#if you're offering players 2 choices

[corpocyborg]

Just started a full renegade play through and god some of these choices remind me why I normally play renegon. It’s not the immoral choices that bother me, it’s the inconsistency. Sometimes you come off as a no-nonsense hardass willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done and other times you just come off like a raging psychopath. Full paragon is generally way more consistent with their characterization but full renegade can’t decide if they’re willing to make harsh decisions for a greater principle or if they’re sadistic, if they’re reckless or if they have a stick up their butt, if they’re strong and silent or whiny and accusatory, etc. And this could potentially work if the hypocrisy was acknowledged and incorporated into the story as a character flaw, but half the scenes feel like you’re just terrorizing people and they’re just laying down and taking it. To be fair, they get a lot better about this in later games, but I wish the characterization was more consistent and I wish there were more realistic reactions to renegade behavior. Maybe it’s because game designers know most people don’t do those kinds of routes and they’re worried that if they had genuine consequences for bad behavior, even less people would do it, but in my opinion, that type of narrative works a lot better when it feels like there’s actual stakes and also rationale for the behavior. There’s several distinct times where renegade choices could have easily been presented as “sacrifice for the greater good” or something along those lines, but for whatever reason they put in dialogue where you’re just being an asshole instead. Killing the rachni queen, for example. The base idea is good. You’re unsure if you can truly trust her. Are you mercifully saving a benevolent creature or is it fooling you and you’re unleashing a terror onto the world? That’s a great idea, but the dialogue doesn’t present it right. And then there’s too many times where the renegade decision just seems completely illogical. Like on Feros, what reason do you have to kill the colonists instead of incapacitate them? It’s just as easy to incapacitate them, there is no loss to it, so if you still chose to kill them, you just come off as irrational and totally careless.  The narrative as a whole pushes the whole “renegade shep is ruthless but gets the job done” depiction, but they just don’t actually present it consistently. Which, again, could work if it was played off as Shepard making excuses for their behavior or believing they’re doing the right thing but just going too far due to losing sight of the bigger picture or something like that, but the inconsistency doesn’t come off as an intentional character flaw of hypocrisy, it just comes off as inconsistent writing. I know they’re less motivated to write that story well because it is so much less popular for the average player, but maybe it would be more popular if they wrote it better. Don’t get me wrong, I love renegade Shepard, just... the one that I’ve created in my head and pieced together from the well-written parts of renegade dialogue. Or more like the one that the narrative promises but doesn’t consistently deliver.

[wiptw]

Pokémon Stadium Series

Nintendo 64 - Nintendo - 2000 to 2001

You as a Pokémon fan are absolutely fucking spoiled these days. Aside from the mainline games you have spinoffs and fangames offering different experiences, you have entire websites dedicated to documenting everything down to the internal maths of the series, there's no end to the free content you can access with an internet connection between emulators and battle sites like 'Showdown!', and it's now socially acceptable in most circles to be older than 13 and have something with Pikachu's face plastered on it (especially if you're female presenting, especially if your friend group is also infected with the Pokémon hype). Back in my day™ you had almost none of this. You had the anime on Saturday mornings, you had the early run Pokémon licensed merch which WOULD get you called a baby if you continued buying past 10-12, and you had the games. Those sweet, sweet games that indoctrinated a generation of young people into being gamers and awoke a horde of JRPG addicts.

Literally Me

So remember this when I tell you that Pokémon Stadium, both one and two, aren't great games because they do something back then that you can't get today; they're great for what they did back then. So Pokemon Stadium 1&2 were a duology of games from 2000 and 2001 respectively that allowed players to battle Pokemon in 3D, with the addition of some side content such as minigames included to prevent the game from being 100% Pokemon battles. Because otherwise, the game is in fact navigating a series of menus and completing Pokémon battles with 3D models.

Whether it's taking on the gym gauntlets, the marathon of battles in the Pokémon cups, or just free battles with friends and loved ones, 98% of the experience is either selecting Pokémon from a roster of pre-built 'rentals' or transferring them from a saved game using the Transfer Pak, then fighting them in a series of 3D environments. An experience which you can definitely do today using web apps but as I said earlier, we didn't have that.

The peak of Pokémon battles in 2000

So if you're buying Pokémon Stadium (either version really) you're already probably a Pokémon fan right? So that means you have Red/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal, so why not just play that game and get the full experience? The fun of exploring, talking to NPCs, discovering new and exotic locations? Simple, because in those games battles looked like this

While in Stadium, battles looked like this

If you grew up watching the anime while playing the Gameboy games, there was this special kind of dissonance where you might find yourself saying "Yeah, (for the time) these graphics are RADICAL but I wish I had something closer to these cool Pokémon Battles they had in the anime." As you hide under the covers with your Gameboy Color worm light, nestled in your Ash Ketchum pajamas while you attempt for the 100th time to capture a ditto. Pokémon Stadium was the answer to this dissonance, providing you with vibrant 3D graphics unlike anything you'd ever seen before; bringing Pokémon to life in a way that would be unmatched until Colosseum came out during the Gamecube era.

So, to actual mechanics, you play both games pretty similarly; by building a team of Pokémon (either on your handheld or by using the rental mons the game provides) and take part in a series of battles to become the ultimate battle master. To use your own Pokémon, you'd need to use the aforementioned 'Transfer Pak' to plug in a copy of Red/Blue/Yellow (for 1) or Gold/Silver/Crystal (for 2) with a game saved to the cartridge; otherwise the rental Pokémon covered all released Pokémon (except for some hidden ones) allowing you to build your dream team, sans a few caveats here and there.

Evolved Pokémon have better stats but worse moves, while weaker Pokémon tend to have better moves to compensate

In terms of WHERE you can battle, there's two choices: Either in the Gym Leader Castle, or the Tournaments held in the center of the map on either game. Either way, the game will then have you battle through a series of 3v3 matches versus a set number of trainers who will also select 3 random mons from their full team of six.

A bit bare bones, but there's some spice to how things are run. For one, the rental system was a huge thing for us younger players back in the day. Even if you had the games some Pokémon were hard to catch, had evolution requirements some players couldn't complete (like the trade-mons), or were locked to a version you didn't have. The rental mons give you a list of every Pokémon (some exceptions, but not many) and then lets you build your dream team. Sure, you can't set their moves, EVs, IVs, and it's the era before abilities and natures but I CAN HAVE A MEOWTH/PERSIAN ON MY TEAM. Do you know what I had to do as a child to have this Pokémon outside of Stadium? I had to find someone in the American South who also enjoyed Pokémon, hoped they had Blue instead of Red, hoped they had a link cable, then get them to agree to a trade despite both of us being children (and therefore, objectively terrible) which likely meant giving away a rare Pokémon in exchange for what amounted to common garbage in their game because it was Version fucking Exclusivity™ and everyone seemed to know that meant you'd do anything to get that one fucking Pokémon you wanted.

In the handheld games, if you wanted to build your dream team then likely you'd have to put in some more effort than other games of the time would've required of you. With Stadium, your dreams come true, and if you already have that dream team you can just import them to fight in glorious 3D. Circumventing the fact that rental Pokémon are kinda terrible overall.

Don't feel like building? The challenge cup mode that gives you randomized team comps that has it's own charm (for masochists)

Not to say all of them were bad but construct a normal distribution of 'Good' to 'Bad' picks then that graph is gonna skew left so hard you'd be forgiven for thinking it was just a straight line. To keep every choice 'viable' Pokémon rentals were balanced around stats and moves. More powerful evolved Pokémon and Pokémon with high Base Stat Totals (BST) were given weaker moves and first form and low BST Pokémon were given generally better moves. Charizard might have better stats than Charmeleon and Charmander but his only fire type move is going to be something like Fire Spin. Conversely, Charmander might have Fire Blast but his stats are gonna make him an easy target for the computer's pokemon, which are not bound to the same builds as the rental mons you're using.

Once your team is assembled, then you're off to battle trainer after trainer after trainer with beautifully scored (for the Nintendo 64) soundtracks giving you an unearned sense of importance every step of the way. Battles themselves are conducted with a weird, but functional control layout where A and B access sub menus you then check with the R button before finalizing with the c-buttons, which on original hardware or a USB N64 controller is fine but on emulation with a more modern controller like Logitech, can be a little nerve wracking as you worry about whether your 'up' input on the control stick was up enough for the game or if you accidentally drifted right or left using an unintended move.

fun fact: the name of imported Pokémon affects their coloration in Stadium

Battles are also largely regulated by (at the time) tournament standard rules. Little and Pokecup have level restrictions, and all three non-random cups include clauses for sleep, held items, and repeat Pokémon. Additionally, in any cup if you win the round with all 3 Pokémon still in tact, you're granted a continue; meaning you can retry the battle if you lose. Additionally, there is no 'draw' outcome in these games. Use a move like Explosion or Selfdestruct and the game will register it as your loss on your final Pokémon, regardless of whether you took down the opposing fighter with you or not.

You'll be doing a LOT of back-to-back fights here against trainers with varied team comps, but even with over 246 Pokémon in the available potential lineup you'll get tired fast of fighting. This is, however, slightly mitigated by the 3v3 nature of the matches but even so be ready to here the same Pokémon noises, watch the same effects play out, and wait for the same health bars to tick down over and over as you claw your way to the spot of Pokémon Master.

The art style of non-battle scenes like the main map and minigame plaza have that nice, 90's charm to them as well.

If you do get tired of battling it out, then Stadium 1 and 2 both offer minigames for players to partake in. Either in a tournament format or by using the free-play browser, players are able to take part in a multitude of different Mario Party-esque (without the hand burning) minigames featuring the Pokémon as stars. Minigames consist of stick twirling, button mashing, and point collecting all while controlling fan favorite Pokémon such as Togepi, Eevee, Scyther, and Pichu with no real rhyme or reason behind why these game exist aside from a amusement park theming the minigame zones have for their icons and menus.

You won't get a real explanation as to why you're racing Donphans, cutting logs as Scythers and Pinsirs, or playing Simon Says with a bunch of Clefairy, but you don't really need that either. The games are fun, the models are charming, and watching Clefairy get smacked in the head for each wrong input brings me a level of joy I should probably talk about with my therapist. You won't likely spend hours in this mode, but it's a nice breather from the onslaught of battles otherwise.

fun fact: I still won't talk to some people because of the outcomes to Rampage Rollout over two decades ago. You know who you are.

Additionally there's a quiz minigame separate from the main selection of minigames with easy/normal/hard difficulty selections. Players compete to see who can be the first to get a number of questions correct before anyone else based on facts about the Pokémon (typing, size, silhouette, etc) or facts about the game (where you can find things in the game, names of routes and towns, names of figures in the game).

It's not the most challenging on easy or normal, but playing on hard the game will try to screw you with trick questions so playing with others becomes a balance of "do I let the question play out, or attempt to steal it before someone else can answer correctly?"

