Y/n?" Bucky gasped, shoot up from his seat before Tony could finish, the other sharing confused glances between each other, watching the new team member and Bucky freeze.

"Wait, Barnes, you know-

"Malyshka, eto pravda ty?" [Babygirl, is it really you?] Bucky gasped, his heart hammering against his chest, tears already threatening to spill out. "kotenok, skazhi mne, pozhaluysta, chto eto ty" [kitten, please tell me its you]

"Hold up, he can still speak Russian?" Sam hissed to Steve who hadn't moved, mouth gaping, eyes wide.

"James!" You darted across the room to meet Bucky half way, his strong arms catching and lifting you up with ease as your legs wrapped tightly around his waist. "moy soldat. YA zdes', moy malysh" [my soldier. I'm here my babyboy]

"It's really you" He whispered against your hair, breathing in your soft scent, eyes squeezed shut with tears streaming down his face, "My baby" He cradled you tightly, refusing to set you down while you buried your face into the crook of his neck, drowning out the rest of the world. After you were torn apart from him, you had been locked up in an isolated cell, only let out for select missions Dreykov send you on. You wanted to find your soldier, your James, but you never did with Hydra keeping him under their control.

Now you finally had him again.

"Ahem, as I was saying- This is y/n" Tony addressed the rest of the team, just as surprised as the rest of them with all eyes on Bucky especially. "She'll be joining us once Barnes puts her down"

"Never" Bucky finally pulled away, still holding onto you, his nose nudging against yours, "M'never putting her down, never, you hear me babygirl?" He pressed his lips onto yours, shamelessly kissing you hard, ignoring the whistles that filled the room, only pulling away for air. You let out a shy giggle as he set you back on your feet, his hand wrapped around your waist.

"I'd continue to introduce her but I think tinman knows her better" Tony snorted, throwing his hands up before taking a seat, all eyes now watching two of you while Bucky blushed, unable to wipe the smile of his face, cupping your face to press another kiss to your lips.

"This is y/n" Bucky finally let you go, taking you to the front of the conference room, now proudly showing you off to the other, "She was a widow with Hyrda, handpicked by Dreykov" Bucky sucked in a breath before continuing, giving your hand a squeeze "I trained her in the red room myself when I was still the winter soldier. That's when I fell in love with her" The last part was a whisper, not missed by the team with how lovesick Bucky looked.

"I'm sorry, you trained her? Jesus, no wonder she's deadly" Sam shook his head, now understanding why your file was so impressive. You were already gifted when you were picked, coupled with the fact that you were trained and conditioned by the soldier himself.

"She's fuckin' deadly, alright" Bucky's voice was nearly breathless, his baby blues intently gazing into your eyes. "You should see her with a knife"

That's when I fell in love with you.

"So what happened with you two" Nat prodded, looking at you two with heart eyes which was a rare sight but her heart melted at how soft Bucky was, struggling to keep his hands to himself. He constantly nuzzled into your neck, his large form practically swallowing you whole as he clung onto you like a child.

"They found out we were together so they took me from him" You gave her a sad smile, feeling Bucky hug you tighter; you could have sworn you heard him whimper. "I tried to find him for years but I couldn't"

"Hydra tried to wipe my memories but it never worked. Couldn't forget her" Bucky kissed the top of your head, not realizing his bestfriend was trying to subtly wipe his eyes.

"I was going to have everyone introduce themselves but I think these two have some catching up to do so let's move this meeting over" Tony clapped his hands while everyone else nodded in agreement, leaving you and Bucky alone for some privacy.

"I missed you so much, you have no idea, I-I tried to find you but I just- I could barely function, I'm sorry doll-" Your lips cut off Bucky's rambling, cupping his scruffy face firmly in your hands.

"You have nothing to be sorry about baby, it's not your fault"

"I-I know you just got here and-sweets I don't want to rush anything but-" Bucky's hand gripped your waist while he tried to compose himself, he didn't want to pressure you into anything. "I need you closer baby"

"Take me, soldat" You whispered, not giving him any room to second guess as he hauled you up in his arms, taking you straight to his room. Clothes were off in an instant between frantic and desperate kisses. Bucky didn't rush a thing as soon as he had you naked in his bed, pulling the sheets over you both, rolling over to cuddle instead.

"This is all I wanted" He whispered against your shoulder, kissing your skin, "To have my girl with me again"

"I love you Jamie" You kissed his bare chest, hitching your leg over his waist, his hard length pressing against your soaked cunt. He could feel his tip weeping feeling your soft body pressed against his, still looking just as beautiful, if not more now, from when he'd first met you.

"Prettiest widow" He growled, his wandering hands becoming less wholesome as they moved to your hips, pulling you to press against his erection harder. You moaned feeling him starting to hump your pussy while innocently kisses down your neck, smirking at how he was both sweet and sinful at the same time, just as before. "kotenok, ty mne nuzhen" [Kitten, I need you]

You remembered all the times he'd snuck into your cell for a few cuddles, which always ended up with his hand slammed over your mouth while he railed you with his cock.

"You feel how hard I am for you baby? Mmph, this is all for you, doll" He bit his lip, eyes locked with yours, rolling on top of you, slotting his wide body between your legs, still rutting his hips. "Can I make love to you baby, please" He sounded desperate, dropping his forehead to press against yours, hands coming to pin you against the bed.

"M'yours Jamie" You nodded, spreading your legs wider, not bothering with having prep you, needing him inside you more than anything else. You gasped feeling his thick cockhead rub through your folds before he breeched your hole, stretching you.

"Soldat!" You moaned, your back arching off the bed, the name rolling of your tongue as it had so many times before, your nails digging into his shoulders as he buried himself to the hilt.

"Take your soldat's cock, kotenok" Bucky growled, only giving you a second to adjust before he started to move with slow, deep strokes. "Lemme make love to my babygirl, ya tak sil'no tebya lyublyu" [I love you so much]

After Bucky had been rescued, he had no reason to speak Russian, letting the others think it'd been wiped away just like the words that controlled him. Around you, it rolled off his tongue with ease, your pussy dripping each time he whispered in your ear. Your eyes rolled back feeling him hit that spongy spot deep in your pussy, crying out with the powerful, deliberate snaps of his hips.

"M'I making you feel good baby?" He asked, kissing you sweetly, alternating between the sweetheart and heartbreaker he was, looking at you with soft puppy eyes while his cock grew harder watching your face twist with pleasure. His jaw was slack, thrusting with purpose, moving his hips to roll and let you feel every inch of him filling you up, "You look gorgeous with my cock in you angel, wish you could see how pretty you are, so beautiful like this"

"Oh god James! P-please-m'so close-dont-don-t stop" Your moans grew more salacious, unable to say much else, eyes shutting out of pleasure feeling his hand coming down to rub your swollen clit.

"I know baby, I know, you need me to rub this pretty button, Remember the first time I touched you there pretty girl? How badly you wanted to scream, how much you squirted all over me? Remember when we first made love? First time I tasted you? Remember how shy you were when I spread your legs open and nursed off that little button. How you turned into a slutty kitten, riding and humping my face after? Know your needy little clit loves it, m'gonna rub you till you're screaming"

"Buckyyy" You whined, your face feeling hot at the memory, remembering his growls from under you, turning around to find him jerking his cock faster while he licked and sucked your pussy, cum already painting his abs from cumming once, working to a second orgasm. He'd sealed his lips around your clit, stuffing his mask in your mouth to keep you from alerting the guards.

"Baby, c'mon open your eyes, look at me" Bucky nipped your jaw, his cold hand coming to grasp your cheeks, blue eyes staring into your soul as you opened your eyes, "Don't you dare close them baby, keep em' open when I'm fuckin' you, shit, m'gonna cum for you doll"

"B-Bucky!" You cried, struggling to hold off any longer, your juices soaked him as you started to clench and squeeze his cock, tears nearly streaming down your face.

"Scream all you want baby, don't have to hide those pretty moans ever again" He fucked you through your orgasm, his own balls getting tighter with each thrust, precum mixing with your arousal, dripping onto the sheets, "Thats-that-s it baby, m'gonna cum so hard for you, fill you up, you're mine doll, you're fuckin' MINE"

Bucky's hand flew to the headboard, pounding you into the mattress, moaning loudly, letting the wood splinter under his grip as he came, pumping you full of his seed.

"FUCK y/n" He gasped, collapsing on you, panting, burying his face into your breasts as he always did, turning into a needy baby as if he didn't rail your soul. You giggled, tracing your hand down his spine making his shiver, whining when you clenched around his sensitive, soft cock.

"My soldat" You whispered, carding your fingers through his hair, letting him latch onto your nipple, needily sucking for comfort. No matter how big, bad and scary he was, he always melted into a puddle for you, closing his eyes at the feeling of your sweet peaked nipple against his tongue.

"Never letting you go again" He whispered before falling asleep on your chest, arms wrapped tightly around you. "ty moya rodstvennaya dusha, malyshka" [you're my soul mate, babygirl]

"YA by proshel cherez vse eto snova tol'ko radi tebya, malysh" [I'd go through it all again just for you baby boy] you whispered, closing your eyes in the safety of his hold, meaning each of your words. You'd go through everything a thousand times over if it meant you'd have your Bucky back in your arms. Bucky sniffled, curling up with you, spending the rest of the day alternating between speaking sweet words and making you moan and cry over his cock until you couldn't move any longer. For the first time, he slept peacefully, not stirring once.

-

Ever since you'd come back, Bucky had turned into the biggest simp, alternating between acting like a menace and a complete lovesick puppy with no in between. It was worse when you were on the field, almost leading to Tony refusing to let you both go on missions at the same time.

"Oh god" Bucky groaned, seeing you step out in your sleek suit, the dark material clinging to your body, weapons strapped along your hips. You threw him a wink before running off to kick ass, his focus solely on you.

"Jesus Christ" He nearly moaned seeing you land a kick to an attacker before throwing you knife across the room, the blade landing perfectly between your targets eyebrows. "Baby, you're sexy"

"For fucks Sake Barnes, did you forget we can all hear you" Tony's exasperated voice crackled through, this not being the first time the soldier was distracted watching you fight. Sam and Steve snickered through the coms while Bucky shameless shrugged, still biting his lip, watching you move with ease.

"Have you seen my girl, Stark" Bucky sassed back, walking over bodies to grab you by your ass, squeezing it and smashing his lips against yours.

"Are you two fucking kissing?!" Tony sighed, hearing the sound of soft moans and smacking, "I'm putting you on a fucking leash, I'm getting you fixed Barnes"

"My naughty soldat" You giggled, pulling away, nipping your boyfriends pouty lip while he shook his head.

"Gonna be the death of me, pretty girl"

"You're both gonna be the death of all of us" Tony deadpanned, unable to understand how there was a man out there that was more horny and flirty than him. "I'm having Barnes neutered, for fucks sake I can see you drooling from over here"

-

Bucky was even worse watching you display your skills, his workout long forgotten while you sparred with Steve.

"Where the fuck did you learn that" Steve groaned while you giggled, holding your hand out to help him up while Bucky watched from the side with a cocky smirk.

"I taught her that" He threw you a wink, not so subtly adjusting his sweats.

"Of course you did" Steve huffed, surprised to find bruises on his body from where you'd hit him. "Jesus punk" He blushed heavily seeing his bestfriends raging hard on, scrambling away from the gym, knowing exactly what would come next.

The loud moans he heard moments later made him shake his head, happy he got out of there unlike the last time he saw the warning signs of a feral Bucky.

Aside from being more in love with you than ever, Bucky was also equally protective over you. He'd hug you with such care, always holding your head to his chest, his large arms covering you from the rest of the world, constantly fearing that even if he had you now, someone would come and take you away.

When he finally asked you to marry him, he paused several times, blinking through tears while down on one knee, your hand wiping his cheek, saying yes before he could even finish. The compound was transformed with flowers, candles with a small intimate wedding in the garden.

