#i wish the start of the game was a little better with introductions though

[buttfacemcgee]

The Veilguard might end up being shit but at least it looks pretty

[nochukoo97]

we can’t be friends (wait for your love) - teaser

pairing: childhoodfriend!jk x childhoodfriend!oc

summary: you and jungkook have been friends since birth, and as you both grow into teenagers, you can’t help but have some sorr of longing feeling towards him. but after a turn of events, you move away from your home town, growing apart from the boy you onced were close to. almost a decade later when you decide to move back, there’s someone familiar yet unfamiliar waiting for your arrival… was this the universe giving you a sign about him?

warnings/tags: story starts off when the both of them are children, but most of the plot is when they are adults :)), eventual: kissing, an emotional rollercoaster 🥲, they’re stuck in a ‘what are we’ moment, playing a waiting game of who confesses first, a little bit of angst, smut, but fluff too hehe

a/n: IM BACK 🥲 after being in writers block sighhh but i am back hehehe hope u r excited for this!! anyways this is just an intro for the actual fic, its more of what happened before the present which will be in the main part hehehe

TAGLIST OPEN!!

(this is the introduction, the main part is coming soon :)))

MASTERLIST

23 July 2007

You’re currently wedged between two bookshelves in the living room of your house, eyes trained on the words in your book, giggling to yourself when the plot takes a funny turn. Meanwhile in the background, Jungkook and your brother Taehyung, both a year older than you, the two ten year old boys play fighting in your parents backyard, their game was way too rough for you to even watch, you decided.

That’s always the way it’s been since you were young, Jungkook’s mum dropping him off at your parents place as he spent time with your brother, mostly roughhousing like they are now, and you, at nine years old, simply tucking yourself in another fairytale, which to you seemed like a much better way to past time.

You never truly spent a lot of time with the two of them when Jungkook would come over, besides the once-in-a-while moments where your parents would make you guys bond a little through board games or card games which the two elder boys would never take seriously, the games always ending in them either throwing the board game pieces at each other or stacking the cards into a pyramid.

When it came to school, you tried your best to stay away from bumping into your brother at school, but you’d always end up being teased in front of your friends by him and Jungkook, making fun of your two pigtails or your very glittery pink bag you had just gotten as a birthday gift, but you were used to it anyways, having grown up with a brother.

12 August 2011

Four years go by and now you’re finally completing your last year in middle school, Jungkook and your brother having moved on to high school, and as expected, they end up attending the same school, as they have done their whole life.

But since four years ago, a lot has changed. You’ve grown much closer to Jungkook, having gone on quite a few trips with his family, and you could even consider him a close friend. Most importantly, he’d grown from being a kid to a teenager, even though he was only a year older than you, the 14 year old boy suddenly became someone you always wanted to hang out with. To you, you saw him as someone cool. Instead of teasing you along with your brother, he now would defend you from your brother’s teasing, treat you to ice cream on the weekends and even teach you the video games he played with your brother.

“And then he let me get as many toppings as I wanted,” You tell your friends, clicking the buttons on your phone to show them the picture of your ice cream, filled to the brim with all sorts of toppings because Jungkook said you could.

“You’re so lucky, I wish I had a boyfriend like that,” Jiyeon sighs, pouting her lips as she sulks.

Your face turns red, tip of your ears warm as you quickly deny, “He isn’t my boyfriend! Just a friend… In fact he was my brother’s friend first,” No, you couldn’t even begin to try and imagine Jungkook as someone more than your friend!

“Well, but you should definitely confess to him on valentine’s day, it’s in like six months,” Yuji twirls her hair, nudging your leg slightly as she giggled.

To the three of you, as 13 year old girls, having a valentine was a big deal, especially since the whole idea of a crush and all was new to you guys as teenage girls.

“No! I don’t have feelings for him! He’s just nice to me I guess,” You frown at Yuji, just because she confessed to her crush and now apparently has a boyfriend, doesn’t mean you need to do it too, you decided.

You didn’t have a crush on Jungkook right?

You push away the thought quickly, this whole topic was so taboo to you, it made you feel squirmy thinking about it. No, you didn’t have any sort of feelings towards the older boy, never.

-

So that day when you arrived back at home, spotting Jungkook and Taehyung sitting at the table and doing their homework, you decide to take a seat away from the certain boy.

“Huh? Why are you sitting all the way there? Come back here,” Jungkook hums, pulling out his earphones in bewilderment, you had always sat next to him whilst the three of you would do homework together after school, nudging him here and there to ask for help with a math problem.

“I- okay,” You scooch towards the chair next to him, dragging your books along the table as you avoid eye contact. Your cheeks heating up again as you remember your conversation with your friends in school earlier, it made you feel all tingly inside, but why were you being so weird in front of him?

“You’ve been staring at that math problem for ages, need help?”

You jump up in surprise at Jungkook’s voice , letting out a small yelp as your brother snickers at you from across the table, you kick his shin in response, sending his hands flailing to the injury, mumbling some cuss word you don’t understand.

“Yeah,” You only muster out a whisper, handing over your pencil to the boy, who finds your behaviour a little off but nonetheless, doesn’t comment on it.

And while he explains the solution and working to find the value of X, you can only notice his eyes, his nose, the mole under his lips, the scar on his cheek from when he fought with your brother years ago, his lips.

And then you for yourself to snap out of your daydream when his eyes lock with yours in confusion as to why you’re staring at him instead of your workbook.

03 January 2012

But then five months later, opportunity for valentine’s day didn’t even come for you anyways, as you pack your bags to move miles away from the place you once called home, since your father had been posted to a new country for his work.

The whole idea of leaving your life behind and all the people you’ve ever known since young was such an overwhelming feeling that you didn’t even think once about your feelings for Jungkook anymore, or maybe you did once, but it didn’t matter.

So when you tugged your luggage and watch your brother sadly hug his best friend goodbye at the airport, reality struck, you wouldn’t ever get a chance to even properly assess your feelings for Jungkook anyways, so you simply wave him goodbye, not looking back so you don’t think further than a goodbye.

He did make sure to exchange his Instagram and Facebook with you, promising you and your brother to keep in touch, which you agreed to. Maybe there was a part of you that wanted to cling onto the idea of him, but you didn’t let yourself believe that anyways.

[mandalhoerian]

Gosh I wish you made such big analize about Xavier and Sylus, sometimes I feel so dumb that I can't read so good behind the lines. 😭😭😭

HEY NO CMON NOW NO NEED TO DISCREDIT YOURSELF LIKE THAT!!!! First of all, this is an ongoing game and story, think of it like an incomplete ao3 fic you have theories for. There are HUUGE gaps in there that will be filled later and until then, they are left to the interpretation of the player. It's only natural, there's SO MUCH stuff and lore out there to be consumed, which are often non-linear that it makes things confusing on purpose. It's all about feeding us crumbs about what's coming, of course we get lost!!

Secondly, I made the rafayel analysis because it confused the lights out of me with the constant nagging feeling that I was missing something and that's why I didn't understand most things and wanted to get my thoughts straight. Like the ebb day theories floating out there as to why he was Like That, why he said the things he did out of nowhere and randomly like "what if i take from you will you leave me?" after the topic was JUST about sceneries and the love and art burns me talk after YET AGAIN another art talk about inspiration in pain. I had whiplash over whiplash and felt the need to dive deep into intertidal zone.

It's not like that with Sylus and Xavier (and Zayne's) cards. At least for me. All of them are fairly self-contained compared to his, I feel like. And I'm sure other people have discussed this already, much better than I can as well -- especially Sylus, but I'll put my two cents in for a general review of both their memorias!

Xavier is experiencing negative emotions such as jealousy FOR THE FIRST TIME with MC. He doesn't know how to process these feelings which are allowed to be nurtured in a safe environment when that wasn't the case before in his life. They manifest in temper bursts that stem from a life of being forced to be emotionally blank. He wasn't allowed to be a child or freedom for himself and his thoughts and feelings and wants, so he starts behaving in a childish way -- it's something he's surprised about as well. This happens when you feel safe with a person that those repressed parts begin to open up and you start being yourself more with them. It's sad when you think about it, as cute as it is coming from Xavier. MC is so understanding of him and finding him being "expressive" more as a really positive thing. She's an amazing partner -- because let's face it, if this behavior came from a man in real life, it would be so annoying. Xavier isn't like those other men though, his jealousy doesn't come from a need to control or possess, a place of distrust, projection or disregard of personal boundaries. It's cute because it's followed by healthy communication to allow Xavier to process and grow and open up more, it doesn't threaten the relationship. This is just my interpretation, aside from the context of their previous lives together (the desire to monopolize now that he finally is with her) and this being Xavier's possibly last year on earth that gives a "i've got so little time left and i don't want to waste it" stuff.

And Sylus is. Well. There's a lot in there. The theme here is "their first time", and it's not limited to sleeping together, in my opinon. Theirs is a burgeoning relationship compared to the other "established" relationships. They're new to each other. We even see domesticity from them in MC's house for the first time, though it is a result of Sylus's Onychinus life making an introduction in their relationship as something that has to be legitimately talked about eventually. MC wants to come along with him and know more but Sylus hides a lot from her to keep her safe and separate from him, and yes it's his business and MC doesn't push (the mutual respect is insane here), but it's affecting their time together. Not that MC sees this as a problem because she's always ready to throw down (AND does lock in and gets one step ahead of him).

I read this as MC's first time finally letting him in and her desires/feelings for him that she asked him to stay and kept making the moves when it had all been him before. Her feelings are growing. And you can see how much it pleases him and makes him happy, he was waiting for this -- for MC to voluntarily want him and be honest with him. That's all Sylus wants. He can see into what she wants, and sure yeah he knows, but her outwardly voicing them to him is a different story altogether. It shows she trusts him, and that's important to Sylus.

