#who would ever think that the well mannered ghost bat and this absolute monster were the same person

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #54

When Danny was first given the opportunity to make a public persona when he came to live in Gotham, he was a little bit concerned. How was he supposed to come up with an entire elaborate character to act as all the time. Then he remembered the time that Vlad called him a rabid badger when he got especially angry and a genius idea came into existence.

When the press gathered around to interview and write about the newest Wayne adoption, they thought they had seen it all already. The last new child had tried to skewer one of the unsuspecting interns after all. When the teenager didn’t even get all the way out of the car before punching someone standing too close and snarling at him, several considered filing their resignation letters on the spot. The pay wasn’t worth this.

[artyrogue]

Blind Date Gaming: The Addams Family

You all know PRANG, my Pseudorandom Number Generation matchmaker? Well, it recently gave me this weird questionnaire to try and set up a date more suited for my odd personality. I happily filled it out, hoping for a real connection to be made with my next game date. We fed it through the sketchy scantron machine attachment that somehow got grafted to PRANG's chassis and, after an ear-splitting buzzing that may have made me slightly deaf, the results were printed out. They dictated that I needed a real family game. I guess that triggered something special in PRANG, as it quickly flipped around and grabbed what I can assume totally wasn't the first title in its game list with the word 'Family' in it: The Addams Family!

Man, computers are too complicated for simpletons like me. Well, let's get datin' and see if this is a match! I started the game as what I can only imagine is a chubby, tiny clone of Gomez Addams. I mean, why else would all of the house decor be the size of 2.5 Gomezes? (Is that a unit of measurement? Well it is now)

He's small, but can jump like 3 Gomezes in the air! He's like the Jack Russel's of 90's characters

So you run around your house looking for sub-areas, throwing daggers that go about 2 Gomezes in front of you before disappearing. Enemies lurk at every step, and boy are they horrifying! Mostly in how crappily they are programmed and placed. Bats flap to your level and never deviate, pretty much ensuring you get hit. Ghosts constantly spawn and may be right on staircase tops, meaning you get hit as soon as a map loads. You can jump on some enemies to stun them but like you have no indicator what can and can't be given the ol' hop-treatment.

I'm not sure if this guy wants a hug or is holding a really heavy invisible box

None of this would be an issue if you didn't have limited ammo. From the get-go, your knives are all you have. In a boss fight and run out? Well, go commit suicide, because you can't do anything. Fun! The bosses are alright, though. Most are too easy, but they are definitely interesting. Like in one case, there's this bear that cannot attack you if you jump behind it. In another, the Grim Reaper's best weapon is spitballs? I feel like there's some lost lore here in the Addam's Family universe that needs fanfic-ing.

Still waiting for this model to be offered at Build-a-Bear Workshop

When you beat a boss, you rescue a family member and get a cool new item. Usually, they're weapons of some sort, but some instead help you to traverse the world. While this could have been a nice progression system, there's really only one place where this is required, and instead progress is tied to how many family members you have rescued. Only THEN do random doors in your own house become accessible. I think Gomez needs to install those doors with open-able locks that constantly prevent my toddler from dying alone from starvation in most rooms of my house because she doesn't know how to unlock locks she's already locked us out of.

Your gratitude is well-received, Lurch my man. But can we talk about what the heck some frozen water is going to do besides get my pockets wet in like 5 minutes?

There are also small potion powerup things that transform you into typical movie monsters, but none are really super-interesting. Regardless, I get through a bunch of ho-hum platforming levels, collect my fam, electrocute my brother some more (as is tradition), and make it to the final level! This level is akin to the final level in Super Mario Land 2 in that it is long, filled with neat traps, and pretty rough. I do like the decor, though, what with buzzsaws, unmarked falling spike chandelier things, and amazingly large guillotines.

I may be an Addams myself because these little death traps actually made me smile a bit. Very cute, level designers! I like your chops!

So after I boogie down his gauntlet of Super Meat Boy paraphernalia, I at last make it to the final boss's room. And he's...some...guy? This is probably a dude from the movie, but I haven't seen it in years, so I have no clue. But like legit all he does is stand, jump, and throw knives. Well, two can play that game! No really, I mean like, that's literally all I do, too. En guarde!

Oh hey, Troy McClure is in this game, too!

So we have the lamest version of the Dark Link fight from Zelda 2 ever and I end up on top. I save my wife from what appears to be some killer soup stock? Sorry honey, I won't get to experience your umami tonight, we gotta bury this businessman's corpse and stop Lurch from overheating the fridge's icemaker. Oh, but where are my manners, caramia? Let's catch that ending sequence first! What should we do with the rest of the Addams Family now that we have secured their freedom?

I like that, of all action verbs at their disposal, they chose 'throttle'.

Brilliant. Well, that was a quick jaunt. Not great, but also not horrible? I probably wouldn't try to date it again, but that's more because I feel I've experienced all it had to offer. Gomez should either find some super mushroom or hire a better home decorator who isn't a giant? But knowing the Addams Family, they probably know literal giants. Whatever, he probably need a stool to reach his toilet, but that is all his choice. As for you, your choice is whether or not to take this Sprite of Passage. (I'd say do it! You earned it!)

I feel like the manager made the enemy designer give him 2 pitchforks because he wanted the boss to at least appear SOMEwhat spoopy, but didn't have the heart to tell the designer to start over

BONUS: I feel like sharing this music track from the game because I think it's absolutely baller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlTNNOeX-E0&list=PL5YdbMaKCdoiF4XkX-ac-4M9QU1UPjlmq&index=5

Also, because I am amazed that it exists, someone's piano cover of it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5XODMmPGh4

[iam-kenough]

Will  you ever notice me? Arthur Morgan x Original Female Character

Summary:  During they wandering in deep snowstorm, man from van  der Linde gang found odd looking girl and Dutch decides to take her to  camp to see if she can be any use, leading life of outlaw with them.  Quickly, new girl develops feelings towards Arthur, but he sees her just  as a kid...and she won't take that! It's an original character story  that starts in the place where Arthur, Dutch and Micah were supposed to  first meet with Sadie. Instead she's already with them.  

