#and its not like i dont enjoy the game or like. don't enjoy mastering it to at least some degree

[gothamcityneedsme]

ok. so. a bit of admitting a shame here. my first playthrough of lies of p i DID cheat on second phase of final boss. i had his first phase down and his second phase i was barely lasting at all. i spent idk. an hour or so trying and was getting sick of it esp because you can't use a spectre on that boss. i was SO good at first phase but it still was a pain to get through first phase to get walloped in second phase. i have wemod on my computer so i just cracked that babey open because i wanted to. finish the game. i AM hoping that i'll be able to fight him properly in new game plus here (and I will be a little more patient as i wont be like 'i MUST finish this game' especially because i am getting the same ending i got the first time rn). anyways.

my thing with these boss-focused games is like. i do love challenge and its fun but i do not enjoy spending hours on a boss. this is ironic (and i am making this post for this reason): in other games i do this without hesitation.

i nightmare raid in swtor. we spent like 9 months irl as a team working on taking down revan, and every week i get into swtor for 2-4 hours to slam my head against bosses i've been fighting for years with my team. that is like. endless patience.

also. in megaten games i am ALSO much more chill with boss attempts taking hours. my first playthrough of strange journey, i didn't know what shekinah's mechanics would be (obviously) so i was not prepared and thus EACH ATTEMPT i would survive about 12 hours worth of turns before I'd die (or kill her). i legitimately. over several weeks. did multiple 7-12 hour attempts on the final boss before i finally got her down (pausing often of course but i timed myself for a few of those attempts just so i had an idea when i realized how long it was taking me). ofc my second playthrough i was way more prepared so the fight took, idk, an hour or whatever. but i had the tenacity to keep pushing rather than change my party setup that first run. i was OBSTINATE.

and like. swtor isn't turn based and strange journey is, so like, you can pause during the fight and whatever. but THEN i remember when i played raidou 2 i ALSO had an issue with the final boss b/c i refused to play that game correctly, so i wasn't using demons as attackers. i put everything into raidou and my demons were healing tanks to me. i got so good at dodge rolling and such. and the final boss is like, you are supposed to use your demons offensively and hit weaknesses to keep your magitite up, etc. i did do a little bit of that, but i spent like 2 hours rolling around on the ground in my successful attempt (and if memory servers, the final boss of raidou 2 only took me like. a handful of times to beat. i may have even beat it on my first go? i probably needed like 2-3 though, but it wasn't long. my successful attempt took longer than anything else and i did all of that in an evening).

anyways. idk. i am rambling. i just think it's interesting that in games like lies of p and furi, these like more boss-focused hack-and-slash-with-parries style gameplay im like. nah.

[tootoomanycats]

PERFORMANCES: Chapter 1 -The Storm of The Century

Summary: In the wake of a historic hurricane raging across the treacherous waters of the East Blue and Grand Line, islands and their resilient inhabitants must either adapt or flee to ensure survival. Sleep Haven, a once-tranquil oasis, now finds itself shattered by the merciless storm. What took years to build and nurture with your own hands lies in ruins, demolished in mere hours. What should have been a fleeting tempest stretched into endless months of devastation. With little left but dwindling supplies and scant funds, you and your fellow islanders embarked on a desperate flight for survival. In your hour of dire need, you reached out to a mysterious benefactor whose aid came at a staggering price. The cost: to divert the attention of the clownish "Leader" of the Cross Guild. As events unfold on BariBari Island, amidst schemes and dangers, you find yourself grappling with emotions long suppressed. Is your interaction with the clown merely a facade, or is it awakening something you've denied yourself for years? Will the repercussions of this precarious pact only affect the flamboyant clown, or will it unravel the last vestiges of your guarded heart as well? The storm may have ravaged Sleep Haven, but the true tempest now brews within your soul and the choices you are forced to make.

Warnings for THIS chapter: None

Performances Master List

Pairings: Buggy/Reader

Word Count: 4,417 Words

AO3 Link

Warning for this Story:

Reader is a retired sex worker

Both Buggy/Reader are in their early to late 30's

There will be smut scenes

There will also be cute fluff scenes

Please note that betrayal does happen to Buggy in this and as of right now I still dont know if Buggy will forgive Reader or not.

Switch/Switch sexual dynamics so its really anyones game.

Author Notes: Hello everyone! Please note that this story already has some spicy teasers that can be found on the MASTER LIST. This story was origionally only supposed to be a few smut peices, but its become what will probably be one of the most intense and intricate stories I've ever tried to take a crack at. A few things to note before you should dig into this story. Reader is a fem presenting person and there will be pronouns of She/Her for this story. I am working on stories for nongender presenting works, but for this one it is a designated identiy. Anyway if you like it, please remeber that fanfic writers live off of Likes, Kudos and Comments of encouragment and conversation. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: The Storm of the Century

"Get to the bunker!"

Amidst the cataclysmic wail of the hurricane, screams became echoes lost in the torrent. The quaint island town, once a portrait of tranquility, was now an arsenal of airborne debris, propelled by winds that shrieked at a hundred miles per hour. Mari, a slender blond woman, sprinted through the chaos, clutching a young child to her chest like a precious gem. Her eyes were set on the concrete sanctuary that had morphed into a last haven for the island's residents.

Once safely ensconced inside, her eyes scanned the room in a frenzied dance, landing on face after face, each one not the one she was looking for.

"Where's the Mistress?!"

Silence strangled the air. The group of women inside exchanged worried glances; their faces etched with a mutual dread. Finally, the child's voice broke through the din, its pitch climbing to be heard over the relentless battering of the storm against the shelter's walls.

"She said she was heading to the Ustesse family's place! Their mom is 'bout to have the baby!" A wave of collective gasps swept the room, whispers and murmurs swirling like mini vortexes. "They're gonna be okay, right Mari?" The child clung to her leg, his small face etched with terror, tears cascading down his cheeks.

Bending down to his level, Mari swiped away his tears with the corner of her apron and tenderly swept his disheveled hair from his eyes.

"Don't you worry. I have faith she's hunkered down with our friends. I'll go check on them, okay?"

The child clung to Mari's skirt, his small fingers knotting the fabric tightly until another woman tenderly pried him away and cradled him in her arms. With a resolute nod to the remaining occupants of the makeshift sanctuary, Mari clenched the rustic wood handle of the door, leveraging her entire body weight to wrench it open against the ferocious wind.

Outside, the storm raged on.

Ominous, dark green clouds churned in a frenetic dance, intermittently pierced by jagged bolts of lightning that shot from sky to ground and an encroaching sea line. Amid the apocalyptic landscape, she nearly missed her turn; the familiar road marker had been uprooted, now likely a part of the storm's airborne arsenal. Navigating just ten feet felt like an insurmountable quest as she lunged from one gnarled tree trunk to another, grasping their deeply anchored roots to avoid being swept away, her fingers ached, and the muscle of her palms cramped at the strength needed to hold on. What should have been a brief traverse felt like an agonizing odyssey.

Finally, a welcome sight emerged: the door of the Ustesse residence, peeking timidly from the slope of a small hill. Its unique architecture had rendered it a fortress amid the devastation. With the final sturdy tree and fence line a daunting hundred feet away, Mari resorted to crawling on all fours, her body encrusted with a sludge of mud and saltwater, her hair a tangled net of debris.

Summoning her remaining strength, she rapped on the massive wooden door before leaning into it, a low groan escaping her lips as she exerted herself to budge the door just an inch. Once safely enveloped by the fortress of solid oak, she gave one final heave, sealing the door—and with it, the cacophony of the storm and the haunting screams of the world outside. Silence filled the space, air stale with its humidity from the storm.

Catching her breath and hastily combing her wind-tangled hair from her face, Mari delved deeper into the short corridors of the dwelling. Just as she was about to call out, a gut-wrenching scream echoed from the far reaches of a back bedroom. Without a second thought, Mari charged down the hall, heart pounding.

"Hello? Is everyone alright?!"

A bedroom door burst open, revealing the cherubic faces of two children—twins. The boy���s eyes brimmed with tears, while his sister, a portrait of grave concern, gestured urgently toward the bed. As Mari neared the warm glow of a flickering lamp, her eyes widened at the spectacle before her.

A woman in the throes of labor crouched on all fours, her fingers clenched around the headboard with such force that the wood itself seemed to wail in sympathy. A statuesque figure—her mistress—kneaded the laboring woman’s back, offering rhythmic chants of encouragement between her cries.

"Mistress?" Mari’s voice quivered as her eyes met those of, you, her friend.

"Mari! Oh, bless the gods, you have perfect timing. We need hot water and clean cloth—fast. The twins are too petrified to leave their mother’s side." With graceful, efficient movements, your arms supported the laboring woman, guiding her to sit at the edge of the mattress. "Listen, Hannah," you spoke, tone laced with gentle humor to try and lighten the moment, "I know this isn’t your first time at the rodeo, but with the baby being breech, we need to proceed with the utmost caution. Are you with me?" You watched the mothers body language with worry, the feelings tel-tail signs hidden behind a well practiced smile. The last thing needed was for the poor woman to panic because the person she was depending on couldn't keep it together.

