#i surprisingly have really liked playing around with the designs of characters we only get vague descs on

[error707-thatdude]

Consumed by the tma brainrot.. the boyfriends ever

[the1975attheirverybest]

Being Funny In A Foreign Language

Chapter 1- Never Gonna Love Again…

Warnings: smut.

read all aditional chapters here.

———

“So, where is it, then?” Amelia’s eyes darted between Patricia and Matty, both of whom looked puzzled.

“Where’s what?” Patricia frowned.

“The- the naked Matty. The body double! Matty, The Second? You know, the better Matty.”

Matty rolled his eyes. “Are you finished?”

“Ummm,” Amelia looked into the distance, pretending to think. “The One True Matty? Eh. That's lame. Okay, guess I am finished.” She gave him a charming smile, batting her eyelashes at him, jokingly. Matty tried to ignore the beating in his chest and play along, but his love for her was like second nature by now. He couldn’t help it.

“Seriously, where do you guys keep him?”

Matty started to respond, “Oh, not here. we don’t-“ but Patricia had already spoken over him.

“Right this way, he’s in the storage room.” She gestured.

Both ladies gave Matty a quizzical look. They made their way down the hall, Matty trailing behind them, dreading the inevitable.

“You’ve literally just landed. Haven’t even been to the hotel yet, and this is what you want to see?” He attempted to distract her.

“What? You think I flew all this way just to see you?… well I guess I kinda did.” Amelia giggled to herself, “but like….to see the better you.”

Patricia flicked the lightswitch on in the storage room, waiting a moment for lights to flicker.

“How’s he the ‘better me’?”

“He’s naked. And he doesn’t speak.” She grinned, throwing him off.

“Here he is.” Patricia pointer to a box in the middle of the room, surrounded by clutter, and labeled, “peanut. EXTREMELY FRAGILE.”

Matty watched Amelia’s eyes scan over the text, and turned around, looking away timidly.

“Awwww, are you fuckin kidding me?! That’s so sweet.” She chuckled, a hand on her heart.

Patrician unclasped the lid, dragging it to the side and opening the box. “Here he is. Amelia, meet Peanut.”

Amelia took small, hesitant steps towards the box. “Gosh I’m a little nervous. I think starstruck.” She stood over the box, peering down, as if at a treasure chest.

Matty rolled his eyes.

“Awww” she smiled, melting Matty’s heart. Then her expression changed as she leaned over to get a closer look. “Oh. Would you look at that. He’s got your penis. Surprisingly, anatomically accurate.”

Patricia was startled. “Okay. That’s my cue to leave. Have fun you two.”

Amelia smiled at Patricia as she walked out the door, turning to Matty once they were alone. “How’d you get it to be so life-like? Did you have to show your dick to the sculptor?”

He retrieved the box cover, shutting it closed. “Wanna join me for dinner? Took about the show?”

***

As they rushed into the room, Matty couldnt help but recall his conversation with Ross earlier that day.

“Please tell me you did not hire her to come along on tour just so you could sleep with her….” Ross had tossed the rash guard into the designated hamper, eying the gym showers for an available one.

Matty had scuffed at the mere suggestion. “‘Course not. That’s despicable!”

Despicable though it may have been, Matty found himself in a compromising position, a bulge forming in his pants as Amelia’s hot breath tickled his neck. He almost allowed himself to think about how much he’s missed her, her body, pressed up against his, her fingers, tugging at his hair with just enough urgency to send a sting through his— fuck! No, he can’t repeat the same cycle of events all over again. He must choose character growth.

“Erm…..Amelia,” he sighed out, the feeling of her kisses all over his skin almost melting him. “We- should…listen, Amelia-“ would it really be so bad, he wondered, If he let them both have this?

He finally mustered enough self-restraint to pull their bodies apart, “Amelia, slow down.” He flashed her a smile. “You’ve only just landed.” His voice shook in his throat as he spoke. “We- uhh- we should get some drinks or something?”

“Oh, I’m not thirsty.” Amelia brushed off his suggestion. “The beauty of a Dirty Hit funded, all-Expenses-paid, first class ticket is that the meals on the flight tasted nothing like airplane food came with drinks too. Nice drinks. If the flight attendant had walked up to me with a plate of Caviar, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Matty smiled.

“So, if this is what it’s like to work for your label….I might like it.”

“It’s not my label,” Matty eagerly corrected her.“Well….a small portion of it is. But- Jamie’s in charge, so-“

He lost his train of thought when he felt her finger tracing patterns in the skin of his hand, softly, but deliberately.

“Anyway,” her lips, were, once more, by his ear, whispering, “not in need of any drinking. But I do have a craving for something else.” Her soft, seductive voice was making his knees buckle. He leaned against the wall, his head pushed back.

This wasn’t how he’d envisioned his do-over going. The romcom-esque arc that he’d planned in his head. He was going to spend time with her. Show her that he cares about her for more than just sex. Earn her time and attention by being worthy. Not because she was in love with him and found it difficult to stay apart.

“Been thinking about your hands around my neck since I got into that car that you sent for me.” Amelia’s voice pulling him in again. “Have I said thank you for that yet? Eh. why say it, when I could,” she sank to her knees, “just show it,” undoing his belt.

Shit, he’s in trouble. He tried talking himself out of it but, instead, he found himself looking down into her eyes, his hand gently cupping her face. “Fuck me, I’m the worst.”

Matty felt like the devil, conjuring up sinful fantasies as he looked down at Amelia, who somehow, looked just like an Angel kneeling between his legs.

His belt-studded jeans hit the floor with a thud, Amelia cupping his clothed crotch and delighting in his hissing.

“How long has it been?” She asked, grinning and looking up at him through her lashes.

“Wh-wha- what?”

“How long has it been since the last time that you’ve had sex?” She repeated, nonchalant, rubbing the fabric of his briefs.

Matty swallowed harshly, “no- not since- not since you and me.” He blushed and closed his eyes, not baring to look at her as he confessed.

If Amelia was thrilled about this news, she made no show of it. By the way that she carried on her teasing without a hitch, Matty wasn’t even sure she’d heard him.

She sighed, after a long silence, “that’s ages ago.” So, she did hear him. “Why?” She looked him directly in the eyes as she waited for his answer.

In the heat of the moment, Matty considered simply blurting out, “because I’m in love with you.” But that’s not how he wanted to tell her. He’d been fantasizing about it for a long time. He wanted the moment to be perfect. “Just doesn’t- doesn’t feel right anymore”

Amelia hooked a finger into the waistband of his underwear pulling it as far away from his body as possible, then releasing it to snap against his skin.

“Ah- shit!” Matty cursed. “Not interested in chasing something that- erm…disappears as soon as you finally get it. Don’t wanna do that.”

“Oh, so you want me to stop, then?”

The coyness in her voice lit a fire within him, like an old, stale matchbox lighting up a cold room. He repressed the urge to whine and beg her not to move an inch. A smile across his lips, he chuckled, amused, his thumb delicately brushing her lower lip. “Open up, Amelia.”

Her mouth open, tongue out, just like he’d taught her months ago. Matty grinned, pleased with her responsiveness.

Amelia’s hands reached for his briefs to rid him of them, but a sharp tug of her hair fixed her in place. “Who said you could move?” His voice was sharp, admonishing, but his smile gentle. She knew she’d be a sticky, wet mess between her legs if he kept this up. “Sorry, I- just eager, I guess. Missed you in my mouth.”

Fuck. He was done for.

Ignoring the shaking of his knees, Matty remembered his aim. “Hands behind your back, c’mon.” He nodded, “good girl.”

His briefs slid down his legs; he pushed her head down on his hard cock. “Breathe, deep breaths, Amelia. Remember what I’ve taught you.”

***

“So…what happened after dinner?” Ross smiled, amused, “the two of you-“

“We fucked. Yes.”

Ross held back a giggle as his bicep relaxed, setting the weights back down. He sat up on the bench, gradually getting off it, and dabbing the sweat off his forehead with a towel. He nodded for Matty to take his place, patting his shoulder as his friend walked by him. “Mate,” he shook his head in disbelief. “You are so-“

“I know.”

Matty laid on his back, where Ross had been moments ago, staring up at the high ceiling.

“You ready?” Ross hovered by Matty’s head, ready to spot him.

“Let’s fuckin go.”

Deep breath in as his arms pulled down. His mind taking him back to the night before, as he laid there, breathing deeply, by her side.

“Cig?”

Amelia shrugged. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Ever the gentleman, Matty lit her cigarette first, then his.

Amelia looked into his eyes, not saying anything. He blushed, turning away. “What?” The cigarette dangled from his lips as he spoke. “Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“You look… tired.” She cupped cheek in her hand, caressing it slowly.

Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He was surprised to feel his emotions bubble to the surface. The urge to cry lingered for a moment before he repressed it again and put on a smile.

“I haven’t really slept since….2022.”

Amelia’s hand let go of his face. He felt the loss of her touch keenly.

“Yeah, I don’t blame you.” She sat back against her pillow.

“What’s that mean?”

“I mean if my name were in the tabloids as often as yours has been….I’d have trouble sleeping, too.”

“Oh, that? I don’t care about that.”

Amelia giggled. “Yeah, that’s why you’re making a whole show about it.”

Matty tried to spit out a quick retort but stuttered instead. “ that-

Is- it’s not- You know me…”

“Yes, I do know you.” She kissed his cheek, “you’re sensitive. You care so much about a lot of things. You’re somewhat of an idealist. which is why I know that you pretend not to care. But deep down? It bothers you” she spoke in between kisses inching closer and closer to him until she was back on top of him, kissing his face and neck.

“A-Amelia?”

She took the cigarette out of his mouth, setting it down next to hers. She kissed his lips. “Wanna go again?”

“Amelia, I-“

“A second round? Please?”

Matty felt himself melt into the mattress at her small, gentle plea. His arms wrapped around her, rubbing her bare back.

“Need to talk, first.” He whispered against her lips at after a breathless kiss.

She opened her eyes, looking at him to assess his seriousness. He looked genuine. “Okay,” she got off of him. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Well- erm. I think we need to set some ground rules. F-for….I mean, we’re friends. We’ll be working together. I don’t know if- we should be having sex.”

Amelia frowned, “why not?”

“‘Fraid it’ll get too complicated.”

“We’ve done it before….” She shrugged.

“Yes. We have. And it went well for a while. You know, until…”

He let his sentence trail off, not quite finding the right words for ‘you told me you loved me following a particularly emotional

fuck and I never said it back.’

“Oh, that!” Amelia seemed to pick up on what he meant. “If that’s what you’re worried about.” She chuckled, “then worry no more. I’m over it.”

“You’re over it?”

“Yeah, I mean- we’re friends above all else, right?”

“R-right.”

“Yeah, good. So, I’m over the whole thing.” She watched his face shift into an unreadable expression. “Sorry, I’m confused. So are you saying we’re having sex or no?”

