#of which there are aplenty which is nice but it's also harder to find all the ones ive liked that i havent saved

[carp-esh-ove-lem]

ive read hundreds of thousands of words of hatecrimes md fanfic in the past week i need to cycle thru my other ships and detox lol

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Sixty Six Percent [Spencer x fem! Reader]

A/N - This is for my “girls night out” square on my CM bingo card for @cmbingo​, which you can find the masterlist for here. Also loosely based off this prompt I’ve been wanting to write for a while - Our best friends are that awful “cute” couple that make out in public and call each other “sweetie” and “sugar” and god they’re awful, let’s talk about how awful they are – develops into “oh we’re that awful couple now”. Includes some Galvez and is set circa season 14 ish. Bottom right image taken from Kirsten’s Instagram. 

CW - not much really - just drinking and fluff.

In which girls night takes an unexpected turn when it coincides with boys night.

WC: 2.2K

Find my full Masterlist here.

Western’s bar in DC on a Friday night had been a must for girls night out. It was known for its cheap drinks, loud music and packed dance floor. Everything you and the girls were looking for. 

When your closest friends worked for the FBI, arranging girls night was always a near impossible feat. You’d lost count of how many times Penelope, Emily, JJ and Tara had to bail on your plans because another case had come up. 

You understood, you’d been best friends with Penelope for years now and you appreciated their schedules were hectic but you were always left downtrodden when they’d had to cancel again. 

But finally after weeks of cancellations and rescheduling, tonight they had been free for girls night. 

Shots were flowing and you all showed off your moves on the dance floor. You and Tara being the only single ones of the group danced with a few men but it was all harmless flirting, nothing serious. 

You weren’t looking to take someone home tonight. 

It was nearing midnight and you had all taken a break from dancing to rehydrate with vodka. You noticed Penelope’s eyes shift away from the girls across the room and her perfectly sculpted eyebrows knitted together.

“What is it, Pen?” You asked her, having to speak loudly to be heard over the music. 

“We can’t just have one night.” She rolled her eyes but then her face broke out into a large smile. “Excuse me.” And with that she sauntered off.

Your gaze followed where she had gone to see her throwing herself into the arms of her boyfriend, Luke Alvez. 

You chuckled to yourself, nudging Emily in the arm.

“They just can’t stay away from each other can they?” You laughed.

“It’s disgusting really.” Emily also laughed. 

“Looks like they're having a boys night. We should probably go and say hi.” JJ shrugged.

“I suppose it would be rude not to.” Tara agreed.

The four of you followed in Penelope’s footsteps across the room. You’d met most of the team over the years thanks to Penelope and you said your hellos to Luke, Rossi and Matt. 

The last man you came to had incredible hazel eyes, which even in the dim lighting of the bar you could see were flecked with gold. He had a light stubble on his cheeks and untamed curls you had a sudden desire to run your fingers through. 

Spencer Reid, you assumed. You’d heard of him countless times but for whatever reason the two of you had never met. You got the impression he avoided social situations in lieu of more academic pursuits. 

You’d heard stories of his time in prison and looking at him now it struck you that there was a hint of sadness in those hazel eyes and you assumed that must be why. 

“You must be Spencer.” You smiled a little shyly at him. You had no idea he’d be so attractive. “I’m Y/N.”

He smiled at you but you noticed it was stifled. Like he knew the fact you knew his name meant you knew what had happened to him.

“Yes, I’m Spencer. I’ve heard a lot about you Y/N, I can’t believe we’ve never met before.” Despite the sadness about him, his eyes seemed to sparkle as they looked at you and it made you feel hot under the collar. 

“Me either.” You couldn’t help but beam, had Penelope been hiding him from you? He was just your type. 

You turned to look at your friends briefly but were surprised to find them gone. Tara, Emily, JJ and Matt were now dancing in the middle of the floor while Rossi propped up the bar, sipping his single malt. 

A few feet from where you were standing with Spencer, Luke and Penelope were swapping saliva in an extremely NC-17 fashion. 

He had his hands on her voluptuous backside and her fingers were clawing at his shirt. 

“Are they always like this?” You turned back to Spencer with a grimace.

He shrugged.

“Not always but often enough not to be phased by it anymore.” He chucked a little. 

“Young love.” You laughed too. 

“They’re actually pretty cute when they aren’t pushing the boundaries of public displays of affection.” 

“Pen always refers to him as bunny, it makes me sick.” You laughed harder.

“Oh gosh.” Spencer pulled a face. “They flirt over the phone on cases all the time. It takes forever to get an answer out of Garcia because they have to flirt in every single call.”

“I bet he hasn’t described to you their sex life in graphic detail. Because Penelope has.” You shudder a little. “I know more about Luke’s anatomy than I ever needed to know.”

“That’s...that’s unfortunate.” Spencer laughed. 

“Yeah that’s one way to put it.” 

“Can I buy you a drink?” His smile was much less sad now, and more genuine as he looked at you. The way he was smiling at you made you feel weak. 

“That would be really nice.” You nodded. 

You followed Spencer to the bar where he ordered you both a drink and paid. He then led you over to a small booth away from the chaos where you sat next to him to allow you to be able to converse over the music. At least that’s what you told yourself.

It had nothing to do with the fact you wanted to be close to him. Absolutely nothing. 

“One time we were on a case in Boston and I called Garcia and for whatever reason she thought I was Luke and she started graphically describing what she was going to do to me, Luke when I got home. It was...disturbing to say the least.” 

“Oh wow. That sounds...horrible.” You laughed. 

“I’ve not been able to properly look her in the eye since.” Spencer pulled a face.

“They are the definition of sickening. But they’re happy. I guess that’s all that matters.” You shrugged, sipping your drink. “They’re lucky, one night stands have never worked out that well for me.” 

“No?” Spencer looked inquisitive. “I’ve never had one.”

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow at him. “I thought everyone had had at least one.”

“Statistically only sixty six percent of American’s have had a one night stand before.” 

“I forgot Penelope told me you were a genius.” You laughed again. “That’s a surprisingly low number.” 

“It’s still over two hundred and sixteen million people.” he didn’t even look as though he had to think to know something like that. You were impressed and felt slightly inadequate in comparison to him.

“Oh, in that case I suppose it is a lot.” you didn’t really know what you could say to that. “Can I ask why you’ve never had a one night stand?”

Spencer contemplated his answer this time. Facts and statistics rolled off his tongue but when he had to speak of personal things it often took him a moment to find the right thing to say.

“I suppose I’m a romantic at heart. One night stands seem kind of...disheartening to me. I’m not saying never but I’ve never felt the need thus far in my life.”

“See I don’t agree.” you turned in your seat so you could look at him properly. This close you could really see his incredible bone structure, high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. You wanted to run your fingertips over the delicate curves of his face, kiss the stubble on his soft skin and make your way to those plump lips of his. “Being single is hard, especially when your best friend is Penelope who is and is all loved up with Alvez. One night stands provide a little solace from the loneliness I guess.” you shrugged, trying not to sound like you were throwing a pity party for yourself. 

“But isn’t it just lonely all over again when it's over?” Spencer leaned closer to you and your eyes were fixated on his lips. 

“I don’t know.” mirroring him, you leaned closer. “We could always find out.” you smirked at him. You had just met him and you knew being so brazenly flirtatious could be dangerous territory. But you’d gone all these years without ever crossing paths so you supposed if this went south and Spencer rebuffed you then avoiding him wouldn’t be that difficult. 

His facial expression didn’t change so you had no idea what he was thinking or how he had taken your advances. He leaned even closer and your eyes were still locked on his lips.

“Are you asking me to come home with you Y/N?” his eyes were dark, lust perhaps? 

“I’m asking you to join the sixty six percent Spencer.” 

For a few long seconds neither of you moved or spoke. Spencer eyes fell over you, lingering longer on your lips. You shifted a little in your seat feeling hot under his intense gaze. He leaned even closer and you thought he was about to kiss you, but just as he inched towards you, a voice snapped you back to reality.

“Y/N there you are!” it was Emily. “And Spence, hey.” 

“Hi Emily, what’s up?” you would never forgive her if she had gotten in the way of Spencer kissing you.

“Come and dance, it's girls night!” she tugged your arm, pulling you so you were on your feet. 

Spencer shuffled out of the booth behind you. As Emily started dragging you towards the dancefloor, he came close to your ear and whispered “I’ll come and find you later.” and then he headed over towards Rossi who was still propping up the bar.

You danced with the girls for hours, even Penelope when she came up for air and pried herself away from Luke for more than a few seconds. The drinks kept flowing, laughter was aplenty; it was a great night all round. It had been worth waiting for.

Around three am you and the girls decided to call it night. You were a little tipsy and your feet hurt from all the dancing. You had lost track of Spencer earlier in the night, you were a little disappointed but it was probably for the best. A one night stand with your best friend's colleague would no doubt only end in disaster. 

