#please release this game outside of japan i beg

[sakitenyoyo]

what if i made kamen rider ziin and ankh as ride kamens ocs? ziin is now an aspiring idol. ankh is now a lazy gambler. and they now live together lol

[cookinguptales]

tabikaeru tutorial

Hi! I've just been informed that the Tabikaeru tutorial that was previously posted to tumblr has been deleted, so here I am making a new one.

For the uninitiated, Tabikaeru is a Japanese mobile game that was released in 2017. It's about a little frog living in the forest who likes to travel around Japan and have adventures!

You can gather clover to purchase snacks and tools for your little frog so you can pack his bag for him, and in return, he'll send you photos from his travels and bring you little souvenirs.

I translated all of the extant snacks, souvenirs, tools, etc. back when the game first came out and stayed up to date for a couple years, but there are a few items from the most recent update that I haven't translated. There seems to be a lot of renewed interest in the game recently, so maybe I'll get on that...

Anyway! Y'all need to know how to get started before you can collect anything! So here's an English guide to the game's tutorial so you can send your frog on lots of cute little adventures.

(Note: I won't be putting in screenshots for every piece of dialogue due to Tumblr's image limit, but I will have the translations.)

Step one is to go to the app store and type in "tabikaeru", which means Frog Traveler or Travel Frog!

The one you want looks like this:

When you first boot it up, you'll see this screen:

This is just a screen begging you to turn tracking on! (Please turn tracking on, it'll let us target your ads better to you, you can turn it off from your settings whenever, etc.)

Every app does this these days (because they legally have to) and you can make your own decision, but I always tell it no. lmao

So just tap "Ask App not to Track" on the next screen. For me, that part was still in English.

Now we can start the game!

To the left, the start screen. To the right, one asking you to agree to the terms and conditions. The top button here will let you read all those TOS (which... I'm assuming you can't read anyway if you're using this tutorial, so ignore that), the left button is accept and the right is deny.

So tap the start button on the start screen (that's the white one), then the bottom left option on the next screen.

The next screen says, "There's a frog here. Let's give them a name!"

This is the screen where you can name your frog. It says, "Please input a name. Maximum 5 characters." [empty box] "You can change this name later."

I wrote in the name かっちゃん, or Kacchan, which is short for カーミト, or Kermit! (My original frog is named グレン/Glen, which is short for Grenouille. Don't worry, he still lives undisturbed on my cell phone!) From here on out, though, I'll be referring to my ipad frog as Kacchan.

Note: You can use Japanese or romanized characters in this box, depending on which keyboards you have installed, but remember that you only have five characters! This'll go a lot further in Japanese.

The next screen says, "[The frog] has gone inside their house. Let's take a peek inside."

Tap the little button that looks like a house at the lower right of the screen. It says おうち, which just means "home". You tap this button whenever you want to go inside your frog's house.

You'll find your frog inside trying to decide what to pack. Several text boxes in a row will say:

"They are preparing to go on a journey. Let’s give Kacchan a little help with their travel preparations."

"There are three kinds of provisions you can set out to help them prepare: packed lunches, lucky charms, and tools.

These items are essential for travel. Let’s give them a packed lunch."

"Travel supplies can be bought in the shop using three-leaf clovers. So first of all, let’s go out to the little garden near the house to harvest three-leaf clovers."

It'll then indicate the icon at the bottom of the screen. It looks like a little mailbox and says にわさき, or garden. Tap that button, which you can use to go outside. You'll then see a little hand, which is asking you to drag the clover garden into view.

Once you do that, you'll get this screen:

This is your clover garden, and it says, "Slide your finger over the three-leaf clovers to harvest them."

A little hand will point at the box in the top left of the screen (the one with the ♣ symbol) and it says, "You can check how many three-leaf clovers you've harvested here."

Then it says, "Harvest all the clovers from the field."

After you've done so, it'll say, "You found a four-leaf clover! When you’re looking in the field, sometimes you’ll find a rare four-leaf clover amongst all the three-leaf ones. These can be used as lucky charms during travel."

"This is a good opportunity, so let's make this into a lucky charm."

(A translation/cultural note on "omamori" here. I've translated it as "lucky charm" for ease of use in the tutorial, but I usually just say "omamori" in the rest of my guide.)

"We've finished harvesting the three-leaf clovers, so let's try using them to buy things in the shop."

It will then indicate the middle icon at the bottom. It looks like it has bags on it, and it says おみせ, or shop. Tap that button whenever you want to go to the shop.

"First, let's buy the very reasonable Ebidzuru Scone."

(Note: ebidzuru is a type of grape, so this is basically a raisin scone.)

Tap on the top left item (a fully translated shop guide can be found in my Tabikaeru guide) and you'll get this pop-up:

"Do you want to buy an ebidzuru scone? (Number owned: 0)"

On the left is yes, the right is no. You'll be seeing confirmation screens that look like this a lot as you play the game. It's always just asking you if you're sure you want to buy what you tapped on.

Then it will say, "Now let's prepare their travel supplies."

It will take you back to the screen where your frog is pondering their bag, and a hand will point at a wooden sign at the bottom left that says したく, or preparations. Tap that button.

This will take you to a blue screen. At the top, it says かばん, or bag. This is where you can pack your frog's travel bag.

At the top left, it says おべんとう, or packed lunch. At the top right, it says おまもり, or lucky charm. At the bottom, it says どうぐ, or tools. Below those boxes, there is a white button that says かんりょう, or complete.

"Please select ebidzuru scone for the packed lunch and the four-leaf clover as the lucky charm. Then, press the complete button."

(Tap on each dotted square beneath each label to choose what to assign. Don't worry about the tools for now, you can buy those later.)

Put the scone and the clover in your frog's bag, then tap the "complete" button at the bottom.

It will then say, "You are done making travel preparations. Please wait for Kacchan to begin their journey. *Because this is the tutorial, when the app reboots, Kacchan will leave."

And then, "App will now reboot."

Press okay, and the app will basically just make your frog leave for their journey immediately instead of making you wait for them to leave. This is only for the tutorial; you'll have to wait for your frog to be good and ready to go before they take off most of the time.

You will then see this message, which will become very familiar as you play this game:

"Kacchan is setting off."

(i.e. your frog is currently traveling.)

It then says, "Kacchan has departed. If you close the app and wait for a little while, they'll return. If you've made preparations for them, they'll come back in a few hours."

Basically, just close your app and be patient. It usually takes at least an hour or two for your frog to return, but sometimes it could even be a day or two if they're going somewhere really far. I recommend making sure you have notifications on so you're not constantly checking to see if your little dude is back.

(The "if you've made preparations for them" part just means that if you leave the game for a long time and don't put any food/items out for your frog, they'll be gone when you come back. They'll come home as soon as you put some food out for them. I guess your frog is just being self-sufficient.)

The game then says, "*If you go to ヘルプ (help) and turn notifications on, you'll get a notification when Kacchan returns home."

I think you probably will just get a pop-up that will ask you if you want to turn on notifications (in English), but if not, tap the menu button (top right, メニュー), then the right-most button, which has a question mark and ヘルプ on it. You'll then see this screen:

Don't worry about most of these for now. Just tap the top one, オプション/options, which will bring up this screen:

This is your settings screen.

I think the sliders are pretty self-explanatory. These are the background music and sound effects sliders. Beneath that, you have the notifications. Select on if you want them, off if you don't. At the bottom, you have your support ID, which you can use in case you need to contact them or transfer your game to a new device.

Anyway, back to the tutorial.

The game then says, "You don’t have to make preparations for Kacchan; they can come and go freely. But if you help them out and make preparations, they will send you photos of their journey and occasionally bring home souvenirs that they picked up here and there and give them to you as presents."

Again, this is just saying that the frog will leave and come home regardless, but if you put things in their bag, they'll bring you presents, which is how the game is played. In other words, your frog isn't gonna starve to death, but you won't make any headway in the game if you don't pack their bag.

(For a cultural note on "omiyage", which I've translated as "souvenir", see here.)

Then, "While your frog is gone, you can prepare for their next journey. To get ready, you can harvest three-leaf clovers and buy them things."

(So yes, come back regularly to harvest clover even if your frog isn't home.)

"The tutorial is now complete. Please have fun traveling with Kacchan!"

And they'll give you 500 three-leaf clovers and one four-leaf clover to get you started.

The official tutorial is done now, but I'll give you a little more information.

Sometimes you'll see a little letter hovering over your mailbox. This is where you get mail, which is typically items that you've received. If you tap the little white bubble in each message, you'll receive the item.

(The thing at the bottom is still just trying to get you to turn on tracking, ignore it.)

This is what the notification looks like when your frog is home! It says, "Kacchan has returned."

Now I'll show you what it looks like when your frog comes home.

"Kacchan has returned."

"They brought you souvenirs."

The top part, or いっぴん/ippin/masterpiece, is a special item that your frog can get from each location. They'll probably have to go to each location a few times to get its masterpiece/ippin.

The second part is the めいぶつ/meibutsu, or regional specialties. There are different foods your frog can bring back from different locations, and those foods can be used to feed friends when they come to call.

For more information on these items and how they're used (and how to entertain friends), please look at my Tabikaeru guide.

Your frog will also probably bring home some three-leaf clovers and a lottery ticket. For more info on the lottery, you can also see the guide.

"A photo has been delivered."

Your frog will often send you photos. This could be from the place they visited, it could be photos of the journey, or it could be friends they made along the way. The photos are always super fun and cute, though.

It's Nagoya Castle! :)

If you want to keep the photo, tap the button on the right. For more info on photos, please look at the guide.

You'll probably get this pop-up when you first come home:

"You've acquired the 'Solo Traveler' title."

As the game progresses, you'll gain more titles as you complete more objectives. Tap on your frog when they're home to change their name or title. For more info on titles -- you guessed it, check out the guide.

You'll get pop-ups explaining the title, the tools, and the desk.

I just explained the title thing, then the tools can be bought in the shop just like the food (see guide), and the desk is really similar to the bag.

The desk is used just like the bag, except it's how you prepare for future journeys. After you fill your frog's bag, you can also put lucky charms, boxed lunches, and tools on the desk. When your frog comes home, they will automatically refill their bag with what's on the desk. So if you're not around, your frog will be fairly self-sufficient.

(Now if the desk is empty for too long, your frog will not bring you anything until you put stuff on it.)

Unlike the bag, do not hit the button at the bottom when you're done. That's the "clear" button, and it will clear all desk slots.

The desk can be accessed from the prep button just like the bag, just hit the arrow to switch between the two.

There's a lot more to the game, like seasonal tickets, visiting friends, etc. but you can find all that as well as translations of all the food/tools/souvenirs in my guide.

I hope you end up loving this game as much as I do! Please let me know if you have any questions that aren't answered by this or the guide! 🐸💜

[worldformula]

oh my god how does ryuki fit into this new au what is happening omg saito is there I NEED THESE DETAILS... what is this au i’m begging to know

Talked a bit about their current dynamic and the AU in previous asks (please feel free to scroll down my tag for it, which is just “aitsf au” because I am trying to be as spoiler free as possible) but of course I love to ramble!

AINI / AITSF SPOILERS

We’re playing a bit fast and loose with the overall plot to be honest because the AU initially was just about Hitomi and Renju saving Iris Sejima from the worst house on earth and then we expanded after Nirvanai, but we haven’t ironed out any fine details because we focus so heavily on the family aspect, so it’s kind of up in the air and subject to change. But the general premise thus far is that Bibi and Ryuki (no Date here, because he is Falco) are ABIS agents who are investigating the various disappearances of people after the release of the weird internet video Bats490. Canonically we know that that was just the Naix version of Cicada 3301 and no people actually went missing after they posted weird videos but who knows in this AU. Ryuki’s investigating Naix and his research eventually leads him to the Sejima’s, because they find out the family is funding Naix Japan (it’s just Uru, but they don’t know exactly which one of them it is, or if it isn’t the entire family on board).

Ryuki gets caught up in Saito’s mind games, one of them being that Saito manipulates an insane situation so that Ryuki ends up “saving” him from a deadly force encounter (on behalf of Uru — it’s a long story LOL), leading their relationship to end up being something like “hero” and “victim who the hero saved”, which further convinces Ryuki that their relationship is a legitimate thing based in reality and goodness and not completely made up nonsense on Saito’s part.

The problem is that Ryuki is unfortunately kind of weak to subliminal messaging (which I translated to being prone to artful manipulation), has an underdeveloped taste for righteous violence (making it actual child’s play to trick him into committing evils), REALLY likes it when people tell him what to do (which Saito naturally prefers to do, being a bossy spoiled brat and the oldest sibling), and likes praise but thinks he deserves to be punished (and Saito is very good at lying through his teeth when complimenting + dishing it out in a really cruel manner), which is making all this rather easy.

It must be said that anything regarding Saito and Ryuki is completely and absurdly indulgent of me specifically so you can imagine the toll it takes on Mads to have to watch me do this to the rather one-dimensional serial killer of AITSF and the town blorbo of the sequel. But I promise I do reason everything out and I gave Jeff the Killer some depth here. So to some degree, despite everything, he does enjoy Ryuki’s company, because he’s something like his first “friend” outside of his family. If it weren’t Saito Fucking Sejima, it would be nice if something kind of good could be borne of this but he’s honestly too far gone in rich family dysfunction and murder mind games as far as we know.

[blakemetothemoon]

Love in a Laundromat - SaifahZon, M, Ch. 5/7

Summary: Zon's favorite place is a laundromat. That is until a certain tall, handsome stranger steals his washer and seems hellbent on making Zon miserable.

Notes: LONGER CHAPTER THIS TIME!! Thank you all so much for supporting this story! :)

Read below or on ao3! :)

Japan's house—well, mansion more like—is far enough from Zon’s apartment that when Tor offers him a ride, Zon has no problem taking it (And maybe he really likes riding in Fighter’s fancy car.) The mansion is one of those with far too many rooms, a pool in the backyard, and plenty of space for university kids to have fun getting plastered with drinking games and laughs.

