#got stunlocked when I saw this

[lorephobic]

my favorite part about rbing ask memes is never answering the asks that i do get

[the-phantom-author]

and eventually hasan unplugs her. he shuts the phone down. he deletes twitter and instagram (in the nicest, consensual way i don’t mean like he’s being mean about it) deletes tiktok. she’s spent the past few nights crying and it’s gonna break him sooner rather than later if he sees her upset one more time. he was there the whole time. the entire writing and brainstorming process. he saw her write things and cross them out just to rewrite them and the endless cycle. he saw her many times get an idea and just stop in the middle of a conversation to write that down for later. he saw you grieve and deal with these complex topics such as mental illness and bad relationships and addiction and i a. far more eloquent way than most people could ever fathom.

when he has a hog watch again he invites you to come on but you sit off screen, just your legs can be seen on his lap. you’re not in a very show your face kinda mood. if people are making you the villain, why not become it? why should you have to worry what you’re saying when those guys never thought twice how they hurt you??

(WHOS AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME????? you should be.)

he is in a permaban mode, if someone complains about it or links an awful think piece in chat while he’s on stream, you’re immediately permabanned and that’s just if the mods catch you before hasan sees. you want to see a stunlock? try telling hasan anything about that album that isn’t positive. try telling him it’s too wordy, cringey, she’s too mean to the men mentioned in it. he’s not holding back. when you’re just laying on his bed and can hear him a few rooms away, it kinda makes you tear up. to have someone ride for you like that. you’ve genuinely never had that.

Yes!!

Hasan knows for a fact that can say the right words to let you know he's there for you, because he knows you've been told them before. And that those words have been used to hurt you in the past on multiple occasions. So he uses his actions.

He talks about how getting rid of Twitter on his phone did wonders for his mental health, and you decide to try it. But you get rid of it 100%. Hasan asks if implementing a phone curfew would help, where your both off your phones at a certain time, only responding to calls from family members.

And as you said said, he was there the whole time, he reminders it all. The 2ams when you would wake up and go to the opposite side of the house because you had a melody that wouldn't leave your heard until it was played out loud and written down. He remembers the partial lyrics you would mumble while the two of you were walking Kaya. He remembers the studio visits he had, where he saw you put this album together. He remembers the night you don't, where you got to drunk and told him the stories of yours that no one else has ever heard.

So yeah, he is being protective of you, and he has every reason to be. People want to tell him you were to mean in what you said about the men on the album, he knows you could have said and revealed worse things.

[auxchamp]

i hate ff7 rebirth

I finished FF7: Rebirth finally. After loving Remake, I was super excited about this one, but it was about when I hit Cosmo Canyon I started to sputter out. By the end, I just put the game on easy and rushed the ending. I usually try my best not to be a hater in general, but I need to wordvomit all this out. Below are in order-ish the big reasons I feel sour about this whole thing.

It takes away from Rebirth - So, something my partner mentioned while waiting for Rebirth; it felt like one of the themes of this game could be fate v free will. Well, free will lost this one. Everything is closer to the original story than it did the end of Remake and there's nothing to show for it. What was the point of fighting the giant whispers at the end of Rebirth? And Biggs and Wedge were spared from death... one to die OFFSCREEN in a fucking SIDEQUEST? and the other just shot in the back for no payoff. "What's my place in this world?" well it's to fucking die and then the person you were talking to to make funnie quips as he runs away from your murderers.

Zack - This goes along with the first part, but I don't see any point in him being in this game, other than fan wankery. The opening scene and the fight with him and Cloud vs Sephi were super cool! The only thing that it does for me narratively is add Kingdom Hearts-level confusing bullshiterry to the story for no other reason than to be confusing bullshit.

Cloud sucks - Man, fuck Cloud from right after the flashback until the ending. I know he's got shit going on but... in the OG, it felt like Sephiroth just had a small, subtle influence on cloud during most of the game (except right before Aerith dies). Here, it's about as subtle as a gunshot. He just sucks and isn't fun to watch. It's NUTS how the rest of the party just....... sits on the sideline and watches him murder people, almost murder party members and almost every black cloak he comes across and act like a general prick through large chunks of the game. Again, there was a dark brooding in the original they replaced with way to over-the-top edginess here for... nothing but negative effect imo.

What the fuck is up with Sephiroth - He's pretty much a fucking god already! I think they felt like since this is a multipart release, they needed to have him more physically there for pacing and motivation reasons but... He already feels like a god. We have seen him go one-winged angel, saw his cocoon pre-god form already (WITHOUT BIRTH OF A GOD PLAYING, why), he seems like he can do whatever he wants. I get that Cloud physically handing over the black materia to his true self is a willpower win, when it happens, but... what the fuck can he not do already? Ghost army, merge worlds, kill people in other timelines, OVERRIDE TIME ITSELF? And each time you kick his ass, nothing happens. He just discards that husk and goes away. Nothing like ending two games in a row in a zero stakes fight.

Bad gameplay - I've got a few complaints here, some were also in Rebirth but show off more here. First off, playing as anybody but Cloud, Tifa or Yuffie sucks. Cait Sith is miserable in every way, Barret can't dodge worth shit, Aerith's attack is super miserable, Red XIII mechanics aren't fun. Second, this trend that a lot of modern games have: 5% bonus here, +10 stat there... the weapon skills are just mostly boring and not fun. I miss rebirth's system, it felt like it had more going on. Thirdly on this topic; some of the fights just sucked. Like, unblockable attack that is hard to dodge, and when you do get hit, the enemy gets like 10 hits on you while you are completely stunlocked. I don't feel like Remake had as many fights like this in the game. Finally, on this topic, getting interrupted also felt like a huge problem, especially with healing. Losing the ATB, MP and not getting a heal due to getting hit with a regular enemy attack is bad design.

Bad Ending - I'm okay with bummer endings, but jeez. The confusing bullshit just undercut any emotions that I would've had.

Painful side stuff - A large chunk of the side stuff wasn't fun to play in my opinion. Chocobo gliding, racing, moghouses, queen's blood, the piano, and a large part of the protorelics just didn't do anything for me. For them to say this needed to be split into three parts and then fill the game to the brim with bland stuff like this is wild.

I don't give a fuck about Glenn - Fuck this guy and fuck Ever Crisis.

Overuse of One Winged Angel - yeah we get it, it's lost all of its impact.

[miasma-my-asthma]

I saw someone commenting on elden ring's balance saying that fromsoft didnt wanted to add difficulty options (aka easy mode) but still wanted to help less skilled players that were gonna play their first fomsoft souls game, so they added a lot of tools to make the combat easy, but they overall balanced the game considering those things as the default way to play, and dude it fucking shows.

Even at the start of the game you can notice that:

Parry focused players got completely neutered in elden ring since most main bosses(and even some side bosses) that you are even able to parry require 2, some even 3, parries for you to riposte them, and it doesnt even matter that much bc riposte damage for bosses in general got so weak compared to other games that parrying doesnt feel worth it anymore. The first main boss (margit) already needs 2 parries to riposte and he is supposed to be the "tutorial" guy.

Why did they did that if parries were always seen as a great skill expressive high risk high reward playstyle players enjoyed and few dedicated themselves to master?

Simple, bc its really easy to break enemies and bosses stance to riposte them if you properly gear yourself for that: lots of ashes of wars and some spells can break stances easily, quick heavy jumping attacks of heavy weapons that are really easy and safe to do break stances easily while also doing lots of damage, some weapons charged heavy attacks can also break it easily, so they were forced to make most bosses less vulneareble to ripostes in general so they wouldnt be that easily trivialized: imagine someone with a colossal weapon just making a single parry to malenia or radagon (both needs 3 parries for riposte in vanilla) getting the riposte that does lots of damage and instantly break the boss stance again bc they spammed stance breaking ashes of war or charged heavy attacks while the boss was trying to get up from the riposte attack. You would basically be able to stunlock your way to victory without much of a struggle.

And the hole game is balanced thinking abt the expectation that players will intentionally seek to approach each challange with the broken tools everyone theoratically can use.

Some common and relativetly easy tactics obliterate most bosses: some players abuse how some weapon's jumping attacks (specially when powerstanced) deal tons of damage and constantly spam them to quickly melt bosses or constantly stance break them; some ashes of war do ridiculous damage both pvp and pve; some spells are extremely powerful against some bosses to the point they can cheese the fight so hard the boss die before even attacking you (azure comet cheese for example); some bleed builds can proc it so quickly bosses' health just disappear in a few combos; you can stack so many damage buffs with relativetly low investment that you basically gain almost 50% extra damage (sometimes more depending of the build); and spirit ashes basically gives you all the benefits of playing co op without any negatives (chance of being invaded and increased health and stance for bosses).

So if regular guy who doesnt have a speedrunner or challengerunner skill level plays the game solo with a simple character that doesnt abuse any tools or cheese, regardless if its by choice or lack of knowledge, will have a unecessarily hard time against enemies with inflated numbers and hostile movesets that are usually very fast and hard to play around because he wont be doing the fast huge ammount of burst or dps damage and neither will have split aggro with a summon or coop friend fromsoft was expecting.

[askwendyokoopa]

Le Film Des Frères Mario

“As this poor independent film struggles to surpass one billion dollars in the international market, despite being in theaters for over three weeks already, I have decided to share the most trivial anecdote of all time, or at least the last ten years of running this stupid blog. So, over the past five years or so, I've started telling real life stories about the Mun on YouTube, only the Mun/Muse dynamic doesn't exist there, so I've been presenting them as true stories where I've just changed the names to avoid doxxing myself."

((This is also weird, because I doxxed myself nine years ago in 2014. Back when I got myself a personal account, that links to Facebook, and Twitter, and junk.))

"Who's telling this story, hmmm? Anyhow, Madame Flurrie is just my mom now, my sisters are Iggy and Lemmy, my Dad is still Bowser, obviously. I pick random names of Mario characters as needed, like for this one my mom was dating again, seven years after divorcing Dad. Let's use... King K. Rool, he's a lot like Bowser, but stupider, and/or lazier; and that pretty much describes this guy. My mom has a type... unfortunately that type is guys who take 'No' as a suggestion, and continue perusing relationships aggressively. This is getting heavy, let's get to the trivial part, shall we?

Bowser was feeling threatened by K. Rool, Flurrie was his woman, you see. It didn't matter that the divorce was over seven years ago, or that it happened because he was caught in multiple affairs, or that he had been shacking up with multiple women since the split, or that after bedding Gruntilda, he literally came crying to Mom because the sex was sooo horrible, that he had to quote 'strap a board to his ass to keep from falling in' and why couldn't she just take him back already?! So what was his newest solution? Buying his children's love, of course! Once he proved how good of a father he was, she'd have to dump K. Rool and take him back. But he wouldn't buy us things we wanted, no he would just take us to the movies... every. single. day. I know, I know, first world problems. But there's only so many movies playing at once, and this was November of 1996. So at some point we had to choose from seeing 101 Dalmatians, Jingle All the Way, or Space Jam again... so really there was only one option. All in all, we ended up watching Space Jam six times in theaters, six! I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who've watched some movie more, but it's always kinda bugged me because I don't even particularly like Looney Tunes. I don't hate them, they're just kind of... meh; like Mickey and the gang, I just don't feel that strongly one way or the other. My life revolves around Nintendo properties mostly... I'm sure this comes as a huge shock to all.

With no Nintendo movies to speak of, I went 20-odd years without touching my record. Then Detective Pikachu came out, and there was finally a movie that actually might have been worthy of breaking the record with. Unfortunately, I only went with Iggy and/or Lemmy, and getting them out of the house was like pulling teeth, so we only ended up seeing it four times total before it left theaters. Then Sonic came out, and this time for sure! I saw it twice the first week or something, but then the whole entire world shut down on the second week... fate just does not like me. Sonic 2, again was like pulling teeth with Iggy... I never even got Lemmy to see it in theaters as they're still deathly afraid of covid.

So for Mario, I simply went by myself. Kinda anticlimactic, but I have now seen the movie eight times on eight separate days, and paid full price each time. So when the final numbers tally up, over one hundred dollars are because of yours truly, specifically. And all because of Space Jam. So if that isn't a stunlock and a half, I don't know what is."

((Also-also, this is not part of "blog canon" maybe it can be, if a Bowser approves it? Or wants to alter the reasoning a little, but tell me if you would like to hear more Mun stories told by Wendy. IDK, for some reason, it's just easier to talk about my boring life than to roleplay anymore.))

[baphomet-media]

Dad of Boy - A God of War (2018) Review

Genre: Adventure

Subgenre: 3D Adventure

Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platform(s): PS4

Release Date: April 20th, 2018

I have never played a God of War game before. Though I know the basic gist of the story (Kratos kills all of the Greek pantheon before they can kill him through powers of rage), that’s about it. Still, I saw nothing but praise for the new game, and the setting, story, and gameplay that I saw intrigued me. I got the game as a gift a short while ago, after it seemed to collectively drop off the media’s radar, and eventually decided to give it a shot. So, does it live up to the hype? Let’s dig in.

Story

God of War 2018 (GoW18) takes place many years after the events of the previous games. Kratos, the former bloodthirsty deicidal barbarian Ghost of Sparta has moved to a new land of giants, dwarves, and Norse gods, and has settled down with a wife and child. But Kratos cannot run away from his godhood forever, and things catch up with him one day after his wife dies, when a mysterious stranger shows up at Kratos’s door. The two engage in a brutal fight, with Kratos seemingly emerging victorious. Kratos and his young son Atreus then must set off to take Kratos’s wife’s ashes to the top of the tallest peak in all the realms.

Along the way, Kratos teaches his son about how to survive in the world, in his own gruff way, of course. The interplay between Kratos’s grim and serious nature contrasts delightfully with Atreus’s impatience and youthful energy. Various other friendly and hostile faces present themselves throughout the story, with the highlights being dwarf brothers Brok and Sindri, two dwarf smiths with clashing personalities that spend most of the game passive-aggressively bickering about how horrible of a smith the other is, but actually do their best work together. The supporting cast are all fantastic, however the enemies left a lot to be desired, and there were very few actual named enemies, making a lot of the story beats just feeling like they lacked impact, and were instead just stepping stones along Kratos’s way. Still, there were plenty of moments of good humor and intrigue, especially for anyone with an interest in mythology, particularly the Norse variety.

While the game does not have a completely canonical representation of Norse myth, it takes a lot of the established characters and ideas and puts its own grim spin on them. I enjoyed learning a bit about different mythological figures and events, even if the majority of them are merely exposited to the player and make no physical appearance in the game itself. It leaves me wanting more, and hopeful for a sequel.

