#gameboys sequel

[blmpff]

IdeaFirst Company reveals Gameboys NYC, the upcoming sequel to GAMEBOYS, during its reunion.

Elijah Canlas and Kokoy de Santos are reportedly to reprise their roles. Cairo and Gavreel’s love story will take place in New York City.

15.04.24

[estobrotvpodcast]

[nemxricultrix]

(hey so uh if you like JJBA there is a free fangame called the 7th Stand User where you play as the 7th Stand user of the Stardust Crusaders. there's a brief, 3 question personality quiz that Avdol/Abdul will give to determine which of 18 original Stands you get. It's... Actually pretty good and dear God I am falling into a rabbit hole again fuck)

[themonsterundermystairs]

short list of lgbt-inclusive games that i love (in brackets is the kind of representation):

- cattails and it‘s sequel, cattails: wildwood story (nonbinary, queer in general): these are both great games that warrior cats fans will love. also, every single cat in the game is non binary. everyone is only referred to by they/them and you can have kittens with anyone.

- starfield (nonbinary, bi, same sex relationships, trans): you can choose your pronouns (he, she or they) no matter your body type. you can also always change your body and pronouns for a small fee. some main companions talk about former partners of the same gender, in at least one case, a character references dating men and women. guards may also reference a partner of the same gender.

- skyrim (same sex relationships for player, gay): you can marry regardless of gender and adopt kids with your spouse. there is a dead gay couple. (this will be the only game with so little representation on this list. i included it because i love skyrim, because you can make it gayer with mods and because it is from 2011 so i don‘t have high expectations)

- ikenfell (nonbinary, queer relationships, neopronouns): a really fun rpg with a fun combat system. also very queer, every character has their pronouns listed and there are nonbinary people with they/them, ze/zir and even he/him pronouns. i haven‘t quite finished playing through it yet, but there are all kinds of queer relationships. oh and you save the game by petting cats

- wandersong (queer relationships, gender nonconformity, nonbinary): a really unique and wholesome game about a bard that wants to save the world. it has an amazing story and some of the most well written characters i have ever encountered. the bard is nonbinary and uses all pronouns and there is a noteworthy nonbinary character whose story doesn‘t revolve around them being nonbinary. they are fully accepted. there are plenty of queer relationships. there are mermaids with beard stubble.

- a short hike (nonbinary): an amazingly fun game that actually feels like a holiday. it also has a super fast turtle that goes by they/them pronouns

- shovel knight (queer relationships, trans, nonbinary): fun platformer that allows you to choose your body type (male/female) and your pronouns (he/she/they) independently from one another. you can also do the same for all bosses and your love interest.

- squidlit and super squidlit: really fun gameboy style games that were created by independent trans developers.

[dipplinduo]

How would you rank the gens?

Ope I feel like I'm gonna upset some people LOL so disclaimer remember these are just my takes.

But this is how I personally see them (counting remakes as being part of the gen they remaking):

Gen 9 - Paldea Region

I've been thinking about this since the games came out, so I'd like to say recency bias isn't as much of a factor here. Bugs aside, I genuinely, genuinely love the storytelling, characterizations, and open world approach. FRIENDS THAT FEEL LIKE ACTUAL FRIENDS?? HAVING THE LEGENDARY WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME, AND IT TOO HAS A PERSONALITY & BACKSTORY??? THREE SEPERATE STORYLINES THAT CONNECT TO A CANONICALLY DEAD PROFESSOR AND AN "EVIL AI" FINAL BOSS??? Like omg. I was amazed. I honestly usually dislike the "gimmicks" each generation brings, but terastilization caught my interest and I have a strong feeling nothing will personally top it as a gimmick for me. The DLCs really sent it all home for me for the #1 spot, like oh my god LOL. Past DLCs always just felt like something extra, but I literally cannot see this game as being complete without Kieran, Carmine & the rest of Kitakami/Blueberry peeps & their storylines. My interest in the games only grew because of all of it - and that's a massive compliment given the fact of how hard it is to accomplish such a level of monumental significance with only a few hours of gameplay. I've yet to replay the game with earlier access to The Teal Mask, but I feel like this would make it even more immersive. Just pure chef kisses here.

Gen 2 - Johto Region

A very close second. Heartgold/Soulsilver is the most elite remake in existence and idc if it's old school, I'll die on this hill. Johto is just so full of life - the continuation story is amazing, the immersion into culture and legendary stuff??? Mwah. Silver is an excellent rival, RED being a thing (the ultimate level of iconicism), and the double region will always hit. The soundtracks HIT and my god hearing them remastered iS INCREDIBLE. I even get obsessed with the pokeathlon dome and I'm usually not someone who gets into that kind of stuff. But THEY MADE IT FUN. And I love all the cute activities you can do with your team that can follow you around. So glad they brought this feature back. :')

Gen 5 - Unova Region

Oooooh I loved the reset of Gen 5. It's based on where I'm from and there were so many refreshing aspects of Black & White. From the new pokemon, to the NYC culture, to N & the whole beautiful storytelling there, and a sequel that somehow made everything even MORE polished. I literally remember referring to this region as the "Isshu Region" before the English names dropped becuase of the hype LOL. 10/10, cannot wait for these remakes. Gamefreak don't mess this up.

Gen 4 - Sinnoh Region

Oh, Gen 4. You hit good. The lowkey dreary vibes of Sinnoh is very nostalgic to me, and Piplup is one of my best buddies. Cynthia being the very first female Champion, and being as fearsome as she is, was such a big deal to me. Definetely Barbie'd her a bit in my mind because I look a like her and loved how much of an academic she was (but I def do not have her length in hair, lmao). Soundtracks are fire, of course. The way legendaries were integrated in the story without going too Dragonball Z was IMMACULATE, and the lake trio will always be my fave lil buddies. The only con I'd give this gen is that I disliked the HM reliance & D/P are practically unplayable to me since Platinum exists. I had low bars for the remake once I heard it wasn't Platinum, and ugh, they really dropped the ball. HOWEVER: while it isn't main line, I fucking love Legends: Arceus and would rather have that over an excellent remake, tbh.

Gen 1 - Kanto Region

This is another nostalgia one for me because of the fact that I quite literally was introduced to pokemon since before I can recall most memories (this is what happens when you have an older sibling with a gameboy, lol). It's probably tied with Gen 4, tbh. Firered wasn't my first game, but it hit really good because I "played" so much of R/B/Y. I know Gen 1 has its faults, and it's often seen as being pretty bare bones in comparison to other generations. And while I completely agree, god damn, what a good foundation for a franchise. Every town had a personality to it and is very memorable to me. The soundtracks are FIRE. Smaller pokedex, but damn does team building hit (and the starters are elite). Blue was also consistently my favorite rival until Kieran, lol. #oldrivalshipping/conflictingshipping was the original OTP xD

Gen 7 - Alola Region

So there's a lot of things I liked about Gen 7. It took a really big risk by breaking the formula, and it really immersed me into the Hawaiian culture & seeing your pokemon more as friends. I loved looking at pokemon in a different way and some of the pokemon introduced in this region are among my favorites (e.g. Ribombee, Bewear, Shiinotic, Mimikyu, Rockaruff, to name a few; starters also HIT). NEBBY AND LILLIE ARE ELITE. The professor is so lit, and Team Skull is the funniest team organization alive. AND YES, GET RID OF THE HMS. I honestly think a remake would make this gen jump up a bit more for me - the 3DS could barely handle this game, and it was showing. The facial expressions also need some work LOL, and I honestly dread the tutorial of the game. I like the ultrabeasts conceptually, but the execution of their involvement in the game is very DragonBall Z-ified. Ultra Necrozma lowkey would've been an amazing time for a "light" type even if it didn't make much sense, but hey, it was an awesome nuzlocke-killing moment anyway. xD

Gen 8 - Galar Region

I actually have a lot of play time for this gen. I was very obsessed with it when it came out, and could probably get glued to it all the same nowadays. But in hindsight, I realize a lot of my attachment to it was because of the semi-open worldness & ability to create a lot of different kinds of teams with a lot of new and old pokemon I like (I also liked having access to things earlier, like Ice Types before the end of the game lmfao). I still have a few things I really enjoy outside of it, though, like Hop's storyline & the setup of the gyms being in this stadium, sports-esque setting. But the plot? Eh. I have a lot of constructive criticism on how some shortcuts were made, and especially with the whole darkest day stuff lol. The only thing I liked about that fight was the dogs coming in and being cool; I wasn't impressed by or interest in Eternatus at all. The Leon fight afterward was fun, though! But oof, those weird men with the sword and shield hair afterwards were also just...no. :D DLCs also didn't quite hit that hard - it was more about having more pokemon than anything for me. So overall, it's fun to play, but I'd definitely change up the plot to make it better.

Gen 3 - Hoenn Region

This is where I think some people might wanna fight me, and to that I say you're probably valid. I don't know what it is with the Hoenn region because I actually don't have too many critiques about it (e.g., let's have less water routes); I just have never been able to get into it quite the same as I can others. I should honestly give it another shot, but I think I'd wanna do Emerald over Omega Ruby/Sapphire given the route they took everything with the remake lol. That's about all I have to say on this one since I never really connected with it as much!

Gen 6 - Kalos Region

This one feels like an especially hot take to have atm given where the pokemon community is in general LOL. Critical opinions ahead......Listen...no offense, but Gen 6 just ain't it for me at all. xD It's probably the one gen I actively dislike. The games felt way too easy with too much hand-holding/handouts, Team Flare & Diantha were a joke (and I'm not even a competitive player), and the whole group of friends felt more like an annoyance to me more than anything. They just weren't flushed out right. Neither was the plot. Like what was that plot. Outside of that, a lot of things just felt like "Look! Pokemon is in 3D now!!" over and over again because of how rushed the game was. So other than introducing fairy types & having pretty protagonists with some new clothing options, this gen is pretty forgettable to me. And that's a shame, because I like pokemon! I was one of those people who were curious on if we were gonna connect to Kalos for Gen 9, but I'd geniunely pick the DLCs we got any day of the week. I don't think Legends ZA will change much of my opinion on the mainline game, but given how much I loved Legends Arceus, I'm hoping it can be used to retcon & generate more interest/connection to the Kalos region in general.

Again, these are all just my personal opinions. I hope you all can enjoy pokemon in any way that feels good for you :) <3

[familiaralien]

Giant monster tamer megathread

Decided for the sake of education and my own neurodiversity to make a post including every video game series or stand alone title I know of that focuses on creature capturing competitions that isn't Pokemon.

One big exception: the game has to be a reasonably playable state. So no games that are effectively or literally lost media (like Micromon) or games that only playable state is currently a short demo (like Bestieball). With that in mind here we go:

Digimon

This one is pretty obvious. While more of a multimedia franchise it has tons of games to its IP. The one that probably would appeal most to Pokenerds is Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and its sequel as they're turned based RPGs with a monster capture mechanic.

Monster Rancher

Another one I think a lot of folks have heard about or least millennials would remember. I haven't personally played any of these titles myself but from what I gather they're raising sims with tournament combat. For a while their availability was mostly limited to emulation but Monster Rancher 1 and 2 have been ported to modern systems like the Switch.

