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strandnreyes · 6 months

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weekend wip game

thanks @welcometololaland @orchidscript @alrightbuckaroo! I'm a one wip at a time person, but i'll try my best lol

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

1. WIP List

a chain reaction of countermoves (formally known as funky cabin to some) - the only one I'm actively working on at the moment

collab with @welcometololaland! (is this a secret? SORRY)

collab with @heartstringsduet!

Carlos escaping his past meets wanderlust TK au - hardly anything more than an idea

a few more time, curious time installments

a third story in the vampire universe (maybe. one day. MAYBE).

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

a chain reaction of countermoves. the only one with words lol

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

probably the collab with @welcometololaland because it's us

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

well, the only one I've written anything for is acroc so... that one

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

um probably the collabs because I've never done one and my mind is kind of a mix of ?????? and feeling like I've never written a word in my life

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

acroc - it's a style I haven't done much of and I'm hoping it’ll all makes sense, doesn't come across as cheesy, etc.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

all of them to make sure the characters aren't sticking four different hands somewhere or something of the sort

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

I haven't been writing a ton lately and I can't tell if it's writer's block or if I'm just busy. maybe a little of both

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

okay I don't count this as a wip because I'm done writing it, but technically it's still a wip for you all and I have to go with my boy Lucky from meet you after dark. you'll meet him on tuesday! he's the cutest, sassiest, prickliest little baby boy and I love him dearly

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

ummm maybe the collab with @heartstringsduet ?

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

the modern day time, curious time installment because they're going to be so sad over their past selves and not even know it. the also third vampire story would also be very angsty for different reasons

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

I think the @welcometololaland collab really leans into their funny, bantering side and that's going to be really fun and full of moments that will feel very them. but also acroc is set in canon which really allows me to dig into some big thoughts and feelings

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

I think the wanderlust au setting will be gorgeous. I'm thinking small mountain town. (when I said this is barely an idea, I meant it)

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

acroc. this is going to be another fic where I end up doing a bunch of random research for. can't wait to learn adsfad

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

the collabs because I want don't want to let people down. I think acroc will be very cool if it all comes together the way I want it to

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

No, I wish. Imagine waking up and you already have an idea, that sounds like a dream (ha)

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

one time, curious time installment is historical, the third vampire story has well... vampires, and acroc has [redacted] so they're all pretty unique

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

the collab w/ lola. plotting it always has me grinning

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

not that I have planned at the moment, but I do want to write an outsider pov at some point for something

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

how about one for each?

acroc - the setting is a fictional place in Texas because I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, but I'm basing it off of a place I've been to a few times

collab w/ lola - if you think no one is capable of looking hot in a blurry, breakroom employee of the month photo while wearing a polo, Carlos Reyes is about to prove you wrong

collab w/ michelle - this is pretty well known, but it's inspired by taylor swift because it's us

wanderlust au - I got this idea about two pages into reading a book. it was all inspired by the setting. (didn't finish that book though)

time, curious time installments - the lifetimes I have ideas for are chapter 5 (baker/blacksmith) and the modern, canon lifetime

vampire au - the plot of this fic is making me laugh now based on recent events surrounding meet you after dark

following the rules and tagging 6 people: @reyesstrand @carlos-in-glasses @heartstringsduet @three-drink-amy @liminalmemories21 + open tag for number 6!

#tag game

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coldstoicism · 5 months

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001. ⸻ Writing and artwork on this blog may contain mature and potentially triggering themes such as canon-typical gore and violence, body horror as well as mentions of abuse & depression. In most cases, posts will be tagged accordingly and nothing will be too graphic. However, as I have no triggers myself I'm often unsure of what warrants a tag and what does not. Please do reach out and let me know if I forgot to tag something you think should have been tagged. Mortal Kombat is not a game for the faint hearted so do proceed with caution if any of the above mentioned topics are triggering to you. Only follow & interact if you're 21+.

002. ⸻ I'm an adult with responsibilities and a job outside of writing, I might sometimes take a day or two to respond to you. Please be aware of that and don't assume I'm ignoring you. I'm doing my best to get back to everyone and I apologize if responses sometimes take longer. Lately, I've also been struggling with various health issues so it might even take me up to a week or more to get back to you. As long as you don't spam me, please feel free to sometimes send me reminders if I haven't responded to our thread in a while. I'm a human and I also tend to forget things sometimes.

003. ⸻ English is not my first language. While I'd like to think I have pretty decent grammar, I might make mistakes sometimes, especially when it comes to correct punctuation as it is vastly different from that of my native language. Please be patient with me, I'm trying my best.

004. ⸻ I use small text to write, but I don't mind switching to the regular text size for better accessibility. Just let me know ahead and I'll make sure to adjust the text size for my posts accordingly. I also use icons and graphics in my posts and occasionally colorful text for highlighting.

005. ⸻ This blog is crossover friendly and open to writing with original characters. With all the different timelines existing in the Mortal Kombat universe, the possibilites to craft unique stories are pretty much endless. Don't be afraid to reach out if you have a cool plot idea, I would love to hear it.

006. ⸻ I feel like this should be self-explanatory, but no godmodding, no taking control of my character or anything of the likes. It's very annoying and it will take away my enthusiasm to continue writing with you.

007. ⸻ I'm above engaging in petty drama with anyone on here, I made this blog to write for my favorite character and for no other reason. I can't stand negativity and toxicity. If I see you being rude to others, spreading hate or even bullying other people in the community, I will instantly block you. If you have a problem with me, feel free to reach out to me so we can have a civil conversation about it.

008. ⸻ Please be aware that my portrayal of MK1!Bi-Han is not 100% canon-accurate. While I tried to make as little changes to the character's personality and backstory as possible, some aspects of him will be based on my own headcanons. The writing for him in MK1 is annoyingly inconsistent, contradicts itself on multiple occasions and sometimes even makes no sense at all, so I won't be adopting much of it into my portrayal. Do not expect me to write Bi-Han as a one-dimensional joke villain just because ❛ it's canon ❜ in the current timeline. If that's the portrayal you're looking for, you might want to look for someone else to write with. That said, this blog will feature different versions of Bi-Han from different timelines, so please do specify the timeline you'd prefer for the plot to be set in. For now I only write Bi-Han as Sub-Zero and I haven't decided on whether or not Noob Saibot will become a secondary muse on this blog yet, but it's well within the realm of possibilities.

009. ⸻ I do not condone hate, homophobia, racism or anything of the sorts and if I see someone partaking in such problematic behavior that will warrant an instant block.

010. ⸻ Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of writing romance plots, I don't have any preferred ships for Bi-Han and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I just don't see Bi-Han as someone who's particularly interested in romance or relationships. Depending on how his character develops in the current timeline, that might change in the future. If I do feel like our characters have chemistry, I won't be opposed to shipping, but I will let you know ahead that I do not write smut.

011. ⸻ Feel free to drop random starters in my inbox, send me asks ic or ooc if you feel like interacting with me and keep in mind that inbox calls and starter calls as well as memes don't expire ! Even if the posts are old, you can still interact with them and I will get back to you.

012. ⸻ I don't have a preferred length for replies, I usually try to match the length of my responses to that of my writing partners, but please don't feel obligated to do the same.

013. ⸻ Where to find me: I'm mostly active on Tumblr, but if we're mutuals, you can ask for my discord as well. I can also be found on my secondary blog @shiraiflame.

014. ⸻ Lastly, if you have further questions, feel free to send me a message at any time.

#🧊: rules.#// rules have been updated with some small changes

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ystk-archive · 2 years

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Can you explain the small challenging components of Perfume that made them so fresh and interesting 10-15 years ago. I assume it's him bringing more of a dance sound to the idol world. As well as all his crazy mangling of vocal tuning. Anything I'm missing? Aside from production, anything composition wise?

I’m responding to this a bit late but essentially yes. I can't really speak on comp because I'm not a music nerd, but to my ears as someone who started out listening to J-pop idol groups, I think Nakata managed to also introduce melodies that were unusual/nonstandard in popular music over there. But it was largely the heaviness of his production, how loud the music was that it sometimes drowned out their altered voices, etc. There’s an aspect of Perfume’s music that sometimes “minimizes” their presence.

The type of music he made for them was really only one part of it though; there had been some attempts at electronic music "genre-dols" prior and contemporaneously but they never caught on, and I think on the western side of things there isn't enough credit given to the overall kitsch presentation of Perfume. It wasn't just the music itself that made them sell; it was the distinct, imitable and easy-to-understand choreography style, the way they had identifiable "characters," their enthusiasm during concerts, and so on.

They also became more digestible as soon as Kinoko stopped writing their lyrics -- early-on that was easily the most challenging aspect of them as an idol unit and something that defined them at the same time, they were often singing these upbeat songs with ~depressing or downright strange lyrics lol. This made it difficult for them to find an audience (and they themselves struggled sometimes to relate to and convey their material as they’ve said in interviews) yet IMO it was a lot more interesting than e.g. "chocolate disco x10" and "we are challenger x5" etc. I think that Nakata sort of compensated for this after Kinoko's departure (I won't say firing...) with the aforementioned production for a while, stuff like GAME, Butterfly, edge and so on, but he's just a different lyricist and I’m sure Amuse or whomever doesn’t seek a return to that style.

(While I'm at it, it's not that I think they should be Debbie Downer: The Idol Group, they weren't even when Kinoko was part of their team, they've just lost that dimension to their material and it was something that helped make them unique. But their English-speaking fans don't care and their songs retained the often nebulously cool or mildly melancholic slant; it doesn't help much that their hits are Chocolate Disco, Dream Fighter, FLASH, etc as well, so there's no impetus to return to that sort of concept.)

