#I'm admittedly having some trouble with this one down the line

[nehswritesstuffs]

trick or treat!!

How about a bit of a Bellazón-related wip that I got just kind of sitting there on the ever-turning rotisserie in my brain? 147 words; takes place obviously in an AU where this can happen; slightly edited so it WILL be different in the final version but I'm not telling you HOW.

“Where…” Rosinante sat up and wiped the tears and snot and ruined cosmetics from his face onto his shirtsleeve. “…where is Nami?” “Arlong has her,” the girl squeaked. “He saw one of the maps she can draw and kidnapped her.” “She can draw maps?” “Yeah; better than adults, even though she’s younger than me.” She looked at this strange man slumped into the couch and shivered. “How… how do you know Bell-mère…?” “We used to… work together.” “You used to be a Marine?” He paused and licked his lips. “Yeah. I was, but… I don’t know if I can ever call myself that again.” “Good,” the girl said, resolute. “Marines are useless. Can you get my sister back from Arlong?” Rosinante let go of Bell-mère’s hand and gently held the girl’s face as he looked her directly in the eyes. “Tell me where I need to go.

Want a little fic snippet, WIP, behind-the-scenes info, or otherwise, hit up my ask (multiple callers accepted and encouraged)!

[rubyin-wonderland]

Forever Eternally

opla!Sanji x reader

Summary: You've been searching for "the one" for as long as you can remember, but he never seems to appear. Until a strange pirate crew comes into your life.

WC: 2.8k

Warnings/tags: soulmates fic, emotions, being used, forced proximity, fluff and a dash of angst because of course

Note: wrote this for a special Sanji fan of mine, enjoy your soulmates fic pookie

The necklaces were delicate, two dainty metal curlicues  embracing blue teardrop gemstones. You had seen it on couples around your hometown, worn by soulmates. They glowed when they were together, signifying the completion of a match, together, as they should be.

"They are tethered to your soul, and when it senses your match, they will glow for you." Your grandmother had told you, before you set off on your own.

It had been her wish for you to find your soulmate on your travels, and admittedly, you wanted it too.

You would be lying if finding your perfect match hadn't been a factor in your decision to leave home. It was a big wide world after all, and there were only so many people on your island.

So, the sea awaited, brilliant blue and beyond enticing. You found your way across several islands, stumbling into several people, but none of them were right.

When you finally ended up joining a pirate crew, you found yourself in a new home, with a rambunctious family that never spent a day without a little trouble.

The Straw Hats might have been a little crazy, but you fit right in, allowing them to nestle into your heart, feeling nearly satisfied with the life they had been able to provide you with.

And yet, you still clung to your necklaces, neither of which had ever glowed on any island you visited, the only void left to be filled.

You wore one necklace yourself, the other always tucked in a pocket, never away from your side. Once you knew who it was, you needed to be able to make it official, clasping it around their neck for the whole world to see.

Unfortunately, finding "the one" was not as easy as you had thought.

Every island you docked at was another opportunity to find out who it could be, but as weeks of searching turned to months, with not even the faintest light from your necklace, you had begun to give up hope.

You sat on the deck of the ship, legs crossed in front of you as you looked out into the starry sky, asking them for an answer to your troubles.

Perhaps you were doomed to never find your match. That wouldn't be awful. Just devastating. Wherever they were, they seemed to be evading your grasp.

You heard footsteps on the lower deck, focusing your eyes in the moonlight, catching the silhouette of the ship's cook in the dark.

"I'd say you should be getting your beauty sleep but it seems you're gorgeous enough without it." His voice carried in the night, the flirtatious comment soaking into your skin, making your heart pound in double time.

Sanji was possibly the most wonderful man you had met on your travels, with a million different lines, each one bringing a smile to your face, so long as they were directed at you.

His charm was attractive, and you found him incredibly handsome, the only problem was, he wasn't your match.

If he had been, you would have leapt eagerly into his arms, asking him to love you forever, but it seemed fate had a different plan for you.

Your darkened necklace sat on your chest, not even a faint gleam to indicate the presence of whoever had been tied to you.

"Hello Sanji, I see you're up late as well." You mused, your cheeks warm with Sanji's flattery.

"Thought you could use some company. All alone up there." He walked towards you, sitting down right next to you. "You've been sad lately, what's wrong?"

Leave it to Sanji to notice. You sighed. "It feels like I'm missing something." You lied, having kept the nature of your necklace hidden from your crew.

You had no reason to hide it, but you had just done so anyways, not wanting to feel their judgement on your status as well.

"Did you leave something at the last island? We could go back and get it!" Sanji said quickly, squinting to see if the island you had left hours ago was still in sight. It was not.

"No, I didn't leave anything. It's more something I'm missing on the inside." You sighed. "I can't explain it. It's just empty."

Sanji nodded. "I understand. I feel like that too. Are you hungry? I could whip something up, it might partially fill the void."

You laughed at the suggestion that food would solve your problem, but didn't deny his request, instead following him to the galley, where within minutes, Sanji had prepared a small snack for you.

You had no idea how he did it. So giving, even as the world kept trying to take. It was a generosity that never waned, and that made you like him even more.

It struck you as you picked at the food presented to you that your soulmate must be incredible, for a man as wonderful as Sanji to not be the one.

When you and Sanji parted ways, heading off to bed, you clasped your necklace in your hand, as you pondered a subject that had been brewing in your mind for a while.

Would it be that much trouble to ask Sanji out? While you waited for your real match to come along? Plenty of people dated around before finding the people they stayed with forever, why should you be any different?

The only problem was, that once your necklace started glowing, you would have to leave Sanji behind, and that would ruin him. After a relationship that long, it would likely ruin you too.

But you could not spend your days wasting away, waiting for someone who seemingly never appeared. Sanji was always there, a helping hand or a gentle comfort. You had no idea who your soulmate was, but you knew plenty about Sanji.

And that was the day you decided it would be worth it to try being with Sanji, until your true match showed up.

When you asked him the following morning, Sanji was overjoyed. He gleefully said yes and promised that you would never have to feel empty by his side.

It felt good to be with him. His kisses peppered across your face, his neverending compliments drowning out your doubts. He loved you, and you loved him, which is why you started to hate the idea of finding your soulmate.

You stopped checking your necklace in every town you were in, not when your hand was laced with your boyfriend's, proudly displaying your love for him.

You never removed the necklace, however. You knew one day it would happen, and when it did, you needed to be ready. You had been waiting your whole life to find the one, and even with the new developments in your life, you needed to remember your priorities.

Sanji lay next to you one night, his body curled around yours in a secluded spot the two of you had claimed as your own. His one arm was draped over your side, held against your chest, fingers playing with the chain around your neck, the soft clinking of the metal being the only sounds the two of you were making.

Then, Sanji spoke up. "You always wear this lovely necklace. Wherever did you get it?" He asked, breath warm against your neck.

You tensed at the thought of him learning he was only there to tide you over, guilty about using him to fulfill your fantasies.

"My mom gave it to me." It was the truth, but only half of it.

"It really is lovely, though not as pretty as the one wearing it." And Sanji pressed a kiss to the back of your neck, not asking for any more information.

You suddenly became paranoid, worried that at any second your gemstone would glow, revealing the truth.

You worried that he would find out, but were even more worried that it would mean separating from him.

You wanted to be with Sanji. You were happy with him. So why couldn't he be your soulmate? He was perfect. The universe was making a mistake, it had to be.

However, the will of the stars held higher than yours, and you regretfully accepted your fate.

Though it was not your intent, you withdrew from Sanji, hoping that would ease the heartbreak when you had to leave him.

Of course, Sanji noticed. He was too attentive, too caring. You despised it as much as you admired it. He began to ask if there was something wrong. If he had done something to hurt you, say something that upset you. All you could say was that everything was fine and hope that he would believe it.

He did not. If anything, Sanji grew more suspicious, day after day, until he had enough.

One day, as the crew was exploring a nearby town, you decided to stay back. Sanji stayed back as well, and with no reason to send him away, he was stuck with you.

You tried to avoid him, but it was near impossible. Every room was big enough for two. It was an inescapable conversation.

You walked hurriedly to a storage room, hoping it would be too cluttered for the both of you to fit, but Sanji squeezed in, asking if you needed help with the task you had made an excuse about.

You said that you were fine, but you tripped and fell forwards. An arm wrapped quickly around your waist, stopping you from colliding with a pile of boxes taller than you.

Damn it Sanji. Too attentive, too caring. He pulled you up, setting you back on your feet and you turned to face him, wishing you could just ignore your problems, but as Sanji took a step back to give you space, the door shut behind him, trapping you inside the closet with a simple click.

You stood in shock as you realized there was nothing you could do to escape the conversation. Sanji turned around, this development clearly not being a part of his plan to get you to talk.

His fingers tried to pry the door open, but from the inside, that was a lost cause.

After a minute of desperate scrabbling, Sanji turned to face you, clearing his throat. "It looks like it's just the two of us." He said, trying to sound confident and looking anything but.

"While we're in here, I'd like to ask you a question." You cursed under your breath. You were going to have to tell him the truth. The whole truth.

"What is going on?" He asked, genuine concern covering his face. "Please, tell me. We're partners, right?"

You backed away, trying to find some miraculous way to escape the situation, but it was no use. You were trapped, and the truth must come out.

"Sanji, I'm sorry I've been distant, it's just that things are so complicated and it's my fault for getting you involved." You stammered out, nervous.

"If you don't want to be with me anymore, that's fine, just say the word, and I'll leave you alone."

He sounded so hurt by the thought of you leaving him, but he bowed his head. He would respect your decision, no matter how badly it shattered his heart.

"No, Sanji. It's not that I..." You tried to stall, but found there was no use. "I'm sorry. I want to be with you, but..."

Your hand found your necklace. "I have a soulmate." Sanji looked at you with confusion. "I don't know who it is, but I don't think it's you."

You could see his heart break through the windows in his eyes. "I see."

"But I still love you. I love you so much, and I want it to be you. I really wish you were, but you aren't."

Sanji nodded, but he no longer met your eyes. "So what were we?" He asked, not angry, just saddened.

You felt shame flow through you. "You were so nice, but finding my soulmate was taking so long and I didn't want to be alone anymore."

"I don't understand." Sanji protested, as if his lack of understanding could somehow rectify the situation. It could not.

You held your necklace, squeezing the gem in your palm. "This was given to me by my mother. When it senses my soulmate, it will glow. I've been told this story since I was a child, about how the universe picked my perfect match and I would find them some day, but it never seemed to happen."

You squeezed your eyes shut. "It's not an excuse, I used you, but now I have doubts about my soulmate too."

You tensed as the words that had been floating around your mind let themselves out.

"I don't want to find my soulmate anymore. I want to stay with you."

Sanji continued to look conflicted. "The universe must have been wrong." You protested. "And even then, I'm still making my own decision." You took a deep breath, and put your hand into your pocket.

