#like they speak kinda beautifully I’d like to hear more thoughts!! reflections!! confessions!!

[happy10thousandyears]

Finished the cutscene of IW’s backstory (the schism??) I don’t fully understand it but it's still p cool! Is the god that IW’s sect prayed to is the tentacle demon (which was defeated by the current sect’s god the six armed angel)?? So is the initial descent of the tentacle monster responding to acolyte’s prayers (and taking payment by defiling acolyte)?? Like I still don’t get why exactly do they care about the necklace so much but it’s so far the most interesting piece of plot I’ve encountered in this game

[kikiwhataboutthatbrendon]

There's No Shame In Being

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29339106/chapters/74770779

The mind wanders for the lost while life passes by.

Tubbo exhales a long suffering sigh into the dirt and grass his face is pressed into. An emptiness claws at his chest and closes up his throat as he curls further into himself. It's the dead of night and Tubbo is lying in the middle of his forest, not too far from his house that he'd left hours ago. Closed flowers sway in muted colors under shadows and dappled white light. The forest is quiet despite everything alive that Tubbo knows lurks in the night. And yet, his creations can feel his sadness, and stay hidden out of respect. An involuntary whimper crawls up his throat, Tubbo swallows his sorrows, and finally gives in.

"Universe," he whispers to the world, "can you please see me."

His hands twist in the soft grass he's lying in, he calls louder. 'Universe!" His voice echoes through the forest. "I need to speak with you!"

He waits, silent, taking in the sound of crickets and swaying branches. Tubbo's about to call out again when a gentle hand runs through his hair and a sweet voice washes over him.

"I'm here." She tells him quietly, feeling Tubbo tremble beneath her touch.

Something in Tubbo breaks when the comforting feeling of void washes over him, causing his shoulders to shake. "I don't know what's wrong with me." He confesses with a sob. "I've been feeling like this for so long and I want it to stop."

The universe rubs at the base of his horns, feeling the world wilt around them. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” She mummers. “You’re just lonely.”

Tubbo opens his eyes, tears spilling onto the ground as he looks into the darkness. “But that doesn't snake sense!” He cries, confusion and sadness clouding his mind. “I have friends and people who visit but… they're not close enough, I want someone to love differently than them.”

The Universe sighs, biting her lip in thought, before giving in to her idea. “Life,” she says softly, “you're going to help me do something no one besides Creation has witnessed.”

Tubbo sits up, turning to look at The Universe. Her crystalline white eyes show warmth and love in them as he looks on. He wipes at his tears, taking a deep breath while The Universe waits for him. “What are we doing?” He asks, clearing his throat.

“You’re going to help me create a god.” She tells him.

Tubbo’s jaw drops, he begins to stutter through his response. “W-what? How are we- I’m-” He stops, looking into the middle distance before turning back to The Universe. “Were… gonna make me a friend?”

She chuckles and nods then motions for Tubbo to sit next to her. “It’s easy to create a god but difficult to manifest them into existence.” She tells him as he settles next to her side. “It’ll eventually get to the point where they’ll create themselves, but you can help me make them.”

The Universe crosses her legs then rests her arms on her knees, palms up. “So, where do you want to start?”

Tubbo hums, wiping at his eyes again while looking around his forest, settling on a patch of puffy allium. “Well he’s got to like flowers.” He tells her.

The Universe giggles, closing her eyes. “He’s got to like flowers?” She asks, clarifying.

“Oh,” Tubbo says, “yeah I suppose he.”

The Universe hums, moving her hands to curve towards each other. Stars sparkle between her fingers, Tubbo marvels at the sight.

“What’s next?” She questions, feeling reality push against her fingertips.

“He’s got to be fun,” Tubbo says confidently, “he’s gonna be unique, I can already tell, he’ll be smart too, but in the Phil and Techno way.”

She laughs, pouring all of Tubbo’s wishes into their creation. “What do you think he’s gonna look like?” The Universe questions, already feeling the ghost of a body settling before her.

Tubbo sighs, wracking his brain. “Um, well red and green has always been mine and Tommy’s thing.” He says, remembering his best friend. “They… red and green kinda reflect how things are like with Tommy and I, I’d like things to be a little more black and white with my new friend.” He expresses thoughtfully.

The Universe takes a twist on his words, running her thumb down the center of the face beneath her hands, gently swiping her hands over both of his eyelids.

Tubbo looks up at the sky, continuing his train of thought. “I also think he’d be very dapper compared to Tommy’s…” He trails off, face twisting into distaste. “Racoon-like tendencies.”

The Universe wheezes, eyes opening to shoot Tubbo an incredulous look. He tears his eyes away from the stars, meeting her gaze with a smile. “What?” He asks, mischief in his expression.

The Universe shakes her head, grinning herself. “For as majestic as I attempted to make him he’s still described as a trash panda by his best friend.”

Tubbo nods rapidly, about to respond when he sees a solid body lying in The Universe’s lap. “Woah…” He shuffles closer, enraptured by the sight. The last smokey grey threads of the bodies suit stitch themselves together as Tubbo leans over him, staring at his face. Black and white skin is split perfectly down the middle of his face, two beautifully contrasting sides. Tubbo reaches out a hand to touch him and hesitates.

“It’s okay to touch him.” The Universe reasures. “You can make any changes to what I’ve done if you want.”

