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h3artstar · 2 years ago

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ST x Ocarina of Time (Legend of Zelda AU)

A/N - Yep, I’ve done it again guys. I made another Zelda Au of Mike and Will. I just gotta say that Zelda and Link are my faves, so of course I had to put my other faves in their positions. Will is so link coded sometimes.

Like, being lowkey diagnosed with the ‘tism, saving everyone’s asses for the millionth time, being lowkey traumatized by the same dude forever, and looking good while doing it? They’re the same person. Also BOTW Zelda and Mike? They’re both so insecure that it hurts </3. Anyway, I’ll stop ranting because who the hell is reading all of this?? Not me!!! (Also I know this isn’t wheelclair - my babies - but I had the urge to post this because I might not ever post this on ao3. Who knows.)

THIS IS JUST AN EXCERPT OF A ONE-SHOT FANFIC

…

The Fate of Two Cursed Souls (is this a corny ass title? Maybe..)

Everything was wrong with this alliance. With Henry. But what could a nine-year-old Mike say about adult manners? He was merely a prince, a child that no one would listen to. The sound of soft, fast feet running behind him captured Mike’s attention, forcing him to turn around. Before him stood a short, small boy, wearing a yellow tunic that was only held together by a brown belt. From the looks of him, he didn’t look strong enough to pass the guards that were placed just outside of the garden he was in.

“Who are you? How’d you get past the guards?” Mike asked, gaping at the sword shield on the small boy’s stature.

The boy walked up the steps, nearing Mike, and a blue fair circled around the space between them. The boy was far too close for his liking, but he ignored that in favor of watching the blue fairy. Hyrule holds no fairies; they’re usually found in the lost woods. “You have a fairy…” Mike wondered out loud, watching as the fairy slipped back inside the boy’s pocket. “That means you’re from the forest!” He gasped.

The Lost Woods were always such a wonder and puzzle for everyone. It was so difficult to get in, yet so easy to leave if you wanted. You never got lost in the forest because one wrong turn sent you right back to the entrance of the woods.

Mike swallowed. “Then does that mean… that you have the stone of the forest?!” The boy looked at Mike with surprise, leaning back at the intensity of Mike’s voice.

“Uh, yes, I do.” He nodded. The boy had a soft, meek voice, as if he did not speak to others often. He did not want to make the boy feel uncomfortable, but he couldn’t help the idyllic giggle that slipped past his lips.

“Just as I thought!” Mike looked back inside the window, watching as Henry still spoke to his father with a horrible smirk on his face. Mike’s small hands clenched. “I had a dream.. In that dream, dark storm clouds billowed over the land of Hyrule. But suddenly, a ray of light parted the clouds and lit up the ground below.”

It was such a strange dream for a young child like Mike, who could barely understand the power he held. He could tell that the brunette thought so too, cocking his head to the side. Knowing the boy was listening, he kept on going.

“The light turned into a figure, though, holding a green, shining stone, followed by a fairy. I knew this was a prophecy that someone would come from the forest.” Mike hummed, looking over at the boy's yellow tunic. “Yes, I thought you might be the one.” Mike looked up at the boy's face, which, although he did not look annoyed or weirded out from his rambling, still made him feel embarrassed.

“Oh! Sorry, I got carried away! I didn’t even introduce myself.” The boy gave him a smile, one that Mike couldn’t help but be charmed by.

“I’m Mike, prince of Hyrule.” He leaned forward just a bit, but it was enough to make the boy lean away, clearly nervous. “What’s your name?”

The boy did not answer at first; he was stunned for a moment before he shook his head and spoke. “Will. My name is Will. Nice to meet you.” He smiled. It was such a simple name, one that he wouldn’t have remembered if it weren’t for the familiarity behind the name. But where did he hear it before?

“Hm… Will… Strangely, it sounds familiar.” Mike shook his head, brushing off the thought.

Mike clasped his hands together. “Okay then, Will! I’m going to tell you the secret of the sacred Realm that has been passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule!”

Will looked shocked for a minute, but closed his gaping mouth and nodded with such vigor that it made his hair shake in front of his face. “Please.. Keep this a secret from everyone. I’m not supposed to be telling this to anyone, okay?”

“Okay,” Will said. He was a boy with a few words, but Mike just guessed that he spoke too much for Will to get a moment to talk. But simplicity never hurts anyone.

“The legend goes like this.”

….

“That’s right. The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. You need the rest of the stones to open that door, along with a Royal family treasure. The Ocarina of Time!” Will’s eyes seemed to widen even more, his doe-like eyes expanding so big that they seemed to fill his face. His small hand reached over to his pocket, grabbing at it. Mike followed his hand in wonder, but he quickly turned back to the window, peering inside.

“I was peeking through this window before you came. Look!” Mike slid away to the side, leaving a small spot for Will to peek through the window with him. At that exact moment. Henry walked into view, bowing down at the king of Hyrule with a deep frown on his face. Will gasped.

“That man! He seems..” Mike nodded his head, knowing exactly what Will meant because of his loss of words.

“Evil? Yeah, it’s practically drowning him in that horrible aura. He swears his allegiance to my father, yet I know that’s not what he wants.”

“And the dark clouds in your dream—they seem exactly like this man.” He muttered, making Mike wonder. He’s never encountered someone like Henry in his life, yet the dark clouds in his dream felt exactly like him. Will was the beacon of light that had to destroy him.

“Yeah..”

Just then, Henry snapped his head in their direction, his blue eyes piercing through them like ice. He and Will jolted back from the window and out of the blonde man’s sight. “I’m sure he saw us. But he doesn’t know what we’re planning!”

Mike sighed as he stole one last look at the evil man. “I haven’t told my father of the man’s evil intentions or about my dream. He would never believe me! But I know what Henry’s desires are.” As he glanced at Will, he knew that the boy did too.

“He came here to conquer the castle. No, the entire world!” Will gasped, clutching the stone wall. His words only deepened the frown on Mike’s lips. After all these long days in the castle with no one to confide in, he can finally do something to protect Hyrule—use the sacred blood in his body for something.

He turned to Will suddenly, a determined look on his face. “Will, you have to help me! I can’t protect Hyrule without your help. So, please, will you help me?” He pleaded the best he could, on the verge of begging for the sake of his kingdom. Will seemed awfully good-natured, but it still shocked him when he nodded his head.

“Of course!” The wooden shield on his back and the small sword showed Mike that he was well equipped (to an extent) to go on a sudden quest for two stones. But even someone as reckless and brave as Mike knew that this quest was extremely dangerous for someone as small and young as Will. He suddenly felt horrible for sending Wil off into the wild by himself and for the sacred stones that had to be hard to reach!

“Thank you! But… I feel bad for sending you off on your own when you don’t know me all that well! What if you never reach the stones because you get killed?!” He gasped when he felt a small hand grab his shoulder. The hold was warm and oddly comforting.

“Mike, you don’t have to worry. I came here because I have a duty to finish. You really helped me a lot with the story you told. You’ve done a lot already. I’ll… I’ll get those stones and open the Temple!” Will finished bravely, although he was starting to tremble at the aspect of going through a dangerous mission. Yet he kept his composure. Mike admired Will’s courage for such a mission. If only he could go with him. If only he weren’t a prince at all.

Mike brought Will into a tight hug, hearing the boy let out a huff at the strength Mike held him in. He pulled away with a beaming smile on his face. “I’ll protect the Ocarina of Time with my life! Now, you must go! I don’t know how much time we have, but we cannot let Henry win. I’ll see you again, Will.” Will swallowed deeply, his brown hair bobbing as he gave Mike a nod.

“I promise to hurry.” Will’s soft voice rang through his ears, even after he had long left. Something in Mike’s bones told him that time was running short. He hoped that Will could make it before Henry did.

#mike wheeler #will byers #fanfic #ficlet #byler fic #miwi #ocarina of time #legend of zelda #alternate universe

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flusendieb · 3 years ago

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I posted 15.775 times in 2021

12 posts created (0%)

15763 posts reblogged (100%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1313.6 posts.

I added 15.368 tags in 2021

#typeical - 8257 posts

#video - 2338 posts

#cinematical - 1369 posts

#animals - 1131 posts

#art - 994 posts

#comic - 423 posts

#videogames - 422 posts

#buffy - 197 posts

#zelda - 122 posts

#seriesly - 115 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#reblogging myself because my initial thought of simply taking away weaponry and healing items in games like re is apparently already a tough

My Top Posts in 2021

@lovecanbesostrange tagged me :)

Rules: Answer the questions and tag whatever-amount of people you want to get to know better!

1. Favourite colour: blues but also greens, if I absolutely had to choose it would probably be #008080 2. Currently reading: Henry by Florian Gottschick (12 year old Henriette aka Henry accidentally gets kidnapped and refuses to escape given the chance)

3. Last song you listened to: Topukla by Athena

4. Last series you watched: just started watching My Life is Murder S02 today before work (I love how chill it is). Also yesterday I watched a couple episodes of the Alex Rider series which was surprisingly good (I found the books mediochre which might be because I was already an adult when I read them and I thought the Stormbreaker movie was quite bad but the series actually does a good job getting across how much Alex'd prefer to have a normal life while still making his choices believable and I also like that they included Tom early on because Alex needs friends)

5. Sweet, spicy or savoury: savoury and spicy at the same time

6. Craving: Salamibrot (schmier ich mir gleich, wenn ich hiermit durch bin xD)

7. Tea or coffee: Tea if it's a drink, coffee if it's like a cookieflavour or something

8. Currently working on: getting all the Achievements for the main game in Dishonored

tagging: @vaulties, @famburasch-sohn-des-partram

4 notes • Posted 2021-08-28 15:22:35 GMT

just finished Horizon Zero Dawn. Took me about 160 hours because I kept getting distracted from the main quest by all the sidequests, and then I kept getting distracted from the sidequests by all the possibilities just roaming the world and hunting both machines and animals. Somehow though I still have many missing textdatapoints to find and a handful of other data - maybe I'll look them up and collect them at some point, I'd definitely be interested in reading even more stuff. (Just before I started the final battle, I went hunting for awhile to stock up on resources, and randomly found a datapoint sitting in some water - if all the others are as randomly strewn across the world I'm not surprised I've only found a few)

5 notes • Posted 2021-04-05 18:06:37 GMT

8 songs, 8 people

tagged by: @lovecanbesostrange

RULES: answer the 8 song prompts, then tag 8 people

1. favorite song at the moment: Probably "Hauch mich mal an" by Das Lumpenpack I don't listen to music a lot, but I like this song enough to have bought the entire album "Eine herbe Enttäuschung", which contrary to the title is absolutely not a bitter disappointment. It's all thanks to @famburasch-sohn-des-partram sharing a link to their concert stream at the very beginning of the pandemic :D

2. a song you associate with your favorite ship: Not a shipper, not very into music, so I have no answer to this.