It's been a while since Zon’s been to one of Japan’s parties; he didn't have work or classes the next day, so when Japan and Tanthai begged him, he didn't have any reason to say no. Besides, he did have fun most of the time—as long as he didn't have to play truth or dare aka the most anxiety inducing game ever. He would rather do beer pong any day and he's a terrible shot.

“Saifah said to text him when we get there,” Tutor says, interrupting Zon’s memory of the last time he was forced on a dare to do a handstand and immediately stumbled into the pool, taking a table of drinks with him.

“Who?!” Zon shouts, making both Tutor and Fighter jolt. The car jerks, but Fighter quickly corrects and keeps them from crashing.

“Don’t do that!” Fighter snaps, but Zon’s heart is pounding in his ears too hard, so he can barely hear him.

Tutor, however, is far too sly. He easily catches the sudden, excited nerves in Zon’s voice. “Saifah. Your laundry boyfriend.”

A hot blush burns Zon’s cheeks. “He’s not my boyfriend! Not even close! No way! Saifah would never want to—I mean, I would never... that would never happen!”

Tutor scoffs. “Are you hearing yourself, Zon? You sound like Fighter—”

Fighter frowns. “Hey!”

“—and what makes you think Saifah wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend?”

Zon goes to deny it again, but he’s never been great at lying to Tutor. He sighs and sinks back into the leather seats. “C’mon, Tutor. He’s Saifah. Popular, good-looking, perfect Saifah. And I’m the dorky loner.”

There’s a crease of annoyed concern between Tutor’s brows. “Have you been reading the cute guy’s page again?”

"No!"

Tutor shakes his head, exasperated. "Then how many times do I have to tell you to stop doubting yourself, Zon? You’re right, though. He is Saifah. So all hope might not be lost for you.”

Zon starts to ask Tutor if what he’s implying is really what he’s implying, but the car pulls to a stop in front of Japan’s house, and it feels weird to keep the conversation going now.

The party is already in full swing when they walk in. People are everywhere—pressed together in the grand entryway, dancing to music booming in the living room, and in the kitchen getting drinks or snagging snacks. The crowd spills out the back door where the games, the pool and a fire pit are.

Exactly like Tutor said, Saifah is there, but Zon didn't expect to see him so soon, just inside the foray. He's dressed simply in dark jeans that show off his long legs and a tight, black v-neck shirt. Saifah is, of course, surrounded by boys and girls, one of which has her arm intertwined with his...

Something gross twists Zon's stomach at the sight of Saifah looking so cozy with someone else. Which is stupid because it’s not like he has some claim on the taller boy. He knows he's frowning so he goes to turn away to talk to Tutor, but something in the universe makes Saifah glance over right before Zon can drop his eyes. The way Saifah's entire face lights up like a beacon forces a smile out of Zon. He barely keeps it from turning into a full out grin when Saifah gives a rushed goodbye to the entourage and makes his way towards him.

Zon's smile does falter when the eyes following Saifah land on him. Zon suddenly feels too noticed, too much like he doesn't belong, especially when they start whispering to each other—

"Where'd that scowl come from?" Saifah asks once he's in talking distance. "And here I thought you were happy to see me."

The tease sets Zon a little more at ease. He rolls his eyes. "Who would be happy to see you."

A hand smacks Zon across the back of his head. "Why are you acting like you weren't just swooning about him in the car?"

A blush takes over Zon's face as he stares at Tutor with wide eyes. "Tutor!"

“Oh?” Saifah says, slowly raising an eyebrow. “Is that so, my Zon?”

"I'm getting a drink!" Zon snaps. He turns on his heel towards the kitchen, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees Saifah following him.

“You know,” Saifah starts when they reach the kitchen island covered in mixers and ice and every type of alcohol possible. “I’m not used to seeing you without your headphones.” He reaches out and tugs playfully at Zon’s ears.Zon is more caught off guard by the fact that he doesn’t mind Saifah touching him, than Saifah actually touching him. “Didn’t know you had ears.”

Zon grabs Saifah’s wrists and pulls his hands away. He lets the left one drop, but keeps hold of the right. Then, he inspects the large palm and calloused fingers, and makes a teasing, curious noise. “Weird, I don’t see a guitar? Are you sure you’re the handsome and popular guitarist known as Saifah?”

“Are you saying I’m only handsome when I have a guitar?”

“No, you’re always handsome.”

Saifah stares at him with wide eyes, and if Zon didn’t know any better, he would say Saifah is...blushing?

Zon’s own words catch up to him, and then he’s blushing, too. Shit, where the hell did he get so bold? Tutor's words from the car must have done something to his subconscious. Or maybe it was seeing Saifah out of their usual setting, or his stupid v-neck, showing the sliver of chest and definition of collar bones. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Except he hasn’t had anything to drink yet.

He releases Saifah’s hand like it burns and quickly starts to make himself a drink.

“Zon!”

Tanthai’s voice travels over the sea of voices. Zon and Saifah look over to see him making a beeline towards them and Zon knows where this is going. But there are no easy escape routes. Desperate, he grabs Saifah’s hand again and says, “Tell them we’re going to play beer pong!”

Saifah stares at their connected hands. Then his eyebrows furrow. “What?”

“Tantai is going to force me into truth or dare if you don’t!” Zon shakes Saifah’s arm frantically. “Please? Please, please?”

Saifah pretends to think. “Maybe I want to find out if you’ve made out in public before…”

“Saifah!”

Before Zon can finish the scold, Saifah laughs and tightens Zon’s hand in his. He pulls them in the opposite direction of Tanthai to the back entrance towards the games. Zon breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the current game is about to end. They play one game and only win because Saifah is a perfect shot. Zon expects Saifah to leave him once it’s over because his friends-slash-groupies are continually asking for him to be their partner in this game and that. But instead Saifah picks Zon again for beer pong and laughs with Zon and not at him when Zon misses every shot and almost loses it for them.

But after game four, Saifah has to go to the bathroom and, like fucking vultures, Japan and Tanthai sense Zon’s alone. Zon pushes himself through the crowds and rushes inside, veering towards where he knows the stairs to the next floor are. He knows how relentless Japan and Tanthai are, and Zon has no hope unless he can find the best hiding spot possible.

“There he is! Top of the stairs—”

“Leave me alone!” Zon shouts over the banister, then moves faster, turning into a hallway—

And immediately colliding with someone.

"Whoa! Slow down—Zon?"

Safiah still has his hands on Zon's shoulders to steady him. Zon gets lost in Saifah's eyes for a second, but then he hears his name being shouted again, and his flight instinct kicks back in.

The bedroom door directly next to them is open. Zon grabs Saifah by the arm and yanks him into the room with him. He hides them behind the open door, breathing heavily. He presses his palm against Saifah’s lips and aggressively shushes him when he starts to ask what’s going on.

Feet shuffle past outside the room. Zon can hear the guys calling out to each other with shouts of, “Where did he go?” and “Find him! I have a question about Sai...”

(Thank god that Japan’s voice trails off with that last one as he heads back down the stairs.)

Once it seems like Zon is in the clear, he breathes a heavy sigh of relief. "Sorry,” he explains as he turns to Saifah, “the guys always try to rope me into truth or dare, and they know I hate it—"

The words catch in Zon’s throat.

Apparently Zon had never let his hand drop away from Saifah's mouth and his other hand is still buried into his shirt, gripping his hip to keep him in place. Zon quickly tries to put a little space between them, but all he manages to do is press his back against the open door. Saifah grabs the handle to slow it down. The door clicks gently instead of slams. Saifah’s other arm wraps around Zon’s waist to hold him up, and fuck how is Saifah so smooth at everything—

"How much have you had to drink?" Saifah asks, for some reason seeming just as breathless as Zon.

"Um," Zon crinkles his brow, both confused and thinking. "Just the beers from when we played. Not much."

They’re still so close that Zon can see Saifah swallow, can hear clearly how his next breath stutters. Saifah’s fingers on Zon’s hips flex; Zon feels it throughout his entire being.

“So, if you said I can kiss you, I could?”

You want to kiss me? Zon almost asks.

But it's impossible to mistake the hunger in Saifah's eyes as anything else.

Can Saifah kiss him? Does Zon want Saifah to kiss him? 

“Y-yeah,” Zon finds himself saying before he realizes, “Yeah, you can do that—”

Zon honestly would have expected Saifah to be gentler but instead he seems almost desperate, relieved. Both do it for Zon, who returns the kiss with equal fervor. It’s a definite answer—Zon very, very much wants Saifah to kiss him. Has probably wanted it since the first time Saifah stole his washer, and since Saifah's shoulder brushed his as they huddled on that bench, and Saifah assured Zon his writing was good.

Saifah loosens his arm from around Zon’s waist, but only enough to press him into the door. Zon never thought a height difference would matter but Saifah is bent over Zon, practically trapping him between his broad chest and the hardwood. It shouldn’t turn Zon on but it does, coiling a fire in the pit of his stomach. The heat only grows when Saifah’s tongue traces Zon’s bottom lip, asking for access and Zon’s never given into a kiss so fast.

It doesn't take long for Zon’s neck to get sore, though. Saifah seems to have a similar thought because he grabs Zon by the shoulders and steers him backwards. Hands too busy running over Saifah’s back, Zon doesn't register where they're going until the back of his knees hit the mattress. He immediately shuffles up the bed, grasping Saifah by the neck to make sure he comes with him, desperate to keep their lips and tongues moving together.

Shit, Zon’s muddled brain manages to think, Saifah trapping him on the mattress is just as hot as him doing it against the door. Knees on either side of Zon’s hips, most of their bodies aren’t even touching, yet Zon feels like he’s about to overheat at any moment.

Then Saifah’s hands are in Zon’s hair, scratching gently at his scalp. He tugs at the locks, tilting Zon’s head at the same time his lips break away. A whimper leaves Zon without meaning to, but Saifah’s lips are immediately back, this time on Zon’s neck. He gasps and digs his fingers into Saifah’s shoulder blades, unintentionally pulling him fully on top of him, and the parts of them that weren’t touching before are definitely touching now. The unexpected grind of their cocks, hard beneath their jeans, makes Saifah groan, deep and husky, into Zon’s neck. Zon is pretty sure he lets out one, too, but he’s busy focusing on the stars behind his eyelids he sees when Saifah’s hips tentatively grind against his again.

This isn't like Zon at all. He never thought he would be here, in some stranger's bedroom pressed into the mattress by Saifah, of all people. Whose hand is smoothing down his ribs. It hesitates at the hem of Zon's t-shirt, teasing the barely revealed skin, waiting for a sign to stop or move forward. Zon runs his hands down from Saifah’s shoulders to where his shirt meets his jeans. It’s the sign Saifah needs. Together, they slide beneath each other’s shirts to feel the plains of skin undisrupted. Saifah is so warm beneath Zon’s always cold hands and the way Saifah arches into his touch makes Zon moan, makes him want more. More of Saifah’s skin on him, more kisses, more rocking their hips together. He’s ready to explode, the tingling heat in his lower half knotting tighter and tighter, until it feels ready to snap—

Saifah gasps and jerks when Zon suddenly presses against his chest and pushes him away. Zon doesn’t blame him; he went from fine to startled cat in two seconds flat.

“Did I do something wrong?” Saifah asks, expression going full-on hurt puppy.

Guilt stabs Zon in the heart. “N-No, it’s not that! But if we keep going then I’m going to—”

Zon bites off. He can feel his blush come back to life, embarrassed instead of turned on. It paints his cheeks, ears, everything red. He was seriously about to admit that he almost freaking came in his pants at a party, but no way Saifah didn’t understand where that sentence was going.

Silence meets his words. Zon drags his eyes back up to Saifah’s. He expects there to be some semblance of that trademark smirk. But instead Saifah is staring with some weird sort of awe, pupils blown wide. He finally nods, and it seems to take all his control to actually pull himself off Zon.

Unsure of what to do as they drop into a heavy silence, Zon rushes to the mirror on the wall. He looks properly kissed—lips red and swollen, hair a mess, and shirt wrinkled.

Maybe Zon is drunk, he thinks as he fixes his bangs. Making out on a stranger's bed is one thing, but what made himself so bold to move so quickly? He liked slow and careful but something about Saifah—about his lips and fingers and how he uses them to make Zon feel special, not just here but in their...the laundromat, when they’re playing music…

No, Zon isn't drunk. He's just going fuckin' crazy—

Long, calloused fingers run through the hair on the back of his head, smoothing it down. They linger at the top of Zon's neck, sending goosebumps down it. “You missed a spot,” Saifah whispers, smiling at Zon in the mirror. His presence at Zon’s back is adrenaline rushing and calming all at once.

“Thanks,” Zon replies. 

Still holding Zon’s gaze in the reflection, Saifah's hand drifts down every ridge of Zon’s spine to his waist, and at the same time his lips move to the sensitive underside of Zon's jaw, where it meets his ear. He kisses Zon's neck, chaste at first, simply a soft press of lips. Then, with the dragging of teeth that makes Zon gasp. "You drive me crazy, Zon."

How does it always seem like Saifah is reading Zon's thoughts? Zon is the one going crazy. And, fuck, Saifah’s hips are intentionally not pressed against his ass but he can still sense the heat from beneath Saifah's jeans—

"Wh-whatever," Zon stumbles out the words and out of Saifah's hold.

Of course, now Saifah is smirking, more than aware of how he's riling Zon up in so many different ways. 

"Let's go back," Saifah says. His hand goes back to the small of Zon's back, but the touch is more innocent now, guiding him towards the door. It still feels intimate. A different kind of intimate, but the butterflies in Zon's stomach still kick the same way.

Zon expects Saifah to lead him back outside to the games, but instead he leads him outside where they sit by the fire pit and they make each other laugh with stupid jokes.

And, heart fluttering, Zon leans into Saifah's touch like it's home.

