#so many darn ways to write one game title

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 20/03/2024

old town ribbon race

Season 4 Episode 1 Featured on: The SiIvaGunner Spooktacular Halloween Horror Special Collection '17​-​'19

Ripped by Moder112

Y'know, I've had this rip in the drafts for a pretty long while - I've wanted to write about it for so long, but its almost difficult to explain why I like it so. I sometimes wonder how many other people are as attached to the original Intro Title / Minigame Theme - Barbie Horse Adventures: Blue Ribbon Race as I am - it was a genuinely shocking little rip that managed to utilize the creepiness of the original song, whilst also tying it all subtly to the ongoing side story of Mr. Rental's rampage on SiIvaGunner. Yet it was the kind of rip that didn't make its presence all too known after the fact - save for a big reappearance on SiIvaGunner Fusion Records last year with *** EVERYTHING IS FINE ***, the rip's appearances have been pretty darn scarce. That is, at least, on SiIva - what I learned in researching for coverage on old town ribbon race, is that the meme took on a life on its own elsewhere in the internet.

That's right, it's fan channel time again - the very same one that V​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​a​-​V​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​v​-​r covered not that long ago, even. Its always a bit difficult to discern...anything, about Vvvvvavvvvvvr from the outside looking in, because of just how vast and bizarre its output is - its a channel that accepts submissions of just about ANY kind and has made it its brand to basically be a dumping ground for any sort of vip (Vavr's name for high quality rips) possible. Yet through it all, in 2017, a certain familiar Barbie game for Game Boy Advance made a reappearance - with a vip simply named Horse: Blue Ribbon. From there, the meme was reborn on the channel as just "Horse", mainly using a remix of the original theme by ripper Moder112 as its main source for future vips - continuing to see use pretty regularly in a number of bizarre, spooky rips.

All of that was, of course, entirely lost on me - yet in a way, that made discovering old town ribbon race on SiIva all the more impactful for me. I had no clue that others remembered this bizarre one-off horror rip as much as I did, nor that there had secretly been this subset of rippers already fiddling around with how to turn this eerie theme into something so hummable. Old Town Road is a song I already find deviously catchy, one I've covered before with Mob Corral - and so to me, old town ribbon race wound up feeling like the perfect culmination to things all those years later. The rip that had filled my 2016 self with such intrigue was now finally being played around with in fun, creative ways - by, as I'd now later learn, none other than the very same ripper who'd been doing so for years beforehand without me knowing.

There is of course a comedy to old town ribbon race inherently, in making a country/pop banger out of a theme otherwise most known for how much it unsettles people. But there's that other part as well - it IS genuinely a banger, using so many creative and fun GBA-quality samples that all feel in line with the original creepy song, even including the sampling of Among Us sound effects used for its percussion. A lot of the samples are from Moder112's prior mentioned remix, yet the authenticity of the rip was so good that I hardly even considered that as a possibility - it doesn't sound like its using anything "fan made" so much as its just naturally working outward of what Old Town Road would sound like in this style.

I'm really happy that nothing gets forgotten on SiIva - that was one of my big talking points in Violet Snow Memories, if you'll recall. This really isn't one of those cases, because Horse found a life all on its own - yet its almost just as fun to see how memes like it live on in such strange, silly ways. Meme evolution! How fun. old town ribbon race. What a good rip.

[lovethebadguy]

Alright. I've seen a heck of a lot of gifs and fanart and comics about The Owl House. I'm finally gonna watch it and write down some of my observations.

(spoiler alert, obviously)

• Omfg her name is "loose". I've been pronouncing Luz like it rhymes with "buzz" this entire time.

• Nothing could have prepared me for Hooty's voice. In fact, no one sounds like I thought they would. Eda is Wendie Malick? Was no one going to tell me this?

• I've only known King for five minutes, but if anything happens to him I will kill everyone in this room and then myself.

• King's voice was also not what I was expecting, which in hindsight was foolish of me. I knew it was Alex Hirsch. The Bill Cipher vibe should not have been a surprise.

• When does Hunter get here?

• Amity is the snobby high-achieving school bully?! BUT THE ROMANCE?!

• I know it's coming. I've seen far too many cute fan works of Amity and Luz for that not to be the case.

• SHE SQUISHED KING'S CUPCAKE THOUGH. 😡

• Ahhh. There's a teeeeny tiny glimpse of the Lumity that is to come. All is right with the world.

• Gus is just a little fella. Comics did not fully portray how smol he is.

• When does Hunter get here?

• I am up to episode 16 and I still watch the opening theme in its entirety for three reasons. One: it's fantastic. The music, the animation, it's all tops. Two: I'm waiting to see when/if the image of Amity changes. She still turns her back at the moment, but she's warming up, I know it. And three: the image of King perched on Luz's shoulders just before the title card makes me smile every time. He's so dang cute.

• Ok. So, I obviously already knew from tumblr that The Owl House is beloved, in part, for its representation of LGBTQIA. And now that I'm experiencing it first-hand? I totally get it. Everything feels so natural and understated. Luz blushing when either of the older Blight siblings spoke to her? The short, sweet glances between Luz and Amity? They're all the typical moments you'd expect to see between a male and a female character, and it's honestly so refreshing (and surprising, coming from Disney) to see it happening between two girls in a way that feels real. I am all aboard the Lumity train.

• In the span of 10 minutes, Eda has referred to Luz as "her kid", called herself "mama", and been shown wearing a watch with King's face on it. I love Mama Eda so much.

• DANCE BATTLE DANCE BATTLE DANCE BATTLE DANCE BATTLE DANCE BATTLE

• Amity has fallen so hard and honestly? Same.

• OMG EPISODE 18! I think that was my first glimpse of Hunter! Lilith cursed Eda?! Eda sacrificing herself for Luz! The end credits with that haunting beating of the heart!

• Season 1 is done and dusted! All those feel good family and found-family moments. This show has so much heart. Gravity Falls is one of my favourite shows, and The Owl House seems to share a lot of its tropes and themes. I'm really loving it! I have so many things I should be doing today. Am I going to watch start watching Season 2 instead? Darn tootin.

• ENTIRELY NEW OPENING SEQUENCE!! I love it! Everyone's kicking ass! And Hunter is there!! And they kept the final scene with King on Luz's shoulders!

• They're setting up The Golden Guard as this new, mysterious, powerful rival for Season 2. But I know too much so every little glimpse of him has me sitting here grinning goofily like a proud mum at her son's soccer game.

• Gus is less smol. Kids grow up so fast. :(

• Finally met Amity's parents (beyond the shadows of them we saw in Amity's memory). Odalia sucks. But I officially love one tired dad.

• "Stay away from my Luz!" !!!!!!!

• Baby King is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. King is king of MY heart.

• The Hunter episode was everything I ever wanted. He must be protected at all costs.

• Huh. Tumblr gave me a veeerry different impression of what Darius was going to be like. Incoming plot twist?

• LUMITY IS A GO!

• Eda immediately destroying the stress toy because of her need for chaos whilst never once breaking eye contact with Bump nearly killed me. I choked on my tea. Worth it.

• Hunter has just learned the truth. Someone give this kid a hug.

• KING IS A TITAN?! How big is my sweet baby boy gonna get?

• Steve is so cool getting around in his Steve shirt, just doing Steve things. Haha, classic Steve.

• Luz and Amity just shared their first kiss and it was perfect. And I feel like the animation in that scene was extra nice? Maybe it was just me, but it just seemed beautifully bouncy.

• Once again, the near-silent end credits for part one of the finale haunt my soul. Part two now. Bring it on!

• ...Take it back. D:

• That musical montage to kick off Season 3 packed in SO MUCH STORY. Luz coming out as bi and introducing Amity to her mum was incredibly sweet. Vee (who I admit I was a little bit creeped out by until now) has captured my heart. And I absolutely adore the friendship between Gus and Hunter.

• "Time to go home, Flapjack." 😭 HAS THIS BOY NOT BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH?!

• Raine being hearteyes for Harpy Eda, Camila being hearteyes for King, everyone being hearteyes for Stringbean? Mood.

• Obsessed with Eda's haircut.

• My girl Willow has been carrying a lot. Her realising that she needs to let things out and lean on her friends was such a tender moment.

• Willow and Hunter linking their pinkies! ❤

• Not prepared for this amazing show to be over, but here we go...

• Brb, too busy crying.

• Still crying, gimme a minute.

• I was holding it together riiiight up until Flapjack's grave. "Thank you for finding me" broke me.

• Ok. So, generally speaking... this was pretty much everything I wanted in a finale. Happy, healthy relationships, hints at future pairings, redemption for characters who deserved it, and a big middle finger to those who didn't (which, honestly? Refreshing af).

• Eda and King going feral after losing Luz, the reveal of Titan Luz, and the trio coming together to defeat Belos was utter perfection. The animation was on point!

• I am not ashamed to admit I said "NOW EAT THIS, SUCKA!" with Luz.

• Also, the Dad bod, the "Bad Girl Coven" tshirt, and the "I loaf you" pun were exactly what I should've expected from King's dad.

• The time skip end credits were a wonderful way to let us see the characters we know and love, living their best lives. Hunter finally able to exist peacefully, making new palismans with his own little Bluejay on his shoulder (admittedly, I'd hoped he'd get a wolf, but the Bluejay did seem well-suited), Willow and Gus truly coming into their own, Lilith rocking the Harpy form (and hinting a possible romance with Steve?? EDIT: ignore that, I just learned that Lilith is aroace and I am so excited about it.), lil' gangly King growing bigger and stronger... well, I don't need to keep pointing things out. Suffice to say, there were so many little details that worked together to create a beautiful picture.

• In the span of three days, I've watched a show that so many people were obsessed with for years.

• I get it now.

• Thank you Dana Terrace and everybody involved with making The Owl House. The world needs more shows like this, with a great story, genuine characters, represention of people from all walks of life, and heartfelt messages.

• Excuse me while I go and wallow in misery over the fact that it's finished before I start consuming as many fanfics as I can find.

• OH! One final note as someone who learned far too much from tumblr before actually watching the show. I kept seeing fanart that seemed to depict a Hunter lookalike (so, Caleb) and an Eda lookalike, who apparently was Evelyn Clawthorne? CLAWTHORNE?? So here I am waiting for another flashback/memory episode that would lay it all out and do that big reveal BUT APPARENTLY THAT'S FANON??? Y'all had me thinking I'd missed an episode.

[munchkin1156]

✨My Megapost✨

NEW MEGAPOST SOON!

. . .

HIIIIII!!!!!!! WELCOME TO MY BLOG AND MY MASTERPOST!! HAVE A COOKIE!!! 🍪

You can find me on ao3 as well, under the same user, where I'm posting non g/t hermitcraft (and possibly some g/t once I get around to it)

Now that that's out of the way...

Who am I?

❤️My name is Munchkin! I'm your casual g/t enthusiast, and I do writing, art and also some irl stuff making! If you see someone going by the name ✨anon✨ on your blog, offering you cookies, then that's me. I enjoy content, and sometimes do my own! Right now, I'm mainly obsessed with Mcyt g/t (which is mainly hermitcraft! and was dsmp) or a lot of character stuff :D Nice to meet you, viewer/reader!! :D ❤️

What is g/t?

G/t stands for giant/tiny, and it's a community for people who enjoy being (you guessed it) giant or tiny! Usually, it's a form of comfort, feeling the need to protect or be protected, but it can also be used as a kink. That is NSFW G/T. This blog is strictly SFW G/T. I will not hesitate to block you if you do that, for it makes me uncomfortable and I am not okay with it. (Sorry if this description is bad, there are better ones-)

Do I do g/t vore?

Nope! To be clear, I am perfectly fine with the concept and anyone who posts it, (occasionally reading it as long as it's safe) though I am aware some of my followers are not, so I will not be posting/talking about vore on this blog.

Do i take requests, and if so, what kind? (REQUESTS ARE ✨OPEN✨)

Yes. I take writing and art requests, including fake fic titles, prompts, au ideas, headcanons, etc. Do not pressure me to finish your request though, it will not help at all and will make me more stressed. If I am uncomfortable with your request, it will be deleted.

Now, my posts so far... (Stories/art and other posts under cut-, most of this is old writing, again once I'm back I will probably add some more stuff that is new and better! Enjoy!)

. . .

YOU LOOKED UNDER THE CUT!! :0 ENJOY MY CONTENT!!! (if you want to) HAVE A NICE DAY/NIGHT!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Mycelium Menace (Hermitcraft g/t au)

Pt1

Shattered Code

Pt1, lore dump on forest borrowers

Now for all the stuff I've done in the past which I'll hopefully write more for!

✨Upon Clouds we Dream...✨

Chapter One and Chapter Two is out, but Chapter Three is non-existent. (yet)

Then there's the other au that I have stuff for, but I'm not sure what it is or where i was going with it and i'm pretty sure it's dead but oh well-

Make new friend's but keep the old

Chapter... One? Chapter... Two? Maybe?

✨MER AU THAT I HAVE SAID NOTHING ABOUT YET✨

Art for it

Becky ask!!! (small infodump)

✨I have fallen (but have faith, for I shall rise once more)✨ (mcyt g/t au)

Pt.1

Brick ask :D

✨Dystopian au✨ (mcyt g/t au)

infodump

Becky ask (technically infodump)

✨Oneshots!✨

He started it!

Horror and HELP

✨Other- (stuff like wips, fake fic titles, art, oc's that i have drawings of, hc's, irl stuff :])✨

Wip game thingy

Munchkin character sheet

It's- a stick figure. In a hamd.

FAKE FIC TITLES

Taming the beast

G/t headcanons (Zombie apocalypse style)

Borrower house no.1 (not very good)

Borrower house no.2 (better)

Borrower house no.3 (pretty darn great)

Borrower house no.4 (think of a witches house)

shitpost (and my first post)

shitpost (not my first post)

shitpost (honestly how many do i have?)

shitpost (another one??)

shitpost (:D)

stuff that freaks me out in g/t #1

stuff that freaks me out in g/t #2

spooder

geeckooo

baaaaaaaat

✨My tumblr fam✨

My Tumblr mom, the wonderful @.I-am-beckyu, my Tumblr aunt's, @.brick-a-doodle-do and @.a-xyz-s.

