#I need to have all of the dialogue memorized beat for beat bar for bar

[symbiotic-slime]

Carlton Drake: Tell me, where is my symbiote?!

Eddie:

[doomed-jester]

I just beat Wind Waker for the 3rd (?) time, actually bothered to finish the savage labyrinth, get all the tingle statues and shit. Might try the second quest and do the trading sequence but I didn't bother on this run because by the time I considered it I was already basically finished and just had to grab some triforce shards and head to Ganon.

Anyway, uh, still my least favorite mainline 3D Zelda. Which is weird because when you play it back to back with Twilight Princess you can feel how much of the gameplay got recycled into that, and TP is probably my favorite, that or Majora. Wind Waker just doesn't hit for me because of the sheer amount of dead air. Even with the swift sail, traveling between islands is slow and boring, the great sea is pretty barren. I know Hyrule field isn't exactly bustling in TP either but it's not just a blue expanse of nothing. Also having to perform a song with the wind waker every time I want to fast travel is tedious. I get that it doesn't take very long and it's the same in OOT and Majora's Mask, but I feel like I need to fast travel WAY more often in Wind Waker compared to those two.

It's still a good game, a great game even, it has amazing and memorable characters, a really iconic visual style (which was reused for Phantom Hourglass, my first Zelda game and one I still come back to often) and some fantastic dialogue. I prefer TP broadly but I can't think of a single moment in that game that is as deeply seared into my cerebrum as Ganondorf's monologue towards the end of the game. So when I say it's my least favorite, that's not an attack on Wind Waker by any means, it just goes to show how high a bar this series has set for itself.

That said I really wish Makar and Medli were like 15% less useless. I get them not fighting but they can't even navigate ledges. Their dungeons felt more like trying to play a two player game by swapping controllers periodically than anything else.

[fzzr]

I Have a Lot To Say About Monogatari

Monogatari, also known as Bakemonogatari after the first season, is one of the greatest anime ever made, but how the hell do you explain that to someone? It's 100 episodes and a three-part movie long, so selling someone on watching the whole thing is tough. Even if they were willing, you need to make sure they're not the kind of person to call the cops on you for recommending a show where the main character, a 17-year-old guy, has a middle school girl on his bed in only bloomers (and just wait until you see what he can do with a toothbrush). All caveats aside, I have many words about this series. Here are just a few.

With Monogatari I could start talking about what makes it great in many places, so I rolled a die and we're starting with dialogue. Monogatari is an extremely talky show. Characters do take action, like tearing out someone's intestines or flipping the skirt of an elementary school student, but fundamentally the conflicts are all psychological and philosophical, and those are things that require a lot of talking to get across. Luckily, Monogatari is very very good at making dialogue engaging.

Consider the trope of meeting your girlfriend's father for the first time. The Monogatari implementation of this scene has Hitagi's dad drive them to their first date, and the whole drive is used (deliberately, in-story) to push the awkward tension to the maximum. Koyomi is then left alone in the car with her dad. What one expects is the usual "are you good enough for her" conversation, but instead he opens with "please take care of my daughter", the stock phrase for approving their relationship. It's played off as a joke, but then her dad talks about their family's past and how he's seen his daughter change since getting together with Koyomi. He ends the conversation the way it started, "please take care of my daughter," and this time it's for real. It never drops the intensity of how it uses the tropes of the medium, and yet it comes together into a tender and emotional moment. Absolutely incredible.

All that has been about the dialogue itself. Just as important is the presentation of all this talking. Half of episode 3 is dedicated to a long conversation between Koyomi and Hitagi. This could have been done with a static two shot, or shot/reverse shot for reactions. Instead, it has them using various bits of playground equipment, like a seesaw or a giant rotating jungle gym. When the conversation gets heavier, they sit down on a bench. Even then, a ring of parallel bars drifts across the foreground, so there is some motion. For the next few beats, it zooms in back to still shots, but from various angles with exaggerated character poses. The conversation never feels stuck in place, despite how easy it is for that much talking to drag.

Speaking of Koyomi and Hitagi, Monogatari is blessed with a cast of very distinct and memorable characters. Araragi Koyomi, Hanekawa Tsubasa, Senjougahara Hitagi, Oshino Meme, Oshino Shinobu, Hachikuji Mayoi, Kanbaru Suruga, Sengoku Nadeko, Araragi Karen, Araragi Tsukihi, Ononoki Yotsugi, and more - each with their own mix of problems and quirks, vulnerabilities and strengths, recurring jokes and even varying degrees of fourth wall access... they are each special in their own ways. Screentime is not spread completely evenly, but each arc is named after the focus character and there are plenty of those to go around. Most arcs result in a substantial change to that character and others. Even when that's not the case, you can expect to at least learn something about their past or their true role in the story.

And about that story! The framework for the overarching storyline is being put in place from the very start, but the ways things fit together will not become clear for a long time. After the first few arcs, the story goes nonlinear. Sometimes incredibly important plot moments happen completely offscreen and only become visible when they go wrong in an initially unrelated character's story. One midseries arc takes place after the epilogue, but it is where it belongs due to how it develops its focus character and how it builds intrigue for things that happen before it in the timeline.

Music is another place where Monogatari shines. Plenty of anime do the thing where the theme song kicks in at a critical moment to enhance some moment to the peak of awesomeness. Monogatari does that to some extent, but its real strength comes in how it mutates its theme songs. A simple example is using a music box version of a theme to benefit from the play-the-opening impact in a quiet moment. With every arc having its own opening, those openings come to represent not just those arcs but those characters. When a character receives focus again in a future arc, they receive new opening as well. Those new openings are then able to lean on the previous themes almost like leitmotifs. One of those (which I don't want to name for spoiler reasons) used a very twisted reference in both song and animation in such a way that I had to pause and gather myself from the impact the first time I encountered it.

On animation, Monogatari in motion has an inimitable artistic vision. After watching just a few episodes, chances are if you saw another one with no context and no shared characters you would still know they’re from the same show beyond question within minutes. The basics are characteristic of Shaft of that era, sure (look at Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei) but it goes far, far beyond its peers. I already talked about how it uses limited motion to keep conversation engaging. In that and beyond, everything that happens is pushed to some extreme. If a character gives side eye, you're getting a close up with a musical sting and some very specific comment or a text card. It's not all about in-your-face energy either. Quiet moments can be heightened with the right amount of stillness or held tension.

Monogatari has the ability to push boundaries so close to the line that you need an electron microscope to find the distance. For many, the line is further back and Monogatari crosses it, but I’m speaking for me here and for me it doesn’t quite go over. The important thing is that it’s not doing it solely for edge, shock, or donger raising. Nearly everything lewd is incredibly funny, and the few cases where they’re not are tasteful without losing the necessary impact. It has some very brutal violence (eg. swinging a guy around by the intestines), but they art it up enough to make it clear that it’s not gratuitous. In a meta sense, Monogatari is deeply integrated with anime culture. It has the basics, like references to everything from Astro Boy to Attack on Titan, but it also gets into the meat of things. Any slightly meta anime can say “haha you’re such a tsundere”, but Monogatari takes it a step further and develops that both for humor and for genuine character exploration.

Conclusion

So what to do with an anime that, in at least a few ways, has no equals? To be a 10/10 you need to be 11/10 on something, and there are many 11/10 moments in this long series. Unfortunately, the Monogatari series just has a few too many caveats and weak points to make it to the podium. There are parts that drag. It's hard to keep up with flashing text, even though you can get by without it. Watching it in the order it aired shuffles things around in weird ways (I recommend watching the seasons and movie in the order the light novels were published.)

Score: 9/10. When at its best, the Monogatari series as a whole an incomparable experience. It’s not perfect, but if you have the time and the power level, you owe it to yourself to give it a try, or another one if you have before.

Recommendation: Monogatari requires a VERY high power level. Between the underage characters in unfortunate circumstances, the occasionally quite graphic violence, the inaccessibility of the freeze frame bits, etc. it's not really for everyone. That said if you do have the tolerance and the time, it's a sublime experience with no true peer.

Comparisons

There were so many tumblr's editor broke, so I split them into a second post, coming soon eventually.

Final Thoughts

Monogatari really is the complete package. I would say I wish it didn't require as high a power level as it does so that more people could enjoy it, but I also wouldn't want it to be watered down. Here's hoping the Off Season and Monster Season get the same treatment that the rest did in the end.

[ashesandhackles]

Julia Thoughts: Anime & Live Action

Julia in the anime first appears as a part of Spike's sepia tinted memories - in matronly clothes, singing and caring for Spike. It firmly establishes her as a pocket of peace and innocence, "a beautiful part" that Spike thought he had lost in the violence of Syndicate life.

However - how Spike sees her is a shade of a more complicated woman, tainted by his loss and longing. It is implied that Julia cheated on Vicious with Spike (who at that point of time were best friends), and when we finally do get to meet her - we see her wield a gun, we see her drive a car in the most erratic way to shake off mob enforcers, she is not shaken by people shooting at her and will also point a gun at her former lover to make a point. She is also emphatically not in sweet girl clothes. We also get this bit of dialogue from her from Spike's memories in Jupiter Jazz: "Women are all liars."

So live action Julia capitalising on manipulation to survive in Syndicate is not an off character beat. I also understood that writers wanted to start her off from a place of innocence as a singer that both Spike and Vicious are taken by in live action - to give her more of an arc, and indicate the corruption of being in the syndicate, a corruption that affected Spike so much he wanted to leave. The problem is not the arc itself - it's how its written and executed. It's trope-y, over the top and has none of the subtlety of anime.

Also, live action Vicious is just all round terrible - the writing and acting. I could only watch him during stunts because that's the only time he is watchable. The actress for Julia does try, but she is not a strong enough actress to pull through when writing is a mess (which is not a problem with John Cho, Daniella Pineda and Mustafa Shakir - how they act their way around bad writing choices and dialogue is commendable)

The problem of rendering two characters that represented aspects of Spike's psyche in anime - Julia (his lost innocence and his idea of better life) + Vicious (being a "beast" like he is, a darker aspect of who Spike is) into fully realised people in their own right is that it does not follow the cues that makes them so compelling. There is a reason Vicious is so cold and ruthless - which were the defining aspects of him in the anime. These are qualities Spike has dialled up to 11. He is Spike's shadow. Neither the live action writing nor the actor has understood this.

I have a less of a problem of them doing this with Julia, whose cues they missed as well. It must be noted that anime repeatedly brought her up in conjunction with Faye - and indicates that we need to look at who Faye is to make up our characterisation for who Julia is.

It's in visual cues - Faye "singing off key" as Spike wakes up from his memories of Julia, both of them bonding with Gren in Jupiter Jazz, the odd Faye memory in Jupiter Jazz montage, both Faye and Julia getting the story of why Spike's eyes are different colours, the bar man telling Jet that Faye "sat in the same seat as Julia", and implies both of them are quite memorable women. Faye is brash and conniving but can go toe to toe with Spike. However, that dangerous woman is a protective layer on top of her vulnerability. In contrast, we see Julia in her "innocence" and yet we know that she was more darker than that.

There is also an undercurrent of attraction between Spike and Faye in anime - which is also the reason why these cues also exist and to also understand why Spike reacts to Faye the way he does. They share a different, less charged relationship in live action (btw the look of relief on John Cho's face when Faye comes to save him and Jet is *chef's kiss*)

Anyway, the point of the rambling is - when the source material on Spike's past is so sparse, it's best to take cues from what anime was doing with them and develop characters from there. The syndicate storyline did not work for live action at all.

[power-chords]

don't get me wrong, i love a well-used trope, but one thing i love about Ronin is the extent to which it dispenses with some of the less realistic(?) ones. Heat is a movie about the one thing Neil McCauley can't walk out on in 30 seconds flat. The plot of Ronin is just one of many things that Sam (last name never given) can walk out on. That first bit with de Niro outside the bar before he goes in tells you everything you need to know about him. And when he works with a hotshot newcomer, he doesn't exactly soften to or learn a valuable lesson from him. (I would say it's the most memorable scene with de Niro having a cup of coffee if not for—well, you know.)

Also, quiet as it's kept, one of the best-edited movies, especially in terms of tempo. So much happens yet it never feels rushed and still manages to clock in at 121 minutes. Admittedly, the absence of certain emotional beats probably helps! At the very least it speaks to why Heat is 49 minutes longer. But that's also why your comparison to the M:I series is astute, though there's obviously more spectacle to those, especially as they escalate. (Fallout was 147 minutes long!?)

It was so great! I keep thinking about it, and Adam and I keep talking about it, which is how I know it's great. About halfway through the movie I turned to him and said, "You thought this was BORING?" And he said, "I don't anymore! Not as an adult!" (Apparently he owned it on VHS as a kid, so he hadn't seen it since childhood. Of course the dialogue scenes would have been boring to him at age 12, LOL.)

And you're right: it's such a lean, mean, beautifully edited thrill ride. Elegant, economical storytelling. Plot and characters that play nicely together. The emotional beats are sparse, yet they manage to be entertaining and impactful rather than hollow and ham-fisted. The connection that develops between Sam and Vincent is charming and organic. Those car chases alone would have sold me! THE BEST I have ever seen short of a Friedkin film. Absolutely fucking insane. I had my hands up to my face throughout, yelling "OHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT."

M:I has its merits, spectacle being one of them, but it lost me when J. J. Abrams swooped in to try to make a dark, serious franchise out of something that had previously leaned into its own Soap Opera Popcorn Flick ridiculousness and was much, much better for it. The first movie was great. The second was stupid, and also great. I did not like M:I:3 at all, Ghost Protocol was significantly better, Rogue Nation was dull, and Fallout had some of the best fight choreography and action sequences I have ever seen. But I did not need whatever else bulked up its 147-minute runtime! 147 MINUTES?! It did not actually feel that long, to its credit. But I'm sure they could have shaved it down 20 minutes and we would not have missed much.

I am, admittedly, excited to see Dead Reckoning just because I'm curious to see what they'll do with it, and how they intend to bid farewell to Ethan Hunt. I also wonder if I'll feel more charitable toward the series if I can see it as it was meant to be seen, on a big screen.

In the interim, please recommend me more movies like Ronin!

[sunlightdances]

One Good Reason: (1/5) - Dean x Reader

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female Reader Warnings: None for this chapter. Summary: Dean never brings women back to the bunker. It figures the one time he breaks his own rule, the state issues a lockdown. Navigating the next month is an exercise in trust, patience, and falling in love. Author’s Note: This chapter is mostly setup, so sorry it’s a bit slow with a lot of dialogue! Hope you enjoy regardless.

Series Masterlist / Complete Masterlist

CHAPTER ONE: LOCKDOWN

Dean wakes with a start to knocking on his bedroom door, groaning as the headache from last night’s alcohol hits him full force.

He barely registers someone else in bed with him as he staggers to the door, pulling it open forcefully. “What?” He growls.

“I--” Sam looks past him, seeing a head of mussed hair stirring in the bed, a shit-eating grin growing on his face. “Sorry… but I think you should see this.”

Dean looks behind him and debates his next move before he grabs the hoodie draped over his desk chair and follows his brother to the family room, the TV on. “What the hell is this? You brought me in here to watch the news?”

“Look--” Sam says, the ticker crawling at the bottom of the screen in all caps.

STATEWIDE LOCKDOWN IN EFFECT FOR 3 WEEKS TO HELP CURB SPREAD OF COVID-19 VIRUS. ALL NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL WILL BE PROHIBITED. THOSE WHO CAN WORK FROM HOME ARE ENCOURAGED TO DO SO PER THE GOVERNOR. FOR MORE INFORMATION…

Dean stops reading at that point, a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Is this--”

“I already called Cas.”

