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lunarw0rks · 1 year

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Hi!!! Can you please do 141+ Alejandro with a black widow s/o who’s a super bamf 💗

All Bark, All Bite | 141 (+Ale)

Warning(s): canon-typical violence, strong language, established relationship, fem!reader, mil!reader, no use of y/n

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: I combined this w/ a similar request. they requested that reader is part of an all-female squad called "The Widows" so creds to that anon for a partial part in this request! Not proofread.

꒦꒷ MAIN MASTERLIST ꒷꒦ 141 MASTERLIST // have a request? 𓆩♡𓆪 ask box

SYNOPSIS; if there were a side-by-side of you at work vs. at ease; the difference would be striking. You were with the best of the best, hand-picked to join The Widows five years ago, based solely on your battle smarts and physical durability.

You've retained dialects and languages after spending years doing covert ops around the world, as well as an array of fighting skills. The most significant thing you've accumulated? Your partner.

Dating in the same line of work, paths were bound to cross. Yet, seeing each other was both a blessing and a curse.

Price

When you limped up to the porch, the sight of the lights illuminating the inside made you both cringe and cheer at once. Time was precious when you both were home at the same time; though you were dreading the questions surrounding your appearance. You didn’t have time to wash off and instead went straight home after filling out your after-action reports.

John was in the sunroom with only a dim lamp on—forgetting once again to shut off the rest of the house lights. You weren’t in any mood to scold him, though, nor did you want to. In the least arrogant way possible; you were jaded from keeping the world safe. His gaze ascended from the paperwork resting on his lap, then scanning your striking appearance; in uniform and stained with crimson.

❝It’s not my blood, John.❞ You sighed, a look of both defeat and nonchalance—it was a conversation you two had many times before. This time, it really wasn’t your blood, except for a few measly scrapes and scratches.

He blinked a few times, as stunned as he was the first time he saw you after a daunting mission. ❝Is that supposed to make me feel better, sweetheart? Go shower off.❞ You couldn’t be aggrieved, it’s precisely what you would’ve told him to do. Besides, the last exchange you wanted to have right now was one about work.

John and you did that enough, probably to a fault—being that the two amplest workaholics found each other.

Simon

The work was daunting, sometimes downright depressing considering the things you’ve witnessed, and lived through firsthand. It wasn’t easy to get back out there, put on your bravest face, and work with skilled swiftness. Though your other half had conquered the art of appearing half-hearted—his mind was constantly buzzing with feelings, especially after getting involved with you.

Simon hated your guts, purely for making him fall in love with you. His co-workers either die in front of him, die apart from him, or go missing so long they might as well be dead. He couldn’t handle it, the prospect of getting a sit-rep declaring you had been KIA.

❝What’s on your mind?❞ The weight on the thin barrack mattress shifts as he sits beside you, eyes trained on your failed attempt at masking your gnawing thoughts. God, his observance was irritating at times—how you couldn’t conceal the slightest hitch in your persona.

In truth, it wasn’t any specific memory that was chipping at your psyche. It was… everything all at once. The constant reminder that you had to be a soldier—hardened, snappy, and with little emotion plaguing your every tactical decision. And your decisions? The pressure of choosing the option with the least amount of casualties—never was it a zero.

Unbeknownst to you, you were silently preaching to the choir. ❝It doesn’t matter. Can’t sit here and let feelings stop my day.❞

Simon reached across the cot, cupping each side of your face with a headstrong glare—one somehow sterner than his default frown. ❝With you, love, feelings do matter.❞ He shook you ever so slightly as if he was literally jerking some sense into you. Normally, he would agree and order the softie to keep going.

But you weren’t weak-kneed, nor did you let emotions affect your work.

You were the strongest soldier he knew, second to no one, not even himself. Your ability to feel so openly off the field was something Simon could only voicelessly yearn for. Something he didn’t want you to renounce, as he had years ago. What kind of relationship would it be, if you were both stoic robots trained to kill? It wouldn’t be one at all.

Soap

The two of you separate was enough to make any superior cringe, but together? It had them white-knuckling, all while assured that you two could get the job done clean. He was called Soap for a reason, and you—well, your squad had been picked for a reason. No one was privy to your relationship, and that’s how you both wanted to keep it, purely to not let a conflict of interest affect future ops.

Johnny had to bite the bullet and fight the urge to show you off, gush about you, telling very long and detail-heavy tales about how you two met, and how it was a rocky start. He was starstruck by your skills, and you were adamant about remaining tactical, nothing more.

Clearly, the stubbornness had budged, given the rule-bending involvement you two were in. ❝Ye sure you can handle the boom, lass?❞ Soap smirked, finger hovering over the button of the detonator. He was grasping at straws to rile you up because he knew you were both forced to work with him—and would come home to him that night.

For him, it was a win. For you? It was a persistent thorn in your side.

❝Press the damn button before I hurt you, Soldier.❞ You hissed, covering your ears to shield them from the explosion… or his pestering, it could be a mix of both. Soap grimaced as he signaled the boom, a deafening rumble in the distance, loud and close enough to make the building shake.

Once it passed, you scowled at the sight of his faux-dramatics. ❝It’s ‘soldier’ now, eh? Why not just shoot me, it would hurt less.❞ Soap retorted, taking one more glance at the ash falling in the distance—the result of his own pyro-artfulness.

Oh, how badly you wanted to tussle with him, then apologize to him with a kiss simultaneously. And he knew it too. Your toughness was an attractive quality, one that aroused him, even when you pressed a blade against his throat the first time you were stationed together.

Gaz

Your work with the 141 had gone off and on for some time now. You were glad to interact with Kyle but dreaded every mission together on the off-chance that something went horribly wrong. But that was the cost of your line of work—a sentiment you reminded yourself of nearly every day. The only thing you could do was do your job and find limited time to cherish with him.

It was your lucky day; you had time to visit.

Though you had told Price it was to visit with all of them, you only wanted to see Gaz. The others were great company, sure, but out of the field? They could be… both a complete mess, while being the most tightly-wound group you had worked with.

You made brief conversation with each member, a polite nod or greeting until the small talk became agonizing to get through. When you reached the end of the line, finding Kyle, your expression of professionalism became one of relief. After months of only communicating through comms or phone calls—you were finally face-to-face.

❝Shit, I should get going. Duty calls.❞ Your gaze diverted from Kyle to your phone, a precisely-timed interrupt you needed to tend to right that second. He understood entirely, and it only gave him an excuse to snake you into his bunk that night.

Without realizing it, you intertwined fingers with him for a few seconds, whispering a romantic farewell before parting ways with him. One of his entire Task Force witnessed with a slightly dumbfounded expression on their faces. You, high in the Widows’ chain of command, gone soft and holding hands with Gaz. Frankly, they were slightly intimidated by your skill, the way you always presented yourself in action.

To be flirting with Gaz, it was uncanny. And the headstrong Sergeant Garrick now plagued with an unavoidable flush? The snarky jokes wrote themselves.

Kyle’s eyes widened slightly as you walked away, a slow turn towards his co-workers, interrupting the inevitable comment slipping through their lips. ❝Not a word.❞

Alejandro

Your comms’ static was a constant reminder of the inevitable crisis arriving. Until an update finally came through after several minutes of pausing. Your allies were in need of sniper recon; not just any ally, either—Colonel Vargas was in need of sniper recon. Though you always made your best effort to remain tactical and move with purpose, this one was your purpose—the reason you fight to come home during each deployment.

You radioed back, signaling for the neighboring Widows to follow in your path. If something were to go wrong, Alejandro wouldn’t be left empty-handed, he would have your remaining soldiers to assist. Your squad moved swiftly, some sporting pistols, while the other half had their precision rifles at the ready. The rifle in your hands typically held little weight in your trained arms, but right now it only seemed to be restricting your snappy advancement towards the compound.

Perhaps it was the figurative weight of not getting there in time to relieve them. There was no time to interject personal affairs, however. It wasn’t just Alejandro that needed your assistance—it was his men, the allied soldiers, and most importantly, the innocents caught in the mix of this active warzone.

Your soldiers began to clean the house, allowing execute authority to eliminate any hostile forces. An order that was both the toughest yet quickest one you ever had made, given the circumstances you were plunged into. Behind the thick metal door, there was a blend of bellows in both English and Spanish—the Vaqueros deep in cover when you seized access.

By the time you got close enough, few enemies were left, thankfully. As you poked out of cover from your overwatch position on the skywalk, ready to make your presence known to them, an enemy had come into view.

One that is about to get the upper hand on Alejandro. It was moments like these where your heart stopped, as cliche as it sounded. All the years of training, fighting, hardship, death—it all needed to matter right now, or nothing would again.

You aimed down your sights, watching as the man you loved struggled against the hold. Your watchful eye observed the scuffle until Alejandro had moved out of the danger zone enough for you to get a disabling shot. Once you knew the bullet would be tactical and on the book, there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation.

The trigger was squeezed, a suppressed pop of the high-caliber bullet, then the limp splat of the man grappling Alejandro. His gaze skipped around the room, an instinctive point in the direction of the shot. You stored the precision rifle, jogging down the steps that led to the catwalk, until you approached the life you had just saved.

He let out an impressed chuckle at the sight of you, his savior. ❝Why am I not surprised, Cariño?❞ His eyes danced from you to the enemy that had him staring death in the face. Though he masked it with humor, his verbal gratitude would never make the cut. In the field and in his heart, you had yet to let him down.

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thankskenpenders · 11 months

Text

Sonic Superstars!

Superstars is out! And guess what? It's good! It's a worthy new entry in the series, and I mostly like it. Mostly. Except for the handful of parts I don't. As usual, allow me to share my thoughts.

(For the record, I got the PS5 version of Superstars. I can't speak for how it plays on older hardware like the Switch, or how the weird Steam version that seems to make you log in with Epic runs. But I encountered zero performance issues, personally.)

General thoughts

The thing is, aside from two notable flaws I'll discuss in greater detail below, I can sum up my feelings on most of Superstars quickly. You see, it's... a Sonic game. This will either be a blessing or a curse depending on who you ask. It's not a bold new take on the series that'll blow you away, but they also didn't fuck it up. There's no catch this time! There's something refreshing about that straightforwardness, given how rare it is to get a regular-ass New Sonic Game from Sega. It's just a new classic-style game where you can play as Amy, set on a new island with all new zones, and Fang is in it! This might be damning with faint praise, but that's what it says on the tin, and they did a good job overall.