3. a song that could be about you: "Sunshine" by Cosmo Jarvis (it hasn't even been warm for that long this year but I'm already sick of it - thankfully today it rained when I rode my bike back home so I could cool off a little)

4. a song you think is overrated: I honestly can't think of one, because when I'm not actively interested in the music that's playing it pretty much just goes in one ear and leaves out the other without leaving a lasting impression.

5. a song that reminds you of a good memory: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum - they're my uncles favourite band and when they performed near where my mum lives he invited us to go

6. the last song you listened to: "Gay Pirates" by Cosmo Jarvis - one of the songs that are pretty much always in my playlist, because so far I've never felt like I wanted to skip it, when it came on. This one @pneu-monie recommended to me ages ago and I've since bought several of Cosmo Jarvis' albums.

7. a song that makes you laugh: "The Hotdog Man" by Tripod (or pretty much any of their other songs), "Prejudice" by Tim Minchin, "Malcolm" by The Arrogant Worms (and several other songs), "Der Pinguin" by Die Blutjungs (and also many more) - there's probably more because I like comedic music, but I'm gonna stop myself there xD

8. a song you want your mutuals to listen to: "Grandaddy" by Alex Horne & The Horne Section (ok, I lied, I didn't actually stop myself, I just moved one of the other song's that make me laugh to question 8)

tagging @famburasch-sohn-des-partram, @mj-irl, @vaulties, @ministerscrimgeour, @zephyr-zagreus, @toreos, @whenyourfavouritedies, @iwishiwasatraveler

8 notes • Posted 2021-07-07 19:01:34 GMT

youtube

13 notes • Posted 2021-03-06 12:06:17 GMT

JUST FINISHED HZD ON ULTRA HARD

and holy shit that endfight was TOUGH! When I started playing the story I checked multiple times whether I had actually chosen ultra hard because thanks to New Game + I already had all the weapons and the highest Level, so it was pretty easy most of the time. I did die here and there along the way, but that was usually due to not paying that much attention to the healthbar (because the machines weren't that much harder to kill, I kinda forgot that they were much stronger so getting hit by them was much worse for Aloy) and one time because I'd forgotten that I wasn't doing the cauldrons and therefore obviously couldn't override all the machines xD.

I'd stocked up on ammo and some healing items but was still woefully underprepared for the final fight on my first try. Maybe it's simply because both the fight against Helis and the one on the Spire happen in such cramped spaces and stealth is absolutely no option. Died so many times in both parts and even got a Game Over for running out of time on the Spire once. I didn't have a problem with the middle bit where you repeatedly shoot Petra's experimental weapon at waves of approaching machines though.

Anyway so after I got checkpointed on the Spire without any health items left and getting more and more frustrated I aborted the mission and spent a bunch more hours hunting boars and other game. Also bought some Adept weapons (only to find out that the Adept Sharpshot Bow isn't as good as the Banuk Powershot, so I didn't even need it - didn't want to go to the Cut to get the Adept Powershot though) which helped a bit. The Adept Blast Sling did considerably more damage than the normal one, the Adept Tripcaster is great in theory but I never got the time to use it in the heat of battle.

On my second try the bit with Helis felt even tougher than the first time around, but after many tries I made it through again. The bit after that felt harder than on my first try as well, but I did make it without dying. And then the Spire. Died again and again and again because of all the chaos, felt like I came pretty close a couple of times but died again. Then FINALLY managed to get the Deathbringer's health down enough to explode one of its guns and got excited in a sort of pessimistic way xD - at that point I had a small handful of the smaller healing potions left and a tiny amount of herbs - I did my best to avoid the attacks, managed to actually chug some small potions when necessary and then blew up the Deathbringer's other gun. There were 46 seconds left on the clock, my heart was racing and my hands were shaking slightly. I only had like two herbs worth of healing power left, but I managed to chuck a few more bombs at the Deathbringer and it collapsed. Didn't even believe it at first because I must have tried to get to that point about 30 or 40 times by then.

Anyway, great game, would recommend, but if - like me - you're more in it for the story, I'd say play on normal or even easy difficulty, because ultra hard mode may be bad for your blood pressure XD

31 notes • Posted 2021-05-02 17:41:27 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #typeical #personal #memetic #Youtube

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pastelsandpining · 4 years ago

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I’ll Be Home (Coming Home After Being Away)

The seventh prompt in 12 Days of Christmas by @zelink-prompts | Prequel

Prompt List

Words: 4596

Summary: So, this is actually a sequel to tomorrow’s prompt but can be read separately?? I guess?? The rundown is that Link left years ago to search for his fairy and never returned. Zelda tried not to lose hope. He made her a promise, after all.

Ocarina of Time, child timeline?? Idk how the timelines work y’all please

Zelink-mas 2020 l Masterlist

“Your gown is ready, your highness.”

“Thank you,” Zelda answered, nodding in the direction of her lady-in-waiting. “I’ll be there shortly.”

When the door shut behind her, the princess turned her gaze back to the long dried flower. She set it carefully onto the page with the others and slowly closed the book, ensuring no petals or leaves crumbled in the process. The book was placed back on the shelf, right next to the Ocarina of Time and a dust-covered medal imprinted with the crest of Hyrule. She had no time to gaze at the reminders of her childhood this afternoon, because there was beckoning from all directions that insisted on getting her ready in time.

Zelda stepped through the doors of the washroom, where she was pleasantly surprised to see the water was still warm. A wash of her hair and a soap of lavender scent would treat her well and be pleasant to anyone in close proximity. She could not deny her maidens the credit--they always went above and beyond to make sure she was presentable in every fashion. A grand event called for twice the effort, so the princess sat without complaint in her robe as they brushed gentle powders over her face.

“Are you excited, Princess?” asked a maiden as she painted a color onto Zelda’s closed eyelids. “I hear there are princes from outside of Hyrule coming to get a glimpse of you.”

“Oh, is that so? I hope one takes a liking to you, Elizabeth,” she replied, folding her hands in her lap. “You would fare well with royalty.”

“You’re too kind,” Elizabeth said, and Zelda could hear the blush on her cheeks. “No man would notice me.”

“Hold yourself high,” Zelda encouraged as she pried her eyes open. “Everyone is deserving of love and happiness.”

“Do you hope to find love tonight?” asked the maiden behind her, who was busy twisting her hair into an elegant knot.

“I believe that whatever is fated will happen in time. If that time is tonight, then so be it.” It was a far better answer than telling them she had found love long ago and had no intentions of finding it again.

Zelda could hardly blame the maidens for their excited chatter and shared whispers. She pretended not to notice them, because their one form of entertainment was to gossip. Anyone who gossiped with ill intention was not worth troubling herself with, and while they were far from it, she didn’t pay any mind to them. It was not her business what anyone said about her, or about the anticipated guests, or about themselves. She had other matters to concern herself with.

An hour had passed by, and she was finally permitted to stand from the chair and move to the next room. A silken slip hugged her form and protected her skin from the rough edges of the corset. There weren’t many layers, but she was still grateful for the design of the dress.

It was a soft pink, a color to match the rose on her cheeks and paint on her lips. The skirt consisted of multiple layers that ruffled out into a pattern at the bottom. There were lace and glittering jewels sewed onto the bodice that caught the light. The neck cut low, but not low enough to be anything but modest. The top of her sleeves were rather poufy and the rest poured off in pink streams, but they were transparent and light. It fit her well.

The crown on her head, golden and sparkling with precious rubies made her look like a blossoming queen. She would turn heads tonight, more so than usual, and it was all thanks to her dressmaker and maidens. But she was already exhausted, and the ball hadn’t even begun.

Yet she was being escorted through the halls of the castle and steered towards the ballroom, which was already filling up with people. She could see that the maidens were right--there were people from everywhere, even outside of Hyrule. She wondered just how many suitors her father had contacted.

She supposed she would find out shortly, because her father had gathered the attention of the crowd and was now introducing her. With no more room to run, Zelda stepped out from the archway and down the stairs. The king took her hands and pulled her in for a kiss, and she had to fight back a smile.

“I’m not married yet, father,” she said, reaching up a hand to brush away a tear from his cheek.

“No,” he agreed and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You really do look like your mother.”

“So I’ve heard,” she replied with a laugh. “It’s not too late to call them off. I could refuse to marry, stay with you.”

It was the king’s turn to laugh as he leaned his forehead to hers.

“Go,” he urged.

She pulled her hands free and pressed a kiss to his cheek before gathering her skirts and descending into the crowd. Various diplomats were on her immediately, greeting her and complimenting her and talking her into a frenzy about their own nations and accomplishments, no doubt trying to impress her. All she could do was smile and nod and pretend she was interested until another person came along to sweep her away.

“My father owns quite the bit of land,” a lord whose name she’d forgotten boasted as he twirled her across the floor. “It could be an advantage for both kingdoms.”

“Yes,” Zelda agreed, but she didn’t voice her knowledge of where this was going. The kingdoms were far enough apart that they’d try to force her to move and give up the rule of Hyrule--which was not an option as far as she was concerned. So when the next person cut in for a dance, she was more than willing to switch partners.

“I hear Hyrule has been at the edge of not one, but two civil wars within the past century. I have no room to suggest anything, but I can offer some tactics that would help convince the provinces to obey,” said a prince from a nation she’d never heard of.

“Hyrule has managed quite well on our own,” Zelda replied, fighting to keep the bite out of her voice. “But thank you. Should we need assistance again, we will be sure to reach out.”

“My father believes in discipline. That’s the only way to make a child listen,” continued the prince, as if he hadn’t heard a word she said.

“I’ve found that competent parents can make do without the use of force,” she stated simply and used a passing server with a tray of wine to make her escape. She was not technically of age to be drinking, but no one knew that as far as she was aware, and if the night was going to continue like this, then a glass or two wouldn’t hurt.

She was happy to find the wine dry but sweet, and she recognized the danger of something so tasty. While a duke rambled away to her, she reluctantly reduced her number of glasses to one for the night. The last thing she needed was for these men to think she was under any sort of influence.

When she was granted a moment to herself again, Zelda ducked further into the crowd until she found someone familiar to her. Nabooru, the not-so-new Gerudo chief, was in attendance, dressed in glittering Gerudo jewels.

