#btw! any similarities to real people is purely coincidental

[exhausted-artist-vibes]

silly little comic because things aren’t all bad

[eternalfarae]

Author's Note

Hello everyone! I'm Farae, your author, and just to be real with you, I'm a high school dropout (not sure why I felt the need to mention that!). Anyway, this story is a bit of a spontaneous project for me, and English isn't my first language-I primarily speak Tagalog-so I appreciate your understanding as we go along.

As I mentioned, this book isn't fully planned out, but it's crafted with a lot of love. I aim to update it daily because I want to provide you with the kind of books you truly deserve-ones that you can cherish. Making people happy is my passion, and I believe the best way to do that is by writing a story that reflects a variety of interests and experiences.

I'll be honest: I can be a bit lazy at times, but when inspiration strikes, I can get really productive! There may be days when I can't write, but I promise I'll do my best to keep the updates coming. So, stay tuned for what's next-keep an eye on my profile!

And btw the language used in here are English, but in real world let's pretend they're using Japanese language, considering the place is Japan. ^^

Now, let's get into the important stuff-here are the content warnings.

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Warnings:

Cursing

Violence

Self harm

Nudity

NSFW material

Explicit content

Stalking

Unhealthy obsession

Mental illness themes

Dubious consent (dub con)

Manipulation

Toxic behavior

Non con

Use of drug

Gore

Kidnapping

Dark themes

Minors, please do not engage.

---

Content Advisory

This book contains material that may be distressing for some readers, including:

Cursing

Violence

Self harm

Nudity

NSFW material

Explicit content

Stalking

Unhealthy obsession

Themes of mental illness

Dubious consent (dub con)

Manipulation

Toxic behavior

Gore

This content may not be suitable for individuals with sensitivities to violence, trauma, mental illness, or gore. Reader discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself while reading.

---

Copyright Notice

All rights reserved. This work cannot be edited, translated, or adapted in any form without my explicit permission. Any unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. Thank you for respecting my creative rights.

This work is the original creation of the author and is protected by copyright law. Any form of reproduction, distribution, or adaptation of this material without explicit permission is strictly prohibited. Plagiarism is taken seriously, and any unauthorized use of this work will not be tolerated. Please respect the rights of creators and their intellectual property.

Additionally, please note that the plot and characters of Tokyo Revengers belong to Ken Wakui, the original author. Any similarities to that work are purely coincidental. Please respect the rights of creators and their intellectual property.

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Feel free to tweak any parts to make it more personal or aligned with your style!

It was summer, the sun shine leaves you peaceful sipping a cup of tea when suddenly a phone of yours rang rapidly as you roll your eyes for distracting the moment

You are a cosplayer who cosplays various types of characters and you love doing it, it gives you that chill, ever since you moved from here in the Japan things goes so fast and it felt nice

You didn't even notice the clock ticking, it was fun to live here, you find it peaceful

"Hmm?" Muttered you as you heard your friend Elisia giggles at the end of your pink Iphone that you got because of being a working student in Japan

"I was wondering if you want to join the roppongi first ever cosplay event?!, it's fun y/n, please go with me or I'll be lonely as hell" said Elisia, you couldn't decide wether you're coming with her considering that you have many things pending up in the university

You and Elisia are childhood friend in your original country where you're born and raised, she is always there by your side and no matter what, she always stays, she's the one you only have in this country and considering that this is the first event you're going to in Roppongi where youre not really familiar, you agreed.

"Sure, I'll hang up now" you said as she replies with a hum agreeing with you.

You packed your things (laptop,hand sanitizer,makeups and notes) in your bag as you go outside your apartment building, it was nice living in Japan, it isn't just a vacation but it will be your whole lifestyle, it's fascinating how things changed so fast, you remembered you we're a kid suffering from a mental illness, but look at you now.

You breathe the nice summer air as you tightly hold the arms of your messenger bag and go downstairs, you're wearing a **choose ur aesthetic** style, you like it wearing things that resonates your aesthetic, because it makes you feel YOU.

as you got to the taxi you listened to music and vibe along with the rhythm whether it be a death metal or soft lullaby, you still enjoy every types of music.

As you got off, you walked through your favorite cafe, stomping your **pick a type of shoe,sandals,Mary Janes etc.** it makes you feel alive doing things that you want, being free as some people say when they experience what you do right now.

As you open the door, soft door opening sound arise, and the vibey atmosphere of the cafe filled you with cheesecake smell through your nose.

"Can I get a matcha latte and a croissant filled with chocolate, please?" You said as the cashier nods and list your order.

You sat at the upper 2nd floor of the cafe because it's honestly a spot of a building that resonates you, it's kinda funny but just think of it.

While listening to music someone taps your shoulder and when you turned around you met a lavender eyes, probably a boy(you think).

He's wearing a turtle neck and a kinda loose black jeans with a leather jacket and a headphone on his neck and a saint Laurent(you thought so) necklace.

"May I sit next here?" He points on the empty table, well, its understandable that he can sit there since it's a long table and full of one by one circle chair that is color beige, so you nod, not wanting to be verbal because you're just not in the mood for it.

"Thanks." The boy quietly hums, as he sat next to you, you noticed he's actually rich by just looking at the jewelry on his wrist,neck and his earrings and his fragrance is screaming richness.

