#but there's some decent-ish things scattered throughout

[duhragonball]

GT was obviously terrible, but in keeping with your positivity page, do you think there is something that the series, overall, had something going for it that was genuinely good? Like, an actual good idea, or is it just utterly irredeemable?

I've been saving this ask for last, so I guess we'll make this my final word on GT for the time being. I've got more stuff to cover going forward, and I don't want to get bogged down on old business.

If you're asking if GT could be "fixed" in some way, I think it's possible, but it would take a lot of work and it ultimately wouldn't be worth the effort. Toei would need to rewrite and reanimate just about everything, sort of like how they remade "Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans" in 2010.

The thing is, they improved "Plan", but the finished product still wasn't all that great. They basically took a low quality, hour-long adaptation of a video game story, and turned it into an okay-ish half-hour version in HD. Now imagine Toei doing that thirty-odd times, and that's probably what a "GT redux" would look like. You could tighten up the story, give the supporting characters more spotlight, make the battles more exciting, but in the end you're still retelling this tale that didn't exactly light the world on fire the first time.

And it's easy for fans like us to say "Well, they should take the team that made DBS: Super Hero and have them remake GT." But that would be a major undertaking, and I'd rather see those resources devoted to making something new, not remaking something old. It could be done, but it probably never will, and that's probably for the best.

But what you're really asking is if there's anything genuinely good about GT. When I consider the series in a vacuum, I think the answer is probably "no." There's some screencaps I took throughout this liveblog that look very pleasing. This one of Goten, Trunks, and Palace keeps springing to mind:

There's some others I could point out, and maybe one of these days I'll put together some sort of gallery, but they're mostly few and far between. I find them more enjoyable when they're stripped of the context of the anime they came from.

I also really like the idea of Pan as this feisty 110-year-old lady.

And some of the character designs are pretty cool. Baby right before he gets killed, Bulma's outfit in Episode 2 and 3, and Omega Shenron looks like a big deal, even if he failed to live up to the hype.

But you might have noticed that I'm kind of scraping up little things from the edges of the main story. That's because most of the "best" of GT is a mashup of things culled from better works.

Baby borrows heavily from several other DBZ characters and plotlines. What makes him unique is his dream of "Tuffleizing the universe", but we never get to see what that means or how he feels about it. He just wants everyone to have a "bad guy smirk" like he does all the time.

Super 17 is just Fusion Reborn and the Androids Saga crushed up and poured in a blender. It's especially insulting to me because that's some of my favorite stuff from DBZ, and Toei went out of their way to make a crappy version.

The closest thing GT has to any sort of throughline is the idea that the Dragon Balls are inherently dangerous. The Black Star Balls shows that if they're not made properly, they can blow up entire planets. Then the classic Dragon Balls turn evil, proving that there is no proper way to make safe Dragon Balls. This is a pretty shitty premise for a show with the word "Dragon Ball" in the title. In the finale, Trunks assures Pan that the Dragon Balls will return some day, but why would he want them to return? After all the destruction they've caused, you'd think Trunks would be relieved to be rid of the dumb things.

So what does that leave? The show itself is rotten, and Toei would be foolish to try to repair or remake it. What does it offer to the fandom?

And I think the answer to that is: Inspiration.

Marron is barely in GT at all. I meant to talk about her more, but I was surprised to find that she has even fewer appearances in GT than I remembered. She shows up in the Baby Saga for a couple of episodes, and then she's with Krillin and 18 when 17 attacks them, and that's it. And yet, there's a lot of fans out there making content about teen Marron and/or adult Marron. I don't know a lot about it, since I'm not particularly interested myself, but what does intrigue me is how it had to have started with the version of Marron we see in GT. Fans saw her, wanted more, and made their own version. Sometimes they stick to the GT design, and sometimes they steer clear of it, but it's always a response to the GT portrayal, one way or the other.

I won't lie, I've gotten some ideas from GT in the past, and I've developed a few new ones now that I've rewatched it again. The video games have done a better job presenting Super Saiyan 4 and the main villains than GT itself. A fan could probably write a kick-ass fixit fic about GT. Maybe someone already has. And there's plenty of smaller fics out there, shipping the younger characters, or just giving them the attention they didn't get from the source material.

I mentioned this before, but a lot of Luffa was inspired by my frustration with GT's refusal to give us Super Saiyan Pan or Bulla. Luffa's flash forward 1000 years into the future has a lot of resemblance to Goku's inscrutable presence in Age 890. Pan going from Age 4 to 110 had a lot to do with Keda going from 9 to 99 in my fanfic. The trick is that when I do it, I'm trying to give those moments more dramatic weight, something they sorely lacked in the TV Special and Episode 64. I think the Marron fans and Goten shippers are coming from the same place.

So it's dishonest for anyone to say "Oh, well you borrowed ideas from GT, so that means you actually thought GT was good." No. It's more like salvaging lumber from a collapsed barn and using it to build your own barn. GT is a challenge. You watch it and the show takes all your favorite characters and makes them suck and suck, and it's so disappointing that it basically dares you to do something better. Every time I think about the Shadow Dragons, and how that should have been a slam dunk for Toei, I start to think about how I could do it right. And maybe one of these days I will.

Alan Moore sums it up a lot better than I could, when he gives writers the advice to read bad books for inspiration. There's a lot to be gained from analyzing a bad story, because it helps you understand what went wrong, and how to avoid the same pitfalls in your own work. And I think that goes for bad anime too. That's why I'm here.

And there's always diamonds in the rough, too. GT #43 is one of the worst of the worst. It's just a terribly animated episode, and yet it somehow includes this gorgeous shot of Vegeta. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. And as Diamond Dallas Page always says: That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing! Bang!

[xhanisai]

Selflessness

Summary: No one should know about this secret. Not her parents, not Tikki and certainly not Chat Noir. No one should know that the cleansing light never heals Ladybug. (Or, AU where the Miraculous Cure heals everything but Ladybug herself)

(Can be read on AO3 and FFN)

