#some of my friends (and even me) still watch alot of gameplays!!

[gluion]

[part one] the perfect pair ➵ “ew, is that sunwoo over there? 저리 꺼져.”

esports player!kim sunwoo x esports player!reader

being a woman in the esports league is hard, but dealing with cocky kim sunwoo is unmatched. with the valorant champions tour about to commence, you two are forced to team up to retrieve the trophy. what will be tested—team morale or your patience around sunwoo?

chapter genre/warnings ➵ enemies to lovers, afab reader (they/them pronouns), slow burn, slight angst, crack, sexual tension, misogynistic & sexist remarks and behaviors, sunwoo is such an annoying teammate... retired ow player now val player…, rush gets introduced YIPPEE, sunwoo gets jealous...?, bets are made, a lot of gamer lingo (check the guide & visual aids!)

word count ➵ 10.5k words

parts ➵ check out the series masterlist

a/n ➵ it's out! felt a lil pressured by the number of notes i wont lie! i hope u guys enjoy this along with the visual aid <3 special shoutout to @shegotthewoobies @vernyangel @heemingyu @deobienthusiast for beta reading <3 much love to you all <3 esp to ki who made the usernames <3 if you enjoyed reading, do reblog and leave feedback!

want to be part of my taglist? send me an ask! masterlist

HYST wins VCT’s Gamer Changers By Bae Sumin

HYST takes the title as the winner of the Valorant Championship Tour (VCT) Game Changers in Los Angeles, USA against defending champion 88RR. The team took over the playing field, showcasing their astounding teamwork and tactful gameplays, and won 3-1 in a best-of-five series.

Since the first match on Bind, players Ailurus (Y/N) and bokku (Miyawaki Sakura) demonstrated their chemistry through their formidable performance as Omen and Yoru respectively. Their alliance was enough for their opponents to avoid one-on-one battles.

Rising player Ppiya (Hong Eunchae) secures her position as one of the most impressive duelists to come from this year’s VCT. In all of the matches played, Ppiya secures at least one kill per round, placing her 3rd in the leaderboards out of all players in the event.

In their second match on Ascent, remarkable sentinel players CHUU (Kim Jiwoo) and subakhye (Son Hyeju) built solid defense systems and dealt with flanks with ease. They can adjust their setups accordingly as they observe their opponents’ playstyle.

Although their exceptional performance in Game Changers makes its mark in VCT history, Ailurus only hopes that they are given more opportunities to engage in such tournaments. “I am happy [about our win], but I hope that the [VALORANT] esports scene sees us more than just winners [of Game Changers]. I want to be seen as a remarkable player regardless of gender,” they share.

Despite HYST participating in VCT for the past two years, this is their first championship win. In last year’s VCT, the organization met its defeat in VALORANT Challengers through their other roster consisting of players bae (Jacob Bae), nuguri (Kim Sunwoo), Darong (Lee Jaehyun), gyulz (Ju Haknyeon), and Maize (Lee Juyeon).

Both teams are under the guidance of Coach bori (Kim Younghoon), a retired VALORANT and League of Legends pro player.

These turn of events displayed HYST’s dedication to improvement and VALORANT. Many followers hope to see more of the reigning champions of Game Changers.

ROUND 1: “WELCOME TO MY WORLD!”

The moon radiates tonight, its white gleam accompanied by speckles amidst the sea of black. Now would be the perfect moment to take some time to yourself; get in more hours of sleep, or pick up a book you’ve been putting off. Instead…

“Hi, everyone! It’s been a while,” you greet your viewers through the webcam.

The monitor shines on you, colors of blue and violet painting your skin. On the wall behind you is a shelf filled with memorabilia; medals from small competitions along with trophies from bigger tournaments. 

“I know it’s a little late here, but I was itching to play some matches.” Your eyes glide through your stream’s chat. Many viewers are ecstatic to have you back on Twitch while others question your late hours of streaming.

jseollie: even after game changers?? CRAZY! bboppull: GRIND NEVER STOPS 💪💪💪 bookeucutie: tell us abt vct!!!

A chuckle leaves you as you open up Valorant. “I really enjoyed my time in VCT! I met some of my favorite players like Lorri from Evil Genius, sonder from Shopify, even Version1’s MeL.”

You lean back on your chair as you recall the event. “I won’t lie, I was very nervous about going against 88RR, which, by the way, is a lovely team. We met up for drinks after.” You scratch the back of your neck as you try to go through what your chat says.

“I remember talking to Kura about it since the semifinals, and she had to give me a constant pep talk.” The memory of Sakura knocking sense into you after every match makes you laugh.

As you dish to your viewers about your experience throughout Game Changers, you read their comments. Many of your viewers were happy with your revelation of the teams' bonds with each other. “Yeah, we’re competitive but we’re here with the same dreams, so I think it did help us form some kind of connection. I was able to exchange contacts with Sunmi and Taeyeon as well. I told them that whenever they decide to come back to Korea, they should give me a call.”

ajiajibee: is the trophy with you? ghanadara: i think it’s beside the picture frame

“Oh, I don’t get to keep it. It’s back in the headquarters,” you say as you slightly swivel your chair to the side. “That picture frame, however,” you point at your shelf, “is my certificate. That way, we all have something to bring home.”

You adjust your chair before smiling at the camera. “Anyway, I’m really happy that our practice paid off. It was an honor to even participate and meet other players.”

Most of the reactions were positive ones; congratulations and desires to see your team play together for more events. Yet, regardless of your achievements, there’s constantly a handful of negative ones.

hwithefool: Cant believe you won game changers. Ur not even that good. hwithefool: didn’t even get to champs L honeycube: boosted ass universefactory deleted hwithefool’s message. universefactory deleted hwithefool’s message. universefactory deleted honeycube’s message. hwithefool is now banned from this chat. Reason: Being rude honeycube is now banned from this chat. Reason: Being rude

Thankfully, your moderators were there to take control of such—but you’ll always know what people think of you.

“Anyway, for today’s stream, I’ll be playing with Juhak and Hyeju!” You exclaim as you switch scenes, now showing the Valorant lobby. “We’re going to play on our alt accounts for today, so it should be fun.”

real_juhaknyeon: LFGGGGG goated team rubyvobo: we get nom, jeorge porkwell, AND hyejuseyo?? We win today sunwooluver: what about nuguri?? he’s solo queuing right now rubyvobo: OFHEJSHSJJSKS I LOVE YOU GUYS sunwooluver: WILL NUGURI JOIN??

One of the few perks that comes with being an established streamer is that you could ignore comments, pretending you never saw them, and you’d get away with it; people just didn’t need to talk about it all together and you’d be fine.

So when you invite Haknyeon and Hyeju to your party, you continue talking to your chat about today’s stream. “We’re not going to play ranked today, I think?” You hum for a moment, going through the agenda in your head. “Well, we might, but I have no clue. It depends on what they want.”

Before you can continue with your rambles, your phone vibrates on your desk. Once you grab it, you notice that text messages from Kim Younghoon, the coach of the organization, have come your way.

coach bbang 🍞: hi y/n! don’t forget to remind your teammates about tomorrow’s meeting for vct ☺️ coach bbang 🍞: and gl with your stream tonight! y/n: teewai coach :DD see u tomo

“Sorry about that!” You put your phone away and give your full attention to your monitor. Hyeju and Haknyeon already joined your party, and you spot that they’re in a voice channel on the HYST’s Discord server. “Before I go join VC with the others, I just wanted to say thank you for supporting me and the others in Game Changers. It was a fun but tough competition, and I wouldn’t be here without you guys.”

Although your job did start as a hobby, you continued to persevere through such hardships thanks to your support systems; your teammates and viewers alike. You only ever considered going pro thanks to two friends. Unfortunately, time has its way of making you drift apart from them; you hope you can go face-to-face against them one day if the universe willed for it.

“Anyway, let’s have some good games!”

“I tuned in to your stream last night, Y/N,” Eunchae starts. “That losing streak is insane.”

You sigh, shoulders down as you walk dejectedly. “Don’t even get me started. Our randos were ass and wouldn’t stop talking shit.” You look at your younger friend who only pouts as you recap the events of last night. “I know you would always enter and clear sites for us, my Manchae.”

With your arm wrapped around her shoulder, her expression shifts into a smile. “I mean, that’s the least I can do as your duelist.”

“Well, not everyone seems to know that.”

The HYST headquarters is a three-story infrastructure whose interior resembles corporate buildings; the furniture is mostly of sleek leather and dark-stained wood. Monotone linoleum tiles and off-white walls stretch throughout the building.

As soon as you both arrive in front of the meeting room, you swing the doors open, revealing Sakura, Hyeju, and Jiwoo who sit together on one side of the conference table. You and Eunchae rush to them, exchanging greetings and embraces.

“Do you always play Valorant?” Jiwoo directs the question to you, referencing your stream last night with Hyeju and Haknyeon, to which you roll your eyes.

“No, I just had the itch to play!” You take a seat in between Sakura and Jiwoo. “Plus, I’ll take any opportunity to make some money.”

The doors swing open. “Hi, everyone. It’s nice to see you all,” Younghoon greets your team before walking to the whiteboard situated in the corner of the room.

The organization’s general manager, Lee Sangyeon, trails behind him, a smile painting his face as he takes a seat at the end of the table. “I’ll say this again, but good work in Game Changers.”

“Thanks, Sangyeon,” Sakura expresses her gratitude on behalf of the team. “We wouldn’t have been able to win without your help along with Younghoon’s.”

He shakes his head, trying to play it off. “No, I’m just here to make sure you guys get to participate, you know? Just want to make sure that you guys get recognized.”

Silence settles. The squeaking from Younghoon's marker is faint but loud enough to capture your attention. Although his figure covers most of what’s written on the whiteboard, you catch sight of a few gamer tags—Ailurus and bae.

Before you can decipher the other words, the doors open. “Hi, guys!” Haknyeon enters the room with all smiles. “Hello Game Changers winners,” he bows his head, making you chuckle.

His teammates, Jacob and Juyeon, trail behind him, relaxed expressions resting on their faces. “Congrats on the win,” Jacob shakes hands with everyone on your team. “That one play on Ascent went crazy, by the way.” His praise is directed towards you, and you try to play it cool.

“Ah, it was nothing. Just got lucky.”

“If I was in your situation, I probably wouldn’t have secured that round,” Juyeon chimes in as he takes a seat beside his teammates. The three boys sit across from your team.

Haknyeon smacks Juyeon’s arm, laughing at his words. “Yeah! Remember that one round in Breeze?” Juyeon only rolls his eyes while his teammates recap the events for your team.

You don’t really interact with Haknyeon’s team (or Jacob’s team if you were going to follow formalities), just the occasional greetings and small talk if you were going to be honest. It’s not like you didn’t want to be friends with them; there aren't enough opportunities to bond when you all have different schedules, let alone priorities. But you did enjoy their team's presence, and every interaction with them is one you hope may bring your team closer to theirs.

Except for one player.

“Sorry, we’re late!” Hyunjae enters the room with an apologetic smile. “Someone decided to sleep in.”

“Not true! Hyunjae’s lying.”

The room starts to grow dimmer, almost as if life were sucked out of it. Only you seemed to see it, never the others. There he is—the only exception. 

He’s dressed in an oversized graphic tee layered on top of a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black baggy jeans. His hair shows its soft curls, clearly indicating that he’s the one lying.

A playful pout rests on his lips as he tries to continue his defense. Yet, when he locks eyes with you, he holds back. A scowl now paints his face.

If you follow esports, then you would know who Kim Sunwoo is—an established pro player who switched from Overwatch to Valorant. At first, many people were confused by his choice, throwing away years invested into a different game. Yet, it seemed that he didn’t care about what others had to say as he signed with HYST a few months after he started playing Valorant.

Within that time frame, he was able to impress Younghoon and Sangyeon with his gameplay. After all, Valorant and Overwatch required different playstyles. It was easy for him to become big in the Valorant pro scene, as you would like to say, for he made use of his existing fame.

He’s adored by many people who follow the pro scene; audience and players alike. You, however, seemed to think differently.

You shift your gaze to Younghoon, silently hoping that the meeting will commence. As if he heard your thoughts, he says, “No worries. Go, take your seats.”

Unfortunately, Hyunjae opts to sit across from Eunchae, leaving one vacant seat across from you. 

Sunwoo sits on the chair as a dejected sigh leaves him, causing you to roll your eyes while you keep your gaze away from him. All you need to do is get through the meeting and you won’t have to face him for a while.

“Thank you everyone for coming here today,” Younghoon starts as he faces all of you. The whiteboard behind him has now been flipped, and the gamer tags are now hidden. “Uh, before we get into the agenda for today’s meeting, let’s congratulate the winners of Game Changers!”

Applause erupts from everyone who didn’t participate in that competition, but your eyes don’t miss how slow the boy across you claps, almost as if he wasn’t impressed.

“Now, we can get to the point of today’s meeting.” Younghoon steps to the side, revealing the text written—VCT GAMEPLAN with irregular shapes surrounding it. “We all know that VCT is around the corner, a few months from now, which means we’ve got to start our preparations.”

“Normally, we would’ve gone straight to strategizing and having you guys,” your coach looks at the team across you, “practice, but Sangyeon and I have agreed on doing things differently this year.” He flips the board, revealing everyone’s gamer tags. “We’re changing the roster.”

Many players are caught off-guard by Younghoon’s announcement. It’s not usual for a roster change to take place, especially with only a few months left before qualifiers commence.

“We know that not everyone may want to participate in the upcoming VCT, and I’ve spent weeks trying to configure what’s the best roster to represent HYST.” Younghoon then pulls out a blue marker and starts to circle some names; CHUU, Darong, bae, nuguri, and… Ailurus? “These are my picks for VCT.”

A frown appears on your face, but before you can comment, Haknyeon beats you to it. “I don’t know if having Hyunjae and Sunwoo play together is smart.” All eyes are now on him. “I mean, no offense,” his eyes flicker to the two subjects, “I don’t know if Jiwoo and Y/N would be able to keep up, and that’s not a diss to them.”

“I agree,” Jacob chimes in. “Haknyeonie, Juyeon, and I can play with Sunwoo and Hyunjae as duelists because we know their playstyles well. We’ve played together for years. Y/N and Jiwoo would be playing with them for the first time.”

Younghoon bites the inside of his cheek, deep in thought as he considers what’s been said. “Thoughts?” He directs his question to the two people in question. The two players exchange glances, almost as if they were communicating.

“Yeah, I know Sunwoo and I can adjust our playstyle but it took more than half a year for Juyeon and Haknyeon to get used to our playstyle,” Hyunjae says as he scratches the back of his neck. “And if it helps, I’d prefer to sit this one out. You know, I have a lot of sponsorships lined up that I need to stream for also.”

Your coach sighs. “No worries. What about you, Sunwoo?”

“Wait, can I say something?” Jiwoo gathers the attention of everyone in the room. “I also want to opt out of VCT. I mean, I just played in Game Changers.” A guilty smile takes over her features.

Thankfully, Younghoon acknowledges where Jiwoo comes from. “Of course, I understand. After all, that’s why we're having this meeting.”

Before your coach can try to reconfigure the roster, Sangyeon stands up from his seat.

“Can I suggest another rotation?” Younghoon nods before handing him a red marker. Sangyeon starts to circle another list of gamer tags, ones he believes should be in the final line-up of players for VCT; it consists of bokku, bae, gyulz, Ppiya, and… Ailurus, again? Your coach frowns as he looks at the selection.

“I think Sunwoo should be benched.” Your eyebrows shoot up at Sangyeon’s words, not expecting those words considering the player’s reputation.“He’s made some rash plays recently, and you know that.” You glance at the boy who sits across from you only to see that his gaze is affixed to the ground. 

Younghoon shakes his head, clearly in disbelief at the manager’s words. “Yes, but that’s only for a few matches. Trust me when I say that Sunwoo is strong as a duelist and an initiator.” His attempt to defend his mentee is weak against Sangyeon’s opinion.

“He plays for himself!”

Clearly, the two higher-ups have opposing views.

“Think about it; Eunchae and Sakura are great duelists, and anyone else on that team plays initiator.”

