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mediabasedlife · 3 years

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A Look Back At...The Last Generation (2013-2020)

I’d like to start this off by thanking those who encouraged me to write this article, my friends and family who encouraged me to rekindle this project despite my own trepidation. I hope its quality lives up to those lofty expectations.

Say what you will about the hobby, gaming is in many ways the gift that keeps on giving. Every year there are hundreds, if not thousands of new offerings for every brand of player out there. And wouldn't you know it, there's a fairly significant portion of that library that are actually pretty good. Now, people will argue ad infinitum about what games are the best, or what consoles, or even which generation trumps the rest. This diversity of opinion is what has allowed gaming discussion to thrive just as potently as the medium which it encapsulates. Like any opinion, all of this is especially subjective; great games have been coming out pretty much every year since gaming began, a trend that seems like it will continue as long as gaming itself continues to thrive. While some may argue, I would say the latest generation thrived especially well. Ignoring the Wii-U, since I never owned one, and skirting around handhelds, the latest generation spanned the life of the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and technically, the Nintendo Switch. And through their seven-year life [switch notwithstanding], we saw the release of some truly excellent games - from top budget AAA titles to humble indie offerings. Now, in 2020, while we as a community are taking our first steps into the new generation of gaming, I think it fair to take pause, gaze back, and remember some of the games that made the latest generation so memorable for so many.

2013

2013 marked the start of the last-gen, with the release of both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. Both consoles were built to shepherd out their predecessors, marking leaps in visual fidelity and infrastructure that would empower them to become the monoliths of gaming that they hoped to be. I won't say that both consoles had an equally vibrant launch, but they both tried to put their best foot forward. While the Xbox was busy desperately trying to become the multimedia center for your living room, Sony kicked off the next generation in style, releasing a whole seven days earlier than its competitor. With the Xbox not far behind, both consoles brought a suite of new, shiny games to play. Well, in theory, anyway. I'm not here to speak of the quality of the launch lineups of either console, but what I can do is list off the game that stood out, and why it made it onto my list.

-Assassin's Creed Black Flag Black Flag actually saw its initial release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 almost a month prior to the soon to be current generation, but with both new consoles came a second release, one that came equipped with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from what was then a next-gen game. It doesn't look good for my list to start things off on a technicality, but this game is worth it. Black Flag remains one of my top three Assassin's Creed Games, which is saying a lot considering the sheer scale of the franchise. Fresh off the love it or hate it Assassin's Creed III, Black Flag looked to take a revitalized approach to the franchise formula, playing off of fan feedback, expanding upon what fans loved from AC3, and adding in new activities and a broader, fresher open world to explore. In it, you play as Edward Kenway, a charming rogue of a pirate who kicks the game off by stealing the identity of a defected Assassin. Expecting nothing more than riches and glory, his masquerade instead goes quickly sour, thrusting Edward into the conspiracy filled, secretive world of the Assassin and Templar conflict. What makes this story stand out is how different Edward was as a protagonist, seeing him acting largely indifferent to the traditional formula the assassin's creed games had followed thus far. The game's setting also helped it immensely; the game plays more like a pirate simulator, seeing players sail the Caribbean searching out treasures and fame, gathering a sturdy ship and a hearty crew, engaging in thrilling naval battles, and basking in the warm glow of the sun-drenched sands that define the game's many islands. Along the way, you interact with a bevy of historical or mythical figures, such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Calico Jack, and many more. All of this came together to create an immensely satisfying game, a standout amidst its peers and predecessors, and an experience that still stands the test of time despite the numerous sequels it has received.

2014

2014 was the year the new generation really started to pick up. The consoles had begun to get their footing, truly ushering in the next wave of quality games and proving their value to the players. Several critically acclaimed games got their start here or saw revitalized releases on the current generation of consoles. However, there were a few strays, games that elected to release on the prior consoles first and foremost, games that wouldn't see new-gen ports for some time, and others that never did, but still merited recognition and praise. But how many will make it onto my list? Well, you'll just have to read on.

-Titanfall Titanfall was, for me, the first game on the Xbox One that truly cemented it as a worthy purchase. It was a melting pot of ideas and innovation that I immediately fell in love with. Built with an always-online principle, Titanfall sees players engaging in a pseudo-campaign of multiple, looping competitive matches. On the surface, you could easily glance Titanfall's way and see nothing remarkable. Another first-person shooter in a sea of competitors, all of whom had far more clout at the time. But what set Titanfall apart from the start was its dedication to movement, satisfying and fast-paced gunplay, and especially, robots. See, Titanfall's whole gimmick is this; players take on the role of Pilots, better than average soldiers of the far future who are deployed in times of conflict as superior ground troops, but more importantly, heavy artillery. As pilots perform well on the battlefield, they can call in the titular Titanfall, summoning their respective Titan to the fray. Titans are large, deadly mechs that can be piloted by the player to give them a distinct advantage in battle. What this translates to in gameplay is simple; as players make their way through matches, they build up a meter which when filled allows them to call down a massive robot to wreak havoc. Every player can do this, usually multiple times a match if they're good enough. Titans are fast, tough, and lethal, and fun as hell to control. But what kept the game balanced was the fact that titans weren't invincible. All players came equipped with anti-titan weaponry, alongside their usual loadout of rifles or handguns. This meant that anyone could take a titan down if they were savvy. The titans, coupled with the frantic movement and satisfying shooting, made Titanfall a one of a kind game. It's fitting, then, that the inevitable sequel would go on to improve on it in virtually every way, but that'll have to wait for later.

-Diablo 3 I will admit to not having played this in its initial release window, in fact, some years would pass before I finally picked it up on console during a sale. And though my time with it was quite belated, I would still consider it to be a genuinely fun game, one worthy of being on this list. In Diablo 3, players choose between seven classes; Wizard, Monk, Necromancer, Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Barbarian, or Crusader. From there, they are thrust into the demon-plagued land of Sanctuary, beginning their adventure in the town of New Tristram. Each class has a different backstory and a slightly different narrative throughout, but the core throughline is thus; you are sent to the village to investigate reports of a falling star, only to be swept up in a fight against hell and heaven itself for the fate of the world. In terms of game difficulty, the game sports an impressive twenty difficulty tiers; easy, normal, hard, master, and then sixteen levels of torment. Should players want an even greater challenge, there's also hardcore mode, which starts you off with permadeath: you get one life, no exceptions. Die, and the character is gone for good. Overall, I would say that Diablo's biggest strength is in its gameplay loop; Diablo plays like a top-down, hack and slash role-playing game, with players exploring the various levels in search of loot all the while battling hordes of enemies and leveling up, earning new abilities and skills that players can swap out to create their ideal builds. The core gameplay loop, while simple, is wildly addictive, with a massive loot pool to chase in an effort to grow ever stronger. Each class plays differently, but all of them are easy to learn. Diablo also supports local and online multiplayer, making it a great game to play with friends or family.

-Sunset Overdrive Sunset Overdrive is a game I've previously covered on this blog before. In fact, I'd say I did such a good job that if you want to read about it, go read that article. But if you'd rather not click away, let me give you the TL;DR. Sunset overdrive is a satirical open world game made by Insomniac in which you play as a cocky and comedic hero out to save their city from a bogus energy drink that caused a pseudo-zombie outbreak. It's built around movement, with the player grinding on rails and running on walls and doing everything they can to stay mobile while gunning down the mutated enemies and exploring the environment. It's funny and feels great to play while being hampered by an underwhelming character creator and suite of customization options, but still manages to come out on top as an immensely satisfying game.

-Destiny Destiny is the brainchild of one Bungie studios, the original creators of Halo, the next game on this list. Fresh off their amicable split from Microsoft, Bungie did what they did best; develop a truly great FPS. But this time, they added a twist; Destiny is equal parts Shooter, Looter, and MMO. It took these three core ingredients and mixed them together with gusto, delivering an immensely entertaining game that felt incredible to play both alone or with your friends. The story of destiny is a long one, but can be summarized simply; Some years in the future, Humanity met and allied with an alien being known as the Traveller, an alliance that heralded massive technological and social leaps, ushering in the new Golden Age of humanity. Unfortunately, the Traveller's natural enemies, The Darkness, attacked the solar system, destroying much, and whittling down the last survivors to a single safe city. In response, the Traveller created Guardians, reanimated protectors infused with the Traveller's power, tasked with defending the earth and all its colonies from the encroaching forces of evil that threaten this dwindling peace. Resurrected by a ghost, an emissary of the Traveller, you play as one of these Guardians; taking on the role of either the agile Hunter, the cosmically magical Warlock, or the strong and stalwart Titan. From there, you could either progress alone or join up with friends to take on the challenges of the solar system, pushing back the forces of darkness. Although lacking in longevity in its first outing, destiny was quickly expanded and iterated upon, turning it from an already impressive game to a true powerhouse and pillar of its genre.

-Halo: The Master Chief Collection I won't pretend this started off as a flawless, perfect compilation of prior Halo games. But I love Halo, and I loved playing these games again, so it makes the list. Especially after all of the improvements and subsequent additions 343 made to the collection post-launch. On release, it featured Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4, but has since gone on to include Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach as well. If you're unfamiliar, Halo is a staple franchise in the Xbox lineup, and the master chief collection sought to unify all of the prior releases under one umbrella for the newest console. Halo is a sci-fi FPS franchise, largely following the saga of the titular Master Chief Petty Officer, John-117. John, or Master Chief as he is more commonly called, is a Spartan; a supersoldier of the future, who fights to protect humanity from an alien collective dubbed The Covenant. In the first game, Master Chief crash lands on an alien ringworld known as Halo, which later turns out to be an ancient superweapon created to exterminate all sentient life in the galaxy. Subsequent games only build the stakes from there, seeing John stave off one intergalactic threat after another in a franchise that continues to satisfy time and again. What the Master Chief Collection does is bundle everything up in one convenient package, while simultaneously offering tweaks and improvements to complement the technological advancements of the new consoles. It offers local and online multiplayer, both for its story and its competitive modes. Overall, even with the flawed beginnings, I would consider The master chief collection a must-have for Xbox players.

-Grand Theft Auto V Ah yes, GTAV, the game that refuses to die. Technically, this game released on the Xbox 360 and ps3, but it's been put on the PS4/XBO and now even the PS5 and the latest Xboxes too. I won't be surprised if this game gets ported to the consoles that come after that, too, in seven or so years. This game just won't quit. But that's also a testament to the dedication of its player base and the overall quality of the game itself. GTAV is an irreverent, biting joy of a game, replete with humor and charisma. It was, and remains, the latest in Rockstar's open-world crime franchise, in which players take on the role of not one, but three separate characters trying to make their way through life in Los Santos California; Michael, a retired crook stuck in the witness protection system, Michael's former, quite deranged partner Trevor, and rounding out the cast is Franklin, a street-savvy up and comer. Together they go about committing numerous heists, shady deals, and more than a few moments of mayhem in their quest for glory. Its secondary selling point was a robust and open-ended online mode, where players could create their own character and participate in myriad activities with and against their friends and strangers for fame, money, and clout. This is the mode that has kept GTA going in the years since its release, and it is the mode that has seen the most improvements and updates as well. I spent a not inconsiderable amount of time in it myself, but it was always the story of Michael, Trevor, and Franklin that drew me in overall.

-Tales from the Borderlands Tales from the Borderlands is the only Telltale game I'm putting in this whole list. Not for lack of quality on the other games' parts, but simply because this one has to be my favorite. For those unfamiliar, Borderlands is a series of FPS games that take place far in the future on the fringes of space; the titular Borderlands. It follows a revolving door of ragtag Vault Hunters, people who go in search of mythical, alien "vaults" that are rumored to contain vast amounts of treasure. They are incredibly popular, addicting looter shooters that match satisfying gunplay with beautiful cell-shaded graphics, topped off with charming and funny characters and not too shabby storytelling. Telltale games, on the other hand, are traditional point and click adventure games, released in episodic formats and usually broken down into seasons. They focus on storytelling first and foremost, showcasing incredibly compelling narratives influenced by player choice. You'd think, then, that these two dichotomous formats wouldn't pair well together at all, but Tales from the Borderlands proves that sentiment is wildly false. Tales from the borderlands took what was great about previous telltale games, and matched it perfectly to an original tale set in the Borderlands universe. It weaves an incredibly compelling narrative, filled with equal parts humor and feeling, and manages to tell one of the best Borderlands stories to date.

2015

I don't have a lot to say about 2015. The new generation was still going strong and saw some truly excellent games grace its shelves, many of whom are going to appear below.

-Bloodborne 2015 kicked off incredibly strong with Bloodborne, the latest instant classic from the studio behind the equally popular Dark Souls franchise. Bloodborne melds the skill-oriented, punishing combat and exploration heavy maps of the Souls games with an eldritch, psychological atmosphere, a match so perfect it went together like peanut butter and chocolate. To espouse the story of Bloodborne would be an effort in itself, but I shall do my best to summarize it; Shirking the more medieval settings of the Souls games before it, Bloodborne sees players navigating the victorian gothic town of Yarnham, a city plagued by beasts and monsters. It is these monsters you are tasked with dispatching, taking on the role of a Hunter of Beasts, sent to cleanse the town of that which ails it. But not is all as it seems, and the beasts may not be the only monsters Yarnham has to offer. Outside of its interpretive yet incredibly strong narrative, Bloodborne offered equally polished gameplay, iterating on the previously mentioned combat from prior dark souls games to create a punishing yet wildly satisfying gameplay loop that was easy to learn yet hard to master. Bloodborne forced players to always be on their guard but gave them no shield or barrier with which to do so, believing that offense was the greatest defense, making success hinge on your willingness to fight and your skill in surviving the nightmares that Yarnham had to offer. A melding of horror, action, and exploration, Bloodborne was a true success, cementing itself for years to come as a top tier action-RPG, and saw countless fans that remain dedicated to it to this day.

-The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt I'm going to be blunt; This is one of my favorite games of the last generation. It is a top tier RPG, made up of an incredibly charming cast of characters, a beautiful open world, and a thrilling, fantastical narrative that all come together to make one of the best games to release in the last seven years. Though a sequel to not only two prior games, but also a long line of books, The Witcher 3 was surprisingly friendly to newcomers, of which I was one at the time. Despite its pedigree, I felt right at home in the world of the Witcher, quickly picking up on what I had missed in its long and storied life. The Witcher 3 puts players in the role of Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher, a magically enhanced human tasked with routing out monsters that threaten the world of man. This time around, Geralt is searching for his ward, Ciri, as he navigates a world fraught with monsters and men in equal measure. what starts as a simple search for a missing friend quickly blossoms into an adventure for the fate of the world itself. Though a fantasy RPG at its heart, the witcher manages to tell some particularly grounded and human stories, and this game is no exception. One moment will see you stalking a beast out in the wild, the next will see you navigating political intrigue in the courts of royalty. But it all flows together to create one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and one that earned a not inconsiderable amount of well-deserved praise when it first debuted back in 2015.

-Assassin's Creed Syndicate Hot off the heels of the muddied AC Unity, Syndicate was the last proper Assassin's Creed game before the franchise would experience a massive genre and gameplay shift in its next entry. Where Unity saw too much focus on graphics and not enough care anywhere else, Syndicate finely balances all of its parts to create an impressive experience overall. This time around, players get to visit London, at the tail end of its industrial revolution. Out goes flintlocks and swords, in came steam and steel. This entry sees players in the role of both Evie and Jacob Frye, siblings fresh off their induction into the Assassin Brotherhood, tasked with dispatching justice on their Templar foes across London. The setting isn't the only big change for this game, as Syndicate saw an overhaul in both visual quality, scale, and gameplay. London feels lived large and lived in, with plenty of ground to explore and streets filled with people going about their day-to-day. Missions are split between Jacob and Evie both, with some allowing you to pick and choose and others forcing you into the shoes of one or the other as they work together to clean up the city. It innovated on the traditional gameplay loop, with this game having you going from borough to borough, toppling its templar leaders and expanding your sphere of influence with the aid of historical figures like Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Nikola Tesla. These famous faces are not the only people lending the Fryes their helping hand, as Syndicate also put the Fryes in charge of their own street gang, a ragtag group of brawlers and scouts that would come to their aid at the press of a button. Most times, conquering a borough involved you and your gang scrapping it out with those of the templar order, dusting knuckles to see who got the final say in the control of the area. This may seem at odds with the traditionally stealth-oriented approach prior games focused on, but that side of the game was not neglected either. Assassination missions saw fine-tuning and innovation as well, with players able to plan out and partake in uniquely tailored kills that matched the locale and personality of their target, from disguising yourself as a scientific cadaver to kill a corrupt doctor to allying with a guard and feigning capture to infiltrate and kill a target in the Tower of London. The game saw improvements out of combat as well, with Syndicate receiving a large overhaul in its parkour movement and general navigation. The Frye twins come equipped with a grappling hook that allows for speedy travel across London's many rooftops, while ground travel was made all the more expedient with the inclusion of horse-drawn carriages. The general parkour itself was also tuned, allowing for freer player movement and tighter directional control. All of this to say, Syndicate saw some truly welcomed improvements, iterating on the legacy and creating a lasting impression that stands up as one of the better games of the franchise.

-Star Wars Battlefront While I've spoken of a Battlefront on this blog before, this is not that same game. Rather, this is Battlefront 2015, a soft reboot to the previous Battlefront line of games for the new generation of consoles. This Star Wars Battlefront was helmed and developed by Dice, famed for the Battlefield franchise, a line of competent and entertaining military-focused first-person shooters. They were known for solid campaigns, but more importantly, massive scale competitive multiplayer modes. This pedigree is shown heavily in Battlefront, with the game sporting 64 players competitive multiplayer, with teams taking on the roles of either the empire or the rebellion as they fight their way through maps taken straight from the star wars universe, from the snowy plains of Hoth to the immense forests of Endor and everywhere in between. The game was replete with game modes and had the ability to be played in either first or third person. Players were given access to a modest selection of in-universe weaponry, and could even take the role of recognizable star wars heroes on occasion. Visually, the game was stunning, with incredibly faithful and detailed recreations from everything to weapons to the maps themselves. It felt like a genuine passion project, built from the ground up by competent developers and made for fans and first-timers alike. Battlefront, much like many games on this list, has since been usurped by a sequel but remains an incredibly competent shooter and a genuinely fun game to play.

2016

While 2015 saw the release of some truly impressive games, 2016 was a genuine powerhouse of a year. It saw the rise to prominence of Virtual Reality, through the oculus rift and the PlayStation VR. 2016 also saw the first re-released console of the current generation, in the form of the Playstation 4 Pro, a trend that Xbox would follow as well, seeing the release of 2016's Xbox One S, and in 2017, the Xbox One X. These were touted as faster, better performing, better-looking consoles than their base model predecessors, offering several enhancements to graphical fidelity and console performance, running games even better than they already did. And with these new consoles came an all-star suite of excellent games, a multitude of instant classics from big-name studios and fresh indie developers alike. Many of the games that released this year are ones I've individually covered before, but they still deserve their spot in this article. So without further ado, here are some of the most noteworthy games of 2016.

-Oxenfree Where Bloodborne was the standout hit that kicked off 2015, Oxenfree did the exact same thing for 2016. Developed by the California based indie team at Night School Studios, Oxenfree is a supernaturally infused, slice of life adventure game that follows Alex, a witty, rebellious, soon to be high school graduate as she makes her way to the fictional Edwards Island, accompanied by her best friend Ren and new stepbrother Jonah. This small group of friends is meeting up with what they assume will be a large group to have a weekend bash, But what was supposed to be a boisterous weekend party turns out to just be two extra guests; Clarissa, a fellow student who has ties to Alex, and Nona, a mild-mannered girl who just so happens to be Ren's current crush. Their modest get together quickly goes south when Alex uses a small handheld radio to tune into a weird signal emanating from the island, unleashing the spirits of a sunken military submarine, long since lost at sea. These wayward souls possess one of the kids and scatter the rest across the island, forcing Alex to uncover the mystery of their death and find a way to save her friends and escape the island. The game wears its inspirations on its sleeve, taking queues from classic ghost stories as much as it does retro coming of age stories, but it adapts these ideas masterfully. As for how it plays, Oxenfree is a side scrolling point and click adventure game, built around exploration and dialogue rather than complex game mechanics. It explores the interpersonal relationships between all the characters as much as it explores the haunted nature of the island itself. It easily shifts between these disparate tones, with a story filled with as many supernatural spooks as sarcastic teenage banter, seamlessly integrating player choice into the mix to create a truly excellent narrative. Oxenfree also features a high amount of replayability, with player choice going on to influence which of the game's many endings, as well as touting a new game plus mode that adds an extra smattering of content for your subsequent playthroughs. Oxenfree was a gift that kept on giving, more than earning its spot on this list.

