#there are other options i can explore even though it was frustrating and i didn't enjoy a second of it

[writingwhileblvck]

Can you do one where Bakugou gets from work horny and he walks in on you fingering yourself?

Absolutely! I changed it up just a tiny bit, but nothing crazy, so I hope you enjoy!

Stress Reliever

Paring: Bakugou x Fem Reader

Both you and Katsuki knew, in being hero's you would both have to find time for each other. However, when you have shifts that contradict each other, that becomes a lot easier said than done. Especially lately, since there has seem to be a surge of new villains that was currently infesting the city. It was nothing that too difficult to handle but with Katsuki on night patrol, the extra work was keeping him away from you for longer than either of you would like.

Tonight you figured you get some work done instead of lounging around the house, but you were really missing your man. Every inch of your body was craving his touch. His hands on your things, his lips on your neck, just the thought made you dizzy. But you put it out of your mind so you could work. Or... At least you TRIED. You really did try to get your mind off of it, because you had so much paperwork to finish. But as you sat at your desk, the throb between your legs was becoming unbearable.

Ah. What the hell?

An aggravated sigh of defeat fell from your mouth as you leaned back in your chair. Katsuki was plaguing your mind, and in that moment all you wanted was his lips wrapped around your sensitive little clit. But in his absence you were the next best option.

Thank god you were home. You thought as you propped yourself on top of your desk. With your boyfriend's shirt already discarded on the floor, you laid back and ran your hands down your body, legs spreading instinctually as you slowly removed your soaked panties. Your fingers explored your wet folds, rubbing small circles on your clit and letting your mind wonder.

You imagine Katsuki sitting in your desk chair and eating you like a man starved. Sucking , slurping, and moaning into your hot cunt. Your rubbed faster, harder. You could practically feel his lips wrapped around your hardened nipples, as his fingers easily reached and abused that sweet spot.

You groaned in frustration, cause no matter how hard you tried, your finger would never be enough. So instead your reached into your desk drawer and pulled out your pink dildo. Using the big suction cup on the end, you attached it to the surface of the desk. You were already dripping, so you didn't even bother with the lube and just lowered yourself down.

You didn't give to fucks about the papers below you as you rode your pretty toy. They were already cover in the sticky juices and beyond saving. All you were worried about was cumming, and you bounced up and down like your life depended on it.

"Fuck Katsuki...."

The little toy didn't compare to his coke can of a dick and you knew it, but you were desperate. You reached back into the drawer and pulled out your rose shaped vibrator. Putting it on his highest setting you went to town on your poor clit.

And there you were, completely bare naked on top of your desk, fucking the shit out of yourself. You were so gone you didn't hear the front door open...

Katsuki dragged himself through the front door of your shared home absolutely exhausted. This overtime was killing him. Having to do these drive by meeting with you was killing him too. Not being able to hold you like he wants, kiss you like he wants, fuck you like he wants... Even now, all he wanted was his girlfriend's sweet thighs wrapped around his face-

He pause though when he heard a weird sound coming from down the hall. It was late so he just assumed you'd already gone to bed. But oh was he surprised when he found you in your office desperately fucking yourself.

He watched you from the crack in the door, not daring to interrupt this beautiful sight. The moans that fell from your mouth were sinful, and each cry of his name went straight to his dick.

Katsuki palmed himself through his uniform as he watched your ass bounce on that pathetic dildo. Smiling to himself because he knows that he'll have you squirting within minutes when he gets his hands on you.

Eventually, Katsuki abandons just palming himself for just straight up stroking his hard cock. He paces himself with you as your moans get louder and louder. He can hear the squelching of your juicy pussy from where he was, the sound alone almost made him bust. But he was able to hold it together a bit longer until he heard you scream his name and squirt all over your desk.

He tried his best to stay quite has his thick, hot ropes of cum decorate your office door, but he knew he failed when he saw you shoot up and look straight at the door. Pushing the door open, he revealed himself in all his glory.

To say your were embarrassed would be the understatement of the century, as you tried to scramble from on top of the desk. Katsuki's voice is what made you freeze though.

"Might as well stay right there babygirl. It's daddy's turn to fuck you stupid." He was looking at you at a hunter about to capture its prey, and you could feel yourself getting worked up again.

So you did as he said, and arched that pretty ass up high for him. Because who were you to deny daddy what he wanted?

[cosmiccrushes]

Consequences

Lucanis x Rook || 2.0k words

on ao3

summary: Shadow Dragon Rook confronts Lucanis about his anger towards her after she chooses to go to Minrathous.

notes: wanted to explore the idea of what lucanis' anger at rook might mean, if their relationship were to continue developing (since you're just locked out of the romance option in game booo lol)

Lucanis lifts his head out of his hands at the knock on his door. His shoulders stiffen as he calls “come in.” He already knows who it will be. He stays seated on his bed, rooted down by the fear growing heavy in his chest. 

Rook enters. A guarded expression on her face that erupts an ache in Lucanis’ already tender heart. She halts several paces away. 

“We need to talk, Lucanis.” 

“Rook…” Lucanis begins. “I am not sure there is anything to say.” Not anything he knows how to put words to, not anything he knows if he’s allowed to put words to. 

“I disagree. I think there's plenty to say. If you'd stop giving me the cold shoulder.” 

Lucanis rubs his temple in agitation. Doesn't she understand? He has avoided and brushed her off out of fear of how Spite might twist his pain if Lucanis lets down his guard, lets her back in. 

“So this is what we are to become?” Lucanis might miss the slight quiver in her voice if he had not come to know her so well. “People who barely acknowledge each other's existence? I thought we were friends.” 

“I don't know what else to do, Rook.” He wonders if she can hear the plea in his words. He'd give anything for her counsel, for her to show him the way through this confusing mess of emotions. 

“Talk to me!” She clenches her mouth shut as if surprised by her own outburst. “Please,” she whispers the word and it could undo him. But undo him into what? He’s not sure. 

“I don't know what to say, Rook. What is done is done. I don't-” Lucanis sighs heavily. “I don't blame you for what happened to Treviso.” 

“Don't you, though?” She tips her nose into the air and Lucanis recognizes the familiar set of Rook issuing a challenge. The desire to trace his finger along the bridge of her nose stirs him angrily to his feet. 

“You made a hard choice. As all leaders must.” 

“And you are never going to forgive me for it are you?” She says it with a tone of resignation but Lucanis sees the question in her eyes. 

“It's not- It isn't that simple.” He wishes it were. He wishes he had enough power over Spite to face her with what her choice made him feel.  

“But it's that simple with Neve?” There’s an undercurrent of emotion in her words that feels like accusation. Lucanis doesn’t know how else to place it.  

“It's not like that.” He’s not entirely sure what he’s denying, but he feels like that’s what he should do. 

“That seems to be exactly what it’s like. Neve gets forgiven and I-” She jerks her gaze sharply away from him and Lucanis wonders if she is hiding her tears behind her curtain of hair, if he warrants that kind of response from her.  

“You are not Neve.” Lucanis says, because it's the truth. 

A bitter laugh from Rook. “Right. I am not.” 

Lucanis shakes his head in frustration. He can't tamp down the anger he feels at how little Rook understands. “This changes things, Rook. How could it not? Treviso needed you and you abandoned it.” He had needed her. She had left him and it had petrified him to realize how much he'd come to expect her beside him. In such a short span of time together, Lucanis had shaped himself around her constant presence. Lucanis did not feel those things for people and, as he looked out at his blighted city and thought only of facing it with Rook, he had felt afraid- and angry. But at himself or at her? He couldn’t say. 

“I didn't abandon Treviso, Lucanis! That is unfair and you know it. I chose to stand with my home. With my people! Just like you did! Just like Neve did. What would you have done in my position?” She stabs a finger into his chest. He hadn't even noticed the way they'd drifted together. 

He knows he would've chosen his own family too. But this anger he feels- like careening off a cliff and it's all his fault for not being more cautious- it sparks a truth in him that he's never been faced with. They had been presented with the same choice, and they’d both chosen their homes. But Rook wasn’t mad at him for going to his people as she went to hers. His pain didn’t feel like that of a man let down by his leader. It felt like the sting of betrayal by someone he trusted. And Lucanis only trusted his family. So what, did that make Rook to him?  

“I would’ve chosen my home.” He finally answers her. 

She drops her hand, fingers curling into a fist before falling limply at her sides. “You've reconciled with Neve. But you can't even look at me. You won’t even be in the same room as me.” He has to lean in to catch her next sentence, exhaled on a breath. “Why is she different from me?” 

Lucanis' blood rushes in his ears, his heart lodges in his throat. Understanding dawns over him. Does she think it was easier to forgive Neve because his friendship with Neve meant more? He almost wants to laugh at how absurd this situation is, how ill-equipped he is to navigate the complexities of relationships. Lucanis doesn’t really have friends, Illario notwithstanding. And whatever has been brewing within him since Treviso was attacked feels so unfamiliar he’d almost attribute it to Spite. If the demon hadn’t coiled around the emotion and cackled, as if he understood what Lucanis couldn’t quite grasp.   

“She is not you,” Lucanis winces at his words when Rook flinches away like she's been hit. He reaches out shaky, tentative fingers to gently lift her chin so she'll meet his eyes. “You are the one who is different.” His cheeks blaze with embarrassment and his fingers tingle where they connected with her skin. His pulse thrums with his nervousness that this was not how friends touch each other. 

“I don't-” She shakes her head in confusion. 

“Neve chose to go to her home-” 

“As did I!” Rook interrupts. 

“I know. But,” he swallows around the lump in his throat. “You didn't choose me. And I am so angry at myself for expecting you to.” He feels horrifyingly fragile under her gaze. 

Her eyes dart back and forth between his own. “Oh, Lucanis.” She gently places a hand against his chest, over his heart. “I am so sorry. I never meant for it to feel like I wasn't choosing you. It wasn’t a choice between friends. I just…Minrathous is the only place I’ve ever known.” 

