Vector

Developer: Nekki GmbH Publisher: Nekki GmbH Rrp: £4.99 (Steam) Released: 4th December 2013 Available on: Steam Played Using: An Xbox 360 Control Pad “You don't need to rush, worry, make decisions, or think. Just obey and everything will be fine.” The voice in your headset drones. Obey. Work. Obey. Work. Obey. Work. Obey. Work. Obey. Work. Obey. Work. No, somethings not right. Run, run now! Jump into the light. Run for freedom! Vector is a 2D platformer... kinda'. There are platforms and you jump, roll and climb them but you aren't in control of the Runner himself, he'll run with or without your input. You're more there to tell him when to jump and slide. I can't decide if that was designed to disguise the limitations of its original release (it's a mobile port) or an intentional choice on the designers part to show that the Runner is free from control, even yours.

Each level is called a 'Track', it's your job to hep the Runner navigate the track by telling him when to jump, slide etc. As you run along these tracks you can collect coins and bonuses as well as perform tricks. The coins you collect allow you to purchase more tricks and gadgets, if you haven't purchased a trick that’s required by the track you won't be able to reach the maximum score. Thankfully if you miss a jump you can just press [X] and the track will restart. Of course, your escape hasn't gone without notice. Hunters have been sent after you and are on your tail the whole time, if they catch you then its game over and death, or worse a return to mindless drudgery.

As was mentioned before each track gives you a score, or rather, a star rating out of three stars (well, it is a mobile port). To get the maximum amount of stars you have to collect all the bonuses and perform all the tricks on a track. If you collect enough stars you unlock further levels and another game mode called Hunter mode, which requires fifty stars.

The controls for this game are... inconsistent. That's a vague way to put it, I know. There's a saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Well clearly whomever said that never encountered this games controls. Sometimes the Runner grabs exactly how you want, sometimes he doesn't grab at all and most infuriating sometimes he grabs, starts to pull himself up and then lets go... for no good reason! I got to the forth track of the second story arc out of three, and the game still hadn't told me how to use the gadget I bought within the first few levels. I've tried every button on my controller to no avail. I found out later that the gadgets are totally unavailable for use on a control pad as there is no button bound to use them. Instead you have to use the keyboard and press the [Z] key. How many times do I need to say this? STOP HALF ARSING THE CONTROL PAD CONTROLS, DO IT PROPERLY OR NOT AT ALL!

Earlier I mentioned about the unlockable Hunter mode. In this mode you play as the Hunter, meaning you start behind the runner. This mode is harder that the standard one because you have to catch the runner and to do that you have to get in front this means performing a near perfect run.

I rather like the aesthetic of the black silhouette on a fully coloured background. It's quite stylized and makes the game 'pop out' at you, it also means you won't confuse the background with what actually makes up the track.

Had to follow @nikkxb for peer pressure reasons and jic this turns into the fic of my dreams~

😂😂

In full transparency, I did set out to write this fic and ended up with Running Game. It’s still a WIP and took a turn I wasn’t expecting, but I hope that might be similar enough for you?

And @maddieson-san also wrote her version of the idea, College Life.

Chapter 4

Rating: Mature Status: In Progress Summary: It's a good thing Kouga's a track star for the university. All that experience is perfect when it comes to chasing Kagome.

Chapter Excerpt:

“Why didn’t you invite her to come here tonight?” Inuyasha asked.

“I did.” Another sip. “I’m waiting for her to take me up on it.”

“Oh wait,” the sprinter’s tone sobered. “She didn’t actually commit to coming tonight?”

“I left the offer open. I think…” He frowned, trying to be tactful. “I think she’s had a bad experience before. I didn’t want to push her into anything.”

“Last thing he wants to do is scare her off for good,” Hakkaku chimed in.

“Makes sense.” Miroku turned in his seat until he was fully facing Kouga. “Letting her call the shots, going at her pace, that’s probably going to work out for you. Want to take a picture of us and send it to her?”

Fuck, they just weren’t giving up. “I don’t have her number. I gave her mine, told her to text me if she’s coming.”

The guys didn’t say anything for a moment, everyone letting that revelation sink in.

Miroku sighed. “When you say you left the ball in her court—”

“—you really left the ball in her court,” Inuyasha finished. He held up his glass and clinked the lip against Kouga’s. “Here’s to her tossing it back.”

* Updated October 10, 2020.

Active WIPs:

✅ All that Glitters -- Rewrite the ball scenes I know I should finish the pre-ball scenes and prep work, but I have a feeling that reworking the ball would help me figure out what’s going on in the beginning. I already discovered new things to fix and the writing style needs reworked, so maybe that will help me figure out what leads up to the angsty pining.

✅ Defensive Interference -- Write Chapter 13 Every time I’m convinced I’ll never return to this story, a super sweet review comes in and drops this back at my feet. I’m getting to the crux of Sesshoumaru and Kagome’s struggles, but there’s also Kouga’s problems at the high school to contend with. Not to mention that Kagome hasn’t met the rest of Kouga’s pack and I’m guessing that should be happening soon?