Authors notes: In this chapter I placed big/small (it’s you to decide) crossover, it doesn’t change the plot but I felt like it would be a good wink to others from Witcher’s fandom. If I could give my OC voice it would be this one from quoted song. It’s another chapter and you can find the rest of chapter on my blog if you want to read more of my fanfiction. I decided to post all parts I have at once so the fic could catch more attention. Words count: 2238 Chapter 7 At first he thought Iris is really gonna wait for him. He was telling himself that she just wanted some space and she moved to let himself think. But then, once, when he was lying in his bed it hit him. She told you that just to make it dumping her easier for you, you old fool. She won't wait for you and you let her go. And this realisation made him cry for brief moment. He just hurt another woman in his life. You stole her first kiss, Arthur Morgan. No, he couldn't sleep now. He was the worst. He walked down the stairs and went to the garden to smoke a cigarette and clean his head. And then he noticed that  under his favourite tree Iris is drawing something in her journal. She was singing too, something that sounded like a lullaby. He decided to listen to her before walking at her like that.

Wolves asleep amidst the trees Bats all a swaying in the breeze But one soul lies anxious wide awake Fearing no manner of ghouls, hags and wraiths For your dolly Polly sleep has flown Don't dare let her tremble alone For the witcher, heartless, cold Paid in coin of gold He comes he'll go leave naught behind But heartache and woe Deep, deep woe