Lucanis wills his heart not to race under her palm. “I know it's not fair of me to place those expectations on you. I know you didn't do anything wrong, but Spite-” Lucanis doesn't know how to finish the thought, how to voice his fear. 

“Spite makes you, well, spiteful of me,” she finishes for him with a sad smile. “I understand, Lucanis. I won't force my friendship on you.”

She turns to walk away and a new fear grips Lucanis tight. He doesn't pause to think of the consequences. He reaches out his hand, snagging her wrist. She looks back at him questioningly. 

“I don't want to lose your friendship.”

“Nor I yours. Tell me what I need to do, Lucanis.” 

A creeping panic crawls over him. He is this twisted and tangled up, having had her in his life for this blink of time that feels so much more substantial than his last year locked in the Ossuary. What will become of him if he asks for more? What would become of him if he didn’t? 

“I don’t know if I will be angry,” Lucanis warns. 

She nods slowly. “That’s okay. Your anger doesn’t scare me.” 

For some reason this makes him angry. “It should,” he says gruffly. “I cannot predict what Spite will do.” 

“I can handle your Spite, Lucanis.” Her voice drops in a gravely scrape that sends an inexplicable lance of heat through him. His mind, befuddled, as he races to sort through what his response means.

It’s the moment of distraction Spite has been waiting for. The demon seizes on his dazedness, and, in a flash of purple, thrusts an arm to Rook’s throat and pins her to the wall. Lucanis watches himself as if he’s at the bottom of a very deep well looking up, as Spite speaks with his voice. 

“You think you can handle me, little Shadow?”  

“Hello, Spite.” Rook does not miss a beat and does not look nearly as afraid as Lucanis needs her to. “Lucanis and I were in the middle of a conversation.” Lucanis wants to beg her to please not chastise the demon with its hands at her throat. 

“You. Mock. Me!” Spite howls. 

Rook looks genuinely affronted. “I do no such thing.” 

“You think you can subdue me. I. Want. Out!” 

Rook tilts her head thoughtfully. “And I want to not be tasked with hunting down my ancient elven gods and stopping them from blighting the whole bloody world. But we don't always get what we want.”

Spite hisses, but Lucanis feels his surge of glee, not anger, at Rook's words. “Yes. You have malice in you.”

“Oh most certainly.” Rook chuckles darkly. “I don't mock you, Spite. I understand what it means to be trapped within something you don't want. Neither you nor Lucanis deserve what was done to you, but you're stuck with each other now. I won't begrudge you your anger for it.” She reaches up to wrap her fingers around Lucanis' arm pressing into her lungs. “But I also won't let you hurt Lucanis. If you need to bloody your fists against something,” her nails dig into his forearm and there’s that tilt of her nose again as she challenges a demon. “Here I am. Do your worst. But I will not hurt Lucanis for you.” 

Spite tilts back his head in a bellowing laugh. “Oh, I like her!” 

A warmth blossoms in Lucanis' chest as he falls upwards from a great height, crashing back into his body. Spite's laughter continues echoing across his mind, but now it's Lucanis' weight pressing Rook into the stone. He stares at the determined set of her jaw, the fire blazing behind her eyes. The warmth seeps through his chest, wrapping around his throat, squeezing at his air supply. 

Love. Spite laughs harder. Mierda, it is love buried beneath his anger and fear. Lucanis didn’t think it was possible, didn’t think he could fall in love. But he’s listened to Illario ramble about it enough to be certain that is what has been pushing its way out of his chest. He is falling in love with Rook. Or has he already fallen? He’s not sure how it works or what he can do about it. Though it is painfully apparent now why he has felt so scared.

He drops his arm from Rook’s body, stumbling awkwardly back from her. He stares down at his own hands. These are the consequences of getting too close to her. If this were a contract, he’d have failed it spectacularly by not noticing that it was already too late, he’d already come much too close to the danger. 

“Lucanis?” The sound of her voice snaps his gaze back up to hers. He must wear his panic unchecked on his face, because alarm flashes over her own. “Lucanis,” she says more urgently, stepping forward to grasp one of his hands. “What’s wrong?”

He is frozen in his body. Spite may no longer be in control, but Lucanis doesn’t feel like he is either. 

“Hey, hey,” Rook soothes. “It’s okay. We will get through this. Together. That’s what friends do.” Her hand tightens around his. 

Lucanis would quietly take whatever wretched consequences fate wrought upon him. But he would not allow them to befall her. If that meant he had to bury away this strange, budding love to keep her safe, he would dig deep until his fingernails were ragged and bleeding. 

“Friends?” Lucanis breathes out. Want. More. Spite inhales. 

Illario liked to wax poetic about how much love could hurt. But even his cousin’s dramatics could not prepare Lucanis for the consequences of a demon falling in love.  

[omg-snakes]

Ugh my spotted python bit me today. Hes my first snake and I feel bad he’s getting all my newbie mistakes but he’s done really well with handling and this is the first time I just don’t know what happened? I know they don’t bite out of the blue but I had taken him outside and he was very relaxed in my arms with his head on my shoulder, I stepped off the porch so he could feel some sun and made sure to keep his head in the shade and after a few seconds he moves around to the front of me and just slams my lip. Obviously it’s not bad I’m just so frustrated and feel like every step forward has like three back. And maybe he just doesn’t want to be handled that would be ok but he seems so good and happy to explore most of the time. I have looked into choice based handling but he never wants to wake up and come out of his hides during the day but he always is relaxed once he is out.

Aw, I'm so sorry you got tagged. That sounds like it was really jarring. Please don't be discouraged, though. Snake keeping is a journey, not a destination, and though it may feel like you're not making good progress, every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow with your pet.

Spotted pythons are nocturnal, so he may have been startled by the sudden sunshine and warmth and either mistook you for a predator or a snack. Bites are disheartening (and a bite in the face doubly so!) but it's part of snake ownership. We will all take a chomp at some point.

I once had my leucistic Texas rat snake on my lap while I was reading and I guess he fell asleep at some point, and when I moved my arm I must have startled him awake because he freaked out and tagged me out of nowhere. I was shocked and a bit hurt in the moment, and I totally get how you're feeling. It's nobody's fault. These are animals and sometimes they react to stimuli we think are pretty benign in ways we didn't expect!

If you're going to implement choice-based handing, it'll likely only happen after the sun has gone down. It might be good to try to interact on his terms for a while, as late in the day as you can and in low-light situations. He's less likely to be a butt if he's up and active during the part of his natural rhythm when he's most alert.

I mean, imagine having somebody pull you out of bed at 3am and shine a flashlight with the power of the sun at you. Even if it wasn't right in your eyes, you might be a touch irritable!

I hope that the two of you can find some common ground and that you are able to build more confidence as a keeper. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes, as you so quickly forgave him when he bit you. I know spotted pythons are considered a decent beginner species but I've definitely found them more challenging than some of the other options.

At the end of the day you're just two completely different animals trying to understand each other, and that's pretty cool.

[emeraldhazeart]

Oh hey thank you for following XD I am curious since you like tmnt 03 and Leo is your favorite I was wondering what’s your opinion on Raph how do you feel about him?

Hiya. Thank you so much for your ask 💚

Oh stars, I love all the 03 boys! Every one of them is just perfect, as far as I'm concerned. They will always be the version of the turtles, for me. 😅

This got long, so I've put it below a Read more 😅

I must admit, though, I didn't really vibe with Raph when I was growing up. You're right: Leo is my favourite, but in terms of personality, I'm much more like Donnie. So, I found it difficult to connect with the brash, "count on [him] to throw the first punch" Raphael.

That said, I've really grown to appreciate Raph as I've gotten older. Fanfic is always a powerful empathising tool for putting you into the mind of a character you might not have otherwise gelled with, and there are so many fantastic explorations of his character out there!

In addition, I guess my own worldview has evolved as I've grown wiser. So now, I'm much better able to see his hot headed temperament and gruff exterior for what they really are: Ralph's own unique way of expressing his love for his family.

I love how he's the Red Oni to Leo's Blue. I love how they're two sides of the same coin. I love how they each take up the mantle of the Responsible One™️ when the other is going through it. I love how there's no denying they love each other as brothers, even when they're at each other's throat.

I love how considerate he is of Donnie. I love how they've got this unique bond where they can come together and talk machines as equals. I can definitely see why they're often portrayed as twins in fanon.

I love how clearly the push and pull between him and Mikey is a way they show they care about each other. I love how ready Raph is to give Mikey outlets, even if he hides it beneath a frustrated growl and a slap on the back of the head.

I love how he seeks out Splinter for guidance in the rare moments when he's lost. I love how you can tell his Dad means so much to him, even if Raph will only ever say so through actions rather than words.

I love how Raph is always the first to jump to any of his brothers' aid. I love how it's clear that, even though he may talk tough, at the end of the day, his family is the most important thing in the world to him, and he's not afraid to show it. I love how his Number 1 priority is always and forever to his family.

(I know that seems a bit redundant - they'd all put their family first. But I feel like Raph is perhaps the only one that would choose to save his brother's over the rest of the world.

Leo would be bound by honour to do the Right Thing, Mikey's compassion wouldn't let him save his brothers over an innocent, and Donnie would be forced to choose the most logical option. None of them would like it, but they'd all feel compelled to act for The Greater Good, even if it meant sacrificing their family.

But Raph? I honestly can't see him making any other choice but his brothers. Sure, he'd lay down his life for them in a heartbeat, but to paraphrase the words of Amy Rose in Sonic 06, if Raph had to choose between the world or his brothers, he'd choose his brothers.

And I don't mean that in a negative way. It's an impossible Trolley Problem choice, and there are no right answers. I don't think Raph is any less noble for making the "selfish" choice. If anything, I respect him more because he would make that choice, and he'd defend it to the end.)

