#jeez can we not go back to my style in january please

[jam-campasta]

Hopping on the bandwagon that everyone else seems to be doing :V

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[theonetruevincent]

TheOneTrueVincent Reviews: Sonic Underground

Happy very late Christmas/New year, I know I’m late but better late than pregnant, So I decided, totally not last minute and fully planned it, that before the end of the year I would review everyone’s favorite cartoon from the best animation studio DIC Entertainment, Sonic Underground. I mean come on who doesn’t love watching Sonic for Christmas, So let’s get into it.

What’s up with this show?:

Sonic Underground, it’s the third animated show adapting Sega’s mascot Sonic The Hedgehog, the show was created by DIC Entertainment who are famous for shows like The Super Mario Super Show, Inspector Gadget, and Super Duper Sumos, even the original Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon, along with so many other memorable shows (I said memorable, not good).

The show came around when Sega asked DIC to make a new Sonic cartoon, this was at the same time Sega was making the Dreamcast, so it’s assumed they wanted a new cartoon to promote the console. 

They already made the show bible back in March 1997 and was announced in December of the same year, The show wouldn’t actually air until January of 1999 in France, which only lasted for 18 episodes there. The US wouldn’t get it until August of the same year.

This show has a lot of production problems in general as we’re going to see right now because we are going to the creators/crew of the show.

The Crew:

When it came to looking up the crew of the show it was a mess, I’ve read that the production of this show was a mess for the writers, mainly because they were given such little time in general, but JEEZ! When it comes to a director, there were 4 of them, 3 of them only worked on 14 episodes each, while only 1 of them worked 24 episodes.

Of course like said earlier the writers got the worst of it if you check the writers for the show you’ll see that there was almost a different writer for each episode of the show, which watching the show you can really tell, which with that we can go into the actual show now.

The Premise:

*Note: Sonic Underground takes place in a different canon from any other Sonic media 

Queen Aleena (Gail Webster), the former ruler of Mobius, get’s overthrown by the evil Doctor Robotnik (Garry Chalk) and takes over the world and forcing the Queen to go into hiding. To preserve the dynasty, she separated her children Sonic (Sam Vincent), Manic (Tyley Ross), and Sonia (Stevie Vallance) after an oracle told her a prophecy that she and her children would one day reunite with each other and defeat Robotnik. Years later, Sonic and his siblings group up and are given a quest from the oracle to search for their mother and rise against Robotnik once and for all.

The general feel:

Sonic Underground is a DIC Entertainment show, and if you are, in any way, familiar with any other shows from DIC you can already get an idea what this show is about. But in case not let’s discuss it, first, the animation, the animation is average at best and can be pretty terrible at other times. Like a lot of other DIC shows this show has a lot of animation errors that can either be the best or the worst, but regardless if you were alright with the style of SonicSatAM then it’s passable, but otherwise, you might not like it.

As for the actual characters and story, it’s well, alright I guess? It’s not the absolute worst thing in this show, the story is alright for a kid. As for adults, mostly for the people who didn’t grow up with this show, there’s not that much for them. The characters are fine, Sonic and Robotnik are almost the exact same as their SatAM counterparts if you like the characters in SatAM, then Underground is almost the same, only it doesn’t have any of the characters from SatAM, with only a few references maybe but other than that not much. As for Sonia and Manic, the other two leads, they’re meh at best it doesn’t really matter since these two are never coming back to any show.The plot is dumb and too confusing for its own sake, and for most episodes, nothing goes forward, they almost find their mom but not really, and fuck with Robotnik and his henchmen. and even then the show ends on a cliffhanger since the show got canceled before they could.

Also, one more thing I forgot to mention since Sonic and gang has magic instruments weapons and not just being freedom fighters but they’re also an underground band. Because of that, there has to be a song in every episode, to sum them up in one word: TERRIBLE. 

Final thoughts:

I never grew up with SonicSatAM, but I did watch Sonic Underground when I was younger and absolutely loved it, it combined two of my favorite things at the time Sonic and rock (somewhat). But of course, when I grew older I realized “Wow, this is terrible”. After that, I never really watched it up until this review, and it’s still the same opinion for me

In the end, Sonic Underground is not a good show, I would say kids would like it and if you grew up with this show and still like it that’s fine, but if you’re expecting something amazing from this show, don’t. 