Dean glares. “Is this for real?”

Sam snickers. “You’re hungover and irritated, I get it. As far as I can tell, this isn’t some curse or something. Seems to be legit.” He trails off. “... But you have bigger problems.” His eyes track somewhere over Dean’s left shoulder, and Dean turns, watching as you come into view, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

You stop when you register them looking at you. “Uh, hi. Sorry, I-- this is going to sound rude, but where the fuck am I?”

Dean takes a few steps closer on instinct, hungover mind processing a few… more memorable moments from the night before. “This is my place. That’s my brother Sam.”

“Hi,” you say, pleasant, despite the circumstances. You introduce yourself to Sam a little awkwardly, and Dean’s mind is going a million miles per hour trying to figure out what the fuck he was thinking bringing a girl back here.

He sees the way you’re looking around, and knows how this must look. He tries to remember his drunk conversation from the night before - did he slip and tell you what he and Sam do for a living?

“Can I talk to you for a second?” He asks, but before he can finish his sentence, your attention is drawn to the TV where the news is still on.

“What’s going on?” You ask, taking a seat on the couch, comfortable as anything. Dean pauses - is he the only one feeling uncomfortable with this situation?

“The virus is getting worse,” Sam says. “The governor has locked down the state.”

“Oh, shit.” You whisper. Looking up at Dean, you have frown on the face Dean is realizing is even more pretty than he remembers from the dim light of the bar from the night before. “I should get out of here.” You say, getting to your feet.

Sam shares a look with Dean quickly before turning to you. “How far is home?”

“Uh, Iowa. I was here for a conference for work. At the hotel--” Dean sees you stop yourself, like you’re embarrassed about how you and him met. “Anyway.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to leave.” Sam says cautiously, and Dean cuts him off, knowing how this must sound.

“What he means is… I know this is weird, but that’s a long drive if you can’t get your flight changed. It might be better to wait it out here.”

You frown. “Sorry -- but you’re complete strangers. Besides, I have to get back to work. I can’t just stay here.” You fidget, wringing your hands. “I’m going to go get my phone.” You take a few steps, muttering, “if I can find my way back,” under your breath.

Dean watches you go, and turns to Sam, hands on his hips. “Really?”

Sam shrugs, “What? Look, I get this is awkward, but if this virus is some--” he lowers his voice, “if it’s not natural, there’s no telling how this is going to go.”

The sound of wings fluttering interrupts them, and Dean takes a few steps towards Castiel. “Well?”

Castiel sighs. “It’s just-- it’s a pandemic. There’s nothing demon related, nothing apocalyptic about it. Just human illness.”

Dean paces. The right play here is to tell you to go. He never should have brought you back here anyway, and he doesn’t want you to feel stuck with three guys you barely know. That’s too much, and he doesn’t want you to get the wrong idea.

As if reading his mind, you come back into the room with your purse, and stop when you see the look on Dean’s face.

“Dean?”

Something inside him warms at the way you say his name. He doesn’t remember much from the night before, but he remembers that.

“Let me make you a cup of coffee.” He gestures for you to follow him and heads towards the kitchen. He gives Sam and Cas a look that says absolutely do not follow me.

“That other guy a roommate of yours? You could have 20 people living in this place.” You comment.

He snorts. “No kidding.” He busies himself turning on the coffee maker. “Sorry about all this.”

“It’s not your fault.”

The coffee begins brewing, and Dean sits across from you. He watches you fiddle with the necklace around your neck, and has a vivid memory of it dangling over him as you straddled him, the metal glinting in his eyes as you leaned down to kiss him-- nope. He has to concentrate.

“Sam had a point,” he says lightly. “Might not be a great idea to fly cross country during this.”

You meet his eyes. “Don’t really have a choice. I’m supposed to be back at work on Monday, and haven’t heard anything from my boss.”

An awkward silence settles over the two of you.

“I take it you don’t do this very often?” You ask, and Dean scoffs, getting up to pour the coffee.

“What, make a girl coffee?”

You laugh. Dean likes the way it sounds.

“Make a girl coffee or have a girl at your place. You seem a little tense.” A beat. “No offense.”

Dean sets the coffee in front of you, and you ask for sugar. He smiles, but even he knows it’s probably a little weak.

He knows his reasons for not having girls back to the bunker, but what is he supposed to tell you? Oh yeah, I don’t really bring one night stands back here because my brother and I are in the supernatural hunting business and usually some crazy shit goes down. Hope you don’t mind!

“I’m going to call my boss and see what he thinks. Check in with my parents too,” you say, idly stirring the sugar in your mug. “I can go back to the hotel if they think I should stay--”

Dean looks up, “Wait, I--” He shakes his head. “I know this is weird, but like you said, we have plenty of room. There’s no sense in you paying for a hotel room. Especially since we have no idea how long we could be stuck here.”

“Are you sure? Dean, this is--”

“Fucked.” Dean grins. “This whole thing is crazy and… I don’t know. If you don’t want to be alone, you don’t have to be.” He gestures towards your phone. “Make your calls. Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. I’m going to shower really quick and then I can give you a ride back there if you need it.”

The smile you give him is soft, though a little guarded, and he has to leave before he does something stupid like try to convince you to come back to his room.

He takes a few steps down the hall before Sam catches up with him, clearly having been eavesdropping. He’s got that smug smile back on his face, and Dean rolls his eyes.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A few more steps. “Is she going to stay?”

“Not sure. But if she does, you’re going to keep your trap shut. This is weird enough as it is without my brother trying to play matchmaker.”

Sam’s laugh follows Dean down the hall as he heads for the shower, trying to figure out how the hell he’s going to get through three weeks without this girl figuring out what he does for a living.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: Pixar’s Out

I’ve talked before about Pixar’s Sparkshorts Collection so here you go if you wanna know my thoughts on the previous films. Otherwise, enjoy.

Pixar “has always come a close second (1st is Dreamworks) in just dazzling you with kinetic, memorable visuals and heartfelt stories to compliment” and this new runabout from them has certainly upped that bar where Out, to me, is a refreshing coming out story. 

It’s a brief but well executed take on The Shaggy Dog, which I’ve never seen, where our guy of red, Greg, switches minds with his dog and is trying to hide any hint of him having a boyfriend to his suddenly arriving parents. I say what works well the most is that they don’t beat around the bush with things. Greg’s openly gay yet it’s clear that he never felt comfortable being open with his family about it. I like that the parents aren’t the antagonistic element and it’s self made pressure of the protagonist, that’s potentially always been there, that works against him this whole film.

As such, the moment where things get hectic after the mindswap is both fun and wincing to see. You know that house of cards is gonna fall eventually and the tension is captivating with the music and animation doing a great job as usual. And the climax sticks the landing by being mostly quiet. We have the mom reminiscing over just wanting her son to be happy, but after that there’s little to no dialogue when everything/everyone comes together. Like the short In a Heartbeat, from what you see, you get to soak it in and just... get it. And no, it will not attack the innocence of children and whoever thinks that needs to grow up themselves or get the fuck out. I say young ones will easily pick on its idea(s) and find it fun and as comforting as the other shorts.

Now granted, I’ll say this short feels way more ideal than what most might go through with coming out to their family. At the same time, like I’ve said before about Pixar, it’s a refreshing hug seeing this story exist at all; to let you know that if you enjoyed it, you’ll potentially learn from it as well. It’s refreshing to see this story upon all the talk of Disney’s disingenuous attempts at representation in their films. And it’s refreshing to me seeing men get to tell their tales. While I’ll keep wishing for a loving gay couple adventure story to hit the animated mainstream, I very much appreciate Pixar for letting the creator make this ethereal yet human animated feature that he wanted to share.

[fuse2dx]

November ‘20

Cross Code

Cross Code is a game that is trying so very, very hard. The story is based around your character being an avatar within an MMORPG, and its this kind of game-within-a-game setup that is used as a cheeky way to skirt the fourth wall and have its characters make snide remarks at certain design decisions, while also going full steam ahead with them regardless of the fact. Don’t think we didn’t notice, dev team! It plays out as a 2D top-down action RPG, but clearly has aspirations that extend far beyond this framework. Each of its environments is thoroughly layered with subtle verticality, with parkour-esque platforming having you constantly working backwards from your intended destination, and requiring meticulous attention to detail in order to find where it is you’re able to begin your elaborate series of jumps from. There’s a huge array of materials to gather and channel through traders and to craft into gear, and the combat they benefit is both precise and complex, requiring plenty of on-the-fly thinking as well as tight execution. As well as these set-piece battles, the game’s dungeons are full of puzzles that though smart in construction, are tough enough in isolation, and frankly brutal in their relentless frequency. One particularly ill-advised chapter has a series of three such dungeons in quick succession, and perfectly illustrates that just because you can, does not mean that you should. 

On a more positive note, one thing the game does have in spades is charm. The sprite work is admirable; even though characters are a touch on the tiny side to be too effective on their own, their portraits and dialogue provide a solid emotive connection to them and the story that builds up around them. In all, it is a game that can be a lot of fun, and plenty rewarding - but the entire thing is overly long and far too regularly punishing. It’s tapped into a number of 16-bit action-RPG ideas well, but has perhaps unintentionally also managed to become the most masochistic presentation of these ideas to date.

Crimzon Clover: World Explosion

A game I’ve technically owned for years now, however the lack of a Windows PC has held me back from playing it - with this debut on the Switch finally granting me the opportunity though to get hands on. Although I’d gleaned plenty from watching super players decimate it before now, even my feeble credit feeding through the game’s five stages has given me plenty of additional appreciation for just how good it is. 

It looks brilliant, with chunky, detailed enemies animated beautifully as they move about the screen. The music pounds along to an energetic beat, and the game keeps a solid pace all while plenty of bullets swarm around you in creative and considered patterns. Turning the tides with Break Mode is an incredibly satisfying way to take control of hairier moments, and while I can’t speak for every intricacy of its scoring system, I know that it’s developed by a team that demonstrably understands the value of these. What I can more reliably add to that discussion is that you’re unlikely to find yourself reliant on any one hook to find your fun though; even the most pedestrian appreciator of the genre should find plenty to enjoy. Thoroughly deserving of its regular appearance alongside the biggest names in the genre.

Holovista

There’s often a reasonable amount of scepticism that comes from some folks when you talk of gaming on a mobile phone. Flipping the conversation though, and instead to talk of one of my favourite advantages of the format, it’s great that a developer can lean on the familiarity and the personal connection that you have to the device you’re playing on. As a device that lives by your side 24/7 and increasingly encroaches further into every aspect of your being, Holovista leverages this connection amazingly, spinning its story in a series of interfaces that mimic how your phone acts when you use it yourself. Taking pictures and interacting with people in particular are key interfaces, and that are done in a way that neatly puts you right into the shoes of their character. 

It begins with said character taking an interview for a new job that is hoped to herald a new tide of good fortune, and promptly introduces the circle of friends that are there to help with this and that celebrate alongside. As you learn more about the job, things slowly begin to get a bit weird, and then take a turn that is something akin to Black Mirror meets nightmarish introspection. Though not overtly unpleasant, there are some memorably unsettling moments along the way. Sensibly, it does have content warnings that offer some sound advice for those it might not sit so well with, but self-care does end up being a central takeaway from the game as a whole as well as for its cast. On the back of circumstances we’ll generically chalk up to this year’s being what it is, this ended up feeling like a lovely little palate cleanser -  a considered refresh, thoroughly original, and a very worthy afternoon’s entertainment. 

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

One thing that’s always been great about Link’s Awakening came as a result of the technical limitations imposed by the Gameboy - that the Zelda format needed all the fat trimmed, while the mixture of puzzles and action were to be distilled down into their most potent and compact form. Even with the (entirely optional) extras they’ve slipped in with this remake, this still shines through in its design now, where it couldn’t be any further removed from the risks of overly long, dragged out pacing. A small overworld it may be, but it’s full of variety, secrets, and memorable moments. Dungeons are similarly economical with its good ideas - giving you new tools, laying out smart ways to break you into their use, and then letting you get on with things. 

While the remastered music is also utterly charming, the real upsell here is the total visual do-over; its tilt-shifted cartoon aesthetic pushing each and every scene to look like a shiny, hyper-cute diorama. For all of the different visual styles that the series has dabbled with in the past, this one definitely feels like the right match for the light-hearted whimsy that comes through from the story and the characters. That’s not to say that it’s flawless either - the blurring at the screen’s edges can be overly intense at times, and the overall presentation does cause the performance to stutter and feel a little sluggish at times. I point at these things only given the bar is raised so - something unavoidable when you already know a game is a stone-cold classic from the off. 

Astro’s Playroom

Coming pre-installed on your shiny new (and hopefully not scalped) Playstation 5 console, Playroom begins as a humble introduction to the capabilities of the Dual Sense controller. Touch control, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and the like are introduced and may well generate some cooing and low-key positivity, however this enthusiasm is elevated by a mighty factor when the game truly begins and everything is put so deftly into practice.

It’s not a complex or particularly challenging title as far as 3D platformers go, with frequent checkpoints and no life counter in sight. Any mould-breaking to be done comes instead from the diversity in how you control various sideshows, with the entire kitchen sink’s worth of interface options being showcased as you climb into a monkey suit, blast off a rocket ship, bounce around as a pinball, and so on. All of these demonstrate ingenuity that could’ve easily gone awry, yet are quickly understood, and grounded in a level of both tactile and in-game feedback that maintains a natural feeling. The game’s worlds serve as virtual tours through colourful, fantasy depictions of hardware components that demonstrates an excellent level of both pride and playfulness, with fellow bots littering both the through-fare and the unbeaten paths, dressed up and enacting smart homage to generations of games and their characters, all while Playstation-themed collectables are doled out in tandem alongside smart, well-natured puns. It arguably borders on propaganda at times, such is the intense positivity. That said, the more extensive your tenure is with Sony’s platforms, the more likely it’ll dull your better judgement to this, instead letting slip a grin at what is essentially the grandest love letter to all things Playstation, and the warmest, most celebratory pack-in for a new console Sony could have ever hoped for. 

The showcasing of new features and hardware aside, it’s also a subtle and unofficial coronation of Astrobot as Sony’s newest (and best) mascot. There’s been plenty of candidates in the past who’ve half-heartedly assumed to own the position, but it’s the silent, cheerful charm which makes Astro that much more of an endearing figurehead. G'wan the little guy.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

For someone that loves Suda51 and adored No More Heroes, my reaction to No More Heroes 2 on its original release was comparatively tepid. With a third game due next year, this re-release felt like the right time to revisit it and see it through, and although I found some things to enjoy, I certainly found plenty to remind me why I had bounced off it previously.

Roaming about in Santa Destroy between missions is gone, instead replaced with a short check list of destinations. While not a fan of the change myself, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing - though it does give a misleading impression of tightened focus that is very quickly lost as it lays out a spread of half-baked, and frankly clumsy mini-games. As well as being your prime source for money and upgrades, these do a lot to artificially increase the length of the game, and put simply, they’re just not fun enough to warrant this level of prominence. Even the main story has frequent moments where it veers away from the core 3D hack and slash gameplay, and again, these do more harm than good to the game’s flow.

The fighting underpinning it all has undoubtably been done better since by any number of titles, and though imperfect, it is still serviceable and enjoyable for the most part. Boss battles definitely hold the lion’s share of the game’s highlights, but there’s a few that also stick out with some poorly executed designs that tars its lasting impression. Shades do remain of the ridiculous, irreverent charm of the first game, although they are certainly more infrequent, and a more modern lens also brings into question just how sincerely we should take the sending up of Travis, when cast upon a backdrop of frequent fanservice. Not the best sequel then, but let’s hope 3 gets things back on track.  

