#forming a small team is a much better option though

[valmillion]

wanting to make games but not having the motivation, attention span, and technical skill to do it all yourself. many such cases.

I'd say the better solution to achieving your indie success dreams is to form a team instead of going alone but then you just have multiple people all losing motivation and attention span instead of just one

[hellfire--cult]

– 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 📏

Eddie Munson x Tall!F!Reader

wc: 3k

warnings: fluff, absolute fluff, high school (character +18), insecurity about height, bullying, eddie munson being the cutest fluff of hair there is.

You definitely know your height, and you are reminded of it everyday. And then you find out that a certain metalhead seems obsessed with you.

a/n: just a small thought i had the yesterday night and i just wrote it. haven't seen many tall!reader fics out there.

reblog if you enjoyed

STANDING ON TIPTOES AS A THIRD TALENT

You know. You are aware.

You are aware of how painful the stretch was when growing up.

You are aware of how many times people ask for your help to reach things for them.

You are aware of how you don’t comply with those stereotypical feminine looks. 

You are aware of how guys don’t see you as an option because their masculinity is crushed by you being a few inches taller than them.

You are aware of how tall you are.

“If only we could get you on the basketball team.” Carver stood in front of you with his hands inside of his jersey, looking up at you. You never stopped walking, why would you? He kept walking backwards as he waited for a response.

“Why Carver? Though you are right, I bet I would do a better job in winning an actual game.” You could see Andy and Chase holding back their laughter but shaking it off as Jason turned to shoot a glare at them and then back at you, finally stopping because you are just tired of him following like a puppy. You will just listen to what he has to say and he’ll leave you alone.

“A little cocky, aren’t you?”

“No, but you for sure have one.” And he was confused by your response for a second, so you moved around him and continued walking. You heard him calling out your name with a curse after the idiot figured out your insult. You rolled your eyes as you opened your locker, looking inside to find a picture of Robin and you, a smile forming on your lips, trying to remember if you had band practice today or not.

You turned your head to look at some freshmen girls talking, whispering to one another as they looked at you and kept walking. Yeah… you are aware of how tall you are.

But you don’t need these people to remind you of it everyday.

You look back into your locker and start browsing, looking for your Spanish book, only to get pushed on the back, making you slam yourself onto the lockers. Your anger fuels as you take the book out and slam shut the locker door, turning around to face whoever pushed you in such a manner.

“Who the fuck–”

And not exactly eye to eye, still having to tilt your head down slightly, very so, and there stood a mop of dark curls. The whiff of tobacco and worn denim filled your nostrils as deep brown eyes collided with yours. 

“Sh–Shit um–” You never spoke to Eddie Munson before. You shared some classes together, and you were surprised when you heard the news that he was finally graduating. You don’t really care for him graduating two years later because you yourself got held back a year. So, you two would be leaving high school hell together in a few months.

“You need anything?” You ask and the guy has yet to talk to you. You look behind him to see two of his friends snickering at one another. Oh. “Look, if this is a dare of ‘Talk with the tallest freak in Hawkins High’ thing, you already won, I talked to you.” 

You turned, not really letting him speak as you walked forward to your Spanish class. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened to you. Guys jokingly asking you out, girls not bothering to lift their heads to look up at you, except for Robin. That girl decided to stick to your hip in fifth grade and she never let go. 

Not that you would let go of her either. She knows too much.

Shit, you still don’t remember if you had band or not. You groan loudly as you sit at the very back of the classroom, knowing that you would just cover the view for anyone else who sits behind you.

After class you head to your locker to put your Spanish book back inside, only to see a note waiting for you on the side. You grabbed it and saw that it was Robin, telling you she had something to tell you and to meet her in the woods at the back of the school. You furrowed your brows at that but shrugged, closing the locker door and heading towards the woods.

Your long legs help to get to places even faster, so in just five minutes you had leaves crunching beneath your feet. You assumed she either meant the picnic table or the fallen trunk that’s more towards the parking lot. Closest to the building though? The picnic table… but the figure sitting on the table wasn’t Robin. 

You heard him mumble as if practicing something, his mop of curls bobbing a bit as he said a few things only to then call himself ‘stupid’ and start over again. You rolled your eyes as you finally reached him, your arms over your chest.

“I knew you were crazy Munson, but not to the extent of talking to yourself.” You saw him jump up with a shriek, flailing his limbs around as he fell to the ground but quickly regaining himself as he turned to face you, wiping the leaves away. You held in the giggle, because– damn he is cute.

“Yeah well, um– I do worse than that sweetheart, trust me.” You raised your eyebrow at the nickname, feeling your cheeks heating up just slightly, but you shook your head and looked around.

“Have you seen Robin? She told me to meet her here.” And at your words, Eddie chuckled nervously while rubbing his cheek, trying to avert his gaze from you.

“Yeah um– Buckley didn’t put that note in your locker… I kinda– It was me.” You saw him put his hands behind him like a small child ready to get scolded, and to be honest, you were angry that he tricked you but–

“Why?”

“I uh– You kind of misunderstood something a few hours ago? I know I bumped into you and I didn’t really want to talk to you–” You raised your eyebrows at that in surprised offense.

“Excuse me?” He winced as he put his hand in a fist and hit his forehead a few times while shaking his head.

“Sorry, sorry– That is not what I meant! I definitely wanted to talk to you– talk to you, I mean, I wanted to talk to you for a long while, and I still do and well, we are talking now–” The boy was rambling and your confusion was growing the more he talked, so you took a few steps forward, waving your hands in front of you to get him to calm down.

“Hey, slow down Munson, jesus. You’re gonna have a stroke.” He looked up at you and nodded, taking a deep breath in and then letting out a nervous chuckle as he started pacing around with his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Okay, I get it, you apologized, everything’s fine.”

“No, no, um… My friends, they tried to help me talk to you but you make me kind of nervous, so.” Ah, it wasn’t the first time you heard that. 

“Yeah, my height sort of does that.” You shift in your place as you see him put a stop to his pacing, looking back at you with confused eyes.

“What?”

“Well, people tell me my height intimidates them, so… they’re nervous to talk to me. Did you need anything in particular?” You tilted your head at him and Eddie was still frowning and then started taking steps towards you, the tip of your sneakers touching with one another as his eyes looked up at yours. He was just a few inches shorter than you, you had a perfect view of his fringe.

“Well uh… You intimidate me yes… but not exactly because of your height darling.” You frowned as confusion plastered all over your features, looking at the metalhead that was still looking at you as if waiting for you to put a puzzle together in your head.

“Um… my incredible skills in Spanish intimidate you?” And Eddie smiled, and that honestly made your heart jump slightly because after all, Eddie Munson is not a bad-looking guy. He is the complete opposite of that, his own beauty to be described. Maybe it was his personality that also helped him become more charming. Either way, he was making your cheeks burn from how handsome he looked at this very moment as he stuttered with dimpled cheeks.

“No um… You intimidate me because– I think you are extremely, absolutely, and incredibly… beautiful.” 

You blinked a few times, not really sure if you heard the guy right. Did he say you’re beautiful? That you intimidate him because of… beauty and not your height? And there’s also the fact that Eddie Munson is the one saying all of this when you can hardly count the times you spoke with the guy.

“Is this… a prank Munson?” You softly ask and he just groans, shaking his head like crazy.

“No, no. I promise it’s not– I–” He took a deep breath in as he scratched the back of his head, grabbing your hands and guiding you to sit down on one of the benches. You were confused but also, you were feeling your heartbeat beating like crazy against your chest, and you waited for him to start talking but he just kept pacing.

“Eddie–”

“Okay! So, the reason why my friends were behind me today and did the whole misunderstanding thing happen, which I get it, I can see how it–”

“Munson!” You were getting a little impatient now because you could now see he was nervous, but your own nervousness was making you a little bit cranky.

“Right! Sorry! My friends were fed up with me… Um–” You noticed a twinge of blush on his cheeks as he sighed, looking up at the sky. “I am not good with this, I normally like– have a casual conversation at the hideout, and then it happens it’s just–”

“The Hideout?” You don’t know where he is going anymore but he looks down at you and shakes his head once more.

“Nevermind. Like I was saying… my friends were fed up with me just– talking about you, all the time.” Okay, what? The shock must have been evident on your face because Eddie rounded the table, sitting on the bench in front of you now, putting his hands on the table, and rubbing his fingers together. “Say something? I am a nervous wreck over here, sweets.” 

Something? What can you possibly say? You were never in this position at all. You aren’t the kind of person to get confessions like they do in movies. You don’t even know what to say, or do, your inexperience showing off in big amounts as you, yourself, start to become flustered. 

“Um– I… I don’t– Why? Or what exactly do you say about me?” And he grabs a chunk of his hair in order to hide his face as he sways a little from side to side.

“Well… apart from how beautiful you look everyday… Everytime you put Jason or one of those guys in their place I just– I just boast about you… So I guess that when I heard the insult you threw at Jason today, I may have fangirled a bit and Gareth got fed up…” He winced a bit at the explanation but you felt your whole chest melt away at his words.

Your fingertips were sweaty, as you looked at him, and… fuck he turned from a guy to a man in just one instant. He was one year older than you and the fact he is stuttering so much despite his age in order to talk to you… was endearing. Cupid definitely passed by and shot an arrow through your chest just now.

“Um… can I ask um… why did you never talk to me? I mean… I think we talked like– what, six times in total?” You gave him a nervous giggle and he straightened up and cleared his throat as he looked at you.

“Didn’t you hear the part where… you intimidate me, sweetheart?” You frown at his words so he sighs and continues. “I don’t normally approach people with– my feelings. But um… we are graduating, and since we don’t talk I don’t know what your plans are later on, and– I just know that if I miss this chance I’m going to regret it my whole life.”

You couldn’t help but giggle at him, and it helped a small smile form on his own lips as he looked at you.

“Your whole life? That’s a bit drastic, isn’t it?” You smiled at him, biting onto your bottom lip now, feeling your belly turning slowly and nervously. He licked his lips and played with one of his rings as he talked to you.

“Not at all drastic, you are a catch, and I should be held back another year if I don’t shoot my shot with you right now.” 

And he sounded so certain. So honest. There was not a single ounce of joke in his tone or playfulness. There was obvious flirtiness and endearment. But you still had to ask, because you don’t want to dive into something that he might not have thought of before.

“Um… You know I am a little bit taller than you… right Eds?” You ask and he tilts his head, a smirk forming on his lips as his cheeks tint red.

“You know, I am extremely good at standing on my tiptoes, it’s like my third talent.” You couldn’t help but laugh at his joke, yet you knew you were completely flushed by it. He cleared his throat and you looked back up at him. “So?”

“So?” You tilted your head as he leaned forward on the table, towards you, resting on his forearms and elbows.

“Do I get to shoot my shot here?” 

Yeah… cupid definitely shot an arrow through your chest just now.

“Seriously, if you ditch me one more time–” 

“I didn’t ditch you Robs, you decided to not come with us.” You were putting your books back into your locker as Robin leaned against the other lockers while looking at you.

“Well yeah! I don’t want to third wheel!” You roll your eyes at your best friend, catching a wild mop of curls walking through the crowd in the hallway. You smile widely as Eddie approaches you, his arms coming to wrap around your waist.

“Hey beautiful.” You giggle at how energetic he is today and you raise your hands to cradle his face and lean down, tilting his head a bit to place a kiss on his lips.

“Hi Eds.” He smiles and you feel him growing taller, coming almost eye-to-eye level with you, almost, and receiving another soft kiss on the lips before he returns to his original height.

“Tiptoes growing stronger each day.” He smiles at you only for him to be shoved into you and before you can hit the lockers, the hand on your lower back pulls you into him, while the other slams into the lockers, forbidding you from colliding against them.

“HEY!” Robin yelled and you looked up to see Jason laughing behind Eddie with a horrified look on his face.

“Oops, sorry. Didn’t see you there Munson.” Your eye twitched as you looked at him, only to then tilt your head.

“You know Jason, if you want a threesome that badly you just have to ask. No need to act so interesting and shit.” At your words, he stops laughing, anger plastered on his features now as he stares at you while Eddie turns around.

“Excuse me?” You rolled your eyes at him and pointed at Eddie.

“You messed with him, you messed with me, and now you want to butt into our relationship. Sorry though, we don’t do poly.” You smile at him as you look at him, up and down and scrunch up your nose. “Not that you’re even our type.”

People that were walking by snickered at your words and Jason only squinted at you and looked at Eddie who was holding a snort in, his hand covering his mouth.

“Freaks do belong together.” And you roll your eyes at that and wave Jason away.

“And assholes son of bitches do too, that’s the reason Chrissy dumped you. Scram.” You could see Jason taking a step towards you and Eddie’s playful mood immediately soured, stepping in front of you with a menacing smile towards the Jock.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Jason scoffed at Eddie’s threat and shook his head.

“What you gonna do, curse me?” Eddie gave him a fake smile and leaned close so that he could hear, his smile falling.

“I’ve been playing good all year Carver so that I could graduate, and honestly, I would throw that opportunity away for her. Don’t fucking test me.” And you could see Jason deliberating the words Eddie spoke. He took a step back and gave you one last look before huffing and walking away.

“Holy shit, never seen Carver back away that easily in my life.” Robin smiled and you were biting your lip as your heart thumped in your chest like crazy. Eddie turned around with a huge dimpled smile and then you could see the playful glint in his eyes.

“Have I ever told you how much it turns me on how you call those assholes out?” And Robin groaned in disgust and quickly rushed away. You laughed at him, as he came closer to you again, letting you wrap your arms around his shoulders.

