#best bar in Thane

[ratan0706]

5 reasons why live music bars are perfect for first dates

1. The Perfect Icebreaker

Conversations on first dates can sometimes feel forced, especially if both parties are nervous. A live music bar provides a relaxed environment that naturally sparks conversation. The rhythm of live bar music acts as a comfortable backdrop, helping to ease the tension.

Discuss the music genre, band performance, or even your favorite artists.

Share stories about concerts you’ve attended or memorable musical experiences.

The Studs Sports Bar and Grill is a place where rock-star-sung playlists and live performances ensure that there’s always something to talk about. Whether you are in Mumbai or looking for a “resto and bar near me,” this venue sets the stage for organic conversations.

2. A Fun, Energetic Ambiance

The lively vibe of a live music bar ensures there’s never a dull moment. Unlike other quieter venues, the music will keep the energy up and never make awkward silences feel like they are drowning you.

Bars with DJs or a dance floor add excitement to the excitement, giving the couple a chance to dance and bond.

If you search for a dance floor bar near me or a pub with a dance floor, live music bars often offer the best of both worlds: music and movement.

This sports bar and grill blends live performances and DJ nights and stands out among other places for the best places to drink in Mumbai or the best bars in Mumbai. From grooving along to live music or watching others get their groove on, this kind of energy is always infectious.

3. Versatile Dining Experience

Live music bars often serve as great dining venues, with excellent food and innovative drinks. From a quick bar snack to a full dinner, there is something to satisfy every palate.

Enjoy your evening with handcrafted cocktails from a premium cocktail bar.

If you would prefer a non-alcoholic drink, consider one of the venue’s mocktails.

At The Studs Sports Bar and Grill, you can enjoy some of the “best cocktail” menus alongside an impressive bar drinks menu. One of the best pubs in Mumbai and Thane, it is a place that delivers a great experience with good live music and culinary joy to locals looking for “best pubs in Mumbai” or “sports bar in Thane.”

4. A Memorable Experience

First dates should be memorable, and live music bars create experiences that linger in your mind. Watching talented musicians perform live creates an atmosphere that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.

Enjoy the thrill of discovering new artists or hearing unique renditions of popular songs.

Capture the moment with a photo or video, creating a shared memory that can spark future conversations.

Whether you’re at a “pub near me with a dance floor” or exploring pubs in Thane with a dance floor, venues like The Studs Sports Bar and Grill provide a unique blend of live music and engaging ambiance. With its exceptional setting, this bar guarantees an unforgettable evening.

5. Opportunities for Connection

Music has a way of bringing people together. Sharing a live music experience can help establish a deeper connection with your date. The energy of the crowd, the shared appreciation for good music, and the overall vibe create a sense of togetherness.

Participate in the lively atmosphere by clapping, singing along, or even hitting the dance floor.

Exchange playlists or favorite songs afterward, extending the connection beyond the first date.

If you’re in search of a “mocktail bar” or “dance floor bar near me,” The Studs Sports Bar and Grill offers the perfect blend of entertainment, food, and drinks. Its inviting ambiance ensures that couples can bond over a shared love of music and more.

The Studs Sports Bar and Grill: The Ultimate Venue

When it comes to the “best places to drink in Mumbai” or the “best bar in Thane,” The Studs Sports Bar and Grill stands out as a premier choice. From its live music performances to its exceptional bar drinks and cuisine, this venue offers everything you need for a successful first date.

Here’s what makes The Studs a top choice:

Live Performances: Regularly featuring talented artists and bands.

Cocktail and Mocktail Excellence: Whether you’re looking for “top 10 cocktails” or innovative mocktail options, their menu doesn’t disappoint.

Dance Floor and DJ Nights: If you are in the mood for a “pub dance floor” or “bars with DJs,” the energetic ambiance guarantees a lively night.

Convenient Locations: If you are searching for a “restro-bar near me” or “pubs in Thane with a dance floor,” The Studs Sports Bar and Grill is sure to satisfy a broad section of people.

Live music bars like The Studs Sports Bar and Grill are ideal for first dates. Live entertainment, delectable food and drinks, and a lively atmosphere make it an unforgettable night. Whether in Mumbai or Thane, the evening is going to be perfect, full of connection and fun.

So, the next time you’re planning a first date, consider a live music bar. With its unique charm and energy, it’s sure to impress your date and pave the way for many more memorable outings.

[umbran6]

An Error In Divine Bureaucracy

It all starts when Odin's scheme backfires. There are disadvantages to going incognito, after all. Taking the role of 'X' (which personally speaking, sounds foul considering Twitter's still trying to fall into that brand) means that although the King of the Gods can view the workings of Hotel Valhalla, he cannot influence how his hotel is run. Sometimes, that makes the battles a bit too bloody. Sometimes, the thanes decide to overreach their authority. And there was one time they all decided to break convention and make a mock high-school Prom (to the death).

One of these slip-ups is more unconventional: Gunilla decides to patrol Long Island when rumors of a deadly conflict behind the shadows spread to Hotel Valhalla. If Odin was, well, Odin, he could've stopped it. However, Odin, acting as X, cannot keep his lone eye on his Valkyrie Captain.

Thanatos is overworked. He needs to catch up on hunting down all the souls that escaped the Greek Underworld. So, despite his best efforts to keep all the Giants and monsters dead, he can't be perfect. He can't be there when Leo is burning to ashes as he and Festus soar ever higher.

Octavian is a bit slower and more hesitant. Maybe Will's words get to the legacy's head for a few precious seconds, or maybe Nico's aura of death puts fear inside his soul before he steels his nerves. So when he fires himself at Leo and Gaea, it is far too late. Leo has enough time to finish the job.

So when Gunilla spots a boy with flames so bright they mimic a second sun riding a bronze dragon and fighting a monstrous earthly hag, Gunilla doesn't hesitate. The second Leo's body crumbles to ashes, she flies his soul to Hotel Valhalla with Festus as both his luggage and the weapon he died holding. Olympus doesn't catch on to what's happening, which is for the better.

Leo, of course, is extremely bewildered. He's heard Percy and Annabeth's story of how they went to the Underworld—the lines of dead waiting to be judged, Cerberus waiting to chew any and all trespassers into his next meal, and Charon's desire for garish Italian suits. He did not expect to be handed a rune stone, given a mini-bar key, and shuffled into a luxury suite that would make his section of the Argo II look like a shady motel room while his body suddenly looked fit AF. If it weren't for the fact that he had read up on some Norse mythology during his time in the streets, he would've been completely clueless. For fun and convenience's sake, I'll put him on Floor 19.

Like Magnus, Leo thinks he's hallucinating. His room is like a mix of Bunker Nine, Charles Beckendorf's room in the Hephaestus Cabin, and his old room in the apartment he and his mom lived in, all smashed together. For a second, he grounds himself in the familiar — playing with the inventions in his tool belt, petting Festus, and cooking himself some food. Only when he inspects Festus and finds the physician's cure fully intact does he realize something has gone horribly wrong.

Odin, of course, is aware of Leo's arrival at Hotel Valhalla. He only really understands the nature of the hotel's newest guest once Leo's heroic feat is displayed in front of everyone. The thanes, Helgi, and Valhalla's warriors cheer Leo's name. Only the Norns and Odin are silent, both realizing just how exactly things have gone FUBAR.

See, here's the thing about pantheons worldwide when they interact with their divine neighbors: They don't. We're talking about beings functioning under several different rules of reality and their own brands of magic and godly firepower that could tear apart continents and perhaps even the world if they get too sloppy. Syncretism and divine fist-fights have sprouted either differing degrees of bad blood and conflict. If a pantheon chooses to mess with another's favorites, you can be assured the rest of the divine mafia will be out to get them.

Though Leo did the feat with support, he single-handedly masterminded the death of a primordial being. In the Greek Pantheon's view, he should enjoy a peaceful life in Elysium or even join the ranks of Olympus. Leo being chosen as an einherjar is like your favorite athlete getting kidnapped and pressed into military service by another country. Though Leo is getting physical upgrades, the Olympians would see this as an attempt to subvert their sovereignty by kidnapping a hero under their noses. And Odin knows that he and the rest of the Norse gods will need as much einherjar as they can get- losing them in a possible war between pantheons would thin out their numbers.

So Odin decides to break the masquerade, albeit in a limited fashion. Using his ravens to summon Leo and Gunilla, he sheds the disguise of X and reveals why he hid himself from Hotel Valhalla and just how exactly things were screwed up. He apologizes to Leo for essentially kidnapping him, explains to Gunilla just why Leo's recruitment shouldn't have happened, and that touching another pantheon's demigods was a tremendous faux pas.

So he proposes two different possibilities - they can send Leo back to the mortal world and pretend nothing is wrong, or he can stay in Hotel Valhalla until they find a way to spin things so Olympus isn't sending out its best and brightest to do their best to merk the rest of Asgard.