Matty stumbled over his words, “I- erm- I don’t- know.”

Amelia took that as her cue to get off the bed. “Well,” she spoke with her back towards him, collecting her discarded clothes off the floor. “Figure out what you want, and then let me know.”

Exhale….

“It’s never happening again.” Matty pushed his arms upward, grunting at the weights.

“whatever you say, Matty.”

“ I mean it.” His breathing quickened. “She said she’s over it. Like- like I’m a horrendous case of the flu or something.”

Ross rolled his eyes. “Oh here comes George.” They spotted him walking through the door. “George- I’ve got a quick fire question for you: should Matty tell Amelia that he loves her?”

George’s brows shot up. “You mean he still hasn’t told her? Matty, bro..”

“It’s- complicated!” Matty reached for his water bottle, taking a quick sip.

“No it isn’t. It’s quite simple actually.” George insisted. “Find a time and a place when the two of you are alone, look her in the eyes and say ‘Amelia, I love you. I want to be your boyfriend. If you’ll have me’ and just like that….it’s done. You’ve done it.”

“But I’m not ready yet. I- haven’t shown her that I’m different now. I’m not ready.”

George turned to Ross as he spoke, hoping for backup. “There’s no such thing as ‘ready,’ Matty. You’re never going to achieve perfection. No human is ever perfect. What’re you waiting for?”

“For her to get a boyfriend? A husband? The birth of her second child?” Ross added, then whispered something to George about having taken it too far.

“Relationships aren’t songs, Matty.” George placed a gentle, firm hand on his shoulder. “You can’t control and edit every single moment to achieve a flawless result. If you wait for things to be just right, you’re gonna find yourself waiting forever.”

***

Matty felt his heart skip a beat every time that the elevator beeped, indicating that it had passed another floor. He checked his hair in the mirror and straightened his leather jacket, fiddling nervously with the collar. By the time that he’d stepped off the elevator and onto Amelia’s floor, he was practically giddy, floating on the ground. He smiled, excitedly, as he stared at the room number on her door. He knocked on her door as his heart knocked against his chest.

“Oh, hey, Matty.” Amelia opened the door wider once she’d realized who it was. “Come in.”

“You look nice.” He smiled, Watching her walk over to the hotel safe and take out her jewelry bag.

“Thanks, Matty.” She struggled to hook the necklace around her neck, feeling blindly for the edges of the clasp.

“Oh- here- let me.” Matty rushed over to help. Unable to resist running his finger along the curve of her neck and watching the hairs on the back of her head stand.

“Thank you.” She turned around to face him. “Did you- need something?”

“Oh, right. I actually- well, I….had wondered if you’d like to watch a film or something. Maybe get some dinner?”

“I’d love to, Matty. I really would. But I can’t tonight. I have a date.”

The blood drained from Matty’s face. His heart dropping into his stomach. “A date?”

“Yeah, in an hour actually. Hence the…” she gestured at her outfit.

Matty felt his mouth run dry. He stared at her, wide-eyed, for a long moment. “I- erm- I thought you’d said that…you didn’t know anyone in this part of the country. That…you’ve never been here before.”

“Yeah, I haven’t.” She stood in front of the mirror with an eyeliner pen in her hand. “And what better way to explore a new place than with a local handsome boy who’s lived here for ages.”

Matty stood there, tongue-tied and frozen watching her apply her makeup.

“Rain check on the film?” Her eyes met his through the mirror.

“Uhh-yeah. Yes. Yes, of course.” Matty felt his mind spiral in circles, not a single discernible thought. “Well…I guess I should leave you to it, then.” He waited for his body to muster up the strength to walk away. It took him a moment, but eventually, he managed to step towards the door. “Have fun, Amelia.”

Her attention remained focused on the task at hand, but she mumbled an expression of thanks as he walked out of the room.

Outside of her room, Matty leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. He was already too late.

[roseartsandfics]

Tifa (OG) -- Rose

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

Golly, I hadn't even displayed anything for awhile, now ^^;. I've been busy, yes. First time back to displaying after the hiatus! Here is another rose artwork featuring my favorite FF character Tifa Lockhart, in the original FFVII, of course ^^

So wondering why I am not active as much? I was doing another virtual career camp. And I've been dealing with mental health issues for a while. It lasted for days, and I am still trying to recover, but I hope this helps.

Some spoils as I am about to say, for those who hadn't played CC, so yeah, be aware of that lol

I beat Crisis Core Reunion last month just before starting FFVII OG. So I managed to get up to the Minerva optional boss, and holy crap I could not defeat her 0_0. I knew she was going to be hard to defeat 0_0. One of my biggest mistakes is not getting the Genji Shield (which is missable to me, and impossible because I only mastered one Octaslash, and I was not going to take FOREVER to master three more), and possibly not having enough materia to convert to SPs, which I was losing due to the SP materia things I used to prevent more damage. Hey, Ziedrich and SP Turbo or Mastered works! They say Costly Punch works, but it made it a lot worse for my SP and getting damage and die every time without getting a Phoenix Down on time (no offense). Aerial Drain and Jump are slower. Surprisingly (prepare for what it works on her), Darkness works on her. HP wa getting low, but I can be fast on healing, and so I beat her! I gave her multiple tries because I am afraid of how other battles in other FF will be, and I don't want to lose the chance on beating them (Jevil from Deltarune I gave up because he was impossible to defeat XP)

Anyways, so I finished Tifa today, and did I little experiment on coloring and made more designable rather than make my coloring more crappy lol. It's been awhile since drawing her in the OG, and I've been playing the OG for a bit, and so here she is! I started using the Crayola Colors of the World pencils to actually color something more divergent and shadowing her hair and skin. I did her eyes differently because I don't feel like drawing her eyes in my style the way I always draw eyes (I am bad at drawing eyes lol). I am actually really happy how this turned out to be ^^. I actually liked how this piece turned out! ❤️ I just love her, and her characteristics as well in the game (and film) <3. I am still writing my fanfic, just hadn't gotten around to it.

We are supposed to have a tropical storm, so I can get this displayed before potential power outage. There… probably isn't going to be much gaming, unless I can play my 3DS and switch handheld, or write (which I can write my fanfics are awhile if the interent isn't wonky, or so, idk), or read, or draw, or whatever the hell I'm doing. I might be on hiatus again after the storm due to potential outage, so this will be the post before the storm. At least we are prepared, tornadoes are the ones I am worried about, but I'm watching. Stay safe and have a good night!

For those who don't know, any rose portrait arts are inspired by a friend of mine on Deviantart (still)! Welp, good night, and sleep well!

Tifa Lockhart and Final Fantasy VII ©Tetsuya Nomura, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yoshinori Kitase, Yusuke Naora and SQUARE ENIX

Artwork ©RosePrincessArts

No copyright infringement is intended

Used: Soho Studio pencils and colored pencils, Crayola regular and Colors of the World colored pencils, Cra-Z-Art colored pencils and blending stumps

[aesterblaster]

Hedonism and Heavy Spending

Summary: Headcannons about how the Blue Lock characters would pamper their s/o or show love through gift giving :} , no warnings, gender neutral , askjendieufbiuebd can you tell my love language is gift giving TT

Characters: Isagi, Chris, Aryu, Rin, Reo, Niko

Songs: Putting on the Ritz - Mel Torme , I've Got A Crush On You - In The Mood , Sh-Boom - The Chords

Aryu would be a pathetic pile of a man if it wasn't for your weekly spa day. Of course he loves quality time more than anything and genuinely cherishes the moments he can spend with you instead of training or on the field. Aryu shows his love through small gestures as much as big ones, applying different spa masks with you while watching some painfully bad romance movie you two can giggle at. Sometimes you swear that he doesn't actually enjoy these types of movies and just turns them on because he likes listening to you laugh. (Which...true..)

When it comes to big gestures, expect your closet to be full with every piece of clothing you've ever had the impulse to buy. Hulls are common with him. Why not make sure that his beloved looks just as good as him? He studies your wardrobe, makes note of every style you enjoy, and matches it effortlessly. Aryu knows it's cheesy, but he loves seeing your face light up at the packages stacked against the doorway from all your favorite brands. And yes, he insists on wearing matching outfits.

Isagi is a very modest and down to earth person from a middle class background. He never really needed to save, but he never needed to spend either, type of deal. So when he gains fame and wealth from his soccer career he doesn't really know what to do with the money left over after he donates piles of it to various charities and future Blue Lock projects. A considerable amount ends up going to you. Why not enjoy traveling if he has to do it so often anyway? Or get a vacation home for when you two want to get away for a while?

Honestly, he enjoys seeing what life has to offer and being in new situations where he can really flex his brain. So expect to be brought to a ton of puzzle rooms and different types of niche resturants. If you see an experience that piques your interest just tell him about it and he'll make sure to make time in his busy schedule. After all what's the point to life if you two just stay cooped up and stop going out? Isagi relishes the feeling of solving a puzzle with you or even the drive there, resting a hand on your leg as he asks you for directions.

Chris of course gets brand deal upon brand deal, but surprisingly enough he keeps all those products away from you. As much as he puts on an act for cameras, he knows the difference between quality and something designed to work only twice. The only piece of work he brings home with him is Prince Water (which actually does taste really good). But, he is extravagant what can I say, the smallest gift you'll be getting from him is probably jewlery.

He genuinely loves you and prides himself on being able to make your life a nice and easy one. Although his ego does come into play, with many of his gifts having small reminders that they were from him, they're always catered to you. A car modified to your needs, a specific book case that fits perfectly into the corner of your office, anything really. He's usually a bit aloof, but as long as you adore him he'll adore you and pay extra attention to what he gives you instead of just throwing brand names at you.

Rin would rather die than admit this to you, but he actually appreciates it a lot when you give him gifts. He only really realizes that that's a thing he can do after you give him something for your "when we met" anniversary. Then he's head over heels for gift giving. A form of showing his love that can be exchanged wordlessly? Yes please. While he struggles to fully grasp it at first, not knowing what to get you to fully show his appreciation, he eventually finds his groove.

He enjoys just existing around you, so most of the gifts he gives you are extremely practical and can be used around the house. Rin isn't one for flaunting or hitting the town and most of the time the two of you need a staycation to rest after all the travelling to matches and interviews. The biggest gift he'd ever gotten you was a pet animal of your choice (as long as it's not something too exotic/dangerous lol) for your birthday. Albeit, only after months of you begging him.

Reo gives you big gifts without even thinking, to him an upscale vacation or getting new brand-name clothes for you is just a common courtesy. Honestly, if anything, you need to tell him to tune it down before people think that you're just with him for his money. Trust me, it's hard to start dating Reo Mikage but once you are you're guaranteed a level of luxury that you were previously blind to. He isn't the type to flaunt persay, he just doesn't think what he does is flaunting since he's grown up with it.