But you didn't mind it, since, you don't wanna be nosy about it so you just sat down until your order arrives.

**Hour passes**

Finally, you've done all your works, even in summer you have work things to do, it's really tiring but you are used to it even in your original country you're actually a competitive student, perfect and we'll driven until you become mentally ill and dropout which gave you the opportunity to move here in Japan

"That's supposed to be there" a voice suddenly rang up on your ears when the guy pointed on the laptop you're programming on, you look into him as he fix his glasses. "That's wrong missy" he continues as he moves his finger tip at the laptop bottom screen.

And clicked at it, "done" he muttered as he turns to you "if youre programming be careful, you don't wanna mess up." He said as he sigh and smile softly, which made you blush and shocked

Like why did he had to do that?, your first ever interaction with a Japanese guy?? Really? Someone you couldn't even reach and that's not even on your level? (You thought so)

"Hey" he swing his open palm as he looks concerned on you zoning out, "oh, I'm sorry" you chuckled "I'm just.." youre about to speak again when he cut you off "Rindou, by the way" he grabs your hand and shakes it making you force a smileHe's kind of weird and a little bit or a nerdy that isn't even obvious, it looks like he's a sort part of a criminal organization and the aura he's giving is dark but he's actually sweet?

"Y-y/n" you stutter as you cringe at yourself for doing so, "alright, Y/n, I gotta go" before you even can even say anything he left you hanging there leaving you speechless and don't even know what happening in your life.You left the cafe with a mixed feelings about your day, yes, it went out great but the interaction between that guy seems weird, but, you couldn't make anyone control your happiness anyway, it is made by you, only you.

-----

Lol I'm so sorry if this chapter is really short, I'll do better next time dw, and anyways leave a comment to help me boost this book I appreciate it sm! We say in union "WE LOVE NERDY RINDOU" -jk anyways, I wrote this on 2022 and continued it right now(2024) :>>

The evening air had the sweet scent of blooming sakura trees as you strolled through the bustling streets of Roppongi. The neon lights danced around you, reflecting off the various cosplay outfits of the enthusiasts who had come to participate in the event.

Your heart raced with excitement as you spotted the venue, a sprawling convention center that looked like it had been plucked straight from the pages of a sci-fi manga.

Elisia, her eyes sparkling with excitement, grabbed your arm and tugged you closer.

"Y/n, we're here!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of glee and nervousness. The convention was a sea of colors and sounds, with the chatter of fans and the occasional burst of laughter punctuating the air.

You couldn't help but smile, the energy of the place was infectious.

As you both wandered through the aisles of the convention center, taking in the intricate costumes and the passionate fans discussing their favorite animes and mangas, you couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

A boy with a half-mask, one eye visible, a deep blue iris that pierced through the fabric, approached you two with a sly smile.

He wore an outfit that was a mishmash of different characters, as if he couldn't decide whom to cosplay as, so he chose to be a little bit of everyone.

"Hey, you guys look amazing," he said, his voice a low purr that seemed to resonate with the very air around you.

Elisia beamed, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. "Thanks!" she said, "We put a lot of work into these."

The boy nodded, his eyes lingering on you for a moment before he reached up and pulled off his mask, revealing the same lavender eyes from the cafe. "Rindou Haitani," he said, his smile widening as he saw the look of surprise on your face.

"Oh my god, it's you!" you exclaimed, a bit too loudly for the quiet corner of the convention you had found. Elisia's eyes went wide as she took in the boy before her, clearly surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"Hi, Rindou," you said, trying to recover from your initial shock. "This is my friend, Elisia," you introduced, gesturing to her. The tension was palpable as the two of you exchanged a look, both equally confused by his presence here.

"Nice to meet you," Rindou said, extending a hand to shake hers. "I couldn't help but notice your cosplay," he added, his eyes sweeping over her costume appreciatively. "It's really well done."

Elisia, caught off guard, took his hand with a tentative smile. "Thank you," she murmured, still trying to process the situation.

The three of you continued to navigate through the convention, Rindou's presence a strange yet oddly comforting addition to your day. His knowledge of the different cosplayers and animes was vast, and he shared little tidbits of information here and there, making the experience all the more enjoyable.

Despite the awkwardness, his charm was undeniable, and you found yourself drawn to his self-assured persona. His lavender eyes sparkled with mischief, and his smile was as warm as the cup of tea you had yesterday, leaving you feeling a bit flustered.

As the day grew later, the convention center was plunged into darkness. A collective gasp filled the air as the neon lights flickered before dying completely.

The sound of a distant thunderclap echoed through the building, hinting at a storm outside. In the sudden blackout, you felt a gentle touch on your arm, the sensation sending a jolt of electricity through your body.

When the emergency lights finally flickered on, casting an eerie glow over the chaotic scene, you realized that you were standing much closer to Rindou than you had been before. His lavender eyes searched yours with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat.

You could feel the warmth of his breath against your cheek, and his hand, still resting on your arm, sent waves of tingles up to your shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice a soft rumble in the otherwise noisy room. The sudden intimacy made you aware of every detail of his presence-the faint scent of his cologne, the way his eyes searched yours for any signs of distress, and the comforting weight of his hand.