She was mostly closed off and withdrawn from him emotionally because they have this dynamic that started off hostile that turned into teasing and provoking where she sees being vulnerable with him as a weakness that would be embarrassing. It's a budding relationship, remember? No couple is all in & open with each other right from the beginning, it comes later. And Sylus is a dominant man (not domineering, that's a different word) and I think MC doesn't like being weak next to someone like him, and she perceives a power imbalance there unconsciously even though Sylus wants her to be open so bad and rely on him more and give her everything she wants and needs.

So it's HUUUUUGE that they showed Sylus intertwine their hands together when he had to FORCE IT before. MC is finally receiving him with open arms and you can see he's delighted. It's so romantic first of all, but mans is hungry, BUT HE'S ALSO SO TENDER AND LOVING !!! GOOD FOR YOU SYLUS GET IT. I love this for him and that he felt safe enough to sleep even though he's nocturnal. Or she sucked the soul right out of his dick and knocked him out cold 😭 the sex was so astronomically soul ascending i guess LMFAO

Again, I'm sorry if I got anything wrong. These are just my thoughts, and they are surface level!

[dreamsy990]

so, re:chain of memories, huh?

warning! its been a little while since i played through recom, so the game isnt as fresh in my mind as some others. sorry for any innacuracies!

spoiler alert, this is my second favorite kingdom hearts game. at least of the ones i've played so far. i get that this isn't like. a POPULAR opinion but fuck you i have almost nothing but positives to say about it.

let's start with the easy stuff first. recom introduced a new card-based combat system. i cant compare it to the gba version, since i didn't play that, but i can say that for what its worth i DID enjoy the combat. recom is by far the hardest game so far (at least for me) and almost every boss took multiple days for me to beat, even with my hp maxed out. it took me a while to get the combat system, but id honestly love to replay the game now that i have a better understanding of how it works. the card system requires a lot of quick thinking and i get that it isnt everyones taste but its CERTAINLY mine. every fight is difficult and feels genuinely rewarding when you win. the movement, like kh1, can use a lot of work, but i wouldnt call it terrible. just kinda sluggish. i think my favorite boss fight was larxene. shes a pain in the ass but i love her.

i think riku's side dropping the deck building mechanic isnt terrible, but i wish i could reorder his deck at the very least. and the lack of healing cards is. not fun. basically any damage you take is permanent unless you HAPPEN to get mickey and its simply Not a fun time. im not very good at games okay.

i have a lot less to say about the worlds than the combat. they're definitely the worst aspect of the game, though. the idea of making worlds with cards is fine! it just leads to kind of repetitive world design. the stories are forgettable, so forgettable that i literally forgot them. and i could make a point about how thats the idea its a game all about forgetting things!! but honestly that just making excuses for it. the worlds couldve kept the idea of forgetting things without literally making them forgettable. i say this about every world, except for one. because DESTINY ISLANDS

destiny islands is just. so fucking good in recom. its the climax of both sora and rikus stories and i think theyre both amazing. id have to say i prefer rikus, soley because of the visual storytelling you get from his side of it, and thats not to say soras is bad at all. but something about zexion telling riku that its his fault his home was destroyed, as riku sees a version of himself turning into a literal monster? thats just good okay. its really good.

i ADORE the characters in this game too. everything we get from them is sooo good. it's the introduction to the organization and all of them (except lexaeus who did literally nothing) are a treat. axels my favorite ofc, but larxene is such a fun villain, you love to hate her. shes really the star of the org cast in this game. sure, axels may have said its his show now, but larxene stole the spotlight.

its namines introduction, too, and i love her. on one hand, shes just really kind. she wants a friend, she wants someone to talk to, she wants to meet sora. on the other, shes just a little bit fucked up actually. sure, shes honest with sora, but shes the tiniest little bit guilt trippy and i LOVE THAT. her response to sora saying he wants to get back his own memories and forget her is "oh okay. you want to remember your REAL friends, huh? theyre the ones who REALLY matter to you? yeah anyone would want that. no friends for namine i guess." like shes just a bit salty and we love that for her. i want slightly guilt tripping and salty namine back nomura.

but ofc one of my favorite new characters in this game HAS to be repliku. god i ADORE repliku. his hatred for riku is sooo fun and the way he fights with sora is great too. like in soras side i thought he was a neat villain but rikus side? hes amazing omfg. one of the only villains i liked in rikus story (sorry lexaeus, you werent good until days)

over all, this game certainly isnt everyones cup of tea, but its DEFINITELY mine. it's the game im most excited to replay at some point, mostly because of the amazing boss fights. 9/10. its got issues, but the story and characters are so good that i genuinely could not care less about like. most of them.

[gems1g]

Started the Amphoreus quest last night. Mild spoilers for HSR patch 3.0.

I hope Hoyo won't replace some of the EN VAs, I'll wait as long as I have too. Hope they can give us the option to replay the main quest once the other characters are voiced, otherwise I may have to start an alt account. Really wished Dan Heng was voiced, but just really happy he seems to be really involved in this quest and making up for all the Trailblazing he missed out on some of the earlier patches. Would be awesome if Caelus was voiced too, but them not doesn't really bother me much (as someone used to playing old, silent RPGs).

I like Phainon, he's amusing and I like some of his quips. His banter with Caelus if you choose some of the wittier lines is great! Mydei too - I feel like he's the type to take everything literally, with comical results.😂 Phainon and Mydei also has really good tension with each other - I feel like they're polar opposites. So far I'm getting more of a sibling vibe between Phainon and Caelus (I think there were rumors or leaks that Phainon is like Firefly in the sense that they obviously have a thing for the Trailblazer, but I'm not getting that vibe yet), and Caelus and the other characters. Probably also because I'm just thrilled about more DanCae moments in-game and blind to other possible ships (except Phainon-Mydei).😂

Every Chrysos Heir introduced so far has been fantastic imho, I don't have any complaints about them yet. Though I feel like all of them are suspicious, what with that request Aglaea makes from the Trailblazer too. I had to stop at the part where Caelus is exploring the market with Dan Heng and just. I'm just so happy they get some bonding time.🥹

Also I'm curious about the Express coach - will they ever go back for it and salvage it? It was supposed to be DanCae's homebase too, and it will be very uncharacteristic of them if they just leave the wreckage behind, because other people may stumble upon it. Especially as the Heirs seem to not want the Trailblazers to reveal their true origins. And I don't think Pom-Pom would take kindly to just leaving a part of the Express behind in Amphoreus. Maybe the Express coach is a Chekhov's Gun, and will be used in a future plotline as evidence of Dan Heng and Caelus being from beyond the sky? 🤔 And then some epic shit will go down at that point.😂

I'm curious about where the main story is headed to. I have theories about the plot and the new world in general, as well as Kephale - we'll see if some of them pans out.

Story pacing-wise, I like Amphoreus better than Penacony. The introduction of some of the new gameplay and exploration mechanics doesn't feel forced, although I feel they could have put another section or two involving "in-plot" exploration in between going from the Abyss to Okhema. Or maybe I'm just too excited to advance the story, so I felt like everything was going a little bit too fast.😂 Really happy I finished building Sunday though, because him with Jing Yuan make short work of the new enemies. Will try to explore more with my Dan Heng IL team, but so far my Sunday-Jing Yuan team works the best.

I just had to stop playing, other wise I won't get any sleep. 🤣 My favorite part so far? The baths, and the rooftops.🥹

[ran-orimoto]

[ Look, you have to thank @ teclajellymon if today I have remembered to post this here, because, like always, I forgot to do it yesterday at the same Ao3 publishing time and I would have probably forgotten about it forever.

Ehm, *cough*. Today I’m offering you another future Junzumi headcanon of mine in the shape of a very stupid, silly story. The essence of the matter is that I have given them a saluki hound, ok, or better, I have given Izumi a saluki hound who will eventually becomes Junpei’s as well, to his utter joy, I guess ahahah.

Why a saluki hound? Simply because they look like Izumi, I wanted an active, sportive dog for her and, most of all, they are called the singing hounds of the wind. Honestly, my first choice had been an afghan, because her appearance would have clashed even more with Junpei’s and they are the most stylish dogs I have ever seen, no lie about this ahahha. I’ve eventually found a good compromise, though, indeed, the perfect Junzumi dog because of that definition of theirs 🤣💕.

Context: We can place this story after the seamstress one, in spring. Izumi has moved in, has started her life in Venice along with Junpei, but she left a little… Furry problem behind in Japan. ]

• Liù •

People rarely claimed a man and their beloved partner were supposed to look similar, if not identical, -hell, it would have been such a scary world, if that had been true-, whereas when it came to men and their dogs, well, it was just a different story. He had heard and, recently, he had also started seeing all sorts of things, everywhere, and they wouldn’t disappear like mirages in the mist after obstinate rubs given to the lens of his sunglasses.

Therefore, he had started doing the opposite, embracing that irreparably odd reality with open arms and…And quickly regretting his choice.

Staring for too long, with too much intensity, too much curiosity . It wasn’t that ideal when it came to middle-aged women minding passers by’s business, drawn by the beauty of their dog, which, though, -better to highlight it not twice but three times!-, would never be as charming as their own.

That was objectively a bit of a stretch , in his opinion, because that Swiffer broom obediently sitting by her side wasn’t minimally comparable to his principessa . His …No, she was Izumi’s, what was he saying? It had just been a present from him and he hadn’t even been that fully convinced about her peculiar pick back then.

