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aliensunflower-fics · 4 years

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A Winter Dance pt.2 [Remastered Edition]

[ Chapter 1 is Right HERE! ]

[ This Fic was originally posted in December 2019 and was remastered in Dec 2023 to remove spelling errors, and add more juicy little details as a gift for my very supportive and cool followers. To read the original in all its spelling error glory you can click this LINK to AO3! ]

Adrien Agreste, was NOT jealous. He just wasn’t the sort! He had seen Chloe jealous often enough to decide that it was a ridiculous emotion one he had no time for! Why be jealous of your friends when you could be happy for them and support them! It was such a simple logical conclusion Adrien had no idea why that wasn’t everyone's solution! Oh sure he had tried to explain his feelings to Nino, tried to make his friend understand what he was really feeling was obviously concern! But for some reason his best friend kept on calling him jealous! It was frankly starting to get annoying.

He’d first gone to see Nino the day after the dance and had complained bitterly about the way Marinette had not only acted but who she had gone home with! A stranger?! From Gotham no less? Even with the last name Wayne he had to be an unsightly! Untrustworthy! Conniving little rich brat! Probably with fingers in the criminal underbelly of his city! Adrien was positive of it! And obviously that meant he was concerned about sweet, lovely, beautiful, stuttering, kind Marinette- who was again just a friend! Though Nino was quick to disagree.

“Sounds to me like your jealous dude!”

Adrien huffed in annoyance pressing the buttons on his controller with determination watching with satisfaction as he easily beat Nino.

“I already told you I’m not jealous! Just… Worried about her.”

“Whatever you say, but if I were you id be celebrating!”

Adrien gave his friend a confused look allowing Nino to gain the upper-hand in their match and take out one of Adrien’s lives.

“I mean if she has a boyfriend then Lila and her will stop fighting over y- that guy!”

Adrien lit up. He hadn't thought of that! Ignoring the way his stomach tightened at the thought of Marinette having a boyfriend he instead focused on the good! He’d asked Nino a few times who the mystery guy was that Lila and Marinette were fighting over and never got a straight answer but he supposed that mattered little now as long as everything went back to normal... Right? But then why did he still feel so... Weird? No! No it was fine, it would all turn out fine! And that was the frame of mind Adrien kept and by Monday he’d practically banished all stray thoughts of the dark haired boy dancing away with Marinette… Mostly because Adrien still didn’t trust the guy. But soon everything in class would be back to normal! Or... so he thought.

There at the entrance of school, parked in the spot where his OWN limo would usually drop him off sat a luxurious sleek black car and standing outside of it was Marinette who was somehow early but attached to her hand was the eyesore Adrien had been hoping not to see... Damian. Adrien seethed watching as the two chatted animatedly Marinette blushing and stuttering her warm caring eyes practically sparkling as she looked into the surprisingly soft green eyes of the Gothamite. It was like they were in there own little world as Marinette didn’t even turn to greet Adrien when he’d arrived!

While he was caught up in watching the pair, eyes narrowed in suspicion at Damian, Adrien failed to notice Nino jogging over to him excitedly. That’s when he saw Damian lean closer to Marinette’s face gently brushing a rogue strange of her dark hair aside they looked so close... TOO CLOSE like they were going in for a KISS!? Before Adrien could stop himself he was yelling at the cuddly pair.

“MARINETTE WE BETTER HURRY OR WE’LL BE LATE TO CLASS!”

The two jumped apart and Adrien felt himself let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Silently the pair exchanged an embarrassed look before Marinette leaned up placed a peck on Damian’s cheek and fled toward the school. Adrien gripped his bag tightly his knuckles going white as his eyes narrowed further at the dark haired boy who noticed him, a wicked glare quickly replacing the lovestruck look he'd had only seconds prior. Oh yeah Adrien was sure of it, that guy was bad news.

“You should hurry Agreste. Wouldn’t want to be late.”

Adrien felt his skin prickle under the deadly glare but did his best to return the scowl until Nino elbowed him.

“You sure your not jealous dude?”

Adrien scoffed, again with these baseless accusations.

“I'm sure! Now let's hurry!”

It was nowhere near the time to go to class but Adrien made a show of seeming worried about the time. He just needed to remind himself that Damian would not be in Paris for much longer. Then Marinette would be safe and it would all be back to normal.

That was the mantra Adrien repeated over and over as the day wore on barely taking note of what was going on in class. He hardly noticed Lila who despite being bitter about the dance was still basking in what she thought was her victory her arms wrapped securely around Adrien forearm, sure she loathed to see Marinette happy but with the class congratulating her on winning Adrien for good and excitedly chattering about how now there class president would ‘go back to normal’ since she’d have no reason to be jealous anymore. The liar had no choice but to play nice, at least for now. Lila had of course tried to claim that Marinette’s new arm candy was fake to try and make Adrien jealous but her gullible and always forgiving and kind classmates were all too quick to defend there ‘friend’ confident that the loving looks between Marinette and her new beau could not be fake. So she’d have to find something new to use to keep the class away from there ‘dear old friend’ but for that she’d need a little more information...

It wasn’t until lunch when the class was let out early that Lila made her move with the entire class watching with rapt curiosity. Adrien felt his stomach do a flip as he saw the liar waltz up toward the baker girl begging Marinette with his eyes to play nice though if the girl noticed she showed no signs of it.

“Sooo Marinette! Who was that boy you were with at the dance! You didn’t tell anyone you had a DATE!”

Lila’s voice was sickeningly sweet and laid the perfect bait. Bait that Alya ever the nosy and curious reporter that she was practically pounced on.

“Yeah girl whats up with that! You have seriously been holding out on me I mean tall, dark, and handsome! What is up with that! Give me alll the details! How did you two meet!”

The class seemed to hold their breath waiting for Marinette’s response. I mean they were all hoping that now that she had moved on from Adrien things could be friendly between them all again but they couldn’t deny the small sliver of doubt they all held. That was why it was just a bit shocking when she smiled. It wasn’t the bright happy light up the room smiles they were used to but it was polite, friendly even.

“I’m sorry Alya, but you haven't texted me in months. I figured you were just too busy with your BOOMING blog to talk about something as silly as Damian. I just didn’t want to bug you?”

Marinette’s voice was cool and calm but not rude, as she politely answered some of the questions the girls excitedly asked about ‘Damian’. Adrien of course noticed how she left out his last name and had to bite his tongue to keep another outburst like this mornings from occurring. After all this was going well! Maybe Nino was right after all!

“Wow Has it REALLY been that long since we had a proper girls day? Oh we have so much catching up to do-“ Alya paused noticing the displeased expression etched on Lila’s face. “Unless... of course you still plan on being mean to my bestie Lila? No offense Marinette but you were kinda acting totally crazy for awhile there!”

To that Marinette simply smiled again but... It was all wrong and Adrien felt a chill creep up his spine.

“No. I'm through fighting with Lila! And I really am sorry but you guys all know how ‘crazy’ I can get. Right Alya.”

The words were sweet venom and while the rest of the class seemed overjoyed at the news Adrien was seemingly the only one noticing the slight ice hidden in Marinette’s honeyed words. He’d wanted things to go back to normal but something about all this wasn’t normal AT ALL. The only one besides himself who wasn’t buying it was of course Lila, who was NOT about to let Marinette worm her way back into the company of her friends. She was putting a stop to this now!

“Oh Marinette, I’m so sorry. After everything I REALLY do want to be friends but I just.” She paused to sniffle. “I'm just not sure I can trust you!”

The class looked devastated a murmur going through the gathered crowd. But Marinette didn't even flinch her strange unnatural smile only growing.

“Oh I'm so sorry Lila, I really was acting like such a jerk! But please DON'T go out of your way just for me! I'll give you ALL the distance you need until your comfortable with me.”

A silent conversation seemed to pass between the girls. Lila couldn’t believe it... Marinette was seriously giving up? Just like that she was going to let Lila do whatever she wanted? The liar stared at the goody two shoes brat who’d been a thorn in her side since day one and no longer saw the will to fight in her blue eyes. A silent beat passed before Lila let a victorious grin overtake her face. She’d WON.

“Oh thank you Marinette! I'll be sure to use that distance to heal! Once I’M ready lets start over again as FRIENDS.”

The silent implications of Lila’s words left Adrien in confused dismay but rather then fight back Marinette just kept the easy relaxed smile on her face.

“That sounds great Lila, I’m happy we can put this whole thing behind us.”

This would make the class happier but why did this whole conversation feel so very wrong. Why wasn’t Adrien happy that Marinette was acting normal? Being her ever good and just self and finally choosing to take the high road with him? The lunch bell finally rang and Lila eager to use her new freedom now that Marinette wasn’t fighting her walked out with the class in tow spinning a totally new even more unbelievable tale. Only Adrien and Marinette remained in the empty room.

“Marinette,” he paused chewing his bottom lip softly. “I don’t understand.”

As she packed her bag and checked her phone she gave him a bored look that stung a bit at his heart. Why? ... Why was she looking at him like that? She didn’t use to look at him like that... Did she?

“Isn’t this what YOU wanted? No more fighting? No one getting hurt? The high road... Right?”

Adrien bit his lip harder drawing the faintest bit of blood. This IS what he wanted but... Now Marinette wasn’t acting like HIS Marinette she was being strange, and weird. Her phone vibrated and he saw her light up as she glanced at the screen and moved past him to leave pausing only once before reaching the door. She didn’t even turn back to look at him.

“I know you thoughts that all this time her lies weren’t hurting anyone. I know this is what you wanted. But I promise you when she gets caught, everyone even you will WISH you had listened to me when I still cared enough to warn you.”

And with that she was gone leaving Adrien feeling more confused then before.

When he finally gathered himself enough to exit the classroom he stood at the top of the stairs watching as down below Marinette ran through the open air courtyard toward Damian. At the last second she jumped and the dark haired boy caught and spun her with the same ease he’d shown at the dance. He could hear her laugh and even the gloomy skies seemed to dissipate letting the light in at the beautiful sound. Nino who had been waiting on Adrien saw how the blonde stared down wistfully at the pair, his eyes narrowing as Damian kissed Marinette’s cheek and led her away arm in arm.

“Sorry to break it to you buddy. But you're definitely jealous!”

“I AM NOT!”

Clearly the Gothamite was the one tainting Marinette, that HAD to be why she was behaving so oddly! But all Nino saw was a pouting scowling Adrien with his eyes once again on the girl he’d let get away.

The next few days went by without a single incident. Marinette had seemingly laid down her weapons, focusing instead on her classes and speaking to everyone kindly but with a noticeable cool distance. Even when Lila blatantly and obviously lied in front of Marinette or even TOO Marinette the girl would only smile and nod along never bothering to say a word against the liar.

The only one she seemed to genuinely act like her old self around was Juleka and Rose, which struck Adrien as odd until he remembered that Marinette had played a key part in introducing Luka and Kagami to each other and helping the two form what many saw as a beautifully blossoming relationship. And that meant Marinette was often hanging out on the boat and had thus maintained a slightly stronger relationship with the girls, then with the rest of the class.

Lila meanwhile was enjoying her free reign had started to make her lies just a little bigger and then when Marinette didn’t stop her a LOT bigger, it began to worry Adrien. By Thursday she had somehow managed to lie herself and a portion of the class into one of the hottest celebrity restaurants in town and had not been bothering to pay stating that Jagged Stone would insist on it going to his tab. Adrien had to run back afterwards and pay with his own money fearing the ramifications. But Lila simply didn’t stop. She started lying to get discounts at stores, more and more free meals, free rides ect, and the class was eating it up as they all genuinely believed that Lila was simply showering them with good fortune because they were all such great friends.

Adrien suddenly found himself wishing that Marinette were still meddling. Sure it hadn’t been fun to deal with but now Lila really WAS going too far. But if Marinette noticed she made no show of it. Each morning she arrived with Damian, each lunch she ran to eat with him and at the end of the day he’d be waiting for her sometimes with gifts other times with plans to fight her in video games or take her on a date. It all made Adrien feel like vomiting, he’d tried to invite her to join him and the class a few times hoping she’d see the desperation in his face and the help he clearly needed with containing Lila, but she’d simply give a cool smile and tell him she had plans with Damian. Damian! DAMIAN!!

Adrien bitterly wondered if he should tell the class the last name of Marinette’s new boy who also happened to be a friend because they could not be dating! It was just too soon for that. But he kept his mouth shut telling himself that Lila would settle down soon enough and then Damian would LEAVE and everything would be just the way it was supposed to be. Still the words Marinette spoke to him still rang in his ears every now and again feeling him with an ominous foreboding he tried to ignore.

On Saturday after almost a week of inactivity Hawkmoth finally struck. Adrien had been at the mall with Nino helping carry Alya and Lila’s pile of purchases. He’d tried telling Lila to stop or at least tone down her lies but she kept at it getting the girls discount after discount until everything was practically free. It made Adrien worry himself into an anxious sick mess, but the day had only gotten worse when he spotted Marinette and Damian on what could have VERY easily been misunderstood as a double date with Luka and Kagami. Of course Adrien was sure it wasn’t! But he still watched in growing disgust as Damian wrapped an arm casually around Marinette making the innocent girl flush. They just kept seeming to get closer and closer until a thunderous crash and the screams of ‘Akuma!’ broke everyone apart and into a frenzied mad dash for the doors and emergency exits. Adrien had NEVER been as thankful as he was then for Hawkmoth.

Or so he thought.

Ladybug had arrived on scene just a little after himself and Chat was even more eager to see his lady then usual, with everything getting all... Weird and stressful in his day to day life she felt like the only constant he could truly rely on. And so he was quick to launch into a flurry of puns. Surprisingly she took them with a smile. But then suddenly they weren’t alone on the roof. Viperion arrived followed swiftly by Ryuko... Oh. It wasn’t that he didn't appreciate the help just that he’d been hoping for some one on one, alone time with his lady, you know the classic duo just the two of them against the world?

Yet with no time to hesitate as the Akuma rampaged through the mall Ladybug gave her marching orders and the group began their coordinated team attack. The akuma was strong and quickly growing larger but Chat ignored whatever it was blabbering on about to instead listen and admire his lady. It had been far too long and with all the Marinette trouble seeing his spotted soulmate left him feeling giddy his eyes glued to the bright red clad girl watching her be the amazing heroin she was. He could not help the dumb love-struck sigh he let out when she hit the ground running his way, with concern clear in her eyes. Wait? Concern!?

“CHAT LOOK OUT!”

Too late Chat Noir noticed the massive fist swinging at him. Before he could even begin to think about how badly it would hurt when that hit him Ladybug’s foot collided with his chest. He was pushed into the safe zone but he watched in horror as she was sent flying.