“Princess,” greeted Nabooru with her arms open for a hug. “You look as lovely as a rose.”

“It’s lovely to see you again. How is Gerudo Valley fairing?” Zelda asked, taking caution not to spill her drink during the hug.

“Very well, thanks to you. The funds your father lent us were enough to not only build a proper town, but to conduct repairs to the Desert Colossus. With Impa’s consistent transport of food and resources, we’ve managed to turn ourselves around.”

“It does no good to dwell on the past. We can only own up to our mistakes and move forwards from here. Had it not been for our mistreatment of the Gerudo in the first place, Ganondorf would never have felt the need to avenge the pride lost in the civil war.”

“Lighten up, kid,” Nabooru said with a grin. “Things are looking up. Have you found a suitor to your liking yet?”

“Hardly,” Zelda replied, leaning closer as she lowered her voice. “The men I’ve spoken to so far are so full of arrogance and a lust for power.”

“That’s men for you,” Nabooru answered as she took a seat at a table. Zelda smiled and slid into the seat across from her, setting her glass down on the white tablecloth. “Don’t let any of them fool you. Ganondorf had a winning smile and the charm of a king, but look what he truly turned out to be.”

“For all of your skill and beauty, I cannot believe you settled for him.”

“Hey, Gerudo men are in very limited supply. When you’re a naïve girl, a powerful man giving you attention is enough to cloud your mind. I’m happy you’re able to see through that.”

“I would offer to marry you if you were younger,” Zelda joked as she picked up her wine to take another sip. “If any of your warriors are available and interested, I’d be more than happy to comply.”

Nabooru laughed.

“It’s going that badly, huh?”

“I’ve danced with at least eight men so far tonight, and I think three of them were named ‘Edward’,” Zelda whispered with a laugh of her own.

“I don’t think you’re one to talk, Princess. Which ‘Zelda’ are you again? The thirtieth? The forty-seventh?”

Zelda rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t reply because it would seem her time was up. There was a prince who spoke from besides her with an “I’m sorry to interrupt” (oh, he’d better be) and a request to dance.

“Find your prince charming,” Nabooru said, waving Zelda away with her hand. The princess gave her friend a playful glare as she took the prince’s hand and was pulled back towards the center of the ballroom.

“Might I ask who requested my hand in dance?” she asked with a polite smile. Now that she was closer, this prince seemed younger than her. Not by much, but by enough for her to be a little taller than him.

“My name is Prince Henry of the Liles Empire, just off the north coast of Hyrule,” he replied. “It’s a pleasure to see your beauty up close.”

“Likewise,” she said, though she hardly meant it. He was not bad on the eyes, but those who approached her with comments on her appearance struck her as vain and, well, in it for just that. She could be reading them wrong of course, but she’d learned how to navigate her instincts and properly react after Ganondorf’s plan had been thwarted.

“If I’m being honest, I do not know how to hold a proper conversation with a lady such as yourself,” stated Henry as he led them in a circle.

“I could not tell,” she replied with a patient and gentle smile.

“My mother convinced me to ask you to dance. She believes an alliance would benefit our kingdoms.”

“A smart lady. Many of the others here tonight have said the same thing.”

“I don’t want to marry, though. You’re beautiful and kind, but I..”

Zelda gave the poor boy’s hand a squeeze. She knew his position quite well, if she was reading him correctly. All people had their secrets and anxieties. She would likely never see him again, so she felt she could be his peace, even if only for a moment.

“It’s an unpleasant position to be in,” she supplied, twirling him in the direction of a smaller crowd.

“It is. I couldn’t force myself to love anyone else.”

“Oh? Do you have someone in mind?”

A blush crossed the young boy’s face, but he looked eager to tell someone. He was the first of the night not interested in her or her land, so she was more than happy to indulge him.

“A kitchen girl back in my kingdom. She came to deliver breakfast one day when my servant fell ill and spilled tea on me.”

“Ah, a fairytale meeting,” Zelda replied with a small laugh.

“She’s beautiful. But my parents would never hear of it.”

“Stay true to your heart. I was always told that those fated to be together will find each other in time. To those who won’t agree, I say if you aren’t happy, how could you ever be expected to make a kingdom happy?

“They told me you were wise, but you speak as if you know the pain yourself.”

Zelda offered a sad smile. Perhaps one glass had been too many, because she was about to bare her soul to this young prince she’d met only minutes ago.

“I love a boy from my childhood,” she told him, cracking open old scars. “A little boy from the forest who helped me catch a tyrant. He disappeared years ago and no one has seen him since.”

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

“If I may offer advice, Prince Henry, tell your kitchen girl properly that you love her. But take care of your heart. It’s the only one you have.”

She tried to spend as much time around Prince Henry as possible. She found him pleasant company and he could be quite silly, but after an hour, the young prince could no longer keep the other suitors at bay. She was whisked away again, and she was growing very tired.

Her feet were sore in her heels, and her corset felt tighter with every tick closer to midnight. Yet she wasn’t dismissed yet, and she was determined to make it through this. No one could say she hadn’t tried.

Zelda searched the crowd for Nabooru again, longing for another conversation with a competent person, but she’d hardly taken two steps before another voice interrupted her.

“Princess Zelda, might I request a dance?”

She held back a sigh and plastered yet another polite smile on her lips as she turned, but she was not a good enough actor to keep it from slipping away. Her eyes widened and she took a step back, because she was convinced for a moment that she was dreaming.

His eyes were a striking blue, a color she’d accustomed herself with long ago. His smile was charming instead of crooked, but his dimples were just the same. He was taller now and he lacked the forest color he once ran around in, but something about him told her he hadn’t changed that much at all.

“Link..?” she whispered out, then clamped her hands over her mouth like she was afraid of someone hearing her. A breeze slipped past them when a couple whizzed by, but that wasn’t why she was trembling.

“I realize I’m six years late, and I apologize,” he replied, his cheeks reddening with shame. “But I made a promise to you, and I couldn’t bear to break it.”

“You..” For all of her wise words throughout the night, she found it very hard to speak. She took a hesitant step forward, then lifted her hand. Her fingertips brushed over his cheek and once she knew he was solid, she pressed her palm against his skin. He was warm beneath her touch. Warm enough to feel alive. “Is it really you..?”

“Yes,” he answered, his voice soft and filled with more emotion than she’d ever heard it before. He placed his hand over her own, making her skin burn under his touch, but she couldn’t pull away.

For a moment, all she could do was look at him. She looked at his eyes, took in his face and his features, and tried to blink the stinging away.

Perhaps the whole ballroom was watching, but Zelda dropped her hand and instead wrapped her arms wordlessly around his shoulders. She buried her face in his neck and squeezed her eyes shut as the first of the sobs escaped her. His arms circled around her waist and held her close, but it did nothing to stop the trembling. He was not the child she hugged all those years ago, but he still felt so familiar.

“Can.. can we go-“ She couldn’t finish her question.

She was aware of the scene she was making, and she didn’t want to embarrass her father any further, so she bit back another sob and kept her head down as Link led her out of the ballroom and onto a nearby balcony. The fresh air was icy on her skin and wet cheeks, but he took her face so gently into his hands that she felt like she would melt.

“I missed you,” he spoke. It was no louder than a whisper, but it reached volumes that deafened her to everything else. All she could do was hug him tight and cry harder.

“Goddesses, Link, I— where did you go?” she asked when she caught her breath again.

“Termina,” he replied. “I didn’t mean to be gone for so long, but they needed help.”

She’d never heard of it before, but she didn’t care because he was here.

“I thought.. I didn’t know if you were even alive.” But her love for adventure hadn’t changed and she sat him on a bench as she demanded, “Tell me everything.”

And so he did. He told her of the troublesome Skullkid and the malevolent mask. He told her of the overhanging moon that threatened to fall, and of the trials he had to overcome. He told her of the masks he collected and of the god he had to fight. And Zelda’s heart ached for her hero who could not catch a break. Trauma followed him everywhere he went, and he hadn’t even found Navi.

“Link.. I’m so sorry,” she said, gripping his hands tighter. “You’ve gone through so much..”

“It’s over,” he assured her. “Or at least, I hope.”

“I couldn’t imagine. I’m so happy you’re safe. Oh, you’ve grown so much..”

“And you look every bit the princess you were always meant to be.”

Zelda laughed, bubbly and weak, and buried her face in her hands.

“Goddesses, I missed you,” she murmured and wiped at her eyes. How he could still call her beautiful when she looked a mess, she didn’t know.

“I made a pinky promise. Besides, I recall you telling me you’d be very mad at me if I didn’t come back and I don’t think I could live with that.”

She lifted her head and sniffled.

“Well, you certainly took your time,” she joked and brushed some hair from his eyes.

“I hope this can make up for it.” Link pulled a box from his pocket and carefully pried it open. A sparkling blue jewel in the shape of a teardrop hung from a silver chain. It was almost glowing against the black velvet cushion.

“It’s lovely,” she breathed, running her fingers gently over the stone.

“It’s a Moon’s Tear,” he explained as he lifted it from the box.

“From the falling moon?” she asked. Link gestured for her to turn around, so she shifted on the bench and set her back to him.

“Clever girl,” he replied. She could practically hear the smile on his face.

The jewel was cold against her skin, but Link’s fingertips brushing the back of her neck as he clamped the necklace is what made her shiver.

“You’re quite ridiculous, I hope you know that,” she said as she turned to face him again.

“It’s no ring,” he answered and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “But I hope it’ll do.”

Zelda blinked in confusion, fiddling with the Moon’s Tear as she watched him gather his thoughts.

“A ring?” she asked quietly.

“I.. promised to marry you when I got back. You’re perfectly allowed to decline, of course. I wouldn’t— I mean-.. is this weird?”

Her cheeks burned as she burst into a fit of giggles, pressing a hand over her mouth to muffle them. Link looked at her, flushed with embarrassment, and soon he was laughing too. The innocent promise of two children had lasted over years of distance, even if it was more of humor than anything else now that they were older. She leaned into him, holding her stomach as her muscles grew tighter. Goddesses, she missed his laugh so much. Six long years were not enough to change him at all.

When their laughter quieted, Zelda lifted her head and took his face into her hands. He smiled at her, sending her head spinning.

“I wasn’t sure you’d ever return,” she whispered as she ran her thumbs along his cheekbones, relishing in his warmth and presence. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps she was being too forward—she just got him back and would rather not lose him again. So she reluctantly pulled her hands back to herself and fiddled with the necklace again.