You removed the second necklace from it's place, always at your side. For too long it had dictated your life, what you did or didn't do. You wanted to be with Sanji. You were making your own choice. The universe would have to suck it up.

"I'm sorry I lied to you Sanji. But no matter what, I'm done looking for my soulmate. I've found you."

You looked at it in the dim light of the closet, and you saw Sanji inspecting it as well.

"When we get out of here, I'll throw them both overboard." You promised. "I don't need to know who it is. I never want to meet them. You're enough for me."

Your head dipped down, hand still outstretched, holding the necklace like an offering.

"I'm sorry." You apologized again. "For pushing you away, for lying, for using you. You don't have to forgive me, but I want you to know that I am. I am so sorry."

Sanji put your hand down, holding it at your side, bringing his hand up to gently hold your chin.

"I think the universe knew the risks of putting someone so perfect in front of me." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry." You said again, but he cut you off with a kiss, directing your face to his lips with his hand.

"Enough of that." He murmured. "You shouldn't have done that, but I forgive you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Please, just don't keep secrets like these from me anymore."

You nodded, tears shining in your eyes. "I love you, Sanji." "I love you too."

You didn't hesitate to kiss him this time, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him close. The distance you had put between yourself and him was bridged within seconds as his free arm wrapped around your waist, tugging you closer.

For a second, in that closet, you felt the way you always imagined you would with your soulmate. Complete. Two halves of a whole sliding together, perfectly happy. The feeling filled you up, and only fizzled out long after you separated from him.

You looked down at the dull gemstone, shoving it back in your pocket as you heard a commotion from the deck. Your crew had returned, and both you and Sanji immediately started yelling in an attempt to be found.

With only a few suspicious looks from your crewmates, you were freed from the closet, and allowed the liberty of seeing the sun once more.

Despite Sanji's insistance that he didn't need you to prove your dedication to him, you led him to a railing that night, beneath a blanket of stars, the eyes of the universe staring at your decisions.

You removed the necklace from your pocket, dangling it over the edge of the deck, above the dark blue sea.

It swung like a pendulum, reminding you of its prophetic powers. You no longer cared what fate held. Sanji was your soulmate now, the two of you would weave it into the fabric of reality yourselves if you had to.

You opened your palm and the necklace dropped into the water, the answer to your eternal question now forever lost to the deep. But you were not done. You unhooked the necklace from your neck. At the very least your necklaces would be together, if you and your soulmate never would be.

Another soft sound and the second necklace dropped into the sea, gone forever.

You set sail the next day, away from the harbour where you had dropped your necklaces, beginning a new chapter, one where you and Sanji were together, no matter what.

And at the bottom of the ocean, while you and Sanji lived out your happy lives, two glowing stones illuminated the sandy floor.

[amysnotdeadyet]

Good Steve

Another! And then I have to go cook dinner. Stupid reality.

My darling @newtypeshadow asked for a somewhat complicated Steddie from Stranger Things plot, so she gets 555 words.

If there was one thing Eddie Munson was known for — besides shredding on the guitar — it was being protective of his boyfriend. Corroded Coffin were big enough that when they got outed the subsequent dip in record sales didn't tank their careers.

The metal scene was all about people living their lives outside of social conventions, after all.

Eddie did a cover of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" to open every concert that tour. Steve came along the way he always did. Instead of hanging with the other WAGs, he wore a staff shirt and assisted everywhere backstage. He'd learned a ton of useful skills in his years touring with them, and was always happy to help.

It took new guys some time to figure that out, though.

"Why the fuck is he here?" asked the guy who would be known as Bad Steve for the duration of his employment. He was a lighting expert of some renown, but he'd been caught in traffic on the way to the gig, so Steve had started setup while they waited.

"You're late," said Nate through the headset.

Steve emerged from beneath the boards already talking. "They need to solder #17, it's just not connecting." He turned to Bad Steve with a charming, boyish grin. "Oh, hey! I'm Steve, happy to lend a hand."

"You're Munson's boytoy." Bad Steve, unfortunately, had not muted his headset.

A dark 'ooooh' went through the line from several sources.

Steve's expression shuttered. "Check it or don't, but don't blame me if it goes out. Chart's over there."

Eddie came crashing into the booth, looking like a hot mess. "Stevie, baby, I need your touch."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You need me to do your eyeliner again because you smudged it already."

"Yep," said Eddie. "Oh, and Bad Steve, do consider who might be listening, hm?"

Steve let Eddie put his hands in the back pocket of his admittedly small jeans shorts, not even bothering to glance back to where Bad Steve was fuming.

A few hours later, when #17 had been soldered and the show was underway, Bad Steve got to see why Eddie's Steve was the favorite.

A nazi punk managed to get onstage while security was breaking up a fight elsewhere, and Steve flew out of wings with fire in his eyes to tackle the guy before he got past the monitors. Long legs pinned the guy's back to the floor, and he palmed the guy's head like a basketball, leaning in to say something there was no mic to pick up.

The guy tried to get up and got his face slammed into the stage for his trouble, Steve clearly in control even when the punk tried to swipe with a switchblade. The knife clattered away as Steve brought his own arm down on the guy's hand, smashing it into the monitor with a crunching sound and the screech of feedback.

The rest of security finally arrived to confiscate the knife and the nazi. Steve let him up, holding his own hands out while they hauled him away.

At that point, no one could blame Eddie for the scorching kiss that followed.

"Well," said Eddie into the mic, once Steve was safely offstage. "That was fuckin' hot, right?"

The cheers that followed were almost as deafening as the music.

[romanticizing-writing]

dear cast, what was your hardest episode to act for (if one applies)?

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

I don't understand why you would want to know (why are people obsessed with seeing me vulnerable), but I suppose I'll entertain my fans. You better appreciate it! The things I'll do for my parent's public image.

I would have to say that the most difficult episode for me to act in was the "Northwest Mansion Mystery" episode. Why? Well, there's multiple reasons behind it, for your information. First of all, Mason is a jerk. ... Okay, fine, maybe that was a bit of an overstatement. I'll rephrase — he can be an annoying smart aleck when he wants to. And, for some reason that only he himself will ever know, he decided to be one for the episode. Constantly. So much so that some scenes from the episode weren't planned and instead some of those "times when actors weren't acting" thing. So what if I maybe fired some insults back? Horror is dumb. It's a scientifically proven fact. Besides, he knows that I'm a natural blonde! Yet, he keeps on making comments about how I'm not. Ugh. He's lucky that I don't mind wasting my time with him with how he acts.

Secondly, the episode hit a bit too...personal for me. I may or may not have had a few mental breakdowns that were only calmed down by Mason and the sense of security he gives me, but there's no proof of that. Like, at all. So, don't go poking your nose around any rumors, gossip, or cut takes. Or else I'll sue you. I'm not joking. I'm sure Mr. Stan would be more than willing to be my lawyer for a cut of the profit.

You're Welcome,

Patricia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

This was a good question! Here — have a sticker for the amazing idea! ^^

Take it! It's a gift between you and me. Anyway— I would have to say that the episode "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future" was the most difficult for me to act. I'm new at acting, so I didn't know how to make myself emotional or cry at will. Because of this, the ending ended up, admittedly, taking a while to get done. But, everyone was really nice about it! Mr. Stan even gave me some private, one-on-one lessons to help for the scene. It was SO fun. I learned a lot from him! He's the best! I should probably give him a thank-you sticker...

Best wishes,

Mabel <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

I don't usually have much trouble when it comes to acting due to my lengthy experience in the film industry. But, I would have to say that the hardest episode to act for was "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future." Usually, I'm able to detach myself from the other cast members and get deep into the role, but the idea of saying something that was supposed to break Mabel's (the character's) heart when she acted so similar to, well, the actor her was just...

...

It — It took a little longer than it normally would have to get into character for the scene. I don't want to talk about it anymore, nor do I have to. Please don't be like other "fans" and choose to respect my privacy. We're not just people acting for your entertainment — we're real human beings, just like you. I shouldn't have to state that.

Sincerely,

Mason

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

In all honesty, the answer came to me right away — like a dream! Except it's not a dream, since it's the hardest episode I found to act for, heh... Uh, proceeding on, the episode I had the worst time acting for was "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel". Funny, considering that it was my (character's) debut episode, isn't it? It was difficult for me for two reasons. One, it was my first ever time acting with a main role, so I put a teensy bit of pressure onto myself to be perfect. Not too much, but still some. And, two, I — from time to time — got a bit weirded out from the lines and actions I had to act out. Gideon's a lil' creep. I knew this already, of course, but I still got slightly uncomfortable when I finally had to act like one. It's different knowing something about a character beforehand than having it actually play out in front of your eyes. 'Specially if you're the one playing it out. But, I digress.

Best regards,

Deon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

Thank you for question. I hope that my answer doesn't disappoint, but I can't really think of an episode I had the hardest time acting for, dude (neutral). Like, I had a pretty chill time acting for all of them. Sure, I may have had a little bit of a trouble once in while, but nothing that really stands out. Y'know what I mean? Kinda like when you get all of your dream presents and you're asked to pick a worst one out of all of them. You can't really decide — you feel the same about all of them, but in a positive way. Uh, so yeah. Still, thanks for asking!

Cheers,

Alza (or "Alzamirano" for formality?? Not entirely sure on how to do this, dude...)

P.S. should I have maybe written that extra bit as a "P.S."?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

I took the moment to think deeply about the question before writing my reply, and I can confirm that I indeed have one! For me personally, I reckon that the episode I had the hardest time acting for was the "Gideon Rises" one. I will be the first one to admit that I'm a huge klutz. Whenever we had to shoot that one scene where I was building Gideon his ginormous robot, I would keep slipping, or dropping stuff, or just straight messing up. We had to do...what? Ten retakes? I don't remember the exact amount. Not that I've developed memory problems like my character, heh. Remembering a specific number just wasn't my top priority.

Respectfully,

Hadron

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

Ooh~! Interesting question. You don't have the intention of stirring up drama, do you? Ah, I'm just messing with you. Haha! Of course you do! Who doesn't? That's why there's an entire genre for it: People crave tragedy and melodrama. Why, it's a fact about society at this point. Why else do you think there are so many angsty fanfictions on WattPad and Ao3? Because people enjoy watching other people suffer!

Oh, and just to clarify, I'm not one of those people. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye (Pinkie Pie, no one could understand your greatness). Sure, I thrive in the chaos and perhaps may cause some of it from time to time, but when it comes down to the serious stuff? Like bad things happening to real people? I'm not going to stand by and make it my own form of entertainment like everyone else.

...

Oh, that got depressing quick, didn't it? My apologies I'mnottrulysorry! Anywho, back to the reason why I'm writing this whole thing — the hardest episode for me to act for? Well, kid, I'll tell ya. It would have to be "Weirdmaggedon 3: Take Back the Falls". That episode was the main time I struggled out of all of the times I acted for the series. And let me tell you, it was smooth sailing with very little sea monsters threatening the peace when working on the show.