So what's really special, to you at least, is when he starts giving you smaller gifts. Things that might not even register as gifts. A doodle of you looking out the window or a small keychain that refrences some inside joke between the two of you. Something that only you would really understand, handed to you in passing before Reo turns to smile at you and watch your reaction. Don't bother thanking him, he'll just say not to worry about it.

Niko is honestly a huge nerd at heart. Expect a lot of books and novelty items from him. He will totally go to stores for audiences you didn't even know existed with you. Stores that sell strange mashes of anime merch and art supplies and food that have you stretching your budget. World markets are also a big place to visit for the two of you. He will beg you to take him similar places in whatever country you live in in turn.

A lot of his bigger gifts are for special occasions, Niko worries that if he gives you gifts too often they'll start to lose meaning. They're always extremely well planned out and usually take a lot of time. Like the time he brought you on a cross country roadtrip for your birthday. He adores freaking out with you over whatever obsession you're currently going through and spending time with you whenever he can.

[ferhog]

Getting into Metroid This Past Month:

I first learned about Metroid (as well as most Nintendo franchises that weren't Pokemon and Mario) through my friend's copy of Smash Bros Brawl at around the age of 9. Samus being a hot lady underneath the cool set of power armor left enough of an impression for me to try and draw her from memory, but I otherwise had no interest in actually playing her games for most of the following decade and a half. In that time I learned a bit of her lore from Smash Trophys, Game Theory videos, and watching the first few minutes of Other M cutscenes to hear the lady from Smash Bros talk, but it wasn't until shortly after the release of Metroid Dread when I watched some late game cutscenes from the game and GameXplain's Metroid movie pitch video that I became interested enough in the story of the games and Samus as a character that I decided to downlo- I mean obtain copies of Zero Mission and Fusion for my Visua- I mean Gameboy Advance, which I held off on starting until I worked through my gaming backlog more, and it was earlier this summer that I decided the time had come.

The Metroid Manga: Before starting Zero Mission as my first game I read the manga so I'd get a good sense of Samus' backstory before starting. Now I knew what to roughly expect thanks to the Gamexplain movie pitch adapting much of the story, but overall I enjoyed it more than I was expecting. I probably don't need to tell you that Ridley was the absolute highlight. His pure evil is matched only by Louie from Pikmin in terms of Nintendo villains and it got me very invested in his rivalry with Samus throughout the games. Aside from that, my favourite part of the manga was Samus' characterization and her relationship with her bird dads. I have a real soft spot for all adoption related tropes so I really like the idea that Samus was taken in by what was once the most important race in the galaxy and inherited their legacy of keeping the peace, which she basically turned into a job via bounty hunting. However a lot of what the manga does is better in concept than in execution, as the art is hard to follow a lot of the time and much of the story is sped through quite quickly, no thanks to how much time is spent with the extensive cast of side characters. When Samus started her zero mission I held off on finishing the story until I played the game, and while I'm glad that they went with adapting the game at the end because we got to see a climactic fight against Ridley it is super bizarre that they didn't commit to the idea and just stopped when Samus reached Mother Brain. The manga is absolutely worth reading but best thought of as a companion to Zero Mission, probably best read afterwards.

Metroid Zero Mission: My experience with Metroidvanias was basically just Hollow Knight, the first Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, and while I was excited to experience the same sense of adventure I also feared getting lost as per this franchise's reputation. However I surprisingly managed to make my way though the whole game with only one thing I had to look up, which embarrassingly was the same mistake David Jaffe infamously made in Dread, as I failed to realize I could shoot a ceiling open even with enemies there to hint that I could. I think the game has the perfect balance between freedom and guidance as someone's first Metroid game through the chozo statues that mark your next destination without telling you how exactly to get there. Combine that with it being a remake of the first game and I think it was just the perfect game for me and anyone else to start with. My biggest issue gameplay-wise was just the fights against Mother Brain and the two black Space Pirates were very frustrating, the latter because the combat just didn't feel designed for a fight that reflex based, at least not for a newcomer. After finishing the game I felt compelled to earn the Zero Suit Samus ending, which I accomplished by constantly scouting out the optimal routes and resetting so I could get through them as fast as possible.

AM2R: I wanted to play these games in story order so I knew I had to play some version of Metroid 2 next. After trying out the original Metroid that you unlock after beating Zero Mission I figured the pre-NES games weren't going to be fun for me so I wanted to play either AM2R or Samus Returns, and I went with the former as it would be easier to find and would be closer to the game I just finished. The game is a very impressive feat for a fan-made project, though I think it was the one I had the least fun with overall. A few hours into the game I listened to the Some Call Me Johnny review which mentioned it being very hard, and that made sense considering it was a fan project by big Metroid fans for big Metroid fans, but it did result in a few of the bosses being quite frustrating with how much skill they demanded, particularly with the space jump which I struggled to understand the timing of. I didn't feel like instantly replaying it as I did with Zero Mission but I really loved how they adapted the ending.

Super Metroid: "This SNES game probably won't hold up that well right?" Thought the guy whose first console was the PS2.

Super Metroid is one of the greatest games of all time.

Metroid Fusion: I was real intrigued going into this game given what I'd heard about its linearity and extra story focus compared to the prior games but it was still a shock going straight from 2 playthroughs of Super Metroid to this. It didn't even really feel like Metroid, especially with how you were essentially playing through levels via Adam sending you through specific locations with specific tasks. Eventually I got used to it and fully accepted it as a Metroid game as I was increasingly required to be more explorative, though I think of all Metroid games I've played it has the most needlessly abstract methods for mandatory progression. The example which I eventually gave up on and looked up was the yellow Space Pirate X which which could only be damaged with a shot to the back apparently? There was seemingly no visual hints for that and the doors didn't even open if you absorbed the X before they formed the Space Pirates. While I figured out the other examples on my own I just felt I had to blow up way more seemingly random walls than normal. The bosses were generally very fun except for everything about Yakuza. A super long lead up to a boss that kept killing me super easily before I figured out how to avoid its grab attack, followed by a struggle to regain health for the ensuing SA-X encounter with how little health you get from enemies that could fly in out of nowhere and do more damage to you than you were regaining. Speaking of the SA-X, it wasn't in the game as much as I was expecting, but each encounter was quite memorable, especially when I was hiding behind power bomb blocks and it dropped a power bomb. Overall I didn't like most of this game's choices, but I like it when franchises try new things so I wouldn't say anything should have been changed except for how much health you get from enemies. This was the 2nd game I didn't feel like instantly replaying.

Metroid Prime: As of writing this I am currently a few hours into the first Metroid Prime, specifically having just gotten the boost ball. The Metroid formula was very well translated into 3D and the visuals have aged amazingly. I may be playing a remaster but most remasters still don't look this modern. But curiously this has been the Metroid game I've spent the most time away from during a playthrough, going several days without picking it up again. It's not that I dislike playing it, I just don't feel as much of a strong desire to keep coming back to it. Maybe I just feel the need to catch up on other stuff after playing so much Metroid. I do think I'll get around to playing the rest soon enough.

One of my biggest impressions overall is that Metroid is actually quite underrated despite how iconic it is. Samus seems mostly remembered as a Smash Bros character and her iconic twist as one of gaming's first female protagonists, but it doesn't seem like that many people actually play the games. It's also funny that while Samus is famous as a sex symbol in the Smash Bros and general gaming fandoms, it seems that the actual Metroid fandom prefers their Samus cooler than sexy. Anyway I'm looking forward to eventually picking up Dread, the game which first hooked my interest into this franchise, and the other 2 Prime games. Maybe I'll even pick up Other M if I see it around.

[platonic-qpr-selfshipping]

🎫 here's a gush pass ^^ feel free to gush about whichever f/o you want, however much you want, then send this ask to 3 other self shippers! (@comfortingstars :3)

hELLO... I know it's been long since you sent this or other asks and know I appreciate them a lot and want to answer them !!! I just. may be a bit too bad at finding time and energy for these when there's a lot going on around me but just today I happened to be kind of daydreaming about Asra and thinking that I wanted to write something about those thoughts but not necessarily a fanfic and I remembered this gush pass!!! so thank you for sending it and don't mind me just rambling under the cut kxbsk

I got a bit personal so warnings for hmm quarantine and dissociation mentions

the week has been intense and Im tired as in I need to sleep a lot and just stay in bed or in a comfy sofa with no worries for a while so I was just thinking about how nice it would be if Asra was there with me somehow. just our bodies pressed against each other on the couch, or sitting shoulder against shoulder, closing my eyes knowing they'll still be there caressing my face from time to time as if that would make all the tiredness magically disappear (and who knows, with his magic perhaps it will).

so!! it's not unusual for me to check Asra's tags (to no one's surprise) and just this evening I found this in them:

AND I DONT THINK I HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE?????????????????? HOW COULDN'T I— THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION WITH HIS WEDDING DESIGN. WEDDING DESIGN. THE ONE VASSAGO USED FOR ASRA AND I WEDDINIG ILLUSTRATION TOGETHER. Im. im just surprised I hadn't seen anything about this before and he looks so calm and peaceful and nice that I just thought that if this were a moment in our wedding, perhaps taking a bit of a break from the dancing to just lie down under some tree's shadow, and I sat by their side and saw them like that— bro I would cry. bro I would start crying right there. bro. bro.

there's just this sense of safety that always embraces me when I think of Asra, so it just feels so right for our bond to have developed this way, like it's so in character for us or something, to see it like this and have turned it into this. like, knowing him, knowing us— it just makes sense with the way we are, have been, have felt. and the thought of me crying at that sight because of the realisation just made me go through it all again kdhsk the memories, because when I expressed in that letter that I always feel like I can go to him no matter what or where I'm at, I really meant it

I got flashbacks like. playing the game or just talking about it with a friend that also knew it before the only class we had together. telling her that if we were studying in the same place I would run towards him in the corridor and drop on the floor to go "seems like I've fallen for you". how I have messages from years ago in the chat with that friend saying I would marry Asra and I had forgotten about those until I randomly found them when working on the fic. dude I even edited a marriage certificate and that was YEARS AGO HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THAT DETAIL XKBDKS I wrote letters to him during quarantine to cope. I recorded a super long audio message about my opinion of his route when I finished it but I had lived through it almost as if it was my own experience in a way. going to classes watching the game's ads to get coins to unlock more content and seeing him in its mini-games. and I could stop playing for a while, but then if anything happened he would still be there. and I moved out for the first time and felt so bad I was kinda dissociating for weeks and the way to cope was to write them letters again. just— no matter how much time passes by, how long it's been since I last logged in the game, no matter what, Asra is there, my love for the character is there, and the support that gives me is surprisingly big. has been for a long time.

and writing that fic took a leap of confidence from me. I got so insecure about the whole thing that that's the whole reason that that one chapter where they reassure my s/i about a lot of stuff exists. because yeah, it's undeniable that Asra is important to me, but who am I to assume it would also go the other way around and create a fic like that? who am I to assume they would be happy with what I can give, when they have surely gotten so much more from other relationships or...? Idk. I knew I was getting into a rather unexplored territory by going with a qp wedding and the insecurity of that and who I am kinda got to me. and I know he's a fictional character and we're free to create whatever we want so I felt even more silly to worry about that sort of stuff kxbskb but it happened, and how did I deal with it? with, once again, relying on him, and writing about them. It's always him—

Idk if this has gotten overly long or personal or whatever bxksn just putting today's thoughts out of my brain because it also needs to sleep bxjsk conclusion is: there's this sense of safety and calmness when it comes to Asra in my life (btw I always admired that he likes to travel a lot because I've always wished to be able to do the same and the fact that we could just live our lives like that and travel together because it just feels natural to us— IM RAMBLING AGAIN) and Im so, so emotional over the bond we've created over the years. there really is something irreplaceable in the bonds we can create with characters

[sugarywishes]

My stupid thoughts on Help Wanted 2 (obvious spoilers below lmao)

ffffFFFFINEEE I like the game, and I don't mind GGY being POSSIBLY canon now. I love the fact that my boy GLITCHTRAP IS BACK!! (Still uncertain if he is Mimic, speaking of which...)