Fun Facts:

GamesRadar called the show “The absolute worst Sonic moments”

Patrick Lee of The A.V. Club panned the series, calling it one of the most artistic failures to ever end up on television

The Sonic The Hedgehog comic had featured a story in a special issue in which the Sonic Underground continuity was featured

Thank you for reading this, and if you enjoyed it please like and reblog and if you want to see more of my reviews follow me @theonetruevincent and if you’re interested in my personal life, go to my main social media down below.

Sorry, this came SO LATE, I’ve been very busy for the last couple days, but anyway have a great New Years! My Personal Blog: https://vinniethegbalord.tumblr.com/ My Twitter: https://twitter.com/GbaPlayer967

Thanks again and keep being cool, see ya next time!

[press-a-repeatedly]

Justin's Top 10 Games of 2018

by Justin Tomasello | @Oaf7724

2018 was a year of change for me. In January I moved back to South Jersey after spending six years living in Staten Island. I worked three (actually four) different jobs this year, trying to find the right fit. I spent a lot of time in my own head, trying to figure out a direction to take and force myself to stay on it. On top of all my mental deliberation, the state of the world continued its transition into a pretty depressing and embarrassing place. I'm not thrilled to admit that to save my sanity, my response to it all was to just bury my head in the sand, much like the noble ostrich.

Obviously, everyone's goal in life is to achieve total happiness in all aspects of it. That is not an easy task by a long shot, as new obstacles and challenges appear quite often to thwart us in our quest. Part of the game of life is not just overcoming these challenges, but acknowledging them and embracing them when they arrive.

Things like family, friends, and of course video games were great avenues this year for me to relax, have some fun, and forget about stuff that was bothering me. I am so thankful to have such a great support group close by to have a beer with and play games to get away from overthinking and worrying about things too damn much.

2018 was a great year for games! Unfortunately, it was quite a busy one for me and I wasn't able to play as much as I would have liked. Nonetheless, the experiences I've had were all quite memorable, including a few games that had me thinking about them constantly while working or away from home. Please enjoy my personal top ten below, along with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

Steamworld Dig 2 - I started playing Steamworld Dig 2 moments after the curtain closed on 2017, and the more I played, the angrier I got that I had waited so long. This gorgeous 2D exploration platformer had such an excellent element of progression to it. Every item you received provided you the ability to get to a new area and get a little bit further down into the depths of the earth. The characters were unique and creative, the story was a surprise, and the music was kick ass (that main town theme is one of the smoothest tracks I've heard in quite a while.) Had I played this in 2017 it may have been in my top three games of the year.

Harvest Moon 64 - The summertime always gets me in the mood to play Harvest Moon, and this year was no different. I picked up HM64 on the Wii U's virtual console just to mess around in for a bit one muggy July day and wound up putting probably more than 40 hours into it. It had always been my favorite game of the series, and I was worried that it would feel too dated. But after an hour of playing I just got used to everything and enjoyed a hearty mix of good ol' farm-sim fun and nostalgia.

Tales of Berseria - Another game that came out in 2017 that I didn't get around to playing until this year, but I'm so glad I finally did. I've been known to enjoy a good Tales game from time to time and this entry did not disappoint. Yeah the battles are a bit repetitive and lack any real sense of strategy, but the characters are awesome and the bloodthirsty-for-vengeance themed story had me quite entertained. I got about 15 hours in until RDR2 came out and understandably fell off. But I'm hoping to go and finish it up in 2019!

And Now, The Top 10

10.) Starlink: Battle for Atlas - When this was first shown off in E3 2017 I recall being quite excited. The idea of a space-adventure shooter coming to the Switch was unexpected but welcomed. The toys to life angle may have scared a bunch of players off, but when StarFox was announced as a playable character in E3 2018, interest returned.

The gameplay is fun and the wealth of weapons is a cool feature (even if it is a bit annoying to keep navigating through menus to switch them - this is made easier if you bought the toy portion of the game, but they are not necessary to play). The game is pretty open too, letting you visit multiple planets at your leisure, or just absentmindedly drift through the cosmos. There is definitely a large No Man's Sky vibe in Starlink, with the ability to travel through space at different speeds and the vibrant colors and textures of the alien worlds. I've barely scratched the surface of Ubisoft's sci-fi adventure but am certainly interested in playing more.

9.) The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit - If you're a loyal listener of the pod, there's no secret that the Life is Strange series is quite beloved by some of our team. To get players excited for the sequel, DONTNOD released a playable intro/demo to Life is Strange 2 earlier this year. As expected the game provided us with deep and interesting characters, great dialogue, and threw our emotions in a tizzy. It's impressive how accurately the team was able to present the story through the imagination and mystic-eyed wonder of a young boy. This game also included the most bullshit, no-way-you'd-figure-this-out-without-looking-it-up puzzle of all time.