#messages #i have once again written Too Much

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noelleai · 2 years

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The First Day of School (Noelle x Male Reader)

You've been living in Hometown for a few weeks now, and finally have your first day of school today. You're nervous about meeting new people. Well, you don't exactly feel nervous, but rather excited. You want to get out there and meet all the different kids you'll be seeing everyday at school. You walk up to the front doors of the school, which look like they belong on some sort of castle. You push open one of the double doors and step inside. As you walk down the hallways, you notice that everything looks just as you expected it would. The walls are covered in posters of different bands, movies, books, and other various things. They're colorful, fun, and really give off a 'cool' vibe. The halls are lined with lockers, each with their own unique designs. Some have pictures of popular shows, others have funny sayings written on them. At the end of the hallway you see a sign with the name of your classroom. Walking up to the door, you peer through the window. Inside, you see rows upon rows of desks. Most of the chairs are taken, but there are still enough left for everyone. A teacher is standing behind the podium in the back of the room, writing something down onto the chalkboard. She's wearing a black dress with a white shirt underneath. She has glasses on the tip of her, and her name badge reads "Ms. Alphys". You thought she looked familiar, but you couldn't quite place where you had seen her before.

"Okay class, listen up! Today we will learn about the important properties of our elementals." Alphys says with a smile on her face. Her voice isn't too loud, nor too soft. It's just right for listening to. And to top it off, she seems very friendly. She walks around the classroom, making sure every student is paying attention.

You sigh, staring at the clock on the wall through the glass window. You don't know why, but you always seem to be late to everything. You were almost never on time for anything when you lived in the city, so you didn't think this would be any different. You take a deep breath, and turn the doorknob. You push open the door, and walk inside. Everyone turns to look at you.

"I'm sorry I'm late," You say with a sheepish smile. "I hope you can forgive me?"

Everyone stares at you blankly. You feel your cheeks begin to burn red in embarrassment.

"Oh, there you are! Welcome!" Ms. Alphys exclaims happily. She walks up to you, flashing her pearly whites. "My name is Alphys, and I am one of the teachers here at Hometown High. So, uh, why don't you tell us your name? We haven't learned it yet."

You shoot her a confused look. "Uh, well my name should already be known. Nice to meet you Miss...what was your name again?" You say with a little bit of hesitation.

"Alphys. Alphys is my name, and I am your teacher for this class and many more." She replies with a grin. You look at her quizzically.

"Do you mean to say you're going to be teaching all of these classes?" You ask, your voice sounding slightly worried.

She nods enthusiastically. "Indeed! I'm looking forward to working with all of you! Now class, why don't we introduce ourselves to our new student? Any volunteers?"

Some of the students raise their hands. You look around with a bit more confidence than you did before. The selection of students seem rather varied, the next more than the last. You know a few of them from the close neighborhood, but most of the rest of the students seem like complete strangers to you. There's an odd humanoid cat-like creature, an adorable bird-looking thing, and even a purple lizard girl that looks like she could be a villian of some sort. You already know this girl must be a bad egg though. She's glaring at you with a sinister smirk on her face. You can't help but shudder a little bit.

You feel a bit uneasy, but you keep your head held high. You may not know many of these people, but you're determined to make friends.

"Noelle! Would you like to go first?" Alphys asks, glancing over at the reindeer girl. She has a cute little blush on her cheeks, and looks excited to be chosen.

"Umm yes, I guess..." She replies nervously. "I'm Noelle, it's nice to meet you." She says, her voice wavering a bit. She seems a little nervous.

"Nice to meet you too, Noelle!" You say politely. "It's nice to put a name to a face, and a reindeer to a person."

"Ooh, is that so?" Alphys says with a chuckle. "Well then, who's next?" She asks, looking around the room expectantly. "Something more than that would of been nice, Noelle. To be honest, I was hoping for something a bit more creative."

Noelle blushes a little bit, and looks down at her desk. "I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking straight."

"I understand, Noelle.. Don't worry about it." Alphys replies kindly. "Let's move on to another student. Anyone else want to volunteer?"

There are several students who raise their hands.

This was going to be a long day. Hopefully something exciting would happen soon, to break the monotony of the class. Monster or human, school was still school. Now you just had to find a way to make the best of it. { TYPE: Long-form story * Exper FP }

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reilliane · 2 years

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Snowfall ★ Chongyun

— ★ Scry: Solar Umbra + Chongyun + Reader's Prompt (First Kiss) — ★ Genre: Romance + Fluff — ★ Concept: Using the excuse of the heat and his Yang energy to shy away from a kiss won't work now that he's cornered at Dragonspine. — ★ Words: 1.7k A/N: This is the first time I'm writing for 'first kisses' and- well, though I do write fluff, I barely write kisses! EEEEEE- i can't believe i got flustered writing this.

There is no escape. It’s too late.

He should’ve been more alert, more suspicious—but how can he deny a trip to Dragonspine? It’s practically the only place that aids in grounding his Yang constitution.

Besides, he can’t quite be suspicious of his usually straightforward significant other.

It’s been a long time since he reciprocated the feelings—more like [Name] confessed and he passed out—well over a year, now.

Almost two?

He doesn’t really count, he finds it impossible to when his Yang gets the best of him whenever he’s reminded of how long the relationship is going on.

[Name] is his complete opposite, or, well, she’s the person he’d be if he isn’t holding back his congenital positivity.

A lively speaker, adventurer, and lover who doesn’t fear anything. At least, to his knowledge.

She’s such a flirt, really—she’s dangerous in that aspect—and has a knack for making his heart race without even trying. From the tiniest of winks to the teasing brushes of her fingers on his chin.

Sometimes he wonders how he lasted this long.

[Name]’s more than thoughtful of his unique constitution, though, so she hasn’t really ‘attacked’ him with all sorts of endearment out of consideration.

It’s a good thing and boy, he’s grateful—but he knows for a fact that it’s impossible to restrain a naturally affectionate person.

Chongyun wonders about the time his lover will eventually break free from her patience but doesn’t last long—he’ll get warm almost immediately just thinking of-

Ah, well, that’s too late now.

He’s heard of a saying that if one thinks about something for a long period of time, it’s bound to manifest in some way or another. Maybe it has finally come in full swing—?

Or perhaps fate has just gotten tired of his stalling?

Or maybe it’s just [Name]’s breaking point!? There’s no other explanation, is there?

Why else would he be trying to hide from her in Dragonspine like she’s out to get him?

Oh—well, technically she is, but—

“Found you!”

A panicked shriek spills through Chongyun’s lips as he falls to the cushioning snow, his heart lurching when the [c]nette ambles past the hiding spot with a beaming grin on her face.

“Oh my,” she giggles with a suggestive look, hands on her hips, “Am I meant to top? I don’t have any—”

“[Name]!!” Chongyun chides, jumping to his feet, “Don’t say things like that—you know that I-“

His cheeks are already tinging with pink, deepening by the second and warming when the girl only hushes that it’s an adorable sight.

Feet brushing past the collective snow, the exorcist raises his cold palms to meet his face, trying to get them to cool down.

It’s working—thanks to the wintry climate—but then he realizes that this is exactly what his lover wishes for.

The grin that curls her lips says it all.

You’re in a place where you can’t be overridden by Yang, so you’ve no choice but to answer to my whims! Or something like that. He likes to believe that he has figured her out.

Still, this is the predicament he’s in. His heart—oh Celestias, his heart.

Still encapsulated with panic, he turns away, palming his chest as if it’ll steady the pacing of his organ. The cold is already nipping on his skin, and yet—his body temperature is… !

“Yun,” the soft calling of his nickname has him looking at the girl, who ambles closer, not enough to close the whole distance, but close enough.

She takes a look over his slightly hunched position, the shyness in his eyes, and the pinkness of his cheeks. Then she pouts, “It’s not like I’m going to kiss you..”

That grabs his attention.

“Ah—really?”

Oh, then—he’s fretting over nonsense? Maybe he’s overthinking things, maybe this really is just a trip to Dragonspine!

Yes, yes that’s right, he shouldn’t really jump to—

[Name] smiles. “I’m politely asking you to kiss me!”

—Conclusions…

His reaction is delayed by a fraction of a second, the cogs in his head twisting and turning—locking in place after a thorough register of what he’s heard until-

“K-kiss you!” he squeaks, jumping backward. He isn’t expecting that.

But then again, he isn’t expecting anything!

The snow crunches under [Name]’s approaching feet, the smile on her face growing. A dust of pink is present on her cheeks, but rather than believing it to be one of timidity and fluster, the exorcist knows it to be simply because of the cold.

Her woolen scarf may give her enough warmth—ah her fingers are faintly trembling—but despite the frigidity of the climate, she doesn’t seem to mind it at all.

“Come now, Chongyun, I’m starving~”

He splutters at this, shaking his head, problems momentarily forgotten. Hungry?

“What? If you’re starving, we should’ve—”

“For your affection, you dummy!” [Name] bursts, lower lip puckering in a peeved pout.

The exorcist can’t help but look away from the adorable sight as the girl continues, “I understand that you’re trying to control your Yang… that’s why we’re here!”

Dear heavens he hopes he’d pass out.

“That’s…”

So, his prior assumption is correct all along—she brought him here to… to… !

Ah, it’s no use! Chongyun holds his face in his hand with a small whine, getting warmer by the second. Even thinking of it is making me…

He sees [Name] between the gaps of his fingers, swaying back and forth, expression a little downcast, along with her voice.

“Unless—there’s a reason why you don’t want to.. well, I don’t mind but.. let me know, at least?”

Oh? ‘Don’t want to?’

That pauses his train of thought—is it true that he doesn’t want to initiate any form of physical affection? Debatable.

It’s not like that, he’s certain. Nothing can ever lead him to doubt his sentiments for [Name]…

So, then, he’s just shy? Is that it?

Conscious of what might happen if he lost himself to his Yang?

Ah—but if his constitution is removed from the equation, would he be willing to answer to his lover’s want for affection?

Chongyun repeats this question over and over in his head and finds that—yes, he’d be more than willing to.