I still REALLY HATE THAT BITCHASS STUPID ASS ROBOT, but...I've reluctantly accepted as canon as well. I don't like it, I think it's still lame as an antagonistic force, and I'd much prefer it'd stay as Burntrap ONLY. If it ends up actually being Glitchtrap GODDD 💔💔 the AUs I'd have to rewrite...my personal canon ruined...Anyways, let's talk about GGY!

Uh! I guess I'm not disappointed! I have the many wonderful fnaf artists I follow (YALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE 🔥🔥) to thank for my newfound like in GGY (the concept, and surprisingly the story/other characters! I know I usually shit talk the books, but Tony and Ellis are super cool characters from what I know, maybe this'll mean I'll actually read the book eventually...maybe...👀) I'm still kind of sad that it is probably canon, now it gives people an excuse to hate on my boy more, which will totally suck (and I still think it makes him overly, well, overpowered. But hey what can I do huh??) (And I'm a little annoyed that he might canonical be patient 46) (or 47 I'm forgetting fnaf canon what is wrong w me)

ALSO VANESSA AND VANNY !! okay. I'm happy they're being used in something at least! Let's hope they appear more in stuff soon)

And also, Cassie's new model! Uh, it's nice. I think it just kind of resembles a generic 3d animated character from some b-side studio tryna knock off Disney and be used as a babysitting film. (Specific I know) and it kind of matches Gregory's a little bit more now (BUT I'M HOPING THEY CHANGE THE OTHER HUMAN MODELS, not by a lot but enough to not look uncanny like their usual designs do)

Anyways gameplay wise, frightening (as is per usual from the fnaf vr games 😭😭) love helpy's and roxy's level. And also El Chip's, the Papa Louie energy of it definitely brings me back to my undying rage against my least favorite customers...fuck you X Twins (speaking of Flipline IM GONNA SEE IF I CAN GET PAPA'S PALETERIA I HAVE TO GET IT TO SUPPORT MY QUEEN LIEZEL and Zak too ofc)

Did we play as Mapbot?? Is this a thing now??? What???? (Time to watch the billions upon billions of theory videos that explain that it's actually some obscure loser from the books) (or Cassie's dad, speaking of which I'M ALMOST DONE WITH THE FNAF 2 KCI KIDS including Charlie, which will then leave the male fnaf characters, the afton kids, and other miscellaneous characters/ocs which includes my design of her dad)

Anyways, that's it for now, I'll add more in the reblogs around the new few days if I remember lol)

[oc-cards]

can I ask most of those questions for your ocs : Eddie and Ethan perchance ? -My gorgeous wife <3

We put this under a cut since it is a fairly long post, but here you go!! We can always do more OCs from this ask game, or switch around to do the other questions for them!

We wanted to go ahead and get Ethan's profile out there too before we answered, but figured this sat in drafts long enough!

Eddie/Edward

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?

His name's based off Edward Cullin from Twilight- but once I fleshed him out I also couldn't really see him as going by "Edward" so Eddie stuck more, even if Edward is his full name.

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

Most of the time Eddie is portrayed between the ages 16 to around 30? but it really depends if an alternate universe is being used or if it's the "canon" universe

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

His gorgeous wife Flora, is his one and only love interest (he would joke that it would be his best friend CC, but Flora is really the only person he's ever had romantic interest in.)

💼 - What do they do for a living?

Eddie's a rock star, as well as a tutor! He doesn't really use a lot of money- since he lives with Ethan and Evelyn, and he usually either donates it away or uses it for presents and gifts for those close to him.

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

Other than things for his job (songwriting, playing guitar, that kind of thing), Eddie really likes to sew- and he particularly makes bags and cute accessories for Flora and Mary (his little sister). He was also on his high schools' baseball team, so he occasionally goes to a park to play it there if he can.

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

Sort of? His original design was a lot paler and more "gothic" looking, but I changed it so that it's his performing makeup instead of his actual natural look.

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

I kind of just looked at Ethan and Evelyn and wondered; what would happen if we gave them an alt/punk son. So we did, and it worked out surprisingly well.

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

While Eddie does present in a more masculine manner most days, he doesn't really care about gender or presentation; if it came to it he would likely say that he's a man- but he wouldn't be too worried or bothered if someone wanted to call him "she" or "they". I think he's likely unlabeled; he has the "potential" to be attracted to all genders, but he loves Flora so much that he really doesn't notice anyone else.

Ethan:

🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have?

If we're only counting blood siblings, Ethan has two; Alex and Theodosia. But if we counted people he considers his siblings (having that close of relationships with), Ethan probably has closer to ten siblings, especially ones that he met in middle or high school.

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

Strained, irreparably so- specifically with his father, since Nick is still alive- he literally couldn't rectify his relationship with his mother if he wanted to- given she's dead.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

I really like how his backstory influences him as a person, and how his personality is an almost entire 180 to his fathers; his relationship and own idea of masculinity is such an interesting concept because how he was raised and the concept of masculinity he was brought up in is so different than the one he makes a point to show now.

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Any time I can, I love him, he's probably one of the most stable and healthy characters (ironically)

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

Ethan's been a solidified OC of mine for about one to two years now- I'm not sure how long he's been an OC if we count the beginning and developmental stages of his creation though.

[roselightfairy]

Also, I suspect I know what this title is for, so I'm hoping for some fun juicy additional tidbits from:

Mod FAV snippets

Hahahahahahaha so this one is a pure vanity project, maybe the most navel gaze-y thing I've done.

When I started working with @deheerkonijn, I absolutely loved playing around in modverse and I've continued to love it. But it's an interesting balance, working with a specific set of characterizations and situations! Our depictions of Legolas in our own work often appear on the surface to be completely, completely different. While working together, we've found a ton of points of connection and similarity, and have realized that we have a very similar view of him as a character after all, but the way that looks outwardly is - uh, quite different. Influencer!Legolas is about as opposite of FAV!Legolas as you could possibly come, you know? So just for fun, just for myself, I started playing around with what my specific characterizations and OCs would look like in a similar fusion universe. It was only for me and DHK, but it was a ton of fun (and turned into, like, a Legolas Family Drama TV Show haha).

Probably the crowning jewel of anything I wrote in there, though, was a made-up magazine profile of Gimli the architect, and since I haven't given you any snippets, I'll include a bit in here:

But if he’s been collaborating with Éomer of Rohan, does that mean we can expect to see more of his work outside the country? “I’m not saying anything about that yet!” he deflects again. “Nothing is set in stone – if you’ll forgive my pun.” No amount of gentle prodding will get another word out of him, so I return to the subject of his life. What has the transition been like – between Erebor and Minas Tirith, moving outside of dwarf-only circles, and rising so quickly to prominence? “It’s been . . . surprisingly easier than I expected, actually.” He smiles fondly. “I was lucky that I made some really wonderful friends right away, and having them has helped me both with the emotional transition and with even the finer aspects of design. I might have loved Lady Galadriel when I was younger, but having an elf as an idol doesn’t mean I really knew anything about elvish design. But since I met Legolas, I’ve been introduced to a whole new world. I find I love trying to integrate all these different inspirations and sensibilities – it’s a refreshing challenge.” Ah, yes, Legolas. The elusive elvish husband who has somehow remained such an enigma to the public eye. What about him? I can’t help asking. What’s it like being a dwarf married to an elf – especially that one? Are the rumors true? Is he really that Legolas? But Glóinul refuses to tell me anything. “That’s personal,” he says. “We like to keep our private life as private as possible.” If the rumors are true, I can’t blame him. It’s been whispered that Glóinul’s husband is Legolas Thranduilion – yes, son of that Thranduil, longtime prime minister of Eryn Lasgalen and generator of the most rumor and controversy since Thingol himself. Legolas has been much farther removed from the spotlight than his sister Laerwen Thranduiliel, former Lasgalen Secretary of State and center of a fair amount of spectacle herself – but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t step forward and claim some fame himself if he asked for it. So far he’s never granted an interview, and even Glóinul has never explicitly confirmed his identity, but my eyes keep straying back to that gorgeous antique desk in his studio. If that isn’t Lasgalen design, I don’t know what is. “Legolas is my husband,” is all Glóinul will say when I point this out. “All that’s important for you to know is that he’s my most fervent supporter, my biggest inspiration, and he makes me happier than anyone I’ve ever known. He’s been with me since before all this started, and honestly I admire him more than anyone I’ve ever met.” His fond smile says it all, but I can’t help teasing a little. Even the Lady Galadriel? “Even her.” Glóinul smiles. “But I don’t think she’d hold it against me.”

Thanks for asking! These will probably never see the light of day, so it was fun to get to share a little bit of it!

[cyberdragoninfinity]

oh! iii/trey/michael for the character meme!

TREEEEYYY MY LITTLE STARBUCKS PINK DRINK

First impression: when he first showed up in Duel Links in like. i think like late 2021?? I was like "oh ok so that puppet freak from earlier has a little brother, INTERESTING" <--*ominous thunder as i think about How Bad Yugioh Siblings Get Me* didnt think too much of him beyond that except maybe "oh i dont. know how i feel about. his deck archetype"

Impression now: OUGHH....TREY....TREY MICHAEL III MY LITTLE GUY. i didnt expect him to be my favorite Arclight brother but he's just. So good. He's 15 and he wants his family to be alright and he wants to be useful and he wants to have friends and his design is adorable and he has a SWORD. Sobbing crying pounding my fists on the pavement. He's like the embodiment of 🙃 as a person. Smiling but barely keeping it together. I would kill for him.