[soranihimawari]

No Risk, No Reward

taglist: @kaidasen

Side notes: part 3 of this tale and well i hope you like some cafe banter and maybe some calculus problems. this was my favorite conversation(s) to write between muda, akaashi, and bokuto, lol.

next >>

__________________________________________________

ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟛:

18:17

To: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘blessed_setter keiji┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Frm: ಥ⌣ಥmiserablerage_muda ಥ⌣ಥ

Waiting on you guys to show up and I texted Bo-kun. He said you weren’t coming? What the hell Akaashi? It’s not my turn to babysit him

18:38

To: ಥ⌣ಥmiserablerage_muda ಥ⌣ಥ

From: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘blessed_setter keiji┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Listen, Bokuto literally begged me to have you tutor him (last minute mind you because I knew you were home right now), Hotaru-san [1/2]

We were in a practice match and he just freakin’ blurted it out of left field after  he was called out by our coach for his low grade in the trigonometry quiz this week. Then he went into his “dejected-emo mode,” and to make matters worse, he heard from Kaori-senpai archery club is going to be disbanded by the student council. He got all worked up and every time he kept missing the tosses Shuichi was giving him. Bokuto means well, and he’s a big dumbass because he doesn’t know how to properly act around you. 

TLDR: just lecture Bokuto about sin cos and tan today. 

18:40

To: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘blessed_setter keiji┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Frm: ಥ⌣ಥmiserablerage_muda ಥ⌣ಥ

…? Bokuto’s always been the kind one Keiji-san. Did Bo-kun actually catch feelings for me? Or are you just being snarky with that? 

18:41

To: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘blessed_setter keiji┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Frm: ಥ⌣ಥmiserablerage_muda ಥ⌣ಥ

ISTG AKAASHI-BOKE! YOU BETTER OPEN THIS WHEN YOU GET HOME! >..< 

                                                   After reading Akaashi’s essay of a text, I propped open my thermos and began drinking the warm tea in hopes of hiding my grin. Oh no, is Bokuto starting to catch feelings for me? Oh crap! I thought. This can’t be happening, bonk that noise. Let’s do some calculus homework!  

I nodded my head back and forth like an Etch & Sketch. I then took out my notebook and calculus textbook in order to prep my mindset for trigonometry tutorials. 

Once I got into my studious rhythm, I had thoroughly solved two limit equations where one answer yielded “the limit does not exist,” and the other was just a graph of a function, f(x) = x3 − 3x + 2.

I saw a hand reach out for my parfait and I smacked it away.

“Oww,” Bokuto yelped. “I was just going to taste one spoonful Hotaru-chan!”

“You’re late Bokuto,” I mused. “So no parfait for you!” 

I picked up my spoon and took another portion into my mouth. The blueberry tartness made my facial muscles contract into a slight pout. I was humming along to the cafe playlist absentmindedly when Bokuto pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. We sat in silence for a few minutes as I let him settle down post-volleyball practice. He took out his notebook and without even thinking, he leaned into my personal space bubble. I had to lower my gaze away from his because I had one final equation to complete before I could devote some time to a proper tutoring session.  

“Are you going to be ok Hotaru?” 

“Yeah, why do you ask Bo-kun?”

“...,” he paused for a moment before continuing; his silver hair was being swayed by the air vent on top of our table. I smiled gently because I know Bokuto usually has trouble with trying to say many thoughts at once but he does have a particular sweet tooth (i.e. he loves lemon ice pops on a spring morning; appreciates me coming to all the volleyball matches especially if Nekoma’s captain is involved (and the fact that he kept the friendship owl-origami Akaashi and I made for him on his birthday last year). He had a hard time communicating properly, but his body language telegraphed to me that what Akaashi’s text said was true. 

“If this is about the archery club being dissolved by our student council, then don’t worry ab-”

“I do worry about you because you’re the coolest captain our school’s ever had!” 

“Coming from the captain of the volleyball club that sounds more like an insult.”

“You don’t mean that, right?” His eyes were darting all over the place and suddenly, I wished I hadn’t said that aloud.

“Bokuto, of course I don’t mean that, but have you or Akaashi ever come to any of my tournament matches?” I closed my calculus textbook after I had copied the last problem in pencil in my notebook.

“No, we haven’t. It’s not like we can pick and choose when our matches are either.”

There was a silent rage building in the back of my mind and maybe now wasn’t the time nor the place to say this to my friend, but he needed the reality check since he’s the ace.

“Kotaro, please hear me out as a fellow captain first then as your friend second.”

I closed my notebook and stuck the spoon inside my parfait glass; I pushed the dessert toward his side of the table and he began to pick at the whipped lemon-zest flavored cream.

“OK, Hotaru. I’ll listen, but man! This whipped cream is amazingly refreshing!” 

I chuckled at his childlike wonder when it came to beautiful and photogenic desserts. Wait a second, has Bokuto always seemed this handsome in the evening sky? Oh, oh no. I thought. I shook my head in order to tuck those nsfw thoughts away in the back of my mind. I took in a deep breath and on my exhale, I started to stare into the space behind his head where the window to the outside public was. 

“I’m the only member of the archery club left in Fukurodani, Bokuto. All my third year senpais graduated in our second year. You and Akaashi were always so busy and dedicated to your own club that you even got to be in the top five aces of Japan. I’ve been to every single match I could because I was able to finish my practices early enough to catch some of the highlights on the evening news.

“You never asked me once when my tournaments were or what the awards ceremonies were like. Akaashi is equally as guilty because you’re always together with the club or hanging out with other teammates during away training camps.” 

“Well, those were trips arranged by our coach and managers, but that can’t be helped. Are you angry at me? What did I do wrong?”

“Ko, please listen to me first and you didn’t do anything wrong. I can’t stay mad you (or Akaashi) forever, but I need to say this so you can understand what is making my voice sound bitter.”

He folded his arms over the table and leaned forward almost as if he wanted to receive some sort of praise but with his stare being more obvious now, I had lost my train of thought.

Bokuto is many things to the outside world (loud, kind, ace, etc), but for right now, I needed to level with him as a captain and set aside our mutual friendship for once. When this conversation would cease, would he still want to give it his all on his court? Will my emotions cause me to lose my sense of pride as an archer or worse, his and Akaashi’s camaraderie?

“The student council told me that when the inter-high games start up again for volleyball, I was given a month left to clear out and organize the archery club belongings. My mornings are spent alone on the target fields, Kotaru. I set up and clear out an hour before classes begin because I know the other sports teams need the space. 

After my meeting today,  Kaori and Yukie saw me sauntering off into the faculty office to let our maths-sensei know what had occurred minutes prior. That’s why Kaori asked Akaashi about me and when I heard you were having a rough day too, Akaashi told me you were going to meet here like we always did for our tutoring sessions.”

I closed my spiral notebook with a solemn face. Bokuto, who is usually brash and fearless was eerily quieter since his voice was softer than normal when he spoke to me.

“I didn’t know you practiced alone in the mornings, if I did, then maybe I would have texted Shuichi or Akaashi to help you. Hell, even if I would have woken up too.”

I reached out to place a hand on his right shoulder to show I had appreciated the gesture, but I pushed my calloused fingertips on to the knots that were forming there. Being an ace is tough work, but being an archer has left my hands “unpretty” with calloused fingertips. 

“Did you or Akaashi know that I’m in the top three inter-high archers for our prefecture? Did you know that I have fired nearly three hundred arrows since we gained club captain status?” I inquired. “That’s almost the same amount as spike tosses Akaashi practices with you in like the last four years alone.”

I felt the sting of my own angry tears glaze over and even if Bokuto was maybe three hours overdue for another deject-mode, he got all mopey again because I invaded his personal space bubble without meaning to. He was able to relax a little bit while the tensed knots loosened; I noticed he was looking at my right hand because it was swiftly tucking away pens into my messenger bag pocket. I released my firm grip off his shoulder when he reached out to hold my hand in his. 

If this were a shojo romance, maybe this would have been an amazing meet-cute idea to introduce the main couple. However, Nanase Ohkawa did not write my life with the parliament of owls, although Cardcaptor Sakura was the only magical girl manga I truly loved. I actually was more interested in reading more horror manga at this point in my life since I was a fan of early 1930-1950s monster films (cira the Twilight Zone reruns on YouTube) nowadays anyway.

“Your hands are rough,” Bokuto stated in an empathetic tone.  “They’re pretty though. I like how they feel calloused from your bow. Do you want me to hold your hand?”

Smooth as hell, this one, but thick headed when it came to trigonometry, I thought. I shrugged my shoulder and extended my other hand to him.

“I have two hands, Bokuto,” I said. His laughter shook through his entire body. Two of us can be as sweet as we wanted because we were too stubborn to admit that maybe, just maybe, we might actually like each other in the same way as when someone hands you a warm cup of hot chocolate on new years’ eve. 

“Can I walk you home like this?” Bokuto raised our linked hands.

“Of course, but first, I need you to tell me what the difference is between sin, cos, and tan.”

[catncore]

Support TWEWY Final Remix

i don’t usually put out posts like this, but there is a first time for everything.

if you are in a position to do it, please support The World Ends With You - Final Remix- upon it’s release outside of japan. coming up on October 12th, it will launch in north america and the numbers that were rostered up from the japanese sales of physical units were not the numbers that they were gunning for. 

tetsuya nomura has gone on record in interviews saying that this is the last time that we will be able to push for a sequel. if they see strong numbers for the launch then that will give square the information they need to okay the sequel. 

don’t sleep on this game. even if you do not own a switch, i’m begging you to pick up a copy of the game next week to help out a fanbase who has waited eleven years for a sequel. this game is nomura’s pride and joy next to kingdom hearts. even if this game is a port with new story and gameplay aspects, pick it up if you can. 

this world really does end with you. 

[lovehotelreservation]

The Get Laid Cafe [1/3]

Summary: With no more fake Olympic gold medals or fancy yakuza briefcases to sell, the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves has been tough on your wallet--and your heart. Thankfully, a gig at one of Tokyo's most popular maid cafe has helped to fill the void in both.

That is, until four of your former fellow Phantom Thieves return home to attempt to convince you to consider a different occupation, if not just different clients.

Namely them.

Rating: PG-13* (Rating will go up to NC-17)

Series Pairing: Akechi/Akira/Reader/Ryuji/Yusuke

Chapter Pairing: Ryuji/Reader/Yusuke

[Part 2]

HELLO EVERYONE.

AND WELCOME TO MY MAGNUM LEWDUS.

Upon returning from a trip to Japan (and getting to marvel at P5′s irl reference for Yongenjaya), needless to say I was feeling extremely inspired to do something for the Phantom Guys--even more than when I finished the game back in spring and wrote out my “Guilty As Charged” series. With all those things considered, I ended up with what would’ve been my longest one-shot at around 18k words, which is quite a feat for me ngl!!!

To make things easier on my best friend and beta-reader and to finally have this out to you all, I decided to split the one-shot up. The entirety of this work is done, but the rest needs to be properly looked over before I go about posting. That said, I absolutely cannot wait to reveal what’s in store for this fic, which I am honestly so proud of and pleased with.

And thus, as always, I sincerely do hope you enjoy this lewd tale of mine! ₍՞◌′ᵕ‵ू◌₎♡

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

"If he wants to see you again, he better fork over the yen!"

Such was the company policy of the maid cafe Sheehk Me Out~! you had the utmost pleasure of working for, as per the vision of its owner and your boss Iyayo. Your workplace was notorious for imposing a charge on every single possible action that could be done within the restaurant and beyond. However, rather than this ruin any hopes of making a profit, your cafe had been ranked number 1 in Tokyo for 5 years now.

Surprisingly, this feat wasn't achieved through extra yakuza financial support, but the mere and simple fact that your cafe consistently had the cutest maids in the city and that men were willing to pay anything to even breathe the same air as them.

Your co-workers were utterly thrilled by this desperation, as it often led to receiving a one way ticket to a lap of luxury with every thirsty businessman that came crawling through the door. Though, more often than not, you heard all of the wild, kinky tales that other maids wound up getting into, often for the sake of siphoning every and any possible wallet dry.

Not that you were belittling them for doing so. If that was the choice of your fellow co-workers, then so be it.

You just had a different approach to your job, in that you took your boss's advice to a more extreme level as compared to the other maids: namely how you easily quadrupled your prices once customers got a little too handsy and attached. With the exception of one previous customer, this was your own little standard to work by, a safeguard that weeded out those who couldn't afford you, and those who get offended and storm off.

Aside from standard maid services--referring to clients as "master," preparing omurice, decorating Polaroid pictures of yourself--sweet talk, hugs, and kisses to the cheek were fine, but once you were getting requests for your phone number and offers to join your client in bed, you were then demanding mortgage and tuition payments.

Which, as noted in cutesy handwriting on the chalkboard sign that hung above the cashier area, was completely allowed by your cafe's policies.

In the scope of things, surely times have certainly changed since your Phantom Thief days, even if you were adamant to maintain and cherish the idea of being intimate with someone you loved most.

Though, for you, “someone” came in the form of four men who were no longer in Tokyo.

You were filled with a sense of contentment at the thought of a spiky-haired blonde running track at Osaka University with a cocky grin on his face while a blue-haired young man was aweing all the art professors at Kanazawa College of Art with his outlandishly elegant masterpieces. Without question, you knew the Japanese exchange student studying Western law at Oxford University was leaving everyone charmed, whereas the one who was attending Paris-Sorbonne University was exploring cafes and coffee shops during his breaks between classes.

While you missed each of them so much, the most important aspect of their absence was that they were left unaware of the job you had taken up since starting college, your tuition the main reason you decided to don the maid uniform.

And because you needed a distraction to keep your mind off of their absences.

You could already imagine their astonished uproar should they ever find about your new job. Yusuke would probably try to reason with you while Ryuji would come bursting through the cafe entrance and make a fuss to get you to quit. Not to say that Akechi and Akira wouldn’t also attempt to persuade you to take up another job, but knowing them, they'd have some elaborate form of sabotage up their sleeves.

The only ones who knew about and who you could confide in about your newfound employment were Ann, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with all of them still residing and studying in Tokyo.

For the most part, you received the support of the girls. Understandably so, however, Makoto was wary of your job at first, given with what happened with Eiko. However, when you told her how strict and uncompromising you were while remaining successful--even showing off the sizeable stack of tips that you earned over a single weekend--she was eventually put at ease.