Although Sangyeon seems to believe his proposed line-up is the best one yet, your coach shakes his head. “Eunchae isn’t playing.” He glances at her before saying, “She told me beforehand.” All eyes are now on the teen who only shows an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I wanted to take a break from this year’s VCT to focus on my studies.”

Sangyeon scratches the back of his neck. “Well—”

“Hey,” Sakura cuts into the conversation. “Haven’t we considered that Y/N and Sunwoo might not want to play together?” She looks at you two with scrunched eyebrows, clearly confused by your coach’s proposal. “I mean, we all know their relationship, no?”

Your feud isn’t under the table. All of the players know about your distaste towards each other but they don’t know where it stems from.

“Yes, but their playstyles complement each other.” Everyone’s confused as to why Younghoon is persistent. “Out of all my mentees, I’ve worked with them the most, and I know exactly how they can work together.”

“Well, I want Y/N on that team.” As your manager says that, all the attention is now on you. You’re not sure why Sangyeon would say that. Uncomfortable with how you’ve become the topic of the conversation, you cannot help but sink into your seat.

“And I agree with you. But if we’re going to have Y/N play, I need Sunwoo on that team.” You lock eyes with Sunwoo briefly as your coach says that. “He’s my one-pick, and I know he’ll help the team out the most.” Sangyeon sighs, rethinking the roster once more. You shift your gaze to the ground, clearly unhappy being paired with the player across from you.

You weren’t happy that the two continued to discuss the final roster without asking you, but before you could speak up, someone beat you to it.

“Shouldn’t Y/N take a break?” Your gaze lands on the boy across from you, eyebrows now furrowed over his suggestion. “I mean, they did just come from winning Game Changers. We can have Juyeon take over.” When you spot a small smirk resting on his lips, you ball your fists.

Whatever game Sunwoo is playing, you don’t want any part of it. If anything, whatever he’s trying to insinuate has you clenching your teeth. And you’re about to retort—

“No,” Sangyeon says, speaking on your behalf. “Y/N’s a good leader and a team player. I trust Y/N the most out of all the people on the roster.”

Sunwoo raises his hands in defense. “It was only a suggestion.” But when he glances at you, you don’t miss the sinister smile on his face.

Not only was Sunwoo trying to bench you out of the competition but Sangyeon and Younghoon were too invested in their conversation, speaking on your behalf as if you were nothing but a tool for the organization. Without a second thought, you stand up from your seat. Everyone’s eyes are on you as you storm out of the room.

That’s the thing about being a pro player in the esports scene; no one seems to listen to you if you aren’t a man.

For once, silence settles amongst everyone. Your departure is a message, one that everyone failed to see earlier on.

A sigh leaves Sakura. “I know we’re all worried about VCT but let’s not forget to hear everyone out, okay?” She glances at the doors that are now shut closed, wondering where you may have gone. “You know Y/N. Just avoid speaking on their behalf and let them talk for themselves.”

“Yeah,” Eunchae huffs, “let’s give them time to cool down. We only wrapped up Game Changers a few weeks ago.”

As Younghoon crosses his arms, a sigh leaves him as he looks down to the floor. “Sorry, Sangyeon and I were too caught up with what we wanted.” He glances at his watch before shifting his gaze to the players who sit idly. “Let’s talk about this again once they come back.”

In the eye of a hurricane stands you, a witness to the chaos, wondering what course of action nature shall take upon you. Somehow, your screams are soundless—not a single soul minds the hurricane for as long as it doesn’t hit them.

You stand in front of the washroom mirror, taking your time to recollect your thoughts. The stress that comes from the upcoming VCT, the pressure to represent HYST once more, the likelihood of working with Kim Sunwoo for the first time—there’s nothing you can control.

The stars point you towards acceptance, perseverance.

It’s not that you were against representing HYST for the upcoming VCT events. If anything, you were grateful that Sangyeon and Younghoon trusted you to undertake such an important role.

Although you’ve competed in Game Changers, the audience it attracts is smaller in comparison to the ones your manager and coach want to see you in. All eyes will be on you as you compete to reach to Champions.

The weight that comes with playing in a worldwide esports event, one that most of the community is tuned into, rests on your shoulders—a coalition of anxiety from every round that plays out, migraines from reconfiguring your strategies, the comments of you playing just because you aren’t a man. Those reasons should be enough for you to decline the offer, to protect your peace, and to make more out of your streams.

But nothing can compare to bringing back home the fruit of your labor—the Champions Cup—the recognition that comes from competing, and the bond built amongst teammates. If you got to experience all that from Game Changers, you’re almost certain that VCT will bring experiences to be marked in your books.

But what do you know, right?

With a mind clearer after today’s event, you exit the washroom, still deciding whether you should compete or not. Yet, it’s as if the universe has plans to provoke you as you come face-to-face with the last person you want to see.

His eyes lock with yours and a snarl appears on his face. “What? I had to use the washroom.” Defensive, like always.

Before you can make your way back to the conference room, he grabs your arm, holding you back. You glare at Sunwoo, your eyes glancing at his hand on your arm, and he lets go.

He bites the inside of his cheek. “I know we don’t like each other.” Tell me about it. “But,” he sucks in a breath as he stares back at you. “I know we want to prove ourselves, so why don’t we just suck it up and work together?”

Anyone could believe that Sunwoo’s trying to play nice with you—he’s willing to make amends in hopes that there’s no bad blood between you two—but you could care less about what this man has to say.

“It’s not that easy,” you start. “You don’t understand what I want.” Unlike him, you know that proving yourself does nothing.

His frowns over your words. “What do you mean—”

“Sunwoo, you can easily say you want to play to prove yourself,” you cut him off. “I can’t say the same for me. It’s a privilege enough that I can even play in these events.” You jab your index finger against his chest, making him stagger backward.

That’s what makes you and Sunwoo different; while he chases praises from a few lucky plays, you’re left to deal with the backlash from just breathing.

If Sunwoo wants to retort, you don’t give him the chance to do so as you walk away from him. As you reach the doors, you take a deep breath in before swinging them open. The chatter is interrupted by your presence as you make your way back to your seat.

Sunwoo follows shortly, keeping his gaze on you as he takes his seat. You would’ve ignored the way he looks at you but the eye contact you two exchange amplifies what you told him then in the halls. So when an ominous grin appears on your face, the lousy bridge he tried to build towards you crumbles. After all, it was constructed on a poor attempt to save his career.

“Count me in.”

ROUND 2: “YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS THAT YOU PISSED ME OFF.”

With every day that passes, the weight of VCT rests heavier on your shoulders. Playing with a team you don’t compete with is not easy. Yet, you’re hopeful today—it’s all you have, after all.

As you enter the practice room, you are greeted by the chilly air that emits from the air conditioners. The practice room resembles an internet cafe; desks are lined up with monitors and keyboards while CPUs are placed under the tables.

You catch sight of Sakura and Haknyeon chatting away as they sit in front of their assigned computers. Jacob, however, is busy talking to Younghoon; you can only assume they’re talking about possible strategies.

Before you take a seat beside Haknyeon, you make sure to greet everyone. “And I couldn’t believe Juyeon just fell to the floor!” He exclaims which has Sakura laughing.

“What’d I miss?”

Haknyeon looks at you on the brink of tears before he retells the story. “Okay, because you know how Juyeon and I share a room?” You nod. “So, I told Juyeon to shut the lights off on his way to bed because I was ready to go to sleep. But somehow, he got lazy while walking so he had this genius idea to just jump to the bed.” At this point, your friend is laughing in between words, and the story has gone incomprehensible.

“And the next thing you know it, Haknyeon hears a sudden thump.”

You burst into laughter over the story. “You’re telling me he missed?!” The only answers you get are chortles from the two.

Preparations for VCT have fueled your anxiety for many reasons, possible losses and backlash to name a few, but Haknyeon and Sakura bring pockets of sunshine amidst the storm. If they weren’t here, you wouldn’t know how to deal with your worries.

“Sorry, I’m late!” Your mood shifts as your last teammate enters the room with an iced americano in his hand. You both lock eyes for a brief moment before you shift your gaze back to your friends, chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Okay, hurry! Everyone, start fixing your setups,” Younghoon orders as he claps his hands, grabbing everyone’s attention.

You chose your seat in hopes that Jacob would sit beside you, making it easier for you both to discuss possible team strategies. Yet, the other in-game leader sits somewhere else, leaving Sunwoo to take the spot next to you. Your bubbly mood has turned sour.

“Anyway, today we will be having a practice match! So, what to expect is that…”

Younghoon’s words fall flat on your ears as your heartbeat fills your ears. As you try to fix your monitor and audio settings to fit your preferences, you hope that the anxiety will die down. Yet, you feel a pair of eyes stare a hole right into you—annoyance now accompanies your anxiety.

“Can you mind your own business and listen to Coach?” You raise the question, only loud enough for your annoying teammate to hear.

“I am paying attention.”

You scoff, “Oh, so you’ll listen now?” You rip your gaze away from the computer to glare at Sunwoo. “You didn’t listen to me last time.”

A few days ago, your team decided to scrimmage against the other members of the organization. It was a good way to practice before signing up for scrimmages against other teams participating.

Unfortunately for you, it was a match that solidified your dislike of the player. With every round, he found ways to get on your nerves, ignoring your comms and playing for himself to name a few. If you were going to be honest, you expected a bit more from Sunwoo—Sangyeon is right about his stance on the player.

Sunwoo shrugs, glancing at your coach who continues to explain today’s practice match. “I don’t know, your strats weren’t making sense last time. I trust Jacob more.”

You clench your fists as you close your eyes briefly in disbelief. “So, if it’s a man speaking, you’ll listen?” You shake your head in disbelief as you return your attention to the computer. “Jacob and I had the same plan, asshole.”

If Sunwoo wanted to defend himself, he’s not allowed to do so as Younghoon calls on both of your names. “Hey, are you listening?” The two of you nod profusely in a poor attempt to hide your conversation. “Okay then. For today’s scrimmage, you’ll be going against RUSH.”

There’s no way, right? “Sorry, did you say RUSH?” You earn a nod from him, and your world tilts on its axis. After how many years, it only took one scrimmage for you to reunite with your reasons behind why you stand in the pro scene today—Jeon Jungkook and Eric Sohn.

The three of you first met each other in university in a club full of people who liked to play video games. At first, you weren’t sure why you joined in the first place, dreading the possibility of dealing with men who would throw misogynistic comments towards you. Yet, the universe found a way to make sure you would enjoy your stay, gifting you two boys who became your best friends from university. 

“Today is the perfect time to get to know your opponents, get a feel of what they do. I know that you guys have started playing together, trying to get a feel of what it’s like to play together, but I hope this scrimmage will build on it,” Younghoon says as your team quickly logs into their accounts on Discord.

Once you’ve logged in, you notice that Younghoon has sent you an invite to a Discord server. You accept it, greeted by the huge selection of teams participating, and you catch sight of RUSH in a voice channel. All of their gamer tags are recognizable, but two of them have stuck with you since your university days.

“You can all jump on the voice channel with them. Don’t forget to introduce yourselves.”

You’re the first to hop on a call and your teammates follow you shortly. Usually, you were the type to have someone lead the conversation, but to say you were excited to talk to your old friends would be an understatement. “Hi, everyone.”

“Oh my god, is that Y/N?” Jungkook asks, surprised by the sound of a familiar voice.

“Y/N?!” Eric’s microphone crackles over how loud he exclaims your name, and a grin rests on your lips over the reactions.

There they are. “I know, it’s been forever. I haven’t talked to you both since we graduated.”

The next thing you know, their faces appear on the screen; they don’t look too different from when you last saw them, but they’ve grown up. “Is it actually you?!” Jungkook asks. “I won’t believe it until I see you.”

A chuckle leaves your lips over your old friend’s words. “God, I’ll turn my cam on.” You click on the video icon, revealing your poor attempt to hold back your grin. “Happy now?” 

“It’s been so long, what the fuck? I miss you! Congrats on your win!” Eric says. “Everyone, why don’t we turn on our cams?” Both his teammates and yours have turned their cameras on. “Let’s introduce ourselves.”

The introductions are quick. You learned the real names of Jungkook and Eric’s teammates; Choi Soobin, Jeon Wonwoo, and Lee Jeno. RUSH’s roster is a good selection of players. Your palms get sweaty as you hear your heartbeat in your ears—nothing could’ve prepared you for today’s scrimmage. 

Before you can all agree to start the match, Sunwoo pops a question. “Sorry, how do you guys know each other?” You watch his expression through Discord, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

Jungkook chuckles before saying, “We went to uni together, met in this club which we all left after our first year.” All he gets is a hum from your teammate, but you don’t miss the way Sunwoo looks off into nowhere, almost as if he’s irritated—you wonder why his mood shifted. “Anyway, are we ready to have our match?” You all hum in agreement before turning your cameras off.

“Alright, good luck and have fun!”

The worst Valorant matches are the ones that reach overtime. It’s 12 to 13 on Icebox in RUSH’s favor, and your team is on the brink of losing—only one win is needed and your opponent will leave victorious.

“I think we should go through mid and then make our way through A-site.”

You shake your head in disapproval. “No, Jacob, I think we should enter a site together instead. It’s risky to pass through mid since,” you glance at the leaderboard to check how many credits Jungkook has, “I have a strong feeling someone will use an operator.”

Although Jacob seems to consider your suggestion, a groan leaves Sunwoo. “Wouldn’t it be better to split up?”

“No, we’re not strong enough to fight our own battles. We need to play together, fight together.” You would like to think that your team can handle isolated battles, but you guys were weak against RUSH. Perhaps they had good reflexes or better game sense.

As the timer starts to count down, Jacob orders, “Okay, we’ll go with Y/N’s plan. The most important thing is that we don’t pick fights on our own and plant the spike.”

The round commences, and you all make your way into your positions; Sakura and Jacob slowly make their way through A-main while you go up to the belt. Haknyeon carefully sets up his trip wires and camera before joining you.

“I’m going to dart first.” Once you get your recon bolt out, you shoot it far enough to land on the wall; it catches the presence of Soobin and Wonwoo. The toxic screen goes up, perfectly concealing the site.

“Go!”

It happens all too quickly, shots fired and damage dealt and received. Before you know it, your team is dead—except for one who didn’t seem to listen to your plans.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” you say as you spectate Sunwoo, watching that he’s making his way back to where you guys died, leaving mid. There are only two players that he needs to fight, Jungkook on Jett and Eric on Deadlock. You know the round is tense, and the last thing you want to do is aggravate him.

Thankfully, Sunwoo plants the spike, but he situates himself in a spot that wouldn’t allow him to reposition quickly. A pair of footsteps go up the stairs, signaling that someone is making their way to heaven.

For a moment, he keeps his gaze affixed to screens, but he looks back to A-main, expecting a flank, and he’s right; Eric comes into his vision.

You expect Sunwoo to win the fight, but when his body falls to the ground, a sigh leaves you. The mood has plummeted, sinking into murky waters of frustration, disappointment. “Fuck, sorry,” Sunwoo apologizes as he covers his mouth in frustration.

“It’s okay, you tried,” Jacob attempts to console his teammate. “Good work, everyone.”

The spike gets defused; HYST has lost against RUSH.

“Come on, let’s go hop on a call with them again.”

With that, your team follows Jacob’s orders. “Tight match everyone, but a fun one!” Wonwoo says.

“Yeah, thanks for the game,” Sakura responds, trying to stay in high spirits.

“Well, we have to get going. We have another scrimmage,” Eric starts. “Y/N, send me your number through DMs. Let’s hang with Jungkook.”

You hum, a small smile resting on your lips. “Sure, see you guys in Challengers.” With that, everyone leaves the voice channel.

While RUSH is probably celebrating their win, HYST is in low spirits. It’s a practice match, sure, but still a match nevertheless.

“Good work, everyone,” Younghoon says in an attempt to cheer everyone up. “I really liked the energy I saw from you guys. You all put up a good fight and fought together.”

Although everyone seems to hum in agreement with your coach, you don’t join in. “Why did you stray off?” You redirect your gaze to the boy beside you, only earning a frown. “Didn’t we agree to play together?”