8.) Monster Hunter World - Capcom certainly made a splash at the beginning of the year when Monster Hunter World hit the store shelves. Releasing the game on all the big consoles (and PC) and changing some of the mechanics around to be a little bit friendlier to new players helped the series finally breakthrough with the core US audience (this game sold a TON of copies both here and in the East). The game looks the best it ever has and is packed with plenty of badass monsters to take down. While I did enjoy my time with it around launch, I quickly fell off as I always tend to do with Monster Hunter games. The required repetitive gameplay and the chunky online matchmaking were frustrating, and since I didn't have as much time to play as my pals, I was pretty quickly left in the dust.

7.) A Way Out - Chris and I played through the first half of this cooperative video game / team-building exercise earlier in the year. It's cliché as all hell, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and the writing was terrible (the characters were basically saying the same things over and over again, just presented differently). Beyond those flaws, though, hides a pretty unique and creative local-multiplayer gameplay experience. I cannot properly describe how hard we laughed when Chris drove our getaway vehicle directly into an oncoming 18-wheeler. Or at my failed attempt at sneaking into an old man's house, where he opened the door, saw me, and blasted me off his porch point-blank with his trusty shotgun. We need to finish this game, preferably with some friends watching alongside us.

6.) Subnautica - Something you may not know about me: I am fascinated with the sea, and what lies beneath. I've gone snorkeling a few times on vacations and watching the aquatic world operate right beneath you is a serene, calming, beautiful experience. So I am of course impressed when video games are able to recreate that world in their own artistic vision (Abzu, anyone?). Subnautica at its core is a survival game, which I tend to pompously turn my nose at. However, when fellow PAR teamie Butch showed me some videos wayyyy back in January, I immediately became interested. The art direction is gorgeous. The world of the sea is vast, menacing, beautiful, and unknown. The contraptions you can build (underwater base, a sub-like motorcycle thing) are pretty damn cool. I put this on hold when MHW came out and shamefully never returned. I'd really like to "dive" back in! Oh jeeze, I think I hear the Pun Police knocking on my door.

5.)  Octopath Traveler - I regrettably did not purchase Octopath Traveler in 2018 (this has since been rectified). However, I did play to completion the two demos that were released prior to the game's launch. The second of which is basically the first three hours of the game, and I'll be able to forward my progress once I officially start the main game. Octopath Traveler has everything a classic turn-based JRPG fan like myself wants: beautifully detailed sprite graphics, awesome music, interesting characters and writing, and a fun, strategic battle system. The art direction is a standout, offering a unique, pop-up storybook/diorama style of environment. Plus the game is helmed by the Bravely Default team, who already had a great pedigree with RPG fans.

4.) No Man's Sky - NEXT - No Man's Sky - NEXT, the content-packed free DLC that came out this past summer, is an inspiration. After NMS's absolute nightmare of an initial launch, no one would have blamed Hello Games if they packed up shop and moved to Morocco to hide under false identities as coconut farmers. Instead, they faced the brunt of millions of disappointed and angry fans. They endured Sony turning their backs on them and throwing them under the bus. They owned their mistakes, worked effortlessly, and silently, and managed to take a game we all thought was dead and buried and convert it into one of the most talked about experiences in 2018. NEXT added features such as online multiplayer, character customization, 3rd-person view, base building, better graphics and textures, and a better credit system that made buying ships and other more expensive items much easier. NEXT was only one of a few free expansions that came out this year. ABYSS followed, which provided swimming and a complete remap of aquatic life. VISIONS came out shortly after that, boasting a more diverse universe with new biomes, flora, fauna and architecture. While I would not argue those who say NMS's core gameplay is still weak, these new updates provided me personally with a relaxing and enjoyable starship-exploring experience for a good chunk of the year.

3.)  Donut County - It's rare when a game meets your expectations 100%, but Donut County absolutely did for me. I fell in love with the game's art style and quirkiness when I first caught wind of it at PSX 2017. The game is simply relaxing, fun, and bursting with charm. The wonky characters are a joy, the music is plucky and catchy, and the dialogue is modern and funny without being annoying (a lot of it is conveyed via text message, and I was never once rolling my eyes). The game is brief but I would equate it to a game like Octodad: it ends just before the mechanics would start to wear thin. Donut County was exactly what I wanted it to be.