@.orchid-harmony, @.da3dm, @.krazycat49, @.justarandomsloth and 🕶️ anon are my siblings :D

Aaaaaand that's about it! Will update when I should!

❤️ You made it to the end! ❤️ Great job, dear viewer/reader, have some more cookies! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

-Your neighborhood Munchkin

…spams bread

[psychhound]

[ID: a cover image for the game "advanced darning & dragons". it has the title in large dark brown text in a somewhat cursive handwritten style font. in smaller dark blue letters at the bottom it reads "enlarged for your viewing ease - are you due for your eye exam?". the background is a wall of shelves with many different skeins of yarn in different colors. there is a slightly transparent light tan textbox behind the letters that is shaped like a rough piece of paper. end ID]

Your name is [redacted] and you’ve been writing [series title removed by editor] for decades. It has everything – adventure, conquest, romance, betrayal, heroism, and of course, wizards and dragons and stuff like that, as all good high fantasy series need. What can you say, you’re a good writer!

The thing is, you’ve been writing under a penname, so no one knows you’re the author. Which is a really good thing, considering the plots of your novels may be a little … inspired. Not stolen. Just. Lightly lifted.

From very specific people.

Namely, your long-time knitting group, [title removed due to identifiable information], that meets at the [removed] Community Center every Thursday at 2.

Some people come, some people go, but it’s always good material.

---

In Advanced Darning & Dragons solo mode, you need a 4 sided die, an 8 sided die, tarot cards, and a way to write. You'll generate elderly people using the knitter table, draw tarot cards to inspire their gossip of the week, and then write in your journal how you're transforming that into a high-stakes, campy, high fantasy adventure.

In multiplayer mode, you'll need an 8 sided die, tarot cards, a way to write, and 3-6 players (no GM necessary). Each player will create their Oldsona, draw tarot cards to generate their gossip of the week, and then will assign themselves a fantasy archetype and their plot beat for the chapter. Players will casually gossip as their oldsonas (perhaps even while really doing handcrafts!) and will write down their guesses as to what the other player's archetypes and plot beats were. When everyone is done, players will write a short chapter outline, share them aloud, and then will be assigned writer's awards like "most grimdark fantasy" or "most slapstick".

Advanced Darning & Dragons is a silly comedy game that's meant to put the fun back in writing. It's available free / pwyw so everyone has a chance to bring a little humor to their lives!

get the game free / PWYW on itch or kofi!!

[kyndaris]

Ring-ing in a New Era

When I first saw the trailer for Fire Emblem: Engage, I was sceptical at first. After all, it looked like a clear departure from what had come before. The previous titles, Three Houses, Fates and Awakening had taken the franchise in a new direction and Engage appeared like it was retreading familiar ground with its striking visual style and return of the weapon triangle.

What struck me, though, was the character design. Especially for main character Alear. Both red and blue hair for the protagonist? What kind was of new madness was this? Of course, the internet jumped onto it, nicknaming poor Alear Colgate-kun. And thus the memes began.

Little did I know the extent of the depravity within the game itself in the form of support conversations. In fact, Alear was probably the sanest character out of the entirety of the new cast.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Fire Emblem: Engage released at the start of 2023 with fairly average hype. While the reviews were decent, it wasn't exactly mindblowing as the series returned to its roots to celebrate the vast history of the franchise. After the heights that was Three Houses, Intelligent Systems dialled back on the sombre and serious storytelling. Instead, they provided a somewhat cliche world popping with its vibrant anime aesthetic and a ton of quirky characters looking to save the world from an evil Fell Dragon.

The game starts with Alear racing through the halls, their allies holding back a horde of the Corrupted. It isn't long before they confront Sombron and strike the villain down. Everything then turns white and before the player knows it, a thousand years have passed as Alear wakes up to their three stewards: Vander, Framme and Clanne. Overjoyed by the Divine One's awakening, they bring Alear up to speed about what has happened during their slumber before rushing them to meet the Divine Dragon Lumera.

On the way to Lythos, however, our four heroes confront one of the Corrupted and learn that Sombron has returned!

So begins Alear's journey to put a stop to the Fell Dragon. During their quest, they recruit the princes and princesses of the four other nations in the world, along with their retainers, to build up their own personal army. As well as the Emblem Rings that were held in trust, each of them hosting one hero from previous games including Marth, Celica, Sigurd, Leif, Lyn, Roy, Eirika (although her twin brother Ephraim also makes the occasional appearance), Ike, Micaiah, Lucina, Corrin and Byleth. Together, the twelve Emblem Rings would be able to grant immeasurable power to whoever wielded all 12 every thousand years.

But while the plot was the weakest portion of the game, with an odd time-travel gimmick in one of the later chapters, and Sombron's motivation for destroying the world merely because he wanted to reunite with his very first Emblem and returning to his home world, I didn't mind it too much. Especially when the game itself didn't take itself too seriously.

Honestly, the amount of times Alear seemingly just stood there in an empty hall as the enemies nicked their Emblem rings just had me shaking my head. Then, of course, there was the ending of Chapter 10, and the beginning of Chapter 11, where Alear was whining at Veyle to return their Emblem Rings gosh darn it!

"Give me back the Emblem Rings!"

The temper tantrum throwing was just so silly. I couldn't help but chuckle.

But imagine if Veyle did do just that? It would have been such an easy cop out to have the game end because the villain decided to acquiesce to the protagonist's demand.

And while the plot needed some work, what I loved the most about the writing were the bond and support conversations with the various Emblem Rings and other members of my party. Of note was the fact that a few of the Emblem Rings seemed to recognise Lady Anna (probably because of the many other merchants also named Anna in the series).

What threw me the most, though, was how fruity some of the other conversations were. Like Alfred and Boucheron's C support. Sure, Alfred was quirky because he was obsessed with muscles but one had to wonder if the way he admired my poor sweet Boucheron's natural physique as some sort of sexual harassment. Although, the C support conversation with Bunet also had me spit out the water I was drinking with all the double entendres that were hidden within.

Seriously.

GET. A. ROOM!

The fact that Alfred's A support with fellow musclehead Etie only cemented the fact in my mind that Alfred was clearly batting for the other side as they laughed off their very platonic workout buddy feels even though Alfred's mother, the Queen, had made Etie his retainer solely because she thought Etie might be Firene's future monarch.

Don't even get me started on Etie and Goldmary! Or Chloe and Merrin!

True, many of the support conversations were primarily focused on each character's individual quirks and playing those up, but I couldn't help but chuckle along as Timerra forced both Diamant and Ivy to start singing.

If Engage still had paired endings, I definitely know who I would have wanted to end up together. At the very least, though, my male Alear was able to live out his dreams with the caring bear of a man, Diamant. Theirs was a romance I started shipping right from the very start with their C support. Chloe came a close second.

From a combat perspective, Engage included many staple favourites such as the return of the weapon triangle. While I didn't feel like using an axe against a sword during the player phase detracted too much from dealing damage to the enemy, being able to break the enemy to prevent them from retaliating was a nice touch. It also brought in some strategy beyond rushing blindly ahead with my most powerful units.

Of course, just because a sword wielder could break an axe wielder meant nothing when Louis was on the field. It was great to learn that dealing zero damage against my high defense great knight meant that he could not be broken. And so, equipped with a greataxe, Louis could decimate the enemies around him with aplomb as they all tried to put him down.

The Engage feature also brought in new elements to the game, granting access to weapons my units might not normally wield. This was a welcome relief after learning that cavaliers could be classified as sword, lance or axe without the ability to wield any other weapon except the one weapon type. This came as quite a shock when I tried equipping a sword for Amber to use, only to learn he couldn't use it!

On the plus side, no weapon durability this time round! So, there was no need to waste too much money buying new equipment every two or three maps for my favourite characters because the weapon I used broke!

Huzzah!

AND weapons could be refined and engraved to deal additional damage!

Engage brought in many new features that scratched my itch for a good turn-based role-playing game and it did so with much aplomb. Additionally, it also included a few fun minigames like fishing (although I'm convinced the sit-up training montage was designed to give everyone RSI). But more than that, it also included some of the most unhinged and fruity characters I've ever seen! And I love Intelligent Systems all the more for it.

After watching all four seasons of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I'm here for all the shenanigans.

BRING ON THE UNHINGE!

What's that Bunet, you want to go taste the pillars of the castle? Yes! Go for it! Don't let me stop you!

And Framme, continue doing your very best to fangirl. It's not CREEPY at all. Nope. No sirree.

Oh no. Rosado and Merrin are having a duel over which style is better? Cool versus cute? Sure, go ahead. I'd like to know who'd win too.

Etie. Goldmary. Why would anyone close the lights just to hold hands? We all KNOW something more is going on there. Don't deny it.

[wayward-imp]

I realize I am late to the game, but I'd like to add to this that even new story Binghe's first sexual experiences play pretty darn fast and loose with consent and healthy boundaries, and much the way Shen Jiu (teacher) and Qin Wanyue ("love interest") each played a role in shaping PIDW Binghe's blackening, Shen Yuan as both teacher AND love interest does, too. Getting verbally manipulated into bed, forcibly stripped, felt up, and spanked into compliance while all his protests fell on deaf ears to the point where he had to run away and hide in a cold pond to make it stop and even then Shen Yuan still chased him down, waded into the muck, and carried him back to bed boner or no might not be in quite the same range as being pushed down by a coy manipulator on the brink of death... But is it really all that different, either?

MXTX loves to write in parallels, and Luo Binghe fleeing headlong from his own desire and the accompanying embarrassment and fear of rejection is a strong parallel to how Shen Yuan interacts with his own desires over the course of the new story. It's just that Shen Yuan flees from even the idea of experiencing desire, even in his own mind, and spends a whole lot of energy dissimulating both out loud and in his own head to make getting what he really wants at any given moment sound like either a noble sacrifice or mere disinterested strategy on his part. So really Luo Binghe was taught to mask and manipulate in both stories, by someone who pretended to be one way while actually thinking and feeling quite another.

Shen Yuan did different damage to his version of Binghe than Shen Jiu and Qin Wanyue did to the PIDW version, and he definitely didn't intend to do any harm with the choices he made, but let's not pretend he didn't also blacken the protagonist in his own, far more insidious, way. Instead of an openly abusive, corrupt authority figure teaching Binghe that violence is the path to respect and power, new story Binghe got an emotionally unreliable and self-interested authority figure/singular insecure attachment demonstrating the lessons that even people who dote on you will turn on you the moment you aren't good enough, that desire is something shameful and should be concealed, excused, or politely ignored, and that anything someone says or does likely has a hidden agenda even if they think they're being completely sincere about it.

So really, Shen Yuan is in many ways an unsung villain, too. Which is funny, because the title is Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, and we all know the one who self-saved wasn't Shen Jiu... So who exactly did we think it was talking about?

Qin Wanyue: Unsung Villain of Proud Immortal Demon Way

I know, I know, most of you are going, ‘what?’ (and some, perhaps, ‘who?’). Let’s just say that the interplay between several layers of narrative was one of my favorite elements in SVSSS, and I am delighted to share some of my findings! As you may have guessed from my enthusiasm, those are some messed-up findings, so: content warning for discussion of fictional sexual assault, though nothing that wasn’t described or alluded to in the novel – ie, if you’ve read the entire novel and were fine, nothing in here should extend past your tolerance.

But that’s for the latter half of this meta. First, some context on what I mean by ‘layers of narrative’: SVSSS, belonging as it does to transmigration-into-a-novel subgenre, includes both ‘the original novel’ PIDW’s story and the altered by transmigration story (which I will be referring to as ‘the new story’ going forth, because while the new story kinda is SVSSS itself, it also really isn’t). The situation is further complicated by mentions of ‘the original outline’ version of PIDW, the possibility of characters from ‘the original novel’ crossing into ‘the new story’ and being influenced by it (as per extras), the fact that ‘the new story’ is still a story, and the limitations that imposes on characters and events, and, of course, our primary narrator Shen Yuan|Qingqiu’s unreliability – both regarding the events happening to himself, in the new story, and the events of the original PIDW.

Keeping in mind the interrelations between those layers is an angle that I found very rewarding for analyzing this novel – which leads me to writing this meta about a character who has… two, I think… in-person appearances in all of SVSSS. Qin Wanyue’s lack of page-time – and relevance – in ‘the new story’ makes sense, given the shift in events and narrative roles brought on by Luo Binghe falling for Shen Qingqiu, demoting her from a prominent love interest to background extra. But I believe that we, as readers, were largely misled about her relevance in PIDW’s story – because Shen Yuan, bless his heart, has all the facts but fails to put them together. Not in the ‘oh he is so oblivious’ way, but rather in a combination of ‘effects of toxic masculinity’ way and ‘lack of critical engagement with reading material’ way. Which are two topics that the novel delves into with some regularity, so hey, makes sense! Anyway, time for us to use our critical thinking and excavate the clues MXTX left us.

(cont. under cut)

Going through the English edition of SVSSS as I’m doing now, you will notice that Qin Wanyue is often referred to as “graceful and subdued little shimei”. If you then check the character guide, you will see that “graceful and subdued” is actually a direct translation of her name 婉約 Wǎnyuē (baidu offers a slightly different tl, “graceful and restrained”, if that’s of interest to anyone). Shen Yuan|Qingqiu appears to take that as a charactonym, but should he really? It may be difficult to judge for the PIDW version of Qin Wanyue (as she is described to us only by the very narrator we are questioning at the moment), but ‘the new story’ version of her does get some interiority in text, despite a limited number of appearances. And yes, in presentation, Qin Wanyue appears to live up to her name; but pay closer attention, and a different characterization peeks through.