He rolls his eyes at you. “Yeah, but—”

“But what, Sunwoo? What could’ve been the reason for you to not enter with us and not follow the game plan?” You’re frustrated over everything; the stress of VCT, your loss against RUSH, your teammate who never listens to you.

“Hey, knock it off!” Younghoon gets in between you two. “Now is not the time to be fighting.” You and Sunwoo only glare at each other. “Cannot believe I’m dealing with a bunch of 5-year-olds,” he mutters under his breath.

“Jacob and Sakura, nice work in holding B-site, by the way. Haknyeon, you also did well holding A-site.” Then, your coach glances between you two. “Now, we still need to work on your coordination and teamwork.” It’s a statement for your whole team, but it feels as if it were directed at you and Sunwoo. You wish you sat out of VCT.

“You can go now.”

With that, everyone gets ready to exit the practice room. Your coach is the first one out. You think you’re at fault for causing stress on him but if only Sunwoo would work with you—listen, for the matter—then maybe you two wouldn’t be in this mishap.

“Hey, you two.” You look at Jacob who calls on you and Sunwoo. “Can you stay behind for a bit?” You glance at Haknyeon and Sakura who observe the interaction briefly. As you both nod, your other teammates have taken their leave.

Now, you stand in front of him with your teammate beside you. A sigh leaves him as he rubs his jaw while a frown rests on his face. You only see Jacob like this when he’s focused on his games, but never when it comes to dealing with issues like what your team (or you and Sunwoo, really) has.

“I know you two don’t like each other, and I still don’t know why.” You and Sunwoo exchange glances before ignoring each other once more. “But you understand that you both signed up for VCT, right? That means you will be playing many matches together.”

You’re aware that agreeing to represent HYST means having to work with Sunwoo. Your reasons for participating are enough to convince you that you handle all the upcoming matches with Sunwoo—all adversities will be dealt with. Yet, you couldn’t speak for your teammate. 

“So, I’m asking that you guys focus on working together. I’m not asking you to make up or anything but to still be professional around each other. We still have to win the qualifiers, so no funny business, okay?”

Jacob was right. Your dispute is getting in the way of team dynamics, holding HYST back, and you didn’t want to inconvenience your team any further. With that, you nod, begrudgingly accepting Jacob’s request. You can spot Sunwoo nodding along with you in the corner of your eye.

“Okay, thanks. You can both go now.”

When you and Sunwoo leave the practice room, not a single word is exchanged. 

ROUND 3: “DON’T LOOK SO SMUG, SUNWOO!”

Over the last months, you and your team have spent every waking hour on Valorant—practice, practice, practice, until you all felt satisfied.

To say you were sick of the game is an understatement, but some of your teammates try to make every minute enjoyable; Haknyeon would goof off some rounds and knife opponents from behind, Jacob would make comments that you never would’ve imagined leaving his mouth, and Sakura would ask questions about everyone before every round. You take your part in lifting the spirits and making these matches less monotonous by reading stories from the r/AmITheAsshole subreddit.

As for your relationship with Sunwoo, you’ve tried to keep it professional. During matches and strategizing phases, you would communicate with each other, exchanging ideas of how to win these games. Outside of those periods, however, were spent ignoring each other’s existence.

Thankfully, all those months of practicing didn’t go to waste—your team went against multiple organizations during Qualifiers, and now you’re on the last leg of the event. Only one more win is needed and your team makes it to Challengers.

Now, your team is in the practice room, head-to-head against another team. It’s 11 to 12 in your team’s favor on Ascent. It’s absurd that your opponents made a comeback from 3-9, but you’ll blame it on the superstition.

“Let’s play default. Their team tends to push out anyway,” Jacob orders before he takes a sip of water. “I’ll play by tiles while Sakura and Haknyeonie can go to A-site. Sunwoo and Y/N, play near B-site. Just make sure to not get caught by their Sova’s recon dart.” Everyone on your team agrees with Jacob’s plan.

The round commences. Just like what Jacob called out, a recon dart is thrown, but it doesn’t catch sight of you and Sunwoo. “Sova’s by B-site,” Sunwoo tells the team. 

“I hear footsteps by tree,” Sakura starts, and Jacob takes it as his sign to smoke the cubby off. Before you know it, he takes a peek at mid and kills off the enemy team’s Gekko. Sakura flashes A-site before double-swinging with Haknyeon. “There are three players by A-site! Go to B-site!”

You and Sunwoo start to make your way through B-site. You walk in front of him, trying to smoke off  hall and market. It should’ve occurred to you how weird it is that Sunwoo trails behind you, but it doesn’t, and you choose to enter the site.

The next thing you know, your body flops to the ground, and you let out a groan. As you spectate Sunwoo, he successfully trades you. “Spike down B,” the announcer voices out. Now, it’s a three versus one battle.

“Astra’s with me! Go plant,” Haknyeon calls out, and Sunwoo listens. He plants the spike like a breeze and situates himself in the boathouse.

Jacob tucks himself by mid, waiting for Astra to pass through spawn. “I can catch Astra off-guard while you try to pinch them,” he tells Haknyeon. Within a few seconds, he successfully lands his shots and kills Astra, securing HYST a win—your team will be participating in Challengers.

Everyone cheers, getting off their seats and huddling into a group hug. “Holy shit, Jacob! That was such a good 3K!” Haknyeon cheers as he’s overfilled with joy.

Your teammate tries to shrug off the compliments. “We all did good.”

A pair of arms wrap around you and Jacob. “That was an amazing play!” Younghoon is thrilled by today’s matches. “WE’RE GOING TO CHALLENGERS!”

It’s a dream come true; you’ll be competing on stage in front of a wider audience against teams who are more capable than you—who have more experience than you—but the journey has only started. You wonder what the upcoming months will have in store for you and your team—what will time do for you and Sunwoo?

You’re the first to break up from the hug, everyone else following along. “I’m going to call Sangyeon over,” your coach announces before making his way out of the practice room.

Then, Haknyeon pulls out his phone. “Wait, the guys are blowing up our group chat. I’ll just call them.”

Sunwoo is about to follow his teammates, but you grab hold of his forearm as you hold him back, and he frowns at you. “I need to talk to Sunwoo,” you smile at the other guys who only glance at each other, confused by your actions. Yet, they let the matter go, letting you deal with your business with him.

Sakura grabs your shoulder. “I’m going to call the team. Anything you want me to tell them?”

“I’ll tell them myself, it’s okay. You can go.”

With that, it was only you and your teammate.

You let go of his arm and a frown replaces the grin you once showed. “What was that during the last round?” As Sunwoo scrunches his eyebrows further, you groan. “You literally baited me.”

An exasperated sigh leaves him. “God, it’s not that serious.”

“Sunwoo, you’re playing duelist. You’re supposed to be entering sites for the team.”

“And I do!” He glares at you, annoyed by your complaints. “We still won. Can’t you just be happy that we made it to Challengers?”

That’s the thing you hate about playing with Sunwoo; if the outcome is good, he’ll turn a blind eye to his mistakes. How does he improve as a player if he doesn’t acknowledge his faults?

He’s about to turn away from you—make his way to his teammates and celebrate today’s win—but you grab his hand and pull him close to you. The sudden action almost has him toppling over you, and thankfully, his reflexes are quick enough to make sure you both don’t fall.

But the distance between you two is smaller, his eyes wide while yours remain stern. He holds his breath while yours grazes his skin.

You’ve never seen him this way—compliant, obedient—and it’s a sight to behold, one you’d like to keep for yourself. If only he were like this to you, then maybe you wouldn’t—no, snap out of it.

“Sunwoo.” He gulps at the way you call his name. “I’m your controller, I’m supposed to stay alive longer to support you.” You hold his gaze. “Try to keep this behavior up during the rest of VCT, I dare you.”

There’s malice laced in your tone, an attempt to make him cower—obey—over your threat, and you know your job is successful when Sunwoo doesn’t try to retort. He has every opportunity to retort—rile you up like all other times—and yet, he remains silent.

With that, you let go of his hand, stepping away to give you both room to breathe. Patches of warmth litter all over your skin, from your neck to your chest. To have Sunwoo look at you like that has—

“Guys!” Younghoon comes back rushing into the room with Sangyeon trailing behind him. You catch sight of the smile that rests on your manager’s face, clearly proud of your team. “Let’s look at the list of the teams who made it to Challengers.”

Your coach fiddles with the television remote and opens up the stream. Just in time, you’re able to look through the teams who made it to the next event. As you spot HYST in a sea of esteemed teams, fulfillment bubbles within you.

Yet, you know the battle doesn’t end here. RUSH makes the cut—will your team remain victorious or will it meet its demise?

ROUND 4: “YOU’RE HERE TO TAKE MY KILLS, SUNWOO? LET’S MAKE IT A COMPETITION.”

You were lying when you said you were sick of Valorant. There were other games you could be playing, Minecraft, Overwatch, and Stardew Valley to name a few. Yet, here you are, playing your favorite (read: most hated) game for today’s stream.

“I won’t lie, I’m not sure why I’m playing this game on stream,” you chuckle. “Like, I could be playing something else to save my mental health.” The comments keep coming as you ramble, trying to kill time.

keybladetwo: CONGRATS IN PLAYOFFS!!! GOODLUCK IN CHALLENGERS orangecheeko: HYST TAKEOVER 🔥🔥🔥 hungrydinosaur: the 3k bae did last round was INSANE

A flood of compliments comes your way, making you smile. “Awe. Thanks, everyone! I still can’t believe I’ll be playing for Challengers, and then there’ll be Masters and Champions.”

reingoaway: how was it like playing with the others :O noxturnal: U and Jacob on the same team must be crazy! Aren’t u both IGLs

A hum leaves you as you think over your answers. “It’s fun for the most part,” you admit. “I mean, it took us a while to get used to each other’s playstyles, but I’d like to think that the practice paid off.”

You fiddle around with your Valorant collection, changing skins on some firearms. “I’d like to think Jacob and I do pretty well in strategizing in the middle of matches. Sure, we have our fair share of contrasting opinions but we always consider each other’s ideas.”

Although the time you spend practicing with your team can be tiresome, your teammates try to make every round enjoyable. It’s thanks to them that you’re able to deal with the weight of VCT for the most part. There is burnout that comes from playing the same game at a pro level—at least you have most of your teammates to thank for the most part.

tagmeup: Will you play with nuguri? ailguriluver: YEAA u guys go crazy together ashfallen: nuguri & ailurus stream 🙏

You would’ve ignored it as you used to with all other streams, but your chat seems to flood the same question; there’s no escape even in the safety of your own channel. “Uh,” you scratch the back of your neck, “I didn’t really plan to stream with nuguri.” 

nugunuguwho: He’s on stream right now!

“He is?” You bite the inside of your cheek as you type out his username on Twitch. His profile shows up, showing that he’s live, and you adjust your stream so that it shows your browser. Now, your audience can see that you’ve searched him up.

Once you click his stream, you are greeted with the words “DEFEAT” flashing on the screen. “Aish, fuck this game!” On the top left corner of the screen is your teammate, all dressed in a gray hoodie with hair messier than usual, and frames resting on the bridge of his nose. He leans back on his chair, tonguing the inside of his cheek out of frustration from losing a match.

The screen shifts to the match summary, showing that he’s currently 00RR in Ascendant 3. “Man, you would think that people in these ranks would at least understand to comm!” He then showcases his match history and—holy shit, it’s a red carpet. “Guys, it’s not looking good.”

You hide your smile behind the back of your hand. Although you make comments about how terrible of a player Sunwoo is, you would’ve never imagined him to be on such a horrendous losing streak.

(At the same time, it could be the fault of his teammates, but you weren’t going to give him that satisfaction. He’s an awful player, point blank.)

“Ailurus is on my stream?” You are snapped out of your thoughts as he mentions your gamer tag. “How do you know?” He scrunches his eyebrows as he reads the chat. “They’re streaming?”

You rush to close the window and frown at the camera. “I can’t believe you guys sold me out!” As you shake your head, you shift your stream back to the game. “I was trying to spy on him! Anyway, I’m going to queue up because I cannot have Sunwoo ruining my win streak.”

You’re about to queue into a game, hoping to end the discussion, but your eyes catch sight of a familiar name and you halt your movements. 

nuguri: r u down to play?

It’s an internal battle—should you pretend you didn’t see Sunwoo’s message or should you fake your relationship with him?

Time ticks. The more you contemplate, the more you realize that you can’t play off that you saw his message in a sea of unfamiliar usernames. You’ve dug up your hole—there’s no turning back now.

“Okay, add my alt account.” Not a single mention of his name, and yet, your audience knows exactly who you’re talking to. The chat is filled with messages of excitement.

A friend request has been sent to you. “Is “sawako’s bf” your fucking alt?” Your gaze shifts to the chat, waiting for a message from Sunwoo.

nuguri: check discord

You roll your eyes before accepting his request on Valorant before opening up Discord. Another friend request has come in, and—is that a Smiski as his display picture? Your mouth parts open as you accept his request. Before you can shoot him a message, he calls you, and you don’t think twice before picking it up.

“I didn’t know you liked Smiskis,” you admit, surprised by the sight of the figurine. The sight of your profile picture, a Smiski from a different series, beside his photo is humorous—who would’ve thought that you two would match? “I didn’t even know you had another Discord account.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You shrug. “I mean, you just don’t look like the type you know? You reek of “loser e-boy that can’t do shit” energy.” As you hear him gasp, you chuckle.

Perhaps it helped to interact with Sunwoo in front of an audience. You can say diss him if you wanted, boiling it down to banter, and no one would question it.

“First off, I have a Discord account for work and another one for just personal use. And second, I am not a fuckass e-boy.” His defensive energy has you rolling your eyes. “Hey, I see you rolling your eyes!”

“The fuck? Get out of my stream,” you say as you glance at the camera. As you go back to Valorant, you see that you’re invited to Sunwoo’s party. Once you accept the invite, Sunwoo queues you both up for a Ranked match. “If we lose, I’m blaming it on you.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault that I lost all my matches today.”

You bite on the inside of your cheek, holding back your laughter just in case he’s still watching your stream. “Okay, whatever you say. I know you only peaked Immortal 1.”

“Immortal 1 is a good rank! What are you trying to say?” A chuckle leaves him as he says those words, clearly knowing that he’s unfortunately not like you who is currently ranked at Immortal 2.

“I think you just want me to boost you.”

“Match found,” the announcer voices out. You are greeted by the opening screen of Sunset.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m down on my luck that I need someone to boost me.” Sarcasm is evident in his tone, and you can’t help but laugh. The screen then shifts to agent select. “What’s good, everyone?” A bad attempt at deep voice leaves Sunwoo as he talks to a team full of strangers.

You’re thrown back by the sudden tone shift, causing a giggle to leave you. “What the fuck was that?!”

“Go! Talk to the team.” You shake your head as if he can see you. (Maybe he’s still watching you, after all.) He hovers over Reyna before telling you, “It won’t hurt.”

The thing about you is that you would never talk to a team full of strangers, but you don’t think twice when you say, “I’m good,” before hovering over Omen.

“There we go!” He exclaims in your call. You try to hold back your grin.

Unfortunately, the moment doesn’t last long. “Didn’t you mean to hover over Sage?” A stranger on your team asks.

You frown. “What do you mean?”

“Because you’re a woman.”

You should’ve seen this coming—there’s a reason why you don’t like to speak in this game.

“Just because I’m born a woman doesn’t mean I need to play that agent. I can play Skye if we need a healer,” you suggest, trying to keep your cool over what the stranger says.

“Nah, Skye might be too complex for you.”

You’re thinking if you should just lock in on Omen or retort, but both choices lead to an outcome where they’ll constantly be on your ass. Before you can make a decision, however, someone speaks.

“Hey, let them play whoever they want to play. You can play Sage if you really want,” Sunwoo cuts into the conversation, hoping to diffuse the situation. But when a chuckle leaves the stranger, you know it’s far from reaching that.

“Ah, I see how it is. How’s the head?”

You’ve officially reached your limit, and it seems Sunwoo has reached his as well. “This shit isn’t worth it,” Sunwoo ends the conversation with that. Before you know it, you’re back in the lobby, alone. “Sorry, I quit the game. Just give me a second to boot it up.”