(It also has co-op. That's nice. I didn't play it in co-op.)

It plays exactly how it should. At no point did anything feel Wrong. The graphics might not have the absolute highest fidelity, but I think the character models look really nice, and the levels look appropriately good with vibrant color palettes. A couple zones like Sky Temple gave me Klonoa vibes, which I like. One zone is an absolutely incredible homage that I won't spoil. The story here is minimal (as expected), but there are a few good moments of telling the story through the gameplay, particularly one very cute sequence with Trip. I did find a couple stage gimmicks moderately annoying (Speed Jungle 2 and Press Factory 2, looking at you), but like... I could say the same thing about Mania, and also damn near every other Sonic game ever made. There's always That One Level. Superstars may not raise the series to new heights, but it generally executes well on the standard beats of the series. It's an easy recommendation for all fans of 2D Sonic.

Really, aside from the two big flaws (we'll get to them), this game's greatest crimes are simply not being quite as good as Mania, and also coming out the same week as the more creative and polished Super Mario Bros. Wonder. If we hadn't gotten Mania, I would easily be calling this my favorite 2D Sonic game since... what, the Advance trilogy 20 years ago? I like the Rush games, but if you asked me to replay one or the other, I might have a better time with Superstars. And, yes, it beats the hell out of Sonic 4. It's not even close. Anyone who says this game is exactly like Sonic 4 is just being a hater.

...I guess I would say that $60 is a bit steep for this, but you know it'll be on sale for a more appropriate $30-$40 in a few months. This isn't a Nintendo game we're talking about here.

Nice little tweaks

Superstars also features a number of welcome quality-of-life updates over Mania, bringing it more in line with the design ethos of modern platformers.

You have infinite lives! No more getting a game over on the final boss and having to redo the whole final zone - or, god forbid, the entire game

Time overs are gone! It'll warn you before you go over ten minutes, but I have no idea why because it doesn't kill you anymore

The game features a hub from which you can easily replay previous levels, rather than needing to beat the game or put in a cheat code to unlock the level select

This means you can easily go back and hunt for any special stage rings you missed. However, as a tradeoff, it seems like you can only get one Emerald per zone now, rather than being able to get Super Sonic by the end of the first or second zone

You can swap characters between levels! No more having to start a whole 'nother save file to play as Tails

And those characters even have optional little movement tutorial rooms available from the hub, which is great for new players who may not know about things like the Drop Dash

And, finally, checkpoints now feature arrows pointing in the direction you were supposed to be going, in case you forget upon respawning

Of course, while you might not be getting game overs, Superstars certainly compensated with some bosses that kicked my ass.

Bosses

Here's what I would consider notable flaw #1.

I have mixed feelings on the bosses in Superstars. I don't think many of them are poorly designed - in fact, a lot of them are good, and offer fun moments of spectacle. But for a 2D Sonic game, they're REALLY long and drawn out, and by the late game this was starting to get draining.

Bosses tend to be the type where you have to dodge their attack patterns for a while until you get the chance to hit them exactly once, MAYBE twice. A few bosses seem to have quicker options if you abuse your post-hit invulnerability or play as a character with a double jump, but many will either be completely invincible or run away to the background for long periods of time, making it impossible to damage them outside of the allotted windows. And even if it seems like you'll be able to get in a second hit, many bosses turn invincible and skip ahead to the next attack pattern as soon as they take the first hit. Again, most of these fights aren't BAD, but because of this behavior they sometimes take almost as long to beat as the entire levels preceding them. This didn't bother me much early in the game, but against the more challenging bosses towards the end that kept killing me several minutes into a long fight, it got tiring. The final boss of Story Mode probably took me like an hour.

While this certainly isn't an uncommon style of boss design, part of me suspects they did this for the sake of co-op players. For one, playing in co-op means that you don't necessarily have to start the entire fight over if one person dies, so I assume the length is less of an issue. But in particular, true classic-style Sonic bosses that you can just hit repeatedly with good timing would go down in a few seconds against a team of four players. Likewise, the swarm of clones from the "Avatar" Emerald power would probably obliterate every Genesis era boss with one button press. So I get why every boss needs all these invulnerability periods, but still. I at least wish they'd made some of those attack patterns shorter and given you more frequent opportunities to deal damage.

Emeralds and their powers

Speaking of the new Chaos Emerald powers: they're neat, I guess? They're fine. I didn't use them much. Actually, I kept forgetting I even had them - although the game will play a noise and show an icon in the corner of the screen to remind you any time you reach a spot where a specific power is useful. Avatar, the first power you get, is at least good for getting a couple free hits in on the trickier bosses. Yellow's ability to slow time is obviously good, but, again, I always forgot I even had it and made it through just fine without it. I was also pleased to realize that the swimming power is useful for the water levels and not just for climbing up waterfalls.

Oh, and the new grappling-based special stages kind of suck, but they're not the worst, and I'll at least give them credit for trying something new. (Motion Sickness Zone from Sonic 1 does return as a bonus minigame, but I only did it once lmao.)

Battle Mode

I haven't played Battle Mode. Couldn't tell you if it's good or not. It did, however, give us official designs for Metal Tails and Metal Amy after all these years, and also it let me make this:

...Okay, enough beating around the bush. Let's talk about the thing that REALLY drags down the experience.

The soundtrack...

(This lengthy section on the music will feature some light spoilers for things like zone names and themes.)

Now, don't get me wrong. There are some bangers in here that I've been listening to on loop. But this is one of the most inconsistent soundtracks I've ever heard, and I'm not sure I've ever played another game where the music has such a sharp dip in quality in the back half.

As anyone following this blog knows, prior to release I was a little obsessed with trying to gauge what the soundtrack would be like. "Jun Senoue" and "new Classic Sonic game" naturally evokes the memory of Sonic 4, but from the start we knew Tee Lopes was involved as well, and almost all of the music previewed before released leans more towards the sound of Sonic Mania than anything else. I was hopeful! I was excited! Jun deserved another chance at doing another classic Sonic OST, and Tee is one of my favorite game composers of all time between his Sonic material and other works like the TMNT: Shredder's Revenge OST. I frequently thought back to this Sonic 4 remix medley by Jun and Tee as a reminder that these two could really be the dream team, bringing out the best in each other's work.

Sure enough, the front half of the game is largely dominated by the Mania sound, whether it's a track by Tee himself or one by an in-house Sega artist that's compatible with his style. Pinball Carnival Act 1 by Rintaro Soma (an up-and-coming composer who wrote a bunch of the Cyber Space themes in Frontiers) takes obvious inspiration from Mania's Studiopolis Act 1, to the point that I was shocked when Sega posted the track and revealed it wasn't written by Tee. Act 2, however, forges more of its own sound by leaning into the act's spooky haunted carnival theme. And despite being the music lead, the only level theme that I know for sure was written by Senoue in the front half of the game (Bridge Island Act 1) was actually arranged by Tee Lopes to give it more of that Mania sound. Hell, the level clear jingle is literally just the one from Mania. A few level themes by other composers don't quite match that style, but they fit in well enough.

But there are early signs that this sound won't be consistent throughout the game. Our first warning of things to come is the boss music:

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When early copies started floating around and the soundtrack leaked, many, many people hoped that this was merely a placeholder, like the literal Sonic 4 Episode II music used in the earliest previews of Speed Jungle, and that it'd get replaced with a day one patch. Oh, those poor, innocent fools...

Even if you don't mind the poor production with the returning Sonic 4 faux-Genesis sound, this is a very simplistic thirteen second snippet of music that then plays a second time in a higher key before it loops. This wouldn't be the end of the world if the bosses were as short as the ones in the Genesis games, of course, but they're not! This theme is used for a ton of lengthy fights throughout the game, including an EXTREMELY long and tedious autoscroller boss at the end of Golden Capital Act 2. Maybe I would've enjoyed the bosses in this game more if they were paired with some earworms that'd get me hyped up and sell how cool and exciting the fights are supposed to be, but grating songs like this just made the minutes spent fighting those bosses feel like an eternity.

Still, boss music (and menu music) aside, all of the level themes in the front half of the game ranged from decent to great, with the peak easily being the phenomenal Lagoon City Act 2 by Tee Lopes. And then... I got to the back half of the game. And the Mania style completely disappeared, replaced largely with the dreaded Sonic 4 sound. That isn't the style for EVERY song in the back half, but even the ones that try something different tend to be weaker than the material from the first six zones, with less engaging melodies and less intricate arrangement. Many sound straight up unfinished, leaning on extremely basic synth patches with no personality. And there isn't a single track from Tee in the back half. He just disappears from the project altogether.

What this means is that we go from this absolute banger by Tee Lopes in zone 6, which elevates what's otherwise a bog standard desert level to a thrilling adventure:

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To... this, in zone 7:

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It's EXTREMELY jarring!

The thing is, this is actually one of the better tracks in this style. I have to assume this is by Senoue, because you can totally hear a good Adventure or Heroes era Senoue track in there once you get past the crude synth replication of the Genesis era Sonic sound. Senoue is still a great composer, as you can hear clear as day with Bridge Island, but he's working with a restrictive sound palette that doesn't play to his strengths at all. If only he'd bust out that damn guitar, or at least pick some better synths.

(And no matter what people will tell you, no, this is not an accurate recreation of what the Genesis's YM2612 chip really sounded like, nor is it representative of what it CAN sound like at its best. Go back to the Streets of Rage 2 or Ristar soundtracks if you need a reminder.)

While I can at least see what the Press Factory tracks were aiming for, some other faux-FM synth tracks are just really bland. They don't have anything interesting going on, and they also don't seem particularly tailor made for the levels they accompany. They're just attempts to mimic what Sonic 1-3 sounded like on a very literal level. Take, for instance, the Golden Capital Act 1 theme, AKA "we've got Sky Sanctuary at home." While the better level themes in this game enhance the mood or even completely carry the vibes of a level, the weaker tracks can really suck all the air out of the room and make a level feel like more of a slog.

What kills me is that there are, in fact, a couple examples of how to do throwbacks to classic Sega FM synth music well on this very soundtrack! They're just not the Sonic 4 type tracks. I love the Frozen Base Act 2 theme, presumably composed by legendary Sega composer Hiroshi "HIRO" Kawaguchi, who's responsible for all-time classic arcade soundtracks like Fantasy Zone, Out Run, Hang-On, After Burner, and more, as well as the hacking and pinball themes from Frontiers. Maybe to an untrained ear this doesn't sound all that different, but it has a catchier tune, better instruments, and stronger production overall. I'm also a fan of the track for Sky Temple, which isn't perfect, but it blends a few Genesis-esque instruments like the Sonic 1+2 snare with other instruments for a richer sound. If the whole soundtrack sounded more like these examples, I'd definitely be complaining less.