Sometimes even playing the game won't prepare you for how out of pocket the questions can get

The real advantage of 2 over 1 is that, in addition to minigames, the game has the trainer academy; a kind of in-depth battle tutorial to teach players not only the basics of Pokémon fighting, but also some secrets as well

You can learn about held items, a feature new to the second generation, as well as participate in mock battles to demonstrate the materials you've been reading and quizzed on. Some of this information for the time too was obscure or hidden knowledge, like the fact that using Defense Curl before using Rollout would boost the damage significantly or that using Stomp on an opponent who used minimize would double the damage.

Some type matchups just make sense, like Ground v Electric.

Overall though what really makes this game is the presentation. The soundtrack does a great job selling the feeling Nintendo wants you to experience, climbing the ladder in a tournament or the Gym Leaders Castle makes you feel powerful, and the little details on top of it all just tie it together in a nice package.

The fights, for example, are also narrated by "The Announcer". A bombastic voice shouting over every detail of a fight. When you score a crit, when you apply a status effect, even using certain moves will get the announcer loudly narrating each detail like a Pokémon prize fight. Seeing the ground rip apart when you use Earthquake is only half the charm, the other half comes from that man yelling in your ears "A DEVESTATING EARTHQUAKE ATTACK!". Clearing gyms or clearing opponents in one of the cups grants you gym badges, a dream for any child growing up on the handheld classics or watching the anime who wished they too could earn shiny bits of metal that gave them an inflated sense of importance.

I would literally kill everyone I came across if it'd get me a real life Zephyr Badge.

Stadium 1 and 2 aren't evergreen classics. They're stuck in Gens 1 and 2 respectively, the roster of Pokémon while impressive is largely useless and makes collecting trophies way harder than it has to be, and the games were made before things like abilities and double battles were introduced, leading to the Pokémon battling game missing out on the generation of Pokémon that made battling more fun (Revolution doesn't count, Revolution is dead to me and disappoints me more than I disappoint myself.)

But for the time especially, it gave fans an opportunity to experience a form of Pokémon more advanced than what the handhelds could output. It was a window into a world of potential that wouldn't be truly fulfilled until arguably the 3DS era of Pokémon released, and gave fans a fun little romp handcrafted for them at every twist and turn. Whether you were a gamer or you enjoyed the anime, there was something here for you.

Overall: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 (for the time) Graphics: 9/10 (for the time) Memorable Moments: Stadium 1: Hearing about Mewtwo, thinking he was an urban legend, then finding out he wasn't Stadium 2: Finally beating the elite 4 using only rental mons.

[14dayswithyou]

Tell Ren to turn on his location. After getting all the bad ends, Ren graciously offers his help. The help is very, uh, interesting to me because all his choices are like ignore and be rude to everyone except me, make out and choose me over everything, pick me, choose me, love me- But what's more interesting is the choices that don't matter. For he picks something casual when you're choosing clothes which I don't have a reason for yet, the food you pick in the cafe is exactly what he ordered which either does he want me to like what he likes or is he just choosing what he likes and doesn't care? still need to ponder. Oh and the choice he didn't choose, which was to encourage or discourage his crazy murderous habits. It makes me think he really doesn't give a fuck if I like it when people die or not. Or if I thought people dying was exciting or cool. I also did another bad ending which got me the same four bad ending screen. I wonder if it only goes up to the amount you can possibly get and not if you just keep spamming them. I did feel bad for going against what he said after he basically had a mental breakdown over it. Sorry, Ren, I got curious. But yeah, I just wanna ask, what is up with all of that, or really just to ramble because I found all this cool stuff and need to share it.

⌞♥⌝ Ren chooses the answers that give you the most affection points with him and him only.

Some answers — like the cafe orders— are there to provide the player with more insight into Ren's interests, whereas others were intentionally left alone because I didn't want players to feel pressured into going down a specific path (like encouraging Ren to reveal his true nature). He also stops helping you once you reach any of the regular endings in Day 4.

As for the Dead Ends, there are currently only four in the game right now. Eventually, they'll be tied to specific dialogue choices and a hidden point meter — but for now, they'll only exist in the game until I can find a reasonable way to connect specific branches/paths with the following day (i.e. blocking Ren in Day 1 normally leads to a Dead End because I can't think of a way for him to show up in Day 2 without Angel feeling annoyed skgsgjs).

I hope this makes sense!!

[teatreeoilll]

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna drabble-headcanon thingy part 2 | part I here w/c - 750 cw: manga spoilers (although I'm only on chapter 180 so if it kind of doesn't make sense with the rest I'm sorry!!)

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who wakes up a thousand years later, now trapped in a boy's body, unaware of the fact that you, too, had made a deal with the devil to satisfy your yet unmet need for revenge.

Hein Era

"You must be Kenjaku," you said, relief washing over your body. It has been three long years since you've decided to find the man, the journey wearing you out, turning you into an empty shell in tattered rags.

"May the traveler who knows my name introduce herself?" He proposed, not making the effort to turn around from his position over the cooking pot. The shabby hut you stood in and his mild demeanor hardly lived up to the reputation of the most vicious man to set foot in Japan in eons.

And so you do, with a deep bow and a mutter of your name, "I've come to an understanding that to kill the man I wish dead might take more than one lifetime," you proclaimed, "and I've been told you're the one to turn to."

Tokyo, 2018

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna felt something strange the moment Itadori Yuji fell face-first into Tokyo Colony No. 1. However, he couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was, like the dull wistfulness of an old perfume. Itadori Yuji sensed it too, but had little time to muse over such things when he was too busy fighting to try to locate Higuruma Hiromi.

"Kogane, show me player Higuruma Hiromi," you order, looking at the information popping up, "his points are gone. Is he the one who changed the rule?" You don't wait for an answer before continuing, "It doesn't matter; he might still know something. Ikebukuro's close now."

You walk through the concrete and metal jungle; these people have built themselves miles upon miles of castles, you think, Sukuna probably enjoys watching them crumble.

When you approach the theater you were told Higuruma resides in, a boy walks out. As soon as he catches a glimpse of you, he halts, standing on guard on the other side of the road.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna has seen many faces, but yours was one that hadn't faded from his memory by the passing of time.

"I don't want to fight!" The boy exclaimed from across the road, but his shoulders were drawn back, fists curled near his pockets.

"I do not wish to fight either!" You shout back, thinking that another battle may wash off the remains of your strength. Besides, what good would it do to fight a young boy? Although only the look of his pink hair made your teeth clench and stomach tighten.

You watch the boy take a seat on the pavement, "Are you hurt?" You inquire, slowly drawing closer across the pavement.

"Just taking a breather!" He shouts, but you decide to approach regardless.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who laughs. He howls like a maniac inside Yuji's head, sending strange vibrations throughout the boy's body.

"Are you alright?" You ask the boy, watching him nod as he gulps the water you handed him. The resemblance is striking, you think, but perhaps I'm just thinking too much of it.

"Thank you," he puts the empty water bottle by his side, "I'm sorry I drank all your water."

"It's nothing." You assure him, "Have you seen Higuruma here? I've a question for him."

"I don't think he's the kind to answer questions," Yuji reflected, getting up from the sidewalk.

"I won't leave him much of a choice." You asserted, watching the boy's doubtful expression, "Do you have any insight you may offer on his technique?"

"Well, I don't think I understand it, really, but.." Yuji starts explaining, watching your brows furrow as you nod along at his descriptions.

You thank him, parting curtly before turning away towards the theater.

"Wait!" Yuji exclaims behind you, "What's the question? Maybe I'll save you the trouble."

You doubt his words, but turn back to face him, "There's a man I'm looking to kill," you disclosed, "trust me, you'd want him dead too,” you chuckle, pausing for a moment, but deciding there's no harm in asking, "Sukuna, do you know where he is?"

Yuji freezes, his heartbeat quickening at the mention of the name, his wide eyes pointed straight at you.

"Didn't think so," you sigh.

ChildhoodFriend!Sukuna who pops out as a mouth carved in Yuji's cheek, causing you to jump back slightly at the bizarre sight while he taunted loudly;

"You're not going to tell her, brat?"

_

tag list: @saoirseirose, @marimeown, @http-dilflvr Thank you guys for the wonderful comments on part one, hope this one doesn't disappoint

[repulsiveliquidation]

Masterlist.

Requests are open. If there is a WIPs you'd like to offer ideas for, feel free!

I write for Arsenal WFC and FC Barcelona Femeni, but players from other teams are more than welcome, especially those whom i've written for before. Please include your player of choice and your detailed request when you leave them in my inbox! I am not opposed to brainstorming in my DMs but please understand that I may not respond promptly but I will get back to you!

fluff = 💛, angst = 🚨, smut = 🔞

WIPs

Writer x Reader

Ewa Pajor

Glass Pane 🔞

Kika Nazareth

Playing Cards 🔞

Grace Clinton

Mikrokosmos 💛

Aggie Beever-Jones

One Thing Led To Another 🔞

Laia Codina

Reservation 🔞

Alessia Russo

Puppy Eyes 🔞

Jessie Fleming

We Might As Well Try 🔞

You Drew Stars Around My Scars 🚨🔞

Thorn in my Side 🚨

Wake Up Call 🔞

Jill Roord

The White Suit 🔞

Oral Fixation 🔞

Say Yes to Heaven 🔞

Elevators 🔞

Leila Ouahabi

Eyes on Me 🔞

Group Project [The Orgy] 🔞

Want, Not Need. Pt. 1

Want, Not Need Pt. 2

Careful Planning

Two is Better than One

Aitana Bonmatí

Ecstasy 🔞

Hope, Coffee, and Poetry 🔞

earmuffs 🚨

fidgets 💛

pretty lights 💛

lather 💛

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Baby It’s Cold Outside 🔞

Alexia Putellas x Leah Williamson

Time Consuming 🔞

Time Difference 🔞

Melted Ice Cream 🔞

Alexia Putellas x María León

Twice the Pleasure 🔞

Good Girls 🔞

María León x Ingrid Engen

Crippled 🔞

Special Instructions 🔞

Arsenal Women

Chosen Family 💛

Alexia Putellas

Dress Up 🔞

Rain 🔞

Did I Cross The Line? 🚨

For Club and Country 🔞

Impatient 🔞

Honeymoon 🔞

Scars 🚨

Broken 🚨

Claire De Lune 🚨

all the rain in the world. 🚨

Darlin' I'd Wait For You 💛

Paris 🔞

If I have to ask, I don't want it. 🚨

Fire and Ice 🔞

beige. 🔞

One Call Away 🔞

Bottom Ale 🔞

Betrayed 🔞

Show Me 🔞

Ona Batlle

Collateral 🚨🔞

without you 🚨

Too Dangerous 🔞

To Love Someone 🔞

The Best of Me 🔞

Backseat 🔞

Touchy Feely 🔞

don’t let them hear. 🔞

Angel in the House 💛

Royalty 💛

La Princesa 💛

She's going to be okay. 💛

I don't think you deserve gentle darling. 🔞

Touch me like nobody else does. 🔞

Leah Williamson

Choice 🚨

Flare Up 💛

Guardian of My Heart 🚨

Sun to Me 🚨

Alone 🚨

good excuse 🔞

When I’m with you, there is no one else because I get heaven to myself. 💛

Cookies and Cuddles 🔞

baby bear 🔞

dreams 🔞

don't wander 💛

Kiss Me Before You Go 💛

Arsenal's Number 6 🔞

Blueberry Pancakes 💛

Fore! 💛

They could never be mad at you. 💛

Nightmares and Hot Chocolate 💛

Leah Williamson x Lucy Bronze

I've got you. 💛

Georgia Stanway x Leah Williamson

I don't need you. 💛

Maya Le Tessier

I'm not sick. You're delusional. 💛

Georgia Stanway

Lazy Saturdays and Scrambled Eggs 💛

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Oh no. Sir I believe I'm going to need you to explain that Dragon Age 2 opinion, that is a BLAZING hot take

I really don't think it is. Although of course all of this is personal opinion, not some sort of divine proclamation on high about which video games people are allowed to prefer, so take please it in the spirit it is offered.