As you hear those words, warmth surges within you. You don’t like your teammate at all and he’s never given you any reason to treat him with kindness, but just this one action is enough to make you see him in a different light—is he rotten to the core or have you been blinded this whole time?

Before you know it, he requests to join your party, and you accept the invite. When your eyes catch sight that he’s deranked to Ascendant 2, it hits you that he lost some RR just to avoid playing with the player who was giving you a hard time.

(Would it be bad to hope he did it for you?)

You hop in the queue to find another match.

It’s quiet for a moment; the mood has been ruined by some stranger on Valorant. Yet, Sunwoo seems to have something under his sleeve, a way to lift your spirit. “What if we pick each other’s agents?”

“This is a ranked match. You know that, right?”

Sunwoo lets out a groan. “I know that! But think about how fun it would be! We can play each other’s mains!”

“Do you really want to play Omen or Sova?” The screen then shows you’ll be playing on Pearl. “I thought you wanted to win some games.”

“Hey, I can definitely play those agents!” You roll your eyes over his words, clearly not believing him. “Let’s make it a competition. Whoever gets placed on top of the leaderboard wins, but you play Raze while I play Omen.”

A hum leaves you as you contemplate his proposal. “What’s the prize?”

“Well,” Sunwoo pauses, thinking over what can be done. “What if the winner gets their wish granted by the loser?”

“A wish? What type of wish?”

“Well, that’s for us to determine in our own time.”

You should’ve said no—why would you agree to such a bet with the one guy you can’t stand being in a room with? But the problem is that your pride is on the line, and you wanted to prove to Sunwoo that you could do his job better as a duelist.

So, you don’t think twice when you say, “Ah, fuck it. Let’s do it.”

You should’ve played Raze earlier on in your esports career. The match passes you like a breeze, entering and clearing sites and shots landing on your opponents every round. You don’t remember having this much fun playing Raze for the first time.

But somehow, the universe didn’t listen to your wishes—Sunwoo sits on the top of the leaderboard while you’re under him.

“Fuck! I only needed one assist and I would’ve beaten you.” As you complain, your teammate laughs.

“Ah, I wonder what I should have you do for me.”

You roll your eyes before looking at the time. “God, it’s that late already? I think I’m gonna end the stream already.”

“Yeah, me too. I’ll be back.” Before you know it, he deafens himself on Discord.

A sigh leaves you before you briefly look through the chat. “Sorry guys, I’m gonna end it early. I still need to pack my suitcase for Challengers next week.” There’s a mix of comments, ones that beg you to stay while others that thank you for today’s stream. “I’ll try to stream again before I leave but no promises. Bye, everyone! Hope you enjoy the rest of your days!”

With that, you end the stream. Another good stream out of you despite how short it was.

The most surprising thing to come out of this stream is that you were enjoying your time with Sunwoo. Whether it may be from the later hours of the day or just a front that he was putting up for the audience, you didn’t want to think too much of it. You’ll accept it for what it is now.

As you quit out of some of your applications, you look back at Discord to see that he’s back.

For a moment, it’s quiet. There’s an internal struggle within you—should you thank him for what he said earlier or not?

You didn’t want to call attention to the issue anymore. Unfortunately, you’ve had your fair share of experiences with misogyny throughout your life, and it pained you to say that this wasn’t the worst thing you’ve heard. 

But he beats you to it, almost as if he was bothered by the silence, and says, “I’ll think about the wish for a bit, just want to think of my options.”

A groan rips out of you. “Don’t make me do anything stupid, please.”

He hums for a moment, almost as if he was considering your request, but you know who he is. “No guarantee! I’ll see you soon.”

Before you can retort, he ends the call. You stare blankly at your screen. If you thought Sunwoo was okay, you were absolutely wrong. He’s still a shithead.

But when you get in bed, you stare at the ceiling for a moment, and you can’t wipe off the grin that rests on your lips.

God, you need to sleep. 

perma taglist ➵ @deoboyznet @kflixnet @blankjournal @winterchimez @miusgirl @jenoscafe @sweet-unicorn-world @vernyangel @mosviqu @stealanity @deobi0412 @blue-rainydays @maessseongs

series taglist ➵ @wooluv09 @untilsunset @hiefisch @wonuroyal @sunkitti

if you enjoyed reading, please do reblog and leave feedback! don't just like :]

[multi-fandom-agereg]

hihi!!! could i possibly request some regressor young neil (scott pilgrim) headcanons or a moodboard?? no pressure- the headcanon has just been on my mind hehe

- @beaistiny 🐝

🚀 Little!Young Neil HCS

🚀 | I can 100% do that! Thank you so much for requesting^^ love your content btw! I hope you enjoy:]

💙 : the type of baby to prefer naps over being awake when regressed. Don't get me wrong— he loves to play video games, watch every cartoon he can stumble onto and hang out with friends or family. However naps is something that keeps him calm literally 80 percent of the time. If he doesn't get his naps he will be a very cranky boy

💙 : his favorite little food(s) is anything involving ice cream or Mac and cheese. He highly prefers ice cream over Mac and cheese and everything else, but he isn't that picky. He gets what he can get, and he'll end up being neutral about it. If he were to hold a grudge about it; he'd forget about it within two hours

💙 : very very quiet around people. He's like the kid in your class who rarely talks at all. (Or socialize much in class). He's exactly like that most of the time. Just hand him a controller or a comic book and you won't even notice he's there.

💙 : is pretty liquid with his agere age and isn't sure what his age is. But all he knows is that he regresses younger than 10. Not much older than that. (I think hes either a infant or toddler regressor)

💙 : a very sweet baby. Will ask for cuddles from his babysitters and CGs whenever the opportunity is there. He will also follow them around while he's glued to his games. He will let you play his games, but only because he wants to watch and do commentary on your gameplay.

💙 : his little hobbies are mostly him napping, playing games or reading. But sometimes he will color for his friends or redraw scenes from his books.

💙 : I feel like when little he'd play animal crossing, red dead redemption and minecraft. He finds comfort in those games. When it comes to books the majority of it is comics. Such as manga or superheros (DC and Marvel)

💙 : steals his babysitters/caretakers shirts and or hoodies. You can't get them off of him because before you can, he's asleep. Sometimes he likes to tease about it when he's big because he knows nobody has the guts to wake him up. So he's pretty slick when it comes to getting what he wanted

💙 : doesn't have a permanent caregiver per say, but he looks up to Stephen Stills alot more than other people. He see's him as an influence and father figure enough as it was. So he trusts him to be his caregiver

💙 : owns 'too many' agere gear for one person. But it's often than not that he's spoiled rotten. But he doesn't mind it

💙 : he's probably a bluey and paw patrol fan. Change my mind

[multyfandoms-imagines]

If it's alright with you, may I ask for some fluff and angst headcanons/imagines about the LC Traffic Light OT3 that is Ayin, Benjamin, and Carmen? They have a lot of good potential for both fluff and angst that are rarely explored together.

Thank you in advance if you do! The LC fandom appreciates all of the numerous and interesting imagines and headcanons you create, especially the sheer volume you have that it necesittes seperating the thoughts into seperate masterlists.

Oh, my motivation for writing is as wavy as Beat Saber's Player's arms after playing Camellia song on Expert. So sorry that i got like that

In any way, thanks for being patient with me. So, i'll try to add some things into this request as well

Under cut for spoilers. HEAVY STORY SPOILERS

TW: death (alot)

Ayin, Benjamin and Carmen headcanons

•okay, im like 90% sure that majority of newcomers to this universe only played LoR as LC is mostly overlooked due to the gameplay, and likely see Ayin as a terrible, irredimable guy

•he was not like that when his head was alright. Ayin was an introverted, silent guy of the 3, even if he was very smart

•Carmen is the "too much energy" extrovert friend that just does not shut up. But while some may see her as an evil woman, her pity for the people living in the city was real. Living there aint the best thing you know?

•Benjamin was a 3rd wheel, but funny enough, a mix of Ayin and Carmen's personalities. He is shy, but can be vocal about his ideas and opinion on what do these guys do

•Carmen is oblivious, Ayin loves Carmen, Benjamin loves Ayin, there, i said it. You can leave xd

•okay, but their relationship didnt start on the first sight. There were months and years even of these 3 being together

•Carmen was the one to invite majority of the Sephirahs into LC (including Benjamin) and encouraged Ayin to get to know them better. And Ayin, being an introvert, did so after some nudges from Carmen

•turns out he also liked their company alot

•Enoch and Lisa (Tiphereths) were unofficially adopted by Ayin and Carmen when they rescued the kids

•these 3 were living fine lives in Lobotomy Corporation before it all went downhill ....

•this is were you should stop scrolling cus it will be bad

-ok u good? Good? Ok-

•yeah, people die during accidents, and, trust me, they were upset when it happened

•but experiments failed and caused people to die, including some dear friends like Elijah, Enoch. Garion raided their facility, killed whoever she spotted.... You know how the Sephirahs died by now, dont you?

•in the end when Carmen took her own life... Ayin broke down. He didnt care if people died. He promised Carmen to finish what they had started... Regardless of how much more sinful acts he must commit. Going as far as to make that dreadful perfect scenario that didn't help his mental health

•a part of him tried to make himself feel better by making Angela, but that too, failed. But now Ayin didnt even have a slight motivation to either deactivate Angela or to let her live how she wanted. So, she just became another tool for the scenario to do

•it got so bad that Benjamin/Hokma had to erase Ayin's memories, calling him X. And politely asked Angela to watch over Ayin in case he starts going insane again

•Ayin, now X, is pretty oblivious to the relationships he had before now. Not that he minds it

•.... He still feels lonely in his room, X does not know what is he missing to feel like that

[terriblethoughtterminal]

I like playing tetris. I have played alot of tetris and i like to think that im not that bad at it.

usaly i play on Tetr.io, a fan made website for very competetive tetris players that features faster gameplay then official tetris games.

tetr.io has a rating system for playeres in what they call "TETRA LEAGUE". its a normal rating system similar to elo where when you win a game you gain "TR" (im assuming it stands for tetra rating) and once you get enough TR you rise to the next rank.

when i started playing i improved quickly and ended up in A+ rank, then i slowly fought my way to S- and then to S.

now I feel ive started to stagnate, and that never feels good, i started feeling that i was bad at the game and i couldn't help but feel like i was inheritly infirior to the youtubers i watched who could play so fast that i could barly understand what i was looking at.

Then i looked at the other stats that tetr.io provides. acording to it im in the top 9000 global players on the website. that dosent chear me up much on its own because 9000 is a lot of players, but then i thought of it as proper statistics. because of the nature of the the website as one of the most competitive forms of tetris, there probably aren't that many players who are better then me who don't play on that wbsite so assuming im top 10000 that means im top 10000 out of 8000000000 people. even if for every person on the website who was better then me there would be 10 on other tetris games i would still be top 100000 in the world wich would be top 0.00001% of people on earth.

with tetris this doen't meen all that much, but I think you could apply this logic to find out your better then you think at whatever niche hobby you have. think about how few people even try to do what you do. some because they dont want to, and many because they cant. maybe im better at writing then i think.

A friend of mine likes drawing (i dont. i write occasionally) and seems to suffer from a bit of imposter syndrom, like any other artist. one of the stupid things I say to try and cheer her up is that i couldn't hope to draw neerly as good as her. she retorts by saying "yes of course im better then you, you dont draw.". I understand how she feels but i feel like shes missing the point. If I did draw as a kid like everybody else but i wasn't good at it, i didn't have passion for it, so i never took the time to improve my drawing. the fact that you draw better then the avrage person is not to be taken for granted. the fact that your better than 99.9 percent of humans at drawing meens your good at drawing, regardless if that 99.9 percent have ever tried drawing or not. it shows talent and dedication and passion and that makes you good at what you do.

[thedistortedfroggit]

A Creative rants about OC

Why do I write titles like its some news headline? I would never know. Force of habit? Anyway, GOOOD EVENING, MORNING OR AFTERNOON YOU TUMBLR MINERS!!

cuz I sure as hell know you wouldn't find me just by chance

About time I talked about one of my ocs huh? Introducing🥁🥁🥁.....Ozzy Clematis! or Clematis Ozzy if yer following what I wrote down. Ozzy Clematis, distant cousin of Oswald Nerium, another OC of mine! (get it? cuz both their last names are flowers?) ....Speaking of flowers! why is his name Ozzy Clematis? cuz, yes, theres reasons why I name my characters like that. Always a "because" somewhere in the character.

Clematis, because the flower means chaos and mischief! ..... Ok, the actual reason. Ozzy Clematis is actually my player character in a particular fangame called: TerraCraft! A mix between Minecraft and Terraria I found on itch.io ......ok yes, if you've actually played the game atleast a lil bit you'd find that the specific skin Clematis is based on(cuz they're pre-made, you cant make your own) is listed under the female options--BUT STILL!! Its my oc, so hes a boy! (Fun fact: While I was digging through the assets for references I came across the assets for the skin I based Clematis on. Apparently, the skin's name is Plin!)

Anyway, fun lil story: I actually developed the name 'Nerium Oswald' for a friend, but they didn't end up using it so I ended up using it as a pen name...then Creative instincts made me make a persona for my pen name, then it snowballed into him!

So, before Nerium was made into an OC, I was using him as a replacement for my name. So, Nerium Oswald was my username of Terracraft when I first made my profile....and OH BOY.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to make an OC out of my lil guy in the game. But idea after idea came into my mind and I just caved in and gave him a design, personality(with hints of what my gameplay style!) and a BACKSTORYYY

Anyway, Do you notice the sketches on the paper on the bottom right? Do you notice the staff? yeah thats in the game. Its the Water Staff. It has magic. Now, I've never watched Terraria gameplay nor even looked into the game before so magic could totally be a thing in that--but it was still surprising seeing it in the recipe menu. Though I will admit, the staff's design is quite the far reach against the pixel design in the game (Do you see the thing thats being wrapped around by the staff's top-ish part? thats a waterdrop! I wanna hc thats where the magic is generated since I refuse to believe that two iron ingots, two copper ingots and a water bucket can make MAGIC.)

Anyway^3, idea after idea came into mind about the world--about theoretical interactions, then I finally gave into my creative mind and gave him a character.

If you could read what the blurry background text is, first kudos to you and your sharp eyes. Second, you'd notice how it mentions speed and making them.....blank, covered by a wire. Now, I COULD leave it a mystery--but why? Its a focal point of alot of Clematis's shenanigans so it'd be revealed sooner or later. Now, to complete the sentence, it make them lighter! Why do I make that such a big point?

CUZ YOU CAN USE CRAFTING TABLES AND FURNACES LIKE LADDERS. There isnt ladders in this game, instead, they use these platforms to hop up and down. But I didnt know that SINCE THERE WAS NO TUTORIAL. Think of how bewildered was when I jumped between two of my furnaces, so now theres furnace ladders scattered around my mining system.

..Well, this is getting long from just the stories. welp, I guess I'll faun over Clematis another time.

To those in my present, future or farther: Stay safe, find happiness and watch the sky!

[gerbithats]

A long sims 4 rant

Starting this I can already predict it’s gonna be a big one so if you stick with me, thank you and I’ll try and add pictures to make things feel easier 😆

I was thinking about it and I mean really thinking about these community surveys we’ve been getting and how they speak volumes on the way the game is handled but also also how we position ourselves as a community. I noticed alot more game changers are starting to get pretty vocal about their thoughts since the first community survey came out and that’s refreshing to say the least, but it shows a pattern that we all present: give us what is missing no matter how. We want beaches. We want cars. We want more stairs. We want bunkbeds. Etc.

So these things are probably somehow rushed into production to please the community and then, when we finally get it, it’s like we finally realize that what this game truly lacks is gameplay and not more items.

I invite you to come and think about the packs and the stuff we got throughout these 6 years with me.

🏢 Chapter 1: The apartment issue 

Yes we got apartment buildings with city living, but sometimes it doesn’t even feel like it’s a game feature because it’s L I T E R A L L Y related to living in a city, so it’s not a real feature. We have no possible way to play with apartments and condos outside of san myshuno because for the first time ever we can’t build or own apartments. This was such a missed opportunity of giving us new lot treatments like condos and even rentable properties. I mean, just think about how those 2 features could allow so much new gameplay and stories with it (I can literally imagine being a landlord, having to go fix renters stuff in my their places and doing social events as condo meetings).