Chat was flat on his back watching in horror as his lady went hurtling toward a wall, but before she could collide with it and take even more damage a dark blur swooped in and saved her. Chat felt his jaw nearly fall off when his brain finally caught up with him. There standing on a nearby roof holding Ladybug as if she were made of the finest porcelain was Robin. BATMAN’s Robin??? Had Ladybug contacted the other hero? Why was he here? What was going on??? Watching in horror as Robin gently set Ladybug down and quickly tended to her wounds the two seemed to argue and banter back and forth before they formulated a plan, and together they jumped back into the fray with Viperion and Ryuko leaving Chat to watch from the forgotten sidelines. The akuma was dispatched in record time, Miraculous Ladybug was cast fixing up all the damage, the confused man swiftly comforted and then the heroes were all dispersing however Ladybug and Robin headed the same way and Chat would swear on his life that it sounded like they were FLIRTING?

Later when he’d finally managed to shake off Lila and head home Adrien still felt dizzy from all that had happened. As Chat Noir he’d hardly done a thing other then get his lady injured and then HIS Ladybug had been not only ended being saved by, but working with AND actively FLIRTING with Robin?! Cool as Adrien found the Batsquad he was NOT pleased. Throwing himself on the bed with a groan Adrien whined.

“I just don’t get it Plagg!”

The kwami seemed to be expecting this turn of events and rolled his eyes as he went to rummage for cheese.

“Get what kid? That Ladybug called in help? She warned you that she was going to months ago.”

“No! I remember that its just.”

Adrien sat up pouting as he hugged his pillow.

“How is it possible that the two most important girls in my life BOTH have a thing for broody dark haired boys! I mean I’m good looking to right Plagg!?”

The kwami made a face as he held up his cheesy snack.

“I'm not commenting on how you look kid.”

In one bite the cheese was gone Plagg licking his lips.

“But it sounds to me like your-“

“NO! Don’t you even say it! I am not jealous! Its just…”

The blonde furrowed his brows.

“Its just worry. Yeah… That’s all.”

“Whatever you say kid. Now you got anymore cheese lying around?”

The next day Adrien went for a walk. He’d tried to do homework and stay busy keeping his mind as far from thoughts of dark haired blue eyed beauties as he could. But after an hour of re-reading the same math question he caved and snuck out so he could go for a walk alone. Christmas was fast approaching and so no one in the crowd recognized him to busy running from store to store looking for the perfect gifts for loved ones. It was peaceful walking among people as just another face in the crowd.

“Come ON Kagami! I can’t make you that dress if you don’t at least tell me what color and fabric you want!”

Adrien froze at the familiar voice and without thinking hid in the nearby alleyway.

Peeking out he saw Marinette and Kagami in front of a fabric store. There was no Damian or Luka in sight a fact that pleased Adrien greatly though he wasn't sure why. The stoic girl was frowning though it was barely concealing hidden amusement as Marinette whined and did her best to drag the other girl. Finally Kagami conceded and Marinette cheered and pulled her into the store. Adjusting his hood to keep hidden Adrien waited a few moments before following the girls curiously into the store. The shop was larger than it appeared on the outside but even still Adrien only needed to follow the sound of giggling to find the girls. Slipping into the isle over he faked interest in the variety of fabrics while listening in on the girls conversation with his catlike hearing.

“You haven’t been this happy in awhile.” Remarked Kagami.

The sound of a bolt of fabric being removed and inspected filled in the momentary silence.

“What can I say? Damian has been… Amazing. He’s so protective and can drive me a little nuts sometimes but I feel so… at home with him. I don't need to hold anything back he just accepts me.”

Marinette paused and Adrien heard her take a shaky breath.

“Im… A little scared. With… Adrien. It hurt so bad his constant rejection always telling me I was a friend right when I thought we were becoming something more.”

Adrien had to bite back a gasp his heart sinking into his stomach like a stone realization slamming into his body like a truck.

“Oh Kagami! What if… What if Damian doesn't like me as much as I think what if we're only friends and-“

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng you will stop that train of thought now.”

He heard quiet sobs leave Marinette and he wanted to claw out his hair for how stupid he’d been for how much he had hurt the kind girl.

“Damian adores you! He looks at you like your his whole world and he's taken you on how many dates now? Besides if he turns out to be dense like Agreste I will have no choice but to duel him to the death.”

A choked half laugh half sob left Marinette as Adrien sank to the floor holding his head.

“So… Does this mean your over him?”

Another bolt of fabric was removed and inspected. And he heard Marinette sniffle only once more. She was quiet and Adrien felt a flutter of hope. One he could not understand. He was sorry for hurting her but why? Why did he want so desperately for her to still want him?

“I… I think I am?” A shaky breath left Marinette’s lips. “I think… After everything im over him and now I can truly say Adrien is just a friend.”

Adrien felt hot acidic bile come up into his throat he wanted to vomit. His head was spinning and he gripped it tighter trying to hold himself together.

“Good!” Declared Kagami. “Now I believe we were looking for fabric so you can make us look like stars for the Wayne’s new years party?”

Soon the sound of both girls arguing about colors filled his ears and Adrien took several deep breaths to steady himself.

Marinette was just a friend. A friend, who considered him just a friend... Isn’t that what he wanted? The more he tried to think the more his head felt like static, looking down at the old carpet floor he was on he finally managed to get up and leave the store. No one noticed. Or so he thought as Kagami shook her head in pity for the blonde. After all, he had hesitated.

On Monday, Damian once again dropped Marinette off. But Adrien was quick to notice how different she seemed from the day before. Marinette wasn’t just grinning she was practically glowing with pure happiness as skipped to class. It wasn't until the third period that he noticed the new necklace dangling from her neck. It wasn’t anything flashy or big just a simple silver chain with a robin bird charm. Adrien bitterly wondered if the gift meant that the pair were officially dating. In all honesty he didn't want to know. Just when Adrien was sure the day couldn’t get anymore miserable a knock at the classroom door knocked him out of his stupor. There at the entrance of the class were a pair of police officers wearing serious scowls on their faces.

“Oh hello officers! May I ask what brings you here? Is there an akuma?”

Mme Bustier seemed frantic eyes nervously darting anywhere but the intimidating officers.

“Be at ease, there is no Akuma. We're here because there have been multiple complaints and allegations made against a student in your class.”

Mme Bustier frowned and the class erupted into hushed whispers. Adrien noticed how Lila’s eyes darted to Marinette with a vicious hopeful smirk. The police officers looked over the class apprehensively before he took a step forward while removing handcuffs from his back pocket.

“Miss Lila Rossi. You're under arrest.”

All at once her smirk was gone and had Lila gone white as a ghost.

“WHAT?!”

It was Alya. Of course it was Alya. Adrien knew she meant well always trying to protect her friends. If only she’d known of Lila’s lies sooner.

“B-but! That can't be right! What did she do?”

“Miss Rossi here has reportedly been purchasing food, clothing, and other high end items all while sending the bills to multiple celebrities charging them hundreds to thousands of dollars. Perhaps Miss Rossi here thought her little scheme would go unnoticed because the people she was charging were rich but go figure a Rock Star like Jagged Stone would find it odd when he gets a bill for up to 9′560 euro spent on high heels, purses, and dresses he doesn’t wear.”

The police gave Alya a stern look.

“We've been made aware that some of her classmates were involved as well but a third party stepped forward to provide evidence, that unlike Miss Rossi the rest were not knowing accomplices...”

The second officer who’d been busy restraining the sobbing panicking Lila finally spoke.

“We won't be arresting the rest of you but we have contacted all the parents of those involved and you will need to go to the station so we can take your statement. You should all be VERY grateful to the third party who helped clear your names.”

The officers eyes landed briefly on Marinette who sat in the back a picture of innocence.

As Lila was dragged from the class screaming about diplomatic immunity, Mme Bustier stood in stunned silence. Before she could even compose herself the principal’s voice spoke over the intercom announcing that due to unforeseen circumstances the day was being cut short and that everyone should go enjoy an early start to there Christmas Holidays.

Marinette ever calm and relaxed was first to gather her things and depart an ever peaceful look upon her features as she glided past her classmates without a word of acknowledgment. Adrien was the second to move spurred on by Marinette as he scrambled to grab his things. The rest of the class meanwhile was going through a range of emotions gratitude at Marinette was one of them but their was hurt and mostly confusion after all Lila had said it was okay she said that those celebrities were her friends so then... Had she really been telling lies? And if she could lie about that... Had she been lying about everything?

Adrien wondered briefly if he should say anything to his stunned classmates but his urge to catch up with Marinette was stronger. Running out of class with his bag still open he slid down the banister of the stairs and rushed after the girl in a panic. Gasping as he struggled to keep up he yelled out toward the girl who had at some point loved him but who’s heart had been won by another. Stopping as he caught up with her Adrien panted heavily before he managed to get the words out.

“I don't understand!”

It was the best he could do considering the tornado of thoughts and feelings in his head and heart. She gave him an odd look before seemingly gathering her own thoughts.

“You were right.” He gave her a bewildered look but she continued before he could interject. “Right in that Lila’s lies would expose themselves.”

“But…”

His brows furrowed. Why had Marinette made peace with Lila? Why had she protected her friends? And more importantly how? The girl sighed as if she could read his mind and seemed tired of the questions.

“I realized that I was holding Lila back.”

Marinette got an odd look in her eyes seeming far away but yet present all at once, her tone was calculating and calm.

“She knew Id stop her if she tried anything to bold and even if she thought she had everyone under her spell she wasn't going to risk any big lies while I was against her.”

Adrien eyes widened realizing just how like Ladybug Marinette was, thinking steps ahead laying a trap. It wasn't just genius it was devious, a little manipulative and somehow made her look even more beautiful than before.

“I needed to stop Lila, but I wasn't willing to stoop down to her level and even if everyone's been acting like sheep and ignoring me for months… I didn't want them to end up with ruined reputations.”

“You laid a trap.”

Adrien didn't mean to sound so accusatory. He was just in awe. If Marinette found what he said offensive she didn't show it.

“All I did was allow Lila to believe what she wanted. Kagami, Luka, Damian they all helped me. We knew Lila would go big once I wasn't there to stop her. So we kept tabs on where Lila went through Alya and the ladyblog. Then all it took was patience. The celebrities Lila got to foot the bill are mostly my clients so I smoothed things over with the class. But Lila… Well like you said. Her lies caught up with her. All I did was make sure no one got seriously hurt in the long run though im sure they feel bad now.”

Adrien felt tears prick his eyes. Even after everything Marinette still loved and forgave them. He could tell she was bitter, Lila had taken everyone after all. With Alya her best friend probably being the most bitter pill to swallow, after all the two girls hadn't spent time together in months. The class had made shows out of ignoring her in order to teach her how to be ‘nicer’ to Lila and let go her ‘jealousy’. And it all must have hurt worse when Adrien himself promised to be by her side through it yet in the end he had rejected her, pushed her aside. Maybe not outright, but his words, and his actions or rather lack there of had shown where his loyalties lay.

But even after all of that Marinette had spared them from the brunt of the pain. As a black car pulled up and Damian exited calling out for Marinette. Adrien said nothing, he had hurt her, broken her heart, tarnished her trust. So he watched her go. At this point... It was the least he could do.

Later when the sun had set and the drama settled. A certain black cat was making his rounds of the city. And if he stopped momentarily on a roof to watch as a girl who deserved the whole world was held close and safe in the arms of a dark stranger from across the seas, a boy who danced slowly with her to the soft music that filtered up from her room to the balcony on a snowy winters night, well no one would know he had been there.

But as the weight settled in him Adrien knew he had lost, and he knew for a fact that he was jealous.

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#daminette #marinette x damian #Maribat #maridami #my fic #miraculous fanfic #miraculous salt #A Winter Dance

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scottymcgeesterwrites · 3 years

Text

Final Fantasy X Review

Year: 2001

Original Platform: PlayStation 2

Also available on: PS3 and PS4 (HD Remaster)

Version I Played: PlayStation 2

Synopsis:

Tidus is a renown blitzball player in the city of Zanarkand. One day, his mysterious buddy Auron whisks him away to the land of Spira after a massive entity known as Sin attacks Zanarkand. Tidus ventures into Spira, a strange world lacking in advanced technology. There, he finds many uncomfortable truths after joining a pilgrimage with the summoner Yuna.

Gameplay:

I will preface this by saying that this was my very first Final Fantasy game way back when I was like 13. I wasn’t keen on handling RPGs yet so it took me ages to finish. The result was me falling in love with everything about it. Final Fantasy X is the last main Final Fantasy game to feature turn-based combat. One of the coolest features of the battle system in this game is being able to switch characters in the middle of a battle. I missed that afterwards. When I played more Final Fantasy games after this, I kept thinking instinctively that you could switch characters in the middle of battle.

Leveling up is conventional but also introduces a Sphere Grid. You gain Ability Points to progress through a grid where each sphere unlocks a special ability or a higher stat. You can pick different paths along the grids and, typically, by the end of the game you are crossing over other character's grids.

The only truly annoying aspect of playing the game was the sphere puzzles in the temples. Every so often you have to enter a temple and solve a puzzle by placing spheres in the right places. It was so mind-numbing and the irritating music really didn't help either.

Because of how the story is told, the game is much more linear than its predecessors. The bulk of the game is spent journeying on foot across Spira. But don’t worry – there are plenty of secrets and extras to unfold – PLENTY. You eventually get an airship, but instead of flying around a world map you simply pick a destination on a map and you’re there. It sounds lame but the world is already so massive and detailed that Square probably couldn’t fit the graphics of flying around a world map.

Graphics:

The cinematics blew everyone away – because for the first time we have VOICE ACTING! JUST LIKE WATCHING A MOVIE! The voice acting worked really well in this game. It was only ever awkward when Tidus was being, uh, really annoying.

Exhibit A:

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The in-game cutscenes can also be a bit stiff.

Story:

Final Fantasy X was my very first Final Fantasy game – as such, I could be biased in how I feel about it. Or maybe not. I’ve grown to be enough of a dick to crush my own dreams.

The story is completely different than the rest of the series. Completely different. While the rest of the series likes to make references to Western mythology and atmosphere (medieval and industrial settings), Final Fantasy X actually has an East Asian setting. There are no knights in armor or empires fighting rebels or even technological powers like Shinra. There are no witches or wizards. The story and references are quite esoteric, more mysterious and conceptual.

The narrative is radically different from the entire series. For the first and only time (so far), the main character narrates the unfolding events to the audience. After getting sucked out of his homeworld of Zanarkand, Tidus gets caught up in a pilgrimage to defeat Sin. Sin is a massive creature that returns every so often to punish the world for its dependence on technology. (So Sin is basically a kaiju.) A summoner with his or her friends go on a quest to defeat Sin, and the Calm returns for some time until Sin returns.

Spira is probably my favorite Final Fantasy world. It’s beautiful and haunting at the same, sad and bright. You can tell that there was once a great cataclysm but the long years have overridden the past. The rules of the world are so unique. Monsters are explained as the ghosts of people who have not passed on. A summoner this time not only summons great beings (called aeons) but also “sends” the dead away so they can find the Farplane, essentially Heaven. Like I said before, the concepts of Spira are very esoteric and East Asian. While Final Fantasy X does derive influences from Christian concepts (i.e. pilgrimage, priests, doctrines), it just as much references many Japanese and Buddhist concepts (rebirth, wandering souls, sacred temples). Overall, Final Fantasy X’s story is the most religious and spiritual in the entire series.