- Nice song - he cleared his throat - but who is  a witcher? Iris's heart jumped right to her throat and so did her arms. She looked at him with the coldest manner she had. - It's a bad guy from a tale about himself. He lives in kings and queens times and he slaughters monsters, like...Ghosts and things like that. No one likes witcher's though. They are scary. - Never heard of it. Sounds interesting. - I can borrow you a book. He's in love with a witch with violet eyes and black hair. Really pretty one. - I am not much of a person who likes books - he laughed and then dragged from cigarette - too stupid for that. - If you say so, Mr Morgan - she closed her journal and got up, cleaning her dress from any grass and sand - Anyway, it's you seat. Sorry for taking it, it's free now. - Wait - he grabbed her wrist. He just didn't know what to do next - you have something in your hair - was all he said, using the most awkward manner to pick ''something'' from her hair and throw it away. - Thank you? - she looked at him rather startled. - I-I actually wanted to talk to you? If you have time. - There isn't much to talk about these days. Only Dutch has a lot to say to me, he keeps talking about Tahiti and mangoes. He's crazy, he doesn't even know where freakin' Tahiti is. - Neither do I, sweetheart. - You don't wanna go there without even bare skills of finding it on world's map, Mr Morgan. - I feel like you change the subject and I really need to talk to you, Iris. She sighed and nodded her head. It was just normal courtesy but he couldn't read thru it and started talking. -  I feel like you avoiding me. - Really now? I'm sorry. - You said you are gonna wait to let me think but then ya don't talk much to me. It's not like I am thinking about it constantly and I'm gonna overheat talking to you at the same time - he rambled. That was bad choice of words. - I am not thinking about you, I-I mean I think about you a lot, b-but not this way...- was all he babbled. It was even worse! - I see you could use some sleep, Mr Morgan. You don't make much sense - Iris patted his arm with the friendlier manner she could force herself to and  she left Arthur faster than the light. He was a fool meant to die alone. Arthur started to write a lot in his journal. Whole pages were covered  with words. If he could only speak so swiftly he would win Iris back already but all he could do was watching her from afar. She stopped taking any jobs that meant being with him, she hunted alone and when she needed help with anything she was asking Dutch straight away, even when Arthur was next to her and Dutch sat in his tent. Iris and Arthur were good friends but now they wasn't even strangers. She actually talked more to Micah than to him. And it hurt but he didn't know what to do when he could speak with Iris. It was his lack of communication. All he could think about was Iris's birthday happening today and he decided to go to the city to buy her a gift. But what would she liked? He had actually this much money that if she liked a boat, he could buy one. But boat didn't seem right. She was strong, yet femine. And smart, she knew a lot. Maybe perfumes? Nah, she smelled good enough for him. Then maybe a book? Arthur gulped while thinking how hard it's gonna be to buy a book for Iris. - Good morning, my birthday girl! - Mary- Beth chirped, trying to wake Iris up - I have something what you gonna like! - More hours of sleep and something to eat? - Yes! Kind of. I bought you cookies. But it's not what I really have. She handed Iris small tissue and girl unfolded it. There was silver pendant inside, with small emerald blinking in sunlight. - It's beautiful! You totally stole it, Mary - Beth! - I totally diid - she sang and cuddled her friend - Isn't that romantic? I steal for you, I mend your heart, soon and we gonna be married. - It actually is quite romantic. And to be honest we are free people. I would marry you. - I know you would, I am sweetest one. Ain't I? Tell me I am! - You are dearest to me, Mary-Beth. And this is absolutely the greatest thing I ever got for birthday. - It matches your eyes~!Arthur was gone for the whole day. He was running from shop to shop. After few hours he choosed one dress, but he also saw a beautiful haircomb, with carved elements and subtle. He wasn't sure for what he should settle and decided it's not gonna be a dress when lady in shop looked at him weirdly because when she asked Arthur for size, he told that he could embrace Iris's waist with his arm. He decided to be braver than usually and decided to enter book shop. - Er, g'day sir -Arthur scratched his chin - Do you have some books for person who likes to study...biology? - Biology, sir? - Well, my wife - he quickly noticed how sweet if would sound if was reall - she enrolled to university and she's gonna be a doctor, she's really smart you know and I wanted buy something...proper. - I think I have something just right for you, sir. It was indeed right.-Mary-Beth! - Iris jumped quickly in her direction and dragged her to nearest bush she saw. Her breath was heavy. - What, what? - Look what I had found - she spoken in with deadly serious manner. And the case was serious. She just noticed Arthur's journal left in his room. - Is it...? - Yes and I know we shouldn't but I don't have any decency - she straightened up proudly - so we gonna read it. And so they opened journal and was searching thru it for any appearance of Iri's name. At first it wasn't anything harmful and Arthur wrote about her as ''kid'' or ''new kid'' but right after what happened between them few days ago they could read something very disturbing. It was almost the worst Iris could imagine. In this note Arthur more or less compared her to Eliza and Marry. - ''She seems so similar to Eliza. She is just more nervous and frivolous. I think that maybe there isn't any more woman with Eliza's calm temper. I keep telling myself it's Eliza's ghost'' - quoted Iris and Mary-Beth squeaked with shock. - Look there ''I kissed her today and it was weird feeling. She doesn't seem to know what to do and with Mary it was easier'' son of a bitch, that's harsh. - He's right, you know. I can't kiss. I've got another one - Iris seemed not to be bothered. Yet. She just was in this adrenaline rush that made her laugh at it - ''She moved away from our room. I thought about it a lot, she's just a liar and she won't be back''. - Aren't you sad, Iris? - Mary-Beth looked at her with worry. She didn't know what she would do if she would read her lovers journal and found things like that. -Sad? Never. I expected him to say things like that. More mad...I feel used. Kind of like he tried me but didn't likt the taste after all. In early evening Arthur got back to camp with a gift covered in some fancy paper and heavy heart pounding in chest like bird in cage. He noticed that everyone is gathered. - Ladies and gentelman - Mary-Beth was standing on the log like she was giving a speech, with beer in her hand and Iris under her arm - Can I talk to all of you for a minute? - I guess you can - Micah said grumpily. - Thank you. As you all probably know it's my girlfriend's birtday today - she cuddled Iris to herself. Girl had big flower crown on her head. It was another gift to cheer her up after what they discovered and Arthur had to say he looked like a pixie or like elve from fairy tale - and thank's to Dutch we have a lot of beer... - Thanks, Dutch - Iris chimed in and sent man a kiss. -...and Mr Pearson cooked today something that doesn't taste awful, I think it was a gift for our birthday girl... Everyone bursted into laugh. Except Pearson. - Ya will starve, missy - he snarled. - ...and I totally stole this necklace for her and don't you think it's romantic? Laughs again. - ...and since I think he can, Dutch will gave us marriage today and we gonna be first married couple here... - I don't think I can - Dutch said humorously and dragged from his cigarette. - I think you will have to, she really wants that - Iris said pretending she's whispering. Mary-Beth cuddled her closer. - And I hope everyone is gonna have fun, thank you very much, woohoo! - She said as she kissed Iris in front of everybody, then their bottles clicked and the fun begin. At first it was mainly girls but later almost everyone joined the party. Beer was cold, night was warm and Iris danced a lot, around the campfire, making pirouettes and laughing sweetely. Beer and fun made her forget. And she couldn't care less.But after few hours man 'round there were too drunk, their hands becoming jazzy and she dissapeared under her favourite tree with journal and pencil. - I was thinking you gonna be there - Arthur appeared from god knows where. He seemed in weirdly good mood and she was drunk enough to handle this conversation with class. - And I am. Not many people are loosers enough to sit and watch how other people party. What's wrong? - I-I have something for you. Really broke my back to find something good enough for you. Happy birthday - he said. She unpacked this heavy something from the paper and she was speechless. It was a botanic atlas with drawings drawed by hand. It was mainly about herbs and how to heal with them. It was piece of art to her. But she had her pride. - Thank you, Mr Morgan - she said and he smiled. But only for a second. - I can't accept this gift - she said briefly, placing the book back in Arthur's hands. - Jesus, what? What is that about? I bought if for you to have it. -It's nothing, really. I just...can't have it. Lost interests in all that - she lied quickly. - You lie - it was first time he actually saw thru her fasade - You love things like that, I heard you speaking to Mary-Beth about it few days ago - his voice was harsh. - I am big fat liar, Mr Morgan and you are more than right! - Why you lie to me, then? You were telling all those things but now I think you didn't mean them- - Oh, did you? I know you didn't either. - Y-ya kidding me, kid? There is no day without me thinking about you. - I don't want you to think about me! Know what you really think about me and I am surprised with myself I was stupid enough to think you are normal. You are a weirdo who baths with dogs 'cause they are the only creatures that want to be around you! It was  the worst anybody said to him. Probably because no one was closer to him than her so far, but he didn't saw it that way. He couldn't think straight now, normally he was cold-headed and he would tell himself it's just anger talking through her. But now he decided to believe she hated him. He was glad that at least Iris took a book. 

[blobbyclouds]

Can I request Link and his girlfriend run into a couple of enemies but his gf can kick ass too?

Definitely! I hope this turned out how you wanted it to!

Contains: Minor violence (nothing gory), a very concerned Link that becomes a very confused Link

When Link had first agreed to go on a brief expedition into the Hebra Mountains in search of a possibly valuable mineral deposit, he had believed that it would be nothing more than a quick trip, there and back without any trouble. He had been through the mountains numerous times and already knew which trails to take that would allow him to avoid any trouble. It was this confidence that had caused him to bring his lover along upon her request. At that time, he hadn’t seen any reason why she shouldn’t join him on the trip. It would be fairly safe, and having her company was always enjoyable.

However, right then and there, he couldn’t help but feel as if the world had decided to do everything in its power to prove him wrong since they had set off from Rito Village that very morning. It had all started with the Rito at the trail head who had warned them to stay off the main trail due to a recent avalanche. This had forced them onto the lesser traveled trails that Link wasn’t familiar with. Not only was this slowing them down a good deal, but it was increasing their chances of running into trouble considerably more than Link would’ve liked. It was as if the whole mountain range had been offended by Link’s nonchalant approach towards it, and now believed it had to make his life as difficult as possible. Most times Link wouldn’t have batted an eye about this. He would’ve shrugged the change of plans away and continued on, determined and fearless as ever.

