#This got sappy ugh but it felt appropriate. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fernsplaysthings · 3 years

Text

Another continuation of my YW x Crow fluff from here.

Definitely suggestive this time.

By the time Kestral had reached street level they were beginning to wonder if Roost was right and that this was an ill thought out idea. Yes, the conversation with the other two members of Fireteam Mayhem (and their nosey Ghosts) had been somewhat emotionally charged and had opened the floodgates on a rush of feelings that they weren’t exactly ready to approach in a measured way but they still felt the need to try and…

Kestral didn’t even know what they were going to say to him when they eventually found themself at the H.E.L.M. Not even just what words to use. They hadn’t exactly worked out what they were trying to convey. What needed addressing. Everything was fine as it was, right? They hadn’t felt as connected with another person as they did with Crow. Not since Artemis and Salome and that was lifetimes ago. He tugged on their heartstrings in all the best ways. They cared for him in ways that made their chest ache, their stomach flutter, and their brain go fuzzy.

Again, Roost wasn’t exactly incorrect when he’d suggested that perhaps those feelings ran a little deeper and in a different direction to how Kestral expressed them out loud but they couldn’t see themself throwing out the ‘L word’ on a whim either.

With enough drink they knew it could be a possibility that it’d just slip out by accident and ruin a perfectly good thing, but that could be avoided.

Did that mean it was true if they were more likely to say it while drunk?

Realising they’d now walked several times around the block to burn off their nervous butterflies and straighten out their thoughts Kestral stopped, hating the direction their mind had headed, and looked up towards the Tower. There would never be a good reason to keep guessing and speculating on these things while the solution was right there. Even if some of the fear was because somewhere deep down they were afraid of rejection. Even if a lot of the fear was because they knew that there’d always be the possibility they could hurt Crow in so many ways without even meaning to.

A little voice in the back of their head reminded them that they could trust the other Hunter with anything, this included, and that was exactly what they needed to get their feet working again to push them towards the Tower.

-----

Without their armour and weapons to hand, Kestral felt out of place in the H.E.L.M. It was a weird sense of vulnerability to walk through a place dedicated to battle, survival and strategy as a civilian when they’d usually be one of the larger presences at the wartable. Vulnerability was exactly why they were here though, and while admittedly of a different kind it did seem appropriate in a round and about way.

As expected Crow was in his shadowed alcove at the back of the main hall, perched on the bench nearby with Glint at his side chattering away brightly.

The sight brought a goofy grin to Kestral’s face as they approached, widening even more as the other Hunter looked up at the sound of footsteps and cleared the space between them in a couple of strides. Although he tried to hold back, to seem cool and collected as he stood before them, the softest look of adoration made itself clear on his face when he noted the other’s smile.

“You’re in a good mood,” chirped Glint, popping himself between the pair and looking from one to the other.

Crow pushed back his hood and rubbed at his neck, taming his expression enough that Glint probably wouldn’t tease him about it later, “It’s...nice to see you smiling.”

Their heart did something messy and fluffy at his awkwardness and for a moment that fuzzy feeling took over their thoughts enough to give them pause and cause Glint to take a longer, more concerned look at them.

“Sorry, just wanted to swing by and see you guys.”

“We’re glad you did! Aren’t we Crow?”

He’d gathered himself enough to nod, “Actually I was going to talk to you later anyway. Zavala’s got me doing some recon stuff.”

The fuzzy feeling subsided rapidly and their heart dropped, “Oh. Anything interesting?”

He shrugged, “I’m not really allowed to share the details. I’ll be off-world for a while though.”

It really shouldn’t have bothered them as much as it did. They were off on other planets and moons all the time and it’d never bothered them before. Not that they didn’t miss him before they got back or think about him during the quieter times but still…

“That’ll be Zavala’s way of looking out for you,” they sighed, that vulnerability seeping in deeper, making them want to tug their hoodie around them and hide, “It’ll be some good experience. Doing a bit of field work for the Vanguard and all that.”

Something about their body language had obviously given away their unease to the other Hunter even though they’d thought they’d hidden it particularly well. His gloved knuckles brushed over their cheek, pushing back the stray hair beside their face, fingertips running down their neck to rest his palm against their shoulder.

Despite the heaviness in their chest, the gesture still sparked a shiver across their skin.

“I didn’t want to head off without letting you know,” he added softly, “I know you do this all the time so it’s probably no big deal and...am I being stupid?”

Kestral’s chuckle was one of relief. It didn’t make up for the time they’d be apart - ugh, when did they get this sentimental? - but it was reassuring to know he felt similarly. They moved closer, looped their arms around his waist and looked up to meet him face to face. Crow rested his own arms over their shoulders, around their neck, instinctively returning the hold so he could lean down and press a chaste kiss to their lips.

“I’ll take that as a no?”

They laughed more confidently this time, “You’re not being stupid. I’ll miss you too. Always do.”

A mingling of concern and affection crossed his features and he pulled them in again to plant a firmer kiss against their forehead, only to tuck their head beneath his chin so he could rest his lips against their hair. It was sappy but there was something about being wrapped up in Crow, warm and safe, that put them at ease in a way they never thought they’d feel. It wasn’t often that the fabled Young Wolf felt protected, vulnerability be damned.

“Maybe we can spend some time together before you go?”

Eyes meeting again, Crow smiled, “You have something in mind?”

Kestral hesitated. No. No they didn’t. How did this work? What if it wasn’t fancy enough. What if it was too impersonal? Did they need to impress him?

“Wanna get takeout and spend an evening at mine watching movies?”

Oh no that was the worst idea. He was definitely going to…

“A quiet evening in, hm? I’d love to. I’ll bring snacks.”

Perhaps it was the heat that had engulfed their face or they way their heart was now light and fluttering but without thinking they stumbled over their tongue, words falling out, “You could stay the night too if you wanted…”

“Ooh.”

Glint’s teasing sound startled the pair, both realising that the Ghost hadn’t actually gone anywhere and the poor guy was front and centre to their awkward sappiness. Kestral’s opinion changed from ‘poor guy’ to ‘almost as bad as Roost’ when his shell flickered and his holographic eye morphed from smug to a cheeky wink. Crow didn’t seem to think too much of it, probably used to his Ghost by now, and rolled his eyes before settling his sights back on the Hunter in his arms.

“I’ll bring some snacks and a toothbrush then.”