Hannah's face was flushed, a vivid crimson, her hair clinging like wet tendrils to her sweat-drenched forehead. Cheeks puffed rhythmically as she exhaled forcefully, desperate for enough oxygen to ward off fainting. Gripping the mattress's edge with white-knuckled hands, she heeded your guiding words. Meanwhile, Mari stationed herself behind her, soothing her flushed skin with icy rags and murmuring words of encouragement.

"You're doing beautifully. Keep breathing, just like that."

While the intimate tableau of new life being ushered into existence unfolded within the sheltered chamber, the hurricane outside continued its relentless havoc. Hours slipped by like minutes, until finally, the culmination of Hannah's strenuous labor bore fruit—a tiny, newborn life. Arms carefully swaddling the freshly cleaned infant, lips curving into a tender smile as you approached the exhausted mother while whispering.

"Ten fingers and toes—a classic choice."

Exhausted but elated, Hannah chuckled as she cradled her newborn daughter, feeling the infant's minuscule fingers wrapped around her pinky. She looked up at you, her Mistress while reaching for your hand, and planted a reverent kiss on the back of it, before pressing it to her flushed cheek. "Thank you, Mistress Your presence—and Mari’s—made this infinitely more bearable, I think we would have been in big trouble without both of you."

Warmth spread from the hand on the mothers damp cheek, up into your chest and heart before being expressed through a smile that radiated love. Bending down, you bestowed a gentle kiss upon Hannah’s forehead.

"I’ll always do whatever I can to support our little village of misfits."

A sudden cough diverted everyone's attention to Mari, who stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Her eyes were a mix of exhaustion and sorrow, burdened with news she wished she didn't have to relay. "Mistress, there are urgent matters requiring your immediate attention."

The exhaustion from the last few hours gripped your shoulders, sagging them for a brief second at the added weight of remembering the growing storm outside, and the towns precarious condition. You had been called to the home so early, that everyone in town had still been a sleep, even the baker. Something told you that todays dawn of ominous black clouds that had filled the horizon, had turned into a much more worrisome outcome than just the usual tropical depression.

You needed a drink, a stiff one at that.

Something strong enough to not only burn your tongue but also this day away. With what little energy that could be mustered from aching joints and stiff muscles, your spine straightened, with head held high and a stiff upper-lip you nodded before exiting the room, Mari trailing closely behind.

"Thank you, Mari. Any indication of when this storm might subside? I saw some dark clouds on my walk here earlier, but I haven't had a chance to see what its damage is yet." Turning down the hall towards the front of the Ustesse earthen home, the round wooden door and windows stood before you. Windows that faced out to the front of the town came into view, but your brain was having trouble comprehending what it was seeing. Lead filled your feet and forced the once hurried forward momentum you had to stop. The sudden change causing the blond to bump into your lower back, but you didn't budge. Body unable to move at the new and terrifying view in front of where you both stood.

The islands usually calm, crystal clear, blue waters were the backdrop for the small islands only town. It had taken months to bring the supplies for just the first houses foundation, let alone the last three years for the rest of the buildings to be finished at the beginning of this year. Untold hours of sweat, blood and so many tears from your own two hands had been put into creating this safe haven from nothing.

Saliva built in your mouth, a normally wet tongue felt like blooming cotton in its dry texture. The sensation forced the already cord tight muscles in your neck to swallow. A new view showed through the windows glass, one that could only be what clothes perceived of the outside world trapped during the spin cycle of a washing machine. Wind howled by so fast that you were sure you could see bits of earthen chunks being thrown at breakneck speeds. The storms dramatic change of atmospheric pressure caused both window frames to bow and groan, threatening in anguish to break. Thank god you had splurged for the hurricane rated windows this time around.

This home and the bunker had been built as a test, trying to put less financial investment into the usual and expensive construction supplies and more into a sturdier outcome with what was already on hand from the land around them. Building them both into the side of the hill had been the hardest part, but it seemed that the gamble had paid off. You blinked as dust fell from the ceilings boards, realizing that the chunks of earth you had seen were from the homes moss roof.

The home still held up, so far.

How had that storm turned into this so fast? Normally the island had plenty of warning from the weather monitor to prepare. A den-den mushi connected to the stations from the main island, it had guaranteed constant updates and warnings. In the years you had lived here, not once did even a small ‘just in case’ not get sent out. A gut sinking question pushed its way to the front of your mind.

Had the main island been caught off guard by this storm as well?

Mari had stood silent next to you, the top of her head barely reaching your shoulders, her emerald green eyes observed calmly, as a blank expression took the place of a once truly happy smile of her friends face. Years of friendship taught her patience, especially when it came to the time that you needed when processing information. She stood in worry at the events outside, but also in confidence knowing that plans for multiple outcomes were already swirling in the back of your mind while taking in what was before you.

Finally moving, you walked to the front door and grasped the copper handle to pull it open when a sudden gust of wind slammed it shut, pulling you against the unyielding wood with a loud thud. "What the—?"

Mari intervened, gently brushing your hand aside. Taking a few long strides back you watched as the short blond braced a foot against the doors frame for leverage, she clenched the handle with a firm grip and mustered all her strength to yank the door open.

With a gritty shove, the door finally yielded, breaking the vacuum seal between the tempestuous storm and the home's still air. Both of you stood silhouetted in the doorway, squinting into the blinding onslaught of the storm—visibility reduced to a mere five-foot radius. Mari shuffled her weight from one foot to the other, her nerves starting to win against her patience.

“Whats the damage so far Mari?”

"The storm appears to be getting closer, Mistress. As it stands, only Hannah's home and our newly erected shelter have withstood the havoc.”

With wide eyes and mouth gaped in shock, you turn to look down at your friend before placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Another ball of saliva forced its way down as panic set in, had the people who had come to depend on you made it to safety? The words had to be forced out with what little air it felt your lungs could grasp, voice scratchy and hoarse as the question was asked.

“Is everyone…are they okay?”

Mari gave a small smile and nodded her head in reassurance. She understood intimately the fear you had; she had been a first-hand witness to this islands ceaseless endeavors, helping lost souls and vulnerable women find not just shelter, but a home and small community to depend on. It might have been humble, but it was one of safety, filled with love and warm meals. More than most had experienced before in their lifetime.

"Everyone is safe," Mari whispered, her voice tinged with solemn relief as her smaller hand lay gently across your own. “So far it is just the buildings that have been destroyed. This storm came on so quickly the others didn't even have time to grab any personal belongings.”

Both of you looked back out the door as the hurricane seemed to stay in place on the tiny island.

“I guess we will have to wait and see what we can salvage, hopefully we can make enough to repair everything”.

Now where was that drink?

Two Months Later.

That's the length of time the colossal hurricane had churned off the coast of the Grand Line, its path ever changing, sometimes even veering dangerously close to BariBari Island. The last hurricane of this scale had been the stuff of legend, occurring generations ago. The kind of things elders spun as eerie tales for younger ears at bedtime, recounting a storm that raged for an entire year before vanishing as mysteriously as it appeared. These stories painted nightmarish scenarios—mighty ships splintered like kindling under the hurricane's wrath, lush islands stripped to barren wastelands, and entire communities swallowed up, leaving nothing but memories and fear in their wake. Its unyielding presence disrupted every facet of maritime travel and daily life for the Cross Guild.

And now, the behemoth storm showed signs of further intensifying, prompting the leaders of the Cross Guild to recall their entire armada back to the island. They aimed to minimize the loss of their assets, salvaging whatever could be spared from nature's fury. But this strategy made from necessity had a double edge to it, while it saved their assets, it also lost them time and money in doing so. The lack of incoming funds creating great irritation in the largest of the three leaders, and terrified the shorter showman. A stop to income meant debts couldn't be paid fully or on time.

The formidable warlords congregated around a large circular worn table. Emptied wine bottles, extinguished cigar stubs, and disheveled piles of coins and playing cards surrounded them like the aftermath of a battlefield. Initially convened for a formal meeting, their gathering had dissolved, as it often did, into late-night poker and calculated wagers. The air was thick with a smoky haze, trapped by the room's tightly shut windows. Scant candles flickered on sparse furnishings, casting ominous shadows that danced in rhythm to the distant roll of thunder. Raindrops pelted the windowpanes, each gust of wind testing the mettle of their rusted latches.

Just as a new round of thunder shook the very foundation of the room, the silence was shattered, with a high-pitched whine. Slumping dramatically in his chair while disembodied hands remained frozen, Buggy sneered at cards that he had yet to reveal—a losing hand, if the theatrics were any indicator. After already losings the last four rounds, his mind was craving After four loses from the last few rounds, and his chips stacks getting smaller and smaller, his brain started to struggle staying focused. Weeks of being kept inside, no sunlight and temperatures fluctuating between sweltering and freezing would make anyone irritable. Even more so for someone who’s brain never seemed to stay quite or still.

"This storm has been raging for weeks. The longer this damn hurricane goes on, the more I’m starting to think its possible to die from boredom."

