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tornado-blonde · 2 years

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Your Grip Might Break Me

Warning: Implied violence in the forthcoming chapter, nothing too intense though! I promise I’ll figure out how to do a master list one day lol

Chapter 4

Bruce rubbed his eyes harshly, his sleep-deprived brain fighting him with every step he took. The fluorescent lights were like nails on a chalkboard to his eyes and he desperately wanted nothing more than to be in the dark, in his bed, asleep. This was the second time this month Alfred had trapped him into a board meeting, claiming this one was just as important as he’d claimed the other was. He grew increasingly frustrated with the older man’s insistence that he become more involved in the financial aspects of Wayne Enterprises. Few things sounded worse to him. In fact, he might actually rather be stuck in a cell at Arkham with the Riddler than ever have to attend another board meeting again.

He only half listened as the board members carried on about stockholder’s equity, stock buybacks, and reorganizing assets. God, he really could not care less. He fought to maintain his composure, made a point not to make eye contact if he could help it, though he could feel their masked scrutiny. He just had to make it 20 minutes more.

He nodded and agreed when he was supposed to, gave his quiet and quipped two cents when they all looked at him expectantly. But in the back of his mind he was still replaying the events of the last week. Ever since the Mayor had been murdered back in October, it was like every criminal had taken it upon themselves to attempt to overrun the city. It was never-ending, it was like running a marathon without having trained a day for it. He hadn’t even had time to check on Macy. He’d planned to, but Gordon had derailed that plan hours after he’d made it.

A new gang had surfaced and it seemed like they had their hand in just about every crime that had taken place in the nights prior. Robberies, murders, vandalism, assault, drug-trafficking, the list went on. Their calling card found at each crime scene, yet they were no closer to having any leads on who was actually involved. It was maddening. But Bruce had already made up his mind for tonight. He wasn’t taking any calls from Gordon until he’d at least checked on her.

The meeting ended, finally, and Bruce couldn’t leave fast enough. One of the board members asked if he wanted to join them for lunch, but he quickly mumbled something about having another meeting so he better not, which was of course, not true. In the back of his mind he passively wondered when lying became so easy. He wanted to think it was two and a half years ago, the first time he put on the mask. But that wasn’t it. That felt like meeting himself for the first time. He supposed maybe it started out as just pretending. Pretending to be the Bruce Wayne everyone got a glimpse of on a rare occasion. Then the lies became necessary to protect the pretending, hadn’t they? What kind of person did that make him?

That night, perched in the same spot on the rooftop across from the penthouse, a fresh wave of guilt flooded through him. The curtain covering the sliding glass door in her room was half open, and while he hadn’t meant to see her change, he caught a glimpse of the black and blue skin down the length of her spine. He should’ve come to check on her sooner, maybe he could’ve been there. He remembered how she’d said these things didn’t happen often. If he didn’t believe her then, he certainly didn’t believe her now. But why lie?

Grappling to the roof above her room, he slowly climbed down onto the balcony, careful not to make any noise. He stopped at the sliding glass door, watched as she set a picture frame down on the night stand next to the bed, a look he couldn’t describe on her face. He raised a gloved hand, knocking on the glass with a muffled ‘thump, thump’. Her head snapped up, that same look of panic from the other night crossing her features briefly. Recognition and surprise settled on her face, yet she didn’t move to open the door. She looked at him quizzically before slowly moving closer, her hand eventually reaching out and pulling the door along the tracks.

Bruce suddenly felt as if he was intruding and took a step back. She stared at him with wide eyes, letting out a breathless, “Hi,” after a moment of studying him. Bruce said nothing for a few moments, his eyes trailing over her face to examine the once angry wounds, reduced to minor scrapes now. She shifted slightly, looking unsure.

“They’re healing nicely,” he offered, and her hand came up to brush over the scrape near her jaw. “Yeah,” she responded softly, eyes flickering to his and then quickly down to the rug at the door’s threshold. “Thanks again, by the way.” She gave a tight-lipped smile. Over her shoulder, a gaping hole in the drywall caught Bruce’s eye and it made him all the more suspicious of the bruising on her back.

“You said it didn’t happen often,” he stated simply. He wasn’t accusing her, if anything it was more of a question. Her eyebrows pulled together and she tilted her head slightly. “Doesn’t happen often? I don’t- what do you mean?”

Bruce fixed his eyes on the wall with the hole in it and motioned towards it with a nod of his head. Her eyes followed his movement. “Does that have anything to do with those bruises on your back?” She whipped her head back to face him, terror and anger playing tug of war behind her eyes. “How do you know about that?” Her voice was harsh as she continued, “Have you been watching me?”

Her reaction solidified for him what he was pretty sure had happened. He did feel bad about having seen her, and he was glad she couldn’t see his face heat up slightly. However, there was a more pressing matter, he could relive the embarrassment later while recording the events of the night in his journals. “Where do I find him?”

She immediately understood what he was getting at, panic rising up within her. “You don’t, you can’t. Just, please leave it.” Her heart was hammering in her chest, mind racing. He let out a sigh and lowered his head, looking at the ground. His voice was quiet, somewhat resigned as he admitted, “I have other ways of finding out, but it would be faster for you to tell me.”

She shook her head, feeling frozen to the spot. “Please, don’t,” she pleaded, tears pricking her eyes, hands shaking now as she clasped them in front of her near her heart. “Please forget what you saw.” He studied her, confused as to why she’d be protecting him since she was clearly afraid of him. “He doesn’t get to get away with doing that.” There was a finality to his tone that spurred her towards him, crossing the threshold until she was right in front of him.

Pressing her palms together under her chin, her voice shook as she pleaded, “You can’t do anything. Please, please don’t say anything to him. It will literally just make it twice as bad for me. You can’t scare him into leaving me alone, you can’t hurt him enough to make him stop. Just, please. Don’t.” Her eyes were wide as saucers looking up at him and he felt his chest tighten. He hadn’t thought about what would happen to her if he tried to take matters into his own hands. How could he have been so careless? There wasn’t enough evidence to put him in jail. There was no tangible evidence that would persuade a judge to grant a restraining order. Especially not against someone like James Grant. She was right. He would just end up back here, and Bruce couldn’t be here 24/7 to protect her. His heart sank, yet he was suddenly a little frustrated with her.

“Why do you stay here? Why don’t you leave, get away from him?” She let out a dry laugh and folded her arms, looking down at the ground. “Trust me,” there was a hint of resentment in her quiet tone, “if that was an option I would’ve done it when I was 18.” Bruce’s eyebrows pulled together, an imperceptible movement under his cowl. “Why would it not be an option? You’re an adult. He can’t force you to stay here.”

She scoffed and turned away from him, walking to look out over the balcony. “You have no idea what he can and can’t do.” Her voice was littered with emotion as she gripped the ledge of the wall surrounding the balcony. “He controls everything. My money, my job, where I live, where I can go. I can’t leave here without someone from his “security” detail following me. He has always had my checks directly deposited into a trust fund where I’m just a co-signer. There are limits on how much I can withdraw. I can’t just leave. Not yet, anyway.” She muttered the last part quietly, like he wasn’t supposed to hear it. What did that mean?

Bruce felt jostled, the same feeling you get when going down stairs in the dark and you miss one. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected to learn all of that, it made his heart ache, yet he was furious at the same time. No one would know that was what was happening behind closed doors. No one knew she needed help. If it was money she needed, he as Bruce Wayne could certainly help her. But him as Batman? That was going to be trickier. But even so, bringing Bruce Wayne into the equation was complicated, could get messy fast.

“You said ‘not yet.’ What do you mean? Do you have a plan?” He walked over to stand just behind her, hoping she would tell him she knew a way out, hoping he’d be able to help with it in some way. She shrugged a little and answered, “More or less. It’ll take time, but I’ll manage.” She wouldn’t look at him, so he found himself right next to her, staring at her as she stared out across the city. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He had a feeling he already knew what her answer would be, but he had to try. She smiled sadly, bowing her head. “Not really.”

He shifted on his feet, wanting to know more. “What are you going to do?” She took a deep breath and finally looked at him, but looked as if she wished he hadn’t asked. “It’s not exactly honorable, but it’s the only thing I can think of,” Bruce remained quiet, waiting for her to elaborate. “Let’s just say I’m uh... going to try to misplace some funds here and there from my dad’s business. I work in the finance department so, I think I can do it. I usually take care of some of the bookkeeping and, if I’m careful it could work. I can use the petty cash and probably “write off” some office furniture or supplies.” She looked up at him regretfully. “I’m not proud of the idea but I have to get out of here.”

She purposefully left out the part where she would also simultaneously be looking for signs of her dad being involved in her mom and brother’s death. She had a feeling he’d try to get involved, being a vigilante and all, but he didn’t need to waste time helping her when this city grew more dangerous by the day.

“You’re using petty cash and office supplies because they’re not as heavily tracked?” She was a little surprised he’d understood what she was talking about, though she shouldn’t be. He’d practically put two and two together about her dad after all of five minutes. Whoever he was underneath the mask, he was smart. And apparently, business savvy.

“Yes, precisely. I’m thinking I can also get ahold of some older receipts and I’ll have to uh, replicate them and alter them,” she studied her shoes, ashamed to admit to anyone what she was planning to do, “and I think I can claim some office supplies got lost in transit to cover my tracks.”

She grimaced and looked up at him. “You probably think I’m just as bad as all those criminals out there, huh?” She could just barely make out the whites of his eyes in the dark, yet surprisingly, he didn’t look offended by her idea. “The money you’re... misplacing,” she smiled wryly at his use of her terminology, “it could technically be replaced by the funds that belong to you in the trust fund, right?”

She nodded. “Technically, yes. If he wanted to reimburse himself after I’m gone, assuming he figures out how I got money to leave, then there would be nothing stopping him from doing that.” He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. “Then that sounds more like borrowing funds to me. Nothing criminal about that.” Her eyes snapped up to meet his, and she could’ve sworn he looked like he was holding back a smirk. This man got more interesting each time they met.

@hollandorks

#the batman #batman #batman x oc #battinson #this took me forever #work was insane the last two weeks #bruce wayne

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orchidsangel · 2 months

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ooo that’s a tough question, it really depends. favorite game of all time is probably red dead redemption 2, got me all in my feels and i’ve replayed the story (which is long as hell) about 3 times. like i had 700+ hours on that game before i finally got over how much i loved it. the story is beautifully devastating, even after i got the ending spoiled for myself i was thinking “well at least it won’t be that sad when i get to the end right?” yeah no i was bawling when i finished the game for the first time.

the spider-man games are also near and dear to my heart bc he’s been my fave since i was a little kid and i’ve also played those over and over again over a span of 2 years. finished the first game’s story three times, mile’s game three times, and im on my third play of sm2 as we speak. if you’re going “omg do you have a life???” the answer is definitely no.

as for dc, arkham knight is definitely my favorite. love the gameplay, love the story, love how immersive it is. every boss fight with the arkham knight had me quaking in my boots. only thing getting me through it was troy baker’s voice acting and jason’s voice modulator but if i explained why then i’d have to send this to vee 😛 ANYWAY arkham knight is definitely up there in my top games i’ve played. i feel an urge to mention gotham knights and kill the justice league too but i wouldn’t call those my TOP games. i just really like gk bc i get to play as red hood & nightwing, and i like ktjl bc i love anyrhing to do with the suicide squad and harley quinn.

yk one thing i could never play though? survival mode in minecraft. idk what it is but i’d fight batman with my own two hands before trying to survive one night in mc. 🦦

dw i've logged 7982 hours on the sims since i got it so. yeah, i get it. also!! minecraft survival mode is so fucking scary like i would genuinely rather die than play survival mode alone. it's even scary when playing with other people like??? creative mode till the day i die

i have no idea what red dead redemption is about at all. fill me in

i've seen lots of clips of spiderman on twitter and tiktok, and i always like the vids of him swinging around the city. it's so visually pleasing to watch but i'm not sure what the games about exactly. ig my thing with a lot of games is i prefer a game where i have more creative liberty over games where i'm following a timeline/plot to reach an ending. story games! i enjoy watching them but i'm not a big fan of playing them bc it requires a lot of brain power i don't have :(

i've listened to all of troy bakers lines in arkham knight despite never having played the game or watched a full walkthrough. he absolutely ate tho, i hope that check was FAT.

#orchidsangels

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marcussour · 8 months

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Now that I replayed again FF7 Remake -and for the first time the DLC- for PS5, something that's been on my mind is not only how good of a setting Midgar is (and how, sadly, it feels even more relevant now than 26 years ago), but one thing that I've kept thinking is how many times some Batman writer has come up with a similar setting of "there is an underground city/neighborhood/slum in Gotham, where poor people and people not accepted by society go to live in peace and craft their own society", and how many times, as soon as there's a writer change, said setting is never seen or mentioned again, even though years later someone brings back the same idea with a different name.

And look, I have a love/hate relationship with canon in superhero comics (as everyone does), but I do think that, just in the case of Gotham, they would benefit greatly if there was an official map of the city, like they once had, not only for orientation and the like (especially with newer additions to the city like Burnside or The Hill), but you know, for them to acknowledge all these similar ideas, like, remember that after a Kaiju attack there used to be people living in and around the remains of the monsters, ala Pacific Rim -it was called Monstertown, and it became a safe haven to characters like Orca and Killer Croc-; or how there was an underground neighborhood right beneath Monstertown, where Anarky used to live with Steph and that Harper connected to the electric grid? Or how Doctor Phosphorus used to run a, completely different underground city, this time under Arkham Assyum, called Charneltown? Not to be confused with Gotham Below, which was, yet another, underground city beneath Gotham.

Also, I'm pretty sure at one point there were like, underground ruins of a part of the city that was destroyed in No Man's Land; and also an underground amusement park somewhere in the city.

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picas-art · 4 years

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Lost and Found (Riddler/Scarecrow) - Page 3 First page | Previous page | Next page View on Webtoon

Ok look, I know it’s been five years since page 2 but I promised y’all that I would continue this some day and here I am. So... enjoy!

