#and then the more times you play you can unlock different endings and learn more lore which was a cool mechanic

[bunnyb34r]

Whyyyy do I watch horror game let's plays when I KNOW it's gonna spike my paranoia something BAD

[comicaurora]

I heard you talking on a recent OSPod about Hades, and as someone who very much can get ADHD-yoinked into games, it got me curious, but I'm...not great at video games and have found Dark Souls-y games where you try over and over and keep failing at the same task kind of frustrating. How's your Hades experience been in those regards? (although I'm not sure your general game skill)

Hades feels like it's really carefully designed to circumvent those frustrations.

I also hate the feeling of lost progress, which had me wary about playing a roguelite defined by constantly trying and mostly failing, but by far the most helpful part of the game design is that Zagreus also hates it, so it feels like the game and I are on the same page about it.

It also helps that most of the actual, tangible progress in the game is bound up in advancing the character arcs, which isn't a totally skill-free experience since it involves finding a couple characters out in the underworld, but a lot of it can be done back in the House of Hades, so every time you lose and die you can run around having conversations with everyone, almost all of which will be new and unique and advance your arc with them. If a character doesn't have a new interaction for you, you usually just can't find them on the floor, so there's very little time-wasting.

Speaking of, there's a lot of advancement that can only be done in the House of Hades, and a lot of it involves resources you can actively choose to seek out on runs. I did a couple runs today where my only goal was getting the last of a specific olympian's Boons so I could fill out their Minor Prophecy achievement and reap the rewards, and everything after that was just a bonus. This means the game is passively encouraging the player to develop secondary objectives beyond just making it to the end of the game again. It also helps that making it to the end of the game basically just gives you a weapon-unlocking resource and another small slice of conversation with [EXTREMELY OLD SPOILERS] so while it feels important, and is necessary for advancing towards the true ending of the game, it's not so overwhelmingly rewarding that you feel absolutely crushed when the final boss takes you out halfway through his second healthbar again.

You also benefit very greatly from not playing the game the same way twice - using new weapons or adding new challenge modes is the only way to re-acquire the unique boss rewards for the three main regions of the underworld, instead of the more generic resources that replace the unique ones after you win them for the first time, which means instead of feeling like you need to optimize a winning build and then use it every time, you're encouraged to play with the other weapons that you might find unwieldy or annoying, and if you manage to beat even the first boss with them, you'll be disproportionately rewarded. Also, on every run a random weapon will be empowered to give you bonus resources if you choose to use it, so even if you're a strictly melee-only main you might find yourself willing to figure out how to use the bow in exchange for the extra gems. The Boons you get also dramatically change the strategy you're likely to naturally fall into over the course of fighting your way out - some builds are extremely melee-based, others just boost your ranged abilities to the point that you can mostly just dash around the battlefield while your Casts chew through everyone's healthbar at top speed. So when you reach the final boss, you're not going to be using the same strategies, and even if you lose, it feels less like you had a skill issue and more like you've learned something to look out for or try out next time around. The final boss's strategies and moves don't change either, so you'll know what to expect every time even as your own moveset might be completely different from run to run.

In my personal experience, I have a pretty good feel for when a game is disappointed in my performance. Nothing says "the designers didn't expect you to get stuck here" like endlessly looping dialogue or not-so-subtle hints that you can knock down the difficulty if you need to. Hades has thus far done this to me very little, and only in specific areas - even if I'm no longer getting unique banter with Theseus every time I kick his ass, I'm still having unique conversations with Asterius in the same region and it doesn't feel like I'm anywhere near done with the dialogue back in the House. Zagreus's dialogue when he enters the same three boss arenas will also randomly go from seemingly-interchangeable lines of "yep it's this boss again" to much more unique angles that legitimately change the game from then on. Yesterday, after killing the bone hydra something like a dozen times, he randomly decided to nickname it Lernie, and now he consistently calls it Lernie and every time I kill it the victory banner says "LERNIE VANQUISHED". Today he got Tisiphone to say his name instead of just "murderer" all the time. The game knows you're going to be fighting these guys a lot, and this tells me I haven't outstayed my welcome in the anticipated main timeline of gameplay.

If I have a frustration, it's that I'm not always sure that what I'm doing is advancing the character plotlines, and you can only talk to a character once on any given visit to the House. The game kind of helps you out here, your little information codex will tell you stuff like "Learn more by having X more conversations with this character" or "learn more by deepening your relationship with this character" but it can still be pretty vague and opaque. There's no dialogue trees, Zagreus basically just says what he wants, so when, for instance, Achilles indicates that I should talk to Nyx about maybe getting Orpheus's deal with Hades undone, it's a little frustrating that I can't then go over to Nyx and ask her about that. Or, in fact, ask her about it at all in any of the dozen runs I've done since that nugget got dropped. It's not a game-breaker, but it is a little frustrating. On the other hand, this is clearly intentional, because this means you're tempted to get back into a run as quickly as possible, because then when you die more conversations will have unlocked back at the house - but also, to deincentivize just running out and dying on purpose to get those dialogues going, there are some characters who will only appear in the House if you get far enough into the run to deal with them, and certain characters whose arcs and dialogue only advance if you find and talk to their missing loved ones out on the run. So you'll always have something new back at the House, but you're strongly encouraged to get as far as you can before you die, because the farther you get, the more you'll have to do when you get back.

The game is basically designed to never, ever make you want to sit still. You can quickly exhaust everything there is to do in the house, and that makes you want to go out on a run and see what new things will happen. Then while you're on the run you have the benefit of randomization keeping things interesting and making you make plans for the next time you encounter a given character. It's got a good rhythm to it!

[felassan]

July 8th Game Informer article on How Romance And Relationships Work In DA:TV - cliff notes:

This game is the team's most romantic yet

Every companion has a Relationship Level related to Rook

Choices you make (about the companion and the world), what you say to them, how you help/don't help them and more all play into it

Every time Relationship Level is levelled up, you unlock a skill point for that companion

Companion skill trees are customizable but not as large as Rook's

Rook's skill tree has passive abilities, combat abilities and more

Each companion has access to 5 abilities. 3 can be taken into combat

"Matt Rhodes hints that companion issues, problems, and personal quests will play into this Relationship Level and how a companion interacts with Rook"

Bellara for example has her own story arc that "story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you're on"

Early on is a linear, story-driven mission in Arlathan Forest where Rook searches for Bellara

Corinne: "relationships are key, not only romance but friendships. We wanted to lean into not just the relationships the characters have with you but the relationships they have with each other. It's a found family, and at the end of the day, they need to trust they all have each other's back"

Some romances get quite spicy, but not all

Each romance has a very different flavor

Some characters are straight to the point. Others are more awkward, having never been in a relationship before

Corinne: "You learn who these characters are in how their romances unfold"

Corinne "likens romantic and platonic relationships to another way to 'level up' your companions. It's not just experience and skill points that determine Rook's standing with companions, but diegetic conversations, too"

As we know the companions are all pan

The companions aren't "just going to vie for your affection – they might take attraction to other companions". "Giving one companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm shoulder of someone else on the team". Companions can form romances with each other

It's unknown if that locks Rook out of romance with them

There isn't much in the way of romance in the very early hours of the game, however early on Rook can flirt with Neve

The 'emotional' response that Rook sometimes has a dialogue choice is "romantically-inclined". Corinne says this is the option to flirt and push platonic relationships into romantic territory, "though Rook's flirtatious efforts aren't always reciprocated"

Other dialogue choices seem friendly, snarky and direct

[source]

[laylaysdelusions]

Me and your mama(Paige bueckers x guitarist! Gf reader)

Summary: you play electric guitar and you learned Paige’s favorite sex song on it let’s just say filth ensues

Warnings: a small sub/dom relationship, eating out(p!receiving), fingers, hand kink, freaky Paige, sub Paige, fem Paige

It’s a black reader and sub Paige and the reader is a stud?? Is it a miracle for the people!?

All day you’ve been tweaking your electric guitar and trying to learn a song like you always do but this song wasn’t just any one.

You stole it from Paige’s sex playlist. She has a set of songs you fuck to. Me and your mama is her favorite at the moment so why not learn it for her.

Paige thinks it’s the hottest thing when your pretty hands move against the strings and the look of concentration on your face has her wishing you would rip her panties off.

Paige seems like this big tough masc in public but when she gets to your shared apartment she’s a little subby princess. Of course you give her basically anything she asks for because how could you say no to those pretty blue eyes begging you.

Paige had a practice tonight but she should be home soon with which you’ll get to show her your work. She’s going to practically drop her clothes.

When you’re in the bedroom you hear the door unlock, letting you know your baby is home. “Peach!” She calls out, using your nickname. “I’m in the bedroom!” You shout back, and you blink, there she is.

“Whatcha doing?” Paige asks with her eyes soft. “I just got done using my guitar, nothing different” you tell her, adjusting your septum piercing.

You enjoy watching her get changed into her feminine clothes, a baby top with no bra, and lacy panties to match. She loves teasing and she loves to push your buttons even more.

Her small, pink nipples remain hard underneath her outfit. She definitely wants something, she’ll get it, eventually.

“Can I show you something baby?” You say while getting up to hug her waist. “Mhm” she mumbles, her eyes are like hearts for you.

“I learned a little song for you, I think you’re gonna like it” you say, gently removing her hands off of you so you could plug in your guitar. She watches every move you make, oh she’s such a needy whore around you.

You start strings and when Paige hears the first chord, her face turns flushed. Her mouth is partly open while she stares at your hands flexing, her favorite sex song, your face, your locs. Fuck, she needed you and badly.

When you get to the chorus you look down, Paige has a damp spot on her lace. It worked.

By the time you end the song she looks like an animal in heat. She’s so turned on it’s a beautiful sight.

“Let’s lay in bed, hm?” You say pulling your locs away from your eyes

She nods fast. ‘not yet Paige baby’ you think.

“Did you like it?” You ask her. “Y-yeah” Paige says, she’s 6 feet of shy putty in your hands now. “Oh? What was your favorite part” she stutters a meek response with strawberry dusted cheeks.

You can’t resist her anymore so you grab her face and kiss her roughly. “Fuck” she whines into the kiss with need. “Hey calm down you’ll get what you want” you whisper to her and smirk. She’s amusing to see.

You place soft kisses down her neck, leaving love marks. She whimpers softly. “So pretty” You speak to her as you move down her body. When you get to her abs you sprinkle baby hickeys. “Stopp what if someone sees” she whines, she doesn’t actually care she just wants to complain about something. “Then they’ll know you got fucked real good” you say between her legs.

“Aww my baby is soaked” you said in a childish voice to mock her. “P-please” Paige cries. “If you’re not patient enough I won’t give you anything” you smile twistingly.