To be more specific, the scene in the Fearamid's Penthouse with Ford was the one I had a difficult time with. Trust me, there's nothing I like more than a challenge, though! Some technical difficulties were overdue after such easy workload and I was prepared for them. Totally. 100%! You better not doubt any of what I'm saying because it's all very much true and if you do you're stupid (jk, I'm sure you're smart if you rightfully have interest in people like me). There definitely was no extra tension between the two of us, and I definitely did not want to bolt the room the moment we were forced to stay onto the same set together. And I definitely did not think back to those days when we met each other in secret. Nor did I remember the twinkle in his brown eyes when he looked at me like I was worth something, stirring up feelings within my heart. I especially did not think of how much I missed him, of how much I regretted our (my) decision to part ways.

Aside from that, everything was a breeze! Acting was — what's the phrase? Oh, yes! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! After all, an actor as talented as moi barely ever has a hard time with the art he perfected.

Yours,

William

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

Ha! You wanna know the episode I had the hardest time acting? You wish. Sure, the question itself may come from innocent motives, but one thing I learned is that if you give the public an inch, they'll take a mile. I reveal what episode was the most difficult for me and why and the information will be spread all across the internet — like a weed growing in a garden! Then, it'll become one big game of telephone where the information gets abridged and summarized and translated to the point where it's phrased entirely differently with some people's personal thoughts added to the mix as if I spoke them aloud. After that, either it's used to turn me into some meme — damaging my reputation and self-worth, but don't tell Ford that — or it'll be used to fuel some controversy or type of slander that only those type of people are capable of coming up with. So, sorry, but I ain't got anything for ya. Try again next time.

Goodbye,

Stan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Pickledoesthetumbling,

I compliment you for both your curiosity and decision to take matters into your own hands in order to discover some answers for yourself. Not many people have the confidence to inquire with me about such a subject (though I am absent of any clue why), so I shall reward you for your boldness with an answer.

After thoroughly pondering my many experiences acting for scenes from the show, I have come to a firm and definite conclusion. I can say with absolute certainly that the episode I had the most difficult time acting for was "Weirdmaggedon 3: Take Back the Falls" due to the existence of the Penthouse scene between William and I. I'm sorry to disappoint you in such a manner, but I refuse to give an explanation as for why. It's a personal matter that brings me much discomfort every time my mind thinks of it.

Thank you for your understanding.

Cordially,

Dr. Ford

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I'm sorry that this took so long. I ended up being very busy today. I'm planning on eventually writing a fanfic for this AU once I get to the final part of the "Meet the Cast!" series and one of the chapters delves into how William and Ford felt acting out that one scene. Thank you so much for the ask!)

[strawberrypinky]

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed with negativity on the internet recently and thus I've decided to take matters into my own hands and spread some ✨love and positivity✨

And what better way to do that, than to recommend wonderfully written fanfiction I've come across this year? Admittedly, I haven't read as much as I would have liked, but I still want to share the few I did read. So without further ado, here are my fic recs of 2024 (thus far! Might add to this along the line):

Baldur's Gate 3 Fic recs:

O Fortuna [by @gufu-vire] on AO3 - Raphael x Dark Urge ❦ Plot: Post the events of BG3, a redeemed Dark Urge and Raphael renegotiate terms to fulfil a contract sworn upon during the crisis of the Absolute. An adventure fraught with tension, frustration, conflict, and more as the reader partners up with the devil you love to hate…

This is possibly a very biased mention on this list, because I consider Goof a very dear friend and moot, but it is a deserved spot nonetheless! I have yet to catch up with a majority of the chapters, but I'm enjoying a lot of sneak peeks and Gufu's creative process in private in the meantime. Between the conflict this story is utterly hilarious and witty and is a perfect balance between action and idle affairs. There are also so many intriguing takes on Raphael as a character & Harleep deserves a trophy on his own. I could talk a lot about this story, but truly, I cannot recommend it enough!

❦

Sleep Deprivation - [by @nyda-the-tav & Aisln] on AO3 - Gortash x Tav ❦ Plot: As Orin continues to harass the group of misfits trying to stop the Absolute, Ophelia (Tav) looks for safety in the arms of Gortash in an effort to combat sleep deprivation.

I've only recently started reading this story & both authors best believe that once I've caught up with all 50(!) chapters, I'll leave a more detailed review for Sleep Deprivation. But what I've read thus far has been nothing short of a joy, and I'm always down for a good Tav being absolutely ruined by Gortash himself. The dynamic between the supposed enemy and the hero is gripping, hilarious and not to mention really well written! Kudos to the authors! I'm really excited to read more of what you two come up with!

❦

His Star - His Queen [by @random-introverted-blog] on AO3 - Astarion x Tav/Astarion x Dark Urge ❦ Plot: An ascended Astarion kidnaps the Dark Urge/Tav from a different timeline, after loosing her in his. Desperate to save Tav/Durge from himself, Astarion follows her to rescue his love from certain suffering at his own hands.

I was recommended this story on TikTok (of all places, lol) and I wasn't sure what to expect - but holy shit. The first chapter alone had me on the edge of my seat, as you're really thrown into the action from the start, but the entire premise had me hooked as soon as Ascendant Astarion made his appearance. I often have issues with the ascended version of Astarion's character (I just looooove fixing him & I've got issues with the 'make him worse' story arc), but the exploration of what could have been in tandem with trying to save the heroine from inevitable suffering is beautiful & I can't recommend it enough. I've yet to catch up with every chapter (can you tell I've got trouble keeping up with fics, lmfao?) but either way, "His Star - His Queen" is deservedly on this list!

Note: This fic includes non-consensual sexual content

❦

Judgement by the Hounds [by @septembersummer] on AO3 - Gortash x The Dark Urge ❦ Plot: A look into the relationship of The Dark Urge (Seren) and Gortash, from their first meeting up to their shared end. "The rise and fall of the worst situationship of all time" indeed.

This one I actually finished (very slay), though I'm not sure I actually processed it. I went through all five stages of grief reading this and I'm not even sure I can say anything without spoiling the entire premise. Dear author, you have written possibly the most captivating and enchanting portrayal of Durge and Gortash & though I knew how it would end, I was wishing for a happy end through it all. There's nothing to say about this, other than it was utter perfection.

❦

Miscellaneous One Shot recommendations:

legacy with no memory by @discordsmuse on AO3 - Gortash x The Dark Urge The Weight of A Promise by @sserpente on tumblr [Part 2 is equally good!] - Gortash x Tav/OC kiddo. by @avocado-writing on tumblr. - Gortash & OC

to have and to hold by @littlejuicebox on tumblr. - Astarion x Tav

choices. by @deadtired-highkeyenergetic on tumblr - Astarion x Tav

how to win a custody battle in one easy step. by alltears on AO3 - Astarion x Tav

Dangerous by NaeveTheWizard on AO3 - Astarion x The Dark Urge

❦

Honourable Mentions:

I'm also giving a shout-out to @avani-telvanni & @infernaldaydreams, because while neither have written fanfiction I could recommend, I am obsessed with their respective artworks for Tav x Gortash/Durge x Gortash. You guys are absolutely amazing and I'm conistently in awe of what you create. You deserve all the recognition you receive and more 💕

Hogwarts Legacy Fic rec's: a very short list, but two are dear to me nonetheless!

Victory [by @jonquil] on AO3 - Victor Rookwood x Original Female Character ❦ Plot: Victor Rookwood is enraptured by the new, ancient-magic-wielding student attending Hogwarts - and Victor Rookwood always comes out on top.

Technically I started reading "Victory" in 2023, when it first came out, alas, it was finished earlier this year and I couldn't help but include it, because it remains one of my favourite fanfiction ever. To me, it's the best fictionalisation of "Enemies to Lovers" in a long time, as I was rooting for the villain to win from start to finish. From the wonderful characterisation of Rookwood to the alternative canon timeline and ultimately the victory of the villain - there's nothing like it and I was hooked from start to finish. I am still sad it's over, but I'm excited to read the prequel (as soon as I get to it, lmfao), because I know it'll be equally spectacular!

Note: This fic contains non-consensual sexual content.

❦

Invisible String [by @legacygirlingreen] on tumblr (though it can be found on both AO3 and wattpad too!) - Sebastian Sallow x Reader ❦ Plot: In an alternative, victorian-attitude-compliant timeline, Sebastian Sallow falls for the new fifth-year. This story explores the sweet beginnings of a tender love amidst hardships and battles ahead.

Admittedly, this is possibly the most biased fic rec ever, but I stand behind it nonetheless. While this fic started in March of last year & brought me and my platonic soulmate May, aka legacygirlingreen, together, it remains my favourite Sebastian Sallow fic to this day. The amount of love, time and creativity May put into this has me in awe time and time again. The sweet and tender love the two protagonists experience is perfectly fluffy and slice-of-life, yet the alternative version of the canon events of Hogwarts Legacy add the perfect amount of drama and action. I will always come back to this fic, because yes - It is that good.

[pettyrevenge-base]

My landlord thought he could pull one over on me, but ended up learning the meaning of "You should've read the fine print before you signed it."

TLDR: The real estate company that owns my apartment thought they could intimidate my roommates and I into signing a new, crappier contract, but ended up getting bit by their own laziness.

Edit for Clarity: In Germany, it is common to have indefinite rental contracts, which do not have a set end date and remain in effect until termination, usually by the tenant.

Some context: I live in Germany, which has extremely strong tenant's rights.

I've been living in my apartment for about eight years now. About one year after I first moved in, I got a letter from the company that owns my apartment building. In short, it said this:

Dear Mr. X,

We are cancelling your existing rental contract. If you wish to continue renting this apartment, please sign this new contract [with higher rent] or move out within 30 days.

This scared the hell out of me. I was living in a city where the rent prices were skyrocketing and I had only just managed to find a long- term apartment I could afford. As soon as I began looking at my options, it became clear that I was either going to have to fight what was essentially an eviction or move back to the US and start building my life again just after I had finally found some stability.

After I asked around a bit, someone tipped me off to something called a Mieterverein, which is essentially a nonprofit group that advocates for tenant's rights and gives its members the opportunity to get legal advice regarding their rights as tenants.

I looked one up near me and booked it over to their office. I explained my situation, filled out some paperwork, and went to speak with the group's lawyer. I showed her the letter and my current contract and she looked over it for a few minutes without saying a word.

After what felt like an eternity, she looked at me and said in her most diplomatic German legalese, "You have nothing to worry about. This letter is bullshit" (admittedly paraphrased, but that's what it boiled down to). She then turned to a page of the contract and pointed out a single line in it: "No changes may be made to this contract unless both parties consent to the proposed changes."

In other words: as long as I refuse to sign the new contract, they can't do anything to me.