Favorite moment: HIS WHOLE DUEL WITH YUMA. IS PROBABLY MY TOP FAVORITE ZEXAL DUEL STILL but especially when he's just like "if i do this maybe I can be of some use to my father and my family *literally attempts a murder-suicide that almost ends the world*. It blasted my brain clear into the stratosphere. ALSO the moment in Zexal II when he throws a sword at Mr. Heartland. HOT PINK BITCH NAMED BREAKFAST.... ATTACK!

Idea for a story: I think a post-canon Zexal story where Yuma invites both Trey and Vector over for some kind of hang out would be, really really funny. They're gonna get into a fight about who's closer to Yuma and it's only gonna dissolve when Trey realizes Vector has Fuckign Biblical Times Era Memories and can ask him about 400 B.C. era art and architecture. They're talking about Persepolitan columns now. Yuma just wants to play duel monsters.

Unpopular opinion: IDK IF IT'S UNPOPULAR OR NOT BUT I STILL. DONT KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT CHRONOMALIES. ive said it before the concept is cool but WHY. DID THEY GIVE A DECK FULL OF INDIGENOUS ARTWORK TO A LITTLE WHITE BOY. AND MAKE IT ALL ~MYSTICAL.~ ERM. WELL !

Favorite relationship: I do absolutely adore his friendship with Yuma and how that's progressed over the course of the show, but his bond with his family makes me especially absolutely beastmode Hooting Hollering Crying. This kid is loyal almost to a fucking fault and he just loves the people he's close to SO much. HE JUST WANTED TO BE USEFUL FOR HIS DAD. HE JUST WANTED HIS FAMILY TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. GOD. shoutout also to his dynamic with Quattro, which I love. guy going freak mode and his baby brother watching the carnage like <:)

Favorite headcanon: autistic with the Ancient Civilization special interest Of All Time. In a few years time this kid's gonna come out as nonbinary and start messing around with neopronouns we can only dream of. Surprisingly ruthless board game player. Picks up slang from Yuma and can't stop. Likes fizzy bubbly drinks.

[emblemxeno]

Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected Thoughts

-Future Connected is 100% done! All quests, all ponspectors, full collectopedia, all Quiet Moments, and full map! For a 10~ hour epilogue, it certainly had its charms.

-Story and characters were extremely good and heartfelt. Melia getting to be unabashedly happy and powerful in her leadership position is a treat to see. Kino and Nene were feel good team mates that brought smiles to my face, and their inclusion led to Riki being developed without even being there! Best dadapon even more so. Shulk's story was over in the main game, so seeing him in a supportive role was not a shock, and he's so damn sweet. And again, Tyrea's story role in this-as well as Teelan being brought in as a full supportive character-was a welcome inclusion, something that I felt was a great bow tied on to XC1's world.

-Side characters were good, for the most part. Surprisingly poignant and nuanced dialogue from named NPCs, as well as welcome funny moments here and there. I enjoyed Maxis and the Companions, as well as their friction with Gran Dell. Were the game to be longer, I'd call it underdeveloped, but since it's as short as it is, it's just fine.

Gael'gar though... kind of weak tbh. He created tension in the story that, IMO, wasn't necessary or impactful. Mixed blood High Entia hating pure bloods as a reversal of the main game's take is an interesting concept, but something that can't meaningfully take hold in a short adventure, especially since the blood heritage thing is woven tightly into the main game's narrative with the Telethia's origins. Gael'gar blowing up the lab was ultimately for naught in my eyes, as yeah it sets back Teelan and Tyrea's research, but reasonably that probably wasn't gonna be solved before the Fog King issue anyway. He lacks threat and charisma either, so he's not even entertaining or engaging, he's kind of just a negative.

-WE MEASURE! FIND TREASURE! PONSPECTORS TIL WE DIE!

I loved those little fuckers, even if some of the quests involving them were annoying. Shout out to the chuuni ponspector, your quest may have been hell, but I loved your dialogue. They were great in the gameplay sense too, adding some meat to the system. Speaking of which...

-I didn't care much for the combat at all. I have an overall really positive opinion on XC1's combat, where even though spikes are an awful design decision and the game is centralized around topple locking, the variety of arts, skill trees and links, and various armors and gems led to a great deal of customization and fun. Future Connected is a short romp, so it makes sense for it to be stripped, but stripping XC1's combat makes one realize that it's not quite that fun in its bare form. Things become a bit more routine or predictable, and I think the devs knew that, so they made enemies a bit more annoying and tanky (I think even one NPC commented that the region's monsters are stronger on the shoulder than they normally would be). Until I got access to the Ponspector Attack, I felt at the mercy of things just playing out with no major impact; like I was a level 60 hero going through the prologue again. It wasn't hard to eventually adjust, but still. Meh.

-Specific point about battling. Getting rid of Enchant makes sense, since no Mechon. However, why not also get rid of Shield and enemy Talent Arts since there's no visions? Shield's main purpose was to stop talent arts before they happen, but with no visions you never know when they're happening ever. At that point, Shield is kind of worthless the first time round, and it becomes trial and error depending on the enemy if you keep dying to it. Most often, the only Monado Art you needed was Armor, since that's more reliable and multipurpose. Just strange.

-What else... music was top notch, I looooooved the Fog Beast theme. Visuals were great, and huge fucking props to breathing life into the Bionis' Shoulder, since that was major cut content in the original Wii release. Repurposing it for an epilogue mini-adventure was a smart move. Exploring the continent itself was fun, so they did a great job. I loved each location, and I oddly enough enjoyed the high concept names for each landmark and the like. Very fantastical.

-Having played XC3, anything and everything about the Fog King and the Rift, like these:

They're such brain candy moments for literature nerds like me, oooh, I love it. The XC3 art book revealed that Alrest had a similar event to Future Connected, just not seen before XC3's events. I imagine, that since FC was a rift above Alcamoth that spouted out a Guldo, then there was most likely a rift in the center landscape of the new Alrest, where Morytha used to be. I like to think Alrest's version of the Fog King would be a Telethia that got caught in the rift.

-Last but certainly not least, JENNA COLEMAN! Getting her back for both Future Connected and XC3 was amazing, and she kills it as Melia. So mature, heartfelt, compassionate, an A+ performance.

-Overall, I had fun! Would I play it again? Ehhh, maybe someday, but whenever I play XC1 again, I'm not likely to revisit FC along with it every time. Still, loved the scenes and what it brought to the overall Xenoblade story.

Taking another break before moving on. Continuing on, I'm gonna play Torna next, then main game XC2. I couldn't be more excited to play those again tbh.

[curiositythecryptid]

Hello, back again another fic promo post!

It just took breaking a Dancy Pants machine, elemental merging and stopping the apocalypse for the nth time. Are all engagements this eventful? or, Diversity win! Nya gets a serving of the trauma salad. Cole is surprisingly experienced in the particular field.

This one is vaguely a sequel to four truths of the disembodied, if you've ever read that one! It took me a while to get around to posting this one on Tumblr bc I have some things I wanted to say about it.

Author's notes below the cut!

One very common Nya take I've seen in my year of fandom experience is that Nya still has the facial markings from her time as the Endless Sea, usually blue or glowing blue at some point, or that her hair is still water or turns into water when she uses her powers.

Those headcanons and fanart are really cool, I have to admit they lend themselves to excellent visuals, but the mechanics of them (as well as the mechanics of [shudders] Crystallized in general) always bugged me just enough to keep me thinking.

Let's start with Crystallized. To defeat Wojira, Nya merged with the ocean, opened herself up completely to her powers. In order to bring her back, they had to take her powers away, but they did so in a way that we already know (from Kai's experience) is not permanent. So, she does, and awfully quickly, get her powers back.

But wait. Isn't that separation from her powers is what brought her back to life to begin with? I like to give the show the benefit of the doubt, but still... Crystallized writing, amiright?

So anyway. I'm all for, after such a sudden burst of power being essentially fixed with some duct-tape and hardy faith, Nya having some kind of permanent mark and consequence from it all. It's just that, I think the situation was too dire and too powerfully magical for the consequence to only be a change in design. I need the functionality of her powers to be affected too, or, as I present in this fic, for her power to affect and represent her mental state in an actually risky way.

This isn't a jab at anyone who does otherwise, neither is this supposed to say no one has ever done this, I just really liked my concept and needed to ramble a little about it.

The other thing is: We have a lot of fics about Ninjago characters dealing with trauma from past seasons, and especially, a lot of fics about Jay dealing with Skybound trauma. Sometimes supported by Nya, or Cole, to deal with it. And I do love me some angst.

But while there seems to be a general, vague acknowledgement of how Nya died in a wedding gown, so I see Jaya art that banks on her not wearing a wedding gown if she gets married, but still... I feel like Nya's Skybound trauma is under-explored sometimes, especially compared to Jay's. And she went through a lot that season.

She was ignored, dehumanized, reduced to a face, forced into an outfit she didn't want, had to play into that role to appease to her kidnapper, forced to marry someone creepy, got possessed, used as a human shield and then died.

So yea. I don't think she's like. Fully Okay and Healthy about all that.

Sure, having a cool, strong woman character is fun, but a woman feeling hurt and needing a support network and showing any of the traits women have been associated with and shamed for throughout history shouldn't reduce how seriously she deserves to be taken.

I think we mostly get the idea! We're on a pretty smart website full of pretty smart writers and artists. But there might be someone in the fandom who hasn't yet, so I'm putting this out there anyway.

Thank you if you stuck around this far on this blatant ramble post, and I hope you liked the fic!

[standardquip]

Heat Guy J Live Reacts

While watching Gungrave I remembered this show existed. Here are a compilation of discord messages I sent while watching the show over the course of ~2 weeks.