I really just have to wonder... how did this happen? How did this end up being so inconsistent? Many fans on social media are jumping to the conclusion that Senoue is just extremely stubborn and refuses to ditch the style from Sonic 4. I can't deny this possibility, but some things just don't add up. The almost complete lack of "retro" style music in the promotional material. The fact that the style just suddenly shifts halfway through the game, then disappears for the final zone, as if that's not the note they want to end on. The complete lack of any tracks by Tee Lopes in the back half. The focus on the Mania-style tracks in the bonus "mini soundtrack." And most perplexing of all, the fact that three of the first tracks you hear in the game were Senoue compositions that were given extra attention with arrangements from Tee Lopes.

This is pure speculation on my part, but it almost seems like they straight up ran out of time.

Perhaps Jun wanted more of his tracks to get full arrangements from Tee, or for Tee to contribute more songs, but things were down to the wire and they chose to leave in some of the raw Sonic 4 style demos. The soundtrack being crunched out in a matter of months at the end of development would certainly explain why Speed Jungle had to be demoed without its music a mere four months ago. It'd also explain why a game that's only a few hours long needs NINETEEN composers listed in the credits. And also the fact that multiple zones just have completely different, unrelated music by different artists across their acts. Did they need multiple artists working on different acts simultaneously, completely independent from each other with no time to cross reference each others' work, due to extreme time constraints? I'd buy it.

Ah well. It's not the end of the world. I've heard worse Sonic music. But I'll always think of what could have been...

At least the final battle with Eggman at the end of Story Mode has a pretty kickass boss theme, which ALMOST makes up for how bad most of the preceding boss music is (and the fact that that very difficult fight doesn't have a checkpoint between phases and took me like an hour to beat lmao). It even seems like it might be written by longtime Phantasy Star Online composer and recurring Sonic contributor Hideaki Kobayashi. That's the guy who wrote NONAGRESSION!!!!!!!

The postgame

Speaking of beating Eggman! It turns out Superstars has a good deal of postgame content, as merely beating the last zone with all the Chaos Emeralds doesn't take you to the true final boss. In order to do that, you'll need to do something else.

Before we hit the big spoiler warning, I'm going to give any future players who are still reading a warning. If you value your sanity... don't force yourself to do all the postgame stuff. Don't make the mistakes I did. It's not worth it, and it may very well knock your personal score for the game down a couple points.

----------------------------------------------------------------

SPOILERS FOR THE STORY, UNLOCKABLES, AND THE POSTGAME BELOW THIS POINT

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

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The bonus scenario

Sonic Superstars has a big surprise in store for anyone who beats the main story. For the first time since... what, Silver? In 2006? We finally have a brand new playable character in a new Sonic platformer! (I wouldn't count the player avatar in Forces as a full-fledged New Character.) Yes, after the credits roll, you unlock Trip as the super-secret fifth playable character. I was really excited to see this. Trip is cute, even if her masked appearance from early in the game is perhaps a more unique design than a Sonic-ified lizard girl who can only vaguely look like a real sungazer lizard. She IS the first new Sonic character Ohshima has designed since the '90s, though, so she gets points for that - and she gets even more points for literally turning into a dragon when she goes Super. We love a girl who can turn into a dragon, don't we folks? And her playstyle is fun, too, with a double jump and the ability to roll along walls and ceilings.

But Trip isn't just playable. Like Knuckles before her, she gets an entire alternate story mode of her own, which somewhat remixes the level layouts, generally makes things more challenging, and swaps out Eggman for Egg Robo. I was so excited to see this! It really felt like the game had so much more in store for me than I'd anticipated.

...Then I spent probably around three hours attempting to beat the new final battle with Fang at the end of Trip's Story. And it made me regret doing Trip's Story at all.

Once you learn the patterns, a lot of them are actually piss easy. But the difficulty comes down to a few misguided factors:

The fight is LOOOONG. On a successful attempt the whole thing will probably take the average player about, like... seven or eight minutes? Maybe longer? This is where I really started to get pissed at the game for making me wait through these stupid attack patterns before I could attempt to hit the boss once.

The fight is divided between two phases, one with Fang in a vehicle and another with him in a giant robot, with no checkpoint between them. Dying to one of Fang's bullshit attacks on the second phase means having to redo the ~5 minute first phase all over again. And, worst of all...

Fang has multiple projectile attacks that are guaranteed instant kills, even if you have rings.

Also there's a stupid desperation headbutt attack that can really easily catch you off guard and kill you, but I only got that far in the fight once.

It's the instant kills that got me. If those fucking immobilizing net attacks just made you drop your rings, or you could at least wiggle out of them by mashing buttons (EDIT: apparently you CAN do this but you literally have to button mash so rapidly that it's a crapshoot whether or not you'll physically be able to do it), it would have been totally doable! Kinda fun, even! Slow, but pretty cool in terms of spectacle. But nope! Three hours! Three hours on this! This is, without a doubt, the hardest boss I have ever faced in any Sonic game, period, and one of the hardest bosses I've ever seen in ANY game. All because of one attack pattern where making a tiny mistake means starting over.

The glitches didn't help, either. Something about the way the circular boss arena was set up in both stories' final battles seems to make the floor intangible sometimes for non-player objects. Occasionally my dropped rings, enemies I was supposed to knock towards Fang, or one of Fang's insta-kill projectiles would just fall through the floor randomly. This definitely wasn't my main problem, but it helped drive home the idea that this fight just wasn't worth my time.

After three hours of attempts, I gave up. I just went and looked up the ending of Trip's story, as well as the contents of the Final Story, on YouTube. Turns out I made the right call, because boy, that true final boss looks like dogshit. It's just a very dull fight against a big generic cartoon dragon. Apparently this is the thing Eggman was looking for. It appears and is defeated with little fanfare. I think I liked it better when I assumed the scary dragon being foreshadowed was just Super Trip.

...Also, hey, what's up with The End being very conspicuously visible in the background of the last zone?? I know it's just a cheeky cameo, but, like... isn't it supposed to be sealed away in Cyber Space right now? Should I be taking this literally? Does this have lore implications? This is one hell of a way to remind people that the timeline's been reunified, I guess

Closing thoughts

I really hate to part ways with Superstars on a sour note like this, because like I said up top, I mostly enjoyed my time with it! It's really just a small handful of particularly frustrating bosses and the inconsistent soundtrack that drag it down. Other than that, it's solid as a rock. Maybe wait for sales if you're not dying to play it, but it's definitely worth playing for any Sonic fan. Just... skip the true ending. I would have stepped away MUCH happier with this game if I'd done that.

I wanna try to end this on a more positive note but I'm tired, so, uhhhh... look, you can unlock a Metal Nights skin for your Battle Mode bot!!

Anyway back to jamming to about half the soundtrack on loop while pretending the other half doesn't exist, and looking forward to the continued Fang Renaissance with his upcoming IDW miniseries

#tkp post #other media

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shoutaaizawas · 1 year

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okay i’m obsessed with legend of zelda at the moment, i’m late and trying to finish up the first game so i can start the new one so here’s some headcanons because all i can think about is hawks atm

s/o that is obsessed with video games headcanons:

hawks:

hawks was not allowed to play video games when he was young

so he never played video games, considering his focus as an adult was on his career he never had any time for hobbies, it wasn’t even a thing that crossed his mind

but then there’s you

hawks starts dating you and once you hit the comfortable with each other period he realizes how much you really love video games

it starts with late night hang outs at your apartment and you ask if it’s okay if you play the game you’ve been playing

of course he’s okay if he can sit on your couch and hold you while you play, it’s not like he’s that interested in tv, he just wants to be with you

it’s confusing at first, your in the middle of whatever game has your interest at the moment

he asks a lot of questions but it makes you happy he’s actually interested

you’re very patient in your explanation

whatever you miss you’re sure to add onto as you encounter it in the story

he’s surprised at how interested he gets in the story

he wouldn’t think games were that interesting much less watching someone else play it

he’s not a back seat gamer, at least not an annoying one

when he does make comments or suggestions their funny or actually helpful

you’re always surprised when he suggests the right solution on the first try, makes you wonder if he’s the one that should be playing

when the two of you are more serious, like living together and all of that, he is the first to suggest a new game

oh, the sequel to the game you love is coming out?

he didn’t just preorder it he preordered the new console with exclusive theming

you always protest and say what you have is fine but he insists you get the best and newest

you realize this is his way of participating and providing so you don’t fight back after you understand

it makes him happy to spoil you and you won’t take that away from him even if you think it’s a bit unnecessary

the time you spend playing your game while hawks cuddles you and watches becomes sacred

he’s fully invested in every storyline

he gets sad when you do main story missions when he’s gone but he understands that he is often busy with work

you make it a point to only do pointless side missions and exploring while he’s not at home

and you always give him full details on what he misses

“i found this secret spot” “oh earlier i got this great loot”

at first he thinks it’s such a great coincidence that he always is there for the important stuff but then he realizes what your doing

it makes his heart flutter, how considerate you are even in the smallest things

you try to get him into multiplayer games since he insists that he doesn’t have time to play the big story games you love

and you do it so well that he’s more than happy to watch then to play them himself

friday night mario kart becomes a thing, you definitely go easy on him so he doesn’t feel bad but it’s hard trying to pretend in front of him

the two of you play stardew valley together from time to time and he loves the simplicity of it and working together

he hates when you go to the mines alone even though they stress him out

anyways hawks is the most supportive boyfriend/husband when it comes to video games

he will buy you every game you want and play whatever co-op you suggest and watch whatever game your playing and be fully invested

#hawks x reader #hawks #bnha x reader #mha x reader #takami keigo x reader #mha #bnha #headcanons #my writing

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princess-mach · 4 months

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List of Spirit Hunter Let's Plays/Playthroughs: Highlighted and English PART 1

Something that’s been on my “after exam season is over”-list is to make a list of all the Spirit Hunter Let’s Plays/Playthroughs I can find. This is an idea I came up with together with @importantdestinydefendor! Since we love these games so much, we thought it would be fun to discover and support the different creators who play them online.

THIS POST GOT TOO LONG. SEE PART 2 HERE.