You nodded, your voice a little shaky. "Yeah, I'm fine," you murmured, trying to keep the tremor out of your voice. The touch was surprisingly gentle, almost tender, from someone who exuded such an aura of dominance. His grip tightened slightly, grounding you amidst the confusion.

The emergency lights cast a harsh glow over the room, illuminating the worry lines on Rindou's face. His hand remained on your arm, as if he was afraid to let go and have you disappear into the sea of panicked attendees. "Let's find a place to sit down," he suggested, his voice calm and steady in the chaos.

You nodded, allowing him to guide you through the crowded space. The sound of panicked whispers and the occasional shriek of a frightened cosplayer pierced the air as everyone tried to figure out what was happening. Rindou led you to a quieter spot near a wall, where the light was dimmer, and the sound of the rain outside became a soothing backdrop to the tumult within.

"Don't worry about Elisia," he said, his voice a gentle rumble beside your ear. "She's a smart girl; she'll find us once she realizes the lights are out." His hand remained on your arm, the warmth seeping through the fabric of your sleeve. You couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt-what if something had happened to her?-but Rindou's confidence was infectious, and you found yourself nodding in agreement.

"Alright," you murmured, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. The sound of the rain grew louder as the storm outside raged on, the occasional flash of lightning painting the room in stark relief. You leaned against the cool wall, feeling the throb of bass from the distant speakers vibrate through you.

Rindou took a seat beside you, his eyes never leaving yours. His hand remained on your arm, his thumb tracing small, soothing circles against your skin. "You know," he began, his voice low and seductive, "you're really pretty when you're flustered."

You blushed, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened ever so slightly. "I-I'm not flustered," you protested, your voice barely a whisper.

Rindou chuckled, a deep, rich sound that seemed to resonate in the quiet corner of the convention center. "No need to be shy," he said, leaning closer. His smile grew more playful, his eyes gleaming with something that made you squirm in your seat. "I was just saying that you look good when you're all... riled up."

You swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way your heart was racing. "What do you mean?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

Rindou leaned in closer, his smile never wavering. "You know," he murmured, "how much I admire your work. Your dedication to cosplay, your ability to bring characters to life... it's fascinating." His thumb continued to trace circles on your arm, the motion oddly soothing despite the tension that was building between you.

"Thank you," you managed to say, still not quite sure what to make of his behavior. The air around you felt charged, like the moment before a storm breaks. You glanced around, hoping to spot Elisia in the crowd, but she was nowhere to be seen. The room was still in a state of disarray, with people slowly starting to calm down as the emergency lights remained on.

Before you could say anything else, Rindou's hand brushed against your thigh, making you jump and let out a startled squeak. He chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Relax," he said, "I'm just playing with the fabric of your skirt." It was a lie, and you both knew it, but the way he said it made it sound so innocent.

The hand on your thigh grew bolder, his fingers tracing patterns on the bare skin just above your knee. You felt a strange mix of fear and excitement, your breath hitching in your chest. His touch was light, almost feather-like, but the intention behind it was unmistakable. You wanted to pull away, but at the same time, you found yourself leaning into his touch, craving more.

"R-Rindou," you stuttered, trying to keep your voice from shaking. "What are you doing?"

He chuckled again, his hand moving slightly higher on your thigh. "Just admiring your dedication to detail," he said, his voice still a low murmur. "Your cosplay is so authentic, even down to the underwear."

You felt a flush of embarrassment creep up your neck as you realized he was referring to the fact that you weren't wearing any underwear under your cosplay skirt-a common practice among cosplayers to maintain the illusion of their characters. You swallowed hard and tried to push his hand away, but he was too fast, his grip firm. "Rindou," you warned, your voice a whisper.

His eyes met yours, and for a moment, you thought you saw something flicker in them-a challenge, perhaps. But then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced with an innocent smile. "My apologies," he said, pulling his hand away. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart. "It's okay," you said, trying to laugh it off. "I guess I'm just a bit jumpy after the lights went out." You forced a smile, hoping it didn't look as shaky as you felt. "Let's find Elisia," you suggested, eager to change the subject and put some distance between you.

Rindou's smile grew wider, and he nodded. "Of course," he said, his hand sliding away from your thigh. He stood up and offered you a hand, which you took gratefully. The feel of his skin against yours sent another jolt through your body, but you ignored it, focusing instead on the task at hand.

[upthenorthmountain]

Only Love - Together

Happy birthday @karis-the-fangirl! For you, I have managed to finish this. I hope you have a wonderful day :D

Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 2

This story and the larger upthenorthmountain modern AU Kristannaverse have no affiliation with the real-life town of Arundel and any similarities with the town, its people and its actual summer festival are purely coincidental.

Together

But as Anna lay on the sofa disconsolately that Sunday evening, her phone beeped. It was Jessica.

oh btw i gave kris your number hope thats ok

Anna scowled at her phone. Rude! I mean, if she wanted Kristoff to have her number, she would give it to him herself. Gladly. Or up until last night she would have. Ugh, now he would ring and be really nice and explain how he really liked her as a friend, and he was happy to forget everything that had happened, and he hoped he’d see her soon, but in a friend way. And she’d be forced to see him and pretend everything was cool while secretly dying inside. So she wouldn’t be able to go to Sven and Jessica’s ever again and she’d have to make all new friends and everything would be stupid and terrible and all because she couldn’t control herself and gave into every immediate instinct like a TODDLER or a, a GOAT.