Whatever, in Piazza San Marco the reciprocal introduction of two furry friends, the proud echoes of refined names soon got replaced by very sharp noises. He should have glued his orbs onto the regal four-legged figure next to him, instead of focusing on the stranger’s long silhouette, on how it extraordinarily matched her pet’s.

The pigeons peacefully pecking at crumbs of bread thrown by some tourist immediately took flight at the sound of wood colliding with resistant coconut husk. He couldn’t really blame her, but he wished she hadn’t decided to use the handle of her umbrella to punish his naive irreverence. And then , icing on the cake, a chorus of annoying yapping and more powerful, -modestly speaking-, barks predictably joined the commotion, offering a musical base to a vivacious and incomprehensible ritual of curses.

This is so lovely, He had shaken his head in pain, This is so, so, so, lovely, And it really was, taken in account he hadn’t told Izumi about what he had been up to during that week off yet.

He was aware she had been too busy with her new restaurant adventure to be interested in discovering about that, about his new favourite game in which he was no one but a gentleman strolling through the streets of Venice, along with his elegant dog he didn’t share any resemblance with.

Now that he thought about it, though, every respectable detective owned a loyal companion scampering after them. Perhaps, she would look like him if he made her wear a baggy yellow raincoat.

__________________________________________

“I swear, you should have seen her. She had this enormous bob hardly covering her ears and it was so bloated, like a cloud. I don’t know why, but I think she might be a high school professor, even if she was speaking in a heavy dialect. I mean, a high school professor wouldn’t speak dialect like that. Especially in that way. But ok, this isn’t the point. She-“

He unwillingly arrested that blabbing of his only when Izumi placed a hand on his forehead.

“This is where it hurts?” She asked with a worried frown, her green eyes squeezed as the tips of her fingers touched the reddened spot.

“Yeah. And it hurts so much I could pass out, eh eh,” He had never been that skilled at hiding the pleasant and soothing effect any physical contact with her would provoke in every fiber of his being. Thus, his impetuous voice calmed down completely, the waves of chocolate in his eyes turned into a quiet swinging tide, his entire body abandoned itself to the miracle of her beauty…Until the gentle, impalpable wind started throwing sharp knives against him.

“Ouch!” He whined, taking some steps backwards and opening his mouth at that sudden change of mood. It had been so unpredictable and now seemed to be mirroring the shifting sky darkening outside. Her nails were so long and neatly-trimmed, so sleek, utterly perfect from the perspective of a lucky man who could hold those soft hands and observe them in bliss. However, they could also transform into the claws of an angry feline, a feral lynx and hurt without needing her to put that much effort. “What was that for?”

“ Ma io dico,” She hissed at him, her index and its minuscule weapon still raised in the air, near to the scratch they had just teased. They both were there, resting on the thumb that had helped them gain momentum. “What were you thinking…?! I have left you alone for a week, just a single week…!”

His lips protruded in a startled perplexity, he blinked twice before her scolding expression, not sure if he would find a point in coming up with a lie. Actually, there would never be one in her presence. Any attempt to hide something from her through the art of deception would get a vain result, would be an occasion to turn into a clown. It was fine to him, though, because he didn’t like the idea of telling her a fib.

“I was looking at her dachsund,” He explained with a pure externalization of sincerity and now her turn to goggle like he had before, but with even more confusion, arrived.

“At her…Dachsund?”

“Yes, her fur was all black just like her hair and she also had a very long mouth like her face. So, I was actually looking at both the dog and the woman, but I lingered on the latter for too long because, oh boy, I couldn’t believe it,” The more he talked the more it sounded like he was chatting with himself in a comical monologue, occasionally gluing his pupils to the wall of the kitchen or, -more fitting for the core of his spirit-, to a dish full of biscuits awaiting him on a drawer. He was so certain they were doing so, at least.

“Oh,” Izumi would have liked to fade at the sight of him approaching the furniture.

“And I’m still holding onto my theory it is nothing else but some weird urban legend that got way too much attention through centuries,” Only the contours of those patient delicacies finally took him to Earth and reminded him of his interlocutor. Still, Izumi understood she would be the one having to push him even more downwards, to the firm ground.

“It’s not still clear what we are exactly talking about, but what I am sure about is that I would rather have a boyfriend singing,” She managed to pull the dish away from his reach in time. “Than one barking,” And then she put it on the floor, to his puzzlement, bewilderment, utter bafflement.

“I have risked eating dog biscuits…” The realization hit home in a jiffy like a boulder fallen on him. His gaze got lost in a world where the kitchen had melted in a general nothingness. “Izumi, I have risked eating dog biscuits!” After an instant of shock, he brought himself to repeat that by adding his usual bizarre emphasis.

“Yes, you have,” She bursted in a breeze of giggles washing over his concerned expression but surpassing it, ignored. Their gusts failed at stealing his voice and chuckles through that powerful tenor register of his. “You wouldn’t have died, don’t worry. I’ve cooked them.”

“Eh…?” Joining her on the floor, he allowed his exaggerated worry to get replaced by a mixture of skepticism and soft surprise. “You can cook dog food too? You’re-“

“Don’t say that, please!” She promptly raised a palm in front of his nose, haughtily averting her gaze on purpose to make him roast on the grill. When she was sure her steak was ready, she winked at his slightly disappointed grimace. “Or better, don’t say it yet . This is my first attempt and I don’t know if she will like it. I’ve added some slices of strawberries here and there in the mixture because she adores them. Hm…” He instantly shrieked when Izumi reached out to put one of those biscuits in her mouth. Got so close to passing out when she picked another one and offered it to him, seriously proposing him to jump into her absurd sommelier experience. “Here. Taste it and tell me what you think. Is it wet or dry, in your opinion?”

“I-Izumi…! Don’t eat that stuff, c’mon,” He slipped on his backside far from her, near to biting his nails. If he had been a cat, his fur would have been rippled from his head to the tip of his tail. Observing that scene through a more entertained filter, he had to admit their interactions were really reminding him of the ones of a cat and a dog: weirdly, he was being the most reluctant, if not the most repulsed between them, whereas Izumi was the joyful dog…Doing certain kind of stuff without a care in the world.

“Aren’t you the one always telling people, My girlfriend is the most brilliant cook in the world. I would eat anything prepared by her: even, - guess,what-, dog food ?”

“I-I,” He didn’t know if he was stuttering because of her impeccable imitation of his gestures and tone or because it wasn’t her spinning fantasy that was speaking. Yes, he had, he seriously had: naively believing they would never turn up against him, he had pronounced those exact words in his confessions of endless love for her cooking. He had so many times, thousand and more. “Okay…I guess you won. There’s nothing I can do,” He sighed in defeat and extended his arm to her complacent smirk and the snack she was swinging back and forth. Next time he would have to be more careful about his hyperbolic compliments in her regards, -hyperbolic ones to the rest of the world but absolutely realistic to him-. “And after this”, He gave an uncertain glance at her before grabbing it. “Can I be the one calling her after this?”

“Hm, why not ? You two need to bond and I need to bond more with her too, after having…Abandoned her at Mamma’s and Papà’s for months…”

He knew she was still coping with persuading herself that had been the best choice she could ever do for her sake. He had tried reassuring her Liù would have suffered from a more drastic detachment from her usual life, if she had moved in at the same time Izumi had. She would have had lot of trouble adjusting without them around, spending her days alone in an unknown apartment while Izumi was too absorbed in finding her own place in the world of Venice, and he was drowning in rehearsals. It would have been kinda egoistical from their part, so Izumi’s parents had convinced her to leave Liù with them for a while, until they were ready to give her the house and family she really deserved. Now Izumi might be busy with the first weeks of her newborn restaurant, but she wasn’t fretting and rushing any more and could count on Junpei’s support, on the fact he was just at the beginning of another of his adventures at la Fenice theatre.

“Hey,” He chirped a bit too abruptly but with the sweetest intention to cheer her mood up, unnoticed. “Can I do it, now? Like, now, now, now?”

“What are you talking about?” She giggled as he got so close she risked to fall backwards.

“Can I call her now?”

“Oh, that ,” Her precarious pose propped up on an elbow, she pretended to be wanting to slither away from his grip. “Okay, but you need to follow my instructions,” She sneezed at some locks falling on her forehead as he brought her closer with an effortless pulling of his biceps.

“I don’t need those, Izumi. I have got my own method,” Once ensured she was safely sitting upright, he grinned at her sending a shivering hunch down her spine. “Look. No, listen, listen.”

“Junpei, I’m not…” She petrified with her hand opening and closing in the tense silence he created. She was blatantly aware about what was about to happen, but she found herself stuck before the view of a familiar routine of actions, with the exception of that scary ending phase in which he sent his hands next to the corners of his mouth, well splayed.

Oh no…

“Jun-!”

“Liù? Liù?” Junpei improvised a silly melody she thanked Heavens it wasn’t being chanted in his usual rumbling projection.

“Junpei…!”

“Liù, don’t you want your pappa? Liù ? Where is the bimba? The sweetest bimba ? Liù-Chan?”

His grin didn’t vanish under the might of her irritation. He only hopped on the spot, all of a sudden, having got startled by the glasses of the window being shaken by the howling mistral. To think it was almost spring!

“Liù hates noises and, most of all, hates noisy people,” Not stunned due to his loud song in the slightest, he could easily tell she wanted to slap him. Yet, some unknown force he thanked from the depths of his heart kept her from doing that. “She’s a lady and she needs to be treated as such. Are you listening to me? This is a serious matter.”