(English edition, vol. 1, page 216)

This excerpt, for example, paints a character who could at most charitable reading be described as calculative. Or even, given the larger context of the scene, willing to use other people (Luo Binghe, in this case) as stepping stones to achieve her own goals.

Or how about this moment:

(Ibid., page 217)

The text plainly notes her actions to be "wildly insincere". So Qin Wanyue is also willing to use textbook manipulation techniques to make people do her bidding act as she wants them to act.

And the last excerpt I want to note, which I would not consider characteristic on its own but which feels somewhat telling in context:

(Ibid., page 219)

Now, obviously, it’s not a bad thing for a character to have mental fortitude! It’s just that the phrasing here, combined with previous instances, feels rather deliberate. She was smart enough to not faint for real. It almost makes it seem like even her reaction to her sister’s fate was in part performative…

Though, for the sake of fairness, I will consider that last conjecture questionable, and work off the first two excerpts – which are just enough to conclude that Qin Wanyue is, well, quite ruthless for someone whose image is that of a ‘quiet and nice’ (or “graceful and subdued”, lol) one.

◊◊◊

Now, this is her characterization during the Immortal Alliance Conference in ‘the new story’. And although some butterfly effect of Shen Yuan’s presence has already reached these characters – think Qin Wanrong’s fate in the absence of love interest’s plot armor – it is largely implied throughout the novel that the characterization in ‘the new story’, absent transmigrator meddling, is consistent with PIDW’s characterization, even if PIDW never delved into the reasoning behind characters’ actions – think Yue Qingyuan and Shen Jiu. So it is reasonable to posit that PIDW’s Qin Wanyue has the same personality as the one we see on-page in SVSSS. Why is that important? Well… here’s where that content warning from the beginning comes in.

After all, the most memorable thing about the original Qin Wanyue (according to our unreliable primary narrator) is:

(Ibid., page 213)

Thing is, most of the details about this plot point come up much earlier in the novel, when Shen Qingqiu complains talks about Without a Cure poison's, well, cure – so there’s a 70-page separation between the girl in the story and Qin Wanyue we meet.

(And in case anyone doubted the girl in question is the very same Qin Wanyue: please note the epithets in the following fragment and compare to the fragment quoted above)

(Ibid., page 142)

So, to refresh our memories, here’s a description of the key (to this meta) point of that storyline:

(Ibid., page 143, excerpt 2/3)

Now, this description on its own might not register as questionable, though I must note that the use of an expression "pushed down" usually implies a modicum of dubiousness in the consent. And the very next paragraph could be well taken to support this reading:

(Ibid., excerpt 3/3)

‘Consent under pressure of fulfilling a last wish’ is the very definition of dubious, is it not?

Though, of course, there's another possible reading – which is the one our narrator seems to subscribe to, given his choice of phrase "show of resistance" – that given the rules of (PIDW's) genre, Luo Binghe wasn't actually all that reluctant. Isn’t it just the straight dude's wish fulfillment, to have a pretty girl rush to take his virginity? It’s not that deep, and so such… But, well, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to go ahead and argue with Cucumber-bro about PIDW, lmao.

See, if there's anything SVSSS is very clear about, it's that the characters have interiority, even if it isn’t directly brought up. While the tropes and genre conventions do apply, character’s decisions are not explained by those only – again, think Shen Jiu: yes, his role is that of a scum villain, but his actions follow from his backstory and personality; though that leads to him fulfilling the aforementioned role, the role is not an explanation on its own. With that in mind, when analyzing the situation with original Luo Binghe and Qin Wanyue, it's crucial to consider them not as 'the stallion novel protagonist' and 'his love interest', but rather as people with their own motivations and thoughts and journeys.

I must note: while we only have Shen Yuan|Qingqiu’s description of the scene to go off of, and he, a) does think of it in terms of 'the stallion novel protagonist' and 'his love interest' and b) is fairly flippant about consent issues as present in PIDW (which comes for him later in the narrative), – but even with that, he still senses enough of PIDW Luo Binghe’s discomfort to bring it up in his recount. Which, imo, is on its own quite telling of how this scene went in PIDW.

Now, working off that ‘characters always have interiority’ framework, there's another bit that begins to stick out:

(Ibid., excerpt 1/3)

Of course, this could be taken as a joke about m/f relationships in media – they exchanged glances and then jumped into bed, y'know, the thing many of us complain about – but it starts to look suspicious if we think of those characters as, well, people. What, “exchanging glances” was the extent of it, and then one party “pushed down” the plain-text "reluctant" other party? Begins to smell of bad things happening, doesn’t it?

And then, of course, we should additionally consider the characterization we worked out for Qin Wanyue in the beginning of this meta: that she is willing to prioritize her own goals and desires over those of others (specifically Luo Binghe's even, in both cases) and not above using manipulation to get her way…

Now, look, Qin Wanyue in PIDW is in her last days, and I'm not gonna put on a tin foil hat and say ~maybe she isn't~ just because she is shown to be manipulative. I believe she is fatally poisoned, and I even believe that she doesn’t mean for her actions to be an assault. Still doesn't excuse coercive rape though. Just the same as Shen Jiu's horrible past doesn't excuse child abuse.

◊◊◊

And I do think the comparison between those two is apt, circling back to the title of this meta. I believe Qin Wanyue's actions towards Luo Binghe in the original story, and especially the way they influenced him, put her on par with the titular scum villain; yet her part in PIDW Luo Binghe's blackening is overlooked by both in-story narrator and the novel’s fandom.

But let us trace the underpinnings of the story we are told by Shen Yuan|Qingqiu.

For PIDW Luo Binghe, the Immortal Alliance Conference is significant in a way it isn't for the new story's Binghe – as it's the first time in years PIDW Binghe was able to leave Shen Jiu's sphere of influence. I'm sure that’s not news for anyone that abuse messes with a person's perception; thus, realizing that mistreatment isn’t the norm can be a significant step towards healing. So, PIDW Binghe meets a bunch of new people at the Conference, and realizes they do not treat him the way Shen Jiu and the disciples of Qing Jing do. These people treat him as a cool new friend! For once, he is not ostracized! Shen Yuan|Qingqiu is surprised to see that new story’s Binghe doesn't go to play in the creek with the group, but he fails to take into account that this camaraderie is not a breath of fresh air for him in a way it was for the original Binghe. New story's Binghe has the experience to realize the group's less-than-noble intentions, even if he isn't ruthless enough to ditch them; but does the same go for PIDW's Binghe? When those people treat him just so much better than what he's used to?

And the thing is, even though those people weren't sincere to him, this could've been the first step in Luo Binghe's recovery, the reality check that would combat Shen Jiu's influence on his mentality… if not for Qin Wanyue's actions. Essentially, the trust and goodwill he extended toward those new friends of his resulted in him getting taken advantage of, becoming just another proof of the world’s callousness for him.

Now, the way Shen Jiu shaped Luo Binghe is something of a common understanding in the fandom – that Luo Binghe’s new persona post-blackening is molded after his scum villain master. But I want you to consider those mentions of original Luo Binghe playing fast and loose with consent, and notice a direct causality between that and his first experience with intimacy at Qin Wanyue's hands. And in fact, his persona may have been influenced by her just as much as Shen Jiu. If we consider for example this description, "he would wear the mask of a kind and humble gentleman" (p.29), – while this could be traced back to Shen Qingqiu’s "fair without but foul within" (p.10) characterization, doesn't it seem even more like Qin Wanyue's "graceful and subdued" presentation? Or how about this description…

(Ibid., page 12)

…as compared to Qin Wanyue pretending to be "lovable and pitiable" to manipulate Luo Binghe and continue using him to her ends (see p.217 excerpt in the beginning)?

In this way, doesn't it seem like Qin Wanyue played almost as big a role in shaping PIDW Luo Binghe as the titular scum villain did? So why shouldn't she get the recognition as an important villain of PIDW's story?

◊◊◊

Lastly, I wanted to mention a certain little detail for symbolism-lovers in the crowd. As we know, Shen Yuan|Qingqiu uses lotus as a descriptor for Luo Binghe – 'white lotus' in his youth and 'black lotus' later. 'White lotus' in particular is a common expression to describe characters who are exceptionally innocent (it can have derogatory connotation, implying character is so innocent they are stupid, though our Shen Qingqiu is of course using it rather fondly). So, in SVSSS, white lotus can be considered a symbol of Luo Binghe’s innocence(broad definition).

Now, remember what the spiritual plant Luo Binghe picked for Qin Wanyue is called? I'll remind you, "Thousand-Leaves Fresh-Snow Lotus". Fresh-Snow, in other words, white. And what happens to that white lotus? It gets eaten raw by Qin Wanyue. Welp, symbolism!

Additionally, the benefits of the lotus making their way back to Luo Binghe can be compared with the way he adopts the traits of his villains, Shen Jiu and Qin Wanyue, and eventually turns the situation to his advantage. While he does not take outright revenge on Qin Wanyue (there are several explanations for that, on different layers of narrative, but all boil down to toxic masculinity being incompatible with understanding male victims of rape exist) - well, doesn't dragging her into a three-digit harem built by the very methods she taught him kind of count as reversing their fortunes?

[videocookieseng]

Super Mario 64 DS is a bizarre game.

It’s not talked about, Nintendo never mentions it, it has very strange elements, and the worst part? The controls; unfortunately, one of the few reasons people even remember it. A 3D platformer controlled with arrows?! Many shortcomings and forgotten, especially when compared to its original counterpart…

…but darn it, how I love it.

Despite it being bizarre, SM64DS is a very innovative game with elements never before seen in a Mario title and with others that even come from spin-offs, something Nintendo doesn’t usually do (the three Goomboss fans, please clap). With more characters, stars, missions, and mini-games, it truly is the definitive way to enjoy Mario 64.

Well, it would be if it weren’t for the controls; however, the purpose of this writing is not to complain about it over and over again, but to inform you how you can enjoy this incredible game properly: with an analog stick! Yes, this is a PC mod that allows you to control Mario and company much more naturally. This may not be news for many, but it was for me when I discovered it about two weeks ago, so SHHH. Here I am with a tutorial on how to play SM64DS in the best way.

I leave you this video guide on what to do to play with a stick, but I also leave you the step-by-step in writing below.

Here’s what you need:

1) Download this emulator, DeSmuME X432R here.

2) Download this program, ToxInput_v0.6 here (where it says “Assets”).

3) Download - um, I mean, acquire the EUROPEAN ROM of the game in a totally legal way.

4) Have a controller on hand. Xbox or a third-party one works. Switch Pro controllers do not work with this method (believe me, I tried 😞).

Now follow these steps:

1) Unzip everything and organize it (this is optional, I just encourage you to be tidy with your life. Make your bed too).

2) Connect your controller.

3) Open the emulator and configure the buttons normally.

4) Drink water.

5) Load the ROM. I recommend starting and getting control of Yoshi before the next step.

6) Open ToxInput.

7) Inside ToxInput: if the first control icon is highlighted in white, your controller is recognized*. Click on it. If it turns yellow, it works.

8) Inside ToxInput: click on the “DeSmuME X432R_x64.exe” option. It should turn yellow, if it does, then click on “Apply”. Do not close the program.

9) Now all that’s left is to go back to the emulator and test your new controls. If the character moves very slowly, then it didn’t work as it should. You’ll know if you’ve succeeded if the character moves like in the original Mario 64, meaning the movement speed changes according to the pressure you apply to the stick. The right stick controls the camera.

10) Done!

*If it is NOT highlighted in white, you can do the following: delete the “XInput9_1_0.dll” file from the ToxInput folder. Then open the program again, and it should recognize your control. If that doesn’t help, I’m sorry 😢.

This is not the only method to access this mod; in fact, there’s even one to play like this on 3DS, and as we all know, it’s surprisingly easy to hack a 3DS. But this one method seemed quite simple and easy to follow, 100% recommended!

Now go and play the best version of Super Mario 64 as it should be.

[getoffthesoapbox]

[Ys VIII] Endtimes Reflections

After eight grueling days and 100+ hours, my journey on the Isle of Seiren with Adol and his team has come to a close. Ys VIII: The Lacrimosa of Dana was the first Ys game I’ve played through its entirety, though not that first Ys I’ve ever owned. It probably was the wrong place to start the series, but what can I say, good decisions aren’t my forte.

It’s been two days since the end credits rolled, and a dreary gloom has settled over me, which can only mean one thing: a long ramble must be had. 

Spoilers abound, so the remainder is behind the cut.

Despite the game committing several writing sins in the prologue, by the time Adol met Laxia and the two began to explore the island, I was hooked. The battle system is probably to blame for this; it’s an absolute blast. The game does a wonderful job weaving together the three plot threads--the mystery of the Ancient Species, the mystery of Adol’s dreams, and the survival situation--in a way that keeps the player constantly moving. Having never played an Ys game prior to this, I found myself pleasantly surprised by it all. My only complaint was that the emergency battles were tedious, but it’s a minor quibble at best.

The castaways’ experience stirs up some fellow feeling within me. In my own life, I’m currently a bit of a virtual castaway myself, if in a metaphorical sense. For the past year I’ve been experiencing some intense upheaval and transition in my life currently, and have been doing a lot of soul searching. It was a treat to find not only characters in my age bracket in this game, but to find that they hadn’t yet found their callings either or at least made their callings work for them was a breath of fresh air. Usually these kinds of games focus on young people, which is the target audience of course, but it’s nice to have peripheral characters who are experiencing adult issues. 

My own situation in life is probably why I bonded so fiercely with all the characters. Plus playing every day for over 12 hours didn’t help much, I’m sure. It really did feel as though I would go to bed, and then get up in the morning and go exploring with my team. We’d battle giant dinosaurs or hunt for those pesky treasure chests or expand our map horizons. It was a grand adventure, and in a dull and dreary life, a little adventure is a great spice, even if it is only virtual at best. 

This is probably why the ending hit me as hard as it did. 

