#I was simply inspired by this player's boldness

[occulee]

fuck it someone's gotta get the bad option

poke the mind repeatedly curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back and I. MUST. KNOW.

You brave, brave soul... your sacrifice will not be in vain....... [view post for full]

[canthelpit0]

Come through

Pairing: Cocky!Player!Chris x Reader

Word count: 4.5k+

Summary: chris hand always been a player. Would that change once he becomes famous? -no.

Warnings: smut, player!Chris, influencer!Reader, party, mentions of drinking/tobacco/weed, pet names (ma, pretty boy, pretty lady, sweetheart, etc.), bathroom sex, semi public, oral m!receiving, fingering, p in v (protected), praise kink, swearing, no use of y/n, no oc, written in 2nd pov

(A/N: English is not my first language, and I always appreciate feedback enjoy! love y'all. this is heavily inspired by come through, the song.)

Chris had always been sort of a fuckboy.

And with his growing fame it wasn’t getting any better.

Chris has a huge ego. Sure people would always say him and his brothers are nice and humble, but that doesn’t mean Chris can’t be cocky at times.

He didn’t drink. He was underage, though in LA nobody really cared about that anyway. He just didn’t like drinking.

Chris and his brothers would always be invited to some random LA parties.

At first Chris never wanted to go. He didn’t like partying. He didn’t like the smell of alcohol, tobacco and weed.

However he soon came to realize that his looks and fame would get girls swooning over him.

He was being a player and he knew it. However none of the girls he’s ever been with complained.

He made sure they know that it would be a one night stand, and that he doesn’t date. And it worked for him.

★ ★ ★

You were an upcoming YouTuber and influencer. You were starting to gain more and more followers. People were starting to notice you more

You were known for your humor and your witty comebacks.

And as much as you would like to deny it, People didn’t just loved you for your personality, but they also loved your body.

You were gorgeous, To put it lightly.

So obviously when Chris saw you on his for you page a week ago, picking out an outfit to put on for some place you were going to that day, he thought you were hot.

Not that he’d do anything about it.

He wasn’t the type of guy to slide into someone’s dm’s. Because quite frankly he didn’t care that much.

★ ★ ★

But when he saw you at the party he was attending tho…

You’d been carelessly dancing. You weren’t drinking, even tho you were 21. You didn’t want to drink today. You wanted to have sober fun and hang out with your friends.

Your friends always did and said the craziest things when drunk. And watching it as the sober designated driver was hilarious.

You feel big hands being placed on your waist delicately.

You turn around to see who it was and to your surprise it was one of the sturniolo triplets.

Chris.

He’s bold for just touching you like that. But for some reason it was hot. Maybe it was just the air laced in weed that was getting to you, but you were enjoying this.

So you simply dance with him.

After a while you both leave the middle of the crowd going to the kitchen to talk. The kitchen being way less crowded than the living room of this house party.

“You’re bold.” You chuckle pointing out watching as his expression morphed into one of amusement and lust as he checks you out.

“Couldn’t help myself ma”

“Sure you couldn’t, pretty boy” you chuckle rolling your eyes at the statement.

Chris, to the public was known to be a sweetheart. But in LA, around other influencers he was known to have quite frequent hook ups. And he was known to never leave any of the girls not satisfied.

You, having moved to LA recently for your career, have heard all about it. People were ‘warning’ you, but no one was outright telling you it was a stupid idea. Because was it tho?

“What’s a pretty lady like you doing here anyway?” His goofy grin is wide as he stares back into your eyes.

His eyes are a light shade of blue, but in the lights of the party and his blown out pupils they look dark. His brown hair long, and a mess.

After people had told you about him and his brothers (And particularly Chris’ reputation), you had searched them up and watched a few of their videos. They were quite funny.

And Chris in particular seemed to not be able to take anything seriously.

“Nothing, just having fun.”

You shrug taking a sip from your red solo cup. It was filled with plain water. Chris raised an eyebrow at that.

“You’re not drinking?” He can’t help the small laugh he lets out at that. Tho he is secretly glad you’re not. This was his chance to get you in bed, but he wasn’t going to do anything with a drunk girl.

“No,” you chuckle back. “Designated driver” you raise your free hand in surrender as if it was a crime.

He chuckles at your antics his eyes trailing over your face over to your body once more.

“Eyes up here sweetheart.”

His eyes snap back to yours his goofy grin staying right where it was.

“Sorry ma, you’re just really distracting.” He smiles looking down at you.

You weren’t that much shorter than him. But granted you were wearing high heels. He wasn’t even that tall himself though.

You were wearing a tiny mini dress. One that ends right below your ass. Your cleavage being low giving him a great view of your boobs.

“Oh, I’m distracting?”

You tease. You take a step closer to him, stepping into his personal space as you tilt your head up to look at him better.

His hand goes to the side of your jaw rubbing his thumb over your cheek gently as if asking for consent. You wrap your arm Around his neck pulling him down connecting your lips.

The sweet kiss turns more heated when his hand moved from your jaw to the back of your neck. His other hand holding you by the small of your back keeping your body flush against himself.

His tongue graces your lips asking for entrance with you eagerly give, parting your mouth slightly so he can slip his tongue into your mouth.

You make out, your tongues tangling in each other as you simply kiss for a moment.

His tongue hungrily exploring your mouth. He leans into you more tilting your head back more, kissing you with all the lust in his body. Kissing you Like he wants to devour you.

You eventually pull apart to breath. His lips immediately meeting your jawline. He kisses down your jawline moving down to your neck to your collarbone.

“Damn you smell amazing.” He breaths out. His voice strained from the previous kiss.

“Thank you” you chuckle your hand finding its way into his messy waves. You scratch his scalp with your freshly manicured nails causing him to let out a low groan.

He pulls back slightly. He leaves a quick peck on your lips before looking at you again.

“How about we go somewhere.” His voice low and raspy. Laced with the attraction and lust he feels for you.

You just hum. He starts to drag you back through the living room, through the crowd of people. Getting to some random bathroom. He opens the door and lets you walk in first.

You immediately stand in front of the mirror, leaning over slightly to fix your hair.

He closes and locks the door behind himself. He stands behind you watching you through the mirror. You make eye contact. In this new lighting his eyes seem clearer.

He stares into your soul as you push back from the sink.

You swiftly turn around and sink to your knees in front of him.

Chris would’ve never asked. But wich guy doesn’t like head.

“So eager” he chuckles. His hand goes to the top of your head petting it gently. Before he picks up your chin, making you look up at him again.

Your head is tilted back as you look up at him through your lashes. you know he’s probably had countless woman in this same position. But it never got old for him.

And he liked seeing you like the is anyway

“You look so pretty like this you know.” He mumbles before leaning down and leaving a heated kiss on your lips.

He stands back up straight, and you can’t help the way your eyes trail to his crotch. It was right in front of your face and you were getting impatient.

Before you know it your hands go to the top of his jeans, tugging on them gently. You were asking for permission without asking.

He chuckles at your eagerness, undoing his belt, then unbuttoning the jeans and letting you slide them down.

You can already see his huge erection through his boxers. Your mouth was already watering at the sight.

You pull down his boxers fast. His length springing free, hitting his abdomen.

You flinch back slightly. You look at his length with an eyebrow raised not doing anything for a moment just admiring.

You’ve never seen a dick be this pretty. It had a thick vain running up the side. It was long, at least a good 8 inches. It was thick, not too thick, but enough that you knew the stretch would burn.

“You good?” He asks. He was clearly holding in a laugh. His hand goes to your hair, still just patting the top of your head.

“You’re sure you’re white?” You tease one hand cupping his member as you start to gently and slowly jerk him off.

“Definitely, sweetheart” he chuckles rolling his eyes at the comment. People always asked about it. Wich is fine since most people weren’t used to his size. the constant questioning was so annoying sometimes.

But the way you teased him with that sentence was just too good.

His red tip is already leaking pre cum. He eagerly waits for you to start. You press a small peck on it, while looking up at him your eyes staying locked on his.

You start to kitten lick the tip. You watch as he lets out a slightly shaky sigh at the contact.

“C’mon ma, don’t tease.”

You pull away slightly chuckling at the statement. You teasingly blow air on it, watching as he shivers. But before he can start complaining about your teasing you take his entire tip in your mouth swirling your tongue around it.

“Yeah, like that.” He sighs softly. He rubs your cheek with the back of his hand as you hollow out your cheeks to give him more pleasure.

His hand moves to my hair taking it and putting it in a makeshift ponytail. You start to take him as deep as you could, starting to slowly bob your head. Sucking and swirling your tongue. You take him as deep as you can jerking off what you can’t fit with your manicured hand.

The sounded coming from it are sinful, and so are his low moans and grunts.

When you hear his soft grunts turn into moans you can tell he’s getting close. You pull off with a pop. You stroke him gently, and then teasingly lick a stripe up his shaft.

“You like that?” You tease licking at it. He groans in annoyance. He thrusts his hips back to get more friction from your hand.

“Please keep going.”

You lick your lips briefly watching him. His eyes meet yours. You chuckle starting to suck him off again. This time you do it more vigorously and faster than before. His dick repeatedly hitting the back of your throat as you slightly gag around it.

Chris’ grip in your hair tightens as he starts to tug in it. He holds you in place stopping your movements as he starts to harshly thrust in and out of your mouth.

The sounds of your moans send sensations of pleasure through him. Every sinful sound echos through the small bathroom, making the music outside sound non existent to you two.

His cock is repeatedly hitting the back of your throat. Your eyes water at the harsh feeling. You try to gag as little as possible.

“Fucking- swallow ‘aight” he breaths out harshly. You hum as best as you could. The sensation tingles through his spine. And with a last thrust you feel his cum pore down your throat. You try your best to swallow as much as you could.

He gently pulls out. His thumb rubbing the corner of your lips where some of it had leaked.

He puts his thumb on your plump and swollen lips. And without a secound thought you suck on his thumb. You blink away the tears that’d been forming.

The sight is enough to have him going all over again.

His grip on your hair had loosened, but he still pulls you up by it gently.

He turns you around, so that you’re facing the mirror your hands on the sink. Your ass presented to him.

His eyes meet yours through the mirror once more. Seemingly asking for consent, to wich you nod.

His hand starts to trail over the side of your thigh slightly under your short dress.

“Words baby”

“Yes Chris- please” you waste no time asking him. You want him to touch you where you crave him the most.

“Gonna be a good little slut now?” He teases. His eyes stay locked on yours through the mirror.

“Mhm” you mumble watching him. You feel him start to pull up your dress. He bunches it up right over your ass.

His fingers go to trail over your slick wet folds. Chris pushes the lacy thong to the side. He rubs his fingers briefly over your clit, before going to tease your cunt.

“Words, sweetheart.” He repeats, his eyes staying locked on yours. He had no problem teasing you until you comply.

“Yes-“ you get cut off by a Moan. When he slams two of his long fingers into you.

Your body jolts forward, your thighs hitting the cold sink. You grimace at the feeling.

“Wow, so sensitive?” He teases leaning over again to leave a quick peck behind your ear.

He starts to plunge his fingers in and out of your cunt. He roughly fingers you, his long fingers curl just right to hit your sweet spot.

You let out a breathless moan letting your head fall forward. You were leaning on your arms for support.

You feel his big hand wrap around your throat as he pulls you back up. “Now, now, baby watch yourself.” He teases.

“Keep those pretty eyes on me” he taunts. You flutter your eyes open. You feel his fingering get rougher as you can feel your climax rapidly approaching. You’re tempted to close your eyes again, but you’re sure Chris would edge you or something.

So you try your best to keep them open and staring at his face.

“Good girl. Yeah. Just like that.” He praises. His low words sending tingles to your core. You can practically feel yourself get wetter at how words and the sound of his voice alone.

Your wetness is loud. The lewd sounds bounce off of the bathroom walls. That along with your sweet low moans, while you try to keep yourself together.

“You like my praise honey?” He asks in a sweet tone. His words sound so innocent. Unlike the very things he’s doing to you right now.

“Yes- god” you whine, this time not hesitating to answer.

He chuckles at your eagerness speeding up his pace to give you your release. His fingers curl at just the right spots, reaching places you couldn’t reach by yourself.

“I’m close-“

“I know.” Chris grins keeping his eyes on yours through the mirror. His hand moves higher from your neck to your jaw, cupping your face roughly.

He turns your head to face him. He roughly crashes his lips onto yours. You try hard to focus on the kiss, but the way he finger fucks you has you weak in the knees. The kiss is sloppy and messy. His tongue explores your mouth as you try hard to focus.

