#also think of outer wanting to adopt each of them

[selfship-dreamland]

The LGMs in the Buzz Lightyear series are too adorable, so I had to drew Outer being like a maternal figure/caretaker for these lil guys.

[decembermidnight]

Don't lose your focus

Summary: As a Jedi Padawan fighting during the Clone Wars, you and your Master are used to teaming up with Clones. But none are as intriguing as Clone Force 99 and their leader, Sergeant Hunter. Sparks fly immediately and it's difficult to keep your focus. With the mission complete, perhaps the two of you will finally give in and indulge in your desires...

Pairing: Hunter x Jedi!fem!reader

Word count: 5.7k

Warnings: smut, 18+ MDNI, Dom!Hunter, use of pet names (sweetheart), shameless flirting, mentions of alcohol consumption, masculinity kink, voice kink, light choking, hand kink, body worship, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, orgasm delay, creampie

A/N: This is the result of me watching The Bad Batch while ovulating. This is (probably) not how the Force works but your honour I was horny. Thank you to my dear @thefrogdalorian for the immense help and support! I love you so much! Amazing divider by @saradika-graphics At the end of the fic you'll find the links to some amazing Hunter fanarts I found here on Tumblr! These were such an inspiration when writing and I wanted to thank and credit the artists for creating such amazing pieces!

Masterlist - Read on Ao3 - Read Part 2 here!

Another day, another dangerous mission in the Outer Rim.

Nothing new for you and your Master who are used to leading these missions successfully. The only difference is that this time you'll be assisted by Experimental Unit Clone Force 99. It’s the first time you even heard about them, but your superiors assured you they’re best suited for this job. A highly-skilled squad of defective clones with desirable mutations? Sounds interesting.

Apparently, The Bad Batch, as they call themselves, despise rules and protocol and adopt unusual methods to get the job done… Much like you and your Master.

Their ship has just made a bumpy landing on the field, causing a fuss. You watch curiously as the squad descends the ramp. There are four of them, and they undoubtedly look badass in their black armour.

The first one – their leader, you assume – removes his helmet and... damn. Damn. He's hot, with a confident look in his deep brown eyes. He also has long, wavy, dark hair; a feature which has always been a weakness of yours. His face is half covered in a tattoo that resembles a skeleton. He's undoubtedly the most charming of the Batch, and also the most attractive clone you’ve ever come across.

“I’m Sergeant Hunter,” he rasps as he greets you and your Master. His voice is deep and husky, very different from those of all the other clones you’ve met so far.

After introducing himself, Hunter moves to quickly describe the peculiarities that make each of the members of the team unique. As you stand back to observe them, you can’t help thinking just how much fun they are. Wrecker (the strong one) is getting reluctantly lectured by Tech (the smart one) while Crosshair (the laconic and lethal sniper) stands there in silence. He reminds you of your Master so much.

As much as you enjoy observing the rest of the squad, you find your gaze returns to Hunter, the clone with enhanced senses. You are unable to tear your eyes away from him. You know you have to keep it together, but you can’t help eating him with your eyes. Your gaze lingers on his body, on the way his pauldrons make his shoulders even broader, how much the black colour of his armour suits him. 

You have just begun fantasising about the way his strong body would look without the armour when you notice Hunter staring directly at you. Busted. You lock eyes for a few seconds and you just know that he understands the nature of the thoughts you’re having about him. Then, your pounding heart skips a beat when Hunter winks at you. It is a split-second gesture that is over so quickly amidst the chaos of the conversation, a little secret between the two of you. You smile flirtatiously at him in response.

The whole group begins heading towards their ship, The Marauder. While the rest of the Batch and your Master head up the ramp towards the ship that will take you to the rendezvous point, you and Hunter pause at the bottom.

“I’m afraid I haven’t caught your name, sweetheart?” Hunter asks, breaking the silence with his deep, raspy voice.

"I am a Jedi, not a sweetheart," you point out teasingly and look at him with crossed arms, trying to sound tough.

"A Padawan," he reminds you with a smirk on his face.

You watch curiously as Hunter takes your braid – the unmistakable sign of your rank as an apprentice – between his fingers. He gently rolls it between his gloved finger and thumb contemplatively as his brown eyes meet your gaze once again. 

"I technically outrank you, Sergeant," you say, challenging him.

"You do, Commander," Hunter nods, but makes no effort to move his hand away from your braid, or to interrupt eye contact.

Hunter can tell that you don’t mind the gesture. As if to push the boundaries further, he moves his hand from your braid to gently place it on your cheek. The leather of his glove feels soft against your face. You are stunned that a seasoned soldier such as him can actually be so gentle in the way he touches you.  

You can feel the tension coming from the two of you, a simmering fire somewhere deep within. It's only a matter of time before it boils over. You look at each other straight in the eyes, neither one of you daring to look away.

Just as you're about to tease him with yet another witty reply, you hear the sound of footsteps at the top of the ramp.

"Hey, Hunter, are you gonna come with us or what?!" Wrecker shouts, abruptly interrupting your shameless flirting.

"On my way," Hunter replies, without breaking eye contact with you.

His intense gaze lingers on you for a few more seconds before he looks at you apologetically and turns to head up to the ramp and onto the Marauder.

As soon as Hunter turns away from you, you realise just how hard your heart is thundering in your chest. His gaze was so intense that it made you forget to breathe properly. So much for the Jedi breathing techniques. It turns out if there is a handsome man with dark eyes flirting with you, they lose all effectiveness. You take a deep breath, filling your burning lungs with oxygen. 

When you enter the ship, you are still trembling. As you take a seat next to your Master, you try to ignore his accusatory glare. You feel his eyes burning into your soul as the guilt threatens to overwhelm you, even though nothing too scandalous happened.

As the Marauder enters hyperspace, your Master takes a seat on the cold metallic floor in an isolated area of the ship. Meditating before battle is a ritual he always follows and you immediately join him. It can help you shift your focus back to where it should be – on the mission. Only, you can't focus. 

Instead of your mind becoming one with the Force, you're highly attuned to the actions of the members of the squad. It is as though you can see them as if you were standing before them: Tech studying the holo-maps, Crosshair cleaning his sniper rifle, Wrecker taking a nap, and of course, Hunter. He is mindlessly playing with his vibroknife as he slouches on a crate. 

You are entranced by the way his fingers move across the handle and the blade. Maker, the movement of his hand and fingers – you can't focus on anything else as he makes the knife masterfully swirl between them. There's something so erotic about the way he plays with it. Your mind wanders to think about his hands roaming on your body, slipping between your thighs, skillfully rubbing your clit. You fantasise about how quickly Hunter would make you come, how hard your orgasm would be as it tore through you, leaving you a trembling wreck.

Your focus then goes to his muscular thighs. Hunter’s legs are spread wide and he looks so effortlessly masculine. The aura of confidence he radiates as he comfortably sits there, taking up the entire crate as he lounges on top of it, gives you even more thoughts that are unbecoming of a Padawan. It makes you almost dizzy with want as you think about how much you want to straddle him and ride him into ecstasy.

“Are you done?” your Master’s cold voice interrupts your filthy train of thought with a brief and concise message through the Force.

He heard your thoughts. Each and every single one. Your Master caught you red-handed. How embarrassing.

You are too mortified to even mumble an apology, through the Force or otherwise. Instead, you sit there wishing you could be anywhere else in the galaxy as you feel the heat rise in your cheeks and pull your hood up to hide your flustered face in your cape.

Luckily, before the awkward moment can continue for any longer, Tech announces the imminent jump out of hyperspace. You still cannot bear to make eye contact with your Master, shrinking into your blessedly baggy cape as you begin the descent into the planet’s atmosphere...

The mission was a success – you and your Master worked your magic with the precious support of Clone Force 99. What seemed like a desperate operation, turned out to be an extremely important victory for the Republic. Training with your Master has been so hard, but damn did that pay off. You slayed all your enemies elegantly and effortlessly, just like he taught you. The whole Bad Batch congratulated you two. Wrecker was especially impressed, electing the two of you as his favourite Jedi. What an honour. Hunter also invited you and your Master to celebrate the victory by having a drink all together in a cantina.

Just as you’re about to enter the cantina and join the Bad Batch, your Master calls your name. You stop in your tracks, scared that he might reprimand you for the way you acted today. You begin panicking and thinking back to what happened in guilt…

When you and your Master had taken off your heavy capes before engaging in battle, you noticed Hunter couldn't keep his eyes off you. You were wearing a skin-tight dark suit, after all.

It was a fact you decided to exploit after Hunter had given his squad their orders for the mission. You walked away swaying your hips, making sure you gave him a great opportunity to look at your ass. You remember how you could feel his eyes glued to it. You could also feel his desire for you. It was impossible for him to hide; it permeated him, radiated from him. Maker, you love making him crumble.

You think back to the way Crosshair rasped, "Hunter, don't lose your focus.”  You are certain that is what your Master is about to scold you for.

Instead, you watch in shock as a half smile appears on your Master’s face, something you don't see very often.

“You did good today. I’m proud of you,” he nods.

Since when does your Master pay you compliments like this?

“Th-Thank you,” you stammer, caught off-guard by how unexpected his praise is.

“You fulfilled your duties as a Jedi. Now, go and have your fun.”

You don’t have time to respond before he turns on his heel and walks away, cape billowing in the breeze. You know your Master doesn’t often like to stick around after missions, often needing some quiet time to himself to decompress and meditate. You let him go, knowing that he will find his way back to the Marauder before it departs, as he always does.

As you step into the Cantina, a smile spreads on your face when you notice the Bad Batch sitting at a table with a full flagon of booze and an empty seat for you to toast your success. You and Hunter lock eyes again as he invites you to sit in that spot close to him.

Hunter loses no time in placing his arm around your shoulders while smiling at you. You lean into his embrace, feeling comforted and protected.  The warm presence of his arm around you makes you smile contentedly. It feels so good to let the guard down for once, especially if you're in the arms of a handsome, strong and charming man such as Hunter.

As the night goes on, the three other members of The Bad Batch keep conversing with each other, giving you and Hunter the opportunity to speak privately. It’s as though the background noise fades out. You don't even bother focusing on the discourse the others are having. It’s just you and Hunter flirting shamelessly now.

“You know, I've never seen a ship like yours. I wish I had time to properly explore it... Thoroughly," you flirt with him while draining the last few dregs in your flagon.

"Want me to give you a tour, sweetheart?" he says with a smile on his face, perfectly understanding your intentions.

"Would be cool, yeah," you reply.

Hunter offers you his hand and you gladly accept it with a mischievous smile.

Just as you stand, you feel the alcohol has definitely kicked in. You’re not drunk though, just a little bit tipsy, enough to make you brave and go get exactly what you want.

As soon as you and Hunter get out of the cantina and find yourselves alone in the dark alley, you both give into the instincts you tried to suppress all day long. Hunter pins you to the wall as you pull him closer at the same time, until you join in a passionate, longing kiss.

You welcome his tongue in your mouth as his hands wrap around your waist, pulling you closer to him. His touch and the way he kisses you are so confident that you clench around nothing, holding him tighter as you moan in his mouth. Maker, you want him. His whole body jolts when he feels that, pinning you harder against the wall, mentally cursing the armour that is preventing him from feeling the softness of your body against his. 

He stops kissing you just so he can look at how stunning you are under the moonlight, hot and flustered after that first, heavy session of making out.

"Look at you. So beautiful," he whispers as he cups your face with his hand, the other one still lingering around your waist. Hunter is treating you like the most precious thing in the galaxy now that he can finally have you all for himself. You lean into his gentle touch as he takes in all the features of your face, especially the way your eyes glimmer with admiration and arousal for him.

You look at his deep, dark and expressive brown eyes and the strong, masculine features of his face that make you throb with need. Your hand caresses his cheek, following the lines of his skeleton tattoo and the contour of his chiseled jaw. He observes you as a sweet smile appears on your face, making you look irresistible and drawing his lips closer to yours once again…

"Hey! Where's Hunter?!" you hear Wrecker shout from inside of the tavern, just as your lips are mere inches apart.

You and Hunter both laugh as you resume the kissing. It's like the whole galaxy stops existing. For a soldier who has seen nothing but war, his kisses are to die for. Your tongues twirl in each other's mouths and it's like his greedy lips can't ever get enough of yours. His mouth is hot like a damn furnace as he takes all the time in the galaxy to worship you with his lips, letting his hands wander throughout your body. You're getting soaked already, feeling your arousal slowly dripping down your legs as a throbbing need pulsates between your thighs. You moan in his mouth as you dig your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. The kiss is getting deeper and more passionate as you go on. 

Hunter's lips start to trail down to your neck, making you sigh deeply as he covers it in kisses. Your scent drives him wild. He can smell your pheromones, feeling you're unmistakably full of desire. He can't resist and just gives a swift lick from the base of your neck to your ear that makes you sharply stifle a gasp, arching your back and tightening your grip on his hair.

"Let's go to the Marauder, shall we?" he rasps in your ear, a voice full of lust that gives you goosebumps.

"Y-yes…" you stutter, feeling light-headed with arousal and being incapable of hiding it.

He offers you his hand as you enter the ship. The two of you cut a clumsy path through the Marauder towards Hunter’s bunk, frequently taking breaks where Hunter desperately pushes you against the cool steel walls of the ship, your arms clinging tight to his shoulders and his face buried in your neck.

"Maker... Take off your armour," you plead as his teeth dig into your delicate skin like a feral beast would do with his prey.

He does, letting each piece fall to the ground as you go on kissing each other, leaving a trail of armour pieces on the floor as you slowly make your way towards his bunk. He looks stunning with just his tight black suit on. You take in the broadness of his shoulders, the way his pectorals stand out, highlighted by the tightness of the suit and grope the strong muscles of his biceps. Oh, fuck. How much do you love a man. Tall, muscular, strong, confident, with dark eyes and a head full of long, wavy hair. A Man. 

You moan in his mouth when you feel his thick biceps flexing under your touch. A smile forms on his lips as he feels how much you like this. As his arms wrap around your body, yours go in his hair. Maker, how safe do you feel in his arms. It's such an innate instinct – wanting to be held in the arms of a strong man, surrendering and trusting him, something that usually you would never be permitted to do in your life as a Jedi.

You can feel his erection against your lower belly, straining against his extremely thin black suit. His fingers hook in the hem of your pants, yanking them down over your ass, exposing your drenched cunt as he sits you down in his bunk.

He kneels before you, taking your boots and pants off and spreads your legs, his dark eyes looking into yours as a smirk appears on his face.

"Hunter–" you sigh.

"Wanna get you nice and ready for me, sweetheart," he coos as he starts to kiss your inner thigh.

The vision makes you tremble with lust and your hands helplessly clench into fists in a desperate attempt to grab the material under you to keep you steady. Your legs shake but he keeps them steady in his strong arms. He goes on trailing kisses on your inner thighs without ever stopping looking at you. He's taking his time with it, wanting to enjoy the way your whole body is throbbing with need. Your breathing gets more and more shallow as his mouth gets closer to where you want him the most. 

You lift your gaze from Hunter’s dark brown eyes, shutting your eyes for a mere fraction of a second, trying to alleviate the aching need you feel. Hunter chooses that moment to finally give you what you need. With a quick lick to your clit, your whole body jerks into his touch and a whimper escapes from your lips.

Hunter smirks up at you, the corner of his mouth lifting upwards in a smug, satisfied look. Then, he proceeds to bury his face between your legs and masterfully lick your swollen clit. His tongue brings you so much pleasure that your back arches involuntarily, pushing yourself further into his mouth. You moan his name and grab a handful of his long, thick hair. He purrs in your cunt when you entangle your fingers in his hair and you notice how his grip on your legs becomes tighter.

"Oh... Oh fuck!" you exclaim in ecstasy, barely able to form words.

One of his hands releases its grasp on your legs, which he has been using to keep you spread open for him. You throw your head back gasping as he slowly slides two of his thick fingers inside you. 

"So tight," he growls with a smirk on his face.

Hunter pumps his fingers inside of you, slowly increasing the rhythm, ensuring that you’re stretched out for him. It is a motion that brings you so much pleasure you wonder how it could possibly get better. Your whole body jerks in pure bliss under his touch. He enjoys looking at you like this, you can see it from how darkened his eyes are with lust.

For a brief second, his fingers and mouth leave your cunt, leaving you devastatingly empty. You watch in awe as Hunter sticks them in his mouth, without breaking eye contact with you. He sucks on his fingers, humming while closing his eyes to savor your taste from places where his tongue can’t reach.

"You taste so good, sweetheart," he rasps as he resumes fucking you with his fingers.

He watches you contort under him, moaning and begging for him to return his skillful mouth between your thighs. Your hips thrust up and down right in front of his face. You are shamelessly fucking yourself on his fingers, inviting him to bury his face back in your folds. You desperately bury your hands in his hair in an attempt to pull him closer.

"Damn, you're so beautiful like this," he says before his mouth goes back exactly where you wanted.

Then, Hunter does something absolutely devastating. While he continues licking your clit, he starts sucking it gently, all as he continues pumping his thick fingers inside of you. Hunter wants to draw an orgasm from you, his actions becoming more and more frantic as you grow closer to your climax. He can feel by the irregular way you breathe and shake that you're close. 

"Yes. Yes. Like this. Let go, sweetheart," he encourages you.

It's only a matter of seconds before you come, writhing under him. Your legs are wrapped around his head, squishing it. You scream his name so loud it echoes in the Marauder. Hunter is pleased as he looks at your blissed-out expression and feels your cunt clamping around his fingers. Your back arches as you ride your orgasm, pushing yourself further into his tongue so you can feel him licking you through your orgasm. Hunter purrs into your cunt, loving the way you let go around him. He loves how his face is getting soaked in your arousal, so addicted to the way you taste.

Hunter holds you steady as your orgasm fades out. When you regain your senses, you slowly release your grip on his hair. Only then he props himself up and slowly unzips his suit, showing you the beautiful golden skin underneath. A warm contrast under the black, tight layer.

The dark hairs on his chest are perfectly trimmed, accentuating each of his toned muscles and the tattoos which decorate his thick, masculine body. Your gaze is locked on his hand trailing down his abdomen, his muscles rippling as he approaches the hem of his pants. 

You shamelessly look at the bulge in his dark suit, a sight that makes your mouth water. Hunter’s lips curve into a smirk once again, noticing that you like what you see. The smug look on his face makes you throb with need once again, despite the fact that he just gave you an intense orgasm.

He hooks his thumb in the hem of his pants, watching intently for your reaction as he slowly pulls the material down to reveal the trimmed, dark hairs around the base of his thick cock.