Origins is a worldbuilding walking tour as much about explaining its own in-universe lore and fantasy history as it is about either its characters or the actual story that is happening in the game. It's a cool world! With some great lore! But also it is built entirely around Generic Fantasy Plot Structure #1 and never particularly seems interested in innovating, or surprising the player. On top of which, a lot of its setting and lore is pretty weakly sketched and doesn't really get developed into something either visually or narratively compelling until it gets built out in later games.

And while Inquisition has some genuinely fantastic characters, everything else about the game suffers very badly from the plague of BioWare Magic™, i.e. the production was an absolute mess up until the last minute when five hundred extremely overworked and underpaid creative geniuses somehow managed to wring a functional experience out of the trainwreck. It was made with fucking Frostbite of all things, jesus christ, it's holding together with spit and duct tape.

Now, Dragon Age 2 shares a bunch of the problems of Origins and Inquisition. It too bears the hallmarks of "our executives couldn't plan a healthy game production cycle if their lives depended on it" with a lot of unfinished content, half-assed sidequests and a truly frustrating over-reliance on a combat system that isn't half as engaging to use as it needed to be.

But Dragon Age 2 also has something neither of its siblings could ever even hope to match: an actual compelling protagonist.

Like, listen, I know people adore their headcanons about their Wardens and Inquisitors, and it has made for some truly amazing fanworks, but Hawke is literally the only actual character out of all of them. Hawke has conflicts, problems, needs and drives that actually inform and push the story forward, they have a family and a history and a reason to give a sh** about the central conflict of the narrative.

In Origins and Inquisition both, your character becomes the main character of the story entirely because of fate and random chance. You are the Chosen One and you are the only one who can Save The World because you're the last of the super special elite fantasy Hero Squad, or because you got some green magic stuck in your hand by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because the character is a complete blank slate onto which the player is expected to project themselves, random chance and circumstance are the only tools the plot can use to position them as main characters. There is no character to drive them to it.

In Dragon Age 2, Hawke becomes the champion because they're trying to build a new life for their family in Kirkwall, and end up embroiled in the chaos and politics that befall the city as a natural consequence of living in it and dealing with the conditions of it. Hawke and their family's needs and wants drive their actions, and push them to engage in endeavors that influence the course of history. They have agency (in the conceit of the narrative, at least) over how their life turns out, they make choices that have consequences, rather than being dictated into the position of Main Character by a literal looming apocalypse that permits no other course of action.

And I'm not about to sit here and claim that Dragon Age 2's story is perfect or that every character is a masterpiece or that every plotline is amazing. No, there's plenty of scuff and jank and things that have aged poorly and unresolved plot threads and all the rest of it.

And I am definitely not forgetting the godsdamned DLC where BioWare threw it all overboard by inventing a Special Bloodline Plot where oops it turns out Hawke actually IS a special chosen one specially chosen by a special fate to have a special role in Saving The World because they're special because of fate and destiny and blah blah, I still think that was phenomenally stupid (especially when Corypheus wasn't even Hawke's goddamn main villain to deal with what was any of this supposed to add to their character ffs BioWare)

But even with all its problems, the simple fact that Hawke is a character you can give a shit about independent of your own projection as a player - the fact that Hawke isn't just an empty bland blank slate with no personality, no traits, no wants or needs or drives - that has made Dragon Age 2 infinitely more memorable to me than either Origins and Inquisition. I think about it to this day. I think about Hawke to this day. I care about what happens to the character in a way that I just simply could never bring myself to do with either my Wardens or my Inquisitors.

[viktorviolettaenterprises]

Mafia Inspired Posepack

DOWNLOAD

2 years ago, my good friend @rebouks, also known as Rebecca creating a Peaky Blinder-inspired group pose pack *THIS*, inspired me to make my own version with a unique twist. This time, I used artwork Some from the "Mafia" game series as the basis for my poses. I hope you enjoy this pose pack!

Author's Note

You Need:

Andrew's Pose Player

@twistedmexi Searchable Pose Player

Weapons Included: "Gotta Keep it Real"

Smith & Wesson Model 10

The Smith & Wesson Model 10 is like the classic rock of revolvers—timeless and reliable. This baby has been around since the late 1800s, and it’s still a favorite among folks who appreciate good old-fashioned craftsmanship. It’s a simple, no-nonsense .38 Special revolver that feels solid in your hand and gives you that satisfying "click" when you pull the trigger. With its sleek design and smooth action, it’s perfect for both newbies and seasoned shooters. Whether you’re heading to the range or keeping it for home defense, the Model 10 won’t let you down. Plus, it's easy to load and unload, making it user-friendly for everyone.

Smith & Wesson Model 20

The Smith & Wesson Model 20 is like the hidden gem in the revolver world. It’s not as well-known as some of its cousins, Model 10. but it packs a punch and offers some solid features. This wheel gun is chambered for the .38 Special, making it an excellent choice for both target shooting and home defense.

One of the standout things about the Model 20 is its smooth trigger pull and Bigger Frame. Some people said "Size Matter" and Model 20 defintely One of them!, which makes for an enjoyable shooting experience. The gun has a nice heft to it, giving you a feeling of stability and control. Plus, it has a classic look that screams quality, with a design that’s built to last.

Smith & Wesson Model 27

The Smith & Wesson Model 27 is like the high-end sports car of revolvers. It’s got style, performance, and a bit of flair that sets it apart from the crowd. Chambered in .357 Magnum, this beauty is not just about looks; it delivers some serious power and accuracy.

With its sleek lines and polished finish, the Model 27 feels great in your hand and looks even better in a display case. The double-action mechanism is smooth, making it easy to shoot accurately. Plus, it’s got a solid reputation, having been a favorite among law enforcement and enthusiasts for decades. Whether you're hitting the range or adding to your collection, this revolver has the chops to impress.

Colt Detective Special .38

The Colt Detective Special .38 is a classic revolver that’s been a go-to for police detectives, especially those working undercover but it's Not Limited To Some Mob who lucky enough to get their Hands on it!. Compact and easy to conceal, this wheel gun offers a perfect blend of reliability and simplicity. It’s got a sleek design that makes it ideal for discreet carry while still packing a solid punch.

With its double-action mechanism, it’s quick to draw and fire, which is crucial in high-pressure situations. The Detective Special is known for its accuracy and smooth trigger pull, making it a favorite among those who need a dependable sidearm. Whether you’re in law enforcement or just appreciate a well-crafted firearm, this revolver has a timeless appeal.

Sawed Off Shotgun "Lupara"

The sawed-off lupara is a classic piece with a bit of a rebellious edge. Originally hailing from Italy, this short-barreled shotgun is known for its compact size and powerful punch. With the barrel cut down, it’s easy to handle and perfect for close-quarters situations, making it popular among those looking for something discreet yet effective.

The lupara has a rugged, no-frills look, often associated with the rustic lifestyle and a bit of outlaw charm. Its twin barrels can fire both buckshot and slugs, giving you flexibility depending on the situation. Whether you're in the field or just admiring its craftsmanship, the sawed-off lupara has a gritty allure that’s hard to resist. also Perfect Hammer in case you want to Whack Some Rats Or Rival Family, Mafia Style!

Thompson M1928

"The gun that made the twenties roar" Here We go! This is the stuff of legends. This iconic submachine gun is famous for its sleek design, distinctive curved magazine, and, of course, its roaring firepower. Originally developed during the Prohibition era, it quickly became a favorite among gangsters and law enforcement alike.

With its heavy, solid feel and classic wood furniture, the Thompson looks and feels like a piece of history. It’s chambered in .45 ACP, delivering a satisfying kick and a distinctive sound that turns heads at the range. Whether you’re a collector, a history buff, or just looking for an unforgettable shooting experience, the "Chicago Typewriter" is sure to impress.

Winchester Model M1897 "Trench Gun"

The Winchester 1897 Trench Gun is a true piece of American history. Known for its rugged design and reliability, this pump-action shotgun was a staple for soldiers during World War I and Bring Them to Victory. With its short barrel and heat shield, it was built for close-quarters combat, making it a favorite among troops in the trenches.

The action on this beauty is smooth, and it packs a serious punch with its 12-gauge shells. The classic look, complete with wood furniture and a solid build, gives it a nostalgic charm. Whether you’re a collector, a history buff, or just love shooting, the Winchester 1897 is a standout that never goes out of style.

THANK YOU!: @bdangkingfish

@cctreasuretrove

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[magics-neptunes-things]

Fire and Ice

Hi guys!

Yes I know it's me again! I got a request for a story with Leah, so here is a story with Leah.

I'm open to request btw :)

I hope this story will please you, I tried to stick as much as possible to the way I imagine Leah’s dynamique.

Part 2 is HERE :) and the chapter bonus HERE.

Thanks everyone ♥

____________________________________________________________

New to Arsenal, you’ve only been part of this team since this summer. You left Bayern Munich at the end of you contract and after some hesitation between different clubs, you finally chose Arsenal. Lyon would have loved to hire you too, but you felt that English football was probably better if you wanted to continue to evolve in your career. You're only 21 and hopefully, many years ahead of you.

You were scared at first to be honest, you know the team had a lot of players who already know themselves. But Lia was particularly welcoming to you, playing the role of a little mother. Frida, who is also your teammate in the Norway team, decided to show you her favorite places in London and Alessia who arrived at the same time as you quickly offered to do the exercises in training together.

In reality, your arrival at Arsenal was very smooth even if some personalities continue to impress you a little. For example Leah, Beth or Katie. As a result, you have very little interactions with them, as Leah’s injury has not helped to create a special bond with her. Even if she was present on the day of your presentation to the rest of the group, wanted to welcome you like the others.

You do, however, enjoy evenings organized by your teammates and you go regularly. Far from your family, you don’t know anyone here and it makes you feel less alone.