Yo-kai Watch

A mid 2010s franchise that had a whole lot of initial success in Japan. Its an RPG series that doesn't take itself very seriously with cute and goofy monster design based on the Japanese folklore creatures called... well yokai. Has real time combat instead of turn based and more luck based capturing mechanics than Pokemon.

Palworld

Brand new game that's only in its alpha release as of now. Its effectively a parody of Pokemon where you're stuck trying to survive in the wilderness so you must build a base and farm resources to survive. Game did have some initial controversy due to some of its designs stepping a little TOO close to being outright ripoffs of existing designs. Also you can capture and enslave humans which may not vibe with some folks.

Temtem

Basically Pokemon meets a MMO lite. The game can be played mostly as single player campaign but does unfortunately still require a constant internet connection. Battles are turned based but 2 versus 2.

Shin Megami Tensei

What could be consider the original monster tamer game. The series is aimed at a somewhat older audience and the plots tend to be more philosophical then like "gotta be the best *insert title here* ever". Focuses a lot on fusing monsters as well as trying to convince them to join you. You actually battle alongside your monsters.

Dragon Quest Monsters

Monster Capturing mechanics do exist in the mainline DQ games as well (at least since DQ5 I think?) but its these games have them as the main gameplay. Much like SMT it focuses on fusing monsters as one of the main ways to expand your library off available species.

Nexomon

Franchise that started its life as a mobile game but has since gotten ports to other systems. Its very similar to Pokemon in terms of creature designs and combat but the worldbuilding is quite different as is its tone being a lot more comedic.

Coromon

Indie game with visuals similar to Pokemon Black and White. Its story was originally kinda so-so and its ending pretty abrupt but its since gotten a free patch that smoothed that out quite a bit. Also has a sorta unique "shiny" system where alternate colors are associated with higher potential which can actually be altered once. Also has a built in randomizer and "nuzlocke" mode.

Cassette Beasts

A pretty recent indie game. Unlike all the others you don't capture or hatch monsters but rather record them to transform into them yourself. Battles are always between you and a companion which there are multiple to befriend throughout your journey (including a dog!). Has some really interesting quirks with its type chart that adds a lot of extra depth. Will soon be releasing a mutiplayer update for anyone that's into that kind of thing.

Monster Crown

A game with visual based on the Gameboy era. It has some pretty fascinating breeding mechanics and a somewhat darker tone than Pokemon. WARNING: DO NOT GET THE SWITCH PORT! For whatever reason its especially glitchy and I have genuinely gotten entire save files ruined by game breaking bugs (such as my player character getting stuck in walls or clipping out of a bounds). As far as I'm aware the PC version is not nearly as much as a mess though.

Monster Sanctuary

Monster collecting meets metroidvania. Has a really fun skill tree type move learning system that allows for quite a bit of strategy. Also the monster designs are way less Pokemon and more inspired by traditional roleplay monsters (so there's like Goblins and stuff). My only gripe with the game is how you get monsters involves getting specific scores in battle which makes getting 1 of each monster way more tedious than it needed to be.

Fossil Fighters

Franchise is maybe dead since there hasn't been a new entry in it since the 3DS but its still easy enough to these games. Anyway this series involve reviving dinosaurs (and some other ancient animals) into new lifeforms called vivosaur and using them in 3 on 3 combat. Vivosaurs are obtained with a fossil digging minigame which is kinda neat.

Spectrobes

Another franchise that's been pretty dead for a while (it last entry was on the Wii). Spectrobes has a more sci fi like setting with its monsters being aliens you revive from fossils. Combat is real time and you participate alongside a couple of your monsters. I'm btw describing only the first game because I haven't played either sequel!

Evocreo

Mobile only monster game with a style similar to Pokemon Black and White not unlike Coromon mentioned above. Has a lot of focus on split path evolution. The devs are apparently going to release a sequel soon but its been in development hell for years so I'll come back and edit this if that actually happens.

Monster Hunter Stories

I have not played nor watched gameplay of this one so I can't really describe it that deeply all I know is its a spinoff of Monster Hunter involving befriending and using the titular monsters in combat.

Telefang

Its sad this game series is most famous for being badly translated and repackaged as a Pokemon game. Anyway these are Japanese only titles though fan translations exist. The gimmick of this game is that you call monsters up on your cellphone to get them over to participate in combat. This series this sprout out when cellphones were consider newfangled and hip so it makes sense.

Anode Heart

Pretty sure this one is PC only. Takes some inspiration from the Digimon World games and is semi open world. Sadly this one I don't know much about outside of that though it does have a free demo on Steam for anyone that wants to try it for themselves.

Ooblets

Extremely wholesome monster catching and farming game. Battles are actually dancing competitions instead of violent confrontations and monsters are recruited simply by beating them in a fight. Thing is monsters will only fight you if you offer them their favourite food so that's where strategy comes in.

Moonstone Island

I know very little about this one except its also a monster catching and farming game. I've heard that its really good though and I believe its PC only right now but has a planned Switch port.

Timenet

Probably the most obscure ass monster tamer on this entire list. This is a Japanese exclusive set of Gameboy games featuring very cute monster designs... and Hello Kitty. Yes Sanrio made a monster tamer back in the late 90s. I only learned this even existed after scrolling down a comment section on a random YouTube video.

Abomi Nation

I'm mostly excluding roguelike games due to most having nothing but battles an 0 plot but this one does actually has a story! You play as the actual monster as you make your way through somewhat randomly generated maps with lots of other randomized elements. The game allows for a lot of customization including turning off permadeath if you're not a fan of that. The visual style is a bit crude but its still a pretty cute game.

Jade Concoon

Another somewhat obscure entry but at least this one got an English release. Anyway its an old RPG for the PSX with monster capturing and a very fascinating monster fusing mechanic that uses an algorithm to determine the appearance of the fusion. The player character can also participate in battle and the plot is very complex. The game also has a sequel on the PS2 but I know even less about that one.

Robopon

Now if you thought Palworld was bordering on some copyright infringement this game is basically nothing but "Pokemon but the designs are robots". Still worth bringing up I think!

Ni No Kuni

Not sure how I got to mentioning several obscure titles and somehow didn't mention something that really isn't. Ni No Kuni is real time battles between you and 2 party members. You can both battle as the actual human characters or switch into a monster. Wrath of the White Witch's visual style in particular is very whimsical and even has some animated cutscene done by Studio Ghibli. I haven't played any other game in the franchise.

Siralim

I haven't played any entry in this series yet (there's apparently 4 games + a spinoff) but from reading up on the most recent entry these are basically procedurally generated dungeon crawlers with an insane level of depth. The story is apparently not that great but the games themselves apparently also make fun of it so it seems its an intentional dev choice. Battles are 6 on 6 and there's over 1000 monsters to collect.

Disc Creatures

A monster tamer with a visual style similar to the Gameboy and Gameboy Color. It has 3 on 3 combat. Impressively I'm pretty sure it was developed by just one person in the RPG Maker engine (I'm honestly surprised this is the first indie game made with ya know... an engine meant for turned based RPGs).

Monster Harvest

A Dungeon crawler mixed with farming. Its a bit shorter than anything else I've mentioned here and its a bit glitchy but its a cute little game worth picking up on sale at the least. Notably also only about a 1/3 of the monster in the game are combative with the rest being either used for farming resources or as mounts.

Loomian Legacy

A Roblox monster tamer.... yes there's 2 of those in this (I could even have added 3 but I think one is in still a pretty early state). Pretty sure this started as a Pokemon fangame and become its own thing later. It has your typical 1 on 1 turn based combat and all that. I think its free to play and there's like several hours of content on it so maybe worth a gander.

Tales of Tonorio

Pretty sure this is the same basic deal as Loomian (Roblox game, started as a Pokemon fan game, etc etc) though its has its own world building and creature designs since I'm pretty sure its made by a completely different team.

So yeah that's all of them I can think of right now. If I learn of others and/or there's new releases I may expand this.

PS: There is almost certainly numerous typoes in this. This post is way longer than anything else I've ever made on Tumblr so I can't be arse to fix them you're just going to have to deal!

[easternmind]

Inside the office of Fumito Ueda

This is a sequel of sorts to a post of mine from last year where I spotted a number of telling items on Fumito Ueda's office shelves, while more closely inspecting a picture from the Material Book included with the Japanese First Limited Edition of Hitokui no Ōwashi Trico. I'm calling this harmless voyeurism, coming as it does from someone who is exceedingly interested in this author and his work and appreciates the difficulty of such self-imposed challenges.

This new post will be looking more carefully at a this page size picture from The World of Fumito Ueda, a book Kadokawa released earlier this year, from which some detail can be extracted. The photo is stylized with a checkered transparency which makes this exercise substantially more difficult. Should you recognize any item I failed to identify, I ask that you use the comment box so I may improve this entry.

This is a rather pristine-looking 1976 Nintendo Kôsenjû Duck Hunt, a sophisticated light gun toy from Yokoi's R&D department consisting of a battery-powered projector and a plastic rifle whose objective was for the player to shoot at the duck whenever it appeared on the wall.

To the left is Nintendo's Custom Gunman toy, also designed by Gunpei Yokoi in 1976, consisting of a plastic cowboy figure with a receptor in its chest at which the player needed to aim with precision in order to score.

I remember reading about these in Gorges' L'Histoire de Nintendo. Both may have been toys that Ueda had as a child, but this is mere speculation from my end.

Two PSP games stored on this shelf: Metal Gear Acid (2004) and Lemmings (2006), a remake of a game which was highly influential to him, as he as indicated on multiple occasions. In the previous post I wrote, I spotted a big box copy of the original game.

An unexpected find here: a DVD entitled The Animal Motion Show, a visual library meant as reference for artists containing thousands of video clips animals in motion, no doubt very useful in key framing Toriko's unique animations.

A pair of books stand out to me and confirm many of my long-held suspicions on Ueda's influences: Hyperion's From Myst to Riven hardcover from 1997; and the 1974 Dover Publications' Doré Bible Illustrations.

The US and European versions of Shadow of the Colossus sitting beside Saints Seinaru Mamono, the Japanese edition of the Sony Cambridge Studio 2004 game, Primal.

More books, including the 2014 volume The Birth of Rockin' Jelly Beans. If you are not familiar with this reference, he is a Japanese lowbrow erotica artist who wears a mask in public appearances and whose identity remains unknown to this day.

Tucked in a lower shelf are the Gameboy Color edition of Prince of Persia, the Japanese version of Abe's Exodus (ABE '99) for the Playstation and the Wonderswan version of Toshio Iwai's Tenori-On.

Last but not least, here is the the Limited Run Games Limited 20th Anniversary Edition of Another World (either the PS4 or the PSVita edition, it's impossible to tell).

[shima-draws]

Hi Shima! You have a lot of Pokemon content on your page and I’m sorta curious about the like, world of Pokemon, so would you have any recommendations on what like game I should start with or what I should watch first? Thanks!