-Firewatch Firewatch is the first of several 2016 games I've previously written about, and while my opinion of it may have not been the highest initially, ruminating on it since has led me to a new appreciation of the time I spent with it. I would recommend reading my original review, but the short summary is thus; you play as Henry, a man on the run from his troubles who takes a job in the Shoshone national forest, keeping an eye on the wildlife and ensuring nothing is amiss. Your companion through the game is Delilah, a voice through your walkie talkie, somebody else who has taken the same job as you over in one of the adjacent watchtowers. Throughout the game you explore the forest, keeping the area safe while exploring the mysteries of the area you now inhabit, all the while developing a friendly relationship with Delilah as you go. It's a simple, but satisfying first-person adventure game, with an emotionally charged but comedic narrative about one man's journey to get lost and find himself.

-Stardew Valley Stardew Valley is a retro-inspired simulator game about a down and out office worker who inherits their grandfather's farm in the titular Stardew Valley. They leave their mundane life behind and embark on a new journey in rural life, building up the farm from a rundown, untamed field into a bustling agricultural powerhouse, all the while making friends and forming bonds with the locals that you meet along the way. Stardew plays like a dream and features a stunning pixellated art style that complements its easygoing nature. Stardew is a game you can get lost in with ease, featuring an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop; It's a charmingly simple sim, one that encourages players to make their own way and their own choices, with a multitude of different ways to spend each in-game day. You're encouraged to play the game at your own pace, experiencing its range of content as it comes, rather than being railroaded into any one path for progression. It's a game that encourages exploration, diversity, and freedom, one that never really ends. Stardew made waves when it first came out for being such an open-ended, friendly experience, and it has since gone on to be heavily expanded upon by its developer, seeing releases on even more platforms and accruing even more fans along the way. It's a game that's easy to love and hard to put down, a comfort food game that makes you want to revisit it time and again.

-Titanfall 2 Where the original Titanfall was an excellent Xbox exclusive, Titanfall 2 bloomed the franchise into a multiplatform powerhouse. While it kept the excellent multiplayer modes, Titanfall 2's biggest change was the inclusion of a proper single-player story, and it's this inclusion that sees Titanfall 2 earn a place on my list. Titanfall 2's campaign is short, but sweet, seeing players take on the role of Jack Cooper, a pilot in training under the mentorship of an experienced soldier named Lastimosa. Unfortunately, on their first field mission, Lastimosa is killed, forcing Jack to embrace his future role as Pilot in an effort to survive and keep Lastimosa's experimental Titan out of enemy hands. This Titan, given the codename BT, is unique among Titans in that it can freely equip the various titan weapons and abilities, while simultaneously having an expanded AI that allows it to perform better in combat than its contemporaries. Together, Jack and BT make their way through the Frontier, coming into conflict with the varied enemy forces that they were originally sent in to stop. The campaign is brief, but what it lacks in lengths it makes up for in entertainment; the banter between Jack and BT makes for some great dialogue, and the campaign is perfectly built around the shooting and movement tech that made the first Titanfall so distinct, creating a series of levels that are just as built around gunfights as they are around precise first-person platforming. The game's environments are also beautiful to look at, varying from gritty industrial complexes to lush jungle environments that are as nice to look at as they are to maneuver through. Accompanying the stellar story mode is the recurring suite of multiplayer offerings, all of which have been upgraded and improved upon to complement the innovations of the sequel. Where Titanfall was good, Titanfall 2 is great, and it's a continual shame the series hasn't been given more time to shine.

-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition This is another game that I've previously covered on my blog, and it's also another technicality. See, Skyrim technically released back in 2011 but saw so many re-releases in the years afterward that at this point the only device that doesn't natively play it are phones. With this particular re-release, Bethesda sought to give console players the same quality of life changes that PC players had been seeing for years, namely graphical improvements, stability patches, and most importantly, player-created content. Skyrim had developed a bustling and dedicated community of creators in its years since release, all of whom had made countless mods for the game that ranged anywhere from simple tweaks to full-on expansion sized stories, and the special edition release marked the first time Xbox and Playstation fans could get their hands on this library of unique content. It created a situation where the already hefty game could be made all the more robust with fan contributions. Don't like the music? Download one of the unique music packs somebody put together. Want any number of pop culture-inspired items? Looking for some new quests to spice up this five-year-old game? It's all there and more.

-Watch Dogs 2 You might be wondering why I've put Watch Dogs 2 on this list while its predecessor is nowhere to be found. While the first Watch Dogs was a middling revenge story that happened to incorporate some neat hacking based features, Watch Dogs 2 is where the franchise really found itself. It follows the story of one Marcus Holloway, a bright and witty young man who's been framed for a crime he didn't commit by a faulty surveillance network that monitors the city of Los Angeles in a pseudo-dystopic future not so removed from our own. So Marcus does what he does best, hacks into the network and removes himself from it entirely, embarking on a campaign to take the whole system down with the help of white hat hacker collective Deadsec. What sets this game apart from its predecessor is the charisma of its cast and the far more varied ways in which you can use the game's technology to your advantage. Hijack cameras, remote control vehicles, manipulate streetlights, the world of Watch Dogs 2 is yours to manipulate all at the press of a button. And if hacking doesn't get you where you need to be, Marcus has some skills of his own; he's particularly skilled at parkour and quite handy at non-lethally dispatching foes with a weapon of his own design, a billiard ball attached to a bungee cord. And if playing non-lethally isn't your thing, you can also accumulate quite the arsenal of homemade weaponry, all 3D printed from the base of your hacker collective. Watch Dogs 2 is a game about a group of people trying to take down a corrupt system using whatever means they can. It's a witty, satirical, but surprisingly grounded story told across a beautiful open-world recreation of Los Angeles, one that drew me in far more than its predecessor ever managed to do.

2017

2017 might not have had the same pedigree of games as its predecessor, but it did see the belated release of the latest current-gen console; The Nintendo Switch. A revolutionary step up from the Wii and Wii U, The Switch took the gaming world by storm thanks to its ability to seamlessly transition from a home console playing on your TV to a handheld console able to go with you anywhere. The Switch remains a staple of the console market to this day, easily standing tall next to the Playstation and Xbox consoles both new and old. Aside from the Switch, there was still a healthy collection of games for people to enjoy, some of which will be highlighted below.

-Night in the Woods Night in the Woods marks yet another game I've personally reviewed, and also stands proud as one of my absolute favorites of this generation. A humble offering from indie studio Infinite Fall, it was a gorgeously animated sidescroller of an adventure game that followed college dropout Mae Borowski as she returns to her small home town of Possum Springs to rekindle old friendships and reconnect with her family. Despite its anthropomorphic cast, it tells a genuinely human story, one that perfectly reflected what it feels like to revisit old haunts; how things can be so familiar yet change so much, seamlessly blending an emotionally charged narrative with a dark, suspenseful hometown mystery. Night in the Woods remains an absolutely incredible game to experience, showcasing themes like mental illness, sexuality, and identity through the lens of youthful wit and clever, dry sarcasm. I haven't played many truly perfect games, but Night in the Woods came damned close to being one.

-Kingdom Hearts 1.5/2.5 Ah yes, another collection of re-releases. Kingdom Hearts technically started back on the PS2, with the release of Kingdom Hearts 1. From there it blossomed into an incredibly diverse and lengthy franchise that saw releases on consoles and handhelds alike, from the PS2 to the Gameboy Advance. What these re-releases did was bundle all of the Kingdom Hearts games into one complete package, and tossed them all onto the PlayStation 4. It created a cohesive collection for this storied saga and presented it all in an easy to follow order that anyone could pick up and work through. Both games also offered the previously exclusive Final Mix content to the west for the first time, expanding on the already hefty games with more difficulty options, more enemies, more story content, and more challenges to keep the fun going and going. But what is Kingdom Hearts, I hear some people ask. Kingdom hearts is a series of action RPGs that follow the adventures of heroes known as Keyblade Wielders as they fight against the forces of darkness that threaten the worlds beyond. They play great, feature an especially enjoyable cast of characters, and tells a heartwarming story of good and evil. A joint project between Square Enix and Disney, Kingdom Hearts features an abundance of Disney characters and worlds, crossing over with various Square Enix properties in this epic struggle against light and dark. That's the easiest summary of the story by far, as delving any deeper would almost certainly confuse the casual reader, but let me say this; The Kingdom Hearts games are fantastic, well worth the time, and with these remastered collections, more approachable than ever.

-Nier Automata Nier Automata is a tough game to talk about in-depth, on account of just how easy it is to spoil for people who haven't experienced it. But it was also one of my favorite games of 2017, so I'll do my best to give it its due. Nier Automata is somewhat of a hybrid game; it blends so many genres together but somehow manages to do each one of them justice. Equal parts open world, action RPG, Bullet Hell, and more, Nier Automata takes place in the far, far future, in the ruins of earth. Humanity has long since abandoned the planet and sought shelter on the moon, entrusting a group of humanoid androids to defend the planet from an encroaching alien threat. The story follows several of these androids; 2B, 9S, and A2, as they wander the ruins of humanity and fight back against the robot foes that the aliens use as soldiers. It tells an amazing story that all but demands subsequent replays to get the full breadth of its narrative weight across, with each subsequent playthrough seen through the eyes of one of the other characters. Equal parts sci-fi story and humanist breakdown, Nier Automata is a deconstructive, philosophical pondering wrapped in the guise of an anime action game. That's not to say it doesn't wear the disguise well; Nier Automata plays like a dream, with stylish combat and an accompanying score that makes for easy listening both in and out of the game. It's another must-play, especially with the remake/remaster of its predecessor soon to release in 2021.

-Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal Persona 5 is an absolute joy of an RPG. It's slick, stylish, has a superb soundtrack, and tells a top tier story to boot. You take the role of a down-and-out high school kid who's been forced to transfer from his hometown in the countryside to Tokyo, thanks to a bogus police incident. Labeled a criminal and looked down on by the adults of his new school, the protagonist goes about bettering himself, raising his grades, and making the most of his new life in a new city. He forms bonds and relationships with the people around him, making fast friends with many of his classmates and even some chill adults along the way. Oh, he can also use a supernatural phone app to dive into the corrupted hearts of society, utilizing a special power to battle the evils that lie within and force them to change their ways and confess their deeds. Herein lies the dichotomy of the Persona 5; Much like the other Persona games that preceded it, the story it tells is a hybrid of supernatural mystery and coming of age drama, blending mundane highschool life with a fantasy adventure. It is equal parts life simulator and stylish role-playing game, as you and your friends do their best to repair a broken system using the fantastical powers they've been imbued with. These powers are the titular Persona, powerful creatures that embody the sides of ourselves we keep hidden behind the masks of society. These personas allow one to do battle with the shadows that lurk within these corrupted hearts, creatures that take on myriad forms inspired by religion and myth. Wielding this power, they embark on a journey of social reform, fighting a revolving door of less than scrupulous individuals that all culminating in a battle to change society itself. In spite of its overtly fantastical elements, the story it tells is decidedly grounded and surprisingly relatable; at its core, Persona 5 is about a collective of disenfranchised individuals trying their best to make it through life and change things for the better, a story that was and remains especially poignant and a welcomed escapist fantasy to fall into time and again.

-Slime Rancher Slime Rancher is an adorable simulator game and one I've praised before on my blog. It blends first-person shooter elements with the farming simulator genre, tasking players to manage and explore a planet on the fringes of space that's almost entirely populated by a race of creatures known as Slime. Slimes come in a varied selection of types and sizes, but all of them have one universal similarity; they all produce a resource known as a Plort that you can trade to an intergalactic trade center for currency, which in turn allows you to upgrade your slime farm and expand into new territories. The gameplay loop is nothing but fun, with each new expansion bringing in new species of slime that you can wrangle and combine to make hybrids that in turn create more valuable plorts. As you make your way through the planet, you start uncovering logs left behind by your farm's prior owner, that weave a narrative of love and loss, a story that drives you forward in your quest if only to see how it concludes. You're not alone in this quest, though, as you have your slimes for company as well as several long-distance conversations via the computer in your home between friends and fellow farmers alike. Subsequent game updates have only expanded upon the experience, seeing new opportunities for trade, daily activities, and more, making an already invigorating and enjoyable game all the more so.

-Destiny 2 It's no secret that Destiny 2 had a complicated launch window. Many fans felt that Destiny 2 left too much of what made its predecessor great on the cutting room floor, electing instead to reset the player base back to zero and tell a brand new story. While I missed some of what Destiny 2 left behind, I was still somebody who found a lot of joy in Destiny 2, as evidenced by the thousand-plus hour count it tells me I've poured into it since its 2017 release. The game has also seen countless improvements and additions in the years since its release, adopting a new seasonal model and even going free to play after a point. Most recently, Destiny 2 saw the release of Beyond Light, the first in a new trilogy of expansions that hopes to continue the game forward over the next few years. So, while it might have had a rough start, it still remains destiny at its core, making it one of the best shooters on the market, coupled with a satisfying loot hunt and a rewarding structure that continues to keep its fans coming back for more. That alone lands it in my list of games for 2017, and the generation as a whole.

-The Sims 4 Though this game technically saw the light of day back in 2014, I didn't end up playing it until its console release here in 2017. Thus, I place it here. There isn't a lot of complication with Sims 4. If you're at all familiar with its predecessors, you know exactly what to expect. An engaging simulator game, in which you craft an individual or family and set them on the path of life, influencing them as they go or leaving them to their own fates so as to see what happens. You tailor their looks, personality, aesthetic...it's a premier example of micromanagement as entertainment. This installment shirked some of the advancements made by its predecessor but still manages to be a robust and enjoyable game all on its own, made all the better by continued additional content releases in the years since its premiere. It's a game that keeps on giving and seems primed to continue doing so for some time yet.

2018

2018 saw the release of some genuinely top-shelf games, with the Switch continuing to establish itself against its contemporaries, while the Playstation continued to add excellent exclusives to its lineup.

-Far Cry 5 The Far Cry games have always been known for being competent shooters with large open worlds, and this one is no exception. Shirking the usual foreign locales, Far Cry 5 takes place a lot closer to home, seeing players cleaning up the rural backwoods of Montana, taking place in the fictional Hope County. In it, you play as a rookie cop sent in to apprehend an evangelical doomsday cultist; John Seed, The Father. This arrest quickly goes south, leaving you as the last lawman willing to stand up to the Seed family and free Hope County from their grasp. To do so, you systematically break the hold of his lieutenants, dismantling their bases of operations and taking down his associates in a slow climb to face him once more. Along the way you make friends and allies out of the locals, people with a similar drive to rise up and clean up their county. As far as the gameplay, Far Cry 5 is a mix of FPS and RPG elements, with a rudimentary character customization system and plenty of powerful guns to acquire. You level up and earn skills that augment your preferred style of play, be it stealthy or over the top, all in your pursuit of justice. Augmenting this quest is the world it takes place in, with players exploring lush forests, vibrant fields, and the general detritus of rural America. Hope county feels real, with looks to match, despite its farcical tone and over the top gameplay. All of this came together to make a Far Cry that felt fresh and fun, a genuine step forward for the franchise.

-God of War Prior games in the God of War series were not known for subtlety, nuance, or humanity. Rather, they were violent hack and slash games that featured the titular God of War, Kratos, seeking and exacting bloody revenge on the greek pantheon for their slights against him and his family. They were by no means bad games, but they weren't what I would consider masterpieces either. Then, we were given God of War (2017). This soft reboot/Sequel for the franchise saw Kratos embarking on a distinctly more grounded story than its predecessors, navigating the perils of fatherhood while on a journey to deliver his late wife's ashes in the world of the Norse Pantheon. He is joined by his son, Atreus, a bright but rebellious young boy who seeks only to prove his worth to the gruff and distant Kratos. This more human story is accompanied by a more grounded approach to combat and gameplay; while it retains the emphasis on action, it feels more deliberate than prior entries, shifting the combat style from the hack and slash nature to a more measured approach, with players needing to conserve stamina and plan their attacks lest they get easily overwhelmed. The game also incorporates a more open world structure than its predecessors, seeing Kratos and his son freely traversing their environment, unlocking shortcuts, and finding means to double back on past areas in a level progression that feels more like a Souls game than the God of Wars of old. All of this came together to make a game that felt genuinely innovative, a fresh new direction for a pre-established franchise that was as welcoming to newcomers as it was to prior fans.

-Donut County Donut County is a silly, short indie puzzle game in which you play as a mischievous raccoon delivering "donuts" to the unsuspecting populous around him. These donuts are, in fact, large sinkholes that expand as they eat different objects, eventually growing to swallow the entirety of the lot they were sent to. The core gameplay lies in this concept, with you controlling the various sinkholes from level to level, figuring out the order in which to consume the various objects on each map in order to grow in size. As the game progresses you unlock various upgrades to these sinkholes, like the ability to spit things out of them, adding new layers to the simple puzzles the game encapsulates. It isn't a terribly long game, as already said, only taking an hour or two to finish, but it cemented itself as a charming indie game amidst a sea of big-name titles.

-Marvel's Spider-Man Developed by Insomniac, previously mentioned in the Sunset Overdrive excerpt, Marvel's Spider-Man is a rare example of a genuinely amazing superhero game. In it, players take on the role of Peter Parker, a Spider-Man who has already established himself as the hero we know and love, but one that still has room to grow and learn. What starts off as a triumphant takedown of one Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, soon blossoms into a complicated web that involves a shady group known as the Demons that Spider-Man must stop from wreaking havoc on the city. But the game isn't just about the Heroics of Spider-Man; The Game showcases the best aspects of Peter's character, splitting the game equally between his time as Spider-Man and his normal life as Peter Parker, a scientist working under the apprenticeship of one Otto Octavius, while simultaneously working with his Aunt May at the local Homeless Shelter and trying to rekindle his forlorn relationship with Mary Jane. All of this unfurls simultaneously, weaving a web that melds incredible movement with fast and stylish combat, stellar characters, and a heartwarming tale, cementing itself not only as a great game but also as one of the best Spider-Man stories out there.

-The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories The Missing is a heartfelt, down to earth story told through the lens of a grisly but goofy premise. In it, you play as the titular JJ Macfield, a young girl who goes on a trip with her close friend Emily to a remote island off the coast of Maine. What is supposed to be a fun excursion takes a turn for the worse, as Emily goes missing, leaving JJ to track her down. Unfortunately, this quest quickly leads JJ to her death...but not for long. Resurrected by a bolt of lightning, JJ gains the ability to remove various parts of her body, as the island quickly goes from an idyllic wonderland to a psychedelic nightmare. Undeterred, JJ uses her newfound ability to traverse the island, ever searching for her lost friend. The Missing might sound like a horror game on paper, but it uses these macabre themes to tell a distinctly grounded story about dealing with personal identity and navigating a hostile and unfamiliar world, culminating in a heartbreakingly bittersweet twist that I won't spoil here. This is all to say; the Missing is an excellent game. It's a joy to play, despite its harrowing content, and it manages to convey its themes in a way that feels genuine and meaningful, telling a story that's still relevant to this day.

-Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Smash games have always been good, and Ultimate more than earns its moniker. This is the Ultimate Smash game; iterating on its predecessors without changing anything for the worst, Ultimate is an unabashed love letter to the series as a whole, incorporating every character and every map from every prior game all in one upgraded package. If you don't know what Smash is, let me explain; Nintendo is known for a lot of fantastic first-party titles, from Mario to Kirby to Metroid, and countless others. Smash takes all of these well-loved characters, throws them in an arena, and has them fight for supremacy. Debuting on the Nintendo 64, Smash has seen one major game release for every Nintendo console since, culminating in Smash Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. As earlier stated, it features an absolutely enormous roster of playable characters, featuring every fighter from the previous games and several new additions for good measure. This roster was only further expanded with the release of the fighter passes, seeing an additional eleven fighters across the two that have thus far been released, ranging from surprise hits like Persona 5's Joker to fan favorites like Banjo and Kazooie. While not featuring a traditional story mode, Ultimate makes good use of its characters in a suite of different game modes that can be played both alone or with friends, online or locally. It's a fantastic party game and an equally praiseworthy fighter, rewarding skilled play but catering to casual players and newcomers alike.

2019

2019 marked the slowdown for the current generation, shadowed by the whispers of a new age of consoles. This made for a simple year for games, but one no less stacked with noteworthy games and worthwhile experiences.

-Kingdom Hearts 3 After years of waiting, 2019 finally saw the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. The wait might have been long, but the game delivered on the hype, simultaneously closing out the narrative arc that had begun so long ago with Kingdom Hearts 1 and beginning a new chapter for fans to look forward to. In service of this goal, Kingdom Hearts 3 wrapped up the majority of dangling storylines from all the previous games, while still leaving a handful of mysteries to chase into the future of the franchise. It featured a new suite of Disney worlds to explore, and incorporated Pixar properties for the first time in franchise history. The new content accompanied refined and polished gameplay mechanics and a complete visual overhaul, while still retaining the heart and soul that defined the games thus far. It all came together well enough but was later expanded upon through the release of Re: Mind, the game's beefy expansion that rebalanced gameplay and added in hours of new story content to better cap off the story. All told, Kingdom Hearts 3 was another great game, building on a legacy that seems like it will continue well into the future.