Hunter notices the intense way you look at it and hears the whimper you just tried to suppress in your throat. He can feel your heart rate going up. It makes him smirk confidently as he goes on, finally freeing his hard, thick cock. You gulp while looking at it, as he uses the same fingers he had buried in you to cover it in your arousal. He gives it a few, firm strokes to ensure it’s nice and wet for you. The mere vision of it makes you bite your lip to muffle another impatient whimper.

Then he is on you, peeling your shirt away from your quivering body, rejoicing when he can finally touch it and worship it with his mouth. Hunter trails kisses across your collarbones and down towards your breasts. He swirls his tongue around the sensitive flesh there, before softly biting your nipples. You gasp when you feel his erection hard against your cunt. He starts to thrust his hips against yours so his cock can rub against your drenched core, getting it soaked in your juices. Your mind turns completely blank at that, heart thundering in your chest as his hands roam across your body. 

Hunter aligns himself to your entrance, groaning as his cock slowly makes its way inside of you. You admire his restraint. You know how much he probably wants to take you with one thrust, but instead he is being so gentle and careful with you, making sure that you are well-adjusted to his size.

He takes your jaw in his hand, looking deep inside your eyes as his thick cock stretches you open. You struggle to keep eye contact with him, unlike earlier when you were flirting with him. Now, your eyes only want to roll backwards. The pleasure you feel as he splits you open is overwhelming your body and senses.

You pathetically try to mumble some incoherencies, but he's quick to shut you up with a kiss. Hunter growls low in his throat when he feels your walls desperately clenching around him, as he buries himself into you to the hilt.

"Fuck, sweetheart, you feel so good," he rasps, almost desperately before giving you another wet kiss. Then, he raises his hips only to bury his cock deep inside you, making you moan into his mouth.

"How – how can you feel so fucking good?" he whimpers.

Hunter’s large hands gently cup your face, as he continues placing passionate kisses against your lips while thrusting into you. You notice his kisses become more desperate as he slowly increases the rhythm. As Hunter picks up the pace, he buries his face in your neck, panting low in your ear. 

You are certain that he can’t go any faster, before he proves you wrong. He increases the pace to a brutal rhythm, fucking you so hard you start screaming.

"So loud,” he rasps, “They're gonna hear us in the Cantina." 

"Then make me shut up," you whisper daringly.

A blaze of lust glimmers in his eyes as you lay down that challenge. Something shifts inside of him as he gives you a feral, animalistic look. Hunter quickly covers your mouth with his hand, showing you his more dominant, commanding side which makes you clamp tightly around his cock.

"Oh, you like this," he smirks, satisfied that this is precisely what you wanted all along.

You nod frantically. There is no use hiding how much this turns you on. Despite how much Hunter shows care towards you, you suspect there is something darker which lingers below the surface. You want to draw it out of him. 

"What else do you like, hm?" he coos as he wraps his other hand around your throat, lightly choking you, his thumb rubbing your throat possessively.

The sight of you, looking so vulnerable under him as he can finally dominate you makes him frantic with lust. Gone are the measured thrusts and even rhythm of before. Something feral has overtaken Hunter, a desperate need to claim you. He continues silencing your moans with one hand around your throat and one across your mouth, muffling your gasps as he wrecks you with his cock. 

Having Hunter's hand muffling your own moans gives you the opportunity to hear his desperate grunts and pants as they mix with the obscene, squelching sound his cock makes each time he thrusts into you. You close your eyes in bliss, enjoying this moment of pure pleasure. 

"Can't keep your eyes open for me, sweetheart? Look at me with those pretty fucking eyes," he growls.

You can't help but whimper at that, at how authoritative he sounds. The Sergeant of The Bad Batch is dominating the fuck out of you. You are a moaning, gasping mess beneath him, unable to think about anything other than how good being furiously pounded by him feels. 

"I didn't catch that,” Hunter rasps as he slowly lifts his hand from your mouth. He leans down to put his ear against your mouth “What were you saying, sweetheart?"

"L-let me – fuck!” you gasp, too blissed out to form words.

“Use your words,” Hunter commands, slowing his thrusts down so you can finally speak.

“Let me touch you!" you beg, unable to care about how desperate and pathetic you sound. All you can think about is roaming your hands around the warm, firm expanse of his body.

Hunter smirks, intrigued by your request, only too happy to oblige you. He grabs your hand roughly by the wrist and positions it over his abdomen. You can feel his muscles flexing and contracting under your touch as he thrusts into you. His body is as hard as iron and on fire like a damn furnace, burning with lust.

"Maker…" you whisper.

You let your hand trail up to his firm chest. You grope his pectorals, appreciating the firmness of his muscles. Your cunt clenches around his cock at the sight of your hand against his golden skin. A smirk appears on his face, enjoying what he does to you.

Your hand goes up to his broad shoulder, rubbing over it before you move your hand towards his back. You feel how his muscles strain there with each thrust as he continues pounding into you at a relentless pace. Both of your hands are now caressing his back, feeling every single dimple under your fingertips. Just as you try pulling him close, he starts to give it to you even harder. You scratch your fingernails along his back. You watch in awe as Hunter moans in your mouth at that. 

"Could–could fucking smell how much you wanted me earlier. You distracted me the whole time. Couldn't think of anything else besides how good you'd look with my cock inside of you,” he rasps in your neck before biting you, growling wildly as he does. “I was so fucking hard for you, sweetheart," Hunter grunts. 

He's so feral for you, fucking you so hard. You can't even mumble a response.

"Smell so good – so fucking good–" he whispers in your ear.

"D-don't s–stop," you mumble in your cockdrunk delirium.

"I can't, sweetheart. This cunt's all I ever wanted,” he growls, “Gonna make you mine. Mine." 

"Oh, fuck… Yes," you pant as he props himself up, kneeling in front of you without stopping that devastating rhythm for even half a second.

He looks at your body, at the way your boobs bounce with each thrust as he gives it go you even harder, holding on tight to your legs, using them as leverage to bury himself even deeper inside of you. Seeing him like this makes you remember just how badly you wanted to ride his cock earlier.

"Hunter. Hunter. I want to ride you," you whimper.

"Is that an order, Commander?"

"Y–yes. Yes. Order. S–s-sergeant," you mindlessly go on as he keeps thrusting his cock inside of you.

The thought of you bouncing on his cock makes him throb. In an instant, Hunter lifts you in his arms as if you were weightless and makes you straddle him. He sits with his back against the wall of the bunk. His hands are on your waist and you immediately start rocking your hips up and down, giving into your fantasy from earlier.

"Such a good soldier… So good at following orders," you whisper against his lips.

"Yeah… Sometimes," he smirks before gripping your hair and stealing another wet, hot kiss that makes you melt into him even further.

Your head rolls back in pleasure at the way his cock feels from this position. It's devastating, hitting something deep within you. You almost lose yourself in that feeling, but Hunter won’t allow you to. Even though you are on top of him, Hunter is quick to remind you who’s in charge as he takes your jaw in his hand.

"Eyes on me," he orders firmly.

"Yes, Sergeant," you moan. 

You swear you feel him throbbing and choke a grunt when he hears the sensual way you pronounce his title. Clearly, using his rank in this context has done something to Hunter. He moves his thumb between your lips and you suck it provocatively, never stopping yourself from meeting his gaze. Hunter’s pupils widen at the sinful way your lips envelop his finger and your tongue gently touches it. His eyes take into your sensual, precious beauty, before bringing you to him and kissing you again.

Your bodies are damp in sweat and rubbing against one another. Your nipples deliciously catch against his hairy, broad chest. You continue moaning into each other's mouths; your tongues never stop touching.

"Hunter, I'm gonna come–" you whimper.

"Hold it for me, sweetheart," he rasps in a sweet, yet dark voice, having the opposite effect from what he intended.

"Please, I want to come on your cock," you plead desperately.

"Not yet," he smirks.

Hunter grabs your hips and guides your movements so that your clit starts to rub against his pelvis. You let out a loud moan as you hold on to him tighter, digging your nails in his shoulders.

"I can't hold it!" you scream with your eyes shut.

He grabs your chin in his hand, clearly uninterested in your desperate appeals.

"Look at me," he says firmly as you open your eyes. Your vision is too blurry to focus on him but you try nonetheless.

"Now come for me, sweetheart," he rasps darkly.

You obey his order and come hard around his cock. An overwhelming, intense wave of pleasure starts at your core and completely takes over your body. You’re wrecked by uncontrollable shakes as Hunter holds you in his strong arms. You scream and pant as you ride your high. Your eyes roll backwards while Hunter focuses on how beautiful you look when you lose control. Especially when he is the one responsible for it.

Hunter feels your heart running in your chest and every single contraction of your muscles around his cock. The unmistakable, heady scent of sex that fills the Marauder drives him insane, making him burst inside of you. He grunts loudly as he fills you up with his load, holding you tight in his grasp.

You moan in each other's mouths, your forehead leaning on his as you look into each other’s eyes. You never leave each other’s gaze as you both give into the highest of pleasure.

As you come down from your high, your rhythm slows down until it stops completely. Your bodies are intertwined like vines, naked and sweaty as you catch breath in each other’s embrace.

You really do make a great team, after all.

Fanarts: Hunter's back + Shirtless Hunter by @mesvi Hello handsome by @corukant Wet Hunter by @iszapizza Hunter under the shower by @shakall Hunter and his vibroknife by @ve-ti-ver Hunter under the shower by @cloned-eyes Hunter taking off his shirt + Tech by @constant-brain-fog Hunter taking a shower by kaijurave (on twitter/x)

[1818havefaith]

FAITH’S GUIDE TO GET THAT LOOK: FOXY BROWN

I've decided to start a series based around the prettiest and flyest black women! I've decided to start with the 'darkskin Christian Dior poster girl, ' Foxy Brown! Think 90s minimalism that isn’t shy of colour, Donna Karan, Gucci by Tom Ford, Christian Dior Spring RTW 2000, leather and coloured furs, iced out jewellery and the sickest heels you’ve ever seen, some bohemian style accessories, dark thin eyebrows and dark lips that match your black mini dress.

When Foxy took off in the 90s minimalism was all the rage, most rappers and R&B singers were in leather , denim sporting casual styles that were dressed up with gold jewellery and fur. Foxy adopted this style whilst adding her own flair. She was flashy and sexy but her style still remained simple and classic. Matching her lyrics, where she expressed her love for designer and high fashion, hyped herself up as a sex symbol whilst still being a classy lady.

HAIR

Foxy often wore sew ins with an invisible parting straight or wavy were her usual texture options. The invisible parting sew in has been a technique used by stylists since sew ins came on the scene.

But to add your own flair to this look, wear your hair how you feel best.

NAILS

Foxy's nail length often varied, but regardless of length, the colours remained neutral, sometimes black. Her commonly worn nails were medium length and nude-pink acrylic overlay (think getting your nails done and they put the acrylic on and apply a clear/light pink finish and don't paint it further)

THE FACE

Foxy's features were always highlighted without her ever putting too much on her face.

THE BROWS

Eyebrows can be thinned using an eyebrow razor, shaving cream and tweazers.

When it comes to makeup use an eyebrow pomade to follow the shape of your thin brows to define them.

BASE

Foxy always had a flawless skin-like base.

To achieve this you will need:

Primer

Fan/ something to fan yourself with

Foundation

Foundation brush

Lighter but not super light concealer

Concealer brush

Pressed powder

Setting powder

Powder Brush

Powder Puff

Bronzer

Eyeliner

Mascara/Cluster Lashes

Lip Liner

Lipstick/Lip Gloss

STEPS

After filling in your brows, apply primer to your face

#faithtip: apply a pump of primer to your finger and apply it to your laugh lines to help reduce the appearance of laugh lines

Fan your face dry

#faithtip: use a powder brush to apply baby powder all over your face, pay extra attention to lines and creases so your makeup doesn't crease too much

Your face will look super ashy after this step, but applying foundation will fix this

Do not put too much on or it will be too cakey apply small dots to each part of your face and apply a bit more where needed

Blend it in with a foundation brush

After blending in your foundation apply a concealer that is only slightly lighter than your skin tone to your under-eyes

Apply a little bit of bronzer along your hairline, your cheekbones and a little bit on your jaw.

Now use a powder brush to pat press powder into your face.

Then use a powder puff to apply setting powder your under eyes following your eye shape, your chin, your cupids bow and a clean line under your brow.

EYES

Foxy loves to highlight her eyes sometimes subtly, sometimes heavy.

Use an eyeliner pencil/pen/black eyeshadow and apply it to the outer corners of your eye, creating a small wing.

Then use a small eyeshadow brush to smudge it slightly, still maintaining the shape and direction of the wing

Now depending on how dark you want your eyes to appear use mascara on you eyelashes or apply individual lashes for a more dramatic look.

HOW TO APPLY CLUSTER LASHES:

Strip lashes can also be cut into smaller pieces or use cluster lashes

Dip them into glue and wipe off the excess

Use tweezers to hold the lashes

Pull the top of your eyelid upwards so you can see underneath your eyelashes

#faithtip: Wipe the glue on the part you are applying to then you can dip the lash in glue again before actually placing it underneath your lash

This make the lashes more firm and secure

Make sure it is not too close to your eye as this can be irritating

Fan your eyes if you can still feel wet glue

BACK TO THE BASE

Using a powder brush, brush away/blend out the loose powder, under your eyes

Blend VERY well, as the powder has been sat on your face for a while, so it will not move easily

Now apply setting spray to your face till it's wet

Fan your face till dry

LIPS

Foxy either loved a dark lip or dark lip liner

A common hack for this time was holding a lighter slightly close to your lip liner to melt it slightly, for smother application and darker appearance

FOR A DARK LIP

Use a dark black/marron/purple lip liner

Then apply a lipstick/lipgloss in the same/slightly lighter shade

DARK LIPLINER AND PINK LIP

Line your top and bottom lip

Appy a pink lip gloss or lipstick in the middle

Go over your lip liner if you must

Blend your lip liner slightly

Apply a clear lip gloss or keep it matte in true 90s essence

FASHIONS

OK! Let's get into Miss Foxy's fashions. Foxy's style is characterised by sex appeal, glamour and sleek minimalistic styles. Like her contemporaries, her style was glamourous whilst simplistic and classy.

TOPS

There are so many pictures of her wearing mostly sleeveless tops. Vests, halter tops, tube tops you name it. With or without a jacket. She often wore plain tops with not graphics or patterns on them but if there was any logo on the shirt it usually remained minimalistic.

TUBE/BANDEAU TOPS

HALTER TOPS

TANK TOPS

BOTTOMS

She wore a range of bottoms often dependent on occasion and weather.

MINISKIRTS

CAPRI'S

MID/LOW WAISTED JEANS

SHOES

Foxy in any picture is mostly seen in heels, boots, stilettos, wedges from Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Dior etc. but she occasionally wore sneakers/trainers in pictures where she is seen in sneakers they are from Chanel. A popular sneaker at the time as well was the Prada America’s cup.

HEELED BOOTS

STILETTOS

SNEAKERS/TRAINERS

OUTERWEAR

Fur and Leather wear in rotation for Foxy, making her looks more glamorous.

FUR COATS

LEATHER

OTHER PIECES

LOGOMANIA

MINIDRESSES

BAGS

Her bags were often small or medium sized and she would often opt for a small shoulder bag or a medium-sized handbag that she could wear on the crook of her arm.

JEWELRY

Bangles, chains, hoops, dainty bracelets and watches and dramatic drop earrings. Foxy was seen in different metals not just gold or silver. Her accessories usually elevated her minimalistic looks, almost transforming the outfit into a new look.

[netmors]

STAR WARS: Eleventh Fleet AU

Hey-hey, I worked, caught a cold, got sick and that’s enough… …so, concept art for the Eleventh Fleet.

Ar'alani and Vah'nya's designs are fairly simple, but the problem with them in particular, and the Chiss in general, is their clothing and style. There are many official references, including those from Legends, but each artist still has his own vision regarding, for example, the shape of the fleet. Somewhere there is a strong homage to the design from the old canon, somewhere it was modernized, and in the latter they added the same “honor's chains”, which look a little strange on the laconic form. It seems to be in the Chiss style, but very impractical.

As a result, I am reworking the design of the expansion and defense fleet uniform, but more on that another time. Let's return to Ar'alani and Vah'nya.

At the beginning of the events of the "Eleventh Fleet", Senior General Ar'alani on his flagship "Vigilant" is increasingly confronted with the Grysks. A year will pass since her last meeting with Thrawn, when the invaders of the Ascendency space will openly attack the Chiss ships.

Such cat and mouse would continue for another year until the disappearance of another Night Dragon class war cruiser, subsequently leading to disaster in the heart of the Chiss Ascendancy. The Senior General will be one of the few superiors who, along with Ba'kif, can survive. Much of this will be down to Vanto and Ronan - unaccounted for variables in the Grysk's plans. The trust placed in Thrawn's "alien protégés" paid off in full.

The Senior General was often accompanied by Senior Navigator Vah'nya. "Vigilant" almost always accepted missions to search for missing navigators. Vah'nya not only guided the ship through the stars and darkness of outer space, but she was much better at rehabilitating rescued navigators, as well as leading the other navigators on the ship. Friendship with Eli played an important role in this.

Because of her "anomaly" as a Navigator who hasn't lost her powers into adulthood, many of the regulations and rules simply don't work for Vah'nya the way they do for other girls. And to be an “anomaly” for Sindikure is a very subtle walking on the edge of a charrik. And yet, to the dissatisfaction of some aristocrats and syndics, the girl manages to balance on it for quite a long time.

+ bonus Ba'kif timeline concept art.

Because I’m not entirely sure that I’m right, but I really wanted to think about what this gorgeous grandpa would have looked like during the Thrawn. Ascendency Trilogy. And I also reworked his “chains” and other form elements quite a bit. And yes, I’m more than sure that Thrawn adopted Ba'kif’s “style” in his time.

[catherinekal]

Giant Fucking List of Obscure Video Games I Recommend!

It's finally done!! Took me long enough, but here it is. Over 50 games I recommend. Just in time for the Steam Sale. Holy shit I spent way to much time on this.

Some of these are well known to anyone into the indie/AA gaming scene or just on the internet often, but I still felt the need to mention in case people haven't heard of them. All of these are obscure compared to any AAA game and I'm confident no one would have heard or played all of these.

They all have something I found interesting in someway. I was going to include a trailer for each game, but apparently Tumblr doesn't like that. So I have put a link to a Youtube playlist for all of them in the same order as this list. Some of these games are also on various consoles to, but I can confirm they're all on Steam beyond one.