Ann was proud of your hustle while Haru was pleased by the way you had your clients begging for the privilege to even eat out of your hand. Amidst working her way through high school, Futaba was eager to be your confidant, scoping out current trends in the maid cafe scene, from what kind of themes and actions were most popular to any fluctuations in target demographics among your customers.

Though your girls were happy to support you in any way they could--whether by acting as your customers when you were expecting some unruly regulars, or hearing you vent about the entitlement that some clients had towards you--it was Futaba who regularly assisted you with being a more effective and profitable maid.

However.

Unfortunately so.

Futaba was also the person who accidentally revealed your maid gig to Akira while he was confirming his return flight back to Tokyo for summer break.

So it came to be when you were working through a slow shift that Ryuji and Yusuke came bursting through the entrance.

It was a miracle that your tray of dirty plates and glasses didn’t fall and shatter on the ground.

Since Akira--along with Akechi--wasn't due back in Japan for another couple days, there was little surprise that he would reach out to Ryuji and Yusuke to check on you, as both were a mere shinkansen ride away from Tokyo.

As horrified as you were to see them, you were quick to notice that the two's widened gazes--whether boldly intentional or shyly not--were lingering upon and ogling you while you remained fully dressed in your cutesy maid attire. Considering that it was summer and you spent most of early afternoon outside to hand out fliers, you weren't wearing your white stockings, leaving your legs exposed.

You could see redness blossom and spread across Yusuke's pale cheeks while Ryuji's mouth was agape with shock and a hint of drool.

However, remembering that they were both here on a mission that was involving you, the blonde immediately wiped at his mouth, preparing to finally demand some answers.

Which you took as the cue to request your lunch break.

Though your day up until now was slow--thus making it easier for you to suddenly step out from your shift--the way you grabbed onto both Yusuke's and Ryuji's arms to quickly drag them back outside to the quaint, little garden space that was meant to be a break area for all the maids was anything but. The cutesy decor of the patio seating seemed to emphasize the awkward tension that hung in the air, and you still wearing your uniform didn't help either.

You released their arms, taking a step ahead of them. Reluctant didn't even begin to describe how unwilling you were to face them. However, knowing they wouldn't leave without having a word with you, your heels spun as you feigned cheerful confidence.

"Ryuji, Yusuke! Long time no see!" You chirped while clasping your hands tightly together, else risk having them wring together out of nervousness. "Didn't expect to see you two so soon."

The solemn discomfort on Yusuke's face while Ryuji attempted to keep composure told you exactly how this conversation was going to proceed.

You watched as the latter's arms quickly shot out, waving around in a wild, over-the-top gesture towards your body, all while his cheeks became burning red--whether out of anger or embarrassment, you could not tell. "And we didn't expect to see you like this! What's-- What's up with the maid get-up?!"

Though you groaned internally, you sighed out loud with exasperation while you attempted to remain unfazed, even if this exact reaction was what you had been dreading to possibly face one day. "My work uniform, Ryuji. That's all."

"'That's all?!'" Ryuji repeated incredulously, his eyes wide while they stared at you with disbelief. "We leave Tokyo for a semester and suddenly you're a cutesy maid now?! And you didn't even tell us?!"

Yusuke cleared his throat, his eyebrow lifting while he shot the blonde a look. "Honestly, I'm rather surprised you're acting this way, considering how much I've heard about that--what was it--that maid stakeout you did with Akira and that Mishima fellow, no?"

Now Ryuji's ears were red while his head snapped towards Yusuke. "That was high school and with a… stranger. This is college, this is our friend--there's a lot more at stake here, dude!" Huffing, his arms immediately folded across his chest, all the while maintaining a defensive front. "And don't act like I'm being too over the top about this! You were the one who ditched the night bus to hop onto a goddamn shinkansen to get back to Tokyo! That shit ain't cheap neither!"

Yusuke's collectedness broke, soon fumbling for anything to say in response.

Your inner despair deepened. Knowing Yusuke's frugal ways, for him to be so impulsive as to buy a last minute shinkansen ticket spoke and declared volumes of how affected he was by the news of your maid gig.

If these two were worked up to this degree, you only dreaded to soon have to be confronted by Akechi and Akira.

Admittedly though, it felt nice to have them worry and be this concerned about you. It brought back memories of whenever you were injured or put in peril while in the Metaverse, with any and all of the four taking immediate action to keep you safe and protected.

"You..." Yusuke began with a sigh, while his hand pressed against the side of his face, his head lowering in defeat, "You're not wrong, Ryuji..." His voice trailed off, as did his eyes while he looked towards you once again. Your name was uttered, all while his expression was that of apprehension, "You know that, while I would usually refrain from being too invasive, I..." Eyes shutting, his eyebrows furrowed together while he recalled back to when he heard the news. "I...I must admit that I was rather taken aback to hear from Akira about your new occupation."

While it was clear that he was concerned, his eyes opened once more as he thought back to the other emotion that he felt upon that announcement, his tone admonishing yet slightly wounded, "Or rather, the occupation that you've apparently been keeping a secret since near the beginning of the school year."

The guilt currently weighing on your shoulders became more burdensome.

Still, you maintained your composure as you obliged him and Ryuji with an explanation regarding why and how you were led to this job. Your college tuition needed to be paid off in some way--while still granting you enough funds for other bills, rent, and necessities, as well as leisure purposes--and there just so happened to be a job opening at the already popular maid cafe. With the hushed, giggly murmurs you heard from female classmates who snagged a job, it seemed to be a worthwhile position to take up.

Though, by Yusuke's and Ryuji's expressions, neither looked to be at ease just yet. If anything, they--having heard similar stories from classmates from mere observation--only grew more concerned as the job testimonies they witnessed usually involved a fellow student delighting herself in unsavory activities for extra yen.

Hence was why you were quick to add and explain the benefits to working the maid cafe job, especially one with such a rigid pricing policy. With the same reasoning you provided to Makoto, you emphasized that not only were you making even more money, but you were doing so without literally getting your hands dirty--despite that you playing extremely hard to get made you more of a desired candidate.

However, you couldn't quite get yourself to confess--nor would you ever--how you took up the maid gig to fill in the void that you wished to have filled by the two of them, along with Akira and Akechi, one that only grew once the four departed Tokyo to their respective colleges.

For the time spent with them as Phantom Thieves, you were sure that you would have eventually developed a Palace. By focusing your attention and offering your affection--however feigned it may be--to others, you felt that doing so helped stave away your desires, as you were too busy being huffy and annoyed over strangers who received your 'love' rather than feel heartbroken over remaining undecided over who to give it to, let alone have it be reciprocated in the first place.

The goofball troublemaker with a wandering eye that could never settle on one person, the eccentric artist whose heart was taken by the arts, the charming Detective Prince and his army of ever devoted fans, and the quiet but mischievous former leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Somehow, you harbored an abundance of love for each of them to take, knowing fully well how foolish and greedy you were being.

It was better to simply cherish your Phantom Thief days rather than expect anything more beyond friendship.

Even if, by the end of your explanation, Ryuji and Yusuke had yet to ease their concerned expressions, both protective with one being fierce in nature while the other was anxiousness.

The former's arms were folded across his chest, his head tilted slightly to the side while his eyes squinted, still not quite convinced. "So...this is all a money thing, right? But in a totally safe way, right?" His voice became tight as he continued, the thought making his hands clench and blood boil. "There ain't any dudes that are being gross and crossing the boundaries with you, right? 'Cause I'm gonna need some fuckin' names and addresses if that's the case!"

You drew up your hands in a defensive gesture, motioning for him to calm down, matched by your reassuring tone, "Ryuji, it's fine." Cracking a reassuring smile, you added, "I intimidate too many guys with my prices anyway, especially if they're being creeps."

"But what about those fuckers that can't ever take no for an answer and have the money to back it up? What do you then?" He went on, teeth gritting the more he imagined some persistent customer trying his damnedest to have your time.

"Then I'll just keep upping the price until they think of me as too much of a hassle to have," you responded, conveying your sincerity as that usually was what occurred. However, neither Ryuji nor Yusuke looked convinced--with ease, they could foresee someone absolutely not caring about your prices and becoming more aggressive to buy you over.

With a sigh, you continued, "Listen, I...I find a way around it, okay?" Your shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I know I can't control what kind of paying customers I end up dealing with, but I still have quotas to meet every month, so I can't be denying every patron that weirds me out--not immediately, at least." A sheepish smile tugged at your mouth. "It is what it is."

The two shared a look before they processed your words on their own. Ryuji's hands fell to his hips, his eyes shutting close while he tapped his foot, his expression that of frustration. Yusuke looked far more perplexed and conflicted, his eyebrows furrowing while he rested a finger to his chin, wondering just how to go about this situation.

"I mean you're not wrong but...Can't you..." Ryuji sounded defeated as he sighed, eyes opening to stare at you pleadingly wearily, "Can't you just go for a job that pays just as well but doesn't put you in the spotlight for a bunch of gross fucks?"

You shook your head, offering him an apologetic smile. "There's nothing in Tokyo that is as flexible with my school schedule and pays off my tuition as well as this place."

"In that case, then why don't we be your customers then?"

Stunned, you and Ryuji immediately turned towards Yusuke.

"Dude, you for real?!" Ryuji exclaimed, his jaw slack for a moment before it tightened up as a wide, toothy grin broke onto his features. "That's...that's actually not the worst idea that your weird ass has ever brought up!"

Yusuke shot him a glare, the only thing he would note regarding his friend's words before he faced you with a softer and compassionate expression. "As you would know, I understand the severity of maintaining a decent livelihood with little money like nothing else. Still, I just cannot help but remain worried over you."

He breathed out your name, "I trust you, really, I do. And I cherish the bond that we've formed. However..." His gentle tone became tinged with apprehension, the look on his face twisting as he too thought of guests being unruly with you, "I cannot say the same for your patrons, however well-intentioned they may appear. If being your patron means you can still be paid while protected by someone such as myself or the others, then I will gladly oblige."

"Yu...Yusuke," you gasped, astonished by his and Ryuji's display of concern and protectiveness for you, your heart set aflutter. The sensation of desire--platonic, as you interpreted it--brought forth a sense of bliss.

And yet, you couldn't help but feel as though you must decline.

Though the smile on his face was warm and gentle, the glint that soon formed in his eyes becoming increasingly fiery with passion, his gaze emboldened as he looked you over. More than once, more than twice, as though to take in and imprint you in his memory as much as possible.

"To be quite honest with you, seeing you like this I...I feel so..." The hand on his chin moved, his fingers pressing over his lips while heat rushed to his face in dizzying excitement, "...so genuinely inspired to create a piece on sensuality--as if I could finish it in a day!"

Suddenly, the congratulatory look on Ryuji's face soured into one of exasperated annoyance. "Ugh, here we fuckin' go..."

One of your hands was taken into both of his with urgency. You wanted to admire feeling the warm softness that enveloped your skin, somehow resisting the callousness that only a life dedicated to art would cause.

Earnestly, Yusuke peered into your eyes with his, an eager yet hopeful look displayed on his features. "If you don't mind, then perhaps after your shift, you can come to my place and be my model--in your uniform, if you would. Honestly, the more I look at you, the more I feel so capable of finishing within a night--"

"Yusuke."

You found yourself uttering his name in such a quick, sharp tone that caught you and the two young men by surprise.

But considering and knowing what Yusuke was trying to propose, you had to decline.

After all, the point of your maid job was to have a means to preoccupy your thoughts in lieu of not having all four to yourself--both physically and emotionally. You spent months crafting this special 'affection' to give to your customers, based off of what you wished to freely offer to your crushes.

If the likes of Ryuji, Yusuke, Akechi, and/or Akira were to delve and interact with your other self, then you would have no remedy for the inevitable ache of them leaving again for school, a reminder of how the affection you shared was by transaction and by them supporting you as a friend.

You had to keep them at bay.

You had to keep them from seeing the secrets tucked away in your heart.

Though necessary for these reasons, your actions would be a mystifying moment in future recollection.

You didn't know if it was impulse from all the time spent working under Iyayo's money-gouging influence, or out of you trying to protect yourself from getting to attached to Yusuke while lamenting over your desires for Ryuji, Akira, and Akechi, but you soon found yourself looking directly into his eyes while blurting out the firm response of,

"Sorry Yusuke, I know we're friends and all, but if I'm going to be taking time to be posing for you, I have to get paid."

The air abruptly grew tense, with the stunned gasp let out by Yusuke and the aghast "Ooooo!" from Ryuji, whose eyes grew wide while he covered his open mouth with his fist.

While you wished to have not incited such a reaction, you refused to let yourself lose momentum. Much like you did in the Metaverse, once you exploited a weakness in your foe, you would seize the opportunity to keep forward without hesitation.

Even while your heart raced anxiously amidst your rebuttal, you lifted your shoulders in a shrug, an attempt to play off your refusal. "Not to say that I don't want to hang out, but I know at least 6 neets who'd give me their life savings if I just batted my eyelashes at them while wearing my maid outfit. My maid gig is what's keeping me going, but I prefer to keep my job and personal life separate--I just can't be doing special favors like that."

Yusuke looked paler than usual, his statuesque composure crumbling by the weighted swing of rejection. "But...my inspiration...!" He took a shaky step back, his arm half-raised in anguished disbelief.

There was suddenly a hand on his shoulder, which turn to a grinning Ryuji slinking an arm around his neck. "Yeah dude, but don't you know that money talks?"

While Yusuke's posture became slumped while sulking, Ryuji boasted a sudden air of confidence after seeing the opportunity here stood to be beneficial for both you and himself. Sweetly chirping out your name, he remarked, "Listen, help me help you, alright? Gimme a nice, little discount and I'll be happy to give you some spending money--"

"Sorry Ryuji. No discounts."

You shrugged.

Yusuke was released.

Ryuji was literally up in arms. Again.

Arms flailing about dramatically, he squawked with wide eyes, "No discounts?! Not even for friendship, former high school classmates, or old Phantom Thieves?! None?! I thought we were close!"