I think this post got a bit too large, so I will split it into two parts. This post covers the highlighted and the English Let's Plays/Playthroughs. The next post covers the Japanese and other languages Let's Plays/Playthroughs.

Some general notes:

These lists are limited to content uploaded to Youtube only.

If I missed something or someone, let me know.

I have not watched every video on this list. If you think some of the content on this list is harmful, let me know and I will remove it if necessary.

For the non-English titles/titles where it isn’t clear what game they are playing, I’ve added that as a description within double parentheses. Note that it is not a translation!

Highlighted:

根塚の動画

((This playlist has the voice actor of Yashiki (Ryo Nezuka) play through and narrate the first game. The videos that follow are him playing and narrating the second game.))

【死印】朗読動画 (Playlist: Death Mark I)

【祝1周年】誕生日なので死噛実況します(体験版範囲) ((Video: Death Mark II))

【祝1周年】#2 死噛実況します(体験版範囲) ((Video: Death Mark II)) https://www.youtube.com/live/15bMc2TLtC4?si=5tTDXOsc1Zy2Alrx

【祝1周年】#3 死噛実況します(体験版範囲) ((Video: Death Mark II)) https://www.youtube.com/live/KMFyKz5EAWE?si=Mjm3I-XtaTuQQZC2

Aksys Games Official

Death Mark. ((This includes a playthrough!))

English:

Gab Smolders

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark 2

ManlyBadassHero

Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Death Mark II

justonegamr

Death Mark Playthrough

Spirit Hunter: NG Playthrough

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II - Full Playthrough (No commentary)

TheHeroOfLight

Death Mark (Switch)

Spirit Hunter: NG

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II (Commentary)

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II (No Commentary)

NicoB

Let’s Play - Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

astropill

Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

UltraDirectorJester OR TheNiskelLP

((These playlists are hosted on both channels, but originally uploaded to UltraDirectorJester))

UDJ CO-OP Let’s Play #26 - Spirit Hunter: Death Mark (Switch)

UDJ CO-OP Let's Play #29 - Spirit Hunter: NG (Switch)

AngelSteps

Spirit Hunter : Death Mark

Spirit Hunter : NG

Pharaoh

Death Mark [BLIND STREAM/PLAYTHROUGH/PS4 GAMEPLAY] - [COMPLETED]

Spirit Hunter: NG [BLIND STREAM/PLAYTHROUGH/PS4 GAMEPLAY]

Leo Lovelace

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

SvalPlay

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

oBerryBonBon

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark (I)

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark (II)

iScottGreen

SPIRIT HUNTER: DEATH MARK II

FuchsFeuer 22763

DEATH MARK

Spirit Hunter: NG

KillshotKitty

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark Playthrough (COMPLETE)

Spirit Hunter: NG Playthrough (COMPLETE)

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II Playthrough

DelinquentGhost

Death Mark 2 - Horror Visual Novel

HobbyLaifu

Death Mark 2

Loaf's Adventures

Death Mark

hunterofcomedy

Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Death Mark 2

the bois

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark Streams

Spirit Hunter: NG Streams

Nightmarish._.Corvid

Deathmark[18+]

The Violet Hour - Bilicium

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark 2

GamerKat09

Let's Play - Death Mark [BLIND] - PC

Let's Play - Spirit Hunter: NG [BLIND] - PC

Death Mark 2 [BLIND] - PC

Lune Evenfall

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

Mimosa Caprae

Death Mark

EleskaBell

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: NG

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

Mika Ch. ミカ・アンジェロ

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

TVR

Death Mark Playthrough

Spirit Hunter: NG Playthrough

Leafuchii

Death Mark

[Spirit Hunter: Death Mark] Little Red Don't Hurt Me! FT: @KingKodiak Part 12

Sai

Death Mark, Good Ending Run

Death Mark, Chapter 6

Death Mark, Chapter 6 and 5 bad endings

Spirit Hunter NG, good ending run (Amanome)

Spirit Hunter NG, bad ending run

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 1 & 2)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 3)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 4)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 5)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 6)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Chapter 7, Good & Bad ending)

Death Mark Shibito Magire No Commentary Playthrough (Extra Chapter)

Brick_gamin

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

Justus R. Stone

Spirit Hunter Death Mark

Algam

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

chaoticwolph

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

ビデオゲームをやってみたい a.k.a. Yatte

DEATH MARK・死印

TomoChan

Death Mark (死印) (English)

FoxRegalia

Death Mark 死印 (PSVITA) - BLIND

Zuntenshi

SHIIN / DEATH MARK (死印)

#death mark #mine #spirit hunter series #spirit hunter ng #ng #spirit hunter #ng brainrot #shiin #spirit hunter death mark #theplaylistsposts

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real-life-senshi · 1 year

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Sailor Moon was always by my side. Mitsuishi Kotono and Kitagawa Keiko's special conversation on Sailor Moon Cosmos

(OP: This was from July 15th, 2023. Somehow I missed this article when it was first released... Whoops. Here's the belated translation.)

In 2014, when the new anime Sailor Moon Crystal began, fans of the 90s anime were gushing. We get to see Sailor Moon again...! And now, with the movie version of Sailor Moon Cosmos (both the first and second parts are in theatres), the series has finally come to its conclusion. This time, exclusive to MOVIE WALKER PRESS, Mitsuishi Kotono, who plays Eternal Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino, and Kitagawa Keiko, who plays Sailor Cosmos, got their dream to share a conversation come true! They reminisced on their experience during production, how they portrayed their roles, and what the existence of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon mean for both of them.

「 What I worked hard for in the '90s has actually come to fruition… I really felt that. 」 (Mitsuishi)

― This movie is the culmination of the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal series that started in 2014. From the initial Crystal series to this movie, people who grew up watching the 90's anime became the chosen cast… How was it for you, Mitsuishi-san, to work with the viewers of those days?

Mitsuishi 「 That's true. At first, I was the only confirmed voice casting for the film, and then the other Sailor Senshi auditioned and one by one, we finally came together. 」

― It is just like at the very beginning of the work, isn't it? At first, Usagi was alone, but then Sailor Mercury's Ami Mizuno, then Sailor Mars' Rei Hino, and so on, gathered together.

Mitsuishi 「 In the beginning I felt very lonely recording on my own, so I was glad when one by one the Sailor Senshi gathered together. Many of the cast and staff had told me “I’ve watched it back then”! “What I worked hard for in the 90s has actually come to fruition”, “the children who would proclaim ‘I want to be like Sailor Moon’ have become such splendid adults, all of them really flourished as a lady and just like a Senshi” was the impression I received firsthand. Of course, the girls are all professionals, so they were able to put aside their feelings as a fan and tackled their voicing roles seriously, and I felt that they supported me more than I did for them. We also get together in private, and I sincerely feel that I have made it this far because I had their support. 」

― Kitagawa-san, who plays Sailor Cosmos, is also a member of the so-called "Sailor Moon generation," right?

Kitagawa 「 Mitsuishi-san is a goddess to me. When I was a child, the first manga I picked up was Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, which I followed the serialization in Nakayoshi, and was part of the generation that also participated in Sailor Moon’s ``Great Service For All Applicants''. 」

― You can send stamps to the Nakayoshi editorial office and get cute goodies. So nostalgic!

Kitagawa 「 Yes, that's right. When I first worked with Mitsuishi-san on the JDrama Rikokatsu, the first thing we talked about was Sailor Moon. I also loved Evangelion, so I recall we talked about that as well (Editor's note: Mitsuishi played Katsuragi Misato in the series Neon Genesis Evangelion.). I think it is probably the same for everyone from my generation, that I grew up listening to Mitsuishi-san’s voice, so during Rikokatsu it felt natural and comfortable for me to co-portray the roles of mother and daughter with Mitsuishi-san. Though we hadn’t worked together since the drama, we kept in touch from time to time, so it didn't feel like it had actually been that long of a time. 」

Mitsuishi 「 For me, because I often see you on TV. When watching TV, I’d go “Ah, it's Keiko-chan! She's so beautiful!” (lol). So I also didn't feel like it had been a long time since I last saw you. 」

― When thinking about Kitagawa-san in this context, we’d easily think of the image of Sailor Mars from the live-action drama, but this time you will be playing a different role, Sailor Cosmos.

Kitagawa 「 I was happy when I initially received the offer, but I was also puzzled. In the live-action, Sawai Miyuu-san, who played Sailor Moon, was truly the center of our group, being supported by the 4 Senshi, but this time Sailor Cosmos’s role gives the impression of being " the root of the Sailor Senshi". Instead of being on the “supporting side”, that this role was so close to Usagi-chan's position, it felt like a sanctuary in a sense... a place that I felt I couldn’t jump into. So while I was very happy to be offered the role, and I was very eager to be a part of this new production, simultaneously I’d wonder “Am I the right person for this role?”… causing me conflicting feelings. I ended up seeking consult with all the members of what is referred to as the “Senshi-kai” (戦士会, Senshi Reunion) nowadays, the Senshi cast members of the live-action series. But, "This is the last production of the Crystal series, I’m so happy you get to play such a role in that, I definitely want you to do it!” was what everyone told me, and so they gave me the push I needed to accept the offer.」

― How was it for you when actually voicing the role?

Kitagawa 「 Before I recorded my part, I was provided a [voice] sample called a guide, and this time Mitsuishi-san was the one who dubbed the guide for me. It was already the perfect Sailor Cosmos. When I read the script, it was difficult to grasp the nuances of Sailor Cosmos' and Guardian Cosmos’s character, but Mitsuishi-san helped me realize it would be fine if I did it like this. “Mitsuishi-san is amazing...”, I thought again in that moment. I feel that Usagi-chan's voice has also become deeper and deeper with each successive series. 」

Mitsuishi 「 About that, it's because the days have piled up...! (lol) 」

Kitagawa 「 Not at all, to have overcome many hardships, to be able to feel the image of “Usagi-chan of the present” really moved me. On the day of recording, Mitsuishi-san come to visit, as well as Takeuchi Naoko-sensei, so I was very nervous. (lol) 」

― For Mitsuishi-san, what were some things you were specifically mindful of when portraying Usagi-chan in this work?

Mitsuishi 「 This time around, her friends and Mamo-chan that she love all disappeared right in front of her, and in the second part, her friends appear as her enemies. Even though the scenario where everyone had become an enemy had also happened earlier in the series, this time was the toughest of them. Even though I felt fine when I was reading the script, it still became really tough when I actually heard the voices. Even when battered and bruised, I am determined to get back the people who are important to me, with a power that does not spring from hatred, it's with these thoughts I portrayed the role with a positive and great sense of power. 」

「 Having taught me many things, Sailor Moon is a series that is impossible for me to separate myself from. 」 (Kitagawa)

― Once again, what kind of existence does the work "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" mean for the two of you?