That shut her ass up fast because you didn’t hear another word for a whole 20 minutes of teasing. Kissing her thighs and stomach, licking up her abs and at this point she still had her panties on.

If she wasn’t a mess before she was well beyond it now.

Paige’s face looked nervous and uneasy causing you to be concerned. “Hey, is something wrong princess?” You ask her. “Please I can’t take it anymore” she says with tears in her eyes referring to your excessive teasing. “Alright my love I’ll stop teasing if you’ll be a good girl” you say instantly receiving a needy nod.

You rip her underwear off, that’s oh so sticky. You immediately get to work with your meal. You are doing a mix of sucking and swirling your tongue around Paige’s folds. You watched her facial expressions with awe. Her blonde hair was sweaty, her eyes hooded, her jaw dropped, but you wanted to see your favorite thing. Her eyes roll back. So you lick up her clit, making her give you the desired reaction.

Her moans and whines never slowed down but only grew stronger as the knot in her stomach became tighter. She lets out a very specific sound when she’s about to cum so you know. You know each other’s bodies so intricately.

“Fuck!” She practically screams as her body shakes and she jaw falls open. After a few seconds the blonde beauty opens her eyes to see your face.

“I’m so proud you did so well” you gave her praise for performing good because whether she wants to admit or not that’s an insecurity.

“Let me go get a rag for you baby doll”

You grab a rag in the bathroom and return to your bed to wipe the cum off of your girlfriend.

“That might have been the best you’ve given me” she breathes out, still flushed. “You said that last time” you smirk with pride.

“You still prove to me there’s even better” she sighs

——————————

Second smut y’all

Do we like sub Paige content?

[glasswinggames]

Visual Novel In Progress

Discord || Ko-fi || X

Dear Reader,

Congratulations! You have been selected for a chance at a new life in another world!

Archelia is a place of magic, mystery and more! This city may have many Twisted Secrets, but it's a place where dreams can be made reality... though of course, all things come with a price.

So, complete your missions, trigger the Catalysts to change the world, and maybe, in the midst of it all, find your Ever After...

You, our beloved Reader, have been brought over from Earth by a mysterious being who only seems to communicate with you through a blue screen that only you can see. You've been chosen as the representative of the God's who wish for change to the story of a world that has long since gone stagnant.

If you succeed in unlocking your power and creating change with the help of the Catalysts, beings at the centre of change identified by the God's, you can have anything you wish for...

But only if you give a satisfying ending.

As the screen disappears, you're left to your own choices, to shape your new life in this fantasy world, where magic and mystery exists around every corner, and to become whoever you want to be. Will you stay as a reader, letting the story pass you by? Will you be a supporting character, helping the hero or villain as you choose? Will you become a protagonist, bringing change by your own hands?

... Or will you become something more?

Features

Ever After: Twisted Secrers is an 18+ Visual Novel set in a historical fantasy inspired world following eight different stories exploring a variety of themes.

🦋 Customisable MC 🦋

The MC of Ever After: Twisted Secrets is completely customisable. There is a customisation screen to choose name, pronouns, gender, sexuality, and physical appearance, including disabilities and much more. You can set preferences for physical touch, and personality is defined through optional flavour choices.

🦋 Different Relationship Dynamics 🦋

When you meet each interest, you will get to choose how you feel about them, whether it's dislike, disinterest, friendliness, or attraction, and there will be options to deepen these feelings throughout the stories. This gives more opportunities to give depth to your MCs personality: dislike a character but want to be nice to their face or even manipulating them to love you? There are options for that.

At the start of each route you will be asked whether you want to play the platonic or romantic route, this will determine your potential relationship statuses in the endings. For platonic you can become best friends or even be in a queerplatonic relationship.

In Jedreks route, there is the option to be in a poly relationship with Jedrek and the side character Oliver. You can choose the dynamic, whether it's a V or a triangular relationship. It is not possible to be in a relationship solely with Oliver.

🦋 Choice Driven Stories 🦋

There are three types of choices:

Flavour Choices: Don't impact the endings but dictate your characters personality and influence how people react to you. These choices are optional, if you turn these off then it will follow [redacted]'s selections throughout.

Relationship Choices: Impacts the endings for whether the interest likes/loves or dislikes you.

Catalyst Choices: Impacts the endings for whether you were successful in triggering enough change within the world.

There are four different endings per interest, not including bad ends throughout the prologue and routes and additional epilogues, which are unlocked once you meet the requirements.

🦋 Extras 🦋

CGs - There are 16 CGs in the prologue alone! Each route will have several CGs which you can collect and view in the gallery.

Compendium - Throughout the routes as you discover more key terms and information will be stored in a Compendium which you can access at any time to learn more about the world and its history!

Original Music - For the prologue, there will be an original song written for idol group Boo-K, with plans for the full game to have even more music for you to listen to!

Achievements - There are several achievements you can get throughout each route! Maybe something will happen if you unlock them all...

As you can choose to play platonically and define your own relationships, I refer to the different route options as Story Interests!

Meet the Catalysts of change below!

'I'll have my own following with blackjack and hookers--'

Pronouns: They/them

Sexuality: Demisexual

Age: 30

Height: 6'2"

Cairen is known as being the irresponsible, frivolous rake of the Palace, the fallen second star of Archelia, the charming elven heartbreaker of the city. When they aren't gallivanting around the city and avoiding their royal duties, they can be found tending to their butterflies in their private greenhouse... also avoiding their royal duties.

Perhaps it's a good thing that their uncle still holds into the throne? That the position of heir has gone to their war hungry cousin?

However, as you will see with Cairen, things aren't always as they seem in the floating Palace, and the one who has long since been underestimated has poisonous plans of their own to take back what has been stolen from them, with interest.

Despite Cai's playful, frivolous demeanour, they are smart, cunning, and very ambitious. They know their worth and believe the crown may not be enough to showcase it anymore: they need to ascend even higher and create a new world where they stand above all else.

Will you join them at the peak? Or will they push you off along the way?

'What's a historical fantasy without a cold Northern Duke?'

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 28

Height: 6'

As the ArchDuke, Helios is the leader of the most powerful family outside of royalty, though even they have little control over him since he became the Shayan, the head of the magic tower and the most powerful mage in the Kingdom.

Helios has used his magic and intellect to contribute to the Kingdom, advancing technology through magic stones that are widespread in transport and improving medical care to reduce dependency on the church.

However, his sharp tongue, impossibly high standards and stubbornness haven't earned him many friends, even if his criticisms come from a place of care. Though this doesn't seem to bother him, as he still has what is truly important: his family, his reputation and his magic.

But, when Helios stands to lose everything, and the world he helped turns against him, will he be able to stay true to himself, or will he be driven to revenge?

'Do you want to get magically stuck together? Cause that's how you get magically stuck together!!'

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 35

Height: 5'6"

The Witch of the Forest of Yulis is a mysterious woman. Though she visits the city often with her beautiful seeing eye dog Orion leading the way, she maintains enough of a distance that not too many know much about her.

Nature, animals, and the souls of the dead wander by her side now, but there was once a time when the forest was a haven for others in the city. But as technology has taken over, and more of nature has been destroyed to expand the city walls, the forest and its resident witch have been affected by some strange unknown force and nobody has been able to get close.

Farren is a kind woman, with a tendency to do her best to help others, especially those who can't help themselves. She is gentle, but firm in her boundaries, and a woman with a strength underneath her softness.

However, in the face of death, how long will her gentleness last, and will she take matters into her own hands to save the nature she loves the most?

'[J.Jonah Jameson voice] GET ME PICTURES OF THE BOOGEYMAN!'

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: [Redacted]

Height: 6'3"

At some point or another, everyone has either heard or told stories of the Boogeyman. Parents who tell their children to behave lest they be whisked away, friends who hunt for him as a test of courage, and rumours that spiral whenever somebody goes missing. But everyone knows this is just a myth, a legend of a monster that doesn't exist.

Or does he?

Despite his notoriety, nobody knows the face of the Boogeyman, or the fact that he is back.

He feeds on fear, finding joy in their panic, and with his laughter filling the streets as he claims another, it may just be that the title of monster fits him better than you realise.

You've taken a job as a reporter, alongside your new friend Oliver, to hunt him down for the latest scoop, and when you get close enough to snap a photo you find that the playful monster of a killer enjoys the limelight.

Will you be able to keep him entertained long enough to find out what he's doing with the bodies? Or will you end up just another victim on his path?

'Spencer Reid if he was the unsub... and an idol'

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 24

Height: 5'10"

A previous otherworldly traveller like yourself brought the concept of idols to Archelia, giving it a classical twist to fit in with the worlds tastes.

Illium is part of the five member group, Boo-K, an incredibly popular boy group inspired by flowers, with Illium the red flower member alongside his brother, the yellow flower, Zephyr.

He's known as the Prince of the group, the untouchable idol who keeps everyone at arms length with his universal kindness and gentle smile. Fans have pictured him rescuing animals, especially fallen birds, with a soft smile that matches his gentle voice.

But behind his pretty words and soft demeanour, he is still searching for a reason why he exists and something to be truly passionate about. As you spend more time together, he believes you may have the answer to his prayers.

However, you start to notice a trend to a string of attacks and murders... they are all people who have wronged you no matter how small the altercation. Surely the sweet, with his princely charm, Illium could have nothing to do with it... right?

'Your flirting mind tricks don't work on me, only money!'

Pronouns: Dependent on presentation, he/they when masc and she/they when femme.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 48

Height: 6'2" (Masc)/5'9" (Femme)

A large building towers in the city's shopping district: the Bedisa Lounge, home to a large casino, and the Bedisa Family led by the one and only Eos.

On the surface they are a legitimate business and entrepreneur, who supports all the businesses in the city, providing protection, preventing crime and making profits for all. Underneath though, the Bedisa Family is a large criminal organisation who manage the black market, the flow of information from the Underworld, and work under the eyes of the law to steal and con nobility to line their own pockets.

It's so easy when the short tempered, cocky leader can shapeshift and become anyone, even those you think you know well.

Unfortunately for yourself, you make an enemy of Eos when you walk on their turf, and if you want to win this war between the two of you, and even change your status from enemies to lovers, you're going to have to bring all you have.

Though, when they start dabbling in darker businesses, will you stand by them on top of your shared riches... or will you be swept up in their shadows.

'You like heroes? You like himbos? Excellent /breaks him'

First Locked Route

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 25

Height: 7'

The first person you see in this chaotic world and the one who will support you above all else, Noah is the true hero, and not only to yourself. He is known for being a walking ray of sunshine, helping others and protecting all from danger, not even realising when he gets hurt himself.