Wow, that got long, sorry 😅 I didn't realise I had that much to say about Raph. Then again, that's the beauty of the 03 turtles for you: they're such goldmines of exploration and characterisation 💚

[igglemouse]

So yeah, I guess this week is off to an interesting start huh? It's only Monday and so much has already happened. Hard to imagine that the rest of this week can top what happened this weekend, you know, with me meeting Mr. Fate himself.

I could definitely go for more meetings with him...yeah, that would work...

I guess we should talk about what happened last night huh? Kind of hard to ignore so here is the summary: Niklas and I are getting really, really, REALLY close. Super duper close. At least that's what I'm hoping.

I have no idea where this might lead but it is on the right track. I'm happy I gave him the keys to the place, that might be rash for sure but after last night I think it was a really good decision. Let me show you why...

He's already over here cleaning my kitchen. I repeat, he's cleaning my kitchen! I didn't ask him to, I didn't even expect him to stick around again, and just look at him? Really going above and beyond huh? This just might be the start of something beautiful.

Kind of odd though because I am sure he said he knew a trick for cleaning yet there he is scrubbing away. You know what? I prefer the scrubbing. He looks amazing doing things I don't feel like doing at all.

Like I've said, I'm not sure where this whole thing with Niklas will go so I'll just take it a day at a time and see what comes of it. No rush.

In other Gracelyn news, I'm getting better at making Jewelry! This is nothing amazing, nothing special, but it looks like something that I might be able to sell. Don't get too excited, it's just a plain bronze bracelet but I'd wear it and I made it with my own two hands so that's cool!

After crafting my bracelet I definitely deserved to just sit back and soak. A lady always deserves a bit of self-care, no matter what! It's not luxury, it's necessity!

After getting all clean I settle down and relax a bit and thankfully Niklas is back over. I'm not sure what his schedule is but I imagine it might be quite hectic with the doctor aspiration AND practicing magic although I guess he doesn't care too much about the latter? Either way, I'm happy when he's around and that is all that matters.

Since he is here though I can't help but ask him a question that has been at the back of my mind; "So, how long does it take to learn something like that? Like say I wanted to clean the toilet with a a flick of my wrist?"

He thinks about it for a moment. "I don't know, I guess it doesn't work that way? A spell like that might look easy but the magician performing it is usually exerting a lot of energy."

"But is it hard to do? If I wanted to learn it, how long would it take?" I ask again because he didn't answer, not really, and besides that at least would be useful? Would the realm really be upset if I used magic to keep my house clean?

He pauses again and thinks about the answer he's ready to give. "I guess it usually wouldn't take too long. A few days? A week at most? You just need the right teacher-" and he stops himself there as if he had been interrupted. He knows this might be a sore sport for me because I'm not allowed a teacher. I know what you're thinking, HE could teach me, but it would risk him getting in trouble with the Realm and so I wouldn't ask that of him.

The silence lingers between us for a moment and for me a frustration that has been lingering within threatens to explode. What calms me is the fact that there is apparently an option to learn magic, the option Valerie wants us to explore...

"I guess I should get going. Practicing medicine is a lot harder than practicing magic, trust me on that!" Niklas offers what is a comforting smile and stands to leave. He wasn't here long, not long enough, and while I'm sure he has to study or do whatever I can't help but feel the conversation of magic is pushing him out.

"O-okay, no magic! Not if you don't want to," I hope I don't sound too desperate but...I like having him around? Can you blame me? People have avoided me for all of my life so when I find someone who isn't I can't help but get a little clingy and sticky.

"Don't worry Grace! I just want to be careful, that's all," he reassures me and before I can respond he pulls me into a hug and I happily sink into his arms and enjoy the comfort of his embrace. I wish he could stay a little longer. "I'll be around," he promises and pulls away. "Be careful, okay?"

I nod, still wishing I could keep him over a little longer, but I guess there is always tomorrow.

Being careful? Yeah...no, not my style, in fact I'm going to do the opposite for tonight. I did tell Triple V I wanted to come see what this Matlock Society is all about and so that's how I plan on spending the rest of my night.

I should have been worried when the location led me to the middle of nowhere and to what looked to be an abandoned ruin. There was something in the air, a heaviness, a strange taste, and it warned me to change my plans but as always curiosity pushed me forward once again.

It's Triple V, I told myself, a lifelong friend. I've had her back and she's had mines so why would I turn back now? If there is trouble that's all the more reason to make sure she's not in the middle of it.

But as I get closer I'm not sure what I see.

From a distance there is a robed figure standing silently over three women. One is Triple V, I can of course tell from the hair. The other two? Can't say, I have no idea who they are but they are all in costume. A purple toga like robe that umm, well, leaves them partly naked.

They are mumbling something in unison, a chant, and I hesitate to take another step because it is unsettling.

The incantation, spoken in what I knew to be an ancient tongue, sent shivers down my spine. No, not in that cliche way of fear, quite the opposite, they were good shivers. Pleasurable shivers. Odd. A moment ago I was scared to come closer but now I wanted to. I suppose the more it reached my ears the more it drew me forward. The more it asked me to submit. To what, I can't say...

This, this is magic. It's not overrated. It's not dull. It's real and powerful and...dangerous.

Despite the temptation I kept my distance although I'm not sure how. Maybe instinct, maybe it's one of those protection wards my mother had placed on me? Whatever the case, I stayed back and watched as magic unfolded before me.

The robed figure's voice goes up a few notches and takes a more commanding tone. Each word she speaks is sharp and spoken with purpose and the three women, including Vee, repeated and started to lift some kind of orb into the air. It hovered between them, a ball of pure crackling energy, its raw power clear as I imagined the damage it could do despite its small size.

Something told me there was something wrong with it though, the energy wobbled and waned and blinked?

"HOLD IT!" the robed woman demand slices through the air but I could tell it was taking a lot for each of the women to hold it. The pale one with the purple hair, the seer, was holding her own but the others were struggling.

Then it disappears. No, not with a pop or fizzle or even a fade. It was simply there one moment and gone the next. As if it never existed at all.

The three women, including my friend, collapses to the ground in pure exhaustion. The robed figure stood over them disappointed, then looked right at me...

"Miss Matlock," she said with a gleam in her eye and was it reverence? Yes, she respects me, I'm not quite sure why but... "I didn't believe you would come and yet here you are. It is a pleasure to meet the heir herself."

"Yeaah ummm," how do I respond to that? "What was that? That ball? It was there one moment and then-"

"That," she interrupts with a cool and measured tone. "Was energy from another plane of existence. It would take some time to explain but I would not do so for a...non-member."

"A non-member?" I repeat, my mind catching up to what this whole thing might actually be about. It's a club of sorts, right? Some secret magical club that requires your loyalty? Perhaps a better word for it would be a cult.

"Yes," the robed woman replies. "We are the Matlock Society and we exist to uphold and preserve the forgotten magics your family has matered. Your mother, the blood witch, and your father, the bender. Magics that can do a great amount of good if-"

"Okay, one moment," let's stop her before she gets too far ahead of herself. I'm not quite ready for a deep dive on all of this stuff. "I'm going to let you finish but, who are you?"

"I am Alana Thayer, priestess of the Matlock Society," she began in that steady tone of hers and somehow with a weight that told me this was serious business to her. The night itself seemed to speak with her as if it had become her partner. It shielded just enough of her face that I could barely make out her features. "I have been trusted with the duty of guiding those who dare to dip their toes into more, lets say, turbulent waters."

"Well Alana, can I ask something?"

"Yes, of course," her head tilts, her dark eyes meeting my questioning ones, her voice taking on a softer and more welcoming tone as a slight breeze makes her robes rustle ever so slightly. "You'll find that here no question is too small, no question too bold. Speak freely and know that curiosity is awarded, it is but the first step towards-"

"What are they doing?" I blurt out, probably a little sharper than intending. The air seemed thicker now and it was adding to a growing uneasiness I was having about all of this. None of this feels...good. I don't mean in a comforting way, I mean in a way of good and evil, right and wrong.

Alana on the other hand doesn't seem bothered by my botheredness, in fact her face lights up at my question and she turns back to the source of my query. "Ah!" she exclaims, looking back at the trio of women behind us. Only moonlight exposes them and now they are without any kind of clothes. Their palms are flat against each other as they make a circle and begin to chant. What they chant I cannot possibly know.

"They've expanded a great deal of energy," Alana explains as if she were a proud mother. "Now they rely on another to replenish it. It's a form of bonding, my dear, a bond of spirit and strength. We trust each other with our very lives."

I look past her and to that circle of women that includes my lifelong friend Triple V. There was something tempting about it I must admit. The way their voices blend, the way they seem almost stuck together and all dedicated to one singular goal. There is something raw about it, something human about it and yet...

"Sisters, huh?"

"Yes, we are sisterhood. We hold a very special position among the society. It'll all be explained to you in due time, Miss Matlock. You'll find that-"

"Wait," I can't help but interrupt again and maybe its out of necessity? Perhaps I'm just not ready for any of this? "Do you guys usually train out in the open like this? What about the veil? If someone comes out and sees you all doing this that is, wouldn't the the Realm come down hard upon you?"

"The Realm is...not our concern," she says with an odd tilt to her head and a lilt in her voice. "They have their rules and we have ours. Theirs is but one belief, Miss Matlock. It is different, but I'd argue not better."

"Yeah, this does look like a lot of rule breaking," I say through the chanting. I imagine if the the realm knew about this they would do all they can stop it. Either that or they do know about it and can't stop it.

"Oh," Alana steps in. "We do follow rules, Miss Matlock, it's just that ours comes from a higher place. Theirs are rules of men, ours are rules of Gods. Tell me, which would you follow? A simple man or the Watcher? Infinity belongs to us and within us it resides. Your father understood that."