Buggy stormed from his grandiose chair, boots thudding against the floor as he glowered through the windowpanes. Just two hours ago the rain-droplets had been freezing to the glass, and now it was so warm that the inside edges were dripping in humidity. It was impossible to stay in one layer of clothing for the whole day now, having to now switch between snow and winter ware to summer beach attire constantly. His usual outfit was reduced to more comfortable wear for the late night. Long azure-colored hair held up in a high ponytail to keep anything warm off his neck, classic makeup smudged after hours of wear and humidity. The fur-lined coat draped over the backing of his chair, accompanied by his stripped bandanna.

Pouring another full glass of wine, Mihawk's eyes flicked from Crocodile to Buggy. Setting the crystal glass down, a pale hand tossed a few more coins into the pile as cards were discarded and new ones added. The usually well-poised swordsman felt his patience wearing thin with being cooped inside for so long, finding time alone to read had become near impossible. Add the irritation of never having a moments peace and the shifting weather it was no wonder he had grown more and more quite as the night went on. Even his normally immaculate appearance had loosened to something more casual. Hair tousled, mustache bristling in odd directions from the sweltering dense air. Hat and coat hanging on the wall, sword leaning next to them forgotten and left to try and stay cooler during this hours choice of temperature.

Crocodile delicately ashed his sizable cigar into a nearby used glass. Leaning back into his chair, he relished the sound of the wooden joints creaking under his weight. "I've got some old acquaintances that are going to dock on the island soon. They asked if they could stay until the storm passed, its a smallish group of maybe twenty at most.”

While still looking out the window, Buggy rolled his eyes in boredom. “Oh yeah? What do they do for work?”

The behemoth man paused in his reach for a new card, a self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips as he searched for a fitting descriptor. "They're a group of retired performers—some of the best at what they used to do." Plucking the new card, Crocodile grabbed an four of clubs to throw into the discard pile before nodding to the brunet next to him that it was his turn now.

Buggy perked up, spinning to face the table, his eyes alight with eagerness. "Performers?" Then, his excitement deflated. "Oh, wait. You said they're retired, right? So, they're old and boring." With a disheartened sigh, he laid down his cards and folded them, leaving the game to the other two men.

Silence once again fills the room, the clown could feel his skin crawl from under-stimulation and the banal environment, feeling the frenetic energy of his brain becoming louder.

“So when do the geezers get here?”

Crocodile stiffed a chuckle at Buggy's question, now turning to face the sword-smith to continue their card game, deliberately ignoring the clown's feigned indignation. “They should be arriving in the next few days, If the storm allows it.”

Shifting in his seat, Buggy swung one leg over the armrest and gazed out the window again, sulking in his boredom and already reaching for his coat as the temperature started to drop again.

A few hundred leagues away

Ornate tubes of lipstick danced like marionettes across the creaking floorboards, swept away by the hurricane's invisible hands as the storm outside orchestrated an all-out assault on the ship's integrity. Each howling gust and bone-jarring wave turned the vessel into a seesaw, rocking it in erratic patterns that defied gravity, from fore to aft, starboard to port.

When a particularly large wave crashed against the ship's bow the buckets in the room slid across from one corner to the other along with the smaller trunks of storage, their scraping noises adding to the symphony of the ship's already overstimulating orchestra. Falling to your knees with a harsh thump, a hand flew to cover your mouth as a particularly intense wave of nausea made itself known. Moans, groans, and the unmistakable retching of seasick passengers reverberated through the timbers as if the ship itself were in agony.

With a sense of urgency, the that Mari had help to adorned with delicate rings reached out in a desperate ballet, snatching up the errant lipstick tubes before they could escape into the narrow abyss between creaking planks. Then, as if provoked by your defiance, a colossal wave—fit for a sea monster's grand entrance—slammed into the bow. The impact sent buckets, dainty trunks, and sundry personal items skidding and screeching from one end of the room to the other. The shrill scraping of metal against wood joined the discordant orchestra, lending another layer of chaos to an environment already awash in sensory overload.

A knock at the door was heard before it slowly cracked open. A voice gently called out, "Miss? Are you alright?" In walked the familiar petite blond with a white apron cinched around her waist. Her eyes darted to where you stayed kneeling on the floor, curled over a bucket, trying to hold back from heaving up what little food you had been able to keep down so far.

"Oh dear, you poor thing. I knew this voyage would be trouble, especially with your seasickness." Mari helped guide you to sit up on the bed before wiping the sweat that had grown across the heat of your forehead with a rag dunked in a bowl of cool fresh water. "I didn't think it would be so rough when we're gaining distance from the storm's center. Are you sure we can trust this acquaintance of yours?"

Letting out a low, contented hum as the icy touch of the damp rag caressed your feverish forehead, taming wayward strands of hair that clung to moist skin. Head tilted back, eyes blissfully shut, you surrendered to Mari's nurturing touch as if each swipe of the cloth washed away a morsel of discomfort. "No, he is not someone to be trusted. I'm afraid turning back isn't an option, Mari. Since that storms appearance we’ve burned through almost all our emergency supplies. We’ve no money to speak of and nowhere to retreat to. Did the captain give any indication of how much longer this hellish ride will last—oh God!"

Even in so much discomfort and exhaustion your hand shot to a bucket tucked covertly under the bed, just in time for you to dry-have, retching into its emptiness. Mari's face crumpled in empathetic distaste, yet she remained steadfast, gathering your hair to prevent it from falling into the line of fire. "The captain assures us it'll only be a few more hours," she replied.

With a groan that seemed to echo the creaks of the ship, you withdrew your head from the foul-smelling bucket, collapsing onto the bed that swayed like a pendulum in sync with the ship's motion. "By gods, thank you for that news. Please, check on the others. From what I was hearing they might be faring even worse than me."

Mari bit her lower lip, a visible manifestation of her brewing concern. Sensing this, an eye cracked open, lips stretching into a warm, reassuring smile as you gently squeezed Mari’s arm. " You are too good to us, Mari, there is no one else we could hope to depend on. Please, they might need you more than me.”

At the encouraging nod, Mari pivoted gracefully and moved toward the door. Pausing on the threshold, her eyes lingered, bathed in the dim light of the room. "If you need anything, just holler, Miss." With that, she vanished into the dizzying corridor, momentarily losing her balance in the ship's wild sway. Bracing herself against the wall, she pressed on, intent on delivering the same vigilant care to the other ladies enduring this maritime ordeal.

Back in the sanctuary of your private chamber, starring at the ceiling, transfixed by the droplets of water that seeped through the holes in the timeworn deck above. Each droplet felt like a punctuation mark in the million thoughts that seemed to swirl repeatedly—a relentless reminder of your dire circumstances. Letting the right arm go limp, fingers loosely clutching the now lukewarm rag before letting it tumble to the floor. Your thoughts careened like a tempest, mirroring the chaos outside.

"We're in desperate need of help," the words murmured softly, as if verbalizing it might summon the assistance you so urgently required.

Shout Out To: @gingernut1314 @oddmawd @fanaticsnail @diabolicemerald @hey-august @lemony-snickers for being such amazing authors. All of you have given me inspiration and strength from reading and experiencing your creations to to able to spread my own wings. Thank you.

[kurogane2512]

I recently got into Nikke too and the gameplay I gotta say is actually enjoyable. Im also enjoying some of the women. But I guess I've been spoiled by PTN, I just cant get over the fact that I, a woman, have to play as a dude. like hello why cant we be woman? Its minor issue but I dont kmow it just makes me kinda feel not seen and i get little annoyed? women play those games too and we deserve our female MC.

The gameplay certainly grows on you especially as you get better characters, even with just auto play it's quite fun to watch cause it's so active all the time. It's also sometimes just nice to have these relaxing games where you don't have to do much in gameplay and can spend more time with the story.

As for mc, I definitely understand you and it did upset me in the beginning too but I got used to it since I have played so many other similar games having the same issue over the years. I have digged into this and analysed from the perspective of various games so I do have an understanding of why this is the case. For one, most gachas target male audiences even now. While Genshin definitely changed the landscape, there are many layers to this that are quite complex and would take me a while to explain so this is gonna be a long read if you are really interested to hear.

Gacha gaming space has evolved a lot after Genshin and many new games emerged trying to copy Genshin's success in their own way. Genshin in terms of fanservice is super mild, as seen by its age rating of 12+ and its popularity on a global scale is what attracted everyone. This issue has got to do a lot with censorship and the reaction of men and women in the gacha communities. In simple words, it's likely that the devs only intended this for a male audience since the cast is all female and they don't expect to attract many women players. Or, they may deliberately not want women players. It's quite messed up and complicated idk how to explain without appearing rude or something 😅

Lemme give an example of a recent controversy another game had- Snowbreak Containment Zone. Just like Nikke, this game has an exclusive male mc and all female cast. However, in the early stage this game had a male character which was forcefully removed by the players cause they didn't want a man between their waifus. Yes it sounds quite pathetic, but but hear me out more. Initially, Snowbreak was following Genshin's route of having a mild fanservice story to attract a larger audience but it didn't work for them. Their revenue went down and they were on the verge of eos, then they made a crucial decision to change the direction of the game.