The reason this wasn’t the case was because she was with him. That’s not to say he saw her as a burden — quite the opposite since he enjoyed her company so much, especially in these frozen mountains. The problem was, they were on a now very dangerous mission and he had never seen her fight before, not even once. He had never thought to ask either, fearing a question like that would come out the wrong way. Sure, there was a strong glint in her eyes that made him think she was capable of doing considerable damage if she absolutely needed too, but when in the midst of mountains like these, it was hard to rest his faith within the glint of an eye.

“Link? Link, are you okay?”

Her voice, calm and gentle as ever, jolted Link back into reality. He had momentarily been so caught up in his thoughts that he had forgotten about the freezing snow whipping around them and the cold nibbling at the exposed portions of their faces. He silently cursed his lack of vigilance before turning to face her.

“I’m fine,” he replied, managing a faint smile despite the cold. “Is something wrong?” His eyes instinctively darted side to side, half expecting to see some dark form lurking out of the blur of white snow closing in on them. Had something snuck up on them while he had been lost in thought? With visibility so poor, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that there could be something lurking just outside of their sight.

“I was just asking how much longer we’ll be on this path,” she said. Link allowed himself a brief sight of relief. “We’ve been on this path for awhile now and I don’t want us to miss our turn,” she added. She struggled to keep the map in her hands from flying away in the strong wind, but still managed to gesture towards the path they were now on. It wasn’t the path marked by the thick line Zelda had made for them, but instead the near ineligible scribbling of the Rito who had given them directions for the detour around the avalanche zone.

Link’s sharp blue eyes quickly analyzed the map, checking for any familiar landmarks. “Not too much longer,” he said. He pointed to a point on the map, then gestured towards a large rock outcrop in front of them. “We’ll have to turn right there though.” Link frowned slightly as he said that. Most times, he had at least a rough idea as to what was around each and every turn, having been through the mountains numerous times and having seen countless maps. Yet, somehow, he was at a complete loss as to what was around that sharp bend in the rocks.

“Be careful around the next corner,” he said in a low voice, idly resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she still slowed her steps. “Why? Is something wrong?” She hurriedly glanced up and down the narrow path they were on, looking as far as the white snow would allow her eyes to see.

“Just being precautionary,” Link said.

The corners of her lips twitched into an amused smile. “You? Precautionary? Are you feeling okay?”

Link snorted and allowed himself a faint smile, figuring it best not to mention why he was being unusually cautious. “I’m feeling just fine,” he said. “I just don’t want anything going south this far out in the mountains.”

She nodded, falling in step behind him as they neared the corner. They pressed themselves up against the rough wall, straining their senses to pick up on the slightest hint of danger. Link especially was focused on listening. His body was tense, ready to jump between her and any sort of beast that might dart around the corner. Their every step through the soft snow seemed to loud, every breath seemed sure to draw attention. 

Fortunately, luck seemed to be at least a little on their side for the first time that day. They reached the corner without interruption, allowing Link to peer around the jagged rock. He stayed silent, keen eyes roving over the scene.

“What is it?” she whispered. She was itching to get a good look on whatever had captured Link’s attention. However, when she tried to lean past him and peer around the corner with him, she was met by Link’s arm gently pushing her back.

“Come on, just let me see,” she whispered again, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks.

“If we both look they’ll see us,” Link murmured. He looked out a few moments more, then stepped back and motioned for her to take his place on the edge of the corner.

She eagerly darted forward, leaning against the wall so that only her head would peak around the bend. Even with the snow flying every which way, it was quick to see what had captured Link’s attention: a trio of monsters huddled around a small fire. All three were bokoblins, each with their weapons lying off to the side. There was nothing particularly menacing about them, nor anything interesting about the simple clearing they were huddled in.

Nevertheless, her hand still drifted down to the two hidden pockets in her cloak, a motion that went completely unnoticed by Link. “So what’s the big deal about them?” she asked, stepping back from the corner once she had satisfied her curiosity. “We’ll be able to take care of them in a matter of seconds, especially since there’s only three of them.”

Link shrugged, a worried glimmer in his usually calm eyes. “That’s just it though,” he said. “That group is far too small to be a camp this far out in the mountains.”

“Well, maybe they’re just scouts,” she suggested with a comforting smile.

“But scouts wouldn’t have that many supplies with them,” he said. He motioned for her to take another look around the corner.

When she did so, she was surprised to see that he was right; there were far too many crates and chests scattered around the clearing for the three bokoblins to just be scouts.

“I guess you’re right,” she said, coming back into cover. “It is a little odd.”

Link nodded, narrowing his eyes in quiet confusion. “Something just seems off about the whole thing.”

The ghost of a smile flickered up her features despite the situation. “Or maybe you’re just being overprotective.”

Link stiffened, flicking his gaze onto her. “I’m not being overprotective. I just don’t want anything going wrong  when we’re this far from help.”

She let out a small hum of quiet amusement and shook her head, sliding back behind Link.

“Well, there’s no sense just standing around here,” he murmured. He began to silently pull his sword from its scabbard, moving slowly so that it didn’t make a sound

“Okay then, let’s go.” She went to dive around the corner, only to be yanked right back into hiding behind Link.

“How about you just stay here?” Link said hurriedly, offering a gentle smile. “It’ll be safer.”

As Link glanced around the corner to make sure the brief commotion hadn’t caught any unwanted attention, she bit her lip silently. She was ready to go, ready to fight. She had been ready for ages really, but now more than ever she just wanted to go. Yet, even as she was bursting with energy, she had enough common sense to know that she would be fighting a losing battle if she tried to insist upon joining Link. She knew he meant well and was only doing what he thought was best, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating.