I only picked games I've played personally. I know of many other good obscure games, but haven't tried or bought them yet so they don't get on the list. Also many games on this list remain unfished to me, but that's more due to time and other life shit then them getting bad.

There's a lot of fucking games In this list so hopefully you find something you've never tried before and give it a shot. All these games are on Steam with one exception, but that's a free game. I also organized them by genres that make perfect sense to me.

Trailers Link:

The Best Game Ever:

Outer Wilds

Fuck it let's just start with the only mandatory game on this list you need to play. You know how nearly every space game is a overpromised underdelivered fucking mess? Like all of them.

Outer Wilds is the actual good one. Don't want to say much more then that. This is very much an experience that you need to know as little as possible to get the best experience. Not even linking the trailer in the playlist.

Absolutely play this game if you had to pick only 1 thing on this list.

EarthBoundLikes:

OMORI

OMORI is a game about a group of kids who go on magical adventures and save the day. That's it. Nothing else sinister going on here.

It's a well known indie game and for good reason. It's fucking good. One of my favorite games of all time.

Art style is peak. A mix of pixel and pencil drawn art that works so damn well for me. The battle system is turn based and revolves around changing emotions and teamwork. It mixes a happy child like vibe with a darkness underneath it, which is right up my alley. A tale of trauma and grief. I'm still fucked up thinking about some story bits in there. 

All the characters are wonderful and the story is helped a lot by keeping it focused on a small group of friends.

Play it.

LISA: The Painful and LISA: The Joyful

LISA: The Painful/Joyful are a pair of games that fuck. They fuck hard.

They're morbid, tackle many taboos, and have a dark but also stupid sense of humor. The visuals are nothing groundbreaking, but this isn't a game that needs perfect pristine pixel art. The combat system is a lot of fun, but takes very clear inspiration from Earthbound. The story is just perfect though.

You play Brad whos on a journey to rescue his adoptive daughter who was kidnapped in a post apocalyptic world of only men. You meet the strangest allies and the game has a lot of odd characters in it. Want a lawyer fish in your party? This game has it.

It does not shy away from throwing punches and is not for anyone who can't handle a story that tackles themes of abuse, depression, suicide, and more. The game also has a sequel I don't want to say to much about, but it's absolutely worth it as well.

If you want a fun and fucked up 2D RPG adventure and somehow haven't played this then please do so.

Mandatory Metroidvania Soulslike Indie Game Darlings:

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Ender Lilies is the first of many metroidvania's on this list. The indie scene is filled with them and for good reason. The formula works so damn well.

What I love about Ender Lilies is the concept of the player character. You play a white priestess who is also a child and helpless on her own. However, you can summon the spirits of allies and slain enemies to fight for you and those spirits are all your attacks. Gameplay is the same as any other Metroidvania, but knowing I'm this helpless child in this world infected by blight really sells me on the setting.

There's nothing revolutionary to this entry in the pantheon of Metroidvanias, but the visuals and setting are why I recommend it. This game is a slow descent into hell. Also you do get a big heavy hammer attack and any game with a big hammer weapon attack is a good game. Big bonks.

Craving a Metroidvania with a macabre setting? This will do it.

GRIME

GRIME is something else. I don't hear anyone talk about this game and it's a damn shame. I don't even know how to even describe GRIMEs setting. You play as essentially a sentient black hole on a rock body. You go through, with lore slowly revealed as is the Metroidvania stable, and absorb your enemies.

This games aesthetic is best described as fleshy stone. It's very unique visually and what made me want to try it out. As for gameplay you'll need to learn parrying as this games combat system heavily relies on it.

This game surprised me and has a entire level I never expected with one very unique boss to top that off. Also be warned. This game is very much a platformer as well. Similar to how the Ori games are, not just pure combat challenges. If you like your metroidvanias with little to no platforming then you won't enjoy parts of this game, but nothing as difficult as things in Hollow Knight.

If you enjoy metroidvanias then this is a must play. More people need to talk about it.

Salt and Sanctuary

This is where it all started. Certainly not the first Metroidvania by any means, but the first 2D Soulslike Metroidvania or at the least first advertised as such. The devs intended to make Dark Souls in 2D and they did it. Before Hollow Knight, the games listed above, or so many others that took inspirations from Souls in the 2D world, was this game. I know this game was popular with the souls community as it came out, but I don't really hear about it anymore. Hollow Knight just dominated all discussion.

The controls and combat are very much Dark Souls but in 2D. The lore is cryptic and hidden away. There's a fuckton of weapons and spells and multiple playthroughs worth of stuff. The game is hard though Hollow Knight would easily one up it in terms of difficulty.

This game also has covenants that are actually good and the mechanics around them are vastly improved over any souls game that has covenants. I won't go into detail, but I wish the souls games copied this games mechanics for that.

The setting is high fantasy with the lovely dark bloody horror underneath it all. The art style can turn people away, it's not as pretty as other 2D souslikes, but I enjoy it personally. It fits.

The game has a lot to explore and you can get lost in its world pretty easily. I remember walking into a boss room from the exit somehow and got behind the boss and it was all intended if you navigated around him.

If you can appreciate or just get past the visuals and want to see where the 2D soulslike genre began then you should play it.

Metroidvania's Before the Dark Age of Soulslikes

Dust: An Elysian Tail

Long ago there was a time where Metroidvanais didn't have soulslike mechanics defaulted in and set in these bleak post apocalyptic worlds. I have 3 of them to recommend. Starting With Dust: An Elysian Tail

This is a fun little game. A game that I'm not sure many people know about or would think to play today. Metroidvanias pre Hollow Knight tend to get forgotten when I see people about them now. It has a mix of platforming and hectic combat. I remember the game having a cool spin sword attack with a even cooler aerial attack. I liked it a lot when I played it many many years ago.

The art style is colorful and everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. More games need anthropomorphic animals beyond catgirl or rabbitgirl, seriously I grew up on shit like sly Cooper and Ratchet and Clank.

You play as Dust and are accompanied by Fidget. you got a magic sword and you kill a bunch of shit while saving the day. Just a fun little Metroidvania that doesn't overstay and go on forever.

It may be dated in some ways, but if you're a fan of these types of games and want to play a older one then here you go.

Guacamelee!

The combat in this game feel great. Another little forgotten gem of a Metroidvania. It has such a unique style to it and has a fun cartoony vibe. It's pretty fucking great.

You play as a farmer who dons a luchador mask to save his friend he loves and the world being taken over. The combat is a mix of punches, kicks, and throws which is unique from the usual swords and magic these types of games tend to default to. As the game goes along enemies will have shields that need certain moves to break and you'll be switching from the land of the dead and living in combat and platforming.

Both this and Dust before it don't reinvent the genre or anything, but have their own unique charms that I recommend them both if you're a fan of Metroidvanias.

Cave Story+

This is a old classic. The original Cave Story came out in 2004, and was released with a enhanced version in 2011. This is a must play Metroidvania and an old gem. It's the oldest game on this list technically.

This game has little to no melee combat, but instead goes all in on using guns. More Metroid then Vania in that sense. What's unique to the combat is enemies will drop experience that will level up your guns automatically. Each gun can be upgraded to 3 levels, but when you take damage you lose experiences and levels. This adds a extra layer or rewards and punishment to getting hit that I like. Your weapons are perfectly usable at level 1 so it's not like you're fucked, but it gives a greater incentive to avoid damage.

It has fun characters and and fun gameplay. It's a genuine indie gem that I think everyone should play.

Pixel Action Adventure Games With A Dash of RPG Elements to Taste:

ANNO: Mutationem

This game is a pixel art cyberpunk adventure. I adore the art style. It's a 2.5D action platformer set in a futuristic setting. You're on a quest to save your brother with the help of your hacker friend/girlfriend. A quest which leads to a far more complicated story.

The story in this game goes off the rails in ways I love, but I know it threw people off. People have compared the latter half to Evangelion and It can be confusing to follow at times. I still highly recommend it, even if you get lost near the end. A simpler story in terms of Lore would have worked better, but I say fuck it. Go all in.

To me the appeal of this game is the setting. A fascinating cyberpunk sci-fi setting shown through wonderful pixel art. Just walking around the various cities was a joy on its own. There's a lot of attention to detail and I think it's worth playing for that alone. Combat is your standard side-scrolling Metroidvaniaish kind of stuff with various weapons and upgrades and all that. I found it a little challenging at times, but this isn't a game meant for extreme difficulty from what I remember.

If you want to play as hot badass woman in a cyberpunk setting given life through detailed pixel art, then this is the game for you.

CrossCode

This is the most dense indie game on this whole list. CrossCode has so much to do. The game is expansive and slowly drip feeds you with more. You have 5 skill trees, 4 of which are tied to an element, multiple upgrade paths in them. You have a mix of melee combat with twin stick shooter mechanics thrown in. The game has multiple dungeons with puzzles that are both difficult to figure out and then execute the solution for. These aren't like a 2D Zelda dungeon where things never get to complicated, I really took a lot of time with every dungeon.

The setting takes place on another moon physically, but its actually all virtual and a MMO people are playing from all over the galaxy. Though the game itself isn't a MMO really. You play as a set character in a set linear story that's unrelated to that actual in lore story of the MMO. 

The characters are fun and the setting is a joy to explore. There's a lot of side content and I don't remember any of it being a drag. This games also challenging and I know It took me a bit to progress at various points. The pixel art is very detailed, especially with the outdoor environments.

This game will keep you engaged for a while and there's challenging DLC and even fun incentives to play new game plus. This is just all around a solid game experience.

Hyper Light Drifter

I played this game a long time ago so details are hazy, but I know I really enjoyed it. It's top down and filled with action. You got a sword. You got a gun. You go kill things and I do remember many challenging combat encounters.

I have forgotten all story elements, but even now I still remember some imagery that reminded me of Evangelion, which is always a plus. Though story was never the main draw to games for me so the setting and combat were all I needed to keep engaged.

Not the most descriptive review of the game, but I know this is one of the furthest game on this list from when I played it and I only went through it once. It's a cool game though and if the trailer enticed you then you owe it to yourself to get it. 

Phoenotopia: Awakening

I adore this little hidden gem of a game. If CrossCode is the most dense indie game on this list then this is a very close second. Possibly even more dense, I truly can't decide for sure. It's cute, funny, charming, and full of legitimate challenges.

You play as Gail who lives in a small town village. Some shit happens that I won't give away, but you end needing to travel the land and go on a fun adventure. The story is full of comedic and lively characters. It never takes itself to seriously or gets really dark which Is a nice change of pace.

This game really is an adventure. You will travel a lot and get very familiar with any hub area. There's secrets and puzzles packed all over and gives you good reason to revisit. A nice drip feed of progress is felt as you unlock more stuff.

In terms of combat it's bar far the most simplistic on this list and could even frustrate others, but like everything else in this game it has charm and I adore it. The simple mechanics don't mean no challenge though. I was stuck often, but felt so satisfying when I won.

Some of the late game areas can be bullshit and will frustrate you, but stick with it. This is a genuine top tier hidden indie gem that got no attention. Honestly just under Outer Wilds this would be the other must buy. Absolutely play this.

Vampire Survivorlikes:

20 Minutes Till Dawn

Everyone knows about Vampire Survivor and everyone knows many games came out that tried to capture that style of gameplay. This one is the only one of those I've played and it's wonderful.

You unlock multiple characters and multiple guns with various upgrade trees. Kill the horde, survive, upgrade, survive even longer. Each level only takes 20 minutes, hence the title. I appreciate that as the game would never end with how strong you end up being by the end after you learn the mechanics.

This isn't anything groundbreaking, but if you need to kill half a hour then it's a fun thing to play.

Hawklikes:

Umurangi Generation

Let's fucking go!! This game rules!

As someone who is going to pursue photography more seriously as a hobby this game is perfect. Unlike something like Pokemon Snap or games with photo modes, this game really captures the feeling of holding a physical camera and the moment to moment decisions you make with each shot.

You unlock different lenses and control each shot as you would a real camera. After each photo you can edit it on the spot purely for your own creative reasons. The visuals are low poly and very colorful.

The game has a tony hawk style of progression. A hawklike if you will. You get dropped in a level and are given a list of photos to try and take. You can of course take photos of anything. You have a limited amount of film and can find more throughout the level.

Also there's a story. There's a dark undercurrent to the whole thing and the game is very overtly political in all the right ways. Don't like politics in your games? Fuck you! This game dives right in while still maintaining the core gameplay loop. Need more games like this please.

Please buy this game and it's DLC.

Action Games:

Furi

Top tier action game. It's a boss rush game, that's it. 10 bosses with some vague story that briefly connects them. It's not bloated with bullshit and knows exactly what to focus on.

The combat is a mix of intense melee combat with parries and dodges and the like, with twin stick shooting. No upgrades. No farming. No choosing between this weapon or that. No additional moves or mechanics. You fight a tutorial boss which teaches you everything and then you go. You have the full toolkit from the start and that lets you master it slowly over the game.

It's so fucking satisfying finally winning and knowing you improved and earned that win. I like the story as well. It's not that complex, but the ending bits worked for me.

If you want a genuine good action game that has no bullshit attached then get this.

Amid Evil

There's not much to say about this one other then it's really fucking fun. It's a first person action game where you use magic and weapons to go through combat filled levels. You have health and mana that all weapons use outside of your axe. The levels are filled with secrets, you move fast, and it's just a fun action game.

Sometimes a game isn't more then that and it beats games that are stuffed with unnecessary mechanical bloat. If you want a fun first person action game that's not just a full shooter then this is the game for you.

Adventure Games:

The Cat Lady and Lorelai

I love these games. No one ever talks about them or knows about them and they will certainly linger in your mind. The devs have made 2 other games that I have yet to get to so for now I am recommending only these.

Play The Cat Lady first. It's the first one and tells the story of a very depressed middle aged woman who gets a second chance at life, at a cost.

Lorelai is about a young woman in a very abusive household trying to survive while seeing what lengths she will go to save those she loves.

Both these games revolve around deals with a devil and feature a lot of horrific violence. Fun!

The stories in both evoke a creepy disturbing feeling and you're always on edge. I won't say these are straight horror games, but they sure use horror imagery. The art style really helps sells it. The animations or character models may not be the most beautiful thing around, but it has that indie charm I love. The voice acting isn't perfect either, but these aren't negatives for me. These are passion projects and imperfections are what make any piece of art shine brighter. Real people put their soul into these games and it shows.

The gameplay is standard adventure game fair, but all keyboard controlled. So no endless mouse clicking everything on the screen. which works wonderfully. Though being pure adventure games you're here more for the story then the moment to moment gameplay.

Please play these.

Detention

Detention is probably well known due to the controversy with Red Candle Games other game, Devotion being wiped online for shitty reasons. It's available now on their own websites store, though I still have never played it. I should one day as Detention was pretty fucking good.

The gameplay is the usual 2D adventure game fair. A lot of clicking and puzzle solving with some horror thrown in. The story and setting are where it's at though.

The game is unique in that it's made from Taiwanese devs and the games setting is rooted in their cultures history. I don't want to give away any real details beyond that, but it certainly left an impact and seeing a game not set in Europe, America, Japan, or any fantasy equivalent to those was refreshing. The games also not super long and could easily be beaten in a day.

Go buy it. Play it on a long free night. Support these devs.

Rime

I love the aesthetic of this game. Cel shading indie colorful goodness. I got this for the visuals alone and was very happy the game that came with it was good to. Visuals are a major factor in me getting interested in a game and the reveal trailer was enough for me to play it.

It's very light and cryptic on story for most of it as to be expected from this kind of game. You're a kid, you wake up on a beach and go forth exploring. You solve puzzles and hide from danger and go through each of the unique levels trying to piece together whats going on.

Like the game before, this isn't a super long one. Shouldn't take more then a day or a few to get through it all. Though I do recommend you take your time and explore like I did. Let yourself be immersed in the setting.

This is another example of just a pure perfect indie game. Doesn't overstay it's welcome, tells a simple but cryptic story, and has lovely visuals.

Atominous

This is the one of the few games on this whole list that I would say is truly obscure. In fact I have no doubt this is the most obscure. If you're big into indie games then nothing on this list will honestly surprise you, but I'm confident this is the exception.

In this free game you place as a a little guy who's job is like pest control. Instead of bugs your job is to collect and protect the world from rare atoms called Atominous. Basically little atoms that can alter reality. You go into a big house and your job is to find them through the power of puzzle solving and clicking every little thing you see.

This game is all about clicking everything. Nearly every object has unique text that pops up, if not multiple. You find keys to open more of the house and slowly suck up the atominous atoms and clean up the place.

That's it. It's a fun quirky little free game that shouldn't take more then a couple hours. No excuse not to try it, it's free. It's also the only game not on steam, but instead here

Adventure Games Where You Hit Things:

TUNIC

TUNIC is a lovely indie game. You play as a little cute fox and go on a adventure to save your poor trapped mom. such a cute game :3

I adore the visuals, I love low poly stuff and the game is full of charm. Looking at this game makes me happy. The game is like a mix of a top down Zelda and Fez and it being reminiscent of FEZ was what really took me by surprise. I won't go further in how it's like FEZ, but it really elevated the game for me.

It's a fun top down game with simple fun combat. You kill enemies, find key items, unlock more of the world, and get fed cryptic lore. The perfect formula for a fun little indie game. The game is decently challenging to with it's boss fights, and overall a nice fun little experience with some neat surprises.

TUNIC is wonderful, go play it.

Kena: Bridge of Sprits

This is the most PS2 game I've played since the PS2. I mean that as a compliment. This game felt like going back in time to a simpler time.

Visually the game is not at all like the PS2. The visuals are beautiful and has been compared to Pixar. It's bright, colorful, and well polished. To me this is peak aesthetics. This game is worth playing just to see all the work that went into the game's visuals alone.

It reminded me of a PS2 game because it's a self contained fun third person action adventure. Just a fun game with no bullshit holding it down or any other purpose then being a fun adventure. The world is a joy to explore with a nice steady progression. I especially love how the Hub is mostly corrupted and you slowly restore it over the course of the game. Shit like that always feels so good.

There's a lot of unexpected challenge to. Some of the later fights and especially bosses took me a bit to beat. Just like a PS2 game you'll get random difficulty spikes that are so fucking satisfying to beat.

I highly recommend this game.

Adventure Games Where You're in the Desert:

Sable

Sable is a coming of age story presented in a very fun interactive package. This is a game about heading out into the world and exploring on your own whim to figure out what your character becomes as an adult.

You play as Sable, a young adult girl who has to leave her tribe and head into the wider world to discover herself. The goal is to find mask which representative a life path and pick one by the end. The actual game is about heading into a desert open world, solving puzzles, helping NPC's, and discovering what bits of hidden lore hide throughout. You do this all on a hoverbike you can customize as you unlock more parts.