Snowbreak bumped up its rating to 18+ and started having a 'Master Love' story which is basically harem route. This worked and saved the game and for now it's doing good enough, but another thing came into light from this. Apparently there were some female player groups in China who reported Snowbreak for it's skimpy designs and the story catering to men, this caused some discourse in the players online and the conclusion that came out was these female players were typical woke feminists who hate seeing fanservice and bias for male players so they demanded female characters to be removed and instead some male characters to be put in.

Now, while this issue is recent and Nikke was released 2 years ago, I believe the causes are similar. It's sad to say this but when these games attempt to target female players, they mostly get straight women who demand more male characters and start hating on the female designs cause it goes against feminist propaganda. Genshin's old censorship of Jean, Amber, Mona etc was another case of this. Yes I know Nikke is Korean so it shouldn't be the same but I really believe it ends up that way. Now you'd wonder, why don't these games just give equal treatment to male and female characters to appease both sides? Imo, it's really not simple to balance this in a fanservice heavy game.

I won't say revenue cause there are examples to show male characters can earn just as good as females. I truly believe it's got to do with gender roles/interests/ideologies etc. I agree that Ptn is impressive in this sense that it somehow attracted such a large yuri fandom and I personally don't think the devs planned for this. From my understanding, it's due to its design being different from the conventional anime style that males weren't attracted as much and there being mostly adult women characters while the majority of men want teen or young girls as waifus. Also the fact that both mcs are treated quite equally in not just role but even design philosophy, it's likely why more women ended up here. Also it has a mature story which doesn't have anime stereotypes that I suppose it just didn't reach the audience the devs planned for.

But okay yeah lemme just finish here. I get your disappointment and I also wish Nikke had the option for female mc but looking at various factors I understand why the devs wanted a harem story this way. There are otome games like Love and Deepspace topping revenue charts which obviously shows women play these games too but I think the majority is still made up of straight women hence why these other games flourish more. But I won't lie, I'm very tempted to make a game like Nikke or love and deepspace for us lesbians like yes we deserve to have this too with hot women 😩

[absolutebl]

Hi!

I love your Blog and love to read your takes in everything. So thank you so much for all your Posts and thoughts about the industry etc.

Here is my question: i came across one of your posts where you wrote "actually gay, not bl gay" (it was a Post about Jojo and Only Friends) and while I FELT that I TOTALLY understood what you meant and instantly was like "yes 100% clear" Id love to read and learn more about what this means exactly and why some bls feel quite heteronormative while some dont. Would you mind explain the take on "actually gay Not Bl gay" a little bit? And why some Shows feel just more queer than others (besides the unbelievable stupid "gay only for you" trope lol)

Thank you so much and I hope you will have a nice day!

actually gay, not bl gay

There's actually quite a discourse on this right now mostly originating with @waitmyturtles and @wen-kexing-apologist (Post @killiru references above is here.)

I tend to mostly talk about this in broad brush strokes as a queer lens.

But there's a great ven diagram (which of course I've lost the link to) that approaches the idea of and queer lens by tunneling into its approach and intent:

about queers

by queers

for queers

How do different BLs intersect in different ways with these three elements?

When I said "actually gay, not BL gay" I was alluding to this discourse. Specifically the "about queers" category of BL.

There are characters in BL who read as genuinely gay (as in belonging to the queer family of this terrible reality we live in) and then there are those that seem more performative (to exist in a bubble of fantasy were sexual identity is almost unimportant, only the romance matters, everything is safe sweetness & light). For some queers this can read as manipulative or even exploitive (because it is inauthentic to most queer experiences). For me, it's fine... even desirable. I like the safe bubble. I enjoy the utter delusional escapism of it. Sometimes I will call this sanitized gay. (Since it is designed to make gay palatable to non-gay identified folks e.g. seme/uke.)

A sanitized gay BL may be unintentional but it is nested in origin yaoi and mm romance whose target market has never been the queer community, and whose authors have historically not been members of it, either.

Let's be frank, we queers are generally a terrible target market, we don't have enough spending power - especially not for a piece of pop culture as niched as BL. And as creators we really want our voices to be heard (obvs), which makes us produce content that those unsympathetic or uncaring find uncomfortable. (Yes, I know, fuck them, but also, they have all the money and the entertainment industry is a numbers game.)

So in the arena of office romances, just as an example:

actually gay = The New Employee

sanitized gay = Our Dating Sim

actual gay = Step By Step

sanitized gay = A Boss And a Babe

All of the above have the same tropes, archetypes, and premises. All of them are BL. Some are just... queerer feeling than others. And the characters in those shows (Step by Step and The New Employee) read as more "actually gay."

This has nothing to do with the actors, chemsitry, or how much we may personally like the show (Our Dating Sim is one of my absolute favorite BLs). It has to do with how closely those CHARACTERS intersect with the reality of queerness as we inhabit it today. It will be lots of little touches given to the drama by director and script:

language use,

surrounding friendships (and friendship style),

mannerisms and physicality (specially body language around straights vs other queer characters),

makeup & wardrobe,

facial expressions,

surrounding queer-coded behaviors by side characters,

layers of story nuance that indicate a complicated queer-driven back story.

Markers of specifically a queer identity are given to the leads.

These kinds of BLs are satisfying the "about queers" category. ("By queers" can be difficult to extract because IRL outting is involved. "For queers" is the rarest kind of BL, because making something specifically for us often alienates the majority of the rest of viewership/market. I could be argued that SCOY did this.)

I'm sure I've missed things, but I hope that kinda makes sense?

By/For/About discourse from @wen-kexing-apologist here:

Parts 1

Part 2

Part 3

I'm indebted to them for the links!

More Queer Stuff from Yours Truly

BL Linguistics & Queer Identity - I Am Gay versus I Like Men 

Will BL Get More Honestly Queer? 

Queer lens (from the director) and chemistry (from the actors) in BL (A Tale of Thousand Stars)

Touch & Daisy in Secret Crush On You - Queer Coded Language and 3rd Gender Identity

BL in Taiwan & Gay Marriage

Debating Queerbaiting in BL ( + Devil Judge... is it queerbaiting?) 

BL Actors and the Assumption of Queerness - outing actors, coming out, being out, more:  Is that BL actor actually queer?

So is it really fetishization? straight women loving bl 

Some BL fans are sasaengs, and it’s a problem in this fandom 

BLs That Highlight How Society Treats Queers

10 BLs That Are Honest to a Queer Experience 

(source)

[averythepirate]

Get to know me better

@an-asuryampasya thanks for tagging me in this ask game :)

do you make your bed? Yes, every day after i've had breakfast and feel less groggy.

what is your job? I'm a journalist! Here and there i am a consultant for some research projects. That first one i'm still doing my bachelors for!

if you could go back to school, would you? Since i'm already in school, no. I would not come back for a masters either.

can you parallel park? I do not have a drivers license!

a job you had that would surprise people? For a few months i was a kids math teacher. This is surprising because i am extremely bad at math. They were young enough that i could explain it though.

do you think aliens are real? Yes, with the idea that the universe is very very big. It seems unlikely that there's no one else in it except us. Or the universe is still so young we'll be dead ages by the time there's any aliens, in the star trek sense of the word.

can you drive a manual car? I do not have a driver's license still

what's your guilty pleasure? You should never feel guilty about these things!! I don't really have anything that i do or watch or read that i feel unease about. I like star wars, but i dont often speak of it, since theres a type of man that can attract who i don't wanna speak to. Guess that would come closest.

tattoos? Nope, pierced ears though! Planning on more.

do you like puzzles? Yes. I'm not particularly good at them in video games, but i very much enjoy social research, and the puzzle that comes with that.

any phobias? Yes, fear of heights! I very much know it's safe 90% of the time but this does not seem to help it. If you put me in a ferry wheel i will be gripping the railing and close my eyes until its done.

favourite childhood sport? Horse riding. I still miss it sometimes. Archery was good as well, and i liked the theater classes my mom put me on briefly.

first thing you wanted to be growing up? I think it was a singer, or a dancer.

do you talk to yourself? Oh yeah definitely, more so when there isn't anybody around.

what movies do you adore? Both the Yakuza and Ace Attorney movie. Some argue they aren't good, but they are faithful to the core of both games. Besides that, i really enjoy the cluttered sets and the way the compositions are set up. I wish i could draw the way those movies look.

coffee or tea? Coffee, though i should drink less of it. I like green tea too.

favourite colour? I adore magenta, purples and blues for painting. Anything a little mixed with blue.

I tag @fishmorgue @alsophila-grahami @sazeracs @tzeimi to do it as well! No pressure if you don't wanna.

[a-drama-addict]

chloe for 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20 heehee :3

[ask game] YEAHHHH CHLOE TIMEMEME!!!!!

1. What kind of person is your OC in a crisis? Are they calm and collected? Do they panic? Or are they chronically the cause?

I mean. She is calm, usually. She likes to pretend she's calm more than anything, she wants to be well adjusted and collected during a crisis so bad but she just can't be. So she just. lies through her teeth and pretends to be calm (not amazingly)

2. Is your OC a loner or a social butterfly? Are they satisfied with how they come across to other people?

Social! Chloe likes going out a lot, enjoys making friends and even acquaintances on the regular! She's sillay like that (not relatable). As to how she comes across to other people she just doesn't.. really care? I mean she cares a little, but the general public's opinion? Eh.