The falling of snow comes like the rain, in gentle drops that obscure the environment. If his eyes aren’t trained on the girl in front of him, he would’ve lost sight of her—but he hasn’t.

So, within the snowfall, he sees with great clarity the influence of his constant evasion from intimacy; the subtle frown, the drooping of eyes…

“It’s not like I’m doubting you or anything, it’s just—well..” she trails off.

She needn’t even continue for him to understand what she’s trying to say.

Ah, I see… I’ve made you lonely—haven’t I?

Chongyun feels bad that [Name] deliberately chose not to be blunt this time around, a clear sign of being thoughtful in fear that it may offend him.

The realization has him casting his eyes away, chest getting heavy.

He knows he’s not the kind of person to indulge himself in affectionate gestures nor anything remotely similar, all because he needs to keep an eye on his Yang.

He’s been too focused on it that he’s neglected his partner.

[Name] must’ve mistaken his silence for either offense or unsettlement, because suddenly she’s tugging on the sleeve of his apparel with an apologetic smile.

“If you want,” there are snowflakes on her tresses, its brightness mirroring the gleam in her eyes. “We can just hug?”

“…”

Chongyun swallows, the gentle furrow of his brows that implied his concern thankfully being hidden by his bangs.

He’d hate to think that [Name] has unnerved him when in fact, he’d never been.

He was simply… shy. And nervous.

A hug, huh… even now, you’re being considerate. It stings his cheeks with warmth, opposing the color of his hair and standing out from all the white the cold mountain has to offer.

The cold—yes, until now it’s doing wonders in holding back his Yang. Indeed… this is the perfect place, as [Name] hoped for.

“Oof!” said girl squeaks when she’s pulled to the exorcist’s chest, hands on the back of her head and around her waist, trapped in an embrace.

“Hehe, I didn’t take you much for a hugger, how adorable.” He hears her say after what he assumes is genuine surprise.

The fact that she’s surprised in the first place just tells him how much he lacked in this department.

Her giggles resound close to his ears. She is near.

The distance is nonexistent as Chongyun relishes in the way he’s embraced back in return. He never thought it’d be like this—it feels nice. And [Name]’s happy.

He withdraws from the hug, cheeks beginning to flare as he endeavors not to think too much of his pounding heart.

A hug, as you wished for.

“Chongyun?”

But it isn’t what you really wanted, no?

Gingerly, he cups her cheeks, swallowing dryly when the [c]nette nuzzles against it with an addled hum. Cute.

[Name] repeats her call of his name, confusion evident when he continues to be still—at least, that’s what she thought.

Until she feels the thumb on her cheek brushing away what seems to be a snowflake.

“I’ll do my best to make you happy from now on.”

She isn’t prepared at all when the exorcist draws closer, any ounce of reluctance—if there even is any—unseen.

In spite of the chill provided by the falling snow and Cryo being Chongyun’s element, [Name] denotes how warm his lips actually are.

Soft, carrying sweet traces of sunsettias from the popsicles she’s made.

Her mind blanks, hindering any outright reactions until they both part—faces wholly cerise, lips faintly parted.

Ah… he…

The realization kicks in with the explosive grin on her face.

“Aw, Yun!” her response is swift, jumping to plant a kiss of her own, this time at the corner of Chongyun’s lips.

Still not having recovered from the fact that he has initiated his first act of affection, he stumbles back, almost falling down to the snow.

“Ggh—!?”

Oh, this is bad. He panics.

The abnormal spike of his temperature—the lovely sight of his mirthful muse, the lasting remembrance of her lips—ah, that was their first kiss, right?

Oh dear—

“H-hey!? We’re literally in Dragonspine!”

[Name]’s bewildered cry is no longer responded to even when she catches her unconscious significant other in her arms before he can fall, his body leaning onto her hold.

In the curtain of snow, she can see the redness of his face, as well as his dazed, lovestruck smile.

a/n: dragonspine?? what's that?? chongyun's still fainting anyway- don't worry bb, you kissed first, like a champ!

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬

#m-event #chongyun x reader #chongyun fluff #genshin fluff #reader insert #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #female reader #RAGHHH CHONGYUN

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imjeralee · 3 years

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Not the same anon but I really liked your adhd hcs! Could you the same but with Diluc, Kaeya and Xiao please? (could you also add the fact s/o absolutely can't focus for shit on anything more than 5s before zoning out and they tend to be overstimulated very easily by their environment lol)

hi anon!! thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it :) Not a problem, I guess this can be a part 2 ehe. I hope you like this one too. Please see below -

Diluc

You’re actually one of the best workers he has in Dawn Winery, because you’re efficient and smart and bustling around like ♪~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

But you do tend to zone out a lot and sometimes you end up working so late into night and you don’t realise it but you had forgotten to eat dinner so you go to the kitchen and it’s like 3am and Diluc is there because he works late too and he’s also just finally getting the chance to eat so you are always having food together whilst everyone else is asleep :3

At work though, if you had forgotten to do something such as paying the bills, no worries, Diluc has a backup plan - the maids usually help with this

You usually ramble away to Diluc about anything you think of, even when he’s working at his desk. He’ll just be sitting silently and occasionally throwing you glances every now and then as you pace the study up and down and gesture with your hands. You know he’s listening.

You may be messy, but the maids help clean up after you

If you can’t focus, Diluc will help organise your day because he is organised himself and has lots of deadlines and also he has trustworthy employees like Adelinde and Connor who can help come up with a schedule for you on a daily basis but Diluc keeps you close by his side which also means you most likely do a lot of things together and you work/stay very closely with him

In order to help you stay focused and on task, he wants you to accomplish one thing at a time and often Diluc will do this with you personally

If he was in the middle of doing something else, he will pause to head over to assist you. If he’s not able to, he’ll get Connor or Adelinde to help

When you’re overstimulated because there’s too many people visiting the Winery or feeling really uncomfortable in general and your thoughts are darting all over the place, Diluc will take your hand and lead you away and to your special, quiet place where you can just focus on him and look at his face which helps you gradually relax and calm down

You might zone out a bit when he starts talking but then you notice the intricate details on the buttons of his shirt and the buckle on his belt and you’re like ‘cool’…. And start pressing your fingers over them and he’s like “…….”

He still loff you a lot though

Kaeya

Somehow everything you lose always end up in his possession??? Like you might go up to him and go ‘Kaeya! I lost my sword! I don’t know what happened to it! Its just disappeared!!” And he will just whip it out from behind his back and be like “You mean.... this sword?” And you’ll be like “YESSSS gimme.”

“Nuh-uh, not yet.”

“Whaaaat?”

“You have to give me a kiss first.”

“Okay.”

It’s actually pretty cool and reassuring because you have no idea how he does it

And this is the kind of relationship you have with him so you’re never bored around him because of how unpredictable he is

You tend to zone out a lot so he likes making up little puzzles and brain teasers for you whenever you’re with him and keeping you guessing all the time

If you ask a question he’ll answer your question with a question. Can be either infuriating or very stimulating. Hmm.

Also enjoys telling you ghost stories

I suspect you and Kaeya may actually be a pretty messy duo because you’re both busy with knightly duties and shit and your house will be utter chaos. Kaeya has arranged for a knight to come around twice a week to clean up tho

He loves to act as your own personal assistant and remind you of things so you don’t forget, usually by coming up behind you and leaning down to whisper in your ear

If you zone out again, he’ll feed you some candy or hold your hand so you can play with his long fingers and the studs on his gloves or he’ll make little ice crystals with unique patterns and make them float around in the air for you

He’ll also allow you to play with his ponytail

He’s quiet on his own so he’ll be a good listener

When you are experiencing sensory overload, Kaeya will usually sort it out for you one way or another. You’re in good hands. Then you will go and take a nap together.

Xiao

Xiao is your mentor. He speaks so fluently and to the point and also expects you to be clear and concise when dealing with him and so unceremoniously end up helping you organise your own thoughts

Otherwise, you might zone out often and very easily because there’s too many things going on in Wangshu Inn and it’s too much to handle but then the smell of almond tofu being cooked in the kitchen helps kick you back to reality and you’ll realise Xiao was standing there by your side the entire time

Ok ok so we know from Ganyu that Xiao is punctual and hates tardiness so he’s good at reminding you about appointments/deadline if needed.

I mean he will drill this into your brain with an iron fist. Defy him if you dare

It also means he will inevitably come up with some practises and teach you how to be mindful, how to increase your awareness and also various breathing exercises

Aside from that, he will notice you lose things a lot esp when he finds random stuff littering the Wangshu Inn ranging from cheese and vials of whopperflower nectar so he will keep an eye on you from now on.

Or if he’s not around, he will ask Verr Goldet to take note of what you lost so she can easily and quickly replace it thanks to Wangshu Inn’s connections

Xiao observes what you do on a regular basis from the shadows and then returns to the inn and also ask Verr Goldet to check up on you every now and then and remind you when it’s time to eat because he noticed you often forget to eat

One day you might return to your room and discover that he’s actually left some food for you and there this note on it with the word “EAT” scribbled on it

Your impulsiveness and the hectic and chaos that surrounds you works well with him because it’s not like he has a schedule either, I mean he often turns up in your room at 4am after fighting so many demons after 3 days straight and he’s in agony from all that bad karma but there’s you and you’re awake because obv you forgot to do something and went back to it hours later but now that he’s here and in your presence and you want to talk to him about your day and he’ll be listening to everything

And listening to your voice and the way you speak is actually really soothing/comforting to him and even makes his pain goes away

Then you’ll remember what you were doing and rush off and he’ll be back up and running and go off to destroy more demons so the world can sleep better at night

or if he’s free, you drag him outside to go on an adventure and explore the area around the inn and beat up some hilichurls

If you have some trivial task to do and need his help, he’ll just offer his assistance at no cost, quite simple as that

During his free time, he’ll try to find out more about stim toys to help you.