~(x)~

. . . Slender, pale fingers stroked the head of the sleeping red kwami with tenderness, causing the little Goddess to smile and nuzzle into the soft pillows. Marinette couldn't help but let out a quiet giggle at Tikki's antics. However, a frown took over her face as her dilemma reared its ugly head back into the game. Assured that the kwami was fast asleep, Marinette moved away from the bed and snuck down the stairs so that she can make way to her wash basin. The fairy lights upstairs illuminated the room enough for Marinette to decently see her reflection in the mirror. With a dreaded sigh, the French-Asian tugged off her long sleeved top, wincing midway and then assessed the damage. Her milky white skin was absolutely cluttered. Bruises ranging from an angry red to a horrifying black littered her rib cage and shoulder blades. Stinging cuts scattered across her shoulders and below her collarbones. Scars stained her once, unblemished (well, as unblemished as a klutz like her could be) torso and upper arms. The girl didn't even want to think about the state of her legs once she gets to that stage. Regardless, the main issue was the ginormous gash that reached just above her belly, in a diagonal clean cut. Currently, it was covered in a makeshift bandage Marinette created by tearing up a stray bedsheet she found when she had to detransform mid battle. A souvenir from the latest akuma she and her partner had just faught, Mme. Ciseaux. Probably the most dangerous minion Le Papillon has had the pleasure of akumatising. A young seamstress unfairly fired over cutting the fabric at the wrong length despite having worked for the company for over five years. It didn't take long for her to terrorise Paris with giant scissors and tossing crafts knives like a frisbee. Marinette bit her lip to avoid any harsh whimpers from escaping her throat as she properly redressed her wound, sanitising the gash and stitching the skin back up. The memory of the blade slicing through her stomach would probably haunt her dreams for years to come. Heck, even the akuma gaped horrifically at the wound, allowing the heroine to swing away faster than she could blink. She was damn lucky that Chat Noir was busy saving innocent civilians from the flying knives to see her get hurt. That damn cat would have ripped the akuma apart to shreds regardless of the victim underneath and deposited the red-clad hero to the hospital himself. Barely a month into the superhero job and he already wanted to stick to Ladybug like glue. Marinette shook her head fondly, ignoring the way her cheeks heated up at the thought of her partner, focusing on sewing. Tikki's reaction to the wound when she detransformed midway only made her stomach sink and enforced her decision. The girl couldn't handle Tikki's tears any longer, immediately suiting up again so that the magical material covered any traces of the wounds on the outside. She did get an angry lecture from the kwami after the battle but it was oh so worth it if Mari never had to see such a distraught expression on her tiny friend again. Once more, she thanked her luck that she managed to hide the wound from everyone despite the sheer pain echoing throughout her body. No one should know about this secret. Not her parents, not Tikki and certainly not Chat Noir. No one should know that the cleansing light never heals Ladybug. 'Only thirteen years old and I already know how to stitch myself back up. Isn't that pretty lame?' Marinette smiled wryly to herself and only paused when she heard the sound of rustling on her bed. She didn't dare to breath. Thirty seconds went by and the sounds of faint snoring filled the silence again, allowing the girl to exhale in relief. It was getting harder and harder to hide her wounds these days and the fights were getting more and more gruesome. Tikki was starting to suspect that something's up but Marinette refused to let those thoughts of the Goddess' to wonder. Introducing new flavours of cookies and other delicious sweets seems to do the trick. Same couldn't be said for Chat Noir. The boy was already dangerously curious for his own good and knew her very, very well. Perhaps immediately yoyoing away wasn't the smartest thing Marinette has done and probably worried her partner but if the girl stood there a minute longer, she could have sworn she'd have collapsed in pain. "This is for the best..." Marinette hissed to herself, finished with dressing all her wounds, gulping down some painkillers and hid the first aid kit in the drawer. "He takes enough hits for me already and I don't wanna see that increase..." Slipping a pair of warm pyjamas that covered her appendages and torso decently, the raven haired girl crept back to bed, praying that the pain will be much bearable tomorrow. She has school after all. ~(x)~ 'If the fashion thing doesn't work out, I should probably try out the make up artist career instead,' A freshly dressed and relaxed Marinette mused to herself smugly as she walked to school. She woke up ten minutes before her alarm rung and immediately freshened up in the shower, followed by using numerous concealers and foundation to cover up her bruises and injuries that could potentially peak out of her clothes. She couldn't do much about the gash on her stomach and the pain was still pretty terrible despite all the medication but it was a much better result than Marinette could have ever hoped. Her period cramps were much worse anyways. Ish. Maybe that's an exaggeration. Nevertheless, her bright mood seems to have rubbed off on Tikki, illusioning the kwami into thinking that everything is just fine and it's a brand new day. Exactly how it should be. 'And it will be,' Mari sighed to herself. Suddenly, her stomach throbbed with immense pain, causing Marinette to gasp and trip over the steps to the school building. She braced herself by bringing her arms forward to soften her fall and clenched her eyes shut as all her wounds stretched achingly- "Careful!" Instead of the blunt, gritty concrete, Marinette met warm, strong arms enveloping her body against a firm chest, stopping her descent. The pain did nothing but flare up like a blowtorch but a month of acting like her abrasions don't exist enabled her to mask the hurt by gripping the collar of her saviour's jacket and hiding her grimace against his chest. A beat went past. Slowly, Marinette pulled away and tipped her head up ever so slightly so that she can peek through her lashes. She was met with a pair of green eyes crinkled in concern and a worrying frown sculpted on his lips. Of course. Of all people to catch her whilst she was most vulnerable, it's Adrien fucking Agreste. The love of her fucking life. "Marinette? Are you okay?" On any ordinary day, Marinette would have swooned over his troubled tone, fretting over lil ol' her. Right now, her injuries were screaming like a bitch and the girl internally marvelled at herself for how she carefully pulled away from his grasps with a smile faker than plastic. "Ye-Ye-Yes! Fine- I mean- erm...I'm fine, thank you," She forced her hands behind her back to discourage herself from making any more exaggerated movements as her wounds were aggravated enough already. Plus, Tikki was very much awake and most likely listening in to the conversation; Marinette didn't spend all this time in the morning hiding her injuries only to be busted by her clumsiness. "...are you sure? I could have sworn that you looked like you're in a lot of pa-" "I'm fine! Honest, see?" God, he must have thought that she's so rude with the way he flinched when she cut him off animatedly. She gave a little twirl and gestured to herself to emphasise her point and thankfully, the boy smiled. "I...erm...I do ma-make the strangest expressions when I'm thi-thinking, ehem, according to Alya that is." His smile only widened at the rouge that bloomed on her cheeks and the way she meekly connected her pointer fingers together. 'She's so cute,' He purred internally. "If you say so, Marinette," Gathering some of the Chat Noir charm, Adrien hooked his arm with hers, leading them both to the school entrance like a gentleman. "It's a surprise to see you here early these days, let alone on time. We could hang out before registration," The boy babbled excitedly, happy to latch onto a rare bonding session between him and the tight lipped girl. She was slowly coming out of her shell when it came to him and the model was eager to pull her out whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Even if it meant he had to give her a little push and initiate all interactions. He wanted to know everything about Marinette Dupain-Cheng and hoped that they could get closer. He's observed her in her element and the awe never seemed to cease. She's so smart, so kind, so brave, so sassy, so talented and such an amazing person! Just being in her presence brightens up Adrien's day. The girl on the other hand was stuck between giggling like a lovesick teen and howling in pain. The medicine has worn off and the throbbing of the wounds were like fire on her skin. Yet, she'd gladly walk on a path made of glass barefoot just to see him smile. "I'd love that," The petite girl replied in a strained voice. Adrien's eyes shone with warmth and he placed a hand on her upper arm which was interlocked with his other arm. He gave it a squeeze and his smile softened. "I'm glad." Yes, Marinette would joyfully leap into Hell back and forth just to see that wonderful, bright smile on the lonely model. Her wounds be damned! ~(x)~  "Oh no...o-ooooohnononononoo..." The crimson, slick liquid simply dripped between her fingers. The blood poured out from the wound on her forehead, cascading down her face and onto the floor. Finally, she registered the pain as she stood up, collapsing against the dirty alleyway wall whilst the dizzy spell shocked her for a few moments. The high pitched ringing she's being hearing ever since she received the blow accumulated into a sharp screech, threatening to burst her eardrums. The lights and the bright colours surrounding her made her eyes feel like they're about to explode so she forced them shut. She was standing in a pool of her own blood. Her blood. Everywhere she looked was tainted in that dirty scarlet colour. This was so much worse than the scissors akuma a few months back- "Marinette..." The Asian froze. She blinked her eyes back into focus, gasping as she saw Tikki float up to her face with a horrified expression. The little kwami gulped, tears escaping her large, violet eyes as her paws brushed away a few strands of Marinette's fringe. Apprehension filled Marinette's body from head to toe till the blood loss got to her and she collapsed to her knees, deaf to her kwami's cries and leaned against the wall. How was she going to hide this now? Everyone must have seen Ladybug take that blow and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out the clues if Marinette steps out in the public eye drenched in blood. 'Oh my God...even Chat Noir saw...no wonder he screamed my name and chased after me when I ran off...everything was caught on camera and everyone must have seen how I was still injured after the cure so now everyone knows how weak I actually am and-' Her spiralling thoughts were halted by Tikki's soothing paws on her cheeks. "Breathe, Marinette. Breathe." The Goddess ordered. So, the girl submitted to her. As per Tikki's instructions, Marinette breathed in and out in a comforting pattern, clearing her mind up ever so slightly despite the persistent hurt. Her ears were no longer ringing as loud and her eyes weren't throbbing as much. "Tikki...I'm sorry..." Marinette whimpered but she was only shushed sweetly. "It's not your fault, Marinette...the cleansing light has never helped you from the start, has it?" With all her strength, Marinette mustered a nod to Tikki's question. The little Ladybug only cried more, pressing her forehead between Marinette's brows. "Why didn't you tell me?" "I...I wanted to prove that I can help...even if I got hurt..." The teen trembled, forcing her tears to stay back. Tikki gave a sweet kiss on the brow and then smiled tearfully. "You are one of the most strongest Ladybug that I've ever had the honour of working with, don't you ever forget that, my sweet, little, Marinette," Her pacifying tone filled the raven haired teen with energy, bringing the girl back to her feet. She still leaned against the wall for support, clutching her head. "Thank you," From that day on, Tikki vowed to protect and encourage Marinette even further no matter what. Judging by her shy, quiet show of gratitude, Marinette doesn't seem to understand her own value. The kwami swore to change that. "I have enough energy for you to sneak back home. You can quickly clean yourself back up and I can help you dress your wounds. You'll have to come up with a decent excuse of how you hurt your head to your parents though. I think you might be concussed." With an agreeable smile, Marinette transformed back into Ladybug, instantly noting how the transformation has numbed the pain and made it easier for her to maneuver around. Now, she has to somehow sneak back into her house without anyone seeing her. Especially that frenzied tomcat. Ladybug groaned as she envisioned their next interaction. He's gonna be so damn pissed. ~(x)~ It was an hour before midnight. She was late for the designated rendezvous with Chat Noir by no more than half an hour. In Ladybug's defense, she had barely managed to get her fussing parents off her trail and escape. The wound on her forehead was bandaged with a clean gauze and her reflexes were slumped and heavy. She looked like shit. Yet, she didn't want her poor partner to worry any longer than he already has. Meet me at the tower, 22:30 sharp. - C.N The short, blunt message she received on her yoyo from him was more than an indication of how pissed he was and that only caused the dread to build up in the pit of her stomach. It's not that she's scared of his anger or anything like that. Chat Noir is her partner, her best friend, her literal other half; it takes a lot to get him angry and he's the last person she ever wants to disappoint. Ladybug has never seen him lash out until today, when the akuma bashed her head and sent her flying, crashing into a building with a hideous splatter of blood within the crater. She didn't remember anything but the intense rage in Chat Noir's scream and the way his eyes glowed so dangerously, almost demonic. She caved in to the darkness and the sounds of the world was drowned away by a piercing ringing. When she finally came to, she saw the corrupted butterfly flutter away from the unconscious akuma and didn't acknowledge the tense figure of her partner standing with his back towards her, heaving heavily and fists clenching and unclenching back and forth. Relying on muscle memory, she captured the butterfly and summoned her cleansing light in a trance, all whilst leaning against what seemed to be a different wall to the one she crashed into. 'Huh...Chat Noir must have placed me here...' She thought to herself in a daze. Suddenly, Noir whipped his head around, facing her, evoking her whole body to freeze like a deer in the headlights. His eyes were so acidically green, it was almost yellow. His pupils were constricted to the point where they were just mere daggers. His feral like teeth unclenched and then twisted into confusion before settling to terror. "Why are you still bleeding?" His unanswered question created an unsettling silence in the area, a tension so thick that it can be cut with a knife. Ladybug flinched when he took a step forward, glancing around and noting how other straddlers and citizens were gaping at her too. She faced Chat Noir again and almost choked at his horrified face. "Ladybug!?" Her mind was sent to overdrive and before anyone knew it, she sped away. "LADYBUG!!!" "You're late." A voice snapped the girl out of her stupor when she reached her destination, instinctively clutching an iron beam of the tower to stop her from falling off. Finally regaining her bearings, Ladybug gazed forward and gulped. Chat Noir stood before her, only a breath away from her own body. He probably raced towards her earlier on to catch her when she lost her footing, disregarding any of his feelings beforehand. Always putting her first. A moment went by according to time. But to them? It felt like years. Fiery, bright green eyes bored into calm, uncertain blues as neither of them attempted to move or change their position. That was until the older of the two raised one of his clawed fingers and brushed the red heroine's fringe away to reveal the bandage. His fingers gently trailed where the wound was underneath the gauze, knowing exactly where she got hurt. Where she never got healed. His lips tightened and his hand dropped to hers, grasping the red fingers with his own in an iron grip. No more running away until he got his answers. "Why?" His voice took on a gravelly tone. The tension from the battlefield returned by ten folds and the urge to runaway once more burned through Ladybug's being. "W-What?" Her attempt at playing dumb instantaneously caused the feline to narrow his eyes with burning rage and his teeth gritted under his scowl. "Don't fuck with me. Tell me why you didn't tell me about the cleansing light never healing you." His stoic, icy voice sent all of Ladybug's nerves to the edge and she internally screeched. She could handle yelling and lectures, yes, no problem, cheers Maman and Papa. She could handle insults and sneers, absolutely, thanks to a certain Bourgeois for the four years of experience. She could even handle tantrums and getting chucked against walls or tossed into La Seine, kudos to the akumas for that. But this? This? A cold, seething animosity that sends unpleasant shivers down your spine and freezes you to the core? A low, intimidating voice that caused the hairs on the back of your neck to prick with unease? A pair of piercing, soul searching eyes striking through your body like a knife? Of course her loveable, goofy Chaton would possess the most scariest and intimidating anger in the whole fucking world! Just her damn luck! And of course she's the one who has to be on the receiving end of it. 