So here you are, in Leah's appartment with some of the Arsenal girls. You hesitated to come since Frida wasn't here, but Alessia is and hasn’t given you much choice to do otherwise. Leah was in charge of the cocktails and only gave Lia a smirk when she asked her what she put in it. You took the time to discreetly sniff the mixture before bringing it to your lips, pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of the drink. A little misleading though, because after two or three drinks, getting up to go to the toilet took a little longer than usual.

When you came back, you drop on the couch next to Alessia, trying to get back into the conversation. You became bit uncomfortable when you realize that the discussion has turned on the girls being in couple or those who are not. You are single obviously, finding it particularly difficult to have a long-distance relationship, or with one of your teammates. In the case of a breakup, you were always afraid that it would be too complicated for you to handle.

So you say nothing, hoping that hiding behind your glass will save you from possible questions. You are very naive.

"And you, Y/N? You never mention anyone, I guess you're single?"

Beth’s question makes you grimace and you find yourself nervously biting the edge of your plastic glass before answering a simple "Yes".

"Why that?" asks Beth and you just shrugs.

"We should make her up with someone" Katie decide and you can't help but laugh a little.

"I’m a little demanding about my partner"

"Not a problem"

You roll your eyes before taking a new sip of your drink, crossing Leah’s gaze. She seems lost in her thoughts, twirling her glass in her hand. Your eyes cross a split second and you hurry to report it to Katie when she speaks again.

"We should make you profil though. Like in a dating app"

"OMG yes, I going to take something to write!"

Alessia chuckles next to you and you can't help but smile too. You don’t really take this seriously, given everyone’s blood alcohol levels, you’re sure that half of this evening will be forgotten by tomorrow morning. So you decide to play the game with a smile.

"Ok, first question" Beth begin with a notepad and a pen. "What is your house in Hogwarts?"

"How is that even a question?" Katie answers with a disgusting face.

"It's not because you don't like Harry Potter than it's the same for everyone, McCabe"

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

You let the two girls ask you questions for twenty minutes, ignoring the departure of several of your teammates. Now it’s just you, Katie, Lotte, Beth, Leah and Alessia.

"Are you a good kisser?" Beth asked, looking over her sheet.

"How am I even supposed to know that?" you ask, giggling.

"I don't know, it's your kissing skills, not mine."

You roll your eyes before answering.

"I've never received any complaints"

"Does it count?" Katie asked while looking at Beth.

"Not really. Is there anyone in this room who can testify to that?"

"What? No!" you laugh softly.

You, in reality, only have two relationship in your life and both didn't end really well. Football keeping you very busy, you maybe weren't a great girlfriend. But that doesn’t mean your first girlfriend’s infidelity should be excused, in your opinion. Anyway, the next sentence coming from Beth's mouth take you back in the reality.

"Maybe we need a sincere testimony from someone we trust…" Katie said thoughtfully.

"Maybe we can make her kiss someone here, now?" Beth answers with the same tone.

"Excuse me?" you ask with a certain concern.

But the two women didn't seem to give it the slightest care, continuing in their dialogue which makes you slightly think of Dupont and Dupond in Tintin.

"Leah is definitely the most experienced of us, she has a hunt board longer than the number of goals scored by Alexia Putellas at FC Barcelona."

"What the fuck?"

This is the first time of the evening that you hear Leah's voice, who had been content until then to make cocktails and dance in the kitchen with Lia and Caitlin. Both of Beth and Katie laugh at her offended face, finally out of their common monologue.

"Come on Leah, you have to kiss Y/N to help her finding love"

"Don't I have any say in this?" you say softly.

Beth’s gaze makes you realize that you don’t really have much of a say, but it’s especially Leah’s piercing gaze that you feel on you that electrifies you. Leah is a very beautiful woman and you must admit that if you hadn't been teammates, maybe you would have thought of her differently. But there is also her assertive and confident personality that can sometimes confuse you, you who is rather quiet and discreet, you are a bit like fire and ice.

But tonight, your eyes meet a few seconds and for once you don't look away. It's even finally Leah who looks away to look at Beth.

"Ok" Leah answers before getting up "But I'm not doing it in front of everyone. Close all your damn pretty eyes"

They all agreed without saying any word, Alessia swaping place with Leah on the couches. The captain waits patiently for everyone to close their eyes, before looking at you.

"You know you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, right? You're sure you want to?" she asks softly.

So softly that it surprises you at first. And you almost immediately feel overwhelmed by a wave of guilt, after all you are very well placed to know that Leah knows how to take care of the people around her. She showed it to you several times as captain of her team.

"I am" you simply answer, before adding "And you?"

"Hey don't worry about me. Go on" she gives you a smirk of her own and you smile back.

You feel particularly nervous though, becoming a little aware of the situation you’re in. Leah doesn’t seem particularly drunk, but you’re hoping she won’t be mad at you tomorrow when she realizes things. You wait a few more seconds, detailing her face and eyes looking for a trace of hesitation. But you find nothing and you finally decide to break the physical distance between you two.

Your eyes left hers and you look at her lips for a few moments, certainly looking at them for the first time. It doesn't last long however. Like a second after that, you close your eyes, your lips gently touching hers. At this distance, you can smell her perfume and shampoo. Her lips are soft and have the flavor of the cocktail she has prepared for you all evening.

But that’s not what’s calling you.

What's calling you is the way your whole body seems to react to a simple peck with Leah Williamson.

You feel like every part of your body is burning up and asking for more of Leah’s. And that's scared the shit out of you. That’s why you step back after a few seconds, wide-eyed, looking for an explanation on Leah’s face. But you can’t find anything and you can’t even determine the emotion in her eyes.

"Tell us when you're finished" Katie points.

Of course, you forgot about them. Everything that didn’t concern Leah directly had been completely zapped by your brain.

"Shut up. We haven’t even started"

Leah answers for both of you and you hardly swallow, not at all recovering from the emotions you felt. That you still feel. A second later, Leah grabs your face with both hands before kissing you. You don't lose a second before responding to her kiss, your lips moving together with an ease you have never felt before.

It's easy for you to get lost in this kiss, the sensations mixing so much that you completely lose the notion of things. Your hands slide over Leah’s hips and you find yourself sitting on her, your legs on either side of hers.

That doesn’t seem to bother her though, her tong easily finding access to yours. Your lips only separate for a few seconds, until you get enough air to start your dance again. And again.

You could have sincerely spent the rest of the evening - the night - kissing her, but one of them had to realize that you were going to get the attention of your teammates. It was Leah who put an end to the kiss first, snatching from your embrace as breathless as you. You don’t look away this time either when she looks at you, before gently pushing you away so that you find your original place on the couch.

You could have taken this as a gesture of reject, but the smile and wink she offers you when she gets up seems to be there only to reassure you that it’s not. You follow her with your eyes as she discreetly go behind the couch, leaning on her backrest, above where she was sitting until now.

"How is it possible that it lasts so long?" Alessia wines and you smile when you hear Leah's laugh.

The other girls open their eyes and the surprise appears on almost every face by discovering your positioning.

"Did you really think I was going to kiss someone to please you? Well everyone out now, I need my beauty sleep."

Rolling their eyes or grumbling, your teammates obeyed quickly. After exchanging greetings, you follow Alessia who promised to take you home. Still disturbed by these kisses, you can’t help but turn around while closing the front door hoping to meet Leah’s gaze.

You succeed, while she leaned against the central island of her kitchen. The same look as the one she used to look at you earlier appears on her face, but you can’t study it as long as you would like since you feel Alessia’s hand grab your arm, suddenly eager to find her bed.

[eyesthatroll]

how many drinks? | luke hughes

pairing; lh43 x fem!reader

warnings(s); none really, fluff? lowercase intended, not edited. also written in like 15 minutes so kinda bad (might rewrite/re-edit it at a later date idk)

word count; 0.6k (blurb!)

summary; luke approaches reader at wedding reception

"do you want to dance?" you lift your gaze from the game of candy crush that you were currently enthralled in.

a tall brunette is staring back at you. he looks down at you expectantly, rolling on the heels of his feet. "do i know you?"

the boys cheeks tinge pink, and he runs a hand through his slightly curly hair before speaking again. "n-no, i just, i don't know. you look bored."

his awkwardness brings a smile to your face. you ponder his offer for a moment, the song 'skin' by dijon playing through the speakers.

the dance floor had a few couples on it, the other guests scattered around the room, eating cake or loitering near the bar.

you flip your phone screen side down, and chug the rest of your drink. "sure pretty boy, let's dance."

you lift your hand up, and he take it in his, easily pulling you out of your chair. he leads you to a small corner of the dance floor.

your arms rest on his shoulders, hands crossed behind his neck. his hands finding home on the small of your back.

"i never got your name." you state, the two of you swaying softly.

"luke." he answers sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed that he hadn't already told you his name.

"so, which side are you here for, luke?" you asked, your fingers beginning to absentmindedly play with the hair that coiled at the nape of his neck.

"oh, um, the groom. he's on my team."

you brows raised in confusion. "i didn't know you were a player for the devils, not sure i've seen you on the ice. though, i've only watched maybe a few games so i could be completely wrong"

"i haven't-well not yet, at least. i just signed my contract a few weeks ago." he says.

"that's exciting," you begin. "leaving college, i presume?" you're not sure if your questions are too personal, but luke makes no moves to ward them off.

luke gives you a bittersweet, close lipped smile. "yeah."

"that's got to be hard, leaving your friends?"

he tilts his head, thinking a moment. "i mean, yeah, but i'll still see them. plus, i have jacky, and the rest of team-they've been pretty nice and welcoming."

you nod in understanding. "so jacky, she your girlfriend?"

" oh god no!" luke sputters, his cheeks painted crimson again. "that's my brother-jack. he plays for the devils, too."

your eyes widen, and you kick yourself internally for your assumption. why would he of asked you to dance if he was in a relationship?

" 'm sorry, i shouldn't have assumed." you apologize, shaking your head slightly to yourself.

"no, it's all good! i'm single, by the way."

"professional hockey player gets no bitches?" you tease, feeling more comfortable with him by the moment.

he lets out a breathy laugh, his hands tightening around your waist. "i think i do okay with..the ladies." he trails off.

you mouth an 'okay', and dramatically nod your head.

"just looking for the right girl, i guess." he finishes.

"that's understandable." you agree.

"and you?"

"looking for the right girl?"

you laugh at your own joke.

"no-no, i mean, beautiful girl like yourself must have..suitors."

luke's face contorts into one reminiscent of pain.

you followed suit, cringing at his choice of words. "suitors?"

you laugh at him shamelessly, a big bellied laugh that draws attention to the two of you on the floor, not that either of you noticed, too engrossed in your own world.

luke pulls you closer to him, burying his head in your shoulder. "stop laughing."