The scoff could be heard in my voice and seen on my face. "My father was a mad man, he believed in alternate universes and timelines and tried to merge them and control them and-"

Alana laughs with a knowing smile on her lips. "No, your father didn't believe it, Miss Matlock. Your father KNEW it to be true. Why do you think the Realm hunted him down and killed him?"

"Because..." I start, but do I know for sure? I don't know. That's the truth. There are two sides to every story and no matter what I've been told I do know that my parents loved me. That counts for something, doesn't it? So instead of answering I change the subject. "And my mother-"

"Came from one of those realms," Alana smoothly cuts in like a lawyer ready for the question. "A parallel universe, one where power is freely accessed and used. Your mother was a blood witch, nasty business to be sure, especially considering her rare 'half-vampire' state, but it was with her power and ability that Spellcasters have cast down the great vampire. Vlad, gone. Mr. Chevalier, gone. The Vatore's? Missing. All thanks to your mother's knowledge of blood magic, although, I must say, she was always a friend to those leeches, Mr. Chevalier especially-"

"Well..." I almost revealed that Mr. Chevalier might not actually be dead at all. I'm not sure why but I imagine this would put my vampire associate in some trouble? I'm starting to wonder if they are as bad as others tell me. I'm starting to question many things. "W-what is all this for?"

"This?" she says, a wicked smile on her lips as the chanting from my friend and two strangers continue. "This is all for you, Miss Matlock. For you and Valerie Van Vilet, whose parents were great friends of your own. For you and Kyla Britt," she says motioning to the woman with short brown hair. "Who was some random girl with potential who was not allowed into the realm because of their silly rules. For you and M. Nobusawa," again she motions, but this time to the noted ivory skin and pink hair that was the curse of her magic. "Who went through the trails of the seer, lost her name and identity, only to be kicked out of the realm as well. This is for all of us who are misunderstood."

"And where do I fit in?" I stare at her, my head swirling with mixed emotions and thoughts. "Why is this for me? I'm useless, I have no power. I can barely make sparkles."

Alana laughed at my words and before I could reply the chanting grew louder. Incessant and forceful, demanding to be heard but not by me, no, some other force motivated this intensity. Alana turned her eyes to mines, commanding my attention. "You, Miss Matlock, are far more powerful than you realize..."

Episode List - Next Episode 3.1 'Spellbound'

[utilitycaster]

not as brief as intended second round thoughts:

had this discussion with others too but you know the Third Time Curse (not an official thing) with class-based TTRPG characters where the first time you do like, a self-insert, the second you do what you actually dream of, and the third time people often falter by trying to be neither and then they often find their footing with future games? I feel like with RPGs and their more directed and limited scope it's the second, of like, first time you do what feels right and interesting and natural to you, second time you explore other options, and after that you're like "actually, I like this." Like, I'm glad I saw the save Minrathous route, the Neve romance was a highlight, I'm glad I picked the other two options for leading the other team on Tearstone/wards and there are a bunch of things I didn't do my first time around that I'm glad I did (talking Mythal down is very rewarding; I did get every chest in the revisitable locations though I definitely missed a bunch in the quest-only locations; weird-ass circles; playing a mage) but this was definitely a "not my first choice" run at times. Which was the point!

With that said I still made some choices the same as prior (I switched up Taash, Davrin, Neve, and Lucanis's choices though obviously the latter two were due to the city choice) but I'm sorry I struggle to justify lichdom, and I can see a case for destroying the archive but I haven't yet played a character who'd do that. I would like to see Harding embrace compassion I guess as a future run, but. gonna be real. I'm doing my part to counteract the fact that the overwhelming majority of players chose compassion and not acknowledging anger and meeting it where it was. let's all be more confrontational in healthy ways. I have Thoughts about which choices hit best but a lot of those are subjective.

[person whose only previous game references were Myst and Logical Journey of the Zoombinis voice] (I did play other Edutainment (TM) titles as a child thanks very much. I can still sing the songs from Reader Rabbit second grade because one is a patter song and it made my younger siblings laugh) Taash is right FUCK puzzles. I'm going to make a poll of least favorite puzzle. But also at least in Myst you were not ATTACKED by VENATORI while DOING THE PUZZLE.

If you have been following me and wondering if you can play this if you have zero gaming ability but do have a platform for it: story mode is super forgiving to the point that I genuinely did not understand how primer/detonator worked. I actually really liked easy mode, which was rarely so challenging as to be deeply stressful (though not always) (FUCKING FORMLESS ONE. WORSE THAN ELGAR'NAN HIMSELF) but required a soupçon of strategy. I am still so fucking bad at parrying that I'm just not even looking at the rogue class, but I got in some parries, and when I did? it felt INCREDIBLE. I got off a parry against Elgar'nan just now and I'm still riding that high.

I really do intend to track all faction sidequests and come up with My Definitive Guide For When To Do Things because a very valid complaint is that it's not entirely clear. At worst this leads to Neve not knowing what the fuck to choose in The Soul of a City, which was very frustrating. At less bad this just leads to anticlimaxes (in my first run I did Partners in a Dangerous Crime after For the Love of Treviso unlocked which led to being locked out of the latter for a hot second and then going from the big Reclaiming Treviso quest chain to "hey, let's investigate this relatively minor thing"; I also left that minor mercenary quest until after Something's Coming, which really fits best as the last major one for the Wardens).

I am so sorry Rivain, I have gotten better at navigation but the pacing is MAD FUCKED. Like, literally 5 relatively low-stakes quests open up only after Taash's main final quest, which itself opens up after Blood of Arlathan, which is the last major quest before you trigger the endgame. so you are like. well. we must kill the gods, free Treviso, and I have 5 other people to level up (Harding's questline runs a little faster than most) BUT yeah sure let's follow the fucking spirit of adventure to some treasure chests on the beach I GUESS

it is good writing that in a much more antagonistic towards Solas run I'm still like. i feel like redeeming him just hits different. but man it was closer this time. I seriously considered tricking him; Taash being like "Harding would want you to kick his ass" almost got me to do it.

Yeah there really should have been like. one post-final battle scene. people moving out of the lighthouse or something. I also felt there was just...more unfinished business this run (Lucanis and Taash especially) that I would have liked to have had one more scene about.

[lehdenlaulu]

Okay, 40h in, some stray thoughts:

I keep going back and forth between 'oh it's not really that bad after all' and 'ugh why' basically. Every time there's actually a nice bit of writing etc. the frustration at some other aspect soon takes over.

I'm particularly not fond of the random faceless mook hordes that keep respawning in certain locations (seriously, DA2 was bad enough). Or the dumb pointless boss battles you have to do in order to unlock new areas in the Fade where your reward is... another boss battle. And more faceless mooks. And maybe some gear. And maybe more of Solas's tedious sob story if you're lucky. The ghost of the live co-op thing really keeps quite literally haunting the narrative.

Oh, and there's even a fucking gladiator arena. I'm guessing that was originally for PvP. And now it's just there just in case you didn't already get your fill of combat elsewhere. And wanted to ogle Isabela who now inexplicably wears only a bikini and thigh-high boots. Because apparently that's Rivaini cultural outfit now or something? Some pseudo-Aztec thing? Sure. Whatever.

Honestly, just imagine if they'd put as much time and effort into making sure the story is narratively sound and makes any kind of sense as a sequel to its predecessors as they did into crafting the combat system and the needlessly byzantine combat skill tree. *sigh*

I do really like the new exploration mechanics though. I like that I can strafe on narrow ledges and vault over fences and through windows and such. Not super fond that I can magically just use my absent companions' exploration abilities because of my mystical magical all-powerful MacGuffin, though. Guess some people really don't feel like changing their party composition ever. 🙄

And that's another thing. This game coddles the player way too much to the point of treating us like particularly dense toddlers. Not only are there tons of visual options that basically guide you by the hand and point out everything relevant (all of which I obviously immediately turned off) but the dialogue also will very unsubtly tell you what to do at every turn. Like... Taash, babe, we're both Lords of Fortune, I don't think I need to be told to check out if there's something behind the waterfall. And if someone is so new to RPGs to not know something that basic, they need to discover it for themselves, not have it spelled out to them. Honestly, I thought this game's age limit was 18, not 12.

Speaking of Taash and all things unsubtle... I feel like there was a way to introduce their struggle with gender identity in a less... anvilicious way. And maybe come up with some in-universe lore and terminology instead of just defaulting to modern real-world vocabulary. The codex entry in particular frankly felt like breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the player. And I say this as someone whose own gender identity is pretty nebulous.

Frankly, I'm surprised someone hasn't already literally told Bellara she has ADHD. Yet. I'm guessing she and Taash are relatable to some players, but to me they feel... vaguely insulting, honestly, because it really is about as subtle as a brick in the face. I'm also getting the vibe they're both someone's self insert to some degree at least. Which isn't new for DA, but... yeah.

What else... Oh. Yeah. The less said about the main plot the better. Varric, this really is your worst book yet.

Speaking of Varric, it's pretty funny how he keeps telling Rook to please get some sleep. Sure, mate, would love to but a) all I get for a bed is apparently a bare divan in a room with a massive glowing aquarium b) every time I try to sleep some smarmy elf keeps mansplaining at me in my dreams. Which, you know, is something I shouldn't have in the first place as a dwarf. Maybe I should just start chugging coffee with Lucanis. (But honestly, only Taash and Davrin get to have actual beds, everyone else has to make do with cots, bedrolls, divans, and... an embalming slate??)

Oh, and I'll be really surprised if Varric survives this story. I mean, he's barely there in the first place and keeps talking like some ailing relative who secretly has consumption in a Victorian novel. I mean, his writer was laid off after all.

The pacing and structure of this game is extremely weird. The beginning was particularly rough, then it got better, but it's still a bit all over the place.