“There were times I didn’t think I would,” he admitted. With the stories he recounted, she believed him. And she was beginning to understand the Princess’s decision to send him back in time in the first place. But it didn’t seem like he was fated to have an easy existence.

“I’m sorry your search was in vain.” And even that wasn’t enough, but what could she offer him? What words could she say to him that could quell the sadness running deep in his veins, betrayed by his eyes despite how happy he looked to be back. For all the wisdom she held in her blood, she knew no answer.

“I wouldn’t say that,” said Link softly, turning his gaze on her. The more she looked at him, the harder it was to maintain the poise she’d so very recently returned her hold on. So she looked away with a small smile and tilted her head to gaze up at the stars.

“What would you say?” she asked, tracing the constellations painting the sky with her eyes. A thousand stories came with those stars, stories about their past and their future, stories about fate and things beyond their understanding. She always felt that the stars knew and could see everything, and hiding was a naïve comfort they were never really granted. Even when they were children, throwing themselves under a blanket and giggling, the stars could see everything--even the secrets they didn’t truly have. They had known all along what would become of her and of the Hero of Time. She didn’t know if she pitied the stars or envied them.

“I would say anything that leads me back to you is more than worth it.”

Zelda turned her eyes to him, where she found nothing but sincerity and a tired smile. She could remember a childish curiosity whenever he looked at her, but she couldn’t quite name the gaze his eyes held now. Heat blossomed over her cheeks again and with a laugh, she ducked her head.

“Welcome home, Hero,” she said as she shook her head. “I hope you’re able to find the life of peace you deserve.”

“To be honest, Princess, I think a life of peace would drive me to the brink of sanity. I didn’t return with the hopes of finding it. I don’t… I don’t think I’d even want it.”

There was no hiding the mix of confusion and surprise and concern that took over her features upon hearing his words. A life of peace did not interest him? She wondered for a moment whether he was already past the threshold of sanity, or if he’d simply left his mind in Termina.

“Then,” she began, treading lightly over what could possibly be dangerous waters, “what is it that you want?”

“I want a life by your side.” His cheeks were as pink as hers under the moonlight, but it could very well have been just an effect of the bitter cold. “I know we’re not kids anymore and.. and a lot has changed. But if I could be even just in your service, I would be satisfied.”

“You owe nothing more to Hyrule,” Zelda spoke quickly, taking back all sense of personal space as she held his cheek again. “You’ve done more for us than we could ever begin to thank you for. You reap scars and trauma we can’t even begin to imagine. We are happy to have you back, of course, but you needn’t swear your life to any more trouble, Link.”

“Serving you would be of no trouble at all, Princess.” His hands wrapped gently around hers, pulling it from his skin, and he brought her knuckles to his lips instead. His warm breath fanned over her skin and for the first time of the evening, she did not regret the gloveless design of her outfit.

She could hear her own words, hypocritical and laughable, pouring from her lips when she told little Prince Henry to follow his heart and to hell with those who disagreed. It was much harder to take her own advice--like it was a bitter medicine that brought her heart into her throat and made her tremble. But all she could see was the little forest boy giving her one last wave, so much alike with the man who sat before her now. Her heart lurched.

“I love you,” she said, hardly louder than the gentle breeze that circled them. “And I know that I’m not your Zelda--the Zelda you first defended Hyrule for-”

“You are every bit the same Zelda. The only difference is this time, we don’t have to say goodbye. Not if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t,” she begged, gripping his hands tighter.

“Then let me stay with you.”

He freed a hand and cradled her face. She leaned into his touch, into the warmth that batted away the cold, into the feeling that he really was here. And then he was leaning forwards, his breath fanning over her lips, and she closed the space between them with an eagerness that Impa would refer to as “unladylike”. His lips were soft and their kiss was slow and gentle, fanning a spark so that it blazed into a flame. In the years she had spent imagining how this reunion might go, she never quite got the magic of it right. It felt strong and peaceful, like something old and practiced but new and exciting all at once. And when they parted, Zelda was quick to recall that silly little promise.

“You meant to ask for knighthood,” she stated, a giddy feeling flooding her at the idea. “But how would you feel about prince consort?”

It was Link’s turn to laugh, and she laughed too as she closed a hand around the Moon’s Tear necklace glowing against her skin. Of course, they had a while to catch up on before any official announcement could be made. They were not granted the opportunity to grow into their relationship, and now was a better time than any to get started.

Her Hero had returned, and Zelda quite liked the idea of never having to face any of the men who tried to win her hand ever again. Apparently, it was made evident enough by their return to the ballroom floor.

Link had asked for a dance, after all. Who was she to deny him after so long?

#zelink #oot zelink #ocarina of time #zelink prompts #christmas prompts #hurt/comfort i guess #this is a masterpiece actually i'm proud of it

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chibimyumi · 5 years ago

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Tagging game

I finally got to this tagging game! Sorry for the apology, it was not for lack of interest. It was just SO HARD.

Tagged by @jackobzielinski to list 10 favourite characters from 10 different fandoms, in no particular order!

Der Tod - Elisabeth das Musical

My two all time favourites, Furukawa Tod and Sena Tod.

Furutod: Cruel, fascinating and unpredictable, the very personification of death itself. A mystical creature that surrounds everyone but is understood by no one. Senatod: Charismatic and cold beyond words; one glance and your heart freezes. A presence so majestic it does not betray the title “Lord of the Underworld”.

Sebastian Michaelis - Black Butler

Trash demon. That’s all I have to say.

Medicine Seller - Mononoke

I don’t even know what I am looking at, but all I know is that I want more. Did you hear him speak? His voice is like really good tease sex. All you can say is: “louder, faster.”

Okumura Rin - Blue Exorcist

MY SON.

“Chibi, how many sons do you have?! O.o”

Me: TOO MANY AND YET NOT ENOUGH.

Chihiro - Spirited Away

A role model who demonstrates strength, courage and compassion in a way that is actually achievable. I LOVE HER. SO. MUCH.

Henry Morgan - Forever

The best Sherlock Holmes since Sherlock Holmes. If you don’t know him...well, go get to know him!

Zuko - Avatar: The Last Airbender

ZUKO. ZUKOOO. Easily one of the best written characters on TV.

Link - The Legend of Zelda

All of them my boiis!

Lelouch - Code Geass

Every time I think you’ve hurt me enough, you hurt me yet again, and I keep coming back. I love you.

Bartimaeus - The Bartimaeus Trilogy

Guys, I HATE reading. The number of books I have voluntarily read and finished that are not manga can literally be counted on the fingers of my hands. But this trilogy got me binge reading them.

Bartimaeus does not really have one canonical appearance, so I’ll settle with the book covers instead. Honestly. HE is the original Trash Demon Djinn™

I would not be surprised if Yana got inspiration for Sebas through Bartimaeus.

Next up!!! @lehetsz-kiraly, @wildandwhirlingwords, @cutiepeimei, @questions-you-say, @ace-in-a-pocket, @grelleswife, @teacupsandfluff, @fearsome-perfect-beauty-eren, @midnight-in-town, @1hellofacookie and @kuroshitsujiislife

#Tagging game #all time favorite characters

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scatter-kinnin-patter · 6 years ago

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Mobile About

💜 Under the cut💜

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

About Me

Hello hello! You can call me Scatter when not referring to any of my kins- I’m 22, trans(he/him pronouns), and gay and ace. I’m kinda new to the kin community but consider this a safe space for fictionkin(or all types of otherkin!), fictives, coping link, or whomever may identify with/as fictional characters!

Thinspo, transmeds/truscums, and exclusionists/aphobes please do not interact!

I would love to interact with people from my sources and talk about canons, make friends, and all the like! However, I’m not looking for canonmates(I’ve had a few bad run-ins with people telling me my canons were “wrong” if they didn’t match with theirs, and would rather not go through that again), but I greatly enjoy discussing different canons! Doubles are free to interact!

Disclaimer: I use fictionkin to cope with mental illness, so please try to understand why I do this and don’t interact if you have anti-kin sentiment. I ain’t hurting anyone, and I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have fiction to fall back on, so please respect this harmless fun <3

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

Kin List

💜Michael Afton💜

Nickname(s): Eggs, Mike/Mikey

Source: Five Nights at Freddy’s

About me: I’m 24, demiboy(he/him), gay, and polyamorous

About my canon: I’m the FNaF 4 brother, Sister Location’s Eggs Benedict, and FFPS’s Night Guard. I’m son of William Afton and Crying Child and Elizabeth’s older brother. I’m very gay for my Phone Guy. I’m also the Michael from The Joy of Creation: Story Mode!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from FNaF, but I’d adore meeting some Williams and/or Springtraps! I’d love to meet fellow Aftons or nightguards too! Oh and Ennards too, I love all of the animatronics!

💛Roxas💛

Nickname(s): Rucksack

Source: Kingdom Hearts

About me: I’m 22, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I don’t remember Xion too much, but Axel and I were inseparable. I wasn’t quite as edgy as everyone portrays me… actually I was a huge nerd! Oh, but was I so in love with my Sora. I know it’s cliche, but being in someone’s heart does that to you. I was also, ironically, great friends with Riku!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Kingdom Hearts, but meeting Soras, Axels, and Rikus would make my day and then some.

🖤Darkiplier🖤

Nickname(s): Damien, Dark/Darky

Source: Markiplier’s Egos

About me: I’m 38, agender(he/him or they/them), and bisexual

About my canon: I was once Damien before the events of Who Killed Markiplier, and since then have been living with Mark’s other egos. I have long since forgiven Mark and Wilford, and we live peacefully now. I was very much in love with my Wilford and my Antisepticeye. Celine was resting during my time, so I really only had Damien taking over personality-wise.

Who I’m looking for: Any of Markiplier’s or Jacksepticeye’s egos, but I would adore meeting a Googleplier, Wilford, or Anti.

💙Geno💙

Nickname(s): Starboy, ♡♪!?

Source: Super Mario RPG

About me: I’m a star, so age is complicated, but am an adult, genderless(he/him), and bisexual

About my canon: It’s me, that star from SMRPG! Mallow was a little brother to me, and I was very bi for the rest of my team. I frequently visited Earth again after the events of the Star Road, and fell in love with Dreambert from Mario and Luigi: Dream Team. Cappy from Odyssey and I were also very close friends.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from the Mario franchise, but I’d really really love meeting some Marios, Bowsers, Cappys, or Dreamberts!