—

mari speaks! again, like mentioned in the preface, wrote this super quickly so not edited/kinda bad but i might re-do it or make a part 2 idk. also, luke’s playing in his first playoff game tmro so make sure to wish babyboy some luck <3

[cher-rei]

afterglow- pt 6 [ T.A.A ]

pairings: trent alexander arnold x fem!reader

summary: young and aspiring marketing and business major jamie carter (you) is privileged with working alongside the liverpool marketing and public relations team while also getting entangled with their star player and right back, trent alexander arnold.

genre(s): friends to lovers, workplace romance, fluff

[wc: 4.6K] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10] [part 11] [part 12]

notes: this chapter is a bit longer but it was so funny to write. and of course, it was sitting in my drafts for like 50 years... enjoy!

if someone were to ask you to pick between your mother and your father you wouldn't be able to answer the question, much like most people in the world. they both offered qualities you needed respectively and you were grateful to have them both in your life. kind of.

seeing as you spent most of your life in london, despite being born in liverpool you grew up with your mother and spent a solid 22 years in her presence with nowhere to go. you loved it in london, it was your home and you couldn't let it go. but what it lacked was your father— your best friend.

you were living with him right now because of the whole "alex has chicken pox" situation but you were welcomed home to a facetime from your nephew so that was fun. it was easier with your father, you didn't have to walk on eggshells around him, you could talk about anything and laugh about everything together and that's what you loved about him— his neverending support.

it started with taking you to football practice without your mother knowing, her thinking that he was accompanying you to weekly ballet. when instead, he'd have your kit in the car ready at all times, and supporting you from the sidelines all the way until high school.

and then when your mum was against your university major in marketing instead of law as you had "agreed" upon, your father took the drive from liverpool to london so that he could have a chat with her. and to your surprise she gave up and let you do as you pleased with much reluctance.

so when they got the divorce when you were 16 and he moved back to liverpool, the decision was seamless but you still stayed with your mother seeing as maya already had a job position on that side. after all, you couldn't leave your mother alone. the woman gave birth to you for crying out loud.

all that just for you to move to liverpool eventually because of a really bad break-up. which brought you to your current point— the one where your father wanted to wring every single man's neck no matter how they looked at you.

you felt like a teenager sneaking out like this but you had no other choice. you were going on a drive to lord knows where with a freaken football player, "the most unloyal men on this planet", as your father liked to say.

but of course, he had to catch you in the act, a look of confusion plastered on his face as he stood in the living room, getting ready for bed. "why are you walking around like you did something wrong?" he gasped at your guilty expression, "are you leaving me already? you're just like your mother."

your anxiety vanished in an instant at his joke, an attempt to get the truth out of you. "it's too late to be making jokes like that."

he crossed his arms over his chest. "and it's too late for you to be walking around the house like you're in the 'quiet place'. seriously jamie, why are you tiptoeing?"

you raised your hands in defence, "I thought you were sleeping. my bad for being considerate."

he let out an unconvinced hum and eyed you up and down. he took in the fact that you were in a pair of sweats and a navy blue zip-up hoodie. "you're not a teenager anymore." he shook his head and let out an amused chuckle.

you watched as he made his way to the kitchen and you couldn't help but follow behind him, "what's that supposed to mean?"

he didn't answer your question for a moment and continued to rummage through the fridge for something, happily taking out a box of doughnuts you two had bought earlier. "it means that you can leave the house when you want to. just tell me first."

it was times like this that you forgot you were an adult. to be fair you never really considered yourself to be one, or to act like one either. "oh." there was a moment of silence that passed but it was interrupted by your phone going off.

the way that you darted to check the message said enough to your father, and he let out another amused chuckle. "go on now. don't keep the boy waiting."

your eyes widened in shock, your mouth dry in disbelief but he waved you off. "leave before I go outside to meet him. or should I just--"

"--stay here! I'll be home soon!"

"so do you always drag girls out of bed to keep you company in your car?"

trent rolled his eyes at your question from the driver's seat but kept his attention on the empty road, only the city lights illumating the dark night. "first of all: I didn't drag you out of bed, you could have said no. and second: no I don't usually do this."

you looked at him with your eyes narrowed, not sure what possessed him to call you at 10 in the evening for a drive. "oh so I get special privileges now? care to explain why?"

"I just wanted to go for a drive that's all," he answered honestly with a shrug of his shoulders but that still wasn't quite the answer you were looking for.

you fought back your amused smile. "you have friends for that trent, I'm sure."

the car stopped at a red light which allowed him to look over at you sitting comfortably in the passenger seat of his car. it wasn't the first time after all— there were many trips to the academy, sometimes having to shoot content with him and even that one morning when he picked you up at your sister's apartment for work.

you'd never forget that day and the innocent look on his face when he called you to say that he was outside just as you were grabbing your car keys. it was strange but you didn't mind it.

he let out a sigh and continued to drive after the light had turned green. "all my friends prefer to spend their evenings with their girlfriends and wives so yeah no thanks. and besides--" he shot you an appointed look, "--are we not friends?"

your mouth dried up. that was a little more than you wanted to get out of him, not sure how to respond. colleagues? definitely. banter buddies? sure. but friends?? you were sure that there was some sort of boundary for that and you were never sure if you two had managed to get there yet.

"you could have asked skylar."

oh shit.

you bit your tongue in immediate regret. it was a genuine accident at how quickly it left from your lips and telling by the flicker in trrent's expression, you had hit a nerve. you were just about to apologise when he interjected.

"skylar," he emphasized her name, his lips curved into a smile as he spoke to you, "wouldn't be caught dead eating takeout in a mcdonald's parking lot at 10 in the evening with me though."

you didn't know what to think of his answer, but instead of overthinking it, you decided to make the most of the moment at least. there was no point in making this awkward and it's not like you didn't enjoy his company. trent was easy to be around. most of the time.

so that's how you found yourself parked at the far end of an empty mcdonald's parking lot with hardly any street lights in sight. you unbuckled your seat belt and reclined the seat further back for some more leg room, trent watching you as you did so.

"oh, you're definitely not new to this."

which was true, you weren't. you've had your fair share of late-night drives to get some fresh air back in london. the only difference was the person you were with, a distant memory that you weren't too fond with but maintained at the back of your mind.

you were sat with a large fries, a chocolate milkshake and a mcflurry. you dubbed it the ultimate late-night combo and trent was eager enough to take your word for it, and to his surprise it did not disappoint despite being so simple.

it didn't take long for the atmosphere to clear and for you to ease into conversation. dabbling a bit in random aspects of your lives, to movies, to football and to just nothing. you loved how easygoing it was, not much thought had to be put into anything you said which left you with room to just relax.

"so your mum's not from liverpool?"

you shook your head and took another sip from your milkshake. "she's from london, my dad's from liverpool. but they lived together here for a bit, and two or three years after I was born we moved back to london."

the explanation made trent tutt in disappointment. "and here I thought you were a purebred brit. your accent's probably fake too."

"the accent is real thank you very much," you defended with a hand to your chest.

he quirked a brow, "let's be honest here. you probably dated colwill. you were probably neighbours or something."

your eyes widened a fraction at his comment in utter shock. "levi?" well wasn't this just lovely, you couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "he's three years younger than I am."

trent scrunched his face at you, not convinced by your answer almost as if he knew something you didn't. "age is just a number or whatever they say. but no," he thought for a moment, "you couldn't have been with him because he would have said something by now."

it was strange to see this considering that trent literally played with levi in the england team, so the dots would've been connected long ago if you were in fact in cahoots with levi. it was quite the compliment, knowing that you were paired up with someone that attractive.

"if I were with levi then I wouldn't be in liverpool right now. I'd be back in london living my best life." your answer seemed to pique trent's interest, questions bubbling at his throat the more he found out about you.

"why is it that you left london?" he leant back into the seat, his full attention now on you in the dimly lit car. "I'm sure it's not just because of work."

oh definitely not. you just happened to get lucky there.

your lips pursed as you thought, not sure just how much he wanted to know or how much you were willing to tell. but it wouldn't hurt right?

"uhm," you cleared your throat, "bad breakup."

trent's intrigue increased at your answer, one that he wasn't expecting to be honest. he was expecting something more along the lines of running away from home because your parents' divorce or to be closer to maya.

"you don't look like the relationship type," he answered truthfully and your eyes widened in slight shock, feelings mixed and a bitter taste in your mouth.

how were you supposed to interpret that? negatively? positively? was he calling you independent?? the internal struggle was mind boggling.

you pushed the comment to the back of your mind and let out a hum. "no yeah, he cheated on me."

"oh fuck."

"with my best friend."

"oh fuck."

a laugh escaped your mouth at his reaction and how it got progressively more concerned with each passing second, and your nonchalance wasn't making him feel any better. he fumbled over his words for a bit, switching between the usual "I'm so sorry" and "you've got to be joking right now".

you assured him that you were fine, a closed lippsed smile drawn across your lips. "but like hey," you raised your hands jokjngly, "his name was michael so..."

trent blew out a breath at that and quirked a brow. "yeah, no you definitely asked for it then."

your rolled your eyes and played along for a moment, "I know right. and it didn't help that she was literally his best friend before we got together."

it was every cliché in the book to trent which only made the situation less serious, and seeing that you weren't showing any sort of discomfort towards it he didn't stop himself from laughing and getting back at you. "you just love making horrible life choices."

you nodded eagerly in agreement, saying that it was actually your forte— a gift that you just happened to be born with. it didn't take long for you to ask trent how he didn't know about the breakup. "I'm not famous but it was all over twitter for quite some time."

you came to learn that he wasn't a social media buff and preferred to keep to himself by just staying at home and enjoying his own company and you respected him for that. for you however, it was slightly different because your entire life was on social media but you didn't regret it.

the people that you met and the content that you had the opportunity to create were more than you could ever ask for. but obviously there were the downs— public breakups, hate comments, death threats. nothing out of the ordinary. quite a bit of your life was on display for the world to see so you understood trent's want to keep his life as private as possible.

you were getting to that point as well. you had a total of two friends— maya and clara. your daily routine consisted of waking up, going to work, pilates, pop into a barnes and noble, settling in at home and going live for a few hours. that was your quiet life and you were thoroughly enjoying it.

and trent did a damn good job at keeping his life private, skylar was an absolute myth to everyone. that and you felt that it was time to shift the attention to him for a bit.

"so what happened between you and name not to be mentioned? seeing as we're getting emotional here."

he wouldn't use the word "emotional" but a heart-to-heart was blatantly taking place, even though it wasn't planned. there was a look on his face that screamed how do I explain this? and it had you chewing on your lip for answers, any sort of answer.

it took trent a moment but he eventually let his guard down. "well rumors say that I cheated on her with some random youtuber's girlfriend— which is insane by the way."

not really.

"we dated for nearly two years, she was nice, came to my matches, said I made her heart do flips or something like that." the way it fell from his lips wasn't the slightest bit tasteful, no good reminisce or fondness in his tone at all.

you continued to listen to trent as he explained his relationship with skylar a bit more, furthering into how they met and whatnot. it wasn't anything crazy, just through a mutual friend and he decided to take her on a few dates just for fun, until they're eventually hit it off.