2.) God of War - My prior knowledge of the God of War series up to this year was pretty weak. Being a strict Nintendo fanboy growing up, I never played anything from the franchise. I was pretty green going in on Sony Santa Monica's latest offering. The fact that I could enjoy this game as much as I did without having played any of the previous games is just one of the many reasons this game ranks so highly on my list.

The direction of this game is spectacular. Spinning the game's lore to mesh with the massive scope of Norse Mythology was so interesting and impressive (heck, we even did a whole podcast about it). Shifting Kratos from a one-dimensional revenge-driven character to a hardened widow noticeably troubled about having to raise a son on his own and prevent him from making the same mistakes he has was unexpected. Watching Atreus grow, and watching Kratos allow him to grow was a touching experience. I still think the scene of the two of them sharing a bottle of wine was my favorite gaming moment of the year.

Oh yeah, then there's the actual gameplay. The combat is fast, fun and intuitive. The progression system is well-designed and the variety of different moves you can perform is so vast I found myself losing track. The way that Atreus' arrows are incorporated is creative; they are also incredibly handy with some of the tougher fights. It should also be noted that in an era of every single player game feeling the need to be a grandiose open-world experience, I found a lot of pleasure rolling through a more linear-based type of gameplay. Sure, the world opens up eventually and there are multiple new areas to explore, but they are pretty paltry in comparison to the main game. Extra content and side quests are the weakest part of the package. Minor flaws aside, God of War was a must-have experience in 2018.

1.) Red Dead Redemption 2 - Give me a good story, give me deep characters, and give me exceptional writing, and I am one happy camper. With the added bonus that I am quite partial to a western/cowboy setting, RDR2 was my personal game of the year. I had only played through the original a couple years ago and I loved every moment of it. When Rockstar dropped the bomb on RDR2, my hype train was blasting through the station, even if I was a tad concerned with how the story would work as a prequel. To my surprise: remarkably well.

Arthur Morgan's character is well-developed and interesting, and as you progress through the game and witness him begin to question, doubt, and worry about his future, your bond with him only swells. The supporting cast of nomadic outlaws are also varied, detailed and bursting with life. Every single one of them is unique and has personality. They all have reasons they joined Dutch's crew and doing quests for each member became an absolute joy for me. None ever felt like a chore.

The environments are beautiful and serene. The NPCs are quite animated and often busy. They will interact with you constantly, even when you don't want them to. The soundtrack is breathtaking, and the animation and graphics on everything (yes, even those horse privates) are the best I have ever seen.

There of course were some minor nags for me. The clunky jog-wheel menus could often be frustrating to navigate. The shooting never felt great. There were some serious pacing issues in moments of the story, and a couple parts that kinda didn't make much sense that often disrupted the experience for me. Some of the gameplay I thought was a bit too similar to the original Red Dead Redemption. Ultimately, these were just bumps in the road that my caravan's wheels were able to roll over without causing any destruction. The game from start to finish (and the fun and lengthy epilogue at the end) was an engrossing, wholesome, and moving experience that anyone who appreciates good narrative and good characters absolutely must play.

[det-vackraste]

Okey, so you're really supposed to be tagged by someone to do this, but since I don't have time to wait for that, imma go ahead and tag myself