“Alright, I’ll stay here,” she agreed. Maybe some other time she would be able to show her hand in a fight, she thought.

Link nodded and breathed a sigh of quiet relief. Then, flashing her a quick grin, he dove around the corner. Despite the cold biting away at his exposed skin and the snow trying to drag him down to the ground, he was able to seemingly glide over the white path. He moved with deadly speed and silence, so that by the time the bokoblins were even aware of his presence he was already upon them.

The bokoblins, in all honesty, had never stood much of a chance. Even as they jumped to their feet, Link turned one into a haze of deep purple smoke with one deft hand stroke. The other two, despite having snatched up their own weapons now, were handled in a similar manner. Their thoughtless jabs and swipes were blocked by a single flick of Link’s sword or effortlessly dodged. It didn’t take long for him to find a hole in their defense and take advantage, gliding forward and allowing his blade to dart forward like the silver tongue of a snake.

As the last bokoblin disappeared into a haze of dark purple smoke, Link sheathed his sword. He took a few deep breaths and smoothed back his hair — which was still a mess despite his best efforts. After he glanced around the clearing for a few moments and ascertained that there were no threats now left in the camp, he turned back towards the path he had come from.

With some amusement, he saw that her head was already poking around the rough wall, beautiful eyes surrounded by a mess of scarves smiling towards him through the thick snow.

“Coast’s clear!” Link called to her, flashing her a matching grin.

She nodded and stepped past the rough stone. At first everything was normal. She held her cloak close to her chest and kept her head down to avoid the harsh slap of the wind, but still managed to make her way forward.

She had only been walking for a few moments when she suddenly came to a dead stop. Her body stiffened, going rigid and whipping around.  The air, still sharp and cold, seemed to have a sense of anxiety to it too now, even if Link didn’t know what had caused her sudden reaction. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, taking a hesitant step forward. His hand was itching towards his sword out of some sixth sense for danger. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what, but something was most definitely amiss. The one thing keeping him from darting to her side was his last shred of dignity that told him doing so would result in him being teased about being overprotective for who knows how long.

Before Link even had a chance of considering sacrificing his last bit of dignity, it happened. Three moblins came sliding around the corner, skidding through the snow in their haste.

Time seemed to freeze. A million thoughts when through Link’s head at once, the first being a wave of fear more chilling than the cold air around him. His chest tightened, his stomach dropped; he felt like he was going to be sick for a moment with everything happening too slow and too fast at the same time. The person he cared most about was just a few swipes away from meeting her fate with — as far as he knew — no way to fight back. It was a harsh and sudden realization that seemingly ripped the air right from his lungs.

And sprinkled throughout his rush of panicked thoughts were silent curses towards himself for completely forgetting to check behind them. He should’ve taken a moment to think and at least glanced at the path they had already traveled, checking for any signs that they were being followed. Somehow, he had forgotten, even though the camp lacking in numbers should’ve told him that there were scouts out in the area. Yet he had still blundered right out here, so determined to protect her from what lay right in front of them that he hadn’t given a passing thought to glancing backwards. He would never forgive himself if she was the one to pay the price for his mistake.

Despite the whirlwind of panic swirling in his mind just as strongly as the snow swirling around him, Link forced himself to be calm. In a split second decision, he decided there was no way he could reach her side by foot — she was too far away and the snow was too thick. His best option would be to shoot an arrow. Even if he was lacking the extra few seconds it would take to perfectly draw, aim, and shoot a killing shot, any hit would at least buy her time. If he was lucky, one shot would be all it would take to distract the moblins away from her and onto him.

Regardless of how many thoughts had just shot through his mind in an instant, Link had his bow up and knocked just a few seconds after the moblins had made their appearance. His keen eyes were narrowing in on his target — the very middle moblin closest to her. He was judging distance and the effect of the mountain wind with complete calm, ready to release the moment he saw fit.

But the bow was only halfway drawn when the first moblin was vanishing into purple smoke. Link paused, not quite registering what had just happened. From his point of view, there had only been a quick movement from her oddly still form, then the next moment the moblin was collapsing into smoke. He was confused — baffled really — until she scooped up the shining dagger that had fallen where the moblin had just vanished.

Oh.

Oh.

The realization hit Link in a mixture of confusion, anxiety, and pride.

She had taken down that moblin, with no more than a dagger and her much smaller frame compared to the beasts she was facing.

Then before Link’s mind could quite catch up with the sudden revelation, she was on the go. She was moving in a blur, cloak and scarves swirling around her as she deftly slid towards the clumsy moblins, her twin blades moving around her like a pair of deadly fangs. Even from the distance he was at, he saw the way she stood against the oncoming moblins and the way she wielded her two daggers. She was confident, holding herself with an air of experience that was almost frightening for Link.

Link, frozen in place and still trying to comprehend everything that was happening too fast for him to process, could only watch as she moved with dangerous agility he had never known she was capable of. One moment she was right in front of the moblins, the next she was to their right and her daggers were flashing towards them in lethal strikes. 

She was fast. She was accurate. She was intimidating. She was dangerous. 

But just as quickly as the scuffle had started, it ended. All three moblins were a haze of purple smoke after those chaotic moments had passed. She was now left standing perfectly calm like she had been just a few moments ago, while Link was left standing more confused than ever.

Link wordlessly opened and closed his mouth, his heart still pounding despite the danger having already passed. It was true he had never been the one in danger, but seeing her in harm’s way felt even worse. He was frozen in a battle stance, bow still in his hands and ready to release an arrow towards the moblins that no longer existed. 

She, however, seemed completely untroubled by what just happened. She neatly smoothed down her cloak and scarves. Her breathing wasn’t coming quick and hard from the sudden exertion, nor was she showing any signs of fear or surprise. If Link hadn’t just watched her expertly wipe out those poor monsters, he wouldn’t have believed that she — standing there so innocent and serene like — would’ve landed one hit on any of the monsters.