(btw for those who don’t know, MPD stands for ‘Missing, Presumed Dead’. Though it also seems to stand for ‘Most Popular Driver’ and ‘Mobile Phone Dealer’ so make of that what you will)

#edward nigma #riddler #batman #arkhamverse #it was the fear of having to draw those arkham guards again ok #may that uniform die in a fire #they're gone next page though so #maybe that one will be a biiiit faster #though will first have to replay arkham city #cause I need a serious memory refreshment on it #arkham comics #lost and found

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gothamsgaygirlgang · 2 years

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Top 5 catwoman versions 👀

I will HOPEFULLY be seeing Ms Kravitz playing the good sis in the next week and if what I'm hearing is true then she might be on here BUT for now, and in no particular order;

Arkhamverse Selina - Gameplay wise this version is perfect. It KILLS me that we never got a fully fledged Catwoman game using this version of her. I am insane and still replay her Arkham City DLC just to run around the city. Otherwise, Grey DeLisle does a great job playing her. Aside from the stupid Riddler damsel nonsense and her just being generally underutilized it's amazing. I could nitpick, particularly about her appearance but I will stop.

Catwoman (2002) Ed Brubaker/Darwyn Cooke - First of all, visually this is huge inspo for me, even though I don't really draw Selina in a similar vein I LOVE the aesthetic and character design choices for her. The vintage, pin up inspired artsyle, giving her civillian clothes this kinda 50s classic sophisticated style I'm OBSESSED. I think giving Selina such a distinct style of dress makes me so happy because I feel like the standard thing is to put her in something sexy and revealing without any consideration for like fashion or style. So she's just wearing something weird with her titties out and male artists are like yes good this IS what a sexy woman would wear. Also, just a great read.

The Long Halloween/When in Rome - Tim Sale - This man is another MASSIVE visual inspo for me, I love how he draws Selina in and out of her costume. I love her big shoulders and massive hair and her dark eyes and eyebrows out of the costume. And I LOVE how jacked she is in the costume and the design of the costume itself, the bat ears are cute and I love the bangles and gloves. Once again it's a great story too.

The Batman (2004) animated series - I don't know why I like this version of Selina so much, maybe it's because after her animated short (where she's voiced by Eliza Dushku) it is the best animated version of her. It's a really nice design and the voice actress is great. Controversial but I hate BTAS Selina, she is slightly better in The New Adventures and I love the Gotham Girls flash animations. I Think I just have a soft spot for this series anyway.

Catwoman (2004) - As we move further into superhero saturation I grow to appreciate this movie A LOT more. I like how it has an identity with it's music and visuals. Ms Berry does a great job playing the role. It is a fun, campy take on the character that could have some interesting social commentary if you chose to read into it that way.

Honorable mentions; Anne Hathaway in TDKR - The biggest lesson in not to judge casting in movies before you see it. I think its the most faithful, comic accurate version of the character that has been portrayed in a movie (still haven't seen the batman 2022 so can't say). She just has so many great little moments and I WISH we got more of her.

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consumeconstantly · 4 years

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Bring Me To The Precipice of Victory

1| 2 | 3(you are here) | 4 | next

Summary: When Batman departs— just for a short time, just to patch things up in Gotham— things go horribly, horribly wrong in Paris.

He doesn’t know if he can come back from realizing that Marinette and Ladybug are one and the same (and that his daughter has died more times than he can count.) (all biodad bruce are posted in chronological order but can be read as stand alones)

______________________________________________

The moment of peace, of solidarity, that Batman shares with Ladybug up on that rooftop at night means the world.

After a minute or two, Ladybug pulls back, tear tracks down the sides of her face, eye and nose red. She takes another minute of silence,hugging herself in the muggy Parisian air. When she next opens her eyes, Batman can almost imagine that Ladybug never cried at all.

But he knows that's not true. Ladybug seemed so fragile in his arms. He can imagine— he can imagine Dick in her place, broken over Jason’s death. Tim losing his parents. All of his children facing insurmountable odds with no team by their side. Alone.

Ladybug is not alone, but functionally, she may as well be. He’s watched the fights. He’s analyzed them. Ladybug is always, always the leader. She strategizes with Ryuko and Viperion, but Ladybug is who everybody looks to for an answer when things don’t work out the way they want them to. She’s the one with the plan, the backup plan, the out. She’s the one who swoops in to save the day.

She’s also the one who has racked up the most hours on the battlefield. Even Chat Noir, her partner, only has three quarters of the hours that she’s put in. For most of the other members of her team, she puts in double, sometimes even triple of what they do. Over the course of six years, there have been a little under two thousand battles, lasting from under an hour to over five hours. Ladybug has shown up for every single one, without fail. That’s not even counting the patrols that they do; although Ladybug is given a lot of flack for not patrolling as often as Chat Noir, there’s a fundamental difference in how they patrol. Ladybug is methodical, Chat Noir is volatile.

He’s not a bad superhero when it comes down to battle, but the two of them are fundamentally different. Ladybug sees her time as a superhero as a duty. Chat Noir seems to view it as a time to unwind— and while that’s worrying, considering the information he’s gathered on the Miraculous Team so far points to the majority of them beings teens or young adults— it’s not what is needed to deal with the Paris situation.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to see these differences is during patrol. Chat Noir uses patrol time almost seems to be an outlet for stress. He entices whoever he’s on patrol with to race to random places in Paris with no rhyme or reason. Whenever he comes across crime, he stops it, but Ladybug— Ladybug searches for crime.

Ladybug has a team and she trusts them with her life, but she cannot trust them to be responsible. That is perhaps the worst possible thing that can happen. And through the videos that he’s watched, it’s clear that the hours she puts in do affect her, and fairly heavily.

Whoever she is, she’s young. Too young to be in battle untrained, because they are untrained— despite being in the field for years, all of their basic form lacks and tells anybody with an experienced eye that they’ve never had formal training in martial arts.

When Batman and Ladybug leave the roof, they leave on a better note than where they started. Batman is still upset that Tom and Sabine are dead, but he cannot attribute it solely to Ladybug’s negligence. He admires the young heroine for rising to the occasion when there was nobody else to help. He has no doubt that with the resources and training that he can provide him and his operatives already on the case, Hawkmoth will be revealed in no time at all.

He’s right, but in the worst possible way.

It’s largely a mistake on hiss part-- he gets a notification that the Joker broke out of Arkham again, and Hawkmoth and Pavona are missing for the time being. Though Ladybug has made a mistake in not taking Pavona out immediately, she and her team have won every akuma and sentimonster battle. The logical course of action is to go where the most danger is.

Bruce does not have any predictive powers. There is no way for him to know what’s going to happen. But when he and his team finally catch the Joker and put him away again-- a feat that takes just a little under twenty four hours, extreme concentration, and a good number of injuries-- Batman finally gets a chance to breathe. The adrenaline from facing off against the Joker’s latest scheme fades. Batman reclines in a chair as Alfred binds his wounds and passes him pain relieving pills while he gets stitches in his abdomen.

He checks the news in Paris.

He almost drops the device that he’s using to view the news.

Marinette’s existence has been hidden from his family. With Dick, he was more concerned about his existence as Robin, rather than informing him that he had a sister. As soon as he started contemplating bringing up Marinette, Batman and Robin had a bad break. Then Jason came along, troubled and angry. Bruce didn’t want to introduce Marinette into the mix then because he was volatile.

Jason died due to Batman’s incompetence. Bruce grieved the loss of his ward; Batman was never allowed to mourn the loss of his second Robin.

Tim felt unworthy as the only child Bruce didn’t pick up off the streets, and Damian-- well, Damian was Damian. First he had a superiority complex the size of the Grand Canyon, and once he got accustomed to how they handled things in the Wayne Manor-- though Tim would argue that Damian is still not used to this kind of lifestyle-- he overcompensated every single mission and needed a remedial course on How to Interact With Other Humans 101. Add the overarching concern of Marinette being exposed to his vigilante life style and being unprepared for it, and he was never able to tell his children that he had another biological kid. A daughter.

When the news that Sabine and Tom died reached his ears, he told everybody he had business in Paris without elaborating what. With Wayne Enterprises opening a Paris branch of their R&D specialising in European artifacts, it was easy to draw connections that weren’t there.

“Bruce, you need to relax. Business in Paris can be dealt with later, you need to take the time to heal,” Tim says.

A clip in his shoulder from a bullet, knife wounds on his torso and legs, a sprained wrist. Whatever chemical experiment the Joker got his hands out still pumping through his veins. “I need to go-- it’s important--”

The pain relievers Alfred gave him earlier were also a sedative.

Tim catches him before he passes out.

He wakes up three hours late through sheer force of will.

“Paris!” Bruce jolts upright, still in costume, lying prone on a medical cot in the Batcave.

The first thing that catches his eyes is the red and black flying across the screens.

Ladybug.

His kids are all watching the screens with abject horror.

“Is this,” Tim wets his lips. “The business trip that you were on?”

Bruce drags himself out of bed, adrenaline washing out any residual pain. He doesn’t have the capacity to respond, he needs to get to the zeta tube, he needs to get to Paris, Ladybug is bleeding, the city is in shambles, and Marinette--

One of the news sites up on the screen declares the arrondissements that are obliterated. The one that houses Tom & Sabine’s Boulangerie is amongst their number. An approximate death toll fills the static.

-- Marinette is likely among those lost. He has lost another child due to his inaction. Due to his inability to push through, to look forwards and predict the future and the consequences of his actions. Marinette is another Jason, but if Ladybug doesn’t get it together, she’ll be gone permanently. And Ladybug is little more than a child. She can’t handle it, not by herself, not with her team. She needs an experienced hero, and Batman will be there for her, be the one leading the charge against Hawkmoth as the civilians hide in their homes and pray for her Miracle Cure to reverse the damage.

Dick places a hand on his shoulder. Bruce tries to shrug it off, but his fingers dig into the place where the bullet clipped his flesh. The pain is just a reminder that if he does not get to Paris now, there will be thousands-- no, millions-- more who feel this pain. How did Marinette die? Was it an akuma? Did the rubble of one of the destroyed buildings fall on her? Did Ladybug even try to protect her?

“I need to go,” Bruce growls.

“You can’t. While you were out, the majority of the Justice League prohibited all travel via zeta tubes. Nobody can get into Paris right now.”

Bruce knocks Dick’s hand off his shoulder and turns to his eldest. At the very least, Dick and the rest of his children look solemn. Damian’s gaze is fixed to one of the screens that shows Ladybug. “A city is in danger, millions of lives are at risk, Marinette--”

His daughter is dead. He can’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Standing by idly is the last thing he’ll let himself do.“Who put out the order? I’ll get them to reverse it.”

Dick moves so he’s between the zeta tube and Bruce. “B, you don’t understand. If you go to Paris right now, you’ll get akumatized.”

“I can handle my emotions.”

Jason points at the upper right section of screens that’s replaying past footage. “I wouldn’t bet Paris’ survival on it. Not when more level headed superheroes got on the scene first and failed. They really don’t need any heavy hitters getting akumatized. Not when Superman put three members of their team out of commission.”

Superman arrived on the scene first; it took a matter of seconds for him to get akumatized. He was responsible for razing down three arrondissements in no time flat. Ladybug had to call for a Lucky Charm in order to get her hands on some kryptonite, which forced her to recoup after her time ran out.

Black Canary arrived next. Then Red Tornado.

Both were akumatized in mere minutes.

“After Red Tornado got akumatized, Wonder Woman led the charge to put the rest of the zeta tubes on lockdown,” Duke says, grim. “All we can do now is hope that these Parisian superheroes can pull off a win.”

Bruce stumbles over to get a better view. He remembers Ladybug, small and slight in his arms. A child, crying over the loss of her pseudo parents.

A warrior, bloody and bruised and broken.

She is one of the last ones standing.

King Monkey and an ox themed hero both died at Superman’s hands. The former got in the way of his laser beams, the latter a victim of super strength and getting thrown through two buildings and having their necks snap at an unsightly angle. Chat Noir was also sent hurtling through the air, and the only reason he was still alive was because Ladybug alighted from the sky and grabbed him before he got sent through a building in his unconscious state. Black Canary came shortly after, apparently informed of the Superman situation and carrying kryptonite.

She didn’t last for long either. Almost immediately after helping Ladybug and Ryuko bind Superman in such a way that he couldn’t escape,

Pegasus got hit by Black Canary’s sound waves and Chat Noir’s residual injuries from his fight with Superman forced him into a state of unconsciousness. Queen Bee and Carapace were able to pull off a win against Black Canary, but not without serious injuries. Ryuko faced off against Red Tornado alone, which normally would have been a thing of awe, but in the grander scheme of things, was a huge issue, as without her, the Miraculous Team functionally lost all of their heavy hitters. Rena Rouge and several Miraculous users that clearly had never been in battle before were the ones left to hold their own against the scores of akumatized Parisians.

The only ones left to hunt down Hawkmoth and Pavona were Ladybug and Viperion, and the former was already on her third use of Lucky Charm.

Ladybug pulls out her communicator, dodging an attack.

“Can we get sound on this?” Jason grips the closest table.

Dick shakes his head. “Zatara says there’s already enough interference just trying to get these images. And for some reason, Dr. Fate refuses to get involved with any of this.”

Bruce’s phone rings. He doesn’t pick it up on the first ring, too focused on the ongoing battles. He does take his phone out of his pocket to silence it the next time, but when he presses the sound off, an image comes through.

“Bruce.” Ladybug’s image comes through crystal clear, and it doesn’t make him feel any better. Ladybug, blood dripping from her mouth, costume torn open, hair burnt, wild eyed.

He opens his mouth to speak, but the image goes blurry as she moves to avoid several attacks pointed towards her.

“Before I go, I--”

“Watch out, LB!” Bruce lifts his eyes to the screen that displays Ladybug and Viperion in battle. The spotted heroine gets pushed out of the way of a laser, but the snake themed hero takes the hit.

The ambient noise coming from his phone is strong; he can hear blades clashing in the background as Chat Noir, already on his last legs attempts to hold off Darkblade. Screaming from civilians, a strangled sob from Ladybug. “Viperion.”

Ladybug comes back into view. Blue eyes filled with rage.

“If this doesn’t end in our favor, you need to make sure that Hawkmoth and Pavona do not acquire both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. Do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.” She blinks, retreats into herself, and Bruce wonders if he’s seeing the girl behind the mask.