“I know it is, but I don’t think she hates noisy people that much,” He dared to shrug and the naughty shimmer challenging her anger gradually tiptoed to his right, accelerating when it felt it was being chased by her glare.

Izumi emitted a gasp, “But…Liù…!”

Silently, on her slender legs, Liù had stepped into the kitchen and closer to the dish. Scompering in that skinny body of hers, structured like a sleek curve culminating in the slope of a luscious tail, she had approached them ,unnoticed, and had sat down in front of the two humans like a well-mannered medieval damsel. Now she was obediently staring at them from her statuesque pose, blatantly trying holding her excitement in her bony bosom but being betrayed by her dashing heartbeat, which was making her ribs expand and contract; by her blonde ears; by her humid nose unstoppably sniffing in the relatively new environment.

In Junpei’s opinion, Liù was the most perfect specimen of female saluki existing in the world, -and also the first one he had ever seen-.

“Maybe she hates people not singing well, I guess?” He sniggered with too much confidence and Izumi gave him a harsh nudge right under his sternum.

“Have you already done this in the past?”

“Of course, I have,” He took a while to recover from the pain she had provoked him, but managed to reply her sooner than both had expected. “I know you had said I needed to learn one thing or two before starting feeding her. And I also remember you had told me she has got her own schedule, but, I mean, Izumi, I was sitting at the table, eating my pasta ai piselli and she was there, looking at me with those deer eyes… What kind of cold-hearted man would do something similar?”

“You fed her with pasta ai piselli ?! “His pupils almost got out of his orbits, noticing the futher point her more vicious elbow was going to take off from.

“No, of course, I haven’t! I searched for her food bags and I poured some food in her bowl. My pasta ai piselli was so full of water, my peas were soaking in a puddle. How could I give her that without making a mess?”

“Do you realize you are implying you would have given my dog pasta ai piselli if you had been a decent cook? !”

He would have started fiddling with his thumbs like a scolded kid, if Liù hadn’t tried catching their attention with a bark, as timid as a polite woman forcing a cough to make someone turn to her.

“You’re right, bimba,” He cracked a large smile at her. Then, he unfolded his stiff legs and clumsily crouched up to talk to the animal at her same height level. “You can eat. Buon appetito .”

“No, she can’t eat yet!” She gave a slap on his broad shoulder, but she eventually gave one onto her forehead as well, a bit disconsolate. At his jovial command, the saluki had gladly plunged her muzzle in her biscuits and she hadn’t been able to do anything about it. “She was supposed to stay. That is useful to teach her how to control impulses.”

“If you ask me, it’s so cruel,” He put his tongue on display, standing up to let the dog have her own meal in peace. She got back on her feet too after having thrown the snack she had been holding into the dish. “Wouldn’t you feel tortured if I told you to sit still in front of a dish of spaghetti alla San Giovanna ? My poor bimba !”

“I-“ What kind of conversation was even that?

“Imagine,” He insisted, dropping a whole jar of theatricality on his tongue, each finger of his flying up and down in an undulating choreography. “The smell of olives and tomato sauce spreading in your nostrils…”

“Oh, let me imagine…” She closed her orbs, mocking his silly game by making him believe she was actually thinking over it. By the time she opened them, he had already disappeared behind her, fumbling with her skein of spikes. “That’s what I already do as a cook. I can’t eat what I prepare. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do…” He mumbled, pensive, caressing her strands in awe, as if he was contemplating some prestigious manufacture sewn by a God. “You know, I think I will get used to this dog owner life, after all. Maybe a maltese dog would have been boring.”

“Oh please…” Her eyelid twitched at the mere memory from the year before, from back when he had announced he wanted to give her a candid ball of fur as birthday gift. She had acted promptly, had taken the reins of the situation by herself by dragging him into an adventure on her motorbike, without revealing him where they were going. From Naples to Pisa, Junpei had let her take him to that mysterious destination up through the peninsula, though he had just come from an exhausting train journey. “Don’t remind me of that ,” She playfully begged and pinched his puffy cheeks peeping out from her golden curtain.

“I know, I know. Besides, a maltese wouldn’t have looked like me, either. So it would have been the same thing. At least, though, when I take Liù out for a stroll,” He gently let some precious threads slip on the back of hs hand and pushed them forward, at the sides of her smooth neck, down her shoulders. “It’s a bit like if I’m going out with another beautiful blonde lady,” At the beginning, he had just intended to play with her, tenderly highlight about how keeping her hair like that, like a frame of gilded waves, would really make her look like a long-eared dog. Afterwards, however, after some seconds spent holding that silky fabric, he had fallen in love with its enchantment and , now hypnotized, he couldn’t just help indulging in his joke. He kept on going on and on, even in a more affectionate way when a cloud passed by her relaxed contentment. She should have been smiling , in his opinion: Liù had greatly appreciated her hand-made biscuits, hadn’t showed any sign of resentment towards her once more. What was she still tormenting herself over? It seemed like if she was fighting against so many forces coming to attack her in unison and he felt the urge to shine over her again.

“Hey, Izumi, do you want to hear a funny thing?”

“It’s not an offence, but you always say funny things. Otherwise you wouldn’t be Junpei, wouldn’t you?”

“But this is truly funny. Funnier than usual, if you prefer putting it like that!”

He tossed her tresses off his head and marched back to Liù, his lumbering steps sounding lighter despite the clumsy landing of his hops.

The dog had just finished eating her breakfast and was calmly cleaning her coat with her tongue. She didn’t seem bothered by the two humans barging into her quiet morning for a second time. Indeed, judging by the shy hints of a swishing tail, she was actually happy to see them again on a full belly.

“Liù, Liù, Liù, la bambina mia che sei tu ,” Junpei’s unique call made her stand on alert with excitement. Rhythmic claps and tappings against the tiles of the floor contributed to elicit even more trepidation in her active muscles. She didn’t take too long before beginning doing the same with her paws, the butterfly-shaped metallic medal of her collar dangling and jingling in the flow of her dance.

Once the right mood had been set, once he was certain Liù would follow him wherever he would go, he beckoned to the saluki to head for the living room. In the contagious heat of the fragment, he bumped into an agape Izumi who was witnessing the exchange between the man and the dog with incredulity.

“No, don’t tell me it is what I think it is,” Stuck in a frozen loop at the door of the kitchen, Junpei took advantage of that absent state of hers to involve her in a fleeting, improvised dance, her limp arms obeying to his eccentric desire, her hands falling in his without resistance and her hips spinning along with his like if they were a couple pirouetting in a carillon.

“No, like I said, it’s much, much better than whatever you think it might be.”

“I don’t think so. At all,” She told him straight into his sunny eyes in a firm whisper. “Your neighbors know well who she belongs to. They won’t come yelling at you if they hear her doing that .”

“Oh, so you know she can do that,” He wasn’t surprised in the least, but it was nice to make her blush in embarrassment once in a while, turn the tables for the life-span of an afternoon nap. “All those stories about her being a proper lady…About her not liking loud people!”

“H-Hey,” She wiggled, oscillated, opened and closed her legs, raised her fists: whatever it took to escape from his tickling trap. “ Being a lady and loving singing are two interconnected qualities. They are not enemies. As far as concerns about those loud people, instead…”

“Instead…?” He prompted, his fingers flitting around her, ready for another round.

“Your opera singing is loud, but it’s a nice loud. I’ll give you that, ok ? And a dog named after the main character of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly can’t be immune to it, I guess,” He saw her nervously cracking a grin at Liù who had hopped on the sofa and was resting on a pillow. Waiting .

“Hey!” Without prior warning, he let her go to her displeasure, no matter if his tickling was more than unbearable. That would be, -to use his own words-, much better than whatever he wanted to do, sitting at his piano and lifting the fallboard with a thud. “You don’t really want to play piano right now, at eight in the morning?!”

“Of course, I want to. I’m not supposed to make a proper lady wait, am I not?” Liù had apparently got used to that term, to the many occasions she had acknowledged humans would look at her while pronouncing it. Therefore, feeling like Junpei had just called her into question, she abandoned the comforts of her pillow and reached him. She licked his hand and gladly accepted the caresses coming in response. Then, on her haunches, she put her paws on black wood and stared at him in fibrillating expectation. “Eh eh, may I introduce you to my new soprano partner? She’s also the Great Detective Shibayama’s assistant, though, mind you! Let’s say this is just the lamest side of our life as ordinary citizens.”

”Ah…Don’t use my instructions howsoever you please, Junpei Shibayama. Honestly…” At the first row of notes propagating in the hall, she sat on the sofa and aimed the bud of a glad smile at the window.

In her soul, she was just so happy he had come to quickly find out it had never been a matter of superficial likeness.

__________________________________________

Italian notes:

Principessa: princess

Ma io dico: literally, it means “But I say…”. Still it is just some form of interaction to express disbelief (in a negative way).

Pappa: It’s a terms we use while speaking to babies and animals. It means food, technically.

Bimba and bambina: synonym for “little girl” but we use them in affectionate contexts as well. It’s a bit like “baby” I guess. I became affectionate to bimba thanks to italian dub of Lady and the Tramp. It did stick with me in the sweetest way as possible.

Pasta ai piselli: It’s pasta and peas ahaha

Spaghetti alla San Giovanna: In my family it has always been spaghetti, tomato sauce and olives. Such has to remain to them, please.

Liù, Liù, la bambina mia che sei tu: Liù, Liù, the baby you are to me. Our structures are really not that easy to translate in english sometimes? We can be free in the order of our words, in our dispositio verborum, so we it’s not always easy to translate everything. Yet, it’s just supposed to be one of those silly tunes you sing to your dog.