Oh, right. I'm fairly sure we were promised cool bard songs at some point. I haven't heard a single one yet. Unless that one street performer in Treviso strumming Enchanters counts, which I don't believe does. It was nice to hear it, though, as much as it was a bit contextually odd to choose that song in particular. Ah well, I guess Empress of Fire would have been even odder.

This is also the most forgettable Hans Zimmer soundtrack I have heard in my life. I can't think of a single theme or leitmotif off the top of my head, but the Inquisition theme on the other hand was instantly recognizable. I might say he's just new to writing video game soundtracks, but... dude's famous for his highly catchy, recognizable and evocative themes. Weird.

But hey! As much as I don't like the cartoony character models, the game is actually otherwise really pretty and has some really lovely visual designs in environments and architecture etc. It's also very stable and smooth for a brand-new game, I've only had one crash and two obvious bugs so far. That's always a big win for a studio. Too bad its actual problems are too baked in to be fixable with some patches.

Anyway, that's it for now. Lots of negativity, I know, but I actually do like playing this game for the most part. I just have to... not think of it as a Dragon Age, basically. Because for all the bells and whistles, or maybe because of them, it really doesn't feel like one. There are glimpses here and there of a great DA game it could have been, but unfortunately, the final result is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster of different and largely incompatible concepts hastily sewn together.

[zmayadw]

Okay, so I feel a bit calmer this morning, even though I still feel very much sad and disappointed with the whole Moonvale thing, but I'd like to share a few thoughts with you all, both bad and good, concerning the game.

And if you know me by now, you also know I can't write short posts expressing myself, so feel free to skip this long post! 😅

Alrighty, so let's begin:

From the moment Everbyte announced Moonvale I was very excited. As Duskwood was an amazing game, I only expected for the new game to be even more amazing. Logical, right? I never expected it to be a Duskwood sequel, and that was absoluetly ok for me, because no matter how much we all wanted and hoped for it, I was more than willing to give the team that made so wonderful and amazing game as Duskwood a chance to amaze me once more. And when they said that Duskwood will be a part of the new game as a side story, that excitement was only getting bigger.

And so here we are, two agonizing years of waiting later, only to be welcomed with this huge disappointment.

When I started with Moonvale, I really took it slowly, exploring everything carefully before even opening the chat and actually starting with the game and the story itself. And lo and behold, what do I see? No possibility for a premium package, but a lot of options for a ridiculously priced packages to buy jewels for, at that moment, who knew what, but I had a suspicion what it was for. Nonetheless, I dissmissed it for the time being, even though it was getting me a bit frustrated, and decided to move on and start with the story.

The story itself started quite good. I even started to laugh at one point realizing and thinking to myself Gosh, those Everbyte people really like the woods! The character/actor of Eric is nice, I like him, even though he seemes to be pretty clumsy! 😄

Now, the actor/character of Adam is probably the one of the rare things that amazed me from the start! His performance was so great, and I think I read it in someones post this morning how someone also thought he looks alike Rami Malek, and that was my first thought, too! Ok, so far not bad at all one would think, right? Wrong!

At first I didn't really pay attention to, or even realized it, but as other characters started to appear in the game, everything started to scream AI. The chats with those characters just didn't really feel right, you know? And I was really appalled by it. I mean, come on Everbyte, did we really come to this? Are you doubting in your capability of creating something great so much, when we know you damn well CAN do it? Or has the usage of AI became so much needed/mandatory ( I don't know what word to put here really or to explain it better), that you cannot do anything without it? Considering so many creators of all kinds are fighting so hard to stop it from being used in everything, I suppose no. But then again, I don't know if my knowledge about it is sufficient enough, but I can voice out my opinion, and I don't like it at all!

Ok, I have to admit, the chat with Ash about us and Duskwood wasn't bad,or the chat between Ash and Charlie about us, but that is all good(ish) I can say about that.

By this time I was really getting annoyed and frustrated, and as some of you might saw one of my post from yesterday, when it gotten really interesting in the story and my insufficient amount of jewels prevented me from seeing some photos/videos, I was so fucking angry and disappointed that I was very VERY close to just drop the whole thing and stop playing. But I continued, just for the sake to finish it.

And when I finally did finish it, not even the last video of Alan's body camera, or the message after that from Jake, lifted my spirit. All I could think of was how sad and disappointed I was. :(

I really expected an amazing and great game from Everbyte, considering Duskwood is one of THE BEST games I have played. But to get money grabbing, AI screaming thing, that was looking so promising...it just saddens me. I know they need to make money somehow, I'm well aware of it, but not like this. Not like this!

Will I continue playing it? Yes, I probably will, but mostly because I want to see how it will continue with the Duskwood sidestory. Also, I read people are considering using the mod pack if/when it becomes available so they can see the premium/special options, but I won't do that. I don't judge anyone here, do what you want, this is just my opinion, but no matter what, I still have respect towards the creators, and using those mod packs just doesn't feel right to me.

So again, yes, I will continue with Moonvale, but neither will I pay for special options (unless they by some miracle make it like with Duskwood, which I doubt but one can hope!), nor will I use the mod pack of any kind. And I really REALLY hope by all thats sacred, that as the Duskwood side story advances, those jewels won't be necessary to use there, because in that case, that's it from me, sayonara/ goodbye/farewell/adios to Moonvale completely. At least I will always have Duskwood.

Thanks to anyone who managed to read till the end! 💚 Take care all, and let's hope that all this won't get any more worse than it already is!

[phoenixcatch7]

Guess who just finished Oracle of seasons :D!!!

Very fun game actually, I didn't except it to be so enjoyable, shame on me lol. The pixels and frustrating bits absolutely did not stop me from having a blast!

But dear goodness the backtracking. Oh my gosh, THE BACKTRACKING.

I didn't get the fast travel option until pretty far in, a lot of enemies were just a pain, and the difficulty spikes came mostly from absolutely incongruent solutions to puzzles and I got lost SO many times.

That being said, it was unexpectedly pleasant to be at such risk, to have to keep engaging my brain in little ways. Modern games (yeah, like botk) have very different ideas of power scaling and difficulty. It comes from a much more honed sense of the audience and the much more open worlds used as standard now, but there was something to be said about such a linear world and story. There were different optional things along the way, yes, but really... It never stopped being a challenge. I was constantly trying to outrun garden variety enemies, wrack my brain to remember locations and how to get there, pacing back and forth staring across a pit of lava that remained stubbornly impassable.

The amount of backtracking gave me an organic feel for the world, dumb decisions had dumb consequences. I never got bored fighting enemies or exploring dungeons. I loved trying out new things that weren't immediately obvious and seeing what would happen. It felt more up to me to figure out the solution than to find out what the game was telling me the solution was, you know?

The plot was pretty much as basic as you can get, save local princess from dark castle with evil boss, but it was hardly a downside when the characters were so wacky and varied.

I loved the boss designs! They ranged from fireball geodude with a face right out of mob psycho 100, to an acidic piranha plant tree in quicksand, to a super speed glowing tiger, to a two headed skeleton dragon that shot lasers. They were all sort of lumpy in the medieval painting way, gave them a retro sort of charm and a sense of danger that the sleeker modern bosses just don't have. Make bosses lumpy again 2k24 XD.

Link was a dear and pulled off some pretty slick moves in cutscenes! The twinrova reveal (spoilers for a game that came out in 2001?) was excellent, genuinely spooked me. Also the feeling of 'hnnnnn these are hyrules problems, my circus my monkeys' was great lol. Like ugh not these bozos again. I was having a break! Saving some other unrelated kingdom! But noooo it's our problems escaping containment after all. UGH. Lmao.

The linked game ability is pretty cool. I wasn't so sure I'd play OoA after, but I just might. Wonder what'll change? The idea of Link chasing the twin witches across kingdom borders is awesome, very proactive of him! Very high stakes undercover mission style!

The ending cutscenes were very adorable as well, very Legend of Zelda (even though she doesn't even appear in this game XD).

[leohtttbriar]

I would have loved to see Jadzia central episodes after she got together with Worf, and ones that's didn't focus on their relationship only. There was so much more to her before and then it seemed like being very immersed in everything Klingon was one of her very few traits.

yes--I absolutely agree. probably not the first to say it. she becomes this quirky, hot sidekick/girlfriend in season 5. how they wrote worf and dax getting together was cute and "screwball comedy" but they sort of tried to keep up that energy but not as successfully (screwball banter is cute only when both parties are getting jabs in equally, and dax seems to just smile like worf is being cute when he accuses her being ridiculous all the time)(like i said, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't)(it's just when it doesn't, worf comes across as annoying and dax comes off as Not a person). she's around quite a bit, offering her quips and support and playing her role in other people's journey's...

but episodes that are about her and depend on some issue she has within herself are not present after the romance. not like "rejoined" or the episode where she's being accused of murder bc of curzon. of course, of the episodes that are about her in previous seasons, all of them except "rejoined," arguably, are about her struggling with some past self. while i think the character can go beyond that simple sci-fi-what-if design (like, for example, i think spock goes beyond the alien-conceit in most of the spock-centric episodes), i found myself missing even that watching everything after she and worf get together. if they had even drawn out that romance and showed her genuinely trying to get worf's attention for more than one or two episodes, that would've been more interesting then what ended up happening.

i also sort of get that ds9 isn't so much the "new world" part of star trek as the "new civilization"---that is, it's mostly focused on ongoing diplomacy and war plots with the same handful of richly made-up peoples. but they managed in previous seasons to still write episodes about discovery and scientific work. in season 5, scientific work all seems to be focused on julian, due to the exigency of his role, rather than dax, or both of them. like, within the typical star trek roles to play, the science officer drives the fun discovery and new-weird-stuff plots. instead of episodes about any of that in season 5, though, there's a lot of quark and odo and sisko and julian and worf all juggling their various definitions of identity. (miraculously, dax never seems to waver in that regard. with kira, it's debateable.) which. fine. it was all interesting.

i do think that the show still manages to show dax as someone particular and complex--the writing just doesn't genuinely explore any of it after writing the worf/dax relationship. the moments she does have in episodes not about her are for the most part very good and very interesting and she provides context and wisdom and motive in the way her role dictates. but the fact that i think her character is so fascinating and has so many rich options for sci-fi storytelling only makes the absence of stories focused or driven by her all the more frustrating to me. there's only so many episodes about odo's feelings i can retain interest in.

maybe give jadzia a planet to explore with a bunch of geode formations that emit a protein that causes mutations within biological creatures to cease which somehow causes changelings to crystallize while the protein is in their system and jadzia has to fight on behalf of the planet to just exist so it's not turned into a super-weapon against the dominion and this turns into a struggle with basically her and julian against everyone (they're the most idealistic) and causes real tension between kira and dax for the first time ever and sisko has to say something about how life is sacred and resources are sacred and one has to choose and then dax does something that can't be taken back and the creatures give her a small geode/collection-of-geode-creatures in thanks and she carries it around like she carries all her past-selves.