As always the art style is important to me and this game has something really unique. The characters animation is low framerate and it can be off putting to some, but of course I loved it as I love any odd creative choice. I love the lighting and colors to. It's hard to describe just why I was so mesmerised by the art style, but I can safely say it's one of my all time favorites.

The only negative goes to technical issues. The game ran like shit on my PC and my PC isn't bad. Even people with far better PC's then me ran into frame rate issues and others didn't have any. Sometimes games aren't optimized well, but this game was so magical to me that I loved it, despite the tech issues.

It's a very chill game. You want to explore a cool world at a slow pace and get lost in it? Sable's the game for you.

It Comes In Waves

This is a short game where you have to start over if you die. A penalty I feared, but truthfully this isn't that difficult of an experience. You start on one end of a desert and have to carry something to the other end as it grows inside a tank on your back.

As you wait for whatever your transporting to grow you will explore minimalist environments with some unique imagery that speaks of a wider history you just have to wonder about. The whole time you have to watch out for raiders and watch your water level. It always depletes and you will need to explore and refill it as you journey on. I also love how you have a map, but the map is like an actual map. It doesn't show you on it, but just the overall area.

This game will take you a hour at best and is unlike anything else on this list. There's something about just slowly walking across the desert, not knowing what's ahead, and hoping you can make it to the next water tank. Just a little experimental game about a harsh journey.

Platformers With 2 Entire Dimensions:

MO: Astray

Ever wanted to play as a little blob? No? Well you should because this game was a hidden gem. I was thrown off by this game at first and then pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

This game feels like it should be a metroidvania. It's 2D and you're on a broken down ship or facility or something. Nope. This game is fully linear and at first I didn't think I'd like that and was disappointed, but it works so damn well.

You play a slime essentially and you have the magical power to read the last thoughts and minds of corpses by settling on their rotten fleshy head. With this power and other little story tidbits you learn what's going on, your purpose, and so on.

There's no combat in this game really. You move by shooting yourself in any direction you can see and you can stick to surfaces. There's danger. There's enemies. There's boss fights. All without the usual fair of attack/dodge roll, that's standard for 2D metroidvanias now. This game is something different and that alone makes it worth it.

Also a note on the boss fights. All of them felt very unique from each other I prefer having a few well crafted unique bosses then having a bunch of the same type of fight over and over again.

Another genuine hidden gem you should try.

Platformers With 3 Entire Dimensions:

Frogun

Frogun is adorable. It's like a N64 game and I love it.

You have a frog grappling hook and go through little short levels that ramp up in difficulty. There's optional challenges in each one. The art style is absolutely going for that early 3D low poly vibe that is starting to become more popular.

This is a perfect example of just a fun video game for the sake of being a fun video game. No serious story or message or intense complicated gameplay mechanics. Just a cute 3D platformer reminiscent of a older time.

Also I played this back when I used to stream and a Frogun speedrunner showed up in chat and helped me pull off a couple speedrunning tricks so that was fun.

If you want something simple and fun then here it is.

Cyber Hook

The ultimate speedrunning game. You have a gun, a grappling hook, and the ability to slow down time. This is a pure platformer. You enter levels with the goal of getting through as fast as you can.

I never got great at it, but the few times I really got going fast and flew through a level felt awesome. It's so satisfying finally doing things right after many failures and you will fail a lot.

There's really not much more to it. Neat visuals with satisfying and simple mechanics. If that sounds fun to you then check it out.

Marble It Up! Ultra

Platformers really are just the perfect mechanic to make fun mindless games with. Marble It Up! Ultra is another simple 3D platformer that's just purely focused on being fun.

As always it's not that complicated either. You're a marble and you try to reach the end of each stage with a time limit. There's items to stop time, make you jump higher, and go faster. Just all about building up speed and there's tons of ways to skip past parts of levels. Like the two games before, this one is perfect for speedrunning.

It's fun, go buy it.

RPG's:

Roadwarden

I was going to make a big post about why I preferred this to BG3, but scrapped it. BG3 is fun, but the story just bores me from the get go. Where BG3 failed for me Roadwarden succeeded. All story and all fantastic.

This is a text based RPG. Very simplistic visuals which show just enough to let your imagination handle most of the work.

You play a roadwarden who has the lovely job to travel the dangerous roads and help the townsfolk all while working on your greater goals. You pick between 3 starting classes and those do change how you approach things quite a bit. You have a time limit and that will force you to prioritize things over others. You can't do everything in a single playthrough. Your decisions matter and you aren't going to figure everything out.

You have to manage your health, money, hunger, and cleanliness. You will never have enough money for everything and that helps create more interesting choices. You have to manage what you do in a day. You meet a lot of people and forge allies or enemies and it's all told with stellar writing.

If you want a well written fantasy interactive story then you must play this game.

RPG's With Intense High-Octane Turn Based Combat:

Epic Battle Fantasy 5

A long time ago in times forgotten there existed these ancient relics called Flash games. Maybe one day I'll talk about old flash games I was into, but for now I'm only talking about the latest instalment in one of them. Epic Battle Fantasy is a series of games made by Matt Roszak. They started as little flash games, but have since turned into bigger games that are on Steam. 5 is the latest one and also the best so I'm recommending this one.

I've gone through this game multiple times. This game fucking rules. The game is easy to control, satisfying, and has my favorite turn based combat system period. No seriously, this is my favorite turn based combat system. I could go on what I like about it so much, but I'll spare you all most of the details. I'll say it gets rid of mana entirely and put all your abilities on cooldowns which changes based on what you're using. This just fixes balancing and helps you from spamming heals and all that. I love this system. It's easy to control, intuitive to understand, full of options, and can have a chaotic randomness I enjoy.

In this game you explore the overworld, solve puzzles, and fight enemies. The story is not at all serious or anything like that. It may not be a Flash game anymore, but it still has the older internet spirit of not taking things to seriously and being a little juvenile. There's also a lot of post game challenges that still are impossible for me to really do well or at all.

You can change the difficulty anytime and another thing I love is the entire game can be controlled with just a mouse. You can use a keyboard to, but a mouse covers everything which I think is neat.

This is such a wonderful combat system and the game I've beaten most on this list. If you want legitimately challenging turn based RPG combat and don't care about story or characters to get that then this game is a must play.

Shadows Over Loathing

Want a lovecraftian mystery RPG injected with a dose of comedy where everybody is a stick figure? Yes? How very specific, but luckily there's a game just for you.

Shadows Over Loathing is a turn based RPG where you search for your missing uncle in a area full of strange locations and characters. I never did play their other game West of Loathing, and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a lot of fun, creative, difficult at times, and had a world I really wanted to explore.

It has a lighthearted comedic tone throughout and the silly art and stick figure characters help with that. The actual turn based combat is fun to. Nothing to complicated but could be challenging to which is needed to help this style of combat really shine.

There's really not much more to it. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy then please check it out.

RPG's Fused With A Light Novel:

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

AA games still exist! I finally get to talk about Ys. I've played 3 Ys games and I'm going to talk about my favorite one because of the fun gameplay. This is a very unknown franchise that has existed since the 80's and even now the 10th instalment is set to release later this year.

As for why I'm recommending Ys 8, it's because it has some of the most fun gameplay. The combat is fast paced, encourages good timing, and full of that anime over the top stylish action. You control up to 3 characters and can easily switch between them. Each character plays differently and has their own special moves and everything just feels so satisfying.

You play as generic light novel anime man, Adol. Tagging along is generic tsundere light novel anime girl and other light novel anime characters. Like edgy boy with a gun, loli raised in the wild, and blue haired girl. You crash land on a island and have to survive and find survivors. Much like LOST the story goes off the rails and of course in classic JRPG fashion you need to stop the end of the world somehow. Unlike LOST characters are generic and the usual anime fair.

Despite the lackluster story this game still fucking rules because it's so goddamn fun to play. It also solved crafting forever by making it so you can convert common items into rarer ones making anything you find useful potentially. Seriously it's such a nice feature and all crafting systems without it are lesser.

If you want some fun action combat and don't mind anime bullshit then really, check out the entire franchise. Any of them will do, but this is the one I'd recommend the most.

RPG's Fused With A Light Novel and A WW2 Textbook:

Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4

Picture this. WW2, but with anime and magical girls. Japan just never stops with these incredible ideas.

I adore these 2 games. I haven't played 2 or 3 as those are PSP games and I don't hear great things. However I can confirm 1 and 4 are fucking fantastic.

These games are tactical RPG's where you command troops one by one in missions. Most are usually about capturing a enemy base, but there's a lot of variety beyond that in both of them. You lay out your troops at the start plus your commander who's in the tank. You get a set level of CP per turn and each CP is used to control a unit. The actual game is probably piss easy for experienced tactical game players, but I'm not that at all. I found it legitimately difficult, both games.

What sets it apart is the game turns into a sort of third person shooter when controlling the units. You can freely move up to your AP and get one action to do. If it was just top down the whole time I'd find that not that interesting, but actually moving around and taking cover unit by unit is very engaging. There's 5 classes in the first game and a 6th added in the fourth game. Each class can be upgraded as well along with weapons, equipment, and the tanks.

The stories in both are nothing special truthfully. It's anime WW2 with silly dumb anime characters. I don't mind that and had a lot of fun, but if you can't stand something like Persona then these games will infuriate you. To me stupid anime characters in games can be a lot of fun, like Raz in 4, the dumbest but somehow most entertaining character for me. Expect some silly anime cliches and tone changes and the usual fair for these kinds of games. Even if the story is a big nothing for you, I still think both games are worth it for the gameplay.

Another aspect that I really love is all your units have personality traits that can trigger as you control them. What caught me off guard was that they're both positive and negative ones. There's ones like a woman having man hater and fancies woman as traits, aka the lesbian. There's straight up a guy with misogynist as a trait. Some are lonely, frail, daredevils, have crushes or people they hate, even one with the masochist trait. All these good and bad traits translate into potential buffs or debuffs that can happen in the game.

Sadly these side characters don't get much story in the first game. Just a unique design with some personality traits and maybe a couple in battle lines of dialogue. However, the 4th one introduced squad stories. Essentially little side stories that revolve around the non important squad mates. They were always fun to do and the missions for them are more unique because they are designed around only using those 3 characters.

I recommend both of them, but if you had to play one I'm not sure. 1 has the better story, the overall lore itself establishes in 1, and the gameplay is still fun. 4 has the better gameplay, more unique missions, and the squad stories which were a highlight for me.

Just pick which one sounds more like your thing if you only want to spend the time with one of them. Both are fun.

RPG's About the Harsh Reality of Capitalism:

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

I adore this games concept. It takes the common NPC seen in these little RPG adventures, the shopkeeper, and puts you in their shoes. You're father has a big debt to pay off and you now have to sell items out of your house to help pay it off before the deadline.

You lay the items out and then have to haggle your way to a profit. Finding the line of when to haggle and how much is the key to success and I failed miserably. I never did beat this game, but I haven't beaten many games on this list and that won't stop me from telling you to play them. I think the concept alone is enough of a reason to check it out.

The game does have combat as well. You can hire an adventurer to go with you into a dungeon and fight enemies for treasure. I like how you hire someone from the Adventurers Guild, just another cool concept as a typical game would have you play as the character being hired instead all the time. I also like how dungeons are high risk high reward. If they die then you lose most of what you gather and essentially just wasted the day.

It's just a cool concept and a nice change of pace from how a game set in these typical fantasy settings would go. You aren't some savior of the world, but just a shopkeeper trying to pay off debt.

Spooky Games:

Yuppie Psycho

Do you want a game about a corporate building being haunted by dark forces and being a badass fighting your way through it all? That's Control. You just want Control.

Unlike Control which bored me to death after a while. Yuppie Psycho is about a haunted corporate building, but you play a new lowly worker who's been tasked with something far above his pay grade. Brian Pasternack is a new hire who's in way over his head. What should have been a normal corporate jobs turns into a witch hunt, literally.

You aren't a badass and will have to sneak your way to victory, uncovering the buildings hidden secrets along the way. For me that's part of why this works over Control as a effective story. You're kind of a fucking nobody who has to be extra careful and is reluctant to even do this. Far more relatable honestly.

The joy of this game comes from exploring this building and uncovering the secrets and horrors. Each floor is unique and this game gets creative with the corporate horror vibe. I love some of the designs of things and how it blends comedy and horror together. It also has branching paths and even limited save slots which seemed frustrating at first, but wasn't really a big deal. Not saving every chance you can really adds to the tension when sneaking around.

It's not a true horror intense experience, but as someone who is a baby with horror I found a lot of genuine tense moments. It's a real indie gem.

The Complex: Found Footage

Kane Pixels backrooms videos are honestly pretty fucking great. I'm not usually a fan of horror at all, but there's something about these videos that just work for me. Then pgWave decided to make a video game creating the experience of exploring these kinds of spaces.

This is a creepy game where you slowly move through liminal spaces and just sort of get lost in it. There's no jumpscares or anything intense happening, but as a baby with horror this game was tense to go through for me. Honestly I appreciate it's not a more traditional horror game with a monster or something. Just dropped in a space that's inherently unsettling and leaving it up to you to explore.

If you have a free night and want to get lost exploring spaces only games could deliver then play it. It's literally free.

Games Where You Gotta Go Fast:

Distance

This game fucks. I actually remember when playing the first version of this game back when it was a student project. Students at DigiPen made a game called Nitronic Rush and it was (maybe still is?) available to download for free from the schools website. That game fucks and they announced a proper full game called Distance and it was one of the rare instances I actually bought a early access game.

Distance is a car game about going fast as fuck. The levels don't put you against anyone and instead just getting to the end is the challenge in itself. You have a boost that can overheat, a jump, and even wings when needed. The levels will require you to weave in and out of oncoming danger. They have jumps where you'll need to turn the car 90 or 180 degrees to land on a new track. All while giving you a wonderful sense of speed and accomplishment when you pull things off right.

It's not a easy game either and levels will get challenging. There's a ton of levels and challenges and if you get sucked into the gameplay then there's a lot to keep you there. This game seeks to deliver the thrill of going fast in a dangerous track where everything is out to kill you, and making it to the end. There's really not much more to say. It has a specific vision and fully realizes it.

Games Where You Trust the Heart of the Cards:

Foretales:

This game is very unique and nothing quite like what I've played before. The entire game is card based. Each of the characters have their own decks that are all mixed together in your hand. You have 4 resources you can collect, gold, food, fame, and infamy. You can get item cards as well. The board has various location cards you need to move through to move the story along. What's unique about this is the cards can be used in battle or on locations.

It's hard to really go into details how this all works, but you don't have a separate hand or anything for when combat begins.

Some cards have uses in locations and battles and others don't, but there all mixed together which adds to you planning ahead and making the best choice. You can use a eavesdrop card near a guard post to get a juicy secret which can be used for blackmail later. You can forage for food and obviously a forest will give you more then a mine shaft. There's a lot of really cool little interactions and creativity put into this systems that's just to complicated to type out and explain.

One thing I can get into is the best feature of combat. The fact that you can get through it without fighting or with less fighting then needed. Those 4 resources can be used in locations for story or optional reasons, but they can also be used in combat pacify enemies. Bandits can be bribed with gold or food for example. Fame and infamy can be used as well in certain circumstances. They are a constantly growing resource that always have uses. I'm sure it's possible to do a full pacifist run, though I imagine it would be difficult.

The game also has multiple paths for the story to go and lots of optional stuff. Multiple characters to use down the line but only 3 party members so there's more choice as well. Also everyone's an anthropomorphic animal because why not.

I just like how it's a card based game that's not just a battle between opponents or a roguelike or how cards are typically used in video games. If nothing else this game should be played for it's game design alone. If you want a really unique interactive story experience entirely dictated by cards then this is about the only game I know of like it.

One Step From Eden

I'm very bad at this game. So bad I still have never beaten it once. It's really fun all the same though.

It's a deckbuilding roguelike set on a grid. As the formula goes you fight your way through, choosing your path, collecting cards, and seeing if you can win. In my case that's a no.

The game is set on a grid where you have to manage what spells you currently have, dodging enemies, and somehow making sense of the chaos. You can unlock other characters that have their own unique mechanics to help freshen things up. Also the game just throws you in the deep end and lets you learn through playing. No tutorial or anything, just have at it.

If you're itching for a roguelike that's very fucking challenging then enjoy. 

Inscryption

This is another game I expect many others to know about, but if not then honestly just play it.

It's a rougelike card game set in a wonderfully crafted creepy setting. You're alone in some mysterious persons shack forced to play a really well designed card game. Of course if it was just that I'd not be recommending it.

The mechanics are well thought out and slowly learning the mechanics feels nice. You will fail, a lot, as is the case for roguelikes, but keep at it. The game is filled with secrets and puzzles and mysteries that you'll just have to figure out for yourself.

Much like with Outer Wilds way back at the top, I don't want to say much more. If you have somehow not played this or don't know anything about it then you should.

Tainted Grail: Conquest

This is still the only proper deck-building roguelike in the same vein as Slay the Spire. While I haven't played much of that and honestly couldn't get into it, this game I did.

It was described to me as Slay the Spire meets Dark Souls by some poor soul who's brain is forever lost in soulslike hell. In reality it's just a cool deck building game where you fight creepy monsters and slowly build up the village to make each run easier. There's characters to find and NPC quest you can make little progressions on each run. It's just enough story and context to give this game a sense or purpose and progression outside collecting cards.

What added more replayability to me beyond the quest was having 9 classes to work with. In truth it's really 3 broad classes with 3 variations on those broader class types. You have the fighter, archer, and summoner as the broad classes. They use similar cards, but their strategies vary with each subclass. A summoner is more about making their summons powerful, bloodmages use their own life to summon minions that get stronger and die on their own, and necromancers sacrifice their minions to turn into a Lich. The fighter and archer subclasses are as varied and it's a good way to use similar cards across different playstyles.

I had a lot of fun with this one. It's a fun deck building game. 

Thinking Games:

Manifold Garden:

I love the space this game takes place in. This is the shit only games can truly deliver on. The world is basically always looping. Each level repeats in all directions when your in open space. If you fall anywhere, you'll be ok. You can just fall endlessly even, it's very mesmerising and freeing once you get used to the fact that you can just jump off anywhere, and even needed to solve the level sometimes.

The other fun mechanic the puzzles primarily revolve around is the ability to walk on any surface and change gravity as you do it. Essentially you turn the wall into the new floor and is the main mechanic for puzzles in enclosed spaces. This game uses blocks of various colors and the simple task of putting them in the right slot is made complicated by having to altar gravity and matching them up. There's other mechanics introduced of course, but you'll need to discover those yourself.