It's the 'everyday heroics' he likes to say, believing that no matter how small the action is, you can do something to save someone.

A member of the church, he is your rock in the midst of political arguments and infighting between factions. Noah wants to make your dreams come true above anything else.

But underneath that happy go lucky demeanour are anxieties he cannot squash on his own, and a darkness that threatens to swallow his and your light.

What lengths will Noah go to be a hero? Will you be able to save him before he ends up losing himself?

(´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

Second Locked Route

Pronouns: She/they

Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: [Redacted]

Height: 5'7"

Ranked to determine strength, S class mercenaries are few and far between. Fortunately for Archelia however, one resides within their lands. Though unlike others who seek fame and coin, the Mercenary Queen only accepts payment in the form of books and stories.

The quiet Athanasia can always be found with her head in a book, losing herself in the pages regardless of it's contents.

But a life lost in the world's of others is often a lonely one, and they have become no more than an observer, a reader of reality, rather than a main character.

However, as you join this mercenary as she experiences her very own horror, fantasy, romance and more, revealing secrets of the world that have long since been forgotten, what role will she play in this story?

And who is she to you?

[dewffin]

soo... I think I accidentally began to make a Silmarillion Fangame...

For some unknown reason i was like "I wanna make textures :D" but i didn't want to model shit, so i just used VROID studio as a painting book... but then i was like "ummm, i never tried to draw a character an then tried to make it 3D in vroid" so uh-

yeah...

and then i was like "let´s drop this bad boy in Unreal to see how he looks" and because, well, i don't know why i decided to try to make him look a bit 2D? like he was drawn? like doing the complete opposite of what i just did?

so this is what he looked when i began to play with post process stuff

and because i wanted to look around and stuff i added a little guy i had, and it turns out that he was really little and i had to make him a box to take pics of Fëanor's face

Then i did more stuff and i ended up with these cute flowers :D

And then I said fuck it, i think I'm making a game...

So the thing is that doing a game doing a game while being a one person studio is a biiiiiit difficult.

By that i mean i had to try to keep my head leveled in what i could do, so I ended up with this...

Tecilwë's Adventures in Arda

(yeah, i don't have a name for this)

So, you play as Tecilwë, a noldorin journalist that travels around trying to document the best stories of Arda. You can find out what is happening around by talking with people, sneaking around or finding clues. Then, you can write your take on what happens, and depending on what you say, how you say it and what secrets do you keep your reputation as a journalist and your relationship with the different character you find can change for better or worse.

A little bit about Tecilwë...

Q Tecilwë Autanna -  S Tegilu

Tecilwë - The one who writes [tecil “pen”, wë “person”] or as i like to call them "El pibe birome"

Autanna - the lost sign, the fool sign [au “away, lost”, aut “fool”, tanna “sign, token”]

A young lore master from Tirion. Studied under Rumil, and is excited to document all that happens in the course of the story. 

Curious and eager to learn. More often than not ends up in trouble for documenting what was not supposed to be seen.

Tecilwë believes in the power of the word, and on how truth is composed by those who write it.

Not often remembered, wants to be remembered as one of the great lore masters. But the curse of the Noldor runs deep…

Basically a player insert

Y alto chismoso

What i have for now in gameplay is that you can run around a location (and you'll be able to travel to different places, but time passes so, for example, if you leave Aman you cannot go back, or if Gondolin fell then you cant go there). There as i wrote you can talk to people and find out stuff, and all what you find you write in your journal, which you can check to remember what you have seen. With all of that you can unlock new dialogues, and when you get enough information you can end the day and write like a newspaper or magazine. If, for example, you found that gasp Maedhros and Fingon are being two love birds behind a tree, you can write about that in different ways. A- You just say thing as they are. B- You say that is great to see the unity in the House of Finwë. C- Accuse Fingon of corrupting the innocent eldest of Fëanor. D- say nothing about this. With A you get lower relationship points with Russingon for exposing them. B gets you a good realtionship with them, but lower with Fëanor. C gets you a good amount of points with Fëanor, but the other two will hate your guts. And with D, nothing changes, but you can confront them about their relationship and tell them to be more careful if they want to keep it a secret.

Also if you write a lot about gossip stuff you will lose credibility and that is kinda a way to not being remember as the great Lore Master you want to be...

Also i love how FIngon's hair is coming out. This is like a first draft but it was fun to make.

Also this motherfucker is so fucking tall

And this is one of my favourite screenshots from when i had Fëanor as the playable character

(also here is really noticeable that i added lights to their eyes, and it switches form golden to silver light)

In short, a gossip simulator

Also i cannot wait to make the "Who is Gil-Galad's dad" level

Version 0.1.0

Other updates

[blue--ingenue]

Ominis Gaunt headcannons {Pt. 1}

Author's Note: hi loves! this is the first time i've written for Ominis Gaunt hehe. he's such a little guy™️ and i really enjoyed exploring his character a bit more. i'm going to start a taglist for this series as well, so let me know if you'd like to be added :)

you two aren’t particularly close at first, but that all changes after the events of the scriptorium. he has a difficult time trusting people (having survived his family’s atrocities), so when he meets you, a stranger leaving his most treasured safe space, he immediately shuts you out. after the scriptorium he decides to get to know you, and realizes he’s found a kindred spirit

he wants to give Noctua a proper burial, but he can’t move her remains to the family mausoleum without his parents finding out that he unlocked Salazar Slytherin’s scriptorium. (he won’t allow them to access the dark magic lying within. the last thing they need is more power.). you help him transport his aunt’s remains to a hilltop near the castle, the closest thing to home he has. you lay her to rest, conjure a simple headstone, and he just- breaks

all the terror, nerves, and stress of the last few days kept him wrought with tension, and this small mercy is what finally severs the strings holding him upright. he has no blood relatives left to lose, he can feel Anne slipping away, and he can feel Sebastian drifting farther and farther away in his desperation to save his twin. maybe it feels easier, then, crying into the shoulder of a near-stranger as he grieves the family he’s lost and those he’s currently losing

you walk to classes together, occasionally sit next to him at meals, and soon his presence becomes a constant in your life

he slowly lets his guard down as you grow closer. despite his posh exterior he’s perfectly capable of being a little shit (affectionate)

he doesn’t directly cuss, but his silver-tongued insults could rip anyone to shreds

he absolutely pretends to misplace his wand as an excuse to hold onto you. Sebastian sees through the ruse from a mile away, but bites his tongue

his hearing isn’t the only sense that can become painfully overstimulating. he learned early on that certain textures can be overwhelming (particularly scratchy wool, or too-tight dress shirts). you’ve gathered every type of clothing under the sun from the chests you’ve come across on your adventures, so you experiment with the different fabrics, finding ways to get Ominis to touch the fabric and cataloging each reaction. eventually you have a running list of his favorite and least-favorite textures. for christmas you buy him the softest, baggiest sweater from Gladrags. needless to say, he absolutely adores it

speaking of the sweater, he practically lives in it for the duration of Christmas break. it’s an incredibly endearing sight. the sleeves are loose and extend past his arms. the tip of his wand just barely pokes out from the end of his sleeve. when he sits to play piano, they pool gently around his wrists so that he can glide his hands across the keys unperturbed. you catch him asleep on the couch by the fire in the common room. he’s comfortably curled up, nestled into the neck of the sweater and tucking his hands into the sleeves to chase away the chill

likes downplay his fashion sense, but this boy knows exactly how good he looks in every curated outfit. it’s the one thing he’s grateful for learning from the Gaunt household

[becca-e-barnes]

Limerence

Limerence: a state of mind resulting from romantic attraction, characterized by feelings of euphoria, the desire to have one's feelings reciprocated.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2.2K

Warnings: Angry/ hate sex, mention of an argument but nothing specific, unprotected sex, creampie, degradation, anal play, double penetration, one spank, vaginal fingering, mention of oral, just a little mirror stuff

Summary: I learned a new word last week and I chose to ignore its negative connotations. It's more fun that way.

Reblogs and comments are always appreciated!!

Minors, do not interact.

Life is cruel sometimes.

He’s standing over there wearing a cream coloured Hawaiian shirt with a blue floral pattern and, in spite of yourself, you very much want to jump on him.

You can’t look at him though.  You’re convinced that if you look at him, everyone will know.  They’ll know he’s kissed just about every inch of your body.  They’ll know that you crave the way he touches you.  They’ll know that bringing him to orgasm often feels more euphoric than your own climax.  And they absolutely can’t know that.

His poker face is better than yours.  The wry smirk on his slim lips when his gaze flits over to you momentarily won’t give the two of you away and just seeing him look at you like that is enough to make you question whether you possess a single ounce of self control.  He’s better at this than you are, no doubt about it.  There’s plenty you can learn from him.

'Are you still being a bitch?' The message flashes up on the watch on your wrist.  Holy fuck, this man is irritating.

You unlock your phone to respond to the message, your thumbs move quickly across the keyboard.  'That depends.  Are you going to admit you were wrong?'  You glance over at him and see that he’s ignoring those he had previously been engaged in conversation with, in favour of responding to you.  The conversation goes on without him and no one is any the wiser that it’s you he’s texting.

'I wasn’t wrong.'

'Then yes, I’m still a bitch.'

'I thought as much.  But so we’re clear; you made your point in that dress.  Even if you are painfully stubborn.'

'I’d rather be stubborn than wrong.'

'That’s cute.'  You watch him slip his phone back into the pocket of his shorts once he sends the message, re-engaging with the conversation that he’d been neglecting for the few short minutes in which he’d focused his attention on you.

You’re certain he knows how frustrating he is. Surely he must know.

You’ve been at an impasse for over a week and in all honesty, neither of you can really remember how the argument started.  Did it even really matter anymore?  It’s not even so much about the disagreement, now it’s about pride and who’s willing to sacrifice theirs first.

That’s the problem with being equally stubborn - neither of you want to be the one to give in.  At this stage though, sex has been off the table much longer than you would have liked.  Nothing makes you desperate quite like a lack of orgasms and while you can do it yourself, you’d be the first to admit that it’s not even nearly the same.

The way you touch your own body is so different to how he does.  Your touch is borderline clinical sometimes.  It’s methodical and calculated because really, you’re only working towards an end goal.  You focus on release more than pleasure and that’s fine.  You achieve what you need to and that’s enough but the way he touches you is so different.  

When he’s taking you apart he takes his time, touching you because he simply needs to.  It’s evident that he gets off on your pleasure just as much as you get off on his.  There’s never any rush, delivering sensations that you don’t have the time or patience to administer when you do it yourself.  Pleasure with him feels luxurious.  It’s hedonistic and intimate; a perfect blend of satisfying and tender.