'So much for being the lucky one of the duo,' Ladybug grimaced to herself and then decided to bite the bullet. It's not like she could do anything else. Chat's tail has woven around her waist, the hand that was clutching hers was now holding his baton which stood on her side like a barrier and his other hand laid limp on his side. Nowhere to run and hide. So, she told him. In a steady, sure voice, she told him about how she hated when he took the hits for her. How she refused to be treated like a fragile piece of glass. How she just wanted to prove that she can still protect the city and fight by his side despite the handicap. How she didn't want him to worry about her. He didn't take the last part well. "You ran off all beaten up, bleeding, with wounds that should be treated at the hospital after every akuma battle without telling me, all because you didn't want me to worry?" Chat's faux ears twitched and his heated eyes countered his Lady's resolute pair. His knuckles whitened under his gloves as he gripped the metal weapon with inhuman strength. "All this time, for months!?" "Yes. See, you're overreacting. I'm fine. That's why I didn't-" "You were CONCUSSED! An alleyway nearby has been taped off by the police because it's completely covered in YOUR BLOOD! Don't even get me started on when Mme. Ciseaux attacked and the only way I found about her tearing through your stomach was through a shitty video in the DEEP WEB!" He slammed the baton down, impaling the beam they were standing on, leaving behind an ugly sound of metal tearing through metal. The sounds that followed were the heavy breaths of the hero clad in black and the heartbeat ricocheting inside the hero clad in red. Abruptly, Chat Noir gripped Ladybug's shoulders, shaking her as he spoke. "Now tell me again that I'm overreacting. TELL ME." Ladybug merely responded with silence and her lips were sewn shut. "You think it's fucking fair that only you can worry about me but I can't do the same for you? Huh? What the hell were you even thinking!?" He shook her shoulders again. "You didn't even tell your kwami! You didn't tell anyone!" On spur of the moment, tears welled up in Chat's eyes and Ladybug couldn't do anything but stare flabbergasted. She found that her eyes followed suit without any prompting. "You didn't tell me..." Chat's voice turned quiet, hoarse and whispery. His earlier front was torn away, revealing a defenseless, lonely, scared boy. His tears ran down his cheeks and his hands cradled Ladybug's jaw with such gentleness. "I'm your partner, I'm supposed to be there for you, to protect you, always...how am I supposed to do that if you don't let me?" "...I just didn't want to see you get hurt anymore, Minou." Ladybug cried out and then brought her arms around Chat Noir's neck, crushing him into a tight embrace and it didn't take him long to return it. That night, the duo cried away their sorrows to the moon, unaware of the gleeful cackles that echoed in a garden below the Agreste mansion where a despicable father and holder of the butterfly miraculous celebrated the reveal of Ladybug's weakness... ~(x)~ "Did they run a DNA test on the blood in the alleyway?" "They did. Turns out magic is mixed in our system, making us untraceable. That's how everyone concluded that it was yours, Bug." "Everyone...huh..." "...yeah," "I wouldn't be surprised if Le Papillon knows now." "Mmhm..." "Hm..." "I'll protect you from him, I promise. He's not gonna touch you, not if I can help it." "I know, as long as you let me protect you too, okay?" "Mmhm." "That's not a promise." "My Lady..." "...please..." "...on one condition." "Anything!" "For the rest of the week, no patrolling for you. You're resting at home and taking care of yourself." "But my parents already forced me to take a day off school tomorrow to rest. I'll go crazy..." "My Lady." "Fine." "Good...get home safe, LB. Text my baton once you've reached your place." ~(x)~ Adrien slumped against his bed on the floor, glowering at the barred like windows as if they're the ones who have taken away his mother. The ticking of his watch was the only noise breaking the asphyxiating silence. He replayed the conversation he had with Ladybug over and over again yet he found no solace. A huge part of him still mourned with guilt and self-deprecation. He knew there was something off. Something wrong going on. He knew he should have pushed further, prodded deeper. Yet, his fear of losing Ladybug as a friend blinded the red flags. She almost died twice. And he couldn't save her. What a shitty hero he was. "...kid...I can hear you thinking from here," Adrien's ears perked up and he immediately turned around to see Plagg floating towards him, landing on the foot of the bed. The teen gave a reassuring smile but the kwami simply raised a brow at the gesture. "Just can't sleep..." "It's four in the morning. If you do another all nighter, you're gonna look like crap and your shitty excuse of a dad will lecture you again through a tablet." Plagg received a playful nudge from Adrien's finger. "Plagg...father's not shitty..." "You're right. He's very shitty." Eventually, a smirk broke out on Adrien's lips and the God of destruction let out a cheer, getting another nudge from the boy. The happiness died down quickly, much to Plagg's dismay. Melancholy and regret weighed down on Adrien's shoulders afresh and the boy did nothing but exhale through his nose. "Plagg?" "Yeah?" Adrien fidgeted with his fingers and then sighed in defeat. "Do you think I was a bit too harsh on Ladybug?" For the first time, the model witnessed the little God deep in thoughts. A reminder of who Plagg really was and what he's lived through since the beginning of...everything. "No. In fact, I couldn't be more proud of you than I am now, kid. You gave the little bug a good wake up call," He landed on Adrien's hand with a smile. "Also, she deserved that." "Plagg! No-" "Yes. She scared the ever loving shit out of you and had you tearing through the entire city in pursuit of her. Still can't believe you threw up after seeing the alleyway," "...there was just so much blood...I thought she was dead..." Adrien whispered the last part so quietly that no one with an ordinary ear would have picked it up. "Adrien, she's okay. If she wasn't, I'd have gotten Tikki to force a detransformation on her so that you could whisk her away to the nearest hospital." Plagg purred, nuzzling the boy's cheek. "Wow, you guys can do that? That's pretty neat." Another hour went by with Plagg and Adrien conversing. Whilst the teen nibbled on some bread, the kwami greedily devoured his cheese rigorously. Soon, the sun began to rise and it was then that fatigue plagued Adrien's body. "Hey Plagg?" The boy yawned again. "What?" "Why do you think the cleansing light doesn't work on Ladybug?" Silence filled the room reiteratively except this time, the early birds outside filled the area with their chirps. Adrien observed the black kwami with hope for a proper reason. Plagg thought hard and then answered. "Your Ladybug is the most powerful one we've ever had. None of Tikki's previous bugs' miraculous cure fixed as much as present Ladybug. The most that the previous ones were able to do were fix certain items and healed very few people. If another miraculous is being used in a corrupt manner, the cure was able to fix more damages. But..." "My Lady's cure fixes everything that the akuma has destroyed, including their item itself..." "That's right. If an akuma manages to damage the entire country, there's no doubt that your Ladybug would be able to fix it. Anywhere in the world. She's a powerful one alright," "Everything but herself." Adrien added sadly. The duo stayed quiet after that with crestfallen expressions. No matter how hard Plagg tried, he couldn't find an answer to Adrien's question nor find a way to cheer the boy up. The teen was genuinely miserable and was probably itching to run out and grab Ladybug back into his arms to protect her from the world. Like a selfless knight. All of a sudden, Plagg's eyes widened as he cracked the code. "...I think that's why she's so powerful..." Adrien snapped out of his misery, peering at the awestruck kwami of destruction. His eyes widened attentively, beckoning Plagg to spill. "She must have unintentionally traded away her protection..." . . . ~(x)~ . . . "...in order to save everyone else and fix everything back to the way it was..." Tikki finished her explanation with a heavy look, never moving away from her spot on Marinette's bed. The girl herself didn't budge from her downcast pose, head still bowed down solemnly and fingers gripping each other whilst deep in thought. Her eyes soon stared forward, a storm evident in the deep blues. "I don't regret it...is that bad? If I had known back then, I'd have still done it. Chat Noir and Paris and the people will always come first to me, no matter what. I love them all." "You're too good for this world, my little bug..." ~(x)~ Two days later, Marinette was allowed to leave for school after her parents finally deemed her well enough to go. Though, they rathered that she stayed home for a week longer or so because according to them, it's been ten years since she's concussed and the first one had her hospitalised for weeks. It took some pleading and promises but Marinette managed to reassure them that she's fine and they finally let her go, along with a bag full of medication, bandages and freshly baked sweets to share. The bandage on her head was replaced with a plaster as the wound was healing nicely. It was easier to hide under her fringe and no one would know it's there unless they looked very closely. That didn't apply to Alya, Nino and Adrien as they pretty much knocked her over in a group hug as soon as she made way to the classroom. "Holy shit Marinette! Don't scare me like that again! Is that a plaster? I thought you had a big ass bandage wrapped around your head, you klutzy idiot!" Alya pushed the boys away and hugged the giggling girl tighter. "Only you would trip over the stairs to your bed and crack your head open on the floor because you were distracted by a pigeon outside your window! Only you!" "Alright Alya, lemme hug her now, I gotta give my lil' sis my best bro hugs," Nino nudged Alya off who gave a whiny protest and brought Marinette into his arms. The brunette and the blonde melted at the sight. "It's okay, I'm fine," Marinette sighed but nevertheless hugged back. "Dude, your parents were freaking out on the phone and screeching about all the blood dripping down your face! You gave me nightmares when the same thing happened when we were like three!" Marinette winced at the way Nino's tone faltered and she didn't dare to move. It was a rushed idea when she came home that day, letting her blood spill on a specific part on the floor, quickly changing into different clothing and chucking the current ones away but also letting some blood get on her fresh clothes to make the accident more believable. Maybe she should have cleaned her face properly before venturing downstairs and scaring the living daylights out of her parents? "Move over Nino, it's my turn," Adrien brushed off Nino's incredulous 'B-Bro...' and wrapped his arms around the petite girl. The blonde buried his face into the crook of Marinette's neck, deaf to everyone else's awes and coos. His heart fluttered happily when he felt the teen melt in his arms with a content sigh and brought hers around his torso, returning the cuddle. Truth be told, when he arrived to school yesterday and found out about Marinette from Alya's and Nino's cries, his whole world shattered and he was sent in a spiral of panic. He couldn't remember much but he figured that the whole class was in an uproar, wondering if the girl was alright and some (mainly him and the bespeckled couple) begged Mme. Bustier to let them see Marinette or even call her parents to see if she's okay. Everyone was already on the edge from the news of Ladybug's mortality breaking out but Marinette's accident was just the icing on the cake. "I'm so glad that you're okay..." Adrien whispered. He inhaled deeply and squeezed tighter. Why was it always the important girls in his life that always suffered? If it was up to him, he'd have them wrapped around in a protective cloud that cushioned their every fall. "Sorry for making you guys worry," Marinette smiled sheepishly. She received another squeeze from the green eyed teen and both her hands were held by Nino and Alya. "I'll be more careful next time, I promise," "There won't be a next time because we've all decided to chaperone you until you get better." Adrien grumbled, combing his fingers through her hair which was tied in a single ponytail. If Marinette was an ordinary teen, she'd have blushed joyfully at the declaration. However, that's not the case. 'If they're stuck with me all day, how will I get away to transform if an akuma attacks!?' ~(x)~ "Bien Joue!" Ladybug and Chat Noir bumped their fists in victory with a relieved smile on both of their faces. The akuma they had just fought was brutal, albeit not as bad as the last one but it did give them a good run for their money. Neither of them were terribly hurt but Chat Noir managed to get bruised below the jaw and Ladybug's head wound was bleeding again from all the stretching and strain. With a nod, the heroine launched her miraculous cure, returning all the buildings back to normal and alleviating the poor citizens that got caught up in the excitement from their lacerations. Despite his bruise disappearing, Chat Noir's smile dropped as the magic ladybugs departed, revealing his partner who was still injured and dishevelled. Her fringe was matted with blood, flushed against the skin. The plaster that was sealing the injury was gone. Blood dripped down her head only by a bit, gathering on the arch of her brow below the mask. Yet, the girl beamed at him like a Goddess. Like all is right in the world. Letting his impulse take over, Chat Noir meandered towards her, catching her off guard for a split second. Carefully, he brushed her bangs to the side, and used his other hand to wipe off the excess blood surrounding the wound on her forehead. "I've spotted some friendly Parisians leave out first aid kits and snacks outside their windows for you. I suggest you quickly nab them before you detransform." He kissed the side of her head affectionately and let her hair fall back when he stepped away. The last thing he saw was an imprint of his lips on the bloodstained skin under the fringe and a bewildered look on the girl's face. Her cheeks reddened as she tried to splutter with some sort of comeback. He couldn't help the shit eating grin that grew on his lips. "Why you! Ugh! Run along now you stupid cat- you have only what? One minute left before you power down into a fugly pumpkin? Shoo!" Noir cackled at the way her voice reached high pitches from being flustered. He could use that as teasing material once she's recovered enough for them to patrol together. With a salute, he vaulted away. ~(x)~ "I don't know where she's disappeared to Adrien! Alya is losing her mind looking for her and I can't stop thinking of the worst case scenarios man- please help us find Marinette!" Nino's voicemail echoed in his mind like a mantra as Adrien sped through the alleyways and scoured every nook and cranny. He hissed at his poor kwami to hurry up and recharge out of desperation so that he could transform and find the blue eyed girl quicker. All Adrien could hear was his blood rushing through his ears and his vision blurred from the tears gathering in his eyes. If anything happened to Marinette, he'd never forgive himself! His lungs burned as they begged for him to stop running and just breathe. His legs ached and stung as they cried for rest. His ears burned as the blood rushed louder. Yet, Adrien never stopped running. "Achoo!" The teen skidded to a halt, crashing into a nearby wall but immediately steadied himself with his arms as his eyes darted towards a dark passageway between two derelict buildings. Hope flooded through his chest and in one last push, he ran towards the source of the sound. "Marinette! Is that really you-" His mouth clamped shut and his fingers dug into the crumbling walls. . . . He found Marinette alright. Yes. However, he didn't expect to see a red kwami holding his classmate's bangs back as the girl held an open first aid kit in her lap with a cookie in her mouth. What shook him to the core was an imprint of a pair of lips on the side of her head as she eyed him in surprise. The two didn't dare to move for a good few seconds, completely mind-blown for various reasons. "Er...meow?" The kwami spoke tentatively and then instantly hid when Marinette looked up at the little being with an incredulous glare. That did it for Adrien. He collapsed on his knees, laughing with utter relief, confusing Marinette even further as she couldn't decide whether to approach the insane boy or transform and swing away. "My Lady...it's you!" He took the initiative and advanced, getting to his knees, gathering the designer up in his arms. Marinette's brain short-circuited whilst Adrien's muscles relaxed against her body. Finally, he found his amazing, wonderful, beautiful partner! And the best part? The best part was that she's the amazing Marinette Dupain-Cheng- "What's a lady?" With a confused sound, Adrien pulled away far enough to see her face but kept his grip on his Princess. Her lips were pursed innocently and her eyes twitched. The model raised a brow. "Erm...you?" "I'm not your Lady, I'm Chat Noir's-" This time, his smirk caused Marinette's words to falter and finally, understanding filled her mind as realisation dawned upon her. "Oh...O-Ohhhhhhh..." Plagg, the little devil of a kwami peeked out of Adrien's jacket with a matching smirk and cheekily waved. "Ah." "'Ah' indeed, Princess. Indeed," His fingers brushed her fringe away, touching the kiss imprint and his eyelids lowered as his entire being filled to the brim with smugness. 'My Princess, all mine,' "Couldn't you have answered my kid's calls or glasses one or two's, you idiot? They were all worried sick again! I swear you're going to give Mr. Crybaby a heart attack one of these days!" Marinette winced at Plagg's scolding who in turn was chastised by Adrien. "Sorry...my phone broke...again." Mari pointed at the broken device a few feet away. The bad luck duo cringed at how it was nothing but a pile of smithereens, speculating how she managed to get it in that state. Shaking his head, Adrien gave a soft smile and cradled one of her cheeks with his hand, brushing his thumb on the bone. "Let's go home, Marinette," ~(x)~ True to his promise, Chat Noir never treated his Lady like she's helpless. Instead of taking the brunt of hits and attacks for her, he now pushes them both out of the way and fights back harder. True to her promise, Ladybug was much more careful, improving on her speed and dodging techniques so that she didn't come home with injuries that could have been easily prevented. No matter how strong and reckless Le Papillon's akumas were, they were always beaten. The handicap that Ladybug possessed did nothing to affect the way the duo fought nor brought her guard down. Plus, with the addition of Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee, the team was unstoppable. Meanwhile, the friendly, grateful Parisians always left out medical kits and delicious food for the heroes once they were sighted. The mayor even appointed a special team of paramedics for the heroes if they've taken a fatal blow. So yes, not once has Marinette ever regretted or mourned the fact that she chose the people over her own safety. And neither will she ever do so. . . . ~(x)~ A/N: This. Was. Too. Long. How did I even manage to waffle so much??? I wanted this to be a tragedy but sleep deprived 6am me somehow turned this into a happy ending and 10pm me has no choice but to follow through. :'(