The phone rang. An unknown mobile number. Anna jumped and dropped it on the floor.

It lay there, on its back, ringing. Oh god. Oh god oh god. Just answer it, woman, it’s probably a PPI spam call.

“Hello?”

“Ah, hi, Anna?”

It was him, oh god. Oh no oh no oh no. “Hi, Kris? I mean I guess this is Kris, Jessica just texted and said she gave you my number, which is fine, I just - um. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Ah. I - Anna, I wanted to apologise for last night. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you -”

“It’s - it’s okay! I should be apologising, and I am, I’m apologising. I’m the one who made everything awkward, I’d really like to just forget it. Pretend it never happened. I was drunk, I’m sorry.”

“Pretend it never happened?”

“Please. We’re friends, it’s cool.”

There was a pause. Then Kristoff said, “Well, this is awkward.”

“I guess…”

“No, I mean….” he cleared his throat. “Because the other reason I phoned you was to ask you out.”

“....what?”

“It has been explained to me,” he said, “At great length, over the course of this afternoon, that I am an idiot, and if I like you and you like me then we should spend some time just the two of us, to - explore that further. And that sounded about right to me, once Sven had finished his harangue, so I was wondering if you wanted to go to the festival thing in the park with me next weekend. There’s live bands and food stalls and things. I mean, if you want to. If I’m not being even more of an idiot.”

“....Sven spent a whole afternoon calling you an idiot and telling you to ask me out?”

“Except for when Jessica was doing it, yeah. You should probably know that they’re pretty invested in this. You haven’t actually answered.”

“No. I mean, no I haven’t, but yes. Yes, please.”

“Okay!” She could hear the relief in his voice. “That’s - awesome. Cool. Okay, I’ll check the times and call you later in the week, okay?”

“Okay, great. Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Bye, then. Anna.”

“Bye,” she almost whispered, and the line went dead as he ended the call.

Anna sat for a moment, her phone in her hands. Then she shook herself, and saved his number carefully to her contacts, and went to text Jessica and tell her - but no. Not straight away. She would let herself sit here for a moment, for one perfect moment, enjoying this feeling. Before she undoubtedly did something to muck it up again.

----

Her phone rang again about twenty minutes later.

“Soooo? Did he ask you out?”

“Jess!”

“Well, did he?”

“As if you don’t know.”

Jessica laughed. “I was just worried he’d bottle it. Sven practically had to threaten him.”

“That makes me feel great, thanks.”

“Oh, no, he wanted to! He was just all, what if she doesn’t want to talk to me, what if she says no, won’t it make everything awkward, and I was like, I got the impression everything was already awkward? But anyway. He did, so. He’s a good boy really.”

“Mm.”

“So, what are you going to wear?”

“I don’t know! He like literally JUST called. Oh no, I have to decide what do wear….what if I do something stupid. Like say something stupid. Or, or I spill my drink all over myself, or something, and he changes his mind about me, and -”

“What do you mean? Don’t be ridiculous. Anyway. He’s definitely seen you spill a drink on yourself before.”

“...um. Maybe?”

“Yes, you remember, it was only a couple of weeks ago and he was definitely there - and that time at the barbecue, when you took a bite of your burger and got ketchup all down your front - and at the mini golf, when you tripped over your club and fell over and skinned your knees, and we were all trying to give you tissues and things and you were insisting you were fine with blood running all down onto your socks -”

“WHY are we doing this?”

“I’m just saying - he’s seen all these things and he still asked you out. So I’m not sure what you could do to put him off, unless you were planning on being, like, WILDLY racist or something - oh, Anna, do you remember when someone made you laugh when you were eating Doritos and you choked and some went up your nose and then you blew your nose and it was all orange -”

“I’m a disaster human, I know, everyone apparently knows, please stop now.”

“Sorry. I’m stopping. But, isn’t it nice to go out with someone who already knows you this well? And wants to be with you anyway?”

“Rude.” But she had to admit, it was nice.

----

He felt - not broken, exactly, but - raw. Bruised. After Maria, part of him wanted to crawl away into a corner and lick his wounds, wait for everything to heal, wait to feel normal again, whatever normal felt like.

But.

If he waited, he’d miss her, he was certain of that. She was so - everything she was, and someone else would see it, soon enough. Sven had gone on at length about striking while the iron was hot and Kristoff knew he was right even as he wished for a little more time.

-----

The annual Arundel Summer Festival was in the park. Anna met Kristoff at the gates at four, or close enough to four, after she’d tried on every outfit she owned, and put her hair up and taken it down and put it half-up; and her sandals were super-pretty but also they rubbed if, for example, you had to run halfway across town because you were nearly late for a date you were super-excited about. But she was here now.

He was wearing a shirt, was the first thing she noticed. Not a t-shirt, a shirt with buttons, and jeans that looked suspiciously new. He’d brushed his hair, and he had a picnic blanket rolled up under his arm.

“I thought we could go listen to the music for a bit,” he said, “Then maybe get something to eat, there’s a lot of stalls - and there’s bands into the evening, I think, but we don’t have to stay the whole time, it’s up to you -”

“That sounds good! Great.”

“Great.” They beamed at each other.