Despite how much I enjoyed the full game experience, including the ending, I found myself deeply dissatisfied with how the ending unfolded. Partly this is due to the fact that by this point I’d looked into the other Ys games and discovered Adol normally adventures alone or with new party members each game, and that it’s rare for Adol to encounter former allies and friends in new installments. 

But more than that, I think my dissatisfaction stems from not wanting the journey to be over. In my real life, I lost my own team in a devastating way, and this was the first time in over a year I’d felt like I’d had friends again. It’s silly for a grown woman to attach herself so to a bunch of characters, but something about the way the story and the battle system unfolded made me feel a part of the group. Adol being a silent protagonist assists with this, of course. Regardless, losing the team and watching them scatter hurt a lot more than I expected and I’m having a bit of separation anxiety even though I can play the game again if it really is that bad, lol.

It’s funny because I’m a huge Zelda fan, yet I’ve never had this sort of reaction to the end of a Zelda game. Likely this is due to Link’s adventures being for the most part isolated other than periodic assistance from fairies or townsfolk, and also because I know I’ll meet “Link” and “Zelda” again over and over in new reincarnations. Adol’s stories are much more final--he only has one short life, and the likelihood of meeting these friends again is slim. In a way, it’s rather like reality--we can replay the game and enjoy the memories again, but we can’t go on a new adventure with those same people. Yet Adol will still go on adventures in future installments and past installments and his story will continue, but without them.

Still, despite not wanting to part with everyone, and despite not knowing when Adol will return to me with a new adventure to enjoy, I found the game encouraging to me in my own life situation. I won’t be able to change all at once, but even the castaways took their time to steadily work toward their goal--it took them almost a year to make it off the island. If they can do that, maybe I still can too. It’s fun, because the adventure changed the castaways and me with them. I get up in the mornings now and think about what adventures I’d like to have, and it changes the whole color of the day. 

Heh, a strange experience, to be sure. But there’s something about slaying huge dinosaurs and saving the world from annihilation that makes you feel you can take on the world again, even after it’s crushed you to bits. =)

This is a little silly too (and rather random), but I hated having to complete my bestiary by killing the Dyrodox on the plains. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so hard in my life over killing a monster. He never once tried to hurt me; he kept trying to run away. It was the most pathetic battle in history and I just felt horrible and depressed every second. Then I had to kill him again because the doofus didn’t give me all his rare items! It wasn’t as hard the second time, because I distracted myself with some youtube, but goodness I cannot believe the nerve of this game to make you kill a precious buttercup like the Dyrodox in order to complete your bestiary. Thank goodness we have a New Game+ so I don’t have to do that ever again. 

I hadn’t anticipated diving into all the heavy things on my mind so early, but at least that leaves us with the fun and silly things for last. So, this is where I should have started lol. The whole reason I bought the darn game in the first place was because of these two kids--I have three cardinal rules for stories: 1) the presence of a cute guy, 2) the presence of a cute girl, 3) a great narrative. Since you can’t tell #3 until you give a story a try, usually #1&2 are good initial tests for me (I do make exceptions of course, because not all masterpieces have pretty packaging, but I find these rules work out pretty well for me). 

So I went into this game knowing nothing about Ys (and how many darn women Adol has in his harem haha), and expecting an epic love story a la Lunar. Silly me. Instead what I got was a wonderful story of friendship, camaraderie, and appreciation. The narrative focal point was on how the team opened themselves up to Dana and accepted her burdens as their own. 

Strangely, I wasn’t all that disappointed to see that Adol and Dana only had the faintest of budding relationships. Despite being connected across time and space and dreaming of each other, their relationship remained shallow with very little development other than what you’d expect out of comrades. Even Dana’s farewell and Adol’s reaction to her disappearance trended more toward the platonic than the romantic. Laxia’s budding feelings for Adol were much more apparent and fleshed out than anything Dana seemed to express toward Adol. 

To be fair, Dana had a great deal of trouble and responsibility resting on her shoulders, which doesn’t allow for much time for romance. Even her quest was focused around friendship, with Adol merely assisting her. I suppose ultimately it’s good that nothing came of their interactions, given the ending. 

So I come out of this game with no ship, which didn’t disappoint me as much as I thought it would. I loved all the characters, and the friendship was more than enough to enjoy. 

While I’m on the subject of Dana, I really enjoyed how the fitting the title was on two levels. The first level is the obvious one of course, that our band of castaways was caught up in Dana’s extended lacrimosa. But the ending of the game gives the title a different twist as well--Dana becomes literally the goddess in charge of the lacrimosa. All lacrimosas from henceforth are hers to command. This was a neat little twist, and although I’d expected her to sacrifice herself in some way, it was a pleasant surprise that her ultimate fate landed us with a new interpretation of the game’s title.

This story was ultimately Dana’s in the same way Twilight Princess was Midna’s story in the Zelda franchise. Although Adol and his crew played key roles and were indispensable to the success of her plan, ultimately it was her will and her goals the story was pursuing all along. Adol was just along for the ride, which perhaps is true of all his adventures. He seems more of a journey sort of chap. 

And last, but certainly not least in my heart, is my beloved Hummel. He got me good, I’ll admit it. At first I just liked his design and the fact that he was a long range character, but his personality was nothing to speak of.

Then the story starts peeling back the layers bit by bit. He’s good with kids. He’s affectionate to animals. He’s got a weird but honorable code despite working in the black market. He wants to make sure his clients enjoy the items he brings to them and gets bummed out if he doesn’t get the opportunity to find out. He likes to juggle. 

By the end of the game everything Hummel does and says is too precious for this world. Honestly given how affectionate he was with Adol in his scenes, I was shipping the two of them more than any of the other girls, lol. Hummel’d be the best boyfriend. (But then I find out he turns down some chick later, which only increases my suspicions that he’s in Adol’s harem too!)

Heh I feel much better now that I’ve had my ramble. I’ve been listening to the full soundtrack nonstop since I stopped playing the game. There are some fantastic pieces on it. 

I guess I didn’t say much about or intrepid hero. Adol’s character design is gorgeous--I hope they keep the cute red outfit he wears as his default in the future installments (or at least offer it as a DLC for me fufu). But most of Adol’s response choices are a ton of fun, and I love that he’s snarky as well as kind. I got the biggest kick out of him and Sir Carlan (Sir Carlan actually was one of my favorite characters lol). 

This was also the first game where I was able to get a 100% complete without using a walkthrough and only checking the gamefaqs forums for individual bestiary items I missed out on. Dumb achievement to be proud of, but I’m so inept at being a completionist that I always have to rely on other people for help. It was nice to be able to figure out all the secrets on my own for once. =)

Oh and this cracked me up but...I started playing Ys VIII as soon as it arrived in the mail on my Vita. Low and behold I found out that there was no Japanese language option on the day one release! My inner weabo was outraged to the point that I almost refused to play. But then I talked myself out of it, and continued the game. As soon as Hummel arrived in my party, I fell in love with his English voice and once that happened I forgot all about my outrage.

Then I find out (when I’m nearing the last chapter of the game) that there’s a free Japanese DLC for the Vita finally. So I download it, eagerly wanting to hear what I missed out on. And low and behold, the characters sound “wrong” to me because I’ve played them in English the whole time. =P Plus I preferred Hummel’s English voice to his Japanese! Such a travesty. This is why one should never play the dub first. =P It makes things turn out all wrong! 

Anyway, silly story aside, Ys VIII was a great experience and I’m now interested in trying out the other titles. I’ve picked up Ys I & II Chronicles, and I’m quite enjoying the original bump battle system. I’d like to play the games in order (excluding Origins) this time. I do feel I missed out on a bit having never played the games before. Some of the country references and a few of the characters we met were clearly from previous adventures or future ones. No matter, I’ll fix all this soon enough.

And I think that’s more than enough babbling about one game for this evening. If anyone has actually made it this far, I salute you! You are the true champion of this day! 

May your own adventures continue!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

May 2021 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

It’s a cray cray Friday when Vietnam gets its eng subs up before GMMTV Thailand. What alter-reality are we in? Well, the Vietnamese offerings are better right now anyway. (Oooo, feel that burn.) 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Top Secret Together Ep 2 - pulping it up in the best possible way. Sure sound and production values are pants, and in classic Thai fashion the editing in post is exacerbating (rather than fixing) pacing issues, but it’s still CUTE AF. I don’t even mind the added university storyline, because they’ve got good chemistry (and a confident gay fresher after a panicked gay hazer is an old favorite... what can I say, SOTUS was my first love). We aren’t spending too much time with any one couple, so it’s weighted a lot better than Brothers was, but also character development is slow. 

Siew Sum Noi Ep 2 - Unfortunately, it’s just too hard to find, plus no subs. I’m dropping it in the hopes it comes back on my radar some day. 

Y-Destiny Ep 8 - (Thurs) It’s rough having a ghost boyfriend, half your friends are scared, the other half think you’re crazy, and kissing shortens your lifespan. This was a cute couple even if I wasn’t wild about the surrounding story. 

Close Friend Ep 5: (Dear My Star/JimmyTommy) - about high school penpals. It had to rely entirely on voice over work as the actors only meet face to face at the end. It’s a good thing they are appealing screen presences on their own, with good vocal control. It’s hard to imagine any other BL pair carrying this kinda plot. It’s by far my favorite of the series so far, and I’m not even a big JimmyTommy fan. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 7 - no subs. Do we care? Not really. Because we have... 

Nitiman Ep 3 - currently my favorite out of Thailand. It’s the university Thai BL i’ve been waiting for since... when was the last good one? My Engineer? Yowza. Anyway we got: head on my shoulder, baby is a floppy drunk (but still wants to be in control), proximity alert, boyfriend’s closet, seme gets seriously jelly, and a cute twist on feeding him. There’s something fun and complex about Jin’s character. He’s not a panicked bi. He knows exactly what’s going on, he just hasn’t decided if he wants Bb or not. He clearly enjoys being looked after, the compliments, and the attention, but he’s not sure if he’s going to like what happens if he gives in. I like that twist on the usual tsundere uke archetype a lot, cautious rather than willfully obtuse or freaked out. We can see Jin realizing in stages: I like this person, I like that they like me, I like the romantic attentiveness. But in the background is... do I actually want to f*k him? It’s a dynamic we don’t often see on BL. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 10 fin - the most ridiculous show using BLs worst tropes in a sort of weird smoothie of bitter greens and too ripe banana. The ending was the sappiest cheesiest thing ever, like cheese syrup tapped from the cheese tree. So of course I loved it, but I’m pretty sure I giggled through all the bits meant to be profound. Because, in the end, to tolerate this show at all, you just can’t take ANY of it seriously. RECOMMENDED (with some SERIOUS reservations and trigger warnings.) Full review here. 

Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan) Ep 1-2 - I don’t mind a damaged seme character but this one is a bit weird for me. Like creepy Cheese in the Trap level weird. On the bright side, the story has given our tsundere uke good motivation for his angst and great existing friendships, loyalty, and likability. Plus I’m invested in the cafe owner/innocent puppy side dishes. So if it’s only the seme character I’m not jiving with, and he’s the most established actor, it should all turn out fine. I believe in you, Taiwanese BL. 

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan) Ep 6 fin - speaking of belief. This such a good show but they gave us a cliffhanger ending. Now we must hope against hope for season two. That’s never guaranteed with Taiwan tho. So, I’m docking a few points and saying, RECOMMENDED so long as you realize it’s a cliffhanger. 

Love is Science? (Taiwan) Ep 1-9 (BL subplot) - this is a good het romance, but the fact that the BL subplot is a beautifully acted disaster bi + confident gay means you’re hearing about it whether you want to or not. Plus they just added in some GL! Come on! I gotta support Taiwan normalizing queer to this extent. They are fighting the good fight and if I also have to watch a career lady and her much younger softest straight boi get it on, too? Twist my arm with that service sub subtext. Go on Taiwan, TWIST IT. It’s on Viki. Join the revolution.   * Incidentally if you actually like the D/s het dynamic of this show, I highly recommend Japanese Kimi wa Petto - career woman keeps a hot young dancer boy as a pet. Oh yes, an actual pet, that IS the pitch. Never doubt Japan when kink is on the line. It’s also on Viki. Go get your kink on, thank me later. (If it helps: That was not a request.)  

Most Peaceful Place 2 (Vietnam) Ep 2 (AKA 5) - love triangles aren’t my thing, but if you’re gonna do it short form, by all means bring in the lead’s other BL pairing so the chemistry is on point. Now I've no idea who I want him to end up with. Can’t they just be in a poly triad? 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 7 - I’m still enjoying it a lot. It’s still unabashedly queer and the tension is ramping up. We now have secret identity, blackmail, femme fatale, faen fatale, and incoming seme confrontation. Best of all, the series is still airing, which makes it longer than any other Vietnamese BL I’ve seen (aside from Tein Bromance - which is just too weird to count). 

Gossip - Thai BL 

SEVEN PROJECT TEASERS

No one is entirely sure what Studio Wabi Sabi’s Seven Project/7Project will entail. 

It might be like Close Friend (1 episode per couple, no linking), 

or Y-Destiny (2 episodes per couple, loosely linked), 

or The En of Love (4 episodes per couple, linked but independent consecutive stories). 

They’re giving the couple’s arcs separate titles. So each one would be what? Seven Project: Once Upon a Time or the like? We’re in Taiwanese title territory people and NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE. Anygay... 

Once Upon a Time is the BounPrem (og UWMA) anchor story, and seems to be the most dramatic and likely saddest. These two can handle most of what’s thrown at them at this juncture, so it should be good. 

Vs Love is a BoomPeak (og Make it Right) university vehicle. Since I thought Boom was done with our nonsense, I couldn’t be more thrilled and surprised this pair is doing another show together. I don’t think either of them are the greatest actors but I find Peak very endearing and Boom charismatic on screen, so I’ll watch. 