And, well, Leo accepts the second choice. Mainly because he has a bit of an agenda. First, he knows he can't precisely break Calypso out of Ogygia in the state he's in. His master plan to simultaneously kill Gaea and help her relied on the fact that he was dead while Festus brought his body to Ogygia's airspace. He knows it's too much of a stretch, but perhaps the Norse pantheon will have a solution to bypass the magic surrounding Ogygia and allow him to free her.

Aside from that, Leo just wants some peace. He worked himself to the bone, building the Argo II and then maintaining it during the entire month and half-voyage. Most of it had been a thankless job with several near-death experiences. The least he could do was treat himself to a vacation despite the constant TO THE DEATH! experiences Hotel Valhalla had to offer. Heck, maybe he could make some friends here.

Thus begins Leo's stay at Hotel Valhalla. Of course, such a start involves him being impaled several times after the rest of the hotel's guests gang up on him after they make it through Festus during battle training. But he gets used to the constant bloodshed and conflict throughout the hotel, using it to sharpen himself in the ways of combat that Camp Half-Blood didn't entirely teach him. He also learns of the runes, which leads to him scheming. If he can learn how to wield the power of the runes, he can begin conjuring a magical solution to circumvent Ogygia's barriers.

So, for the months Leo is in Hotel Valhalla, he learns. He picks up knives as his primary weapon, second to the hammers; he refines his inventions and upgrades Festus. He low-key (lol) pesters Odin in his X form to teach him the runes. Odin, of course, is having none of it. He would have been willing to teach a knowledge seeker a few tricks in a different situation. But he knows that different pantheon's magics either work beautifully or have disastrous results. One need only look at the Serapis Incident.

Of course, he also makes his own friendships within Hotel Valhalla. We learn another side of Gunilla as Leo tries to get along with the Valkyrie Captain (which is expected because of all the pranks he pulls). He makes friends with TJ and Mallory while trying to get on Odin's good side by showing that he can keep up with the Valhallians (I'm punching myself for that pun).

Then, Sword of Summer comes along, and things get interesting because Mimir tells Odin about Magnus's role. He knows that Magnus will need all the help he can get, and though Blitz and Hearthstone are servants that Mimir trusts, he wants to reinforce any and all chances of winning. He can't help directly since he still wants to maintain the façade of X. However, Leo can. An einherjar demigod who has experience in fighting threats larger than him? Already saved the world once? Seems like the perfect candidate to help stop Ragnarok.

So he sends Leo in—of course, it's not without a price tag. Although Odin may be the king of the gods in Valhalla, he's still ordering a demigod from another pantheon to essentially act as his hand. One that could quickly turn tail if things went to crap or become a turncoat if someone tried to give him a strong enough bribe. Or, you know, alerting Olympus the second he steps on Midgard. Odin knows what Leo wants but not why he seeks it. So, he reluctantly offers to teach the demigod how to wield the runes if he aids Magnus Chase.

Leo is more than happy to accept the task, not only because of what he gets out of it but also because Odin is offering him a deal. He's not going about this like the prophecies that demanded attendance or the apocalypse would come about. He even gets a guaranteed reward once the mission is completed.

So Leo, with help from Gunilla, enters Midgard. He easily fits into the clique of homeless people Magnus is a part of—Leo lived on the streets for most of his life when he wasn't in the foster home system, after all. Festus is with him in his suitcase form, slyly hinting to Hearth and Blitz that he is in the know. Leo is essentially turned by Odin into his divine 007 if 007 lived on the streets as a homeless guy.

He does his best to gain Magnus's trust. He befriends him, proving himself reliable without betraying his awareness of the mystical cloaks and daggers behind the scenes. And, well, he connects with Magnus more than he expected. Maybe it's because he understands Magnus's bitterness and cynical outlook on the world - he went through the same thing when he was younger. Leo just hides it better with a smile. Part of him just wants to protect Magnus.

In the meantime, Magnus is a bit shocked that beyond Blitz and Hearth, another guy his age is willing to look out for him and be his friend. This is most likely something Magnus has never had since his mother died. The first thing that we notice is that during the beginning chapters of Sword of Summer, Magnus is alone. Hearth and Blitz have a few moments in which they show up, but Magnus himself has no one close to his age that he can connect with. This means that despite Leo being the one to do the attaching, Magnus is quite happy that they're attached to the hip.

You guys can probably guess the direction I want to take their relationship. I've read The Homeless Demigod Club. It's one of those fics that lowkey made me realize that crossover ships can be magnificent if you are willing to put in the work to make it work and show how two characters can connect. I would've added this as a spiritual successor to that fic. I will link it here so everyone can read it. (Link)

And then the promised day arrives. Annabeth Chase and her father set foot in Boston, and Leo does his best to hide from their presence while helping Magnus. He discourages Magnus from breaking into his uncle's house but is still willing to do so either way. He follows Magnus's decision because he believes that Magnus has been jerked around so many times that he deserves his own sense of agency. So when Magnus decides to follow Randolph, Leo follows Randolph even though the guy has enough red flags to rival the CCP.

Then Magnus calls forth Sumarbrander, Surt appears, and everything happens. Blitz and Hearth try to intervene and are just as quickly curbstomped like canon. Leo watches, forcing himself to stop and examine each action Surt takes. Then, when Surt entirely focuses on Magnus does he step up.

Magnus POV

"You know, Mr. Volcano, I thought you'd just go for the head. I wonder why you're wasting so much time." Leo stepped forward, suitcase in hand.

"Leo, go away. Get in there and get Hearth, but you don't need to get involved." I protested.

For a second, I was wondering just what all of my homeless friends were smoking because they were suddenly getting all these courageous ideas. Hearth had shot his arrows, Blitz had swung his watch out for ducklings sign. Now Leo - stick thin and somehow not fainting because of the heat - was apparently willing to go mano-a-mano with a guy who was taller than he was.

"Blitz was right, though. It was their mission to protect you. As for me, it's my duty." Leo dropped the suitcase.

I expected it to melt like the cars nearby and the asphalt beneath our feet. But then it grew. Parts started to jut out, panels began to unfold, and Leo's luggage grew despite the laws of physics that were screaming this shouldn't be happening. At first, it was a pure mess, but then a pair of wings sprouted out. A reptilian head somehow appeared from the chaos. Before I knew it, what was once a suitcase my friend dragged around was a bronze dragon that was as tall and wide as a semi truck.

It let out a roar into the sky that made the entire bridge vibrate. Right beneath it, Leo pulled out a pair of knives from that blasted tool belt with an ease that told me he'd done this before. Those brown eyes scanned the entire bridge, and I could feel the air near me dropping a few degrees. If anything, the area around Leo started to blur as if he was absorbing all the heat the 'Black One' radiated.

Surt's gaze turned severe as if satan had dissed one of his takes on fashion. "What are you?"

"You could say I'm a bit like Maggie here — a demigod from a slightly different brand." I was a bit too shocked at the fact that my friend had a mecha dragon to even snark at that.

Leo smiled, but the killing intent it radiated made me want to flinch. "But if you want my full name, you can have it."

Leo beckoned Surt with one of his knives. "I am Leo Valdez. You messed with my friend. Prepare to die."

End POV

The conflict nearly destroys the entire bridge. Leo and Festus's time in Hotel Valhalla has yielded fruit. Though it can be laconically described as a Jujutsu Kaisen-level gang-up, the demigod and his mechanical mount are in sync to the point they can rarely be matched. While Festus is physically stronger than Leo, Leo is faster and has more variety in his attacks, which combine to keep the King of Muspelheim off balance.

However, Leo is still a demigod. No matter the power upgrade being an einherjar and the combat experience he's earned at Hotel Valhalla, he doesn't have the physical might to permanently disable Surt, even with Festus. And although the Jotunn can't burn Leo, Leo can't overcome Surt's own fire and make it non-vice-versa. It is a stalemate until Leo cannot keep up, and Magnus can see that. He awakens Sumarbrander and intervenes, still cutting off Surt's nose. Surt still seizes the chance to kill Magnus, impaling the unknowing son of Freyr with his scimitar. It is only Leo's own reaction that prevents Surt from seizing the sword.

History repeats. Samirah chooses Magnus and brings him to Hotel Valhalla. Blitz and Hearth confer with Mimir on what to do next, while Gunilla returns Leo to the hotel so they can scheme with Odin. When Magnus is fully resurrected, Leo is the familiar face amongst a crowd of strangers, one Magnus can still rely on. Magnus's body is still recovered. Everything seems perfectly in line with canon.

Until it isn't.

Annabeth POV

I've seen my fair share of mortal panic. There was that time at the Gateway Arch during my first quest with Percy (and boy, did part of me want to go back to those days). Then there was the time Kronos and Morpheus broke the chronological sleep bubble that covered all of New York, leading to a human stampede.