(which would then justify the way worf constantly seems to characterize her as impulsive and impractical or whatever. bc she did this one dramatic thing that no one can now forget about her. and she just takes it bc she would do it again. and the audience just doesn't know who to agree with.)(but that would make her person with deep conviction and interiority and some perhaps truly un-likeable traits. instead of the hot, smirky-quirky jester that gets men 18-24 to tune the fuck in once a week.)

[panecitotulipan]

Eating schedules

Miguel O'Hara/reader

Notes:

I am posting little chunks of a story in disorder. The chronological order list here. It will make sense and join dots once it starts to fill, everytime a new chapter comes out I'll actualize that list (works like in Beyond two souls but is a random y/n fic you found on Tumblr).

You may find fluff, touched starved physical interaction, angst, mentions of anxiety and bad health habits in these writings. I also think is important to point out that there will be no NSFW in any part of the story.

English is not my mother language, sorry if a few things sound off. But don't worry about spanish dialogues, i know those are well written.

The reader knows spanish, i have to admit i thought about they as a mexican person.

Gender neutral narrative, so anyone can be comfortable.

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Gif credit

"You may be useful" the Dorito shaped man said. When he offered you to form part of this, declining wasn't an option, who the hell would say no to travel between universes and work with advanced technology? Definitely not a nerd like you.

Casually chatting with the VR avatar girl and exploring the functioning of the machines was undoubtedly helpful to keep yourself busy when there were no missions assigned.

Once in a while the naps on the extravagant and irregular walls of the control room were comfortable, even though the 'boss' waked you up every time yelling in some kind of frustration tone, he was usually upset at everything and everyone.

As you didn't enjoy going out of this laid, the only times other spider people could see you was while buying food at the cafeteria, rather for you or the boss. Since he spent a lot of time in the same spot as you, the constant interaction was not avoidable at all. Even while your talks, everywhere but the floor was a better place to be standing on, which the 2099 unsurprisingly found annoying. A certain memory came to mind: he cut off your spiderweb, made you fly for a second, and then had lunch with you. All that in a period of 30 minutes approximately, hilarious to put it that way. By that time, you must have spent about' a couple of weeks of joining the society.

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The 2099 was checking anomalies data in that floating and dramatic platform with the funny AI lady. When he called for you.

–Ah, yeah? I'm right here.– You said as you left yourself fall from the ceiling, already with a thin web that would hold you safely once you reached a level a bit higher than 2099's face.

–I know you're here, you're always here. If you're not on the walls you are hidden in a corner of the ceiling. It's certainly annoying.– O'Hara commented with throaty and toneless voice, then he relocated the conversation. –Did you upload the data i asked?–

–First of all. Why do you have so much problem with me being around in this room? I'm literally not bothering anyone, you yourself said I'm hidden.– You cleared your throat and then continued calmly. –And second, yeah I did, just after you ordered me to.– Supposing that was all, another thread of web came out from your free hand, pretending to swing away. But a tight grip surrounded your wrist, stopping you.

–Can't you stay still for a second? Are you a monkey or something?– The boss sounded a bit angry now.

He made a rough movement, snapping the web and provoking your fall. Hopefully O'Hara did it knowing you wouldn't actually get hurt, hopefully. Falling on your feet was not a big deal. Still very rude though.

Turning around on your toes in his direction, mockery was the chosen answer to deal with the situation.

–Not a monkey, I'm pretty sure I am quite literally more spider like.– Now you were messing with him. It wasn't your fault if he had a bad day, you didn't have to handle his cranky behavior every time he was stressed, which was frequent since tones of spider people joined the last two weeks, they have easily triplicated the number.

The 2099 rolled his eyes and tried to ignore you by talking to the AI. After taking a deep breath, his hand brushed his hair back to place.

–¿Ya comiste hoy?– You randomly asked in an annoyed sigh, getting the Dorito's eyes attention. –I've only seen you drink coffee since yesterday.– It was funny because you have proved that the boss got in a little better mood after having something decent to eat.

–No…no lo sé.– He returned his attention at the multiple screens, somehow avoiding your gaze.

–¿Recuerdas cuándo fue la última vez que comiste?– (Do you remember when was the last time you ate?)

–No.– O'Hara responded dryly. This man lacked self preservation when it came to basic health care routines. What a bonehead.

You left silently, and returned after about 15 minutes with two meals, each one on a hand. You were practical, not that much of a talker.

–Pedí algo nuevo, creo que te puede gustar.– (I bought something new, i think you may like it.) You said while raising his food container.

The 2099 didn't even look at you when a glowing thread stuck to the plastic on your raised hand.

–Hey!– You instantly grabbed the web and let your own container fall, hopefully nothing happened to your food. Most of the time you forgot how strong this man actually was, so when he occured to pull the freaking strand you were violently lifted from the ground as well.

The little flying trip to the platform ended abruptly by crashing towards the Dorito's chest. You grabbed his shoulder, trying to put yourself together.

–Dude, what the hell!– You exclaimed with a taut voice. –Say "gracias" at least.–

–Gracias.– O'Hara said with an ironic smirk. Asshole.

An annoyed growl escaped your mouth, and you let go of his shoulder. After jumping back off the platform you checked the fallen food container, still eatable. So lunch time finally started, not leaving the room at all.

The thought of insisting that O'Hara shouldn't eat while working invaded your mind. That was a bad habit too.

–Ahmm, boss. I'll say it once more, you shouldn't eat while working.– You talked in a ringing tone.

–I need to keep on–

–You'll do better if you recover your energy properly. Don't want to imagine you fainting in the middle of a fight due to malnutrition.– He slightly frowned when you interrupted him. Funny.

–If I go with you and have lunch. Will you shut up and let me do my work?–

–Pretty much so…eh, 60% of possibility.– Your hands moved in the air simulating a balance.

–I guess it is better than nothing.– He mumbled. –Find me a chair on the previous room or something, I'm reaching you.–

You smirked in success.

–Sure thing, Dorito.–

He hated that name, but you left before a possible answer. You grabbed a chair and sat on an edge of the table, careful of not throwing any near artifact. After a minute he appeared and started eating, despite of his efforts to not look starved, this man was eating too fast. When he finished his meal you weren't done with yours, so you offered the rest.

–I am not asking if you want. Come más.– (Eat more.) The boss didn't say anything, and with an vague air of shyness he took your plate and ate what was left.

–You honestly sound like a grandma sometimes.– There was his severe voice again.

–Good. Grandmas are the best.– You proudly declared with a grin on your face.

His smirk was slight and discreet, but noticeable enough to catch your eyes. O'Hara seemed to realize the eyeing, even if he didn't say a word. A moment of silence surrounded you both.

As soon as you caught yourself staring, clearing your throat was your immediate reaction.

–I'm glad you gave yourself a quick break. I will insist once in a while for you to take proper eating schedules.–

–As long as you're not too annoying, it's fine.– 2099 took a deep breath, and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. –You don't have to... pero gracias.– The lasts words were pronounced in a mumble barely perceptible to the ear, but perceptible enough to your ear.

–No hay de qué, jefe.– (It is nothing, boss.)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Perfect on Paper Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's the best advice you've ever received or given? ❓ 🦇 High school junior Darcy Phillips has a secret identity as the relationship advice expert behind Locker 89. Leave a letter along with $10 and she'll provide the perfect solution to your relationship woes. So far, she hasn't been caught...that is, until Alexander Brougham catches her collecting letters. He'll keep her secret...if she can fix his relationship post-break-up, that is. Can Darcy help Brougham win his girlfriend back (without strangling the entitled, rich, yummy-Australian-accent-slinging swimmer) in the process?

💜 Perfect on Paper was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award (Best Young Adult Fiction - 2021) and it's no wonder. This was the exact book bisexual baby me needed a decade ago. Though I've read a multitude of books featuring bisexual FMCs, Sophie Gonzales is the first to capture the authenticity of internalized biphobia. I'll admit I was sheltered enough that it took me a while to realize bi was even an option for me. Bisexual erasure didn't help; once I self-identified, I was given the oh-so-cliche, "that's not real," and "it's just a phase." Bitch, I'm a moon goddess; I'm in a new phase every day of my life. ANYWAY. Darcy is authentic in her concern that a crush over a guy invalidates her bi-ness. The Queer & Questioning Club scene where Darcy's community validates her was everything (and truly got me misty-eyed).

💜 The advice column aspect of the story was brilliant. Darcy's letters are written in a tone that's patient and empathetic yet informative and encouraging. She'd obviously done her research and it shows, but you see her mentally unravel the moment there's personal bias and it's BEAUTIFUL. Darcy isn't perfect. She's a high schooler, still figuring herself out. Yes, she's flawed, but she's also self-aware, willing to grow and change and take her own advice (or the advice she gets from her AMAZING trans big sister, who I adored).