-----

A movie and a half in Kestral started to wonder why they’d been so nervous about spending some time alone with Crow. Their takeout, a very large, very cheesy pizza, had arrived just as they’d started their first movie and Crow had made short work of scarfing back a healthy number of slices while immersed in some equally cheesy action flick Kestral had pulled out. They’d eventually settled back into each other, Crow reclined across the sofa with the smaller Hunter, their back to his chest, comfortably laid back between his legs.

Somewhere during the second movie, something slower and a little more sappy, his hand had come to rest on Kestral’s bare stomach. A warm weight on warm skin but they’d still shivered when his fingers found the raised silvery line of a scar and traced it idly until Kestral eventually placed their hand over his to still it.

“Ok, that tickles.”

He laughed under his breath, sliding his palm upwards and feeling for other scars, “Do they all tickle? Or is this one just...new?”

“Not gunna lie, I don’t really remember. You get so many scars by being a Guardian.”

“Can I see them?”

Kestral paused, eyebrows raised in amusement, turning just enough to catch a glimpse of Crow’s face, “Excuse you. Are you asking me to undress?”

A deep purple flush rapidly covered the Awoken’s face even on noticing the playful smirk that the other Hunter was wearing openly. They’d turned further in his lap, lying chest to chest and looking up at him expectantly.

“I…” he swallowed hard, “I mean yes. I guess I am...If you want to.”

Kestral’s smirk turned shy, “You know you can’t unsee this if I do?”

“The only reason…” he leaned down, pressed a sweet lingering kiss to their lips, “That I’d want to unsee anything about you…” Kestral pressed up closer, deepening the kiss between his words, “Is so that I could see it again for the first time.”

He’d barely finished his sentence when Kestral had let out a soft breath, a slight hint of a whine, and snaked their arms up around his neck to tangle their hands in his hair, to kiss him with all the affection and warmth that his ridiculously romantic sentiment had sparked in them. Crow briefly forgot all about the scars and undressing and the shy awkwardness, and focused on not becoming completely overwhelmed by the flood of sensations. Heated lips, the gentle tug on his hair, sharing breath, the long line of contact between their bodies…

Gently cupping Kestral’s face he pulled back reluctantly, “Sec…”

“Was that OK?”

He grinned dreamily, running his thumbs over their reddened cheeks taking in the sight of saliva wet lips and eyes that seemed darker with their dilated pupils, “Yeah. ‘OK’ doesn’t cover it, actually. It was great. Really great, and we should definitely continue but…” he shuffled to sit up straighter across the sofa noticing Kestral’s attention drop downwards and a wolfish grin spring across their features when it returned to him, “That. And I’m not sure if I’ve done - I don’t remember if I’ve done this before and I’m not sure if that’s going to make it weird for you…”

“It’s not weird for me,” they replied quickly, “Crow it’s been ages since someone’s seen me as something other than a ferocious god slayer and too legendary for something as human as...as…” their mind reeled with words, the one they refused to say, ones too impersonal, some that just weren’t enough, “...as connection. As emotional and physical affection. Even before that. This though. I like this, even with all the weird bits. Especially the weird bits. I like you too. Kind of a lot.”

The Awoken simply stared at them with the most open look of adoration they were pretty sure they’d ever seen, completely silent.

“Shit. Too sappy?”

His response was to move his hands down around their waist, tug them to straddle his lap and kiss softly from their lips to their neck, smiling against their collarbone.

“It was very sappy. And I think, if we’re on the same train of thought, we should think about relocating to uh…” he looked up to see Kestral’s barely restrained smile, “To somewhere with a bit more space.”

“Bed?”

The second they said it, Crow lifted them, their legs wrapped around his waist, “I wasn’t going to say that but since you’ve suggested it…”

“Crow, you ass.”

“Bed it is.”

-----

Lola had seen some shit in her life but walking in to her friend’s apartment to see said friend, half naked in a shirt that did not belong to them, perched on the kitchen counter with a man that looked remarkably like the Prince of the Reef - not him anymore, it was Crow now - also half naked between their legs having an intimate conversation…

Well, it topped the list of things that made her lost for words.

It was only when the front door slammed behind her that the couple looked up, Kestral like a deer in headlights and Crow looking very proud of himself, that they noticed they had an unexpected visitor.

It took Lazarus launching himself into the side of Salome’s head to snap her back into the present, dazing himself in the process.

“Uh. Shit, Lola this is Crow. Crow, this is Salome, a good friend and part of my fireteam. This is a bad time, maybe you can…”

“Am I gunna have to start knocking?”

Kestral blinked a few times, “I...would like that. Yes, please do.”

“I cannot believe this is being turned into an actual love nest. Last thing I need seared into my brain is the image of my fireteam leader getting railed on the sofa.”

“Lola!”

“It wasn’t the sofa.”

Kestral’s head snapped back to Crow, face cheeks and ears all a deep red and slowly creeping onto their chest, “Don’t.”

Lola’s cackle drew their attention back again, “Ok, he can stay. I’ll catch up with you both when you’re not all loved up and shit.”

“Might be waiting a while,” muttered Crow, turning his gaze back to the other Hunter and running his knuckles lightly over their cheek.

Lola loudly faked some retching sounds as she left, slamming the door behind her.

#young wolf x crow #guardian x crow #kestral //

21 notes · View notes

maple-keenes · 5 years

Text

the second disaster: playing dumb gets you nowhere* *with exceptions

the first disaster | the second disaster | the third disaster | the fourth disaster | the fifth disaster

summary: on a visit to the local museum, virgil meets and attractive tour guide and manages to convince him (somehow) that he doesn’t believe that egypt is a real place.

it gets better.

warnings: cursing, remus, deceit

pairings: analogical and brief demus/dukeceit/the ship with no name

wc: 1587

a/n: you don’t need to have read the other fics in the series to read this one, but i’d recommend it because i spent a lot of time on them

um, there’s a mention that patton says he doesn’t know who virgil is, which if you’re following the canon of this series wouldn’t make any sense, so let’s just assume logan described him so badly that patton didn’t recognize him.

taglist: @analogical-chaos @ilovemygaydad @alltimevirgilant @virgiliananxiety @romanticsanders @theincediblesulk @wroammin @creativity-killed-thekitten @bitchyybabyy400 @wooflesthatwoof @lyditist @heck-im-lost @max-is-tired @demurphart @thelowlysatsuma @land-of-dragons-and-frogs @theeternalspace @magicallygrimmwiccan @weirdsthenewnormal @romansleftshoulderpad @andrewisabraveboy @satanblessi @supbitchss @diamondrush862

"Why did I have to come with you?" Virgil moaned as Roman dragged him towards the local museum. "I don't need the research!"

“Museums can be cool! Come on, I just need someone here to make snarky comments about the birds in the wildlife wing,” he pleaded.