Steve and Sam stood by Bucky's side while Nat walked with you, your sweet soon to be husband biting back tears seeing his dream girl in her dress, the life he'd always imagine finally becoming a reality. When Tony pronounced you husband and wife, Bucky didn't stop kissing you till he nearly passed out, not a single dry eye surrounding you as he whisked you up in his arms.

-

Bucky felt a strong wave of emotion watching you flit around the kitchen, making his way over and wrapping his arms from behind, tucking his face into your neck. You blinked, feeling tears wet your skin, pulling away to find your husband sniffling.

"Baby, what's gotten into you" You cooed with concern, wiping away the tears that collected along his lashes, kissing his reddened nose. "Is everything okay?"

"Just-m'scared to lose you again" Bucky whispered, his hand coming to protectively wrap around your growing belly; you weren't showing much yet but he could still feel the little baby bump. "I can't loose you again angel, I can't go through that again"

"It won't happen Jamie" You wrapped your arms around his shoulders while he picked you up, setting you onto the counter before hiding against your neck again, hugging you tightly. "What's wrong baby, what's gotten you so scared"

"Can't believe I got you back. I got to marry my dream girl. We're starting a family, you're giving me a baby, I-it feels unreal. M'scared I'm gonna wake up and you'll-" He bit his lip, shuddering at the very thought, "You'll be gone"

"Baby boy look at me" You held his face again, making him look at you, "Would you ever let anyone take me from you again?"

Bucky looked horrifying, francially shaking his head, he'd burn the world to ashes before he let that happen.

"Never. Never angel, no one is taking you or our baby from me" He stated firmly while you hummed.

"See? I'll be just fine. I have my soldat" You whispered, melting against his chest. "No one can hurt me when I have my soldat"

Bucky finally relaxed, carrying you off to bed, his metal arm protecting your belly as he pulled the covers over you both. No one would ever take his little widow away again.

[ky-yk]

stand-in love (jwy x f!reader)

genre: fluff, angst || word count: 1k

author’s note: had this wony x reader fic sitting in my drafts completely empty bc i lost the original idea but thanks to this amazing (AND GAY) episode of love bites suddenly i can write again

you were known for a lot of things.

approachable, charming, and kind, you were everyone’s friend.

you were also quite clever: near perfect test scores, a continuous slew exemplary outputs used by teachers as “examples” for others (not without the scowls of some), and the eloquence that even the brightest minds envied.

you were a rational person. every move you made was calculated.

but you could not, for the life of you, remember what the hell was going through your head when you asked your best friend to be your girlfriend.

for practice.

in your messed-up head, it made perfect sense! you'd never been with a girl before, so why not practice for the real thing? you'd hate to be anything less than the best -- even more so as a girlfriend.

that would just be embarrassing.

so one day, while you and wonyoung were hanging out after class, you decided to pop the question.

"do you wanna go out with me?"

"huh?"

"f--for practice!"

nice save, y/n.

you stumbled over your words and waved your hands around as you tried to explain. "i mean, i've never been with a girl in that way before, you know? i don't wanna mess it up!"

she continued to eye you inquisitively, putting her fork down and leaning back against her seat. "and you think that going on a practice date is gonna help you?"

"it sounds stupid, i know," you sighed, putting your own fork down and leaning back into your seat.

"no no, continue. i wanna know where you were going with this," she urged you with an amused smile.

"you think that me dying alone is funny, wony?! man, what friend you are," you rolled your eyes at the girl while crossing your arms.

she looked at you, eyes wide and jaw dropped in disbelief. "i--didn't even say that?! wah, the gall of this one." it was her turn to roll her eyes.

you shook your head in amusement. "well, i was just thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea to go into it blind, you know? it's like a test; you've gotta be prepared!" you reasoned out.

"you're never beating the overthinker allegations, are you?"

"hey, it's a valid concern!" you semi-yelled defensively.

"i didn't say it was! it's just..."

"just?"

"a little overkill, don't you think? you can't just become the best girlfriend ever by studying or something -- it's not a test," she says.

you frown. "if you don't want to, you could've just said--"

"when did i say that, though?" she cuts you off.

"wait, so you would?"

"i mean, i don't see why not," she shrugs. "besides, you're paying, aren't you?" she asks cheekily.

"in your dreams, jang," you shot back.

"what date you are," she mumbled. you felt a small smile take over your features hearing the pout in her voice.

"anyways, just tell me when and where."

that was six months ago.

and now here you both were, cuddled up on the corner of your friend's couch while everyone else was seated around the coffee table playing some board game.

you looked over at your fake girlfriend, admiring her as she laughed at your friends' shenanigans before you poked her cheek. that seemed to catch her attention as she hums and looks at you like a puppy.

"i'm going to grab something from the kitchen, you want anything?"

"just a water, love," she replied.

"ne," you said taking the blanket that was covering you both off your lap and laying it on her.

once you were out of earshot, the group turned to wonyoung, faces ranging from confusion to surprise.

"love?" rei questioned.

"are you guys actually together, now?" leeseo asked excitedly, prompting gaeul to scoff.

"what do you mean, 'together'? i don't even like girls like that," wonyoung replied.

"sounded a lil too defensive, don't you think?" liz questioned.

"guys, let's stop ganging up on wony," yujin sighed. "that's for her to figure out."

"figure what out?" you asked as you walked into the living room, a glass of water in hand. "here you go, by the way."

"how this game works, y/n," liz chimed in, pulling a new board game out from under the coffee table.

"you wanted to play, wony?" you asked as you took a seat on the arm of the couch, looking down at her.

"nope, was just curious," she answered before she pulled you back into her lap by the waist. "besides, who's gonna keep you warm?" she continued, craning her neck to look up at you, prompting gaeul to fake vomit in the background.

you watched the girls play, unaware of your best friend's stare.

no way did they think we were actually together, did they? are we really that convincing of a couple? i mean, y/n is lovely, that's for sure. she takes care of me well, she's funny, and she's just so cuddly!

best friends think of each other this way, don't they?

slowly but surely, the girls started resigning and heading to their bedrooms for the night, leaving you and wonyoung in the living room.

"well, wanna head in for the night, wony?"

"no, i just wanna stay here for a while," she whispered. you leaned closer to hear her.

"why are you whispering, we're the only ones here," you whispered back. you note the proximity: breaths mingling with each other, noses barely touching, and her long eyelashes that you could individually count.

you also notice how her breathing seemingly quickened.

"no reason," she says, before leaning up and connecting your lips -- only for a second, though.

her eyes were hooded as she looked up at your wide eyes. that must've snapped her back to reality because her own eyes went wide as she moved to push you off her lap.

"wait wait, wony," you urged her but not before she pushed you away.

"i'm sorry, y/n," she whispered before going into her room and leaving you standing wondering what the hell just happened.

[desmond69miles]

i’m so fucking exicted for batdr to be released so im posting our beloved ink demon :) feel free to send in any and all requests for batim! i love wrtiting for the game and be super happy to fulfil any desires.

Monstrance Clock

synopsis: dark fantasies and desires wrenched your guts. what happens when you decide to indulge your inky lover into one of your scenarios? 

warnings: vaginal fingering, praise kink, hand kink, sir kink, bondage/bdsm, chains, size kink, double penetration in one/two holes, anal/vaginal sex, inaccurate Catholicism/christianity, bratting, dom/sub, slapping, face slapping, light sadism/masochism, overstim, squirting, breeding + creampie

also read on AO3: click here!

“Are you sure, darling? I don’t want to hurt you.”

"Are you sure you want me to do this, darling? I don't want to hurt you."

The lengthy demon said, crouching down in the process, inky claws holding a chain connected to your body.

"Yes, Bendy. For the millionth time, I want this. If you don't feel comfortable with this, we don't have to do it." A soft smile appeared on your face, the chains wrapped around your wrist jingling. It had been your long-lasting fantasy, some demonic force chaining you up, testing and teasing you, fucking you, trying to keep your composure while reading a book. It was bendy's idea to take it to the next level with you reciting the bible. Now that you had your very own (sex monster) demon, you built up the balls and explained your fantasy to the clueless demon. He smiled, well, he was always smiling. His shoulders slightly bounced up while he tilted his head, the tell-tale sign of his smile.

Your pants and underpants were already disgarded, only clothes you were dawning were a cream-colored button up, only a few buttons were fastened, nipples already budding through the thin fabric. Bendy had stationed you on your knees, your legs spread enough so his hand could easily slip down. Your hands had been tied against your back; ankles also chained to your wrists to prevent you from leaning to far to one side. "If you want me to stop, say stop. I don't want to hurt you." Your lover said, his hands now reappearing without the chain. The demons love for you was unmatched; his worry was constant. His fingertips soon ghosted over your stomach, moving up towards your breasts. Light goosebumps ran across your arms, back slightly arching. It was silly how little touch could have so much of an effect.

Bendy's hands stayed wandering, dipping down your hips before sliding back up, one of his hands going to place on the small of your back, the other rubbing over your breast. "Your beautiful, my darling. I'm so lucky to have a creature like you in my grasp." His voice was raspy, fingertips now moving down to the buttons, claws quickly shedding the fabric. The cloth fell open, boobs now exposed. "I'm undesevering, truly. You make this hell somewhat more like heaven." The hand that wasn't on your back moved to your chest once again, cold and inky fingertips rolling over the budding nipple. You reajusted your legs, knees starting to get sore from the hard wood floor. A whine left your lips when Bendy tugged lightly on your nipple. Despite being intimate countless times before, the feeling of his inky skin always felt foreign, gliding over your skin. It was a welcome feeling.

His head leaned forward, forcing your head to the side. A few months back you had learned that Bendy could open is infinite smile, what used to be a smooth mouth was replaced by many razor sharp teeth. He never liked to do it while you watched, but liked to do it against your neck. There was absolutely no doubt that the demon could easily tear your head off in one fowl swoop, the danger making your cunt throb and inner-thighs wet. Bendy's large tongue slowly slivered between his lips, slimey drool dripping from his mouth and onto your shoulder. He began to lick your neck, points of his teeth slightly digging into your skin. A trail of transparent ink was left on your neck, sliding down onto your shirt. A moan left your throat as his teeth scratched you, pricks gently digging down into your flesh. Your hips bucked up, cunt begging to be touched. The inside of your thighs were already wet with arousal, how badly you wanted to add Bendy's tongue and saliva to it. Although, your body was begging for it, Bendy only teased you, one of his fingers gently dipping below to graze against your clit. A whimper left your soft lips. "Please, Bendy. No teasing." The demon grumbled at your words, his other hand moving from your back up to your hair, giving you an affectionate pet. "Then that's no fun, huh darling? Be a good girl and take it for me." He whispered into your ear, a shiver running down your spine. Bendy's hand lowered again, fingertip gently rubbing against your slit. A soft moan left your lips.

He pushed his finger into your hole, going into about his first knuckle before pulling back out and traveling back up to your clit, gathering your slick on his finger. Bendy rubbed tight, small circles onto your nub, arms tugging against the chains. Bendy tutted, reminding you to stay still. You knew he was sensitive to noises, and were sure that the chains had caused an unwanted rattling and ringing in his head. You groaned at your husbands actions, head falling forward to rest on Bendy's shoulder. You wished he would just do more, just put his fingers inside of you. "Sir--! Please..." His teasing had unwinded you, a tight coil springing in your stomach. "Look at you," Bendy hissed, "Falling apart from such light teasing, whats got you worked up?" You knew what he wanted, you knew that he wanted you to submit fully and beg him beyond embarrassment, but deciding to be an ass, you put on a brave face.

Swallowing thickly, you prepped to be punished after this bratty act.

"Nothing; your teasing isn't working. To be honest, it doesn't even feel that good." You said, Bendy's head cocking. Oh. He saw straight through your lie, but still fed into it. You smirked confidently. Bendy had paused and took his hand away, watching you quietly whine and bite your lip. It took a lot to not tell him to keep touching you, to keep teasing you. You watched as his teeth morphed back into his infamous smile, head cocking to the side, fingers twitching. He gave you a look, a look that you hoped only you knew. One that he would always give you before...