You said your goodbyes outside, hugs and cheek kisses were dished out and they all promised you would have another girls night as soon as their schedules allowed. You lived on the other side of town than the girls so you waved off their cab from the curb and awaited the next one. It wasn’t long before another cab pulled up and to your confusion the rear window rolled down as it came to a stop.

“Told you I’d find you later.” Spencer smiled at you from the backseat. 

You tried to hide your blush as you slid in next to him. 

“I thought you left.” you buckled yourself in and almost immediately Spencer took hold of your hand.

“Not without you.” he leaned closer and then his lips pressed against yours in the backseat of the cab and you felt your whole body turn to jelly at the sensation. He used his free hand to cup your face as he deepened the kiss.

You felt a jolt of electricity coarse through you, something you had never felt before. Your lips moved in such a synchronized fashion it was crazy to think you had never done this before. You felt as though you’d waited your entire life for this moment. 

The kiss lasted a few minutes and when it ended you both panted slightly, trying to grasp at the air that had escaped your lungs. He kept his hand on your cheek, stroking small circles on your skin with his thumb. 

“Are you ready to join the sixty six percent club Spencer?” you smirked at him in the dark. 

He kissed you again, softly this time, more cautiously. 

“I’m quite comfortable in the minority. And I already know I am not going to be able to settle for one night with you.”

Your heart melted at his words, and the loving look he was giving you. You squeezed his hand, kissing him once more.

“If you take me for breakfast in the morning, you can have as many nights as you like.” you winked at him which made him blush a little.

“I’m sure we can arrange that, my love.”

“Thirty four percent it is then.” you laughed, settling your head on Spencer’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and kissed your head. 

You would have to berate Penelope for not introducing you to Spencer sooner. But you might also need to cut her and Luke some slack, because you had a feeling you and Spencer were going to become an awful, cutesy couple just like them. But when it was happening to you, you didn’t mind so much. Maybe you’d even let Spencer call you bunny…

...On second thoughts, maybe not. Somethings would never change. You’d leave the cringey nicknames to Penelope and Luke. At least for now anyway. Tomorrow was another day. 

[yue-muffin]

The muffin watches Love and Redemption (insert preemptive crying here)

Aright, I finally FINALLY finished live blogging this episode. @mejomonster my thoughts are aplenty! I actually wrote way too much! 

Edit: I’m an idiot, I forgot to mention a prediction/observation.

Episode 1:

The CGI is actually very nice in this drama, I’m pleased. I will definitely watch dramas with cringe-worthy CGI, but it’s always nice when they manage to integrate it with the actors and set pieces well, which is even harder to accomplish in Xianxia.

Wait, what did the god of war do to deserve the reincarnation out of the heavenly realm punishment? Didn’t she defeat the Asura/Mosha guy? Was it because she used his weapon or something? And in the first place, why does that half of the Mosha guy’s soul qualify as a celestial that can be reborn? I suppose everyone is subject to reincarnation, but this batch is explicitly for those who have committed crimes in the heavens and wasn’t he on the demon/asura side? Or…maybe he was a celestial who betrayed them? Who knows, I’m just wildly speculating…

The scene definitely suggests there is a lot the narration is not telling us about how these two ended up being reincarnated - yet.

If she lacks the six senses, then why can she see and hear just fine? She apparently can’t feel pain, which would count for the deficiency of touch. Hm.

Xuanji, I relate to just wanting to go back to sleep and not deal with visitors so much lol.

HA, that little look of alarm one of the shixiongs (Liuzi?) has on his face when Linglong tries to convince Xuanji it’ll be fun because they get to check out the handsome guys. So is Linglong supposed to be her twin since they’re both 16 years old?

The dragon wolf thing moves a little funny, but at least it doesn’t look glaringly out of place and the camera doesn’t focus on it for too long, as is typical of CGI monsters. Kudos to them!

Cheng Yi is low-key really good looking in action scenes, just putting that out there. I didn’t think I would adjust to him in period clothing and long hair so quickly, since it usually takes me a while to make the switch (after seeing him in The Lost Tomb 2), but nope! He looks really good!

Ah, so this is the ruthless sect. I love how their first rule, which is literally more important than anything else they may value or encourage in their members, is to not show their entire face when outside the sect…also, what’s the point in hiding only half your face?? Sifeng’s mask only covers one eye, his forehead, and cheek on one side…at least have it cover the entire upper or lower half like everyone else in the sect (I know it’s so we can actually see the actor’s face and not supposed to make sense in-universe)?? I actually do like how they designed it though, it’s far less clunky than the full-face masks we saw in the opening sequence, probably due to the curves.

Sect leader…Sifeng is 16, he IS little pfft. Even adjusting for the times, he is a BABY haha. As I grow older, I realize more and more how young a lot of protags in fantasy stories really are. Also, sect leader is a drama queen, like he’s just lounging on his chair with this dramatic laid-back pose, takes a deep breath, and turns his chin up. So extra.

Aw, yes, I want to see more of Cheng Yi’s easy smiles. He’s so serious in TLT2, except when the warmth seeps into this expression when he’s smiling fondly at Wu Xie…

These devil/asura people have a weird bowing pose. I can’t help but think their hands make them look like…eagle claws or something lol.

Ah, a classic ‘I forgot my invitation’ situation. Well, Xuanji doesn’t have to feel too bad, apparently none of the other Shaoyang disciples know how to fly on a sword either lol. Her sister was tied down by that spell, but could none of the others have attempted to chase after the jerk who grabbed her? (Side note: I really love the color of his sect’s outfits.)

:3 I like Xuanji’s expressions, they’re just cute? So cute. Like her little huff when she’s defending her big sister from the jerkass. Also, I love characters who are like little kittens who puff up and try to protect their friends/family even though the one they’re trying to protect is probably more capable than them.

Jerkass really does take it too far when he just DROPS HER FROM THE SKY. Like, I can accept if youthful teasing goes a little far in that he snatched her and took her for a joy ride, but when it’s apparently that she really can’t summon a sword, it’s 100% not okay to just drop her and laugh it off. If Sifeng didn’t catch her, she could’ve died, and how exactly do you plan on explaining THAT to her father, huh Mr. Jerkass? He had like a dozen witnesses too.

Well, what can you expect from a guy who forgot to bring his invitation and literally was too arrogant and entitled to wait for his teacher to come out and let them in. :p Not the smartest cookie, is he. Even if you got in trouble for forgetting your invitation, you’d get in x10 more trouble for murdering a girl. Good thing she has plot armor and Sifeng was conveniently in the right spot to catch her lol.

Small note, he left her on his sword and she fell off after a bit - so…how exactly is HE flying? Can people fly without the help of their sword? Is he able to make more than one?

Lol Xuanji tugs at him like she does to her sister, it’s cute. But he’s so PANIC every time she touches him haha poor guy. He’s so awkward…why is it so endearing…

It took me a second to realize that he stutters, also that he has a voice actor this time! Idk why, Cheng Yi has a good voice. It would’ve fit this role just fine, unless there were parts they were concerned he couldn’t do. They did a good job matching the VA to his lip movements though, it’s really hard to tell it’s not his voice. It’s been a while since I heard Cheng Yi on video, but listening and comparing, now I can tell that it’s not his in this drama. Anyways, this might be my only complaint lol. Both he and his VA do a good job conveying the stuttering though!

Cheng Yi, you’re playing another character who’s good at disappearing in the blink of an eye lol…

Aah, so normally her sister’s personality type is the annoying sort, which is why she works well as a supporting character. I love how she turns her brattiness up to eleven in order to help Xuanji get out of a scolding by their father. I just really love how these two are so supportive and defensive of each other.

Edit: Alright, but Xuanji did you really just raise a flag for yourself so early in the show. ‘I think tears are the most precious things’. I WILL EAT MY HAT IF THIS DOES NOT BECOME RELEVANT LATER.

And instead of holding onto Sifeng’s name tag for like 50 episodes, she remembers she has it and goes to give it back + some birthday snacks because it’s his birthday too! GAH Xuanji is too cute.

I love how the guy who answered the door just his back only to turn around and smoothly give an explanation for his friend’s disfluency lol (so it’s a language thing!). AND THEN HE GOES ‘carry on!’ AND TURNS AROUND AGAIN. Idk why I find this funny but.

? Why all that effort for dew from a peach blossom tree. Is this one a special peach blossom tree. Why is he making tea with it. OH OK it’s good for cultivation.

He’s so vicious ha, he’s clearly perplexed by her - I mean, he’s the top disciple in his sect, so likely he doesn’t get how she can live so carefree and not have any desire to cultivate or anything. It’s perplexing and kind of total opposite to his worldview, so he reacts harshly.

Ah, I really like Cheng Yi’s acting! He goes from flat/indifferent face to reacting angrily to her picking the snake up, then a subtle worry as his eyes drop down from her to the snake.

I don’t know why I like this snake scene but I dooo. xD Also, it’s interesting how she doesn’t feel any strong emotions (she’s actually rather intensely curious tho!), while he puts on a mask literally/figuratively to seem like he doesn’t and yet gets worked up quite easily.