Would You be My Love is the hotly anticipated SantaEarth launch. They’re a (cultivated) IRL ship and Earth is an established BL actor. They have great chemistry and high energy so this could be lots of fun. 

We are also getting a GL from this series from established BL actresses Samantha and Pineare. Nothing teased yet on that, but I’m looking forward to this installment the most. Also curious to see how the ladies handle the branding and promo side, not to mention the culture. (Thailand variety shows gonna force *girls* to play the Pepero game?) 

Secret Crush on You upcoming Thai BL with no release date, co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with all fresh faces. (Previously known as Stalker the series.) It looks like pure pulp and I’m not wild about the plot but could be better than expected as it’s adapted from a novel. Cheewin is an okay director when he has an actual story to follow. 

Don’t Say No the series. Coming from the producers of TharnType this is the JaFirst vehicle many have been waiting for. Friends to lovers + a good boy/bad boy pairing on a sports romance foundation. It’s basketball so they tapped Meen as well (he’s semi-pro). The bad news? You get one guess as to who is writing the darn thing? Yep it’s MAME. So, ya know, expect some slam dunk kidnapping, a light dribbling of rape, and me turning into a basketcase. AKA... 

Will I have to live blog this series in order to survive it? That seems to be the only way I can. So probably. Which means the bad sports puns will continue. Look, if I’m suffering, SO ARE YOU! 

Rumors of a new YinWar vehicle The Best Story (mini series) coming in July. Also rumors that their previously announced Love Mechanics (full length series) has either been delayed, is facing money issues, or is moving studios, or all three. 

Breaking News 

DELAYED (I’m talking these three off the watch list until we get new airing dates) 

Love Area’s release was pushed out but it got a trailer. 

Golden Blood was supposed to drop Weds but comments in MDL report that it is delayed due to C19.  

Love’s Outlet (Taiwan) is supposed to have started a 50 episode run (only 3-5 min each, what utter nonsense). Sadly, this delay is due to a surge in cases in Taiwan which was doing so well, but also doesn’t have many inoculations. 

Bad Buddy has started workshopping at GMMTV actual. 

Kang Insoo’s BTS for Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is SO FLIPPING CUTE. You have to watch it. Trust me, I don’t rec behind the scenes stuff often. 

Next Week Looks Like This: 

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[foibles-fables]

Hello hi what an interesting writing game you just posted don’t mind if I do: 4 & 7 & 20 (as few/many as U would like)

DON'T WORRY RUCH i gotcha!! (I think the first two are waiting in the inbox anyway so I'll do your intended ones!)

14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

GOD, as soon as possible. There's nothing that stalls me more than not having a title, honestly. Most times, I'm scouring my brain for a potential title immediately after having even the slightest inspiration for a Thing to write.

17. Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Oh, this is a really good question that I've never considered before. Probably, yeah? Most of us have that impostor syndrome, and I tend to publish things when my confidence in them is at an absolutely abysmal level and I'm just tired of looking at them and rearranging words in the paragraphs, haha. ~Just gorgeous gorgeous girl things.~ Honestly, know that any and all positive perception is met with shock and awe and the fact that I'll probably fall just a little bit in love with you forever.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

HMMMM. Wondering what I wanna reference to answer this. OKAY, thought of one. Been very much adoring the fact that I coincidentally made Talanah a Virgo given her way too on-the-nose re: symbolism implied birthdate in make treaty with the moon. It...fits pretty darn well, as far as I'm concerned, especially considering her specific characterization in that particular drivel. And I gueeessss that's also a clue for future scene(s)? It's a little event that runs through everything.

[mariposalass]

Sora’s Time to Shine

Summary: Mari is already not putting too much expectations going into watching the Final Smash Presentation when someone close to her besides Kirby and Edelgard’s beloved Professor pops out of nowhere in said Presentation. All hell breaks loose (but in a good way).

Setting: Mari and co.’s house in Daly City, California; October 5, 2021

Notes: I was pretty behind in seeing the reveal since I was pretty tired when it came out and I had to check a friend’s post on Plurk to make sure that it was not all for the jokes before watching it on Gamespot and writing this story down. And yes, the Byleth in my S/I verse is the female version in case anyone is curious. And yes, it took me until around 8 AM to write this up. Featuring Luther Vandross. Here is an ask I made on Sora’ behest during a F/O takeover long before he got confirmed recently. #SakuraiHasReachedtheImpossibleDream #Sora4Smash

Tags: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Smash Bros., Swift Keyblader, Smash Reveal, Sakurai has reached the impossible dream!, Sora for Smash, #Sora4Smash

“Hurry Mari, you’re about to miss it!” Kairi is dragging me out onto the sofa to see the final Smash Ultimate Presentation on the living room pretty early before plopping ourselves onto the sofa.

“Look, Kairi, guys. I hate to be a party pooper, but I have no clue about who could it be,” I try to be realistic in my views.

“Well, at this point, my beloved, it could be anybody from the video game world,” my dear Philip chimes in while trying to reassure me, “Besides, as soon as it is done, we shall try to reply back to this non Smash invitation that El had found in the mail today.”

“Huh, is that correct, El dear?” I asked my regal adopted daughter for confirmation.

“Why yes of course, Mother,” she replies as she passes me the invitation, “I believe that a friend of yours has sent us one, but I didn’t want to open it immediately since this is addressed to you.”

“Okay then, I will get to read it and reply back once the Presentation is over and see who gets to fight with Kirby and Professor Byleth,” I smiled back at her.

“I couldn’t believe that there was a leak that just came out before this Presentation video and it is about music. Who was that dense enough to do it at a time like this?” Riku mumbles as he gets the video streaming on the Nintendo Direct page in his laptop.

“You know, Riku, sometimes people can act very idiotic at times, so there isn’t much we can do besides ignoring and avoiding that as much as possible,” Harry sighs as he is bottle feeding and gently rocking Serena as she had cried a while ago to be bottle fed.

“Guys, have you guys seen Sora lately?” Issa asks us while carrying Chris in her arms, “I haven’t seen him in the last few days. He didn’t even reply back to either my or Kairi’s texts and calls. Do you think he’s off to visit Jack and Sally in Halloween Town? It’s nearing Halloween soon.”

“That’s really a good question, Issa,” Ahk agrees, “I had given up trying to find him by calling over on the phone since last Thursday. All I have gotten from it were many ‘The subscriber could not be reached’ messages.”

Even Riku and Kairi are in a loss for words as they turn to each other and wonder what is up with our friend lately. Did he just went poof without us knowing? Kirby always informs us through his many Poyos that he would have to head off to Smash whenever a new tourney starts or a newcomer arrives and Edelgard’s class often gets shorter class schedules or early dismissals whenever Professor Blyeth gets to fight in Smash: she is the professor handling the Black Eagles class. Sometimes even El, Petra and Dorothea along with a few others (and yes, that includes the Gatekeeper) would come over to Smash to spectate from the sidelines and support their beloved Professor.

There is a long silence when the Nintendo Switch title card plays in the laptop and Karina directs us all to watch the screen to see many clips featuring many Smashers in the current tournament before it transitions to Sakurai-san in the studio explaining about the video as well as showcasing the Mii Fighter costumes.

“Hey look, Isabelle the Dog’s demon slaying friend from Bethesda is now coming to Smash to rip and tear up the competition!” Moana screams when the Doomguy Mii Gunner costume appears.

“Good for him; I know that many fans really did want him to be in Smash, though the costume is a nice addition,” Issa agrees. “That now makes three Bethesda franchises represented in the costumes.”

“Even the Octolings and Judd the Cat got hats based on them too,” I chime in as well.

“Oh hey, guys! Sakarui’s about to reveal the last fighter for the Second Fighter’s Pass, so keep down it and don’t expect too much,” Karina informs as Sakurai transitions to the main event and we all stay silent and stay glued to our seats.

The screen turns black before the usual Smash logo opening shows up, but instead of the usual zoom in, it then turns into a flaming Smash logo with all the Smashers up until Kazuya Mishima (yeah, the guy who tried to drop Kirby off a cliff) looking at it and covered in the shadows. Did MH decided to get them to show up in there and meet the last fighter in the dark? Probably, I bet that he might be keeping it as a surprise and possibly even conserving electricity at the same time. Then cut to Inkling Girl looking in awe with the Smash logo reflecting onto her pupils as a nice ode to the first reveal trailer for the game/tourney, I honestly love this shot.

Wait a minute, the logo turns into stars and the next scene shows everyone frozen in place as toy-like ambiios?!? How is it even possible? Well, it does certainly confirmed once again that the video game version of the tourney is set in a world of make believe after all. I could swear that a lot of people crying their eyes out as they are watching this. It looks like this is the end of one great video game series about mascots fighting among each other. Or is it? Because the camera is aiming at Mario as if he looks like he’s trying to take a nap while standing up.

Riku then proceeds to mumble some words to me incoherently that something big is coming the moment Mario wakes up to see a glowing light to see the last remaining flame glowing on the floor, which I do agree with him. Suspicious right? Oh God, Mario no! Please don’t touch the fire for everyone’s sanity. Wait, hold on a second: that isn’t not just fire that he just grabbed on and then tossed it into the sky like a boomerang: the mystery object looks like a Keyblade and there’s that Mickey keychain! Yep, that’s a Keyblade alright. Could it be...

I could recognize that beam of light that Keyblades often produce whenever they lock and unlock Keyholes to other worlds, so does everyone in the room. Riku and Kairi hugged onto each other as if we’re about to brace for an emergency (Karina and Moana also did the same), Ahk stares at the screen to see if he’s not imagining things all the sudden, Issa has her mouth drop in shock, Chris and Serena didn’t cry throughout this entire presentation, Harry gasps and nearly drops Serena’s bottle, Philip turns to me for answers while Edelgard begins to sweatdrop in concern.

No words are exchanged as the light grows and shines brighter before it proceeds to shoot itself away from the Keyblade to reveal a Keyhole on another part of the room. It then glows bright within as the camera switches back to the rest of frozen Smashers as the light begins to fill the room and revives Link, Cloud, Incineroar and Mewtwo as they all gawk at it as it reveals something from the World of Light with the orchestral rendition of Simple and Clean playing in the background. And that’s when it hits us right at the gut: the familiar spiky brown hair poking out from that Keyhole.

“What!?!” Kairi shouts as the Keyhole ‘spits’ out Sora from the World of Light.

“H-h-he actually got in, for real?” Riku squeaks up.

“Oh my…” I gasp in pure shock as we watch the whole thing played out.

“Sakarui finally did it?” Issa adds in to the discussion.

“Well, it’s about time that they managed to get his darn behind into the tourney,” Karina seconds in.

Soon enough, Sora finally wakes up from his nappy time and takes notes from Peter Pan and Tinkerbell as he flies around, sprinkling fairy dust all over the other Smashers, before landing on the floor and the Keyblade flying back to his hand.

“Damn it, Sora!” I scream as the splash screen pops in.

“Kai, your boy has finally made it big time!” Moana shakes Kairi in congratulation rather rapidly that it nearly gives my lil sis a dizzying spell.

“Moana, please don’t make Kairi that dizzy,” Harry had to tell her that.

“Whoops! Sorry Kairi,” she apologizes to her which she accepts.

So with that, we switch back to Sakurai going in depth with Sora’s moveset after he discussed about the Kingdom Hearts games and world. And he has gotten 4 costume changes, man Sora, that’s a big wardrobe you’re bringing in, oh wait, he even got the Timeless River costume too. That makes it 5 then.

“Oh gods, Sakurai is making us suffer by watching Sakurai using Sora to beat up everyone,” Ahk tells us as the Sora moveset showcase begins.

“No kidding,” Harry muses as we see Sora beating everyone in Battlefield.

“Whoa, they went for Sealing the Keyhole instead of having Trinity Force with Donald and Goofy? What a bummer,” Karina bemoans in dismay.

“Well, you know modern Disney: too overprotective of their IPs,” Philip reminds her.

“Oh new stage, what could it be?” Riku gleefully chimes in before they reveal Hollow Bastion as the stage, “Whoa, Hollow Bastion. I never thought that you will return again.”

Then the stage changes into Dive to the Heart and it had Riku and Kairi in the stained glass in one, Riku being the main focus of the second one, Roxas in the middle of the third, Xion in the fourth, Terra for the fifth, a sleepy Ven in the sixth, and Aqua’s in the seventh.

“Pretty!” I complimented the look of each stained glass.

“Quite impressive I will admit,” El agrees with me too.

Then Sakurai begins a playthrough with Sora facing Cloud and Sephiroth in Hollow Bastion, for a while, we all thought that he’s going to be a goner with Cloud and Sephiroth beating him up in the Stamina match but then the tides begin to turn in his favor after Sephy lost his full stock and with Sora having to take down Cloud next. When he did, the scene begins to go into a slow white fade out with a Game!

“Alright! Sora did it! He defeated both Cloud and mean old Sephy,” Riku cheers on.

“Woo! Go Sora!” me, Kairi, Moana, and Karina screams aloud.

“That was brilliant!” Harry agrees before he turns to Serena, “Did you hear? Uncle Sora managed to defeat two opponents in a Smash Ultimate playthrough.”

“9 songs is better than nothing at all,” Issa observes, “It would be a licensing nightmare to talk to Disney if they can borrow a couple of songs from them and they straight up refuse to assist, oh well. Oooh, a Dearly Beloved Swing arrangement, nice! I better get that save file on the Switch prompto!”

“And check out that Spirit Board: Aunt Kairi has a Spirit of herself,” Edelgard informs us as the Spirit Board for KH is revealed.

“Oh gee, never thought that it could ever happen, but thanks,” she blushes.

“Hey, I got one as well, same with Axel, Xion, Roxas, Aqua, Terra and Ven,” Riku joins in, “Marina is so going to be happy to see her boyfriend as a Spirit. She will probably try to get him real soon.”

“You bet it right, Riku, you bet it right,” I nod and agree with that last statement.

“Oh hey, he’s going to be ready within a few weeks’ time,” Karina speaks up, “Neat! The roster is now complete.”