-Devil May Cry 5 For those not in the know, Devil May Cry is a series of games that follow the life of Dante, a half-demon sword for hire as he does his best to kill monsters and eat pizza. It's a franchise known for skillful, precise, stylish combat mixed with goofy, over the top stories, usually involving Dante and his associates contending with the fallout of his family, the demon king Sparda and his brother Vergil. While not a flawless franchise, it saw several excellent releases over the years, but then went depressingly dormant. Devil May Cry 5 was the perpetual waiting game, but 2019 saw it finally come out, accompanied by mass acclaim and praise. it really seemed like all the years of waiting were well rewarded. DMCV features three playable characters; Nero, a fellow demon hunter first introduced in Devil May Cry 4, Dante, the series' staple protagonist, and lastly the mysterious V, a newly introduced character for this game. Together the three were tasked with working together to take down the demonic Qliphoth and its master, Urizen, an immensely powerful demon lord. The game looks gorgeous, marking the first time the games have looked truly next-gen. Accompanying this boost in visual fidelity is the franchise's staple; combat was finely tuned to be more stylish than ever, with each character having a variety of tricks at their disposal to dispatch the demon hoard that stood between them and Urizen. Devil May Cry was back, and it was better than ever.

-Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Bloodstained is the spiritual successor to the Castlevania series, helmed by its most prominent contributor Koji Igarashi. Starting its life as nothing more than a simple Kickstarter, it blew through its funding goal and a few years later saw its release on the current generation of consoles. It's not a particularly complicated game, but it is particularly fun, with it adapting many of the staples that made Castlevania so great. As a spiritual successor to Castlevania, the games play very similarly; both are side scrolling hack and slash games that take place in fantastical gothic castles, and both see protagonists with varied combat and magical aptitude on their quest to take down the castle's owner. In the case of Castlevania, that owner is Dracula, but in the case of Bloodstained, players are tasked with defeating Gebel, an alchemically modified human known as a Shardbinder. You play as another one of these Shardbinders, Miriam. Miriam and Gebel are the lone survivors of an alchemical experiment that gave them the ability to wield a power called shards, crystalline embodiments of demonic essence. The narrative is simple, but the gameplay is where it shines; as players progress through Gebel's castle, you can accumulate more and more shards, all of which give Miriam access to new abilities, abilities that go on to aid her in her continued exploration. This creates a very satisfying loop; explore the castle, collect shards, unlock more of the castle to explore. Augmenting her shards are a suite of craftable and upgradeable weaponry, a selection of melee and firearms that allows players to diversify their preferred playstyle and experiment with what works best in any given situation. Subsequent content additions have added even more to the game, in the form of new modes, difficulties, and playable characters, adding to the replayability and longevity of what was already an excellent experience. Despite starting from simple roots, Bloodstained rose up and became something all on its own, paying homage to its inspirations while cementing a name for itself as a new staple of the genre.

-Catherine Full Body While originally releasing in 2011, 2019 saw an expanded re-release complete with new characters, new stages, and hours of extra story content. At its core, Catherine and its Full Body re-release are unique gems in the gaming world. One part puzzle game, one part dating simulator, it blends the complicated world of relationships with macabre block puzzles, all the while weaving a beautiful tapestry about one man's quest for love. In it, you take the role of Vincent Brooks, an unambitious 30-something simply going through the motions of life. He has a steady relationship and a stable job, a group of colorful and enthusiastic friends, but it's clear from the start just how much he's stagnated. His current girlfriend, Katherine, is starting to ask the big questions; marriage, children, their future. Unable to parse these ideas, he loses himself in his time at the local bar with his pals, shooting the shit and getting sloshed. That is, until, a new flame suddenly appears; the seductive temptress Catherine. One thing leads to another, and it comes to pass that they spend the night together...maybe. This is where the game's narrative really kicks off, with Vincent having to navigate the day to day, attempting to reconcile his long-time love with his possible new fling. This story is juxtaposed against the game's core gameplay loop, which sees Vincent forced to climb the deadly tower of babel each night in his dreams. To do this, players must stack blocks and avoid the perils and traps that each stage presents, making a mad dash to the top of the tower before the bottom collapses in on itself and Vincent plummets to his doom. For you see, this isn't an ordinary dream; if you die on the tower, you die in real life, making this desperate ascent a race for his very life. Each stage of the tower represents the game's various core themes, and each gets more and more complicated as the game progresses. In the interim of these climbs, players are set about answering multiple-choice inquiries that influence the direction of Vincent's relationships, with each answer adjusting a conspicuous morality meter that eventually comes to determine which of the 8 endings you could attain. With Full Body, this number was increased to 13, to adjust for the inclusion of a new paramour; Rin, a mysterious piano player that sets up shop in Vincent's favorite bar. Both Catherine and its Full Body re-release are excellent games, but I was especially smitten with the layers of extra content and story that Full Body brought to the table, additions that made Full Body one of my favorite games of 2019.

-Untitled Goose Game Untitled goose game is a simple premise on paper; players take on the role of an ornery, mischievous goose as it wreaks havoc through a small English town. Equal parts puzzle and stealth game, the goose has a laundry list of tasks it seeks to complete, from stealing hats off people's heads to infiltrating the local pub. It's not a long game by any means, but it has a ton of replayability in the form of additional tasks and challenges that only present themselves after your first playthrough. These range from time-based completions to additional bouts of mischief and all of them are incredibly satisfying to chase down. Untitled Goose Game has a quaint, painterly art style that compliments the charming simplicity of the game's premise, accompanied by a dynamic, classically-toned score that rises and falls in prominence as you go about your goosely business. All said Untitled Goose Game is a genuine treat, a brief but whimsical game that's just about having fun and goofing around.

2020

It's no secret that 2020 has been a rough year for a lot of folks. Between a pandemic, political controversy, and general drudgery, it's a year that feels like it can't end soon enough. But in spite of it all, 2020 was also a fantastic year for games. Serving as the last hurrah for the Xbox One and Playstation 4, we saw the release of some truly excellent stories that kept players going through the long months of an otherwise mediocre year.

-Animal Crossing: New Horizons Releasing right at the start of widespread quarantine, New Horizons supplied people with something they couldn't easily do in their own lives; escape. Animal Crossing New Horizons is the perfect escapist fantasy for the year it released in, seeing players partaking in an island getaway in the hopes of colonizing and forming an idyllic town on an untamed paradise. At their core, the animal crossing games are simple simulators. You create your character by selecting a few presets; hair, eyes, skin color, and then you're let free to explore your new locale. With this latest release, that locale is the aforementioned island, a small paradise in the sea dotted by trees and rivers, accented by flowers and weeds. You start your life on this new Island with a handful of other residents; the Nook Family, the proprietors of this island venture, and two random villagers who are looking to make a life on this island the same as you. Things start small, with everyone working together to set up tents and create a bonfire and find some food for a welcome party. Afterward, the game synchronizes itself to your console's date and time and sets you off on your way. Unlike other simulators on this list, Animal Crossing is a unique breed, running concurrently to the real world, continuously progressing in real-time. Flowers grow, trees produce fruit, and each day is a new adventure. It follows the general turn of the seasons for your respective hemisphere, celebrating holidays and alternating available activities with each passing day. As for what you can do yourself, the opportunities are legion; you can catch bugs, go fishing, search for fossils, chat up your villagers, visit other islands, and much more. As you progress, more ventures open their doors to you; catch enough bugs and fish, and you can elect to have a museum built to showcase your finds. Collect enough resources, and you can build new furniture and create plots of land that encourage more villagers to come and move to your island. Everything you do is in service of continued growth, but also serves just as simple fun, a charming, easygoing distraction from the concerns of the day-to-day.

-Final Fantasy VII Remake The Final Fantasy franchise is a long and storied one, replete with highs and lows. One such high was 1997's Final Fantasy 7, a game that quickly cemented itself as a fan favorite and an absolute classic. Now, in 2020, FF7 is back...sort of. See, FF7 Remake is the first in a line of games that will eventually go on to tell the entirety of the original FF7's story, which means that this release is only the first portion of a much larger narrative. Adapting what was originally the first few hours of the original game, FF7 Remake expands upon the opening section of its predecessor, simultaneously remaking the old content for modern audiences and adding in new aspects for old fans. FF7 Remake improves upon the original in practically every way, serving as a genuine remake that still manages to retain what made that original game so memorable and important to fans. The game might be new, but the heart is the same; FF7 Remake follows the story of Cloud Strife, an ex SOLDIER turned mercenary hired by an eclectic group known as Avalanche to dismantle a local power plant that's poisoning the planet. What starts as a well-intentioned but extreme case of eco-terrorism quickly explodes (pun intended) into a much larger story that sees Cloud and Avalanche bringing the fight straight to the corrupt Shinra Corporation and beyond, culminating in a battle against fate itself. Because this remake only covers a portion of what will go on to be a much larger narrative, it only scratches the surface of what makes the original FF7 so great, but it does so with gusto; the game plays and looks better than ever, bringing with it a heartfelt and compelling narrative that keeps you hooked the whole way through.

-Minecraft Dungeons Minecraft Dungeons takes the charming, voxel visuals and world of Minecraft and melds them seamlessly with a charming, easygoing dungeon crawler that's approachable for casual and experienced gamers alike. Where Minecraft is an open-ended sandbox game about building and exploring a blocky world, Minecraft Dungeons sees a collective of heroes on a quest to defeat the evil Illager, a powerful sorcerer whose armies have been sweeping the land leaving destruction in their wake. It's not a very complicated story about good and evil, but it doesn't have to be; Minecraft Dungeons prioritizes it's simple and easy to master gameplay first and foremost. You collect loot, battle recognizable Minecraft enemies, and progress through a litany of stages on your way to fight the big bad. It's not very long but encourages you to play it time and again, collecting better gear and trying your hand at the many difficulty levels for additional challenges. It's not the best looking or the best playing game that released this year, but it had heart and made for a short and entertaining way to pass the time.

-Ghost of Tsushima Ghost of Tsushima isn't a game to scoff at. One of the best looking games of the generation, this PS4 exclusive is one part historical timepiece, one part action-adventure, and one part stealth game. It follows the story of Jin Sakai, a samurai and one of the last survivors of the Mongol invasion of his home island of Tsushima, Japan. Left to die, he is found and nursed back to health by a wayward thief who teaches Jin the art of stealth and subterfuge, seeing him off on his quest for bloody revenge on the Mongol invaders that have encroached upon his homeland. To do this, he must first build up a fighting force of equal minded, skilled warriors, all while dismantling the various camps and operations the Mongols have set up in the absence of the defeated Samurai army. Jin can approach this in one of two ways; relying on his prowess as a formidable Samurai, Jin can challenge the many enemies in the game to flashy yet precise sword combat, or he can utilize the recently learned skills of stealth, infiltrating their encampments and silently picking the Mongols off one by one. There's no wrong answer to how you choose to play, although it takes some time for Jin to accept his new roles as both Samurai and assassin. Both methods of play feel equally as stellar, too; Combat in this game is incredibly polished, finely tuned swordplay that focuses on timing and well-planned strikes to dispatch your foes with ease, while the stealth feels tense and requires a distinctly tactical approach, planning your routes and cleverly dispatching foes so as to not raise suspicion. But the game isn't just about taking out your enemies. Ghost of Tsushima boasts one of the most beautiful open worlds I've ever experienced, a vibrant and gorgeous landscape dotted with myriad activities and side quests for you to explore and enjoy. One moment, you could be doing battle with a wayward group of Mongols or bandits, while the next could see you tracking a friendly fox to a shrine, composing a haiku in the shadow of a large tree, or recuperating your strength at a small hot spring while you ruminate on your adventures thus far. Ghost of Tsushima is an incredibly varied game, alternating between intense highs and calming lows, all coming together to become one of the best games of the last generation.

-Spiritfarer While I have not finished this game, it more than deserves recognition on this list. In it, you play as Stella, a young girl who takes over as the ferryman for the River Styx once Charon retires to the afterlife, tasked with providing for the wayward souls who live on the river as you ferry them to their final rest. To do this, Stella must collect various resources and build up her ship, outfitting it with living spaces and various commodities tailored to her current passengers. These aforementioned passengers will, in turn, begin to open up to Stella, tasking her with making certain foods or visiting different locales, all in an effort to give these wayward souls a proper farewell on their trip to the afterlife. Spiritfarer is a simple simulator game about resource management and exploration that showcases a lovely, genuinely heartfelt story about love and loss, one that will put a smile on your face as easily as it brings a tear to your eye.

And with that, I close out this hefty list, closing out the last generation. This compendium hardly scratches the surface of the last seven years' library, but hopefully, I did a good enough job remembering some of the games that made this last generation so great. There are a lot of games that I've still yet to play, resting in wait in my backlog for the time they get pulled out and given their due, but for now, this concludes my walk down memory lane. The last generation saw some excellent additions to the vast and ever-expanding library of video game history. Here's hoping the next several years can say the same. The start of the new consoles is off to a very promising start; in the last month or so alone we've seen excellent releases from both indie and big-name developers, fresh takes on old franchises, and new IPs alike. So, here's to the Last Generation, here's to the Next Generation, and here's to gaming overall; may it continue to thrive for years to come.

#A Look Back #Gaming #Game Review

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schleierkauz · 3 years

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Q&A Highlights

Ok so bad news first: My questions were ignored. Cornelia did not clarify any of our death-related theories. Maybe next time.

There was A Lot of other stuff, though so... Enjoy!

- The stream starts with everyone wishing us a happy women’s day! Usually women in Erfurt (where the bookstore people are) get flowers but not today because... you know. Cornelia says America is starting to go back to normal, meanwhile Germany... :| Anyway. Don’t look over here.

- Cornelia says she probably won’t get the vaccine anytime soon because she’s just chilling on her farm anyway and people who have to be out in public/are vulnerable should get it first

- Question: When will Cornelia visit Germany again? In response to this, she gives us some exclusive news, not official yet, heard it here first: She’s gonna move to Italy! Apparently she bought an olive farm there which is cheaper, better for the environment (her current farm will be sold to some people who want to turn it into an organic farm) and obviously closer to Germany so she’ll be here more often. :)

- The 4th Reckless book will be released in English at some point this autumn

- There’s no definite release date for TCoR because she’s busy with Dragonrider but she hopes she’ll have finished writing it by the end of this year

- If she’s still alive after all that to work on Reckless 5, it’ll be the last book of the series... probably. She’s also working on a bunch of smaller projects with her artists in residence

- Question: What are Cornelia’s favorite stories by Jane Austen, the Brontë sister and Shakespeare? She’s not a huge fan of Austen or Brontë because she finds all those repressed emotions too exhausting to read about. With Shakespeare on the other hand she struggles to name a favorite because there’s so much greatness to choose from (she does name MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet though)

- The Black Prince’s legacy in the Reckless timeline may play a role in the next Reckless book or it might evolve into a whole other story. Either way, she’s thinking about it 👀

- Someone asks about Reckless characters and Cornelia says that Kami’en and the Dark Fairy felt very familiar to her from the start in that she always knew who they were as people. She’s not sure why that is. She thinks the Dark Fairy represents many aspects of womanhood, like the ancient forgotten Goddess. Same with Fox, who embodies different sides of that.

- If Cornelia had to date a man from the Mirrorworld, Kami’en would interest her

- Rainer Strecker randomly joins the chat to say hi and everyone is delighted

- Cornelia’s favorite book series is still Lord of the Rings

- Question: Why has the Black Prince never found his true love? Cornelia says she’s not sure that’s true - maybe he did found true love at some point and then lost it again? ‘...and they lived happily ever after’ isn’t a guaranteed outcome after all. Since he’s such a passionate man, she’s pretty sure he’s had at least one big lovestory at this point. She hasn’t asked him about that yet but hopes she’ll find out when she continues writing his story.

- Jumping off that question, Cornelia says she respects her characters’ privacy and lets them keep their secrets until the time comes to ask about them, just as she would with real people.

- Someone asks if Cornelia has ever written herself into a story and she says a part of her is in all her characters. Except the villains because she hates them. She feels closest to Fox because she also always wished she could shapeshift

- The bookstore lady jumps in and asks about Meggie, is she similar to how Cornelia was as a child? Cornelia says yes, especially because she also had a very close relationship with her father and they would bond over books. However, she always envisioned Meggie with dark hair and as a different kind of girl than she was. (Ok sidenote from me on that, I wonder what she means by ‘dark hair’? Because Meggie is explicitly blond, so like... dark blond? Or did we just unlock brunette Meggie in 2021? Cornelia-)

- Continuing the conversation, Cornelia says she doesn’t consider herself the creator of any of the characters in her stories, she feels like she met them and wrote about him but she would never say something like ‘I invented Dustfinger’ because that’s absurd. How would that even work. That’s disrespectful. No.

- Some characters pretty much demand to be written about and are very impatient (like Jacob), others are more shy and elusive and take effort to understand (like Will or Dustfinger)

- There probably won’t be another book like The Labyrinth of the Faun because it was created under such unbelievable circumstances. Cornelia does enjoy writing film scripts, though, like she did for the Wild Chicks recently

- Question: How does Cornelia come up with character names? She has a bunch of encyclopedias and when she knows where a story takes place she checks if there are any artists from there whose names she can steal. She always wants names to have meaning and to paint a picture of whatever character it belongs to. However, she says that sometimes the vibe of a name is a tricky thing: When she wrote The Thief Lord (which takes place in Italy), she thought ‘Mosca’ was the perfect name for a big strong boy. However when the time came to translate the story into Italian, the Italians told her that ‘Mosca’ sounds like the name of a tiny little fly. Oh well.

- Cornelia says a lot of readers have written to her about The Thief Lord because at one point Victor (the detective) calls Mosca (who is black) a “Mohrenkopf”. Context: ‘Mohrenkopf’ is a German slur towards black people and also an outdated name for this goddamn marshmallow cookie:

Fuck this cookie.

- Cornelia says yeah, Victor is being racist in that moment but that doesn’t mean that she, the author, is racist. Similarly, she used the term ‘Indians’ in Reckless and a lot of readers were upset which she did not anticipate. To her it’s a positive word since she admires ‘Indians’ so deeply and finds terms like ‘Native/Indigenous Americans’ very complicated. She wonders how much longer she’ll be allowed to say ‘Black Prince’

- She thinks it’s right to be vigilant about bigotry but simply searching for problematic words is dangerous because context matters

- Bookstore lady brings up Pippi Longstocking and how the N-word has been removed from modern copies (think Pippi’s father). She think’s it’s wrong because the original text is part of the cultural heritage and shouldn’t be hidden from children but instead explained.

- Cornelia says that in America she sees the hurt that’s connected to that word but she doesn’t think it’s right to simply remove the slur and expect everything to be fine. After all, the text in which it was used is still the same so any harmful ideas would still be in there and that needs to be discussed. Simply whitewashing things doesn’t make them any less racist.

- Cornelia brings up a visual example: The Asterix comics. She always liked them but the fact that the only black character is drawn as a racist caricature is harmful and wrong. It’s time to listen when black people express how hurtful depictions like that can be. Many white people never noticed racism growing up because it never affected them and that’s why it’s important to learn

- The ‘from rags to riches’ American dream was usually reserved for white people and Cornelia thinks a lot of (white) people are waking up to that fact. The way black people are still being criminalized and the way prisons use inmates for cheap labor is horrible and like a modern kind of slavery

- The bookstore people try to say something but Cornelia is not done: We Europeans are not off the hook either because the sins and wounds of colonialism are still felt around the world, not to mention the way other countries are still exploited today. Our wealth rests on the shoulders of poorer nations. Many doors are opening and it’s difficult to step through but we have to do it and admit to the things we may have been blind to due to privilege.

- The three of them agree on that and go back to reading questions

- Question: What are Cornelia’s tips for young authors? She advises to never start writing a story on a computer, always get a notebook and collect ideas & pictures for your story. Don’t rush things. If you have more than one story, give each story its own book and feed whichever one is hungry. It’s important to follow the idea where it leads, if you use cliches your readers will recognize them. And then it just takes time and passion. And trust in your own unique voice. She paraphrases a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson who once said no one cares about stories or characters or whatever, people read books to see the world through the goggles the author puts on them. I’m sure he said it prettier, I’m paraphrasing the paraphrase.