I’m glad she stops imitating him when he tells her to and is explicitly angry/upset, I get enough of people being assholes and making fun of others for things they can’t help like their speech impairments or mannerisms, it’s just kind of a personal thing that irks me.

AW HE’S SO PROTECTIVE OF HIS LITTLE SNAKE.

Why is it always the peach tree forests?? They’re always weird places that trap people. I can think of two other dramas where this happens haha. I know peaches do have significant symbolism in Chinese culture, so maybe that explains it.

Lol he still flips out a bit when she gets close. Poor girl, getting dropped from the air AGAIN.

Ah, this is the lake! Where they sealed part of that Mosha guy’s soul! This can’t be good.

Aw, look at his face, he’s genuinely worried for his little snake. CHENG YI YOUR RANGE OF EMOTIONS. GAH. 

I CAN’T OPEN IT. Oh wait.

WHY DID YOU GO IIIIN YOU JUST SAID YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING AND HE TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT, YOU LITTLE IDIOT. If he’s Little Stutterer, you can be Little Idiot, ok.

Here’s an idea, she finds the snake, you fight the dragon, and then all three of you get out of there.

OH the mask comes off!! Ok, but you have seen like most of his face already…Hahaha the look on his face ‘wait…why do I feel a hand why is she touching me there…OH NO’

Ah, a nice detail I didn’t think they’d think to add in: his stuttering got way worse without the mask on, since he was so upset/shaken.

?? What just happened with her blood lol.

Final Thoughts:

An interesting start, with nice character dynamics revealed and a dangerous situation to move the plot right along. I have been informed the drama really differentiates itself from the typical setup that has been supplied thus far, and I’m excited to see it unfold.

For now, I have a tiiiiny crush on Cheng Yi and I’m interested in where they take Xuanji’s character. Also, what disasters will result from their little excursion into the super lake where a demon lord thing was sort of sealed away a long time ago...

[ajora]

I never played ff5 but ngl I kind of want you to answer ALL the questions on that meme because I like hearing your thoughts about it. (and faris for the character part, because hm. yes. butch lesbian pirate. I can dig this. and your otp for the ship part, obviously.)

Oh boy, settle in because this’ll be looong.

So, for everyone else: warning: this talks about being nb/butch, a taboo ship, and spoilers for FF5.

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: Toss-up between Faris and Lenna.

Least Favorite character: I don’t actually hate him because his recurring crossover character status is hilarious and he’s got great theme music, but, Gilgamesh. His final words to Faris ( 恋でもして　ちったあ　女らしくなりな | essentially: go fall in love, then you’ll become more feminine) always rubbed me wrong. The love that defines her is the love she has for Lenna, even if you don’t interpret it as romantic love, and her love should never force her to become what she’s not. 

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Honestly, just Faris/Lenna. I’m chill with other people shipping other ships, but farilenna is my forever ship.

Character I find most attractive: I overrelate to Faris and Lenna is exactly my type. Gosh, but her squeak in DFFOO is adorable.

Character I would marry: I mean, I have a girlfriend I intend to marry, but Lenna would be a nice second option.

Character I would be best friends with: I’d probably get along with all of them, but realistically Butz is just the kind of no-commitment, independent friend I get along best with

a random thought: After the DFFOO event with Butz giving everything that makes him him to his dark world clone, I unironically want to redraw a SUF screenshot with someone taking Connie’s place to say that the only one who hasn’t had Steven Butz is Steven Butz. Largely because Butz shunts his personal feelings to the side to be the supportive friend and teen girl escort everyone needs.

An unpopular opinion: The GBA localization is great, but it’s not an accurate translation and sacrifices accuracy for the lulz. Which is fine!

My Canon OTP: I’mma reach and say Amano drew my otp holding each other on official art that got plastered everywhere in Japanese GBA-release media, so that totes counts as official, right? It’s the same argument the Butz/Lenna shippers used back in the day. (I even have this art in poster form)

My Non-canon OTP: Because FF5 has no actual endgame ships, obviously my otp. 

Most Badass Character: Look, Faris dove into a dragon-generated whirlpool that could have killed her to save her crew when she was 15. She fell off a cliff and crawled back up for Lenna. Faris, hands down.

Most Epic Villain: tbh the most epic villain was one who wasn’t in the game until he became an optional boss added in the GBA revamp: Enuo. He might not have been in the game’s present, but his shadow loomed large 1000 years after his death/sealing away.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Not personally a fan of shipping Butz with any of the girls, largely because he’s shaped like a friend and has been a fantastic friend to all of them, and FF5 really isn’t a romance. I’m absolutely happy to ship him with Squall in the Dissidias though. Butz/Squall is my otp for him. 

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Eh, I feel like the ending sequence for Faris could have focused less on her being a woman and more on her actual acts of courage. Courage being her whole damn thing and defining trait and all.

Favourite Friendship: Faris and Syldra. Gosh, but all the Japanese texts on them makes me mourn Syldra’s death even harder.

Character I most identify with: Faris bc butch/nonbinary reasons and huge issues with being shoehorned into one gender (male) but not really feeling it (Faris does, in Japanese at least, identify as a woman; direct translation by me: “don’t treat me like a fool because I’m a woman”) and also not wanting to 100% be compliant with femininity.

Character I wish I could be: Look, who doesn’t want to be a pirate.

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

When I started shipping them: 1997 baby. It’s been years and while I flitted out of FF5 fandom in the 2000s up til I returned now, I never stopped loving my ship

My thoughts: Yeah, the sibling incest complicates things, but also? They were separated very young, didn’t grow up together, and didn’t meet again until adulthood. There’s no actual power imbalance there. Even with respect to social status. Like, yes Lenna’s in line to be queen, but does anyone really think she’d abuse her position for anything? She adores Faris. Faris will destroy everyone in this room and then herself if anything happened to Lenna. 

What makes me happy about them: Oh, gosh, they are so good together. Also? I adore how muddled up they are together. Lenna is the Light Warrior of Water, her defining trait being conscientious kindness. Faris is the Light Warrior of Fire, her defining trait being courage. But Lenna will absolutely kill that dragon if she has to. She’ll hare off into the unknown with only a knife to find her father. She’ll trudge through poison to save that dragon she was gonna kill. Her sky dragon turns into a phoenix. She’s the spirit of Water, but everything about her screams Fire. Conversely, Faris is bonded to a sea dragon, nearly drowned twice that we know of, and over the course of the game she does become a kinder person than she was. She’s the spirit of Fire, and yeah she does have courage aplenty, but she’s so inextricably bound to water that her skills in DFFOO are water-related. 

What makes me sad about them: That they could never be together openly. Also? That modern/post-GBA fandom will absolutely shit on the ship’s fans. You’ve seen me talk in Discord about the hate I run across often enough. And it’s absolutely wild to me because I’ve been here since 1997, I’ve heard all the jokes about Faris/Lenna back then, and no one threw a fit about it like they do now. Nevar 4get the off-color FWAKs that were common back in the day. 

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Mostly just... treating the girls as Butz’s personal harem. And this is a small thing, at least. 

Things I look for in fanfic: Anything with my ship. Alternatively, anything where at least Faris isn’t straight. 

My wishlist: God I just want to talk to fellow Faris/Lenna shippers! And if I have to improve my translating-to-Japanese skills for it, I will. Also, I wanna get involved in a Faris/Lenna doujinshi someday. Or an anthology!

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: their dragons

My happily ever after for them: A cottage by the sea, all regal responsibilities forgotten, with new dragon companions because theirs died over the course of the game and Highwinds must have dragons.

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

How I feel about this character: Superb. Fantastic. When I was a young butch in the closet with only Oscar to look up to, Faris stormed onto the scene with all her flaws and character development and a dragon friend! and yes, I dig this. Still favorite, though Lenna unseats her ever so often. 

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Lenna. That’s it, really. World of Final Fantasy floated the idea of Quistis/Faris, but didn’t provide a lot to go on. 

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Syldra! Although I have been known to ship her with Syldra too, back in the day. 

My unpopular opinion about this character: Faris is a very, very Asian trope character, her roots being in Oscar of Rose of Versailles, Takarazuka, and East Asian legends and histories of crossdressing women. I just feel really uncomfortable when white people, especially white cis people, ignore that, ignore that she herself says that she’s a woman, and insist that she’s a trans man. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I do wish the epilogue slideshow focused more on her deeds than on her feeling uncomfortable complying with traditional femininity.

Favorite friendship for this character: Syldra!

My crossover ship: Faris and Quistis becoming friends in WoFF after Quistis challenged her to a fistfight is just so Faris that I’d love to see fics exploring that. 