[softyoongiionly]

Fear and Dumplings: Chapter Six

Confronting your fears for a final grade sounds unappealing but, with Yoongi as your partner, things might not be so bad.

Summary: You’re in your final semester at University when your Abnormal Psychology professor assigns you a partnered project surrounding your greatest fears. Lucky for you, your partner just so happens to be a cute boy named Min Yoongi.

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Genre: College Au, Underground Rapper! Yoongi, Soft!!! Yoongi, Fluff!!!, some moderate angst (later), smut (later later),  slow-ish? burn

Word Count: 5.1K

A/N: I’m literally on fire after writing this chapter lol. I hope you like it!😊

Warnings for this Chapter: mentions of fear, anxiety, sadness, some angst aka Jimin is an insecure boy who is unaware that he is literaly heaven on earth, swearing, suggestive situations/concepts, if you squint really hard you can see the beginnings of smut.

Warnings for the Fic: mentions characters confronting their fears, characters in uncomfortable situations, emotional moments between characters, mentions of bad parenting, explicit language throughout the fic, moderate angst, and very explicit smut later in the story.

Chapter 6: Doubt and Shadow Demons

You’re lying on your bed in one of your many baggy t-shirts, smiling like an idiot at your phone. Jimin had sent you screenshots of what he believed to be Yoongi’s twitter. If Jimin wasn’t aiming to be a dancer, you would have suggested a career as a private investigator because,  he could literally find anyone. You hadn’t asked Jimin to go looking for more information on Yoongi but, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t interested. His Twitter was mostly black, no bio and, no location but, the avatar was a picture of Yoongi wearing headphones, his newly blonde hair disheveled as he smiled at the camera. He really had no business being that cute. ‘@agustd93’ was his handle and you furrowed your brows in confusion as you tried to decipher what it could mean.  Yoongi didn’t seem to tweet much, he just retweeted a lot of music equipment accounts however, there were a few scattered tweets here and there that made you laugh.

“Roommates are drunk, again. They can’t hold their alcohol for shit.”

“Update: Drunk Hobi is obsessed with my cheeks and, I swear if he pinches them one more time, I’m going to cut his hands off.”

“Another Update: Joon just started crying after explaining to me that, “we are all just little flowers in the garden of life, trying to find our bees.” What the fuck does that even mean?”

You giggle, shaking your head, your thumb scrolling down to search for more tweets. There were more scattered between retweets of what you assumed to be the latest music equipment as Yoongi quoted some of the them with captions like ‘Dream Studio’ and ‘if only I wasn’t broke.’ You kept scrolling before coming across a tweet that made your stomach flutter.

‘Where? Everywhere.’

Fuck. He tweeted that last night. After you and Yoongi got off the Ferris Wheel, you actually ended up having a pretty decent time. The two of you got dinner at the park and wrote your experiences down in your research journals. Yoongi acted like the conversation on the Ferris Wheel never happened but, he seemed to warm up to you more and more as the night progressed. But still, nothing flirty occurred between the two of you and, Yoongi was very careful not to get too close to you. The whole thing was very confusing, one minute, Yoongi’s admitting that he would kiss you ‘everywhere, if you let him’ and, the next minute he’s treating you like he normally did. This tweet was sent at 11:30 which would have been around the time he got back to his place. Maybe it wasn’t about you, Yoongi seemed to have a habit of being vague and, he easily could have been talking about something else but, none the less, it made your heart skip a beat.

Did you like Yoongi? More importantly, did it matter? You shook your head, trying to rid yourself of your complicated thoughts as you rolled out of bed. Marzipan throws a complaint your way as you walk past her lounging at the end of the mattress. Normally, you would be out at your favorite crepe café gossiping with Jimin over some iced coffee but, Jimin had texted you the night before saying that his showcase rehearsal was running late and he didn’t think he’d get any sleep if he met up with you. You had of course met this with an abundance of understanding as you knew better than anyone how hard Jimin had been working at his showcase routine. So, instead of meeting up with your best friend, you planned on working on your final paper for your International Relations course. You had been working on it all semester and, felt accomplished that for once, you didn’t procrastinate. Green tea was essential for today’s writing session so; you brewed a decent sized pot before, continuing your paper. Marzipan eventually made her way out into your living room, opting to sprawl out on the couch, claiming her space as usual.