Xiao will learn what triggers your overstimulation and purposefully help you avoid it or get rid of the problem before it actually happens.

#xiao #diluc #kaeya #genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact headcanons #Xiao x reader #Xiao x you #Kaeya x you #Kaeya x reader #Diluc x reader #Diluc x you #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #xiao headcanons #diluc headcanons #kaeya headcanons

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the-awkward-outlaw · 4 years

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Wishing you were my Arthur right now, lol. Omg, can write something like that? Arthur is taken by another woman and reader wishes she's that woman. A forbidden love kind of thing? I don't want him to be a cheater but I like to think it's natural for him to also wish he'd rather date the reader but can't. If that's too much, then do the first part? I'm sorry! 😦

Hello, Anon! That is so sweet, I’d love to do a scenario for you and Arthur! Tell me some things about yourself and I’ll see what I can do! 😊

This one was fun, even if it did take a long time. It’s been a hellish few weeks and honestly I don’t remember most of the things that happened.

You stand on the edge of Horseshoe Overlook, enjoying your morning coffee. An eagle soars overhead, swirling in lazy circles in the gentle breeze. This place is beautiful, Hosea couldn’t have picked a better spot.

You hear the sound of a horse coming up the trail behind you. Looking over to your left, you see Arthur’s horse coming up the hill with the man himself astride it. Behind him sits Mary, her arms wound around him. You wrinkle your nose in disgust as though she were a bad smell, but you go back to drinking your coffee and pretending you didn’t see them.

Arthur knows you did, of course. He’s horribly aware that everyone’s eyes are on him and Mary. He hadn’t expected to get back together with her, it’d been the last thing he thought would happen when he received her letter. He helped her brother, of course he did. Arthur was just the kind of man to help anyone in need unless they gave him a reason not to. When he’d brought Jamie back to Mary, she’d clasped his hands and kissed him.

“Oh Arthur,” she’d said, “I’ve missed you more than I can say. You know I… I only married Barry because it was what daddy wanted, but he’s dead now. I’m willin’ to take another chance with you if you’ll have me.”

Arthur’s heart felt ripped in two when she’d said this to him. There was a part of him that was overjoyed, but another part that wanted to cringe and tell her to leave him alone. Deep down he knew if things hadn’t worked the first time, they wouldn’t this time. He’d only end up with a broken heart again. Not only that, he’d had his eye on you for some time.

Although you’ve only been with the gang a few months, about as long as Charles and Micah, you and Arthur clicked immediately. It didn’t take long for you two to develop a crush on one another, but neither of you would act upon it. Arthur was handsome and too good for you. A man like him would certainly never go for you. You didn’t blame him either. Hell, you wouldn’t be interested in you. Arthur felt the same way about himself when it came to you. He saw himself as nothing more than a killer, a robber. A bad man. No way could someone as sweet and gentle as you want to be seen with a man like himself. No, Mary was what he deserved, he told himself.

Ever since Arthur and Mary got back together, he’s been going off to see her more often. Since she already knew about the gang, no one had any qualms about him bringing her to camp, even though many of them didn’t like her. You aren’t a fan either. Sure, Mary’s pretty, smart and strong. But she’s not unique in that aspect. Mary-Beth’s smart, Tilly’s pretty and Karen could knock Mary’s teeth out if she wanted to. What they didn’t have that Mary did was her ego. It was clear to you upon first meeting her that she saw herself as better than everyone in the gang, Arthur included. It was just the way she talked to them, how she would never invite anyone to start a conversation. Most of the time when she was in camp, she acted like she didn’t want to be and she’d beg Arthur to go somewhere else with her. You had to bite your tongue, feeling sure she was dragging him off someplace to have some mind-blowing sex, which did nothing to lighten your mood.

It wasn’t just the way Mary talked to you and the others in the gang that made you hate her. Most of it was how she talked to Arthur, always putting him down in some way. Once you’d been passing his tent when she’d been in there with him and it was clear she was trying to get him to do something he didn’t want to do. “I shoulda had you hung years ago. You’ll never change, Arthur.”

That made you want to go in there and rip her hair out. How dare she threaten him that way? Did she talk to her late husband in the same manner? You doubt it, as he was likely a law-abiding man. You argued that following laws set by a bunch of men didn’t make people good. Hell, you grew up in a law-abiding family and most of the people during that part of your life treated you and everyone else like shit. Here, in this gang of outlaws and criminals, you’ve never known such a tight-knit family. Everyone looks out for one another. Sure, people argue and fight, but they’re still family and the whole gang would be moved to action if a single person was in danger.

Arthur knows the gang isn’t happy to see Mary riding behind him. He dismounts and helps her off. He wants nothing more than to rip his arm out of her grasp. He regrets getting back into this relationship with her. He’s always had a low opinion of himself, but being with her has made him realize how truly horrible he is. He wonders why someone as good as her could want to be with him. He spots you by the cliff, drinking coffee in the morning light. You look so beautiful. What he wouldn’t give to be standing by your side, your hand wrapped around his arm instead of Mary’s. But that can never be. You’re too perfect for him.

He sidles over to his tent with Mary. Dutch gives him a tense nod. He clearly wants to talk with Arthur, likely about a job, but he holds his tongue when Mary’s around. He knows, along with everyone else, that if she doesn’t like even the slightest thing, she could very easily go running off to the sheriff and turn them all in. That’s the only reason why her presence is tolerated, that and out of respect for Arthur. Arthur’s not a fool though, he knows most people walk on eggshells when she’s around. He doesn’t bring her to camp often, only whenever he needs to talk to someone or pick up something and then he heads off somewhere else with her.

Arthur’s here to just drop off some fish to Pearson now. He’d suggested fishing when he picked up Mary. She hadn’t wanted to do it as she found it boring, but Arthur wanted to make sure his people had something to eat tonight. She’d relented at that. You eye her across camp now. Why can she not see how good of a man Arthur is? He’d break his own back if he had to for the gang. She’s not good enough for him, which means you’re definitely not either. Hell, you’ve committed almost enough crimes to get as heavy a bounty as Arthur, including murder. You go back to your cold coffee, though you’ve lost all interest.

Before Arthur had gotten back with Mary, you two were becoming close friends. He took you out on a lot of hunting trips and you were sure one time he almost kissed you. It’d been under a tree and you’d been caught by a sudden rainstorm. Soaking wet and slightly cold, you both huddled under the tree, wrapped around each other to stay warm. Your faces had been inches apart and you desperately wanted to press your lips to his, but you wouldn’t. You couldn’t destroy your friendship with him like that, your desires weren’t worth it. You’d rather have him in your life as a friend than not at all because you couldn’t keep your crush to yourself.

It broke your heart when he’d shown up in camp with Mary the first time and when people asked, he’d announced why she was there. You’d heard enough about her before to know she only used him for her own gains and then always tossed him aside when he was no longer useful. At least that’s what the others said. Hosea told you a bit about what their first relationship was like and why it hadn’t worked. So when Arthur showed up, his arm in her hand and a big smile on his face, you started pulling away from him. You had to in order to protect himself.

It hurt Arthur when you did that. You no longer went hunting or fishing with him, he stopped asking you to help him on small jobs. He understood why you did, most of the others changed towards him too when he brought Mary in. It just made him regret taking her back all that much more. He wanted to end things with her already, but she had some sort of pull on him. Whenever he thought about leaving, she seemed to sense it and she’d kiss him and fawn over him and make him think things might be okay, then she’d slip back into her habits of insulting him.

Arthur couldn’t even say that the sex was good enough for him to stay, it wasn’t happening at all. Mary had a firm stance against premarital sex. He respected her wishes, of course, he was easily capable of taking care of himself if he needed to. However, when he was with Mary, he felt no desire to be with her intimately. He used to when they were first dating, but things had ended so badly that he blamed his lack of interest on that. A voice from a dark corner of his mind told him that he wasn’t attracted to her because he wanted you. He shoved that voice out of his mind though, he’d already told himself he wasn’t going after you. He wouldn’t ruin your life like that.

He drops the fish off to Pearson and as he turns away to go back to Mary, he bumps into you as you’d been going back to put your coffee tin in the water barrel.

“Sorry, Y/N,” he says.

“No, it’s okay, Arthur,” you say, quickly looking away. “You, uh, heading off with Mary again?” You try keeping the accusations from your voice.

He shuffles his feet a bit. “Uh, yeah. She wants to go see one of them movin’ pictures, I guess.”

“I see. Well, have fun.” You turn away quickly before he can say anything else. He realizes he genuinely misses you. Whenever he needed to talk, you were always there and easy to talk to. Not only that, you were always telling jokes, making him laugh. Your cool, easy-going temperament was infectious to him and he found himself becoming more steady and less angry in your presence. Now that he rarely gets to see you, he finds he’s gotten more angry again. He runs up behind you, calling your name softly.

“Y/N, I just wanted to ask ya somethin’. Would, uh, would ya wanna go on a huntin’ trip with me soon? Pearson’s getting low again and, well, you’re a good shot. What you think?”

You’ve kept a steady gaze on him but when he’s done you glance over at Mary. Is that all you are to him, just a steady shot? “I don’t know, Arthur. Grimshaw’s keeping me pretty busy.” That’s a downright lie. Sure, Grimshaw’s been breathing down your neck, but no more than she always has and no more than she’s done with the other girls. “Besides, Arthur, what would Mary say if she found out you went out for three days alone with another girl? If I were her, I’d be suspicious.”

Arthur sighs and knows what you mean. He can’t have friends who happen to be women with Mary. Because of him being a criminal she’d suspect him of being a cheater too. “Right, o-of course. Well, just thought I’d ask. Looked like ya might need to get some time away from this camp.”

He walks back to Mary, looking miserable. He’s right, you do need a break from this camp. You’re tired, tired of Grimshaw’s barking and Dutch constantly screaming about faith and his plans. Tired of Pearson’s same stew every night, tired of everything here. You’ve missed the hunting trips with Arthur more than you thought possible. Your lip trembles as he walks away. You goddamn fool, you think. He’s just trying to help you and you can’t get over your jealousy.