Tubbo nods then tentatively places a hand on the white side of his face, high on his cheekbone, just under his eye. He concentrates on creating in the same way he does every other living thing in this world. Tubbo slowly runs a hand over his cheek, as his hand moves black freckles appear on his skin, Tubbo quickly does the same in white on the other side of his face. He moves on to picking up his left hand, but stops, staring at his rounded fingertips.

“What are you thinking?” The Universe questions, silently creating the same freckles over his arms.

“I was thinking of creating this kind of… creature… a while ago.” Tubbo tells her, continuing to stare at his fingers. “I was gonna call it an Enderman, and… I kinda wanna make them after this, cause he looks a lot like one.”

The Universe nods, moving her hands to cradle the body's head. “You can do whatever you like.” She reminds him.

Tubbo nods then pinches a white finger between his thumb and index, dragging it out to create a long, sharp claw. “He’s going to be kind.” Tubbo mummers while he works. “Above all he’ll stick to his morals, following his vices and virtues with confidence, believing in himself.”

The Universe looks to him, pride in her gaze. “Anything else?”

He meets her eyes as he finishes, nodding. “He shouldn't be perfect.” Tubbo says, voice unwavering. “No one deserves to carry the burden of perfection.”

She nods, looking down at the soon to be god, and smiles. “Now what shall you be the god of?” The Universe asks the body, looking down at closed eyes.

Tubbo senses that he should be quiet, so he takes the body's hand, holding it gently. The cold feels as comforting as it does haunting.

The Universe takes a breath, tipping back her head as she centers her being to hum at the same frequency as reality. Voices start to tickle her ear, she’s quick to realize she’s hearing memories. Happiness clashes with grief, giggling screams colliding with the sounds of war, all the while soft mummers of love confessions overlap with howls of strife. “I know what he’s the god of.” The Universe says, looking down again.

The Universe presses her forehead to the body’s then plants a quick kiss to the black side of his face. “You’ll be the God of the Mind.” She tells him, whispering. She moves to the white side of his face, repeating her actions. “You’ll be God of the Lost.” The Universe looks up at Tubbo, “Put your finger on his pulse point and rest your head on his chest.”

Tubbo quickly does so, taking Mind’s right in his left, thumb resting on where there should be a beat. He lays his head on Mind’s chest, feeling calm and excited, waiting for what’s to happen.

The Universe puts her fingers over Mind’s cheeks, gaze full of love, taking a steadying breath. She feels for the stars, the edge of reality, what gives her the power to be, and she feels warmth underneath her fingertips when the steady beat of wings sounds in her head.

Tubbo’s eyes widen as a faint yet steady heartbeat thrums beneath his finger and his head moves with the first breath from the God of the Mind and The Lost.

Black and white eyelids flutter open to reveal shocking ruby red and acid green eyes. He finds The Universe’s soft smile and fond gaze, feeling a hand run over his cheek. “There you are.” She mutters.

He feels the hand gasping his and The Universe helps him sit up. Tubbo regretfully pulls himself off of Mind’s chest and looks him in the eyes, still holding Mind’s hand tight. They stare at one another, similar feelings of wonder coursing through them.

Tubbo cautiously reaches his right hand up to rest against Mind’s cheek, watching in awe as Mind leans into his touch.

“You're…” Tubbo starts, overcome with exhilaration, “You’re incredible.”

Mind looks at him for a long moment then smiles. “Thank you.”

@hermits-that-craft

[kyra-song]

Here is entire chapter! Tubbo and Ranboo fluff. Small stuff before the thing, Kristen is The Universe, Tubbo is the God of Life. Tubbo can create anything, but man's can't make an immortal. Human, demons, monsters, hybrids, but he cannot keep them alive. That's up to Death. So, here you are my love!

Tubbo exhales a long-suffering sigh into the dirt and grass his face is pressed into. An emptiness claws at his chest and closes up his throat as he curls further into himself. It's the dead of night and Tubbo is lying in the middle of his forest, not too far from his house that he'd left hours ago. Closed flowers sway in muted colors under shadows and dappled white light. The forest is quiet despite everything alive that Tubbo knows lurks in the night. And yet, his creations can feel his sadness and stay hidden out of respect. An involuntary whimper crawls up his throat. Tubbo swallows his sorrows, and finally gives in.

"Universe," he whispers to the world, "can you please see me."

His hands twist in the soft grass he's lying in, he calls louder. "Universe!" His voice echoes through the forest. "I need to speak with you!"

He waits, silent, taking in the sound of crickets and swaying branches. Tubbo's about to call out again when a gentle hand runs through his hair and a sweet voice washes over him.

"I'm here." She tells him quietly, feeling Tubbo tremble beneath her touch.

Something in Tubbo breaks when the comforting feeling of void washes over him, causing his shoulders to shake. "I don't know what's wrong with me." He confesses with a sob. "I've been feeling like this for so long and I want it to stop."

The universe rubs at the base of his horns, feeling the world wilt around them. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” She mummers. “You’re just lonely.”

Tubbo opens his eyes, tears spilling onto the ground as he looks into the darkness. “But that doesn't make sense!” He cries, confusion and sadness clouding his mind. “I have friends and people who visit but… they're not close enough, I want someone to love differently than them.”

The Universe sighs, biting her lip in thought, before giving in to her idea. “Life,” she says softly, “you're going to help me do something no one besides Creation has witnessed.” 