So when Dad (I was still getting used to calling him that) got a call from the BPD stating that they found my uncle Randolph in a rabid panic close to ground zero of an explosion, I defied all convenient laws of mortal logic and ran toward the sirens. And the fire truck engines. And probably all emergency services that are known to man.

I will admit that part of me had a raging hatred for my uncle at the moment. It was bad enough that whatever he did had apparently led to the entire mortal side of my family imploding into what was described by my Dad as essentially a nuclear meltdown, with us being split into chunks. Then there was the fact that he somehow hid the death of the only aunt I liked and that the only cousin I trusted was now homeless for two years. And last but not least, the disgraced professor of Harvard called us at midnight saying Magnus was in danger, leading to us getting the closest red-eye flight to Boston.

When we arrived at the scene, I did my best not to pay attention to the people who were hurt. The best I could describe them was that everyone was burnt—some easily mistaken for sunburns, others who would probably need a visit to the hospital. Medics nearby were doing their best to triage the scene while cops were doing their best to get statements out of people who were clearly still shell-shocked from what their eyes may have witnessed.

I quickly spotted Randolph and marched through the chaos, vaguely hearing Dad follow me. He looked physically spared, though a bit shaken up. Which part of me noted was bizarre since, according to Dad, BPD told him a couple of weirdly dressed homeless dudes had dragged him from the epicenter of the explosion.

I had no sympathy, so I got right down to business. "What happened?"

He kept rambling to himself, and I could barely hear his hushed words - sword, black, beast, machine, giant - before I grabbed his shoulder and pinched in a way Chiron taught me would make anyone scream.

"Focus. What the T-" My mind flipped into a Tartarus flashback before I caught myself. "Hell happened?"

Thankfully, Randolph didn't scream, which meant he was either brave or still drunk on adrenaline. But something must have happened because the man's wrinkled face focused on me. "I found Magnus in my home accompanied by another boy. I was bringing him over to you when the meteor struck the bridge-"

My mind was already poking several holes in his discussion - he could've called Dad if he had already found Magnus and the bridge where the explosion took place was farther away from us. Still, I pretended to follow along and nodded.

"What happened to Magnus?" I asked, and Randolph turned pale.

"He - he fell out of the bridge. The meteor hit us head-on. I somehow got lucky, but Magnus got launched out of my car and - "

"Randolph." My father's voice turned deadly serious. "I saw your car in a twenty-minute parking lot. Already ticketed. So if I may speak so frankly, let's cut the bullshit and tell us the truth."

I winced at that. Mainly because my father rarely cursed - he had been giving off an air of wholesomeness when I stayed with him. The fact that he was willing to start cursing showed just how far things had gone wrong.

Randolph surrendered at that and started talking — about Aunt Natalie's death and its supernatural causes and how he thought Magnus was the next in line to die. How he believed Magnus was the son of a Norse god and that his birthright was apparently an all-powerful sword. Then he stated he found Magnus in the Chase mansion with the other boy and how the boy had insisted on sticking with Magnus. He told us how he urged Magnus to claim his birthright and that my cousin had succeeded before a man claiming to be Surt appeared.

Then, I learned how some of Magnus's homeless friends had tried to defend him before the other boy stepped up. "Wait. This guy claimed to be a demigod?"

Randolph nodded at that. "Yes. I didn't believe it either - the kid was so thin I could've folded him into my drawers and still have space for my clothes."

"But he still stood up. He and that blasted suitcase-monster of his. He matched Surt, if only for a while. Then Magnus got involved and he was - and he was -"

Randolph shed a few tears, and I almost had to recoil at his words. Still, I soldiered on. Death had always been part of a demigod's life, whether they were victims, witnesses, or causes. I would have time to mourn for the cousin that my family had failed.

"Can you describe what this guy looked like? He may be able to tell us about his relationship with Magnus. And what he knows about the truth." I asked, doing my best to keep the conversation going.

Randolph vibrated, clearly still shaken up. Yet he kept talking. "Of course. Give me a second. Frederick?"

My dad pulled out a few tissues from the pocket of his suit jacket, which Randolph blew into so strongly it reminded me of an elephant. Disposing the tissues into a nearby trashcan, my uncle looked at us.

"Yes. Very recognizable fellow. He disabled all of the electronic alarms I put in there. Thin, of course. Kind of looked like - what do teenagers call pretty boys these days? Never mind. He looked like one of those. Light brown skin. Curly black hair, brown eyes. Magnus probably had a crush on him, considering how he looked at the boy."

I rolled my eyes. "Clothes?"

"Yes, yes. White shirt with a bit of a collar. A green jacket that was too big for him - probably a woman's? Blue jeans. He also had a tool belt."

Suddenly, I felt like I had taken a dip in the Boston River. I had been willing to dismiss the initial description because anybody could've had a similar face and hair. I would've ruined the search if I just looked for the most likely person. But the tool belt was too much out of left field to ignore.

I seized his jacket lapels, almost tempted to lift him up. I could do it, too. Because there was no way the person Randolph was describing to me could've been in Boston, much less alive.

"What was his name?" I whispered out.

"Pardon?"

"What was his name," I repeated myself, tempted to pull out my knife.

"Oh yes. Thankfully, he was upfront about it. Who the hell quotes The Princess Bride?" Randolph gave a small laugh about it before he looked at me straight in the eyes and flipped my world upside down. "His name was Leo Valdez."

End POV.

The Sword of Summer is also flipped upside down because it is no longer just a mission to stop Fenris Wolf from being unleashed upon the nine worlds. With Annabeth finding the truth about Leo's location, nearly all the members of the Argo II crew (Frank and Hazel can't drop their posts in New Rome after all) do their best to get to Boston ASAP. They had never heard any whispers or truths about Leo's circumstances - you know, because Odin needed to keep everything in the DL. Finding out a guy that they believed was dead for six months was actually chilling with homeless dudes in Boston is a recipe to make your friends both pissed and worried at the same time.

Unfortunately, this also puts a kibosh on any plans to follow canon because Leo is now being hunted by his friends in a situation where staying incognito is vital. Of course, they can't break into Asgard or Valhalla because they don't know how to get there. Any attempts at Iris-Messaging Leo go horribly wrong because Iris needs a cross-dimensional roaming plan for her services to work in this situation. When Leo returns to Midgard to help Magnus, the gloves come off on the search.

Leo's involvement doesn't just add spice; it force-feeds the plot enough Carolina reaper peppers to set its mouth on fire and cause diarrhea that needs its own fallout zone. The crew of the Argo II chases him down when Annabeth meets Magnus, leading them to accidentally stumble across the Nine Realms when Percy tracks Magnus and Sam after their encounter with Jormungand. They each end up getting scattered across the Nine Realms - Jason into Jotunnheim, Piper into Svartalfheim, Annabeth falling into Folkvanger, while Percy gets the short end of the stick and is stuck in Midgard.

The Seven think that Magnus and Co. are holding their friend against his will. Magnus believes it's people from Leo's past who want him dead. Leo can't get a single word about the truth as things erupt too easily into conflict, and Odin's mandate for secrecy stops him from giving the full story. Regardless, he tries to keep the peace as he, Magnus, and the rest of the crew run into each other through the realms.

It all accumulates at Lyngvi. Surt arrives. Fenris Wolf tries to break free. The warriors of Floor 19, alongside the Valkyries, actually join up with Magnus and co because Gunilla has been briefed by Odin as to what exactly is going on. And the crew of the Argo II makes landfall right in the middle of the fight. They're all quick to realize that the fire giants are their opponents, and the tide of battle is turned with the sudden influx of reinforcements, no matter their origin.

Having an additional four out of seven heroes who also had a hand in saving the world? One of them, you know, having powers over the ocean in the middle of a freaking island? That's no longer a battle; that's the opposing side being Amazon-delivered to the closest morgue with same-day shipping.

When things are settled, and everyone is tired from simultaneously kicking Surt to the curb and imprisoning Fenris Wolf, things finally get cleared up. Odin reveals himself early to explain to the Seven what happened to Leo on August 1. Of course, Odin does his best to spin things in the best possible light for the Norse Pantheon and portray himself as doing his best to help Leo recover from the post-death experience. Leo is always welcome to stay at Hotel Valhalla or return to Camp Half-Blood, but he urges the rest of the Seven that they will have to keep their experience secret.

The Seven think Leo will go back to Camp Half-Blood. After all, in their eyes, Camp is the place that Leo is most familiar with. It's the place that he should belong. This is his chance to take a clean break from his stay at Hotel Valhalla and return to Camp Half-Blood. Only Odin knows differently, while everyone on the 19th Floor, alongside Magnus and Co., is wondering if Leo really is going to drop them like a flaming bag of turd.

And Leo declines. In another lifetime, in another set of circumstances, he may have joined the Seven and returned to Camp Half-Blood. But now? Well... he would admit, he has grown to love Hotel Valhalla. Though he gets bodied daily, he feels included compared to the months he spent in Bunker Nine hammering away at the Argo II. He has friends with which he can actually be friends, compared to his time being the only person in a sea of couples. And maybe he's gotten attached to Magnus, but they didn't need to know that.