The group's lawyer then sent a letter on my behalf to the company. I received a copy of it for my records and essentially, it told the company that they would find themselves in some major trouble with the government if they continued to pursue the matter further.

About a month went by and I heard nothing further. Then, one day, a letter from the company arrived. The company basically admitted defeat and tried to cover its tail by saying that the letter was "sent in error" by "an employee who is no longer with the company."

For the next seven years, it became an annual ritual: Company sends ominous letter telling me I'm getting kicked out, I forward the letter to the Mieterverein, and the Mieterverein's lawyer sends them a letter telling them to stick the letter where the sun don't shine. And then, after attempt #8, the lawyer sent them another letter telling them to cut the crap and stop sending these letters every year. I haven't heard from them since. :)

Source: reddit.com/r/pettyrevenge

[thesassymarquess]

Gleba

What's this? More Gleba content on my blog that's becoming increasingly Factorio focused?

Yes. Today we're focusing on everyone's favorite Gleba intermediary BIOFLUX. I've been working on some new designs for it for my MP game. We're hitting the late game and my previous base with around 90 SPM isn't cutting it anymore. We're routinely having Lime Science as our bottleneck, and it's not helped that every shipment of bioflux out stalls our science production. So I've been looking into creating a new build for producing bioflux in mass, with attention being paid to late-game technologies. So I am designing with consideration for beacons, modules, & stack inserters (though these designs feature none of them. Instead I try to get the basics down, so they can be upgraded with quality, surrounded by beacons, & have stack inserters placed in as well). Since I've gone to the trouble of designing 2/3 of my planned layouts (I had a third layout, which I've decided to abandon in favor of testing the other two).

So with the idea that we want this to be a late game build, we're running with a few constraints and other considerations.

No Quality

Bioflux here is being produced primarily for export. As biter spawners don't benefit from quality bioflux, it's not worth complicating the build for, or trading off the below point.

Maximize freshness

We want to maximize the viable time of the bioflux on Nauvis. Easiest way to do that is to maximize freshness, and have a good spaceship (Which... is a different topic altogether. Perhaps a post for another day).

Space for Beacons

I want there to be space for at least a beacon for every single machine. We're beginning to regularly roll out fairly decent quality modules of the speed/prod variety, and I'm planning on building a much larger Gleba, so using modules is on the board. Plus my current issue with power on Gleba is actually having too much chemical fuel, and not enough usage, as my heating towers are throttled for better efficiency... so I have spoilage backups. Weird problem to say "I have too much power" but I do.

Shoots for the Bioflux ratio of 6 bioflux -> 5 Yumako Mash & 2 Jellynut chambers

The ratio is honestly kinda awkward at first, trying to figure out a good way to lay it all out, but I realized after a bit there were some decent layouts possible.

Fits within a robo-port grid

Fairly self-explanatory goal. I like having my roboports laid out in a perfect square grid. If I can fit the build within that, even better

With that in mind, I'll move to the designs. I'm testing them on a Nauvis sandbox (because the sandbox puts you on Nauvis by default

The first module. I found it has some of the worst space efficiency, I can't evenly put beacons around most of it in a tilable manner, and then I realized I'd have to braid belts in for the yumako, bioflux, & spoilage unless I wanted to have a 5-item belt monstrosity... So it's either a triple-braid, a rotting sushi-belt, or the design gets canned. Admittedly, a triple braid is manageable, and could be worked in such a way to hit the machines in the right order I believe, but... the final nail in the coffin here is a weird one... I don't want to belt jelly if I can avoid it. So those things altogether made me decide the design was best stopped here. I chose to share it, as it's the only design that most of it can be used with an 8-8 beacon array. It might be a good starting point for a different design for someone else.

Despite the name indicating this is the B module, this was the third module designed. It got its name from its placement between module A and C during my initial designs, while I was searching for a placement method I could use to place the biochambers such that every chamber was adjacent to the biochambers needed in the production line. I'm using infinity chests to test that all chambers fire up correctly with no downtime while running, and then run the bioflux through a steel chest before into another infinity chest to delete them. That lets me get a look at the freshness of the outgoing bioflux, and I can get a rough idea of which design is "fresher". Now earlier I mentioned that beacons are a priority for these designs, and I didn't abandon that principle. Instead, what I realized would work best would be to run pairs of beacons in the center of the yumakos, on either side of the central inserter. There should be enough space to fit a single beacon (Unfortunately I can only fit one beacon in there, there's no way for a second beacon to reach the center chamber). Another note on this design, is that it's tileable, so it can be connected front or back. It's main pitfalls are the belt-braiding (I tried a mixed belt, it didn't work well), and the low number of beacons that can affect the center. Finally, I'll give the freshness rating, which came in at a nice 96% freshness (We use fresh fruit spawned in infinity chests, they don't begin rotting until the inserters pick them up and put them on the entry belts. I ran this while the other I worked on the other designs before adding the freshness counters. So the system was already "Hot")

I also flushed the design by stopping fruit coming in, and then later restarting it, to see if it could clean itself out, and recover from a stall. I think this is the better design, even though it doesn't have nutrient production, as nutrients are fine to be wasted in my eyes, are easy to mass-produce, and a base without flowing nutrients has bigger problems generally. I originally wanted it to be nutrient independent, and capable of restarting itself, but I'll likely just have to make the nutrient production contain a nutrient-rebooter. And... considering this is for biter eggs, it's not impossible I might decide to start shipping eggs over for overgrowth production, and using them as a primary nutrient source...

Finally is module C. So this module uses a jelly belt again, but it's a lot tighter in build than Module A. Also due to the positioning of the biochambers, it's possible to use a 4-4 beacon setup with it as well. However... I've decided that if this module ends up in my base, it's either going to be for nutrient rebooting. If you look at the top row, the belts are placed at distances where yellow would work, but I found that they both require red-belt levels of throughput to keep up with the jelly & bioflux productions. In fact, the Jelly production needs at least a blue-belt, and I think actually needs a green belt to *actually* work right. That's because each biochamber outputs 12 jelly per second, and together that 24 overwhelms the 22.5 items per second of a single express belt by just a small bit. Scaled up with a 4-4 beacon setup with legendary modules, beacons, & biochambers, I think it might overwhelm the throughput of a stacked turbo belt. I didn't move to test these in legendary form admittedly, because once I got both designs working, I watched them run and waited to see if flaws began to show up. And for this build, they did. I had to rearrange the spoilage out a few times, noticed the last two bioflux chambers weren't running, which again have stalled, this time due to no Yumako. They've been routinely having problems getting sufficient yumako mash or jelly. And then they had an output issue. Ultimately I came to the conclusion if the build was struggling at common quality with no beacons, it'd perform worse with beacons & modules & quality, and there's a chance stack inserters would not be enough to save it. Finally, there's the freshness results. This build had a lot more variability in it. It stabalized around 95% freshness, but had drops down to 80% which is likely due to the input starved machines.

[rhiandoesfandom]

Ficlet: I'll Save You

(Admittedly, I shouldn't be writing this, because my wrists hurt like a bitch, but I'm a bitch to myself and I have THINGS IN MY HEAD that need to get out of said head, so here. Have my head hehe).

Here you go @blitzwhore :)

Setting the Scene:

Stolas works for IMP, he has been asking over and over to go on a mission with the gang and Blitz kept saying no because he was worried it's "Too dangerous". Stolas followed up with "I am literally an eldritch god" to which Blitz said, "Fucking fine but do what I say".

Blitz falls through the portal, face first while Millie giggles and Moxxie shakes his head, both stepping through behind him. Stolas comes through last, gasping, "Blitz! Are you alright?" he reaches his hand down and Blitz waves it off,

"Yeah yeah yeah I'm fucking fine", he says, wiping snow off his jacket. Moxxie chuckles, "He does that like every day".

"Really?!" Stolas asks again and Millie nods. Blitz rolls his eyes,

"ANYWAY, let's go over the job gang. So we're here in...fuckin...what is this, Russia?" he looks to Moxxie and he opens the maps on his phone.

"Yes, we seem to be somewhere in the tundra of Russia, sir". Moxxie affirms and Blitz nods, "Good I guess. Millie why are we here again?"

Millie pulls out the briefing that Moxxie typed earlier, "It seems like we are looking for some guy in a cabin? Real remote person".

"What'd he do?" Blitz asks, Moxxie has been taking clients directly recently while Blitz and Stolas take longer getting to work. For...reasons.

Moxxie replies, "Well, it seems he shot up a preschool in a nearby village, sir. The teacher wants revenge".

"Holy fuck, okay", Blitz says, polishing his gun.

Stolas puts his hand to his mouth, "My word! He definitely deserves this then, we must be quick!" they all stare at him then back at Blitz.

"Yeah-it's fine Stols, we'll just go at our regular pace. Just wish it wasn't so fucking cold here, Satan's taint!" he shivers, holding his arms in his big coat with the hand sewn IMP patch that Stolas resewed after the last one got mildly burnt during the last mission in Antarctica, as someone decided to light a fire near the portal.

Stolas can't help but admire how cute Blitz looks in his little coat. He's only in a small wool sweater himself, his feathers giving him plenty of warmth already. As they walk toward the location of the cabin, the M's hold hands and Stolas grazes his near Blitz's hand and he blushes, putting it behind his head.

"UUUhhhh, m-maybe not while we're on mission", Blitz says shyly, his words having trouble finding their footing. He's realized that since they started dating, literally every brush, every touch, even potential is a fucking recipe for disaster in his head and body. He fucking melts like an ice cream cone in Wrath.

"Oh, right", Stolas replies, pulling his hand away and looking down, frowning. But Blitz can't take his sad owl eyes and reluctantly holds his hand, red hot spreading across his cheeks. Stolas doesn't say anything to the sudden change of heart, just smiles and winks at Millie when she looks back at them.

Blitz pulling his hand away from Stolas, he pushes him down by placing a hand at the small of his back as they all duck behind some bushes.

"Okay what's the plan?" Moxxie asks, looking to Blitz who shakes his head, "Huh?" he replies, clearly distracted and Millie and Stolas giggle.

"Sir! The plan! For killing this guy!" Moxxie says again, annoyed now as Millie runs her hand up the back of his hair under his hat and he calms a little.

Blitz scooches away from Stolas and takes a deep breath, "Right. So Moxx, you flank the back with Mills. I got the front with Stols". They nod and separate, but the target is good at realizing his surroundings.

He steps out of the cabin, holding his shotgun.

"I FUCKING HEARD SHIT OUT HERE!" he says in Russian and Blitz shrugs, "Alright I just need to line up the shot", he lines up the rifle through the bush and Stolas puts a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't think we should wait until he's back inside?" Stolas asks and Blitz scoffs, "Nah, this'll do fine". He looks back in his scope but the target is gone.

"Fuuuuck", he whispers under his breath. Stolas looks around, "I dont see him..."