Tubbo sits up, turning to look at The Universe. Her crystalline white eyes show warmth and love in them as he looks on. He wipes at his tears, taking a deep breath while The Universe waits for him. “What are we doing?” He asks, clearing his throat.

“You’re going to help me create a god.” She tells him.

Tubbo’s jaw drops, he begins to stutter through his response. “W-what? How are we- I’m-” He stops, looking into the middle distance before turning back to The Universe. “Were… gonna make me a friend?”

She chuckles and nods then motions for Tubbo to sit next to her. “It’s easy to create a god but difficult to manifest them into existence.” She tells him as he settles next to her side. “It’ll eventually get to the point where they’ll create themselves, but you can help me make them.”

The Universe crosses her legs then rests her arms on her knees, palms up. “So, where do you want to start?”

Tubbo hums, wiping at his eyes again while looking around his forest, settling on a patch of puffy allium. “Well, he’s got to like flowers.” He tells her.

The Universe giggles, closing her eyes. “He’s got to like flowers?” She asks, clarifying.

“Oh,” Tubbo says, “yeah I suppose he.”

The Universe hums, moving her hands to curve towards each other. Stars sparkle between her fingers, Tubbo marvels at the sight.

“What’s next?” She questions, feeling reality push against her fingertips.

“He’s got to be fun,” Tubbo says confidently, “he’s gonna be unique, I can already tell, he’ll be smart too, but in the Phil and Techno way.”

She laughs, pouring all of Tubbo’s wishes into their creation. “What do you think he’s gonna look like?” The Universe questions, already feeling the ghost of a body settling before her.

Tubbo sighs, wracking his brain. “Um, well red and green have always been mine and Tommy’s thing.” He says, remembering his best friend. “They… red and green kinda reflect how things are like with Tommy and me, I’d like things to be a little more black and white with my new friend.” He expresses thoughtfully.

The Universe takes a twist on his words, running her thumb down the center of the face beneath her hands, gently swiping her hands over both of his eyelids.

Tubbo looks up at the sky, continuing his train of thought. “I also think he’d be very dapper compared to Tommy’s…” He trails off, face twisting into distaste. “Racoon-like tendencies.”

The Universe wheezes, eyes opening to shoot Tubbo an incredulous look. He tears his eyes away from the stars, meeting her gaze with a smile. “What?” He asks, mischief in his expression.

The Universe shakes her head, grinning to herself. “For as majestic as I attempted to make him, he's still described as a trash panda by his best friend.”

Tubbo nods rapidly, about to respond when he sees a solid body lying in The Universe’s lap. “Woah…” He shuffles closer, enraptured by the sight. The last smokey grey threads of the body's suit stitch themselves together as Tubbo leans over him, staring at his face. Black and white skin is split perfectly down the middle of his face, two beautifully contrasting sides. Tubbo reaches out a hand to touch him and hesitates.

“It’s okay to touch him.” The Universe reassures. “You can make any changes to what I’ve done if you want.”

Tubbo nods and tentatively places a hand on the white side of his face, high on his cheekbone, just under his eye. He concentrates on creating in the same way he does every other living thing in this world. Tubbo slowly runs a hand over his cheek, as his hand moves black freckles appear on his skin, Tubbo quickly does the same in white on the other side of his face. He moves on to pick up his left hand, but stops, staring at his rounded fingertips.

“What are you thinking?” The Universe questions, silently creating the same freckles over his arms and mottling the split down his face.

“I was thinking of creating this kind of… creature… a while ago,” Tubbo tells her, continuing to stare at his fingers. “I was gonna call it an Enderman, and… I kinda wanna make them after this, cause he looks a lot like one.”

The Universe nods, moving her hands to cradle the body's head. “You can do whatever you like.” She reminds him.

Tubbo nods and pinches a white finger between his thumb and index, dragging it out to create a long, sharp claw. “He’s going to be kind.” Tubbo mummers while he works. “Above all he’ll stick to his morals, following his vices and virtues with confidence, believing in himself.”

He moves back to the body’s face, gently pushing back his upper lip to press against canines and draw them out into fangs. "He'll doubt himself, just as everyone does." Tubbo says, sitting on his heels for a moment before going back to copy what he'd done to the body’s lower canines. "But he'll come around to the idea that he's loved, because he will be." He finishes his statement with an affirming nod while looking back on his work. 

The Universe looks to him, pride in her gaze. “Anything else?”

He meets her eyes as he finishes, nodding. “He shouldn't be perfect,” Tubbo says, voice unwavering. “No one deserves to carry the burden of perfection.”

She nods, looking down at the soon-to-be god, and smiles. “Now what shall you be the god of?” The Universe asks the body, looking down at closed eyes.

Tubbo senses that he should be quiet, so he takes the body's hand, holding it gently. The cold feels as comforting as it does haunting.

The Universe takes a breath, tipping back her head as she centers her being to hum at the same frequency as reality. Voices start to tickle her ear, she’s quick to realize she’s hearing memories. Happiness clashes with grief, giggling screams colliding with the sounds of war, all the while soft mummers of love confessions overlap with howls of strife. “I know what he’s the god of.” The Universe says, looking down again.

The Universe presses her forehead to the body then plants a quick kiss on the black side of his face. “You’ll be the God of the Mind.” She tells him, whispering. She moves to the white side of his face, repeating her actions. “You’ll be God of the Lost.” The Universe looks up at Tubbo, “Put your finger on his pulse point and rest your head on his chest.”