Gameplay

From what I know about past God of War games, combat used to revolve around Kratos using his Blades of Chaos, two beefy short swords chained together, which he uses to spin, grapple, slam, and juggle hordes of foes. GoW18 takes a different approach, slowing things down and moving the camera over Kratos’s shoulder. His main weapon now is the Leviathan Axe, which excels at one-on-one combat, and can also be thrown and returned for ranged combat. To put it plainly, combat in this game feels a bit more like Dark Souls than Devil May Cry. Longtime fans of the series may be disappointed in the shift in gameplay direction, but as a relative outsider, I found the combat enjoyable. I liked that it made me think about my strikes, blocks, parries, and throws, instead of mindlessly mashing attack buttons to rack up insane combos.

However, combat demands that you stay in control. Even the weakest enemies can drain your health quickly, as Kratos is vulnerable to being stunlocked. Plus (at least on the Hard difficulty, which I played) enemies have a ton of HP, so you’ll need around 5-6 combos to finish off most weaker enemies. It doesn’t help that the beginning of the game only drip-feeds you the controls, so I got killed multiple times on the first enemy because I had no idea that Kratos had a shield or how to dodge properly.

Still, as you progress through the game, the number and strength of enemies increase, but the overall challenge gradually decreases as you unlock new moves and combat options to help you deal more damage, more easily stagger enemies, and better deal with multiple foes. Unfortunately, for most of the game, the combat struggles when there are multiple foes. The lock-on system is extremely reluctant to switch enemies, and it’s sometimes difficult to maneuver, dodge blows, and keep the camera looking where you want all at once. Particularly in boss fights, which are numerous.

Still, when it goes right, using the shield to parry, and landing heavy blows with the Leviathan Axe is very satisfying. Along the way Atreus himself gets more capable in combat, improving his archery, and learning assist moves that distract enemies and set them up for combos by Kratos. You can also command Atreus to shoot arrows and use special abilities, which gives you more options in combat. This starts out being only marginally helpful, but gets much more useful the further you advance in the game, and Atreus also gains abilities that help you progress in the overworld, allowing you to bypass obstacles that Kratos couldn’t deal with on his own.

The game has a fairly expansive world, though this is not so much in the sheer size of the world, but more in that the main area of the world is constantly revealing more depth to it. The Lake of Nine, the game’s main area, is constantly revealing new areas to explore, which constantly keeps it fresh, although sometimes it definitely feels like you’re constantly revisiting the same areas. At most points in the game, you can explore freely, though you may stumble across challenges and enemies that are too difficult for you to tackle at your current power level and need to come back once you’ve powered up by upgrading your gear. On one hand, I like this, because it gives you the option to try instead of just locking out higher-level content, but on the other hand, even if you’re really good at the game, you’ll have a lot of difficulty felling enemies that are even slightly higher in level than you, mostly because their HP is ridiculously high, which leads back into enemies feeling like HP sponges.

Presentation

GoW18 is a gorgeous game to look at, with the scenery being drenched in detail. The various realms that you travel to throughout the game also add differences in visual appeal, keeping things fresh when you’re outside of Midgard.

While the game doesn’t have much in the way of music, the heavy brass and choir vocals on more dark and foreboding tracks remind the listener of Kratos’s violent past, and let you know not to mess with him. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of his Spartan Rage when that music swells!

The voice acting in the game is top-notch. Christopher Judge is great as Kratos, and as a longtime Stargate fan, it’s funny just to see how much Kratos mirrors Judge’s previous role as Stargate’s Teal’c. I also particularly enjoyed the voice acting of the character Mimir, voiced by Alastair Duncan, who exposits his own twisted take on Norse mythology to the father-son duo during travel periods. The rest of the cast are fantastic in their own right, as well.

Conclusion

God of War 2018 is a great game that manages to step out of the shadow of its previous games to create something unique and new for itself. Despite how violent and dark the series is, GoW18 tells a touching story of a father and son getting to know each other better, travelling the world together, and meeting all manner of colorful friends and foes. The combat, while slower and more methodical than previous games and tedious at times on higher difficulties, rewards skillful play and empowers the player more and more as they stick with it.

All in all, if you have a PS4 and like action games, definitely give this one a try. You’ll be glad you did. I look forward to Kratos’s and Atreus’s further adventures on the PS5 when God of War Ragnarok comes out next year!

Score: 8 / 10

[delfinodreams]

OKAY i said i would make a post about my thoughts on paper mario a while ago and im finally writing it out

ill put it under a break because its probably gonna be long-ish

update: yea this bitch is LONG

okay so overall i really really enjoyed it!! it was really solid for the first entry in the series and i could definitely see the inspiration that ttyd later took from it. one thing that i didnt know about was partners not having HP, which threw me for a little bit of a loop. partners as a whole in this game don't play as active of a role as i wouldve expected because they have so little lines but using them in battle is still very fun! another small thing but i also hadn't expected mario to be completely silent, but it later grew on me!

i'm also gonna list my experiences and opinions on each chapter so here we go!!

chapter 1 - pretty alright for an introductory chapter! i didnt find anything especially notable, apart from getting 2 partners in one chapter. navigating the koopa bros. fortress was fun, and i loved the battle at the end!! their theme is SUCH a banger i had to sit back and listen to it for a bit when the fight actually started ehe

chapter 2 - not quite a fan of this one imo? i liked the first part through the mountain, but the trek though dry dry desert kinda took it out of me. BUT the addition of my favourite partner made up for it! parakarry my beloved <3 also the cutscene where dry dry ruins rise up??? that shit was SPECTACULAR. i absolutely loved how it turned dark when it first came up, i wish it stayed like that for more than just until you entered the ruins. the boss itself wasn't too exciting for me, probably because there wasnt much of a story?? i dont know how to describe it. actually its like that for quite a few of these bosses, but its the first entry for this series, so i wont fault it too much.

chapter 3 - this might be my FAVOURITE chapter- the suspense buildup throughout the entire chapter was AMAZING holy moly!!! first through the forever forest when you have bootler ask for you, and then wandering the mansion itself. i TOTALLY thought that boos were gonna be actual enemies when i saw them floating around. sneaking around tubba blubba's castle was so so fun to do, and i legitimately panicked when you ran into him in the hall and also when he wakes up and chases you back to the windmill. i didnt actually think the heart itself was the boss, just a miniboss, so i freaked out when i left the windmill and was immediately thrown into a battle with tubba blubba. i cannot express just how much i enjoyed this chapter, seriously!!

chapter 4 - coming back to toad town with the music change threw me for a bit; i wasnt expecting action to pop up so soon! figuring out that you could actually go into the toybox was such a "wait, what??" moment for me, but like, in a positive way. it was really cool to navigate this chapter and the lantern ghost encounter genuinely creeped me out at first because it was COMPLETELY dark. the fight against general guy is also a BANGER i could listen to it all day

chapter 5 - man i LOVE the whale. just a big guy willing to take u across the ocean :^) i really appreciated how you weren't stranded on the island too, like how you were on keelhaul key in ttyd. the ravens are also funky little guys, love them too. again, the lava piranha didnt really have any substance to it BUT it was a nice fight nonetheless! when it popped up again i was shocked but i made it through!! also fuck kolorado he doesnt deserve his wife

chapter 6 - this one's formatting is really neat- one central area with lots of branching paths, which i hadnt seen in my past pm experiences! i loved the quest leading up to the big beanstalk, plus the environment was so pretty!! the little part with the sun tower popped out to me, i'm not sure why though. maybe it was the music, it was so different from the flower fields theme. at first i had actually expected to go up to the clouds earlier, maybe like midway through the chapter. i thought that would be the "dungeon" of this part, so i was a little bit let down when i realized that the fields were the majority. however, the bit of the clouds we do see is SO good i LOVE the atmosphere!! huff n puff was actually relatively easy, using parakarry and lakilester for their all-around attacks. the guitars were a nice touch for his theme as well!

chapter 7 - oh dude i LOVED this chapter. i didnt know what i was expecting when i first went into the pipe in the sewers, whether it would put me into a village immediately or if i would have to make it through some screens before. needless to say, i was relieved when it popped me out into shiver city. the whole place felt "warm" which was really nice!! i was comparing it to ttyd's chapter 7 and fahr outpost which i didn't really vibe with, so it was a nice change! the whole murder plot was also unexpected but i enjoyed the whole "whodunnit" mystery! omg as im typing this i realize just how many aspects of this chapter i love this is gonna be long,, the entire snowy atmosphere is just so PRETTY and starborn valley felt so solitary to the rest of the land, like its own little bubble. i also had no idea that ninjis were in this game so when i saw one at merlon's i was like HUH?? anyways the way up the mountain to the crystal palace kept me on my toes; i thought that was the dungeon at first! the small bit where you see madam merlar and she tells you the story of the palace really got to me i have no idea why. the music and mysticality of it all was just SO good. dont even get me started on the crystal palace itself HOLY MOLY. the whole reflection bit was SO SO clever and the moment you realize its NOt actually a mirror?? fucking magnificent. this has to be my favourite dungeon in the whole game because it has such a NEAT gimmick!! it also has my favourite mario enemies, duplighosts! FUCK the crystal king though. he stunlocked me with his freezing move because i could not get the hang of blocking it. my partners really carried me for that battle; thank god for quick change

chapter 8 - THIS CHAPTER DELIVERED. the buildup for the entire game leading to this point. OUTSTANDING. i had to sit back and admire star haven because its so pretty- did i mention i love the water graphics in this game?? it has a pixelly look but it works SO WELL. going to the ship to take you to bowser's castle really felt like a "this is it" moment. the entirety of bowser's castle was So Good, it kept me on my toes the entire time!! slowly advancing as the music got more intense REALLY pumped me up. tracks that start off with only a couple instruments and eventually add more as you progress is one way to make me go BONKERS. the one bit where you make your way outside on the bridge and the music dials down and then you re-enter on the other side to it SLAMMING you in the face- that was Great. and then the complete silence as you get outside peach's castle HOLY SHIT. and then you actually enter the palace and the music is SO EERIE and youre like OH SHIT THIS IS REALLY IT. seriously, the buildup for this entire castle is done SO magnificently. i hadn't expected to fight bowser twice, i guess it was the game's way of letting u level up One Last Time before u got to the big bad. that being said, i wasn't too worried on getting a game over since i was fucking stacked on items. but that's besides the point- the fight itself got my heart POUNDING. the effects for the star rod and the star's powers were really nice to see in action, and the little section with peach and twink was so cool! i was expecting a little interlude where you would get your stats maxed out because thats how its like in every pm game, but it was still moving :)) bowser's final battle theme fucking SLAPS. the guitar especially sounds AMAZING. you really see him as a threat here and its so badass. his healing move fucked me over multiple times- i probably ended up having to deal with double his base HP over the course of the fight.

after the fight was over and you got to see peach's castle float down with the soft music in the background, it really hit me that its done, its over. again, the effects in this game are so pretty and theyre utilized SO well for the n64. visiting toad town one last time with all the npcs was a really nice touch- for some reason i really loved being able to interact with vanna t. (chuck quizmo's toad assistant) she's ADORABLE and i will probably end up drawing her sometime :)) the credits were also something that i really enjoyed- i LOVE the ongoing theme of parades at the end. seeing everything and everyone in the game condensed into a short 8 minutes really got me, i cant remember but im pretty sure i was smiling the whole time! and a small sidenote- TOADS WITH GLOWING SPOTS ON THEIR HEAD HELLO?????? I WANNA DRAW THAT SO BAD.

the ending screen with peach and mario looking at the fireworks made me really soft and i teared up a little because i was finally finished. the addition of pop diva's solo in the track was also so touching, it was my favourite sidequest in the game so hearing it again brought up Emotions :')

one thing i wasnt sure of was if there was a post-game mode and my completionist heart was disappointed a little when i found out i couldn't advance from the end screen and was forced to reset. although not many games from this era had post-game content so i cant dock too many points for that.

the paper mario series has a fond place in my heart, and finally being able to play the game that started it all really was a special experience. it really cemented my love for the original formula and i could see many places where ttyd took inspiration from. this game really is fun, and i would highly recommend playing it yourself if you have the means!

[w0rmwo0d]

When I saw this, I got briefly sent back to 2016 and that stunlocked me for way too long lmaooo

Tagged by @phoenixkaptain

1. Three ships: Akemi Homura and Kaname Madoka, Eddie Brock and venom, will graham and hannibal lector. Basically I need them to be gay and toxic and I need their love to be a horror story and comedy at once.

2. What do u mean first ship? I guess spirit albarn and Franken stein? Was my first anime every watched

3. Last song listened to: Love, me normally, will wood

4. Last movie watched: puss in boots

5. Currently watching: hm not really anything? Going through the saw series again I guess

6. Currently reading:

7. Currently consuming: a beer I really hate but I bought it so rip

8. Currently craving: wings

I don’t know enough people to really tag so ✌️

[the-hittite]

Little sister let me borrow back my old copy of Pokemon Red when I saw her over new years. It's just as much fun as I remember, but I forgot what an unbalanced mess the combat can bein gen 1.

So trainers in gyms and the elite 4 will always use attacks that your pokemon is weak to, if possible. Even if your mon's other type makes it resistant, they'll still do that. There's also certain moves that if they attack first just straight up do not allow the opponent to do anything. So anyway that's how my lapras almost got stunlocked to death twice over by a single ponyta and its stupid fire spin.

[andrewskhblog]

The Kingdom Hearts Level 1 Experience (KH1/Part 4)

Sep 23

I wasn’t disappointed when I said that I was going to be dying a lot more. Hollow Bastion was easily the most infuriating world so far. And as far as I can tell, I still have a lot more pain ahead.

Making my way through Empty Citadel, having a wooden sword isn’t the worst weapon you can have when magic still does a decent amount of damage. This week’s brainless moment goes to the time I tried to physically attack a Defender with my sword. It took literally 10 minutes for me to realize that Gravity was a spell that I could use.

Riku I is bar none, the worst boss fight for level 1 so far. On Destiny Islands, Riku retaliates every 4 hits and takes a wind up to attack back. In Futile Fortress, he retaliates every 3 hits and he does so instantly, so there’s almost no way to avoid getting hit while doing damage. To even have a chance of doing enough damage to win, I had to bring 3 elixirs to fill back up for Cures. Eventually I got him, but I gotta say, it’s frustrating not being able to see how much health your opponent has.

Regular Maleficent and even Dragon Maleficent were pretty much a break from the action. If you stay away from the Defenders she spawns, regular Maleficent can’t really hit you fast enough before you can heal again. Dragon Maleficent can be dangerous to get started, but the aforementioned Robin Williams can take her down in one go once you do get that opening.