Virgil rolled his eyes and relented. “God, I hate you.”

“Love you too!”

Roman dragged him all the way to the wildlife exhibit he was supposed to be studying, and several families were confused by the angry emo 24-year-old being pulled by the arm by a bubbly 25-year-old theater kid to a random exhibit in the museum.

Virgil and Roman had been close friends since high school, where they met through the misadventures of a mutual friend, Patton, and Roman’s brother Remus. The four had drifted apart over the years, but the two of them had gone to the same college and now, three years later, Virgil was still stuck going to this stupid museum with Roman.

As Roman diligently took notes on the exhibit he was supposed to be researching, Virgil wandered aimlessly around the Egyptian exhibit and looked at all the… old stuff. (He was never really one for history. Too many white people pillaging and colonizing and not enough sword-fighting.)

He leaned over to look into one of the glass cases, and the attendant walked over with a smile on his face. “Interested in these artifacts?”

“Oh… they’re cool. I was just looking around, really.”

The attendant nodded, still giving him that tight-lipped why-are-you-here smile. “Okay. These are scarab beetles. They were very common in ancient Egypt, and they were worshipped back then. They were sacred animals in Egypt.”

Virgil glanced at the attendant, who seemed to be about 26 or so, and noticed that he was… was it appropriate to say that he was smoking hot? He had tattoos up and down both arms, and glasses that framed his face perfectly, and Virgil’s bisexual ass was crying for this man to keep talking to him.

“Yeah,” Virgil said, running a finger along the edge of the case, “I used to think that wasn’t a real thing until I came here.”

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before blurting out, "You didn't think Egypt was a real place?"

Virgil, who was now slightly mortified, did nothing but nod. Oh, god, this hot guy thinks I'm an idiot, he thought, still smiling at the tour guide. “I -”

“My stars, we get some idiots here…” he mumbled, and Virgil started, a bit offended.

“So what if I don’t think Egypt is real?” he asked, affronted. “What are you going to do about it?”

The attendant blinked once, twice, apparently at a loss for words. “I…”

“You know what, I’m going to go now, and you can mull over that,” Virgil said and then stalked out of the exhibit, head held high with the tour guide still tripping over his words behind him.

He strolled through the museum for a little bit longer before catching up with Roman, who was still diligently taking notes on the exhibit he was supposed to. He glanced up when Virgil approached him and shut his notebook.

“Where were you?” Roman challenged, frustrated. “You just wandered off.”

Virgil stuck his tongue out at him. “Sorry, dad. I was just in the Egypt exhibit; I accidentally convinced a guide that I didn’t believe in it, too.”

“You did what now?”

He rolled his eyes, as if this was a normal thing that Roman should have been able to comprehend. “I convinced the guide - who was ridiculously attractive, by the way - that I didn’t believe that Egypt was a real place.”

Roman stared at him, openmouthed. “You - oh jesus, you’ve got a crush on this guy, don’t you?”

“How’d you know it was a guy?” Virgil said, raising an eyebrow.

“Because I know these kinds of things, Virgil. You treat girls with so much more reverence than you do guys, so this crush is a guy.”

He pouted. “I don’t have a crush on him. I just liked messing with him.”

Roman folded his arms across his chest. “Describe him.”

“What?”

“Describe him,” he repeated. “Do it.”

Virgil stared at his best friend and then sighed. “He had like, really soft brown hair that looked really nice, and round glasses, and green eyes that were almost blue, and his face looked really intelligent but sweet at the same time, and - why are you /laughing?”

“You’re so gay for him! Oh my god!” Roman doubled over with laughter. “That’s so cute, it’s baby’s first crush.”

“They will never find your body.”

He glared at Virgil. “You’re awful, I hope you know that. Come on, let’s go back to the Egyptian exhibit! We can still find him!”

“No, we can’t, and it’s not worth it.” Virgil shrugged. “You done?”

“I can’t believe you’re just giving up on true love like that!” Roman cried, exasperated. Several families shushed him, very annoyed. He frowned and turned back to Virgil, who was giggling silently.

Virgil, finally recovering from his fit of giggles, said, “I’m not giving up on true love. It’s a crush, if that.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst,” he replied, sticking his notebook in his back pocket. “Let’s go, then.”

Roman, who was a wise man (sometimes) knew that there was essentially no convincing Virgil now that he’d made up his mind, so they went home.

It was the next day when the guide, who’s name was Logan, and who was 26 years old, was with his friend DC, who was quite frustrated with Logan.

“So you’re in love with him -”

“Felt that he was attractive,” he corrected.

“And you just let him leave!” DC threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. “Logan, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you!”

“I don’t know what you want me to do!” Logan exclaimed, pacing the room. “I just thought he was attractive and I wanted to get to know him a bit better, but he left, so, oh well.”

DC sighed loudly and glared at him. “I hate you. I hate you so much. Okay, I’m calling Patton and seeing if he knows anyone who fits that description because I’m /sick of your /bitching and I want you to see this guy again.”

He rang up Patton, who said, “No, I’ve never heard of anyone like that. Do you mind if I try my friend Remus?”

Remus, by some strange stroke of luck, was the brother of the man who had gone to the museum with Logan’s crush, and he directed DC to his brother, Roman, who was the best friend of the man, who’s name was Virgil.

“Virgil,” Logan said, savoring the way it rolled off his tongue. “Isn’t that such an elegant name, DC?”

DC flipped him off as he scribbled down Virgil’s number from Roman. “Yeah, thanks, Roman. And tell your brother I said he sounds sexy.” A pause. “No? You won’t? Okay.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “You’re awful.”

“I just got you the number of the man of your dreams,” he replied, handing it to Logan, who nodded in thanks. “But, yes, I am incorrigible. However, he did sound really sexy.”

“I’m texting him, I can’t hear you.”

Me 8:34 PM

Hello! I am Logan. I was the tour guide at the museum the day you told me you didn’t believe in Egypt, and I was hoping we could meet for coffee and I could tell you all about Egypt… and myself, if you’re interested?

And the rest was history.

I mean, that’s not the end of the fic, I’ve still got to get us to the next disaster by the end of this one, but like, it’s written history. Recorded history.

You get it.

It was only five months later that Logan was nervously tapping his foot against the ground in the Egyptian exhibit, which was closed down for a special event.

Logan had started working in the archaeology department at the museum, so he still worked there, and therefore was able to shut down the exhibit for a ‘special event’.

Y’all aren’t dumb. You know he’s proposing.