[composereggwrites]

Love will not break your Heart (but dismiss your Fears)

Chapter 1: Plant Your Hope with Good Seeds

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Rating: T

Characters/Ships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Georgie Barker/Melanie King, Alice “Daisy” Tonner/Basira Hussain, Gerard Keay, Gertrude Robinson

Additional: Reincarnation AU, Soul Bond, Team as Family, Autistic Jon, Post-Canon Fix-it, Childhood Friends, Hurt/Comfort

They stand in the Panopticon, fire raining down from the sky, as the Eye stares down at them.

Jon takes Martin’s hand in his.

Jonathan Barker-King wakes up and goes to class. He works under Gertrude’s rule at the university archives, and subs in when his coworkers at the library, Sasha and Tim, are out sick.

It’s on one such day that he reconnects with his old childhood friend. The one he hasn’t seen in 11 years, ever since their houses burned down. Martin Hussain-Tonner.

An Undone-Apocalypse reincarnation AU.

Ao3 or Below!

Jonathan Sims Barker-King sits at the checkout desk of Oxford University, and curses the flu for taking out both Tim and Sasha in the same week. Abandoning him to cover their shifts, when he should be down in the archives today, learning the ropes from Gertrude.

It’s not a hard job. Arguably, working in the archives is harder. But it’s also midterms season, and that means dealing with an influx of students who’ve realized they need to actually study, and he’s running this place short-staffed.

There’s a lull around 4:30pm, and he breathes a sigh of relief as it hits. The 4pm rush is typically the last of the day. No more beeping of the scanner, no more arguing with patrons about the fines they’ve accrued, and no more dealing with the incompetent people who don’t even know how to use a basic search function.

Maybe now he can work on his own homework. He’s got two essays and a test to study for, after all.

Just as he’s settling into the flow, typing the words into the document at a decent pace, someone approaches the desk once again.

“What do you need?” he snaps, most of the sharp edge tempered down with years of practice, before looking up.

The person who stands before him is easily 6’5, with wavy ginger hair, round glasses, and is absolutely built like a bear. But more importantly–

“Jon? Is that you?” he asks, grin on his face and light dancing in his eyes.

Jon laughs, still staring. “Y–Yeah. Holy–” he bites his tongue, no swearing on the job. “Martin? When the hell did you get so tall?”

Martin Blackwood Hussain-Tonner rubs the back of his head, laughing too. “Oh, you know. Hit a couple growth-spurts as a teen. Fifteen, sixteen, really shot up like a tree. What about you though? You’re so…”

“It’s alright, you can say small,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “Unlike some people, I didn’t get height genes from my mysterious spawners. Mum still delights in being able to pick me up.”

“Oh I’m sure. She was absolutely fearless, wasn’t she?” Martin asks, and Jon nods.

“It’s almost terrifying at times. I mean, I’m 23, and she comes swooping in and carrying me around like it’s nothing.” His brain presents him with a mental image of Martin doing this, like he is now, and then he shoves that thought into a dark, locked box. Nope, not doing that.

Jon almost keeps talking, but some of the students with books piled higher than their heads are starting to glare, so he sighs. “I’m still on shift for another hour, but we should catch up, yeah? It’s been ages.”

Martin nods. “Sure! There’s a nice cafe on campus that we could go to, not too far from here, and I’m free tonight.”

He smiles. “I think I know the one. Sounds good to me. Meet you there?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

___

It takes three years to find them.

Daisy and Basira chose to look for Martin, while Georgie and Melanie search for Jon. Because these foolish boys decided to stop the apocalypse together, and die together.

They’d left a tape behind, of course. Static layered over the words.

“We’re going to do something. If you’re hearing this, I’m going to assume it worked,” Jon had said. “We’re undoing the apocalypse. Both Martin and I.”

“The thing is,” Martin said, false-confidence in his bold voice, only a hint of a waver, “We’re not making it out of this… Well, not alive. Not how we are now, at least. But it’s okay! We’ll be coming back.”

Then Jon again, slipping into a neutral voice, steady as he explains. “Time is going to get a bit weirder than normal, and this is going to open the door for a lot of people to get second chances. Anyone touched by an Entity who stays alive will still remember everything that happened, but for the rest of the world… It’ll be like a mass hallucination.”

“You don’t need to find us,” Martin murmurs, softer now. “But… You can if you want. Jon doesn’t think we’ll remember anything. Definitely not at first, maybe not ever. We’re just going to be little kids, after all.”

“Take care of yourselves, alright? Georgie. Melanie. Daisy. Basira. This is a chance for freedom for all of you, too. We’re burning that wretched institute to the ground, with Jonah inside of it, and getting out.” Jon sighs, a hint of compassion leaking into his voice. Such a struggle for The Archivist to feel anything, and yet he feels more than ever, nowadays.

“Be safe, all of you. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”

After a bit of debate, Melanie had scoffed and said, “Obviously we’re gonna find those idiots. If we don’t, then Jude’ll hunt them down and burn them or somethin’. Might as well make sure that don’t happen.”

Easier said than done, of course. Daisy had managed to track down Martin a couple months ago, using some of the Hunt, before diving into a few rounds of Halo to shake the rest of the energy off. (That had been Basira’s idea, what better way to channel the Hunt than through violent video-games?)

Stepping into this orphanage, at first Georgie thinks it’ll be no different. It’s not a bad place, pristine and clean, but there’s no soul. Just another cluster of kids, too alone and small, who need homes that they can’t give.

Until she spots a child with too-big too-familiar eyes staring at them.

When they make eye-contact, the kid stands, and stumbles closer. She kneels down, and this child states, matter-of-fact, “You’re looking for me.”

“Oh, are we now?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “What’s your name, then?”

“Jonathan. They don’t call me that, they call me a girly name. But I’m Jon.” There’s a hard edge, determination, as if prepared for anything but acceptance.

“Of course you’re Jon,” Melanie says, careful to kneel, careful as she reaches out. It takes a moment, but she finds his hair, and ruffles it. Tenderness wiping away the gleam of fear in his eyes. “Why do you think we’re looking for you?”

He leans closer. “I just know. I know things. I’m very smart!” he says, with what’s almost a proud grin.

She laughs, and leans close to Melanie, so she can whisper, “Mels, he’s so small!”

Melanie, predictably, laughs at her, and keeps talking to Jon. “Well, you certainly seem very smart. And you’re right, we have been searching just for you. It might take a bit before you’re able to come home with us, but I think you’re just the one we’ve been looking for, Jon.”

So they sit there, and talk with Jon. Playing games and reading stories with him. It’s not long before he gets tired, and crawls into Georgie’s lap, tuckered out.

She leans against Melanie’s shoulder, as they both relax.

“He’s such a child,” Melanie says, voice low.

“He really is. But I mean, we expected that, yeah? He’s three, if anything, he seems smarter than the average three-year-old.” Georgie says back, still carding her fingers through Jon’s hair. She had thought it’d be weird, seeing her ex-boyfriend/old friend as a child, and it was, a little. But he was so endearing. A little kid, free from the stress he’d been carrying.

“You don’t think…”

She shrugs. “He might be, I don’t know how all that super works. But from the way he was speaking on the tape, I doubt it. Maybe it’s just… After-effects?” Either way, she’s prepared to raise a weird kid. Had been ever since she and Melanie realized they might have a future together (because there’s no way they were going to be raising someone normal).

“I hope that’s all it is.”

Some of the other kids have been watching them. Georgie’s noticed this. Watching as they play, as they hang out with Jon. Maybe it’s just jealousy, maybe it’s not. It makes her hold him closer. Protective anger like acid on her tongue, ready to burn if they try to hurt her boy.

One of them walks closer now, and narrows his eyes at them. He looks to be older, maybe eight or so. “Why would you choose him? He’s weird.”

Melanie scoffs, and Georgie takes her hand, to keep her from fighting an eight-year-old. “Maybe we like him because he’s weird. A better question is why you want to be mean to a three year old, kid.”

“Listen. You don’t have to like him, but we do,” Georgie says, glancing up at him. Skinny, fists clenched and shaking. Scared because every time someone else gets out, he must stay. “Just… Don’t be mad at him, because he’s going to leave and you aren’t. Maybe someone else will like you the way we like him, some day. Being mean to him isn’t going to make that happen sooner.”

It’s a long process, of course. Adoption is complicated. But they manage to pass the inspection, and bring him home. Home to a newly-bought house with three bedrooms, right next door to Daisy, Basira, and Martin.

The look on Jon’s face when he sees his own room, with a ceiling-high bookshelf stocked to the brim, and toys aplenty, is one Georgie will treasure forever.

(She’s made sure that there weren’t any Leitners.)

___  

Martin sits at the cafe, fingers tapping against his leg, grin on his face. The setting sun is shining in from the window to his right, and the soft scent of coffee fills the air.

He’d just seen Jon.

It had been eleven years, and Jon had remembered him.

He sips at his tea as he waits, anxious nerves swelling in his stomach. Which was ridiculous, because this is Jon. They’d been friends ever since Jon had moved in with his moms. Three year olds sitting together and playing with Legos. Jon reading books to him all the time. Going on adventures through their backyards.