- That said, Cornelia thinks authors who say things like “I’m writing to express my innermost turbulences” are kinda dumb. She thinks it’s important to write about the things that happen everywhere else and around yourself and to try to find voices for others, not just yourself. Just like how carpenters build furniture for everyone else, a writer should use words to build things for others, whether it’s a window or door or a hiding place.

- Speaking of notebooks, as most of us probably know Cornelia has a lot of those and occasionally publishes them on her website. She says she’d love to let people look through them in person, maybe at the new farm in Germany (Cornelia sure does love farms)

- Speaking of writing things on paper, all three of them stress that everyone should write more letters because one day they’ll be old letters and curious people will want to read them, just as we like to read old documents now.

- Last question: How come both the Inkworld and the Mirrorworld feature a character called Bastard? Cornelia thinks that’s a good question and she should probably think about that. (Am I stupid? Are they talking about Basta? I’m confused)

...And with that, the livestream ends. They’ll get back together to do this again two months from now, until then: I’m going tf to sleep

#its 4am fuck me this took SO LONG-#cornelia funke #info #reckless #inkheart #man this was a long one #a lot to unpack here #thanks cornelia i have more questions now hdfhkjghd #i googled way more slurs than i had planned for today ngl #i really really hope i managed to accurately translate especially that part of the conversation #honestly i cringed a bit hearing them talk about it #but it is an important discussion i suppose #also @ the people who actually read my tags:#thank you for the good luck wishes for my interview today!! it went really well!#i was vibrating the entire time bc its been so long since i talked to a stranger #but i got the job :) so all is well

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zukoromantic · 3 years

Text

Spoilers for The Life and Crimes of Scrooge McDuck!

Okay so. This episode was.... WELL HOW WAS IT. Me personally, I think it was good!! And bad..... it's complicated. So right now i will be reviwing/analyzing this episode, including where i think the narrative and lessons of this episode go wrong and how this episode stands in relationship to the season.

So we were about teaching both Louie AND Scrooge to take over responsibility and owning up to mistakes. Which was nice!! I think that part was well done! But HOW they did that with the villain sides.... not so much?

First off, I like how they showed Scrooge making that mistake with Poe and recognizing the need of an apology and the blame he carries. Him saying he doesn't want to be defined by his mistakes but by admitting them, DAMN that shit was good. Especially since he already knew he was fucked as soon as Magica entered the room, so you really felt that one. It is something that he apparently recognized as his fault before this episode, so it felt like a genuine apology and a sincerely learned lesson.

Not only that but also Louie saying there's always two parties at play and Scrooge is not the only one to blame. They also wronged him. And this is where the issue starts.... While this is true, yes, this is not the reasoning (or at least not the only reasoning) that should have been brought up. Louie briefly adresses this when he said Glomgold brought his villainess upon himself saying "He is literally planting dynamite under Scrooge's chair right now!" Which Doofus debunks with a quick "But would he have lit that dynamite if Scrooge wasn't sitting there??" and it's just not elaborated on at all for the rest of the episode. The argument they go with in Glomgold's case instead is just "He was a villain well before this event."

The problem I have with this whole thing is that it absolutely dismisses the responsibility that the VILLAINS carry for themselves. That they don't have to CHOOSE to let Scrooge's mistake affect them this much (regardless of how much Scrooge actually is to blame). This goes against all modern narratives of redemption and is also a Pretty hot philosophical take.

So uhh brief excourse, idk if you know this but the theory of determinism says that every decision we make is just the sum of all of our experiences and genes. This is one of the things questioning free will and in that progress, manages to take blame away from people who have done something wrong (in this case, the responsibility of scrooge's enemies for their own choosing of path in life). Regardless of one's opinion on the concept, this is WHY it is NOT being used in court, it's not applicable to any justice system.

I'm not saying that the villains should have admitted to being at fault as well, i just think they should have done the opposite actually. Show that they are NOT willing to take responsibility for their actions, neither past nor present and that this is what sets them apart from Scrooge and Louie in the end (Doofus doesn't apologize in return either). I don't know how relevant each of them will be in the show's finale, but either way, i don't think this would have been a problem because either way, their takeaway from this ep wouldn't have been too different since they got mad anyway.

So, the way did handle all this, is a very fragile take. Why is this the writing this episode chooses? Because this episode isn't for the anatgonists, it's for Scrooge and Louie. And in that regard it mostly works! They learn their lesson and they learn to take responsibility where it is due. To apologize regadless of how much they aare actually to blame. Which is a nice lesson!! I mean, we DID already have something similair for Louie in s2, with the whole Timephoon thing, but then again, that was never truly resolved actually, only in regards to working for your success. So it's obviously a lesson that fit Louie well and I love how they paired this with Scrooge's less obvious need to learn this!!

This is already pretty long, so i will keep the rest short.

Glomgold's and Ma Beagle's stories were okay. I preferred Glomgold's story by a lot though, it was actually - a nice insight?? Actually feel sorry for him ngl i mean yeah he's still good ole glomgold apart from this but.... his main mistake here was thinking they had been planning this thing together. If it hadn't been for what's her name, then this story would have looked pretty different. I just thought tgis was p interesting and actually deserved a bit more spotlight tbh.

And then OH BOI HAHA MAGICA AND POE OH GOD THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH TO BE SAID ABOUT THIS. Just lemme say i LIKED IT A LOT and i WISH it could have been explored more since it's super interesting and just about everything deserved more attention and time than it got. We all knew this part of the ep would steal the spotlight and it DID. THIS is some ducktales i would have wished more for in season 3. This story alone clearly could have, and should have filled a whole episode. The other two.... Meh, Glomgold's story, i'm not sure, it could be elaborated on and feel more natural, but Ma's, not really. Maybe it could have been mentioned in some other episode as a side thing and THEN it would have kinda come down to that in the end and the trial would have been part of a diffetent episode? This episode's theme DID feel a little bit big for one episode. I'm not sure about this, but i definitely think that Magica and Poe part very much deserved more time. Maybe it would have gotten that with another season, who knows. I DID like the general theme actually, so I would not have minded for it to be a bit more relevant. Especially since it's a very good fit for the season's theme of legacy. But then, again, Huey is once again not tied into any of this so that's a problem.

Okay this is all i have to say. It's a complicated episode because it's not bad per se, it just suffers a lot from one-sided narratives and classic time issues. It was, as so often, pretty enjoyable and a highlight for all Magica fans.

(And obviously, yup, Poe, very good, Martin Freeman, yes, you already know it all.)

#thank you for reading if you got this far!!!!#my post #dt spoilers #ducktales #the life and crimes of scrooge mcduck #scrooge mcduck #magica de spell #poe de spell #episode review #oh gooooood i haven't written real episode reviews since my amino days i'm kinda proud lmaooo #ducktales season 3 #spin irl

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riversofmars · 3 years

Text

Negotiation

So @rocketoo7 and I had a chat and agreed that there is just not enough fanfiction of River Song kicking ass in hand to hand combat. So here you are, literally just River fighting off bad guys and the Doctor & Fam watching adoringly/terrified/a little horny. Recreating this awesome bad ass scene from the most recent episode of Star trek: Discovery because, you know, Georgiou and River have the same BDE. Writing action is hard so I sort of did this as a quick exercise to practice, it's no great work of genius but it was fun. Anyway, enjoy! :D

Ship: River/13

Rating: T (I guess?)

Word Count: 1600

AO3

Negotiation

“So what’s the plan, Doc…“ Graham asked as the Fam crowded together behind the Doctor. The were in a sort of bar in the far-flung reaches of the galaxy. What had been meant to be a lovely walking tour ending with a pint at the pub, had turned into a bit of an unfortunate situation that involved guns and a band of bandits wanting to steal the TARDIS.

“Working on it…“ The Doctor retorted drawing herself to full height attempting to shield her friends from the guns pointed at them.

“You always say words beat guns, this would be a great moment to prove that theory.“ Yaz quipped.

“I suggest you show us to your ship.“ The bandit leader, an unpleasant looking fellow with greasy hair, said.

“Well, that wouldn’t be much use because you wouldn’t be able to fly her.“ The Doctor retorted, trying to reason.

“That’s our concern, not yours.“ He shot back, annoyed at her back-chat. “Get a move on.“ He pointed towards the door of the bar.

“Why would we show you to our ship when you want to steal it and leave us stranded?“ Ryan asked.

“Because you want to live.“ The bandit snarled.

“Living, yes, big fan of living, maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement where we just, you know, drop you off somewhere along the way?“ The Doctor intervened, trying her best to sound positive.

Suddenly there was a discharge of energy, like a flash of lightning but it wasn’t a shot as the Doctor had expected.

“Did I interrupt a critical moment of diplomacy?“ River Song looked around the room at the shocked faces all round, immediately guns were pointed at her and ignoring that fact, she gave a little wave to her wife who seemed frozen to the spot.

“How did you get in here?“ The leader of the bandits barked at her.

“Oh you know, just your standard vortex manipulator, cheap and nasty time travel but it’ll do in a pinch. And when one’s wife is being held at gunpoint? It makes for a great entrance.“ River retorted in amusement and winked at the Doctor who shook off the initial shock.

“Did she just say wife?“ Yaz asked and exchanged confused glances with Ryan and Graham. They had seen a lot of things travelling with the Doctor but having someone teleport into the middle of a stand off claiming to be the Doctor’s wife… that was new.

“You know her?“ The bandit leader looked back to the Doctor.

“Ah well, see you got yourself into a bit of a tiff now. That my friend River…“ The Doctor caught River’s affronted glance and corrected herself. “And when I say friend, I mean wife, and unlike me doesn’t mind hurting people, shouldn’t like that, kinda do…“ She shrugged giving her wife a little wink.

“Glad to see some things never change.“ River smirked.

“Well, you know I like a bad girl, me.“ The Doctor grinned.

“You can show me just how much when we’re done here.“ River retorted smoothly.

“Are you flirting?“ The bandit leader interrupted, annoyed at being ignored.

“Sorry, it’s been a while. She was a white hair scotsman last time we met. Back to you, you were saying?“ River turned to the bandits almost patronisingly. She was already formulating a plan. There was seven bandits in total… shouldn’t be too difficult.

“I want that device.“ He pointed to her vortex manipular.

“When I say, you hide behind the bar, okay?“ The Doctor spoke softly and turned to the Fam. They nodded uneasily, before returning their attention to the face off between the mystery woman and the bandits.

“Hand it over.“ He insisted.

“What, this?“ River lifted her wrist that the vortex manipulator was strapped to.

“Hand it over or you die.“ All guns were on her now.

“I don’t respond well to threats.“ She shook her head disapprovingly.

“And I don’t respond well to surprises.“ He squared his jaw.

“Oh, then you’re gonna hate this.“ River smirked and gave the chair next to her a kick, knocking it right into him, knocking him over.

“Now, Fam, right now, take cover.“ The Doctor exclaimed and Ryan, Yaz and Graham didn’t need to be told twice, they dove behind the bar and watched the mystery women swipe her arm across a nearby table throwing glasses at the men coming towards her. They turned from the flying splinters guarding their eyes just long enough for River to grab a bottle and smash it over the closest attacker’s head knocking him out. She ducked an oncoming punch and rammed her knee into another bandit’s gut.

“Okay, who the hell is she, Doctor?“ Yaz exclaimed watching the scene in front of them in shock.

“Long story, people usually need a flow chart…“ The Doctor retorted, looking on uneasily and admiringly in equal measures.

River ducked a blast and threw herself into the shooter, she knocked his arm with the gun up and smashed her elbow against his temple. As he fell to the floor she kept hold of his arm and took the gun, shooting a man coming at her from the right.

“See, boys, when you let me have a gun, things are almost over.“ She taunted with a smirk. She jumped onto the edge of a table to her left flipping it over, knocking out another bandit with the other half of the table flipping upwards. She landed and steadied herself from the little stunt when someone lunged at her from behind and put her in a headlock, forcing her to drop her gun. She rammed her elbow into his stomach, then knocked her head backwards into his face. He let go groaning in pain. Probable a broken nose, nothing too serious. Behind her, the lead bandit pulled his gun on her. She whirled around pulling the man with the broken nose in front of her and used him as a shield. He took two of his boss’s shots before he stopped firing. River grabbed a hunting knife that was strapped to the bandit that was limp in her arms now and threw it, catching the bandit leader in the shoulder. He let out a strangled cry of pain and dropped his weapon. Plenty of time for River to drop the dead bandit and pick up her gun again.

“Oh mate, that was like stealing sweets from a child.“ She grinned slightly out of breath as she headed towards him.

“River!“ The Doctor shouted as one of the others slowly got back to their feet but River was ahead of her. She only half turned to fire, she barely looked, but struck them down. The leader of the bandits scrambled for his weapon but River stepped on his wrist and held the gun to his head.

“Remind me. What was your negotiating position again?“ She asked in amusement.

“I think he got your point.“ The Doctor drew her attention as she got up from behind the bar, all the other men were either dead or unconscious.

“Did he? Because my finger is rather itchy.“ River chuckled.

“You bitch.“ The bandit leader spat.

“Sounds to me like he hasn’t learned his lesson.“ She stepped off his hand but only to deliver a kick to the side of his head and knock him over.

“I’m going to hunt you down. You’re gonna wish you died here when…“ He groaned in pain.

“Spare me the empty promises, that implies you’re gonna walk out of here alive.“ River pointed the gun at his head.

“River.“ The Doctor tried to get her attention.

“Not now Sweetie.“ River huffed.

“I really think you’ve made your point.“ The Doctor insisted more firmly.

“You’re no fun at all.“ River sighed and used the hilt of the gun to knock him unconscious.

“That was…“ Ryan didn’t really have words. They looked around the room taking in the destruction. Broken glass, thrown over tables and chair, seven grown men flat out. River meanwhile pocketed the gun. It would be a nice addition to her collection and a lovely memento of this trip.

“Fam, meet Professor River Song.“ The Doctor grinned as River walked up to join them. The three of them didn’t know what to say. There was a lot of information they had yet to process.

“You’re welcome.“ River smirked.

“That was… quite the safe. Very impressive.“ The Doctor had to admit as she came to a halt in front of her.

“Oh, you were watching?“ River smile innocently.

“Very carefully.“ The Doctor couldn’t help but admit.

“I bet you were.“ River smirked.

“Worked up a bit of a sweat haven’t you. You look a bit flustered.“ The Doctor observed, brushing back her curls a little.

“In my defence, so do you.“ She replied in amusement, running her hand along the Doctor’s coat collar.

“Right, okay, we get it.“ Yaz interrupted the flirting, unable to watch any longer. “Beating up bad guys is a turn on. Now, can we get out of here before they wake up?“

“Wouldn’t want me to have to do it again, would we.“ River sighed and winked at the Doctor who blushed.

“Let’s go back to the TARDIS.“ The Doctor agreed and they crossed the room, stepping over the bandits.

“So, what sort of a professor are you?“ Graham asked trying his best to sound casual and ignore the destruction all round.

“Archeology.“ River replied cheerfully. “Love a tomb.“

#river x thirteen #river song #river song being river song #bde #doctor who #thirteen #thirteenth doctor #13 #fanfiction #space wives #yowzah #star trek discovery #Hand to hand combat #action #is so hard to write #river x the doctor #jodie whittaker #Alex kingston

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princeescaluswords · 3 years

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Deaton is called shady and unhelpful, when Peter Hale in canon is shady and looks out only for himself and often sits out on fights, while Deaton is out there in the field risking his life and career, going to Russia and Japan, providing medical help and advice. Deaton is accused of manipulating Scott to Alphahood for whatever reason, meanwhile Peter canonically invaded Lydia's mind and used her to resurrect himself AND used Derek in the process too but not a peep from stans about shadiness or robbing Derek of autonomy or him creepily posing as his younger self in Lydia's mind + kissing and flirting with her. Instead, let's pounce on the way Deaton called Derek an uneffective alpha and how it's "proof" he's a discipline of the Devil

I’m going to admit that your question made me angry. The racism when it comes to Alan Deaton manifests in the desire to put a black character in his place, to villainize him for not supporting the white family with which he used to work (not serve), to denigrate him for not focusing on a white secondary character rather than the eponymous lead of the show, and to enervate his contributions to the story by calling him cryptic and unhelpful when he literally flew to other countries to help teenagers unrelated to him by blood or obligation - is not something they can obfuscate or manipulate, like they do the racism directed at the lead Latino character. And they don’t even try.

They know they’re being racist by turning a character who never benefited once from anything he did on the show into a selfish, evil, mastermind. In fact, his involvement endangered him repeatedly - beaten, kidnapped twice, placed in a coma, threatened with death by monsters - and still shady is the nicest thing they have to say about him. (The fact that Deaton was kidnapped just as much as Stiles was escapes their notice.)

So this post going to be provocative, and angry, and a rant. It’s not designed to open up lines of communication with the legions of fans who, three-and-a-half years after the show ended, still derive satisfaction from writing fiction where a black man is executed after being humiliated. Be warned.

Fans of the show Teen Wolf - and not fans of the morass of heteronormative, self-indulgent fuckery known as Eternal Sterek or the ephebophilic, abusive snuff-fantasies known as Steter - can recognize by watching the show that Alan Deaton was a benign force who helped without imposing, who helped without demanding payment of any kind. They know that he didn’t freaking steal the Hale Spark for Scott. They know he didn’t groom Scott to resist the Hales. It didn’t happen. He never refused to help Derek. Derek simply didn’t trust him like he didn’t trust anyone. Deaton defended Scott against the monster who repeatedly violated his mind, but it was passive. Deaton never actively fought against Peter.

I shouldn’t have to argue that Peter was a villain in reply. It should be freaking obvious to anyone who doesn’t confuse virtue with sex appeal. Instead, I have a few new candidates for the Secret Villain of Teen Wolf: Noah Stilinski!

They say that Deaton didn’t do enough after the Hale fire, without elaborating on what he could have done or what he should have done, but there was one person who could have done and should have found justice for the murdered Hale family, but he didn’t! Sheriff Noah Stiliniski.

If Deaton didn’t take care of the remaining Hales -- which we don’t know if he did or not because we don’t see that time period because the show’s story is not focused the Hales -- why didn’t the Freakin’ Sheriff take care of them? Why did he sit on his ass when eight people were burned alive? Why didn’t he make sure that the survivor had a guard? Why didn’t he take care of Laura and Derek? Why didn’t he solve the case?

Because he’s an anti-supernatural bigot. He always knew that the supernatural existed -- he was lying when he told that story and he was lying, lying, lying all the time. He either worked with the Argents to kill the Hales or he realized that the fire was an execution and turned a blind eye.

It fits! That’s why he was out there in the woods, hunting for werewolves. That’s why he watched Scott get shot in Fury (2x10) but didn’t comment on Scott playing a few days later in Battlefield (2x11). He didn’t refuse to believe he saw Scott healing in the bank vault; he knew exactly what was going on! He knew about telluric currents and was secretly acting to control them. All his confusion and frustration about the supernatural was a carefully constructed act designed to fool the supernatural creatures into a false sense of security.

He also hated Scott because how dare he be more important than Stiles! Why else would he keep endangering him? Why not take charge against the nogitsune? Why let Peter off with killing the Mute right in front of him unless he wanted Peter to kill Scott? Why lie about calling the authorities in Smoke & Mirrors (4x12) unless he wanted Scott and Kira to die? He sent Scott after Donovan knowing about the Dread Doctors! He was so happy to arrest Kira? He knew exactly how to kill Scott in Raw Talent (6x12)!

The secret evil mastermind of Teen Wolf was indeed Sheriff Noah Stilinski! OOOooooOOOoooooh! (Aside, because some people have the reading comprehension skills of termites, this is a ridiculous theory. There’s no benefit for the Sheriff. There’s no motivation. It doesn’t match his other behavior. But every factor that should make you reject Sheriff-as-Palpatine also applies equally to Deaton, and that doesn’t stop the racist parts of the fandom from murdering a black character for the crimes they made up in their head.)

There’s only one reason why parts of the fandom create and enjoy Deaton as Villain meta and stories and have never ever created or enjoyed Noah as Villain meta and stories.

BUT IT’S NOT RACISM.

#shitpost #teen wolf racism #fandom racism #alan deaton #alan deaton defense squad #sheriff stilinski #russianspacegeckosexparty

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meloncubedradpops · 4 years

Text

Repo! the Corona Opera: Part Two Fascist Boogaloo

Greetings fellow Repo! fans,

Here is my second installment of a series of three essays where I compare our contemporary times with the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. My first piece detailed the similarities between the two worlds, and turns out, I have an awful lot to talk about still. I ended my last article by posing the question, "What went wrong in this dystopia to normalize the concept of death due to nonpayment?" No doubt, this movie is incredibly outrageous on many fronts, particularly within the dynamics of the Largo family. As mentioned in the previous piece, I highlighted the pervasiveness of GeneCo's power and influence towards the citizens in the city (is it called city of GeneCo? GeneCo-land? GenCity? An actual city in Italy??).