"See M&M anywhere?" he asks, still whispering and Stolas shakes his head, "Fuck" he replies in a whisper again.

Suddenly the target tries to tackle Blitz, kicking Stolas to the side against a tree. Putting his hands around Blitz's throat.

"Blitz!!" he turns eldritch, swiping a black claw straight through the targets body, slicing him in half right over Blitz, their blood dripping down Blitz's face as Stolas's eldritch form looms over him.

"Holy fuck...." he whispers, barely audible. The blood in his body flooding his face and...other parts.

Stolas quickly pushes the split body of the target aside and changes back to his regular form, blood splattered all over his face.

"Blitz are okay?! I'm so sorry if I scared you I-" he starts but Blitz pulls him down by the back head feathers into a deep, tongue twisting kiss.

"That was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen", he says, both breathing heavily as they continue making out in the blood stained snow.

"Sir! Are you-WHAT THE FUCK?!" he says, gesturing to them and Millie chuckles, "Oh Moxx don't be mad, this is literally us every time we do a mission".

Moxx sighs, "You're right", then he sees the body of the target, "Satan-daaaaammnnnn. Was that you Stolas?!" he asks and Stolas nods, Blitz sitting up and pulling Stolas close, "You're damn right it was him!! My sweet murder bird", he coos and gives pecking kisses all over Stolas's face, him hooting in response.

Moxxie takes a picture of the body and holds Millie's hand, "Okay how are they more gross than we are".

"It's cute!" Millie says, smiling. Blitz blushes, standing up and Pulling Stolas up with him and easily pressing the crystal portal open.

"Come on gang! I'm fucking horny, and if I don't get to fuck this bird in the next ten minutes I'm gonna explode", he scoops Stolas up in his arms to his surprise,

"OOoh hoo hoo!" He hoots in response, kissing Blitz on the horns as he's carried through the portal.

[batsplat]

seen people talk about how marcs 2012 season was the reason the penalty point system was introduced (that made vale start from the back in 2015 which is admittedly absolutely absurdly funny) so here i am to ask my favorite motogp historian for thoughts (and prayers?) mostly about what exactly marc DID to make that happen (kinda funny also that he was branded a track terrorist from day 1 😭) and why they struck it in the mid 2010s?

okay so I'm gonna be lazy here and start out by just including what I put in the marc race recs post:

phillip island 2011 was the worst incident, and marc was criticised by motogp riders too, including valentino and casey. that one was like... it was just straight up dangerous and also incredibly stupid, I mean you're trying to get an extra lap in at the end of fp1 and are putting yourself and other riders in serious danger (definitely a case where you can argue that the penalty didn't go far enough and a race ban would have been warranted). marc can sometimes be pretty bullish in response to criticism while still going away and kinda realising what he'd done was a bad idea, quietly adjusting his behaviour... examples include this, where he had his team appeal the penalty, as well as of course 2018 argentina, where he talked down the 'mistakes' he'd made and said he'd done more wrong in the aleix than the valentino incident (which may be true, but it's the rhetorical equivalent of saying it's better to go up to someone's home and throw bricks through the windows than it is to set it on fire) - he is fairly good at learning from his mistakes, even when he doesn't always fully admit to them

that being said, of course he did continue getting himself involved in a fair bit of controversy during 2012. but it's worth pointing out that the penalty points system wasn't just a case of 'oh this kid is so bad, we've got to do something' - it was also a case of 'yeah this is being handled in a super inconsistent manner, actually'. like, there were times people felt marc should be penalised more, yes, but other times where they felt it was too much... it was just a bit all over the place. luckily, inconsistent stewarding is a problem they've managed to fix in the intervening twelve years, so we never hear about that stuff any more. let's just give a quick summary of the four biggest 2012 flashpoints:

qatar: marc runs luthi off-track in a deliberate and pretty dangerous way and gets a slap on the cooldown lap for his troubles, plus a reprimand from race direction

catalunya: towards the end of a race in which marc made several questionable moves, pol espargaro attempted to overtake marc who had just saved a fall - marc cuts across the track to rejoin the racing line and ends up colliding with pol. he was initially given a controversial penalty in the form of a minute added to his final time, before that was rescinded (which was unsuccessfully appealed by pol's team). see here for valentino and casey's reactions

motegi: marc 'torpedoed' kallio in saturday morning practise, riding into his side while kallio was on the racing line headed into a turn and causing kallio to highside... which he was not penalised for. some responses to the incident below

valencia: marc attempted to overtake corsi in friday practise, causing him to crash. this time, race direction handed out a back-of-the-grid penalty

it's a subtle distinction but an important one so I'll just stress it again: the stated aim of the penalty points wasn't to hold back aggressive riders like marc but to attempt to reduce inconsistency, which had been exposed in part due to how differently these marc incidents were handled. what marc did was create several high profile controversies, in each case prompting some level of frustration with how race direction handled the whole thing. obviously, there were other non-marc-related stewarding controversies, but it is inarguable that he was a significant factor in causing a revamp of the system

by the way, here's valentino's criticism of marc after the valencia incident:

here's a quick explanation of how the penalty points worked:

and, you know, for what it's worth marc did calm down in motogp... he certainly became better at operating in the grey area of the rules, approaching his racing in a manner his competitors didn't always appreciate but was certainly a lot harder to penalise. though there were also incidents that of course people felt marc should be penalised for - say after jerez 2013, jorge did kinda go 'okay but surely you can at least give a few penalty points for this, isn't this what they're for'. but it's not like there was unanimous agreement on that, see the immediate responses of some of the riders:

(bradley smith saying that jorge's last serious race was motegi 2005 - the one he got the race ban for - is a bit of an insane stance to take and doesn't really match up to reality, but it did make me laugh so that's something. of course the general point that during the alien era most of them were avoiding doing much actual racing isn't exactly wrong but. still)

not to make this a riding standards post, but this is the underlying tension when you're trying to decide how to regulate the sport... jerez was the first serious test that system faced - and it's one where race direction ended up calling it a pure racing incident. which is a tough call! I talked about it a bit in the sete post and what his stance was on the jerez 2005 incident, where he feels like this isn't a contact sport and shouldn't be adjudicated as such. it's a fundamental philosophical difference that became very relevant again when marc showed up fresh from his controversial moto2 campaign and woke up the entire class with his own particular brand of racing. from a write-up of the jerez 2013 race:

(motegi 2008 not motegi 2010, which is something I remember because casey's pass also allowed valentino to immediately swoop on through. should be noted that casey may have apologised but he did not give the position back to dani lol. also motegi 2010 is pretty memorable if we're talking about hard racing. fair to say that valentino demonstrated he did not share the approach of his fellow aliens when battling jorge)

and more on the shift marc brought about:

this is the thing, right - a big part of understanding that time period is concerning yourself with what came just before. the general feeling (unsurprisingly not shared by casey, jorge or dani) was that the series desperately needed some new life breathed into it, that the racing had become stale and sterile and far too predictable... there were several factors that contributed to this, from the beloathed 800cc bikes that were only replaced in 2012, to the approach of those three aliens and how adept they'd become at racking up wins by dominating out front, to how valentino (generally considered the most 'exciting' racer of the lot) had taken himself out of the competitive picture... I mean, in all honesty the racing is still not great in 2013 compared to the rossi heyday (it had gotten better by the very end of the 2010s), but of course there's a lot more energy to it than the years before. which meant the sport as a whole was in a tricky place where they both had to be seen to be constraining marc, stopping him from being an active danger to himself and others, while also kind of... letting him loose. a little bit of controversy is hardly a bad thing, after all - love him or hate him, everyone had a take, and that's the kind of thing that's obviously healthy for a sport

marc did get two penalty points that year for ignoring yellow flags in silverstone and crashing in the same place as cal crutchlow had just gone down:

(for obvious reasons, 'ignoring yellow flags' is extremely dangerous, but there's no reason to believe he wasn't being honest here)

he was also given another penalty point for the contact that caused dani's crash in aragon, taking him perilously close to that back-of-the-grid penalty:

and that was basically their position - it's a warning. broadly they wanted him to not completely revamp his approach, but just apply a little more discretion, exercise his judgement. a little more caution, a little more restraint. it's still fundamentally a different philosophy of racing than the one that had been espoused for several years by the other aliens save for valentino - but marc could get to a place where he was engaging in hard racing that generally toed the line without crossing it. a little more detail on the aragon incident and marc's approach to racing in the context of the time period from this write-up:

this is the issue, right, marc was riding on just the right line of acceptable that race direction would not have in any way been justified in slapping out race bans - though you can certainly argue that in some cases, you could have handed out more penalty points, which would then have meant he would have faced more 'real' consequences. in any case, they couldn't actually 'teach him a lesson', because he'd already more or less learned it... if the lesson is 'hard racing and contact is fine, just don't overdo it'. which of course, not everyone would agree with. the odd memorable exception aside, throughout marc's premier class career he's been very aware of that line, and has taken care to avoid bringing the wrath of race direction upon himself too severely

the penalty points thing and sepang 2015... well, first of all let's quickly bring in what the actual ruling was:

honestly, I imagine that if they didn't have a penalty points system, they would've figured out a different way to penalise him, and might have slapped him with a back-of-the-grid penalty anyway. not in a 'oh the fim had it out for valentino rossi!!!!' way, more that they did need to be seen doing something. the penalty points felt like a fairly elegant way of giving a penalty that wasn't that harsh and wasn't making any judgement calls over whether valentino deliberately kicked marc, while also in an indirect way ensuring that valentino would suffer consequences. and yes, it is a nice bit of dramatic irony - but the piece says it, the penalty "had to be severe enough for rossi to feel truly punished". the penalty points happened to be the tool they had available and perhaps with a different set of rules, valentino would have been handed a slightly different flavour of punishment. but really, this is more 'fun historical coincidence' than something that massively changed the events that played out

of course, it was a controversial decision that few people felt 100% comfortable with. on the one hand, if you believe that valentino kicked marc, then you probably would have wanted him to be disqualified - three measly penalty points does not feel enough in that situation. on the other, if you believe that valentino engaged aggressively with marc but without deliberately trying to make him crash, then a back-of-the-grid penalty that essentially decided the outcome of the championship before the final race even started is a tough pill to swallow. (of course there's also a position somewhere in between where valentino didn't literally kick marc but did attempt to run him off track, which would make the penalty 'about right'.) of course, the championship standings should ideally not determine what sort of penalties are being handed out - but equally, it's something that did limit the intrigue going into the race, and over something that felt quite arbitrary. the other penalty point he'd gotten to rack up the four total was about a qualifying incident in misano - which either feels like a silly thing to determine the ultimate outcome of the championship, or instead is a demonstration of how the cumulative nature of the points system is supposed to work. but yes, it did get a lot of criticism in the aftermath, with concerns over whether future title fights could end up being defanged as an indirect consequence of relatively minor incidents earlier in the season

and of course, the penalty points were eventually scrapped in early 2017. here's a bit more on that decision:

basically, sepang 2015 was a contributing factor to broader changes in how motogp was regulated, which down the line had the knock-on effect of getting rid of that penalty system entirely. rightly or wrongly, race direction felt like they had better tools available to penalise riders and this system was now redundant. anyway [insert another lazy gag about how the switch to a stewards panel has completely failed in eliminating controversy from stewarding] [insert pithy closing line] [press post]

[incessant-visions]

Writing a little fic about Jonah playing snooker. As a treat. Below my usual standards though, no editing.