[bbrandy2002]

The Breakfast Club Chapter 8

The Royal Romance AU

Summary: sex and drugs (that pretty much sums it up). This a light hearted chapter before the fireworks of the final two.

Warning: sexual content, drugs and mentions of abuse.

Characters belong to Pixelberry and some dialogue by John Hughes.

Song inspiration:

Drake, Olivia and Maxwell are halted at the corner of a corridor, having returned from Drake's room with pot. Vernon is standing outside of the library and returning to the office directly  across the hall. Even with the guard in the office, he has a direct view of the door.

As the trio scramble to come up with something quickly, Drake has an idea that may be dangerous, but, feels it's worth the risk. He motions for them to follow and leads them to the end of the hall. He opens a supply closet and inspects a large ventilation duct in the ceiling. Olivia stands there with her mouth agape, "Walker, you are fucking crazy if you think I'm getting in that". Drake begins moving a steel ladder in place, "Then share your grand plan with us Liv...I know this palace inside and out, trust me on this".  

Olivia scoffs at him, "Trust you? You've been a jackass and boozing since we arrived this morning".

Olivia and Maxwell look to each for confirmation from the other that this will not end disastrously.

Drake loosens the vent cover and it swings down. He turns to face both and explains there is two more vent covers on the second tier of the library; they will open one, hop on top of the book shelf and climb down. Olivia is still hesitant and feels it is too dangerous, but, Drake and Maxwell are are going regardless. She shakes her head and lets out a heavy breath, "Whatever, let's just get this over with."

Maxwell, being the tallest, climbs in first. Olivia gives Drake a killers stare as she begins her ascent up the ladder. He follows behind her, grabs her legs and boost's her up. Drake then makes his way inside the vent.

He grabs his cell phone and turns the flashlight on, directing Maxwell to keep moving. As Maxwell leads the group, he starts to giggle to himself, "Hey guys, tell me if you've heard this one....Lady Penelope walks into a bar with a poodle in one hand and a two foot salami in the other, bartender says 'well I guess you won't be needing a drink, Lady Penelope says.....OH SHIT!!!!!!...." The ventilation flooring under Maxwell gives way and he crashes through the ceiling, landing hard on the floor below him.

Olivia immediately stops moving and looks down, with concern, through the gaping hole. She discovers Maxwell on the second floor of the library and yells down, "Maxwell, are you okay?"

Maxwell staggered on the floor for a moment, glanced over himself, then nodded, "I think so, but, remind me never to tell a joke about Penelope again".

Olivia assessed her situation, "How the hell am I supposed to get down now?

Drake remained quiet; with Olivia leaning over, he was able to see her ass cheeks hugging through her pink, lacy panties. She turned her head around and noticed his eyes widened and focused under her skirt. She kicked him in the shoulder and he jerked up, hitting his head. With the weight and sudden movements, the floor under them feel in.

Maxwell was able to move before they both crashed to the floor beside him, immediately jumping in to come to their aid.

Both were shaken up and needed a moment to just breathe, but, not seriously injured. Maxwell helped Olivia to her feet, who then bent over punching Drake several times for his inappropriate staring.

He raises his arms to protect himself, "It was an accident".

She screams back at him, "You're such an asshole.."

Drake stands, dusts himself off and limps slightly over to Maxwell, "So, Ahab...Kybo Mein Doobage..."

Maxwell reaches into his pants and pulls out the joints, still in the baggie.

Drake walks to the railing, sits down on the floor and gets his lighter out.

Maxwell looks to Olivia who keeps her focus on Drake. She's apprehensive, wanting to try it too, extremely curious, but, anxious.

Drake lights the joint, take's a hit and relaxes back into the railing. He gives her a questioning look and holds the joint out towards her, "You in, Red?".

With a determined looked, "I'm in".

Maxwell rubs his hands together excitedly, "OooHhh Yyyeeaaahhh...".

*****

Liam takes Riley's hand and begins leading her through the Palace at a quick step.

She laughs at his persistence, "Liam...where are we going? What about...Twat Muffin?".

He chortles, "I have to show you something and there's not a lot of time......also, it was Twat, Waffle".

Still holding her hand, basically pulling her along, they make their way up to the King's chambers and into Liam's bedroom.

Riley takes it all in with amazement, "Don't you think..this..is a little too soon?".

He stops at his dresser and quickly opens the top drawer, pulling out a tiny, blue velvet, ring box.

He opens it up and shows her what's inside. She looks carefully, "It's a pearl".

He has a nervous smile and his breathing becomes heavier, "Riley...". He can barely get his words together, "tomorrow, it will be announced at the ball in honor of my birthday... that I will officially be betrothed to Countess Madeleine...my father is making the agreement as we speak."

She swallows hard and her smile fades, "then...what about...our moment just now?".

He shakes his head and moves her to his bed, both sitting side by side. He takes the pearl out of the box and places it in the middle of her palm, closing her hand around it.

He grips her fisted hand and stares into her eyes, "I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, I certainly don't want it, but, before my father returns in a few hours, I have to give you something my brother found while we were swimming in Italy last year. I have to give this to someone special and I doubt after tomorrow, I'll get that opportunity. This moment.... it's all I have."

She looks down at her hand. Her mind is racing with so many thoughts...she's with the Prince of Cordonia, he is pouring his heart out to a girl like her, it's all unreal and she never wants it to end. She looks up at him with glassy eyes and a wispy voice, "Then, let's make it special."

Liam takes her to the balcony off of his bedroom. Standing behind her with arms around her waist, he points out his mothers garden and tells her stories of his misspent youth in the maze. They dance to music that only the two of them can hear, a sweet melody that comes from their hearts. As he lifts her into his arms for a twirl, he holds her close, never wanting this new feeling to leave. Liam hasn't been this happy since his mother was alive and doubts he ever will again.

Riley wonders how a girl from the wrong side of town, is here, at this place, experiencing this moment. Two nights ago, she was living with a drunk mother and stepfather....her mother's fifth husband. She had always served as her mothers caretaker; she picked up the pieces when her mother was beaten, cooked dinner each night, cleaned the house, whatever was needed to keep her happy. Each man her mother mindlessly brought into the home was angry, wild, and good for nothing; Riley experienced her fair share of physical abuse and a mother who pretended it didn't exist. Her current stepfather, however, crossed the line and Riley had to leave. Her mother had passed out and he set his sights on her. She fought him off as he gropped and beat her; she had no choice but to run away. Riley always felt like the garbage her home life was. When Constantine called her a whore, it was a word she had been called for as long as she could remember; it never stopped hurting.

Her ruffled skirt swayed with each turn. Her long, brown hair swept with the wind and her smile lit up her entire face. To Liam, she was perfect in every way.

His lips found her neck and gently placed kisses down to her collar bone. She absorbed each one as her hands ran through his hair. Every kiss and touch they shared was slow and methodical. They memorized every single feature and sensation, holding onto what would soon be only a beautiful memory.

Liam caressed her arms and gazed at her with longing, "I've never...you know".

She kissed him softly and smiled, "I haven't either".

His head was spinning as he held her hand and led her to his bed, "are you sure?"

She nodded, "yes".

He didn't know where to start, he could only think about how much he wanted to feel her... to be one with her.

Her hands shook as she reached for the buttons on her shirt, mentally preparing herself, it being her first time too.

He watched in awe as her chest was exposed, sweat already pooling on his forehead.

He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. She ran her delicate fingers over his muscled chest, as he hesitated briefly before cupping her breast.

They both were breathing heavy with anticipation and nervousness; perhaps, stalling somewhat in removing their bottoms.

Riley inhaled deeply then removed her skirt and panties, blushing as she kicked them aside. Liam ran his hands over her bare flesh, taking every portion of her in.  She swore she was in a dream, his touch took her away and the ecstacy she felt sent chills throughout her body.

She sat on his bed and situated herself back to get into a comfortable spot. He watched with eyes widened, keeping his focus on her, while he removed his pants and underwear.

He moved himself on top of her, careful not to put too much weight down. He leaned in placed a small kiss her nose, "You're so beautiful".

Both of them heaving, she opened herself to him. He reached down and rubbed himself along her opening until she was wet enough.

He slowly inserted himself, only stopping when she winced. She waited a moment, adjusted herself,  before allowing him to continue.

Time stood still as the two shared in the most sacred and loving act of their young lives. It was a mixture of pleasure and senses; a passion, they both elicited in the other. There was a feeling of completeness, that both had always longed for. Every single second was poetry in motion, yet, a bittersweet song.

*******

Laughter fills the air of the library as the trio sit in a circle enjoying their time. Maxwell is blowing smoke rings and eating them, "Chicks, cannot hold der smoke!  That's  what it is!".

An already stoned Olivia takes another hit and coughs, "Like...I'm so popular...I'm the most popular girl in all of Cordonia...like everyone loves me."

Drake watches her with amusement, "Poor baby", he says sarcastically.

Maxwell crawls over to Olivia and falls into her lap. Olivia looks down at his face and starts laughing hysterically, "Max-well, booga booga...SALAMI!!!".

Drake looks down at the joint in his hand, "phew...this is some strong shit".

For the next ten minutes, they go from breakdancing with Maxwell, gazing in admiration at the hole they caused in the ceiling, singing campfire songs with Drake and poking at the mole on the back of Maxwell's neck, swearing they see a face on it.

"Where the hell are our drinks?"

@lovemychoices @gnatbrain @burnsoslow @lodberg @choiceslife @silversparrow02 @stopforamoment @thisperfectmemory @kingliam2019 @moneyfordiamonds @pedudley @emceesynonymroll @romanticatheart-posts @carabeth @dcbbw @ao719 @timothygorgeous @missameliep

*let me know if you want removed from tags.

[closetcasefabray]

Don’t Make Me Spell It Out For You, Part 1/6

briefest of brief summaries: clarke kind of hates her neighbor because lexa hates fun or something. aka & they were neighbors

//

okay, so finally writing this as a fic. i could’ve definitely made this a one-shot, but i divided it into 6 parts (of varying lengths) to have fun with it, and i’m cleaning it up and adding more. also managed to hit several of the classic au prompts: fratboy!clarke, neighbors/girl next door, (kinda) enemies to friends to lovers, city au, useless lesbian/bisexual, & one bed. hope you enjoy.

titles courtesy of Janelle Monae.

EDIT: apparently this entire thing just up and disappeared when i made a small edit on mobile. fixed it. thanks tumblr for being generally awful.

//

1. all the feelings that i’ve got for you

//

You love and hate living in New York—love the diversity, art scene, local parks, trips to the Bronx Zoo, concerts in Prospect Park, and (finally) earning a living wage after graduating two years ago. You hate the MTA’s ceaseless delays, the owners of the dog barking outside your window every morning, rude restaurant guests who tip poorly, and the puddles that seem to always be on the sidewalks even when it hasn’t rained for days. You love your neighborhood but hate how old your building is—tiny living space, worn out hardwood flooring that slopes, the distinct off-off-white color of it all, and the incredibly thin walls.

You also recently determined that you’re really starting to hate your neighbor.

//

The first time you receive a knock at the door, it’s understandable.

Raven is, in her own words, “Queens, born and raised, and therefore a die-hard Mets fan.” It’s not always clear because most of the time she spends watching games, she’s swearing at the players and coaches, and groaning, “I fucking hate this goddamn team.”

So you’re sitting between Raven and Octavia late one night, watching the Mets play the Padres, drinking beer, and shoveling pizza into your mouths, when an unexpected home run has Raven jumping to her feet and shouting, “I fucking love this goddamn team!” She does a dance and claps as the Mets celebrate their two run lead.

A soft knock at the door interrupts Raven high-fiving you and O repeatedly less than a minute later. You all exchange looks and you roll your eyes when Raven and O look at you expectantly. You stand up, take a swig of beer, and open the front door.

A stunning but half-asleep girl, about your age, is standing on your old, beat up Welcome mat. You figure she’s your neighbor, but you hardly see anyone else who lives in the apartment building, not to mention the number of people who move in and out throughout the year. Your assumed neighbor is in her pajamas—a Columbia grad school t-shirt, striped shorts, and some moccasin slippers—and her hair is a mix of brown waves and curls, tousled no doubt from struggling to sleep. Her grey-green eyes remind you to finish your painting of a storm at sea.

“Sorry,” you say quickly, then explain, “West Coast Mets game.”

The other girl just nods.

“We’ll keep it down. Sorry again,” you say, offering a small smile.

Your neighbor doesn’t reciprocate and just turns around to go back to her apartment. You feel guilty as you gently shut the door.

“Well, that’s one way to meet your new-ish neighbor,” Octavia says before drinking from her beer.

“It is two in the morning,” you say with a shrug.

“She’s been here for over a month. This shit-hole I call home is nicknamed the City that Never Sleeps for a reason,” Raven says, taking an aggressive bite from her slice of pizza. “Also the Mets are winning!” she adds as she chews, “That, like, never happens, so she should respect my devotion to this piece of shit team.”

You and O just roll your eyes, and you hope the pizza and beer will keep Raven busy enough and her mouth full to prevent further yelling.

//

The second time Lexa—you read her mailbox label—knocks at your door, you expect it.

You get home from a killer shift and Raven is scrolling through Hulu and the like for something to watch, so when you say you never saw John Wick 2, she immediately tells you to “sit your ass down and watch this shit.”

You can’t hear the dialogue over the crunching of the chips you’re sharing with Raven, so you keep turning up the volume. Raven gets up to use the bathroom as you watch the scene unfold.

Then his house explodes.

For a brief moment you think the apartment is too because the surround sound speakers Raven has set up shakes the floor and walls. You scramble to turn down the volume and manage to pause the movie.

Raven’s head immediately pops out from the bathroom to look at you with her mouth hanging open in slight horror. “Oh no…”

You look at the time. It’s 12:30AM. “Shit.”

You realize you’re holding your breath when you hear the light knocking ten seconds later.

“Hi,” you say, feeling stupid as you look at another form of tired Lexa. She’s got her glasses on this time and a Les Mis tee to accompany a different set of striped sleep shorts, but her hair is in the same state of lovely disarray as it was a week ago. Eyes still quiet storms.

“Could you just turn it down a bit?”

“Already did. Sorry. It was hard to hear the movie and then something blew up… on screen, I mean.” You question if you ever actually learned the English language or had a normal social interaction with an attractive person before. Whether bars, clubs, or even work, you can typically charm people’s pants off. Apparently in your own apartment, all it takes is a pretty girl with messy hair and full lips to throw you off whatever game you can manage.

“Thanks,” is all Lexa says in response.

After you close the door, you turn to a still shocked Raven with her mouth agape. “Okay, so that one was fair,” she admits.

“Is there a thin-apartment-walls setting for your sound system?”

//

The third time Lexa knocks at your door is the last straw.

You have the night off after a 45 hour work week, carrying 20-pound boxes of wine up and down the stairs, memorizing five new menu items and an entirely new cocktail menu. Do you love the restaurant industry? No. But you’re decent at it and it pays double what the YMCA paid you for children’s after-school art lessons.

You manage to crawl out of bed around two in the afternoon, and proceed to drink an entire Britta’s worth of water before refilling it and sticking it back in the fridge. You probably shouldn’t have had the last two (or five) shots you took last night after work with your coworkers.

You hear the familiar sound of Raven coming up the steps and her keys in the door as you plop yourself into the chair at the small table that separates the kitchen from the living room.

“You’re home early,” you say, Raven is helping her mechanical engineering company collaborate on a big project with MoMA, so she’s been working ten hour shifts, six days a week.