After writing for some time, you glance at the clock at the bottom of your laptop and your eyes widen. Shit. You had been writing for 4 hours. How was it possible that much time had passed? You had gotten a lot done, adding an additional 6-7 pages to the giant that was your final paper. Just after leaning back in your chair and stretching your limbs, your phone lights up with a text message.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jungkook): I miss the squad tho.

You giggle at the message, your heart warming as you reply.

BROS 4 LYFE: me too tho :/

BROS 4 LYFE (Taehyung): me 3 tho :/ :/

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): MY BABIES :( i miss u guys.

A hint of sadness plucks at your chest as you read the messages being sent in by your friends. You had made new friends in school and, college had been an overall fun time but, you had to admit that you never stopped missing having all three of your bestfriends in one place. The past four years hadn’t been the same without them and you couldn’t wait til the four of you graduated so, that you could finally have your group back together again. Jungkook had been drafted to play pro ball on a minor league team in your current city and, Taehyung had made the decision earlier in the semester to pursue his masters in art history at the school you and Jimin were currently attending. This meant that in a few short weeks, everything would back to normal for a little while.

BROS 4 LYFE: only a few more weeks my dudes, we got this.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jungkook) stay on that grind squad, college grad hours are about to be open.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): kookie and tae, will you be here for my showcase? It’s two weeks before graduation.

BROS 4 LYFE (Taehyung): duh. We wouldn’t miss it for the world Jiminie.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jungkook): yea we would never miss a chance to see the world’s shortest ballerina.

Your eyes widen as you laugh, already imagining Jimin igniting in fury when he reads the message. His reply comes before you are able to chime in.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): YAH! IM NOT A BALLERINA!

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): I AM A CONTEMPORARY DANCER.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): THE CHAMPION CONTEMPORARY DANCER

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): THREE YEARS RUNNING THANKYOUVERYMUCH

At this point you’re in a full blown laughing fit, shaking your head as your fiery best friend pops off in the chat.

BROS 4 LYFE:  go best friend, that’s my best friend.

BROS 4 LYFE (Taehyung): let the record show that Kookie bought 12 of the limited edition Jimin shirts that your school sold after he won the championships.

BROS 4 LYFE (Jungkook): YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN’T TELL

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): >:)

BROS 4 LYFE (Jimin): love u kookie

BROS 4 LYFE (Jungkook): …love u too…

The responses eventually dwindle down and, you decide to hop in the shower to tend to the mop of hair that was growing slightly greasy on your head. Afterwards, you throw on a cozy sweatshirt and your favorite pair of fuzzy pajama shorts and, settle on the couch to watch some Netflix. You hadn’t had a night in to yourself in a long time and, it felt amazing to be able to sit around and, do nothing.  Marzipan made her way up your body before, snuggling up in the free space between you and the edge of the couch. As your fingers absentmindedly stroke her fur, you feel your lids becoming heavier and heavier and, finally, you drift off into a much needed nap.

Needless to say, the nap turned into you passing out around 7:30 and, sleeping through the night until, finally, you awake to the ethereal sound of the never-ending city construction. You grumble as you pull the covers over your head to drown out the noise causing Marzipan, who clearly hadn’t left her spot all night, to flee from the couch.  Checking your phone, you noticed a few messages from your group-chat and a snapchat or two from some of your other friends. After responding to the majority of your missed messages, you drag yourself off of the couch and into the kitchen to make some coffee. The microwave displayed the current time: 7:45am; an unholy time to be awake on a Saturday morning. The coffee was finishing up before a loud knock at your door caused you to jump out of your skin. Who the hell was at your house at 7:45 in the morning? You gingerly made your way to the door, hoping that it was just someone from maintenance. Opening the door, you nearly scream as a tuft of pink hair practically collapses into your arms. It was Jimin and, he was crying.

“Jimin, babe, what’s wrong?” You hold him to you, your eyes wide with concern as you usher him into your apartment.

“I can’t do it y/n, I can’t do anything right.” He cries into your t-shirt, his hands clutching you as if you’re about to slip away.

You rub his back, maneuvering you both onto your couch, Jimin clinging to you all the while.

“Hey, hey, that’s not true at all.” You murmur soothingly. “Jimin, what brought this on? Did something happen?”

Jimin, still crying, nods, as the tears stream down his puffy cheeks.

“I’ve been rehearsing for…for 36 hours…and I ca…can’t….do it…I can’t get it right. I ke…keep messing up. I’m n…not getting it…they’re…they’re going to drop me from the showcase if I can’t do it….they…they will…” At this point, your heart is broken, your usually smiley best friend is completely shattered, sobbing, into your arms. You hadn’t seen him like this since he had his first serious breakup sophomore year and, even that couldn’t compare to what you saw before you.

“Shh…minnie…it’s ok, it’s ok, I got you.” You gingerly tilt his swollen face towards yours, your eyes holding an immense amount of emotion as you gaze into his. “Listen to me ok? You can’t rehearse like that, you’re going to burn out and, get hurt. You have to rest. You’ve been practicing non-stop for the entire semester. You could do that routine in your sleep babe. The only reason you probably messed up is because you are exhausting yourself.”

Before you can even finish, Jimin’s eyes well up with tears once again as he shakes his head.

“No…no…you don’t understand…y/n…the coaches came to watch me last night and, I fell…I fell and they…they said that they were disappointed with my progress…and that I need to do better…so…I had to stay to re…rehearse…cause I failed. I failed y/n, I failed.” Jimin bursts into another fit of sobs as he clutches you tighter and, you actually have to hold back the tears that are pricking the corners of your own eyes.

“Dancers fall all the time Jiminie, it’s ok, you had been rehearsing all day. Every free moment you have, you spend in the studio practicing. I know it must have been so hard to fall in front of your coaches but, hey,” You tilt his face to you once more before he can hide away in your arm again. “You are Park fucking Jimin. You are the youngest collegiate dancer to win the national showcase and, the ONLY dancer to win it three years in a row. Dancing is like breathing to you. Audiences are mesmerized as soon as you step on the stage. You did not fail. You are exhausted. You can’t work yourself like this or, there won’t be a Park Jimin to win the showcase four years in a row.” As your words tumble out of your mouth, Jimin begins to calm down, still sniffling lightly, he hugs you again, his normally sparkling eyes, heavy with exhaustion.

“I’m so scared…y/n…there’s so much pressure and, I don’t think I’ll be able to bear it if I disappoint anyone.” You place a chaste kiss to the top of his bubblegum hair as you nod.

“It’s ok to be afraid, this is something you really want and, when we really want something, the thought of failing can be crippling but, you have worked so unbelievably hard.  No one deserves this more than you do. Try and have a little faith in yourself ok? There is nothing you can’t achieve. You have something so magical within you.  Working hard is good but, everyone has their limit and, if you keep pushing yourself like this, you won’t be healthy enough to achieve all of the amazing things I know you are capable of.” Your voice has dropped to an even lower volume as you continue rubbing Jimin’s back. He is looking up at you with intense focus but, you can tell he is on the verge of crashing.

“You promise? You promise you believe I can do this?” He whispers and, your heart shatters in pieces that someone whom you care so deeply for, is in so much pain.

“I don’t just believe Jimin, I know.” You whisper back before jerking your head to the other end of the couch. “Can you please try and sleep for me? When you wake up, we can go somewhere, or we can stay in,its up to you. Just try and rest of a while.” At your request, Jimin lets out a yawn, his lips pressing to your shoulder once more before he flops back onto the couch, still sniffling lightly.

You help him out of his shoes and his coat before grabbing a blanket and, literally tucking him in.

“Thank you y/n.” Jimin whispers, practically half asleep, his hand holding yours lightly.

“You don’t have to thank me, that’s what best friends are for. I’ve cried on your couch a few times too, remember.” You smile fondly as Jimin lets out a twinkling giggle, happy to see that he’s feeling somewhat better.

“I love you.” He whispers, his eyes beginning to shut.

You squeeze his hand lightly before replying.

“I love you too Jimin.”

Jimin drifts off a few moments later, his light snores filling your living room. Your heart feels achy as you reply the last few moments over in your head. You knew your words wouldn’t be enough to completely take away Jimin’s uncertainty but, you were so grateful that he came to you instead of suffering in silence. Jimin had a history of feeling this way right before a showcase. He had done something similar to this your freshman year before, winning and subsequently making history. It absolutely devastated you to see him hurting but, you meant everything you said. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that Jimin was going to go far in life; you just hoped one day, he could see it for himself.

—————————————————————————————————-

“The dark and the ocean….I think maybe it’s time that we start tackling our fears one by one, what do you think?” You look over at Yoongi, who nods from behind his phone.

“Yeah, I think so too. I don’t know how we’d combine the dark and the ocean anyway.” His voice was slightly scratchier than normal but, when you had asked if he was sick, he told you that he had lost his voice at a concert he went to the night prior. For whatever reason, you didn’t believe him but, rather than prying, you opted to enjoy the sound of Yoongi’s raspy voice becoming even raspier.

“If we did, it would be terrifying and, I would probably die.” You state bluntly, causing Yoongi to scoff in disbelief, shaking his head at you.

“You’re so dramatic.” He chastises, smirking lightly, tapping away at his phone. You shrug, not bothering to disagree with him as you doodle on the corner of your paper. “Are you comfortable confronting this fear directly? I don’t know how you would imagine it, unless, you just imagine yourself in a dark room.”

The shudder that passes through your body was completely involuntary and, Yoongi notices it.

“You don’t have to, we can think of something else.” He assures, his almond shaped eyes, wrinkled slightly in concern. You shook your head insistently, putting on a brave face.

“No, its ok…I can do it. I won’t be alone so, it will be a little easier.” You force smile onto your mouth but, Yoongi isn’t buying it. Thankfully, he decides to accept your statement anyway.

“Does tonight work for you? I have a free Tuesday for once so, I figured we could do yours today and mine on Thursday.” Yoongi’s suggests, his demeanor returning to normal. You nod, leaning back in your chair, attempting to look casual but, your heart jumped slightly in your chest.

“Yeah, that’s fine, what time?” You needed to know how much time you had to straighten up because, you definitely left dirty dishes in the sink and, you were quite certain that you dropped a pair or two of clean underwear whilst running late this morning.

“Well, it doesn’t get dark until 7:30-8 so, maybe around then?” Yoongi cocks his head slightly, his eyes sleepy as usual. You had never had such a strong urge to tuck someone into bed and, kiss their forehead until you met Min Yoongi. That boy needs more sleep.

“I’m good with that yeah. Are we eating together or do you want to eat before you come?”

“I’ll bring something, I have a lot to make up for since somebody, decided to buy our tickets last week.” He gives you a pointed look, disapproval gracing his features. You laugh, shrugging shamelessly, looking up at him.