Believe it or not, the final boss of Pointless Bulwark (I’m not counting the Behemoth), Riku II or Riku-Ansem, took less tries than Riku I, but it probably would have taken longer if I hadn’t found the strategy I did. My main problem was when he got to his Dark Aura phase. I couldn’t find the openings I needed to stun Riku before he went to do another Dark Aura. It wasn’t until I saw Regular Pat’s “Kingdom Hearts: Level 1 Guide for Beginners” that I got my winning attempt. Once I saw that you could basically stunlock him to death, I was able to skip his Dark Aura phase entirely and continue to the real endgame. (39:23 in the video)

I made my way back up Worthless Mainstay and one-attempted the Behemoth in order to unlock End of the World which was when I decided to stop for the week.

Deaths this week:

Worlds Completed: Hollow Bastion

Total Deaths: 105

Deaths This Week: 28

Most Died-To Fight: Riku I (15 deaths)

Next Friday’s post should be the finale for KH1 Level 1. I’m honestly glad that I did this because out of all of the Level 1 runs that I did, I never did the one at the start of them all. Not sure what I’m going to do for Monday, but rest assured, it’ll be a good one. See you all then!

[cerastes]

HEY DRIMO it's been a while since you did a big myth post so how about you tell me a cool story about my boi karna

Oh dear me, Hindu mythos, damn, ok, so, first rule of Hindu mythos is that you all have to wear your seat belts while reading this. If you don’t, you are susceptible to immense physical and spiritual damage, enough that it might kick you right out of the cycle of reincarnation, and then the Mythos Retelling Collective (MRC) will revoke my license due to Irresponsible Sharing of Intense Tales (art. 23847). Are you all strapped in? Y’all got your helmets? Alright alright, let’s get this show on the road.

SO, KARNA. I assume most of you are familiar with Karna having Big Strength and being god damn unkillable. Ok, so, it goes beyond that. It goes at least three Milky Ways in width beyond that. Originally known by his other name, Vasusena (and this dude has like 14 different names), Karna is the main protagonist of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, and–

Oh, right, before I can tell you anything about the Mahabharata, or about Hindu mythos in general, I need to explain power levels. So you know how in Dragon Ball Z Abridged, Vegeta and Nappa use “Raditz” as a unit of measure for power levels and ki? “My power level is 500 Raditz.” “My power level is 23000 Raditz”, the joke being that Raditz was such a weak grunt that his meager total power can be used as a unit as you would with centimeters? Ok, this is actually canon in Hindu mythos. They have a scale of power levels, referred to as “Levels of Warrior Excellence”. The levels are:

Ardha-rathi: The lowest level, meaning literally “Half of a Rathi”. Read the next section for a more elaborate explanation, but this is Yamcha-tier, basically, the weakest of the badasses.

Rathi: It almost sounds like Raditz, doesn’t it? Well, Rathi is the unit by which all the other levels of Warrior Excellence are measured, as well as a rank by itself. A Rathi is an individual so powerful and skilled, that they can do battle with 1000 regular warriors simultaneously. This is the “Dynasty Warriors Playable Character” tier: Strong, but still susceptible to frames per seconds drops and getting stunlocked by arrows.

Atirathi: HERE is where things get spicy. An Atirathi is a warrior that can fight with six Rathi simultaneously. This is the level of strength possessed by Kevin by the time of Home Alone 2.

Ekarathi: You thought six was impressive? TRY EIGHT RATHI SIMULTANEOUSLY. We are entering Popeye-with-spinach levels of world-ending strength now.

Maharathi: The top level, the cream of the crop, the true definition of “Fuckhouse”. Those who reach this level are immensely powerful, and can do battle with 12 or more Rathi simultaneously. That is 12000 asses worth of whoopings. This is where you favorite Touhou is, obviously, and fuck what everyone else says.

Their measure of unit is basically “How many thousands of dudes can this person fight, or how many people that can fight a thousand people at once can this person fight?”, which, in other words, means that India has not fucked around a single day in it history.

So you might be wondering, “where’s Karna in all of this?”. Well, Chili Con Karna is SO MINDBOGGLINGLY STRONG AND SPICY that he is, literally, a Double Maharathi. Karna is stated to be “in terms of strength and skill, equal to two Maharathi warriors”. These peak jokers made this elaborate power level chart just so they could say “AND KARNA IS DOUBLE AS STRONG AS THE STRONGEST”. He is Two Gokus. Karna could literally look at you, without the laser, and you would just be atomized, restructured, and atomized again in the span of minus three seconds, and you would thank him for it. And damn RIGHT you would thank him for it, because he probably didn’t mean to do that to you. That’s because Karna, despite having more powers than Superman and God combined, is the Ultimate Good Boy. This dude is Puppy Kiss Central, this dude chips in on Pizza Thursday every week, and makes up for those who didn’t chip in. Karna lets you take the last chicken nugget. Karna lets you use Player 1 when you hang out at his place. Karna tells you to text him or call him once you get home after hanging out and he gets worried if you don’t. That dashing guy you saw doing volunteer work at the homeless shelter the other day? Probably Karna. The owner of Old Friends Dog Sanctuary? Definitely Karna.

He’s GOOD.

And that’s why the Mahabharata is so painful: I don’t speak Hindi, but I am pretty sure “mahabharata” translates directly to “Karna Has Bad Day :(”. Today, we’ll be talking about Karna’s Three Curses, with a little bit of his childhood for context on the first one, and because I just want to talk about his dumbass mom. Also that one time he clowned Arjuna and Planet Fucking Earth got mad at him.

SO, there was this lady named Kunti, princess of the Kunti Kingdom (yeah), and this one time she was the host to a sage named Durvasa, who was visiting. She is a most Excellent Host, and provided Durvasa with the best of services, the most delicious food, the most luxurious of drinks, and every volume of Detective Conan, and Durvasa was so stoked at this 10/10 Would Come Again service, that he gave Kunti a special boon: With a mantra he taught her, she now had the amazing power to get knocked up by any deity of her selection. Kunti was really happy with her new pregnancy powers, and couldn’t wait to try them out, so she did to call upon the Sun God Surya, and guess what fucking happened: That’s right, fucking happened. It was a violent and intense cyclone of sex so kinky that the baby was born with armor and earrings (in some versions, Surya “handed” the child to Kunti, but in others, which I opt to believe, Kunti bore his child, and his fat solar load was so powerful that the fetus was armored). And then Kunti was like “oh fuck it worked lol but I am not wed” and since she didn’t want to be an unmarried mother (refer to Hindu tradition for this one), so she did like many other Mothers In Mythology and she put Armor Baby on a basket and set him afloat on the rivER LIKE A REAL KUNT, IT WAS IN HER NAME ALL ALONG, WHY DO YOU ASSHOLES KEEP DOING THIS.

THE REST IS UNDER THE CUT BECAUSE THIS IS TURNING LONG.

Like many other Babies In Mythology, Armor Baby was found by someone, this someone being a charioteer named Adhiratha, but not just ANY charioteer, this was the chief charioteer of King Dhritarashtra, who I hope will forgive me if I wrote his name wrong, and was adopted by the charioteer and his wife, Radha. Armor Baby was given a name, Vasusena, and his pet name was Radheya among the locals. Being born an armored baby, it should come as no surprise Vasusena was interested in the military arts, and so he approached this really cool dude named Dronacharya who taught princes about warfare, BUT Drone told the armor kid to fuck the off because he only taught Kshatriyas (the military social caste in Hindu culture), but he was very impressed by Vasusena’s guts because this shit ass kid more or less just strolled into his house and said “HEY TEACH ME HOW TO BE A BADASS”, so he suggested to his father to change his name to Karna, which means “one who peels his own skin”, as a reference to his guts and totally not any sort of foreshadowing to anything NO SIR WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT.

So ok he got a cool name and whatever, bUT SEE, he still got told to fuck off, which he DIDN’T LIKE, so Cartman, not one to be daunted, sought out Dron’s own teacher instead, because fuck you, that’s why. So Kane finds him, name of Parashurama, and asks him BUT FIRST he disguises himself as a Brahmin, because Futurama only teaches Brahmins, and Karlos was not gonna make THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE. Panasonic agrees, seeing potential in this Double Goku kid and so begins the training arc. Result: Parashurama proudly announces that Karna is his equal in the art of warfare and archery. All this heaving and hoing gets my man Parmesan tired, though, so Karna, ever the good boy, offers his sensei his lap so he can sleep, sensei says fuck yeah and he uses his lap pillow. While he is sleeping, however, a very angry bee goes and stings the hell out of Karna’s thigh, but he’s got his sensei on his lap, which is like when you have a cat or a puppy on your lap and it falls asleep and you do not DARE move. So he didn’t, and this leads to a very important lesson to be learned in the Mahabharata: NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. When he woke up, Parashurama saw the wound and the blood that flowed from it (and from this, I take bees in India are Cazadores from Fallout New Vegas) and immediately realized that Kane was NOT a Brahmin. This lie meant he had ILLEGALLY STOLEN INFORMATION, and so he cast a curse on Karna that made him forget everything about how to wield the divine weapon Brahmandra-astra, an immensely powerful divine weapon he learned to use, but Karna pleaded to please be reasonable, at which point Par realized, hey, maybe this is kinda excessive and impulsive, so he reduced the curse to make it so Karna would only forget it when he needed it the most against an equally powerful warrior, which IS NOT ANY FUCKING BETTER, and then he felt EVEN WORSE because Karna had basically been his best student ever and is a Good Person, so he gave him his own divine weapon, the Bhagavastra, as well as his bow, Vijaya. I mean, you could’ve just. Undone the curse. But hey. New weapons!

So Karna, a dedicated and excellent archer, was VERY HYPED to try out this new legendary bow he had come to own! There’s a thing in Hindu martial arts called “Shabdavedi Vidhya”, the art of hitting a target by detecting the source of the sound. What Karna didn’t consider is that shooting things by just detecting their sound, you know, means you are not REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING, but hey, like eager-to-try-new-toys mother, like eager-to-try-new-toys son. Three guesses as to what happened. You are RIGHT, HE SHOT A FUCKING COW. And it’s not with a little arrow or a harmless stick, this was with the Vijaya, which means that cow was obliterated off the face of this god damn planet. My dude was practicing “shooting at sounds” with a tactical nuke launcher. What the tits did he expect to happen. SEE, I’m sure you know, but shooting cows in India is not exactly something you just apologize about. But Karna, albeit not the brightest crayon in the box, was still Ultimate Good Boy, so he went to apologize to the owner of the cow, who happened to be an actual Brahmin who had performed the Agnihotra rite daily, which made him extra holy. Brahmin, of course, was pissed, and since apparently people in India just have a full moveset of curses ready to sling at a moment’s noticed, cursed Karna AGAIN, with this curse being “fated to die a helpless and callous death”. Not the best series of days for Karna. He could’ve just walked away, but he’s a Good Boy, so he had to take responsibility. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

So I want to call attention to this bitch of a life for a second: Baby is born because some cunt used her super pregnancy powers to see if they worked without considering the consequences of, you know, getting super pregnant, Baby is chucked into a basket and sent to fuck off on the rapids, is picked up, immediately tries to enroll with a fighting master, instead enrolls with a SUPER fighting master that taught the previous fighting master, and gets double cursed for being a good boy and having bad trigger discipline.

Now, let’s skip a couple of chapters, and we arrive at the moment where the Pandava princes, all demi-gods, hosted a “tournament” of sorts to show off their skills to the people and to their guru, Drona. They were all having a good time, being badass and superpowered WHEN SUDDENLY Karna shows up and arrogantly challenges them because he knows he can do better, from what he has seen. One of the princes, Arjuna (kept you waiting, huh?), who was regarded by Drona to be the most powerful and skilled on the Pandava, told him to maybe fuck off, and that they couldn’t compete because they were above him, as his caste was no doubt lower than theirs. A certain pair of ears DID NOT LIKE THIS and jumped to Karna’s defense: Duryodhana is the name of the owner of said ears, and he’s got Authority. How much of it? Well, he just up and named Karna King of Anga then and there, just so he could compete. Holy SHIT. Now, see, Duryo hates the Pandava. Duryo REALLY, REALLY HATES the Pandava, and he was 100% behind supporting this random stranger if it meant he could possibly maybe humiliate these ugly sumbitches. Maybe. Ok, see, here’s where it gets a bit weird, but depending on who tells the tale, Duryo and Karna actually already knew each other and were childhood friends, but most tellings make this their first meeting, and I am absolutely on board with that, because it only goes on to show how much Duryo hated the Pandava, and divine people in general. He just fucking HATED gods, man. Can relate. So Karna goes and UTTERLY OUTDOES AND UPSTAGES the Pandava princes. Outright beats all their highscores and writes “ASS” in the 1st Place billboard on each entry as his name. They are all FURIOUS at him, especially Arjuna, who had aced every single event, and now had to wear a nice 2nd place on all of them because this absolutely nobody (no one knew Karna was the sun’s son yet) showed up and utterly pulverized them. This also starts his relationship with Duryo, with whom he’d become fast, and eventually, best friends.

BUT, SEE, HE KINDA GOT MADE A KING, SO HEY, HE HAD TO GO, UH, TEND TO THAT. He was checking his brand new sudden kingdom, when he came across a WEEPING CHILD. If there is one thing Ultimate Good Boy can’t stand, that’s the tears of children, so he approached the girl and asked what’s wrong. See, the girl had accidentally dropped her ghee (kinda like butter but less dense) and she was going to get her ass whooped by her step mother. Karna kindly offered to buy her new ghee, but she said it had to be THAT SPECIFIC ghee with the dirt on it, and that she didn’t want any other. Karna, in his infinite kindness, said “oh, sure, lol”, so he grabbed the dirt and squeezed it with all of his extremely godly might, extracting the ghee back into the jar as if squeezing water out of a sponge, because that’s just the kind of solution you come up with when you are the strongest person in Ever.

hey

hey

you guys remember what I said a while ago?

WHY YES

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

Guess what happened. Guess whose anger he incurred. He got Bhumi Devi/Mother Earth herself pissed at him. And what was her beef, you ask? Well, see, Karna squeezed that soil SO DAMN HARD that she took offense. Yes. Really. And guess whSHE FUCKING CURSED HIM TOO, OH MY GOD, CEASE THIS, YOU CAN’T JUST HEX A DUDE FOR SQUEEZING DIRTY, COME ON. The curse this time was that she would one day trap his chariot’s wheel during a crucial moment in his life. All because that little girl wouldn’t make do with a new jar of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

WORST. WORLD. EVER.

And guess how Karna dies.

Yes.

His chariot’s wheel gets trapped on the earth (third curse) during a crucial confrontation with Arjuna, he attempts to defend himself with his astral weapon, but forgets how to conjure it (first curse), and is decapitated by a shot of Arjuna’s Gandiva as he helplessly leans against the chariot’s wheel, unable to free it (second curse).