It’s relatively rare for a JRPG to take on an entire fictional world with a visual design referencing Asian settings. Usually, Final Fantasy and other JRPGs are more obsessed with Western settings (i.e. medieval towns). Spira is ripe with influences from island nations and places like Thailand and Bali.

The major plot twist require you to wrap your head around a bit, but surprisingly nothing is truly complicated. For the most part, you follow the story through the pilgrimage, learn some backstory stuff, and then face the end.

There are several “main” villains. For argument’s sake, and for the sake of not ruining any spoilers, let’s go with Seymour. Seymour is a recurring villain who again ups the ante on the bishonen trend. He’s also the biggest pain in the ass out of any Final Fantasy game. Ask anyone who has played this game and they will get Vietnam flashbacks of fighting Seymour. The bastard keeps popping up every so often to hinder the party’s progress. Seymour may look strange, but don’t let that fool you. He is also seriously one of the most fucked up villains in the entire series.

Tidus is unique in that he is an outsider viewing the story. He tags along and has his own story arc to deal with. Tidus’s story is one of the most personal and relatable. It’s so unique to play as a character who is not a conventional fantasy hero like a thief or a mage or a knight, but a sports celebrity with daddy issues.It’s also unique in that Tidus isn’t even the central character – Yuna is. Yuna is the summoner on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin. Even so, Tidus still plays an important role by falling in love with Yuna, influencing her goals on the pilgrimage.

In retrospect, Final Fantasy IX appears to be a prototype to Final Fantasy X. Tidus is a version of Zidane, except, unfortunately, a bit more annoying when he tries to woo Yuna. Zidane and Garnet’s relationship mirrors Tidus and Yuna’s; both involve an upbeat male trying to woo a reserved, quiet female. Tidus is the temptation to Yuna’s repressed Catholic schoolgirl personality, advising her to loosen up. The existential crisis that Tidus faces is also similar to Zidane’s.

All that being said, Final Fantasy X is my personal favorite in the entire series. It has its flaws, and yes, it’s a sappy romance. But I love it. I fucking love it. I LOVE IT ALL. I love the world. I love the plot. I love the music. I love all the characters. Auron is so fucking cool. Just look at how cool this guy is.

And that ending. Oh man. I really don’t want to spoil anything but at the same time. UNGH. This game. It is poetry. Everybody is a real gangsta until they watch what happens at the end.

Final Fantasy X is probably the most unique out of all the Final Fantasy games. Different didn’t pan out well for Final Fantasy VIII. But for Final Fantasy X – different was good, really good.

Music:

Final Fantasy X does a few things radically different from its predecessors. For one, the series’ main theme isn’t featured. That may sound like blasphemy to some. In retrospect, it might have been a good move because frankly I can’t see the main theme being played anywhere in a story like this. The “Prelude” theme is only briefly featured in an opening menu, but this time it’s given a sick beat that makes you want to dance a little jig.

Alas, Nobuo Uematsu begins to detach himself from full reign of the soundtrack. Two other composers, Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano, also co-wrote a bulk of the soundtrack. While Uematsu composed the main themes of the game, Hamauzu and Nakano composed many of the other tracks. While not everything they did was so different from Uematsu, there are a couple tracks, namely “Assault”, which is distinctly unlike something Uematsu would ever compose. I don’t say this in a bad way at all. The score is still golden. But after Final Fantasy X we see Uematsu depart, and Final Fantasy music starts diving fresh into the unknown.

The pop song for this score is “Suteki da ne”. It’s pretty good although I prefer “Eyes on Me” and “Melodies of Life”.

The HD Remaster soundtrack seems to skewer the original sound of the music. I’ve listened to it and was very displeased by what they did to “Assault”, which was one of my favorite pieces. The original soundtrack has more umph, more pomp and circumstance.

Meanwhile, “Otheworld” is a metal song – a first for the series. It plays in the opening when Tidus plays blitzball, and in one of the final battles. “Otherworld” is frequently misattributed to Rammstein, especially back in the days of Limewire. They had nothing to do with it. Uematsu composed “Otherworld”, and Bill Muir, a lead singer from the metal band xtillidiex, sang it.

Uematsu’s fully orchestrated work on the ending scene is masterful. The emotion behind it brings tears to my eye. It wrecks you, man. It pulls those heartstrings and doesn’t let go. It hurts so good to listen to it and remember how the story ends. It is the most emotional track for the most emotional Final Fantasy ending. It is here where you realize that Nobuo Uematsu could really be a movie soundtrack composer. His craft came full circle here.

Notable Theme:

“To Zanarkand” – the main theme of Final Fantasy X. Beautiful, gentle, and solemn.

youtube

Verdict:

Final Fantasy X is my personal favorite. Final Fantasy VI can objectively be called the best, but I have a soft spot for Final Fantasy X. I admire its unique story and its world. It can be campy and corny at times but I love it overall. Objectively, it’s still of a higher caliber in the series.

Direct Sequel?

Yes. Final Fantasy X-2, or also known as Final Fantasy X-2: For Fangirls Who Couldn’t Handle the Ending to X.

I kid. That was harsh.

But I mean. . .

They gave this Charlie’s Angels vibe with Yuna, Rikku and this new girl Payne.

And like I guess it’s cool but like the tone is soooo campy.

And then they sing and it’s like J-Pop and . . .

Yeah.

This was the sequel.

This was the first Final Fantasy sequel ever made.

And it was. Uh. It was something.

At the time, I could only play about a quarter of the way through before feeling wrong about it. Many critics would agree that it robs the dignity of the original game. I do want to actually try playing it again. I might come into it with a new mind. But. Still. I prefer they leave the original ending untouched.

#final fantasy #final fantasy x #final fantasy x-2 #yuna #tidus #final fantasy tidus #tidus x yuna #square enix #fantasy rpg #jrpg #video games #onvideogames

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starwesker · 5 years

Text

Cassette tape: rockin love

Request by @littleraton:Hi! How’re you? Good, I hope. (if not, I hope you feel better ❤️) [i might be rambling, sorry] I was hoping that you could write a fic of either the reader or dean confessing to the other w/a cassette mix they made (either when they’re alone in the impala or the bunker) thank you 🎃❤️❤️

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: LOTS OF FLUFF LIKE VERY FLUFFY, all in Dean's POV

An: there will be a short author's note at the end...

Dean's POV

There's this girl that I've known for about 5 years. She would help us on hunts, my brother and I would return the favor. Then there were times when she would come to the bunker needing assistance or to be healed, and once she was healed she would leave, she would leave in the middle of the night when we are asleep leaving notes on the library table saying 'I will see you soon boys don't miss me too much' she would leave little notes like that for us to see.

I would be lying to myself if I didn't say that I miss her because I miss her so damn much. I have never developed feelings for someone in a long time, every time I see her come to the bunker and she's hurt my heart breaks a little inside and I'm the one who cares for her, Sam was there just to help if I wasn't there. When she leaves it crushes me, I just want her to stay, I miss her, call me being overprotective but I hate it when she's out there by herself. I know she can take care of herself because damn that girl is a badass and that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with her and why I need her to stay.

There she was again...

My phone ringing and her caller ID coming up with a picture of her and I together leaning against baby, I loved that picture it was the only picture I have of us together. He remembers that day like it was yesterday, after a successful hunt they went out to go get burgers and Sam was getting the food when he couldn't resist the moment so he secretly took a picture of us and it was perfect. I was in mid laughter while y/n was smiling and looking at me with admiration. When I was done reminiscing about that day I immediately answered the phone.

I barely even had time to say hello before I heard her voice.

"Hey Dean, you're gonna hate me right now" she spoke softly, her voice was hard to understand.

"What happened Y/n?" I asked.

She sighed before she spoke, "I was hunting some vamps and I thought I could handle it on my own and I kinda did but I'm seriously injured again" she winces as she spoke.

I was furious that she got herself hurt again but I sighed and told her I would go and get her.

"Ah there's my hero, but hurry please Dean" She hung up, sending him her location.

I told Sam where I was going and he insisted in going with me but I told him no. Then he got a smirk on his face, I knew what that smirk was. I stopped him before he said anything.

"No not yet Samny, I will but I need find the right time and its not the right time" I smiled at Sam and he nodded.

"Call if you need anything" Sam yelled as I left.

When I got to her she was sitting outside blood everywhere I didn't know if it was hers or the vamps. Then when I got closer I knew it was hers.

"Y/n?" I called her name, she opened her beautiful (y/e/c) eyes.

"Dean my knight in shinning armor has come to rescue me" she winced as she spoke.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Its a long story, can you just take me back to the bunker please I'm bleeding out here for god's sake Winchester" She yelled but winced once again.

"Sure thing my lady" I said while picking her up slowly and carefully.

"I'm not your lady Winchester and just hurry to the bunker" she smirked.

I just smiled and thought to myself not yet you aren't but you will be. I carried her into my car making sure she was comfortable in the backseat.

When I arrived at the bunker I immediately tended to her wounds like I always do and make sure shes ok and that she has everything she needs.

There's one thing that still needs to be said but that can wait till she gets some rest.

While Sam and I are looking at possible cases she wakes up and makes her way to the library.

"Hi Sam, Hi Dean" She spoke out softly.

Sam smiled and said hi back she sat in the chair next to Dean.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked.

"Researching" Sam spoke, "well I am Dean might be looking at porn again" Sam chuckled,this made Y/n giggle. I love her giggle, scratch that I love everything about her.

"So, Y/n I need to ask you something" I cleared my throat softly as I spoke.

"What is it Dean?" She leaned back in her chair looking at me.

"Sam and I have discussed this recently" I spoke softly. She nodded and gestured me to go on.

"We think you should stay here with us in the bunker and once you get better you can help us on hunts and you can always help us" I felt like I jumbled my words all together.

"I don't want burden you guys" She said.

"Y/n, you are not going to burden us" Sam chimed in. She looked at me for my answer and she knew but my look I wanted her to stay. She thought about it for a while before agreeing that she would stay.

A month had passed by and she was still here it has been amazing having her here but there's one problem. My love for her has only been growing, Sam knew about this he could tell. He kept telling me that I needed to confess to her. I just waved him off like I always do or ignored him.

Then it wasn't until the day I saw her wearing one of my flannels. She looked amazing it, there were so many inappropriate thoughts going through my head and I couldn't stop any of them.

I cleared my throat before I spoke, "sorry if I scared you but that's my flannel" I smirked.

"Oh really I didn't notice, it's quite comfy" she smiled and winked.

I really wanted to bend her over the table in the library and... my mind really needed to stop.

As months passed by the feelings for Y/n only escalated and I needed to confess to her but I've never been good with my words, so I had to think of something to come up with to help me confess not feelings for her. I thought about so many ideas and I even talked to Sam about it. Then it came to me I knew what I was going to do.

I spent hours making this for her, I made her a cassette tape with songs that would maybe have a clue to how much I love her. This would be perfect for her, she appreciates classic rock songs just as much as I do. That is another reason why I fell so deeply in love with her.

Now its just taking her to a secluded area somewhere either here in the bunker or I could take her somewhere in the impala. I think the impala would be the best things because Sammy doesn't approve of our choice of music.

A day later while we were sitting at the library trying to find a case, I made eye contact with Sam to make sure its ok if I take off with y/n. He smiled and knew he was ok with that.

"Y/n,me and you let's go get some food" I smiled, while grabbing my jacket that was hanging on the chair.

She got up without hesitation and we were off. As we were driving I was very silent, that's because I had to plan out how I was going to do this how I was going to show her the cassette tape I made for her.

"Dean? Are you ok?" I heard her say.

"I'm peachy, sweetheart" I winked at her, I saw the light shade of pink that crept on her cheeks as she smiled at me.

As I was driving, I realized I had no exact destination to where I was going. Until I saw a dirt road on the right side of the road so I turned down the road, I had explored with Sam once. Just to make sure it was a perfect place.

The night was beautiful, this reminds of all the times her and I were talking about everything on the hood of the impala. It was perfect the stars above us shining brightly, the moonlight shinning down on us and the city lights over the cliff a beautiful sight, this was the perfect area. Once I saw this place I knew it was the perfect place.

"Dean why are we here?" She asked me.

"We are here because it's a beautiful night and I wanted to share this with you. I took out the cassette tape and put it into the cassette player in the impala.

The first song that played was Lady by Styx

I knew this song was perfect for her because of how perfect the lyrics are and how much they relate to her.

'Lady from the moment I saw you standing all alone'

'You gave all the love that I needed'

Her eyes lit up as soon as she realized what I had done.

"Dean.." she gasped.

"Y/n, I'm in love with-" before I could finish my sentence she crashed her lips into mine, her kiss was soft and delicate.

As the next song played Whole lotta love by Led Zeppelin

This song couldn't be any more better than this moment because this moment was the best of my life. As she stopped, resting our foreheads against each other.

"I'm in love with you too" She smiled and kissed me once more.

This moment was the greatest I couldn't be more happier in this moment alone.

"Do I get to add to this cassette tape you made or no?" She asked.

I smiled, "you can add any song you want I won't judge you" I kissed her again.

Nothing can ruin this moment or be any more better.

An: so I'm finally on summer break but I'll be moving so I'll be busy but I will get to writing much more now and sorry this took so long Finals really kicked my butt... I'm done now so keep those requests coming. I put songs in here if you wanna listen to them but I hope you enjoy this i tried my best

#dean winchester #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester imagines #supernatural fanfics #supernatural x reader

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ask-joeydrewstudios · 5 years

Text

Another Reality (Part 1)

(Hello, Mun! I’ve been wanting to write a fanfiction for this AU for awhile, but once I heard the blog was shutting down, I finally decided to start. As a result of my lateness, this fanfiction is not finished. I guess I’ll be sending the rest to your other blog, if you’re interested. This is literally the first time I’ve ever submitted something online, so if I did something wrong, I apologize.)

(Where do I begin? Mun, I’d just like to thank you for all the laughs and heartfelt moments this blog has provided. It was a creative, unique idea to have a “happily ever after” AU, and continues to be. I haven’t been here since the beginning; I only got into the Bendy and the Ink Machine fandom about a year ago, and found your blog a few months later. But I can say that this has been, by far, one of my most favorite blogs here on Tumblr. I love your original take on all the characters, and their unique designs. You are an amazing artist and even more amazing human being. I wish you the best of luck in all your future projects, both fandom related and not.)

(Now back to the fanfiction. I’d been entertaining the idea of the studio employees of this AU ending up in the game studio. I decided to write that, but only for Chapter 1. It gets pretty “angsty” later on, but I tried to mix in some humor as well. I’ve never written anything so dramatic before, so we’ll see how it turned out.)

((Note: This fanfiction was written rather hastily, so I’m sorry if the pacing seems too fast. The way I headcanon the AU studio is that it’s a mix of the studio before the game was remastered and the studio after it was remastered, meaning the ink machine is in a small room at the far end of the main hallway, like the original, but everything else is like the remastered version.))