💖Scott Cawthon/Afton💖

Nickname(s): PG/Phone Guy, Scottie

Source: Five Nights at Freddy’s

About me: I’m 25, transmale(he/him), gay and asexual

About my canon: Hello hello~! I was the phone guy! Fun fact: I had two purple guys in my canon- one was my twin brother, the other was William Afton himself. William adopted me, actually, so he’s really quite the father figure, despite… everything. I worked in numerous Fazbear Locations, nearly died in FNaF 1, and came to my final end in FFPS.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from FNaF, but it’d make my day to meet Purple Guys/William Aftons, Jeremy Fitzgeralds, or Mike Schmidts!

🖤Bendy🖤

Nickname(s): Benjamin, Bendaroo

Source: Bendy and the Ink Machine

About me: Age is complicated cuz I’m a toon, but consider me 21, genderless(he/him), and pansexual

About my canon: Ayyyy it’s the little devil darlin himself! I was very close with my Henry, and he actually broke the loop that freed us all! Oh I was gay for my Henry and my Sammy. Also I’ve been willin to reconcile things with Joey, why not! I was also friends with Cuphead!

Who I’m looking for: Listen, not to be all biased or anythin, I love all BatIM or Cuphead kins, bUT HENRIES AND SAMMIES PLS INTERACT

🧡Lawless🧡

Nickname(s): Hyde, Lawli, Servamp of Greed

Source: Servamp(both the anime and the manga)

About me: I’m an immortal vampire, though forever 18, male(he/him), and bisexual

About my canon: It’s ya favorite tragic backstory thespian! Oh I was hopelessly in love with my Ophelia and Licht, and thankfully have moved past my more, eheh, destructive tendencies. Now I’m just a vamp with an angel trying to recover from it all!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Servamp, but I’d give anything to meet a fellow Licht or any of my Vamp-Sibs!

💚Link/Masky💚

Nickname(s): Grasshopper, Hero of Time

Source: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time + Majora’s Mask

About me: I’m 18, male(he/him), and aromantic/asexual.

About my canon: I go by the name “Masky” to avoid confusion with other Links, as Majora’s Mask was my more prominent canon in both memory and my behaviors. I was short, and a bit more on the apathetic side, but I was always taking notes in my notebook and studying each scene. Guess I was more of the “think things through” type. I later on taught the Hero from Twilight Princess.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from any Zelda game(I’ve played nearly them all), though I’d love to meet fellow Links from other timelines.

💜Virgil Sanders💜

Nickname(s): Virge, Anxiety

Source: Sanders Sides

About me: I’m 29, male(he/him), gay and asexual.

About my canon: My canon was Found Family Trope. Patton was like a father to me, and I was in a polyamorous relationship with Roman, Logan, and Deceit. Remus was cool, though we were never involved romantically or platonically. Fun fact: I had a cat hoodie in my canon that matched Pat’s but it was black and purple, lol.

Who I’m looking for: Any of the Sides, but Romans, Logans, and Deceits would be cool to meet(please no “evil” Deceits, though)

💙Taako Taako💙

Nickname(s): Koko, Bastard

Source: The Adventure Zone: Balance

About me: I’m an elf, so I’m well over 100, transmale(he/him), and gay

About my canon: Fun fact, even though I love Kravitz to no end, I was involved romantically with my Magnus! Saved the world, cooked some food, it’s what we do!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from TaZ, but PLEASE the 7 birds- especially Magnus or Merle, interact!!!

🧡Lampy🧡

Nickname(s): Tim/Timothy, Lamps

Source: The Brave Little Toaster

About me: I’m an appliance, I have no “age”!, genderless(he/him), and gay

About my canon: Only lived through the first 2 movies, never really considered “Goes to Mars” as canon… maybe more of a fever dream. I was pretty darn smart, though social cues weren’t my strong suit. I was so in love with my Radio, though~!

Who I’m looking for: Literally anyone from either TBLT movie- but especially Radio!

💚Edd💚

Nickname(s): None(?)

Source: Eddsworld

About me: I’m 26, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I’m just a chaotic cat lover, what can I say! I miss having Tord as a friend and I was in love with my Tom and Eduardo! Uhhhh… Cola.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Eddsworld, but Toms Tords and Eduardos please interact!

💛Ethan💛

Nickname(s): Gold

Source: Pokemon Silver/Gold

About me: I’m 20, transmale(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I traveled across both Johto and Kanto with my Cyndaquil, and had a pair of roller blades! I was always on some kind of wheels, a speed demon for sure, and a bit egotistical/loud XD. I had… a relationship with Red, don’t remember if it was platonic or romantic. BFFs with Blue and Kris, and Silver was my boyf <3

Who I’m looking for: Literally ANYONE from Pokemon, but… Reds Blues and Silvers… hit me up 👀

🧡Arthur🧡

Nickname(s): Arty

Source: Mystery Skulls Animated

About me: I’m 25, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: GUESS WHO DIDN’T DIE AFTER HELLBENT!!! Listen fam Arthur is my kin that goes into hibernation but revives every 2 years to scream before going back to vibing in the background. Had a poly relationship where both Vivi and I dated Lewis, but Vivi and I didn’t date each other, if that makes sense.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone MSA… Lewis and Vivi tho… hai-

💙Cloud Strife💙

Nickname(s): Soldier boy, Spikey

Source: Kingdom Hearts(mainly), Final Fantasy 7

About me: I’m 23, male(he/him), gay and ace

About my canon: I’m KH Cloud more than FF7, though I still connect with my FF7 self. I was one of Xehanort’s first experiments with heartless, which is how he was able to separate Sephiroth and I. Sora was like a baby brother to me. Leon and I were classic rivals-to-lovers. Fight me.

Who I’m looking for: Hit me up if you’re anyone KH(say hi to Roxas too while you’re at it) and/or FF7. Not really picky, down to chat with whomever.

💖Charles Calvin💖

Nickname(s): Charlie

Source: The Henry Stickmin Collection

About me: I’m 27, transmale(he/him), queer and ace

About my canon: Listen I just started kinnie this boi the day I typed this all I know is I had a cool pilot jacket and I’m a disaster queer and love flying choppers and Henry cute aaaaaa

Who I’m looking for: Please… I will take ANY thsc kinnies…

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

#about #mobile about #~about the kins~

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steve0discusses · 6 years ago

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Yugioh S3 Ep 2: The VR Zone Has a Hell Ton of Trees

Alright guys I am regretting the hell out of this teriyaki ramen bowl I just ate, so it’s a better time than ever to go back into this VR arc. Now that the Big 5 have made their speech, all of them quite fat and one with a cane although he doesn’t even have a body anymore, they are ready to send everyone down a series of...plot-shaped holes.

Like they were JUST in some sort of tropic zone, to go back to here and then go somewhere else and so like--this is still VR I think? Like I’m assuming they went VR the moment they entered this room but it is quite vague at what point they were officially in VR. Was it when their vision went fwisssh and everyone split into RGB layers or was it that they got knocked out with gas quite a long time ago and were just unaware that it happened? Probably a bunch of these things.

With this announcement we find out that everyone--and I mean everyone--has to play cards now, although I’m pretty sure half of them have duel disks and the other’s are like...not equipped? I mean it’s VR, so hypothetically no one at all needs a duel disk anymore but you gotta sell toys, so no matter what, Yugi’s going to be lugging this heavy sharp thing on his wrist, even when he knows he will soon be shot down a wacky hole.

The title of last episode, ps was “VR Nightmare,” but like, it’s actually fairly pleasant, compared to the blimp hell we were dealing with just a few episodes back. I mean I guess people are actively trying to kill us here but when are they not?

The audacity of this show. Every state in the US has huge ass fake castles in it leftover from the Rockefeller era. Where else are our Moms supposed to drag us on Day Trips so we can get our history credit for Girl Scouts?

Americans are hella good at creating fake historical sites--all you need is a 50+ year old house and some turret work possibly made by a reasonably well known architect and it’s like “yeah that’s a good enough castle for me! Can we say it’s haunted, too? It’s hella haunted! Come to my castle B+B!”

(read more under the cut)

Tea landed in some concept art that kind of looks like the underside of a mushroom. I dunno how I’d classify this rock structure.

And then Kaiba landed in his worst nightmare which was being in a normal park with one single straight road but somehow still completely lost. At least Mokuba managed to fall into the same hole as his brother to ensure that Seto wouldn't be lost for like the rest of this arc. Which was actually kind of an unintentionally hilarious animation.

*rare shot of the Kaibas actually taking a break*

Man, this is the closest they’ve gotten to a real hug in kind of a while. Like when was the last time these bros hugged? Pegasus’ castle?

Meanwhile, Noah is admiring his work from this throne room and it would be a whole lot more intimidating if he wasn’t in calf-high black socks.

His outfit is like a white school uniform so what gives with the black socks? Like of all the things to complain about on Yugioh (especially since I see Yugi’s hair looking right at me in the next cap) those socks though. Those are pretty inappropriate with this outfit, Noah. Especially matched with this God Throne you’ve got going on. Did not see socks like that matched with a chair like this.

Meanwhile Yugi is all by himself but that doesn’t matter at all because he is 2 (3) people. This strategy to isolate everyone only really worked on Serenity and Joey, TBH, since Tea is also accompanied by slightlylessevil!Marik (who hasn’t really said anything since the VR started).

I knew Bakura would be out for a while, but I didn’t realize it meant everyone else wasn’t even going to once acknowledge it, it is baffling. I mean I get they’re super distracted right now but your friend is DEAD.

Honestly I would not mind if the big 5 succeeded and we had to see some old men try and work with Yugi’s hair and alt rock clothing, deal with Pharaoh sassing them from a brain labyrinth, go to Yugi’s school where people get savagely beat up like every other day, deal with Bakura and Marik trying to body snatch and other magic assholery during class breaks, and through all that watching the Big 5 attempt to take over the world with their megacorp that no longer sells guns but actually sells like...children’s entertainment supplies which include the dueling roombas from S1. How on Earth do they actually think that getting a body would help them at this point? They would be Yugi Muto and that is the last face anyone would ever take seriously.

Pharaoh pops up and is like “I guess we’re doing this right now? Really wish we weren’t doing this right now.”

Anyway, because they don’t physically exist in this digital world, neither do God Cards, or any other card in their deck. So, now they have to make new decks out of a pool. Very convenient for the writing team, bad news for Kaiba’s intense and vaguely romantic relationship with his Blue Eyes. Really glad we spent a full season talking about how much these cards meant to all these people, from the magicians, to Joey’s Red Eyes, and then that one card that was Mako Tsunami’s Dad or something--really glad we learned all of that to just completely erase it this arc.