He doesn't say goodbye. With enough time, they can genuinely be friends instead of the coworker dynamic he always felt he had with the rest of the Argo II crew. So, instead, he hands Piper the last invention he made before his world was once again dominated by a quest to save the world. For a second, she thinks it's a remote. And in a way, it is. His name is written on it in ancient Greek. But it only has a single button, with a single rune.

ᛗ

Mannaz (For those more knowledgeable, please excuse me if I'm wrong and correct me) is the rune of humanity as a concept—of society, friendships, individuality, and a person's willingness to help one's fellow human. The intention is clear—he's always a button press away if they ever need help.

With that, the two pantheons go their separate ways. And hopefully, things should be at peace now. Right? Right? ... Right?

But as everyone knows, they aren't. The sun hasn't reached its final verse, Ragnarok still has many triggers, and people scheme to bring everything down behind the shadows. Peace is still a long way off. And Ragnarok will eventually eradicate the world. All everyone is doing is staving off the inevitable.

But then again, isn't that just part of being a demigod?

FIN

P.S. @pjowasmy1stfandom- I've cooked. Hope you enjoy the meal.

[ashenlavellan]

Mass Effect ask meme: 1, 10, 29, 55, 67, 91

How did you get into Mass Effect?

Honestly, I don't exactly remember how I had found it, but I had been watching some Dragon Age-related stuff when a recommended(?) video of the entirety of Garrus Vakarian's romance and my interest was piqued. So, yeah, you can blame Garrus Vakarian... the personality and voice.

10. Best Shepard Quote?

Hmm, personally it's a tie for me - I absolutely love the way that FemShep's VA (Jennifer Hale) says "I'll relinquish one bullet. Where do you want it?"

Or, the whole exchange during ME3 and Wrex is harassing her over the comms and she shouts "THERE'S A REAPER IN MY WAY, WREX!"

29. DLC: All of it, some of it, or none of it?

Honestly, I played the original trilogy before ME:LE was released and I have to admit, that I love about 90% of the DLC.

ME1: Pinnacle Station (I enjoyed the fight simulations and the off-planet apartment was a sweet deal from it.)

ME2: Lair of the Shadowbroker (Loved the storyline; experienced Liara's romance in one playthrough and I loved that there was more to it, than without DLC.)

ME3: Tie between Leviathan and Citadel DLC (adore the storyline for both and always look forward to it. Citadel crushed me during my Thane romance and having a gathering to celebrate him, as well as the messages he left...)

55. Who would you date if you could? (Not as Shepard)

It would be a tie between Kaidan Alenko and Liara T'Soni - Kaidan is such a sweetheart and we could connect with our chronic migraines and have a great understanding/how to approach the issue. Liara, on the other hand, is extremely loyal to those she loves and is a bit awkward - another thing I can relate with. ^.^

67. Who would you cosplay if you could? (no holds bar)?

If I could, but keeping in mind with issues with certain textures and sensory issues, I'd probably go with Jack.

(If we're going based on height too, I'm 158cm (5'2") and my personal FemShep is supposed to be 5'9" (179cm))

91. Would you watch a live-action Mass Effect movie?

Probably not... I've seen live-action adaptations of certain books I've read (ex: City of Bones / Shadow and Bone / etc.) and 90% of the time, they totally miss the mark. (Shadow and Bone is literally the only one that I genuinely enjoyed and read all of the books, and it was captured amazingly.)

I'd hate to see a studio completely screw up a beloved franchise and tear down what's been created - not only that, I feel like issues would come up because it would come down to this... would it be BroShep or FemShep in the live-action?

thank you so much for your questions and I hope these answers are satisfactory enough! I enjoyed answering them! ^.^

[milfmorrowind]

Catch me when I fall

@tes-summer-fest

Part 1: Thief

ao3 link

part two

Why did it always have to be so damp?

Really though, this was getting ridiculous. No matter how hard Mailie tried to keep the moisture off of her, there was an ever-pervasive sense of slime in the Ratway that never seemed to go away. You would think regaining the blessing of a daedric prince might come with some cleanliness-related perks, but apparently not. Although, Mailie reasoned, of all the gods, Nocturnal was probably one of the least concerned with hygiene. And anyway, Mailie would fight a hundred dragons before letting on just how offensive she found the moisture to be. Her guildmates had come to respect her, despite her relative inexperience and privileged upbringing, but she could only imagine the amount of ribbing she'd get from Vex if anyone found out why she never leaned against walls. It was bad enough with Brynjolf assigning her the lovely moniker of "Princess"(thanks, Bryn, that really helps with the rumors), the last thing she needed was another "friendly" nickname.

Speaking of Brynjolf, where the hell was he? It had been four days or so since Mailie had asked after him, only to be met with a "Dunno, said he had a job to do. Something about an 'old friend', and to not expect him back for a bit," from Delvin. Very helpful, that, thought Mailie as she gently swirled the ale in her tankard (another habit that was made fun of– "It's not one of your fine wines, Princess, just drink it and go"), the thin layer of dew collected on the handle doing nothing to improve her mood.

She hoped for Brynjolf's sake that whatever he was doing was important. Delvin made it sound as if he'd left in a rush, which suggested it was at least somewhat urgent, but that's really no excuse for not telling anyone where he was going. If Delvin hadn't caught him as he was halfway up the ladder, no one would have known he had left at all. And sure, maybe she was being a bit unreasonable, free agents and all that, but it didn't change the fact that putting yourself in harm's way with no backup plan and no one to help you out if there's trouble was careless, and Brynjolf was not what Mailie would call a careless man.

Her musings were interrupted by the door from the Ratway swinging open. Mailie quickly pulled her hood back up to cover her face, shifting as she did to make sure Dawnbreaker was covered by her cloak. Her affiliation with the Thieves' Guild wasn't exactly Skyrim's best kept secret, to be sure, but it still wouldn't do for the Dragonborn to be seen publicly wearing a symbol of the guild's leadership. The more influence the guild gained, it seemed, the more they had to fear being recognized, especially as Mailie oh-so-carefully cut ties with the Black-Briars. Protection be damned, she couldn't wait to rid herself of their parasitic influence. Like pulling a leech from a leg, there would be blood, and it might sting a little, but it was better than being bled dry.

Thankfully, the hands pushing open the door belonged to Kjeld, one of the children the guild had recently recruited as a messenger. His parents had died in a dragon attack a few months prior, and his relatives had summarily kicked him out, claiming he was too expensive to feed, despite the farm they inherited from the boy's dead parents. Sapphire had found him sleeping by the road on his way to Honorhall, and offered him a job, which he was more than happy to take. He had proven a valuable asset, eager to learn and strong for a boy of twelve, likely due to his years of farm work. Less thankfully, he looked rather harried now, cheeks flushed as he ran along the narrow pathway towards the bar.

"Thane Chester - Master Mallory, sir– I need to– I mean I have something–" he stopped, hands on his knees as he struggled to speak through gasping breaths.

Delvin Mallory, stationed as ever at his table with a notebook and a flagon of mead, calmly reached out and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Slow down there, catch your breath."

Kjeld nodded, taking a few deep breaths and steadying himself. "I have news about Master Brynjolf, sir."

"Brynjolf?" Suddenly, every eye and ear in the Flagon was trained on the boy, and even Galathil looked up from her book for a moment. Mailie slipped out of her chair and headed over to where Delvin was sitting, adding her hand to Kjeld's other shoulder and kneeling down to his level.

"What kind of news?" she asked gently. "Did he send you with a message?'

He shook his head. "No ma'am, I haven't spoken to him myself. You see, I ran into Elte at Heartwood, and she said she'd heard from Alan at Ivarstead that he heard from Sedyni that-"

"Cut to it, kid," said Vex impatiently from the next table over. "What'd you hear?"

Kjeld swallowed. "Someone saw Brynjolf get arrested in Solitude. Right by the fort too, said there were elves and everything."

"Elves? Were they Altmer? With dark robes?" asked Mailie urgently. Stendarr's sake, if the Thalmor have him…

The boy furrowed his brow. "Those them tall ones, right? That's why they call them High Elves?"

Before Mailie could give a full explanation (and launch into a sociopolitical history of the Summerset Isles), Delvin cut her off with a nod. "Yes, lad, the tall ones. Were they there?"

"Sounds like it, sir. And Elte said that Alan said that Sedyni said that Brynjolf was awfully surprised to see them. He might have been badly hurt, too, there was something about a crossbow. I didn't wait to hear the whole story, sirs, I figured you'd want to know straight away."

"You did the right thing, son," Mailie said, patting him on the back. Calling over to one of the closer tables to the bar, she added, "Thrynn, could you make sure he gets a meal and some sleep, please?" The former bandit grumbled, but put his mead down and led the boy into the cistern.