!!! YOOOOO OKAY I GOTCHU ANON. Buckle up bc my 20 years of being a Pokemon fan is about to kick in

As for where to start with the games--this is all really depending on how your own personal playstyle! Do you like games that are more easy going and light on plot? Or do you like ones with heavy amounts of story? Or do you prefer games that are a perfect blend of the two? Pokemon's got a mixed bag of all of the above so you really can't go wrong

If you're into that really nostalgia feel I'd recommend starting out with the first Pokemon game I ever played as a kid, which was Pokemon Emerald! You can actually play this for free by downloading a Gameboy Advance emulator and the Emerald ROM. I have a lot of fond memories of Emerald and it's still one of my favorite games to date. I actually even prefer Emerald over its remakes (Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire) bc it just doesn't quite hit the same lol. I think even without having played Emerald as a kid it'll just spark that nostalgic feeling? It's that kind of game, at least to me :")

Going off of that if you REALLY want to hit nostalgia central and start where it all began, Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen is also a good game to start out with. It's a remake of Pokemon Red/Blue, which were the first ever Pokemon games that were made. Personally I'm not a super huge Gen 1 fan bc I feel like it's been WAY overdone at this point (it's had two remakes already) but if you've never played a Pokemon game again it's definitely a good starting point. It's barely got any plot so it's really a game you can just dive into and enjoy without focusing too hard on the story. AND as an added bonus, Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver is the direct sequel to Gen 1 (and a remake of the original Gold/Silver/Crystal) so I'd definitely play that one as well, it's lots of fun!

Of course I will also recommend Pokemon Black/White and Black 2/White 2, which is generation 5 and my FAVORITE mainline Pokemon games of all time. BW released right before the transition to the 3D games so it still has sprite art. It's a GORGEOUS game honestly and I think it's really well balanced with story VS gameplay. It's got great characters and fantastic design elements (with everything honestly like the Pokemon designs are great, the character designs are great, the city/town designs are great, etc) and the most KICKASS soundtrack ever (looking at you Driftveil City AKA Toothless dancing meme music). I could go on and on and on about Gen 5 for hours lmao I really hold it near and dear to my heart. Also it's one of the very few games that actually has a sequel which I LOVE. BW2 takes place two years after BW and I love the story and character progression 🥰

Shouting out Pokemon Platinum as well, I know it's a huge fan favorite and honestly I also love it very much!! Platinum came out before BW did so it's got that early DS era feel to it. It's got a decent plot and classic fun gameplay elements. Also Pokemon Legends Arceus which ties directly into Platinum as its prequel (but you should play Platinum first? I know it's confusing lol). PLA is SUPER fucking fun, it's got a completely different gameplay style and mechanic than regular Pokemon games, and it ties in with Platinum so well.

And to my last few recommendations -

Pokemon Sun and Moon!! There's mixed feelings about this one from a lot of people but it's one of my personal favorites...I think people dislike that it's so plot heavy, there's a LOT of dialogue even when starting the game so if you're not into that I wouldn't go with SM. But I LOVE games that are heavy with plot and SM just does it so well. The characterization is really well done and I love watching Lillie go through her development arc 🤧 But yeah it's SM NOT Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon which are like. The same games but Worse. USUM took SM's plot and stomped all over it so I would not go for those lol

And, of courseeee. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet! These are the most recent mainline games to release and ohhh my god. Is the game laggy and bugged out as hell? Yes. Is it also fucking FANTASTIC and has made me cry multiple times? ALSO yes. If you don't mind occasional shitty graphics then please please PLEASE play SV. The open world aspect is a ton of fun, the new Pokemon designs are so charming, the characters are wonderful, and the STORY??? The plot literally blew my socks off the first time I played it. SV endgame you will always be the king of my heart. It's definitely heavier than any previous Pokemon game and it had me reeling for DAYS after. The story is just. So so so good. And we get a continuation of the story kicking ass in the DLC. I love SV to death it really redeemed Pokemon after the disaster that was gen 8 for me (and it's REALLY fun to shiny hunt in).

And LAST but certainly not least. My favorite Pokemon game of all time period ever in the history of Pokemon. Not a mainline game but a side/spinoff game--Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky!! If you want the classic Pokemon experience I probably wouldn't start with this since it's so different from the mainline games but I'd 10000% play it after finishing your first Pokemon game. It's a dungeon crawler, you get to BE a Pokemon, the music is phenomenal, the gameplay is phenomenal, the story is PHENOMENAL, everything about it is incredible and I will love this game until the day I die. I CANNOT recommend it enough. It's so so SO good and it means so much to me I can't even. Please play PMD Sky this goes to everyone who hasn't played it I prommy it's worth it

So basically:

Easy games with no/light plot: FRLG, Emerald, HGSS

Games with a perfect blend of actual gameplay and plot: BW/B2W2, Platinum, PLA

Games that hit HEAVY with plot/storyline: SM, SV, PMD Sky

Honestly you really cannot go wrong no matter where you start out. Even if it's with one of the games I DIDN'T personally recommend, all the mainline games have their own unique charm and each generation has its die hard fans (UNOVA GANG RISE). I've played all of them and they're all enjoyable!

As for the anime, my personal recommendations are the XY saga and the SM saga! The SM saga is my ultimate favorite, it's really cute and charming and fun, with some heavier plot arcs sprinkled in so it's a good blend between lighthearted stuff and more serious story. XY is VERY plot-heavy especially in the latter part, there's a lot of character development and crazy stuff going on, so I'd go for that one if you want to get hit hard with Feels. I haven't watched as much of the anime so I'm sure other people would recommend other seasons (I know the original saga, the Hoenn saga and the DP saga are fan favorites).

I'd also recommend watching the sub instead of the dub,, especially if you haven't grown up watching the Pokemon anime like me the dub is VERY hit or miss. I prefer subs as well bc the dub actually cuts out a LOT of stuff? I know for SM they had fun extra little bits at the beginning and ending of each episode that the dub just. Didn't include. For some reason? Like they'd cut out entire scenes. Idk. It's up to you either way tho ^^

And that is my introduction to Pokemon list.........if anybody has anything to add feel free! These are just my personal recommendations based off of what I like so naturally not everyone will agree lol. If you have any questions anon don't hesitate to ask, I'm always down to talk Pokemon. And I hope you have lots of fun playing whichever game you decide to go with!!

[st-hedge]

Just wanted to say your amazing BOTW/TOTK art awakened the need to play the other games, just now I finished Twilight Princess for the first time and oh boi, what a good game… Still craving more Zelda, do you recommend diving straight to Ocarina or should I go Wind Waker? Already played Skyward Sword and it was a bit eh for me. I’m also curious about which are your favs.

Oh I’m so glad u enjoyed TP!! It’s one of my favourites! If u already know the lore/story of oot from watching playthroughs, u can go straight into ww. But if u feel like u don’t know oot very well, I’d say play that first cuz ww leads on from it. Ww is the result of one of the timeline splits (the ending where link remains an adult at the end of oot)

Once u play oot, if u enjoyed it, I’d say give majoras mask a go cuz TP is the result of that timeline split (the one where link decides to go back in time and relive his childhood)

My other favourites besides oot and tp are links awakening and a link between worlds. They are both sequels and adjacents to a link to the past which is very interesting but it's a bit rough in terms of playing (old games r difficult). the links awakening remake is so delightful but might make ur brain melt from time to time

If u enjoyed those I’ll say give the oracle games and minish cap a go. Especially minish cap, the pixel art makes me want to eat my gameboy

[daughter-of-sapph0]

I'm currently making pixel art in the style of the pokemon tgc gameboy game.

due to the limitations of the game boy, they can only use four colors for the images on the cards, because that's all the original game boy can display. but since the game plays on a gb and gbc, they can add color data that the gameboy color can interpret and change those four grayscale colors into 4 vibrant colors.

I definitely recommend checking out the art from the original game, and the Japan only sequel. they make incredible use of the limitations of the hardware at the time, and the artwork appears bright and vibrant on both a gbc and original gameboy. most of the artwork is based on the currently released physical pokemon cards at the time, and you can definitely see how accurate they are to the original art.

the tcg games use the card sets originally released at the time, base set to gym challenges (basically just gen 1)

I wanted to make my own versions based on real cards, so I used some cards from neo genesis series (which is basically gen 2 where they introduced dark and metal colors to represent the dark and steel types introduced in gsc)

the cards I used are holo azumarill (2/111), elekid (22/111), and furret (35/111) from neo genesis, umbreon (32/75) and wooper (71/75) from neo discovery, and celebi (3/64) from neo revolution. as you can see from the blank spaces, I'm planning to add a lot more. I'll probably look at the e-card series next.

[smash-64]

2023 Game of the Year Countdown #5 Pokemon Trading Card Game  (and also the Pokemon Trading Card Game Neo! romhack by Cataclyptic that added Gen 2 Pokes) Nintendo GameBoy Color, 1998

This entry will include two games, but one is simply a romhack by a fan. However, that romhack is probably the best romhack I’ve ever played. First, the original.

Pokemon Trading Card Game came with the addition of GameBoy games to the Switch online subscription, and for many, it was their first experience with the TCG. My best friend and I taught ourselves to play back in the day, but we were poor kids with little allowance to spend on cards and never had any good decks. I used to read about really expensive decks filled with holographics and rares that won tournaments and always wished I could make one of my own. The pinnacle was always the Haymaker deck: a deck built around a few Pokemon with high HP and cheap attacks that could KO opponents before they could do anything about it.

The thing is, the Haymaker deck is so hilariously powerful, you can essentially stomp the CPU without even putting together a complete version of the deck. The best versions rely on Energy Removals and Super Energy Removals to hamstring opponents, and Gusts of Wind to force your opponent into switching to suit favorable matchups. I never pulled a single Super Energy Removal at all, and was lacking full sets of numerous Pokemon that were staples in the Haymaker deck, yet I was still able to absolutely blast the CPU. It was easy, but it was also fun.

However, the true experience came from the romhack created by Cataclyptic. The romhack creates a full set of new cards, removing most of the old ones from Base Set, Jungle, and Fossil. Instead, we get all the Johto Pokemon, as well as a few returning cards that have been balanced. I found the balanced cards to be wonderfully tailored to be good, but never TOO good. It was surprising to see that almost every card felt useful. Many were based on other cards, and I fell into a Meganium and Bellossom deck. There were two Meganiums, with one able to heal status conditions and the other able to shuffle energy cards among your Pokemon. Meanwhile, Bellossom was clearly based on the Do the Wave Wigglytuff of Jungle lore. However, this Bellossom felt more balanced since it was a stage 2 evolution, and the attack required grass energies, not colorless. As a result, it took longer to both fully evolve, and power up your Pokemon, since you couldn’t utilize the Double Colorless Energy.

I was also a fan of Jumpluff, as the entire evolutionary line only required a single grass energy for every attack. As a result, you had a whole line of Pokemon that felt true to their original design of being lightweight, quick Pokemon. I loved the attention to detail on this sort of thing.

Additionally, the cards themselves were created in the same GBC sprites that the original game had. Some look better than others, but I think almost all look better than their original counterparts. Clearly crafted with love by Cataclyptic.

Finally, before I get inundated with messages and comments telling me about the official TCG sequel that was only released in Japan, I did also try the fan translation of that game. However, I didn’t enjoy it much at all because they severely restricted so many things. Part of what was fun about the game to begin with was being able to get booster packs at a rate significantly above what my poor childhood self could afford. However, the very premise of Invasion of Team GR! is that they’ve taken all the Pokemon cards, making them very scarce. As a result, you can’t get cards nearly as easily. And with the extra sets added to the game, you can’t get the ones you want very easily, either. 