“Yeah, you did.” You bit your lip as you looked down at him, feeling your heart beat loudly for your boyfriend who was looking at you as if hung the stars in the sky. “What you said…”

“Meant every word.”

“I was going to say that it turned me on but–” You were taken by surprise when he immediately nibbled your neck which he had easy access to, and a giggle escaped your lips.

“Don’t tempt me sweetheart.”

end

[hihhasotherfixations]

Truth or Dare - Price x reader | Part 1

CW: no gender - reader is a blank slate. Love as a pet name. Suggestive talk, though nothing truly explicit. You’re both drunk, you’re playing truth or dare - whaddya expect 🥴

Part 1 | Part 2

Word Count: 1249

It had always been a one-sided attraction. A silly crush you had to deal with while balancing your work with the team. It would fade in time.

It wasn’t your fault when it had been a couple of years and it still hadn’t.

Captain Price was nothing if not professional. He loved his team and he treated everyone equally. You included. Well… maybe he did treat you a little more fondly than others. But that was only logical, given you’d been his lieutenant, working by his side for so long.

Despite the slight favouritism, he’d always been professional.

So, when after another successful mission, he’d invited you all to go to the bar, you didn’t expect the night would end up here. With you, alone together in your room on base, playing truth or dare.

Just moments prior, he’d pulled you onto his lap, your face darkening in a blush while his face remained flushed from the alcohol - your own doing no better of course.

“Gonna accept the dare and stay put?” His gruff voice pulled you out of your musings regarding his face and you briefly glanced to the side, thinking it over.

Neither of you had any alcohol to be able to take a shot instead of playing the round, but you’d kept a tally marking. One kept suspiciously empty, with neither of you refusing just yet.

Turning back to look into his eyes, you smiled ever so slightly, nodding and Price hummed in approval, his hands on your waist twitching slightly. “Good. Your turn now, go on.”

“Truth or dare.” You questioned, already having a guess for what he was gonna pick.

“Truth.”

Right on the money you were. Mulling it over for a second, the man chose right that moment to shift his hands from your waist down to your hips, pulling you just that tiny bit closer that made your breath subtly hitch. Looking at him, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, an expression not even his beard could hide and you squinted.

If he wanted to play it like that- fine. “What’s the most inappropriate thing you’ve done on base?” You asked the first thing that came to mind, intent to perhaps embarrass him a little like he was clearly doing with you.

Instead of any embarrassment over his days as a rookie however, you were first witness to his pupils expanding as he stared dead into your eyes, nearly looking hungry.

“You sure you wanna know that?” He questioned, his voice sounding a little more gravelly than normal due to the alcohol and you swallowed.

“If you wanna tap out, there’s the board.” You spoke, breaking eye contact to reach for the pen and clipboard but before you could, your wrist was grabbed.

Snapping your head back to him, his gaze had never left you as his eyes drilled into yours. “I’m asking if you want to tap out.” He clarified.

“I asked the question, so no.” You whispered back, feeling suddenly small even while sitting on top of him. A fact you were becoming painfully aware of.

“Then the most inappropriate thing I’ve done was two years ago, when seeing you during that heatwave.”

“Me?” You questioned, unable to look away from his increasingly hungry gaze.

“You didn’t leave much to the imagination, love. Especially after PT.” He growled, almost as if he could see your sweaty form in front of him now. “Had to dip into the nearest broom closet.”

Blushing darker and darker, you swallowed softly, seeing Price’s eyes dart down to follow the movement of your throat bobbing before he glanced back up.

Unable to say anything, the man noticed and smirked, sliding his hand from your wrist to your hand, bringing it up to his mouth where he pressed a kiss to it. “My turn. Truth or dare?”

“T-Truth.” You managed to get out, though even in your inebriated state, you were beginning to think tapping out might be the safer option, given how your captain was looking at you.

Price however, was unforgiving, having had his question ready before you could even finish saying the word. “Do you stare at me when you think I’m not watching?” He questioned, his lips quirking up into a smirk when you stiffened on his lap.

“Yes…” Your voice was barely over a whisper as you admitted it, not willing to be the first to place a tally on the board.

Price however, placed both hands back on your hips and squeezed appreciatively, humming. “Thought as much, I just needed a confirmation.”

Pressing your lips together, you narrowed your eyes at his smugness, deciding enough was enough.

Despite your raging blush, you put your hands on his shoulders, shifting your hips closer to his which made him choke on a groan, his eyes finding yours as he raised a brow. “Truth or dare, captain?”

“Truth.” He rumbled out, moving his arms to hug around your hips, keeping you pinned to his chest as he looked at your face, completely entranced.

“What are you thinking of right now?”

For a second, Price was silent, scanning your face as he slightly wetted his lips before landing back on your eyes. “I’m thinking of how much I want to kiss you right now.” His voice was quiet, near a whisper as he answered honestly.

A flutter shot straight down your spine at his words and you couldn’t help but glance down at his lips, partially hidden by his beard.

Unable to stop yourself, you bit down on the tip of your thumb to try and stop yourself from smiling, glancing back up at his eyes which were focused on your mouth before he realised you were looking at him, making him look up as well. “Alright, your turn to ask me.”

Steeling himself only a little, Price squeezed at your hip where his hand sat. “Truth or dare, love?”

“Dare.” You smiled.

“I dare you to kiss me.”

Though his words were plain and almost dry, there was a hint of desperation that made your heart beat just that bit faster, your smile growing into a grin. “I knew you would.” With that, you wrapped your arms tightly around his shoulders as you leaned in and kissed him.

The moment your lips connected to his, Price shot his right hand up, cradling the back of your head as he pushed you further into himself, a little groan leaving the back of his throat.

He wasted no time, moving his mouth against yours as he deepened the kiss, pulling your pelvis into his in a greedy pull that made you sharply inhale before a little noise left you.

Almost instantly, you felt Price smirk into the kiss, his palm searing hot where it touched your skin.

Shifting your hips, you fluttered your eyes closed; fully letting him overtake you as you parted your lips to which he instantly took advantage of.

For years you’d thought of this moment, of kissing him. And yet you could barely believe it, now that you were here. Feeling his beard, coarse yet gentle with how it pushed into your skin. His lips, hungry and inviting. His tongue, eager and overpowering from how it moved against yours.

The kiss was messy and hungry, small grunts and noises sounding in the room as Price refused to pull away, keeping your head still, not willing to end the dare just yet.

But then again, the game didn’t end there.

-

I might make a p2 continuation of this ;3

Part 1 | Part 2

[dr-spectre]

You mentioned something about Splatoon 4 thoughts earlier today, and I really wanna hear you ramble about that. But I also really wanna listen to you ramble about a Hypno Callie rewrite lmao. So if you haven't already, since there's a good chance I missed it lol, what would a Spectre Hypno Callie rewrite look like?

OH DUDE NOW YOU'RE GETTING ME ALL PUMPED UP TEHEHEHEHE! ITS TIME FOR ME TO RAMBLE!!! Imma go ultra autism on you!!! It's gonna border on fanfiction territory! (Not the creepy or romantic kind...) Don't say that I didn't warn you...

Splatoon 4 Ideas.

Now here's the thing right. I only have a few ideas on a Splatoon 4 so I don't think I can do a giant ramble about it yet. But so far I got the idea of Splatoon 4 taking place in a giant futuristic city near the beach. So you get this cool plaza area near the beach and I got that idea from the AMAZING Project Splatoon 3. Seriously go check that out, it is amazing!!!!!!!

But you can also go into the city and explore some of it. And you can ride a bike to different shops and have your own apartment!!! I know people want apartments for the next game and yeah I agree. We NEED an apartment maker, it's the next logical step from lockers!

Also for weapons... I would LOVE to have a flamethrower weapon but instead of fire it's mist. A crank operated shooter made out of bike gears where you gotta keep spamming the ZR button, kind of like the Octoshower's weapon. A Wii Zapper charger!!! PLEASE NINTENDO! A saw blade Splatana. Maybe a pool noodle Inkbrush? That would be funny. Maybe a Painbrush that has a fan on it? Man... I'm starting to sound like Sheldon HAHAHA!

For the new Idols, it would be a duo instead of a 3 Idol group because oh my god 3 team Splatfests are so unbalanced sometimes. They would have the colors red and cyan. I don't have much on what they would look like, but I imagine one of them is a female Inkling with a cyan color and the other is a male octoling with a red color. It's time we have a proper God damn male Idol that isn't a giant manta ray!!! Now since I cannot draw for shit and I don't have the desire to draw (drawing has made me so angry so multiple times so I stick to writing and rambling) so I'll just show some pics to show you what kind of vibe I'm going for.

(Yes I'm not fucking joking. I've gotten inspiration from Silver the Hedgehog and Spider-Punk...)

I think it would be an interesting dynamic to have a fancy, highly teched out character paired up with a grungy and punk character who's loud and funny. I can imagine their music to be futuristic and techno while including segments of rock. Basically techno rock with romantic elements in it.

I would like some quality of life improvements and just general improvements as well, like being able to customize EVERY part of your look without having to go through that annoying character creation menu in the crater. Faster levelling up for abilities, ability drinks and food actually giving you which ability you want instead of a chance at it. Way more pants and a pants shop. WAY MORE hairstyles, eye colors with an option to select from a color wheel, eyebrows, scar and tattoo options too with a new tattoo vendor. (the tattoos are explained in game to be temporary ones even though they secretly aren't, to make sure parents don't get the wrong idea lmao)

Maybe some gameplay tweaks too? like including very slight momentum when going downhill? It has to be very slight though for balance. I would like to add a dolphin dive like mechanic where if you press the jump button in the air in your swimming form, you'll quickly stomp to the ground, and that speed will be carried over when swimming in ink for a little while. Maybe faster horizontal wall swimming too? Basically make the gameplay a little bit faster is all I'm trying to say, Splatoon doesn't need a giant gameplay overhaul, just small tweaks to make the last game seem worse to play lmao.

And of course, BETTER SERVERS! WE NEED DEDICATED SERVERS! NOW!!!!!!!!!!! EVEN IF ITS JUST A FEW IT'LL BE SOOOOOO HELPFUL! STOP BEING STUPID NINTENDO! GOD!

Um... anyways!

Now, in terms of story.... I would have 3 parts, one is the main campaign while the other two are DLC. The main campaign is focused on the Salmonids. You play as a new agent (Agent X or something, i think that's a cool name) as you explore these islands Super Mario 64 style where you do missions and try and stop the Salmonids from getting out of control as they gone on a rampage from an unknown cause. You have to complete enough missions on an island to go to the next.

Basically, think of Salmon Run maps and areas found in Mario games but they are WAY LARGER and more complex areas to go through with NPCs to talk to. I really want Splatoon 4 to expand on the concepts found in the hub worlds in Alterna and go fully into a 3D Mario sandbox style game.

You also have to team up with Frye, Big Man, Neo Agent 3 and Marie who join up with a new cast of characters who are in charge of guiding you to new islands (haven't thought much about what these characters are) to figure out what's going on. Callie doesn't appear in the story as it's explained in a Sunken Scroll that Callie is helping Octavio figure out what to do with the Fuzzy Octarians that are still trapped in Alterna. And yes Octavio has now fully joined the New Squidbeak Splatoon which Callie is very ecstatic about.

Cuttlefish is fully retired and doesn't appear, and Captain is taking a break from captain duties, leaving Marie to watch over Frye and Big Man as she is their boss anyways. Now, where is Shiver in all this? Well... here me out... she's the villain. And no she doesn't have any sort of bullshit evil headgear on. She's a villain due to being corrupted by greed and wanting more power. She has become addicted to the high she gets from winning and feeling powerful and has teamed up with the Salmonids to gain even more power and cash. She's been fully consumed by power and cash and Frye and Big Man are not on board with her plans as Shiver doesn't wanna give back to the people in Splatsville anymore. So Shiver leaves the group and gathers up the Salmonids and commands them.

However it's revealed that Shiver is doing these things because she had a bad family upbringing in her clan and was always talked down to and treated as weak. So all that trauma and resentment is finally on the surface and Shiver is lashing out at everyone because her pain is so much for her. There could be some themes about found families and healing trauma with the people that you love and stuff like that. Haven't thought too deeply about it. But I would really love to see Deep Cut forgive Shiver and just hug and cry it out. I'll cry alongside them lol.

Now, the second story is focused on the Squid Sisters and takes place before the events of the main campaign. You play as Agent 4 and Callie finds you lying on the floor and tells you that Inkopolis Plaza has been covered in a strange fog and a weird green substance that looks like gooey moss. The buildings have changed and there's all this weird plant life and dust everywhere. Callie escorts you to the tower found in Inkopolis Plaza to figure out where Marie went and that's where you meet Octavio who got shot down in his mech from a laser.

The three go inside and the building looks very similar to the aesthetics of Side Order but with a hospital liminal space edge to it. It looks like a twisted dream hospital environment with a giant lobby in the middle.

This kind of vibe but more open and less hallway like. It should invoke the feeling of going to a hospital as a kid.

However, instead of an elevator to go higher, it's a giant spiraling staircase that grows after each floor Agent 4 completes. Basically the gameplay is the same as the rogue like gameplay found in Side Order but its heavily expanded upon with new enemies, objectives, color chips, etc. However... during the first 12 floors you hear these weird whispers and voices that sound very similar to Marie's voice.... Callie says she's getting major Deja Vu, and then Marie's voice is fully clear and echoes throughout the building, telling Callie in specific to leave her alone and to get out of here. They don't listen and continue forward.

When you reach the 12th floor, you go inside a giant white chamber and you see Marie in a new outfit that's similar to this outfit found in the Splatoon 2 artbook. Basically this but with a cool cloak and squid tentacle patterns on it and a gas mask instead of shades.