Anna had been so worried it would be awkward, or she would make it awkward again somehow, but after the first little while everything was great. They sat on the picnic blanket - while on the stage a school band played a medley of musical theatre tunes that was actually pretty good - and talked. Then they walked round the food stalls and couldn’t decide what to eat so took a few things back to their blanket to share, and if Anna did nearly choke on a piece of naan because Kristoff made her laugh at the wrong moment then that was the kind of thing that could happen to anyone. A couple of times Anna got inquisitive texts but she ignored them. Jessica could wait.

Kristoff came back from putting the remains of their meal in the bin and sat down on the blanket next to her, leaning back on his hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this relaxed on a date before,” he said, then hesitated as if afraid he’d given too much away.

“Me neither. Must be the music,” Anna said, nodding towards the stage where some men with guitars were doing a sound check. Kristoff laughed.

He was so close. He was leaning right towards her, and his smile was slowly fading to be replaced with a look of almost wonder, almost - she didn’t know what; his eyes went to her lips then back up, and her heartbeat was almost drowning out the words kiss me kiss me kiss me kiss me chanting in her head.

He bent his head down, leaning in, and the anticipation was delicious but also she was going to scream with the effort of not leaping forward and pinning him down. She closed her eyes instead, feeling his breath on her lips before, finally, gently, slowly, he kissed her.

Now she let herself push forward. Now she ran her hand over his shoulder and to the back of his neck, as he kissed her again, more assuredly this time.

He was so close, and he smelt so nice, and Anna longed to pull him down onto the blanket next to her - on top of her - and...

...and get thrown out of the Arundel Summer Festival for indecent, non-family-friendly behaviour, that was what. Anna couldn’t help it, she started giggling, and Kristoff pulled away. “What?” he said, smiling.

“Nothing,” Anna said. “Just happy, that’s all. The kiss was nice,” she added. “You can do that again if you want.”

So he did.

[thegreymoon]

Hi I have been a fan of your work for a very long time and so I sneak into your tumblr from time to time.I counldnt help but notice that you post a lot of political/sjw stuff and I know it is none of my business but since I am probably absolutely opposite in my political views I can't help myself and ask: I understand that you are Asian, but you don't seem to be interested in real or imagined injustices in your country/continent and are mainly interested in USA, why is that?

Hi, anon!

First of all, I am not Asian and I’m very sorry if I ever did or said anything to mislead people into thinking that I was. It was unconsciously done. I have no intention of offending anyone or appropriating an identity that isn’t mine, so if I did something of that sort, please let me know and I’ll do my best to correct myself. I often reblog stuff about China because I think it’s an amazing country, I’m learning Mandarin (not making much progress, though), love their culture, nature, architecture and am a big fan of their historical/fantasy dramas. Also, the two fandoms I was the most active in (coincidentally) happen to be a Japanese anime and a Japanese video game, so I have a lot of love for their art and aesthetics.

I’m actually very surprised that you would ‘notice’ that I post a lot of ‘political/sjw stuff’, considering that I mostly use Tumblr to repost Merlin gifs, cast/crew news and fanworks. There is maybe one reblog on just about anything else for every fifty (perhaps even more) Merlin posts, so I really have to wonder which of the RL issues I posted about bothered you so much that you would describe them as ‘a lot’.

I may be misinterpreting the tone of your ask, so forgive me if I misread your intentions and am responding too harshly, but in my experience, ‘SJW’ is a term that is used to be dismissive when people are talking about real social issues, plus I found your wording of ‘imagined injustices’ very… interesting.

Also, I find it odd that somebody would unironically ask me why I’m ‘mainly’ interested in the USA.

First of all, the global market is oversaturated with American media, American products, American news, American movies, TV series, music, you name it. It’s everywhere. Of course I’m going to know more about it than, say, Lichtenstein. The exposure of American public figures is insane and it just happens that the stuff that appears on my dash is most often related to the USA because that is what the people I follow also follow (and for the record, on Tumblr, I mainly follow the Merlin fandom and to a somewhat lesser degree, various artists, baby animals, Chinese traditional outfits, Buzzfeed and NASA news). I absolutely do reblog pure evil, injustices, hypocrisy and intentionally inflicted misery in other countries too when I see them, but I don’t actively go looking for them on Tumblr, just like I don’t actively look for the USA posts either. The USA posts are simply there, without much active input from me, while other countries are not. An important point, of course, since we are having this weird discussion about why a random person outside of the USA is consuming so much American media, is that English is the only foreign language I am fluent in, so when it comes to foreign content, I am primarily going to read and interact with posts in English. And which country creates the most content in English? Yup, you guessed it!  

On a similar note, everything that happens in the USA affects other countries too. Nothing that goes on there takes place in a vacuum and the USA has made damn sure that it has its fingers in each and every single pie all over the world. Everything, the good and the bad, spills over and trust me, we feel the effects acutely in my unstable, politically fraught little country. The economic and cultural implications are enormous, so you can bet American issues are very personal for me, even if I don’t live there. My country’s government consists of puppets in the hands of various world leaders playing tug of war with actual human lives. My literal paycheck depends on the stability of the dollar. The survival of the entire human species hangs on how we deal with climate change right now and that ignorant, illiterate orange shitstain Americans voted into power is now standing on a global platform, spouting nonsense that is barely one step removed from Creationist bullshit and Flat-earther conspiracies. And you seriously ask me why I’m interested in the USA? 