Some impact, Jonah wagers use of himself due to being low on funds. Can't think of anything else to warn for.

Jonah bites his lip, staring at the table intently. There is... no way that he can make the shot needed for him to win this, regrettably. He's the poorest player at the table, which might frankly be impressive when one of his opponents cannot see the balls he is aiming for.

In his defence... he's had rather a lot to catch up on, in regards to the matter of being a gentleman, and pastimes like snooker are among the things that he's so far neglected in his efforts to catch up.

At least he's not going to lose money. He never has much to spare, his jobs (mainly as a clerk, but occasionally someone Mordechai knows has need for a discreet assistant) paying him enough to get by but not enough that he can afford to spend lavishly as well as save.

He couldn't get away with no bet, though, of course. So he'd offered up himself, with the usual limitations, the main one being one he cannot reiterate enough: nothing that could get him pregnant.

Of course, the other men had agreed. The sums of money involved weren't substantial enough that Jonah would need to up the ante for an equivalent bet to theirs.

Jonah sizes up the table again. Goes for a shot, and... Well, succeeds in making the winning play much easier for the man after him. Maxwell steps up to the table, feels out the edges in order to get a sense of the space, as he does every turn. "Jonah, if you please." No more words need to be uttered; the routine makes the request obvious.

Dutifully, Jonah takes Maxwell's hand and guides it to each ball on the table, narrating its colour and number as he does. It takes far longer than Jonah's turn does, but then, more patience can be afforded to a genuinely skilled opponent if the time is needed to level the playing field.

Once done, Maxwell lines up his cue, takes the shot, and in a miraculous display, each and every remaining ball ends up in one of the pockets, in perfect order.

"I assume that my ears do not deceive me." The man smiles.

"Well played. Saved by the boy's inexperience, though." Mordechai's words are clipped, short, but they always are.

"Don't be so unfair to the good man, Mordechai. He earned his win fairly."

"Thank you," Maxwell says, and turns towards Jonah. "Now, I think I know which prize I shall be taking first." He gestures towards Jonah, then the table. The cue is still in his hand, and Jonah is hardly a fool. He catches the implication loud and clear.

And, deciding to be as good as he's been told he can be when he drops the attitude, he removes his breeches, and bends over the table.

He hears the footsteps behind him, a broad hand caressing his bared thigh, meeting the hem of his briefs, before tugging them down, and leaving his behind bared to the room.

"There he is," Robert says, voice as steady and even as Jonah is used to. "I'm surprised he's not giving you any trouble."

"You speak so well of the boy while having such little faith in him. He knows to honour his deals, don't you?"

"I do, yes. Thank you, Maxwell."

"Mm."

And then, with little warning, there's a swish in the air, and the thud of the cue on his backside. Jonah manages to keep himself from letting out much more than a gasp, dedicating his attention to the green fuzz of the table beneath him, to try and keep his reactions even.

"He can make better noises."

(Mordechai, Jonah thinks, has no business saying that when he is so fond of Jonah keeping silent.)

"Gentlemen, it would be terribly crass of me to come full force right out of the gate." Maxwell gently strokes the tender skin that he'd just hit, and his cold hands make Jonah shiver. (Though, admittedly, a little of that is simply... anticipation.)

And then there's another strike, much harder, and Jonah bites his lip.

"Do tell me once his skin starts marking up, Robert," Maxwell commands, and by that, Jonah suspects that despite his clear loss, he is likely to have a very fine night.

[cilil]

Day 1 ~ Daily Life & Customs

AN: For day 1 of @silmarillionepistolary. Yes, it had to be Cara for tax day, and yes, with Turgon. Thanks again to @elentarial for suggesting this pairing all the way back in December, I'm invested (pun intended) now.

𓂃🖋 Characters/pairings: Caranthir x Turgon 𓂃🖋 Synopsis: Caranthir is delighted to finally receive some personal correspondence - from his favourite cousin no less. 𓂃🖋 Warnings: / 𓂃🖋 Oneshot (~600 words) | AO3

Dear cousin, 

I hope you are well. 

The pen you gifted me proves to be wonderful not just for writing, but for inking my sketches and drawings as well, so I must thank you again. 

I have been making some progress with the tower I was designing, though I am not yet happy with the archway and window designs. Uncle Arafinwë was so kind as to ask Eönwë to take me to Ilmarin for inspiration, but Lord Manwë was more interested in telling me about the birds nesting in his towers than explaining the design. 

I am admittedly lacking inspiration of my own at the moment, so if you happen to have other ideas, please let me know.

Regards, Turukáno 

Carnistir read the letter several times, his brow furrowed in concentration and contemplation. It was quite like Turukáno to keep his correspondence short and to the point, yet another reason why he was — despite his sincere commiseration for his dear cousin's troubles — positively delighted to hear from him. 

Prince or not, Carnistir didn't receive many letters, and most of the ones that ended up on his desk were formal correspondence, either addressed to him or to one of his brothers. Tyelkormo and Makalaurë were particularly notorious for forgetting to take care of theirs, and Maitimo had recently taken to spending a lot of time with Findekáno and was less willing to help out. 

Thus many things fell onto Carnistir's shoulders, and private correspondence had become an even rarer treat. It made him feel important — even wanted in a strange and possibly pathetic manner, as he chastised himself — that Turukáno was indirectly asking him for help and opinions regarding one of his passion projects. 

Determined, Carnistir pushed a stack of papers aside and placed his new favourite letter in the middle, reaching for an empty sheet of paper to compose his response posthaste. While not exactly an urgent matter, it was not one to ignore for days or weeks either. 

Dear cousin, 

I appreciate your letter, and hope this one finds you well. 

If you would like my personal opinion, I am afraid I cannot say much without having seen the progress on your sketch. I would be happy to visit and have a look, though. 

What I can also do for you, if you wish, is arrange a meeting with Grandfather Mahtan and possibly Lord Aulë as well; surely they could provide some better insights. Let me know if you would like that, and I shall speak to my mother promptly. 

Regards, Carnistir

Carnistir hesitated before writing down his final lines. Briefly, he contemplated a warmer wording, at least a "yours" or "yours truly", but in the end decided the safest way was to simply mirror Turukáno's style. Besides, he didn't want to seem pushy or intrusive, not when he had such a golden opportunity to gain his favourite cousin's favour. 

He would accompany him to any meeting he might agree to, of course. It would certainly be helpful for his own studies as well, he justified it to himself as soon as the thought crossed his mind. If he was going to study the depths and nuances of things like trade, taxes and even the occasional textile work, something his family members liked to tease him about, some input on style, composition and architecture couldn't hurt. 

Waiting for the ink to dry on the paper to avoid any unforgivable stains or smears, Carnistir began looking for an envelope and sealing wax. He was going to make sure that his letter would be sent as soon as possible. 

Thanks for reading! ♡

taglist: @elanna-elrondiel @i-did-not-mean-to @saintstars @urwendii

[wardog-of-whimsy]

Welcome to Horse Girl Thoughts On BLs!

As we started off on the previous post about Zee riding the Marwari for The Next Prince, I wanted to add some more pictures and thoughts here because tumblr was having a meltdown.

The Next Prince

Zee's intro ride has a lot of bouncing considering he's riding in a Western saddle. Part of that may be due to the equipment issues I mentioned in the last post, and part of it may be due to the issues we see him having with his own posture and collection. Even when not in motion there's too much tension from his hands to the horse's mouth. That straight line shouldn't be there.

He's still doing too much talking with his hands, and not enough with the rest of him. At least in this still shot there's some relax to the reins. Everyone breathe.

As you can see below from when they were teaser filming, Zee's doing a lot of work with his arms and hands that he simply should not be doing. His elbows are super out in this turn, and high, which is leading to all the bit and mouth movement you see in this screenshot. He should be using his legs and body to turn the horse more than he is, but this is almost all hands to mouth. His hands are high and his thumbs are upright, and when you're English reining you really want them turned somewhat inward. Not directly pointing at each other but toward each other, think 45 degree angle. And if all else fails, put them DOWN, get your wrists close to the pommel of the saddle or to the horse's neck itself. Aside from the fact that his knees are also a little wide in this video, to me, his seat looks better here than it does on the Marwari, which as I understand it they had some trouble "on the day" with based on some of the BTS talk. They also have a snaffle on this black which it might be more amenable or tolerant of nonsense, but there's still enough sawing that you have some wide-open-mouth shots in this turn around. You don't want that, gang.

Sunset x Vibes

Admittedly more experienced, Mos had a better time with the Marwari in shooting for Sunset Vibes. His work in the field is a lovely bit of one-handed riding I was NOT expecting. He's showing off a little and I'm here for it. Yes, I did rewatch this character intro more than once. Anyway. The tack situation for the Marwari is similar to TNP, though he has a western breast-collar added which might cut down on some saddle movement Zee possibly experienced. Mos also appears to be using his whole body when he rides, and when easing into a halt he looks like he's using voice commands as well as settling into his seat. High speed or not, his hands stay quiet. He's not flapping all over or pulling wide, they stay very centered on himself and therefore to the horse. Even when urging along, he's a little forward and his shoulders are in line with his hip, his knees are well under him and his heels are down. As far as using his whole body, considering the way there are ears flicking back like the horse is listening, I'm guessing Mos is talking to him, and his head stays down.

All in all, it's nicer to look at. I'm also including this close in for dismount just because. Bracing on the pommel, keeping that left foot firm in the irons to stand and swing out. Just nice to look at.

To that same end, MosBank also seemed to have a more peaceful relationship with the Marwari their pillion-bareback pad set up. As you can see in this, Bank keeps his hands way down and everything is very relaxed. Even if he's not as held-together and up as he should be, Mos is holding a really good frame and Bank is helped by that. Granted the pace is slower than for Zee's ride but worth mentioning. He's clearly a good horse.

I have a lot to say (or at least share screens) about the BMSS ride so that'll probably get it's own post. Hope you enjoyed!

[braindeathaoe]

🌧️Groundhog Day🌨️ (02/02/25)

"Off to see the groundhog?"

Hey all!

It's been a good few days since my last update.

Brain Death's timeline has undergone some refinement; so have some characters. Naturally, I've barely made a dent in my goals.

Even still, I can't see a time where I'll have any clue what I'm doing.