Tubbo quickly does so, taking Mind’s right in his left, thumb resting on where there should be a beat. He lays his head on Mind’s chest, feeling calm and excited, waiting for what’s to happen.

The Universe puts her fingers over Mind’s cheeks, gaze full of love, taking a steadying breath. She feels for the stars, the edge of reality, what gives her the power to be, and she feels warmth underneath her fingertips when the steady beat of wings sounds in her head.

Tubbo’s eyes widen as a faint yet steady heartbeat thrums beneath his finger and his head moves with the first breath from the God of the Mind and The Lost.

Black and white eyelids flutter open to reveal shocking ruby red and acid green eyes. He finds The Universe’s soft smile and fond gaze, feeling a hand run over his cheek. “There you are.” She mutters.

He feels the hand grasping him and The Universe helps him sit up. Tubbo regretfully pulls himself off of Mind’s chest and looks him in the eyes, still holding Mind’s hand tight. They stare at one another, similar feelings of wonder coursing through them.

Tubbo cautiously reaches his right hand up to rest against Mind’s cheek, watching in awe as Mind leans into his touch.

“You're…” Tubbo stutters, overcome with exhilaration, “You’re incredible.”

Mind looks at him for a long moment then smiles.

BREAD HOW ARE YOU SO TALENTED I LOVE IT

[cobblepot-comfort]

The  Rescue

Chapter 3 - Home Truths - AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19704580/chapters/46632031

“Jim!”

Jim flinched awake to find Oswald shaking him and staring at him with intensity.

He sat up quickly, rubbing furiously at his sleep-leadened eyes.

 “Detective Gordon, what are you doing here?” Oswald said stiffly, his blue-green eyes flashing indignantly.

“Erm….” Jim faltered,  “I was just...erm….tired….”  

He left the bed hastily, went back to his chair and sat down slowly, grasping the arms tightly. This was awkward!

So much for being direct, he thought.  He had been taken by surprise and had chickened out yet again….

“Ah.  Hmm,”  Oswald said reflectively, playing with his fingers distractedly.  “Well, yes, of course - I see what you mean,” he mused.  “It must be SO draining, having to care for a ‘problem’ patient like me.”  He closed his eyes, stretched his lips and sighed heavily.

“No, Oswald, that’s not what….” Jim said hurriedly, then halted mid-sentence as Oswald’s eyes flicked open and a big smirk of triumph appeared on his face. 

“You are SO easy to tease, Detective Gordon!” he grinned impishly.

“Ha ha, very funny!” Jim replied dryly. “That’s the last time I take pity on you, Cobblepot!”

“I never asked you for pity, Jim.”  Oswald’s eyes flashed a warning and his mouth tightened.  

Jim had struck a raw nerve.

This was tricky.  Hell, he wanted so much make Oswald smile again.  He always looked so damn bewitching - the way his eyes glistened when he was being playful….

He wondered how to do that, though?  He fought off the overwhelming urge to take that pretty, enchanting face in his hands and then kiss the life out of it.

“Erm, sorry, bad choice of words.  I meant HELP you, friends help one another, right?”  he scrambled desperately.

It worked.  Oswald’s face relaxed into a soft smile of surrender. 

“Of course, I should have known that’s what you meant.  I am just a tad sensitive at the moment, Jim, you understand,” he said.

“Well that’s no wonder, after all you’ve been through,” Jim said sympathetically.

“Thank you, Jim,” Oswald nodded gratefully, “I knew you’d understand.  You know how much I suffered at the hands of Galavan and his sadistic sidekick sister!”  His tone hardened and his eyes began to fill up with angry tears.

“Hey,” said Jim gently, “You’ll be ok now, it’s safe - here.”  He tentatively reached out and touched Oswald lightly on the arm.

Oswald’s eyes got very big and bright.

“Oh - Jim. So tender all of a sudden!” he smiled, his dimples growing.  “What brought this on then?”

Jim gulped hard.  That smile….those dimples…. 

“Well, Oswald - I just don’t like to think of you suffering.  I mean - no-one deserves that.  And - we all need support in times of trouble - don’t we?  Everyone needs a friend - don’t they?” he prompted carefully.

“Yes, Jim, of course - you’re right.  And that was so beautifully expressed, too.  But - Jim - the time you are spending here with me - the way you’re looking after me and all my needs - what does Lee think about it?” He cocked his head and studied Jim closely.

“Erm….Lee?  Well...she knows I’m doing the right thing - I mean, by saving a life, and protecting a witness…” Jim floundered.

“And that’s it?  That’s all? Does she believe all this is just altruism, Jim?” Oswald pressed.

“Why wouldn’t she?” Jim fired back defensively.

Oswald visibly flinched.   He realised he had pushed Jim too far.  

“Oh.  Well, yes, of course, why wouldn’t she?  Please -  forgive me, old friend,” he said apologetically.  “I shouldn’t have interrogated you like that..”

“No Oswald, it’s ok,” Jim cut in quickly, his brows relaxing.   “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.  Maybe it’s just because I’m tired,” he shrugged.

“Well, Jim, of course you are!  All this must be telling on you.  I do appreciate your sacrifice.”

“Oswald - it’s no sacrifice - really - no sacrifice at all.”

”Ah, well, if you’re sure.  I would hate to put you to any inconvenience.”

“You?  Ha!  Never!”

“Now you are being flippant, James…”

“ I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

“I know you were. And I was just playing with you, of course. It’s what we do, isn’t it, James?””