The moral of the story is don’t fucking help anyone, ever, and don’t own up to your mistakes, because if you do, you’ll be triple cursed.

                                                                                       Karna deserved better.

[arcadequartermaster]

FEBRUARY 2018 UPDATE www.arcadequartermaster.com

Part 1 of the site’s 10th anniversary shrines are here as it’s back to its roots of beat-em-up games!

GAUNTLET LEGENDS: I got the chance to play the original Gauntlet during the mid-90s at a school fair, and I was hooked, esp with that glorious 4-player cabinet. By 2000, I found a back issue magazine featuring Gauntlet Legends which I definitely have to get. It was not until around 2006 when I saw a 4-cabinet linked GL beside Shadow Over Mystara. And so began my fond memories of playing the game mostly on co-op with other regulars of that arcade with their saved characters. This is one of the titles I wanted to feature for quite a long time back, making some dummy character pages as drafts. The shrine is largely inspired by the magazine’s coverage and my personal experience in playing the game. The shrine only covers the arcade version, since its console ports have drastically different mechanics and location layouts. If you ever encounter one at the arcade, I really hope the shrines will be of great help you guide you across the realms as you raise your own heroes/secret characters!

BATTLETOADS: As most are aware of the notoriously-hard NES version, Rare made a more straightforward beat-em-up for the ‘toads a few years later, with the shooting segment only far into the game’s final stage. Rash, Zitz, and Pimple still had their signature attacks to pulverize the Dark Queen’s army of vermin and the fourth wall, along with some bloody finishers that border on dark comedy. Face off against familiar (and enormous) villains as you traverse through their lairs in outer space!

DOUBLE DRAGON 3: One of those titles marred by western localization, the Lee brothers are aided by different rival clans in search of the Rosetta Stones along with the fortune-telling crone Hiruko. Infamous for its credit-munching nature of requiring an extra quarter/token to buy weapons, power-ups, or the other brothers as back-up lives. These characters are playable right off the bat in the original version, and weapons are dropped by enemies. 

DENJIN MAKAI: Banpresto’s cyberpunk beat-em-up features six crimefighters who hunt an elusive syndicate, aptly named Ghosts. The game is also ambitious with its plethora of special attacks and cooperative combo moves requiring a power meter just like a fighting game. Aside from its solid gameplay, it’s also quite ruthless as most of the normal enemies can mop you on the floor once you are caught in a stunlock. Similar to Irem’s Undercover Cops, the World version suffers from some omitted stuff like bonus games, the expanded backstory between stages, the endgame revelation, and a rather muted color scheme for Kurokishi.

Part 2 continues on the 23rd of February, featuring a similar game that kicked off the site’s advent on its days as a dedicated Capcom beat-em-up shrine!

[promptoaregentum]

The Secret Admirer (An RP)

Wolfgoddess77:

"Dear Prompto, this is going to sound very forward of me, but I would like to ask you if you'll do me a very large favor. Please come to the Lestallum Overlook just before sunset. I'll be waiting for you there. I've been working up my courage to face you, and I think I'm finally able to do it. ~Your secret admirer." The words were written in small, neat print on a plain white card, unsigned and without a clue as to who might have sent it.

Prompto Argentum:

*he smiles widley as he looks at the card before making his way to Lestallum Overlook, waiting for his admirer. *

“ I can’t wait for her to show up…if she does.”

wolfgoddess77

At this time of day, the crowd was rather thin, and it wasn’t hard to spot the one person who seemed to be in no particular hurry to go anywhere.

Hearing footsteps drawing closer, I straightened, turning around to look at the approaching gunman. Hesitantly, I gave him a smile, though it was accompanied by a fierce blush.

“Hi.” My voice was quiet, and I wasn’t even sure if he could hear me.

promptoaregentum

He gave her a brilliant smile back at her. ‘She’s cute!’  He thought to himself as he approached her. Sticking his hand out to her, his smile still beaming at her in the hopes to help her relax.

“Hi! I’m Prompto, but I’m pretty sure you know that already.” He chuckled slightly and tilted his head at her. “You have me at a disadvantage though. Tell me, what’s your name? I’m sure it will be just as pretty as you are.”

wolfgoddess77

Extending my hand, I took his, giving it a light shake. “Just call me Wolf. It’s a nickname.” This close, I could see the dusting of freckles across his cheeks, and I couldn’t help but smile a little wider. He was even cuter up close.

“I…I’m sorry for calling you out like that with the letter, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to say anything to you face to face. Something anonymous seemed like the best way to go.”

Quickly bringing her hand forward, his lips gently brushing against the back of her hand, a light blush appearing on his cheeks as well. He always saw this in the movies, hopefully it will help him some favor from her. "No, no! Don't apologize!  I completely understand .  I was, well, am curious as to why you did bring me up here?  Though the view is beautiful."He said as he stared at her as he spoke the last line.

wolfgoddess77

The blush that was on my face darkened as he kissed the back of my hand. No one had ever done that to me before, and it took a moment to pull myself out of the stunlock the gesture had put me in. I looked away as his words registered, looking out over the canyon. The depths were already lost in gloom as the sun sank into the horizon. "Well, I...I just wanted to talk to you. I've been seeing you around, and you seem... I don't know how to explain it, really. There's just something about you."

promptoaregentum

His blushed deepened slightly at her words. No one had ever really said that about him before, though he didn't really feel there was really anything special about him. He was just a pleb. He shook his head slightly for a moment, his grin faltering slightly. "Well, uhm...thank you."

A few moments passed before he had an idea. "Hey, I know! How about we get something to eat? If you haven't eaten? We can get to know each other, and make it back before nightfall! It'll be my treat."

wolfgoddess77

I saw the smile on his face fade slightly, and for a moment, I was afraid that I had overstepped. The last thing that I wanted to do was make him feel uncomfortable. "Dinner would be great," I told him. My head tilted slightly to the side as I regarded him.  "You...aren't used to compliments, are you?" He seemed confident enough on the outside, but the look on his face when I said that about him told me more than words could. There was more to Prompto than met the eye, and I was curious as to what lay beneath the surface.

Raising his free arm to rub the back of his neck, he gave a small, nervous laugh.  Damn, this girl is already seeing through him easily enough.  Soon she'll probably learn he isn't- 'No' He mentally shook his head. 'None of those thoughts right now, focus on the pretty girl! Keep cool!' "Easy to tell, huh? Heh, yeah, I'm really not. But enough about me!" He held his arm out to her, so he could escort her. "Where would you like to go? There is a few nice little places nearby, totally your choice!"

wolfgoddess77

I considered for a moment. "I've heard good things about the restaurant in the market," I said at last, taking note of the nervous laughter. It seemed that I had hit upon an insecurity; I'd have to be very careful about that. Looping my arm through his, I moved a bit closer, making sure to keep enough distance between us that we wouldn't bump into each other as we walked.

promptoaregentum

Smiling broadly, he lead her through the crowd, some people waving and just a simple hello to the couple as they walked. He pulled Wolf a little closer, as the crowd was getting a little thicker and they were passing through an alleyway.  He remembered taking this way with Noct and the others and it seemed quicker. Hopefully he was remembering the right way. "Man, the people here are so friendly...it is a little strange." He was mostly talking outloud, but it was still so strange to him.  Then he glanced down at her with a wink. "I'm glad though, I got to meet you."

wolfgoddess77

"I'm actually...not from Lestallum," I admitted, surprised by the sudden return of his confidence. Perhaps I hadn't made too big of a blunder with the compliment thing after all. "I'm just staying here for a while." But I remembered my first time coming here, and being shocked when strangers that I passed would sometimes wave to me, and to each other. "It's a little confusing at first, isn't it? I lost track of the number of times I actually stopped and tried to remember if I knew someone from somewhere before realizing that they were just being friendly."

promptoaregentum

"Heh, yeah. When I first came here with my buddies, I thought it was cause they knew them. But when it started happening to just me when I was alone, it was very confusing. So where are you actually from?" He continued to lead them through the market place. Once they got to Thotwell Grill, he slide his arm away from hers and held at the chair for her with a grin. Man, he has really gotta thank Ignis and those movies he watched for all the tips and advice for wooing a lady right.

wolfgoddess77

"You're quite the gentleman," I commented as I sat down at the table. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to broach the topic of my hometown. It was still a sore wound for a lot of people. On the other side of that, though, I didn't want to lie to him, either. I decided to take the casual approach. "Well...let's just say we have the same hometown." There. An answer that acknowledged the catoblepas in the room without directly addressing it.

promptoaregentum

He sighed sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder to give her a little comfort. And maybe some for himself. "I'm sorry..." he mummered softly so only she could hear him, the sadness and longing evident with his tone. "I should have thought of that since many refugees are here. I didn't mean to bring up sad thoughts." He walked over to his chair and sat down, giving her a small smile. Nervously fiddling with his bandanna, he hoped he hadn't made it awkward and sad now, he really did want this go well.

wolfgoddess77

I shook my head, giving a smile. "You didn't. It was really my fault for bringing it up in the first place." My eyes strayed to the bandanna on his arm; it was an interesting adornment, and one that I had never seen on anyone else. Oddly, though, it suited him. "What about you, though? Are you just passing through, or are you here for a while?"

promptoaregentum

"Uh, maybe both?" He tilted his head in confusion. Mostly just unsure how much information was okay to give out at this point. Most people didn't know that right now the new King was taking another road trip, trying to get ideas on how to best serve the land once Insomnia is back to normal. "I'm on a road trip with my buddies, a sort of last hoorah before the building of Insomnia is finished and having to go back to work and all. We'd be a little busy to see each other like we used to. We'll be here for a couple weeks though. "

wolfgoddess77

"I'm glad I managed to catch you before you left, then." I sat back in my chair, folding my hands in my lap. The rebuilding of Insomnia. That was a topic I thought about quite frequently. The time to return was drawing closer, and I didn't know whether to be terrified or excited. "It feels almost like a dream," I murmured, half to myself. "More than ten years, and it's nearly time." While I had been back to the outskirts of the ruined city, I hadn't been able to bring myself to actually get close. I had watched the rebuilding from a distance, and saw it drawing closer and closer to completion.

promptoaregentum

"I'm glad you did too...and Yeah...it really has. I'm surprised how quickly the building has been going...but I guess a lot of us are just eager to go home and just...somehow pretend none of this happened. That No- uh, King Noctis became King like the royal line normally does, not cause of...what happened." He leaned back somewhat in his seat, and glanced up at the sky as he thought about it. Then he gave a small sigh before righting himself and looking back at Wolf. Maybe they should branch off onto a happier subject.  Food is always a good subject! "So, what's your favorite thing to get here?"

wolfgoddess77

"I like the spicy skewers," I said casually, trying not to smile. He had almost slipped there. But the fact that he hadn't said anything about who his friends were clearly meant that he was trying to protect them, and I didn't want to ruin that for him. "The spice blend they use is something I've never been able to find anywhere else. I don't think they use the usual type of peppers." I appreciated the fact that he was trying to change the subject. Even though our home was almost complete, there was still a pit in my chest left over from its original destruction.

promptoaregentum

"Ah! Don't tell one of my buddies that, he takes a bite of something and all the sudden he knows exactly what is in it and makes it his own." Prom leans forward a bit in a dramatic fashion and stage whispers. "I think his line has his own branch of magic to do that. Seriously. One Bite" He was hoping to make her laugh and ease the tension that the topic of New Insomnia tended to bring around anyone and everyone.

wolfgoddess77

His tactic worked; I couldn't help but laugh at this. "That must drive the restaurant owners insane, especially if it's a house recipe. On the other hand, your friends must be thrilled to be able to eat their favorite restaurant foods whenever they want." I gave him a conspiratorial wink. "But don't worry, I'll keep it to myself. I will take the secret of the spice to my grave."

promptoaregentum

His face turning serious, he stared at her for a moment before resting his elbow on the table, bringing his hand forward for a moment before closing his hand so that all but his pinkie finger remained. "You must also swear with the most sacred of swears. The Pinkie Swear. The horrors once faces if this solemn vow...I can't even bring myself to name such horrors!" He faked a shudder at this, his face looking terrified  while it was clear he was fighting back a smile.  It didn't help the corners of his mouth were twitching as he tried his best to keep character.

wolfgoddess77

I sat up straight, extending my hand and curling my finger around his, keeping my face as serious as his was, with only marginally better results. His smile was inexplicably contagious. "I hereby swear never to reveal this secret to your friend," I vowed. He had taken me completely off-guard with this; I had no idea that he could be so playful. But somehow, this just added to his already-incredible charm.

promptoaregentum

Moving his hand up and down with a small shake, he finally grins and lets out a small laugh. "Good!" The waitress approached them with a smile, quickly asking what they would like to eat. "Two spicy skewers please!" He looked over at Wolf, hoping it was okay he ordered for them. Some girls liked it, others didn't, so he would try to do both. "And whatever else you'd like, go ahead!"

wolfgoddess77

"Just a glass of water to go along with it, please," I told the waitress. "You're going to want something cold to drink, believe me." I wasn't sure if he had ever eaten here before, so I decided to err on the side of caution and suggest something, rather than let him find out for himself just how potent the spices were. I had eaten here enough times to see several people underestimate the heat, and I didn't want him to suffer the same fate.

promptoaregentum

"I love spicy foods! So just water for me as well, thanks. Better safe than sorry, don't wanna look like a complete fool in front of you." He said with a wink. As the waitress left, Prompto sat there looking at Wolf, studying her slightly as he thought of a topic they could broach without it triggering anything. "So, uhm, what do you do, Wolf? For a living."

wolfgoddess77

I sat back in my chair, reaching into the neckline of my shirt and pulling out a slender chain, from which depended two metal tags. "I'm a- Well, I was a daemon hunter, but with the Dawn, I've had to branch out a bit more." Tucking the tags back into my shirt, I laced my fingers together, curiosity getting the better of me. "How about you? What do you do, when you're not on road trips?"

promptoaregentum

"Huh, funny we didn't run into each other more then. I was also a daemon hunter before Dawn broke.  But I kinda went all over, since I'm a pretty good shot. I haven't met many people really great with guns." He gave a half shrug, he didn't want to come off as arrogant but he was actually more than just a good shot. At least he knew that now after all the hunts he went on. If you had asked him before, when he was twenty, he wasn't sure he would even bring it up. "But I also have been sorta doing some photography stuff right now and I'm also sorta...helping a friend out. With his own business." Business. Right. Cause helping guard your buddy and having a job at the Citadel is a business He thought to himself warily.(edited)

wolfgoddess77

Guns and photography. That was a combination that I had never heard before. With this new information, I couldn't help but give him a closer look, to see if he was actually carrying a camera with him, or if it was a more sporadic hobby. "Yeah? I'd like to see some of your work sometime, if I may." It was a casual suggestion, and I didn't even realize the ramifications of it until I had already said it. The request implied that this dinner would turn into more than a one-time thing. For a moment, I considered telling him that I changed my mind, but I didn't want to do that. Not only would that probably hurt his feelings, but it would be a lie. I didn't want this to be a one-time thing.