You whine loudly. His lips catching the moan as he only picks up pace even more. He gets the hint that you’re close. And before you know it, you’re coming around his fingers.

He lets go of your face. You lean further on your arms. Your Hands harshly gripping onto the sink. You let your head fall forward as you pant harshly.

He gently pulls out his fingers. His eyes focused on the way you’re throbbing around nothing.

He sucks his fingers clean humming at the taste of your cunt on them. “Did so well for me ma” he hums reassuringly, pressing a sweet kiss on your neck.

“You think you can take another, sweet girl?” He says softly.

“Please.” Your breath out your voice shaky. You pick up your head looking at him through the mirror again.

He leans down briefly to his jeans that were still pooling down at his feet.

Chris puts his hand on your hip His eyes locking with yours through the mirror. He holds out a condom with one hand. He leans over you to leave a quick peck on your shoulder.

“I’m clean” you raise an eyebrow at him through the mirror. He doesn’t respond. “And I’m on birth control..” you trail off watching him.

He grins letting out a low laugh that seems to vibrate through his entire chest.

He presses his chest up against your back as his arm wraps around your torso. He leaves another kiss on your shoulder, trailing it up to your neck and right under your ear.

“I’m not taking any chances ma”

His voice is low and seductive. The tone sending vibrations right to your core.

“Fine for me” you shrug as you watch him lean back. His eyes lock on your ass. He licks his lips.

Chris roughly rips open the condom package with his teeth. Rolling the condom over himself fast. He was eager to get into you as fast as possible.

He hums in response, caressing your ass gently, his other hand guiding his dick through your soaked folds.

He gently starts to push into you. Letting you take the tip first. Once he feels you relax he rams in the rest of his cock.

You let out another breathless moan at the impact. Chris doesn’t move right away tho, he wants to make it last as long as possible.

“Good” he praises lowly rubbing your hips soothingly. Your body was tense, and he was waiting for you to adjust just a little bit.

You let out a shaky sigh pushing yourself back on him. He takes the hint that he can move now.

So before you realize it, he’s relentlessly pounding into you. You let out a squealed moan at the sudden intense feeling of his movements.

“Oh- fuck-“

He chuckles, and suddenly you feel a harsh slap on your butt. You wince at the harshness. Chris’ hand goes to knead your ass, easing out the pain.

His other hand trails from your waist to the small of your back to arch it more, consequently pushing you closer to the sink.

You lean over the sink. You try hard to keep your head up and look at him. But with the way he is hitting every spot inside of you, it’s hard for you to focus right now.

Chris notices the struggle. One of his hands trail from your hip, up your back teasingly. Before he grabs your hair roughly, putting it in a makeshift ponytail.

“Does the pretty girl like getting her hair pulled like a slut?”

The way he tugs on your hair, the way his sharp eyes trail over your body , and then lock on your eyes through the mirror. It’s all so hot to you.

You let out a shaky breath between Moans. “Yes-“ before you can say anything more you feel him tug harder on your hair And his thrusts becoming harsher.

His eyes train back onto your ass And the way it looks when he thrusts into you. The way his cock disappears in your wet cunt. It’s so captivating to watch for him. He could stare at that sight for hours.

“Gorgeous girl wants to get fucked like this?” He questions teasingly. Another harsh slap echos through the bathroom, But it feels so euphoric.

Your eyes close momentarily at the feeling. Before you feel him rub your ass again. Chris tugs on your hair again, to wich you open your eyes.

“Keep your eyes open and watch me fuck you”

Chris’ words are harsh. He is being dead serious. His breaths sharp and his tone laced with lust.

You only let out a mumble to wich he pulls on your hair harsher. And another smack echos through the room. You jolt forward again at the sudden impact, but this time he doesn’t ease the pain away. Instead his pace gets even rougher.

The sound of skin clapping, and the lewd sounds of your soaked cunt are loud, Creating a sinful melody.

“Touch yourself ma.” He huffs out harshly keeping up the pace. Chris keeps his fingers tangled in your hair pulling on it. While his other hand stays firmly on your hip. The harshness at wich he is holding onto you would be enough to leave bruises.

Without thinking you reach one hand down starting to rub your clit furiously, chasing your own high.

“Close” you moan as you keep repeatedly rubbing your clit. And the way Chris’ cock is hitting your cervix only intensifies the feeling.

“Come around me baby” you’ve been pulsing around him all this time. You were already squeezing him so tight. What he wouldn’t give right now to just feel your cunt squeeze him while you come.

So he keeps going. Until you let out a loud whine. You close your legs as best as you could and You clench around Chris harshly.

Chris keeps up pace. His eyes locking to your ass. Watching the way his cock disappears into you over and over. Watching the way the condom he’s wearing is covered in your slik wetness.

What he wouldn’t give to just raw dog it and feel your cum on his bare dick right now. He was tempted to actually just take off the condom to see and feel this without one.

Chris’ thrusts become more messy. But his pace doesn’t let up. Until his hips stutter and he lets out a breathless moan burying himself into you one last time.

His jaw is dropped. He moves his hand from your hip, instead wrapping that arm around your waist, holding you close. He leans over your back keeping himself inside for a moment. Chris burries his face in the crook of your neck. You both breathe heavily at your previous orgasms.

His hand in your hairs loosens. Until he fully lets go. His hand rubbing your scalp since he’d been pulling on it relentlessly.

“Did so good for me ma” he mumbles. His face stays buried in your neck for a moment.

You place your hand back on the sink again, trying to catch your breath and steady yourself.

You’d just fucked a random influencer. Some random player. But, god, was that worth it. No wonder none of his one night stands ever complained. That was fucking amazing.

You just mumble out a quick agreement.

He stands up straight. Gently pulling out as to not hurt you or anything. He takes off the condom.

But while he gets rid of it you don’t even pay attention to him. You look at yourself in the mirror. As much as you want to regret it, you can’t.

You pull your thong back into place and pull your mini dress back down.

You examine your face. Your hair was messy from the pulling, and your make up was only slightly smudged. You’d almost cried while deepthroating him, but you luckily hadn’t. Tho your mascara was still slightly smudged.

You could feel your cunt still ache.

You can see Chris pull up his pants from the corner of the mirror. And then fasten his belt back.

“You okay?” Chris asks his arms wrapping a round you. He looks at you through the mirror . His expression is soft and more caring than you’d expect. Most guys would’ve left by now.

“Mhm.” You mumble watching his expression through the mirror. He narrows his eyes at you.

“Do you regret it?” He asks softly. His tone sweet, like he is talking about something normal.

You purse your lips trying to hold back a smile. The fact that he cared to ask if you regret it or not. Everyone told you he’s a fuck boy, and that is motto is literally ‘hit and quit’. But why was he being nice then?

“No” you speak. And you can’t help the small chuckle that leaves your lips.

He turns you around so you face him. He presses a quick peck on your lips. Before he leans over and grabs a random towel off a rack. He wets it slightly in the sink behind you.

And then he sinks onto his knees in front of you. He looks up at you pulling up your dress again slightly.

“What’re you doing?” You question. a chuckle leaves your lips at the sight of Chris on his knees in front of you.

He leans in leaving a soft kiss on your thigh.

“I’m not letting you walk out with your cum running down your thighs ma.” Chris laughs, he then runs the damp towel over your inner thighs.

He cleans you up enough for you to not feel so sticky anymore. He places your panties back. Then he gets up again. Chris pulls down your dress for you before placing another kiss on your lips.

He throws the towel into some laundry bag carelessly. At your curious gaze he explains. “A friend of mine is throwing this party.” He shrugs.

There is a silence for a second where you two just look at each other. Neither of you say anything. Until you speak up again.

“Do you always wear condoms when you hook up with girls?”

You ask before the words even register in your mind. And once they do a blush creeps over your cheeks.

“Yeah. I won’t wear one next time if you don’t want me too.” He chuckles. “There will be a next time?” You question.

Chris was the type to only hook up with a girl once. He probably didn’t even remember half of their names.

Instead of answering though, he leans in and kisses you. The kiss is slower, not heated like the previous one shad been.

One of your hands moves from his neck to grab his phone out of his back pocket.

You Lean back slightly. You type your number into his phone. Then you hand it back to him.

He grins at the new contact on his screen.

“I’ll see you around pretty boy.”

You smile giving him another kiss on the lips. And this one lingers. You slide out of his grasp opening the bathroom door. he watches with a goofy grin, as you leave.

You leave going straight back into the crowd of drunk influencers. Trying to search for your drunk friends that would be around here somewhere.

You know he’s a player. So you don’t know if he’ll call you. You don’t know if you’re special, and if he treated you different than others. But if it came down to it you’d at least tried.

But,

He’s not into dating.

Materlist

(A/N: I literally wrote this within the span of one day. I feel like this is probably the best thing I've written so far. Hope you enjoyed <33)

‼️please don’t copy my work/idea‼️

Taglist: @muwapsturniolo , @sturnad , @iluvm4ttsturni0l0 , @evie-sturns , @me09love , @fratbrochrisgf , @spideylovin , @chrissgirlsstuff , @ecliphttlunar

[misshoneyimhome]

250 FOLLOWERS FESTIVAL

“I like waking up with you” I Nico Hischier

Summary; While Nico Hischier may struggle with expressing his emotions, leading to occasional frustrations and arguments, a strong relationship can withstand any challenge.

Tropes & warnings; no warnings; strangers to lovers, couples fight; very mild-smut descriptions;

Other notes; so as I finished, I sort of realised that it doesn’t really have much plot - it’s just pure fluff; still hope it’s readable 😅 inspired by the lyrics from ‘PILLOWTALK’ by Zayn Malik 🤍

Word count; 1.7K

➼｡ﾟ

You and Nico fell in love quicker than you ever imagined possible. In a way, it felt as if fate had brought you together on purpose, weaving your lives into a beautiful tapestry of love and passion. It was as simple as the fairy tales you grew up with; from the moment you met him on that crisp autumn evening, you knew your life would change forever. It was love at first sight.

Your love story began at something as simple as a charity event for the New Jersey Devils, right at the start of the hockey season. It was a night filled with glamour and excitement, the room adorned in the team's red, white, and black colours.

You were there as a friend of one of the team’s partners, however, as the event had unfolded, you suddenly found yourself standing alone, without the companion you’d arrived with.

Yet, in a mere moment, lost in thoughts as you gazed into thin air, among the buzzing crowd, your eyes suddenly met Nico Hischier's. His big, brown golden eyes captivated you instantly, sparking a connection you simply couldn't deny.

And to your surprise, Nico confidently made his way through the crowd in your direction, never breaking eye contact. And when he stood before you, his smile was nothing but magnetic.

"Hello," he said, his voice smooth with a hint of a sweet yet rough accent. "I couldn't help but notice you from across the room. Would you mind if I joined you?"

Though his boldness took you aback, there was just something about him that had you drawn in. And before you knew it, you were engrossed in deep conversation, completely oblivious to the world around you.

"I must admit," Nico said with a playful glint in his eyes, "I didn't expect to meet someone as captivating as you at this event."

His words warmed you, causing a blush to rise to your cheeks. "I could say the same about you," you replied with a soft smirk, completely unable to look away from him.

And as the night then progressed, you felt an unexpected strong and deep connection to the Swiss captain, as if you'd known each other for ages. So as the evening slowly drew to a close, you couldn't shake the feeling that this might just be the beginning of something extraordinary.

**

To say the least, you were absolutely right. As the weeks passed and turned into months, your connection with Nico only grew stronger. And before long, despite your initial hesitation, you moved from being just good friends to something definite more.

It was no secret between you, that you’d had concerns, influenced by the idea of dating a professional hockey player with a demanding lifestyle and packed schedule. However, Nico dispelled those worries with his steadfast commitment to you. He didn't just start calling you his girlfriend sooner than expected; he proudly introduced you to everyone as his partner anywhere you went, demonstrating his dedication through every word and deed. In a way, it was quite remarkable how, despite the demands of his career, he always found time for you, placing your relationship above all else.

Because Nico's life as a hockey player did indeed involve frequent travel, rigorous training sessions, and the pressure of performing on the ice. There were nights when he returned home exhausted, his body aching from a challenging game. Yet, even in those moments, he never failed to show you love and appreciation. Whether through a heartfelt text before bed or a lengthy phone call while on the road, he made sure you felt valued and cared for.