[nirikeehan]

i will wip that wednesday

tagged by @melisusthewee and @theluckywizard for the first wip wednesday of the new year. what have i been working on?

Curse of Strahd crossover nonsense, of course.

I "jokingly" envisioned a sequel to It's Never Sunny in Barovia, called It's Always Sunny at Skyhold. What's the premise of that one? Oh, instead of Thalia in Barovia, it's Metrion at Skyhold. Naturally.

Anyway this scene is about Thalia trying to break it to her boyfriend Cullen that she's got a new bestie and he's a shady motherfucker. Cullen exhibits the patience of a saint.

---

“I don’t believe this.” Thalia stands. “I make one friend, just one friend my own age since I was at the Circle, and the rest of you decide he’s got to be a bad influence on me? I’m not a child, you know.” 

Cullen raises his hands as if in surrender, his face gone pale. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that.” 

He steps out from behind the desk, crossing the space to her. Lightly, he puts his hands on her shoulders. Thalia wants to flinch away petulantly, but worries that would disprove her own point. She waits, seething, as Cullen leans down and kisses her on the forehead. The tenderness melts her resolve. 

“Forgive me,” he murmurs. “I spent the better part of two months afraid I’d never see you again.”

Thalia sighs, leaning into him. The fur along his collar is soft against her cheek. “I understand that. But if you’re looking for someone to blame, it’s not Metrion. It’s that awful vampire we killed.” 

“So the reports say.” Cullen puts his arms around her, though she feels an unspoken but in the tenseness of his muscles. 

“He’s not so bad. He really isn’t. Dubious past aside.” Thalia chews her lip. She wants to tell him more, but she promised. “And it means a lot. He likes me for me. It wasn’t the fancy title or the accolades that made him want to be my friend.” In fact, she suspects Metrion can hardly stand that he’s fallen in with some sort of political powerhouse. 

Cullen frowns, pulling back to arm’s length. He looks at her a little sadly. “And is that what you think of the rest of us?” 

“No!” She ducks her chin, embarrassed. “That’s not what I meant. Just that — well, it is true everyone I’m closest to started out as allies, or colleagues. Even Pravin. We wouldn’t even have reconnected at all if not for the Inquisition.” She shrugs. “But I was just some girl who was lost, and Metrion decided to help me anyway. If you think there’s a grift in this, he’s certainly playing the long game.” 

Cullen hugs her again. “All right, all right. I’ll trust your judgment on this one — unless he gives me a reason not to.” A pause. “It would help, I suppose, if I actually met the man.” 

Thalia frowns. “You haven’t?” Well, Skyhold is large, and Metrion certainly has a knack for only being noticed if he wishes himself to be. Even the day her column arrived at Skyhold, he slipped out the back of the caravan instead of suffering the official welcome. She found him later, on the battlements, face tilted toward the sun. 

“He’s often in the tavern, I’m told.” Which, unfortunately, doesn’t surprise her. 

“If he is, I haven’t seen him. Perhaps he’s avoiding me on purpose?” Cullen’s voice is light, but he’s not entirely joking. “I could understand if someone of his— er, caliber, might not desire the company of the Inquisition’s commander.”

“Perhaps.” Thalia’s frown deepens, because Metrion’s only comment on Cullen so far has been I get it, love, which she has taken as tacit approval of her romantic choices. “Does this mean I ought to arrange an introduction?” 

Her heart thumps uncertainly at the prospect. She would very much like for Cullen and Metrion to get along, although she worries Metrion’s aversion to authority figures will pose a significant obstacle. Likewise, she has been hoping that her report might open Cullen’s eyes to Metrion’s better qualities, but there is no way she can erase Pravin’s assessment from his mind. 

 “If he’s amenable to it,” Cullen says carefully. The corner of his mouth tugs upward. “I would like to thank him, at least. For taking care of you in my absence.” 

Thalia blushes. “I’m, ah. Not sure he would see it that way.” Their time in Barovia has already sunk into a dismal, horrible blur. The memories she holds most dear are the small moments in which they’d been able to be themselves, without pretense. She’s told Metrion things about her time in the Circle that no one else knows, and in turn he entrusted her with secrets she never plans on sharing — where he’s come from, for instance, and from whom he’s running. 

Tagging to participate, if interested:

@monocytogenes | @delicatefade | @bluewren | @rowanisawriter | @velnat004

[erebus-the-answer]

Will Power shouldn't have been Akechi's final theme(+ how Maruki did it better)

Persona 5 was my first smt game, but even in my first playthrough it bothered me. While I do think that Persona 5 has a problem with reusing tracks (I'm looking at you, Rivers in the Desert), when comparing it to the other games + animes, Goro's fight theme being Will Power becomes unacceptable.

Underneath the cut I will compare the secondary/social link boss themes from Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5

Spoilers for all three games/animes/movies under the cut

Persona 3:

so in persona 3, I would say that the closest thing to a party member boss fight would be the meeting and little tiff that happens with Ryoji on the bridge with Aigis.

So, in the game this is an animated cutscene and the song that plays is a slightly~ different version of Unavoidable Battle. (Don't get me started on Unavoidable Battle being used for the ??? fight lol)

Persona 3, especially during The Answer has a real problem with beating Unavoidable Battle into the ground until it's deader than dead. But... I feel that they rectify this in the movies with Light In Starless Sky

This is one of my favorite tracks from the Persona 3 Lineup (P3, P3FES, P3P, and the P3 movies) Even though Ryoji doesn't technically have his own boss battle, I felt like he was deserving of his own theme for such a big moment and such a "betrayal" from a character that you grow to love and care about. In theory anyway, I don't very much like Ryoji.

Persona 4:

So obviously in Persona 4 the secret twist villain or whatever you'd like to call him is Adachi. I was one of the many people unfortunate enough to get into the game with this twist already spoiled. That being said, with the expectation that Adachi would be a final boss sort of deal (even if he is third to last), it was really disappointing to me that he and Namatame share the same boss theme. I understand that we are supposed to believe that Namatame is the killer (even though he really obviously isn't IMO), but to hear the same theme twice made it extremely underwhelming to me. Also Adachi was not a hard fight lol

Luckily, this gripe that I have with the game can easily be fixed with this mod, which adds Yin Yang from the Persona 4 Golden anime to the game in the place of New World Fool during Adachi's boss battle. This was perfect to me because honestly this is such a jaw-dropping song to me. It perfectly explains the type of dynamic that Yu and Adachi have with one another. love love love love Yin Yang, and even though Persona 4 is my least favorite game from the series and Adachi is then by default my least favorite villain, I think this track being in the game and just existing in general really helps with the music aspect of the game.

I fucking love The Almighty and The Fog though, even if I did feel that the amount of fakeout-twist villains was a little bit annoying. (Do not get my started on I'll Face My True Self -Marie version)

Persona 5:

So, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I feel like Persona 5 has a real problem with reusing tracks. Persona 5 was my introduction to the series, and when I said that it made me so excited that I felt my heart beating out of my chest and I was sick to my stomach (in a good way), I mean it.

In Persona 3, I feel like Master of Tartarus and Master of Shadows were fitting themes for the type of battles that we were having. The Full Moon shadows were just that. Shadows. They didn't really have any discernible personalities and they were just Shadows that needed to be killed for the sake of being shadows. I sort of wished that Strega had their own theme, but again whatever.

In Persona 4, even though we were fighting all sorts of different versions of different people, at the end of the day they all were facing their true selves, their shadow selves, so it makes sense for them to use the same battle theme when they are doing the same thing.

My issue with Akechi's theme being Will Power is that yeah, sure, his boss fight is technically an awakening, it's just been overused and beaten into the ground.

Now, I will say that it is better than his theme being Blooming Villain, the theme that EVERY SINGLE palace ruler uses, but it is still way too overplayed.

Like I said, P5 and ESPECIALLY P5R have some amazing tracks, but after the 4th time in a row hearing Rivers In The Desert, it starts to lose its spark.

In a stark contrast to the way that Akechi's battle solidified that they beat Will Power until it was dead, I'd like to take a moment to talk about Takuto Maruki, one of my favorite characters of all time.

I love Akechi as much as your average Persona 5 fan, but when it comes to how the music of the story drives home the point of their character, Akechi has nothing on Maruki.

I remember shaking in excitement when I first went on Spotify to look at the names of the songs from Maruki's palace and see what they were called (I am very particular about my music when it comes to persona games, my friends will let you know that I do not play when it comes to music spoilers).

The titles alone bring so much light into what Maruki was trying to accomplish. Gentle Madman, for example, is probably the most obvious one. It's who Maruki is. He's kind, sweet, he wants what's best for everyone, and yet he's on a complete wrong path. Something about the light piano mixed with the dark (???????????) sounding instrument really adds to it. It sounds clinical in a weird way, honestly, and it totally matches the aesthetic of the palace.

Out Of Kindness is one of the ones that makes me the most excited because it's such an awesome double entendre. He is doing it out of kindness, yet at the same time he has no kindness left to give! Beautifully, beautifully written! My God!!!!!!!

anyways, Keep Your Faith and Throw Your Mask Away. Need I say more? If you've played it then you know.

Of course I'm not saying that I expected Akechi to have an entire 5 hour long palace and half a soundtrack dedicated entirely to him. At the end of the day he isn't a final boss, he isn't the secondary boss, and he isn't the tertiary boss(at least in Royal anyway). Which I find to be... Disappointing. I mean he literally tries to kill the player character and thinks he succeeds! I know that Shido is the big bad, but I feel like Akechi deserved a bit more than what he got.