promptoaregentum

He stared at you before nodding, a smile lighting up his face again. "Yeah! That'd be great! My camera is sorta charging in my room right now, but I think I have a few I sent to myself on my phone! Give you a sneak peek!" He dug around in his pocket before pulling out his phone and unlocking. A few thumb touches, he handed it over to you, showing you a picture of a black baby chocobo.

wolfgoddess77

A smile came to my face as I looked down at the little fuzzball. "A black chocobo chick? I don't think I've ever actually seen one before." Carefully, I handed his phone back to him. "You're very good at that." It was a bold statement, seeing as how I had only seen the one image, but he had done an excellent job with it, and it was just as likely that his other pictures were just as well-done.

promptoaregentum

"Oh, yeah! Me and my buddies, before the Darkness, helped save one! We think it is the only one left, but hopefully they can make a comeback since he's finally an adult." He quickly slide his thumb across his screen again, showing the him and the black chocobo next to each other. Clearly he was taking a selfie with the chocobo, but what made the picture was the chocobo trying to eat his hair.

wolfgoddess77

This brought another laugh from my lips. "That is adorable!" It didn't occur to me that I wasn't sure to what I was referring; him or the chocobo. "But if that's the way this one shows affection, you might be better off keeping your distance. It might end up accidentally scalping you otherwise." I realized then that, for the first time, I was actually starting to feel rather relaxed around him. Even after the Dawn, most hunters were still wound tighter than a spring, and I was no exception. So how was it that Prompto was able to make me feel like this so quickly and easily?

promptoaregentum

Prompto grinned happily to himself at hearing her laugh again. It was such a nice laugh, making him smile even more. There was something about her that he...couldn't help but start to wonder how this would go for them. Where they would go from here. At least, he hoped there would be more than just a few meetings. "Yeah, probably. Wiz told me he was grooming me, so I guess he thinks of me as family? The guys just said it is cause my hair looks like a chocobo butt though." He couldn't help but give a little pout at that. It did not look like that, darn it!

wolfgoddess77

I blinked, taking in the pout that had formed on his face. I didn't think I had ever seen an expression like that up close. Hunters tended to be more serious, so this was a rare experience. An almost tender smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, but it was gone before he could get a good look at it. "I don't see it, personally," I told him, waving one hand. Although I couldn't deny that the upswept lock of hair on the right side had to be one of the cutest things I had ever seen.

promptoaregentum

He couldn't help but perk up slightly. "Good! Hopefully-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as the waitress came and set their food down on the table and their waters. After bidding them to enjoy their food, she walked away. Prompto looked back at Wolf. "Chow time! It smells delicious!" He looked down at his plate, rubbing his hands together slightly in anticipation for how good it would be and how spicy, his face in a gleeful expression. He wasn't lying when he said he loved spicy food.

wolfgoddess77

After thanking the waitress, I picked up one of the skewers, blowing on the chunks of meat for a moment before taking a bite. At once, the heat of the spice filled my mouth. As I ate, I couldn't help but keep my eyes on Prompto, just to see how well he actually handled the flavor. He certainly seemed eager enough.

promptoaregentum

Following suit, he picked up a skewer and blew on it as well before taking a very big bite. He couldn't help as a very loud "MMMM"  escaped him.  Swallowing his food, he grinned at Wolf. "This is delicious! And the spices, it has a really good kick without it being 'Burn your tongue' off spicy! I wonder what kind of peppers they use..." He glanced down at him food, as if the food would get up and tell him the ingredients. He looked back up at her before remembering his manners. "Oh, uh, do you like it? You're enjoying it?"(edited)

wolfgoddess77

My eyes danced with amusement. "I'm enjoying it very much." But what I wouldn't admit was that I was enjoying his reactions even more. I was used to eating alone, so having a companion just made everything that much better. Hunters tended to keep to themselves because of the rather high mortality rate, and I had known better than to try to form any attachments to them. Of course, I had made a few casual friends, but it always came with the unspoken assumption that one day, one of us might not come back. And I knew that, in a way, this would be no different. Prompto would return to his friends, and I would return to the Hunter Outpost for more assignments. But for the moment, I could pretend.(edited)

promptoaregentum

"Good! I'm glad you recommended these! I may have to get my friend to try them so that way I can request them and think of you." He blushed slightly, hoping she would just think it was the heat getting to him before he popped more of the food into his mouth, embarrassed that it had slipped out since they were just getting to know each other. But he couldn't lie that he wanted the evening to be over just yet either. Even though he knew they would have to go their separate ways, but maybe...just maybe before he has to leave, they could get closer so they could exchange numbers and actually talk.

wolfgoddess77

I froze, the skewer raised halfway to my mouth. Think of me? Quickly, I took a bite of the meat to cover what I hoped wasn't too noticeable of a pause. "Well you know, if you told him, that would absolve me of our Pinky Swear, and then I won't have to face any of those horrible things you wouldn't mention. I'd be off the hook." That line had completely taken me off-guard, but it wasn't at all unwelcome, even though it made my own face heat up in a matching blush. Thankfully, as nightfall descended, and the streetlights came on, it wasn't as noticeable as it might have otherwise been.

promptoaregentum

"Well, I could just casually say we should eat here and recommend the skewers. I can't let you out of a Pinkie Promise that easily!" He smiled slightly at her as they continued to eat, though he wasn't focussed on his meal as much as he was. He was trying to very quickly think of a way to keep this going. He finally had a thought, and he perked up. "Do you like ice cream?"

wolfgoddess77

"Doesn't everyone?" During the years of darkness, such a thing had ceased to exist, and now that it was back, all the places that sold it were an overnight success. Along with the sun, there were so many things that had disappeared from the world, and were only just now being rediscovered again. Then again, even if I hadn't liked ice cream, I still would have agreed, if only to extend the rapidly-waning time we had together.

promptoaregentum

"I-" he quickly hushed before leaning forward again like earlier, speaking so low that only she could hear him. "I know a great little place. It is a little bit of a walk from here, but they don't advertise since with all the shortage it can lead to. Plus they like that people stumble across them. It's a little hush hush, but I think you'd really like it. They have all sorta of interesting flavors."

wolfgoddess77

I closed the distance a bit further so I could hear his quiet words, and blinked in surprise upon hearing them. "An underground ice cream shop?" I whispered back. That was a new one. It made sense, though; a place that only focused on selling one type of thing could easily go out of business if the supply couldn't keep up with the demand. "You're just trying to get me in all kinds of trouble, aren't you?" I teased impishly. "First the secret of the spice, and now this! Luckily for you, I know how to keep a secret."

promptoaregentum

He gave a small smirk and a wink. "Guilty as charged. But at least you'll have a wonderful adventure." He ate the rest of his food and took a small sip of his water, waiting for her to finish patiently.(edited)

wolfgoddess77

I finished eating soon after he did, and pulled out a handful of gil. Even though he'd said that it was his treat, I was the one who had called him out here to begin with, and I didn't want to make him pay for everything. Putting the money down on the tabletop, I stood up, stretching. The night was still young, and I was used to staying awake late in any case. Nighttime still made me a bit wary, even though the moon and stars could now be seen in the sky, which had been roiling black during the Darkness. Still even that little bit helped to reassure everyone that the sun would soon rise again.

promptoaregentum

Prompto frowned as she left money on the table before quickly sliding it off the table and leaving his own money in place. Now he just needed to figure out a way to slip it back into her pocket without her noticing. He offered her his arm again to lead the way to the secret ice cream shop, smiling brilliantly again at her.(edited)

wolfgoddess77

Once again, I took his arm, not having noticed that he'd swiped the money and replaced it with his own.

"So tell me, how did you find this place?" It must have been an unusually lucky find on his part, if it was as hidden as he'd said. Especially since he wasn't native to Lestallum. The streets were so much of a maze that those who weren't used to them frequently got lost.

promptoaregentum

He gave her a sheepish grin, rubbing his neck again with his free hand. "Truthfully, I randomly stumbled about it before the darkness. We've been here for a week, and I only just found it yesterday. This time I made notes on my way back."

wolfgoddess77

My eyebrows raised in surprise. "It survived the darkness?" That was a feat not many shops could claim. Most places had closed down permanently once daemons began roaming the land, and had never reopened again. I didn't like to think about why that might have been. But it was heartwarming to think that this place, at least, had been restored to the way it once was. It was proof that one day, things might return to the way they had been.

promptoaregentum

"Mhm. I asked the owners and apparently they switched to selling those quick meals for hunters on the go that wouldn't go bad quickly. The owners were really glad once ice cream came back once Dawn was restored. Now, this is the tricky part to finding the store, so pay close attention, okay?" He leaded her across some main roads and alley was, some become twisty turns as he continued to lead her, though he walked somewhat slowly to give her time to study her surroundings and the way there.

wolfgoddess77

As we walked, I made sure to look around, taking in anything that might be able to serve as a landmark, should I ever find myself coming back this way again. The chances were slim, since I was only here temporarily, but it never hurt to keep a mental map of the place, just in case. "Reminds me of Takka's," I murmured. "If anyone was going to survive the darkness, it was going to be him. His restaurant might have been commandeered, but the instant the sun broke over the horizon, he was back in Hammerhead, rooting everyone out and restoring order."

promptoaregentum

"Actuslly, you're correct. We stopped by Hammerhead on the way here." He gently patted her arm to comfort her before continuing on. A few minutes passed before he stopped and pointed to a very hole in the wall shop. "And there it is"

wolfgoddess77

"Don't tell anyone, but I was there when he came back to his restaurant. I don't think I've ever seen a group of hunters so scared by a human before. No daemon was half as frightening as Takka when he realized what they had done to his pride and joy." I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. I would never forget the sight of the hunters scattering into the bright light, being chased by a man wielding nothing more than a spatula and a carving knife.

promptoaregentum

He laughed along with her, picturing Takka doing that easily. "Yeah...he is really proud of that place, and I don't blame him. He's a nice guy." Walking forward, Prompto opened the door for Wolf and gave a playful bow to her as he held it open. "Milady, after you~"

wolfgoddess77

I shook my head in amusement. Either they had trained him in deportment, or he had picked it up somewhere along the way; his behavior had been nothing but flattering. "Thank you, sir," I replied, nodding my head to him as I entered the shop. Cool air washed over me, and I had to fight back a shiver; after the almost tropical heat outside, it was downright freezing in here.

promptoaregentum

"Anything for you, milady! Now that we've had our feast of the mighty beast, it is time for a treat! Which is going to be my treat." He gave her a pointed look this time, even though she didn't know he switched the money. He was still trying to puzzle out how to give that back without feeling her up.

wolfgoddess77

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right. It's your treat this time. Truly." I just hoped that I hadn't offended him by splitting the cost of the dinner with him. It hadn't been expensive, but I had still felt bad about it. Giving him a smile, I moved closer to the counter where the flavors were displayed, looking over them. He'd been right; there were many flavors that I had never even heard of, along with the more common ones.

promptoaregentum

He wasn't offended, he just wanted to treat her this meeting. And maybe the next. And the next. "Hey, let's make this fun! One of us orders a common flavor, the other uncommon and we'll do a taste test! What do you think? Oh, oh! We could even get one of each and get a small bit of each? What do you think?" he grinned at her, excited about the idea. Plus it gave them an better excuse to prolong the evening even more.

wolfgoddess77

"That sounds like it could be a very dangerous game in the wrong hands, but I think I'm up for a challenge." I flashed him a grin. The woman running the shop stepped forward, giving us a kind smile. "What can I get for you, dears?" she asked, her voice gentle. I considered for a moment before pointing to a sky-blue colored ice cream. "That, please. And..." After another few seconds, I pointed to one that was an off-white. "That one." "Certainly." The woman pulled two small bowls from beneath the counter and scooped the two flavors into them before handing them to me. That done, she turned to Prompto. "And for you, my dear?"

promptoaregentum

He pointed to a off green one, and one that you could only get from the machine. "Those pretty, please!" He flashed the lady running the shop, who blushed slightly before handing him his bowels of ice cream. He quickly brought out his wallet and paid for both before leading them both to a booth, sitting across from Wolf. "Shall we say who got what or do we take a taste and try to guess?"

wolfgoddess77

I was pretty sure that I could guess what the green one was, but I wasn't sure about the other. "Let's guess," I told him. Dipping the spoon into the blue dessert, I extended it to him. "You first." This one was a bit of a risk; not everyone liked the combination of salty and sweet, but it was uncommon enough that he probably had never tried it before.

promptoaregentum

"Ladies, first!" He took a spoonful of the green ice cream and holds it out to her for her to taste, grinning broadly with excitement, hoping she'd enjoy the flavors he got.

wolfgoddess77

I lowered the spoon, arching one eyebrow. "Oh, all right..." Putting the utensil back in the dish so the ice cream wouldn't melt, I leaned forward, taking the bite he offered me. Sitting back, I rolled it around in my mouth, considering the flavor.

promptoaregentum

One could just see the excitement yet nervous energy pouring from the Sunshine boy as he waited for her to guess. He fidgeted somewhat in his seat as he waited, his smile still planted firmly across his freckled cheeks.

wolfgoddess77

I thought about it for a minute before finally speaking. "It's definitely some kind of nut. But it's not peanut or pecan." I looked down at the color, and a smug smile came to my face. "It's pistachio." Although I wasn't overly fond of pistachios, I let no trace of it show on my face, not wanting to dampen his brilliant mood.

promptoaregentum

If he could project light, he would've with the beaming smile that he projected. "Yes! It is! Do you like it? Be honest! I can take it!" He looked at her determinedly and sincerely   , he truly wanted to know her answer so he could mentally write it down to what she did and didn't like.  He wanted to know her.

wolfgoddess77

"Well, pistachio isn't my favorite, but I don't hate it, either. I prefer the actual nut over the ice cream flavor. Still, it isn't the worst I've ever had." Picking up the spoon I had discarded, I extended it to him. "Your turn now." Oddly enough, I felt no embarrassment from doing this, even though we were technically feeding each other. It seemed so natural that I didn't even give it a second thought.

promptoaregentum

Leaning forward, he slowly took the spoon that was offered into his mouth, slowly running his tongue across it as he stared at the beautiful woman across from him. Making a small show of his tongue skills around the spoon, he gently pulled back, taking the flavor into his mouth before licking his lips, his face turning thoughtful as he did.