“And If I don’t get to see you again--” If I’m dead, the words go unspoken, “I really did want the chance -- I-- you’re a good man. A good father. Your daughter-- she loves you. She really, really does. Stay safe.”

The transmission cuts off. On the screen in front of him, Ladybug closes her communicator, closes Viperion’s open eyes, and strides to the epicenter of the akumas. Blue fire flashes in her irises, and for a moment, she’s staring directly at the screen. And Bruce knows those eyes. He knows them.

The next second, all of the computers simultaneously die.

Bruce is numb. No-- no.

He is nothing.

All his children-- no, not all his children, Marinette is missing, Marinette is Ladybug, and she’s out on a field that he can’t see grappling with magic forces strong enough to incapacitate Justice League members like their powers and abilities are inconsequential-- stare at him.

“That was… Ladybug?” Tim’s brow furrows. It’s clear that he’s thinking up a hundred different reasons why Ladybug and Batman are connected, why he’s the last person she calls before going into a battle that could very well cost her her life.

“My daughter.” The words are ash on his lips. An existence he’s never acknowledged. Not out loud. Saying it brings a sense of finality to the room. An impending death. “My daughter.”

Nobody asks how long he’s known or when he met her or why he’s never brought it up before. Everything is fuzzy. Floating.

For a while, there’s silence.

“Zatara says there’s too much interference to get the picture back up,” Dick opens his messages, frowning.

Damian still stares at the screen Ladybug looked at directly, frozen.

Bruce picks himself up and moves. He may not be able to use the zeta tubes, but he has a private jet and a license, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t do something.

It takes two hours too long to get to Paris. He shaved five hours off the flight length due to superior technology, and another hour and a half off due to sheer force of will.

The landing is not a pretty thing, but Paris is already in shambles, and there’s no way that the ATC will approve his landing, so Bruce picks out the flattest looking spot of rubble before his jet meets the ground.

According to Tim and Duke, who stayed behind in case this turned out to be an attack spanning multiple cities, the battle ended mere minutes before they landed. Dick manages to get Zatara to broadcast the image in the cockpit of the jet, and on the screen lay three prone bodies. Gabriel Agreste, whose body type fits that of Hawkmoth, Lila, and a third that Bruce does not recognize.

A bone sticks out of Marinette’s arm, the connected hand crushed and hanging limp. The opposing ankle is twisted almost fully backwards. She is covered in blood and ash and filth. There is no victory in her eyes. Only weariness.

In her good hand, she holds her yoyo.

She raises her eyes skywards-- the roof of the Agreste mansion is blown clean off-- blinks slowly, and throws the yoyo into the air.

“Miraculous Cure,” her lips read.

The corpses in Paris rise from the dead. Rubble reforms into buildings. The ashy haze that covered the city disappears.

Ladybug looks like she wants to disappear, too.

She collapses, instead.

Nobody is there to catch her when she drops to the floor.

@biodad-bruce-month

Maribat tag list(to be added onto this pls send me an ask/dm): @our-precipreciousss @my-dear-friend-anxiety

Who Are You (and what will you become) tag list (to be added here just comment): @anjuschiffer @theunquiet-dead @certainmuffinbagelcalzone @cresentmo0n @allulily @myazael @zalladane @rebecarojas07 @keepingupwiththemalfoys @frieddonutsweets @all-mights-asscheeks @thornalchemist23 @trippingovermyfeet @jiso-lee @redscarlet95 @ira-sairain @screechingflapbiscuitpeach @ramos123 @cutechip @theunquiet-dead @sleep-deprived-aroace @enternalempires @lilkymilky @woe-is-me0 @officiallydarkgeek @miyla-lokidottir @queencommonsense @demonicbusiness

mb for not doing tag list right away i forgot i had these cued up already

#bio!dad bruce wayne month 2020 #maribat #what are dates #what's going in order #time? i don't know her #i'm always late #marinette dupain cheng #bruce wayne #bio!dad bruce #angst

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roguish-gallery · 4 years

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Did you ever make that joker tier list, I always like seeing what people think of all the different ones. Though if they put Romero last I can no longer respect them.

LMAO I DID! I think I’ve made it kind of obvious in this blog but I... don’t... particularly... care... for... the joker.... unless he’s, y’know, fun to watch. Cause he’s a clown, and clowns are supposed to be entertaining. But since you politely brought it up, and and because I have a deep respect for mutual Romero-lovers, I guess this would be a good time to explain my rankings and just discuss my general thoughts on each clown:

General Thoughts:

For the most part, I don’t really care for the Joker. This is hardly an uncommon opinion here on tumblr, but I definitely fall on the side of the fandom that feels that he gets too much attention from DC. I get WHY they use him so often for films and comics, and I don’t have anything against *most* folks who consider them their favorite Batman villain, but at this point he’s used more for shock value and as a crutch instead of anything interesting. Like, instead of giving attention to the other Rogues, writers (at least for the comics) will try and make up some bullshit story that they can shoehorn the Joker into, ‘cause it sells. It’s tiring, and I feel like the character has lost his meaning; I can only read so many stories about the Joker, I don’t fucking know, wearing a suit made from dead babies and Jason Todd’s flayed corpse before I get sick of it.

I’m at the point where I’ll like any Joker who’s just fun to watch. I genuinely respect those who prefer darker interpretations of the character, but that isn’t me; I vastly prefer the lighthearted takes on him, because... at this point... writers who use the “cleaner” version of him tend to be more creative, since they actually have to write a Joker story that doesn’t rely on gore/torture porn.

TIER ONE:

Joker Baby: Self explanatory. Joker Baby is thematic, thoughtful, and intense. Everytime I watch this video, I shiver with fear and pleasure; something primal in me awakens whenever Joker Baby runs his fingers through his spray-on dyed hair, and ends up smearing green paint on his forehead- it represents the inner turmoil, the chaos, that resides within the disturbed body that is Joker Baby. Nothing can ever hope to top the artistic and cultural impact Joker Baby has had on society.

TIER TWO:

Batman Ninja: I genuinely believe that Batman Ninja is one of the most fun, organic, and creative things to come out from the Batman side of DC comics in like... hmmm... a decade, maybe (I could talk for hours about how much I love this movie but that’s something for a future post). This Joker is easily, and unironically my favorite interpretation of the character, period. I love his energy, his design, everything. This is the most fun I’ve ever had watching a Joker on-screen, and for that I’ve gotta give the film credit where it is due.

Batman ‘66: I looooove Caesar Romero. Batman ‘66 in general is one of my favorite pieces of Batman media, and I absolutely adore this Joker. The show is pure, genuine fun, and it’s nice to turn my brain off and watch a show where the entire cast was allowed to goof around. This Joker is just a cute, goofy little clown-man who likes to commit crimes, go surfing, turn Gotham’s water reserve into gelatin, and have wild orgies with Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler. I massively appreciate the hustle. I love his little mustache and his facial expressions. I’d give him a chaste little kiss on the cheek if I could.

The Batman: EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL TAKE BUT. I think TB!Joker is better than what people will give him credit for. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to be the first Batman cartoon to follow BTAS and the writers for this show knew they were gonna be fucked no matter what they did with the Joker, so they just decided to try something completely different with him. Personally, I appreciate the new direction- he has a fun, unhinged energy. I’ve placed him higher than BTAS/BTNA!Joker simply because The Batman was the show that got me into the Rogues in the first place, and I’m just a bit closer to this Joker because of it. Also his vampire form was cool as FUCK in Batman Vs. Dracula and the scene where he gets drenched in blood at a blood bank is fucking awesome.

Batman the Animated Series/The New Adventures: Everyone loves BTAS’s Joker, and I’m no exception. Mark Hamill is fucking great, and the writers clearly knew the character well enough to create a version of him that can be fun and threatening. As an aside, I unironically like his redesign in BTNA- I remember Hamill mentioning somewhere that he thought it was neat that this Joker looked more like a shark (I’ll see if I can find a source on that... I think he said it in an interview with Kevin Smith?) and I kinda agree with him. the redesigns in the final season are hit or miss, but I didn’t get why so many people bitched about the Joker’s new look.

Batman Unlimited: Hear me out... Hear me out... Clown... funny... and cute... He wears a little crown and gives Solomon Grundy a little smooch on the cheek and it is as delightful as it sounds. Yes the Batman Unlimited films literally only exist to sell toys but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy them on some ironic level.

TIER THREE:

Lego Batman: He’s a gay icon. He has the range. Enough said.

White Knight: This is just a genuinely good, original take on the character, and the art in White Knight is absolutely gorgeous.

Arkham: My friends and I joke that this Joker is basically a more unhinged version of BTAS! Joker and... yeah. I’m glad Hamill and Paul Dini got to fuck around with the character more, but I never really dwelled on the Joker parts of the games like I might have for other characters. I definitely liked him the most in Arkham Asylum, as he was more fun to watch. Arkham City was fiiiiine, but I think I replayed the game so much that I kinda got fatigued with everything about it. Genuinely hated his part in Origins, and I was pissed that he stole the attention from Black Mask and Bane (who’s the best fucking part of Origins IMO). I’ll admit that I... Haven’t... played... Knight yet (I have it on PC but my laptop is too wimpy to run it) but like... He’s dead at that point, so I’d assume he isn’t the main point of that game anyway. I love Mark Hamill and the fact I can personally beat the shit out of this Joker, so he’s ranked up pretty high for those reasons.

TIER FOUR:

Batman ‘89: TBH this Joker should be a rank higher, but I’m too lazy to hop onto PicsArt to change it. NIcholson was an excellent choice, and I apprecaite how this Joker makes use of the playful and unhinged aspects of the character. Also, his outfits are cute, and I love the museum scene.

Brave and the Bold: Technically this Joker SHOULD be ranked higher since he’s literally based on the more lighthearted comics in the 60′s but... ehhh... I haven’t really watched BATB so I don’t have any strong opinions on the show and how it handles the character. he’s ranked this high through beause I appreciate what they were going for.

Golden Age: The quality of comics are always subjective, based on the creative team behind them. Some I’ll like more, others less so, It’s kind of hard to rank the pre-52 comic version of the Joker because of this.

TIER FIVE:

Killing Joke: Read it, didn’t care for it. I acknowledge how massive the impact this comic had on... everything, but just because I recognize how important this graphic novel is, doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The Dark Knight: Ledger did an excellent job with the role, but uhh... I’m kind of sick of the alt-right chuds who are out there sucking this Joker’s dick. The fanbase definitely ruined the character for me.

TIER SIX:

99′: Eh

Endgame: No

Suicide Squad: NO

Death of the Family: Hate him. Despise him. Lame stupid dumb little edgy bitch.

Gotham (Jeremiah): I don’t particulary care for Gotham in general, but the only reason I ranked this Joker over Jerome is beause I thought it was kinda funny to see that they made him a little rat-man, and I liked watching all the fujoshi on here cry and complain that they can’t ship this version of the joker with the pre-pubescent Bruce Wayne in the show bc he’s too ugly.

Gotham (Jerome): stop shippping this freak (who is fucking eighteen years old) with a literal twelve year old child. what the FUCK is wrong with yall.

UNRANKED:

The Joker (2019): I don’t plan on watching this film, nor will I ever. I know this is ironic, coming from someone who runs a Rogue blog, but stuff that focuses primarily on a character’s deteriorating mental health makes me reaaaaallllllyyyyy anxious (it’s kind of a phobia) and considering that I don’t particularly the Joker, I have no reason to watch something I know will only give my dumb ADHD-ass intrusive throughts.

#tier list #this was nice to finally write out- I don't typically write Joker stuff unless someone prompts it #the joker #gonna tag this as discourse just to hopefully keep it out of ppl's feed #bc i know how... defensive... joker fans... can get...#discourse #long post

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ranger-report · 4 years

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Review: THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS (2011)

With the first Witcher game under my belt, I decided to plunge straightaway into the second game in the series: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Expecting little beyond improvements in graphics and controls, I was very curious to see how the game delivered on the cliffhanger ending of the first game, in which Geralt of Rivia defended King Foltest of Temeria from a would-be assassin, only to reveal that the killer was also a witcher. I’d had a decent time with The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, particularly in the storytelling aspects and the choose- your-own-adventure narrative, but had found myself frustrated by dated game design and graphics and lackluster combat. Still, it was, by the end, an arresting experience that had captured my intrigue enough to make me want to go back and replay it to see what paths I could have chosen. Choice is truly the number one aspect of The Witcher, in that Geralt generally chooses not to choose sides, but is often found forced into doing so. Choice is also the highlight of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, so much so that by the end of the game I was nearly horrified with how all of my decisions, ambient though some of them were, had stacked into a neat pile of awful fuckery. If you want to feel good about what you’ve done by the end of a game, The Witcher series might not be for you. But if moral ambiguity and robust, branching paths are what you seek, then read on dear reader, because things are about to get immediately messy in what is some ways a vastly superior sequel to the first game, but in other ways falls short of the narrative potential established by its predecessor.