Slap!

A harsh hit was delivered to the side of your face. A loud, shameful moan left your lips as soon as his hand collided with your cheek. It hurt, but it defintally caused a pleasurable tingle down below. "Who makes you feel good?" Bendy questioned, lengthening himself out as he stood. You hummed, flashing innocent and doe-like eyes. "I don't know." Smirking, you heard the demon growl before another hard hit was delivered to the side of your face. It made you moan, thighs trembling as you felt liquid gush down your thighs. God, the pain he had inflicted onto you made your clit buzz. Bendy sighed and tapped his foot, "And here I thought I'd be dealing with a good girl. Sit here, my darling." You watched as he walked out of the room, now left alone in the candle light. You sniffled and tugged on the chains, legs being squeezed by the cold metal.

Bendy had come back a few minutes later with a thick book in his hand, footsteps echoing in the empty room. "I know how much you wanted this, pet." He said, flipping to a random page and dropping the book in front of you. It was just now you realized that this is what he meant with the bible, referring to your ever-lasting fantasy. You hummed at the acknowledgement, looking down onto the thin pages. There were a few ink stains here and there, candle light dancing off of the yellowed pages. "Read, darling. Maybe you'll get a reward." Bendy said, crouching down once again as he tilted your head up, watching your expression. Brows furrowed, cheeks darkened, it made his stomach do flips. You licked your lips and took your head off of his hand, leaning down to look at the bible.

"Therefore, rid yourself of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander by going and fucking yourself." Fuck, what? You honestly hadn't meant for that to slip out. You picked your head up to look at Bendy, head tilted as he store at you. You watched as he picked his hand up, and you closed your eyes in prep for a smack, but instead a sweet rub was delivered to your face. "Such a naughty girl." Bendy rasped, "Telling me to fuck myself? A demon? Her superior? Clearly you don't know what your doing little girl." Now, he picked his hand up and slapped you. Not once, nor twice, but three times back to back. His fingers curled in your head, pulling your scalp back so you could look at him. "Do what I say, no buts. Unless you want to come out of here with a few cuts, no?" You moaned at the threat of him cutting you with his claws, fingers curling tight. Bendy let go of your scalp and you looked back down at the pages, huffing.

"Therefore, rid yourself of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of everykind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the lord is good. As you come to join him--" You paused when you felt a warm appendage wrap around your ankle, slithering up towards your inner thigh. You swallowed. "As you come to join him, the living stone, rejected by humans but chosen by god and precious to him, you-ah-you.." The tip of the tentacle flicked against your wet clit, another one soon sliding up your thigh to tease your fluttering hole. "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual houuusseah! A tentacle jolted itself all the way up in you, and while it was fairly thin, it was long, the black appendage curling up inside you. More tentacles were slowly wrapping itself around your body, a few going to circle around your chest, two others going to flick around your crotch.

You panted, back arching as you felt another enter you, this one thicker. If it wasn't for Bendy tapping on your cheek, you would have fully given into the pleasure. "R-right,, uhm... Oh! Into a spiritual house to-ah-to be a holy priesthood, offer--" You whimpered when you felt one push itself into your behind, wiggling around. "Ben-Bendy I can-!-can't read any--" You moaned as one pressed against your clit, another entering your behind. A total of four tentacles were inside of you, and three slim ones were squiggling around on your clit, a few wrapping themselves around your chest to toy with your nipples.

Fingers curling, you felt a tight coil pop into your stomach, legs tensing. "I-I'm gon-gonna..." Bendy soothed you at your words, fingers rubbing against your cheek. You looked beautiful in the candle light, body writhing as you whined and whimpered. Your first orgasm of the night was soon delivered, your husband trilling as he moved you into a more comfortable position, one lying down. You were still bound, legs held open by the chain. The tentacles didn't ease up, and if anything, you swore you felt more stretch you out. It wasn't long before overstimulation set in, another orgasm fastly approaching. This one had felt different, however. It felt as if you needed a different release, like you needed to pee or something. Squirting, you remember your sex ed teacher talking about it in highschool. You had only ever got yourself to squirt once before, the same heavy set feeling as it was back then was pressing on your tummy.

It almost hurt the way the tentacles bullied your cervix, pressing up against it and winding around it. On one special flick to your clit done by your husband a band snapped, liquid rushing out and drenching the floor beneath you, as well as your husbands hand. Bendy paused for a second, wondering what had just happened before repeating the flicking motion again, causing more clear liquid to come out of you. Your moans had nearly turned to screams, body convulsing as you despritly tired to close your legs. You barely heard Bendy grunt, his hands coming to place on your thighs, hips aligning with yours. Bendy almost felt bad that he was causing you overstimulation, almost. The way you convulsed and moaned had got him there, he just needed--fuck--you ground your hips up into the tentacles, causing a final snap in Bendy's abdomen, warm ink-cum shooting into your holes and all over your stomach and chest. A minute later Bendy waved the tentacles off, moving to place you in his lap, head resting on his chest. You were twitching, belly full of cum, some if it leaking down onto Bendy and the floor below.

"Your going to have to walk me through aftercare again... I apologize, darling."

vergilsladyfriend 2022. do not repost without permission. reblogs are appreciated!

[ashimagari]

Helloo, i would love to request about a chemistry engineer (or similar) reader x chishiya. He wasnt really curious about reader until both were in a game together and reader has a bag with chemical things that reader creates to defend against others. It could be in the tag game from s1, and ended up being impressed about this.

Pairing: Chishiya Shuntaro x gn!reader

TW: Mentions of Blood & Violence & Swearing

AN: My understanding of chemistry is poor at best, so forgive me anon! (I tried to stay out of the rabbit hole that is Wikipedia)

When Chishiya followed your figure into the arena, he thought this might be it. Meaning, the end. For you. You had both just stepped over the threshold of what Hatter was gunning to be Nine of Spades territory and by the sight of you, Chishiya figured you might just be another casualty of the Borderlands. 

It wasn’t ideal that he was here, preferring to leave the physically demanding tasks to those with a certain je ne sais quoi. But, he’d let the number of days tacked onto his visa deteriorate whilst he redirected his resources toward his plans to take Hatter’s stack of cards. For you, it was an opportunity to put the things you had been working on, building, concocting, to the test. It was a simple case of survival – outlive the so-called citizens – take them out in any which way. 

That was how you found yourself doubled over against the wall, desperately trying to catch your breath, to force down a few mouthfuls of oxygen before you had to move again. The citizens were fierce, not seeming to tire in the same way and they were constantly drawing closer. Another contestant rounded the corner in a show of flailing limbs and sheer desperation, her voice was muffled by the sound of nearing gunfire, but the message was evident enough. Run. 

She was tumbling to the ground, trying to get away, to your side. The clink of metal hitting concrete pulled your attention from the whites of her eyes – brass cartridge cases falling to the ground – the wail of an automatic rifle. She tried to cover the distance and all the while, you continued to back up, eager to keep the citizen in sight. Perhaps, you knew that she wouldn’t make it – that weaving through the spray of bullets was impossible, but you didn’t want to turn your back. She was flagging and you had retreated close enough to a corner to momentarily hide. 

At the wet sound of bullet coursing through gristle, you lurched, desperate to put a wall, at least, between yourself and the citizen. As you rounded the corner, your shoulder made contact with something firm, unmoving. ‘Fuck,’ you stammered, heart filling your throat. 

For a moment you wondered if you’d just thrown yourself into a second citizen – you wouldn’t be able to move fast enough to haul yourself out of such a situation. It was a contestant you’d seen in the opening stages of the arena. At first, it was as if he hadn’t noticed the force of your shoulder against his chest, his line of sight did not shift from the open space ahead. Before, finally, without removing his hands from his jacket pockets, he glimpsed down at you, still on the floor.

All at once, your thoughts seemed to catch up. If you allowed the citizen a second to close, you weren’t certain you’d be able to pull someone else through the chaos and you weren’t sure what this competitor’s plan was. You didn’t allow yourself to think, for him to argue, already moving to your feet, your fingers blinding searching for his own. Chishiya might have resisted if he hadn’t been quite so surprised, but you were running and pulling him before his thoughts could entirely catch up. It was difficult to hear, between gunfire and the sound of your ragged breathing, but he strained to listen: ‘We have to go – he isn’t stopping.’

When you paused a little distance away, you immediately dropped Chishiya’s hand. For a moment, he tensed and untensed his fingers, your touch had been warm, unfamiliar. He watched, silent, except for the slight lift of his chest, as you knelt on the floor, shrugging off your backpack on the way down. You unzippered it, pulling it wide to reveal the contents inside – glass vials tinkered against one another and liquid levels wobbled. 

‘If we can lure him to the lower level and I can get above,’ you said, eyes focused on the contents of your backpack, ‘I can take him out. Or at least slow him down.’

Chishiya crooked his brow – part of him wanted to lean over your shoulder and glance at the things you were fiddling with. Even if he hadn’t once been a doctor, he would have recognised the pictograms attached to the flacons – you’d just jogged through gunfire with an exhibition of corrosive and acutely toxic chemicals slung over your shoulder as if unbothered. This close, he could smell gasoline – maybe it had been on the ends of your fingers, maybe now it was on his skin. 

‘I have concentrated Oleoresin Capsicum, but it won’t last long,’ you said. Finally, you glanced in his direction and met his eye. The expression on his features, the lack of frantic questioning, and the steadiness of his hand, told you that he almost understood. 

‘It’ll take most of what I’ve got – sulfuric acid,’ you continued, attention returning to your rucksack. Something about looking at him for too long made your face prickle with heat. ‘I have ethanol and a lighter, somewhere.’ 

Chishiya nodded along, part of him wondered if he’d been better off if you’d stumbled into just about anyone else. But, there was something distinctly fascinating about what he was seeing. Perhaps you were as out of place in the Nine of Spades arena as he was, but you’d adapted and whatever you had been before entering the Borderlands was keeping you alive. 

Something about this sort of warfare was just about bearable. From a distance, Chishiya could throw the vials handed to him. Maybe it was the safety that being two floors above provided or the fact he never saw the face of the citizen through the screen of a smoke grenade, that made it tolerable. 

It’d be a couple of hours before your eyes stopped streaming from smoke and chemical vapours, but you were relieved to have made it through. Chishiya lost you in the thick cloud wafting from the burning body of the citizen and for three days, his throat scratched and his chest crackled and the idea of you seemed to stick around. It wasn’t until he found himself standing in An’s makeshift laboratory, eyeing up the vials and chemicals stacked on the shelf, that he considered the possibility of wanting to see you again. His interest had been piqued at the very least. He took a flacon from its place and looked at the bottle, he thought for a moment, before tucking it into his jacket. Perhaps it was something you could make use of. 

[consolefixer]

July 28, 2024:

Recently, I picked up a Japanese Nintendo Famicom top loader from eBay. This Famicom console had the HDMI mod and I decided to add to my collection. I have already tested both NES (w/ adapter) and Famicom games, and works without issues. If you want to check out some game clip captures, I will post on my YouTube channel tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by! #nintendo #famicom #retrogamer #nes

https://youtube.com/@console_gamer416?si=0hecRBR92noBl4lL

[spinningbuster98]

Castlevania (NES) Part 2: Old school sclerosis

Is Classic Castlevania gameplay outdated?

I think that many newcomers might immediately say yes. How can it not be outdated? It controls super stiff and it’s bullshit hard!

Not to play the part of an old school elitist telling others to git gud, but those stiff controls? They’re not the product of their time, they’re intentionally made that way, they are largely the point of this gameplay

First off: this game was made in 1986, the first Super Mario Bros came out a year earlier and allowed you to control your jumps in mid air. Mega Man would come out just a year after and it also has mid air jump controls, so this can’t be a case of “old NES era limitations”. Even if it were then how would you explain the games keeping these controls well after Super Castlevania 4?