~It's a lifestyle.~

ADHD meds have given me some trouble—namely my heart. BPM was too high for a while, so I'm deciding to not be dumb and be more conscious about getting enough exercise and eating healthy.

Hopefully the soreness will go away soon. I'm trying my hardest to pace myself and ease into things, lest I relapse and stop altogether.

Among other benefits, slowing down and focusing on myself more than the game has given me the opportunity to recharge. Some days I'll feel so excited and want to jump into ChoiceScript, but I can't yet.

~Where's all the progress?~

For a long time, I was admittedly not very focused on fleshing out plot or lore. I was instead trying to fully immerse myself into one of the settings so that I could decide which choices to present.

Dialogue/interactions with characters were left on the backburner.

I had a few key points decided, and a general idea of how things should be, but that was it. Now, though... I have some answers.

✨ To-Do List ✨

(✅ is complete, ❌ is not.)

Decide what triggers the time-loop of an Oracle ✅

Give MC a canon personality/name ✅ (name = optional; personality is impacted by your choices.)

Create a timeline of major events relevant to current build ✅

Write scenarios treading the line between hope and despair ✅

Find a good spot to end Demo v0.2 ✅

Set near-unrealistic standards ✅

Wonder how it'll end ✅

Humanize characters by giving them flaws and quirks ✅

Worry that it won't be enough to please you ✅

Decide the placement and flow of Act I Chapters ❌

Finish timeline in its entirety ❌

Come up with enough suitable events for v0.2 ❌

Write another character to fill a void in Chapter Two ❌

Finish writing and coding current build ❌

Release the fuckin thing— ❌

As you can see, I'm mostly right where I started, game-wise. Can't beat myself up over it though! The longer I spend meditating on this, the more ideas flow into me. I want to make something beautiful.

Thanks for hanging around in the meantime.

💧Please, hydrate.💧

[snek-panini]

It's Friday the 13th! Here, have a book completely unrelated to that:

It looks fairly straightforward from here, but this is a bind of @dietraumerei's wonderful Good Omens series, The Sprawl of Life. It's a canon universe, pre-season-2 South Downs Cottage fic, and I typeset it when I did because I'd just watched season 2 and wanted the fluffiest, sweetest, most slice-of-life thing I could think of and this was it. Seriously, if you have been personally victimized by the season 2 finale this might be the antidote you're looking for. Though admittedly some of the lines do hit a lot more bittersweetly now than they did when I first read it in 2019.

More pics under the cut! This one's got an unusual format, go have a look!

It's a dos-a-dos! My first one! Before I started making books I'd never even heard of this format, but I've been wanting to try it ever since I found it. It's hard to find stories that suit the format, though--they've got to be within a certain word count, about the same length, and related to one another, and they have to be a pair, not a three or four part story. They look super complicated without (I've found, anyway) actually being that hard to make. If you want to impress a non-bookbinder make one of these to show them; all my family were fascinated by it.

For materials, the floral cover is scapbook paper from Joann's (the fancy stuff that's very flexible and feels handmade) and the spine is Allure book cloth from Hollander's in the wisteria color. It's a perfect match for the lavender in the paper. I've only previously used the Lineco/Books By Hand book cloth and gotten good results, but my experience with that brand in general was that it's a cheap, readily available base for starting out, but there are wider and better quality options out there once you get away from chain craft stores. Working with this cloth was proof of that. It's stiffer than the Lineco stuff, which made it a little harder to glue down but not enough to cause problems, and it took HTV better than any other surface I've used it on. Here, check out the spines:

Images of the spines. In case the photos are a little blurry, that's Demolishing Proofs We Never Believed In on the left and The World and its Beautiful Particle Logic on the right. The titles gave me some worries. I didn't want to obscure more of the florals by putting them on the front, but was worried they wouldn't fit on the spines since they're so long. I got them on, but it took a lot of careful measurements. Still, though, I couldn't be more pleased by them, and I barely had any of my usual trouble getting the HTV to stick.

Handmade end bands on both sides, in colors matched to the cover paper. I was a little worried about making my own for this project since the text blocks are only about 100 pages each. I was worried they'd be too short. But they're not, and I got a really nice front bead on them. I wanted to do three colors but that proved too challenging for my current skill level. Maybe next time. The second image is the endpaper. Specifically it's the back endpaper, so you can see how the second spine fits into the case. When you read a dos-a-dos, you read the first part, then flip it over like you're going to read the back blurb and there's the second part ready to go. I only explain this because, having never made one, I thought you flipped it over top-to-bottom until I did the case fitting for this one. The top-to-bottom one it called a tete-beche and I think does not have the shared cover board in the center; the pages are connected upside-down. (This is all from my limited research; pro bookbinders please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Couple of interior images. All the graphics came from rawpixel and they are the same in both halves. I kept the typeset really simple on this one, without any extra graphics. Partly that was to keep the page count down (images can take up extra space) and partly it's a reflection of the text. It's a happily ever after story, mostly. Their lives are so much easier here than in canon, and the focus is on communicating without barriers or frills and on building their relationship without other things getting in the way. So it's got a fancy title page, because it matches the cover, but the rest is straightforward with just some simple swirls around the chapter numbers.

I couldn't be more pleased with how this turned out. I was worried it would be very complicated since it's a new-to-me build, but I was exaggerating the difficulty and that made for an easy bind. I hope the author likes it too.

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2024: The Top 10 Two 5's?

This was a weird year for me and video games. I played a lot of them, as usual. This year saw a ton of big JRPG releases, which are very much My Jam. I had a hard time really engaging with the hobby though. Some of it was due to logistical issues but most of it was due to getting back into board games.

I had trouble splitting focus between hobbies, I always have. Whatever I am into, I am INTO it hook, line, and sinker. That's not to say I didn't enjoy videogames this year, I did. But when it came time to make a top 10, I had trouble putting together a list. Usually I end up with 15-20 that I have to pare down to 10; this year I had trouble getting to 10. Worse is that no game really blew me away.**

So, rather than go through the motions, I am going to do Top 5 Board Games and Top 5 Videogames for 2025. The videogames will be 2024 releases, while the board games will be games that were new to me in 2024 (I've been away from the hobby for 8 years).

5b. Ark Nova

Ark Nova is my posterchild for the modern midweight Eurogame. It has a lot going on and, when I read the rules, it didn't stick at all. When I set it up and played through a few turns it was all pretty straight-forward.

While there are a lot of options, none are especially complicated. Ark Nova is a table hog and the first couple of games run a little bit long, but it became a favorite 2-player game for my wife and I.

Players are competing to build the best zoo, each with their own personal board to populate with enclosures and animals. Some will require specific conditions (enclosure must be next to water or rocks, or you must have a certain level of scientific expertise, or you must be partnered with a zoo from Africa or Australia, etc). Animals increase your income and the appeal of your zoo. You can also contribute to conservation projects - juggling conservation with your zoo operations is key to victory.

It's a plate-spinning game where you need to do A and B in order to do C, but you actually need to do Z before you can do B, and so on (complimentary). It also features a wombat.

5v. Metaphor: ReFantazio

I have a lot of feelings about Metaphor ReFantazio. It's stylish as hell, it gives you a party of highly customizable, interesting characters, and the premise feels fresh and weird - the king is dead and the public is going to vote in his replacement so it's a sort of popularity contest.

It has a few stumbling blocks - some built into the game, and some are my own fault. First, the game's weather system was a thorn in my side - admittedly because I didn't engage with it as much as I should have. When the weather is bad, combat is harder; okay, no big deal. It turns out I underestimated this element - the game's combat system includes resistances and weaknesses, and when you hit an enemy's weakness you get an extra action. This is crucial to doing well in combat and will be instantly familiar to any Persona fan.

This aspect of combat goes away in bad weather. I went into a challenging dungeon in bad weather and struggled with it for hours before deciding that it wasn't going to work. I had to reload a save from some 5 hours prior (because of the way the game's expeditions and calendar work). This took the wind out of my sails for a while.

There's a lot I like about the story, though it was asking me to accept one too many weird surprise moments late in the game. And I usually love Shoji Meguro's music, but the soundtrack to this game was a massive letdown for me (I'm alone in this, I know). Lots of chanting and weird vocalizing had me reaching for the mute button rather than buying the OST. I love the voice acting, combat system, and writing (the character back stories are excellent - Heismay in particular).

Ultimately, it's a game I want to love more than I do, and it left me with a bit of melancholy.

4b. Azul

I don't think of myself as a fan of abstract games, but I often enjoy them when I find myself playing one. Azul has become a favorite for my wife and I. It plays up to 4 players, but it's far and away best with 2.

Players take turns drafting tiles to fill out their personal board, but it's very much NOT a multiplayer solitaire game. Keeping an eye on your opponent's board, considering what they need and how to stick them with unwanted tiles is every bit as important as focusing on your own board.

It's quick to play, full of interesting choices, and opportunities to stick your opponent and gloat (or curse them when they do the same to you). Plus, it has nice chunky tiles you can clank around in a bag.

4v. Bloomtown: A Different Story

Honestly Bloomtown is a microcosm of my 2024. It sounds great on paper, and I'm impressed with it and enjoyed my time with it, but it never really hooked me.

It's an RPG about a young brother and sister who are staying with a distant relative in a small town for the summer.*** There are shenanigans and hijinks and, eventually, supernatural peril. The only real criticism I can aim at it is that it very clearly takes its inspiration from the Persona series - maybe a little too shamelessly sometimes. The menus, music, and battle system feel uncomfortably close to Persona. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I really didn't have a problem with it.

It's a game I admired more than enjoyed, and it's squarely a Me Problem.

3b. Harmonies

A recurring theme in this best of 2024 list: the videogames that should have landed for me didn't, and board games that shouldn't have resonated did.

Harmonies is a fairly light, short multiplayer-solitaire game with a strong spatial element. That description doesn't fill me with optimism. Players have their own private player board where they are placing different terrain types in an attempt to attract different types of animals. It's all pretty abstract in execution, but the visuals and theme are a big part of the hook for me.

A big part of the appeal with boardgames is the tactile experience of handling the cards and pieces, sitting at a table with friends in meatspace. Harmonies is the posterchild for this - the artwork on the animal cards is gorgeous, the wooden terrain pieces are slightly oblong and it feels great to bang them around in the bag, hoping to fish out that mountain or water you need.

It engages my brain but doesn't overstay its welcome. It became a comfort game around the house in 2024 and it's still going.

3v. Astro Bot

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is the best VR game I've ever played and one of my favorite games, period. Astro's Playroom was a lovely pack-in title that showed off the PlayStation 5 in a fun way. Astro Bot is a fucking corporate mascot who wants to celebrate the history of the Sony PlayStation™ brand with you, and it should be the most cynical, hollow thing ever made.