From the start, Witcher 2 is once again a big game of Choose Your Own Adventure. Opening with a prologue establishing Geralt’s involvement in a political assassination, the player is continually given agency over where Geralt is going, what he wants to do, and how he is going to do it. This is at once the game’s biggest strength. Just as in the first game, Geralt’s choices have domino effects that tumble down the slippery slope of lesser evil decision making, affecting what characters do and whether or not they might appear elsewhere in the game. And, furthering the CYOA aspects, certain portions of the grander story are hidden from sight should Geralt choose to go down a different path. Maybe some characters will have happier endings than we see them get if Geralt decides to help them instead of quest elsewhere -- maybe not. Perhaps the biggest departure from the previous game’s style is that the entire second chapter of Witcher 2 is different depending on which side of a conflict you choose to enable. This, of course, is also all based on whom you’ve sided with previously, with deft moments of quick situational judgements, some of them timed. Give the elven rebel his sword so he can defend himself, or push him to the side so you can leap into the fray yourself? Not every decision is placed in front of the player as a monumental choice; some of them are as simple and clean as whether or not you pick up an object in front of you, knowingly saving someone’s life. This makes the world -- and the story -- feel surprisingly alive, vibrant, always on edge as though the lightest touch in any direction will spell consequences for some and reward for others. This does, however, create a shorter gameplay experience overall. Where my full playthrough of the first game was close to fifty hours, I clocked in just over thirty hours here, but this is partially because the full content of the game cannot be seen in only one playthrough. There’s a massive amount of game to be held, but the unfortunate reality is that it can only be seen piecemeal. It’s like getting to the end of an actual Choose Your Own Adventure novel, only to realize there’s a vast amount of pages left unread because you didn’t take the roads less traveled...or simply traveled differently. For better or for worse, the first time through this game will leave the player with the sensation that there is a lot that they didn’t get to see, despite the freedom of branching paths being thrilling and adventurous. And the story itself isn’t nearly as investing as the previous game. Geralt’s adventure in clearing his name of wrongdoing and tracking down his memories are at the forefront of his story, but in the background is a complex, political plot that simultaneously is and isn’t important to follow. Decisions made by Geralt heavily affect what’s going on, even as Geralt himself is constantly growling about how he wants to track the kingslayer and a missing friend. But the game and the characters populating it continually drag him back to the fray because they need him, dammit, and if he wants the means to his ends then he’ll have to endure everyone else’s shit. Perhaps that’s the point: Geralt’s actions continually change the entire world around him, whether he wants to be a part of it or not. That said, the straightforward narrative is defiantly strong here, partly because the branching system demands it need be. This is a Story with a Purpose, the Purpose being to establish a series of unfortunate events happening around Geralt, if not to Geralt. But when it’s as bland as it is -- save for the bits where Geralt is trying to clear his name -- it can be difficult at times to maintain a steady pace. And the entire third act takes place in a ruined elven city which is a chore to navigate, nearly ruining the momentum and the whole of the game’s experience; there’s two disasterously difficult combat engagements to wade through as well as a grating boss battle with a large beast, not to mention a magical puzzle which demands navigating the labyrinthine ruins if you want to discover what it is. And yet, by the end, the house of cards comes tumbling down into the awful realization that everything behind the scenes has been doing its utmost to raise the stakes high enough to win the whole pot, and depending on Geralt’s actions, it does so to varying degrees. I sincerely doubt there is anything close to a happy ending in one of the alleged 16 conclusions the game contains; if anything, it can only go from shitfucked to fucked-with-hope-on-the-horizon. And, despite the sometimes slog, that’s effective.

Gameplay has seen a heavy upgrade. Gone are the original title’s point and click controls, replaced with a more intuitive interface that relies heavily on action and exploration. Similar to Arkham Asylum’s Detective Vision, Geralt can use his medallion to scan the world around him for interactive elements or objects to search through. Neat in concept, but oftentimes the execution is lacking; it can be incredibly difficult to find objects on the ground left by corpses without always using the medallion, as they can get lost in the surrounding scenery. Upgraded, too, is the combat, which is thankfully no long a boring fucking exercise in clicking at the right time to string together combos. Geralt rolls, swings, magics at the click of a button, using the WASD and mouse camera to keep an eye on the action. The triple division of combat styles -- fast, strong, and group -- are replaced with a fast and strong attack bound to the two mouse keys, and upgrades can make it so Geralt’s attacks can hit multiple people. Blocking is integral, but Geralt needs vitality for a block to be effective, or it will chip away his health. I both enjoyed and did not enjoy the new combat system. It’s functional, but I couldn’t help but feel out of control in tense moments, attempting to roll or dodge or block or use signs between sword strikes. Geralt only swings at whoever he is targeting, not simply in front of him, so if you accidentally turn the camera to the wrong angle while trying to attack he will swiftly turn and swing at someone else entirely, leaving him open to devastating counterattacks from behind. Frustration can mount quickly, as it seems that Geralt is a whole hell of a lot squishier this time around than in the first game. Sure, the first Witcher had plenty of moments where getting overwhelmed could happen in the blink of an eye and Geralt would turn into fresh meat, but Witcher 2 makes every sword fight feel like an exercise in dodging just to stay alive. Maybe I wasn’t playing with enough patience, but it felt like I spent more time rolling and running to regain health than I did connecting with satisfying blows. Sometimes, quicktime events pop up during major boss encounters, which are devastatingly difficult in needless ways. Just like in the first game, Witcher 2 will absolutely dial up the volume on the difficulty knob without warning and around an unseen corner, to an extent where I found myself pained by exhaustion and anger at yet another GAME OVER scene. This is compounded by the strenuous camera, which is awkward at best in outdoors environments, frustratingly awful in close quarters hallways. Making things even worse is the game’s departure from the previous healing methods in The Witcher: where potions could be downed on the fly, and food eaten to regain mild portions of health, now the only way to heal is potions while meditating, or simply by meditating. Without the ability to heal in the middle of combat the thoroughly aggressive enemies will stymie even seasoned players as they watch their health bar helpless disappear with no respite.

Graphically speaking, this is leaps and bounds better than the original. High-detail, crisp textures, far draw distances, I very rarely had any stuttering or framerate issues. At worst, there was minor pop-in and fade in, some seams showing where textures were laid out, and jittery models here and there. Also, motion blur and bloom were turned on by default. Never fun. It was an absolute job to take in the world on hand, with the variety of monsters and humanoid characters to encounter, lovingly rendered with tons of color and flair. Outside of the story, this is where the game truly shines. Before there had been low-res models being reused left and right, but here nearly every character model (outside of factory-line soldiers) feels unique enough to recognize in and out of combat. It’s really a fucking wonder to behold. It felt the same as the graphical leap between Uncharted and Uncharted 2, with nearly an overwhelming amount of detail in the world to take in, dizzingly put together in a way that is breathing and living.

That said, is the game actually an improvement over the first title? Well, yes and no. Graphically, interactively, yes, to an extent. The branching narrative is bold, but feels like there is so much you’re missing out on once you’ve chosen a particular path. For example, there’s a dragon that exists in the game, and its origins are shrouded in mystery. I only discovered them based on a trophy I got at the end of the game, which felt like a huge cheat to learn that way. If the game had told me something about the dragon’s nature, even down the path I took which actively led me away from the dragon, then I wouldn’t have felt disappointed, but it didn’t. I learned the answer through a trophy. And in many ways, while this game does things better than the first game, it’s only to slight degrees, and while I do want to go back and play this again, it’s difficult to do so after a somewhat disappointing first run. Geralt’s story was excellent, and kept me on the edge of my seat whenever it came around, but everything else that happened felt largely disconnected from what was driving Geralt this time around, and ultimately only served as setup for the third game in the series. Again, perhaps that’s the point: perhaps Geralt will have to face the weight of his decisions, that which defines the world at large whilst he maintains a selfish lean towards his personal goals. Geralt of Rivia both is and is not the most important person in this story -- he is but one man who is forging a path towards his wants and needs, but maybe he’s crumbling kingdoms along the way, intentionally or no. While I’ve heard nothing but Game Of The Year praise for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I’m keeping my expectations tempered based on this sequel, which is fun and daunting and clever, but the drawbacks are hefty, saved only by the draw of the lead character and the living story itself.

Final Score: 7.5/10

#the witcher #the witcher 2 #assassins of kings #cd projekt red #andrzej sapkowski #geralt of rivia #triss merigold #yennefer of vengerberg #dandelion #zoltan chivay #ck burch #review #rubyranger #steam #enhanced edition #long post #ranger report

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gamesception · 4 years

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Sception’s Switch Port Wish List:

Dragon Age, first game only. Fun game, even on console. Best of the series easily - the second game’s rushed dev time forced so many cut corners that there’s hardly a game left over, and the third game is so bloated with tedium that every time I try to play it my eyes glass over and I slip into a boredom coma before I can get a quarter of the way into it. But the first game? Way better on PC with mods and keyboard/mouse controls, but even so I’d jump at the chance to play it again on switch. Chances of it happening? Low. EA doesn’t want to remind people of when Bioware made good games, and they aren’t interested in releasing anything on the switch that isn’t an exploitative microtransaction store.

Mass Effect Trilogy: First game was good, second game was better, and, yeah, ok, the series didn’t finish on the best foot, the third game suffering from tone problems and a final ending that just flat out sucked, but Mass Effect 3 has a several key moments that stand out as among the best in the overall series, and while the ending is kind of bad, at least the series *has* an ending - something Dragon Age fans will probably never get to see. Chances of it happening? Again, low, for the same reason as Dragon Age.

Arkham Asylum. Just Asylum, not the rest. City’s not bad, but the loss of focus costs the experience more than the larger world and better boss encounters can win back, imo. The rest of the series, though? Bleh. Chance of it happening? I don’t know. Bunch of Warner Bros games on switch, of varying port quality. Asylum was developed by Rocksteady, not sure if that would introduce rights issues. Better chance of this than of most other games on this list.

FF6. Sure, Square has ported over PS and PS2 titles, but what about earlier ones? FF6 is the best game in the series, imo. Sure, it’s way too easy, like most JRPGs are, but the engaging story with a huge ensemble cast of likable characters is amazing. I’ve never seen a game with so many playable characters where I liked all of them this much, and the couple of multi-party dungeons reward you for spending time building up all of them. You also don’t frequently see this kind of story heavy jrpg game with a real ensemble cast, with no obvious ‘main character’, letting the player engage with whichever characters they like rather than forcing you into the shoes of a Chrono or a Cloud or some other default Hero, characters who are sometimes good but rarely the most interesting or engaging member of their respective games’ playable casts. So yeah, FF6 is great, but good portable versions aren’t easy to come by. The GBA version is amazing, but good luck getting your hands on it. The mobile port is trash. Phone emulators have to deal with awkward phone controls. A switch port - whether of the original snes version, or the PS1 port with additional pre-rendered video bits, or the GBA version with it’s not-terrible extra postgame dungeon and bosses, would be great. Chance of it happening? Frankly, I’m confused why it hasn’t happened already. Square has ported a bunch of old final fantasy games to switch, I have no idea why they cut those games off at the PS1 era. I would say the chances should be good that FF6 will come to switch, but it’s such an obvious port that the fact that it hasn’t happened already implies to me that there’s maybe some behind the scenes bullshit ruling it out. And if it does come over, it might be a port of the ios version, which would be terrible.

FFTactics. I will buy this on any platform it’s released on. But if we could get a port of the PSP version, with post game multiplayer dungeons intact? Maybe with online multiplayer support - the turn based nature of the game letting it bypass some of the lousiness of switch online? Please. Chance of it happening? Again, I’m confused why it hasn’t happened already. FF7, 8, and 9 are ported over, but not Tactics? As with FF6, it seems like an obvious and very likely port, except that it’s so obvious and so likely that the fact it hasn’t happened already maybe implies that there’s something specifically preventing it from happening. At least if they do port the ios version it wouldn’t be a tragedy here, though I would still lament the lack of the post game content from the PSP version.

Fallout 3 / New Vegas. Really Loved 3, and loved New Vegas too, though I never did get around to finishing it. Would love to see these games on the switch, provided Bethesda didn’t use the opportunity to stuff them full of microtransactions. New Vegas, despite bugs and some cut corners, remains probably the best 3d fallout game, and 3, despite the not-undeserved hate it gets for its main story, is still probably the most fun I’ve had just randomly exploring a world in a bethesda game. Chance of it happening? You’d think the chances would be ok, Bethesda’s had a bunch of games ported to switch - Skyrim, Doom, Wolvenstein, etc. That said, Fallout 3′s reputation among the Fallout fan community has plummeted in the last few years so Bethesda might not think a port would be worthwhile. And as they’re still trying to push 76, I can’t imagine their eager to remind people that their Fallout games weren’t always the hottest of garbage. So... better odds here than of Mass Effect or Dragon Age, but I’m not holding my breath. As for New Vegas, I doubt Bethesda has any interest in reminding people that the best Fallout game to be released since they picked up the license was developed by someone else.

Morrowind - Still probably the greatest Bethesda game, though I understand it was already showing the trend towards streamlining and loss of depth coming off of Daggerfall that would eventually lead us to the likes of 76 and Blades. But yeah, another classic I never got around to beating, that it would probably take a switch port to get me to try again. Chance of it happening? Some but not great, largely for similar reasons to Fallout 3. Skyrim sold quite well on Switch, IIRC, so you’d think other Elder Scrolls ports would have been a natural choice, but years later and nothing but Blades means it probably isn’t going to happen.

Mother Series, especially Earthbound - which like tactics I’ll buy and replay on any platform it’s released on - and Mother 3, which seems fantastic, but the only time I’ve tried it I didn’t make it very far due to the SNES emulator I had at the time ruining the rhythm based combat minigame. So yeah, an official port would be great. Chance of it happening? Actually good for once, for the first time on this list. As with FF6/Tactics I’m kind of surprised that it hasn’t happened already, but Nintendo being Nintendo I’m more inclined to blame that on them either just not getting around to it yet or trying to hold off on a cult classic to use it to spike excitement in a dull release window later down the line.

Demon’s Souls - Great game. Sadly my play through was killed by a hacking incident, but yeah, a classic, laid down the souls game fundamentals while pulling of some aspects better than any of the games that followed it. And a remake has officially been announced for release on PS5, would be a great opportunity to release a port of the original to the Switch market... Chance of it happening? Unfortunately, Sony owns the rights, so I just don’t see it happening... not unless Sony really plans to abandon the mobile market and instead push interaction with switch. They did include that “would you be interested in PS4 remote play on other devices - including Switch” question in a survey a while back. Still doesn’t strike me as likely, though.

Dark Souls 2 - like Fallout 3, Dark Souls 2 has become the black sheep of its series in fandom eyes. Not entirely without reason, but there’s some interesting and novel design choices that get overlooked and unappreciated as a result. I’ve never made time to play it myself, despite it sitting in my Steam library never downloaded, but would absolutely play it on the switch. Chance of it happening? Without the fan crowd clamoring for a re-release, an updated port seems unlikely.

#dragon age #mass effect #arkham asylum #ff6 #fftactics #fallout 3 #new vegas #morrowind #mother #demons' souls #dark souls 2

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aileysmirnov · 5 years

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◇◆Ailey Villains Gallery: Scarecrow◇◆

Scarecrow's face claim: Adrien Brody

Secret vs Scarecrow! How did they met?

Ailey (Secret) and Scarecrow met 'thanks' to Batman:

One night in Gotham, Scarecrow infiltrated the Iceberg Lounge with the intention to Kill some of Penguin's Henchmen.