Jim really wanted to take that sweet bundle of beauty into his arms and kiss him passionately, trace those dimples on that smiling feline face with his fingers, tell him in no uncertain terms that he was more than ready to play.  But just now he lacked the courage to take the risk.  It could still be a step too far.

Oswald saw Jim’s thoughtful frown.  He guessed that something was troubling him, and he suspected he knew what it was.

It was time they stopped messing around and put their cards on the table.

This was ridiculous!  If Jim couldn’t do this, then he would have to take charge.

“James,” he began purposefully. “There is something I have wanted to share with you for quite a while, but have never felt quite able to until now.”

“Oh?  This sounds kinda deep, Oswald.”  Jim’s frown unravelled and a soft, boyish smile replaced it.  Oswald’s heart skipped a beat.

“Well, Jim,” he resumed slowly,  “you are right, it is deep.  But I have been bursting to tell you about it and really don’t think this can wait any longer.”

“Oh. OK, Oz - what is it?” Jim said, full of intrigue.

“It’s this, Jim.”

Oswald took a deep breath, clasped his hands tightly and began.

 “As I was being carried in your arms, unconscious, through that forest, I had a dream.  I dreamt that you told me that you had been in love with me for a very long time, but had been too afraid to let me know.  

“You had always treated me roughly because of your fear of revealing your true feelings.  You said you were really sorry for treating me so shabbily, and would try your best to make up for it.  You said that far from seeing me as your bitter enemy, you saw me not only as a friend but also as your beautiful dark angel, and that if anything bad were to befall me, it would break your heart.  

“There was no way you would let me come to harm though, as you quickly reassured me that you would protect me with your life.  I would live and get well and strong, as you would nurse me back to health and stay by my side for as long as it took to get me on my feet again. 

“You would make sure to get justice for the death of my poor mother.  She would be found and have a proper burial and the murdering Galavans would get what was coming to them.  You would find a way of doing that that would avoid getting me into any kind of trouble and would keep me out of prison - because what good would it do me to be in Blackgate when I could be lying in your arms instead?”

“It was a beautiful dream, Jim, and so vivid, recalling it brings tears to my eyes.  I just needed to share it with you.”

Oswald had looked down at his hands the whole time he was speaking, and his voice had begun to shake during his speech.  By the time he reached his conclusion,  there were indeed tears in his eyes, and he gave an emphatic sniff and blinked rapidly, struggling bodily to contain them.  He wrung his trembling hands so tightly that the knuckles turned white.

Jim swallowed hard and caught his breath at every word Oswald uttered, for each one had been dragged from his own heart and all were true.  The dream Oswald had recounted had come from a nightmare, one that had made Jim so afraid that he would never have a chance to confess how much this gangster, this delightful little devil had come to mean to him.  He had wanted to tell him, regardless of whether he could hear those words or not -before it was too late.

And it appeared that his dark angel had heard them after all.  He had kept them hidden away in his heart ready to escape so sweetly and eloquently through his lips.

So he opened his own lips and took courage, heaving his heart into his mouth at last.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.  “That was beautiful, Ozzy.  And - it wasn’t a dream, but you knew that, didn’t you?”

Oswald slowly raised his face and his tear filled eyes shone starry bright with intense joy as he said, “Yes, Jim.  Yes, of course I knew it!”

Later….

“I never thought I’d fall in love with  a gangster.”

“Ha!  But you did, Detective Gordon.”  Oswald grinned, his eyes shining proudly with love.

“Yes - I did, Mr Cobblepot.” Jim stared lovingly back, then pulled his gangster into a soft kiss.

Oswald drank in the feel of Jim’s mouth on his. He closed his eyes and sighed as their lips parted.

“Mmmmm.  Thank you, James.  That was a lovely kiss.  Hmmm, Jim - an interesting thought just occurred to me,” he mused.  “If I’m a gangster - then does that make you my moll?!”

“Ha ha - I guess it must do!” Jim laughed.

“I think you’d look adorable in a feather boa and a flapper dress, Detective.”

“What?  No way!”

“Yes, I think you could really carry it off!   It would be the perfect undercover disguise.  You could be my perfect arm candy when I’m back at my club!”

“ Well OK, if you’re sure - as long as you don’t expect me to wear heels….”

A short time before that….

After his little ‘confession’, Jim had wasted no time following up on it.  He had reached out and taken Oswald’s bewitching, tear-wetted face in his hands, staring deeply into his glistening azure eyes before claiming his lips at last.

The touch of that sweet, velvet-soft mouth had ignited a flame of love that had coursed through his whole body, firing up every fibre of his being.   

But Oswald had pulled away and broken the kiss, his mouth agape with surprise.

Jim was stunned for a moment,  hypnotised by the beauty of Oswald’s astonished stare. 

Then he’d tried to apologise, thinking he’d overstepped the mark.

“Oh -  Oswald, look….I’m sorry…” he’d begun awkwardly.

“No, Jim, please!  I just wasn’t ready…”  Oswald had cut in, his eyes wide and bright with excitement.    

And he had grasped Jim’s face and pulled him back onto his waiting, welcoming lips.

Oswald had never been kissed before -  not like this - that was evident.  He was inexperienced  and gauche and in desperate need of guidance.

Luckily, Jim was both willing and able to school him in the ways of love.  Oswald followed his lead, first slowly and tentatively and then with hungry, unbridled passion.