The neighbors in that type of lot could also help solve somehow what so many people mention as “boring lot gameplay”. Let’s be real. hardly something ever happens with so little npcs and only the walk by sims (You have to literally run after them to make things happen sometimes and it shouldn’t be like that). But if sims were to live in the same condo or building as yours, sharing common living spaces that’s a whole other thing. Which brings me to the fact that even in the city, where apartments exist, there’s no common area other than the halls. Imagine if we could build laundries, rooftops, basements, patios with pools and all that sort of stuff.

That sort of detaling and really getting deep into the pack’s features is even show in elevators: we can’t use them ourselves (for building) and they’re not even animated, your sim is just teleported (even the modded ones have animations and that’s just awkward).

🌊 Chapter 2: Swimming in shallow waters

“We want a beach”, we said. So they gave us a beach, and a beach only. I’ve never seen so many people call a pack “shallow” as I’ve seen it happen to Island Living and tbh I do agree with them ‘cause... there’s really not much to do in this pack. For the first time ever swimming was restricted to this pack which is already a big let down by itself, but then features like deep diving were added for no reason and of course, as a rabbit whole, not actually contributing with much to do. So how could it be better?

My answer is pretty obvious: resorts. It is a livable world, but that don’t mean your sims can’t take a vacation from work and just stay there if that’s the gameplay you want to go with and resorts match perfectly with that, not to mention it would have great integration with packs like spa day. It also means a new lot type and lot system, that wouldn’t be much new if the city living building condos and sublocating them as I mentioned would’ve already been implemented, but now with the feature of renting it yourself too. Resorts could also have their own event schedules, integrated with the seasons calendar: cava parties every wednesday, yoga lessons on thursdays, etc. And the best thing would be: if you own one, you can make your own events and traditions. imagine just how fun that would be. A feature like this would also mean it’s already done for other packs coming later on, maybe a colder destination where you can ski and build iglus or even another cultural based pack like jungle adventure.

Other obvious resolution would be better mermaids. Make it harder to become one, being only able to get the kelp from a mermaid themselves. Make it less anticlimactic, having an animation of them turning before they just walk in water with a tail all of the sudden, maybe just some scales in their legs. Give them more unique features and powers like vampires and spellcasters have, such as easily persuading people (sort of like the mind control feature aliens have) and maybe even a secret lot, like a grotto where all the mermaids are. Give them curses with the points system to go with it, some mermaids are actually sirens amirite

🥶 Chapter 3: Seasons change, gameplay stays the same

Activities truly based on the season that are specific to that moment create urgency and different moments. Something I can think of is integrating a pack we already have: spooky stuff. It does feel lackluster ‘cause it’s missing opportunities, but imagine going trick or treating but actually going, loading different houses and gathering it while a meter like the active jobs one guided you. Forming groups with friends to do it or maybe for tpeing trees and bushes if you’re on the rebel teen side and destroying their porch jack’o lanterns. It could even be randomly generated, like the game would send you to 3 different houses to do it (that would bring lots of replayability value ‘cause you could end up in houses with neighbors that love you and will give you candy no problem, but maybe also neighbors with family feuds that won’t answer their door or make it harder for you to accomplish the event objectives), maybe one of those could even be a abandoned one that’s haunted or something like that.

The implementing of a better wants and fears system is very essential for this pack. Yes your sims get overheated and a popup message tells you they need some water or lighter clothes, but it’d be so good if they’d actually want to go to the beach, swim in the ocean, take a vacation from work and go to a resort. Heatwaves that would make your sim act weird, not strangerville level of weird, but maybe not obeying your commands.

Blizzards so strong that work and school would get canceled and you actually don’t have the option to leave your home lot anymore until it passes would not only add a different element to the gameplay, but also add value to the weather controler machine.

🥺 Final chapter: The general “more stuff to do” and “more things happening” factor

The game offers all these beautiful secret worlds and yet when you finally get to them there’s not much to do other than searching for rocks and frogs and doing some fishing. I miss going to a community lot hidden somewhere and finding an eremite, goddamn bigfoot, some crazy npc or even just an actual community lot with something to do and people doing stuff in it. Unique community lots would also be a way to make towns more lively and captivating like they did so well with realm of magic and the casters alley section of the world. Maybe forgotten hollow has this abandoned haunted house where people claim they’ve seen the grim reaper walking around. Maybe sixam has a alien station where they clone human sims. Maybe sulani has this beautiful sunken ship beach where a club of people that dress up as pirated meet. Maybe Del Sol Valley has a movie theater where you can watch premieres. Maybe Oasis Springs mine hides actual gold that you can collect and get rich outta nowhere. That kind of stuff.

I can’t stress this enough, but NPCs are so important to shake things up. It was so good to have a pack like realm of magic where the we would have to go to the three sages in order to progress. Having unique sims like this or npcs that change the way your story is going like burglars, firefighters, cops, social bunny, bonehilda and even a fortune teller is so important to keep things impredictable and interesting.

Age groups really need more specific restricted gameplay for better feel of progression. Many people say sims 4 is a young adult simulator and well... there’s not much to show that differs from that. Toddlers are as interesting as hamsters, locked in an object waiting for you to feed, clean and give them attention. Teens really should feel more like a transiction period, and the wants and fears system would really help out with that. I miss being able to participate in more elements that would mark a sims life even if they’re cheesy as heck, like having a prom, graduating, having a midlife crises.

In conclusion

First of all: if you got to this point thank you and I’d really wanna know what you think about all of this.

Some people may find even ridiculous for someone to go about a rant this big on a game and to that I have to say I agree lol I can’t help it tho, honestly, the sims has always been the game I’m most passionate about and it helped me express myself and my creativity so much since I was a kid. I really do care about this game and this franchise.

The point I want to make with this is: perhaps we shouldn’t ask for more and more different stuff, but actually put some effort into showing things we already like in the game and how they can be improved to make it more interesting. At the end of the day I still want spiral staircases, ladders, paintable ceiling, werewolves and all that but does it really matter if they get added to the game following the same patterns as the things pointed in here? Also we really are getting to a point where only a few things are missing as far as cas/build/buy go and I believe it’s time for us, as a community, to give gameplay as much importance as all these things we wanted so bad that got implemented. I probaby forgot to say something here and I didn’t even mention the infamous hamster pack, but anyway, I hope the point got across.

I try really hard to believe that the gurus are here for us and that most of all we, as a community, have a very strong voice, all we need to do is make it clearer and stronger about the things we really wish for this game.

[theghostbeaters]

my timeline of thoughts during my tlou 2 play through (bad and good and maybe even some silly) just let me vent because i can’t stop thinking about it tbh

- i was away from the internet for months because i didn’t want to be spoiled for anything, so when i started to play i had only the deceitful trailers to go by

- the beginning felt pretty normal for the last of us. they started you in the town and then on patrol for your hour of tutorial basically. i also remember thinking the recap of the first game was so nice because i liked seeing their younger selves in the new graphics

- abby was introduced, and like i said i had no clue what was going on because i had not been spoiled so my mind was going a mile a minute on wtf abby and co. were up to. when they spotted jackson my initial thought was maybe they do want joel and they will be the main antagonists? joel and ellie will have to fight them??? but because of the trailers, death of any sort wasn’t on my mind.

- i also had a very odd and pure hatred for owen’s voice, lol. i don’t know what it was but omg from the moment he spoke till his last breath i would always be like “why is he speaking like that??” in the back of my head.

- that scene happened. i’m a crier i’ll admit, but this was something else. I felt shocked, nauseous, numb. I don’t think I actually even cried till I saw the tombstone i was so taken aback by the way they went about this. I don’t care if they are fictional characters. It has been 7 years since the first game came out and almost 5 years that they released the first trailer for part 2. I did not wait this long, excited to see two of the most important characters to me in such realistic graphics get their fucking head caved in. at the very very least a fade to black and then to the tombstone would have gotten the same reaction you wanted from me, but it would have been done in a way less cruel way.

- i took about a 3 hour break. i could not get that image out of my head and it was really starting to upset me more then any media should. i don’t care or want to hear about any walking dead or apocalypse setting trope. it will never be edgy, deep, or meaningful to kill a favorite character in that manner. I want to state that again. In that manner. If they had killed joel in a more tactful way I could have possibly liked the game more.

-i remember thinking it felt forced. like the creators wanted this narrative so badly they seemed to go through hoops and hurdles to get there. there was a random horde that seemed to disappear as quick as it came, abby just gets lucky and has joel and tommy save her and then they go straight to the lions den? would joel from the first game be so quick to do that? Wait was she 100% sure just from two peoples names this was the guy she wanted? Ellie gets there just in time to see the final blow and then the others only get there just in time to miss everything and not be able to help? Whats going on??? This feels too structured and not genuine?? 

- going into his house was just as painful. i’m sorry but i’m going to bring this back up a lot-  if they would had just killed him in a more tactful manner i would have praised the way these little scenes were done. grabbing his watch, ellie smelling his clothes, seeing the pictures of sara and ellie, looking at his workshop and seeing how well he can carve! I couldn’t appreciate it the way I wanted to because I couldn’t get that image out of my head. i was literally bawling the entire time. 

-REVENGE TIME BEGINS:

+so the first scene was set: ellie wanted to go to seattle for revenge, dina was going to go with her, and tommy had already left. I remember having two thoughts here

  +“please tell me its going to be more then ellie just going on a revenge spree and then at the end she doesn’t kill abby because morals / murder is bad / not everything is black and white kind of tropes.” 

  +and “i have a wild feeling tommys gonna be like the only person that makes it out alive. he did it in the first game somehow hes gonna weasel his way free in this one.”

-ELLIES SEGMENTS:

+the graphics are amazing the sceneries are some of the most beautiful i have seen in a game. and it didn’t stop there. every area was amazing. I think most can agree to this. 

+i was determined, no matter what else the game threw at me i was going to see it through to the end and try very hard to visualize it the way the creators wanted it to be visualized. even if i didn’t agree or didn’t like parts, i figured hey the first game was so good this has to revive itself.

+i really liked the gameplay, it was a finer tuned version of the first game. i also liked the idea of the map and how it actively showed you different locations and crossed them out when you were done. but in the back of my head i was thinking “wow this would have all been so neat in the first game”. I shouldn’t be thinking about the first game. I should be enjoying this one.

+i was getting concerned none of the new characters were getting as much character development and love as some of the characters in the first one. I liked dina a lot, and by the very end of the game she did feel pretty rounded out (i especially liked her in the farm segment)  but the beginning and middle seemed almost more focused on “this is ellies girlfriend” instead of “this is dina”. I felt the same with jesse. I liked him but nothing stood out as much as it could and should have. I got more from tess in the short amount of time she was in the first game.

+there were certain segments that felt way more horror like and scary then in the first game and I loved them a lot. The new enemy (shambler) was cool and the settings where they used red lighting looked amazing. I also really loved the new take on stalkers. They were way harder to find and I found myself on edge to get jumped by one during those sections. They funny enough reminded me of dead space stalkers and i thought they were an improvement from the first games.

+at this point i pretty much understood what the creators were going for plot wise, but i personally just didn’t think it was needed. 1) i’m confident the majority of hardcore last of us fans already understand the concept of how every character can be good and bad and that not everything is black and white. we didn’t need to see one beloved character die horribly and the other be in that much pain and lose herself to understand that. 2) did we not pretty much already cover this concept in the first game? but....better? you remember...the ending?

- ELLIES FLASHBACKS:

+ of course I enjoyed them. its what i needed from a sequel. its what the whole game should have been, at least for me personally. the birthday flashback was the highlight of the entire game. i needed it so badly after the mind numbing, emotionally exhausting, weird out of place plot was putting me through. I was glad to finally see how ellie felt about the ending of the first game. but trying to crunch all that in 4 cutscenes? I just don’t feel like it was enough. you basically gave me one scene per year of joel and ellies relationship and you felt like that was enough to let me digest almost 5 years they spent in jackson?

- ABBYS SECTIONS:

+call me an optimist or maybe just stupid i’m not sure but when it rolled over and said “hey take over and check out the life of joel’s killer” my first thought was okay so i was right they want a “”nothing is black and white”” narrative but maybe doing it this way will be new and fresh? I can get through this and enjoy it? .... Its just not a fully possible reality and how could it be? had it been the first game in the series maybe it would had worked, but of course no matter how hard I tried I just felt disassociated from abby because I was already close to joel and ellie. I understood her reasons. I understood the narrative you were going for. I understood the damn parallels. I’m not an evil person that would just laugh about what happened to her dad, but how can you not understand as writers that a huge majority might be able to understand it, but still won’t be able to enjoy it. It felt so pushed and shoved into my face that I couldn’t enjoy it if i wanted to because the game just kept screaming “LOOK AT THE PARALLELS THO!!!”

+abbys dad seemed forced and out of place too. when abby and co. first killed joel i didn’t even think fireflies tbh. I thought it was something he did before he met ellie, or something he did during the 5 years in jackson. like yeah i got it, its not the worse backstory in the world but when put in context to the first game it just doesn’t make sense to me to use as the narrative you want to portray in the second game. maybe i’m nitpicking here but from all the personal notes and all the tapes you can read and listen to about the fireflies in the first game it makes it hard to believe the majority of fans would care for the second games narrative at all. they already made their decisions. it at the very least just seems like bad salesmanship? but maybe they already knew that and thats why the trailers were all lies? (just my thoughts at the time remember) 

+and oh god was the character development even worse for abbys friends. at least they tried to give abby a rounded character development that mirrored ellies but if you think ellies friends barely got character development, abbys friends got almost zero. I didn’t care about a single one. they felt so flimsy and husk like. “this is the boy she likes” “this is a medic friend” “this guy likes sex alot” “this is dog, so of course you like dog”

+I mean its great everyone was able to be so different. abby is muscular, ellie is a lesbian, there were many poc, dina is jewish, they brought in a trans character....but how can i enjoy any of it when more than half of these characters felt put in just to be there instead of well rounded characters you can appreciate for good or bad?

+the sex scene with her and owen was the scene where i personally felt myself giving up. it felt so much like this game wanted to be an HBO classic instead of just a video game that i felt myself detaching even more. (also whats up with owens voice??? lol)

+GROUND ZERO was a very good chapter. That shit was spooky in all the good ways, it felt a lot like dead space with the plastic everywhere, THE BIG ASS MONSTER HAD ME ON MY KNEES. The chase scene up to the actual boss fight was A+. Here is the one catch though - I forgot I was playing as abby. It felt more like just playing first person. Not a character at all. I don’t think that is how you want your game to be played, and no it wasn’t my intention. 

+I wish yara and lev had gotten more screen time. the game was so focused on the abby vs ellie thing and shoving it down your throat that most the side characters got washed out, these two included. Their story was interesting and it would had been nice to see more of them instead of whatever the weird love triangle abby had going on with her two friends I couldn’t care less about. (i stg chances were given, but as i previously stated they felt more like husks of characters then fully rounded ones.)

+getting hunted by tommy was actually a pretty cool highlight of the game for me. and even for a narrative i didn’t personally like it was a good idea to do! it reminded me of the sniper section (but holy hell tommys a better shot lol) and david’s hide and seek section in the first game which i thought was very well done. 

+this is when i went “oh maybe i was wrong, tommys gonna die. i give him a 20% chance of survival now that abby saw his face

-THEATER TIME

+why in the all out hell would you ever think it would be a good idea to tell the player to go after ellie? no matter what narrative? lmao. I died here the most literally for the soul fact i was scared there might be some kind of choice so i wouldn’t mash QTEs as fast as i normally would. and when i found out no, you just gotta power through it i literally found myself going through this 10 minute segment going “but i don’t want to do this”, “i really dont want to do this”, “do i have to do this?” “why do i gotta do this?” and yes i still understood your narrative but it doesn’t matter. it was just awkward. 

+This is where personally I would have put the cali segment if I really wanted to go with a narrative I still say didn’t need to happen because we already went through it in the first game, and then the happy farm bit at the end. 