Joey Drew glanced over at his dozing head animator, Henry, before quietly laying down his pencil, setting aside the papers he’d been writing on. Slowly, he pulled open his desk drawer and withdrew his book of dark magic, careful to make as little noise as possible. He had no wish for Henry to discover him in the act of practicing spells; the cartoonist, while not actively trying to prevent him from performing said rituals, did not necessarily approve of them, either.

The head of the studio adjusted his glasses as he flipped through the pages of his book. He’d been so busy lately with the cartoons, which were quickly gaining popularity, that he hadn’t had time for practicing his spells. Joey had finished most of his work for the day, and decided he was deserving of a quick break.

Henry had come in about ten minutes ago, stumbling slightly as he’d opened the door, rubbing at his eyes beneath his glasses. Joey shook his head, looking over at the young man, now fast asleep in his armchair. That boy needed to take better care of himself; he’d been working for almost two days straight on the latest cartoon, ignoring Joey’s and his wife’s protests. Henry’s work habits had improved much since he’d married Dianne, but clearly old habits die hard. Well, Joey thought, At least he finally had the common sense to go lie down.

Joey turned his attention back to his book. He had had this book for so many years now, and still he felt he hadn’t untapped all the secrets it held, hadn’t explored all the rituals it had to offer. Thumbing through it, Joey waited for something to catch his eye. He stopped when he reached the page with an intricate summoning circle sketched on it. Joey always found himself coming back to this particular passage, but had never made the time to try it out. Grinning, Joey opened one of his drawers and took out some candles, matches, and a large ink pot. He had the time now.

The text said something about it being a gateway. The book was written all in Latin, and was extremely old and had suffered some water damage, leading to many of the words having faded away. Joey could only just make out the incantation. Taking up his ink pot, Joey began to copy the circle down on the floor of his office. The ink he was using was not the regular ink found at the store. It was cursed ink, the kind used to bring Bendy, Boris, and Alice to life.

Joey deftly finished copying the diagram, years of experience guiding his hand. He was just reaching for the matches, when a shout he knew all too well reached his ears.

“JOEY!”

Sighing, Joey set down the match box and got to his feet, groaning slightly (being old was not fun). Couldn’t Sammy try to be a little more quiet? He checked to make sure Henry hadn’t woken up at the sudden outburst. Thankfully, the animator was still sound asleep. Joey quietly crossed his office and opened the door, shutting it gently behind him.

Angry shouting awoke Henry from his slumber. He recognized the shouter to be Sammy (When wasn’t it Sammy?) ranting about Bendy, and something about Susie. Henry sighed. He hoped Bendy hadn’t tried to prank Sammy again. Pranking Sammy was an exceedingly bad idea, but the prank backfiring and accidentally getting Susie was even worse. From what he was hearing, that was exactly what happened. He could hear Susie trying to calm her boyfriend, and could just detect Joey’s soft, measured voice through the noise.

Henry rolled his eyes and tried to block out the sounds. He let his eyelids droop shut, but not before something caught his eye. Peeking an eye open, Henry looked down at a summoning circle on the floor. Really, Joey? Had Joey actually been performing a ritual right under his nose? Henry sat up, reached for his glasses on Joey’s desk to get a closer look.

The circle seemed more complex than the other ritual circles Henry had seen, with various designs crisscrossing each other. Henry knew next to nothing about demonic rituals, other than what Joey had told him. Actually, now that he thought of it, he probably knew more than the average person did due to his boss.

Henry decided to let it be, and proceeded to take his glasses off and begin to snuggle back into the cushions, when he heard a whisper. Frowning, Henry replaced the glasses on his nose, staring intently at the circle. Had it just said something? Henry listened closely. There was definitely a whisper emanating from the circle. The animator got to his feet, knowing he should tell Joey. The whispers grew louder. Henry couldn’t make out what they said, but the voice sounded familiar. With a start, he realized it was his voice.

Henry stood silently for a moment, too confused and surprised to move. As he stared at the circle, the ink seemed to spread. Henry blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes. No, the ink was definitely moving. It was spreading across the circle, swirling around. A tunnel began to form, steadily elongating till Henry saw a light at the very end.

Something about this tunnel held Henry in some sort of spell, and he could not bring himself to tear his gaze away. His own whispers echoed in Henry’s ears, unintelligible but urgent. Without thinking, Henry stepped toward the dark puddle. Warning bells sounded in his head, yet he could not bring himself to heed them. He stood on the edge of the circle, gazing into the abyss. His foot rose slowly, almost of its own volition. It kicked something, sending it into the tunnel as it did so, but he didn’t care. His foot sunk into the ink, bringing the rest of him with it. Distantly, Henry heard Joey’s voice calling for him, but he didn’t turn to look.

“I’ve had it up to here with that demon brat, Joey!”

Joey glared at Sammy coldly. The head of the music department didn’t seem to know how to stop shouting. Susie was trying to hush him, bringing an ink stained finger to her ink stained lips. Bendy had set a pale of ink up above the music department, attempting to drop it on one of the musicians, most likely aiming for Sammy. From what Joey had heard, and could clearly see, that ink had instead poured on Alice’s voice actress.

“Either you teach him a lesson or I will!” Sammy glared daggers at Joey.

“What do you mean by that, Lawrence?” Joey met Sammy’s glare coolly. He admitted that Bendy could be troublesome sometimes, and deserved a good chastising, but he wasn’t about to let Sammy start threatening his son. Sammy seemed to realize his mistake, for he sputtered for a few seconds, searching for something to say.

“Sammy,” Susie intervened, her voice gentle but firm, “I think Joey understands your feelings on the matter and will see to it that Bendy is suitably reprimanded. Now, please, shut up.”

Sammy looked startled for a moment and looked down at his girlfriend, who was giving him a stern look through her stringy, ink-drenched hair. Joey sighed and nodded his thanks to her, which she returned. It was commonly known around the studio that Sammy would do anything for Susie, and that was an admirable trait. Sometimes he pushed it a little far, though.

“I’ll go talk to Bendy as soon as I, ah, take care of some business.” Joey assured, turning back to his office door, pausing before he opened it, “And Susie, you may of course go home and clean up.” Susie smiled her thanks.

Joey nodded then turned the knob and entered his office, to see an ink tunnel having formed where he’d painted the circle, and Henry right on the edge of it. Joey could only stare for a moment, before calling out to Henry, who was actually stepping into this mysterious tunnel.

“Henry!” Joey leaped for the animator, but he was already falling down the tunnel, and into the brightness at the end. Sammy and Susie both burst into the room, alarmed by Joey’s cry.

“Joey, what- Holy heck!” Sammy’s eyes landed on the tunnel, and he took a step back, “What in blazes is that?”

Joey was staring intently at the tunnel, unable to speak for a few moments. What had just happened? How could it have happened? He hadn’t even begun the ritual! Joey was suddenly aware of whispers coming from the tunnel, reverberating in his ears. He stumbled away from them, backing into Sammy and Susie.

“Joey, what’s going on?” Susie’s nervous eyes searched Joey’s face for an answer, an answer Joey didn’t have.

“I-I don’t know.” His gaze was fixated on the tunnel, “I didn’t do anything. I only painted the circle. This shouldn’t have happened! Henry…” Oh goodness, what had he done?

Joey glanced desperately around for his ritual book; it would have the answer to how to bring Henry back. It had to. When he didn’t see it, Joey was immediately filled with dread. It had to be here. He frantically searched under the armchair and by his desk, but it was nowhere to be found, which meant only one thing: it had fallen into the gateway with Henry.

After a brief moment of panic, Joey came to a decision, “I’m going after him.” He stepped toward the ink, a deep sense of calm and resolution suddenly washing over him. Henry was like a son to him, and Joey wouldn’t be exaggerating if he said he wouldn’t know what to do should anything happen to him. He was the reason Henry had fallen down this ink tunnel, and he would be the one to bring him back.

“You can’t just jump into some ink tunnel not knowing where it leads.” Susie protested, “We need a plan.”

“The plan is to go in, get Henry and the ritual book, then find a way back.”

“That doesn’t sound very well thought out.”

“There are no other options!” Susie jumped slightly at the harshness in Joey’s voice. Then, seeing the desperation in the older man’s eyes, her tone softened.

“Alright.”

“ ‘Alright?’ ” Sammy interrupted, looking at Susie in disbelief, “We’re seriously letting Joey jump into a freaking hole in the floor?”

“Do you have any better ideas?”

When Sammy remained silent, Susie turned back to Joey.

“Go.” she said, simply.

Joey nodded, prepared to jump in, before turning to his employees, “No one is to follow me, understand?” Susie nodded, and Sammy glanced between the two of them before nodding slowly. Joey turned back to the ink tunnel, and, before fear could overtake him, he jumped.

What the heck just happened?

Henry lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the studio. He had been falling down a tunnel of ink till he’d flown up and out of the tunnel, landing painfully on his back. Now here he lay, too stunned to do little more than blink. After a few moments, Henry remembered he had arms, and he used these arms to push himself up to a sitting position, while adjusting his glasses. Turning round, Henry saw the strange tunnel he’d just fallen through, on the floor just a foot from him. Henry had had many strange experiences in his life, but this definitely was the strangest. Even that one time Bendy had turned him into a cartoon didn’t seem so weird compared to this.

Henry got shakily to his feet, surveying his surroundings more. He was at the entrance to the studio, but Henry immediately realized it had changed. There were no sounds, no one speaking other than the whispering portal. The studio was never this quiet. There was a large amount of ink dripping from a section of the ceiling, creating a large puddle on the floorboards. That hadn’t been there this morning. What was even more peculiar was the glowing ink on the walls and floor. That definitely hadn’t been there this morning.

Henry studied this strange ink, first looking down at the large amount that seemed to have been painted across the floorboards. At the end of this long stretch of ink was written in large letters “DON’T TURN ON THE MACHINE”. Henry could only assume whoever had written this was referring to the ink machine. His eyes roved over the writing on the walls. Two sections were devoted solely to tallies. One part read “TURN BACK”, painted over a Bendy poster, and another read “I’M SORRY BUDDY”, over a Boris poster. In the room that led off from this hallway, Henry could see a large sign for Joey Drew Studios, with moving film reels behind it. Over the “Studios” part was written “NOTHING”, so that the sign seemed to read “Joey Drew nothing”. Henry couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around all he was seeing. All the writing was so ominous. Why would anyone write this in the studio? Was this even the studio he knew? Where was he?

Panic began to set in, and Henry found himself turning back to the ink tunnel; if it could send him to wherever this place was, then surely it could send him back home. As he prepared to walk back through, Henry spotted Joey’s book of dark magic lying on the ground. He remembered something had fallen into the tunnel before he did, but he hadn’t spotted it until now. Henry picked it up, and held it close to him. Suddenly this book of devilry was the most precious and comforting item in the world.

Henry took a deep breathe, about to step into the gateway, when he saw something falling through it, rising up toward him. No, not something, someone. Joey!

Joey flew threw the tunnel, arching through the air before slamming into Henry. The two men crashed to the ground, the ritual book flying from Henry’s grasp. The pain Henry felt at the collision did not override the relief and joy he felt at seeing Joey.

“Joey!” he cried, pushing his glasses back into place.

“Henry!” The older man struggled to sit up, enveloping the animator in a tight embrace the moment he did. Henry returned the hug with equal warmth, letting all of his fears melt away, even just f

or a moment, to allow himself to feel safe and comforted.

Joey pulled away from the hug first, adjusting his askew glasses, “Are you hurt?” he asked, eyeing Henry up and down.

“No. Are you?” Joey didn’t talk about it very much, but he was growing old, and falling through a tunnel and smacking into someone else before hitting the floor probably did not do his aging body any wonders.

“I’m fine.” Joey assured, attempting to stand before wincing and sinking back down, “Or at least I will be.”

Henry nodded understandingly, seating himself beside Joey. The two men sat in silence for a few seconds, allowing their nerves to settle. At last, Joey turned to Henry, his icy blue eyes wide and earnest, “I’m sorry this happened to you. I didn’t think this would - or could - happen. I should have been more careful.”

Henry smiled wanly. Joey had done a lot of what could be considered bad things in his life, such as summoning creatures from ink, but he’d never done anything with malicious intent. He always owned up to his mistakes and always tried to make amends. Sure, he was a little too careless sometimes, but it was hard for Henry to hold a grudge against the man who had given him his dream job, who was always there for him, and who he considered to be like a father to him.

“I forgive you.” Henry said, simply.

Joey searched Henry’s gaze, and, apparently concluding he’d meant what he said, smiled back.

The studio owner then eyed their surroundings, his brow furrowing, before spotting his book. He went to get up and grab it, but Henry beat him to it, and handed the book to him. Joey flipped through the pages impatiently before stopping on a page with a sketch of the ritual circle Henry had seen just minutes ago in Joey’s office.

“This’ll be our ticket home.” he said, pointing to the diagram.

“Can’t we just walk back through the tunnel?” Henry asked.

“The portal probably only works on one end, and since no one knows how to bring us back on that end, we’ll need a second ritual circle to get us back to our studio.” Henry frowned, and experimentally tried to put his hand through the tunnel they’d come through. Sure enough, some invisible barrier prevented him from doing so.

“Now all we need is ink…” Joey mused aloud. Henry knew they couldn’t just use normal ink; they needed ink directly from the ink machine. Henry glanced over at the message on the floor. “DON’T TURN ON THE MACHINE”.

“What do you make of these messages?” Henry asked, gesturing to the glowing ink surrounding them.

Joey frowned, “What messages?”

“These ones.” Henry said, gesturing again. Joey looked about them a moment before turning back to Henry, a puzzled expression on his face.

“I don’t see anything.”

Now Henry frowned, “How do you not see anything? They’re literally glowing.”

Joey continued to look confused, which irritated Henry. He didn’t like being the only one seeing the messages, seeing as how he didn’t know what that meant.

Joey’s head tilted slightly as he considered his apprentice, “What do these messages say?”

Henry explained to him all the markings he was seeing, and the older man stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Interesting…” he murmured to himself. Henry didn’t understand why Joey found it so “interesting”, but decided not to ask; he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Joey seemed to remember the whispers coming from the tunnel, and he turned slowly to face them, a look of surprise on his face.

“Is that-”

“Me? Yeah, it is.”

Joey stared at Henry silently for a moment, before turning back to the portal.

“I wish I could understand what you’re saying.”

“So do I.”

Joey stared wide-eyed at the gateway for a few more seconds, before snapping back to the matter at hand.

“Well, regardless of the warning not to, we need to turn on the ink machine in order to get home.” Joey rose slowly to his feet. He rubbed at a spot on his back, and grimaced.

“That’ll smart for awhile.” he said, half to himself. Turning to Henry, Joey smiled slightly.

“Let’s go.”

Sammy could not believe what he was seeing. Many a strange thing had happened in the years since he’d begun working at the studio, but this definitely surpassed them all. Well, apart from that one time Bendy had turned him into an ink monster for a few days, but other than that, this was definitely the strangest thing that had happened.