Raven, despite looking exhausted, lifts her fist above her head in victory. “And I have tomorrow off! I’m going out!”

You groan, and Raven just laughs. “I heard you stumble in last night, so it’s cool. I’m going out with O and Lincoln later. I have pot, and you look like you need a cannabis miracle.” 

You smoke some of Raven’s weed, and while it does make you feel better, it doesn’t do much for the lethargy part of your hangover. You order delivery for the both of you and wait, sprawled out on the couch in the living room while Raven showers. You snap out of your daze when Janelle Monae’s voice starts to pour out the bluetooth speakers, and you let out a full belly laugh as Raven dramatically exits the bathroom into your line of sight, dressed in only a towel with another wrapped around her head, using her phone as a microphone.

“Live my life on birth control. I lost my mind on rock and roll,” Raven sings, spinning through the kitchen to the living room. She points at you as she continues to sing along and dance. You join her and turn up the volume at the chorus.

You’re both belting along, dancing all sexy despite the fact that Raven’s in a towel and you’re still in a baggy shirt and sweatpants. Raven takes a small hit from her bowl and passes it back to you.

You’re not sure how long she was knocking, but it took a set of louder-than-usual knocks for you to hear it. You look at Raven and briefly feel like you’re back in your college dorm together and resist the urge to chuck the bowl in your hand out the window.

“Really?” Raven mouths, gesturing at the clock reading 3PM.

“What do I do?” you ask. Yeah, you’re moderately stoned.

Raven turns the volume down a bit. “I don’t know, but I’m naked,” Raven says, trying to appear serious before snorting and running to her room to put on clothes.

“Fine, I can just go fuck myself, yeah?” you stage whisper after her.

“Heeeeeey,” you say, opening the door and leaning against the doorframe.

Lexa still looks tired but is wearing a nicer version of your own outfit—jogger sweats, a UMD tee, and some red TOMS she evidently shoved onto her feet without pulling the backs over her heels.

“Your music… It’s distracting me, and just… Could you just turn it down a little, please?” Lexa asks with a light sigh.

“Sure thing,” you reply, and, christ, give her a thumbs up.

You’re sure Lexa can smell the pot, but she doesn’t say anything. She just shuffles back to her apartment, and you close the door not-as-gently-as-usual before turning off the stereo.

Raven walks back into the living room, now fully clothed, and sits on the couch with a dramatic sigh. She grabs her bowl and takes a hit.

“Who, like, gets fucking mad about Janelle Monae? On a Friday? At 3PM?” you ask, taking the bowl Raven offers.

“Someone who hates fun,” Raven says, blowing smoke out her nose and mouth.

//

In the week following the last knocking incident, you decide you don’t like Lexa Woods, maybe even hate her and her stupid university sleep shirts and stormy eyes. Sure, she’s got her beautiful hair and maybe you’ve thought about how soft her lips probably are once or twice; none of that stops you from declaring her the Enemy of Fun.

You’re not sure what mood you’re in, but you are sure that you drank a lot of gin at O and Lincoln’s engagement party. Raven jokes that gin makes you aggressive, a really dumb “fight me” kind of aggressive.

“She can fucking knock all she wants,” you huff, sitting down on the couch to stop the room from spinning. “Like, what? Are we not allowed to have fun anymore?”

“I know, but let’s try not to have tonight be another night where she comes knocking.”

“I’ll tell her what’s what. Come on, fucking Janelle Monae?” you say, waving your arms in exasperation. “And why not? I fucking dare her to come over. I thought you hated her too?”

“I mean, I think she kind of sucks, but hate is a little dramatic. You’re also pretty confrontational right now, so I don’t want a knock tonight,” Raven says with a chuckle, and you realize she’s far more sober than you as she pours you a glass of water.

“I’d win in a fight.”

“Right.”

“I would.”

“Of course, Clarke.”

“I hate her.”

“Sure.”

//

next

[shogikappa]

Rockin’ Pretty (Nintendo DS)

Rockin’ Pretty (Japan: Happy Star Band; Europe: Diva Girls: Making the Music) is a Nintendo DS band/music/rhythm game published in 2009 where you can choose between any of the 4 instruments the band members play and work your way through the different stages which offer new songs that can be unlocked.

I really love this game and there are several unique things about it. I’ve been looking for a game that lets you play as the various instruments in the band and this game delivers that, as well as music that’s instrumental (although the endings hint that the band isn’t actually an instrumental band, though throughout the game the music that’s played is all instrumental). Besides those, it also differs from conventional rhythm games that are in the style of say Guitar Hero, Synthesia (if you could call it a rhythm game), and Bang Dream where, instead of the music coming down as dots/bars down onto the horizontal line where you’re supposed to press buttons, the equivalent of “lines” in this game is spread out at various distances to mimic playing the actual instrument. The gameplay is played entirely using the stylus, and no buttons are used (though you can use the buttons to navigate menus and options, etc.).

The 4 members of the band are Mai (Japanese: Mahiru) on guitar, Kara (Jp: Kanami) on bass guitar, Mio on keyboard, and Reena (Jp: Riko) on drums. Although the US localization changed most of the names, at least their biography and looks remain intact, unlike the previous game, Princess on Ice, which, during localization, had the appearances of all characters completely redesigned for a “Western audience”. Anyway, onto the gameplay.

Just as a note, for each individual song, you can always choose between any of the 4 instruments to play (as well as the characters to dress up/equip instrument skins), so you aren’t stuck with 1 instrument throughout the game and can play the same song using all 4 before you move on to the next song, if you so wish. You get to choose between 3 difficulty levels for each song/instrument. Each song/instrument also has an autoplay mode where you could just watch the song being played.

The Instruments

Mai/Guitar

If you choose Mai, you get the guitar game. You’re allowed to choose your preferred hand so that the game reorientates. Anyway, there are 2 lanes which the music notes come diagonally down on. As you can probably already tell, depending on the colour of the blocks, when you actually pick will be different, so if the block is blue you need to pick when it reaches the blue zone on the lane, and so on. This creates a desirable (IMO) challenge that requires a little bit of calculation when a bunch of blocks of different colours come down in succession, which can happen more frequently when you get to higher stages. To pick, you place your stylus on the double-diamond-shaped thing between the lanes and slide it towards the side the block is on. Getting the precise angle can take minimal practice when you need to tremolo-pick (picking alternatively between the 2 lanes back and forth). The 6 possible zones reflect the 6 strings on an electric guitar, at least in my mind.

Kara/Bass

The bass is similar to the guitar game, except you have a single lane of 4 possible colour zones, reflecting the 4 strings on a bass guitar. Here, the main move, instead of sliding your stylus, is to simply tap the colour zone when the music block hits it, but there are also special blocks that require sliding, which the game calls strumming. Again, same calculation is needed when multiple colours come down.

Mio/Keyboard

Like Synthesia, but, a bit worse. I think this instrument can get quite unfair but good thing this is really just my main complaint of the game (otherwise I do quite love it). Lines come down and well, you tap the keys when the lines hit them. The unfair bit comes from how the lines often, in later levels, cover up lines that are below them (so you actually need to tap the key 2 times in a row but because the top line obscures the bottom line, you miss the 2nd tap). This becomes a game where you probably need some memorization to ace the song, although you don’t need to ace a song to complete it. Sometimes you’ll see multiple lines coming at the different keys simultaneously, which is when you need to slide your stylus across all the keys, similar to playing a glissando sweep on a keyboard.

Reena/Drums

Possibly my favourite to play and the one I do most well in, although I do prefer the guitar one for its creativity. The 4 circles essentially semi-simulate the crash cymbal, the bass drum, the snare drum, and well, that green one is rarely used so I don’t quite remember, might have been the high-hat/ride cymbal or so. Anyway, the notes slide in from the opposite side so that they always take the long way to get to the circles: the yellow and red notes always come from the right. Again, a similar calculation challenge presents itself when multiple notes of different colours come from both sides, although it’s easy (for me anyway) to get the hang of it when you focus more on the rhythm of the drumming than just looking at the notes. Some special notes require you to slide the stylus rather than just tapping.

Plot

Mai is a newcomer to this band Starlight that’s looking for a guitarist because their previous one dropped out. Mai and Kara are schoolmates, although they had never actually talked before. It looks like Mio and Reena are from the same school, but it’s not explicitly mentioned. Mio and Reena though don’t go to the same school Mai and Kara do.

Anyway, now a 4-member all-girls rock band, they start playing at different venues and enter the annual music contest Rockin’ Pretty (RP).

As you move one step closer to the finals, a new venue/stage is unlocked and 2 new songs become available, and you get a bit of progress on the little bit of story, if you wanna call it that (it’s pretty much dialogue presented in a visual novel style about them moving on but hey, it’s nice to see).

Music

The band plays a number of songs throughout the game. These are given by stage number below:

1. See You Again

2a. Heaven

2b. Prayer

3a. Good Morning

3b. Ambitious Ladies

4a. Your Eyes

4b. I Love You!

5a. Fluttering Heart

5b. Happy Sunday

6a. Fiery Glance

6b. Boyfriend

7a. Summer Fun

7b. Fight For Your Love

8. Rockin’ Nova

The music feels a bit mediocre. The tunes are not anything great, but I do enjoy this game enough to want to go back to listening to the music, but less so because the tunes are that great. The gameplay though, I think, makes up for it. The music ranges from softer pop-sounding music to something in the mid area. I wouldn’t say anything in this game falls under hard rock. Maybe a bit hard, but nothing too much.

Endings

There are 3 endings to the game. A good ending (which I unexpectedly got the first time round), as well as 2 normal endings. There’s no bad ending. There’s been various sources talking about how you get the good end. One page claims that you need to beat all songs on hard and do well in the finale which I can attest is not true cause I only played and beat 1 song on hard and yet I got the good end anyway. What is sure is that you need to ace the song in your finale (as any instrument), and just a normal performance would not do. And apparently the clothes/instruments that you bought also affect it, according to another source, but by that point I’ve really bought everything that you can buy so I couldn’t test it out. It’s a good idea to anyway, since your score caps at like 50000 or so. Your score is used to buy the girls new outfits, hairstyles, and instruments. Simply play a song and you’ll earn some points again, depending on your performance. The same source also mentions how you need to “get used to playing on Normal/Hard rather than just Easy”.

So I suppose the best bet is to warm yourself up on Easy, then move on to Normal (which is what I did), and buy outfits and instruments as you progress. After that, you can see all the endings depending on if you ace the finale or simply do average, and you’ll see the 3 endings. Maybe play one song on Hard like I did but I can’t say if it really changes anything.

If you only perform average, you’ll get 1 of the 2 normal endings at random. Good thing about this game is that you’ll see an ending each time you play the finale song, so you can check out all 3 endings at any point, but it does mean you’d have to sit through the credits every time you just wanna play the song.

Well of course the normal endings are well, you don’t win the contest. But as a character points out in one of the endings, making it all the way to the finals still means you put on a great show, even if you aren’t the best! After all, do you ever just listen to your favourite piece of music of all time and think your second favourite piece of music is not worthy? Another quote from the anime Sound Euphonium: music wasn’t originally intended for competition. And really, not to downplay the excitement of winning a music contest, but it’d have been lots of fun just to play music all around the city and make it to the finals, having your music be enjoyed by so many.

Anyway, even the normal ends aren’t too bad and they continue to play and keep on rockin pretty so hey, things are still good.

You unlock a photo studio where you can “take photos” of the band after you beat the game but the 3D models don’t exactly look that impressive. I’d rather have preferred a gallery for the endings I’ve unlocked but oh well.

Overall

Well I do very much love this game, especially since I came across it while on my music craze, hunting for band games and shows. And I got to live the fantasy of playing music with others a bit. My only complaints are that the keyboard game feels especially unfair and that the game’s a bit too short. If you enjoy a unique rhythm/band/music game, I’d say this one is worth checking out. Heck, I don’t really enjoy rhythm games but even I love this game because of the band atmosphere and the simulation (kinda) of playing different instruments. So maybe give it a go even if you don’t like rhythm games but want to play a game relevant to music bands.

[godyouredull]

Sure You Can Handle It? | All You Have To Do Is Fall In Love AU

Other Parts: 1 Author: Sarah - @godyouredull Pairing: Ben Hardy / OFC Rating: M Word Count: 6.8k POV: Sarah Warnings: series warnings, SMUT Summary: Ben comes over to repay Sarah for a memorable first night together, and despite her best efforts, she breaks her own rule.

Masterlist found here! Series Summary: Best friends and college roommates Ben, Joe, and Gwil, find themselves tangled up with a group of girls who bring out the best (and worst) in them. Series Warnings: drinking, swearing Authors’ Note: Stories can stand alone, but it’s much better when read all together! Not everything is always in the same tense, or same point of view/perspective.

I can’t decide if I’m nervous or not. I’ve had guys come to my place before, right? This isn’t any different. It’s just another guy coming over to have drinks and there is absolutely no need to overthink things. Ben is a complete gentleman and you are not being too easy by inviting him over after only knowing him for 24 hours.

“What are you doing?” Mic’s voice interrupts my inner dialogue. She’s standing at the doorway to my bathroom, looking at me questioningly.

“Oh, I’m uh,” I take a beat trying to make myself sound as casual as possible, “just shaving my legs.” It’s a bit tough to sound casual when I’m sitting in a somewhat awkward position on the floor of my shower wearing a sports bra and shorts, trying my best to remove any trace of hair from my legs.

“I thought you weren’t gonna fuck him tonight?” She smirks.

“I’m not! I’m just shaving because… better safe than sorry, okay? He could still touch my legs at some point tonight.”

“Uh huh.” She takes on a sarcastic tone, shaking her head. “And why are your red lace panties laid out on your bed? I assume because you’re planning to wear them tonight.” Dammit. I was hoping she hadn’t seen that.

“Like I said.. Better safe than sorry.” I try to defend. She just sighs a little too loudly and shakes her head as she walks out of my room. “I have some self control, Mic!” I call after her.

“No one believes that, Sarah!” She calls back. I hear Ella laughing along with her from the living room.

At exactly 7pm there’s a knock on the door. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that he’s punctual but it’s a bit unnerving since I’m late for literally everything. I open the door to see him standing right in front of me, looking hot as hell in a grey t-shirt and jeans, holding a full handle of Fireball.

“I was gonna bring flowers but I felt bad accidentally leaving the other one in the park.” He says as he hands me the bottle.

“Oh my god.” I say between laughs. “This is way better than flowers. Thank you.” I open the door a bit wider to allow him entrance. He wraps his hand around my waist and gives me a peck on the cheek as he walks in.

“You look beautiful.” He says lowly in my ear. Fuck.

“Trying to butter me up, Benjamin?”

“If I’m gonna cover you in something it’s not gonna be butter.” I can’t hide my surprise at his brashness. My jaw almost drops.

“Butter’s not your thing then? We have some other options.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” We’re in the kitchen now so I fake looking around in our pantries before I answer.

“Pancake batter?” I hold up the box and he immediately laughs.

“Alright, you win. I regret starting this bit.” I join in his laughter as I turn around to put the box back where I found it and then start gathering the ingredients for mojitos. It took some convincing but Mic finally agreed to let me use hers as long as I bought the next batch of materials. “So you just happened to have mojito ingredients laying around your apartment?” He asks as I bend down to grab some limes out of our fridge.

“You’re implying I lied and then bought them to lure you here?”

“Women have been known to do less to gain my affection.” He shrugs.

“Wow! You’re especially cocky tonight, aren’t you?”