The USA loves to dub itself as ‘the leader of the free world’ and ‘a global superpower’, and has managed to stick its nose into everybody’s business everywhere (usually with no good intentions), but somehow you question why the rest of us are now going to be interested in what is going on there, not to mention critical when the US government spouts absolute rubbish not just on a domestic, but also global scale? So, yes, I am personally invested in what is going down next in the USA and am sitting here, half the world across, cheering Americans on as they fight to have that shame they elected removed from power and, hopefully, incarcerated, along with all his corrupt cronies, advisors and family members. I’m going to be genuinely celebrating here when he finally goes down!

Secondly, I come from one of those countries that the USA and its allies have destroyed for their own gain and where they have ruined countless lives over multiple generations. I have every reason to notice, take a personal interest in and comment on the hypocrisy, the grandstanding and the false moral high ground that is assumed by the USA (and any of its bootlickers) when I see it.

For any of my USA followers here, I would just like to note that I am perfectly capable of distinguishing between ordinary people and disgusting government policies enacted by corrupt or incompetent politicians. I realise this post sounds angry, but I wish only good things for you all, people are people everywhere and the stuff I’m talking about is way above the average person’s paygrade. I also realise that the USA has screwed over so many of its own citizens; including its war veterans, PoC, minorities, the poor, the weak and the disabled. My heart goes out to you all, truly, and I love you all!

(BTW, I intentionally have not said which country I’m from because I’ve stopped publically stating my location online, simply because it makes it too easy for malicious people to identify me IRL that way. I don’t necessarily hide my RL identity if I have a valid reason to reveal my true name and location, but please forgive me for not stating it outright here, on a public platform, to satisfy the curiosity of an anon ask. My country is misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to all who are non-conforming and my job prospects are hard enough without my online pseudonyms being generally known in my RL circles. I used to be much less secretive about it, but have since learned the error of my ways and am now taking the most basic of precautions.)

With that said, yes, my country has issues! And, fyi, I have ranted and raged and cried about them before online, IRL and in private. I have posted about my country’s political problems everywhere, including here, when I was just too angry to hold it in because I’m absolute shit at being careful even when I make a conscious effort to be. Most recently, I raged about our elections which were a punch to the gut. If I was to start typing about the corruption, injustices and absolute evil going on around me, I would never stop, but I’m not going to do that because that’s not what I come to Tumblr for. This is primarily a fandom space, mostly for fandom stuff, where I come to look at other people’s things and almost never create content of my own. Just about anything political has been reblogged from someone else because it showed up on my dash and touched a nerve. Very little of that is stuff from my own country because nobody creates and reblogs posts about it in the fandom circle I mostly interact with.

I’m now trying to think back to what ‘SJW’ issues (as you put it) I reblog the most often and how any of them are ‘imaginary injustices’. Off the top of my head, the ones that usually touch a nerve are about the oppression and discrimination of women, patriarchy, sexism, various kinds of abuse, sexual assault, overworking, capitalist brainwashing, mental health issues, LGBTQ issues, freedom of speech, resurgence of Nazism, the gap between the rich and the poor, climate change and criminal religious institutions regaining power in society. I can assure you that none of these is ‘imaginary’ and the negative ways in which they affect me and the people around me are very, very real. Also, none of them is unique to the USA, which is what you seem to be the most concerned about, and even if the post is from or about the USA, these problems definitely overlap with things that I, and countless people around the world, are personally experiencing and have a lot of feelings about. The only social issues ‘unique’ to the USA that I often reblog are the ones related to the particular US brand of racism and the appalling, still-ongoing genocide committed against the indigenous people there, and how can you not empathise with that when it’s so egregious? I will reblog them every time they cross my dash to spread awareness since the US government is actively trying to stifle it and rewrite history and idc who is uncomfortable.

With all that said, I’m open to corrections and have no problem admitting to being wrong once I realise I’ve made a mistake. So, this goes for all the people following my blog: if any of the posts I shared are about ‘imaginary’ issues (just… wow at the use of this word) or contain false information, please feel free to let me know and I will take it under advisement. I’m always willing to learn.

[ilovedeadlypremonition]

Deadly Premonition director, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, officially announced his upcoming “Debt Repayment Life Simulation RPG (with Cats)” The Good Life at his PAX West Panel this afternoon!

We already got a short teaser trailer a week or so ago after the”cat was let out of the bag” but now with Swery’s official announcement we have a brand new trailer, tons of concept art, the game’s crowdfund details, and thanks to the official press release a more detailed plot outline.

THE STORY

Based in an RPG-style town filled with fun activities and fascinating people, THE GOOD LIFE offers a thrilling, twisting murder mystery. At first glance, Rainy Woods looks like a normal country town in Northern England comprised of stone houses built in the Middle Ages, nestled in abundant nature and surrounded by forest. Looking deeper, however, Rainy Woods is home to a bizarre and deadly mystery. Throughout the day, the townsfolk work hard, look out for one another, love their families, and enjoy nightly drinks at the local pubs. Each character has a unique personality and lifestyle. Events change depending on the time of day, weather, and season. Even though some may argue that they live in a video game world, the townsfolk of Rainy Woods still worry, suffer, love, hate, and have fun as any real person would. Rainy Woods and its small English aesthetic exudes a unique sense of charm, fully realized when, in the dark of night, its villagers transform into cats.