“I guess you better bring something good then.” You insist, smiling, nudging his desk with your foot.

————————————————————————————————–

It was that very conversation that led you to where you were now:  belly full of That’s Amore’s pasta, apartment tidied up, and Yoongi glancing over at you curiously.

“What?” You giggle lightly, confused at his intense gaze before, he nods over to you.

“Why are you afraid of the dark?” He murmurs, his tone cautious but curious.

You bite your lip, as you feel your body grow slightly uncomfortable. Meeting Yoongi’s gaze, you attempt to sound as brave as possible before, answering his question.

“I…used to have really bad nightmares as a kid. I had them every night for almost two years.” You admit, your eyes moving to stare at the couch instead of continuing to look at Yoongi. “My parents finally took me to a doctor and they told them that I would eventually just grow out of it. They gave me something to help me sleep through the night and, over time, the dreams finally stopped but, I slept with my light on until I was like 14.” You giggle, trying to lighten the mood, not really enjoying the serious tone of the conversation.

Yoongi nods, regarding you earnestly from the other end of the couch.

“I’m sorry.” He says softly and, you can tell that he means it. You smile over at him, brushing it off.

“No, its ok, it happened a long time ago. I’m just still not a huge fan of the dark.” You explain, finally meeting his gaze again.

“You don’t have to do this, you can just keep talking about it…I don’t want you to feel afraid.” He insists, his tone firm and certain.

You nod, your smile growing more genuine.

“I can do it. I think it will be good for me and, like I said, I won’t be alone so, I don’t think it will be too bad.” You’re lying. The dark terrified you but, logically, you understood that there was nothing dangerous about it. You know you can do this.

Yoongi nods but, you can tell that he’s uneasy, his movements cautious and hesitant as he looks around your apartment.

“Ok, do you want to start slow? We could just turn off the lights first; the streetlights shouldn’t make it too dark.” He assures you, nodding toward the window but, you shake your head at his suggestion.

“No, I think it’s better if we just do everything now. I think prolonging it will just make me more nervous.” Your voice is growing smaller and, once you catch that, you sit up straighter.  As if, sitting up straighter would lessen the fear you felt. “Let’s do this.”

Yoongi nods and the two of you move to start closing the curtains and turning off the few lamps that you have on in your apartment. You both stand on opposite ends of your living room as Yoongi’s hand hovers over the main light.

“Are you ready?” He calls softly, his face littered with concern.

You nod, smiling tightly, bracing yourself for the darkness.

“You have to protect me if a shadow demon tries to eat me!” You insist, giggling, trying to lessen the tension as Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“There’s no such thing as shadow demons.” He counters, smirking before, he nods anyway. “But, yeah, I guess I’ll protect you if that happens.”

Your heart is picking up its pace in your chest as you attempt to pull a deep breath from your nose.

Yoongi looks at you pointedly and, before another question can pass his lips, you nod to the light.

“Go ahead. I’m good.” You assure him, putting on the bravest voice you can find.

There’s a click and then, darkness envelops your apartment. You could never have imagined that your apartment could get to this level of darkness. The room was pitch black, you held your hand out in front of your face and you saw nothing but a faint blob.

“Are you ok?” Yoongi calls softly from the other end of the room.

Another shaky breath passes your lips as you attempt to calm yourself.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m ok.” You assure him but, even you could tell that your tone wasn’t convincing. There’s a shuffling on the other end of the room that causes you to jump out of your skin. “What was that?”

“It’s just me; I’m trying to find my way to the couch.” Yoongi’s voice calms you and, you curse yourself for being so obviously afraid.

“Yeah, I should probably do that too. I don’t want to just stand here…vulnerable…where literally anything can attack me if it wanted to.” You muse casually and, this causes Yoongi to finally break out in his rickety laughter.

“Nothing is going to attack you, just come here and, be careful not to trip over anything. That’s the only real danger you need to worry about.” Yoongi’s voice is practically a whisper and, you use it to guide yourself to your sofa. You finally feel the familiar fabric and make your way around the arm of the couch before, tucking your body into one of the cushions. The heartbeat in your chest hasn’t lessened its pounding but, you feel slightly better that you’re not doing this alone.

“I made it.” You whisper but, Yoongi could already feel you sit down at the opposite end of the couch.

“How are you feeling?” Yoongi whispers back to you and, you feel yourself relaxing slightly at the sound of his voice. He really should be doing ASMR in his free time. Your mouth opens to lie again but, you end up sighing in defeat.

“I’m scared.” It’s the first time either of you have uttered this phrase since beginning your project and, you grow uneasy as you wait for his response.

“That’s ok.” He assures and then he falls silent for a moment. “I know it’s difficult for you. We can stop whenever you want.”

“I’m ok right now; my eyes are starting to adjust.”

Another moment of silence passes between the two of you and, you feel a familiar thickness in the air that seems to occur a lot when you and Yoongi are alone. You close your eyes for a moment, stifling your desire to mention it to him. He had made it very clear on the Ferris Wheel that he wasn’t interested in being with you that way… ‘right now.’

“You can…move closer to me, if you need to. I’m not sure if that will help but, you can try. I don’t mind.” Yoongi whispers and, his offer catches you completely off guard. Should you move closer to him?

Silently, you scoot your body down the length of the couch until you feel your shins meet Yoongi’s feet. He must have been sitting cross-legged on the couch and, now that you’re closer to him, you can make out his posture. He’s sitting with his legs crossed, his body turned to face the direction you were sitting, while his hands rested in his lap.

“Thank you.” You whisper, and you can sort of make out the faint smile ( :] ) on his lips.

“Is it any better?”

“Yeah, it is, actually, thanks.” You repeat your gratitude and you finally start to feel the anxiety subsiding from your chest. Yoongi was warm and, he smelt like berries and the ocean? An odd yet tantalizing combination that, in all honesty, made your stomach tighten. His hands are adorned with a few rings and your eyes squint in curiosity as you try to make out what they look like; regretting that you hadn’t checked them out when the lights were on.

“What are you trying to look at?” Yoongi’s whisper causes you to smile as  you realize that his eyes were also adjusted to the darkness and, he was probably wondering why you were staring intently at his lap.

“Your rings.” You giggle, your head jerking their direction. At your answer, Yoongi’s fingers flutter lightly in response, his head turning down to look at them.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t wear these a lot but, my roommate Namjoon got them for me and, started giving me shit for not liking them. So, I made a point to wear them more.” He explains his tone one of fondness and annoyance. Another laugh passes your lips as you nod in understanding.

“They look nice. Namjoon has good taste.” You compliment, feeling far more comfortable.

“Yeah, he’s alright, I guess.” Yoongi jests but, you know he doesn’t mean what he says, always hiding behind a snarky comment. Before you can speak again, Yoongi holds one of his hands out to you. “You can look at them if you want.”

Your heart stalls a moment as you look at Yoongi’s out stretched hand. The hand that had been on your own lap comes up to bring Yoongi’s closer to your view. The rings were actually beautiful and, you were thankful that the tiniest amount of light had escaped through the curtains so you could properly see them. There were four of them each covered in silver, the engravings depicting the four elements: Earth, fire, water, and air. You smile as your fingers gently examine Yoongi’s rings (hand). His hands were one of your favorite things about him. They were nearly double the size of your own, blue and green veins pushed slightly against the surface, fingernails bitten out of what you could assume as nervousness.  There is a light increase in your heart rate as you continue to examine Yoongi’s hand and, if he had noticed that you stopped looking at his rings, he wasn’t showing it. You tilt his hand up so, its perpendicular to your own, your fingertips only reaching the middle of his fingers, as you place your palm against his hand.

“Your hand is small.” Yoongi whispers but, this time, you detect a different tone from him that you can’t say you’ve ever heard before.

A small smile graces your mouth as you nod.

“Against yours it is.” The whisper that leaves your lips is almost in audible, your eyes find Yoongi’s and, you find him staring back at you, the faint streetlight illuminating his face. The two of you stare at each other as you feel Yoongi’s fingers lace with your own. Your heart beats wildly in your chest as you lick your lips in attempt to compensate for the dryness in your mouth. Without warning, the two of you are leaning towards each other, your shaky breathing intertwining momentarily before, your lips press together. Yoongi audibly lets out a sigh of what literally sounds like relief as he mold his lips against yours. You rise up on your knees lightly, in an attempt to get closer to him, your free hand coming up to gently touch his face. The butterflies that had been taunting you for the past month erupt in your stomach, your heart racketing against your sternum. Yoongi’s hand that was interlaced with yours slips out of your grip and, settles on your waist instead, pulling you into his body. Your lips are beginning to move against one another and, you actually feel Yoongi’s heartbeat rattling against your hand. The thought of you having that effect on him, makes you clench between your thighs. Your body moves to make its way into his lap but, before you make it there, Yoongi is slowly pulling away. He seems reluctant to stop, his swollen lips still pecking against yours as he presses his forehead to your own.

“I don’t want to stop but, I think…”His breathing is too ragged for him to speak properly, and you press your lips to his cheek in an attempt to sooth him, even though, your breathing is just as bad. “We….should slow down….”

You nod in agreement but, relish in the fact that Yoongi is still holding you close to him, your body leaning into his chest.

“You’re right.” You whisper in return, your breath just as shaky as Yoongi maneuvers you so, that you’re tucked into the side of his body. Your hand rests on his chest and you smile as you feel his heart pummeling against the palm of your hand. The two of you lay there for a moment in complete silence, Yoongi’s fingers play with your own  as you wait for the other to say something.

Surprisingly enough, it’s Yoongi who breaks the silence, his raspy whisper penetrating the darkness around you.

“Are you still scared?” He whispers softly, his eyes finding yours.

You look up towards him, a soft smile on your lips.

“No.”

Yoongi smiles back at you and, you can’t help but notice how shy he’s being, his eyes softer than you have ever seen before.

“Good.”

Maybe, the dark wasn’t so bad after all.

[terryblount]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review

It is hard to believe five years have passed since Ori and the Blind Forest debuted on our screens. Developers Moon Studios crafted a momentous game that not only reinvigorated the metroidvania genre, but also reminded gamers how beautiful and intricate these titles can be. Now the long-awaited sequel is finally on our shelves, but how could any studio follow up on lightning in a bottle like this?

The answer is in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I mentioned in my Rage 2 review that all good sequels have the ability to reach the full potential of their I.P’s. It is not just about more, bigger or prettier. Good sequels elevate themselves to those untouched areas of gameplay that their predecessors never reached, and this is precisely what Moon Studios achievedwith their second Ori game.