It somehow works though. It all has a fluffy "aww shucks" charm that pierces my jaded, pessimistic defenses. Some of it is cheating a bit - it's playing on the history of PlayStation, a train I've been chugging along with for 30 years now. I have lots of nostalgia, and this is laser targeted at me. It's not just the big hits, lots of little niche weird titles (the kind that Sony has largely ignored as The Industry has gotten bigger and more risk averse) are here too. Sure, I expect to see Lara Croft and Kratos, but it's nice to see games like Mister Mosquito and Gravity Rush represented too.

It's all delivered by way of a tight 3D platformer full of curiosities and wonders. It introduces new mechanisms then sets them aside before they wear out their welcome. It all feels good to play, the world is a shiny, joyous sandbox that tucks its more challenging bits off into margins where the sicko can crash their ships onto the rocks of timed challenges filled with tricky platforming. It just does everything right. Astro Bot is on par with Mario in terms of quality for me, and that's saying something.

2b. The Crew: Deep Sea Mission

Modern boardgames are intimidating. I've researched, purchased, taught, and played them for years and I still get overwhelmed learning them. I can only imagine how an outsider must feel looking at a board full of wood and cardboard and cards and numbers, like a science project threw up on the dining room table. Will I be able to learn this? Will I have fun? Will I feel stupid? I'm feeling stupid already! Oh god.

Most people (in my part of the world anyway) have some history with traditional card games like Rummy or Poker. And (specifically in my area) trick-taking games like Euchre. They'll see a stack of cards on the table and I'll ask if they know Euchre - if they say yes, then they're already familiar with the concept of leading, following suit, taking a trick, and how a trump suit works. Great, we're already 80% of the way there. Additionally, it's a cooperative game so no one is going to be stranded on their own.

The most important bit - it's really fun! Each player gets their own goal(s) at the beginning of the hand, and the team collectively wins if all goals are achieved. Everyone is invested regardless of whether their own personal goal is simple, and everyone has hidden information so there's no danger of an Alpha Gamer taking over and directing traffic. The difficulty is easy to scale, the hands are quick, and the game has provided plenty of moments where - after a moment's pause - the last card is played and the table erupts in cheers or groans. All in a small, inexpensive box.

Can't ask for better than that.

2v. Balatro

In a weird way, Balatro being this high on the list is indicative of how bad a year 2024 was for me with videogames. Not that Balatro is bad - it's great - but I wasn't captivated by it the way a lot of people seem to be. I played a LOT of it (it was my second screen PC game for most of the year). It was a convenient habit for me. It's so easy to pick up and play for 20 minutes or 4 hours.

I love and miss Poker, but Balatro isn't Poker. Not really. It's an audacious game about making the best Poker hand you can. "Best" is relative here though, because you can break the rules of Poker in terms of the value of a given type of hand (you can boost the value of a Full House, Two Pair, and so on) and by way of dozens of Jokers which aren't a part of the deck, but modify your game in plenty of ways big and small. One says that Spades & Clubs are interchangeable as are Hearts & Diamonds; if you get that, you'll want to pump up the value of a Flush hand for that run. Watch out for an encounter that nullifies your Hearts suit though, as it will nullify your Diamonds as well.

One of the great joys of Balatro (and roguelikes in general) is that it lets you feel absolutely unstoppable before somehow stopping you. It's a game about making broken combinations of things. You're going to break the system. Balatro knows this and welcomes it.

1b. Oath

I enjoy bite-sized games. They're easy to fit into my life. Battle Line, Innovation, Race for the Galaxy. I need one other person and ~45 minutes. You can play easily several games, building up the knowledge and experience that is so important to enjoying tabletop gaming.

On the other end of that spectrum are games like Oath. Oath is a long, rules-heavy mess of an experience. It wasn't until my 3rd or 4th game that I started getting the hang of the systems (and Oath's games are generally not short). The most skilled player will not always win. It's a game that only thrives when played by the same group several times, and when those players give themselves over to the experience.

That description should be enough for me to steer clear of Oath. I picked it up based mostly on glowing praise from Shut Up & Sit Down and, for some reason, this whole messy box works for me. It's easily my favorite game of 2024 and one of the best ever.

It inspired most of the (few) posts I put up last year. I don't get to fully enjoy many of my favorite games because they require a dedicated group to play somewhat regularly. If I could have a regular monthly group dedicated to a single game, it would be Oath.

1v. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Well.

Ichiban Kasuga is a wonderful himbo with a heart of gold, and this game feels like (among other things) a long goodbye for Kiryu Kazuma. The game has all the quirk and heart that the series has always had, and the combat system feels tighter than the last time around.

I believe Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the best 2024 game I played last year that isn't named Persona 3: Reload. I still haven't finished it. Part of this was due to logistics. I've touted the quality of the Xbox Play Anywhere system for years now; this allows you to play supported games on an Xbox console then pick up that same save on PC and vice versa. This has always worked beautifully, and the freedom to play at my PC or on the couch is wonderful.

Infinite Wealth, however, would crash when I played it on console. Not with any consistent trigger, but always within a couple of hours. I'd lose my progress, which is incredibly deflating - particularly for long, sprawling games. That would put me off the game awhile, and I'd hope that an update or a reinstall would fix it, but it never did.

That creates a layer of yuck around a game and, combined with my general inability to fully engage with the hobby last year, means I never finished it and will probably start over one day. As I write this, I wonder if the issue has been fixed and I feel the familiar mix of hope and dread that comes with it. **Persona 3: Reload doesn't count since I already played it and loved it ~15 years ago. ***Related: I watched Gravity Falls this year and it is terrific.

[fairytail-whathesays]

Loke/Laxus has me intrigued actually, any headcanons for that?

As with all things, I can give it my best shot!

Loke was furious with Laxus, to a degree above the rest of the guild, when he had the nerve to show his face after leaving the guild to fight Phantom Lord on their own. He attempted to fight Laxus 1v1 for it, but rather than get his ass summarily whooped as anyone else would have, Laxus just let Loke wear himself out trying to hurt him. It wounded Loke's already low self-esteem much more than punching him outright would have.

Any grudge over that disappeared after Tenrou Island, because Laxus was there when everyone needed help and Loke wasn't.

Loke was the one who referred Laxus to Master Bob, having previously been contracted to a Blue Pegasus wizard, thus facilitating Laxus and the Thunder Legion's stay there during Fairy Tail's year of disbandment.

Laxus and Freed (and Evergreen) were all immensely popular among the women there and hoo boy, did that rile up Loke something fierce. Loke was immediately on 100% power, and did everything in his power to try and make his 'turf' his again.

It didn't work.

Because some of these headcanons have to be funny and unserious or I'll eventually run out of steam, this made Loke so pissed the he decided he'd just date Laxus himself so as to keep all the ladies from migrating into his pocket.

Laxus literally agrees for shits and giggles.

Loke is in a pickle because none of his usual so-cheesy-it-actually-works flirting strategies work on Laxus. For that matter, Loke can't fulfill the role he usually prefers to take in relationships, which is the knight in shining armor and the guy who keeps the other party swooning and blushing at all times.

Loke: I'm unseduce-able. You could never meet my high standards. Laxus: puts on an RnB song Loke:

Because I admittedly had trouble concept-ing this ship as Fairy Tail characters, I'm gonna replace the usual NS/FW section with an AU section:

Loke is the real name of a veteran competitive gamer who goes by the online handle Leo (and yes, he can be a furry if you're the type to stan SonicFox or whatever).

He's serious stuff--your friendly neighborhood gamerbro jocks who think they're hot shit at video games would find their asses virtually nuked if they tried to 1v1 him. Games are his life.

He has just started to really build his empire online and translate the world of success in video gaming into something resembling a celebrity-style dating life, when he's challenged by a newcomer only known by the handle "Thunder God". No pfp, no information known, never speaks over voice chat or types messages. He thinks he'll whoop him like all the rest.

You already know what happens--the shocking upset, and legendary gamer Loke is summarily beaten (probably while streaming in front of like 3,000 people) by this mysterious no-face.

This starts up a very public debate wherein Loke is at risk of losing his title and status if he loses again, should Thunder God show his face--because Thunder God is now out there, casually destroying other gaming legends like some silent, deadly assassin. Loke does some investigating all the way down to hiring white-hat hacker Lucy Heartfilia, and decides to find out who this guy is.

When he finally meets up with the guy, he naturally thinks the guy who answers the door is Thunder God's older brother--actually, what he asks is "are you Laxus' dad?" and the death glare he receives induces f e a r.

For reference, Laxus is a 6'3" masc4masc built like a power lifter. His jawline has probably killed people before and his broody vaguely unhappy stare is more suited to indebted college students than pro gamers. Loke flat-out does not believe him when he says he's the Thunder God.

Admittedly, Loke doesn't look much like the picture of 'pro gamer' either--he's handsome and popular and those stylish blue glasses are now an official part of his merch line.

It doesn't take much convincing, though--one round at Super Smash Bros with the most embarrassing joke of a character Laxus can find, and the proof is right there. From there on out, a rivalry is cemented, with Loke swearing to beat Laxus in an upcoming tournament and Laxus basically going "yeah, whatever".

Said rivalry starts to turn to affection when Laxus actually...asks Loke to hang out some time. It turns out Laxus is kind of lonely, and Loke basically won't deny him attention if it comes with an attempt to finally beat him at their preferred game. Loke takes it as an opportunity to try and figure out Laxus' tricks, while Laxus uses it to get a cute guy to talk to him.

When Loke actually starts to see Laxus in a different light--as opposed to some upstart asshole threatening his throne--is when Laxus shows him his garage. It's basically a merch display except instead of merch it's priceless gaming arcade memorabilia, all working. You turn off the lights, and the whole place lights up in flourescent and neon lightning like some arcade-hopping teen's fantasy in the 90s. Laxus' dad (Ivan) was a deadbeat who gamed all day instead of finding a job, which is why Laxus is a missed bill away from being destitute...but he left Laxus some killer gaming instincts.

It turns out Laxus is kind of an 'ex-con' of the gaming world--information Lucy and her hacker friend Levy manage to dig up. He was banned from several gaming tournaments because of violent behavior and threats, rendering all his skill at gaming virtually irrelevant. Lucy and Levy recommend using this for blackmail's sake--either Laxus throws the tournament so Loke can keep his title, or Loke can expose his identity if he wins, thus rendering the victory null.

Loke can't go through with it, obviously. It turns out all that time spent with Laxus resulted in *choking noise* actually liking him.

The tournament happens, and predictably, the last two to make it past all the brackets are Loke and Laxus. The two major differences between this match and all the others is that a) Loke actually sort of holds his own, having practiced against Laxus so many times and b) Laxus actually makes use of text chat. They send messages back and forth throughout their fight.

It's long-winded, but Laxus wins, effectively becoming the Rey Mysterio of the gaming world. Loke, however, gets to keep his reputation intact by taking his career off in a new direction. After the courtesy 'good game man' messages left in chat, Loke types out 'wanna go out to dinner sometime'.

Laxus accepts in front of like a million viewers and boom, they're a power couple now.