Mailie pulled herself up and fell back into the nearest chair. Fuck. "I don't suppose any of you have friends in the Legion."

Vex barked out a laugh and crossed her arms. "Believe me, if I did, we wouldn't have heard about this through a messenger boy. Besides, you know the rules, Chester, we don't break people out."

Mailie scowled. Vex was right, technically-- it was Guild policy that anyone who got caught was on their own, but that hadn't stopped any of them from marking escape routes or bribing the occasional guard on a guildmate's behalf. Vex was no exception. She played up the apathy to keep anyone from getting too cuddly, but she cared about Brynjolf. She cared about everyone in the guild, actually, but but accusing her of it was a surefire way to end up with a black eye, so no one dared mention it. But Mailie knew. She'd known from the moment she saw the relief in Vex's eyes when Karliah's innocence was proven, the way she showed Mailie how to treat her dragonfire burns, the way her expression softened whenever Sapphire walked into the room.

Mailie was about to shoot her a withering glance and a cutting remark on the topic when she realized that Vex was staring her down. Ah. Vex had fallen into the habit lately of trying to test her-- to see what decisions she would make under pressure, to see how she would enforce rules, to see what rules she was willing to break. In short, Vex was testing her ability to lead.

Mailie shook her head. "Bryn's too good to get caught like that. If the Thalmor are involved then there's something bigger going on here. And hang the rules, I'm not letting someone rot in prison without at least knowing what happened. Especially if they're injured."

The ghost of a smile made its way on to Vex's lips. She'd passed. "Fair enough. I'll go get him, then. Been a while since I did a jailbreak, I could use the practice."

Again Mailie shook her head. "No. I'll go."

Vex raised an eyebrow. "You sure?  You don't exactly have a lot of experience with this. Have you ever even been arrested?"

Mailie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm sure. I-- We-- can't risk this being a trap. I have some influence in Solitude, if everything goes south I might be able to talk myself out of trouble," She hesitated for a moment. "And if Elisif's favor can't help us, my... associates have some sway in Imperial politics. Me being thrown in prison wouldn't exactly be good for their image, they might be willing to pull some strings and help me out. No one else here has that kind of leverage, and I'm not letting you throw yourself in front of blade without knowing who's holding it."

Delvin leaned across the table. "You're willing to bring your parents into this, Mailie?" he said. Clever bastard. Of course he knew.

She shrugged. "It's a last resort. There's a good chance they've disowned me by now, anyway. We haven't exactly kept in touch. It's a gamble I'm willing to make, though."

Vex uncrossed her legs and stood. "Well, if you're determined to go, I think we've got some old maps you could look at. No sense in sending you in blind."

[deathswcrn]

[ drinks ] sender brings receiver a drink from a bar/their kitchen - Tore

Tore is used to doing the hosting. He has always had a certain homebody quality to him, his work to his Hold as their augur, their teacher, and tender of their hold beast satisfying enough that he had no desire to roam. He had a curiosity about the rest of Ferelden and even the rest of Thedas, to be sure, but it had largely been sated by trade for books with the lowlanders.

Still - their Thane, his cousin, thought that Tore and his lowlander wife were the best to reach out to the fledgling Inquisition nestled in their mountains. So regardless of his own thoughts on the matter, Tore was packed off to Haven, fears only stilled by the soothing mutterings of Sigyn in his head, the spirit of Loyalty telling him that until their last breaths, she would protect him and Sigrid as best she could.

At least, thought he, standing in Haven's tavern, their Inquisitor seemed open to the idea of talking. It meant it was likely the trip would be short, and he could return home with Sigrid, pregnant, in tow. Back home to his daughters, and to the hatchling hold-beast, and the comfort of his own house.

Atreion's offer of a hot drink was welcome, and Tore accepted gratefully. He wasn't a stranger to cold, but he didn't like it. He had scars on his arm from a deadly encounter with frost magic, and ever since, he'd been sensitive to it, the scar becoming tight and painful in sheer windchill or frost. The drink the Inquisitor offered him was hot, smelling sweet and spiced, lightly alcoholic, and his first sips came with a sigh of relief.

"I'm grateful you agreed to meet with us," said Tore, settling into one of the tables. "My cousin - our Thane, the one who sent word to you - sends his gratitude and his regards."

[sol-consort]

Well, Solas and Gaia kissed (I locked in the solas romance), and it was good, and now he calls me "my heart" occasionally and I like that but I'm still waiting for him to crack my back like a glow stick and shove his magic staff up my coochie wizard style. But also, I feel guilty because I'm planning an "exit strategy" by flirting with Cullen in case things go bad so I can rebound with Cullen in case anything happens. I mean, everything's going good rn (almost too good 🤔) but, I've seen so many people saying that the Solas broke them and even you warned me about him so I'm scared, like I'm extra sensitive I cry watching max and ruby, I cried when Ashley and Shepard reunited in me2, I cried playing Andromeda becauseit was set 6000 years after the og mass effect trilogy. My point is I get heartbroken really easily, so I'm worried, I'm shaking in my boots, I'm clutching my metaphorical rosary, waiting for something to go wrong. If I was smart, I would probably leave at the first sign of trouble, but knowing myself, I will probably stick it out for the angst and then complain about it later.

AN EXIST STRATEGY i can't

honestly, I'd be lying if I said i don't do the same thing. Always keeping a side hoe in case things go south with the main babe. That was Jacob for me in ME2, I went as far as his romance allowed, broke up with him, then dated Garrus as far as his romance allows, broke up with him, then finally locked in with Thane. Man, that is one awkward ship crew I tell you.

I'm trying to like Cullen but it's...eh. Like a human noble is his ideal partner and guarantees the best ending but I'm not getting the appeal about him. He's like Any other frat fuck boy, except his frat is the templars with a strick moral code. You can go to any bar during football season and spot 7 of him there.

Maybe I just don't know him enough well? Josephine's comment stuck with me, the law of instrument one "If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail."

Also, because it's EA and Bioware, I'm lowkey worried his romance will have reinforced gender stereotypes, and I'll be treated as The Wife™

Kaidan romance didn't have that problem, but he was soft and into stronger women, Idk if it's applicable here. I swear Cullen's insta following page would be filled with those "alpha" type pages who post about "cultured men" and "embrace your inner sigma" I also installed a mod to give his face a slight tan bc he looked like uncooked raw chicken breasts. And shiny new armour.

For now, I'm flirting with Casaandra and having the time of my life. The flirting is basically me gawking at her swinging swords so powerfully and her getting flustered and saying nonono it's nothing special. She's an idealist with a kind heart I'm on my knees. Also new armour mod.

Josephine might be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and her cleverness. Oh my god. I want her biblically. I installed so many pretty dress mods for her! I cycle through them and feel my soul heal whenever I visit her. She's the one I like most so far, I might lock in with her after taking a spin or two around.

[messydiabolical]

Mass Effect Qs: 1, 5, 16, 30, 36, 37, 45, 67, 76, 79, 95, 101

Thanks for the ask, you mean business! *cracks knuckles* okay let's do this (link to all the questions) 1) How did you get into Mass Effect? 2013: Spouse gifts me a copy of me1 on steam. I, according to steam, played 61 minutes and decided it wasn't for me and uninstalled it 😅 2021: I watch Jessie Gender do a letsplay and enjoy it a lot. I buy Legendary in a sale deal. I am hooked. 2013 me apparently wasn't ready lol (I've always struggled with non 1st person perspective games, it's probably what put me off).

5) Preferred alignment Overall paragon, though I do think some of the paragon responses are too washy/hand wavy when it comes to say, the council. I go with the in between option a lot in general dialogue. 16) MAKO: Die in a fire or best thing ever? I have to be in the mood for it, and when I am, I enjoy the MAKO a lot. Just vibing along. It helps that I play with mods. N7 MAKO for more speed, MAKO squadmate banter for more vibes, and charted worlds for easier map navigation. But even first playthrough vanilla, I liked the MAKO. I find thorough exploration satisfying.

rest of answers under cut as there are so many and this is getting long!

30) Favourite DLC mission? Mission is a toss up between Lair of the Shadow Broker (Feron my beloved) and Leviathan (probably the most fun overall gameplay wise, I like the detective aspect and the lab apartment is cool). Fave DLC is Thane's alternative outfit though. DLC of all time, all hail Thane's cool dad glasses.

36) Funniest moment in the game? Grunt falling past the Heurta lab window, Feron's sassy little "I'll try not to go anywhere" while strapped into the chair (the ultimate commited to the bit sarcasm king) and the sexually awakened salarian's email after recruiting Thane (funny and wholesome. You go you horny funky little guy, you and me both).