“Even Steve and Alex have amiibos of themselves being made, that’s even more wonderful,” Ahk takes note of it, “I’m pretty sure that Sora will have one of his own along with Pyra, Mythra, that jerk who tried to threw Kirby off a cliff, and even Sephiroth soon.”

“WHAT?!? Kingdom Hearts are coming to the Switch too!?!” I am surprised to hear the news as Sakurai reveals this new information, that is so mind-blowing.

When it fades to black then to the Ultimate mural, the camera then goes for the space between Ganondorf and Dark Samus to fill in Sora’s spot before panning back. Man, this Presentation is long and is finally ending, thank God; it must be tiring to sit down and watch a nearly hour long video as Sakurai showcases the screenshots he has made and showed off in Twitter. Man, so many memories and montages. And the achievements, wow, that is a lot of them, it will be a game feat that I don’t think it will be broken for a long time.

Man, I will miss the presentations and Sakurai’s corny jokes for sure. I wish him a nice deserving break from all the game development for sure as he gives thanks to everyone from the devs to the players to the people prompting the game and ends it off with a heartfelt goodbye as it fades to back into the full reveal trailer.

“Oh gee, I’m going to miss the Smash Presentations,” Kairi sighs, “I can’t believe that we’re coming to an end.”

“Man, it’s finally over,” Riku gasps in remark as the full trailer plays out, “I don’t think that there will be a game like Ultimate for a very long time. That’s for certain.”

“I agree, Riku. It’s to going to be a tough act to follow up on,” I add in before I look up at the ceiling and murmur some words, “It’s been a long time coming, Sora. You truly deserve that last spot, you really do. Have fun in the tourney and Smash Mansion, buddy.”

Sora is Finally Here!

The End

[sqgworld]

See, my big Rivalshipping “problem” right now is just how many AUs I have swirling around my head that I just feel like I will not have the time to do anything with (thanks dissertation, though I chose you myself, so I’m the only one to blame here).

Let’s give some examples of ones I’ve done a little bit of work on:

1. They’re just dragons

Look, how was I supposed to not do that. Here I’m thinking very sort of stereotypical European dragons, and I’ve even got a juvenile little Mokuba running around with fluff all the way along his spine, as well as some bumbling scientists trying to figure out what the hell is going on with these two adult dragons just living together, that’s not how that works. This one has some pretty heavily implied... I guess animal(?) abuse – they all used to be in captivity – so that’s less fun, but not really a big focus of anything.

2. Demon!Kaiba & Vampire!Yugi

So, I saw art on pixiv and felt inspired and wrote two “chapters” and it’s a whole thing. Except there’s not enough to connect the two points in time and some details missing that I want to add before the... spicier part that I already have. Featuring real angry Vampire!Atem that just wants his fledgeling, his li’l babey – Yugi – back safe and sound and absolutely threatens Kaiba with murder in the process (those two already had beef, it’s kinda how Yugi ends up in Kaiba’s “care” in the first place).

3. Oh good grief, I made everyone Pokémon

Excuse me while I combine two of my brainrots. What I have at the moment basically centres around Yugi evolving into his final stage – Togekiss – thanks to the Stone that Seto – Hydreigon – just sort of accidentally finds one day while out and about and then the really fluffy ensues right at the end. Just Pokémon, no humans and they all just sorta live out in the wild. I will also reveal that I definitely have shorthands for these Pokémon (because I sometimes think I’m clever): Yugikiss and Blue-Eyes Hydreigon. don’t look at me like that

And now

Things that take up far too much space in my brain but I haven’t written anything for:

1. They’re just big cats

Seto’s one of those white tigers and Yugi’s a not-fully-black panther, which means you can still kinda see his leopard spots. Probably something about a rescue centre, idk.

2. Cetacean merpeople

Meaning in this case dolphin/orca types because fish just do not line up with mammals anatomically, their spines bend in completely different directions. Seto and Mokuba are both orcafolk, while everyone else are bottlenose dolphins. I actually tried writing this but scrapped it because I was dissatisfied with what I came up with, so we’re back to square one.

3. Oh look, more Pokémon: Soul Partners edition

I’m sticking with my guns on Hydreigon and Togekiss for Kaiba and Yugi here, although, fun fact, Atem has always had his own separate one: Luxray. I just have this image in my head of the Yugi-Kaiba DSOD Duel and just as Kaiba’s standing there, doing his whole thing, feeling pretty unintimidated with his fully evolved, three-headed, pseudo-legendary Dark/Dragon-type against Yugi and his Togetic, the little bugger finally evolves into Togekiss before the Duel even starts and Kaiba just gets to have a moment of ‘oh shit, that’s a Fairy-type’. Just... realising the genuine threat that Yugi has always had the potential to pose, if he so wished.

4. Aaaand even more Pokémon: this time we’re going to Sinnoh

because, yes, I am excited for the remakes, DPPt are my childhood games I know them like the back of my hand The basics are: Atem just is the Luxray this time around and the ace of Yugi’s team; he also happens to be a bit of a cockblocker; Kaiba’s starter – Piplup – is a babby girl; Yugi’s grandpa is the professor here; the two boys face off for the champion title Gen 1 style and you’ll never guess who wins; don’t worry, happy endings all around. I have so many things already planned out for this one, but nothing written, I’ve even planned the final battle uuuuuggggghhhhh

and don’t you even dare get me started on this giant pirate AU that I just keep adding more shit to, it will be the longest thing I have ever written if I ever manage to finish the darn thing I have put way too many things on my own plate

[savagearchangelforthewin2-0]

An Unexpected Visitor (The Good Place) - Pt. 1

Title: An Unexpected Visitor

Pairing: Shawn x Michael (The Good Place, post s4 finale)

Word Count: 2392

Warnings: None

Summary: While becoming accustomed to being human, a task he has been failing miserably, Michael is met by an unexpected visitor right outside the door of the apartment he occupies by himself. An acquaintance from his not-so-distant past that he wasn’t expecting to see again for quite some time.

A/N: Hey, y’all! This is the first time I’ve posted some of my own writing in a while. Please ignore any typos, I don’t really proofread my fanfics anymore. I just do them for fun while I work on bigger writing projects. I hope y’all enjoy this one (hopefully my writing has improved since last time)! I think Tumblr is in need of more Michael x Shawn content! Also, I’m not exactly calling them chapters, but this is a little story that will have more than one part!

It wasn’t often that Michael had visitors. Although he had already spent several months on earth among his fellow humans, which is something he still hadn’t gotten used to saying, he had yet to make very many friends. Unfortunately, the tips that Eleanor had given him on being human were far from helpful. It wasn’t, in fact, normal to ask your twenty-something-year-old neighbor if she wanted to come into your apartment for dinner after only knowing her for five minutes. Due to the process of trial and error, it took him a few tries before he realized that he was scaring his acquaintances. It didn’t help that he looked like he was in his 70s and on the brink of death. He mentally cursed Eleanor’s essence, wherever it was now. 

All that being said, the point was that Michael had little to no friends, which is exactly why it came as such a surprise when he heard the doorbell at the front door of his apartment ring several times. There wasn’t exactly anyone who WOULD come ringing his doorbell. Initially, he had ignored the noise because he didn’t realize what it was. Still becoming used to humans’ technology, he didn’t know that the small tune was meant to grab his attention and inform him that someone was waiting for him at the door. While skimming through a book on quantum physics, a subject he never thought to be especially useful, it struck him that maybe, just maybe, he should check the front door. Part of him hoped that it would be his neighbor who he had accidentally scared away. 

Dropping the heavy textbook to the ground, Michael pulled himself off of his brown, velvet couch and made his way to the door. After he managed the dozens of locks, because he learned that safety was key, he swung the door open. His cheerful smile was soon replaced with a look of confusion, his eyebrows furrowed and his head cocking to the side ever so slightly. 

“Oh, don’t act surprised to see me, Michael.”

“Shawn?” Michael said in disbelief. “I- What are you doing here?” 

“Are you going to let me in?” Shawn asked expectantly, his arms crossed and his whole body being very stiff in general. 

“I’m not sure,” Michael hesitated, narrowing his eyes and giving his ex-coworker a look of distrust. With a soft gasp, he suddenly slammed the door on Shawn’s face, proceeding to then peek at him through the peephole of the door. “I’m dead, aren’t I? I’m dead and you’re my architect, darn it. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten all of those boxes of Kraft shells and cheese,” he said miserably. “Oh, all of the damn cholesterol. I just really liked the little shapes of the pasta-”

“What are you going on about?” Shawn snapped, cutting him off (which was something he should’ve done sooner). “You aren’t dead, you idiot,” he continued. “I’m not your architect. I would rather have my head flattened under a steamroller than have to endure the excruciating task of being your architect. Would you open the door?”

“Tell me why you’re here and maybe I’ll let you in,” Michael decided, still wary of Shawn’s appearance. 

“Michael, open the door,” Shawn insisted.

“No.”

“Michael-”

“No,” Michael stated stubbornly, leaning against his wooden door to keep it shut. 

“Oh, I get it. You’re afraid of me,” Shawn taunted. “Becoming human has made you go soft, huh? That’s fine, you could never quite match my superiority. This is probably for the best.”

Soon after, the door went flying open. In its place stood a very disgruntled Michael, arms crossed and nostrils flared. The amused smile of Shawn’s face proved that, whatever game they were playing, he had just won.

“For the record, I’m not afraid of you,” Michael scoffed. “Never have I ever been afraid of you, in fact. I mean, you’re true form isn’t even that intimidating. You’re only a 896 foot-”

“I wish you would stop wasting time with all of that talking. You look better when you’re quiet,” Shawn interrupted with a sarcastic smile on his face. He quickly pushed Michael out of his way and brushed past him to enter the apartment. He immediately began to scan the short hallway and the room surrounding him. With his nose wrinkled, he turned back to look at Michael, who had already shut the door and locked it, with disgust. 

“You live like this?” He asked. 

“What?” Michael responded defensively. “It’s nice.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Shawn retorted. He turned his back to the other man once more and reached over to displace a straight picture frame that sat on the wall and make it crooked. “You like it like this? Where’s the mess, where’s the chaos?” He questioned. “Being human really has made you soft, huh?” He stepped further into the apartment to continue looking around. 

“It’s called basic human expectations,” Michael explained, “and, believe it or not, I prefer this over guts thrown all around and blood staining the floor. Here, you don’t have to worry about stepping in puddles of blood and it soaking through your shoes.” He shuddered at the thought as if remembering how disgusting it felt. 

“Hmm,” Shawn replied thoughtfully, knocking over a small glass figurine that was set up on the bookshelf. When it didn’t break, he swiped it off of the shelf entirely so that it fell on the ground and shattered. 

“If you could please refrain from breaking my things,” Michael said with a long sigh. “Alright, I let you in. Now, what do you want? It’s not my time yet, I’m not that old. You can’t legally kill me, that has to be against something in the judge’s rulebook.”

“As tempting as you’re making it, I’m not here to kill you,” Shawn replied, flicking over another small figurine. Reaching out, he slipped a book out of the bookshelf, opened it up, briefly skimmed through it, then ripped it clean in half.

Michael opened his mouth to speak but defaulted to sighing in defeat instead. Whatever Shawn was going to do, he was going to do whether Michael liked it or not. In fact, if Michael didn’t want him to do it, it was just more likely that he would do it. 

“Are you going to tell me what you’re here for?” 

Shawn said nothing, still doing the exact opposite of minding his business and going around the apartment. While he truly was fascinated by all the different trinkets, objects, and works of art that adorned the apartment, he was more interested in getting his hands on things to break beyond repair. Plus, he found joy in hearing Michael sigh with annoyance and aggravation. As he looked around, an item that caught his attention was one sitting on the coffee table right in front of the couch. As far as he could tell, it was a glass statuette of… a shrimp.

“A shrimp?” Shawn questioned, picking up the weighted figurine. 

“Put that down,” Michael said immediately, lunging forward in attempts to get the shrimp back from his former coworker. 

“Why?” Shawn asked, backing away. He childishly extended his arm in front of him to keep the distance between him and Michael while he held the figurine close to his chest. “I’ve broken so many of your things. Why is this any different? Honestly, the way you reacted just makes me want to break it even more,” he said with an amused hum. “Tell me and maybe I’ll spare it.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I do it to remind me of…” Michael trailed off, not too eager to share his feelings with his arch nemesis for the past eternity. With a sigh, he continued, “I do it to remind me of my friends. Like, I have some of the boring, senseless books that Chidi would always read.”

Shawn glanced his peer up and down with a look of disgust on his face. He wasn't exactly gentle when he set it back down on the coffee table but at least he didn’t try to break it. Adjusting the lapel of his suit, he looked around even further, no doubt trying to find something that he could destroy.  

“Are you done being chaotic?” Michael asked. 

“Never,” Shawn retorted, finally giving his, hopefully, undivided attention to Michael. 

“Shawn, just tell me why you’re here,” Michael said. “No more games. I wasn’t expecting to see you at least for another twenty years. Why do you show up all of a sudden while I’m trying to live my life peacefully as a human..?” He stopped and let out a gasp. “Oh no, everything’s gone wrong again, hasn’t it?”

“What?” Shawn said, eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

“It’s all a big mess again!” Michael walked over to his couch and sat down, feeling defeated. “You’re coming to get me because something went wrong with the experiment and I need to be a demon again. I don’t get to be human Michael anymore.” He planted his palm on his forehead dramatically. “Oh, it was fun while it lasted! I’ll miss Fergie. I’ll miss Kraft singles even though we all know it isn’t real cheese. I’ll miss seeing children fall down a flight of stairs and get up completely unscathed.”

“Would you stop talking?” Shawn groaned as he rolled his eyes. “No. No, the experiment is going along just fine. It’s… perfect, actually, I must admit.” He glanced over to Michael and offered a mild scowl. “Don’t let it get to your head though. I was fine with the old way of doing things, too.”