They’d both had to move when they were twelve, though, and, in the chaos, had lost contact with each other. Martin hadn’t stopped missing him, even as lonely fog rolled in.

His moms did their best. But it was hard to make friends at school, when his anchor wasn’t there at his side. Cast adrift in a sea of unknown people.

(The pride club in high school helped a lot, but he still felt out of place. Alone even as he had friends to laugh and chat with, even as he started figuring out who he really was).

With his pencil to the paper in front of him, he tries to focus on some of his homework, and not think about Jon.

He ends up with lines of poetry written in the margins of his textbook instead.

When the bell to the cafe rings, he perks up, and grins as Jon walks in. He gives a wave, and Jon smiles and waves back. Once he’s retrieved his own drink, he walks to the table.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey yourself,” Martin replies.

Silence settles around them, and suddenly it dawns on Martin that he has no idea what to say to someone he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Sure, they’d been friends, but that doesn’t mean their interests are the same.

“So… What’s your major?” Jon asks, and Martin lets out a sigh of relief.

“I’m studying literature right now, actually! All the classics, poetry, you know. I’m considering a few different options, but I figured I might as well study what I’m interested in while I ponder career choices.” He could ramble for hours about some of the things he’s studying, but not right now. “What about you?”

Jon leans back in his chair, and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m actually in a grad program right now. Working on a degree in information sciences with a focus on archival work. I double-majored in the History and English course, along with parapsychology.”

“Parapsychology? That’s the study of weird stuff, yeah? Paranormal events?” Martin asks, leaning forward.

Jon nods, and some of the awkward air slides away. “ESP, ghosts, near-death experiences, and reincarnation. All that fun stuff. It’s really interesting, actually. I did a lot of research on the apocalypse, the one that didn’t happen?” He waits for Martin to nod, before continuing.

“There’s bunches about it. Stories are still being collected. Everyone’s got something to say. I mean, an entire year’s worth of memories? Of events that didn’t happen? I don’t know why more people aren’t fascinated by this!” His hands dance through the air, punctuating his sentences with a flourish. Poetry in motion.

Martin smiles, watching Jon as he starts to ramble, sipping his tea. Jon has always been so full of words and energy, if given some encouragement. Infodumping about whatever has caught his interest now. It used to be books and stories, regaling Martin with the plot.

“I’m not in statement collection, of course,” he says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I don’t really get to manage those, though I do read them sometimes. Wrote a paper about all the different ways to classify some of the weirder aspects, because events seem to fall into certain categories.”

“That’s really cool! It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research into it, and I’d love to hear more later. You could send me your paper, if you want?” He asks, a tingle running up his spine at the idea of being able to contact Jon whenever.

“O-oh, sure! What’s your email? Or phone number? We should exchange those, yeah?” Jon starts taking out his phone, and Martin does too.

“Sounds like a plan. I’d like to stay in contact this time,” he says with a snort. “No more disappearing for eleven years on me, mister.”

“It’s hardly my fault both our parents decided to move at the same time,” Jon mutters, mock-offended as he plugs his number into Martin’s phone.

“I know. I’m more annoyed that our moms didn’t help us keep in contact. It’s weird, I swear they kept in contact, but I guess I didn’t think to try and get your number, and I know we pretty much ended up on opposite sides of the country.” He shrugs, handing Jon’s phone to him and taking his own back.

He smiles when the text of ^Hello, this is Jon.^ comes through.

“I asked mom once. She told me no. Said it’d be hard, or that it was complicated for some reason. I let the matter drop.” Jon fidgets with one of the napkins, folding and refolding it.

“Maybe I’ll ask my mum about it sometime,” Martin says. “Mom is still kinda busy.”

“She’s still a professional gamer, yeah? I’ve kept up with Miss Daisy’s career.” Jon laughs. “It’s still great watching a fifty? Sixty? Year old lady destroying all the other competitors.”

He laughs, nodding. “Yeah, she’s sixty four now, and still absolutely crushing them. She’s brutal. She’s told me some stories from when she and mum were police, and I gotta say, I think I prefer the gaming.”

“I’ll have to get these stories out of you sometime, I’d be very interested in hearing them.” A grin lights up Jon’s face, and Martin has no doubt that he’ll be able to pull those stories out of Daisy and Basira.

“I’m sure they’d both love to regale you with them.”

All the tension of the room has eased now, as they laugh and joke. Falling back into old patterns so easily. Martin hadn’t been aware of how much he’d missed this until he had it back. Years of withdrawal making it easier to adapt to the empty ache in his chest when Jon wasn’t by his side. Like he didn’t know he’d been living without oxygen, until he could breathe again.

But now Jon’s here. For the first time since he was twelve, his lungs work, and the pain is gone. Gone somewhere, a burden lifted from him.

Maybe he’ll be able to keep it at bay, and keep Jon close, in the coming years.

___

Gertrude Robinson sits in her office, looking over the edge of her computer at the boy who has just walked in. Glasses sit sharp on her face, as she scans him.

Still in his goth phase, with black on black on black, dyed hair, and tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves. Oh-so-familiar, but she doesn’t know if her face is familiar to him yet.

“Can I help you?” she asks, steady and ungiving of an inch.

Gerard stares back at her. No doubt about it then. She’d changed her last name back to what it should properly be, as a signal, just for this. It’d be nice, maybe, to be a woman not so alone with her memories.

“Gertrude?” He raises an eyebrow at her, arms crossed over his chest. “Don’t play dumb with me. Your crotchety old grandma trick doesn’t work as well when you’re barely over thirty.”

She laughs, and leans back. “You’ve caught on then, I see. Good ole’ Gerard Keay.”

“Gerry Delano. I’m not using her last name,” he bites out. “Tell me, what have you been up to here?”

“Oh, this and that. Not much to do in the way of battling the Fears, these days. I hear your friend Jon took care of that for me.” She’d listened to the tapes. Found them hidden away in the ruins of the Institute. The rise and fall of the apocalypse, and Jonah being such a fool. As if he really thought Jonathan Sims wouldn’t find a way to undo the hellscape. The mark of the Lonely was brilliant, but it gave him the key to becoming a savior, not confined to be an Archive.

“They’re still out there, though,” Gerry replies.

She gestures for him to take a seat across from her, and he does. Less stubborn, this life. “Yes, I know. Don’t think I’m unaware of their movements. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the remaining Avatars. I’m not a fool. Jude is still on the move, looking for those two. Mike Crew is still throwing people off buildings–in France, right now I believe. But they’re all weak. Low on power and morals, and there’s not going to be another ritual��not in my lifetime.”

With a shrug, he seems to relent. “I guess. Are you really content, then? To just sit here and work as an–an actual head archivist? For an actual, not-spooky institution?” His words are clipped, not harsh, but pointed.

“Don’t you think I’ve quite earned my rest?” she fires back. “I’m not caught in the Beholding this life, and I’m not involved. Not yet, at least.  Perhaps if the Web decides I need to be pulled back in, I will, but not now.” The Mother of Puppets is not one she can predict, but dancing to its strings is hard to resist. “Besides, it’s not like all my work here is boring. We’re still working on collecting statements from the apocalypse and filing them away.”

“The thing most people still think was a mass hallucination?” He laughs, and steals one of her pens to fiddle with. She’ll let him keep it. This is better than him using her desk as a footrest.

“Everyone wants to tell their story, and it allows me to travel around as much as I like to collect them. It’ll be a whole genre, I expect. A thousand years from now, and everyone will have their favorite stories. There will be fiction invented about it. Maybe some will even get it right.” She smiles, that smile of hers which he’s called bland but terrifying. Equal disinterest in everything, but with her own plot at play. It’s fitting, in a way.

“Well, you have fun with that. I’ll be keeping a lookout for trouble, and I’ll let you know if I see any. But I’m not here to help you with this,” he says, equally blasé.

“No, you’re here because you’ve said you can get Mr. Jonathan Barker-King, your roommate, an in to the archives here. Because you know me. You placed a lot of stakes on the fact that I remembered, didn’t you?” She chuckles. “You were right, for what it’s worth, but that was quite the gamble.”

“Well, if anyone were to remember, it’d be you, Gertrude.” Gerard shrugs, and she has to concede that he makes a point. “You’ll let him have the job, then?”

“Of course. Tell your friend that if he submits and application, he’ll likely get in. It’d be nice to have someone else around with an Eye for the finer details. Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

Gertrude turns her attention back to the files on her desk, and expects Gerard to show himself out soon.

He lingers at the door, but says nothing more.

[swanky-batman]

Marvel’s Bachelors Part 9

Avengers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader, Thor x Reader, Sam Wilson x Reader

Warnings: drinking, swearing, adult situations, violence and action sequences may occur throughout series

Here’s the second to last date for round two! I’m really excited with how everything seems to be working out- I know who’s going last for this round but who’s going to get eliminated? D: (gif isn’t mine)

Masterlist  || Ko-Fi

Beginning- Previous

-----------------------

The anxiety you got the next couple of days made you nauseous to no end. Someone on the camera crew had let it slip that the next meeting would show a picture they got of you kissing the golden haired god.