And especially one aspect of your relationship that remained constant was the physical connection you shared. The chemistry between you was electric, igniting flames of desire that grew hotter with each passing moment. Your intimate moments together were nothing short of explosive, leaving you both breathless and exhilarated every time.

Incredible sex became a defining feature already in the very beginning of your relationship, the kind that would make the neighbours blush and the walls tremble. But you never paid any attention to the noise complaints or the curious glances from passers-by. In those moments of passion, it was just you and Nico, lost in each other's embrace, consumed by the intensity of your love.

During those intimate moments, you felt the deepest connection with Nico, as the barriers between you dissolved and you revealed your souls to each other in the most vulnerable and intimate way possible. Every time you lay intertwined in the aftermath, your bodies still tingling with pleasure, you were certain that you were in love.

However, naturally, challenges arose along the way. No relationship is without its flaws, including yours. Arguments erupted over missed dates or suddenly cancelled plans, tensions escalating like an impending storm. Yet, as always, Nico had a knack for smoothing over rough patches, turning conflict into connection. With just a smile or a tender gesture, he could transform the atmosphere between you from a war zone into a paradise.

It was a turbulent relationship, to say the least. Nico's ability to express his absolute joy and deep love for you was unmatched, his affection evident in every touch and whispered word. But beneath that outward display of affection lay a layer of resilience and reticence when it came to his concerns and fears.

And it didn't take you long to notice that he tended to bottle up his negative emotions, keeping his worries hidden deep inside. Nico was skilled at putting on a brave face, particularly as the team captain, even when the weight of the world seemed to be bearing down on him. And while you admired his strength and resilience, it also led to frustration and tension between you.

There were times when you wished he would open up, and share his fears and insecurities with you. However, whenever you broached the subject, he would shut down, enveloping himself in silence. In those moments, the distance between you almost felt insurmountable, like an unbridgeable chasm. But, no matter how bad your arguments could be, Nico never let you go to bed angry or sad.

One evening, after a rather heated argument, you sat on the edge of his bed, tension thick between you.

"I'm sorry, y/n," Nico said softly, his voice tinged with regret. "I didn't mean to shut you out like that. Sometimes I just feel the need to be strong for everyone else, and I forget that it's alright to lean on you too."

His words resonated deeply within you, highlighting the complexities of his role both on and off the ice. You reached out, taking his hand and gently squeezing it as you met his gaze.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Nico," you reassured him, your voice gentle yet firm. "I'm here for you, through thick and thin. We're a team, remember?"

And a faint smile slowly grew and played on Nico's lips as he nodded, gratitude shining in his eyes. "I know," he murmured, his voice heavy with emotion. "And I'm thankful for you every day, y/n. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Navigating the highs and lows of your relationship required a delicate balance. Yet, through it all, your love for each other remained unwavering, and you were determined to face the challenges together, hand in hand.

In fact, maintaining this steadfastness was surprisingly simple; Nico never allowed you to even consider the idea of walking away. And truth be told, you had no desire to. Despite the ups and downs, everything between you felt pure, raw, and intensely passionate.

**

The past year had been nothing but a whirlwind for both of you, with highs of victories and lows of defeats. Throughout it all, you had been each other's support, standing strong through thick and thin. And with the off-season offering a brief break from the hockey season's demands, you cherished every moment spent together, aware that Nico would soon be back on the ice, fully engrossed in the game.

Then as the autumn leaves then began to change, marking the start of a new season, Nico's excitement was beyond palpable. He simply couldn't contain his joy at the prospect of another year filled with his beloved sport and the woman who had captivated his heart.

And as you lay together in the gentle morning light, Nico's words enveloped you like a warm embrace, filling you with love and affection. His vulnerability caught you off guard, as his declaration of love lifted your spirits.

"I like waking up with you," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion, echoing the sentiment you had shared countless times before.

Your heart fluttered at his words, warmth flooding through you at the depth of his affection. You gently reached out, brushing your fingers against his stubbled jaw as you spoke softly, a smile gracing your lips.

“I like waking up with you too…” you murmured, your voice filled with tenderness.

But it was evident there was more on his mind. "I can’t believe I have you in my life... I love you, y/n…" Nico's voice quivered with emotion, his gaze locked on yours as if seeking reassurance.

And you couldn’t deny the way your heart swelled with love for him, mirrored in the depths of his gaze. "Nico," you whispered, reaching out to stroke his hair, "I love you too, more than words can express."

The moment hung heavy with emotion and possibility. Then, with a surge of determination, Nico voiced the question he'd been pondering for a while.

"Move in with me, y/n," he implored, hope and longing evident in his eyes. "Please. I want us to wake up together every day, fall asleep in each other's arms. Will you move in with me?"

And you couldn’t help but let a tear slowly well in your eye at the sincerity of his request, overwhelmed with love for the man before you. So without hesitation, you simply enveloped him in your arms, whispering your answer in his ear.

"Yes, Nico," you choked out, your voice thick with emotion, "Of course I'll move in with you.”

As you held each other in the gentle dawn light, surrounded by the promise of a new beginning, you knew this was just the beginning of a beautiful chapter in your love story. With Nico by your side, you felt ready to face whatever the future held, confident that together, you could overcome anything.

[theresattrpgforthat]

There's an RPG that I just can't find. It's so simple, and yet? It's a one page fantasy RPG, "like" D&D but with much simplified rules. It's called something like Wizards and Sticks, or... Swords and Spells. Or something I don't know. But despite my best efforts, it's just beyond the boundaries of the map. Do you have any idea what it could have been?

Theme: One-Page Fantasy Games

Hello there! I found a *lot* of one-page fantasy games, and I honestly don't know if any of these are what you're looking for. One-page games are great for designers looking to put their feet in the water, and fantasy is definitely one of the most popular genres to play in, by far.

There's also a good amount of Lasers & Feelings hacks, which I'm not surprised by, since the basic rules are easy to pick up, and easy to hack. For the unaware, Lasers & Feelings is a rule-set that gives you two stats, and a single number that defines your proficiency in both. Roll high for one, roll low for the other, and roll it exactly for something special - and that's the core conceit!

Sovereign Shield, by Groovy Dad Games.

SOVEREIGN SHIELD is a tabletop role-playing game set in the grim fantasy world of Avren-Yara, also known as the Sundered Realms. Most of the action takes place within the last bastion of humankind, the great Western Imperium.

The Sovereign Shield is an order of secret agents in service to the High King of Nach Vadryn, the largest city-state in the Imperium. As agents of the Shield, players will undertake clandestine missions on behalf of the High King such as conducting espionage against powerful Guilds and other city-states of the Imperium, as well as investigating strange phenomena and threats that plague the peoples of the realm.

Par for the course for a single-page game, Sovereign Shield has simple stats, some basic rules on Tests, and a player resource called Luck that can be spent for re-rolls. On top of that however, it has an extensive item list, as well as a section for magic & gadgets, giving the players a lot to work with. With a double-sided page format, one page is dedicated to players, while the other is for GM's including some advice on how to run games, a few enemies to pit against your players, and even a first mission to get the ball rolling. It also draws from GUMSHOE in terms of how it handles clues, which might be handy if you decide you like this style of play. (GUMSHOE games assume that clues are too valuable to be hidden behind a chance roll.)

Sovereign Shield appears to be a one-page quick introduction to two other games made by the same designer, Through the Borderlands and Wardens of the Sundered Realms, which provide more lore and tools to play with. This is a very deliberate and thought-out piece of work that gives you a quick introduction to what could be a very complex and in-depth world if you decide to keep the game going.

Dungeon, by Jamzilla.

Dungeon is a one-page table game for one Narrator and at least one Adventurer. Venture into the depths of the Dungeon and face off against the Dungeon Lord!

All you need to play is a coin, at least one friend, a twenty-sided die and a ten-sided die.

What I love about Dungeon is the roll-tables. It has four roll tables for the GM to mine inspiration from: Denizens, Curiosities, Happenings, and Treasures. Each item on the list is a wonderful little starting point to create unique locations and charming NPCs to dazzle your players with.

The rules of the game are very very simple: player simply flip a coin and heads equals success. No stats, no weapons, no modifiers. If you want something more than these simple rules, you could probably take the roll-tables from Dungeon and use them to help generate encounters for another game on this list!

Song & Sword, by Vivanter.

Song & Sword is a 1-page, rules-lite, fantasy adventure game inspired by The Legend of Zelda and its myriad successors. It’s also a hack of John Harper’s Lasers & Feelings. Players take on the role of bold adventurers, attempting to save the land by collecting artifacts of legends and battling the forces of the Adversary.

Another Lasers & Feelings hack, this is a game for the Zelda lovers at the table. You use an ad-libs style of legend creation together, developing a universally known legend for each player to pull from as they dive into the game. Characters have a health system represented by Hearts, which can be lost when you take harm or embarrass yourself.

When it comes to what you do in the game, there's only rules for generating one large villain that the party must defeat. This game feels like it's focused primarily on the ultimate confrontation, and not the smaller fights that your characters might be expected to get into on their way to the big boss. The game also mostly focuses on what the players need to know - there's little to no help for the GM. I'd recommend Song & Sword for a group with a GM who isn't afraid to improvise - or perhaps for a GM who doesn't mind pulling inspiration from somewhere else.

Sword Poem RPG, by ahcoffeebeans

there is a sword. a cursed sword. it has been around for as long as the earth has known life, or perhaps it only pushed its way out into existence the first time you picked it up. either way, the sword will kill you. and then it will wait, for the next person to arrive. forever

SWORD POEM RPG is a gm-less one-page rpg about a very cursed sword and the people who pick it up. You play as the cursed sword, experiencing the lives of the people you ruin from the moment they pick you up to the moment they self-destruct. This is a game for one to seven people.

I don't believe this is anywhere close to what you're looking for, but there's a lot of 1-page games out there and they are easy to read, so I felt like throwing it in anyway. Plus Sword Poem is very pretty, and only requires d6's to play. The game is focused on story first and foremost, following a tragedy where a single cursed sword warps everyone who wields it. It's GM-less, meaning that everyone at the table will get a chance to decide what their leg of the story will look like.

Sword Poem definitely needs a group that is happy to pull from a deep well of creativity, and it's also a game that needs the group to decide when the story has reached it's end. If you want a game that feels like a game, and not a storytelling exercise, you might want to skip this one.

Age of Adventure, by Ageofadventurerpg.

Age of Adventure RPG (Version 10.5) is a one-page rules-light old-school heroic fantasy tabletop roleplaying game inspired by John Harper's Lasers and Feelings. d6 system

Welcome adventurer – to an exciting world of monsters, mayhem and magic. All you need are some 6-sided dice and your imagination.

For a Lasers & Feelings game, Age of Adventure carries a lot of information. There is no space wasted on this one-page game. Despite the fact that it shares the same base rule-set as a number of other games I found, it feels very traditional in genre and tone: high fantasy, encounters, proficiency checks, spell-lists, and a characterization of characters that isn't exactly race or class-based, but feels very similar.

Dungeon Vermin, by BooCherry.

DUNGEON VERMIN!! is a one-page micro-RPG about the dregs of the dungeon going on missions for their Dark Master.

Play as skeletons, goblins, gremlins, kobolds, and other weaklings as you bodily hurl yourself towards certain death. Your foes will fall under your sheer numbers as you die, die again in pursuit of what you're pretty sure is a worthy cause.

This is an option for folks who like the monsters in fantasy games more than the heroes. Your characters have a d6 dice pool that they'll need to leverage in order to roll above their EXP, which stands for their Expiration Point. If you fail - you die!

I expect this to be a game that you careen into and and play fast and loose. Expect death, especially gruesome over-the-top death, and expect to roll up a new character fairly easily - at least, that's what I assume, given that it's a one-page game.

By String and Song, by EfanGamez.

Your words are stone, and your songs are steel…

Introducing By String and Song, a one-page bard-only tabletop roleplaying game! Create a character in under 2 minutes and begin an adventure!

Being one page and by utilizing a simple d20-only system, this game can be enjoyed by both TTRPG vets and newbies alike!

Since the game revolves around a d20, it will likely provide a similar vibe as D&D in terms of kinetic play. That being said, it strips away classes, and gives your characters just 4 stats to worry about: Boldness, Bulk, Brains & Brawn. Combat is expected, with a list of six different kinds of monsters to get your DM started, as well as a short list of spells available to beginning characters. By String and Song might be an easy pick-up game for a short run of 1-3 sessions, but I'm not sure if it works for a year-long campaign.