Shortly after Arthur leaves with Mary, you decide to head out of camp too. Pearson gives you a shopping list, so you jump on the opportunity. You sidle into Valentine’s shop and give the shopkeeper your list. He snaps at a shopboy who starts gathering things and putting them into the wagon you drove here. As you’re browsing the shelves, the front door opens and Arthur walks in.

“Oh, hi Y/N,” he says, coming over. “You doin’ a’right?”

You nod. “Pearson just needed some things. Is uh, Mary outside waiting?”

He sighs and looks out the window. “Yeah, she is. I just needed to buy some provisions. I gotta go huntin’, with or without you. Camp’s gotta eat somehow.”

Your gut clenches with a bit of guilt. “I see. You takin’ Mary with you?”

“No. No she’s never shot a gun. I’ve offered to teach her how but she says she’ll be damned before she touches a gun. Says if she does it’s a slippery slope to turnin’ into one of the other girls from camp.”

Your face flushes with anger. She really does think herself better than the rest of the gang just because she’s never robbed anybody. Yet here she is, abusing Arthur and judging everybody else.

“Why are you with her, Arthur?” you ask before you can stop yourself. “I don’t have a lot of experience with dating, but I’d find it difficult to be with anyone who could so easily insult those I called family.”

Arthur dips his head, hiding his eyes. “It’s complicated, Y/N.”

“No, it’s not. Someone who can insult your family so easily can’t hold much respect for you. Seriously, why do you let her treat you this way?”

“Why do you care?” he snaps. “It ain’t none of your business.You don’t know Mary, I pulled some bad crap towards her when I was young. She’s got her reasons for being the way she is.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to put up with it, Arthur. Your relationship with her won’t work if she’s got no respect for you. No healthy relationship can last without it.”

“Like I said, Y/N, why do you care?” His eyes bore into yours, the blue turning cold. You swallow nervously.

“I guess I don’t care, Arthur,” you snap. “You be with her if it’s what makes you happy. I won’t bother you anymore.”

Before he can say anything, you push past him and march out the doors. You throw Mary a dirty look and get into the cart and go back to camp. She ignores you, though it’s obvious she’d seen.

Later that night when Arthur comes into camp, alone this time, you completely ignore him. It’s obvious to you at this point that he doesn’t want you interfering with his life in even the smallest way, so you won’t go digging around in his business any longer. He wants Mary to treat him like the tread of her boot? Fine, let him. He walks over to you at the fire and gently calls your name, wanting to talk things through. He wanted so desperately to admit to you that he’s miserable with Mary, but you’d walked out before he could say anything. When he calls to you though, you pointedly ignore him. He gets the message and goes to his cot.

In the morning, Arthur approaches you near Pearson’s fire where you’re pouring a cup of coffee.

“Y/N, can I talk to ya?” he said. He’d spent half the night lying awake, trying to think of how he can talk to you about Mary. He knows this fling with her can’t last much longer, but he’s afraid the more he tries to escape, the tighter she’ll hold onto him.

You straighten up and look at him. “Why do you want to talk to me?” you say sharply. “Thought you wanted me to have no part in your business.”

He hangs his head again. “I-I’m sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean to get so defensive yesterday, I always do when it comes to her. But look, I… I really need to talk to someone about this whole thing with Mary.”

“Hmm, well, go talk to Hosea. He’s good with advice.” You start walking away. You’re still stung by his words from yesterday.

“Y/N, please,” he says loudly after you’ve only taken a few steps. You can hear the pain in his voice. You sigh and turn around to look at him.

“Why?” you say, softer this time. “Why the hell would you want me to hear about anything going on in your life, Arthur?”

He takes a few steps closer to you. “Because I know I can tell ya anythin’, Y/N, and you won’t judge me for it. Just please, give me a few minutes and then I won’t bother ya anymore.”

That stings again. Here you were thinking you’d been bothering him. “Okay, Arthur.”

You go into the trees with him and almost to the main trail leading to Valentine. Arthur stops there, staring off down the path to the river. He’s silent for a few moments, and you are too. You want him to be the one who speaks up first since this is his problem.

“Yesterday when ya said I should stay with her if I was happy, I wanted to tell you that I’m not. Not happy, that is. I don’t know what it is, but that woman knows exactly how to play me. Whenever I pull away in the slightest, she reels me back in. I don’t know what to do, Y/N.”

“You think I do?” you say quickly. “I don’t know a thing about her, except what gossip has been tossed around camp since you started bringing her around and I don’t know how much of that is true.”

He sighs. “I know, and I got no business draggin’ ya into my problems. But, Y/N,” he turns to you and reaches for your hand. “I’ve missed havin’ ya around. I always knew I could tell ya anythin’, that I could be honest and open. I can’t do that with Mary. Seems we always fight whenever I tell her even a shred about my life.”

“I’m sure, I uh, heard her the other day saying she should’ve turned you in years ago. Has she always been like that?”

“Not always. In the beginning, all them years ago, she weren’t. But then I… we were gonna get married and then her awful daddy got involved. After that, I did some stuff for the gang that caused some attention and it made her mad. She left me after that, said some bad things too. Told her after that I wanted nothin’ with her no more.”

“So why did she call on you a few weeks ago? If she knew things were over between you…”

“Well, her husband passed away and she needed someone to help her brother. He got involved with some religious bunch of crazies.”

“Ah, so she needed someone scary enough to go after him and you’re the most frightening person she knows.”

“Guess that about sums it up,” he says. You look down at your joined hands and squeeze a little.

“You’d think with her seeing you as this violent, scary person, she’d be a little less belittling.”

Arthur sighs and looks down the path again.

“She used to know how kind you can be, didn’t she?” you say, realizing what his silence means. He looks down and nods.

“I really loved her, Y/N, but when things ended between us and I learned she married another man, it broke my heart. I never wanted nothin’ to do with her. But when she wrote to me and asked for help, I couldn’t say no. I owed it to her. Guess I was hopin’ I could fix one of my many mistakes.”

“And now she has you completely wrapped around your fingers.” You let go of his hand and cross your arms over your chest. “How long will this run last, Arthur? How long before you end up doing something real stupid that finally pushes her over the edge and she decides it’s over? Or worse, how long before you decide to marry her?”

His eyes shoot up to yours. “I don’t wanna marry her, Y/N. I’d have to love her to wanna do that.”

“So then why are you with her? If you don’t love her, end the relationship!”

“I want to, but like I said, she’s got some kind of hold of me. I… I want nothin’ more than to end it. Truth is, there’s someone else I’d rather be with. But she’s way too good for me.”

“Who?” you say, genuinely perplexed. “Mary-Beth? Know she’s got a bit of a thing for you. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of Karen, she’s with Sean and they fit together. Tilly, she’s cute. Can be a little scary-”

You didn’t see the way he smiled when you started rambling about the girls, but when he saw you weren’t going to stop, he put a hand behind your head and pulled you to him, your lips meeting. You’re stunned into silence, but just when he starts to pull away, your hands grip his shoulders, keeping you to him. Something in your chest purrs, a hunger you didn’t even know was there begins to melt away. He smells good, like grass and pine, old leather and tobacco leaves. His lips are slightly chapped and warm, God are they warm. His arm winds around your back and you clasp the back of his head, sinking deeper into the kiss.

Finally, after what feels like years, you break off, slightly breathless. You stare up at Arthur, his cheeks rosy. He smiles a bit but then it fades.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I never meant for ya to get involved in all this crap.”

You stare into his beautiful blue eyes. Your hand goes to his cheek, his jaw lightly stubbled. “Don’t be, Arthur. I’ve…” It’s your turn to blush. “I’ve dreamt about what it would be like to kiss you for ages, never thought it would be that good.”

He smiles and leans forward to kiss you again. You want to so bad, but you stop him. “Arthur, we shouldn’t. Not until this Mary business is sorted out. I don’t like her, but it’s not fair to her.”

He sighs and pulls away, nodding. “You’re right. Well, I’m supposed to go see her later today. Come with me, Y/N. I’m gonna tell her things are over.”

You nod and smile. “Of course I will. Hell, if I have to kiss you in order to get her to leave you alone, I certainly will. I’ll take any opportunity to do that again.”

His grin makes your heart flutter. A few hours later, you’re going along the trail with him to where Mary’s staying. She doesn’t live in Valentine, she’s just staying with a family friend in a little farmhouse just outside the town.

Arthur steps onto the porch with you by his side and knocks on the door. A moment later, Mary opens it. Her eyes meet yours for a moment before she goes back to him. She’s certainly worked hard to make herself look prettier, even applying powder to her face and her hair plaited down her back.

“Hello, Arthur.”

“Mary. I um, I think you and I need to talk.”

She glances at you again and then steps out, closing the door behind her. “May we do this in private, Arthur?”

He looks at you a second and you nod, going back to the horses where you can see them but can’t hear them. You pretend to brush your horse when really you’re watching them. Arthur takes off his hat and says something, but his back is to you so you can’t tell what he’s saying. You can guess based off Mary’s face. Her hands clasp together and her brows furrow. She says something, looking confused and angry. Arthur responds and then she walks away from him to the other side of the porch, looking almost like she’s searching for an answer. She turns around and says something to him, Arthur shakes his head. He puts his hat on and then walks down the stairs, towards you. Mary puts her hands on the rails of the porch and hollers, “I shoulda had you hung years ago, Arthur Morgan!”

You throw down your brush and march up the porch to her. “What the fuck is the matter with you? You treat everyone this way when they make you mad?”

“I don’t know you,” she says, her face clearing.

“Well you can know me from now on as Arthur’s girl, and I ain’t letting some snotty brat talk to my man like that. If you ever send a letter to him begging for his help, I will come to you and I will put a bullet between those pretty eyes, you got me?”