It’s hard not to miss that: sex so good that it’s both too much and not enough all at once.

'Do you think anyone would notice if I slipped my hand under your dress?'  The next message flashing up on your watch feels like he must have read your mind.

Your eyes dart around the groups of people attending the small get-together, all engrossed in their conversations and sipping their drinks in various little huddles around the bar.

'I can’t imagine they would.  You could probably bend me over this table and fuck me right in front of them and no one would be any the wiser.'

'I’m sure they’d notice but it’s a nice thought all the same.'  You can tell he’s imagining it and now so are you.  You can almost feel his two large hands, one either side of your waist, holding you tight as he plunges his length into you.  ‘Shut up.’ He’d whisper, letting go of your waist with one hand to place the fingers in your mouth, silencing your little over-pleasured sobs.  ‘Unless you want all your friends to watch you cum for me.’

You shouldn’t really want that, should you?  You shouldn’t want an audience.  The truth is, you know people there want him.  They want to see him the way you get to see him and the possessive part of you that you didn’t know you had until now wants to make sure no one else gets that privilege.  

Arguing or not, his cock is yours.

'I’m leaving in 10.  You’re welcome to join me so long as you promise not to run your mouth again.  You’ll like my hotel room.'  It’s nice to see his resolve weakening first because you certainly weren’t up for accepting defeat.

'You should know me better by now.  Running my mouth is what I’m good at.  Send me the address.'  You shoot the text back and realise he’s wearing that same wry smirk as before.  The very same one that’s tugging at the corner of your own lips.

'Give yourself some credit.  I’ve found your mouth has some other great uses.'  He seems proud of himself, following up with the hotel’s address before starting to make his goodbyes to the group.

You take separate taxis and he’s waiting for you in the lobby.  You’re far enough away from the prying eyes that at least you can be seen speaking to each other now.

Neither of you say a whole lot in the short walk up to his room, letting the door click closed behind you before you start to speak.

But right as you set your bag down his lips are on yours, hot and insistent, his body pressing you flush against the door.

“You’re so fucking annoying.”  He groans, nipping your bottom lip between his teeth.  He cups your throat with one hand, holding you in place to begin sucking on the exposed side of your neck.

His mouth begins to trail lower but not before you tangle your fingers in his hair, pulling him back.

“You’re so much worse.”  You use as much of your strength as you can muster to push him back, leading him over to the bed, pressing him down onto it before straddling his lap.

Now it’s your turn, biting at his exposed throat, feeling his needy groans vibrate through his skin.  Undoing the first couple of buttons allows you enough space to nip and suck his collarbones, revelling in the way he melts into this.

He only gives in for a couple of minutes before he needs to feel like he’s back in control, holding your hips and flipping you both over so he’s got you pinned under him.

His hand trails up your thigh, pulling your dress up before two thick fingers sweep across your clothed sex. “You’re wet already.”  He muses, teasing you ever so gently.

“Incredible attention to detail, well done.”  You know you shouldn’t bite the hand and all but he’s a whole lot more fun when he’s angry.

“That mouth is going to get you in trouble some day.”  He’s smug as he withdraws his hand, delivering a gentle slap to your cunt.

It hurts in the most electric way, nerve endings lighting up at the painful stimulus and, in spite of yourself, you want him to do it again.

“Fuck, I didn’t think you’d like that.”  He sounds thrilled, delighted by a moan that you hadn’t even realised had escaped.  “Getting off on the way I slap your wet little cunt.  Do you know how fucked up that is?”  He shifts the thin cotton underwear out of the way, trailing his fingertip from your clit to your fluttering hole before pressing inside to the second knuckle.

“You take me like such a good girl.”  He muses, adding a second finger before pressing as deep as he can.  “It’s a shame you don’t act like one.”

“Maybe if you fucked me right, I’d act like one.”  You’re as quick to bruise his ego as he is to bruise yours.

“Ouch.”  He teases, curling his fingers inside you in the way he knows makes you see stars.  He fucks you perfectly and he knows it.  You act like a good girl when you want to.  You’re even.

“Are you even planning to fuck me?  Or maybe you just want to sit around and enjoy the sound of your own voice.”  It shouldn’t be so much fun to watch his face reflect his discontent but it really is.

“You.”  He begins before pulling your panties off, pushing your skirt up and arranging you on your hands and knees on the bed.  “Might be the most frustrating person I’ve ever met.”

You hear him undo his belt and zipper and a short while later, you feel the blunt head of his erection teasing your slit.

Now you understand why he thought you’d like this room.  The mirror strategically positioned right at the end of the bed lets you see his face, even in this position.

“I fucking better be.”  You tease, pressing your ass backwards, forcing his cock to slide into your eager cunt.  He meets you half way, thrusting the rest of the way into you with a force you only could’ve dreamed of.

“You are. So.  Damn.  Arrogant.”  He punctuates his sentence with equally powerful thrusts, his hand on the small of your back to hold you in place.

“And yet you’re still here, balls deep inside me.  Guess you don’t hate me that much.”  Your pride is short lived, establishing your own rhythm of thrusts that he eagerly meets.  Your fingers cling to the bedsheets, each rut into your body almost knocks the thoughts from your head.

He loses himself just as fast as you do.  You’re both far too pent up for this to last much longer.  Frustration bubbled over into lust and now it’s hit boiling point.

His body is yours to use just as much as yours is his.  

“You take me so well.”  You hear him groan and in the mirror you see him slip his thumb into his mouth before it disappears out of your view, pressing against the tight ring of muscle only he can see from this angle.

Oh.  You don’t often go there.

Your hesitation is short lived, the tip of his thumb presses inside you, slowly stretching out your tightest hole.

It feels amazing.  It’s a different type of fullness and when the initial discomfort subsides, you’re able to let yourself enjoy the sensation.

“I can feel myself inside you.”  He sounds almost broken and it’s delightful.  “Filling up both your pretty little holes.  I can’t last much longer.  Fuck, I’m so close.”

The stretch of his thumb in your ass is the only constant you’ve got with his cock slipping in and out of you.

Your own hand reaches down between your legs, rubbing your clit frantically, desperate to cum in time with him.

“Don’t you dare.”  You groan, watching him in the mirror.  “Don’t cum yet.”

He whines, his face screwed up in pleasure, doing his very best not to spill inside you just yet. At least this is one thing you can agree on.

“F-fuck, hurry up. I’m so close.”  He’s trying to maintain the same pace while holding himself back and you know it can’t be easy.

Your fingers graze your clit just right and before you know it, your moans are getting higher pitched, your holes fluttering around his cock and his thumb, squeezing both involuntarily as your orgasm takes over.  

It’s beyond intense.  There’s so much happening at once and within a few moments of your own climax, you feel your partner achieving his.  He’s pressed as deep inside you as possible, flooding your body with his release, groaning your name loud enough for his neighbours to hear.

---

The following morning with the argument forgotten, everything feels right again.  The Hawaiian shirt he’d worn yesterday evening is draped over your shoulders, unbuttoned, giving him access to worship your breasts.  His cock slips in and out of you beautifully, soft gasps from both of you filling the crisp early morning air.  Your hands are planted on his broad chest and your fingers tease the soft curls of hair on his chest.  It’s hard not to feel like he’s engulfing you, rather than the other way around.  He’s beneath you, he’s inside you and with his shirt draped over you, all you can smell is him.

It’s incredible, as close to perfect as you’re willing to believe exists.  There’s no rush.  There’s nowhere either of you need to be.  One orgasm can bleed into another and you can spend as long as you like enjoying each other’s bodies.  

[bluenagi]

NAGI SFW & NSFW BF HCS nsfw under the cut. minors DO NOT INTERACT.

reader is intended to be viewed as gender neutral. however, i wrote this with a fem bodied character in mind so there may be some slip ups, i apologize.

also i’d like to say this is my first ever published work so please go easy on me i am TRYINGGGG LMFAOO

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SFW

you’re a childhood friend of reo, that’s how you’ve come to meet nagi. you’d always walked with reo to and from school, so when nagi started tagging along it was .. different

you REALLY confuse nagi at first.. he doesn’t understand why you make him feel the way he feels.

he looks it up after a few weeks of walking to school with you and reo, why his stomach feels funny when he’s around you. when the search result “butterflies in my stomach” comes up, he almost died of cringe and closed his laptop.

before he’s able to realize he’s doing it, he will start asking really strange questions around reo specifically about you. things like “so when did you guys meet?” or .. “what was y/n like when you were kids?” reo notices immediately, and that’s how you and nagi have reached this point. you are dating.

nagi is all about the small gestures, the little touches of reassurance. he’s been watching you for a while, so he can tell what you’re feeling to a certain extent. and this talent of his only grows as you spend more time together.

you bring out a certain side of him that he has never explored, this initially was why he fell in love with you.. he wanted an answer, he wanted to know why his stomach hurt when he was around you. he wanted to explore YOU.

nagi turns this love and adoration into a little game, after everything he “unlocks” about you, he wants to know more. he keeps his “how many more goals do i need?” attitude.

intimacy for nagi is very impulsive, if he wants to hold you he will, if he needs to feed an urge he will.

nagi is very possessive, he wants to understand you better than anyone else, and he wants you to be only his. nagi always has a hand on you, whether it be on your lower back while you walk, on your thigh when you sit next to him.. or nagi’s favorite, you in his lap. for nagi, this is the best position, he can do this anywhere and it instantly tells people “they are mine” without him having to say it, he can also freely play games and not have to worry about not having both hands. always walks behind you with a hand around your waist, he’s 6’3 he is BIG.

all of his romance knowledge is from dramas, so he WILL do cliche things. luckily, you love it.

he didn’t really text before he met you, so however you text he will end up matching your text style. if you use >_< :3 :D he will use them too.. he thinks it’s normal. you use lots of heart emojis so he does as well.

you’re his first for EVERYTHING so he needs to be taught, and he doesn’t mind learning. like i said, he wants to unlock everything about you, and if that takes you sitting him down and teaching him, he’s more than happy to listen.

you definitely had to initiate kissing, at first he doesn’t really understand the point. but he eventually warms up to it after seeing how much you like it. he WILL do research on how to be a better kisser.

NSFW———————————————————————

remember when i said you’re his first? nagi does NOT know where your spots are.. he has no idea how to touch you. but he is so eager to learn, he will attentively listen, and he’s a visual learner so SHOW HIM HOW.

you definitely watch porn together. and when you do it’s a lot of.. “that looks so uncomfortable..” “annoying..” “can we try that? never mind.” you either laugh together at how horrible it looks, or get super into it.

doesn’t NEED to ask you if it feels good (he can tell) but he WILL just to see you struggle to answer.