It had only been five months, sure, but ever since the first date Logan had known that this grumpy young man was his absolute soulmate. They complemented each other’s personalities perfectly, they were best friends, and their friend groups were now melded, meaning that the six of them were all quite close. And so Logan had Roman, Remus, Patton and DC’s blessing to propose to his emo boyfriend, and that is where we join him.

Virgil poked his head into the exhibit, eyes widening when he saw his boyfriend down on one knee with a box in his hand. “Holy shit -”

“Virgil, you are -”

“Yes!”

Logan sighed. “Can I finish?”

“No, shut up! I’m saying yes, save the sappy crap for the wedding!” Virgil beamed and ran over to Logan, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I love you so much.”

He smiled and hugged Virgil back. “I love you too.”

So they were married two months later, in a lovely park with friends and family and Remus’s dog, who was the most important member of the wedding party.

It was two years later that they adopted their son, Remy. He was only a month old when they brought him home, but he was the final addition to their family, and Logan and Virgil were happy.

Even without the existence of Egypt.

#ts logan #ts virgil #logan sanders #virgil sanders #analogical #ts deceit #deceit sanders #sympathetic remus #sympathetic deceit #remus tw #deceit tw #cursing tw #disaster au

149 notes · View notes

animarosa · 7 years

Text

Title: Heartlines

Chapters: 1/? [NEXT> ] (cross-posted on AO3)

Rating: M

Warnings: None.

Pairing: Jaal Ama Darav/Sara Ryder (custom)

Summary: With the Ryder name tarnished by her father's dishonorable discharge from the Alliance and the loss of her mother still hurting so vividly, Sara Ariadne 'Ari' Ryder joined the Andromeda Initiative to start a new life alongside her twin brother. However, she did not expect things to go so wrong so quickly when they finally crossed dark space. The newly appointed Pathfinder did not foresee gaining a new family either, or a valuable friend for whom she gradually grows fond of. She soon realizes that the Initiative manual and First Contact Protocol did not cover what to do in case of developing romantic feelings for someone local to Andromeda. Just like her newly found Pathfinder job, Sara Ariadne just rolls with it and sees what happens.

Notes: Huge thanks to @goodbibarbarella for beta-reading! <3

Chapter 1

This was it, she thought. This is the last time she would have him aboard the Tempest, just when they were getting to know and trust each other. But that was the deal right? She helped him with his missions in Havarl and Voeld, she won Evfra’s trust (well, somewhat, in a way), and he went back to the Resistance. They’d saved the Moshae, whom now recovered in the medbay while they set course back to Aya. Though, they all agreed that since he joined nearly a month ago he’d become a great addition to the team.

“Jaal?” she announced her presence when she stepped into the tech lab. His broad back was to her, while he remained staring at a hologram for the moment. “Hey...How are you doing? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“It’s kind of you to check up on me, Ryder,” he turned towards her just as he closed the holo, eyes downcast before they finally met hers. “But I am alright.”

A long sigh left her lips, hand coming up to rub her temple. “Honestly, don’t know if I would be alright. Just imagining if it were my people...gods…” The thought alone chilled her to the bone.

“I have to be fine. How else do we go on?” he replied rather calmly, though the tone of his voice was nonetheless grave and somber, “You know?” He was uncharacteristically short with his words, as if silently inviting her to speak if she wished to do so.

For a moment she hesitated, weight shifting from one leg to another, mouth opening and closing before she finally just spoke her mind. “Look, Jaal, I know we humans don’t seem so expressive or forward with our emotions as angara but well, we’re not all like that. Depends on our cultural backgrounds really,” she said before shaking her head, getting back to her point. “What I mean to say is, I got a good shoulder. And a good ear if you just want to talk it out.”

“That’s...kind. You’re kind,” he said softly, his gaze softening, releasing a shuddering breath before he went on, “The truth of what the kett have...done to my people. The realization that I’ve been killing them without...without knowing...It haunts me. Yet, I must remain strong. For the Resistance, for your team and for you, Pathfinder. You have proven you are more than trustworthy. You are kind, selfless, inspiring, relentless...I admire you.”

Sara had to do a double take, her eyebrows rising at his declaration. Was this man even real? “Shit, Jaal, I came here to check if you needed some comfort, now you’re throwing all these compliments at me,” she chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I mean it,” he was quick to reply without missing a beat. “I didn’t think it possible to trust an alien, yet here we are.”

“Here we are,” she repeated and nodded, unsure on what to say. The conversation had certainly taken an unexpected turn and she wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to keep it derailed from her original intentions as it was. Perhaps, she thought, it was a good distraction for him. However, before she could decide on what to say, he was already speaking again.

“I do admit, I really miss my family at times like this,” Jaal confided, his gaze dropping, staring at nothing in particular.

Oh, that hit close to home. Yet, she was here to comfort him, she didn’t need be distracted by her own family tragedy—she didn’t need to burden him like that, not in a time like this. Heck, he’s probably just staying on Aya, what was she even thinking? He absolutely didn’t need her to burden him with her own troubled emotions. If he was going to somewhat remember her, she preferred it was as someone supportive and not as that human with the family drama.

“Well, I’m no family, but I do give mean hugs if...you need one,” she cleared her throat, trying to defuse the awkwardness of her offer. Why was she even offering this? Silently she chastised herself, knowing she was just being a sappy fool for her short-lived friendship with this angara. “I know it helps when I’m feeling sad.”

Jaal frowned, tilting his head in confusion. “Mean hugs? How can hugs be mean?”

“Oh, it’s just an expression. It just means I give good hugs,” she snorted, avoiding his eyes and waving her hand dismissively, instantly regretting her offer. “Forget I said anything, I’m probably crossing a line here—”

However, Sara was promptly cut off when Jaal stepped towards, towering over her much like the first time they met, except...This time she wasn’t intimidated. She stared up in silent wonder, dumbfounded even before he bent down to her level and wrapped his arms around her, taking her up on her offer.

“Oh...Jaal?” she nearly gasped, feeling her cheeks burn. Quickly she managed to react, returning the hug, tightening around him as best she could with her limited reach. “Alright…”

It was only for a few seconds but it was enough. Enough for her to get a close smell of his scent, more intoxicating up close than she thought possible. Enough for her to feel how broad he was, how soft his Rofjinn was against her cheek. Enough for her to realize that...Gods! She didn’t want him to leave just yet! Not now, she thought, not when she was just beginning to grow fond of him, to get used to having him around, to...think of him as a friend. A very endearing friend but a friend nonetheless.