She's standing on some kind of green gooey moss and looks angry. Marie attacks Agent 4 with her charger and its a stealth boss where you gotta sneak around and get up to Marie and knock her down from the moss pile. Evil Marie has always been a beloved fan concept in the community, like Hypno Marie has so many cool fan designs out there and i think that could work honestly.

Callie manages to knock the mask off of Marie with a splat bomb but she's still angry. Callie grabs onto Marie and Marie calms down and cries. Agent 4 looks at the gas mask and its just filled with regular oxygen, nothing special about it. No hypnosis gas or anything. Just regular oxygen... Marie says she's sorry and explains that stuff from her past is catching up to her and making her unwell (you can guess on what I'm referring to wink wink.) She was unable to sleep for several days and was being manipulated by someone...

The thing behind Marie's manipulation appears from the ceiling and it's this giant white metallic squid that has transparent glass on some of it's body and arms, which shows this bright green goo flowing inside it. (think of Overlorder but he's a squid). I don't have a lot of information for this guy but this villain was created to cure Fuzzy Octarians, but due to unknown circumstances it went out of control and its coding was changed to "heal" people's pain by covering the planet in a modified and twisted version of Marie's low tide ink which now has evolved to be very similar to plant life. This goo/ink neutralizes certain parts of the brain, leaving the victim completely unfeeling and depressed, unable to feel anything, even physical touch or sensation. The villain manipulated Marie by going inside her head, analyzing her memories and telling her that all she has to is to get rid of "the intruders" and he will "heal her pain."

After the Marie boss fight, you have to travel up to 40 floors instead of 30 and during the downtime you get to learn about the Squid Sisters. Stuff like Callie and Marie before they blew up, who came up with their outfits, more info about their parents and managers, Marie talking about how she has trauma and nightmares from the events of Splatoon 2 and is terrified that one day Callie may leave and never come back again, Callie diving into her time in the Octo Canyon and finally clearing up what happened to her, Octavio showing remorse and sorrow for the actions he has done over the past 100 years. Basically Side Order but with the Squid Sisters, Octavio and Agent 4. I know it's a lot like Side Order but Side Order is so damn good so why not do it again but improve upon the gameplay you know?

That's all I got for this story and it's probably gonna change and be tweaked over time.

Now for the third story of Splatoon 4. I barely have anything for this but it will star the new Idol duo of the game, Off the Hook, Eight and Captain. I think it'll be like Octo Expansion in terms of gameplay and difficulty, but also expanded and longer to complete.

OKAY! NO MORE SPLATOON 4! TIME TO TALK ABOUT HYPNO CALLIE!

Hypno Callie Rewrite.

Honestly, the way I would go about rewriting Hypno Callie is very simple... Remove the Hypnoshades. That's it. She can still have them as an aesthetic part of her outfit, but i would make it so Callie is no longer hypnotized and it's WAY MORE clear to the audience that Callie is suffering from mental illness and that she left with the Octarians, not "kidnapped, overpowered and brainwashed into being a mind controlled slave." Splatoon 2 was always about the separation of the Squid Sisters and their eventual healing and reunion, it was always gonna be about that but due to time constraints probably, they rushed it and introduced bullshit shades to make it easier and simpler, they then tried to fix it later with an obscure post with a relationship chart that no one even fucking talks about, even timeline explainers fail to fucking mention it... ugh...

Making Callie an actual antagonist that has been manipulated by Octavio, whispering to her and playing into her insecurities and pain is way more compelling and makes more sense for Octavio to do as a character. Like how the fuck did he come up with the Hypnoshades and why did he only use it on Callie? He can just make hypnosis tech out of nowhere? Huh? It makes way more sense for Octavio to just manipulate her as he is a master of words and propaganda.

So what I would do is introduce a new mandatory collectable in the Splatoon 2 Hero Mode called "Callie's diary." At certain moments in the campaign Agent 4 and Marie find pages from Callie's diary as she explains her feelings and pain from being overworked and feeling some resentment as Marie has stopped calling or texting her. Marie looks so ashamed and disappointed and starts blaming herself for Callie's disappearance. Some of the diary entries include the photos found in Sunken Scrolls 21 and 22. The last diary entry found in Sector 4 is an emotional rant from Callie the day she went missing. She rants about how she can't take working anymore and how she's so lonely. Her last line is "if no one truly cares for me up here... Then... Maybe..." And there's a small tear stain at the bottom of the page.

Now for the final boss, the main plot points would occur sorta the same way, you fight Octavio and Callie, after a bit Marie comes in and shoots her in the eye, Callie calms down, blah blah blah. I actually really do like the idea of the "low tide ink" that the English translation team introduced. I think it's a neat idea that Marie has this special ink that calms someone down so I'll keep that for the rewrite.

However, during the final boss, i would make it to where Marie is really trying to reach to Callie and trying to convince her that she is loved and she matters, she tries to apologize for her actions and explains that Octavio is just manipulating her for the Octarians' goals. Callie fights back and doesn't wanna listen to her, constantly trying to shut her down. Marie even reminds Callie of their childhood and it almost gets to Callie, but she becomes more emotional and angry, she's so confused because deep down she knows Marie is right, but she's so scared to listen to her because she doesn't want to get abandoned again.

However what really gets to Callie is Marie collapsing on her knees and crying, just begging her badly to come back to her. And Marie says "I love you...." Callie is in shock and starts getting flashes of good memories with her and Marie. She holds the shades in her hands and destroys them. Callie leaps into the air and collides into Marie's arms, and they cry their eyes out and say sorry to each other.

The battle plays out the same but i would like to add another cutscene after Octavio gets his shit kicked in, Callie and Marie are on Sheldon's van and they look at the sunset together. I think that would be really sweet and connect beautifully with the credits and Fresh Start.

I took a lot of inspiration from the game Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and two boss fights in particular. The Miles vs. Peter fight, and the Spider-Man vs. Scream/MJ fight. In those boss fights, it's sort of like a therapy session for the characters in that the people under the symbiote are venting about their issues and expressing their anger they have kept hidden for so long, and the person on the other side is trying desperately to reach for them and save them from themselves. It's really powerful shit honestly and it made me feel emotional seeing Peter go "ALL I WANTED WAS TO SAVE EVERYONE! MJ! MAY! NOW THE CITY THINKS I'M THE PROBLEM! you think I'm the problem." Like i know it's kind of crazy to take inspiration from a game made for adults and take some of it into Splatoon but... I really don't give a shit. Children's media can show powerful scenes of characters struggling with their inner demons. They can do it and have proven to be successful. Children can handle it, they can.

Now... i have worked on a Splatoon 2 finale rewrite and I'm pretty much almost done with it, i need to finish the last bit of it and then go over it again so I'm fully happy with it. However i don't know how to present it as it's in the form of a script and idk how that's gonna work on tumblr, i mean i could put it on AO3 but idk if i wanna make an account just to post one thing on there and idk how many scripts get posted onto AO3 anyways...

It's like I'm a chef and I'm cooking something, but there's no waiter to deliver the food lmao.

ANYWAYS! Thank you for reading my autistic ass ramblings! I got so much free time that i just so much of it just writing down fan concepts for things on different games and stuff (I have a 42 page and counting document on a potential Sonic Frontiers 2.) Yeah... I got THAT kind of autism, not the maths and science one... Again, thank you for reading!

[babydollmarauders]

SNOW ON THE BEACH — LUKE HUGHES

luke hughes x fem!reader

part of the Midnights Fic List.

summary: in which shy, introverted y/n meets extroverted frat boy Luke and he takes a liking to her, even though everyone thinks they’re an odd match.

specific lyrics: “it’s like snow on the beach, weird but fuckin’ beautiful.”

notes: i really wanted frat boy Luke in order to really have them contrast each other, but i also didn’t wanna take away the hockey element or split up the UMich boys, so… Hockey House is a frat now. also, i don’t think i like this one, i feel like i could’ve done so much better but like halfway through writing this, my brain short-circuited and i couldn’t think of anything.

the library is packed. i should’ve expected it, with it being so close to finals week and all, but it still disappointed me nonetheless.

this was my favorite place to escape and read when my obnoxious dorm-mate had her friends over. it was quiet and usually pretty empty. so i could usually sit and read for a few hours until i was sure none of Alex’s friends were still there. none of them knew how to use an inside voice, and with our dorm just being one big room, they constantly thought that meant i would want to join in on their conversations. which were mainly gossip about the hockey team. so, coming in and finding every space in the library full, ruined my plans. i don’t want to go back to my dorm and be subjected to them debating which UMich hockey player has the cutest smile, so i guess that leaves me with one option; find a seat.

i let loose a sigh and scan the room for who seems to be the quietest. i hate small talk. i find a table with only one person sat at it, a guy with one airpod in and a textbook laid out in front of him, and decide that’s the one. i walk over, fully planning on just motioning to ask if i can sit, but when i come to a stop in front of the table and he doesn’t even look up, i know i’ll have to speak up. i take a deep breath before i let out the quietest ‘excuse me’ known to man. the boy still doesn’t look up from the textbook, and i don’t blame him, he probably didn’t even hear me.

“excuse me.” i say slightly louder. this time the boy finally looks up, but i’m struck on what to say. suddenly, all the mentally rehearsed words have left my mind. this may be the cutest boy i have ever seen.

“can i help you?” his voice is soft. not judgmental or rude like what i would’ve expected from him after i came over and interrupted his studying just to end up staring at him. i shake myself out of my thoughts and give a light nod.

“do you mind if i sit here?” i motion towards a chair diagonal from his. “everywhere else is full.”

the boy nods.

“oh, yeah, go ahead.” i give him a small and grateful smile before depositing myself in the chair. pulling my book and a few highlighters out from my tote bag before hanging it up on the back of my chair. i open my book to where i left off, setting the bookmark on the table. but before i can start reading, the boy speaks up again.

“sorry to interrupt but, you’re reading that for a class?” he asks. for some reason, i take a look at the front cover of my romance novel before talking.

“oh. no. i’m reading this for fun.” i tell him. my voice is quite, my tone soft.

“oh okay. i guess i just assumed you were here to study since everyone else is.” he lets out a breathy chuckle as he shrugs.

“no.” i shake my head before explaining- “i’m here to get away from my dorm-mate and her friends. they’re too loud for me to focus and they keep trying to get me to weigh in on their debates.”

“what are they debating?” he asks.

“well, when i left it was which Wolverines hockey player has the cutest smile.” i tell him, rolling my eyes.

“and who did you say?” he seems curious, and almost amused.

“no one.” i shrug. “i don’t know what any of them look like.”

he lets out a quiet laugh.

“well you know what one of them looks like now.” he says. my brows form a v and i’m about to ask him to clarify but then it hits me. oh. he’s a hockey player.

“oh.” is my awkward response.

“i’m Luke Hughes.” he smiles at me. well, i have my answer for the next debate now.

“i’m y/n.” i tell him. “nice to meet you.”

“you too.” he finally looks back down at his textbook, and i’m relieved to be free of any more small talk.

the next hour or so passes by silently, and i manage to finish the last 75 pages of my book without any interruptions. i close my book, and put my stuff back in my tote bag, at the same time that an alarm goes off on Luke’s phone. he turns it off and starts packing his stuff up as well. we stand simultaneously, and he sends me a quick amused expression. my steps to the exit are slow, and Luke falls in line with me, slowing his steps to match mine.

“my frat is having a party on Friday, you should come. collect some more data for the next debate.” he smirks, and i rack my brain for a nice way to say that i don’t do parties.

“i’m not really a party person.” i say.

“then what kind of person are you?” he asks. his eyes fall down my body before he looks back up to my face.

“um, the reading type, i guess? i don’t really like doing the whole people thing.” i confess. he nods in understanding.

“well, if you change your mind, come. and if you need to escape your dorm again, i’ll be here tomorrow, same time.” he winks before splitting off, walking the opposite direction as me.

my entire walk to my dorm, i rethink every word we shared, wondering if i sounded stupid. i mean, i would assume not because he didn’t seem put off by me, but who knows, maybe he’s just a good actor. he was really cute though, gosh i hope i didn’t unknowingly embarrass myself.

opening the door to my dorm, i’m disappointed to see that Alex and her friends are still here. they don’t usually hang out this long on a wednesday evening. and i have to hold back an eye roll when i realize that it doesn’t sound they’ve changed their topic of conversation at all since i’ve left. logically, i’m sure it has and they just circled back onto this topic, but i honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was all they were talking about the past couple hours.

“y/n! you didn’t answer before you left, so please, settle this for us!” one of them, Jess, says as she spots me. “which UMich hockey player has the best smile? i say Ethan Edwards, Alex says Rutger McGroarty, and Becca says Mark Estapa!”

my mind wanders back to the boy i was conversing with not too long ago and before i can think twice, i blurt out- “Luke Hughes.”

“you think so?” Becca asks “i feel like he rarely ever smiles. it’s so hard to get one out of him.”

“really?” i ask. they must be exaggerating, he smiled at me earlier. although, i think he was just being friendly.

“yeah! i have a class with him this semester and i swear he frowned at me when i tried to introduce myself. i mean, he’s still hot, but still.” Becca replies, shrugging.

“oh.” i say. what does that mean? if he wasn’t friendly to her when they met, then why would he smile and be friendly with me?

“oooh y/n is blushing! i think she likes him!” Alex coos.

“i don’t like him.” i turn away, letting my hair fall in front of me to hide my apparently pink cheeks. i set my tote bag on my desk chair and slip my shoes off before taking a seat on my bed.