-FARM

+i felt the game was going on too long and i was literally screaming at my screen to just end my suffering when i realized there was more after seattle. adding the extra PTSD scene just felt like an added fuck you towards the fans. I said it once, I’ll say it 1000x that scene with joel was seared into my brain already. I didn’t need that literal jumpscare. I already knew what ellie was going through dammit I was going through it with her! Let the girl and me for that matter have a bit of happiness after what you put us through!

+holy hell tommy fucking lived. he fucking lived. that mother fucker. hes the new telltales kenny. 

-SANTA BARBARA

+I said previously this section should have some how been merged into the seattle ending. I couldn’t tell you how honestly, but keeping it dragging like they did was so emotionally draining. it didn’t give me any feeling but more sadness and torment for a favorite character that didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. ellie looked so skinny and sad here. and i feel like it was what the creators were going for? because abby ended up looking just as sad looking. The ending fight was so sad and pathetic. I felt bad for both of them and that is what the creators wanted right? but at what cost? most of your fans, if they even managed to play this far, so emotionally drained and tired that they end up hating the game or not wanting to play it again? 

-ENDING

+so how do i feel now that i finished it? overall there were more cons than pros for me. as i said numerous times before this narrative is not new, this narrative was not needed. this narrative definitely shouldn’t have been lied about through trailers. this narrative was basically done better in the first game anyways. the ending did not give me “sad but hopeful”. it just left me empty and depressed. I don’t see myself playing this game ever again. 

+If anyone was able to enjoy it I’m truly happy you were able to and these were all just my personal thoughts and opinions while playing the game. I don’t hate anyone that liked it, I don’t even hate abby. I just personally hate they wrote a narrative that felt so forced down your throat in all the wrong ways. I hate that I wasn’t ready for that joel scene because it still hurts to think about. I hate thinking about how sad ellie looked and how they were both treated. It just wasn’t healthy for me tbh is the best way I can put it. 

[alaskaandabroad]

30Day Writing Challenge-Day18

Post 30 facts about yourself.

1. I’d never been out of Alaska until the summer I turned 10. My family flew down to southern California and then drove a van back up to Alaska. It took 8 days.

2. By the time I was 20 / the fall of the year I was 20, I had been to every continent except Antarctica. Still working on that one.

3. I’ve spent the last seven Thanksgiving holidays in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

4. The first time I spent my birthday outside of Alaska (and America, simultaneously) was in 2013. I was on a road trip in New England and we drove to Quebec City for the day. I’ve spent every birthday since then outside of America also. 2014 was in Cambodia, 2015 in Thailand, 2016 in Thailand, 2017 in Greece, 2018 in Thailand, and 2019 in Thailand. 2020 is looking like a quarantine birthday in Thailand.

5. I graduated uni in 2010 with a BA in English.

6. I’m still not a peanut butter person but I don’t hate it as vehemently as I did when I was a child.

7. I am my own worst critic.

8. I finished watching Parks and Rec over the weekend. I’ve been working in the ngo space for the last seven years and reflecting on the show, it’s a life of public service of sorts, and I enjoy it, I find purpose in it.

9. I’ve only had one boyfriend/serious relationship of sorts.

10. I’m 5 foot 5 and three quarter inches.

11. I was born at Providence hospital in Anchorage, Alaska.

12. My first favorite movie was Toy Story.

13. I went to see Finding Nemo in theaters on my 16th birthday.

14. My first favorite band was Relient K.

15. I also love The Beatles alot.

16. One of my favorite “adult” (aka not cartoons or meant for children/teenagers) movies is Inception.

17. I’m already 13 years older than my mom was when she had her first kid.

18. One major motivation for exercise for me, besides being healthy, is being fit enough to do the hiking that I want to do.

19. I’m a fan of trying things again that you have thought for a long time that you didn’t like, to see if that’s changed.

20. I’ve been playing this Harry Potter game on my phone for a few years. It’s a bit slow and the gameplay isn’t perfect but also I love it.

21. I still think at some point in my life I want to write professionally in some way.

22. I love Thailand and I love my life here but there is a part of me that thinks about leaving, mostly because I want to get married some day and living here makes those chances narrower.

23. In 2008 I circumnavigated the globe on a ship when I did Semester at Sea.

24. I consider graduating from college debt free (aside from loans for Semester at Sea), and now having paid those off as well, to be one of my greatest accomplishments.

25. Probably the scariest thing I have experienced (and I was in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake and the subsequent aftershocks!) was when I was in a motorcycle accident a year and a half ago.

26. Knowing my students (not necessarily even teaching, but knowing them) is one of the most rewarding things in my life. Sometimes I’ll be having a bad day and then I’ll go to our center and I always leave feeling lifted.

27. If I could go on a plane and go anywhere in this moment (Covid-19 not being a factor) I would go to Turkey. There are so many good people there and also it’s such a beautiful country and there is so much more of it that I want to explore.

28. The first time I left North America and traveled without my family was when I participated in a People to People trip in 2002. @angeldrinkstea and I and other friends (including my best friend Jade) were on the trip too. We went to Spain, Italy, France, Monaco, and The Vatican. I stayed a couple days with a homestay family in France and they gave me the photos they took on a floppy disk.

29. I have been to Turkey and Kurdistan once a year since 2017 (although not yet this year due to Covid-19). I love it over there.

30. I really enjoy reading young adult and even sometimes children literature.

This was a lot more challenging than I expected it to be.

[breezy-cheezy]

Some venting from my latest Final Fantasy XV gameplay: an excerpt: (I’d mark spoilers but this game is a couple years old by now so...)

....what do you MEAN Luna dies already??!! I thought that would be way later not just smack dab in the middle what WHAT--

ALSO WHAT DO YOU MEAN IGNIS IS BLIND NOW??!!!!

Aaaaaaaaa I knew this game got sad eventually but I thought that would be later?? I knew Leviathan was bad news....I didn’t know ALL of this crap happened with it??

- I knew Luna was going to die because she has that...character feel. Also I’ve seen fanart. But gosh dang I cried alot anyway heck DANG IT--

- Leviathan sucks and so does Ardyn but hot dang the boss fight with Leviathan was pretty dang cool; getting to ride up to it on a missle with Prompto gave me KH2 end-fight vibes, fighting by your best friend?? LOVE that. 

- W...why is Iggy blind...what HAPPENED. WHY is that cut from the game and added as DLC?? I feel like that’s extremely important, I hate that DX (FYI I bought all the DLC eps (except Ardyn coz I hate him) and I have yet to play them...got my hands full with the game itself)

- I was expecting Ignis to just...carry on as normal. Like. He’d be so cool he doesn’t NEED to see and can still kick butt but.....no. The game chucks you into possibly the WORST dungeon terrain for a blind person and forces you to watch your once hyper-capable friend/advisor stumble and fall and struggle to keep up CONSTANTLY. You set up camp and realize there’s only canned food and cup noodles available because...that’s right. Iggy’s blind. No more amazing meals because he can’t...cook anymore....That...gameplay and story-wise was probably even more heartbreaking than Luna’s death....I remember a comment that Iggy doesn’t really need glasses badly, but he wants his vision to be PERFECT because he hates missing things...now he’s blind and this is so poetically cruel I hate it I hate it ughhhhhh...!!!! His attitude about it is actually...really good though, Ignis is a super cool character....

- I DO want to say I love Prompto so much. He’s trying so so hard to stay bright and cheerful to hold the group together (even with Gladio being an overly pushy BUTTHEAD and Noctis grieving and just barely keeping himself together) even though I’m sure he’s terrified...also he’s the main one staying back and helping Ignis through stumbles and walking in general, and just!! I love him SO MUCH my poor sweet sweet boy!! ;;A;; 

- Gladio’s passive-aggressiveness through this whole thing was so stressful omg, I can’t STAND friends arguing like that...I know it’s not real but it makes me cringe y’know?? ;;;;; 

- Also I know Bad things happen on a train. I yelled when I realized we were on a train. Ack. 

- and YEAH Noctis accidentally shoving Prompto off a train is the majority of it no NOOOOOO--my mood after has majorly been:

It’s Ardyn’s fault I hate him I hate him-- I KNEW that was an illusion the way he was talking--

- Noctis waking up and calling Iggy and screaming/near sobbing for him to stop the train (when they can’t) just shattered my heart. Noctis is sounding increasingly unhinged as we go and wow this voice actor is doing great, thanks, I’m crying. Nice to see how much he cares about Prom, wish THIS didn’t have to happen though---

- Thank goodness for Arenea. I didn’t even know she existed before playing, but wow she’s cool. More of her plz....

- The whole Shiva thing was wild? Didn’t expect that. 

- Long story short I had to stop as soon as I hit chapter 13 coz I need to sleep. But I’m super wound up so here’s a rant post. I also hear 13 is...a doozy....(mainly, from the superbutterbuns vid, they didn’t seem to like it AT ALL) so probably a good place to stop?? 

- I’m glad I put off the boat ride to level and do stupid side quests, that’s REALLY paying off. I miss that light atmosphere...I KNEW this game would be sad, but the way they work it into gameplay and stuff...it’s like many kicks to the gut over and over my poor shattered heart!! Thanks Square Enix......

[ktzuki]

you're the one i wanna shield - gladiolus amicitia x reader

Happy birthday Gladdy💖 I love you alot and thanks for being Noctis' big brother during my gameplay. you definitely mean alot to me and i wanted to do a little something for you, so i hope you enjoy this!❤️ yet again happy bday ily!!<3

"I can't do it." Gladiolus said, giving up entirely. He watched you chat away with his fool of a best friend Prompto about who knows what, whilst he was talking to Noctis and Ignis about his current problem.

"Do you know how hard proposing is?" He groaned, looking deep at the two boys sat across of him at Crow's Nest Diner.

"The Flirting God is asking us for help?" Noctis joked sarcastically, grinning at the desperate man, "Well, I say."

"Enough. He needs our help and we should offer it." Ignis scolded him.

All Gladiolus could do right at that moment was zone out, watching your splendid figure stand gracefully on the diners floor. There was no need to focus on Prompto - he didn't matter right now. But what did was the melodic laugh, which belonged to none other than you, that echoed into his ears that made him feel all fuzzy inside, like a little boy.

"Hey, Hey!" The Prince waved infront of Gladio's bright brown eyes, breaking him from his train of thoughts. "Focus here, big guy."

He shook his head in hopes of focusing once more on his problem at hand. "Right. So what should I do?"

Ignis, being the most mature one, suggested he took her to Altissia and proposed on one of the Gandolas, the two of you enjoying the beautiful scenery.

"That sounds great, man!" Gladiolus chimed happily, considering his idea.

"No, no, no! I thought you were the ladies' man here, but look at you!" Noctis argued, "She doesn't want anything extravagant! She wants simple!"

The two men looked at the Prince confusedly, wanting him to continue with his already useless point.

"Simple, as in having a romantic date here at Crow's Nest. Only the smartest would've thought about that, and here we are." Noctis said disappointedly.

"That's very true. I should make it simple." Gladiolus stated as if Noctis was right all along. "But the Gandolas sound great... and even with my strength, I can't take Crow's Nest with me on a Gandola."

"No one's asking you to do that, weirdo." Noctis laughed.

A ringtone rung throughout the diner, meaning the prince had to leave the discussion party to take the call. "Catch ya later."

Ignis also had some duties to get to, leaving Gladiolus with good luck and faith that he'd do well no matter what.

The big guy rested his head in his arms, hoping this day will pass like any other. Slowly, he fell into a deep slumber, night coming closer each second.

-

His honeyfilled eyes fluttered open ever so slowly as he awakened from his nap, not expecting to see his loved one across of him. Gladiolus reached back and stretched and got comfortable before talking to her.

"Why you here? Where's the rest?"

A small smile pricked at the tips of your [colour] tinted lips, "Stayed here with you. Can't have you dozing off in the middle of an unguarded diner."

"Thanks, babe. Now what time is it?" He asked worriedly. You need your sleep too, and that was his worry more than anything.

"Not sure. But looking from the window, I say the sun's going down." You told him. The sun's rays hit you everywhere it needed to be, making you look like a painting right infront of him. Gladio was dazed by the beautiful sight displayed infront of him, and he really couldn't help but stare. No doubt about it, "I want to marry you."

"What?" you couldn't hear since he whispered, and you really don't have the best hearing. Something told you your baby was still abit sleepy. "Wanna walk around for abit? You know, to wake you up abit."

"Sure." He agreed to your offer, standing up and taking hold of your hand leaving the diner.

The two of you walked around under the orange Leide region's skies, feeling comfortable in each other's presence. Gladiolus was clearly bothered by something, and you wanted to get it out of him.

"Hey, babe," you started. You didn't get a reply, which sort of disheartened you.

Once you stopped walking was when Gladiolus took a hint, because your hand tugged him back into his spot. He turned to face your worried face, and that pained his soft, presumedly "cold" heart to pieces. Something told him that this was the perfect time to tell you.

The moment he was anticipated since early days, since the day he met you, since the day he began loving you. He had to do it now, and it took him the upmost courage to do so.

Gladiolus took a deep breath before bending onto one knee, and taking a small velvet box out of his hands. You were surprised and it was evident on your face. This was what was bothering him? You knew he was a sweetheart at heart and a flirtatious beast on the outside, but it was rare moments like these where he'd show his soft side.

He looked up at your heavily red face, your teary eyes meeting with his golden brown ones. His large fingers opened the velvet box, revealing a shiny gold ring with an implanted rose placed perfectly in there. "Wanna marry me?" He said, "Because you're the one I wanna shield."

You wiped away all the tears that fell down your face, and sniffled away all the extras. Your smile reached from one ear to the other like the joker, but you couldn't stop it. You went down to his level and gave him the biggest hug.

"If only you'd be the King to my Queen?"

"Then definitely." He said grinning, giving you a light peck on the lips. Gladiolus took out the ring and slowly placed it onto your marriage finger, thanking the Sixth for blessing him with a tonne of luck.

"Also, happy birthday. I love you."

After that, the two of you lived happily ever after. Especially with the amount of teasing you got from the bros back at home.

[lunarrvos]

Tag thing!

Rules: answer 21 questions, then tag 21 people! 

I got tagged by the lovely @the-cloud-whisperer​  (thank you!)

Nickname: well a few people call me Luna, even tho it’s not my real name so technically it counts, right? honourable mentions by one of my best friends: tree, Dutch friend, early bird, Fucking/Useless lesbian 

Zodiac: I am a Libra

Height: my ID says 1.78 centimeters but I am a tad it smaller than that I think

Last movie I watched: uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh I think rewatching Love Simon with one of my friends, love that movie

Favourite musicians: at the moment, Aviators and Unlike Pluto, but I also really like the songs made by IMAX

Song stuck in my head: Escape ft. Summer Haze from the Beat Saber soundtrack  (just watched a bunch of gameplay vids oops I really want to play the game but we don’t have a VR heaset :( )

Other blogs: idk I made a side blog to keep like art refs and shit if that counts, tho I still dump them here oops

Blogs following: 142

Amount of sleep: I average between 8 to 10 hours, tho I’m still always exhausted eyyyyy

Lucky number: don’t really have one, but I like the number 17 cuz that’s my birthdate 

What I’m wearing: a black long sleeved shirt with red flowers on the chest and back, dark blue jogging pants and red and black socks

Dream job: music therapist, but honeslty any job that isn’t an office job and can support me should be fine

Dream trip: going to Scotland to meet some very good friends, and going to Iceland to see like the gap between two tectonic plates (if you’re allowed to come there of course, it’s still a very pretty country none the less)

Favourite food: I love sushi, but stamppot boerenkool (kale stew????) is pretty up there. And salmon, I love salmon. Honeslty fish is just the best

Play any instruments: I’ve been playing the harp for 8 years, this is my 9th, and I can kinda play piano and sing, but I’m not really that good at it 

Languages: my first langauge is Dutch, my second langauge is English, and if you squint I can speak and understand a little bit German

Favourite songs: currently: Missio - Rad Drugs, K.Flay - Giver. In general: Tristam - Till Its Over, Aviators - Neon Sonata, LVTHER - One Look, Nigel Good - No Way Back Up and Kasbo - Kaleidoscope 

Random fact: uuuuhhh I can’t think of anything else, but if I am not careful I can dislocate my jaw really easily (this hasn’t happened as of yet, but I live in constant fear, and my jaw in general is very sensitive and sometimes painful and cracks alot and all around it isn’t a fun time). Also one of my teeth didn’t develop, so now my canine is in the wrong place it’s really weird

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: the moment in time where the sun hasn’t really begun rising yet, but you can already slowly see the sky brightning. The twinkeling of the stars during a clear night. The smell of rain after a thunderstorm. a soft blanket on a winter day. Sitting in the passenger seat while you and the other person are driving through the dark. the crisp air on a meadow during a winter morning. idk is that enough things? I just said verything i liked tbh woops

The last thing you googled: “the weather for tomrrow” I’m boring like that

tag things!: 

@maxthecatpug @maximumdbe (this is your punishment for having two blogs) @baekhyurr @beeshavefuzzybutts @kjie @whyischatnoirxhiccupnotaship @novarik @nerd--queen @mintiepride

That’s all folks! peace

[ztufs]

10 Animations (and games) that made my life a little better

So for my first post I’d like to just share my appreciation for 10 animations I really felt a connection to, whether they were emotional, out of fascination or just pure amazement. I have no “rules” for what kind of animations they’re gonna be, aside from them being animated (Shocker I know). 