With a more "upgraded" (and letal) version of his fear gas.

Just as a way to send a message to Oswald who had stolen some of his gas and now was selling it for a very high price on the dark market.

To prevent Batman from intervening, Scarecrow convinced Riddler and Dr Pig to create a "distraction" (if murdering almost 11 people between the two and then make an "spectacle" about it, can be called like that) for the Bat.

And unfortunately when the "Caped Crusader" realized it was a trap (thanks to one of Riddler's "funny" riddles) he was already too far from the building.

Too far from stopping Scarecrow.

He analyzed all of his options pretty fast: he couldn't send Damian, he was with him, Dick was in Blüdhaven, He already send Tim after Riddler and Steph after Pig, Cass and Barbara where in another state with the Birds of prey, Duke and Kate where teaming up to solve a crime involving a new rising homicidal cult and Jason…he wasn't in good terms with Jason…again…and he losed his track at least 2 weeks ago.

And so…he reluctantly took the phone and dialed the number of the one person he could think of.

Ailey was doing the usual: shouting angrily and throwing a tantrum towards her employees (like the good little tyrant she is) for a last minute cancellation of 4 of the stellar models for the upcoming Winter collection of SVELLYO. When all of a sudden she received a call from the one and only: Bruce fucking Wayne.

—B! What a perfect timing! Is not bothersome at all!—she remarked the words sarcastically annoyed a tone that sounded like the venomous hissing of a snake.

—Listen Ailey, I don't have time for thi-

She cut him off

—What a coincidence! Neither do I, B's man! Byee~

—Ailey…—He didn't shout at her but his more menacing (than usually) tone, make her feel like he did; it was a voice tone that Bruce normally just used when he was with Joker and when he used it. Oh boy, You just knew the man ain't taking any shit.

—Listen to me. And listen. C A R E F U L L Y. Scarecrow is in the Iceberg Lounge it's 2 minutes away from you by flying. I need you to go after him and prevent whatever he's up to against Cobblepot.—He said a little more ""nicer"" (if it's even possible) this time, but still with a hint of frustration in his voice.

—yeah…well…I also need this little favor, B—Bruce was about to fucking lose it in that moment, there where lives in danger and this CHILD was just thinking of herself!! But before he could lash out at her with a "I'm dissapointed" speech; Damian took the phone.

—He said he'll do it, you have my word. Now…Go! —Robin said without thinking twice

—Thank you, my zelenyy*! I'm on my way! —and with an Angry Bruce Lashing out at every single thing on earth on the background, Ailey hanged up, wrote a quick note to his secretary, asking him to give all of her employees a rise (including him, of course) and sprinted out to SVELLYO's roof top; without a word to the perplexed staff.

Once she stood there.She could feel the cold night breeze hitting her face and without any doubt she jumped abruptly from one of the highest points in the city.

Her eyes opened at the middle of his falling, adrenaline and renewed energy cursing trough her veins, her blonde hair replaced with a glowing rose gold, a metalic blue growing in her gaze and her outfit conveniently transformed on an all black bodysuit with slight hints of gold on the bottom of her sleeves.

His whole body defying gravity, flying through the night sky with the same grace and glory of a swan and leaving a subtle trace of light glowing pink as she passed by.

She arrived at the Iceberg Lounge back entrance at least 5 seconds earlier from what Batman had predicted.

Penguin's henchmen where all gathered in what appeared to be a small cellar on the very back of the casino, they were complaining about an out of the blue"meeting".

Secret (Ailey) assumed it was Scarecrow's way to get them all in the same place and avoid any unnecessary complications.

With extreme caution she stood and watched near the skylight, trying to fade away her own slightly glowing nature with the moonlight.

Her eyes searched quickly inside the room, ans she soon spotted atleast 6 gas tanks oddly put in some of the poorly lighted corners of the cellar.

But no sign of the maniac

Or so she though until the abrupt pain in her neck and the obscure presence behind her sooner than later make her realize; she wasn't alone.

She could feel the infernal pain from the toxin filling his lungs and cutting her breath and her vision becoming a little bit dizzy.

—You should know better than spying on people, dear…It might not end up being what you expected—his voice was deep and unforgiving, a condescending tone and the weight of countless sleepless nights leaked through every word.

She tried to speak but only felt her throat closing.

—Now, now, dear…all will end up soon. —His tall and lanky figure covered by worn out clothes to match his own psychotic aesthetic made him look intimidating. And without any glimpse of empathy he proceeded to toss her body aside with a kick like if she was a filthy dead rat, and continue to watch expectantly to the ignorant henchmen above.

He was waiting, waiting for one of them to foolishly reveal where his beloved toxin was and after a couple of minutes one of them casually mentioned a secret basement where the most important items waited patiently for whoever was able to afford his almost ridiculously expensive price.

Crane smiled wickedly to himself…he had just what he wanted…almost.

He activated the slightly hidden tanks of fear gas and watched in admiration as some of the henchmen faces started to change into a horrified expression.

—Head's up, asshole!—He didn't even had time to process the situation properly, when Secret's hands where at both sides of his head, the tip of her fingers illuminated and emanating Rose gold strings of pure energy attaching themselves to Crane's mind.

And at that exact moment he remembered: the pain, the panic, the fear.

The very first time he tested his toxin, was on himself: he was laying in to that dirty old shack for what felt like an eternity; he screamed and begged and yet the hallucinations didn't leave him, his mind was racing with the most horrible thought it could possibly even consider, everything so real and yet so distant. He felt hopeless.

And the delicate strings clinging tight around his mind. Lord, what a bittersweet nostalgia! He felt the same, the same way as the first time, he could hear the screams, the voices, the endless discontent. But couldn't find anything around him…just…hollow and for some strange reason…that scared the shit out of him.

Ironically it had been years since the last time Crane felt genuine fear.

When Crane woke up, he was already in that horrible place: a worn out cell from Arkham

But strangely he didn't feel any kind of anger or frustration. No…he felt…elated in the best way possible almost like if he had reborn!

And so…he stood there; staring blankly at the small window with an almost devilish smile across his face.

Waiting for the next encounter

◆◇◆◇

Ailey felt so proud of herself, she had successfully managed to knock out Scarecrow, control the gas leak and save Penguin's henchmen! All alone! And even took the liberty to recover all of Crane's toxin samples Penguin had!

She couldn't wait to see Bruce's face, Oh that man owed her BIG TIME!

When Bruce and Damian finally arrived at the Batcave, he was welcomed by her.

She looked like a 10 year-old who approved one of his test and was proudly showing off the paper to his parents.

Wich made Bruce smile…a little (even if he doesn't admit to it)

—See? You can trust me, B!—she said handing him the samples.

—So you send him to Arkham? Hmm…honestly I didn't though you'll made it…but good job…I guess…?—Damian admitted, while taking off his mask.

—Well, I'm glad I'm not THAT disappointing, sir! —Her tone expressing the sarcasm and slight frustration and offence in every word. Which Damian only replayed with a faint little smile.

—…Good Job, Ailey…—Bruce spoke for the first time since they arrived

—…and thank you for your help…—He completed with a slightly more """friendly""" tone (which just means less stiffness in his voice but still maintaining his authoritarian tone)

—yeah…well…don't thank me yet…we had a deal!—She said while playfully floating around him and touching the ears of his Bat-suit; Bruce could only do as much as to touching the bridge of his nose trying to contain his very obvious nuisance.

—…What do want? —He said sighing heavily.

—Nothing much, really! I want You, Damian, Dick and Katy modeling for SVELLYO winter collection catwalk, next week! —

◆◇◆◇

OMG! That was fun! I was going to put a small and cute little drawing of Ailey touching the ears of the Bat-suit but I still haven't finished yet! So yeah…I will edit it once I have it done!

Anyway! I loved writing this, and I will be uploading more content for Ailey, wich now she has her official anti-hero name! And is called

🥁🥁🥁🥁

Secret!

Shout out to @melyaliz / @insideoflit for the name idea! I honestly struggle so much with names 😅

Thanks to @Shiro.GURu (on insta) for helping me with this! Love ya, girl <3

Tagging: @lobodesaturno @snowflake2sstuff @lord-carstairs @weam0theblueblues @morefarthanaway

#batfamily #bruce wayne #batman #OC #scarecrow #antihero #dc comics #damian wayne #robin #jonathan crane #ailey #greek mythology #adrien brody #edit #hedcanons #imagine #villian #lol bye

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the-girl-lost-in-fandoms · 5 years

Text

Waking up beside you // Nygmobblepot

Hiiii ! First time posting Nygmobblepot, I hope you will like it !

Also posted on AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/19791106)

***************************************************************************************

Ed woke up on the carpet. It wasn't the weirdest place he had woken up since Gotham had became a no man's land - since he came back to life actually. And at least, this time, he remembered how he ended up there, on the floor. He had spent the evening with Oswald. They had sworn to be partners in crime and to make the city bow before them, claiming it theirs. Then they managed to find medical equipement to help Oswald sleep the whole night without too much pain, hoping that they would find a better doctor than Ed to take care of his eye the next day. The only thing that Ed couldn't quite place was why and when he had started to hold Oswald's hand.

Penguin was lying on the crouch by the fireplace. Exhausted and injured, he hadn't had too much trouble falling asleep there, without even bothering to take off his suit, ruined by blood and cuts. He was still sleeping, his hair messily falling in his face. His bandage still looked pretty clean which was a good sign. And his arm was hanging off the crouch, his fingers intertwined with Ed's.

He looked quite peaceful, only wincing every now and then - due to a bad dream possibly, but most likely from pain. Ed's thoughts went back to the past evening, when he almost stabbed the man. He knew Oswald almost did the same thing, he had noticed him taking his knife from his boot, and felt the tip of the blade between his shoulders. But once they had embraced each other, none of them had been able to do the deed. Yes, they obviously were each other's greatest weakness, but they were never stronger than when they were together. Staying together meant success and power. It meant being strong and undefeated. They needed each other, and now they knew they could trust each other.

Ed delicately removed his hand from the firm grip. And when Oswald woke up, later in the morning, Ed didn't mention it.

---

Ed woke up from his nightmare because someone was shaking him. A hand was rubbing his shoulder and a voice was calling his name, again and again. He opened his eyes to see Oswald leaning over him. The man straightened a bit and raised his hands to show he didn't mean any harm. His eyes were filled with worry which made Ed wondered how bad his nightmare had seemed from the outside. He sat up, trying to steady his breathing and ran a hand though his hair before he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Ed ?" called Oswald. "You were screaming in your sleep. Are you okay ? Can I do anything for you ?"

Ed swallowed only to notice how dry his mouth was.

"I had a nightmare. I'm fine now" he lied. "Could you please get me water ?"

"Of course." Oswald came back with a full glass that Ed emptied quickly before he put it down. None of them said anything. Ed was still lightly shaking from his bad dream. Oswald stood there awkwardly. He knew Ed was lying to him by saying he was feeling better but he didn't want to pressure him into talking about it.

"Well…"

"Can you stay with me ?" cut Ed, blurting out the words so fast he thought Oswald would not understand him.

"Of course" repeated Oswald. He sat on the edge of the bed and Ed shifted to leave him more space. They laid next to each other, without saying anything, without touching each other, simply staring at the ceilling. Oswald's presence was comforting and Ed managed to fall back asleep.

It took Ed five more nights of the same nighmare to open up to Oswald.

"It was about you" he confessed after they both laid down like they now usually did.

"What ?"

"My nightmare. I dreamt… I dreamt that you didn't make it alive. You thew yourself on that grenade for me and died in my arms. I just stayed there, frozen, unable of doing anything, and you were bleeding out, begging me to help you, to not let you die."

Oswald turned on his side and raised a hand to cup Ed's face.

"I am fine, Ed. I told you, I owed you this one, for everything I put you through." Ed opened his mouth to say something but Oswald didn't let him. "Please, let me talk. We haven't really spoken about this. I've been a bad friend. I never apologized for killing Isabella, but I am sorry. I shouldn't have been so selfish. I'm so sorry."

Oswald looked so soft, so fragile, Ed couldn't help himself. He embraced him into a hug, adjusting his arms around his body and his head on his chest.

"I forgive you" he whispered.

Surprised at first, Oswald hugged him back, rubbing his back with his hand. They held each other the whole night. It's been a while since they both slept correctly but the comfort of sleeping together was enough.

The following night, Ed rushed to Oswald's bedroom as he heard him yelling.

---

Ed woke up in Oswald's bed. Every night, one of them would wake up to hear the other crying and screaming in his sleep before rushing to his side. After a few days, Oswald started to ask Ed to stay in his room for the night. They never talked much. Sometimes they cuddled together, sometimes they barely held hands. Tonight Oswald was holding onto Ed's arm. He was crying, his tears sliding on Ed's pyjama's sleeve.

"Ed…" he cried. "Ed, please. Don't leave. Ed. Eddie, I love you, please !"

Ed sat up straight on the bed. Oswald whined as the arm he was holding slipped away. Ed looked down at him. Did he mean that ? Probably not. He was dreaming, it was his brain activity that caused him to… and yet… As he watched the small man whimpering in his sleep, his face twisted with pain, fear, sadness and tears, Ed realized that he was in love.

"Oswald." He was shaking his arm. "Oswald, wake up, please. You're fine, it's a nightmare."

Oswald opened his eyes. He was shaking and crowled a bit more into Ed's chest.

"Ed" he cried again.

"It's okay Oswald. Shhh, it's fine. You're alright."

Ed kept shushing him, whispering sweet things in his ear as he held him close. Eventually Oswald calmed down and silence embraced them.

"I'm afraid to lose you, Ed. I… I tried, I sweard I did, Ed, but I can't… I still… I still lo-"

"It's okay Oswald. I love you too. I'm here and I'm not leaving you, never."

"You do ? Love me ?"

Oswald raised his head and his gaze met Ed's. It hit Ed that no one had probably told him this since his mother and his father died. Sweet words that had lulled Oswald's childhood, words he was desperate to hear from anyone, words he would have died to hear Ed say.

Ed took Oswald's face in his hands, brushed the tears away with his thumbs. Oswald placed his own hands over his wrists, needy for any touch Ed was willing to give him. And they leaned on each other until their lips touched.