"I thought it was going well but then she said she needed a break out of nowhere, and I was like excuse me?" he said with just as much enthusiasm as if he were still in the moment, his forehead creased in confusion as he looked at you.

he was hurt and it was subtle but not subtle enough to miss. "and she just left without explaining?"

"no," he sighed. "she said she couldn't handle the restriction and needed some time to live her life but obviously the lads thought otherwise. robbo said it was emotional manipulation but I don't know."

"that girl is insane trent. she uses your bank card more than you do. she flakes out on most of your dates and when you try to speak to her about an issue or how you're feeling she gets emotional and starts playing the victim, while you try and apologise. get her out of your life."

this was at least a ten times worse than your situation and you were sympathising at this point. skylar was in fact a manipulator and trent wholeheartedly did not want to admit that.

"and now what? she just shows up and you're fine?" the question came out a little harsher than you intended so you immediately apologized, not wanting to ruin the moment and make him feel awkward. but it was a genuine question and you were borderline worried for him.

there was a moment of silence that enveloped the two of you, filled with even more uncertainty than before. "I don't know to be honest. she hasn't said anything yet but I haven't really been in the mood to confront her yet— I have bigger things to worry about right now."

okay, that was true. his head had to be in the game, and with his team, not some girl who came to lounge around for whatever reason. but you genuinely felt bad for him, a new light shone over him after this evening— one that revealed a little more vulnerability than he let on and it tugged at your heart strings.

driving home about an hour later with that knowledge sitting at the back of your mind wasn't the easiest and you just knew that it was going to keep you up tonight. plaguing your mind, sounding over your other thoughts that were probably more important, for example— the script that you had to give to one of the p.r members for an episode of Up the Reds!, the schedule for certain uploads and how the accounts had to be managed, as well as certain photoshoots and interviews that needed to be prepared beforehand and the packing you had to finish before--

"hey sweetheart," you cooed into the receiver end of your phone which just happened to catch trent's undivided attention but yours was out the window, as you adorned a soft smile.

"don't 'hey sweetheart' me," the voice of the teenager bit back but you swear you could hear him smiling. "you didn't tell me you were making the trip."

oh, he just had to go and tell the entire world huh?

you huffed out a breath, "in my defence, I only made the decision today." an unconvinced hum rang through your hear and you stifled a laugh. "are you going to be there?"

"no duh."

you rolled your eyes at the attitude he was giving you, which was nothing out of the ordinary. "I'm leaving in two days for the week so--"

"a week??" the shock in his tone was evident and you knew were this was leading. "he convinced you to stay for the week? and you said yes?!"

"I said yes so I could spend more time with you I swear. if you really think about it, I'm doing this for you."

"hm, oh really?" he dragged out and you pursed your lips to stop the laughter from escaping your lips. "I'm holding you to this. bye I'm leaving to try and comprehend the amount of lies that just came from your mouth."

"come on you can't be a--" you interjected but the boy was adamant.

"--bye!!"

you laughed sheepishly. "I love you."

"liar!"

that was nothing short of the usual phone call you seemed to get, a ghost of a smile still on your lips as you put your phone back down into your lap while trent mustered up the courage to say something.

"so." he gained your attention, his gaze immediately averting in front of him to the empty road as he drove a little slower than usual. "you're going somewhere?"

you perked up and nodded. "It's supposed to be to relax but I'm pretty sure I'll be more stressed out on that side of the world. I'll be back by next week though."

he probably should have asked where you were going but before you knew it, you were in front of your dad's house. and as suspected, all the lights were off but you knew he wasn't sleeping. he wouldn't even think about it until he knew that you were at home safely.

it was exactly 1:42 a.m., and only then had it hit you just how long you had stayed out. trent got out of the car and watched as you walked to the front door— the urge to say something tickling at his throat. something other than "goodbye" but it wasn't there yet.

you gave him a small wave and put your hand on the door handle, but before you could turn it, it was pulled open from the inside— your dad stood against the doorframe with a sly grin that you were so close to slapping off his face but he was quick.

he put his hand out and waved at trent, the footballer slightly amused at your reaction and harsh movements to push your dad back inside, a laugh echoing as he waved back politely. "good evening mr carter."

you whipped around and sent a glare trent's way but he was far more than pleased.

"jamie, why didn't you say that your boyfriend was a footballer?"

your heart dropped to your stomach. "dad! i swear I'm going to--"

your father continued on playfully. "and he plays for us? so you do have reasonable taste in men. and here I thought I raised an idiot."

trent was as a loss for words by now, his eyes flickering from you as you tried to loosen yourself from your father's grip on your shoulders. he knew you were blushing, but his was masked well by the lack of lighting.

"anyway, thank you so much for returning my daughter in one piece trent. I hope she didn't bother you too much." he tightened his grip on you and ruffled your hair. "she's rather irritating in my opinion."

"not at all," trent managed through a laugh. "she's great company."

your father didn't agree with his answer at all and he made it blatantly obvious until he finally bid trent goodbye and got back into the house where you basically jumped onto his back, your arm wrapped around his neck in a chokehold.

"why are you like this?? I have to see him at work!"

"that's your fault for dating a colleague!"

"we're not dating!"

"that's exactly what your mother told me about her and shawn. and now look where that led us!"

[nytb]

The Final Nail In The Coffin

Click Here first <3

Y/N's choice to join Lyon brought its reward soon enough, ruling the French league - undisputed - lifting all possible trophies. Up next, the Champions League. Semi-Finals ahead, the return game against Fc Barcelona at a packed Spotify Camp Nou.

The French team had previously been beaten at home 1-3. Starving for the European trophy, the French team would surely throw everything into the match, needing to redeem themselves.

Luck had struck the Spanish side as Y/N had been injured the week prior to Lyon's home game. She wasn't able to get her revenge back then, but now? It was staring her in the face.

The days prior to the game were madness, interview here, photo-shoot there. Y/N Y/L/N and Caroline Graham Hansen were the perfect players to promote the Semi-Final.

A pre-match press-conference where both players sat alongside their managers. Reporters fed them questions as conflicts arose.

'How are the teams doing?', 'The 3-1 win sure sends Fc Barcelona to the final, what are your plans to stop them?', 'As a born and raised culé, how does it feel to play against Fc Barcelona at the Camp Nou?' - that was it - that was the question.

Y/N had been emotionless throughout the whole press conference, but that question; it forced Lyon's new star signing to draw the line in the sand. "Me? A culé? You're mistaken" Y/N's tone carried as much arrogance as the statement itself.

Quite the contrast. On one side, a Norwegian - who was signed from Wolfsburg - expressed her devotion for the club at every turn. On the other side, a La Masia graduate that once bled blaugrana declared what all culé feared. Y/N's return was scratched. She was no longer their star.

The best part was the reaction. Y/N knew that Barcelona's dressing room was holding on by a thread. Her statement would cause waves to form, distrust to build. A storm approached and it had Y/N's name all over it.

Pre-match, everybody could see it. Heated discussions, warm ups without a single smile. The Barcelona locker room had finally been divided, but their hunger to win - that one was unbeatable, or so they thought.

As a great military strategy states; divide and conquer - and that's what Y/N did.

Warming up with her new teammates, Y/N further fueled the rumors. Y/N purposely hovered over the Dutch international, her potential new love interest - Danielle Van De Donk. 

A few meters away the blaugrana team warmed up. Hearing how the Camp Nou roared as their names were announced. All focus should be on the match ahead, but Mapi Leon? The defender’s eyes wandered off into the distance. All her attention stuck to Y/N’s figure. Alexia Putellas? A carbon copy of the Spanish defender.

Who would have thought, once upon a time best friends craving Y/N’s attention and neither of them receiving any of it. 

Y/N had struck Barcelona's strongest pillars, turned them to dust. The dressing room was now divided. All woman for themself.

Nobody was aware of it, but Lyon won the first battle. 

The loud Champions League anthem in the background, the Spotify Camp Nou roaring. It was now or never.

A game worthy of a final. The Catalan's game plan was executed to perfection until disaster struck.

The defense had temporarily gone to sleep, a through ball that put Ada Hegerberg through on goal - and as the world class striker that she is - Ada buried the ball into the net. 30 minutes in and the cracks started to show. 

Barcelona’s attacks had become dull and as they left spaces open, Lyon’s counter attack was made possible. The French celebrated quickly, wanting to keep their momentum going. 

Y/N took her opportunity to offer a further blow to the Catalan team. Smirking at Mapi, sending a quick wink towards the Barcelona captain, Y/N knew that she was in their heads now.

The score? 3-2 on aggregate. Was Lyon about to cause a major upset? Would this be the first defeat of the Catalan team at their packed home stadium? Surely not.

Making her way towards goal, Y/N picked the ball up in midfield, helping Van De Donk as Barcelona pressured to get possession back. Lyon's star signing dribbled down the flank, sending Rolfo packing with a beautiful nutmeg - Mapi was up next.

Focused on her next move Y/N failed to see Patri's challenge. The Lyon player was sent flying. For the first time, Y/N’s teammates ran to her defense - demanding a red card that never came, shoving players away from the Spaniard.

That was it, Y/N's game seemed to be over, her substitution warming up as the medical team feared for the worst. It looked like her vengeance would never come.

"I'm fine" Y/N stood up, there was no way that she would sit out the game of her life. Pushing through the pain, the agonizing needle sensation that her right ankle caused as she put the slightest weight on it - Y/N wasn't giving up just yet. She still had a lot to offer.

For a while, Barcelona seemed to get the game under control. Half time came and with no substitutions, their game plan remained the same - dominate possession and create as many goal scoring opportunities as possible. A move that would soon backfire.

As time passed, substitutions came and thus, play after play, the French team started to get into their usual rhythm. Soaking up pressure, taking advantage of Barcelona's tired hybrid fullbacks, they sent balls in behind - the second goal was inevitable.

Y/N's link up play with Damaris, quick switch up as a long ball headed towards Carpenter's boot, the perfect control. Lyon was knocking on Barcelona's doors as the Catalan defense crumbled - failing to defend the cross - Ada Hegerberg's header made it 3-3.

Lyon fans went crazy. This was it. They were back in the game and with 15 minutes left, the momentum on their side - their dream was becoming a reality. The possibility of a treble was alive.

Rage in Alexia's eyes, displeased at her substitution, she was headed to the bench and Y/N's face painted the full picture. A smile that spanned from ear to ear, mocking her ex-lover. Barcelona's queen wasn't good enough to save them, but Y/N? She was Lyon's salvation.

Build up play from their defense, Van De Donk's through ball finding Cascarino, a perfect back-heel that left the ball dead on the edge of the box. An absolute screamer of a goal. The ball left Y/N's boot, hitting top bins.

That's when it happened; the final nail in the coffin - not even the devil dared to do such acts - Y/N kissed the Lyon badge. The whole Camp Nou watching, their hero had turned: she was now their worst enemy.