Smiling sheepishly, you reassured in a soft coo, "Of course we're close, Ryuji. But I just really like the money I've been getting, okay? I have at least four regulars who actually beg me to charge them more. It's quite fascinating to see."

"B-But...! That's...! All for one and one for all and that shit...!" Ryuji was at an utter loss for words, stumbling over his words more than he did on hurdles back during his track days when he and his teammates purposefully made themselves dizzy before running drills for their own stupid teenaged amusement.

Yusuke didn't have anything to say in response, still much too defeated from your rejection to even find comfort in witnessing Ryuji get denied.

As for you, your chest was still feeling tight with anxiousness, as everything seemed to be going your way, as painful as it was. However, not to fall back now, a hand moved to your hips as you hummed, "Now that I've explained everything, if you and Yusuke are done here, go along now and shoo." You gestured this with your fingers as you smiled teasingly. "Haru and Ann are planning an Ibiza trip for later this summer, and I need to get back to work and get some souvenir money!"

Ryuji wasn't having it.

"Why...Why the hell're you pushing us away all of a sudden?!" His words were bombastic, thundering in tone. As upset as he appeared, his voice also held a wounded edge. "We're just trying to help you out since you're so set on working this job! Did we do something to you because--shit...!" You noticed one of his hands curl up into a fist, which in turn moved to suddenly wipe at his flushed cheek. "And here I was all excited to see you again!"

You felt something within you twist painfully. Did you actually rile him up to the point that he was tearing up?

"That's enough, Ryuji."

So sudden, so smooth, like the blade of his katana during battle, Yusuke finally spoke up at last. Placing a hand on Ryuji's shoulder, he looked at him warningly, his eyes narrowed as though to admonish. "We must respect the decision of our friend..." Though having regained his composure, he sighed while his gaze softened with disappointment as they shifted back to you, "...even if we cannot fully comprehend the reasoning."

Your ache furthered.

"If you would excuse us," Yusuke murmured out your name while lowering his head slightly. As his eyes looked into yours yet again, he smiled gently, even if you could tell it was strained. "Until next time. I insist that we spend time together during this summer--truly, what I anticipated most upon my return was spending time with you once more."

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head, his gaze glancing to the side as he mumbled, "Yeah...see ya' around..." Ruffling his short, choppy blonde hair, he sighed before huffing, "I meant what I said, okay? I really wanna hang out with you." His lips fixing into a pout, he added, "Don't be too busy that we can't do just that, alright? Or I'm soliciting here-- Dude, wha--?!"

With Yusuke's hand clawing into his shoulder, Ryuji flailed as he was dragged along, scolded with the hushed grumble of "Do not make things worse for us! How else will we...?" Their voices trailed off as they left, leaving you alone.

Again.

Even if it was self-imposed.

Though you remained steadfast in your actions just now, it wasn't as though you felt better. But you kept Yusuke and Ryuji from getting tangled in your escapism, which was necessary for your own continued emotional wellbeing.

Albeit, it came at the cost of a reunion that left a bitter taste on your mouth. Though it had been a plausible outcome that you once thought over, it didn’t lessen the ache of actually experiencing it.

In consideration of that however...

You slumped onto one of the cutesy ornate benches, your face in your hands.

You'd certainly end up having a repeat of this once Akechi and Akira inevitably come to confront you.

And unsurprisingly, it did not take long for that to occur.

[travellingunicorn7]

I deleted this thinking I was outside the realms of reality and I probably still am, but I've decided to repost only because why should I delete it? Most of the sentiment is true and I'm not going to be shy or embarrassed about it. Fuck anyone who wants to be dick over it. Just because maybe it also focuses on one person, for everyone else- perhaps it focuses on you too, just as much.

Here is an novel/essay on my feelings. After this post I am going to try my hardest not to post anything else along these lines because I just don’t want to, I’ve said enough now. I’m just begging if I say anymore, and I don’t beg. I worry about some of the things I have said and I hope I haven’t overstepped a mark. I don’t really want to post this, but I feel if I don’t I may not get what I want, but then I may not get it anyway, so why not just say it and be done with it. Please don’t do anything hasty from this, accept what I have to say and don’t shoot it down in flames before thinking about it, because you never know, some things may be worth considering.

1. I am a true convert to Royal. You will not get me cruising with another company, not if I can help it. But I can not keep cruising on the same ships. I need to mix it up and see something different. I’m loyal to royal but I’m not loyal to the ships. I will be doing my absolute level best to see the other vessels within the fleet and if that means flying halfway across the world, so be it, I don’t mind, because I love to travel, but it does annoy me a little Australia misses out a fair bit.

2. I am saving madly to get to the Caribbean, Miami, London and the Netherlands. I am hoping between 2022-2025 these trips will happen. I can’t specify dates yet because I’m not in a position to and quite frankly I don’t want to say too much online about it, because I would like to make new friends in person where I get their contact details and maybe ask if they would like to be my personal travel guide when I finally get to these places. However I intend to stay for a full month when I do visit these four parts of the world. 

3. I’m not going to the Caribbean for 1 cruise. What a long way to go for just a week. I intend to pay for 2-3 back to back cruises within the Caribbean. I want to visit Coco Cay, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and where possible; Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti and Puerto Rico. I am sold on Odyssey, she will happen, and I’m tossing up between Explorer, Oasis, Independence, Allure and Symphony. As for the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Zaandam, Zaanse Schans, Leiden, Lisse, Den Haag, Scheveningen Strand, Delft, and possibly Rotterdam are all places I intend to visit. 

4. Lelepa and Wonder of the Seas: I’m still hesitant, on these two, only because I have concerns, Australia will not be considered fairly when it comes to more information being released about them and Australia often falls into the Asian category when it comes to travel destinations. However if Wonder can be taken away from Asia then yes I will consider this ship. If Wonder is taken to Lelepa from Australia- I’m looking at Brisbane- then yes I will consider Wonder and Lelepa. If Wonder can not be taken away from Asia, then Royal and Brisbane better make some decent decisions when it comes to other ships in their fleet, that aren’t already here, such as Mariner, Navigator, Symphony, Independence, Allure, Harmony and/or Oasis to make their way to Australia for me to consider going. I’ll make that call when further announcements are made and on the completion of Brisbane’s new cruise terminal. I also believe Sydney is looking at building a new cruise terminal too, which I’d like to believe Royal will come to the party and provide Australia their “bigger and bolder” ships in confirmation and completion of that. Also I understand Lelepa will be different to Coco Cay but it better not be lacking too much. I would like some similarities for me to consider visiting. 

Before all of these changes of new cruise terminals are completed, I would love to see ships with similar sizing to Ovation, Explorer and Voyager (considering our ports aren’t big enough), visiting Australia more, as there’s not enough itineraries and I wouldn’t mind going from Australian port to Australian port; rather than heading to the South Pacific or New Zealand all the time. I don’t want to cruise with Carnival or Princess and no offense to the Radiance class ships, but they lack too many activities for me to want to jump on them, I know these ships do visit the Australian ports more; I just need a mixture of places to see and things to do on board. Not one or the other .

5. I am not interested in visiting Asia. There are few reasons why, I just don’t want to explain them here. Asia in general seems to have some amazing landscapes, and the people I know are wonderful but I would rather get fat than go to Asia. Unsure why I should, because I just said I have no desire to go, but, persuade me to go to India, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan and I will consider Quantum and Wonder. However will I be looking at a carbon copy of Ovation if I step on Quantum?

6. I am learning Dutch. I enjoy it. I will continue to say and write things in Dutch so I can continue to get a grasp on the language. I’m planning a trip to the Netherlands and the Caribbean. I know people in the Netherlands speak English but I think it’s only fair I learn their language too. I am also looking at Russian and Polish after I feel I have successfully got the Dutch language ‘down pat’.

7. Why Dutch? Why the Netherlands? There are several reasons, one I’ll explain later, I can count at least 5 reasons. Get time off and come and find me in Circular Quay checking out Voyager and Ovation and I will tell you why. Or better yet when it’s holidays, kom alsjeblieft naar Bairnsdale en vind me. Kom me alsjeblieft bezoeken, don’t fly straight home…

8. I cannot keep posting my music. My music tastes ranges from rock, pop, classical, electronic, dance, hip hop, rap, alternative, indie, folk, punk, blues and metal. Country is the only genre I suffer through. A few Australian country music stars however, can be tolerable like Lee Kernaghan. As long as the artist has 99% input into the way the music is delivered then I’ll listen. As much as I enjoy sharing my music, because I love music, there comes a point where you start to know too much about me, without actually getting to know me at all. You want to get to know me, talk to me. Here is a list of some the bands I have the most music of and if I could share my iTunes with the world I would, but I am not subscribing to several different streaming services to do so. Spotify is enough:

Linkin Park

Garbage

The Killers

Glass Animals

Arcade Fire

Peking Duk

Safia

Rufus/Rufus du Sol

Delphic

Florence and the Machine

Sia

Interpol

Kingswood

Major Lazer

Miike Snow

Kings of Leon

Gomez

Duke Dumont

Friendly Fires

Zhu

Jamiroquai

Spoon

Flight Facilities 

Arcade Fire

The Aston Shuffle

Fatboy Slim

Basement Jaxx

Chemical Brothers

Groove Armada

Marilyn Manson

Placebo

Foals

Nine Inch Nails

Mø

Arctic Monkeys

Cold War Kids

Hayden James

Mansion Air

Presets

Chvrches

Beck

The Rapture

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Jack River

The Prodigy

New Order

Depeche Mode 

Korn

Kasabian

Muse

Oasis

Gorillaz

Two Door Cinema Club

Calvin Harris

9. The list of emojis; There are stories behind them all. I will tell you if you want to say hi. ♉⚽🏊🏏🌹🇦🇺🔮🇳🇱🎶👻🚢✈🤸🐈🌷🌩. I’ve just explained the music emoji, I’ll explain my love of travel. I love my country I’d like to see Darwin, Broome, Perth, the coast of South Australia including Kangaroo Island, Tasmania and Northern Queensland. I want to go back to the US and Canada, and maybe New Zealand. As mentioned Netherlands, London, Caribbean and Miami are currently on my immediate list. I’d like to see parts of Russia, Poland, the rest of England, Scotland, Egypt, Morocco, Chile, and Peru. I work to earn money to travel and play pole. If money was no object I’d just spend my entire time travelling maybe I could study further and be a professional pole teacher, teaching all over the world? Just a thought. I like to spend my money on experiences and culture and education, not unnecessary things. So the aeroplane and ship emoji reflects my love for travel and cruising and ships in general fascinate me including the stories of ‘ghost ships’. Yet there will become a time I need to set up roots, sooner rather than later, and south east Queensland is currently getting my attention, but I’m not closed to the idea of moving OS either.

10. I will continue to be as honest as I can and saying things that may or may not sit well with others without name dropping. I don’t like sugar coating, yet somehow I live in a society where people get offended so easily. So I hold back. I say things on here and on my instagram because I can be me and say things that are true to me because somehow there are people who are offended in how I live my life, and it makes me worry about what our society is turning into where people are scared to say what’s on their minds or say how they feel without a keyboard. Too many people are wrapped in cotton wool these days, it’s why they get offended over the most miniscule thing. I think about that a lot, and that’s why I try and not care about other people’s opinions. It doesn’t always work but if you want honesty, check this out or instagram or better yet- get to know me and talk to me in person.

11. Let's talk about honesty for a moment. Lying and keeping secrets from me doesnt end well so don't do it. Being honest with me may upset me at first yes, but I'll accept it and let things be. Honesty is the best policy, regardless of how much someone may get hurt, just be honest.

12. This gets to my next point, why is it ingrained in current culture for arguments sake that men should be the one chasing the woman to get her attention. Why can’t the woman let the man know she’s interested? This whole ‘chase’ mentality just really needs to stop. She’s not going to play games with you when it comes to feelings so don’t string her along. Let your ego relax a little and let the woman ask you out. Let her ask you to come home with her, she’s wanting to get laid, and just as a guess you probably do too because you paid attention to her in the first place and wanted her to notice you. She might even want more too if it’s all worth it. She’d be open to anything ranging from friendship to lovers, to whatever works. We’re all adults and I’d like to think we all switched on enough to work out fairly quickly whether something is worth continuing or not. If he wants to do the work fine, I’m sure she’ll let him, but he shouldn’t be rejecting any effort from her when it’s given to him, because it’s probably taken her some courage to do so in the first place and wouldn’t he want the pressure taken off him just a little bit especially if he wanted her attention? She’s also probably just as interested, he would know if she wasn’t interested; and women can be capable too. 

Both parties should be able to meet each other halfway with effort, and work 50/50 to make a go of things. It shouldn’t be give and take and it shouldn’t be one party or the other doing all the work. It should fall on both sets of shoulders. A lot of women get tired of getting attention from guys, so they reciprocate that attention because they’re just as interested, by being proactive and doing something about it, and are more or less ‘ghosted’. That’s cowardly behaviour. If a man shows interest, follow through with that interest, don’t bail before giving anything a chance. Why can’t women make the first move to get what they want too? Didn’t the man initially get the woman’s attention because he wanted to sleep with her? Maybe she does as well…

Maybe it’s the social media. We all have it, we all enjoy it, it’s not going to go away, but it’s changed everyone’s ability in how to speak to one another. People are afraid to say how they feel now regardless of whether it’s good or bad. We can be keyboard warriors and armchair experts to strangers but we can’t have decent conversations with people we actually meet and want to get to know further, we are all too scared. How do you think your grandparents met each other? They didn’t have social media, they met each other in person, and spoke to each other in person and showed effort to each other. Maybe social media and the online world is what makes guys run away from normal or average or different because they are so used to seeing ‘perfect’ that anything different to ‘perfect’ hits them for six, and they don’t know how to handle it. I’m not perfect and I refuse to be, what a hard life that would be to live up to and expensive too. All that botox and plastic surgery just to be ‘perfect’ and to put on a persona that’s not me- no thanks.  I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I enjoy my exercise, it makes me feel good and that’s enough even though sometimes I do have doubts about my body, I see so much ‘perfection’ online that I often feel like I’m expected to look the same. I prefer to be stronger, fitter, have muscles and just be myself any day, than worry about what snap chat filter to use, or how much money I need to go under the knife or change my personality to impress people, so just take me as I am.