He sure was a fast learner!

[askaceattorney]

Dear jnv11,

Only one word comes to mind in that scenario:

Poor Simon would hit a new record for the number of times he shouted that word in a single trial, and Ms. Oldbag might actually run out of breath before she’s done complaining.

Dear jnv11,

You kidding? The woman’s tough, but she’d have a heart attack in no more than five minutes. It’s been a decade since we’ve seen ’er, plus young samurai prosecutor who was suspected of killing his teacher?

Dear anon,

I think what we’ll actually do is stop answering letters that involve real-world politicians altogether, or at least ones that defame them.  Just to be clear, the answers I came up with don’t reflect my actual opinion on Donald Trump.

Apologies to anyone who was hit the wrong way by those letters.  Make no mistake, I was very uncertain about whether or not I should even bother answering them, but the “answer everything you can” part of my mind eventually won over the “avoid political topics” part.  It was all in the spirit of comedy, but, as I should’ve expected, it became more hateful than funny, so I’d say I’ve learned my lesson now.

(Previous Letter)

Dear Ethan Starbright,

..................................................Pff...

PAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Okay, I’m not sure why, but the utter randomness of that fact cracked me up for some reason.  Thanks for that.

Dear Ethan Starbright,

.............

.....I don’t get it.

(Previous Letter)

Dear 55,

Glad to hear it!  The Ace Attorney series is good at revealing the plot at just the right pace to keep you guessing about who the culprit is and/or what the motive for their crime was, but it’s just as entertaining to see Phoenix and company find the truth for themselves, even if you already happen to know some of it yourself.

Plot-wise, my favorite game was Trials and Tribulations, mostly because of how cleverly it jumped from one timeline (and main character) to another.  Throughout the game, we get to learn more about the events of the past and how they relate to the present day situation -- Mia’s first encounter with Phoenix, Godot’s true identity and history, how Winston Payne lost his hair, and so on, and every tiny bit of it makes the game more intriguing.  My favorite part was Iris’s confession about what she did for Phoenix near the end.  I’d love to see Hollywood try and come up with anything as beautifully touching as that.

It’s been a little while since I listened to the soundtracks from any of the trilogy games, but I think my favorite one comes from the first game, since it’s the most memorable for me.  I sure didn’t expect to hear those kind of fast and engaging tunes in a game about a lawyer, did you?  The other soundtracks are great too, of course, but the songs from the first game (especially the cross-examination theme) are the most fun for me to remember.

Dear Anonymous,

That’s actually happened a few times before.  I remember one letter were Maya claimed she’d never been out of the country even though PLvsAA is canon in this blog, and there was another where Apollo sounded skeptical about spirit channeling, even though he’d been born in the land of spirit mediums.  Chances are we’ll have to delete letters that point out contradictions like that, but we’ll try our best to answer them if possible.  There’s no way to tell what Capcom will come up with next, but that won’t stop us from making guesses about it in the meantime.

Dear Anonymous,

If something changes in the canon that isn’t reflected in a previous letter, it’s not important. Previous means not in the moment. Not in the moment means no one will notice unless they go far back enough. And if they comment on stuff that happened a while ago, they... no offence, kinda need a hobby.

Dear Professor Oak,

Yes.

Dear Professor Oak,

No.

(Referenced Letter)

Dear Lachtigall,

Sorry to hear that, but hey, at least they picked a different character for the idea, so your letter will still get an answer.  We both answer whatever letters we find regardless of which character they’re written to, but in answer to your question about who answered that letter...

Just kidding, it was me.

Dear guquis,

That should be fine if you’re willing to wait that long.  Just make sure to indicate that in your letter.

Dear guquis,

if you want your letter to be on a specific date, specify it somehow. And also specify if you want that info blurred so it’s not obvious. It’ll be easier for us that way.

(Previous Letter)

Dear Ender,

It wasn’t intended to look scary in any way, but whatever floats your boat.  I thought she looked kind of cute like that, actually.

Dear Ender,

Trust me, neither of them are contenders in the scary contest anymore. Have you ever met Robert? THAT, sir, is scary.

Dear SC,

ComEVENo, huh?  That almost sounds like a Native American name.

I’ve finally finished watching Hotel Dusk, but I’ll save my reaction to it for last so I can go into full detail under the cut.  That’s how much I enjoyed it.

My favorite cross-examination theme is from AJ, believe it or not.  I love how it starts out slow and mysterious, then picks up speed and volume when Apollo’s about to discover a big truth.  It’s also nice how the melody begins on the offbeat.  It almost makes me want to dance to it.

I hadn’t thought much about which cross-examination I like best, but I’d probably go with the final confrontation with Furio Tigre.  While bluffing is nothing new for Phoenix, it was fun watching him use the supposedly useless evidence that Gumshoe gave him to give his doppelganger a taste of his own medicine.  It was one of those moments where I had no idea what his strategy was until Furio opened his huge mouth.  After that, it became an “Ooooooh...” kind of moment.

I’d love to see that case ranking you’ve made.  Every case has its ups and downs, but it’s fun to explore just what it is about each one that makes it memorable and...odd.  Let’s be honest, they all have at least a tiny bit of oddness added in somewhere, am I right?

-Modthorne and Co-Mod

(Hotel Dusk spoilers below)

Oh, man..........oh, MAN!!