Mary swallows. She looks over to Arthur, who seems stunned by your response.

“I didn’t mean… I just….”

“You were just trying to manipulate him, you ass,” you say. “You don’t love him. Maybe you did once, but now he’s just something for you to play with and control. Well, it may come as a shock to you, Mary, but Arthur’s a person! Just because he’s an outlaw doesn’t mean he’s incapable of feeling. If you mention him or any of my family to anyone, I will destroy your entire life.” You spit at her feet for good measure and then march down stairs. When you get to Arthur, you stretch up and kiss him on the cheek. When you look back at Mary, she’s burst into tears.

“Did you really have to do that?” he huffs softly in your ear as you go to your horses.

“Had to get the message across, didn’t I? Now how about you and I go somewhere and have a proper first kiss?”

#rdr2 fanfic #red dead fanfic #arthur morgan #awkward asks #red dead redemption 2

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fairycosmos · 4 years

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Hello, it's late and I can't sleep. So I thought I'd ask a question. What makes a person cool to you?

hey! hmm well.....2 me it's cool when someone is relatively self assured so they don't make everything a competition. when you can have a conversation with them and they're not trying to elevate themselves or use you for some sort of subconscious ego trip - rather they're simply genuine with their time and words, and it makes them naturally comfortable to be around. this enables a healthy back and forth, where neither party has to hide or pretend. i guess that's the crux of it: well intentioned and warm hearted individuals. i mean we're all guilty of being judgy and insecure but you can tell when someones working on it vs when they're ignorant to their faults. so that self awareness is an admirable trait. i also think it's cool when people are passionate about things beyond how conventionally successful they are at them. communicating their human experience through clothing, art, writing etc despite technicalities. i love 2 see that ease, that lack of performative perfection. it curates a unique character. ultimately the type of person who isn't ashamed to be open, soft and silly will always be attractive to me. not necessarily outgoing or anything, just willing to show their truth, even in small ways. i think this is partially why i'm not cool myself, never have been n never will be. because in real life im so defensive and scared all of the time. and it's ugly, but i can't get past it. anyway...i hope you can get to sleep soon 💌 wouldn't worry about it too much though. the popular perception of coolness is mostly an illusion we've been roped into believing is important. it's probably better to just 'be', then maybe the rest follows

#maybe this is not a good answer. should've just said ppl who hate instagram lol #anon

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sohaveyoubeento-blog · 5 years

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V is for Vietnamese & Vintage

Us three ladies had always played it pretty safe by way of our lunch dates. Not to say the local deli isn't absolutely kick ass - it's very tasty and very enjoyable every time we go, but in much the same way as I struggle to go to the same country more than once on my holidays (excluding India, you can never have enough India) I couldn't help but think that life's a bit too short to sit in the same eatery every time we meet for lunch, given that the whole day is ours, and within reason, travel is no issue.

The three of us decided that we would try different cuisines every week, and with the girls (Laura and Dani) living in the quieter, leafier suburbs of Otley and Burley in Wharfedale, with me (Alex) living in what I frequently describe as the bronx, 5 minutes from central Leeds but gloriously populated by some of the best food joints in the country (confirmed) they usually end up meeting at mine and then we go into town to try somewhere a bit off the beaten track. Invariably, being three mums of young children, we eat at the speed of rabid dogs and end up having a bit of time to go explore some local weird shop or two, never anything mainstream like a department store. Oh no. We like vintage shops. You know the type, they smell like damp and the inside of your nan's wardrobe, and we prance around pretending to overlook the fact that we are just in a well laid out, slightly more selective charity shop without the undertone of giving. Usually there's some blue haired student with a headscarf and a faint stench of Bobby Orange pawing through piles of shirts and jumpers that are deemed as retro, when they've actually some of them originated in C&A - we remember that place the first time round,depressingly. The whole vintage scene is a bit ironic and try hard and a bit sad at times, but the one thing that it does offer is the piece you are often looking at, generally is one of one only in the store. The same goes for charity shops, generally. We like stuff that can't be bought in bulk.

Dani owns Deluxe Blooms, and is a luxury faux florist, and very good at it too. Laura is a nail technician and spray tanning afficionado, and the owner of Maibella Nails and Tanning. I own a salon called Lexa Hair, and the three of us work together frequently. The ridiculous thing is though, that work is going really well for us, and while in the past we may have dug around in charity shops for a bargain simply to be economical, now it has begun more of a habit. And you know what they say, old habits die hard. We don't have to eat streetfood on picnic tables anymore, and we can shop anywhere we want, but at least just for me, I don't like extravagance and I'm not impressed by labels or price tags. I like pieces that are unique,with a story behind them. My two accomplices sort of get dragged in to it I think, but they seem on board with most of it. I hope.

And street food is the best food on earth, everyone knows that.

We kicked things off with a visit to a fairly new (maybe a year old I think) Vietnamese place on North Lane in Headingley named VietBaker. Inside it's very wooden looking, quite industrial and urban, stained wood everywhere and dark red leather chairs. It smells like the rice cooker that's chugging away in the corner, mixed with plenty of garlic and of course, the fresh baguettes that are stacked up in a glass cabinet above the front desk.

We opted for a sharing platter for £9, and from the menu us Yorkshire ruffians requested spring rolls (the deep fried ones, not the fresh, healthy ones obviously), prawn toast, and 'rustic chips'.

This was skin on chips with salt and pepper (well cooked and so tasty) and the prawn toast was understandably made of baguette slices. It made for a much heavier slab of prawn toast and therefore an even more unhealthy treat but man alive, was it good. The spring rolls were pork, prawn and the usual crispy vegetables inside. Not floppy or soggy, totally crispy and served with a really light and watery sweet chilli dip that's more sweet than chilli. It was all very lovely.

I've personally eaten from here a number of times and I think the Vietnamese have got it absolutely nailed when they make sandwich. Or a Ban Mih. Laura and I opted for one each, chicken for her and pork for me. Dani went for something off the new part of the menu, the fusion section, which even featured a take on beef bourgignon, Vietnamese style. She tried the Shanghai pork belly, served with rice. Her whole bowl was piled high, and we're not talking a polite, peanuts size bowl. More like a ‘free ceramic crunchy nut cereal box’ bowl, with the with tokens on the back of the pack, that you’d send off as a kid. It was huge. The second bowl was just plain rice, which worked really well as the pork alone was…. alot. It was sticky and tangy and rich and all those other wanky words that just mean amazing. I'm trying so hard to limit the wankiness. I like writing and eating, combining the two is hard work though. Bear with me. The slow cooked pork made me feel a bit gutted I went for a sandwich until I got stuck in.

Vietnam was a former French colony, and much like their neighbour Cambodia, found their local best offerings being bastardised to accomodate the 'local palate'. The nice version is that the baguette was the French's gift to the Vietnamese, although I imagine it was more a case of 'put your lovely meal in my baguette for me or you're in deep shit.'

I've never been to Vietnam but having visited Cambodge a few summers back, I remember being astounded at the gorgeous, light, dairy free Asian cuisine that had been shoved in a crusty, warm baguette. Whoever's story was true, it's the absolute bollocks.

They cut this freshly baked baguette open and spread it with patè on one side and on the other mayonnaise (already weird but hang in there) - add a ton of crispy green leaves, cucumber, pickles, coriander and fresh chilies, and add some meat into what little room is left. Enough meat to give you meat sweats. It. Is. Superb.

The pork was very finely sliced, dark and sticky again (here she goes) and you can bang on a fried egg, too, if you're an absolute wrong un. No thanks.

Laura had the chicken which was a milder flavour but none the less tasty and flavoursome. I noticed Laura pulling bits off her sandwich and delicately chewing away at them, while I picked it up and ate it like I'd been sleeping in the dark arches for the last month. I even had to be asked to wipe my face. Sorry, not sorry. No messing with a Ban Mih. Especially not this one.

The bill was a very respectable £11 a head, and they threw in a free set of spring rolls for us, which was a nice unexpected surprise. The place had a steady flow of traffic, and although wasn't packed, I've been on an evening and I think it's safe to assume that's the bulk of their trade. It was fantastic food, very reasonable and highly recommended. Great staff and great location. We'll be back!

Afterwards we drove for about 3 days to find a parking spot anywhere near Hyde Park, so we could check out the newly (ish) renovated (OK sign replaced and possibly ownership changed) Vintage something or other in Hyde Park.

I forget the name, and if I'm brutally honest I can see why. It's alright, but it used to be alot better. The last time I went in there was alot of very old apothecary style wooden drawer units, some weird taxidermy, and unusual pictures in frames that would look incredible in the lounge. This time there was quite a bit of formica, and some hideously orange stained TV units that I guess in some context would be deemed as cool again.

The music collection seemed to be where the most effort had been made. The clothing was actually quite 'quirky' in the sense that you wouldn't actually wear alot of it, there was a whole department that seemed to have been handed over by the owner of the late knob head Jimmy Saville, shell suit after shell suit in every colour of the rainbow, in that non breathable fabric you'd get a two man tent in. Hideous. Still, there are some absolute finds in there. I would encourage people to bear in mind that these shops have a high stock turnaround and in their uniqueness, and ability to replace items based on sales, any vintage shop can be a complete bag of shite one week and a total gold mine the next. Its the luck of the drawer, I love that about them. That and the fact that we call them vintage shops. The three of us refer to them as shit shops, but potato patato.

I find it depressing that as I mentioned before, alot of the 'retro' stuff is just normal stuff we, in our 30s, encountered in our youth. There was a 'vintage phone' that was £15 and I'm pretty sure my gran has it now. It's literally a BT £10 phone still in argos, but clearly it had lived with a heavy smoker, adding to the aged facade.