“I’m still just trying to keep up with you, love.” He smiles sweetly at me as I start to muddle the mint leaves, sugar and lime together. It’s clearly not my best work but hey alcohol is alcohol. Ben notices though. “You’re not doing that right.” He mocks.

“Shush.” I hold my pointer finger up to silence him. “And to answer your question: yes, we did have these ingredients already. My roommate loves mojitos.”

“Which one?” He asks, remembering the handful of facts I told him last night.

“Michaela.”

“She’s got good taste then.” He speaks as he furrows his eyebrows together, still watching me attempt to make an attractive mojito. “Okay, I have to stop you. I’m sorry.” He says as he gets up from one of our barstools and walks around to where I’m standing in the kitchen.

“Seriously?” I ask in disbelief. “You’re critiquing my technique?”

“I’m not critiquing!” He insists as he pushes me out of the way and takes the muddler and glass full of ingredients out of my hands. “Look, I’ll show you.” He puts a few more mint leaves in the glass and continues to muddle them with ease. I watch the muscles in his bicep flex as he presses down hard with perfect technique. He cuts another half of a lime and adds two more wedges to the glass before continuing to muddle and add sugar. He doesn’t even think about what he’s doing. It seems to just come to him as if it’s second nature. It’s so unbelievably hot that I can feel my mouth beginning to dry.

“How are you so skilled at this?”

“I’m a bartender.” He reveals.

“What?!” I can’t hide my shock. “Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”

“It never came up.” He shrugs as he pours rum and carbonated water into the glass before garnishing it with a lime wedge. It’s a work of art, really. It looks like I would pay $12 for it at the Ritz-Carlton. He hands it to me and I take a sip.

“It’s alright.” I shrug as I lie. It’s delicious.

“Mmhm.” He smiles knowingly as he moves to make himself a drink.

“So what? You bartend at one of the frat row bars? Is that how you met Joe?”

“No,” he laughs as he muddles limes in his own glass. “I bartend at the Four Seasons hotel not far from here.” I almost choke on my drink.

“You’re a luxury bartender?”

“Oh god don’t say it like that.” He screws his eyes shut and smiles while shaking his head. He’s embarrassed! How does he go from being so cocky one second to completely flustered the next? I want to ask him to make eight different fancy cocktails just so I can watch him work but somehow that seems weird.

“You make a killing in tips, don’t you?”

“I do alright.” He chuckles. He finishes making his own drink and holds it up for me to clink my glass against his. “Cheers.” He says as we both take sips, me a little bit more than him. I’m suddenly very nervous as my urge to jump him resurfaces. We’re both standing in my kitchen, not too far apart, taking sips from our drinks. I decide to sit on top of our kitchen island countertop to get a better view of him standing across from me.

“I’m gonna like having you around if you keep making drinks like this.” I admit.

“So you are gonna keep me around then?” He asks as he puts his drink down and starts to walk towards me.

“I’m thinking about it.” I almost whisper as he moves to stand between my legs. He puts his hands on my thighs and his eyes flit down to my lips, as if to ask permission. I cup his cheek with my hand that’s not not holding a drink and lean down to connect our lips. It’s just as fierce as it was this morning. His hands move up my thighs and wrap around my waist. I put my drink down and wrap my legs tightly around his body, bringing him as close to me as I possibly can. I bring my hand away from his face and wrap them around his neck as he lifts me off the counter, never breaking the kiss, and places me so my feet touch the ground and I’m standing in front of him.

“Ben.” I practically moan his name against his mouth. He responds by pressing his body against mine, my back hitting the cool countertop, so I can feel how hard he is against my leg. God, he wants this as bad as I do. “Wait, stop.” I put my hands flat against his chest to stop him. He’s still standing inches away from me but our movements have ceased.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, concern in his eyes.

“Nothing. I’m fine. I just--” I search for the right words, not wanting to offend him. I look away from his gaze, knowing my thoughts would give me away.

“Sarah?” He forces my eyes to meet his.

“This is so unlike me.” I move out of his grip and start pacing in the kitchen. “Seriously, Ben, I would usually never get this worked up. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I--” I start my statement, ready to be completely honest about my fear of being too easy and scaring him off before quickly changing my mind. I look at him again from across the kitchen so we’re staring directly in each other’s eyes. Once again I’m completely thrown by how green they are. How is he so gorgeous?

“Sarah, do you want me t--” I know he’s about to say ‘leave’ so I cut him off, walking towards him and immediately connecting our lips again. I don’t hold back, putting my hands in his hair and fisting his blonde curls. He wraps his arms around my waist again, completely enveloping me in his embrace. I push him back a bit so he hits the refrigerator, shoving my body against him as hard as I can, desperate for friction. He copies my roughness and softly bites down on my bottom lip, causing me to moan again. I’m about to lead him towards my bedroom before my subconscious attacks me for the second time tonight. As I start to question the whole situation, he removes his lips from mine and begins kissing my neck and traveling down to nip at my collarbone. It feels so good that it pains me to stop him.

“Ben.” I say his name while placing my hands on his shoulders, pushing back ever so slightly.

“Love, what is on your mind?” He stops his actions and places his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to look at him again.

“We shouldn’t do this!” I exclaim in exasperation. “It’s too soon and I am NOT easy.” He seems kind of surprised by my declaration but he drops his hands and lets me move away from him.

“Believe me, Sarah, I do not think you’re easy.” He chuckles.

“Ben, if we fuck tonight and then you leave in the morning and I never hear from you again, I’m gonna hate myself.” I finally say, sounding flustered as hell. I can’t believe I’m acting like this and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for being so embarrassing. Damn his effect on me. It’s only been 24 hours and I’m already a mess for him.

“That’s not going to happen, darling.”

“Yeah that’s what they all say. And usually I don’t mind but with you.. I’m...” I run my fingers through my hair and look up at him again, expecting to see pure fear in his eyes. It’s not there though. In fact, he almost looks sympathetic.

“Are your roommates home?” He asks after a beat of silence.

“What?”

“Ella and Michaela. Are they home?”

“Um..” I try to process how random the question is. “Y-yeah, they’re in their rooms. Why?”

“Go get them.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

I wanna ask what the hell he’s thinking but I’m still too flustered to argue so I just make my way towards the hallway with Ella and Mic’s rooms and knock on their doors. Ella comes out first, looking half asleep and wearing her pajamas.

“What’s going on?” She asks as Mic opens her door, also looking a bit drowsy.

“Ben wants to talk to you guys?” I say questionly so they realize I’m just as confused as they are.

“He didn’t say why?” Mic asks.

“No, I have no idea what he’s thinking.” We all stand around for a second before I speak again. “So… will you meet him?” They both look at each other and nod before following me back into the kitchen. Ben has moved from where I left him and is now sitting on one of the bar stools, facing us.

“Good evening, ladies.” He says as charmingly as possible. They both chuckle and give him shy smiles in return. I know they’re both thinking about how hot he is even in person and I have never wished for the ability to telepathically communicate more.

“Uh, Ben this is Michaela and Ella.” I point to them as I say their names.

“What’s this about?” Ella speaks first, crossing her arms.

“I just wanted to introduce myself and say that you’re gonna see a lot of me around here because I really like your roommate. I’m a theatre major and I work as a bartender at the Four Seasons so you can come find me and kick my arse if I hurt her.”

I look from Ben to Ella and Mic, who both have the same dumbfounded expression that I’m sure is on my face too. I can’t believe he just said that. It’s such a simple thing, introducing himself to my best friends, but he knew exactly what it would mean and he did it anyway with no hesitation. I flashback to his words from this morning and realize that I, too, am in trouble. I’m gonna fall for this asshole, aren’t I?

“Shit,” Mic finally speaks. “That was smooth.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your night.” He speaks again. “You can go back to your rooms if you want.” They both look at me as if to ask if that’s what I want and I nod. The look in Ella’s eyes tells me exactly what she’s thinking and I smile at them. This morning we were all sitting at that table looking at pictures of that beautiful, blonde british guy and now he’s in our apartment, sitting in the exact same spot.

“They’re gonna fuck.” I hear Mic whisper to Ella as they get closer to their rooms. I close my eyes and shake my head as I turn back to Ben.

“I can’t believe you ju--” I start to say but he cuts me off, standing up to stand directly in front of me again.

“Anything that happens tonight is completely your choice, babe. But I’m not going anywhere.” He promises as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I sigh involuntarily and lean my face into his palm.

“Will you make me another drink?”

“Of course.” He smiles and kisses my forehead before walking back into the kitchen. I follow behind him and take a seat on one of the barstools, watching his skilled hands make two more mojitos for us.

“I don’t suppose you can find a way to add fireball into these?” I ask jokingly.

“You’re ridiculous.” He laughs as he continues to make the mojitos. Once he’s garnished both of them, he walks around the island to place the full glass in my hand. I watch him intently as he takes a sip from his, slowly coming to the realization that I don’t want him to leave tonight. Even if all we did was sit in the kitchen and talk about anything as he continued to make drinks all night, I know I would never get tired of listening to or looking at him.

“Ben?” I say as I put my drink down, watching him take another sip of his.

“Yeah?”

“Put your drink down.” He obeys and places his glass on the counter, turning to face me. I stand up and cup his cheek with my hand, pulling him towards me for the third time tonight. He leans into my kiss, putting his hands on my waist before slowly moving one down to cup my ass. I smile against his mouth and fist his hair, pulling it ever so slightly, causing him to moan. I can feel him beginning to harden against my leg so I press my body tight against his, creating a friction we’ve both wanted since he walked in the door. “My room is the door behind you.”

“And you’re sure?” I don’t answer. Instead I kiss him again and start to push him so he’s walking backwards towards my room.

“Whoa, whoa I worked too hard on those mojitos for them to be forgotten.” He says, surprising me. It puts me at ease that he can keep up his joking manner no matter what.

“Fair enough.” I admit and pick up my glass, tilting it backwards until I’ve downed the entire thing. “Your turn.”

“Damn.” He says, eyes wide. “Eager, are we?”

“You know the answer to that.” I whisper as I stand in front of him again, bringing my hand between us to palm him through his jeans.

“Christ.” He curses and then quickly finishes his drink. He reconnects our lips and I can taste the rum on his tongue as he slips it into my mouth. His hands move to cup my ass again, and before I can even register it, he’s lifted me so my legs are wrapped around his waist.

His biceps are so firm beneath my touch and I have to keep convincing myself that he’s definitely strong enough to carry me to my room. It’s a ridiculous thought to be having but if he drops me, there’s definitely no saving this night. He doesn’t though. He carries me all the way to my room, where thankfully the door is already open, and places me down on my bed, hovering over me. He finally breaks the kiss but just moves downward, leaving quick kisses against my cheek, my neck and my collarbone.

“Leave marks.” I whisper. “Please.” He chuckles. The bastard. I know I’m feeding his ego but I don’t even care.

“Gladly.” He smirks and works his way back up to my neck where he nips and sucks until I’m sure there’s going to be a dark, purple hickey. I arch my back and move to take my shirt off. Once he realizes what I’m trying to do, he grabs the bottom hem and lifts it up over my arms so I’m completely topless in front of him. I’m a bit self conscious but I never wear bras so I definitely wasn’t going to start tonight. He looks down at me for a second before blinking repeatedly, exhaling in slight disbelief.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day. Not for one second.” He admits. My breath catches and I want to think of a comeback but I can’t. I don’t know how to say that I’ve been thinking about him all day too. I pull him back down to me so we’re kissing feverishly, one of his hands propping him up while the other is cupping the side of my face. I move my hand down to the bottom of his shirt and try to pull it over his head. He finishes my actions and reaches behind him to grip the back of his shirt in one hand and remove it in a quick, fluid motion. And holy… shit. He’s ripped. I mean absolutely jacked. I can’t believe I thought he was going to drop me earlier.

“You’re staring.” He says, still sitting up while I’m laying down in front of him.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but you’re fucking… hot.” I’m borderline drooling at the sight of him shirtless. I reach out and touch his toned abdominals before sitting up so we’re inches away from each other. “I’m sorry. Is this obnoxious?”

“Usually.” He laughs “But with you touching me it’s…” He stutters and I remove my hand from his body. “No, don’t stop.” He grabs my wrist and places my hand back on his abs. I stroke his skin with my thumb, slowly moving my hand further downward until I reach the button on his jeans.

“Take them off.” He lies down on his back and slides his jeans down his legs so he’s left in nothing but his briefs. They fit him so snug I can see the outline of his hardened dick through them. He radiates sex: laying down on his back, every muscle in his stomach flexed, fully hard in MY bed. How is he in my bed?

“C’mere.” He says and pulls me over to him so that I’m straddling his waist. I’m still wearing my skirt and panties but nothing else so I can feel his cock through the thin fabric, which is already soaked. I begin to grind against him and he groans at the sensation, throwing his head back and screwing his eyes shut. I continue, slowly, because I’m having too much fun teasing him. His fingers grip my thighs with such force I’m almost sure there’ll be bruises in the morning. I hope there are. I don’t ever want to forget the way this felt or the way he looks right now.

“Oh, god.” He sighs. It’s pornographic and I want to hear him again. So I lift myself off him every so slightly and place my hand between us, stroking him over his briefs. “Fuck.” He clenches his jaw and grips my thighs even tighter. I almost cum on the spot. “Wait, stop.” He ceases my actions and flips us over so I’m laying under him again.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t wanna cum yet.” He smiles sheepishly.

“You were gonna cum just now?” I poke fun at him a bit. I’m secretly proud of myself even though I don’t feel like I did much.

“Do you realize how bad I’ve wanted this?” He defends himself. “Since the second I saw you.”

“That’d be sweet if we hadn’t just met 24 hours ago.” I laugh and he joins in.

“Shut up.” He crashes his lips back down onto mine and it’s more forceful this time. I make a mental note to piss him off more often. He takes both of my hands in one of his and pins them above my head, keeping me from touching him. “Don’t move.” He commands as he moves his mouth down the length of my body, leaving soft kisses in his path. I know he’s building up the anticipation to tease me because of the way I had done. It takes everything in me not to buck my hips against him. He slips his fingers into the waistband of my skirt and pulls it down my legs, leaving me in nothing but my red lace panties. “You’re gonna be the death of me.” He whispers against the inside of my thigh.

“The feeling’s mutual.” I admit. That’s good. Sexy stuff, Sarah.

My hands are still rested above my head, not moving, per his request. I already know I’m not gonna be able to keep them there though. He’s gonna have to tie me down if he wants it that way. He moves my panties aside slightly before plunging one finger inside my core. I involuntarily cry out since I’ve been so sensitive all night. Honestly, I’ve been sensitive since he left this morning.

“God, you’re soaked.” He says as he looks up at me from between my thighs. My chest is heaving as he slips in another finger and curls them both. My hips buck up involuntarily to meet his movements.  “Use your words, love. Tell me if it’s too much.”

“Keep going.�� I half whisper. I can see him smirk in the darkness of my room. Maybe I will keep boosting his ego if he’s gonna keep this shit up. It feels so damn good. He continues his gentle assault as my mouth hangs open and my eyes roll back.

“How good is it? Tell me how good it feels.” My arms move down to grip my sheets as he rubs his thumb against my clit.

“So fucking good.” He licks his lips before biting down on his bottom lip and I already know what he’s thinking. He removes his fingers from inside me and I whine at the loss of contact, causing him to chuckle. He puts those fingers in his mouth and sucks, popping his lips when he takes them out.

“Look at me.” He says as he wraps his arms around my thighs, holding them in place. I follow his command and stare into those beautiful green eyes I love so much. We keep our eye contact for a second before he began to circle his tongue against my clit.