Enjoying the pleasures of home

If ever there was a write-up willing to criticise Ori and the Will of the Wisps (hereafter Ori 2), you will not find it here. Perhaps this will not be a review of Ori 2, but my best attempt to express what a masterpiece this sequel has turned out to be. Moon Studios maxed out every strength from their first game, and remind us once again why metroidvanias can be some of the most fulfilling experiences in our industry.

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the highlights from Ori and the Blind Forest was Moon Studios’s incredible talent for using visual language. Like many other metroidvanias, the first Ori game could impart a lot to the player using only modest resources. There wasn’t much exposition, there were limited snippets of dialogue, and the game had a very conservative use of cut scenes.

Nonetheless, it was still an experience you could get lost in. The devs allowed their game itself to communicate with the player on a visual level, and this design philosophy spills over into almost everything in Ori 2. In short, Ori 2 is a game that shows rather than tells in that the visuals of Ori’s story are a fundamental bridge between both the narrative and the gameplay.

Take the eponymous (and very cute) Ori, for example. Even a noob taking a cursory glance at this little critter would immediately tell there is something agile, yet vulnerable about… it. Hold on a second, is Ori a boy or a girl? Only thing I know is that the name has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘my light’, so perhaps Ori is Jewish?

Name of the game (Image from Ori and the Blind forest Wiki)

Anyway, I digress. True to the sloping lines and gossamer-like luminance of the character model, Ori once again felt super smooth and an utter pleasure to control for the thirteen-ish hours I spent leaping and bounding throughout the various biomes. There is a weightless momentum in how Ori handles, which encourages the player to keep moving and to experiment with acrobatics.

It seems that virtually niggles and annoyances have been ironed out from the first game, and it is clear the devs wanted to push the boundaries of traversal in this series to the next level. Moreover, Ori’s revamped animations are equally slick in this sequel, both in the twirls or somersaults when leaping weightlessly through the levels, but also in the combat or ranged attacks against enemies.

A battle in spirit

Ori has been given quite a substantial upgrade in terms of how players will fight against the malicious bugs, slugs and even bosses scattered around the world. Combat is now closer to the metroidvanias that have followed in the interim from the first game’s release (for example, Hollow Knight) in that Ori can now swap on the fly between a spirit sword, ranged spirited projectiles, heavy weapons, and more.

The player will really have their reflexes tested on normal or hard difficulties since the combat is fast and frantic. I strongly recommend a first playthrough on ‘easy’, particularly since you cannot adjust the difficulty later. Nonetheless, this spirit bunny is every bit as agile and responsive during battle as he is with traversal, and there is a decent variety of ranged and melee attacks to make up your fighting strategy.

The spirit trees that give Ori his abilities

It is from the combat I noticed that Ori 2 now boasts a more varied menu and progression system. Moon Studious have swapped out the linear style of the previous game, and have implemented something closer to an RPG’s structure, which allows for abilites and weapons to unlock quicker, and thereby leaving the choice to the player on what to upgrade and define their own playing style.

The forest lives on

The reason why Ori possesses these abilities and, frankly, why he glows in the dark, is because he was one of several spirits inhabiting a mystical willow tree – the heart of the entire forest’s spiritual energy. The first game saw Ori being adopted by a creature called Naru after falling out of the willow tree during a great storm, and eventually setting out to rescue the forest dying from a malicious corruption.

With the forest now restored to its lavish glory, Ori 2 opens with a touching scene of the pair living a serene life, along with their new friends Guma and Ku. All is well until Ku, who is the cutest little owlet EVER, finally becomes overwhelmed by the desire to fly. Unfortunately, Ku’s tiny little wing got mangled, leaving the owlet grounded and very depressed as it watches the other birds go by.

First flight

Ori and co. therefore try to help Ku with a makeshift wing which seems to work quite well until, during its first flight, Ku is caught in an angry storm, not unlike the one that shook Ori from its tree. With Ori riding on Ku’s back, the duo crash land in a desolate area of the forest, and they become separated.

The stage is set for Ori to embark on a rescue mission, and as a surprise to no one, Ori finds that all is still not well in the deep, forgotten places of the forest. The mission to rescue Ku therefore becomes intertwined with restoring the forest’s life force to an abandoned and hostile world, and Ori soon finds that it is not only Ku’s life that hangs in the balance.

In certain segments there are chase sequences. You really feel Ori’s vulnerability here, and it is utterly terrifying.

Thanks to absolutely superb animation and expert use of potent imagery, the story in Ori 2 is nothing less than sublime. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the narrative plays out as a riveting and engrossing mix of fairy tale tropes, which are interspersed with gut-wrenching climaxes of triumph and failure.

The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack is also a crucial component here. The melody is a beautiful reflection of the game itself in that the orchestral swells alongside dream-like notes are constantly tinged with an undertone of sadness and melancholia.

In all honesty, I was taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions during my play-through, and it has been a long time since a game has had this effect on me. Seeing that poor baby owl frightened and alone in the dead forest wasteland brought me right to verge of tears, while I beamed like adoring parent during the more happy moments. This is really fantastic story-telling.

Breaking boundaries

Both the story and the gameplay is of course sustained by two immaculate pillars: The graphics and the level-design. You often hear about video games blurring the boundaries between art and entertainment, but Ori 2 utterly shatters this division. This game IS art. The visuals are so imaginative and aesthetically pleasing that it looks like you are playing through Bob Ross painting brought to life.

With Unreal dominating the source-available market at the moment, I am really glad Moon Studios showed us how Unity still has a lot more to offer

Running on the Unity engine, the devs have created a massive world rendered with more detailed textures, a much higher particle count, and a more complex lighting system than the first game. The forest feels alive and breathing with several different biomes for Ori to explore, and each area has been coloured with a very distinct palette to reinforce the player’s awareness of location.

I mentioned visual language earlier, and it is in environmental design that Moon Studios have really put this to work. The greens, browns and blues represent colours that guide Ori, that beckon the little critter to safety. The reds, yellows and purples on the other hand represent danger, and it is astounding to see how consistently the devs have endorsed this system throughout the entire game.

I simply could not get enough of this beautiful world. From races against the ghosts of other players, to doing small quests for animals that inhabit in the forest, to feeling that satisfaction of nimbly making it through heavily-spiked, narrow corridors, it is mesmerizing that all of this is functioning so well in one game. It is a model of excellence in environmental design.

Ori, the paragon

We often hear people complaining that ‘they don’t make games like they used to’ and I somewhat agree. I feel like modern studios tend to put money before their vision for making their game because of how alarmingly competitive the industry has become. As such, games rarely take risks, and the industry often faces something of an identity crisis.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands as a shining contradiction to this ethos. This game oozes creative energy, and was quite obviously made by people who really have a passion for this genre. It shows how we can use technology not just to enhance everything in a game, but also how complex systems can be made to function alongside one other.

It is so rare that we see excellence in our games these days, which is why Ori and the Will of the Wisps truly is a non-negotiable moment. This is not just a game: It is an education to what gaming as a medium can accomplish. You simply have to play this.

Breathtaking soundtrack

Gorgeous art style

Immaculate level design

Great story

Controls well

Good dev support

Some bugs

Long start up loading time

          PC Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an Xbox One Contoller

The post Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[happymetalgirl]

My 10 least favorite metal albums of 2017

I’ll admit, I do love making lists and quantifying things like this, I’m a sucker. I know that’s the exact opposite of what I say in this blog’s description, but when it’s easy enough to just put down 10 albums I really didn’t like this year, the math wasn’t that hard, though the few re-listens I gave these albums sure were.

This should go without saying, but this is no objective declaration of the WORST music to come out this year. I’m sure there is plenty that I didn’t hear this year that would end up here if I had. I’m also just talking about metal albums, so that makes it easier too.

10. Overkill – The Grinding Wheel

I’ve never really been much of an Overkill fan, but The Grinding Wheel is so unoriginal and unexciting. I don’t know how it got such high marks from some critics. The album could be dismembered and scattered across their discography and it wouldn’t even be noticeable. At best it had some solid thrash moments with that AC/DC-ish flair, but more often than not it was dragging and even annoying.

9. Cradle of Filth – Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay

The listening pain induced on me by these album goes up by an order of magnitude here. Dani Filth just made such an absurdly tasteless album this time around, not tasteless with gross lyrics or offensive imagery, but with obnoxious and uninspired writing. This album was so hard for me to give repeated listens to, and it has all the ingredients to make a more respectable Cradle of Filth album, it’s just so messily and gaudily put together it’s impossible to not nod off to.

8. Suicide Silence – Suicide Silence

I would argue this one was the most notorious on this list, and I’m sure plenty of other people are naming the “worst” album of the year, and I can’t disagree with them on it being worth lampooning. The stylistic direction they chose to take the album in made so little sense in the context of their career (which was at first exciting), but they just did not seem to know to do it when pen hit the music paper. What they touted like some big avant garde artistic decision for them ended up as cheap, confusing Deftones/Korn mimicry. I don’t deny that they did what they truly felt most compelled to do, I mean I can’t imagine anyone pressuring them to do this instead of another deathcore album, but it just came off like such a campy tribute of sorts to their musical heroes. They’re pretty dead now, but we got some decent memes from this album at least. Boy did those memes sure get to Suicide Silence when they started though.

7. Seether – Poison the Parish

They’ve got a handful of songs sprinkled throughout their discography that I like, but Seether have never been a really stellar group to me. They’ve seemed capable though, but not really this time. This is certainly their most recycled, effortless effort so far. I can’t recall many musical memories from this album, but I know the album just kept drifting off into the distance and never made me want to go catch it.

6. Dragonforce – Reaching into Infinity

This one was saddening because I’ve always stuck up for Dragonforce, who I don’t believe to be so deserving of all the mockery they get and the constant bringing up of Guitar Hero when their name is mentioned. But this album was almost a caricature of their own work, and not one that I wanted to keep looking at. Reaching into Infinity just plays into all the power metal clichés Dragonforce has cultivated around their name and the blandness of the delivery is the opposite of powerful. This album, like Seether’s, just floated off into the sky, not beckoning me to follow it, so far away.

5. Six Feet Under – Torment

I mean, I knew it wasn’t going to be top notch death metal, but I gave it a fraction of an ounce of hope with my listen, which was utterly wasted on Torment. Chris Barnes’ voice has not improved and it remains just a smear of crap across the only occasionally exciting but mostly by-the-numbers death metal instrumentals behind him.