37) Creepiest moment in the games? The T-GES Mineral works employees on Mahavid in the Leviathan DLC telling you to leave, you don't belong here etc. Especially on first playthrough when you can't be sure if they might turn on you violently or not, and will you have to fight these poor brainwashed civilians? In a similar vein, the Reaper IFF mission with the vids showing the workers sharing memories and their growing confusion.

45) Best Villian in the series? The leviathan

67) Who would you cosplay if you could (no holds barred)? The biotic God would be fun

76) What are you hoping from ME4? That they take their time, are well invested and the staff treated respectfully so that they can produce something with love and care *crying thumbs up* I just hope they don't rush through some money grabbing shit show. Storywise the skies the limit, there's a whole universe to explore, have fun with it, do something new, respect the old, and heck if you can throw in more drell that'd be neat.

95) Do you mod your games? Heavily. My MAKO answer probably shows that lol. Herobrine24's modlist is a great base for modding I'm always checking it.

101) If you could meet Shepard, what would you say? Can I offer you an egg in these trying times? In seriousness I would just want to offer them some food and a nap.

[fictionisthebetterreality]

Thoughts(TM) on Mass Effect, in no particular order or preference.

- What did they do to Ashley??? Why did she go from kick-ass takes-no-shit-soldier to... kick-ass-takes-no-shit-soldier with eyeshadow and lipstick and a fringe and hair to her shoulders which probably somehow breaks regulations?? That shit would be getting in her eyes when she was trying to shoot, if it wasn't getting ripped out by a rabid husk first... just no.

- While we are talking about this - WHY did they make us suffer the dress(tm) every time woman Shepherd had to dress 'fancy'? First, that is the ugliest effing dress I've ever seen in my life, not to mention out of character for my (and I'm sure a lot of others) Shepherd, who would have been in a suit at the most, or something nicer than that (no, literally, anything would have been better).

+ Garrus... where to even start? Possibly the best developed character in the whole damn game. I adore Garrus. Would kill for him die for him etc. The friendship between him and Shepherd was so lovely and a really nice highlight of all the games. Except for when Shepherd tries to set him up at the bar. Bit weird.

+ Liara... love of my life, light of my life etc etc. Second only to Garrus and only because the romance scene I had ('will you be my girlfriend' in the presidium commons, not sure if there are any others) was so dry and stale compared to the rest of their cutscenes I hated it. But the chemistry between these two across all three games was amazing, and made their relationship (should you choose to accept it) all the more realistic and believable.

- The endings of ME3. Need I say more. -100/10.

+ The 'fight' scene with James at the start of ME3 was so cute. Loved the option of telling him off at the end for the nicknames. Tbh the recurring options throughout the game of whether to respond 'friendly' or 'professional' was a nice touch.

+ Also - the fling/relationship between James and Ashley was equally cute.

+ Anderson and Shepherd?? Maximum cuteness. Especially the 'I'm proud of you' moment at the end. Really focused in on the parent/daughter relationship.

+ The symmetry/comparison of Earth/Palaven/Thessia worlds burning and being ravaged by the reapers... the hurt/comfort of 'I understand exactly how you feel' 'i thought i understood how you felt but this is so much worse??'

+ The party... the party!! Ahhhh the only complaint I had was the prompt to dance disguised as talk... but thats just personal preference. The photo at the end - SO CUTE. Also, Traynor reciting the elements of the periodic table while drunk and dancing was probably one of my favourite moments of the whole game.

+ Joker and EDI. 10/10. Perfect pairing.

- Jacob in ME2. Literally the most bland, boring character I'd ever experienced. Specifically chose him for the mission at the end of ME2 cause it was pretty obvious it would end in death.

+ Tbh, all the other characters I loved to varying degrees. Thane, Samara, Javik, I could probably take or leave. The rest- their stories were all so complex. Hated Miranda at the start, was genuinely upset by her death at the end. Jack's character development was insane. Barely touched Wrex in ME1, thought he was a throw away character (boy was I wrong). Probably the best element of this game is the characters and relationships. Love-hated the death of a character in ME1. That was Kaiden for me, and it fitted so well into the storyline generally it really gave so much depth to Shepherds backstory.

- Samara.... did someone put eight-zero-zero-eight into a calculator while they were having a meeting about her?? Did she put her costume into the dryer when it was line-dry material?? Please TRY and make it less obvious who you are catering to, here. Also upset there was no option to stop her killing her daughter, just...stand by and watch, I guess.

+ ME3 acknowledging and showing the effects of constant war on Shepherd with the nightmares. Enjoyed that you could play it cool/fake it when asked or genuinely respond and say what was wrong. Although, I did notice that for the 'survivor' backstory on Azure, pretty sure it changed from 'Threshermaw attack' in ME1 to 'Cerburus' in ME3. Might've missed something there, tho.

+ Honestly, just the dialogue in ME3. Esp. the mid-fight chatter among teams Mako and Hammerhead in the clone mission. 10/10, apart from the occasional cut-scene dialogue we didn't get enough interaction between characters. Enjoyed it a lot, really put a lot more personality into everyone.

+ Aria... 100/10. Really nice deviation from the 'classic' asari we see elsewhere. Also, her whole appearance and personality were matched so seamlessly, I love it. Felt like it gave my Shepherd an opportunity to play the bad guy a bit more away from her crew. Although would have been nice to get a warning that you can't get back to Omega in ME3 once the mission is completed... I never did find her couch. Saying that, it was a shame she was never made to appear in the final fight cutscene.

+ The ring from EDI... literally the best gift ever. Shepherd is forever keeping it on her tags. Forever.

+-Kinda loved and hated the whole going-to-the-room-the-person-is-in-for-a-chat. The elevator got old pretty quick. A nice touch being able to invite people up to your cabin and meet up on the citadel (although again, at some points it felt like I was at the citadel meeting people more than I was out there saving the galaxy. Shepherd is a popular woman, but more missions to compensate, or mission-related/style meetings could have been nice).

[ghostfriendly5]

Not in love with 'Villainess...'

In Love with the Villainess, one of the only two watchable anime presently airing, still isn't an anime I'm choosing to watch. The main characters do actually have character and interest, unlike Witch of Mercury, and the dub is wonderfully hammy. Lesbianism is defined as an orientation in ep 3, which in an advance on Kase-san's airy-fairy 'We're both girls (BOTH GIRLS!), but love is more important'. However, this is still a very low bar, and Kase-san is still a far superior series, because it stars two consenting lesbians who love each other rather than a sex pest and a functional straight girl.

Rae is a vast improvement on many perving, groping even rapist predatory lesbians particularly over-featured in Japanese media (cough*Murakami), but her lack of an adult's social filter and rabid pursuit of an apparent het girl, without respect for Claire's declared orientation, lands her very much in that family of caricatures. The well-meaning statement in ep3 that 'its homophobic to view lesbians as sex pests' is undercut with staggering asininity by casting a lesbian sex pest as the protagonist.

Hints are dropped that Claire is, in fact, not straight, but the indications that she is very much straight are hardly insignificant. Her crush on Thane is far less lifeless than the she's-not-really-gay pairings that kill yuri-baiting shows like Sound Euphonium. Questioning and experimentation have an important place in LGBT stories, as shown very well in Aoi Hana, but you can't change people's orientation by having a crush on them. Shouldn't, in fact. Claire isn't even questioning her hetrosexuality, which isn't a good look for a compelling yuri protagonist, or the target of Rae's ludicrously tactless affection.

I am, in fact, human; Rae's antics are funny if you don't think too much. She isn't nearly as bad as Kuroko from Index, and Kuroko was funny, but negative stereotypes aren't the best thing to laugh at, and anime about lesbians can do far better than - yes, yet another franchise born from the midden of self-published web novels. Which isn't going to induce me to end my boycott of Crunchyroll over Goblin Slayer, Shield Hero and other blights upon human civilisation which are, truthfully, far, far worse than Villainess.

[omniblades-and-stars]

Another for you too!

🎭 for Tacitus?

🌈 for Eden Shepard?

🎭 What is the one thing your OC regrets most? Would they undo it, considering how their life turned out?

Stopping Lou from getting absolutely obliterated by that krogan in a bar fight?

No, but seriously, his biggest regret is coming to Omega at all. But he wouldn't undo it. He wouldn't have met his boy Addi if he hadn't run off to Omega. And he wouldn't have met his best friend Lou either (jury's still out on whether getting drawn into Lou's orbit is actually good for him.) Now he's hesitant to consider leaving, Lou has tried to convince him even. It's his home.

🌈 Does your OC speak more than one language? If so, how many and which?

Eden speaks English and Spanish. Her best friend growing up was bilingual and she spent a lot of time with Mena's family after her dad kicked her out.

She also started learning the drell dialect that Thane speaks as well, but sadly, does not have enough time to really figure it out.

[fyx-ation]

A Meandering Ramble on FFXVI

Firstly, if you haven't played the game yet or haven't finished the game yet, I suggest scrolling on. If you want a recommendation to play it, the best I can give you is a 7/10. Worth playing. Not the best thing on the market in the same territory but refreshing (I might use that word a lot going forward) and holds interest very well. Like a page-turner of a book.