Key points: - This just might be an escaflowne AU - werewolves heck yes - better women than gungrave - surprise "tomatoes in anime" research

do I watch Heat Guy J (26 eps, similar to gungrave) or do I watch Black lagoon (29 eps, sexy guns starring a lady) I'm leaning toward Heat Guy J for my grey haired man quota I'm playing Heat Guy J ep 1 now so far the music is good lol kill bill inspired or kill bill was inspired bythis? I don't remember when either of those came out wow the voices are so much cooler sounding in japanese they just sound lame in english but english uses less brain power so I'll deal I'm gonna play all these at 1.5x speed because I'm on a strict schedule wow the cgi in this anime did not age well

I think this show shares a character designer with escaflowne … I might have to get this soundtrack damn this ost is all over the place but in a good way I'm only 12min into the first ep this is crazy ok alan schezar

hey look, it's Chid Freid all grown up

shut up, emo dildandau

also, they call the don of their mafia "vampire" (that's the title of the position) That's pretty neat

I'm pretty sure that's just a simplified bra design but this is the 2nd time she's shown up and all I can think of when I see her is "furry boobs"

this dude [Claire] seriously is dilandau straight up psychotic

werewolf or werecat? Hmmmmm

WHAT prisoners have their dna altered so when/if they escape prison, their faces are altered to look like beasts That is such an INSANE policy who puts sunflowers on a grave wtf

I started Heat Guy J I'm just starting ep 3 Here's my thoughts so far:

Surprisingly way more interesting than I thought it would be

The OST is god tier imo

Character design is very similar to vision of escaflowne

the android design is unique and cool bonus: at least one werewolf

ep4 it is a werewolf hecc yeah

"Have you seen my bunny?" I think I found Van

oh If we take personality into account This guy is actually folken

hot

this irish jig thing they have for the fight scenes is really entertaining

the russian roulette guy is the werewolf And I'm going back on the folken thing He's definitely Van ep5 I think this will be the last one for me tonight

fun times

[someone else says: Heat Guy J episode 1: October 1, 2002. Kill Bill Vol 1 premiere: October 30, 2003 ]

gonna try and get the next 5 eps of heat guy j done starting with ep 6 alright what's with the tomato symbolism in anime this didn't just come out of nowhere in new anime and now it's in heat guy j

[someone says: So Google has no idea why tomatoes I thought there would be like some sort of analysis on tomatoes as a symbolic device in anime ]

No it's probably not that direct like maybe japan exports a ton of tomatoes or something?

like if potatoes show up in some irish show There's a lot of history behind that (because of the potato famine) regardless of how they are actually used in the show There is a reason Just like how english is always saying "oh my god" or why they say "bless you" when you sneeze That seems benign but the reason for it is because english speakers are/were predominantly christian

Nobody's going to write an essay about why english speakers use "oh my god" or "bless you" in mass media It's something ingrained in the culture, so you'd have to look in a different context (different from its connection to why it shows up in tv shows a lot) to find the answer you're looking for

I guess ep 6 is "the stock market episode" oh boy they're really hamfisting the lessons in this one already oh boy they just explained the difference between stocks and commodities they also explained shorts (without calling them shorts)

J just caught a bullet with his BARE HANDS and it wasn't even a special scene or anything IT JUST HAPPENED

WHAT dilandau is like "I don't want you around anymore" to his butler so the butler is like "ok" AND THEN PUTS A GUN TO HIS HEAD FOR SUICIDE that's fucking crazy just leave the organization It was a free pass

ep7

cool he's got a scar now also it was just confirmed that THIS ONE is a cat

Back to tomatoes in anime: https://tasteofculture.com/2023/07/17/tomatoes-in-japan/ not as in-depth as I was hoping for

but my armchair guess is it symbolizes a gaijin making a big change to the culture and succeeding maybe an underdog story that also happens to look pretty

I wonder if this is why the tomato is getting spotlight in new anime https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/Japan-approves-gene-edited-super-tomato.-But-will-anyone-eat-it

why do japanese love the tomato so much? :skeptical fry.jpg: https://www.bbcspirits.com/gb/other-alcohols/729-liqueur-japan-la-tomato.html

ok so [person] might be onto something with the "it's just pretty" thing https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/100_10 this abstract makes it more clear that tomatoes were grown primarily because they were pretty. They didn't start eating them until the 1920s!

starting ep 10 now

alright Let's see if I can get to ep 15 I want to start a different series

ep11 was about mind control You know, it's been awhile since we saw the werewolf guy I wonder if he'll be in ep12

Heat Guy J is way more entertaining than the trailer made it seem but there's no real over-arching plot so I'm kind of bored of it now But not bored enough of it that I am ok abandoning it without finishing HELL YEAH WEREWOLF GUY IS IN THIS ONE oh lame they reused the animation from the other episode 😔

ep13 (yay) if I could finish this series today, that would be cool idk if I can keep focused on it much longer though I actually kind of want to go to bed… :reigensweat: (it's only 6pm here)

Starting ep15 The last one for today oh damn they legit destroyed heat guy j they just gave the main character super lsd

… j will make a full recovery damn plot armor

damn MC's (Daisuke) got plot armor from the super lsd too what a letdown

well ep15 is over and nothing has fundamentally changed I'm going to bed I guess And by "Bed" i mean laying down and browsing reddit on my phone til I fall asleep

ok let's see if I can get through 16 - 20 of heat guy j tonight

ep16 MC's brother, alan with glasses, was shot and is in the hospital. I guess he doesn't have plot armor. Meanwhile, dildandau's organization tries to overthrow him because he's too psychotic I wasn't paying much attention, I'm not sure if it succeeded or not

ep17 continues this plot MC & J leave the city and MC smells clean air and grass for the first time He doesn't like nature smells one random side character is the voice of those toonami music video narrator's (outlaw star narrator?) and it's sooo weird

hell yeah werewolf is back werewolf guy aka van is actually just a deus ex He only appeared for 5 seconds to make plot armor for MC 😩 ep18 MC got fired from the special unit. So he and J are now no longer partners alan is out of the hospital I think MC is going after the gang organization that dildandau used to be head of. is currently head of? It's still confusing

ok looks like dildandau is uhhh not present mentally and is maybe on the run So I guess the coup succeeded lol dildandau's character name is claire rival crime gangs are all after claire because they need his eyes to defeat some retinal scanner to access a ton of gold

J has been re-activated to be the plot armor for MC, who happens to be in the same room as clair currently while this gang war is going on yadda yadda somehow MC got the special unit formed again ep19 MC trying to recruit werewolf to the new special unit oh werewolf history episode yay

werewolf joined them yay ep20 Probably the last one before bed tonight There's 26 eps total, so maybe I can finish it tomorrow ep20 today we learn lightsabers just casually exist in this universe oh There's also an evil clone of J apparently

the evil J is trying to kill the MCs but normal J is nowhere to be found I wonder why that is oh there he is finally J vs J battle has commenced J is so OP evil J is dead now ehhhh let's watch ep 21, then call it some random side character has lost his black cat, named juliet aaaand now he's dead

juliet sees it And with his dying breath, he reaches for the cat "I have to make sure that you get home" Sad surprisingly powerful for random side character who has never shown up before oh wait He has shown up before lmao his name is romeo of course he'd name his cat juliet poor juliet

ok ep21 done bed now finish heat guy j tomorrow hopefully

alright let's see if we can watch the last 5 eps of heat guy j today beginning ep 22 this time the killer machine is A WOMAN! you know, this show has more women than the last one (Gungrave), which is good, but so far every single "evil" woman has been mind controlled meaning apparently women don't have the power to be bad of their own accord So that's kind of weird that it's happened twice now

the mechanic for J is very obviously in love with him I mean it was obvious from the first ep she was introduced but now it's even more obvious This looks like it's going to turn into "the beach episode"

oh shit, the island's owned by sephiroth! 😂

ep 23 There's a reoccuring small girl photographer character. She sells photos from a carriage on the street with a mule. So we start this ep with her carriage (which is also her house) burning to the ground girl is stoic, mom is crying and sobbing Girl says "Darn. I forgot my camera. I bet I could've sold a photo of this to the news for some money"

monica (the girl) now lives with the special squad and she is spitting some straight facts J has agreed to pretend to be monica's dad She is using him as a stage performer so she can get money LOL Now she's using him to gamble haha

so you're telling me that in all the years MC has been carrying this bullet pendant around his neck, he never once tried to open it? give me a break Monica opened it and found a memory card inside which is a thing MC needed to solve a crime anyway, ep24 time woman assassin! is she acting of her own accord though? Let's find out

Turns out MC's brother, Alan (actually named Shun) was the evil one all along! Oh Female assassin is actually J's technician! womp womp and shun just killed her sad trombone.mp3 and now he's controlling J!

oh no.jpg

ep25 begins (second to last episode) claire/dildandau makes a triumphant return, to tell MC his brother is the one behind this! Because MC was too dumb to figure it out himself for some reason rather than MC fighting J, beautiful werewolf deus ex appears out of nowhere and forces J into sleep mode

something weird is happening with alan's voice I'm predicting he is actually an android as well Let's see if this bet pays off dildandau got his organization back

same face syndrome killed me the assassin was shun/alan's assistant, not J's technician time to start the final ep, ep26

this is dumb the anime is too episodic now what do I want to watch next? (even though ep26 is still going on in the background) - High Card - Link Click season 2 - Blood Blockade Battlefront - Grenadier - Noein - Black Lagoon

Currently I am interested in lots of guns and gray haired men idk which is more important so maybe a good 50/50 ratio is perfect 🤔 well if we go in download date order, I should do Black Lagoon next… MC to evil brother: "The only think I'm here to kill… Is your anger" 😂

plot armor is in full effect in this episode now there's fireworks because some random deus ex kills everyone that mattered to the coup evil brother tries to kill himself nothing matters evil brother is not an android sad evil brother does not die and decides to not be evil anymore they gave him amnesty This has less stakes than an MCU movie MC goes on a kino's journey without J series ends super lame I am going to make a very nonsensical decision and start High Card next oh no its japanese with subs only! 😩 I don't want to deal with that right now Guess I'll go with Black Lagoon

I finished Heat Guy J It's too episodic for my tastes Also the plot armor was super thick I have started Black Lagoon I'm on ep9 currently It's much better (Heat Guy J OST was still amazing though) the only thing black lagoon is missing is a silver haired guy

well there's 29 eps... More than enough time for one to show up

[benis-chillin]

Backlog Reviews 2024: Metroid Dread

Platform: Switch

March 9th, 2024-April 4th, 2024

(Previous review, since I don't have anywhere to hyperlink it in the edit)

This has been the big one for me for a while. Back in late 2022, I binged through Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super Metroid, and Fusion, and have had a craving for this final 2D Metroid since. Not many game series have clicked with me in the same way Metroid has, so this is a case where I HAVE to play every game in at least SOME form.

And while I just found Prime to be a bit "eh" last year, I'm still going to give any of the other games a fair shake. Cause like with Sonic before it, I HAVE to know for myself. Even Other M will get that treatment someday.

And so, after a year of waffling that was terrible, I finally nabbed a cartridge on EBay and got to playing what may be one of my favorites in the series, if not THE favorite. If I were to describe how this game plays, it would be like if Samus had continued to get 2D games on the DS and 3DS after Fusion, and we're just at the next step of THAT evolution. It's insane how much of a progression this is from even Samus Returns, with new moves and weapons that I would've NEVER thought of for Metroid, but feel like, "Of course, why WOULDN'T you?" after you're introduced to the concept. They also keep the morph ball from you for a WHILE, which was surprisingly bold. After seeing my other favorite video game character regress so much in his 2D game design for his past decade of games, this was nice to see.

The world can become a bit unwieldy at times, but this is a fairly easy world to navigate once you've got the hang of it. While I didn't mind the more linear progression of Fusion and Samus Returns, I'm glad that they did cut back on Adam outright telling you where to go. He doesn't really have THAT much dialogue, and it's more just telling you what to avoid and what to look out for in terms of upgrades.