She finally turned towards Link, the ghost of a proud smile teasing at her lips as she saw how he was gaping at her. “What?” She quickly slid the daggers back into the hidden pockets of her cloak and glided over to him.

At last, Link was capable of moving again. He quickly relaxed back into a normal standing position, though the quiet look of confusion didn’t leave his face. “What?” he repeated.

She nodded solemnly as she now stood just in front of him. “Yes, what’s wrong?” she asked plainly. “You look surprised.”

“Well, yeah. I am,” he said, struggling for words. “I didn’t know you could do… that.” He helplessly gestured towards the remains of the three monsters around her. “Since… since when have you been able do that?” Link blurted out. He was at a complete and utter loss here, more so when he realized just how amused she was by his reaction.

“Oh, for quite some time actually.” She smiled brightly.

Link racked his mind, searching for any time that he might’ve seen her handle any weapon like that. He drew a complete blank. While he had always known that she was strong and clever, he had never actually seen her in a fight. Although, now that he thought about it, it made sense. This explained the confident way she held herself in training rooms, her extensive knowledge on weaponry, and her constant tranquility no matter how dangerous the predicament was.  All the little details that he had overlooked for some reason slowly added up, allowing a look of understanding to slowly dawn upon his face.

“But I’ve never seen you fight like that before,” he murmured, his blue eyes switching to her as he searched for an answer.

She laughed lightly. “That’s because you never let me near a fight in the first place,” she said, emphasizing her point by poking him in the chest.

Link went to object but paused. He realized with a red flush to his face that she wasn’t wrong. Up to this point, whenever he was by her side he made certain that she was kept well out of harm’s way. No matter how long she had possessed these abilities, she wouldn’t have been able to show them with the way he had been diving between her and any danger.

A coy smile flashed up her face. “You get it now?”

Link nodded, ears tinted red and twitching. “In my defense, I would’ve let you into any fight if I’d known you could do that,” he said, the hint of an apology in his voice.

“And I’m sure you will now that you know you don’t need to be Mr. overprotective all the time,” she teased, bopping his nose as she walked past him and towards the path up ahead.

Link stiffened and darted after to her. “I’m not overprotective,” he said once he was matching her pace.

She shrugged and smiled, fidgeting with the daggers in her pockets. “Well then why didn’t you let me go out there with you just back there?”

Link crossed his arms. “Well, I didn’t know just a few minutes ago and—”

“Or what about that time back in Akkala or that other time in the Gerudo Highlands? Oh and how could I forget about that time in Hateno— “

“Point taken, I’ll let you beat more monsters up,” Link said crisply as he tried, and failed, to hide his rising blush.

[clownsgobeepbeep]

Under a Spell

@grotesquegabby Look at what I wrote! :D Hope you like

"Roger, come on!"

"N-No! This is a b-b-bad idea!"

"Baba black sheep- shut up and just follow me!"Coraline exclaimed, now grabbing her brother's wrist as she attempted to pull him out of the house but...his grip on the doorway happened to be way too strong. "Roger!"

"Coraline, no! W-what if Stel-"

"Stellar's not here you big chicken! He won't be back until next week so, come ON"Coraline yelled out and once she said the last word, she successfully pulled her brother away from the door which resulted in his fall on the front yard grass as his sister ran towards the door and locked it.

"Coraline!"

"Oh, Roger please! It's just one night, one night that happens to be my night!"she said showing a bit of passion. "It's Halloween night Roger, the best night in the entire year! I have to wait 364 days for this night every year because our stupid brother never lets us go out!"

"B-but it's a scary night!"Roger replied as he got onto his feet, now dusting the costume his sister made for him two weeks before. He then looked up and saw that she gave him a shrug as she walked off the porch and then by him, exiting the house's gate before he followed behind her.

"That's why I made you a scary costume, so you can scare off the others!"

"Coral, I-I don't think a jack o'lantern is very scary-"he said right before he stopped walking because Coraline stopped to turn and look at him with a stern expression. "Well...maybe they are...with these sharp teeth."

"That's the spirit! Now come on, we don't want to be late to the festival!" she said, once again grabbing his wrist to then drag him down the not very steep hill that their house was set on, to then walk through the woods that thankfully had no fog for it was still a bit early in the day.

The siblings walked in between the trees as Roger looked out in the distance, seeing the orange and yellow sky slowly turn into a purple and blue one meaning that the night was quite near. He then looked back to the front, seeing his sister's costume flow behind her in such a ghostly manner because well, she was dressed as a ghostly bride or whatever she called it. Why'd she have to wear a fishnet as a veil?

He shook away the thought, then bring his hand that wasn't being pulled on by his sister to his head to fix the pumpkin mask he wore and fixed it. Roger sighed to himself after a while of walking, eventually hearing loud voices, laughter and cheering. And so it begun…

"Oooh Roger, look! We're here!"Coraline exclaimed, now picking up the pace and tugging harder on her brother's arm as she ran towards the source of the sound where Roger clearly saw an array of costumes. He felt his heart beat quicken a bit, th anxiety ever so slowly starting to take over him though he was able to relax as he instead focused on watching his sister who now slowed down.

He let out a breath as he smiled, maybe it wasn't so bad being out. Everything really did look cool! Costumes everywhere, pumpkins, bats, bones and- ew, spiders were a big no no. Either way, he grinned when his eyes landed on all the colorful drinks and food that was being served and oh sweets candies!?

Roger, for once, grinned widely as he now willingly followed his sister and actually felt quite excited. Tonight was going to pretty fun.

Bgfds

Nope. Nope. Nope. This was absolutely not happening.