“Thank you, Ryder…” his breath tickled the top her head before he pulled away, large hands on her shoulders. “And you’re not crossing a line. We angara enjoy hugging rather a lot.”

“Good to know,” she smiled, the awkwardness she felt before the hug nearly gone. It was instead replaced by a silent dread over potentially not seeing him again—or at least, not very frequently. Couldn’t he just stay here? Well, regardless, perhaps if she kept talking, their inevitable arrival on Aya would seem to be more delayed. “So, you talk about family a lot. I take it families are really important to your people?”

“Yes,” he replied, arms falling at his sides. “Our families are...very large. We all have many mothers, we share our parents with the community.”

Her brows rose at that, green eyes glinting with interest and curiosity. Of course, he’d mentioned his ‘mothers’ before but she hadn’t had the confidence to ask him back when he mentioned them. She’d assumed perhaps he had two mothers perhaps. “Really? That’s interesting,” she said. “I think some cultures back on Earth did something similar.”

“I’d love to read more on that,” he offered a small smile. For a moment he paused, blue starry eyes shifting away from hers, thoughtful, as if considering his next words. Finally, he looked to her in earnest. “What about your family, Ryder? You told me you lost your father not long ago but...you haven’t mentioned anyone else.”

Oh, great. Here she was thinking how she didn’t wish to burden him with her family tragedy and...he was asking. How could she deny him when he was being so polite and sweet the whole time? How, when he genuinely seemed to wish to know more about her? Well, at least he seemed distracted from his disturbed feelings regarding Exaltation. Perhaps that is what he needed, to speak of matters other than what they learned of the kett.

“Umm…” Sara hesitated at first, shifting her weight from leg to leg. By the universe, she could feel her heart drumming all the way to her skull. It seemed she wasn’t that recovered from her emotional turmoil regarding her family after all. Silly, she thought, she was silly to think that with humor and sarcasm she could get over her own issues. With a deep breath, she resolved herself to finally speak, “Well, I’m parentless...My mother she...died before I joined the Initiative.” Her gaze dropped, avoiding Jaal’s to try to keep her feelings in check–last thing she wanted was to burst into tears.

Jaal kept his gaze on her, now filled with pain for her. “I’m...sorry to hear that,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him upon the gesture, finding his gaze once more. “My condolences.”

Sara nodded and muttered a soft ‘thank you’ before going on, patting the hand on her shoulder. “And I have a twin,” she smiled sadly. “His name is Julian Scott. I was born a minute before him, he’s my baby twin,” she laughed lightly, an attempt to calm her emotions.

“Is he…” Jaal started, eye ridges rising in question.

“He’s alive. But…” she replied quickly, pausing to take a deep breath as she recalled their arrival to Andromeda. “When the Hyperion hit the Scourge, his cryo pod was damaged and his stasis awakening was interrupted so...He’s in a medically induced coma just...recovering. And I’m here, alone, basically an orphan trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing while trying to keep myself afloat…” Sara’s voice increasingly rose the quicker she spoke, gasping to catch her breath and finally breaking off her rant. Frowning, she dropped her gaze once more, brow scrunching up as she rubbed at her temples. “Ugh, sorry, Jaal, I’m sorry, you don’t need this depressing shit from me...”

The angara’s eyes widened, shaking his head quickly as he took her by the shoulders gently, giving a light squeeze. “No, don’t apologize,” he said, his tone unwavering, genuine. Sad, green eyes with tears daring to fall looked up to him, almost disbelieving that he was before her, that he was here for her as she was for him. “I can tell you...haven’t spoken much of what has happened, have you?”

She shook her head, sighing in defeat.

“For what it’s worth,” Jaal started, “I am also here for you. What has happened to you is a great burden and I admire how strong you are in the face of adversity.”

There was such sincerity in Jaal’s grave voice that Sara could barely believe he was real. Or rather, she could barely believe they had started out as strangers who never imagined they would trust one another. Her goal had only been to get him and Evfra to trust her just enough. Just enough to start setting up diplomatic relations between the Milky Way species and the angara. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that they would end up like this, as...friends.

“You’re too nice too me,” she sniffed, lips quirking up into half smile. “I came here to see how you were doing and now I’m the one getting emotional. Ah, Jaal…I really am gonna miss you.” Sara cleared her throat, letting out a puff of breath to calm herself, and yet still rubbing away a tear that managed to escape.

Jaal’s expression turned to one of earnest confusion, dropping his arms at his side. “Miss me?” he quirked an eye ridge, his eyes shifting momentarily as if searching his thoughts. “What makes you say that? Am I...getting ‘kicked out’ of your team?” he tried the human expression, having learned the term ‘kicked out’ earlier from Liam in one of their missions. Slowly he frowned sadly, pursing his lips, nearly pouting, looking almost...hurt.

“No?” It was now Sara whom tilted her head in confusion, looking up at Jaal. Oh and did he have to make that face? She wished she could take back what she said just to have him not look like a kicked puppy. “I just—I assume you’re going back to the Resistance, I mean...Technically your missions with me are done...aren’t they?” Once more she fidgeted, unsure of what she was saying. It would be terribly selfish to just ask him to stay...right? Then again, he didn’t seem intent on leaving. Sara had to admit, that made her heart flutter a bit.

Instantly he understood, eyes slowly crinkling as he fully smiled. He laughed heartily then, throwing his head back.

“Jaal?” she quirked an eyebrow at him, confused as to why he was so amused. Honestly, this man was a bag of emotions (and she kinda liked that).

“Oh, Pathfinder, forgive me. You see, I am more pleased to be here than with my position in the Resistance. An amusing thing, no? To think I am more satisfied with what I’m doing among aliens, I can barely believe it myself,” he chuckled. “If you would have me, I would like to stay. I feel that you are going to accomplish many great things and I would be honored to help you achieve your goals, to continue helping others and seeking a way to defeat the kett.”

“Oh...Oh! Of course you can stay!” she nearly yelled in excitement, flinching at herself. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she cleared her throat. “Sorry, I yell when I get excited.”

Slowly he grinned, eyes half-lidded, looking almost smug. “It...excites you that I wish to stay?”

Sara widened her eyes in shock at him, shaking her head in disbelief momentarily. Where did that shit-eating grin come from? Oh, he was getting too comfortable around her. She should be wagging her finger at him for how smug he was being, especially when she was so worried she would not see him again–the ass! Yet, her words betrayed her as she fumbled to explain herself, “I...Well! I like having you around, you’re interesting, and you’re resourceful, and kind and—It makes me happy. To. Have you around. You’re cool.”

‘Great going, Sara Ariadne,’ she thought, mentally slapping herself.