4. Does your OC have a failed friendship or relationship they still think about? What happened? Is it an unresolved regret or is there a chance for reconciliation?

Hm. Carver.

It isn't failed in a sense that they don't care for one another, or that they don't love each other, or that they don't grow to understand one another. It's just the regret that their issues were never really about one another as people, just.. about the situation. The carelessness in which Chloe wanted to live and in the anxiousness Carver knew she had to live. The clashing of those two factors was intense most of the time, but it is still something she regrets. Regrets not being able to... just be with Carver in the way she wishes.

5. Does your OC have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they train to master it?

Blood magic for sure- but specifically kind of... slashing her wrists/palm open and infusing her blood with ice magic so she just kills bitches with blood shards. (IS this possible? i dont know its cool though). learned it from her bestie merrill <3

8. What was your OC's most embarrassing moment? Does it still bother them or are they able to shrug it off?

Hmmmm probably when she was a teen, like seventeen maybe, she tried asking out a girl for the first time ever and oh was it so scary. She had hyped herself up all night "You got this, you've got mom's looks plus dad's charm has to work!" and this would've worked if Chloe didn't get so nervous her magic acted up. And burnt every flower she picked to a charcoal-y mess. She managed to pick SOME only for it to flare up again in the moment when she gave them. she was dying internally

9. Is your OC laid back or do they thrive on drama? What role do they play in their group of friends/associates?

Chloe's pretty laid back, usually acting as more of a... passive bystander to personal dramas within her friend group. Fenris and Anders want to kill each other with hammers? Okay, she's gonna drink ale with Isabela, Varric and Merrill.

11. What does your OC believe in? God(s)? Monsters? Love? The power of unbreakable bonds of friendship to overcome any obstacle? The ability of money to open any door? Or are they indifferent?

Chloe's pretty indifferent. She believes in people, in the good of people. She really wants to believe in it, she doesn't know what else to believe in.

13. How important are romantic relationships to your OC? Do they prefer casual sex, short flings, or long term relationships? Do they want to get married or are they content with what they have? Or do they have no interest in romance whatsoever?

Chloe's relationship with romance is complicated. She yearns for it on a deep level yet doesn't know how to act around it, she can't stand the thought of marriage and yet if she is in a relationship all she wants to do is marry the woman she is dating.

When she gets with Isabela it's all very "Hell yeah the hottest woman in all of Thedas is about to sit on my face" but when she catches feelings it's like... "Can we please hold hands i want you to my mom during dinner. if that's okay. i'm sorry that was so cringe i can show my dick instead"

She does prefer long term relationships. she can't imagine not wanting it

14. How important is friendship to your OC? Do they prefer to have one or two close friends or a large group of casual friends? Or do they prefer their own company over that of others?

SHE LOVES HER FRIENDS!!!!!! SHE LOVES HAVING AN INNER CIRCLE AND OUTER CIRCLE OF FRIENDS!!!!!!!! SHE LOVES BEING IN BIG GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND BEING IN THE COMPANY OF HER LOVED ONES!!!!!!!

15. What places hold significant meaning or memories for your OC? Do they have a positive or negative association with those places?

Kirkwall. It's like, yeah obviously. But so much of what Chloe is and becomes, it's all tied to that rotten city isn't it. She's met everyone she cares about in recent memory there, met the love of her life, learned everything she could about her magic, and truly experienced a semblance of freedom. It's both Hell on earth and paradise at the same time

20. Has your OC ever done something terrible and lied about it? Did they run away or blame someone else for it? How long did they maintain the lie and did the truth ever come out?

mmmm no. Chloe is pretty upfront with all her actions even if they ended up being terrible. She owns up to the way she helped Anders, unknowingly, get supplies for blowing up the Chantry. She hates that about herself, but can't lie about her involvement. It's things like that, she couldn't ever truly lie about things of her fault. she could lie about the size of the statue in her honour while standing right in front of it, but never things she has actually done (this is where she and Varric clash a lot)

[maaxverstappen]

ty for the tag miss @foggieststars :-)

1. do you make your bed?

yes 99% of the time! I'm a really still sleeper and dont really disturb my sheets/duvet so its easy to do :)

2. favourite number?

4!! my birthday is 4/4

3. what's your job?

waiting to start my masters in aug and right now i'm a freelance social media manager n like project manager

4. if you could go back to school, would you?

i am going back to school lol. didnt know what to do with my life so i'm getting a masters degree in digital culture

5. can you parallel park?

I'm currently in the process of learning to drive (just waiting for my test) so theoretically yes but also ive only done it a few times.. but id be confident that i could do it in at least 2 tries. maybe not exam level perfect but like daily life good enough

6. do you think aliens are real?

in the way that there is life elsewhere yes. maybe even that we've discovered it but not silver men with massive eyes and slimy fingers

7. can you drive a manual car?

i can only drive manual! or, have only ever driven manual :) but dont see why i couldnt do an automatic

8. guilty pleasure?

oh my god ive been so into the outdoor boys on youtube lmao

9. tattoos?

nope

10. favourite colour?

greeeeeeeeeen. even got a green engagement ring lol

11. favourite type of music?

pop pop and pop

12. do you like puzzles?

omg i got a puzzle the other day and it was the best ever. i spent a full day doing nothing but the puzzle. no thoughts just puzzle. i also really enjoy sudoku and daily games like wordle

13. favourite childhood sport?

i was not a sporty child

14. do you talk to yourself?

i actually don't. I'm very busy thinking all the time but childhood trauma has made me a very quiet person. i generally dont make much noise existing and that includes talking to myself

15. tea or coffee?

tea! but i did have a coffee i liked for the first time in america. was more sugar than coffee

16. first thing you wanted to be when growing up?

a princess and then an interior designer

17. what movies do you adore?

i ... dont watch movies

ive literally seen everyone be tagged bc it took me a while to do this so no tags today

[aristotels]

Thinking about art and fiction and concepts of ownership and honestly it's kinda fucked that collaborative and transformative storytelling is literally as old as time and one of the most basic human instincts that exists, but the only good word it we have right now is "fanfiction"

and when you tell people you write fanfiction they think you're some kind of cringe weirdo and possibly pervert and then the whole thing gets derailed by this bizarre side discussion into how "No it's not all porn, it's absolutely everything and anything imaginable, duh, but like, even if it were all porn, that would also be okay". Like I'm all for pointing out the double standards about how published authors who put sex into their stories don't lose any respectability (especially if they're men, and especially if the sex is cishet), but the second I, a fanfiction person, add a romantic arc into my plotty casefic suddenly I'm a fujoshi with shipper brainrot etc etc-

But it's tiring that this is even a focal point

My favourite funny and sad thing is watching people (usually dudes) who clearly either view themselves as above fanfiction or have simply never ever thought of themselves as "the type" to do creative writing discover The Fanfiction Urge, because the way they express it is like. An increasingly passionate and detailed video essay about how Movie should have gone instead, or, my favourite, a story about something cool that happened to them in XCOM or Darkest Dungeon or some other Difficult Game For Serious Gamers and by the end of the post they're legitimately just writing prose. Like look at this! LOOK! Damn if this person didn't speedrun the gamerbro-to-AO3 pipeline just for a sec. And not that there's anything wrong with those formats but it makes you wonder if that's something they'd be interested in exploring more if their wings got unclipped

Or DnD. Small wonder that TTRPGs are becoming so popular when they're one of the few increasingly non-cringe ways to do the extremely basic human urge of Tell Story Collaboratively

A friend of mine had this to say recently about his own struggles with this kind of internal bias:

i'd like to try out Thousand-Year-Old Vampire (a solo role-playing game with minimal rules to make you write your own narrative) and my toxic masculinity is getting in the way. discouraging thoughts include: i'm not creative enough; creative writing is for Floofy Humanities types and i am a Cold STEM type; it's not a real game unless it has Systems that you can Study and Master. would anyone like to say something encouraging?

and honestly that's incredibly illuminating innit isn't it. The splitting off of creative activity (not just fanfiction, either) into something only for Floofy Humanities Types but not Serious People and the way it's linked to whether or not you can make money off it... oof.

This became a long post thank you for your patience

ngl i just dont rly care that much for fandoms... i like fanfic, i read it and write it, but i dont rly see fandom as my identity or smth i particularly care about, to me all of it is just the same as me playing with barbie dolls.

i dont think its something special that can be compared to actual literature and i think there are certain problems w booktok people relying on tropes that come from fanfic mentality. its just not the same, and i do wish people who like fanfic would sometimes also read.......some actual books sometimes

i just generally dont see what youre describing as some huge thing or problem, i think anti-kink ppl doxxing artists is the major worrisome thing when it comes to fandoms, but i think the doxxers also take the whole fandom experience too seriously

and i say this as someone who also writes fanfic, so like, it rly isnt me going "fanfic authors/readers are stupid", i find fanfic super cool to explore yourself, fanart taught me sooo much as an artist, i even enjoy roleplaying; all of this serves a very real purpose of exploring things as a human in realms of fiction, and pre-existing characters make that easier. i think that can be very useful, we learn about ourselves through books and stories. i just think fandom should be treated the way it is - playtime with toys ✌️

[galacticfoundation]

Heya... Mars here. This is a little awkward, but Miss Cynthia seems to think it's a good idea, so... FAQ??