"C-Coraline? Coraline!?"Roger shouted out as he tried pushing through the crowd but was instead pushed himself, and he felt his heart beating intensely against his chest. He stood on his toes, looking as high and far as possible but the fact that he wasn't wearing his trusty platform boots was no help to him. He lowered himself, then bringing his hands up so he could fiddle with his fingers as sweat dripped down his forehead, so he reached up to remove his pumpkin mask before wiping his face.

"Coraline?"he now whispered, feeling terror as he processed what had just happened even more: he lost his sister. Roger let out a small whimper as his hands clutched onto the pumpkin head, he looked like a lost child or a puppy wandering out for the first time, especially since he never really did go out so perhaps that was his situation.

Everybody merely passed by him, not paying much attention to him which brought even more worry to him. He stood in place, now shaking the slightest bit as he gulped. Standing on the same spot didn't help him at all, but neither did running around calling out his sister's name which left him no choice but to stay on the spot hoping that she would find him in between all these costumed people.

"Oh dear, are you lost?"

Roger's eyes slightly widened as he felt small tears prickle at their corners, and he slowly turned around to look at the owner of the voice. Oh no, it was a witch! But wait...is it possible for anybody to look this pretty?

"Y-y-yes..."he whimpered out, still shaking in place as he hugged his mask to his chest, now looking up at the woman who gave him a warm smile and oh sweets was it enough to make it melt if he hadn't been shaking out of fear and being cold. "I-I-I-I can't find my s-sister…."

"Oh no."the woman said, now reaching over to gently place a hand on his cheek which magically made his shaking stop, and he looked up at her with big green eyes as he stopped breathing for a moment. "Do you need any help finding her?"

Roger's lip quivered before he gulped again, then nodding quickly before he felt the woman's hand trail down to his pumpkin mask and soon it slid down to his hand which made him completely freeze. He felt her gingerly grab his hand and he unconsciously let go of his pumpkin, not realizing that he had dropped it before she began to lead him away.

The woman smirked, then turning to walk away as Roger followed her almost in a daze because she looked absolutely mesmerizing. She was too pretty that if it hadn't been for her asking, he would have forgotten that he was even looking for his sister.

"What's your name honey?"

"R-Roger...Roger D'Vitt..."

"My name is Bella."the woman said, now turning to him to smile sweetly which only made his face turn red while he gave her a weak and nervous smile. "And what is your sister's name? What does she look like?"

"C-C-Coraline, and s-she's dressed like a ghost lady...l-light blue dress that looks w-white. Fishnet veil w-with flowers...blonde hair...green eyes…."

"Green eyes as adorable as yours?"Bella asked as she fluttered her eyelashes at Roger, only making him turn redder and weaker as he slowly nodded, not sure if that was the right answer. "Ah, then I feel as though I might have seen her. Not everybody has emerald eyes."

"Y-yeah...my family has a lot of g-green eyes! My grandpa Edgar, h-he has them...and lots of my aunts and uncles got them...and my dad...a-and my o-older brother and s-sister."

"That sounds fascinating."the woman replied, now smirking secretly as she noticed that she so close to a dark alley that was obviously occupied by nobody in that moment. "Oooh, I think I see your sister right over there."

"R-Really!?"

"Yes...right next to that alley right there."she said and she felt that Roger gently squeezed her hand in a somewhat excited manner. Bella furrowed her eyebrows, now thinking of how innocent this boy was...so afraid, shaking like a leaf and finally he's happy...Oh no. She shook away the thoughts, then pulling him towards the alley where they both now stood, nobody really noticing them.

"Where is she?"Roger asked, gently slipping his hand out of Bella's before he brought both of his up to let out little excited jumps, almost like a bunny rabbit, and Bella looked down almost feeling...bad. In that moment, she wasn't even able to extend her fangs and she let out a quiet sigh and looked up ahead, catching sight of a worried girl wandering around with a pumpkin mask in her hands that fit the description of the boy's sister quite perfectly.

"Right there. Blonde little darling dressed as a ghost, yes?"she finally said, pointing at the girl, so Roger followed her hand and oh lord, he gave the purest and most excited smile like a dog would to seeing its owner after so long.

"Y-yes! That's her!"

"Well, then go to her honey."she whispered, gently ushering him forwards before he turned and gave her a tight hug that made her yelp slightly. "Thank you, thank you,thank you!"

Bella looked down at the boy with surprised eyes, but then she relaxed and brought a hand up to pat his head before he finally pulled himself away from her and he now gave her a smaller smile.

"You're welcome."she said, now caressing his cheek which once again made him turn into his red and flustered self. "Be safe all kinds of monsters prowl especially on this night.”

"Y-yes, I will!"he stuttered out with a happy nod, and he turned before waving back to her, then running off to where he saw his sister. Bella's eyes followed his form, seeing that once his sister caught sight of him she gave him a very tight hug and even lifted him off the ground after having dropped the pumpkin mask she held which made Bella quietly giggle.

She then turned around and walked deeper into the alley with a small smile, remembering the boy...Roger's adorable looks...he was as cute as a bunny and she loved bunnies...so this was going to be her bunny.

[neeksleep]

Day 1: Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight

The game I couldn’t stop talking about in 2018

              I couldn’t tell you my criteria for games that attract me. I don’t think I’m too off the norm in my preferences. I rarely buy hyper-niche games or games with divided opinions. I am into tons of first party Nintendo and Sony games with a handful of well-regarded third-party games.

              Before the Nintendo Switch came out, I projected a stigma to almost every indie game. Shovel Knight was the one exception, but it was also so well reviewed, and talked about so much that I was able to dissociate it from the ‘indie game’ tag. I also never really got into gaming on my laptop. I have Steam and a ton of games, but I just never got around to them. Even though they were on my laptop, and therefore portable, it wasn’t portable enough for me to want to play the games and just finish them up. They were indie games, and therefore lower priority.