“i think she does!” Jess joins in on the teasing, and now i’m regretting having left the solitude of the library. “a bit of an odd match, you two.”

i’m not sure whether i should be offended by her statement or not, but for some reason i am. i don’t plan on dating him, but hearing her say we wouldn’t match together makes me feel insulted.

“what is that supposed to mean?” i retort.

“she didn’t mean anything by it.” Alex defends her friend. “she’s just saying, Luke is an extrovert, he likes to party and let loose, he has a lot of friends. and you’re… the opposite. i don’t think i’ve seen you go out once in the entire school year that we’ve shared a room. you keep to yourself. like, we’ve been trying to include you so that you’re not lonely, but you always say you’re going to the library. you and Luke just don’t seem like you’d fit together.”

“i didn’t ask you to include me. i like being alone. people are draining.” i say. i don’t like their pity on me. it’s not like i don’t have friends. i do. we’re just all introverted and our hangouts between classes is enough social interaction for us. we don’t care for going out partying on weekends or anything. if we do want to hang out on the weekend, we’ll usually do a movie night at Casey and Ellie’s apartment. but the way Alex explains it makes my life sound pitiful, and it makes me defensive, so before i can stop myself, i speak again. “and for your information, i’m going to a party on friday.”

the trio gasps, as though this information is scandalous.

“oh my god, are you going the party at Hockey House?” Becca asks. ‘hockey house’, the nickname for the frat house in which most of the UMich hockey players live. the frat is comprised solely of hockey players, so i guess the nickname makes sense. “for Luke?”

“yes, i’m going to the party. but no, not for Luke.” i tell them. why did i say i was going to that party? i hate parties. i even already told Luke so.

**

friday evening has come, and i can’t even back out of going to the party because Alex, Becca, and Jess have decided we should carpool together. so now i’m stuck in this commitment.

when Becca and Jess arrive to pick Alex and i up, i become aware that i’m the only one not wearing a dress or skirt of some kind. instead i’m dressed casual, in jeans and a tank top, paired with an oversized cardigan to keep me protected from the evening breeze. but it’s too late to change now.

arriving to the party is a hassle on its own, with the girls fussing over whether they look good enough to bag a hockey player, and having a hard time finding a parking spot. and when we finally walk into the party, i immediately want to leave. music is blasting from multiple speakers, everyone is holding a stereotypical red solo cup, and the house is packed. i’m quickly forgotten about by the other girls, them walking off to get drinks and stop to have conversations with a few of the hockey guys. i still don’t actually know any of the players names, besides Luke.

i scan the room, but i’m not entirely sure what i’m looking for. or who. all my friends are probably laying in bed right now. before i can even figure out who i’m looking for, i hear my name being called.

“y/n!” i turn my head towards the voice and find a guy from my ‘intro to business’ class coming towards me. i think his name is Dylan, but it seems like everyone just calls him Duke. “never seen you at a party before!”

“yeah, it’s not usually my scene.” i tell him with an awkward smile.

“i figured. you give me more of the ‘reading in my room’ vibes.” he laughs.

“am i that obvious?” i joke. he laughs again and nods.

“you look pretty out of place. let me introduce you to some of my friends.” he takes ahold of my wrist and pulls me towards a group of guys in the kitchen. i’m immediately uncomfortable, they all seem intimidating, and i’m not great around boys. we get closer to the group and Duke begins to introduce me. “guys, this is-”

“y/n! you came!” i look over to see Luke, and i can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face when i see his wide grin. he slings an arm around my shoulders, and Duke’s jaw drops.

“THIS is the y/n you’ve been talking about? the one from the library?” Duke asks. i can feel my face heating up. he’s been talking about me? i hope he’s not saying anything bad about me.

“yup. this is my future girlfriend.” Luke exclaims, and i choke on my own spit.

what?! we barely know anything about each other! all i know is his name is Luke, he has the prettiest smile i’ve ever seen, and he plays hockey. pretty sure all he knows about me is my name and that i have an annoying roommate.

“hm. an odd match.” Duke ponders. there’s that phrase again! but now seeing Luke in his natural habitat, partying and joking with friends, and even just him being so confident, i can’t help but wonder if Duke and the girls are right. Luke and i do seem to contrast each other.

“what’s that supposed to mean?” Luke asks defensively.

“hey, i’m not saying that’s a bad thing!” Duke rebuts. “you guys are just kinda… opposites of each other.”

“opposites attract.” Luke shrugs. i’m kind of confused. does my opinion matter? Luke seems pretty confident that i like him back.

“uh, Luke.” i speak up. he looks down at me where i’m still tucked into his side. “we don’t really know anything about each other.”

“when you know, you know.” he shrugs.

**5 YEARS LATER**

i stare up at my now husband from my seat beside him with watery eyes and a soft smile.

“and i told her, ‘when you know, you know.’” he looks back down at me from his standing position. “and i knew. from the first time we met, i knew this would be the girl i spend the rest of my life with.”

everyone in the reception hall claps as Luke ends his speech. he gives me a soft kiss on the cheek before whispering in my ear.

“you got this, baby.” his hand clasps my shaky one and gives it a quick tight squeeze. i take one big deep breath and stand up, i hate public speaking, but i wrote my speech and i will read it.

“i didn’t know. well, at least not as quick as Luke.” a few people chuckle at that. “but what i do know, is that i went to my first party for him. which spoke volumes for me. and i thought he had the most amazing smile to ever exist.”

i look down at Luke and see the grin spread across his face.

“look, there it is!” i point to him as i look back at the reception hall full of our friends and family and everyone laughs. “i still think it’s the best smile, but i might be biased now. when we started dating, we had people calling us an odd match, i even had a friend compare us to ‘snow on the beach.’ she said we were ‘weird but beautiful.’”

“i used to think it was an insult, but now i look back and realize, our friends were right, we are an odd match.” i look back at Luke and now it’s my turn to smile. he takes ahold of my hand, squeezing it as a few tears roll down my cheeks. i finish my speech while maintaining eye contact with him. “but i like our differences, we balance each other out, and i can’t imagine what my life would be like if i hadn’t liked your confidence so much that night. i’m so grateful that i get to spend the rest of my life calling myself your wife.”

Luke stands, winding his arms around my waist and pulling me in for a sweet, slow kiss. i can hear everyone clapping, and someone lets out a loud “WOOO!”

i can distinctly tell that was Jack, and it makes me interrupt the kiss with a giggle. Luke just takes that chance to pull back and pepper my face in pecks. blood rushes to my face at the thought of our family and friends watching him do this, but he doesn’t care. his confidence is a constant, no room for embarrassment.

yeah, maybe my friend was right; Luke and i are like snow on the beach. at first glance, we’re an unlikely duo, different in a lot of ways, but we make a great couple and our love is beautiful.

[claireelle18]

She’s a Gem - Vince Dunn

Shoutout to @cellythefloshie for gushing about this man, and encouraging this write. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Vince bought her some sort of sparkly gem for every major occasion that happened between the two. The tradition started after he won Lord Stanley, because she deserved something shiny. Paper rings were what he made her on every date leading up to the first gem. The St. Louis 2018-2019 team won the Stanley cup. He got his Stanley Cup and the ring to go along with it. He bought her Sapphires. This was the first major gift he ever gave her. The two only had been dating a little under a year when he did this. He said it was because she needed to rock something blue to go along with his gear. She wore the set every game, even during the bubble series. It made her feel closer to him, even though he was in Toronto, and FaceTimes were the only form of face to face either got of each other. Her shadow box with the paper rings he made her sitting next to the new box containing her first gem.

When news broke he was going to Seattle during the expansion, she was the first one to cheer on the new opportunity, even if that turned them long distance again. In the bubble, she moved home to Florida to be around her family. Due to the world turning back to some weird level of normal, the couple was allowed to see each other again. He wasn’t in the bubble anymore. He presented her with Aquamarines to match his new team’s jersey color. “You need to be able to coordinate correctly, loves,” he explained. A small promise to her that she had his heart. Her box of paper rings, more added to the collection of both because again he continued the original tradition for every date. She took the move to Seattle right before the fall season, right before the hockey season started up. She had been out of the Florida heat for a while, but her wardrobe was bright, cheery, Key West colorations. What did he get her? Pink Ethiopian opals. They reminded him of her so much, matching her personality (and her clothes). October 23, 2021 - Vince Dunn scores his first goal as a defensemen for the Seattle Kraken. The following day, he took her out and bought her black pearls. “What? I can’t celebrate my first goal with a new team by spoiling my hunny with some new jewelry?” “I’m not saying you can’t, but Vince this is about you!” “And it wouldn’t be for me without my number one cheering me on from the sidelines.” A paper ring adorning her ring finger at that time. “Vince Dunn! You better not tell your mother you just said I’m your number one! She’ll be heartbroken!” ‘Ha,’ he thought. His mother would be estatic, knowing that there was good reason behind that statement.

She landed a new job in Seattle, finally, after being out there for a couple of months. Peruvian blue opals for her new job, and because it was another reason for him to gift her with something to reminder her of him. “What? Can’t spoil my girl?” “Vin, it’s your birthday celebration!”

“So? My beautiful girlfriend will now have something to wear and think about me while she rocks the new job!” She rolled her eyes, and thanked him again. The opals came in back to back sets, along with the pearls, due to the fact that their birthdays were days apart from each other. That paper ring collection larger than imagined when the tradition started. He couldn’t resist giving her options and reminders of him, every major chance he could. Whenever she wore them, it made his heart swell with pride. She loved it because he took the time to choose each item, each one holding so much meaning to their relationship. Maybe one day these would be passed down to their children, and then their children, and so on. The two had talked multiple times, at length, for the future, what it held for the couple - marriage, children, a real house. Over the off season break, he put his next plan of what celebration the two would have. The biggest decision for him. That ring. Not her paper rings, not the other rings that matched the sets of jewelry previously gifted. He had been giving it thoughts for a year now. First season completed in Seattle, he was ready for that next step with her. She donned his name multiple times for years, stitched into all the jerseys. She had stuck through it all with him. Every twist, turn, bump, and loop-de-loop life threw at them. Glued to his side. The ups and downs, highs and lows, every moment. That old box of paper rings proving every day their commitment. He knew she kept them all. He finally settled on the perfect ring for her. A 3.5 karat diamond with a titanium band. Classic, with minor flare. A little more flashy than the others in her now decent size collection, but she deserves the attention. The most important piece she’d own.

He found it by accident while out with the boys back in Toronto. Home for him is with her, no matter where they are. The group had popped into an antique based shop, and as she was more of a timeless, classic girl, he took a peek at what the case held. Nestled in red velvet, sat the ring. Then and there he saw her with that particular one adorning her finger. A little more shiny and sparkling, definitely a conversation starter. Similar to her grandmother’s ring that she said she adored growing up. The marquise cut, flower set diamond ring. Immediately he rang his mother, followed by her mother. Both were in agreeance. That ring was meant to be hers. Without a second thought, he bought it.

He had the girl of his dreams. He now had the perfect ring. All he needed was the perfect place to ask her that all so important question. She wasn’t the type to care for the general cheesy proposals. He needed something more meaningful, more unique.

He held onto that ring until their trip to the Bahamas with some of the other teammates that weren’t selected for the All Stars series. Sunset on the balcony of their hotel room with drinks, and a hidden bottle of champagne to celebrate with further after he asked. His phone hidden and recording to keep this moment forever.

Her back facing the camera, she was admiring the fire painted sky. He came up, hugging her from behind. The box in his pocket feeling heavier than before. “Hey hunny…you know that I love you, right?” He asked her.

“Yeah, of course I do loves. Why do you ask?”

He was already nervous, a little giddy even. He never thought he’d be there, ready to ask her to be by his side forever. He took her hand making her face him. “I say that because…be…because…I want to spend the until the end of time with you.” He drops down to one knee, his ocean tumbled curls falling into his eyes. “For years already you’ve worn my last name proudly across your back, but now I want you to share that last name. Our last name across your back. I want those future moments we’ve talked about time and time again. Will you marry me?” He pulled out the velvet box, that ring glinting, reflecting the scorching colors.

Her eyes sparkled with tears that threatened to tumble down her cheeks. “Of course I’ll marry you Vince!” He slipped the ring on, she pulled him in for a kiss.

After dinner and celebrations, back in the hotel room. “You picked a wonderful ring. Knowing me so well for this shiny one,” she commented to him. “But you know I’d marry you with paper rings if it came down to it. You’re the one I want.”

[jungle-angel]

"I Don't Need A Nurse" (Sentry x Reader)

Summary: Your husband insists that he can take care of himself, but just this once, he'll let you help him

Warnings: Light smut (ya'll know the rules), hurt, injuries etc.

Tagging: @floydsmuse @attapullman @withahappyrefrain @hangmanapologist

You didn't realize how long you had been asleep until you blinked your eyes open and found your copy of "The Mists Of Avalon" splayed on the floor, the pages slightly dog-eared and crumpled from the fall. You picked it up and stuck it on the coffee table, rubbing the grog from your eyes, surprised that it had already gotten dark out.

You looked at F.R.I.D.A.Y's screen in the kitchen, each one with a small, typed message from the rest of the team. A few were due to return in an hour, some were still out for the night and others had gone to help down at S.H.I.E.L.D due to an emergency. A loud meow from Goose had caught your attention, the orange tabby hopping up onto the kitchen counter and his tail swishing as you scratched his ears.

All of a sudden you felt something warm around your ring finger on your left hand. You looked down and found that your wedding ring, the one Jane and Thor had made in the dwarven forges of Asgard, was glowing bright white.

Robert.

You saw something streak across the sky followed by the sound of a quinjet approaching the landing pad outside. Relieved though you were, it was unusual that your husband and the rest of the team was home this early.