Q: Team Galactic? The doomsday cult?

A: It's not a cult anymore! We've been busting our butts in that court mandated therapy!

Q: Why are you still around?

A: We just want to fix things. The Champion and Cynthia did a really big favor, keeping us out of Forever Jail. Plus, some of us didn't have anywhere else to go. There's only about... 33 of us now?

Q: Why is Mars running this shebang? Wasn't she like, bottom of the totem pole.

A: Rude. But true. Saturn is technically in charge, but he's... not been doing too well. Can't blame him, really. It's a miracle he lasted this long. Jupiter went to Hoenn to work at some space place because we kind of ran out of money. So that leaves little old Mars! Jupiter thinks shes superior still, but I'm not the one with a live in Interpol agent.

Q: What do you even do?

A: Classic community service stuff. Also, working on reuniting stolen Pokémon. And cleaning up the lakes after the whole bomb thing. That was Jupiters idea, by the way. NOT mine. Oh, and about half the grunts have day jobs, for previously stated broke reasons. Saturn does some online coding stuff that I don't understand in the slightest.

Q: Is Cyrus alive?

A: I don't know.

cassini starts another blog, part... 11??? main blog @plasmaapologist blah blah blah. i could use this app to get an autism diagnosis i think

this blog is based on an au of my own dppt interpretation/au. it is canon based but not compliant. ye have been warned. blog will deal with heavy topics from time to time, all will be tagged

- the plot was that of platinum, for the most part

few things to note:

- this blog takes place very closely after dppt. only the events of kanto, johto, and hoenn have happened. asks relating to things in the other games will be answered, but will likely be met with confusion

- the start of this blog is 5-6 months after the events of the game

- charon does not exist. hes stupid and i dont like him. 👎

- lucas is the champion, dawn is the professors assistant

- dawn is probably one of my most heavily headcanoned characters. just a warning ♡

- despite being based on platinum, lucas failed to capture giratina. he later gained the trust of dialga, though their relationship is more of friends than pokemon and master.

- mars and saturn genuinely have good intentions. however please feel free to accuse them of otherwise. (jupiters only acting good to stay out of jail)

reoccurring characters blah blah blah. you know them but i thrust my headcanon upon ye

mars: she/her, 20. main poster. interim leader while saturn recovers. trying her best

saturn: he/him, 26. may occasionally post. not currently acting as leader after a mental breakdown, but still handles finances and does announcements when he can.

jupiter: she/her, 28. currently working at mossdeep space center in hoenn under the very careful eye of interpol. she never actually cared about team galactic, but its keeping her out of jail...

---------------------------------------------------

lucas: he/him, 14. current champion of sinnoh. has been helplessly busy since becoming acting champion. someone give this man a break, please. hes got a bit of a hero complex now. enjoys hanging out with barry and dawn when hes free, which often puts him around team galactic when hes with the latter.

dawn: she/her, 13. professor rowan's assistant. a quiet girl with a melancholic side; her real passion is art, but no one seems to appreciate it. has an odd but strong friendship with mars, and likes helping out.

barry: he/him, 14. impatient as ever. does not get why his friends want to help those galactic freaks so much!? why can't we beat them up and put them in jail forever?!?! main goal: blow up beat his father in battle

cynthia: she/her, 34. former champion of sinnoh. trying to enjoy her newfound free time, but she's been tasked with keeping an eye on team galactic. she secretly doesn't mind, and has developed a friendship with saturn. she wants to visit unova sometime soon, but she's just so busy...

professor rowan: he/him, old. early 60s? haven't decided. it's the professor, man. pretty much dawns main family, since her actual one doesn't seem fond of her. he doesn't really like her hanging with former terrorists, but also, doesn't want to control her.

[natasha-in-space]

HELLO!! I wanna request something yay. I dont really have anything concrete in mind tho lol just that I want something with Zen.

Whenever I think about Zen usually domestic fluff (or angst) comes into mind so maybe something with that? Or if you wanna just completely throw me off that's totally welcome too

I'm being really vague here so I'd get if you didn't wanna write something, no pressure, totally up to you lol

~ <3

Zen might be a beginner at computer games, but he's definitely no stranger to board games... And, he's a way better strategist than you'd think at first glance! Too bad you got too cocky for your own good and ended up completely bankrupt in your weekend session of monopoly. Granted, you really shouldn't have underestimated a man who had to get by practically on his own since he was a teenager. Zen knew planning, and Zen knew finances.

And so, one last horrified gasp was all that accompanied your eminent defeat, as you stared, utterly appalled, at the amount of debt that was steadily increasing, until you had no choice but to accept, that it was way more than you could ever pay off, however lucky your next hand could have been.

Who could possibly know that a relaxing session of some good old monopoly with your handsome boyfriend might turn so competitive and heated in just a few hours of playing? Maybe you shouldn't have boasted about your long-running winning streak as much as you did. To say that your pride was mercilessly destroyed and smashed into pieces would be the understatement of the century, that's for sure. You couldn't really blame Zen for bursting out laughing at your utterly dumbfounded reaction, especially considering all the cocky teasing you put him through just a few minutes prior.

Cruel is karma.

"My, what a thrilling turn of events! And I didn't even have to charm my way to victory. Or maybe my beauty is just so blinding to my adorably smug opponent?" Zen chuckled, mischievous twinkles slowly creeping its way to his beautiful ruby eyes as he watched you gawk, his chin prepped up comfortably onto his palm. He was clearly enjoying this way too much for his own good, which only made you feel more embarrassed by the stupidity of it all.

Finding your mind completely blank for any believable excuse that would save you face from the inevitable session of some well-deserved teasing that was coming your way hard and fast, you found nothing better to do but to grab the nearest pillow to you and hide your burning face in it, crawling back further into the couch you were sitting in. Maybe if you hid yourself from his piercing gaze well enough, your dignity will somehow make it out of this alive. Albeit barely "I just- Got distracted! That's all. Don't be so proud of it."

Yeah, right.

You knew you were acting sort of childish right now, but admitting your own defeat was not something you ever did easily. Especially not in monopoly, a game that you've, supposedly, always been a master at. Well, at least that's a good and valuable lesson about pride you just got served hot and ready right on your plate. Your own competitiveness has led you to your demise. Oh, the the poetic irony.

"Oh, babe~" Zen practically purred out the nickname you knew so well, slowly but surely crawling over your way, until you could feel his rich cologne surrounding you in its enticing presence. Now your face was burning up for a completely different reason than before, only making you burry yourself further into your protective shield in the form of the fluffy pillow. Though, try as you might, you could do nothing to stiffle back a choked gasp as your boyfriend placed one single heated kiss right underneath your ear, making you shiver with delight as the sensitive skin of your neck tingled with a rush of warmth. "Do you have any idea how adorable you look right now? You're only making me want to beat you at other board games as well, just to see you pouting and trembling like that. Are you doing it on purpose?"

You gulped, finding your heart beating wildly right in your throat at such a bold proposition. You thought you'd surely get mad at him for suggesting putting you in such an embarrassing situation ever again, but, instead, you only felt a small rush of anticipation trickling down your neck and settling somewhere deep in the pit of your stomach. Loosing was always something you hated, but...

For Zen, you just might make an exception.

[samarecharm]

thank you for the long response! it was geniunely a very interesting read!! also i did not want to imply that you have to 100% like something or else drop it, that was not my intention (/_;)/~~ i just wanted to know what were the pros that outweighed the cons for you to continue the game!! i definitely have my own rant about the persona 5, as much as i love it.

i'm someone who has sunk hundreds of hours (i think about 400) into persona 5 royal, i have played the original as well and,,,,, i don't remember every bit of it as i got much more into royal, but your response definitely dug up some memories of my own gripes with the game as it was then. i bought strikers once i had a switch!! i was super excited to see ryuji and the rest of the gang again, but due to life stuff and me generally not being a fan of button smashers/combo games, i only got like 3 hours into it before i left it alone. also the lack of akechi was disheartening since after royal giving him more story i was wanting /still want more of him as royal, while not fully fixing his confidant, still improved majorly on his character in my opinion. but i trust your judgment, so do you have any tips to get back into strikers? it's really the gameplay that sticks out like a sore thumb to me, i'm not very dexterous with a controler and i get the hang of things quite slowly,,,, but again, thank you geniunely for responding so kindly and elaborating!! (*^ω^)

You are welcome 😊 I try to give the botd for questions like this, bc I have seen and received some very silly comments wrt to complaints of this game (and others people hold in high regard). Not that I am happy to see that you remembered some gripes w a game you liked, but it is easy to become a bit rosetinted about media you enjoy, and its good to go back and say ‘hey actually, theres some stuff i DO wish couldve been changed to make the experience better.’ At least u were polite about asking lmao

I think I am going to have the same problem I had before, so im going to preemptively put my strikers tips under the cut to stop it from bloating up dashboards 😭

I am aware that the warriors style gameplay is not for everyone; its very repetitive by its nature and it can be really bad on the hands if youre not used to it, so I unfortunately dont have a suggestion for making the combat portion of the game easier. But I am halfway through a ng+ of that game, so I at least have tips on how to make the combat less confusing, and how to spend less time on the actual combat itself.