1. selfie I’m on mobile, so… sorry, but check my “me” tag 2. what would you name your future kids? jeez, I don’t know.. If I have a boy I think I want one of his names to be Finn, cause that was my grandpa’s name plus it’s a cute name. If a girl, maybe give her my middle name Märta, just to pass that on down, but other than that I don’t know.. 3. do you miss anyone? Hmm.. maybe one of my friends who’s been away backpacking since January, and isn’t getting back home until June 4. what are you looking forward to? My mum, sister and I are planning a spa trip, so I’m looking forward to that 5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? My boyfriend, my dog or my best friend since 11 years 6. is it hard for you to get over someone? I haven’t really had to get over someone before, so I don’t know, but I can imagine I either don’t give a fuck or have a really hard time, no in between. 7. what was your life like last year? Real good. Last semester of school, so everything was chill, fun and exciting 8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed? Well, I’m a crier when I’m angry or frustrated enough, so yeah probably 9. who did you last see in person? My boyfriend, who’s sleeping next to me 10. are you good at hiding your feelings? I can be if I want to 11. are you listening to music right now? Nope 12. what is something you want right now? grapes and cash 13. how do you feel right now? Pretty good. Chilling in bed, a little sleepy. A tad bit too warm, cause Sebastian is clinging to every inch of me in his sleep, but I really don’t mind 14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you? If his current clinging counts as a hug; my boyfriend 15. personality description I can come off as a bit bitchy/boring/shy, but if I find you funny I’ll open up and be more fun and crazy. If I like you enough I’m also probably the most loyal bitch on this planet. 16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t? Yeah I have. Two of my friends who dated for a year had a nasty breakup, and quite soon after that the guy had sex with someone else. I promised him that I wouldn’t tell his ex. That was hard. But I didn’t… 17. opinion on insecurities. Not sure what this question wants, but… Insecurities are shit, and I’m doing pretty good with ignoring mine 18. do you miss how things were a year ago? On one hand yes, cause I had a clear routine and somewhere to be everyday, and everything was so chill and exciting since it was a few months before graduation. But on the other hand I’m okey with moving on with my life. I still have the people from a year ago that I care about, and I’m starting to get a clearer view of my future life choices so it almost excites me 19. have you ever been to New York? No I haven’t, would like to go though 20. what is your favourite song at the moment? Man, I don’t know… I’m a junkie for “Balladen om herr Fredrik Åkare och den söta fröken Cecilia Lind” by Cornelis Vreeswijk 21. age and birthday? 20 years old, January 7th 22. description of crush. Except for my boyfriend I don’t have a crush atm. But when I do, they’re pretty much always the same type of guy(my boyfriend included.. I have a very specific type, okey?); * Dark, a lil longer, curly-curlyish hair * Tall, lanky * (Harry Styles, Kit Harington, Robert Sheehan, Sirius Black) *Skinny jeans in legs for days *Big hands *Tall 23. fear(s) 
I’m scared to death of spiders, no joke. Also scared of darker things, like the future, being lonely and such 24. height 167cm, whatever that is in feet 25. role model Uhh… don’t know really..? 26. idol(s) Harry Styles is a really good human being tbh 27. things i hate Cold places, brushing my teeth (it’s the most boring fucking thing I know) 28. i’ll love you if… You love me, probably. I’m trash for affection 29. favourite film(s) Man I don’t know… I’m not at all picky with movies, and usually like every movie I see, so….? 30. favourite tv show(s) Game of thrones & friends 31. 3 random facts * I’ve seen every season of “RuPaul’s drag race”. Pearl is my babe. * I’m basically CONSTANTLY moving/jerking/twitching at least one of my feet or toes in some kind of way. Don’t know why, but I’ve done it for like 8 years now, feels weird when I don’t * I don’t eat sauce. Not on burgers, or pizza, or Kebab or anything. Basically only eat ketchup. 32. are your friends mainly girls or guys? My closest, closest friends are mainly girls, but among all (lol, makes it sound like a lot) of my friends, it’s quite evenly divided 33. something you want to learn More languages, although I hate actually learning it, so I doubt it’s gonna happen.. I would also like to be better than I am at piano 34. most embarrassing moment ?? I’m an embarrassing person so… don’t know 35. favourite subject I like English and Swedish (my 1st language) cause I enjoy writing. Other than that, biology 36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill? * Want to find my dream occupation * Want to go to Australia * Want to share an apartment with either bestie or boyfriend 37. favourite actor/actress Leonardo DiCaprio is nice, I don’t know 38. favourite comedian(s) Asså mannen, Johan Glans 39. favourite sport(s) I don’t really do sports… but like… figure skating? (Eller gång, det är nog min favvo) 40. favourite memory I have a few: * Front row on One Direction’s where we are tour concert at Wembley. The whole 24 hours prior to the concert itself was amazing, and then being in the front row was just unreal. And then Harry screaming “köttbullar” (=meatballs, cause we had a Swedish flag) at us. Best day. * Like the entire week before graduation was great. Prom, chilling in the sun, graduating. It was all really nice. We bought a big, inflatable pool, so when the rest of the students were still in school, all of the graduates had pool parties in the school yard * One time when my boyfriend was playing some game on his computer, to gain his attention, I climbed up into his lap and latched myself around him like a backwards backpack, and then I accidentally fell asleep there. Slept for about an hour. Best nap of my life. 41. relationship status In a relationship since three years 42. favourite book(s) I’m such an embarrassing sucker for the entire Harry Potter series and that entire universe. Other than that I loved “the Book thief” by Marcus Zusak 43. favourite song ever God…….. I don’t know 44. age you get mistaken for I don’t think I’ve been mistaken ever… But quite often my friends have to show ID at bars, but I don’t? 45. how you found out about your idol My best friend showed me this boy band she had discovered, and well there he was 46. what my last text message says “Where’s the lie tho” in response to a screenshot of a funny text post I was sent 47. turn ons Oh god, where do i start.. * cockiness, but not in a gross way, but just a smug, confident way..? Making sense? * Hands. Long, slim fingers; hands of a pianist * Long, slim legs in skinny jeans * Jaw lines * Tiny man butts * Veiny forearms * Tall people * Smoking..? I don’t know why? I don’t even like smoking? It’s just something aesthetically pleasing with long, slender fingers holding a cigarette * HAIR, dark, long luscious locks * Kissing. Anywhere but the lips (lips too tho) * Biting * Teasing * Hands, grabbing, groping, gentle slapping. You name it, it probably turns me on 48. turn offs Like…. pissing? And snus (snuff). So fucking gross 49. where i want to be right now Somewhere with a lowest temperature of 25 degrees Celsius 50. favourite picture of your idol I’m on mobile, man, but probably like… messy bun, a flimsy shirt that’s really out there, and some sparkly boots 51. starsign I’m your typical Capricorn 52. something i’m talented at Like… music stuff.. I have a really good ear for keys and such in music..? 53. 5 things that make me happy * Sunshine * Dogs * Travelling * My boyfriend and best friend * Reading/drawing 54. Name something you’re currently worried about The future; what do I want to do for a living, and hence; what do I want to study at uni? 55. tumblr friends I’m not really tumblr active in that way.. I just reblog nice pictures of nice things and that’s that. One time TT answered one of my asks 56. favourite food(s) Tacos. 57. favourite animal(s) Dogs Foxes, because they’re extra pretty dogs 58. description of my best friend Real smol. 59. why i joined tumblr Facebook was so 2010