You rushed outside with Goose hot at your heels, the engines on the jet dying down and the back hatch opening. Out stepped Steve and Robert first and the rest of the team behind them, your husband looking a little worse for wear. The white hospital scrubs were torn and tattered, his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead, the paper tag bracelet still around his wrist and a pained look on his face.

You rushed right to him and he immediately caught you in his arms. "Oh baby......baby......m'so hot and tired," he panted.

"What happened?" you asked him.

"Mission took longer than we thought," he winced.

"Why don't you two go inside," Steve told you both. "We'll finish up here."

You helped Robert back into the tower, your ring having cooled down and the glow now so faint that it could hardly be seen. It took a while, but at last he was home and in your shared apartment where he could rest.

You ran a hot bath in the adjoining bathroom, not even bothering to measure the epsom salts you had dumped into the steaming water. You had tried the traditional way of getting his clothes off, but Robert was in so much pain that he could barely lift his arms.

You went straight to the First Aid kit in the medicine cabinet and pulled out the surgical scissors, cutting away the ratty scrubs that would be used for kitchen rags later on. Robert sucked in a breath as you helped him into the hot water and helped him clean the cuts, scratches and bruises that were all over him.

"Baby thank you," he croaked.

You kissed the crown of his head and put a cold soaked washcloth on the back of his neck. "You know I'd do anything for you," you whispered.

As soon as Robert was done, you helped him out and left a fresh set of clothes on the bed for him just in case he wanted them, but sleeping naked seemed to be the better option, even with the air conditioning going.

"Aw fuck!" he hissed, laying on his back. "Fuckin hurts."

"Well shit Bob where doesn't it hurt?" you chuckled.

"Here," he said, pointing to his cheek.

You rolled your eyes and pressed a gentle kiss to his soft cheek.

"Right here," he mumbled, pointing to the other.

You kissed his other cheek. You could feel the lazy smile forming on his face already.

Robert silently pointed to his lips, a yearning look in his eyes and the need and want for you burning inside him. Your lips met his, the kiss sweet and gentle but passionate and fiery all at once. You let it linger as his eyes fluttered shut and soon he was quietly snoring away in deep sleep. You crawled in next to him, your head resting on his chest and the strong beat of his heart putting you to sleep.

[thefavchilde]

STAY A LITTLE LONGER (FOR NO SAKE BESIDES MY OWN)

pairing: reigen arataka x gn reader

synopsis: when spirits are low in the office (pun intended), serizawa calls on you, an old friend, to play makeshift pr agent to get business back up. unfortunately, a certain not technically boss of yours isn’t ready for you to leave, and metaphorically blocks the exit for as long as he can manage.

category: fluff, crack, #stomp on dimple 2023, serizawa has friends as a kid au idk plot convenience

a/n: my first non genshin writing on this blog. sorry i literally do not post consistently lol. i just had this idea and felt like writing something for it.

Reigen Arataka was a man of many words. Not dignified, not solemn nor sincere, but many words nevertheless. Any professionalism he managed to maintain was nothing short of an act. So, it was no surprise to Serizawa when Reigen had slipped up a few too many times in his attitude and services, and for the first time in a short while, the reputation of Spirits and Such began to fall. Enter you.

In a pit of despair, where all hope for a split second was lost, a shining beacon came through (as Reigen described it, “just like in minecraft) in the form of Serizawa’s childhood friend who he’d recently picked up contact with again. Sure, you’d just been laid off from a job with no relevance at all, but he knew you were head of your debate team as a student, and so he suggested the company pay you to be a makeshift PR agent until things were more smooth sailing again.

Well, you didn’t have any better options, did you?

If you weren’t previously aware of Serizawa’s psychic powers, you would’ve totally called bullshit on your first entry. Long story short, the place looked sketchy as shit. Hell, even their website looked like a museum displaying computer viruses since the beginning of time. It was lively though, that you could appreciate. You worked in a small circle, but everyone was welcoming. You’d taken a fair liking to the boss, Reigen; though Serizawa had warned you of his antics, you could only find him amusing for it. You couldn’t help but click with him. Aside from him, a less than pathetic looking spirit called Dimple lingered around, as well as a middle school kid they’d dubbed as Mob passing through on occasion to lend a hand.

Your makeshift corner of the office grew to feel like a second home. Reigen had helped you decorate it in your first couple of days, which Dimple claimed was completely unlike him to go so out of his way, but you didn’t think much of it.

Unbeknownst to you, Dimple was onto something. To him, the situation was glaringly obvious, and you just couldn’t get the memo through that thick mortal skull of yours. Did you not see the way Reigen’s eyes practically had the life injected into them when you entered the room? Were you blind or plain stupid?

You seem to find yourself alone in the office with Reigen more often than you had anticipated. Fleeting gazes and touches are exchanged, though not addressed at any point during your ever flowing conversation. Reigen found himself totally enamoured with you and your personality. You seemed to be somewhat alike in charisma, as he picked up on your natural capabilities in socialising over time. You did your job and you did it well. That’s the reason Reigen told himself he wanted to keep you around so badly. Yet, the thought kept circling. The realisation of how badly he’d miss you once you left.

All comes to a halt one evening, a few shifts before you were due to leave. You’d been with S&S for around a month and things seemed to be getting back on track, thus giving you not much visible reason to be here. After you pack your things and leave, smiling warmly as you shut the door behind you, Reigen’s eyes don’t leave the door. He zones out completely. Everyone had gone home for the night, leaving him alone. Or so he thought, as Dimple moves to loom over his shoulder once more.

“Do you ever leave me alone?” He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He’s visibly agitated. So stressed that if you approached him he might pop, like stabbing a needle into a balloon. Truthfully, he knows exactly what this is about before Dimple can even speak at all.

“Are you gonna ask them or not?” Dimple questions him bluntly, not bothering to tread lightly around the topic.

Reigen decides to play dumb, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” His face is screwed up and his posture is unnaturally stiff in that chair. He might as well have not even bothered to lie at all.

“Everytime [Name] leaves through that door, you look more and more dejected. You gonna miss all of their glitz and glamour, Reigen? Is that it? Gonna miss how they greet you every morning, with that smile that just makes your stomach do flips?”

Reigen practically growls his response through gritted teeth, refusing to look in his direction. “Let’s not.” He warns. “[Name] and I have a strictly professional relationship, and I’d much prefer to keep it that way.”

“You’re pathetic, you know that?”

“I am nothing of the sort.”

“Well-“ Dimple begins, forcing his way infront of Reigen’s line of vision, to which he simply turns his head once more in response. “What else- or who else- do you have going for you? You’re gonna let this chance slip by?”

“…I should fire you.”

“Am I officially employed? I don’t believe I ever signed a contract. And you expect to get rid of me how exactly?”

“Whatever, I’ll have to think about it. I’ll get back to you.”

“Good luck confessing by the end of the week. I’m not counting on you.”

Reigen can easily tell that Dimple’s method here was reverse psychology. It didn’t take a genius to catch on to the fact he was trying to get inside his head. Still, it worked. He just happened to be aware of it.

He spends the next two days preparing. He runs through plans with Serizawa and runs through errands with Mob. Flowers, your favourite sweets, nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from the fact that he assigns Mob the task of quite literally stealing from his school art department instead of just buying what he needed, simply because the thought didn’t cross his mind, as obvious as it may have seemed. All he needs is a large sheet of card and some colourful pens. And a quiet office. He’d have to wait for you to leave on the Wednesday evening to prepare everything.

He questions his own sanity throughout this process. What if he got rejected? Is this all going to be for nothing?

Dimple keeps a close eye on things, but refuses to interfere. He still doesn’t believe Reigen has the balls to follow through. He has killed social skills with strangers, but on the contrary, he himself was the stranger when it came down to love.

Reigen certainly lacks the confidence when Thursday rolls around. He can’t swallow the lump in his throat, and his fears manifest themselves in the pit of his stomach, making him feel very much ill. He yet again second guesses himself and the whole proposal. Stepping back from the setup, he concludes he shares more traits with a high schooler asking their crush to prom than an actual grown adult.

As expected, you’re the first one in, and yet Reigen practically jumps out of his skin, fumbling for the sign and gifts as you widen your eyes, totally confused. He holds up the sign with the best, least awkward smile he can manage- which is very awkward still- and you reciprocate his expression. Your eyes scan over the writing, surrounded by hearts and stars.

“Stay a little longer

(For no sake besides my own)”

You can’t help but burst out into laughter. Not maliciously- you’re very flustered by the whole ordeal, actually- but rather out of surprise.

“You like me? Romantically? You like me?”

“…Yes. Sorry- this was totally unprofessional. Wrong way to go about it, especially seeing as you barely even know me and yet here I am. Genuinely, no hard feelings, I promise-“ He begins regretfully before you cut him off.

“No, I definitely like you back. Pretty good way to go about it.” You grin, stepping closer. “My favourite sweets, too. You know me better than you think.”

“Oh- seriously?”

“Like so seriously. If you’re interested in keeping me on the team, maybe you can discuss that with me on our first date.” You wink, and although out of your sight, Dimple curses himself for being wrong. Reigen had actually gone and done it. Turns out he was slightly less pathetic than the spirit had once presumed.

[chungledown-bimothy]

You know what I believe with all my heart?

The perfect pokemon for gilear is Psyduck. Just the most round Psyduck you've ever seen. With very little breaks in between headaches.

Ideas for at least one pokemon that matches each bad kid personality? You can do other fantasy high characters too if you want ...

Oh my god you are so fucking correct.

The problem is that you've activated my pokemon special interest. What I really want to do now is build a whole team for each bad kid. And maybe other parties as well.

For now, though, just a quick and not super thorough answer (i say, having taken 45 minutes to do this):

(I need you to know that it took so much self restraint to not make sure that all of the pokemon i choose have similar BSTs)

Fig- Skeledirge. That's a fire type bard right there.

Gorgug- Aegislash. Steel type seems kinda mandatory, but also there's something to Gorgug having these seemingly contradictory qualities of being anxious and withdrawn vs his barbarian rage, and the shield and blade form fit with that nicely, I think.

Adaine- Medicham. Mostly for the typing, tbh- psychic/fighting just makes sense for her. Honestly I'm not super happy with this one, but I've already put way more time into this question than I intended lol

Riz- Alolan Raticate. Very round, very small, very bitey. Specifically Alolan bc to me, rogue = dark type.

Kristen- Eevee. It feels really bad putting such a weak pokemon here, but with her whole arc being, like, she left her religion and she's got so many options as to who and what she can be. Like Adaine, there's probably a better answer I'm just not seeing right now.

Fabian- Quaquaval- fighting type and he dances now!

[thescribeoflostmemories]

The Sweet Fairy and The Bitter Fool; Pas De Deux

(Pierro x Ballerina! reader)

He looks like the type to enjoy Tchaikovsky music. Unedited

Tw: creep watching (just him looking at you too hard while dancing), him touching around (waist, thighs, hands, ect.). Huge ass age gap, Thinking a little too deep (aka imagination going off).

***********************************************

Alone you were in all your glory, twirling, prancing in the empty ballroom. It had been several months since you first visit Zapolyarny Palace. Pierro kept a close eye on you to make sure no foul play is afoot. The Fatui agent who was supposed to be stationed at your door ordered by your honorable knight while he's away, though somehow got rather ill yesterday. A painfully average employee who's lucky enough to receive your attention. You had other options until the other Harbingers were too busy with their work. The smile that plastered on your face only soured his mood, though to think the jester himself would rather watch the performance than to use his spare time wisely.

"Oh!" The director of the organization looked at your figure, dressed in a leotard and the short puffy skirt bounced whenever you moved.  The outfit itself is a tease to no end, the way those tight fitting clothes hugged your form. Giving the sense of elegance and grace. Nothing but mockery from the voice of his pessimistic side. He's older, while you? You're still young, with a life ahead. 

Your attention went to the phonograph that Capitano bought for you to listen to a Snezhnaya classic. You're rather fond of certain artists, it's obvious which music you would rather have. Given that your body would love to dance to it. 

You have been gaining a bit of weight as of late. Though you had told Capitano to lessen your meal for the sake of some of your joys in life. It took a bit of convincing and feeding half of your meal to your bodyguard and personal maid since the service is too much.

Part of you is rather saddened that you couldn't fully express what the composer had written, it affected your performance. 

Everything's an art with you. With how you'd carry yourself with such compassion, humility, purity even. Pierro truly believed that the will of the Tsaritsa must be done, so that people like you could live in the cryo archon's reign in the new world.

Soft and gentle music emitted from the record player. Little hops to twirls in sudden pause. The older gentleman had thought a little fairy played around the room instead. Your act is reminiscent of a fairy, a fairy so sweet to hide the hidden sorrows that you, the dancer that carried those emotions, had always wondered how artists could possibly grasp and convey each emotion so accurately.

Once you made a full turn and noticed Pierro by the door, you put a halt to the performance.

"P-pierro! My lord, g-greetings, I didn't expect to meet you here.." the thumps of your heart beat like a hummingbird's.

"Carry on little fairy, your ghostly admirers await for you to dance until not only fragile steps have ached but the wings as well. " Your eyebrows furrowed a bit when he said that, poor girl. The complex prose had muddled your thoughts!

"Aren't you a little uncomfortable watching from there? There are some seats available." Trying to be at least respectful to one of the Harbingers that allowed you to be under their care.

"Thank you, pardon the interruption." The Jester starts to step closer.

"Did that little dove fly in and entice you for a round of applause? " He asked, out of curiosity.

" Uh.. Well, Miss Sandrone and Miss Columbina have given me the opportunity to do this. " Replied, unsure of how to talk to him. The loud steps of his shoes echoed, which only intimidated a small thing like you. In contrast to your steps, his were like a team of mighty horses trained and bred for battle.