Players star as Naomi, a photographer straddled with debt who moves from New York City to Rainy Woods. As an étrangère, players feel both alienated yet strangely comfortable as they must make friends, solve mysteries, and become emotionally invested in Naomi’s quest to make a life for herself in the happiest and most bizarre town in the world. To pay off her debt, she sends reports and photographs on villagers and their town as she uncovers its deadly secret.

THE GOOD LIFE is a mystery tale in the vain of Raymond Chandler or Conan Doyle. Players make a tragic discovery in the town’s river—the brutally murdered body of a young girl, her heart pierced by an ancient, medieval sword. Having first arrived in Rainy Woods to uncover the secrets of the happiest town in the world and payoff her debt, Naomi is thrusted into a bizarre mystery, setting her journalist heart ablaze as she sets her sights on revealing the truth behind the young girl’s murder.

THE GAME

Genre: Debt Repayment Life Simulation RPG Platforms: PC + TBD Console(s) Release Date: Q3 2019 Target Developer: White Owls

So we got a murder mystery/life sim, with cute cats, a cast of bizarre characters with their own 24 hours schedules, AND events that will change depending on the time of day, weather and season?

[More details, pictures and my thoughts under the cut!]

The Campaign

If you are as hyped as I am you can help make Swery’s new game a reality by contributing to The Good Life’s Fig campaign. The development team is hoping to raise at least $1.5M USD to bring a digital version game to both PC and consoles. Fans can lend support via traditional reward based backing or by investing in Fig game shares of the game. There’s a number or different tiers and rewards available for The Good Life ranging from simply receiving a digital copy of the game when it is released for $29 to actually becoming a character within the game as a reward for donating a whopping $35K! Though if any rich fans out there are considering the $35k tier please note that there’s a chance you might end up being brutally murdered in the game. (Yikes!)

Looking at all the tiers though I must say I’m a bit disappointed by the lack of any sort of physical rewards being offered. I mean a real signed message card from Swery is a lot more tempting than a digital one… But there seems to be some hope that this may change looking at the responses to some of the early “backstage” backers. It seems Swery and the campaign team are looking into the possibility of including some physical rewards in the future and are even asking for suggestions!

Personally I would love to see a physical copy of the game or an art/guide book myself! Heck a stuffed kitty Naomi or even a sheep would be pretty awesome additions too!

[Update!]  A physical award tier has been added and for $269+shipping you can get a package with some cool game swag! Now if you picked another tier don’t worry you can update your pledge and pick choose to add a number of DLC and physical items!

The Idea

Even though Swery’s announcement of a new game so soon after returning from retirement and opening his studio, White Owls, was kind of a surprise (or maybe it was just me?) it turns out Swery’s been developing the idea for The Good Life for quite awhile now.

According to the “SWERY’S Voice” video on The Good Life’s fig campaign page that describes the game’s inspiration, vision, and story the idea behind the game was sparked after Deadly Premonition’s producer (I assume Tomio Kanazawa) was suddenly transferred to London, England while Swery continued work on Deadly Premonition in Osaka, Japan. Swery was sad to be left behind but the long distance communication between the two ended up inspiring the idea of being sent to a rural English town and being unable to leave.

Swery’s initial idea continued to refine and expand in the back of his mind over the years even while developing, the now sadly incomplete, D4 – Dark Dreams Don’t Die.

Back in 2015 Swery took a brief retirement from game development to focus on recovering from reactive hypoglycemia and during this hiatus he finished the first draft of a murder mystery novel set in a British countryside town from the perspective of a cat.

I've been eager to hear more about his mystery book for while but now with the The Good Life's announcement I'm beginning to think Swery's novel may have inspired the whole investigating a murder mystery while as a cat angle of The Good Life game.

Now this connection between the game and novel it is pure speculation on my part at this point but given that both are revolve around a strange premise of cat investigating a murder in a rural England just seems way too coincidental.  Plus the novel's working title of " I Am Not a Cat " really makes me believe that the main character may have been a human at some point which is very similar to Naomi's situation in The Good Life as she only temporarily turns into a cat during the night while living Rainy Woods!

By the way the characters listed on the campaign page are kind of amazing…and here I thought the residents of Greenvale were a bit strange. I like how Swery seems to be continuing the tradition of a single black male among a caucasian population (who is also named the “totally normal cat” btw lol) and an insomniac who works with the dead. I wonder if the “person name Kaysen” that has occurred in Swery’s last three games (Spy Fiction, Deadly Premonition, and D4) will also continue in The Good Life?  It is also kind of amusing that the “Handsome Nurse” is known just as “Gay Cat” I’m guessing this means Naomi won’t be able to make any love connections with that bloke?

Game Mechanics

In The Good Life the story mission  focuses on three core points: paying off a huge debt, uncovering the town’s secret, and solving a murder of Elizabeth, the lone daughter of the village pastor.

Photography

Since Naomi is a professional photographer from New York it is no surprise that taking photos is a major gameplay mechanic featured in the game. The monetary rewards for Naomi’s daily reports will heavily factor around the quality and rarity of the photos players take during the day.