[dead-leonard]

Diaboli Dei Part One

So, I’ve never really done this before, but I feel like it’d be okay to post.

This is sort of a self-insert fanfic involving the Chocobros, that I’ve been sort of dabbling with for the last week or so to help me distract myself from some things that aren’t good to focus on. I figured posting it as I wrote it would give me that final feeling of completion, like when each part is posted whatever I was feeling during the time I wrote it would be left there. I am not a writer, so this is probably not to the level of some other things you can find, but as I said this is in part for me.

Let’s get onto the story I guess, as I said it’s a self-insert, but I use (Y/n) as a replacement for a name because I figured it would be nice to be a little inclusive to whoever reads this; though I am writing from my perspective it will be very limited as I am a cis-gender, hetero female. Maybe if this gets some traction I’ll try to write some things from different perspectives to try to make it up to you, I really hate that I can’t be more inclusive but I’m just not at the level of writing ability that I feel would do anyone justice... anyways, please enjoy!

First day of the second semester of my freshman year of college, what a great day.

Honestly it was refreshing to be back with my friends, my parents were too much for me after a while. I understood that they missed me, but since my hometown is only thirty minutes away from the university it was ridiculous how they treated me like they hadn’t seen me in years.

But it was nice to be around the people who I grew to love as a family. Well, kind of…

As soon as I got into the building where my first class was to be held, I was greeted with a massive hug from my friend Jae.

“You’re so cute!” she cooed. Heat built up in my face and in my chest. I was not cute, and I made it known, only to receive more of the same comments.

“I will fight you, I swear!” Perhaps it was the fact that I was shorter than most of them, maybe it was because I was the youngest of the them, but I was the “cute one” of my friend group and it pissed the hell out of me. My friend Jae was the worst of them, pinching my cheeks with her soft hands. She was lucky she was my favorite of the group.

“Oh, you just kill me you’re so small.” I rolled my eyes; I just wanted to get into class. It was the first day back from winter break and I was just wanting to learn some Japanese.

I was lucky enough to be able to schedule class with so many of my friends: Jae, Brandon, and Lee from my friend group in my dorm and a couple of people from my class from the fall semester were in my new class.

“What’s up (y/n)-san?” an old classmate greeted. “How was break?”

I waved back at them, my smile widening into a grin.

“Ah, it wasn’t too bad! How was yours? Are you ready for this new class?”

Lots of small talk happened as we waited outside our classroom for the other class to clear out. It was nice to catch up.

My name is unimportant, in high school I was often called “tomato” or by my last name. In college I am often referred to as “kid”. I was eighteen years old and a freshman in college, my friends in my class are all twenty and sophomores, so I was “kid” to, them.

“Hey, sensei is here,” Brandon interrupted. “Let’s go!” I got up from the comfy bench I was sitting on and grabbed my bag. Time for a new semester to begin.