" Do you like it?" Returning the question. With no words to better fit it, he just nodded.

“I’m glad.” You gave a small smile, probably big enough for only a finger to enter. “Not everyone I used to know liked the idea of dancing. Most would call it unbecoming of a lady.” Oh, he can imagine alright. It would be more than enough to make a person go feral, especially with a precious little fairy like you. He got closer, lessening the space between you both. 

"Do you want me to teach you some techniques? Well I don't know much, but I could try and teach you what I know." Your hand outstretched for him, it's a lot smaller than his own gloved covered hand. 

With a bit of hesitance, he took yours.  “Please tell me if you couldn’t keep up okay?” 

Time has passed as none knows what time is. Pierro worked up a bit of sweat despite being in the region of icy tundra, while you had sweat dripping down your head glistening against the soft light, you remained calm and composed.

The dance continued onward, dipping your body down while your leg raised. There are times in the duet, where you had separated from him, he had to go after you. He never felt so young in his lifetime of misery and duty, chasing after a dame. Keeping you close to him for the majority of the session. Enjoying the most whenever he spun you around. But he is delighted when you go away from him only to run, and perch upon his shoulder. Like a trained little canary, letting out a melodious giggle.

Though in turn he too surprised you. The next time your body dips down, his hands quickly scooped you up, swaying your body until he held you over his shoulder. His strong hand on your belly, near your under breasts. He earned an astonished sound from your lips. 

In the end Pierro himself had to let go of the sweet fairy, letting you twirl around. Like his own soul now twain. The warmth of your delicate hands, the feel of his hands on your body. He had wondered if you would willingly jump into his arms if the opportunity reveals itself that your initial protector no longer values a sweet little fairy like you. He had this inkling of hope that you would make him a selfish request.

He left, not wanting to stay anymore. He left just as quickly he accepted your bewitching spell placed upon him. Leaving you all confused and sad, thinking you have done something to upset him. You didn’t, it’s just that he has to take swift care of all those thoughts you gave him. Especially with those (color) lips of yours, to taste and use.

I swear I'm going feral while doing this ngl. Who knew that this old man could be attractive? I'm legit questioning my anime men preferences rn…  😂 Ey yo, ya’ll want me to make a part 2 for pierro? and plesse tell me if I use TW right. I just noticed nearly every one uses it.

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 1-0 Fulham

A late Zirkzee finish in front of the Stretford End gives United an opening three points against a tough Fulham side.

I had written a lovely, long review about the game. Then my postcode had two powercuts and my motivation took a beating. We go again.

United looked a lot better than last season. We lack that cutting edge at present, but you can hone a team with time. United have an injured Hojlund and a slightly unfit Zirkzee. Playing a false 9 for most of the game saw United miss chance after chance without a focal point. Future games will be better - with or without the striker options.

The biggest positive was United at the back: Mazraoui looks GOOD. Like, Dalot should be worried about his spot good AND with only a few days to train with the squad and attempt to gel.

The upside is LB is fucked with Shaw/Malacia, so Dalot as an inverted playmaker LB could work... but I don't like him there as much as RB. Still, solid from him today. Great from Martinez, Maguire and Maz.

United as a whole were better defensively too; pressing was as a team unit, ala Klopp's Liverpool last season. The effort didn't feel wasted or disjointed. Fulham managed just 10 shots, and only 2 on target - figures we could only DREAM of last season.

That said, Fulham weren't shoddy either. Smith Rowe seems to have settled in immediately, Muniz played the target man role well, and Antonee Robinson looked really nice at LB. Potential summer '25 signing levels of nice (though he does turn 28 next August).

There are three issues remaining for me at present:

Casemiro lacks positional discipline to be a 6. We need Ugarte or similar.

Rashford lacks confidence. He should have been greedy and finished that chance at the end, not offload it to Garnacho. It wasn't selfless, it was scared.

We're way better with actual strikers than doing the false 9 schtick.

That said, given the wonky season last year, this was markedly better. Non-United fans were calling it boring, but it's not an easy game agaisnt Marco Silva's sides. He's a good coach, drills teams well, and Fulham will be firmly mid-table this year, if not maybe higher. Rashford with confidence finishes that late chance. That's 2-0. Bruno and Casemiro each came close, there's 3 or 4 nil. Maybe with confidence Rashford forces something else to happen, opens a gap for other players... these things matter.

A winning start to the season is a good start, and it quietens the doubters. We have to of course keep winning and keep performing, but form and fitness both come with time, and if today's performance is anything to go by we're only a few little improvements off being a genuine force and back to Top 4 levels.

Shoutout to Mazraoui, Maguire, Licha, and Bruno today. Four big shifts that kept United in control of the match. Keep it up.

To finish, enjoy this little post-match interview from Lissandro (ft. Jamie 'He's too small' Carragher)🔥

[larandia011]

RESISTING FIRE / JOEL MILLER X READER

PART 1

Plot: Freya is the most intimidating woman in every room she walks into, but when she starts working for Joel, who is desperate to protect her at any cost, she is forced to come to terms with her own submission to him.

Notes: This is an intro to a sexual dom/sub love story, but I just wanted the beginning of my story out there to test the waters. It is meant for the reader to imagine themselves as Freya. I hope you enjoy it!

--

Boston was unusually gloomy on that Monday. A thick layer of fog had layered itself over the quarantine zone. The fog, combined with the frequent gusts of wind hurling sand around the air, made it hard to breath. I had a rag wrapped around my face to not inhale too much of the ash that the six-foot fire spit out, yet the heat painfully stung my skin, broiling my insides for each inhale I took. The glares from the fire spit out on the asphalt, singeing my feet anytime I managed to walk where a part of my shoe had ripped from its sole.

It was the morning of my third shift assigned to infected-burning duty, which I would have never been considered for if not for Tess, who had called it an early birthday gift by calling in a favor and got me «promoted» from the humble gigs as a trash-picker. A better workout, she had argued when she told me. As a mid-twenties woman with no prior skills from before the outbreak, my options in the quarantine were strictly limited to low-paid gigs or spending the days standing at the fabrics-stall alongside my mother. Compared to the latter, scorching heat and dead bodies sounded like a picnic.

I was lucky to meet Tess in my early teens, who raised me as her little sister. She had found me in the tunnels trying to swing at a FEDRA-soldier at the ripe age of 14, saving me just in time to not get shot. I had a hugely rebellious and dominating nature, not fitting in the shapes of my mothers cautious and victim-like behavior. So she took me under her wing and trained me to be as strong as her. We still sparred every single morning in the abandoned tunnels, with the promise that one day I would one day join her and Joels smuggling business when I was ready. I would still argue every week that I was, and though reluctant, she eventually agreed. Joel however, would shut down the subject before it ever started. He joined the occasional training, but rarely said a word or picked up a weapon.

I felt an uneasiness around him, along with most people in the qz. Hid frame broad and tall, his body a hardened shell. His face rarely conveyed any expression, yet his eyes were flooded of emotion. If, by a rare occasion, his eyes met mine, they pierced into my soul, analyzing me, making me flushed with color and feeling small in his intimidating figure.As determined as I was to not let anyone make me feel that way, I almost backed out when Tess informed me he would be the leader on the burn-gig for the next couple of weeks. Yet, I quickly viewed it as an opportunity to show him I had become a valuable asset for them in their smuggling-business. Unconsciously, i had never felt more motivated to finally get any form of approval by him.

«Freya, pick up the pace kid,» he barked at me as he walked by. Unphased by his comment, as they were equally distributed to everyone, I continued in the same pace. I was in better shape then anyone on the team, my arms carrying a lot more muscle then they showed off on my slender physique. My face was plump and young, not taking too much distain from the darkness of our surroundings. I almost looked too bright and alive to fit the picture, something I disproved by not being in the least a pleasant nor bright and witty girl.

Inattentively having my thoughts occupied by Joels comment, i threw the 170lb corpse over my shoulder and into the pit, causing glares of ash to burst at me. As one of the glares hit the an exposed part of my feet, I lost control and stumbled towards the fire, my hand touching the flames. The sudden pain throbbed through my arm, making me fall to my knees instinctively. «Fuck.. Fuck me!» I cried out and grabbed onto the railing of the truck behind me for support. The rest of the team had turned immune to screams and agony and did not even flinch, with the exception of one of the younger men who yelled out to the others «princess is down everyone! Only took 3 days too. You owe me a ration card Bill». The others laughed out in union. I was in no state to acknowledge the comment, but lowered my head in a small defeat. I had proved their prejudices towards me, and there was no turning back from it.

Joel was the only one who came over to help, yet he too looked highly bothered and unconcerned with the situation. His gestures did not match his face, as he delicately placed my hand in his and traced it softly with his rough, dirt-stained fingers. Knowing he would not care to look at me, I stared at him in confusion and sympathy. This was the first time he had touched me, sending waves of energy through my pain-ridden body. I tensed, not knowing what to make of my unexpected reaction. How could a man you would be afraid to even get caught looking at, have a touch that felt so tender, with hands so soft you feel yourself caving at his caress? A vision of who he was before the outbreak immediately caught my mind. Someone gentle, kind, happy.¨

«Freya?» I snapped back to the present to see that he had caught me staring at him longer than I should have, looking at me. My cheeks flushed to a bright pink color, my words at a loss. I was never intimidated or awkward around men. He was the only one who had that effect on me. He kept his gaze fixed on my face for a quick second, and looked back down at the red and blistering burn on the palm of my hand. «Shit, it doesn't look good. I'll have to bandage it, and then you need to go home.You won't be of use to me with one functioning hand.» His deep, rusty voice made the words sound like humming.

I wiped all softness off my face. «Try me,» i snarked back at him. «I will have to be six feet under before I give up todays ration cards.» He looked at me with an amused expression, his features almost forming a smirk, before he stopped himself and let his face fall again. I almost broke through the mask, I proudly thought to myself, trying to refrain from smiling so he would understand that I was not joking around. I was not about to be the weak link of the crew. It couldn't be too hard lifting with one hand.

«Calm down, tough guy. I get you're trying to show off your strength here, but I'm not killing off my crew member on the first week.». I closed in on the space between us, looking him dead in the eye with the last shred of confidence I had left for this argument. «I'm not going fucking home, you piece o..» He roughly jerked my arm before I let out my last words, dragging me so close to him that i felt his quick breathing on my neck, his eyes fixated directly at mine. He startled me in the change of manner, causing me to let out a groan. «I am not fucking asking. Now I will get you the rations, and if you say one more word you'll be out of a job.» Our eyes locked on each others for a moment of silent understanding, before I looked down in defeat by his dominating nature, and let myself be weak in front of the only man I knew would not take advantage of it. I felt his breath tingling on my neck once more, before I slowly stood up and turned away from him. «And get some new shoes before you kill yourself, kid.» He remarked, watching me walk away. Exhausted from the heat, I barely got in the door before I fell asleep.

I woke from my nap only a couple hours later, fully disoriented and in more pain then earlier. The bedroom was damp from the fog, and with the windows open the sound of military tanks and bustling market outside filled the room. I rolled slowly out of bed and glared at the clock hanging crooked by the doorway, my brain not fully conscious yet. I was supposed to had met Tess at the bar 10 minutes prior, and the worry of annoying her woke me up instantly. I walked in front of the cracked mirror in the corner of the room, and released my deep brown curls so they swept down my chest. I put on a pair of black tight-fitting jeans and a low-cut singlet, and quickly ran out the door.

At the bar, there was a lot more people than expected for a Monday night, barely any seats were available. The coarse air smelled of cigarettes and dirt, and there was a tenseness surrounding the overworked crowd, drinking and talking in a self-medicating matter. I scoured the large outdoor patio for Tess, looking profoundly confused as I stood there alone. «Hey princess! Are you lost, little girl?» I heard from the middle of the area, quickly recognizing the men from the burn-crew, along with a couple others I didn't know. At the backend of the table, Joel sat nursing his drink, ignoring the other men's reaction to my presence.

After the long day of inconveniences, there was not enough life in me to even throw a glance at the table of sad fuckbags. Not without turning hurting anyone, at least. I walked by the table, continuing my search for Tess, without success. I turned to the person who knew her every step as they lived together, and sent him a puzzled look, slowly walking in his direction to get an answer of her whereabouts. «She had to go on a mission, she asked me to tell you that she can't make it tonight» he utters without ever lifting his gaze. His face was softer than usual, as to signal some sort of apology for his behavior earlier. You didn't want to tell me that before I walked around here like an idiot? I remarked to myself, not bothering to say the words out loud. I was already defeated for the day, and it only remained to get home in one piece.

I was about to turn around as the man closest to me slammed his glass of beer on the table, and stood up facing me with only a couple inches of space between us. «So, is the fucking princess feeling any better? It sure as hell looks like it, strutting around here with your tits out trying to fuck your way to a free beer.» He said, smirking as he looked back at the table, all the others in approving laughter, except from Joel, who seemed to try to tune out the conversation by focusing hard enough on drinking. The man who i didn't know the name of, quickly grasped my injured hand and raised it up to show the others. «Here we struggle for 20 years, fucking killing ourselves out there for a days ration, and this little bitch gets a blister and throws in the towel!» He was yelling by now, causing a scene in the bar. Multiple tables quieted to listen in. I froze completely, hopelessly waiting for Joel to disclose that he had forced the decision on me, but now he looked up at me, just as frozen as I was. Had it been a better day the man wouldn't have been standing upright as this point, but with my good hand being in astonishing pain, combined with the fact that I was way too sober for this bullshit, made the brawl pointless to join in on. If I broke my other hand, I would be out of work for another week.