You weren’t ready to face the others, yet somehow someone had gotten you ready and led you towards your seat on the couch.

You could faintly hear Tony come on with his announcer voice and your attention slowly moved to the other side of the couch. Their eyes, all of them- concerned and worried about you. That would soon go away, be replaced with reactions you had worried about.

“...it seems the other contestants will have to step up their game-” Tony mentioned, your breath catching, “Since it looks like our puppy dog got a kiss on the mouth from their encounter.”

Your eyes searched them- all of them. Thor’s eyes were big, surprised it seemed that anyone had caught your private moment. Steve’s face hadn’t changed that much at all and you were unsure if that was for the camera or not. Sam’s eyes rolled and he booed out loud, trying to play it off but you knew it caught him off guard. Bucky’s eyes met yours and crinkled, a soft smile playing on his lips- his face was the most reassuring.

“James Buchanan Barnes, it seems you’re up again- that means that Steve is saved for last yet again!” Tony announced, pointing towards the two of them.

--

Bucky had been very calm, asking you to get ready in a certain type of outfit and waiting for you outside your door.

“Perfect.” He grinned, leading you out towards the car.

You waited, letting a silence creep over you both before you asked, “You seemed the least surprised out of everyone.”

He chuckled a little, “First off, Peter likes to talk- he thinks I don’t listen so he often does it around me-” You made a mental note to torment Peter later, “Second, we’re all adults here. With all of the time spent together with this show going it’s bound to show some progress. The other guys were probably surprised, sure, but if they don’t get over it oh well. More time with me.” He grinned, meeting your eyes.

“So you aren’t mad?” Your stomach released some of its current knot, seeing him at ease.

He shook his head, “Doll, you’re allowed to do whatever you want.”

He changed the subject shortly after, asking about how you were feeling and if anything still hurt from the botched mission.

He pulled you out of the car and rushed you inside without giving you a moment to look around. Once inside, you waved a little smoke out of your face and a grin spread across your face.

“What is this place?”

“Just a little piece of the past.” He chuckled, taking your cover up and his jacket and checking it.

The sound was blaring from the live band up on stage, the bar was active with tons of people socializing and drinking, the whole place was packed with people standing and talking or people dancing. The walls and decor were covered in history- everything looked as though it came from the prohibition.

“This is incredible.” You gasped out, barely audible over all of the noise.

Bucky leaned in a little to hear you and his face spread into a wide grin, leading you over to the bar. You both ordered a drink and then found a small table in the corner.

“The bartender looked like he recognized you,” You shouted to him, leaning in.

“I’ve been here a few times,” He responded, also raising his voice. “It’s one of my favorite places to relax.”

You giggled, “You can’t even think here.”

“Exactly.” He responded, moving his lips to the lyrics of the current song.

You both sat, listening and taking in everything. The environment seemed so realistic you almost imagined you were in the twenties or thirties.

“Wanna dance, gorgeous?” A woman had come over with a long cigarette.

Bucky shook his head, thanking her before turning his gaze towards you.

“Will you dance with me?” He asked, setting his drink down and holding out his hand.

“I don’t know how.” You blurted, blushing and looking down.

“I can show you.” He leaned in, face inches from yours.

You gulped and nodded with a grin, “Sure then, gorgeous.”

This made him chuckle as he led you out to the floor. The current song was slow, so he explained a few moves you both would be doing once it picked up. He was so close you could feel his breath on your ear, making you shiver a little.

“You ready?” His eyebrow raised as he pulled away a little, giving you a wink.

The music blasted into an upbeat tempo and he swung you out, pulling you back after a second into one of his arms, leaning down and showing you what to do with the next step. You had messed up plenty but you were having a blast and Bucky seemed to be enjoying showing you all of the steps. A few dances later, both out of breath, you decided to grab another drink and wait a few songs.

Your table had been taken over so you found a corner to stand in, Bucky still standing fairly close. His eyes were sparkling and his demeanor seemed the most relaxed you’d ever seen.

“So you like it here?” He nodded along with the beat, searching your face.

“This place is incredible, I love it.” You nodded back, “It really does take your mind off everything.”

“Good.” He grinned, biting his lip. You moved your gaze back to the floor to see the dancing and the band. “You ready for another round?”

“Dancing or drinking?” Your eyebrow twitched and he chuckled, shrugging.

“Whichever you prefer.”

“How about- a swig and a dance?” You grinned, moving with him towards the bar. You almost got left behind with how many people were there so he grabbed your hand to keep you close. After a shot each at the bar, he pulled you out to the dance floor and swung you around again- this time you were a little more prepared.

Another hour later and it had gotten late, Bucky checking his watch. So far you had both remained fairly close to one another and closeness made the heat in your cheeks a little harder to hide.

“You got somewhere to be?” You giggled, still shouting to him.

A grin came over his face and he swung you back out to the floor. You had to admit you probably looked at least a little better than when you came in. A few dances in a row and then he swung you over for a drink, and then back. You had hardly realized it was now three o’clock in the morning and the place was getting ready to shut down for the night.

“Woah!” You called, waving towards people as you both left. “That place was-” You stopped, realizing you were still shouting and the need for it was gone, “Perfect.” You grinned, lowering your voice- your ears were still getting used to the much quieter atmosphere.

“I’m really happy I got to share my favorite spot with you.” Bucky looked over to you, grinning. “I’m glad it cheered you up- you look much better now.” He reached out and messed your hair up slightly.

“Me too.” You smiled, “Thank you so much.” Meeting his eyes, your heartbeat sped up- there it was again. The unsure feeling if this meant to them what it did to you, or if they were just making the best of this show. “You all have been incredible to me.” You smirked, breaking eye contact to look down the street. Your face was still sticky and red from the combination of alcohol and dancing.

“Well, I would like to say something mean about everyone but to be truthful they’re all really nice guys. And we all really like you, which actually kind of makes this whole thing harder.” He nodded, taking a step down the street and you followed, both of you taking your time to get to the car that was waiting for you.

“Mm,” You mumbled, trying not to completely disagree with him, “I don’t see how it makes it harder.”

“Well,” He sighed, “If we didn’t like you, none of us would care who was leaving each round.” He spoke slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully. “Now that we do…”

“Oh, come on.” You giggled, trying to lighten the mood, “You guys have options aplenty. Besides the fact we still live together.”

He smirked but it didn’t reach his eyes, “Well, you see Peter how often? You’re crunched for time.” He paused as you reached the car, smiling to you, “Learn to take a compliment, would ya?”

You giggled, rolling your eyes, “Fine. Thank you for liking me, making everything harder for everyone.”

“You’re welcome.” He chuckled back, getting in the car behind you.

Arriving back at the tower without Tony having to come out and yell at you both seemed surreal- however you had noticed less cameras about the last few weeks as well. Maybe he finally realized he had been overdoing it.

He brought you both in and asked for progress videos, alone, from both of you about everything so far.

It was still nerve wracking, being the only one in front of the camera and a blush creeped into you cheeks. They asked you a few questions, you gave some answers and then early the next morning you switched to go do the final sit down.

“So- It looks like you’re going out with the two super soldiers back to back. How are you feeling about nearing the end of this round already, Y/N?” Tony asked in his fake game show host voice.

“I feel like it’s starting to move so fast,” You started, looking over at the other side of the sofa- into the eyes of four amazing men who had been so nice to you over the last few months. “I’m excited and nervous to find out the results.”

“Us too.” Sam smirked over to you, giving you a wink.

Everyone chuckled a bit and Tony finished a few minutes later, everyone relaxing a bit as they yelled cut.

--

“Hey, do you have a minute?” Peter asked, pulling you to the side a few hours later as everyone moved throughout their day.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Look, I really wanted to make sure you were alright- I swear I didn’t tell Tony. And also, I’m sorry I think I blabbed to Bucky beforehand.” He bit his lip, “But either way, I wanted to see how you were-”

“Thank you.” You grinned, seeing him stuttering over his sentences, “It was really nice of you to check on me.”

He paused, taking a breath and nodding. “Of course.”

You reached out and pulled him in for a hug, “How come all of you are so amazing?” He hugged you back after a second and chuckled.

“Don’t let Sam know or it’ll go straight to his huge head.”

You giggled, glad that you had everyone at least around. You weren’t sure how much longer everything would go but you could breathe easy knowing that everyone was alright. Now, you just had to gear up for the next date with Steve.

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[operationrainfall]

If you follow my ramblings here at oprainfall, you’ve probably noticed I’m a fan of retro and indie. So of course I’m also a big fan of the fine folks at Tribute Games. Their artistry and attention to detail is really impressive, and I have personally bought most of their games with my own money, plus one that I got as a review copy. And though all of their games definitely have a bit of a sadistic streak to them, I am often beguiled and enamored by these fine tributes to retro gaming. With the upcoming release of their latest title, Panzer Paladin, I thought it’d be a good idea to finally try my copy of Flinthook. Was this adorable space pirate just the thing the doctor ordered to sate my appetite?