Mitsuishi 「 The reason I have made it this far as a voice actress is large because of this series, so it's a work that's very important to me. Since working on the Crystal series, I feel as if I'm giving back the energy everyone has given me when I was working in the 90s. Even in my daily life, I have the feeling that Sailor Moon is just around the corner in my mind. For example, sometimes the crescent moon is right above the Sky Tree, and whenever I see a picture of it on social media, my first thought is it looks like a big Moon Stick (lol). "If we had such a big Moon Stick, we could cleanse the entire Earth and bring peace to the world!" I sometimes think of outlandish things like that. 」

― That's an idea that only Mitsuishi-san, who has been playing Sailor Moon for a long time, could come up with... as expected!

Kitagawa 「 It really is! It's wonderful… 」

― And Kitagawa-san, what kind of influence did Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon have on your life?

Kitagawa 「 No matter with the series or with Mitsuishi-san, I've felt a sense of a destined connection with them. It was Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon that led me to make my debut as an actress, and when I worked as a lead actress on a drama series, or when I try my hand at voice acting, Mitsuishi-san often become part of such key moments of my experience. Moreover, this year marks the 20th anniversary of both the live-action series, and my career in the entertainment industry, I feel that Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon had been part of many significant turning points in my life. This is a series that is impossible for me to separate myself from. 」

Mitsuishi 「 In all honesty, I had originally been worried if I should bring up an old tokusatsu work with you given you are a major actress in the industry. 」

Kitagawa 「 I'm someone who prefers to speak openly and face things with dignity. I've always loved Sailor Moon, so much so I was like, "I'm going to audition and receive a role in the live-action version of Sailor Moon and work in Tokyo!" From the filming experience, I was taught filming methods, how to behave on set, how to act, how to dance, etc., and I really learned a lot. 」

Mitsuishi 「 Tokusatsu is a very difficult field. I've always felt that any actors or actresses who had overcome working in Tokusatsu would have the strength and spirit to survive in any field of the acting industry. 」

Kitagawa 「 It's the type of workspace and shooting site where you are required to do any and every sort of thing. Especially for the Sailor Moon series, even after transformation it would still be us actresses who are in costume, so that made it even more challenging. 」

Mitsuishi 「 Behind you it goes BOOM! And you'd still have to walk cooly in front of the explosion. 」

Kitagawa 「 At first I was shocked by the explosions, but I gradually got used to them, even napalm (explosions commonly used in Tokusatsu) I ended up not thinking anything of it (lol). I think the reason I've been able to do this for 20 years without faltering is that I have developed a great bond with everyone I have performed with the drama series. All members of the “Senshi-kai” (戦士会, Senshi Reunion) haven't left the entertainment industry, and we are all working hard in the same world. Even now would go to see and support each other's works, I am sure they will see this film as well. It's because of each other's presence that we have been able to continuously move forward, it's a sentiment that I hold deeply and feel very encouraged by. 」

― Lastly, for the Sailor Moon fans who have all grown up now, what are some of the highlights you'd like to share about this movie?

Mitsuishi 「 I think that as we grow older, with all the talks about 'love' and 'justice' that Sailor Moon does, more and more often we may feel embarrassed thinking about it. But for those who have loved Sailor Moon since the '90s", Usagi-chan's 'love' and 'justice' taken root somewhere in their hearts. So, I hope that this film will help them remember those things that they may have forgotten, and empower them to move forward with their lives with positivity. 」

Kitagawa 「 It's as if I was given the strength of 'positivity' and 'dedication' from this film. As I got older, there was a part of me that became afraid of failure... Because I'm in my 30s now and have been doing this job for 20 years, more and more I began to think 'I mustn't make mistakes'. In this film, Usagi-chan has to face and admit her past mistakes and works to correct her course, the part where she stands back up again to face her challenges, I was touched by that part of the story. I thought to myself, rather than shutting myself away in fear of failure or making mistakes, "I want to live my life with dignity" and was inspired to face live my life with positivity. It gave me the courage to not hold myself back and to take things easier. I am certain many people of my generation are at that point in their lives, too, and I think through watching this film Sailor Moon would give them a push to face their challenges and reassure them "It's okay". 」

#sailor moon cosmos #sailor moon cosmos part 2 #kitagawa keiko #mitsuishi kotono #sailor cosmos #pretty guardian sailor moon #pgsm #sawai miyuu #komatsu ayaka #izumi rika #azama mew #pgsm cast #khmyh translates #khmyh's fansub & translations

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twilightmalachite · 7 months

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Hinata Aoi - Immersing in the Reverberations 2

Author: Kanata Haruka

Characters: Hinata, Sora, Anzu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Umm, really, why are you here, Anzu-san? If you need something with Game Research, I can leave…"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Yumenosaki Academy Game Research Club Room

Hinata: Whoa, just what is this crazy barrage?! I’m not sure if I can dodge it!

Oh no oh no oh no! Sorry Sora, I can’t do this anymore~!

Sora: It’s okay! Leave the rest to Sora! There’s a safe spot here from the boss~. Hang around the area, and attack when there’s an opening, and…

HaHa~! Sora and Hina-chan were able to beat it in co-op!

Hinata: Amazing! The boss was defeated so quickly… Was I dragging you down then, Sora-kun?

Sora: Nothing of the sort! There were times Hina-chan drew the enemy’s attention and really helped Sora out!

Hinata: I’m glad, then, but… Since you’re so good at this, I’m worried I’m making things boring for you.

Sora: No need to worry, then~! It’s a lot of fun to play games with Hina-chan!

Besides, Sora’s always playing this game over and over again with Shisho~ and Anzu, so it makes sense he’s good at it~. ♪

Hinata: A-ahaha… I see, so you’ve been playing it with Sakasaki-senpai and Anzu-san~…

…So, does that mean that the reason Anzu-san came here was also to play games~…?

Sora: HiHi~! Sora’s very happy when Anzu comes to play too~! ♪

Hinata: (I feel awkward. And it was really a great help to have Sora-kun here with me too…)

(But I can only distract myself with games so much. Maybe it’s because Anzu-san keeps glancing over at me…)

Umm, really, why are you here, Anzu-san? If you need something with Game Research, I can leave…

Huh? I’m the one you need something with?

Yuuta-kun contacted you through HoldHands to tell you I was struggling with the Feature Live?

I’m so touched by Yuuta-kun’s consideration! He didn’t abandon his Onii-chan after all that, huh!

(Though, I feel it was pretty mean-spirited of Yuuta-kun to reach out to Anzu-san, but…)

(In reality, the easiest way through all this really is to consult Anzu-san~.)

(I couldn’t bring myself to reach out to her, so honestly, I think I really am grateful for Yuuta-kun’s consideration.)

Sora: Anzu wants to play the game too? Wanna try a bit after watching huh!

Hinata: Ahaha, well, it’s hard not to wanna play after watching other people play, right~?

Huh? Anzu-san, you’re surprisingly good at this, aren’t you? You’re easily getting through the part I struggled with!?

Sora: Sora plays this game a lot with Anzu~! ♪ It’s a game that brings back lots of memories!

Hinata: Really~? Just listening to the game’s BGM brings back memories of playing the game with your friends?

It’s true, I often feel nostalgic listening to things like the BGM of games I used to play~.

And listening to nostalgic music in the Light Music Club room makes me wanna play instruments.

Speaking of which, maybe I’ll take a quick peek around the club room…

Sora: Does Hina-chan wanna go to the Light Music Club room?

Hinata: …Yeah, I was thinking maybe I could come up with some good ideas for a candid shot.

Sorry, since you went through the trouble of inviting me over to play!

Sora: It’s okay! It’s for Hina-chan’s Feature Live, so Sora’s rooting for Hina-chan too~! ♪

Location: Yumenosaki Academy Light Music Club Room

Hinata: S’cuse me~. Ahaha, there really isn’t anyone here, huh?

(Shoot. Now I’m alone with Anzu-san. No, I shouldn’t be surprised, I’m here to ask for advice…)

(Uu, so awkward. I wish Sora-kun came along.)

(But then I’d feel bad for dragging Sora-kun into such a delicate atmosphere…)

I-I thought Oogami-senpai might’ve been here, but he’s graduating soon, so guess he’s busy.

Ahaha, Oogami-senpai will be graduating soon too, huh~? That means after that, it’ll be just Yuuta-kun and I left using this club room, huh~.

You’re going to miss it? Nahh, you say that, but it’s not like you really care about the Light Music Club, don’t you, Anzu-san?

I mean, it’s not like you come around too often since you’ve moved to the Production Department.

Hinata: Sob, sob… It was so lonely, you wouldn’t come to see me at all!

I’m gonna miss you? Well, I’ve worked with you for quite a long time, Anzu-san…

It was this place where you and 2wink’s first encounter, when we kidnapped you over here.

Well~, I do feel bad about the trouble I caused you back then. But Sakuma-senpai ordered me to, so I didn’t have any choice. ♪

…Strange~. I thought I didn’t have many memories with you here in the clubroom, Anzu-san, but now I can remember them all so easily.

Hm? Oh, now this is a nostalgic music score~. I’m pretty sure I still have the original sound on my smartphone… Here it is!

Hinata: ♪~♪~♪

Ahh, sorry! I forgot you were there and put on my headphones.

You wonder if you can recognize the song? Fufu, curious about what song it is?

Here’s a hint; it’s definitely a song you should recognize, Anzu-san. It’d be really embarrassing if you couldn’t. Think you can answer~?

♪~♪~♪

Hinata: Oh, that’s correct! Amazing as always, Anzu-san. The song really takes you back, doesn’t it?

It’s the unreleased Light Music Club song for Trickstar back when the unit was getting its start… Well, that’s a weird way to put it, since it’s released now.

But back then, it was 2wink’s opening act for Trickstar. It wasn’t even that long ago, but it feels waaay back.

…Hey, Anzu-san. Thinking about it, a lot sure has changed since then, hasn’t it?

You overcame a lot at the academy, and now you’re earnestly working in the world of idols at ES…

In order to survive in the idol industry, I’ve changed a lot too.

But it’s not just me. The same goes for Yuuta-kun and Sora-kun too, you know.