My idea would be perhaps Akechi got his own theme that he shared with the Holy Grail? I absolutely hated the fact that Shido and the Grail shared the same thing. It was so beautiful and amazing when we fought Shido and it transitioned between Rivers In The Desert instrumental and the vocal track. Almost threw up, so awesome.

They were kinda beating it already when it came to the Grail. I understand why, but to overuse such an awesome track really ruins it for me. and then when you fight the twins too? Jeez, give me a break.

Jaldaboath was an ok track, I'll probably talk about it in another post.

ANYWAY, my point is that I feel like Akechi deserved a better, more tailored theme, and it disappoints me that even in the anime he doesn't get it. The anime is even worse because he only gets Awakening? How annoying is that? There is a fanmade Akechi Palace theme, but that is a palace theme and not a boss battle. I guess we can only dream.

[autumn-foxfire]

Time for Black Impact! Otherwise known as the time Shinichi almost got himself and Kogoro killed, proving that Shinichi is putting both him and Ran in danger by just being close to them and that his piss poor excuse of protecting Ran by hiding his identity doesn't work.

I don't like how they claim that Ai "escaped" by using the drug as if she expected to be shrunk by it. Ai was trying to kill herself, and she's done so many times because she's so afraid of the BO that she believes this is the only way to actually escape from them. Just a pet peeve of mine.

And it starts off with the BO sniping so Akai's sniping skill can be highlighted at the end of this episode!

The BO really hate this Kevin Brown person.

If that's the women going to be killed... well she should treat those who work for her better.

"EverytimeI see someone use a cellphone, I see Vermouth," That is what I call a trigger, Shinichi, because it was a traumatic experience you went through.

And the chewing gum with a transmitter that starts it all is placed!

Kogoro can you not handle children who you don't know so roughly. And the children you do know, actually.

...and there's the foreshadowing for Eisuke T-T I don't really care for his character, considering he's really only around to give Shinichi a "romantic rival" with the plot reveal that he's related to Hidemi as well.

I don't know how Shinichi has gone so long without being found out as telling them they're going tropical land in the rain was just dumb.

Also I'm glad Ai came along because this is her fight just as much as it is Shinichi's and she's there to be the voice of reason when he's too thick-headed to realize he's being stupid.

At least he realizes that they're in a really bad situation and that he needs to get the transmitter as soon as possible.

Shinichi would it kill you to work with Ai for a change.

Jodie! She's one of my favourite members of the FBI! I also just really like her and I wish she was respected more by Gosho but that's would be asking a lot for his women characters.

Shinichi does a good impression of Ai XD I guess disguising as her a few times helped.

Shinichi: What's a little property damage?

And the sky helps him save his lie.

I refuse to accept that Jodie doesn't know Shinichi is an adult (or well a teenager).

Okay, we don't need this much of a recap of Jame's introduction, I do remember it well.

Oh the terrible woman will be the person they plan to take the fall for their assassination.

Akai is already 5 steps ahead and is preparing to save Shinichi and Kogoro's lives.

It's not spoken enough that Agasa is a game programmer, he could make so much money but instead he just designs them for the kids instead.

We need to speak more about how Ai sees her sister in Ran.

Whoever this kid's parents are, they need a stern speaking too about letting their child play near a main road.

And time for Akai to shine!

See! Gin doesn't fuck around. Shinichi not informing both Kogoro and Ran of his situation almost got them killed.

AKAI! Saving our dumb detective's butt.

That was one hell of a shot, though. To shoot through the sight. And to leave Gin lovely little scars as memory as well.

And Vermouth helps bury the truth even more. Really, Shinichi needs to learn from this.

Jodie: Don't worry, Shinichi will handle her disappearance.

Shinichi: *Commits identity fraud once again*

[iridescentgleam]

12, 18, and 34 for the ask game !!

(Ask game from here!)

Thank you for asking, Crow! :D

12. If a genie offered you three writing wishes, what would they be?

I wish I could be in a productive environment free of distractions whenever I write

I wish I always had a clear idea of where the story's going when I start a WIP 😭

And I wish, sometimes, that I could write well for more fandoms than I do, but I'm working on that! hehe

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end.

(@amiharana, you asked this one too, so here's the answer for both of you! :D This was a very hard one lol)

"Just as [Twilight] got a second to contemplate this, three explosions rang out across the clearing, throwing off his balance a little as he scrambled to pinpoint the origin, only to see an electric arrow wiz right over his shoulder, barely missing him as the hair on his neck stood straight up. He whirled around, catching a glimpse of a figure descending with a paraglider. Once they were about twenty feet off of the ground, they let go and fell like a deadweight, landing in a crouch as they met the fight head-on in a blaze of glory and golden braids that caught the moonlight just right." - A current WIP entitled "Flight of the Wilds" (subject to change)

I think the prompt was asking for a piece of currently published writing and I can add that if you guys want later, but I figured I'd treat you both with my current Revalink WIP 💛 It's also a LU fic, but that's not the point lol. This doesn't even begin to cover the premise of the oneshot, as it's projected to be about 30,000+ words. I wrote most of it on paper (crying it's thirty-two pages front and back and IM NOT EVEN DONE), so you better believe a lot is getting changed as I type it out lol.

This is very early on in the oneshot when Twilight reunites with Wild for the first time. The Chain is getting ambushed by a hoard of monsters and Wild comes by and helps them. In this, he's definitely picked up a lot of his archery skills from Revali, hence the signature three bomb arrows. He's still not nearly as good at the Rito himself, though! :D hehe

This sequence likely won't change any more than it already has, as the beginning doesn't need a whole lot of work anymore imo. It didn't used to be nearly as epic, though. Originally, the scene is a lot more Twilight-centric (as the story is told from his POV), but I changed it because it didn't focus nearly enough on Wild as it really should have for his introduction scene??? Idk what I was thinking tbh. Didn't even address how Wild even got there fr, which is why I made him glide down from his paraglider like the BAMF he is lmaooooo The blond braids stayed the whole time, tho 👍 That, I can assure you lol

34. Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

As someone who perhaps uses commas where they ought not be, I use the Oxford comma in my writing almost religiously and I find it hard to read anything that does not contain it lol.

As someone who is learning Spanish, though, (which does not make use of the Oxford comma, like, at all) it is a very hard habit to break, but I am working on it! lol

[myeolines]

still haven't finished totk bcs i keep getting busy w uni but i kinda just wanna rant about the main plot line lol

The continuity issues of this game is frustrating if you try to mince the main plot, shit just doesn't add up. As fun the open worldness is, being able to solve the puzzles any way you want, it feels as if they had to cut corners when it came to the plot 💀 Like it's some afterthought djsbdkwnkdns Having cutscenes fully voice acted has so much emotional power, like I kinda wish they made the most out of it jdjsbkwndke

I've read here in tumblr before about how it's as if the original direction of the zonai shifted, because I do remember Rauru's hand being creepy. And then the game releases and he's apparently a good boi! But it's fine, sometimes art do be like that it just takes a whole new direction. But the way they interweave things w botw is very inconsistent. Like they could have really did more with it yanno

Personally, it would have been better if we didn't start the game exploring the ruins ? the castle depths ? idk what's it called but like, we got to experience following Zelda as she puts in the effort of "restoring Hyrule". We get to see the glimpse of their life together after the calamity.

The thing is, does Hyrule need to be restored? Most specifically, the castle. Also it makes me wonder how people reacted seeing what seems to be the princess of legend come back, the princess they've heard from their grandparents. But I guess it's easy to interpret it with Zelda being vital to their worshipping of Hylia. And Hyrule Castle seems to serve as a seal for Ganon, and for more generations to come

It would have been more meaningful to see beloved characters from the series intermingle with the new characters. Though the new characters look cool, they also feel so out of place. I get that Penn replaces Kass in terms of role but it would still have been fun to see Kass just chilling at home. It would have also been fun to see Zelda and Kass interact, after all Kass' teacher is the court poet that regularly accompanied the princess. They could reminisce the stories of the past... Kass going "Ah, my teacher used to tell me stories of (this and that)" and Zelda enthusiastically recalling these stories... It would also have been cool to see how the whole Zonai Survey Team was formed. Since Tauro was a solo explorer and his passion for field research is what made Zelda choose him to be the leader of the survey team, it would have been nice to have a neat little side quest of getting to know the guy. Same goes for Yona. It would have been less surprising if Link and Sidon were penpals and they'd regularly write to each other, Sidon would recount some childhood memories with Yona. If maybe we were there to welcome Yona as she arrived, her introduction would have felt smoother? I'm not against the idea of Sidon and Yona but their relationship feels so abrupt HABSJABDKANDK Would have been fun to see how Sidon slowly realized he loved Yona, something like that.

I'm really digging the idea that totk zelda should be playable. Totk's story is more about her dilemma. It would have been more meaningful experiencing the Dragon Tears memory as Zelda, we get to move around as her. I mean, she's apparently the strongest Zelda in the series I think it would have been so monumental.

But back to the actual story, it could have been more... Though it's fun seeing that Link isn't as alone anymore, teleporting to Lookout Landing always feels nice because I know that's where Link's friends are, I just wish Zelda had more screentime.

Thankfully the fandom has people rewriting the story to fill in the gaps so that's what I'll be busy reading once I finish the game to scratch the itch that is inconsistent storytelling sjbskdnsns that's my totk rant for today 😘

[residentdormouse]

Tackling Those Tenacious ‘T’ Words 

Trudging through tombs of text, torn on what tapestry of terms to tack together, I try to trust that the tremendous task we have taken on will traipse along without turning tedious. The turnout of “T” themes throughout my tales tested the theory that this trip could be terribly treacherous for maintaining any type of tranquility. Treason. Trauma. Torment. Torture. But thankfully, tears only tempted to tumble when testing out the ‘tire’s, and that's only from thinking of the turbulent trail this will soon travel down for them.    