Susie and he stood as far away from the ink tunnel as they could without leaving the room. The whispers were still audible over here, but were not nearly as… tantalizing. Something about those whispers sounded familiar, but Sammy couldn’t place why. They also seemed to have a sort of lulling effect, and Sammy and Susie had to repeatedly stop themselves from advancing toward the gateway. At last, Sammy decided to just turn his back to the tunnel; the whispers were less prominent this way.

Darn it, Joey. He cursed to himself, Why do you have to go mucking about with this stuff?

Susie noticed Sammy’s consternation, “Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Susie gave him a knowing look, and Sammy crossed his arms. He would never, ever, say it, but he had come to actually like his boss, even though he could be a total idiot sometimes. And he’d always respected Henry for his work ethic and for the fact that he always minded his own business. The music director grudgingly admitted to himself that he cared for both of them, something Susie could understand without him having to put it into words.

“Hey, Mr. Drew!” Wally’s voice snapped Sammy from his thoughts, as did the janitor’s hurried footsteps, “Mr. Drew, there’s a pipe leak- sweet cheese!” Wally ran into the office and immediately backpedaled when he saw the tunnel, hugging the wall.

“Wh-What is that?” The janitor turned to Sammy and Susie, steadily inching closer to them.

“It’s a hole in the floor.” Sammy said drily, too disgruntled to explain.

Susie rolled her eyes at Sammy and explained the situation to a flabbergasted Wally, who had made his way over to them and stood close to Susie.

“Henry fell into this… tunnel, and Joey went to go rescue him.”

“… So, we’re just waitin’ now?” Wally asked, his eyes flicking from the tunnel to Susie and back again.

“Basically.”

Wally nodded slowly. Sammy sighed. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough already, now they had to deal with Wally. Could this day get any worse? Bendy rushed into the room. I’ve got to remember to stop asking that. The ink demon looked scared, and Sammy figured he was probably seeking Joey for protection, which he often did when Sammy was mad at him.

Bendy squeaked when he saw Sammy, made to leave, then paused when he noticed the music director wasn’t even looking at him. Cautiously, Bendy stepped into the room, squeaking again when he saw the portal on the floor.

“What happened?” he asked, his pie eyes wide, “Where’s Papa Drew?”

Susie smiled gently, crouching down so she was at eye level with Bendy to give him the news.

“He and Henry fell into that ink thing!” Wally cried. Susie turned to glare at him, while Bendy’s usually smiling mouth drooped into a frown.

“When are they comin’ back?” he asked. Sammy watched as Susie searched for an assuring answer, stuttering a bit. He decided to interject.

“They’ll be back soon.” Sammy looked down at the ink demon. Bendy looked up at him, no longer afraid of his wrath. Sammy had to admit he wasn’t really angry with him any more; too much had happened in the past several minutes.

“You’re welcome to wait for them with us.” Susie said.

Bendy nodded and seated himself, facing the portal. Sammy and Susie shared a glance, each silently asking the same question: What do we do if they don’t come back? Out of the corner of his eye Sammy saw Wally move, but was too absorbed in his thoughts to turn and look. If they don’t come back- No. I won’t think about that right now. Sammy found his hands moving to his pockets, reaching in for his cigarettes and lighter. Smoking usually helped calm his nerves.

Sliding out a cigarette and placing it in his mouth, Sammy flicked open the lighter, bringing it up to the end of his stick.

“Um, Wally, what are you doing?”

Bendy was looking behind Sammy and the music director turned to see Wally right on the edge of the ink tunnel. Oh, shoot! “Wally!”

The lighter fell from Sammy’s grasp, flipping closed, the cigarette falling to the floor as he dove for the janitor. Wally was descending into the ink and Sammy clutched his arm. Wally’s weight and the pull of the portal was too much, though, and Sammy was soon diving in as well. Dimly, he heard Susie shouting his name, felt her hands on his upper arm. Then they were all lost to the ink and whispers.

The deeper into the studio they went, the more uneasy Joey and Henry became. It was all too clear no one else was here, and hadn’t been for quite some time. However, two of the rooms off the main hallway had lights on, one of them being Sammy’s upstairs office. Music suddenly began to play from behind the door. Joey and Henry had shared a nervous glance before Joey had timidly said, “Hello?” No one answered, and the music soon stopped. They’d tried to open the door, but it was locked. Ink dripped in worrying amounts from various sections of the ceiling; Joey was surprised the ceiling was still holding up. If all this wasn’t eerie enough, Henry discovered more hidden messages. Over the directory was written “DEATH IN EVERY DiRECTION”. There was a message just beyond it, that Joey could see quite clearly. “DREAMS COME TRUE”. That was his slogan. Why had someone written his slogan on the wall in ink? Who had done it? Henry told him there was another secret message just above it that said “NOT ALL”. “NOT ALL DREAMS COME TRUE”. What did this mean?

Obviously this universe’s version of the studio was radically different from the one Joey had founded. But why? If there was an alternate studio, there must be an alternate version of him. Joey couldn’t imagine any version of him would let the studio fall into ruin; the success of the studio had always been his top priority. And what about these messages Henry was seeing? Perhaps, Joey mused to himself, Only Henry can see them because Henry wrote them. That would make sense, if it was written in magical ink. But then Joey found himself at the same question of “Why?”. Why would Henry write these messages? Who was he trying to warn, if the only other person who could read it was another Henry?

Joey shook his head. There were no concrete answers as of yet. He needed to focus on the mission at hand: getting home.

The way to the ink machine was different than their world. The area off the hallway leading to it was blocked off by what looked like a garage door. That’s not good, Joey thought, We’ll need to open it to access the switches for the machine. Instead of this hallway directly leading to the machine, it turned right, and there was a chart at the far end of the hallway labeled “Ink Output Schedule”. Joey saw that it had been signed “T.C.”. He could only assume that meant Thomas Connor. Did this studio have all the same employees as theirs? What had happened to them? Had they all quit?

They turned right, stepping over a large pipe that extended across the floor. And soon they beheld a large room, split into two levels, with them on the upper part. Chains extended down from the ceiling to the lower level. Here on the upper level was a lever, and some sort of power generator. To the left was a trunk and a shelf. A railing was placed on the other side of this level, probably to make sure no one fell. The ink machine was nowhere in sight.

Joey just stared in awe at his surroundings. He wasn’t sure why this whole area was necessary, or where the ink machine was, but it was fascinating seeing his studio designed differently.

Henry murmured something.

“What’s that?” Joey asked, absently.

“ ‘THERE NEVER WAS A CHOICE’.”

Joey frowned, turned to look at the younger man, “What?”

Henry pointed to the floor, “Another message.”

Joey instinctively looked down where Henry was pointing, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to see anything. He’d have to remember all these messages, so he could come to a conclusion later as to what they meant.

Henry walked over to the railing, looked down at the room below.

“I don’t see the machine.” The young man eyed the chains and the large hole in the floor, “Maybe it’s attached to the chains.”

Joey didn’t see the reason behind the chains needing to hold the machine. He guessed it was so that it could move to the different levels of the studio, though Joey didn’t think that was necessary.

The studio owner glanced about him, “How do we get to it…?” He eyed the lever, then the power generator.

“This lift could use a few dry cells.” Henry voiced Joey’s thoughts aloud.

“There’s one over there.” Joey went and grabbed one off the shelf. Henry checked the inside of the trunk, and withdrew another. The two men carried their loads over to the power generator, sliding them in place. Joey grabbed the lever, yanking it down. Instantly, the chains began moving as they worked to bring something up.

“Let’s see what’s hiding down there…” Henry said, quietly.

Sure enough, it was the ink machine, but not the ink machine they knew. This one was designed differently, with a pipe running down it, and an altogether sleeker look. Steam issued from either side, making Joey jump slightly. He pressed himself up against the railing, trying to get a closer look. He wondered how efficiently this ink machine ran compared to the one back in their world. Was it a newer model? Joey wanted nothing more than to study this alternate machine.

“Uh, Joey?” Henry’s voice jarred Joey’s thoughts, and he backed away. Right, right, getting home is our main priority.

The two of them headed out of the room, Joey casting glances back over his shoulder.

When they arrived back at the main hallway, Joey saw the roll up door that had closed off the area with the switches had been opened up, and the door to the breakroom had opened as well. But how? There was no one else here. At least, no one they’d seen. I’m beginning to think this place is haunted. And as the thought crossed Joey’s mind, he realized this notion wasn’t entirely not plausible.

“Come on.” he said, motioning to Henry. It wouldn’t do to dwell on things that could not be explained, as of yet. Henry glanced at Joey, before following him into the new hallway.

This section of the studio was just like their world’s studio, except for the occasional hole in the wall. Henry was glad to see not everything was changed, but it was eerie at the same time. How could two studios, so similar, be so different?

They turned right, past the desk and chair nobody ever used, towards the old break room, which was where one of the switches was and where Joey performed the ritual to curse the ink. Henry stared at the far wall, reading yet another secret message. “DON’T BE SCARED”, it read. Don’t be scared of what?

A plank of wood fell from the ceiling and clattered to the ground. It wasn’t so much the the fall itself but rather the resounding noise the plank made as it hit the floor that caused Henry to wince. Joey looked surprised, but other than that made no reaction. Henry looked back up at the writing on the wall. It was as if whoever had written it had known the wood would fall. Add that to the list of strange things that had been happening.

Henry reported the message to Joey, who paused, before nodding, telling him to keep him posted. Hopefully Joey will be able to make better sense of these messages than I can.

They reached the intersection, and Henry turned right, heading for the break room, but something caught his eye in the room to the left. He turned to look just as Joey gasped, a small cry escaping him. Henry looked into the other room and saw Boris - dead - strapped to a raised table, his rib cage splayed open with a wrench jammed between them and his eyes crossed out.

Henry could only stand there, staring at the corpse. Horror filled him, overtaking his mind. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. Boris was dead. Boris was dead.

The two men stood frozen for a few moments, until Joey stumbled forward, inexplicably drawn to the dead wolf. Henry wanted to do something, to pull him away, but his limbs refused to move. Joey approached Boris, staring up at the body. His legs could no longer carry him, and he sunk to the floor, kneeling before the corpse, his ritual book falling from his grasp. A horrible noise escaped him, and Henry realized it was a sob, a terrible, heart-wrenching sob. And suddenly Henry could move again, and he was running to and kneeling beside his boss. A golden message shone on the floor, but Henry couldn’t care less what it said.

Henry’s arms wrapped around Joey, offering what little comfort they could. Joey didn’t seem to notice, his watering blue eyes trained on Boris. Henry squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back his own tears; one of them needed to stay strong.

The two men remained in silence for what seemed an eternity, before Joey spoke, his voice low, “Who… would do this?”

Henry didn’t have an answer, and he didn’t trust his voice to speak without shaking.

Joey had finally wrenched his gaze away from Boris and was staring down at his hands, “How could I let this happen?”

Henry took a deep breath before speaking, “It’s not our Boris.”

“But he’s still Boris. There’s a Joey in this world, and he let this happen. He…” Joey’s voice broke as he covered his face with his hands.

Biting his lower lip, Henry gently withdrew his arms from around Joey, shifting himself so that he was partially facing the older man.

“Joey,” he said, softly. Joey didn’t look up. Henry breathed in slowly, calming himself before he continued, his voice stronger, “Joey, this isn’t your fault. Whoever did this, whichever Joey let this happen, is not you.” Joey continued to sob quietly into his hands.

Henry realized that no amount of comforting words would make this moment any better. Joey had just seen the disemboweled corpse of his son. Yes, this Boris wasn’t their Boris, from their world, but it was still Boris. It didn’t matter whose fault it was. Boris was still dead. His son was dead.

Scooching back beside Joey, Henry wrapped his arms about him again, and this time Joey leaned into him, giving himself to his anguish. Henry held him tighter, letting his own tears fall.

And so the two men remained, whispers echoing about them, the Boris corpse oblivious to the tears being shed for it.

Susie fought to keep herself from shivering. She was still drenched from the ink Bendy had poured on her, and the chill of this… other studio combined with the wetness set her teeth chattering. Sammy noticed this, and wrapped an arm about her, not caring that he was getting ink on his own clothes. Susie smiled at her boyfriend gratefully.

The three of them (her, Sammy, and Wally) gazed about this strange new studio. Neither Joey nor Henry were in sight; Susie hoped they were alright.

Sammy was glaring viciously at Wally, “Well, Franks, I hope you’re happy. We’re trapped in some alternate studio, with no way of getting back, and it’s all thanks to you.”

“Hey!” Wally cried indignantly, “It’s not my fault! I didn’t know the tunnel was gonna start whisperin’ at me. You guys shoulda warned me!”

“Let’s not argue.” Susie said, already sick of their bickering, “We need to find Joey and Henry.”

Sammy cast one last glare at Wally, before turning to Susie, sighing, “Let’s go, then.”

The trio had tumbled out of the portal a mere minute ago, with Wally landing first, flat on his face, Sammy landing on top of the janitor, and Susie forming the apex of their strange little tower. It had taken them some moments to regain their bearings and to disentangle themselves from each other, but they’d been quite surprised by their surroundings once they had. Now they advanced through the silent hallway leading toward the ink machine, becoming more wary with each step.

“Joey?” Susie called softly, her voice seemingly too nervous to speak louder, “Henry?”

Sammy paused when they reached his office, opening the door. It wasn’t much different from his office back in their world, with a desk taking up most of the space, a radio, and a shelf, except this shelf contained bacon soup. Nobody at their studio enjoyed bacon soup except for Bendy and Henry. How old is this stuff? Susie withdrew a can from the shelf, checked the expiration date, her eyes widening when she saw the soup had expired almost three decades ago. How long has it been since anyone worked here?

“ ‘He will set us free’?” Susie turned to see Sammy reading off a paper on his desk, brow furrowed. The music director turned to look at his girlfriend, “Did I write that?”

Susie didn’t have an answer for him. Since there was another studio, it was conceivable that there could be other versions of themselves. For some reason, the thought made the voice actress uneasy; she wasn’t sure she could handle meeting another version of herself. This studio was already so different from theirs; wouldn’t its employees be different, too?

Gently, Susie laced her arm through Sammy’s, led him out of the small space. Wally surveyed the room more closely once they’d stepped out, his eyes alighting on the small radio on the desk. Before either Susie or Sammy could protest, Wally had turned the dial. Music blared from the radio, making them all jump. Cursing, Sammy shoved past Wally and shut it off.

“Can’t you ever use your brain, Franks?” Sammy scowled at the janitor.

“I wanted to see if it still worked.” Wally said defensively, “I didn’t think it would be so loud…”

Sammy gestured to the radio, “The volume is turned all the way up, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh.” Wally looked sheepish, “Well, maybe Joey or Henry heard it.”

Or something else did. Susie shook her head, trying to ignore the fanciful notion.

The three continued to progress down the hallway, noticing the ink machine wasn’t directly at the end as it was in their studio. They were just nearing the break room when soft footsteps could be heard in the section opposite it. The three of them halted, and Susie licked her dry lips, tasting ink, before calling timidly, “Joey?”