The reason the Belmonts can’t change the direction of their jumps mid air and can’t whip in more than a single direction is the same reason why Mega Man can’t aim in multiple directions or why Sonic can’t stop on a dime in the Genesis games: these are intentional limitations that work in-tandem with the level design and enemy placement in order to provide the player with a specific challenge. You can’t aim in multiple directions in Mega Man so you have to aim very carefully and make use of your other weapons. You can’t stop on a dime in Sonic because the focus is learning how to make the physics-based gameplay work to your advantage.

The reason why the jump is so stiff in these games is because the games want the players to be really precise and meticulous with their jumps, while also being very precise in regards to how you deal with enemies: you’ll notice that your whip attacks aren’t instantaneous, there’s a brief wind up before it hits which not only makes each hit have more punch imo but it also serves to test the player’s timing in a subtle way: if you just spam the attack button you’ll get inconsistent hit rates, you have to time your button presses precisely in order to execute attacks at a fast rate, following a sort of rythm. Keep in mind: this idea of purposefully delaying the player’s attack in order to force them to find a rythm of sorts is still used in games today, like Dark Souls

The Classic Castlevania gameplay is not outdated, it’s about tough as nails platforming and combat that requires precision, quick reflexes and for the player to find ways to circumvent the limited movement. Make no mistake: everything can be avoided and defeated with this control scheme. That’s not to say that if you don’t like it you’re a disgrace to the series’ name or “not a real gamer” or anything like that, I’m just saying that not every design decision of old retro games was due to an “outdated mentality”

... that said however the original Castlevania is indeed pretty janky at times by virtue of still being a mid 80s game

Sometimes the enemy placement is just straight up unfair, especially whenever stairs are involved: these are another intentional design element, with the fact that you can’t jump or off of them thus having to carefully maneouver on them while dealing with enemies...but when you’re dealing with enemies that have pretty much random patterns like those bone throwing skeletons and with the fact that sub weapons will often refuse to activate while you’re climbing some stairs since the command to activate your sub weapon requires you to hold up on the D Pad and that’s also what you do to climb them

Then there’s the bosses

I must give credit where it’s due: these guys have lots of personality for the time. NES bosses back then were usually not very special: Mario just had you throw Bowser in lava about 8 times. Zelda just had you fight random monsters before you finally reach Ganon. Castlevania actually features completely unique and memorable bosses for each stage a whole year before Mega Man and the fact that they’re all iconic horror monsters definitely helps out

But the actual quality of the fights leaves a lot to be desired: the giant Bat is a joke but ok it’s the first boss. Medusa won’t even know what hit her since she’s the only boss vulnerable to the Stop Watch

The Mummies of Stage 3 are where shit starts hitting the fan: these guys have no real pattern that I know of, they just lumber back and forth randomly and throw bandages at you making the process of dodging them almost impossible. Frankenstein’s monster is even worse: the Creature itself will just go back and forth like a moron but its little helper will start hopping all over the place at complete random and its invincible! This is where the tried and true Classicvania strategy starts shining through: when in doubt douse it with Holy Water

Holy Water, in these games especially, can be disgustingly OP, thus making it the best weapon against the bosses. However using it against them will often require you to do a no-death run of the stage since you usually only find it at the start of the stage (and for the love of God don’t accidentaly pick up another weapon in the process, ESPECIALLY the knife), which can...certainly be an experience though to be fair here: the stages of Castlevania 1 are pretty short and there’s only 6 of them in total

Also Wicked Child is my favorite track in the game, more than even Vampire Killer, come at me!

[emotionalcadaver]

Late Night Study Session

Fandom: The Dark Knight Trilogy

Pairing: Jonathan Crane x OC

Summary: Jonathan and Vanessa try out a new method of studying for finals.

Series: Part 2 of The Shadow Game

Word Count: 1,735

Notes: Warnings for smut. This has been sitting in my drafts for months and I’m so sorry that it took me this long to finally get around to finishing it. I am not a doctor so apologizes if any of the answers for the medical questions used are inaccurate!

Main Masterlist

Previous Part • Next Part

“What’s the treatment for a Lithium overdose?”

Vanessa bit her lip. “Dialysis.”

“Good.”

A whimper echoed from Vanessa’s lips, back arched from her place seated in Jonathan’s lap, legs straddling one of his thighs, back pressed to his chest, both completely naked as his long fingers circled over her clit while she whined needily against him.

To be fair, this had technically been her idea. A way to spice up their late nights spent studying for finals. 

“For every question I get right, you have to take off a piece of clothing and vice versa.”

Jonathan had raised his eyebrows from his spot on the couch. “What if we run out of clothing before we run out of questions?”

She grinned wickedly at him. “That’s when the touching will come in.”

She tilted back so she could twist her head around to look at him, lips almost brushing his as she spoke. 

“Long term treatment for alcohol withdrawal?”

“Librium.”

She caught his lips with hers in reward, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and biting lightly. One of her hands slipped behind her to stroke his cock. His breath shuddered out against her.

“Benzodiazepine antidote?” 

She stiffened and felt him grin in response. Fuck. “Um…” Her brow furrowed in concentration, not helped by Jonathan’s fingers still lazily circling over her. The asshole knew that was a question that always tripped her up. It started with an F, she was sure of that at least. “Floxuridine?”

Jonathan’s lips twitched upwards. “That’s for cancer, Nes.”

“Fuck!”

He laughed softly as he pulled his fingers away to instead rest on her thigh. His hand came to clamp around her wrist when she tried to pull away from his swollen erection.

“Uh, uh, uh. Those weren’t the rules, Nes,” he scolded.

 Vanessa twisted around so that she was facing him, straddling his lap. Jonathan grinned up at her innocently while she glowered.

“You’re an asshole.”

“What? I thought that we were supposed to be testing each other?” His eyes glimmered with amusement as he looked up at her, head tilted to the side with a look of mock confusion on his face. Vanessa huffed and pouted at him. “That’s not gonna work.”

She pursed her lips, instead leaning forward to rest her head in the crook of his neck, lips pressed to soft, pale skin. She tightened the hand she still had wrapped around him, adding a bit of speed to her strokes. Fine. If he wanted to play dirty, she could play dirty. 

“Disorder with multiple motor and vocal tics?”

“Tourette disorder. Oh–” he choked as she added a twist every time she stroked down on his shaft at the same time she grazed her teeth over his collarbone. He cleared his throat. “What medication can be used for a patient with PTSD to stop or reduce nightmares?”

“Prazosin.”

His fingers returned to stroking her clit, sliding through her folds and gathering the wetness there. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“An adult man is afraid of flying. What is the suggested treatment?”

“Exposure therapy.” He cried out as she ran her tongue over one of his nipples, back arching. Those blue eyes wide and almost desperate. His cock twitched in her hand and she leaned back to narrow her eyes at him.

“Don’t come,” she ordered sternly. He bit his lip at that and nodded. She returned her head to its position on his chest. After a long moment of silence save for his heavy breathing, she looked up at him again. “Jonathan?”

“Mm?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me a question?”

“O-oh. Yeah. Um,” his brow furrowed and she had to bite back a smile. He really was very hot when he was concentrating on something. “The name of an abrupt onset of fear with symptoms usually peaking within ten minutes?”

“A panic attack.” Now it was her turn to let out a loud sound of pleasure, as he sunk a long finger into her cunt, crooking and moving it in pace with her own strokes along his cock. “G-od, Jonathan,” her hand not occupied with his cock traced the shape of one of his cheekbones.

“Thank wasn’t–wasn’t a question,” he choked out, even as he nuzzled against her hand.

“Smartass,” she whispered, replacing her hand with his lips, leaving little pecks all along his cheek. “Disorder with excessive anxiety and worry for at least six months?” 

“Generalized anxiety disorder,” he added another finger inside of her, but she didn’t have the mental capacity at the moment to remind him that he was the one supposed to be getting rewarded, not her. She continued to nuzzle at his cheek, one hand going to fondle and cradle his balls. She could feel an orgasm building up in her, teetering closer and closer with each thrust of his fingers. Jonathan was biting his lip with the concentration it was taking to not come in her hand. “Intense fear of a specific situation?” 

“A phobia.”

Something in Jonathan snapped.

“Fuck it.”

His hands were ripped away from her, and for a moment she was confused and almost hurt by the sudden departure, until he was gripping her tight, repositioning her on his lap, long fingers curling into her waist. One of her hands anchored itself on his chest, the other helping to guide him into her, his hands on her waist encouraging as she sank down onto him.

“Yes,” she breathed out, head thrown back as she halted, allowing herself the moment to enjoy being so full. Jonathan pressed warm kisses to her shoulder, nuzzling at her neck as he waited patiently for her to move.

Anchoring her hands on his chest, Vanessa began to bounce, setting a quick, somewhat rough rhythm. Jonathan’s hand palmed greedily at her thighs, squeezing the flesh. Tangling her hands in his hair, Vanessa pulled his head close, kissing him once on the lips before his head came to rest against her chest, eyes fluttering as he nuzzled at one of her breasts. His cock curved in just the right way to hit her in the most sensitive of spots, making her shudder, head falling back, hair flying everywhere.

Grinding down on him with every thrust, she whimpered at the friction on her clit, fingers tightening against his shoulders. Jonathan nipped at her collarbone sweetly, one hand remaining on her thigh while the other slid between her legs to massage her clit. Vanessa made a sound that might very well have been a sob, a hand flying up to clench in his hair and make him groan.

“You close?” she choked out, feeling as his cock started to twitch and throb. Her walls were starting to tighten and flutter, leaving him to choke on air and grab at her tighter. 

“Yeah.”

Burying her head in his shoulder, she nodded, dragging her teeth along his skin. Jonathan whimpered, back arching. “Good.”

Growling, he sucked a love bite into her chest, one of her hands clawing at his back while the other slid through his ridiculously soft hair. The heat was growing in the pit of her belly, tightening like a rubber band ready to snap. Jonathan suddenly leaned back on the couch, arm wrapping around her waist to pull her with him. They were pressed even closer together like that, and the angle of his thrusts changed ever so slightly in a way that had her eyes rolling into the back of her head, gasping his name where her lips were still pressed to his skin.

“Nes, fuck, Nes,” he chanted, putting a little more pressure on her clit. Her body tensed, muscles clamping down around him, back arching while her eyes squeezed shut, mouth falling open in a silent scream as she came. Jonathan groaned, bucking into her once, twice, three times before stilling with a soft moan, sheathing himself entirely as he emptied inside of her. His arms wrapped around her waist, their head burying into each other's necks as they breathed deeply, bodies relaxing into one another. 

When her mind finally stopped spinning with the haze of pleasure, she was aware of Jonathan stroking his fingers through her hair, kissing at her temple before massaging her back. Raising her head to look at him, though still keeping it rested against his chest, she smiled dreamily up at him, lips quirking at his disheveled appearance. His hair was sticking every which way, chest still slightly flushed, and a few love bites blooming across his pale skin.

He looked beautiful.

“What?” he asked, one arm wrapping around her waist to hold her close, the other stroking her face. Vanessa just shook her head.

“Nothing. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he pecked her nose. Snuggling more heavily against him, Vanessa let her arms drape loosely over his shoulders, eyes blinking sleepily.

“You think that it worked?”

“Hm?”

“The new study techniques. Do you think that they worked?”

Jonathan snorted. “I suppose we’ll find out,” his thumb continued to circle against her back.

“You wanna go get cleaned up?” she asked, stretching up to kiss his cheekbone. He sometimes got cranky when things started getting sticky.

“Yeah,” he winced slightly as he pulled his softening cock out of her, hand remaining on her hips to stabilize her as she stood. A startled yelp that morphed into a giggle left her lips as he suddenly tugged her back against him, looking up at her with those big icy eyes. “Hey, Nes?”