“Fuck.” I cry out as he continues to swirl his tongue inside me. He begins to hum, making me buck my hips again. The urge to press my thighs together is overwhelming but he doesn’t allow it, still holding them apart. I begin to feel bad about mocking him for cumming too soon because I can already feel myself nearing the edge. I try my hardest to keep looking at him but the pleasure is too much, and I have to throw my head back as I continue to cry out. His mouth is hot and wet, his tongue unbelievably skilled. He removes one of his arms from my thigh and uses the pad of his thumb to rub circles into my clit as his tongue laps between me. He continues to hum as I throb against his tongue and I can feel the fire growing in the pit of my stomach. A tremor runs through me and we both know I’m close.

“That’s it.” He says against me. “Let go. I’ve got you.” His words send me over the edge and my hips stutter into the air as my muscles spasm around him. He laps up my heat before brushing his fingers over my sensitive walls one more time. I’m utterly spent as I’ve never come so hard before. Somehow he knows exactly what to do and where to do it and I’ve never had that before. “You okay?”

“I--” I start a sentence but I still haven’t caught my breath. I inhale heavily as I try to bring myself back down to earth.

“That good, huh?” He bites down on his bottom lip and I chuckle slightly, grabbing a pillow and using it to cover my face.

“Hey, no no.” He moves up the bed to lay down next to me and take the pillow from my grip. I look up at him through my lashes and smile. He’s laying on his side, facing me, with his head in his hand. I pull him down to me and kiss him again, tasting myself on his lips.

“I want you inside me.” I admit.

“Sure you can handle it?”

“You know, one of these days I’m gonna turn this cockiness back on you and you’re gonna be sorry.” He licks his lips again and laughs.

“I can’t wait.”

I press my hand against his chest and push him down so he’s lying on his back, me straddling his waist. His hands are on my thighs rubbing circles against my skin with his thumb. I lean down to kiss him slowly as my hand travels down the length of his body, into his briefs where I wrap my hand around his cock. It’s rock hard and already leaking some pre-cum, which I collect with the pad of my thumb. He groans against my mouth.

“If you do that again I’m not gonna last.” My satisfaction is through the roof as I take my hand out of his briefs and move to take them off, sliding them down his legs.

“Sit up.” I tell him. “If you don’t last, I promise I won’t hold it against you.” I say as I position myself in his lap, holding his cock in my hand and lowering myself onto it. He doesn’t have a chance to respond and he moans so loudly against my shoulder. The feeling of him inside me is euphoric and I almost immediately combust, still sensitive from my first orgasm.

“Christ.” I hear him curse under his breath. He grips me flush against his body as he kisses and bites along my shoulder.

“Kiss me.” I say and he obeys, crashing his lips onto mine as I start to move my body up and down. He thrusts his hips to meet mine each time I come down onto him. My grip on his shoulders is so tight as I try my hardest to steady myself. He hits every spot perfectly, rubbing and soothing every throbbing spot inside me, slowly and deeply. Though part of me was desperate for fast and hard thrusts, going slow like this was somehow better with him. He moves one of his hands from around my waist and brings it between us, rubbing my clit with the pad of his thumb.

“Babe, I’m--” He cut himself off as he grunts into my neck.

“I know.” I whisper in his ear as I pull his hair slightly. It doesn’t dawn on me until now that he never put a condom on but there’s no way I’m asking him to stop. Mic is gonna have a field day with this.

“Shit.” He curses as he releases inside me, my walls clenching around him. My second orgasm of the night quickly follows his and I say his name softly as I ride out my high. He’s still holding me flush against him, as if his whole life depends on it.

“That good, huh?” I repeat his question from earlier. He laughs as he lifts his head and looks at me, cupping my face in both of his hands.

“The best.” He whispers, kissing me again. Our lips move lazily against each other’s for a minute before I finally move out of his embrace and lay down next to him. “You do want me to stay, right?” He asks as he lifts himself up on his elbow again, looking down at me.

“I’d kill you if you left.” I admit. He laughs and pulls me towards him, bringing me to lay my head on his chest as he wraps his arm around my waist.

“Because I make the best mojitos?” He whispers as he kisses the top of my head.

“Among other things.” I smile against him and we fall asleep, both completely exhausted. My heart continues to race as I hope to god he’s still here in the morning.

I wake up the next morning to the sound of kitchen cabinets slamming and find that Ben is still fast asleep next to me, his arm draped around my stomach and his face cuddled in the crook of my neck. His blonde curls are unruly and he’s breathing slowly. He looks so peaceful and lovely that I decide it would be a crime to wake him up. I kiss his forehead before slowly standing up, placing his arm back down on the bed, he stirs slightly but doesn’t wake. How he can sleep through the ruckus Mic is making in the kitchen, I have no idea but I still tip toe around my room looking for something for wear, trying my best to be quiet. On the floor I spot his grey t-shirt and quickly slip it on, along with a clean pair of panties from my drawer. He’s still asleep as I walk out of my room, closing the door quietly before joining my roommates in our kitchen.

“Hey!” I shout-whisper at Michaela, who’s cooking up a storm in the kitchen. “Slam those a little louder, why don’t ya?”

“Oh, dear. Did I wake you?” She asks sarcastically. Ella, who’s sitting at the bar, starts laughing at her fake sentiments. I give her a condescending look before putting a pot of coffee on.

“Nice hickey.” Ella smirks at me. Oh shit. I put my hand on my neck and sure enough, it’s a little sore. Using the microwave as a mirror, I examine the dark purple bruise on my neck. I’m turned on just looking at it.

“Goddamn.” I continue to admire myself. “That’s hot.” I raise my eyebrows at Mic who’s shaking her head while stirring a bowl of pancake batter.

“So, good night then?” She asks.

“Mmhm. You could say that.” I bite down on my bottom lip, bragging a little bit.

“Is he still in there?”

“Yeah, he’s sleeping.”

“Is that his shirt?”

“Yep.”

“Did you use protection?” Ella finally speaks up.

“Uh… well.” I stutter, turning my attention back to the coffee pot.

“SARAH.” She yells accusingly as Mic bursts into laughter.

“Oops.” I shrug, joining in their laughter. At that moment, the door to my bedroom creaks open slightly, revealing a shirtless Ben. All of us turn our heads in his direction.

“Uh… good morning.” He opens the door all the way but stands against the frame a bit awkwardly. I can sense Mic and Ella’s shock at how drop-dead gorgeous he looks shirtless because I’m feeling it myself but them seeing it for the first time is even better.

“Hi.” I say, smiling at him. “Do you want coffee?”

“Uh, sure. But um… you’re wearing my shirt.”

“Oh, right sorry. Do you want it back?” He’s still standing in my doorway so I start to move towards him before he stops me,

“No, no. It looks better on you.”

“Okay…” I start to get the sense that he might not want to walk around the apartment without a shirt on, despite none of us giving a shit. “Well, you can wear one of mine if you want. I have every size in the bottom drawer of my dresser.” He looks a bit relieved at this as he walks back into my room to search for a shirt to wear. I make a mental note to ask him about his reservations later. Though I guess if his friends were ogling at me in his kitchen I guess I would put clothes on too. Actually, maybe I wouldn’t.

“You’re wearing each other’s clothes. That’s cute.” Ella comments. “Although it wouldn’t kill you to put some pants on.”

“Oh come on. You’ve definitely seen me in less.”

“Against our wishes.” Mic chimes in. “Also, uh, you didn’t tell us he was so jacked.” She says under her breath.

“Well, I didn’t know either! I’ve only seen him in t-shirts and hoodie until last night.”

“That’s a nice little surprise.”

“Keep your cool, please. He’s quiet about it.”

“I cannot possibly be expected t--” Mic starts before Ben walks back out of my room and she drops the subject. He’s wearing one of my larger Star Wars t-shirts, which looks a bit ridiculous on him but seeing him in one of my shirts is a nice sight nonetheless.

“Michaela, you’re making breakfast?” He asks as he walks around her towards me. “Good morning.” He speaks lowly to me before kissing me quickly on the cheek. I wrap my arms around his waist and stand in his embrace.

“I try to as often as I can.” She says as she pours more batter on the griddle.

“Wow, pancakes?” He asks as she places the bowl back on the counter next to him. He moves out of my grip and places a finger in the bowl, collecting some of the batter with his finger and then sticking it in his mouth. “Not bad.” He says as he winks at me. My jaw drops open and I laugh, shaking my head.

“Am I missing something?” Ella looks at us, wide-eyed.

“Did you just fucking eat pancake batter?” Mic raises her voice an octave. Neither Ben nor I has a response as he avoids the question altogether.

“You mentioned coffee?” He says to me. Ella and Michaela look at each other questioningly before simultaneously shrugging, deciding to drop it. I reach up to grab another mug for him out of one of our higher cabinets so his shirt rides up on my body, exposing my cheeky panties.

“Here we go.” Ella mumbles into her mug of what I’m assuming is hot cocoa. “Put some fucking pants on!” She laughs. I turn around to see Ben leaning against the counter, blatantly staring at my ass.

“I was enjoying the view actually.”

“See? Someone appreciates what I have to offer. Y’all should take notes.” I say as I point to them accusingly before kissing Ben on the cheek. “Thank you, babe.”

“Whoa.” He takes this moment to admire his handiwork on my neck and down my chest. “Too much?”

“Not enough.” I wink at him. He shakes his head and laughs.

“I’m moving away from you now.” He says as he walks past me to sit in one of the barstools next to Ella. He tugs on the crotch of his jeans a little bit, letting me know that he’s getting hard. “So, what’s on the menu?” He ignores my gaze as he focuses his attention on Michaela.

“Just pancakes, bacon and eggs.”

“My roommate would freak out over this.”

“Joe?” I ask innocently, looking directly at Ella as she looks at Mic.

“Yeah he’s a big fan of everything breakfast but no one in our flat wakes up early enough to cook.” Interesting.

“Do you want cream and sugar?” He nods as I hand him his mug of coffee, changing the subject before Mic gets flustered at the subject of Joe. She places the last batch of pancakes on our individual plates before placing some down in front of Ben and Ella and handing me mine. I hand the cream and sugar to Ben and place my plate down opposite from him, standing next to Mic.

“Ben, I don’t know what you like but don’t feel like you have to eat it all.”

“Oh, no, it looks amazing. Thank you.” I smile at the sight. Ben in the kitchen, eating the breakfast one of my best friends made him, wearing my t-shirt. I’m staring at him again, as I always do.

“Stop it.” He mouths, looking up at me. I blush, turning my attention down to the food on my plate.

Upon finishing our breakfast, we’re all still sitting in the kitchen discussing our plans for the rest of the day. I’m sitting next to him at the bar and his hand is on my thigh, rubbing the skin where he left light bruises last night.

“Oh shit, what time is it?” Ben suddenly asks.

“10:15.” Mic answers.

“I gotta get to class soon.” He says standing up from his chair. “Love, is it okay if I borrow your shower real quick?”

“Of course. Maybe I’ll join you.” I state matter-of-factly. He’s taken aback.

“Uh…” He looks at Mic and Ella apologetically.

“You might as well get used to that. She asks one of us to shower with her at least once a week.” Ella tells him. He looks at Mic for confirmation and she nods.

“It’s true but don’t worry. Neither of us have ever taken her up on it.”

“It’s a JOKE… usually.” I mumble the last part. “Not to you though I really do want to shower with you.” I say to Ben, putting my hand on his arm.

“Okay, come on then.” He sighs, grabbing my hand in his. I give one last look to Ella and Mic as I’m being pulled towards my room. They both make obscene gestures and I have to try my hardest not to laugh thinking about giving them the details later.

Once inside my bathroom, Ben quickly removes his shirt and turns on the water.

“So are we just showering… or?”

“Well I thought I could help you out with this.” I emphasize as I palm him through his jeans. I know he’s been semi-hard for a while but he’s fully hard now.

“A result of all your teasing.” He says as he sucks in a breath. “Can I expect you to always be so brazen in public?”

“You don’t like it?” I tease, still rubbing him.

“I didn’t say that.” He admits before kissing me urgently. He moves to take his jeans and briefs off while I remove his shirt and panties off my body and we step into the shower. I hope he doesn’t mind being late for class.

---taglist---lmk if you want to be added---

@a-night-at-the-0pera @crazylittlethingcalledobsession @lelifesaver @redspecialty @rrrogahtaylahhhh

[characterpromptgenerator]

Hey! I’m trying to write a story with kind of a dystopian-ish setting, and the main character’s parents are fairies. How do I introduce them and their jobs(as they are key characters as well) without dumping it all on the page at once? I have so much information to give the reader, and I don’t want to overwhelm them. If that makes sense?

Hello there! I love this question. Introducing characters without info-dumping can be hard, especially when your character already knows these people. If the main character doesn’t know them, then it’s easier to make the main character introduce them to the reader, but if they already know them, then it can be trickier. Here are some tips:

Take it one at a time. Introducing the characters one by one (when possible) is a great technique. It allows you to really dive deep into the character and their relationship with the MC, without having to worry about other characters being nearby that can’t just be ignored. This also helps the readers be able to better keep track of the characters since they aren’t being introduced to a ton of people at once. Then when you move on to introduce another character, the reader already knows and feels comfortable with the first character you introduced and doesn’t feel confused. You can introduce one character per scene, or you can just introduce one character earlier and then add another character into the scene later on, or simply take time introducing them one by one throughout the scene.

Design a situation to develop dynamics without saying what the dynamics are. For example, in one of my novels I show the close bond between a character and her older brother in the opening by having the underage MC dragged into a bar by a friend, and showing the MC text her brother, telling him to save her. Because of the situation, I’m able to show him being protective of her by coming to pick her up and chewing out a nasty dude that was hitting on her, I can show him concerned for her safety and lecturing her about underage drinking and bars, and I show the trust between the two because out of everyone the MC knows, she chose to ask her older brother for help.

Sneak little details and character quirks into beats and snippets spread throughout the scene. You don’t need to stop and literally say “His mother was a perfectionist and never liked a thing to be out of place” Instead, in a beat, you can say, “His mother straightened a curtain that had been blown out a place, a disapproving look on her face.” Both show the same thing about the mother, but the second can be slipped into a beat and doesn’t pull us out of the scene. It also shows her being a perfectionist, which is more memorable and illustrates things better.

Clearly show who the characters are through their dialogue and actions. You don’t want to set up false impressions of them. If they’re a loud, confrontational person, then make then loud and aggressive when you introduce them.

Don’t be afraid of showing little anecdotes. When well-placed, narrating small background stories can help establish relationships and characters, and is entertaining and effective. Of course, it depends on the pacing of the scene and the time you have to dedicate to that in the moment. For example:

Instead of: Jason had always been more of a father to us than our real dad. Whenever Luke got in trouble, Jason was the one who took care of him, not Dad.

Try: Dad wasn’t there, helping Luke when he decided to drop out of school. He wasn’t there when Luke got caught with marijuana before it was legalized and was sentenced to two weeks in jail. He wasn’t there when Luke’s long-time girlfriend dumped him and he got so wasted that he woke up the next day sleeping naked in a ditch. Every time, it was Jason. Jason tried to convince him to stay in school, Jason had to pay his bail, Jason picked up Luke with an extra pair of clothes.

The second example illustrates much better than the first how and why Jason was the one taking care of his family, and the characters or Jason, Luke, and the dad. Because it uses specific stories in the past, it’s more interesting and doesn’t feel info-dumpy.