“Susie?” Henry’s low voice made Susie sigh in relief, and she walked forward just as Henry turned the corner, Joey right behind him. Susie’s smile faltered as they neared, seeing their faces. Henry’s eyes were red rimmed, his mouth set in a tight line, as if he was trying to hold himself back from crying. Joey clearly had been crying, and his puffy, red eyes proved that. His breathing was shaky, and as he came up to meet her, Susie could see tears still sliding down his cheeks.

“Are you alright?” she asked of them immediately. Neither of them could meet her gaze.

“We’re fine.” Henry looked up at Sammy and Wally, before turning to Susie, “Why are you here?”

“We fell in by accident.” Susie explained.

“She means Wally dragged us here.” Sammy added, earning a harsh glare from Susie.

Wally crossed his arms, “I didn’t ask you to try and save me.” The voice actress tried to communicate to the two of them with her eyes that now was a very bad time to argue. Sammy caught her look, and seemed to finally notice that Joey and Henry were upset. He frowned, nudging Wally slightly before he could continue the squabble. The janitor looked confused at Sammy’s sudden silence, before he too saw the reason behind it.

Henry sighed, rubbed at his eyes beneath his glasses, “Well, we need the ink machine to get home. We were just about to start the ritual when we heard the radio turn on.”

The animator made to turn back the way he’d come, but stopped to glance at Joey. The older man hadn’t said a word, had barely even looked at them. He seemed lost in his own world, which wasn’t unusual for him. But the utterly morose look on his face wasn’t like Joey at all. He looked like he was within moments of an emotional break down.

“Joey,” Henry’s voice grew quiet as he addressed his mentor, “do you want to wait a bit?”

Joey turned to his apprentice, before drawing a long, quivering breath, “No. I want to go home.” Henry nodded, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder before walking off in the direction of the ritual room. Susie shared a confused and concerned glance with Sammy and Wally. What could Joey and Henry have seen to affect them in this manner? Susie had a sinking feeling she was about to find out.

(That’s it for now! I hope you all enjoyed this. It might be a bit too depressing for the end of the blog, but oh well. I never was good at writing fluff. Farewell, Mun! I’ll be seeing you on your art blog.)

(( Oh wow, I think this is the longest one submission i’ve ever gotten xD I like how you write the characters, you’ve got their personalities down pretty well, and even though a few people have done the ‘AU characters end up in the canon universe’ idea the whole ‘people reacting to the dead boris’ thing never gets easier to read :^) it hurts every time. if you continue to write this please feel free to @ my art blog, i’d love to see more! thanks for the fic!! <3))

#batim #bendy and the ink machine #bendy the demon #joey drew #henry batim #sammy lawrence #susie campbell #wally franks #submission #fanfic #angst #anonymous #anon

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hmel78 · 4 years

Text

In conversation with Andy Jackson ...

73 DAYS AT SEA (2016)

At the mention of ‘Pink Floyd’, people often, perhaps immediately, identify with a certain sound - you could argue that there’s nothing throughout the annals of modern music that quite matches it. Over the past 35 years, of most things pertaining to ‘Pink Floyd’, that sound has been shaped and polished to perfection with the help of Andy Jackson. As senior engineer at David Gilmour’s studios, he has also worked on all of Gilmour's solo recordings / multimedia projects ( as an engineer and/or co-producer) since 1984.

Andy Jackson’s talents, however, do not rest solely with ‘Pink Floyd’ - he has also worked with artists such as ‘Heatwave’, ’The Strawbs’, ‘The Boomtown Rats’ (most notably mixing their hit "I Don't Like Mondays"), ‘Incredible Kidda Band’and goth rock group ‘Fields of the Nephilim’– he was also guitar player in the live band version of ‘The Eden House’. Originally trained in the sound engineering profession by producer/engineer James Guthrie, at Utopia Studios, Andy served as his assistant for several years, and began work as an engineer for Pink Floyd in 1980 - assisting in the recording of the performances of “The Wall” at Earls Court ; He was also the Front of House engineer on the band's 1994 world tour. Jackson also engineered Roger Waters' first solo album “The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking”, and worked Front of House on the subsequent tour in 1984. As Guthrie's assistant, Andy worked on the film soundtrack recordings for “The Wall” and the studio album “The Final Cut”. When Guthrie relocated to Los Angeles, Andy became the band's primary engineer beginning with “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”, and then “The Division Bell”; receiving three Grammy Award nominations for Best Engineered Album - for ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’ - and Best Engineered / Best Surround Sound album - for ‘The Division Bell’.

In collaboration with engineer Damon Iddings, Andy remastered the majority of the bonus features material on the Immersion editions of “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish You Were Here” for the "Why Pink Floyd...?" reissue campaign ; plus the material recorded for the soundtrack to the band's 1992 auto racing documentary film “La Carrera Panamericana”, as well as engineering, producing, AND playing bass on two of the tracks on their last album “Endless River”, in 2014. Inbetween times, Andy continues to work on his own solo albums - his debut “Signal To Noise” received nothing but rave reviews, and his latest release “73 Days At Sea” looks to be achieving more of the same. We caught up with Andy, on one of his rare hours off ...

HR : When we spoke in 2014, about your debut album “Signal To Noise”, you hinted that one day there may be a second offering of songs - and here it is! “73 Days At Sea”. It’s a truly incredible album Andy, are you happy with it? Andy Jackson : Thanks! I’m sure for anyone involved in any creative process, there’s always a degree of doubt - could it be better? Having said that, I’ve learnt over the years that there is a point where you have to put it away, accept that you are into microscopic changes that no one but yourself will perceive. I feel pretty comfortable that the album was the best I had in me at that time. The next one will be better! HR : What came first this time, the music or the lyrics?

AJ : One of the things that I decided last time, on ”Signal To Noise”, was that I wouldn’t record anything that wasn’t finished being written, having seen at first hand (many times) the pitfalls of recording backing tracks with no idea what the song is vocally. That is, after all, the single most important element. I didn’t change my opinion about that this time. There again, I can’t say necessarily that anything came first. I tend to knock around lyrical ideas & musical ideas independently, and at some point it becomes clear that one particular lyric belongs with a particular piece of music. Then the evolution starts, when the two things become interactive. I do allow myself to start on a piece without the lyrics necessarily being totally finished, not least of all, all sorts of minor tweaks are needed once I actually start to sing them, just to make them scan well. HR : Across both albums, some of your song writing is quite personal - although I’m sure many listeners will connect with your philosophy, and the snapshots of your life experiences that are shared in the songs. Do you listen to them and hear your heart on your sleeve, or do you just hear some really great music? AJ : I’ve tried writing from other perspectives, but it always feels like I’m being dishonest. I don’t think that, that is something that can’t be done - Plenty of great writers write about things outside themselves, I just don’t find that I can do that. ‘The Gyre’ is a good example - I originally wrote it from a totally different perspective, but in the end it felt contrived, and I needed to write it from the perspective of ‘me’. The ‘me’ isn’t necessarily totally me, but I just like writing in the first person. Drownings is a bit of a departure that way, that has bits written as other people, but even then, I needed to totally get under their skin to do it, including a section which I ‘method improvised’, ad lib’d in character.

It’s in my nature to listen to the music primarily, but if I’m going to write lyrics I want them to be worthwhile, I want to be able to read them as if they are someone else’s and to like them.

HR : Has making the recordings somehow aided your own ‘journey’? AJ : Absolutely. It’s in the act of making them, of doing things that are difficult, that the value lies. “Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort” -Theodore Roosevelt. HR : The songs on “73 Days At Sea” are linked by a theme - primarily the ocean ... Was the inspiration down to a lifelong affinity with being beside the sea - say, a love of eating ice-cream in the salty air - are they musings, or is there a deeper connection?

AJ : As I allude to on the album notes, it comes from spending a bit of time working next to the sea at David Gilmour’s studio. I kept feeling a sense of nostalgia when ever I left there, as if it were somewhere that was significant in my past, which it isn’t. I wrote about that in a song (Type 1 error) and found that I kept making reference to the sea in lyrics, without necessarily realising I was doing it until afterwards. I thought about a suite of songs linked by the sea, but it kept getting bigger & bigger, until it became the whole album. I went down onto the beach one day & recorded the waves, which made a lovely link between songs. There is no huge significance to it really, or maybe there is on an unconscious level, I can’t know ... HR : Do you have a favourite track on the album? AJ : Same answer as everyone gives – they’re all my babies! I actually have a fondness for the segue of songs that start the album, that’s the original ‘sea suite’ and works well as the Soft Machine Volume 2 inspired idea. ‘The Gyre’ was the last one I wrote & recorded, and is probably the most sophisticated musically, so I’m proud of that one too. The best one is always the next one though, so you’ll have to wait for that! HR : “Drownings” is nothing short of a masterpiece ; some may pick up on a bit of a ‘Pink Floyd’ vibe - would you embrace that comparison? AJ : People are inevitably always going to hear ‘Pink Floyd’ in what I do. I often wonder if chance had meant that my career was most associated with, say, ‘Genesis’ or ‘King Crimson’ or even ‘Steve Hillage’, if people would say I sounded like that. Frankly I don’t worry about it, I just make music I like.

HR : I’m curious about the significance of the dates, detailed alongside the lyrics in the booklet ...

AJ : The dates in ��Drownings’ really serve to help understand the chronology in the song. I thought of Part 1, Part 2 etc (although not in that order), but I like the dates as it makes it like diary entries. I also ended up with having 2 of the sections being the same date, but from different perspectives, which I like, what 2 different people are thinking at the same time. The specifics of the dates are arbitrary, although I did look them up to make sure they were all mundane dates, so they all feel like rainy Tuesdays.

HR : “Signal To Noise” was a complete solo effort, but you invited some guest artists to perform on “73 Days At Sea”; namely David Jackson from ‘Van Der Graaf Generator’, and Anne Marie Helder from ‘Panic Room’, who both feature on ‘Drownings’ - did you envisage their involvement from the beginning? AJ : No, it evolved as I was making the song, and for different reasons. Once ‘Drownings’ became written from the different perspectives of the people in it, it became obvious that I needed to have a female voice to sing the female role (there is a version with me singing it, but it’s a bit ridiculous). Anne-Marie came about just because I knew her work and thought she’d be good, so I asked her, simple as that. David Jackson was just because I have always been a huge fan of his playing, and thought it’d be great to have him on the song. If he’d said no I wouldn’t have got a different sax player, it was specific to David. Again it was just a matter of asking him. I definitely envisage doing something with David again, on the next album probably ...

HR : Did ALL of your guitars make it onto this album? AJ : No they didn’t this time. It was a much more limited palate than I used before, somewhat deliberately. Pretty much one electric (which was new for me, a PRS with P90s), one for slide, a 12 string electric and one 6 string and one 12 string acoustic. No real reason, just keeping it simpler this time, there’s a bit of trying to give it a ‘band’ feel to the album, even though it’s 4 incarnations of me. HR : The cover artwork on both “Signal To Noise”, and “73 Days At Sea” are pieces by Michael Bergt, and they’re an absolutely perfect fit - how did you come across his work? What is it about his art that you admire? AJ : It was a chance find when I was doing Signal to noise. I googled for ‘Sisyphus’, while writing the lyrics to ‘One More Push’, and the painting that I used on the cover for that album came up. It immediately struck me as perfect for the album cover, so I emailed Michael and asked him. He was more than happy for me to use it, and for a very minimal price. It seemed obvious to go back to him again for 73 days at sea. If anything, I think that one is even better & more appropriate. One fluke is the balloon in that painting, I already had the instrumental piece called ‘Ballooning’ (in fact that’s a very old piece of music & was always called that). Couldn’t be more perfect! I should mention the ‘barbie on the beach’ picture, which I love, was kindly provided by you!!

HR : [laughs] Indeed! I feel very honoured ...

AJ : I had a conversation with Anne-Marie about the fact that, as ‘cottage industry’ artists, we end up doing our own artwork, with no Storm Thorgerson type bringing in brilliant ideas & craftsmanship. Makes the whole thing even more ‘mine’ though.

HR : Totally - and it is perfect. I think you get a real sense of how much of YOU has gone into the whole album ; the sound, and the way the physical copies look. Both of them - you should be incredibly proud! Since we last caught up, you’ve worked on David Gilmour’s latest album “Rattle That Lock” - it’s quite an eclectic album, was it demanding to record?

AJ : It was a slightly odd album to work on. The way David works these days, he does a lot of work of putting the songs together on his own. We’ve set up the Brighton studio so he can come in & tinker and record anything he likes. I get brought in when we do the ‘serious bits’. This was doubly unusual inasmuch as we broke off this album to do ‘Endless River’, so it was a couple of years between my first stint on it, recording drums with Steve, to the final overdubs and mix. In the middle, David had built the album, so I came into half finished songs that I didn’t know. One of the issues that many ‘big stars’ have is that no one is prepared to tell them that anything they do is no good. That’s not a problem for me, we’ve worked together for 35 years now. He really needs someone to be able to say yes/ no do it again, let’s drop in this bit and so on, which is a role that I do for him. As ever, with Protools sprawl, the toughest thing was that in the end some of the songs were 120 tracks or so, just because it’s so easy to defer decisions. Took a bit of sorting out!! HR : What projects have you got lined up for the coming year - are you planning a 3rd solo album? Any live shows?

AJ : Well I’m halfway through a stint on a project I can’t really talk about. Let me just say it’s a whole heap of archive recordings for a well known band who I’m associated with!

As for my own music, when I get the time I’ll start on my next project. I want to explore a particular dynamic I have in mind. I’ve often thought that in recording or rehearsing situations I’ve been in, either working with others or as part of a band, sometimes someone will play something that I think is great, and that everything else should be built around that thing, to let it be the most important thing. Too often I see that idea lost, buried under other people’s opinions or lack of vision. As, with my own music, I am in the position of being able to make all the choices, I have the opportunity to absolutely follow my vision. I’m going to try a methodology of working with other people (such as David Jackson) and giving them the chance to be the defining element on something (by being ‘first’). Hopefully this way I can get an album that is made of extraordinary things.

Live shows, I don’t know. It’d need to coalesce into a band really for that to be viable. I’d like to do it one day, but who knows when.

[Andy spotted one of my more bizarre photos one day, and it features within the inlay booklet artwork of 73 Days At Sea]

#pinkfloyd #davidgilmour #andyjackson #soundengineer #cherryred #cherryredrecords

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thegraytalon-blog · 5 years

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Top 13 Console Video Games of Generation 8 (2012 – 2019)

Intro/Overview:

Hey everyone, The Gray Talon here, setting his sights on yet another unsuspecting prey and TODAY we are going to be talking and discussing the top 13 console video games of the current console generation. And why 13 some of you may be asking? Because the Gray Talon strikes with all of his 13 claws! Yes, he is that meta.