Additionally, the entire strategy behind most of the Team Rocket cards is to disrupt play, and while that might be similar in one way to the Haymaker strategy I previously praised, the Pokemon themselves are all pretty weak. It feels like you’re just playing Trainer cards and nothing else. I’ve seen some strategies that make people discard most of their deck instead of KOing their Pokemon. It very much fits the MO of Team Rocket, but it just isn’t quite for me. However, if you like blue decks in Magic the Gathering, you might enjoy this one. 

If you like the TCG or the original game, play Cataclyptic’s romhack! I’d buy a physical cart of it, if I could.

[digi-tama-in-your-pocket]

I don't think I've ever managed to get an adult Tamagotchi in the Gameboy game until now. Nice. I screwed up at first and got Kutchitamatchi because I didn't know about the hidden stats, aparantly you can see them with a special button combo, but I also didn't underestand playing sports and math games raise their fear/stress if you do it late at night or early in the morning, so that could explain why I got a bad care teenager. I like Kuchipatchi, so no complaints here.

How do I like this game? Well... it's definitely a Tamagotchi. I think something is lost when it's not an LCD keychain that is always on and always with you. If I was playing this on a Game Boy, I'd only play it in short bursts, because I want to preserve my precious batteries. You can thankfully speed up the time but I think that's not a great way to experience virtual pets. The fact that i'm playing on Super Gameboy with a second TV next to it that I can use to entertain myself in my downtime is the only reason I can play this.

But... I did want to play it. I'm glad I got to finally get an adult. And I'd like to shoot for a better care adult next time, maybe raising multiple tamas at once. One thing I always manage to miss is the tournaments. I think those are supposed to make this game more engaging.

This does help me get my Tamagotchi fix without actually running a Tamagotchi though. I think I'll actually pick up one of my real Tamagotchis to run at the star of the month when I usually swap my v-pets out. I've been getting that urge ever since my phone charm addiction set in, and i'm expecting some actual Tamagotchi themed phone charms later this month, so, yay for that.

I wonder if the japan-only sequels are able to be played despite the language barrier? Virtual pets seem mostly easy to understand without speaking Japanese, but a game could be another story.

[rose-learns-japanese]

Japanese Video Games and Your Consoles

Hello! This post is for people that want to play video games in Japanese and want to know which consoles play them, so I'll go through the ones I know about, here. (Not going to talk about sailing the high seas here)

I've been mostly a Nintendo nut my whole life, so most of my info is about Nintendo!

Hopefully this helps someone!

Gameboy Color/Advance

Region Free

The Gameboy, Gameboy color and Gameboy Advance are all completely region free. Your Gameboy models will all play Japanese games just fine.

I recommend:

Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Crystal, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald

Pokemon card game and the sequel GR団参上

The Legend of Zelda the Minish Cap, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons

--------

Super Nintendo

Region Locked, simple devices available

The Nintendo and Super Nintendo were both region locked by the cartridges themselves being of a different shape. You can either buy a Super Famicom (The Japanese equivalent) or buy a peripheral to make your Super Nintendo play super Famicom games. It's not too cost prohibitive to buy what's called a "Cartridge converter". Another option is to buy a Retron system that plays them.

I recommend:

Mario RPG

Final Fantasy

Earthbound

--------

N64

Region locked, easy modification

N64 is region locked based on the shape of the cartridge back. To get your Japanese games to work on yours, switch the back off of the actual cartridge using a 3.8 mm Gamebit screwdriver with the back from any other US cartridge.

I recommend:

Mario Story (Paper Mario)

Mario Party

Pokemon Snap

Legend of Zelda games

--------

Gamecube

Region locked

Buy a Gamecube capable Japanese Wii.

I recommend:

Pokemon Coliseum

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness

All the Mario Parties

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance if you can get it (EXPENSIVE)

Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

Legend of Zelda Windwaker

Battle Houshin

--------

Wii

Region locked

I bought a Japanese Wii, but skipped the WiiU in Japanese.

I would recommend:

Captain Rainbow (Japan Exclusive)

Takt of Magic (This one is FUN! It's Japan exclusive and you use your WiiMote to cast spells by drawing shapes)

Earth Seeker (Japan Exclusive)

Legend of Zelda (Skyward Sword)

--------

DS

Region Free

The DS is completely region free. Any DS game will play on your device.

My recommendations:

Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks (You can hold your stylus on a kanji to read it in Hiragana, but it won't show by default! Awesome!)

Any Pokemon Game (You can choose Kanji or hiragana and switch mid-game)

Ace Attorney series - If you want to struggle but skyrocket your reading level, play Ace Attorney, called 逆転裁判. There are a lot of games and they're mostly great. If you can get ahold of the spin off, 逆転検事, I played through the first one and it was a bit slow, but the second one is not released in the US. I've started it, it's supposed to be good.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days

--------

3DS

Region locked

Having a Japanese 3DS has been an invaluable tool. If you save up to buy one Japanese version of a console, get this one. However, with the e-shop closed, if you would rather sail the high seas here, this would be... The prime time to do so, but I did not say anything.

Recommended:

Fire Emblem Fates

Fire Emblem Echoes

Pokemon Moon

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Sonic games

Bravely Default (Fully Voice acted)

There is SO MUCH on there

-----

Nintendo Switch

Region Free

The Nintendo Switch will play any region game you put in it! On top of that, the Japanese language track is available on most Nintendo branded games, so if you have the English version, you might already have the Japanese version!

To buy on the e-shop, make a Japanese Nintendo account. You will need to buy gift cards from a third party site like Playasia to purchase.

Recommended:

Get the online pack, then download the Japanese version of the N64 and Super Nintendo apps! I recommend Paper Mario on the N64 app.

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom (Has Furigana on all dialogue!)

Mario Odyssey

Princess Peach Showtime

Mario RPG

Luigi's Mansion 3

Pretty much anything you can play on Switch can change to Japanese. (Splatoon not included)

This thing is a learning machine.

-----

PSP

Region Free

PSP is completely region free!

I have played Birth by Sleep on here in Japanese and it was good.

Recommended:

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

--------

PS1/PS2

Region Locked

There's a trick to make these region free, but I bought a Japanese Ps2. If you want to unlock your non-Japanese Ps2, you can look into something called Disk Swapping.

My recommendations:

Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2

I haven't explored much by way of Japanese only Ps2 games yet, but I'm going to be getting Endonesia because it's made by some of the same people that made Moon. Look into Moon, it's an awesome game too.

I am aware that the Japanese only library for this particular console is large.

--------

PS3/PS4 (I do not own PS5)

Region Free

PS3 and PS4 are region free, and I have heard PS5 is as well.

My collection of Japanese games for these, however, is low so I don't really have any recommended games. Maybe I'll update this later.

To buy on the Japanese PS3 and 4 shop, you will need to make a Japanese playstation account. After this, you will need to use a third party website to buy gift cards, such as PlayAsia, to add money. You should be able to buy and download as long as you have the money in the account.

[pandenewie]

LOVERBOY

SYNOPSIS:

After his failed confession, Heeseung and Ari fall into a comfortable pattern in each other's lives. But as the two get even closer than ever, the line between friends and something else becomes even more blurred. Maybe this is a sign that it's not quite game over just yet...

PAIRING: heeseung x fem!oc

GENRE: nonidol!au, slowburn, friends to lovers, underage drinking (Niki gets drunk, sorry y'all), ft Enhypen members, Itzy Yuna, Aespa Ningning, Diary of a Homewrecker Y/n

WORD COUNT: 8.7k

AN: To celebrate 1 year since Diary of A Homewrecker was released, here is the long awaited sequel to the special chapter GAMEBOY!! This story takes place after Diary Of A Homewrecker and will follow Heeseung x Ari as well as some Sunghoon x Y/n updates :))

Read part 1 here

Thursdays are Heeseung’s favourite day. Once his afternoon lecture is finished (his final class of the week) he goes straight to the Gamestop that’s down the street from his apartment. He had already browsed the sales bin on Tuesday, so he knows exactly what he’s getting. Although nowadays, Ari graciously puts the games on hold rather than Heeseung having to strategically hide them from other eager cheapskates. He buys his games and talks to Ari about his day before going to the ice cream parlour across the street.

There, he’ll order a double scoop of Rainbow Sherbet and play a few rounds of the new game he picked up for his switch (making sure to at least pass a few of the levels before Niki can get his hands on it). After about an hour, he will order another double scoop - this time strawberry. 

A minute or two will pass before Ari walks into the shop and takes the ice cream with a bright smile and energetic thank you. She’s told him he doesn’t have to buy her one but has gradually accepted the fact that he always will. Heeseung will play a few more rounds while Ari finishes her cold treat, before the two walk back over to the Gamestop, getting into Ari’s car and driving towards Heeseung’s apartment.

They will stop at the grocery store on the way (because no matter how many lists he writes, Heeseung always forgets something). Despite only needing one thing they’ll spend a good 20 minutes browsing the aisles, looking at fancy wine bottles that are completely out of their price range and comparing the calories in different cereal brands - as if either of them care about the calories. Then, they’ll leave the store, their single item in hand, and continue their trip back to Heeseung’s apartment.

Niki will be waiting at the door when they arrive, immediately complaining about being hungry. Heeseung will scold him for being impatient, whilst Ari laughs and apologises for being late. She says they’ll be quicker next time and the empty promise seems to ease Niki’s attitude.

Sometimes Ari sleeps over. Sometimes she doesn’t. However, if it does start to get late and Ari gets a little too tired to drive (or too drunk, depending on the evening), Heeseung will allow Niki to sleep in his bed to make space for Ari on the couch. It’s impractical - having three people sleeping in a one-bedroom apartment. And lord knows Heeseung would much prefer to have Ari cuddled up next to him. But it works. And waking up to Ari making breakfast in his kitchen is definitely worth sleeping with a snoring teenage blanket hog.

“Hyung.” 

Heeseung scrunches his nose slightly, rolling over to avoid the dreaded noise that’s interrupting his sleep.

“Hyung!”

He buries his head under the pillow, mumbling a jumble of words as he attempts to cling to whatever's left of his slumber.

“I guess I’ll just go eat breakfast with Ari without you then.”

This gets his attention, as Heeseung stretches out his limbs and reluctantly opens his eyes, only to be met with Niki looking down at him. “You’re such a simp.” He says, playfully hitting his older friend on the head before walking out of the room. Heeseung joins him shortly after, walking slowly as his body takes time to fully wake.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Ari’s cheerful voice floats through the kitchen. Heeseung mumbles out a good morning, giving her a gentle head pat before sitting down at the table with Niki. “We forgot to get pancake mix but I found a recipe online that this woman made. So if they’re shit, blame Kelly.” Ari says, placing the pancakes and toppings on the table. “Nothing you make is shit.” Heeseung says, making Ari smile thankfully at him. He can’t tell if she’s blushing or if the morning sun is just casting a glowing hue on her skin. He likes to think it’s the first one.