wolfgoddess77

My eyes widened as he did this, and a blush spread across my cheeks. That had been no accident; I was certain of it. He had done is specifically because he knew he would get a reaction out of me. The eye contract proved that much. And the hell of it was, it had worked. My mouth was suddenly dry, and I had to swallow hard before I could speak. When I did, my voice shook slightly. "S-so...what do you think?"

promptoaregentum

"Hrm...it's sweet but salty...it almost tastes like this toffee I had once in Cape Caerm..." he closed his eye trying to think before a smirk graced his features. He opened his eyes and looked at Wolf. He saw her reaction to him and was feeling rather confident, even if he was wrong in his guess. Good...we may go further along like I want...if she wants me too. He thought. "Is it...sea salt?"(edited)

wolfgoddess77

I blinked. Maybe he had had something like this before, if not the actual ice cream itself. "Yeah, that's right. I'm impressed. You're the first person to have been able to identify that." Of course, you hadn't tasted it with many people before, so that wasn't a very fair assessment.

promptoaregentum

"Sea salt toffee. The toffee tastes a bit more salt than sweet, but it works. Now your turn!" He said as he held up the other spoon full of ice cream, dark and light swirled together as he leaned forward to offer it to her, and he couldn't help but stare at her lips as she did so, wondering what it would be like to kiss them.

wolfgoddess77

Very aware of his gaze on me, I leaned forward, taking the proffered spoonful of ice cream. This one was very easy to identify, not just by taste, but by sight. "Chocolate and vanilla swirl," I declared, more confident in my answer than before. "One of my favorites, actually." I licked my lips, unsure if I was making sure I hadn't left behind any smears of ice cream, or if I was returning the favor from a moment ago.

promptoaregentum

Still staring at her lips as her tongue glanced around them, he answered. "One of mine too. Seems like a classic with a , no pun intended, twist. My turn!" He leaned forward waiting a bit till the spoon was closer before opening his mouth again for the yummy treat.

wolfgoddess77

Still slightly dazed by his earlier display, I scooped up a bite of the second flavor and extended it to him for tasting. "This one is my personal favorite," I told him, though I decided not to give him any clues as to what it actually was. Not that it would have been difficult to guess; it was a unique flavor, and very easy to identify if he'd had it before, or any of its other forms.

Veranex-Today at 8:50 PM

Deciding to show off in a different way, his tongue once again flicked over the spoon, scooping up the sweet treat into his mouth again as he stared at her. Humming thoughtfully before smirked again at her. "Cheesecake. Very nice."

wolfgoddess77

I nodded slowly, unable to formulate a sentence. This man was absolutely sinful. At first, I had thought he was the more innocent, shy type, but he was showing me a darker, more wicked side that I never could have even guessed at. It was almost like a switch had been flipped, and now a new personality had taken over. "Cheesecake...is right, yes," I managed at last, my eyes fixed on his mouth. I hadn't been able to look away as his tongue had flickered over the ice cream. There was something almost entrancing about him now.

promptoaregentum

"Woo! I'm glad we all got them right! " His smirked grew as he slide forward the twist over to her. "Help yourself to any of my flavors. Any of them." His toned changed slightly with the end of the sentence, it coming out more seductive and flirty than innocent, proving her point quite well that a switch had happened. He knew he should dial it back, but by the Six, something about her was causing it to come out more. And he liked it. He liked it a lot.

wolfgoddess77

Finally, I was able to look away, and I turned my attention to the ice cream in front of me. I was tempted to return his words, but I didn't know exactly how he would react to them. This was uncharted territory, and all bets were off. But slowly, my gaze lifted, and I locked eyes with him. For several moments, I was silent, simply studying the color. They were stunning; a dark, clear blue, though something about the lighting made them seem almost purple. "You're free to have mine as well," I said, deciding to throw caution to the wind. If he was leaving soon, then I might not get another chance like this, and I intended to grab it with both hands.

promptoaregentum

"I'll hold you to that." His voice dropping an octave as he held out another spoonful of ice cream to her. As much as he wanted to taste her right now, to taste her lips, he knew it was too soon. But that didn't mean he couldn't stop teasing her till it was the right time. And he was patient. Probably the one thing he learned well when he was in training and a hunter. Learning when to strike.

wolfgoddess77

Once more, I leaned partway across the table, taking the bite of ice cream he was holding out. We were playing a dangerous game, I knew, but I was enjoying myself far too much to back down. "How about something a bit different?" Taking a small scoop if the cheesecake, I reached across and snagged a bit of the swirl. "Try it like this."

promptoaregentum

He did the same as she did. "Together then?" Holding out the spoon towards her as well, his smirk slowly turning into a grin.

wolfgoddess77

So that was the way he wanted to play it, then. Like this, the spoons were side by side, and that would bring us dangerously close to each other. I swallowed hard, then leaned forward. "Together."

promptoaregentum

"Together." He repeated as he leaned forward at the same time she did, taking the spoon into his mouth. And maybe he accidently on purpose over filled his so the ice cream would smear across her lips. Once he swallowed the cold treat, he leaned forward and wiped her lip with his thumb. "Missed a spot..." He then took his thumb into his mouth as he stared at her, licking it clean.

wolfgoddess77

Instinctively, I licked my lips, jerking back like I had been burned. His touch wasn't unwelcome, merely surprising. And even though it had only been for an instant, I could still feel the roughness of his thumb over my lips. "Umm, thank you," I said softly, unable to come up with anything else to say.

promptoaregentum

Chuckling slightly, hoping he didn't overstep the boundaries but he just couldn't help it. After all, she did say all the flavors.  "Anytime." He then went back to trying certain ice creams as they talked, trying to wrestle himself back into control so he didn't scare her or make her feel uncomfortable. "Would it be too much for me to walk you home?" The words surprised him as he spoke.

wolfgoddess77

I shook my head. "No, it wouldn't be too much. Especially since...we might be going in the same direction. I'm guessing you're staying at the Leville with your friends? That's where I've been staying, as well." It wasn't ideal long-term, especially since a lot of apartments had opened up now that light had returned to the world, and people were beginning to scatter throughout Lucis again, but I had no intention of staying for more than a few more days.

promptoaregentum

"You are correct." He slide out of the booth as he spoke, holding his hand out to her. He knew this was a bit of a risk. Offering an arm is one thing, holding hands...is a little more intimate compared to it

wolfgoddess77

I looked down at his proffered hand, then back up at him. Slowly, I reached out, and lightly caught the tips of his fingers with my own. Like him, I wasn't sure exactly how far to take the physical aspect of things. We had been in each other's company for only a couple of hours, and even though things seemed to be going well, I wasn't sure what kind of boundaries he might have. I had seen the nervousness in him earlier, and I didn't want to accidentally bring it back out.

promptoaregentum

Gently linking his fingers through her own, he slowly started leading them back to the hotel. Though it was late, he selfishly wanted to keep her company for a little longer. He just hoped that this wasn't too much for her,  knowing that it could be difficult for others. While he did have some boundaries,  he gave into wanting to feel her in a, hopefully, still innocent manner.(edited)

wolfgoddess77

There was a faint smile on my face as we left the shop, and the relaxed set to my shoulders told him that, although some of his behavior had surprised me, I wasn't on the edge of being frightened away. It took more than that to scare a hunter, after all, as he probably knew. The both of us had survived the darkness, faced down numerous demons, and in his case, had gone through more than any person should in a lifetime. After all of that, something like this seemed like a walk in the park.

promptoaregentum

They continued to walk in relaxed silence, only to be broken once they reached the front door of the hotel. He turned to look at Wolf, suddenly feeling nervous. But he did have a plan for slipping her money back. "this was...really really nice. Could...could we do it again?"

wolfgoddess77

I hesitated for a moment. Not because I didn't want to say yes, but because I didn't know whether it would even be possible. "I'm always up for a second date," I said at last, giving him a smile. The words hung unspoken in the air between us: But are we ever going to see each other again? We had always ran in different circles, and that hadn't changed. Probably wouldn't change, even after Insomnia was rebuilt. The odds of us seeing each other might increase then, but it was doubtful we would have the leisure time that we were currently enjoying.

promptoaregentum

"Could I have your number? I honestly...really wanna see where this leads us. I'm glad you sent me that letter." His unspoken words: We'll make it work if we want to If he could survive the Darkness and all those daemons when Noct was bring back the Dawn, keeping in touch with a girl he likes should be easy compared to that.

wolfgoddess77

I nodded, reaching into the pocket of my jacket and pulling out my phone. After unlocking it and pulling up the address book, I handed it to him. "Here; just put your name and number in." An unexpected warmth spread through my chest, and I couldn't stop my smile from turning gentle. I wanted to see him again; very much.

promptoaregentum

He smiled back at her, doing the same to his phone and handing it to her as well. He quickly put in his number and handed it back to her. "This was, really, really, fun..."He leaned forward a little more as he did, their faces becoming closer.

wolfgoddess77

Quickly, I put my own number in his phone, and as I took back mine, I saw him beginning to lean forward. My heart clenched in my chest as I realized what he intended to do. But I wasn't at all opposed to the idea. Slowly, I tilted my head back just a bit. He was taller than me, and I had to look up to meet his gaze...or his kiss.

promptoaregentum

As they slowly become closer to each other, fighting himself on kissing those perfect lips, but being too fast. Finally he bent down to meet her lips, and he faltered a bit before moving and landing a gently kiss on her cheek, quickly sliding her money back into her pocket.

wolfgoddess77

Not having expected this, I opened my eyes, glancing over at him. His bait and switch went unnoticed as I arched one eyebrow. After all of the teasing that he had done in the ice cream shop, I never thought something as small as a kiss would have daunted him. But it looked like he truly was a gentleman, and wasn't willing to rush things, even though it was likely that we wouldn't see each other again after this.

promptoaregentum

"Have a good night, Wolf. I'll text you, alright? Are you free tomorrow?"

wolfgoddess77

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm not returning to headquarters for another few days." I had taken on several assignments at once specifically so that I could have some time off before I had to go back, and it looked like I had found something to do with that time. He'd said that he and his friends weren't leaving for another few days as well, meaning... This could happen again.

promptoaregentum

"I'll make some plans for us...goodnight, Wolf. I need to get some things for my friends before I head up...so goodnight" Gods, how he wanted to still kiss those lips. But no, he needed...he should be a gentlemen.  He needed to wait, to be patient. But that was proving to be hard.

wolfgoddess77

"Good night. I really enjoyed myself tonight." I couldn't even remember how long it had been since I'd gone on an actual date. The most I ever allowed myself with my fellow hunters was an occasional indulgence when the itch became too strong, but even those were few and far between. To actually be taken out by someone and have the chance to spend quality time together, without the threat of being killed by a daemon at any given moment...it was priceless. Turning away, I headed into the hotel, towards the elevator that would take me to the upper floors.(edited)

promptoaregentum

He watched her as the doors to the elevator opened, before he sprinted over there, sliding into the door before it shut, the doors opening wide before he slammed his finger on the shut door button. Before she could even question him he snaked his arm across her waist and gently cupped her face against the palm of his hand and gently, so gently and sweetly, pressed his lips against her. At first it was a small brush, nervous that he was pushing her too far, waiting for her to make the next move.

wolfgoddess77

My body stiffened in his hold; it wasn't easy to shock a hunter into complete unresponsiveness, but he had managed to do it. It took a moment, but my arms slowly curled around his slender frame, and I pulled myself more firmly against him. Where he had been hesitant, I was not, my lips meeting his with a bit more confidence.

promptoaregentum

His nervousness quickly turned to confidence after she started kissing him back, their kisses turning a bit more passionate as the numbers ticked by on the elevator. He gripped her waist tightly, pulling her tightly to him, as he free hand went from her face to the back of her head gently. Time seemed to have slowed for him until the dinging of the elevator sounded and the door opened. He quickly broke off the kiss, breathing slightly heavily as he looked at her. He knew it was too soon for anything else to happen, so he gently gave her a small kiss. "Sweet dreams, Wolf."

wolfgoddess77

My breathing matched his, and I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to lick my lips. He'd tasted good...and not just because of the ice cream we'd had. "Yeah...you too," I murmured. Almost in a daze, I moved past him, and down the hall. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key for my door, inserting it into the lock. But before I went inside, I cast one final look back at the elevator. Sweet dreams, indeed...

promptoaregentum

Raising his hand in a small wave as the doors shut, he waited a moment before the elevator started to go up before giving a small cheer in excitement. Once he reached his floor, he booked it towards the room he shared with the other, unlocking it and throwing himself on the bed, clutching the pillow tightly. "Woah, what the hell happened to you, Prompto?" Noctis couldn't help but ask his friend. His reply was muffled due to the pillow in front of his face. "I'm guessing it went well with your admirer?" Gladio asked boredly as he read his book.

wolfgoddess77

"He's been out for quite a while," Ignis commented from where he was sitting at a table across from the beds. His head was rested against his fist, and one leg was crossed elegantly over the other. "Had things not gone well, he would have returned much sooner." A pause, then. "You took her to dinner, yes?"

promptoaregentum

"Dinner and ice cream! And i walked her home...which she is staying her, but I wouldve done it anyway." Prompto said, muffled a bit between the pillow. "I did everything! I pulled out her chair, kissed her hand, and offered her my arm! We even held hands on the way back! She's so great, guys. Pretty, and nice, and her laugh. HER LAUGH. It just makes me smile everytime I hear it, the same with her smile. And she likes my hair!" Noctis and Gladio couldn't help but let out a snort at the latter. "Guess she has a thing for butts then." Noctis said with a smirk. Sitting up, Prompto launched the pillow at his best friend. "She said it doesn't look like a chocobo butt, so there!"

wolfgoddess77

Ignis reached up, covering his mouth with one gloved hand so the others wouldn't be able to see his smile. He didn't need his sight to know that Prompto was grinning from ear to ear; he could hear it in the gunman's voice. "It's good to know that some of your etiquette lessons took root.  Which is more than I can say for...others." His voice was teasing, and it was clear who his words were being directed at.

promptoaregentum

"Hey, I'm a gentlemen when I feel like it!" Gladio, fake insult laced in his voice. "Meh, if a girl can't like me for me, then she doesn't deserve me." Noct said with a lazy shrug. "Anyway, do we get to see a picture of the lady?" Prompto sat up grinning and reached for his phone before he realized. He didn't get a picture "NOOOO!!! I was so busy studying her and looking at her that I didn't even stop to take a picture!! And she is leaving in a few days!" He jerked his phone out of his pocket, quickly shooting a text to Wolf. "Hey! I know this may sound...strange, but could I get a picture of you for my contact list, please?! D;  I feel so silly being the photographer that I didn't get a picture of your beautiful self! Please?"