Stick to one character and ignore literally anyone else in the beginning. I am so serious about this. The upgrades you get for ranking up teammates is used to enhance their combos, and that can be confusing in the beginning of the game. I had to fall back onto normal difficulty until i got the hang of everyones combos, so i suggest you do the same.

The ai for your teammates is surprisingly well done, and they will target enemy weaknesses and heal you before you NEED to be healed, which is always better than them simply forgetting to do so. They buff often, but they are a bit lax about debuffing without manual input (ann has Tarunda as a spell AND as a combo finisher, but she refuses to do either unless its targeting a tough enemy). You should prioritize builds that buff your entire team (so the competent team ai rips enemies to shreds) and debuffing enemies.

Combos are almost entirely optional if youre willing to jump in and out of Jails to replenish SP constantly. Spam spells, and switch teammates to spam their spells as well, then leave the Jail and return. Unlike the mainline games, leaving the metaverse does not pass time; only hitting important plot points like getting to the treasure and fighting the jailer counts towards progressing time, so you should abuse it as often as possible.

Due to [REDACTED] spoilers, you WILL need to at least master or understand three characters and their movesets. I obviously suggest Akira as one, but pick two more characters that work well with your playstyle. Ryuji was personally the easiest to understand; hes resistant to flinching, and his finishers are ‘hold X to kill everything around you’. Haru has a wide aoe for her combo finishers, letting her spin and shred through enemies or spam her grenade launcher infinitely. She has the added benefit of gaining more armor and reduced flinching during her hold finishers, so shes good for fighting bosses.

DONT fight those super hard burning enemies. They arent worth it 😭😭 you need to be at least 3-4 jails deep before u can even fight the one in shibuya jail 😭😭 theyre very easy to avoid, so just shimmy past them or ignore the area theyre in outright.

If you focus on understanding Akira, know that each persona has a unique set of finishers (yes, literally each one). If you are thinking of learning combos instead of just spamming spells, I suggest learning the pattern for executing his combos before focusing on what the finishers actually do. From there, you can test out finishers for each persona, and decide which ones are worth keeping based on that. I will say though, that the finishers kinda dont mean anything until you get to the end game, where high leveled personas will have spells like Concentrate or Debilitate as Finishers; but always know that a finisher spell is ALWAYS a spell that you can just as easily cast with SP. Dont make the game more stressful or complicated than you need it to be.

(As an addon, if you can understand Akiras moveset, then learning the other ones will be WAY easier since they are all virtually the same. The only thing you need to memorize is exactly what spell is used on their finishers; it took me forever to realize that Yusukes last finisher is…a combo enhancer…that makes his finishers last forever… and you would NOT know that unless u started learning his moveset since his ai never uses it)

If youre someone who wants to farm and level up to gain access to more personas, you should find the strong enemies around a map instead of constantly reclearing the entire jail. Unlike the mainline games, enemies do not respawn after leaving a floor; you gotta leave the jail and come back to make them respawn. If you are okay w the repetition, it is easier to memorize the spawns of strong enemies (not the minibosses that are burning) and beat them up for good exp and money, esp since all spawns are static. Silky in the Shibuya jail is the first one that comes to mind, since Ann is able to stunlock her w Agis, AND she spawns very close to one of the checkpoints (its before the underground section of shibuya but i cannot remember the name of it) making it easy to jump in and jump out to replenish SP, and continue farming.

And finally, despite what I just said, dont take the bosses of this game too seriously. They arent easy but they are absolutely doable without insane builds and optimization. Bosses have aids in the form of interactables of their respective weaknesses (Shibuya has party poppers with wind affinitiy thats eventually used on the boss to stun them.) Stock up on healing personas, Stock up on Items from Sophias shop, and target weaknesses whenever you can to force an allout attack as fast as possible. The combat can be overwhelming, but at the end of the day, the combat is really just ‘run around from attacks and spam spells or combos until the thing dies’. I hope that helps a little bit, and if push comes to shove, i will always recommend watching a playthrough instead of fighting through a game that feels like a slog to get through. Most of the story comes from the cutscenes and city interactions, so you arent missing much by watching someone beat up shadows for u lol and bc i genuinely LOVE the characters they introduce, its worth it to learn about them.

It sucks that Goro isnt in the game, but it was made prior to Royal iirc (the japanese release was the only one available for some time). I will say though, the themes of this game fit him so perfectly, and if youre of the mind to speculate and make aus, then you will be joining me in the obsession of making Goro interactions w the team. Palaces were about corrupted peoples desires distorting the world around them, and they were always someone so reprehensible, you were not intended to sympathize w them and even debate if what the thieves were doing was wrong. But Jails serve an entirely different purpose, and the end result is having Rulers with depth to them, and the overarching theme of ‘if you fuck up your life and others over the decisions you thought were correct, can you recover?’ And the answer is always ‘yes. No matter what, you can always start over if you intend to do better and be better’, and I think thats a good reason to see the entire story through :)

[thedeafprophet]

Veils, 1, 2, 22, 25

Why do you like or dislike this character?

I'm pretty... neutral? on veils. i dont dislike it but i dont particularly like it either. It serves well at an antagonist and i think its got some interesting aspects, but didnt fall into the area of characters that make brain go brrrr.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

The metaphor related to the lead up to world war 1 thats implied during the surface veils portion of BaL. interesting stuff

I also find the overlap betwen Fashion and Violence to be interesting. that couldve been expanded on more

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

I like the horny aspcts that show up and people having fun with it. Whenever I read a clearly indulgent horny fic it brings me life and there's some really well written fic around it out there.

I don't like when christanity is suddenly brought into it. Nothing turns me off a fic like their suddenly be references to christanity. eugh

you do you but im clicking x on the tab XD

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

so i uh. actually read horny fic about Veils before i played the game. fun fact. i was looking through monster related tags on ao3, vaguely knew the name of the game from a tma ad, and was like 'yea sure ill read that'. i didnt actually play the game for awhile after that lmao

Nowadays i dont have a super strong impression of veils? I'm not expcetionally into it as a character. i enjoy discussing it sometimes, but its not like. a major character. so im current impression is "master thats not fires", which is where many of them fall into lmao.

Ask Game From Here

[rawwkfingers]

The Deadly Assassin

I've always found it both very funny and also extremely fitting for the show that one of the most iconic landmark serials of the entire Classic era has such a lame name

Introducing the 13 regeneration limit, the Matrix, our first real in-depth look at Time Lord society, I think it's fair to say this one serial is second only to The Daleks in terms of how much it's shaped the lore of Doctor Who.

Unfortunately, like a lot of these extremely iconic serials of the past, I kind of didn't like it? Or rather, I enjoyed it but I don't think it met the expectations the plot sets up

The first half was great, though I wish it'd been more clear that the Doctor wasn't the one who shot the President in the first episode. But the intrigue of finally getting to learn more about the Time Lords is just too irresistible to not get enraptured with. And a murder mystery where the Doctor has to prove they were framed is such a perfect set up to explore their culture! Who knows what wild and weird things he'll uncover, what advances in technology he'll technobabble about, how these god-like beings who can control time itself spend their days. Sure, in that first episode and a half they did seem to just, be humans, with no mention of regeneration outside of a plastic surgery joke and a cheesy reporter, but we still have two whole episodes to go to see more

Aaaand then we spend essentially two entire episodes worth of runtime in a simulated reality that looked exactly like Earth where the Doctor plays out a Most Dangerous Game scenario??? And not even with the actual Master, but just his lackey whose surprise reveal was painfully obvious

Dont get me wrong, I am a sucker for a MDG plot, but this was not the time or place for that. There's the inherent mysticism of the fact that this took place within the Matrix, sure, but ultimately that was an entire episode and change devoted to scenes that could have happened with any bad guy, on any planet

And the way the Time Lords were depicted was just plain disappointing. In their previous appearances, they've always seemed all-powerful. Whether its the time-stop shenanigans from War Games, their ability to breach the Doctor's timeline in Three Doctors, or forcing the Doctor to land on Skaro in Genesis, they've always been Above Humanity.

Here, if you changed some things around this could have just been modern-day British nobility

Which has always been the point, I get that. The Time Lords and their archaic obsession with non-interference has always been meant to be an allegory for British politics and the conservatism inherent in it. But at the very least, have there be a spark of what makes them so interesting! You can do the whole "lying about events for a more politically palatable outcome" and the power struggles while still having them be the space wizards they're meant to be

Having the Doctor and the Master be literally the only ones who can understand Time Lord science was just such a baffling decision, and having the Time Lords straight up not know what the Eye of Harmony was made no sense at all.