I quietly waited for him to release my hand, but his drunken ego was agitated by my silence, and he gripped it harder trying to get any reaction out of me. He pushed my palm onto his torso, still laughing in union with the rest as he traced it downwards his chest. I looked back at Joel again, this time he was staring directly at me with an expression I had never seen on him before. He looked genuinely concerned at this point, contemplating whether or not to stand up. «Now you didn't have to do all that to get my attention, sweetheart. But I'll get you that beer if you're so desperate,» he said, barely finishing the sentence before I shoved him with full force using my free hand, and with the sound of glass breaking he crashed backwards on the table. He quickly gained control of his feet again and was immediately filled with rage, ready to grab onto me, but I had already walked away and closed in on the exit. Not trying to look behind me, I was trying to make sense of the situation by listening in on them. I heard the man cursing uncontrollably as he started pacing towards me, but swiftly came to an halt by hearing Joels voice. «You take one more fucking step now, and your hand will have a lot worse fate than hers.» He did not have to raise his voice to make the man understand the genuine promise to that threat, and sat down as the table quieted down again.

As i turned the corner to my block, merely a two minute walk away, I spotted Joel In the corner of my eye, pacing to catch up on me. Having absolutely no patience for the coward, I hastily walked towards my doorway and grabbed onto the key before he stood in front of me. His walk was determined, but as he stood in front of me, he seemed to be at a loss for words. We stood there, looking at each other, letting the tension between us say more than any words could. He didn't owe me anything. To him I was only Tess's little sister and already the weakest link in his team, yet I could sense in him that he had the unexplainable feeling toward me that I had reciprocated for months. He felt the urge to protect me, to make sure I was safe. And in his presence, I had always felt this way, safe and guarded. Which was why I kept looking at him tonight, and he had failed miserably at being the guardian he sought to be. «I.. i didn't want there to be any issues If the guys would think I favor you. They're just drunk fucking idiots. But I had to make sure you got home safe,» his eyes fell to the ground, not being able to deal with his own vulnerability. My rage for him involuntarily vanished for a moment, as I listened to his words, looking into his deep sunken eyes, then up to his salt and pepper-hair and tracing his face down to his coarse and full lips, frowning as he stood in front of me in defeat of his own words. I gathered myself to not ruin my careless persona completely, and wiped my face of any emotion for him that filled it a second ago. «Don't fucking distinct yourself from those drunk fucking idiots, cause thats exactly what you are. But I didn't take you for a fucking coward as well, Joel» I ended, not letting him say another word before I turned the doorknob and ran up the stairs, slamming the door behind me.

I woke up the next day, my head spinning with thoughts of anger and anxiety. I felt rage for Joel where I should have felt indifference, as he was just one of 8 men at the table. I made a promise to myself to never be a victim, to never let my guard down. He was the only man who could fuel such an instinctive desire to be weak for anyone. Yet, my submission to him had merely been a part of my imagination, and I was determined to quit believing this narrative instantly. Falsely confident that I was over this girlish behavior, I took an ice-cold shower to wash off yesterdays horrible events. My hand had not gotten much better since yesterday, but I knew Joel would never deny me working after what had happened. After breakfast, a double shot of whiskey and some stolen pain-pills, I opened the front door and stopped up in the doorway, looking down to my utter suprise, a new pair of boots stood at the front of my doorstep. I stared at them for a second, my body not sure how to react, before I kicked them to the side and walked down the stairs.

[febrilepenguin]

This was the first year I played demos in the Steam Next Fest (I didnt even know it existed before), and I will be doing it again, cuz it was pretty fun. I played a lot of games, and I thought maybe I could talk about each of them a little, so that more people know about them, and also to keep a little record of my thoughts and feelings about them for myself.

I'll list them in the order I played them cuz why not.

1. Mech Builder: I've never had any of those cool mech model kits that you have to cut out of the frames with pliers and then assemble yourself, but they've always looked really cool to me and I've always wanted to try assembling one. Well, this is that, but in video game form, and it was pretty fun! It was satisfying to snip the parts out of the frame and then snap them into place according to the manuals. There was also decals, coloring options and more. I just wish there was a way to pose the models a bit after they're done, or maybe see them from behind and the sides? Though I understand that it'd take a lot more work to make all the art for that and it might make it unfeasible but i think it'd be fun to play around with the models a bit after they're done. (Can you even pose the real mech model kits? I cant remember.)

Anyway, good game for relaxing and futzing around with cool mechs.

2. WHAT THE CAR?: This one was just delightful. It's just such a joy to play, being this silly little car with legs going through increasingly ridiculous iterations of movement with their accompanied puns and jokes. I was smiling and laughing the whole time i was playing, even in the harder skull stages, and i tried and got all the gold crowns for all the levels. (Also I still have that "What the caaaar" jingle stuck in my head, and Im not even mad about it). Just about anywhere you looked was a wordplay joke, or a visual gag, and I love it for that, and can't wait for the release. I will also be getting the other games from the devs, Triband. I also checked their website and they seem like really cool people too. (There was also a secret puzzle hidden in the game, that I was too late to solve for the rewards, but i had fun doing it nonetheless)

3. Mind Over Magnet: I've been a longtime fan of Gamemaker's Toolkit, and I've also been watching Mark's Developing series of devlogs, so I was hyped to actually play a demo of Mind Over Magnet, and it was cool to see how polished it had become. Cant wait for the full game!

4. SCHiM: Adorable little game that emulates that feeling of childhood playfulness you had when you used to walk through the sidewalk only stepping on shadows or you'd "lose". Loved the art style and the environments for this, though it was a bit hard to tell where you were meant to go sometimes.

5. Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus: I've been waiting for this game for a long time, since a game that combines hollow knight with japanese folklore is a must play for me. The movement felt really fun, and its focus on staying midair and air control was a cool feature of it, because you basically get a double jump every time you hit something mid-air, and can hover around and over enemies while you hit them. It's basically floor is lava the metroidvania. And when you get the dash it gets even better, cuz you can chain the dash with the blue midair jump, and the momentum from the dash will carry over, (which i think was intentional, cuz whenever you do it there's a small glint of light happening) Kinda like a celeste super dash. The demo made me look forward to it so much more.

6. Tactical Breach Wizards: So, recently I've gotten into tactics games despite myself, (it's all Into the Breach's fault, maybe I'll talk about that too another time) and wow did I love this one! The gameplay was really fun and the abilities were varied, the concept and world were cool (imagine wizards as military strike teams, and a world where magic is pretty common so there are P.I. Storm Witches and Traffic Warlocks) but my favorite thing about this game was the characters and the dialogues and humor. My favorite bit was:

"You can't throw all of life's problems through windows, Jen."

"Maybe not, but we owe it to ourselves to try."

Look me in the eyes and tell me that's not hilarious.

It's like god dropped this game in front of me as soon as he heard I've gotten into tactics games.

So so excited for this one!

7. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo: really stylish game with fun mechanics and gameplay, a good light-hearted adventure for whenever I get tired of dark and grim stories and games. Also did not expect I'd be able to jump in this lol. Kinda reminds me of Mina the Hollower, another game Im excited for.

8. Demonschool: first off, I gotta say i didnt finish this one, not because I didnt like it, but because I left the game and when i came back it wouldnt open from where I had already progressed, (it kept crashing when i clicked "continue") and I didnt wanna do it all over again, so I gave up. But! I really really liked it. Another cool tactics game, with a beautiful artstyle weird occult world and fun characters. And even though i havent played persona, I could tell that it was inspired by it, what with the school life sections and whatnot. Cant wait to be able to continue on with it when the full game comes out.

9. Cato: i'd played the older demo before and liked it, so it was nice seeing the game had progressed further and gotten more polished. Pretty enjoyable puzzle game, if a bit simple. Also the cat liquiding through tubes never stops being funny.

10. Metal Slug Tactics: I loved the old Metal Slug games as a kid, and we used to play them a lot with cousins at sleepovers, and I have fond memories of it. So im really excited for this game, with all the nostalgic characters and sounds, and now with a (again, someone must be stalking me) tactics coat of paint. The shield and cover mechanic and also the sync mechanic are pretty clever and fun to play around with. Im sure I'll enjoy this one a lot when it comes out.

11. Tiny Glade: A relaxing and lovely little game that made me feel creative and like a kid playing in a fantasy sandbox. I've been waiting for this one impatiently ever since watching the trailer ages ago, and it's so wonderful. I didnt get to play around with it as much as I wanted to, but im definitely going to make a whole bunch of different little towns and castles when I get my hands on the full version. The camera mode was also so detailed and nice. Best I can describe this game is Vibe.

12. One Btn Bosses: Clever idea, and cool minimalist artstyle, but it wasnt really for me

13. Tavern Talk: This feels like being a bartender in a D&D world, and I enjoyed it a lot. The art is lovely, and the characters are all interesting (Fable's anxieties were too relatable, man.) (And Caer...Lin was so cool) (i cant wait to meet the whole cast who's on the posters) the mixing part was also pretty fun and Im sure it's gonna have more drinks and variety to it in the full game, all in all a nice and cozy fantasy visual novel type game for when I wanna chill.

14. Caravan SandWitch: kinda solarpunk/hopeful sci-fi game, with a cool van. Seems like it's gonna be a wholesome cozy time. Roadtrips through gently postapocalyptic-looking places? Im not sure what the correct vibe is for this game, because I dont know a whole lot about the setting or the story, but it was pretty cool. Also watch the trailer, the french song is stuck in my head, it's so good.

15. Mira and the Legend of the Djinns: Im gonna start this one with things I liked and then things i disliked about it. I love the art style, and I think the game as a whole looks gorgeous. I like that it's inspired by moroccan culture and how it infuses every aspect of it. I loved the instrument playing, even though there was only one song to learn in the demo and it didnt get a lot of time to shine. (I havent played ocarina of time, but im pretty sure I'll enjoy it for the same reason of it having the ocarina playing, among other reasons) i liked the pickaxe too, and how it allowed you to climb and mine.

Now for the dislikes. I did NOT like the combat. The fact that all of your momentum just dead stops when you swing your sword was pretty jarring to deal with, and it made those floaty eye pricks so annoying to deal with. Especially because of the way they space themselves and distance themselves from you so fast, and also the fact that there's no upwards slash (not in midair anyway, there's one you can buy that only works from the ground) which means you have to jump in very close and level with the enemy, so it doesnt have much time to fly away, during which time there's a high probability of it shooting you and making you fall, also if you're a little below it, the third attack which is very horizontal misses, so you have to do it again. The final boss of the demo was also pretty much a slog, due to the one-pattern attacks and the huge health pool. And you had to first break away the shield to be able to damage him, (and it would not register multiple attacks on it at once, if you hit the shield it became intangible until the boss changed position again) so it just became a repetition of: dodge through projectile, *ding* hit the shield. Dodge, ding. Dodge, ding. Dodge, ding. Dodge, ding. Dodge, ding. Shield broke. Stab stab stab stab stab. Dodge big attack, and start over. Rinse and repeat for like, seven more times. It became a chore almost. There was a general stiffness in the combat that made it hard to enjoy.

Also a minor nitpick about the UI is that it was a bit hard to tell how much mana it took to heal how much. If there was a small line or indication in the mana bar to show if you have enough for a heal, it would be really helpful in combat to know at a glance if you can heal in the moment or not.

All in all, this is not to say i disliked the game itself, I actually really liked it, and think it has a lot of potential, given a bit of fixes and improvements.

Anyway, these are some of my thoughts on all the demos I played during Steam Next Fest. I hope you'll check out some of the games in here and wishlist them to help out the games you like!

[ohthehypocrisy]

Fans of Future Paradox Pokemon hear me out...

Ok, so I know that there's theories out there that the Paradox Pokemon from the future aren't actually real and stuff so that would really shoot this idea down, but I think it's worth a listen.

The future Paradox Pokemon are all cybernetic and stuff to adapt to the drastic changes of the world around them. But we don't know what those changes are and what the future pokemon world looks like. These Paradox Pokemon are all way more powerful than their present day counterparts, as they all have a BST (base stat total) of 570, which is 30 less than some Legendary pokemon (Magearna, Hoopa Confined, and Jirachi all have 600 BST).

What I'm getting at is that these Paradox Pokemon were made strong for a reason. Are they built to fight each other? Or is there something much more dangerous that they have to fend off? Perhaps some form of corruption from Outer Space or a rogue computer virus infecting the pokemon population. Maybe even Ultra Beasts are invading or something.

I think all of this can be explored in a spin-off game unlike any other the Pokemon Company has done, and they've done a lot of spin-offs. They've had puzzle games (Trozei and Pokemon Cafe), MOBAs (Pokemon Unite), roguelike games (Mystery Dungeon), real time strategy games (Pokemon Conquest), and even full on Fighting Games (Pokken Tournament).

What kind of spin-off could they make for this concept? I'll tell you, a Hero-based Third Person Shooter.

Now, I get it, combining pokemon with the shooter game style is one of the last things that would ever be thought of in a meeting for coming up with a new game. However, I think Paradox Pokemon open up this avenue by the virtue of the weird and different world they're implied to have come from. Since Pokemon engage each other in battles all the time, is it really that much of a stretch to imagine playing as one in third-person shooting at other pokemon with your moves?

If you're still with me so far, here's how I think the gameplay would pan out. The playable 'heroes' of this game are the Paradox Pokemon from the future, and each one has their own play style. Each one has a primary fire that is dependent on their own abilities. For example;

Iron Bundle is a Water/Ice type, so its primary fire has it launches very cold shots of water. It could even behave sort of like a minigun where it holds the fire button to launch a freezing stream that slows down enemies on hit, making it possible to KO enemies that can't get to cover in time. It's small body makes it difficult to pin down, but Iron Bundle has to slow down in order to use its primary fire, making it vulnerable to getting taken out by a sniper with a better vantage point.