Some of it was very authentic, some of it was broken crap, but the general feel of the place is a good one. There is more 70s stuff than anything else which is quite cool, but like I say, stock changes very frequently. Dani bought an oversized T shirt with a University football team logo emblazoned across it, and to be honest I would have too. There was a vast array of university related large varsity based sweaters, some unnecessarily cut in half width ways (why?!!!! Serves no purpose now, you fools) and that's the kind of thing I would have liked to look at. But as I was in charge of a one year old who was bombing around the floor, doubling as a human sweeping brush and coming back with more dust on him than the inside of the V6 after the attic stairs have been tackled, I gave it up as a bad job and put my bank card back away. No spending for mum today. Gutted.

The shop is pretty fabulous, on the whole. They do know how to charge when it comes to furniture, but the clothing is far more reasonable. It's not all one off pieces, a couple of items make an appearance a few times and that kind of ruins it for me, I start picturing some huge factory in China making hideously outdated clothing and leaving them in a damp garage for a few years, chucking a bit of tea down them and wearing the cuffs and collars down, before exporting the newly knackered pieces to us dumbasses in our 'quirky vintage shops'. Who knows. It's well laid out, and pretty cool, and although not my favourite, I imagine the next time I go it'll be a whole different experience. Swings and roundabouts with these places. It was an interesting look, and if Parker hadn't been doing his best ferret impression I would have definitely bought a jumper. Well worth a look.

Until next week!

Laura, Dani and Alex X

VietBaker, Headingley

https://www.thevietbaker.co.uk

Vintage Boutique, Hyde Park

https://vintageboutique.com

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rambleonwithrosie · 6 years

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150 Followers. Feel free to take this and use it yourself.

Okay so if you've been following me you know that at every milestone of 50 I go and answer 50 questions. So this time they're all gonna be Queen/Classic Rock specific and y'all are all welcome to take these and make asks out of them or reblog/copy with your own answers.

Favorite Queen member's solo album? Strange Frontier by Roger Taylor

Who of the band would you call to help you fix a flat tire? John, he's a dad and a diy guy, as much as I wanna say Rog I just don't want to deal with a drama queen when I'm having my own drama but I've seen him under the hood of a car so I've no doubt he probably knows how

What do you think Brian May smells like on am average day? Very woodsy, like pine needles and some light but expensive cologne

How would you kiss Freddie? On the cheek like a good friend I just can't get into his looks enough to think about kissing him any other way

How would you kiss John? Well if we're talking long haired fluffy John I'd probably psst at him to come around the corner and then give him a kiss and see what he does

How would you kiss Brian? Very carefully otherwise @squeezemylemon is gonna kill me so probably the sweet quick chaste type kiss

How would you kiss Roger? (My moment has come) I would walk up to him and grab ahold of one of the necklaces he wears and just pull his lips down to mine and crash mine onto his wrapping my arms around his neck kissing him for all I'm worth or less dramatically if we were just sitting on a couch or something I'd just lean my head up off his shoulder and press a gentler sort of kiss to his lips and see where he takes it after that

If you were going to date one of their kids who would it be? Felix, I'm partial to brunettes usually (Roger and Luke Skywalker are my exceptions) and he seems pretty cool and has done a lot of different things which would be interesting to talk about

Favorite gif of your least favorite band member?

10. Most recent Queen photo on your phone

11. Favorite piece of fanart?

I can't pick just one. I also don't remember where I found these and if you know the artist I'll happily tag them in the most. The artbis most definitely NOT mine

This is mine

12. Queen song that makes you want to cry? Love of My Life

13. Which band member would you pick to keep an eye on you at a party so you don't get too crazy and make it home safe? Brian probably, I would say John but I feel if he's drinking he'd be less than no help

14. Who's flat would you ask to crash at? I have reasons to want to say Roger's but banging aside I'd probably pick Freddie he was generous and funny and would probably do his beat to cheer me up from whatever circumstance had made me not have a place of my own to stay

15. Who would you want to teach you to play an instrument they play? Well I genuinely feel I'm best suited for drums so I'm not just saying Roger because he's my dude. Plus he could teach me the most instruments anyways considering as he knows drums, bass, electric, and keyboard.

16. If you could spend a day with Freddie what would you do? I'd just want to sit and have tea and talk and maybe go shopping later hear his advice and crack some jokes

17. Favorite solo song by a Queen band member? As far as written by goes, it's probably Let's Get Crazy or Happiness by Rog bit overall it's gotta be Rog's version of Racing in the Street *chills*

18. Favorite live performance?

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19. Whose singing voice do you like best? Roger Taylor (nothing against Fresh he's amazing)

20. Whose speaking voice do you like best? Again Roger Meddows Taylor for the win

21. Write a snippet where you're holding hands with your least favorite band member.

Freddie had never been to an amusement park before, hadn't wanted to go really, but John had begged him to come along and then left him with Aston to babysit while he dealt with his actual children. It wasn't that she had anything against Fred it's just him tagging along on her elbow was keeping her away from the drummer whose attention she wanted. They got onto one of the rides and she saw how pale Freddie was looking and felt sorry for him. It wasn't his fault that he was being a third wheel or that the drummer was off on one of the more dangerous rides that Freddie was not about to get on.

"You can hold my hand if you want" Aston joked looking over at Fred.

"Really?" He asked a little relieved. The two of them chuckled and to Aston's surprise Freddie's black nail polished fingertips interlaced through hers and he looked a little more at ease for the comfort of human contact.

"It'll be fine" she grinned and then the ride took off and the black fingernails damn near dug into her hand in panic.

22. Write a snippet where you're fighting with your favorite band member.

They had been living together for just over two months and despite not knowing how to boil an egg Roger somehow found a way to get into the kitchen and put things in the wrong spot. He came home from the stall.

"Where is the paprika?" She leveled at him before he had scarcely shut the door.

"The what?"

"Paprika, Rog, the spice that I was going to use for the supper I was cooking us, but I can't ever find anything in this kitchen" Aston said muttering as an afterthought "thanks to you."

"What was that?" Rog said coming over to her and looking darkly with his blue eyes.

"Just tell me where you put the paprika and we'll be fine" she sighed.

"I didn't fucking touch anything in your stupid kitchen" he glowered going to the liquor cabinet.

"Well I still can't find it" she huffed.

"Not my problem" he said swigging straight from the bottle.

"Well if you want dinner it kind of is" she retorted.

"I'll get something out" Rog said dispassionately.

"Fuck you" she muttered and went back to banging through the cabinets in search of the missing spice. She was on her knees with half her body in a lower shelf looking in the back and growing hotter for Roger showing no signs of caring or helping. She smelt the dish starting to burn on the stove and tried to crawl out, raising her head up and whacking it on the shelf above. She let out a round of oaths.

She went over to the stove and moved it off the heat halfway between tears and screaming.

"I'll order something" Roger said standing up.

"I can fucking cook!" She shouted "if only I could find the things I need when I need them."

"Well don't yell at me about it" Roger said and brushed past and out the door.

Aston collapsed onto the floor sitting with her back to the cabinets and started crying. She sobbed into the kitchen towel. So much for her cosy dinner at home with Rog. She was so distraught that she didn't hear the door open and close. She felt her fingers clutching the towel pried open and looked to see a bottle of paprika put into them. She turned her teary red eyes up to Roger's face. He pulled her to her feet and held her in his arms. Softly stroking her hair and planting a gentle kiss to her cheeks.

"Come on, I got us reservations, you can cook your thing tomorrow if you still want to" he looked down at her smiling and put a kiss to her nose and grinned at her in his arms.

23. Favorite picture of Brian

24. Favorite picture Roger

(Well it's one of many favs)

25. Favorite picture of Freddie

26. Favorite picture of John

27. Best song to slow dance to? One Year of Love

28. Best song to make out to? I'm In Love with My Car

29. Best song to drive to? Breakthru or Don't Stop Me Now

30. Best song to strip to? Tear It Up

31. What era of the band would you like to hang out with most? I wanna say mid to late 70s. I'd rather not have to hang out with them during Hot Space 😂

32. Favorite song on your favorite album? Rock It (Prime Jive)

33. Least liked song on your favorite album? Probably Play the Game

34. Who would you want to take care of you if you were sick? I feel Brian would be the most knowledgeable but I'd probably prefer Fred just cutting up and maybe grabbing the aspirins and whatever else was needed. I just don't feel Brian would be funny enough to cheer me up. And Rog I just don't know how good he'd be at taking care of someone

35. Who would you want to go driving with? Roger. Duh! So many reasons!

36. Who would you pick to spend a lazy (non-sexual) afternoon with? Well not that I'm just into Rog for the sex, he'd still be my first pick because laughs. But second would be Brian.

37. Rate how thirsty you are for each band member? Freddie 0/10. John variable between 0/10-6/10. Brian 2/10-4/10(red special is factored into Brian). Roger 1000/10 (cars aren't factored into Rog otherwise I'd break my phone adding zeros to that 1000)

38. Least favorite Roger song? Sheer Heart Attack

39. Favorite Brian song? Sail Away Sweet Sister or Dragon Attack

40. Least favorite Freddie song? Body Language and Get Down Make Love

41. Favorite John song? One Year of Love or If You Can't Beat Them

42. Are you excited for the Bohemian Rhapsody movie? Yes. Not insanely. But moderately excited yes

43. Is Queen your favorite band of all time? No. They're in my top 3 but The Moody Blues were my childhood and are so unique and very special to me

44. If you married your crush from the band where would you go on your honeymoon? The beach. Hopefully the Pacific Ocean. Probably some nice private beach just to have space with each other and I love water and he loves boating and stuff.