That said, the rest of my ramble will be behind the cut to spare spoiling others.

Huh. What a strange little game. I actually just finished it, though I do need to go finish the chronolith things at some point. But I wanted to strike while the iron is hot, so this might be all over the place. I usually try to provide some essay-like structure when I write about a game... But I'm not really feelin' it since I've been working 5am shifts for a while and my brain is fried.

I have not read or watched any other reviews or summaries or impressions of the game. I didn't want my opinion to be tainted by bias because some creator or another loved or hated it.

It is Very Pretty. But perhaps not in a PS5 sort-of rock your eyeballs way. It handles like the Witcher III and Final Fantasy had an off-putting love-child. By that, I mean just the walking around and interacting with things reminds me of Witcher. Casual conversations are overheard from NPCs, and occasionally one that will actually speak to you (Clive) even if they aren't offering a quest or incentive. Facial animations, weather/landscape animations. Very Pretty but maybe a smidge outdated? How is that possible? Everything is lovely! But a little stiff if it's not an important, scripted, you-can't control your character here, sort of scene. The ones that aren't separately rendered cutscenes but still have extra polish? Yeah, not those.

You know what else this game reminds me of? Mass Effect (or Dragon Age). There's no open world to explore. There are pocket maps that you can return to from your Normandy Hideaway, but usually you're just sent there to do a mission quest or hunt or something.

So, let's deconstruct that a little. I think and hope that the producers of this game looked at what has been working and what has landed with the fan-base like a sopping wet diaper. Open world fatigue? Absolutely real. Stamina bars? Fuck right off. Pacing the game out with enormous, unskippable BS like a car ride because the plot is paper thin? Nope!

Does it work for a Final Fantasy game, though? See, this is where the conversation gets choppy. (While I didn't interact with reviews, I did see some plumes of smoke on the horizon in the form of thumbnails and the like). Some people are ride or die "this ain't MY final fantasy." Worse, some are like "this isn't a JRPG q_q."

Personally, I let that ship sail years ago. I loved the old turn-based games, don't get me wrong. I lament there aren't that many on the market anymore. But I've moved on. 16 is probably the biggest departure so far from that. Excluding the online games, they've been moving away from that format since 12. 13 was the last to have party members who you can actually control. (I'm not counting the 7 remake here, either) 16 doesn't have a party system. You can't swap Thane Krios (my space boyfriend) in when you fast travel from your hideaway to the next story beat. It's just the protag and whatever side piece is relevant at the moment, and that side character just does their own thing.

Do I like it? Ehh.... yes and no. Clive doesn't talk to himself or them much, so I feel like a lot more banter was needed. I could see why they left it out on the battle maps ("Hey, Clive, remember when were playing checkers and mom kicked the board because oh hello Mr. Behemoth."). But in city hubs? More banter, please. Even more conversations like the newer God of War games have would be most welcome.

And controlling just Clive? It's fine. I am A-okay with it. Combat's really fun, even when I'm not playing at my best and half-dozing on the couch. It's better than holding down the circle button (15 shaming is my kink). It's all amazingly refreshing in comparison to SE's other departures from turn-based battles. It's the first one so far (again excluding ff7r) to actually succeed at doing something different.

But I would not recommend the game to anyone on that alone. If they were looking for a hack n' slash pew pew magic pew game, I'd suggest the newer God of Wars first.

This is where I'm on the fence about how to judge the game as a whole because it isn't SPECTACULAR. It's good. Combat's good. Story is decent. Side characters are interesting (though some are woefully under-cooked, including Jill, whom I often compared to a piece of cardboard while talking to friends). Pacing a HUGE improvement from previous installments, though the last few hours of the game are weirdly smooshed into sidequests which aren't really sidequests because they are invaluable to the story and the game expects you to do them.

However. The world-building, which is very nice, is padded with lore directories just to clarify shit to people who have no idea what the fuck is going on or who have maybe missed or forgotten details that flesh out the motivations of everyone on the two continents. Did you forget who was fighting who while Clive was was off kicking boxes? Boy, do we have the right solution for that: it's LORE DUMP MAN and his faithful sidekick MAP TIMELINE WOMAN. I'm not saying they are bad things... just... odd. Heavy-handed? I love it when games offer some sort of journal to keep me on track or remind me of things, and yet they feel like they were put in this game because things are a bit blurry for the first third. They throw a lot of names at you, a lot of factions, and a lot of talk of different battles that you don't even witness so the only way to clarify all that is to be given Baby's First Overview. I think that might be indicative of a small failing on the game's part. Lots of telling with little showing often leads to lore dumps in RPGs, because it's critical that you understand for the sake of the story. Weirdly, there actually aren't a lot of exposition dumps in the actual gameplay. I guess they couldn't find a happy medium.

It's late. Gotta get up at 4, so I'll bring this ramble to a close for now. I'll talk about tone and themes later, probably.

Is it worth $70 and satisfying? Mostly. If you like button mashing combat and fantasy, sure. If you're a die-hard FF person, sure, but bolster your expectations as it doesn't really fit that mold. Anyone else that's curious, I'd say wait for a sale or promotion.

TBC

[baddieladdie]

Introducing:

The Mistress -- A Spider-man Noir Mystery

I am [finally] releasing the Peter Benjamin Parker I Spider-man Noir fanfic story I have been toying with over the last 7 months.

Playlist of film noir jazz - an accompaniment on Spotify

Summary:

This is an original story set in Earth-90214, at the heart of New York city 1933. Peter Parker/Spider-man Noir. Peter is invited to the bar his friend Charlie has been running after the recent growth of his establishment after prohibition had been lifted. Upon meeting with Charlie, he learns of a plot wherein the wealthiest man in New York, owner of the bank on main street, aims to take the business away from Charlie. That same night, he meets a dame by the name of Evelyn AuClair, a French heiress sent to marry that same wealthy business man.

Can Peter Parker/Spider-man Noir save his best friend's business? Can he rescue the beautiful dame from her destined and cruel fate? Is she really all who she says she is?

Here are the long form WIPs I have going on in 2023:

- Humanity (X6-88 x Sole Survivor x Deacon) - Nick Valentine rescue/thriller piece - The Mistress -- A Spider-man Noir Mystery I did have the Thane Krios x FemShep fanfic I was writing last year, but I'm just not very motivated to finish it currently.

[annexing-antares]

Interstellar Side Stories

Chapter 1

Planet: Exby-7

Sun (Thane)

The shuttle doors opened, and the harsh air hit my lungs forcing a wheeze out from underneath the mask. I had never really been a fan of gas worlds, particularly this one, which cared less about the people who lived in the city and more about how much money they could make from harvesting the resources from the planet. 

The thunder from an oncoming ion storm shook the now-closing dome to protect the people from rubble and debris. A loud click noise shook the city followed by the muffled noises of the rocks hitting the top of the dome. I took a breath as the air in my lungs began to lighten up a little bit. 

I looked out into the dreary streets and began to walk through the city. While amidst the stars, I had been told that this sector didn’t harbor much attention from the authorities and, the pathway of Order had no interest in coming to this part of the void mostly because they shared the same resources. With those two factors in mind, I decided that this world would be the best to hide out while I try to figure out what this, Stupid watch was meant for and why the old man wanted me to have the thing so badly. 

I checked over my shoulder making sure no one was following me, then pulled out the silver pocketwatch, and pressed the latch. The cover opened exposing the still ticking hands. “I wonder how accurate the time is?” I looked at the watch then began searching for the closet clock and saw the time, which matched perfectly. My eye twitched, “This can’t be worth conquering an entire system for, and if so, perhaps this might give me a chance of at least trying to survive.” 

I clicked the lid shut and shut my eyes, the copious amounts of Hydrogen in the air weren’t helping my senses making the task of trying to get my bearings and coming up with a  decent plan more difficult. I started rubbing my temples and decided the first plan of action would be to find somewhere to stay, which might help clear up my senses then, I could start to take a look at the watch.

The city began to darken as night fell and the lights illuminated the city bathing everything in soft amber tones.  A flickering neon sign caught my eyes as I saw a crowd of people walk out from the rustic-looking building. 

“It’s probably an inn but, knowing my luck, it’s most likely some club or bar of sorts.” I pressed the mask to my face before taking a deep breath and went inside. 

 From the appearance, my guess was that this place acted as an Inn and bar allowing the patrons to sleep off their drunken stupor. I slid into the booth leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. 

My mind began to drift off and the memories from the past week began to resurface. 