Capturing the perfect photo may prove to be a little difficult at first. You won’t actually know how any of your photos will turn out until they are developed them back at Naomi’s house and ranked as either a “success” or “failure” and only successful photos will be sent over to the client for rewards. As players progress through the game there will be opportunities to upgrade and even purchase special cameras that will help the players take better pictures.

Part- time Jobs

But taking photos and sending daily reports isn’t the only way Naomi can cut down her debt. The game also allows players to take a number of part time jobs around town including bartending at the local pub, delivering milk, shearing sheep and other rural tasks.

Some of these part time jobs will give the players opportunities to make a fortune but they can also be exhausting and some can even be dangerous so you have to choose your side jobs wisely!

Any money earned in these ventures can be put towards paying off the ever looming unpaid debt or spent on fun things for Naomi.

Customization

The Good Life is a RPG after all so it’s no surprise that as players progress through the game Naomi stats will improve and fun customizations for Naomi in both her human and cat forms can also be acquired. Naomi’s range of daily activity will expand based on her stamina and movement speed so the more points you earn or temporarily acquire via clothing will allow for more photo taking and fun activities during the day.

Life Maintenance and Stamina

…and speaking of stamina just like in Deadly Premonition and D4  it is important to keep Naomi well fed and rested during her stay in Rainy Woods. I’m pretty excited to see all the English dishes that will be available for consumption… There were a few dishes listed over on the campaign page including one of my favorites, Fish and Chips, which I have a feeling Naomi will end up eat a lot of during my own play through unless there happens to be a lot of smoked salmon…

But eating and sleeping isn’t the only thing players need to keep an eye on during Naomi’s stay they also must balance Naomi’s income so while she’s paying back her debt she will still have enough money left over to not only take care of her daily needs, but also have enough for the upkeep of her camera, the development of photos, and her daily shipments of reports back to New York.

The most surprising examples of one of her special expenses that’s listed over on the campaign page is the need to buy sanitary goods for Naomi once a month. It’s a normal expense in my own life but it’s something I’ve never seen mentioned let alone forced on a player to even consider while in control of a female protagonist before. It’s pretty amazing that sort of detail was even included!

I also thought that way alcohol consumption in the game is handled is really interesting as well. Giving Naomi alcohol will provide some high rewards in the short term as it will alleviate both her hunger and her thirst in one shot but if she continues to overindulge in drink throughout her stay she will develop a dependency for it. It’s pretty neat to see the real life consequence of addiction in a video game... I hope Rainy Woods also has a good 12-step program!

Special Events

The Good Life also features several seasonal events that offer special rewards. The game’s campaign didn’t go into a lot of details but in Spring there will be cherry blossom dance festival,  there’s a Tea Harvest in Summer, while during the Fall Naomi can harvest nuts and catch fat river fish, and in Winter  find minerals and maybe earn a present from Santa Claus(?)

Being a Cat

During the night while Naomi is in cat form players have the opportunity to investigate places you may not have access to while in human form and a chance to get closer to different villagers while they are in their cat forms by bringing them various trash…er I mean “kitty themed” presents…Some items you find while as a cat may even fetch a high price during the day and unlock some more special story events.

A few of the possible treasures a player can find are seen above...Hmm, I wonder if those “suspicious seeds” are anything like the ones you can find in Greenvale…

Graphics

As for graphics The Good Life’s campaign page describe them as being both “Nostalgic and Modern” using low polygon models with simple textures but also making use of CG-esque atmospheric lighting, fog, shadows, and glare elements well.

The game does look rather simple but it still has a very distinct and unique look. I’ve always prefered a great story over great graphics so I don’t mind the game’s simple design in the slightest :) I do think the sheep are really adorable in this art style though!

Atmosphere

If all of the features above hasn’t already peaked your interest maybe the Fig campaign description of The Good Life’s atmosphere will do the trick:

“THE GOOD LIFE has intriguing elements inspired by Twin Peaks. It will also feature the old-timey British traditions seen in classic shows such as Downtown Abbey and Poirot.  This is a Swery Game, so expect a healthy dosage of horror, mystery, humor and taboo topics that helped make Deadly Premonition such a cult hit.  Our humor will reflect some of the elements from Hot Fuzz and other classic British comedies.”

Man it was already a give-in that I would be excited for The Good Life since I’m such a big fan of Deadly Premonition (and Twin Peaks) but I can also expect some Hot Fuzz style humor too?!

Guys, Hot Fuzz is one of my all-time favorite films ever so this comparison has me even more excited to play the game!

Hmm… Rainy Woods is described as the “Happiest Town in the World” with the “happiest people on the planet” which is pretty similar to the situation of Sandford always winning “Village of the Year” in Hot Fuzz…I wonder does Rainy Woods have an equivalent of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance?

Hey Naomi, if the townsfolk start chanting about things being “all for the greater good” I would make run for it!

The Developers

The Good Life will be the  joint effort between three developers: Swery’s studio, White Owls, along with G-rounding and Camouflaj. Swery and his team will provide the creative and artistic direction for the game while G-rounding will manage the production and game creation and Camouflaj will provide both production support and supervision.

I really hope The Good Life’s Fig campaign is successful as it looks like a whole lot of fun. I’m eager to see how the game will come together and “enjoy my best life” in 2019