“Didn’t you tell me that being with me is the most fun you had?” Michael asked, confused.

“That isn’t how I worded it,” Shawn snapped, raising his head a little higher. “I said that fighting with you has been the most fun I’ve had.” 

“Okay, and..?” Michael waited for the other to continue. 

“And that statement still stands,” Shawn said with a quiet huff. He glanced Michael up and down with a distasteful look on his face. “Traitor. First you left me when you started getting all warm and fuzzy with the humans, then you left me to become one of those warm and fuzzy humans!” He finished with a mock gag.  

“So, did you just come here to remind me that I was a traitor? That couldn’t have waited until I died and you saw me again?” Michael glanced around, still not catching on and picking up what Shawn was putting down. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“You know, if there’s an award for having the thickest skull, you are the one and only nominee,” Shawn commented offhandedly. “That’s not the point I’m trying to make right now.”

Michael cocked his head slightly and raised his eyebrows, still terribly confused by what on earth the other man was trying to tell him. “So what is the point?” he asked. 

“My point is that you were- are my arch nemesis and suddenly you think you can just up and leave?” Shawn scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall opposite to Michael. “You think I’d be okay with that? You think I would just let you go?”

“So, you ARE taking me back to become a demon again?” Michael questioned. 

“No- I’m- I don’t have the power to do that,” Shawn hesitated. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“I don’t know what there is to get!” Michael exclaimed. Suddenly, a thought struck him and, following a gasp, he put his hand over his mouth and stared at Shawn with wide eyes. “You missed me!” he shouted, jumping up from the couch. “You just can’t bring yourself to admit it, can you?”

“I didn’t say I missed you!” Shawn argued. “I’m just not used to having no one to fight.”

“So, what, you decided to become human just so you can keep fighting me?” Michael wondered aloud. “That’s stupid. You’re actually a good architect, why would you leave that position?” He paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. “That is unless you do really miss me.”

“I never said that, and I never said I became human!” Shawn replied. 

“You had to have become human, there’s no way they let you come down here otherwise,” Michael pointed out. “Unless you snuck down here to see me,” he suggested. 

“Stop making assumptions,” Shawn shot back. 

“You missed me, just admit it!” Michael said cheerfully, doing a small victory dance around the coffee table. “Oh, boy, my first friend since becoming human!”

“Who said I was your friend?” Shawn tried to say although his protests were completely ignored by the other man as he celebrated. “Did you miss the whole part where I called you my arch nemesis.”

“Yes,” Michael stopped his little dance, “but you coming here means that you care… And it means that you missed me!”

Shawn opened his mouth and tried to think of something to say, but all that came out was a series of unintelligible noises. He had no rebuttal, especially since Michael was spot on with his assumptions. Frustrated and unsure what to do with himself, Shawn reacted in the only way he knew how, by expressing anger by shouting and slamming doors. 

“Shut up, Michael. You don’t know if any of that is true,” Shawn said, upset. Before Michael had a chance to respond, he stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Michael alone in his apartment once again. 

Michael felt disappointed, he couldn’t deny that. It was nice to see a familiar face, although not a very nice one, after being surrounded by strangers and failing to make friends for months. He wondered if maybe he was out of line for the things he said and that the assumptions he made were wrong. Moments later, however, there was a knocking at his door in which he got up to answer it once again.

Surprised once more he was to find himself face to face with Shawn again. 

Shawn slumped over slightly and let out a defeated sigh.

“Not- Not because I’m human or anything… because I would never do that for YOU… but I can’t go back to The Good Place right now… and I need a place to stay.”

[iwrestlenow]

Many More To Die - Chapter 4

TITLE: Many More To Die (Chapter 4)

FANDOM: Sanders Sides (Necromancer AU)

SUMMARY: Roman discovers that even the power of a king has its limits--but at least he has the power to help Logan in one critical fashion.

Logan is a needy wreck, and can't figure out which way is up, and as desperately as he needs someone--one man--to hold his hand through it all? It only makes things worse somehow.

Meanwhile, through all of this, another chess piece steps out of the shadows and onto the game board--and he's not going anywhere until he gets what, and who, he came for.

SHIPS: Logince (Logan/Roman), future Moceit (Patton/Janus) and Dukexiety (Remus/Virgil)

WARNINGS: Panic attack, but that’s it for this chapter. It’s mostly me having feelings, being TOTALLY UNABLE TO STOP WRITING WHAT THE HELL SOMEONE SAVE ME XD, and more self indulgent garbage that just felt good to write. So there. :P

Also, no betas, we die like men.

NOTES: This is based on the gorgeous piece of art by @gretacticdraws that can be found here. I ended up writing a ficlet for it, and then my brain got swallowed up. Breathe at me wrong, and I’ll write more…hell, who am I kidding? I’ll write more anyway because this? Is self indulgent drivel. XD

Also located at AO3 over here.

“Lord Janus? I want this man dead.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty.”

“Please—mercy, Your Majesty!”

“Now hang on there just a gosh darn, berry pickin', mother lovin' moment, buster! Janny, if you know what's good for you, you will just stop with this nonsense and put the flippin' sword down!”

Roman would have burst out laughing if he wasn't fighting so hard to keep his composure. It could hardly be helped—Patton came up to Logan's shoulder, but only just, and was standing in his cell with his hands on his hips, glaring at the captain of the royal guard like he was a child being scolded for a broken dish.

Janus hardly looked intimidated—but the fact that he stilled after drawing his sword, leaving a terrified guard trembling against the bars of the cell next to Logan's was telling. Seven years, Lord Janus had served as the head of the assassins' corps before retiring to become the captain of the royal guard. Roman had heard stories, but never met the man until today, which was hardly unusual given that Janus was a drake—the son of a human and a dragon. They were notoriously gifted shapeshifters, even with a handicap like his.

Lord Janus was powerful, deadly, and highly skilled at remaining an enimga...but a hobbled child necromancer in a cell had the power to stay his hand.

Janus raised an eyebrow at Patton, but finally glanced at Roman.

Roman nodded. Janus refocused on the guard, pushing the tip of his sword against the hollow of his throat, hard enough to draw blood.

“Majesty, I beg you! I don't want to die!” the guard begged.

Roman let out a bemused little laugh.

“How strange,” he replied as calmly as he could manage, “I was under the impression you did, given the fact that you refused, a second time, to obey a direct order from your king.”

“The Necromata must be bound! It's the law!”

“I am the law!”

Storming up to the guard, Roman let his emotions fuel him—exhaustion, grief, anger, confusion, and the tearing, unspeakable ache that throbbed through him every time his gaze ventured too close to the open door of the cell where Logan still leaned.

The wail he'd let out when Roman pulled free of his grip to order the cell door opened was going to haunt his sleep. The way he stood now, so carefully still, features so meticulously schooled into calm, unfeeling lines, was going to rob him of that breath of life Logan had only just returned to him.

“I am the king now, and I am the ultimate authority.” Roman spat. “Now, I fully understand the need to shackle a prisoner being removed from his cell, but as far as I am concerned, this man is no longer a prisoner here.”

“You can't--”

“I think you'll find that I can.”

“Your Majesty.”

Roman turned at the sound of Logan's voice, cool and even but too quiet, hoarse and thick with the tears he'd finally managed to stop from streaming down his face.

“The law is such that the king cannot overrule it.” Logan declared with deceptive calm. “The Necromata, once imprisoned by the royal family, can only be pardoned for the crimes of their birth with the blessing of the people. A vote, if you will...and no such vote has ever been successfully passed.”

“How do you know this?”

“I have been here for ten years with little more to do than read. I have the entire legal code of the Kingdoms and the criminal rules of order memorized, along with the family tree of the royal family and all available star maps of the area.”

Roman wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something—for a terrible moment, he wanted to order Janus to proceed with the guard's execution for real, rather than just trying to make a point.

Then inspiration struck—bright, blinding, and blessed as it filled him with light.

“My order will still be obeyed.” Roman announced. “These two necromancers—they may not be pardoned, but they will be imprisoned at my pleasure...and it is my pleasure to have them confined to guest quarters upstairs. Have extra guards posted at all available palace entrances. They are not to leave the grounds until the vote has been passed. Successfully.”

He shot a look at the offending guard.

“And the first person to shackle either one of them without violent provocation will be hung at dawn.”

Janus lowered his sword and slid it back into its sheath—the cane he'd been carrying with him—before moving to Roman's side.

“Bit extreme, don't you think, Majesty?” he murmured once he was close enough to ensure that only Roman would hear him.

“My father is dead, Lord Janus.” Roman shot back bleakly. “I have yet to shed a single tear for him--'extreme' feels like an appropriate response right about now.”

“Touche. Of course—and it has nothing to do with the traumatized necromancer you're apparently well acquainted with?”

Roman didn't answer as he moved towards the open door of the cell. Standing before Logan, he extended his hand...

...then suddenly realized that was a bad idea as he put his hand back down again.

********** More.

Logan could hardly string a single coherent thought together around the constant chant in his mind, his marrow, his soul for the prince to touch him again. He couldn't let him, not when it was so agonizing, fire and pressure and somehow affecting every nerve in his body when it was focused on such a small area...

More. More. More.

He didn't understand why restraining himself was so hard. It hurt, it was clearly doing him some kind of physical and psychological harm...and yet he wanted. Needed.

He couldn't remember ever experiencing the sensation.

It very nearly caused another panic attack when the prince dropped his offered hand—and that was another problem entirely, standing before a cell door standing wide open, and the use of the word pardon being thrown around like it wasn't capable of changing the world as Logan knew it—but the pause that seemed to last for an eternity must have only been a few seconds long.

Because a moment later, the Green Man—the prince—was reaching into his pocket and producing a pair of pristine white gloves. A missing piece of the military uniform, how had Logan not noticed? He usually noticed things like that...

When he finished tugging them on, he offered his hand to Logan again. He said nothing...just waited.

Logan shook with the force of effort it took to reach, slowly, to accept the offered hand. The gloves blocked some of that heat from skin to skin contact—and when he gently folded his fingers around Logan's, barely any pressure, it was still intense...but better.

“All good, Berry?”

Logan looked into his eyes sharply, the name ricocheting around in his skull in a manner he hadn't experienced in literal years—not since he'd first discovered his power was awakening again, all concussive force and electricity crawling against the underside of his skin.

All at once, the years fell away, and he was asleep in his cell that first terrible night, dreaming of every monstrous shadow transforming into a protector as green eyes lit the dark.

He opened his mouth to answer yes, he was fine—then realized...

“I do not know which of the princes you are.” he admitted with a bemused huff.

That got a smile from the other man—too brief, far too brief before it fractured to pieces, a crystal goblet slammed to the floor, raining shards of razor sharp light.

“Roman.” he replied. “Pr—King Thomas Roman II, but you may address me by my name.”

“Hardly acceptable, is it, Majesty?” Janus mused.

“Given that my life is currently in this man's hands—and the future of my father—I'd say he's earned a few niceties, Lord Janus.” Roman announced, raising his voice to ensure everyone within earshot was aware of it. Logan had a strange feeling that Lord Janus spoke up for precisely that purpose, to make his situation known.

Logan's, not Roman's—Logan knew that anyone with a shred of loyalty to the king would probably kill him if given the chance. There was no question that someone would likely accuse a necromancer with ties to the crown prince of the murder. Fear for Roman's safety would keep him protected.

Janus was that kind of man, shrewd and shameless—Logan knew precious little about Prince Roman, but to discover that he was equally blessed with the gift of strategy was...intriguing.

“Lord Janus, see to it that Logan's cell mate is made comfortable, and shown around the north wing of the palace. That is where I would prefer they spend the bulk of their time.” Roman declared. “I will take custody of this prisoner myself. When you are done, I want you, the dungeon master, the head prison mage, and a heart healer in the war room, immediately. Send for my brother as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty—but I cannot send you alone.” Janus replied. Surveying the guards in their presence, and grimacing with impatience, he finally took a few steps down the corridor and flagged down another guard.

“You! Fetch the cadet from the graveyard patrol, now! I want him on the king's detail.”

Roman nodded his thanks, finally turning his attention back on Logan. Between those green eyes and the warm pressure enfolding his hand, ravaging his nerves and making his chest throb with pure emotion, he wasn't sure he could stand it much longer without losing his composure.

“Are you all right?” Roman asked quietly, stepping closer and into Logan's personal space. Strangely, Logan realized he could feel that as well, radiant heat and buzzing static crawling across his skin, too close and not enough and everything.

More. More. More.

“I am not.” he admitted. “Hardly unusual, given that touch starvation is a common condition among the Necromata, to say nothing of the Claim.”

“The Claim? What's that?”

Logan's mouth snapped shut, very real panic rising in his chest again.

“Whoah—Logan? Logan, breathe. Look at me, you need to breathe.”

The Claim. He knew, knew what Logan had done, was holding his hand and Logan could feel it, but now he'd spoken about the Claim, about his power, and he was going to die this time...

...two...three...four...hold for one...two...three...four...five...

“That's it, Logan. There you go, can you do it again?”

...good job, now again: in for one...two...three...four...

Pressure. Pressure, pressure, pressure, everywhere, pressure pressure unrelenting pressure...

“Hey!”

Logan blinked, attention snapping to the young man suddenly standing in front of him. He was nearly Logan's height, with straight black hair that hung in dark eyes, flinty as stone.

“Name five things you can see.”

“I...what?”

“Do it. Five things.”

Logan shook his head, and almost immediately his gaze was drawn back to Roman.

“Green Man.” he managed to reply. Roman smiled, and Logan felt that mantra start tattooing itself against the inside of his skull, blotting out the fear and panic.

“Okay, keep going. Let's keep going.”

Logan only realized they were moving because Roman still held his hand, was tugging him with the barest of pressure—and Logan's traitorous body followed. Between the cadet, demanding Logan name more things he could see, along with touch, smell, hear, and taste, and Roman's silent encouragement, he found himself moving out of his cell and towards the stairs of the dungeon.