People who write stories often bend the rules to make their story compelling. Be it exaggerating social interactions, creating scientifically impossible scenarios, or even allowing the characters to use technology that does not exist yet. I admit the creators of Repo! applied all those tactics and more, which makes the parallels I draw that much more surreal. I want to acknowledge this before I dive deeper because yes, I truly think it would be impossible to have a company who can offer cheap and dirty surgeries with an absence of debilitating class action lawsuits resulting from botched procedures, infection, or their body rejecting the organ transplant. And while I admit Zydrate does not exist, yet, but we do have a long history with opioid abuse. If you asked me when I first watched the movie if I think the Largo family could be a mirror of an ultra wealthy family from real life, I would have politely disagreed with you. But times right now are freaking weird. A single day does not go by where something completely outlandish is blasted all over the news, particularly in the United States.

In my last essay I pointed out examples where the citizens in GenCity live a life after experiencing a mass extinction event. Besides the technological anachronisms, society and GeneCo have an uncomfortably close relationship with each other. GeneCo is not merely a corporation that offers healthcare and surgeries, it has an unyielding power politically too. I argue that GenCity is ran by a fascist government that is controlled and operated by GeneCo.

If you're not a person who is super familiar with fascism, basically it's an extremist right wing government philosophy. I find it interesting that in the song "21st Century Cure", Graverobber says: Industrialization has crippled the globe. Although plagues, war, and other hardships existed before industrialization, that paradigm of change accelerated the imbalances between man and nature. Fascism did not exist until after World War I, after all. Between the world war itself and the Spanish Flu of 1918, there was a lot of pain and suffering felt all over the world. Fascists took advantage of vulnerable populations and asserted that their political party is the only correct party, and those who oppose are considered an enemy. Historically fascist governments have blurred the lines between the spheres of what's considered "public" and "private", and often danced harmoniously with business allies in pursuit of profit. As an effect, fascist governments have required citizens to foot the bill of a private company's losses. With enough propaganda, fascist governments will have you believing that this is ultimately for the betterment of everyone. And if you give them enough time, they will normalize terrible acts against humanity that barely make a peep, if the truth even comes to light.

For the rest of this essay, I will be highlighting examples in the Repo! movie that correspond with characteristics of fascism, using political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt's The 14 Characteristics Of Fascism, which was published in the spring 2003 issue of Free Inquiry magazine.

The 14 characteristics are:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

The world surrounding GeneCo occupies itself with the concept that this incorporated area derives a sense of nationalism, in the absence of much dissent. If you see below, there is an advertisement on the top right corner that says, "Your Birthplace for a new Heredity". GeneCo is not just a company that sells organs and surgeries. It is its own incorporated city. This ad, combined with GeneCo's relentless messaging that not only did this company save humanity, you must conform to the idea that only GeneCo can provide you the experience of feeling clean, safe, and perfect.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Being able to legally repossess someone's organs because they didn't make their organ payments is about as disdainful as you can get. Nathan has a whole song called "Legal Assassin", and there doesn't appear to be many laws that would at least have the pretense that these repossessions are remotely humane. There are multiple instances in the movie where Nathan approaches a client who is already restrained, panicked, and powerless. From what I can gather from the media in Gencity, GeneCo proliferates the idea that the company would be dysfunctional if people could get financed surgeries and let those payments go to collections. When you're a mega corporation, they let you do it.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause: The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

While the career of a Graverobber is certainly creepy and macabre, the idea that they could be executed without a jury of their peers is especially strange. After I created my last essay, my friend Veronica pointed out, that per "A Needle Into A Bug", one of the deleted scenes from the movie, that street zydrate is not actually derived from the brains of dead people. He extracts zydrate from bugs that nest inside the craniums of dead people, which in my opinion is a huge distinction. So who is he really stealing from? Is it morally okay to dig up a corpse to get drug goo to sell to junkies? Absolutely not, and the idea is incredibly disrespectful for the dead. And while I am sure there are graverobbers in this world that likely steal things like jewelry from corpses, I still wouldn't justify being executed extrajudicially.

Further, Graverobber's relationship with the Largo family has me believing even more that GeneCo needs them more than their media campaign can justify. Rotti has access to incredible surveillance of the city, so you would think he would eliminate anyone who enabled Amber Sweet's addiction. My theory is GeneCo knows that street zydrate may result in more surgery sales. However they want to continue making money selling the lab-grown stuff. So the end justifies the means, if we can associate graverobbers and those who use street zydrate as criminals, we can continue believing that "they" are the enemies setting everyone else back.

4. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. AND 12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment: Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

GeneCo employs a private police force to carry out law enforcement. They patrol around a graveyard, a quasi-public space carved out for those who mourn. And because there is pervasive video surveillance, Rotti can demand that they do his bidding at any time. An example is his order to murder the repo man. We aren't aware of any sort of involvement beyond the borders of GenCity, but even the concept of a graveyard being a warzone is a special kind of hell.

5. Rampant Sexism- The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Genterns! On the surface, it’s pretty cool that there is a large volume of female medical professionals who are skilled enough to carry out surgeries. However behind the sexy veneer is the reality that Genterns are not set up for success. They are not provided adequate PPE and work under non-sterile conditions. In the "Mark it Up" scene, one is killed by Luigi. Imagine going to medical school for years and years, only to be tasked with the job of organ warehouse worker. Then on one of your shifts you are stabbed to death because the CEO's son bumped into you while you were working. Not only that, but you are also expected to dress proactively for the purpose of selling the GeneCo product and experience.

6. Controlled Mass Media: Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. GeneCo has a monopoly on the media of the city. Politics, entertainment, healthcare, you name it, they have a direct stake in, and control over, the media. We do see from time-to-time tabloid clippings of the Largo family. But generally speaking, GeneCo puts a lot of effort in upholding their image. The best evidence is Blind Mag's story. She is a singer who acquired the ability to see after a GeneCo cornea surgery. And while she clocked into work day in and day out, singing and advertising for GeneCo for 17+ years, her departure resulted in Rotti murdering her. But why? Was he afraid of the things she would say? Rotti knew he was terminally ill when she declared her resignation, and yet killing her on stage is somehow less of a scandal?

7. Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. Fascist countries use fear as a tactic to keep the masses scared and compliant. The universe of Repo! is one filled with tragedy. Millions of people have died. I would imagine that the series of events that would lead to the creation and success of GeneCo was contingent upon people being scared for their lives. While dealing with the coronavirus, I find myself constantly checking my temperature, keeping my distance from people, and wearing a mask out in public. The human spirit is resilient, which is how we have survived so long. However sociopaths smell our fear and use it against us. The city of GeneCo is surrounded by plots upon plots of graveyards, signifying the carnage left after their public health crisis. I have a strong feeling that GeneCo was able to harness the threat of whatever caused the massive organ failure epidemic and as an effect created a power vacuum.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined: Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

This one is going to be a reach, particularly because there is an absence of religion in this story. I don't think religion would be on the creator's of Repo!'s purview, and honestly I don't blame them. If you look at the imagery of the story, however, it is very gothic. We have no idea if religion survives, and if it does, to what extent. I would imagine that people still have spiritual needs, and I argue that the GeneCo Opera is an example of how they get that fulfilled.

"If you want it, baby, GeneCo's got it"

The GeneCo opera is not your typical opera experience. GeneCo specifically tells their customers to "testify". People are singing in unison, praising GeneCo. Clearly GeneCo has taken several human rituals and blended them together to create an over-the-top entertainment experience that seeks to advertise their company behind the testimonials of its patrons. The benefits of the opera for GeneCo, as a fascist entity, are two-fold: have people associate their most nirvana moments with an experience only GeneCo can offer (zydrate and surgery), and distract them with religious-like concerts so they won't question their neighbors being murdered on the streets by that very same company.

9. Corporate Power is Protected: The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. AND 13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption: Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Throughout the entire movie, the Largo family is front and center. We know Rotti is terminally ill, and he utilizes his final moments to tie up loose ends in his life. His children feel entitled to his estate and the company of GeneCo. At no point do we see Rotti consult with a board of directors at GeneCo, a private fiduciary firm, or with any government entity. I would describe the company of GeneCo to be a weird combination of an aristocracy, government body, and corporation. His children commit crimes with no recourse or justice. Rotti kills the doctor who tells him he's dying. Luigi kills multiple people throughout the movie. In one of the opening scenes, we see a photograph showing Pavi is cutting off a woman's face. In the credits we see Amber's body guards lying dead on the floor during her press statement. What sort of corruption took place to make these occurrences so prevalent and normalized?

10. Labor Power is Suppressed: Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

We aren't super privy to the machinations that make this city functional. But there is a clear stratification that has sustained itself long enough that healthcare is not a right in this city, and those who can't pay for necessary healthcare can finance it. In a just society, if we have the means to save humanity, we can figure out a way to pay for it. Be it taxes on the most wealthy or other cost-saving measures, if there is a will, there is a way. However if you give a company enough power and money, it will do everything it can to stay on top. The best examples I can think of would be Nathan and Blind Mag's tenuous career at GeneCo. Neither really wanted the job they were given, but they were forced into those positions by Rotti. Had Bling Mag belonged to a entertainment union, would she have had more protections? Would a proper investigation into the murder of Marni result in justice being served, and the opportunity for Nathan to live a better adjusted life? Rotti masterfully manipulates situations that create powerless outcomes for his employees.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals: Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts We don't see any particular evidence that GeneCo is currently hostile to higher education or academia. What we do know is the technologies of this world are akin to something we'd see out of the 20th century. However GeneCo is advanced enough to synthesize usable organs. In my last essay, I drew parallels to today by highlighting that there may have been a "brain drain" of intellectualism as a result of academics dying from their public health crisis. Outside of the opera house, we don't see many examples of art in this world. Maybe this is what happens when a government stops funding programs it deems frivolous or challenges the status quo?

14. Fraudulent Elections: Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Based off context clues in the movie, we know that there is a group of voting citizens who help determine whether or not a company can repossess financed organs that are passed due on their payments. We don't know who makes these votes, the election process, or anything like that. So it is hard to say if GeneCo goes beyond their media campaign convincing voters to keep repossessions legal. Despite this lack of knowledge, I would argue that GeneCo wields incredible power regarding the course of elections for laws that apply to them. Okay, you want to pass a law to make organ repossession illegal? Fine, we don't have to offer products on a payment plan. The very threat of being able to take away healthcare is something right wing governments loveeee doing.

Speaking of elections, the United States 2020 general election is approaching. Now that I argued the ways that GeneCo is fascist, I will tie together ideas from both of these essays into a final piece that I hope you will like. If you enjoyed this article, please send it to all your Repo! friends.

#repo! the genetic opera #repo #Fascism #halloween #election #geneco #politics #horror #2020 #coronavirus #zydrate #musicals

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dreamlanddoll · 4 years

Text

So... upon writing this I realized that I’ll have to play around with the ages and the timeline a bit since Roland and Cedric technically grew up together and if Roland had a child when they were both adults that means that Cedric would’ve seen you grow up so... yeah that’s a big uncomfy thing for me so I’m gonna go ahead and stretch Roland and Cedric’s age gap to 10 years instead of 3 so that would mean Roland has you in his very young adult years (21 or 22, which was very common back then, especially for royalty) and Cedric would be like 11 or 12 when you’re born.

Cedric x Eldest Daughter of King Roland!Reader

you two knew each other briefly in your childhood, but in all honesty, Cedric had little to no interest in getting acquainted with you, seeing as how you were only 3 years old, and he was a teenager.

in fact, he did everything within his power to avoid you, as he wasn’t all too fond of small children. This trait would continue to proceed in him into his adult years as well (cause he’s a grump)

when you grow up to be of an age old enough for school, around 5 or 6, you begin showing signs of remarkable talent in your academics classes, especially astronomy

this was also around the time that your younger brother and sister, Amber and James, were born. And upon your mother, the Queen, dying from childbirth, your father decided to send you to a boarding school for young, gifted royals.

so you never really got to grow up with your baby twin siblings, or even with your own dad. Which is a big regret of Rolands, believe me.

years pass and so much has happened without you, so upon arriving home in your mid-twenties, you’re buzzing to get filled in on everything

Neither Amber nor James remember you, but Amber is ecstatic to discover she’s had a big sister this whole time

“Oooh, I’ve always wanted a big sister! We can do each others hair and you can give me boy- or girl- advice and I can steal your dresses to borrow and-!”

“Ahem.”

“Oh, right, sorry, this is my little sister, Sofia. Well, I guess your little sister too!”

Sofia’s really happy to meet you, and asks you what boarding school was like. When you tell her that you majored in astronomy, Amber is jazzed.

She’s so excited that you both like the same things, and may or may not take up most of your time, but you two get along well

James was honestly hoping for a brother, because for the last 5 years it’s been mostly him and his dad with three other girls, but he decides to ask if you’ll sword fight with him anyway

when you say that you actually learnt how to in your fencing classes during your time at school, and that you’d be happy to practice sword fighting with him, James is suddenly sold on this whole second big sister thing.

Things between you and Miranda are kind of awkward at first, you’re this new girl- well, woman arriving at the castle that she’s only ever heard Rollie talk about, and now she was your mom too all of a sudden. Though she’s kind of relived to have another adult woman around the castle to talk about certain things with. You guys act more like wine-drinking buddies than mother and daughter.

Baileywick is delighted to see you again, and you him. You were always his favourite little princess, giving you head pats and sneaking you sweets before dinner to this very day. Since you were little he swears you’ve been more cordial than most of the castle staff. And he never, ever skipped on joining you for a tea party. You guys even hug, which is odd because Baileywick always had a strict ‘no-hugging’ rule between him and the royal family. But not you. You were like his friend.

you decide since you’re going to be sisters, and since Amber and James have taken up your time plenty that day, to get to know Sofia more.

“(Y/n), I don’t suppose you remember Mr. Cedric, do you?”

“...Who?”

it takes you a minute, but it clicks when Sofia describes the purple robe and the “weird, two-toned hair”

“Oohhh, I remember him! He didn’t seem to like me all that much though. I wouldn’t want to bother him.”

well too bad, Sofia’s yanking you up there to meet her favourite sorcerer. She talks your ear off about how great of a teacher, mentor and wizard he is while you haul yourselves up two flights of stairs.

upon Cedric opening the door, something seems different about him. He looks less tired, and more bright in the face. He smiled immediately when he saw that Sofia was at the door, and greets her in the most friendly way that you’ve never heard him speak in. Was this even the same boy you knew all those years ago?

Well, it was, and he’s quite surprised to see you... since he doesn’t know who you are

“Mr. Cedric, this is Princess (y/n), don’t you remember her?”

Cedric immediately recognizes your name, just not your face. He feels a little embarrassed for not knowing it was you at first, you’ve really quite grown since he last saw you. Though, Cedric still had a good few inches of height on you.

“M-my deepest apologies your Highness, I-I didn’t recognize you.” He bows, to your surprise.

“You don’t have to do that. Sofia was just telling me about how comfortable you two are with each other, so I don’t see why we can’t be the same.”

from then on, you spent a lot of time catching up with each other, which eventually grows into a good companionship between you, Cedric, and Sofia as they fill you in on all the adventures they’ve been on together. It’s all very exciting! You tell them that they’d have to take you sometime

though Sofia and Cedric leave out some stories, just to spare any bad opinions of either of them you may develop.

Cedric has to admit, it’s a bit nice to start fresh with someone of the royal family that didn’t know about all his past crimes

one day when you, Sofia and Cedric were all paling around in his tower, you decided to stay a little extra longer after Sofia leaves

you just wanted to talk with Cedric alone for a little bit, just to see what he’s like

Cedric’s a little nervous about being in a space all alone with you, you being a princess and all..

but you end up getting along really well, and so it started a routine of you staying just an extra hour or two after curfew, once Sofia had gone off to bed, to spend time alone with the royal sorcerer,

a lot of your friendly banter turns into sly quips, and eventually into flirting

this starts a series of events neither of you could’ve ever seen coming; developing feelings for one another

Cedric tells him self to get over you, to snap out of it millions of times. He doesn’t know why he needs to spell it out for himself that you are a princess, not only that, but King Roland’s daughter. So by that logic you should be 100% off limits, right?

tell that to his heart rapidly beating out of his chest when you touched his hand for the first time

you wondered if your feelings for him were even ethical. What would your father say? What would the Kingdom think if you two were together? It simply wouldn’t work out.

however, when you two are hanging out in his workshop one night, you both had been chatting and shyly flirting as he works, per usual. Cedric starts explaining spell-theory to you (which you found adorable), and you decided that you couldn’t take it anymore, so you defy all the rules and when he turns his head to you, you kiss him

no warning, no subtle hints that you like him, you just dive in forward with red cheeks and a racing heart and kiss him

and Cedric is just in complete shock

he doesn’t have any time to react or kiss you back, he sits there in complete awe.

he can’t believe that just happened. his mouth is completely agape and he can’t think straight for the life of him. You had kissed him, right on the lips- your soft, sweet lips, you, the princess, kissed him.

it takes a second before he gets off cloud nine when he realizes that oh no- you, the PRINCESS, just kissed him

he would no doubt be blamed for this. He panics. This is incredibly unethical. Is it even legal? He’s not sure, but he’s gonna stutter and ramble and lecture you about it. Of course he’s flattered and overjoyed you feel the same way that he feels about you. But you two? Together? It could never happen. It shouldn’t happen. It’s-

oops, you kissed him again to hopefully calm him down, and upon pulling apart you apologize

he takes a minute to think, absorbing everything. You’re worried you’ve upset him, but he looks at you with a frazzled expression and says,

“Promise to never let what just happened leave this room?”

you nod. “Agreed.”

“And also what’s about to happen?”

“Wha-?”

he kisses you that time.

from that day on you two are.... ??? with a bit of <333 but mostly ???!?????????????????

he doesn’t know what, and neither do you

all you both know is that you kissed, you both liked it, and you both haven’t spoken in 3 days

until you approach him about it

it’s very awkward, you two keep trying to talk at the same time, stopping yourselves and laughing, insisting that the other go first

you conclude that perhaps... if you both really tried, you could make something work between the two of you

Cedric concurs, trying to hide how wide his smile wants to reach across his face

you both go to bed extremely happy and giddy that night, thinking about each other until the second you each fall asleep

aside from the new relationship, hiding this from Roland is a whole other effort on it’s own

you two have to keep things very lowkey, you might secretly brush your hand against Cedric’s when with your family, making his heart jump in his chest the first dozen times

he gradually gets acquainted with your micro-affections in public, and gives you a tender, secret smile each time you do them, making a blush rise in your cheeks that you try to hide behind your fan

of course Sofia catches on to this, and of course Cedric can’t hide anything from her

she promises that she won’t tell their dad, much to Cedric’s relief

you two have lots of secret dates in his workshop, mostly at night when everybody else is asleep

you favourite thing to do together even now as a couple is play rainy indoor games like checkers, chess, cards, stuff like that

you’re both equally good at those things, so it’s always a fun competition

(winner always gets a kiss on the cheek <3)

when things start to get more... intimate in your relationship, it’s a very tricky procedure

the first time you slept over at Cedric’s, you woke up late and Baileywick had knocked on the door to ask Cedric if he’s seen Princess (Y/n)

oh he’s seen you alright

you ended up having to hide in his closet dressed in your nightgown as Baileywick proceeded to talk (more like order around) Cedric’s ear off for an hour.

now you know to get up 5 am, haul your clothes, quickly kiss Cedric goodbye and book it to the other side of the castle so that nothing would suspect a thing

Cedric still feels weird, and even kind of guilty for courting the King’s daughter, especially since their such close friends again

it’s all just a really weird situation for him

but it is for you too so he knows he’s not alone

the first time you tell him that you love him is when you’re explaining to him that no matter if your father finds out, you’ll still stay with him, even if it means you won’t become queen, even if Cedric is thrown out of the Kingdom, you’ll go with him

that means more to him than you could ever know, but he wouldn’t want to giving up the family you just got back for him, because he loves you too and wants you to be happy

#sofia the first #sofia the fandom #stf #sofia the first headcanons #stf headcanons #cedric the sorcerer #princess sofia #prince james #princess amber #king roland #queen miranda #baileywick #cedric the sorcerer x reader #baileywick probably knew the whole time and just kept quiet and pretended to be oblivious to it #he knows everything #baileywick always knows

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brw · 3 years

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when did this fandom collectively decided to hate on hank (mccoy) and reed richards? i feel like a lot of people who hate on reed do simply out of pack/follow mentality bc at this point the xfandom decided that he is a mutantphobe sentinel-maker and a bad husband to sue but new people just accept it as the ultimate truth.