COCKWARM him, please cockwarm him. he had no idea what cockwarming was before you brought up the idea one night while you were in his lap and he was playing games.. but ever since the first time you cockwarmed him he feels like he can’t live without it. he WILL beg for it if pushed hard enough.

he can tell when you’re needy, but he’ll wait for you to say it to his face.. not because he’s busy, he just likes to see you all needy just for him.

he’s not very vocal, he’s more of a breathy panty fucker.. but he LOVES listening to you. will absolutely not tolerate you covering your mouth.. he likes to know he’s the only one who can make you feel good.

you had to tell him that he was big, he had no idea. he thought it was normal to have to do A LOT of prep.

you love his hands, and when he realized this he absolutely took advantage of it. like i said he always has his hands on your thigh, but if he’s feeling needy, or he can tell that you are.. he will slowly inch his fingers up and pretend he’s oblivious. he’ll do this until you push him away, or beg him for more.

aftercare for him is very.. he TRIES he knows it’s necessary and he knows you need it, but he can’t help but fall asleep afterwards, so it usually just ends in him cuddle trapping you.

[liquorisce]

Do you have any eremika age gap au recs?? It’s my favorite trope and there’s nearly not enough fics out there😭😭😭

*rubs hands* I took my time with this because I am not the most avid fic reader unfortunately, but I do have a few recs and some more on my tbr. I think what you're looking for is not just an age difference but where the age gap is the focus? i've marked those in pink. definitely check the tags on these before proceeding!!

gonna start with mine just for completeness, and also because i love it *blush*

boy next door: For sixteen years, Mikasa has watched the boy next door. First: through the eyes of a child, hand in his during family trips, his hand on her first bike when she learned how to ride. Then: through the eyes of a teenager, peeking behind her blinds into his room on hot summer months when he didn't wear a shirt, eyes lingering on his lips when he pulled away his cigarette. Now, she is so much older, but he is older still, and the gap between them feels ever widening. But her desire to close it only feels more desperate.

i'm certain you've checked out @herblacktights 's ao3, but here are my favs of hers with that age gap sauce:

degausser: After a deadly flu pandemic that devastates Paradis Island and the rest of the world, Eren is all Mikasa has. After she turns sixteen, that gets complicated. -> the plot is entirely the age gap, lol!

comfort me: “Mikasa,” Eren drawled, fake scolding edging into his voice as he held the basement door open and led her outside. “Does Aunt Carla know what a bad girl you are?” For a moment, she looked stunned. A sliver of a second, a wink of an eye. Looking every inch the little girl he watched grow up, who he knew deserved better than him. But before it could take root in her and make him regret what he said, Mikasa gave him a terrible, sweet smile. “Aunt Carla says I deserve to do whatever I want after the year I’ve had,” she said and from the way that she was looking at him, he should’ve known it was a threat. cw: mild daddy kink!

love dog : this one is a bit different! teacher mikasa x student eren, and mikasa is the older one. cw: it doesn't exactly have a super happy ending. but it is one of my favs from hannah!!

Butterfly effect by @sunlightandsuffering : Sugar baby AU - older hobo eren x younger mikasa. how can i say this... it's the OG, the most delicious, lys-brand chaotic eremika but age gap flavour! i love it, i'm sure if you've been around this block you've read it lol, but it's simply amazing, read it again!!

You, me and our sins by @loneghostss : Eren is married and Mikasa has a boyfriend. But the fact that they both have someone doesn't stop them from sinfully falling in love with each other. (it is about eremika having an affair with each other and it is so sensual and hot, age gap is not central here but it definitely brings heat!!) you could also check out lost saints by the same author, there's also some age difference and great smut.

@dead-dolphins is a connoisseur of the age gap trope, defs check out all the aus on her pinned post!! ro is a master of drama and worldbuilding so her fics are always a treat. she's got some on ao3 that are all about that sweet age gap <3

chemical hype boy : idol mikasa x actor eren!! and eren is definitely playing into the older established actor mold!

i apologise if you feel something: Goth mikasa gets involved with older Eren, lead vocalist of a metal band.

the promised princess: a medieval fantasy au inspired by got. age difference is not the central theme, but it's a stellar fic regardless.

straight/edge by @sinigangsta-ao3: Mikasa Ackerman is prim, proper, and perfect. As the golden child of the Ackerman family, her academic achievements set her up for a bright future and atone for her older brother’s past mistakes. When the spring semester of her junior year arrives, she crosses paths with a local boy toward whom she’d typically never give the time of day — and they begin a whirlwind relationship that unlocks parts of herself that she didn’t know she kept hidden. this fic is more about the good girl x bad boy trope but with that delicious 3-4 year age gap sauce!! cw: NOT a hea

devilish lovers by softwinter: “I wanna be your friend, Mikasa,” he told her one day when she got home from school not able to feign a less distressed expression on her face, too many sixteen-year-old problems going on in her life. He had the habit of commenting that she was always sad, that he didn’t like how that transpired on her gray eyes.

“I thought you wanted to be my daddy,” something flashed in his eyes right then, like she’d said something forbidden, a kind of thing that could make her a bad girl in his eyes. cw: step dad kink!! definitely check the tags before proceeding.

heaven knows by @joannaofarkham: priest au where priest eren is mikasa's teacher in a catholic school. it is unfinished but the first chapter reads pretty well standalone!

eternally yours by @cxcassii: reincarnation au + age gap. It's been 2,000 years since Eren Jaeger was a titan shifter and unleashed the blood drenched madness of the rumbling upon the world. Now, in the year 2023, he's a twenty-four year old who lives with his best friend Armin. He goes about his days working as a pharmacy technician all while attempting to cope and come to terms with the loss of the loved ones he still remembers with clarity from his previous life. The atrocious sins of his past life he can never ever truly atone for. But most of all, there's one person he simply can't forget: His former love of his life, Mikasa. It's when he's not actively searching for her that they cross paths once again, and their love will once again be on trial when Eren learns that Mikasa not only doesn't remember their past life together, but is also seventeen years old. this one is still on my tbr but whatever i've read so far looks extremely delicious!!!

enjoy!! if anyone wants to add more please feel free to reblog and improve this list!! <3

[shuttershocky]

I tried playing Nioh 2 like a year ago but it seemed… Kind of absurdly difficult? I couldn’t get past the first boss, and just Ran from all the mini-bosses. I’m considering picking it up again, but do you have any tips for what the game expects from players?

Let me start out by saying that Nioh 2 is the complete opposite of minimalist game design. There are mechanics behind mechanics behind mechanics behind shit that only gets unlocked in your next playthrough, so I'm just going to let you discover most of that for yourself.

Okay so first off you're going to see people call Nioh a Soulslike. This is false.

While it has shrines to act as campfires that respawn enemies, you should be approaching Nioh far more like a 2000s action game like Ninja Gaiden: you have to be fast and extremely aggressive. You don't wait for an opening, you make one, and when you've got an opening you don't just attack, you do as large a combo as you can manage.

How do you do that when you have a limited stamina (Ki) bar that you need for dodges and blocks? You learn how to do Ki Pulses. When you attack, you get swirling blue orbs that surround your character. Tapping R1 lets you do a Ki Pulse, refunding part of the Ki you just spent. Tapping R1 at the perfect time (right as the blue orbs enter your character) refunds you a lot.

Mastering Ki Pulses is what makes Nioh a different beast from any Soulsgame. Nioh assumes you're using it and fighting with deceptively far more stamina than you actually have, because you do. Some of the weapon skills you unlock also grant you bonuses for good Ki Pulsing, such as letting you swap stances with a bonus, buffing yourself up, etc. Ki pulses also purify the air around you, so if you find yourself inside the Yokai realm that slows your Ki regeneration, a Ki Pulse cleanses in the air in a small AOE, allowing you to fight monsters properly in spite of their dirty tricks.

Master this simple concept, and even if you're in unfamiliar territory (which is 70% of your Nioh 2 experience) you should be able to defend yourself no matter what. Enemies also use Ki in battle, so if your Ki management is better than theirs you can wail on them for free once they're tired. You can also grapple exhausted enemies to stun them and really make them free kills.

Also at the start of the game, you choose a Guardian Spirit. This Guardian Spirit determines your Burst Counter, which is a special kind of parry move that lets you outbullshit enemy bullshit. Basically, enemies will glow red when they start up an unblockable bullshit move that will end you. This is only unblockable with your human parries, but if you use your Guardian Spirit to Burst Counter (R2 + Square) you hit the enemy with your own insanely powerful move that also stuns them, though how your Burst Counter works depends on your currently equipped Guardian Spirit (one gives you an attack with super armor, another is a dodge with an after-image the enemy can attack to trigger the burst, and the last acts as a standard parry but much flashier).

Burst Counters work even on bosses, meaning you can instantly turn the tables on a boss pummeling your face in if they get greedy and pull out their super moves.

____

Without sugarcoating it, Nioh 2 can be a really difficult game. However, its secret is that you are powerful, so much so that Nioh players doing challenge runs like to play the whole game at Level 1 without upgrading themselves. Once you get into the mindset of tapping Ki Pulses to the rhythm of your violence, you realize you're actually stronger and faster than most enemies in the game. You CAN get punished for overstepping, but the lesson isn't to tame your greed, but to refine your aggression. You can dodge in the middle of combos in this game; you can afford to make one more slash at that boss.

Also, unlike a Souls game where bringing in a friend is limited, Nioh 2 can be played in true co-op. The whole campaign, end to end, both of you progress and you can play together as soon as you finish the tutorial. With how powerful you can get, co-op isn't exactly balanced, but it IS extremely fun, if you're here for the over the top ninja-wizard-warrior shenanigans and not for the challenge.

[magicfootballstuff]

Dirty Little Secret - part 4 (leila ouahabi x reader)

Summary: A love story about secrets, flirty messages, football rivalries, and useless lesbians who don’t know how to communicate. And it all starts with one badly timed challenge in the Champions League.

Leila Ouahabi x Arsenal!reader

Part 4/?

Read other parts here.

———

When you arrive in Barcelona, it’s like the events in Turin a few days ago never happened.

Leila greets you at the airport with a beaming smile and a kiss and even offers to wheel your little suitcase from the arrivals gate to her car. 

On the drive back to Leila’s apartment, you tell her about your flight and in return she talks about the last training session before tomorrow’s cup final. She seems confident that Barcelona will win and though you want to match that energy, you’re still a little scarred from the Champions League final last week, where you were confident she would be lifting the trophy there too. A domestic cup is different to the Champions League, you suppose, and you’d hope that you’ve both learned lessons from last time, but still.