4. Prophets of Rage – Prophets of Rage

Even just writing more about this album is not something I want to be doing again. The pathetic pandering with hollow, surface-level opinionating for what just seems like a few bucks ironically milked from the legacy of Rage Against the Machine left such a sour taste in my mouth. Who is this even supposed to be for, inattentive Rage fans? That’s the only thing I can think of because it’s not making any kind of bold or emotionally embodied statements. It’s not trying to make any real cultural impact, even though it wants to act like it is and Tom Morello wants to feel important for it. And this is without even mentioning the music backing this stupid nostalgia project. The Rage Against the Machine members did such an awfully gutless impersonation of themselves, it just highlights how over the hill they are. I have reserved the word for just one album this year so as not to overuse it, and Prophets of Rage earned it; this album is cringy.

3. Ded – Mis-An-Thrope

Though I had the impression that it had, this album didn’t make too many waves, and for good reason. What I heard being hyped as a triumphant kick back of nu metal (a genre whose style and some of whose major names I will wholeheartedly defend) into the current metal ecosystem was instead mostly full of the type of Slipknot impersonating I would have expected a decade or so ago interspersed with the type of emasculating good cop contrast that completely negates whatever rage it’s paired with that made a lot of alternative metal look like shit in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

2. Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria

This album is practically tied for the number one spot on this list for the degree of disgust I felt for it. It being a shorter is probably the only thing keeping at number two. This album is a bag of recyclables filled to the point of ripping some holes in the bag, that someone forgot was supposed to be recyclables and mindlessly threw rank-ass old food into as well. How something this watered down and pandering is one of metal’s best sellers is embarrassing. The cheesy, cliché applications of half-assed metalcore and cheap electronic backings over a way-too-sparkly-clean mix and mastering just make this thing reek of focus-group sales engineering. Like any bag of trash, I just want to get rid of it and not have to think about it anymore.

1. Hollywood Undead – Five

I only heard this as the result of an impulse of morbid curiosity that I have since hit myself in the head for giving into. Start to finish, and with almost no redeeming deviations, Hollywood Undead’s fifth album too many is a disaster of bro-y masculine bravado (also cancelled out by the littering of shitty, wimpy clean vocals), tasteless and dated Eminem-copy-catting rap verses about how “hard” they are (…), and pathetically unoriginal and failed intimidations directed at the group’s “haters”. After just about every song along the way I just wanted so badly to quit listening to it, held back only by a desire to give it a fair shot. This one is another album I can’t figure out who it’s for. The band might fire back the typical trope that they made this album for themselves, in which case, they would have no reason to be complaining about “haters” so much. I had thought the band had fallen off the face of the Earth after their second album or so, and hearing a FIFTH album from them getting promotion and publicity made me lose a little faith in humanity. I don’t want to write anymore about this album, it’s just going to make me more frustrated. I’m done. I’m ready to let my memory of this album and the others in this post fade farther and farther away.

[terryblount]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps PC Review

It is hard to believe five years have passed since Ori and the Blind Forest debuted on our screens. Developers Moon Studios crafted a momentous game that not only reinvigorated the metroidvania genre, but also reminded gamers how beautiful and intricate these titles can be. Now the long-awaited sequel is finally on our shelves, but how could any studio follow up on lightning in a bottle like this?

The answer is in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. I mentioned in my Rage 2 review that all good sequels have the ability to reach the full potential of their I.P’s. It is not just about more, bigger or prettier. Good sequels elevate themselves to those untouched areas of gameplay that their predecessors never reached, and this is precisely what Moon Studios achievedwith their second Ori game.

Enjoying the pleasures of home

If ever there was a write-up willing to criticise Ori and the Will of the Wisps (hereafter Ori 2), you will not find it here. Perhaps this will not be a review of Ori 2, but my best attempt to express what a masterpiece this sequel has turned out to be. Moon Studios maxed out every strength from their first game, and remind us once again why metroidvanias can be some of the most fulfilling experiences in our industry.

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the highlights from Ori and the Blind Forest was Moon Studios’s incredible talent for using visual language. Like many other metroidvanias, the first Ori game could impart a lot to the player using only modest resources. There wasn’t much exposition, there were limited snippets of dialogue, and the game had a very conservative use of cut scenes.

Nonetheless, it was still an experience you could get lost in. The devs allowed their game itself to communicate with the player on a visual level, and this design philosophy spills over into almost everything in Ori 2. In short, Ori 2 is a game that shows rather than tells in that the visuals of Ori’s story are a fundamental bridge between both the narrative and the gameplay.

Take the eponymous (and very cute) Ori, for example. Even a noob taking a cursory glance at this little critter would immediately tell there is something agile, yet vulnerable about… it. Hold on a second, is Ori a boy or a girl? Only thing I know is that the name has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘my light’, so perhaps Ori is Jewish?

Name of the game (Image from Ori and the Blind forest Wiki)

Anyway, I digress. True to the sloping lines and gossamer-like luminance of the character model, Ori once again felt super smooth and an utter pleasure to control for the thirteen-ish hours I spent leaping and bounding throughout the various biomes. There is a weightless momentum in how Ori handles, which encourages the player to keep moving and to experiment with acrobatics.

It seems that virtually niggles and annoyances have been ironed out from the first game, and it is clear the devs wanted to push the boundaries of traversal in this series to the next level. Moreover, Ori’s revamped animations are equally slick in this sequel, both in the twirls or somersaults when leaping weightlessly through the levels, but also in the combat or ranged attacks against enemies.

A battle in spirit

Ori has been given quite a substantial upgrade in terms of how players will fight against the malicious bugs, slugs and even bosses scattered around the world. Combat is now closer to the metroidvanias that have followed in the interim from the first game’s release (for example, Hollow Knight) in that Ori can now swap on the fly between a spirit sword, ranged spirited projectiles, heavy weapons, and more.

The player will really have their reflexes tested on normal or hard difficulties since the combat is fast and frantic. I strongly recommend a first playthrough on ‘easy’, particularly since you cannot adjust the difficulty later. Nonetheless, this spirit bunny is every bit as agile and responsive during battle as he is with traversal, and there is a decent variety of ranged and melee attacks to make up your fighting strategy.

The spirit trees that give Ori his abilities

It is from the combat I noticed that Ori 2 now boasts a more varied menu and progression system. Moon Studious have swapped out the linear style of the previous game, and have implemented something closer to an RPG’s structure, which allows for abilites and weapons to unlock quicker, and thereby leaving the choice to the player on what to upgrade and define their own playing style.

The forest lives on

The reason why Ori possesses these abilities and, frankly, why he glows in the dark, is because he was one of several spirits inhabiting a mystical willow tree – the heart of the entire forest’s spiritual energy. The first game saw Ori being adopted by a creature called Naru after falling out of the willow tree during a great storm, and eventually setting out to rescue the forest dying from a malicious corruption.

With the forest now restored to its lavish glory, Ori 2 opens with a touching scene of the pair living a serene life, along with their new friends Guma and Ku. All is well until Ku, who is the cutest little owlet EVER, finally becomes overwhelmed by the desire to fly. Unfortunately, Ku’s tiny little wing got mangled, leaving the owlet grounded and very depressed as it watches the other birds go by.

First flight

Ori and co. therefore try to help Ku with a makeshift wing which seems to work quite well until, during its first flight, Ku is caught in an angry storm, not unlike the one that shook Ori from its tree. With Ori riding on Ku’s back, the duo crash land in a desolate area of the forest, and they become separated.

The stage is set for Ori to embark on a rescue mission, and as a surprise to no one, Ori finds that all is still not well in the deep, forgotten places of the forest. The mission to rescue Ku therefore becomes intertwined with restoring the forest’s life force to an abandoned and hostile world, and Ori soon finds that it is not only Ku’s life that hangs in the balance.

In certain segments there are chase sequences. You really feel Ori’s vulnerability here, and it is utterly terrifying.

Thanks to absolutely superb animation and expert use of potent imagery, the story in Ori 2 is nothing less than sublime. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that the narrative plays out as a riveting and engrossing mix of fairy tale tropes, which are interspersed with gut-wrenching climaxes of triumph and failure.

The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack is also a crucial component here. The melody is a beautiful reflection of the game itself in that the orchestral swells alongside dream-like notes are constantly tinged with an undertone of sadness and melancholia.

In all honesty, I was taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions during my play-through, and it has been a long time since a game has had this effect on me. Seeing that poor baby owl frightened and alone in the dead forest wasteland brought me right to verge of tears, while I beamed like adoring parent during the more happy moments. This is really fantastic story-telling.

Breaking boundaries

Both the story and the gameplay is of course sustained by two immaculate pillars: The graphics and the level-design. You often hear about video games blurring the boundaries between art and entertainment, but Ori 2 utterly shatters this division. This game IS art. The visuals are so imaginative and aesthetically pleasing that it looks like you are playing through Bob Ross painting brought to life.

With Unreal dominating the source-available market at the moment, I am really glad Moon Studios showed us how Unity still has a lot more to offer

Running on the Unity engine, the devs have created a massive world rendered with more detailed textures, a much higher particle count, and a more complex lighting system than the first game. The forest feels alive and breathing with several different biomes for Ori to explore, and each area has been coloured with a very distinct palette to reinforce the player’s awareness of location.

I mentioned visual language earlier, and it is in environmental design that Moon Studios have really put this to work. The greens, browns and blues represent colours that guide Ori, that beckon the little critter to safety. The reds, yellows and purples on the other hand represent danger, and it is astounding to see how consistently the devs have endorsed this system throughout the entire game.

I simply could not get enough of this beautiful world. From races against the ghosts of other players, to doing small quests for animals that inhabit in the forest, to feeling that satisfaction of nimbly making it through heavily-spiked, narrow corridors, it is mesmerizing that all of this is functioning so well in one game. It is a model of excellence in environmental design.

Ori, the paragon

We often hear people complaining that ‘they don’t make games like they used to’ and I somewhat agree. I feel like modern studios tend to put money before their vision for making their game because of how alarmingly competitive the industry has become. As such, games rarely take risks, and the industry often faces something of an identity crisis.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps stands as a shining contradiction to this ethos. This game oozes creative energy, and was quite obviously made by people who really have a passion for this genre. It shows how we can use technology not just to enhance everything in a game, but also how complex systems can be made to function alongside one other.

It is so rare that we see excellence in our games these days, which is why Ori and the Will of the Wisps truly is a non-negotiable moment. This is not just a game: It is an education to what gaming as a medium can accomplish. You simply have to play this.

Breathtaking soundtrack

Gorgeous art style

Immaculate level design

Great story

Controls well

Good dev support

Some bugs

Long start up loading time

          PC Specs: Windows 10 64-bit computer using Nvidia GTX 1070, i5 4690K CPU, 16GB RAM – Played using an Xbox One Contoller

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