And we’re going to have to keep changing if we want to keep on fighting in this world.

And I’m fine with that. I know it’s something that needs to be done.

Hinata: But… That’s also why it’s nice to have moments like this to reminisce every once in a while, right? Immersing yourself in a memory-filled place, listening to memory-filled songs…

*camera snap*

Eh, when did you have that camera, Anzu-san? Did you just take a photo just now?!

I’m embarrassed, you just took a photo of me being somewhat sentimental!

Wow, you have a huge smile on your face, Anzu-san. Are you that glad over how I was?

…I see. Well if you say so, then I’ll believe you.

But, I kinda feel like I was just pranked by you~.

Ahaha, guess it’s not too bad getting pranked on every once in a while. ♪

(I kinda feel things are less awkward, somehow? Do I have Anzu-san to thank for that?)

Alright, time to get serious about figuring out what to do for my Feature Live!

‘Course, you’ll be accompanying me, won’t you, Anzu-san?

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory

#hinata aoi #sora harukawa #anzu #feature #translation

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dickinson-devotee · 2 days

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IRON MAIDEN ANNOUNCE 'RUN FOR YOUR LIVES' WORLD TOUR 2025/26!

The Run For Your Lives World Tour will kick off on May 27th next year in Budapest followed by 27 stadium, festival & arena shows around Europe. The tour marks 50 years since Steve Harris formed the band in late 1975 and to celebrate this Maiden fans are promised a very special set list, spanning the nine studio albums from ‘Iron Maiden’ to ‘Fear Of The Dark’, with their most spectacular and elaborate show ever!

MAY 2025

27 Budapest, HUNGARY - Budapest Aréna *

31 Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC - Letnany Airport *

JUNE 2025

01 Bratislava, SLOVAKIA - TIPOS Arena *

05 Trondheim, NORWAY - Trondheim Rocks (Festival)

07 Stavanger, NORWAY - SR-Bank Arena *

09 Copenhagen, DENMARK - Royal Arena *

12 Stockholm, SWEDEN - 3Arena *

13 Stockholm, SWEDEN - 3Arena *

16 Helsinki, FINLAND - Olympic Stadium *

21 Birmingham, ENGLAND - Utilita Arena ^

22 Manchester, ENGLAND - Co-op Live ^

25 Dublin, IRELAND - Malahide Castle *^

28 London, ENGLAND - London Stadium *^

30 Glasgow, SCOTLAND - OVO Hydro ^

JULY 2025

03 Belfort, FRANCE - Eurockéennes Festival

05 Madrid, SPAIN - Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano **

06 Lisbon, PORTUGAL - MEO Arena **

09 Zurich, SWITZERLAND - Hallenstadion **

11 Gelsenkirchen, GERMANY - Veltins-Arena **

13 Padova, ITALY - Stadio Euganeo **

15 Bremen, GERMANY - Bürgerweide **

17 Vienna, AUSTRIA - Ernst Happel Stadium **

19 Paris, FRANCE - Paris La Défense Arena **

23 Arnhem, NETHERLANDS - GelreDome **

25 Frankfurt, GERMANY - Deutsche Bank Park **

26 Stuttgart, GERMANY - Cannstatter Wasen **

29 Berlin, GERMANY - Waldbühne **

AUGUST 2025

02 Warsaw - POLAND - PGE Narodowy **

Special Guests for the first half of the tour, including the London & Dublin outdoor shows (but not the UK arenas), will be American rockers Halestorm. The second half of the tour sees Sweden’s Avatar as guests. And, finally, British metal band, The Raven Age, will open all UK & Ireland shows.

*Halestorm | ^The Raven Age | **Avatar

Fan Club Presales begin Monday 23rd September – details here.

Tickets go on general sale next week – check the tour dates page for times and dates.

Says Bruce Dickinson, “Next year is a very special one for IRON MAIDEN and we’re going to be giving our fans a once-in-a-lifetime live experience. This is a tour that’s gonna put a smile on your face and a cheer in your throat. If you’ve seen us before, then get ready to take that experience to a whole new level. If you’ve never seen us before, then what the hell have you been waiting for? Now’s your chance to find out what you’ve been missing! IRON MAIDEN’s definitely gonna get ya!”

Manager Rod Smallwood adds, “50 years of Maiden and I have seen 46 of them! With well over 100 million albums sold and almost 2500 shows in 64 countries and counting, to countless millions of fans, we are all still loving every second and consider every tour a new challenge to bring something different and exciting to our fans. And for this very special one we’re pulling out all the stops!

"We will cover classics and fan favourites from the first nine albums, from IRON MAIDEN to FEAR OF THE DARK, many of which we haven’t played in years and many we will likely never play again in the future. We have already been hard at work for months putting together an even more spectacular and elaborate new show which will bring the songs to life more than we have ever been able to do before. This is going to be a huge couple of years for IRON MAIDEN, and Eddie of course, and we are very excited about what we have up our sleeves for you fans throughout the whole of our 50th year. I promise you are all going to be very happy indeed!”

On Saturday June 28th the band will perform at the London Stadium, home of West Ham Football Club – the team that band founder Steve Harris has supported throughout his life, and with whom IRON MAIDEN have a long and storied history.

This concert in front of over 60,000 fans, will be the first time that IRON MAIDEN have performed on the club’s hallowed turf. A true homecoming show – with Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith & Nicko McBrain all born in the surrounding area – it will also be the biggest UK venue the band have ever headlined outside of their festival appearances.

Steve Harris says, “My love of football and my support of West Ham is no secret, and I know many of our fans around the world have shared that with me too. So we’re all very excited to be playing at the London Stadium as part of the RUN FOR YOUR LIVES tour. We can’t wait to see you all there!”

#iron maiden #bruce dickinson #steve harris #dave murray #adrian smith #nicko mcbrain #janick gers #run for your lives world tour #cries in American 😭

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toxic-lullaby · 1 year

Text

How the Brothers Play Stardew Valley

Tag yourself, I’m Levi with a little Satan, minus the elliot #Haley #Sebastian

—-

Lucifer

The Father

He kills his crops on accident, he forgets to check the cart, he checks the trashcans in front of the npcs, all that

Despite that, he is an avid wiki checker.

Doesn’t finish the community center like ever, he quits the game before he can get there.

Mammon

The cheater

He found out about min-maxing and wanted to do that but he’s not the type to work hard for what he gets so he uses cheats.

He chair skips into the secret woods, he uses item name cheats, he uses the yellow couch cheat. Name a stardew cheat or workaround and he has done it.

His go to romance options are Maru and Alex.

Leviathan

The Actual Min-Maxer

He’s like Habbo, hes a little sweat

His farm is ugly tho lowkey, not a single design bone in his body.

Pigs and ducks only

Not much to say about him

His go to romance option is Sebastian or Abigail

Satan

The Casual Player

Just like any other player, surprisingly

He insists on never looking at the wiki so it takes him a minute to finish the community center and build relationships but he feels its better that way.

Even if they aren’t profitable, he gets every animal and crop, just to make it a true farm.

Marries Elliot (🤢) or Penny.

Asmodeus

The Mod Lover

Uses those mods that make everything pretty, the portrait mods (,the sexual mods.)

Genuinely does not dig in the trashcans because its gross, also super hesitant to go into the sewers.

Tries to date all the bachelors and bachelorettes and gets that cutscene

If he had to chose a romance option he’d chose Haley or Alex, maybe Elliot.

Beelzebub and Belphegor

The bums (But they’re having fun)

Okay hear me out you may be thinking “why isn’t mammon the bum? Why are they the bums?” They’re purely here to have fun, they’re barely trying. Its like the creative minecraft server you and your group of friends have.

They’re on a co-op and still are struggling

They accidentally plant their strawberries same year they bought them, they spend their last 500g going to the desert, they miss the egg festival, they pass out every night.

One time beel left the game open to eat while belphie also left it open to sleep and they were in year 7 next thing they knew.

Pants in soup

They invite Krobus to live in

#obey me #om shall we date #omswd #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me nb #obey me nightbringer #obey me levi #obey me leviathan #obey me mammon #obey me brothers #obey me hcs #sdv #stardew valley

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devirnis · 3 months

Note

i find that i’m very curious about your life and opinions!! feel free to answer any or all 😆 16, 17, 22, 28, 34, 43, 55, 62!!

Hi Rachel! I don't know how interesting my life and opinions are, but here we go!

16. Where do you go when you need to get out of the house but it's raining?

Plot twist, I love being at home when it's raining. Curl up on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea, or play some video games. I live alone and I'm such a homebody

17. What's a movie you saw recently that you liked?

Godzilla Minus One! Finally came to Netflix and I really enjoyed it

22. Favourite grocery store?

I tend to shop at Co-op because it's close to my house and has lots of local options, even if it's a little more expensive

28. Be honest, do you like all of the pictures of their babies that your friends send you?

Heh... I'm not much of a kid person. I've never had baby fever. But I will politely like all my friends' posts with their kids

34. What's your commute like?

Not terrible! I only have to go in the office one day a week, it's about a 25-30 minute drive depending on traffic. I get in around 7:30 so I can leave early and miss rush hour

43. Favourite book you've read recently?

I just finished Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa last night. It was heavy but really good

55. Favourite high-effort meal that you make?

These sweet potato quinoa bowls are great for meal prepping. I consider it "high-effort" because it involves using the oven, a pot, and a frying pan

62. Where are you on the minimalism-maximalism kinsey scale?

Assuming 0 is minimalism and 6 is maximalism, probably a 4? Like I try to avoid clutter but I have a lot of little knickknacks and prints. I want to look like a wizard with souvenirs from all my adventures

#ali answers #theyweretooyoung

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akechi-stole-my-heart · 8 months

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i saw ur post abt black star right after reading it and I'd love for u to elaborate lol my biggest problem w it was Akira disliking/not forgiving akechi... like i know it was written before royal and im not even THAT big of a shuake shipper but reading akira as anything other than in love with akechi is just. Wrong. my only other problem w it was how it treated prison like the only other option for akechi besides death, and anyway akechi would have chosen death regardless. It's crazy how both of those huge flaws were disproven in royal and how they're most likely the cause for fan misinterpretation today. still a good plot and i liked the other characterizations but like. the conclusion of akechi going to jail and akira supporting that above all is just so wrong

Oh yeah Akira's feelings toward Akechi were a huge reason why I had to dnf, easily one of the worst aspects by far. And it sucks because otherwise Akira's characterization was SO good. OP understood him but they did not understand Akechi and that extended to Akira, sadly.