────────✵────────

My ears rang as another explosion went off and my eyes shot toward the skies as another drop ship arrived. Screams and cries rang out.  I heard Gramps shouting from the distance. “Thane! Where are you?”  I began looking around and then, I saw him checking underneath some rubble and rushed over to him. I was painting by the time I got over to him and said, “I’m right here Gramps I’m-” and before I could finish, he grabbed my hand and pushed something wrapped in cloth into my chest. “You need to leave, get out of this place. Don’t worry about me just go!”  He then pointed to a ship still holding my arm and said, “Run, don’t worry about me or this place! Run”.

The words danced in my mind; “Sir”, a voice cut through my train of thought and I looked down. I saw the Tabaxi looking at me slightly annoyed. “Sir,” she said before continuing, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes, are you ready to order?” 

I looked down at the table and tried scanning the menu, my eyes turned silver and I began to to shift the unfamiliar marks and symbols into ones I could more easily recognize. There was no water on this menu so I would have to settle for something fizzy. 

“How about this one?” I pointed to the line on the menu and she looked and gave me the side eye before walking away and muttered something beneath her breath. 

I was about to go back to my thoughts when I heard the doors open and saw a tall and massive individual stalked in, his six wings tucked in tightly and he sat at one of the stools resting his head in his hands. “A seraphim…What in the void is one of those doing here?.” 

The Tabaxi returned with the orange and red liquid and said, “Enjoy your drink”, a subtle snark in her tone and walked off to assist other people in the room. I decided just in case the rest of that angel's unit showed up, to create a plan of escape and began to scan the walls.

[viratsteelspecial-blog]

Are looking for DIN 2714 Steel for your upcoming Projects in India? Forging Excellence, Shaping Tomorrow, Unleash Precision and Durability!

DIN 2714 Steel is a high quality hot work tool steel that is suitable for various applications such as forging dies, hot shear knives, punches, etc. DIN 2714 Steel has excellent toughness, wear resistance, and thermal fatigue strength. It also has good machinability and polishability.

DIN 2714 Steel is supplied by Virat Special Steels, the leading stockist and supplier of DIN 2714 tool steel in India. We offer DIN 2714 Steel in flat, square and round bar forms, in all sizes as per your requirements. We also provide cutting, heat treatment, and machining services for DIN 2714 Steel.

Virat Special Steels is a trusted name in the tool steel industry, with over 57 years of experience and expertise. We have a wide network of dealers, distributors, and wholesalers across India, who can deliver DIN 2714 Steel to your doorstep.

Whether you are in Agra, Alwar,Ambala, Anand, Bhiwadi, Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Haridwar, Rudrapur, Delhi, Faridabad, Kanpur, Noida, Gurgaon, Manesar, Kundali , Chandigarh, Waluj , Vadodara, Pimpri – Chinchwad, Rajkot, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pithampur, Surat, Amravati, Vadodara, Indore, Bhopal, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Howrah, Kolkata, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Ambattur, Bangalore, Belgaum, Chittoor, Dindigul, Hyderabad, Ernakulam, Chennai, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Mysore, Nellore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram , Trivandrum , Vijayawada , Guntur , Tirupati , Nazarathpet , Kakinada , Kurnool or any other city in India , we can provide you with the best quality DIN 2714 Steel at competitive prices.

If you are looking for DIN 2714 Steel for your next project , contact us today and get a free quote. We will be happy to assist you with any queries or doubts you may have regarding DIN 2714 Steel. You can also visit our website to learn more about our products and services.

Virat Special Steels - Your one-stop solution for DIN 2714 Steel in India.

Consult our team at Virat Special Steels who will assist you with any queries you have about #DIN2714 / #DB6 steel. We are one of the leading suppliers and stockists of #DB6steel in #India and abroad.

Contact us today to learn more! https://www.viratsteels.com/db6.html https://www.viratsteels.com/din-2714.html

Any further queries feel free to contact us : ☎+91 98140-21775 🌐www.viratsteels.com 📬 info@viratsteels.com

[faeratil]

I like to think that after Shepard chose to save Kaidan on Virmire, she kept a picture of her and Ashley drinking during shore leave on her desk. I like to think that sometimes when she’s feeling sad or conflicted, she’ll go up to her cabin and sit in front of the picture and talk to Ash as if her best friend was still alive.

After the Reapers invade Earth and Shepard’s nightmares start getting even worse and she hears Ash’s voice repeating her final words over and over, the only way Shep can feel any sort of peace is to pull the picture back out and talk to Ash about everything.

Shep would tell her about how angry Kaidan was when she chose Garrus over him even though Kaidan thought she was dead for two years while Cerberus revived her and did so much work to move on. She would tell Ash about Mordin and how Ashley would’ve had so much fun teasing the Salarian but would’ve loved his support in a firefight. She would tell her about how sweet innocent Liara became the Shadow Broker and threatened to flay a client alive with her mind. After meeting Vega, she’d tell Ashley just how much they would’ve gotten along but that she would’ve loved to see Ash absolutely floor his attempts to flirt.

When Thessia falls, Shep would carry Ashley’s picture with her down to the Normandy’s bar and drink until she blacked out wondering if they would’ve stood a better chance if Ash was still alive. When Mordin sacrifices himself to save the Krogan, Shep would cry in front of the picture, wishing her best friend was there to comfort her. When Legion sacrifices himself to save the Geth and Quarians, Shep tells Ashley all kinds of stories about him to keep both of their memories alive. When Thane inevitably passes away, Shep recites the prayer she read with Kolyat to Ash’s picture.

Shep takes the picture with her when they return to Earth, knowing it might be a one way trip. Her best friend is there in spirit, pushing Shep to make the final break for the Catalyst. Her best friend is there in spirit, listening to the plans Shep and Garrus make to raise Krogan babies, and the plan to name the toughest one after Ash. She’s there in spirit when Anderson passes and Shep doesn’t feel totally alone when she faces the Catalyst because her best friend has always been by her side.

And after Shep makes her choice, and after everything goes dark, Shep finds herself walking into a bar. Mordin, Thane, Legion, and all the fallen crew of the Normandy are there. And then Ash walks up holding a beer out for Shep. “Hey, Commander. That was a hell of a show out there. You can rest now.” And Shep hugs her best friend for the first time in years.

[anghraine]

My best friend and I have played a bunch of ME3! I don't usually do this much media all at once, so I'm a little drained from all the Effecting Mass, but it's pretty cool so far.

The opening scene was incredible! RIP, Vancouver :(

I definitely was on team "Anderson should be on the Council, fuck Udina" way back when, but it makes sense that Anderson would hate it and he seems way happier in the resistance despite everything. And Udina isn't as obnoxious any more. I'm glad Anderson (and Hackett!) is getting his chance to shine, though.

But now we have James as the successor to Ashley and Zaeed in the Most Obnoxious Squad Member sweepstakes, and he's really bad. My bff hates Kaidan "I'm getting mixed signals from you, Shepard" Alenko more, especially because the game tries to prop him up (a Spectre? him?) where James seems at least meant to be an OTT dudebro. But James is such a mixture of grossly inappropriate (the remark about how Shepard fills out her uniform???), and inexpressibly cringe Latino stereotypes (you know the fics where Cassian Andor drops random Spanish 101 words into his sentences and largely becomes a walking stereotype to remind us that his actor is Mexican? it's like that but 10x worse) that I can't stand him.

Ashley was still The Worst, though. It's a high bar to clear. Or maybe a low bar. Anyway.

I am genuinely thrilled we get to hang out so much with Wrex, who I really like, and generally deal with the krogan in general, whom I love. We're about to try [redacted]ing the [redacted] and I really hope it goes well. And Grunt came back in a particularly spectacular way (his fight with the indoctrinated??rachni was very cool and the piano backing was perfect if deceptive. *waves krogan fan club flag*

Also, I've been deeply invested in the Protheans since ME1 and was thrilled to get more Prothean Lore (poor Liara though). At one point, I'd been like ... hmm, interesting that they were called the Prothean empire if they were that benign, so the empire being a, well, empire was fascinating. Despite everything, I like Javik(sp?) a lot.

Liara is still our one true love, and it's nice to see her becoming more herself after her rough patch in ME2 despite the Javik-shaped disappointment. Also, her design looks way better here than in the other two IMO. Her freckles!!!

My problematic fave Miranda has only briefly crossed our paths, and I hope she and her sister will be okay.

All the interactions with Thane are bittersweet in a really good way, and I'm glad his son is visiting him as he dies.

Oh, and I almost forgot one of my favorite things: we periodically drop by the Citadel for missions, but mainly to get updates on the Blasto saga. The elcor are one of my favorite species, so it's a delight.

...right, there are also Reapers, I guess. I don't really care about them except as the vehicle for the story to exist, though hopefully a vehicle that doesn't, idk, destroy all life. There are some cool mechanics, like when we're desperately searching for fuel and trying to evade the Reapers, but mostly I'm into the effects of the Reapers' existence on more interesting species and individuals. We'll see how that turns out. I know some people were really mad about the ending, but I don't know what it was/is. Mostly I'm just enjoying the ride, though.