“Mm?” she stroked her fingers through his hair. He leaned into her touch like a cat.

“You know…” he bit his lip. “We also have that chemistry final that we need to study for.”

A mischievous giggle left her lips and she let him pull her closer, arms tightening around her waist. “Is that so?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, dipping his head to kiss along her chest, lifting his chin slightly to flutter his eyelashes at her wickedly. A startled, laughing shriek left her mouth as he suddenly seized her, pulling her down with him onto the couch, rolling them so that her back was pressed to the cushions, his body curling on top of her as he pressed his mouth hungrily to hers.

It turned out that their new method of studying was actually quite successful, if the grades that they got on their finals were of any indication.  

Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

Previous Part • Next Part

Series: Part 2 of The Shadow Game  

Main Masterlist  

[inmaki]

HI ZU!!! HOW ARE YOU?!?

Thank you for believing in me I got a good mark on my most recent test :> I am sure the energy passed to the mark >:]]]] And you’re right abt meeting new ppl but my school is… VERY sports oriented and I am not, so most of the people in my classes I often can’t connect with. There are exceptions though, two specifically!! I go to their games because they are my pookies I love them :]

Also… l was abt to also judge/lh you for the Gojo fn skin but… I remembered I spent $90 on the MLP mobile game when I was 11 so… I can’t rlly say anything huh !!! Speaking of games though, that SV take is valid, it is so boring early on 😭 And in the later game it can get a little repetitive… I got so bored to the point of marrying and then divorcing all the guy bachelors just to see their divorcé dialogue 💀 I couldn’t do it to the girls because 1) I love women !! All ways!! 2) My friends threatened to stop talking to me if I did 💀 I feel like if Gojo played SV or any game with romanceable characters he would do the same… Idk if that says something abt him or me but it’s saying something…

Anyways, hope you’re doing well <3333

-🕊️

HI DOVE NONIE <3333 AY COMGRATS ON UR TEST!! ok i get u abt the sport oriented ppl omg i would be terrified too 💀 IM GLAD U GOUND SOME FRIENDS THO GOOD JOB LDMSJD

and stop stop u js gave ne such nostalgia THAT GAME WAS THE FUCKING SHIT. OMG do u rememver the BALL CATCHING MINI game AND THE APPLE CATCHING one ogmrodh i loved that game sm 😭

whats sv.. its late my brains gone uhh i hate acrobyms help

[chaoticgeminate]

The Saltwater Room (ii)

Summary: You’ve been a drifter across the sea for as long as you can remember, unwilling to stop and unwilling to settle, nervous to put down roots and trust others like you’d been taught growing up. Marcus grew up settled and happy, heartbreak led him to the sea and fate put him in your path.

Pairing: Marcus Pike x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit (Thar be smut ahead, it was supposed to just be a kiss 😅)

Notes and Warnings: AU based on the video game Raft, will feature some locations and themes of the game. This is NOT how you survive if you’re stranded at sea, please don’t use this as practical.

Series Masterlist | Year of Video Game AUs Masterlist

and you were looking so cold (4k)

Rain ripped you out of a pleasant sleep, the cool fresh water sorely needed, and you heard Marcus whoop happily as he hurried to get extra jugs to fill up. It had been nearly a month since he woke up and your first meeting and his bruises were finally gone, his eyes were bright and his smiles were so much wider, and with each day you found that he just oozed sincerity. He was more than capable at fishing and making ropes, at monitoring the water purifiers and the grills, and you were the one slowly transforming the little raft into something better.

Having someone around again felt good, even though you were torn between wanting him to stay and wanting to hide away.

With his help there were full half walls around the edges that would help prevent you both from going over in the event of a storm, the base foundation expanded significantly to give you both more room, and your palm frond tents and beds were upgraded to a hammock each and actual wooden walls. Finding the scrap to make the nails you’d needed had been a pain but the end result was worth it, you’d modeled it after a boat you’d seen in an old journal with a cabin area near the back center and the front angled in at a point. The sail now was at the center of the deck, for easy access, and it was a much better vessel as a whole.

But this rainfall tested, and proved, your ability to build because the indoor area wasn’t leaking one bit and you couldn’t be more proud of yourself in that moment. Marcus’ eyes danced as he watched the jugs of water slowly fill, extra plastic scraps turned into funnels and long flat trays were angled to get as much rain into them as possible as the two of you stood in the cool shade of the clouds and basked in mercy from the heat and burning sun. You couldn’t help but spin in an excited circle, throwing your head back and holding your mouth open without a care for what Marcus might have thought.

Both of you had plastic cups, which were sitting out gathering water too, and the rain kept falling and falling even as you both worked to use the waves to your advantage while the water was being stored. Your plastic hooks were thrown at wads of palm fronds and seaweed, at floating plants tangled in rope and fabric, at floating containers and even barrels or crates or excess supplies if you got lucky. Marcus had even fashioned a row of nets that were designed to catch anything you missed and went on the front of the raft. By twilight your water stores were filled, the two of you were far from dehydrated, and even your pineapple plants were doing so much better.

Marcus sat back against the door inside the cabin, the two of you significantly chilled with the rain and clouds lasting all afternoon, and when you shivered he opened his arms for you. While you were certainly still a little suspicious of him, since you’d only met him a month ago, you were willing to trust him and crawled over to cuddle into his side. His heart was beating fast against your ear as you leaned your head to rest slightly against his pectoral rather than his shoulder, his arm draped over you, and when you slid your leg to tangle with his you could hear the soft hitch of his breath.

But he didn’t make a move, his fingers tapped and traced random swirls against your chilled skin, he never once made you feel uncomfortable and when you tipped your head up to look at him Marcus was already looking at you. Your lips parted and you thought he was leaning in, you hoped he was, but instead he turned his face away even though you could see the hint of color on his cheeks in the dying light of the sunset and the torch he’d set up to bring some warmth to the small cabin.

Instead of pushing for it you pulled away, not wanting to overstep, and Marcus’ soft sound was almost disappointed. In you or himself you weren’t ever going to know, you had no intention to ask.

He stayed with you like that until the moon was out, it was still raining so neither of you were willing to leave the cabin and work through the night like usual, and finally you got up and meandered to your hammock. Marcus glanced at you and away when you grabbed the long scrap of fabric that served as your towel, deciding to dry off since you’d managed to very poorly tie together some fabric scraps into a passable night shirt, and while you wanted to be hurt that you weren’t his type -since he was making it obvious- you just couldn’t be given how much he was showing his respect for you by not being a creep.

Your wet clothes landed with a soft plop on the floor and you shivered as you wrapped your body in the large sheet-sized piece of fabric, letting the water on your skin transfer to the cloth, and Marcus had stripped down too while your back was turned. You watched him reach out from the folds of fabric to grab all of the wet clothes in a bundled grip, his eyes catching yours in the torchlight, and you flustered under the heat and want in those cocoa pools. But he looked away and you did the same, choosing to begin patting yourself down so that you could get dressed faster.

“Thanks for hanging those up.” The garments were draped over a wood support beam you had built into the cabin for cases just like this, after he’d rung them out into the plastic bucket meant for water that wasn’t drinkable. Marcus hummed softly and you couldn’t help but glance at him, the sheet was very heavily wrapped around his waist so his arms were free, and the muscles of his back flexed with each motion. You admired the softness in his physique, he wasn’t nearly as thin as he had been when you found him now that the two of you were able to catch plenty of fish and even had a planter box of potatoes, your combined diet was much more nutrient rich.

It was a good look for him, the softened edges and plush parts that only made him look sturdier, and you traced the broadness of his shoulders with your eyes before looking away when he went to turn around. This uneasy dance of not knowing what he wanted made you feel off balance, he pulled away but was showing signs that maybe he did want you?

“Marcus-“

His mouth silenced you, in the time you’d taken to finally just bring it up he’d crossed the cabin and pulled you into him, and even though most of you was very much enrobed in fabric you could feel the heat of him through the material as your hands pressed to his pectorals and your mouth parted for his. He breathed your name like a prayer against your open mouth, bare hands coming up to hold your cheeks like you were delicate, and you melted for him. The uncertainty didn’t matter as he kissed you, as his lips moved so gently against yours, as your tongues brushed and traced the shape of each other’s mouths; you didn’t care if you never breathed again now that you had him like this.

Marcus pulled away first and you chased his mouth, a soft whine escaping you, but he held you back with his hands to gently rub his nose against yours.

“I want you but I need you to know that I can’t just… be casual about this. You saved me life, you let me stay and… you’re incredible-“

“Stop talking.” Your voice soft but he reacted like you’d screamed, a silence lingering between you for only a split second, and you shrugged off the fabric covering you before grabbing the bundle of fabric at his waist and pulling him down to the floor with you. The last of the barriers between you was piled under his back as you straddled him, hands flat on the floor on either side of his head, his eyes blown wide as the torchlight and the sound of the rain created an intimate and cozy atmosphere.

“Don’t make me regret giving you my heart Marcus, or my trust.” You knew your tone was a bit on the sharp side but you’d been hurt before, you’d been betrayed before, and something about this man broke down your walls and made you want to trust him. You watched his eyes for any sign of doubt, any sign that you were wrong, but instead those dark pools softened and he reached up to hold your hips.

“Never, I’ll keep it safe.” He blinked slow, affection on his face as clear as the stars in the night sky, before he was rolling the pair of you and trapping you under him. With every kiss he pressed into your skin he made a promise; a promise to help you with anything you might need when he kissed each fingertip, a promise to be there when you needed him as he kissed the spot right behind your ear, a promise to help carry the weight of keeping both of you alive when he reached the curve of your breast, and a promise to be the one constant in your life as he kissed his way down your abdomen.

Each touch of his lips was torment, it was the kind of kiss that came with leaving a wet place or the imprint of his teeth, the kind that made your spine arch and sent chills through you. His thigh had wedged between yours, when he’d begun his delicious torment and one of his hands on your hip had encouraged you to grind against him, the friction and warmth of his skin started to feel cool as your body began to heat up, and your breathy call of his name brought his mouth to yours as he hiked your leg higher over his hip and rolled against you. The touch of his hard shaft against your folds made you keen, he swallowed the sound eagerly but didn’t angle himself to slide into you like you wanted, instead he teased you by just putting the right pressure against your clit and letting your wetness coat the underside of his cock.

“Please- Marcus stop teasing-“ You were cut off by the hand that was cupping the back of your head, since you were on the floor, angling you to tilt your jaw up so he could go after the spot on your neck that made your back arch higher. You tried to grab at his arms and waist, at his cute little butt, to get him where you wanted him but Marcus grunted and pulled back. You were about to protest, to apologize or beg, but he simply grabbed the back of your knees and lifted them onto his shoulders; reflexively you yelped but he groaned so loud over the sound at the sight of your pubic hair wet with slick.

“I’ll stop teasing, but we’re doing things my way.” He winked at you over your mound and the first touch of his tongue sent sharp pleasure down your spine, it had been so long that it felt like it was new all over again, and you fisted the fabric beneath you as he practically hugged your hips and thighs to keep you in place. The angle was a bit awkward, you were reclined slightly on the back of your shoulders, but none of that mattered as Marcus’ tongue slid through your silken folds eagerly.

“Fuck, Marcus higher-“ He hummed against you and his nose nudged gently where his tongue didn’t touch, it was enough to make your breathing erratic, because this wasn’t just getting you ready for him. He was tasting, feeling, and exploring you with his mouth.

“Gotta- need you to put a little more pressure-“ You were close already, eager for the sweet release he promised, and Marcus delivered without you needing to beg. He circled your clit with his tongue before carefully sucking the sensitive bundle, stars exploded behind your eyes, and you could hear him praising you just barely over the pounding of your heart. You reached for him and he lowered your legs gently, crawling up your body into your arms, and he put nearly all of his weight on you but you didn’t care. Hands tangling in his hair as you kissed him, and you didn’t care that the taste of you was on his tongue as he rocked his hips against yours.