I sounded sarcastic just now, I actually wasn’t for once, I am so glad to just purge my mind of all those card memories for a little while. Just allow myself to forget. Ah. My mind is already so much clearer. It feels so good. I am very much ok with this soft reset, I kinda needed it.

Since Yugi is supposed to choose a Deck Master from his set of cards for this particular type of duel monsters duel, he goes right for the dark magician--since that’s his MO, but for some reason Kuriboh chose himself? Like this greasy thing just hopped out of the card and played himself.

Anyway Kuriboh is now their new Pikachu and well...this show has done worse cute-character-that-does-literally-nothing-else type things to me, speaking of, lets see what Serenity is up to.

This is a digital hellscape, Serenity.

Serenity, you are going to die here.

Serenity.

So because I just realized just now in Season 3 that Duke’s necklace is a hot, over designed disaster (much like Duke himself) I figured I should like...see what this necklace is supposed to look like. So I typed into Google “duke devlin necklace” and guys, turns out there is a LOT of Yugioh jewelry--and I don’t mean like fanart (which there is also a lot), I mean like officially, a lot of people in this show wear a lot of jewelry and so it was sort of hard to find a good pic of a Duke Devlin specific necklace--especially since it feels like most people just go for the dice earring because that’s way easier.

But what’s interesting about the Duke Devlin necklace, at least from my quick search, is that when we bring it to the real world, it gets a little lost, like a game of telephone.

Cuz I assumed that was a clown on his necklace--and there’s quite a few clown necklaces, but I’m also seeing skulls, I’m seeing gothic crosses, I’m seeing spikes and knives instead of crosses. Bro thought it was a flower for some reason--I kinda blew his mind just now when I pointed out it was a clown. Some people think it’s made of silver, other people think it’s sort of painted? (I assumed the cross was entirely blinged out with rhinestones--my honest assumption) No one can actually agree. Especially since Duke apparently changed his necklace for the movie. I know that because it looks a lot like the Legend of Zelda emblem, and some people had the actual Legend of Zelda emblem mis-tagged as Duke Devlin. Which sucks a whole lot for their SEO, and sucked a whole lot for me in my search to find a real actual Duke Devlin necklace.

Like, feel free to attach a link to a reply -- is there an official physical Duke Devlin necklace that Yugioh inc sells? Like I just want to know--officially--what the hell I’m looking at.

Anyway, back to the show, much like everyone else, these two are hopelessly lost.

Kaiba seems to keep forgetting that his Dad is clearly behind all this and would obviously have his old tech but like...Kaiba forgets so much I can forgive him this.

So, faced with roads that lead no where, Tristan decides to do his tried and true method of solving all of his problems.

And at the other end of the VR zone Tea is getting kidnapped after...being kidnapped by Noah while she was already kidnapped by Marik. This is three levels of kidnap, yes?

OH SHOOT IS THAT A ONCE DOOR. DID SOMEONE DO WHAT I HOPE THEY DID? OH SHOOT.

I will read their fanfiction start to end I swear to you I will do it if it exists and I will report back to you who dates Captain Hook and who is related to Henry Mills.

OMG It didn’t exist.

You have got to be kidding me.

I am beside myself, this is the only property known to man that has not been turned into a OUAT fanfiction.

Incredible.

That or I’m just really bad at searching for fanfics since I haven’t actually read any since my LiveJournal days. Like, when you’re basically immune to shipping, as I am, you just really lose the desire to read about 90% of fanfiction.

Anyway, the closest we have to a OUAT Yugioh fanfiction, to my knowledge, is that cap I made just now right there. Your welcome, Once community.

This is absolutely made of load-bearing drywall. Why do none of the sets of windows line up with each other and how many stories is this? Like 2.5? And you can stand on the roof I guess because it has handrails? It’s super weird.

Anyway, I just made a OUAT joke and maybe it’s because I knew shortly after we were gonna get--that’s right--an orphanage flashback. OUAT was basically 6 seasons of effed up orphan flashbacks so I feel pretty well prepared. Like bro was worried how I’d handle this filler but y’all, I watched the Lily arc in OUAT. I can do anything.

*slaps hands together*

Totes ready for these boys to have been given up for adoption via a magical tree and a memory curse, only to find out their real parents are 3 years younger than them because of a time loop. Make it weird, Yugioh!

Anyway, as always, if you want a link to read these from the beginning in Chrono order and without any comments and all that jazz here’s a link

#Yugioh #photo recap #recap #S3 Ep2 #yugi muto #seto kaiba #big 5 #Noah #joey wheeler #tea gardner #duke devlin #tristan taylor #mokuba #Anyways I'm gonna go make cookies at 9 PM #because I have a headache and I feel like this will fix it somehow.

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somethingwittyandweird · 6 years ago

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Ask meme! Tagged by @bellebon.

I’m not really gonna name names, but if you feel like doing this, consider yourself tagged.

Relationship status: Single

Favorite color: Blue

Top three ships: After a fair amount of thought, I’m putting down Miriel/Henry from FE:Awakening (let the mage nerds be mage nerds together), Zelda/Link (Skyward Sword incarnations), and Seth/Eirika from FE:Sacred Stones (because I guess something about royal/knight gets me).

(That was a lot harder to come up with than I expected... upon reflection, I guess most of my ships I’m kind of lukewarm on? Like, I feel the characters pair well together, but I’m not desperate to see the romance blossom. Feels unusual, but maybe that’s just because of how... avid... many shippers can be.)

(Bonus ‘lukewarm’ ships: Sun/Blake from RWBY, Quote/Curly Brace from Cave Story, Kiki/Tombo from Kiki’s Delivery Service.)

Anyways, back to the prompt.

Lipstick or chapstick: Chapstick has a lot of nice flavors and feels good to apply, plus you don’t have to focus on getting a hue that looks nice on your lips. (That said, does lipstick actually come in flavors? I honestly don’t know. Someone who uses lipstick is welcome to enlighten me.)

Last song: Currently Jubilife City (X and Y remix) on repeat. Lovely track to code by.

Last movie: Hmmm... hard to say, since I don’t watch movies often. I’ll cheat a little and say Avatar:The Last Airbender, of which I just finished the Season 2 finale. (Thoughts: sad that nice things are over, but glad the writers gave us some nice things first before they took them back away.)

#ask meme #i talk a lot tag #personal ask tag #I guess I had more to say than I expected #but that is the point of the prompt #to just give me an excuse to say things about myself #also #i tried REAL hard to avoid bringing up pale ships #even if I may have a fair few #that's not a can of worms I want to casually present on a post like this

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pigballoon · 6 years ago

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

(Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman, 2018)

By my count this is the 7th Spider-Man movie in about 17 years (count the other two MCU movies in which the character has featured, and it's the 9th) that's a lot, even in the current over saturated comic book movie market, but thankfully, on the evidence of this movie that nobody thought they wanted, and based on the unique look one that maybe nobody wants to take seriously (perhaps the cinematic equivalent of Zelda's Wind Waker?) the webbed wonder is as alive and well as ever.

For anyone familiar with their work it will come as no surprise to see the names Phil Lord and Christopher Miller attached to this movie (both credited as producer, Lord credited with screenplay and story) just as with The Lego Movie, just as with their Jump Street films, the two of them get meta, and in doing so, in bending time and space and doing narratively whacky things they manage to uncover something intimately, beautifully human in the midst of all the madcap madness they unleash.

And madness is absolutely what they unleash, anyone that has seen the trailer will be able to see that side of the movie unveiled, the sort of ridiculousness some will find side splittingly hilarious, and others would consider just stupid, but to me at least it all works. How do you blend a porky pig-alike Spider-Man, an anime Spider-Man, a hardboiled noir Spider-Man (and more) into a movie and keep it credible? First is the brilliant balancing of tone managed by the filmmakers, the film is honestly probably more a heartfelt coming of age story than the almost Guardians of the Galaxy like absurdist deconstruction of the genre that it seems to have been primarily sold as. It's aided in getting to that point of credibility too on account of a tremendous ensemble of actors assembled to do the voice work(Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld and Shameik Moore are all incredible. Smaller roles are filled out by the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Nic Cage, Zoe Kravitz, Lily Tomlin, Chris Pine and Liev Schreiber) and some animation that may take a couple of scenes to get used to, but once you do really does have plenty of tiny little very realistic details in the movement and emotions in the eyes to sell it all as meaningfully human.

Yet for me it all comes back to that screenplay. By delving deep down into the world of the comic book, by embracing the format in all its glory from the stylistic visual choices to the craziness of the narrative that once upon a time only a comic book could have gotten away with, the movie finds its beating heart all laced intricately into the action in the best way, choosing to find meaning in the most unobtrusive and unpretentious way possible. It's the Miller-Lord magic where it just looks too stupid for most people to think twice about, but if and when you give it a chance it slips under the skin. Just like... well, a comic book.

Don't be put off by the idea of multiple dimensions, and multiple spider-men, when it comes down to it Into the Spider-Verse is one of those movies about how even the most ordinary and every day can accomplish the most major things. It's not a new sentiment, but it ain't ever been done quite like this before. The movie and its story linked in that way, the simple within the absurd, and the many filmmakers (two credited writers and 3 directors - again, reflective of the movie they've made) proving it don't matter how many times you reuse well worn characters (though the brilliant use and sidestepping of the origin story and the iconic mantra is a highlight) if you have a good story to tell.

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soulwounds-a · 7 years ago

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RELATIONSHIP / CONNECTIONS CALL ! / because everyone else seems on this band wagon so i thought , hey , why not ! i could always use more stuff for all my characters ! just hit that like or comment or just IM me if you’re interested in anything !

LINK : 22 , human ( prev . hylian ) , male , asexual .

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN : while i am partial to some loz ships ( particularly link/zelda but also link/midna & link/malon ) & would lean towards those if we got those characters , i’m also not against simply shipping link with someone he meets here if there’s good chemistry ! he’s ace , sexuality wise , but for sure demi romantic . he can fall hard for people he gets close to , male or female , he’ll get some massive heart eyes . plus , he’ll defend you on pain of death always if he has to . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : link is literally the softest boy & deserves all the friends i beg of you ! he’s extremely kind & very easy to befriend . literally if you’re just nice to him he’ll consider you a friend after like 5 seconds & would fight god with a stick for you if you asked .