So yeah, I hope yall enjoy this list, and leave a comment about some of the animations that left you with a smile on your face!

#1- Wall-e

I’m gonna start of this list with my favourite animated movie (or just movie in general): Wall-e. It’s no secret that Pixar makes great animations, and I know I’m not the only one who loves this movie. What really captures my attention is the feeling of soltitude and ambience shown throughout the first act of the movie, until Eve arrives. What I find great about this part is how much “show don’t tell” is used, to describe to us, the viewers, about the post-apocalyptic world. 

Being that the main character almost never speaks, repeating alot of words or lines when he actually does, makes it super duper cool how the animators used visual storytelling to show us how the world has gone to shit, as well as Wall-e’s expressions and sounds to pinpoint exactly how he feels. 

If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly reccomend it!

#2- Ori and the Blind Forest

For my second pick I chose one of my favourite games, name is in the title.For me, this game has everything: Awesome music, tight gameplay, a flubtastic story, and smooth animation. Playing this game really felt like going on a journey through a MAGICAL world, where anything could happen! Even though this game was the source of alot, and I mean ALOT, of ragequits, it still brought me back every time. The art in this game is fenomenal, and combined with the animation I really feel it when Ori, the game’s main character, flies through the world, up and down walls and through changing environments. 

Also Managing those difficult jumps feels really satisfying!

#3- Death Parade

There are alot of animes out there (yes I’m a weeabo), but there’s a few that I’ve really enjoyed, Death parade is one of them. It’s opening might trick you to think you’re gonna watch a friendly, happy-go-lucky show about different people living in purgatory, but you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s dark themes and how it tackles different topics about human pshychology with a touch of humor and warmth really got to me. I felt a connection with the main character in a way I haven’t with any other characters in anime, and the realization about the main characters fate (no spoilers), really worked for me. 

#4- Night in the Woods

I really love this game. I don’t know if it’s the overall great stylized aesthetics, the great, great music, the amount of clever, funny voicelines given to the characters, the characters themselves, showing multitudes of different personalities and charisma, the general story of the game, the oh-so-smooth animation or the underlying themes of friendship, anxiety and an existential crisis that grips me. I might have a clue though. 

This game really delves into the greater questions about life in a really humorous and philosophical way, and i loved every step of the journey. It has really worked as an inspiration for me when it comes to creativity and life itself.

#5- Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse (trailer)

I’m just gonna throw this out here first to clearify: As of the date I wrote this list, the full movie wasn’t out, so I had just the trailer to go by.

Ok, I’m not gonna lie. The moment I saw the trailer for the spider-verse movie my mind. Was. Blown. The animation in this video is perfect. It’s the amazing mix between cycadelic cartoon meeting animation. The colors are vibrant, the animation is smooth as butter, and the textures really capture the comic-feel of everything. Along with me being a Spider-man fanboy I really love the whole concept of the spider-verse, and I can’t wait for this movie to come out

I hope Spider-pig is in it.

#6- Animator vs. Animation (the whole series)

If you watch alot of animations on youtube, you’re bound to come by one of these videos. Made by Alan Becker, Animator vs Animation is a series about an animator (You don’t say), who has to fight his own animated stickman. The genious about these videos is how it’s animated. The animator uses different tools in the animation program, as well as the computer and even phone, to really make it seem that he’s fighting with a virtual stickman. Getting better and better for each video, you can really see how different principles of animation are applied, to make for a really cool untraditional “stick-man fight”.

The series is pretty funny and shows you how creative and meta you can get with animation. Just don’t come to me if your pc is attacked by a small stickman.

#7- Angry Birds - Piggy Tales (The first two seasons)

NOW BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS BLOG IN DISAPPOINTMENT AND ANGER, let me just say that there’s a special reason as to why I chose this, out of all things.

There was a period in my life where I was going through some rough things, and I spent a lot of time cooped up in the hospital. As I didn’t have a lot to do, phone games became my rescue, one of them being angry birds. I remember getting 3 stars on every stage (get on my level noobs), and having fun watching the different animations the creators of angrybirds made. 

That being said, Piggy Tales is actually a funny short show, made on computer to resemble clay and stop-motion animation, making use of physical humor and slapstick. The animation is pretty smooth and funny, where different kinds of settings are explored each time. 

Be aware though, as the third season shifts from clay-like animation to more refined animation. This might be off putting for those who found the clay-style appealing.

Piggy Tales are short but many, so if you wanna kill some time, this might be a good time-assassin. 

#8- When Marnie was there

I had to include a Ghibli film here, I mean come on! Which one was the question though, but I was kinda allready set on one in particular. “When Marnie was there” is my favourite Ghibli film. I feel like it really connected with the movie in a weird beautiful way. The themes I saw and experienced throughout the movie, might not have been the same as the ones the writers and producers saw. opr me though, I felt like the movie really showed what it can feel like to be alone. Along with beautiful music and composition of scenery, the movie really grabbed me from the get-go and didn’t release me until the credits started rolling. What I was left with was a feeling of solitude, but at the same time I felt grateful for having friends and family, and for being part of this journey we call life. 

Conclusion: Anime makes you feel feelings. 

#9- Sly Cooper (trailer)

As with the Spider-verse, this is only a trailer, since the movie has been either cancelled or suspended for a long time.

The Sly Cooper games were the first games I ever played on a home console, so they have a big place in my nerd-soul. So when a movie was announced, I was well on my way to the cinnemas, even before the trailer was released. When I saw the trailer though, I was overwhelmed with just pure good-feels. The character-designs had changed to give them a more natural look, but it worked really well in my opinion.

As for the dialogue, the voiceactors were the same as the ones I grew up with, aside from the main character, Sly, but I let that slide since the new voice actor, Ian James Corlett pulled off Sly’s charcter pretty good! The animation of him jumping, sliding and running through the city also matched the way it felt playing the game, and doing those exact same actions.

If the movie ever comes out, I’ll be the first in line by any sacrifice necessary.

#10- Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

To finish of this list I thought I’d share a piece of nostalgia! Though It’s been a long time since I last saw it, this movie was a big part of my childhood! Now don’t make fun of me for choosing a kids movie for this list, I still think this movie has a great story and music, along with the animation and background-paintings. Besides, making fun of me makes me sad, and I’m a big boy so I’m not supposed to cry. 

This movie really excels at showing how vivid our imagination can be. Every scary location in the movie is shown at the end to be a reimagined version of reality, emphasizing just how much a kids imagination changes the world around them. 

So yeah! Thanks for reading through my list of 10 animated things that really made for the raisin in the sausage (It’s a norwegian saying so don’t feel confused). 

I don’t know what this list says about me as a person, but it is what it is. I also hope you found some of the stuff on this list intriguing, and that you might wanna check it out. 

Welp, that’s it for me! 

Ztufs out!

[angelblumes]

food ment. Helllooooooo ugh would you like me to beat her up perhaps end up like her namesake, og mischa?(jk im not a (cannibal)) time to bust out the therapy voice tho , you will find your people and they will love you. Ok. ok wtf is happening? are we like the same person or something? wellbutrin buddies ❤ my room needs to be clean and moved the whole sha bang but I cant😔 life needs to be lived and such. I hope you arrived safely and happily and that everything is slightly better for you than it was last message and that you didn't get too carsick. my power went out today for like 3 seconds everything turned off everything , it usually takes alot for that to happen for my house just because its old and other reasons that I dont actually know. I've had a jam out session yesterday, it was so relaxing 😌 🙌 danced my little heart out to them guys I told you about. There's something abt the murders in hannibal that just does it for me... the artistry of it all. I love it when we talk outside of the 5 daily things too!!! hey, did you get that 'you're so mature for your age' as a kid or 'you've got an old soul' ? whats ur thoughts on that? I personally cant really imagine saying that to a kid maybe its a generational thing? ok 🙄😁 I like commentary ive been watching reactions? on youtube its a guilty pleasure, also I've been getting into some reality tv. Wife swap is crazy I love it alot and then the dating ones because ofc. whats one of the 1st reality show you remember watching and not hating? Honey Boo Boo and I Am Jaz (I think?) were my top two choices of reality. maybe a rewatch is in order for me. ok daily things um a guitar got brought into my house today i... its very.. it made me weirdly happy I love music and its instruments. thank goodness tbh my med were just a little later than usual, the pharmacy gave me emergency 3 days for they can figure out whats up because this is the second time we are having the same problem 😅 I had the best brownie of my life, it was store bought but like from the bakery fav dessert. I got this "new" shirt on so comfy, its tie dyed splattered different blues with an astronaut and nasa logo in white, its cute but also like 3? sizes too big (its a hand me down) dont worry abt the guy if a next time happens ill be ready for it 💪 it will go down, I personally know the man's family I will ruin his life if it comes down to it (we live in a town idk if it's small)or realistically just sic my family onto him. I found out my cousin has a gf now and is apparently very much happier than she was with her ex man (who made awesome cheesecake btw off topic tho) gay people stay winning, I did not know she was not straight tho so happy little surprise 😁 jeez its a lot of words uh I hope you're doing good and you had a good sleep and other nice stuff happen to you and you had a good trip🌷🤟🤙❤

HELPPP u are an angel. thank u❤️. and right exactly. normalize thinking fictional murders are artistic or something . thinkin abt how i used to think criminal minds murders were interesting but never had the right words so i'd just be like "woah he *kills them weirdly*? cool"😭. BUT YEAH i did get that all the time omfg "ur so mature for ur age!!" like thanks it's because i have issues and problems 💀....hmm i hate reality tv HAHA. this gc i'm in was just talking abt wife swap the other day how crazy !! idk if i've EVER liked reality tv .... i like watching commentary abt it (like uhh cody ko's stuff) but watching it myself... nope😭. daily things lets see!!! i went to the baltimore aquarium:) i was exhausted tho. saw that a tiktoker i like (hello fem will graham cosplayers...) went there a few days before me. how funny! i wish we had met and fallen in love or something. i went to bed at 5pm yesterday and slept til 3am. then went back to sleep from 6am to 10am. i think my new adhd/anxiety meds are the cause. sadly. cuz they work! but by making me too tired to be nervous or start thinking too much🥲. i'm tired 24/7 already and thats not helping LOL! i had this fancy meal ok multiple fancy meals and it was really nice. i got chesapeake chicken (haha like chesapeake ripper am i right?!?) and it had crab but i'm crazy i'm crazy i didn't eat the crab. the texture was soooo bad. anyway at another place i got a burger bc i'm lame i don't eat seafood (besides shrimp. which i am allergic to.) and i ate almost the whole thing and my friends mom said she was proud of me😭❤️. i always feel so guilty after eating a lot and that made me feel good. i've started watching more vampire video game play throughs. what can i say. vampire masquerade: bloodlines did something to my brain where i like vampire games now. it's the same guy which is cool. i dont like finding new youtubers becuz i've never kept up w whose problematic or not... like what if i get really into someone and mention it and someone's like oh yeah he preys on women. wtf. like umm cry? is he a youtuber? is he evil? cuz i was looking for a pathologic gameplay and he had one and i was like hmm... he sounds familiar. he has probably done something ? maybe? mm lastly.... i read this hunger games hannibal crossover WEEKS AGO but it's just still on my mind. i don't particularly love the hunger games but it's only bc i don't really know a lot abt it. i enjoy it but i've only seen the movies and read the first book (until rue died. never picked it up again after that! i cried a lottttt) and there's like an absurd amount of hannibal crossovers. i guess bc hannibal would totally rule in the hunger games. like come on a CANNIBAL? the uh.. capitol? they'd go crazyyyy for that. the fic itself wasn't even that groundbreaking or anything i have a lot of criticism for it tbh but it opened my brain to the concept. i have another one opened in a tab but it's super long so i haven't made much headway. i want one where it's like.... the one where the old winners come back for a game! and then they escape😈. but in the one i read will and hannibal sort of just escape anyway in a normal hunger game. like ok cool but i don't think that's plausible. but then how would it work ? like could will win a game on his own? maybe i should write my own fic. but then i'd have to understand what happens in the hunger games /j. ugh ok i was thinking abt that one scene where idk they do the little hand signal thing and drag katniss away and go to shut the door like right as they shoot that guy in the head. THAT WAS SO CRAZY. or when katniss shoots the lady instead of president snow and then everyone just descends on him💀 i feel like there's a level of nuance and understanding that i just don't have so i say "woah! cool :)" i hope ur doing well too ily❤️❤️💗

[clothtap]

gta 5 review Normalgo.com

i like Fast delivery, great price, product exactly as described. Nice It Was Good Thanks Disc itself was mangled. Didn’t play. Sent it back. One of the best XBox games of all time Favorite Game, have put so many hours into it Purchased for.my son. No complaints “Amazing game. A bit violent and definitely not recommended for kids. Would be great to have a kids friendly spin off using the same platform.”

Like Awesome Amazing Good Owner gave me the Xbox 360 game instead! It doesn’t work on Xbox one Price was good Excelente el juego que desean los niños Purchased two of these so that me and the wife can team up and take over the world. It is built with so many missions and side missions. We often like to team up with our friends too. Just a really great story and game play. Great product!!! Just love this game. fun game, fast shipping Cost Works well I played and beat this on 360 back when it first came out in 2013. It was fun back then but now with updated graphics and optional first person view it’s a blast. I have been spending my precious little free time playing this. I caught it at $15. Great value. Came in fine with no scratches Love It The disk was fake Excelente juego, buen producto GTA has always been a good game to play. There’s always something new to do so it never gets boring. I wish parents would actually read the rating of this game and keep little kids off of it though. It gets annoying when you’re playing and some of these disrespectful kids get in the lobby trash talking. But overall great game. Comes with everything inside the case and the game is awesome! Even comes with a map! Bought this for PS3, PS4, now the digital version for Xbox One S, because it takes up the same space on the hard drive. Best online game, really not for kids at all. My main concern is the unhealthy rf emitted by the system. I don’t even have kids, but I take out the wireless card from inside my Xbox One S and use Ethernet and use my controller cable. I also use non LED technology projector, another risk to be avoided for children. Same thing with Red Dead 2, it is too violent for kids. All in all, although the singleplayer was awesome, definitely we all love the online. I made over 10 accounts and maxed them all out. Expect an uphill climb getting wealth at first and level up. I grind missions on hard, using playlists I make. A lot of griefers kill you for no reason, but it’s the same on Playstation, although much less lil kids on microphones here, which is quite the plus in my book. I would never buy the special edition because the things cannot be sold and have no trade in value while meanwhile it is nothing I would choose, although it may help you. Main thing to remember is kill death ratio has no value, people with large kd levels are just more likely to be kicked and less likely to be friended by a friendly, helpful CEO interested in making money. What is there really to say about GTA V that would be surprising to anyone. It is awesome. I originally purchased this for Xbox 360, got to 100% completion and then sold my disc. I got the bug to play it again here recently and purchased the game for Xbox One (wow, it really has come down in price) and the gameplay is definitely enhanced. The graphics are quite superior as would be expected to my experience in Xbox 360. I understand that this game has been out a long time; however, $15.00 is an absolute steal for this game. Even if you do every single little side mission you can still have fun just roaming around or hopping onto the online platform.

love the price, and quick delivery. Very good game It was what It said and also a little Extra. With the gta online money.