45. Who has the nicest butt? While I prefer Rog's ass I must admit John possesses the superior booty

46. Who has the best smile? Roger. Hands down and not just because he's my main man all around it's literally made of sunshine

47. Who would you go to if you were scared? Roger. I don't get scared so if I did I'd want someone around to make me laugh my fears away

48. If you were going to be in a crime fighting/super hero duo with one of the band, who would it be? John. He's sound and sensible and so long as he can handle my forceful personality and not write any DISpatches raking my bad behavior and rash decisions we'll get along

49. Do you listen to Queen daily, or at least multiple times a week? Yes especially if you include their solo works

50. Have you written any Queen fanfiction or made any fanart? Yes. Fanfiction galore. Some has yet to be posted but when I do it will be on @drummerinthecupboard

#followers #150 followers #woohoo #love y'all

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mznb · 2 years

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The games I played in 2021

...And here's the games I played in the past year. Including some thoughts about getting into the Yakuza-series, my fall into the PS1-hole alongside games like Tomba and Arc the Lad.

Games played:

Alan Wake

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Arc the Lad

Arc the Lad 2

Arc the Lad 3

Assassin’s Creed III: Remastered

Assassin’s Creed III Liberation: Remastered

Bulletstorm

Descent

Descent 2

DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One & Two

Jazz Jackrabbit + Holiday Hare 1995

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 + The Secret Files + The Christmas Chronicles

Painkiller: Battle out of Hell

Tomba!

Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return

Yakuza 0

Yakuza Kiwami

Replays:

Painkiller

Yakuza

Yakuza-series is a strange combination of open world-ish brawler and RPG. Main plot is mostly a serious crime drama, but side content (of which there is a significant portion) often is wacky and ridiculous.

Yakuza 0 is a hell of an introduction to the series, due to being a prequel informed by a whole decade worth of iteration on game design and story. You don't need to have played other games in the series to get into this one, but if you have there's a whole lot of callbacks (call forwards?) to games taking place after.

You get to play as two different characters in two different locations, and their stories eventually converge in a really satisfying way. Both characters have three (plus one unlockable) unique fighting styles with tons of unlockable moves and upgrades. Both characters have their own business minigame, with whole separate storylines of their own. The game is just bursting at seams with content, and it's absolutely fucking awesome.

Yakuza 0 is such a complete package that Yakuza Kiwami, being a remake of Yakuza 1, couldn't possibly hit the same heights. That said, Kiwami is still a great game, and I enjoyed the story continuation from 0. I do want to experience the original Yakuza 1 on PS2 at some point, since Kiwami does have some changes and omissions compare to the original.

Currently I'm in the middle of a Yakuza Kiwami 2 playthough. After Kiwami 2 I'll of course be continuing my journey to Yakuza 3 eventually.

PS1 games

I feel like I'm endlessly nostalgic for the PlayStation 1 and that era of games, even though my proper entry to video games was in early 2000s when PS2 was already out. I only got PS1 in Christmas 2002, and over the years haven't really played that many PS1 games.

So around March 2021, rumors started circulating that Sony was shutting down Playstation Store for PS3 later in the year. This, of course, sent me looking into any PSN stuff I might want to buy before it's too late. I pretty much ended up focusing on PS1 classics, since a lot of these are not so readily (legally) available anywhere else.

Between the time Sony officially announced PS3 Store shutdown and the subsequent backtracking on it, I went and bought a pile of PS1 games from PSN. Pretty much all of them were games I've never played before, but had seen them played somewhere else and wanted to try them myself. I really wish there were a lot more of PS1 games available digitally and legally (also applies to other platforms), but this industry really hates preservation of their products, so piracy ends up often being the best and easiest way if you just want to play some old games.

Tomba! & Tomba! 2

I remember seeing Tomba being played at a friend's place sometime early 2000-ish. I thought it looked really cool and I always wanted to play it myself, bur never did until this year.

Tomba is a sidescrolling platformer combining 2D sprites and polygonal 3D together into this really neat looking and colorful, sort of metroidvania-esque game. The game is about finding and clearing various events (basically quests) to progress around the game world. It's a really cool and interesting game, can't think of other games structured quite like this. Also, you can tell that the developers had to cut a bunch of content; there are some areas that look important, but have barely anything in them, as well as some very inconspicuous background details that have no gameplay function whatsoever.

Tomba 2 is like its predecessor, but in full 3D, shorter, more linear and with some bad voice acting. I'd say it's still a pretty good game, but I did like the first one better.

Arc the Lad

This was sort of a weird jump to unknown for me. I have very little experience with JRPGs, but I have recently developed somewhat of a curiosity toward this genre. But instead of going for the all-time greats, I instead chose to go towards something more forgotten and obscure.

I had encountered Arc the Lad earlier on, when I was exploring various japanese PS1 demo discs. A number of demo discs had preview movies for each of the three main games released on the PS1. From what I gather, Arc the Lad 1 was one of the earliest PS1 first-party JRPGs, coming out in Japan back in 1995, but the whole series didn't make it to the west until 2002 when Working Designs localized the whole trilogy.

Arc the Lad is a turn-based tactical RPG. It is rather short, linear and basic game for its genre. It is also basically just a prologue to the main event that is Arc the Lad 2. AtL 1 sets up the world, the characters, the main premise; AtL 2 takes all that and runs with them. It is long, less linear than its predecessor, has more of everything.

I enjoyed the story in AtL 2, how it introduced a bunch of new characters, brought back the cast of the first game, scattered them all over the world before having them all converge in one place around the midpoint of the game, after which you can freely travel around the world. Game's got a lot of dramatic turns along the way, and one hell of an ending.

Arc the Lad 3 is, in many respects, more scaled back compared to AtL 2. Shorter, more straightforward (not to the degree of AtL 1 though), so I could understand someone being a bit disappointed in it. But after the sheer length of AtL 2, I kind of welcomed a simpler, shorter follow-up. I liked the characters and their journey (and seeing some familiar faces from previous games), but the main plot doesn't really get going until after midpoint of the game.

After all this time I had invested in this series so far, I felt obligated to check out the fourth game in the series as well. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits came out on PS2, and is actually available on PS4 with higher resolution and trophy support, which is... interesting. I'm still pretty early on in the game, but so far it feels a quite a bit different from the previous games.

#games #video games #2021 #yakuza #ps1 #tomba #arc the lad

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queernuck · 6 years

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Why do you think some of us rely on our vices so much? Is the experience of life without it not enough? I don't mean to sound self righteous, but people around me are always looking for an escape beyond sobriety. Can't blame them life sucks! But the lil peep situation has me thinking about how much of our life is just coping.

there can be brilliance, happiness, fun, joy in coping. like, a lot of the people, myself included, who have coped or do cope through drugs and other vices are in many ways doing so in a way where we enjoy them. like, I enjoy many of my coping mechanisms, at least the ones that the DEA isn’t as jazzed about. the thing about sobriety is that like, as a state? it more or less sucks! being sober fucking sucks!

and that isn’t trashing straight edge or recovering people, either. like, as an ethos and a community, straight edge can have lots of problems, and many of those are tied into it replicating already existing social norms, but through a Hardcore aesthetic. that’s not unique to it as a scene, and is something that you see in other places, too. but like, as much as it’s not my scene, the way in which Derrida talks about drugs, the way that drugs induce a certain framework as a course of action, how they work upon the body and are characterized in a phenomenological sense, and it’s overwhelmingly similar to how Straight Edge culture characterizes itself, as a sort of conspicuous rejection of ways that one finds a sort of coping in drugs and drink, instead using other ways of inducing certain states of the body. It’s cultivated and not in particular more natural, but tbh I think that it needs to be absolutely respected, needs to be understood as a thing that can produce a lot of good.

same thing with being in recovery and sobriety as a paradigm of success: it can be shitty, it can be incredibly shitty to just be not on drugs rather than happily sober. cravings of any sort are a real monster, and when you deal with them on a continual basis like someone who’s kicking is, or going through withdrawals, then it’s even worse! feeling like you have to avoid your friends because you can’t be around them without being triggered, or pressured, or inadvertently exposed to the things that you were coping with before.

like, that’s the thing. when you’re proud of it, happy about it, are finding other ways to occupy time, to cope, to fulfil yourself, sobriety isn’t sobriety as a marker of anything other than sobriety-qua-sobriety. when you don’t want to be sober and moreover don’t want to want-to-be-sober, that’s a different state of being entirely.

lil peep was coping. he was brilliant and making some incredibly promising music right from the start, he was coming from an aesthetic background that is so much like my own, that takes so many of the same influences, that resonates with me as someone from Long Island who loves emo, who loves rap, who loves drugs, who is depressed as shit and just wants to cope. the way that people talk about rappers like him as “glorifying” drug use are not meaningfully looking at the lyrical themes, looking at how this is about surviving the schizophrenic demands of late capitalism, that Lil Peep was one of the last Millennials, and that there are plenty of brilliant people on Long Island a lot like him who are dead, many by their own hand, even younger than Peep.

especially for trans women, though, especially for kids who are gay, especially for kids who are growing up on Long Island and dealing with the disgusting antiblackness this place is full of, kids who grow up and have to deal with the antisemitism that surrounds any Jewish community, kids whose parents got a house when it was cheap and are now watching it fall the fuck apart, kids who got driven out of Queens by the expanding scythe of gentrification to a suburb where they have to ride their bike block after block to see the friend who lives nearest to them, kids who get made fun of for their accents or their hair or clothes or fucking whatever, kids who bum around the mall, Nassau kids, Suffolk kids, skater surfers football players, so many people in the age range of me and Peep who are just fucking coping. I know a lot of them, I see a lot of them come through at work buying books for fun because reading helps if only for some time, I see them laughing with people I once knew, I see them all sorts of places and there are plenty of people from here who are going to grow up to be shithead Long Island Cops, but there are plenty of others who are going to be living like this for a long time.

and that isn’t just here, that isn’t just them, but that there was someone from the same place as a lot of notable emo bands making music influenced by that was cool and that coping eventually caught up with him is just fucking typical of the kind of place Long Island is, the way that from Gatsby to globalism to neoliberalism to late capitalism we have seen the changes visited upon Long Island and they have been horrid.

#drug death.

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