The game can be beaten in a day give or take your skill at puzzles. I appreciate that it doesn't overstay it's welcome and uses it's mechanics in interesting ways. Also this reminds me I still need to play Antichamber someday.

If you like exploring spaces only games can deliver on or puzzles then this is the game for you.

FEZ

FEZ! This is such a fun interesting little game. It's probably well known given who the creator is, but if you haven't checked this out before, then you should.

The trailer makes it appear to be more a platformer then a puzzle game and that's half right. Similar to another game on this list, FEZ goes much deeper then a mere platformer. It has some esoteric puzzles. As I understand (could be wrong) one puzzle still hasn't been solved legitimately, but had to be brute forced and even now the community has no concrete answers on how you were supposed to get the solution.

The good news is the harder puzzles aren't technically required to just finish the game. You could still enjoy this as a fun platformer. The way the world works is you see the game world on a 2D plane. Like any other 2D platformer. However, the world itself is in 3D and you can switch the perspective to change where platforms and other things are. It's really fun moving about this world and in a sense each level is it's own puzzle to figure out how to get through it with these mechanics.

I highly recommend this game.

Thinking Games for DJ's

FRACT OSC

This is another game I would be shocked if anyone knew about. No one talks about this game ever and I don't even remember how I found out about it wayyyy back in college. This is also the oldest game on here I've played. I haven't touched this is years, but know I enjoyed it a lot.

What i remember is it's filled with music based puzzles. I also remember being very fucking confused and having to look shit up, but the real joy is just the vibe. Everything makes sound and the whole game revolves around music. I slowly explored as much as I could and just took it all in. It's a fun space to be in and I'm a sucker for being dropped in a unusual place only games can delivery on.

If you don't know shit about music production like me you might have a hard time or maybe I was just a fucking idiot and needed help. Either way I still recommend this to everyone.

Vibing with the Beat Games:

Sayonara Wild Hearts

This is basically a interactive album. It's a rhythm game that's not to difficult, which is good as this is more about the flow and vibe. There's not much more to say about it. It will take an hour and every bit is lovely. It's a visual and auditory feast that has some clever ideas packed in. I think everyone should experience it.

Soundodger+

This game won't be on the Steam store for much longer sadly. Warner Bros being shitty and taking cool shit down. I haven't played any other of the Adult Swim games that are being taken down, but I encourage you to find the list and get anything interesting while you still can.

The game itself is a fun little bullet hell rhythm game. The song plays and you are a circle in the middle of larger circle. Obstacles are thrown out into the middle timed to the music and you simply have to dodged them. I don't remember it being to hard, but I know there are community levels and I just have to assume those are going to be tough.

It's a cool game to vibe to and it's going to be gone soon. Don't miss your chance to get it.

Artsy Games That I Don't Know Where Else To Put Them:

The Beginner's Guide

This a narrative experience about the relationship between the narrator and the game dev who's games are being played. That may not sound like the most interesting premise, but trust me it's very engaging. This game has a unsettling feeling underneath it all and it's really hard to go into more without just spoiling things.

The actual game is you going through a series of small little games made by a Dev named Coda as the narrator Davey speaks to you about various things relating to the game and Coda himself. It's explores a character who's frankly caught up in a unhealthy obsession with someone else and quite the journey.

It will only take a hour and half to get through and I think it's worth a playthrough if you like narratives only video games can deliver on.

The Static Speaks My Name   

This is the shortest game on this list. It's also the most depressing. If you struggle with dark thoughts and depression and really need something happy to distract you, then do not play this little free game.

It's a sad and unsettling little experience that has a lot of room for interpretation. I'm a fan of little strange pieces of art like this and if this sounds interesting to you then it's free. Check it out.

Minimalist City Builder Games:

ISLANDERS

This such a cute game. It's a simple city builder where the goal is to keep building things correctly and move on to another island. You start on a randomly generated island and are given a set of buildings and a number to reach. Buildings will get bonuses based on whats near them and as you unlock more buildings the number to reach gets higher.

That's really it. It's easy to understand and a nice little relaxing game about building a cool island town. Pretty cheap and pretty fun.

Multi Genre:

The Hex

This is multi genre because it quite literally has many different gameplay modes packed in it. A bunch of old video game characters stay at a Tavern where a murder may take place. It's a murder mystery! Also so much more.

In truth it's a narrative video game about exploring these characters past lives and revealing a larger narrative underneath it all. This was made by Daniel Mullens who's latest game I recommended earlier. Much like Inscryption, this game slowly draws you into it's setting and drop feeds you it's secrets slowly.

The Hex was pleasantly surprising as I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. It's worth playing.

That's it. That's the list. Over 50 more games to add to your Steam library which means over 50 more games you'll get to, eventually.

[animation-reformation]

Oh yeah Multiverses has Lore now to an extent.

So firstly for context Naturally of course after being sent to the past by the time machine exploding Pandora puts herself hard at work creating a new time machine and the way she's working on it makes it way more volatile so it causes weird temporal distortions (think black hole style) where Pandora experiences time much faster compared to people farther away from it. As a result she accidentally takes like 90 years to work on it without aging. Anyways once it's completed she jumps forward another 200 years in time onto a spaceship which she quickly becomes the commander of and she adopts the name Pandora Starkiller in an effort to seem more spacelike. This part is (most relevantly) based off of Repossess the Sky 3: Cmdr. Drake Starkiller by Regdar and the Fighters.

While traveling time and space Pandora meets a sadly currently unnamed character based off of The Fault In Our Death Stars + Lizards in the Sky who has a daughter named Fermi, who is based off of The Fault in Our Death Stars (of course) and Fermata Over A Whole Rest As A Pun. Pandora + the The Fault in Our Death Stars character have a brief love affair that ends when it goes off to go explode planets for funsies, leaving Fermi in Pandora's custody. She ends up telling Fermi that TFIODS died since Fermi was only 7 years old at the time.

Important to note she treats Fermi as an extension of herself as opposed to their own person.

Anywho, around 10 years later, Rosa and Pantaleon make it to the Outer Regions (the ring of spaceships/shuttles + pollution orbiting Earth) they discover they're stranded and send out an SOS. Pandora swoops in to save them to be heroic and discovers it's Rosa much to the chagrin of both of them. Compounding the much-to-the-chagrin-of-both-of-themness, TFIODS shows back up to destroy Earth (she doesn't know that Pandora is from Earth nor that Rosa and Pandora knew each other).

When TFIODS reunites with Fermi she tries to get Fermi to leave Pandora and to join her in destroying the planet and also in destroying Pandora's spaceship. She doesn't treat Fermi like her own person EITHER, instead just focused on the way Fermi can carry on its legacy. And that's basically all I have thus far.

LIGHTNING ROUND!!!!

> Rosa is the only person Fermi knows who lets them be someone outside of Pandora's Sidekick/TFIODS' Legacy and so is basically the only person Fermi likes

> Fermi transgender egg #estrogenwouldsaveher

> Divorce quota in NBWverse #REACHED

> TFIODS' outfit is based off of a combination of Darth Vader's (the intended singer of The Fault in Our Death Stars) and the lizard's on the back of the Psycho Delicacy CD

> Fermi's name was chosen because it sounds like Fermata (of course) and also because of the Fermi Paradox, which is the observation of how despite extraterrestrial intelligent life ostensibly being very likely there hasn't been any conclusive evidence on its existence.

> ^ Related to above, I wanted to see if the dark forest hypothesis had anything going for it wrt names for TFIODS since it's basically what happens in Lizards in the Sky but it didn't. SAD.

[karizard-ao3]

Would you ever try your hand at conlangs in any of your original writing? Not you to creating a conlang yourself, but would you write a story where people in it speak this original language?

Funny you should ask that, anon!!! When I saw this in my inbox a few days ago I actually got really excited because I did have stuff to say about it. Buckle in.

Obviously, no, I do not have the expertise to create an entire language on my own (ALTHOUGH! Back when I was in school I took a linguistic anthropology class where we did have to form study groups for the semester and create our own basic language and then do a skit in that language for our final project and it was so fun), but I am fascinated by the way language and culture affect both each other and individual perceptions. So, yes. I would actually be very interested in including conlangs in a piece of original writing and, in fact, one of the main barriers to me making any headway at all into one of my pet ideas is that I have spent so much time playing around with the world building (including the languages) that it's actually kind of impossible for me to figure out how to write the story because it pains me to leave anything out.

**On a side note, I did write a very long scene set in this universe that I can share if anyone is interested. It doesn't really go anywhere, it was just for fun to get to know my OC better and also to play around with her society. Lmk if I should post it here**

ANYWAY! It's set in the future after humans achieve genuine space travel (like, beyond the solar system) and discover they aren't necessarily the big fish in the sea now that they're out in the universe with other sentient beings. They colonize planets but so do the other folks, so how it ends up being is that, closer to their home planets, they tend to have homogenous populations on the planets/ moons they colonize. So, near Earth (or, in this case, Terra, because I like when humans are called Terrans), the colonized planets have very few, if any, alien residents. The same would go for the alien folks. The colonies within/ near their own systems are not diverse.

However, farther out, you'll get multiple species (not sure what the best phrasing here is - when writing I call everyone people regardless of what planet they're from, but I don't want to confuse anyone. No. Whatever. I'm just going to keep calling them people here, too.) So, on planets that are not located near anyone's homeworld, there is a lot more diversity because multiple races are colonizing the same planet. Therefore, residents of those planets would probably speak multiple languages - whatever dialect of their first language they speak, and any alien languages they would need to know to communicate with their fellow colonists.

Without going even more into this than necessary since this is already going to be long enough, that creates a huge amount of potential for communication barriers between Terrans, who I believe would want to retain some semblance of cultural ties once they begin branching out across the universe. I mean, after all, different species of people will have different needs. Terrans will need furniture designed for their bodies while a tentacled person with no endoskeleton would need something catered to them. Most likely, they would be ordering these items from the homeworld or its satellites. Thus, out of necessity, I think that Terrans would adopt a universal Terran language to allow for communication regardless of where they live. I called it Terran Pidgin (Terrapin, Turtle, and Tortuga are all nicknames for it), and it gets taught at school. At home, Terrans would speak whatever language they were raised with. So, if I lived there, I would speak a dialect of English at home, Terrapin at school, and, depending on if I lived on an outer colony planet or not, probably I would be at least conversational in one or more alien languages.

I have my OC, August, living on an outer colony planet that just happens to be located in such a way that it serves as something of a hub for a greater number of species than is typical for a colony planet, and so the population is super diverse. The city she lives in is split into several neighborhoods that tend to be grouped by planetary race (humans in one section, tentacle guys in another, bug people in another), with a central downtown area with markets and common businesses. They have a specific language there called Central Chatterspeak (which feels kind of cringy, actually, but I haven't thought of a better name) that serves as a commerce language so that they can communicate among each other. Other cities across the planet would also use Chatterspeak, but there would most likely be differences in dialect, though they would still be able to understand each other.

Then, there is also a race of people (not even entirely sure how this would be relevant to whatever plot I came up with) who have such a complex and intricate language that humans and other species can't really be fluent in unless they begin learning it in infancy before their language pathways are formed. These guys happened to be the next closest sentient race to Terra. They got inter-system space travel worked out first, arrived on the planet, and discovered these humans (who were all living underground due to climate change) and assumed they were not truly sentient because, to them, whatever the Terrans were speaking didn't sound sophisticated enough to be real language. They started bringing them back as pets, then the human babies born in captivity learned the alien language from hearing it all the time and were able to speak it eloquently and the other guys were finally like, "Oh, shit..." They stopped kidnapping humans, but it caused a lot of bad blood and there are still some jackoffs among them who think humans are just parroting real speech and aren't actually sentient, although its less prevalent now that they've come into contact with other species besides humans and discovered that they all talk like idiots by their standards. They had to adapt by introducing a dumbed down version of their language for use in interplanetary communication, which none of them needs to spend time learning because, as far as they're concerned, it's basically just baby talk. They could actually probably learn to speak other languages pretty easily, but they won't because they're snobs. They unified their two home planets behind one single shared language centuries ago and it is superior and they will not lower themselves to using anything else. (I mean, some of them will, but in general.)

There's a character from that species and his name is Jenni, which is a powerful warrior name in their culture. He hates telling Terrans his name, though, because it always makes them laugh.

I have no vocabulary written for any of these languages, nor will I probably ever. But that is how I would consider using conlangs in my original writing.

[abcwordsurge]

Hello. I offer u a branches thought in honor of aroweek of Coast Guard and Air Force in a qpr. they didn't even mean to end up in anything more then friendship but because Airy and Coastie hang out together a lot bc they're the only ones that consistently respect each other, Space spent a lot of her formative days around Coast (i mean space is only five so u could argue she still is in her formative days) and next thing you know she's asking Airy if they can spend MORE time with him and Air is confused but sure. and next thing u know its been two years they're basically functioning as this odd little family unit whenever they're together and Airy and Coastie both know they care very deeply for each other and almost feel like they need to force it to be romantic?? which makes them drift apart, and tbh they might have never talked about it but Space got sad bc they weren't spending as much time together anymore and need for Space To Not Be Sad far outweighs Awkward Conversation About Relationship Status. I think Airy would bring it up first bc Coast (& Navy) is GREAT at stamping down emotions and avoiding awkward conversations bc it's simply a survival skill when stuck on a boat with someone u have a bad/weird relationship with for months on end. Dump of emotions that basically consist of (from both sides) "I liked seeing your face every day but as soon as I realized I liked seeing your face every day I got scared because usually thats what would be the sign to take the relationship to the 'next level' and i hated that idea and can we just go back to whatever we had going on before because I miss seeing your face every day."

Army, Navy and Marines do think they're dating but have no actual proof and tbh they're all kinda scared to ask Space about it bc she's a little cryptic and even Marines gets unnerved when he has to look her in the eyes and witness the vastness of outer space where no one can hear you scream. Airy and Coastie DO know about this rumor and they could dismiss it or they could lean into bc they're both little shits who very rarely get this kind of attention, about to announce they're getting married & formally adopting Space for the bit alone.

anyway thank you for listening happy aro awareness week from one aro to another :]

(sorry if you're not aro and I just misunderstood somewhere along the way lol)

first of all I completely missed this during aro week, sorry for the delay 😔

second of all yes, I am aro and this is a wonderful gift to receive from a fellow aro- even if I didn't see it until after aro week!

this is absolutely incredible. I always love to hear your thoughts- you always make me laugh with your headcanons. the bit about coast and navy being very good at avoiding awkward conversations is so real, I love that. also looking into space's eyes and experiencing the vastness of space pfff yeah that's canon as far as I'm concerned

also!! coast and airy!! aww!! the feeling of really liking someone but not wanting them to "like like" you is so relatable, I adore how you managed to put that feeling into words. this isn't the first I've heard of coast being in a qpr (apparently he just gives off those vibes), but it being with army is just. aaaagh I love this

[clovertarts]

●I am struggling a bit about my make do little godrick Au. There are numbers of potential adoptive parent to choose from

Godwyn

Morgott

Marika

Godwyn or Morgott are a very good and clearly visible choice but lord the thought of Marika adopted some runt is funny (i have this mental image of Marika hold him on his hip while attending her godly duties) and i like Morgott as grandpa/uncle more than as a Father

I think it work better if it is Marika or Godwyn they have a steady ground under their feet when it came to politic standing in Leyndell can easily told everyone to stop poke fun at the poor boy,the self-pity and hunger for power (the grafting) would still develop eventually but now he at least have some support on his side.

●In my other beloved au dubed better timeline/world in my mind,it is more focus on Marika

it where i rest okayy it is a guilty pleasure,it as it say a better timeline of everything (mostly) fine nobody (eeh mostly?) die and Marika love and love by everybody the outer gods are co-exist in the land between nicely,the omen and misdegotten are better care of,the queens and elden lords are in a polycue <3 it is striped Elden ring off their agony fill lore but it okay i substitute it with Marika gouge her eyes off :)

Everything the same as canon (shaman village and few others still happens) tilt the birth of hers first pair of twin (Mogh and Morgott) and she know she could not just shove it off like all her problems,that her sons her baby she will not let mithe sight of thier horn disgusting her? Oh sure let not make it everyone problems (she gouge her eyes off,numb her senses of touch so she will not feel and see them so all she allows in her heart will be her love and adoretion for them)

Godfrey remaining as Elden lord and Radagon remaining as Queen rennala consort,the reason why they all 4 in polycue?

Well i alway thought Radagon and Marika as half each of a god so their reason and love are connecting,he love Rennala? So does Marika.She love Godfrey? So does Radagon. They care for each other but not love (the pairing will not be Marika/Radagon for most part)

I don't have anything more things planned out other than shit just happen the way it was

But there are a scene i've been playing around....there are some far away diplomats (i think either Godwyn or Mogh came to welcome them) and the diplomats are like 'damn this is nice' looking around untill Marika walk in and they be like 'wtf is that things.YOUR GOD!?'

Because i want this Marika to look beat up a little she have blindfold on and you can clearly see it is hollowed and her body get bless by way to many outer gods (the greater will,scarlet rot,formless mother,nameless twinbird's god etc) so they look a little funky

The land between are nice here sure their god queen mother look like a nightmare but she is also nice,some weekend the outer gods came down to visit their bless one (Greater will as tarnished my beloved)

[nerdypatrolcollector-blog]

Human Connections in 23.5

This show has completely taken over my mind and I am incapable thinking of anything else. In this essay, I will… no but seriously it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a shown affect me this hard in a long time so I had to write about it. None of my friends watch this show so I’m relaying my thoughts to (hopefully) kind internet strangers. 

At its core, 23.5 is a show about the craving and wanting of human connection. It’s such a beautifully written story full of nuance and consequences but ultimately is about the choices the characters make for the hopes of making a connection and keeping it. Let’s take a look at it through the lenses of our 3 main characters, ongsa, aylin, and sun (sorry Luna we don't know enough about you).

The easiest one is ongsa, this is her story and her journey through finding family, friends, and love. It is very much implied that before she moved to Bangkok, ongsa was a very lonely kid, having trouble finding friends. The more she missed out on these connections the more desperate she got and the lower her self esteem was. Maybe starting to think that it was something about her that made people not want to be associated with her. Moving to Bangkok was her chance to start over. And in the first episode we are shown how those experiences informed her view of the world, constantly blaming herself for the problems that she faced that day. And sure the show plays it off for the shits and giggles but there’s an inherent sadness to it. That desperate need for connection to sun makes her do stupid things. Of course she regrets the things she’s doing, she’s human after all, but the alternative is so much more scary so she doubles down and digs the hole even deeper. However, there’s a light at the end: tinh, chaoren, real sun, aylin. It’s only through the extension of a helping hand from tinh, chaoren, aylin and sun (people who are also craving more connections, we’ll come back to them later) that pulls her back in. And guess what? She didn’t have to change one bit. They accepted her just the way she is. Love, respect and acceptance will come but they will come to a version that is authentically us. The whole show is a journey of ongsa figuring out that lesson. 