Leila’s apartment is on the second floor of a cute little complex that looks out over a park. She insists on carrying your bag again, and you’re not going to complain as she leads you up the stairs at the side of the building until you reach her floor. 

As she unlocks the door and you follow her inside, this feels way more intimate than all the times you’ve slept with her. This is Leila’s home, a glimpse into her life that you never imagined you’d see when you were just sneaking around with her at St George’s Park during the Arnold Clark Cup.

But while you’re ready to learn more about Leila from spending three days in her home, you’re not prepared for exactly what you’re going to learn about her. 

Specifically, from the boxes and open suitcases littered around her apartment.

“You’re moving?” 

Leila sets your bag down by the door and nods silently.

“Like to a new apartment or…?”

You almost don’t want to ask. Leila and Barcelona are two things that seem like they should always go together. But the glossy tears that start to shine in Leila’s eyes tell you the answer without the need to complete your question.

Suddenly her behaviour in Turin, how emotional she was and her mention of other factors coming into play, make perfect sense. Winning the Champions League for a second time would have been the perfect way to end her time at Barcelona, but that just makes the cup final tomorrow even more important.

“Come here,” you say, offering your arms out in an embrace.

Leila steps close and her body sinks into yours, arms wrapped tightly around each other.

“It’s my time to leave,” she sniffles into your shoulder. “I’m ready for a new challenge.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to do,” you remind her, one of your hands stroking a comforting path up and down her spine. You remember your own journey, leaving the comfort of Manchester at eighteen when you signed your first professional contract with Arsenal, moving down the country for something new, and how difficult it was to push yourself out of your comfort zone. “In fact, I think it’s very brave of you to choose to do the right thing for your own career.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nod.

You pull back, but only far enough to be able to look Leila directly in the eyes, which are shining with the threat of tears that she tries to fight off.

“I’m sorry if I was a bit of a dick in Turin,” you murmur. “I understand now why it was so hard for you when you didn’t win.”

Leila sniffs and wipes at her eyes.

“Winning it again would’ve been the perfect end to the story.”

“You’re gonna win tomorrow though, right?” you tease her.

Leila smiles through her tears, and she might be the prettiest person you’ve ever seen.

———

At first, you’re nervous about wearing Leila’s shirt to the cup final. You haven’t even told any of your friends that you’re in Barcelona, let alone that there’s something going on between you and Leila, and you can only imagine the reaction in the Arsenal group chat if a photo finds its way onto Twitter of you in the crowd at this game so obviously there as Leila’s guest.

As it turns out, there’s nothing to worry about. You don’t know if it’s the cap and sunglasses that successfully keep you under the radar, or if it’s simply that none of the Spanish crowd give enough of a shit about English women’s football to recognise you in the first place, but your worries are for nothing. Besides, you start to realise that you might not care who finds out anyway when Leila runs onto the pitch for the pre-game warm up and immediately looks for you in the crowd, sending a little wave in your direction when she spots you that fills your chest with warmth.

You could get used to this.

———

After the game, with a winner’s medal hanging around her neck, Leila practically skips over to you.

“Felicitats,” you tell her, your tongue stumbling over the unfamiliar word, but the grin that spreads across Leila’s face is more than worth the five minutes you spent practising a single word while the pitch was being set up for the trophy presentation.

“Did you enjoy the game?”

“I did,” you nod. You reach for the medal around her neck, feeling the weight of the metal between your fingers as you say, “This looks good on you.”

“This looks good on you,” Leila says, raising her eyebrows and smirking at you as she thumbs at the material of the Barcelona shirt she gifted you to wear.

“Yeah?” you ask her. “You like it?”

Leila is a little too eager to nod, and you grin back at her.

“I like it too.”

The temptation to lean over the railing and kiss Leila, especially when she’s looking at you in the way that she is, is almost too much. But if wearing Leila’s shirt in public is already a risky move, kissing her is definitely too far.

Later, for sure. When you’re alone.

Leila also has later on her mind, but for a different reason.

“We’re having a party tonight to celebrate? Do you want to come?” Leila asks.

“With all your teammates?”

It never once crossed your mind that Leila might want you to meet her teammates. Everything has been so secretive so far, you’ve barely had more than the briefest of interactions with each other in front of other people before, and you sort of assumed that apart from coming to watch her game today, you’d spend the rest of your visit to Barcelona just the two of you. But of course Leila will want to celebrate with her friends tonight, her last game with the club ending with a trophy.

“If you don’t want to we can just go back…”

“No,” you’re quick to interrupt, reaching for Leila’s hand. “I want to. I just … never mind. Thanks for inviting me. I can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

———

You feel a bit awkward as you enter the Barcelona after party with Leila. They’ve hired out a bar for the night and the place is already buzzing with players, staff and guests when you arrive. You’ve changed out of the shirt with Leila’s name on the back, but Leila makes sure there’s no doubt about who you’re here with by linking her fingers with yours as you step inside.

“Okay?” Leila asks you, perhaps sensing your nerves, and you nod in response.

Leila has dressed up too, changing out of her football kit and into a dark suit which hangs open over a lacy bodice. Her hair hangs down over her shoulders instead of being swept back in her usual ponytail and she’s wearing smoky makeup that accentuates her dark eyes.

You can hardly keep your own eyes off her. The most beautiful girl in the room, and your hand is the one she wants to hold, proudly showing you off like she wants everyone to know you’re important to her. Like you’re more than just a fuck buddy.

You’re overwhelmed by the party but thankfully Leila isn’t, collecting a glass of champagne for each of you before she leads you by the hand to where a few of her teammates are gathered.

Leila introduces you - in English, you notice, which can only be to make you feel welcome - and you smile awkwardly as you greet her teammates, feeling their eyes burning into you like they’re trying to assess your compatibility with Leila.

Mapi León is the first to react, punching Leila in the arm, before she launches into high-speed Spanish. Leila clutches at her sore arm momentarily with a look of outrage on her face, then starts talking too.

From the tone of the conversation, they seem to be bickering. And from the occasional glances at you, you suspect you might know what they’re bickering about.

You’ve never wished you knew Spanish more.

“Do you understand what they’re saying?” you ask Ingrid, who seems to be trying to follow the conversation with a frown of concentration on her face.

“She called Leila a liar, I think,” Ingrid translates for you. “Something about leaving Barcelona for a girl - from context I guess that’s you?”

“Oh, I’m not … I mean, she’s not…” you stammer. Suddenly you have Mapi and Leila’s eyes on you too as they fall silent, and your cheeks start to heat up as you try to explain, “She’s not moving for me. I only found out yesterday that she’s leaving Barcelona at all.”

“Yes, Mapi,” Leila says, speaking in English now, for your benefit. “See?”

They switch back to Spanish, leaving you in the dark once again. But even though you don’t actually understand what they’re saying, you can sense when the conversation moves on from talking about you almost straight away, and you relax.

But Ingrid’s words stick in your mind. You don’t know how good her Spanish is, whether what she translated was completely accurate, but she seemed to think that Mapi thought Leila’s decision to leave Barcelona was related to you, which gets you thinking. You and Leila aren’t serious enough for there to be a deliberate link, but if Mapi thinks the two things are connected…

You remember what Leila said after the match earlier, the look in her eyes as she admired the way you looked in her Barcelona jersey. And while it’s definitely going to be strange to see Leila in another team’s colours, you think the feeling would probably be mutual if you ever saw Leila in red and white.

It plays on your mind, and you decide to ask her when she leads you away later to get another drink from the bar.

“You’ve decided which club you’re moving to?” you ask, leaning against the bar beside Leila as you wait for a bartender to be free.

Leila’s eyebrows twitch upwards momentarily, probably surprised by your question, before she answers, “Yes.”

“It’s not…” you trail off, almost feeling stupid for asking, because you’re sure that you would’ve heard something if it was the case, either from Leila herself or at least whispers from somewhere else. “It’s not Arsenal, is it?”

Leila smirks, then says, “No.”

“Right, of course,” you say. “I didn’t think so, but it’s just the way Mapi was talking about me and your move, made it sound like the two things were related.”

“No. Mapi likes to - I don’t know how to say it in English - she talks a lot of shit?”

You nod to show that Leila’s used the right words.

“You’ll find out soon where I’m moving,” she tells you.

“Very mysterious,” you tease her.

You spend a brief second wondering why she’s being so secretive about which team she’s moving to. You doubt you’re going to get much more out of Leila about her future team anyway, but you’re soon denied that chance anyway when the whole bar erupts into song. The ringleaders, Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina, have clambered up onto a table and use half empty beer bottles as microphones as they lead the singing with a lot more enthusiasm than musicality.

You recognise the song, from both the game today and the time you spent amongst the Barcelona fans at last week’s Champions League final, as one of the Barcelona chants. Though you don’t know the words, the energy in the room is infectious, and as Leila slings an arm around your shoulder and joins in, you grin and hum along to the recognisable tune.

———

This is probably the longest you’ve spent in Leila’s company, certainly the longest you’ve spent together without sleeping with her, and while you hope that there will be plenty of time for that during the remainder of your brief stay in Barcelona, it’s nice to get to know her through her body language and interactions with her teammates, finally getting the chance to see Leila at her most natural.

It doesn’t take you long to realise that Leila is an affectionate person.

She’s constantly touching you, whether it’s your legs or shoulders nudging against each other, or her hand seeking out yours. You don’t mind that you don’t understand the Spanish conversations, because she makes you feel included with looks and little touches.

Leila is also a funny person. You’ve always found her to be charismatic, but most of your interactions have been laced with flirtatious jokes anyway. When you see her with her friends, you realise that Leila likes to make other people laugh, even if that comes at the cost of having to be a little bit goofy. It’s endearing, and your cheeks quickly start to ache with how much you’ve been grinning.

But you also start to wonder if things would be the same if the situation was reversed and you’d invited Leila to England. Would you have introduced Leila to your teammates? What would she have learned about you from seeing you with your closest friends? And most importantly of all, would still she like what she sees?

“Do you want to leave?” Leila leans across and murmurs to you, while the conversation in Spanish continues around you, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“Don’t you want to celebrate with your teammates?” you ask, conscious of the fact that today was her last game in a Barcelona shirt, tonight her last official night with these girls as her teammates.

“I want to celebrate with you,” Leila tells you, her mouth curling up into a smirk as her fingers squeeze your thigh.

It’s very hard to be thoughtful towards Leila’s limited time with the other Barcelona girls when her dark eyes are making mischievous promises.

“What did you have in mind?” you ask, your voice breathless.

“Come home and I’ll show you.”

———

In hindsight, three days in Barcelona was never going to be enough.