“‘Cool’?” he repeated the word, making note to ask about it later. Right now, he seemed more intent on responding to her positive reception of him. Smiling, he said, “I too enjoy being here. I have to speak with Evfra but I doubt he would pose much of an opposition.”

“Awesome, umm...” she was for some reason at a loss of words and scrambled on what to do. Panicking, she gave him two thumbs-up. He stared at her thumbs, quirking an eye ridge in confusion. Jaal opened his mouth then when SAM interrupted them both.

“Pathfinder, ETA to Aya is 15 minutes. You are also required at the bridge,” SAM spoke over the comms.

“So, we’re almost at Aya, umm…I’ll just–” she cleared her throat, continuously mentally slapping herself for having lost her flow and just going with whatever first left her mouth. It was the smugness, that was it. He ruined her when he showed her he had a smug side. And when he admitted he wanted to stay. Really, everything had gone so differently but in a good way. Finally, she slowly she stepped away from him until the tech lab door opened behind her and she waved at him awkwardly. “Go get ready. Bye,”

Jaal chuckled, eyes following her until she stepped out of the tech lab. “Until later, Ryder.”

#mass effect #mass effect: andromeda #me:a fanfiction #jaal ama darav #jaal #ryder #sara ryder #my writing;#otp: heartlines;#fic: heartlines;

4 notes · View notes

wishfulthinking29 · 4 years

Note

1-85

1. Are looks important in a relationship?

No, emotional and spiritual connection is most important in a relationship.

2. Are relationships ever worth it?

Yes. 100% yes. But only with the right people.

3. Are you a virgin?

4. Are you in a relationship?

Not for long. Not for long at all. Tomorrow is the day. So I hope anyhow.

5. Are you in love?

Hopesessly and very deeply, yes

6. Are you single this year?

I will be.

7. Can you commit to one person?

The right person yes. I only want one person for the rest of my life.

8. Describe your crush

God she's the closest thing to perfection there is. She's sweet, funny, caring, loving, and so beautiful. She's got so much inner beauty which only makes her outer beauty shine so much more.

9. Describe your perfect mate

She is. Everything she is, is everything I will ever need or want.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I loved her from the very first time I saw her. And I never never stopped since that day. So yeah.

11. Do you ever want to get married?

Only if it's to her.

12. Do you forgive betrayal?

I have forgiven it. It's not an easy thing to do.

13. Do you get jealous easily?

Yeah but usually only if I feel like I have a reason to be jealous

14. Do you have a crush on anyone?

Not just a crush. I'm in love with someone.

15. Do you have any piercings?

Yeah I do. Only my ears though

16. Do you have any tattoos?

Not yet

17. Do you like kissing in public?

I'm iffy about it. I think some things should be kept private but if it's an appropriate situation to kiss in then yes

20. Do you shower every day?

Yes always, unless I'm just so depressed I can't get out of bed

21. Do you think someone has feelings for you?

I know someone does.

22. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

I hope so.

23. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat?

I have and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I lasted 3 years in a relationship and didn't ever think about cheating once. I didn't need to think about it because I had all I ever needed.

24. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?

In the heart, yes. But ceremony and all? I'm not sure. I want to save up and have a beautiful wedding and enough for a honeymoon. That may take some time.

25. Do you want to be in a relationship this year?

Yeah. With her. Only with her.

26. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?

Yes..

27. Has someone ever written a song or poem for you?

Not that I can remember. Lots of sappy love messages though, and letters!

28. Have you ever been cheated on?

Yeah

29. Have you ever cheated on someone?

... yeah. Two wrongs don't make a right. That's an important lesson to take to heart.

30. Have you ever considered plastic surgery? If so, what would you change about your body?

No I haven't. I don't necessarily like my body but it's mine and changing it wouldn't help my self image any. I have to learn to love me for me. I'm working on it.

31. Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?

Man have I lol

32. Have you ever experienced unrequited love?

In a way? I wasn't really in love though. I just thought I was at the time.

33. Have you ever had sex with a man?

Gross dont remind me

34. Have you ever had sex with a woman?

Yes

35. Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

The only people I've ever kissed were older than me

36. Have you ever liked one of your best friends?

Yeah

37. Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?

Yeah

38. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?

Yeah. It was a mistake. I didn't really like him, only the idea of him. What he was in the beginning. But he's not that person.

39. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?

Yeah

40. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone?

No but I want to

41. Have you had sex so far this year?

Yeah

42. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander?

It depends.

43. How long was your longest relationship?

3 years.

44. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?

Only 2

45. How many people did you kiss in 2011?

Lmao none! I was 11/12. I didn't have my first kiss until I was 16. The best kiss of my life.

46. How many times did you have sex last year?

Can't count it

47. How old are you?

48. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?

That's complicated. It wouldn't be fair for me to say anything. But my heart would be absolutely crushed. I can't even explain it..

49. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her?

Literally nothing lol

50. If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept?

I did accept. Not that she had much to apologize for. Only it wasn't knocking on my door. It was knocking on my Facebook messenger lol

51. Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for?

God yes. I'd go to the moon and back for her.

52. Is there anyone you’ve given up on? Why?

Yeah. Because he's done nothing but abuse me and hurt me. And I'm done with it.

53. Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are?

Dating? Yeah. Not mad, but.. just wants me to get out. And talking to? No. They understand why I'm talking to who I am.

54. Is there someone you will never forget?

Yes..

55. Share a relationship story.

Okay, imagine this. It's the night before your 2nd anniversary. It's a long distance relationship and you're together for a few days. You go outside. It's dark. You hear noises. What do you find? Baby racoons! Soooo we spent the morning of our anniversary taking them to the nearest animal sanctuary. It was such an adventure and so fun.

56. State 8 facts about your body

Firstly, and most importantly, it tells a story. It was my canvas for a while. Maybe a gruesome way to put that, but fuck, it's true. I took my hatred and my depression and my anxiety out on myself. I hated myself back then. I'm not thin either, I have stretch marks everywhere. I don't usually shave bc I'm lazy. I have a big scar on my back from when I had surgery both times. Uhhh, three more. My hair is soft but really thin bc I wash it too much. My cuticles always are dry and red bc I pick at them bc of my anxiety. I'm also not tan at all bc I don't go outside much anymore

57. Things you want to say to an ex

I've already said them to her. She knows how I feel..

58. What are five ways to win your heart?

You can't bc she has it. The only way to win my heart is to be her.

59. What do you look like? (Post a picture!)

Look at my profile picture on here! I don't take a lot of pictures of myself anymore.