There was no rush. The soft contact of lips against lips was enough, the light pressure they both applied was enough because for now, they simply needed something, anything. The kiss turned into a soft make out session of tongues exploring mouths, hands caressing skin, until Ed pulled away.

"You should try to sleep now."

"Only if you hold me" Oswald whispered back with a smile.

"Of course."

Ed rolled on his back, pulling Oswald with him. He felt him adjusting his position until his head was in the crook of Ed's shoulder and his right arm over his torso. Ed's hands went to his back, applying pressure to feel as much of his body as possible against him.

"Say it again" Oswald asked.

"I love you. I love you, I love you."

---

Ed woke up in a mess of tangled sheets, arms and legs. He was holding tightly onto Oswald's middle with both arms. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before letting his head fall back on the pillows, forehead pressed against the bare skin of Oswald's back, resuming his position. They were both still naked from their previous evening activities but the bedsheets and their shared body warmth were enough to protect them from the cold of the morning.

Oswald groaned as he felt Ed moving. He untucked his left arm from the sheets to interwin his fingers with Ed's, his fingers carressing his the top of his hand. Ed's eyes caught the flicker of their maching rings and smiled.

They were engaged. Everything has happened so quickly since the battle for Gotham, six months ago, and Ed couldn't wait anymore. Yes, they've only been 'dating' for five months, but after everything they've been through together, they couldn't wait, couldn't let anything tear them apart ever again. Being husbands came with a bunch of practical advantages, such as visiting each other in the hospital in case of major injury, not being legally able to witness against each other, and conjugal visits in case one of them ended up in Arkham.

"Ozzie ?" Ed called, squeezing lightly his hand.

Oswald groaned again and turned to face him, replacing his body so they would stay as close as possible to each other. Their eyes met. Ed was now used to the dismatched eyes, one blue and one green. Still, they reminded him of this day, when Oswald got hurt because of him, and he hadn't forgive himself yet despite everything Oswald had said.

"Good morning, my handsome fiancé" he smiled.

He was too adorable. Oswald has never been a morning person, yet there he was, smiling because he was waking up for the first time in the arms of the man he was officially going to marry. And it was enough, being together was enough.

Ed leaned in for a kiss. It quickly turned into a second, then a third, then Oswald pushed Ed in his back and rolled over to lie on him, chest to chest. They made out for a while, until Oswald decided that they needed to get up. Ed let him take the bathroom first, mentally replaying the perfect night they had together.

He didn't know it yet, but this had been his last night with his fiancé for the next ten years.

#nygmobblepot #fanfiction #edward nygma #oswald cobblepot #gotham #edward nygma x oswald cobblepot

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snow-slayer · 4 years

Text

A Bunch of Good Things from 2019

*I don’t do things consistently, so there’s chunks of time I just forgot to write. So the blank spaces are days where I could not recall the exact good things that happened.*

January 1: Started the year off right by hanging out with @nah-young, eating some delicious leftovers from New Year’s Eve and working on a puzzle. Also caught a shiny Delibird in Pokemon Go as the first catch of the year. 2: Had a headache at work, but went home to take care of myself. Dad and I talked for a long time about money and taxes without arguing. I have also discovered a future hobby I want to get into: 3D printing. 3: I cranked out four solid hours of studying. I’m going to ace the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel it in my bones (especially when I finally stood up and stretched). 4: My ‘other mom’ (one of my best friend’s mom) took me out for a belated Birthday lunch to our favorite Thai food place, and I enjoyed more mango sticky rice. It’s one of my new favorite desserts. 5: Did some epic New Year cleaning. Caught up on laundry, filed away my 2018 paperwork, and did some 2019 taxes. Finally on top of things! 6: A puzzle day! I connected a big piece of the sky to the side on the Lion King puzzle. I’ve still got a lot to go, but progress is being made. 7: As usual, I both surprised and pleased the teller at the bank when I moved some money from savings into my IRA. They wanted to know if it was for tax year 2018, but I could tell them last year was maxed out and it was for 2019. 8: Got to practice my training and supervising skills with @arrowhearts. 9: Spent the night at Lucy’s (she’s a cat). She’s the sweetest cat though, and was cuddling in my lap for so long! She even held my finger with her paw for like ten minutes. I love her. 10: It’s been forever, but I finally sat down and played some video games. I’m replaying Arkham Asylum again and really just exploring every nook and cranny I can find. 11: Might have started a new Francis story line ... Whoops :) 12: Helped Jane clear an apartment and acquired many new tools and art supplies to use. 13: Snow! It was snowing before bed, but I still woke up at 5 am to about 4 - 5 inches. Activated my dad gene and started shoveling at 5:30 am (sorry neighbors to the house I was dog sitting at). It’s so pretty out! 14: A quiet day, but I did some work for Jane and gamed some more. Can’t wait to start Arkham City when I get 100% on Arkham Asylum! 15: I took my coworker a basket of fun snacks from Lotte for her Birthday. She’s so excited to try them all! 16: Donated blood today and when I went to get dinner on the way home, I got a free salad! The entree was already free and I ordered a side salad. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but the coupon covered it, too! 17: Treated myself to breakfast on the way into preschool (my new volunteer place since the teacher I followed to several elementary schools is now at). Also ate some amazing home cooked food for lunch with @nah-young before going out for ice cream. 18: Did some very early spring cleaning to prep for my next yard sale and straighten up a bit. 19: Beat the storyline and finished gathering all of Riddler’s trophies in Arkham Asylum. I do still need to finish up the additional content for 100% completion. 20: Working with Jane to help clean out an apartment again and got stencils to use for my art (the ones with shapes of different sizes). I had wanted to get me a set, so I really lucked out. 21: Started reading a book for fun. Lol, I forgot that I can still read non-accounting things for fun. 22: Sent out 1099s at work. It’s always a dreaded part of the year, but it’s taken care of! 23: I started uploading my old Franmouche stories to AO3. I forgot that I’d written 185 pages of them. At least if someone else likes my rarepair, they have lots to read. No guarantees on the quality, but there is quantity. 24: Made fun penguin cutouts for the preschool class I volunteer at. Then studied for nine hours on campus. A busy, yet productive day. 25: Finished watching all my lectures for the next portion of the CPA exam! So much auditing knowledge!!! 26: Panic alleviated. My check engine light had been on for a few days. Usually it’s just a gas cap issue so I was worried, but after readjusting the cap again (which usually fixes it) and an oil change, the light went out! 27: Played some Pokemon Go for four hours with @arrowhearts and Lyla. No Kyogre, but at least we each got a Groudon. Plus, the weather was beautiful for this time of year. 28: I found a dollar today while sweeping the parking lots with my dad! I’m gonna be riding this wave for a week. (Fun fact: my dad and I used to go bike riding on Sunday afternoons/evenings in the local parking garages and look for pennies. We’d always get bragging rights when we found a quarter or more. We still get excited and tell each other of the day’s finds when we find a few coins while we’re sweeping). 29: Had a bit of a headache, but managed to get through it so I could finish the workday. Then I get some well deserved rest. 30: Met up with @nah-young for some fries and ice cream! 31: My annual physical went well! Took care of a couple test we’ve been putting off, too, and they weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be.

February

1: I had such a productive day in the office, even for a Friday. Special thanks to @arrowhearts for helping me move all (24 years worth) of our files. 2: Started off the day a little rough and feeling low, but I decided to go up to campus, and I’m so glad I did. I was able to help a bunch of people get to their destination. Also hung out with @nah-young and @arrowhearts in a sketchy room. 3: Technically today (starting at 1 am). Had a great talk with @nah-young about a lot of things including our friendship. Successfully avoided the Super Bowl (which I heard sucked, so that was a good use of my time). 4: Had a really good conversation with my dad for almost an hour. We had some fights earlier in the year, but it was nice to be able to connect some. 5: It’ll be silly to look back on, but I thought I lost a reference letter for a scholarship applicant, but realized I could find it on our shared drive. Such a relief! 6: I tried Duck Donuts for the first time today. One of our board members brought me and a coworker a half dozen each. 7: Caught a Miltank in Pokemon Go! I thought I missed my chance, but there was a special running, so I got it. 8: Just heard we got a new boss at work, so it’ll be nice to be full staffed again. 9: Started working on a painting for @arrowhearts. It might be my first completed artwork of the year. 10: A lazy day, but I flipped through a book on home decorating. You know, to plan for my future house. 11: Officially started working for Jane’s business. We’ll see how it goes, but at least it’s an extra couple of hours per week. 12: Finished a dog sitting job, and I’m super thankful to be sleeping in my own bed again. 13: I gave Lucy, the sweetest cat ever, a piggyback ride and it was the cutest thing ever. I was on my knees and forearms trying to get Lucy to boop my nose when she just climbed on my back and sat down. I rose up on my knees and hands and she did the “i’m not so sure but I’m going to stay here” stand and let me crawl across the floor a while before finally jumping off. I love this cat. 14: Took the auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel much better about this one than I have about the other two. We’ll see on the 26th. 15: Such a busy day at the office! It was productive, but just a lot of work. 16: Even though I just too the other exam, I managed to get a lot of studying done. 17: Mamaw and I got to chat and work on the puzzle for a while. It was nice to hang out with her since I haven’t done son in quite a while. 18: We had some really good food at our investment club meeting today. Sheppard’s pie (like meat and mashed potatoes), salad, this great cracker dip (I have no other details other than feels like sharp cheddar finally shredded with a hint of spice in some sort of sauce). 19: Our new executive director started today. I think I made a pretty good first impression! 20: Started playing Arkham City again. We had a snow day and even my office closed, so I made the most of my day. 21: Lol and today I finished the main storyline of Arkham City. Accidentally, because I was doing side quests, but Batman got mad when I tried to go finish some before the last mission. 24: I am obsessed with Excel, but I figured out a formula so that it would total certain categories even if they weren’t in order. Plus I learned how to make a drop down menu (on two versions of Excel). Guess who’s budget looks beautiful! 25: I caught a Latias in Pokemon Go. Not having much luck with the water legendaries. I wonder if they don’t like me because we picked the grass starter. 26: I passed the Auditing section! (and instead of keeping it quiet, I made a point to tell some people). Then @nah-young and I went to dinner to celebrate our successes of the day and just have a nice chat. 27: Good news: I starved off a migraine that was starting on Feb 26. Maybe this new method will help them from getting bad. Just took an Aleve with some hot tea. 28: Went on a Pokemon run, and I found $20 blowing across the yard when I got home! A nice find for the year.

March 1: I’ve been really getting into “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub and had so much time to just sit and read while it rained. 2: I watched “Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse” today. An epic movie and I highly recommend it! I also have several new costume ideas... 3: Officially started working on my Library Comic Con cosplay. There’s not much to show, but it was nice to start costuming again. 4: Hiked up to the nearby bubble tea. It was good! I got a mango green tea creama. Next time I know I have to mix it up before I start drinking it. 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: Started replaying Castlevania IV. It’s been a while since I beat it, so hopefully I can still finish it! 11: I have proven myself an Excel deity. Well, at least Jane thinks though. She needed a spreadsheet for something and had some ideas so I whipped it out in five minutes flat with a bunch of formulas she didn’t even know were possible. I’m quite proud of it. 12: Lol, speaking of excel, I was geeking out over my budget with one of our board members. She was showing me how she built her itinerary in excel for her next trip and I got to show off my budget. 13: 14: 15: It was fake St. Patrick’s day at work, so I got to show off my green Riddler suit. Apart from being mistaken as dressing like a leprechaun a few times, I received a bunch of compliments on it. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that suit jacket. 16: Tagged along with @nah-young to her grandfather’s birthday party and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Apart from the timeline inaccuracies, I really enjoyed it! Look at that: two new movies in one month. 17: First big leaf job of the season. I guess the first major landscaping job. Dad helped out, so it made life easier. 18: Investment club meeting went well, and I ended up staying late to chat and help clean up, but it was enjoyable. Also had some great tiramisu from Trader Joe’s. 19: 20: 21: It was a downpour today, but I also made a 20 minute Costco run. Parking was great, the lines were short, and I managed to balance everything without a cart. Success! 22: Finally got around to doing invoices. It’s such a weight off my chest to take care of them. 23: I had the house to myself, so got ample studying done, played some pokemon, and treated myself to some bubble tea. Got myself a bunch of good pokes from Community day. 24: Another lovely day to sit and hang out with @nah-young. I always enjoy our hour long conversations just sitting in my car in her driveway. I also finished the lectures for the BEC portion of the CPA exam. 25: I found a gift card loaded with $30 today. It had been thrown into the dumpster, so a little gross, but it washed off nicely. 26: Ran up to the local library to turn in my books (look @arrowhearts, I did it the day before they were due and didn’t have to make a midnight run). I wasn’t going to check out more books since I already had some checked out from another library visit (I go to many branches due to my job and often check out a book or two, resulting in cycles of books due at different times), but I did anyway. I started reading Area X, too, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. 27: Our family’s accountants think I’m a bit weird because I was so excited to get my tax papers back even though I owed money. I was just like “cool!” to all the facts and things on my sheets, which is apparently not what they’re used to, but one of the new tax laws works in my favor as small business income is taxed at a lower rate or something. 28: 29: 30: I love Annihilation in the Area X series! I haven’t plowed through a book that fast in years. 31: I was catching up on my business spreadsheets and it turns out I had the most profitable March since I started my business :)

April 1: No April Fools jokes, which is always a huge plus. 2: 3: 4: Took the BEC section of the exam and then clocked in a bunch of hours for the Foundation. Jubilee is almost here!!! 5: 6: The Jubilee is over!!! What a relief! A lot of things went well, and I heard it was a lot of people’s favorite. Not sure what actually happened because I was stationed at check in/out all night, but hopefully the silent auction results are good. Huge shout out to @arrowhearts and @nah-young for getting me through the night! 7:A quiet morning of returning the Jubilee to the Foundation. Plus some other landscaping. 8: I know everyone at work is saying I should take time off, and I didn’t, but I’m actually feeling blessed that I have the physical and mental stamina to keep working on things. Plus, I need to catch up with post Jubilee stuff. 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: Got to talking with my art dealer for a long while and we exchanged headcannons and ideas. 20: Had a nice Pokemon run with @arrowhearts‘ dog. Plus, enough work to keep me out of trouble X) 21: A very busy Easter. I moved a huge mound of mulch. It was half the size of my car. Hopefully the home owner will like it. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31: I’ve been feeling behind, but I finally knocked out a really important thing at work today. Got our annual applications in!