“So… what’s everyone’s plans for the day?” Ari asks, shoving a fork full of pancakes into her mouth. “I’ve got a maths test.” Niki frowns. “Ew.” Ari comments, matching the younger boy's energy. “Yeah, ew. And I have to catch the bus because Jay is busy helping Sunghoon move and this idiot doesn’t have his licence.” Niki complains, shooting a glare towards Heeseung. “I have a licence, I just don’t have a car.” Heeseung shrugs. “Well get one!” “If I could afford a car, do you think you would be sleeping on a couch?”

Ari laughs slightly at their bickering. “I’ll give you a ride, Niki.” She says, stopping the argument as soon as she begins to speak. “Thanks, Ari. It’s nice to have someone who cares about my education.” “Taking the bus has nothing to do with your education!”

“Heeseung, what are you doing today?”Ari asks, breaking the argument once again. “Uh… I’ll be helping Sunghoon move for a couple of hours and then I’ve got work tonight.” Heeseung smiles. “Jeez, how many people are helping him move?” Ari asks, eyebrows furrowed. “Well… it’s not like he needs us to help. He’s just the first one out of the friend group to move in with his partner, so they’re making it this big thing.” Heeseung shrugs.

No one was surprised when Sunghoon and Y/n announced that they were moving in together. Mainly because Y/n was basically living with Jake and Sunghoon anyway and the two had talked about getting their own place for quite a while. But since they are the first couple in the group to get an apartment together (they are also currently the only couple in the group) everyone is making it a bigger deal than it needs to be.

“Do you need a ride too?” Ari asks, causing Heeseung to nod sheepishly. “That’s fine, I don’t mind playing Uber driver.” She smiles. “But you’ve gotta get ready quickly, I’ve got class this morning.” Ari adds, causing the boys to immediately shove as much food into their mouths as possible.

Driving with Ari is nice. She always has the air conditioner on - not too hot, not too cold. Her playlist is the perfect mix of old classics and new songs that Heeseung secretly Shazams from the passenger seat. And if he’s lucky, he’ll get to hear her quietly singing along if she’s in a particularly happy mood.

As Ari pulls into the carpool lane, behind the many cars of parents dropping off their children, Heeseung can’t help but laugh slightly. “What are you laughing at?” Niki accuses, doing a last-minute check through his bag. “Nothing. I just feel like a dad dropping his kid off.” Heeseung says, causing Ari to giggle slightly. “Does that make me his mom, then?” She asks, causing Heeseung’s face to immediately burn a dark shade of pink. Niki notices this and smirks to himself, deciding to hold his tongue. He can make fun of him later.

“Well… I’ve gotta go. Bye Mom, bye Dad.” Niki teases, opening the car door and getting out. He slings his bag over his shoulder before making his way towards a boy waiting for him - someone Ari quickly recognised as Jungwon. She sends him a wave, which he enthusiastically returns, before driving off.

“Are you free this Sunday?”

The sudden question breaks through the song that’s currently playing, causing Ari to turn her attention to Heeseung. “The whole day?” She asks. “Okay… from 5 pm onwards?” Heeseung clarifies, rolling his eyes playfully at her nitpicking. “I can be.” Ari hums, momentarily turning her attention back to the road. “Why?” She asks. “Sunghoon and Y/n are having dinner and drinks… kinda like a housewarming party and I was wondering if you would want to come?”

The way he asks seems so nonchalant but Ari can tell it’s anything but. Apart from Niki (and Jungwon from the one time she gave him a ride to school), she hasn't met the rest of Heeseung’s friends. She wasn’t even sure if he had wanted her to meet them - it’s not like she’s anything more than a friend herself.

“I can come.” Ari says after a moment of thought. “Who else is gonna be there?” She adds, hoping to at least hear some familiar names. “It’s just our friend group, so myself, Niki, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Jungwon - and then Y/n and their friends, Ningning and Yuna.” Heeseung rambles off.

Okay, a few of the other names sound familiar (Ari is certain she’s had at least one conversation with this Jay person). Despite this event being far from formal, Ari can’t help feeling slightly nervous about meeting Heeseung’s friends. She’s not an idiot; she knows the way he talks about her to other people. As flattering as it is, not everyone sees her the way that Heeseung does. She’d hate for his friends to be disappointed when reality does not match the perfect fantasy that Heeseung describes.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to though.” Ari only just realises that Heeseung has been talking this entire time. “No, I’ll come. It sounds like fun.” She smiles, Heeseung’s expression quickly mirroring her own.

“Heeseung’s here!”

You’d think he was a celebrity with all the people greeting him at the door to Sunghoon and Y/n’s apartment. “Geez, you weren’t kidding when you said this was a whole thing.” He says, counting to see their entire university group sitting on the floor of what’s about to be the living room.

“More people means less work.” Sunghoon shrugs, immediately placing some kind of tool in Heeseung’s hand. “Mind passing this to Jake? He’s trying to build the TV unit.” Sunghoon says, putting emphasis on trying. “The instructions are in Swedish!” Jake whines from the other side of the room, aggressively flipping through what Heeseung assumes is the instruction manual.

“I thought you guys weren’t coming until Sunday?” Heeseung asks, taking notice of Yuna and Ningning - who are currently looking through a box of what appears to be stuff from their old apartment. “Y/n wanted us to set up some of their stuff while they’re at work.” Ningning says, pulling out a half-dead house plant. “Hey wait, this is mine!” She complains.

“Speaking of Sunday, did you invite your girlfriend?” Jay asks, causing Heeseung to groan. “She’s not my girlfriend.” He tries to defend, only earning snickers from his friends. “I’m serious! She’s just as much my friend as… Yuna is.” Heeseung claims, immediately causing Yuna’s face to fall. “Ew, don’t drag me into this.” She says.

“Is Ari coming or not? Y/n wants me to confirm numbers.” Sunghoon asks. “She’s coming.” Heeseung nods. “But you guys better not pull any of this girlfriend shit, okay? I don’t want you making her uncomfortable.” He adds, causing everyone in the room to nod. 

That top’s too revealing. That one’s too prudish. This one is cute, but now the pants don’t match. And does she bring a jacket? Ari doesn’t even know where Sunghoon and Y/n live, let alone if they have an outdoor space.

Sighing, she changes into yet another outfit choice - deciding some jeans, a simple top and a light jacket will do. Why does she care so much about meeting Heeseung’s friends? It’s not like it’s dinner with the queen.

Oh god, she didn’t even think about hair and makeup! Should she just stick to her everyday thing? Or does she go a little nicer? After all, she does want to make a good first impression.

Ari’s rushing thoughts get interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing 5 times exactly - and she immediately knows it’s Heeseung and Niki (Niki does things in 5s because it’s the year he was born and he claims it gives him good luck). She opens the door to reveal the two guys, who immediately push their way into her apartment.

“You look so pretty, Noona!” Niki says, earning an eye roll from Heeseung. It’s not that he doesn’t agree with Niki’s words - but he knows he’s only saying them to annoy him. “Thanks, Niki… but I just look normal.” Ari laughs, patting the younger boy's head as she walks past him. “You guys came earlier than I thought… I still haven’t done my hair or makeup.” She says sheepishly. “We can wait.” Heeseung says, smiling at Ari. “I’ll only be like 20 minutes.” Ari promises before rushing off to her room.

A few minutes pass before Heeseung makes his way down the hall, creaking open the door to Ari’s room and spotting her sitting at the vanity. “Everything going okay?” He asks, leaning against the doorframe, smiling slightly as Ari looks at him through the mirror. “Yeah, I’m just trying to squeeze a 30-minute makeup routine into 10.” Ari jokes, lifting her head to blend the foundation down her neck. Heeseung makes his way into the bedroom, flicking the light on in the process which causes Ari to send him a quick thank you. “Is there a way I can help?” He asks, earning another laugh from Ari. “Not unless you’re secretly a hairstylist.” She jokes.

Heeseung’s eyes fall to her hair, and he has to resist the urge to run his hands through it. “What were you gonna do with it?” He asks. “Probably just brush it… clip my bangs back.” She mumbles, trying her best to answer the question whilst still concentrating on her contour. 

Without thinking, Heeseung reaches for the brush that’s sat on her vanity, not missing the way Ari’s lips turn up into a smile at the action. He begins to gently drag the brush through her hair, making sure to be careful enough to not pull. Now, he doesn’t even resist subtly running his fingers through the strands - hoping to play it off as styling.

Ari attempts to split her attention evenly between doing her makeup and watching Heeseung through her mirror. His gentle touches cause her heart to flutter slightly as she quickly looks away, applying blush to her cheeks to hide the fact that she’s actually blushing.

“Where are your clips?” Heeseung asks suddenly, causing her to look up at him. She reaches forwards to grab the box of hairpins she keeps on her vanity. “Here… pick whatever you want.” She says, handing the box to him. Ari has to bite back the smile that threatens to spread across her face as Heeseung puts his full concentration into picking the hairpins. He eventually settles on two strawberry ones, bringing his hands carefully towards Ari’s bangs. The soft graze of his fingers against her forehead leaves a small tingle on the skin, and Ari can’t help but watch in awe as he meticulously lays the strand in place before securing it with the clip. He then moves to the other side, repeating the action with the same precision and care as the first time.

Once finished, Heeseung’s eyes meet Ari’s - which are watching him through the mirror. “Hi.” He mumbles, softly smiling at her. She returns the gesture, whispering a small “hi” back. It’s silent for a moment as the two look at each other through the mirror. “You’re beautiful.” Heeseung suddenly confesses, causing Ari’s face to burn even more than it already was.

It’s been a while since Heeseung had called her beautiful. Not since that night in her car, where he confessed his feelings. The night where he promised to wait for her, as long as she’d let him.

Neither of them had brought it up since. It had been awkward for about a week before things went straight back to normal - almost as if Heeseung had never confessed at all. Well, things went back to normal for Heeseung, that is. For Ari however, the confession made her see Heeseung in a new light, and she had to fight the urge to run to him and take her rejection back. Because she knew she wasn’t ready for another relationship, but god, did Heeseung make her want to try.

That was months ago now, and the thoughts of what it would be like to actually date Heeseung are constantly in the back of her mind. Whenever he does things like this - gently stroking her hair and calling her beautiful, the thoughts push to the forefront and she has to restrain herself from completely jumping on the man. He’s just so lovely and kind… and he waited. But still, she hesitates. Because what if she made him wait too long? What if, now that she’s finally ready to return his feelings, they’re not there anymore?

“Ari?” Heeseung’s voice breaks her out of her trance, along with a soothing head pat. Ari hums, snapping her attention away from Heeseung and back to her own reflection. “Are you finished with your makeup?” He asks, fingers still gently running through the strands of her hair. She nods, not trusting her brain to form a coherent sentence as her focus splits between Heeseung’s words and the feeling of his fingers.

“Are you guys done?” Niki calls from the lounge, causing Heeseung to pull away at the sudden noise. “I’ve been waiting for ages!” Heeseung rolls his eyes at Niki’s complaint, mumbling that he’ll go “take care of him”. Ari watches as Heeseung walks out of the room, and finally gets a second to calm down her racing heart. What the hell just happened?