wolfgoddess77

There were a handful of seconds of silence, but at last, Prompto's phone chimed. The picture was one that had been taken by one of the other hunters, shortly after the Dawn. Standing on one of the outcroppings of rock that served as havens for those caught outside, she had her eyes closed and her head tilted slightly back as she soaked in the warm rays. Her arms were partially outstretched, and in the gleam of the light, tears glistened on her cheeks. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, and scratches adorned her arms, but she was smiling.

promptoaregentum

Gods...she was...is beautiful, Prompto sat there, his mouth wide open as he stared at his phone. He didn't even realize it when Gladio took it from his hand, letting out a slow whistle. "She's a hunter. and pretty." He remarked before handing the phone to Noct, who took it wordlessly. "You're lucky, Prompto." Noct said before Prompto snatched his phone back. "It's rude stealing someone's phone!" He snapped at his friends before moving closer to Ignis and describing the picture in great detail, the attractiveness he found her obvious, and obvious that he wanted to know more of her. And that he was smitten.

wolfgoddess77

Ignis sat with both eyes closed, his mind sketching out the picture that Prompto was painting. It was clear that the blond had more than just a passing crush on her. On the one hand, he was happy that one of them had finally found someone. But on the other...had he? Hunters had notoriously short lifespans, and when Insomnia was completely rebuilt, none of them would have much time to spare. At last, though, he spoke, deciding not to voice his concerns; Prompto already knew them, as did they all. There was no reason to ruin the mood. "She sounds like quite the woman, Prompto."

promptoaregentum

"She is! Her nickname is Wolf. She is so pretty and just, gah!" The blonde of the group fell back on the bed, gripping another pillow tightly. "I think we even have plans for tomorrow! She wants to see some of my pictures! Which ones should I show her, guys?!" Noct shared a glance with Gladio, his mind thinking the same that Ignis thought. Was he happy  his best friend was happy? Yes. They were both concerned over the fact she was a Hunter. "Guys?!" "Just show them, Prompto. They are all really good." Noct said with a yawn before flopping next to his friend. They decided to not spend royal funds on this trip, so they spent the gil they made while doing hunting parties. "What else is there for us to do tomorrow?! Iggy?!" The nervous man turned to his blind friend, hoping he had a better idea. "What, no asking me?" Gladio asked, mocked hurt. "Your advice would be to get in her pants, so no, he doesn't need it." Noct mumbled slightly. "I would not tell him that! Not with a girl he actually likes!" Gladio said, actually offended this time.

wolfgoddess77

"I'm certain she will enjoy whatever the two of you decide to do," he said mildly, trying not to chuckle at the argument going on between the king and his Shield. Even after ten years, some things never changed, and once Dawn broke over the land, the four of them had slipped back into the old dynamic they used to have. "Try not to overthink things, Prompto. Be casual. There's no need for panic. Tonight went well, and there's no reason to think a second outing will prove differently."

promptoaregentum

"But there is only so much to do here!" He whined before letting out a sigh, knowing his friend was right. He got up out of bed and went into the bathroom, changing into a tank top and shorts before taking a selfie that showed off his biceps. he quickly sent a text to Wolf with the picture. "Sweet dreams, beautiful. Meet me at the overlook by noon."

wolfgoddess77

"You have always been resourceful. I trust you'll figure something out by tomorrow." Hearing the click of the shutter, Ignis couldn't help but smile. He was far too familiar with Prompto's behavior to not know what he was up to. Some things never changed... He stood up, unerringly making his way over to his bed. Removing his glasses, he stretched out on it, folding his arms behind his head with a sigh.

promptoaregentum

Coming back out of the bathroom, he laid back on the bed and waited a bit till Noct was half asleep. "Noct...Noct! Can I borrow the car tomorrow?" "Mmm...yeah...sure..." The sleepy king said as he rolled over, a small snore was heard. Prom let out a silent cheer before settling down and falling asleep as well, excited for tomorrow. He had very special plans... But Gladio couldn't help but let out a small snort at what Prom did. The sneaky little bastard.

wolfgoddess77

The rising of the sun found your room empty. As was usual for a hunter, you had awakened just before dawn, even though you knew you had the luxury of sleeping in if you wanted to. But old habits died hard, and with a few exceptions that you could count on two hands, you had never once overslept. After a quick breakfast, you made your way out of the hotel. Unlike the night before, you were armed this time, as you weren't sure what to expect, in the form of twin daggers strapped to your thighs.

promptoaregentum

Prompto waited for you, early this time at the overlook, his camera hanging from his neck. Her nervously fiddled with the strap, insecure thoughts running through his mind. * Were you going to show up, did he push things too far? What if, what if what if*

wolfgoddess77

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sound of your voice. "Prompto?" You were making your way across the parking lot. Upon seeing him, you pulled your phone out of your pocket, flicking through it until you found the message he had sent you last night. "What are you doing here so early? I could have sworn you said noon..."

promptoaregentum

He turned around quickly, a small smile gracing his features again. He held up his camera and took a quick pic of you. "Just getting some shots." He lied smoothly. "Though I could ask you the same thing...you're here just as early." He walked over to you, hesitating slightly before planting a quick kiss to your cheek. He just couldn't help it, you were so cute.

wolfgoddess77

Your cheek warmed beneath his lips, though you couldn't help but smile. It looked like things hadn't moved backwards since the night before; he wasn't too afraid to kiss you think morning, even though it was only on the cheek. "I'm a hunter. Being an early riser kind of comes with the job, as you probably know. I thought I would take a walk to kill some time, but it looks like that's not necessary anymore."(edited)

promptoaregentum

"Well, that works well for my plans. Follow me." Slipping his hand between yours, he quickly dragged you towards the gas station near by where the Regalia 2 was waiting. Yes, that would probably give away some things, but it was the only car he had that he got permission to drive. He quickly took you to the passenger side door, and opened it up for you, a nervous smile on his lips. "Hope you don't mind a drive..."

wolfgoddess77

You arched one eyebrow. Although you had seen this car in the parking lot, never had you thought it belonged to him. Or rather, in this case, to one of his friends. "Not at all," you told him, sliding into the passenger seat. It had been a long time since you had been in a car, let alone one this luxurious, and you couldn't help but run your fingers over the leather seat. Someone in this car wears cologne... You could faintly smell it, even from where you were sitting.August 7, 2017

promptoaregentum

He quickly moved to the driver's side seat and slid in. He shot you a grin before turning out of the gas station, taking a left. He reached out and couldn't help but take your hand into his again, keeping one hand on the wheel. The drive itself wasn't too long as he pulled into a fairly small outpost.  He quickly jumped out of the car and opened up the passenger side door for you once more. "So, uhm, where I wanna take you is a short hike away from here. That's okay too, right?"

wolfgoddess77

You gave a soft laugh. "I'm a hunter. Hiking comes with the territory most of the time." It was touching how concerned he was about your comfort, clearly not wanting to do anything you might dislike. It seemed that the aggressive streak you had seen in him the night before had either died down, or wasn't awake yet. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, you settled back in your seat. "Relax; I can feel the tension in your body from here. There's no need to be so nervous."

promptoaregentum

"Heh, I just want to make sure our second date is as good as the first." He squeezed your hand back as he lead you towards a set of stairs, leading into the terrain below. While the hike itself isn't too long, the rough terrain can make it a little harder to navigate unless you had walked around here for a little bit. Keeping an eye out as they walked, he couldn't help but give a small sigh of relief. "Glad no creatures are out now...last time I came here, there was a Midgardsormr blocking the path." He peeked out from some trees and didn't see any creatures either. "Whew, none there either."

wolfgoddess77

You were instantly on the alert at the mention of the large snake. While the two of you had enough experience that you could probably bring it down eventually, it wouldn't be without taking heavy damage on both sides, especially considering the creature had a tendency to expel its venom from a distance. "Still, let's keep our eyes open, shall we? Just because it's not here now doesn't mean it isn't somewhere nearby. That particular breed is known to be territorial, and we don't know what kind of range it might have claimed. If we're lucky, it'll be somewhere far enough away that it won't bother us."

promptoaregentum

He nodded in agreement before tugging you past the trees, not walking into the area he last saw it in. "It didn't seem to mind when we passed this way, so to be safe, we'll just go this way." He continued to lead you until he heard the familiar roar of the waterfall. Turning to look at you, he shot you a grin, and gently tugged you along until the waterfall came into view. "Hope you don't mind a picnic by a waterfall!"

wolfgoddess77

Your eyes widened slightly. "A picnic?" Although you had been past this waterfall before, never had you actually stopped to admire it. And now, not only were you getting the chance to do so, but you were also being offered a picnic lunch beside it. Tendrils of your hair waved in the breeze generated by the falling water. "It's so much cooler here." Normally, the proximity to the Disc had people sweating within a few minutes of stepping out into the heat, but here it was pleasant.

promptoaregentum

"Let me know if you get too chilly. I brought an extra blanket just in case. It's also a little cooler cause inside the waterfall is an ice cave with a royal tomb in  it. I wouldn't recommend going in." He said as he brought out a blanket from inside his bag, putting it down a little in the middle of the area. Close enough to feel some water as it hit the breeze, far enough they wouldn't become soaked. He started pulling out many dishes from his bag as well, placing them down gently. And also a small bowl of strawberries for dessert.

wolfgoddess77

Upon seeing how many dishes he had brought, you couldn't help but be impressed. He had planned ahead, it seemed. "Prompto, this is amazing... Where did you get all of this?" The staff at the Leville might have made it for him; they weren't opposed to doing such things if asked, especially if it was a slow day, and they weren't overworked. And to think, he had been worried that you wouldn't enjoy yourself with this date. It was turning out to be even better than the first one.

promptoaregentum

"I asked my friend to help me make them. He's been teaching me how to cook...it's a sorta slow process , apparently I'm a little heavy handed with adding the spices. And I assumed in the beginning that I could make everything faster if I put the heat on higher..." He gave her a sheepish grin at that thought before motioning her to sit down.

wolfgoddess77

Tucking your legs beneath you, you sat down on the blanket, the back of your sleeveless jacket spreading out around you. It wasn't much protection against the cool air wafting off the waterfall, but the temperature wasn't low enough to be unpleasant. "Is this the same friend who can tell what's in a dish with one bite?" you asked in amusement.

promptoaregentum

He nodded eagerly. "The one and the same! Now, we made a salad for an appetizer. I wanted to add a really nice soup but I figured that may be a little difficult to eat and place down with the rocks and stuff..." He blushed slightly. He just really wanted this to go well, and for you to enjoy part of his cooking.

wolfgoddess77

"Salad is fine," you assured him. An appetizer, huh? This wasn't so much a picnic as much as a full-course meal. He had really pulled out all the stops to try and make this a good date. "We can always have the soup another time." The lingering promise of this happening a third time hung in the air between you; you hadn't meant to say it, but it had slipped out before you could stop yourself, and now you couldn't bring yourself to take it back.

promptoaregentum

"Yeah! I can always make it for you in the kitchen while we hang out! It sounds fun!...except the fact I may end up yelling for my friend in case I set the kitchen on fire." He pulled his plate into his lap, moving the dressing around so it would spread all over the greens. He couldn't help but watch you from the corner of his eye, waiting to see you take a bite first, hoping it was good. While it was pretty hard to mess up a salad, Iggy always tended to make everything he made special and he wanted you to think it was special too.

wolfgoddess77

"I'll be sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy, then." You were on the verge of laughing now; not at his expense, but simply at how sweet he was. Ten years of darkness and daemons hadn't done away with that almost childlike enthusiasm he possessed, and that was a rare quality. Almost everyone had changed with the loss of light, become more serious as their lives were put on the line. Even those who retreated to the safety of Lestallum changed, to say nothing of the hunters themselves - you included. It was something everyone was still trying to recover from, so to see someone who was seeminly untouched by it was... Well, it was priceless. Putting those thoughts aside, you speared a piece of lettuce, taking a bite of it and chewing thoughtfully. "It's delicious."(edited)

promptoaregentum

He couldn't help but beam at you. "Really! That's great!" He shoved a forkfull into his mouth and swallowed before turning to you. "The dressing is homemade. Apparently if you want the right thickness, yet not too thin, you have to whisk it just right. That's a technique. For whisking" His tone showed his disbelief at that fact.

wolfgoddess77

"So all of this is homemade, then? I'm impressed. I wouldn't think you would get to eat such things while on the road." Your own meals usually consisted of the rations they gave out at headquarters, or the occasional stop at a diner or restaurant. So to have a meal made from scratch was a very rare opportunity for you. "Your friend is a good teacher, though. I wouldn't even know what to do with myself in a kitchen." There were a handful of things you could make, but just from the spread laid out in front of you, it was clear that your culinary range was like comparing a molehill to a mountain.

promptoaregentum

"Like I said, he has to have magic in his bloodline. We're pretty spoiled with him around." He continued to stab his salad and eat with a strange happiness, just glad to have you for company during this outing. SO far everything was going so well. The sun was out and shining, no creatures about.  He took it to maybe be a good sign for things to come.

wolfgoddess77

Finishing your salad, you put the empty bowl down and wiped your mouth. "I don't see why you were worried about this time not living up to last night. I would say that you've really outdone yourself with this. Not only is the food wonderful, but the setting is perfect." Still, you had positioned yourself so that you were ready to leap up in an instant if anything showed itself. As relaxed as you seemed on the outside, your years of training had you on high alert, though you hid it well.

promptoaregentum

"Well, you never know. I can't control the weather." He reached for the next two plates. "Now this is  a roasted behemoth sandwich. I soaked it for a fee hours in a nice sauce and then let it cook for a bit on the stove top and I got a little au-ju sauce soaked into the bread a bit."

wolfgoddess77

"And to think just minutes ago, you were saying that you were in danger of setting the kitchen on fire," you remarked casually. "I think you're better at this than you're giving yourself credit for." Carefully, you took a bite, and were surprised by the flavor. "To tell you the truth, this is only the fourth time I've ever had behemoth meat. It's so hard to find, and I'm sure as hell not about to go out and hunt one of those things myself." You paused then as that thought sank in. "Prompto...where did this meat come from...? They don't even sell this in the market."

promptoaregentum

"Black market?" He gave a nervous laugh as he bit into his sandwich so he could use the ol 'i can't talk with my mouth full' excuse.

wolfgoddess77

Your eyes narrowed slightly, and one eyebrow raised. "You wanna try that one again?" He wasn't a very good liar under pressure, it seemed.  But you had a feeling you knew exactly where he had gotten it, as hard as it was to believe. Fresh behemoth meat...that was a particular delicacy that was new. It had never tasted like this before, and you were almost certain that that the beast in question had been roaming around not long ago.