So I know for my first list here it’s quite a broad choice, seeing as though we are about a little over 6 years strong into this cycle of console video games. I’m going to do my best here to be as unbiased as I can be, broadening my gaming palette and bringing to you the top 13 titles that I have played in it’s entirety over the past 6 years and felt stood out to me in terms of presentation, performance and overall replay value. And in terms of replay value, I don’t necessarily mean a physical replay value, but rather I ask “Does this game stick around either physically or mentally that resonated with me in the long run?” Another thing to keep in mind is that I am a tremendous fan of narratives and games heavily focused on story, which will play a factor in my list as well as I try to remain unbiased as possible, I do hold a soft spot for games with a focus on a good tale and character development alike. This list will also try to stray away from remasters, such as The Last of Us for PS4 for example that is a port of a previous generation title without changing anything other than graphics and some technical performance such as framerate. I will be refraining from listing any Indie games as well as I feel those games have become so prominent over the past few years, that they deserve the respect of having their own special list. And lastly, expect a lot of honorable mentions at the end of the video, because selecting a mere 13 games from a list of some amazing games from over 6 years was increasingly difficult. And yes, as you may have guessed, expect some SPOILERS AHEAD!

So without further delay, let’s get started!

Number 13:

Nier: Automata – PS4 – (March 17th 2017 initial release)

What do you get when you combine a pseudo post-apocalyptic android world with, well, this guy (show Yoko Taro pic)? A beautiful recipe of some of the most brilliant forms of mind-fuckery since the likings of Hideo Kojima first tried to scramble our brains when Pyscho Mantis read off our game save files in Metal Gear Solid on the Playstation. In this hack and slash with light RPG elements, dive headfirst into a deep and dark narrative, focused on the concept of humanoid replicant androids and sentient robots developing emotions, feelings and even their own personal ideologies, while trying to combat armies of machine robots from distant worlds. It’s one part Blade Runner, one part Matrix, and all parts awesome. Plus it’s made by Platinum Games, the developer’s of Bayonetta and the original Devil May Cry. So if that’s not enough incentive to immediately run out and play this game, I’m not sure what will convince you.

Number 12:

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor – PS4/XB1 – September 30th 2014

Well, this game surely came out of left field, but it sure was a sight for sore eyes. Developed by Monolith Studios, who were responsible for the successful F.E.A.R. games and piggybacking off of the success of the Batman Arkham series, Middle Earth provides some of the most fluid combat and free flowing action since the Arkham titles, indeed, only much, much more brutal. We’re talking more decapitations than the entire Game of Thrones series has accomplished. The story is the other half of the reason why this made my list. It tells the tale of the creation of the ring of power that led to the evil lord Sauron’s rise as you fight within the realm of Mordor before the events that transpired in Lord of the Rings or even The Hobbit as you take on the role of Tallion, a brave and noble ranger who once met his demise and is now joined with a wraith on a quest for vengeance against those who were responsible for his family’s death. A simple quest for revenge will snowball into quite a journey as you build up your armies by capturing orcs and lead the fight back against the evil forces of Sauron. If you’re a fan of action games with a sprinkle of Assassin’s Creed like platforming, then this will be a match made in heaven, or in this case, the hellish land of Mordor.

Number 11:

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – PS4/XB1 – September 1st 2015

In this final true entry in the Metal Gear Solid series from the renown mind of famed game writer and director, Hideo Kojima, you take on the role of Big Boss from the 80’s. After waking from a 9 year coma following the events of Ground Zeroes, you free roam the vast Afghanistan plains during the Soviet-Afghan war to track down those responsible for the destruction of your old mercenary group, Military Sans Frontieres. Along with returning compadre in arms and once rival, Ocelot, prepare yourself as you take on a slew of missions to uncover the truth about the plot leading to the creation of a new Metal Gear that could potentially destroy the world. The game is fun and addictive, giving you access to an array of dozens of missions and hundreds of side ops alike, ranging from action to stealth as you infiltrate bases, rescue civilians and soldiers, gather intel and take down enemy artillery. You get support characters too such as a dog and Quiet the sniper, who will come in more than useful to you along your journey. And if you stick to it until the very end, you will not be sorry as the saga of Snake comes to a head and a somewhat emotional conclusion too, knowing the history behind the series, legacy and even controversial drama leading up to the inevitable parting of ways with Konami and Hideo Kojima.

Number 10:

Resident Evil 2 (Remake) – PS4/XB1 – January 25th 2019

I know this game just came out a month ago, but I just had to sneak it onto my list here. It was just such a prestigious remake and I know I said I would not include remasters on my list, but this is not your average remaster. It is a complete rebuild of a 21 year old game from the ground up, completely reimagining the horrors and terrors, fusing together the elements of what made the original Resident Evil trilogy truly frightening with the beloved camera and controls of Resident Evil 4. Fear lurks around every turn in tandem with some intense action sequences. There are numerous campaigns to play through as well, 4 in total if you count Leon and Claire’s A and B sides. I am going to link my video review in the description as well for more information and greater detail. It truly is a match made in heaven, or at the very least, a match made in the depth of the darkest labs of the Umbrella Corporation.

Number 9:

Horizon: Zero Dawn – PS4 – February 8th 2017

From the developers of Killzone, yes that’s right my young padawans, Killzone, the first person shooter Playstation exclusive series, comes a third person adventure set in a beautifully rendered, lush, post-apocalyptic world with a vivacious and ambitious tale revolving around sentient feral like machines, with resemblance to prehistoric creatures that lived millions of years ago.. You take on the role of Aloy, a fierce female warrior from the 31st century tribe called the Nora. After proving herself when she becomes of age, she obtains an augmented reality device called Focus and after being attacked for looking like a scientist from the old world, she then embarks on a journey that leads to her uncovering quite an incredible story behind the creation of the cybernetic creatures that roam the landscape. The gameplay focuses on a myriad of weapon crafting for your arsenal of spears, bows and quivers, ranging from high end explosives to mines and traps. Crafting plays a big role in the game too as you must gather resources in the environment to build up your ever growing arsenal. Also you can free flow using platforming techniques and zip line from all over the huge map. The game feels like a robust and futuristic Tomb Raider and should not be missed of anyone that is a fan of an empowering action/adventure game mixed in with an interesting narrative along the way.

Number 8:

Dark Souls III – PS4/XB1 – April 12th 2016

Return to Lothric one last time to kindle the bonfires as you set out on a harrowing journey to take on Kiln of the First Flame! You are the Ashen one and must return the Lords of Cinder to their rightful thrones while embarking in a wonderfully interconnected medieval world, littered with brazen creatures, shortcuts, secrets and treasures alike. Well, in case you haven’t guessed, I am a pretty huge fan of the Souls series and the third and final entry in the series is no slouch. With dozens of David and Goliath like boss fights and some challenging sub-boss battles, go it alone or bring 2 other lost souls to team up in co-op as you fight for survival. Experience a variety of builds per class. Become a heavy brute and pound foes into the ground with that sweet ultra greatsword or take on the role of a cleric to zap opponents from afar with spells and hexes. The combinations of character builds are nearly endless and the replay value is incredibly high as you level up to be able to withstand the might of the overbearing world of Lothric. The mechanics are the most fluid and the game’s speed almost resembles From Software’s Bloodborne at times. Plus, with Hidetaka Miyazaki-san returning to direct this time around, it truly feels like the definitive Dark Soul experience. Any fan of hardcore action/RPG’s will be right at home here.

Number 7:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Switch/Wii U – March 3rd 2017

We return to the ever enchanting land of Hyrule as the heroic Link to embark on yet another tale to once again purge the evil that Ganon has loomed over the land. In this first truly open world Zelda game, you really can feel the utmost sense of wanderlust as you feel the need to explore every nook and cranny of the vast landscape, which seemingly has no limitations whatsoever. That is the biggest draw of this particular Zelda game. The liberating sensation to do almost anything you can imagine, whether it be collecting ingredients to sizzle over a frying pan to cook up that next concoction to withstand the extreme cold of the uncharted Hebra valleys or the intense heat of the Goron volcanic mountain ranges, or climbing up the side of a thousand foot wall to try and reach the top without running out of stamina. The world is truly your oyster here and you can even take on Ganon right out the gate, although I highly recommend you don’t unless you’re some kind of Hylian sorcerer. And lastly, the shrines in the game which provide upgrades either to your stamina or hearts by solving puzzles, are possibly the most addictive part of this game. You will have to literally pry yourself away from the game as you scour the land, high and low, seeking out those hidden little caves of wonders.

Number 6:

Super Mario: Odyssey – Switch – October 27th 2017

When I first saw the gameplay trailer for the latest 3D Mario title, I knew instantaneously that it would be fun, but I did not realize it would be possibly the best 3D Mario game I would have ever experienced. My all time favorite 3D Mario game is, by quite the unpopular opinion, Super Mario Sunshine. I was glamoured by the freedom of roaming from world to world in tandem with being the sole member of a clean up crew tasked with ridding Isle Delfino with that grimy, inky substance. Plus the normal Mario platforming levels were fun to boot. But now, in Super Mario Odyssey, everything is dialed up to 11 in the Mushroom Kingdom realm. I mean, you can become a freakin’ T-Rex with an Italian mustache for crying out loud by the simple toss of a hat! Or don the fierce and angry explosive power of a mustached Bullet Bill. Or launch yourself as a Chomp-Chomp to breakdown barriers and obstacles in your path. Plus, the 2D sections are a serious retro nod to Mario games of the time of olde and transition seamlessly from 3D to 2D as you might expect. Lastly, the freaking addiction for shines, well moonshines, this time around becomes real as you pretty much sell your plumbing soul for a shot at getting all of them per world.

Number 5:

Bloodborne – PS4 – March 21st 2015

From Software really knocked this one hit wonder out of the park. From the makers of the Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls games, comes a dark, gothic title with a dee and, mythic lore. As a hunter of beasts, try to purge the plague from the land as you fight back against creatures of folklore such as Lycans, Trolls and Cthulhu type monsters. A game that forces you to face your fears and strike back in the face of towering difficulty and strife in a fast paced, hardcore action/RPG that will cause your blood to boil at times with intense combat sequences, leaving your heart pounding and yearning for more and if you strike back quickly enough you may just regain health after being hit with the regain feature as well. This was my first From Software game that I not only played through once, but twice on it’s new game plus mode as I was consumed within the Hunter’s Dream in the far away land of Yharnam, so it will forever have a special place in my heart.

Number 4:

The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt – PS4/XB1 – May 19th 2015:

Well, if it wasn’t for the finale of good ol’ Geralt of Rivia here coming out in 2015, Bloodborne would have been my GOTY (Game of the Year), but, alas, once The Wild Hunt dropped into The Gray Talon’s claws, they were clenched for what felt like an eternity. If anyone asked me what my all time favorite action/RPG is of this generation that is the complete package, the gaming Oscar would go to The Witcher III each and every time. The level of detail present in this game cannot simply be put into words. While the graphics themselves may not be up to par with other games of this generation, the attention to detail in the beautifully crafted Continent Geralt is on is astounding to say the least. For example, you;’ll just be walking into town minding your own business when you’ll happen to notice out of the corner of your eye a water wheel connected to an turnstile system with flowing water that if you follow it closely you’ll begin to see how the irrigation system of that specific town works. The game is just that damn intricate. Not to mention the plethora of quests you can do ranging from aiding warring empires, which makes you feel like you’re playing the unofficial Game of Thrones game, to slaying beasts of burden whilst concocting tonics and potions like the true Witcher you are. Plus the downloadable content is probably better than the main story too, which is possibly the first time that’s ever happened and must be experienced that gives Geralt of Rivia the true ending he so rightfully deserves.

Number 3:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – PS4 – May 10th 2016

Now that we have gotten into the final big three here, I want to remind everyone that the next three games have been personally chosen because of their heavy and robust focus on delivering a strong narrative, which is my one true Achilles’ heel. The final chapter in the Nathan Drake saga goes out with such a beautiful bang, I damn near had to play through it twice just to soak up all of its memorable moments. Everyone from the previous three games returns and in a glorious fashion to boot. From fast paced motorcycle chases in the Middle East to traversing the Sahara by jeep to hike and climb up mountain trails, this final chapter does not pull its punches for anything. There’s even one part of the game where you feel like you’re freaking James Bond, pulling off a heist in an exotic locale that ends in an Indiana Jones infused madness of swinging from whips and ropes through a series of windows and objects to make your daring escape. The Uncharted series to me always felt like a modern day Indiana Jones anyway, which does not disappoint when it is doing what it does best. Exploring mystical lands in hopes of finding famous treasures left behind by legends of the past that usually end with high octane explosions, chases and perilous escapes from life threatening scenarios. Also the story has charm and heart, leaving you more than satisfied more and more with each entry in the series leading to the conclusion in which you cannot help have a smile on your face. The game even ends in a way that the esteemed developer Naughty Dog can even pick up at any time they want in the future. It’s brilliant writing like this that should be commended, recognized and put high up on a pedestal to be praised, such as now in this list.

Number 2:

Red Dead Redemption II – PS4/XB1 – October 26th 2018

If I was making a top list of games for last generation, Red Dead Redemption 1 would have been my top game hands down. In no way, shape or form would I have ever imagined that it’s numbered sequel would also make another top tiered game for me in this present day and age. The critically acclaimed developer, Rockstar Games, once again tantalizes and does not disappoint with their newest title. Set approximately 15 years before the events of Red Dead Redemption, the sequel, or prequel rather, sets you into the high top post 19th century boots of Arthur Morgan, right hand man to Dutch Van Der Linde as they all try to learn to adapt to the new 20th century American lifestyle and leave the criminal life behind…or do they? The snowball effect is immensely present as you struggle to survive the onslaught from one bad move to another that Dutch makes for his gang. Without spoiling too much, I will just say to ready those Kleenex, because for those of you who played the first game know, expect one teary eyed ending once again, in both the good, the bad and the ugly. Another reason why this game holds my second place slot securely is because of yet again it’s exasperating attention to detail. If Witcher III was so refined in showcasing the intricate workings of a wooden water wheel, then get ready to completely crap your pantsuit as Red Dead Redemption II dials the attention to detail up to 11, possibly even 12 as they turn it into an obsession to detail with such things as going as far as making a horse’s private parts grow or shrink depending on what climate you are presently in on the map. You can also become dirty and need a bath after traveling for many in game hours along with growing hair and facial hair in real time that can grow as long as a rock star and look like Odin from Asgard if enough time passes. Plus, there are some random encounters that are just as emotional as some of the story segments and can pop up at any given and unprompted time. In terms of the core gameplay, you’re a gunslinger in third person (but there is also a first person option) and use a slow motion deadeye mechanic to carefully pick apart your foes. Take to riding horseback and even carriages to soak up what remains of the old west. Overall this is a game not to be missed by any means necessary and some parts of it’s illustrious and gritty tale will stick with me in my mind until the last day I draw breath.