“I’m just saying, I literally called shotgun.” Niki pouts from his position in the backseat. “Would you drop it?” Heeseung asks, rolling his eyes. “No, this is Rikiphobic. You’re friends with Ari, I’m friends with Ari. Why do you get special treatment?” Niki complains. “You can ride up front on the way home, okay?” Ari negotiates, causing Heeseung to look at her confused. Now it’s his turn to whine and complain. 

“Seriously? He’s a kid, Ari! Kids sit in the back.” 

“I’m almost 18!”

“Emphasis on almost. You can sit in the front when you graduate.”

“That’s not fair! You just want to keep her all to yourself.”

“Um… the ‘her’ is right here, and I already said Niki is sitting in the front on the way back, so no more arguing.” Ari interrupts the two of them, causing Niki to cheer in the back. Heeseung rolls his eyes once again but chooses not to argue, not wanting to upset Ari. He doesn’t have a real reason as to why he sits in the front - maybe it’s because of age, maybe it’s because Ari was his friend first, maybe it’s because part of him feels that he and Ari are more than just friends.

“I’m nervous.” Ari laughs as the three make their way towards Sunghoon and Y/n’s door. “Don’t be, you’re cooler than most of the people here.” Heeseung says, causing her to laugh and slap his shoulder. “And if anyone gives you shit, hyung and I will fight them for you.” Niki says, puffing out his chest as if to back up his words. “No one is fighting anyone and no one will give you shit. They’re all super nice, I promise.” Heeseung says, giving Ari’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before reaching forward to ring the doorbell.

It’s quiet for a moment before the door is swung open, revealing a grinning Sunghoon along with Y/n hanging off his arm. “You guys made it!” Sunghoon exclaims, opening his arms widely to welcome the guests into the home. “Sorry about him, he’s already had a few beers. We’re glad you guys could come.” Y/n smiles, patting Sunghoon’s chest. “Babe, why don’t you finish telling Sunoo your story, hmm?” Y/n offers, laughing slightly as Sunghoon quickly untangles himself from their grasp and practically runs back to the living room.

“It’s not even dinner time yet and he’s already like this?” Heeseung asks, causing Y/n to scratch the back of their neck sheepishly. “He’s had a long week so we might have started drinking a little early… but the girls are tricking him into doing water shots so he should sober up pretty quick.” Y/n says before turning their attention to Ari. “You must be Ari! Heeseung’s told us so much about you. I’m Y/n, Sunghoon’s partner.” They introduce themself, smiling as Ari politely bows back. “Anyway, help yourself to food and drinks, bathroom is down the hall, first door to your left and… yeah, make yourself at home.” Y/n says, leading the three towards the living room, where the rest of the guests are.

“Hee-man! Niki Minaj! You guys made it!” Jake exclaims as they walk into the room. “And you must be the girlfr- Ari, you must be Ari.” He adds, attempting to play off the almost slip-up. Heeseung sends Jake a glare that Ari thankfully doesn’t notice. Ari didn’t seem to notice Jake’s slip-up either, as she smiles politely at him.

“I am, you’re Jake?” She asks, causing his eyes to light up. “That’s me! Infamous Jake Sim… I’m sure Heeseung told you all about me.” He winks, slinging his arm around Heeseung’s shoulder and giving him a playful shake. “Oh, she’s heard stories alright. Like the time when you were drunk and you-” Heeseung is cut off by Jake’s hand clamping down over his mouth, the Australian boy whining for him to stop trying to embarrass him.

“Do you want a drink, Noona? Jay-hyung makes nice cocktails.” Niki says, pointing to one of the boys who are standing in the kitchen - talking with Jungwon. “And how would you know?” Ari raises an eyebrow, causing him to smile sheepishly. “I mean… I heard he makes nice cocktails.” He attempts to save. Ari hums suspiciously before Niki drags her towards Jay and Jungwon.

“Hyung! Make Ari a cocktail.” He says, pushing Ari towards the two boys. “Not a strong one 

please, I’m driving this idiot home.” She adds on. “You sure? Might need one if you’re on babysitting duty.” Jay jokes, making Ari laugh slightly. “Well between myself and Heeseung, someone has to be the sober one.” She laughs, looking at Heeseung across the room - who Jake and Sunghoon have managed to rope into doing shots. The boys take note of the way Ari watches their friend fondly - Jungwon giving Jay a knowing nudge. They chose not to comment though, after all, they promised not to mention the whole dating thing.

“A light cocktail for the lady.” Jay winks, handing Ari the drink that he made. Her eyes light up with excitement as she happily takes the drink from him, letting out a grateful “thanks” before taking a sip of the red concoction. The refreshing berry flavour immediately hits her taste buds, sweet and light in a way that contrasts the slight bitterness of the alcohol.

“How did you know I love berries?” She asks, raising an eyebrow at Jay suspiciously, who only shrugs and laughs. “Ask Heeseung.” He replies vaguely, laughing even more when Jungwon whines at him to “stop being weird”.

“I think Y/n and their friends are in the kitchen if you wanna join them. It’s better than hanging out with stinky boys.” Niki says, pointing Ari in the direction of the kitchen. “Is Sunoo not a stinky boy?” Jungwon asks, causing Niki to wave him off. “Sounds like you’re just trying to get me to leave.” She jokes, causing Niki to roll his eyes and playfully push her towards the door. “You caught me.” He says sarcastically.

Entering the kitchen, Ari immediately spots Y/n and their friends crowded together, staring at a phone.

“I’m telling you, pepperoni is the way to go.”

“That’s so basic! And you know Jake will just eat the whole thing!”

“That’s why we should get hawaiian!”

“Pineapple on pizza is literally a crime.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that in order to save our friendship.”

“Am I interrupting something?” Ari asks, causing the four friends to look at her. Y/n immediately breaks out into a smile as they gesture for Ari to join the group. “Thank god you’re here, we’re trying to pick what pizzas to get.” Y/n says, showing Ari the phone. “But these guys are being absolutely no help.” They add, sending a sour face to the friends.

“You’re just mad that no one wants pepperoni.” One of the girls jokes, earning an eye roll from Y/n. “Ning, you literally suggested Hawaiian so you can’t talk.” Y/n replies, causing Ningning to scoff in fake offence.

“Why don’t we just get a bunch of different pizzas? That way there’s something for everybody.” Ari suggests. “That was the original idea before Y/n started shitting on Hawaiian.” Sunoo says, snatching the phone from Y/n’s hand. “We’ll get two Hawaiians for us people with elite taste… two pepperoni for you basic bitches, a vege one because apparently Sunghoon’s on a health kick… anything else?”

“Can we get one with just cheese? Heeseung loves that when he’s drunk.” Ari asks, causing the others to screw their faces up. “Of course he does, fucking loser.” Yuna scoffs, nudging Sunoo to add it to the list nonetheless. 

“Ari and I will go ask if the guys want anything else, I can trust you two to sort out sides, right?” Y/n asks, looking at their three friends skeptically. “We’re not five.” Ningning teases. Y/n rolls their eyes before linking arms with Ari and walking back into the living room.

The two immediately make their way towards Sunghoon, Jake and Heeseung, who have switched from shots to a game of mario kart with Niki. “Babe!” Y/n calls out, immediately gaining the attention of Sunghoon. “Hi, love!” He coos, reaching out to wrap his arms around Y/n’s waist and pull them securely into his lap. He’s still drunk - possibly even more than before (those shots definitely did not help). 

Ari watches with fondness as the two engage in a very intense discussion about pizza toppings. Y/n laughs at their boyfriend’s drunken enthusiasm, as he goes on a rant about how much he hates pineapple on pizza. They match his rant with equal enthusiasm, brushing some hair out of his face and pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Ari can’t help but think about how perfect they seem together. Sure, she’s only known the two for about an hour - but judging by the way their energies match, the way they look at each other with the entire universe in their eyes - despite being together for as long as they have - convinces Ari that the two are nothing short of soulmates.

Her staring is cut off by Heeseung’s sudden voice - asking something that she couldn’t make out. She looks down to see him sitting on the couch, a beer bottle resting delicately in his hand. It’s a little hard to hear him over the music and the others talking, so Ari bends down to sit on the armrest - leaning against Heeseung’s body to hear him more clearly.

“I said, are you having fun?” He repeats himself, this time mumbling his words directly into her ear. Ari can tell from the slight slur that Heeseung is tipsy. That, and the subtle scent of beer that lingers in his breath. “I am. Your friends are really nice.” She replies enthusiastically, causing Heeseung to laugh. “I’m glad.” He mumbles, his head dropping to rest on Ari’s shoulder. Her hand instinctively comes up to rest at the back of his head, gently playing with the hairs that sit on his nape.

“I love watching you with my friends.” Heeseung continues, mumbling the words into her neck. “Makes me feel fuzzy ‘n shit.” Ari laughs slightly at his choice of words - drunk Heeseung is nothing short of a poet. “A good fuzzy ‘n shit?” She asks, earning enthusiastic nods from Heeseung. “It’s always good with you.” He whispers, sneaking a quick kiss against the skin of her neck - so fast that she almost didn’t feel it.

Almost.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help getting them home?” Y/n asks, watching with a worried expression as Ari holds a tipsy Heeseung and drunk Niki on either side. “It’s fine, besides, I think you’ve got your own hands tied.” Ari jokes, gesturing towards the wasted Sunghoon that’s currently hanging off Y/n’s arm. “This dumbass has work tomorrow too…” Y/n sighs, flicking Sunghoon’s forehead - earning a pained whine from him. “It was really nice meeting you, Ari! Hopefully you can start coming over more often.” Y/n says, causing Ari to instantly agree.

As the three make their way to Ari’s car, it’s obvious by the way that Niki crawls into the backseat that he has forgotten all about calling shotgun. Shrugging, Y/n helps Heeseung into the passenger seat, checking that both boys are fully buckled in before sitting in the driver's seat and making her way back to the apartment.

As soon as the front door to Heeseung’s apartment is closed, Niki drops to the couch. Ari watches with caution as he snuggles against the pillows, letting out a content sigh as sleep begins to take over his drunken state. Ari doesn’t even know how Niki started drinking - let alone how much he had. Heeseung swears that he didn’t give him any, although his own drunken state certainly made it possible.

Speaking of Heeseung, he immediately sits at Niki’s feet - shaking the boy a few times in an attempt to keep him awake. “Yah! You can’t sleep here, Niki. Ari’s gotta take the couch tonight.” Heeseung mumbles, his body also trying to fight off sleep. “Let him sleep, Hee. I’ll just go home.” Ari says, pulling Heeseung away from the couch. Heeseung whines at this, shaking his head. “I hate you going home this late… it’s too dangerous.” Heeseung argues.

This moment reminds Ari of the first time Heeseung had convinced her to stay over - having a similar argument all those months back. She’s never quite sure what is exactly “dangerous” about driving home but she never pushed for answers, knowing it was likely just an excuse to get her to stay longer.

“Well, I don’t want to wake up Niki. Where else am I gonna sleep… your bed?” Ari jokes. “You said it, not me.” Heeseung shrugs, causing Ari to hit his shoulder - ignoring the slight blush that spreads across her cheeks. “Friends share a bed all the time… why can’t we do it?” He continues, stepping forward to gently wrap his arms around Ari’s waist. “You know exactly why, Lee Heeseung.” Ari spits, looking nervously towards the couch - where Niki is still fast asleep. “Enlighten me?” Heeseung smirks.