13. Also if you are in a relationship be honest about it. We don't need to see the ins and outs. That's no ones business other than yours and your partners, but leading other people on, showing other people your attention, letting them think that you're single and they may have a chance with you, when in actual fact you're not and they don't have a single chance whatsoever. That's not on. Not only does it upset the person your paying attention to, it will also upset your partner and then most likely everyone loses in some way shape or form. So just don’t do it. It's almost a form of cheating and I don't have time for cheaters. There will be no second chances with cheaters. If you are not 150% in your relationship and you want to be with and pay attention to other people, then break up. 

Once you make your partner feel like they're not the only one, whether it's cheating or not, that's a rule breaker. If you are paying attention and showing interest and appearing keen and single to others, when you're in a relationship, perhaps you need to take a good look at your own relationship and decide if it's for you or not. Maybe the relationship isn’t strong enough to keep going, sometimes you have to be honest with yourself, and especially if someone within the relationship, is wanting to make eyes at other people and wander, that’s not showing your partner any respect. (Not everyone deserves everyone’s respect, and that’s life, just don’t be unkind about it). Decide if things need to change and work on them. Don't throw your relationship away before you think about it properly, but if you’re not into the relationship 150%, throwing the relationship away is probably the best option. No one likes to break relationships up, but maybe walking away from the relationship is what needs to happen too. Look at Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth? Sad they couldn't work it out and make they're marriage last, but they obviously weren't happy, and the following behaviour, especially from Miley where she wanted to wander, she really wasn’t ready to settle, she wanted to be with other people, now I think they are both better off apart. You should be in a relationship for the right reasons. Is there a reason someone is paying attention to someone else and showing them interest? Are they really ready to settle? Or do they still need time to be with other people?

If there's someone else, before you go breaking everyone's hearts, make sure that someone else gets your complete and full attention, don't go doing the same thing by paying a person number 3 the attention you paid person number 2, when you just left your last relationship with person number 1 for. Does that make sense? Prove to the current person you are with (even if it means you broke up with someone to be with someone else), that they are the only one for you, and that you only have eyes for them. They deserve that at least. Person number 2 doesn't need you running around behind their back giving person number 3 attention, just like you did with person number 1 to get to person number 2.

Just don't cheat. Break up before you move on is all I'm saying.

14. Going back to all things Dutch, maybe I’m learning the language for one of many reasons; to impress a guy and get his attention, and I don’t know how successful it is, but it’s my way of trying and/or making an effort because he is still in my head. He is Dutch, he works abroad for 95% of the year, he doesn’t even live in Australia and the situation is incredibly far fetched and that damn difficult, I don’t even understand why I would even want to pursue this idea, but if you really can’t let something go, you put in the effort, you try and want to make it work, right? He will not leave my thoughts and I miss him way too much, more than what I should. I would love it if he either let me make an effort or he made a little effort in return, but I don’t expect too much really, I’m sure I’m flogging a dead horse after eight months and counting. Maybe he’s just someone who’s very easy on the eyes 💪 who I can only like from a distance 😍. I would like to be his friend, I would like to take him home and have sex with him and I would like to get to know him. Situations can be hard, and situations can come with huge limitations and often situations distort reality, I get all that, but give me a little credit. I hope he thinks about me just as much as I think about him. I hope he misses me just as much and I hope some days he thinks about the exact same things as I do, like wanting to get to know me too, or wanting to come to bed with me… naked… 💋 I suddenly have Tove Lo’s Talking Body in my head.

15. If he wants to see me, or wants to give something a go with me, be it anything, then I’m giving him a few choices: Don’t fly straight home at the start of the holidays, come to Bairnsdale, het is niet zo moeilijk om een supermarktmerk in Bairnsdale te vinden waar ik voor werk, omdat iedereen boodschappen nodig heeft. Be my personal travel guide… Netherlands… Caribbean… Miami… Please transfer and be around when the 30/01/2021 arrives. I’d love to see a friendly and familiar face. I will be partaking in water slides, mini golf, ice skating, and laser tag and I will consider surfing and rock climbing. I still have around 14 months to go until my holiday and I’m not giving up hope that I will see him again yet but maybe one day I will if I can’t see anything working, I can’t hold on to nothing forever.

16. Would I like to contact him? Would I like him to contact me? Fuck yes, but I’m not here to beg for his attention. I also feel I shouldn’t, that I haven’t got the right to, so I sit here quietly thinking about him and doing nothing about it…. So, I’ve said my piece. I’m interested in him and I think about him every day. Everything tells me not to be, but here I am, still interested. I’ve tried contacting before it didn’t work, and I can only hope I see him again sooner, rather than later, for one last opportunity and where possible, there’s a way around the situation- whether it works or not, whether I can try and contact him or not, time will tell. I do think he’s around again for a reason, I just hope that, that can extend out until January 2021 if that’s the only chance available. If everything fails, it fails, and at least I can say I tried without bailing before giving it a chance and I’ll accept whatever life throws at me, I’m used to that. I will ask though; I’d like to know why Australia is on the cards again at the same familiar home? I appreciate it regardless and although I hate the fact I’m not around this time and it’s so long before my holiday and wishing I could find the time to see him sooner, I’m sticking around aren’t I? I’ll just be over there instead of the familiar, as I said I’m loyal. All I can say is, please accept my feelings for what they are. I can’t ask for my feelings to be reciprocated even though I would like them to be, I guess I would just like them to be have been acknowledged.

[intoxicatedeuphoria]

Royai Tidbits from FMA: To the Promised Day (PSP Game)

There’s this FMA game for PSP that was never released outside Japan (and thus, untranslated). It’s called Fullmetal Alchemist: To the Promised Day. What’s interesting about this game is that it shows what the characters were up to before and during the preparation period for Promised Day. There are a lot of side stories which were not included in the manga and/or anime and most of the stuff are related to character development and/or backstory.

Since I’m Royai trash, I painstakingly watched the entire playthrough of one user (カジ) on Nico Nico Douga to glean as much information about Riza and Roy as I could. I’m not sure if the game is canon, though. I used the image translation function of Google Translate + my meagre knowledge of the Japanese language for the dialogues so I probably missed some of the details, but hey, something is better than nothing, right? Here’s my first official contribution to the Royai community. Cheers!

Please credit/mention my blog when you use the summary/translation for your works. Thanks <3

PS. BEWARE OF SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA/FMA:BROTHERHOOD

EDIT (31.05.2017): I already posted the full translation of Riza and Ed’s conversation here.

#1. Ed and Riza discuss their daddy issues

One of the scenarios that you can unlock in the game involves Riza and Ed talking about their dads. Riza reveals to Ed that her father is also an alchemist, which is why she could empathize with him. She also admits eventually that Roy was her father’s apprentice (and she calls him Mustang-san instead of Colonel as she narrates her story to Ed).

Riza tries to convince Ed to talk to his dad at the very least, while he still has the chance. Then she proceeds to tell him about her relationship with her late father -- how she was afraid of him because he was so obsessed with his alchemy, and how Roy (after Berthold’s death) convinced her that her father loved her in his own way (the proof of which was the moment he asked practically begged Roy to apologize to Riza on his behalf and to take care of her). At first Riza doesn’t say who the apprentice was, but in the end, Ed pieces together the clues and figures it out. Ed is left shocked, but thanks Riza for her advice and for revealing a part of her past to him.

#2. Al, Roy and Havoc share their hospital fantasies/preferences

Al visits Roy and Havoc in the hospital after the encounter with Lust. While Riza is away, Havoc begins a conversation about his hospital fantasies. Al (bless his innocent soul) comments that he wouldn’t mind it if Lieutenant Hawkeye took care of him while he’s sick/injured because she seems capable and caring. Havoc then gets this brilliant idea of imagining Riza as a nurse, and then as a doctor. [screenshots from kaji’s playthrough on Nico Nico Douga]

He voices out his opinions on each of the scenarios. He says the nurse uniform would enhance Riza’s feminine hips, while the doctor outfit would emphasize her beautiful legs. Roy just hums/nods in agreement at each of the mental images. This is where the screenshots of Riza as a nurse and doctor come from!! An unamused Riza eventually returns to the room and tells them that she heard everything since she was just outside talking to some other patient. The guys are terrified, and Al quickly excuses himself and rushes out of the room.

#3. Riza goes on a picnic with Ed and Al and reveals more about young!Royai

Riza meets up with the Elric brothers for a picnic. Ed consumes everything in sight and comments that the food she had prepared were really good. Al then points out that Riza is the perfect/best woman because she is beautiful, cooks really well, and is really competent at what she does (or she’s good at work, I was lost in translation!). Riza says that it wasn’t always the case.

She tells them that she had to learn how to cook at a young age since her mother passed away early. At first, she had no idea how to cook, but she had to do so anyway since nobody else would do it for her. Then her father’s apprentice Roy arrived. Riza once tried to prepare a feast for him on his birthday. He gladly ate everything she cooked and enthusiastically praised her for her cooking, even if he ended up running to the toilet afterwards. She was so touched by his kindness that she took up cooking lessons so she can prepare better meals for him. [At this point, I’m not sure if the brothers figured out she was referring to Roy every time she mentioned the apprentice.] Al then says it’s great that she cooks really well now, and asks if there’s someone she’s cooking for. She says there used to be someone, but right now that person can’t eat the food that she prepared. [WE ALL KNOW IT’S ROY!!] The boys thank Riza for the wonderful lunch, and assure her that someday she can cook for and eat with that person again. Awwwww.

Right now I can’t remember if there are other important Royai scenes. Maybe I’ll re-watch (and translate, then summarize) the other scenes if I have time ^__^

[wereikonics]

iKON's MAKNAE: JUNG CHANWOO  Appreciation thread

@/bianxstan on Twitter -  8:33 PM - 26 Dec 2018

I just want to warn those who are reading this. If you're an OT6 fan, pls feel free to unfollow me and pls do not interact w/ anything related to this thread i.e. don't reply and don't quote RT. We don't need that negativity.

The world is already cruel enough for all of us. Spare us the dramatics. I am tired of defending #Chanwoo from all of you. Though I'm tired of it, pls know that I won't stop doing it. So please allow me to spread love to others without your negativity tainting it. Here we go.

~

When M&M happened, I had no doubt in my mind that Chanwoo will be iKON's 7th member. I was as sure of it as I was that all OT6 will be in iKON. There was something abt him that captivated me. He wasn't the most talented or the most eye-catching. He wasn't even the most talkative.

~

However, Jung Chanwoo was the only person who was introduced in the show that, imho, was considerate towards what OT6 was going through. He realized that he's piercing through a bond that's so strong that his introduction to the group would not be received well and so he waited.

Photo Caption: (Screenshots from Mix and Match)

CHAN WOO only smiles, perplexed

B.I. - CHAN WOO, what are your thoughts on this?

Chanwoo - I like the song

~

From the very beginning, Chanwoo has always been the kind of person who refuses to be a burden. He wants to stand with his own two feet. He refuses to be acknowledged just because Hanbin was a great leader.

Photo Caption:  (Screenshots from Mix and Match)

Pictures of Chanwoo wiping away tears in the practice room

~

I love Chanwoo because he's always been self-aware of his capabilities and his position in the group. When faced with frustrations of things not going well, he recognizes the fact that compared to the others, he is lacking. He did not hide. He did not cower.

Photo Caption:  (Screenshots from Mix and Match)

Chanwoo: 

To be honest, I’m quite disappointed

about the fact that I’m not good.

and that I’m a burden.

I know I can do this but I’m not doing as well as I thought.

~

What he did was he stayed behind in the practice room to catch up to the groupmates he's pulling behind. His sense of self-accomplishment was strong enough to push him to do well and to prevent himself from lingering at the bottom line.

Photo Caption:  (Screenshots from Mix and Match)

Chanwoo: They said it would be a very difficult journey

and told me to brace myself.

So I’m not gonna give up even if it becomes really hard.

~

One of the reasons why Chanwoo blended in so well at that time was because Chanwoo, who was an outsider, already shared the same fierce determination and thirst for improvement that the OT6 was identified with.

Photo Caption:  (Screenshots from Mix and Match)

Chanwoo: I’m so disappointed.

Chanwoo: I don’t want him to think I’m not good enough.

Picture of a frosted glass door with the word ‘STUDIO’ in unfrosted glass

Picture of a paper that reads DUFFY LYRICS - “Mercy” along with the lyrics

Narrator: Chanwoo is practicing alone till late at night. 

He worked so hard to be acknowledged for his effort. He finally did in EP 6. But what squeezed my heart about that episode was the fact that Chanwoo shed tears because despite his efforts up to that point, he can't be fully happy while taking YOYO's spot.

~

He wasn't even at the bottom three at that time & yet he felt so bad taking a spot from the OT6. I realized at the end that he must have felt guilty since he'd always felt incapable. He must've thought that despite his efforts, someone else still deserves it more than he did.

~

At that moment, I thought to myself: "If there is anyone that should be with the OT6, it'll be Chanwoo." Because this kid has enough heart and empathy to realize that his success could be someone's failure in OT6. 

~

To me, a person w/ the kind of attitude to set aside self-greed to feel for those around him will seamlessly mold himself in the tenacious wall that OT6 have built around themselves. Because OT6 reached that far by thinking of the well-being of their members than themselves.

~

However, his anxiety and worry continue even after debut. After all, it can't be denied that their debut in 2015 means that Chanwoo only had over a year of professional training. He only had abt year to completely blend himself in the team.

Photo Caption: 

Chanwoo reading a letter onstage during their Japan Tour

“will I be able to fit in?” “Won’t I just be a burden to them?”

“will the fans acknowledge me?” “Everyday I was feeling anxious and worried”

“And I promised myself, I have to debut in iKON and show them”

“my cool side to repay them”

~

People don't realize that #CHANWOO has YEARS to catch up to when it comes to training. If you're a true iKONIC, you should've realized that Chanwoo was able to improve this much despite the huge time differential of training compared to others.