Iron Hands plays the Tank archetype, but its primary fire is a short ranged electric field that damages enemies nearby. It does intercept shots and destroys them, forcing the enemy to reposition to a greater vantage point. With massive HP and Attack, Iron Hands is difficult to approach and get passed, but its lack of mobility options make it difficult to hold the fort down against faster pokemon. It can guard an area very well though, provided it guards in one specific direction.

Iron Moth would play as the Sentry Attacker and could anchor one of its wings to the air to deal a beam of damage that homes in on any visible enemy. However, doing this weakens its primary fire, making it easier to KO if it's caught without all of its wings on it. It could even deploy little paradox Larvesta to cover its blind spots.

Iron Jugulis would be a frail but hard to hit pokemon that flies around in the sky launching fireballs downward. Its massive firepower is balanced out by its low HP, but taking to the skies is the greatest vantage point possible and can even exploit this by creating an opening for the team. Simply drop down a status inducing bomb attack and the opposing team will suddenly have difficulty fending off your team's push.

A massive wheel that spins around at high speed, killing anything it runs over. That sounds really familiar...

Where Iron Hands is the immovable wall, Iron Treads is the motorcycle of tanks. It uses its primary fire by firing beams of energy from its trunk, but its ability to turn and aim is hindered by its limited reach. Ease off on the attack button, though, and Iron Treads rolls up and starts running around at crazy speed, damaging enemies. The main draw is to defend multiple areas at once, and Iron Treads can do this by utilizing its fast speed. It lacks the firepower of Iron Hands though, but it makes up for this with speed.

Another bulky melee hero, Iron Thorns builds up power by holding its fire, letting it build up to a dangerous level before unleashing the attack from its mouth. The attack power can build up enough energy to one shot some pokemon, but it takes a while to charge and can be a nuisance if you should miss. However, there is no way for the opposing side to tell how powered up Iron Thorns is, making it extremely risky to challenge. Also, it can build up the power even further by using other moves, accelerating the charge time.

And finally, Iron Valiant is the speedy assassin archetype, able to launch blades of energy at the enemy and can easily rush out of the way of counterattacks. While the projectile blades don't do much damage, they will mark the victim and increase the damage received by Iron Valiant's melee attack, making it possible to be OHKO'd, even after restoring off the HP lost earlier.

Now, while these are all the Future Paradox Pokemon in the game known to us so far, it's safe to assume that there'll be other Paradox Pokemon introduced later on, in DLC most likely. But beyond that, this spin-off game could have some unique Paradox Pokemon all on its own. I've been seeing cool ideas for Paradox Pokemon from artists all over the internet and each one is great in their own right. I myself would fancy a Future Paradox version of Ledian built to look like a Power Ranger, or a Paradox Tinkaton that uses a bazooka to fight.

Now, a proper hero shooter has more than just primary fire and abilities to make a proper game. There are things like loadouts and builds, stuff that makes a hero play uniquely and different from how someone else would do it. Luckily, there's already something like that in the main games that we can base this off of.

In a separate screen, or perhaps during the hero select screen, you can load out your Paradox Pokemon with TMs that change what moves they use in battle. These can vary from lightning bolt attacks, bombs, the ability to heal, stuff like that. You know, I feel like these would be inserted into the pokemon themselves like a disc reader... That's a weird thought.

But before we can get in-depth on TMs, I gotta cover what the control scheme is like.

(Controls are based on a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller)

ZL - The Primary Fire for each pokemon. Each one is unique to the pokemon and cannot be changed. However, a TM can be added to the Primary Fire and alter its effect. Examples include Thunder Wave (unleash a paralyzing field on contact with the enemy, slowing down nearby opponents), Flame Burst (KO'd pokemon release a massive explosion of fire, greatly damaging nearby opponents), and Mega Drain (Restore HP upon defeating an opposing Pokemon).

L - The Secondary Fire. Each pokemon can equip a TM to completely change the move. Examples include Light Screen (Reduces the damage of incoming fire and blocks the effects of headshots), Charge Beam (A small bolt of electricity that boosts the pokemon firepower. A headshot greatly powers up this effect), and Double Team (creates a hologram copy of the pokemon that mimics your movement. The copy fades away when damage is received).

ZR - The Aim Focus function of the pokemon. Focusing the aim allows you to zoom in and get a better shot at opposing pokemon. It also shows you how much HP the target has remaining. Just like the Primary Fire, this function can't be changed, but can be augmented with TMs. Examples include Laser Focus (Doubles damage dealt with your next shot after a short delay), Foresight (allows the pokemon to see through an additional wall to detect enemies), and Mind Reader (focusing on an enemy reveals their status and the cooldowns of all of their moves).

R - The Defend function of the pokemon. This varies with all pokemon and can be either a dodge, a defense boost, or even flight. Can be augmented with TMs. Examples include Recover (restore a certain amount of HP while holding the Defend button), Iron Defense (greatly reduce incoming damage for a short while), and Agility (greatly boosts movement speed for a short while).

Left Control Stick - Controls the pokemon's aim. The aiming speed can be modified in Settings.

Right Control Stick - Moves the pokemon around on the map. Each pokemon has a different gait and movement speed.

X - Sub 1. An alternate attack that depends on what TM you've got affixed to the button. Since the pushing the button requires you to take your thumb off of the control stick, Sub 1 is reserved for TMs that put down sentries, wall, or other effects that don't require aiming. Examples include Toxic (unleash a corrosive cloud of gas that deals increasing damage to enemies within), Reflect (creates a dome of light that blocks a certain amount of damage before breaking), or Earth Power (plants an explosive charge at the ground that ruptures and damages the next enemy that walks over it).

A - Sub 2. The secondary sub that each pokemon has access to. Any TM that can be fixed to Sub 1 can be fixed to Sub 2, but cannot be doubled up on, just like in regular pokemon. Examples include Flamethrower (plants a sentry that spews fire when an enemy moves into sight), Heal Pulse (creates a healing field that restores the HP of all nearby teammates), and Acid Spray (a corrosive fluid covers the area when an enemy approaches, reducing their defense and revealing their position through walls).

Y - The pokemon's Melee attack. Each pokemon has an attack with differing strength, reach, and effect. Just like the Primary Fire, this can also be augmented with TMs. Examples include Attract (forces the enemy to approach you for a short while), Thief (steals some of the cooldown available on the enemy and uses it to restore some of yours), and Poison Jab (deals damage passively over time).

B - The Jump Function. Each pokemon has a different jump height and falling speed, and some can even double jump. Can be augmented with TMs. Examples include Hurricane (greatly increases jump height and deals great damage to enemies nearby), Dragon Rush (after jumping, landing causes a great shock wave that damages all nearby enemies), and Icy Wind (after jumping, air movement greatly increases and a damaging stream of chilly wind is left in your wake).

Control Pad - Taunts and Emotes. I mean, what hero shooter doesn't have these? ,':)

Now, while the TM function seems to be capable of making certain loadouts broken, each one has a cooldown that prevents their use for a short period of time. Most shooters have this, and it's no different here. The main draw is that some TMs are available to many or all Future Paradox Pokemon, while some will be missing out on the TMs that would make them overpowered or such. Also, each TM has very distinct effects, which alerts you and your team as to which opposing pokemon is running which TM.

As for game modes, that's all up in the air. There could be a 6 v 6 a la traditional Pokemon battles. It could even be possible to run multiple of the same pokemon, since they can equip different TMs to change their loadout. Putting too much of the same pokemon can leave the team vulnerable to certain counters, which can happen in other hero based shooters.

Beyond that, there can be Point Control, Payload Escort, First to 100 KOs, stuff like that. Any extra stuff has to depend on the overall story of the spin-off game, and I've already burned through my brain power coming up with the basics of the control scheme and TMs.

If you've got any comments you'd like to add, I'd love to hear it. Glad you made it this far, by the way.

[noxtms]

❝   OVEREAGER VOLUNTEERS FINISH UP THE FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR APPLEBY AUTUMNFEST TONIGHT, with gates opening bright and early tomorrow morning for the thirteenth festival of its kind ! this year, the event will run through the entire month of october, with gregory cotton of the appleby arrows team promising our reporter that everyone involved has done their utmost to ensure the smooth running of this favorite family friendly event, this year. as always, the event is taking place just outside of the village of appleby, and the ministry of magic has aided event organisers in the casting of several strong protection charms to ensure the privacy of the hundreds of visiting wix that are expected to descend once the event kicks off. with entry costing just two galleons for the first week, come one, come all, and enjoy what the appleby autumnfest has to offer you !  ❞

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE :  

the appleby autumnfest is a wixen fall festival endorsed by past & present members of the appleby arrows quidditch team, located just outside of the tiny village that most of them hail from. it was probably conceived, originally, as a way of generating a little bit more money for the team - but after a few years of running, the whole thing paid for itself thanks to the small business owners and eager performers who were all more than happy to take part ! bigger and better than ever, the event is running from the 1st of october through the 31st, this year, and remains a family friendly alternative to the celebrations that will occur along diagon alley a bit later in the month.

the ministry of magic organises muggle repelling charms over the square acerage of the festival itself, which this year includes five large fields that were 'loaned' to the organisers from their muggle owners - though, not to worry, they have been appropriately compensated. among the pumpkin patch and maize maze - two to six galleons per pumpkin, depending on the size, and a galleon for entry to the maze that includes a map that'll offer you hints in the form of riddles if you get lost and need a hand - visitors can enjoy the many wooden boothes that have been set up to sell fall themed gifts for the whole family and, of course, a large collection of autumnfest themed carnival games.

there's something for everyone - bobbing for crab apples, playing carved pumpkin golf, pinning the tail on the thestral, partaking in an hourly potato sack race or throwing brightly colored plastic hoops onto the legs of a fake acromantula that looks strangely convincing - and, even better, most if not all of the games available come with the option to win some cheap prizes ! after having your fill of what carnival games are on offer, wix can find plenty of food stalls selling savoury and sweet treats, as well as bars serving homemade hot apple cider to wash it all down with !

OUT OF CHARACTER :

it's been a few years since we had an appleby autumnfest, though that doesn't mean it's been missing in action ! the organisers made a few changes, last year - namely with opening times, thanks to the curfew that was enforced for most of october - but the festival has remained strong and now, finally, we're back ! this marks the first of two events planned to cover the month of october here on nox, and is a much broader sort of celebration - there's plenty of halloween themed things to enjoy, but consider this a more generalised autumn celebration than it is a spooky setting. appleby is family friendly, first and foremost, and everyone that swings by should keep that in mind !

the event officially begins on sunday the 15th at 6pm gmt ( click this sentence to find out what that translates to for your timezone ) and will continue for two weeks, wrapping up on the 29th !  

you are not required to pause any threads you're currently writing, though make sure to tag and differentiate as needed !

all event starters can be tagged with nox.event037 and the location is appleby ! you can also find a channel on the side discord for threads, if you'd rather do some of your autumnfest writing over there - just don't forget that you can earn points throughout the event via the galleon system !

if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to message the main with them ! comment your favorite halloween specific movie on this post, to let me know you've read !

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day #2733: Magnezone (Ultra Prism)

The people who made the cards really did seem to like Magnezone. This was a Pokemon that got a huge amount of cards in its first generation and then has seen at least one intriguing card, if not more, in every generation since. Not all of them have actually panned out, but there was clearly effort put into it, and the trend is even continuing into Scarlet & Violet. The Sun & Moon attempt decided to try to make being a Stage 2 that wasn’t a GX thing work by turning it into a Metal-type version of Boundaries Crossed Blastoise. While the game was probably at its lowest point for that sort of Pokemon to that point in its history, any unlimited form of Energy acceleration was going to find someone willing to try it out. Metal, being a type that needed a big boost, was going to have a chance to find its way back into the game.

150 HP was reasonably high, though expected on a Stage 2. The number was in this in-between spot where you’d face decks that fell just short of getting the KO but also some decks that could easily reach 150. It would be harder for a Zoroark deck to take out the Energy source than it would be for a Rayquaza-GX or a Tag Team. The Fire Weakness could occasionally mean something against Volcanion, though to be fair, it was unlikely anyone would be using Magnezone in a format including that or the aforementioned Tag Teams. The Psychic Resistance could help in random spots if up against a Malamar deck or even a Garbodor. It was uncommon for the 20 damage to actually make a difference, but it was one more thing the opponent had to overcome. The Retreat Cost was 2, and it was admittedly hard to find room for too many switching cards in a deck like this. You’d probably want a small amount at least, even if it was just in the form of Guzma.

Magnetic Circuit was the Ability that made Magnezone worth playing in the first place. You could use it as much as you wanted during your turn, and it let you attach a Metal Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Pokemon. You would want ways to both find and retrieve Energy, with cards like Professor’s Letter, Super Rod, and Mt. Coronet finding some spots here.

Zap Cannon could try to let Magnezone attack on its own. 130 damage was pretty solid, but it was for 4 Energy and it couldn’t use Zap Cannon again on your next turn. You could always accelerate to something better like Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX instead, and that was a better use of resources.

Magnezone did manage to form a somewhat competitive deck by pairing with things like Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX and Dialga. It was on the lower side of that scale, and was only really worth using in the BKT-On format before things got easy for too many decks to shut off its Energy source with a single attack. It was one of the better options Metal had to stay relevant in the middle of a rather long stretch of poor showings, so people who liked the type would probably give this a try. It would be another year or two before Metal became a top type again, but Magnezone did a pretty decent job keeping it afloat for a few months.