Dragons & Dungeons, by Little Lab.

You are a group of adventurers returning from a long journey, finally setting foot again in the town of your departure at a great festival, and just now you are at the counter of the inn where you first met. You are celebrating with the treasures you have recovered in your quest when a messenger arrives with this letter. It is signed by an old ally of yours asking you to save the kingdom again in one last great adventure. What do you do?"

A Lasers & Feelings game, Dragons & Dungeons has a very similar feeling as D&D, which makes sense, considering the way it brands itself. Designed to be printed on a piece of paper that folds out into an envelope/brochure format, Dragons & Dungeons has a really lovely presentation, which can make it a fun thing to print out and hand around a table. Additionally, unique to this version of a one-page fantasy game, you can spend a resource called Inspiration to use special powers, such as getting special information from the DM, rolling an extra dice, or saving an ally from certain death.

Realm Warriors, by Trollish Delver Games.

Welcome to REALM WARRIORS, a one-page fantasy TTRPG inspired by games like The Fantasy Trip.

Players take on the role of Champions of the gods, chosen to destroy the Dark Magus himself.

This is another game that is no-nonsense when it comes to laying out the rules. Everything on the page is devoted to telling you how the game works - and the game feels like it pulls a lot of inspiration from the OSR. Similar to D&D, your champion will have modifications to their core stats based on the class you choose, as well as some basic equipment. There's specific rules for wounds, sleeping, and travel, which are some things that the OSR often cares about, and your Experience is determined by the length of the adventure you go out on. The bulk of the GM advice provided in this game is mostly how to run enemies, as well as a list of typical creatures to send up against your characters. All in all, fairly standard when it comes to one-page fantasy.

Also Consider…

First Fantasy, by Mars Strocks.

Wolves & Spices, by A.Tian.

Dawnfire Warriors, by matara.

Magic & Might, by The_Bellmont.

If you like what I do and want to leave a tip, you can check out my Ko-Fi!

[lambergeier]

2024 book post

this was simply not much of a reading year! middling start, uneven from month to month, slight revival during mine and emma's scotland trip in august, and then a HARD stop after which i gave up even trying and comics took over in full. the comics will be a separate post lol. recs in bold! except if they're from my vonnegut streak at the start of the year, in which case it would be ridiculous to attempt to recommend or not-recommend individual vonnegut books. it's vonnegut. you know what's up.

JANUARY

Sirens of Titan - Vonnegut (i loved pieces of this book in high school and didn't understand the rest of it and picked it up again to see if maybe a second attempt would assist. really funny bc as it turns out the pieces i didn't understand were like 80% of the book. catie age 15 knew this book was good but didn't know ANYTHING else that was going on. really good and funny and sad--shocking, it's vonnegut. inspired me to start reading the rest of his stuff in publication order)

The Book of all Books - Roberto Calasso (book length of cultural criticism on the subject of the bible, almost wholly the old testament, by a man I had not previously heard of but was apparently a monumental figure in european literary criticism prior to his recent death. as a cultural christian who was raised with truly 0 contact with christian faith at any point, this was a fascinating way to learn about some of the actual events of the old testament--as described by an incredibly impassioned old italian man, and with a whole chapter dedicated, suddenly, to freud. i skipped the freud chapter, but the rest of the book was intensely interesting and, huge credit to both calasso and his translator, beautiful. check that opening paragraph. also made for some engrossing conversations with my beautiful jewish wife who did have some religious education growing up and was extremely helpful in laying out what was more mainstream thought on david and solomon and what was mr. calasso getting On some Shit.)

Player Piano - Vonnegut (vonnegut's first book. good, even great at times, but lightly overwritten by normal standards and incredibly overwritten by what would become his own standards. the leap from this to sirens, his second book, is astonishing. NEVER stop writing, at ANY time you could go from writing perfectly interesting spec fic to producing some of the greatest american fiction of the century. also very interesting to read as a book about automation now, in the time of Newer automation. i think possibly nothing ever changes!)

Mother Night - Vonnegut (i really should have taken more notes at the time lmao. emma says i thought this one fucked. that feels correct. discussion of ww2 and the holocaust and the consequences of both are so eminently more valuable when written by people who lived through them, shocker. and, again, when those people were some of the most observant writers of their generation lmao. the israeli contempt for holocaust survivors that became obvious to me, christian american lady, only within the last year or two, is front in center in the mother night frame story. kinda want to read this again right now. what can individual guilt and responsibility even mean in the fact of all that death?)

Cat's Cradle - Vonnegut (REALLY should have taken more notes!! emma says i didn't vibe with this one. i believe her, but would love to remember why. i read cat's cradle in high school as well, but apparently it didn't click this time. who knows!!! not me, the dummy who doesn't write things down!!!)

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater - Vonnegut (this one washed over me a bit. vivid memories of senator rosewater decrying deodorant as a liberal feminine luxury propagated by those fairies on madison ave, which was sooooooooo fucking interesting to me. bro sometimes the past just LEAPS out at you when you least expect it. this was probably also a masterpiece, i should read it again.)

Slaughterhouse-Five - Vonnegut (exactly as good as it always is. i should also read this again. idk i really should have taken more notes because i think i would have had more things to say, but once again all i really remember is the emotion, which is: man! the children's crusade!)

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity - David Graeber and David Wengrow (OKAY GREAT NOT TALKING ABOUT VONNEGUT ANYMORE SO I CAN GET REAL. I LOOOOOOOOVED THIS BOOK. I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK FOOOOOOOR REAL. this is graeber and wengrow over and over again taking the wildest most cherry-picked possible interpretation of the archaeological evidence and being like okay so this is what this pre-history civilization could have been like. and you're like okay well hold up guys. and then they prove that the traditional, mainstream conception of these civilizations is EQUALLY wild and cherry-picked, so why the fuck shouldn't we consider their thing! if we're doing cherry picking! and it fully just opened my third eye re: other/non-western/non-modern-western modes of society building and i love it. i was already uninterested in books that conceive of Society and Nature as deeply opposed forces that can never mix without one or the other being destroyed, and this book really put the nail in the coffin. there are so many other ways to live. people did them. people still do them. it's time to incorporate SEASONALITY into our PARADIGMS!!! anyways please read this book.)

FEBRUARY

American Midnight - Adam Hochschild (emma talks about this one as well, she recommended it to me, but just a fantastic history of american democracy under wilson/during and after ww1. spoiler: it was weak, threatened, and overall bad. fuck wilson and fuck teddy roosevelt fr! i listened on audiobook, but still what i would call a very readable style by a very smart guy.)

MARCH

We Both Laughed in Pleasure - Lou Sullivan (a birthday gift from @brella that i really loved but that i think was still a bit too repetitive in the middle for me to recommend to all comers lol. the collected and abridged diaries of lou sullivan, a trans man originally from the midwest and living in san francisco in the 80s and early 90s (he was killed by AIDS in '91), who was a trailblazing community organizer mostly, by his own admission, because he was a guy who was willing to organize zines and meetings and etc for other trans men before anyone else thought to. the repetitiveness is the fault of the diaries' curators imho--they focused primarily on pulling the passages that focused on sullivan's trans and gay identity and his experience with his own sexuality which was, don't get me wrong, hugely fascinating, but also this guy had a lot of sex and wrote a LOT about it, so eventually it was like. well i think i've read about this particular sexual partner of yours for a few pages now, maybe we could get something else going on? still really loved it. the opening passages, from when sullivan was like 13, focus on his intense, intensely fannish love for the beatles. the paul mccartney do-be problem: it never goes out of style!!)

APRIL

The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

The Tyrant Baru Cormorant - still dickinson, yeah (traitor i read in college, monster i read when it came out, tyrant i BOUGHT when it came out but never read, and so when we went out of town in april for passover i was like fuck it. i'm finally reading tyrant. ALAS: it's not that good. traitor is good on a functional level if not the most compelling: gets through its story with limited uneven-ness, characters are barebones but interesting, story itself is interesting, etc. monster is my favorite: nuts, deeply compelling, but not necessarily good. the plot's a bit of a mess but every character leaps off the page--not just baru, but ever side character introduced as little more than a name in traitor is suddenly vivid, breathing, sexy, homosexual, and deranged. srivakir you will ALWAYS be famous. tyrant, unfortunately, is deranged but so so too long. plot throughline is muddled, action is jumpy and erratic, characters are still great but just can't overcome the lumpen nature of the story. i'll still read the last book, but i'm not surprised tyrant took dickinson so long, nor that the fourth book has been so long in coming. svirakir and your lover and your non-sexual throuple and your child and your lightning madness fr call me when you are free tho.) (WAIT ALSO EVERYONE WHO ACCUSED TRAITOR OF HOMOPHOBIA FOR BEING KILL-YOUR-GAYS WAS FOR SURE A HATER THO. EVERYONE WHO THOUGHT THAT CRITICISM WAS WRONG HAVE BEEN PROVED VALID AS HELL. TOXIC YURI STAY WINNING!!!)

The Spear Cuts Through Water - Simon Jimenez (refreshing in that it believed very badly that prose should be beautiful, but i do not think the prose was actually beautiful. huge huge points for trying. pacing in the first half actively bored me, second half picked up, and the metanarrative twist at the end got me good. i don't recommend it recommend it, but i do recommend it on the basis that jimenez should for sure get credit for trying)

Solitaire - Kelly Erskine (read this bc my wife mentioned it and it was like, really funny. good, but then not good? intensely interesting, but then went somewhere else entirely that was like super normie and boring? sci fi written by queer women who really fully believe in the uplifting power of corporatism and MBTI specifically. three short stories mashed together than only vaguely have any relationship to each other. still had a good time.)

MAY

The Saint of Bright Doors - Vajra Chandrasekera (loved this loved this loved this. there IS good debut genre fiction out there. we just have to believe!!!)

JUNE - nope

JULY

Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America - Adam Nagourney and Dudley Clendinen (political history of the american gay rights movement pre-AIDS. had some fascinating insights into the history of lesbian separatism/animosity towards the mainstream gay rights movement (turns out, in the 60s and 70s, between the male-dominated gay rights movement and the mostly-straight feminist movement, one of those things was offering more personhood to lesbians than the other!), and how the gay rights movement failed to respond to AIDS when the first warning signs started to appear. that was crazy. having moved in gay political circles myself, one can really see why everyone did what they did, and it sucks, because it resulted in a lot of death. recommend if political history is an existing area of interest, it wasn't a standout (like last year's Coming Out Under Fire) otherwise.)

Night Theater - Vikram Paralkar (really good, honestly not as depressing as i thought it would be. but only because emma tricked me thinking it would be even worse!)

AUGUST

Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall - Alexandra Lange (cultural history of american malls. interesting, but towards couldn't decide whether it was history or cultural criticism or architectural criticism or what. happens all the time. made me think more kindly towards malls as community spaces at least, and the short history of pre-mall shopping and the social forces that led to the creation of urban malls/department stores in 1800s france (including, among other things, paved streets!) was really interesting.)

The Future - Naomi Alderman (wanted to be a cure for tech-poisoned futures, but was itself still too tech-poisoned in its understandings of power/individualism. oh well!)

The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Books 1-3 - Jonathan Stroud (posted about these more extensively at the time--adored them in middle school, read them again for the first time as an adult. still so good. of middling quality all the way up until the end, at which point you are struck dead by god. emma can confirm. got struck dead by god on the train between glasgow and edinburgh. i was there.)

Call for the Dead - John Le Carre

Murder of Quality - John Le Carre

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - John Le Carre (first three books in what was intended to be a much longer le carre read, and which i should really get back to. call for the dead is a debut, murder of quality is a rightly abandoned attempt to go the classic murder-mystery route, and then spy who came from the cold in is, much like described above, a sudden psychic assault by god. brutal fucking spy fiction, and the only kind of spy fiction worth reading, as in so cynical as to be basically suicidal. spies have never solved a problem they didn't create themselves and perpetuate by means of, at minimum, five innocent lives. NEED to read our game. love and kisses to mr le carre!!)

Martyr! - Kaveh Akbar (love is REAL and so is POETRY and is so fucking your GAY ROOMMATE! very very lovely.)