God, why did he have to be so much more confident with alcohol in his system? If this were a regular conversation with Heeseung, he’d be an awkward blushing mess. But instead, he stands there with his hands on her waist and a dumb smirk on his lips, as if everything is completely normal.

“We can’t share a bed because it would be weird.” Ari attempts to keep her guard up, trying to look anywhere but into Heeseung’s eyes. “Why? Because I like you?” Heeseung asks, causing Ari to choke on her saliva. She never expected him to bring up his feelings again, let alone in such a brash way. Not trusting her words, she silently nods her head. “But you don’t like me back… so it’s not like anything would happen…” Heeseung says, pulling Ari closer to his body. “Let’s just sleep, hmm?”

Ari is at a crossroads. On one hand, she can go to sleep with Heeseung - experience sharing a bed with him, waking up next to him, and likely fall even more for him than she already has. Or, she could go home and pretend none of this ever happened. The second option seems like the most logical one, but with the way Heeseung’s hands pull her closer and closer to his warmth, logic isn’t really on her mind. “Okay…” She finally mumbles, giggling slightly as Heeseung does a half-drunk happy dance. “But we’re not cuddling!”

Heeseung’s bed is comfy…

That’s the first thought that Ari has as she lays down to sleep that night. If she were by herself in such a comfy bed, she would move around freely - finding the most optimal position to sleep. Unfortunately for her, moving even an inch could result in physical touch with a certain boy… so instead, she picks her spot and sticks to it.

Heeseung’s a surprisingly easy bedmate. With the whole spectacle he put on in the living room, she thought he’d at least be chatty. But as soon as his head hit the pillow, it was as if someone turned off the switch in Heeseung’s brain.

He snores peacefully from his position on the bed - fully sprawled out and only half covered by the bedding. It’s almost laughable, the stark difference between their positions. If Ari were philosophical, she’d think it’s a metaphor for their lives or something. But she’s having enough trouble dissecting her own thoughts and feelings - she definitely doesn’t need to think about Heeseung’s.

A sudden noise from the man next to her causes her entire body to tense up. Heeseung shifts closer to her body, bringing his head to rest on Ari’s pillow. “Are you awake?” He asks, voice low and gravely from sleep.

Ari considers pretending to be asleep, hoping that Heeseung will go back to bed. But then she remembers, this is Heeseung we’re talking about. The same Heeseung she cooks dinner with on Thursdays. The same Heeseung she plays Minecraft with on the weekends. Why is she so scared to face him? He probably just wants to talk about some insane dream he had or complain about his headache from drinking.

Instead of ignoring him and attempting to fall asleep, Ari rolls over to face Heeseung. Big mistake. She quickly finds herself face-to-face with him - his head resting on her pillow leaving very little space between the two. Lucky for Ari, his eyes are closed, meaning he can’t see her bright red cheeks or the way her eyes study every inch of his face.

“I’m awake.” Ari mumbles, attempting to calm the erratic beating of her heart. They’re laying very close in the bed; she wonders if he can feel it. Heeseung lets out a low hum at her words, gently grazing his fingers against hers. “Can I hold your hand?” He asks, finally opening his eyes to stare into hers. “I know you said no cuddling but… I don’t think that counts.”

If rolling over was a big mistake, allowing Heeseung’s hand to gently engulf her own is a ginormous one. His fingers are cold, a harsh contrast to her warmth - and the way his thumb gently runs across the expanse of her knuckles causes her heart to flutter. It’s something that’s been happening a lot around him recently.

“You’re warm.” Heeseung mumbles, attempting to shuffle closer to Ari. He brings their connected hand up to rest on her stomach, causing his arm to drape over half her body. “You know… this is starting to seem a bit like cuddling.” Ari points out, taking note of the way Heeseung’s lips curve up into a tired smile. “Can’t get anything past you.” He chuckles, making no attempt to move his hand.

Ari’s eyes flicker to the clock on the bedside table, reading 4:01. She lets out a sigh, realising that the likelihood of sleep is slipping further and further away. “Are you still drunk?” She asks, causing Heeseung to shake his head. She looks at him unconvinced, causing him to laugh. “Maybe a little tipsy.” “You’re clingy when you’re tipsy.” Ari mumbles, squeezing their intertwined hands as if to prove a point. “Just with you.” Heeseung sighs, the combined drowsiness from sleep and alcohol in his system making him mumble whatever comes to mind.

You know what they always say… drunk words are sober thoughts…

“Do you remember what you said before? When you were convincing me to sleep here?” Ari suddenly asks. Heeseung lets out more low hums as he thinks back to their conversation. “I said it wouldn’t be weird because you don’t like me back… so nothing would happen.” He mumbles, slightly pulling away from her as he speaks. Ari’s heart breaks slightly at this, the subtle sound of defeat in his voice. If only he knew. Ari quickly pulls him back into her space - stopping him from pulling away. It’s now or never.

“Um… what if I wanted something to happen? What if I… did like you back?”

The silence in the room is almost deafening as Ari’s words hang in the air. “Oh” is all Heeseung manages to let out, his grip on her hand tightening ever-so-slightly. “I’m sorry, it’s dumb. Forget I said anything.” Ari starts to turn away from Heeseung. The hand clutching hers quickly moves to her waist, stopping her movements.

“Can we… talk about this tomorrow? When I’m sober?” He asks slowly. Ari lets out a shaky breath, nodding and mumbling a quiet “yeah.” Noticing her nerves, Heeseung moves to press a kiss against her cheek. “Wanna remember it, that’s all.” He whispers, kissing her cheek again. Ari can’t help but smile at his words - feeling her nerves quickly fade away.

Maybe she will get to sleep after all, even just for a few hours. With the words finally off her chest, Ari closes her eyes, both excited and slightly unsure of how their conversation will play out in the morning. Just as she’s about to drift off to sleep, Heeseung’s voice breaks through the silence once more.

“Does this mean we can get rid of the no cuddling rule?”

Heeseung always thought that waking to the smell of Ari cooking in the kitchen was the perfect way to start his day. He was certainly wrong - because rolling over to see Ari curled up under his covers, messy hair spread all over the pillows and the sun cascading a golden glow against the skin of her face beats the smell of her cooking by a long shot.

The two don’t say anything at first - opting to just stare at each other in slight awe. The conversations from the night before (or technically this morning) lay fresh on their minds, causing the two to smile sheepishly at each other.

“Would it be inappropriate of me to kiss you before we talk about our feelings?” Heeseung suddenly asks, causing Ari’s eyes to widen slightly in shock. Is he still drunk? This is certainly not the awkward boy she’s used to. “Um… considering that we both definitely have morning breath, yes.” Ari giggles, watching the way Heeseung’s lips curve into a slight pout.

The cuteness is short-lived, however, as Heeseung slowly moves his arms to wrap around Ari’s waist - pulling her closer to his body. “So… about what you said last night…” He trails off, his words quickly getting interrupted by a loud groan from the living room. “Shit, Niki!” Ari exclaims, practically jumping out of bed to attend to the hungover teen.

Heeseung sighs as she runs out of the bedroom, trying his hardest not to blame Niki for ruining the moment. Rubbing his face in an attempt to shake off his tiredness, he slowly gets out of bed and follows after her.

“I still don’t understand why I have to go to school when I’m literally hungover.” Niki mumbles, spooning another mouthful of Ari’s hangover soup into his mouth. “I drank for the entire weekend and went to uni the next morning once, you’ll be fine.” Heeseung reassures him. If this were any other day, he’d have no problem with Niki staying home. But he really needs to talk to Ari, which means Niki will just have to suck it up and suffer at school.

“I’ll pack you some more soup for lunch. Just take a bunch of painkillers and you should be okay.” Ari says, patting Niki’s head slightly. “And if you’re feeling really bad, just call me and I’ll pick you up.” She adds, causing Heeseung’s head to snap in her direction. “No! Call Jay and spend the day with him. Ari will be… busy.” Heeseung mumbles, trying to hint that he wants her all to himself. “Why… you guys are gonna fuck or something?” Niki asks, causing the two to choke on their saliva. They attempt to refute Niki’s claim - only causing him to smirk at their blushing faces and stuttered responses.

“Okay… don’t worry. I’ll get out of your hair.” Niki teases, getting up from the kitchen table before going to meet Jay and Jungwon outside to go to school. Heeseung waves him off at the door, basically slamming it shut once he knows Niki is safely in the car and no longer his responsibility.

“Thank god he’s gone.” Heeseung sighs, immediately walking back into the kitchen, where Ari has started on the dishes. “No, we can do those later.” He whines, wrapping himself around her in a back hug. “There’s like 5 things, Heeseung! I’ll be quick.” Ari laughs, partially from Heeseung’s reaction and partially from the tickling feeling as he nuzzles his head into her neck. “I waited so long for this day and you’re doing dishes?” He asks, attempting to pull her away from the sink. “I can multitask, Hee.” Ari playfully rolls her eyes.

Groaning, knowing that he won’t get his way, Heeseung reluctantly pulls away from Ari’s body and moves to sit on the counter - right next to the sink. “Okay… when did you fall in love with me?” “Heeseung!” Ari exclaims, flicking some of the soapy water onto his thigh. “Sorry, sorry, I’m kidding!” He raises his hands in defeat, laughing at the way Ari’s cheeks reddened at the question. “Seriously though… when did things change?” He asks, his playful tone dropping to a more sincere one.

Ari pauses the dishes to think for a second, only returning to scrubbing the coffee mug once she’s come up with her answer. “It was like a month ago? Maybe two… I don’t think anything super important happened. We were just having breakfast together… I think Niki was on a school trip so it was just the two of us and… I don’t know, you were really sweet. And attentive. And touchy. You said something about how you wish every day could be like that… kinda hard to think of you as just a friend after that.”

Heeseung’s lips curl up into a smile at her words. “I’m such a romantic, aren’t I?” He jokes, letting out a loud shriek as Ari splashes him again. “More like a loser… in an endearing way, I promise.” She jokes.

“And when I confessed to you… you’d just gotten out of a relationship so… you didn’t like me then?” Heeseung asks curiously. Ari eyes him skeptically, causing him to raise his hands in surrender. “Not to make it weird or anything. I just wanna know how good my skills are at getting out of the friend zone.” He jokes, trying to play it off. 

Ari knows it’s not a joke. If there’s anything Heeseung needs, it’s reassurance. She knows he wants to hear that she’d loved him all along - that she was just waiting for the perfect moment. Sighing, Ari replies:

“Honestly - I didn’t. I thought you were cute… and I knew that I had the potential of liking you as more than a friend but… at the time, I was just far too focused on him to even consider the option.” She mumbles, her voice almost venomous at the subtle mention of her ex.

Ari hates him so by default, Heeseung hates him too. He doesn’t know too much about the breakup since Ari refuses to talk about it. All he knows is that she was sad for quite a while. It was tough seeing her go through something like that, Heeseung’s sudden confession not making things much easier. But he was there to comfort her; to help pick up the pieces and make her whole again - in whatever ways she’d let him. He believes it’s one of the reasons they got so close, so he guesses he should thank her ex for that.