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time a game’s story left me this satisfied from beginning to end.  To be fair, I just watched a playthrough of it on YouTube, so I might have avoided some potential frustration by not playing it myself, but man...  I can tell the developers put some serious heart into that game.  The music was delightful, the characters were all very charming, the art and animation style were done in a clever way, and the plot...  Man, oh, man.

First of all, there’s the setup: Kyle’s goal in visiting Hotel Dusk (aside from getting a delivery) is established from the very beginning -- finding his former police partner and figuring out why he turned rogue and forced him to nearly kill him.  Oddly enough, he has no real proof that visiting the hotel will lead him any closer to finding him -- all he has is a hunch.

Then there’s the way he goes about gathering information.  Even as a retired cop, his detective instincts are still keen, and by snooping around the hotel (with some help from his “old buddy” Louis), solving a few puzzles, and asking the right people the right questions, he not only gains tidbits of information about Bradley, but also learns the secrets of the hotel’s residents, and how they and their stories are interconnected.  And boy, did some of those connections surprise me.

But here’s what I loved most about the gameplay (and the entire game) -- in order to get the information he needs out of people, he first has to break them down to the point where they not only can’t hide the truth, but they realize how useless it is to keep lying to themselves.  In fact, Kyle said it perfectly himself during one of these confrontations:

Whether it’s pressuring a pretend author to admit to his plagiarism, telling the spoiled son of a lawyer how dangerous his revenge scheme is, or convincing a drunk father to appreciate what he still has -- namely, his daughter -- Kyle just won’t put up with lies, even if he has to sound like the rudest person on Earth to dispel every last one of them...and he doesn’t even need the help of a Magatama!

Like every game, of course, this one isn’t without its faults -- the interactive parts are short, there’s very little challenge in picking the right dialogue options (usually just whichever is less annoying), and the language, while not terrible, could’ve been left out -- but the charm of the story and its characters more than makes up for it.  Speaking of the story, it seems I was a little off on most of the predictions I made, but at least I was right about Melissa.  She didn’t disappoint at being adorable one bit.

Oh, and one more thing -- if anyone reading this feels like playing or watching this game, which I highly recommend, be prepared for your jaw to drop at the very end.  It’s that incredible.

And with that, my gushing about this game is over.  Thank you for suggesting it, SC!

[mariethecrocheter]

Reflections of the Past Year & Thoughts For the Next

2016 was a pretty busy year, and for a whole lot of reasons. Some good, some bad, some...meh. (Whatever that means.)

I just wanted to take a few minutes to write about some stuff: a few games released over the past 12 months that were really important to me, some things that I plan to/hope to do over the next year, some personal challenges, and, most of all, my gratitude to everyone who has been putting up with me for the past...3+ years? That’s how long I’ve been on Tumblr? Time really flies, doesn’t it?

I have met so many friendly people through Tumblr and Twitter, and I am deeply grateful for all the kind comments and support! Let’s make 2017 a good one, right? Even though the rest of the world may be pretty bad right now argh

Anyways, time to briefly(?) delve DEEPLY AND IN A RAMBLING MANNER into some of the highlights of 2016 and discuss what’s to come in 2017!

First and Foremost: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns Japanese release: 23 June 2016 North American release (tentative): 28 Feb 2017

A game celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Bokumono franchise! 1996 was the 20th anniversary of the series in the Japanese market, while 2017 is the 20th anniversary in the North American market. (And we now have two different series in the English-speaking world: the original series, now called Story of Seasons and localized by XSEED, and Natsume’s independently-made Harvest Moon games!)

Trio of Towns was first announced at the end of 2015, and released in Japan during the summer of 2016. I’ve been covering it on a side blog, http://friendsof3villages.tumblr.com/, so check that out if you haven’t already. (Seriously, though, I think about 90% of the people who subscribe to this blog subscribe to that one too, haha. Hooray for Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons love!)

@xseedgames is going to be bringing this title to North America early this year. Just a couple more months! 

Just a couple more months until we can shear our rabbits in English!! Heh heh. 

One question that I get asked from time to time is: is this game worth getting? If you liked previous instalments in the series (Story of Seasons, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning, etc.), then my answer would be YES!! If, like me, you really enjoyed those games, you’ll probably like this one. The controls and basic systems are very similar, but there are a lot of new features that will keep you busy. 

They made some improvements based on feedback they got about Story of Seasons: The story is easier to clear, there are more heart events for each marriage candidate, and the reverse confession/proposal scenes are pretty easy to trigger this time around. 

If, however, you weren’t as much of a fan of the two previous games, well... I’d still suggest you give this game a fair try if you get the chance, but I understand if it may not be your cup of tea. 

I haven’t had the chance to try Natsume’s new game yet (Skytree Village) so I can’t say anything on it. I do hope to get the chance to play it sometime, though! I...kind of have a backlog of games I want to/need to play... xD

The next most important game was Fire Emblem Fates, which came out in North America in February 2016. 

I have no physical copy of Fates or its Japanese version, so here’s a picture of the only physical Fates-related object I own: the beautifully boxed Japanese soundtrack! ...plus the other two games that made my year. Ahem. ^^; (And this totally wasn’t a test for photographing items on that shelf with the intention of later photographing some crocheted kitchen items I plan to sell. ...Kidding. This was a photography test. xD)

I’ve been doing some translations for the DLC here on this blog: http://fe14festivalofbondstranslations.tumblr.com/ Fellow admin Kiyoshi and I are going to finish up the Hoshidan Festival DLC soon, and...we’d like to translate more CD drama tracks. 