Van De Donk lifted Lyon's newest star and as Y/N posed like the Jesus statue in Rio De Janeiro, she could practically touch the sky. 

The Camp Nou whistling, Lyon fans going crazy. They did the impossible. An 89th minute screamer sent them to the Champions League final.

[merbear25]

A date to remember

You would have never guessed you'd end up fancying them. Debating whether or not to confront your crush would be a difficult dicision for anyone. Now add the extra pressure of them being apart of the Donquixote family, and you're in for an emotional rollercoaster.

CW: SFW, fluff, headcanons, gn!reader

Doflamingo, Caesar, Corazon

pt 1, pt 2

Doflamingo: As intimidating as he is, you were still caught in his web. Being shy about asking him would not fair well for you—you'd need to hold your head high and ask with confidence. Oh, he agreed to it! Oh...oh no.

You end up choosing between live entertainment and logic based:

War reenactment: Choosing a reenactment that was particularly engrossing might just make him forget that it's not real. Be sure to choose one with the highest reviews too. This could range from a wide-range of history, giving you much to consider.

Escape room: Not many would willingly lock themselves in a room with him, but this offered you a unique experience to share with him: solve the puzzle and best whomever thought they'd be able to trick you two.

After all is said and done, you'd have quite the stories and inside jokes to share between yourselves. Depending on your choice for these particular activities, he'd grant you with a feverish kiss―leaving you wanting more.

Caesar: He can be a tad sporadic when it comes to his personal feelings, but you seem to have come across him on a genuinely good day. You take your shot. He stares at you, scanning your face for your true intentions but lets his curiosity take over. So, yay?

You decide on something experimental:

Testing limits with high voltage: Gather a large amount of toys which are battery operated. Be sure to have a wide range of what the toys can actually do. Wire them up, see which ones start popping, smoking, and catch fire with different voltage levels.

Punkin chunkin: Pumpkins are pretty common to use for this activity, but why should you limit yourselves? Use items that may give you the messiest results! The most distructive! The most outright bizarre items to chuck into the air to create fun memories.

Once you both have had you fill of destruction and chaos for the time being, the excitement of it all would still be fresh. Laughing about some of the results, he'd suggest how you can make changes for next time. Wait, next time?

Corazon: Despite him being as preoccupied as he was, you couldn't hold back your feelings for him any longer. He's incredibly genuine, so when you confess your feelings, he blushes like mad. When you ask him out, he'd be flustered but still happily accept. Can't wait, right?

You come to something thoughtful:

Arcade/Retro arcade bar: You two would favor the games that were two player, of course. Even if he turned out to be better than you at the games, he'd let you win. On single players, you'd cheer each other on and try to top each other's scores. At the end of the date, you'd use your tickets to purchase prizes for the other.

Cooking for each other and having a movie night at home: Quality time is something he'd love to spend with you. Creating a meal together would be so romantic that he'd find it hard to stop smiling. Cuddling with a movie afterwards would make him melt and be ideal for kissing.

The night concluded in the most perfect way he could have imagined. Which ever option you decided on, he'd lean in a bit closer to give you the chance to show him you're interested in kissing. If you are, he'd love to show his appreciation. If not, a warm hug would do nicely.

[sfthyuka]

SCORE MORE , WIN HEART

Synopsis : after taking a break from school, you're back in time for the club selections, sadly your usual Fashion designing club gave up your seat to another girl and there are no openings in any other club but fear not the principal has one position for you, be the manager of the football team, aka the group filled with drop dead gorgeous boys who for some reason can't leave you alone, especially that 6ft Black haired boy.

Pairings : jock!Ni-ki × fem!manager!reader.

parts : pt 1 . pt 2    [ongoing] 

Genre : fluff, angst, bullying, oblivious reader, niki being bold bold, over protective players over their managers, strangers to friends to lovers, violence, broken bones.

masterlist

You stared at dismay at Hyein who at least had the decency to look apologetic as she nodded " Im sorry Y/n, we didn't really expect you back.. " she trailed off , uncertain what she could say to justify why.

Right you didn't expect me back this year

You bit back the remark, sighing as you looked at her " it's fine, I'll just check with the principal and see. ". Hyein smiled and walked back inside leaving you alone. Your smile dropped as you turned around.

You opened your locker and delicately kept your camera inside, now you probably had to use it outside school, you would deal with it later, you had to sign up to at least any club to get the extra credit you missed due to being absent.

" Mr. kang, it's me Y/n ". You said as you meekly opened the door to the brightly smile welcoming you in.

Mr. Kang gestured to the seat in front of him and said " well i suppose it didn't work out? ". You nodded " is there any other club i could join?  I really do need the credit". You asked as he pondered over it. There was a tense 5 minute gap as he thought over it before sighing and shaking his head. 

" Sadly Y/n, there isn't I'm afraid ".

You gulped as you wondered what you would do. You weren't a top scorer student , having grades good enough to be at least in the top 20 in your class, Suddenly Mr. Kang spoke up " well i had this special request and if you take it, I'll give you the credit and whatever you want and to be honest i trust you and you are a capable person."

sadly you were tempted by the credits which you so desperately needed.

Extra credit?? You were not giving this up

" okay i guess i could sign up for it ". you said , unfortunately sealing your future for the rest of your school life unaware how much this would change your life. 

" Great! Well head over to Kangta's room and tell him i sent you for the football teams manager. "

Manager- wait did he just say-....’

and so here you were , in front of his office , knowing once you knock on the door . there would be no coming back . You groaned internally , the only reason why you were here was one the very tempting offer and two you really had no better things to do other than roam around during after school . You sighed and firmly knocked on the door , hearing a muffled come in.  

“ Mr.kangta? its me Y/n , the principal sent me.” you said as you nervously stood in front of the coach who looked at you , his expression filled with hope and expectation “ really- he sent you?”. 

you frowned “ yeah- why?”. he chuckled “ well i mean you seen the team , girls who come here are on their personal agenda and Mr.Kang sure spoke highly of you Y/n , i hope you are here to sign up?”.  well screw his face , his hopeful expression made it extremely hard for you to say no. you awkwardly scratched your head and nodded “ well yeah i'm here to sign up unless-?”.

he beamed “ excellent choice Y/n , well there's no practice on Mondays , its a free day so we’ll start from tomorrow , practice starts at 3 , i hope you’ll enjoy the football team .” 

you went in search of your friend , desperate to tell someone. 

“ you are KIDDING me !.” eunseo screeched as you broke the news to her on wednesday , she looked almost offended you did not tell her yesterday , you awkwardly shrugged “ i mean it's not such a big deal , its just a football team.”

Eunseo choked “ Y/n , its not just a football team , i mean yes but y/n the schools most drop dead gorgeous boys who are literally greek gods are there and you are saying its just a team.” she exclaimed as you paused .

“ I guess they are good looking.”  Eunseo sighed and looked around and leaned in “ Try to get me Jay’s number will you?”.

“ Eunseo!.” you scolded her as you glanced at your watch , “ well i have to go , ill see you later.” you waved at her and walked away , hearing a distant “ tell me how it went!”.

Never in your life had you imagined you would ever be a manager ,you wondered what they could have told about you to make you sound so capable . You walked out into the ground , your eyes scanning the ground scattered with boys , either busy warming up or talking around. Your eyes fell on a group of boys sitting near the goal post and seeing them you immediately realised who they were .

The famous boys who you- you paused when you realise you don’t even know their name properly . Or who it was. The entire female students at your school would be disappointed in you and would have disowned you. 

“ Y/N!.” you froze as you felt everyone's glance on you as they watched their coach jog towards you , giving you a firm slap on your back and ruffled your hair. An action that almost feels like a habit for him. He coughs and looks around .

“ well what are you looking for , come here!” . within seconds almost every scrambled together and stared at you in interest . You smiled softly as Mr.Kang patted your shoulder and introduced you.

“ Welcome Y/n , your manager.” 

There was a pin drop silence before you felt yourself being pushed forward , and the next you being surrounded by boys asking you questions from everywhere. You gulped and tried your best to answer them or at least trying to understand what they were asking. 

“ GUYS! GIVE HER SPACE.” a boy said as he tried pulling everyone back , and they all listened to him.

maybe he’s the captain?

“ Hi y/n , im Yang Jungwon , sorry .” he glared at the boys who looked everywhere else except him. he sighed and looked at you “ I hope you’ll stay and do your work properly.” he said and turned around . You blinked before walking towards the coach to know what you had to do as their manager. 

You quickly noted your jobs and asked “ Jungwon mentioned that he hoped i would stay? Was there anyone before me?”. Mr.kangta looked taken aback and shrugged “ There was one girl and she suddenly left no explanations , i never really talked much to her to be honest .” 

you hummed and stood up “ all right then , let me fill up these bottles first.” you picked up the bottles and filled it.Noting the names on the bottle. You had to admit after you were done filling the bottles and placing it on the table , you watched Heeseung and Jake [ you hoped ] were playing , you got distracted .

“ Watch yourself.” a deep voice spoke up behind you , you took a step back looking at the tall guy behind you, he raised an eyebrow and extended his hand out , grabbing the bottle from your hand “ that's mine.” He looked at you and turned around.

And fuck did your heart just skip a beat?

At least two days had passed and by far no one in the team had approached you to talk , which wasn't really that upsetting  but you were kinda bummed out hoping you might make some friends . Well you could have approached them but seeing their pretty blank faces made you rethink twice.

At least Jungwon and Sunoo talked to you , barely but it was a start nonetheless. The rest of them collectively ignored you. Or kept their interactions minimal . You wiped your sweat as you sat down . Okay was it you or did your jobs suddenly increase . From filling the bottles to grabbing some shoes to running across the school. you were exhausted but hey at least this was some exercise for you to keep fit. 

“ Man if i wasn't late , i could have joined the photography club “. you complained unaware of the male next to you.

“ You didn't wanna join us?”. you gasped and almost cursed what was up with these people sneaking up on you. 

“ I mean yeah jake , what did you think i was your fangirls or what?”. you asked , genuinely curious. The sheepish expression on his face confirmed it as you chuckled “ Well understandable but to be honest i only knew who you were exactly after i joined the club and that's because of the jersey.” you admitted.

you stood up and picked up your bag “ Anyways i really have to go , ill see you around jake , bye!.” you waved at him and walked away. 

he stared at your disappearing figure , chuckling as he buttoned up his shirt. You were interesting and jake had hoped you were different. 

“ She didn't even notice it .” 

The next day to say you were surprised was an understatement , you saw Heeseung and Jay in the corridor and heeseung high fived you and jay smiled at you , exchanging pleasantries.  

“ Y/n please tell me i saw it right but did you just talk to Jay and Heeseung!?”. Eunseo practically screeched in your ears as you rolled your eyes . “ i mean i am their manager .” Eunseo complained as she said how calm you were. 