60. What is the biggest age difference between you and any of your partners?

11 years

61. What is the first thing you notice in someone?

Whether they can look me in the eyes or not. I think that says a lot about a person.

62. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you?

I don't particularly wanna answer that lmao

63. What is your definition of “having sex”?

I think it's sex even if you're just touching someone's private areas.

64. What is your definition of cheating?

Having sex, I guess. Sending pictures too.

65. What is your favourite foreplay routine?

Making out. Heavy petting. Neck kisses.

66. What is your favourite roleplay?

I don't really have one tbh

67. What is your idea of the perfect date?

Anywhere as long as it's with her. But honestly? I love picnics a ton

68. What is your sexual orientation?

God Im so gay.. like so so so so gay

69. What turns you off?

Men lol

70. What turns you on?

Her

71. What was your kinkiest wet dream?

I don't wanna go there... lol

72. What words do you like to hear during sex?

I love to hear moaning. And like, cum for me baby. Ugh. So hot.

73. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?

Surprise me. Like completely catch me off guard

74. What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for?

Pretty eyes

75. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you?

Love me through everything I've put her through.. but, really though, write me letters. Like a "when you're mad" letter, and "when you're sad" letter, and so on.

76. What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone?

I gave her one of those mason jars full of reason why I love her.

77. What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?

As long as both parties are over 18, it's really not a big deal. You do you. It's all about maturity levels and how well your personalities vibe.

78. What’s your dirtiest secret?

Nope

79. When was the last time you felt jealous? Why?

I haven't felt jealous in a while. I don't care what he does.

80. When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

Like an hour ago?

81. Who are five people you find attractive?

Only her

82. Who is the last person you hugged?

My grandma

83. Who was your first kiss with?

Her..

84. Why did your last relationship fail?

Because I was stupid as fuck

85. Would you ever date someone off of the Internet?

I did.. best thing that's ever happened to me. Best decision ever.

0 notes

williamsjoan · 6 years

Text

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Chris’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

In a year that I characterize with existential fear and internal anxiety, 2018 is when I figured out that while video games may not save society, they can at least help the individual. “Escapism” is an overused and reductive term, with the games I dug into providing a variety of positive forces: inspiration, awe, contemplation, camaraderie, and so on and so forth. This was also a year where I tried my darndest to play video games just to try to make myself feel happy.

But enough of that sappy stuff. I got some games to talk about, and this might come across as an unusual bunch. Most of this year for me was spent catching up with games from previous years, mainly titles that I waited for Switch ports. Once I was informed that games from any release year were fair game, the list that I already had was suddenly in flux.

First off, let’s pour one out for the titles that made my shortlist, but not my final top ten, including Hollow Knight (Switch), Dead Cells, Sea of Thieves, Wolfenstein II (Switch), Heaven Will Be Mine, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2: the latter three are games that I wrote pieces for on DualShockers, all which I linked to. Also, I never got a chance to play Florence, The Messenger, Gris, Return of the Obra Dinn, or Donut County as of this writing, and these were all titles I was looking forward to.

To be quite honest, this list, especially the tenth spot, kept changing every few hours. But I had a strict deadline for this, so let’s capture, in time, how I felt about games during this particular hour before I regret everything:

10. A Way Out

Okay, it’s here where I’ll straight up admit that this list is a weird one. I can’t particularly say that A Way Out is an exceptional game, but the experience of playing it was just fascinating. I played the main story with a close friend over two days, and while much of the core gameplay is standard or contrived, I couldn’t help but want to explore the environment and all of the activities that surrounded us. Well, at least after you break out of that prison.

A Way Out inspired the part of me that just wanted to break games. I wanted to see what my limits were, or if positioning our characters in a certain place together would prompt anything, or if there were activities that I can cheat in. While I was disappointed that some of the final missions of the game turned into an Uncharted ripoff with a Scarface vibe, the turn at the end of the game was peak “me trying to break this game.” Boy, was this fun—and the experience was so memorable to me that A Way Out just barely slipped into the list. Congrats, “f*** the Oscars” guy!

Check out the DualShockers review of A Way Out.

9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

The general narrative around the Call of Duty games seems to be that the series just hasn’t been the same since Modern Warfare 2. There’s a bit of truth to that, but I must admit that I’ve always had a soft spot for Treyarch’s Black Ops subseries. The stories are usually absurd fun, but in terms of new features and gameplay mechanics, Treyarch has been forward-thinking. While I loved Black Ops II, Black Ops III proved to be a massive disappointment. Against my expectations, Treyarch won me back the fourth time.

Obviously, there’s less story here this time around, but the multiplayer is what keeps us all going anyway. I have to admit my surprise about how manual healing subtly changed up the gameplay—it may seem like a small addition, but I felt that I had a bit more agency and control as a result, and it added a small new layer of strategy. Blackout is a blast, and as someone who missed out on the PUBG craze when it first debuted (though I made up for that on PS4), the Call of Duty interpretation of it quickly won me over. Exploring that map also made me realize how weirdly nostalgic I was for World at War and the Black Ops games—maybe a silly thing to have reverence over, but a reverence I hold, regardless.

Check out the DualShockers review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

8. Fortnite

That new-fangled video game with the floss dancing might be the most basic thing to like in 2018, but gosh darn it, I still fell victim to its charms. With cross-play finally making its way to Fortnite this year across all consoles, this battle royale game became the default multiplayer option amongst my circles. While I’ve never been wild about the gunplay, exploring the evolving map and learning how to utilize building to its fullest potential has been a truly unique and exciting experience.

And speaking of that evolution, I am just floored by how Fortnite’s battle royale mode just keeps adding elements and changing everything up. I was already thrilled when the golf carts were added, but last I saw, you can fly a freaking biplane now. The crazy map events inspire intrigue, and even though there is only one map, the fact that it changes regularly somehow keeps it all fresh. Do I think that it’s lousy that Epic is stealing dance moves? Oh yeah. But will my friends and I keep playing it? Probably. Ugh. Sorry, all.

Check out more of my thoughts in this editorial about Fortnite.

7. Tetris Effect

I’m often thrown the question of how Tetris is able to make me relax when the gameplay is inherently stressful. Still, to this day, I struggle to come up with words to describe that phenomenon. Luckily, Tetris Effect made that much easier to explain—I still don’t use words, but instead, I simply point someone towards some gameplay and ask them to use their eyes and ears. In case you don’t know by now, Tetris Effect is a gorgeous game, and it ended up as one of the most therapeutic experiences I’ve had with any piece of media this year.