May 1: 2: 3: My gauntlets for my comic con costume look so cool! They’re a little stabby (there’s staples on the inside, although I should be able to tape it down for safety), but overall look cool for a first draft. 4: A long day, but I feel like I was really able to help my friend and her family, which is nice considering how much they do for me. 5: The event that happened wasn’t good, but I’ve been humbled as to how well our house was kept and motivated to try and become more organized. 6: Dad and I were chatting today, and we could even touch on topics in a civil manner. It was quite nice! 7: Just found out I passed the BEC section of the CPA exam! I’m 75% CPA!!! And no cavities were found after my dentist appointment :) 8: Frantically working on my costume, but my head piece looks really good! 9: Mom even chipped in to help. We rigged up a steampunk mask I have (which doesn’t fit on my head right) so that I can actually wear it. 10: I’ve been fasting for Ramadan and I think my body and I are finally on the same page. It was a rough start this year, but I’m looking forward to focusing on being thankful for what I have and working on self discipline. 11: Library Comic Con! My costume is a bit rough, so no final pictures, but I have plans to make it better! 12: It was a busy Sunday. Lots of lawns, but thankfully the weather was cool. 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: Had a nice meeting with my boss. I keep feeling like I’m not on top of things or she’s disappointed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plus, she said I did great at the finance committee meeting, so that was nice. 18: Although I scared everyone I worked with all day, I was able to donate blood even though I had been fasting. 19: I saw the tiniest inch worm while I was pulling weeds today. It was more like a quarter inch worm and it was just trying so hard to climb up my arm when I found it. I also saw the first lightening bugs of the year. As a bug type Pokemon trainer, I’m quite pleased with all of this (less so with the mosquitoes though, as I got my first bite of the season). 20: I have found a nice way to keep cool at the property Dad and I work at. I’m allowed to douse my head, neck, and hat with the hose, and man does it feel good! 21: I received many compliments at the executive committee meeting for all my hard work on the budget, the Jubilee, and finance committee. 22: Caught up on reconciliations at work (finally). It’s been just a nightmare, but I’m happy they’re done. 23: Another me day. I’ve been taking Thursdays off and got to game for a bit but also accomplish a lot of laundry and studying. 24: Had a good meeting at work to discuss the future of the nonprofit I work at. Plus I finally made a phone call I didn’t want to make. 25: Went to a foam helmet making class with a coworker. I’m super excited to start trying out this style, and I think the sample we made in class can easily be used to make a helmet for Vile. Might have purchased a few things to go with it :) 26: Found a new drink that I love from Kung Fu Tea! Also got to rewatch Coco, which is always good. 27: Part of my afternoon spent working with Jane was changing her screen saver. It was set up for one photo of pictures, but some were so fuzzy, so we set up new pictures and I got to add my fuzzball to the reel. 28: I visited one of Jane’s friends to discuss dog sitting and we had such a nice conversation afterwards. 29: I found a four leave clover today while mowing lawns. It’s been years since I’ve found one, so that was exciting. 30: I plowed through about 6 hours of studying for the FAR portion of the CPA exam. Only two more lectures and then onto multiple choice! 31: Filled out a form at work (finally). Now I just have to hope my boss will sign it and have it notarized.

June 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Took the (hopefully) last CPA exam. It was nice as I spoke to an elevator engineer before the exam and it helped to calm my nerves a bit. 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: Wasn’t sure what day to put this on, but @nah-young and I hung out for hours just sitting and chatting on the cats’ back porch. 15: Successfully navigated into DC with the help of @arrowhearts (and had an interesting laugh about her being my son...? Oh well, at least we got to give the people sitting outside a show as we left the building with two rollie office chairs each). 16: Started working on my Halloween costume. I’ve abandoned the idea I originally had and will be switching to a different Mega Man X character (fun fact: it was a costume I originally intended to make before being introduced to Scaramouche back in 2017) 17: It was a scorcher, but had a slurpee for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful for the 7-11 within walking distance of where my dad and I work on Mondays. 18: I’ve officially passed the CPA exam! Now onto the next steps... 19: I have been struggling with telling people good news, but I did make an effort to inform some people about me passing the exam. 20: Told some more people about the CPA exam and just trying not to stress. I got celebratory milkshakes for my family after dinner. 21: My coworkers are so sweet. They brought me in a cake and we had a mini celebration. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26:Found a praying mantis while mowing. She kept standing where I wanted to mow, so I got to pick her up and put her somewhere safe (with lots of snacks for her!) 27: 28: 29: So glad I went to see Detective Pikachu with @nah-young and @arrowhearts! I really enjoyed it! 30: 31:

July 1: A new fiscal year! I did manage to get a good bit done on my latch hook. 2: A sudden thunderstorm took me off the weed pulling job early (i.e. a perfect opportunity to read). 3: It was quiet in the office. Too quiet ... yet super productive! I processed so many gifts and letters. 4: I don’t really celebrate, and spent a lot of it working, but played some pokemon in the rain. It was a warm day, so the cool rain felt so refreshing! 5: A jammed packed day with trashrooms, a bank run, and more pokemon quests! I completed another 15 and hatched a new pokemon. Plus I finished another book: Dr. Death. 6: A busy day, but I was able to finish everything so I can take the next day off completely (for once). Again, apologies to @arrowhearts for dragging you out and getting caught in a downpour so I could get some bubble tea! 7: 8: 9: 10: Unboxed my unicycle! Not sure when I’ll ride, but it’s ready when I am. 11: 12: 13: 14: The vanity is back in my bathroom! Dad’s renovating it, and it’s been a slow process, but I finally have a sink! 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: Spent a few hours working on cleaning the basement, and I’m finally seeing some of the fruits of my labor. 21: 22: 23: 24: Officially finished the Vile helmet! 25: Just started a new dog sitting job, and the house is right on top of a pokestop. Guess I’m going to have a full item bag again! 26: Finally got myself a memory stick for my PSP. I’m replaying the Maverick Hunter X game ... because I can! 27: Got three team rocket grunts in one day at the one stop. 28: Plowed through the Vile portion of Maverick Hunter X. Lol, I probably make it harder on myself since I only use my favorites, regardless of if they’re good against the boss. 29: Had a huge crab and shrimp dinner at Jane’s house. 30: Hung out and ate delicious homemade butter chicken with my best friend’s mom (she’s basically like my other mother). We laughed and chatted, showed off our latest projects, probably kept the neighbors up, and just had a good time until like 2 in the morning. 31: Welp, it wasn’t a raid day for armored Mewtwo, but @arrowhearts and I did defeat more Team Rocket Go grunts in the rain.

August 1: Chatted with @nah-young for a few hours and I’ve got a new place to eat on my radar! 2: I kept feeling like I was letting my boss down because I couldn’t answer her questions/didn’t understand, but she insisted I was handling myself well, and found the information she needed later. Plus, she’s very complimentary of my work and appreciates my transparency and work ethic, both of which I work hard on and value. 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

September 1: 2: 3: It’s official! We’re having a Halloween party at work. If my new schedule turns out, I’ll be at work on that day and will show off a costume. Not sure if it will be the one I’m working on, but I can always recycle an old one. 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: I had such a good ripstik run. @nah-young and I practiced for a good while yesterday (and she did her first trick, too!). I guess it’s nice to see the fruits of our practice since we’ve been working off and on for about a month. 16: Had the investment club meeting at my house. I didn’t get to cook everything, but I picked the recipe and it turned out well! 17: I finished “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) and I really recommend it. It’s such a great book for anyone who makes or creates. It’s a fun read and chocked full of helpful hints. 18: I decided to start reading the Naruto series. I’m enjoying it so far! Now I just have to wait for the next to volumes to be available from the library. 19: I started replaying Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. It’s amusing, although I’m a little rough. 20: 21: 22: 23: I’d been on the fence about taking a vacation early next year because I want to save up for a down payment, but after talking to my dad, I decided I’d do a little something. I still need to work out the plans (and make sure the people I want to visit are free), but I’m looking forward to it! 24: 25: 26: There’s a chance I might be going full time at my office job, so dad encouraged me to take the day off from trash rooms. I still got up early, but knocked out a bunch of chores, finished Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, finished a drawing, and cleaned in the basement a bit. 27: Lol, I just realized I have three cycles of books checked out again. I started reading The Wicked Years series. I’m trying to set aside time each night so I can read a chapter or two before bed. 28: I made the pattern for my gauntlets! I’m actually trying to do it the right way and making measurements, creating an accurate template, and just generally taking my time. 29: Part 2 of the gauntlets: They’re made! My template worked and I spent a couple of hours slowly forming and shaping them. I still need some practice on the gluing component, but at least they feel sturdy. 30: Started replaying DK 64 again. I really love this game. Besides Gauntlet Legends, it’s probably my favorite N64 game we own. 31: Got rained out at work, but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and just generally keep ahead with laundry.

October 1: Today officially marks the first day of working full time at my office job. They added ten hours a week, so now I’m working 4 days at 10 hours each. It’ll take a little adjusting. I’m happy for the extra hours! 2: I sent out invoices on time for once! 3: It was my fuzzball’s 16th Birthday today! Someone also brought in some really yummy snacks to work that were leftover from a meeting. I also managed to create templates for the leg gauntlets and cut them out of foam. I’m just rolling with the motivation now, and would like to have Vile finished by Halloween (keep reading to find out if it was finished). 4: Really just having a good time playing DK 64. Knocked out Gloomy Galleon, so all that’s left are my favorite levels! 5: 6: 7: I have leg gauntlets formed. Lol, I guess I should look up the name... All that’s left is the chest plate and cape! 8: I lucked out! My coworker can’t go to a book signing even this weekend and asked me to get her book signed since I’m going. It was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I wanted to read before this weekend. 9: Making some headway on the costume again! Arm and leg gauntlets have the plating and base coat of plastidip. 10: I finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” within 48 hours of having it my possession. That’s such a huge accomplishment to read something so quickly and eagerly! 11: I was plowing through my to do list at work. I knocked out 11 items. Woo! 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: My Halloween costume is finished *gasp* before Halloween! Barely, but it counts. 31: I won the most creative costume at work! Well, tied for first, but that’s cool.

November (whoops, I really forgot to write this month) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

December 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: My coworker is back! She had been on extended leave for a while, but now she’s back. She bring such a positive and fun attitude to the workplace. 13: 14: I’m officially 25! I worked a few hours in the rain, but got a lot done (and saw Lucy, my favorite cat I cat sit). Instead of going to a steakhouse for dinner, which I’m not a fan of, we ended up going to somewhere I did enjoy. Overall, it was a nice and quiet celebration. 15: 16: 17: I finished the Naruto series today! It was a good series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Going to take a manga break to work on a few novels I have checked out and then decide which series to start. 18: 19: A busy day again. Knocked out two leaf clients for the year and went to see three bands perform at a local music club. I stayed out way too late, but had a great time hanging with a friend, one of the performers, and the performer’s friend. 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: Hung out with my brother and grandmother. I crushed them in several games! 25: Went to my coworkers in the afternoon and dueled for the first time in quiet a while. They wiped the floor with me, but I had fun with my deck destruction deck. 26: 27: Ended up hanging out with Jane for a while and just chatting about everything. We’re seeing eye to eye on a lot of things, so it was nice. 28: Finished my leaf jobs for the year! Time to relax. 29: 30: 31: Welp, ended up being sick and missing out on the intended New Year plans. I guess I did start the year with a migraine, so here I am ending it with one. After I rested up, I did start playing my favorite video game. Plus, I frantically read “Hey, Kiddo!” before the end of the year

Notable stuff

Highlights: Passed the CPA exam Officially hired full time

Books read: “Ghost Stories” “Every Tool’s a Hammer” “Where the Crawdads Sing” “Wicked” Naruto series “Hey, Kiddo!”

Movies watched: Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse Mary Poppins 2 The Princess and the Frog Pokemon Lucario

#2019 in review #2019 #a year in review

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ramblingshit · 5 years

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Some Video Game Ratings

> Heavy Rain - 2010 - 3.5/5

good enough gameplay, somewhat interesting story, nice twist, but the stupidest most unbelievable kids in all of history. Only a few emotional moments but otherwise pretty bland. Fun though.

>Horizon Zero Dawn - 2017 - 4.5/5

fuckin awesome concept and execution, love the clothes options, love the progress from outcast to basically a fuckin goddess, that she’s a clone of Elisabeth, her finding her body at the end fuckin made me cry, it was beautiful and so realistic and grounded, everything felt like it could have truly happened, the ruins of the city they have no concept of, just bits of strange metal. The whole gaia program and the enemies being manipulated by the dark side of it. Love alloy, love the gameplay – stealth and otherwise, love the story, love the visuals. Boyyyyyy. Love this game.

>Ratchet and Clank - 2016 - 2/5

nostalgic and pretty fun, clean but dull visuals, fine voice acting, but very much a children’s game with very little depth to story or characterisation. Meh.

>Until Dawn - 2015 - 4.5/5

fuck me another fantastic game, story was brilliant, twists and turns and people dying at any moment, visuals were great, acting was stellar, action and sneaky scenes were terrifying tryna hold that controller as still as possible, literally put it down at times to keep us from getting our jaw ripped off. Quick time events were fun and stressful. Was actually really fun to replay episodes to get achievements and all collectibles. Fkn love this game, Sam and Mike for the win, with Emily a close second, Matt and Chris are meh but Ashley can suck a fat one, like damn that chick was a fuck up.

>Rise of the Tomb Raider - 2015 - 2/5

good visuals, kinda fun gameplay, only interesting scene where Lara shows any kind of characterisation is where she meets Jacob in the cells and their chat there. Otherwise #notmylara. She’s not even stoic and cold, she’s just blank. Her voice actress is shit, the story is like, not even there who cares. But hair and clothing is pretty g, as is seeing the bow get better.