SEPTEMBER - also nope

OCTOBER

Long Live Evil - Sarah Rees Brennan (svsss retelling meets fe3h character dynamics, fumbles the best elements of both, creates a great premise (brennan grappling very publicly with her own near-death to cancer is the best part of the book and makes for a great framework for an isekai protagonist) but the execution can't keep up with the ideas. alas! not the best book to finish out the year on, but what can you do. at least i read something!)

and that's the end of books for the year!!! 29 total (one not listed here), so a low since 2021, when i only started reading again in like august of that year following a cool post-depressive episode no-reading-spell that lasted several times longer than the actual depressive episode did lol. i have not recently been depressed so i think the dry periods this year were simply dry periods. and, especially the comics started happening, it's not like i've been lacking things to spend brain power on. now those things are just american superhero comics! which is a whoopsie! even a whoopsie-doodle! but i've got a tbr pile as tall as my hip so hopefully i circle back to real books at some point next year. and if i don't, i don't!

[firefly--bright]

the drywall confessions.

jean kirstein x fem!reader , modern a.u

summary ; making a home out of the walls that surround you was easy when it was the two of you.

warnings ; none! what a shocker

a/n : something short and sweet! im still in the process of writing d2d and masquerade hehe. summer break just started so it might take just a little more time :3 inspired by this reel i saw on instagram. also requests are now open since i'll have more time to write!!

taglist ; @holding-infinity-and-a-book , @mrsnobodynobody , @hopeless-anti-romantic , @jeancremebrulee , @berrijam , @happxme , @cherrypieyourface , @imgayandshesanime , @moonmalice , @kivernova , @potaho3frog , @xakilicious , @katestrophes .

masterlist is in pinned post! ✿ join my taglist ✿ requests are open! ✿ songs to listen to while reading !

If walls could talk, they’d sing praises of your love.

the dark brown scuff against the right wall of the living room that was left when you and jean tried to move the couch by yourself was all but proof of that moment. He almost stubbed his toe, and you almost tripped over the carpet, but after the couch found it’s new home only a tad bit to the left from where it was before, the two of you heaved a breath as you reaped the rewards of your hard work on the couch, wiping the sweat off of your forehead. Jean grumbled about how it didn’t really make a difference. You had a ready answer on your tongue; pointing to the now one inch of extra space – “look at all this free space we have!” with a sarcastic grin on your face. Jean took one glance at you and knew he had to laugh, if only a little, if only to please you, if only because he loved you.

if walls could talk, they’d tell jean about how much you missed him while he was gone.

The business trip wasn’t even that long, only about two weeks, and it wasn’t even the longest the two of you had gone without each other, but it was enough for you to notice his absence after your move into the apartment together. The walls watched softly, reflecting the sunlight off of themselves, as you accidentally pulled out two mugs instead of just yours – your see-through, glass mug with small hand drawn flowers on it with a thin crack along it’s base that you were only mildly concerned about and his usual mug that said, in big bold letters, “NUMBER 1 COUGAR”. the walls noticed how often your eyes strayed away to the screen of your phone, hoping every time that it would be his message lighting up your screen. And later at night, when everything was dark and he finally did, the walls observed, that you eagerly picked up and talked and listened and talked until the only thing they heard was your small snores. The phone call ended three hours after you had slept, they’d note.

If the walls could talk, they’d whisper critiques about your decoration choices.

It didn’t make sense, really. Everything on the shelves was eclectic and without any structure. The bookshelf was really just a name of what it was supposed to be, but held objects that were far more precious than pages. Jean’s hereditary vinyls that he’d unapologetically stolen from his childhood home along with the record player, small plants that each had their own names, pictures from photobooths that you had taken throughout the years – some with just the two of you, some with your friends, some with you and your cat. lamps with warmly lit bulbs in them of varying heights and colours, collecting a small but unseen amount of dust on their bases simply because “jean. This looks exactly like the lamp that crushed pixar’s 'i'” “why are we supporting an abuser, then?” and “this one looks like a mushroom!” “babe, we have so many lamps already-“ “jean, this one is a mushroom.” They were good lighting for your old and new artworks, some of them messily made but with more than enough personality for the walls to be able to speak through them. And if they could speak, they’d tell you about all the sketches of you they’d see jean draw but never show; all his loving being silent but all-consuming.

And the walls would scold you for ruining their perfectly white canvas into something better-worse.

Jean agreed that maybe the smudges could be fixed by painting over the whole damn wall. “im getting sick of this white.” “that’s very racist.” followed by a scoff from the former, as he opened the pinterest browser on his laptop, asking you to shift closer to him to get a better view at his screen. Not because he thought your warmth was mandatory for him to function, of course not.

The walls would retell how scared they were when jean got those small pots of paint, you sat in your most worn-down and ruined pair of pyjamas infront of the white wall that currently had too many stains for it to go unnoticed. Jean opened the can with a butterknife with a, “dude, couldn’t you have gotten, like, a popsickle stick?” “a whole pack of fifty for one paint can?” “we could’ve made popsickles.” “uh huh. You just want an excuse for something sweet.” to which you only smiled ear to ear and jean wondered if you knew that he didn’t need something sweet as long as you were infront of him.

The painting job inevitably failed. Two sort-of artists that thought it was something they could accomplish ended up with a wall of mismatched paint and aching shoulders and stained fingers. You called it a night with pizza and washed hands, jean cradled calcifer – your adorable but petty cat – in his arms like a spoiled baby and placed several kisses on his furry forehead as you sat down with plates in your hand. jean joined you on the ground, letting the furball run free across the apartment before resting his head on your thigh.

The walls would have notes of what not to do while repainting them as one of those two sort-of artists waited for her beloved to leave the house the next day and once again, sat down and drew a small heart with the residual pastel paint left in the pot, a small and satisfied smile on her face even if it was only for a small mark.

The day after the next, when she took the paint, her fingers itching to claim the walls as theirs again – she found three small stars around the heart that she did not remember drawing. Smiling, you put down your signature flower and leaf combo before closing everything back up and waiting for the vandalism wars to begin.

By the time the walls could recall how jean proposed to you, the bottom of the bedroom wall that was conveniently covered up by the bed held countless doodles. Some of them were smaller, cuter versions of the two of you with big eyes and small bodies holding hands, some of them were far more detailed version of them – just their faces with their eyes looking at the other -  despite their small size. The most remarkable ones, however, were your initials written on the wall. Bottom corner of the bedroom wall were the initials of the people that loved the most while residing in their walls that could only be seen if anyone was actively looking for them, seeking them out.

 If the walls could talk, they would talk about you and jean.

Despite the bustling and distracting city outside, jean’s vinyls played their safe melodies as you pulled out two mugs from the cabinet in the kitchen, jean’s arms wrapped around your back as you prepared coffee for the pair of you in your respective mugs. Jean would hold back a small grin at the mug that was now his signature – the one that you gifted him when you were only friends and just getting to know each other, the one that made him know that he’d want you in his life for far longer. The walls would sing the songs of jean’s record player as you sat near the coffee table in your living room and typed away on your laptop, calcifer snoring peacefully on his father’s lap, the latter with his own laptop infront of him. The walls would tell you how much he loved you because he would look at you so often they wondered if he ever got sick of the view – but they didn’t. the walls didn’t talk because they knew you knew. They could tell you accounted all his actions and return them tenfold, in your own silent but all-consuming ways.

If the walls could talk, they wouldn’t want to because you slept on his shoulder after coming home late from work and finding him on the couch with his eyes closed. They wouldn’t talk because they’d see you wrap a blanket around his shoulders before snuggling up next to him – gently, softly, so as to not wake him up.

If the walls could talk, they’d say nothing because everything was already said and known.

If the walls could talk, they wouldn’t have to.

[darkfictionjude]

Hi, how do you do?

(Etymology nonnie here! Although I'm a nonnie no more. I just missed writing it. Also, I've not said anything about etymology in so long I'm sure there are people who don't know why I'm called that, haha)

So, I've said already I'm writing my own IF. Which it hs taken me a long time, longer than I had expected (I'll never match your pace, of that I'm sure). Nevertheless, I've been planning, outlining and writing stuff in the meanwhile.

As I've done so, I couldn't help but think about romance systems. While IFs often do have some similarities in this regard, there are enough differences to say it's not obvious what to do with it.

The most common way of handling romance, as far as I've seen, is letting the player choose between a specific number of flirt options. Most often, a dichotomy between shy and bold flirting. Although some games may add more, or use different categories.

WWC uses also a dichotomy, that I think it's very interesting and one I want to copy very bad (I won't, but it seems such a fun thing to write and experiment with). Since instead of having shy/bold options, as most games do, instead it has amicable and antagonistic flirting options. Which completely change how romance works based on the RO chosen. If anything, one could argue WWC has 6 romance routes, not 3. This I think is one of the biggest appeals and strengths of the game. Not only because it feels unique (although it does remind me of Dragon Age 2, but refined in a way that fits an IF much better than just taking the DA2 relationship system and putting into your game), but it makes a lot of sense. Given Crowny having such a strong characterization, as well as the ROs having both interesting conflicts and motivations for each possible romance route, the system allows the exploration of both Crowny and the RO in a way that is not just interesting, but also deep and well done. I doubt having the standard shy/bold dichotomy would work.

So much so, I'm wondering how you came up with it. I'm almost sure you've answered that already, although it probably is a very old ask at this point. I'm also curious if you thought about implementing this system in your other IFs, or if you found some difficulty at doing so?

I ask because I did considered taking some inspiration from the WWC romance system, since I really do think it's brilliant. But soon I came to the realization that for my particular WIP, it wouldn't work. Two of the RO's I'm writing simply would refuse to have a romantic relationship if I went with an equivalent of an antagonist romance route (for what I consider good reasons, and quite different for the two). And I can't have a system only working for 2 RO's, while other the other two (as I'm considering 4 in total) only have one variant of the flirting. I could go with 2 different dichotomies for each RO, but I'm already regretting putting that idea in my head, lol.

It also became obvious, thinking about it, that not all IFs would benefit from having the WWC romance system. IFs with MCs that are blank slates simply would clash with it. They are not defined enough to properly establish rivalries, or have strong and complex oppositions than a more defined MC would have. Furthermore, some RO's simply wouldn't work with either. Some may not be attracted to someone who tries to befriend them or is overall amicable (wanting to be challenged, not realizing it's flirting, not believing the niceness is real, etc.); while other ROs may simply not want to be with someone who antagonizes them, from a myriad of reasons: ego, trauma, desinterest, or simply thinking the antagonistic attraction is plain hatred, and then never take the issue with more consideration.

Then again, it may depend on how you write it. One could argue Lorcan may not want to have a romance with Crowny at all, yet I do think his characterization, as well as the dynamic he already sustains with Crowny, do allow for the flirting dichotomy to work very well.

Regardless of that, is not the only system I thought about. I also reflected upon how Fallen Hero handles romance. And what's interesting is that Fallen Hero often doesn't have a clear dichotomy, nor a fixed amount of flirt options. Most often, the romance routes are just one, but what differs is how Sidestep (or Sidestep inside the Puppet) feel about the character/relationship/moment. Which is consistent with the tendency Fallen Hero has of making the player choosing the whys or hows instead of the whats. That is to say, Fallen Hero is often more about choosing why and how Sidestep does, for example, attack the Museum, and not about what actions you are going to take (you don't get a choice when it comes to attack the Museum or to attack a bank, you only can only attack the Museum).

And while I think such an approach may work better for my own WIP (and it's probably what I'll do), I cannot help myself from coming up with a system similar to the one you use in WWC. In part because I really do like having such clear distinct flavours when it comes to romance an RO. I did came up with some ideas, but they feel really close to either what you did, or to the shy/bold dichotomy (but being something more akin to teasing/sincere more than anything). Which could work, perhaps, yet it does not convince me entirely.

Then again, I've seen other writers have some ideas in this regard. I saw someone posting about a very complex system that took into acount the friendship (enemy-neutral-friend), the amount of flirting and the chemistry. It was really interesting, but I wouldn't know how to tackle such a thing.

That said, I do think I found out how to make a jealousy system that I quite enjoy. I just find it funny that I have that more or less ready, but I'm struggling when it comes to the actual romance. Haha.

Anyhow, I think I'll reiterate some questions I had earlier:

1. How did you came up with the system? I ask, because I think learning about how you came up with it may help me elucidate what I would like to do.

2. Do you plan to use it in your other projects? Maybe change it/adjust it a little bit based on what each project is like? Something akin what From software does with Dark Souls (each game uses the same base combat system, but there are some changes in each entry that keep the combat, or the gameplay as a whole, fresh)?

Have a nice day!