ROWENA MACLEOD : 300+ ( appears roughly 40 ) , witch , female , pansexual . ( @evliskank )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN : open , yes , but rowena is far more for playful flirting & meaningless flings . this doesn’t mean i’m against a serious relationship for her completely ! especially after this event as rowena will be losing memory of most of her life including when the man who would be crowley’s father broke her heart & caused her view of love as weakness . so , she won’t despise the thought of being in love . however , as her memories slowly come back she’ll become more callous towards it . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : want a powerful witch friend to gossip with ? say no more . rowena isn’t easy to befriend , however , but it’s not impossible . if you’re interested , we’ll work something out ! ENEMIES / OPEN : rowena makes a lot more unfriendly relationships than she does friends . if you guys want a rivalry that’d be awesome ! plus , we can even look into a frienemies kinda deal if you’re into that , too .

JESSE TURNER : 20 , cambion ( half human , half demon ) + the antichrist , male , homosexual . ( @anitchrist )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / CLOSED : sorry , boys , the antichrist is taken ! or he will be . loey & i have a plotted ship to come for jesse & jack kline . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : jesse is pissy , emo , sarcastic , & a down right loner . . . please , force friendship on him . i’m especially here for him being befriended by someone who’s all sunshine & rainbows ! that dynamic would be great . plus , who doesn’t wanna be friends with the antichrist , am i right ? ENEMIES / OPEN : it’s not like he means to make a lot , but jesse can be off putting to some people . particularly this is open to anyone who plays demons . jesse , though half demon , hates demonkind & thinks them pathetic & obnoxious . he wants them to leave him alone .

THE COLT : 183 ( appears roughly early 30s ) , human ( humanized gun ) , male , pansexual . ( @dustsanything )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN : he’s still learning about being human & feelings like this but i’d be very entertained to see him in a relationship tbh . if you like cowboys who used to be literal guns & have a slight god complex then i’ve got good news ! PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : him & friends he makes are usually amusing . not much to say on it . . . but also if your character wants some protection i’d recommend him . he doesn’t play games in defending people he likes , usually , & he’s the most powerful gun in the world . he’s good to have on your side . ENEMIES / OPEN : probably mostly for supernatural creatures , seeing as he’s sometimes salty towards them , & he’s whats made to kill them . plus , he’s a hitman it’s his job ! he’s bound to have made some enemies .

AZAZEL : 10,000+ ( appears around 50s ) , demon ( prince of hell ) , male , pansexual . ( @yellweyes )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN : uh . . . i mean i guess if you’re into . . . horrible asshole demons . don’t expect anything super healthy though . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : there are people who will amuse him & he’ll choose to spend time around them for that . doesn’t mean he cares much or he’ll do much for you . . . but he likes having friends for entertainment . ENEMIES / OPEN : look he’s terrible he’ll make enemies with everyone .

OBI-WAN “BEN” KENOBI : 40 , human ( force sensitive ) , male , asexual . ( @jedirelic )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN : it’s gonna be hard for him . especially seeing as he’s A. ace as hell & B. has the jedi code still very imprinted in his lifestyle . plus he’s just mega depressed from a lot . . . i will say , though , he can playfully flirt like no one’s business . there’s not much meaning ever behind it , but he thinks flirting is fun . he’s a master at flirting but has the romance skill of a bent spoon . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : god he’s so sad he needs friends again . all his friends are dead please befriend him he’s so so kind he’s just tired bc the world hurt him .

CAPTAIN JAMES KIRK : 27 , human , male , bisexual . ( @flvbov )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / OPEN-ISH : i say ish because i’m . . . i’ve been playin lowkey but tbh spirk is everything to me & i’d die if we got a spock . but like i’ll think about it . . . he’ll flirt too he’s flirty . so flings are for sure something we can talk about or friends with benefits . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : he’s SUCH a good friend & he loves just having fun honestly ? he’s very interested in this place as it is 200 years in the past for him . he’s excitable & fun . kinda like a puppy .

MERLIN : 1,500+ ( appears mid - late twenties ) , sorcerer , male , bisexual . ( @magicitslf )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP / CLOSED : if yall don’t think him & arthur are endgame as all get out then i’ve news for you . merlin can be flirty , though ! he can be a saucy minx . i mean just watch the show he’s a dumbass but i’m pretty sure every character on that show was at least a little in love w/ merlin . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : be the sweet magic boy’s friend . if you’re earth , you’ve probably heard of merlin as arthurian legend is big too . also , this goes heavy for anyone with magic . looking at you , hp characters ! there’s also not a lot he wouldn’t do for his friends . OH ALSO WITH ANYONE WHO HAS A MUSE THAT’S A PERSONIFIED DRAGON ! bc ik there are some got dragons around . merlin is a dragon lord , basically he’s able to speak in the dragon tongue & can command dragons when he does & the cant disobey him . he loves them . ENEMIES / OPEN : are you someone who uses magic for ill will ? guess what ! merlin isn’t going to like you . he’s also got strong opinions & a big mouth so if he doesn’t like something you’re doing you’ll know .

HENRY JEKYLL / EDWARD HYDE : 37 , human , male , heterosexual but this could change idk . ( @viceindulged )

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : he’s married to science but he’s also a sweet man . . . well . henry is nice . scratch that , he’s kind of an absolute disaster of a human being but he’s trying his best . & then there’s hyde his counterpart who is . . . just plain terrible . for sure a ship with him would be angsty as all get out . he’s a bit terrified of loving people , what with hyde coming out on his own now . PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS / OPEN : he needs some friends to support him . there’s also a million & ten plots we can draw up for them discovering about hyde & trying to help him through this because it’s driving him insane almost & tearing him apart . he just really needs some support . also if y’all have any sadistic muses ! you can also be friends with hyde ! ENEMIES / OPEN : when i say enemies i mean people who meet hyde before meeting jekyll . jekyll’s nice , doesn’t make a lot of people’s bad lists , but hyde is horrid . people who meet hyde can hate him & then it leads for a ton of confusion when meeting poor jekyll later & it has him deal with the repercussions as he’s always cleaning up hyde’s messes . enemies also work for people who end up befriending hyde also being enemies to jekyll . most people who are an enemy of one will be friend to another . there’s also the idea that someone thinks he’s just unstable & unsafe so he needs to go altogether .

#relationship call #hw: plot call #its like a plot call #but anyway this got long but i Beg of u #i also didnt put michael on here bc im considering dropping him for gandalf #will keep u updated #if i decide to keep him then ill add him on #👌 * / . . . ooc : the triforce of kinda stupid .

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thepapergirlandthespiegelman · 6 years ago

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My Top Ten Favorite Video Games of All Time

As of right now.

10. Madeline European Adventures (Creative Wonders, Microsoft Windows, 1996)

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Keywords: point-and-click adventure, single player

This short, cute PC game from my childhood follows young Madeline on an adventure through Europe. The game has the same sweet, unassuming art style as the books and cartoon. You help Madeline by completing simple tasks like collecting flowers and piecing together a ripped up train ticket. The simplicity and childish wonder of this game fill me with nostalgia.

9. Spaceteam (Henry Smith, Android, 2012)

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Keywords: couch co-op, multiplayer, party game

I think this might have literally been one of the official tag lines of the game, or maybe it was in the trailer or something, but I commonly introduce this game as “a game where you get to scream at your friends.” Also, chaos. The premise of the game is that you work with your friends to fly a spaceship. Each player has a unique dashboard, and some of the instructions that appear on a player’s screen will be for controls on another player’s dashboard, meaning that everyone has to yell out their commands as they get them (while also listening for instructions for their own dashboard).

The aesthetic of Spaceteam is simple and elegant. The background music is a perfect fit. I love the uniqueness of the characters in the Waiting Room. Even though your character’s appearance has no bearing on the actual game, it’s a nice aesthetic touch that seems superior to simple sprites distinguished from each other only by color or something like that. It adds that small, additional silly moment of “I’m the pink guy with the elephant trunk and pageant queen sash.” (I also love that silly moment when playing with someone new: “Is that who I’ll be in the game?” “Nope.” “Oh.”) And the opening lines (“...as a SPACETEAM!”) are so satisfying and iconic.

I love the complexity of the controls; rather than just tapping buttons, playing Spaceteam involves turning dials, moving notched sliders, and swinging broken panels back into place.

The picture sectors are by far my favorite because of how ridiculous and diverse the verbalization that people come up with are. Sometimes it’s as simple as yelling “California! CALIFORNIA!!!” over and over again, but other times it seems impossible to communicate with anything less than “Partially drained pool on a hot day! PARTIALLY DRAINED POOL ON A HOT DAY!”

Spaceteam is a simple game and not as popular as it was in its heyday, but it’s still a fun icebreaker and party game.

8. Old School RuneScape (Jagex, Microsoft Windows, 2013)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), massively multiplayer online (MMO), third person

I never played RuneScape Classic, I only recently got into OSRS, and I only play free-to-play (FTP) because I’m too cheap with money to spend it on RuneScape and too cheap with time to try to generate enough in-game currency to buy membership. As I understand it, RuneScape has something of a reputation as a game of mindless grinding and meaningless achievement. This is probably somewhat deserved. There is a lot of repetitiveness in improving skills (“skilling”) in RuneScape, and it’s not really balanced by any creative aspect in the way that the gameplay in Stardew Valley is. There are quests, but I quickly ran through all of the free-to-play quests (with the exception of two that called for me to murder innocent people and therefore, to this day, lie incomplete in my quests list...). There’s also player-versus-player (PVP) combat, but besides the aforementioned aversion to murder, I don’t really stand a chance against even a mediocre player.

But there’s a lot to love about OSRS. While I initially cringed at the extremely dated aesthetic, I grew to love it. Is it ugly? Yes. Do everyone’s eyes look like unholy, black, triangular voids? Yes. But the same things that make it dated and ugly also make it visually interesting and unique.

What really redeems RuneScape for me, though, is the other players. RuneScape was the first MMO that I ever played, and I was really pleasantly surprised by how genuinely kind, helpful, and thoughtful the other players are. Veterans are eager to help out new players. Multiple people have given me super high value items or gold for little or no reason, pretty much out of the blue. One player asked me if I help other people; when I said something like, “Most of the time,” he rewarded me for my honesty with gp and told me to always be good to others. Another gave me gold for complimenting his outfit. Someone gave me a shit ton of runes because he had just won a game of hide and seek and I happened to be walking by, and another person gave me a piece of gilded armor for doing a trivial task.

Part of this, as one player who I talked to pointed out, might be that veterans like to “flex on” noobs, as the kids are saying these days. But I think that part of it is really just that RuneScape is a world of abundance, and when people prosper, they’re eager to share that prosperity with others. I really love that, and I wish that the real world was more similar.