Predictably, you spend most of the second day, the day after Barcelona wins the Copa de la Reina, in Leila’s bed. It’s only later in the day that you finally get up and put some clothes on, because Leila promises that she knows the best seafood restaurant in Europe. She’s not wrong, and after a short drive down the coast, you enjoy a delicious meal looking out over the sea as the sun sets.

If this was a date, it would be a very romantic setting. But you and Leila are still straddling the line between football rivals who hook up and something more.

The third and final day you spend being tourists around Barcelona. It surprises you when Leila tells you she’s never really visited many of the big tourist sites herself, despite living in Barcelona for so long, but it means you get to explore them together. But she also shows you some of the places that she loves - a cute little coffee shop, Camp Nou stadium, her favourite sushi restaurant. You get to know the city through her and her through the city.

Three days isn’t long enough, not to fully explore this beautiful city, nor to properly get to know the girl who is showing you around, but you’ll take it. 

Three days with Leila are better than none. 

———

“Manchester City,” Leila tells you in bed that night, speaking into the darkness as you play with her hair, her head resting on your chest, savouring every moment you can get together before you have to fly back to England in the morning.

“Huh?”

“I’m about to sign for Manchester City,” Leila explains.

Your hand stills in Leila’s hair, processing her words in slight disbelief. 

“You’re shitting me.”

“What?”

Trying not to disturb Leila on your chest, you reach across to where your phone lies face down on the nightstand, unlocking it and scrolling through the gallery of photos until you come across one in particular. It’s old and a little blurry, but just clear enough to make out that it’s a picture of a little girl, aged about ten, with a full fringe and her long hair tied into pigtails, dressed in a full Manchester City kit.

“Is that you?” Leila asks, lifting her head to examine the photo as you angle the screen of your phone to show her.

“Been a City fan my whole life,” you tell her. “I came up through the academy too. It doesn’t mean I’m going to let you win though. I’m an Arsenal girl now.”

“I don’t want you to let me win,” Leila says, propping herself upright and swinging a leg across your hips. You let your hands slide up Leila’s thighs and toy with the hem of the oversized t-shirt she’s wearing to bed as she adds, “I want a challenge.”

You anchor your hands on Leila’s hips and flip her over onto the mattress, settling between her legs as your mouth finds the column of her neck and presses a line of open-mouthed kisses from the apex of her shoulder up to the sensitive spot below her ear.

“You sure about that?” you murmur.

As Leila’s hand finds the top of your head and tries to guide you down her body, it doesn’t feel like much of a challenge at all.

———

You’re in the England pre-selection camp the following week, still mournful of the fact that you only got three days in Barcelona with Leila, when the news is officially announced. 

“Chloe, have you seen we’ve got another new signing?” Lauren asks, as she wanders across the gym to where you and Chloe are doing some conditioning before training.

“At City?” Chloe asks. “Who is it?”

You’re only giving them half of your attention as they talk about their latest club news, more focused on adjusting the weights at each end of the barbell, until you hear who it is they’re talking about.

“Spanish player,” Lauren says to Chloe. “Leila something - I don’t know how to pronounce her last name.”

“Leila Ouahabi?” you supply for Lauren, the weights now forgotten. 

“That’s the one,” Lauren confirms with a nod. “Look.”

Lauren offers out her phone, where the latest post on Manchester City’s Instagram page is displayed announcing the arrival of Leila as a new signing, complete with a picture of Leila in the sky blue kit of her new club.

“Do you know her?” Chloe asks.

“We’ve played against each other a few times,” you answer vaguely, reaching for your own phone to look up the announcement yourself.

You don’t tell them about the nature of your relationship during the Arnold Clark Cup, or that you spent three nights in her bed only last week, or that you get butterflies in your chest every time you think about her.

“Is she good?”

Distracted by the picture of Leila in a Manchester City shirt, which looks weird, though in a good way, after she’s spent so many years at Barcelona, you respond absently, “Good at what?”

Lauren sniggers.

“Good at football?”

“Oh, right. Of course, why would I know if she’s good at anything else?” You laugh awkwardly, before you finally answer, “Yeah, she’s pretty good.”

You tune out the rest of their conversation, starting your set of reps with the weights as your mind thinks of the image of Leila in sky blue.

———

Later, when you’re taking some down time in your room between training and dinner, you look through the various pictures of Leila that have been posted today, both by the Manchester City account and by Leila herself. It’s going to take some time to get used to not just the sight of Leila in a City kit, but also the idea that she’s going to be living in the same country and playing in the same league as you.

You stare at the pictures for way too long. You struggled to cope when Leila sent you a picture of herself wearing your England shirt but this, seeing her in the jersey of the team you’ve supported since your parents dressed you in a Manchester City onesie when you were just five days old, is provoking another reaction from you entirely.

If only you weren’t so loyal to Arsenal these days…

Still, you message Leila to let her know what you think of her move.

You You look good in blue 😍 And if you need someone to show you around Manchester…

There’s a knock on your door and you get up from your bed to answer it, finding Leah standing outside in the hall.

“Ready to go down for dinner?” she asks.

“Just a sec,” you reply, slipping your feet into a pair of trainers. You reach for your phone which lies face up on the bed and the screen lights up with a new message from Leila as you pick it up.

Leila It’s a date 😉

You fight off a smile as you slide your phone into the pocket of your shorts and practically skip over to where Leah waits in the doorway.

“You’re in a good mood,” Leah observes, as you start to make your way down to dinner.

You’re half caught in a daydream, imagining a time where you get to walk around Manchester hand in hand with Leila, showing her all your favourite places in her new home city, but you push that to the back of your mind for later to save having to explain yourself to Leah.

“Just nice to be back with the team, isn’t it?” you try to explain away your cheerfulness.

Leah rolls her eyes and says, “Weirdo.”

[felassan]

New today on DA:TV from Game Informer:

"How Romance And Relationships Work In Dragon Age: The Veilguard by Wesley LeBlanc on Jul 08, 2024 at 02:00 PM Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a BioWare RPG, which means a lot of things, including the fact that the game will feature romance. Based on what I learned during a recent trip to BioWare's Edmonton office for the current Game Informer cover story, Veilguard will be the team's most romantic game yet. Relationship Level"

"Every companion in the game has a Relationship Level related to Rook, and the choices you make (and not even specifically about the companion, but in the world in general), what you say to companions, how you help or don't help them, and more all play into it. Every time you rank up a companion's Relationship Level, you unlock a skill point to spend specifically on that companion. Though companion skill trees pale in comparison to Rook's expansive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, as well as paths to three unique class specializations, there's still some customization here.  Each companion has access to five abilities, but you can only take three into combat. Thus, it's important to strategize which abilities to spend a skill point on and how those abilities can synergize with your current build on the battlefield. Though I couldn't confirm, Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes hints that companion issues, problems, and personal quests will play into this Relationship Level and how a companion interacts with Rook.  "[Bellara Lutara, for example] has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you're on," Rhodes tells me while I watch game director Corinne Busche play through a linear, story-driven mission in Arlathan Forest where Rook is searching for Bellara. Busche adds that "relationships are key, not only romance but friendships. We wanted to lean into not just the relationships the characters have with you but the relationships they have with each other. It's a found family, and at the end of the day, they need to trust they all have each other's back." Romance"

"However, fret not, BioWare fans – romance is a key part of relationships in the game, Busche says, noting some of the romances will get quite spicy. However, not all of them will, as "each romance has a very different flavor," according to Busche. Some characters are straight to the point, while others are more awkward, having never been in a relationship before. "You learn who these characters are in how their romances unfold," she says. She likens romantic and platonic relationships to another way to "level up" your companions. It's not just experience and skill points that determine Rook's standing with companions, but diegetic conversations, too.  BioWare has already revealed that every companion in Veilguard is pansexual, notably different from the community-dubbed "playersexual" approach in some games, which sees NPCs adjust romantic and sexual interests based on the player rather than their own sense of sexuality. As pansexual companions, they are attracted to people of any gender (or regardless of gender). That's a critical distinction because, in Veilguard, your companions aren't just going to vie for your affection – they might take attraction to other companions in the titular Veilguard.  Giving one companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm shoulder of someone else on the team. Busche says companions can form romances with each other, although I'm unable to confirm if that means locking Rook out of forming a romance with them.  I saw nothing resembling romance in my very early hours with the game. However, I did see the romantically inclined "emotional" response in Rook's dialogue choices at times, which led to my Rook flirting with ice mage and private detective companion Neve Gallus. Busche says this is the option to flirt and push platonic relationships into romantic territory, though Rook's flirtatious efforts aren't always reciprocated. But that's not to say you should ignore the other options – I saw dialogue choices resembling friendly, snarky, and direct, too, and I can see how these different flavors of dialogue likely mix and mingle into Rook's relationships with companions. It's still a mostly mysterious system to me, but as Veilguard is due out this fall, I don't have to wait too long to learn more and neither do you. For more about the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below."

[source]

[stoutguts]

First time posting something like this so I hope people will like it! 👉👈

Gaming (💀🧼)

chock full my own personal HCs and ideas, mostly unhinged rambling about Ghoap if they were into video games/gaming habits because brainworms and rot

Ghost is a complete fucking nerd, he's autistically obsessed with DND, Skyrim, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, etc. Their eyes will light up whenever someone asks him about these games/interests in particular, and whenever they get the chance to geek out and talk about them/it he will of course talk your ear off about it. Soap always listening to it's nerdy rants with equal enthusiasm, as he just loves to hear Simon talk no matter what it’s about, but also because he’s always so eager to learn. Ghost also occasionally likes to play fifa or rocket league or something along those lines, but it gets major game rage when it plays those games because he sucks ass at it. Also, they've probably got like 2,500+ hours in Skyrim alone. Even if sports related games aren’t their strong suit, he’s really good at other games, with being so fucking sweaty when it comes to Bloodborne, Skyrim, Dark Souls, etc, it's no surprise that it's like god-tier at it. He's very good at rhythm games, but particularly they enjoy Guitar Hero and Project Diva and has perfected all songs across multiple games on maximum or higher difficulties. It also positively dominates on games like Overwatch (they are a Diva/Moira main), Super Smash Bros. (he's a Donkey Kong/Bowser main), and practically any first person shooter with online play. When it comes to first person shooters, they strictly play with other players and doesn't care about the campaign/story mode. Every now and then it'll get Johnny to join them for a round of DND or play Skyrim with him, and even though Soap isn’t nearly as experienced in the game as Ghost is, they still both have a lot of fun. Soap listening to Simon’s autistic rants pays off in some instances, like when faced with different enemies or characters he can name them or knows what they do, or he can even recall certain lore that's interesting to him. (Soap being hella ADHD, and even though he tries his best to listen he struggles with processing information, (APD gang), and often has people repeat themselves, or he just totally forgets stuff unless he's makes it a point to commit it to memory).