(One section makes me cry, what of it 😂. I didn't end up picking that one though, cause you know, River Song.)

My Words: Track, Throw, Tight, Tough, Tire

Your Words: Unknown, Unusual, Unique, Umbrella, Under

As always, Open Tag, jump in if you want to join!

Track

“So this,” she pointed between the two of them, “meant nothing to you?”

Panic took over immediately. Shit! Take it back. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“We’re not a thing?”

In his current state, Lloyd was in no place to gauge the sincerity of her pout. “I never said—”

“Don’t you love me?”

“Hey. Woah…”

Hands flew up in defense, but the cheeky smile bursting from her face, her eyebrows raising and falling in a playful challenge; it caused him to stop in his tracks. “Just fucking with you, sweetheart. Like I’d be involved with a guy who seriously uses the phrase ‘sweet buns’…”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Throw

Once she was finished, Glen sat there, puzzling the matter for a bit. His sigh was very similar to when they pieced together their shared dreams. It was a lot. Too much. The longer the silence lasted, the more her anxiety grew, and she felt just as crazy as when she first met him. Was she just imagining all this? Was it all in her mind?

Hoping for the best, she decided to cap the explanation. "I wish I had better answers."

Focused on different points on the floor, his eyes darted about, but he was far from admiring the hideous carpet. New information was processing, connections being made, theories developing. The process would be enjoyable if circumstances were different.

"There's obviously more going on here than any of us really thought possible." He stood as he spoke, and grabbed some of the long since cooled tea from earlier. "Maybe I got a glimpse into your dreams somehow, and maybe… maybe it was your doing. I don't know how this works. None of us do. But if we're throwing crazy things up for discussion, I paint the future. We're all having dreams of some woman out in Colorado, and we share a boogeyman in our nightmares..."

Hayden sat down on the far edge of the bed next to Kojak. Happily receiving absentminded head scratches, his tail thudded against the mattress. Glen continued on once she was settled.

"What I'm getting at is, who's to say what can and can't be done at this point. This isn't exactly the world we knew anymore, and there's no unringing that bell."

Tight

To say Nick was appealing was an understatement.

Ever since their first night here, her eyes had been drawn to him. Tall, dark, mysterious. But mysterious led to intimidating, and her comfort zone with small talk and introductions was little to none. Mostly none. So watching from afar, making amusing assumptions based on no facts at all, that's what she had.

'I bet he's the type of guy to walk in the rain instead of running.'

From there, she just started making a game of what random thoughts she could come up with about him. 'I bet he houses food like there's no tomorrow.' 'He's probably a light sleeper.' 'He seems like a spicy food type.' 'You know, he probably stretches like a cat when he wakes up.'

Then there was the one assumption to change everything.

'I bet he's the type to rest his chin on the top of your head while he's holding you tight in a hug.'

There was nothing overly special with the assumption itself. It would be logical with their heights, and didn't have anything inherently sexual in the thought, but after that, her brain held him in a different light. Her cheeks would flush as she thought of him further. Internal thoughts that only she could hear began to babble and trip over themselves in her head.

Tough

(Surprisingly only two instances of this, and you already caught the other one with river.)

Even with the makeshift bandage, blood still trickled down from the wound on her arm, and more contusions were forming at an alarming rate. While he couldn’t see the wound itself, the mats in her hair indicated a substantial wound was hidden under there as well. Worry was hard to hide at this point.

"So what is this?"

An inclination towards the gash on her arm was made, and she responded with a sigh.

"A four." He went to inspect it further, but she pulled her arm away with a hiss in pain. "Okay, a five."

There was no question to him that Max was tough. Since he had known her, she had done some of the most risky things he had ever witnessed. Running about burning buildings, taking on multitudes of those unknown creatures. Now fighting outnumbered battles with her own. A five to her was probably a nine to anybody else. Good luck trying to get her to admit that though.

Even still, he raised an eyebrow to question the assessment. Her reply came back firm.

"A five."

Tire

(No instances of ‘tire’, and most of the ‘tired’s are spoiler heavy or already used. I guess this will suffice.)

“So did you all have a plan for this?”

Without surprise, Harold was the first to jump in, but Quinn only offered up a brief glance to him before going back to his packing. “Honestly?”

At this point, she couldn’t tell if her agitation was all still bubbling internal, or if it was now visible to those around her. With frustration built up ready to burst, Max was sure it was the latter. And if it wasn’t, it soon would be.

“No, Quinn, we want your happy horseshit. Of course, honestly!”

The short outburst let out a small amount of her agitation, but it was immediately replaced with regret. Quinn clicked the final latch on his bag with a soft sigh and looked up at her, tired features clearly worn down beyond anything she had seen on him before.

“We never really had a solid plan. Truthfully, we were just hoping to do as much as we could until we inevitably got pinned. If leaving subtly on our own was no longer a viable option, and it came down to the wire, which apparently it has, we figured we’d just run the same route as we sent everybody else. Seems that may very well be the case now.”

The information tore at her; this was it from the brains of their group. One locked in a cube, if not worse, and one with no plan whatsoever. No backup at all. Flying by the seat of their pants.

[zeurille]

Resurgence

♪ Here I am, being who I want, giving what I got, never a doubt now ♪

Man I wish I was as confident as Kira. But I find myself stumbling over and over again, repeatedly expressing frustration as I feel like I'll never get anywhere. But I guess resilience is still on my side, because I'm writing here now, my first ever legit post, just to record my journey in the scary world of game dev. 

I want to record my findings, my thought process, and hopefully, my growth. I chose to post it online for better archiving, free storage in the cloud and a more accessible way to post images that I produce from the computer--coz let's face it, I am dedicating my life to the computer now. 

I also keep this separate from my IRL journals coz I have so much more to say, and this is more optimized and more sustainable method for me. It's faster and my hands will also suffer less with all the ideas I want to write down.

Optimization and sustainability: two important things to consider when writing code-heck, when making a game. So once again, here I am, doing another attempt at diving in and learning how to make a game.

Maybe this blog-writing thing will help me maintain a bit of accountability, even though I know I'm the only one reading this. Then again I can be accountable to myself, as I will look back on this years later and hopefully I will witness growth. Hopefully this blog-writing will help untangle my thoughts, generate ideas, and brainwrite things into existence.

I gotta tell you, writing for myself feels wonderful. I haven't written anything in a long time, not even to express myself. Maybe the last thing I wrote for myself was that self-insert fanfic, that if you, dear reader, are interested, then maybe I will reward your visit to this lonely site with more information about it

I feel more in touch with myself, and I can hear myself more. Free from the hulabaloo of the outside world, I can come here and collect my thoughts in peace, and then articulate them in writing.

And in here, there is no one I need to please but myself.

It's cozy. It's familiar. It's safe.

Then maybe I can think a little clearer, maybe work a little better.