Hello, love the in depth on this one

1. So even before I planned out the romance I knew that I didn’t want shy/bold options because that’s too broad for me. A shy person can be kind or mean, a bold person can be too. It was too limiting for me cause it’s like from one extreme to another. So I sat down one night and tried to see two opposites and the boundaries I could cross with them. It also allowed the same romance flavour to appear differently based on the relationship. An antagonistic crowny with Imre isn’t the same with Lorcan. It also fit the love-hate these characters have for one another

2. I am. But each RO will likely have two options but they will be called something else. For example Dante could have a reserved or an angry romance while Carmen could have a petty or charming romance. Each one tailored to what they would specifically respond to

I hope you find the romance system for you ☺️

[acquired-stardust]

Game Spotlight #13: Nioh 2: Complete Edition (2020)

Acquired Stardust's first game spotlight of the new year is here! Come along with Ash on a long look into one of the greatest games of the past generation and a little bit of a look into where its influences, and even its overall genre, lie.

As previously discussed, I think Nioh is a title that lives and dies by its comparisons to Dark Souls. Director Fumihiko Yasuda has been transparent in his admission that Nioh was inspired by Dark Souls, and the influence is clear. As a matter of fact I don't think it's a stretch to say that after a decade in development hell it's likely due to the success of Dark Souls that Nioh was able to see the light of day in the first place. Team Ninja cleverly designed the opening hours of Nioh 1 to appeal to fans of the smash hit Souls series with eerie, tense enemy introductions and a slow combat system that eventually gives way to a deep and fast action game by the time the opening hours of the game are up, at which point players coming to Nioh simply for more Dark Souls are lead to one of two conclusions: either 'this isn't Dark Souls and that sucks' or 'this isn't Dark Souls and that's awesome'.

The slow burn of Nioh revealing its identity to the player as not just a mere Soulslike, instead an unmistakable fusion of Blizzard's Diablo and Team Ninja's own previous success Ninja Gaiden, is a satisfying one. Seeing a game go from standing in the shadow of another massive success to one with its own impressive vision and execution all in a single game, within the space of just a few hours, was one of the coolest experiences I've had with a game. It's my pleasure to report that Nioh 2 doubles down on everything that made the first game special, and represents an official divergence from the label of Soulslike into a little-discussed larger genre known as 'masocore'.

"Masocore" is a large umbrella, a broad style of game and design philosophy, with titles that span a variety of genres from precision platformers to action games and everything in between. And while you may not have heard the term before it's not a new phenomenon per se as you're likely more familiar with the saying 'Nintendo hard' that hearkens back to the era of the Nintendo Entertainment System when games were often cryptic and overly punishing in their designs. It is the goal of masocore games to deliver those sorts of punishing and oppressive experiences to players so that the eventual triumph feels all the sweeter. Not every developer has the vision and expertise to deliver on the promise of the genre - not so with Nioh which saw an incredible utilization of the nature of masocore titles to effectively communicate not just its brutal setting but provide a deep sense of immersion to its gameplay. While many developers simply wear the masocore aesthetic as a gimmick, Team Ninja utilized it expertly in the original Nioh title and continues to do so in its sequel.

It's also important to note that while you may not have heard of the masocore term, Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda most certainly has and while he has freely admitted the influence Dark Souls had on his project he's never actually called the games Soulslikes - he instead refers to them himself as masocore titles. The label of 'Soulslikes' was inevitably but perhaps unfairly attached to Nioh from the start, but is certainly unwarranted for Nioh 2 which represents a bold step forward in both vision and execution for a series that already shined bright in these areas and a complete divergence from any attempt to bridge the gap between fans of Dark Souls and Nioh, proudly wearing its vision on its sleeve from the start.

Featuring every single mechanic from Nioh 1, an already staggering number of ways to interact with a game of surprising and impressive length, Nioh 2 does indeed double down on all of them. On top of every weapon type from the previous title returning with new and reworked abilities as well as three stances (each with their own movesets attached to them), Nioh 2 adds a whopping four additional melee weapon types along with new ninjutsu and onmyo magic techniques as well as making both of those categories much more viable for use. The Living Weapon and Guardian Spirit mechanics make a return and has seen a significant expansion, replacing its upgraded moveset per weapon with three unique forms with movesets tied to them based on the classification of the currently equipped spirit (that's Brute, Feral and Phantom classes) each with their own Burst Counter unique to each class of guardian spirit. Burst Counters are a new mechanic that allows the player to interrupt big telegraphed enemy attacks (always associated with a red glow) and create an opening for offense, with the counter using a small portion of the new Anima gauge.

The Anima gauge is also used for the game's most impressive and obvious addition to the gameplay formula with Yokai Abilities, which sees enemies have a chance to drop a Soul Core which can be equipped to your Guardian Spirit (for a total of up to three different cores) and allow you to perform an attack based on the particular enemy you obtained the Soul Core from. There is an impressive number of these Soul Cores in the game, with the majority of enemies being able to drop them, and each comes with an array of passive effects (some of which baked in and inherent to the particular enemy type, some of which are randomized) tied to the Soul Core which adds an astounding number of additional opportunities for customization. Just as well there are the new Demon Scrolls, items obtained starting only on the game's first run of New Game Plus (of which there are 5 total difficulties, each with their own escalating recommended levels as well as featuring remixed and new encounters).

Demon Scrolls drop randomly from enemies, similar to Soul Cores, and give the player a repeatable arena-style fight with predetermined enemies that ultimately turns the Scroll into an equippable item with an increasing number of passive bonuses depending on the tier of rarity of the Scroll. These encounters, repeatable, can be utilized to farm Soul Cores and items from specific enemies but also allow the player to reroll one effect from the Scroll upon subsequent completions of the battle.

It isn't only the gameplay systems that have seen an impressive expansion and upgrade that doubles down on the original's vision. Opening in the middle of the Sengoku as opposed to the tail end of it like in Nioh 1, we are treated to a surprising and impressive character creation suite with lots of room to create your own character or even attempt to recreate one from various media before being launched into its significantly more complex story.

Opening with our protagonist having a chance meeting with a young Kinoshita Tokichiro, one of history's least likely success stories and most fascinating people, the base game storyline of Nioh 2 chronicles his meteoric rise through the rigid social strata of the turbulent Sengoku era Japan in a roughly 60 year period before his eventual fall. The story features a higher number of active characters and even deeper ties to real-world history, as well as many instances of toying with history and verging into alt-history in fun ways and culminates in a surprisingly touching way before picking back up in an awesome epilogue and its three DLC episodes.

It is unafraid to throw gamers headfirst into the complex web of events and does not hold the player's hand through the twists and turns of territorial gains and political allegiance swaps, in part because it offers a surprisingly robust encyclopedia that features entries on each and every character in the game that unlocks subsequent lore entries as you advance through the game for those who would like to really study the events of the game which largely mirror actual history. As an aside the game sees my favorite integration of face scanned actors in all of gaming, which often feels like hollow and distracting celebrity cameos to me. The casting of Naoto Takenaka as Tokichiro is a particular stroke of genius in this regard, as the actor has played the historical figure several times previously in live action and his unique voice, sounding less like an overly polished voice actor and more like a person you could actually talk to in the real world, lends a remarkably genuine human element to an otherwise larger than life character.

Nioh 2's encyclopedia also extends to the game's large variety of enemies, again split between human and the demonic Yokai, with the majority of Yokai based on actual Japanese mythology. These Yokai have their own language that is heard and seen through undecipherable subtitles upon picking up a Soul Core, with enough Soul Cores having the benefit of translating the aforementioned subtitles and providing a little more insight into the particular Yokai.

Speaking of the different enemy types and changes to the game, Nioh 2 features a drastically higher ratio of Yokai enemies than the original game and marks another real divergence point in how it feels to play. Yokai, who's ki must be depleted before there are real guaranteed openings to attack them (with said ki only being able to be reduced through risky attacks you shouldn't fully commit to lest you tempt a swift death), are prone to otherwise unpredictable amounts of hyper armor that ignore the hitstun of your attacks. They most certainly require a different mindset and skillset to battle, and the huge increase in Yokai enemies may deter some players but it does offer a lot more opportunity for various elements of the game to shine. Tonfa in particular, which eventually allow for the player to animation cancel significantly more often than other weapons, provide a really engaging sense of interaction against these lethal enemies.

With the increase in Yokai enemies comes an unavoidable fact: Nioh 2 is considerably harder than the first entry on a base level. Enemies are harder to interact with in favorable manners and are faster, often with wider ranging attacks radiuses and trickier animations. Burst Counters and Yokai Abilities added into the mix also highlight the issue of input bloat from the first title that has only gotten worse with the increase in difficulty and overall game speed. While certainly absolutely more challenging and even challenging in meta ways like input bloat I do not consider this a flaw per se - it is merely a mild growing pain in the long journey towards mastery of the game mechanics that is, of course, part and parcel with the masocore genre. You are meant to be challenged and feel like survival, nevermind comfortability, are impossibilities and that feeling of danger helps sell the story, world and their stakes incredibly well. Mastery over the game's overwhelming number of mechanics and potential interactions is a long road but more satisfying than almost any other game I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

Of course, this being The Complete Edition, Nioh 2 does feature three DLC episodes bringing more story content and side missions that explore other fondly regarded periods of Japanese history and further utilize the characteristics of the masocore genre to make a very salient point about history: there is no utopian past from which we have strayed. Frantic soldiers in the Genpei War lament their helplessness, villages burn and their inhabitants are massacred, and discrimination sets people down the path of bloody revenge. While there may indeed be heroes and heroism, life has and always will be a brutal struggle against the harsh realities of nature as well as against our own worst instincts. These expansions to the base game are each as fascinating and satisfying as the base game, and can feel just as meaty with the content included, which is a real testament to the overall vision and its execution.

While much has been made of Nioh's connections to and divergence from the Soulslike label, its connections to Diablo and Team Ninja's previous outing in the 3D Ninja Gaiden games run far deeper. In fact while many of the references made in the first Nioh have been retained (such as cameos from series regular Muramasa with the same design as in those games as well as Nioh's small treasure chests' designs being directly lifted from the Ninja Gaiden games) there are even more that have been included in Nioh 2. The Tsuchigumo ninja, rival clan to Ninja Gaiden's protagonist clan, see a glorious return to gaming complete with their eponymous Yokai making an appearance. Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008) opens with an enemy throwing hatchets at protagonist Ryu Hayabusa and Nioh 2 manages to include the same hatchets as a new usable weapontype complete with a weapon throwing mechanic for them. The masocore genre existed long before Dark Souls became synonymous with it and there was a time Team Ninja was thought of as being the kings of it in the days of a waning scene for Japanese games, perceived as being well into a decline in the aughts.

The rise of the blockbuster shooter in the mid to late 2000s completely changed the discourse around video games for one simple reason: it introduced so many people to gaming that many of the people talking about games now simply weren't around then, and many who were around then were likely too young to be playing much beyond what completely gripped the entire mainstream gaming scene at the time. A million games came and went while the likes of Gears of War, Halo and Call of Duty monopolized our collective playtime and this time in gaming is poorly remembered because of it. One such example of this is the way in which Dark Souls has become quite so synonymous with 'hard games', to the point that even Crash Bandicoot, returning to prominence thanks to a wonderful remaster of the original trilogy, has often been called "the Dark Souls of platformers" despite its entire existence playing out well before Dark Souls was born.

Nioh's bucking of the monopoly From Software's Dark Souls (along with Sekiro and Elden Ring - perhaps spotlights for another time) have on our perception of and conversation around hard games is significant, and its place among the upper echelon of masocore titles is simply undeniable. Bigger and better in almost every conceivable way than its already fantastic and extremely dense predecessor, Nioh 2 is easily able to keep you busy for several hundred hours provided you're willing to give it that much time. It's also developed with multiplayer in mind in a significantly deeper way from enemy attack animations to the push and pull of the Assist Gauge as well as a reliable scaling down of player stats if there are large discrepancies to keep things relatively on the rails, making for a wonderful experience with up to two other players across the vast majority of its missions.

Nioh 2 is unquestionably worth every minute you're willing to put into it, and likely even more no matter how much you've spent on it. The sheer breadth of the experience is almost too much to describe and encapsulate in this spotlight - it needs to be experienced first hand to be truly understood.

A gem hidden among the stones, Nioh 2 is undoubtedly stardust.