Class itself was fine, but introducing myself to my new class could have gone much better. I’d like to think the years I spent in speech and drama club would increase my self-esteem and public speaking skills, but regardless of how much effort I put forth I always found myself shaking a bit and stuttering just a small amount. Anxiety I guess, there’s no other explanation for it since my other friends seemed to be perfectly happy and not nervous at all.

“Why do you always look like you’re going to die when you give your self-intro kid?” Brandon asked.

“Uh, I dunno… I guess I’m just I’m just super paranoid about what people will think of me?” I shrugged, it was a constant enough thing that I just didn’t bother caring about that anymore. If I freak out I freak out, there’s no changing that.

“So… Lunch time?” I suggested as my stomach growled. “I totally had time for breakfast this morning, but I skipped it anyways. Food can’t beat getting to class an hour and a half early, right?”

“Uh, dude what the fuck?” Jae rolled her eyes.

“Uh… I just wanted to make sure I had the right classroom and I wasn’t late and I just wanted to make sure you guys were here and—“

“Kid, we get it. Anxiety.” I gave a weak grin; my friends understood me.

It’s not like I have a severe anxiety that’s debilitating, it’s just more of a daily inconvenience. Which I mean is an issue since if it affects your life in any way and makes it more difficult it technically could be classified as maybe a mild anxiety disorder in the DSM or something. Who cares, it’s me and not someone else. Perhaps I should be more concerned about my mental health, but it’s not like anyone else cares about it anyways. You can tell I’m bitter, right?

We step outside into the cold January air, the wind bites at my face and my exposed ankles. It was a good seven minute walk to the dining hall, and I wasn’t sure I was even going to make it. But with a push from my friends to stop walking so slow, we made it and I breathed a sigh of relief to signify that I was pleased, because everyone had to know. Everyone.

Once in line for food, I quickly grabbed a salad and then rushed to find Jae so I could follow her through the other lines; I didn’t want to get left behind and abandoned when everyone went to find a seat. It was just something I had to do. I followed my friend like the lost puppy I was past the utensils and drinks to a table and set my stuff down. Now that I was certain of where we were sitting I went back to get the things I had forgotten before.

“Lemonade, lemonade, I love lemonade!” I sang to myself as I filled my glass, hoping that today it wouldn’t taste like glorified water. “Come on baby, give me the good stuff!”

“I wonder if you like lemonade?” A new voice chimed from behind me. STRANGER. I froze up and turned around.

“Haha, yeah…” If I was in an anime I would have had a sweat drop the size of the moon on my forehead.

“Err, uh sorry—my names, uh, Alan. I’m new here.” I could tell he was just as awkward as me as his voice seemed forced and monotone.

But he was really freaking attractive. Blonde hair that was styled up and striking blue eyes.

“Ah, like a transfer student?”

“Yeah… I came here with a couple of friends, but they ditched me…”

He was looking for companionship. Cute boy was hinting that he wanted to sit with me. Holy crap.

“Oh! My friends and I definitely have an open seat, you should come sit with us!”

“Really?” The look of hope on his face murdered me, I was surprised I didn’t lose what little composition I had. “That sounds really nice!”

Score! Well, it would have been if I wasn’t so awkward…

We sat down at the table and I introduced him, allowing him to tell us more about himself. I was quiet most of the time, focused mostly on listening. Brandon and Jae talked with him the most, as they were the most social of the four of us, but Lee put in her two cents every so often.

Alan really enjoyed talking, and he seemed to get comfortable with the group right away losing whatever awkwardness that was within him before.

“So, you want to get into photo journalism? That sounds really cool!” Brandon remarks.

“Yeah, I think it’ll give me a chance to travel the world and visit cool places. What are you guys studying?”

“I’m majoring in Japanese and International Studies,” Brandon begins.

“I have no freaking clue,” Jae adds.

“Business.” Lee was always so to the point, she was so freaking cool. I was snapped out of my listening daze when I realized that everyone was looking at me.

“Oh, uh… I’m studying psychology and international relations, and I’m probably going to try to get a minor in Japanese since I’ve spent four years of my life invested in it already…”

“Jeez you’ve got a lot on your plate, don’t you?” Alan chuckled. It was really cute, dammit.

“I guess,” I shrug. “I’m not living properly unless I’m suffering.”

“(Y/n), no, stop.” Jae rolled her eyes.

“B-but… the darkness, it penetrates my soul.” I gasped dramatically, the back of my hand resting on my forehead. Being overdramatic was fun, and I wasn’t going to stop any time soon. I grinned when I got another eye roll and turned to Alan.