Aylin, my favorite little alien, how long have you been screaming for someone to listen? At face value it seems like she’s the only character in the show that doesn’t care if she makes a connection with a human. With her constant insistence of “I don’t associate with human” and air of indifference. But that’s not really true. She is perhaps the most human character in the show. She spends countless hours of her life trying and desperately hoping that there is something out there that understands her. She was betrayed by her own kind and in her own desperation to find a connection she looked outside to something that might or might not exist but it’s the possibility that keeps her going. What’s more inherently human than that? We as a society spend millions on exploring outer space for the hope that we are not alone in the universe. Aylin just wants someone who is willing to sit with her and wait.

Ironically, ongsa and Aylin’s situations are mirrors of each other. They are just two people desperate to make a connection with someone else. They just adopted different ways to deal with that desperation. We are all searching for the same thing. The need and want for human connection. All of us are screaming into the endless void of the universe hoping to find someone who understands and responds. But unfortunately for so long, ongsa and aylin found out that sound doesn’t travel in space. The worst part is not only sitting alone in our own darkness and loneliness, but feel like we’re the only ones doomed to see it. 

Sun's need for connection is pretty straightforward and is mostly focused on romantic love. Sun is so desperate for a romantic connection that she feels like she's been lacking for so long. We are still unsure if Sun has ever had a crush on someone before, but she seemed pretty confused as to why she was reacting to ongsa's presence (ma'am that's called lesbianism). She thought she found that connection with Earth and in a desperate ploy to keep that connection she makes reckless decisions that only end up hurting her more.

This ended up WAYYY longer that I expected, but I just needed to get it out there. Not sure if anyone cares about my thoughts but I am throwing my opinion out there anyways.

[juukai]

DUDE HI!!! QUESTION FOR UR ALIENS!!

Since we speak different languages, I'm guessing that their names are not actually "Sun" and "Moon" but something akin to it maybe in sound or meaning. SO! What would their reaction be if we picked up on it and tried to call for them? Maybe when they haven't fully realized that we're just as smart as them? AAAAA I want to have Sun leaning in, wide-eyed, repeating his name to me just to hear me say it again <3 (can u tell I really like them)

ALSO ANOTHER QUESTION! Idk if u said this already, I might have forgotten, but what is the relationship between Sun and Moon? Best friends, lovers, a secret third thing?

this is something I've thought about! because I think sun would be fascinated by us trying to say real words, especially after they figure out "oh shit that's a whole ass person that is not just an Advanced Cat". though for the aliens out there that do recognize that it's generally expected for them to learn the language of their human?

see, when humans are taken off of earth they are put in cryo for travel and while they're out they will be subjected to a couple things. the equivalent of some vaccines (humans WILL still get sick going to new planets, just gonna happen) and they get a translator surgically implanted. this is something that they just wake up with, no idea wtf is happening. there is in inner and outer piece to it, it's like a cochlear implant that way. so as long as the outer piece is on, humans will understand most species- this is done with the idea that this will translate in their brains to words they already know to make giving commands easier. like if you didn't have to go through a training period and your dog already just inherently knew what you meant when you said "it's 2am stop barking dammit".

so it's hard with that being the case for 80% of humans to even hear other languages to start imitating them. now if the outside part is removed, which only alien masters/shelters have a tool to do, then the translator doesn't work as the transmitter is gone.

I do imagine, however, that sun and moon would offer to take it off of y/n at any time, and to put it back whenever they want too. so they will actually have a chance to hear and start learning if they want to :3

oh and! secret third thing!

they don't know each other at the start of the au. they both adopt y/n at different times under different circumstances, and then meet later when moon and y/n are out in the city together.

[happilylovingbitch]

911 Lone Star Music Monday

Making up for my heavy mood last week, I wanted to try again with another mixlist of songs this week.

First song is a shoutout to @911women and Women’s History Month with Shania Twain! I loved listening to the Up! album as a kid, and I remember liking at least a third of the songs even now. “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” might still be on-the-nose, but the lyrics solidly represent so many of the women on both shows, including the prominent women side characters.

“She hosts a TV show” / “…star of the show” / hosts a fashion line” — Marjan “Firefox” Marwani (also shouting out @guardian-angle22’s fashion gifs), y’all!

“She rides the rodeo” / “A farmer working land” — howdy, Marlene!

“She’s an astronaut” — respectful nod to Karen Wilson’s love of outer space, and her job as a rocket scientist.

“A journalist for Times” — yes, I’m probably gonna get flack but… Taylor Kelly, though a reporter is actually a step up.

“A mother of three” — Tommy Vega, Athena Grant (to everyone in the fandom who considers Buck her “third” son), Andrea Reyes, Margaret Buckley (look, I want to give an IOTA of benefit of doubt, okay?), Maddie Buckley-Han (I’m counting her b/c she raised Buck and came in clutch for Mara), and Ashlyn Campbell (well, one extra but hey, it counts!). Even without the quota of kids, they are solidly human mom figures all their own.

“She is a soldier, she is a wife” — LAPD Sergeant Athena Grant, y’all.

“She is a surgeon, she’ll save your life” — Tommy Vega and Hen Wilson, obvi. Michelle Blake and Nancy Gillian are close seconds, though!

“She is your judge”/ “She’s on the council” — Gwyn Morgan. If it were possible, I’d watch a spinoff of her upholding (and occasionally bending/ sidestepping with her own gut) the law. It’d be a bittersweet lead-up to her canonical death, though. (As former politician Ortiz watches and seethes from her prison cell.) Catherine Harper comes a close second, of course!

“She praises the Lord” — two words, one name: Grace Ryder.

That’s every named and heavily featured woman character I remember. Others like Mrs. Lee (that’s Chimney’s adoptive mom), Iris Blake (sorry, I forgot about her) and Leigh-Ann (Wyatt’s girlfriend) aren’t, as much… mostly since I wasn’t sure where to put them. But I still like them as much as the ones I talk about!

I couldn’t find an official version of this song. But it just described the tenderness and compassion in the featured ships— Bathena (Bobby/ Athena), Tarlos (TK/ Carlos), Jace (Judd/ Grace), Madney (Chimney/ Maddie), and Henren (Hen/ Karen)— to a tee for me. Sorry, Nanteo (Nancy/ Mateo), you’ve got a while to catch up.

Edit: it just released on Spotify, so this is a replacement. The song is still on YT though!

Again, the lyrics speak for themselves: the first part describes how Bobby and Athena, and Judd and Grace, find solace with each other, two people often counted on for emotional support who can also do the same in their own relationship:

“You’ve been fighting all your life, standing tall through the storm

Carrying the weight of the world just to keep yourself warm.

But even the strongest get tired, even the fearless can fall.

So if you ever need someone, you don’t have to fight alone at all.”

The second part, which paraphrase the parallel traumas of Henren, Bathena and Tarlos as both parties feel lost and adrift in their relationships after certain traumas and struggle to communicate effectively in order to get back to the love they had before:

“It was never my intent to make you feel this way.

I got caught in the words, and they didn’t land the right way.

Please don’t think for a second that I’d ever mean harm,

I’d rather hold you close than ever do you wrong.”

And the second verse sums up the whole reason that Maddie gradually fell in love with Howard Han, for Judd finding love for himself in Grace’s compassion, and how Carlos fell in love with TK from go:

“You’re a heart full of wonder, a soul burning bright,

A mind that sees beauty where others see night.

You chase every dream like a spark in the sky,

You life up the lost with the warmth in your eyes.”

I don’t think I’ve done a music headcanon for Mateo, but I imagine him listening to Pokémon playlists like this when he wants to wind down from a particularly long shift. Nancy finds it charming.

I could imagine Gwyn finding this song (albeit through watching the 2012 movie in her free time) in a similar way to how she found “Being Alive” from the Company musical. It might not make her favorites list, but it would feel familiar to her, especially after she moved right back to New York to give Jonah a stable home life with her and Enzo. Then, after her death and Enzo’s incarceration, it applies to Tarlos as they adjust to parenthood prospects turning real— TK as he re-grapples with the trauma of losing the family members he trusts and loves most in the world (along with recently gaining a piece of his mother that he doesn’t want to end up with his abandonment issues), and Carlos as he struggles with his own father wounds and tries to solve Gabriel’s murder.

“How was I to know at last

That happiness could come so fast?

Trusting me the way you do, I’m so afraid of failing you,

Just a child who cannot know that danger follows where I go.”

“Nevermore alone, nevermore apart, you have warmed my heart like the sun.

How was I to know that so much love was still inside me?”

[wetbloodworm]

neater/color-coded version of my potential cosmology chart for tehahs, ft. two charts at different angles this time. really it's just a modified version of the 2024 Great Wheel cosmology with aspects of the orbiting concept from the Eberron cosmology. great wheel but make it an orb. great wheel but make it solar system-esque.

sizes and shapes aren't accurate and the number of inner/outer planes might not be accurate, but you get the gist. essentially:

material planes are in the center and overlap each other at points

inner planes orbit the material planes without touching them

ethereal plane contains the inner + material planes and overlaps all of them completely

outer planes orbit the material planes outside of the ethereal plane without touching them

astral plane contains everything and overlaps all of them completely

rambling under the cut

also keep in mind that i might not have the STRONGEST understanding of either of the existing cosmologies and how specific planes work, some of this might be fucked and i don't know it lmao BUT IT'S FINE! WE'RE JUST HAVING FUN HERE. THIS IS FOR FUN.

missing from this set-up vs the 2024 great wheel is the outlands, which don't appear to exist in eberron. they're mostly missing because i couldn't quite figure out how to nest them in there if i didn't want them actively touching the material planes, but i'm going to do some research into them to see if it's something i want to rework or if i'm cool just not having the outlands in this setting lol

in different settings i also see the positive and negative planes which take different forms/positions, and i'll have to do more research into those to see if that's something i want to adopt. visually i like the version where they're like a shell around the astral plane, but idk man. i kinda got enough going on here lmao but if they sound neat, we'll see!

so at least with how this is set up currently, the idea is that, thinking of the prime material plane, travel is easiest if you're going to the feywilds or the shadowfell since the planes touch. it's a bit more complicated to get to the inner planes, but having the mutual connections with the ethereal and astral planes gives you ways to do it, and it gets easier the closer the plane gets in orbit. travel to the outer planes from anywhere within the bounds of the ethereal plane is significantly harder, but not impossible due to the mutual connection with the astral plane. and again, when the outer plane in question orbits closer, it gets easier. not easy, just easier.

and because i adore the far realm i'd never forget it, but i'm not fully sure how i want to situate it. my two current ideas are based on different interpretations of the name 'outside'

does it exist outside of the rest of the planes? if so, i picture it as not necessarily extending endlessly in all directions from the borders of the astral plane because like.... that's too simple, actually lol. i'd imagine it more like... directions don't exactly exist, you can go "away" from the astral plane and end up coming back towards it from another side. it doesn't have a conceivable size or shape, all people can work out is that it's outside of the astral plane.

does it exist like... outside of reality? outside of definition? there's no way to include it in the chart because, while all of the positioning of the planes is more nebulous/complicated than a chart can really depict, the far realm is so fucking buckwild that it can't be charted at all. it exists, that's an undeniable fact, but like. wh. where the fuck IS it. really, it's just... it's best not to think about it too much.

i kind of like the second option better. the first one is easier to comprehend and that's not necessarily a good thing for the far realm lol. existing outside of reality is the far realm's THING. which unfortunately means i can't include it in the chart. just know that it's out there. somewhere. somehow.

i think if that second option is what i go with, the only problem is that i don't want to give the impression that there's like... a void outside of the astral plane. there can't be any space of 'nothing' in this setting because of my lore lol. maybe the astral plane instead works like, again, you hit the edge and you end up on the other side, just more predictable than the other way i'd described. i might need to do more research there.

ALTERNATIVELY, there IS Nothing outside of the astral plane. i say it doesn't fit the lore because the first came from Nothing and created Anything/Everything, and i like the first being the only remaining scrap of Nothing in the multiverse. but like there could be potential of there being Nothing outside of the Everything it created. like the first was supposedly the only Something but maybe there could be some other kind of Something outside the bounds of creation. like i'm never gonna actually run a game in this setting but it's fun to think of like... i guess campaigns. big things that can happen. plots to play with. Something Else finding creation has potential.

this post is getting out of hand. post ended

[morporkian-cryptid]

🇯🇵✨️Elliott's Japan Trivia Corner ✨️🇯🇵

(for real this time)

⛩️Torii: the gateway to the divine world

(Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert on Shintoism, which is an incredibly old and complex religion with no set doctrine. Everything written here comes from my own experience in shinto shrines and from stuff I've read in books and online.)

If you've ever heard of Japan then you have heard of these big-ass red wooden gates: ⛩️torii⛩️

They typically mark the entrance to shinto shrines, ie the separation between the world of the kami (deities and nature spirits) and the world of humans. When you pass under a torii to access a shrine, you metaphorically pass into the spirit world, where you can commune with the kami.

But one does not simply walk through a torii.

⛩️How to cross a torii like a true Japanese!⛩️

If you are visiting the shrine to pray/pay respects to a kami:

Bow as you enter the torii.

Walk on the inner sides of the torii, as the middle of the path is reserved to the kami.

If possible, avoid the middle of the path through the shrine, for the same reason.

When leaving, leave through a torii if possible (sometimes the shrine will have multiple entrances/exits and not all of them have a torii, it's not a big deal if you don't cross one on your way out, you won't be, like, stuck in the spirit world).

When exiting through a torii, turn back toward the shrine and bow one last time.

If you are not here to pray:

Sometimes shrines stand on the way to some other place you're going.

If the torii has walkable space on its outer sides, it is better to walk outside the torii.

If it doesn't, walk inside the torii, avoiding the middle of the path (because kami highway).

You can bow if you want to be polite to the kami, but it's not necessary.

🤔 But wait... There's a torii in the middle of this perfectly ordinary street!

Sometimes the first torii is way ahead of the shrine, or sometimes it just marks an important spiritual spot. If the torii is on your way somewhere, you can just do whatever. Bow if you want, walk beside or under the torii... I've seen a whole-ass bus pass through a giant torii, it's fine.

🤔 There are several torii on the way to this shrine... Does it mean I'm entering deeper into the spiritual world? Do I have to bow every time?

I actually had to ask a miko (shrine volunteer) for this one. Basically, a torii acts as a gate for the kami to access the shrine. When there are multiple torii, they serve as milestones or lanterns, guiding a kami on the way to the shrine. (Which makes me think that Inari must have some serious orientation problems.) You don't have to bow every time. My advice would be to bow at the first torii and/or the biggest torii, at the torii marking inner shrines (in a multi-shrine complex) if you're visiting them, and at the torii marking the altar itself.

🤔 Why the heck is there a torii in this buddhist temple?

Buddhism (from India) and Shintoism (Japan's native religion) are pretty much merged in Japan, and they adopted symbols of each other's religion. Hence why you can occasionally see torii in buddhist temples, and honju shapes in shinto shrines. Although, a temple's torii will usually be plain unpainted wood, or stone.

You can also find torii leading to shinto shrines inside buddhist temples, for multiple reasons: the kami is the shinto equivalent of the local buddhist figure (yes that's a thing), the kami is here to protect the buddhist figure, or the kami is just... there. It just is.

The tori's red color is usually considered to be a way to repel demons. Torii can also be used as an offering, as is often seen in shrines to Inari (see: the world-famous thousand torii of Fushimi Inari Taisha).

[lunarsands]

ESMP S1 Fanfic - A Garden’s Path - Ch 2

Characters: Mythical Sausage, Scott Smajor, Bubbles the Dog, Sir Carlos, appearances by the rest of the cast of Empires SMP S1, featuring blaze-hybrid emperor TangoTek, and introducing: The Children of Mythland (specific characters to be tagged when they appear in each chapter)

Relationships: MythicalSausage/Scott Smajor, LDShadowlady/Smallishbeans, Shubble/Katherine Elizabeth, TangoTek & SolidarityGaming, Joey Graceffa/Xornoth

Tags: Empires SMP S1 AU, scosage, adoption, fluff, wholesome, so much wholesome fluff you would not believe, a bit of angst here and there, Sausage has a few nightmares for Plot reasons, acknowledgement of amputation (not sure how else to tag that but just in case)

WARNINGS: fantasy racism (human v elf), loss of parent (with adoption inevitably comes orphans), minor character death in a later chapter

Chapter Summary: The debut gala for the princes of Mythland proceeds and the boys meet a wide variety of rulers from across the Empires. Most of them seem determined to embarrass Sausage, Scott has a heartfelt conversation with Gem, and Xornoth spends some quality time with his nephews. Later, Azahar asks for a special favor, which his fathers are happy to provide in order to foster his interests.

(Also available on Ao3!)

[ Prologue ]  [ Chapter One ]

[A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates, irl stress and writer’s block hit me hard. I made a few revisions and moved some events to other chapters, hence the title change on this one]

- --

Chapter Two – The First Gala

The day of the gala, along with cooler autumn weather, seemed to arrive in no time at all. The castle was abuzz with activity as finishing touches were added to the ballroom and other guest areas, while the boys spent the morning half-excited, half-worried, until the early afternoon when it was time to get ready. Rather than simply have servants help them while they themselves got ready, Sausage and Scott were quick to don their own outfits, both wearing a mix of red and yellow in Mythland style with matching fur-trimmed capes. The main difference was elven-styled filigree on Scott’s clothes as well as his crown being made of ice crystals. They then assisted the boys.

The combination of Rivendell and Mythland styles had come together nicely under the tailor’s skillful eye; embroidered patterns of shining gold that mimicked Mythland heraldry ran down the front of each doublet, accompanied by matching gold buttons. The same pattern repeated along the outer seam of their leggings and encircled the top of their color-coordinated boots.

Sausage was currently brushing Elowen’s hair, wearing a glove over his prosthetic hand to avoid any strands getting caught in the metal joints. He hummed a calm, quiet tune while the boy fidgeted slightly. Azahar was reading the guest list and practiced saying the names of the rulers to himself. Scott had gone to greet an early arrival, so Sausage had taken over braiding the sides of the younger boy’s hair.