Something familiar, something new: Something good to do, especially in fantasy, is remember the rule “something familiar, something new” meaning that always make sure there’s something real there that people can relate to and that can ground them, even when you’re having fantastical elements. For example, in this particular setting, you could start by introducing the main character, and when it comes time to introduce the parents, show something we can relate to: maybe they have a strained relationship with their father because he expects perfection, or maybe he’s a goofy dad and makes dad jokes. Consider, the dad comes home from a long days work, in a few lines of back and forth dialogue not related to fantasy or plot, you introduce their dynamic (he makes bad jokes, asks how the day was, whatever), and then proceeds to make jokes about his job. We’re still getting to know his character as a goof, but we’re also being introduced to his character. The mom comes home shortly after and reacts to the behavior of the father, establishes relationship dynamics between the parents and child, and pitches in about the work day. Since we’ve been introduced to this now, the narrator could put in an interesting anecdote explaining how the parents are and what their jobs are, but at this point we already know them and the reader is more interested in know about what they do.

Overall, remember to introduce the characters one at a time, and always give them a moment, whether it’s a second or a paragraph, for the readers to know them. Continue making the reader familiar with them throughout the scene by sneaking in small details about their character through their actions. And especially in fantasy, with everything crazy and unrealistic happening there, always make the people and relationships real and relatable. Most importantly, don’t rush introductions. Take time for people to get a proper introduction. When you do, the reader will be better oriented and more invested in the story.

Hope this helps!

[rulesofthebeneath]

how bout a dance: part 7

<AN> This is for @hufflepvnk, happy birthday love!!! i hope you enjoy this. credit: @euphonyinestetica. tagging: @pixelburied, @ajaysbhandari, @lilmissperfectlyimperfect, @itsbrindleybinch, @witchiegirl, @aidenzhous, @catlady0911, @ylevolenahs. </AN>

The next week of rehearsal flew by in a haze of learning lines, memorizing blocking, and dealing with drunken pub patrons. By Friday, Grace was exhausted from working and from rehearsal. She had just barely managed to escape a leering customer at the bar when she was allowed to clock out. She wiped her hands on her apron after she hung it up, just in time to meet Rosa outside.

“How was your shift?”

“Mmmm,” Grace groaned. “Could’ve been better.”

Rosa wrapped an arm around Grace’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry; one day when you’re a big Broadway star you won’t have to do that anymore.”

Grace burst out laughing, and after a beat Rosa did too.

The pair reached the station and boarded the first F train heading into Manhattan. With a thirty minute train ride ahead of them, Grace searched her mind for something to say. Beside her, Rosa took a sip from her water bottle.

“So. You have a crush on my roommate,” she said bluntly.

Rosa turned completely red and nearly spit out her mouthful of water.

“I wouldn’t go that far…” she mumbled after swallowing.

“I would. Dinner with you guys last week was giving me insane third wheel vibes.”

Rosa didn’t say anything, her face still brilliantly red. She stared at her lap.

“In case you were wondering, it’s not weird to me. I actually think it’s really cute,” Grace said.

“Really? Are you sure it’s not weird?” Rosa asked without looking up.

“I’m sure. But just give me a heads up if you ever spend the night.”

Rosa giggled nervously, her embarrassment quickly fading.

They relaxed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Rosa started talking again.

“So, you’re working ‘How Bout A Dance’ today, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Nervous?”

“Should I be?”

“I’m nervous for working ‘That’s What You Call A Dream,’ so, I would understand if you were. It’s a lot of pressure.”

“That is true,” Grace said thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’m nervous, though?”

“That’s good! Well, I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

The two chatted for the rest of the train ride and the short walk to the theatre. They got there about fifteen minutes early, just ahead of Ajay, who looked thoroughly disheveled and stressed out.

He gave both of them a half-hearted smile as he made his way into the theatre, his eyes lingering on Grace a little longer than normal. Grace felt herself blush under his gaze, but she shrugged it off. She told herself it was probably just old habit.

She and Rosa changed and met back up onstage to start warming up. Kevin walked over to join them.

“Hey guys,” he greeted them, sounding exhausted.

“Long day?” asked Grace.

“Yeah, kind of. Had a crappy shift this morning, then had a horrible date.”

“Date? Someone new, or were you dating someone?” Rosa asked.

“Oh, someone new. I decided I’d been in Single Land too long, trying to get back out there.”

“I hear that,” Grace said. “Good for you. What made the date bad, though?”

“I dunno, I guess he and I just didn’t have good chemistry. Just didn’t work out, and I was hoping it would.”

“I’m sorry. Don’t let that discourage you, though.”

“I’ll try not to,” he replied with a small smile. Grace patted his shoulder encouragingly, then resumed her stretching.

After a few minutes of stretching and vocal warm-ups, Ajay gathered them all together.

“Alright, guys. You might’ve noticed that there’s fewer of you here than before. I haven’t called the ensemble or some others to this rehearsal because I’m only planning on working Scenes Four and Five today. Rosa, you’re not in either of those scenes but I called you because I want you to rehearse ‘That’s What You Call A Dream’ and, time permitting, ‘You Love Who You Love’ with the music director.”

Rosa nodded and headed offstage. The rest of the present cast except Grace and Kevin took seats either in the house or out in the lobby to memorize lines or go over blocking. Grace paced aimlessly around the stage, awaiting Ajay’s instruction.

“Okay. Top of Scene Four. So this scene is in the woods. The car’s in the panel upstage center. Kevin, you’re in the car drinking a jar full of booze. Grace, you’ll be laying on a blanket on the ground, writing in a journal.”

They both nodded and took their places. Grace laid on her stomach a bit in front of the two chairs representing the car, crossing her ankles in the air. She mimed writing in her script, which she was just keeping onstage for emergency purposes. Behind her, Kevin lounged across both seats and pretended to drink something.

“Great! Go ahead and start, I’ll stop you if I need to.”

Clyde sighed, looking up.

“So I figure the first thing is to hit some place with a payroll. Gas station, grocery store—can’t do nothin’ without cash,” he rambled.

Bonnie focused on her writing, half-listening to him.

“And you know what?” he said suddenly.

“What?” she asked disinterestedly, not even looking up from her notebook.

“You’re gonna come with me.”

Bonnie smiled to herself. “What makes you so sure?” she teased.

“That smile,” Clyde left the car and joined her on the blanket.

“Just ‘cause I’m smilin’ doesn’t mean–”

He cut her off. “I was talkin’ about mine.”

Bonnie laughed.

The scene continued smoothly, Ajay only calling hold a few times to fix an intonation that sounded too confrontational, or to move the blocking back into where the stage would be lit. Eventually, they got to the part where Grace would start her solo. Kevin led her centerstage, then sat back downstage right to watch. The music, tinny from Ajay’s budget laptop speakers, began.

“How ‘bout a dance? What do you say? I got some moves that I’d love to show ya,” she sang, pretending to use Clyde’s jar of booze as a microphone.

“Now that’s nice!” Clyde called, bringing a smile to Bonnie’s face. She extended a hand toward him, inviting him in to dance with her.

“Let’s find a spot and dance the night away,” Grace continued, drawing him in. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her in a little bit, leaving enough space between them to be polite.

“Hold!” Ajay called from the house. “Kevin, hold her closer. Remember, you want her.”

Kevin nodded and pulled her a little closer.

“Closer, Kevin. This isn’t a middle school dance.”

Kevin huffed out a breath and drew Grace a centimeter closer. She tried to smile encouragingly, but he seemed too frustrated to be convincing.

“Come on, Kevin, she won’t break–oh, to hell with it, I’m just gonna show you.”

Kevin stepped back, almost immediately relieved. Grace made a mental note to check in with him later to make sure he was alright. He hadn’t had that problem in their dialogue before. She thought it was strange.

Ajay arrived on stage with the pair, absentmindedly running his hands through his hair. She watched as the lighting reflected off of his black hair and lit his face from the side, making his jaw look sharper. She wondered if he’d always had that strong of a profile, or if this was a recent development.

“Grace, is it okay if I show him what he needs to do here?”

“Huh, what?” she said, breaking out of her reverie. “Yeah, it’s fine,” she covered quickly.

“You sure?” He raised an eyebrow, his expression impossible to read.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. So, Kevin,” he turned to him, “I know Bonnie and Clyde have just met, but there’s nothing shy about either of them. I think you might’ve been trying to play it with restraint, but Clyde’s a rascal. If she wanted him to dance with her, he’d hold her like this.”

Ajay slowly edged closer, closer, impossibly closer to Grace. His hands found their resting positions wrapped around her hips, and she threw her arms around his neck, like the blocking called for. He looked down at her from his height and they locked eyes. His hands tightened infinitesimally, and her breath hitched in her chest.

It was the sight of him, looking ethereal in the stage lights, and the feel of him so close that she felt his breath gentle on her forehead, that made her heart pound. Every feeling she’d ever had for him came rushing back through her, concentrated at the points where his hands were touching her, filling her body with a slow burn. She was sure all her blood had rushed to her face because her cheeks were so warm it was painful.

Something shifted in his eyes to make his expression softer and more vulnerable for a second. She stepped a millimeter closer.

“Oh, so you mean like sexy dancing,” Kevin interrupted, jolting both of them. Ajay’s hands flew off her hips and he stepped back, and she found herself already missing the feeling. Her blush intensified, but the burn had left when his hands did.

“Yeah, basically,” Ajay replied in a rough voice, then cleared his throat. “No holds barred.” He stepped back further, gesturing for Kevin to take his place. “You try.”

Distracted, Grace tracked Ajay’s retreat from the stage back to his desk. She barely felt Kevin pull her in until her brain registered his proximity. She noted that he still looked uneasy. She took one last glance at Ajay, looking equally uncomfortable, then turned back to Kevin.

“You okay?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just… I know it’s hard to believe, but I’ve never danced with a girl before. Not this close, even in a show; the intimacy was a little intimidating for a second, but I think I’ve got it now.”

She gave him a half-smile, Ajay’s vulnerable expression as he gazed down at her still in the back of her mind.

“Good,” she replied, half to Kevin and half to herself.

He chuckled.

Grace relaxed a little bit into the hold, forcing the heart-pounding breath-hitching issue away for a more convenient moment.

“You can restart whenever you’re ready,” Ajay called from the house. Grace took a deep breath, tucked those emotions away for the moment, then started to sing again.

Over the next three hours, they worked through the scenes. Grace found herself incredibly distracted, her eyes catching a glare from Ajay’s glasses, watching him rub his neck, putting all of her energy into not letting the dam where she was holding those feelings break. They built and built and built until she wasn’t quite sure she could contain them—and then he dismissed her to go find Rosa and rehearse their song.

She tried to keep a steady pace until she got backstage, then she burst into a run, just trying to quell the fire that had just been lit in her chest. She found the music room and unceremoniously burst in, interrupting a particularly soulful note of Rosa’s.

She apologized, passed off her heavy breathing as a by-product of the running, and locked eyes with Rosa to convey that they needed to talk later. They ran through “You Love Who You Love” together, and Grace involuntarily found new meaning in the lyrics.

When rehearsal was finally over, Grace and Rosa walked back to the subway station. Grace was only half-listening to what Rosa was saying—it was something about how their voices worked well together—and it showed. Several times Rosa stopped talking in the middle of what she was saying because she knew Grace wasn’t listening. They spent the trip home in silence, until they got to Grace’s building. Rosa stopped them abruptly just outside and pulled Grace over to the side of the building.

“What’s going on, Grace?”

Grace just shook her head.

Rosa crossed her arms, waiting for a response. Once it became clear that she wasn’t leaving without one, Grace caved.

“I– listen, I’ll tell you if you come up to the apartment. I don’t want to talk about it here.”

“Okay,” Rosa relented. Grace led the way into the building, climbing the three flights of stairs before unlocking the door to number 306.

Mayleen sat at the table with a book and a mug of tea, Isra curled up on her lap. She looked up when the two walked in.

“Rosa!” she exclaimed, before she took in their expressions. “What’s up?” She closed the book and gestured for the two to come sit at the table.

Rosa took the opportunity to grab Grace’s hand, and was relieved when she didn’t make any move to pull away. Grace wrapped her fingers tightly around Rosa’s, steeling herself for what she was about to confess.

“I…” she started, hesitating. “Mayleen, you know how we talked about how I fall in love too easily?”

“Yeah, I remember that. I said you had a big heart.”

“Yeah. Well, I think I… have feelings for someone.”

“I mean, it’s about time,” Mayleen reasoned. “It’s been almost half a year since you broke up with Brooke, and–”

“That’s just the thing, though! I don’t know if I’m just feeling this way because he’s the first person to flirt with me since then, and… I don’t know. I guess I’m just nervous about being that vulnerable to someone again.”

“Oh, honey…” Mayleen scooted closer to wrap her into a hug. “Whoever this guy is, he’s definitely not the only person to hit on you or even to ask you out. I clearly remember you telling me about five or six regulars at the pub.”

“Okay, but that wasn’t…” Grace waved her hands around aimlessly. “It wasn’t… real! I know I fall in love quickly, so I’m not surprised. But how intense my feelings were… it’s scaring me. I just don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Well, who says you will?” asked Rosa, finally having enough information to join the conversation. “It’s all a risk, but if he was flirting with you then he obviously likes you too.”

“I mean, it already didn’t work out between us once. That’s not a really good sign,” Grace huffed, pulling her hand out of Rosa’s to cover her face.

Mayleen startled. “Are you talking about your director? Ajay? The one who you dated in high school?”

“I–” Grace considered lying for a second, then ultimately decided against it. “...yes. Ever since rehearsal last Friday, I’ve been feeling something growing between us. I just didn’t want to see it. But today I guess I just figured it out, that this whole time I’ve been falling for him again.”

Rosa sat back in her chair. “I was wondering about that, when I saw y’all laughing when we were all in the props closet. You two just seemed so much more comfortable with each other.”

Mayleen hummed. “And is it such a bad thing? To be falling for him again? I mean, your relationship probably didn’t work out in high school because neither of you were mature enough. You’ve both changed as people, and maybe you could try again.”

Grace let out a huff of air. “But he’s my director!” Isra, having jumped off of Mayleen’s lap, climbed onto Grace’s and headbutted her free hand. Grace threaded her fingers through Isra's thick gray fur.

“So?” asked Rosa. “Ask him out closing night, if you’re that worried about it.”

“But I…” Grace started, “I’m not sure if I can do it. I mean, after Brooke, I guess… I’m not the girl he fell in love with in high school. I’m different in so many ways, and I don’t know if he’ll be able to love who I am now,” she admitted, tears forming in her eyes.

“Hey, hey, hey. I don’t think he still thinks you’re the same person. And anyways, he’s not the guy you dated in high school anymore. If you can fall for him being the person he is now, who’s to say he can’t do the same?” Rosa said.

A single tear spilled over Grace’s cheek.

“I’m just… afraid. Terrified.”

“I know, honey,” Mayleen said, rubbing Grace’s back, “But you have to push past that fear somehow. And I really think that it would be healthy to let yourself fall for someone again.”

“And hey, even on the off chance that it doesn’t work out, you can still say that you got past a fear. And both me and Mayleen will be there for you no matter what. It won’t be like with Brooke.” said Rosa.

Grace sniffed, but hesitantly smiled. She started to scratch behind Isra’s ears, and the cat started purring.

“It won’t?”

“Very low probability. People as toxic as that are few and far between. Or at least I hope they are,” Mayleen said. “But absolute worst case scenario: you learn and you grow, and this time you’re supported by friends who would walk to the ends of the earth for you. We both promise you that.”

Grace shook her head, but her smile was growing. She wiped her cheeks and let out a nervous laugh. Isra meowed in protest that nobody was rubbing her ears, then jumped off Grace’s lap to weave around Rosa’s legs.