Then again, only time will tell.

~~~

With the introduction out of the way, I am to report my latest activity regarding my game dev journey

I am starting from zilch, and what I'm learning right now is a course that I bought called 

The Ultimate Guide to Game Development with Unity (Official)I am currently on the "Player Lives & Damaging".  But let's go back some more to where I actually legit started to learn, and some of my small accomplishments that I also want to note... 

"Wisp"

I should tell you that I have already coded my first game, called "Wisp". It was my entry to Game Jam, where I attended with my sister, who was in charge of the art, concept and story. I stepped down from the creative side to focus on coding, and I had to make a little detour from the Unity lessons to search for tutorials and tips that cater more to the output of our game. How, pray tell, were we able to make a game within less than three days without prior experience in coding? I was asking myself that same question on that very day the Game Jam started, and I was on my feet quickly grasping for answers.I managed to code a working prototype by the skin of my teeth, and there are factors that I have to consider and be thankful for or else I wouldn't have survived Game Jam. I will make an attempt on breaking them down to the best of my memories: First there was my sister, who managed the art and story and concept. She was able to provide something tangible on the first day, enough for me to translate it into simple game mechanics and fit them into what I can do in Unity. Not only did she give me an idea to start with, she was able to do the tasks I couldn't do and that helped me focus on my coding. Then there was my effort to focus, not to sweat on the small stuff, and focus on what matters most in the game. Now that I have a basic knowledge of the mechanics, the characters and the goal of the game, I can find some coding that can work with those. It helped me make decisions faster, and I HAVE to make fast decisions. 

| screenshot of the game

Yes, we are doing 2D. So I will translate all the coding I learned so far from my Udemy course from the default 3D to its 2D counterparts. The character is a disembodied "soul", so I turn off gravity and have it floating around, being manipulated by the directional buttons from all sides. The goal is to collect memories by "touching" certain points, so I will have to incorporate "OnTrigger" to the game objects that require interaction with the player that will trigger specific events.These specific events are revealing parts of an entire background as a storytelling device. Once everything is revealed, the portal to the next level opens, and the player can move onwards.

public class Memories : MonoBehaviour

{

    public Transform BGOneObject;

    private UIManager BGOneUI;

    private void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D collision)

{

        if (collision.tag == "Player")

        //access Player script and add coins method here

        {

            //log

            Debug.Log("Got first memory!");

            //create a reference variable to the component we want, then assign

            Player player = collision.GetComponent<Player>();

            //null check to see if it exists

            if (player != null)

            {

                Debug.Log("Player is here");

                player.AddMemories();

            }

            BGOneUI = BGOneObject.GetComponent<UIManager>();

            if (BGOneObject != null)

            {

                Debug.Log("UI IS HERE");

                BGOneUI.MemoryRevealA();

            }

            Destroy(this.gameObject);

        }

    }

}

 | Excerpt of my script. This is from the Prefab "Memories"

This is when I went beyond the knowledge I learned from my Unity course at that time. I searched for code and syntax that will allow the gameobject to reveal parts of an image, and to trigger the portal to the next level once the image is "complete". I also have to define in code what it means for the image to be completed, and I figured it's the number of gameobjects collected. The image appearing is just an indication of the gameobject being collected. I also searched for the basic code for level change, the menu, and the "Play Again" button. I gotta admit that these were added at the very end, just to give the game a "finished" feel.

I wasn't too hyped after submitting it, maybe because I didn't allow myself to celebrate over a "little thing". Though now looking back at it, it seems like there is an idea there that can be polished and upgraded, to a full-on working game. Maybe I will pick it up again in the near future. There is still a lot of work to be done, and I hope I won't falter from it.

Resurgence pt. 1

I was in a long hiatus from game dev for months after submitting Wisp. It was a lot of things: the new sideline and balancing multiple jobs, moving to a new apartment with family, and a slight fear of going back to it again. So I never managed to get back to it Until now. It took me 3 days, a few pages each day, to re-read the notes I wrote during my Unity lesson. The thorough note-taking helped me recognize and visualize what the lesson was explaining. I can still understand the logic behind the code and remember how I typed it in Visual Studio. I forgot a few parts and code, and I tried not to beat myself over it and just re-learn; get -re-acquainted with it. I realized I cannot get them all on the first try, even though I have created my very first game. I need to read and re-read, diligently take down notes and revisit some basics to get the hang of it.  I really need to make an effort, no matter how busy I am, to put aside time to learn game development. I should not let it out of my sight. I should spend at least an hour every day until the program feels like second nature to me and the fear subsides. I have made many attempts to overcome my fear and busyness and tackle game development, and I felt like I was going nowhere for years. But in writing this, I was reminded of what I did, which was a legit working prototype of a game, and what I need to do, which is to constantly practice and learn. This I haven't tried yet. Knowing these, I can say with some certainty that there is still hope for me, but the journey is not going to be easy. I hope that I will go through this journey nevertheless.

✦Zeu out✦ 

[zanyzendraws]

SEPTEMBER 4 2024 ZENLOG: Guess Who's Back Again?

So as you can see, I haven't been keeping up attendance since the last update. Oops.

I somehow missed the second week already... MAN.

But I'm thankfully here now and boy oh boy do I have a lot to update you guys on!

That being said, here's the nifty little table of contents! Just look for the color for the section(s) you wanna read and enjoy yourself!

CONTENTS OF THE ZENLOG

PERSONAL UPDATES

PROJECTS

WHAT TO EXPECT

BEFORE I GO

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! (Wooooooah!)

If you're ready to read, click "keep reading!"

PERSONAL UPDATES

Remember how my throat was hella sore the previous update? I managed to go to a follow-up appointment for the doctor. Upon looking at my throat, sir said absolutely nothing has changed (much to his confusion... and mine).

So, sir has decided to up the intake on my antibiotics. They were WAY more effective than the ones I was on previously, so HALLELUJAH!

Then I got sick two more times post-recovery.

It's actually bonkers. I mean, aside from my wack sleep schedule, for the most part I took care of myself. So what was the problem?

Turns out that the air here where I live now just has a crapton of particles that irritate my asthma.

Oops.

But hey, on another note, I've met my extended family members and all of them are hella cool! In addition to that stuff, I've also been researching on colleges and working on myself outside of projects. After all, if I don't take care of IRL me, how will I take care of my creations?

And brainrotting over Bill Cipher and Stanford Pines content shhhhhh

(For those curious, the game is Swooning Over Stans! I've heard so many things on Tiktok so I started playing it myself LMAO)

PROJECTS

A slightly detailed list of what I wished to accomplish this week, but if you want brief phrases that sum things up, look for the pink text!

HANASHIMA'S ADVANCED CLASS

I've managed to get 17/15 responses to my anxiety-related questions that I've mentioned the last time! I'd like to thank my Discord friends and everyone who participated in my little survey! The input really means a lot to me! I now have a better understanding of the specific scenario I've been trying to write, and hopefully I won't let everybody down with my attempts at portrayals.

In addition to that, thanks to a friend, I've noticed some blaring issues with some characters and pacing, so an outline is in the works and the same applies with an official character sheet.

This issue made me realize that I do in fact, need outsider opinions regarding more 'technical' aspects of my writing and not just what I wanted to accomplish. That in mind, I now have two consultants on my team (woah, I have a team now!)

[WIP AUDIO PROJECT]

Not much progress has been made with this one, though character designs for 2/3 characters has been finalized.

MISC

I've completed two short comics and am currently working on a third strip.

I've uploaded a few tiktoks that I plan to reupload onto here / post the images I've included in those works.

WHAT TO EXPECT

It'll probably be a while before you even see anything genuinely plot-related for Hanashima's Advanced Class. I have big things planned, and I'm doing the thing where I write the whole entire story first prior to actually committing to uploading (compared to others where they come up with the story as they go).

I've ultimately decided to stay quiet on the psychological horror project that I mentioned the previous time as well. I might post some stuff about it every now and then, but I'll keep my mouth shut on the matter for now. Mostly because it's a horror so the element of surprise and shock is of utmost importance... and thus, no one can know anything about it if I wanna keep that element!

I might work on an official introduction to who I am via Youtube video format - because aside from witnessing my feral behavior and my art stuff, I realized that not most exactly know who I am or what my goals are regarding what I want to do with my art. It'll be a simple video but an introduction nonetheless!

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! (HUH???)

Starting next week, I'll be posting a series of weekly comics! They'll be similar to ShenComix in terms of content but with my own flair and experiences!

I'm still working on a title for the series but just know that I'll have a lot more content! I'm working on more comics so I don't have to worry about deadlines or anything haha

EDIT: Zen's Zaniness is releasing Thursday next week!

BEFORE I GO...

Apologies for the lack of funny images here compared to last time. And- you know, my absence.

But I'm really excited to be sharing more art with you guys, as I continuously work on more Hanashima's Advanced Class.

Take care and stay zany! <333

-ZanyZenDraws (Zen)

[hawkepockets]

This is my first DA game, ive heard mixed things about it but a.) i bought it already years ago and never played it and b.) dav hype got to me. im really enjoying it although i think ill go for play through 2 right after as it was kind of confusing not knowing what the state of things was. thank you for your well wishes!

yayyy yeah i started with inquisition as well and the beginning of the game totally lost me. it makes a little more sense if u come straight from da2 but as an introduction to the series for new players? abysmal idk what they were thinking 😭 it only gets better though, i super super recommend a replay & the rest of the series too! enjoyyyy

[kalmeria]

As someone who wants to get into d4dj plot, do you think it’d be better to get a general grasp of the plot using the anime and then look at individual events/stories or just start from the beginning game stories? My knowledge of d4dj is pretty much limited to solely unichord events cause lesbians do be doing lesbian things.

hmm thats a tricky question.!

(theres a tldr at the end. whoops)

i do recommend the first season of the anime (d4dj first mix) because it is generally just really nice and it gives you a good overall introduction to how the world works and stuff? even if you have already read some stories, i do think it helps put things into perspective.

i would bot recommend jumping from that straight into the second season though (d4dj all mix), because that one happens later and is not so much a single story, more like a collection of them focusing on the different units, and it is more enjoyable if you are already familiar with them imo!

so i don’t know how familiar you are with the structure of the game stories, so i’m just gonna explain it:

basically there are seasons in the game story i guess? the first two seasons are all divided into separate road to d4fes stories for each unit, which basically happen at the same time and shows what everyone is doing that year.

the first set of them show how some of the units formed, so if you are interested in rondo, merm4id or lyrilily, these are the best place to start! (happiara’s origin story is in the anime, which also introduces peaky and photon maiden. so their stories in the first road to d4fes kind of assume you know the characters a bit already).

the second road to d4fes is similar, it is seven separate stories showing whats everyone is doing this year, and also properly introducing the seventh unit, call of artemis.

the after each of these two there is the actual d4fes story where everyone meets and interacts and they all have live shows and they compete to be the best basically! i think these are interesting if you have read at least some of the road to-s.

sorry that was a bit of a tangent possibly!

the third season of game story is structured differently: there is side:origin and side:nova! side:origin is the equivalent of the road to d4fes and side:nova is the main story introducing unimare!

you said you’ve read unichord events, i don’t know if that means you have read all of side:nova but if you have not yet then i absolutely recommend it!! there are some spoilers about how the previous d4fes ended but like, i don’t think it matters a lot. the end result is less interesting than the whole journey so it’s okay imo!

side:nova is mostly new stuff, michiru is the only character who has been previously introduced, and after that comes xross beat which is the current season.

ok so. tl;dr (and some probably needed clarification):

i recommend you read side:nova if you haven’t yet.

if you do wish to get into the Whole story, i recommend watching first mix (should be on youtube).

after that you can check out the road to d4fes stories for more unit introductions. (there is lesbianism elsewhere too, hayakoko are just the only ones who are canonically dating). if you are a completionist, you can read all of those and then the d4fes stories. otherwise, i think it’s also okay to just read the road to stories of units you are interested in and then the d4fes actual story.

and Then you can go check out the other event stories and card stories for units and members you are interested in, to learn a bunch of more info!

and there is the anime petit mix and all mix, you can watch them later on whenever, there is only a little bit of plot relevant stuff in all mix, it is mostly just a fun little treat!