--Ash

[fashiontrends09]

Philadelphia Flyers Marvel Super Hero Game 2025 Hoodie

Product link:https://inspirdg.com/product/philadelphia-flyers-marvel-super-hero-game-2025-hoodie/

Store link:https://inspirdg.com/

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With its bold graphics, exceptional comfort, and universal appeal, this hoodie is a symbol of everything we love about sports and superheroes. It’s a reminder that greatness comes in many forms, and that we can all be heroes in our own way.

[sscolortheory]

Blog 5

Artist Statement

Here is my mood board for a story I've been working on titled Boiling Point. I created this piece as a thematic representation of what this story embodies and expresses. With this story being my focal drive, I wanted to capture quite a diverse array of ideas and themes, such as emotional distress, gender discrimination, science fiction elements, and a fantastical/dystopian landscape. I hope for my audience to be able to see the essence of emotional disarray from the main character, Freya Slint, in a world that has been destroyed. I want people to be able to feel the intensity at which Freya is now imbued with emotion and the mystical elements of the tattered terrains. The audience should go on their very own emotional rollercoaster when viewing this piece; despite its uniform color harmony, there is a lot to take in that makes each individual photo significant to the overall theme. I used mediums such as Lightroom Photoshop for the color harmony of each composition and Milanote to present each photo collectively on this board as a whole. For the selected photos I compiled, I used photos I have taken in the past (yes, all of the photos in my project are photos I have taken) that embody my aims while also taking new photos specifically for this piece. For the past photos, I simply went through my camera roll of photography and chose photos that made me feel otherwise disoriented or in awe. One specific photo would be the blue "Brain Mesh Infusion,": where I used a white backdrop, a glass of water, and food dye to execute. The many landscapes I took from various trips I've been on or adventures, more or less, that I went on with grand scenery. Each one depicts a sense of expansiveness, without limitation, to express the vast land of territories that have been rebuilt after the destruction. As for the photos I took most recently, I compiled photos from in and around Springfield with my friend as the focal point (main character). When creating these photos, we simply went around driving, and anything that sparked my interest as obscure or vibrant, we went to explore and take photos in that area. I wanted to try and keep her full face out of the picture, to enhance the fragmentation of the character's emotional capacity. My main influence for this entire process was my own experiences with emotions, as well as different mood board inspiration I found from Pinterest. I've always felt like emotions can be linked to images or colors, and then I really dove into that within this story and mood board. Red, purple, and blue are all very bold and vivid colors that evoke emotional intensity and passion like this story does. As for Pinterest, mood boards flood into this platform with aesthetic and artistic elements alike, making for the perfect inspiration for how to curate one myself. To hone in on more specific emotions, I aim to evoke passion, anger, frustration, and daze/confusion. My focus is on the story and its deeper meaning, in which case I believe this project helped me see further. With my art, I aspire to continue using mood boards for any future projects to help me clearly and coherently convey an overall theme for my stories and screenplays, with the color wheel and emotional impact in mind as key players in the creative process.

[essence-of-wicca]

Part 12-

Names

A common practice of many Pagans is to choose a name to go by specifically within ritual. These can be called Magickal names, Circle names (as many Pagan rituals are held within an energy circle), Witch names, Craft names, Magickal names, or Ritual names, depending on who you ask.

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🔮 About

Some choose to keep their legal/everyday name, but others feel that it doesn’t reflect who they truly are or who they are/wish to be within the confines of sacred space, since they did not select the name themselves and/or don’t relate it to their Pagan identity. There are some paths wherein a teacher chooses the names for their students at one time or another, but to be so bold as to make a blanket statement about the Pagan community at large, the majority of teachers are more than accepting of one’s personal choice of name.

Some use a name for the general Pagan community and non-Initiate rituals (if they follow an Initiatory path), and another different name for their Initiate workings. In some instances as well, the name given in large Pagan gatherings has no resemblance to a person’s own Circle name, it’s simply a pseudonym they’ve chosen to adopt in order to remain anonymous, and then keep their Circle name private.

Additionally, some people have an even more private name that is known only to the Gods, and is only used in personal rituals away from any group or Coven. In some cases, this name is told to the individual during meditation, or somehow otherwise communicated to them directly from the Gods, or some other entity acting on Their behalf. But not everyone has such a name, so even if you’re never given one, don’t feel as though you’re somehow incomplete or unworthy.

Lastly, in some more Traditional settings, the name of the Coven can be used as a Magickal surname of sorts once one is Initiated. For example, someone who goes by Chase and is Initiated into the Sacred Spring Coven, would then sometimes be referred to as Chase Sacred Spring.

However they are chosen though, these names are generally only used in Magickal/ritual workings, and using them otherwise is the sole decision of the individual. The main reason for this change of identity is to facilitate the change of mindset and attitude necessary for ritual/Magickal workings. Circle names are believed to carry the individual’s personal power, energy, Magickal identity, and spiritual potential.

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🔮 Inspiration

Some places people draw inspiration for their names are:

an animal they feel connected to spiritually (e.g., their animal guide)

a God or Goddess they especially revere or wish to emulate

a more abstract concept such as “Spirit” or “Karma"

a reference to their family heritage (such as choosing a name from the language of their ancestors)

a heavenly body (planet, moon, star, or constellation)

an item from nature (tree, flower, other plant, stone, gem, mineral, etc.)

fictional characters

historical persons

minor Deities and other mythological players (such as mythological creatures)

Or something else, or any combination of these things. There are nearly endless sources of names and inspiration. If you’re stuck or indecisive, I recommend making a list of the sorts of things from this list that make you feel particularly Witchy and aware of your own Magickal power, and see what you’re most drawn to. Meditation or divination, especially with a pendulum, can be helpful here also. For a meditation, you can perhaps visit with your patron Deity, a spirit companion, or a departed loved one for guidance.

In some instances, people try to attune their Circle name to their given/legal name by way of numerology. In this practice, each letter of the alphabet is assigned a number from one through nine, each letter is added up, and the sum is reduced further till there is only a single digit. For example, the name Alex in numerology is 1 + 3 + 5 + 6. That sum is then 15, which would then be reduced, 1 + 5 = 6. So, if Alex wanted to attune their Circle name, they would select a name and spelling with 6 as its value. Two other numerological methods involve discovering one’s Life Path and/or Soul Urge numbers, and then attuning one’s Circle name to one or both of those. These methods involve the numbers in one’s date of birth, and more information about uncovering them can be found here: https://cafeastrology.com/numerology.html

Also, some change their names when they reach a new step in their learnings, such as Dedications, Initiations, Degree Elevations, forming their own Coven, etc.. New life stages (puberty, coming out, a change in gender presentation, medical/surgical transition, parenthood, death of a loved one, marriage, divorce, menopause, etc.) can also be an incentive to select a new Circle name. Rarely, if ever, is a name permanent though, so any reason to change it is a valid one.

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🔮 Cautions

Blending many inspirations can sum up how one feels about their Pagan self, but this is something to consider carefully. Although “Midnight Autumn StormOwl” might be very meaningful to you, try empathizing with anyone who’d have to say it repeatedly in a ritual! To add to this, consider how others may react to your name; would others consider it humorous or offensive? Would you constantly have to be explaining or defending your choice?

Some would argue that choosing a Deity name, however minor that Deity is considered to be in Their native pantheon, is conceited and disrespectful. Personally, I do not believe this. As stated above, to me it signifies that a person feels a connection to the Deity, or wishes to take on that Deity’s traits and qualities. For example, someone who chooses the name Thor might wish to bring strength into their Magickal workings and life in general. One who chooses Athena may be seeking to gain wisdom. However, one must remember as well that one cannot pick and choose which aspects of that Deity they embrace or ignore; if the name Thor is meant to bring strength, it may also bring a quick temper and impulsiveness. And sometimes the Universe has a sense of humor, and the name chosen brings the precise opposite of what was intended. This is one area wherein careful and thorough research, along with introspection and more meditation or divination, is especially beneficial.

An important thing to note is that the titles of “Lord” and “Lady” are generally considered something to earn, not something one can decide to appropriate on one’s own. In some Traditional settings, only High Priests/Priestesses may be called Lord or Lady, and in others, only High Priestesses receive such a title. It is generally considered pretentious and ill-mannered to use these titles without having earned it somehow, and determining whether one has earned it differs between groups/Traditions. However, when attending a ritual away from your home Coven/group, it is considered good etiquette to refer to the Priestess as “Lady,” especially if you don’t know what name she goes by in Pagan/ritual settings.

And lastly, it is NEVER acceptable to reveal someone’s Circle name, or “out” them as a Pagan, without their knowledge and consent, especially not in association with their legal name. This is not only for anonymity’s sake, but because names carry power, and some believe that their name falling into “the wrong hands” can be dangerous, physically and socially as well as psychically and spiritually.

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Whatever the reasons and arguments for and against what type of name to choose, the key point to remember when selecting a name is that it is to represent YOU, and how you wish to be perceived and received in a ritual setting. It is the name by which those you Circle with, and the Gods, will know you. Make your choice seriously, but also remember that this choice is not permanent. If you feel your Magickal identity has changed, by whatever event(s), so much so that a name change is also warranted, by all means, make the change. Just make sure those you perform Magickal workings with are aware of your new identity.

It is also rarely required (by a Coven or other group) to select a different name than your legal/day-to-day name, but some individuals feel it not only necessary for developing their spiritual self, but also a very rewarding way to connect with their Pagan identity, and with the Gods.

[tamabakan]

I/LII (1.1-1.8)

🎥 Až přijde kocour or Cassandra Cat (1963, dir. Vojtěch Jasný)

The Czechoslovak social fairy tale delivers a strong visual punch in full theatrical 2.55:1 the same way its titular cat and his band barges into our sleepy socialist village. The film only weakens its potency when treating the idealistic protagonist-teacher Robert (Vlastimil Brodský) whose questionable romance between perpetual gymnast Diana (Emília Vášáryová) culminates in a frolic montage that borders on cloy. Such issues however are trivial; the film is exceedingly charming.

Each scene makes not expense in playfully satirizing the actions of the adult characters. This is anchored by a stellar Janus performance by Jan Werich who plays double immortal magician and indigent watch tower narrator Oliva. The film reaches its most inspired during the black back-dropped magician scenes when aided by the charmingly bold wonderful mid-century VFX care of cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera. Finally, an adorable ensemble cast of the elementary school pupils provides the heart of the film with their final march into the city being the grand indictment of the faults of adult society.

It closely resembles last year's Megalopolis (2024) or the 2005 Fairly Odd Parents episode School's Out!: The Musical in its gesturing of childhood innocence; but the execution, stakes and arguably sincerity of Cassandra Cat far exceeds these. Oliva's feline fable may be fantastical but the desire for freedom against liars, cheaters, hypocrites, and taxidermists are as real as can be.

📕Sander L. Gilman's 2004 Fat Boys

Sander Gilman makes a crucial distinction between the 'fat' and the 'obese' that colors the rest of his 2004 book. The distinction lies within the reception of such a body regarded as 'fat' without reference to the actual body itself. The such as John Bull who is "stout but never obese"; but how the culture delineates between the two he never interrogates or acknowledges fully. He simply takes for granted the negative connotation of fat in men as a simple negative.

Who decides what is fat? What exactly distinguishes the angelic chub of Sistine Chapel cherubs and Pope John XXIII from that of the implied religious anorexia of St Augustine, for example? How exactly John Bull received in one way in France and another in Britain?

There is also a real dearth in breadth. There are thick detectives and burly baseball players, but no fat friars or corpulent cops or adipose rex or gay bears or anything else found over a cursory overview of TV tropes?

Considering then these limitations, he could have just as well titled it 'Fat Hated White (& Some Jewish) Boys'. He readily admits this- hence the subheading 'A Slim Book.' To his credit, when the book does examine the disparate topics such as the fat Oriental Jew or the development of the idea of obesity from antiquity to the Renaissances, he tells it through a compelling structured narratives with many resources to build. Without important context or interrogation of the concept of a 'fat boy' to begin with, the book at its end feels incomplete and the speculation of future development from 2004 ring hollow. Weightier analysis is necessary.

[jer-fit]

The Timeless Appeal of the Stripe Baseball Jersey

The stripe baseball jersey has become a staple in both sports and fashion, symbolizing athleticism and style. This versatile piece of clothing not only reflects the heritage of baseball but also captures the essence of modern streetwear. As teams and fans alike continue to embrace this iconic design, the stripe baseball jersey transcends the sport itself, making its way into everyday wardrobes. Whether you're a player, a fan, or simply someone with a keen eye for fashion, the stripe baseball jersey offers something unique and timeless.