It’s a game that just wants to inspire joy and inspiration, using historical and cultural imagery; sometimes its lifting and appropriating, but that’s an entirely different discussion for later. It wants you to admire the feats of humankind throughout millennia, but even if you couldn’t give a damn about humanism, it still sure looks pretty. I greatly appreciate how completing the Journey mode will allow players to simply enjoy the sensory experiences by themselves, because this game can get really difficult at times. Most of all, Tetris Effect affirms my love for adaptive soundtracks, something that you can only really find in games.

Check out the DualShockers review of Tetris Effect.

6. God of War

I can certainly see why the DualShockers staff picked God of War for the top prize this year. I had never touched any of the previous games in the series, and father-son stories are a bit played out at this time, but I rode the wave of PlayStation 4 first-party “prestige” titles, third-person character-focused action games like Uncharted, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and the like. While I completely fell off of Horizon last year, God of War surprisingly entranced me.

The single take camerawork in God of War is a gimmick for sure, but as a big fan of Alfonso Cuarón, I’m a sucker for it. I appreciated a new take on Norse mythology that wasn’t from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for once, and the world was large and interesting without being intimidating. Combat in God of War hasn’t won everyone over, but it was a system that I strived to get better at. Ultimately, I stayed on because of Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic (who was excellent in Mid90s, by the way). And it doesn’t necessarily need repeating, but God of War looks real, real nice, even on my above average display.

To be real though, it’s all about recalling that Leviathan Axe. That’s a cool-ass feature.

Check out the DualShockers review of God of War.

5. Celeste

Challenging platformers always scare me away. Why do you think I’ve never played Super Meat Boy? I couldn’t tell you how I got over the fence and ended up purchasing Celeste—maybe it was my love for Towerfall or the fact that I wouldn’t stop hearing about how good Lena Raine’s soundtrack was. Regardless, Celeste helped me get over my irrational fear of difficult games.

Here’s the thing about the game: it’s really easy to play! Well, not easy to finish, mind you, but Celeste was more intuitive and inviting than I made it out to be at first. Pretty quickly any frustration I expected was instead replaced with determination. The trial-and-error nature of the game made me think carefully rather than rage like games with consistent deaths usually do. It also helps that Madeline is just a fun protagonist.

Celeste is just a wonderful mix of gameplay, music, and writing, and anyone who doesn’t like it is just not a good person. Got it?

Check out the DualShockers review of Celeste.

4. Night in the Woods (Switch)

There are so few stories that accurately depict the aimlessness of the formative 20s age range, and Night in the Woods is really the only one that I can think of off the top of my head. I won’t get into any self-flagellation here in describing how miserable my own 20s are (I wrote about that elsewhere, if you’re curious), but I will say that the story and art style provided some healing during particularly difficult times in my life this year. The Switch port came just in time for me.

Mae, Gregg, Bea, and Angus are all wonderfully-realized characters; the dynamics and dialogue between them were a delight, and sometimes painfully realistic, from my own social experiences. There’s not too much gameplay to speak of, but I looked forward to each new in-game day to walk around the town and see what the folks I passed by had to say. The story took a real Stephen King-meets-Hot Fuzz turn, and I was down for it. It captures so much truth, and is one of the most authentic pieces of media I know of—and this is one where all the characters are animals.

Check out the DualShockers review of Night in the Woods.

3. Hitman 2

Agent 47, you are one weird dude, and I love you so. As I mentioned in my written review for this website, the “first” Hitman game in 2016 was one that I watched constantly, basically playing it vicariously. With this new game, I graduated to finally, uh, playing it, and almost every moment of it, whether it was a moment of success, failure, or absurdity, has been worth it. Hitman 2, more than any other game this year, is one where if I even think about it, I will have the visceral urge to play it immediately.

I know that I am encouraged to commit these assassinations as smoothly and quietly as possible, but nothing brings me more joy than a contrived plan gone awry. Hitman 2, while very similar to the previous game, added so many fun toys to play with inside its expansive sandboxes. Even with Mission Stories to somewhat guide me, I always found ways to come up with left-field solutions to seemingly simple problems. Stealthily murdering terrible people has never been so much more fun.

Check out the DualShockers review of Hitman 2.

2. Wandersong

I’ve spent the past several months annoying the hell out of everyone I know about this lovely piece of art from Greg Lobanov. Wandersong, in case this is the first time I’m annoying you about it, is a wholesome story-driven game that thematically deconstructs “the hero’s journey.” You play as the Bard, someone without the physical constitution to even pick up a sword, yet is able to use the power of song and vocals to their advantage. It’s a game about a person spreading happiness not only to the game’s world, but to whoever is playing it.

It isn’t too complicated to play, and the song wheel mechanics are a bit finicky at times, but playing through the entire game was such a profound experience for me. Not only did I appreciate its handling of familiar narrative tropes, but I also admired its depiction of mental health and depression. You can tell that Greg and his friends and colleagues put a lot of love into the game’s visuals, sound, writing, and design, and I’m eternally grateful for their work.

Check out the DualShockers review of Wandersong.

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

It’s a tad bit unfair to put Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at the top of my list. Not only did it release so late in the year, but it’s essentially the game of games. I’ve been obsessed with the series since its first iteration on the Nintendo 64, and Ultimate represents such a fantastic evolution of the franchise, and this evolution comes in surprising forms. More so than even its predecessors does it come across more like a celebration to basically every franchise that Nintendo has ever even touched.

I’m not just talking about the Spirits, though those are fun in their own way—the World of Light campaign is long and exhausting, but I remain gleeful every time I see a creative Spirit concept. I’m not just talking about the music, even though the option of creating playlists and basically using your Switch as a music player with its screen turned off is absolutely genius. I just appreciate recent Smash efforts to having characters play like they came out straight from their own games. The trend started with Mega Man in the previous Smash, I feel, but new additions like Simon Belmont and Inkling (from my beloved Splatoon) really take everything further.

I don’t think people talk about this enough, but Smash Bros. is just a great-looking game. It’s a happy medium between the darker look of Brawl and the cartoony colors of the fourth Smash Bros., and I am still in awe by how Ultimate is able to make all of these characters, with totally different designs, aesthetics, and body proportions, look like they all belong together in the same game.

Everyone is here, indeed.

Check out the DualShockers review of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

0. Nickelodeon Kart Racers

Did you know that they misspelled “brake” as “break” in the controls menu? Jeez, what a mess.

Check out the DualShockers review of Nickelodeon Kart Racers.

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Chris’s Top 10 by Chris Compendio appeared first on DualShockers.

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Chris’s Top 10 published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

0 notes