“So good for me, so good to me, angel.” His praise against your lips made you loop your legs around him, eager and wanting and ready, and this time he didn’t make you wait. He was big, and it had been a while, so the stretch still burned but it was a damn good burn; the kind that made your moan throaty and deep and had you somewhere between pleasure and pain. He was panting against the side of your neck, hips rocking back slowly before pressing deeper, and you knew your grip was tight but the slow push of him had your body locked down.

“Oh-“ The inhale you attempted to take turned into a choked moan when Marcus bottomed out, bracing his knees on the pile of fabric even though his thighs were shaking, and you both just stayed there breathing for a moment as the heat between you spiked. Only when your grip on his hair loosened enough that he could pull his head away, only when you clenched around him trying to make him move, did Marcus surrender to it. The push and pull of his hips matched the ebb and flow of the tide, one of his hands moving from its place on the floor to grab your hip and angle you, and the other caught yours as you went to grab his bicep; fingers entwined as he held that hand onto the floor and pressed his forehead to yours.

The torch was burning out still, the light dim, and the rain was almost muted with the wet sounds of your bodies; in the low light you could still see the reverence, the affection, in his eyes. It would have scared you, it should have scared you, but that fragile little spark of hope in your chest burned bright. Hope that this time would be different, that this man would keep his word, and hope that he would stay. His eyes never left yours and you didn’t dare look away, lashes fluttering when he would roll his hips a certain way or if he would grind against you, but you never lost eye contact with him.

“Beautiful, perfect, incredible girl. Taking me so good, just like I knew you would.” His praise had you clenching around him, had you using your legs for leverage to press him as deep as you could and to roll your hips to meet his thrusts, and Marcus’ praise stuttered. He raised your hips and you keened when he hit somewhere in your body that sent the sharp pleasure from your core to your entire body, his name a sharp mewl, and your reaction spurred him on; hitting that place over and over until you were trembling and your walls clamped down on his cock as you came, four rapid thrusts had him pulling out of you and painting your abdomen and breasts with his spend.

You felt debauched in the best way, his nose brushing yours sweetly, and he used the fabric beneath you to wipe the tears from your eyes.

“That bad?” He was joking, you knew, but there was very real vulnerability behind it.

“No, that was incredible Marcus. I never knew it could be that good.” His lips lifted into a smile and he put most of his weight on you, uncaring about the mess now pressed between you, and his teeth nipped your ear gently as he nuzzled the side of your face. His beard was starting to grow out again but your razor was dulled, there was some spare scrap metal that you could probably sharpen into a new blade if you were patient enough though.

“You think I’m done with you?” His voice pitched low, deeper and bassier in a way that made your skin pebble with gooseflesh, and you let him roll you so that you were straddling him now. He was soft now but you didn’t mind learning what made him feel good, what would make him hard and wanting, what would make him leak precum and make a mess of himself. His sly look was so soft that you couldn’t the way you leaned down to kiss him and Marcus chuckled into it when your shaking thighs led to you losing your balance. But he didn’t tease you, not at all, he simply used those big hands of his to hold your hips and watch your hand drag a path through the cum now smeared across his own torso.

You licked your fingertips, just wanting a taste, and his soft groan caused you to bite your lower lip in a sly look knowing that you could have fun with this.

Waking up late afternoon was so normal that you could have mistaken it for any usual day, your thighs still burned a little and your body was pleasantly sore though and acted as a reminder and a pleasant one at that, but you and Marcus had wound up repositioning your hammocks so they were right beside each other and fell asleep holding hands. Even now he was still resting, the light of the sun shining through the minuscule gaps  in the palm fronds that acted like blinds on the window frame of the cabin, and you slipped out of your resting place carefully to get started on the wash. Your clothes were still damp so you kept your night shirt on, you’d have to try and fashion some sort of sewing needle or maybe make something with more ties, but Marcus’ denim shorts were still very visibly wet. His cardigan wasn’t as bad though and you hummed before moving those outside into the sun, checking the horizon for signs of other sea drifters or even islands.

It was endless blue and debris, for as far as you could see, but that was perfectly fine. You began the chore of checking the collection nets, pulling whatever was in them up onto the deck to sort through, and when a pair of large hands cupped your bare ass under your shirt you couldn’t help but giggle. Turning to glance at Marcus, who was wearing one of the smaller sheets of spare fabric tied at his hip like a skirt, and you hummed before poking his nose as he leaned in to kiss you.

“We’re going to end up sun burnt, we need to find or make spare sets of clothes.” Your suggestion earned a quiet hum and you tapped your forehead to his, finally letting him have that kiss before you both set about getting things ready for night fall. You turned to look over the wall and froze, staring into the depths with awe, and you whispered your lover’s name; he walked over and looked down, his own body freezing as the massive whale drifted along with you. Whether it was coincidence or not you didn’t know, the large body emerging from the water just far enough away that it wouldn’t tip you over, and the tall stream of water shot out of its blow hole made you shriek in delight before it began to descend into the water again.

“That’s incredible, I’ve never seen one that close before.” Marcus’ voice was breathy with wonder and you nodded, that was a first for you too, and the pair of you couldn’t help but laugh knowing you’d definitely need another wash down after that. But you kind of felt like that was a good omen, a gentle giant just coasting along beside you for however long it had? That could only be a good sign, right? You weren’t superstitious, or at least you tried not to be, but sometimes you tried to give yourself something to believe in.

The afternoon bled into evening, the pair of you spent the day setting debris out to dry and asking things about one another.

Favorite color? Marcus’ was the blue of the clear sky.

Favorite fruit? Anything but bananas, you weren’t surprised to find out he had a bad experience with large tarantulas hiding in the bunches.

Hobbies? The fact that he painted was pretty clear, or at least could throw something together, but Marcus could also play spoons and for some reason that made you grin stupidly as he clacked the wooden utensils you’d carved in an upbeat melody.

All of your hobbies revolved around survival, whittling was used for making things like tools and utensils rather than little statues or figurines. Braiding fiber for rope instead of weaving cloth or making yarn of some kind, practical but not very fun. Marcus interrupted you telling him about managing to throw together a small radio receiver to cup your cheeks in his.

“Hey, you don’t have to sound ashamed of what you know, it’s incredible how skilled you are. I can help you find something fun if you promise to teach me some stuff too, okay? That way I can take some of the burden of handling things around here off your shoulders. We’re… we’re a team, right?” His eyes were soft and his expression was vulnerable, open, and you nodded as your lips pulled into a smile.

“Of course we’re a team, if you can put up with me being a bit of a stick in the mud-“

“I just want you to be you, okay? We’ll figure things out one day at a time.” He kissed you and promised that you were perfect the way you were, stick-in-the-mud and all, before helping you bend another piece of the scrap metal you’d collected to try and make a more permanent anchor than a rope and some rocks in a bucket.

“So why did you want to make a radio receiver? For music?” Marcus grunted as the thick metal piece barely moved, helping you hold it over the fire to try and soften the metal, and you used thick bundles of fabric to try and protect your skin from the potential heat distribution.

“To- to try and find other drifters. Big convoys are good trading partners, and there are trading posts on some of the island communities, wanted to see if I could get more refined materials other than just… scrap.” You were stuttering as the two of you managed to get a bit of a bend in the metal, barely but it was better than nothing, and his cheeks were flushed when you looked up at him. You tilted your head and glanced at the tent in his fabric wrap, brow lifting in mild amusement.

“Look, the fact that you pieced together a radio receiver with some half melted copper, scrap metal twisted into wires, and plastic is a huge turn on. You’re so damn capable, it drives me crazy.” You hadn’t ever met anyone who found it attractive that you could tinker and create and just manage your own out here, your eyes dropping to the project in your hands, and Marcus captured one of your hands to kiss your palm.

“I mean it, you’re incredible. How about we get the receiver working then, see about doing something with the excess material you’ve made and maybe replace some of our scrap?” You found yourself nodding and the two of you continued through the night working to make progress on a better anchor, with Marcus helping you heat and bend the metal scrap plates into hooks that were then bound together in your sturdiest knot work.

All Fics Taglist: @haylzcyon @wordsnwhiskey @pagannightwitch @radiowallet @tauralmie @amneris21 @trickstersp8 @practicalghost @rominaszh @alwaysdjarin @alexxavicry @all-the-way-down-here

Just Pedro Taglist: @maievdenoir @beecastle @littlemisspascal @writeforfandoms @aynsleywalker @lovesbiggerthanpride @mswarriorbabe80 @emiemiemiii

Alt Taglist: @imtryingmybeskar @fan-of-encouragement @grogusmum @sizzlingcloudmentality @deadhumourist @prostitute-robot-from-the-future

[game-boy-pocket]

For the record, my experience with Final Fantasy is that I have:

Beat Final Fantasy 1 several times, including the vanilla NES version, romhacked NES version, and the GBA remake.

Beat Final Fantasy 2 once on the GBA, where it was said to be much easier, and am trying to slog through the original.

Played the DS version of FF3 and made it to the final boss but never beat it

Played a great deal of FF4 but never beat it

Played like 5 minutes of FF5 when testing a bunch of roms

Played a chunk of FF6, had fun with it, but didn't finish it, will need to restart it.

Played FF7 but never made it out of Midgar

Played FF9 but stopped a for reasons I don't remember, not that far into the story, I think I was at Freya's home town?

Beat FF Mystic Quest

Beat FF Legends

Played a good chunk of Crystal Chronicles with a friend, would be interested in revisiting that

That's about it. I don't think i'm interested in any FF games released on consoles newer than the PS2/GCN. But I've definitely tried very hard to get into this series. It feels like such a staple that i'm missing out on.

[redshellretro]

Decided to stop in to the pawn shop that never has any older game stuff and I finally found a NES locally that is in decent condition (just dirty but I can fix that lol)

NES had all the hook ups and the lady tested it for me first to make sure it would work, then she ended up giving me the games for free

[realest8saint]

Discover Spielbound: Omaha's Ultimate Winter Family Fun Spot

Winter is just around the corner, and if you're a parent like me, you're probably wondering how to keep your kids entertained during those cold, snowy days. Well, worry no more! In this weekly blog series, I'll be sharing unique and affordable winter experiences right here in Omaha that are perfect for families. Whether you're new to the city or a long-time resident, I hope to help you discover some fantastic places to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Today, let's dive into a place that my family absolutely LOVES... my first featured spot: Spielbound! Their mission statement, purpose and goals are directly from their website.

Spielbound: Where Fun and Games Meet

Mission statement:

We believe games inspire, motivate, and help us grow. In this positive space, we seek to provide all people the challenge, art, and fun unique to the world of board games.

Purpose:

Spielbound educates, engages, and creates community through board games.

Goals:

collect and maintain a comprehensive collection of board games from around the world;

provide a comfortable space for the community to come together and play board games;

encourage creativity through designing board games;

promote and reward positive gamesmanship;

spread joy and critical thinking through increased game playing by all.

Location: 3229 Harney Street, Omaha, NE

Overview: Spielbound is not your average hangout spot; it's the largest board game café in the entire United States! With games for sale, and a whopping collection of approximately 3000 playable games, this place offers endless hours of fun and entertainment for kids and adults alike. Plus, it's a family-friendly environment where everyone can enjoy quality time together.

More Than Just a Game Café

Spielbound goes beyond just being a board game café. It's also a nonprofit corporation with a heart for spreading the joy of gaming. They accept donated games in good condition, and you can even sign up to volunteer monthly to help catalog and repair these games. It's a wonderful way to give back to the community while sharing your love for board games.

Opening Hours and Contact Info

Spielbound is open to the public during these hours:

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 AM

Website: www.spielbound.com Phone: (402) 763-8444

Food and Drinks

While you and your family enjoy your gaming sessions, you can also indulge in some delicious treats. Spielbound offers a variety of options, including coffee drinks, craft beer, wine, and an excellent menu featuring really good pizza and other snacks. It's the perfect place to refuel and recharge during your gaming adventures.