Elowen fidgeted some more. “Is it going to look okay if you do it? I never had my hair long enough before.”

“I promise I’ll make it look nice. I’ve been practicing on Dad’s hair. His looks fine today, right?”

Elowen nodded without thinking, subsequently pulling his hair out of Sausage’s fingers. Sausage smiled and gently picked up the strands that were intended for the braid. “Sorry, Papa.”

“It’s all right. We’ve got plenty of time. And Dad can fix it when he gets back if you like that better.”

“No, it’s okay.” The boy tried very hard to stop fidgeting, but once Sausage finished both braids and had moved to secure them together at the back of Elowen’s head, he blurted, “What if I trip? And fall? And break my crown? What if everyone starts laughing, and they think I’m a bad prince?”

“Oh, well… Then I’ll just have to throw them in the dungeon!” Sausage chuckled and walked around in front with the hairbrush to playfully dash Elowen’s fringe over his eyes.

“But – I – I don’t want that either! I’d be the one who broke something!”

Sausage now parted the boy’s fringe neatly to either side. “I promise you won’t be in trouble. Only people who are mean to my son on his special day will go in the dungeon.”

A voice familiar to the human but unknown to the boys called from the doorway, “Well, sounds like I had better make sure I get along with my new nephews, because I would really hate to have to stay in the dungeon every time I come for a visit. I have to hand it to you, Sausage, you’ve got a good grasp on the protective parent thing already.”

The purple-haired elf wearing Rivendell regalia who leaned around the doorframe grinned, only for Scott to push past him into the room. “If you keep going with the puns, I’ll throw you in the dungeon. Boys, this is your Uncle Xornoth. He likes to make jokes about Papa’s prosthetic arm. Xornoth, this is Azahar and Elowen.”

Xornoth stepped fully into the room and bowed. “It’s wonderful to meet you. I would have liked to see you sooner, but your Dad left me to run a kingdom by myself, so I’ve been very busy. This gala was just the break I needed, so thank you for becoming my brother’s sons!”

Azahar looked at Xornoth with uncertainty at his casualness while Elowen came over to join him. “Um, you’re welcome… sir?”

“Psht, might as well call me ‘Your Highness, King of Rivendell’! Uncle, uncle! You can call me Uncle, or just Xornoth, or ‘that silly guy related to Dad’!” Xornoth laughed for a moment, but when both boys continued to look unsure, he bowed again – apologetically. “I’m sorry, forgive me, I do like to try to keep the mood light. I am genuinely pleased to finally see you in person. Your dad has told me about you in letters and I was happy to get the invitation. I wanted to be the first here, and it looks like I made good time.”

He now more politely took Azahar’s hand and bowed over it, then did the same to Elowen, smiling softly when the latter tried to offer a brave smile. “Welcome, my nephews, to the family. I hope we can chat a little more later. I have to join the other guests, but I’ll see you out there soon. Don’t worry too much about impressing anyone today, and it’s okay to be nervous, too. If it would make you feel better, I can tell you all about what happened at both of your fathers’ debut galas—”

Scott took his brother by the elbow and pulled him toward the door. “That’s enough for now, I think. You can go.”

“Aw, Scott, don’t you want me to tell them about how much mischief little Sausage got into when he still had his original arm?”

“No. We’ll see you downstairs.” Scott closed the door in his brother’s face, then sighed.

Azahar covered his mouth to hide a laugh, while Elowen’s curiosity was now piqued. “Did Uncle Xornoth fight the dragon that ate Papa’s arm, too?”

“No,” Scott replied, “He was somewhere else at the time. But he helped us when we got home after that, so Papa could rest.”

Sausage cleared his throat as he removed the glove and set it aside. “Let’s not worry about that old story right now! It’s time for the present! And presents! Are you ready for some stuffy ceremonial traditions, and then some fun dancing and chatting with everyone?”

“Yes!” the boys chorused, trading hopeful looks, eager to finally see the crowns that had been mentioned.

Scott leaned in to comment to them, “Papa thought the ceremonial part was very boring at his gala. Uncle Xornoth wasn’t wrong about the mischief part.”

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” Sausage protested. “My grandfather was a very boring man! I know there are supposed to be a bunch of official things that go along with this, but we’re taking the shorter route today so everyone can have a good time sooner!”

As they left the anteroom and crossed toward the curtained area over the staircase that led down into the ballroom, Azahar pondered to himself why Sausage had specifically mentioned his grandfather, and no other relatives. He kept the thought to himself for later; up until now he had been more concerned with the adjustment period and getting to know only his new parents, with less thought given to his possible extended Mythlandian family.

The grand staircase had three levels that wound downward until it reached the polished marble floor. Sausage peeked out through the curtains to see how the gathering below was going, then smiled back at everyone. “Okay, everything looks ready. Just wait here until you’re called. We go out first.” He sketched a bow to Scott, then held out his left arm. Scott smiled and hooked his arm around Sausage’s, then also gave the boys an encouraging nod.

Beyond the curtain, the herald announced, “Your hosts, Lord Sausage and King Regnant Scott!”

The two rulers exited through the curtain, pausing on the top step to give a brief wave, then walked down to the first landing.

“And presenting: Prince Azahar and Prince Elowen!”

Azahar quickly squeezed Elowen’s hand, then they copied their fathers as they stepped out. Scott and Sausage parted, waiting to either side for the boys to join them, then they all walked down to the next landings. On the final landing awaited two attendants who held cloth-covered red cushions. It was here that Scott moved to the side so that the boys had center stage with Sausage, who turned to the attendant on the left and lifted the cloth.

Upon the cushion sat a gold filigree crown with a shield-shaped ruby in the center, stylized swords crossed over it in protective symbolism as well as serving the practical purpose of holding the gemstone in place. Sausage held up the crown then lowered it onto Azahar’s head.

He then turned to the other attendant. The cloth was lifted to reveal another filigree crown with a six-sided pale blue agate in the center, this one with snowflake-shaped details keeping the gemstone centered. Sausage lifted it and then placed it over Elowen’s hair, nestling it just right where his braids were secured.

A ripple of applause flowed through the crowd. Elowen seemed about to shy away, but Sausage took his hand with another encouraging smile. Scott saw it as a cue to step forward and take Azahar’s hand. They both used this as a way to guide the boys to face the ballroom, then raised their joined hands and bowed. The applause continued, then the kings moved down the rest of the stairs with their sons.

Xornoth was already waiting to the right, clearly trying to contain his grin to an acceptable level. Sausage and Scott halted on the last step as the other elf bowed. The herald called from the landing, “The Monarch of Rivendell, Xornoth!”

“Good evening, Your Highnesses. It is a pleasure to meet the young princes.” Xornoth snuck in a wink and whispered to the boys, “Again, as it were. We’ll hang out after you get through the guest list.” He straightened and subtly glanced over his shoulder where other rulers were lining up behind him.

Scott and Sausage nodded in polite accord, then Xornoth meandered over to the other side of the staircase. He accepted an offered glass of chilled cider and casually watched the rest of the typical proceedings as the herald announced each ruler in turn.

“The Codfather, Jimmy, of the Cod Empire!”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” Jimmy gushed as he bowed then looked the boys over. “This is real! You really both became fathers!” He grinned incredulously at Sausage and Scott, then composed himself. “Ahem. Greetings from the Cod Empire, young princes!” he announced in an exaggerated formal tone, then added quietly, “You make sure to give these two lots of trouble. Do it for me, your Uncle Jimmy!”

“You’re not their uncle!” Sausage hissed quietly, “Get out of here, Jimmy!”

The Codfather bowed again but also traded grins with Sausage as he moved aside.

“Blaze Emperor Tango, of the Tek variety!”

The boys couldn’t help staring at the flame-haired man, whose crown appeared to be made of floating staves that seemed almost molten – or, at the least, were glowing. “Ohhh, these are princes! They’re like mini-kings! I get it now!” There was glee in Tango’s red eyes with their closely-matching red sclera as he leaned closer, then he sharply drew back. “Oh, sorry, I’m forgetting the overworld etiquette. Hi! Nice to meet you! Greetings from, ummm, the Burning Dark!” He started to bow, then took another step back and bowed fully, avoiding any of his flames getting too close to the royal family. After they nodded politely back to him, he jogged off after Jimmy.

“Count fWhip of the Grimlands!”

“Hi, hi! Hello, young princes! Sausage, I can’t believe you pulled this off, it’s so fancy! Good to know you haven’t broken my best work while running around playing, as I’m sure you’ve been doing!” fWhip gave a wink then said in a more serious voice, “I’ll take a look at it later, just in case. I can only assume you haven’t broken it yet.”

Sausage made a shooing motion with both hands to prove the prosthetic one was working just fine. As fWhip began to move away, Sausage leaned between the boys to mutter, “This is one of the parts I hate. It’s boring standing here, and you have to be polite while listening to all sorts of nonsense like that. I think it’s easier to just chat out on the floor if someone has something to say, instead of all this blah-blah-blah.”

Scott nudged him, then outright pulled him back into place. “We can complain later. Do I really need to tell you to be the one to behave, Sausage?”

The human laughed behind the back of his hand, then cleared his throat. “No, no. I’ll set a good example. Serious time, boys. Well, serious but polite.”

“The Wizard GeminiTay of the Crystal Cliffs!”

Gem’s eyes twinkled as she stepped up. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you, Azahar and Elowen! You look like such a proper family standing together like this! I hope Sausage hasn’t been embarrassing you too much with his recklessness. Sausage, you better not be getting them involved in your recklessness, either!”

Sausage huffed. “Is everyone just going to poke fun at me this whole night? This is a special event for my sons! You stop embarrassing me in front of them! Now go tell everyone behind you to not bring up anything else! My god!”

Gem laughed at his supposed outrage. Encouraged by her reaction, Elowen found some of his nerve. “Yeah, don’t pick on my papa! He’s been super nice to us! And he makes sure we don’t do anything dangerous! He only lets Azahar use the practice swords, and—”

Gem gently laughed again, then bowed to him. “I believe you, Prince Elowen. And I expect you to be just as outspoken when you come to my school for further magic lessons.”

Realizing the outburst might have been out of line, Elowen shrank back a little, but Scott put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him.

“PearlescentMoon of Gilded Helianthia!”

“Hello, boys,” the farmer queen greeted, her tone warm but mischief in her eyes.

“Pearl,” Scott said warily, “I know that look of yours. You’re up to something.”

“Why would I be up to something?” she replied with a cheeky smile.

“You brought them battle axes or two-handed swords, didn’t you, Pearl?” Scott accused flatly, although the corners of his mouth betrayed amusement.

“Well, it’s never too early to consider their favorite type of defense,” Pearl explained. She smiled at each of the boys in turn. “That aside, it’s a pleasure to meet you. If Sausage ever gets too soft on you with training, you can come battle with me.”

“Um,” Elowen replied, “I’m learning magic. I’m not old enough for real swords anyway.”

“Thank you, Auntie Pearl,” Azahar said, deciding to test out the familiar title even though this was the first time they had met. “Maybe we can talk about it after I move up from practice swords.”

“Calling me ‘aunt’ already! That’s honestly very sweet of you, Prince Azahar. We can definitely talk more in a bit, and I’ll give you some tips on the weak spots in your dads’ fighting styles.”

“Pearl!” Sausage scolded, “Didn’t you hear what I told Gem? And just because I lost my sword arm doesn’t mean I have weak spots! Come on, now!”

He continued to grumble as Pearl went on her way. Scott patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’re not bored now.”

“If I didn’t have to stand here, I’d go get some food.” Sausage then whined, “Can we get rid of this tradition, too, in the future? This part isn’t fun, right, boys?”

“Actually,” Azahar said with some mischief of his own, “It kind of is.” Elowen covered his mouth with both hands to hide his laugh.

“Oh, fine,” Sausage responded with a gusty sigh. “Since it’s for you, I’ll let everyone keep teasing me. I bet they’ll tell you all sorts of stories about me when I’m not around, anyway. Just remember, your papa is a brave adventurer!”

Pixlriffs offered a laugh, too, as he stepped forward despite their discussion drowning out the herald announcing him. “That is what I’ve heard.” He, at least, bowed low. “Your majesties. It’s lovely to meet you, Prince Azahar and Prince Elowen. I see bright things ahead for the future of Mythland with such lively young people ready to follow in their parent’s footsteps.” He leaned in to whisper, “Although, maybe be a little more careful and don’t lose a limb on your journey.”

“Not you too, Pix!!” Sausage squawked.

The Copper King grinned. “This could be a new tradition for you. Keep Lord Sausage humble so he doesn’t start bragging so much at parties.”

“I’m taking notes,” Sausage warned. “And so far, the guest list for the next party is getting shorter! Unless the boys want to invite someone, so you better be nice to them, at least!”

Azahar whispered to Elowen, “I think he really is going to throw people in the dungeon.” Elowen giggled, but when Pix was literally overshadowed by the next person in line, the boys took on looks of awe as their gazes went up, and up…

Elowen was so stunned that he blurted, “G-Giant blue fish lady!”

The equally overshadowed man with a green streak in his hair standing next to the smiling sea queen corrected, “Giant blue axolotl lady, actually.”

The herald’s announcement made it over their chatting this time. “Queen Lizzie of the Ocean Empire and her husband, King Joel of Mezalea!”

Lizzie didn’t seem to mind the mix up. “Hello, tiny princes,” she said, sounding a little awkward, herself. “It is nice to meet such good new additions to the Mythland monarchy. I wish you well in all your endeavors.” She bowed without even reaching low enough for them to see the top of her head.

Joel followed with a bow of his own. “Well, I don’t think I can beat the formality of that! Hello, lads, nice to meet you. Remind your dads to tell you how rich Mezalea is!”

“Joel,” Scott said with a patronizing smile, “Rivendell is known for its gold as well.”

“Scott, we’re not in Rivendell,” Joel fired back. “What does Mythland have? Iron. You know what’s pretty common? Iron. Gold is rarer and more beautiful! Also, if we’re going to talk Rivendell, there is wool. You know what wool is if you try to build with it? Susceptible to fire. What does Mazelea have? Terracotta. It doesn’t catch fire and comes in just as many colors as wool, and—”

Lizzie quickly interrupted to rein in her husband. “Now, now. No arguing between empires today. We need to set a good example for these potential future rulers. It wouldn’t be good to make enemies when neither my empire or yours have an heir yet, Joel.”

Sausage resisted the urge to step between Scott and Joel. “I think enemies might be a strong word. A little friendly competition between empires is fine, right? Mythland does well with imports of dark prismarine and terracotta, after all!”

Joel sighed and muttered, “Right, right. I was only saying that Mazelea has rich culture that these nice young lads might like to hear about.” He held a hand out to Lizzie regardless of actually being able to reach her hand. “We shall take our leave since we are taking up too much of your time at the moment. Come along, dear wife, we shall sample some of the food.”

The royal family watched them walk away with mixed amused looks at Joel’s parting tone.

The boys’ attention was next drawn down as the herald announced, “Guardian Shrub of the Undergrove!” Neither of them had met a gnome before, nor a fairy as Katherine closely followed.

Scott glanced around when it seemed Katherine was the end of the line. He murmured to Sausage, “Where’s Joey? I know he sort-of falls under ‘other’ on the invitations, but he should still be following ruler obligations and giving greetings.”

“Um. I think he got a little distracted by something else.” Sausage held his right hand up to block his left from everyone else’s view as he pointed to the other side of the staircase, where Xornoth and Joey were chatting away over drinks. Sausage uttered a short giggle. “Maybe some things don’t change—”

Scott quickly elbowed him to shush him, but no one else noticed their exchange since the boys were busy marveling over Katherine’s wings.

“So, you have them all the time?” Azahar was asking. “You don’t need a magic tattoo or flight gadget?”

“Nope,” Katherine answered, fluttering her wings so that they could see how they were different from the bird-like wings created by elven magic. Shrub had remained to watch the demonstration.

“Th-They’re really pretty,” Elowen stammered, internally hoping he wasn’t saying anything out of line.

Katherine smiled at him. “Why thank you, Prince Elowen.” She then snuck a glance at Shrub before stepping aside to be facing Azahar, while Shrub moved to face Elowen. They curtsied at the same time, then Shrub asked, “Would your highnesses do us the pleasure of having the first dance with us?”

The question – or perhaps being officially addressed in such a way – broke through Azahar’s sturdy calm and now he was the one to stammer. “U-Um, we would – we would be…” He looked to his parents for a cue, but they were distracted by Xornoth and a winged man who hadn’t been announced by the herald, but had the bearing of someone important.

Or self-important. He was currently complaining that since he hadn’t been let to the front of the line, seeing as how he was such a great ally to Mythland, he found it insulting to have to stand as last in line.

Azahar mustered up a serene smile and placed one hand on his chest, sweeping the other out at his side as he bowed. “We would be honored, your ladyship, your guardianship.” He straightened and extended a hand to Katherine. Elowen stared at him for half a second, then hastily copied him, ending with a hand held out to Shrub.

The movement of the boys heading out to the middle of the ballroom with the two leaders beside them seemed to be the perfect signal for the musicians to start the dance set. The sudden rise of a violin almost drew Sausage out of scolding Joey for not simply lining up at the same time as everyone else then maybe he would have been further up in the line and not at risk of having insulted his sons by not properly presenting himself, and Sausage had half a mind to throw him in the dungeon for an hour or two—

Further interruption came when Xornoth reached between the arguing pair to offer his hand to Joey. “If I might have this first dance, dear ruler of The Lost Empire?”

Joey tittered, feigning bashfulness. “Oh, my. Why yes, dear Monarch of Rivendell, I would be delighted.”

Scott and Sausage traded looks as if both were trying to hold in an outburst of laughter. They were – fortunately – distracted from their secret amusement by the approach of Pearl and Gem. Pearl simply grabbed Sausage by his left hand and hauled him toward the dance floor, while Gem took the politer, formal way by curtsying to Scott then holding out her hand. He also accepted and they followed the other two.

Sausage took note of Azahar and Elowen seeming to have a handle on everything alright on their own. Then he grinned at Pearl. They soon somehow managed to turn their dance into aggressive battle stances despite the tempo of the music.

Scott kept an amused eye on Sausage as much as he maintained a watchful one toward the boys, but so far it looked like they were having fun. From what he could tell, both Katherine and Shrub were accommodating the young elves’ inexperience with formal dances.

Meanwhile, Gem was being patient with his distracted state. She kept her palm pressed against his despite the swivel to his head. “They’re doing just fine,” she assured him. “I think you can relax a little. The rest of us are just as happy for you, and no one will get upset if they literally step on someone’s toes.”