On a plot level, the serial was good but I just cant help feeling extremely disappointed that our first deep dive into Gallifrey was, this

[arttrampbelle]

The TRUE ending of mk11. And the REAL timeline. (Srry not srry)

Ok look i do this for my own comfort. Don't take it personally. Ok?!

Anyways below the cut because oof.

Cw:blood,death,and bruises,and unfortunately for liu kang....yeah. But he sucks narratively atm.....so...he must be punished for his sins and boons and NRS'S incompetence.

If you can't read it says:

"There are no gods to help you now"

"Your precious "chosen one" is a sham,a pretender,a false prophet"

"A little brat that must learn to not let gods hold his hands in life"

(That was a jab at the writers n game devs of mk1. Not at raiden. I love rai-rai. He tried his best. It's the game devs fault for being so incompetent with that. Like i hate characters with plot armor CONSTANTLY getting the upper hand at everything. Like it makes them boring. And it makes me not wanna actually root for them. The "heroic" characters in mk have become....well....stale and not worth playing with. At all. Anyways. That was a jab at the devs not thunderdilf raiden. We love raiden in this house. The real raiden not reggie the farmer dude from mk1. XD )

"Soon you will understand i am keeper of time,a god among you rats,and emperor of void. Breathe deep in your final moments. Mewl like the wretched whore you are"

(Shang tsung emphasises of that word whore,like with a hissing and growling like sound to the H)

"I AM SHANG TSUNG! YOUR RIGHTFUL LORD OF MORTAL KOMBAT!"

Have a nice day.

🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉❤🐉

Ok look no shade to anyone here but this make me feel better about the shitshow that is mk1.

To me shang tsung won. And honestly I'm sick of liu kang always "winning" (when honestly liu kang only won because of plot armor majority of the time,no struggle,no real rewards HE WANTED)

Honestly I'm kinda sick of liu kang period. Like look the real liu is the 95 movie and mk shaolin monks liu. And he died to me in deadly alliance. Came back. And retired. That how i really have it go. Shang tsung also stayed on his little island and semi retired too. (He still gets souls from ships that crash n pass. And hold mini tournaments on his island. He is a master now. And lives with his wife/lover lady tsung. So yeah)

....however. this scenario is nice to think about too.

However as of rn,i dont really care about liu kang. But again no shade this is just to personal make me feel better.

(Used a base)

I hope you guys like this. I know. Its a bit oof. But I'm trying to get better at some things like battle damage. So i hope i did justice.

Anyways,enjoy.

[oceanic-recollection]

To All

What’re your favorite games (and why if you want to answer that part)

<TSF> backgammon, and mens erger je niet, are pretty fun! i used to play backgammon, as well as puzzle games, with my administrator, all the time...

<TSF> we used to go into the market, and offer people bills if they won against us. they were practically a master at everything they showed me... i was the one who usually had to pay up~

<TSF> ...for videogames, i, uh, obviously enjoy phighting. and terraria, and...splatoon....i guess...? i know i sort of, have a sort of, ~gamer persona~, but i'll admit, i don't really, play any games...

<BVQT> I greatly enjoy sudoku! And especially the "harder" variations. So far I have found Hyper Sudoku and Jigsaw Sudoku the most amusing so far.

<BVQT> I also find myself enjoying many sports games! Variations of 'football' especially.

<BVQT> Ah. Videogames also count? Well...

<BVQT> I enjoy Minecraft greatly. The slow-burn worldbuilding interests me massively and I appreciate the lengths that they go to enure that the subjects mentioned are interesting for everyone. I wish that the education edition was available on PC! I would love to play mostly unmodded Minecraft with alchemy available to me.

<BVQT> I also enjoy Terraria. The gratuitous gore is a bit of a turn-off at times especially considering the lag it causes. And there are a great deal of aspects that utterly disgust me. But it is incredibly fun otherwise! The lore is intriguing even if it is often decanonized for little to no reason. I do wish that they finished Terraria: Otherworld. Even if it was sort of a Starbound clone wasn't it?

<BVQT> Speaking of! I massively enjoy Starbound! Though sometimes the worlds feel too closed off and the universe itself too open to feel very immersive it is incredibly fun and I like it! I could spend hours upon hours simply building and browsing its many interesting mods! Even the. less appropriate ones have their own charm and interesting quirks! The community is so dedicated to making updates for a long-forgotten game I am honestly impressed.

<BVQT> I also enjoy Don't Starve though I have already mentioned that earlier here. It is fun! If a bit annoying to handle.

<GRP> OOH OHH ME NEXT

<GRP> I LOVE BALL GAME. and JELLYFISHSPEARFISHING!!!!!! ITS FUN!!! AND NOT JUST BC TABBY INVENTED IT but mostly that :} tabbys so good at gaming

<GRP> uhhhh i dont rlly like amny videogames to be honest... sorry i am not a #epic #gamer. I LOVE phighting tho!!! phunny!!!!!! me and tabby always get mvp in itits funnn

<APIS> Man, Phighting IS fun!

<APIS> You guys already know I don't like sports... Puzzle games are really fun! A digital puzzle game I've been getting into lately is Puyo Puyo. It's, like.. okay...

<APIS> I mean, the story's really funny, to be honest. Like, who even thought of this stuff??? I really like Amitie, and Ringo... they're cute. Like Goldy and I!

<WM> I do notte ofte playye videyogaymes.. Splatty is funne.

<UPSILON> I'm the same as my beloved. I just don't really see the appeal... I tried playing some online games, but they're just - why is it that no matter how long I play, everyone else is always fancier than me!? It's absurd-!

<FS> ........

<FS> i play a little of everything, i guess...

<FS> totk is... it's fine. the physics are uncomfortable, and hard to get used to, since everything's so floaty sometimes, but it's silly. i prefer botw's story... but if i had to choose a zelda game i really liked, it'd be triforce heroes, or maybe spirit tracks. all zelda games have... problems.... but they're fun.

<FS> splatoon's also pretty fun. i like th story. wish the translations weren't so terrible... shoutout to the community for fixing them, jeez.

<FS> phighting is pretty fun. i'm planning on trying out banhammer, even if i don't like his character. i can reclaim him.

<FS> starbound's fun... wish you could make yourself have a specific profession, like your crewmembers do. and wish you could bring tailors with you without mods...

<FS> ...i really like baba is you...

<FS> s fun... like baba...

<FS> b

[saltyermilk]

So one day pansear-doodles wrote

Gourmand's Bedtime Story

And i took it upon myself to take this beautiful writing and scramble it into a google translated mess of unintelligible words that provide no story whatsoever

So enjoy "Gourmand's Bedtime story but google translated"

OR

If you dont like that name call it "Gourmand's bedtime story but it makes no fucking sense"

Its under the cut

After rain on the beach, the animals returned to the beach house to play until dark, and the people in the hotel heard it on the way.

Nero killed his master's son, Vader.

Kuroda turned to his brother and raised his last weapon. Pope Gorman was kissed to death and laughed with the children.

The dog comforts his friend who is not a stranger. I know I said about 15 minutes, but that's it.

If I can answer, I will answer quickly.

- No, I'm not tired! The children are crying

he started laughing. hi i hate my son I entered a dark room. Children have many choices, the most important of which is clothes. Place sugar in a large bowl. Place your dog's head on a soft pillow.

your dog is not breathing

- Everyone! it doesn't take long

She has a beautiful face, kind heart and beautiful smile. - Who died? Tell us about your first experience.

The farmer wanted to know his sister's religion. he sleeps next to the dog

- You know I'm not a soldier?

A good dog is afraid. manager

I don't know if it's funny or crazy.

really?

"I have a plan. The plan is over. I don't worry about the water anymore."

You can volunteer

I don't want the world

- game over! said the thief

Sleep under the carpet. But I don't think I hate it.

- Yes, but no.

He smiled and started eating. - where has he come from? the world! I decided to show some places on the map. Climb high walls and avoid dangerous insects. I want to see this picture...! You never know when your journey will end. At the end of a good month, Nadia comes from the mountain.

Bonnie Fox Kerman - I want to stay but I'm crazy. I can't go, I'm going, you don't know where I'm going.

Did you see my sister cry?

Mad face! You will not miss the music of the dark world! I was afraid, but I remembered my mother, who supported me in life.

Writing, of course

Time is up! I sat under a big tree and waited for the eagle.

"Question!" How do you choose?

- bad!

Dogs love to talk to people.

But this is wrong.

"What are you doing now?" Be careful of other dogs.

I love you, remember. They enter the mountains and valleys, they don't know what to do. But your heart sings. Who knows your inner voice? Comment added "Not suitable for children..."

I don't like driving

Do the work Back to Toaster Ceiling.

But when he saw the food, he forgave his mother.

- What are you doing? Only you

---Alright... Brother, thank you for coming today.

All dogs are blind. Now the seventh dog.

at the top of the list. But I love my family. Jane prayed for him and the others.

All dogs love to run. But happiness and sadness are not universal. He stood up and closed his eyes. But there are others.

He replied: I love you. The president got up and left the room. With kind regards. In this photo, a man is tied to a living room chair.

All of them