Photo Caption: Behind the Scenes video during iKON’s Japan tour 2018 

B.I. instructs Chanwoo and helps him practice dancing one on one in preparation for their upcoming performances. Various iKON members can be seen resting in different places around the room. 

B.I. - Let’s do it more seriously.

B.I - One more time.

B.I - One more time.

Picture of Chanwoo sitting on the floor, his hair drenched in sweat.

B.I - You turn your arm like this here. 

~

Do you guys ever think about how much he had to work harder to not be the black hole in iKON? Do you ever think about the humiliation and disappointment he must have felt each time he practice one-on-one with Hanbin?

Photo Caption: Behind the Scenes video during iKON’s Japan tour 2018

Close Up of Chanwoo as he talks in iKON’s temporary practice area, his hair drenched in sweat.

CW: I’m so tired that I can’t talk...

CW: We checked all the flow lines and then we checked the dance matching along with the music. 

CW: As you can see, we are practicing one by one with B.I.

CW: It’s also like this for around a month in Korea. 

~

Each session must've felt like a harsh slap of realization of what level his skills are compared to the others. This was taken just a year ago. Many would think that a debuted idol wouldn't work this hard. But Chanwoo isn't like that. He knows his goals & he WILL pursue them.

Photo Caption:  Behind the Scenes video during iKON’s Japan tour 2018 

Close Up of Chanwoo as he talks in iKON’s temporary practice area, his hair drenched in sweat.

CW: There is no shyness

CW: Even though I am embarrassed, but if I don’t work hard we can’t do it. 

CW: I’m thankful for B.I-hyung who is monitoring closely.

CW: I’ll work hard.

~

I've said this before. I hate people who count lines per member. Line allocation will never equate to song quality. Hanbin giving lines not suited to Chanwoo's skills will only be detrimental to him. But does Chanwoo deliver? YES HE DOES!

Tweet Citation and Photo Caption:

The utilization of the colourful vocal tones of the members allows a portrayal of different kinds of heartache. #CHANWOO didn’t get a ton of lines but I’m not disappointed. Line distribution is about how you deliver those lines. Chanwoo delivered a tenfold of emotions. #iKON

~

The way #CHANWOO opened the song with his low melancholic tone just hits you straight to the heart. It wasn’t extravagant; it was impactful. It was subdued, almost too passively, but that’s what one goes through during a break up. You can’t do anything but accept it.

~

At the bridge, when all the instrumentals were stripped down to almost nothing, I cried bec of the weight of emotions delivered within those two lines. #Chanwoo ’s part was the culmination of all the emotions depicted in this song’s narrative. His voice is just perfect for that.

Can also be found in ‘Goodbye Road’ Song Analysis Thread:

https://wereikonics.tumblr.com/post/184634621843/goodbye-road-song-analysis

I want people to realize that #Chanwoo was able to perform this well because he did not sit on his ass all day long playing games. Nobody else knows more than Chanwoo himself how much he is lacking compared to the others. We all have only seen a glimpse of his talents.

~

I want to remind you that this year's releases were mostly written in 2015. We have yet to fully taste what these boys have to offer years after 2015. Don't get stuck on what could've been. It's been 4 years since the show.

~

Ask yourselves this: in any of iKON's dance practice videos, was there ever a moment when Chanwoo was a blackhole? As a matter of fact, Jinhwan makes more mistakes on choreo than Chanwoo ever did. This boy did not get on stage despite his injuries just for you to discredit him.

~

This boy did not get into iKON because of pity. He didn't get on that stage because he was forced to. He worked his ass off day in and day out knowing that his lack of skills could be harmful for the rest of them. But even when that fear lingers, he didn't let it foster.

~

Though Chanwoo has this fear, he would never beg for lines from Hanbin. Hanbin allows this because this is the only way Chanwoo will truly improve and genuinely feel accomplished. There is no shortcut to success.

Photo Caption: iKON on Weekly Idol

Chanwoo is speaking to Hanbin while they are holding hands

CW: This is what I want to say.

CW: I’m not good which is why I have a small part.

Yunhyeong points toward Hanbin as he looks to Chanwoo

Yunhyeong: Tell him now that you want bigger parts

CW: I’ll work harder

~

So before you question Chanwoo's work etiquette, I want you to think about the position you're in. Because at this moment, as you write those comments discrediting Chanwoo's hard work, it isn't his ass sat on a chair with your face buried in front of a computer.

~   

I'm ending this thread with Chanwoo's poem. Because I want people to realized that regardless of how much hate you throw, we're all just trying our best to live on. We're all on the same ground. You're not special.

[YT Link to iKON TV - Junhoe PD Episode excerpt - Jung Chanwoo’s Mosquito Poem]

~

Disclaimer: All photos belong to their rightful owners. I leave all credit to the rightful translators. PS: If I continued to make this longer, I'm at risk of a heart attack because of pent up frustrations lol PSS: STAN CHANWOO PSSS:

@/bianxstan on Twitter -  8:32 AM - 15 Dec 2018

If you're truly a fan of iKON, you would understand why it's hard for Chanwoo to bring his members to film for his YT. Chanwoo is a very considerate person. He would never do anything to make someone uncomfortable.

~

Besides, he knows how it feels like for the members because he lives the same lifestyle. Also, the members are not selfish to refuse to go on Chanwoo's channel. They help him out when he asks. So please, give Chanwoo the freedom to film whatever he wants with whoever he wants. 

Please subscribe to Chanwoo’s YT Channel if you haven’t already

[cupcakeshakesnake]

Watching The Return of Doctor Mysterio for the first time

Ayyyy long title.

-SERIES 10!!! SERIES 10 IS HERE!!!!!!!

-SDALDFHGALSDHFGAS,LDHFASLDFGASLDFHASLDJFGASLDHFALS

-LASGFLERN283WQUR’QSEI;RWQER;WIERXIUI;I::weif:weif:eifE;IQUGWIF

-*cough* okay... Let’s watch this

-(I just realized the episode I’m watching is flipped horizontally because of copyrights or something, so the screenshots are gonna be flipped too because I’m too lazy to edit them)

-Ah, this takes place in the U.S.

-WUT

-What’s swinging outside his window

-DOCTOR WHAT ARE YOU DOING

-Well this is a dangerous situation for him, I doubt that even Timelords can regenerate if they fell from the sixtieth floor, there would be no piece of body big enough to regenerate from

-Pardon me if I’m wrong on that though, I’m not the best at Doctor Who science

-His voice what happened to his voice

-WELL OF COURSE CLARK KENT IS SUPERMAN DOCTOR PLEASE KEEP UP WITH AT LEAST SOME OF THE MEDIA

-Well this is a weird start to an episode

-”Vomiting, hair loss and death, fat lot of use.”

-What is that those

-”How did you even get a glass of water in your pocket?”  “Skills.”

-I’m calling it, his pockets are bigger on the inside.

-All this fucking Christmas shit again

-Annnd I’m dead

-But seriously, I grew up in an un-religious household in Asia and Christmas was just this little holiday with trees and presents and--

-GEMSTONES THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT GEMSTONEs I should shut up

- --Anyway it was this little holiday with trees and presents and department store sales--

- -- HOLY SHIT DID HE EAT IT

-"What are you, 36?”  “Eight.”

- --AHEM anyway yeah, that little holiday, and--

-HE’S FLOATING??!?! WHO THIS? WHAT?

- -- UGHHH anyway, yeah. I grew up with that and then there’s this Western Christmas culture where it’s such a big thing and it’s, just, really, strange.  Initially that little rant was gonna be a bit longer and better articulated, but interesting things kept happening in the show.

-”YOU’RE A SUPERHEROOOOOOO”

-IS THAT NARDOLE

-Okay what is happening and what is wrong with these people

-BRAINS WTF

-Why do science fiction lights always turn on so loudly

-”Donated to the facility by our benefactors”  “DONATED”  yeah.  Looks like he murdered those benefactors after all.

-What’s the Doctor even eating

10/10 face

-What’s with the guy coughing blue milk

-WHAT

-For some reason I am inclined to pet this brain creature (pf which, by the way, I failed to upload a screenshot because everything else would be uploaded except that image, even with the quality lowered), but because there are many hideous monsters in Doctor Who that are not to be judged by their appearance, I’ll keep a neutral opinion on this guy until further progress in the plot is made to prove either its hostility or its friendliness.

-Yep, I’m not petting you, brain dude. You’re not friendly. You get no pet.

-”I had a change of mind”  WAS THE JOKE REALLY NECESSARY

-And were those surgeons just standing there doing nothing 24/7 until someone came in

-WELL THIS IS TERRIFYING ALRIGHT

-Who’s the writer again... *takes a look* Yep, Steven Moffat.

-”No one will believe that, this is America.”

-”Special Agent Dam Dangerous Schgsfilurfylas”  My English hearing’s not the best, okay

-Dude’s hand is shaking, that yells terrible aim

-”o on, tell them you shot us in the back for self-defense.”

-Heyoooo, it’s the boy with the glasses, except he’s not wearing glasses anymore and I’m NOT talking about Harry Potter.

-God damn I wish someone would turn down that guy’s accent, it’s like he has a swollen tongue and is trying to decide whether to spit out or chew a hot piece of bacon

-Where did Nardole even come from

-Heyooo

-WHY DID THAT KID GROW UP TO SOUND LIKE EVERY PARODY OF BATMAN’S VOICE EVER

-Flashback?

-So is he gonna sh-t out the gemstone or

-nevermind what I just said

-HE GREW UP WITH A THESAURUS AS WELL APPARENTLY

Pffft

-what’s with the wind noises

The Doctor with a baby is the best thing ever, it doesn’t even matter which reincarnation he’s in

-BUT WHAT’S WITH THE WIND NOISES

-Nardole with that elephant lol

-Wait... Isn’t that the reporter girl?

-WHAT IS WITH THE FRICKING WIND

-ACTUALLY I JUST REALIZED THAT THIS WIND SOUND SPANS ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE EPISODE, IT’S NOT THE EPISODE ITSELF IT’S THE GUY WHO UPLOADED IT

-OR SOMETHING

-GOD I WAS FREAKING OUT ABOUT THIS STUPID THING

-IT HURTS MY EARS

-I’M WEARING HEADPHONES AND THIS WIND NOISE IS TORTURE

-X-ray vision would actually be great because everyone would be spooky scary skeles

A HA HA HA HA HA

-Did the Doctor just drink alcohol from that bottle

-Yep, he’s getting wasted

-*unholy squealawking* ”This is Mr Huffle. Mr Huffle feels pain. Meet me in the kitchen.”  what the fuck was that

-I DON’T LIKE THIS WOMAN NOR THAT LITTLE RUBBER DOLL

-I DON’T LIKE YOU AT ALL

-I HOPE YOUR LITTLE MR HUFFLE DRAGS YOU DOWN INTO HIS SPECIAL HELL WITH YOU

-You can just see how those soulless eyes of his are begging for the sweet release of death

Wake me up (wake me up inside) Can’t wake up (wake me up inside) save me

-He is screaming, free me, free me, free me from this pain

-look here lady you are clearly very clever and all but you better close your bedroom doors securely at night and make sure that lil guy is outside or you might never wake up one day

-Change of subject: I thought this guy would be the one called Dr Mysterio but instead it turns out he’s called the Ghost. Not this Ghost either.

(Image from Star Wars Rebels)

-The deathly stare of Mr Huffle is refusing to leave my mind, help, what do I do, I have been cursed

RUN DOCTOR RUN, HE BLAMES YOU AS WELL AS HER

DOCTOR: THE HORROR GAME Do not let him look into your eyes!

-IT’S THOSE OPEN BRAIN MEN FROM HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG, THEY’RE BACK AT IT WTF

-”Good to keep an open mind, ha!”

“I am totally against bantering.”-

-Ah, back when his floof was still flat, calm and level one.

-Woohoo speech

-WAIT WHAT THE TARDIS SHOWS UP AT WHISTLES TOO

-Oh, so that’s why that guy’s wearing jewels in the trailer, I tought he was always like that.

-And apparently the Doctor got him out of the robot king to keep him as a companion.

-”I’m not avoiding anything, I’m just trying to save a planet.”  “Which is what you always do when the conversation turns serious.”

-”Hello Doctor nice suit”  “Hi”  “Good morning”  “Whatever”  “So uh.. what happened to Clara”  “WHOOPS GOTTA GO SAVE A PLANET BYE”

-Bet that guy wanted to rip his shirt open to reveal the supersuit inside for years

-Why are they suddenly in Japan

-”I flooded downstairs with Pokemon.”  1. I laughed at that bit in the trailer, but it’s somehow even funnier considering they’re in Japan.  2. BBC doesn’t even care about copyrights anymore. In fact, they haven’t careed for quite a while.  3. favorite scene in the episode so far.

-FUCKING TEA

-WELL IF THIS ISN’T BRITAIN

-Oh yeah, brilliant plan, have the creepy stare-y surgeons march along down the street in a line, no one will ever notice

-An ambulance? Okay, less stupid plan

-Random question: Why are those guys’ heads split diagonally and not vertically or horizontally? It gets on my nerves. Besides, what if one of them is left handed?

-That mask reveal took a turn, and uh  but uh  “Grant, the man I took for granted”  SHE’S MAKING PUNS EVEN WHILE GRIEVING

-That’s awkward

-”What do the rich old men always do when the fighting starts? They’ll find the safest place to hide themselves away and send all the young people to die.”  I feel bad that this is too true to be taken lightly.

-”Oh, there’s the smile, I don’t like the smile!”

-”You’re completely out of your mind!”  “How is that news to anyone?”  I love the dialogue in this episode

-WOOHOO

-”He’s actually left handed”  So I was right, crackheads can’t be left handed?

-GRANT, THE BOMB

-Welp

giving up on life like

The Doctor’s having none of your shit

sarcasm.jpg

-WHOA BITCH THAT HEAD IS BLANK

-”Put in a call to Osgood.” Nice reference.