Soap is the complete opposite from Ghost he’s really not that much of a gamer at all, he's certainly not any good at most competitive-based games anyhow. He's into the more casual or feel good kind of games, like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, or any cozy life simulator type game—he even plays the Sims every once in a while. Where he’s virtually created his ideal life with Simon, a nice two story house, a couple of kids running around (two daughters).—Has meticulously outfitted and created him and Simon to be as accurate to real life as possible, as well as their two kids (Scarlett and Bonnie), (or at least what he would imagine them to look like). Even though, he absolutely loves what the two have, a man can dream. He has Ghost give their own input on the little life that he’s built for them in the Sims, and Simon will gladly give suggestions and tell him what to do with certain things, whether it’s their house, pets, clothes/accessories, etc. Johnny also always asks for name suggestions when it comes to new pets or sims. Soap has like at least 5000+ hours in Animal Crossing, on New Leaf, New Horizons, and City Folk each. With his island/towns completely decked out and decorated—with everything you can possibly think of unlocked. He’ll whip up Animal Crossing in order to destress at the end of the day, and always makes sure to login and do his daily tasks and chores on all three games (or at least when he can). He'll even take his 3DS with him on long missions (if he's able to), and if he has the time and is not too exhausted he'll play New Leaf for a bit before going to sleep. He's 100%'d Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley, his farms being as fancy as can be, though he doesn't play them nearly as much.—He'll only play for a little while before getting off. In a similar vein, Ghost will play Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley with Soap (as Johnny’s created multiple profiles across all games for them so that they can play together) every now and then. Ghost always half-jokes that he’s gonna kill Soap’s spouse in Stardew, (Harvey, because in Johnny’s eyes he’s the bachelor that looks the most like Simon), getting all jealous and possessive, and Soap thinks it’s adorable. Ghost feels like a kid again when he’s playing Animal Crossing. It's favorite villagers/characters being Stitches and Celeste, Stitches because it reminds them of an old beloved teddy bear he had as a child, and Celeste because she's adorable and because making constellations is their favorite thing to do in City Folk, plus, the zodiac themed furniture is their favorite furniture set in New Horizons. Johnny being particularly fond of Shep, and CJ/Flick, because Shep reminds him of one of his childhood dogs growing up (an Old English Sheepdog named Mack), and CJ and Flick because they remind him of him and Simon.

Another game the two will play together is Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort. Johnny and Simon are both incredibly competitive, and will talk shit to one another during the entirety of a game—start to finish. They’ve gotten into petty spats over wounded pride or some “bullshit play”/“cheating”.

It always seems to slip Simon’s mind to put on the fucking wrist strap for the Wii remote before they start playing, so they've chucked it full force into the TV on multiple occasions. Shattering it or severely damaging it, because he’s too fucking strong for it's own good. 💀 Johnny will sometimes yell at them, and is naturally always upset, because most of the time when it happens he has to go out and buy a brand new TV, which is expensive.

"Si, baby, I love you, but please remember to put on your bloody wrist strap", he sighs.

But Soap despite his frustration can't stay mad at it for long, and forgives him shortly afterwards.

"I know ye didn't mean to", he feels horrible, because he knows that Ghost has a lot discomfort and even trauma when it comes to people yelling or screaming at them. Johnny always tries his best not to raise his voice at it, though sometimes it just comes out.

Simon starts crying, which makes Soap feel even worse and like a total dick. Though Ghost understands that sometimes Johnny can't help but raise his voice, it still triggers them. Soap goes to them almost immediately and takes him to the couch, wrapping his arms around it in a tight, but warm embrace. He holds Simon and tries his best to comfort them, whispering sweet words into his ear and telling them everything they need to hear in the moment—

“I’m not mad or anything, you know I could never stay mad at you mo chirdhe.”

“The last thing I’d ever want to do would be to hurt you, I’m so so sorry.”

“I love you more than anything, I’d give you the world and then some if I could.”

Ghost eventually calms down, its face still flushed and wet with tears. He kisses Johnny. Oh so, passionately.

“Then why don’t you prove just how much you love me?”, they say with a mischievous glint in their eyes.

“There’s nothing I’d want to do more, my sweet”, Soap chuckles. [END]

...

Oh yeah, also Johnny and Simon's favorite games to play together in Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort respectively are golf (because they're both white as hell), and swordplay (because it's more violent and action-packed compared to the other games). Soap's favorite sports to play on his own on Wii Sports/Wii Sports Resort are baseball and archery, while Ghost likes boxing and basketball.

[slightly-gay-pogohammer]

I haven't played less of p, but can keep asking questions!

Do you have any propaganda for playing the game?

hi welcome to the lies of p propaganda

literally a mix of bloodborne and american mcgee's alice when it comes to aesthetic, vibes, themes and battle systems. if you liked either of them and are upset that bloodborne won't get a port and alice won't get a sequel this is a good alternative

the devs confirmed a sequel and a dlc btw. and they're indie so they shouldn't have many problems

INCREDIBLE soundtrack, and here's some examples of my favorites because i need to share quixotic, memory of beach, shattered memories, hall of fame and arche abbey everywhere

the boss fights are difficult, but most of them are very fair and easy to learn the patterns of. while some are clearly fodder... anyone who played a soulsborne game know that every now and then you have to deal with a curse-rotted greatwood or a witch of hemwick if it means you can have a pontiff sulyvan or a lady maria in return!! if you don't mind spoilers i highly recommend checking out the battles with the king of puppets or with champion victor

tackles themes of overcoming grief, different ways to deal with it, rebirth, what it means to be human, being your own person and honestly and lies, with the latter especially being the most prominent one and heavily implying that even if honesty is good, sometimes a lie is a much better option for everyone

INCREDIBLE visuals hello

i need to talk about how good the monsters design is because body and mechanical horror fans rise UP

you can actually mix-n-match every single weapons you can find around, not including very overpowered boss weapons, and you can have a cannon arm?? like yes it's far from being the fastest weapon but consider: i can either hit and dash or i can make the boss explode

Your Choices Matter you know when a game promises you that they don't. well they do they DOOO literally every single choice starting with your very first one matter HEAVILY in the end

i can't stress enough how good the characters are, they're all full of life and energy and Love. you get a puppet in love, a beautiful charismatic old woman, a spunky young mechanic, whatever the fuck venigni my dad venigni has going on, an actually pretty fun version of the cricket and even pinocchio, who like most soulsborne seems to have little to no personality, is way more human from the get-go, with a lot of characters noting that he's so easily annoyed by their bigger-than-life personality and dramatique

this game made me cry SO many times between the music the lore and the incredible writing and voice acting. it's weird to say i didn't expect that much from it, like when the first trailer arrived we all went haha bishounen pinocchio bloodborne game, but the various npcs and even some bosses feel so human that inevitably seeing them going through situation destroyed me fr fr

but seriously the small details fuck me up so bad. the fact that pinocchio starts by making heavy mechanical noises whenever he moves and occasionally twitches and makes no noise when he attacks and the more "good ending" choices you make the less mechanical noises he makes and the more he occasionally grunts whenever he's hit is so nice?? they literally change every single one of his animation if you aim for that ending and it's so!!!!! aaaa

and also you can play fashionsouls the clothes have no effect other than being fancy so you can literally wear whatever the fuck you want and i, personally, find it very fun. big fan of the workshop master clothes btw that was my main until i unlocked the white clothes

i could go on but it would fall in spoilers territory fnasdmg point is. play lies of p

[zerbu]

Project Squealer BIG REVEAL

Calling all mystery buffs, adventure seekers, and gumshoe wannabes!

I am developing MY OWN INDIE GAME under the working title PROJECT SQUEALER! In this action-packed adventure RPG game, a disease called Laughter Pox has plagued the town, and it's up to three kid detectives to investigate!

These days, I'm mostly known for making mods for The Sims 4, but I've been interested in game development as far back as 2009. In fact, I originally bought The Sims 3 for PC back in 2012 as a tool to plan out characters and worlds, before becoming hooked on the gameplay. For a long time, The Sims was my main creative outlet, but I was still coming up with game ideas in the background.

Skip ahead to mid 2016: while playing with my Go to School mod, I needed to create some child characters to fill the school with. I created two rival teams of kid detectives, and came up backstories and mysteries for them to solve. I ended up liking these characters far more than any other characters I had created. They felt like my creative masterpiece, begging for something bigger than just creations made in a character creator.

That's when "Project Squealer" started brewing in my brain. This indie RPG wasn't just some vague idea; I was developing full-blown stories, environments, and gameplay planned for my kid detectives. I also had the perfect art style in my head. Emphasis on in my head.

Turns out, bringing my dream art style to life was way harder than I thought. So hard, in fact, that I spent the next few years learning how to create art. It took until 2020 to finally have character and environment art that could (almost) pass for pro-level game stuff. Not only that, the project was undergoing what indie devs refer to as scope creep. I kept adding more and more ideas to the design doc, making the game more complex and pushing the release date even further into the future. In 2018, I even decided to move from 2D to 3D, and switched engines from MonoGame to Unity (and later to Unreal Engine 5 in 2023).

Now, it's 2024, and I'm finally, finally ready to announce what I've been working on for the past 6 years!

Project Squealer is the working title for my own indie game about a team of three kid detectives: Orlo (middle), Von (left) and Zoros (right). Together, they go on adventures and solve mysteries… or at least they would, if they weren't constantly having their business stolen by a rival detective team.

In this action-packed adventure game, a mysterious disease known as Laughter Pox has plagued the town, causing people to laugh hysterically. Where is it coming from? How can it be cured? It's up to our detectives to find out! If they can convince others to trust them with such an important mission, that is!

Project Squealer uses a hybrid of 2D and 3D graphics to create a 2D cartoon look with full 3D movement. Characters and some organic objects are 2D sprites that move with the camera. Most environments, objects and buildings are 3D, but have texture-based outlines to give it a 2D look.

The game features a variety of different quests, characters, abilities, enemies, locations, weapons and items. In addition to the main storyline, you can help out NPCs by performing "errands" for them, which will unlock cool rewards and even side missions.

Unlike many RPG games, Project Squealer won't include a character level system, because I want the player to be able to progress using their own skill, not by grinding levels. One of the game's main design philosophies is that there are few, if any, permanent upgrades. Weapons will eventually break, status effects that make your stronger will eventually expire, etc.

Project Squealer is still in relatively early development. I plan to post more information, screenshots, and eventually even videos, as it gets closer to release. Follow my Twitter for quicker updates: https://twitter.com/ZerbuTabek

Your support and feedback is welcome, and will help improve the game!