💜 While this is a queer YA romance, there are so many layers beyond that. There's a mixed bag of diversity and personal trauma (and with that, potential for growth) to explore.

💙 The story DID take a minute to pick up speed, so the beginning left me waiting for a catalyst for momentum. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm no a fan of the miscommunication trope. HOWEVER, it does fit here, and proves how easily a tiny moment of misunderstanding can completely alter the course of a friendship. I did have to put the book down at one point, when Darcy's best friend outs her (I was super frustrated on Darcy's behalf because that betrayal was intense). I was disappointed that no one stepped forward and THANKED Darcy for her advice when she was getting attacked as the person behind Locker 89. People were upset BEFORE their letters were taken, but no one thanked Darcy until LONG after the situation cooled. Given Darcy's self-proclaimed success rate (was there a mention of HOW she knew she was successful, beyond the lack of refunds?), I expected a lot more praise for her abilities beyond one person.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Leah on the Offbeat and Imogen, Obviously, with a hint of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Netflix's Sex Education.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 💌 Bisexual FMC (w/ Internalized Biphobia) 💌 Queer Young Adult Rom-Com 💌 Lots of Rep 💌 Hate-to-Love 💌 Friends to Lovers 💌 POC Sapphic Side Ship

💬 Quotes ❝ "Do you think there’s a chance that [...] you’re intellectualizing things so you don’t have to, you know, feel them?" ❞ ❝ I was sitting in the space between a sound and its echo. Brougham had asked a question, and I had to answer it. It was that, or keep dreaming about love, and working toward helping others find it, while never letting myself risk it. ❞ ❝ In some ways, we mirrored each other. We shared cracks in complementary places. ❞ ❝ Bi people are part of the queer community, and their identity does not change depending on who, if anyone, they happen to have feelings for or date at any given moment. ❞

[gorbagegorl]

thinking about my experience with the souls(bornering die twice) series

tried dark souls for the first time in like 2014 maybe? didn't have a controller i could connect to my pc so i played with mouse and keyboard. no dsfix. struggled for hours to make it to taurus demon and im not sure if i beat him. definitely got stuck on the bell gargoyles if i did. no summons bc i didn't know about them. it was such a tense and terrifying experience. killing every enemy every time, incredibly stressful to gain an inch of progress bc i knew i could lose it all at any time.

i tried bloodborne next and the opening bit of yharnam also had me stressed over every inch of progress. but i got past it and got pretty far into the game. it was fun to go fast and parry things. no summons again bc i didn't have ps plus. i think i stopped on the approach to mergo's wet nurse bc giant spiders started to show up, dropping onto u from above, and that was too scary for me.

tried ds1 again years later with dsfix and a proper controller. i got way further, making it to ornstein and smough but i couldn't beat them. no summons again, not because i didn't know how to use them but because i had fooled myself into believing that the "true" way to play dark souls was without them. the main feelings i remember from this run were frustration and anger. banging my head against a brick wall until it broke. getting frustrated when the wall wouldn't break after the most recent hit. getting angry when it hurt to hit my head against the wall. feeling nothing when i finally broke through.

i didn't try ds2 or 3 bc i hadn't finished ds1, and sekiro looked way too hard, so my next game was elden ring. no summons bc i still thought that was the best way to experience the game (did use spirit ashes and a ton of spells though.) again, i bashed my head against the brick wall until it broke, getting frustrated and angry when i died and not really feeling satisfied when i won. but i did win. it was the first souls game i beat. i even did Ranni's questline and got her ending, despite it being optional and hard. i had finally proved that i could beat a souls game the "intended way." and again, it mostly just made me feel frustrated and angry. after all that effort i learned that it would have probably been much more fun if i had just used summons. i enjoyed the exploration though and my appreciation for the combat grew while learning how to fight some of the world bosses (specifically the magma wyrms.) despite my anger and frustration i enjoyed elden ring enough to put over 100 hours into it, eventually trying out randomizers and the seamless co-op mod as well. i think the most important thing i took from my time with elden ring was getting so used to fromsoft controlls it became like second nature. being able to run while keeping an eye on the boss, without lock-on, can be unbelievably helpful in certain situations, and i would not have been able to tackle the next game without that familiarity.

next was sekiro. sekiro pissed me off more than any game i had ever played before, and it is the game that finally made the souls series fully click for me. it was frustrating to adapt to sekiro's style of play after 100+ hours of elden ring, frustrating to have no choice but to approach bosses with the sparse (compared to other games mentioned) options provided by the game, frustrating to still feel like the only option was to bang my head against a brick wall until it broke. i actually made two attempts at playing sekiro, the first of which ended at lady butterfly- i didn't understand how sekiro's combat rhythm differed from fromsoft's other games, so i felt like it was impossible to make progress in the fight, got mad (especially on juzou) and quit. my second time trying sekiro i fought gyoubu before attempting lady butterfly, which worked out way better and gave me a feel for the rhythms of the game. this time when i fought lady butterfly, i understood what the game wanted from me and i felt i had a chance at seeing an ending. i would still get frustrated and angry but once in a while i would actually feel satisfied after a fight; i could see what the game wanted me to do and i delivered. no longer would i launch assaults of the cranium upon the brick wall with no end in sight, i could now read the game and see a path through.

then i fought Owl (father.) Owl (father) was the most Piss Me Off fight i had ever fought. i could learn when to be agressive, what to punish, how to parry parriable moves, but it did not lead to victory. i would maximize the uptime of my agression and owl would end up maneuvering us into a corner where i could not see or effectively avoid certain attacks. i would attempt to punish a move i had punished dozens of times before only to discover that the contours of the dirt floor of the arena had positioned us in such a way that my attack would just barely miss, allowing owl to hit or even kill me with an attack that was normally safe to punish. i would parry and dodge perfectly, reach his second phase, bring him down to a sliver of health, only for his fire-owl summon to get caught on a pillar in a way that delayed its movement to punish my regular dodge timing that usually worked for that move. this fight pissed me off so fucking much. i got embarrassingly mad. it took me three days to beat him. i did not feel satisfied. but this was the last time i didn't feel some kind of satisfaction from beating a boss in these games, and after this fight i felt that the souls games finally fully clicked for me. it's hard to articulate but it's like i had a better sense of what was and was not my fault when i died in these games, as well as being more capable of working around things that were unfair. after three days of seeing exactly how to beat this boss and having my plans foiled by quirks of level geometry, i slowly realized that that kind of situation had basically never happened before or since. and when i do encounter some capital b Bullshit i can quickly figure out how to avoid or mitigate it as much as possible. three days of walking a straight path up a hill and falling flat on my face after tripping on a rock i hadn't noticed before taught me that if i see a path to the end i absolutely can make it, i just need to accept that sometimes i will still fail. it was an infuriating lesson to learn in the moment, but it has greatly improved my enjoyment of these games. i defeated isshin with a smile on my face, each new move and phase that killed me a joyous expression of how fucking cool games can be.

i still get frustrated and a little mad at these games but nowhere near what i felt before. but finally, every part of these games was fun. i tackle new bosses from the elden ring dlc with the same enthusiasm with which i finished sekiro.

idk if i had a point i was working towards. i guess it's that u can absolutely get into the souls games by playing it the Pure way, spending dozens upon dozens of hours with mounting anger and frustration and no help, but you could also just have fun and use summons while you can bc ultimately what's important is spending time getting used to the quirks of these games (also bc summons aren't available in sekiro and you should play sekiro :3)

[femmefatalevibe]

Hi :)

I have a bit of an internal dilemma surrounding sex.

I'm in my mid 20's & had sex for the first time with a man who made me feel safe and cared for it was just such a special connection, unfortunately, we live on different continents but planned to meet again to go exploring in a different country together because we really wanted to see each other again, and that was fun and exciting. It's been like a condensed gentle and passionate relationship but it's not practical for us to be together.

A part of me feels "spoilt" & that makes me want to regret having slept with someone who I couldn't really be with long-term but that's only because I'm struggling after putting my virginity on such a high pedestal for so long. It made me realise maybe I tied my value to that which is what a lot of young women do & I wish I knew where to turn to help myself be okay with this because I feel like sex is a very polarised topic amongst women. I'm not into casual hook-ups & don't believe I will be but I don't want to purity culture & waiting to marriage to dictate my life especially now since I'm "tainted".

Where is the balance between the two? I feel too ashamed to even mention this to my therapist because I have an irrational fear of been judged or seen a particular way.

I've always been comfortable with my body so it's not that but I guess. figuring out how to process my sexuality going forward. I was raised in a moderately religious (Catholic) family but I'd say I've been more spiritual than religious since I was 13 because I didn't agree with everything, and I've always supported women doing what they want with their bodies but I'm confused about it when it comes to me. I'd describe myself as more of the gamine, girly, free-spirit, and highly sensitive if that helps with your advice for me or any other women like me or in this situation.

I appreciate your thoughtful responses & the content you share. Please feel free to reply whenever you get the time & inspiration to do so.

Sending love.

Hi love! I'm so glad to hear that you had a positive first sexual experience even if you live in different parts of the world and cannot be with each other long term (these situations are so frustrating – completely empathize with your frustration and sadness over this matter).

Good for you to want to move past this black-and-white thinking around sex and your sexuality. Purity culture is so toxic. Unlearning the shame that comes with a religious upbringing can be difficult. Please remember, though, that no one is "tainted" from engaging in such a natural act with someone they have chemistry with. The only "damage" that can happen from consensual sex is STDs or unwanted pregnancy if you don't use protection.

From what I've seen, religious indoctrination tends to promote an otherness around sex – it is a purpose-driven act (uphold a marriage, create children), rather than an innate desire that matures just like the rest of your being (body, mind, spirit). Once you consider that your sexuality is simply a part of your human existence – like your desire for certain foods, emotions, interpersonal connections, sensory experiences, and creativity – it is easier to perceive sex as a morally-neutral act.