Halloween -- Finish first draft. I have a solid start and I’m really liking where it’s going. I just need to create the lore I’m using, the language, and the culture because I feel it’ll be easier for me to make up one than find an existing one that fits (and also be much less offensive).

Little Touches -- Write Chapter 8 My only non-Inuyasha WIP. Part of me is okay leaving it unfinished, but part of me really wants to finish it. I think it’ll need at least two more chapters to flesh out into a good end, probably three. Maybe I’ll hit it when I want to run away from everything else.

✅ Living -- Write Chapter 12 Kagome is finally going to meet Sango! Which means there will be more information and answers about vampries and that will be interesting to figure out. But then I can get on with weaving Miroku further into the plot and oh, he’s so much fun to write in this fic even though he’s a supporting character. I’m just not sure what’s going to happen with Inuyasha yet.

✅ Pajamas -- Finish Intermission I know what the intermission is going to look like between Part I and II. Why is there an intermission? Good question. There just is. But what is it building up to? I think I just have to accept that this little one-shot spiraled out of control. Intermission may end up being 5k words and Part II is going to be who knows how long. But that does give me a lot to work with in terms of timeline and I do have supporting characters to help me figure out the rest of the plot.

✅ Running Game -- Write Chapter 4 I have a very solid idea of what their first time is going to look like which, while helpful, is aggravating because that’s a few chapters away. Buuuuut Kouga flirting is always a favorite and writing them both at a bar while Kagome is crawling out of her skin should make way for some awesome development and discovery.

✅ Sparks Fly in July -- Finish at least one prompt per week of event. Week 1 is drafted, needs to be rewritten and edited.  Week 2 is halfway done, then needs to be edited at minimum. Finish Weeks 3 and 4, then see if writing for the second prompts is feasible.

✅ What Could Have Been -- Write Chapter 2 The first chapter has a lot of little things scattered through it. I have a solid idea of where they’re going first, but following the end of the fake jewels is going to be the climax of the story. I just don’t know what’s going to happen with that (then again, what else is new? I never know what’s going to happen), but I think it’ll work out pretty well. Learning this new Kouga has been a lot of fun.

Inactive WIPs:

WIP Asks | @underwater0phelia

For reference – Running Game.

Do you have an idea of when/what chapter Kagome opens up to Kouga about her past trauma in Running Game?

Ooooh, so this has a complicated answer because I think there are two ways this conversation could happen.

The first way is Kouga piecing together enough information that he broaches the subject. It’s super risky and forward, but he’d rather have an open conversation than accidentally waltz into a trigger – which he’s really scared of doing. In this scenario, we’re probably one or two chapters out. (I don’t know if Kagome would share everything, but the conversation would be started.)

The second option is Kagome blurting everything out to him after a date because she’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop and if he’s just going to leave her, he might as well do it now. It’ll be both a self-protective barrier and a band-aid she’s ripping off and it’ll all come out at once. If this is what happens, we’re minimum three chapters out, realistically about four. This option is akin to a volcano erupting after so much pressure has been built and we have a good amount of flirting and dating to really push her over.

Can you tell us whose perspective you want to write that scene in and what their reactions might be?

Kagome’s. While Kouga’s perspective in this story has been easier to write, I can’t actually figure out how it would go. Also this is a bit cathartic for me in ways I wasn’t expecting when I wrote the first chapter, so telling it from Kagome’s perspective is the only way I can comprehend writing it because of my own similar-but-different experiences.

Slight history lesson, slight spoiler, slight TMI, much ramble: I intended for Running Game to be a complementary fic to the plot bunny Maddie and I were throwing back and forth that eventually became her fic, College Life. It was supposed to fun and simple and easy and fluffy, but there was a hint of angst in the first chapter. I thought nothing of it, posted it, and then continued writing.

That angst grew. It grew and grew until I realized that my own similar-but-different experience was something I had buried and never actually dealt with. (Well, that’s not true. I dealt with the ass-stain, but never with my emotions, self-aimed hate, and internalized blame.) So now, writing this story is part cathartic in that I can write about what happened in a very vague, unrelated way. Translating part of my experience into how Kagome copes and deals and heals is what’s spurring a lot of this story. Because of how much of me is wrapped up in this, I can’t even comprehend writing that scene from Kouga’s perspective right now.

As for her reactions, it’ll depend. If we go with scenario 1 from above, she’ll be terrified and hesitant and worried, but will be able to set her boundaries and slowly open up. In scenario 2, she’ll almost emotionally shut down and word-vomit at him. Lay it all out and then wait for him to leave. I don’t think she’ll actually disassociate, but she’ll be very vulnerable and very scared.

Chapter 3

Rating: Mature (may change) Status: In Progress. Summary: KogKag. It’s a good thing Kouga’s a track star for the university. All that experience is perfect when it comes to chasing Kagome.

Author’s Note:

This chapter feels a little bumpy and not as smooth as I want it to be, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Kagome is playing her cards very close to her chest, which made this a little harder to write than normal, but I had a lot of fun watching Kouga try to figure out what she was thinking. It's good for the dork to have to work for it. :)

I know it's been over a year since the last chapter so if you're still with me, thank you! Hope it was worth the wait. Let me know what you think!