>Batman: the Telltale series - 2016 - 3.5/5

boy this was pretty g, chilling smashing out quick time events, batman looked a bit odd and had too many expressions and it was a bit slow at times, but some options were sick, like impaling that dude in front of a newscrew. All exploded uphill when suddenly wayne was locked in Arkham and he met fkn ‘John Doe’ who was nice if a little off and sincerely eager to be Wayne’s bestie. I decided at that moment that at all times I would go along with my dude John. Some other uninteresting stuff happened, I beat Cobblepot as Bruce and then some other stuff happened like honestly story was unmemorable as fuck. But it was a fun enough time, especially with mr pre-joker hanging around whoop whoop. Also no one cares about Selina Kyle, just scrap her honestly. Actually good twist with vale being Arkham or whatever and wayne getting shot in the ear instead of letting Alfred get hurt, shout out to my bby Alfred. But otherwise it was decent game.

>GoT: the Telltale series - 2014 - 2.5/5

only cared about Rodrick and whats her face in king’s landing. Other black cloak guy was forgettable, dude running around Dorne n meeting khaleesi even more so. Made kings landing girl good at the game, manipulating here and there, doing what she could to keep alive, keeping everyone at arms length. Had her accept whatshisface’s proposal and sacrifice her one loyal friend the coal boy to stay alive. Brutal, I loved it. Rodrick and getting him strong enough to fuck off the whitehills was sick, but tragically had him sacrifice himself for his dumbass little brother but tho I regret it I knew it was what the loyal family man would have done. But anyway visuals sucked ass, gameplay was telltale’s usual fuckery and there you go who gives a shit about the rest amirite.

>Amnesia: the dark descent - 2010 - 4/5

good atmosphere, ambient lighting and sounds make you tense AF, stories pretty good, finding out that you were a piece of shit helping alexander torture people for his whatevers to power them before he had to kill a kid or a woman or something and decided he felt like shit and didn’t wanna do it anymore so took a forget potion to reset himself and hopefully work to stop what he helped alexander start. Also I think alexander was an alien but whatevs. Bad guys were scary at first but you soon realise that the majority of them patrol for a bit but if you wait long enough they literally just fuck off and youre free to do what you want its fully wack. Had fun, mechanics were cool, visuals were good for its time. It was hella dark so keeping enough oil for the lantern was enough. Most of the story was told in letters, which were badly read by the actors but you could just skip em so no real worries. A few puzzles and collecting shit here and there. In a solidly well done game.

>Fallout: New Vegas - 2010 - 5/5

occasionally characters mention people/things that you didn’t or didn’t even have the option to, mention or ask about, had a lot of experiences with enemies warping through walls or getting stuck in the ground, crashes with fire effects, female models talking with male voices, game freezing on loading screens and having to restart entire system to get out of it. All of this is forgiven because fallout new vegas is a fucking gem – it is the epitome of a RPG, you can do and be almost anything you want. The customisation is awesome, the factions and faction clothes are fantastic. The karmas a bit iffy because my character is a kleptomaniac and stealing lowers your karma so I’m basically the Devil but everyone in the wasteland loves me? But again, I can forgive. I’ve played this multiple times and am still finding new quests or new ways to complete old quests; new places, new people to talk to etc etc. this game is beautiful, I love it. Closest thing to perfection you’re gonna find.

#video games #rating #reviews #review #games #fallout #fallout: new vegas #batman: the telltale series #game of thrones: the telltale series #heavy rain #horizon zero dawn #ratchet and clank #until dawn #rise of the tomb raider #amnesia: the dark descent

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retroinreview · 5 years

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Batman on Game Boy Review

Batman was one of my favorite superheroes growing up. I vividly remember watching Batman the Animated Series almost every day when I got home from school. When I was old enough, my parents allowed me to watch the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film. To this day the '89 film is still my favorite Batman movie ever created.

From the well known NES Batman game, where Batman is purple, to the modern Arkham series, Batman is one of the most popular licensed properties for games. Almost every movie release of Batman is matched with a video game inspired by the movie.

Today we will be taking a look at Batman on the original Game Boy. This game, similar to the NES release of Batman, is inspired by the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film.

Graphics

Overall, Batman’s graphics are good enough. The levels have enough contrast between the background and foreground to make the game clear. All of the platforming stages are pretty typical, and the Batwing stages feel like a basic shoot ‘em up game.

One of the biggest issues I have with the graphics of Batman is its lack of interesting character design. Most of the enemies look incredibly generic. During the first few levels, all of the enemies look like soldiers from World War II to me. While I know there are limitations due to the Game Boy’s screen, I feel they could have done better with the pixel art for the enemies.

Another odd graphical design decision is to make Batman incredibly short. The Cape Crusader looks like a kid running around Gotham compared to other enemies. This is most obvious when you fight Jack Napper for the first time.

Most of the issues with Batman’s graphics contribute to the game feeling generic. At times it feels likes you are playing a Megaman clone or some kind of military-themed game.

Gameplay (Power-ups, level design, controls)

Batman is broken into two separate level styles, platforming and shoot ‘em up.

The platforming levels are all pretty standard, with nothing unique compared to other games. You control Batman as he shoots enemies across many locations from the Batman ’89 film such as AXIS Chemicals, the Flugelheim Museum, and the Gotham City Cathedral.

You collect various weapons and power-ups during the platforming levels. Most of these weapons are pretty similar, with only the ability to travel further and through walls being the main difference. I did find the Wave Weapon to be one of the most frustrating weapons you can pick up. It travels up and down in a wave pattern and can be very difficult to time so you can shoot an enemy. The rest of the weapons though are all about the same.

Now you may have noticed that in this game Batman shoots enemies. Even in the manual, they don’t shy away from the idea that Batman uses some kind of gun throughout the game. The use of a gun instead of a grappling hook or some other non-lethal weapon is another reason why the game doesn’t feel like a licensed Batman game.

The other type of levels are shoot ‘em ups where you take control of the Batwing. These levels take place above Gotham City as you shoot down various enemies trying to attack you. Unlike some other basic shoot ‘em ups, the Batwing can fire forward and backward giving you a new way to defeat enemies as they fly towards you.

The Batwing levels really stood out for me. After playing through the first portion of the platforming levels, it was a refreshing change of pace to control the iconic Batman vehicle. Even though you only control the Batwing for two of the nine levels, they are one of my favorite parts of Batman.

Verdict

For being a licensed game, I wasn’t expecting much from Batman. Now, it has become one of my go-to Game Boy games to play. The platforming is simple enough to make the game enjoyable and challenging. The boss battles aren’t anything special but do add a little more challenge to the game. What I love even more is the occasional break between the platforming and Batwing levels.

If the game was only platforming based, I don’t think I would replay it as much as I do. Being able to control the Batwing and have a completely different game experience makes it feel like you are getting two games in one.

I will admit, as a Batman game, Batman on the Game Boy isn’t great. Sure there are the go-to Batman themed game elements during the platforming levels, but these are surface level at best. The Batwing portions do have a little more “Batman” in them, but not enough to make this game stand out compared to other Batman licensed games released in the 90’s.

Even though it doesn’t feel like a Batman game, Batman is a hidden gem on the Game Boy. Once you get past the idea of Batman not being a faithful Batman game, you will truly enjoy the overall experience. It isn’t a hard game to find which makes it an easy recommended purchase for any Game Boy player.

#gameboy #retrogaming #batman #tim burton #game review #video games

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undeadimpulsereviews · 6 years

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Spider-Man PS4

Playstation has been on a roll with the exclusives for the Playstation 4. With amazing titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War and Persona 5; will playstation hit a snag at some point with a future exclusive? At the moment this still isn’t the case. From developer Insomniac Games comes the next big hit for the console, Spider-Man. Based off the comic book series from Marvel Comics, players are put in control of the classic neighborhood hero. It brings forward new story, separate from the ongoing comics; while at the same time, it also presents elements veterans will be familiar with. Yet, it’s done in such a way that it hits hard and does the franchise justice.

Spider-Man starts years after Peter Parker has started his web-slinging career. He’s put many villains behind bars, such as Scorpion and Rhino. Already the game is off to a good start. Deciding to start the story after the origins is a great move. The knowledge of Spider-Man’s backstory isn’t needed. Pretty much everyone who knows the series to some degree know what happened to Peter Parker. There is nothing duller than repeating old material that is pretty much universally known. At the same time, however, the game does re-purpose old material.

It would be difficult to completely avoid re-using old content with something as long running as Spider-Man. The developers could have made their own villain to produce something new, but would Marvel agree to this? The way Insomniac makes this work is the development and direction taken. People know the origin stories behind specific villains; however, Insomniac shows players something that isn’t fully new and paints it in a light that feels interesting. While some of the rogues gallery has been fighting Spider-Man for years, others are just being introduced and it’s done so well. There is so much emotional build up through out the game that when the climax and resolution hit, it’s legitimately a tear-jerker.

Part of this is thanks to the structure of the story. The story is broken into three acts, but it feels like one big story that hardly takes a break. The first act is dedicated to building up characters. Most of the cutscenes serve to slowly introduce one of the main villains of the game while developing upon the characters around Peter. The second act focuses more on the villain, and Peter attempting to bring his scheme to an end before it gets out of hand.There is still a level of character building, but as the game reaches the climax the development of characters is also hitting a peak. Lastly when the third act hits the players see the results of everything leading to this point. All that build up hits in such a fashion that, for me, Peter’s struggle is understood by players and we sympathize with his plight.

The story also has the characters to thank for it’s success as well. Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s character is amazing. He is as human as a superhero with spider like powers can get.

As Peter he’s a kind and awkward individual. Peter at this point in the game is out of college and living on his own. He always sees the good in people around him. He’s not Spider-Man for the fame, or fortune that could come from it. At the same time he isn’t at a level like Captain America or the other Avengers. This all translates into his superhero persona.

Spider-Man has always been known as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and, with this iteration of the character, this couldn’t be any more true. The story has the player going toe to toe with big villains to save the streets of New York; however, the side missions really paint a bigger picture for the character. The side missions aren’t anything grand and story driven like something our of games like Red Dead or Nier Automata; however, this works for Spider-Man. The missions and crimes the player complete feel small and at a neighborhood level. For example, the main story could have me go against Mr.Negative; while, at the same time, the side quests have me going to save a cat from a tree. It’s small, but it fits the character.

The biggest part of the character is the idea of “always seeing the good in people.” When it comes to villains that Spider-Man has fought before, the idea doesn’t really apply. Though, for some of the villains present, the idea hits hard. Take Mr.Negative for example; due to the interactions through Peter Parker, the scenes as Spider-Man does each character and the story justice. It shows what kind of hero Peter truly is deep down. He cares for the people around him. He may not seem all that serious at times and takes some situations in a joking manner. Though, in the end, as long as there is some fraction of good inside someone then Peter doesn’t give up. Spider-Man is smart, comical, but above all it’s his moral compass that makes the character.

It’s not just Spider-Man though, the supporting cast and antagonists all contribute to the story. There is no end to the level of detail and development among the game and it’s cast. There is Mary Jane, Miles Morales, and other well known characters introduced throughout the game.

Mary and Miles aren’t your cliche background characters that are their for the ride. They each play a role to aid in Peters goal. They share game-play styles, but with small changes to specific things.To avoid spoilers I can’t go too deep into the antagonists and what happens. Just know that each character plays their part and plays it well.

Spider-Man’s story is amazing, but if people wanted this for an amazing story alone they could go to a local book store and find many great comics on the character. How is the game-play? Ultimately, it’s fantastic. The fighting feels fluid and fun, swinging around New York feels outstanding and easy. Not to mention that the design of specific elements through the game are well thought out considering the source material. If there was one thing I had a problem with, in terms of game-play, it came later in the game. As the player progresses new enemies start to appear. These enemies arrive in numbers and most of them will be carrying weaponry. You may be able to dodge one shooting at you perfectly but, more times than not, you’ll be shot by the rest and end up with little to no health left.

Otherwise the game-play feels amazing. Fighting takes a lot of elements from games like Batman: Arkham Asylum; however, in Spider-Man’s case, the fighting feels a lot more free and light. The hits still pack a punch, but Spider-Man himself moves faster and with more personality.

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Players can use gadgets to turn the tide of battle, and some scenarios call for a stealthy approach. As a combo is racked up a focus bar is filled; when the bar is filled Spider-Man can perform a finishing move. Then there are the suits. At face value they seem like a purely aesthetic part of the game. Though they are more than just a costume swap.

There are a good amount of Spidey-suits the player can unlock and, while they look cool, they serve more of a purpose. Each suit comes with a special ability. For example, in the video above, the Spider-Punk suit produces a shockwave from a guitar which pushes enemies back. The abilities are made to produce different ways of playing the game. Do you want to handle things in a stealthy manner, or up front and personal? Are you more aggressive or defensive? The player isn’t just a man in a suit; there is more to how people make their Spider-Man. The biggest thing, when it comes to Spider-Man, was how well does he maneuver? In my opinion, swinging feels so fun and enjoyable that I could do nothing in the game but traverse New York and still have a good time.

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Swinging around the city is one of the best experiences in the game. You’re always moving and, if someone does fall to the ground or loses momentum, it’s really simple to begin traversing things thanks to the scale of New York. It’s clear that the webs are connecting to something in the area and there is no shortage of things for Spider-Man to build momentum. It’s like a parkour mechanic in games that is everything I could have wanted. It’s incredibly responsive and both feels and looks fluid. I’d say it’s one of the best means of traversing a city-scape and the best among Spider-Man games.

Overall Spider-Man is an awesome game. While the story is linear, I would love to replay the game again. It’s was an amazing experience that I would love to give a solid 10. Though there were moments that were aggravating when it came to side crime fights. The game had a few small things that I would have liked to be ironed out, but otherwise I really loved this game and I’d say it’s one of my all time favorite PS4 games. I’d say that Spider-Man deserves a 9 out of 10. I highly recommend this game; not just for Spider-man fans but for all gamers looking for something downright fun.

Thanks for reading and supporting me. I hope you enjoyed my opinion, even if you don’t fully agree with me. I’ll be posting about what’s ahead for the month of October this weekend. Until then, however, thanks again and I’ll see ya next time.

#spider-man #spiderman #insomniac games #marvel #gaming #video game #video games #review #sony #playstation #ps4 #playstation 4 #disney #sony interactive entertainment #peter parker #mary jane watson #miles morales

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