That same conversation leads me to another important point of the social world of RuneScape: surprisingly long and deep conversations. Conversation with the players around you is a way to pass the time while skilling, but, then again, maybe playing RuneScape is an excuse for or avenue to conversation. As far as I can tell, it’s near impossible to find someone to have a pleasant, real-time chat with on the Internet. Sites like Omegle tend to be plagued with bots and horny men (although, actually, I once met someone on Omegle and we’re Tumblr mutuals to this day. So sometimes good things do happen). But everyone I’ve met on RuneScape seems happy to chat about the game and life and whatever else, and I’ve had some really interesting conversations.

7. Swapples (OMGPop, Web, c. 2006)

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Keywords: tile-matching, match 3, multiplayer, online

It’s not that Swapples, a fairly generic tile-matching game, is especially stunning. The game is cute and fun, but what I really appreciate is the OMGPop model. One of my favorite things about playing video games has always been playing with other people. Back in the day, my friends and I would drop OMGPop links in our Skype group chat to invite each other to play these silly games. I love the simplicity of that: no one has to make an account, or friend the other user, or download or buy anything, they just click the link and you’re ready to go. Sadly, OMGPop no longer exists, and I don’t know of any other site that does this.

6. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo, Wii, 2007), Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii, 2008), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo, Wii, 2008)

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Keywords: party game, competitive, multiplayer

I grouped all of these together because they’re the three multiplayer Wii games that I would play with my brothers and friends when I was a kid. I don’t have that much to say about them except that playing games with people is fun!

I’m neither competitive nor at all skilled, but I still enjoyed Brawl for the following reasons:

1) Chaos, comebacks, and rooting for one player or another. I think “Stay out of the way and try to let the big guys beat each other up” is a pretty standard tactic, but yeah; it’s a good one. Even if you don’t win, you get to watch the match, and hey, maybe one of them will kill the other and you’ll survive slightly longer!

2) Badass female character action. It’s superficial, but hey, I loved playing the female characters in Smash: Peach kicking people in the face in her pink high heels; magic-wielding, gender-bending Zelda/Sheik; Samus turning into hot as fuck Zero Suit Samus after her Final Smash.

3) The drama of the story, perhaps exaggerated by my young brain, but a factor contributing to my liking of the game regardless. The idea of all of these different characters coming together to resist being forced to fight each other to the death is pretty romantic.

5. Undertale (Toby Fox, Microsoft Windows, 2015)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, overhead perspective, pixel art

It took me a looong time to get around to playing Undertale. I had known about it for awhile, but I only actually decided to play it after everyone on Tumblr started freaking out about Delta Rune.

I definitely wasn’t disappointed. This game is iconic.

The tag line pretty much sums it up: “The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.”

Historically, I’ve had two problems with video games:

1) Too hard. Games that are too difficult are basically unplayable, and unplayable games aren’t very fun. While I get that if you work at anything long enough, you’ll probably be able to do it eventually, I’d still rather start with an easy game and work up to more difficult ones. I don’t have years of video game experience that would have improved my reaction time and hand-eye coordination and given me a knowledge of strategy. While any game is playable with time and effort, games are most fun (at least for me) when level of player skill and level of challenge are in some kind of balance (there are those masochists who will plug away at games like Getting Over It for hours upon hours, and power to them, but I am not one of them, at least not currently).

2) Too violent. This problem is twofold and relates to the above. The first problem is my general distaste for violence, even fictional. I’d rather help someone than hurt them, if possible. The second problem is that I often get bored by combat. Again, this is partially due to the difficulty being too high; repetitively training myself to improve things like my reaction time and aim seems rather dull to me on the face of it, although I now understand a little better how it could be a welcome challenge. Other times, it seems like combat boils down to just numbers (player stats, etc.), which again, I didn’t immediately see the appeal of, although I now get how it could be intellectually stimulating to calculate and strategize.

Undertale manages to craft a unique and entertaining game without having either of the above problems or reducing the game to a more visual novel-like format.

The save points (which sport the text “...fills you with determination”) feel like a promise from the game that as long as you stay determined, you will be rewarded. I really appreciate that.

This is a fantastic game. It’s sweet, ridiculous, suspenseful, funny, creepy, tragic, and inspirational. The pixel art aesthetic is wonderful. The soundtrack is excellent. Everyone, especially people who think that they don’t like video games, should play this game.

4. Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe/Chucklefish, Microsoft Windows, 2016)

Image: my own screenshot

Keywords: farming simulator, role-playing game (RPG), single player, online co-op, multiplayer, third person, overhead perspective, pixel art

Stardew Valley is a lovely, whimsical farming simulator/country life role-playing game that feels like home. I haven’t played any other farming sims (other than a brief stint with FarmVille, which I pretty quickly abandoned), but what seems to set it apart is the relationships that you build with the other villagers. They’re simplistic in some ways; a big part of the social dynamic follows the typical RPG format of “give person gift, now they love you,” but each villager’s likes and dislikes are (mostly) unique, and the dialogue and cut scenes help to make the relationship feel more real. You can even marry one of them and have children.

You also get to know the villagers’ schedules to some extent and get used to seeing them on holidays, which is weirdly pretty realistic. Predictability makes things easier to code, but human beings also just are predictable. We have routines. We look forward to holidays. The game can get boring, and obviously there are limitations in what you can do to affect things in the game that would not exist in real life, but it still feels pretty real and satisfying.

Co-op mode, in which one player can invite other players to work on their farm with them as farmhands (and may ultimately propose to and marry them, if they wish) feels like a weirdly accurate simulation of what it’s like to run a household together. You worry about money and talk about how much each person should be able to spend. You think about the relationships that each of you has with other people. You collaborate on furnishing and decorating choices. It feels like good practice for the future.

3. Pokémon Leaf Green (Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 2004), Pokémon Sapphire (Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 2003)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, overhead perspective, chiptune

My Pokémon games were me hand-me-downs from my brothers. I’m not really sure, but I don’t think that they’re the most popular ones of the series. Regardless, I loved them. I loved caring for each of my precious Pokémon, training them to grow big and strong, and watching them improve and evolve. I caught a Ralts very early on in one of the games, which is apparently quite rare, and lovingly raised it up to a Gardevoir. As a Psychic Pokémon, Gardevoir became kind of a sign of protection and positive mental health for me, a sort of good luck charm. I had a Blaziken named Peeta, after the Hunger Games character. I tried to make sure that each of my Pokémon got time to play and didn’t have to spend eternity cooped up in my Box; this wasn’t always super compatible with my other goal to “catch ‘em all,” but the thought was there. I have such happy nostalgia associated with this game and each of its different aspects: the different biomes and weather, planting berries, the shops and Pokémon centers, the Poké flutes, the different types of Poké balls, the ancient Pokemon, the thrill of potentially catching a legendary Pokémon, the music.

2. Humongous Entertainment suite - Pajama Sam (1996-2003), Freddi Fish (1994-2013), and Putt-Putt (1992-2003)

Image: my own screenshot

Keywords: point-and-click adventure, single player

The HE games are point-and-click adventures featuring a young boy with a silly superhero alter ego (Pajama Sam); a fish (Freddi) and her friend (Luther); and an anthropomorphic car (Putt-Putt). These exploration games fascinated me as a child, and the Pajama Sam aesthetic had a huge impact on me. “No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside,” in which Sam journeys through the fantastical Land of Darkness that he never knew was in his closet, is the most iconic. The game is mostly dressed in shades of purple, blue, and black, with occasional pops of bright yellow and orange thrown in. The game effortlessly tows the line between creepy and charming, with characters like two doors that come to life and act as game show hosts to test Sam before he can pass through. Beyond those two doors lies one of my favorite scenes of the game, a hallway of logic-defying doors: doors of all sizes, shapes, and colors, on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Gravity doesn’t seem to work normally in this strange, liminal space. The mines in the game, in contrast to most of the other imagery, have a lot of stark red and gold, but black border and background elements make the mines just as creepy as the rest of the game, and perhaps more menacing. Like a lot of children’s games, “No Need to Hide” also contains a lot of wacky, mismatched imagery (hot dogs as the ends of cattails, giant paintbrushes next to multi-color geysers that double as paint pots) which, in this case, can be attributed to the fact that the Land of Darkness, for all its forests, rivers, mines, and more, is still contained within Sam’s closet. The confused chaos somehow feels very representative of what the inside of a child’s mind is like.

“You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet” and “Life is Rough When You Lose Your Stuff” are similar to “No Need to Hide,” but the soundtrack improves, bringing in varying kinds of jazz music, from swing to bossa nova, as the final element tying the Pajama Sam aesthetic together.

I also have to give a nod to the first Freddi Fish game. The aesthetic of “The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds” is similarly bizarre and wonderful. The dark and creepy junkyard guarded by an angry “dog” fish, the sketchy manta ray watch salesman, the “peanut butter and jellyfish” sandwich that you have to feed to a hostile lurking eel, the fish cabaret. It’s just really creative and aesthetically interesting.

1. Paper Mario series - Paper Mario (2001), Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (2004), Super Paper Mario (2007)

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Keywords: role-playing game (RPG), single player, third person, player-controlled party members/allies

Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door: turn-based combat

Super Paper Mario: real-time combat, action role-playing game, side-scroller, platformer

The only Mario games that I’ve played other than the party games, I used to play these with my younger brother. We’d take turns playing and watching the other person. I love the idea of Paper Mario, and of course the characters and art style are unique, creative, iconic. We started with Super Paper Mario, and I remember that one the most vividly. In Super Paper Mario, the paper version of Mario actually has the ability to go 3D, finding secret locations and paths inaccessible to those restricted to two dimensions. Something about that is just really cool to me, and it expands on the theme of exploration of all nooks and crannies (check ceilings, look under loose bricks!) from the game’s predecessors.

So much weird stuff happens in this game (note: some spoilers ahead, obviously): seemingly cute and innocent Mimi forces Mario into slavery after he accidentally breaks a vase, then later transforms into a horrifying spider monster; Mario visits the underworld and swims in the river Styx, where long, creepy white hands grab at him; there’s an entire secret alternate version of one of the central locations, “Flipside,” called “Flopside.” This game is just wild, and I love all of the different settings and characters and how the plot progresses.

Honorable mentions/good games that didn’t make my top ten: Frog Fractions, Jackbox games (Drawful, Quiplash), Zoo Tycoon, Depression Quest, The Stanley Parable, The Beginner’s Guide, Doki Doki Literature Club, Firewatch, Donut County

So that’s my list! I’m still very new to the world of video games. There are a lot of genres that I haven’t even tried yet. I’m very open to recommendations!!!

#list #video games #aesthetic #gameplay #storytelling

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