The History and Evolution of the Stripe Baseball Jersey

The stripe baseball jersey has a rich history rooted in the early days of baseball. The design first appeared in the late 19th century, when teams sought distinctive uniforms that would set them apart from their competitors. The stripes were not only a design choice but also served a practical purpose, making players more visible on the field. Over time, the stripe pattern became synonymous with baseball, and as the sport grew in popularity, so did the jersey.

Originally, the stripes were bold and wide, often in contrasting colors that made a statement. As the years passed, the design evolved, with teams experimenting with different stripe widths, colors, and placements. This evolution allowed the stripe baseball jersey to maintain its relevance, adapting to changing fashion trends while preserving its classic appeal. Today, the stripe baseball jersey is available in countless variations, from traditional designs to modern interpretations that incorporate new fabrics and styles.

Why the Stripe Baseball Jersey Remains Popular

The enduring popularity of the stripe baseball jersey can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, its connection to baseball, a sport deeply ingrained in American culture, gives it a sense of nostalgia and tradition. Fans and players alike appreciate the historical significance of the jersey, which represents not only the game but also the spirit of competition and teamwork.

Secondly, the stripe baseball jersey is incredibly versatile. It can be worn on the field as part of a team's uniform or off the field as a casual fashion statement. The design's simplicity and clean lines make it easy to pair with other clothing items, whether you're dressing up for a game or dressing down for a casual day out. This versatility has made the stripe baseball jersey a favorite among athletes, fans, and fashion enthusiasts alike.

Finally, the stripe baseball jersey has become a symbol of individuality and self-expression. With so many different styles and designs available, wearers can choose a jersey that reflects their personality, team loyalty, or fashion sense. Whether it's a vintage-inspired design, a modern twist on the classic stripe, or a custom jersey created to your specifications, the stripe baseball jersey offers endless possibilities for personal expression.

Styling the Stripe Baseball Jersey: From Field to Street

The beauty of the stripe baseball jersey lies in its adaptability. While it remains a key component of a baseball uniform, it has also made its way into everyday fashion, where it can be styled in numerous ways.

On the field, the stripe baseball jersey is often paired with matching pants, cleats, and a cap, creating a cohesive and professional look. Teams may choose traditional colors and patterns that represent their history or opt for more modern designs that appeal to a younger audience. The jersey's lightweight, breathable fabric ensures comfort and performance during the game, while the stripes add a touch of style.

Off the field, the stripe baseball jersey can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. For a casual, sporty look, pair the jersey with jeans or shorts and sneakers. Add a baseball cap or a pair of sunglasses to complete the outfit. If you're looking to elevate the jersey for a night out, try layering it under a denim jacket or pairing it with slim-fit trousers and stylish sneakers. The stripe pattern adds visual interest to any outfit, making the jersey a versatile piece that can be worn year-round.

Customizing Your Own Stripe Baseball Jersey

One of the most exciting aspects of the stripe baseball jersey is the ability to customize it to your liking. Whether you're a player, a coach, or a fan, creating a custom jersey allows you to showcase your team spirit or personal style in a unique way.

When designing a custom stripe baseball jersey, you have several options to consider. Start with the basic elements such as the color scheme and stripe pattern. You can choose traditional colors that reflect your team's identity or experiment with bold, contrasting colors for a more modern look. The placement of the stripes is also important; you can opt for vertical, horizontal, or diagonal stripes, depending on the aesthetic you're going for.

Next, consider adding personalized details such as your name, number, or team logo. These elements not only enhance the jersey's visual appeal but also make it truly one-of-a-kind. Many custom jersey providers offer embroidery or printing services, allowing you to create a high-quality, durable design that will last for years to come.

Finally, think about the fabric and fit of your custom stripe baseball jersey. Modern jerseys are made from advanced materials that offer breathability, moisture-wicking properties, and comfort. Choose a fabric that suits your needs, whether you're looking for a lightweight jersey for warm weather or a more substantial option for cooler temperatures. The fit is also crucial; make sure the jersey is comfortable and allows for a full range of motion, whether you're playing a game or cheering from the sidelines.

Conclusion

The stripe baseball jersey is more than just a piece of sportswear; it's a symbol of tradition, versatility, and personal expression. Its rich history and enduring appeal have made it a beloved item both on and off the field. Whether you're drawn to its classic design, its connection to baseball's storied past, or its potential for customization, the stripe baseball jersey offers something for everyone.

As the jersey continues to evolve, it remains a timeless piece that bridges the gap between sport and fashion. From its early days as a functional uniform to its current status as a style icon, the stripe baseball jersey has proven its staying power in the world of sports and beyond. Whether you're wearing it to support your team, make a fashion statement, or simply enjoy its comfort and style, the stripe baseball jersey is a wardrobe essential that will never go out of style.

[moonlitphoenixflight]

Ok I have to defend my honor as an in stars and time fan, because I think you can tell people about it, however if this were a meme about a number of horsemen other than 4 I would add it, along with with oneshot, I agree with the person who added oneshot.

I personally disagree with rainworld being added to the list because it has gameplay that doesn’t rely on story, ghost trick is that way too because it has puzzles but it’s also a running joke in the fandom that anyone who’s played it cannot tell you anything about it.

under the cut I’m putting in what I believe to be spoiler free reasoning for the rest of my choices (because I have super anxiety that makes me overexplain every single thing ever) but since the subject materials are so sensitive to spoilers I’m being safe

For Ghost Trick, as I said before, it is a running joke in the fandom that you can’t tell anyone anything about the game when you’re recommending it to someone. Even if the puzzles and gameplay are completely independent from the story, I think it’d be a crime to not include it, especially since it inspired theirs whole post.

For Outer Wilds, Probablynotamimic on Ao3 put it well when they said that “Outerwilds is a game where the puzzles & gameplay & story are all the Exact! Same! Thing!!!!!!” This is the general idea that I judge each game by. It is not perfect, because I am not perfect, because I am (unfortunately) human.

For Slay the Princess, the whole deal with what the characters and setting are is quite a big reveal, and the content warnings, let’s say, are also a significant surprise. It’s also extremely important that new players can make unbiased choices, if you’ve played you know why.

For DDLC, in my opinion it’s best experienced by another person giving it to the new player, so that the new player cannot know the genre, and can make their own assumptions about how the game will go.

bonus reasonings because I’m having a lot of fun

In Stars and Time does some things, and the main thing it does is expertly keep the player in the shoes of the player character, what they feel, the player feels. And since the player character doesn’t know anything going in, the player shouldn’t either. There are a couple really good essays this one person made but I don't remember who or where I would find them. The reason I wouldn’t say that it’s on the main list is because I think that some spoilers don’t necessarily have as much volatility as most spoilers for the main list do, this is however just my opinion.

Rain World, I’m more bold about disagreeing with. Rain World’s gameplay, while holding significant story, is not nearly as story reliant as the other games, I mean no offense, as well as absolutely nothing even slightly negative when I say this. I simply think that even if someone knew everything there was to know about the story of Rain World, they could still have a perfectly great experience running around as a slug cat in the survival aspect of the gameplay.

OneShot has a good handful of extremely impactful reveals and ‘wait THATS what I’m supposed to do here!?!?!?’ moments, placed in between reasonably sized stretches of your average point and click style running around. Each unique moment is exciting enough to figure out that if the new player is told ahead of time, it’ll leave significant disappointment that they didn’t figure it out themselves. (I think)

if anyone adds any more tags about games they think should get a place in the extended list of horsemen, I will do more of these because this was a lot of fun. If you have the money to get these games I really really recommend that you do.

ah yes, the four horsemen of “Play it but I can’t tell you anything about it”

[finalmjorproject]

Games Research!

3. Splasher

USP- I believe that the mechanics within this game along with the theme of art style being based around Ink/Paint with bright and bold colours is simply what makes this game fun and enjoyable. I also think this helps with the challenge aspect as the theme helps build a sense of excitement towards the visuals and the bonding with the players journey although the storyline is just a small part of the game genre as a whole.

Thirdly I enjoy the way they use their mechanics to navigate the layouts of the levels and I feel as though this fluctuates great in my opinions. I am looking towards this game as I really like how the different mechanics are used with the 'ink' such as using water to help clean the ink, having the 'red' ink help you navigate and climb through different walls and obstacles and the 'yellow' ink acting as a bounce pad to reach higher places. In my opinion all of these mechanics have enhanced this specific gameplay experience for me as they showcase how effective colourful artwork can be used for simple and straight forward mechanics like these as they relate to the theme of the game and fit the style of the art.

This also helps the focus on the game as a whole as the artwork is also showcased in the storyline with the cutscenes which are very well animated and show a more higher resolution cartoony genre compared to the game itself which is toned down slightly. This gives much more variety of artwork to give people interest in the specifics within the designs and the gameplay itself which is I believe to be the biggest part of this game.

What I've learnt from this game has been a blast as I am inspired to try and make as polished artwork as this, and maybe even use a similar colour palette to fit the aesthetic and theme of my designs on my 'character/s', 'enemies' and the 'tilemap' overall, although this isn't in Pixel Art.

[jcmarchi]

Unicorn Overlord Review - Tactical Superiority - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unicorn-overlord-review-tactical-superiority-game-informer/

Unicorn Overlord Review - Tactical Superiority - Game Informer

Draw from enough unique inspirations, and eventually, a game begins to feel entirely novel. That’s the sensation that emerges as you play Unicorn Overlord, Vanillaware’s vast fantasy adventure of tactics, strategy, and storytelling. I was consistently reminded of other systems and mechanics from prior genre releases, but the resulting combination felt consistently original and entertaining, even after many hours of battle and exploration.

Players control a young, exiled prince in a high fantasy world as he gradually gathers an army to take down an all-powerful empire. There’s a significant focus on story and character development from beginning to end. The fact that the plentiful “thees and thous” frame an especially trope-heavy and familiar plot doesn’t diminish the enjoyment. Instead, I was delighted by the confident and well-written dialogue and its willingness to embrace the fun of countless long-lost siblings, figures in disguise, and redemptive character arcs. By the end, some interesting choices let you shape the game’s outcome, but this isn’t a game of bold narrative surprises – simply well-told comfort-food fantasy antics.

Unicorn Overlord is awash in systems that govern your army’s advancement and improvement. Whether it’s equipment, honor, renown, gold, or character level, the primary goal is growing your army, promoting your combatants, expanding the potential size of each unit, and setting up a team that can triumph in the field. Everything works together admirably, and it’s great fun to tweak each small squad unit to create unstoppable combos of damage, defense, and healing.

Battles are an intriguing mix of real-time troop movement and small unit-to-unit skirmishes. By adjusting each character’s formation placement and tactical decision-making before a melee, you set them up for success. However, once an exchange begins, your role as commander is in the back seat; you can’t affect the outcome anymore – only watch as it plays out. As such, much of the gameplay is about clever unit placement, movement, use of items, and pre-battle powers. I enjoyed overseeing a large and diverse army of knights, witches, gryphon riders, and elven archers as they strode into a righteous rebellion.

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Vanillaware’s attention to detail and high production value are on full display. The vast top-down overworld is stacked with detail and vibrant, illustrated backdrops. The score is grand and dramatic, accompanied by a tremendous bounty of memorable voice acting. Most notably, both story moments and unit battles unfold featuring the studio’s striking trademark art and animation style, which leverages exaggerated deformation of everything from weapons to character curves and musculature to accentuate the fantasy setting and tone.

While I consistently enjoyed my dozens of hours with Unicorn Overlord, the latter half of the game begins to show some cracks in the fun. Because you can preview the outcome of each battle (which is good), many players will eventually do what I did, and begin to skip the bombastic visuals of a given skirmish to get on with the larger battle. The thrill of those lavishly illustrated scenes sadly begins to lean toward tedium.

Likewise, the plentiful unit types you both recruit and face in battle are initially intriguing but eventually become extremely challenging to keep straight. Imagine a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” where you can throw any one of dozens of distinct hand signs, and you can see the dilemma. Tactical complexity is good, but I ultimately found keeping all the distinctions straight slowed down the pacing and sense of mastery rather than enhancing an already rich tactical simulation. Combine those two problems, and late-game battles can feel repetitive and muddled.

Even acknowledging those frustrations, I love the variety of encounters Unicorn Overlord presents and the seamless way so many interlocking game systems contribute to an overarching saga of magic and warfare. From beginning to end, the game feels crafted, balanced, and deep, without sacrificing approachability. Set aside preconceptions from the unusual name, and you’ll find an epic well worth exploring.