The Spielbound Challenge

Don't forget to ask about the Spielbound challenge! It's a fun way to test your gaming skills and possibly win some exciting prizes. Challenge accepted, right?

In Conclusion:

If you're looking for a winter destination that promises fun, quality time with your family, and a wide selection of board games, Spielbound should be your next stop. Whether you're a board game enthusiast or just looking for a unique way to beat the winter blues, Spielbound has something for everyone. So, bundle up and head over to 3229 Harney Street to create unforgettable winter memories with your loved ones. My family and I hope to see you there!

[mbti-notes]

Hi I am an INFP who likes an ISFP. And every time I try to talk/flirt wit her she either shys away or flirts back. And sometimes she flirt with me but only as much as to show that it possibly could have just been a kind gesture. Which makes sense because ive read that Isfps will do things to test the water, and not fully commit. But all that said, im really confused as to if she likes me or not and what I could do to help her stop shying away from me, and to build a better relationship with her.

The only thing you know is that she's shying away, but you don't know the reason. You want to wonder why? You could go on forever because the possibilities are endless, e.g.: she's passive, she's anxious, she's indecisive, she's not ready for a relationship, she lacks social skills, she just not into you like that, she has more important things to think about, etc etc. It's a guessing game. You can't make good decisions when you are not in possession of the truth.

I always give the same answer to crush questions. The best way to get unstuck from a guessing game situation is communication: be open and honest about your feelings and find out the truth. If you aren't able to communicate honestly and authentically, on what basis are you going to build a strong and healthy relationship? And do you want to be with someone who can't handle real talk?

Do you want to know the truth, though? Or is it more important for you to protect your feelings and enjoy some fantasy while it lasts? The longer you spend going in circles, the more it hurts you if things don't work out, because you'll feel regret for wasting time and energy that could have been spent on better prospects. Maybe your Ne development is a bit lacking and you don't realize how short life really is and how losing opportunities can be a blessing in disguise when better opportunities exist out there.

That being said, if it's not just romance you're after, there's nothing wrong with starting out as friends, doing what normal friends do, spending quality time together, getting closer before considering anything romantic. Taking things slow and enjoying the journey of getting to know one another is the introvert's tried-and-true method of building a relationship.

[rigelmejo]

FRIENDS HELP ME OUT (don’t worry it’s not a big deal). Can you guy please Honestly tell me around what level of japanese you knew when you became able to learn a decent amount of new words from consuming some japanese content without looking up words?

By this I mean you could of course have learned even more new words if you’d looked unknown words up. But even if you looked up no words at all, you understood enough of the main idea to guess the meaning of a decent amount of unknown words you saw. For japanese, I mean just guess the meaning of a new word - since for the kanji words if you had no audio or furigana the pronunciation may not have been guessable, but meaning might be. And by all this I mean not that you could do this with every single media, but you could start to do it with Some media: for example a simple manga or a particular show or video game. 

---

Example. I’m probably only N4ish, and can’t pass an N5 test because my vocabulary is all over the place. I know around 2000+ words and have read a grammar guide on everything up to N3 and a bit beyond. I am by no means N2 or N1 (which I’d consider similar to B1 or B2, which is when I would expect learning words only from immersion WITHOUT word lookup works perfectly fine).

If I open up Hikaru No Go, on the first page I see:

Dore - I know that word, mo ?, kore mo - this also, batto - bat?, shinainaa - shinai - if shimasu/suru is do then ‘not do’/’won’t do’ and naa? is probably just a way of saying it. - Maybe he’s saying “where is [it?] And this bat won’t do aahh” So he’s looking for something. I got the main idea, though I could be confused about doremo.

Actual translation from english manga: Hmm, its all junk.

ne - attitude sound. Mou - already, deyou - lets go out? (you for suggestion, de for leave?), Hikaru - boys name. kimi based on the hanzi i know I’m going to guess means atmosphere, warui - bad, so she’s saying “Lets go out Hikaru, this place has a bad vibe”

{oops I missed this bubble}

o - oh!?, kore nan ka - what is this, iinjanai ka - i’m going to guess this means “is this something good?” as iin - good, janai - not good. So he’s saying “oh?! This might be something good?”

Actual translation from english manga: Let’s get out of here Hikaru, I’m getting the creeps. / Oh, c’mon Akari, stop complaining/ Wooh, I found something!

So it looks like I grasped the main idea okay without grabbing a dictionary, despite not having N2 level japanese. So this material would be one I could learn new words from with context potentially, even if I looked no words up. 

--

For you, what was the threshold with either particular materials like a manga, or overall, for you to start being able to learn a decent number of words from context? 

For example your threshold is when you understand the main idea, or when you understand the main idea and 70% of details, etc? Or when you were N2 novels in slice of life settings became something you could guess (meaning of) new words only from context when you wanted? 

When I looked at the reddit forms people generally were answering at N2 or N1 level or never. I think the Reddit LearnJapanese users skew toward people who prefer to look up every unknown word though, who like to use anki for quicker memoriziation of new words, and who have low tolerance for ambiguity.

(Tolerance for ambiguity is how much you can tolerate engaging with media you don’t fully understand - most people can comfortably engage with material they comprehend 98% and that’s most media you consume in your native language, then many people can tolerate material they comprehend 95% of, and some people can tolerate material they comprehend 90% of. Below 90% most people feel ‘reading pain’ or drained if trying to read/watch something, and often material comprehended under 95% is used for intensive reading (or intensive watching) where everything unknown is looked up and the material is engaged with for a shorter period of time. This is true in your native language too when you learn to read in literature class - you get short excerpts in your textbook with lots of unknown words with definitions, and reading assignments of books are often books assumed to be 95% comprehensible for your class’s reading level.)

There are some ways to improve ‘comprehension’ without actually knowing 95% of words on the page. If you know english, and read a French technical paper on a psychology topic you are already familiar with? You will 1. already know background information about the topic so information in the article won’t be new to you, 2. you can rely on the shared latin-based cognates in scientific words to understand a large portion of the words, then rely on shared english-french cognates to understand another portion of the words (an english speaker can guess marcher has to do with moving - sounds like march, an english speaker can guess someil has to do with sleep). A person already familiar with recognizing grammar patterns or who already studied very basic french will recognize ‘la/le/les’ in front of nouns, will recognize the verbs by word endings, if a sentence is saying something positive or negative (n’ pas), and recognize the adjectives. So they will be able to focus on the necessary words for the main idea - usually the verb of what’s going on, the subject and object, and if any meaning is negated. From all that, there’s a good chance an A2 learner could read this psychology article and understand it well. I should know lol, I read a ton of science articles on wikipedia as an A1 and A2 learner in french because the materials were much easier to read even though I only had studied like 1000 words. This is also a benefit when reading spanish - I’ve only studied maybe 500 words of spanish and the A1 basics, but I have a book about linguistics in spanish so it uses a lot of technical language and I can read and use it for reference just fine. But a spanish novel? I have no idea what’s going on, I don’t have enough context from surrounding information OR vocabulary (since I have almost no spanish vocab I know). 

So like... you can say count 80% of the words on a page and know that many, but also depending on the content you may have additional resources providing more tools to comprehend it up to 95%. As I mentioned, if it’s French you can lean on english and latin cognates to comprehend more words than you’ve actually learned. With japanese, I can rely on my hanzi knowledge to make a bit more guesses about some word meanings than I could without hanzi knowledge. You can use your understanding of grammar to identify subject, object, tense, positive/negative, descriptions, verbs, time period, place. And if you already are familiar with the topic - like its a show, movie, book, you already experienced in a language you know - then you can use your memory of the content to help guess what the unknown words mean. If you are willing to tolerate ambiguity of knowing less than 95% of the words, and willing to use all surrounding context you have available (like reading a plot summary beforehand or watching something in english first, or looking for cognates and grammar clues) then you can sometimes handle engaging with stuff you know less than 95% of. 

@a-whump-muffin​ from talks we had I’m guessing you started learning some stuff from context only, when you were watching shows in Japanese around N3? I know you said you watched with english subs sometimes (so I guess the english translation helped you figure out the meaning of new words). But eventually you were also just watching in japanese and able to pick up new words. 

[pocketbelt]

Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster (PC/Steam Deck)

This is the real one for testing how good the Pixel Remasters are, as FF2 is the series' black sheep (some might say first black sheep, the next one being either VIII or XIII depending on you ask; the former less so these days due to rehabilitation and the existence of the latter). The original was a nightmare game of arcane mechanics and baffling decisions that made playing it a pain in the ass, and all subsequent releases tinker with it in slightly different ways. The Pixel Remaster is a composite of the PS1, GBA and PSP versions and their tweaks and fixes, and the field for "definitive version" is rather tougher here than for FF1.

For my part, I don't consider the PSP's bonus dungeon a worthwhile addition, and the GBA's post-game is conceptually rad ("Soul of Rebirth", a post-game scenario about characters who died in the story continuing the fight in the afterlife) but a bit of a git as you have to actively plan for it during the main game. The Pixel Remaster has neither of these and I don't think it's worse for it, and it has a number of new cutscene depictions for various events in place of the PS1 3D FMVs (also used in the PSP version), which work fine for the aesthetic level it's going for, but I don't think the FMVs necessarily jar with the pure 2D sprite aesthetic. The sprites and animations are, like the PR for I, vastly superior to the other versions, though. There is some background balance tweaking of enemies and certain aspects, but it's similar enough to the other post-NES versions to not matter too much.

I think the Pixel Remaster does pip the "definitive edition" post, but only by a bit; the presentation and performance are the key factors, but as they play close enough to each other, I would recommend the GBA version as well if you're interested in its Soul of Rebirth post-game mode. Some of the "balance" tweaks in PR also don't favour the player - Teleport's accuracy has been nerfed so you can't wield it as an indiscriminate deathspell as effectively - but most do.

On its own merits, FFII is a game with weird mechanics mostly fixed by removing the deranged "skill/stat decay" mechanic from the original: increasing some skills or stats made others decay accordingly, making narrow specialisation something to strictly enforce and also a bastard to actually maintain. All later versions remove that, and without it FF2 is interesting but still stumbles because of secret mechanics and hidden stats it doesn't tell you about (like, for example, how equipping staves - even ones named things like "Wizard's Staff" - puts a heavy debuff on your magic damage output). There's some flexibility for tweaking characters and making monsters here; HP and defence stats are increased by getting hit in battle, so there's nothing stopping you from strapping armour to your chosen spellcaster, putting them on the frontline and letting them build tank-like defences as they do their usual work. I find that quite appealing, and I think with further refinements you could make a quite engrossing system out of this.

And indeed, they arguably did; in FFII's weird skill system, you can easily see the roots of later entries' mechanics and style. FFIII's job system is basically a merging of this and FFI's character system, which FFV would then improve upon. FFII's story-telling improvements lay the foundations for FFIV making the series come into its own, and its focus on customising characters to suit your own wants or needs is basically the basis for FFVI's magicite/Esper system (which, in turn, gave rise to FFVII's materia, which fed into VIII's Draw, and you can draw a line from them to FFX's Sphere Grid which leads to XII, etc etc). It is as important an entry as any other of the "early" (i.e. pre-VII) Final Fantasies, and debatably moreso than some others.

But, even in the PR, building skill levels in weapons and spells (individually!) requires spamming their use a ton per fight, meaning the best way to build skill levels efficiently is often to let one party member blast or carve up whole fights by themselves, and having to do that across a lot of fights. It's still short by modern RPG standards, being a NES RPG in the end, but your runtime can easily reach 20 hours because making some things effective just actually requires grinding them out mindlessly. The PR wins out here by having a really effective auto-battle mechanic, if nothing else, and while I can't say definitively, I'm pretty sure it is balanced a bit easier on the whole than other versions, which does help with the required grinding.