As for the story, it is REALLY good…Save for one thing I'll talk about later. It's fairly simple, but the stakes are high personally for Samus, and it ties her adopted heritage with the Chozo into the grander plot very naturally. This story could've gone really badly if not done right, and it warms my heart to see it executed so beautifully. And yes, when THAT moment happened at the end, I DID shed a single, sexy tear.

So that's a fair summary of the good stuff, so I'm gonna whine and complain a bit before we wrap up.

For one thing, bosses. Even on Rookie Mode, they're long, spammy, and kinda repetitive. The strategy for all of them is "don't get hit, and spam them with missiles." The only ones that break this up are Kraid when you sequence break for early bombs, and the twin Chozo warriors when they want you to learn how to use Storm Missiles. Everybody else was the same exact strategy, even the final boss against Raven Beak. And this problem wouldn't be so bad if there weren't SO MANY OF THEM, especially towards the end. It started to slow my progress, cause I'd wake up some days just NOT wanting to deal with any random boss encounter they'd throw my way.

They at least wait until the very end to throw the cheapest boss at you, unlike the latest offering by a certain blue rat that I played recently, but I'd definitely say the bosses were more of a negative than a positive.

E.M.M.I.s were also inconsistent. Sometimes, they'd work right and be this terrifying encounter that you just BARELY scraped past, other times they'd be a cheap kill that sets you back with no real consequences since there's not THAT much space between the E.M.M.I. doors in any given area. And then most of the time, they were just laughable clowns that you can just Scooby Doo around until you get to the next door. You can have some cool encounters with them, but even early on these guys are total posers.

And while I praised all of the moves we got earlier, there is a part of me that thinks MAYBE we got too many of them? Maybe it was my developing case of carpal tunnerl syndrome, or the Switch Lite's underscaled buttons for these kind of games, but the stronger I got, the harder it was to manage all of my weapons in a boss battle. Plus, there were upgrades I barely even used, like the Speed Booster, that maybe could've been cut. I know people are gonna be mad at me for saying the Speed Booster sucks, but you can accomplish most of what it does through normal movement and the Screw Attack, so I don't see the point of it. Samus Returns managed just fine without it.

And now for the spoiler rant, so if you don't want to be spoiled, just don't read the section between the big text, m'kay?

SPOILER ZONE

So at the end of the game, we find out that the events of the game have drawn out Samus' Metroid DNA she got back in Fusion. She is becoming more Metroid-like as time goes on, which makes sense given all of the X that are now out and about.

HOWEVER, the game explains this as her Thoha DNA she got as a child keeping it at bay until she met Raven Beak at the beginning, because he is a Mawkin. The Thoha were the ones who made the Metroids, so Adam reasons out that this is why the Metroid DNA kept things quiet until meeting the Mawkin, who slaughtered the Thoha on SR388.

SO HER METROID DNA WAS SCARED OF HER THOHA DNA!?

THAT MAKES NO DAMN SENSE!

Samus' Metroid DNA comes from the baby Metroid she spared during Metroid 2/Samus Returns, who descended from the Metroids who evolved out of the Thoha's control due to Aeion energy. This DNA is from a set of Metroids who have no loyalty to the Thoha, and would thus not CARE.

Additionally, if Raven Beak's Mawkin DNA triggered it in the beginning, HOW WAS SAMUS ALREADY NOT IN THIS STATE? This game establishes that she HAS Mawkin DNA inside of her! RAVEN BEAK'S MAWKIN DNA, no less! Did it just conviniently ignore that?

Not to mention that Other M established that the Baby Metroid was, in fact, a Queen Metroid larva, which is why it protected Samus at the end of Super and such. I think such special DNA would get past these boundaries regardless.

(And yes, I'm aware of the implication that Samus is a Queen because of this. We all already knew that, so it's irrelevant)

And finally, DNA DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!

Okay, spoilers over.

So yeah, my problems with it would bump it down to a 9/10 normally, but I'm going to restore a point because Samus looks damn sexy in her armor in this game. Every one of her main suits is hot af, so basically, in the merits of being oddly attracted to a woman in a robot suit:

10/10

Next…Idk. I'm gonna take a break to nurse my carpal tunnel for a bit. So…See you next mission, I guess.

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

Season 2 Ramble#7 - All About Art

As the title suggests and as you probably guessed, this month's episode is all about art. I'm talking dancing, singing, modeling, drawing, whatever. You name it and surprisingly enough there's probably a manga for it. You can listen in with the link above or check the link in my bio for your preferred platform 🥂

Given the ever growing forms of art, its heavily subjective nature + my very limited perception and so on, I invite my friend Jen onto the show so I don't pigeonhole you all into my views and preferences via my reads.

So how this episode goes down is that the first segment is the usual listicle type beat, alternating between me and Jen, with the usual split of stuff read this month and stuff read before but since it's the two of us I thought I'd save y'all the long talking and have us only give details on the top 1s and kinda just summarize the other stuff we mention. Then for the second segment we'll have a little back and forth interview type beat in place of the usual rambles and then some outtakes from our test calls leading up to the episode to wrap up the whole thing.

Things read this month:

Top 1(me)

Shiori Experience(story & art by Yuuko Osada, ongoing with 66 chapters)

The main premise is that plain Jane highschool teacher Shiori, gets her life flip twisted upside down, when one day she's possessed by the ghost of legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Pretty sweet deal tbh, especially if you're a music fan, which she is, but ofc there's a catch. If she doesn't become a legend before 27 she dies.

Great cast, pretty solid story and the two intersect really well as the main plot is driven by her trying to scrounge up and then develop a band. So it's been pretty balanced so far in that as different members join we get to see them develop individually as well together as a band. Pretty solid story as I said, it draws a pretty good range of emotions out of you but what pushed it to number 1 was definitely the phenomenal art, specifically their illustration of sound. Going from a gentle wave, to an explosive eruption it's really cool to see the different sounds of different bands or even the different songs of the same band. Cannot recommend this manga enough, it truly is an amazing experience.

Two Honourable Mentions:

Blue Giant

Basically this kid wants to be the greatest jazz player in the world, he plays a mean sax and you can maybe kinda think of it as equal but opposite to the movie whiplash. As in yh they both have dudes trying to do the virtually impossible, both facing their fair share of hardships and so on but blue giant just has this super contagious uplifting vibe, especially the main character dai. he's a real one fr.

Smile Down The Runway

This is about fashion and the story revolves around 2 folks, chiyuki a model that's too short and ikuto, a designer that's too broke. Both have dreams of one day making it to the Paris fashion week runway (which starts next month irl btw). Read this pretty late in the month but it was so good I pretty much just blazed through it. Won't say much but the art was amazing and the designs were actually flames.

a manga that was surprisingly good:

Wandance

As the name suggests it's about dancing, largely of the hip hop based variety, they make a lot of cool references to modern artists from dj cream to Freddy Gibbs to Kendrick and basically it's about a dude who finds it hard to speak finding joy in being able to express himself through dance. On that note I gotta mention this month apparently makes 50 years of hip hop, shout out the genre and its offshoots fr but let the record show it all started right here in Jamaica. (It was surprising because for me the art style reminded me of a ton of manga I just didn't like)

a manga I didn't get to but looks cool:

Paradise Kiss

Another fashion manga and that's all I can say

[unfortunately Jen had a lot of emergencies at work and didn't type up anything so I had to just summarize her stuff but you can listen in to hear what she had to say in detail]

Top 1(Jen) - Blue period

Two Honourable Mentions - Sounds of life and PPPPPP

Things read before this month:

Top 1(me)

Blue Period (story & art by tsubasa yamaguchi, ongoing with 61 chapters out in English)

Highschool delinquent yatora makes the last minute and arguably terrible career choice to become an artist. can't fight him though as clinging to a long life unable to be authentic to yourself reeks of misery. In any case the story so far follows him from high school to college, and we take a pretty indepth look at art, what it is and what it means to be good at it. Pretty bold move of the author to be honest.

Also want to mention the author has a self titled 4 chapter collection of short stories that you can check out as well, literally just found out and read earlier today, pretty neat read

Two Honourable Mentions:

Bakuman

Spoke on this last episode so I won't say much but it's a manga about making manga and it was the top one of its section last month

Akane Banashi

Something that was an honourable mention last month, really really good and would have been top 1 in its section of not for bakuman. It's about a traditional Japanese art called rakugo which is basically a one man play, because it's in the honourable mention slot I don't speak much on it but honestly really really really good

[Jen hadn't really read much art stuff before this month but she did mention Barakamon and Rakugo Shinjuu ]

Thanks for listening/reading so far and you can listen in for the little interview and outtakes 🍻

[crying-pan420]

Ride the cyclone horror au (Murky waters?? Or something) Prologue

Ride the cyclone horror au 

(Murky waters?? Or something)

Prologue

November 14th, Constance's 18th birthday. Her parents had agreed to let her celebrate however she wished (within reason of course) so she decided to rent the cabin down by the lake in Uranium to spend the weekend with her friends. It wasn’t the biggest place in the world but it would do, she had brought air mattresses to make sure no one slept on the floor. She was also the first to arrive and got to take in her beautiful surroundings without the ruckus that was the rest of the choir, though that peaceful silence was short-lived as Ocean arrived second. In her hand she carried the most perfectly wrapped gift ever, it would almost feel like a crime to tear it open, almost. 

“Constance!” her sickly sweet voice rang out as she approached, and as much as Constance loved her best friend her voice seemed to shattered the tranquillity.  

“Hi Ocean! So glad you could make it.” 

“Of course I could make it! You’re my best friend and I helped you organise it, dummy!” Ocean smiled as she handed over the perfect present. “I hope you like it!” her grin widened as she spoke before turning on the spot to try to figure out what Constance was looking at before she arrived. And surprisingly they carried on like that in silence. Ocean wasn’t one to leave time where her voice could very easily fill the air but she seemed content with the peace the two sat in.

The next to arrive was Noel and that really broke the silence. He handed over his present and he and Ocean immediately started staring each other down which was shortly turned into an argument about god knows what, to be completely honest Constance completely zoned out only checking back into reality as she heard the sound of a large car approaching. 

The van parked up and out came Mischa, penny, ricky and three differently wrapped presents.

They had some idle chat before heading inside for whatever chaos to unfold.

“So I may or may not have almost forgotten to pick these two up… But! I was recording my new music video “Cracking eggs!!”.” The tallest spoke before flopping down onto the old but comfy couch.

Eventually they all got settled after fighting over who was sitting where.

“Mischa you can’t have the whole couch! That's so unfair!”

“Budge up would you! I don’t have any room”

“Guys can we please stop slapping each other”

“OH MY GOD!”

“Crisis averted, I found a bean bag.”

However now was the hard part, what were they going to do first?