And yeah, the jail thing is both baffling and Bad. Akechi does not need to go to jail. Can we please stop believing in punitive justice even when it makes no sense. Akechi doesn't even get what he deserves anyway because he doesn't go on trial for most of his crimes (like, you know, the murder) and then he gets off easy getting to join the shadow ops months into his sentence. After all that set up about him needing to get what he deserves/justice being served only for that to Very Much Not Happen. Because if Akechi DID get what he "deserved" under our justice system he'd get life in prison at best. It's hypocritical.

Possibly my biggest gripe other than the stupid insistence that Akechi go to jail is Akechi's characterization, though. It's alllll wrong. And like, to be fair, it was kind of impossible to know that it was wrong at the time because Royal hadn't come out yet. In black star Akechi is portrayed as absolutely, 100% unremorseful and gets angry at the idea of having to pay for his crimes. Which just. isn't. in character for him.

I kind of went into this with my recent post about Akechi and regrets, but there's another aspect this take on Akechi is completely missing. And that's Akechi and debts. He absolutely recognizes that what he did is wrong. He did it despite knowing it was wrong. But his reaction isn't going to be "how dare you suggest I turn myself in." It's going to be "I should be in jail already and I will do my best to repay my debts as far as I am able." Not in a guilty sort of way (at least outwardly), but a pragmatic one. There's a reason Akechi turns himself in for you, and it's not just about making Shido pay. It's about making things right, both to Joker and the world in general.

Akechi thinks of justice in extremely punitive terms. If you do wrong, you deserve to have wrongs done to you in turn. This applies to both others and himself. It's what leads him to his actions, and why he willingly sacrificed himself and then later turns himself in. It's why he hates the idea of being granted mercy in Maruki's reality. In his eyes, he doesn't deserve anything more than death and/or prison. He hurt people, and so now it's time for him to reap the consequences.

The author of black star has it completely backwards. Akechi's arc shouldn't be learning that he needs to face consequences. He wants to face consequences. He wants to die/go to jail because he thinks he's worthless and doesn't deserve anything better. That's his starting point of any post-canon arc. Giving him jail time is giving him exactly what he wants.

Personally, I think punitive justice as a concept is complete bullshit. I'm not gonna get into the nitty gritty of that here. But my point stands regardless--and whether you believe in punitive justice or not, objectively the more interesting direction to take an Akechi redemption is to force him to live life to the fullest. That is unironically the worst punishment you could give him. Force him to face the consequences of living when he thinks he should be dead, of going through the painful and difficult process of recovery, and being forced to interact with and reconcile with the people he hurt after acknowledging that hurt not pragmatically, but personally.

I don't want to read a story about Akechi learning to accept that he has to go to jail. it's stupid, out of character, and counter to my core values as a person. That's why I stopped reading black star. I want to see Akechi learning to live. To me, that is a far more in-character and interesting concept to explore.

#sera answers #anon #also you are extremely correct when you say akechi would have chosen death regardless lmao

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superconductivebean · 4 months

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#1023: about the update

It's alright to feel disappointed.

Building hype for this long-expected unification wasn't warranted, HL PR team. People are reasonably upset over not receiving anything for a year. We can explain it by that MMO game, older console gen ports, but looking at other releases and how this one gets handled, well.

If you'd like to indulge, feel free to jump under the cut. But before you do, know that if you're upset, I'm with you.

Why hope for the sequel when something already as costly can't put it mind to garnishing itself. It isn't an impossible ask, especially when you know the HL situation is rather unique with its update absence.

I am aware not many people came to HL after a lengthy log of games to have something to compare with, so, a few examples.

No Mаn Sky. Everyone hated on it on release for not delivering on its ambitious promises; money were spent on a nothing burger. But the devs eventually turned the bland experience into something more fun but maybe repetitive, but fun nonetheless. People don't mind a game to be repetitive at times. They are finally able to meet their friends somewhere in the game's vast expanses of the traversable universe.

Cybеrpunk. Dumpster fire. Upset people, refund river. Completely bland, according to some, and definitely not an RPG of the millennia. Like, the main character, V, is basically the HL's MC: they were made to be filled with your own colours but the devs didn't have time to implement it besides the backstory choice (which doesn't matter 95% of time). Years after the release, a few systems were revamped and remade, and a long-overdue DLC has finally seen the light of day. It's arguably the best thing in the entire game now.

Stаrdew Valley. A phenomenon. It was already awesome on release but it was only the beginning; has been becoming increasingly more complex and wholesome since. This game has been developed by just an one guy plus a very few people helped him on the way. Today, he continues to drop DLC-sized bangers, with the community's help, but it's never company-structure-size thing. This all for free.

Eurо Truck Simulatоr 2. Metric ton of content for if you love a rather monotonous gameplay loop. The devs add more to the pile: free map revamps and content updates + paid DLCs with entire countries worth of territory to explore.

Deep Rоck Galaсtic. Steep and flat learning curves, four different characters with unique play styles, free content updates + you can pay for the cosmetics for nothing more but rizz (the game is meant to be played in co-op so you'll have someone to shot it off to).

Dwаrf Fоrtrеss has been out for 20+ years and it is free and has always been updated a lot since.*

An absence of plans or content for HL is thus disheartening to me.

This game being a half-baked cookie for a steep price is, well. You'd expect the level of developmental commitment of other scandalous releases, or you'd expect the passion the less known developers nourish their projects with. In this day and age we have to live with a sad realisation that the industry would rather push the half-baked thing on the market to patch it later, or it wouldn't meet the deadline.

But it also asks to pay a hefty price. It's alright to demand your money to meet the promise given, and we certainly were promised a lot. It isn't unreasonable. It isn't dull or stupid. You bought a liter of milk and got 750ml and no promise of the missing 250ml being added later, what's here not to be upset about?

It isn't any different with anything you buy, I suppose? Would it be fair if you were told the house you're about to buy has AC but when you are moving in, the wall has only a spot where it's been mounted? Or if you bought a book with *inserttopic*, half the pages were torn away?

Games aren't any different. You pay, a lot, and sometimes get 1/3 of the amount. This -- isn't alright. And in no world it should be.

Saying 'uncommon' doesn't mean there aren't games that look oddly familiar to HL, though. Stаrbound is only alive thanks to its modding community. Ovеrwatch is just sad. Bоrdеrlands 3 flopped, stripped from everything its predecessors had besides the gunplay. It will depend on who you ask, but Minеcraft, too, has these issues. Also, Anthеm. Some will shout, ThеSims4.

So. It is alright to feel disappointed if you paid for something based on, well, what's the seller said about it and literally got little from it. And just, let's not cynically defend predatory business practices here.

It is also okay to be upset when you've been lured into hoping something is about to come only to realise it's been used in a tactic to gain cheap engagement from you.

You're most correct in being sad.

tldr; Breaking the radio silence with a hype for the long-awaited but known small pack of content wasn't the PR team's brightest idea.

#днявочка #eng tag #днявочка: фандомное #*technically you can buy it on steam but it isnt Thee DF #Thee DF is an amazing linux insanity just go try it you wont regret it! >:D :D :) :| ;| ;_; т_т muuuum #i said once i say it again: im very happy for all of you who will get to experience the quest and the photomode :3 #the quest is one of the funniest in the game imo!

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twwpress · 1 year

Text

Weekly Press Briefing #65: September 17th - 23rd

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from September 17 - September 23, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

The following is a roundup of open challenges/prompts. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

@callixton hosted The West Wing Pride Week (@twwpride here on tumblr) September 17 - 23. More details here, and you can check out the AO3 collection here!

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from September 17 - September 23:

Dule Hill posted a photo of himself and his wife Jazmyn at the Pasedena Playhouse to see The Sound Inside.

Marlee Matlin posted a video for the International Day of Sign Languages.

Melissa Fitzgerald posted a promo for the op-ed she and Martin Sheen co-wrote for Recovery Month. They will be performing Love Letters live at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. September 28th - October 1st.

Rob Lowe posted a date night photo of himself and his wife Sheryl out at The Roxy to see Neil Young.

Edits/Artwork:

#CJTOBY: can’t two people reconnect? by @sapphiccjcregg [VIDEO EDIT] Portrait of CJ Cregg by @jeansmilburn [FAN ART]

This Week in Canon:

Welcome back to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot aired on September 22, 1999.

Editors’ Choice:

To celebrate the premiere of The West Wing 24 years ago on September 22nd, 1999, we’re sharing some fics that were either posted on September 22 of any year or that focus on the first episode of TWW (that we didn’t already feature in our Pilot fic roundup last year!). Some of them were intended to be show anniversary fics, and others were not. Happy West Wing-versary!

The Day On Which They Shall Give Their Votes by onekisstotakewithme for daylight_angel, miabicicletta, Luppiters, hondagirll | Rated G | Gen Fic (Abbey/Jed mentioned) | Complete | Election Day, 1998. As the votes come in, the staff of Bartlet for America waits with one question in mind: Who will be the next President? The First Lady by GlitteringNiffler | Rated G | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | Complete | Or what was Abbey Bartlet doing during the episodes she doesn't appear in. if you're looking for the girl of your dreams, she's in brooklyn with me by starsontheceiling for TheBreakfastGenie | Rated G | C. J. Cregg & Josh Lyman | Complete | “Why do you talk to me like this?” “Because you never had a big sister, and you need one.” Snapshots of CJ and Josh, over the years. When A Woman Loves A Man (Who Loves A Woman) by BeneathAnOrangeSky for heliotropic | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “You’re sensitive. It’s sweet.” She bites back a smile at the image she’s evoked. Everyone thinks they know the real Josh Lyman. Bartlet’s bulldog, political wunderkind, the man behind Washington’s curtain. But they don’t know him like this. She brushes a sweaty tangle of hair from his forehead and pretends not to notice when he leans into her touch. No, this side of him is reserved just for her. His mouth opens in surprise, voice pitching up a notch, “I am n—” “Your system,” she amends. “Your system is sensitive.” S1 E1 Pilot by JDPostEpisodeChallenge | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Post-episode story written by lilyiseverywhere. we've been living on a fault line by sam_writes_fics for hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “Are you two close?” Kate asks. “I mean, you must be, to some extent. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have flown all the way there.” “Uh, yeah. We’re…” he gets the busy tone again. “We’ve been working together for a while.” Kate tilts her head. “She works for you, doesn’t she?” “Only technically,” he offers back, staring at the zero bars lighting up on his cell phone. // 6x02: Josh spends five days at Camp David, and every night all he thinks about is Donna.