Like FFI, FFII is well worth a look for "academic" reasons, but where FFI's purity and simplicity make it easy to just zone out with if you want something to just tap through, FFII is a bit harder to recommend in that way. I don't think it has enough character/aesthetic zest to motivate grinding, nor enough mechanical depth to motivate it, but it almost does. It's an easy enough ride if nothing else, and you could do a lot worse. Its reputation is worse than it deserves, but it does deserve some of that rep.

I have more waffle about FFII broadly and also some of the mechanics shit under the jump as this is getting long, but yeah, it's okay, not critical.

FFII is very interesting in the series as it makes a number of marked additions and step-ups from I; a more involved attempt at a story, with (even on the NES) scripted fights, cutscenes and the debuts of even more of the series' recurring images and concepts (Chocobos, Dragoons, Ultima and various other spells like Drain and Osmose, more unique status effects like Mini and Toad, the Front & Back Row mechanic, spell multi-targeting in exchange for reduced damage per target, Leviathan, the designs of various monsters locking-in or taking shape like Iron Giant gaining his single red eye). There's a sizeable cast, your fourth party member rotates regularly through a list of NPCs whose spread of skills helps inform their character and history, there's even tricks like forced-loss fights to sell story moments even at this early stage. These are super noticeable when you play it back-to-back with FFI, which makes FFI feel even more ancient.

I do need to do that post or essay or whatever I've thought about of drawing a line through the main FF series and tying together where they obviously draw from each other, and where they seem to draw from each other. It's often said "Final Fantasy is a series where every entry is completely different" and the validity of that isn't as clear-cut as it seems (like, yeah, it's a different cast and world and story every time but also the series is very clearly a lot more mechanically iterative than it lets on). I got into it above already but FFII is clearly the origin point for a lot of what III, IV, V and VI got up to. It's fun to see the roots so clearly.

So I had played II before this, I made an attempt at the NES original via emulator and of course that went nowhere, and made an attempt at the PS1 version via emulator and that also didn't get far because of frequent load times. I did eventually own the Dawn Of Souls GBA remake two-pack of I and II, and that was where I first played it properly. It wasn't until this playthrough, of the Pixel Remaster, that I actually made an effort to look into how II's skill mechanics work, and how they're still just a bit too fucking stupid for their own good.

So, magic. Odds are high if you play FFII that you'll find White Magic (healing, buffs, etc) supremely useful and Black Magic (damage and killing) extremely situational. Black Magic will be super useful when hitting a weakness (using fire on undead, thunder on aquatic enemies, blizzard on lizards and amphibians, etc) and against enemies with no weaknesses (most humanoids) it'll not be worth the cast versus just hitting them physically. Even if you commit and equip staves (which bear names like Mage's Staff, Wizard's Staff and so on), spell damage will never get terribly high.

Because there's a secret stat on all equipment that determines how much it nerfs magic when you equip it. I only learned that this run.

All equipment has a secret number that weighs down the output of the magic damage formula, and that includes all staff weapons, even ones explicitly named and described as magical. All armour pieces also have this number, and only a very scant few have extremely low (-1) or no debuff effect. All headpieces except for Golden Hairpin and Ribbon have a significant nerf value, all hand gear except Power Armlet (-2) and Protect Ring (-0; you only start seeing these at the end of the game) have significant nerf values, and all body armours except for Plate/Cuirass type armours (-1) or the Black/White Garb (-1) and Robe (-0) armours have massive nerf values. Staves have the least nerf value among weapons (-5) as do all knives (-5). Shields are right out (-70), and dual-wielding just adds the debuffs together; only the Masamune sword has a -0 among weapons, and it's an endgame sword found in a very subtly hidden secret room in the final dungeon.

The only other option is to go bare-handed, which has no debuff, of course. And there is not a single piece of gear that provides a buff/+ effect, no.

What makes this aggravating is FFII, even in Pixel Remaster form, has no indication that this is a mechanic or how things work anywhere. II goes to great lengths to make sure you always know where to go next and what to do, and some versions (including the PR version) add wizards to the first room who provide basic tutorials, and no version thinks to explain this shit in any way. Once you kit your dedicated spellcaster(s) out with no weapons, no gloves, hairpin or nothing and only Cuirass (in PR, plate in older versions) or Robe armours, their spell damage spikes, magic becomes completely and perfectly viable to use instead of weapons and even multi-targeting becomes worthwhile for some encounters. It becomes so good you can rend all the endgame bosses asunder in 2-3 shots, and the final boss in only slightly more.

It's clearly a hold-over from the deranged original NES version, one of the bizarre mechanics designed for "balance" that just make it a worse experience. I'm actually sad the Pixel Remaster doesn't scrap it or at least blunt it considerably; FFII is a game in need a remake or a good rebalancing/rework mod/ROM hack (that probably already exists but I haven't checked) to sort out these background numbers.

In similar fashion the game would be vastly improved by reducing the amount of "skill EXP" that weapons and spells need to rank up. Unless you consciously stop to grind for it, the only thing that'll reach the maximum rank of XVI is Cure, because it's so much more convenient and better than potions and can be used from the overworld/dungeon menu, which still grants usage EXP. You should realistically be able to get one of the core Black Mage spells (Fire/Thunder/Blizzard) to XVI, if not all three, and only need some special effort to make late-game spells like Flare get there for immense reward.

To that end, Ultima is infamously useless in FFII and still is in the Pixel Remaster. It has a special damage formula dependent on you having maxed out weapon ranks and maxed spells, which means it takes an unfathomable amount of grinding to make this hyped plot-important spell worth a shit, never mind immensely powerful. The solution to that is obvious, but they left it in-tact for the PR for some reason.

Also, if you play FFII you'll likely find that your physical attackers will stop gaining usage EXP at some point, even as stronger and stronger enemies come in. Usually you'll be stuck at around Rank 11 for their main weapons, unless you stopped to grind above that. This is because enemies have a secret number (referred to as "monster rank" or similar) that determines whether or not they'll pay out usage EXP, and if your weapon's 'rank' is too much higher than it (or just higher, one of the two) they won't give shit. Also, you need to use the Attack command quite a few times to actually qualify for usage EXP even for monsters you can get it from, so if your stats are too high you'll kill things too fast to get EXP. This also means having to let one person kill everything as the others defend, the same grind method for grinding spell ranks.

Again, that should've been blunted or just stripped out entirely by the Pixel Remaster, never mind other versions. I don't think the "pure" FFII experience is better for it, even if there is a nobility in preserving that as best as possible. But as FFII is fairly well ported (Wonderswan, PS1, GBA, PSP, horribly ugly iOS & Android which also got ported to PC before being taken down and replaced by Pixel Remaster), I think that "intended experience" is fairly well preserved as is anyway.

I still reason that the Pixel Remaster is the "definitive version", but most of the FFII versions after NES are fairly similar so it isn't too meaningful a prize here.

[owlixx]

GBA Wishlist

Okay so I’m thinking about picking up a GBA so I can play those games on a real console instead of emulated. I had a silver and then a blue GBA SP as a kid. I’m torn between a modded original GBA or an SP, especially the triforce design. Anyways, I wanted to list some games I’d actually play on a GBA and figured I might as well post it online to look back on later, not sure if the notes will even make sense to anyone but me. Feel free to add recommendations. Also I had so much fun making this list that I’m thinking about going through and doing a similar list for the DS, 3DS, GameCube (on my WiiU), Wii (on my Wii U), Wii U, PS3, PS1 (on my PS3 or Vita), Vita, PSP (on my Vita) since those are the consoles I can currently play on original (or close enough) hardware.

Big hitters:

* Advance wars - 1 and 2, never really tucked into them past the tutorial before and having a real GBA would really force me to take them nice and slow.

* Fire emblem - multiple, I could even grab a fan tran of FE6

* Drill dozer - doubt I’d have rumble on a flash cart but this would have a lot more charm on a physical gba

* Pokémon mystery dungeon - again, I think I’d have more patience with this slow game on a real gba

* Chain of memories - been meaning to play this anyways

* FF5-6 patched - fan patched because of the audio, but I think these have exclusive content on a GBA vs snes/ps1 and I wanna play these games on a non-modern screen

* FF Tactics Advance - again, just feels more charming on a small screen

* MM battle network - been meaning to play these anyways

* NES Classics - not the best way to play these games, but kind of a novelty

* Super Mario advance 1-4 - would be so funny to play the Wii U rom of SMA4, but also I grew up with that game

* Kuru Kuru Kururin - always one I use to test a new emulator setup, easy fun

* Tony Hawk - had a recent Tony Hawk phase, these ones are supposed to be good

* Doom - novelty

* Game and watch gallery 4 - great for testing/pick up and play

* F zero/Mario kart - again, very pick up and play

* Mario golf advance tour - loved the gba Mario tennis and I should play this one too

* Wario Land 4 - had a wario land phase recently and stopped mid-3

* Golden Sun - I did actually do the first hour or so on Wii U but this game belongs on handheld

* Warioware - the definition of pick up and play

* Minish Cap - I feel like this game is good enough to be worth playing removed from the original console so it’s doubly worth playing on a real one

* Mother 3 - Cmon, this one is a gimme. Playing the fan Tran on a real GBA would be such an own on Nintendo

Lesser:

* Swordcraft Story - started this on vita, pretty cute

* Banjo Kazooie/Pilot - because I played nuts and bolts as a kid

* Bit generations - don’t have the ROM’s currently but I love a simple game

* Boktai - patched for the sensor but cmon it’s Hideo

* Bomberman - they made so many of these for GBA

* Bookworm - I’m a simple man

* Car battler joe - I always see this mentioned

* Starfy - fan trans

* Various SNES ports (DKC) - I had DKC as a kid but also there’s sooo many snes ports

* Dr Mario & Puzzle League - pick up and play

* Yugioh - I had one as a kid and got into these recently

* GTA - I think this one is a GTA3 prequel?

* Various fighting games (MK, GG, Tekken, SF) - novelty

* Jet grind radio - even if just for the music

* Finding Nemo - had as kid

* Lady Sia - seen on lists

* Sabrewulf - rare! And seen on lists

* That one xcom game (rebelstar) - I mean, I do like xcom

* LttP - never played it, I should look up version differences first

* Lego Star Wars - had as kid

* Return of the king - seen on lists, seems better than it should be

* Magical vacation - fan Tran, from Hazel’s video

* Pac-Man - various here, pick up and play

* Polarium - polarium DS is cute

* Puyo - pick up and play

* Zone of the Enders - I’ve been meaning to play this and the 2 main games

* Denki blocks - cute puzzle game

* Gunstar super heroes - kind of a shmup, I stan treasure honestly

* Sword of mana - I think this is a remake of the first game? So it’s safe to start here?

* Sigma star saga - read about this in Nintendo power as a kid, seems like a shmup rpg hybrid

* Hamtaro - nobody will shut up about how good this game is for some reason

* Pinball of the dead - seen this one praised a few times

* Chu chu rocket - I wasn’t convinced until I saw that it had 2500 user created levels

* Tactics Ogre - surprised to see this so high on metacritic when I didn’t know it existed before

* Ninja Five O - no one will shut up about this game

* Various racing games

* Asterisk and obelisk XL - impressively 3D

* Harvest moon - maybe the tiny screen will finally convince me to have the patience to farm

* Activision Anthology - again, just for the novelty

Replay:

* 3 Castlevanias - only actually beat Aria

* Mega Man Zero - hard, maybe too hard

* Sonic Advance 1-3 - had 3 as kid, love these

* Kirby - didn’t beat amazing mirror, wouldn’t mind trying to 100% nightmare

* Metroid Zero Mission/Fusion - classics. Perfection.

* Pokémon RSE/FRLG - always due for a replay

* Pokémon pinball - my go to testing game

* Mario tennis power tour - never did beat hard mode. And it’s been a while

* Mario Vs donkey kong - played as kid

* Klonoa - very pick up and play