You quickly went to the club room , you did notice something you really wanted to touch up and restore its beauty to it. Pulling it out of the box , you grinned as you quickly folded it as small as you could before delicately keeping it inside your bag. It was a well known fact that the tournament was going to start and you thought you would repair it before it. 

“ Oh hey there Jake.” you greeted the boy who was leaning on the wall , he grinned at you. 

he deserves the praise 

“ hey Y/n , what's your plan for lunch?”. he says as he puts his arm around your shoulder . If you were taken aback  , jake paid no attention to it. You internally screamed in your head as you replied back “ me? well nothing to be honest , my friend can’t usually make it .” 

Jake grinned “ Great ! join us for lunch !.” 

well this was awkward 

somehow you were sitting between Sunghoon and Ni-ki  , two extremely tall guys , honestly hard to read and come on , an ice prince on your left and a intimidating boy. You sipped your juice trying to focus on what sunoo was talking about it. Heeseung occasionally met your eyes and winked at you causing you to look at him confused before brushing it off as friendly winks.

“ Y/n , what do you have after school?”. Jay asked as he leaned on the desk . You raised an eyebrow “ i have to go to the art store for some things , why?”. Heeseung nodded “ Do you want to hang out with us?”. You stared at them and pointed at yourself “ Me?”. 

“ Yeah if you don’t mind?”. jungwon added in. You smiled in apologetic manner and turned down the offer “ Maybe some other time , like tomorrow after practice.” Unaware of the surprised glances thrown at your way , you stood up and said “ So ill see you later guys.” 

This time it was Ni-ki who spoke up “ Well i guess You were right Jake Hyung.” Jake laughed and leaned back on his chair with a i told you so expression . And extended his hand as jay grumbled and slapped the money in his hand. Jake blowing him a kiss as he kept it inside his wallet. 

Buying the necessary supplies , you stare at your bags in regret. Maybe you had overestimated your purchases, there was no way you could carry this all together with your bag and the weight of the banner already pulling you down. You bit your lips in sadness as you folded up your sleeves , ready to lift it. Maybe you should have left the banner back at school and taken it back tomorrow , allowing you to work on it during the weekend. 

You managed to reach a quarter of your way back home. Seriously regretting it , you groaned as you complained “ why did i even do this today.” 

you really had not planned out your journey. Suddenly you felt the things in your hand being lifted and taken away . your eyes widened as you looked at the boy in front of you walking , he glanced back and asked you in his deep voice, sending waves of electricity through your spine.

“ You coming?”. 

[capacle]

Missing your attack can be fun

Something that always bugged me during combat: waiting for my turn just to roll a miss.

I usually try to mitigate (misses) or eliminate (turn order) these sources of frustration in my games.

In Nexalis, however, I went the opposite direction: I combined them.

How? And why?

See, it starts with an alternating turn order.

A player attacks, then they choose an enemy to go next. The enemy attacks, and chooses a player to go next.

This is the basic ping-pong "I go, you go" sort of order (popcorn initiative, as I was reminded).

But when one of the sides misses, you're offered a choice:

If you miss, you can just accept it and pick an enemy to go next.

OR

You can receive a counterblow, BUT you get to pick another player to go next.

Your misfortune allows your side to keep the initiative!

This choice is interesting because of how damage works:

Your attack roll - their defense roll is the damage you'd normally deal.

If your attack is lower, however, you either miss OR receive the difference as damage yourself (the counterblow) for the right not to hand over initiative.

See the tactical choice here?

"I rolled a 5, they rolled an 8." "Should I take 3 damage and pick the caster who has 18 Energy Points to spend, potentially taking down the enemy before they perform a stronger attack?"

The frustration of missing becomes the power to influence the very flow of battle!

And it works both ways:

When an enemy misses, you can deliver the difference in damage as a counterblow, but you forfeit the right to choose a player to go next.

You've got to pick another enemy to attack you.

(Quick reminder: it is a GMless game)

Depending on the circumstances, you can even pick another character to deal or receive the counterblow (if their player agrees, of course)

Imagine the following scenario: you shoot an arrow on an enemy engaged in melee with your ally, and you miss by 2!

You can propose this:

"Hey, man, you got a lot of HP left. Can you take these 2 as a counterblow, and I choose the druid to go next and skydive on them?"

To which they could respond:

"Heck yeah, let's do this".

Or

"I'll take the hit, but pick me to go next".

Or... something else!

It is an informed decision.

You have to consider the circumstances of the battle.

Who is in a good position to go next? How badly would this hurt us? Should we keep the initiative at all costs?

Oh, and about 'initiative', here's how it works: 

You roll a d6 for each side before combat. The winning side picks their first attacker, and then the ping-pong begins.

When anyone rolls a tie (ATK=DEF), the circumstance changes somehow.

So initiative is rolled again (it's a single roll, so it doesn't break the pacing).

So I think that by combining two aspects that annoyed me, I turned a frustration into one of my favorite mechanics of the game!

If you'd like to read more, the free 60-page demo has all the rules!

Or back today to get immediate access to the full game!

[wttcsms]

listen, i'm not normally into concepts involving two potential love interests, but i cannot stop thinking about tennis prodigy!reader; even though you're making a name for yourself, between travel costs, paying your agent, and also footing the bill for your father's gambling habit, by the time you get to your fair share of all your hard work you get nothing but loose change. the professional sport industry is a small circle, and pro tennis is its own incredibly tiny niche. people talk, and everyone knows about the current state of your finances; hell, most of them are in the same boat too. but this makes you a very viable target for someone who knows how to make cash quick.

sports betting. you familiar with it? of course you would be; your dad spends most of your winnings betting on other athletes. when you receive an anonymous text asking you if you want to make triple the prize money this tournament is offering, you almost think it's spam mail. almost — but again, the tennis world is small. you've heard rumors of an unknown man, known only to the players as 'The Ace', who pays players good money to throw their game. you like to play things safe, though. getting caught purposely throwing a game to manipulate sports betting? you could be banned for life. normally, you would decline.

but just a few days prior, you're approached by character 1; he's a special agent, and he's asking for your help so he can finally catch this mysterious Ace. he won't tell you all the details; that's one annoying thing about him (besides the way he's always teasing you, always giving you stupid nicknames, always wanting to jump in to come 'to your rescue' when he thinks a guy is being too handsy with you...), but apparently, shady sports betting isn't the only way Ace makes his money. he's considered a king in the criminal underground + this special agent is hellbent on catching him for any and all crimes he can. your mission? go undercover, get some money, but more importantly, get some intel. become so good at manipulating the game that the Ace will have no choice but to meet with you in person.

and you do capture the Ace's attention. there's something about you that character 2 is suspicious of, and he's keeping a close eye on you... it's one thing for this stoic, scarily quiet, intimidating man to get his personal driver to take you to his estate after every one of your games so he can "discuss" it with you and "personally reward" you for a job well done. it's another thing entirely when it evolves from awkward conversation in his office to a private dinner in his massive dining room. he's keeping you close — but hopefully not too close, because your special agent is listening in on the micro device he always tells you to tag underneath your clothes.

[amber-jinx]

Me again (:

Your posts always make me feel better, particularly the ones on Rachel. I need it due to the recent loss of a family member which is why I haven’t been around as much. That said, thank you for being so positive and supportive. ❤️

A question that has been lingering in my mind is why do you think Rachel is hated so much in the fandom? She was flawed, but I seriously doubt she was this monster that others make her out to be. To some degree, I can relate to her. Not on the daddy issues per se, but more so of being misunderstood.

Hey! Apologies for the delay in answering, really hope you're healing up well. And your GIFs are always so goofy they bring a smile to my face. Thank you so much for your kind words-- they remind me that my posts about Rachel aren't meaningless 🧡

Now getting to this very valid question-- why is Rachel, & by extension, any flawed character without a crystal clear definition like her, hated on so much??

1. Because she is ambiguous. Rachel is viewed in the 3rd person perspective-- either Max's or Chloe's; We never got to know what Rachel was actually thinking, how she felt and what lead to her decisions. All that we've seen in the game are after-the-fact and through varying third perspectives talking about the Rachel Amber, without actually knowing 100% who she really is.

This leaves room for the truth to be bent so severely that people barely scratch the surface of Rachel, and are basically blaming & hating on someone that is not her.

I bet if we got to play her version of the story from the start & experience all the mess from her pov, some players might just choose to hide from Chloe in order to protect her before anything comes to fruition, which can be very much justified in her position imo. Who knows? We could very much be jumping for Jeffersht's trap of an opportunity to get cash so that we can leave town with Chloe. It's all about the context & the framing.

2. As mentioned before by other bloggers, some fans focus too much on Chloe & her narrative that they judge Rachel solely based on Chloe's very biased narrative. I've noticed that quite a lot who appreciate/like Rachel played BTS first without much impression of who this girl is, which offers a very different experience as compared to playing the OG then BTS.

Chloe's outburst after finding out about Rachel's involvement with Frank (the words she used, "lied" "betrayed" etc) left such a deep impression in people's minds that after years of having played the game, continued to influence their perspectives.

Instead of taking account into other details where Rachel cared more for Chloe & was always prioritising her over Frank, and particularly due to the lack of major evidence of her being loyal to Chloe (which is mostly present in the unseen/untold, besides Joyce's remark that they were "joint in the head" and "chloe could never piss Rachel off"), folks now have a magnified impression that all Rachel ever did that's worth noting is her "betrayal", is her supposed plan on leaving Chloe without telling her, which could very well not be the case, but is kinda made harder to argue given Chloe's rage & us not knowing Rachel's side of the story (aka, in her defense), especially with her missing/out of the picture.

Therefore it's so easy for many to simply jump on the Rachel hate train in their almost blindsighted sympathy for Chloe. They might also:

- ignore that Rachel's a victim & instead assume 100% autonomy in her choices, when she was under influence & potential coersion / "it's too late to back out now" state

- ignore her age & circumstances, judge her like a grown mature adult who has good parents to guide her & wise friends to consult with

3. Inspired by your earlier comment! Most people who played the OG did it when they were pretty young & immature without much life experiences -- & so judged with their idealistic expectations, perhaps from the comfort of their homes/lives.

It can be hard to change your own views that's been set from so long ago. Takes some effort to replay the game, re-examine the evidence & admit to oneself that they were probably wrong. Understandable, I've been through the same.

And I've also seen those who have gone through their own messes, met their own supposed "Rachel Amber" irl and proceeded to project the toxicity & hurt they've experienced onto this teenage video game character, when in fact they're not 100% Chloe Price and the other, not a Rachel Amber and more of a subjective projection.

This isn't fair for the character, but then again like I've said, there's a thousand Rachels in a thousands eyes. We just have to keep in mind that whoever they're hating on is not the same as the character we adore 🤍

Thanks for this! I gotta try finding all your asks & make a master list at some point xD they're so good they can form a thread on their own 🌛 psst I am customising a Rachel plush, will see how well it goes & if more can be put out for orders. Unconfirmed stuff, more of a bonus if you've read this far ;)