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First things first, Flinthook’s story is told visually. There’s no written dialogue describing the plot whatsoever. All you know is you’re using your Goo Compass to hunt for bounties that have something you want. That said, you’ll come across an assortment of quirky characters that do trade tales with you, and you’ll also find relics and lore that provide a bit of context. What this means is I wasn’t certain about a few things in the game, such as the nature of the titular captain Flinthook. At first he just appears to be wearing a white hood, but whenever you lose, an animation plays with his spirit detaching from his body, then reattaching. As such, I think of Flinthook as a space ghost (no, not that one), and will maintain this belief until the game convinces me otherwise.

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Despite most of the tale being told visually, you can still infer a lot about the game. That’s because the art everywhere in the game is bursting at the seams with personality, from the lowliest scalawag to the meanest buccaneer. You can tell when Flinthook himself is determined, frustrated or even downcast just by looking at his face. I can’t say nice enough things about the aesthetics in the game. Tribute always has amazing art, but this might be their best yet. It’s bubbly, full of complex details, and just jubilant to look at. Which is a good thing, because Flinthook is also ridiculously hard.

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Now, I tout myself as a platformer pro. And if you talked with any of my circle of gamer friends, they’d probably back that assertion up. But Flinthook isn’t just a platformer, it’s a rogue platformer. You never know what each area is gonna throw at you, you just know it’s gonna hurt. There’s hazards aplenty here, from swinging mace balls to spike traps to laser lattices and much more besides. Most areas also have lots of moving parts, like conveyor belts or disappearing platforms. You’ll often be dealing with one or more hazards in each area, not to mention enemies. There’s a great diversity of space pirates to contend with, from enraged starfish to bomb spewing parrots to gun-slinging dastards. One thing that makes all of them a challenge is that almost every enemy can shoot through surfaces you can’t. Not to mention they’re often protected by shimmering bubbles or red barriers that can only be dispelled temporarily by your handy Chrono Belt. Fun fact, any game where slowing down time isn’t that much of a game changer is a hard game. But I digress. The true challenge in Flinthook isn’t the hazards or the enemies, but navigating around them. Which brings us to the “hook” part of Flinthook.

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I really love the hook mechanic, at least in theory. Wherever you see a golden ring, Flinthook can use his mobile Quickhook (a tiny anchor) to grapple from it. You can’t hang from them, but you can maneuver all around by launching yourself from the right angle. The trouble is, the game is built around this mechanic, which means you’ll often have very little floor to speak of. Instead, you’ll have wide open spaces covered in spikes or lava, and have to use those nifty hooks to swing safely through them. Keep in mind, each mission tends to be more challenging than the one before it, and often the early areas aren’t that easy. I’m not trying to complain overmuch, but I do want fans of platformers to realize Flinthook is not playing around. It can and will kill you repeatedly. However, you do have one thing at your disposal to help even the odds – upgrades.

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As you go on raids to hunt for treasure and find your next bounty, you’ll gain experience. As your level rises, instead of increased stats, you’ll unlock more upgrades at the Black Market. There’s a wide range you can buy, from extending your base health to new subweapons and more besides. You’ll also come across perks as you play, little cards that provide big benefits. Some examples are dealing more critical damage or making you immune to electric shock. The amount you can equip at one time is determined by the size of your meter, which itself can also be extended at the Black Market. Though none of these perks is gonna make the game easy, they do make it more fair. I had a lot of trouble with the third boss in the game, a gelatinous space baron. To deal with him, I equipped perks that increased the amount of damage I dealt to bosses, as well as extending the duration of my Chrono Belt’s slowdown, letting me deal with the lack of floor in his arena. Even then, I had to try multiple times to beat the good Baron, and even then, I did so with just a mere fraction of my health left. But there’s a special thrill you’ll get whenever you beat one of the game’s hardcore bosses. It’s just enough of a rush to keep me coming back for just one more try. That said, I’m nowhere near ready to take on the final boss yet or the harder versions of previously beaten bosses I unlocked.

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It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve neglected to talk about the sound design in Flinthook. If I wasn’t already impressed by the artistry here, I was definitely impressed by the music. I don’t normally get that excited by music in games. I’m usually fine so long as it doesn’t get in the way or ruin the mood. Here though, the music is completely outstanding. It’s very memorable and catchy, while being somewhat evocative of classics such as Mega Man. But that’s not to say it’s derivative, it really isn’t. There’s a jaunty pirate energy in every tune, and it really makes the experience that much more unique. I’m really, really impressed by it, and it’s another reason I find Flinthook so hard to put down, despite how soul crushing it can be.

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I will say, much as I’ve grown to accept the difficulty in this game, there’s one thing I’m sad about. When I first saw the images from Flinthook, I assumed it was a Metroidvania. Mostly cause there’s a minimap that populates as you explore areas. While I don’t necessarily still want this game to be from that genre, I do hope Tribute eventually makes a proper one. Cause Flinthook is great how it is, but it shows that the developers have the chops to make a really amazing Metroidvania one day, if they so choose. Unless Panzer Paladin is secretly from that genre, but I suppose that answer will reveal itself soon enough.

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Now I can forgive a lot, but the following issues made my time with Flinthook less pleasant. Though I’ve grown accustomed to all the hazards, I’m less forgiving of the fact many of them are practically invisible til you’re right on top of them. A good example are the spike traps. Sometimes you’ll see a thin gray banner that tells you where they are, but more often you’ll be on what you assume is safe ground, hear a click, and get skewered. I also wasn’t a fan of the inconsistency of combat rooms. Generally you enter one, get locked in, the klaxon sounds and then foes appear. Sometimes, however, the foes will be there before the klaxon sounds, and will get in a cheap shot or two before you realize it. Also, I hate the bubble wizards. They just sit in corners of rooms mumbling eldritch spells that shield all the other foes with bubbles. You have to kill the wizards to take away those bubble shields, and that can be a hell of a thing in cramped quarters. Oh and the purple ghosts can also go to hell. The fact you can’t damage them at all, and they just float around hurting you is a pain. Other than these issues, I can pretty much forgive everything else. But these make bad situations overwhelming.

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All in all, I am glad I finally found the time to play Flinthook. Sure it’s incredibly difficult, but it’s also really engaging and hard to put down. And yes, I know rogue games often are super difficult, but I just feel the difficulty here is tuned a little too high in favor of your foes. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but you should expect to die a few dozen times as you play. It’s just important to know you’ll eventually unlock things that make the game marginally easier. If nothing else, you’ll get great replay value out of the game, with optional challenges, infinite raid mode and lots of main game craziness. I just hope that Panzer Paladin manages to strike a slightly more balanced tone by the time it releases.

IMPRESSIONS: Flinthook on Switch If you follow my ramblings here at oprainfall, you've probably noticed I'm a fan of retro and indie.

[operationrainfall]

Title Fate/EXTELLA LINK Developer Marvelous’ First Studio Publisher XSEED Games Release Date March 19th, 2019 Genre Action Platform PlayStation 4, Switch, Steam, Vita Age Rating Teen Official Website

I’ve been a fan of the Fate series for many years. I remember when I watched the Fate/stay night anime many years ago, how it instantly drew me into this world of legendary heroes and magicians. When Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star launched back in 2017, it combined the series that I love with one of my favorite genres, Musou games. Needless to say, I’ve been stoked to get my hands on Fate/EXTELLA LINK ever since XSEED announced it was coming West. I finally got my chance to play through this, and now let’s see if my expectations were met!

Taking place shortly after the events of of Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, the realm of SE.RA.PH is once again in danger. A new threat of war has arisen and a hero, Charlemagne, has stepped to the forefront to combat this strife. The time has come for him, along with his allies, to push back against this evil, but as with all things in the Fate series, there is more than meets the eye here and plot twists are aplenty. Charlemagne is one of the best protagonists I’ve seen in a long time. It’s rare for me to relate with a male protagonist, but this man really inspired me.

Story mode is set up a lot differently this time around. The mission select screen looks much like a skills tree with branching paths. Each of these will not only change up the story, but you will unlock more servants and EX missions by completing all the different stages. There are a few different endings waiting for you as well depending on which path you choose to complete. I felt this really made the story flow better than last time, and this story feels right at home in this universe. If they turned this into an anime tomorrow, it would be a damn good one.

Graphically, Fate/EXTELLA LINK is a huge improvement over the last game. All of the character models look outstanding, and the costumes included in the game just kick them up a notch. The DLC swimsuits are quite nice as well if you want to shell out a little cash for them. Yes, I bought Nero and Elizabeth’s, I’m a weak man what can I say! Anyways, the stages all look fantastic as well. Each one is highly detailed and immerses you in this digital world. On the PS4, the game runs at a solid 60 FPS and I didn’t notice any major dips or studders. On Switch, the game runs at 30 FPS but it seems pretty solid as well.