Number 1:

God of War – PS4 – April 20th 2018

From Sony Santa Monica Studios and the ingenious mind of the game’s writer and director Corey Balrog, comes the likes of something we have never bore witness to. A video game franchise that was 13 years old had been completely and utterly transformed and reconstructed from the ground up to feel so fresh and new yet retaining enough familiarity with beloved antihero Kratos and the rich lore found in his previous titles. What shocks and awes me first about this game is while the setting and lore completely shifted to that of Viking mythology, it somehow manages to keep the focus on the weight burden of Kratos and his actions that he has carried over after leaving the ravaged lands of Ancient Greece behind. Kratos not only carries with him a now repressed curse of his choices, but is left with a son as well. (THE BOY!!!) Shortly after losing his wife and mother of his child, Kratos sets off on a simple journey with his son to scatter his mother’s ashes atop a summit on a snowy mountain. However, little did they know the perilous adventure that awaited them. The new God of War delivers such an emotional performance from Kratos with several call backs to previous games in ways that slowly build up and shape his character arc even more than imaginable. He goes from suppressing the all too well known Spartan rage to slowly unleashing it by the journey’s end in ways quite unfathomable. The core gameplay has been completely redesigned as well. The new camera provides a more focused over the shoulder angle and each swing of that ever so faithful Leviathan Axe has an extreme presence as you bear dominance over your foes. Plus, the callback feature of the axe where you press the action button and axe comes flying back into your hands like you’re flipping Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader never gets tiring. There’s a light focus on upgrading your armor and gear this time around too, where the focus is not just weapon or magic upgrading but finding the rarest pieces of armor that scale to your level so you can go toe to toe with some of Norse mythologies most relentless of foul beasts. This title also won many GOTY for 2018 awards and rightfully so. It has achieved so much and deserves such acknowledgement for breathing a new form of life into this once aging franchise. This is my number 1 game of this generation thus far and while this console generation is not yet laid to rest, I will find it increasingly difficult for the Ghost of Sparta to be toppled anytime soon.

Conclusion:

So there you have it folks. This was The Gray Talon’s top 13 games of this console generation. Thank you tremendously for watching as always. Please share and like this video and please subscribe so you don’t miss out on the latest content from The Gray Talon’s lair. And finally, please find the honorable mentions listed below:

1. Infamous: Second Son – PS4 – 3/21/2014

2. Bayonetta 2 – Wii U – 10/24/2014

3. Sunset Overdrive – XB1 – 10/28/2014

4. Yakuza 0 – PS4 – 3/12/2015

5. Batman: Arkham Knight – PS4/XB1 – 6/23/2015 – (Honorable Mention)

6. Rise of the Tomb Raider – XB1 - 11/10/2015

7. Far Cry: Primal – PS4/XB1 – 2/19/2016 – (Honorable Mention)

8. Doom – PS4/XB1 – 5/13/2016 – (Honorable Mention)

9. Titanfall 2 – PS4/XB1 – 10/28/2016 (Honorable Mention)

10. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – PS4 – 8/8/2017

11. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – PS4/XB1 – 10/27/2017 – (Honorable Mention)

12. Detroit: Become Human – PS4 – 5/25/2018 – (Honorable Mention)

13. Octopath: Traveler – Switch – 7/13/2018 – (Honorable Mention)

14. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise – PS4 – 10/2/2018

15. Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee – Switch – 11/16/2018 – (Honorable Mention)

#video games #top list #list #nerd #geek #playstation #xboxone #nintendo switch

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barbosaasouza · 6 years

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Dark Souls Remastered Review: YOU DEFEATED Poor Frame Rates

There’s something deeply addictive about the intricate and mysterious world of Dark Souls. The delicate balance between difficulty and cruelty, the sense of dread and impending doom around each corner, and the elation of seeing the words “VICTORY ACHIEVED” are what made the original the jewel it continues to be today. Now that Dark Souls Remastered is here, I got the opportunity to return to the world I fell in love with back in November of 2011, this time with improved resolution and a silky smooth 60fps.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past seven years and have never heard of Dark Souls, the series is renowned for its difficulty, quasi-open-world design, boss fights, medieval weaponry and magic-based combat. Players are taught – through hardship and pain – to be patient and look for an opening instead of swinging their weapon wildly.

Dark Souls Remastered comes seven years after the game originally launched and a little over a year after the release of The Ringed City, the final piece of downloadable content for Dark Souls 3 and the epic conclusion to the Souls series. Unlike Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, Dark Souls Remastered does not include updated enemy placement, altered enemy attacks, or new items. What it does include is an updated resolution (native 4K on PC, 4K upscaled from 1080p on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro), 60fps in all areas (even Blighttown), UI scaling, new particle and lighting effects, dedicated servers, password matchmaking, 1-6 person multiplayer (in specific areas), a new bonfire near Vamos, and finally, the Dried Fingers have been moved.

The first time I booted up Dark Souls Remastered on my Xbox One, the changes were immediately obvious. The body Oscar kicks down into the cell flaunted the new particle effects as it waited for me to pick up the key. I opened the cell door and then I was off. A quick stop to collect my pyromancy glove, kick the Asylum Demon to the dirt, and catch a feathered Uber down to Lordran – and it was all gloriously smooth.

Three hours later, after dispatching the first few bosses – and a side trip to Darkroot Basin to collect the Grass Crest Shield and Wolf Ring – I was standing at the entrance to Blighttown, thinking back on all the lost frames in this area on Xbox 360. Sure, I could have taken the back route through Valley of Drakes with my Master Key, but I wanted the authentic Blighttown experience. The only thing is, I didn’t get it. Blighttown now runs at a higher frame rate, and manages to keep it locked there, an experience entirely unlike the original game.

As for the multiplayer component of Dark Souls Remastered, it’s still just as intense as it was all those years ago. Invaders now have the distinct advantage of being able to use Estus Flasks, which is helpful for those who face gank squads looking to stomp on people. However this acts as a double-edged sword, as it always low-level invaders to further stomp on early-game players who have limited experience. This is slightly concerning, as invaders – especially for newer players – can be exceptionally difficult to dispatch at the best of times. However, now that Dark Souls boasts dedicated servers, it will hopefully be easier to find a friendly summon to assist, only time will tell. As for how it feels, much like the rest of the game, the asynchronous multiplayer ìs buttery smooth, thanks in part to the extra frames as well as the dedicated servers.

Memories so often make fools of us. Games look prettier and play smoother in our memories, and when confronted with the reality of a game we used to play, it can be a rude shock. This is why it’s nice to jump into Dark Souls Remastered and play through the game, just with the rough edges of the frame rates smoothed down into something bearable. It’s not a huge change, but it’s enough to make it feel significantly better.

Unfortunately, the remaster couldn't sand away all the coarseness, as some elements of Dark Souls remain clunky. Combat can still be slightly sluggish at times, especially after the improvements made in the sequels. The first time I tried to drink an Estus while avoiding a boss attack led to immediate embarrassment as my character came to a complete standstill to take a drink and was promptly smashed into the ground. I had grown soft from the advancements seen in Dark Souls 2 and 3. Furthermore, the Havok engine is still as hilariously glitchy as it was all those years ago. Dead bodies still fall through the ground and get tangled together in a mass of writhing flesh. It was charming, in a Dark Souls sort of way.

Ultimately, players will split into two camps: those who expected more from the remaster and those who just wanted 4K resolution running at a higher frame rate and will otherwise be happy with what’s on offer. Anyone who was anticipating a Scholar of the First Sin situation has not been paying attention, as this is simply the Dark Souls from the beginning of the decade. The experience is still as you remember, the characters you meet on the undead pilgrimage still tell a harrowing tale, and the trials and tribulations of Dark Souls will still ignite a fire in the bellies of those who crave it.

Dark Souls Remastered manages to capture the essence of the Dark Souls experience, primarily because this is exactly the same game that debuted way back in 2011, just this time everything is in gorgeous 4K, and everything runs at 60fps – even Blighttown.

This review is based on a download code for Xbox One provided by the publisher. Dark Souls Remastered is available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and will be available later this year on Nintendo Switch.

Dark Souls Remastered Review: YOU DEFEATED Poor Frame Rates published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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andimallouttabubblegum · 7 years

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It was 20 years ago today…

Album: Be Here Now Band: Oasis Release Date: 21st August 1997 Produced by: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher Label: Creation

Track Listing: 1. D’You Know What I Mean? (7:42) 2. My Big Mouth (5:02) 3. Magic Pie (7:19) 4. Stand By Me (5:56) 5. I Hope, I Think, I Know (4:22) 6. The Girl In The Dirty Shirt (5:49) 7. Fade In-Out (6:52) 8. Don’t Go Away (4:48) 9. Be Here Now (5:13) 10. All Around The World (9:21) 11. It’s Gettin’ Better Man(!!) (7:00) 12. All Around The World (Reprise) (2:08)

What’s the most hyped you’ve ever been for something? Did you binge watch 6 seasons of Game of Thrones for the new episodes? Perhaps you watched The Avengers a dozen times in the cinema because your favourite Marvel heroes were actually on the big screen together? Or maybe you queued up for the midnight release of one of the latter Harry Potters or Call of Dutys. Well, add all of that together and you get some idea of how much a young James was looking forward to Be Here Now in 1997. So, on the twentieth anniversary of its release, I’ve decided to give it another listen, and to give you my thoughts.

First, just a little bit of background first for those who didn’t experience Britpop in the flesh. I’m not going to do the full history of Oasis or 90s British music, but the release of Definitely Maybe in 1994 had marked out Oasis as something very special, becoming the biggest selling debut album in the UK. Anthemic songs like “Supersonic”, “Cigarettes and Alcohol” and “Live Forever” crossed over to capture a bunch of fans who connected with the Gallagher brothers and the motley crew of Mancunians – if that isn’t too patronising to say! Then, a “feud” with Blur caught the imagination of parts of the media, and the release of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? moved them into the mainstream, going to number 1 in the album charts for 10 full weeks. Although the music press didn’t particularly like it, as Paolo Hewitt said in the sleeve notes “In this town the jury is always rigged but the people know. They always know the truth. Believe. Belief. Beyond. Their morning glory.” This was an album of the people.

The Gallagher boys’ rock star antics (Noel quiting the band and Liam missing the start of an American to buy a house with Patsy Kensit) just built Oasis’ popularity, and a couple of concerts at Knebworth saw them play to 250,000 fans over 2 days in August 1996. So when it came to the release of Oasis’ third album, Be Here Now, anticipation was at fever pitch. Songs like “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and “Wonderwall” had become instant classics (still being played by annoying guys at parties to this day), but what could Noel Gallagher produce this time?

The first single from Be Here Now was “D’You Know What I Mean?”, released on 7th July 1997, was a huge number 1, selling 370,000 copies in its first week, one of which was to me. That’s right, this was the first single I ever bought.

“D’You Know What I Mean” is a very good song… that is about three and a half minutes long. It sounds very different from anything that Oasis had done before, yet still had the familiar hallmarks of a big chorus and Beatles references. But mainly, it had an ambition which further fueled my excitement for the upcoming album, which arrived on Thursday 21st August 1997 and was bought by yours truly at about 10am on that day, which for me, in the middle of the school holidays, was a huge achievement.

Obviously, 14 year old me loved the album. I didn’t listen to anything else for weeks. I taped it on cassette to listen to it on my Walkman (look it up in a museum). I learned all words, tried work out which bit of guitar was Johnny Depp (I didn’t know what “slide guitar” was), and bought the follow up singles. I read every review I could find – which were mostly incredibly positive – and couldn’t comprehend why anyone didn’t think it was the best album ever. But…

Over the coming months, I realised there was other music outside Oasis. Actually listening to Blur’s album Blur (released earlier that year) showed that they were never really competing with Oasis, they were on totally different musical levels. I’d originally ignored the Manic Street Preacher’s Everything Must Go even when it won best album at the ’97 Brits, but when I did, it was a revelation. And although I can’t remember for sure, I think it was Urban Hymns, Richard Ashcroft’s masterpiece return with The Verve, that was the first album I listened to after Be Here Now. And although I would argue that each of these contemporary albums are better, the thing that I learned most from listening to them is that an album, even an ambitious one, shouldn’t be 71 minutes long.

It was a strange thing to learn at fourteen that sometimes less is more. Take the second single “Stand By Me”:

Again, it is a very good song. But it is nearly 6 minutes long. And when you are listening to it on the album, you are TWENTY MINUTES into Be Here Now despite it being only the fourth song. There was simply no-one to rein-in the band’s, and specifically Noel Gallagher’s, excesses. There are just loads and loads of guitar laid on top of simple acoustic songs, with no-one in the Oasis camp able (or willing) to tell Noel to ease off. The lyrical content is more meaningless than ever, but that was never really an issue for Oasis, it’s just that the songs collapse with the layers of guitar tracks piled on them. Liam Gallagher does his best on vocals, but it is buried in the mix – although the 2016 remastered version does treat him a bit better. Allegedly “My Big Mouth” has 30 guitar tracks on it. No song should have 30 tracks of anything unless you are making something cosmically groundbreaking. “My Big Mouth” is just a very average rock song.

For a band who had been so Mancunian, so Northern, so British, all of a sudden the tracks are from a different era. While in the past he nicked riffs from bands in the past, it was still in an Oasis style. Now Noel Gallagher’s output sounded like bland, middle of the road soft rock. “Don’t Go Away” is a ballad that owes more to the dreaded American “AoR” radio than their first two, vital-sounding albums. Listening to it now feels very strange, especially when Noel Gallagher’s solo output sounds so different to what he produced on Be Here Now.

And there was just no, for want of a better word, editing. Song after song repeat their choruses and bridges over and over, leading into noodlely guitar outros. “Be Here Now” should be a 2 and half minute punky blast… instead it is over twice that. “The Girl in the Dirty Shirt” should be a brief love song like “Married With Children” from Definitely Maybe or “She Is Love” on Heathen Chemistry. “I Hope, I Think, I Know” is the closest to a normal length song, yet it comes in at 4:22. That first single, “D’You Know What I Mean?” – Noel himself thought that someone would tell him to take two minutes off it. No-one did, so there’s a long intro then a needless backwards bit at the end. It was the first song on the album! It doesn’t need that much of an outro!

And take the second last (proper) song on the album is “All Around The World”, which was the third and final single, is over 9 minutes long. It’s a song that makes “Champagne Supernova” sound restrained and focused.

And then it has a two minute reprise as the last track. For me, “All Around The World” proved that Oasis weren’t The Beatles, they were just a band that sometimes wanted to sound like The Beatles. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s a quote from Noel: “imagine how much better “Hey Jude” would have been with three key changes towards the end.” Oasis genuinely thought they were making an album to put them in with the all-time greats. Instead we got a very long, overblown, overloaded mess of an album. Buried somewhere in there is a 45 minute classic – I think the songs are better than the hungover Standing on the Shoulder of Giants – and if you pick single songs out of it, there are enjoyable to listen to.

But in 2017, as a whole, listening to Be Here Now is a tiring, head battering affair. It’s a testament to excess and… there’s just too much guitar. And coming from me – that is saying something.

(In case anyone thinks for whatever reason I am lying about my love for Oasis and this album on its release, here are my well-worn copies of the album and singles. I genuinely did love it, but it really doesn’t stand up now. It will always have a special meaning for me – like any first love – but the memory is better than reality, like most teenage obsessions!)

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Oasis: Be Here Now Review It was 20 years ago today...

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