“Oh my god, I’m gonna do it. I’ll find some time closing night to talk to him. Oh my god, I’m actually nervous now!” Grace burst out laughing, out of equal parts nervousness and happiness.

Both Mayleen and Rosa joined in laughing, relieved that the problem had been worked through– at least for now.

[thunderheadfred]

Writer’s Interview

Tagged by @pikapeppa, whose interview is here.

tagging @space-marsupial, @autodiscothings, @soldiermom1973, @meggannn, @theherocomplex, @tarysande

Q: What is your coffee order? I’m trying to reduce my caffeine intake... BUT... I still have a hard time saying no to a cup of light roast with sugar and whole milk, because I am Weak.

Q: What is the coolest thing you’ve ever done?  IDK??? Taiko is pretty cool?

Q: Who has been your biggest mentor?  I don’t know that I have any mentors, per se, but I am so grateful to all my writing buddies and fandom friends, who have given me so much motivation to turn things around this year. Also... my DBT therapy team. Hoo boy.

Q: What has been your most memorable writing project?  Hmm. My portfolio is so small that they all kind of blur together, but Red Streak is probably the stand out, since it was the first and biggest and most ambitious, and it led to everything after.

Q: What does your writing path look like, from the earliest days until now? GOOD LORD. Okay, well... For elementary school assignments, I used to submit shitty action movies masked as short stories (there were at least two, one set in an underwater post-apocalyptic bunker and another that was basically a Roland Emmerich ‘step-child and awkward parent vs. volcano’ scenario) and in middle school I straight-up started shamelessly handing in fanfics. For grades. For good grades. IDK what my teachers thought about my subject matter, but they couldn’t knock my skillzzz.

But other than that, nothing really serious. No formal writing classes, really, outside of one (1) creative writing summer class I took in a building that had a lot of wasps but no air conditioning, and it didn’t teach me zippo. 

So, it’s just always been there? I’ve always had a nasty habit of poking at stories, usually when I read or see something that leaves a hole in my head, and I just... need... to... FIX. IT.

Q: What is your favourite part about writing?  I find the entire process excruciatingly painful. Luckily, this seems to be my kink.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you? 5:40 AM - wake up, take meds, eat half my breakfast, show up exactly 3 minutes late to work. 6 - 10 AM - get paid to burn approximately 1,500-3,000 calories moving milk jugs from point A to point B while trapped in a refrigerator. 10 AM - 12 PM - (during the warm season) walk the dog, eat lunch, drink cold beverages. (during the cold season) take a scalding salt bath, eat lunch, drink hot beverages (year round) stare at a screen until I thaw out and realize I need to feed the pets. 12 PM - 6 PM - attempt to fight off ADHD and focus on any one thing long enough to make progress on it. Sometimes, but not often, this involves writing. 6 PM - 7 PM - eat, maybe????????? UGHHGHHGGH I hate this part. 7 PM - ?? AM - try to get ready for bed, have a thousand project ideas instead,  “just jot down one note real quick,” end up writing 1500 words, trigger a sinus headache from eye strain, pass out while listening to ASMR.

Q: What does your writing process look like?  A god. damned. mess. But digital. I LIVE IN THE CLOUD. It’s pretty much all Scrivener all the time for me now, because I like having everything in one place. I start with brainstorms, just mind-barf a bunch of random ideas, often written out like a strange, rambling conversation with myself, like this:

Though sometimes I start with a bunch of random dialogue that I have to write down the instant it pops into my head (and oh boy, getting that shit into a document before it vanishes forever is stressful) and then I later fill in the scene with action and setting and all that boring “necessary" stuff.

Basically: skeletal scene outline, followed by a few sprints to fill in details, then an endless, endless amount of editing, rearranging, deleting, hair-pulling, forgetting to eat, sitting up in bed at 1AM going, “OH MY GOD WHAT IF-” and so on...

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve gotten? Just write it.

I think Neil Gaiman said something to that effect, but I can’t find where or exactly WHAT he said, so just trust me... uhhh... it was him. Though I’ve heard many versions of this sentiment, and it’s universally fucking true. Sitting there and talking about how cool something might be doesn’t actually do anything to get that thing strangled out onto the page. You’ve just gotta sit your ass down... and write it.

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?  It’s okay if it sucks. 

It probably won’t suck, and even if it sucks so hard it leaves a mark, it doesn’t actually matter. Just try again. You have to give yourself permission to create something bad, and be willing to embrace the risk of failure, before you can make anything worthwhile at all. Failure is how we learn... as long as we fail honestly and use mistakes as motivators rather than fashion our failings into cudgels to beat ourselves senseless. 

I think of it like this: it helps to set the bar so low that instead of trying to bend over backwards to reach it, I only need to idiotically roll across it like the magical dipshit conveyor belt of progress...

Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Just write it. It’s okay if it sucks.

[dynamite-derek]

My top-10 games of 2018

It’s that time of the year where you are flooded with lists of the best stuff from 2018 and I’m no different. Originally I was going to just make a list of the top 10 games I played in 2018. I even had a giant list I was updating throughout the year. But one day my phone randomly reset and I lost that list. So, business as usual this year. Maybe next year. 

Before I start with the numbered list, I’d like to note a couple of games that won’t be appearing for various reasons.

Games I liked a lot but haven’t played enough of to place on a list like this: Into the Breach, Dead Cells

A critically acclaimed game I haven’t played: God of War

I don’t want remakes on my list, but these games were really good: Shadow of the Colossus, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Ports aren’t eligible but I like these a lot too: Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Shenmue 1&2, Hyrule Warriors and the PC port of one of the best games ever, Yakuza 0.

Okay, let’s get started.

10-) Red Dead Redemption 2: Actually had to debate between this and Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu for this spot. Ultimately I chose this game because the narrative is spectacular. Well that and the fact that Let’s Go is sort of a remake. This game absolutely nails atmospheric storytelling and creates one of the most interesting protagonists in AAA gaming. This game does a lot of things well, but the actual gameplay portion is...pretty mixed. I didn’t have fun with the open world at all and most missions involved long bouts of horseback riding with dialogue or ambient music. But RDR 2 does everything else so well. It also knows when to go all out. Every major mission in the game is memorable for one reason or another, especially with intelligent usage of music. It’s a game I will never play again, but despite some problems with the gameplay I can safely say that I enjoyed my time with it.

9-) Mario Tennis Aces: This game was a lot of fun. I wrote about it earlier in the year and my opinions on it are still the same.  Even though the gameplay is fairly simplistic, every match against another human felt unique and different. You have to learn the styles of your opposition and adapt. It’s like a fighting game! The online gameplay was also pretty solid. I felt pretty damn good whenever I would win a tournament. Really, Smash Bros. Ultimate would have done well to borrow this mechanic in some way. The only real problem with the game is that there is just a major lack of content. The heavily advertised story mode is barely worth playing and the cups, well, you might as well be playing against an unmanned player 2. I haven’t touched the game in a while, so this might have been fixed via update. As I said a few months ago, this game could have been a masterpiece with a bit of extra fine tuning.

8-) Dragon Ball Fighter Z: This game feels like it was made specifically for me. I have a lot of love for the Marvel vs. Capcom games and even more love for the Dragon Ball franchise. The game is easy to approach for newcomers to this type of game by keeping the inputs simple and having very easy to pull of auto-combos. You won’t do too well online if you stick to the auto combos, but it’s a good way to start and learn how to play. I think a lot of people could start with Fighter Z and transition into more complicated fighting games, which is exactly what you want with a game like this that will attract many people who might not otherwise play a traditional fighter. Oh, and sometimes it looks like you’re playing an episode of the anime which is insane. The story mode is pretty tedious at times, which is a let down, but Fighter Z is an absolute blast to play and is easily the best playing Dragon Ball game yet. Hopefully season 2 of the DLC goes less heavy on all the Gokus. 

7-) Mega Man 11: The blue bomber returns! It’s been a long wait, but after playing through both collections last year and then the X-collection earlier this year, I was ready for Mega Man to get back into the spotlight. It’s a little hard to get into at first because the level design seems pretty tied into the main new mechanic, the gear system. Basically the player can slow things down to a crawl or boost Mega Man’s power. If you just play this game like you would any other Mega Man game, you’re probably going to throw your console out the window during Tiki Man’s stage. Once you figure this out, the system adds a unique flavor to the Mega Man experience and feels like an actual new Mega Man. I love MM9 and 10, but those did not feel like new games. The only thing that I didn’t like about this game was the music. Which, uh, is weird for a Mega Man game. Here’s hoping they get it right in the inevitable Mega Man X9. 

6-) Marvel’s Spider-Man: I don’t particularly like super hero movies and I haven’t enjoyed a Spider-Man game thoroughly since the first PS1 Spider-Man, so you wouldn’t normally think this game would appeal to me. But it absolutely does. The gameplay is outstanding and combines an improved version of the swinging scene in Spider-Man 2 with a combat system that is fairly similar to the Batman Arkham games. I recommend playing the game on hard because, while it’s hard to get used to, it makes every encounter feel unique. You constantly have to adapt to what the enemy is doing. You can’t just mash on the attack button and then press the dodge button when the dodge prompt comes up. 

The story is also interesting throughout. It has my favorite interpretation of Peter Parker I’ve seen in a while and has a pretty enjoyable cast of characters. Really Mary Jane is the only character I didn’t like and even with her, there are moments that hit home - specifically the text exchanges between MJ and Peter. The game is littered with references to past Spidey adventures and just feels like a giant love letter to fans of the hero. Can’t recommend it enough.

5-) Celeste: I didn’t know what to expect with this game. Sometimes I feel very leery of when a bunch of people prop up an indy game too much. Gone Home a couple of years ago told a pretty mediocre story that was held up as some form of high art. Just didn’t get it. So I went into Celeste wanting to not like it and came out fairly surprised. The gameplay feels like a better version of Super Meat Boy and the narrative tells a pretty compelling tale about depression and how to come to terms with yourself. I even don’t mind the pixel art. I am getting sick of indy games going for the retro aesthetic, but when combined with the great soundtrack it’s hard not to love what it’s presenting. 

The game is simple enough to complete on its own. I would argue that anybody could do it as long as they keep at it. But for those platforming veterans, the game also offers a heavy challenge. The B-side and C-side levels will test your skills and remind you of some of the most challenging bits of hard platforming games like Super Meat Boy and I Wanna Be The Guy. Basically, come for the compelling narrative. Stay for the wickedly difficult and addicting gameplay.

4-) Yakuza 6: I believe I enjoyed this game far more than most folks. It told the end of Kazuma Kiryu’s story. It had some problems along the way but my god did I enjoy the ride. The cast of characters surrounding Kiryu in Hiroshima are all great and one of the main characters is Beat Takeshi. It also has a ton of things to do and see. I love the clan wars sidequest featuring New Japan wrestlers, I love the baseball manager quest, I LOVED becoming a regular at a bar and getting to know everyone in it like I was playing some sort of weird Cheers game, I even loved the adult cam chats that came with wacky dialogue. This game is full of charm.

I haven’t mentioned the gameplay yet you might have noticed. That’s because, well, it’s a new direction for the franchise. It focuses on allowing more people to fight Kiryu at once and as a result feels less refined than recent entries Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 5. I am excited to see where they take it in Yakuza 7, but I would be fibbing if I suggested that I felt 6 plays as well as previous entries. Still, the entire Yakuza package is compelling and I never felt like I was scrambling for things to do or see. I don’t 100% games out of obligation. I’m not one of those people that feels the need to 100% every game I play. I 100%ed Yakuza 6 though. And I loved every minute of it, combat and all.

3-) Valkyria Chronicles 4: As none of you might know, I used to review games for a website called 411mania. One of the games I reviewed for them was the original Valkyria Chronicles. Nobody else wanted to do it because it looked like a generic jRPG and I was really the only person on the site who liked jRPGs so the game fell to me. And I absolutely loved it. The story was captivating, the graphics were stylish and and the gameplay felt like a breath of fresh air. It was the combination of a tactical RPG and a (very, very simplified) shooter. To this day it remains one of my favorite games ever. Conversely, Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the PSP is one of my least favorite games ever and 3 never came to the states - though it does have a fan translation. The franchise has felt dead in the west for ages. The musou-like Azure Revolution sure as fuck didn’t get me going.

4 came out this year and it felt like I went back in time. Everything I loved about 1 was back. It’s even expanded upon. The grenadier is a great new troop that feels overpowered at first, but really forces the player to rethink how to approach certain situations. The story isn’t as good as the story in 1, but I found it simple and enjoyable. I genuinely liked the main cast and wanted to see them do well. That’s more than I can say for a lot of games. I know I mentioned earlier in my blurb about Mega Man that what I liked about it was that it actually felt like a new game. The difference here is that I have 10 other Mega Man games that play like Mega Man games. With this franchise, I have 1 (or maybe 2, I hate how maps work on the PSP but I have not played enough of 3 to judge). Sometimes a franchise revival needs to go “like the one you like but more” route. I loved this game and I hope as it gets cheaper more people try it. 

2-) Dragon Quest XI: Hey you might notice this about my gaming preferences, but I really enjoy Japanese RPGs! And this sure as hell was one of those! DQ XI felt like a game from another dimension in a lot of ways. It’s a traditional playing Japanese RPG with a big AAA budget. It looks breathtaking. Big budget JRPGs feel like something out of the PS2 era, which is great because I sure love PS2 era RPGs. It’s lengthy, it has a crazy amount of postgame content and has a lot of side stuff in case you get tired of fighting down the main path. It’s a great throwback. 

This game also has the most balanced party in recent RPG memory. Usually games like these have one or two party members that you just don’t enjoy. For instance, Final Fantasy X is one of my favorite games ever. But I just don’t like Kimahri. I don’t like using him and I don’t think his character is interesting. DQ XI has nobody like that. I found everybody likable. Sylvando and Jade in particular stand out and are among my favorite characters in gaming. Really, I enjoy everything about this game. Even the music! I know a lot of people complain about the simplified score in the western version, but I honestly found it to work out pretty well for the game. Obviously the Japanese version is superior, but I still enjoy it. If you’re a fan of RPGs and you haven’t played DQ XI, you’re missing out.

1-) Super Smash Brothers Ultimate: This was my most anticipated game of 2018 from the moment it was announced and the final product delivered everything that I had hoped it would. You have a large cast of characters, a crazy number of stages and a bunch of single player content to consume in between bouts of online or local multiplayer. The single player is what ranks this game so high for me. The classic mode - think arcade mode in standard fighters - is easily the best it has ever been. Each character has their own route with their own gimmick, which gives the player incentive to play each and every one. With a roster of over 70 fighters, that’s impressive. The adventure mode can start off slow, but once you get into the groove of it I really think it stands out as something special. It’s an expanded version of event battles from past games. You face off against a fighter (or fighters) embodying the personality of a character that isn’t in the game. They range from obscure stuff you haven’t heard of to a fight with Geno’s spirit that has you do battle with the cast of Super Mario RPG (with substitutes for Geno and Mallow). It feels very creative. It can be grindy for some, but I really enjoyed my time with it.

I think the online could be more fleshed out. I don’t experience as many laggy matches as most people, but even still the options online are fairly bare bones. You don’t even have leaderboards. I want to compare how good I am with how good my friends are! I think Nintendo plans to keep this game alive for the duration of the Switch’s lifespan, so I believe there will be plenty of time to get the online situation perfect. That doesn’t really excuse Nintendo from still not getting online even close to right in 2018, but I find Ultimate to be such a complete package that I can look past these shortcomings. Ultimately, it is my favorite entry in one of my favorite franchises. So it’s pretty easily my game of the year.