RIGHT??? VERY GLAD YOU SAID IT.

like. idk where they're getting this idea that reed is mutantphobic! like yeah he supported the superhero registration act but talk to ANY fantastic four fan and they'll tell you that was out of character. his literal back story for his powers is him going "no <3" to the government and stealing back his rocket like??? why is he suddenly NOW sucking government cock it makes no sense for him??? and within ff stories he's almost always been supportive of mutants! the fantastic four were SUPER close to the x-men. jean looked up to sue and reed especially. jean and johnny almost dated. it's only in zdarsky's x-men/ff run (which again, ask ANY fantastic four fan and they'll tell you that was not flattering for the characters in the SLIGHTEST. like events like that are not the best way to get introduced to a character! you can't make hard opinions on a character you've read 4 issues of lmao please for the love of god actually talk to people) where they decided to make reed and the rest mutantphobic. and i HATE that that was the introduction most x-men fans had to reed and sue. usually they're a lot better lmao i can assure you all that.

AND HANK. like i... i get the hate he gets! and honestly i am SO pissed he is now the x-writer's genius of choice to make fuck ups. like i hoped with sinister in krakoa (which makes no sense bc he is a mutate but that's a WHOLE different rant) hank could catch a gotdamn break listen to some oingo boingo make some fun little machines go on a date with his avengers bf but nope! they made him a fascist! AGAIN!!!! LIKE JFC HASN'T HE SUFFERED ENOUGH???????? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. like as much as x-fans like to dunk on the avengers (which imo is bullshit tbh like. events never make characters look flattering you can't read avx and decide that that is the most canon version of the characters that has ever been lmao) hank in my humble opinion was probably at his best there. smart, but not the go-too smart guy. he was shown to like fun and go on dates and go to parties but also still was very well-read and intelligent which especially recently x-writers haven't seemed to be able to balance. like ok. i admit i love hank's feline design its the one i use whenever i write him BUT. the personality change? vile. i mean it was realistic at first but its been drawn out wayy too much and i am just so tired. hank has always had a little bit of mad scientist in him but he was never a fucking fascist lmao. it doesn't make sense! anyway. yeah. hank is a good character and honestly deserved better treatment from fans. it's not his fault none of the recent writers like him 😔

now here i get to answer your question with my humble thoughts! i think both of them are hated on so much, reed especially, is because they're autistic coded. again, reed especially, who is mostly shown as low-empathy, which non-FF fans repeatedly like to make fun of and dehumanise him for. like tbh the AMOUNT of people who say "oh he's abusive because he doesn't love sue he loves science" like bro i. i'm begging you read a comic. or "he's abusive for not wanting franklin to go to krakoa" like bro the island is a cult. they have orgies. both apocalypse and sinister, both of which who believe in eugenics and "survival of the fittest" theory, one of which who has notably manipulated people into sleeping with each other to create the most powerful mutant possible to the point of creating a clone, are both given government seats. like can you NOT see what's wrong with that??? not to mention like. one of the first of franklin's powers to manifest was precognition. precogs aren't allowed on krakoa like its straight up not safe for franklin. like i agree he shouldn't have microchipped him w/o concent but again. talk to an ff fan please...

anyway yeah. a lot of it is refusing to actually read the material and deciding that after having read like 3 events/crossovers that you know everything about a character that's been around for 60 odd years. honestly like. have a lot of x-mutuals who i love to death so this isn't directed at them but tbh the x-comic fandom here is the most toxic out of all the comic fandoms here. like for the love of god stop acting like you know everything about a character n their opinions after reading one event. like if you can understand bad writing when it comes to your fave... maybe listen to people who are fans of that team or character when they tell you its ooc??? just a thought.

anyway reed richards and hank mccoy good they deserve SO much better then what they get. it's not cool to hate on autistic coded characters n you just make autistic people feel alienated and awkward. and listen to people who actually read the comics on the ppl ur insulting before you make any anti posts tbh like it is SO annoying

#asks #this got very long anon i am sorry 😔#anonymous

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id-rather-be-an-outsider · 3 years

Text

Parkson Mystery

Kate Denson x Jake Park

word count: 1,457

summary: none of Kate’s fans know how she met him. she was single one day, and had him all over her feed the next. they tried digging into his past and discovered he was working on Wall Street, until his digital footprint all but vanished, only again popping up on the internet’s radar when the songbird he spent so much time around made their relationship public. this is the true story of how america’s sweetheart and the mystery mogul first met... and then some.

a/n: I had so much fun writing this! this story was originally posted on the DBD Amino. imma be completely honest w u, I have NOT been a fan of Kate. I like using Boil Over when in swf and I enjoy the Horse Gorl™️ vibes but like. idk. ANYWAYS. as I wrote this story I actually made a bunch of personal headcanons and can now say, Parkson is an official ship for me! I can totally vibe w the dynamic they have in my head <3

masterlist

Jake Park wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d picked up a taste for country music after having an existential crisis; in fact, he wasn’t even ashamed to admit he’d become an avid fan of Kate Denson - not a stan, though. Sure, he followed her on his private Instagram, but that wasn’t to lurk on her sexy photoshoot pictures, it was just to keep track of release dates for her albums. Granted, it never is hard to admit things when you don’t have friends to admit them to in the first place.

Every now and then he’d wonder if he should stop being such a stiff and just call one of his old work buddies for a steak dinner, but a quick scroll through their text history would remind him why he left the world of Wall Street behind to begin with. Materialism pales in comparison to the simple things in life, he’d tell himself. His baser instincts had always told him life wasn’t meant to be complicated, which is why he shoved those instincts down for years.

But Kate’s music - the songs of America’s sweetheart - reminded him of what an uncomplicated life was. Hard, rewarding work all day, and well-deserved rest at night. So much more peaceful than the never-ending rat race of the big city. Her music spoke to his soul in ways nothing ever had before, calmed his spirit. It made him realize how lost he was. So, he ditched the concrete jungle in favor of the real deal. Now all he ever dreamed of was thanking the young star who set him on fire again, giving him a new lease on life.

When he heard she was touring in his city, he felt excitement seeping into his very essence. Finally, the chance he’d been hoping for. He supposed she would be bashful, tell him he did more to turn his life around than she did. She gave off that vibe, at least. But Jake knew the truth, and he hoped he might find a kindred spirit in her. He pulled out an old business suit, perfect for a rare night on the town, brought his expensive car out of the garage acting as its tomb, and purchased a VIP ticket.

He was the last person in line. When he got to the front, he was almost speechless at the sight of her - almost. He managed to get out, “Miss Denson, your music saved my life.” The star laughed shyly, like she was used to a different kind of person saying those words to her. Probably fourteen, wearing braces, just having gone through their emo phase before getting back in touch with their roots. All the kids go through them these days, after all. Even a little cousin of Jake’s did a few years back. While he pondered this, he couldn’t help but also ponder how her laugh sounded like wind chimes. How is it that musicians always sound so magical?

As Jake mused, Kate said something he couldn’t quite hear and began to walk away with her security detail, agent in tow. “Wait!” He called out, and she turned back to face him. He could tell her agent was thinking he was just a crazed country boy super fan. “What if I told you that your music is the reason why I walked away from Wall Street?”

Kate smiled, a little confused. “I’d say that explains the accent. What’s your name, mister...?”

“Park. Jake Park, to be exact, but you can call me Jake, if you’d like.”

She laughed again, this time with confidence unlike before, demeanor changing from wary to businesslike. Or... something else. Jake couldn’t quite place it. “Well, Jake, I have a burning question for you: Why would my music make you give up a career like that?” She broke away from her entourage to come closer.

“We could discuss it over dinner, if you’d like?” Jake offered, the old swagger from his uptown days making a guest appearance. Sure, he wasn’t working numbers under uppity snobs to get a bigger Christmas bonus anymore, but he still knew how to play poker. If Kate’s eyes were of any indication, his gut told him he may have just been dealt a winning hand.

Kate accepted before her agent could intervene or protest, his eyes turning into slits. Probably worried Jake’s background with money and marketing could put him out of a job. Maybe he was right. “I’d love to get to know my most interesting fan. Might as well put that Wall Street money to use, huh?”

“Sure thing, darlin’.”

Since that day, their relationship as business partners, friends, and eventually more, blossomed. Kate dropped her greedy agent and management team for the generous man who became her best friend. Jake used his book smarts and savvy money skills to help lower Kate’s touring costs, made her performances more accessible to *all* of her fans, and helped her rake in extra profits from her music releases *and* with cheaper marketing. She spent less time in the studio and more time with him on their back porch as he sat and listened to her beautiful creations.

Truth be told, meeting Jake helped save Kate. Her old team had been stripping the life from her creativity, pushing for numbers rather than quality content. Having Jake work with her personally made everything so... simple. Working from home when making music, waking up to the sun dappling her skin through the the leaves of the trees, feeling the breeze on her face and his kisses on her fingers - it put the inspiration back into her music.

Her fans seemed to notice too, and they seemed to get a kick out of her sharing more about her life online, making theories about their relationship. Jake and Kate would scroll through the subreddit comments and laugh at the crazy ideas everyone had. Jake hadn’t laughed like that with someone in a long time. He hadn’t had a sense of humor in a long time, either.

When his family came calling, lecturing him about dropping his old career and this and that, he invited them over for dinner... and showed them that his and Kate’s retirement funds were already completed when she wasn’t looking. Their qualms ended after seeing the financial security they had, and seeing how calm Jake’s home life was. Sure, it was a strange change, but for once, Jake was happy, and seemed fulfilled. They didn’t always understand everything, but they understood enough.

Eventually, they visited Jake’s family in Korea, had their quiet wedding, nothing crazy, just something for family and close friends and nice rings, and did some remodeling with their own bare hands to create a cute nursery, complete with musical instruments and stuffed animals. When the delivery date came, Jake was a mess. He knew his wife would handle it like a champ, but his nerves were still through the roof. The labor came and went easily, and they came home with a beautiful baby girl.

“What are you going to call her?” Kate’s mother cooed as she obsessed over the newborn.

“Jake was thinking Yu-Hwa, and I was thinking Grace. He said I could have the first name if he had the middle name.” Kate mused. Jake was outside working on building a playground for their daughter. He’d insisted on getting an early start, arguing that his mother said time flies when raising a baby, no matter that their child was only a week old.

“Grace sounds beautiful. It matches your names, too. Oh, I’m going to have *so* much fun spoiling this little girl!” The new grandmother whisper-squealed, not wanting to wake the baby. “When are you going to have more?”

Kate laughed. “I told you mom, we just want the one.”

“For now.”

“For *forever,* mom.”

“What’s this about another child?” Jake asked, announcing his presence.

“Just Grama Denson getting a bit too ahead of herself.” Kate rolled her eyes.

Jake casually wrapped his arms around Kate, planting a kiss on her forehead before heading to the fridge to steal some lemonade. “I mean, between you and me, eomma, I wouldn’t mind making another baby, long as they keep turning out this cute.”

Kate gave him a quick flick to the forehead before he could dodge it. “Stop conspiring against me with my mother, sir. It takes two to tango.”

When the playground was finished, Kate did, in fact, gain another baby bump, watching happily as her husband helped their first waddler play outside. Grace Yu-Hwa Park and Dae-Hwan Lee Park, DaeDae for short, were lucky enough to have the best dad, Kate thought. Jake looked up at her, glowing in spite of the autumn cold, and thought the same thing.

separator images found here

#outsider writes #dead by daylight #kate denson #jake park #parkson #jake x kate #kate x jake #jake park x kate denson #kate denson x jake park #fluff #dbd #dbd fanfic #dbd moodboard

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usagi-mitsu · 4 years

Text

This is something I never thought I would ever write – or would have even considered writing down even a few hours ago. But I feel like this needs to be addressed and I hope you all can forgive me for venting my feelings – about art, the reader/author relationship, art-theft, and the following consequence: deleted art.

And… this is also some kind of diary entry for me, to never forget.

About three to four hours ago, an artist who I truly admire, closed their account on Wattpad. Wattpad is not my personally preferred platform, simply because I’m not sure it’s ok for them to monetize an authors content the way they do – and that is a topic for a whole different discussion. But they had pulled their stuff from fanfiction.net a few years prior and (if it even was their account) even from AO3.

The last message they posted on Wattpad reads as follows:

“DUE TO PEOPLE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO STEAL MY FICS AND CLAIM THEM AS THEIR OWN, I HAVE REMOVED THEM ALL FROM THIS PLATFORM. VERY SORRY TO THOSE WHO HAVE READ AND ENJOYED THEM BUT ALREADY MULTIPLE TIMES MY WRITING HAS BEEN STOLEN AND IM DONE.”

The author I’m talking about was called “Lusterrdust” on Wattpad and wrote the very popular Skyrim Romance Mod fanfiction about their Dragonborn Niamh and the mods main character Bishop. Their first story “Ranger of the Woods” covered the whole of the mod in about 52-53 chapters and told it beautifully: From when Niamh and Bishop first met in Riverwood (?), to them fighting side by side, him leaving her to go fight Alduin alone, them reuniting a few months later, the journey to Solstheim, the battle with Miraak and finally a small wedding far away from the public. The second story was called “Saviour of Tamriel” and was set about four years after the first one, with Niamh yearning to be a mother, while the Aldmeri Dominion was planning on slowly expanding it’s … well … dominion across the continent, with Niamh and the High King Ulfric receiving death threats, her actually getting pregnant and Bishop trying to keep his family as safe as possible. A meeting with the emperor Titus Mede was on the way and I think Niamh and Bishop were about to drop their baby boy Julian off with the greybeards to keep him safe, since the Dominion had already put a hefty price on the not even three month old infant.

The reason for why I write this, why this is affecting me like this, is that Lusterrdust was the first author I ever interacted with: I wrote comments when I read the story and I left my impressions and came back to read it again and again. I even dropped theories in the comments, even though I knew the story was not yet one and when I left my ideas and theories at the end of one of the last chapters, they even asked me, if they could use my idea. And my comments were not there anymore, since I offered them to delete them – just so that nobody else would be spoiled by my … inspirational rants at the end of each chapter. (Which is why I assume Niamh and Bishop were in Ivarstead at the end of the last chapter – it was my suggestion to place the baby with the Greybeards. Who better to look after a baby, than a bunch of super powerful elderly men and an elder dragon..?

But aside from having a baby at the worst possible time, aside from Niamh and Bishop still trying to learn how to communicate with her being the Dragonborn and therefore a person of public and political interest, aside from a potential alliance with Titus Mede and a hopefully good ending for them all.. there was so much more: There was the sub-plot with Breezehome being remodelled to be an orphanage, Niamhs brother having been brainwashed by the dark brotherhood, Lydia and Farkas having a third baby, Vilkas being with a Mere (elven woman), the implication of Ulfric slowly growing old and openly admitting to wanting Niamh to be his High Queen …

There was so much yet to explore.

But the author stopped updating in 2018, when their grandfather died. Which was ok. And everything was still ok to this day. At least for me: Even though they did not publish any new content, I still had all those many chapters to read again and again in my own time, whenever I got to it.

And it inspired me. It inspired me so much, that I went ahead and dove head first into Elder Scrolls Lore. A few years back, I could name all the Daedric Princes (Sanguine is the god of tits and wine – change my mind) and tell you which of Tamriels nine gods ruled over which dominion and why the fight between the Elves of Summerset and the other peoples of Tamriel was utter religious bullshit.

It even inspired me to think about my own Dragonborn, a nord woman called Kahira van Rae, and what she would do in a situation like Niamhs. A train of thoughts, that lead to me having RP sessions with my friends via WhatsApp and hour long talks about the politics of fictional lands. It even made me call my new character in the next fandom I’d dive into “Shia Tamriel”. In honour of a story and fandom I had come to love deeply.

And while it has been some time since I last checked in with these stories, I never forgot them. I did keep on coming back, enjoying them again and again. And every time I read them, I discovered something new.

These two stories were important to me.

The author was important to me.

And now, all of those things are gone, because someone apparently copied their work and posted them as their own.

And that’s what really gets me.

Some random person out there on the internet thought it was ok, to simply copy-paste another persons hard work and put their name on it.

And let me put this as simply as possible:

THAT IS NOT OK! NOT IN ANY WAY!

Because of your selfishness, a few hundred people will never get to know the end of Niamhs story.

Because of your selfishness, a few hundred people will never get to reread the story.

Because of your selfishness, an author was hurt and annoyed so badly they decided to pull all their content.

You should be ashamed.

You stole someone’s precious art that they decided to share with the world and let me be clear – just because they shared their art, you are not allowed to simply make it your own!

Copyright is an iffy topic in fandom culture, with different countries having different rules and different companies going after fan works in highly differing intensities. But it should be common curtesy to not simply steal another persons art! Be it literal artworks as in pictures or edited videos or cosplay ideas or written art like fanfiction!

If something inspires you, that’s great! But you always ask consent before doing anything with the art! And if asking consent is an entirely new concept to you, I’d like to ask you kindly to go educate yourself on it. It will not only pop up in fandom culture.

To conclude this…

I’m just sad at this point. I remembered the story two nights ago and I jumped right back into it at some random point and read it. I even put up with Wattpads shenanigans like forcing me to log in to keep on reading or requiring me to download the app so that they can show me stupid 30 second long ads in between reading.

I know that the world is not ending because of this.

I am well aware of the fact, that it was just a story.

And I truly support the authors decision.

But until they pulled all the content, until they deleted their account, I had always hoped to maybe one day read more about Niamh and Bishop. And Bragor and Julian. About their Ulfric and Ralof, Lydia and Farkas and their children. I had hopes to discover their Titus Mede and how they were going to resolve the conflict between Skyrim, the empire and the Dominion

But now I cannot even go back and reread the sassy exchanges between Casavir and Bishop. I will never again be able to experience Bishops anguish when Niamh receives an almost mortal wound. I’ll never again know the inner thoughts of the Dragonborn, who thought she was barren, getting told that she is pregnant.

I think the author did the right thing. It saddens me nonetheless.

So let me end this here with one last plea to everyone in every fandom out there:

Do not steal art.

Thank you for reading.

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darkestwolfx · 4 years

Text

Tales of a Silver Hat

I'm sorry because this was meant to be up last night, but it was giving me problems – in fact, writing anything was, writer's block definitely hit. But I've written a Torchwood fic (shock, I know; it's on my accounts, but I won't be posting it here) and magically writer's block is gone. My mum always said to listen to my head, and it was clearly telling me I needed to write that.

So I've managed to achieve two prompts for @gumnut-logic‘s irrelief2020 in one fic - hooray! I've wanted to write for these from the moment I saw them! I've worked in a board game café as 'guru' of sorts, so this is like, definitely my area. So, this is Board Games for @Tsarinatorment and EOS+Monopoly for @halorocks1214.

I'm sure there will be some of you out there who can sympathise to events in this (I've seen my fair share at work, and from my neighbour).

All of the games I've mentioned are out there, and most of them are still in print, even if in updated copies.

P.S. This one was meant to a normal-ish length, and it was before I cleared by writer's block, but that version was terrible, so it's staying buried in my archives!

Summary: Every family had one; the first to crack in the midst of a game. Usually there was a long story involved; tick. Usually, there wasn't an AI though… Gordon would rather not remember it as it was.

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

Every family had one; the first to crack in the midst of a game.

With a family like the Tracy's, it happened often enough.

The five brothers each had very different tastes in games.

And as such, they had quite the mass of board games in their house: not that they always had the same amount of time they used to in order to play through all of them.

Scott liked Snakes and Ladders (which the Troublesome Two claimed made him old), Trivial Pursuit (which the double T's claimed made him tasteless), and The Logo Game (which all four of his siblings gave him a look that meant 'seriously?').

John liked Risk. It was one that Scott didn't actually mind either, but they rarely played it. John always managed to take over the world, no matter how poor his starting ground. Gordon had joked that this is what John spent his 'free time' up on Five doing, 'planning how to take over the world from above'. John had simply raised an eyebrow, saying nothing to the contrary, and ever since, Gordon had believed it was a viable possibility (especially after EOS). Chess, was another, and surprisingly, that Gordon would play with John, which made him the only one who could manage it. Very surprisingly.

Virgil had much appreciation for building games, which encouraged dexterity (ones no one else had the patience and balance for, Gordon proclaimed; Virgil preferred to call it skill), like Tokyo Highway and Junk Art. Alan made a mess of them, Scott had very little grace, John had the patience but not the balance, and Gordon always chose to film said games as opposed to taking part. He knew he couldn't hold a candle to his brother's skill, so filming everyone else's misfortune was his favourite past time in place of winning.

Gordon was a fan of the 'fun stuff'. Snap because it was quick and easy; Exploding Kittens, for similar reasons, as well as the funny artwork; and something called Cash n' Guns surprisingly. Surprisingly, because it actually involved using your brain - although Scott was sure the liking for it came more from the fact that it contained and allowed the use of polystyrene guns.