Moving up each stair. Moving through the gate, and into the palace...moving, traveling, with only Roman's hand to restrain him.

Then he was in the palace, above the dungeons...and if he never saw the outside world again, Logan still felt like he could call himself a free man.

********** “Thank you.”

The cadet flinched a little, looking towards the king. “What?”

“Thank you.” King Roman repeated, still crouched motionless by the chair the prisoner had all but collapsed into. He'd basically passed out when they reached the war room, but didn't seem to be in any distress—just exhausted and overstimulated.

“That trick, focusing on his surroundings—it's greatly appreciated.” he went on, his gaze never leaving the sleeping man's face. He still held his hand, like he might vanish if he let him go. “How did you know it would work?”

The cadet had to grit his teeth for a second, finding himself watching the sleeping prisoner despite his best efforts not to. He looked...well, he looked like shit, and it was hard. It was so hard to watch, but he had to do it.

He was finally here, and he had to make sure that he didn't screw up again.

“I have anxiety.” he finally replied, keeping his tone even. “Nightmares, panic attacks, the works. My brother used to help me through them with tricks like that. He'd have me focus on my surroundings, or make me pick out colors—he even made me a special blanket to help me sleep. It, uh—it might be good for him? The guard who got me mentioned that this necromancer can feel your touch? If he's not used to contact, it could...”

“You'd be willing to do that?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Go and fetch it, then.”

“Sir, I was ordered to stay with you.”

“I'm the king. I overrule your orders.” King Roman replied.

The cadet lifted his gaze to the king's face, his stomach sinking when he realized he was being stared at. Hard.

Ohhhhh, shit.

“You don't call me 'Majesty.' Why?”

The cadet tried to be discreet about taking a steadying breath as he shrugged. “You have a pet necromancer now. All due respect, but I don't think you'll have the job long.”

“What do you know about necromancers?”

“I know they're not evil. Only reason I'm still here is that you seem to know it, too.”

King Roman nodded, gaze flicking down before it returned to the sleeping necromancer.

“Cadet...do you know what a Claim is?”

The cadet swallowed thickly. No...oh no.

“It's a binding ritual.” the cadet replied. “The Necromata are capable of manipulating death, but when they can't? They take it.”

“Away?”

“No—into themselves. They take the victim's dying breath, infuse it with their blood, and return it to the person it belongs to. That way, when the victim's time comes, they survive it.”

The cadet looked to the necromancer again.

Gods, Loganberry—what did you do?

“And the necromancer dies in their place.”

To his credit, the king paled, his free hand lifting to touch Logan's hair like the cadet itched to—so close for the first time in ten years, but he couldn't even comfort him.

He had to stay put. By the door, protecting the king and his charge.

After a decade, Virgil was finally, finally within reach of Logan in every way that mattered, and he would die before he jeopardized his one chance to save him.

Virgil was the one who got his big brother caught and imprisoned in the first place—he was damn well going to make sure that he was the one to set things right.

[meigh-day]

Trapped [Bakugo x F!Reader] - Part 3

———————————————————–

Title: Trapped

Pairing: Bakugo x F!Reader

Includes: Swearing

Status: In Progress

Word Count: 1.1k

Previous Next

———————————————————–

The Waiting Game

One by one the days continued to count down until finally, it arrived. You had worked a mid-morning shift at the shop, which meant you got off just before the sun started to go down, and currently located at the nearby grocery store. List in hand you wandered up and down the aisles pulling ingredients and supplies from the shelves, placing them in the basket you had nestled in the crook of your elbow. It didn't take long to stock up on food for the week, you lived by yourself and never had company over so there was no need to keep extra stuff hanging around.

Several minutes later you exit the store, your arm through the handles of the two bags, leaving you a free hand to enjoy the drink you had bought. You always made sure to leave yourself a little extra money to get yourself a treat here and there. Lately you had been spending your treat money on coffee and other caffeinated drinks but tonight you had settled on a bottle of aloe vera juice.

It didn't take long to make the trip home but you had decided to enjoy the walk so instead of hurrying home you took your time and took in the view. Because of school, you more often than not worked evening shifts so you made sure to enjoy yourself as much as possible when you had a free evening. Even so, there was only so much you could do to extend the walk and truth be told, you really wanted to just get the housework and dinner out of the way so you could have the rest of the night to yourself.

So with that in mind you picked up the pace as you neared your apartment and raced up the stairs. Once inside you started putting the food away, keeping out a few of the items you intended to use this evening.

"Mmmmmm!" A sound of happiness leaves your mouth as you take the final bit of food. Growing up you had always enjoyed helping your grandmother cook and when you were tall enough to see over the counter, you started making whole meals yourself. These days you kept things simple, generally cooking the same few things over and over. It made buying groceries a breeze, you always knew what you needed to get and as time went on, you got pretty darn good at making those things. Now you barely had to put any thought into measuring, temperatures or time, it was almost a reflex at this point.

You pushed yourself up off the floor, and with dishes in hand, you take four steps and found yourself in the kitchen. The apartment was a perfect size for a young single person like yourself. It wasn't particularly nice or stylish, in fact it was pretty bare, but it was inexpensive and if you opened the door and the window above the kitchen there was a lovely breeze. As for furniture, well you had what you could carry up here which consisted of a very small table you were able to use as your dining table but it also got a secondary function as your desk. In the corner there was a small shelf that contained a few books and the knick-knacks you had inherited from your grandmother. A built in set of cupboards held your clothes and bedding. There were no posters or art on the walls, no chairs and certainly not a couch. Sometimes you would haul yourself up onto the small counter if you wanted to sit on something other than the ground but that was about it. Honestly, you were glad for the lack of company. It was a little embarrassing to look around the barren one room space and think about anyone but you seeing it.

Dishes were soon washed, followed by the counter and the table and, after giving the floor a good sweep, you were done. Now to while away the evening.... doing... something. Hm. You could read one of the books you had on your self. The idea intrigued you so you moved over to the small shelf and crouched down to scan the titles. A few of the books were actually children's books you had taken with you, you held onto them more for sentimental reasons that the actual desire to read them. The rest were a mix of books your grandmother had and one or two from school. The book that ended up catching your attention wasn't actually a book. It was a notebook.

As a little girl your grandmother had told you stories about your parents and their many heroic deeds. When you were old enough to write you started to keep track of them. Soon you had compiled every story she had ever told you along with any other tidbit of information about your parents that you could get out of her. You reached a hand out and pulled the notebook off the shelf and stood, flipping through the pages as you started to cross the room, coming to rest against the kitchen counter. Stories about the people they had saved and the villains they had taken down filled every page.

You took several minutes scanning the pages, only needing to see a few words here and there to have the story pop into your head, narrated by the voice of your late grandmother. Before you knew it you were brimming with excitement, the urge to train quickly turning into action as you place the notebook on the counter, intent on changing into your work out clothes. However, your steps are halted as you see the forgotten pile of mail flutter to the ground. It only took a moment to determine you had knocked it over when you set the notebook down. With a shake of your head you crouch down and start to gather the scattered pile.

Wait...your entire body freezes as your eyes lock onto one of the envelopes nearby, a familiar crest emblazoned upon it. All the mail you had gathered falls from your hands as you snatch it up. It had been exactly one week since you had taken the entrance exam and here, in your hands, was the result of all your hard work. Despite how well you think you had done you knew that you could have been better and you knew there were plenty of other extremely talented students gunning for the same school and the same spot you wanted. You could feel the nervousness building inside as your heart rate increased. This.. this was it... With a shaky breath you carefully tear open the envelope.

[repentantsky]

Top Games I’m Looking Forward To in 2021 (Part 1)

2020 was a horrible year, but the thing that kept me and many other sane were the slue of great games that came out, or in my case, a combination of that and buying older games for my handheld consoles. However 2021, has a lot more games that are my style, so I’m much more excited for it than I was for most of this year. Allow me to have my longest list yet in celebration of this fact, and do so in parts as there is a lot to talk about, as I look at 8 upcoming games in 2021, that I can’t wait to play. To make things fair, and hopefully to keep this list as accurate as possible, I will only be counting games that have a release date as of my writing this. Also, my lists aren’t usually ranked by how much I want to play a game, as much as they are how much I want to talk about a game, so my most anticipated game for next year could easily be the first entry. With those explanations out of the way, let’s talk about games. 

8. The Medium. 

The Medium is a horror game made in a similar vain to Silent Hill’s Midwich Elementary, in that there are two realities existing at once, and you are constantly switching in between them. The idea is always one that has fascinated me as a horror fan, but the Medium really looks to amping up the scares by using the visuals that we can currently attain to increase the fear factor, instead of making everything pretty to try and sell people on that end of it. The gross, disgusting, and frightful looking world we are presented with in The Medium is one I cannot wait to explore, even if I don’t have an Xbox Series X to play it on. Regardless of anything, it looks like it might be my personal favorite horror game of 2021 when it comes out, barring no delay, on January 28th. 

7. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. 

The Ys series is honestly one of the more underrated long running series in JRPG history. If you need proof of that, just play Ys Origin, Memories of Celceta, or Ys VIII for confirmation. These games are incredible. YS IX looks to be taking the series in a darker direction than most, if not all the previous entries in the series, and not only is that super compelling, but it seeing YS in a darker light, might actually go a long way in helping it become the franchise it deserves to be in the eyes of fans everywhere. The combat looking more refined than ever, on top of the best visuals the franchise has seen to this point only add to the excitement, and the characters, from what we’ve seen so far, also look like they’ll stand out in a series full of fantastic characters throughout. YS IX, probably won’t be my JRPG of the Year, but darn if it won’t be up in the top 5.

6. Little Nightmares 2.    

Did I make it clear that I love horror yet? I hope so because this might not even be the last horror game on this list. The original Little Nightmares was honestly my favorite horror experience when it released, because no other game really did a better job of making you feel isolated, alone and weak, which is the prefect setting for horror. While Little Nightmares 2 won’t be doing the isolation aspect as much as the first because of a second playable character, with the danger ramped up enough, which the demo seems to show that it will be, it should be more than capable of bringing out the fear that made the first so memorable. There’s almost nothing scarier than being a small child in an adult world that seems to want you dead, and Little Nightmares 2 has all the vibes set up for freaking everyone out. I doubt many in the horror genre will be able to do it as well as this game will. 

5. Persona 5 Strikers. 

Finally we are out of horror and darker games and all that, for a bit, as Persona 5 Strikers is easily looking to be my favorite warriors games of 2021. Not only do I love the concept of Warriors titles, but the Persona universe is one that fits that genre well by default, having a near endless slue of famous enemies to turn into either fodder for the thousands of kills we’ll get, or bosses that will gave fans a sense of nostalgia, espeically if they are fans of Shin Megami Tensei and older games in the franchise. I’ll admit, I’m a little bummed it’s not Persona X Shin Megami Tensei, where characters from both the original franchise and the spinoff can get together to cause mayhem, but it’s the next best thing, and I am all here for it. The story promises to be incredible, and the gameplay fantastic, with that Atlus special touch added in. There’s no reason not be excited about what they put out there. 

4. NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139...

Gawd, that name though. Crazy name aside, NieR on the PS3 was a brilliant game, that was sadly underrated due to the time of it’s release, a lack of marketing, and people generally not knowing who Taro Yoko was at the time. His history speaks for itself though, with the brilliant yet weird Drankengard series, and NieR itself really being a shining example of what he can do. To see Replicant, a game that never made it to the West, be remade with combat done in the style of NieR Automata, is such an exciting prospect that I can hardly contain my hype. Not only does the title look better than the original by miles, which was visually fascinating to begin with, but the wonderful and odd music, and everything that can really be expected of Taro Yoko is there in full swing. We are looking at an upcoming masterpiece I am certain.

3. Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury

I’m not always the biggest fan of Mario mainline platformers, but seeing as I really found myself enjoying his most recent Switch and 3DS exploits, I cannot help being excited for the chance to play a Mario game I haven’t had the chance to previously, with some extra content to boot. Car Mario looks like a lot of fun to play, and the chance to play with up to four people is something I can’t pass the chance to play. I know very little of the game, other than it’s massive popularity and high praise upon release, and sometimes, it’s nice to go into a game as blind as possible, even if the story isn’t likely going to be anything to write home about. Whatever the title brings, it will be enjoyable to say the least, and possibly the most solid of platformers for 2021. 

2. Bravely Default II.

I won’t lie, I have a complicated history with Bravely Default as a series. While I did manage to power my way through the first game, it took some time to make it happen, and honestly, despite it’s great characters and even better story, the gameplay left me wanting. However, Bravely Default: End Layer was and still is one of my favorite JRPG’s on the 3DS, so here’s hoping enough of the good that came from that game, finds it’s way to Bravely Default II. Regardless of if it does or not, I always willing to give a format a second go, and I’ve already found myself completely in love with the playable characters, just from the two demos alone, so all signs point to a fantastic game that I cannot to wait to experience. 

1. Poison Control.

The best part of doing a list like this, is throwing something in there that no one expects, and may not have even heard of. Without a doubt, the most anime shit style game on my list, Poison Control is a game that might be more about the story, than the gameplay. The basis is you are stuck in another world, with two characters bound to one soul, and you’re goal is to remove the poison from people’s minds, by invading their brains and literally clearing it out. You might monsters and run over the poison in their heads, to hopefully make them better people. Despite the dark sounds setting, and even the slightly darker visuals, this is probably one of the most light hearted games on my list. I have to say though, there’s always something to these sorts of games despite their obvious lack in certain quality, that I enjoy. The game doesn’t actually have a Western release date either, so I’m cheating a bit, but with a catchphrase like “Purge Poison, Raise Hell” how can you not be at least a little bit excited for what’s to come of this game. 

And that’s my list. Did I miss anything you’re super excited for? Let me know in the notes below, and be ready, because part 1 of this list will be all about games without a release date, and that’s where the hype can really begin.