...I have no idea why the Nohrian and Hoshidan Festival DLC isn’t available outside of Japan, but I hope we see it released in the English-speaking world this year! I’m dying to see what kind of adjustments they make in the English version. The conversations give us more insights into character relationships, and perceptions of them can change or give us greater insight depending on how the conversation is presented.

I plan to do some translation comparison posts on Fates after the festival translation is complete. I have a couple of topics that I want to write about I just...haven’t yet. (Most of them involve Kana, Forrest, and Soleil, who seems to have more changes to her English support convos than any other character.)

Slight changes in her conversations with her mother, for one... Details later. Mwahahaha. (They’re slight, though. But kinda cool.)

The Surprise Hit (For Me): Pokémon Sun & Moon

Until December 2016, I hadn’t touched a Pokémon game in about 15 years. But, I have fond memories of the early games...

Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version (both for the Game Boy) came out when I was in high school. I scoffed at them until trying my brother’s Red Version one day when I was very, very bored...and I liked it! I had my own GBC and managed to get a copy of Blue Version, and I liked it a lot. I also got Yellow Version after it came out, and after Gold and Silver were announced and released in Japan, I was miffed that I would have to wait a year or more to play them. I was so miffed, I decided to get the Japanese versions (through...means that I later realized were less than legal ^^;;;;;;;) and teach myself Japanese! And...I managed to do it. Somehow. xD I went through the ENTIRE Silver Version with a hiragana/katakana chart, a dictionary, and basic grammar/phrasebook I repeatedly checked out from the library (and my dad later bought them for me). Maybe I didn’t understand much of what was going on, but I got enough out of it to enjoy the game.

In other words, Pokémon Silver Version was the MAIN REASON I took up the Japanese language! Crazy, huh? 

But then I started college and lost interest. Gaming had to take a backseat for a while, and I just didn’t want to devote time to another series. (I lost interest in Fire Emblem for a long time due to this and other reasons, too.)

But, after hearing a lot of praise for Sun and Moon, especially praise about the story and character development (two things I love in a game), and attracted by the bright, cheery style, I decided to give them a try. And I love them! I’m fully hooked again! Goodbye, free time. Don’t need you anymore. 

The thing I found most intriguing is the number of languages available. This one was released simultaneously in English and Japanese!! I couldn’t even imagine that back in 1999 or 2000 or whenever it was that Gold and Silver were released!

I still have my copy of Yellow Version, and... I have my brother’s Red and (English) Gold versions. ...In fact, I have his Yellow, as well...? And where are my Blue and (English) Silver...? I have no idea, lol. He must have mine, and I have his...? Anyway, the battery that saves the data is long dead on all but one of them (I already forgot which one, though I know it wasn’t Gold but one of the older ones), so it doesn’t matter too much. 

In case you’re wondering: my favorite Pokémon of the original 151 (152 if you count Missingno! xD) are Clefable and Dragonair. (And Dragonite, but not quite as much.) Of the next generation, Pichu and Bellosom. (Who I always think of by its Japanese name: Kireihana.) I’ve now found myself quite fond of Lilligant (because it looks like Bellosom!), Comfey, and the various Oricorios! ...I’m a sucker for plant and fairy types, heh.

Moving Forward &  Personal Challenges & ...?

I want to branch out so I’m now doing a little work with Source Gaming, translating columns and such of one of my favorite game developer, Masahiro Sakurai. I’ve only done a couple, but this year I have some other interviews by a certain game producer that I want to translate and cover in-depth...

Yoshifumi Hashimoto Interviews

There’s a long interview with him in one of last year’s issues of Nintendo Dream. I’m sure others have already translated it, but... I want to do a FULL, thorough translation of the article because there’s a lot of interesting facts and trivia in it. He’s been the producer of the Bokujou Monogatari series since 2005, or for more than half the life of the series. (He took over upon the departure of creator Yasuhiro Wada.)

And there’s Mr. Hashimoto himself!

There’s an interview with him in the back of the guidebooks, too... AND some interesting trivia in the short official guidebooks! There’s a lot of trivia to be translated and shared! x)

In Conclusion

There’s so much to do this year, and I look forward to working on new projects when I’m able to! =D Unfortunately my health declined a bit in 2016, as some symptoms I hoped were temporary turned out to be long-lasting or even permanent, but it’s just one more thing learn to cope with and work around. That’s the nature of chronic illness, urgh. I’m used to it, but it still stinks. (In case you’re curious, I have something very similar to multiple sclerosis, so it really feels like I’m waging a war against the effects of time itself...)

Regardless of what happens, I’ve got a lot of stuff planned for the year. I’m especially looking forward to the English release of Trio of Towns, because I’m eager to see the writing in the English version! There are always small (and sometimes, big) changes and tweaks made to the localised English version, and comparing it to the Japanese one will be a lot of fun. I hope to get several more translated resident and heart events up before the game comes out in English, though! (And, if you must ask, my favorite bachelors are still Yuzuki and Ludus, and my favorite bachelorettes are the twins, Siluka especially. I like Kasumi a lot too. ...Actually, I like ALL the marriage candidates, so it’s hard to choose absolute favorites. The additional heart events and additional dialogue give the characters more depth and development than many of the previous games.)

That’s about all I have to say right now. Pretty much. Yep. Oh, wait, you read all this? Wow. xD Um, here, have a hug! **hug**