CD error I need my money back Fun game Had this for my 360 and purchased this when i got my Xbox One. The graphics are sharper and they’ve added so much. “Not much of a game as far as it’s single player campaign. Many flaws in the control layout that make it not very intuitive. Acting was good. Once the campaign is done there ain’t much worth doing. Graphics and gameplay are showing their age. Turns out this game is very much not open. Pretty much another dumb interactive movie type.” Awesome game. Has endless playing game options Happy got this for someone gift as already played game more 100 times, but buy someone just great. Ok It’s literally shows naked people like what!Please for the sake of the human generation don’t get it for someone under 20.It has swears and it is way to violent.And my nephew was a perfect little boy until he got this game.Like a day after he got it I come up to his room and I hear him say 3 swears in a row. Great game, tons of free DLC making the game fun and keeping it interesting. The campaign is awesome in that you make choices that affect the overall outcome, very theatrical campaign. Online play is amazing and has tons of things to do. Always fun. No matter how many times I end up buying it very good game. much fun. vroom vroom Grandson likes it. Bought for his birthday. Played the game to this day. Real fun. Love the updates Best game Nice I’ve never played this game before so when I saw it! I had to buy it! It’s a great game! Bought this my youngest nephew and what else I can say it’s Grand Theft Auto 5 one of best video game series today, that’s all you need to know. Its got alot of cussing Cool Awesome game! Arrived on time and by far my fav game This is fun game, not a fan of multiplayer A very solid game to have in the collection there is so much to do if you hundred percent this game you have too much time on your hands. I found multiplayer to be a little toxic but it’s not nice to group the whole community is mean and wanting to kill you. Very solid single player with an OK multiplayer bass . I bought this present as a gift for my younger brother. He loved the game for months but no longer plays it. 4 play this game in this house. Our favorite game Got this video game for my son it’s a little racy wish I had known beforehand Great game It’s Gta what more needs to be said. bad game I’ve bought this game multiple times and have enjoyed it every time! It was in a Good conditiol.Came nicely packed. Great ty For a second i thought it dnt work so i just restarted my xb1 s and it fixed the problem and the graphics are way better than the xb360 Bothing Hola muy buenos dias, escribo esta oportunidad para hacer reclamo de que los productos nunca me llegaron, nunca me enviaron un numero de traking, por favor para que me den razon del producto, sin mas que agregar me despido espero su pronta respuesta It came sealed and new I bought it just to run around the city blowing stuff up. Excellent game, a lot of content Good price Fun game. Lots of missions. Exactly what I needed. Excellent Price. Fast Delivery My son had to have this!! He loves it!! I laugh watching him play it!! “I can not play this game, it got sucking from the first time I run it Now I will return it back to the buyer” Good ! Was a gift but he likes it. I love this game, I just beat the main storyline for the 4th or 5th time and it is by far the best in the GTA series. The characters are excellent, the options for clothing, vehicles, etc is awesome, the story is addictive, definitely one of my favorite games. Great Uno de los más adictivos, puedes perder todo el tiempo del mundo buscando detalles en la ciudad, haciendo actividades o pequeñas misiones alternas y lo mejor su modo multijugador. Amazing game Came early and my nephews love it Daughter loves it my son not too thrilled with this new, he bought this based on prior issue he played always “hi unfortunately, the box of the cd has two locks, on of them was broken already when I opened it

now the box cannot be closed .

thanks,” Always been a fan of GTA. Son loves it. Brand new shipped in great time. Best game ever the original game came in the box and it was sealed

Cant stop playing. Amazing, disk Looked immaculate. It also came with the enterprise starter pack which usually makes the game cost an extra $30. Which is an amazing deal. Highly satisfied. I always wanted this game, I started playing it almost 3 years ago, when I was in 4th grade. One of my friend took that game to school and when I started playing it, I didn’t wanted to stop. Nicely packaged and it’s new. This might be the most prolific game on this system. Takes a lot of space to play be prepared. Newbies are punished so keep it moving until you are comfortable will combat and confrontation! Way more children play this than you would think it shouldn’t be but it is so. Monitor your children while playing this if you allow mature content in your house. Fun game. Awsome game Second time owning this game and for the record its not good for children nor young adults. It is fun but the language and actions just are not suitable for anyone under 17 i do enjoy this out of control game. Actually i just got done playing it its very hard to put the controller down Love it Hehe haha hooooo Great game, fast delivery This game is just one of a few in a queue list of games I’m looking forward to playing within the next year or two. I’ve heard alot of good things about it, and it was highly recommended by a few well known sources for gamers! I don’t play games but my son said its a great game. So I’m giving all games 5 stars. Bought this because I had it on 360 and liked it, so when I got a new Xbox I had to get it. BEST EVER great game Worth it Cheap and works like a $20 whore Best GTA Game! Epic game definite bye for any gamer Great gift! Came wrapped up and never used. No scratches or marks on inside or out. Would recommend 10/10 Fun to play, GTA is the best! Great One of the best selling games of all time. It has a fun typical GTA story mode. Regularly goes on sale for 10 or 15 bucks. Check it out if you haven’t Worked good Thank you GREAT GAME Case had a little bit of scuff marks, but other than that, the disk and everything else came in brand new condition. Perfect! My son guards this game with his life In a pretend world they sure pander to the already deranged. the “real” world of vulgarity and unnecessary racist stereotypes and language in a PRETNED WORLD which could be a LITTLE different than the real world. I do not get it. Why would you create a parallel fake city based on some west coast crap-hole when you could set a NEW standard? The N word is offensive and you cannot even PLAY the game in a house of people because THEY get offended. Buy headphones, sit in your room and continue to contribute to the everyday stereotype negative for A GAME that is suppose to give you enjoyment and pleasure and fun AWAY from the real world!! Thought the premise of a game was to make you forget your problems for a little while, like a movie or playing an instrument. LOSER GAME!! People do not even get the indoctrination or the pandering. More parents need to buy this for their 13 year olds!! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! Epic game Just needed a replacement due to damage to previous disc BOUGHT TO PLAY ON MY NEW XBOX ONE – LOVE IT AGAIN EVEN LOOKS PRETTIER Love this game. Arrived new and clean, not damaged. Only thing that was unclarified was if it was a digital code or game disk. I was searching for a digital code, but I guess I ordered a game disk. I’m also super happy about the price. Oldie but a goodie I received that disc on 4/26/2019 after i open the box and insert into console then it cant show me the game the disc is empty nothing inside its just blank …. Our twin boys loved this game as an Easter gift Standard Disc. As described. What can I say? It’s GTA V! Worked great Good price and shipped fast seemed to be factory packaging Love it came in new My daughter was overjoyed to receive this surprise, and I was overjoyed at the price, and that it was delivered in two days!! Thank you, Amazon-you saved the day!!!!! 11/10 As described I bought this for one of my Grand Sons he really likes this game. Thank you very much! Great game It worked. It’s not the game for me though. Red Dead is where my heart is, always and forever. Great product Got this for my Xbox one. Since I had it on 360 and I still love the game! Love the game got it for 16 dollars and it was delivered in one day Give for a gift

The post gta 5 review appeared first on Normal.

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[stephicness]

Hello! I wanted to ask: of all the games you've played, which game had a heartbreaking moment? Like it brought you to tears?

OKAY WHY YOU GOTTA MAKE ME RELIVE THE TRAUMA IN MY LIFE?

Nah, man, I kid, I kid. I’ll admit though, I get pretty flubbin’ emotional whenever I play video games. I remember once I was playing a game next to my dad on a mini TV, and I made a choice in an RPG that just had me bawling. He had to comfort me and reassure me that my choice was okay for an hour before I stopped crying.

But that’s not even one of the worst moments I’ve had! :D Let me list some of them for you! (Spoilers ahead, even though some of these games are old as dirt!)

Dragon Age – Legit, I’m just going to lay the game’s entire goddamn series here for you, because I have cried so much throughout it.

I cried when the Human Noble’s family was betrayed and killed at the beginning of Dragon Age: Origins.

I cried when I sacrificed my Warden in Dragon Age: Origins.

I cried when Leandra died in Dragon Age II.

When Anders blew up the chantry and I killed him.

When I sacrificed Hawke to the fade first playthrough of Inquisition.

Pretty much that entire game destroyed me, inside and out. I got invested in the game series when it first came out when I was in middle school/early high school, and it’s just been a roller coaster ride. Can’t wait for what life-ruining thing the next Dragon Age will have!

Mass Effect 3 – Can we just agree that Bioware has the nasty habit of destroying people’s lives with feels? Because after being a long-term fan of Mass Effect, like I was with Dragon Age, Mass Effect 3 just put me to ruins. Everyone dies, nobody is happy, and your soul was destroyed. Does this unit have a soul? NOT AFTER MASS EFFECT 3. It got to the point where I had to walk away from the game for a few hours and cry in the shower because Mordin died. And when I got the alternate scene where it was Captain Kirahe that Kai Leng killed instead of Thane, I screamed, cried, and screamed again.Bioware, stop destroying my feelings. I have very few feelings left as it is.

Final Fantasy VII – I think we can all agree that this game has its moments that just invoke heartbreak and sadness. But my favorite moment is… Not Aerith’s death. It was Zack’s death. Particularly when Crisis Core was created and we got to see the scene in full CGI glory, Zack’s death got me sobbing. And sobbing hard. It didn’t help either that as a GMV editor, I would have to see this scene often. Or edit with it, cut it, manipulate it. Oh god, it was terrible. And I still get sad thinking about it because that bean deserved better.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – The Final Fantasy XIII franchise is one that gets bagged on by veteran FF fans because of how strangely developed it was, but I honestly found myself on a roller coaster particularly when the last game of the Lightning saga came out. The first game was kinda sad, but not as feelsy as Lightning Return was. Again, I get emotional when I play games, but I cried alot during Lightning Returns. I cried for Snow turning all Cieth on us, I cried for Caius and Yeul because the revelation of why the Chaos existed hit me HARD, I cried over Lightning and her despairing feeling of loneliness at the end of the game – I got really emotional, okay? Especially over Caius, because that asshole made me like him even more in Lightning Returns. I still get emotional thinking about it.

Final Fantasy X – OKAY LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS TEEDOUCHE BAG. Legit, the ending of Final Fantasy X destroyed me the first time I played it, destroyed me years after I played it, and destroys me even to this day. I remember one day during lunch in high school, I was talking about the game with my friends (whom most of which have beaten the game as well), and I just started sobbing. Not like single tear sobbing, but like full on wailing because SHE WHISTLED FOR THAT TEEDOUCHE AND HE NEVER CAME TO HER. God, after this tale of romance and devotion, they hit us with that, and I just got wrecked. I got wrecked so badly.

Final Fantasy XV – I feel like I don’t even need to explain that this game was heartbreaking all together. BUT I WILL ANYWAYS BECAUSE HOLY MOTHER OF DAMNATION. I mention this alot, but I followed this game from when it was first announced as part of the Fabula Nova Crysallis (whatever the hell they called it) project, so I was already pretty invested in XV when it was still called Versus XIII. I knew it was going to be a rough game with the trailers, and the emphasis on Noctis having to fight his way out of Insomnia during pre-development trailers. But when XV came out finally, and we played the road trip simulator for the first nine chapters, things went to hell so goddamn fast. I kid you not, by the time the game ended, I was so broken that I couldn’t even cry anymore. I was a soulless husk just with my hand over my mouth, wanting to sob, but I couldn’t because I had shed all of my tears when it revealed that Ravus was turned into a monster.My tears didn’t fall. They crashed around me. This game destroyed my goddamn life. I love it.

Final Fantasy Type-0 – Yet another Final Fantasy game, but this one is really underrated, I feel. The combat was hard to get used to, and some of the gameplay dynamics were strange compared to what we got used to with XIII and the games prior to it. But I kid you not, not even 15 minutes into the game – not even when you get to even so much look at the tutorial, I was sobbing my goddamn face off. Over a chocobo. A chocobo. And don’t get me started on that ending either. I had first seen the ending on its own as a cutscene when I was footage hunting, and I sobbed my face off because of how miserable that ending was. As to be expected from a Tabata game, but GOD. At least show a little bit of mercy, please!

Heavy Rain – Why yes, hello. Allow me to take a break from all of these Final Fantasy games to tell you about Heavy Rain. So this game is designed in a really cool way, kind of like an interactive visual novel, but alot more detail. You control your characters, and your choices influence the outcome of the story based on how much you explore the world and what dialogue you pick, etc. And this game was one that made me cry from not only sadness and heartbreak, but also from sheer anxiety playing it. It gets pretty graphic – one time to the point where one of the main characters, Ethan, has to server one of his fingers before the serial killer would allow him to progress to the next challenge to rescue his son again. I cried really hard because I felt so bad for my choice, and watching Ethan cut his finger off and then cauterize it closed was awful watching. And what was worse was than in my playthrough, I made so many bad choices that I found myself crying hard from how bad of an ending I got in the end. Rough stuff, man, but a great story if you haven’t played it yet!

[intothejunkdrawer-blog]

Hey everyone! I’m going to talk a little about my thoughts on Destiny 2! Soooooo spoiler alert if you haven’t watched the Destiny 2 livestream from today! Now that I’ve warned you, let’s chat about it! 

I personally loveeeee taking screenshots in game, Destiny in particular, hence the photo attached to this post! It became one of my favorite things about Destiny after realizing how beautiful the scenery is! I started playing around and experimenting with tips on how to take good in game photos and it made me wish I would have started sooner. In Destiny 2, it appears like the worlds are going to be even more awesome, larger, and more beautiful which immediately caught my eye! So as lame as it may sound my number one excitement about Destiny 2 is exploring the new worlds and environments and getting some wicked sweet screenshots. Still sticking with the topic of new planets, it is really neat that they have created a new map system allowing us to switch from location to location without the need to go to orbit. This will be a time saver as well as a nifty tool when looking for activities within the locations.

Another cool feature they are adding is the use of clans within the game itself. Now clans are seeming like they will be a more important and useful feature in Destiny 2. As a player who did not really have a large friend circle playing Destiny, it was hard for me to complete raids, participate in trials, or survive the challenges that come with nightfalls. This struggle was due to the lack of people online playing the game on my friends list. Basic strikes were fine because you were thrown into match making but aside from that alot of the features involved having a fireteam already in place, with nightfall you could be matched but it’s impossible if you aren’t communicating over the mic. I am excited that they are making it easier for people to interact and communicate in game in order for all kinds of players to have the ability to complete these activities. Now if you are a solo player, you can choose a clan to match up with to run through something such as the raid! This is even a great feature for the clans who lose that 1 player right before they start, for whatever reason! The show can still go on! Lol

I also was super interested in the new Titan super called Sentinel. The other two new supers seem cool too, but seem even less unique and are even more like exact copy cats of the Destiny supers that already exist. Arcstrider for the Hunter resembles the Blade Dancer super from the Hunter’s except now it’s a staff instead! The Dawnblade for the Warlock resembles the Hammer of Sol from the Titan’s except now it’s a sword instead! And even with the Sentinel, I can see it being compared to the Warlock’s Nova Bomb! But I do appreciate the Captain America like quality of being able to throw the Titan shield at enemies! It looked pretty neat! 

They are also making changes to crucible, I won’t address those since I didn’t really play PvP on Destiny, unless I had too. I didn’t retain enough information about that besides that there will be 4v4 matches now! Also they are adding a new defensive mode which could be cool to check out!

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the Destiny 2 livestream/gameplay. I think alot of cool features are being added and I believe that, as a Destiny fan, this game will be even more than I expected it to be! I waited to pre-order because I wanted to see gameplay, now I can’t wait to spend my $100 to get it all! Lol Now I will just need to overcome my anxiety of playing with people I don’t know IRL so I can join a clan and complete the activities to come! I know that the community is part of the experience but as a female gamer, who is also not perfect and makes plenty of mistakes, I have always been intimidated by the “perfect gamer” male counterparts! Hopefully I can meet a cool group of chicks to join in with and combat the dreaded CABAL! 

EXCITED FOR MYSELF AND FELLOW GUARDIANS!