Because one's sexuality is so personal, you need to learn, explore, and accept your preferences at any given stage in your life. If you find the idea of casual sex or purely physically-driven sex to be unappealing, that is completely fine. Some people prefer to have sex with someone only after they've established an emotional connection or were friends with the person beforehand. It's like someone preferring smooth or chunky peanut butter. You might not understand why someone likes the other option, and you might change your mind over time, but neither option is inherently "good" nor "bad." Either option should align with your personal preference to ensure you're getting the most pleasure and satisfaction out of the experience.

I know it might feel uncomfortable at first, but, if you have a good therapist, it could be very helpful for you to speak about your reservations and underlying shame around sex in a safe space as you get to learn and explore this side of yourself. If you feel more comfortable chatting in private about this, I'm sharing my one-on-one chat session link here: https://calendly.com/femmefatalevibe/30min?month=2023-04.

Hope this helps xx

[alicefromtheabyss]

1. The Switch is pretty neat I guess. I also absolutely love the DS/3DS line of systems. But currently, I play most of my games on PC for, uh, *puts on pirate hat*, reasons

2. In no particular order, Pokemon White Version/Pokemon HeartGold Versiin, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive edition, Octopath Traveler, Hollow Knight, Xenogears

3. The Radiance, because I get to live out my fantasy of beating the shit out of the sun

4. Ughhh, there are so many good ones. But if I'd have to narrow it down to one, it would probably be XBC.

5. So, the first gym in Pokemon BW always makes you fight the gym leader with the elemental monkey that's strong against your starter. What you are supposed to do is go talk to that one girl in the Dreamyard who gives you the monkey that's strong against the gym leader's. But because, as a kid, I basically never talked to npcs or engaged in proper exploration, I didn't get the monkey until after I had already beaten the gym. So what did I do? I grinded my Snivy to level 16 and overpowered the gym leader through sheer force.

6. Pokemon White Version

7. Haven't finished it yet, but Trails in the Sky (pretty good so far!)

8. Ys 10 Nordics

9. *sigh* fire emblem heroes. probably. but if we're talking about genuinely respectable games here, Pokemon HG

10. Also Pokemon HG.

11. JRPGs of all kinds, be it turn based, action or strategy. Metroidvanias are a close second.

12. Samus Aran

13. Grimm

14. Ys 5? Maybe? That game isn't really bad, it's just...kinda undercooked in a lot of ways.

15. Thracia 776. That entire game is a certified Kaga Moment

16. Singleplayer

17. Not anymore, fortunately.

18. There's quite a few, with the most recent one I can think of being the PSX version of Grandia.

19. XBC

20. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 broke me twice, with both times being during moments I had already been spoiled on.

21. XBC2 (again). I thought I'd like the gameplay but not the story, and ended up loving this game about as much as the first one.

22. Yeah, I guess

23. I mostly just go with whoever has the best drip, which, in most cases, just so happens to be the female option.

24. Probably in the world of Pokemon. I mean, it's literally just our world, except better, and with even funkier animals.

25. Gaur Plains, though Valak Mountain is also up there, as are a lot of other snowy areas in games. Also like a bunch of areas from XBC2. These games just have the best world design imo, so much fun to just run around in.

26. Swamps, especially poisonous ones (sorry miyazaki)

27. Metroid Prime

28. Yes

29. Pokemon White Version

30. Depends on the game. But a good OST is something that any game should have.

31. Pokemon White 2 for being Pokemon White 2 and also having like the most stuff to do in the entire series

32. I haven't really ever rage quit a game, but I have taken breaks or even dropped games due to getting frustrated. For example, FF2. That game isn't nearly as bad as people say it is, but it also is a game that is actively hostile to the player, and as such, can be kinda exhausting to play.

33. I could figure out how to deal damage to a specific boss in Metroid Dread despite it being pretty obvious.

34. That one sequence in Xenogears where Bart's butler guy comes in to save them on that crab helicopter thing

35. Uhhh I have a few plushies if that counts

36. Sigurd from fe4 if you know what I mean

37. Uhh fuck Klavier ace attorney, marry Testament guilty gear, kill The Radiance (I hate the sun)

38. I like XBC2 more than XBC3. Actually, liking XBC2 in general could be considered an unpopular opinion.

39. Silksong

40. The og Secret of Mana boxart. That shit deserves to be framed and hung on a wall.

Video Game Related Asks for Gaymers!

Platform of choice when gaming?

Top 5 games of all time.

Favorite boss?

Best game soundtrack (full album or single track)?

Most memorable gaming moment?

First game you ever played?

Most recent game you played?

Most anticipated upcoming game?

Most hours you’ve put into a single game?

Game you’ve replayed the most?

Favorite game genre?

Favorite game character?

Coolest enemy/boss design?

Worst game you’ve ever played?

Hardest game you’ve ever played?

Single player, multiplayer, or both?

Do you play mobile games?

A game you started, but never finished.

A game that you wish you could play for the first time again.

A game that made you cry.

A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving?

Do you watch any other gamers?

Do you typically choose to play a male or female character (when asked to pick)?

If you could live in one of the games you’ve played, which one would it be?

Favorite environment in a game?

Least favorite environmental hazard (e.g. poison swamp, fire/lava, etc.)

A popular game that you just can’t get into.

Do you still buy physical games?

Favorite childhood game?

Favorite aspect of a game (e.g. exploration, combat, fashion/customization, environments, graphics, bosses, roleplaying, etc.)

If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Have you ever rage quit a game? If so, what game and what caused the rage quit?

Most embarrassing gaming moment.

Funniest gaming moment.

Do you own any gaming themed memorabilia? (e.g. collector’s editions, posters, prop replicas, statues, clothing, etc.)

Hottest video game character?

Kill, Fuck, Marry (choose three characters)

An unpopular gaming opinion you have.

What’s something you want to see in the future of gaming?

Best game cover art.

[siaanme]

So in 2023 I gave myself the goal of beating 52 video games (aka roughly one a week), and that was maybe too much, so in 2024 I instead decided to focus on a single genre (RPGs) and get through 12 of them. Here's what I played (there are more than 12)

Final Fantasy V - Really good. To paraphrase Dan Floyd, any Final Fantasy with a job system is a good Final Fantasy. Glad to have finally beaten this one, considering I poached two of my TTRPG character names from it

Chrono Cross - A fascinating game as a follow up to Chrono Trigger, and individually. Interesting combat system, an incredible soundtrack, way too many party member options

Xenoblade Chronicles - A NG+ replay. Still a fantastic game, even if mechanically it's my least favourite of the Xenoblades.

NEO The World Ends With You - Another replay. It was nice to experience the story while knowing where everything was going this time. Original TWEWY has a special place in my heart, so I'm still glad it finally has a sequel

Xenoblade Chronicles X - So this was the first Xenoblade game I tried to play, though I originally bounced off it. Now that I have more experience with the series it seemed like a good time to revisit it (I can't tell if that's good or bad timing on my part considering the Switch version coming this year). The world exploration in this is great, I wish that you had a bit more team comp freedom for main story missions, and also that your non-active party members still earned XP, but oh well. Glad to have finally played it, maybe I'll play it again this year.

Bravely Default - I had planned on playing all the Bravely games, but this was the only one I got around to. NG+ again, though I didn't carry over too much. A fantastic job system, but the path to the true ending is still such a slog.

Final Fantasy XII - I can see why people really like this one. Great story, the job system introduced in the Zodiac version is great, and the gambit system is a really cool idea.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - So I did some prep work before this playthrough, specifically making sure I had all the rare Blades available to me so I wouldn't have to do any gacha pulls (which I still think is the worst mechanic in this game). Because of that, I could get wild with my party set-up, which was a lot of fun (see prior comment about job systems). I also played the Torna DLC, which to me confirms my thoughts about ditching the gacha system,

Trials of Mana (remake) - Another replay, still very fun mechanically, though requiring specific items to get to level 3 classes is a bit frustrating, and the extra dungeon added in the remake is also a slog

In Stars and Time - I love me a good time loop, and this game delivered. I also took great delight in actually writing down notes for things to do and remember between loops.

Casette Beasts - I also love me some pokémon, but I've not dipped into a lot of other monster collector/battlers. This was a great one to start with, despite some performance issues on Switch.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - I think this is the game I spent longest on this year. A great job system, and coming off all the other Xenoblade games meant it was easier to pick out the connections, especially the landscapes. Plus its story really benefits from the hindsight of knowing what's going on from the get go

Sea of Stars - I still love this game, and the changes made with the recentish Dawn of Equinox update made it even better. I'll admit, I technically didn't beat this, owing to the game crashing when I was most of the way done with the final boss, but I was beating him so I'm claiming victory here.

Visions of Mana - Okay I still haven't beaten this one but I'm enjoying it as an evolution of the Trials of Mana remake. I especially love the class system here, since unlocking a new elemental vessel unlocks a different class per player character, not all the same one. I don't think I've played any other games that take a similar approach, it makes it really interesting trying to distribute roles.

Unicorn Overlord - I also haven't quite beaten this (I'm like 90% through the penultimate mission rn), but I've enjoyed a lot of it. My quibbles with it are still fresh in my mind though, chiefly I wish you could either have more than ten battlions at once (stored if not deployed), or you could save your favourite layouts. The game encourages you early to experiment and remake battalions, but this is honestly more of a pain than its worth, and as such it meant I ended up with a bunch of units sitting by the wayside, unused. But the build-crafting is still very good, even if it does exacerbate my frustrations of having limited slots.

And that's the RPGs I played last year. With one I left out, but I'll get to that discussion another day. Moving forward, this year I'm planning on a similar goal, but with Metroidvanias. Hopefully that'll be fun.