-WHOOPS THAT SOLDIER

-”I’ve been away for a while but I’m back”  Also nice reference to the previous episode (that I CRIED ABOUT)

-DAMMIT STOP TORMENTING MR HUFFLE IF YOU WISH TO AVOID A PAINFUL DEATH

-OH GOD NO

SHE’S PASSING THE CURSE TO THE DOCTOR

-HE MUST BE SAVED

-REBLOG TO PASS THE CURSE TO SOMEONE ELSE OR WHATEVER

-#SAVETHEDOCTOR2017

-OH DEAR GOD THE CURSE IS WITH HIM, NONONONONO DOCTOR DON’T TAKE IT WITH YOU SHE’S TRYING TO DEFLECT ITS RAGE TOWARDS YOU

The... shirt... That’s a first.

-Oh jeebuz crisxenz now Mr Huffle is in the Tardis and he will bring bad luck to us all and he will be the reason we will be crying in any future episode ever and he will cause Twelve’s regeneration mark my words

-Dear Lord protect us

-Oh wait Moffat’s not gonna protect us is he

-We’re screwed

[entergamingxp]

Trials of Mana Review — Class Changing Into a Brand New Form

April 22, 2020 11:00 AM EST

Despite a few hiccups along the way, Trials of Mana is a worthy remake of the original and also serves as a great entry point for new fans.

Seiken Densetsu 3 first made its appearance in 1995 for the Super Famicom but unfortunately, the game would never receive a Western release in its original form. Now, under the new name Trials of Mana, the game has finally arrived outside of Japan as a full 3D remake of Seiken Densetsu 3. Everything from the monsters, towns, gameplay, dungeons, and character models have been lovingly translated from the original 2D title.

And while this may be a solid entry in the Mana series, it begs the question of whether this can be considered a solid JRPG in its own right.

Trials of Mana follows a pretty standard fantasy plot that revolves around a diverse cast of JRPG archetypes as they save their respective kingdoms and the world from evil forces that are attempting to activate the Mana Stones and gain the power of the Mana Sword. Along the way, these characters aid the elementals that represent each stone and gain their alliance in return.

Although the story could have easily been annoyingly cliched and boring, there’s something about having such a straightforward plot with characters who are clear cut and consistent in their motives and behaviors. It’s charming almost and a refreshing change from the more convoluted plots that tend to drag down other narrative-heavy titles.

“Everything from the monsters, towns, gameplay, dungeons, and character models have been lovingly translated from the original 2D title.”

The real draw of Trials of Mana, however, is how the story and antagonist changes depending on the protagonist you choose at the start. Two characters share one villain though between them there may be vast differences in their narrative arcs. For instance, Duran and Angela have the same foe, the Crimson Wizard, but the reasons for why they oppose this baddie comes from opposite starting points.

Depending on what two party members you choose also affects how the overall story unfolds. A good example is my own party composition: thanks to how events unfold in-game, Riesz’s resolution with her kingdom, Laurent, occurred fairly early, while Kevin must wait until later chapters before his main plot is addressed. This also meant that due to Angela being the leading lady in my playthrough, Duran took a more passive role when Valsena’s liberation comes into play.

Even now, this kind of storytelling style is a rare find but it’s even more surprising when you consider that the original Seiken Densetsu 3 was made in 1995. Playing through Trials of Mana, I found myself amazed at how much dialogue variety there is since the scriptwriters had to predict every conceivable scenario for the player’s party composition. It’s not a perfect system, as sometimes story beats can be a bit awkward as they show their age, but it’s an extensive one that adds an incredible level of replayability to the game.

The gameplay in Trials of Mana is an absolute blast as the 2D combat from the original translates well to the 3D plane as characters move, attack, and dodge smoothly. You have a variety of basic moves–attacks, power strikes, and charge attacks –as well as Clash Strikes, which are denoted by a special double gauge called the CS gauge.

Despite the palette swapping and slight model changing of most enemy “families,” each type has a distinctive moveset, pattern of attack, and unique abilities. For instance, there are several foes that evolve into a stronger form mid-battle when a certain condition is fulfilled. The changing strategies among foes forces you to re-examine and modify your own strategy. It’s a constantly shifting environment that prevents you from getting too complacent, which makes for thrilling battles.

Bosses are no slouch, either. The first two or so are lightweights that merely test how well you’ve mastered the combat mechanics. After this point, the game takes off the proverbial kid gloves and proceeds to pound you into the dirt if you haven’t been allocating your training points, are too low level, aren’t paying attention to AOE moves, or haven’t taken advantage of class upgrades.

There are plenty of hiccups in combat, though. The camera, as in many action and action RPG titles, can be your worst enemy at times. Most of the time, it’s easy enough to adjust on the fly and enemies won’t punish you for not having them in your sights at all times. But when it gets stuck on corners or in tight corridors, wrestling back control while maintaining a steady assault becomes an exercise in patience that I didn’t consent to. There’s also the inconsistent nature of the targeting system, which can make the camera go haywire at times and will de-lock at random intervals.

“The gameplay in Trials of Mana is an absolute blast as the 2D combat from the original translates well to the 3D plane.”

The AI for party members can be hit or miss as well. AI is generally smart enough to dodge most AOE attacks, target foes with moves that make sense (ie: using aerial attacks on aerial enemies), and overall do well at abiding by the AI behavior you set for them. And if you set the proper behaviors, your supports and healers will reliably use the corresponding spells and abilities.

However, they tend to have trouble with more complex behaviors such as avoiding very precise AOE moves or any sort of damage from normal attacks. It’s frustrating to say the least when party members fall prey to easily avoidable attacks and you’re forced to pick up the slack. This is compounded even more so if, like me, you have no white mage in your party and rely on your limited supply of items.

These shortcomings do very little to take away from both my overall enjoyment of combat and from my favorite part of Trials of Mana: the dungeons. While nothing is wrong with the more linear experience of modern JRPGs such as Final Fantasy VII Remake or Persona 5 Royal, I missed the more sprawling dungeon maps of classic titles. Fortunately, Trials of Mana completely delivers on that front.

Each area is set up with a unique gimmick that serves as the key to navigating. But as players will soon notice, there are tons of alternate pathways filled with hidden secrets and valuable treasures; completely optional but well worth your time to fully explore them. There’s also a Lil’ Cactus (which is literally a cute and tiny cactus, a franchise staple NPC) hidden in nearly every dungeon and town, and finding a certain amount of them grants you useful effects such as shop discounts, occasional double experience points post-battle, and more. Having the option to go nearly everywhere in a given dungeon is refreshing and reminds me of some of the best aspects of old school JRPGs.

As the party defeats enemies and levels up they begin to earn training points. These training points can be allocated to abilities and stat increases that correspond with the five categories: stamina, strength, intelligence, luck, and spirit. Naturally, characters have leanings depending on their class specialties. Trials of Mana does well in incentivizing the allocation of points to every category regardless of their perceived relevance by ensuring useful abilities and stat gains.

After a certain point in the game, Mana Stones grant the party the ability to class change. Each character can choose between Light and Dark paths, which determine future abilities they’ll have access to as well as how their stats will grow. The training points and the class system is simple but offers some nice options; even within the restrictions of each class, there are many ways to customize your allies depending on your playstyle.

Despite Trials of Mana being a remake of a mid-90s Super Famicom title, this game unabashedly takes its cues from early 2000s JRPGs. From the bright and colorful visuals, to the simple story, to the more experimental free-movement action combat style that started to emerge in that era to even the voice work, Mana is entrenched in bizarrely misplaced nostalgia. And yet its presentation works almost entirely in its favor, as it allows Mana to stand out from the crowd of super-stylized or hyper-realistic titles, much like how Xenoblade Chronicles 2 did so when it released in 2017.

The visuals absolutely shine as a result of this design choice, as they manage to balance simple designs and vibrant colors with genuinely stunning and detailed environments. Every time I enter a new area, I look forward to seeing how they’ll interpret its original 2D look into the new (yet retro) graphics.

Even better than the graphics is the soundtrack which is brimming with fantastic remixes. One of my favorites is the boss theme which blares as Full Metal Hugger emerges from the cave. The rest of the soundtrack is just as phenomenal, ranging from energetic battle theme chords to upbeat town melodies to the solemn music featured during more dire straits. Fans of the original Seiken Densetsu 3 are sure to be pleased by the amount of care and effort that has been put into this OST.

“Trials of Mana is an easy recommendation to both fans of the franchise as well as newcomers looking for an entry point into the series.”

Conversely, the voice acting is where this stylistic choice suffers the most. Voice acting, which was a new frontier for many developers in the early 2000s, isn’t spectacular here, either. The English voice work is extremely inconsistent, as some actors sound quite comfortable in their roles while others flounder to summon any sort of consistent character voice and emotion. Don’t think you’ll avoid this issue by switching to Japanese either, as the voice acting is just as mediocre. If voice acting quality is a major concern for you, this could have a huge impact on your experience. As for myself, I found the voice work growing on me as I played through the game to the point where I honestly forgot how awkward it was.

Though not a perfect game, Trials of Mana is still a solid remake of a 2D classic that tragically never made it to the West until now. With a fun and strategic battle system, ample character class customization, impressive visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and a post-game story episode with new classes for each playable character, Trials of Mana is an easy recommendation to both fans of the franchise as well as newcomers looking for an entry point into the series.

April 22, 2020 11:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/trials-of-mana-review-class-changing-into-a-brand-new-form/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trials-of-mana-review-class-changing-into-a-brand-new-form

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Kazuma Kiryu has been away from the Yakuza for a year, but can you ever really leave the Yakuza? Will he be able to stay away in Yakuza Kiwami 2? Is it worth your time and money to find out?

Read our review to find the answers to these burning questions.

  Sega’s Yakuza series has been around since 2005 and initially came to life in Japan, eventually making it across the Pacific to the shores of the U.S. and around the globe. The series is based on the lifestyle of fictional Yakuza members, and for those that are unfamiliar with the term, Yakuza is the Japanese Mafia. Think Don Vito Corleone and his family of the Godfather saga. The series has had continued global success due to its colorful story telling and fun, beat-em up action. Yakuza Kiwami 2 follows on the heals of last year’s release Yakuza Kiwami.

Both of these games follows our protagonist Kazuma Kiryu through his trials and tribulations as a Yakuza, who wants nothing more than to leave the Yakuza life behind and focus on raising an orphaned young girl. Yakuza Kiwami 2 opens as he and his young friend travel to the cemetery to pay their respects to those that have fell in the past, and in doing so, you the gamer are given the opportunity to look back on things that have transpired. For those new to the series, you can catch up on everything that has happened without having to play through last years release, but honestly, you should play through last years release, Yakuza Kiwami, just for the pure enjoyment of it. There are quite a few cut scenes available to watch here, but once you’ve passed the chapter, you can always go back and watch them from the menu, so if you skip them , no need to worry about missing out.

Kiryu-san was, at one time, the 4th Chairman of the Tojo Clan. In his quest to get out of that life, he “retired” and left the family in the hands of someone else. As with most criminal enterprises such as La Cosa Nostra, the Mafia, or even a local gang, getting out of that life is damn near impossible. Just ask Don Michael Corleone. That guy won an Oscar trying to get out of it in The Godfather II, but it kept pulling him back in, no matter how hard he tried. The saying goes “Blood in, Blood out” meaning you make your bones by taking a life to enter the family, and can only leave the family in a body bag. No matter how respectful Kiryu-san was in trying to leave, he could never fully leave the life behind as it reached out from the shadows and forced him back in.

The series is well known for doing a great job of storytelling, and this release follows that same path. The characters are all well developed, and you’ll find side stories with fully fleshed characters as well. It is almost impossible to run through the story, uninterrupted by some whining woman or wailing man that is in desperate need of your assistance. The game is open world, and the world is alive and breathing with folks everywhere just waiting for your interactions, some even begging for it. You would have to have an ice cold heart to just run past some of these folks, and with Kiryu-san always wanting to help, how can you NOT let him?

We are limited by going too far into the story, so nothing after chapter 4 is included in this review. All of the screenshots in the gallery below come from the game only up to that point, so this review should be spoiler free. Even though we only played through chapter 4 though, it still took us 4 or so hours to do so, and we could have spent longer but knew this review had a deadline. There is just so much to see and do in this game, as with other Yakuza titles, that it’s easy to get joyfully lost in the side missions, and have a hard time wanting to get back to the main storyline. If you have ADHD, this game will take you FOREVER to complete, but that’s not a bad thing as these side stories are unique and so much more than just a seek, find, and return mission.

Did we mention the mini-games yet? Yeah, there’s a bunch of them to find and spend even more time on. You can play darts, golf, Virtua Fighter at the arcade, or try your luck at the crane grabbers for toys and prizes. There’s even a side mission that unlocks a casino where you can gamble at black jack, poker, or a couple of other Japanese card games. You can hit the Mahjong rooms for some tile fun, as well, and there’s a side mission that will run you through those games. It’s way too easy to get side tracked in this game, but is that really a bad thing?

The graphics and gameplay are backed by the Dragon Engine and makes the game look and play incredibly well. Kiryu-san’s fighting motions are fluid while the player models look sharp and are well detailed. As you progress through the story and earn XP, you’ll unlock more and more fighting moves for Kiryu-san, and all of these moves are smooth as the silk of a Hostess dress. The progression system is also well detailed, and expect to have to play for quite some time to max Kiryu-san out.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a great addition to anyone’s PlayStation library, but if you want to really get the full experience, be sure to check out the earlier games as well, if you haven’t already.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bunch of Yakuza thugs needing the crap beat out of them outside. And here Kiryu-san thought he was done. Ha!

9

Yakuza Kiwami 2 review code provided by publisher and reviewed on a PS4 Pro. For more information on scoring, please read: What our review scores really mean.

  Yakuza Kiwami 2 Review - Blood in, Blood Out @SEGA @yakuzagame #YakuzaKiwami2 Kazuma Kiryu has been away from the Yakuza for a year, but can you ever really leave the Yakuza?