promptoaregentum

He swallowed before letting out a sigh. "Fiiiine. We, my buddies and me, took a hunting job to clear out some creatures when a behemoth came out of no where. I had just gotten back and got your note so...was the day we met."

wolfgoddess77

"Not many people can say they've gone up against a behemoth and walked away unscathed. Most hunters won't even go anywhere near them. They tend to be even more dangerous than daemons." Dangerous or not, though, they made for a hell of a good ingredient. You had rarely tasted anything that measured up to this. Although you weren't sure if it was because of the type of meat, or the way it was prepared.

promptoaregentum

"I think we've gone up against 5...including this one." He scrunched up his face in thought as he tried to remember. On anyone else, you would think they were bragging, but not with him. "Yeah, I think 5. My favorite one was when we killed Dead Eye. He was harassing the chocobos so no one could rent them or ride them!"(edited)

wolfgoddess77

You paused, your head tilting slightly to the side. "Dead-Eye? The behemoth that was terrorizing the ranch for months? I heard that someone took him out, but...that was you and your friends?" Even ten years later, you still remembered that particular beast. None of the hunters would go near it without a steep bounty, but one day, a group of boys had shown up, and... Pieces of the puzzle began falling into place, then. It had been them...

promptoaregentum

"Yeah! I think I have a cool picture, one sec..." He dug around in his bag, letting out a whoop when he found it as he searched through his pictures. He quickly handed it to you. The picture of dead eye roaring at them while they were stuck in a log tunnel, getting a good look at his teeth and his one eye.

wolfgoddess77

The image stunned you. You had never seen someone brave enough to turn their attention away from a behemoth when it was that close before. Narrowing your eyes slightly, you glanced up at Prompto. Was this a regular occurrence with him? "You really are quite the photographer."

promptoaregentum

"Heh, thanks. You can keep looking! You'll probably find some of the stuff I did silly." He smiled slightly at her, blushing at the fact he took a lot of selfies with enemies. He had removed any photos that showed the faces of his friends. But there were a lot of good action shots and of the many creatures and daemons

wolfgoddess77

Now that you had his permission, you flicked through the photo collection, unable to keep yourself from smiling when you came across a particularly adorable photograph. Occasionally, you found one that made you laugh. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous," you told him. "You look like you're having a lot of fun. Things must never get boring for you and your friends."

promptoaregentum

"It did sometimes, not in the way you'd think. My best friend loves fishing, but he'd get a little pouty if you weren't watching him. It was really fun when he would catch a fish and need our help, but when they weren't biting and he wouldn't call it a day?" He can't help but shake his head with a small grin.

wolfgoddess77

"All right, point taken." You could understand why he might get bored with something like that; fishing had never been your strong suit, either. Though you had done it on occasion for food, it had never taken root as a hobby for you, and it looked like Prompto was of the same opinion. Finishing looking through the images, you handed his camera back to him.(edited)

promptoaregentum

He took the camera back, gave you a cheeky grin and took a quick picture of you before putting it back in his bag. "Are you ready for dessert?"

wolfgoddess77

"Sure." Fresh strawberries were always a treat to come by, and you never passed up an opportunity to have some. You wanted to protest about the pictures, as that was the second one he had taken of you, but you didn't have the heart to do it. Truthfully, it was quite flattering that he wanted images of you, even if you weren't used to the attention. The picture that was taken of you shortly after the Dawn was one of the only ones you had of yourself.

promptoaregentum

He quickly brings the bowl closer, and other covered small bowl. "Close your eyes! I have a surprise for you." He couldn't help but almost wiggle in excitment, hoping he made the right choice for what he had to pair with the strawberries.

wolfgoddess77

Ah, so it was back to this. Not that you were complaining; you were interested to see what he had in store. Obediently, you closed your eyes, waiting to find out what was in the bowl. Your first thought was that it was probably whipped cream, but that seemed too obvious. More than likely, it was something that wouldn't have occurred to you until you actually tasted it.(edited)

promptoaregentum

He opened it and dipped the strawberry into whipped cream, but this wasn't any normal whipped cream. He had Ignis make a cheesecake flavored whipped cream so it would somewhat taste like strawberry cheesecake. Least he hoped you liked strawberry cheesecake. "Open your mouth and keep your eyes close! No cheating!"

wolfgoddess77

"I won't," you assured him, opening your mouth. It felt strange like this, but there had been an air of trustworthiness that radiated from him from the very beginning, and that made it easier. Even with your eyes closed, though, you could sense his excitement. It was almost palpable.

promptoaregentum

He gently placed the strawberry in her mouth and waited for her to bite down. Hoping it would be to her liking and not yoo obvious

wolfgoddess77

Feeling the fruit meet your mouth, you bit own, being careful not to snag his fingers. Your brow furrowed at the flavor. "This tastes like..." It wasn't cold enough to be the ice cream from the night before, but... "Is this cheesecake batter?"

promptoaregentum

"Yes and no! Try again!"

wolfgoddess77

"It feels like whipped cream, but the taste... How did you make it taste like that?" You wanted to open your eyes, but he hadn't said you were allowed to yet. All you had to go on was the taste and texture. You couldn't catch the scent of it; the ripe strawberries overwhelmed it.

promptoaregentum

"You can open your eyes!" He said with a laugh. He was too excited to see your reaction to let you keep guessing.

wolfgoddess77

Your eyes opened, and you looked up at him. "I've never tasted anything like that before. I didn't even know it was possible to make whipped cream taste that way." But it was delicious, regardless of how it had been made. Reaching out, you took another strawberry, dipping it in the cream and holding it out. "You try some, too."

promptoaregentum

A light blushes decided his freckled cheeks before he leaned in and gently took a bite, his lips brushing against your fingers slightly. He chewed slowly before swallowing the treat and licked his lips. "Yeah, my friend made it when I asked. It can be hard to do flavored whipped cream but it isn't impossible."

wolfgoddess77

"I think I see what you mean about his talent being some sort of magic." You hadn't had a meal like this since before the Darkness, and it brought you back to the time when you weren't a hunter, before the fall of Insomnia. It was more than the taste of good food. It was the taste of home.

promptoaregentum

A small smirked graced his features as he suddenly got an idea. He scooted himself closer to you, wrapping one arm around your shoulders. "You're getting goosebumbs...if you were cold, should've just said so." He reached for another strawberry and dipped it lightly in the whipped cream before holding it out to you.

wolfgoddess77

You were sure that you didn't have any before, but as his arm slid around you, the fine hairs on the backs of your arms stood on end, and a tingle raced through you. It was a bold move, but one you weren't going to question. Instead, you leaned against him, ever so slightly. If he wanted to play, then you would return the favor. Taking hold of his wrist, you leaned forward, deliberately licking the cream from the red fruit before taking a small bite of it, making sure to angle yourself so that he could watch every movement you made.

promptoaregentum

He inhaled sharply somewhat silently as he watched you before noticing a small drop of juice dripping down your lip and starting to slowly make its decent down your chin. Smirking, he lead forward, as if he wanted a kiss but flicked his tongue out, licking the drop and following up till he reached your lower lip. "Mmm...strawberries with cheesecake whipped cream is pretty good. But you with a hint of strawberry...delicious."

wolfgoddess77

You reached up, your hand automatically coming up to cover your mouth.  Really, you should have expected this after last night, but you were still trying to come to terms with his seemingly dual nature. You still couldn't figure out exactly what set him off each time, and you needed to learn that soon before he caught you in a bad position. "Well...I'm afraid that's one recipe your friend won't be able to duplicate."

promptoaregentum

"Good. I wouldn't really been keen on sharing such a delicacy." His voice low as he spoke, a smirk still on his features, almost smug to have one upped you.

wolfgoddess77

You ran your tongue over your bottom lip, even though you knew that there was no juice there anymore.  Hesitantly, you reached out, scooping up a bit of the whipped cream and sucking it off your finger. "As good as it is on the strawberries, I believe I could eat this on its own." Taking another dollop of it, you extended it towards him. "Have you tried it like that?"

promptoaregentum

He smirked widened as he gently took your wrist in his hand and leaned down, his tongue swirling across your fingers for a moment before he took the digits into his mouth and sucked softly. He flicked his tongue again against your finger before pulling anyway. "As long as you feed it to me like that." His voice coming out in a husky purr.

wolfgoddess77

Your breath caught in your throat, and you gave a shaky exhale as  he cleaned your finger off. Almost of its own volition, your gaze drifted down to his lips, and you found yourself wanting to feel them against yours again. He had kissed you quite passionately the night before, so it shouldn't have been so difficult to just lean forward and do it. And in fact, that was what you found yourself doing, slowly closing the distance between the two of you.

promptoaregentum

He gently leaned closer to you as well, making it easier for you to reach him, but he stopped midway, waiting for you to go the rest. That wicked grin still planted on his face, his eyes twinkling somewhat mischivously.

wolfgoddess77

With your free hand, you reached out, curling your fingers into the collar of his jacket and closing the distance between the two of you. As you got closer, you realized that the scent of cologne in the car didn't belong to him; it lingered faintly around him, but it wasn't strong enough to come from him directly. It had attached itself to him from being in close proximity to someone else. But on top of that was his own personal scent, and it was one that you found you liked quite a bit. Gently, your lips brushed across his, taking in the flavor of the cream and strawberries.

promptoaregentum

His arm around your shoulder tightened slightly around you, his free arm reaching around to snag your waist, but his kissed remained just as gentle as yours, letting you set the pace for this kiss.

wolfgoddess77

Less aggressive than he was last night, you deepened the kiss only slightly, not knowing how far to take it. It was technically only your second date, and you didn't want to rush things, especially since you intended to try to keep seeing him. Hopefully, there would be plenty of time to explore everything, and you would have the luxury of taking it slow.(edited)

promptoaregentum

He followed your lead, only deepening the kiss as far as you wanted before slightly breaking it off so the two of you could get some air. He gently leaned his forehead against yours for a moment, his eyes shut as he inhales slowly before pulling away slightly so he could look at you, smiling gently.

wolfgoddess77

You returned his smile, reaching up and placing your hand against the side of his face for just a second, your thumb tracing over his freckles. It was a tender moment, almost completely at odds with how he had been behaving before the kiss. He really was something. You hadn't expected this to go further than last night, but now you were already hoping that this would turn out to be something more than a few casual dates.

promptoaregentum

"This is really nice...would you mind if we take a picture to remember it by?" He gave her a hopeful smile.

[yessu]

Hey, can you help me out? I've been trying to beat Kushiel on Normal Mode for hours now. I've got the Beam Katana as upgraded as I can so far but his AOE keeps stunlocking me. I'm really fed up of having to do the garbage collection minigame to get enough cash to rematch him so do you know any strategies I can use? I don't mind cheesing him, I just wanna beat this boss at this point, he keeps taunting me when I lose.

CUDSALKUJGLKHDJGHD IM LOSING MY MIN D

i dont know if you were one of the people who actually saw me calling him a NMH boss or if his vibes are just THAT strong. i channeled Dr. Naomi so severely

[ansu-gurleht]

wow ok finished blight town pretty quickly. tbf i didnt really explore everywhere (esp the bottom - i just went to the bonfire and quelaag, really), but i DID kill quelaag in one try ;)

so most of that session was me 1) switching to/upgrading claymore, which just involved some farming souls for shards + upgrade costs, and 2) going through sen’s fortress.

ironically almost as soon as i started sen’s i got manserpent’s greatsword to drop, which is great b/c i’m going for a strength build, but it means i kinda wasted time/materials on the claymore, lol. but now it’s +9. unfortunately i can only wear the shadow set (minus the gloves) for quickroll, but im working on my endurance, since my strength’s at 27, which i think is good enough for now.

i also joined chaos servants for nice pyro shit, since i picked pyromancer like a pleb. really though, i like pyro b/c 1) free magic w/o stat investment, so i can focus on my melee stats, 2) pyro set is cool, 3) pyro lore is cool, and 4) even if it “makes the game too easy” idc. i haven’t even used it that much! 

well, i am more now, since i upgraded my flame to like, +8 or something (next upgrade costs like 9000 souls, yeesh), and i got combustion from the dude in the barrel in the depths. it’s fun to be able to stunlock balder/black knights with combustion until they die. serves ‘em right. (this implies i struggled with them before, but not really on this playthrough. balders were pretty easy unless i was stupid and let one of them parry me, and black knights were kinda hard, but i was able to manage pretty well on all the ones up to that point.)

reminds me of when i was playing my roommate’s ps3 copy in college. i just happened to get a balder side sword on my way to gargoyles, and when he saw that he got so pissed, since he’d had to farm for it for hours. i had no idea it had such a low drop chance, i just was like “ooh cool new sword”

anyways i need to figure out how to get to the giant-fire-bomb-throwing giant, and probably also the boulder giant, before i go for golem. cant remember for the life of me how to get there.

[glabrezu]

Tried For Honor, for a couple hours. It’s got a handful of server/latency/randomly dropping issues, and for all the ‘it’s just a beta’ in the world, it’s out in three or so days, so. That part’s iffy.

Otherwise it’s almost fun. Seems like you absolutely need a controller, because the mouse-based directional defense stuff is pretty unresponsive. Very finnicky. Getting stunlocked because dragging your mouse to the bottom-left doesn’t trigger bottom-left defense is no fun. Even worse, your health (maybe at low level only?) can stand maybe two solid combos, and missing one block is usually enough to get hit with a good solid combo.

When the dueling stuff works, it works real well. It’s fun, but it’s kind of like deathmatch Blade Symphony. The Moba-Lite mode (can’t remember the name) is equally only good when it’s working properly. You instakill enemy npcs, letting your npcs push, but transitioning from hack and slash to dueling-lock mode is a little bit non-intuitive, at best. I don’t see much depth- or at least, I don’t see the game being intensely engaging over long periods of time. I know, it’s Chivalry-esque, but I don’t know if it’s going to have the retention rate it needs to maintain the game that it wants to be.

I really wish they’d stuck with either the dueling system or the moba-lite stuff. Maybe spent more time tweaking the directional attack/defense to work with mice. There’s a pretty good dueling game in there (is there a desire for that?) but it’s a bit bogged down with a leveling system/gearing system/Moba-lite/etc stuffed in, too. There’s definite hints of a cash shop, and probably something about an optional sub (or a season pass? I could swear I saw..). I don’t know. I was excited, but I don’t see myself playing it past the weekend, let alone dropping sixty bucks on it. It’s definitely not a sixty dollar game. I’d get it for, I don’t know, 30. Maybe 20 on a steam sale.