“It isn’t the rulers I’m worried about,” Scott replied, finally returning his attention to her face, where a sympathetic smile awaited him. “I’m worried how either of them will react if that happens. I think Azahar can handle it, but Elowen gets nervous in crowded places full of strangers. He knows these are all responsible leaders here, but he has only just met everyone, and—”

“Scott. Calm down. Out of everyone here, Katherine and Shrub are probably going to have the most patience and kind words for the boys. Shrub knows how precious every child can be, and Katherine knows how best to nurture fragile life. Now, I’m not saying anyone in particular suggested they ask for the first dance, but there might have been some discussion ahead of time…”

Scott gave her a relieved smile. “Thank you, Gem. Maybe Sausage and I were more nervous about this than our boys were.”

“I could tell by how antsy Sausage looked during introductions.”

“I think that was just Sausage being Sausage,” Scott said with a chuckle.

“Has he been doing alright throughout this? No issues with the boys being too curious about his arm?”

“Sausage improvised in the moment and told them a dragon had eaten it. They were impressed that we fought one alongside our friends Gem and fWhip. No particular details about the dragon, of course.”

“Of course,” Gem agreed in a murmur. She quickly scanned the area. “I’ll pass that along to fWhip, but you know we’ll—"

“I know,” Scott cut her off as Jimmy and Tango happened to twirl too close. “I appreciate it, Gem.”

She nodded and smiled with a measure of bittersweetness, aware of how the children weren’t the only ones a secret was being kept from.

They finished the dance by bowing to each other, then Gem slipped away through the crowd of changing partners to find her brother. Scott turned to look for Sausage, but ended up with Xornoth holding up an outward-facing palm to him. They shared a grin and made exaggerated bows to each other before taking up positions to await the music.

Meanwhile, Jimmy had sidled up to Sausage, but it was merely to cut in and whisk Pearl away. Sausage took the moment to skim the crowd and check on his sons; he saw that they were now standing with Pix as Katherine and Shrub took their leave together. He smiled in relief, since it looked like the first dance had gone well for the boys.

Then he abruptly found an enthusiastic Tango popping up in his line of vision. The blaze hybrid started rambling about how amazing everything was, and that he would love to have the honor of dancing with one of the party’s hosts. Sausage agreed with a grin, happy that the newcomer was enjoying the social life of the surface world.

Three dance sets and some chatting with various emperors later, Azahar and Elowen stood by the grand staircase taking a break while simply watching the adults continue. Xornoth wandered over with a plate of tiny pastries and sat down on the steps beside them. “Hello again, nephews. How are you liking the gala so far?” He held the plate out to them, inviting them to help themselves to some desserts.

Elowen took one but before biting into it said, “It’s really fun! I thought it might be scary. Well, it was scary at first, being up on the stairs with everyone looking at us… But everyone has been nice. I’m not worried about messing up as a prince anymore.”

As he ate the pastry, Xornoth reached to pat him on the head, although being careful not to disturb his crown. “I’d say you’ve been very princely so far.” He then glanced to Azahar for his thoughts.

“It’s very different from what we were used to in our village back home – back in Rivendell,” Azahar replied, thoughtfully gazing around the ballroom. “The only thing we knew about royalty was what was in storybooks.” He then grinned at Xornoth. “No one said silly things about the kings in those stories. Everyone treats Papa like they know he gets into trouble all the time. But they’ve had good things to say about him, too – and about Dad. So, I feel like I’ve been able to learn from this, making it more than just a very fancy party. It’s been nice to meet so many different people from other empires. When I get older I’d like to go see all the places everyone is from, and hear their stories.”

“A fine goal,” Xornoth replied with approval. “Perhaps one day you could be Mythland’s ambassador.”

Azahar rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t know yet if I want a… royal position like that. Dad said I can just be a kid for now and not worry about having a job as a prince.”

His adopted uncle nodded as he munched on a pastry. “Wise words. My brother isn’t half-bad at this parental guidance thing.” He offered the plate to them again.

After taking one and chewing it pensively, Azahar inquired, “Do you… mind if I ask what you know about Papa’s grandfather? He hasn’t talked about any other family much. This was the first we had heard of him. And… if it’s okay… yours and Dad’s parents, too?”

Xornoth smiled gently. “I suppose I can tell you a little. I’m not sure how much of it is my place to tell; your papa might share the stories with you when he’s ready.” He placed a splayed hand against the center of his chest. “Our parents went on a diplomatic mission to another elven kingdom across the world, leaving me in charge as eldest son. Now, as for the Infamous Z. Kielbasa – the ‘Z’ is silent – he was very strict about proper behavior and tradition, which is probably why your papa is so mischievous…”

He regaled them with his assorted knowledge for over half an hour, including little hints about Sausage’s adventures, and was just about to share embarrassing accounts of Scott trying to get a handle on his ice magic when Joey sauntered over.

“Hello, Xorny… I was wondering if you’d like to dance some more – with me.” The ruler of The Lost Empire then blinked as if only just now realizing Azahar and Elowen were there. “Oh, riiight, these are your… nephews. Look, I’m not good with children, okay? But, um, it is nice to meet you, I guess.” Joey took the plate from Xornoth and pressed it into Elowen’s hands. “Here, have more snacks, and… have fun over here. Bye~”

Xornoth found himself being pulled to his feet and back toward the dance floor. He managed a small wave, which Azahar returned while Elowen stared after the pair as he absently ate another pastry. “That was… kind of weird.”

Azahar laughed and grabbed the remaining two pastries before Elowen devoured them all. “I think that parrot-man has a crush on Uncle Xornoth.”

“Is that what a crush looks like? How can you tell?”

“Just a guess.”

The two princes went back to watching until Shrub came over and asked Elowen to dance with her again. Azahar entertained the thought that she was being considerate of how the younger boy would be comfortable dancing with someone close to his own height. Azahar himself turned down an invitation from Pearl, who nodded in respect and looked for someone else who was available.

Azahar then wandered over to the group of musicians and stood where he figured he might be the least obtrusive as he observed the way in which the violinist brought forth melodies from the strings.

He got a little too caught up in it, because he didn’t register when the set changed to a slower tempo, nor did he pay attention as dance partners switched to a majority of the romantic partners in the group – until Elowen began tugging at his sleeve while saying in a hushed voice, “Azahar! Look at Dad and Papa!”

The older boy looked to where his brother was indicating. He saw Scott and Sausage in the middle of the floor with a hand on each other’s waist, their other hands clasped together, and dreamy smiles on their faces as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Azahar smiled softly. Elowen leaned against him as they kept watching, enchanted, then he whispered, “If the other thing was what a crush looks like, I think this is what being in love looks like.”

“Yes,” Azahar agreed. “I think they love each other very much.” He hugged Elowen around the shoulders with one arm. As the set wound down, he reached for Elowen’s hand and stepped out onto the floor. “Come on,” he said with a persuasive smile. The two slipped between the other couples and came to a halt where they could beam up at their parents.

Sausage glanced at them first; he removed his hand from Scott’s waist and held it out to Azahar. Scott then did the same with his hand held toward Elowen, and as the musicians switched to an upbeat set, the four of them danced together.

It wasn’t clear who started the chain, but soon all of the others had linked hands and were dancing in a circle around the royal family. Xornoth broke away from it to put himself between his nephews, and he smiled with fraternal love at his brother while mouthing the words, “Here’s to a new future.”

~*~

After another round of official traditions in the form of bidding each guest a good night, the boys took their leave to get ready for bed. Azahar held his crown between both hands, getting a better look at it. He gazed at the swords crossed over the jewel before placing it in front of the row of books on the dresser. “I forgot to ask if there’s a proper way to store these for the night. I don’t know what Papa does with his crown.”

Elowen giggled. “His doesn’t look like it would be comfortable to sleep with it on.” He held his crown up so Azahar could put it next to his.

The older boy gazed at the two crowns side-by-side and smiled softly. “It’s almost like we’re in a fairytale of our own. Two little boys from out in the countryside chosen to be princes of a foreign land.”

“We could write our own story and put it in a book!”

“Maybe someday. Let’s wait to see what other adventures we have. You’ve got a chance to become an amazing ice wizard – unless there’s something else you’d like to do?”

Elowen hopped up onto his bed and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not really. Dad said there is a lot to know about using magic, and I know it’s gonna take me time to learn all of it! What about you? Do you wanna do something besides learn sword stuff?”

“I was thinking of something… but I guess it can wait…”

Elowen leaned back on his hands and regarded his brother critically. “Azahar, are you nervous about something?”

“Um, what makes you say that?” The older boy tried to be casual as he adjusted the position of his crown on the shelf.

“I just… kinda get this feeling, like… you’re acting in a way I’ve never seen you act before.”

Azahar chuckled lightly. “You’ve caught me. Well…” He sat down on his own bed. “You know how Dad has his magic, and Papa is a good sword fighter? I’m thinking of something we haven’t seen them do, so I’m not sure how I would learn, or if it would be a bother because they like to spend time with us with magic and sword lessons.”

Elowen needed to think that one over. He eventually nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. Are you gonna tell me what it is?”

“Maybe wait until I ask them so we’re not both disappointed,” Azahar admitted sheepishly.

Elowen jumped down and ran over to hug Azahar around his middle. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll say yes! You did a really good job at being a prince today! You could even ask for it for your birthday!”

Azahar hugged him in return. “I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a good idea. Thanks, little brother.” They parted and grinned at each other.

“You’re welcome, big brother!”

~*~

Azahar waited to make his request for a solid three weeks before Elowen egged him on enough to finally ask. He chose one of the days where he and Sausage were having a lesson – and, he had to confess, one where Azahar threw himself into it with unexpected ferocity due to nerves. When their practice fight ended in a draw, father and son took a moment to rest beside the weapons rack before Sausage stowed his blade and took out two drying cloths, tossing one to Azahar so he could wipe the sweat from his brow.

Sausage patted at his own face, then disconnected his prosthetic to allow some air to flow around the cuff protecting his stump. He laid the prosthetic on top of the cabinet containing the cloths. “That was a great match! I think with a little more practice you’ll be able to defeat me! And once that happens, you can move up to training with Pearl. I have to warn you, she won’t go easy on you like I have!” He winked and grinned.

“Actually, um…” Azahar contemplated the cloth in his hands, then glanced at the weapons rack – where Pearl’s gift of a two-handed broadsword awaited the right time and the gain of strength. “I think I would like to take a break from having only sword lessons. I was wondering, um, if it would be alright to ask, um…”

Sausage started to look at him with concern. “You can always ask me anything! Is – Is everything okay? Does it feel like the lessons are too hard? We can scale it back if you need to! You don’t have to fight Pearl any time soon, either! I was just joking about that.” Sausage laughed awkwardly, then cleared his throat. “Sorry. You’re, uh, not usually this hesitant.”

Azahar uttered a nervous laugh of his own. “Y-You’re right.” He took a deep breath. “Papa, since my birthday is next month, I wanted to – well, I would like to – ask for something specific instead of having it be a surprise. Well, I guess two things. And I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so I’m not trying to be impulsive, and I don’t think you would have to worry about me losing interest and wasting time or money on it, or…”

Sausage nodded eagerly to show his support, eyes wide and with an also broadening smile. “Go ahead, tell me! What new interest do you have?”

Azahar continued, “At the gala, I really enjoyed listening to the violin music. May I… have a violin, and could you have someone teach me how to play…?”

Sausage hopped on his toes and moved his arms to clap his hands – but forgot for a second that he had removed his prosthetic, and so he stopped short, staring, as his left hand crossed in the air with nothing alongside his outheld stump. “Ah – heheh.” He retrieved his prosthetic and pointed it at Azahar. “You absolutely may! I’ll contact the court musicians to see if someone is available to be your tutor, and if not, surely we can find someone – even if we have to bring them all the way from Mazelea!”

“Thanks, Papa. I’ll work hard to learn just like with your lessons. W-We can still have sword lessons because I love spending the time with you, but I would like to try new things, too.”

“Of course, of course!” Sausage agreed, attempting to re-affix his prosthetic while fidgeting around, his body simply on automatic gesticulation mode as he talked. “You and your brother can explore anything that interests you! It doesn’t have to always be things Dad and I do, but it worked out so nicely that they can bond over ice magic! You and I could have found something else to do together, too, if you weren’t interested in sword-fighting! Botany for one thing, or alchemy, or a little bit of engineering. I can’t rely on fWhip for help with this thing forever! But don’t you go feeling pressured to learn that, either! I can learn new things, too!”

“Papa—”

“Yes, sorry— see, this is exactly what I mean. Sometimes it’s a little finnicky when I put it on by myself. I need to talk to fWhip about that when he does the next upgrade…” Sausage seemed to be having trouble holding his stump at the correct angle to slip the prosthetic into place without it catching on the fabric cuff.

“Papa, let me help.” Azahar took hold of the prosthetic by the forearm section. He smiled gently at Sausage. “Elowen and I can do things for you, too.”

Sausage chuckled softly. “I’ve gotten used to relying on Dad. Thank you, son.” He held still and instructed Azahar on the best way to fit the inside basket structure over the fabric cuff. Once it was settled in place, he flexed the fingers then lowered his arms. “The Winter Market opens in a few days. I think I know just the booth we can stop by for a finely crafted violin!”

~*~

As promised, once the market had opened and Sausage had enough free time, the four of them went on a nice outing to peruse the wares with the eventual intention of buying a violin for Azahar. Elowen kept close to Scott’s side this time, since Sausage was the one most familiar with the craftspeople of the market. The younger boy tried not to be too clingy, but Scott would gently squeeze anytime Elowen started to grip his hand too tightly.

When they found the booth, there was a lengthy explanation of how the type of wood that was used to make an instrument affected its sound, then the craftswoman played a few of the different ones she had for sale so Azahar could decide which he liked best. She even let him try the one he chose right there at the booth, giving him a brief introductory lesson and helping him to hold the bow correctly before he ventured into coaxing notes from the strings.

Azahar handled it as if it was the most fragile thing in the world, but the craftswoman assured him that once he had established his connection with the instrument he would understand its limits. Elowen watched and listened with fascination, although he kept his hands in tight fists against his legs, similarly terrified of breaking something by accident.

Scott and Sausage looked on, happy with how joyful and excited Azahar appeared regardless of how cautious he was handling the violin. They were all too aware of how he might have let this opportunity pass him by in order to ensure Elowen was the happier of the two.

There was plenty of chatter around them to override the sound of the violin, and Sausage was drawn to gaze at the surroundings, feeling content to see Mythland bustling with so much life and activity.

Yet, his attention automatically snapped toward a young voice calling out, “Papa, I want that one!”

Across the lane was a booth selling cloth dolls. A little girl was jumping up and down while pointing at one that wore a frilly princess dress. A wistful expression fell over Sausage’s face as the girl’s father took the doll from the seller and handed it to her; she promptly hugged it tightly and thanked him.

Scott noticed that Sausage was distracted, and followed his line of sight. “Fatherhood has turned you sentimental. That’s quite a look you have in your eyes. What are you thinking…?”

Without glancing away from the father and daughter as they walked away with the girl holding the doll wrapped in one arm while holding her father’s hand with the other, Sausage asked, “Do you – Do you think the boys would like to have a sister?”

~*~

That evening they had a family discussion wherein the boys agreed that having another sibling could be fun, and arrangements were made for another trip to Rivendell the following month. The carriage – and the two kings – would go without royal adornments to distance themselves from too much influence again.

When that day arrived, Azahar and Elowen waved as the carriage set off from the stable yard. Sir Carlos and Bubbles, charged with keeping watch over the princes, waited on the steps into the castle, allowing the boys to take their time and mentally adjust to their parents being away for the first time since they had come to Mythland.

Elowen was actually pondering a different question. “If I’m like Dad with magic, and you’ve been learning with Papa, what do you think our sister might end up like?”

“Maybe she’ll be like Bubbles.”

“No, that would be weird!”

Bubbles barked, sounding like she had taken offense at that comment. Azahar, meanwhile, laughed. “We’ll have to wait to find out. Come on, my violin tutor will be here soon. You can sit in on the lesson.”

“Yay! You know, even when you only practice a few notes, it’s so pretty to listen to.”

[To Be Continued in Chapter Three: The First Princess]

[lucygriefer]

Storyspin Sans

I'm still slowly posting all the art I'm uploaded over on my DA page for the past year. Here is another little series that I've been slowly working on. This series of art work is basically what I think all the character in the Undertale AU Storyspin looks like. Starting off with Sans as he was the first character I started off with in the series. Here's the description I made in the original post.

Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. Storyspin is an Undertale AU created by RousJuice back in 2016, which was later adopted by Keno9988. So, far from what I’ve found, development on the AU has slowed down due to a lack of interest. Within this AU Sans takes over the role as Chara, while Chara is Mettaton. Sans becomes the ghost that follows the fallen child around, translating monster writing, helping to translate the froggets and what other monsters say, and so on. I wanted to show what I believe Storyspin Sans would looks like.

When I first stumbled upon and read about this AU the mental image I had of the worlds Sans was this small, sick, child skeleton. From there other ideas and possibilities came to mind until the design you see came to light. Like as a child he’d love warm, soft, fluffy things, outer space, and his family. Which is why he wears a large, over sized, jacket that has soft fluffy fur lining on the inside. He also has a specific flower that he likes. This flower taking the place of the underground buttercups. These flowers are called anemone. The symbolism of these flowers (that I found when researching different flower meanings) best defines the situation Sans is in. The symbol anemones represent is forsaken or faded hope. When the player finally gets to see Sans (not a photo of him), during the genocide run, Sans is holding a bouquet of seven flowers. One to represent each of the seven soul traits.

My idea is that during the genocide run, throughout the game Sans tries to be nice and convince Frisk/the player to stop and reset to undo all the damage they have done, but when the world is about to be deleted, Sans tries to stop them nicely one last time. When that doesn’t work he uses the seven souls of each of the monsters that Frisk killed. Undyne, Toriel, Mettaton, Asriel (or Napstablook I haven’t decided on which one to put here completely yet), Chara, Asgore, and Alphys. Using not only his own magic but also their souls to fight back and to try and get Frisk/the player to realize that what they're doing is wrong and to go back.

This is just a jumble of my ideas and possibilities for the AU. I've got a one other design I've made and I'm working on designing all the others as well. So I do hope you all enjoy this one. This piece along with all the other pictures I've uploaded I've originally uploaded onto my DA page so here's a link to that:

sonadow1823 - Student, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

You can also see all of the much older art that I've made from years ago. Many of those pieces I'm actually going to be remaking since it's been so long since I've made some of those.