“Er, welcome to our friend group?”

The smile he had on his face only got bigger, and his blue eyes became soft pools.

“Yeah! We should add him on Kakao!” Brandon suggested. That would mark him as an official friend.

“Uh… what’s that?”

“A messaging app,” Jae explained. “We use it for group chats and stuff.”

Once he had the app, it was done. We added him to the chat and everything was golden.

“We live in Marx Hall, the one out far from campus.”

“Oh, I live here in Lennon Hall.”

“Party dorm,” I comment. “With an underground tunnel to the honor dorm…”

We talk more about the dorms before we are interrupted by three guys. Very attractive guys. It was my lucky day apparently. But not really as I barely spoke.

“So, I see you’ve made some new friends, haven’t you?” a British voice piped up from the trio. There was something very elegant about how he stood, proper poster and everything.

“Oh, uh, hi guys.”

The more I looked at the group, the more a sinking feeling arose in my stomach. Their faces were familiar.

The others in my group introduced themselves (and me) and eventually fell into conversation with the new comers. Somehow they came upon the topic of who was in honors (which was a sore topic for me), as Idris (the one with the British accent and glasses) and Nathan (pale, black-haired, emo looking kid) were in it.

“Hey, kiddo, you’re in honors right?” Lee asked, as she genuinely didn’t know.

“Er, no… let’s just say even though I qualify I’d rather not waste my time with arbitrary measures of one’s worth…” I sighed.

“She’s just really salty her GPA was too low for the first semester.” Brandon explained.

“Ah, shove it. I got a freaking 32 on the ACT dammit, it shouldn’t matter if I had a 3.3 GPA! Point 5 too low my ass.”

It’s a very sensitive topic. I had fantastic test scores all of high school. I could have been top of my class… if my work ethic matched what I could actually do. I hated school with a burning passion, they way it pitted me against my friends. It got really bad junior year when my friends began to compare GPA and class rank; I already had an issue with doing homework and keeping my grades above a B at the time. My friends were always amazed by my test scores, yet I was always berated by them because of how disinterested I was in school. I was there to learn, but they weren’t teaching me anything in the homework, and I could have been so much better off in a different environment. I know excuses are pointless, especially now, but the American school system had never once been my friend.

“So, what’s your name?” Someone finally cared to ask me. I replied quickly and gave a small smile. I looked at the third member of the new group as he was sending funny looks towards Alan. He was big, and muscular, and… he had a mullet. A flipping mullet.

“What’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?” the big guy asked. I assumed he was talking to Jae who sat on my left, but she was occupied talking with Brandon, so I answered for her?

“Uh, Jae’s from South Korea, she’s an international student here.”

“She’s cute an all, but I was referring to you, beautiful.” He gave me a smirk and a wink and suddenly I was broken.

“Uhhhhh…” I dragged out, unsure of how to respond. No one had ever hit on me before. I looked down to my plate of food and out of the corner of my eyes I could see Alan shoot him a dirty look before looking at me.

“Sorry about him,” an apology sprung from Nathan. “He’s a flirt.”

“Er, it’s fine… I just don’t know how to handle compliments well. Uh, thanks I guess? I’m here because it’s cheap thanks to in-state tuition. I only live like thirty minutes away.”

“Same,” Brandon added. “Though I live in the town that’s basically attached.” From there Brandon took over that conversation and I was once again alone with my thoughts. Alan was too however, eye pointed down to his phone, scrolling through an ambiguous chat. Following his lead I got out mine too.

It had already been two hours since we got out of Japanese class. We had been sitting in the dining all for TWO HOURS. I gave an exhausted sigh.

“What’s up?” Alan turned his head to me. “Something wrong?”

“I missed my nap time… now I am going to die…”

“When’s your next class?”

“In like thirty min—ah shit I need to go…” I stood up suddenly.

My friends looked at me alarmed.

“I have thirty minutes. I am late.” I announce, grabbing all of dishes.

“Dude, we are in the same class I don’t—“ I cut Jae off.

“I have to be early. I have to be at least thirty minutes early to class in case something goes wrong.”

And with that I rushed off to put my dishes away and leave, hearing the faint sound of an exasperated Brandon saying “that’s normal for her.”

So uh, thank you for reading this part! As you can probably tell, I am leaning towards making this a PromptoxOC/Reader fic, as he is the love of my life. Let me know what you think of it, and don’t be afraid to shoot me an ask if you find anything that really bugs you; I don’t really have time to edit these as much as I’d like now that I am starting school again!