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The soundtrack in this game is one of the best I’ve heard all year. Each track is made with the utmost care and are perfectly placed to make the emotional scenes hit even harder. The ending theme is something to behold, especially in one of the endings. It hits you right in the feels. The hard rocking songs are perfect for slaying the 1000’s of foes you will face on the battlefield. I honestly don’t think they could’ve done anything to make this better, and I’m going to track down a “Fleeting Glory” Edition of this just to have this soundtrack. The Japanese voice cast we all know and love from the series all return to reprise their roles and do a wonderful job as always.

While the basic gameplay here is the same, there have been many improvements to make it smoother. First gone is taking sectors just to reach a certain number for the boss to appear. Now each mission will have objectives such as defeat X boss, escort servants to a certain sector and more. These conditions will change rapidly as you complete them on the stage. This really makes it feel like you’re in the middle of a huge battle and have to adapt to the enemy’s movements.

Combat has seen some tweaks as well. Servants will now have a set of active skills they can use to dispatch their enemies quickly. Each Servant can have up to four equipped to the face buttons on the controller. These are deployed by holding down the R bumper and tapping the button with the skill you want use. Each skill will have a cooldown time so you will have to wait a bit before using it again. These skills will become more powerful as you level up and you may even acquire some new ones along the way.

Another big change is in the way you execute a Noble Phantasm. In the last game you had to collect a series of three chips on each stage in order to pull this off, thankfully this has been replaced with something that makes more sense. Now you have a gauge, and this gauge will fill as you find the chips from the last game or if you defeat enemies while in the Moon Drive State. The Moon Drive State happens when you activate it once the gauge is full at the bottom of the screen. If you tap circle while in this mode, you will use a room clearing attack.

The last thing I want to discuss is your base. You will be here in between missions and like any hub, there is a variety of things you can access. In your room, Servants can be equipped with active skills and install skills. The install skills give them stats boosts and other buffs for combat. They come in the three different flavors – support, defense and attack. You equip these on nodes just like last time around and chaining like colors together will net you a bigger buff. You can also equip the various costumes you purchase or unlock during gameplay here. Last but not least, you can create and equip Mystic Codes for your character to use in combat. These have skills that provide your character with a wide range of support. This includes healing HP, offensive or defensive buffs. Using the right Code cast from these can really pull you out of tight situations.

In the dorm, you can converse with your Servants. Their conversations unlock as your bond increases with them. You increase your bonds with each servant by completing side missions. These range from defeating X number of foes, to using a certain number of Code casts. Not only will improving your bond let you get to know your Servants better, but it will also unlock better support skills to help you out in combat.

Fate/EXTELLA LINK proves that sometimes little tweaks can make a huge difference in a game. The combat here is so much better than in the previous game. It’s much faster and far more fluid. The new mission objectives make the stages feel alive and ever changing. Last but not least, the soundtrack here is one the best I’ve heard in a long time. At its $49.99 price tag, you get about 15 hours of story missions and a slew of extra missions that unlock while you’re progressing through the story. If you are a fan of the Fate series, this is a must own title. The characters and story alone are well worth the price of admission here. If you love Musou games, this might be the best of one of this generation. This game did what a good sequel should do, it improved on the first game in every way possible and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for this series down the line.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5.0″]

  Game provided by the publisher for review purposes.

REVIEW: Fate/EXTELLA LINK

Title Fate/EXTELLA LINK

REVIEW: Fate/EXTELLA LINK Title Fate/EXTELLA LINK

[operationrainfall]

Title Fate/EXTELLA LINK Developer Marvelous’ First Studio Publisher XSEED Games Release Date March 19th, 2019 Genre Action Platform PlayStation 4, Switch, Steam, Vita Age Rating Teen Official Website

I’ve been a fan of the Fate series for many years. I remember when I watched the Fate/stay night anime many years ago, how it instantly drew me into this world of legendary heroes and magicians. When Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star launched back in 2017, it combined the series that I love with one of my favorite genres, Musou games. Needless to say, I’ve been stoked to get my hands on Fate/EXTELLA LINK ever since XSEED announced it was coming West. I finally got my chance to play through this, and now let’s see if my expectations were met!

Taking place shortly after the events of of Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, the realm of SE.RA.PH is once again in danger. A new threat of war has arisen and a hero, Charlemagne, has stepped to the forefront to combat this strife. The time has come for him, along with his allies, to push back against this evil, but as with all things in the Fate series, there is more than meets the eye here and plot twists are aplenty. Charlemagne is one of the best protagonists I’ve seen in a long time. It’s rare for me to relate with a male protagonist, but this man really inspired me.

Story mode is set up a lot differently this time around. The mission select screen looks much like a skills tree with branching paths. Each of these will not only change up the story, but you will unlock more servants and EX missions by completing all the different stages. There are a few different endings waiting for you as well depending on which path you choose to complete. I felt this really made the story flow better than last time, and this story feels right at home in this universe. If they turned this into an anime tomorrow, it would be a damn good one.

Graphically, Fate/EXTELLA LINK is a huge improvement over the last game. All of the character models look outstanding, and the costumes included in the game just kick them up a notch. The DLC swimsuits are quite nice as well if you want to shell out a little cash for them. Yes, I bought Nero and Elizabeth’s, I’m a weak man what can I say! Anyways, the stages all look fantastic as well. Each one is highly detailed and immerses you in this digital world. On the PS4, the game runs at a solid 60 FPS and I didn’t notice any major dips or studders. On Switch, the game runs at 30 FPS but it seems pretty solid as well.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The soundtrack in this game is one of the best I’ve heard all year. Each track is made with the utmost care and are perfectly placed to make the emotional scenes hit even harder. The ending theme is something to behold, especially in one of the endings. It hits you right in the feels. The hard rocking songs are perfect for slaying the 1000’s of foes you will face on the battlefield. I honestly don’t think they could’ve done anything to make this better, and I’m going to track down a “Fleeting Glory” Edition of this just to have this soundtrack. The Japanese voice cast we all know and love from the series all return to reprise their roles and do a wonderful job as always.

While the basic gameplay here is the same, there have been many improvements to make it smoother. First gone is taking sectors just to reach a certain number for the boss to appear. Now each mission will have objectives such as defeat X boss, escort servants to a certain sector and more. These conditions will change rapidly as you complete them on the stage. This really makes it feel like you’re in the middle of a huge battle and have to adapt to the enemy’s movements.

Combat has seen some tweaks as well. Servants will now have a set of active skills they can use to dispatch their enemies quickly. Each Servant can have up to four equipped to the face buttons on the controller. These are deployed by holding down the R bumper and tapping the button with the skill you want use. Each skill will have a cooldown time so you will have to wait a bit before using it again. These skills will become more powerful as you level up and you may even acquire some new ones along the way.

Another big change is in the way you execute a Noble Phantasm. In the last game you had to collect a series of three chips on each stage in order to pull this off, thankfully this has been replaced with something that makes more sense. Now you have a gauge, and this gauge will fill as you find the chips from the last game or if you defeat enemies while in the Moon Drive State. The Moon Drive State happens when you activate it once the gauge is full at the bottom of the screen. If you tap circle while in this mode, you will use a room clearing attack.

The last thing I want to discuss is your base. You will be here in between missions and like any hub, there is a variety of things you can access. In your room, Servants can be equipped with active skills and install skills. The install skills give them stats boosts and other buffs for combat. They come in the three different flavors – support, defense and attack. You equip these on nodes just like last time around and chaining like colors together will net you a bigger buff. You can also equip the various costumes you purchase or unlock during gameplay here. Last but not least, you can create and equip Mystic Codes for your character to use in combat. These have skills that provide your character with a wide range of support. This includes healing HP, offensive or defensive buffs. Using the right Code cast from these can really pull you out of tight situations.

In the dorm, you can converse with your Servants. Their conversations unlock as your bond increases with them. You increase your bonds with each servant by completing side missions. These range from defeating X number of foes, to using a certain number of Code casts. Not only will improving your bond let you get to know your Servants better, but it will also unlock better support skills to help you out in combat.

Fate/EXTELLA LINK proves that sometimes little tweaks can make a huge difference in a game. The combat here is so much better than in the previous game. It’s much faster and far more fluid. The new mission objectives make the stages feel alive and ever changing. Last but not least, the soundtrack here is one the best I’ve heard in a long time. At its $49.99 price tag, you get about 15 hours of story missions and a slew of extra missions that unlock while you’re progressing through the story. If you are a fan of the Fate series, this is a must own title. The characters and story alone are well worth the price of admission here. If you love Musou games, this might be the best of one of this generation. This game did what a good sequel should do, it improved on the first game in every way possible and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for this series down the line.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5.0″]

  Game provided by the publisher for review purposes.

REVIEW: Fate/EXTELLA LINK Title Fate/EXTELLA LINK