              Once I bought my switch though, I suddenly realized that, past the few big titles like Zelda and Mario, there were quite a few lulls between releases. But opening the eShop and following the Nintendo Directs, I saw a ton of indie games that was interested in but just didn’t want to play them on the PC. With the Switch though, I wanted more things to play wherever I want with the control scheme and level of portability that works for me.

              Jump to E3 2018, Nintendo has their usual E3 Nintendo Direct, and there I see a game that just hits me with its unique art style and a description that was exactly the kind of game I was looking for. Doubly so, the game was available on the eShop on the same day. I knew of the game and saw screenshots, but I hadn’t really gone out of my way to check out videos or reviews of the game…

 And I am so glad I didn’t.

                Hollow Knight is something special. It has this world that tells a story through its art alone and has so much in its world to offer at every turn. It is not a game for everyone to play, but I do think it’s a game worth experiencing in some manner. If you’re going to watch a Let’s Play, please do, preferably from someone who takes their time to talk to NPCs and explore the nooks and crannies of the world.

 The World

              Right away, you’re shown a cutscene that gives a vague idea of where the Knight (the main character is given no official name) is headed: an quiet world with broken bug-like architecture, about as barren as the Knights eyes, strung with lampposts guiding his way. The intro is very reminiscent of a Castlevania game, where little context is given other than “something bad is definitely go on in that location over there”.

              Littered throughout the world are NPCs and enemies that stray from the typical design you might expect if this was a human-filled world.  You still have your annoying fly bat and zombie monsters, but the art style makes them stand out amongst other games. The game has several biomes from an abandoned underground city to a hidden bee colony. The world doesn’t stay dark for long, as you enter the different biomes, you’ll notice their personalities in the small details and varying colour palettes. This was a great reason for why this game really latched onto me. Having a depressing world with a depressing look for too long is tiring, and Hollow Knight manages to keep the tone of the world and its story without resorting to using drab colours. In a game where you may end up needing to backtrack quite a bit, it helped that each room was visually memorable, so I didn’t need to keep resorting to the map to help me navigate around.

              The world itself has tons to say, but so do the characters. You’ll be encountering several NPC’s along your way each with personalities and dialogue that adds to the charm of the world. You’ll find an old shaman lady whose hums and murmurs can be heard as you approach her home. It’s the little details like the sounds and animations that show how much love the developers put into every aspect of the game.  

 Gameplay

               If you have played a 2D Castlevania (or one of the many Metroidvania’s out there), you won’t find anything too new here. An action platformer with a few special abilities and stat augmentations are what you can expect. Hollow Knight uses a collectable charm system that will add or affect certain gameplay mechanics, and charms can either be bought through normal gameplay progress, bought through shops, or as a reward for exploring the world. The currency (geos) can be contained through several means, however much like the Dark Souls games, dying results in losing all your collected Geos. You can retrieve them by returning to the room which you died and defeating an easily defeated ghost version of yourself. I curbed my frustration of this system by keeping track of items I wanted to purchase and going back to get them as soon as I had enough. Save for a few items, most things can be purchased without really needing to farm for too long.

               You will probably want to stock up on charms and do a bit of farming though because Hollow Knight comes in with an above average difficulty. Traversing the world can have its difficult sections, typically more so with platforming rather than enemies, but the bosses will really test your reflexes. There are almost 30 bosses (some optional), not including optional re-fights with higher difficulties. My experience with most boss fights was dying over and over until I could learn how to dodge each attack. It was enjoyable reaching a new boss since they tended to be fairly unique each time, but I also didn’t mind re-fighting after losing several times because it was so rewarding learning the pattern and feeling my butt clench as I barely dodged an attack I couldn’t moments before.

              Holding down a button will allow you to heal yourself at the risk of being an immobile target and using up a meter that could be used for special attacks. Often, unless it was a requirement to progress through the world, I ended up not using the special attacks. It probably would have made the game easier, but I really enjoyed the feel of using the default sword (called a Nail in this game) weapon. Your attacks can be affected by the charms, increasing its damage or reach, making mechanics like pogoing off an enemy much easier and much more enjoyable. Every hit on an enemy count and the animations and visual flair that go into giving and taking damage feel good as the player.

              Generally getting around can be a bit bothersome if you haven’t mastered how to easily defeat or dodge enemies. This is especially true when you’re having troubles with a boss as having to retread an area as you may end up dying a few times before you can get another attempt at the boss. Save points are at benches you’ll find. Luckily, navigating becomes easier, fast travel points open and eventually you’re able to set a single warp point.

Other things: The Music and the “Feelings”

               There are a few other things I wanted to touch on. The soundtrack for this game is fantastic. The soundtrack, done by Christopher Larkin, can be heard on Spotify and other music streaming services. It matches the tone of the world as you’re exploring, but also picks up during the boss battles. It’s hard for me to describe why I enjoy it so much, but there are a handful of tracks that I will listen to because they resonated with me.

              Another thing I wanted to talk a bit about is just the feeling that the game gives. The world is so different, the combination of the characters, the enemies and the environment left me feeling like I wanted to know everything about the world. As someone who typically doesn’t get into the lore of the game, this was one rare time where I did go out of my way to talk to every NPC and scrounge for any text to read the history of the world.

In Conclusion…

              As mentioned, there isn’t much here that strays too far outside some combinations of other Metroidvanias. The part that makes this game stand out though is how well the mechanics are here. There’s so much polish in the combat, you won’t ever feel like you’ve been cheated out of a hit. It’s very apparently when you’re the one screwing up. The difficulty, while harder than your average game, rewards you buy carefully taking your time to learn the pattern of attacks, dodging and everything is telegraphed so well. The world is huge and exploring is rewarded with interesting biomes and world-building. I could keep going on and on, there is so much I want to say about this game, but I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll end it with this: If you enjoy a Metroidvania game with a wonderfully unique world and solid action, this is one of the best choices you’ll have. If you aren’t down for that though, it’s worth checking out a playthrough video of, because if anything, it’s an absolute pleasure to look at.y