Don't miss this week's fics, which will be reblogged onto this post!

#the west wing #tww #tww fandom #josh lyman #donna moss #tww fic #west wing #cj cregg #sam seaborn #toby ziegler #weekly press briefing

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khalixvitae · 2 months

Note

IT'S ME!!!

Who is vil. and what r some of ur favourite things about him!! :3 is he kind of like asmo in any way...

do u like co-op or competitive games more :0

I SEE U'VE MOVED.. Woah. quite a big change. what chara would u ask to help u move in and or who would u room with!

^ also how are ur new place and job going!!! hope ur taking care of urself friend 🫵🫂

NIANIANIANIA!!! ok so. Going bullet by bullet.

1: I am actually going to write. A dedicated text post to this comparison and explanation bc I’ve been thinking abt it all night (It is now early morning and I’m at work ::3) and I need to. Give this a thorough explanation and do them both justice bc I love asmo and Vil so much. So in short, yes but no but also yes??

Anyway Vil is the dorm leader of Pomefiore in the hit gatcha/jrpg/vn/sometimes rhythm tap/idek-what-else game Twisted Wonderland <3 . He balances his academics with an already prolific film career. In terms of my favorite things about him, I really appreciate his dedication to his goals and to the people around him. He’s thorough and meticulous and brilliantly adaptable. There’s. So much abt him that I admire actually <3 he’s also so well written it makes me want to eat sheet metal, he’s just one of the most human characters in the game and I’m obsessed w how his narrative dismantles the misconceptions about him as you play through his story. Also his general beliefs surrounding personal work ethic and growth really resonate w me!!! Anyway I fucking love him agh.

2: OUGHH I love. Competitive games. Co-op can be so fun but I’m shy sob. I don’t mind going head to head though, weirdly enough that’s more ??? Comfortable ??? Unsure of how that works!

3: I HAVE MOVED yes ! It is. A lot. I moved like. 2.5-3 hours from the city I lived in for the last FIVE YEARS so it’s been an ordeal but I’m much happier now! As for who I would ask to help move me in Ough,,, probablyyy Vil or Dan Heng. Vil would keep us on track (we are both obsessively thorough and organized) but he’d also make sure I ate real food during the moving process because I tend to forget to take care of myself when I’m trying to accomplish something. Dan Heng is also very mission/task oriented so I know we’d get through it very quickly and I don’t think we’d disagree on much. As for someone I would room with ,,, Ykw same answers actually <3

3: YES I love my new place and the new area ! Ive been here for about 3 weeks now and I’m so much happier in this city than in the last! I also have a new job that I LOVE ! <3 it’s a great time man I’m so happy I’m just trying to get back in the swing of things and get back on here bc I miss talking to you and my other mutuals sob

#agh look out for the big post it will come soon bc I have been. thinking abt Vil and Asmo for 12 hours now #be prepared.#ask.revival2024

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 3 months

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So far, the 2024 animated domestic box office shows me one thing...

If you want a big gross, it's still a sequels/franchise game with this medium at the movies, post-COVID outbreak.

KUNG FU PANDA 4 really kicked things off theatrically, and took in $57m over its early March opening weekend, and INSIDE OUT 2 sits among the big leagues with its colossal $154m opening.

Anything more original or based on an untested IP... Same situation as 2022 and 2023, really. Small openings, but if audiences like 'em, then... Leggy runs. See BAD GUYS, MIGRATION, etc.

Speaking of MIGRATION... Most of the first quarter of the year was MIGRATION's post-holiday legs, as it was an audience favorite and was literally one of the only movies to take the family to during the winter... If they hadn't seen WONKA already. Fitting for a movie about ducks, ahem, migrating to a place where it's warmer. It's like FROZEN: Make an animated movie about characters in a cold place wanting things to be warm again, and release it near Thanksgiving/Christmas... Really pushes those winter blues away. (Unless you like winter.)

IF, with its CG cartoon characters, was a real surprise opening at $33m and legging its way past $100m domestic. That has been acknowledged by some of the press, even if it'll still be a "flop" in Hollywood math at the end of the day. The adult, and even older adult/senior turnout, that I see for this one at the cinema I work at... All childless... Something about this movie has struck a chord with audiences in a way a lot of recent animated family movies seemingly haven't. I guess live-action just does make it easier to digest for some...

Elsewhere, THE GARFIELD MOVIE scored $24m for its three-day and has legged itself nicely despite the existence of both IF and INSIDE OUT 2. It's an agreeable little movie, I found it to be alright. Whether it's faithful to the spirit of the comic strip (and many cartoon adaptations, particularly from the era where Lorenzo Music voiced Garfield) or not, the families have consistently chosen this one weekend-to-weekend. Cartoon, cats and dogs, slapstick, recognizable characters even if you don't read funnies in the papers, fits the bill just enough.

DESPICABLE ME 4 will kick off the second half, and should be big. Gang's back together, as it's not a prequel, could make MINIONS numbers on opening weekend or around the unadjusted amounts of 2 & 3 ($83m and $72m respectively), sure to explode worldwide too. Illumination hasn't had a financial miss yet. DESPICABLE ME 4 also looks to be their newest movie for a long while, as nothing is scheduled for 2025 (first time they've skipped a year not counting the early COVID years, MINIONS 2 and SING 2 were made for 2020 in mind), and the MARIO sequel drops in April of 2026.

TRANSFORMERS ONE and THE WILD ROBOT open close to each other in September, but I suspect both will open okay and then leg it out from there. GARFIELD and IF co-existed fine together, and they currently co-exist fine with INSIDE OUT 2. If audiences like them and money's not too tight, they'll both make back their budgets. I'd imagine neither of them cost too much... And honestly, I'm here for it. I'm totally okay with a bunch of animated movies making sub-$100m totals domestically and around $150-300m worldwide, and still making back their money. The antithesis of what the Diz wants out of seemingly any movie they put out.

On the subject of smaller titles: Anime titles continue to do their business, too, i.e. new DEMON SLAYER clipshow, the SPY X FAMILY movie. Year after year, more so than ever before I'd argue. Give 'em a wide release for a few weeks, the base will show up.

MOANA 2 is sure to be massive, MUFASA I think gets saved by worldwide grosses and Christmas legs, SONIC 3 should do great, and then there's THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM. I think that'll be an interesting one to track, I don't think it's primed to be an opening weekend winner despite being a LORD OF THE RINGS film. Remember, SPIDER-VERSE 1 opened with an okay $35m in the December frame, MUTANT MAYHEM with $28m. LORD OF THE RINGS is largely associated with live-action for most audiences, despite there being a few animated adaptations made well beforehand. THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP, should it actually get the theatrical release GFM has been gunning for, I think opens small too but then legs it up... Again, I hope they make back their budgets, once again showing that little guys are every bit as important as the big guns. It's just cool that movies like ROHIRRIM and EARTH BLEW UP are getting theatrical releases to begin with, that would've been unheard of ten years ago.

Maybe 2025 changes course, and we see more original stuff open higher than usual post-outbreak. ELIO is the one I continue to be curious about, as it's Pixar's second-ever original movie to get a theatrical release post-outbreak, after ELEMENTAL... Which despite its legs, Disney now deems a flop. Pixar films used to get $45m+ on opening weekend down pat with the originals, the last to do that was COCO was back in 2017. ONWARD fell behind at $38m, cut right off by the pandemic a weekend into what should've been its run. Prior to COCO, INSIDE OUT made $90m on its opening weekend, and BRAVE made $66m. Not too shabby!

For some more context, we'll do Pixar originals starting w/ MONSTERS, INC. back in 2001, the first original of theirs to crack $40m on opening weekend:

MONSTERS, INC. (2001) - $62m

FINDING NEMO (2003) - $70m

THE INCREDIBLES (2004) - $70m

CARS (2006) - $60m

RATATOUILLE (2007) - $47m

WALL-E (2008) - $63m

UP (2009) - $68m

BRAVE (2012) - $66m

INSIDE OUT (2015) - $90m

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015) - $39m

COCO (2017) - $50m

ONWARD (2020) - $38m

ELEMENTAL (2023) - $29m

Does ELIO return to the days where a Pixar original could almost easily make $45-70m on opening weekend? Or is it ELEMENTAL redux, and Iger arbitrarily tries to find some other thing to blame the failure on?

2025's kinda sparse when it comes to these kinds of animated movies. Everything else - not counting sequels like BAD GUYS 2, ZOOTOPIA 2, and SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS - is associated with some pre-existing franchise, like SMURFS and GABBY'S DOLLHOUSE. There's also DOG MAN, the book series by Dav Pilkey, a spin-off of his iconic CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS series. DreamWorks adapted that into a movie back in 2017. No features are set for March, April, or May, possibly in anticipation of an animation strike very soon. July and October are also without a new theatrical animated movie at the moment. WILDWOOD, from Laika, is without a distributor or release date, but it's eyeballing 2025. That'll be their first feature since MISSING LINK, that came out in 2019, whoooaaa...

Either that, or it's more of the same. I think post-outbreak, audiences are still pretty choosy with theater visits. Again, because of money and because your experience could very well suck and be a waste of $60+ for a family of four. It frustrates me to no end that the press natters on and on about movies being the death of movie theaters, when it's the damn movie theaters themselves. Like an elephant in the room, or in the auditorium. The cinema chains are using an outdated, decaying model that doesn't serve audiences nor them. And I would know, I'm in those very trenches myself! Understaffed, poorly-equipped, management can be erratic, etc. Some of us break our backs so that anyone who comes in doesn't have a hangup about something.

But no, it's always the movies that have to do the work. You flop, it's your fault, or the marketing's fault. International Cinema Day was coined two years ago, in August 2022...

August 2022 was kind of a wasteland month. A lot of the new movies opened very badly, or merely just existed. Movies like EASTER SUNDAY, THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING, THE INVITATION, etc.... And on that low-price day... Every movie was jam-packed, down to the front rows... I dunno, making a gamble of an experience more affordable gets more people coming? Just a thought??

So, if anything, INSIDE OUT 2 doing as well as it did meant that people really wanted to see that movie. Despite their experience possibly sucking, they went in droves to see it. That was one worth gambling on. Much like BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE, much like KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, much like DUNE: PART TWO... But maybe people wouldn't narrow their choices to 3-4 movies a year if the experience was better and/or more affordable.

It would really serve animation well, methinks.

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