Alan loved a range of things, which no one had yet been able to find a link for… Robo Rally, Terraforming Mars (which was complicated enough without the expansion set which Alan had purchased that only John could actually make playable sense of, leaving the rest of them nodding like idiots whilst the red-heads explanation went right over their hears like rockets), not to mention something called Panic Mansion for the 'Gingerbread Men explorers'. Scott still didn't quite see that point. They were Treasure Hunters, obviously, not Gingerbread Men.

The five brothers had very different tastes indeed.

Except where Monopoly was concerned. John found most games a little too easy – so his opinion went without saying – but Scott, Virgil and Alan all found enjoyment in it (though for different reasons). It wasn't Gordon's favourite, purely because he'd never won, but that wasn't to say that he didn't like it – in a very odd way which he couldn't explain. Alan proclaimed it was the metal hat, which Gordon denied so vehemently, that the others had begun to wonder if the youngest's theory held some truth. It was rarely played unless they thought there would be time to finish it, and that was for two reasons. If they had to pause, Gordon had a tendency to try and 'manipulate' the money – either moving it from his brother's piles or pilfering it directly from the bank. Or, Gordon got bored and that risked the board being thrown in the air.

Gordon still maintained that such had only happened the once.

Scott and Virgil were obstinate that it was more like thrice.

But, this afternoon they had found time.

And, this afternoon, EOS was joining them for a game, and that was a first. It was tricky, but not impossible. They'd managed to get MAX to play before, so they figured it couldn't be much harder. John minded her assets – because he was the best at multitasking – and Virgil had conveniently placed himself between John and Gordon to stop the latter from stealing money during the game. Gordon had folded his arms, pouted and made some mumbled point about 'never daring'.

They all knew it wasn't quite true.

Just because he'd yet to be psychically caught in the act, didn't mean they were all unaware to his doing it.

EOS had never played a board game in her life. She'd heard about them. She probably knew more of them than the boys did as well – after all, she had access to every rule book, cheat book and video tutorial, and actually thought that she might be quite good at some of them. Of course, she'd never had the chance (before now) to try and put those skills to the test.

John had been a little surprised when his AI jumped at the chance, but didn't comment on or question the matter.

And so, that was how, on a sunny, quiet (hopefully staying so) Thursday afternoon, they'd managed to sit themselves on the floor of the lounge, with EOS on the holo-communication channel and everything ready to go. Grandma had even made them a stack of cookies for the afternoon. Hooray(!). It had actually been EOS who came up with the suggestion of throwing them out of the window.

There'd been a small moment of raised brows and pointed gazes, as they silently tried to work out between them whether Grandma would notice. They chose not to risk it. Who knew if Kayo would be around to see. She wouldn't tell Grandma out of spite, as such, but only so the kindly lady could make them more. That very well defeated the point.

So, the cookies sat untouched as they settled all the necessary pieces around the board.

Alan had already proclaimed that he was looking forward to the challenge. Virgil voiced nothing aloud, but he did share a look with Scott and John. What challenge? Alan was known to blow all his money by at least halfway through the game, and end up in serious debt to one of them. Sometimes it worked in their favour; they'd once agreed to give Alan a non-existent loan in a swap for him doing the dishes for a week. The youngest, too keen to stay in the game and not lose, again, had taken it before he could think better of it. Gordon had momentarily complained that they never gave him one of these 'definitely-not-fair-because-it's-not-in-the-rules-imaginery-loans', before promptly backing away when they offered him one on the spot.

He wasn't doing the dishes for a week, thank you very much.

Scott had to admit, he'd almost thought about not playing. He was doomed (enough) when John joined them, let alone with the AI contributing as well. He'd decided instead that he should probably strategise for once, and was studying the board a little like a man possessed. Gordon and Alan had already noticed, and shared their own wondering looks, but left the eldest to his scheming.

Scott had the Scottie dog (obviously), John had the cat, Virgil had the wheelbarrow, Gordon had the hat (theory definitely proven true), Alan had the racing car (no questions to be asked there) and EOS had the battleship.

As with Monopoly tendencies, the game started off very tame.

Scott weighed his decisions up for what felt like hours, the younger pair sitting with their heads in their hands waiting for an end, and even EOS suggested a time limit in the end.

Virgil always seemed to play with many strategies, but if you said that to him, he would have scoffed at you. He got lucky; there was always an element of luck to be had with dice, despite what John may argue about the science behind it. He had preferences as well; properties that you were more likely to land on, or just places which were his particular favourites that he might seek to obtain. If it looked like strategy, well, he wasn't going to be heard complaining.

John, on the other hand, did have strategies in place. An endless amount of them. As was to be expected. The red head would buy properties according to those his brothers bought, always waiting and saving and somehow managing to catch you unawares when you were least expecting it. He was the only person Gordon had ever known to be able to buy Park Lane and Mayfair and have hotels on it without going bankrupt before he made the money back. That tactic's mysteries had yet to be solved.

Gordon liked to think he had tactics. Then he'd make a move which his brothers would frown at, and he'd try to cover up the fact that such response questioned 'why?' with every ounce of acting ability he had. Confidence, that made it look like you had a plan. Or at least, that always seemed to have worked for Dad. So, he played like fish and copied that response, even if he knew someone might have seen through it.

Alan acted in traditional Alan fashion, and began to promptly blitz money on everything. Literally anything he landed on which he could buy was immediately his.

EOS, unfortunately, seemed to think much like John. Once again, that was hardly surprising. However, it was shocking to see that her thinking let her down. When John had asked her why she didn't buy the third pink property to complete the set, she had simply 'shrugged' (as Gordon interpreted it anyway,) with the movement of little yellow dots and answered;

"I am not disclosing my strategy."

"Ok then."

First time experiences with a game. Everyone learnt from them.

For once, Gordon was a little excited that there might be a player worse than he (or Alan) in the family! Scott began to wonder if winning against EOS wasn't such a lost cause. John had even enquired as to whether EOS' new processors were working.

Scott's 'strategizing' – if you could even call it that, Gordon thought – wasn't going very well. In fact, he looked to be in a worse place than usual. And of course, they'd managed to make it through four rounds. It was only a matter of time before… oh yeah, there it went, the triple double roll. Scott always ended up in jail first. Alan found that quite amusing, and Gordon didn't want to risk the eldest's wrath to tell the youngest a few home truths. Even Virgil would chuckle at that one, and Scott would dejectedly move himself to jail, and insist that he'd be lucky enough to roll his way out on the next go.

Safe to say, it went that the eldest rolled twice with failure, and on the third round paid to get out only to then roll what he needed. Gordon didn't know what fluke of nature allowed it to happen, but he got one hell of a kick out of the pilot having to eat his words.

As far as Gordon knew, John had never made his way to jail. "Good planning", he claimed, but the Aquanaut wasn't sure there was such a thing. If there was, he'd like he gain that ability. By the time they'd made it six rounds in, John had managed to acquire all three green properties, and still have money to spare. It always happened. No matter whose property he landed on, there was always money appearing before him… like he took it out of the bank! But he didn't. Not that anyone saw… Gordon knew John wouldn't cheat, but it made him feel a little better about losing to consider the possibility.

After John, it would be Virgil's go and like usual, Gordon knew how this worked, because Virgil did have an uncanny sense of luck with the dice. No doubt he'd would land on the Water Works and buy it to go with the Electric Company he'd bought in the first round, at long last. Somehow, whatever he bought, for the middle child, that always happened.

And on his go… what happens? He's gets himself a nice little double and lands on John's property. Get's to roll again because of it, and for the first time this game lands on something Scott owns (fortunately, its only worth a couple pounds, but John's just robbed him for hundreds, so he's not in the mood; and unfortunately, Scott is screaming like it's the 4th July, because he told Virgil "that would be a good buy in the end!" when the middle child had protested everyone landed on 'Go' and skipped what came after). It always happened to him. He couldn't just get a nice little double to his advantage, oh no, only to make him pay out to others. He was probably keeping John's funds afloat.

Gordon threw the money at Scott's feet. They were getting to that point, where the paying out was more than the coming in, and everything seemed an irritant.

"This game is ridiculous."

"No, it's not! It's fun!"

"Losing is not fun, Alan."

"You're just a sore loser, Gordon."

Gordon shook his head. He knew how this went down too. The Tax square was coming up, and Alan – rash as he was with money - would definitely land on it.

"Oh what? This game is ridiculous!"

Gordon really wanted to point out that he'd already said that, but refrained. It was much nicer to listen to EOS not laughing at him for once.

EOS wasn't a constant though.

Gordon had never seen her play before. He didn't know her strategies or her quirks and he found it hard to predict what was going to come her way. She seemed to be the perfect mix between Alan and John, spending money fast, but just enough money that there was enough in reserve to take her past properties which weren't her own. Gordon could actually see how that made for a good playing strategy. But EOS, practical though she was, seemed to have little to no luck.

A little like me, Gordon had found himself thinking.

At first, Alan had insisted it was rigged, EOS' continued landing on the 'Chance' and 'Community Chest' cards. That was, until, Virgil read out the resulting cards on her behalf. It was always 'pay this' or 'repair that', or 'move here and collect nothing', or (the most interesting by far) 'go to jail'.

"That's silly." EOS had whined.

"It's the game, EOS." Virgil had reasoned before John could, because honestly the red head looked to be wearing the same expression Dad had when he'd tried to teach the boys Monopoly – oh Gods that was so long ago – and Scott was finding great amusement out of it.

"But that's silly."

"Tough luck, EOS!" Alan called almost victoriously as he moved EOS' piece to the corresponding square, despite the fact his bank's grand total was currently sitting at around forty-eight pounds. "You're in jail! No money for you."

That one would at least be a saviour for the next round, and Gordon breathed a sigh of relief as the fear of the yellow strips on the board was nullified for him.

"But it's still a silly thing! I can't go to jail. You could never lock me up."

Many confused faces had stared across the holo-link, until it had clicked with John, like it only could.

"There's a section on the board, EOS, not a physical jail."

"I know. You still could never lock me up. I'd break out. I'm already great friends with the security systems of The White House."

Eyes here turned to John, who promptly dismissed every piece of awareness which had allowed him to hear that comment. Later he'd claim momentary deafness. It was scientifically possible to have momentary blindness, so he would just argue the points until he was either blue in the face or his brothers were stumped out by the language (the more likely of the two).

"We'll talk about that later. But the point is, it's not physical, so none of that matters."

"I know, John, I do. But it's still silly!"

Alan rolled his eyes, Scott dropped his head into his hands, and Virgil sighed with weight equal to that of Two. Gordon really wished he hadn't 'dropped' his camera into the pool.

"It's silly, John, because-"

"EOS-"

"The card doesn't tell me what it's sending me to jail for."

There was a beat.

A pause in which John swiped the card out of Virgil's grip and studied the 'Go to jail. Move immediately to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred pounds' standard text which they'd read so often, as though it might open up new possibilities, or give a re-rising to the lost lands of Atlantis.

Which actually, Gordon wasn't going to think about because he associated that trip with Lemaire, and that was a step too far for a Thursday afternoon. Give him until Sunday at least. He might be properly awake by then and able to deal with it.

"Well?"

Scott asked after a while, when it seemed like nothing was going to move on. John set the card in the discard pile and chucked the dice (EOS had wanted to use a virtual dice, but that had been overruled. What? Gordon though, validly, that it was a good way of her cheating, so a different brother would roll for her each turn) towards Alan who failed dramatically at catching them.

"Well what? She's right, it is silly. Who sends someone to jail without having charged them for something?"

Gordon would have copied his brothers in dropping his head into his hands, he very much would have, but it was far more entertaining to be watching, to notice as Scott whacked his head just a little too hard onto the edge of his wrist bone.

And definitely wished he hadn't killed his camera.

**********

After they'd decided that EOS and John must, somehow, share genetics, they moved on with the game. Little changed, except for the state of the board, which was beginning to pile up with houses and hotels. Virgil was currently reshuffling the Chance cards, again, because EOS still kept landing on them. She'd been sent to jail by one for a second time – to Alan and Scott's shared delight, since they usually shared the luck in drawing those – and they'd promptly managed to cease the return of the 'silly' argument. As it would forever be known in Gordon's secret diary.

Luckily, the second time around EOS had a 'Get out of Jail Free Card' which she had bought from John in return for Mayfair. Gordon still maintained that he smelt a rat there as the houses appeared and he began to set aside a chunk of money just in case he was unlucky enough to land upon them. He wasn't going to let that powerhouse strategy of John's catch him again.

Said card had at least saved some stalling, however not all. The game had been paused yet again as EOS remarked;

"That card is stupider than the one which sends you to jail."

The sigh had been unanimous, but it was Scott who found voice for the question, "And why is that, EOS?"

"Because you never get out of jail free. You have to have a court appeal. Or at the very least pay bail charges."

"EOS, it's a game," John had finally silenced. "Suspend your disbelief for the next two – or however many – hours it takes us to finish this please?"

"Ok. But when it's finished, I might ask Parkmoor Scrubs printing system to make me such a card-"

"What for?" Alan had cut her off, but John had promptly shook his head, hoping the youngest would get the simple message. Sssh. It wasn't hard to receive, and even Gordon got it first time round.

"EOS, we'll talk about that later. It's Alan's go."

"But I want to know-"

"Alan, just have your go!"

Scott, sensing what John was trying to do, had laughed, and promptly ended up with a pillow lobbed at his face. John's balance was rubbish, but his aim, was somehow spot on. As Scott was pulling said pillow away from his face, Gordon was sitting happy remembering why he didn't try to call the red head out on his deflection attempts.

***********

Pause number three (or argument number three, depending on your view) happened a little while later.

Apparently, EOS' grand strategy was beginning to break down.

"I don't care how much you offer me, EOS, you're not having it." Virgil proclaimed, properly putting his foot down on the property exchange EOS had been trying to offer him. John just looked done, and Gordon honestly wondered if they'd been this annoying when Dad was trying to teach them, because that expression truly was a replica, even though it had been yonks since he'd seen it.

Scott seemed to be the only one not minding the extra time now. He was using it as his way to study the board without Alan telling him to hurry and have his go, or heaven's forbid call him old. Because that had happened, only three turns ago, and it hadn't ended well. Gordon didn't know which he would hate to be more right now: Alan, or the poor plate of cookies the youngest was belligerently munching his way through.

"But everything I've read says if the deal is preferable, players will swap."

"Yeah, well the internet doesn't say much for human emotion."

"But John always makes preferable deals."

"Well I'm not John. And I'm not giving you my reds so have your go."

"But-"

"No, I will not swap them, even for another hundred."

"You don't conform to my research. I do not understand you, Heavy Weight."

"Heavy Weight?"

"That's my nickname, John warned me she had poor taste."

"I heard that!"

"Ooops." It occurred to Gordon that Virgil didn't really seem that sorry. It was the same tone from when the shower on Two cut out all that while ago. If he hadn't thought it then, he knew now the elder definitely had something to do with it. And he really wanted to impress Penelope with their rescue skills that day too.

"But why Heavy Weight?"

"That's obvious, Alan. Because Virgil does all the heavy lifting."

"So the Fish can cope out of water, after all."

"Hey!" He found himself gapping, absolutely flabbergasted.

"EOS, had you said that earlier, I might have swapped with you for free."

"Go on then."

"No, I was joking, EOS."

"Virgil, EOS has my sense of humour."

And somehow, Gordon just knew this was doomed to go on.

Some point during the discussion, Scott nudged his jaw closed…

*********

It had taken nearly half an hour to actually play EOS' turn before things could get moving again. Gordon was pleased when he made it past 'Tricky Corner' as he'd dubbed it, got his two hundred for passing go, and was reimbursed his tax.

Maybe this game wasn't all that bad, after all.

Scott and Alan were floundering, and Gordon honestly couldn't work out which one of them had more left. The youngest was surviving purely through mortgaged property. It wouldn't be long until Alan was out, and then it really would turn into a free for all.

"Oh, that's mine! EOS, you owe me."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"Do not."

"It's in the rules."

"But you rolled the dice before you noticed."

"I did not!"

"You did too."

"That's not in the rules."

"I think you'll find it is."

"It is not!" Alan demanded, and Gordon wondered if paracetamol would be needed. Scott was looking rather thankful for that pillow John had chucked his way now, the eldest using it in place of earmuffs.

"I'm the AI-"

"Yeah, well I'll-"

"-and I'm the one with access-"

"-the rule book out, shall I-"

"-to the worlds bank of knowledge and-"

"-and read to you exactly what it says-"

"Anyone want a drink?" John offered.

Gordon thought he wanted to get away from the noise more than he wanted to act as a butler, but it worked and John took himself from the room to fetch what Virgil and Scott had asked for.

It was a very entertaining debate – Alan and EOS, arguing across the one and only lounge in the world that expanded into space, and all over whether someone had to pay money or not.

Five minutes later, Gordon wanted the paracetamol, and wasn't honestly sure that the entertainment was still worth it. If he managed to play at all well with this headache, it would be a new record.

"I'm right, aren't I? Tell her I'm right!"

"What? Sorry Alan, we weren't listening."

Since John's return, he, Scott and Virgil had taken to talking quietly whilst the pair fought it out. Gordon had just continued to watch, re-counting his money whilst wondering whether he still needed to keep aside his just in case fund, or if it would be more beneficial spent on some hotels.

"You what? Right, well, that's it! I'm right EOS, so pay up!"

"You are wrong! I'm not paying you a single penny of my hard-earned money."

"Um EOS- No, alright then, ignore me."

Gordon had a feeling he knew exactly what John was going to remind the AI of as well; the money wasn't real.

By the time Gordon had counted his money three times over and decided that yes, he would buy those hotels on his next go – which was supposed to be shortly approaching after Alan's – he was ready to call it quits. The argument was still on going and Scott really seemed to be losing the will to live. How Virgil looked so clam still Gordon would never fathom, and John… John really was beginning to increasingly resemble Dad.

Gordon chuckled when John's next sentence – the final breaking point for the camel's back – put a stop to the argument and had Alan willingly fulfilling the rest of his go. Definitely more like Dad.

Funny. Gordon had always thought he'd see Scott turn that way first.

*********

He'd never known – or remembered, rather – it take them four hours to play Monopoly. And they weren't nearly done.

Alan was out. Like usual. And the youngest was instead spending his time darting between them, trying to work out everyone's money and take stock of what that had left on the board so he could put bets on a winner.

Gordon knew it wasn't going to be Scott. There was no way the eldest would make it past Virgil and John's properties on his next go.

In fact, Gordon wasn't feeling too bad by this point. Usually he'd be worried that he could be next on the list for demolition, leaving (as was typical) Virgil and John to battle for the crown. But, he was hopeful that he could make it to go next turn. He only needed three – that wasn't much to ask for – and then he'd be back round to safety for another roll. His hotels had been a good choice too. They'd made money.

If anyone ever asked him though – strange question it would be – whether Monopoly was a good game to be played with technology… well, the answer would be no. EOS almost seemed to know too much that it hindered her. Held her back from playing in her own way. After all, that was why they always seemed to enjoy it so much. Well, Gordon thought so at least. He'd done better this time, but if he landed on John's money-making property before making it to go… well, long story short, Scott might have a chance at not being the second one out.

He hadn't expected to be proven wrong so soon. And Scott wasn't the one to do it.

"EOS, I think that's it."

"What John?"

"I think you're out of money."

"I am not."

"Well I make it eighty short of what you owe Virgil."

"Oh uh."

"I am not bankrupt, John."

"I'm afraid you are."

"Virgil, how much do I owe you?"

"Two hundred. I've got hotels."

"But I'd never pay that much for a hotel there. It's in the middle of nowhere. And I'm family. I'll have a discount."

"You will not!"

"I will. That is a badly run hotel."

"I think you'd find I'd be great at running a hotel-"

Demolishing, Gordon had coughed beneath his breath, remembering their trip to Switzerland five days ago. Virgil couldn't wait to knock down what was left of the burnt-out building which was now classed as structurally unstable. It wasn't even technically their job anymore, but hey, who was he to comment.

He wanted to live, thank you very much.

And maybe win Monopoly for just once in his life, but living definitely came first.

"-and I will not be offering you a discount."

"If not for the location, then for-"

"I don't care about location or the fact you're family, there is no discount!"

"That is terrible! I'll be writing a review and I'm not paying you penny for a poor stay."

"You have to pay me, that's in the rules."

"Give me a discount and I will."

"No, it doesn't work like that!"

"EOS, you have to pay Virgil what you owe him, and there are no discounts in Monopoly."

"Says you," Oh dear, Gordon decided he was very glad to not be Scott, who had obviously butted in thoughtfully, yet carelessly. "You were complaining only two turns ago that you wouldn't pay for a hotel that had no view-"

"Really Scott?"

"I didn't know she'd remember that, Virgil!"

"She's an AI."

"Fair point."