“Oh, we could have a look around,” The ginger spoke first making sure no one could get a word in, “It’s apparently supposed to be beautiful around the lake, especially at night!” 

“Not so sure a midnight stroll around a lake near a forest past sunset is the best idea, Ocean.”

“I hate to agree with Ocean but I think I’d like the vibe of that.” Replied Noel.

“Ok! Scrap that plan now!” 

“Oh, I hope you choke on your own ego.”

“I hope you-”

“Nope not having this again! Any other ideas?” Constance shot in, hoping to end another argument before it had even begun.

“We could play some games! I brought my switch so maybe a Mario Kart tournament?” Ricky signed while opening his bag.

The choir all hummed in agreement for once and started the most competitive game of Mario Kart ever.

Neither Ocean or Noel could even play the game properly but insisted they were better than the other. Penny Was surprising good, Mischa more interested in picking a cool character and designing the car then skills but he was still pretty good, Constance just really enjoyed playing (and beating Ocean at something) but none of them were as good as Ricky. He was absolutely phenomenal. Coming first literally every game.

“Did you just suggest this so you could win every round?” Ocean asked

“Yes.” Ricky signed back.

“That's just cheating!”

“It's not cheating you're just a sore loser Ocean! Because I beat you last round, making me better!”

“You didn’t win last round Noel! You cheated and you know it!” “Oh please enlighten me on how I cheated Ed sheeran!” To that Mischa burst out with laughter and once again it turned to pure utter chaos!

“I should’ve bought popcorn, this is getting good.” Penny leaned back into her bean bag (the one she rightfully stole from Mischa). “I have some…for the bean bag back.” 

“I am not giving you my precious bean bag! Go get your own!”

“Then I guess this bag of toffee popcorn is all mine.” Mischa shrugged and began to open the bag

“NO!” Penny jumps onto Mischa and begins to wrestle him for the popcorn that is now dropped onto the floor.

“Guys please…” Constance stands up sounding close to tears, of joy or sadness no one knows. 

However Penny and Mischa are wrestling, Ocean and Noel are arguing but are so close to another slapping match, Constance is about to sob and Ricky has now stolen the toffee popcorn and is enjoying the show.

Quickly everything dissolves into laughter. Penny starts weakly slapping Mischa as he can’t move beneath her. It has now become a laughing match to see who will stop first. Constance did start crying, tears of laughter, and Ricky has abandoned the bag of toffee popcorn, it now belongs to the floor.

When the Choir can all breathe again they climb back into their designated seats to decide what now.

“Well we could play more video games-” 

“So you could beat us again, no thank you!”

“Aww Oceans a sore loser!”

“SO ARE YOU?!?!?”

“Nope stop, not this again>”

“We could bake a cake?”

“Yeah our popcorn kinda… fell?” Mischa gazed upon his lost popcorn, wiping away a fake tear.

“Our poor popcorn, may you never be forgotten…” Ricky signed, patting Mischa on the back.

“Baking it is! Can any of you other than me bake?”

“...” the room was silent.

“Well this should be worse than Mario Kart.”

The six of them all made their ways to the kitchen and began what could only be described as anarchy.

“Alright so, how do you make a cake?” Mischa looked out upon the many ingredients Constance had laid out in front of them along with bowls and utensils.

“You put it all together and mix obviously!” The ginger said proudly like it was an achievement.

“I’ll get an online recipe…” Constance groaned out, as much as she loved them all, they were all pains in her backsides and they knew it. She opened up her phone looking for a cake recipe that would work with the ingredients, surprisingly enough they could make red velvet cake though I doubt it was the best idea for the choir.

“Ok so here is a recipe for red velvet cake.”

“The only good cake…” Noel sighed out.

“Ewww ginger cake!”

“I change my mind, terrible cake, absolutely terrible!” 

“Hey!!”

“How fast can we make the cake? I'm hungry because Mischa was so selfish!”

“I made a deal! You just didn’t accept!”

“The sooner we start the sooner the cake will be done!”

They all stopped and looked towards the phone for instructions, I guess cake really is that good.

The baking began. They brought in a chair for Ricky because standing the whole time would’ve been a massive pain. They all fought over who would crack the eggs, Mischa, Penny and Ocean winning.

“Take that, losers!” 

They all took turns mixing, some more aggressive than others…

“MISCHA!!! Stop it, you're getting cake mix on EVERYONE!!!”

After that Mischa got banned from touching the mix. 

The rest of the cake mix was uneventful except for some new rules put in place.

“My parents left me home alone once so I had to use the oven myself and almost burnt the house down…”

“SAME!!!”

“You’re allowed in the kitchen? I’m not allowed in the actual house most the time.”

“You guys need help…”

“Alright so, Ocean, Penny and Mischa aren’t allowed near the oven!”

“That's bullshit!”

“Language! But that's not fair!”

“I wanna touch the fire

“You guys remember to preheat the oven right?” Ricky signs as he grabs the phone with the instructions on.

“Shit…”

“Language!”

“Why do we need to preheat it? It's going to be the same temperature.”

“Can I turn the oven on, I want to use the lighter…”

“What kind of weird oven do you have that needs a lighter??”

“It's a gas oven idiot.”

“Well I’m sorry! Unlike you, I’m not an oven connoisseur, I actually have a life!”

“I have a life!”

“Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty. Can we please preheat the oven now?” Ricky signed, then he gestured to the still cold oven.

“I’ll do it because I don’t trust any of you with a lighter.”

“Pretty fire…”

Constance snatched the lighter before Penny could’ve grabbed it and most likely burnt the house down.

“Alright, the oven is heating and we still have a few more things to add, let’s hope this works!” 

They return back to baking without anymore slip ups. Noel was trusted to place the cake in the oven and didn’t mess up or burn himself . That was the first and only time he was trusted in the kitchen.

“How long is the cake gonna take?”

“About half an hour.”

“HALF AN HOUR?!?”

“That is gonna take foreverrrrrrr!!” Noel dramatically whined, leaning back on the nearest surface which was covered in flour.

“That bitch really takes its time…”

“Language!”

“Fuck!” Ricky signs, annoying Ocean some more, “Can we decorate the cake to look like a cat, I miss mine…”

“All 14?”

“Yeah”

“Cat cake, cat cake, cat cake!” Penny repeats as she creates a little dance in the middle of the kitchen.

“So what are we going to do in half an hour?”

“Dance!”

“Already ahead of you!” Constance grabs her phone and switches to spotify. She plays one of her many good playlists and sets a timer for 30 minutes.

The choir then started dancing in the kitchen. Mischa and Noel danced together, Penny sat down next to Ricky and they bopped their heads together and made handshakes in time with the music, Ocean and Constance jumped up and down singing along to the songs. 

Their dance party ends when the ringing of the timer goes off and they all rush around the kitchen looking for oven mitts. 

They eventually find them and remove the cake from the oven.

“So this needs to cool down before we can- we could’ve been decorating in those 30 minutes.”

“No! The dance break was important!” They all nod in agreement and go to make the icing but it doesn’t take long for it to all go down hill.

“Don’t you dare!”

“FOOD FIGHT!!”

“AH! Noel don’t get any of that on me!”

“Why? You’ll have an allergic reaction?”

“PROBABLY!”

“REVENGE OF THE BEAN BAG!!!”

“REVENGE OF THE POPCORN!!” Penny launches herself at Mischa and the two start slapping each other with icing.

Ricky grabs the bowl and throws some at Noel and Constance is being attacked in icing by Ocean.

After a few minutes and they are all mostly covered in icing, they encounter a problem.

“We’re out of icing..”

“nOOOOOOOO!” Mischa cries out dramatically to the ceiling as Penny uses his shoulder to fake cry on.

“Shit.” Ricky signs.

“I guess we'll just have to enjoy plain cake because as much as the walk sounded good earlier it is now pitch black and I don't want icing that much.”

“Ugh!”

“Ocean, be our brave champion, retrieve the icing!” Ricky signs with Penny and Mischa aggressively nodding with him.

“No!! I don’t want to get murdered!”

“If you did, we’d all remember you…”

“No!”

At that Constance grabbed a knife and started cutting the cake into twelve slices.

“So we can all eat the cake, then get cleaned up and into pj’s. Sound good?”

They all nod while taking their two slices of cake. Mischa finishes first and rushes to get cleaned up. Noel and Ocean competed to finish first (Noel won because Ocean started choking on cake) and everyone else just enjoyed the cake though Penny kept saying it would’ve been better with icing. 

Mischa was ready first so he stole the bean bag and got out his selection of horror movies.

“Oh yes, it is all coming together!”

Eventually the rest of them all trickled out and sat down, Penny glaring at Mischa, Ocean and Noel staring in fear at the stack of movies.

“So I brought with me my favourite horror movies so we could watch them-” “But halloween was like, two weeks agooooo…”

“Yeah, but we’re in a spooky, separated log cabin by a lake at night, it's still fitting.”

“Mischa. That makes it worse.”

“Oh stop being babies! You guys wanna watch horror films right?”

Penny nods aggressively but not without garling at her bean bag first, Ricky nods as well.

“Well since you brought films you really enjoy, I don’t see why we can’t watch them…”

“See! The birthday girl agrees with me! And Penny and Ricky…”

Both Ocean and Noel sigh in defeat then look at the other in pure utter disgust.

“Alright so first we are going to watch my absolute favourite, Saw V!” He pulled out the Saw V disk and put it into the DVD player. They all watched the movie and Noel gradually crept closer to Mischa on his beanbag, Ocean hid behind a blanket, Penny was mesmerised, Ricky jumped back at any jumpscares (I’ve never watched a Saw film) but to everyone's surprise Saw VI was the one playing.

“But that's Saw VI?”

“No no, Saw V.”

“What?”

“How are you all even watching the film? It's terrifying!” Ocean called out from behind her blanket of protection.

“It’s not that bad…” Ricky signs looking towards Ocean.

“Yes. It. Is. It’s like watching a car crash!”

“I mean, it’s ok…” Noel replied working harder on stealing the bean bag from Mischa, he was succeeding.

“ALRIGHT! Enough messing around! Next one!”

And the cycle repeated, they watched the movie, screamed, complained, shushed, the movie ended, they discussed it, the next movie. It carried on like that for a while until Ocean fell asleep, then Noel, Mischa, Ricky, Constance and Penny were the last two awake.

“Should we wake them and get them into proper beds?”

“No…leave them, they look comfy.” Constance looked upon her friends before heading to turn the TV and the lights off. She shuffled back into her comfy spot on the couch next to the blanket twisted Ocean. Penny fell asleep next, basically falling off of the couch and onto the floor. She'd definitely wake up on the floor in the morning. Constance probably should’ve helped her up a bit but was too tired to move. Constance drifted off to sleep looking back on the best day of her life, she slightly wished it would never end, that her and her friends could always stay here worry free, but be careful what you wish for, it might come true…