“But… you’re ready now?” Heeseung asks, Ari’s eyebrows furrowing slightly at the question. “For a relationship, I mean… with me, preferably.” Heeseung clarifies. Ari giggles slightly at this, drying her hands on a kitchen towel before moving to stand between Heeseung’s legs. “I’m more than ready.” She smiles, resting her hands gently on the top of his thighs.

The expression that spreads across Heeseung’s face is one Ari hopes to remember forever. Relief... Excitement… adoration… love. Heeseung’s never been in love before - his past relationships never made it that far. He’s never invested so much of his time and heart into someone the way he has with Ari, always scared that it would never be enough. But as he sits on the kitchen counter, the warmth of Ari’s palms seemingly seeping through the fabric of his jeans, causing the skin on his thighs to tingle ever-so-slightly - he realises that it is enough. He is enough.

It’s overwhelming, the way that Ari looks at him. He never thought that a single glance could push away all his insecurities. “Can I kiss you now?” He mumbles out, almost desperate to finally feel her lips on his. Once Ari gives the slightest sign of consent, his hands gently cup her face - pulling her up towards him and connecting their lips.

Heeseung can’t even begin to count the number of times he’s thought about kissing Ari. Despite that, he wasn’t prepared for the way her lips feel against his. The subtle taste of her cherry chapstick as he cheekily licks her bottom lip causes his taste buds to jump. She moves her hands from his thighs to wrap around his neck, pulling him down further to give herself better access to his mouth. He’s in pure bliss - his thumb gently stroking her cheekbone as she leans as close to his body as possible.

Heeseung pulls himself away momentarily to push himself off the counter. Now standing face-to-face, Heeseung wraps his arms around Ari’s waist and pulls her into his chest, leaning down to connect their lips once more.

“Be my girlfriend,” Heeseung mumbles between kisses, the words coming out slightly muffled due to the contact. “Please.” He adds, gently biting Ari’s bottom lip as if to emphasise the words. “Of course you idiot.” Ari replies, moving in to kiss Heeseung once again. His eyes flutter shut - awaiting the contact which never comes. Opening his eyes in confusion, he sees Ari standing there, giggling to herself as she gently strokes one of his cheeks. “What are you laughing at?” He asks, pouting. “Nothing,” Ari replies, quickly pecking the pout but pulling away before Heeseung can deepen the kiss. “You’re just really fucking cute.”

As Niki walks towards the front door, he does a quick prayer before slowly opening the door. His eyes are squeezed close, scared of what he might see if he just walks in like normal.

“Uh… hi?” Heeseung asks, confused, causing Niki’s eyes to snap open. They immediately fall on Heeseung, relaxed on the couch with his arm nestled casually around Ari’s shoulder - her legs laying in his lap. Ari happily waves when she notices Niki, him giving a small one back.

“Why aren’t you guys naked?” He asks without thinking, causing the two to look at him puzzled. “Sorry, I mean… you were acting really weird at breakfast this morning and… the way you were practically rushing me out the door I just thought you guys were gonna y’know… do stuff.” Niki hints, his choice of words causing Heeseung and Ari to laugh.

“You don’t have to say it so ominously… besides, we literally just got together. No need to rush anything.” Heeseung says. Niki’s eyes light up at his words, the younger boy jumping to sit next to them on the couch. “So you guys are dating?” He asks, causing the couple to nod. “I knew it! I literally called this months ago! Oh my god, I’m psychic.”

Heeseung laughs at his friend before moving his attention to Ari, squeezing her shoulder gently with reassurance. She didn’t outright tell him that she was nervous about telling Niki, but as her boyfriend, it’s not hard for him to tell.

“Wait, does this mean you’ll be over all the time, Noona?” Niki asks excitedly, causing Ari to smile sheepishly. “I mean… I’ll be here sometimes. I don’t know about all the time…” Her voice trails off, turning to look at Heeseung, who’s busy laughing at Niki’s excitement. “Oh, the other guys are gonna absolutely love this. Have you told them yet? Can I tell them? I can call Jake-hyung right now, he’s gonna go insane!”

“Calm down Niki.” Heeseung cuts off the rant. “We’ll tell them all another day… let’s just keep it between us for now, okay?” Heeseung asks, earning a nod from Niki, slightly out of breath from his excited rambling. “Only if I can tease the others for being the first to know.” He smirks, causing Heeseung to roll his eyes before agreeing.

“Okay, I’m gonna go play on your computer for a bit. Don’t have too much fun out here lovebirds~” Niki teases before making his way down the hall to Heeseung’s room. “I think he’s more excited than you were…” Ari jokes, letting out a yelp when Heeseung teasingly squeezes her waist. “Impossible.” He mumbles, gently pushing Ari until she’s laying on her back. Crawling over her, Ari rolls her eyes and presses her hands against his chest. “You heard the kid, not too much fun.” “I think this is the perfect amount of fun, don’t you?” Heeseung smirks, tightening his grip on Ari’s waist before connecting their lips in a passionate kiss.

Resisting the urge to slap the stupid smirk off his face, Ari melts into the kiss. She only pulls away when Heeseung playfully bites her lip, attempting to slip his tongue into her mouth. “Niki is literally one wall away and you’re doing this?” She asks, raising a brow at him. “Not sure what you’re talking about babe… we’re just kissing.” Heeseung winks, moving to press gentle kisses across her jaw and down her neck. “You’re insane.” Ari whispers, despite making no effort to stop Heeseung’s advances. Her comment earns a particularly hard bite on the neck - causing her to yelp slightly. “I’m in love.” He corrects, gently kissing over where he just bit.

Ari goes to argue that both statements can be true but chooses to bite her tongue. Instead, she relishes in the way Heeseung presses open-mouthed kisses along her neck and shoulder, her hands mindlessly playing with the strings of his hoodie. 

Being with him like this makes her question why it took her so long to confess. The number of days that could’ve ended with her curled up in his embrace if she had just shared her true feelings. But what’s done is done, and there’s no use beating herself up over “what ifs” from the past when the man himself is right in front of her.

“When do you think we’ll tell your friends?” Ari asks, smiling slightly as Heeseung presses his entire body weight against her. “Don’t care,” He mumbles, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck. “Wanna keep you to myself for a while… they can wait.” He continues, making Ari’s heart flutter at his words.

Heeseung doesn’t care about the teasing he’ll get once the guys find out about him and Ari. He would take getting teased every day for the rest of his life if it meant being with her - as cringy as it sounds. Heeseung’s not one for believing in fate. He got his fortune read once and thought it was a load of bullshit. But if some higher power is what brought Ari to him, then he supposes he has lots of thanking to do. And as he lays there, breathing in her scent and listening to the peaceful thump of her heartbeat - he can’t help but think how grateful he is.

[ranmagender]

Subcon Update!

So as loyal readers will know, i have a fascination with placing the mario series in a timeline and one offshoot is Subcon, a dream world originating from Super Mario Bros 2 (the american one). I've done some posts about this, but I've added the warioware and rhythm heaven series into the timeline.

initially thought to be the imagination of Mario in Super Mario Bros 2 but was later proven to be a realm in and of itself in BS Super Mario Bros USA Power Challenge a Satellaview exclusive sequel to Mario Bros 2.

The character Wart or Mamu from Super Mario Bros 2 appears in Link’s Awakening which also takes place in a dream world albeit on an island. This means characters from the Zelda series also have access to this dream world.

Prince Richard appears in that game as the engine used to make Link’s Awakening was first made for a japanese exclusive gameboy game called The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls which events gotta take place before Linl’s Awakening.

Mad Scienstein appears in The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls, later appearing in Wario Land 3, Wario Land 4 and Dr. Mario 64. Wario Land is of course a sequel series to the Super Mario Land series. Events from the Wario Land series are referenced in the beginning of the first WarioWare game as having happened.

Cicada, a character from Rhythm Heaven is also featured in the WarioWare series.

Rudy, the villain from Dr. Mario 64 is referenced in the Mario x DragonQuest video game Fortune Street.

Captain Rainbow is an odd japan exclusive game about a former super hero actor who goes to an island of dreams to get his wishes fulfilled. The connection here is that Crazy Tracy from Link’s Awakening is in the game.

There’s an overarching theme of dreams and none of these games really make a whole lot of sense either together or in their own right which sort of fits the loose defined boundaries of dreams.

[lskamil27]

Hey, do you have any rpg maker horror/rpg maker game recommendations?

RPG MAKER GAME RECOMMENDATIONS,,, Oh boy,,!

I have some that I do like a lot, however, there is a chance some people may not be TOO crazy about it since I am someone who likes it a lot when a game has lots of lore & story that I can bite into and think about more when I’m done!!

I think, right now, what I like as of right now ( these are not ranked in any particular order ):

1. Fausts Alptraum - Free to Download, Artbook You Have to Pay For: A game about a girl named Elisabeth who visits her family’s old home after a funeral, being trapped inside and having to get out.

A BIIIGGG favorite of mine, due to having a nice balance of awe and admiration of its art direction, while balancing tension and unease as you explore

2. Angels of Death - Pay to Play: A game about a girl named Rachel who wakes up in a building and is forced to progress through its floor levels to get out, each floor having a leader who seek to hunt her down.

Another favorite of mine, because I love the story and characters! The symbolism and juxtaposition of Rachel and Zac is so fun, along with plot that had me hooked into it! ( I will say, I am not the best at playing high stress games so I had to watch play-throughs to see the endings LMAO )

3. Mad Father - Pay to Play: About a young girl named Aya who lives alone with her mad doctor of a father, and his assistant. Aya is forced to confront the horrors of her father’s crimes to try and save him when she hears his screams on this particular night.

This was a game I had gotten into when I was WAYY younger! It definitely left a lasting impact on me since I am a big fan of medical & body horror now. I don’t know how to say it, but trust me!! It’s a lot of fun!

4. Fear and Hunger - Pay to Play: Between a cast of 4 playable characters, you are tempted by a personal quest that leads to the Dungeons of Fear & Hunger, unaware of the horrors and depravity that lies inside.

This is a big time favorite of mine, HOWEVER - I do not recommend this to everyone, as the triggers and violence in this game can be extreme for some others to go through. I highly recommend reading any available list of triggers for this game before trying it out, because the content is pretty dark. However, I do like it for its art direction, the lore and its characters, that the creator has made for it’s story and sequel!

5. Flesh, Blood & Concrete - Free to Play: Focused on the protagonist, Lera, who’s car breaks down on a snowy and is invited into the apartment building nearby by a young girl named Nika. Exploring the strange building, Lera encounters unsettling visuals and strange feelings of deja vu.

I recently just played this, and I adore it a lot for the story that has been crafted by the creator, with its message - as well as the welcoming, yet unsettling art direction it has, with the various home-y apartments and depictions of meat & flesh.

Now, these aren’t RPG Maker games themselves, but I will recommend them because I think they are fun to play on free time:

Soul Void - Free to Play: Gameboy pixel style, regarding the protagonist who explores a strange world, looking for a way out. Very beautiful art, and beautiful message!

Saint Spell’s Love Guide to the Magical Student’s Spellbook - Free to Play: Pixel Visual Dating Sim, very pretty, very fun routes to play, my friends and I loved playing it during our lunch breaks in uni!!