Comically, Virgil's eyes widened as Virgil found money dropping past his eyes.

"It's eighty short," John declared, "You'll have to take it from the bank."

"Thanks."

"This is ridiculous."

Yeah, tell him about it.

"I'm not playing anymore."

Virgil mumbled something about being bankrupt, but Gordon was glad EOS didn't hear that.

"This is the world's worst game! I don't know why people go on about it like it's something special. I am never playing this again- Hang on-"

What for?

Scott had mouthed. John had shaken his head. There was trouble ahead when John didn't know what EOS was thinking either.

"I am definitely not bankrupt even though you say I am, and this game is silly, and so I'm going to throw the board!"

For all her intelligence… Gordon wondered whether John has as much of a headache as it looked like he might.

"Um, EOS..?" Scott started, testing the waters almost, "You can't throw the board. It needs hands."

There was a moment.

"John, throw it for me!"

The red head pulled his head up, but hadn't even needed to say a thing for Gordon to know what the answer was. No way would John ever do something like that… he had experience on the other hand.

"I'll do it!"

He didn't know quite what possessed him – maybe it was the fact he always lost, or that this had taken so long, or goodness knows what – but he reached out, tucked his fingers as far beneath the board as his palms would allow before flipping it into the air with the same delicacy he did pancakes.

Very little. Aiming high.

The board went through the air, taking pieces and money with it in a flurry of blurred shapes and noise.

For a moment afterwards, it was quiet.

Then there was a little whir and a flicker of blue.

"I asked John to do it."

And then the link was closed, and EOS was gone from their sights with John muttering something the Aquanaut had no chance of catching.

"Oh yeah, no – 'thank you Gordon'. I just can't win with her!"

Gordon folded his arms, and waited expectantly for someone to think of how to resume their game. But there was silence for a long while.

"What?"

"Um, Gordon..?"

Scott started, wearily, unsurely, like he was predicting a storm to brew at his words. John, Virgil and Alan all looked to be waiting expectantly, like they were ready to run at the first sign of said storm turning into a hurricane. Gordon couldn't for the life of him fathom out way. Scott, after a very long moment of quiet, pointed towards his stack of money, and Gordon followed his eyeline.

"You do know you were winning, right?"

The blonde took a moment to estimate the value of his pile before moving his gaze around those of his brother's (and the resigned EOS'). They were pulling his leg, had to be, he'd never won before.

"I'm winning? Let's hurry up and…"

Yeah, his brothers were already ahead of him, eyes looking at the very upturned and unrecoverable state of the board, pieces scattered just about everywhere, at a guess.

"Ahh, dammit!"

Gordon reached out, ready to re-enact his grand piece-scattering moment from the last time he'd thrown the board into the air in anger and promptly realised – a little late as his hands grabbed air – that it was a little bit too late for that. There'd be nothing to throw but the board and that would hardly be grand at all…

And he'd been winning.

Damn. It. All.

**********

Safe to say, Monopoly wasn't played again in the Tracy household for quite some time. Not until Jeff's return, actually – because it had always been one of his and Grandma's very traditional favourites.

Jeff had looked at the board carefully, studying it, trying to work out what was different about it. He settled with the fact it had been a long time since he'd last seen one.

Truth was, Grandma had brought them a new board a little while ago, even though it had remained untouched until now. She'd had too, after that last disastrous game had resulted with Gordon lobbing the already tossed board out of the lounge and into the waiting waters of the pool.

Jeff didn't understand either, why Gordon wasn't allowed near the board, and had to give instructions to MAX for the robot to play his cards and houses.

EOS didn't really like Monopoly – she wasn't as good at it as she thought she would be, but she did love to watch the boys play it, even if it was just so she could think of ways to mock Gordon later.

They'd get there eventually with the explanations, hopefully without the need to buy yet another edition of the game.

The first one, might need to be the explanation of why Gordon was always relegated the little silver hat.

23 notes · View notes

nicknellie · 3 years

Note

First, numbering them is absolutely brilliant because especially where paragraphs kind of change abruptly. I just keep like saying a word before it with a little dash mark just so you can (hopefully) have some reference as to what I’m talking about, but now I can do numbers!

1. Never knew I needed this until you typed it however this is everything

2. Exactly, that is the thoughts that they have and it takes Reggie breaking down for them to finally talk to each other about it because none of them wanted to approach the situation

3. Yes, I maybe should’ve chose a better point but I was like you can tell he’s passionate and it kind of shows what I mean. Also I feel like the fact that he still hasn’t processed his death might also be a sign that it’s hard for him to change his mind (Alex doesn’t like change, and neither does Luke)

However eventually Luke is able to reconsider what he said and also sometimes admit that he might’ve been in the wrong (but not often, hmm thinking of what I can reference from the show, possibly the dance ?)

4. Yes, and if he did intervene then everyone knew that they needed to be quiet and listen (also Alex is one of the only people who Luke would possibly let change his mind and or consider the other side quicker)

5. Due to his upbringing Alex always tries to be respectful hence why he said sir to Caleb however he is a sarcastic person and has quick comebacks

6. And that loneliness only grew after the boys passed away (part of the reason why he isn’t able to get close to people in fear that they will pass as well)

7. Same here, that’s part of where my theory came from. I agree, people grieve in different ways and that could’ve been how Bobby grieved and he shouldn’t be judged for it.

8. Yes he definitely goes through their bags. I do agree with you however at the same time I wonder if the bag did stay in the garage just because at the time Bobby knew how Luke and his parents parted (possibly could be that after a while, more so after he talked to them, he gave them the bag)

9. Absolutely and Reggie kind of switches between crosswords and sudokus just because he’s interested in lots of things

10. Precisely, despite the fact that Reggie is the one who is actually afraid of heights not Alex, Reggie tried to convince Alex that he was going to climb Mount Everest. Another time Reggie tried to convince Alex that they were going coffee tasting and didn’t want to make him feel bad because all of them had toffee nut in it (Owen is allergic to toffee nut hopefully and that’s the explanation I can offer😂)

11. They can’t lie to each other at all, Alex is the best liar sometimes when talking to other people (at least in defense of the boys) and in general Luke just can’t lie

12. Luke would definitely be the person who would cut someone off for something rude that they said. (Usually after exploding and saying why exactly they are wrong, especially if someone says something bad about Alex)

13. There’s a drawing of Reggie with a cowboy hat (https://kidovna.tumblr.com/post/639425200784572416/hi-little-reggie-in-a-cowboy-hat-even-if) (oh how I hope that link will work) and now I just want to see a picture of Sunset Curve with cowboy hats because Reggie was sad and they couldn’t say no

14. Yes, alongside those songs I offer the ‘devil went down to Georgia’ (i’m basically saying it because a version of this should be this song the boys use against Caleb and it’s basically them saying that they are better than Caleb) (also because it was released at some point during the time that they were alive I believe)

15. Yes those are the only art styles that Reggie has. Sometimes he randomly has half of the picture be realistic and then the other half be like Booboo Stewart’s art (Picasso like maybe ?)

16. Reggi definitely help decorate because not only was he impatient but he wanted to eat the cake. (The shape was kind of horrendous because Alex was trying to get it to be the exact shape of the character however the cake came out fantastic)

17. Yes the boys always juggle between if they should be concerned about the fact that he’s baking or the fact that he’s baking again so happy times (once again something he did that reminds him of his parents so for a long time the boys were the only ones who got the bake goods)

18. It took me longer than it should’ve to find this link and honestly I have no clue who wrote it but it’s so good https://archiveofourown.org/works/28308108 (same for this one as well)

19. Precisely it wasn’t like he was fixing the amp and then all the sudden it started raining. He just thought that starting to fix it in the rain would be best

20. You took the words right out of my mouth, yes. Honestly Alex was another son to Emily and Mitch so the fact that he was hurting so bad made them so mad. Maybe that’s why he had his stuff because if he was kicked out then he probably wouldn’t have had time to get everything that belong to him so because of Mitch and Emily that’s how we got his stuff (if they caught the rest of the boys climbing a tree to get what belonged to Alex and honestly only provided a car they will never say) (what if they just egg the house with Emily and Mitch’s help)

21. Exactly, Alex didn’t have the courage the tell Luke for a bit and still to this day Luke has no clue that Alex spend those nights at his house. (Also occasionally that Emily and Alex would talk and Emily would give him food just to make sure that they were well fed)

22. Sunset Curve just needs more in general, any scenes for them works

23. Yes!! Sadly I don’t have the book but I did see that (sometimes you just never know with shows because they easily could’ve taken a theory that the fans had and turned it into something completely different). I’m so happy that this is confirmed, although this still does leave the potential for them to reveal her in season two maybe (not sure) (just more Rose in general is needed)

24. Thank you, yes and I get that part of the reason may be that they don’t have as much screen time and don’t have as much about them known as the boys (hence the need for past stories) however they are wonderful characters played by wonderful actors and deserve more. Also the fact that neither of them really sang in season one is my one regret. (Flynn had ‘I got the music’ however that was kind of like an alternative reality partly, and aside from a bit in ‘the other side of Hollywood’ we don’t see much dancing/singing for Willie)

Flynn just like Luke is very set in her beliefs and also would be the first person to cut someone off/explode at someone if needed. However eventually she is the first person to reconnect with Carrie. Honestly just more of both of them is needed, in any fashion.

25. He does blame himself for their death and the fact that he wasn’t there (could be part of the reason why he started therapy because he believed this for so long)

26. Honestly I want them to give Trevor more character because aside from being Carrie‘s father and stealing the songs we don’t really know a lot about him or who he is (same for Bobby as well) Agreed, I would love to see more Carrie and Trevor moments.

27. Honestly I feel like that will be how they start to process their deaths because they realize, exactly as you said, that they are not going to age however everyone else is

28. Yes, everything you just said needs to be canon. There’s no in between for Reggie song writing it’s either pure country or heavy-metal. (Once he wrote a rock-ish song for Luke but it was most so along the lines that Luke needs to let him add his country music into the set list)

29. Exactly, that is entirely my thought process as well

30. Lightsaber fights happen all the time, Ray gets concerned by the floating lightsaber but Carlos shrugs it off with ‘it’s the ghost that’s been haunting our house’ (Tia is there and is shocked)

31. Wait wait, that is brilliant. Although Reggie can do it by himself, the pictures always turn out much better when Bobby isn’t there so the last few steps of the developing process are always saved for Bobby alone. (Also once Reggie just left a picture in mix while he was soaking the film and the picture turned green, no one knows why)

32. Yes, and if for some reason a fan can’t locate Reggie, they give the stickers to Alex. also the album is not only full of pictures but the stickers that they gave him, also a drawing that a fan made of Han-solo that made Reggie cry in a good way)

33. They all cried to be honest, although Alex only cried because all of them were crying

34. Oh my yes, that is his blackmail material and he uses it well. You are absolutely right that is exactly what Luke does, (also once got stuck in a child swing set)

35. I didn’t even think about her managing it but yes that is precisely what she does and she is in charge of those photo shoots. However once during golden hour, he is the reason for that one happening (also did the same for Willie because)

36. You stole the words out of my mouth that is exactly what he did.

37. I’m just now picturing it in my head and I need this in my life (imagine Julie just bundled up and since the sleeves are long they are overflowing as well and Alex just melts).

38. Luke is such a scaredy cat although when they meet Caleb, Alex said that he would be hiding behind Luke they all knew that if it came down to it that Luke would be hide behind Alex. So obviously this sentence meant that this needed to be created

39. They have matching costumes.. what if it’s like dirty candy where each costume is in a different colour. (Luke hates them even though he once bought them matching pjs)

40. They all dance with each other, just to displeased Luke for the longest time Bobby and Alex would just waltz around the garage (we all know that Luke joined them after the first time). Also once Willie sees Alex waltzing with Julie and decides that this is the greatest thing that has ever existed (also bamboozled because Alex never told him he could dance)

41. I wasn’t thinking about these things existing at all but I now need one as well

Ok I’m going to do my best to answer this quickly because I’ve got schoolwork to do but I absolutely love responding to these and want to do this instead, so I’m just going to expand onto each point I can and I might come back and edit it later with more detail!

2. Yes! Like one day in rehearsal Reggie just seems really out of it and the guys ask what’s wrong and he basically just asks if they even really want him there or they just keep him around to spare his feelings. Prompts Bobby to make them all sit down and talk it out because clearly they all have some issues they need to get a grip on

3. Oh yeah I get what you mean, kinda like it’s hard for him to adjust to any new or different way of thinking, even something as trivial as a song they’ll play probably like one time. I think you’re right about him actually managing to change his mind - it takes him a while and he despises admitting he’s wrong but he will do it if it’s really clear he wasn’t right

4. Oh yeah I love that! Like Alex knows just how to talk to him to get him to at least start reconsidering. Alex is a good influence in that way because he ensures Luke is always looking at every perspective and considering everyone in the band rather than only himself or sticking to only his ideas (I feel like he probably gets carried away writing songs and only wanting to include what he comes up with and Alex needs to gently remind him that he’s in a band, he’s not a solo artist)

5. Yesss you’re right - I think he has surprisingly quick wit and he doesn’t like arguing because it’s so fast that he’ll sometimes say things he doesn’t mean and finds it hard to take it back

6. Yeah omg that hurts to think about - having the boys in his life made him happy and less introverted but all that was ripped away from him too when they died

8. Oh yeah actually I like that! Seeing as we see ambulance lights/police lights in Unsaid Emily it’s likely Bobby was there first to identify bodies and collect stuff, so if he didn’t know Luke’s parents were coming then he would have just taken Luke’s things and gone through it - he finds a completed Rubik’s Cube (seeing as that’s part of where this whole massive list started lmaooo) and remembers Luke fiddling with it before the sound check and even that just breaks his heart

10. Now you mention it, Reggie being afraid of heights is something I could get behind - the boys would sometimes go to theme parks and Reggie would be the one who would wait with all their bags while they were on the rollercoasters. He preferred watching them all have fun anyway, it made him feel like a proud parent. Abbcoeprke yes definitely, Alex has the same allergy as Owen so Reggie was just panicking like “we just didn’t want to risk your health!”

11. Oh yeah definitely, Alex can lie unless it’s to one of the boys; Reggie only gets away with lies (not to the boys) because he comes up with the weirdest stuff and people just think it’s Reggie being Reggie so it’s hard to tell when he’s lying; Bobby is just way too casual when he’s lying which is how they catch him out; Luke “where is your kitchen by the way?” Patterson cannot lie to save his life

12. Luke is 100% willing to just cut all ties with someone even if they’ve been perfectly nice before - if it was an honest mistake that the person is willing to learn from, Luke would still keep them at arm’s length to avoid them hurting any of his best friends again

13. Yes omg thankfully I made the link work and that’s freaking adorable (I follow that person and I love ALL their art especially Reggie, they’re so talented) and yes oh my god. Reggie has been sad for a few days, maybe because his parents are fighting, and so Luke has the idea to do something kind of like a cowboy-themed party. It’s not really a party, it’s just the four of them spending the whole day wearing cowboy costumes and line-dancing but it definitely does the job of cheering Reggie up

14. Omgggg I listened to the song and I’m amazed at how perfectly that fits!!! Wow you’re exactly right, Reggie loves that song and he loved it even more after Julie pointed out how much it related to their situation

15. Ooooh I love that like a combination of the two styles!! Definitely a bit of Picasso inspiration in there too!

16. Yes lol the shape was weird because of that and also Reggie kept picking bits off to eat (Alex kept slapping his hand away but Reggie was so excited that he couldn’t bring himself to kick him out of the kitchen completely)

17. Yes omg and now I’m just thinking about young Alex being taught to bake by his mother back when they were really close, so now that’s all he can think about when he bakes - it gives him equal amounts of comfort and stress because he’s comforted by the happy memories but sad that he’ll never have those days back. But the cookies he’s left with at the end are great so it kind of gets rid of any sadness!

18. Ooooh I’ll read that when I’ve got time!!

19. Yeah lmao like it just didn’t occur to him that it would be a terrible idea. He kinda thought that rain was relaxing in a way and just. Went for it.

20. Asjkxbskl I love that like Mitch and Emily being good responsible parents the majority of the time but someone upsets Alex?? His own parents upset him??? Ok boys it’s time for payback get in the car

21. Yesss Alex just showing up at Luke’s house whenever he needed to just to speak to Emily! And the way she would look out for him!! 🥺🥺 plus Mitch making sure he took on the role of Supportive Father Figure

23. Yes you’re so right any more Rose content will make me so happy! I’d love to see her interacting with young Julie and Carlos, or her and Bobby being friends, or her meeting Ray, or her and Victoria being supportive sisters, plus her with her band Rose and the Petal Pushers!!! Just anything to do with Rose and I’ll be happy

24. Omg yes I’d kill for more performance from both of them! I want a Flynn and Julie duet or even Flynn and Carrie, or just Flynn becoming their resident rapper so whenever they want a rap section in a song they call on her. I desperately need a Willex duet, and yesss I need Willie dancing more - we were robbed of him and Alex dancing together at the HGC so we need any dance between them tbh. Ooooh yes I totally agree like when she’s like “watch it Carrie” in the music class, she’s just very protective and loyal and I honestly love her for that. Yesss more Flynn and Carrie!!

25. Definitely, he must have suffered so much survivor’s guilt afterwards and I think it was probably a while before he went to therapy, so maybe a lot of damage had already been done

26. 100% right, Trevor needs more character development. Honestly I kinda want to see him just losing his mind trying to figure out how the boys came back, and I also want to see him somehow communicate with them, explain his point of view and apologise. It’s an idea I’m including in a fic I’m writing but it could work here too if Trevor was to become the band’s manager to help them achieve the goals he did but they never got to

27. Especially Luke!! Him realising that Julie is growing older would be really tough for him :(((

28. Lmao yes Reggie writes songs to tell the boys to do things or to get his opinion across like “this one’s called: Shut Up, Luke, Country Music Is Good, You Just Have Poor Taste” or “I present: Alex, Just Ask Willie Out Before I Do It On Your Behalf”

30. Lightsaber fights are the way Ray actually finds out the guys are ghosts. He doesn’t believe Carlos so asks Julie and then as she’s trying to talk her way out of it the fridge opens by itself (well, Luke opens it, but that’s how it looks) and Ray is just like “are you sure there’s no ghosts?” and she has to explain everything. Tía Victoria just watches in horror and won’t come back to the house for months - eventually she does come back and bonds with Alex somehow

31. Absnfoflske yes the amount of pictures Reggie has accidentally ruined because of his terrible developing methods is unreal. Bobby stopped finding it funny when Reggie started getting really upset about it and spent like a week straight perfecting the technique

32. Awww yes Alex being like a sticker messenger and fans giving the boys fanart! For Reggie it’s almost always Star Wars (a lovely Han Solo like you said omg I love it), and for the others it’s usually portraits of them (Alex was once given a jigsaw but never figured out how people knew he liked them so much bc he never really made it public???)

34. Omg YES. Other places Luke has got stuck: halfway through the railings of a fence, inside a washing machine, his foot got stuck in a toilet, he got his arm trapped in a vending machine for five hours, in a tunnel on a children’s climbing frame (that was the same day as the swing set lmao), and once inside a suit of armour (nobody ever figured out where he got the armour from - even Luke himself wasn’t really sure)

35. Oh my god oh my god oh my god Willie and Flynn photoshoots together!!!!!! With Luke and Flynn, Willie is definitely also the most photogenic (they found out because Reggie accidentally took a photo one day and everyone looked dreadful except for Willie who was practically glowing) so some days during golden hour like you said Reggie will just take the two of them down to the beach and make them do a photo shoot omgggg

37. Yes 🥺🥺 the second he sees her he just marches right up to her and hugs her (bonus points if she’s sad (about her mum or something else) and she found Alex’s jumper and put it on for comfort and she’s crying when he finds her but he calms her down just by hugging her and letting her keep the hoodie for as long as she wants it which ends up being forever)

38. Akdbsokcod yes exactly that’s freaking amazing I love it

39. Oh my god yes! Alex had multiple outfits but his favourite was pink, Reggie’s was red, Luke’s was blue, and Bobby’s was yellow (he wanted black but Alex said no because he didn’t want him to overheat while exercising like he would have done in black). And matching PJs yes omg that’s so cute. And Julie gets them all matching onesies - Reggie absolutely adores them

Here’s a genuine real actual photo of Sunset Curve in their workout gear (left to right is Reggie, Alex, Bobby, Luke)

(Could I have found a better picture? Probably. Is this a thousand times funnier and therefore worth choosing instead? Definitely.)

40. Yes totally and after that Willie insists Alex teaches him too and Alex once again resumes his position as resident dance teacher

#this definitely wasn’t a quick response lmaooo but oh well i had fun doing it 😂😂#williexmercer #asks #emily answers #julie and the phantoms

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